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deleting my dating apps because i want to meet someone the old fashioned way (getting tried for my ex-lover’s murder and gaining the attention of a diffident blond with beautiful hands and a monocle who’s certain i’m innocent)

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Askazer-Shivadlakia and Ruritania are both drowning in bombas socks.

Bombas Socks ships to “more than 200 countries worldwide” according to a podcast ad I just heard but the UN recognizes 196 countries. so who are the 5+ countries whose sovereignty is officially recognized by the podcast sock company and not by the UN? And more importantly where on earth will Bombas NOT ship? Is there any state NOT recognized by Bombas that has UN recognition? When the walls come down will Bombas still be shipping. Does Bombas ship to the moon

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In a story I wrote relatively recently, I talked about being in a stressful situation and having a few very specific, very important goals, and only acting to serve on of those goals -- in this case it was Noah asking Michaelis how to protect the crew he was nominal captain of:

"Here's how you make it simple: pick a few clear goals and only take action to follow those goals." "Like what?" "Keep your crew safe, first and foremost. Next step, get out of port and bring them home. If you start to get confused or you don't know what to do, remember what your goals are: keep them safe and bring them home."

This is very useful to me as someone who flusters easily during conflict, though I didn't really realize that when I wrote it. I often get sidetracked when things get emotional or intense, so it has been helpful to me to remember to have only a few goals, focus on those goals, and ignore everything else that's happening.

Recently I was talking with Therapist about an upcoming social event that is likely to go well but may go extremely poorly, and I decided to make a Michaelis Catechism for it. The one I came up with was:

If you aren't having fun, stop what you're doing. If other people interfere, set a boundary. If they violate the boundary, leave.

Plus it means I got to show my therapist the Da Share Zone "Just Walk Out" meme, which she'd never seen, so that was fun.

Running a roleplay blog as Steve Rogers for a year or two materially altered my personality (for the better), and I suspect writing Michaelis for a few years is about to do the same.

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It took them a while but I think the cryptids have finally figured out that packed luggage in the living room means I'm going on a trip. Consequently they are being a little clingy today, since I leave for Milwaukee tomorrow morning.

I have a fun weekend planned -- actually I have like three fun weekends planned, and which one happens will be decided by a few external factors (there's the Cultural Weekend, the Retail Weekend, and the Dirty Weekend, depending). But regardless of which weekend happens, the fuzzbutts will undoubtedly enjoy some mischief while I'm gone and yell at me on my return.

Sadly while the Milwaukee Art Museum is a fine institution which I will enjoy visiting tomorrow, they do not have any Bugattis. My collection will have to wait.

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does anyone know why youtube videos from 2020 have had that 5y on them lately

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Sam, I am full of shame. Bar trivia halftime question last night challenged teams to name four of the five Mother Sauces of French cuisine, and I could not name a SINGLE ONE. (It's fine, most of the other teams missed it, too). But I could correctly identify the Fosbury Flop!

Honestly I just sat here trying to name all five and I got three. And in a very Chicago moment I just referred to tomato sauce as "red sauce". :D Plus I knew the word "bechamel" but I still tried to call it cream sauce, so I was like "Hollandaise, cream, red............"

Being fair, while we do use Veloute, we usually just refer to a roux instead, and I don't think I've ever encountered Espagnole in the wild unless it was in a gumbo. And I definitely had to look up what a Fosbury Flop is.

My old research team used to do trivia nights; I never went but they were very good at them, particularly because while it was mostly people who weren't interested in sports, we had one guy who worked with us who would go, and he was their ringer, because he could answer any sports trivia question ever.

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Trying to be better about reblogging podfics of my work at speed! Go forth and listen to a fanfic about (in part) the teeny tiny head of animated Steve Rogers.

Podfic of "Steve Rogers Versus The Multiverse" by @copperbadge

Agent Steve Rogers, callsign Nomad, has been pushed through a dimensional wall. Fortunately there are a couple of Tonys to set things right…

Part 4 of "Tiny Spy Assassin Steve" (be aware - I have not podficced parts 2 or 3 yet)

"Steve Rogers Versus The Multiverse" on AO3

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Her normie alter ego works in a children's hospital.

If I ever wrote a superhero story I’d want there to be a recurring shitty C-list supervillain in the background whose power was changing something’s colour and all her villainous plots would be colour-themed things like “If the city council doesn’t give me a million dollars, I will turn the city of GREEN Bay into the city of RED Bay!” and she’d turn the Golden Gate Bridge magenta or whatever.

So it’s all low-stakes villainy, but everyone absolutely hates fighting her because her very shitty superpower works really really well, and there are dozens of background characters who’ve fought her that are just permanently green now

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I got the initial proof typesetting done for the book this week. It needs to go to the publisher and I need a physical copy in my hands to do the next proof -- and that means it also needs a cover, so that's what I've been working on today.

My thought was to make it look like a fancy restaurant menu, and I think it works, although it also kind of looks like some weird reprinting of a PG Wodehouse novel. I think it might be the font -- the title and subhead are okay but the author attribution looks very Art Nouveau. Well, I suppose I could do worse....

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Now that's my kind of answer.

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Did some baking this weekend, mainly almond macaroons and beer bread. The macaroon dough is a pain in the ass to handle, but it's such a simple recipe and it tends to impress people well above its pay grade. :D

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AS THIS WAS BEING POSTED I had the following conversation with someone who isn't even on Tumblr.

Is it just me, or ...

Does "It's August!" hit you with the same sort of vibe as "It's February!" too?

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Radio Free Monday (August 11, 2025)

Welcome to Radio Free Monday for the week of August 11, 2025. RFM posts links to peoples' personal fundraisers asking for community assistance, on Tumblr, Dreamwidth, and the Fediverse.

==== Ways to give ====

Sue is raising funds to pay her cancer treatment bills, and household bills. She currently needs $350 for electric, $340 for gas, and a combined $800 for pharmacy, cellphone, and past due doctors' copays. Support the fundraiser by sending money to her Venmo.

==== Recurring needs ====

Tumblr user Rusty-chevy is raising funds to cover an unexpected car repair. Read more, share, and support the fundraiser here.

Tumblr user Chingaderita is raising funds to buy groceries, use the laundromat, refill medications and pay medical bills, and buy vinegar to keep cleaning the house's black mold. Read more, share, and support the fundraiser here.

Tumblr user TheGeekSqueaks is raising funds to get school supplies and food for her students. Read more, share, and support the fundraiser here.

=======================

This has been Radio Free Monday. Submit items for my attention through the link in the pinned post at https://radiofreemonday.dreamwidth.org/2024/12/05/welcome-to-rfm.html (English-language submissions only, please.)

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RIP to several of my mutuals but I have never been happier that I do not know what Homestuck is.

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I saw this when it was shown at the Pompeii exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry, and if I could buy a replica for personal use I 100% would. Gorgeous.

[ID: A photograph of an ancient bronze colander; it is a deep metal bowl pierced with small holes in key and wave designs around the edges, and a flower or sunburst at the bottom. A shadow cast by the colander onto the display case illustrates the beauty of the designs.]

Roman bronze colander from Pompeii

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I must go to AO3 again, to the great fanfic archive;

And all I ask is a robust filter, a tag to steer me by.

And the new fic, and the update, by a favorite writer's making!

And their author note explaining

The delayed fic's updating.

I must go down to the archive again, for the call of the fanfic's ride

Is a wild call and a lovely call that cannot be denied.

And all I ask is accurate tags so I know what I am reading;

And the warnings will tell me if I should be receding.

I must go down to AO3, to the truly fandom life,

Where universes multiply and fix it fics are rife.

I will comment and kudo

As I read and I reply;

For the love of the archive can never be denied.

(with apologies to John Masefield.)

a good sailor will always return to the sea

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Someone understands Google maps.