Could just be a hoax, though. I fake some headaches, everyone gets used to poor helpless Spike. Then one day, no warning, I snap a spine, bend a head back, drain 'em dry. Brilliant.

Spike ,'Potential'


Natter 78: I might need to watch some Buffy for inspiration

Off-topic discussion. Wanna talk about corsets, duct tape, butt kicking, or physics? This is the place. Detailed discussion of any current-season TV must be whitefonted.


lisah - Jul 14, 2026 1:31:18 am PDT #13324 of 13688
Punishingly Intricate

E is lucky to have you as his aunt!

I wish I had a robot butler right now. I woke up at 330 am starving and all the food is downstairs and I don’t want to wake up Bob just to fetch me a snack (especially now that there’s no reason for him to wake up and make sure I’m ok getting to the bathroom).


-t - Jul 14, 2026 8:19:38 am PDT #13325 of 13688
I am a woman of various inclinations and only some of the time are they to burn everything down in frustration

Robot butler would be good for that situation. I was going to suggest a helper monkey but we probably want to let sleeping monkeys lie. I hope you got back to sleep or something

Aw to E. I'm glad he told you, and knew he could.

I should be quoting what I'm responding to, I suppose, but y'all know who I'm talking to, right?


meara - Jul 14, 2026 8:24:27 am PDT #13326 of 13688

Helper monkey seems like fun until suddenly it wouldn’t be. Hope you did not starve to death overnight Lisah! Time to start hoarding upstairs snacks and drinks?


-t - Jul 14, 2026 8:40:28 am PDT #13327 of 13688
I am a woman of various inclinations and only some of the time are they to burn everything down in frustration

Oh, I like meara's thinking!


DavidS - Jul 14, 2026 8:49:02 am PDT #13328 of 13688
"Look, son, if it's good enough for Shirley Bassey, it's good enough for you."

lisah needs a snack basket. Or a minifridge. Or a dumbwaiter.

Or a helper monkey who travels by dumbwaiter. Why has that never been in a movie?

Or a Rube Goldberg contraption like Pee Wee's breakfast machine.

A tiny little train that chugs up the incline of the bannister and dumps Chex Mix into her mouth.

It's a glorious morning in San Francisco.

EM is coming over to do paperwork and listen to me complain about the great insurance switcheroo and my tedious travels through phone trees, then watch me give a two hour tour of the now cleaned nerdhole (all 40 square feet of it), and then lay out my Less Janky aesthetic and life plan.

My body is thoroughly stiff from yesterday's pilates and I've got another session at 2 today. Sore!

Today's goal: get my friend Betty's bday package in the mail. As you all know, getting things actually into the mail is about as difficult as free climbing the north face of El Capitan.


Trudy Booth - Jul 14, 2026 9:01:22 am PDT #13329 of 13688
Greece's financial crisis threatens to take down all of Western civilization - a civilization they themselves founded. A rather tragic irony - which is something they also invented. - Jon Stewart

Schrodinger's Senator. snerk.


lisah - Jul 14, 2026 9:46:56 am PDT #13330 of 13688
Punishingly Intricate

I did not starve! But I am thinking about storing snacks upstairs.


-t - Jul 14, 2026 9:53:19 am PDT #13331 of 13688
I am a woman of various inclinations and only some of the time are they to burn everything down in frustration

I also thought dumbwaiter! But now I'm thinking a Wallace & Gromit style device to deliver buttered toast or something would be a fun project. For someone.


Steph L. - Jul 14, 2026 9:57:16 am PDT #13332 of 13688
That which does not kill you should RUN

But now I'm thinking a Wallace & Gromit style device to deliver buttered toast or something would be a fun project. For someone.

Tim is always willing to tinker with mad science-style contraptions and shenanigans, but included in the fine print is that he cannot guarantee a delivery date. And by "delivery date," I mean "year."


Tom Scola - Jul 14, 2026 12:33:08 pm PDT #13333 of 13688
Where do you come from? Where do you go? What is your scene, baby? We just gotta know.

Oh no! RIP Randolph Mantooth.