alexcat | Reading

Reading about this was such a shock! How horrific.

Rob Reiner and His Wife Michele Were Killed by Their Son (Exclusive Sources) (people.com)

spikedluv

I did two loads of laundry, hand-washed dishes, ran a load in the dishwasher, went for a walk with Pip and the dogs, cut up chicken for the dogs' meals, changed kitty litter (my funnest Sunday task), and ordered an Etsy GC. I did not have to make supper because it was leftovers from The Bear's.

I made myself cheesy scrambled eggs for breakfast. I think I’ve mentioned that I hate cooking breakfast for myself. I love breakfast foods, though. I think I’ve discovered the secret. Which is to wait a little while until I’m more awake. Like, don’t try to make breakfast as soon as I’m dressed, but wait until I’ve, say, checked my f-list. Once I’m awake, it feels like less of a chore. When I try to do it earlier, my body is like, you made us get up, and now you want us to cook breakfast, too? What kind of insanity is this?!! o_O

I finished reading Killing Floor and watched the Bills’ game. I enjoy a good come-from-behind win, but they need to stop doing this to me. Evening background tv was Secrets of the Zoo.

Temps started out at 18.7(F) and reached 25.0. We were only supposed to get ‘less than an inch’ overnight, but according to Pip it was more like 2-3 inches. It’s not a lot, but enough to make a mess of the driveway and the walking trails, so he was out snow blowing for a while.

Mom Update:

I talked to mom on the phone; she didn’t sound great. My brother had visited and she was watching a Hallmark Christmas movie, but she said her day had just been so-so. I expect she’s not looking forward to her first PT appointment tomorrow (Monday).

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cornerofmadness

I'm still rather tired out and lacking motivation but as I was wrapping gifts today I was half watching Hudson & Rex which is about all I ever do (Not a mystery show I'm very invested in but it has a cute dog (who is the least realistic police dog ever)) and this episode brings me back to a point I made a while back with prequels.

When you want to do a flashback (or prequel) you need to be sure of what you want to convey and how effective it'll be. In the above mentioned show it tried hard to add tension with Hudson and Rex's first case together with the well the dog's handler is dead so we're most likely going to euthanize the K9 (something the united States stopped doing in the Clinton era, not sure about Canada where this takes place) But here's the thing it's going back and forth between 3 years in the past and the present where Rex IS Hudson's partner so we know for a fact that Rex isn't euthanized.

So there is NO tension and that is something we have to worry about when we're doing a flashback. You can't build tension when the reader/viewer already knows the answer. We need to be given new information or else the flashback feels pointless or at least a partial waste of time. Learning how Hudson and Rex first met = good use of flashback, trying to make me worry that Rex will be put to sleep = waste of my time. I know he isn't. I'm not going to invest in something I already know (Prequels have even bigger issues with this).

For me, a flash back needs to advance the present plot or fill in backstory we need (or at least want to have). Hazbin Hotel did a pretty good job of this with both Alastor (though his backstory was in the old notes but you can't b e sure they'd be considered canon any more) and Vox's (making so many fan theorists happy) Both flashbacks showed us how they ended up where they were and how they are. Yes we know they both end up overlords in hell but seeing how it happened was character building.

So I guess what I'm saying is know what you wnat from a flashback and be careful as to how you attempt it.

OPEN CALL

Space and Time January 2026 Window Science fiction, fantasy, horror, steampunk, magical realism

23rd Annual Triangulation Anthology: Bad RomanceBad Romance

SNAFU: Level Up LitRPG: tales of champions and heroes, villains and monsters, all fighting to beat the other into paste

The Deadlands December 2025 Window. Speculative fiction that concerns itself with death–but also everything death may involve

5 Paying Literary Magazines to Submit to in December 2025

Lamp Lit: Now Seeking Submissions

42 Terrific International Literary Journals.

From Around the Web

The Psychology of Faustian Bargains

THE MORAL GHOST STORY: Reviving a Lost Christmas Tradition I keep saying I'm going to write these kind of stories but so far....

How to Edit (or Revise) a Novel Without Feeling Overwhelmed

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How to Write Horror - With Cynthia Pelayo

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Do You Suck at Celebrating Your Success? Here's How We Change That, and Why It Matters

Six Sneaky Fails That Can Sink A Manuscript

How to Write a Bestselling Thriller: 7 Expert Tips from Lisa Gardner

How to Apply (and Get In) to Writing Mentorship Programs.

The Art of Not Knowing What You’re Writing Yet.

From Betty

Creating Rites of Passage

The Seven Worldbuilding Sins of Storytellers

How to Pace Your Story

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Tech Tips - How to Organize Your Novel Drafts

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Coping Mechanism Thesaurus: Codependence (Caretaking Aspect)

Understanding the Editing Process: What Every Writer Should Know About Working With Editors

How Writers Can Set Achievable Goals for 2026: A Practical Guide to Planning, Deadlines, and Finishing Your Book Boy do I need this one.

ETA - Holy hell just as I posted I saw Rob & Michele Reiner were found dead today, a suspected homicide.

Current Mood: blah
Current Music: NCIS

phyncke

And I open my candles to find that some of them are warped. I will just have to roll with it and go with the curvy candles. It will be fine - lol. I got a good deal on the candles anyway - I always by them after Hanukkah on sale - this is what happens.

Night one menorah here

Current Mood: amused
Current Location: Home
Current Music: Laughing out loud

tielan

Work is gonna be slightly stressful the next three weeks. Apart from managing two systems until mid-January (and three for the 10 days after Christmas), they've instigated KPIs on basic tickets, and at least two of mine went overtime, in part because I was waiting for someone to get back to me. *grr*

I hate waiting for people to get back to me.

--

The shooting at Bondi Beach - a public Channukah event was targeted, one of the shooters was non-white, one of the members of the public who disarmed him (and was shot twice but survived) was middle eastern. Reports debate whether he was a Christian or a Muslim: the name suggests Muslim, his country background suggests Christian. Of course the cookers are already calling for a halt to immigration and trying to start up the culture wars again, the conservatives are yelling at our PM (centrist party), and the "anti-semitism adjudicator" has once again used this to basically declare that if you're not 100% for Israel in everything then you're antisemitic.

a few thoughts

It shouldn't need saying but we say it all the same.

Was the shooting at Bondi antisemitic? Absolutely.

Is disavowing Israel's actions in the West Bank and Gaza in the removal of/bombing of/cruelty towards Palestinian locals antisemitic? Not even close.

I'm hoping Ahmed el Ahmed is Muslim, at the very least for the optics. Nevertheless, whatever his background, he's definitely a hero to the majority of Australians, and I suspect the fruit shop he runs will be well-frequented in the coming months and he will never need to pay for a meal while out for the rest of the summer.

Whatever faith or origins are revealed of any of the players, this was an awful day for all Australians who aren't cookers (Americans would call them RWNJs). Fear breeds distrust, and events like this breed both copycats and retaliation, and tear at the fragile fabric of our communities and our societies.

And the gun control argument is going to be so fucking stupid, too. The 2A Seppos are all in our faces jeering about us having gun violence, too, and the old "good guy with a gun" shit is coming out of the woodwork - never mind how many people are pointing out that the guy who did successfully disarm one of the gunmen wasn't armed. And the cookers just want violence to justify their itty bitty penii and their terrible self-esteem (cause they can't get jobs when the coloureds take the opportunities)...

God have mercy on us. All of us.

--

A friend tested positive for COVID after we had dinner together (with some other friends) on Saturday night. She thinks she got it at her work Christmas Party on Thursday.

--

I'm standing for the presidency of my permaculture club again, with an eye to changing the way things are done - they're not working for us as a volunteer-based organisation anymore.

Of course, the COVID diagnosis means I'm not going to tonight's meeting with the election. I'll try to put together a short video talking about the forward vision for the club. IDEK.

senmut

... of the misc.exhausted.me, I am going to offer a GOOD vaccination tale. As I see so many posts saying "yes it sucks but do it anyway", I want to offer the counter of "sometimes it does go fine".

I did Shingles/Flu/Covid in the fall, before Halloween, I think. NB: I 'd had covid for the first time this past winter, and it may have mitigated the vax some, or my body is finally adapting to it. I have had flu-like symptoms each time except the very first two shots, but! This time. With the trio of shots given on Friday evening, I had about a four hour window the next day, 10-ish hours later, of mild aches and NOTHING else.

Fast forward to this week. Shingles #2, and like I said, I'd seen so many people saying if the first one doesn't knock you low, the second will, and many react to both. Folks, my arm is still sore like I got TDaP, but I have had no aches, no fever, no lethargy. Sometimes, your body looks at the roadmap it just got handed, says okay, and just adds the necessary warning signs.

If you are over 50 (in the USA), consider getting it. I've known people with Shingles. YOU DO NOT WANT IT. Get vaxxed. And remember, every immune system is different, so don't assume you will have a bad time.

smallhobbit

Take part in the weekly Garden Bird Watch

Apart from when we've been away for a significant part of the week, I have logged my bird watch every week. The last couple of months has been very disappointing, because there have been no birds in our garden. I even bought bird seed and a new bird feeder, but nothing showed any interest. There are birds around, but our small garden, in the middle of lots of other small gardens has been of no interest to them. In the summer I could at least expect to see a couple of birds of three different species, but now they're all in the trees and bushes closer to the stream and the canal.

And reading the contributions of those within the Bird Watch organisation, they clearly have bigger gardens, with lots more space to grow bird and other wildlife friendly plants, have ponds etc.

However, I shall continue to keep an eye out of the window, in case something drops by.

greghousesgf

I had so much fun at both the concert and the Dickens faire! I was right, it did cheer me up!!

Current Mood: chipper
Current Music: Stan Getz

spikedluv

I hit Price Chopper and the Bakery while I was downtown. I actually got breakfast at the Bakery this morning and picked up some GCs there, in addition to my weekly order of Boar’s Head deli meat.

I visited mom, did two loads of laundry, hand-washed dishes, went for a couple walks with Pip and the dogs, cut up chicken for the dogs' meals, and scooped kitty litter. I stopped at Stewart’s on the way home from mom’s (for gas and milk). I mailed a couple more cards at the Post Office and stopped at the library to pick up a book.

I picked up the poinsettia that I ordered from the school band to support Ireland (Sister A dropped it off at mom’s) and am on a new candle scent for the holiday, pine instead of cookies. *g*

I did not have to cook supper because tonight was the garage Christmas dinner at The Bear’s, which is an awesome restaurant. We’ve been going there for years. The meal is served family style, but starts with an appetizer course and a soup or salad course, and is followed by dessert. We get a platter of prime rib (with potatoes and baby carrots) and a platter of Chateaubriand. (I prefer the prime rib.) [And there are plenty of leftovers for people to take home, so I won't have to cook tomorrow, either!]

I started reading Killing Floor.

Temps started out at 23.0(F) (and went down to 21.7 before I left the house) and reached 36.1 (that I saw). It was pretty nice for the drive to the restaurant.

Mom Update:

Mom was doing okay when I visited. ( more back here )

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impala_chick

Two fics and two vids about the Ody3 ship Max/Tristan/Avery! I'm going to miss this show.

✰Winning Hand by roseblushvision

She had been keenly aware of how Tristan and Max barely touched each other that night, and when they did, they tried to play it off as accidental. There had been a curiosity there, but not one that either of them had felt free enough to satisfy. At that moment, Avery didn't think twice about it–she would never make them do anything they didn’t want to do–but the past few weeks have made her wonder if the only thing keeping them from crossing that line was their own unnecessary inhibitions.

Well, it’s not really wondering, actually. She’s quite convinced.

The job talk-turned flirting, and the way Avery leads the guys to a place where they can try something new with each other is so plausible, plus the make-out is hot. The Max/Tristan of it all!

✰Gonna Want to Get Involved by asexual-fandom-queen (writeordietrying)

They’ve been in this thing with Avery, for better or worse, for a few weeks, and while the matter of what that makes Max and Tristan to each other hasn’t come up, it’s been the unspoken elephant in the room.

Max and Tristan finally connect their side of the triangle. Avery has a front row seat to watch.

Tristan's confidence is so sexy in this, plus I love how the gentle intimacy and familiarity they've built with each other is showcased.

And two gorgeous fanvids ~ ( under the cut )

senmut

~ Simone Ashley in a suit - gif set
~ Cate Blanchett in a suit - photo
~ Halle Bailey looking like a real life barbie doll - photos

~ James Stewart and Hedy Lamarr in COME LIVE WITH ME (1941) - gif set
~ Narnia: The Magician's Nephew in production - wiki link
~ let's talk about Emperor Palpatine's last week leading up to the conclusion of Episode IV - text post

~ Modern day chatelaine with tutorial - pictures and text
~ Better late than never (Saiyuki [Manga]) - fic link
~ A doctor starts seeing patients as people and taking notes - text post, poignant

~ Hellboy cosplay - video
~ Art by Science - video

cornerofmadness

Stormaggedon was less than the snow that canceled class last week and no one made a stink about that one. I'm not complaining mind you. I have enough snow to look pretty without being obnoxious. No power loss and no one is complaining about that.

I finished the last of the grading and the gradebook is done. Me being questioned by the students is not. eye roll.

Most of the day was spent editing

fandomtrees which took longer than it should have but two of the stories are posted. I have more editing to do and then back to writing more.

I started wrapping gifts. Didn't get far. I am...not too happy with myself. I need in all seriousness to make that file I was talking about. On the other hand 2 people I have enough for their birthdays next year too. Now I have to decide how to distribute things.

Tomorrow is supposed to be brutally cold here. So far Rocket seems content to be inside.

Let's have a nice big science saturday

One Critical Factor Predicts Longevity Better Than Diet or Exercise, Study Says It's sleep

New discoveries at Hadrian's Wall are changing the picture of what life was like on the border of the Roman Empire

Laughing Gas Can Offer Immediate Relief From Depression, Study Finds It's a small student but interesting. This is the second psychoactive chemical they're finding works for depression.

Widespread cold virus you've never heard of may play key role in bladder cancer oncogenic viruses are fascinating and scary AF

A 180-Year Assumption About Light Was Just Proven Wrong

'They had not been seen ever before': Romans made liquid gypsum paste and smeared it over the dead before burial, leaving fingerprints behind, new research finds

Insomnia and anxiety come with a weaker immune system — a new study starts to unravel why

Einstein was right: Time ticks faster on Mars, posing new challenges for future missions

'It is the most exciting discovery in my 40-year career': Archaeologists uncover evidence that Neanderthals made fire 400,000 years ago in England

Current Mood: blah
Current Music: Jonas Hex

impala_chick

I made 20 sig tags for the

seasons_of_fandom Sigtag 20 in 20 challenge, originally posted here. Crossposting to my journal because I was pretty proud of this batch!

( 20 Sigtags under the cut! )

kanadka

rec_cember is run by goodbyebird

gave you everything, and it's a beautiful crime, by writerforlife
Fandom: Star Wars: The Clone Wars
Words: 17.4k
Rating: E
Pairing: Cody/Obi-Wan Kenobi

"It clicks in Cody’s mind: Halcard wants attention. He wants a passive audience, and Kenobi and the other diplomats won’t give it to him. He wants to feel more powerful than the systems he exists within. In his silence, Cody has become perfect for Halcard’s musings."

When a visiting diplomat takes an interest in Cody, Cody courts his attention to gain political advantage — even while Cody navigates growing romantic tension with Obi-Wan. As the diplomat's motivations grow sinister, Cody finds his life, selfhood, and connection with Obi-Wan in hanging in the balance.

I feel like it's a super common fandom experience when one character is played by an actor who is in a bunch of stuff, and then you just get inspired by sticking that character into the other universes or situations where that actor also is. I don't think this is that literally, but it did strike me as I read it that like, this feels a lot like Kenobi wearing Ewan McGregor's face during the Moulin Rouge Tango de Roxanne while Cody honeypots his way with a separatist governor because the quiet jealousy is glorious.

I would also genuinely recommend every codywan this author has written because it's all fabulous, it always centres Cody intensely and puts him in all these situations where people are being mean to him and he's having a massive sad with his understanding that Obi-Wan is Too Jedi to interfere with these mean situations and he's broiling in the understanding that he's just another clone to the Republic, and he's right because Obi-Wan is also just sitting there and broiling about it because he's Too Jedi to interfere, and they're both very intense about their duty and their relationship is always made out to be extremely taboo. I love it so much. And initially on my rec-cember list I had intended to rec a different fic, but when I checked back to their profile I came across this gem and it's been on my mind since I read it, so!

Canon knowledge required: Best to have seen Star Wars Prequel Trilogy in its entirety, very helpful to have seen some of Clone Wars (animated show, set between films 2 and 3) so you know who Cody is and why Kenobi might be a little uptight about him.

shipperslist

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phyncke

You guys — it's almost Hanukkah! It starts on Sunday. I will try and post my menorah pics this year. It is like my favorite time of the year — I love posting it. Hope you enjoy it.
Woo hoo!

spikedluv

This could’ve been a no-shopping day, but it didn’t turn out that way. I hit Walmart, Price Chopper and Agway while I was downtown. Walmart was to pick up some things for mom, both Price Chopper and Agway were quickies for GCs. I figured I’d check Price Chopper to see if they had gotten in more Texas Roadhouse GCs and it just so happened the woman was refilling all the GCs when I arrived! I asked her about Texas Roadhouse and she pulled them out of the bin for me, so that was nice.

I also got Alaska!niece’s box packed up and went to the post office to mail it! Then I stopped at mom’s to drop off the shopping and GCs I’d picked up for her, as I knew she was eager to get some into the mail.

Sister S was at mom’s and while I was there L called because Addilyn wanted to talk to her. (She tattled about seeing me at BK. *g*) They’re currently down at CHOP for Addi to have a bladder scan to make sure it continues to work well. Apparently lack of sensation in that area is common with the spinal injury where she has it from the spina bifida. All good thoughts welcome.

I did three loads of laundry, hand-washed dishes, emptied the dishwasher, went for a couple walks with Pip and the dogs, cut up chicken for the dogs' meals, hit the bank drive-thru, scooped kitty litter, and showered. I baked chicken breasts with a honey mustard sauce for supper.

I watched an HGTV program, wrote out a couple more cards, and wrote ~400 more words on my second

fandomtrees fic!!

Temps started out at 17.6(F) and reached 32.7. There was more wind, so once again the walking trails were drifted in a bit and it made for difficult walking.

Mom Update:

Mom was doing okay when I saw her. ( more back here )

senmut

AO3 Link | Dreams of Lost Chances (100 words) by Merfilly
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Essalieyan Universe -- Michelle West
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Gilliam of Elseth/Stephen of Elseth [Essalieyan Universe]
Characters: Gilliam of Elseth [Essalieyan Universe], Stephen of Elseth [Essalieyan Universe]
Additional Tags: Drabble, Present Tense, Implied/Referenced Canonical Character Death
Summary:

Gil, Stephen, a moment that can never be

Dreams of Lost Chances

"This is just a dream. You're not really here. You ... you left me."

"No."

"I lost you!"

"Even if I am only a dream, I am a part of you. Or ... do you still hold yourself back from all we could have been?"

The snarl is familiar, ripping out of Gil's throat moments before the Hunter is upon the Huntbrother. Lips, tongue, teeth move with fierce possession over skin, met with something not truly submissive but giving ground. What was denied by death finds voice and passion here, now, a stolen moment in effigy.

It is all Gil can have.

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alexcat

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Friends

and other stuff

Reading

Rob & Michele Reiner killed

The Day in Spikedluv (Sunday, Dec 14)

Trailer Park Trickster by David R. Slayton

Writerly Ways

First night of Hanukkah 2025!

and the hits just keep coming

in lieu...

25 Things in 2025 - Thing #21

(no subject)

The Day in Spikedluv (Saturday, Dec 13)

Lately on TV: The Umbrella Academy S4

Rec-cember #2: Doctor Odyssey

Various Links 12/7 - 12/13

Not As Expected

Sigtag 20 in 20

rec-cember 7 💖️❄️

brothers in arms (a 100 cql/mdzs ships fic)

Almost Hanukkah!

The Day in Spikedluv (Friday, Dec 12)

For my Wife

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July 2025

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