The problem with baked goods start-ups is they often begin with a decently crafted niche product (e.g. cookies, cupcakes). Then success demands more $$$ = appeal to the general U.S. audience. Before long there’s more frosting than product. Why not just shortcut to a “Cup O’ Frosting” chain?

This was just too funny not to post about it... At 4 today, WWHO TV, the Columbus CW affiliate, was showing the cheesy Christmas romcom HOLIDAY HIDEOUT. For the first hour, all was normal, and it cut to commercial just as the heroine saw the hero apparently killed.

This movie is pretty funny. Can't understand how I never heard of it before!

Did you know it used to be a tradition to read ghost stories at Christmas? Well, it did. Read all about it in my review of THE GREEN ROOM by Walter de la Mare. #booksky ruinedchapel.com/2025/12/19/b...

The first person to ever read this story weighs in: "A typically Bertoccian mix of wit and philosophy… exactly as it should be." One word there's a very funny choice, you'll know why when you've read the story. It's FREE through Sunday 12/14!

Today I review MCKENNA GETS MERCUTIO by @adambertocci.bsky.social A book so full of wordplay even the title itself has a double-meaning. #booksky ruinedchapel.com/2025/12/12/b...

I read this last night and really enjoyed it. A fun short story about theater, gender, and plenty of wordplay.

My newest Kindle story's out and FREE Through Sunday the 14th, so miss it not! It's all about a girl who's cast, you see, To play a boy, and must study their lot. For never was a story priced so low As this: “McKenna Gets Mercutio”. www.amazon.com/McKenna-Gets... #freekindle #freeebook #zounds

Pretending it’s summer in my mind and this is what I see outside my window instead of gray and cold. 🌸

Smashwords is having an End-of-Year sale on many of its books until January 1st, 2026. 📚📕📖🖋️ #books #booksky Among them are those written by my indie author buddy Audrey Driscoll: audreydriscoll.wordpress.com?action=user_...

@adambertocci.bsky.social Wait, what? How am I just finding out about this now? Anyway, I downloaded it...

This is probably my favorite movie, period.

What is your favourite movie from before 1970? (Too many, but since we’re in the holiday season…)

20 years ago, the radio station at my gym played the censored version of "Lawyers, Guns and Money" ~10 years ago, they started playing the uncensored version. Now, they play "Excitable Boy". I'm not sure what this means, but I feel like it means something.

I loved classical philosophy and used it like a toy. So I pointed out all of the rebirth symbols in Gatsby (Little Egg / Big Egg, the pool, etc.) positing G’s suicide was the MC’s rebirth as a Socialist. Pure BS from an imp and it worked.

I was just talking with a friend from work about how much he hated having to analyze the symbolism in "The Great Gatsby" and "Wuthering Heights." I'm coming to believe high school English lit was deliberately designed to instill a lifelong hatred of reading.

Yes, it's that time of year. I almost always give books as gifts and maybe you do too. Would someone on your list enjoy a beautiful autographed, personalized copy of an offbeat debut novel about art, friendship, faith and the end of the world?—If not, I guess get them a blender.

Today I review SUN AND STEEL by Yukio Mishima. My favorite book ever by a Nobel Prize nominated bisexual samurai bodybuilder. ruinedchapel.com/2025/12/05/b... #booksky

On Wednesdays I go shopping / and have buttered scones for tea.

No.

I encourage you to go here and recommend good Christmas movies to my friend @maggiejean-2.bsky.social

Sunset through the trees.

I don't think he's plain. With all that makeup, he's quite pretty!

No book review today. Instead I ruminate on the 2016 movie JACKIE and Daniel J. Boorstin's 1962 book THE IMAGE. ruinedchapel.com/2025/11/28/l...

Tried pumpkin pie wine this evening. It is surprisingly good.

the macy's FAKEsgiving day CHARADE. keeping that in my back pocket in case i find a reason to get really angry about it

Anybody know of any good Christmas-themed indie books?

I love when this goes around because I'm always in good hands.😊

Wow thanks spam commenter, this is so tempting

Something bleak this way comes.

Today I review the carnival of bizarrerie that is the CCRU: WRITINGS 1997 - 2003. Perhaps the most unsettling thing about it is that as time goes on, it becomes less incomprehensible. #booksky ruinedchapel.com/2025/11/21/b...

I just got a comment from someone with the greatest handle.😂 @rlpastore.bsky.social, if I didn't know better, I would think...

1NG4, by Berthold Gambrel, 2018:

“Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it.”—George Eliot

Police: We think Mrs. Paradine poisoned her husband. Judge: I'm pretty sure Mrs. Paradine poisoned her husband. Mrs. Paradine: I 100% poisoned my husband. Gregory Peck: naw she couldn't, she's too pretty.😍😍😍😍

This is odd. Normally, the day I post a new review, it's the most viewed page on the site for that day, or at least that morning. But for today's review: views still at 0, even though one person liked it?

Related to my latest book review: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8ch...

Today I review AGAINST THE MACHINE, Paul Kingsnorth's indictment of our current age. Kingsnorth exhaustively documents all the evils that technology has unleashed on the world, and the devastating spiritual cost. ruinedchapel.com/2025/11/14/b... #booksky

Pundits: They never should have killed James Bond! How can they possibly do a new movie now? Brace yourselves. He's not a real person. If he were, he'd be age 107. I think you're okay restarting - yet again. Or how about make the movies set at the height of the cold war? Totally relatable now.

There's a simple solution to the dead 007 problem: Make Bond a timelord.

My mom was talking about Peter Thiel, but her tongue got twisted and she accidentally swapped the opening consonants and it came out sounding like "Tater Peel" and I think I'm going to call him that from now on.

Altman has been quite clear about his strategy. From the 2008 crash he learned that if you bind enough of the economy to your business you can do whatever you like; government will decide the rules no longer apply. What he's selling is unaccountabilty.

Thanks to our inept US Congress, instead of flying & risking getting stranded, I’m driving my 83 yo mom 11+ hours to New England today to visit her grandson (my nephew) who has grade-4 brain cancer. Yes, that’s purposely melodramatic, but my point is: Our elected officials need to do their jobs. 😡

Today I review Chuck Litka's latest short story, THE FOUNDERS' TRIBUNAL. A terrific noir (but not too noir) caper. ruinedchapel.com/2025/11/07/b... #booksky

Same! 🤜🤛

Would be funny if they did one where the monsters really are successfully contained, and it's just an office comedy-drama about the people who work there.

Good morning! Still some color hanging around. 🍁🍂🍁

It might not even be that good, but so what? They're back.