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Tuesday, December 23rd, 2025 10:19 pm
Tuesday, December 23rd, 2025 11:12 pm
Dear Miss Manners: Several years ago, a divorced woman exactly my age moved in next door. I liked her very much and tried to become friends with her. ( Read more... )
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Tuesday, December 23rd, 2025 07:42 pm
Tuesday, December 23rd, 2025 08:16 pm
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Tuesday, December 23rd, 2025 04:12 pm
Here is a holiday recipe for you!
This fruitcake is incredibly rich and yummy. I got it from my Mom, who undoubtedly clipped it out of a newspaper or farm magazine. I note that it is up on Cooks.com these days.
California Fruitcake
3/4 Cup Flour We always used all purpose white flour.
1/4 tsp Baking Powder
1/4 tsp Soda
1 tsp Salt
3/4 Cup Brown Sugar Pack tightly into measuring cup.
1 1/2 Lbs Pitted Dates Mom used brown Medjool Dates common to Calif. I like to cut them in half.
1 1/2 to 2 Cup Dried Apricots Cut into halves or quarters. Pack tightly in measuring cup.
3 Cup Nut Meats (Walnut halves) in large pieces.
3 Eggs
1 tsp Vanilla
Mix all dry ingredients.
Add to fruit, coat fruit thoroughly with flour mix.
Beat eggs until foamy, add vanilla.
Pour Egg mix over dry ingredients & fruit. Gently stir in.
Line loaf pan (bread loaf pan) with wax paper or parchment paper.
Pack pan with mix.
Bake at 300 degrees 1 hour and 20 min.
Put small pan of water in oven with the fruitcakes while baking to help keep it moist.
When cool, wrap with tinfoil and store in a dark cool place for 4 to 6 weeks to blend flavors. Or eat immediately.
Storing give a much richer flavor. We tried it soaked in rum once, and never again. The flavors of this fruitcake are so rich that the alcohol dulled and muddied the taste.
This fruitcake is incredibly rich and yummy. I got it from my Mom, who undoubtedly clipped it out of a newspaper or farm magazine. I note that it is up on Cooks.com these days.
California Fruitcake
3/4 Cup Flour We always used all purpose white flour.
1/4 tsp Baking Powder
1/4 tsp Soda
1 tsp Salt
3/4 Cup Brown Sugar Pack tightly into measuring cup.
1 1/2 Lbs Pitted Dates Mom used brown Medjool Dates common to Calif. I like to cut them in half.
1 1/2 to 2 Cup Dried Apricots Cut into halves or quarters. Pack tightly in measuring cup.
3 Cup Nut Meats (Walnut halves) in large pieces.
3 Eggs
1 tsp Vanilla
Mix all dry ingredients.
Add to fruit, coat fruit thoroughly with flour mix.
Beat eggs until foamy, add vanilla.
Pour Egg mix over dry ingredients & fruit. Gently stir in.
Line loaf pan (bread loaf pan) with wax paper or parchment paper.
Pack pan with mix.
Bake at 300 degrees 1 hour and 20 min.
Put small pan of water in oven with the fruitcakes while baking to help keep it moist.
When cool, wrap with tinfoil and store in a dark cool place for 4 to 6 weeks to blend flavors. Or eat immediately.
Storing give a much richer flavor. We tried it soaked in rum once, and never again. The flavors of this fruitcake are so rich that the alcohol dulled and muddied the taste.
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Wednesday, December 24th, 2025 08:18 am
部首
彳 part 2
径, track/diameter; 待, to stay/to wait; 很, very ( pinyin )
https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?cdqrad=60
词汇
步行, to walk/go on foot; 逐步, gradually ( pinyin )
https://mandarinbean.com/new-hsk-4-word-list/
Guardian:
我宁愿待在这里, I'd rather stay here
我会逐步叫我的心腹干将来协助你的, I will gradually be calling my helpers to come and give you a hand
Me:
今天的天气糟糕得很。
步行就不行，目的地太远了。
彳 part 2
径, track/diameter; 待, to stay/to wait; 很, very ( pinyin )
https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?cdqrad=60
词汇
步行, to walk/go on foot; 逐步, gradually ( pinyin )
https://mandarinbean.com/new-hsk-4-word-list/
Guardian:
我宁愿待在这里, I'd rather stay here
我会逐步叫我的心腹干将来协助你的, I will gradually be calling my helpers to come and give you a hand
Me:
今天的天气糟糕得很。
步行就不行，目的地太远了。
Tuesday, December 23rd, 2025 02:26 pm
Not all audio in this group, though in part because three of them don't exist in audio (as far as I know).
You're the Problem, It's You by Emma R. Alban -- (audio) This is the same author as Don't Want You Like a Best Friend, and in fact this book is in the same continuity, with characters from the earlier book showing up in this one. M/M historic romance. Honestly, the things that bothered me about the previous book continued to be annoying in this one. The characters are modern teenagers dressed up in costume. The social dynamics, conversation, and language in general are intrusively contemporary. On top of that I didn't find the plot interesting and the final twist was obvious from a mile away. That said, the writing is technically competent, and if you like your historicals to be modern teenagers in cosplay, you might enjoy it.
The Brides of High Hill by Nghi Vo -- (audio) Part of the Singing Hills cycle, in which cleric Chi wanders around collecting stories with their sentient hoopoe bird. This one partakes strongly of horror elements. The climactic twist wasn't a surprise to me, though the details weren't obvious earlier. Quite solid, although not my favorite book in the series.
A Sweet Sting of Salt by Rose Sutherland -- (audio) Lovely writing! This is a not-revealed-until-very-late-but-obvious-if-you-know-the-tropes selkie story. F/f romance. The plot is both sweet and menacing, though the protagonist has a few "are you really that dense?" moments. Content notes for animal death and for main character peril but a happy ending.
Harvest Season by Annick Trent -- (print) I have loved everything I've read by Trent and should really track down the works of hers that I haven't read yet. Historic f/f romance short story. Sometime lovers get involved in labor activism for the weavers and find their chance to be together when they need to flee the law. The history feels very solid and the writing is gorgeous.
The Lotus Empire (The Burning Kingdoms #3) by Tasha Suri -- (audio) I had so very many thoughts when reading this, but my notes just say "very satisfying ending" (to the series). Alt-India. High politics, warfare, magic, and creeping infiltration by an alien presence whose goals are extremely different from what any of the humans might want. It gradually becomes apparent that this is a science fiction setting rather than a fantasy setting, without dropping any of the trappings of high fantasy. There has been a f/f romance thread throughout the series, with the pair alternating between lovers and deadly enemies. The romance wraps up in a much more satisfactory way than previous events led one to believe was possible. I loved loved loved this series.
I Shall Never Fall in Love by Hari Connor -- (graphic novel) I was charmed this graphic novel taking a queer twist on Jane Austen's Emma, which presents the Knightley character as a transmasculine age-mate to Emma and gives Emma a cousin who is mixed race and becomes the primary focus of Emma’s misdirected match-making. Much of the plot involves the Knightley character coming to terms and acceptance with their gender identity and Emma recognizing her romantic attraction to them. While the cast changes take the plot in some new directions, there are also parts where the story follows the beats of Austen’s original rather strongly.
Masters in this Hall by K.J. Charles -- (print) M/m historic romance. A short caper-style adventure involving characters related to the "Lily-White Boys" series, which ties in various characters seen in that continuity. Clever.
Bold Privateer by Jeannelle M. Ferreira -- (audio) Short f/f historic romantic adventure, written in Ferreira's usual poetic/impressionistic style. There is violence but no tragedy. This appears to involve characters related in some way to the protagonists of The Covert Captain, but who receive only a brief passing reference in that book.
A Ruse of Shadows (Lady Sherlock #8) by Sherry Thomas -- (audio) One of the things I've enjoyed about this Sherlock-Holmes-is-a-woman mystery/adventure series is how the non-linear presentation and severely unreliable viewpoints keep you guessing...and then you want to read it all again immediately to see how it fits together. Unfortunately I just wasn't feeling it in this one. The non-linearity shifted into incoherence I kept losing the plot (and I normally love that sort of thing).
The Duke's Sister and I by Emma-Claire Sunday -- (audio) I don't know what it is with so many of the current crop of sapphic historicals from major publishers being so...so MEH. The plot is generic and there isn't enough of it, the characters spend too much time angsting over their relationships, and it's only tenuously grounded in its alleged historic setting. It's not exactly *bad*, it just isn't *good*.
And that finishes up the 2024 reads. Only another whole year to go!
You're the Problem, It's You by Emma R. Alban -- (audio) This is the same author as Don't Want You Like a Best Friend, and in fact this book is in the same continuity, with characters from the earlier book showing up in this one. M/M historic romance. Honestly, the things that bothered me about the previous book continued to be annoying in this one. The characters are modern teenagers dressed up in costume. The social dynamics, conversation, and language in general are intrusively contemporary. On top of that I didn't find the plot interesting and the final twist was obvious from a mile away. That said, the writing is technically competent, and if you like your historicals to be modern teenagers in cosplay, you might enjoy it.
The Brides of High Hill by Nghi Vo -- (audio) Part of the Singing Hills cycle, in which cleric Chi wanders around collecting stories with their sentient hoopoe bird. This one partakes strongly of horror elements. The climactic twist wasn't a surprise to me, though the details weren't obvious earlier. Quite solid, although not my favorite book in the series.
A Sweet Sting of Salt by Rose Sutherland -- (audio) Lovely writing! This is a not-revealed-until-very-late-but-obvious-if-you-know-the-tropes selkie story. F/f romance. The plot is both sweet and menacing, though the protagonist has a few "are you really that dense?" moments. Content notes for animal death and for main character peril but a happy ending.
Harvest Season by Annick Trent -- (print) I have loved everything I've read by Trent and should really track down the works of hers that I haven't read yet. Historic f/f romance short story. Sometime lovers get involved in labor activism for the weavers and find their chance to be together when they need to flee the law. The history feels very solid and the writing is gorgeous.
The Lotus Empire (The Burning Kingdoms #3) by Tasha Suri -- (audio) I had so very many thoughts when reading this, but my notes just say "very satisfying ending" (to the series). Alt-India. High politics, warfare, magic, and creeping infiltration by an alien presence whose goals are extremely different from what any of the humans might want. It gradually becomes apparent that this is a science fiction setting rather than a fantasy setting, without dropping any of the trappings of high fantasy. There has been a f/f romance thread throughout the series, with the pair alternating between lovers and deadly enemies. The romance wraps up in a much more satisfactory way than previous events led one to believe was possible. I loved loved loved this series.
I Shall Never Fall in Love by Hari Connor -- (graphic novel) I was charmed this graphic novel taking a queer twist on Jane Austen's Emma, which presents the Knightley character as a transmasculine age-mate to Emma and gives Emma a cousin who is mixed race and becomes the primary focus of Emma’s misdirected match-making. Much of the plot involves the Knightley character coming to terms and acceptance with their gender identity and Emma recognizing her romantic attraction to them. While the cast changes take the plot in some new directions, there are also parts where the story follows the beats of Austen’s original rather strongly.
Masters in this Hall by K.J. Charles -- (print) M/m historic romance. A short caper-style adventure involving characters related to the "Lily-White Boys" series, which ties in various characters seen in that continuity. Clever.
Bold Privateer by Jeannelle M. Ferreira -- (audio) Short f/f historic romantic adventure, written in Ferreira's usual poetic/impressionistic style. There is violence but no tragedy. This appears to involve characters related in some way to the protagonists of The Covert Captain, but who receive only a brief passing reference in that book.
A Ruse of Shadows (Lady Sherlock #8) by Sherry Thomas -- (audio) One of the things I've enjoyed about this Sherlock-Holmes-is-a-woman mystery/adventure series is how the non-linear presentation and severely unreliable viewpoints keep you guessing...and then you want to read it all again immediately to see how it fits together. Unfortunately I just wasn't feeling it in this one. The non-linearity shifted into incoherence I kept losing the plot (and I normally love that sort of thing).
The Duke's Sister and I by Emma-Claire Sunday -- (audio) I don't know what it is with so many of the current crop of sapphic historicals from major publishers being so...so MEH. The plot is generic and there isn't enough of it, the characters spend too much time angsting over their relationships, and it's only tenuously grounded in its alleged historic setting. It's not exactly *bad*, it just isn't *good*.
And that finishes up the 2024 reads. Only another whole year to go!
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Tuesday, December 23rd, 2025 11:03 pm
Slightly to my surprise, earlier today I got a text from my GP saying approximately "yes your serum ferritin is now 'normal', but also, uh, by this we mean '15, with a reference range of 13-150, after six weeks of supplements', so... keep taking the supplements and we'll retest in six weeks!!!"
It is possible that the reason this actually got flagged at all was in fact that I've got a slightly elevated white cell count, and had I just had normal serum ferritin I'd have had to submit the "uhhh sooooo..." eConsult. Which I'd been gearing up to do, because the serum ferritin result showed up in the NHS app sooner than anything else!
Unfortunately, I had been working myself up to mentioning some Possible Additional Signs Of Concern in said eConsult (the various unimportant bleeding, like "there is usually old blood when I blow my nose BUT/AND I am very much using a steroid nasal spray every day") and I now have a solid excuse to keep putting it off for another six weeks, but hey. No longer officially anaemic! Pity about what's going to happen when I run out of supplementary iron, huh!
Tuesday, December 23rd, 2025 03:25 pm
Hello and thank you so much for offering one (or more!) of my fandoms! Below you’ll find some overall likes and DNWs, then under each fandom/pair you can find more details.
As always, Treats/Gifts are always welcome in Fanfic or Fanart format!
Likes: Missing Scenes from Canon, Happily Ever After, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Teamwork, Battle Couples, focus on the power of hope/love, Fairytale/Fantasy AUs, Action/Adventure, Dancing Together, Established Relationships, Domestic Fluff
Bonus Points(Major Likes!): anything cute with cats, forehead touches, there’s only one bed!, home being a person and not a place, Historical AUs (especially Regency, Victorian or 1920s)
Art-Specific Likes: Battle poses, forehead touches, dancing, cuddles, stylish outfits (I love J-Fashion like Lolita, Fairy Kei and Decora), historical outfits
DNW: noncon/dubcon, cheating, mentions of past relationships, character death (aside from canon), unrequited feelings, pregnancy/babyfic, ABO/Omegaverse, heavy kink, animal death, Soulmate AUs, PWP, whitewashing
Here’s a little more about what I like about each pair to help you along!
Magia Record:
Overall Magia Record Note: Please take the event Paradise Shift as the canon ending for the series if you explore that far (with the Tamaki’s on Earth, but a stable APS)
Alina Gray/Yura Hotaru
- this pair I love for their dynamic. Hotaru, despite being so sleepy, manages to somewhat hold her own around Alina. And yet, she also kind of enables Alina to cause more problems (girl why did you have duct tape in your bag and why did you give it to Alina?) making for a fun balance. Visually you’ve got Alina’s chaotic artist SceneKid vibe with Hotaru’s yume kawaii pastels. I also love that Alina highly compliments Hotaru’s artwork too. There’s just a lot of untapped potential and I’d love to see it explored!
Futaba Sana/Tamaki Iroha
- these two are just the epitome of gentle and sweet. I love how Iroha becomes this beacon of hope for Sana, and how Sana finds her bravery in order to protect Iroha. The growth you see with Sana in Arc 2, in which she becomes a picture book writer/artist is one of my faves and I’d love to see that explored through a more shippy lens. Also the slot machine short clip of them working at a cat cafe togetherwas deadly cute and I’d love to see that as a story as well.
Hiiragi Nemu/Satomi Touka
- I love whatever it is these two have going on. That range from bickering married couple to theatrical suicide pacts is quite impressive and they have such a wide range of potential. I loved to see their growth in canon and explorations of their character’s depth is always welcome here.
Sarasa Hanna/Sena Mikoto
- These two have such a great arc and two amazing events that explore their relationship in canon. But can I still want more? Oh very much so! Whether it’s a missing moment or AU, I’ll enjoy anything with these two so much.
Izumi Kanagi/Togame Momoko/Yakumo Mitama
Kazari Jun/Miwa Mitsune
Kira Temari/Komachi Mikura
Kisaki Emiri/Miyako Hinano
Hiroe Chiharu/Toki Sunao/Tokime Shizuka
- For any of these rarer pairs, I’d love anything that explores or expands on their canon relationships. How does their close friendship become something more? What might a missing scene for them look like? Whether you stick to canon or venture into a fun AU, I’d love to see these rarer pairs get their moments.
Pokemon:
Harujio | Lebanne/Yukari | Jacinthe
- Toxic Yuri in my Pokemon game? Yes please! I love the unique dynamic here, with Lebanne feeling frustrated by her lost bet that landed her in the situation, yet still clearly caring for Jacinthe deep down. And Jacinthe is so wonderful and fae-coded and I love her subtle chaos. Together they have such a fun and complex relationship and is love to see that explored. I’m especially fond of the trans woman Lebanne headcanon and am definitely open to that being an added factor to their story. But I’d also just love anything with them. Battling together, flirting, navigating the mess of their power dynamics- whatever flavor you pick I’m sure I’ll enjoy!
Matière | Emma/Grise | Griselle
- So I blame these fanarts for planting this pairing in my brain, because the idea of Griselle trying and failing at flirting because Emma is oblivious to it is just priceless. Emma, as a detective, seems to be quite good at picking up little details, so the idea of Griselle’s flirting flying over her head is just great. Give me a meet cute moment or the various ways Griselle’s tried to signal her interest before Emma finally catches on.
Corni | Korrina/Townie | Taunie
- So I played as the “male” MC (shhh she’s a butch lesbian now) just so I could have Taunie and it was totally worth it for the DLC. Why? Because the casual flirting between these two on your missions. They both seem to really respect each other as a trainer and I can definitely see them as a battle couple who takes on major challenges for a fun date. Let me see how love might blossom between them once we solve the hyperspace mysteries!
Macross Frontier:
Ranka Lee/Sheryl Nome
- I love the relationship between these two and their amazing outfits! So anything with a focus on fashion that’s shippy would be great.
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Tuesday, December 23rd, 2025 12:53 pm
I will probably see a couple more movies before the end of the year, and I’ll update the numbers accordingly, but I think otherwise my answers will pretty much stay the same.
NB I have reviews for most of the movies in my movies tag.
What TV shows did you watch a season of this year?
Creepshow, which wasn’t even good! It just had good guest stars! My trend of one full season of TV a year continues apace.
What TV shows did you DNF this year?
Severance. I got it out of the library, and I still didn’t want to finish it.
Legion. I watched one episode and then got distracted, but I’d like to try again. I do love Dan Stevens.
How many movies did you watch this year? Any trends in genre/viewing format/etc?
I had a Regal subscription for over half the year, so I had a HUGE uptick in new releases watched. Movie stats overall this year (not counting rewatches except where noted):
2025 movies: 30 (plus one that’s technically 2026)
Older movies: 34
Movies seen in the theater (new and old): 33
Movies seen otherwise: 32
I also rewatched two 2025 movies in the theater, three older movies in the theater, and six older movie at home, for a total of 38 total visits to the theater this year. That is definitely the most I have ever been to the theater in a year in my life, and I had a great time. I cancelled my Regal subscription because I thought I was burned out, but it’s been expired for five days and I already miss it, so I will probably resubscribe. I got way more use out of it than I did my Huly subscription last year and probably my Hulu and Netflix subscriptions combined (both of which I have since cancelled).
What were your movie trends for the year?
Most-watched actor: Jeffrey Combs once again, mostly due to rewatches at this point, but Doctor Mordrid, Dark House, and Onyx the Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls were all new.
Most-watched genre: Horror by a mile, thriller a very distant second.
Most-watched country of origin: USA, but Australia was second with three, so that’s neat.
What are your top movies you watched this year?
In terms of the sheer amount of joy and delight I derived from it, it’s probably Red Sonja. This is by no means the best movie I saw this year, but apparently it was the movie I needed.
Some other fave first-time watches, from this year unless noted:
- Cuckoo (2024). Weird weird xenobio shit, casually queer, Dan Stevens chewing the scenery. What’s not to love.
- Companion. Smart, fun comedy/thriller(?). Just so tightly written, and everyone was great, most of all Sophie Thatcher.
- Clown in a Cornfield. Another movie way smarter than it had to be, and with so much heart.
- Sinners. Gorgeous.
- On Swift Horses. I’m not saying it’s good, I’m just saying Jacord Elordi was very pretty and sad and gay.
- The Long Walk. I didn't love it as much as the book, but it understood the assignment, and I respect that.
- Hell House LLC: Carmichael Manor (2023). For pure horror, this is the scariest movie I saw this year.
- Wake Up Dead Man. Despite the heavy themes, this was ultimately a good entertaining time, just like the previous ones. I want ten more. 🙏
- Silent Night Deadly Night. A late-year surprise. I went in knowing basically nothing, and I had such a good time. I NEED a sequel.
- Red Rooms (2023). French-Canadian movie about women obsessed with serial killers. Stylish, femslashy as hell, an extremely precise and careful movie.
Other movies you saw this year that deserve more love
- Strange Harvest, a microbudget cosmic horror true crime mockumentary. Yes.
- Him, which absolutely did not deserve to get panned so universally. It had style and ambition, which is way more than I can say for lots of movies I saw this year.
- Onyx the Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls, a cheesy low-budget fantasy/horror movie with a lot more heart than it has any right to given how broad the comedy is.
Biggest disappointments
- Death of a Unicorn. >:( What a soulless, half-assed attempt at a horror comedy.
- The Conjuring 4. Even Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga couldn’t save this piece of dreck. Worse than 3, and that’s saying something.
Movies you finally got around to seeing for the first time
- Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974). Omg Chelsea of Dead Meat wasn’t being ironic; Leatherface IS baby. ;__;
- The Shining (1980). Fuck off, Jack Nicholson.
- Candyman (1992). Maybe trying to do too many things at once, but I was pleasantly surprised by how central the question of race was, and the romance/corruption arc was good stuff.
- Crash (1996). We definitely emphasized a different word in the phrase “erotic thriller” than I expected going in.
- Brokeback Mountain (2005). I respect it for what it was and meant at the time, but I did not love it. Heath Ledger was incredible though.
- The Mist (2007). It was fine.
Movies that you had the most fun talking about, whether they were good or bad
Probably either The Ugly Stepsister or The Long Walk, both because they have clear themes about (gross generalization here) characters doing their best in crapsack dystopias and showing how messy that gets emotionally for the characters. Lots to chew on in both of them, although I would say The Ugly Stepsister goes harder (which is impressive considering the other movie is the one where people get brutally shot in the head on screen every few minutes). The logistics of filming The Long Walk were also super interesting.
Did you rewatch any old faves? If so, which one was you favourite?
I got to see Re-Animator in the theater. <3 On film, with a recorded video message from Jeffrey Combs beforehand which someone played on their phone and held up for the audience to see. <333
What's the oldest movie you watched?
A Bucket of Blood, a 1959 thriller/satire.
What's the newest movie you watched?
LOL technically We Bury the Dead, which doesn’t hit wide release until the beginning of January. I saw it at a mystery movie screening.
Did you watch any movies outside of your usual preferred genre(s)?
Red Sonja is sword and sorcery, which I don't really watch, but partly because it doesn’t really exist as a movie genre these days. That may explain why it only got one day of theatrical release and zero marketing, which is a crying shame.
I watched indie drama Die My Love for Jennifer Lawrence and regretted it. I watched indie feminist/fable 100 Nights of Hero and… didn’t regret it, I guess, but I did think it sucked a lot on multiple axes. Every time I venture out of my horror niche, I end up thinking I should just watch more horror. :\
Any movies you're excited to watch in 2025?
I am aware of and excited about a surprising number of movies coming out next year!
Scream 7
Ready or Not 2
Dune 3
Wuthering Heights
The Bride
Iron Lung
NB I have reviews for most of the movies in my movies tag.
What TV shows did you watch a season of this year?
Creepshow, which wasn’t even good! It just had good guest stars! My trend of one full season of TV a year continues apace.
What TV shows did you DNF this year?
Severance. I got it out of the library, and I still didn’t want to finish it.
Legion. I watched one episode and then got distracted, but I’d like to try again. I do love Dan Stevens.
How many movies did you watch this year? Any trends in genre/viewing format/etc?
I had a Regal subscription for over half the year, so I had a HUGE uptick in new releases watched. Movie stats overall this year (not counting rewatches except where noted):
2025 movies: 30 (plus one that’s technically 2026)
Older movies: 34
Movies seen in the theater (new and old): 33
Movies seen otherwise: 32
I also rewatched two 2025 movies in the theater, three older movies in the theater, and six older movie at home, for a total of 38 total visits to the theater this year. That is definitely the most I have ever been to the theater in a year in my life, and I had a great time. I cancelled my Regal subscription because I thought I was burned out, but it’s been expired for five days and I already miss it, so I will probably resubscribe. I got way more use out of it than I did my Huly subscription last year and probably my Hulu and Netflix subscriptions combined (both of which I have since cancelled).
What were your movie trends for the year?
Most-watched actor: Jeffrey Combs once again, mostly due to rewatches at this point, but Doctor Mordrid, Dark House, and Onyx the Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls were all new.
Most-watched genre: Horror by a mile, thriller a very distant second.
Most-watched country of origin: USA, but Australia was second with three, so that’s neat.
What are your top movies you watched this year?
In terms of the sheer amount of joy and delight I derived from it, it’s probably Red Sonja. This is by no means the best movie I saw this year, but apparently it was the movie I needed.
Some other fave first-time watches, from this year unless noted:
- Cuckoo (2024). Weird weird xenobio shit, casually queer, Dan Stevens chewing the scenery. What’s not to love.
- Companion. Smart, fun comedy/thriller(?). Just so tightly written, and everyone was great, most of all Sophie Thatcher.
- Clown in a Cornfield. Another movie way smarter than it had to be, and with so much heart.
- Sinners. Gorgeous.
- On Swift Horses. I’m not saying it’s good, I’m just saying Jacord Elordi was very pretty and sad and gay.
- The Long Walk. I didn't love it as much as the book, but it understood the assignment, and I respect that.
- Hell House LLC: Carmichael Manor (2023). For pure horror, this is the scariest movie I saw this year.
- Wake Up Dead Man. Despite the heavy themes, this was ultimately a good entertaining time, just like the previous ones. I want ten more. 🙏
- Silent Night Deadly Night. A late-year surprise. I went in knowing basically nothing, and I had such a good time. I NEED a sequel.
- Red Rooms (2023). French-Canadian movie about women obsessed with serial killers. Stylish, femslashy as hell, an extremely precise and careful movie.
Other movies you saw this year that deserve more love
- Strange Harvest, a microbudget cosmic horror true crime mockumentary. Yes.
- Him, which absolutely did not deserve to get panned so universally. It had style and ambition, which is way more than I can say for lots of movies I saw this year.
- Onyx the Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls, a cheesy low-budget fantasy/horror movie with a lot more heart than it has any right to given how broad the comedy is.
Biggest disappointments
- Death of a Unicorn. >:( What a soulless, half-assed attempt at a horror comedy.
- The Conjuring 4. Even Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga couldn’t save this piece of dreck. Worse than 3, and that’s saying something.
Movies you finally got around to seeing for the first time
- Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974). Omg Chelsea of Dead Meat wasn’t being ironic; Leatherface IS baby. ;__;
- The Shining (1980). Fuck off, Jack Nicholson.
- Candyman (1992). Maybe trying to do too many things at once, but I was pleasantly surprised by how central the question of race was, and the romance/corruption arc was good stuff.
- Crash (1996). We definitely emphasized a different word in the phrase “erotic thriller” than I expected going in.
- Brokeback Mountain (2005). I respect it for what it was and meant at the time, but I did not love it. Heath Ledger was incredible though.
- The Mist (2007). It was fine.
Movies that you had the most fun talking about, whether they were good or bad
Probably either The Ugly Stepsister or The Long Walk, both because they have clear themes about (gross generalization here) characters doing their best in crapsack dystopias and showing how messy that gets emotionally for the characters. Lots to chew on in both of them, although I would say The Ugly Stepsister goes harder (which is impressive considering the other movie is the one where people get brutally shot in the head on screen every few minutes). The logistics of filming The Long Walk were also super interesting.
Did you rewatch any old faves? If so, which one was you favourite?
I got to see Re-Animator in the theater. <3 On film, with a recorded video message from Jeffrey Combs beforehand which someone played on their phone and held up for the audience to see. <333
What's the oldest movie you watched?
A Bucket of Blood, a 1959 thriller/satire.
What's the newest movie you watched?
LOL technically We Bury the Dead, which doesn’t hit wide release until the beginning of January. I saw it at a mystery movie screening.
Did you watch any movies outside of your usual preferred genre(s)?
Red Sonja is sword and sorcery, which I don't really watch, but partly because it doesn’t really exist as a movie genre these days. That may explain why it only got one day of theatrical release and zero marketing, which is a crying shame.
I watched indie drama Die My Love for Jennifer Lawrence and regretted it. I watched indie feminist/fable 100 Nights of Hero and… didn’t regret it, I guess, but I did think it sucked a lot on multiple axes. Every time I venture out of my horror niche, I end up thinking I should just watch more horror. :\
Any movies you're excited to watch in 2025?
I am aware of and excited about a surprising number of movies coming out next year!
Scream 7
Ready or Not 2
Dune 3
Wuthering Heights
The Bride
Iron Lung
Tuesday, December 23rd, 2025 02:50 pm
Some while ago I was taking R and her kids for green card photos, and as we left their apartment, her two middle children, the boys (about nine and twelve years old), started asking me urgent questions along these lines:
"Under here," (indicating the apartment building) "is there something?"
"Something like what?" I asked.
"Something ... like another house? Where people live?"
"Most buildings around here have basements," I said. "So there's probably a basement. A place for storing things and for machinery for the building. But no one lives in it." Then, thinking about how there are, in fact, basement apartments, I said, "Sometimes people do live in the basement. But if people are living there, then there are little windows here." (I pointed at the ground line of the apartment building.) "Your building doesn't have any, see? So no one lives down there."
"No, no," said the older one. "Not just under here. Under all this." This time he spread his arms to indicate the roads, the other apartment buildings.
Remembering the Spanish teacher I had in Medellín who confessed to believing in lizard people in her younger days (and still seemed to find the possibility credible), I said, "No. There's no one living under all this."
"But then what's this?" they both asked, taking me over to a mysterious circular trap-door-like thing in the snow:
mystery portal in situ
mystery portal up close
You can't tell from the photos--which I took some days after the fact; we were in a hurry that day--but it's quite large, maybe twice the diameter of a manhole cover, maybe a little larger even than that.
"I don't know what that's for," I confessed. "But I promise you, no one lives down there."
They looked at me half skeptically, half pityingly, and honestly, in the moment I definitely felt doubtful myself. Maybe there was a secret research center down there? A hidden playground? Handy micro nuclear missile silo? Storehouse of extortionate landlord gains? Might not the evil apartment management company, when it receives payment, convert it directly into gold bars and store it under there?
Who can honestly say?
"Under here," (indicating the apartment building) "is there something?"
"Something like what?" I asked.
"Something ... like another house? Where people live?"
"Most buildings around here have basements," I said. "So there's probably a basement. A place for storing things and for machinery for the building. But no one lives in it." Then, thinking about how there are, in fact, basement apartments, I said, "Sometimes people do live in the basement. But if people are living there, then there are little windows here." (I pointed at the ground line of the apartment building.) "Your building doesn't have any, see? So no one lives down there."
"No, no," said the older one. "Not just under here. Under all this." This time he spread his arms to indicate the roads, the other apartment buildings.
Remembering the Spanish teacher I had in Medellín who confessed to believing in lizard people in her younger days (and still seemed to find the possibility credible), I said, "No. There's no one living under all this."
"But then what's this?" they both asked, taking me over to a mysterious circular trap-door-like thing in the snow:
mystery portal in situ
mystery portal up close
You can't tell from the photos--which I took some days after the fact; we were in a hurry that day--but it's quite large, maybe twice the diameter of a manhole cover, maybe a little larger even than that.
"I don't know what that's for," I confessed. "But I promise you, no one lives down there."
They looked at me half skeptically, half pityingly, and honestly, in the moment I definitely felt doubtful myself. Maybe there was a secret research center down there? A hidden playground? Handy micro nuclear missile silo? Storehouse of extortionate landlord gains? Might not the evil apartment management company, when it receives payment, convert it directly into gold bars and store it under there?
Who can honestly say?
Tags:
Tuesday, December 23rd, 2025 07:08 pm
I wasn't expecting this today, but here's another RPG bundle in the run-up to Christmas. This is "the Cypher System horror game of an eldritch alternate Appalachia," which seems to be inspired by the work of authors such as Manley Wade Wellman - basically, small-town 1900s American horror - and by a series of podcasts describing an alternate history set against this background. I have no idea if the podcasts are readily available outside the USA.
https://bundleofholding.com/presents/Appalachia
I'm not really into horror much at the moment, but it's cheap, nicely presented and looks like a playable system. Mostly the mythology it draws on originates from Native American tribal sources and European legends. Since this is largely inspired by a podcast series I'm linking to it below, it might be worth checking it out before you decide if you want to buy.
https://www.oldgodsofappalachia.com/
https://bundleofholding.com/presents/Appalachia
I'm not really into horror much at the moment, but it's cheap, nicely presented and looks like a playable system. Mostly the mythology it draws on originates from Native American tribal sources and European legends. Since this is largely inspired by a podcast series I'm linking to it below, it might be worth checking it out before you decide if you want to buy.
https://www.oldgodsofappalachia.com/
Tuesday, December 23rd, 2025 06:20 pm
This may be my last Jensen time of 2025... enjoy!
Tags:
Tuesday, December 23rd, 2025 01:08 pm
Tuesday, December 23rd, 2025 05:41 pm
If I get all the ideas out of my head, then I'll be able to write a mini-promo post for the fandom that doesn't just consist of a couple of screenshots with me pointing and screeching, right?
...Right?! 😨
Looking great | K-9 | Fujimaru Jin/Hizuki Ren/Kagari Yukito/Oboro Yuushirou | 1.6k words | rated T
Summary: After an incident, it's decided that it would be better for the four of them to stay in Akihabara during the investigation.
Read it on Dreamwidth or on AO3.
...Right?! 😨
Looking great | K-9 | Fujimaru Jin/Hizuki Ren/Kagari Yukito/Oboro Yuushirou | 1.6k words | rated T
Summary: After an incident, it's decided that it would be better for the four of them to stay in Akihabara during the investigation.
Read it on Dreamwidth or on AO3.
Tags:
Tuesday, December 23rd, 2025 12:46 pm
A few months (?) ago, Discord updated on my computer and promptly stopped working. [It would technically launch, but the program window was just a blank rectangle.) Subsequent updates (which happen pretty much every time I relaunch my browser) installed cheerfully enough and made no difference. I grumpily chalked it up to not having updated my OS in ages (I'm very resistant, but usually enough things eventually get creaky or stop working that I give in and get ![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
scruloose to update the system), and since Discord was still working on my phone, I figured that was that for the foreseeable future.
Then a couple of days ago, I let Discord install its newest update...and suddenly everything worked again. o_o I certainly wasn't going to complain, but it surprised me enough that I mentioned it to Kas on the weekend, and having just dealt with some Discord shenaniganry himself, he had an answer: Discord has decided it doesn't play nicely with some VPN locations, and I had happened to change my location setting to one it liked.
I mostly lurk on Discord, but there are a couple where I make tentative attempts at being social, and my dislike of typing more than a sentence or two at a time on my phone meant I was even quieter than usual for a while there, so this is a good development. But also, WTF, Discord.
Did I forget to mention the new-to-me Christmas ice cream here? It looks like I did.
A local ice creamery (Dee Dee's) does Advent calendars, which I had largely forgotten about until I saw mention of it on Bluesky, at which point I was safe from ordering one (too late!), but it got me to look at their seasonal flavors. Next thing I knew, I was askingscruloose to stop at a local-groceries shop that carries their ice creams, because I had to know what the chicken bones* flavor was like.( more about that, plus a cheese stash )
scruloose to update the system), and since Discord was still working on my phone, I figured that was that for the foreseeable future.Then a couple of days ago, I let Discord install its newest update...and suddenly everything worked again. o_o I certainly wasn't going to complain, but it surprised me enough that I mentioned it to Kas on the weekend, and having just dealt with some Discord shenaniganry himself, he had an answer: Discord has decided it doesn't play nicely with some VPN locations, and I had happened to change my location setting to one it liked.
I mostly lurk on Discord, but there are a couple where I make tentative attempts at being social, and my dislike of typing more than a sentence or two at a time on my phone meant I was even quieter than usual for a while there, so this is a good development. But also, WTF, Discord.
Did I forget to mention the new-to-me Christmas ice cream here? It looks like I did.
A local ice creamery (Dee Dee's) does Advent calendars, which I had largely forgotten about until I saw mention of it on Bluesky, at which point I was safe from ordering one (too late!), but it got me to look at their seasonal flavors. Next thing I knew, I was asking
scruloose to stop at a local-groceries shop that carries their ice creams, because I had to know what the chicken bones* flavor was like.( more about that, plus a cheese stash )
Tuesday, December 23rd, 2025 10:59 am
Tags:
Tuesday, December 23rd, 2025 10:58 am