iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Peter G @zigzackly.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

The Act of Reading: Personal or Political, with Siddesh Gaitam. An online event by the @freelibsnet.bsky.social.

The flyer has an image of the speaker, a bearded person wearing spectacles, holding a cloth tote bag. The person’s visible forearm has multiple tattoos.
There is also a QR Code.
The underlying image, an illustration, seems to be a winding blue river against a green background.

The text overlay says:

FREE LIBRARIES NETWORK
India & South Asia
Anti Caste Webinar Series

The Act of Reading: Personal or Political
Speaker: Siddhesh Gautam, author of a graphic novel *Speaker:*
Date: 22nd September 2026
Time: 02:00 to 03:30 PM

On Zoom. Scan the QR Code to register

The flyer has a central image of a winding spiral staircase of books. A human figure, Dr Ambedkar, is holding up a part of the book starway. One side of it is a blue sky with light clouds, the other is a star-studded night sky.

The text overlay says:

About the Speaker:

Siddhesh is a multi discipline, mixed-media artist, designer, writer, poet, dreamer, storyteller, treasure hunter, soul searcher and an Ambedkarite. His art traces a personal and political journey towards Begumpura (the land without sorrow), where dignity, equality, and freedom are realities. His practice is deeply rooted in the visual documentation of the anti-caste movement, while also engaging with questions of climate justice and gender equality. (Bio taken from his latest book title.)

Art taken from Instagram @bakeryprasad

Peter G @zigzackly.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Millet sheera. Rinse and then soak the millet. Drain. Add water, cook in pan (or rice cooker, like I did) with jaggery and cinnamon powder, until porridgy. Lightly toast raisins, nuts. Add to the mix, then add milk, stir until milk is absorbed. Set in a bowl in fridge.

Top view of a glass bowl in which a white porridge is set. There are toasted nuts and raisins visible in the mix

A closer shor of a slice of the set porridge in a steel vaati. You can just about see the texture of the cooked millet grains clumped together. There are bits of toasted almonds, cashewnuts and raisins visible in the mix.

010

Peter G @zigzackly.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Our regular visiting bulbuls seem to have had babies!

A lamp pole. Wires are fastened to it. On the higher wire stretching off to the right, two bulbuls perch. A smaller bulbul sits on a lower wire that descends to the left. On the top of the pole, a fourth bulbul is half concealed by the pole.

040

Peter G @zigzackly.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

I was going to make a joke related to the book, but his sister, Sayoni, beat me to it.

And no, I don't think he has a portrait which is mysteriously ageing in his attic, mainly because he does not have an attic.

010

Peter G @zigzackly.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

Folx who have used USA appliances in India and know about electrical appliances. What an adaptor will i need for that will accept this plug and also adjust for different voltage and frequency? India: 230 V 400 V 50 Hz This device: 120 V, 60 Hz

Label at bottom of an appliance.

Rice Cooker

Model No. RC5428 TYPE1

120V~60Hz

1000W

CAUTION: DO NOT IMMERSE IN WATER. HOUSEHOLD USE ONLY

ATTENTION: NE PAS IMMERGER.

UTILISATION DOMESTIQUE SEULEMENT

MADE IN CHINA / FABRIQUÉ EN CHINE APPLICA CONSUMER PRODUCTS, INC., MIRAMAR, FL 33027, U.S.A.

211

Peter G @zigzackly.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

He’s a ten, but she’s elven.

Screenshot from Lord of the Rings, showing Aragon and Eowyn.

381

Peter G @zigzackly.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

Two years ago I planted some tapioca stems. One took root properly, put out two stalks, and as of yesterday, those had grown to at least three metres tall. Today, we harvested them. Now we have to figure out what to do with the tapioca. Suggestions? #HowMyGardenGrows #HowMyGardenGrows #MakingRoots

110

Peter G @zigzackly.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

I have one of India’s most acclaimed photographers getting camerasplained by a rather unremarkable hobbyist.

Screenshot of an online exchange.

gobhai:
Are you a Leica user? Ever used their film cameras? That's Leica. Not the current crop of made outside Germany cameras, where the technology is from elsewhere. If you do not understand this...well, you have to be a practising photographer to do so. It's not just the fab Leica lenses..... but the image processor inside, the software, and so many other things..... the M series of film cameras....I grew up using them...the sound of the mechanical shutter, the build quality, the feel of the satin chrome finish in your hands....that was Leica. I miss Leica.

dayanitasingh:
@gobhai this is true, I am not a practising photographer, just a house wife whose hobby is photography, what would I know of cameras, and that too Leica!
5h
10 likes
Reply
Add a comment...

140

Peter G @zigzackly.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

Reminded of this Esquire cover from 1968. More about it here, for anyone seeing it for the first time: nmaahc.si.edu/object/nmaah...

Alt text from the linked page.

One (1) copy of the April 1968 issue of Esquire magazine featuring Muhammad Ali on the cover. The cover is fully white, with the Esquire masthead at the top in black and a color photograph of Ali at center, standing shirtless in white boxing shorts and shoes. He has been shot with six arrows. Five pierce his chest while the sixth arrow punctures the upper thigh of his proper right leg, each creating a bloody wound. His hands are behind his back and his head is thrown back so that he looks up and slightly to his proper right. In small black text near his proper left shoe is [The Passion of Muhammad Ali], the title of the feature article written by Leonard Shecter found on page 128.

030

Peter G @zigzackly.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

Ref this bit, does this establish a precedent? Like, if any book has not been published digitally, I can scan the book and claim that my use is transformative and therefore fair use?

And since Anthropic was turning the original physical texts into digital ones - rather than redistributing them as new copies a judge found this to be “transformative,” and therefore

protected by fair use.

100

Peter G @zigzackly.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

Oh. Here. Note the appropriation of Dr Ambedkar’s ‘educate, agitate, organise’ advice.

The account info says it has been around since October 2025, is based in India, and has changed its username once.

000

Peter G @zigzackly.bsky.social · 26/07/2026

Dr Bhimrao ‘Babasaheb’ Ambedkar’s famous exhortation to the oppressed castes.

Page 276

DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR WRITINGS AND SPEECHES

…
For ours is a battle, not for wealth or for power. It is a battle for freedom. It is a battle for the reclamation of human personality which has been suppressed and mutilated by the Hindu Social System and will continue to be suppressed and mutilated if in the political struggle the Hindus win and we lose. My final words of advice to you is educate, agitate and organize, have faith in yourselves and never lose hope. I shall always be with you as I know you will be with me."1

..

032

Peter G @zigzackly.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

Meet Japan’s Tanuki dogs.

020

Peter G @zigzackly.bsky.social · 11/07/2026

The Old Grey Lady thought it was immune because the powers that be prefer underage victims?

"The appearance of Federal law enforcement agents on the doorstep of news reporters should shock the conscience of any American who believes in the Constitution and the press freedom it protects. Our journalists report the facts and advance the American public's right to know how their government is operating and their taxpayer dollars are being used. This brazen act should be seen as nothing more than an attempt to prevent the public from knowing what is happening in their country by intimidating journalists from doing their jobs."

David McCraw, Senior Vice President and Deputy General Counsel

The New York Times

000

Peter G @zigzackly.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

I was reading this thread — starts here: bsky.app/profile/clai... — by @clairewillett.bsky.social last night, and today I came to these pages in Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis.

Bluesky post by Claire Willett @clairewillett.bsky.social

Goretti was also the first saint canonized not for "defending her faith" but for "defending" the sexual morality teachings of that faith, which is actually a completely different thing. her rapist was also Catholic. none of it was about like, taking a stand in defense of the church itself

Photograph of a page in a graphic narrative.

The images show the protagonist , a girl of 14, talking to her parents.

Panel 1
Caption: OBVIOUSLY, THAT EVENING MY FATHER GOT A PHONE CALL.

Father on phone: YES OF COURSE... YES...

Mother asks: WHO IS IT?

Panel 2.

Father to mother: IT WAS THE PRINCIPAL OF MARJI'S SCHOOL. APPARENTLY SHE TOLD OFF THE RELIGION TEACHER. SHE GETS THAT FROM HER UNCLE.

Panel 3
Mother to father : MAYBE YOU'D LIKE HER TO END UP LIKE HIM TOO? EXECUTED?

Panel 4
Mother to daughter, who she is holding by the shoulders: YOU KNOW WHAT THEY DO TO THE YOUNG GIRLS THEY ARREST?

Panel 5
Mother to daughter: YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO NILOUFAR? THE GIRL YOU MET AT KHOSRO'S HOUSE? THE MAN WHO MADE PASSPORTS?

Panel 6
Mother to daughter: YOU KNOW THAT IT'S AGAINST THE LAW TO KILL A VIRGIN...

Panel 7
Mother to daughter: SO A GUARDIAN OF THE REVOLUTION MARRIES HER...

Panel 8
Mother to daughter, shaking her by the shoulders: ...AND TAKES HER VIRGINITY BEFORE EXECUTING HER. DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT MEANS???

Panel 9
Mother to daughter, hugging her: IF SOMEONE SO MUCH AS TOUCHES A HAIR ON YOUR HEAD, I'LL KILL HIM!

Next page.

Panel 1
Daughter to parents who are standing facing her, father with an arm around mother's shoulders: BUT HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT FOR SURE? MAYBE THEY JUST EXECUTED HER!

Panel 2
Father to daughter: NO. YOUR MOTHER'S RIGHT.

Panel 3
Father to daughter: TRADITIONALLY, WHEN A GIRL GETS MARRIED, THE HUSBAND IS SUPPOSED TO PAY HER A DOWRY

Panel 4
Father: IF THE GIRL DIES, THE HUSBAND HAS TO GIVE THE DOWRY TO HER FAMILY.
THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED WITH NILOUFAR. AFTER SHE WAS EXECUTED, TO MAKE SURE HER AWFUL FATE WAS UNDERSTOOD, THEY SENT 500 TUMANS TO HER PARENTS.
Mother: 500 TUMANS FOR THE LIFE AND VIRGINITY OF AN INNOCENT GIRL.
Asterisked note at bottom of panel: * EQUIVALENT TO $5.00

Panel 5
Daughter, on couch, mother leaning on the back, father facing them.
Daughter: I HAD NO IDEA.

Panel6
Daughter, lying in bed, under the covers, eyes wide, thinking to herself: ALL NIGHT LONG, I THOUGHT OF THAT PHRASE: "TO DIE A MARTYR IS TO INJECT BLOOD INTO THE VEINS OF SOCIETY." NILOUFAR WAS A REAL MARTYR, AND HER BLOOD CERTAINLY DID NOT FEED OUR SOCIETY'S VEINS.

001

Peter G @zigzackly.bsky.social · 04/07/2026

There was a movie by that name (the Italian word) way, way back.

When someone knocks on your door and says permesso?

...be careful before you say Avanti!

Avanti!

THE MIRISCH CORPORATION

JACK LEMMON JULIET MILLS
A BILLY WILDER FILM AVANTI!

CLIVE REVILL-EDWARD ANDREWS
Produced and Directed by BILLY WILDER

Screenplay by BILLY WILDER IAL DIAMOND Based on the play by SAMUEL TAYLOR Produced on the New York stage by MORRIS JACOBS and JEROME WHYTE with RICHARD RODGERS

010

Peter G @zigzackly.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

Japanese-style silky steamed eggs. Whisk eggs. Run through a strainer. Blend in stock. Pour into heat-safe bowl. Into a deep pan of boiling water, place a trivet, place bowl on trivet. Cover pan. Steam for 12–14 minutes. Remove, slice with knife. Add bit of soya sauce, chopped onion stems.

Bowl of Japanese-style silky steamed eggs, seen from the top.

Same bowl, seen closer up, with the contents partly eaten

220

Peter G @zigzackly.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

Spinach dosa. Rough-cut and blanche spinach, drain, squeeze out excess water. Put spinach and dosa batter into blender. Cook as normal.

A cooked spinach dosa, flipped, and then folded, ready to serve.

100

Peter G @zigzackly.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

No-gluten spinach-ham-cheese-egg quiche. Boil or microwave potato till done. Cool, remove skin, mash thoroughly. Butter or oil an oven-safe mould or bowl and spread potato (use a round-bottom ladle to spread evenly) into thin cup shape. Bake until crisp. Add your fillings, and bake again.

A top-view of an already-baked spinach-ham-cheese-egg quiche in a bowl

Blanche spinach first.

A spinach-ham-cheese-egg quiche in a red plate.

100

Peter G @zigzackly.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

Disability Pride Month is celebrated every July, tied to the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which was signed on 26 July 1990. I do not know whether other countries or regions have other periods they observe. Do you?

A charcoal grey flag bisected diagonally from the top left corner to the lower right corner by five parallel stripes in red, pale gold, pale grey, light blue, and green. Designed to be visually safe and inclusive. Designed by Ann Magill, USAian disability rights activist.

The gold-silver-bronze disability flag created by Eros Recio from Valencia in 2017, which was aimed mainly to highlight the achievements and value of disabled individuals in society.

010

Peter G @zigzackly.bsky.social · 24/06/2026

One tiny island of green in the concrete expanse in front of Vashi station has a honking great hoarding coming up.

001

Peter G @zigzackly.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

And that end-credits sequence of refugees and war victims around the world, starting with Palestine, rings a bit false when you have accepted Israel’s hospitality and posed for selfies with Netanyahu.

010

Peter G @zigzackly.bsky.social · 16/06/2026

Quote with your yellow art 😬

The image is a photograph of a translucent piece made of synthetic resin. (The original piece was a bas relief carved out of a block of wax. The resin was then poured over it. It was very old resin, so the yellow tint is an accident. 🙃)

021

Peter G @zigzackly.bsky.social · 13/06/2026

Poetry Circle’s cabinet of poetry books at the People’s Free Reading Room and Library. All books donated by PC members.

042

Peter G @zigzackly.bsky.social · 13/06/2026

Cannot be too careful in these tinpot fascist countries.

BREAKING NEWS

ENGLAND'S TRAINING EQUIPMENT IS STOLEN FROM VEHICLES TRANSFERRING THEIR KIT TO THEIR KANSAS CITY TRAINING BASE.

BREAKING: England have had boots, balls and essential training equipment stolen

120

Peter G @zigzackly.bsky.social · 29/05/2026

Oh dear. Gonna have to ditch my @scroll.in newsletters.

Hello! We’re upgrading the Daily Brief with a sharper design and an improved reading experience. As part of this overhaul, we are moving to a new home on Substack. While we’ll be migrating your subscription for you, you can guarantee delivery by subscribing here today. Thank you for your support!

020

Peter G @zigzackly.bsky.social · 26/05/2026

Here’s an example of word doodling, from the breakfast buffet at a hotel a few years ago.

Two slim young men, in shorts and T-shirts, share the elevator. One wears a beanie, both have beards.

No, one of them is not that young, or perhaps it's just his eyes that are older, that have seen a lot; he also has laugh lines.

Another pair of young men. Also shorts and tees, similarly bearded. Are they the same young men? No, the other two are over there. At the -breakfast buffet, one asks forget which pair - if they can have their breakfast in their rooms. Of course we can send it up, sir, but that will be chargeable. They browse the warming trays. A short while later, one pair leaves with mugs in hand. I forget which pair.

This place has the air of no one caring anymore. The furniture creaks. The balcony hasn't been cleaned. Mid-level staff look tired. (The junior young ones smile brightly.) The croissants and muffins are dry. The eggs come to you watery.

120

Peter G @zigzackly.bsky.social · 25/05/2026

Happy Towel Day, hoopy froods.

A view of a gamcha hanging on a clothesline.

181

Peter G @zigzackly.bsky.social · 23/05/2026

LinkedIn sent me this yesterday. (I narrate audiobooks and do voiceovers.) And, (a) the fekking audacity, and (b) which self-respecting narrator will voluntarily contribute to killing their industry? (Don’t answer that. I’m sure some folx who need the money badly will ignore the long view.) But…

About the job

[Company name pixelated] is committed to creating quality Al. Join our team to help train Al chatbots while gaining the flexibility of remote work and choosing your own schedule.

We are looking for an Audiobook Narrator to join our team and teach Al chatbots. You will have audio conversations with chatbots in order to measure their progress.

142

Peter G @zigzackly.bsky.social · 21/05/2026

In addition to the Olga Tokarczuk and Commonwealth Prize / Granta bits of nonsense, now I hear that Barnes & Noble’s CEO has said that they would not be averse to selling book-length AI slop.

The Tintin and Haddock meme.

A frazzled Haddock says,What a week, huh?
Tintin replies, Captain, it’s only Thursday!
Snowy is delightedly sipping Haddock’s drink.

061

Peter G @zigzackly.bsky.social · 21/05/2026

Ramps in Satara Plaza, Vashi. Steep one from the footpath into the building plot, and a steep one from there that leads into the lobby, which is half-blocked by a sliding grill.

Wheelchair ramp rising parallel with a three-step stairway, which is a steep gradient.

Wheelchair ramp rising parallel with a ten-step stairway — which is a steep gradient — with the top end half-blocked by a sliding grill door, leaving space (perhaps) for only a small wheelchair.

000