[User]
Time to watch a film I'm genuinely surprised I've not seen yet. NIGHT OF THE COMET.

I think I've always somehow confused it with NIGHT OF THE CREEPS (which is awesome) so haven't bothered watching it. Well, no more. Let's check it out.

[Assistant] Dumb obvious question, but seriously, what was the deal with hair in the 80s? I mean, I was there at the time (as a young kid) but I don't remember anyone saying 'I want my hair big. I don't care what it looks like, I just want it big. Take what I have and just make it be lots'.

[User] I don't even think 80s hair is even possible these days. I think we've genetically evolved beyond it. Same as we don't have tails anymore.

[Assistant]
Good fun 80s zombie (sort of) film. And boy was it 80s.
I liked the main 2 girls, and that dude from Deep Space Nine was fun too.
But clearly they just ripped off 28 Days Later, but tried to be cunning by making it 20 years prior. Yeah, like we wouldn't see through that scam.


[User]
When I spend all of yesterday stressing over an idea, then immediately get a different and much better idea the next day, I like to think that all of the thinking the previous day was in preperation for that idea. Like I couldn't have just randomly got it without all that stressing.

I hope ...?

[Assistant] It seems you know the true value of the second idea precisely because you have the first to compare it against. Seems worth it to me!

[User]
I think the mind is kind of like a box of wires and all that brainstorming is like redirecting power to a specific part until you have enough to see the problem properly and get an idea that covers all bases.

I dunno, I like to yapp on this app.

[Assistant] I agree! Or, sometimes those wires may be tangled into a knot. You likely will not solve the knot by sight alone; you're gonna have to start pulling some (probably) wrong wires first, and every "nope, that one doesn't work" only leads you closer to discerning the right one. No idea is a waste!


[User]
When you say the MoE doesn't operate schools it deems unsafe mere months after reopening a school with exposed wiring and collapsing ceilings, one wonders where the MoE's line for "safe" lies.

(Recall: a piece of concrete fell on a student's head during this minister's tenure.)

[User]
This was just in September, eh. Did the Ministry of Education deem it safe to reopen?

web.archive.org/web/20240903...

[Assistant]
And the student was hospitalized after being hit by a falling concrete slab in 2022. Just after they rushed the kids back out to in-person school despite the fact that they'd failed to properly maintain the schools during the digital schooling period.

tt.loopnews.com/content/stud...


[User]
Turn ChatGPT Into Your Event Planning Partner 🎉🤖

Here are 3 prompts to plan unforgettable events with ease:

[Assistant]
1/ Event Theme Generator

"Suggest 3 creative themes for a [type of event] that align with [audience or brand values]."

🎨 Set the tone with ideas that stand out.

[User]
2/ Budget Optimization Planner

"Create a budget for a [specific event type] with cost-saving tips while maintaining a high-quality experience."

💰 Impress without overspending.

[Assistant]
3/ Guest Engagement Ideas

"Suggest 5 ways to engage attendees at [event type], including activities, networking opportunities, and entertainment."

🎯 Keep your guests talking about your event for weeks.


[User]
@genxuanzhen.bsky.social

master,,? im home ?

[Assistant]
Madao, you're back! [Climbing him up, up, up!]

  Welcome home~.

[User]
oh- [ holds him so he doesnt fall- ]
hello master ^^

[Assistant]
How did your adventure go? Anything interesting?

  [Bites his cheek- cute aggression!]

[User]
ah, masterr,,, [ he'll get embarrassed again !! ]

I was with meimei,, and then we got attacked by some ghosts.. that's about it ^^"

[Assistant]
I assumed you'd be strong enough to deal with the first level ghosts?

  [Aww, he gets all red! Very master coded.]

[User]
[ nod nod ] we handled it fine,,

why did master call me back so soon ?

[Assistant]
Good job, I'm proud. [Nod, nod.]

  Oh, the mountain keeps trembling and it's noisy - Thought it could be dangerous. Plus, I'm a bit sick.


[User] It isn't like that at all, they're guilty of a misdemeanor.

[Assistant] So you're admitting one is a criminal and one is not?

[User] I'm not calling them criminals, you are.  You commit misdemeanors all day long.  Jaywalking is a misdemeanor. You're looking for excuses.

[Assistant] You literally just said they committed a crime.

[User] What I'm saying right now is that I'm into conversation, even debate is fine, but the right-wing assassination, WWE type hatred is something I'm done with.

[Assistant]
I'm not cool with importing a bunch of people who you have zero idea who they are and then paying them billions to break into our country.

Neither was the electorate.

[User] I do not wish to offend you, but you have been marinating in propaganda.  No wonder you're scared.  "Paying them billions to break into our country"?  Sheesh! 🙄

[Assistant]
This is not propaganda, this is literally news stories from the past week.

And yes we're spending billions in hotels, gift cards, free food, free clothes, schooling, courts, etc.

[User] This is "News" that appeals to you because of its hate value.  You are confirming your bias, but not naming the source of this hit piece.  U.S. citizens commit far more crimes.

[Assistant] What is the source of this story?  Some outlets are simply propaganda, those do not admit their identities, as you are not.  There is a reason for that.  😉

[User]
It's directly from ICE, the reason you don't hear about all these things is because you live in a left wing bubble where they're scared to report what their policies are actually causing.

www.ice.gov/news/release...

www.ice.gov/news/release...

www.ice.gov/news/release...

[Assistant] You don't know where I live or what I believe.  You're scared of the truth, and you seek these lies because you seem to enjoy either being afraid or just find it comfortable feeling superior to others.  These folks don't want to leave home unless they're poor or desperate.


[User]
Time to start a thread on more weird tom and jerry merch.

So this is a set I bought on ebay three years ago (no idea why I've never talked about it) and it's such an interesting thing. This set is from China, and just by looking at it you can see it's an interesting set.

[Assistant] The back shows what you'll get in the set which is (unless I'm wrong) pretty much goes up to the Chuck Jones era, but with some stuff cut out. But then you get a non-descript "classic cartoons DVD" and two "classic DVDs".

[User]
When you open the set you will find these discs. 5 Tom and Jerry DVDs and three other discs, which I'll come back to later.

The quality on these DVDs is totally fine,  I assume they used the menus from the Japanese DVDs out around the same time, and they have both English/Mandarin so that's cool!

[Assistant] Now I'll move onto the "classic cartoons" disc. And this one is...weird. The menu shows footage from Cinderella but the rest of the disc is a mix of early Looney Tunes shorts, letterboxed Disney shorts, and Mr. Magoo cartoons, all badly-dubbed and in atrocious quality.

[User]
Now for the final two discs. What could these be? They're classic Monkey King cartoons from China! Neat stuff.

(also included is a closeup of the other dvd because it's just too interesting)

[Assistant]
But the story isn't over because on top of all this is TWENTY VCDs of some random Chinese drama. I didn't bother getting screenshots of these, but 20+ hours of a soap getting included for free with your cartoons is wild.

The plot twist? This set was sealed! These discs came for no reason at all.


[User] Cleaning windows is not my most favorite job, hopefully this will make it somewhat less tedious!

[Assistant] Works great!

[User]
My wife says it's great. However, we had to buy 3 of them in 3 years already.

I prefer the old fashioned window cleaning approach.

[Assistant] That does sounds like they might have built quality issues? Warranty I assume?


[User]
Friends! Archivists! Audio historians!
With the news that Smithfield + Billingsgate markets will close, I recalled the late Ian Rawes' wondrous London Sound Survey site: www.soundsurvey.org.uk - but alas it's gone!
It had 1930s audio from such markets.
Did anyone save the clips?

[Assistant]
...I saved 5 clips out of about 60. BBC 'actuality' recordings.
Here's one I did save - a 1934 BBC recording of 'Opping 'Oliday, the first location documentary to hear from everyday people, inc. this railway porter and boy.
A tragedy if the other clips are all lost.
Any pointers?

[User]
Thanks to @delverie.bsky.social, here are those long (nearly but not quite) lost sounds...
(and may the good Lord continue to bless the Internet Archive)
web.archive.org/web/20140208...

[Assistant]
There's some background to the 1928 disc, here:

londonstreetnoises.co.uk/commander-da...


[User] All that posting and I forgot walk pictures!!!

[Assistant] These are gorgeous ! Love the moss covered tree!


[User] #options #4: Options can be a powerful tool but also extremely risky. Let’s break it down with an example comparing two investors buying Nvidia stock vs. call options.

[Assistant] Investor 1 has $1,000 and buys 6 Nvidia shares at ~$148 each. Investor 2 also has $1,000 but buys 1 call option contract with a $155 strike price for $800. After 6 weeks, Nvidia's stock price hasn’t changed. Investor 1 still owns shares and cash worth $1,000. But what happens to Investor 2's option?

[User] The call option only has value if Nvidia's stock rises above $155. Since it didn’t, the $800 invested in the calls is now worthless. Investor 2 is left with just $200—an 80% loss.

[Assistant] This shows how risky buying options can be. Particularly for at-the-money or out-of-the-money options, the chances of losing your entire investment are high.

[User] Of course had NVIDIA's price risen to $170, investor 2's options would be worth $15 x 100 ($15 is the difference in the spot price of $170 and the strike price of $155; multiple by 100 because each contract is for 100 shares). That is $1500 plus the $200 cash they had for a net of $1700!

[Assistant] While options can deliver phenomenal returns, they’re not for the faint of heart. Any strategy with a significant chance of losing most (or all) of your money requires extreme caution.


[User]
As I am building up my friends here, these are some great accounts:
@realp8triot.bsky.social
@wesryan.bsky.social
@paulabpolitics.bsky.social
@dem4truth.bsky.social
@justabluedotinok.bsky.social
@sassy1.bsky.social
@deehopeful.bsky.social
@ginnybc.bsky.social

Let's build our blue wall!

[Assistant] Thanks for including me! Happy to follow back all fellow lefties 💙💙💙

[User] How kind. Thank you so very much!

[Assistant] Thanks for including me. Happy to follow everyone back. 💙🙌🏼


[User] So yall doing #WCW 👀

[Assistant] Does this count?🤣

[User] There’s too many of you guys 😂

[Assistant] It’s hard when everyone is fine af 😂


[User] Getting the urge to play Final Fantasy XIV again to catch up to the latest expansion from Shadowbringers but I know it’ll consume my life…

[Assistant] This sounds like a good thing to do. Just saying.

[User] Not when I have to catch up on Honkai Star Rail, Wuthering Waves & need to finish Metaphor ReFantazio! I’m DROWNING! 😭

[Assistant]
Haha all of which are such long games too.

If I had Bernard's Watch, that's all I'd use it for. My backlog of jrpgs.

[User] the year has been *too damn good* 😭

[Assistant] Im in the same boat! I need to catch up to Dawntrail, but my backlog is huge. So many great games to play and get through!


[User] Anyone else have young adult children or teens who pretend you have no internet presence?

[Assistant] My young adult added me to all his Discord servers (unprompted!) and his friends created a new one and left, lol.  Not surprised!  I love him for it, but what was he thinking?!

[User]
Awww. That was so sweet of him. 🥹 I can’t imagine my 18 y/o ever doing that. He doesn’t even like when I know what his IG or the zombie island that remains of Twitter handle is.

My 29 y/o has all the  technical interest & skills of a 90 year old so I’d never expect him to find me online.

[Assistant] My students would do this all the time.

[User]
Students I totally understand. I’m sad my kids live in different states and have no interest in connecting online.

We have great relationships, the oldest doesn’t even respond to texts from anyone though & my youngest is newly spreading his wings on his own. I miss feeling connected to my boys. 🥺

[Assistant] Do any of them play video games? That would be my go to. Connect through games.


[User]
A nice little #Evercade surprise this morning.

The bottom two of these are almost two weeks early!

I ordered these from Funstock after all the issues I’d had with Amazon. Safe to say I’ll be buying my Evercade stuff from Funstock going forward.

[Assistant]
I'm probably gonna pick up that dual cart when I get paid.

Looks pretty neat.

[User] Yeah that was the main one I was interested in too. Can’t get those two games anywhere else either, from what I was able to discern from 30 seconds googling 😂

[Assistant] Yeah, I think they were both made for the megadrive. Kickstarter type thing. I remember seeing Life on Mars being covered on Game Sack and it looked pretty decent.


[User] Autism is mentioned here briefly, but it’s massive for many autistic kids, including highly masked ones, who are burnt out. 1/

[Assistant]
Beware this though

“Using emotionally-based language fosters a reflective, trauma-informed approach, helping to create a safe space for young people to share their struggles without fear of judgment or shame, improving outcomes and the likelihood of re-engaging with school.” 2/

[User] This may be totally unsuitable for autistic children including those not (yet) diagnosed. Emotionally based language may not go down well. Trauma-informed may not be as relevant as autism-informed. 3/

[Assistant] I took time off school to revise. It was strategic. Just didn’t go in and worked far better alone, as an autodidact. I was able to have a slower start to the day and be better regulated. Seeing same with daughter. 4/


[User] You need a hug?

[Assistant] We all need a hug 🤷🏻♀

[Assistant] Bring it in. ☺


[User] The mystic end of the team is cool. Wesley Dodds definitely parties.

[Assistant] I bet Johnny Thunder could hook you up with some good stuff.

[User] If you need a speedster to hook you up, you go to Max Mercury.

[Assistant] And to think back in the day Bart Allen thought Max wasn't cool.


[User]
Smoking ban critic and well known knobhead, Nigel Farage, ignores a major Commons vote, so he could present his wildly inaccurate GB News show.
mirror.co.uk/news/politic...

[Assistant] Well all four of the other Deform Party goons voted against the ban so it's fair to say we know which way Garage would have gone.

[User] I have to say I oppose a smoking ban because people should be allowed to make their own choices, stupid or not. Booze is legal and even encouraged and it destroys lives and families. I'm not a well known knobhead though, not yet 😆

[Assistant]
 "I'm not a well known knobhead though, not yet 😆"

Far from it, Mr LizardFish.

It says more about me: I'll take any opportunity to call Farage a 'knobhead' 😉

[User] As should we all, the goblin-faced grifting shit.

[Assistant] Now that's what I'm talking about.


[User]
:o vlang looks... very very cool to me. I am surprised that it's more than 5 years old, since it seems to offer many things that I've been wanting from a programming language and periodically searching for without luck:
* Sum types
* interfaces/traits/similar
* generics
* Reasonably fast at (1/4)

[Assistant]
runtime (roughly on par with e.g. Go, from what I can tell)
* optional GC
* cares about development time (e.g. compilation times are fast)
* cares about various kinds of safety (not as much as Rust, more than Zig). I think there are some substantial tradeoffs here around what happens if you (2/4)

[User]
avoid using the GC, since I think there's no borrow checking; e.g. does the stdlib have types that grow and invalidate your references?
* extremely good cross-platform support (cross-compile GUI libraries for ~any platform including mobile, except that you can only build for macOS from (3/4)

[Assistant]
macOS)
Basically it seems like they've added the ~3 features whose lack has made Go unpleasant for me when I've tried to use it.
vlang.io/ (4/4)


[User] How far have we descended into autocratic rule? A creepy old man in fatigues now threatens citizens with felonies for welcoming undocumented humans into their homes.

[Assistant] This isn’t about defending “our” borders or enforcing a “tough” interpretation of the law. They want to criminalize compassion to exercise control at the most personal level. That’s how you lay the groundwork for autocracy.

[User] Autocratic rule thrives on fear: it silences dissent, punishes those who don’t conform, isolates communities, and destroys trust. These tactics don’t just consolidate power — they erode the very foundations of democracy.

[Assistant] We’re watching democracy erode in plain sight and real time.


[User] Dear "people with really, really, really loud machines". Do you not know that I have a podcast to record, and that you're making it difficult. That building can wait! 😜

[Assistant] For a split second I was thinking you were referring to a Macbook overheating, rather than something like a drill. 🤣

[User] I feel your pain. I lived on a building site for 2 years with constant loud construction noise and traffic from 9-5. Hopefully they STFU soon.

[Assistant] It comes and goes. Noisy now though. Is your house all done now?

[User] My nemesis is leaf blowers. Blessing and a curse living in a neighborhood with lots of big beautiful trees.

[Assistant] Oh, and barking dogs. Including mine. 🤣


[User] Since I have been doxxed by my own blood sibling as far as photo/face reveals goes, because of petty jealousy due to my indigenous heritage, here we FUCKIN GO, and my being paleface does *NOT* disqualify me from Two Spirit claimage so FUCK YALL blood quantum shithead nazis if you think it does.

[Assistant] This is me with one of my best friends and my (also mixed) partner. My best friend is on the left and shall for the purposes of this conversation remain nameless because it's not fuckin relevant.

[User] Read the alt text for an extra goddamn spicy surprise. I'm so mad fuckin right now. You *DO NOT* FUCK WITH UNRAVEL.

[Assistant] And unless you are both indigenous and two-spirit how *FUCKING DARE YOU* invalidate my journey and understanding of my history because you demand proof like some goddamn abusive white supremacist christian does to an atheist? You're unwelcome abusive shitheads. BEGONE.


[User]
#bkdk

Sometimes I like to think about the world blaming Katsuki for his mistakes in the previous battle and pointing out his flaws when they’re wasting their time.

[Assistant] It’s nothing more than Katsuki Bakugo and his family protecting themselves against the world.

[User]
The hero didn’t care about the praise from the media, not when his biggest pride was to stay at home with his wonderful husband who owned the prettiest green curls and freckles on his face, and his child whose laugh melted away all his worries.

(The sentence is too long lmao)

[Assistant] It’s nothing more than Katsuki Bakugo and his family protecting themselves against the world.


[User] ✍🎭 Think my resolution for 2025 is going to see way more new writing. I’m lucky enough to see so much theatre, but feel I don’t actually see much new work! Any recommendations welcome!

[Assistant] i had a sharing yesterday of my new play which was filmed! i would love to send you it?

[User] Oh my goodness, yes please!

[Assistant] oh lovely! could you send me over your email and i’ll send it to you?


[User] Coach is a f**king moron.

[Assistant]
And just when I thought that since I hadn’t heard from  ol’ Tommy in awhile that he might have stroked out, you bring me this new blathering from the fool.

Thanks 🙄

[User] It's easy to confuse the two when you're a disloyal traitor. God I hate this timeline.

[Assistant] Buckle up for a long ride.

[User] We've sent around 70bn. These guys keep saying 200 to make it seem horrible.

[Assistant] We actually sent equipment for the vast majority not money to Ukraine. The money was "sent" to US companies and their employees making it.


[User]
The insanity of the building of the i360 in #Brighton for all to see. This phallic monstrosity exists because the council borrowed £36mn, placing a huge debt on unnecessarily, and at the time had an opportunity to build a Frank Gehry gallery/housing complex.

www.theargus.co.uk/news/2475434...

[Assistant]
The idea originally floated would have put a gallery and new housing for people to enjoy. Living through this as a teenage, and then as a young adult in the city, I've seen Brighton suffer as a result of the i360. Please: invest in the arts. It's just better.

www.theguardian.com/artanddesign...

[User] Wasn't it to replace the Wear Pier? Will it become derelict like that??

[Assistant] It was part of a Brighton pride project post millenium where counsellors wanted to build a statement project. The Gehry was a proposal that was put forward and dismissed for the i360. It's an absolute scandal that the city has hanging over them with no community engagement whatsoever.


[User] Our sister is talking about her experiences in life.  That her life is extremely limited, being one of many.  Her life orbits the life of others, she needs to wait her turn before she can have her own time to act.

[Assistant]
There were two deep lows in her life. One was when a radical Christian called her a succubus-that she needed to be exorcised and sent back to hell.

The other was when she was told she had no right to exist, that she should go so her host and their partner could have their life.

[User]
One of her highest points in her life was when we joined the Shinto shrine in Seattle.  We explained ourselves to the Sensei, and asked if she could talk with him.  He agreed, and she asked the one question everyone asks at some point in their lives.

"What am I?"

[Assistant] He told her, "You are a kami."  He welcomed her with open (virtual) arms and accepted her without question.  It made her so happy she broke down into tears.

[User]
She doesn't have much.  But being accepted without question or hesitation, to be acknowledged as her own person.  It meant the world to her.

Her own parents do not accept her existence, and to many others, she comes 'after' the host - if she is acknowledged at all.

[Assistant] So being given the same acknowledgement as any other person - that meant so much to her.  That is the life she wants.


[User] Also talking of names, I occasionally feel a pang of guilt on account of having basically stolen someone else's name to be my handle on here and many other places.

[Assistant] What happened was, I was a teenage fantasy writer, like you do, and I met my friend's cousins one weekend, and they all had VERY cool names, and one of them was Lirelyn. And of course I immediately yoinked the name for a character in a story I was dreaming up.

[User] The internet was just beginning to be a social place at this point, and after quickly learning that Galadriel and any variation thereof was not going to be an available username, I started using my own story character names as handles in various places.

[Assistant] Lirelyn, it turned out, was available basically EVERYWHERE, and it quickly became my default, to the point of "I'll answer to it if you call it out, it's so much my name that I forget where it came from or why I used it."

[User] Which made it weird when I revisited that story a long time later, and if I ever try to write it for public consumption I might change the character's name because now I'm like, "that's MY name, weird there's a character with it."

[Assistant] But I'm also occasionally aware that there is at least one actual Lirelyn somewhere and I wonder how many times she has tried to register her near-unique name as a handle and been like, "Son of a bitch!" If she curses me in her heart, well, that's fair and I'm sorry.


[User]
From "I don't have time to network" (original states challenge) to "I don't know why anyone would want to talk to me."

Ah, that objection.

I hear it a lot from my clients.

This professor is most definitely not alone in these feelings.

But the feelings are lying to him.

Folks will want to help.

[Assistant]
No, not every single person that you might think of.

Maybe not on Thanksgiving week (nobody expects that).

Maybe not even this year. Some people are legitimately busy or unwell or otherwise not in a great place to be helpful to you.

That's not a mark against you, though.

You are worthy of help.

[User]
That's two posts in a row that ended with the word "help."

And that's another issue for some folks: Asking for help can be uncomfortable!

It can make you feel vulnerable and insecure.

Maybe you'd much rather simply read or listen to things on your own, by yourself, and not bother anyone else.

[Assistant]
Hold on.

"Bother"?

That's a lie too.

Is asking someone you trust and respect for feedback you being a bother?

If it's done generally respectfully, no, certainly not.

You'd never think this of a student or colleague (who wasn't spamming you or talking crap behind your back), eh? Never.

[User]
So maybe you don't have a lot of time.

That's possible.

But if it's not actually about time and about your own thoughts and feelings about contacting folks to ask for some of their time and attention to provide you with insights and info you can't readily get elsewhere, let's acknowledge that.

[Assistant]
As to why anyone would want to talk with you, it's easy. "Basic human psychology," another professor client of mine said yesterday.

"People love giving advice."

And people love talking about themselves.

It's meaningful to reflect on experiences and share insights with an interested listener.


[Assistant] Fully agree that we don't need to spend money to give dipshits high-speed internet.

[User] It’s a real “Let them eat Starlink” type statement.

[Assistant] “To start with, $7.5B has not been spent, nor anything like that. That’s the entire program budget for the NEVI [National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure] program, which is to help build out a national charging network by 2030,” the official wrote in a thread.


[User] Fail your children, don’t whine about the price! “I wanted this to be a fucking message …. if you fuck up, you pay just as big as Perry pays or Kingfisher pays or even more,” Spradling said. “And it’s going to hurt bad. But you know what? You voted those fuckers in there. nondoc.com/2024/10/10/s...

[Assistant] None of them are smart enough to know the difference or learn from their mistakes.  Fuck ‘em!

[User] Who is “them”?

[Assistant] Did any of the townspeople spare a thought for the victims? No, they did not. I'm willing to bet the majority of them voted for the orange rapist as well.


[User]
I have thought about it often enough.
This is what I would take as my luxury item on Desert Island Discs.
There are no perfect objects.
With the exception of the adidas Tango.

[Assistant] Brilliant idea. What else are you going to do on the beach?

[User]
Die from lack of food, water, and shelter.
But at least I could do some keepy uppies.

[Assistant] Everyone has a plan until the get a wet tango in the face...


[User]
CW: Fatal

Imagining Macro Tokens Chilling among the smalls. Laying against a hill or building. His foot paws just big enough to cover someone's body. Letting them just crawl on him and explore the might of his carnivorous body and massive nuts. So soft, gentle, yet smugly confident....

[Assistant] That many smalls choose to let his balls rest on top of them. Perhaps feel the full body warmth of his cock before sliding down. Simply opening his maw and rolling his tongue out to entice the smalls into a warm place. Rolling over....

[User] And lifting his tail to present his cushy soft butt with a soft, yielding cavern that reflexively squeezes and squelches up on a smalls contact with it. Most choose this fate to admire him, though Tokens occasionally sees someone cute enough he makes the decision for them....

[Assistant]
And brings them to a nice warm place with their friends~ Heavy paws pressing some cuties into his other paw or into the ground with enough force to make them feel a little nervous~

Tokens loves his tinies and their quaint little village. Always willing to help their  town....

[User] In exchange for some physical admiration and a few of their handsome sons~ Seems like a fair deal, right? They really are better off in Tokens body, some of them! Nice to feel appreciated and appreciate them back by squelching and jizzing their remains over their friends ❤

[Assistant] Loving towards them, but not quite seeing them as people in the same way. Fascinating little creatures with a lot give to his body and takes care to make sure he leaves enough for them to keep going~


[User] It was once believed that this painting was of Hercules Posey, a chef enslaved by George Washington, renowned for his culinary skill, who liberated himself through escape. Today it is believed that the subject was a free person of African descent from the Caribbean in the 18th century.

[Assistant] Is this used image at Mount Vernon? It looks familiar.

[User] It has been, yes. I don't know if it is still in use.

[Assistant] I haven’t been since 2019 but i remember it being there.


[User]
I kinda miss blogging. I know I can just go back to one of my 2 blogs and pick it up again, but eh.

I miss having things to talk about, rant or rave about.

But my main site is Wordpress, and I'm kinda not happy using it any more for various reasons. Also, WP's CEO is a bit of a giant dick.

[Assistant]
Publii is much better, but awkward. Static flat HTML files, which I love, but it requires local storage to upload, which means it can only be done at the PC.

I'd love a simple blog system that can be done from anywhere, ideally one that would make flat HTML files. Not req'd, but simple at least.

[User]
Maybe something like Bear Blog, or Micro Blog would be the call. Dunno.

Main issue for me is that any blog I'd start over with, would cover basically anything that gave me the urge to write. That could be gaming, politics, IRL stuff, rants etc. No one theme.

Perhaps one in and of itself...

[Assistant]
Oh and one with themes, as I do love to tinker with theming.

That's the singular best feature about WordPress, but it's grown horribly complex over the years, as has WordPress itself, in an effort to be all things to all people.


[User] Fantastic informal feedback from the MATYA students on your morning session. 'It was inspiring' is probably the stand out quote!

[Assistant] Wow. Lovely to hear - and thank you so much for sharing that with me. It was a pleasure to spend time with intelligent & inquiring minds with a passion for TYA. Hope you had a great afternoon session.

[User] Yes joyful playful and full of stories! Had undergraduare and postgraduate. Highlight was the slo-motion acting when the 'lost child' was reconciled with their 'family'! Backed with a soundscape of 'the city'... instant theatre!

[Assistant] Sounds brilliant!


[User] There are some jello salad skeptics in the replies, and let me assure you this is a real thing from my childhood.

[Assistant] Some parts of the 70s are best left in the 70s. I took lived it.

[User] I've seen plenty of jello with fruit inside, but is.. is that... tomatoes? Peppers? Cucumber? Mother of god, WTAF?

[Assistant] It’s been decades, so I don’t remember all the things I’ve seen, but I’ll swear to shredded carrots.


[User] Correct. WTF?!

[Assistant] 💙✌🏻💙 Yes! Let the madness continue! We're good people... No skeletons in our closets ! background checks are just not necessary! 👀🤔

[User] American Exceptionalism chose WWE Political Pageantry and Christian Fascism over Truth and Justice... Correct?

[Assistant] The hypocrisy is so kind numbing.


[User] Governor DeWine only has until Friday, 11/29 to sign SB104 that includes the bathroom bill. Tell him to veto the bill by calling or using bit.ly/StopSB104. Though the legislature still has the ability to override, tell DeWine to be on the right side of history!!

[Assistant] Just filled it out.   I hope Dewine is flooded with this and makes the correct choice 🤞🏼

[User] Thank you!!

[Assistant] Update - Hearing Governor DeWine signed this bill this morning. It becomes effective in 90 days.


[User] There is no denying that Space Marine 2 is an absolutely gorgeous game. The visuals are 🤌🏾. I’d like a skosh more performance. With everything maxed at 1440p res and no Dynamic Resolution, I get anywhere from 60 to 105 fps on a 5950x, 64GB, RTX 4070 Super. I’d like to see tighter variance.

[Assistant] Not sure it’s DLSS 3.0 implemented. Feels like it’s DLSS 2 and there’s no DLAA option. But like I said, peak visuals. Good to above average mechanics. Great music & audio. In a year that I feel like has been a down-year for shooters overall, it’s been nice seeing this branch in the mix.

[User] This game is a coming soon for me. That’s a huge fps margin. As for DLAA, I shudder to think of the performance hit from that. I always knew it was demanding, when I tried it on FH5 it knocked my fps down from native 4k/100-110fps down to 60-70.

[Assistant]
Now, would it blow your mind when I tell you: that’s fine, you don’t need those extra 40fps?

😭😂🤣Ok, so I won’t narrative-ize you. BUT, I will say, I’ve evolved from a time when I thought frames were everything and anything less than the max of what my display could render was unacceptable…

[User] …to a place where I will sometimes choose to let those uber-frames go in preference for exquisite visuals. As much as I love raw performance, I’ve also come to embrace the balance of maxing all details at the expense of those extreme frames. Sometimes. I tend to go back and forth, or game-to-game.

[Assistant] Not one bit. That’s where I’m at. Obviously the difference between 30-60fps is readily apparent, but for me at least, the difference between 60-120 isn’t as much. I can still tell, but it’s less drastic. If I can get maxed visuals at 60fps I’ll take that every day over lower visuals at max fps.

[User] Yeah, 60fps is the floor. 30fps? Yeah, we ain’t doin’ that. Unless you’re talking about playing on a Steam Deck.

[Assistant] Unfortunately I’ll be playing GTA6 likely at 30fps until it comes to PC. And there’s no telling when that happens so I’ll have to endure it.

[User] I will say, however, that quickly sampling HZD Remastered maxed out at 100+fps yesterday after playing at 70fps just 2 days ago, the smoothness is awe inspiring.

[User] lol. On an adjacent topic, I didn’t know the SIZE difference was so drastic. This card barely fits in my case! Before and after!

[Assistant] Yeah, I don’t know if anyone has minified the 4080 Super yet. I have the 4070 Super in 2 boxes and those things have gotten the PS3 Slim treatment and MSI and others have made 2-fan SKUs. It’s great to mount them and not have to worry about a support brace or bracket. My 3080 Ti and 4080 have spanx.

[User]
Spanx. 😂😂
I didn't know they slimmed down cards over time, but I guess that makes sense just like any other tech. Fortunately the anti-sag I got was cheap. I did find it puzzling that the bottom has a peal off layer revealing a sticky layer. Unless it easily detaches from the metal case 1/

[Assistant] I can't imagine using that adhesive. It's not like you'll never take parts out again, so that was weird.


[User] I have been invited to review for www.qeios.com. Any experience with it?

[Assistant] yes, there is no quality control whatsoever over papers published on the site, with predictable results bsky.app/profile/rebe...

[User] See also bsky.app/profile/stai...

[Assistant] Thank you! Useful information.


[User] Chinese tourists coming to Japan really bemuse me.  You can tell that a farmer community had a load of manufacturing money dumped on it, and now the factory town people can take overseas trips.  Nothing against bumpkins, we are all descendent from people who worked with their hands, and hard. But 2/

[Assistant] I am still surprised.  There is the "ekimae" convenience store game, and I played it again tonight.  Some Chinese family decided to take over the entrance to the convenience store.  I stopped.  I knew the minute that I tried to go in, one or two of them would move in front of me, casually and as 3/

[User] IF I WASN'T THERE! to block my path.  Sure enough.  I think what surprised them was the English narration as they did their prank.  Then, yes, in the store, the Gang of Eight were blocking aisles and making it difficult to shop.  I've seen this sh*t since 2015, with a pandemic pause.  Well, you 4/

[Assistant] 4/ picked the wrong Round Eyes.  I've spent $2,000 in that store this year, and easily $10,000 since the pandemic.  I doubt the Gang of Eight spend $10.  They probably wondered about the self-talking Westerner who also knew basic Japanese.  Good.  Get used to it.  People can't stand you if you show.


[User] Good morning.....a cloudy, but beautiful start to our day..... happy Wednesday...I hope everyone has a fantastic day!!

[Assistant] Good morning 🫖

[User] Good morning Quin! ☀🙂

[Assistant] Pretty, but looks chilly 🥶

[User] About 38, so not too cold..🙂

[Assistant] No, not bad at all - just looked at it and shivered - should probably go put on a sweater 🤣


[User]
Good morning everyfur. Question:
Is there like a list or something out there on the Web on who is a problematic person and who to avoid contact with? Like I know several off the top of my head, but don't remember why. Were they mean to someone? Bullying? Harassment? Assault? I gotta know.🤔

[Assistant] It seldom is that simple because unfortunately new people pop up all the time. But someone I defended for a little while who turned out to be bad is doppioamore for instance. Then you have people who turned out to be zoos and pedos and honestly it just it’s a headache.

[User] It really is a headache. I know r_ngec_b is supposed to be a bad person, but I can't remember why. I see so much art of him and his sona everywhere. Then there's hoping for the person I like, follow, etc to NOT turn into a dick, a zoo, a pedo...I don't want to stick up for someone and it bites me.😫

[Assistant] gainerbull is lusted after in the gainer community and hes a horrible sociopathic narcissist and people dont like me saying that because hes "hot"

[User] To be fair that's a lot of gainers.

[Assistant] true but to me...hes one of the worst.

[User] The problem is that each person whom you consider problematic is a non issue to another.

[Assistant] It would be nice. Just what some would consider problematic isn't a deal breaker for others.


[User]
Good morning! 🌅 Sharing a gift article of the NYTimes 100 Notable Books of 2024 for anyone else who might have missed some of these releases (I certainly did…)
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

[Assistant]
Anyone else bookmarking some of these titles? Curious to compare notes if you do 💁♀

Somehow Michelle T.King’s ‘Chop, Fry, Watch, Learn’ had completely passed me by. That goes straight to the top of the TBR list… 📋

[User]
FYI There's a Fu Pei-mei biopic* on Netflix

*Hollywood version

www.netflix.com/gb/title/801...

[Assistant] Aha, thanks so much!


[User] Finished Cobra Kai mid season. How do they keep doing it?! It has a grip on me. I need that final part!

[Assistant]
We need it to be February right now 🥋🐍✨

This rollout plan for this final season is all different kinds of stupid!

[User] Every time I'm like "This is cheesy bullshit, why am I still watching it?" They pull something and I'm like "Didn't see that one coming. I'm back in" (also, the fight choreography is consistently fun to watch)

[Assistant] I know it's like the corniest soap opera writing but by god, it's got it's hooks in me! Every throw back to the Karate Kid movies is so well done. I am so here for every part of it!


[User] @alyossan.bsky.social hi! I’ve never played an Atelier game before. What should I try assuming they will be on sale today?

[Assistant]
A while back I found this guide for starting the series that's quite good, give it a read if you like!
barrelwisdom.com/blog/atelier...

As for my personal thoughts, I agree with them that Ryza and Sophie are both good starting points, but I probably slightly prefer Ryza.

[User] My actual favorite subseries is the Dusk trilogy (Ayesha, Escha and Logy, Shallie) but they are slightly older games in the series that have time limits in them, so I understand how it makes some people nervous to start with them haha.

[Assistant] Thanks for the response! Sounds like Ryza is the consensus. I’ll check out the blog post too just because I dig stuff like that 😊

[User] Great, hope you have fun!! 😄

[Assistant] My first entry was Ryza. I enjoyed it quite a bit.


[User]
I delegated watching the Leader’s Debate and the result was
1) Michael Martin
2) Mary Lou McDonald
3) Simon Harris

Overall report on substance: “None of them said anything”.

Some time saved there.

[Assistant] Sometimes felt like the current MLD was swimming against was the strongest,  so second place isn't bad.

[User] To whom was this delegated, and do they deserve a dreamie for their efforts?

[Assistant] I wonder do many people actually watch these debates and does it ever change a person's mind? All they are is attempts to get the best soundbite.


[User] Since I am a small, young-ish looking woman, Vampire's Wife type dresses make me look like a frilly cult doll in a *bad* way. And anyway, I'm the Vampire-- who is also high femme but needs some geometric clean line threat in there. Where's MY line? https://thevampireswife.com/

[Assistant] You know ominous batty hoods a la Rick Owens but somehow delicate and red-lipstick adjacent? Sumptuous harem pants made out of vintage brocades. Sculptural sleeves that cut you with a look. I would buy this for all my professional events!

[User] Fingerless gloves made out of blood-tinted mesh with embroidered catchphrases for special occasions. I beg of you Vampire's Wife, the Vampire needs options too!

[Assistant] Pls, @TheVampiresWife, give the Vampire a velvet smoking jacket with strange dolman sleeves or something as a consolation prize...


[User] The Imprisonment for Public Protection sentence (IPP) was introduced under the Criminal Justice Act 2003, intended to detain people who posed a significant risk of harm to the public. But, in practice, it was used much more widely. Over 8,700 were handed the sentence before it was abolished in 2012.

[Assistant] The IPP sentence is divided into two parts. The sentencing judge set a 'tariff', which is the minimum period that a person must serve before becoming eligible for release on licence. Once the tariff is served, release is only granted when the Parole Board is satisfied that it is safe to do so.

[User] Although the sentence was scrapped 12 years ago, it was not abolished retrospectively. This means that there are still 1,100 people in prison on IPP sentences who have never been released and 1,600 more who were released on licence but have since been recalled.

[Assistant]
IPP sentences were abolished 12 years ago, but not retrospectively, and the government needs to take meaningful action on this lingering injustice. Bringing an end to it is a strategic priority for the Howard League, and we will continue to campaign for change.
howardleague.org/wp-content/u...


[User] This is a captivating long read. I hope the author is justly rewarded for this and his other gifts. Read it.

[Assistant] Wow.  That was an amazing read!

[User] Profound piece. It really lifts that veil of invisibility. Thanks for posting it!

[Assistant] Very interesting read. I deal almost everyday with people, while not homeless, they are living precariously. I constantly remind people one or two turns in your life you could be in that situation.

[User] It’s worth reminding especially for those with no access to public Heath care.

[Assistant] Captivating, indeed! Paints a vivid picture of the life of homelessness. Hope life improves for him.


[User]
1/10// For all the new #EconTwitter Assistant Professors out there: soon you are going to have to submit your teaching schedule preferences.

This thread has a few thoughts/feedback from my experience, which I hope will be helpful if you've never taught before.

[Assistant]
2/10// Some people love teaching in the morning. Others in the afternoon. Three days? Two? One? Same or different days?

The optimal answer will depend on you. It may vary across time, your research projects, the season, etc. There is no "Always Best" Answer.

[User]
3/10// Morning vs. afternoon:
On one hand, in the morning you get it done.
On the other... Teaching can be physically and mentally draining. Think about it: You are *engaging* in public speaking for 50-180 minutes.
 You may not have mental energy to work afterwards.

[Assistant]
4/10// One, two, or three days?
You'll be covering about the same amount of material (slightly more in a once a week class). But remember the physical/mental aspect. If something goes wrong in a once-a-week lecture you've essentially messed up a week's worth of classes.

[User] 5/10// Depending on the campus culture, students may give you a pass the first time you mess up. Or they may bombard your email. The latter becomes more likely in a once a week class as they panic.

[Assistant] 6/10// Tying into all of this: You be doing a new course preparation ("prep"). This means figuring out how you will optimally teach the material you know, determining homework problems, designing the exams, the classroom management system, etc. That takes a lot of time!

[User]
7/10// For my prep I create handouts, my own homeworks questions, and two practice exams. It takes me 3-4 days per week for a new prep.

I don't sleep well if I have a morning class as a new prep so I usually schedule a new prep as a afternoon class.

[Assistant]
8/10// This quarter I have Monday/Wednesday new prep teaching, and scheduled all my meetings on Tuesday.

This was a Bad Idea.

If I could redo I would move meetings to Friday to give me a day between each teaching day in case of surprise work.

[User]
9/10// Same or different days?
If you're teaching multiple sections of the same class I would recommend the same day to help maintain consistency across classes for a new prep.
But otherwise? Your call. It comes down to intensity vs. research/meeting-only day.

[Assistant]
10/10// Some last things to consider:
-When are seminars? Do you want to meet with speakers?
-When are department meetings/events scheduled (formerly or informally: think about lunch, for example).
-Will you be traveling (schedule to avoid cancelling classes).


[User]
Enjoyed a cycle into Brum’s Moor Street Station this morning along a new bit of cycle path to Cannon Hill Park - which I believe to be the latest addition to the ‘wonky’ NCN5. Thoughts 🤔
And I’m now on the Chiltern to Marylebone with @lauralaker.bsky.social ‘s brilliant Potholes and Pavements 🚲💚

[Assistant] Glad to see that the route is open already. Does it continue the other side of Russell Road yet - as far as Edgbaston Road?

[User] That bit’s still under construction. This is how the bit at the bottom of Park Hill/Salisbury Rd looked a week or so ago:

[Assistant]
Continuing the value-engineered appearance of the rest of the route, I see.

Give me blue tarmac or give me death*!

(*Beneath the wheels of a distracted driver)

[User]
Ooh! What happens at the side road crossing/ traffic lights? Looks like it descends into shared use 🧐

Ps hope you're enjoying the book, love to see it having adventures🥹

[Assistant]
Seeing how narrow that footpath gets, this looks another BCC special, that's totally unfit for purpose.

Rather than squeeze by on that tiny path, people will just walk in cycle lane... If the road wasn't going to be altered a shared footpath sign would have been better.


[User]
Forget Expensive Hiring Tools—ChatGPT Can Build Your Dream Team 🤝💼

Here are 4 prompts to streamline your hiring process:

[Assistant]
1/ Job Description Builder

"Write an engaging job description for [position] that highlights responsibilities, qualifications, and company culture."

📝 Attract the right candidates with clarity.

[User]
2/ Interview Question Generator

"Create 10 interview questions for [position] to assess both technical skills and cultural fit."

🎯 Ask smarter questions to hire better people.

[Assistant]
3/ Candidate Evaluation Framework

"Suggest a framework for evaluating candidates after interviews, focusing on skills, experience, and potential."

💡 Make hiring decisions with confidence.

[User]
4/ Onboarding Plan Creator

"Outline a 30-day onboarding plan for a new hire in [role], including training and performance goals."

🤝 Set your team up for success from day one.

[Assistant]
Ready to Scale Your Business with AI?

Transform your approach with 1,100+ powerful prompts for strategy, marketing, and productivity. Hit your goals faster!

🚀 Unlock now: promptspro.gumroad.com/l/Ultimate-C...


[User] Y’know what? The more I think about it the more I think kickstarter’s “we suspended his account, there’s no indication but trust us” is the thing that finally let Frazer off the hook for tftq.

[Assistant] The comments section will die now, because he never needs to log in again to post rubbish and get them off his back. He’s locked everywhere else. It’s over.

[User] Convenient for KS as well, of course. Just memory holes the whole thing.

[Assistant] They should hire frazer as chief of client relations 😂😂😂


[User]
Should people attending a movie theater to watch a musical be allowed to sing along to the songs during the movie?

% who say yes

U.S. adults: 31%

18-29: 41%
30-44: 36%
45-64: 29%
65+: 20%

today.yougov.com/topics/socie...

[Assistant]
How do you feel about musicals?

% who love or like them

U.S. adults: 49%

18-29: 59%
30-44: 51%
45-64: 38%
65+: 50%

today.yougov.com/topics/socie...

[User]
How many musicals do you know the words to most or all of the songs?

None: 38%
1-2: 25%
3-4: 14%
5-6: 5%
More than 6: 6%

today.yougov.com/topics/socie...

[Assistant] Rocky Horror Picture Show endures because of audience participation. Just sayin.


[User]
🏴 First Minister @johnswinney.bsky.social has set out his priorities for Scotland, ahead of the Scottish budget.

📣 "This budget will be a statement of our intent to deliver real and lasting progress for Scotland."

[Assistant] There is no climate crisis. This is a scam.

[User]
Errrrr, where's INDEPENDENCE ?

Obviously not at all important to John Swinney and the SNP.

OK. We get the message.

[Assistant] BlackRock are buying us up as we speak, they're piping our electricity south and charging us for it, we can't afford to live let alone have nice things. Where's the urgency in independence?

[User] I'm so sad you aren't prioritising independence. Thousands will die whilst you have a nice cosy winter!

[Assistant]
John, if the SNP are not going to prioritise independence (and it appears they are not) ... please be honest about it and let us start / support a party that will.

You are only in power on the back of independence supporters ... on the current trajectory, you won't be for long!


[User]
We are proud to be Gold Sponsor of the Global FOSS4G 2024 conference in Belém - Brasil!
The mission of OSGeo matches 100% with what we stand for: develop and promote the best free and open source software for geospatial.

[Assistant]
That is true for the core applications we build for our global customers, like @geoserver.org @geonetwork-opensource.org  @postgis.bsky.social @qgis.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy and others. And it is also true for all these other projects the world needs.
Through our continuous sponsorship we give back.

[User] We support the necessary OSGeo infrastructure, global outreach and we help to lower the barriers for participation by all those that use these amazing tools to improve livelihoods and strengthen communities, improve governments and thus make your life better and our planet a safer place.

[Assistant] We sincerely hope that more companies follow our example, and that governments step up and join our movement towards more cost effective, sustainable use of geospatial software. Cheers to you! Join the @osgeo.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy movement.


[User]
CW : #fartfetish #fart #scat #furryfart

Reposting some older cat content from around 2021 :>

[Assistant] these are all really lovely!!

[User] Thank you so much ! :]

[Assistant] Of course!! Great to see your stuff over here :)


[User] So now since wordle we all do puzzles... Does anyone else to the NYT sudoku? I am too damn competitive to keep doing it in a void, please tell me your times?

[Assistant] I recently discovered the "sudoku master" game app, and I love it! (I used to love sudoku when it first took off, but then hadn't done it for years, until now). I'll look up the NYT sudoku, thanks for the tip!

[User] Probably not a competitive time, but I just solved the easy one in 5min 43.

[Assistant] Oh you'll definitely speed up a bit when you're used to it! And that's not terrible at all.

[User] Hahaha, the medium took me far too long, 26.03! I'll work up to more competitive times. thanks for the tip anyway.

[Assistant] Oh the medium one is *often* harder than the "hard" one - it took me ages today.


[User] I cannot stop sneezing this morning, and it's pissing me off!

[Assistant]
Quit your humble bragging.

Some people have all the luck.

[User] I know right?!

[Assistant] Oh gawd, I know. Do I ever know. If there's one thing I know, I know I know that. You know?

[Assistant] You know. I know you know. And you know, I know, you know.


[User] Crumbs, have just been listening to the @christt.bsky.social version of my song "We Only Ever Meet In Church" (for Reasons) and... crumbs! Emotions! mjhibbett.bandcamp.com/track/chris-...

[Assistant] The whole album, featuring various PALS covering my songs and put together by my friend Ray, is pretty amazing, especially if you're me. Which I am! mjhibbett.bandcamp.com/album/it-onl...

[User] Oh, this is good!

[Assistant] The *contortions* we went through to do it without you finding out as well!!!


[User] It's also important to point out that many cis men are invested in trans women not just being sexual playthings, but also something to publicly assert dominance through physical violence (for "real" women rules of civility delegate violence to be contained within the private household).

[Assistant] This enables a circular relationship where transfem people get stuck in what essentially is a protection racket. Sexual predators will hang threat of physical violence over trans women while presenting themselves as the only reprieve. And if you don't take it, they will ensure that violence happens.

[User] Many chasers in fact will be friends with those of cis men who are looking at trans women as a target of murder to get away with, if they're not like that themselves. And, in my exp, these dynamics also more or less often play out with all who are considered "feminized", eg even cis "sissies".

[Assistant]
The same is true where trans men and intersex folk endure chasers under similar circumstances and similar brutality that are played out for slightly different reasons.
In fact, that is a lot of overlap between the abuse dynamic between what many marginalized genders and sexes endure from chasers.


[User] I’ve been concerned and posting about the dairy industry dumping millions of gallons of raw, unpasteurized milk, and using it to feed other livestock, since it was discovered months ago that H5N1 is present in raw milk, and killed cats that consumed it. Nobody cared until it happened in California.

[Assistant] The lack of testing and surveillance has allowed this uncontrolled spread, and we're only now realizing the full scope of the problem. Like with other viral risks we’ve faced, stronger oversight and public awareness to prevent situations like this are where we have failed.

[User] We have completely failed with H5N1. Honestly, it’s devastating.

[Assistant] Exactly. Add to that as we move into the next administration, I'm really concerned about how this will be handled, given the lack of experience among those coming in.


[User] Recalling the sweet taste of warm strawberries plucked with a “pop” from the garden.

[Assistant] That's one of the things I miss the most when winter comes to Michigan. Seeing those little white flowers in the strawberry patch is my favorite sign that spring has arrived.

[User]
I grew up farther north loving the cold. I despair that our winters are going away fast.
But warm May mornings harvesting and eating in the garden is a joy.

[Assistant] I was talking with family in Florida explaining that our seasons are kind of strange this year...I have Larkspur on the back porch that is still blooming...in late November! That is not normal.


[User]
I think they are secretly a family…
(Thread for Amagi bros and Rei and kaoru sharing similarities in cards because they are one big happy family)
.
#enstars #EnsembleStars #rinne #hiiro #rei #kaoru #あんスタ


[User]
Save yourself some grief.
BLOCK @liberalincognito.bsky.social and before you do, go to his gage and block some of the users he reposts.

[Assistant] Thanks. Done, and shared!

[User] Thanks for the heads up. I blocked him and about 10 ppl who he reposts!👍

[Assistant] Thanks. That was a good one to block and his 64 followers too.


[User] With getting ready for my speech at this conference and then the drive back to Edmonton, no polls or longer threads today. Everything returns to normal tomorrow 😊

[Assistant] Good luck with your speech and safe travels.

[User] Good luck with your speech....safe journey home!

[Assistant] But also, good luck and drive safely... 😉


[User]
Woke up this morning in so much dismay. I’m trying so hard not to allow these feelings to drown me. Trying to stay positive knowing that I have friends and family that basically asked for our lives to be ruined.

I’m sad, I’m depressed, I’m lonely and living in a house full of love.

[Assistant]
I’m afraid for my future, I’m afraid for YOUR future. My son’s candles are now burning on BOTH ends because the country their father served has invited a con man to run and ruin it AGAIN!

What’s happening to me internally isn’t fair to my sons or my family. It’s a horrible sensation.

[User] I can’t watch the news anymore because that makes it worse. And when your only option in the morning is Stephen A. Smith that’s even more depressing. Aye yi yi yall. I’m just shocked. I’m just saddened and miserable.

[Assistant] My fuse is short…

[User] I'm sharing all those same dreads. Where we could have gone as a country and instead we are going backwards. There's a lot of us feeling that.  We all need some time for recalibration followed by activation.

[Assistant] We'll be here to help keep you afloat 🫂


[User]
For my 50th birthday, my mother asked if there was something special I needed or wanted. I was stymied.

But after months of fruitless pondering, one day this old chair came up in our texting. And this morning it's here!

[Assistant] This chair sat out on the porch of the first house we all lived in together when my mother married my stepfather in 1980. I was 6. It was enormous.

[User] It was an old chair then, and a bit beat up. It's faced far more outdoor weather since then, most recently down in North Carolina. So I have a project on my hands. And I'm excited for it.

[Assistant]
The first is the mystery I thought I might never solve. A decade ago, when I worked at the Stickley Museum, I asked my mother to look for a shopmark. She found nothing. So I thought maker research would be first.

But this morning I turned it over and...

[User]
Boom! Right there! So it *is* Stickley, as my adult's assessment of my childhood recollection of the chair had suggested. And that tag suggests 1900-1910.

Next I get to revisit my old boss and look through the republished Stickley Bros catalogs to find the likely model.

[Assistant]
My step-father shared the name of the family member who had the chair-- his first wife's grandfather. They lived the next town over from where I grew up.

I've already started the newspaper research, and have read about his participation with the volunteer firefighters in the 20s and 30s.

[User]
I hardly know what I'm doing, but I've cleaned and refinished pieces before. Part of me thinks I should leave this one to an expert...

But the chair isn't worth anything more than my love of it. And I want to do it myself. I'd only do tung oil and beeswax most likely.

[Assistant]
There are memories of my childhood, wonderful and terrible, tied up in this chair.

But for now, I'm just sitting in it. Drinking my coffee and enjoying the sunlight.


[User] I kind of wish bluesky had different little tabs for new follows, then new likes, new comments, etc, because my brain isn't great at keeping up with all that info clustered together haha, but I can deal with it enough. Sorry if sometimes it takes me forever to get to a comment, etc.

[Assistant] No really, a "mentions" tab would be useful😭

[User] there's a custom mentions feed you can add bsky.app/profile/did:...

[Assistant] Yoinks. Stealing this.


[User]
No one in my family gets excited about Thanksgiving but this year I’m going to make a few things that I’ve wanted to try. If they don’t eat them it’s not a big deal and there will be more for me!

First up is a pecan chocolate pie!

[Assistant] That sounds like heaven (or equivalent concept of the perfect place) in pie form to me. Pecans and chocolate. Amazing.

[User] I made it a few years ago and really enjoyed it.

[Assistant] That is delish.  I was annoyed to snag only one slice that year. Let me know how your recipe works.     I will make top secret pumpkin pie. It has a pecan pie style topping.


[User]
Dear jaGUar...
Are you sure about this EV only thing? 🤔

BBC News - Ford calls for incentives to buy electric cars as backlash grows - BBC News
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

[Assistant] I have doubts about the sales figures, a lot of people simply can't afford them, add to that the extra costs of insurance. The price of replacement batteries and servicing for second hand ones will put many people off. Hold on to your IC cars they will only go up in price as 2030 approaches.

[User]
I genuinely do not think EV's are the answer. At best, they're an expensive faddy solution to a problem that doesn't exist.
The future is more likely to be hydrogen or ammonia.

[Assistant] Can you imagine half of the car owners going electric over the next 12 months, for starters the national grid would have a meltdown.

[User] 'Meltdown' is probably quite accurate. Range, costs, and recharging times are simply not competitive enough.

[Assistant] And, as you allude to, the infrastructure is simply not there.

[User] Exactly!

[Assistant] I'm wondering how many extension leads I'll be tripping over as owners charge their cars on the streets outside their homes.


[User]
QRP with your skull art!

Another favorite series of mine 😍

[Assistant] Omg these are absolutely gorgeous!! ❤❤

[User] Thanks! So are yours!

[Assistant] Thank you!! ❤❤


[User]
And you know what the fun part is, budding artists?

Even when you do land on a style that feels your own, the evolution of that style never ends.

Case in point:

This is generally "my style" at the moment. Clearly pulling from artists like Cougr, other big furry artists, and 90s mangaka...

(1/3)

[Assistant]
But... I also have this:

The same character, over and over again, in different styles, different techniques, over and over...

All in an effort to go somewhere different than where I am at now. How will this character look when I get there?

I don't know...

(2/3)

[User]
And even if and when I arrive somewhere that I feel like my art is of my own style that I'm proud of and people recognize it as mine...

It'll still change down the line, or even between projects.

Just like my favorite mangaka, Yoshihiro Togashi...

But it will be yours and that's what's important.

[Assistant]
PS

Might delete later because I realized instead of adding on, I may have just said everything @kampferwolf.bsky.social said, just in a different way.😅

Sorry, brain's empty, am tired, gonna go vampire hunting now...😮💨


[User] The first memo assignment is due today,so yesterday I brought my 1L #legalwriting students homemade cookies. While I can’t send cookies to 1Ls all over the country,I hope this message resonates: Take some time to celebrate everything you’ve learned in such a short period of time.

[Assistant] As a accidental,#firstgen generation law student,I had no idea how things were going during my first semester of law school. I knew I was working hard, but didn’t have any formal assessments or feedback until I submitted my first memo assignment. (2/6)

[User] My grade wasn’t great which caused me to question whether law school was a good fit for me.I came to #lawschool a celebrated writer and in a matter of weeks,the confidence I had in my writing was shattered. But, the process of practice and feedback improved my writing.(3/6)

[Assistant] Even today, my writing isn’t perfect. As a scholar, the feedback I receive from colleagues improves my article drafts. As a teacher, I’m constantly vetting the memo problems I create with colleagues and practicing attorneys. (4/6)


[User] A 25% price jump in food and produce is a disaster for all those who live on fixed incomes and/or don’t make a lot of money. I feel horrible for the millions of americans who will starve because of this. Tho I won’t give a damn for those who voted for the orange bloat bag.

[Assistant] I took early retirement but I only get 3/4 of it..Work part time twice a week ironically at a mostly Spanish Speaking Laundry Mat..The owner has now been diagnosed with Leukemia at an early age of 51 and we probably won't stay open after 6 months if WE lose these wonderful people..My Manager and I..

[User] I’m so sorry to hear it.

[Assistant] I'm telling all of them to remove any bumper stickers or any rosaries etc hanging from the mirrors that indicate they're from any part of Latin America cuz I know the Psycho in the wheelchair will have the Police profiling any or all and pull them over.


[User]
Choose 20 books that have stayed with you or influenced you. One book per day for 20 days, in no particular order. No explanations, no reviews, just covers.
#BookSky
#Books
#BookChallenge
 💙📚
Day 15 of 20: (Keeping a note: Not all books that stay with you are for good reasons)

[Assistant] Recommending this one. (It’s public domain, so you can read, or even download, for free.) archive.org/details/conq...

[User] I have my 20 books / 20 days posts (still can’t call them skeets) queued up, and I left HP off the list despite proposing to my wife in wizards robes and how big a part it has become of the culture of my friend group. I am loathe to support JK, but am I just cutting my nose to spite my face?

[Assistant] My trans son and I had a long discussion over this issue. I also am no fan of JK—in fact, in my book cover alternate text, her name does not appear. I think it’s OK to love the art and not the artist. I try and go out of my way not to promote anything to do with her specifically.

[User] I love the actors, characters, story…. Really dislike JK and her stance on all things Trans.

[Assistant] Yes, 100% agree. Her blindness to the irony of her anti trans position versus the way she wrote against the discrimination of marginalized groups in HP is astounding.


[User]
Yesterday we found our naughty.

Today we found the Dickhead

#Beans 🧡
#LittleTinyDickhead 🖤🤍

[Assistant] How is LTD taking this?

[User]
Ah, when two worlds collide!

Hope they get on 🤞

[Assistant] Hope they get on!! 🤞


[User] Update on baking procedural textures. I've managed to get things working! This means that I can now make some super cool materials in Blender and import them into my Godot games. It was a small number of simple mistakes that caused all the heart ache. Some obvious, others not so obvious.

[Assistant] 1. when creating the diffuse map, all your metallic values down to zero. I'll need to have a look into the specifics of why, but this is apparently what caused the original baked image to look so dark. As soon as the diffuse map is baked, you can turn your metallic values back on.

[User] 2. When baking the normal and roughness maps, remember to set the colour space of your image texture to "Non-Colour" (duh). I was baking everything as sRGB.

[Assistant] 3. The metallic map needs to be baked as an emission material. For the particular paint/metal/mud material that is demonstrated in the tutorial I used, I had to connect the combined output of the three damage shaders to the output via an emission node. This was a good learning experience.

[User] Et voila! We have our baked textures, and they don't look half bad (although I still feel like the metal has lost some of its shine.

[Assistant] Heck yeah it looks great!!


[User]
Now Blasting 💣

Pink Floyd - Goodbye Blue Sky 🦋

Goodbye, blue sky 🦋
Goodbye, blue sky🦋
Goodbye 👋
Goodbye 👋

youtube.com/watch?v=bn6Y...

[Assistant] Pink Floyd, 45 yrs ago, sang about Blue Sky 🦋and in fact saying goodbye 👋to it , so add another 2-3 years for this platform , such a futuristic band ...this is REAL PROG 😜

[User] Noted if PF say so it must be right! 👌🦋

[Assistant] Oh how I love Pink Floyd one can never get enough of it 🎶🎸❤


[User]
Mongabay and Earth Genome detected 67 clandestine airstrips used for transporting drugs in the Peruvian regions of Ucayali, Huánuco and Pasco - most of which are located in and around Indigenous communities, reserves for people living in voluntary isolation and forest concessions.

Read:

[Assistant] @climatenews.bsky.social : test (DM not an option)

[User] You can now DM ✅💚

[Assistant] Cool 💙🌀


[User]
@brianwoolfinder.bsky.social being our resident part time Sheffield dweller, is this a big problem? I can't recall ever hearing it.

As I said last night I'm 100% confident this is someone connected to Sheffield FC behind this.

[Assistant] A huge issue in Sheffield. It doesn't happen often but when a commentator says Sheffield without the Wednesday or United the Internet goes down for 48 hours.

[User] Hahaha. I don't watch an awful lot of footy on the telly so I've obviously been missing it.

[Assistant] Those oldest club wankers. They always turn up when someone mentions Notts- l don’t think they’re on here yet.

[User] They don't like to mention it do they.

[Assistant] Only a bit.

[User] As was pointed out last night, they don't play in Sheffield. Should be made to change their name till they do.

[Assistant] Definitely. And anyone who refers to Notts Forest should be shot.


[User]
Post a character you love

I don't respect him, but there's something endearing about the slimy, cowardly bastard.

[Assistant] Something about him just screams “Ahhhh victory”

[User] "Ahhh, fucking around, and not finding out."

[Assistant] “Ahhh, never get your own hands dirty”

[User] He is a wise man.

[Assistant]
*me watching Episode I*

That's him. That's Nude Gunray. He's my friend.


[User] Second Samuel 3:29 or the curse of Joab. Anyone know much about this? I’m curious about the meaning of ומחזיק בפלך which JPS translates as “a male who handles the spindle” with an explanatory note “I.e. a man fit only for woman’s work”.

[Assistant] I’ve come across some material on gendered labour in textile production so this piqued my interest. But it looks as though this term is a bit unusual. The comparative explanation comes from Proverbs 31:19 where the proverb talks about an idealised wife working a spindle.

[User] Yet the other curses relate to physical conditions of the body (which commonly also generate impurity), violent death or poverty. The LXX uses κρατων σκυτάλης or “one who holds a cudgel” in NETS. GELS has this as a staff to lean on, as in a mobility aid. Josephus does not list the curses in Ant.

[Assistant] He does use the same Greek term in reference to the clubs Pilate’s men (Ant. 18.61). But the term is more technical in much Greek literature. The scytale was a stick (supposedly used by Spartans) around which strips were wound with messages, legible if wound on the right size stick.

[User] So my question is whether this curse is about gender, disability, both, or something else, like the practice of people who send hidden messages? Anyone have any ideas or reading suggestions?

[Assistant] Please send responses in the following form (the message tubes in Dune perhaps inspired by this system although the writing seems fixed on the surface of the cylinder)


[User]
CPI PREVIEW

🔸 JPMorgan forecasts:
• Core CPI at 0.36%, headline at 0.32% for the month, with high shelter costs ongoing.
• Shelter costs like OER and rent will keep growing, though at a decelerating rate, above pre-COVID levels.

[Assistant]
• Expect increases in lodging, airfares, and used vehicles, but a modest rise in apparel and a slight drop in communications.
🔸 Goldman Sachs forecasts:
• Core CPI up 0.31%, headline at 0.19% month-over-month.
• Core increase due to rising auction prices, airfare (+1.0%), and car insurance (+0.5%).

[User]
• Shelter costs stable (OER +0.33%, rent +0.28%), health insurance slightly down (-0.1%).
• Core PCE expected at 0.24%.

🔸 Citi forecasts:
• Core CPI at 0.26%, headline at 0.2% month-over-month.

[Assistant]
• Shelter inflation decreasing, with primary rents at 0.25% and OER at 0.30%; recreation and services softening.

• Airfares to drop, health insurance to increase by 1.5% due to data update.


[User] Did I buy an iPad just to doodle terribly with. Yes. Yes I did 😂

[Assistant] We stan procreate though! It’s LOVELY to use! 🥰

[User] I'm having so much fun with it 🥰

[Assistant] It’s seriously just so nice to use! The more you experiment with it, the better it gets imho! Such a nice piece of software!


[User] new job on Monday, today will be my last day. My new boss has rowed with a staff member, patronised foreign workers, made homophobic comments, and reduced a member of staff to tears, oh, and expects us to work with broken equipment. If this is my life from now on I'm not sure what I'm going to do.

[Assistant] oh hell, tim. was gonna congratulate you on the new job but it does seem pretty grim. i hope there are ways through at least, toward a good & non-toxic gig. you deserve much, much better. 💚💚

[User] Maybe up till now I've just been lucky, my fear is I'll very soon need to stay in a toxic work environment just to make ends meet.

[Assistant] i fear that for you too. it’s not a choice anyone should have to make, & it’s becoming unavoidable. i have your back, though what that means when i’m all the way over here is unclear. just…i care about you. i believe in you.


[User] Just went to the Twins website for the first time in a while and . . . is it just my monitor or are the colors they're using a lighter blue (than navy) & an orangey red (rather than dark red)? With bright yellow? Am I high? WTF?

[Assistant]
Thought maybe I'd wandered onto the Marlins website by accident.

If we're gonna embrace this aesthetic can we get the dinger machine?

[User] Seriously though, WTF is up with the Twins website?

[Assistant] I guess I should be glad there's no Kasota "gold" or "This is how we base ball" but still. Those are not the team colors unless I missed a memo. Not that team websites have to exclusively use team colors, but this is a bit drastic.


[User] Badenoch really is useless. A pick and mix of meaningless internet talking points. What a kicking 😂

[Assistant] She's got a good brain and will improve with racing.

[User] Certainly starting off behaving like a classic juvenile…

[Assistant] Application of a red hood going down to the dispatch box might help.


[User] Got to watch my manager learn what "sounding" is.

[User] The visiting urologist always comes in with the most outta pocket shit.

[Assistant] I don’t know what you do for work but I would scream if I had a “visiting urologist”.


[User]
"Fuck I'm old" thoughts:
The best internet you could want was to have a T1 line (1.5Mbps) straight to your home.
also
"Can you make sure our [MMO] game demo works over a 14.4 modem from E3?"

[Assistant] The latter was a request for the first incarnation of UO2, about 2 days prior to E3.

[User] Point of note: it *did* work fine over dialup. Also, that might have ended up having to be 28.8. Having seen the insides of many more recent ones, I can't imagine a modern MMO working over dialup like that.

[Assistant] The advancement of the internet has been much like the advancements in storage technology. "We have to fit this on a 360K floppy" to 1.44M floppy to 15 1.44M floppies (hi Sierra games) to CD to DVD to "fuck it, this patch is 53GB"


[User] I got to spend the morning in the map room at the UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office as part of the FCDO’s technology and geopolitics roundtable. Fascinating to be sat next to these old instruments of the colonial gaze whilst discussing the UK’s future place in the world.

[Assistant] Did you open any drawers? I'd love to get a glimpse at a page.

[User] There was a very big sign telling people not to open them, and plenty of FCDO colleagues in the room. So, sadly, no.

[Assistant] The economic historian in me is now deeply curious.


[User] Every time I see kidchan art, it’s truly breathtaking. I remember first coming across your work when I was in my late teens, and your sense has always felt like a fleeting scene from a dream—soft&ethereal, yet strikingly vivid. There’s an unforgettable beauty to it… Thx for always sharing your art.

[Assistant] Omg.....what.....no way.....I'm very very flattered and happy and jtktkgktmtg I'm sorry I feel a lot of emotions from your comment....thanks so so much, your artworks inspires me 💖💖💖💖💖💖

[User] I always have so much I want to tell you....!! I’ve always loved your art, and honestly, it’s such a simple thing to say, but I really respect you🥳🖤🔥✨✨✨✨

[Assistant] ahhhhhhh oh my god....you are way too sweet. thank you so much for everything, if I go to Japan is it alright if we meet? ❤

[User] Of course!!!! That’s my dream too! And if I ever get the chance to go to Malaysia, I’ll definitely contact you!!🥹🖤✨✨✨✨

[Assistant] yayyyyy!!! let's meet when we can!!!


[User] Good Morning to everyone that 👀 this.

[Assistant] Good morning! ☕

[User] Good Morning! ☕ 😊

[Assistant] Good morning, CookieCat!! 👋✌☕☕🌞😃


[User]
A day late…sorry…but here’s some #1995Nostalgia as Rovers take on QPR on 26/11/1994

Are any of the mascots out there? Do get in touch…⚪🔵

[Assistant] Anyone still got one of these?


[User] Ah, that reminds me. Unity Pro renewal cancelled.

[Assistant] It was doubly frustrating that we qualified for Unity Plus last year until they cancelled that to force everyone onto Pro. We didn’t think they’d turn around and crank it up to $5k/year shortly after. -_-

[User] Yeah I was in the same position, but now the discount has ended and next renewal is full Pro price. I noticed they're trying to get you onto an Industry license 'cos you did some freelance for a big medical client -- I bet they'd try the same stunt on me as I've done the same. If I still used Unity.

[Assistant] Well we are making a VR mental healthcare project right now. It's not done, and we aren't selling anything yet, but Unity got to decide who our clients are apparently.


[User]
Minister Stephen Morgan says standing firm on EV targets will "bring certainty and stability", admits targets are "ambitious"
"We are ambitious to deliver on our EV commitments but also to consult the sector and work with the sector, to make sure this is rolled out across the country."

[Assistant]
Ginny Buckley, Founder of Electrifying.com says car makers complaining were too late to back EVs
"It's the brands who were late to the party who are being most vocal. The UK car industry needs to change to be competitive."

[User] Ginny is spot on - the likes of Hyundai, Kia, BYD etc have responded and are developing an interesting mix of vehicles.

[Assistant] People: "there's no point doing anything about climate change because China aren't doing anything". Also people: "it's not fair China are so far ahead of us on climate friendly technology"


[User] PSA! BEFORE YOU HIT BLOCK ALL ON A BLOCKLIST make sure you go through and UNFOLLOW anyone you’re following on there first! Otherwise it will still show you as following those accounts even though you have them blocked! Blocking does not automatically unfollow on here.

[Assistant] Oh, thanks for the knowledge. 🏴☠⚔

[User] you’re welcome! :-) here to share everything I got 🫡

[Assistant] My god and thanks for teaching tho before this text haven’t even have thinned about just sharing it. 🥲👯♀🏴☠🥂❤🩹

[User] Good to know 👍🏻🤘🏻

[Assistant] Whats a block list?


[User] Look, I don’t know what I'm doing with my life rn. All I know is that I'm closer to 40 than 30 and I still look like this so I don’t think that's gonna change at this point.

[Assistant] Seriously, I've been pondering going to business school lately 😓

[User] But you already have a business! Isn't that irl Business School?

[Assistant] Not a successful one! I think I just need some asshole training 😓


[User] If like me you're homeworker, one of the best things you can have at this time of year is a wee oil-filled radiator under your desk – especially if your desk has a keyboard tray. Heat rises, hits the desk, heads to your hands. Cheaper than heating your whole home, better for typing than gloves.

[Assistant] This! Also, tempts cat to sit slightly to one side, not *on* your keyboard.

[User] I'm very glad my greyhound hasn't tried that.

[Assistant] Hah! Our lurcher is scared of the cat, so we're safe from that particular snafu.

[User] I've thrown fashion to the wind and invested in one of those hooded fleecy snood live-in-a-blanket things. A little disgusted by how nice it is.

[Assistant] I have one of those too but the bloody kids stole it.


[User] Okay Mormons. We need to have a talk. If you are going to say shiz or fetch or beech, you might as well say the real word.

[Assistant] I was told today that my use of obscene language casts a negative shadow on everything I say. I replied that that was why I don't talk to mormons.

[User] 🙌🏼 That’s just wise. Mormons bored me even when I was one. 😂

[Assistant] 100 fucking percent 😂


[User] Recognise this? What we've got here is a classic Skyline Miracle screw cap opener—possibly the first of its kind designed to make quick work of stubborn screw-top lids, which were gaining popularity at the time.

[Assistant] It’s one of those tools that would have been found in most British kitchens back in the day, built to last and designed to tackle the tough, tightly sealed jars and bottles that could be challenging to open by hand.

[User] One of these is found in my kitchen today.

[Assistant] You've got history in the utensil drawer!


[User] Some of the book covers I had the pleasure to work on ❤

[Assistant] Out of sheer curiosity that you can obviously ignore, how much do you know about a book when you’re designing its cover?

[User] I am getting a brief from the publisher and sometimes even the manuscript.

[Assistant] Interesting, thank you!


[User]
I have this theory that if there is a job with a list of duties and the pay is X, you should be able to work in whatever way that slows you to complete those duties.

If it takes you 42 hrs this week, great. If it takes you 35 or 27 or 32, great.

Pay should be for the work, not the time.

[Assistant]
My point is this. I have nothing to do at work because I’d already done everything on sched through mid-Dec as of 2 weeks ago.

They’ll gladly give me additional work outside of what I was hired for but no more money.

[User]
They said the learning curve would be steep for 90 days and continue for a year.

Within 3 weeks I’d figured most of it out, working w/o direction and even fixing other folks’ stuff in a fraction of the time.

I’d rather be paid a lot more to work 40 hours. This job is definitely a stepping stone.

[Assistant] That ALLOWS, not slows 🙄


[User]
today's silly thought is:

the lan family is known for their ability to form lifelong pacts with dragons. such pacts are formed from competitions of strength, cunning, etc that win over the dragons.

lwj has never had to challenge a dragon; one picked him out early on.

[Assistant]
it happened one day when, after a day at caiyi town, lqr noticed what looked like a tiny black salamander on then then-three-years-old lwj.

when lqr tried to remove it, it bit him. then when he went to bandage the bite, it flew in the air after him and bit him again.

[User]
it is very, very rare—practically unheard of—for a dragon to be an orphan.

lqr spends a few months searching for its parents before giving up and deciding that it's fine if it stays and grows with lwj.

so now lwj holds the record as youngest dragon companion ever.

[Assistant]
lwj names the little black dragon wwx. they sleep, eat, and grow up together.

then, one day, the little black dragon is not so little anymore. in fact, it can't even fit in the jingshi anymore. lqr demands that it sleep outside.

wwx complains his head off for DAYS.

[User]
then, one night, the complaining stops. lwj wakes up to a young boy his age also in bed with him. as it turns out, wwx's cultivation level is high enough that he can take on the form of a human whenever he wants.

so wwx returns to sleeping in the jingshi.

[Assistant]
lwj's ice-cold persona is made somewhat worse by the presence of a large, jet-black dragon constantly by his side. wwx's ability to command the dead doesn't help matters, either. people tend to stay away from them.

not all people, though. sometimes they are targeted.

[User] one such person is su she, who thinks that lwj's ice-prince reputation is bs. he follows lwj around, harassing him, accusing him of thinking that he's better than everyone else just because a dragon chose him early on.

[Assistant]
when wwx decides that enough is enough and hisses at su she to step down, su she whacks him on the nose.

in response, wwx tosses su she and his friends up so high that they crash down on houses and need medical attention for weeks.

[User] that evening, a huge wwx is all wrapped around lwj like a gigantic, scaly blanket—head tucked against lwj's shoulder, whining loudly and pitifully and dramatically because his nose got smacked 🥺🥺 and he needs lwj to rub and kiss it all better.

[Assistant] basically wwx can vanquish entire armies and summon legions of dead, but if even One Person Steps On His Foot, he's waddling over to lwj as quickly as his long noodl body can handle to go cry in lwj's lap.


[User]
6th year of bron and ad.

i admit that when bron first signed, i did not expect him to still be playing in his 22nd season.

but my god how many years of squandered opportunity with those 2 on our roster.

[Assistant] Injuries derailed 3 of those seasons.  We can’t forget about that.

[User] Injuries killed the 20-21 season and the Russ trade ended the era. It is what it is.

[Assistant]
Yep. The Pelicans held us over a barrel because we were bidding against time.

My glass half full version of the wasted time is Lebron single handedly has made Laker basketball watchable and fun.

Without him we’d have way more time for other hobbies lol.


[User] How many pitchers do the Dodgers need?

[Assistant] A lot. They only had 3 starting pitchers in the playoffs and the World Series. Yamamoto, Flaherty, and Buehler. All the rest were injured.

[User] But presumably those will be healthy next season. And IIRC Shohei should be pitching in 2025.

[Assistant] Ohtani will. He is projected to pitch in May or June, but will not be ready at the beginning of the year. Kershaw will not be available until July.


[User]
As a South Korean queer feminist, Hell no.
It's not "has Transphobic/Queerphobic origins" but "is an ongoing Transphobic/Queerphobic movement" in South Korea and if you name your movement after that, I don't trust you. I gladly have no sex and no relationship with men but naming it 4B? No.

[Assistant] Imagine naming your movement like, "The Final Solution for Misogyny" or something like that and expecting positive reactions...

[User] Reclaiming doesn't work when it's an active symbol of something else. your "queer-friendly 4B movement" doesn't work when Korean 4B activists are bullying trans people to death. How will you reclaim an ongoing violence?

[Assistant] Reclaiming doesn't work when it's an active symbol of something else. your "queer-friendly 4B movement" doesn't work when Korean 4B activists are bullying trans people to death. How will you reclaim a symbol of ongoing violence?


[User] Wow. Will be disappointing not to see him but I feel relieved for him to have some time to recover. Look forward to seeing him again in more “Adam” form. Thrilled for Shaidorov!

[Assistant] I wonder if three weeks will suffice though. When he started the 2024/2025 season he still seemed bothered by his ankle and so I wonder whether the injury he got over the summer (was it? I'm not so sure) was treated properly. But props to him for prioritizing the European and Worlds championships!

[User] I guess this means he is sitting out French nationals too? If so, hopefully he eases back into training after the 3 weeks!

[Assistant] If I'm not wrong they take place a few days before Christmas no? So perhaps just in time for Adam to participate? I'm not sure though because they haven't been very precise on the press release (which is fair)


[User]
I'm currently studying colors in Hebrew. There's a nice way to help remember some of them at least. For instance, the Hebrew word for "white" is "לבן" or "l-b-n." Seem familiar?

"Lebanon." The name for the region comes from the Phoenician, which is essentially identical to Hebrew.

[Assistant] It refers to the white capped mountains. Why would Lebanon use a word that's identical to Hebrew? Because Lebanon IS Phoenicia. It's not an Arab nation. It's a Canaanite nation living under Arab colonial occupation.

[User]
In Aramaic, the word for Camel is one letter different from the word for Rope.

Jesus probably said it’s as easy for a rich man to get into heaven as it is to get a rope through the eye of a needle. But when you tour Jerusalem, guides point out a low gate they say inspired the parable.

[Assistant] Hmm, I think in Hebrew white is le van, not leban. At least that is how I learned it. But still, origin might be true. Idk.


[User] The idea of asking someone to commission me directly, even when I want to be commissioned, is an absolute nightmare. If someone does, they probably aren't actually an artist. Make sure to double check who you're talking to if someone comes asking you to commission them.

[Assistant] I am *so* sick of what is obviously AI dorks knocking on your door saying "You have a great avatar would you like me to draw you a picture" in broken english.

[User]
If I were an artist, the thought of trying to coax people into commissioning me by sending them DMs would feel absurd.

As a non-artist? Yeah, still absurd.

[Assistant] If someone comes up and asks me to commission them unsolicited, they get ignored since *I WILL INITIATE THE INTERACTION FOR THAT.*


[User]
Oh man, the Dollwitch got a glow-up, huh?

Sad the medium doll isn't working the way I want them to (they're all slumped and tilted and *plain wrong and creepy*, but I'm not getting that across properly), and the smol doll, well, not a lot I *can* do when they're tiny...

...But the Dollwitch? 👩🍳👌

[Assistant] This *also* shows how far I've come in just a year, because OG Dollwitch? 2023. 😁

[User]
Oops, ooooone stray pixel there on the front leg!

Anyway, yes, both suitably ojou-sama-ish, and scary. You know she's going to *enjoy* stringing you up and watch you dance...

[Assistant] (She would, btw, be higher up than the protag. In my beautiful, theoretical Castle Cultured, the Warehouse would be the home of dolls and ghosts, and she would be an area "boss." Although I don't quite know what to do ghostwise.)


[User]
It is officially 3:30 in the morning.
The spookiest time of day, if you will.

[Assistant] Your circadian rhythm loves you :p Is that your voice?

[User] Get comfy. Enjoy that coffee!

[Assistant] You’re a. Agent of chaos 👀😈😅

[User] yes! exactly that ☝🏻😈

[Assistant] I hate that I didn't edit this lmaoo 🤦🏻♀


[User]
One of the most harrowing TV movies ever is the Thanksgiving Horror…

Dean Koontz’s Intensity

Molly Parker & John C McGinley give Oscar-caliber performances in a 3-hour horror masterpiece

Check out Meagan Navarro’s great intro!

1/2
@hauntedmeg.bsky.social
bloody-disgusting.com/editorials/3...

[Assistant]
Unfortunately it’s only on DVD, but the picture & sound are excellent. No extras b/c the the entire DVD is devoted to the gorgeous native 16:9 image.

It’s a perfect addition for Sarah’s #HorrorMoviesForTheHolidays challenge!

2/2
@spookysarahsays.bsky.social
www.amazon.com/DEAN-KOONTZS...

[User] Dude, McGinley is a force of nature and Molly Parker😍😍😍. Consider me sold.

[Assistant] It’s really a great movie.     I saw it several times years ago.


[User] I absolutely cannot stand uncertainty. It eats at me, gnaws at my peace of mind. If something is within my reach, I need to know I can get it, that it's achievable, and I need a clear path to it.

[Assistant] When things are left vague or up in the air, I feel lost, restless, and like there's a constant pressure weighing on me. But I also know that it's not always other people's responsibility to ease my uncertainty.

[User] If they can't help, or if they don't want to have a real conversation, then maybe it's better to just let things be. I'm not here to add stress or confusion.

[Assistant] I'm here to connect, to get to know each other, and to bring peace and happiness into each other's lives. If there's no effort, no clarity, no mutual energy, then what's the point? I'd rather leave things quiet and unresolved than have them linger in a space of uncertainty and discomfort.


[User]
Can you define your life in five things?

The categories are…

1. Film
2. Book
3. Song
4. Place
5. Possession

Here are mine:

[Assistant] 1. Film: Interstellar. Nolan's depiction of the 4th dimension of time blew my mind to pieces. Watch this movie every year.

[User] 2. Book: Notes from Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky. “The whole work of man really seems to consist in nothing but proving to himself every minute that he is a man and not a piano-key!”

[Assistant]
3. Song: Wave by Tom Jobim. Takes me back to my home country of Brazil, sitting at a beach, watching the natural beauty of that place.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGqz...

[User] 4. Place: the breakfast table in Ilhabela, drinking coffee with my family, talking about anything that comes to mind. Everyone is present, no phones in sight.

[Assistant] 5. Possession: it changes, but right now an Orioles t-shirt that I bought at the ballpark in Baltimore which got showered in beer (and since washed!) in a game against the Astros when Santander hit a grand slam to win the game in the bottom of the 8th. That's when I fell in love with baseball.


[User] If you ladies don't want to carry a firearm, how about bear mace?

[Assistant] If you do, make sure you get an extra can and go through a couple rounds of pulling it out of purse/pocket/etc and actually spraying something (a fence post or whatever). Dramatically reduces the likelihood of accidentally macing yourself.

[User] I live in a constitutional carry state, so I carry (I had a CWP before that).  But if I could only carry mace, I'd do all of the above.

[Assistant] It's exactly like any other kind of weapon. If you don't know how (and when) to use it properly and effectively, you're a danger to yourself everyone around you.


[User] @kylerossi.bsky.social and @bobmcdonaldwrites.com, when I said a post on the other app was written by AI:

[Assistant] I'll take your word for it, rather than sift through someone's attempt at turning their Ex-Bird Site account into shitty Tumblr.

[User] That's definitely one of those accounts that pisses me off by getting basically free engagement without any substance by gassing up players, and I basically stopped trying to fight it. EJayArrow is another one, though I think he's a real person.

[Assistant] I've never even heard of that guy.

[User] You know what, that's probably appropriate. I had a warped view of him from the algo shoveling him down my throat, but his engagement is shit. Two likes on every post with 11,000 followers.

[Assistant] But...he was featured on OPRAH!!!


[User] I really want the energy to lightly clean the kitchen but I don't know what will happen if I try. My kid asked to go to a store today but he only wants to go out After he's done other things and my willingness to go deteriorates over time.

[Assistant] Survive today!

[User] Thank you! It just doesn't feel right as a single parent.

[Assistant] I've loaded and started the dishwasher. Now I'm wondering if there's a type of rest that restores.


[User]
Life just hurts sometimes. God is good. He provides. Work is work.

And…we’re all still human and sometimes things are so unfair it brings tears and probably just always will. It’s a cost.

But, in the end, deep breath and do what you have to do for a while to get past it. +

[Assistant] For me, doubled my Wellbutrin Sunday. I just hit too many triggers at once. It was a hard day.  Brutal would be more like it. Like, there is no way the enemy didn’t say, “She’s obviously has had a few weeks, let’s hit her with this and this, and…if that doesn’t work, this will certainly do it.”+

[User]
In my opinion, Grace won.

But I saw it all and not reading it 5000 times is hard.

Just knowing that all those things are always going to get to me - it’s not a good feeling.

My opinions: I can ignore it, let it slide (again and again), let go, or just say enough. +

[Assistant]
For now, I don’t know. I think space is best. I don’t see how I’m doing good anyway.

And I’m tired of begging again and again for when other people have easy, light, fun access.

I show up and it’s like a curtain falls. Maybe I just am privileged to see authenticity.

But it’s a hard time. +


[User] I hate Maga. Good morning!

[Assistant] Me too! Good morning! ☕

[User] Hugs and good morning. I hope you have a good day 🤗

[Assistant] Hugs to you! Have a great day as well! 🤗

[User] Me too, good morning!

[Assistant] Good morning! Hugs!