Aberrant Eremite

Every now and then I accidentally judge someone else by the standards I use for myself, and it's fantastically cruel and unjust. Of course I never learn anything from this.

When I was a kid, I didn't realize that every song on the radio was about romance/sex. I thought they could be about all kinds of things! So in "All Out of Love," I thought he was singing "I know you were right/Believing the Solon." I vaguely knew that a Solon was some sort of authority figure, so..

"You are not immune to propaganda" Yes, I know, I suck, quit rubbing it in!

The Second Annual White House UFC Cage Match will pit enslaved immigrants against AI-powered robots, and the New York Times will treat it as a normal event.

Oh, now *two* CEOs have been booed by college students? Time for the columnists to load up their cancel-culture/campus-free-speech article templates.

We all think that everyone else is just a little dumber than we are. In smart people, this looks like the XKCD comic about feldspars. In dumb people, it looks like Donald Trump saying that not many people know the word "groceries."

Sometimes I think I have imposter syndrome, but then I see much more accomplished people claim that *they* have it, and that makes me think that I haven't really done enough to qualify for imposter syndrome.

At its most humane and useful, "vibecession" rhetoric is about pointing at desperate people and telling them that their experience doesn't matter.

It seems to me like a lot of people who don't normally have anything to say about disability rights are leaping at the chance to tell Black people to shut up.

The problem with the Trolley Problem is that it trains you to think in terms of *Who is disposable?* The real question isn't about lever pulling, but rather about stopping the psycho who keeps typing people to the tracks!

I was just opening a jar for my mother when it occurred to me: the Hulk is trans! He gets great strength, which is sometimes useful, but he's in a big weird ugly body that doesn't feel like his and his emotions are out of control. But She-Hulk enjoys her life. That's who he's meant to be!

Wait, people pronounce "chalk" with a silent L? People are going around saying "chawk"? "Chawkboard?" "Chawk it up to human error"? Absurd. Demented.

I just backed Shadowrun: Anarchy 2.0 on @kickstarter.com www.kickstarter.com/projects/bla...

My ADHD superpower is that if you ask me a question that's not about one of my special interests, I'll cry.

Proud to be the 1,348th backer 😎 on @BackerKit Crowdfunding for Cypher: Faster. Easier. And Even Better!! www.backerkit.com/c/projects/m...

Disappointed that there were no more Murderbot books to read, I decided to try other books by @marthawells.com . I am pleased to report that *City of Bones* is also delightful!

Proud to be the 323rd backer 😎 on @BackerKit Crowdfunding for Sometime Lofty Towers! www.backerkit.com/c/projects/b...

Yes, I flipped off a bigot harassing toddlers at a drag queen story hour. No, I won't apologize for it: www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXd7...

I think that Joe Abercrombie underestimates the toughness of the human skull. But damn can the man write a fight scene.

Played TTRPGs with the family over the long weekend. My Mom, who's not normally a gamer, was daunted by D&D, & I was bored with it, so we played @rustysellsword.com's Cortex, specifically @angille.bsky.social's Mythikal. Had a great time with a system that's wonderfully flexible & approachable.

THE CROWDFUND FOR NEW EDGE SWORD & SORCERY 2025 IS LIVE Three issues - a Sword & Planet special - a New Jirel of Joiry story... The more re-posts this gets, the more bonus stories will be added to this year's issues! Go here to learn more and back the magazine: www.backerkit.com/c/projects/b...

I just had a short story rejected in 3 hours and 20 minutes. A new record for me. I'm assuring myself that it's not because I suck *that* bad.

BEHOLD THE COVER REVEAL OF ISSUE #5 BY @pulidoarts.bsky.social! We will be revealing contributors to our 2025 issues in the days to come as we prepare for the crowdfunder in February! Make sure you're the first to be notified by clicking here: www.backerkit.com/call_to_act...

I got my first story rejection of the New Year! I'm telling myself that this is a good thing, as I've been too tired to submit for ... a long time. So trying and failing is better than not trying. Still stings every time, though.

NEW EDGE SWORD & SORCERY ISSUE FOUR is available now! Please enjoy these cropped samples of just *half* of the original B&W illustrations accompanying titanic tales and engrossing non-fiction related to this dynamic fantasy sub-genre. newedgeswordandsorcery.com/product-cate...

NEW EDGE SWORD & SORCERY ISSUE THREE is available now! Please enjoy these cropped samples of just *half* of the original B&W illustrations accompanying titanic tales and engrossing non-fiction related to this dynamic fantasy sub-genre. newedgeswordandsorcery.com/product-cate...

I somehow missed that @tkingfisher.com had come out with the fourth Paladin book! I'm reading it now with delight. I'm not normally a romance reader, so I sort of felt like the author was poking fun at me personally when a character said, "I thought it was well written, but soppy."

@newedgeswordmag.bsky.social totally got me with the old "the first hit's free, kid" trick. Issue 0 is fantastic - Howard-style weirdness and action with modern sensibilities. Now I'm going to have to buy some issues to get more of this!

Sarah Palin is pissed about being left off the list of malevolent buffoons being nominated for Cabinet posts. She says she was the original MAGA, and she kinda has a point. After all, you can't spell "palingenetic ultranationalism" without "Palin"!

This was one of the best things ever on Twitter! It makes me happy to see it again.