#pressure cooker review

[kirbyresearch]

Electric pressure cookers are versatile kitchen appliances that can help you prepare delicious meals quickly and easily. They work by trapping steam inside a sealed pot, which creates pressure that cooks food faster than traditional cooking methods. In this article, we will provide a buying guide for electric pressure cookers and answer some frequently asked questions about them.

[awesomek00]

Korea's Best Rice Cooker in 2025: For Those Who Think About Rice Cookers

2025 Best Rice Cookers Koreans Use

 If you’ve ever been to a Korean household, you know that rice cookers are practically a kitchen essential. In 2025, the trend of top-tier rice cookers continues, with brands like Cuckoo and Cuchen leading the way in Korea. Koreans prioritize quality and efficiency when it comes to cooking rice, and these cookers don’t disappoint. Cuckoo rice cookers, in particular, are renowned for their durability and advanced technology, while Cuchen is also highly regarded for its sleek designs and excellent cooking performance. Both brands offer various cooking modes for everything from basic white rice to mixed grains, porridge, and even stews.

Pressure Rice Cooker: Best Cook Friend

For those who want their rice fluffy and perfectly cooked, pressure rice cookers are the go-to choice. Pressure cooking adds that extra punch of heat, which locks in moisture and gives rice a deliciously soft texture. Cuckoo's and Cuchen's pressure rice cookers are among the best available, offering multi-functional settings that can also steam veggies, make soups, and even bake!

One of the standout advantages of these pressure cookers is their versatility. You can prepare a wide variety of dishes beyond just rice, such as fluffy bread, comforting porridge, and delicious steamed dishes. Plus, they handle mixed grains and even regular white rice with ease! The convenience and all-in-one capability make them essential kitchen tools for anyone who loves to cook.

Is It Worth Buying a Rice Cooker?

 The short answer: absolutely! If you enjoy rice regularly, a rice cooker can be a game-changer. Not only does it cook rice to perfection, but it also keeps it warm for hours, so you don’t have to rush to eat. Korean rice cookers, especially the high-end models from Cuckoo and Cuchen, are designed with features like keep-warm modes and timer settings to ensure you always have fresh, fluffy rice ready. Plus, they’re super easy to clean and maintain.

[flimsy-roost]

really short recipe review

Electric Pressure Cooker Chicken Stew

Crip Up The Kitchen, Jules Sherred

really good

[creativecirclelifestyle]

A power pressure cooker is a kitchen machine that utilizations steam to prepare food rapidly and effectively. The machine works by establishing a high-pressure climate that prepares food quicker than customary techniques. Power pressure cookers are flexible and can be utilized to cook many feasts, including soups, stews, meats, rice, and vegetables.

One of the main advantages of a power pressure cooker is its capacity to rapidly prepare food. Since the machine utilizes high tension and steam to cook, dinners can be prepared in a negligible part of the time it would take with conventional techniques. This is particularly helpful for occupied families that need to rapidly get ready good feasts.

Power pressure cookers are likewise perfect for cooking hard cuts of meat that would ordinarily require a long cooking time. The high-pressure climate separates the filaments in the meat, making it delicate and succulent. Vegetables likewise hold their supplements and variety when cooked in a power pressure cooker, going with them a better decision.

While choosing a power pressure cooker, there are a few elements to consider. One significant thought is the size of the machine. Power pressure cookers arrive in a scope of sizes, from little models intended for single servings to enormous models that can take care of a group of at least six.

Another thought is the elements of the apparatus. Some power pressure cookers accompany extra capabilities, like sluggish cooking, sautéing, and steaming. These extra highlights can be valuable for the individuals who need a flexible machine that can deal with a scope of cooking errands.

Security is likewise a significant thought while choosing a power pressure cooker. Search for models that have security highlights, for example, programmed pressure discharge valves and locking covers. These elements help to forestall mishaps and guarantee that the machine is protected to utilize.

Here are a portion of the vital advantages of utilizing a power pressure cooker:

Saves time: Power pressure cookers cook food rapidly, which can save time in the kitchen. Dinners that would ordinarily require hours to plan can be prepared in a small portion of the time with a power pressure cooker.

Holds supplements: Since power pressure cookers cook food rapidly, they help to hold supplements that can be lost with conventional cooking techniques. Vegetables hold their variety and supplements, settling on them a better decision.

Softens hard meat: Hard cuts of meat that would regularly require a long cooking time can be softened in a power pressure cooker. The high-pressure climate separates the filaments in the meat, making it delicate and succulent.

Flexible: Power pressure cookers can be utilized to cook a great many feasts, including soups, stews, meats, rice, and vegetables. A few models even accompany extra capabilities, like sluggish cooking, sautéing, and steaming.

Saves energy: Power pressure cookers utilize less energy than conventional cooking strategies, which can assist with bringing down your energy bills.

While utilizing a power pressure cooker, there are some wellbeing tips to remember. Continuously read the producer's guidelines prior to utilizing the machine, and ensure that it is utilized in a protected and suitable way. Here are some broad wellbeing tips:

Never stuff the power pressure cooker. Continuously pass on adequate room for the steam to develop.

Continuously utilize the fitting measure of fluid while cooking with a power pressure cooker. This will assist with making the essential steam and strain.

Adhere to the producer's guidelines for delivering tension in the wake of cooking. Never attempt to compel the top open before the tension has been delivered.

Be cautious while dealing with the power pressure cooker subsequent to cooking. The machine will be hot, so use stove gloves or other defensive stuff to forestall consumes.

All in all, a power pressure cooker is a flexible and productive kitchen machine that can assist with saving time and cook good feasts rapidly. While choosing a power pressure cooker

[tranquildr3ams]

Reality TV Roundup - January 2023

Reality TV Roundup - January 2023 #Reality #TV #Netflix #PressureCooker #TheCircleS5 #BakeSquadS2 #Roundup #Review

For those who have seen the recent Adventure and What’s Up, you already know what this is all about. As I sit here uninspired of what to watch and not sure what I want to write about next as a result rewatching Gilmore Girls for probably something like the fifth time. I decided to start up a new monthly segment for the great amount of reality and variety TV shows that I watch. With that said, I…

[thepermanentrainpress]

BRASS CAMEL: BRASS

Brass – Brass Camel Release Date: September 9th, 2022

Track Listing:

1. First Contact 2. Dinger’s in the Back 3. I’ve Got the Fox 4. Pressure Cooker 5. King for a Day 6. Last Flight of the Vulcan 7. Easy 8. Shaking in my Boots 9. Only Love

Brass Camel’s LP Brass is an electrifying, retro smoke show. Its invigorating rock, jazz and blues blend gives listeners a scorching spectacular soundscape. Animated melodies and lyrics make the tracks a feast for the mind. The music is expertly mixed, producing a magnetic and cohesive collection that feels equal parts familiar and fresh.

���Dinger’s in the Back” is distinctive and fun. Daniel Sveinson’s classically sharp rock vocals pierce strong electric guitar riffs, as atmospheric lyrics pump up the party: “From the Hindenburg to the Albert Hall / the man won’t stop until he’s rocked them all.” “I’ve Got the Fox” is a funky pedal to the metal. Heavy guitar riffs and glossy synths rev up in a tune perfect for street racing. Curtis Arsenault’s electric bass is marvelously murky and thick, while Wyatt Gilson’s drums strut in a confident stride. Rich imagery is ignited by the lyrics: “Five litre demon cleaner rolling down the block / Burnt rubber one hundred metres shows you what it has got / Feeling like Jackie Stewart when I pull up to the spot.”

Galactic grunge settles in “Pressure Cooker.” Melodies dig in deep, as Sveinson and Arsenault harmonize in a colourful contrast. A heroic story marred by confrontation and retribution: “The fighting out in the streets / Of cities built on lies and deceit / Now we're really feeling the heat / Feels like we're living in a pressure cooker.”

Standout track on the album “King for a Day” is splendid satire; a fascinating musical interpretation of political power. “A legacy of spite and subjugation / Of wretched acts far beyond redemption / Was never in the plan when it all began / But the road to hell is paved with good intention.” Kaleidoscope-like call backs are scattered throughout the song, twisting and turning complex synths and electric guitars. The drums are quick, jumpy and bold. In a similar vein to Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy-use of iconic rock ballads, “Last Flight of the Vulcan” is a captivating retro-futuristic Star Trek homage. Sveinson’s electric guitar solo is impressively epic with shards of electric notes quickly building on top of each other. The lyrics transport you into interstellar ambience: “Tireless travels belting through the night and day / Outline of a delta that you can't mistake / Cratered fields reminders of the trails blazed.” 

“Easy” is wickedly groovy. “If only it had been easy / Could have been a real bad man / A calculated evil doer / A night-stalking saboteur.” An undercurrent of menacing piano and agile saxophone add elegance to a gothic scene. While the song still maintains the album’s classic synth pizazz and overall electric sound, the darker tones of “Easy” make it a remarkable experience.

If you’re looking for an energetic surge, Brass Camel has you covered. With charismatic vocals, striking guitar, cosmic synths and pounding drums, Brass is a stylish and slick reverence to the rock gods.

Written by: Jenna Keeble

[reidsbookclub]

Vows of Rivalry

Authors Note: MY FIRST AARON FIC AHH!! Idk what is scarier the fact that this is FINALLY going out to the world or the fact that my first Aaron fic does not follow cannon events. Either way I would really appreciate any feedback you guys can give me. gif credit to original creator. I had it saved on my laptop so I really do not remember

special thanks to @boldlyvoid for beta reading the first draft of this fic. pairing: Aaron Hotchner x female reader

Without further ado here is Vows of Rivalry.

Mock trial season. Every law student’s worst nightmare. Except for one.

Most students dreaded the possibility of being pitted against Aaron Hotchner—reigning champion since his first year. Hotch was renowned for his ruthless precision, impeccable argumentation, and the intimidating scowl that seemed permanently etched onto his face. But for Y/N Y/L/N, the prospect of facing Aaron was anything but dreadful. In fact, she relished it.

She could see it now: his jaw clenched, his lips pressed into a thin line, his eyes narrowing whenever she’d poke holes in his carefully laid arguments. For her, it wasn’t just about winning. It was about watching Aaron Hotchner, the unflappable law prodigy, completely lose his composure.

That day was no different. The mock trial courtroom buzzed with the tension of impending arguments, the air crackling with unspoken competition. Y/N adjusted her blazer, her eyes scanning the room for her favorite opponent. There he was, already seated with his ever-present briefcase of legal weapons, jaw set and brows furrowed as he reviewed his notes. She couldn’t help the smirk tugging at her lips as she walked to her seat across from him.

The mock trial had barely begun, but the room felt like a pressure cooker. Y/N had just finished outlining her opening argument when Aaron stood to cross-examine her witness. As always, he delivered each question with surgical precision, his voice sharp, his gaze colder than a winter morning.

But she wasn’t backing down.

“Your Honor,” she interrupted smoothly, “he simply doesn’t have the evidence necessary for—”

“Evidence?” Aaron interrupted, his calm demeanor finally cracking. He looked like he was about to explode, his face flushed with frustration. “Evi—Jesus, woman, you make me so annoyed sometimes. I just want to very publicly divorce you!”

The courtroom fell silent, and Y/N stared at him, stunned by his outburst. Then, instead of being thrown off, she smiled. “You’d have to marry me first, Hotchner.”

Aaron stormed off, leaving the room in a buzz of shock. The judge cleared his throat awkwardly and called for a recess, but all Y/N could think about was how much she had enjoyed watching him unravel.

Neither of them realizing that the judge for this mock trial, their peer Marcus,  had a murderous look trained to where Aaron had left. 

Flash forward — Present day

The BAU office was quieter than usual, the team scattered as they worked on different aspects of their current case. Aaron Hotchner sat at his desk, tapping his pen absently against a case file, the rhythm of his movements betraying his usual calm. His mind wasn’t on the case—not entirely. Instead, it kept wandering back to Y/N. Their history, their rivalry in law school, the way she always managed to get under his skin.

His mind began to drift to that impulsive night in Vegas that had been the culmination of all that tension

The neon lights of Las Vegas blared like a siren song, luring Y/N and Aaron into a world of wildness and excess. After an exhausting week of mock trials, they and their law school classmates had decided to blow off some steam and take a trip to Vegas of all places.

“Okay, Hotchner, let’s see if you can handle another round!” Y/N challenged, her voice slightly slurred as she leaned against the bar, her hair a tousled mess.

Aaron rolled his eyes, his own drink barely clutched in his hand. “I think you’ve already had enough, Y/N. You know, you might actually lose your pants at the blackjack table this time.”

“Ha! Please, I’m a betting goddess! You’re just jealous because I outsmarted you in court last week!” she shot back, leaning in closer, her breath a mixture of fruity cocktails and determination.

“Outsmarted me? You mean you got lucky!” Aaron replied, smirking. 

“You know what? Let’s get married!”  she taunted, downing the last of her drink. 

“What?” Aaron burst out laughing, nearly spilling his drink. “You’re kidding, right?”

“Nope!” Y/N declared, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “Let’s do it. Vegas style! You and me! A wedding! Right now!”

He glanced at her, both amused and wary. “You realize that you’re completely drunk out of your mind, right? You know what they say about Vegas weddings. And I don’t want to be part of a ‘you’re-who-I-got-drunk-with’ story.”

She leaned in closer, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. “Come on, Hotch! It’ll be epic! Plus, we’ll have a great story to tell during our class reunion 10 years from now about how we got wasted and tied the knot on a whim!”

“Yeah, and how you lost all your money at blackjack the same night!” he shot back, unable to hold back his laughter.

“Shut up!” she laughed, but then her expression shifted to one of playful defiance. “I dare you to come with me! We’ll show everyone that even stoic Aaron Hotcher  can do something crazy with the right company! Or are you too scared”

Aaron raised an eyebrow, a grin spreading across his face. “You think I’m scared? You really want to drag me into this madness?”

“Absolutely!” she insisted, grabbing his hand and pulling him towards the chapel like a determined toddler. “C’mon! What’s the worst that could happen? We’ll wake up tomorrow, laugh about it!”

“Or we might actually end up married,” he replied, a mixture of thrill and dread filling him as they reached the chapel’s entrance. “What’s your plan if we do?”

“Um… we’ll just call it a really fun mistake!” she quipped, giggling as they stumbled into the small, tacky chapel. Elvis’s “Can’t Help Falling in Love” played in the background, setting the perfect absurd tone.

Inside, they approached the altar, barely able to contain their laughter. The Elvis impersonator greeted them, his eyes twinkling as he took in their disheveled appearance.

“Welcome to the chapel, lovebirds!” he boomed, clearly accustomed to drunken couples making rash decisions.

“Lovebirds?” Aaron muttered under his breath, shooting Y/N a glance. 

“Shhh! Just go with it,” she hissed, nudging him with her elbow. “It’ll be fun!”

The officiant cleared his throat. “Do you, Y/N, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?”

“Sure, why not?” Y/N said with a grin, her tone decidedly nonchalant. “I mean, he does make a decent man most of the time.”

“Y/N!” Aaron exclaimed, mortified and amused at her flippancy.

“And do you, Aaron, take Y/N to be your lawfully wedded wife?” the officiant continued, a bemused smile on his face.

Aaron shrugged dramatically, looking at Y/N with exaggerated seriousness. “I guess so. As long as she promises not to annoy me with her terrible jokes and awful puns.”

“Hey!” Y/N shot back, mock-hurt. “I’ll have you know my jokes are legendary!”

“Legendary at making people cringe,” he replied, chuckling as the officiant tried to stifle a laugh.

After a few more playful jabs and exaggerated vows—filled with drunken laughter and outrageous promises—they exchanged rings made of plastic and signed their names on the chapel’s official log, feeling giddy and foolish.

As they stumbled back out into the glittering chaos of the Vegas Strip, their marriage license in hand, they couldn't help but laugh that they even printed out one. 

“Is this even legal?” she asked not expecting a reply, glancing at their license as if it might disappear into thin air. “You would think that for a pair of law students we would know the answer” 

Aaron only shrugged, too drunk to think, tossing an arm around her shoulders. “Let’s hit the casino again. After all, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, right?”

As they walked, their banter flowed freely, filled with giggles and playful nudges. They knew they would laugh about this ridiculous night for years to come, even if they had to figure out how to disentangle themselves from the drunken mess they had just created.

The next morning had been awkward, to say the least. They had agreed to get the marriage annulled immediately, laughing about how ridiculous it all was. Except, somehow, neither had followed through on the paperwork. It had slipped through the cracks of their busy lives.

Now, his mind kept wandering back to Y/N wondering where she was now. He couldn’t help but notice how the victims all had a striking resemblance to her. 

The team had been called in to investigate a series of kidnappings, and the more they dug, the clearer it became for him how they all looked like Y/N. Where was she now? He couldn’t help but think. Was she safe? 

He leaned forward, pinching the bridge of his nose, the weight of it all pressing down on him. He had to find her, his protective instincts kicking in. 

“Did you find something, Garcia?” Hotch asked, breaking the silence of his office when Penelope Garcia appeared at the door, her fingers flying across her tablet.

She hesitated momentarily, her usual cheerful energy replaced with a seriousness that made Hotch’s pulse quicken.

“I… I think so, sir,” she said, her eyes widening as she glanced at her screen. “Does the name Y/N Y/L/N ring any bells?”

Hotch’s heart stopped for a moment. His eyes locked with Garcia’s, his mind racing. “Yes,” he replied, his voice strained. “She’s… my wife.”

Garcia’s jaw dropped. “Wait, what?”

Hotch took a breath, the memories rushing back. “We got married… years ago. It was a mistake. We were supposed to get divorced, but… it never happened.”

Garcia blinked rapidly, trying to process what he had just revealed. “So, you’re telling me… you’re still married?”

“Yes.” Hotch’s voice was tight with emotion. 

He stood abruptly, grabbing his jacket from the back of his chair. “What did you find?”

Garcia quickly shifted gears, “well, her co-workers reported Y/N missing yesterday after not showing up to work,” pulling up a map of the latest victim location.  “Y/N’s phone pinged from an industrial area near the docks about an hour ago. The unsub is still playing games, but I believe she is the latest victim, sir. It appears he stalked her online for a couple of weeks’”

Hotch’s jaw tightened as he listened, his professional side taking over. “Send me the coordinates. I want the team assembled now.”

~~~~~

The BAU team had nearly arrived to the warehouse, moving swiftly and silently. Hotch led the charge, his mind a blur of tactical planning and personal fear. He couldn’t let anything happen to her. Not after all these years. Not when he was just realizing how much she still meant to him.

Inside, the air was thick with dust and decay. The unsub had clearly been holding Y/N here, but as they searched the space, there was no sign of her or the unsub.

Hotch’s phone buzzed. A new message.

It was from Y/N’s phone, but the words were clearly from the unsub:

“Do you remember? Do you remember how much you tried to hate her? Tried to hide much did you love her? You won’t find her in time, Hotchner.” 

So this was someone from their past, but who? While trying to think of anyone that would’ve been trying to get close to her and hating him he couldn’t help but recall one fateful winter day that cemented them as academic rivals while also cementing his love for her. 

The cold bite of winter air seeped into the library, where a few stubborn law students huddled around textbooks and laptops. Outside, snowflakes drifted lazily, painting the world in white, but inside, a different kind of storm was brewing.

Aaron Hotchner glanced up from his notes, his sharp gaze falling on Y/N, who sat across from him in their study group. The usual fire was in her eyes, and the faintest trace of a smirk tugged at the corner of her lips as she readied herself for another round of their never-ending banter.

“You’re completely wrong, Hotchner,” she said, her voice sharp and teasing. “Your interpretation of the case law is so off-base, I’m surprised you’re even here right now.”

Aaron raised an eyebrow, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. “Is that so? Enlighten me, then. If you can, that is.”

Y/N’s face flushed, her hazel eyes narrowing in mock-annoyance. The faint crinkle of her nose appeared—the one that always seemed to surface when she was riled up. It was something he had started to look forward to, something that drove him to keep pushing her buttons just to see that reaction.

“Don’t tempt me,” she said with a huff, leaning forward to point at his notes. “Right here, you missed the entire point of the ruling. You can’t just cherry-pick the facts that support your argument. You’re better than that… or at least, I thought you were.”

Her words were laced with sarcasm, but Aaron found himself barely hearing them. Instead, his mind focused on the way her hair fell loosely over her shoulders, how her cheeks were tinged pink from the warmth of the heated room, and how that fire in her eyes sparked every time they clashed.

She was beautiful in a way he hadn’t allowed himself to fully acknowledge until now. He’d always admired her intellect, her tenacity, the way she stood her ground no matter how hard he pushed. But today—today something shifted. It wasn’t just respect or admiration anymore. It was something deeper, something that hit him square in the chest as if knocking the air out of him.

God, he loved seeing her like this—passionate, focused, and utterly unrelenting. His heart raced as he watched her argue her point, lips moving with a confidence that captivated him. He’d always riled her up for the sake of competition, but now he realized it was more than that. He loved it. Loved the way her nose crinkled, the way her skin flushed pink when she got under his skin and knew it.

She was like a force of nature, and Aaron—against all logic—was caught in her storm.

“Are you even listening to me?” Y/N’s voice cut through his thoughts, her eyes narrowing further as she leaned back, arms crossed.

Aaron blinked, shaking off the haze of his realization, and quickly returned to their debate. “Of course I am. I’m just trying to figure out if you actually believe that nonsense you’re spewing.”

Her mouth fell open, and that familiar spark lit in her eyes again. “You’re impossible!” she snapped, throwing her pen down dramatically.

Aaron bit back a grin. “And you’re predictable.”

That earned him a glare, but he could see the amusement behind it. She thrived on this, just like he did. The banter, the push and pull—it was their language, and he’d never felt more alive than when they were like this. But now it came with a deeper ache, a longing he hadn’t anticipated.

Later that day, after they’d packed up and left the library, Aaron lingered near the hallway, stuffing his textbooks into his bag. Y/N’s voice drifted from around the corner, chatting with her friends.

“Are you sure you don’t want to come out with us tonight?” one of the girls asked. “Marcus has been wanting to ask you out and you always shoot him down.” 

Y/N laughed softly. “No, I’m good. I promised myself I’d focus on law school. No distractions. I’m staying single and just keeping my head down until graduation.”

Aaron froze, his breath catching in his throat. The words stung more than they should have. He had just admitted to himself that he might be falling for her, and now—now she was putting up a wall, and he wasn’t even on the other side of it.

Single. Focused on her studies. No distractions.

It was clear where she stood, and Aaron felt a knot of frustration tighten in his chest. He could never compete with her ambitions, nor would he try. He respected that about her. But still, it hit him hard, this quiet admission of hers that he had no place in her plans.

He stood there, hidden just out of view, feeling the weight of her words settle over him. He had never been one to chase something he couldn’t have, and Y/N had just made it clear she was determined to stay unattached.

But if he couldn’t have her the way he wanted—if she would never see him the way he saw her—then he’d find another way to stay close to her.

That night, as snow continued to fall softly outside the window, Aaron made a silent vow to himself. If being her rival was the only way to be near her, then so be it. He would challenge her, argue with her, push her to her limits—because that’s when she was at her best, and it was the only way he could keep her in his life.

If being her academic rival was all he could be, then he would make sure to be the best damn rival she ever had.

The blood drained from his face as he reread the words. This was personal. The unsub had been watching them—watching their past, their history. And now, Hotch knew he was the key to finding Y/N. Could it have been Marucs? Marcus was the  other relentless suitor that y/n had. Could it be him? 

He called Garcia, “we are almost at the location Y/Ns phone pinged last. Look into Marcus for me, he went to school with us” he ordered 

“Looks  like Marcus has had many girlfriends that resemble Y/N physical appearance since graduating, up until last year in which his girlfriend broke up with him to marry someone else. The wedding date coincides with the first killing sir” 

“Thanks Garcia” he said as they arrived at the location. 

The SWAT team had cleared the perimeter, and Aaron Hotchner stood just outside the door of the dilapidated warehouse. The once-industrial building had long since been abandoned, its cracked windows and rusting metal exterior fitting the profile of a man like Marcus Chambers—someone who had faded into the shadows, but had never truly disappeared.

Aaron’s heartbeat thudded heavily in his ears, the only sound louder than the quiet murmur of the team communicating over comms. They’d been tracking Marcus for days, and this was their best lead yet. But there was one glaring problem—it seemed Y/N wasn’t here.

And time was running out.

The door to the warehouse creaked open, and Aaron nodded to Morgan and Prentiss, signaling them to enter first. Inside, the air was stale and filled with the faint scent of metal and dust. There were scattered pieces of old machinery and boxes, but it was otherwise empty—save for a table and the man seated at the far end of the room.

Marcus.

His dark eyes were fixed on the team as they approached, his mouth curled into a bitter smirk. He didn’t make any effort to move or run, didn’t flinch as SWAT flooded in behind them, guns raised and voices sharp with commands. He sat there, unbothered, like he’d been expecting them all along.

Aaron’s jaw clenched as he approached, unable to shake the burning anger and desperation clawing at him. Y/N’s life depended on this, and every second felt like an eternity.

“Where is she?” Aaron’s voice was low, controlled, but the fury beneath it was unmistakable.

Marcus’s eyes flickered with amusement as he leaned back in the chair, crossing his arms lazily. “You think it’s that easy, don’t you, Hotchner? You swoop in, play the hero, and save the day.” He sneered. “But not this time.”

Aaron’s fists clenched at his sides. The rage boiling inside him was barely contained, but he couldn’t afford to lose control now. He couldn’t let Marcus see just how much he was getting to him. He wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.

“I’m not playing games with you, Marcus,” Aaron growled, stepping closer, his voice like steel. “Tell me where she is, or I swear you won’t like how this ends.”

Morgan stepped forward ready to jump and protect his boss and close friend, hand resting on his gun, ready for any sign of danger. “You’re surrounded, man, you’re not walking out of here, so you might as well make it easier on yourself.”

Marcus chuckled darkly, shaking his head as if amused by the entire situation. “Easier? For me? This was never about making it easy, agent.” His eyes drifted back to Aaron, and there was something unsettling in his gaze—something cold, unhinged. “This was about making you pay.”

Aaron felt the weight of those words, and it took everything in him to keep his expression neutral. He had known Marcus back in law school—had always seen him as a man with an inferiority complex, always jealous of anyone who succeeded around him. But that was nothing compared to the bitterness Aaron saw now.

“This is about Y/N, isn’t it?” Aaron said, voice steady but cutting. “You’ve hated me since the mock trial when I said I would marry her, but Marcus you should know we were just rattling each other”

“Bullshit” Marcus yelled irritated 

Marcus’s smirk widened. “You have no idea, do you? No idea what it felt like watching you—golden boy Aaron Hotchner—get everything handed to you. The grades, the reputation, and then… her.”

Could he really know about Vegas, about them actually marrying? Aaron thought. It wasn’t as if they actually lived like husband and wife, they had just forgotten to annul the marriage, granted, as far as he knew neither of them had dated after that day. Could he really be this infuriated by a piece of paper? Aaron decided not to focus on the  pang of guilt he felt by thinking of the marriage to the love of his life as just a “piece of paper” he had to figure out where she was before it was too late.

“I watched you two,” Marcus continued, his voice laced with bitterness. “Watched you marry her like it was some joke. Like she was some prize you could just win and forget about.” 

Aaron’s stomach twisted. It all went back to Vegas. The night they’d gotten drunk, the night he and Y/N had woken up with rings on their fingers and hazy memories of how they got there. A wedding that should have been forgotten, annulled, but had somehow turned into something much more permanent, a silent promise that they would always be there for each other. A promise he couldn't break, not after all this time. 

 And Marcus had been there. He’d seen it all. And he was dead set on breaking the fragile bond that was made that night between Aaron and Y/N.  

Suddenly, a faint sound caught his attention—a soft, muffled cry coming from the back of the warehouse. Hotch motioned for the team to follow as they approached a locked room. Kicking the door open, his breath caught in his throat.

There she was. Y/N. Bound and gagged but alive.

You were there that night?” Aaron asked, her eyes narrowing in suspicion.

Marcus nodded, his eyes flickering with something darker—something dangerous. “I saw it all. You don’t even remember, do you? How you laughed about it. How you said it didn’t matter, how it would all be a funny memory years down the road. But it mattered to me.”

Aaron’s chest tightened. Yes, there was laughter that night. But, he hadn’t brushed it off like it meant nothing. It had scared him the days after how much that marriage had meant to him. But Marcus had twisted that memory, had held onto it all these years, letting it fester into something deadly.

“This isn’t about Vegas, Marcus,” Aaron said coldly. “This is about your obsession. You’re angry because you never stood a chance.”

Marcus’s smirk faltered for a brief second, but the madness in his eyes only intensified. “I didn’t stand a chance because you took her from me before I even had one.”

Aaron’s fists clenched tighter, his patience fraying. “I'm done with this, I’m done with you. Tell me where she is. Now.”

Marcus chuckled, leaning forward in his chair, his voice dripping with malice. “You really think I’d make it that easy for you? No, Hotchner. This is your punishment. You don’t get to save her this time.”

Aaron’s blood ran cold, a chill settling deep into his bones. He stepped closer, towering over Marcus, his voice deadly calm. “You tell me where she is, or I swear–” Aaron couldn’t finish his threat, noticing Marcus’ eyes flickered to the timer he set on a nearby table. 

Marcus met Aaron’s eyes, his smile fading into something more sinister. “You’re too late. She will be dead in 20 minutes.”

Aaron’s heart stopped. Too late. No, that couldn’t be possible. Not Y/N. Not when they were so close.

“Where is she?” Morgan demanded, his voice rising.

Marcus didn’t answer. His gaze drifted lazily around the room, savoring the tension, the desperation on Aaron’s face. “You’ll never find her. She’s too far gone.”

Aaron lunged forward, grabbing Marcus by the collar and hauling him to his feet, rage boiling over. “Where is she?!”

Morgan and Prentiss moved to pull Aaron back, but he was already too far gone. Marcus laughed in his face, taunting him with the one thing Aaron couldn’t afford to lose: time.

And then, in a quiet, venomous whisper, Marcus finally spoke.

“You’re looking in the wrong place.”

The words sank in, chilling Aaron to his core. Marcus had known all along that they’d come here, had expected this, planned for it. And while they wasted time finding him—Y/N was somewhere else.

Somewhere Aaron might never reach her in time.

He released Marcus, stepping back, chest heaving with frustration and panic. They had him in custody, but it wasn’t enough. Not without Y/N.

They were running out of time, and Aaron knew he couldn’t afford a single second more

Back at the BAU Penelope Garcia’s fingers flew across the keyboard, eyes glued to the flurry of data populating the screen. She’d been digging into Marcus's background, searching for anything that could lead them to where he was keeping Y/N. “Come on, come on…” she muttered under her breath, frustration building—until suddenly, a detail popped up, too familiar to ignore. “Wait a minute,” she whispered, freezing. She leaned closer, eyes widening as the puzzle pieces clicked. “The old library!”

Spencer Reid, sitting across from her, looked up from the stack of files he was pouring over. “What about it?”

Garcia spun her chair toward him, her face pale with realization. “That abandoned library—the one Hotch and Marcus used to study at with the group. It was scheduled for demolition last year, but the plans were scrapped. No one’s been there in years.”

Reid’s eyes lit up with recognition, and his voice dropped. “It’s isolated. Quiet. The perfect place to hide someone.”

Garcia immediately tapped into her comms, panic lacing her voice as she patched through to Hotch. "Hotch, I think we’ve found her. She’s at the old library. Marcus has her at the place you all used to study.”

There was a beat of silence before Hotch's voice came through, tight with urgency. "We are  on our way."

Aaron Hotchner’s heart pounded as he pushed through the crumbling doors of the abandoned library, his flashlight slicing through the dust-choked darkness. Morgan was right behind him, followed closely by Prentiss, JJ, and Rossi, their footsteps eerily silent against the cracked tile floors. The air was heavy with mustiness, and the faint echoes of their past—years spent studying in this very place—seemed to haunt the hallways. But there was no time for memories. They had to find her.

A distant sound, soft but unmistakable—a faint whimper—cut through the silence. Hotch froze, his breath hitching. His pulse quickened as his eyes darted toward a door partially ajar at the far end of the room. He motioned for the team to fan out as he crept forward, fear and determination twisting in his gut.

He pushed the door open, revealing Y/N—bound, bruised, but alive—lying in the corner of the room. Relief surged through him like a wave, but there was no time to celebrate, she was breathing but not conscious. Morgan moved quickly to her side, cutting her restraints while JJ and Prentiss scanned the area, and Rossi stood guard. Hotch knelt beside her, his voice low but filled with an emotion he rarely let surface. “You’re safe now. I’ve got you.”

Her eyes, though tired and scared, widened when she saw him. Relief washed over her face “Y/N,” he whispered, his voice cracking for the first time in years.

She coughed softly as she tried to smile. “You… you found me.”

“Always,” he whispered, pulling her into his arms. “I’ll always find my wife.”

tagging some of my friends that I know would not mind reading an Aaron fic

@samuel-de-champagne-problems @boldlyvoid @reidsaurora @milla984 @thedancingcostumeyoungadult @reid-ingandweeping @ssahotchnerr

[mindblowingscience]

Venting when angry seems sensible. Conventional wisdom suggests expressing anger can help us quell it, like releasing steam from a pressure cooker. But this common metaphor is misleading, according to a new meta-analytic review. Researchers at Ohio State University analyzed 154 studies on anger, finding little evidence that venting helps. In some cases, it could increase anger. "I think it's really important to bust the myth that if you're angry you should blow off steam – get it off your chest," says senior author Brad Bushman, a communication scientist. "Venting anger might sound like a good idea, but there's not a shred of scientific evidence to support catharsis theory."

Continue Reading.

[thecurioustale]

My Review & Commentary of The Apocalypse of Herschel Schoen

This post contains two reviews of The Apocalypse of Herschel Schoen, a new novel by Rob aka @nostalgebraist.

Above the fold is a short, comprehensive review, intended mainly for general audiences. This review is spoiler-free.

Below the fold is over 70 pages (~40k words, some of which are book excerpts) of line-by-line real-time commentary, intended mainly for Rob. This review contains full spoilers. Do not click on “Keep Reading” if you do not want spoilers.

My Review of The Apocalypse of Herschel Schoen

The basic proposition is that this is a Christmas story. No surprise; that’s why Rob published it on Christmas after a furious push to be done on-time. The story takes place more or less entirely within the month of December of an unspecified year, and the passage of the month is the progression of the story. It is divided mainly between two narrators: Herschel Schoen, and his sister Miriam Schoen, the latter existing mainly to contextualize the former (which she herself notes with some resentment).

The plot is a fairly straightforward Les Miserables style pressure cooker of growing personal and societal wretchedness bent around the equally-growing idea of some grand, world-changing, revolutionary transformation that is imminent—in this case, supposedly on Christmas. It’s a decent plot, but the plot isn’t the principal reason to engage with the story, in my opinion, and in any case it’s not what most of the novel actually consists of.

For principal reasons to read this fairly hefty thing, I think there are two:

First, and probably the more important of the two, is that The Apocalypse of Herschel Schoen is a veritable case study in the lived experience of someone (Herschel) whose brain works and perceives reality very differently from the human norm. He is high-functioning but still quite disabled and deeply mentally ill. “Case study” sounds clinical; this is actually a fairly warm, humanized story—with some very touching moments peppered throughout. But the sheer effort Rob made to depict Herschel’s mindset and thinking for the benefit of the reader is absolutely a tour de force in psychology. I’ve never read anything like it, and, if you read this book for no other reason than its “clinical” value, you would not be wrong to do so.

Second, and the more personally meaningful of the two reasons, is that this book gives you the opportunity to get “Herschel’s side” of things. I used biomedical terms just now to describe Herschel, but that’s not entirely fair, and it’s not the only way to look at him. We all have our reasons for being how we are. And we all of us, even those who are highly neurodivergent ourselves, often look at those whose minds work very differently from our own through the lens of division: them versus us. There is a failure to empathize, to understand, to even give ourselves the chance to understand. Herschel has built up, over the course of his short sixteen years on the Earth, this extraordinary paracosm, his “little world” as Miriam calls it, which he believes in totally and which he projects onto the real world completely. And this paracosm is very similar to the real world in many ways,which causes and/or exacerbates many of Herschel’s social developmental problems. (And we have his sister, Miriam Schoen, throughout the book, to gently lampshade all of this and keep us from accidentally conflating Herschel’s worldview with Rob’s narrative, which ultimately are two separate things.) I think The Apocalypse of Herschel Schoen is highly validating of Herschel Schoen; I think that it dignifies him heavily, and all such people in the real world whose “special needs” can be compared to his; even though this book also displays in full detail many of the things about people like Herschel Schoen that so often make us cringe. Herschel is cringeworthy quite often, and his delusional paracosm may just be a delusional paracosm after all, but he—and it—are not illegitimate.

There is a third reason to engage, one with a much more niche appeal, but personally it was my favorite thing about the book: Herschel speaks in the “old” style. We often describe it as a “biblical” style of speech (e.g., “And he went out, and smote his enemy at the bridge, and laid waste to his temples, until all the love of fighting had bled out from its defenders, and the enemy’s people were subdued in shame and despair.”), but it’s really just how a lot of English writing used to be done. Tolkien could do it, and it’s in many of the old classics. I absolutely LOVE this style of writing. Love love love it, and I am always wanting to see more of it in the present day, but of course nobody but me even dares try. Well, here we go: Rob tried it! He pulls off this outrageous shit for the entire book! What you see in Herschel’s style of speech and thought in the first few pages is what you get for the whole count. It’s legendary! I love it! But if you don’t love it, then beware.

Thematically, this is a Christmas story, like I said. It’s a family story, with an especially strong focus on the brother–sister bond between Herschel and big sister Miriam. Another theme is that it’s a pretty anti-capitalist story—though I think this theme, and its literal treatment in the text and especially in character dialogue, was not integrated super well or executed authentically; it works okay on the meta level as a way of setting the conditions for the story, but on the literal level I found its exponents very anti-immersive in their dialogue, almost cartoonish. A third noteworthy theme is that there are some occasional matters of artificial intelligence (it’s part of how Herschel defines his “Adversary” early in the book), because this is nostalgebraist after all and we would expect such things. A fourth significant theme is that this is quite a “New York story,” the kind of story set in New York [City], written by someone who has been a New Yorker, and which for all intents and purposes treats New York as the center of, and nearly the entirety of, the Universe. This book has a lot of deliberate non-specificity in culture and language, presumably to make it timeless, but New York is there effortlessly, because, in New York stories, New York City is a fundamental property of the Universe.

I would be remiss not to mention a few pain points on my part:

First and foremost, Rob’s use of italics and, to a lesser extent, ALLCAPS, is exhausting. Italics function like commas in that they slow down the parsing of text. If you actually do parse italicizations loyally, as I do, and do not simply skip over them as visual noise, then this book might be extremely laborious for you to physically read, as it was for me. I am a deep admirer and avid user of italics myself, but this novel takes italicization almost to its furthest useful extreme possible, well beyond the limits of fine proportionality, and the italics’ sheer preponderance vastly slows down my parsing of the narrative. Nor is there much of a reprieve in the chapters where Miriam is narrating; she’s exactly the same way. In fact basically everyone in the book talks like this. I don’t reject the creative decision to utilize italics in this manner; it’s a valid creative decision; I only caution you that, if you take the italics and allcaps respectfully, they will seriously slow down your pace of reading—as they did for me.

Second, I recommend that you not worry about the time period in which this book is set. Rob made it deliberately vague and contradictory, but he didn’t telegraph this (that I saw), and so I was frustrated throughout almost the entire book trying to pin down when it was set. Turns out its time period doesn’t matter for story purposes, and can’t be dated anyway since there are anachronisms deliberately put into the milieu to make dating impossible. It’s got a little of everything from the 1950s through the present day. So, don’t worry about it. This pain point is my only truly negative large-scale criticism of the story in its entirety (though the unconvincing quality of some of the anti-capitalist dialogue is also a truly negative criticism, merely much more limited in applicability, and there are other serious negative criticisms I have which become manifest in the spoiler commentary below the fold).

Third, I would say that the third quartile of the book is harder to read than the rest. In large part this is because Miriam’s narrative becomes as exhausting as her brother’s as her own suffering increases, but it is exhausting in a completely different way, and the two different exhaustions interfere constructively to make something even more exhausting. The long chapters in particular—most of the book’s word count is contained in a few very long chapters—are quite exhausting indeed for reading in one sitting, so if your mind slows down or wanders I would recommend getting up and doing other things, then coming back with a fresh mind later. The text would really benefit from your full and energetic attention, otherwise I think this book becomes enough of a slog to become antagonistic to the reader. But with a fresh mind, this problem largely goes away. And I must say: This pain point is not a negative criticism. This is the price of engaging with smart work, sometimes. As with the use of italics and allcaps, I see no creative failing on Rob’s part here. You just have to do your part, make your effort, to be in a suitable frame of mind to receive it.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. I did not enjoy it as much as The Northern Caves, Rob’s other novel that I have read, because that book contains Leonard Salby’s glorious indecipherable writing, which has been a major creative inspiration for me. The Apocalypse of Herschel Schoen has lots to offer, however. Be aware that it is a heavy read, not a light one, and thus it is draining. Rob is a rare treat of an author in that his work is highly intellectual (rare all on its own!) without being literarily pretentious and snobby—but this means that it is no trivial thing to read and absorb his work. Also to his credit, this book kept me guessing all the way through, which I appreciate—I respect it when plots and characters refuse to let me put them in a container early on. And of course this book contained all of the good things I have already said about it.

DO NOT click “Keep Reading” unless you are prepared for spoilers, bad formatting, and the wailing and gnashing of teeth of confronting 70 pages of commentary.

Psych! 73 pages is way too much for Tumblr's post limits. Here is a Google Doc instead:

This document will be available online for the time being but may not be public indefinitely, so feel free to download a copy if you like.

[sarahreesbrennan]

LONG LIVE EVIL IN LOCUS

I was delighted LONG LIVE EVIL was reviewed in @locusmagazine’s July print issue, described as ‘a wholehearted embrace of, and a commentary on, the high-fantasy high-angst high-romance end of the fantasy genre … It’s very entertaining.’ I do not share the whole review, but I did really appreciate and want to highlight the love for Emer, one of my POV characters, wicked maid to a wicked mistress, but… as you can see, it’s complex! Part of why I wanted to write a villain ensemble is that I wanted to write several ladies in a fantasy pressure cooker, with real connections that are being tested in real ways. I feel sometimes because people are (understandably) tired of ‘ladies being catty to each other’ there’s pressure to portray friendships, romances between women and literal sisterhood as all hearts and flowers or you’re doing something wrong. And I love me some sisterhood, but once more I choose villainy. I’d rather be wicked and write wickedly if I and the women I write can be wrong, and hurtful, and complicated people who have to navigate complicated situations.

In LONG LIVE EVIL I wanted to show how relationships between women can also be fraught, tangled, tested, heartbreaking—and hilarious when your previously cunning mistress starts yelling ‘I SEE THE FUTURE!’ (Which is what I’d consider doing if I got isekai’d, but I’d never seen it ((and when you don’t see something, time to go write it…)) and then of course, what is a false prophet but a storyteller, what is an ill fortune teller but a witch, and what did Cassandra get even though her predictions for Troy all came true in the end…) We get a lot of aristocratic PoVs in fantasy and those are extremely fun, but with Emer I did want to take a deep dive into what it means to, essentially, be assigned evil minion at birth. What if your job is to help create the sexy (& therefore evil) & somewhat artificial (& therefore evil) beauty but that’s not at all how you present yourself? Might living the belowstairs Downton Abbey life at Skullcrusher Mountain not drive you to become fantasy Lizzie Borden? So happy to see a spotlight for Emer—I love her and I hope you all will too. Sooooon.

[thesims4blogger]

The Sims 4: Official Laundry List (January 7th, 2025)

EA has started 2025 for The Sims 4 with a new Laundry List, with bugs that will be corrected on an upcoming patch.

The Sims Direct Communications account on Twitter/X has confirmed the update is coming next week. You can read the whole blog post below.

Sul Sul Simmers!

Welcome to The Sims 4 Laundry List, where we share the top community concerns we’re currently investigating and aim to resolve in an upcoming patch later this month.

In our continued commitment to resolving technical challenges, our team uses this list to highlight community-focused fixes that will be included in the update. This list marks our fifth release in this series, which aims to continue to improve the gameplay experience for our players by addressing issues most frequently reported by the community through AnswersHQ.

While some issues may not be listed, they may still be in the process of being addressed. Some topics can require an extended investigation on our end, so even though these fixes may be in active review, it’s not a guarantee that we’ll have an immediate fix for it in the upcoming patch.  As with each new patch, please remember to remove any external game mods and custom content if you are experiencing issues as the first step in troubleshooting, as they may conflict with the updates. Thank you for your reports and happy Simming!

Here’s the list of community concerns we’re investigating for the upcoming game update:

Base Game:

[AHQ] Fixed cases of really high Bills where Lot Taxes would not only count the property value, but also add value from anything in inventories.

[AHQ] Inspired Sim will no longer mix drinks excessively.

[AHQ] ‘Try for baby’ in the shower will now fill the Hygiene motive.

[AHQ] Outgoing and Socially Awkward traits cannot be selected together. If one is selected, the other will appear greyed out and cannot be chosen.

[AHQ] Female frame facial hair on Male Sims will no longer disappear.

[AHQ] Shoes are now replaced with barefoot when a Styled Look with barefoot is applied.

[AHQ] Neon signs no longer break due to rain.

[AHQ] Water puddle VFX animation will no longer appear on the ground floor when a Sim is swimming on the second floor.

[AHQ] Sim no longer has the option to give the toddler fertilizer as food from inventory.

Affecting Multiple Packs

[AHQ] Thumbnails of Guidry and Temperance are visible in the relationship panel, Sims profile, and Manage Household panel.

[AHQ] Knitting now counts towards Arts & Crafts for Scouting.

[AHQ] Sims’ weight and muscle levels are now properly affected by Bike Riding, Horse Riding, Rock Climbing, and ‘Jog Here’ activities.

[AHQ] Sim can now set the waffle/pizza oven/stand mixer for sale in a retail store.

Cats & Dogs

[AHQ] Cats and dogs with the fire obsession perk are far less obsessed with the fireplace.

[AHQ] Sims no longer gain fitness skill when cleaning the litter box.

City Living

[AHQ] ‘Play with emotion’ interaction is now greyed out when the piano keyboard breaks.

Cottage Living

[AHQ] Sims can now use Hot Pot with the Simple Living Lot Challenge.

Crystal Creations

[AHQ] Last Exception error will no longer trigger when a ring is placed on the Mystical Moonlight Crystal Grid and the household is reloaded.

[AHQ] Option to order Crystals is now available on the computer.

Discover University

[AHQ] Sim with the Gym Rat trait will no longer lose hygiene while juggling a soccer ball.

[AHQ] Frequency of getting electrocuted from Robotic Workstation has been considerably reduced.

Eco Lifestyle

[AHQ] Roaches are removed from the dumpster after a Sim successfully performs the ‘Try to clear roaches’ action.

For Rent

[AHQ] A serving of Vegetable Chili from the Pressure Cooker will no longer turn into 8 servings.

Get Together

Clubs are now under the default section under the social groups interface.

Growing Together

[AHQ] Fixed an issue where some Life Milestones wouldn’t be achieved when the Sim is off-lot, including Milestones for a toddler Sim’s movement skill.

High School Years

[AHQ] When Sims switch from an outfit created in Thriftea to a regular outfit, they no longer revert back to the Thriftea outfit when showering/bathing.

[AHQ] Notification badges are no longer displayed when the phone is in silent mode and Social Bunny has notifications turned off.

Horse Ranch

[AHQ] ‘Drink an Aged Nectar’ Want now fulfills when Sim drinks an Aged Nectar bottle.

My First Pets Stuff

[AHQ] In new saves, Sim will no longer receive the ‘Baby whisked away’ moodlet and The Sims Notification System will not suggest that Rattigan passed away when Rattigan is still

Snowy Escape

[AHQ] Seaweed Ramen recipe is now available from the fridge cooking menu.

Sim’s Hygiene Motive will now increase when using a Hot Spring.

Spa Day

[AHQ] Applied Pedicure will no longer vanish when a Manicure is requested.

[ilikethisacompletelynormalamount]

In the true story, BAFTA winner Scott, also coming off rave reviews for All Of Us Strangers, is set to play Group Captain James Stagg, the Allies’ Chief Meteorologist whose job it was to inform Supreme Commander General Eisenhower of weather conditions that would make-or-break their Normandy invasion. The decision-making was critical in the fate of the war and the course of history.

Anthony Maras (Hotel Mumbai) will direct the ticking-clock thriller, which is due to start shooting in the UK this September. Additional casting is underway, with Studiocanal handling world sales.

Olivier award-winner David Haig and Maras wrote the screenplay based on Haig’s critically lauded play, which ran in London’s West End before going on to be performed for the late Queen Elizabeth II and world leaders to mark the D-Day 75th anniversary in 2019. The official synopsis reads: “In the seventy two hours leading up to D-Day, all the pieces are in place except for one key element—the British weather. Britain’s chief meteorological officer James Stagg (Andrew Scott) is called upon to deliver the most consequential forecast in history, locking him into a tense standoff with the entire Allied leadership. The wrong conditions could devastate the largest ever seaborne invasion, while any delay risks German intelligence catching on. With only his trusted aide Captain Kay Summersby to confide in, and haunted by a catastrophic D-Day rehearsal, the final decision rests with Supreme Allied Commander Dwight D. Eisenhower. With only hours to go, the fate of the war and the lives of millions hang in the balance.” Haig’s play explores the personal and military stresses on Stagg and how tensions grew between the teams with different weather forecasts for the date of the proposed D-Day. The film will concentrate on the pressure-cooker of the decision-making but also capture the scale of the landings. Studiocanal previously had commercial and critical success with WWII story The Imitation Game while Working Title similarly scored box office and Oscar recognition with WWII film Darkest Hour.

[grison-in-space]

Hey I just started following you but I read your post about possibly applying for grants and feeling very slow in academia right now & just wanted to say it made me feel very seen. I'm in my final year of my PhD and have a paper under review & am trying to get another paper out as soon as possible so I can apply for academic jobs & defend in the winter, but yeah. Feeling slow. Anyway I believe in you and am also channeling that into belief in myself.

hey, I've been rotating this ask in my head for... several weeks as I poke at this grant and keep struggling, but thank you. I do feel seen. I see you too. The pressure cooker is just absurd for all of us, you know?

[jessaerys]

i thought prisoners 2013 was pretty compelling and was willing to buy into a more interesting thesis than "it's ok to torture people if you're doing it to save your daughter" that some letterboxd reviews seemed to be mad at. imo that's a shallow reading of something that is more along the lines the slightly more complex "ooo everyone will do heinous shit to each other given the right circumstances" with a dash of the emasculation of suburban america white men and how that turns them into pressure cookers or whatever. super flawed with all the police-bypassing-procedure shit going on but whatever, that's normal procedural narratives for you. but after watching sicario 2015........... eh. denis villeneuve clearly likes his basic Complex Morality themes but it's kind of hard to take seriously when the whole thing is screaming "look at how cool and lawless this faction of the US military is. it's so badass to fight drug cartels" underneath the thin moralistic plot. at least hugh jackman made it seem kind of pathetic

[jessread-s]

Thanks to the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review

✩⚔️⚜️Review:

This book is a pressure cooker and I could not put it down! 

Following the events of the previous installment, “Carving Shadows into Gold” picks up with Tycho, Jax, and Callyn as they learn to wield the magic that is dividing their kingdom. 

All three characters undergo significant growth as they navigate life outside of Briarlock and the challenges that come with being cast apart. Tycho’s unresolved trauma begins to haunt him now that he is beholden to both the king and to the magical scraver that came to his aid, Jax faces prejudice as he works in a kingdom that was once enemy to his own, and Callyn has a hard time discerning who to trust at the royal court. 

I kid you not when I say that the tension in this book escalates to reach a fever pitch! With all three characters spread across both kingdoms, their points-of-view allow the reader to learn more about how the brewing war surrounding magic has affected not only the populace, but also the royal family. There is a lot in the way of political maneuvering as Callyn and Lia Mara work to prevent Syhl Shallow and Emberfall from being pitted against each other by the Truthbringers. Having to watch some of my favorite characters from the “Cursebreakers” trilogy—in addition to Tycho, Jax, and Callyn—suffer under the weight of the pressure hit me with a wave of emotion, because I’m so deeply invested in the lives of all of Kemmerer’s characters!  

While perhaps not the main focus of the book, the romance made my heart ache. The looming conflict definitely serves as a source of tension for both Tycho and Jax’s as well as Callyn and Alek’s respective relationships. Their love is continuously put to the test, yet it remains steadfast. The intense yearning will definitely make you swoon!

I anxiously await book 3 in hopes that it will put my heart at ease!

Cross-posted to: Instagram | Amazon | Goodreads | StoryGraph

[alarrytale]

With H disappearing for the last 2 years or so, I got to thinking how bad things got for him. He suffered so hard with the O stunt - I think he was ready to break at the end, he looked so broken and had what looked like permanent tears in his eyes. Then, the crappy reviews the movie got, and people making fun of his performance was really the nail in the coffin, because all that crap he had to do with O for a bad movie.

Then, winning a Grammy - which a lot of people think is rigged anyway and that Sony/Azzof*s bought it for him - first, his live performance went wrong (disc turning the wrong way), and then when he won he was booed by Beyon*e lovers and others. He was so overwhelmed during his acceptance speech and there were people yelling ‘get off the stage’ and when he stepped aside for kid to speak, he looked so sad and forlorn. I just watched the video again and it breaks my heart.

I know he was happy for his tour, but then again, by the end of it, he looked like a robot turning in a performance. He was so tired.

I don’t know if he’ll be back soon, and in what capacity. I really think he’s done with a lot of things ‘celebrity’ and it’s compounded exponentially with L’s passing. Ann* and Gemm* have been posting so much mental health stuff (way more than usual) and I can’t help think it’s due to H. We forget how sensitive he is and how it’s hard for him to hide it.

Sorry for how long this is. I just think about him and hope he’s ok. I miss him a ton, but I don’t think it’s healthy for him to be the biggest pop star I. The world. I think he’s taking a big break and will come back strictly on his own terms and it will be much smaller.

Hi, anon!

I think Harry had to learn the hard way that it doesn’t matter how generally loved you are as an artist and celebrity, when you're overexposed to the degree he was, people will turn on you. It's how it is. Even us fans got sick of seeing his face and didn’t appreciate him the way we all should. When that happens, it's time for a break. I also think Harry needed that break for his physical health. He's a workaholic and won't stop until someone tells him to stop or stops things for him.

I think Harry is one of the strongest people i know, but it must be hard and lonely being on top in an industry there you have to be performing at A+ level at all times. I have no doubt that losing Matt, Robin, Jay, Fizzy, Caroline and now Liam must have shaken him up. Being in the pressure cooker of an industry is hard. Not everyone comes out unscathed and unharmed. But if someone will, i think it's Harry. I think he's concious of the risks in the business he's in, and takes steps to take care of his mental health. I'm way less worried about him than i am of Louis, who i fear is much worse off mentally.

I don't think H's mum and sister posting about mental health has anything to do with H's mental state. They're both mental health advocates, especially G who's stuggled with mental health issues like depression and her adhd.

I think H will be back soon in the same capacity as we're used to. If it's true he's signed a new three year contract that means he's motivated to continue on as an artist. We'll have to see. The hype accounts are now saying new album in Q1/Q2. If that's true, he should pop up soon enough.