I want to torture you. I used to love it, and it's been a long time. I mean, the last time I tortured someone, they didn't even have chainsaws.

Angel ,'Chosen'


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.


Steph L. - Jan 30, 2025 2:48:24 pm PST #5000 of 5937
I look more rad than Lutheranism

Shocking nobody, he is blaming "diversity"

Only a straight white cisgender dude could have prevented this! Gosh, if only Trump hadn't immediately fired the white dude (I don't want to make any assumptions about his gender or sexual orientation) in charge of the FAA as soon as he got into office last week.


meara - Jan 30, 2025 3:15:11 pm PST #5001 of 5937

If only the Blackhawk pilot hadn’t been distracted by the transgenders? I mean FFS.


Matt the Bruins fan - Jan 30, 2025 4:36:20 pm PST #5002 of 5937
"I remember when they eventually introduced that drug kingpin who murdered people and smuggled drugs inside snakes and I was like 'Finally. A normal person.'” —RahvinDragand

Thanks for all the well-wishes, everyone. Mom's procedure went fine, and her doctor seems to think that continuing in that vein rather than risking general anesthesia for surgery in the hospital is the way to go moving forward.

If only the Blackhawk pilot hadn’t been distracted by the transgenders? I mean FFS.

I hope he gets enough blowback on that executive memo to keep his BP firmly above 300.


erikaj - Jan 30, 2025 4:41:01 pm PST #5003 of 5937
Always Anti-fascist!

I feel that, MattTBF.


msbelle - Jan 30, 2025 5:04:10 pm PST #5004 of 5937
I remember the crazy days. 500 posts an hour. Nubmer! Natgbsb

Glad it went well Matt.


Calli - Jan 30, 2025 5:28:08 pm PST #5005 of 5937
I must obey the inscrutable exhortations of my soul—Calvin and Hobbs

I’m glad your mom’s procedure went well, Matt.

Barkley sounds adorable!

We’re still doing DEIA work and there don’t seem to be plans for that to change at the moment. I work at a private university, so that helps.


Cashmere - Jan 30, 2025 7:30:44 pm PST #5006 of 5937
Now tagless for your comfort.

Glad your mom’s procedure went okay, Matt.

I attended my first class at the local technical college in nonprofit leadership. I am in the class with the founder/director of the local Pride event and he is excited about my idea for a Queer Resource Center.


DavidS - Jan 31, 2025 12:09:15 am PST #5007 of 5937
"Look, son, if it's good enough for Shirley Bassey, it's good enough for you."

about my idea for a Queer Resource Center.

I see synergy coming with the roller derby community.

Dropped Matilda and her luggage off at the CIEE center this morning then came back to the Ryokan, put up a DND sign and took a frickin' nap.

Matilda has met her fellow students. They are all a bit shy, but Matilda (much like Cybervixen at the first F2F) is a human icebreaker and she got them talking by the end of day. Matilda typically bonds with the teachers even more than the students and that was no different here as she got on well with Sayako, who had lived 10 years stateside, four in the Bay Area.

In about an hour, Matilda will meet her host family and they will take her home to Osaka where she will spend the weekend. I probably won't see her again before I leave on Monday, but I thought I wouldn't see her after I dropped her off this morning and she forgot her scarf, so I made my way back to the center this afternoon and delivered it and got a big hug from her.

So far my cunning plan to awaken Matilda from her grief torpor seems to be working. The minute we walked into our room at the Ryokan, she put on her Yukata (robe) and sat down at the low table and began to work on her phrasebook.

She has not shown a jot of interest in any academics since JZ was diagnosed so it's heartening to see her engage with learning here.

ION, I just discovered I'm about 4 blocks from Kyoto's best cocktail bar, and that's about two blocks from an otter cafe. I'm just not going to exhaust this neighborhood before I have to leave.


Theodosia - Jan 31, 2025 3:37:46 am PST #5008 of 5937
'we all walk this earth feeling we are frauds. The trick is to be grateful and hope the caper doesn't end any time soon"

Alas, the crash is big news here in Boston, several prominent members of our very competitive skating club were on the flight.

All of Trump's deficits were on display in his 'press conference'. Such a strong and decisive leader!

Am I perhaps a touch bitter?


lisah - Jan 31, 2025 5:42:58 am PST #5009 of 5937
Punishingly Intricate

David, I’m so happy you and Matilda were able to take this trip and she is going all in on being there. JZ would be so proud of her. And, in the brief time I’ve spent with her, I can definitely see how she’d play that icebreaker role. The group is lucky to have her with them!