An excellent short read.

I give this as the reason why I have to do math every time my birthday rolls around. We’re all caught in a perpetual cycle even if the calendar states we’re a decade older.

Oh my god.

Excellent thread on why keeping an eye on the romance industry matters (AI). Not mentioned is why I started reading romance instead of women’s fiction when looking for lighter reading. Because there was more freedom in characters and stories. 1/2

Earning about a quarter than I did 2 years ago. Hours are not shorter. Trying to pivot into dog training but it takes time. So.

This year, Karavan Press published our youngest author, Megan Rossouw (now 14). Her flash was included in @kerryhammerton.bsky.social's In Other Stories 2025. Megan came to one of Kerry's workshops at the Cape Flats Book Festival. My second holiday read is Megan's novel which she wrote at 10!

Dear Chase DeMoor, I do not know you. I have no idea if you are a decent human being in your day to day life. But there was a moment, when your fists echoed around the world. I bow to you in thanks. That was satisfying. So very, very satisfying.

-And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.- Mathew 6:5 (There is much, much more on this behaviour.)

AI marketers have obscured terms. Machine learning & LLMs have been around for ages & not the same as Gen AI. Many rule-based tools, like spellcheckers, started shifting to “AI” as far back as 2010. So now writer orgs wanting to combat Gen AI are making rules that include spell checks.

You're not alone.

I’m stunned. Nigeria has been a huge participant in the global writing community.

There is so much wrong with any creator NOT in a screen/stage art medium to have to show their face. Ageism (most for women) Ableism Racism All the isms. Then there are all the critics of someone's voice- commonly directed at women, trans people, and disabled.

Always interesting when your daughter is riding and the prison siren goes off. Didn’t have to say a word to her. She calmly redirect the horse back to the stables. And yes, our horses live on property bordering a prison and the municipal dump. Because it makes the land affordable.

Not saying I would never ride in a driverless taxi. Just saying I would have to want to be dead to be in a TESLA one.

So much needless violence.

Watching World Supercross Championships and the woman interviewer is wearing a fashionable winter jacket. The event is being held in Cape Town. It’s summer. ITS’s SUMMER!!! And maybe that should just be explained to the viewers rather than this ridiculous winter cosplay.

I'm sorry to this person...but I laughed.

Cartoon villains might have more morals.

Home town. The Native American tale used to be told to the local children by Rachel, a professional oral storyteller. I adored her. So much.

Women’s clothing sizes explained: My sun protection shirts worn this week ranged from size small to XL. The largest is the size S. The XL fits similarly to 2 of the Ms. 1 M is my smallest top & is the same brand & style as the rest of the Ms & the L. The L fits like my biggest Ms.

0V1RCL0CK1D (son's team) won the CHPC Student Cluster Competition. They'll go on to represent South Africa in Germany.

Eldest child is doing a thing and there is a poll on LinkedIn where people vote. So below is their video explaining their computer project. And the next post will have a link to their poll...

Off to work with a joyful and energetic staffie pup. In his honour I am wearing my squirrel earrings. Husband decided they were a must for dog training.

I make far less than minimum wage. Thanks to the AI boom, I haven’t even managed to average $500 a month this year. Longer hours, reduced pay. Anyway, I get health insurance the old fashion way: marriage. B/c when has lack of economic freedom ever been a problem 🙃

Today I am practicing not blowing up and well meaning people for clogging an information WhatsApp for animal rescue with random “so sad” type comments.

Dear iPhones, Make it as small as the SE, give me back the phone jack, and ensure the camera is nice and we can talk. Until then, I am not leaving my 12 mini until you murder it. (SE was fab…until it couldn’t charge anymore 🥲)

Horrifying.

Plug for Libby Young's The Smell of Rain! Bc apropos

My boy is home!!! And he showed off his micro mouse. Loki is fascinated.

Not sad that I refuse to give Substack money on any day, but particularly delighted I don’t today.

All these reviews slagging off this book because it isn’t Murder Bot. Then there is me, who thought the books were fine, streaming series hilarious, but VASTLY prefer this rich, beautiful, nuanced, and layered tale. Come on. This is GORGEOUS.

Makes me laugh. All these “What about the children?” types blasting the sex song (amongst other themes). Not that there isn’t some of the most sensual writing ever in the Bible. Songs of Songs/Song of Solomon is seductive and gorgeous. But do they trot that out in Sunday school? No.

Oooooh, I love black and white. My preferred medium. Not that I could ever afford such a camera. But I can admire.

Courier delivered my SALA award to the wrong house. Thankfully got my paws on it. Then promptly rearranged a bookshelf…

I have watched 1 Fast & Furious movie in my entire life. And yet, every time they cover one of these movies I nearly bust a rib from laughing so hard.

This makes me incredibly sad. I live a conventional life that looks very straight - nuclear. Because I fell in love with a person who is a man when I was very young and had not explored my full multitudes. So such a large breadth of my sexuality is in my art. 1/3

yup, it was on. Do not like. I unchecked the box.

Today is an excellent day to restore Link’s account, as other people who did the exact same thing were only given short suspensions. He was one of the most positive voices here and he deserves to be reinstated.

Man with a spear

I’m listening to a Science Vs episode on food and they had such a beautiful quote on grief and joy… 1/4

Today I have been mostly offline. Which is for the best. As my brief pop-ins were enough to realise someone I once cared for deeply was torching their legacy. Life is messy. Makes it rich for art and hard on the heart.

Son is coming home in a few days. Was pleasantly surprised at the state of the room. Went to make up the bed. Found the wardrobe full of ants. One of the bastards bit me.

There's a labeler here I use for this, because people *know* being on Substack is toxic so they try to hide that fact behind custom URLs. You don't know until you click through. I'll share Ghost, I'll share other Substack alternatives, but if you're on Substack I ain't about to read all that.

If you'd like to read my World Fantasy Award shortlisted story Godskin, then amble on over to @strangehorizons.bsky.social ... strangehorizons.com/wordpress/fi...

Love this. So much.

The person who knew me best is gone and often it feels like I now live around a lot of (friendly) strangers, many of whom I love but don’t know me.

i just read something about grief from C.S. Lewis and his book, “A Grief Observed” basically, when someone you love dies, it isn’t just them that you miss, but the parts of yourself that person brought out of you that can never be brought out again. i feel that with my dad.

I’m 47…so outside the age bracket for American women who moved abroad. Yet here I am, a broad abroad.

True.

But her emails… ~ The New York Times