On this day in TA 3019: - Gandalf falls from the Bridge of Khazad-Dum while holding off a Balrog of Morgoth - The Fellowship enters the realm of Lothlorien, east of the Misty Mountains

Introduce yourself with 5 facts 1) I'm Henry VIII, I am 2) I got married to the widow next door 3) She's been married 7 times before 4) Every one was a Henry 5) None of them was named Willy or Sam

On this day in TA 3019, the Fellowship of the Ring survived an attack by the Watcher in the Water and entered the dwarf realm of Moria.

#2026PoemADay two-fer (apologies for missing yesterday)

Breaking NYT: The Pentagon used a secret aircraft painted to look like a civilian plane in its first boat attack, according to officials briefed on the matter. The laws of armed conflict forbid combatants from feigning civilian status. That is a war crime called "perfidy."

My social media feed is full of people protecting their neighbors. Normally reserved Minnesotans screaming obscenities at lawless nazi ICE agents. And I keep thinking of the Mister Rogers quote, "Look for the helpers." My whole feed is helpers. Brave, foul-mouthed helpers.

On this day in Third Age (TA) 3019, the Fellowship of the Ring was attacked by Wargs sent by the Dark Lord to waylay them. Fortunately, the attack failed.

"I promise you that however little athletic ability you think I have, I actually have much less." - A thing I said about myself in a recent dream

If you 'love America" you don't make your newsroom grade its performance on a curve.

On my Saturday morning walk, I saw some of my favorite birds: cardinals, blue jays, bluebirds and a freaking BALD EAGLE.

ICE is terrorizing the people in my hometown of Minneapolis. It will not work. People leave their houses when it’s negative 10 degrees out just to see an improv comedy show. I know, I was doing the improv comedy show and I was shocked. The people of Minneapolis will not break

DHS Releases Watchlist Of Mothers Driving Cars https://theonion.com/dhs-releases-watchlist-of-mothers-driving-cars/

There's only one person who could definitively say what Renee Nicole Good's INTENTIONS were in the moment she started driving and was shot, and that was Renee Nicole Good. Everything else is speculation, even if it's based on visual elements.

WAY too happy with this one. #2026PoemADay

Thanks to @hearthstone.blizzard.com who gave me an Echoes of the Infinite miniset to giveaway to the Hunter community! 🏹Winner from this post drawn January 12th, 2026 You get: 🍌38 unique new cards! To enter: ✅Follow me ✅Like this post ✅Repost

A reminder - before Trump, MAGA, Musk and Fox rewrote history - that this is what the entire country agreed had happened five years ago today:

Sis is out of surgery - all went well. She'll still be in the hospital for several days for IV antibiotics. Hardest part will be needing to be off her foot for about 3 weeks. She works in a restaurant, so I don't know that she'll be able to work much.

My sis could use good vibes and energy; she got a foot sore that got really badly infected. Surgery today or tomorrow, should be pretty simple but she probably will have a recovery longer than someone who works on their feet for a living wants to face.

#2026PoemADay January 3

Tomorrow is J.R.R. Tolkien's birthday, so be sure to leave out a plate of lembas and a glass of miruvor out tonight for Tom Bombadil.

checks out

No one is more excited about anything than Fernando Mendoza is about everything.

Any Alabama fan mutuals, look away... *allows time for looking away* BAH HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What do I personally want to accomplish in 2026? - Build on good habits/better personal discipline from 2025 - Improve on the guitar, even just a little - Catch up on Sanderson's Cosmere (mainly Mistborn and Stormlight) - FINALLY read The Brothers Karamazov

They want to wipe out almost a third of the country. It’s got nothing to do with illegal immigration. It’s white nationalism pure and simple. They’re fascists, and there’s no reason to doubt it.

For us, 2025 had some good ups, but the worst downs. There was a lot of good family time mingled with indescribable grief. Mix in a job change (that I'm so grateful for) and a new puppy (with whom we're FINALLY getting to a normalcy), and it's been a ROLLER COASTER, and not often in a fun way.

Movie: Mission: Impossible - Final Reckoning TV show: Daredevil: Born Again/Pluribus Game: Diablo I Belzebub (mod) Comic: Nate Bargatze Book: The Way of Kings Music: Coldplay - Moon Music

BlueSky brain trust: For years I've had a guitar my wife gave me for Christmas, and I'll still bust out a few easy songs now and then. BUT I want to get to doing more than just strumming songs in the key of G (easiest one for me), like picking and stuff. HOWEVER I don't see formal instruction

Met Kevin Kilner (of "Earth: Final Conflict" fame) at the Ruby Tuesday where I waited tables in college

3 3/4 B (but it's hot chocolate)

It's okay if you don't have llama on your tie. I'll still be your friend.

Don't let the picture fool you - Biscuit was ECSTATIC to see us after almost a week away, he was just very tired after a morning at the doggy daycare and playing with his friends there.

"Beware of the Sea! If thou hearest the cry of the gull on the shore, Thy heart shall then rest in the forest no more.” - Galadriel, Lady of the Galadhrim

Apperfection

Stop scrolling and post two characters that brings you happiness.

Please stay tuned for a very important Biscuit update. Here it is: he loves snuggling. (photo from earlier this week)

Grogu: *looks at Luke Skywalker inquisitively and coos* Ahsoka: he wants to know where Din Djarin went Luke:

Apropos of absolutely nothing: one of my favorite smells in the entire world is the dry pine-y air of the Arizona mountains. My grandparents lived in Payson, in the mountains above Phoenix, and the smell reminds of me of visiting them. but that's the ONLY good thing about Arizona.

Our list of "must/really try to watch" Christmas fare every year: - White Christmas - National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation - Muppet Christmas Carol - The Family Stone - Scrooge (1970) - Four Christmases - While You Were Sleeping - The Holiday - Muppet Family Christmas (me) - Hawkeye (me)

Fallout is back in all its improbably good glory, its stupid-like-a-fox message timelier than ever