I finished Bat Eater this morning. I ended up really liking it, although it felt a bit rushed at the end. But I loved what the author did with the ghosts and the ways in which she had Cora change and grow.
I read a bit more of Teaching with AI, but so far it's been a lot of "What is AI? What do all of these letters mean?" background. I might actually skip some bits so I can get to the actual topic.
We finished season 2 of Severance today as well, so I am open for discussion if anyone wants to talk about it. I don't know how I would've ended it (not like that!), but it definitely gave E and I a lot of room to speculate about season 3 and what the focus will be.
We started Ted Lasso today and so far I'm not digging it too much; however, E seems to like it. There's just a lot of CONFLICT in the first 2 episodes and it's stressing me out.
Did you know there is a Jessica Fletcher action figure?! Sadly, it's pretty expensive and I have vowed not to buy a lot of unnecessary fan stuff like figures, but it's super tempting.
On Monday's outbound commute I finished the audiobook forEven Though I Knew the End. This is a supernatural/fantasy noir romance and it does pack a lot of all three of those things into its brief 4-hour runtime.
This book relies heavily on stock film noir tropes—the veteran down-and-out private (paranormal) investigator (here a lesbian, Helen, our protagonist) who drinks too much and is haunted by past mistakes, a mysterious and sexy female client with a unique case, and "just one last" job before the PI plans to quit and retire with a beloved romantic partner. I didn't find them overused—and seeing them reworked to queer and female characters was fun—but other readers may find them too worn out even here.
Because the book is so short, it moves along at a very rapid pace. The whole thing takes place over the course of two days—the final two days before Helen's soul debt is called due and she finally has to pay the price of her warlock bargain. In this way, any rush felt appropriate, since it fit both the size of the novel and the context of Helen's urgency to get this last job done before she has to pay up.
The characters weren't super developed, but again—4-hour runtime. They're a little stock character-y, but not total cardboard cut-outs. It was disappointing for me to see Helen make the same mistake at the end of the book that she did prior to the start, as if she hadn't really learned anything, but since the novel ends promptly after that, the story never has to reckon much with it.
Edith, Helen's girlfriend, was probably the most developed of the characters despite how little page time she got, and I was relieved she wasn't just the damsel in distress/goal object for Helen, which I was a bit worried about in the beginning. Edith has secrets and goals of her own.
Overall, the book was fine, and it entertained me well enough for a few days. Nothing extraordinary here, but nothing objectionable either. I will say I think keeping it short worked best for this book—I think drawing it out might have only weakened it. A fun little twist on a typical noir novel.
On Saturday afternoon, on the bus ride home, I finishedThe Traitor Baru Cormorant, because I couldn't wait until I got home to reach the end, despite a long history of reading-induced car sickness. It was totally worth it.
The Traitor Baru Cormorant is all fantasy politics. There's no magic or fairies or prophecies, just Seth Dickinson's invented world and the titanic machinations of Empire. And it iselectric. Tentatively, I'd make a comparison toThe Goblin Emperor, except that where TGE is about how Maia, completely unprepared for his role, is thrust into a viper's nest of politics,Baru Cormorant is about how Baru has painstakingly taught herself the ways of the empire and enters into the game fully prepared to rewrite the rules to her liking.
I was hanging on every page by the end, and first thing Sunday morning I was off to the library to pick up the sequel, which I started the same day. I cannot wait to see how Baru's story progresses! Hats off forBaru Cormorant!
So the cats are liable to make a break for it every time I open the front door. They don’t go far but they stay out for hours. Festis will scratch the door to be let in (she’s the level headed one) but Snow has to be corralled. Them being out is bad for them, me and the neighbors.
I’ve come up with a solution. The small laundry room has a door to the hall and a door to the back yard. If I close the hall door, no cats have access to an open door to outside. Then I have to make a big U turn round the back of the house to get to the car. This is inconvenient and I feel bad that cats don’t go out into the world with all those exciting smells.
I bought another cat tower to place in front of an open window. They can look at things but not touch. Until I can afford a catio, they’re inside. As much as I can control it.
Last night the cats were on the bed lying on their sides wrasslin’. Limbs entwined and paws stuck in each other's faces. And then they both fell asleep like that.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom continues to excel at playing right-wing whack-a-mole. On Monday, he quickly slapped down both Donald Trump Jr. and GOP Rep. Jason Smith of Missouri after they threw xenophobic jabs his way.
Trump Jr. appeared on right-wing pablum regurgitator Benny Johnson’s web show Monday, where the two discussed the back and forth between Newsom and GOP officials—including border czar Tom Homan, who threatened to arrest Newsom—regarding President Donald Trump’s illegal deployment of the National Guard in Los Angeles.
“No one's above the law—unless you're a leftist,” Trump Jr. joked.
Newsom quickly fired back on X, writing, “Promo code ARREST for 15% off your Trump Phone.”
It was a reference to the Trump family’s latest grift, “Trump Mobile,” a Trump-branded mobile service complete with a gold-plated “T1 phone” that the Trumps claim is “made in the USA” but is likely produced in China.
Meanwhile, eager not to be left out of a public spanking, Rep. Jason Smith attempted his Xeroxed version of a law-and-order attack.
“Governor, I suggest focusing on the lawlessness and crime in LA and San Francisco instead of auditioning for the 2028 Presidential primary with stale talking points,” he wrote on X.
Newsom responded with a rather embarrassing statistic.
”Your state’s homicide rate is 117% higher than California’s,” he wrote.
Trump and the GOP’s attacks on California have, in part, helped resuscitate Newsom’s political career, after he was justifiably criticized for statements placing him to the right of most Democrats following Trump’s inauguration.
Regardless, Newsom remains a target for Trump and the right, who remain hell-bent on turning Democratic-led states and municipalities into war zones, regardless of how many overtures Democrats make toward right-wing immigration policies.
As the country unites against the transparent authoritarianism of the Trump administration, Newsom has a chance to recalibrate, using his political acumen to do what’s right.
This year, they're giving away tote bags when people come in to get the printed bingo card. I got email on Friday saying the bags had arrived, so I went back to the Honan-Allston branch library this afternoon.
The bags are just like last year's, except printed in green instead of blue. I like last year's bag--it's the right size for me, and reasonably sturdy. I went to Lizzy's afterwards, bought pints, and put my insulated bag inside the library bag.
The prize for a bingo on the summer reading card is a sticker. I just printed a copy of the "more reading" bingo card, on which all the squares are for reading different kinds of books, and am filling in squares on both cards. So far, I haven't read anything that works for both bingo cards.
1. What’s the most memorable experience you’ve had related to your fandom(s)? I feel like everything in Smallville fandom has kinda blurred together. Maybe not a specific fandom, but in recent years, the excitement of running (well, co running) my first exchange was such a good feeling, as was the unexpected enthusiasm over Comment Bingo, when I finally got it up and running.
#2-12 2. Have you ever traveled to a location specifically because it was featured or related to your fandom(s)? No. When I went to Vancouver though, I was excited when I realized I could recognize the top of the building that they used as Oliver's penthouse/Queen Tower in Smallville. I still remember a LJ friend made a list of places that they film at, and I left it on my laptop and forgot that I wasn't planning on taking it, so I couldn't use it. IDK how much my family would be all for my Smallville related tour of Vancouver but I could've tried to see a couple of spots. Oh well.
3. Can you share about a time when fandom helped you through a difficult period? I don't know if there's a specific time, but fandom has always felt like an escape. I'm pretty closed off/keep things to myself, for better or for worse, and sometimes, I think I have been able to express myself online in a way that is a little harder to do in person. And people have always been kind and supportive and I have appreciated that a lot. I've left fandom multiple times but it's always easy to find a home here when I return.
4. What’s the longest you’ve ever waited in line for an event or release related to fandom? Probably a couple of hours. Both when I stood in line at Barnes N Nobles for the 7th Harry Potter book (had to go twice - one to get the ticket with the Letter Group I was in earlier in the day and the second time when they were actually opening the doors) or when I went to the midnight showing of The Dark Knight and had to be there at like, 9PM. Even then, we were further back than I planned so we could've gotten there sooner but the seats we ended up with weren't so bad, iirc.
5. Have you had the chance to meet any of the actors, musicians, authors, or creators from your fandom(s)? No, the closest I got was when I saw Shah Rukh Khan filming on my college campus and seeing Chris Evans in LA pre-Captain America. I was getting ice cream with a few friends and a premiere for Push had just let out. Dakota Fanning left fairly quickly, but I do remember he was hanging around. We recognized him but I didn't have a smart phone or anything for him to sign, so I didn't bother.
6. What’s the most treasured piece of merchandise you have that’s related to fandom? Bollywood may not be a fandom I was ever in much, but I was obsessed with Shah Rukh Khan as a teen and I was in London a few days after his Madame Tussaud's statue was revealed, so when we went, they had a SRK doll. I bought it and brought it back with me. I still have it. Also my sister once got me a Superman keychain from Six Flags and I still keep it on my lanyard. It's held up well! :D
7. Do you remember the first item you ever collected or received related to fandom? Not really. I had a lot of Shah Rukh Khan posters as a teen. I would assume it was something Superman related though since I've been a fan for so long.
8. What’s the most exciting fan event or panel you’ve attended? I've never attended any fan events/panels.
9. Have you participated in any challenges, collaborations, or competitions within fandom? Yes, I've been apart of land comms, bingo events (though I'm terrible about completing them!), fests, and exchanges. They're a lot of fun and have helped me get out of my comfort zone.
10. How did you feel the first time you saw your favorite character, band, or actor in person? I remember OneRepublic was part of this summer fest years ago and I was really excited to watch them live. I don't know how much I actually enjoy live music events/concerts, but that was a blast.
11. Have any of your family or friends become fans because of your influence? What was that like? My sister has actually ended up getting me into shows for the most part, because I barely watch anything and she gives a lot of things a shot (she was even watching Smallville before me). My dad watched Elementary because of me, since I wanted to, and he really liked it too, so we'd watch together.
12. What’s the most emotional moment you’ve had as a fan within your community? I remember when one of my LJ friends passed away. We weren't close, but we did work together on a fandom newsletter and I was just shocked. I'm sure many other people can relate unfortunately, but the way it all happened and escalated so quickly was a lot. I think that was the first time someone I knew online had passed away. Just so sad.
I swear, sometimes I think my oven is some kind of black hole or something, because sometimes the laws of physics seem to weirdly not apply. Yesterday, as planned, I made teriyaki meatballs. Because I don't understand how the recipe author got 28 meatballs out of 16 oz of ground meat, I had 32 oz of ground chicken, from which I made 28 ping pong ball sized meatballs. I baked 16 meatballs on one tray at 400°F for 20 minutes. It was the only tray in the oven. FOURTEEN out of the 16 were at least at 170°F when I took them out of the oven (generally I aim for 165° for fully cooked ground chicken) and checked with my instant read thermometer. TWO were at 143°F. They weren't even next to each other! Just 2 random meatballs that somehow didn't cook to the same temperature as EVERY OTHER meatball on the same tray in the same oven. I mean, I know ovens can have hot spots, so does my oven somehow have cool spots? Less hot spots? I mean, what the actual fuck???
There’s no question that getting in President Donald Trump’s good graces is costly. These days, Trump probably isn’t getting out of bed for something unless he can make at least seven figures off of it. But donors who ponied up for his 2024 presidential campaign are now reaping the rewards—namely, freedom from government oversight.
Earlier this month, the Environmental Protection Agencywithdrew a complaint against the GEO Group, a private contractor with approximately $1 billion in government contracts to run ICE detention centers and private prisons. And with the Trump administration increasing funding for immigration crackdowns by$150 billion, GEO could see anadditional $400 million in government contracts.
But who wants to see all that cash go to stupid stuff like worker safety and wages? Instead, companies can just max out donations to Trump and watch their troubles disappear.
Which is exactly what GEO did.
An ICE Processing Center in California, operated by GEO Group
Havingmaxed out its contributions to Trump’s 2024 campaign early on, along with $1 million to the Make America Great Again PAC and some smaller donations to other Republicans, GEO ultimately spent$3.7 million during the 2024 election cycle.
Those donations have already netted results, like the withdrawal of the EPA complaint, which alleged that GEO failed to provide proper protective gear for workers at an ICE facility in California. Halt, the chemical used by GEO, can cause skin burns and irreversible eye damage, so the law requires people to wear goggles, protective clothing, and special chemical-resistant gloves when using it.
The EPA complaint alleged that GEO failed to provide proper protective wear 1,137 times in 2022 and 2023. And with a fine of $3,558 per violation, GEO faced $4,045,446 in possible penalties.
But GEO had been training for this moment for years. It tapped Attorney General Pam Bondi as a lobbyist in 201 and hired high-level ICE officials, keeping that revolving door between government and contractor wide open. And then came the opportunity to spend millions on Trump’s campaign for a second term.
Right out of the gate, GEO has avoided more in potential fines than the total amount it spent in the 2024 election. That’s quite the bargain.
But wait, there’s more!
GEO was alsofacing a complaint by the National Labor Relations Board for its scuzzy and exploitative practice of making ICE detainees work at the facility for a wage of $1/day. Workers organized a labor strike, which is protected activity under the law. The NLRB complaintalleged that GEO threw two of the workers in solitary confinement as retaliation for their organizing activities.
This complaint was a big deal because it treated the detainees employed by GEO as, well, employees. That means that the National Labor Relations Act applies, including the requirement that they be paid the minimum wage. That would be a super-expensive thing for GEO to lose, but it would also mean that, going forward, they would have to treat detainees as workers, with all of the requirements and protections that apply.
The chances that GEO will ever have to deal with the NLRB complaint are incredibly low considering that the NLRB doesn’t really exist right now. When Trumpillegally fired the chair of the board, and the Supreme Court decided to let him do it, that left the NLRB without a quorum, so it can’t hear cases.
Elon Musk stands beside President Donald Trump, who he helped elect in 2024 with a massive $250 million donation.
GEO could use a break, as it hasn’t been as lucky in civil cases. It’s already on the hook for $23 million for its failure to pay the minimum wage to detainees working in its Washington State facility. That’s different from the lawsuit GEO just got the Supreme Court to take, where it argues that it should get the same immunity as the government, which would drastically decrease the avenues by which detainees could challenge any of their conditions.
Now, GEO is no Elon Musk, who saw an astonishingrate of return on the $250 million he spent to get Trump in office. Things are a little shaky for Musk right now, what with his messy breakup with Trump, but other Trump donors continue to reap rewards.
The Securities and Exchange Commissionwithdrew its lawsuit against cryptocurrency exchange Binance after it started working with the Trump family crypto grift machine, World Liberty Financial. And dozens of companies thatgave millions to Trump’s inauguration also faced federal enforcement actions, but 17 of those cases were dismissed by April.
The Trump administration is a terrific gift to companies like GEO. It’s a windfall for private companies combined with a complete refusal to meaningfully oversee them. What’s a few million dollars when the return isn’t just more federal contracts, but more insulation from consequences?
Dear Eric: My best friend of more than 35 years is waffling over attending my son's wedding. Her excuses for not coming are an as-yet-unplanned hiking trip in Europe (it would be her fourth in less than two years), and work, which she can easily get out of. This is my only child that will ever get married, and the wedding is in her former hometown where she still has family and friends. It's one easy flight. This friend stays with us three to four times a year for several weeks when she has work in town. My husband and I were allowed to invite four couples. Even my siblings aren't invited!
I'm incredibly hurt that she's even considering not coming. To me this has already caused a shift in my feelings toward her. I haven't spoken to her about it yet but intend to. Are my feelings unreasonable?
In Malaysia, five islands form Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park, a glittery turquoise oasis filled with coral reefs, parrotfish, seahorses, and green sea turtles.
Gaya, the largest of the five islands, is also home to the Gaya Island Resort: a luxury 5-star retreat nestled in an ancient rainforest that boasts stunning sea views, swim-up pools, and a spa village hidden amongst the mangroves.
But when guests have free time — between relaxing on massage tables and eating teppanyaki, shabu-shabu, and nabe — the resort challenges visitors to partake in local marine conservation efforts.
Ecotourism is a good way to get people involved, and maybe they'll want to stay involved.
New guidelines implemented at the Department of Veterans Affairs will allow health care providers to deny treatment to veterans who are unmarried or self-identified Democrats or affiliates of other political parties.
According to The Guardian, the change is due to President Donald Trump’s executive ordertitled “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government,” released on January 30.
The order is designed to enable discrimination against transgender people by undoing policies implemented by the Biden administration, which sought to expand civil rights.
Kenneth Kizer, who served as under secretary for health in the VA under President Bill Clinton, told The Guardian that the new guidelines would “seem to open the door to discrimination on the basis of anything that is not legally protected.”
Current laws do not rule out discrimination against transgender people or political ideology, in contrast to clear prohibitions on discrimination by sex and race.
Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins
Trump has expressed repeated hostility toward transgender people, evenrecently barring them from serving in the military. He’s alsorepeatedly falsely accused the Democratic Party and its leaders of crimes, making it unlikely that his administration would pursue cases of discrimination involving veterans who identify with groups that aren’t protected by existing law.
After The Guardian published its story, VA Secretary Doug Collins jumped on X to declare it “fake news.”
“This story is not only false, it’s ridiculous. All eligible Veterans will always be welcome at VA and will always receive the benefits and services they’ve earned under the law,” he wrote.
But the Trump administration has frequently said it will honor existing commitments or laws, only to go on and do whatever it wants.
The new guidelines are just the latest in a series of decisions that degrades the level of care offered to veterans who rely on the VA system.
The Trump administrationhas cut back on VA call centers, replacing human staff with automated systems. The change makes it more difficult for veterans to speak with staffers who can customize a care response based on their specific medical needs.
Collinshas been pushing to eliminate positions at the VA in line with the staff reductions done by the so-called Department of Government Efficiency.
Trumpalso cut a Biden-era mortgage assistance program that helped veterans in danger of losing their homes. At the same time, Trump’sban on transgender military personnel demonstrates his hostility toward people who have voluntarily signed up to defend the country.
Meanwhile, Trump was more than happy to—unsuccessfully—stage a military parade on his birthday on Saturday in Washington, D.C., despite veterans’ concerns about using the military as a partisan propaganda weapon.
Chris Purdy, an Army National Guard veteran who served in the Iraq War, protested against Trump’s deployment of the military in Los Angeles during an event at the U.S. Capitol on June 13.
“I'm seeing a lot of attacks on the apolitical nature of the military, on the veteran community itself,” Purdy told Time magazine. “And then, to kind of wrap it all up in this parade, it feels gross.”
President Donald Trump is in Canada for the Group of 7 summit, known as G7. While the group of world leaders is primarily focused on the escalating conflict between Iran and Israel, Trump used the worldwide media attention as an opportunity to make a case for Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, whose country was kicked to the curb in 2014.
“The G7 used to be the G8. Barack Obama and a person named Trudeau didn't want to have Russia,” Trump yammered during a photo session alongside Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. “And then I would say that that was a mistake, because I think you wouldn't have a war right now if you had Russia and, and you wouldn't have a war right now if Trump were president.”
“It was a mistake in that you spent so much time talking about Russia,” Trump said “He's no longer at the table. So it makes life more complicated. But you wouldn't have had the war. And, other than that, I think we're going to accomplish a lot.”
Trump’s unwavering loyalty to Russian interests and his inexplicable servility to dictator Putin have thrown the United States’ standing with the world into disarray. Trump’s very public support for Russia’s attempted annexation of Ukraine has been shameful, and Monday’s display was more of the same.
The Pew Research Center polled G7 countries’ citizens about their confidence in Trump and his ability to “do the right thing on world affairs” going into this week’s summit. The results are what you might expect.
We’re sorry to remind you of this, but it has officially been 10 years since Donald Trump announced his bid for presidency. Of course, he would have made the run a lot sooner if his spiritual adviser, Paula White, hadn’t told him that God thought it was too soon.
But when the now-convicted-felon announced his plans on June 16, 2015, he set in motion a whirlwind of changes to come over the next decade.
"Quite simply, it is time to bring real leadership to Washington,” Trump’s press release said at the time. “The fact is, the American Dream is dead—but if I win, I will bring it back bigger and better and stronger than ever before. Together we will Make America Great Again!"
In his efforts to Make America Great Again, the two-time president—who still might be vying for a third term—has done quite a bit of damage.
Over the past ten years, Trump has made America healthy again by pulling out some weird tricks, like suggesting people inject bleach to fight off COVID-19. Then again, he did later appoint an anti-vax fanatic to head the department that oversees the production and promotion of vaccines, so at least he is consistent.
And while he managed to make enemies out of a chunk of his first-term GOPers, like former Vice President Mike Pence—perhaps for almost getting him killed—he finally got to turn the White House into the reality show he always wanted. From “MTV Road Rules” to “Fox & Friends” the administration has its fair share of TV stars.
![[syndicated profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/feed.png){kind=small}
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
maevedarcy's 72 Multifandom questions to ask a fangirl. 
