A new list. Books I finished in 2026 1: The Lord of the Rings (Tolkien, print, 13 Feb) Haven't read this in 20+ years it's still good. Noticed for the first time just how lyrical the prose is. What can I say that hasn't been said before about JRRT? Really highlights how heroic Sam is.

Your moment of zen.

When you're having a bit of a crappy day and then a student shows up with a gift because she was artistically inspired yesterday in class. #ITeachPhysics

I threw, carved, and painted this little flower vase. I'm really proud of the little Gavlegoat. Just waiting for it to be fired now. Same with the little sculpture in the background

Finishing Babylon 5 Season 2. What an ending. What did London see? How internally conflicted is he actually? Where's the character who left suddenly last ep? Why is the CG so bad? Why is Sheridan riding public transit? Above all, why must this show be so rough to watch in the US 30 years later?

I'll admit, I'm a few years late but Schmigadoon is a hoot.

Listening to #wxpn 's covers playlist with some kids in a study hall this week. I was amazed to find out Ram Jam's Black Betty was a cover. Research to find from 1930's or earlier. Wow. But I then had to explain to a junior the concept of a Cover Song Congrats, you're one of today's lucky 10,000

Babylon 5 S2E18 Confessions and Lamentations. First time watch. How did a show from the mid 90's so perfectly predict the US Govt trying to disavow Covid in 2020?

Listening to a playlist of the WXPN 885 Greatest Cover Songs of All Time (amazingly eclectic btw) got me thinking. Could you classify a Symphony Orchestra as a cover band? Can we get them to start playing dive bars?

Stranger Things Spoilers They styled Nancy as Ellen Ripley on purpose. Right? I'm not alone in seeing it during this season? I'm not complaining, just making sure I'm not crazy.

The goat has fallen and I am bereft!

Dammit, the cold line on my water heater is leaking. I thought I fixed that damn thing like 5 years ago. I hate plumbing.

I'm the lucky guy who gets to see Keanu Reeves and @alexwinter.com in Waiting for Godot tonight with my amazing wife. I'm so excited.

I have a question for other #ITeachPhysics people. I have several masses in my collection that are labeled "500 G." They are most certainly *not* 500 g. All of them are around 146g. One even says "500 G Actual 146.7g" Any idea what I'm looking at? This has bothered me for years.

SKULL OF THOMAS AQUINAS: TAKE A LEFT NOW PRIEST: No, the GPS says we have to keep going— SKULL: I KNOW A SHORTCUT PRIEST: Do you remember the last ti— SKULL: FOR THOSE WITH FAITH, NO EVIDENCE IS NECESSARY; FOR THOSE WITHOUT IT, NO EVIDENCE WILL SUFFICE

This is shockingly true. I'm suddenly on my town's council. No joke. It's a bit scary.

It's one of my favorite seasons: "Will the Goat Survive?" Season! I can't wait to rave about it to students who think they're just showing up for a physics class. Is it relevant? No. Does it bring me joy? Yes! Has it burned down? Not yet and hopefully not this year!

Near fight of Thanksgiving 2025: My BIL tried to say Wayne Brady is the heart of Whose Line and that Drew Carey is a better host than Clive Anderson. Insanity.

Question for the crowd. I'm keeping track of my books for the year. I just grabbed LoTR for a reread. Do I count each Fellowship/Two Tower/Return as three separate books or is it all one?

#PAXUnplugged Day 2. Puzzles abound. I have to search the hall for motivational posters for this one.

Getting a new journal is tough when you don't have a plan for it right away. It feels like the first page has to define what kind of journal it's going to be. It doesn't, but it feels that way.

Why does this instantly make me think of @kangus.bsky.social 's chaos posts to the #WoTskies

Phase 2 complete, we booked airline tickets to Iceland for the 2026 eclipse!

My wife's family found lost letters from her Grandfather written to his parents while serving in the US Army during the occupation of Japan post WWII. So I'm scanning them for sharing among the scattered family. And I'm reading the words of this 17 year old kid away from home for the first time

Subway sandwich, 4sp, 1d4 bludgeoning + 1 poison, Finesse, thrown (range 15/50) Or use the +1 version - a Wawa hoagie. No poison on this one, though it is 1d6 because of more meat density.

#5 in the boro, now doing greeting for people coming to vote. Let's go democracy!

I know it is just a local Philly thing but we lost beloved radio DJ Pierre Robert today and I am heartbroken.

Fire Brow - just splash some rubbing alcohol on your forehead and let'er rip

It's so weird to see Walter Koenig as a villain in Babylon 5 after his Chekov act in TOS.

I know traffic lights are all hard coded/ connected to simple sensors. But I *want* them to be connected in a vast network that constantly updates based on current conditions. This would have been a great place to slowly apply Machine Learning. But no, we got crappy Super Auto-complete.

My sister-in-law is theming her wedding next fall around Fantasy Lit/Media. Ren Faire aesthetic. I got not only permission but encouragement to make faun legs/stilts and greet guests with riddles and fey bullshit. I already have a basic design.

90's TV scifi really loved pocket-doors on their spaceships. So much in-wall real estate lost!

Current mood as a I grade tests

I did a nerve-wracking thing today; I applied to fill a vacancy in my small town's government. It doesn't matter than I'm in my 40's. Sometimes I still feel like the adults are going to be mean and call me out for being a dumb kid, like I'm still 17 or something. I just wanna sit and read a book

These threads are just an example of why I'm so excited to see @tkingfisher.com in conversation with @chuckwendig.bsky.social tomorrow.

I'm running a robotics competition for a bunch of high schoolers this winter and I need clever names for our three fields. Currently the best I have is Data, Lor, and Locutus. But I don't know that high school kids would get it.

Ok, late to the party, I was away all weekend. But every time I saw something about this I was thinking it was a Weird AL bed video because capital i looks like lower case L. Every mention of it used the phrase "Weird AI video"

I would also like to watch Dinotrain Commandos please. I bet you could still get Dolph to do it if the original has been lost.

Ok, damn. It's actually happening. We rented a camper van and we're going to Iceland for the eclipse next summer! Stress/excitement internal screaming begin!

Taskmaster S20E2 thought: Maise Adam's mouth coming through the cardboard of Greg's nose hole looked like the Brain Bug from Starship Troopers.

Hell yes! Let's go PA

As I finish the Blue Ant trilogy by William Gibson I'm somewhat struck by how much it feels like Hubertus Bigend feels like a Warlock Patron. Inscrutable, appears whenever he needs to, grants powers beyond mortal ken, and has goals that make no sense to mere mortals

Anyone with a better knowledge of Texas politics know exactly how they're holding Rep. Collier in? This sounds naive, but what's stopping her from just walking out? I'm sure I'm missing something.

She's a great War Amyrlin, but I get the feeling that The One Ring would just wreck Egwene Al'vere's day

Using the last week of summer break to finally watch Babylon 5. It started off rough but I'm halfway through season 1 and hooked.

Just locked in a place to stay in Iceland for the Solar Eclipse! It's really happening!

I just finished Wind and Truth, so I've been avoiding spoilers but that also means I've missed discussion. Have there been any theories regarding the Epilogue (with the Kandra) of The Lost Metal in light of WaT?

Shower thought Lorde has a song called"Royals" Does Common have a song called "Peasants"? He should.

Slightly diminish a band; Rick Springfield and the E Street Band.