[Protest sign, not funny] I wish my sense of humor didn't abandon me in the lead up to protests. But anyway, current mood:

Getting ready to install Mint.

[Printable protest signs for Saturday] Sharing these because I've been wishing someone else would make them and then someone did. https://kieranhealy.org/blog/archives/2025/10/13/parking-signs/

Finally watched John Carpenter's apolitical masterpiece, They Live.

With the new users coming in, it's nice to follow the introduction hashtag so I can, um... (checks notes) block Jimmy Truth every day.

Periodically using a spirit level to reposition my desk chair, like a normal person.

On the one hand I skipped #bjj today for the chance to go out to dinner. On the other hand I'm still achy from being the only white belt in class on Tuesday, so maybe a rest is warranted.

In the September issue of @clarkesworld Four People I Need You to Kill Before the Dance Begins turned out to be extremely my jam. (That jam is shaped by falling in love with Evangelion and Majora's Mask at an impressionable age, so take it for what it's worth.) I'll be keeping an eye out for […]

It's time to summon the Linux people for guidance. I don't wanna upgrade this perfectly good laptop to Windows 11. So I guess I'll have to upgrade it to... something else. Last recommendation I heard was Linux Mint; is that still the way to go? Does anyone want to offer advice or vouch for a […]

The War on Christmas, September 24 My dearest Booliza, The battle lines have barely moved at the Lowe's front in the past year. Though we have received much needed reinforcements, so has the enemy, and the fighting has escalated. Their new forces are, in a […] [Original post on wandering.shop]

I imagine some Rapture-expecters are going to very confused when their Jewish coworkers don't show up to work on Tuesday.

Today I learned football players are allowed to block field goal kicks. Huh.

It's not a lot, protest wise, but this is a super convenient time to drop the X-Men books from my pull list, at least for the rest of the year.

Something Jason Pargin said that has stuck in my head is, "The way that you control people in the social media era is by convincing them that *just feeling the emotion is the work.*"

Maybe just throw up a filter for "volkskrant.nl/kijkverder" if you don't want a disturbing preview image coming up in your feed.

Go Birds.

Our homily this morning will be Gail Simone (@gailsimone.bsky.social) talking about the X-Men.

It's #caturday morning, and Merry has a new box for receiving her breakfast scritches.

We got one of those big variety bags of Halloween candy at Costco. To make sure it's still there at the end of October, we've agreed that there is only *one* type of candy that we're allowed to steal from the bag. Sorry to any kids who were looking forward to Almond Joys; we figured there […]

I really feel like we could be better about making houses user-serviceable.

LB: Who in the original Downton Abbey cast comes back in the haunted house sequel as a trapped soul?

🎥 after this Downton Abbey finale, I want it to be picked up again for two new eras: 1) Declining estate - Inspector Eccentric has arrived to solve murder(s). 2) Dilapidated estate - a new family is trying to revive the place. But it’s haunted!

A new outdoor cat is trying to claim our back yard. I'm naming this one Trouble. #caturday

[Further adventures in plumbing -] I'm starting to think keeping the pipes inside of walls was a mistake.

#scribesandmakers 3/3 Kurt Vonnegut's The Sirens of Titan feels a little like a dry run for Slaughterhouse Five. And while S5 is a great book, it feels a little apologetic about being sci-fi, and I kind of suspect that self-abasement is what allowed it to be recognized as Literature. Sirens of […]

#scribesandmakers 9/4 Talk about the book that got the fewest votes yesterday 1/2 I'm a little surprised Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke got as much as 33%. In the book, a benevolent alien race takes over Earth and guides humans through technological advancement to higher consciousness. In […]

I learned recently that Oscar the Grouch was originally orange. Canonically he still is, underneath all the grime. Which opens up an interesting possible answer to the question of what the heck Gritty is.

Me, typing: Mary Shelley's husband, PB Shelley My Brain: Peanutbutter Shelley Me: what Brain: It's Peanutbutter Shelley Time! Me: Oh no

This new mechanical keyboard has a reassuring weight to it. But in my head I keep hearing Steve Martin in Little Shop of Horrors saying, "Sturdy... Heavy... Duuull..."

I made a sign to support SEPTA #philly #philadelphia

Does anyone here have experience using pCloud storage vs. Dropbox? Any quibbles or cautions?

Diminish a band: Anxiety! At the Disco

Anyone around here reading The Power Fantasy? The best comic on my pull list for some time.

I assume the reason I can't get work done right now is that Microsoft is busy upgrading my laptop's AI agent to better nag me about the upcoming end of support for Windows 10. The day swiftly approaches when I make it a sticker-covered Linux box.

Oscar the current foster floof says hi. #caturday

One of the best things about owning a store is stupid bullshit like this

It's a lovely day to have the windows open. Apparently also a great day to deploy all your loudest tools against my neighbor's sidewalk.

They're moving in herds. They DO move in herds.

"Actual" thoughts about Superman incoming.

[Superman fight spoiler, BJJ nitpick] I choose to believe Lex Luthor watches MMA but has never trained or thought seriously about it, which is why he taught Ultraman such an incorrect armbar.

[USPol, Trump-Epstein, theory] I see a lot of folks asking (not unreasonably) why *this* is the thing T's supporters are willing to believe. I think the better question might be "Why now?" I suspect a sense of betrayal has been building up. But when half your friends want tariffs, or defunding […]

Ever since the Matrix was released in 1999, cell phones have been steadily replacing landlines - which were shown to be the only way to escape.

TIL that storing acidic food in a metal container with aluminum foil can create an accidental battery called a "lasagna cell." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galvanic_corrosion#Lasagna_cell

Third night in a row home with the Criterion Channel. This time I'll be lazy though and put on something in color and in English.

Can we bring back this kind of branding for disinfectants?

Sigh... okay, getting Tony Gilroy (Andor) and Mike Duncan (Revolutions Podcast) in an interview together may be enough to make me listen to Jon Stewart's podcast.

Gonna watch Dr. Strangelove. If I bounce off this one I think I can officially say I don't care for Stanley Kubrick.

[BJJ, medical, griping] Frickin ringworm.

I didn't end up watching The Battle of Algiers last night because I went looking for more Andor, but that's kind of what I got. In related news the Criterion Channel put together a collection in honor of Frantz Fanon's 100th birthday.

Welp #philadelphia take your trash back in, because city workers are on strike.