I know the feeling. :-|

Would you like to be a rubbery animal too?

Humorless people are so...boring.

I wish my parents weren't on vacation right now just so I could tell them that the first thing my dietitian recommended is that I eat or drink more chocolate with breakfast. That's an oversimplification, but the protein bars and protein shakes I picked up are both chocolate-flavored. :p

Korra: It pleases me that this morning's commentary ranged from Liberace to "21 Jumpstreet" (the show, not the film). Apparently the show got some criticism for the conflicts between Aang's kids, and TPTB heard that these days families tend to have less conflict...but also that kids want escapism.

Eh.

"Fond" Memories! reactormag.com/event-horizo...

Heh.

Just a reminder before the “big announcement” today. Autism was discovered in 1911 and the modern definition of Autism came in 1943. Tylenol wasn’t widely used until the 1950s. Anyone trying to tell you that Tylenol causes Autism isn’t someone that should be taken seriously.

Korra: I'm glad to know that Korra's antisocial tendencies in S2 (and elsewhere) are features, not bugs, though they're still a bit exasperating. Love that they got Richard Riehle and Aubrey Plaza. Varrick as a Howard Hughes figuure makes total sense.

Not my kind of humor, but I can see what Disney's going for... #satire open.substack.com/pub/borowitz...

"Sorceror" - From 1977, a different take on "The Wages of Fear", with Roy Scheider. Maybe not quite as nihilistic, though somewhat reminiscent of "Apocalypse Now". The characterization's not as rich, but it hits the major beats of the first film while also shaking things up a bit. Still nail-biting.

We made progress on the back area of Morty's enclosure. Digging out around 30 loads of excess dirt/sand, adding new dig guard, mulched the ground to add better drainage, and added stone to weigh down certain areas. Thank you to everyone that donated towards his project and showed us your support!

A decent enough day.

And now the Great Music Relisten Project Catch-Up is done with tracks 150-166. That was another 17 tracks, almost an hour of music. The last album standing was Star Trek: Prodigy. Next up, track 201!

The Great Music Relisten Project Catch-Up is done with tracks 140-149. Of course, that was only 28 files and barely an hour of music.

There's no way to politely tell someone you have no interest in interacting with them without doing them the final courtesy of letting them speak their piece, so don't pretend you're being polite if you do that. You don't have to listen or care about what they say, but might as well let them talk.

Back in '07 I visited a guy in England and one of the few tension points became that he'd gone through a break-up and seemed to be in a bit of rebound. I talked to him for the first time in awhile earlier today. He's recently single and implied he'd be open to having me visit again... Yeah...

QotD: Him: Sex just feels like a game to me sometimes... Me: Command and Conquer?

"The Wages of Fear" - From 1953, perhaps one of the most nihilistic films I've ever seen. There's much more to it, but the part most everyone who's seen it probably remembers is two trucks traveling 300 miles loaded with nitroglycerine on, shall we say, suboptimal roads. Very tense, very depressing.

Some good conversations today.

The Great Music Relisten Project Catch-Up is done with tracks 135-139. That was only 29 files, barely an hour. Time to do larger groups again I think. The final four are The Fifth Element, Nightbreed, Out of Africa and ST:Prodigy.

Out of pocket: $270 for labs. At least $330 for office visits (I'm not sure I've received statements for all of them yet). Fuck-a-doodle-do.

I don't know whether one can overdose on protein, but I guess I'm about to find out... Kidding, but I did buy both protein shakes and protein bars to add to my morning food. This stuff is alarmingly and annoyingly expensive. :|

We certainly wouldn't want the American people to learn anything about the military that the Trump administration doesn't want them to know. www.npr.org/2025/09/20/g...

Social media and group chats are not reliable sources. Even (perhaps especially) if you're surrounded by people who you consider reasonable, that doesn't mean they can't make mistakes. www.npr.org/2025/09/20/n...

No room for independent thought in the current American government. www.npr.org/2025/09/20/n...

Yay, one of those times when I receive a paycheck just so I can pay off two medical bills and send partial payments on two commissions. Granted the last part is my fault, but still...money in, money out... Though I did make more money than I spent at least.

The Expanse -"Abaddon's Gate": Honestly, my favorite moment was probably Diogo and the elevator. I wanted so hard to like the kid and he just made it so damn difficult. I feel bad for Bobbie, always needing to go against her own. It's kind of great that Ashford's wrong but entirely understandable.

The Expanse - "Congregation": Wow, Drummer just doesn't ever stop, does she? Color me impressed! Ashford continues to be more than he seemed and probably more than Dawes was anticipating, which is awesome to see. Not much else to say beyond that the show's very much holding my attention.

TGIF

Things are moving fast now...tracks 125-129 of the Great Music Relisten Project Catch-Up were only 88 files and a total of three hours. And tracks 130-134 were half that...44 files, barely 1.5 hours!

But...but I was assured by the admins who banned me from the Coyote Chat on Telegram that antifa was a 'domestic terrorist group'! I'm so confused!!!! /sarcasm www.npr.org/2025/09/19/n...

What a delightful read!

On this day the Great Music Relisten Project Catch-Up finished tracks 120-124. That was 150 files, and a significant drop down to 6.5 hours of music.

Either I'm cranky this morning, or lots of other people are.

QotD: (sigh) He forced me to say it... "We barely know each other and what I do know of you...bluntly, isn't a confidence-builder for me."

I got a little irritated with someone who asked me who I was "going to" a con with, and then 'clarified' by saying he meant "in a functional capacity". Who I'm rooming with? Who I'm traveling with? This isn't hard. What the hell does 'functional capacity' mean?

One thing about the dietitan stuff if I keep pursuing it is that, at least for now, we're meeting weekly, and it's usually in the afternoon. I'm trying to sync with when I'd usually go to lunch, since otherwise this is going to start eating my PTO, but it seems I have a lot of stupid work meetings.

Why did I do that?

Okay, it annoyed me a little bit that he's taken and I'm very not-taken, though he's probably taken by a nutbar like himself.

Yeah, I probably just shouldn't have had that conversation...

That last sentence, though...

Yay, poking at old wounds!

One downside of (re-)listening to all my music is that newer purchases may still sit around for a time (though I am catching up!). As such, I discovered a CD I purchased (used) almost exactly two years ago has a crack extending from the middle that compromised the last three tracks. :|

Saw the dietitian, and now I know what makes them different from a nutritionist (DM me if curious!). I got a bit of homework, but nothing I can't handle. Here's to becoming a better me.

My favorite band.

The Expanse - "Fallen World": And this is why Star Trek ships have inertial dampers. Ouch. The whole thing is handled very effectively. I especially feel for Drummer and Ashford, especially the part with the hand terminal. :| Ashford's turning out to be surprisingly decent, at least so far.

Ehhh. Well, at least I got some editing done. And gave someone a new experience.

I guess now it's just Ben's? But, I wish they'd never sold. www.cnn.com/2025/09/17/b...