Monthly Archives: September 2022
New Books and ARCs, 9/30/22
Posted on September 30, 2022 19 Comments
We’re closing out September with this quite lovely stack of new books and ARCs! What here would you like to take into the spooky season with you? Share in the comments. — JS
All Shot Up
Posted on September 29, 2022 42 Comments
I have two arms, so today I got two vaccines: On the left, this year’s edition of the flu shot, and on the right, the latest bivalent COVID booster. The latter is ever-so-slightly precipitate, as I caught COVID in June and therefore only barely inside the window for getting the booster, but inasmuch as I […]
The Big Idea: Rob Wilkins
Posted on September 29, 2022 17 Comments
Rob Wilkins was close enough to beloved author Terry Pratchett that the two of them shared the same Twitter account. From that vantage point Wilkins was able to see Pratchett as a friend, as a writer and as a human being – one who had a thing for hats, magical, metaphorical, and material. All of […]
How To Annoy Your Dog
Posted on September 28, 2022 14 Comments
Keep her securely in the house while these three creatures are wandering about the yard. Yes, she wanted to make friends with them, very much. However, it was reasonably certain these three would be fine not spending any time with her. Charlie is sulking about it. She will get over it, I’m sure. — JS
A Fancy Mustard Review
Posted on September 27, 2022 19 Comments
I went to a local market in Troy for Kewpie mayo, but they were sold out, so I sadly wandered the store looking for something else to buy. I came across these three flavors of mustard: I’d never heard of this brand before, but these mustards looked pretty quality, so I decided to grab all […]
The Big Idea: Laura Kat Young
Posted on September 27, 2022 4 Comments
Laura Kat Young was determined to write a story that she wanted to read, even if at first it was difficult to find a place for it amongst the shelves. Read on to see how The Butcher came to be. LAURA KAT YOUNG: An Eye for an Eye A horrible crime had just shocked the nation, and […]
The Opening of Oh! Boba
Posted on September 26, 2022 12 Comments
This past weekend, I went to the ribbon cutting ceremony of a new boba tea shop. The area in which I live is not particularly well known for its boba places, so this was quite exciting as someone who loves the stuff. Prior to this place opening in Troy about thirty minutes from me, the […]
Smudge Confronts Modern Technology and Is Less Than 100% Thrilled
Posted on September 26, 2022 10 Comments
The technology in question: A small drone, which Krissy’s work has given her so that she can cut down on the number of roofs she has to climb on in her role as a claims adjuster. She need to get some practice with it, but it’s an overly blustery day, so she decided to fire […]
Bleep Bleep
Posted on September 24, 2022 12 Comments
Did you know (and its attendant corollary, do you care) that you can take the AI Drummer tracks in Logic Pro X, transmute them into common MIDI, put entirely different sounds on them, and then load them up with effects and filters until they’re entirely unrecognizable? Which, uhhhh, is what I did here, for a […]
Trying Out A New Recipe: Half Baked Harvest’s Chocolate Chip Espresso Oatmeal Cookies
Posted on September 23, 2022 20 Comments
I made cookies! And if you couldn’t guess from the title, they were oatmeal cookies. With chocolate chips. And espresso powder. And other stuff, but for some reason only those ingredients are included in the title. Anyways, as I’ve mentioned before, Half Baked Harvest is one of my favorite food bloggers, so I was excited […]
The Big Idea: William C. Tracy
Posted on September 23, 2022 3 Comments
Always have a backup plan. And if that doesn’t work, have another back up plan… and another after that. Let’s just say Plan A didn’t work out for the characters in William C. Tracy’s new novel, Of Mycelium and Men. Follow along in his Big Idea as he tells you of their Plan B, and Plan […]
Even More New Music: “9/22/22 (The Last of the Summer Skies)”
Posted on September 22, 2022 2 Comments
Yes, I know, I’m on a bit of a tear with the music this week. My excuse for it this time is that I got a new virtual synth (this one) and I wanted to see what I could do with it. All the sounds in this composition are from this particular synth (including the […]
Why I’m (Probably) Not Going To Be Able To Give You Useful Advice Regarding Writer’s Block
Posted on September 22, 2022 22 Comments
I’ve had a couple of folks I don’t know well (or at all) recently ask me if I could give them advice about getting over writer’s block. The answer is “probably not,” and here’s why: 1. I have no idea what the root of your block is, and also, the chances are reasonably good that […]
The Big Idea: R. B. Lemberg
Posted on September 22, 2022 5 Comments
It can be hard to find the right words to express yourself. For author and linguist R. B. Lemberg, it might help that they have several languages to choose from. Come along in their Big Idea as they tell you about how language can be ever-changing, adaptable, or even restricting, and how this plays into […]
In Which My High School Gives Me An Award
Posted on September 21, 2022 21 Comments
I believe I mentioned just recently that Webb, my high school, is the sort of place that takes its annual reunion celebration seriously, and one of the things it does during the reunion weekend is to offer up three alumni awards, for Outstanding Achievement, for Distinguished Services, and to note a rising star amongst the […]
See You in Hell, Cursive Writing
Posted on September 20, 2022 103 Comments
The former president of Harvard has written an elegy for cursive writing in The Atlantic, noting that Kids These Days weren’t taught it (it slipped off national curriculum standards in the 2010s), don’t read it easily if at all, and wonders what this means for their ability to access the past, as many documents are […]
The Big Idea: Jennifer Estep
Posted on September 20, 2022 2 Comments
Sometimes, combining your favorite things can result in something even better than the individual things you put together. Like pineapple on pizza, or peanut butter on pickles. Or in author Jennifer Estep’s case, genres. Come along in the Big Idea for her newest novel, Only Bad Options, to see which genres she chose to perfectly […]
I’ll Be In a Movie At Sunset Time Today, So Here’s Yesterday’s Sunset, Which I Saved Up For a Situation Just Like This
Posted on September 19, 2022 5 Comments
You never know when you’re gonna need a spare sunset, am I right? Enjoy, and I hope you had a pleasant Monday. — JS
More New Music: “9/18/22 (Calm O’er the Campus)”
Posted on September 18, 2022 8 Comments
My high school’s reunion weekend is coming up — in exactly a month, as it happens — and it’ll also be the centennial of my school, and Webb is exactly the sort of place where reunions and centennials are a big deal. I was thinking about the school and the people I know from there […]
Universal Yums: September 2022 Review
Posted on September 18, 2022 13 Comments
Hey, everyone! Welcome back to another installment of me eating snacks. More specifically, the snacks I’m eating are from the Universal Yums September box! This month is South Korea, and here’s the lineup: Today, I had the pleasure of sharing these snacks with my friend that is visiting from Columbus, so her input will be […]
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