A Democratic party that wants to win rather than one that just desperately fears losing? Are we allowed to have that?
Peter Cashwell
@petercashwell.bsky.social
Writer, birder, teacher, generalist. Author of THE VERB 'TO BIRD', ALONG THOSE LINES, THE AMAZING Q, etc. Tar Heel Born and Honorary Substitute Legionnaire. he/him. guitar/keyboards/vocals.
If you ever want to see whether a great short story requires a plot--or characters--this story is a good test.
Adam Rawnsley@arawnsley.bsky.social · yesterdayToday, August 4, 2026, is the setting of Ray Bradbury’s short story “There Will Come Soft Rains” about a fully automated house continuing on after the family who lived there and the world around it died in a nuclear blast.
Is it just me, or are the markets for original F/SF short fiction reeeeeeeeeeally limited right now?
Something new for me: After the short story I submitted in February vanished into the online system, and after the request for an update I sent in June went unacknowledged, I have for the first time ever withdrawn a piece of writing from consideration.
I feel good. I just submitted two short stories to two different publications and got to affirm proudly that I didn't use AI on two different platforms.
Mr Bean's Middle Finger Gesture
ALT: Mr Bean's Middle Finger Gesture
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Film you’ve watched more than six times with a GIF. Hard mode: no Star Trek, Star Wars, LOTR, Marvel, Disney, or Ghibli.
Monty Python And The Holy Grail Heart Attack
Alt: Monty Python And The Holy Grail Heart Attack
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PJ, Sports Enjoyer🇸🇪🇺🇸@ptros.bsky.social · 6d agoFilm you’ve watched more than six times with a GIF. Hard mode: no Star Trek, Star Wars, LOTR, Marvel, Disney, or Ghibli.
I still have one bottle of Founder's Canadian Breakfast Stout remaining... and I just finished the last assignment for the last required course for my endorsement...
Man Laughing with Beer in Pub
ALT: Man Laughing with Beer in Pub
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And lo! Kathye appearid and we hung out Sharinge draughtes from the bottel so sharpe and so cleane Glaunsinge eyne Holdinge hondes Twynne heigh-maintenaunce machynes Ich am goinge to make it Thrugh thys yeare Yif it slaye me
Chaucer Doth Tweet@levostregc.bsky.social · last wk.Ich am goinge to make it Thrugh thys yeare Yf yt slaye me
Without saying your age what is your favorite movie from the year you turned 18?
Gregory's Girl: It's Unnatural!
ALT: Gregory's Girl: It's Unnatural!
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Kevin M. Kruse@kevinmkruse.bsky.social · last wk.Without saying your age what is your favorite movie from the year you turned 18
I don't really like "summer" as a verb, but since I've had to take classes online for the last three Julys, I've forgotten how to do it anyway.
Whenever I get self-conscious about something like this, I remember that Walt Whitman ended up settling for "man-root" and I feel a little better.
Kingfisher & Wombat@tkingfisher.com · 2w agoWell, I just spent forty minutes down a rabbit hole trying to come up with a suitably second-world quasi-Renaissance term for “dildo,” so how is everyone else’s morning going?
When Democrats take power, they must immediately cancel all of Elon Musk’s government welfare checks. Like and repost if you want this to happen.
Okay, I've done my morning routine: drop off the wife at work, hit the gym, drink my coffee, fart around on the interwebs. I should probably make lunch and get work done now.
If you use AI for your advertisement flyers, I'm going to make assumptions about you. I'm going to assume you cut corners on everything. If you're a bakery, I'm going to assume you use poor quality ingredients. If you're a handyman, same thing, I'll assume you cut corners on your work.
Loot drop after defeating me: - baseball cap (XL) - solid color v-neck t-shirt - 20 oz Cherry Coke Zero - 2 boxes Kashi Cinnamon Harvest cereal - Elvis Costello: THIS YEAR'S MODEL on CD - Sibley guide to Eastern N America (fair) - 2-foot plastic Diplodocus
K.B. Spangler@kbspangler.com · 2w agoLoot drop after defeating me: - Two very loud dogs. They're your problem now. - 1 half-drunk can of Diet Red Bull - 184 notebooks with only the first four pages used - Seed packets - A whole-ass herd of deer - Handbag full of husband's random EDC castoffs
There is ALREADY a "historically accurate" version of The Odyssey.
O Brother Where Art Thou We Thought You Was A Toad Treasure Do Not Seek The Treasure
ALT: O Brother Where Art Thou We Thought You Was A Toad Treasure Do Not Seek The Treasure
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Watcher Guru@watcher.guru · 2w agoJUST IN: Elon Musk says Grok will make a "full-length movie" of The Odyssey that is "historically accurate" by the end of this year.
My experience in middle school education suggests to me that what the kids want to explore and what Ms. Frizzle's lesson plan says they're going to explore are two very different anatomical systems.
kia speaks@kiaspeaks.us · 2w agoIf Ms. Frizzle and her class were in your body right now, what would they be exploring?
Vaguely surprised that I've only blocked 18 accounts so far. I don't know if that's a sign of maturity or laziness.
I'm really hoping the ending is Matt Damon coming around the corner in a bathrobe and saying, "It's over. Go home. GO."
zach silberberg@zachsilberberg.bsky.social · 2w agoTHE ODYSSEY ENDING EXPLAINED: the lights coming on means it’s time to leave the theater
A year ago today, my band's performance in Charles City County was cut short when a thunderstorm hit during our set. Since then I've had to miss every gig on my calendar due to either illness or weather, so last night's show was literally *the first one I've played in the last year.*
My brother manages a sales team for a company that makes a software product and I have to stop now I'm laughing too hard at the awful, awful consequences of putting me in that position
Bethany Albertson@albertsonb2.bsky.social · 3w agoThought experiment- if you were suddenly appointed to do your sibling’s job, how badly would you suck at it?
Speaking as someone who did well on the GRE (and on standardized tests in general): This is the dumbest shit I have seen this week, and this week I saw Trump try to claim the 2020 vote was rigged.
Claire E. Aubin@ceaubin.com · 3w agoA real - actual - I swear to god - argument happening over on Twitter right now is whether or not faculty should be regularly forced to retake the GRE
House MD: Can't Fake That - Hugh Laurie
ALT: House MD: Can't Fake That - Hugh Laurie
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Bryan Schott@schotthappens.com · 3w agoHarry Kane scored 6 goals for England in the World Cup. After he admitted he went golfing with Donald Trump he did not score again the rest of the tournament, and England are out. The Trump sports curse remains undefeated.
QUESTION: What are your FIVE favourite cities anywhere in the world? Alphabetically: Edinburgh Oxford Richmond San Francisco Seattle Honorable mention to DC, Florence, London, Manchester, and Orvieto.
Brent Toderian@brenttoderian.bsky.social · 3w agoQUESTION: What are your FIVE favourite cities anywhere in the world? Bonus points for persuasive explanations why your choices are “right.” Mine (in no order) are: Paris Barcelona New York Montreal Vancouver
