Part 2, Week 5
19/03/2026 07:51 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
soc_puppet posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
moodthemeinayearHere we are at Week 5! Only one more week to go of our first full Medium Track run 👀
This week's Minimum moods are: Scared, Thoughtful, Working
This week's Medium and Maximum moods are: Exhausted, Sick, Content
Once again, for anyone looking for a stopping point, Working in the Minimum track and Sick in the Medium track both work: Working is the last mandatory mood, while Sick is the final tertiary mood. There are only two moods that branch off after Sick, and one of them is this week's Content, while the final branching mood is next week's Tired. After that, it's all minutiae.
As for this week's moods, what are your thoughts on them? Content seems like another one that's a little hard to get a bead on, especially when contrasting with last week's Satisfied. Sick and Exhausted should be at least a little easier to suss out, but not necessarily easier to find material for! What on earth are you going to do if your chosen media never had a "so-and-so gets sick" episode? Do you find something you think might work, or skip that mood entirely, since it's not mandatory? If you're going for the full Maximum track, then Nauseated down the line is what is inherited from Sick; do you wait and use the perfect image later, or do you use a more Nauseated mood for Sick and buy yourself time to find something better when Nauseated comes through the line naturally? Let's talk about it! (Though if you want to skip talking about either of those last two moods I've been going on about, I wouldn't blame you!)
This week's Minimum moods are: Scared, Thoughtful, Working
This week's Medium and Maximum moods are: Exhausted, Sick, Content
Once again, for anyone looking for a stopping point, Working in the Minimum track and Sick in the Medium track both work: Working is the last mandatory mood, while Sick is the final tertiary mood. There are only two moods that branch off after Sick, and one of them is this week's Content, while the final branching mood is next week's Tired. After that, it's all minutiae.
As for this week's moods, what are your thoughts on them? Content seems like another one that's a little hard to get a bead on, especially when contrasting with last week's Satisfied. Sick and Exhausted should be at least a little easier to suss out, but not necessarily easier to find material for! What on earth are you going to do if your chosen media never had a "so-and-so gets sick" episode? Do you find something you think might work, or skip that mood entirely, since it's not mandatory? If you're going for the full Maximum track, then Nauseated down the line is what is inherited from Sick; do you wait and use the perfect image later, or do you use a more Nauseated mood for Sick and buy yourself time to find something better when Nauseated comes through the line naturally? Let's talk about it! (Though if you want to skip talking about either of those last two moods I've been going on about, I wouldn't blame you!)
The Friday Five for 20 March 2026
19/03/2026 03:19 pmanais_pf posting in thefridayfiveThese questions were suggested by melagan.
1. What was the reason you began a Dreamwidth or LiveJournal account (or both)?
2. How many DW or LJ communities do you subscribe to?
3. Do you have a favorite community or one you check out often to see what's new?
4. How did you pick your user name?
5. If you could change your user name, would you?
The following bonus questions are brought to you by the fact that I (anais_pf) have been unable to access any page of LiveJournal for more than a week (and therefore cannot post to The Friday Five there):
6. If you have a LiveJournal, are you currently able to access it?
7. Do you have any information about why one would be unable to access LiveJournal?
Copy and paste to your own journal, then reply to this post with a link to your answers. If your journal is private or friends-only, you can post your full answers in the comments below.
If you'd like to suggest questions for a future Friday Five, then do so on DreamWidth or LiveJournal. Old sets that were used have been deleted, so we encourage you to suggest some more!
EDITED TO ADD: Today for the first time in a while, I am able to see on my computer that LiveJournal does indeed exist. However, when I try to log in, I get the message "Your IP address is temporarily banned." I will try again later. I hope someday to access LJ again. Thanks to all who tried to help!
melagan.1. What was the reason you began a Dreamwidth or LiveJournal account (or both)?
2. How many DW or LJ communities do you subscribe to?
3. Do you have a favorite community or one you check out often to see what's new?
4. How did you pick your user name?
5. If you could change your user name, would you?
The following bonus questions are brought to you by the fact that I (anais_pf) have been unable to access any page of LiveJournal for more than a week (and therefore cannot post to The Friday Five there):
6. If you have a LiveJournal, are you currently able to access it?
7. Do you have any information about why one would be unable to access LiveJournal?
Copy and paste to your own journal, then reply to this post with a link to your answers. If your journal is private or friends-only, you can post your full answers in the comments below.
If you'd like to suggest questions for a future Friday Five, then do so on DreamWidth or LiveJournal. Old sets that were used have been deleted, so we encourage you to suggest some more!
EDITED TO ADD: Today for the first time in a while, I am able to see on my computer that LiveJournal does indeed exist. However, when I try to log in, I get the message "Your IP address is temporarily banned." I will try again later. I hope someday to access LJ again. Thanks to all who tried to help!
ଧନ୍ୟବାଦ (19 March 2026)
19/03/2026 06:02 pmmatsushima posting in thankfulthursdayWhat are you thankful for this week?
· Photos are optional but encouraged.
· Check-ins remain open until the following week's post is shared.
· Do feel free to comment on others' check-ins but don't harsh anyone else's squee.
· Photos are optional but encouraged.
· Check-ins remain open until the following week's post is shared.
· Do feel free to comment on others' check-ins but don't harsh anyone else's squee.
The Secrets of Story
18/03/2026 12:27 pmmarycatelli posting in book_loveThe Secrets of Story: Innovative Tools for Perfecting Your Fiction and Captivating Readers by Matt Bird
A how-to-write book. Despite the title, mostly for TV and movie writers, down to and including explaining that a prose writer has it easier.
Nevertheless, some useful ideas, particularly about irony, such as the character's flaw should be a flip-side of a strength to add reason to not want to fix it. None of the jargon was impenetrable.
A how-to-write book. Despite the title, mostly for TV and movie writers, down to and including explaining that a prose writer has it easier.
Nevertheless, some useful ideas, particularly about irony, such as the character's flaw should be a flip-side of a strength to add reason to not want to fix it. None of the jargon was impenetrable.
Warrington-Runcorn New Town Development Plan community
18/03/2026 11:32 amoceangrey posting in ![[site community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/comm_staff.png){kind=small}
dw_community_promowarrington_runcorn_ntdp is a new fan-run community focused on the music of electronic project Warrington-Runcorn New Town Development Plan.Anyone is free to join, even those who have never listened before! Although if that is you, I'd recommend checking out the project's Soundcloud, Bandcamp, and Youtube to get acquainted :D
Discussion on the community will include, but is not limited to, avourite songs/albums/album artwork, physical media, how you discovered the music, recommendations for similar music, etc.
The current rules are pretty standard: no harassment/discrimination against any other Dreamwidth users; no NSFW/explicit content unless it's directly connected to the community's theme; and please keep any posts/comments on topic as much as possible. Anything else can be decided on in the future.
I (
oceangrey) am the current only moderator/admin, but if anyone else wants a similar role just message me or comment on the community's pinned post!Withnail & I communities
18/03/2026 09:35 amoceangrey posting in dw_community_promowithnailandi is a community for everything related to Withnail & I (1987). Fanworks/recommendations, meta/discussions, whatever, all are welcome here! Another related community is withnailandinsfw, for any more explicit fanworks/discussions.Although not entirely new (made in October 2025) both communities are unused as of yet, due to most of the fandom being on other platforms. Feel free to join whether you're a casual fan, or if it's your favourite film of all time, or if you're somewhere in between!
withnailandi is open for anyone to join, and withnailandinsfw is set to administrator-approved due to the community's content.The Snake Prince and Other Stories
16/03/2026 10:46 ammarycatelli posting in book_loveThe Snake Prince and Other Stories: Burmese Folk Tales by Edna Ledgard
A varied collection. I think a little overwritten, but the tales are a new slice, fitting a new culture. Fairy tales, including a kind and unkind girls featuring a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, and a unique take on burning the skin of the shape-shifted: the Naga prince is not killed but he is rendered mortal to live and grow old and die with his bride.
Also tales of fools and clever men, and animal tales.
Most are recognizable types, but not close to other variants.
A varied collection. I think a little overwritten, but the tales are a new slice, fitting a new culture. Fairy tales, including a kind and unkind girls featuring a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, and a unique take on burning the skin of the shape-shifted: the Naga prince is not killed but he is rendered mortal to live and grow old and die with his bride.
Also tales of fools and clever men, and animal tales.
Most are recognizable types, but not close to other variants.
hamsterwomanSo, L and I went to see Hoppers at the movies on Thursday. The premise sounded very stupid to me when I first heard about it, but L had showed me the “lizard lizard lizard lizard” teaser some months ago, and the lizard looked cute, and L wanted to see it by RH was not interested in seeing it with her, so I said I would. I watched Dan Murrell’s review of it with some trepidation, but he said it was a good, though “lesser” Pixar, with a good message but not too preachy, which seemed relatively reassuring. And both L and I ended up enjoying it more than we expected and laughing A LOT, which was nice.
We saw it in 4DX, which was my first experience of that at feature length – ( more on this part )
In fact, the only time the chair-jolting part became really unpleasant was during ( the previews )
The movie itself was fun! ( More, with marked spoilers )
It’s not a movie that will stay with me in some, you know, profound way, like an Encanto or an Inside Out or a Spider-Verse, but it was cute and a time well spent! I even don’t terribly resent it for costing us $33/person XD (though, seriously, that is insane).
*
I also watched a couple of comedy specials:
Pierre Novellie Why Can't I Just Enjoy Things special – about his autism diagnosis via heckler. I liked Novellie when he appeared on How Do You Cope, talking about his autism, and enjoyed him as a guest on Elis & John, in more free-form conversation, and thenscytale recommended this special, so I watched it (because I couldn’t get into Netflix for some reason, and B, whose email it’s linked to, was asleep in Normandy, so I couldn’t watch the James Acaster specials I was planning to watch with my solo dinner at home). ( I liked it (some joke spoilers) )
And then I was watching his other special on YouTube, Quiet Ones, and there is a bit he reads from a paper (because he finds it too boring to remember) about Moore’s Law XD I mean, what are the odds XD XD This show was from 2021, so a lot of it is about the lockdown, and I generally thought it was less strong (which makes sense, you would expect an artist to get better at his art as he practices it more), but I did appreciate the “quiet ones” bit, among the differences between men and women, after which the show is (justly) named.
*
Some more Taskmaster-adjacent content:
- CoC 4 portrait fanart -- what a gloriously mad bunch! :D (cartoon!Andy is my favorite)
- Another Taskmaster Podcast popped up for the second live event in NYC (the last night of the tour). There was some repetition of stuff I heard Greg say on other stops or other interviews, but still some fun gleanings. ( Assorted tidbits )
Long Alex & Greg interview during the US tour (YouTube): Fun and thoughtful, with some unusual questions and good rapport. ( Assorted tidbits )
*
I think it's also time for an Elis & John catch-up. It’s been a bit over a month since my last post, but really, because it took me about a month to get through the previous catch-ups, over 3 separate posts, I’ve actually got over two months worth of listening I’m catching up on – i.e. 2 months of new shows and about 7 months of Radio X backlog.
First, a visual bit: John and a giant teddy (from ~10 years ago?)
Second, John was on Chris and Rosie Ramsey’s “Shagged, Married, Annoyed” podcast earlier this year, where the schtick with the guest is he reads a listener-submitted story, which of course I don’t have much interest in, but he also talked about some personal stuff in more detail than I’ve heard elsewhere. (The recording was from about 6 months earlier than the podcast, so, mid-2025-ish, because How Do You Cope was actively putting out episodes and John said he’d been sober for 2.5 years, when he passed three years in November 2025.) ( Personal tidbits: giving up meat, spooky bum procedure )
Catching up on the current shows, ( Jan - Mar 2026 )
(I do also have ~8 months of Radio X shows to post about, but that's going to be a separate post -- hopefully it all fits in one, LOL.)
*
And oh hey, it's mid-March somehow, so this is probably a good time to check in on my ( fannish goals )
We saw it in 4DX, which was my first experience of that at feature length – ( more on this part )
In fact, the only time the chair-jolting part became really unpleasant was during ( the previews )
The movie itself was fun! ( More, with marked spoilers )
It’s not a movie that will stay with me in some, you know, profound way, like an Encanto or an Inside Out or a Spider-Verse, but it was cute and a time well spent! I even don’t terribly resent it for costing us $33/person XD (though, seriously, that is insane).
*
I also watched a couple of comedy specials:
Pierre Novellie Why Can't I Just Enjoy Things special – about his autism diagnosis via heckler. I liked Novellie when he appeared on How Do You Cope, talking about his autism, and enjoyed him as a guest on Elis & John, in more free-form conversation, and then
scytale recommended this special, so I watched it (because I couldn’t get into Netflix for some reason, and B, whose email it’s linked to, was asleep in Normandy, so I couldn’t watch the James Acaster specials I was planning to watch with my solo dinner at home). ( I liked it (some joke spoilers) )And then I was watching his other special on YouTube, Quiet Ones, and there is a bit he reads from a paper (because he finds it too boring to remember) about Moore’s Law XD I mean, what are the odds XD XD This show was from 2021, so a lot of it is about the lockdown, and I generally thought it was less strong (which makes sense, you would expect an artist to get better at his art as he practices it more), but I did appreciate the “quiet ones” bit, among the differences between men and women, after which the show is (justly) named.
*
Some more Taskmaster-adjacent content:
- CoC 4 portrait fanart -- what a gloriously mad bunch! :D (cartoon!Andy is my favorite)
- Another Taskmaster Podcast popped up for the second live event in NYC (the last night of the tour). There was some repetition of stuff I heard Greg say on other stops or other interviews, but still some fun gleanings. ( Assorted tidbits )
Long Alex & Greg interview during the US tour (YouTube): Fun and thoughtful, with some unusual questions and good rapport. ( Assorted tidbits )
*
I think it's also time for an Elis & John catch-up. It’s been a bit over a month since my last post, but really, because it took me about a month to get through the previous catch-ups, over 3 separate posts, I’ve actually got over two months worth of listening I’m catching up on – i.e. 2 months of new shows and about 7 months of Radio X backlog.
First, a visual bit: John and a giant teddy (from ~10 years ago?)
Second, John was on Chris and Rosie Ramsey’s “Shagged, Married, Annoyed” podcast earlier this year, where the schtick with the guest is he reads a listener-submitted story, which of course I don’t have much interest in, but he also talked about some personal stuff in more detail than I’ve heard elsewhere. (The recording was from about 6 months earlier than the podcast, so, mid-2025-ish, because How Do You Cope was actively putting out episodes and John said he’d been sober for 2.5 years, when he passed three years in November 2025.) ( Personal tidbits: giving up meat, spooky bum procedure )
Catching up on the current shows, ( Jan - Mar 2026 )
(I do also have ~8 months of Radio X shows to post about, but that's going to be a separate post -- hopefully it all fits in one, LOL.)
*
And oh hey, it's mid-March somehow, so this is probably a good time to check in on my ( fannish goals )
galorechallenge | Round 14 is now open!
14/03/2026 11:32 pmflareonfury posting in dw_community_promo
galorechallenge is a returning Crossover Fic Challenge from LiveJournal where you would find a crossover, grab a prompt & start writing! NO CLAIMING NESSARY! Post your story to the community (or at least link to it) once you're done. Feel free to grab more than one prompt, and more than one crossover! There are no limits on how much you can write per round. Check out the rules for more information. Also once the round ends, we'll vote on our favorites by fandom & you can get a fancy award. Or if there is only 1 crossover for a particular fandom, it will move on to the next round.
While it is a multi-fandom challenge, and SO MANY fandoms are allowed, there are some restrictions, so check out the fandoms currently allowed.
Round 14 is open until June 30, 2026 @ 11:59 EST.
Rules & FAQ | Prompts | Submit New Prompts/Crossovers |
Temples, Tombs & Hieroglyphs: A Popular History of Ancient Egypt
13/03/2026 06:54 pmmarycatelli posting in book_loveTemples, Tombs & Hieroglyphs: A Popular History of Ancient Egypt by Barbara Mertz
A light discussion of Egypt. Admittedly covering a long period of history and so necessarily cursory in place. Discusses what records we have and what archeological evidence we have found, and various Pharaohs and changes.
A light discussion of Egypt. Admittedly covering a long period of history and so necessarily cursory in place. Discusses what records we have and what archeological evidence we have found, and various Pharaohs and changes.
Part 2, Week 4
12/03/2026 09:06 pmsoc_puppet posting in moodthemeinayearAck, it's Thursday! Thank goodness I noticed only half an hour past when I usually try to post 🤦♀️
This week's Minimum moods are: Nerdy, Okay, Sad
This week's Medium and Maximum moods are: Satisfied, Mischievous, Exanimate
Exanimate is a weird one! Honestly, I think it's one of the weirder moods in the entire list. It basically means you're not (capable of?) moving anymore. Which, if you're doing an animated mood theme, might be the perfect time to pull a prank with a single non-animated mood 😂 It might be a little harder to work with otherwise! I like to go with my subjects playing dead for the most part, but I'm sure it's not the only option. Satisfied, on the other hand, seems extremely difficult to depict. If you're working with an established fandom, you can probably find something from context that works, but I feel like it can be a little trickier to nail down when you're making original art! Mischievous, on the other hand, seems like just plain fun. Time for your mood theme's subject to go torment another of your mood theme's subjects!
What do you think? Are your feelings on these moods the opposite of mine, or do you think you'll have the same problems? Do you need to brainstorm any at all? Let's talk about it!
This week's Minimum moods are: Nerdy, Okay, Sad
This week's Medium and Maximum moods are: Satisfied, Mischievous, Exanimate
Exanimate is a weird one! Honestly, I think it's one of the weirder moods in the entire list. It basically means you're not (capable of?) moving anymore. Which, if you're doing an animated mood theme, might be the perfect time to pull a prank with a single non-animated mood 😂 It might be a little harder to work with otherwise! I like to go with my subjects playing dead for the most part, but I'm sure it's not the only option. Satisfied, on the other hand, seems extremely difficult to depict. If you're working with an established fandom, you can probably find something from context that works, but I feel like it can be a little trickier to nail down when you're making original art! Mischievous, on the other hand, seems like just plain fun. Time for your mood theme's subject to go torment another of your mood theme's subjects!
What do you think? Are your feelings on these moods the opposite of mine, or do you think you'll have the same problems? Do you need to brainstorm any at all? Let's talk about it!
The Friday Five for 13 March 2026: Magical Questions
12/03/2026 03:29 pmanais_pf posting in thefridayfiveThese questions were suggested by spiralsheep.
1. Have you ever watched illusion magic? Close-up, or in a stage show, or on television? Did it work for you?
2. Have you ever wished on a star, or a lucky cat, or a coin in a wishing well? Did it work in some way?
3. Have you ever cast a spell, made a love charm, or tried a curse? Did it work in some way?
4. Are there any other traditional superstitions you pay attention to? Do they work in some way?
5. Would you want major magical powers like in a fantasy story? Which powers, and how would you use them?
Copy and paste to your own journal, then reply to this post with a link to your answers. If your journal is private or friends-only, you can post your full answers in the comments below.
If you'd like to suggest questions for a future Friday Five, then do so on DreamWidth or LiveJournal. Old sets that were used have been deleted, so we encourage you to suggest some more!
spiralsheep.1. Have you ever watched illusion magic? Close-up, or in a stage show, or on television? Did it work for you?
2. Have you ever wished on a star, or a lucky cat, or a coin in a wishing well? Did it work in some way?
3. Have you ever cast a spell, made a love charm, or tried a curse? Did it work in some way?
4. Are there any other traditional superstitions you pay attention to? Do they work in some way?
5. Would you want major magical powers like in a fantasy story? Which powers, and how would you use them?
Copy and paste to your own journal, then reply to this post with a link to your answers. If your journal is private or friends-only, you can post your full answers in the comments below.
If you'd like to suggest questions for a future Friday Five, then do so on DreamWidth or LiveJournal. Old sets that were used have been deleted, so we encourage you to suggest some more!
characters20in20 Round 21
12/03/2026 02:41 pmreeby10 posting in dw_community_promo
Link: Round 21 Sign Ups | Round 21 Themes
Description:
characters20in20 is a 20in20 community dedicated to making icons of characters from movies and tv shows. You have 20 days to make 20 icons about a character of your choice, based on a set of themes for the round.
Schedule: Round 21 sign ups are open NOW. Icons are due March 30, 2026.
ndatenda (12 March 2026)
12/03/2026 06:27 pmmatsushima posting in thankfulthursdayWhat are you thankful for this week?
· Photos are optional but encouraged.
· Check-ins remain open until the following week's post is shared.
· Do feel free to comment on others' check-ins but don't harsh anyone else's squee.
· Photos are optional but encouraged.
· Check-ins remain open until the following week's post is shared.
· Do feel free to comment on others' check-ins but don't harsh anyone else's squee.
Question thread #149
11/03/2026 01:39 ampauamma posting in dw_devIt's time for another question thread!
The rules:
- You may ask any dev-related question you have in a comment. (It doesn't even need to be about Dreamwidth, although if it involves a language/library/framework/database Dreamwidth doesn't use, you will probably get answers pointing that out and suggesting a better place to ask.)
- You may also answer any question, using the guidelines given in To Answer, Or Not To Answer and in this comment thread.
The rules:
- You may ask any dev-related question you have in a comment. (It doesn't even need to be about Dreamwidth, although if it involves a language/library/framework/database Dreamwidth doesn't use, you will probably get answers pointing that out and suggesting a better place to ask.)
- You may also answer any question, using the guidelines given in To Answer, Or Not To Answer and in this comment thread.
Monday Media - March 9 Edition
09/03/2026 05:19 pmlebateleurGames: Pretty much the typical go-tos.
Music: We have seen some great shows. The first was Peaches ( Cut because Peaches. ) Everything about it: the costumes, the choreography, the energy, was so good. Absolutely phenomenal show. A++ please don't make us wait another three years before you come back again.
The following day we saw Timecop1983 with Bad Dreamers and Brent Michael Woods opening. Woods is very much of the "Richard Marx with an acoustic guitar" mode of mid-80s nostalgia pastiche, which is not my thing per se, but he is very talented at it and thus fun to watch live. Bad Dreamers joined the tour at the last minute when the scheduled opening act was unable to get US visas; I'd been aware of him through his vocals on a bunch of Timecop tracks, and he was just as good live. (And I particularly appreciated his insistence that the venue turn the stage lights off so that he could see the audience despite it's meaning that the audience could not see him.
Timecop1983 was fabulous, as expected. Just a really energetic show that sounded as good or better than the albums live. He was joined by Josh Dally on guitar and vocals as well as a killer live drummer, which really added to the energy (the drummer was clearly having the time of his life), and Dally and Timecop had great onstage chemistry, with Dally providing the garrulous crowd engagement and running commentary, and Timecop the well-timed laconic one-liners. (Dally also graciously handled the very drunk woman in the crowd who kept loudly insisting he go for drinks with her after the show despite the conspicuous wedding band on his hand.)
They played a good selection from their back catalogue as well as some new tracks we weren't familiar with, as well as a few numbers with one or both of Bad Dreamers and Woods on the stage with them. This too was an excellent show and I will certainly see any or all of these acts if they're ever in town again.
Podcasts/Articles: I listened to The Women's Podcast episode The Digital War on Women and How To Fight Back, which was unsurprisingly as horrifying as the title suggests. The panel members were (rightly) so energized about how vile this stuff is that they were unfortunately often not as clear about explaining to the audience what it was they were discussing as one would have wished but they made up for it by explicitly pointing out that the primary solution to all this shit and enshitification is to stop. Just stop. Get off these platforms and go do something else with your time. (That said, how you convince anyone under 15 to do so...)
For long form articles, I read:
Roleplaying: Nothing. The GC is DMing some one shots, but since they're on the days that I am step dancing and I can't be in two places at once, dancing it is 🩰
Television: When the TV's on, pretty much all AEW, all the time. The pendulum is very much swinging back toward Restaurant Quality 😁 these days. Of course, the usual suspects (Hangman, Mox, Young Bucks) are still there with predictable plotlines, but everything going on around them has been great. FTR and Stokely steal the show for every promo and match they're in. You wouldn't necessarily think Brody King vs. Swerve would make sense but it does, and Prince Nana is clearly having the time of his life. The Brawling Birds won me over with the throwback name alone, but they are more than living up to its promise. Jet Speed and Speedball are great. Kyle Fletcher is great. The IInspiration should annoy the living bejeezus out of me but they were hysterical and I wish they'd got five times the screen/ring time, TK please bring them back. Don Callas is as oily and entertaining as ever. The Thunder Rosa vs. Thekla match was fire.
Speaking of wrestling, we also finished out Dimension 20: Titan Takedown group watch, which had a very satisfying (if a bit railroaded, probably due to time constraints) conclusion. Humor, action, lore and iterating in-jokes, and some really affecting emotional character arcs: this is what I want from wrestling and from a D&D game, and this D:20 season had them all in spades. I enjoyed the nostalgia of (most of) The New Day and Bailey, and while I don't watch WWE anymore, it absolutely sold me on Chelsea Green and I hope she makes it over to AEW some day soon.
Video Games: The gaming computer is acting up *sigh* so nothing these past few weeks. We did get Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines 2, which seems to have inspired divergent takes among the people who've played it, so we'll see.
これで以上です。
Music: We have seen some great shows. The first was Peaches ( Cut because Peaches. ) Everything about it: the costumes, the choreography, the energy, was so good. Absolutely phenomenal show. A++ please don't make us wait another three years before you come back again.
The following day we saw Timecop1983 with Bad Dreamers and Brent Michael Woods opening. Woods is very much of the "Richard Marx with an acoustic guitar" mode of mid-80s nostalgia pastiche, which is not my thing per se, but he is very talented at it and thus fun to watch live. Bad Dreamers joined the tour at the last minute when the scheduled opening act was unable to get US visas; I'd been aware of him through his vocals on a bunch of Timecop tracks, and he was just as good live. (And I particularly appreciated his insistence that the venue turn the stage lights off so that he could see the audience despite it's meaning that the audience could not see him.
Timecop1983 was fabulous, as expected. Just a really energetic show that sounded as good or better than the albums live. He was joined by Josh Dally on guitar and vocals as well as a killer live drummer, which really added to the energy (the drummer was clearly having the time of his life), and Dally and Timecop had great onstage chemistry, with Dally providing the garrulous crowd engagement and running commentary, and Timecop the well-timed laconic one-liners. (Dally also graciously handled the very drunk woman in the crowd who kept loudly insisting he go for drinks with her after the show despite the conspicuous wedding band on his hand.)
They played a good selection from their back catalogue as well as some new tracks we weren't familiar with, as well as a few numbers with one or both of Bad Dreamers and Woods on the stage with them. This too was an excellent show and I will certainly see any or all of these acts if they're ever in town again.
Podcasts/Articles: I listened to The Women's Podcast episode The Digital War on Women and How To Fight Back, which was unsurprisingly as horrifying as the title suggests. The panel members were (rightly) so energized about how vile this stuff is that they were unfortunately often not as clear about explaining to the audience what it was they were discussing as one would have wished but they made up for it by explicitly pointing out that the primary solution to all this shit and enshitification is to stop. Just stop. Get off these platforms and go do something else with your time. (That said, how you convince anyone under 15 to do so...)
For long form articles, I read:
- Gisèle Pelicot on rape, courage and her ex-husband: ‘He was loved by everyone. That’s what is so terrifying’
- Inside voice: what can our thoughts reveal about the nature of consciousness
- The new science of death: brain activity, consciousness, and near death experience
- They pushed so many lies about recycling: the fight to stop big oil pumping billions more into plastics
Roleplaying: Nothing. The GC is DMing some one shots, but since they're on the days that I am step dancing and I can't be in two places at once, dancing it is 🩰
Television: When the TV's on, pretty much all AEW, all the time. The pendulum is very much swinging back toward Restaurant Quality 😁 these days. Of course, the usual suspects (Hangman, Mox, Young Bucks) are still there with predictable plotlines, but everything going on around them has been great. FTR and Stokely steal the show for every promo and match they're in. You wouldn't necessarily think Brody King vs. Swerve would make sense but it does, and Prince Nana is clearly having the time of his life. The Brawling Birds won me over with the throwback name alone, but they are more than living up to its promise. Jet Speed and Speedball are great. Kyle Fletcher is great. The IInspiration should annoy the living bejeezus out of me but they were hysterical and I wish they'd got five times the screen/ring time, TK please bring them back. Don Callas is as oily and entertaining as ever. The Thunder Rosa vs. Thekla match was fire.
Speaking of wrestling, we also finished out Dimension 20: Titan Takedown group watch, which had a very satisfying (if a bit railroaded, probably due to time constraints) conclusion. Humor, action, lore and iterating in-jokes, and some really affecting emotional character arcs: this is what I want from wrestling and from a D&D game, and this D:20 season had them all in spades. I enjoyed the nostalgia of (most of) The New Day and Bailey, and while I don't watch WWE anymore, it absolutely sold me on Chelsea Green and I hope she makes it over to AEW some day soon.
Video Games: The gaming computer is acting up *sigh* so nothing these past few weeks. We did get Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines 2, which seems to have inspired divergent takes among the people who've played it, so we'll see.
これで以上です。
Kakuriyo: Bed & Breakfast for Spirits, Vol. 11
08/03/2026 11:56 pmmarycatelli posting in book_loveKakuriyo: Bed & Breakfast for Spirits, Vol. 11 by Waco Ioka
And so we begin in medias res -- spoilers ahead for the earlier volumes
( Read more... )
And so we begin in medias res -- spoilers ahead for the earlier volumes
( Read more... )
The Way to a Beautiful World
07/03/2026 11:59 pmmarycatelli posting in book_loveThe Way to a Beautiful World by James Norbury
Another collection of cartoons, loosely woven into a tale. A little more loosely than in Journey, which benefitted it. Most could work as stand-alones, and are the strongest.
Another collection of cartoons, loosely woven into a tale. A little more loosely than in Journey, which benefitted it. Most could work as stand-alones, and are the strongest.