iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Whitney McNamara @whitneymcn.mastodon.xyz.ap.brid.gy · 25/10/2026

Did I know that NTS had a guide to Canadian New Age music (1980-1987)? No, I did not. Am listening the hell out of it right now? Yes, I am. Is my spouse happy that she already had plans that take her out of the house this evening? Yes. Yes she is.

A screenshot of the Sonos Android app, playing the NYS Radio "Live on 1" channel, specifically a show identified as "NTS Guide to Canadian New Age 1980-1987."

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Whitney McNamara @whitneymcn.mastodon.xyz.ap.brid.gy · 19/09/2026

Just drinking coffee, scrolling through my mastodon feed, and learning that the World Tram Driver Championship is a thing that happens. It seems somehow appropriate that Google can't generate an AI summary for the event.

A screenshot of an android phone displaying the Google search results for "world tram driver championship."

Of particular note: the AI overview section of the results says "can't generate an AI overview right now. Try again later."

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Whitney McNamara @whitneymcn.mastodon.xyz.ap.brid.gy · 10/09/2026

My plants are a shitshow right now, so I try not to judge others' urban gardening decisions, but if the sidewalk looks like this after you've watered the six pots on your front stoop, you fucked up.

The sidewalk in front of a Brooklyn brownstone, soaked in water.

Not visible in the image is that there are six potted plants on the associated front stoop.

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Whitney McNamara @whitneymcn.mastodon.xyz.ap.brid.gy · 14/08/2026

One of the many things I love about the beach town we come to every summer is the presence of the Wu Tang house.

A small, fairly modern-looking house; the building itself isn't particularly notable, but the front yard (which is artificial grass) is filled with LED palm trees, large lawn flamingos, a fake dog skeleton, a giant metallic rooster with glowing red eyes, and...well, let your imagination fill in the rest.

Towards the front of the lawn is a small yard sign (the size of US political ya4d signs) that reads "Wu Tang is Forever."

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Whitney McNamara @whitneymcn.mastodon.xyz.ap.brid.gy · 09/08/2026

Starting day three on the north fork of Long Island. We've yet to have a meal that didn't involve tomatoes, corn, or peaches from a farmstand. Sometimes all three. Deeply content.

A beach landscape, early in the morning.

Taken from the beach, looking out into the Peconic bay. There are clusters of beach grass on the foreground, and a wooden jetty leading out to the water in the center of the scene.

To the left, the sun is just a bit above the horizon and casting a long reflection on the water.

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Whitney McNamara @whitneymcn.mastodon.xyz.ap.brid.gy · 29/07/2026

Another grey and rainy morning, and this hosta is here for it. #bloomScrolling

A single white flower -- six gently pointed petals surrounding a cluster of long stamen, with a cluster of buds behind it.

They're growing from a hosta, but I no longer remember what variety. Light green leaves, fairly broad and ribbed.

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Whitney McNamara @whitneymcn.mastodon.xyz.ap.brid.gy · 25/07/2026

One of the things that I love about living in Brooklyn is that I walked to the grocery store this morning thinking "of course they'll have tamarind paste," and I was correct. I also love that the instructions for use on the jar are "use for cooking."

A photograph of part of the label on a jar of tamarind paste, the key element being the instructions for use printed there. They are:

INSTRUCTIONS FOR USE: USE FOR COOKING

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Whitney McNamara @whitneymcn.mastodon.xyz.ap.brid.gy · 25/07/2026

I'm not a particularly sentimental person for the most part, but I took Powerful Pete off of my grandfather's key ring after his death, and it's not leaving my key ring until my death.

A ring of keys sitting on a wooden table, but what's important and in focus is the little sheet metal "pocket screw driver," which has stamped onto it:

POWERFUL PETE
Pocket screw driver - fits most screws
The W.C. Cook Co

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Whitney McNamara @whitneymcn.mastodon.xyz.ap.brid.gy · 09/07/2026

I've never planted any dahlias before, and now I'm wondering why not. #bloomScrolling

A single "rocket dahlia" flower. Dozens of deep red, spiky petals radiating out from a dark purple center.

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Whitney McNamara @whitneymcn.mastodon.xyz.ap.brid.gy · 24/06/2026

@futurebird We seem to have some young ant lovers in Brooklyn.

A handmade sign, diamond shaped, placed in a "tree pit" planter in Brooklyn. The sign reads "ants at work" and has an arrow pointing down to the soil.

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Whitney McNamara @whitneymcn.mastodon.xyz.ap.brid.gy · 24/06/2026

Someone at Accenture was really proud of coming up with this tagline for their ad campaign.

One of those in-elevator TV screens you find in corporate buildings, displaying an ad for Accenture with the tagline "together, we reinvented the corporate grind."

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Whitney McNamara @whitneymcn.mastodon.xyz.ap.brid.gy · 23/06/2026

Of all the entries on the "Musicians who oppose Donald Trump's use of their music" Wikipedia page, Frank Sinatra's is probably my favorite:

(A screenshot of a section of a Wikipedia page.)

~ Frank Sinatra
In April 2026, Trump posted a video clip without a caption or explanation of Frank Sinatra performing "My Way". Sinatra's eldest daughter Nancy Sinatra responded on X writing “This is a sacrilege" and "Trump may
love Sinatra, but Sinatra did not love Trump."
In a reply to a fan asking her if anything could be done, she wrote "Unfortunately no. The
only people who can do something are the publishers." A 2017 autobiography of Frank's manager Eliot Weisman supports Nancy's assessment of her father's opinion,
recounting that during negotiations to book Sinatra for the 1990 opening of the Trump Taj Mahal Casino, Sinatra instructed his manager he had two choices: "tell him to go fuck himself, or give me his number and I'll do
it."

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Whitney McNamara @whitneymcn.mastodon.xyz.ap.brid.gy · 21/06/2026

I uninstalled the app a while back so I can't be sure, but based on the number of people I see stopping to take pictures, I think the hydrangea is Instagram-famous again this year. #bloomScrolling

A hydrangea, flowering enthusiastically, in a small urban front garden. This year it's skewing much more blue, by design.

There's a small yew tree behind it, and it's growing through a low wrought iron fence.

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Whitney McNamara @whitneymcn.mastodon.xyz.ap.brid.gy · 20/06/2026

Last year this bed got pretty trashed by a spring storm that dropped several large trees branches onto it, but daylilies gonna daylily, so it's come back strong this summer. #bloomScrolling

A border filled with daylilies -- classic orange, stella d'oro, and crimson pirate, mostly -- all starting to blossom. There's a clematis climbing bamboo poles in the middle, but it's mostly done flowering for the start of the summer.

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Whitney McNamara @whitneymcn.mastodon.xyz.ap.brid.gy · 13/06/2026

Last night's rain left the front stoop pots pretty happy. #bloomScrolling

Various pots on a Brooklyn stoop: a classic orange daylily blossom front and center; poking up behind it are the spikes of tiny red flowers of an astilbe (montgomery), and the foliage of a pale green hosta. Furthest back is a dwarf Japanese maple, rippling red-tipped green leaves.

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Whitney McNamara @whitneymcn.mastodon.xyz.ap.brid.gy · 07/06/2026

Happy First Daylily of the Year Day to me, who celebrates. #bloomScrolling

A bright yellow-orange "Stella d'oro" daylily blossom, surrounded by fans of strappy green foliage.

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Whitney McNamara @whitneymcn.mastodon.xyz.ap.brid.gy · 03/06/2026

This is the third or fourth location I've tried for this clematis over the years; it seems pleased with its new home. #gardening #bloomScrolling

A purple clematis, flowering enthusiastically as it climbs up a tripod of bamboo canes.

The base of the plant is shaded by dense daylily foliage, and there is a wooden fence in the background.

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Whitney McNamara @whitneymcn.mastodon.xyz.ap.brid.gy · 02/06/2026

I'm relieved: I was initially worried that I had cut this hydrangea back too aggressively earlier in the spring. #bloomScrolling

A large hydrangea, growing though a cast iron fence in front of a Brooklyn brownstone. It is flowering enthusiastically, with the blossoms just starting to shift from a creamy white to a pale purple-blue.

A yew tree appears in the background.

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Whitney McNamara @whitneymcn.mastodon.xyz.ap.brid.gy · 31/05/2026

Would I prefer that the new kittens hadn't chosen the basket of napkins (which we humans plan to use while eating in the near future) as their top nap spot? Yes. Am I going to do anything about that? No. So smol, so cute.

Two kittens, one all black and one stripey brown, asleep in a fabric Ikea basket that is otherwise filled with the cloth napkins that we use when we eat.

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Whitney McNamara @whitneymcn.mastodon.xyz.ap.brid.gy · 28/05/2026

"Dead nettle" is an ominous name for such a charming little plant. #bloomScrolling

A patch of "dead nettle" (orchid frost, I think); jagged heart-shaped leaves, pale green with dark green edges, and small clusters of purple-pink bell-shaped flowers.

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Whitney McNamara @whitneymcn.mastodon.xyz.ap.brid.gy · 25/05/2026

I haven't listened to this record in years, still fantastic. Pairs well with coffee and a kimchi omelet on a chill, rainy morning.

A screenshot of the Sonos Android app playing The Universal Congress Of's album "The 11th Hour Shine-On" on a speaker named "kitchen."

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Whitney McNamara @whitneymcn.mastodon.xyz.ap.brid.gy · 23/05/2026

Same small, shady, urban front garden on two rainy May 23rds, eight years apart. It's chaotic, and will never win any awards for design, but I love walking past it every day. #gardening

A small, square front garden in Brooklyn.Three varieties of mature hostas, astilbe, and three varieties of fern poke through a mat of dead nettle that's just starting to flower. In the front right-hand corner of the garden there's a waist-high hydrangea that's loving the rainy weather.

A small, square front garden in Brooklyn. There's a somewhat overgrown yew tree in the center, surrounded by dirt with a few small young plants scattered around: bleeding heart, astilbe, painted fern, hostas, and dead nettle. In the front right-hand corner of the garden there's an ankle-high hydrangea bush.

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Whitney McNamara @whitneymcn.mastodon.xyz.ap.brid.gy · 16/05/2026

It makes me happy that the old school bleeding heart seems to have come back into fashion for shady gardens. #bloomScrolling

A closeup of three bleeding heart blossoms, surrounded by the plant's light green segmented leaves.

The blossoms themselves are exactly what the name suggests: bright pink hearts with a red and white "drop" hanging from the bottom point.

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Whitney McNamara @whitneymcn.mastodon.xyz.ap.brid.gy · 15/05/2026

It's been a couple of years since we had cats in the family, but these guys showed up last night for an early #caturday

Two kittens, one stripey brown and one all black, nestled in a large wicker basket with towels and sheets forming a nest for them.

Both kittens are looking directly at you; stripey brown is half standing up and curious, all black is kinda "wut?"

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Whitney McNamara @whitneymcn.mastodon.xyz.ap.brid.gy · 15/05/2026

My second-favorite hosta: Deane's Dream. Just so elegant. #bloomScrolling

A "Deane's Dream" hosta, surrounded by dead nettle. The hosta has long, narrow blue-green leaves with with deep veins running lengthwise.

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Whitney McNamara @whitneymcn.mastodon.xyz.ap.brid.gy · 01/05/2026

Fire Island hostas are probably my favorite hostas -- that ridiculously bright yellow color gets me every spring. #bloomScrolling

A "fire island" hosta. Its leaves are more heart-shaped then many hostas, and they are a ridiculously bright yellow color, on deep red stems.

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Whitney McNamara @whitneymcn.mastodon.xyz.ap.brid.gy · 30/04/2026

A rainy night and a grey morning, but the bluebells and phlox are making the best of it. #bloomScrolling

A cluster of bluebells, next to a cluster of "blue moon" phlox that's a slightly lighter shade of purple.

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Whitney McNamara @whitneymcn.mastodon.xyz.ap.brid.gy · 20/12/2025

You know it's Hanukkah brisket time when this guy shows up.

A bottle of Heinz Chili Sauce, sitting on a wooden countertop; it is KEY to making Hanukkah brisket of the American/East Coast variety.

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Whitney McNamara @whitneymcn.mastodon.xyz.ap.brid.gy · 08/11/2025

If you, like me, have entered Guaraldi season in your listening, I highly recommend tossing Masaru Imada's album "Planets" into the mix.

A screenshot of the Android Sonos app playing the album "Planets" by the Masaru Imada Trio +1.

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Whitney McNamara @whitneymcn.mastodon.xyz.ap.brid.gy · 24/10/2025

Yeah, I feel you, Mets Skeleton. Mets gonna Mets, right?

A plastic human skeleton, wearing a NY Mets hat, sitting on the window ledge of a brownstone building.

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Whitney McNamara @whitneymcn.mastodon.xyz.ap.brid.gy · 04/10/2025

This is what a "pickup truck" was 30 years ago. It didnt have a "hemi' or whatever, nor did it comfortably seat five, it just carried stuff from one place to another, and was relatively cheap and easy to maintain.

A pickup truck -- a ca. 1980s pickup truck, I think -- that is tiny by 2025 standards, but is the pickup truck that America had a couple of decades ago, and is totally capable of meeting our current needd, IMO.

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Whitney McNamara @whitneymcn.mastodon.xyz.ap.brid.gy · 09/09/2025

As far as I cam tell, the only reason we still have paper clips in our house is that sometimes electronic devices need to be hard reset.

A paper clip -- the bent-wire metal oval kind -- with one end bent out about 50 degrees.

It's sitting on a dark wood countertop.

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Whitney McNamara @whitneymcn.mastodon.xyz.ap.brid.gy · 05/09/2025

The daylily bed got pretty trashed this year, by branches that blew down in a storm, but daylilies gonna daylily. Probably the last one of the year. #bloomScrolling

A single, bright yellow Stella d'oro daylily blossom.

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Whitney McNamara @whitneymcn.mastodon.xyz.ap.brid.gy · 10/08/2025

Only been here around 48 hours and I already had to think hard about what day of the week it is. Perfect.

From behind a low wooden beach wall, a short expanse of beach and a much larger expanse of water (the Peconic bay).

In the center of the image there's a wooden platform: the top of a staircase leading down to the beach.

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Whitney McNamara @whitneymcn.mastodon.xyz.ap.brid.gy · 05/07/2025

Basil is going gangbusters, but no tomatoes yet, so it's pesto season. #gardening

A small, round plastic container with a label on the lid that reads "fresh pesto 7/6" [apologies for the date formatting, Europeans]. It's sitting on a wooden countertop.

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Whitney McNamara @whitneymcn.mastodon.xyz.ap.brid.gy · 29/06/2025

Deane's Dream starting to flower, rather early, I think. #bloomScrolling

A "Deane's Dream" hosta plant: relatively long, narrow, light-green leaves, with a series of lengthwise ribs running down each. It has two stems extending upwards with pale yellow flowers just starting to blossom.

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Whitney McNamara @whitneymcn.mastodon.xyz.ap.brid.gy · 29/06/2025

The branches that blew down in our recent storm pretty much trashed the (main) daylily bed for this year, but daylilies gonna daylilly, so they're still trying. #bloomScrolling #gardening

Two "classic orange" daylily blossoms in a somewhat bedraggled-looking flower bed.

Two daylily blossoms, in a somewhat bedraggled-looking flower bed.

I can't remember what variety they are, but the blossoms are pale yellow, moving to deep red centers.

A cluster of bright orange-yellow "Stella d'Oro" daylily blossoms in a somewhat bedraggled-looking flower bed.

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Whitney McNamara @whitneymcn.mastodon.xyz.ap.brid.gy · 21/06/2025

Thursday's windstorm blew four sizeable branches off a neighbor's Norway Maple and into the daylily bed. Oh, well. #gardening

A chest-high pile of Norway Maple foliage in the foreground, with the large branches it was clipped off of visible in the background.

Behind them is a bed of daylilies, somewhat the worse for wear for having said branches land in it.

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Whitney McNamara @whitneymcn.mastodon.xyz.ap.brid.gy · 11/06/2025

The hydrangea is happy this year. And I need to trim the yew. #bloomScrolling

A chest high hydrangea, thickly covered in purple-blue blossoms. It's growing through the cast iron fence in front of a small front garden in brownstone Brooklyn, with a small yew tree visible behind and above it.

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