Reading

Entry tags:

books

Reading Wednesday

Just finished: Choices: An Anthology of Reproductive Horror, edited by Dianna Gunn. There are enough good stories in here that I'd recommend it, but the general problems—earnestness, literalness—persist throughout many of the stories. Ah, author-led anthologies.

Neosynthesis, edited by Bryan Chaffin. Speaking of! This almost had the opposite problem, which is a bunch of stories where I actually didn't know what was going on at all and couldn't orient myself. But it's rescued by quite a few standouts—Rohan O'Duill's Cold-verse short stories, especially "The Lore of Seven," "Nova Domus," which is about a spaceship becoming a person, and "The Nexpat," which is about life extension and virtual existence.

I also flipped through the winter edition of "The Colored Lens," though I ended up just skipping ahead to J.S. Carroll's "Romeo Popinjay vs Iron Hans in the Beauty and the Beast Match You Won't Want To Miss," which was what I bought the anthology for, and which is 1000% worth the cover price. I want an entire novel of this short story. It's about an alternate universe where other hominids survive into more or less the present era, and feature in sideshows and pro-wrestling. Two heels—one human, one a wildman—end up forming a strange and touching friendship and rebel against their promoter. It's so so good.

Currently reading: I think next up is going to either be the rest of the aforementioned anthology or Changelog by Rich Larson, since that's what's sitting on the top of my TBR pile.

Entry tags:

Ask a Manager: Business and Politics

supplier said not to do business with them if we disagree politically ( Read more... )

Current Mood: blank
Current Music: Comatose - Skillet

Entry tags:

bfs mom

My boyfriend's mom is getting the day she deserved...

Simple Assault on an officer
Disorderly conduct
2nd. Conviction within less than 5 years
Driving while license revoked

No bond permitted

About. Dang. Time.

And we LITERALLY signed the lease the day she was arrested for a year.

Dunno what's gonna happen with the money and apartment. I do know that I'll have less terrorizing.

How am I supposed to feel? Definitely mixed up.

Early Arthropods

https://xkcd.com/3199/

'Ugh, I'm never going to be like spiders. My descendants will all just be normal arthropods who mind their own busines and don't do anything weird.' --The ancestor of a bunch of eusocial insects

https://xkcd.com/3199/

(no subject)

Forgot to tell y'all I was in the car with my mom WEEKS ago driving to her house and we had this conversation.

Mom: Have you heard that song, uh, what's it called? "Massacree?"
Me: Massacre?
Mom: Massacree...
Me: Is it metal?
Mom: "Massacree" something, "restaurant..."
Me: "Alice's Restaurant?" By Arlo Guthrie?
Mom: Alice's Restaurant Massacree! By Arlo--
Me: Guthrie
Mom: Arlo Guthrie.
Me: Yes I've heard it.
Mom: You know he was Woody Guthrie's brother?
Me: Son.
Mom: Do you know who Woody Guthrie is?
Me: I know Arlo was his son, for example
Mom: But have you heard the song?
Me: Yes I Have Heard The Song
Mom: The 30-minute version?
Me: Frankly I do not like the 2-minute version so--
Mom: (opens Spotify)

Current Mood: shocked

Dear Care And Feeding: Disaster Thanksgiving

I Made the Mistake of Inviting My Family to My Brand-New Home. The Night Ended in Chaotic Disaster. ( Read more... )

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Pay Dirt: My Unemployed Husband Seems Determined Never to Work Again

Meanwhile, I’m exhausted. ( Read more... )

Greetings!

So, I made a DW a few years ago, but fell off posting on it pretty quickly. I’ve made this new account in hopes of being more active!

Name: Eclipse

Age: 31

I mostly post about: So far, I’ve mostly been posting my writing as well as fandom meta. I post a mix of fanfic and original writing. But I anticipate also making posts about the books I read and the movies I watch. We’ll have to see how things evolve!

My hobbies and interests are: Drawing, writing, houseplants, reptile care, and dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures.

My fandoms are: I’m in the horror fandom at large. However, my two main niches are the Alien franchise and the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise (minus the shitty remake lol). I’m also in the following fandoms: Ghost the band, Beetlejuice, Phantom of the Opera, and the monster romance community.

Other fandoms I enjoy but that I’m not posting about a lot at the moment are: the Stargate franchise, Batman villains, and Once Upon a Time.

I'm looking to meet people who: Basically, I’m just looking for nice, chill people who share some of my interests!

My posting schedule tends to be: I only recently made this blog, so I don’t know what exactly my schedule will look like, but I anticipate it being fairly sporadic.

When I add people, my dealbreakers are: People who are oddly aggressive and rude, conservatives/MAGA types, people who are anti-LGBT, people who are strongly pro-GenAI, and people who generally participate in fandom purity culture.

Before adding me, you should know: I am in my “cringe but free” era, and as a result, have been writing more OC/self-insert x Canon Character fic — specifically OC x horror villain stuff. If that’s not your thing, this probably isn’t the right blog for you. ^^’

Also, while I generally do not care what people ship, I am very uncomfortable with lolisho, so if you like that kind of thing, we won't mesh well.

Sunday Secrets

Posted by Frank

https://postsecret.com/2026/01/25/sunday-secrets-587/

https://postsecret.com/?p=51991

The post Sunday Secrets appeared first on PostSecret.

https://postsecret.com/2026/01/25/sunday-secrets-587/

https://postsecret.com/?p=51991

PostSecret + SoulPancake

Posted by Frank

https://postsecret.com/2026/01/25/how-do-you-turn-hardship-into-growth/

http://postsecret.com/?p=17103

Watch on YouTube

The post PostSecret + SoulPancake appeared first on PostSecret.

https://postsecret.com/2026/01/25/how-do-you-turn-hardship-into-growth/

http://postsecret.com/?p=17103

Classic Secrets

Posted by Frank

https://postsecret.com/2026/01/25/classic-secrets-596/

https://postsecret.com/?p=52006

The post Classic Secrets appeared first on PostSecret.

https://postsecret.com/2026/01/25/classic-secrets-596/

https://postsecret.com/?p=52006

Entry tags:

film

Pleins Ecrans: Free short film festival this week-next

Check out this free, online short film festival out of Quebec. They have a cool selection of films - lots of LGBT/queer stuff! And there are English subtitles.

Double-Pronged Extension Cord

https://xkcd.com/3198/

'Oh, and can I borrow 50 sacks of loose flour, a pile of lithium-ion batteries, a bucket of bleach, and a bucket of vinega--' 'NO!!!!!!'

https://xkcd.com/3198/

Entry tags:

fandom snowflake challenge

Fandom Snowflake Challenge #6

two log cabins with snow on the roofs in a wintery forest the text snowflake challenge january 1 - 31 in white cursive text

Challenge #6: Top 10 Challenge
The category(ies) you choose are up to you. You can give top 10 Fics you read last year, the top 10 songs to create to, the to 10 guest stars on your favorite show, top 10 characters in your favorite book series, top 10... well, you get the idea.

When I saw this challenge, I knew I wanted to do something related to Thai dramas, because of course what else do I think of these days lol I tried a top 10 series list, but failed rather quickly. Who knew it would be so hard to narrow down to 10! And I didn't quite have enough to just include ones from any single year. I thought of actors or CPs (character partners/pairings, aka actors who work as a set romantic pairing in various series) as well, but that seemed a bit meh and also potentially hard to narrow down.

So I decided to go slightly further afield to the related topic of Thai music. Related because almost everyone I listen to is also an actor, which is how I heard about them in the first place. Songs seemed a bit overwhelming once again, but I figured out how to narrow it down!

Presenting my top 10 Thai music videos, in no particular order:

( Read more... )

Entry tags:

podcasts

podcast friday

Between my regular rotation of Bastards/Cool People/ICHH, I've been slowly making my way through Better Offline's coverage of CES. Technically this is work-related and I should be listening on work time (obviously I'm not) but if you want like 20 hours of coverage about what's new in tech (spoiler: not very much), AI crammed into everything, and robots that still can't fold laundry, it's worth checking out.

It's really interesting from more than just Ed Zitron's usual professional hater perspective—which, to be clear, is something I appreciate as a professional hater myself. Because with something like CES, the questions of "who is this for" and "what is the use case" are actually critical and in your face. It's the Consumer Electronics Show, after all. So while robots in manufacturing are obviously a thing, the use case for household robots is a bit more questionable. The most successful household robot, the Roomba, recently went out of business, because as it turns out, they're not useful for 1) most households, which have things like furniture and sometimes stairs, or 2) the parts of your floor that you really don't want to vacuum, like tricky corners. They are good for scaring cats or if your cat is not scared of them, transportation.

The episodes are full of even more absurd technology to solve problems that aren't real, like fridges that open for you, meant to automate the parts of your life that you actually want to enjoy. We want machines to do menial tasks, leaving creative work for us. As it turns out, they're quite good at menial tasks in a factory, where you're doing the same thing repeatedly, but not in a house, where you have to do a lot of little annoying things.

But what we (normal people) want is very different from what techbros want. Remember, these are people who have not had to experience challenges in real life, so when they think about what a person might need, they come up with things like "what if I didn't want to cook and I got my fridge to open for me and dumped a bunch of ingredients in a pot and it would make food, and also a robot read a bedtime story to my child?" The fantasy, of course, is having a slave. But that is not the fantasy that normal people have, and there's an incredible disconnect between where tech is heading and actual human needs.

Anyway, I am working through it very slowly because, as I said, 20+ hours, but it's worth a listen. Also if anyone can find pictures of Robert Evans in an exoskeleton I would like to see that for reasons.

(no subject)

Name: Senri

Age: 30+

I mostly post about: A smorgasboard of things! Lots of book reviews, discussion and chatter about different fandoms, links to interesting things I've read or looked at on the internet, recipes I've cooked and whether I liked them, writing memes, and I'm trying to get more into posting short life anecdotes.

My hobbies are: I write both original work and fanfic, I'm playing more videogames these days, and I'm easing my way back into doing art and being outdoorsy. I like working out, going for walks, and listening to crickets, moving water, and birdsong. I'm athletic and specifically enjoy swimming, weightlifting, yoga, and spinning. I was into dwrp for a long time and still enjoy doing private storylines with friends. I love trying new things and will do almost anything once!

My fandoms are: Attack on Titan (I do not like the ending or think it was well-written, and because you can find those types in this fandom: I do not think Eren was right), Animorphs, Naruto, TWEWY, Tanith Lee's books esp the Unicorn Triology, Gravity Falls, Eyeshield 21, Blade of the Immortal, Dungeon Meshi, D.Gray-man, Lilo & Stitch. If I liked something once, I will probably have a soft spot for it just about forever.

I'm looking to meet people who: are chill and kind and value being kind to others. Nerdy types who like writing and book talk. Thoughtful people. Shared fandoms are far from necessary; I don't fanpost that much. I enjoy getting a small window into lives different from mine and my goal is to make friendly connections with others and be kind c:

My posting schedule tends to be: sporadic. I check my reading list regularly and do try to comment.

When I add people, my dealbreakers are:
No:

Purity wankers/purity police, if this is your choice for how to engage with fandom as a hobby we aren't meant to be friends. My own journal content is quite milquetoast overall and I warn for more extreme content when my writing involves it, so you won't blindly click your way into extreme content you aren't into if you add me, and I generally try to avoid this kind of discourse in my journal other than making my stance on this clear at the outset.
Conservatives/MAGAs
I don't want racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, ablism etc on my friendslist and will unfollow and block commenting on my journal over it
I'm not a fan of genAI at all

Before adding me, you should know: I will probably not grant you access for a long time if we follow each other. It's not personal, I just like to know a person well and know that we mesh before I grant access. You won't be missing a whole lot as I don't post under access filters often.

Missing missing reasons!

Dear Annie: I'm just heartbroken. My son moved out last year, and he never talked to me about anything before he moved. We were so close, and we always talked. But all of a sudden, he packed up and moved out with no explanation. He had met someone a year prior to that. I met her for a second, and that was it. I do know where he is living but he doesn't know that I know. He has a new baby boy; I don't even know his name, yet he is my grandson. I know that he has two stepdaughters, but I don't know their names either.

I kept trying to call him but get no response. Now his phone is disconnected. I'm so lost and confused as well as upset. I miss him dearly.

He is my only child. He did a great job in school and had his own business after he graduated from high school. I am trying so hard to go on with my life, but it's so hard not knowing how he is, or whether he is safe, healthy and happy. He was a very good kid, and now he's a man. I just hope and pray that he will come around some day. -- Mom Is Lost

( Read more... )

(no subject)

DEAR ABBY: Our 24-year-old daughter is getting married in 10 months. My wife is invited to the wedding, but I am not, and I am furious. The groom's family is paying for the trip, but they say I am not invited "for financial reasons."

I don't have a great relationship with my daughter. But that isn't the point. I told my wife that if the roles were reversed and she was excluded, I would not go. This may be a deal-breaker for me. It's apparent that our marriage doesn't mean as much to my wife as it does to me. What are your thoughts? -- ELIMINATED IN TEXAS

( Read more... )

Hoping this is a fake letter

( Cut for sexual assault )

How is this even a question?

Dear Eric: My fiancé and I are facing an impasse regarding the guest list for our upcoming wedding. I want to exclude his brother's (the best man) wife from the invitation list.

She consistently refuses to engage with me socially, going no further than a brief "hi." There has been no conflict; she simply does not converse with me. Although, if I ask her about herself or what's going on in her life she will answer, but there's no back and forth. I doubt she even knows my name.

For context, my fiancé is Hungarian, and his family is small. Although she speaks English fluently, she is the only family member who never attempts to talk to me or ask me any questions. While they invited me to their wedding a few months ago, I believe it was purely out of obligation.

My fiancé says that excluding her will create drama. He has acknowledged her behavior is "mean-spirited" in the past, yet he excuses it as shyness. Saying she took years to warm up to him. I find this a poor excuse for a complete lack of basic manners, and I am unwilling to have a guest at my wedding who will not speak to me.

I have told my fiancé that he needs to discuss this with his brother, but he has not done so, and invitations are about to be sent out. I am intent on sending a clear message by not including her. And from now and until our wedding there won't be any more chances to interact as we don't live in the same country.

Am I overreacting or is it reasonable to save my money while also slighting her.

– Guest List

( Read more... )