Penny had sat more in the new chair in my office than I have. And her bed is right there. I think she likes that swooped seat.
Tech writer, dad, gamer, mangler of the guitar. Aggie. Too many hobbies, not enough focus.
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Penny had sat more in the new chair in my office than I have. And her bed is right there. I think she likes that swooped seat.
We just voted for the 1st time in MD. And it was great: We received our ballots in the mail, we checked our candidate research & marked our votes, and dropped it off. TX made it harder to vote—removing polling places, shortening hours, etc. No need to take off work or stand in lines.
I use lists to help with reading my feed. I have politics in one list, art & books in another, and friendly folks I want to check in on easily. Some folks are also just ... noisy & can drown out quieter posters. I know you got a notification when I added you to one.
I left in time. I'm not surprised at all as the extreme Christian right has gained power in Texas. Government has no business pushing a religion on citizens. Especially one driven by rightwing hate. www.texastribune.org/2025/09/02/t...
Trump’s head is a hellhole.
I’m safe it turns out. But the economy in general is tenuous thanks to Trump. But tech esp feels iffy.
My trust in news is shaky. For the first time since 1983, I’m not subscribed to NYT or WaPo. Because of that lack of trust. I hate to say but I would rely on certain journalists on social media.
For the first time in a few years, I took 4 weeks off last year. This year, it’s 5, mainly for moving from TX to MD. I have no guilt. I would have 3-4 years ago.
Me: Back to work. Got a lot to do. CEO: We’re laying off 4000 thanks to AI.
Look at the video list on Brand’s YouTube channel. Whether for clicks or sincere belief, he’s all in for conspiracies.
I never found Brand (or Dennis Miller) that funny. The quick delivery w rapid references was often shallow. So their flips to nonsense aren’t surprising. But blaming deadly floods on chemtrails & seeding is disgusting. youtu.be/AyNX3Wo6Qv8?...
Democracy isn't an abstraction. Just a terribly useless answer all around.
I will say that 2 years ago in Dallas, someone not only forgot to turn off their phone but answered & carried on a conversation. I walked over & told them to leave. Others around applauded. Alamo Drafthouse will kick a dude out.
My wife, daughter, & I loved seeing Jaws on the big screen, as Laurel & I both saw it when we were kids in 1975. But it was the chattiest crowd I've seen. People in front of & behind me talked pretty much the whole time, incl a doofus saying the lines before the actors. Is movie etiquette dead?
It was also great to see a huge diversity of people there, to learn the history and enjoy the beauty of the area, to the ire of Trump supporters.
We took the short drive to Harpers Ferry today, mainly to get an idea of what's there. So no real hiking on the Appalachian Trail or the others in the area. I thought it was a beautiful area and just enjoyed the views. It was sunny 72 degrees F. Next time, we'll walk the Maryland Heights trail.
Great work. Love the design and finish.
I was too young to see The Exorcist & its R rating when it opened but saw it a couple years later w my older brother. Jaws was the first movie I saw more than once in the theater, though friends saw Blazing Saddles 2-3 times. My friends & I were into sharks that summer & fall.
I’ll watch if I ever see that it’s on though I don’t channel surf much these days. But I always find something to enjoy about it. I look forward to seeing it again in the theater, which I haven’t done since 1975.
I figured as much. A great sound for all your guitars.
I thought I might get an RCA 6v6gt black plate tube for the amp. A pure indulgence to have ~80 year old tubes. But wow the price has doubled in 2 years, when I last shopped. $80-100 + shipping. Used Swart Atomic Jr amps seem higher now, too. Mostly $1000-1200 vs $600-800 a couple of years ago.
Is that the Superchamp? Or the Twin?
UK Parliament has the Leader of the Opposition, who engages with the PM in the PM Questions *each week*. Their duty is explicitly a spokesperson of the opposition party (or coalition). The current House & Senate Min Leader are defacto in that role. Politics is about communicating w the public.
FWIW, your site’s article was listed *above* the AI summary. But, yes, this is a problem with the summaries: starving sites of visits and click throughs.
I still don’t trust the AI summaries. I’ve seen too many factual errors in them.
The AI response sounds like it looked for a review of a Robert Bloch work called Wargames. This is what I got when I slightly changed the search string to clarify: robert bloch's review of wargames
And probably why conservative resistance to change & nostalgia has little appeal to us.
Governors’ defense of their control of their national guard seems more critical as courts seem limited to check Trump’s abuses of power. Esp w this SCOTUS. What’s to keep Trump from his military occupations of US cities and worse? That military leaders aren’t resisting is a bad sign.
I saw this at a pretty young age simply by having Depression-era parents who were in their 40s when I was born. Their childhoods were vivid to me as a kid but so different. We had an encyclopedia set from the late 50s. Very cool thing but even as I used them in the 70s, I saw changes in the world.
I hope Gov Wes Moore continues to push back on Trump, whose secret police are already very active in MD. I wouldn't be surprised if Trump thinks Baltimore is easier prey. But I don't think it is.
Finally unpacked the boxes in my office & hung some new & favorite art. The guitars are here, too, w the idea I'll practice more this way. I'd like to add more original art as I can afford it. #comicart
Just moved to MD & on our way from Boston Fan Expo, we had our first apizza at Sally’s. LOVED it. Pizza in all its diversity is great.
They still do. Jasmine Crockett. Beto. Greg Cesar. Gene Wu.
I just sneezed loud enough that the strings on my guitar five feet away rang out.
Sooo….Sweet Shop will be available at least by Nov 12? ;)
Keeping it as an option (not default) doesn’t impinge on those who don’t want or need it. Also, users age so their needs change, including eyesight.
Yes. As an aging reader, I need it for double-page spreads and certain comics because of lettering (light on dark especially but a font now & then is hard to read in full-page mode on an 11-inch device). I see this as an accessibility feature. Guided is much better than zooming in.
I'd like to see Pritzker order the IL Natl Guard to disregard any order from Trump. I'm watching the Baltimore threat closely.
Are you now off Google & Google Drive completely? Anything in particular motivate you?
FYI I immediately cleaned up the bits from the oil before they burned, which is key to keep the oil clean & to avoid the bad after-smell.
Doh! I forgot to mention the marinade is with buttermilk. That might be obvious, but worth mentioning. I did NOT brine the chicken for this recipe (which I've done for 35+ years with turkey & chicken). The acidity of the buttermilk should do something similar.
Things I'd change: Don't add the 2 tsp of baking powder & use less flour. I kept the oil 325-350 well, but that batter got too done. The chicken, tho, was tasty & very moist. The wet batter clung well to the chicken after 11 hours of marinating. I'll try again before going back to dredging.
I realized it's been 4+ years since I last fried anything. I didn't stay with a tried & true recipe. No, I decided to do something I've not done before--fry chicken with a wet batter. And I improvised. It didn't marinate a full 24 hours, which is imp but I'm impatient. Details in alt text.
I like the word “so” apparently.
Good, spicy chicken 🍗 in this part of MD isn’t a thing. So, I’m marinating chicken in a buttermilk slurry for fried chicken tonight. I fry food maybe 1x a year. I got out of the habit. No cooking on the balcony either. So no grill or smoker for me. So it’s indoor frying.
FWIW, we moved to central MD—1 hr from Balt & DC, 2+ from Phil. We love it. People are super nice. Strong arts community. And it’s great to be among like minded folks who value diversity. Gorgeous area.
where we lived. Rep Marchant complained about “demographics” & focusing on areas w primarily white voters. The ‘23 map gerrymandered 24 again, as well as other weak R districts. And now…. TX Rs are making D voters irrelevant. We left for a state that protects women’s & gay marriage rights.
I’m a 6th generation Texan, and we just moved in June largely bc we didn’t want our daughter stuck in a state attacking her rights. The bad D turnout in ‘22 was demoralizing. TX Rs then went hard at Harris County voting, weakening D voters. Voters nearly flipped the 2003 gerrymandered 24th…
Yep. And…you can zoom in if needed to read, especially on two-page spreads.
That particular app is Kindle, for my Comixology/Amazon library. I also have Panels for DRM-free digital comics I’ve bought & downloaded on the iPad. I’ve primarily bought digital comics for 10+ years. iPad 11” is great for my older eyes.
Sleepy time Sleepy time All the time... She ran errands with me today--a load of old boxes to the recycling center, then a trip to the dog store for food, & car wash. Reading Uncanny X-Men in the best way. @gailsimone.bsky.social
As I told a friend last night, I want someone who doesn't think the goal is bipartisanship. We're in a modern Reconstruction era, and I want someone who learned from the 1st one.
I never got the appeal of Rawls, even tho I held to the ideal of "come let us reason together." But I defenestrated that ideal in 2000. He was even more optimistic than I saw as realistic, borrowing some of Martin Buber's woo woo. I like the idea of an alt to utilitarianism but I wasn't convinced.
GlobalComix is good for many comics. But Image seems to have many trades there, not individual issues. For those, I'll probably use Google Play Books. (Image is perhaps a good 60-70% of my purchases.) Humble Bundles are good for catching up on collections, not so much for new work.
which I barely have room for, I can't invest much in phys books. Also, I know Amz wasn't DRM-free, so this has long been an issue. But I could download & back up my purchases. To be clear, I don't support piracy.
Due to recent changes at Amazon/Comixology, I'm going elsewhere for DRM-free comics. I'm not sure about DC, Marvel, & IDW comics, though I rarely buy the first 2 anymore. Maybe physical? Maybe digital but no backups? Not sure. With 33 comic boxes ... www.diversetechgeek.com/where-buy-dr...
Anytime I buy or even think about Jeni's ice cream, I immediately hear this song. Not Tommy Tutone. youtu.be/XHTxqk_UxHo?...
Ooh. It's been a long time since I've read that. How do you think it ranks w Grimjack, Scout, and his Conan run? Grimjack is such a nostalgic love for me. But Hawkworld is such a good imaginative take.
I'm at the dog park, trying to enjoy it at dusk. But a woman is talking very loudly to her phone. We didn't want to hear her family drama. It's not even interesting drama. Alt text for Penny is up to.
I’ve seen a couple of cons & fests explicitly say “no AI” but all should do so. I now plan to give feedback to adopt that policy when I go to cons.
I'm a bit surprised that IDW's total digital sales (Comixology/Amazon, GlobalComix, Google, etc.) is only 5-7% of their annual revenue. I would have expect more in the the 10-15% range. I moved to digital a few years back (w occasional physical purchases). bleedingcool.com/comics/idw-o...
Sitting with Penny during lunch on the new patio furniture. She likes watching the neighbor dog and squirrels from the balcony.
A great Godzilla 4x5 risograph print that @gracekb-art.bsky.social bought me at Boston Expo. I love the style & custom embellishments by @thenazzaro.bsky.social .
Don't eat the M SNOW.
The whole drop-HBO-use-Max-bring-back-HBO thing was pretty subrosa. So they have no way of knowing about dumb rebranding.
First thing that came to mind with this challenge. #DrawaBird
If the attack on Bork hadn't happened, we still would have had Pat Buchanan's run, Newt, gerrymandering to push the party rightward, Limbaugh's attack on moderates, & the Southern takeover of the Republican party. And the racist Willie Horton ad. Shit. Why not blame LBJ's Daisy ad, too.
The Bork nonsense is long past tiresome, esp when people omit the context of Iran-Contra & D's warning they would reject his nom. Bork put party before the law before & would do so again. The ugly politics didn't start with Kennedy but with Reagan, something Reagan fanboys can't accept.
More than Reddit or other forums, FB is terrible for questions. Someone asked if they should cook onions & green peppers before adding to a meatloaf mix. 100x advice on meatloaf that doesn’t answer the question 20x “ugh peppers in meatloaf” 50x “use instead” 0 answers to q
I worked the 1980 election (for Anderson) & Reagan used "shining city on a hill" throughout, incl his Nov 3 speech. That said, Tom's a bit simplistic bc Reagan certainly heightened economic & Soviet fears. Reagan's optimism was with him, as the country spiraled down. The contrast was powerful.
The early days of CDs . . . I bought this & Astral Weeks on CD around the same time. I played the two constantly. I love English Settlement dearly, but I can admit Skylarking is a better album. It's amazing, esp given how tumultuous the recording was with Rundgren.
Shrug at the Machine Captain Public 10 Maniacs Tent Van Beethoven Impolite Femmes Son Picovolt
Big Gaseous Cloud Dexys Midnight Mallwalkers
This weekend I chatted w one of my fav inkers for Colan - Steve Leialoha. He said he inked w only pen for a long time, not inking with a brush until later. If I'm not mistaken, Palmer also used pens heavily. The variable lines w brushes would seem a great fit for Gene. But pen inks look great.
Sub, shoe … whatever’s at hand
Drunk Chad chucking his sub at an agent in DC has done more than nearly all Dem leaders.
He has long reminded me of Dukakis.
Along the lines of e-scooters & sidewalks …. Last week, one narrowly missed hitting me as I exited Staples. The guy was riding his on the sidewalk like it was the street. I see a lot on the sidewalk even though Maryland prohibits that.
@gracekb-art.bsky.social 's Krypto sketch went to a good home today. (I love this cosplay which is well done and seems to be her own take on the look.) Good final day at #bostonfanexpo
Great to meet @davewielgosz.bsky.social and @chrisrobinson.info at #bostonfanexpo. Terrific guys who are a blast to chat with. Check out their work. We had a good talk about their work & about indie comics.
Your art is great, and I love your logo lettering in particular. These 3 are different yet I see a family resemblance.
A great Big Barda upon request from @heatherantos.bsky.social as well as a sketch of Ben Grimm. I was glad to meet Heather & Michelle who are so friendly and nice. So many comic artists & writers are good folks...Steve Leiahola, Klaus Janson, & more.
A colonial Captain America at #bostonfanexpo
I don’t like pickles so I don’t eat chicken sandwiches. But based on their fried chicken, Layne’s might have a pretty good one because their chicken is moist but crunchy and comes in a good spicy version. I’m trying to find fried chicken in MD that has some flavor, but I’m coming up empty.
I know you said water but my head went to their sewer system, which is impressive.
Cloaca Maxima wasn’t built in a day. 😂 I was fascinated by a documentary on Roman road building. They were a civil engineering culture.
Is that a “rearrange the deck chairs” metaphor or a comment on aqueducts? ;)
Hell yeah. And…we’re *living* in a cancel culture: Cancel women, people of color, non-hetero people, non-cis people. Cancel the haters and fascists.
A quick sketch by @gracekb-art.bsky.social at the Boston Fan Expo. Shaggy Krypto ... the best Krypto?
I’ll be here as well, helping Grace. I might even contribute a con sketch. 😏
Cool. Will drop by. My daughter’s booth is A1108.
Before I read this post, I despaired at the futility of pointing out recent Trump admin racism because anyone who voted Trump are okay with racism. His racism is a feature, not a bug to Republicans.
His “facts don’t matter” is a shared mindset, not just among his most devout followers. Not that we give up on the facts, but they alone aren’t enough. Harris & Walz were more successful with calling them weird than anything else.
Desperate and stupid. While he craves being popular, he weirdly doesn’t care if an idea or policy is unpopular (or wrong). It’s hard to know if he even accepts any fact or poll contrary to his perception. He bullies what he wants into happening.
Leaving Boston Fan Expo late tonight , we saw 2 bunnies outside the convention hall.
In 2018, Beto’s senate run had a down ballot boost, thanks to a great campaign network. That’s one reason why Rs created the 2021 map, eliminating competitive districts like mine and leaving only 4 districts “competitive.” Plus Allred had 0 energy & excitement & failed to motivate the base. DOA.
I prefer "felon" to "convict," but it doesn't work as a simple reference. But, when we were in DC, I said that, if we ever saw him, I'll say, "Fuck you, you filthy felon." Laurel & Grace liked it. The Home Alone reference is barely noticeable but there. The alliteration is very satisfying.
But I definitely see dips in performance during certain parts of the day. Fortunately, through 3 pretty big thunderstorms in 2+ months, we've had no outage. But let's see what happens in the winter.
As a long-time FiOS customer (an early adopter since the CO was near our house in Carrollton), Spectrum/Xfinity is my only option here. My wife & I work remotely, so we must have good, stable Internet. So far, not as bad as I expected, though not great. Eero's having a sale, so that'll help.
New Haven is also home to one of the supposed original beef hamburger places--Louis' Lunch, which serves hamburgers the same way they did in 1900: A patty cooked vertically in a flame broiler and served on tasted bread with no condiments. www.youtube.com/shorts/aq5pA...