Let me be clear here....fuck Harry Potter. And double, nay triple fuck Joanne. You want books about a talented youngster from a humble background who goes to magic school (and actually grows and matures as a person)? Le Guin did it almost 30 years before Rowling and did it a damn sight better.

"Abolish" is one word for it.

Annual bday/proof of life selfie. Last year was pretty shit, but had some decent and even great moments. "All hock-tooie no costume Black hoodie you can set your watch to Tall drink, daps like an air raid Radically detach with purveyors of the hair-brain" -Aesop Rock, Carpet Food

We are community or we are less. We are engines of kindness and connectivity or we are less. When decency is framed as a radical position we must remain who we are. Our resistance is also in refusing to be less openhearted and filled with compassion.

Solidarity. Is. A. Weapon.

Due to my lovely, lovely parents...I now possess my holy grail of physical media (movie category): The Criterion 25 film box set of the Zatoichi series.

Happy Christmas, god jul, happy Saturnalia, and/or a most excellent dies natalis Solis Invictus you lot. youtu.be/OR07r0ZMFb8?...

Christmas is hard for many. The years roll, the ghosts at the table increase. We’re haunted by the absence of voices, of laughter engines who drank and ate with us. This can be day of remembrance rituals. For what it’s worth, Hooklanders near and far are in my candles today. Be gentle on yourselves.

Day 24 of #HooklandChristmasTree decoration. We place miniature ceramic bee hive on the tree. Time to tell the sleeping bees all our news, tell them of the year. All its joyful arrivals, all its harrowings and sad exits. We sing them the land and ask for honeyed blessings.

Part of the beyond amazing mail gettings today from my inimitable SSO. (Not pictured, but also included: a 50 gram bag of Pu'erh, a sample of a green tea she likes [we'll see] and the traditional dark chocolate/orange shortbread 'coal' cookies)

Nah dawg...you don't fuck with the chaplains. Some of the best and most actually righteous folks I've ever met were part of the chaplain corp. Fucking blue falcon ass mother fucker.

Every writer who generates a slop image for their work is a class traitor. "I can't afford a visual artist" So your solution is stabbing artists in the back? Stealing from them? Furthermore, slop-generated imagery suggests slop-generated writing. That's how you're presenting yourself.

Tell me that lie of the land sleeping all winter and I'll laugh in your face. Tell you of all the trees I've talked to this morning before the frost retreated from sun. Relay conversations with cold spirits, my communion with stretching shadows. – #EmilyCBanting #1982 #WitchSky

Happy 76th Birthday, Tom Waits!

Never thought I'd be on the side of NYPD, but these are strange days...

A fascist will use every weapon available to them even if it destroys everything, because ultimately they’d rather have authority over a pile of bones than any lessening of their power.

It's that giving time of year again, so this is a reminder that no matter how they try to dress it up, the Salvation Army is not a charity.

This stack (and a couple more) are all "not a bills" just showing how much the VA spent on me lately. Current total for the last two hospital visits is $47,940.98, which I very fortunately owe SFA of.

Well fuck...

Give me sunlight, a comfortable chair and a wall of books! This makes me declare myself a most satisfied soul. For the library is a territory of wonder. It is home to a thousand wise voices who know words that open gates to the imagination. – #CLNolan, BBC National Programme, 1934 #Libraries

Wonderful rainy morning up in my mountains.

I was lucky enough to get .y first new mattress in 25-ish years this year...and to paraphrase the Librarian of the Unseen University: I will take it back from _your_ cold, dead hands.

dark & dirty as in: a haunted house . laurenjanek.com/organicreach

It's my favorite day! It's the 38th anniversary of the Max Headroom signal broadcast intrusion! 1st incident lasted 25s during the 9PM news on WGN-TV in Chicago; The 2nd, 2hrs later, lasted ~90s on PBS affiliate WTTW during Dr. Who. You can watch it here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqge...

I’m howling.

40 years ago today the world was introduced to a small boy and his best friend. Happy birthday Calvin & Hobbes.

While I understand completely, especially in the former case...the news out of Hookland and from one of my favorite jewelry/shirt makers this morning (also in Old Blighty) has me worried about my folks in the UK... This fucking world, I'm pretty sure we made it wrong.

Tonight's viewing.

"And, for an instant, she stared directly into those soft blue eyes and knew, with an instinctive mammalian certainty, that the exceedingly rich were no longer even remotely human." -William Gibson, Count Zero

New Movies with Mikey on Nebula! I take a long look at Superman (2025) and of who is Superman to you? nebula.tv/videos/filmj...

Again, my thoughts on the American political process(es)/system(s) are fairly well known...* But once again, we see the damn Dems refuse to even fucking _try._ I can far more easily respect the person that goes down swinging than the punk that refuses to even come out of their corner.

Seconded.

New book/mail day is always an excellent day. Plus when @cultauthor.bsky.social says someone's worth a read, you should probably pay attention.

I feel like we have the opportunity to turn David Lynch's quote into this moment's "Keep Calm and Carry On" and it's a far better rallying cry too.

Now this is a super dope idea. Also, I now have a craving for tamales.

Christ but I miss Dilaudid. Also kiddos, avoid kidney stones if you can.

My thoughts on the American political process/system(s) are well known...but as the Wise Man said: "Use every tool in the toolbox."

Was trying to think of something clever...but @stonekettle.bsky.social already said it better than I could.

Kind of want to see if I can get them to do the full five at this point, become more port than human.

Repost this please.

@laurenjane.bsky.social , we got a new Aes Rock album today, in case you hadn't heard: aesoprock.bandcamp.com/album/i-hear...

YES this is an important distinction

Fuck kidney stones. I would rather get stabbed all three times again, retake that round in my front plate, and have every shot to the fork I took in 20 years of bouncing than deal with this shit.

“It’s always worth thinking about who your enemy is,” said Vimes, tugging at the barricade. “How about the man who’s trying to stick a sword into you?” said Sam. “That’s a good start,” said Vimes. “But there are times when it pays to be a little less tightly focused.” -Terry Pratchett, Night Watch

Have accepted the fact that in addition to multi-focals, I'm also getting a cane this year. Got it narrowed down to these. Though I'll be leaving both with their natural oak, rather than a stain as shown here.

Tonight viewing. Quite possible the most beautiful film ever shot, and the one that blew my young mind back in the mid 90's when I saw it the first time.

I am once again reminded that my reading speed is the shittiest "superpower." I've now read the new one from @richardkadrey.bsky.social twice*, which means I just have to wait longer for the third in the new series. Homie has again proved why he's one my "you see his name on it, you buy it" list.

New book days are amongst the best days. Especially when you've been waiting for the sequel since the day after the previous volume got released. Also, if you're not familiar with @richardkadrey.bsky.social 's work...go fix that ricky fucking tick.