iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Margaret Owen @what-eats-owls.bsky.social · 9h

We've seen plenty of people claim AI could do [insert task] and only make it clear that they personally do not have the skills or subject understanding to do the task themselves. I don't think JCO's take on romance/AI is any different.

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Margaret Owen @what-eats-owls.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

So this is anecdotal, but I was talking last night with a friend about how it feels like we see increasingly more infighting on the left, and my take was: There is absolutely clout to be chased by policing other people's activism, but we also can't underestimate how it's being algorithmically pushed

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Margaret Owen @what-eats-owls.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

a million things on my plate, and yet my mind whispers: "do a full set of matching dust covers for your books"

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Margaret Owen @what-eats-owls.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

I only peek in on my alma mater’s football season when we play UW or make it to a bowl, so last night was a bad one to see how my Ducks are playing

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Margaret Owen @what-eats-owls.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

In what world is knowing your own zip code “fine intellectual dexterity”

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Margaret Owen @what-eats-owls.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

you've all seen the "modern" r&j retellings, now we're going in the OPPOSITE DIRECTION

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Margaret Owen @what-eats-owls.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

Every time this rears its head I am reminded that if entities *actually* cared about what they say they care about here, they’d be lobbying for a PLR program in the US

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Matt Bell @mdbell79.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

The very first entry in my commonplace book.

“One of the things I know about writing is this: spend it all, shoot it, play it, lose it, all, right away, every time. Do not hoard what seems good for a later place in the book or for another book; give it, give it all, give it now. The impulse to save something good for a better place later is the signal to spend it now. Something more will arise for later, something better. These things fill from behind, from beneath, like well water. Similarly, the impulse to keep to yourself what you have learned is not only shameful, it is destructive. Anything you do not give freely and abundantly becomes lost to you. You open your safe and find ashes.” —Annie Dillard, The Writing Life

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Margaret Owen @what-eats-owls.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

so "this is going to ruin the tour" was not a complaint, but a prophecy

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daryl "crimetime after primetime" b 🏳️‍⚧️ @hypercubexl.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

GDT's reddit AMA spitting fire www.reddit.com/r/movies/com...

reddit comment:

Hello! Did you intend the ending of Pan’s labyrinth to be real or in Ofelia’s mind?

Guillermo Del Toro's reply:

My interpretation, and it's exclusively mine, is that it's real.

Because there's two things. One is what people call “The Shining Question.” The Shining Question is, Who opens the door for Jack to get out of the fridge? And Ofelia is in an attic with a guard outside her door, and she draws the door with the magic chalk, and she shows up in the labyrinth. So, the only way she could have gone into the labyrinth is the magic chalk. And the flower is real at the end. The flower that blooms in the dead tree. And the reason I think it’s real is because—and this is why I'm in favor of the human factor in art—I think that art does transform the world. You know?

Think about it for a second. One of the goals, with all this movement, is to make you believe that art is vulgar. That art is nothing special, and anybody can do art. That is like me telling you that I'm faster at running than Usain Bolt but I “run” in my motorcycle. Well, that's not the same. That’s not the same at all.

Art is important, and they want you to believe it isn't. It's part of the idea of control. The goal is not to have artificial intelligence. The goal is to foster natural stupidity. The goal is to foster you not looking for answers, and to trust yourself entirely to an engine. Look at the way we are dipping our toes into these things. We are starting to ask the machine, Is this true? For now, there's a correlation between reality and what the answers of the machine are. For now. But soon, we won't even investigate further. We will be told it's true. And if the machine is in the hands of somebody who should not be trusted, then your reality has been completely and utterly fucked. Because your intelligence ends at the question. You don't seek the answer. It's given to you.

Q: You recently mentioned that AI creates 'semi-compelling screensavers' and that you'd 'rather die' than use it. As a filmmaker who relies heavily on practical effects and creature design, what do you think is the biggest thing lost when a computer generates an image instead of a human hand?

GDT:

The three quarters of the process that gave you the chance to think of the idea that people don't think about without that process. Meaning, AI can get you to the middle really fast, but there's a dialectic with the process that gets you to that top 10%. I'll give you an example with the Pale Man.

We sculpted it as an old man, with a face. And then I said, Let's take out the face. This happened because I saw a photo of a manta ray and the poster for Don Coscarelli’s Phantasm. That combination, which happened at two different times during a week or a month, are not permutations that are chemically part of an equation. They are alchemy. And then I said, Take out the face, and then I said, Let's put the eyes on the hands. This triangulation happens because I spent a month or two months living with the idea of this creature. And it's not linear.

AI is like a super-fast engine that makes semi-sentient permutations of things that are already done. Creation is things that have never been done. Coming to exist.

And the second thing is the loss of the apprenticeship that one has as an artist. You're never a master; you're always an apprentice. This is a kinship I have with, for example, Chris Nolan. When he showed me The Odyssey, there’s a scene when Matt Damon is floating in the stormy ocean and I asked him—because we were talking about practical effects, and how great it is and that we both always use a maquette or a model—and I asked him, How did you do it? He said, “We put him in a storm in the ocean.”

And you're gonna find that 30% of a great image occurs accidentally. You know, either a drop of water hits the lens, or the camera shakes. I remember when in 1993, '94, Jim…

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Meg @meganroseruiz.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

I tried designing a character on a three hour flight, let’s see how I did

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Margaret Owen @what-eats-owls.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Also a situation complicated by publishers that play coy with the actual age category because they want the perceived benefits of YA without forfeiting the perceived prestige of adult books

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Margaret Owen @what-eats-owls.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Caught the game trailer end of the Nintendo Live and.... I mean, whatever is happening there, I'm still gonna play the hell out of it on day 1

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caroline cash @cashbrowns.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

Nancy 9/7/26 … Happy Labor Day 🛠️

8 Hours for Work, 8 Hours for Rest, 8 Hours for What We Will. Based on a screenprint by Ricardo Levins Morales after the organizing work done by Robert Owen.

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Dimension 20 @dimension20.dropout.tv · 07/09/2026

every job deserves comfort, dignity and safety! 🫡

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Katherine Locke @katherinelocke.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

One day, this publisher's name will be a distant memory that no longer brings me intense frustration. That day is not today. If you're an Albert Whitman author who has a book in the Anthropic case, you should go check your email in case they're trying to claim 100% of the $$ for your books too.

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Margaret Owen @what-eats-owls.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

My first order of business today as a newly-minted 40-year-old is going to be, very maturely, buying a Switch 2

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Margaret Owen @what-eats-owls.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

It's the cat's expression that absolutely makes this

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Margaret Owen @what-eats-owls.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

I did spend a not-insignificant amount of time this weekend clarifying that the lodestar was like a Hugo, but not a Hugo, but it’s just for YA, but…. Etc etc etc

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Margaret Owen @what-eats-owls.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

I think the spirit is there, the institutional knowledge is not, at least on my part. So if someone can point me to the How To on this, I’d be happy to take it on!

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Margaret Owen @what-eats-owls.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

For all my bellyaching I do love that lodestar gets its own trophy because this is dope as hell. I am planning a heist as we speak

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Margaret Owen @what-eats-owls.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

As one of this year's Lodestar nominees, I would love to see this too! I don't think we have to change the name or invent a new category; the Lodestar just would need to be recognized as a Hugo the way the Andre Norton award is a Nebula.

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Margaret Owen @what-eats-owls.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

“Margaret are you sure you don’t want to stick around for the final day of Worldcon”

Screenshot of the weather app readout for Seattle, which is about 20° cooler than Anaheim and forecasted for three straight days of rain

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Margaret Owen @what-eats-owls.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

Since I got a *few* questions about my jacket for the Hugos last night, a brief thread for bsky about the project I dubbed Jacketquest

A picture of me, a white woman with dark blonde hair, in a hotel room, wearing a black sequined dress and a cropped black jacket over it that is heavily embellished, featuring a sequined patch depicting an evil eye in a nest of gold and silver rays.

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Margaret Owen @what-eats-owls.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

Heads up for folks headed to our Purple and Windowpane Prose panel at Worldcon in an hour: there was a room change! It is now in ACC 258, and the online program guide has been updated as well!

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Margaret Owen @what-eats-owls.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

Also, if you spot me wandering around Worldcon, I am carrying some very silly ribbons that are up for grabs:

Photo of a badge ribbon lying on a white table. The ribbon is deep red and has gold text that reads “VANJA YES”. Taking no questions at this time.

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Margaret Owen @what-eats-owls.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

Thank you to everyone who made the Demisexuality and Asexuality in Fantasy panel standing-room only! We had an absolute blast and I hope you did too!!

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Margaret Owen @what-eats-owls.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

Reminder for worldcon folks: my only scheduled signing is in half an hour at the Autographing area in ACC North!

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derek guy @dieworkwear.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

I appreciate that Dolly Parton refused to participate in "dress respectability" and, by her own account, modeled her aesthetic after a town "tramp," who she thought was beautiful. She separated aesthetics from character and understood "classiness" to be about how you treat people, not how you dress.

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Margaret Owen @what-eats-owls.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

can someone turn on the grim reaper’s aim assist

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Margaret Owen @what-eats-owls.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

I feel like a big part of why Dolly was so aspirational to people in creative work is, she wasn't always as respected as she is now. I was born in 86 and I *acutely* recall how her body, her demeanor, her voice, they were all ridiculed by people with personal stakes in Serious Thought looking a way.

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Margaret Owen @what-eats-owls.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

in other news, my cat announced he will only shit in a litter box

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okie (they/them) @okie.gay · 25/08/2026

Texas’s drag ban was found to be unconstitutional this morning and one of the plaintiffs who brought the suit was an Austin-based drag queen who often impersonates Dolly Dolly was named in the final judgement itself and after hearing about the lawsuit, she sent that drag queen a signed guitar

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Alex Zalben @azalben.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

Here's the official announcement of Parton's passing from her reps, along with the request that in lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations to be made to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library at www.imaginationlibrary.com

NASHVILLE, TN (August 25, 2026) – Global icon and humanitarian, Dolly Parton, known to the world as a beloved singer, songwriter, philanthropist, actress, playwright, and author died peacefully today in Nashville, Tennessee. She was 80 years old.

Dolly is preceded in death by her beloved husband of 59 years Carl Thomas Dean (1942 – 2025), her mother Avie Lee Caroline Owens (1923 – 2003), and father, Robert Lee Parton, Sr. (1921 – 2000).

A rhinestone life that shone bright enough for the world to see, Dolly will forever stand as an inspiration not only through her timeless music and prolific songwriting, but also her wit, warmth, and kindness that made us all feel like family. Dolly Parton’s legacy is one of love, compassion, and resilience. With a seven-decade career, she inspired multiple generations of artists and fans with her music and an unwavering commitment to making the world a better place. Her songs will continue to resonate with people of all ages, and her philanthropic work will have a lasting impact.

At Dolly’s request, a small, private service will be held for immediate family. Dolly’s fans and friends from around the world are encouraged to pay tribute to Dolly on social media by tagging @DollyParton or by leaving a message at www.dollyparton.com.

In lieu of flowers the family asks for donations to be made to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library at www.imaginationlibrary.com.

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Rodger Sherman @rodger.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

She wrote a handful of the greatest songs ever written, and the first thing so many people think of is not those towering achievements, but how good a person she was and how many people’s lives she improved

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William Shakespeare @shakespeare.lol · 25/08/2026

[Exit Queen.]

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Margaret Owen @what-eats-owls.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

If I am certain one person is in heaven…

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Margaret Owen @what-eats-owls.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

smh cannot believe they trained this ai on my running

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Margaret Owen @what-eats-owls.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

so do we think someone just dropped the piece of paper where they had natalie harp’s activation words written down in sequence

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Margaret Owen @what-eats-owls.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

the mariners have lost the mandate of heaven

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Margaret Owen @what-eats-owls.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

Firmly believe LAX’s sole goal is to manifest the architectural equivalent of “abandon hope all ye who enter here”

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Margaret Owen @what-eats-owls.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

my mother follows me on here so I will just say yes, virginia, we partied

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Margaret Owen @what-eats-owls.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

"I tried my friend's glasses on and they made the world look funny and gave me a headache, smh can't believe we do this to kids"

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Margaret Owen @what-eats-owls.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

Beseeching aid from entomologist bsky: I have found my cats playing with two of these caterpillars in the last three hours. The cats are indoor but have access to a catio next to my balcony garden, and there are also many houseplants. I’m in Seattle. What is this guy??

Photo of a dull green caterpillar curled into a spiral on a paper towel. Faint darker green stripes run down its sides.

Different angle, same caterpillar, fingertips for scale. (Curled up, it is slightly smaller than my index fingernail.)

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Margaret Owen @what-eats-owls.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

there is a place near me that does Taiwanese popcorn chicken, and it used to have the most perfectly fried basil leaves, light and crispy.... and then they must have changed cooks 🥲 now the basil is soggy and stringy

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