Book Review: Not Forever, But For Now by Chuck Palahniuk
Jan. 14th, 2026 02:26 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
juushikaTitle: Not Forever, But For Now
Author: Chuck Palahniuk
Published: Simon & Schuster, 2023
Rating: 1.5 of 5
Page Count: 255
Total Page Count: 558,785
Text Number: 2103
Read Because: again Isa frereamour's non-definitive gay incest book list, ebook borrowed from the Multnomah County Library
Review: The problem with dialing everything to max volume is that it just becomes the new baseline. Even when it's a family of codependent homosexual incestuous assassins; even then. Interesting to read between the stylized repetition and edgy content for theme or unreliable narration; but, on the whole, this is surprisingly boring.
(Didn't mention this on Goodreads because it's the least useful comparison of all time, but the only other place I've so consistently seen the "this one goes up to eleven" deadening effect was Tokyo Ghoul. It feels particularly striking as I've been reading a lot of Porpentine Charity Heartscape lately, who's turning the volume up to shrimp colors, and yet never has this deadening effect. All three operate and succeed/fail differently; Not Forever has extensive stylistic repetition alongside the content, so doubles down on same-ness; Tokyo Ghoul has a variety of content but fails to moderate its tone to suit content, so stubbing one's toe and doing a cannibalism elicit equal emotion registers; Heartscape is highly stylized but specific and modulates tone, more often laterally than vertically: everything oversized, sized to eclipse these other comparisons, but what & how varying greatly.)
Author: Chuck Palahniuk
Published: Simon & Schuster, 2023
Rating: 1.5 of 5
Page Count: 255
Total Page Count: 558,785
Text Number: 2103
Read Because: again Isa frereamour's non-definitive gay incest book list, ebook borrowed from the Multnomah County Library
Review: The problem with dialing everything to max volume is that it just becomes the new baseline. Even when it's a family of codependent homosexual incestuous assassins; even then. Interesting to read between the stylized repetition and edgy content for theme or unreliable narration; but, on the whole, this is surprisingly boring.
(Didn't mention this on Goodreads because it's the least useful comparison of all time, but the only other place I've so consistently seen the "this one goes up to eleven" deadening effect was Tokyo Ghoul. It feels particularly striking as I've been reading a lot of Porpentine Charity Heartscape lately, who's turning the volume up to shrimp colors, and yet never has this deadening effect. All three operate and succeed/fail differently; Not Forever has extensive stylistic repetition alongside the content, so doubles down on same-ness; Tokyo Ghoul has a variety of content but fails to moderate its tone to suit content, so stubbing one's toe and doing a cannibalism elicit equal emotion registers; Heartscape is highly stylized but specific and modulates tone, more often laterally than vertically: everything oversized, sized to eclipse these other comparisons, but what & how varying greatly.)
Wednesday Reading Meme for Jan 14 2026
Jan. 14th, 2026 05:14 pmkitewithfishWhat I’ve Read
Novel Length fanfic!
Super/Bat - The Long Hangover by CoffioCake – a comics-focused Super/Bat fanfic with a very delightful level of identity porn! “Clark knows he should take a break: His powers are on the fritz, he feels like shit, and Batman’s treating him like a liability. But Gotham's villains seem to have it in for Metropolis' Big Blue Boy Scout and Clark won't just wait around for answers. Batman might be the world’s greatest detective, but Clark Kent is one of the Daily Planet’s most tenacious reporters. This is definitely a job for Superman.” https://archiveofourown.org/works/5912137
Hannibal/Will Graham - Falls the Shadow by littlesystems - https://archiveofourown.org/works/23577121 Hannibal/Will Graham fanfic. “AKA an AU where Bedelia is Will’s psychiatrist instead of Hannibal, Will makes a series of increasingly questionable life choices, and no one should ever take Bedelia’s advice. Ever.” - A very indulgent fic where Hannibal and Will get a chance to meet under more romantic circumstances.
Sidebar: So I write this on Tuesday, a day after I applied a latte to my aging human body after 2pm and screwed up my sleep pretty drastically last night. So drastically, in fact, that I left comments on fic I was reading at every thirty minutes from midnight to 2am. Since caring is sharing, in no particular order, here’s some of the fic I read Monday night/Tuesday morning!
Fandom: Guillermo Del Toro’s Hellboy II The Golden Army
I got into a headspace about old Guillermo del Toro movies and ended up re-watching it. (Fun!) One thing I enjoy with del Toro is that he often carries character-types and themes from film to film, so that Nuada from Hellboy II and Nomak from Blade II and Quinlan from The Strain and The Creature from Frankenstein are all characters that shade into each other. It feels very fannish to me – wanting to play with similar characters in different scenarios.
I found some fic focusing on Prince Nuada Silverlance, the villainous and thinly veiled survivor of colonialism becomes genocidal threat dude from the second movie, pairing him with the fandom bicycle of John Meyers, Agent Rookie Who Needs Exposition from the first Hellboy movie. (They never meet in canon.) Not going to lie, some similarities to Thorin Oakenshield here – the quest to save a kingdom in the face of certain ruin, a quest that kills him? Not the same but not different! (Sidebar: I was hoping to see more fic of Abe Sapien/Nuada from the Hellboy II fans. In the film, Abe’s paired with the other twin, Nuala, and the twins have a psychic bond type thing that means they suffer each other’s wounds. It just seems like a trio pairing would make sense here!)
-To Swallow My Desire And Choke On It by Skelettoine – and sequel Bury me to the sound of your name - https://archiveofourown.org/series/4520452
-it’s all going To End in Spears by psychomachia https://archiveofourown.org/works/76350796
-One of these things by obscureshipyard - https://archiveofourown.org/works/31634057
Batfamily - (you kept me like a secret) i kept you like an oath by gatheringwool - https://archiveofourown.org/works/43038276 A well written fucked up Bat Family fic -In Jason Todd’s POV - about the night where it is revealed that he and Bruce have been having sex since Jason was twelve. It goes as well as could be expected. Mind the warnings.
What I’m Reading Now
Sunrise in the East by wroth_and_ruin – aka “that Hobbit/Pushing Daisies Sentinel/Guide AU crossover that nobody asked for and nobody wanted but you're getting anyway.” I read this at the recommendation of a friend years ago and it is charming and holds up to multiple re-reads. https://archiveofourown.org/works/1319923 This fic is fantastic if you like horny slow burns and cultural differences and Lee Pace.
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins – The second Hunger Games book. - Paused, bc hearing about fictional police crackdowns in Panem was… not doing it for me this week.
One Corpse Too Many by Ellis Peters – Book two of the Brother Cadfael medieval mysteries. 75% ish
What I’ll Read Next
I want to read some physical books I have around
Novel Length fanfic!
Super/Bat - The Long Hangover by CoffioCake – a comics-focused Super/Bat fanfic with a very delightful level of identity porn! “Clark knows he should take a break: His powers are on the fritz, he feels like shit, and Batman’s treating him like a liability. But Gotham's villains seem to have it in for Metropolis' Big Blue Boy Scout and Clark won't just wait around for answers. Batman might be the world’s greatest detective, but Clark Kent is one of the Daily Planet’s most tenacious reporters. This is definitely a job for Superman.” https://archiveofourown.org/works/5912137
Hannibal/Will Graham - Falls the Shadow by littlesystems - https://archiveofourown.org/works/23577121 Hannibal/Will Graham fanfic. “AKA an AU where Bedelia is Will’s psychiatrist instead of Hannibal, Will makes a series of increasingly questionable life choices, and no one should ever take Bedelia’s advice. Ever.” - A very indulgent fic where Hannibal and Will get a chance to meet under more romantic circumstances.
Sidebar: So I write this on Tuesday, a day after I applied a latte to my aging human body after 2pm and screwed up my sleep pretty drastically last night. So drastically, in fact, that I left comments on fic I was reading at every thirty minutes from midnight to 2am. Since caring is sharing, in no particular order, here’s some of the fic I read Monday night/Tuesday morning!
Fandom: Guillermo Del Toro’s Hellboy II The Golden Army
I got into a headspace about old Guillermo del Toro movies and ended up re-watching it. (Fun!) One thing I enjoy with del Toro is that he often carries character-types and themes from film to film, so that Nuada from Hellboy II and Nomak from Blade II and Quinlan from The Strain and The Creature from Frankenstein are all characters that shade into each other. It feels very fannish to me – wanting to play with similar characters in different scenarios.
I found some fic focusing on Prince Nuada Silverlance, the villainous and thinly veiled survivor of colonialism becomes genocidal threat dude from the second movie, pairing him with the fandom bicycle of John Meyers, Agent Rookie Who Needs Exposition from the first Hellboy movie. (They never meet in canon.) Not going to lie, some similarities to Thorin Oakenshield here – the quest to save a kingdom in the face of certain ruin, a quest that kills him? Not the same but not different! (Sidebar: I was hoping to see more fic of Abe Sapien/Nuada from the Hellboy II fans. In the film, Abe’s paired with the other twin, Nuala, and the twins have a psychic bond type thing that means they suffer each other’s wounds. It just seems like a trio pairing would make sense here!)
-To Swallow My Desire And Choke On It by Skelettoine – and sequel Bury me to the sound of your name - https://archiveofourown.org/series/4520452
-it’s all going To End in Spears by psychomachia https://archiveofourown.org/works/76350796
-One of these things by obscureshipyard - https://archiveofourown.org/works/31634057
Fic from other fandoms, in which people make very poor choices about their sexual partners for extremely human reasons:
Mo Dao Zu Shi fic - so low i can't see the high road (on my knees) by Anonymous (Restricted) - https://archiveofourown.org/works/33068710 – Very niche and fucked up pairing in Mo Dao Zu Shi modern au. What do you do when your best friend and foster brother from childhood, your first love and the one who you thought you’d spend your whole life with, shows up with a boyfriend? Jiang Cheng decides the answer is: Fuck his dad.Batfamily - (you kept me like a secret) i kept you like an oath by gatheringwool - https://archiveofourown.org/works/43038276 A well written fucked up Bat Family fic -In Jason Todd’s POV - about the night where it is revealed that he and Bruce have been having sex since Jason was twelve. It goes as well as could be expected. Mind the warnings.
What I’m Reading Now
Sunrise in the East by wroth_and_ruin – aka “that Hobbit/Pushing Daisies Sentinel/Guide AU crossover that nobody asked for and nobody wanted but you're getting anyway.” I read this at the recommendation of a friend years ago and it is charming and holds up to multiple re-reads. https://archiveofourown.org/works/1319923 This fic is fantastic if you like horny slow burns and cultural differences and Lee Pace.
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins – The second Hunger Games book. - Paused, bc hearing about fictional police crackdowns in Panem was… not doing it for me this week.
One Corpse Too Many by Ellis Peters – Book two of the Brother Cadfael medieval mysteries. 75% ish
What I’ll Read Next
I want to read some physical books I have around
what Art is about
Jan. 14th, 2026 04:17 pmlaramieI don't think many people saw this when I posted it originally. I'm looking especially for feedback from other creative types...
I've been thinking about compiling a collection of my artwork. I don't have a very consistent body of work. What I have is a visual record of explorations through a wide range of media and motivated by a range of inspiring thoughts and events. So, I'll need to talk about what inspired me, what I was trying to accomplish and what I learned in the process of the work. I'm thinking of interspersing the artwork with a series of essays and memories. Here's a start. Hopelessly pedantic? Meaningful? What do you think?
Why Make Art?
For my own part, many motivations join forces to move me to create.
In one sense, it seems an absolutely essential aspect of my identity as a human being. Making art is a continuation of the playful explorations of childhood by which we learn about our world, and ourselves, and our capabilities.
Such play is a process employed in building our maps of cognitive reality, in exercising and building intelligence through practical application of what our senses reveal in conjunction with what our social training requires.
Humans are wired to create works of art (visual, musical, visceral, muscular, gustatory, literary, and more) the way birds are wired to build nests. Some might argue that nests serve a more practical, observably useful purpose than do works of art.
That would depend on how much we value cognitive maps making sense of our complex world and how we value the kind of thinking that builds bridges between individuals and society, between the worlds of the senses and of objective rationality, the kind of thinking good at finding creative solutions to the plethora of problems we encounter while living in the material world.
So, one reason for making art is that I like to explore my sensory experiences in a playful way. Different artists, obviously, produce different work. Different media, different tools and materials, different circumstances can all lead the explorations of a single artist into new and different paths.
Put pen and ink in my hands and I’ll explore fine dark lines in relation to a blank page. I may explore them abstractly, looking for patterns inspired by the movement of my hands to music or in relation to a grid, or by combining variations on the theme of a single curve. Or I may explore in relation to what I see in the world around me, reproducing the curves of a face or a tree, a landscape or cityscape. Or I may explore what my imagination or dreams inspire: drawing a unicorn, mermaid or gryphon – as informed by reality, but not confined by it. My explorations may lead me to combine any number of these differing approaches.
Put crayons in my hands and I’ll explore the potential of bright colors and thick lines and the texture of the paper in conjunction with the waxy material. A light hand shows the texture of rough paper. A heavy hand emphasizes color over texture. Crayon resists watercolor, which will flow into the gaps the wax fails to cover… Again, I can explore abstractly, representationally, expressively, surreally or in any combination – but the results will look very different from those produced with other materials.
Similarly, explorations in three-dimensional media, or in computer-generated images will produce very different results according to the potential of their types.
Exploring across multiple media teaches me to look for and recognize the potential in a range of differing creative environments. Take away my pen, my pencils, my crayons, whatever tools I’ve been using – and I will still know how to approach turning whatever materials are at hand to creative ends.
In another sense, creative work is about power. The world is vast and complex and almost entirely beyond my power to affect. Almost. All but this one spot at the point of my pencil or pen or brush. All but this word, and the next one, and the next. I have the power to change just so much, and to share what I have done with – at least some of – the people around me and make it a part of their experience as well as mine. In turn, I can see and hear and feel the changes they make. Together we create a culture of shared experiences. We create civilization by sharing our creative experiences and our understandings in this way.
In that sense, creative work is about relationships. Art builds bridges between individuals and society. No two individuals see the world from the same position at the same time. If you want someone else to see things your way, you need to reproduce what you see in a form you can share. This has gotten a lot easier since the invention of photography, and even the best photograph loses something in translation.
The potential for seeing the world through the eyes of others – that’s huge. Like hearing the music born of another heart and recognizing one’s own passions there. We lead different lives, separate lives – as becomes only too clear in times of pain or suffering. However much we sympathize, we do not feel the same pain as the individual who has been injured or suffered a loss. You don’t feel my aching toes, courting frostbite as I walk home through sub-zero weather from a bus stop. I don’t feel your stubbed toe or mashed finger or your craving for that next cig or drink or whatever it is you may be craving.
But an evocative description or representation can remind me of my own pains and needs and I can understand that what you have experienced is similar enough to warrant my sympathy. The arts give us tools for recognizing the validity in one another’s individual experiences; they create a bridge between subjective experiences and objectively verifiable reality.
Art also builds bridges between the internal worlds of the senses and a more objective rationality. The left hand may not know what the right hand is doing. I may not know how to put what I’m feeling into terms that anyone else could understand, but an abstract expressionist painting could get the idea across, not only to others who might see it, but to my own distracted, abstracted conscious ego.
Different artistic approaches reach different audiences. No one work will reach everyone. The deaf will not appreciate your music. The blind will not appreciate any of my visual works or approaches. No one will relate to every possible work from every possible artist. Our choices, our differences in these ways help to define us as individuals and to define cultures and sub-cultures and fan groups and marketing niches. It’s all very frustrating and wonderful and confusing and amazing.
Write Every day 2026: January, Day 14
Jan. 14th, 2026 11:04 pmtrobadoraI don't even know where today went; suddenly it's 11pm again?! Send extra hours - or a TARDIS, please!
Today's writing
Having a lot of trouble focusing today, argh. I made some progress restructuring one of the stories I'm working on, and figuring out the ending for another, but it's all going much slower than I'd like. Not much time left ...
I don't think chances are good for another![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
fandomtrees delay, but I wish!
Tally
( Days 1-10 )
Day 11:badly_knitted, brithistorian, carenejeans, china_shop, cornerofmadness, daegaer, goddess47, sanguinity, shadaras, sylvanwitch, trobadora, ysilme
Day 12:badly_knitted, brithistorian, carenejeans, china_shop, cornerofmadness, goddess47, luzula, sanguinity, shadaras, sylvanwitch, trobadora, ysilme
Day 13:badly_knitted, brithistorian, carenejeans, china_shop, cornerofmadness, goddess47, luzula, sanguinity, sylvanwitch, trobadora, ysilme
Day 14:china_shop, trobadora
Let me know if I missed anyone! And remember you can drop in or out at any time. :)
Today's writing
Having a lot of trouble focusing today, argh. I made some progress restructuring one of the stories I'm working on, and figuring out the ending for another, but it's all going much slower than I'd like. Not much time left ...
I don't think chances are good for another
fandomtrees delay, but I wish!Tally
( Days 1-10 )
Day 11:
badly_knitted, brithistorian, carenejeans, china_shop, cornerofmadness, daegaer, goddess47, sanguinity, shadaras, sylvanwitch, trobadora, ysilmeDay 12:
badly_knitted, brithistorian, carenejeans, china_shop, cornerofmadness, goddess47, luzula, sanguinity, shadaras, sylvanwitch, trobadora, ysilmeDay 13:
badly_knitted, brithistorian, carenejeans, china_shop, cornerofmadness, goddess47, luzula, sanguinity, sylvanwitch, trobadora, ysilmeDay 14:
china_shop, trobadoraLet me know if I missed anyone! And remember you can drop in or out at any time. :)
Snowflake Challenge #7 - Three Things You Like
Jan. 14th, 2026 04:15 pmlebateleurChallenge #7
LIST THREE (or more) THINGS YOU LIKE ABOUT YOURSELF. They don’t have to be your favorite things, just things that you think are good. Feel free to expand as much or as little as you want.
( Here are mine. )
これで以上です。
wednesday
Jan. 14th, 2026 04:35 pmsummersgate
Yesterday's art-a-day. Blind drawing. Skye was on my mind a lot yesterday. She refused her breakfast and then went into hiding. Dave finally found her in our bedroom under a dresser behind a bunch of stuff in the afternoon. She wouldn't come out but I put some food in there with her and she did eat it. We took her to the vets this morning and they did x rays. Now we know how big the mass is. About the size of an apple or small orange. It's squeezing her organs - the liver and other organs and intestines. She lost another pound. Anyway. She seems better at the moment and we brought her home to hopefully to give her lots of love in her last days. She's on a steroid now. Once a week she'll get a B12 injection. The vet tech showed me how to give a subcutaneous injection and I did one on Skye myself before we left. I was surprised at how smoothly the needle went in. She goes in for a follow up in 10 days. And if at any time we think she is suffering too much from all this we can bring her in and put an end to it. It felt good to discuss that.
*****
Candy and I hiked at Two Mile this morning up on Black Gum Hill. An overcast and relatively warm day (mid 40's). Just as we were leaving it started to rain. So many times that seems to happen when I'm on a hike. It's dry the whole time but once the car is in sight the water drops start to fall. We drive away with rain pelting the car, feeling very lucky.
I caved and ordered the linocut printing stuff. Now I need to decide what I want to print. I'm thinking it needs to be a little more of a thought-out project than my usual art-a-day stuff.
For want of a mop sponge [work]
Jan. 14th, 2026 03:22 pmrebeccmeisterShortly after I arrived at this institution, back in 2018, I determined that the insect room was going to need its own mop. The insect room came with one of those string mops, but in my experience string mops are best for occasions when a person wants to spread water or disinfectant around on a floor, not for occasions where the main goal is actually picking up excess liquid to encourage the floor to actually dry out and maybe even get clean(er).
I don't have easy means for maintaining any of those microfiber mop pads, and I'm not a fan of any of the 4000 disposable mopping products, either.
The aquarium room came with a roller sponge mop that was disintegrating, with the attachment bolts/nuts corroded in place. I managed to get the bolts off, and put on a replacement mop head, and that mop has been working perfectly well for us ever since. Yay!
I got a butterfly sponge mop for the insect room. It also worked well, up to the point where it, too, started to disintegrate, as sponges are wont to do. Time to shop for replacement sponges!
The question is, in this modern day and age, what is the least of all the evils? Yesterday I ventured over to the Ace Hardware in Troy for an in-person look at their replacement butterfly mop sponge options. That hardware store location is a more pleasant bike ride than the one way out on our Central Avenue. I'm glad I did go to look in person, because there was exactly one replacement in stock, and its attachment mechanism is incompatible with the existing butterfly mop. Ugh.
Ultimately, I instead left with a second roller sponge mop, so that future replacement sponges can be allocated either to the aquarium room mop, or to the insect room mop.
Unfortunately, it looks like I will have to spend money at one of the big evil retailers to get more of those replacement mop heads. I hate this so much.
But I will probably do it, because I have gotten tired of crawling around on my hands and knees at work, with a sponge. I do not love these floors enough to do that. At home, rags are fine. At work, no.
In case you still harbored notions that being a professor is a glamorous job.
I don't have easy means for maintaining any of those microfiber mop pads, and I'm not a fan of any of the 4000 disposable mopping products, either.
The aquarium room came with a roller sponge mop that was disintegrating, with the attachment bolts/nuts corroded in place. I managed to get the bolts off, and put on a replacement mop head, and that mop has been working perfectly well for us ever since. Yay!
I got a butterfly sponge mop for the insect room. It also worked well, up to the point where it, too, started to disintegrate, as sponges are wont to do. Time to shop for replacement sponges!
The question is, in this modern day and age, what is the least of all the evils? Yesterday I ventured over to the Ace Hardware in Troy for an in-person look at their replacement butterfly mop sponge options. That hardware store location is a more pleasant bike ride than the one way out on our Central Avenue. I'm glad I did go to look in person, because there was exactly one replacement in stock, and its attachment mechanism is incompatible with the existing butterfly mop. Ugh.
Ultimately, I instead left with a second roller sponge mop, so that future replacement sponges can be allocated either to the aquarium room mop, or to the insect room mop.
Unfortunately, it looks like I will have to spend money at one of the big evil retailers to get more of those replacement mop heads. I hate this so much.
But I will probably do it, because I have gotten tired of crawling around on my hands and knees at work, with a sponge. I do not love these floors enough to do that. At home, rags are fine. At work, no.
In case you still harbored notions that being a professor is a glamorous job.
Bundle of Holding: Halls of Arden Vul (from 2022)
Jan. 14th, 2026 03:39 pmjames_davis_nicoll
A vast megadungeon from Expeditious Retreat Press for D&D, AD&D, and other tabletop fantasy roleplaying games.
Bundle of Holding: Halls of Arden Vul (from 2022)
What Am I Reading Wednesday - January 14
Jan. 14th, 2026 03:32 pmlebateleurWhat I Finished Reading This Week
Nothing. Still working through multiple lengthy titles, at least two of which I should finish later this week.
What I Am Currently Reading
Internet Security Fundamentals - Nick Ioannou
So far, it's doing exactly what it says on the tin.
Mannaz – Malene Sølvsten
Sølvsten introduced some interesting new settings and characters in the chapters I read this week.
After the Forest – Kell Woods
This book continues to be very, very good, although I'm skeptical that Woods can draft a satisfying, unrushed conclusion in the amount of pages left.
The Disabled Tyrant's Beloved Pet Fish vol. 1 – Xue Shan Fei Hu
Because why not add another 400+ page book to my current stack of in progress titles.
What I’m Reading Next
This week I acquired Mickey Clement's The Irish Princess, Vanessa Vida Kelly's When the Tides Held the Moon, TJ Klune's Wolfsong, Meg Richman's Freya the Deer, and Xue Shan Fei Hu's The Disabled Tyrant's Beloved Pet Fish vol. 1.
これで以上です。
Nothing. Still working through multiple lengthy titles, at least two of which I should finish later this week.
What I Am Currently Reading
Internet Security Fundamentals - Nick Ioannou
So far, it's doing exactly what it says on the tin.
Mannaz – Malene Sølvsten
Sølvsten introduced some interesting new settings and characters in the chapters I read this week.
After the Forest – Kell Woods
This book continues to be very, very good, although I'm skeptical that Woods can draft a satisfying, unrushed conclusion in the amount of pages left.
The Disabled Tyrant's Beloved Pet Fish vol. 1 – Xue Shan Fei Hu
Because why not add another 400+ page book to my current stack of in progress titles.
What I’m Reading Next
This week I acquired Mickey Clement's The Irish Princess, Vanessa Vida Kelly's When the Tides Held the Moon, TJ Klune's Wolfsong, Meg Richman's Freya the Deer, and Xue Shan Fei Hu's The Disabled Tyrant's Beloved Pet Fish vol. 1.
これで以上です。
Hacking Wheelchairs over Bluetooth
Jan. 14th, 2026 07:22 pm![[syndicated profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/feed.png){kind=small}
bruce_schneier_feedResearchers have demonstrated remotely controlling a wheelchair over Bluetooth. CISA has issued an advisory.
CISA said the WHILL wheelchairs did not enforce authentication for Bluetooth connections, allowing an attacker who is in Bluetooth range of the targeted device to pair with it. The attacker could then control the wheelchair’s movements, override speed restrictions, and manipulate configuration profiles, all without requiring credentials or user interaction.
Our paper has stopped coming
Jan. 14th, 2026 01:33 pmdreamshark Yes, we still subscribe to the paper copy of our local city paper, the Star Tribune. It's not perfect, but I very much want to keep what's left of local journalism alive. And Richard doesn't use electronic media, so he actually reads the whole thing.
But last weekend it just stopped being delivered. Curiously, that means that two different carriers just stopped showing up: the weekend one and the weekday one. When I reported it I got a canned response and credit for the missed papers. But there probably isn't much they can do about it. The paper carriers are probably in hiding from ICE.
But last weekend it just stopped being delivered. Curiously, that means that two different carriers just stopped showing up: the weekend one and the weekday one. When I reported it I got a canned response and credit for the missed papers. But there probably isn't much they can do about it. The paper carriers are probably in hiding from ICE.
Cheese tasting notes [food]
Jan. 14th, 2026 01:13 pmrebeccmeisterJust so I can try and remember this for later:
The Cabot cheese were the most smooth out of the lot. The Land O Lakes had a distinct twang to it. The Tillamook had something of a nutty flavor, somehow simultaneously creamy-crumbly. I tend to get sharp rather than extra sharp when I'm shopping for Tillamook; at this point I'd view the Cabot extra sharp as a fine substitute. It isn't the same thing, but it's fine. These are not gourmet specialty cheeses, they are cheeses to be put on tortilla chips to make nachos and on bread to make grilled cheese sandwiches. And sometimes, mac n cheese.
The Cabot cheese were the most smooth out of the lot. The Land O Lakes had a distinct twang to it. The Tillamook had something of a nutty flavor, somehow simultaneously creamy-crumbly. I tend to get sharp rather than extra sharp when I'm shopping for Tillamook; at this point I'd view the Cabot extra sharp as a fine substitute. It isn't the same thing, but it's fine. These are not gourmet specialty cheeses, they are cheeses to be put on tortilla chips to make nachos and on bread to make grilled cheese sandwiches. And sometimes, mac n cheese.
Wednesday reading
Jan. 14th, 2026 05:57 pmqueen_ypolitaA colleague started a book group at the office. The first meeting was today, which was good, but there was talk about widening the topics of conversation to films and TV, podcasts, and stuff for future meetings so I'm not sure how much I'll get out of it going forward.
Finished since the last reading post
A Poisonous Plot with the usual string of deaths and strife between the town and the university.
Currently reading
No progress on Pohjoinen tanssi. Started reading Life after Life by Kate Atkinson—so far it's been intriguing but I've still got hundreds of pages to go. I mentioned it at the book group and somebody said they'd liked it. Also reading Challenger by Adam Higginbotham as my non-fiction book on the go, and started reading a business book I won from some draw or another at work a couple of years ago, Why Simple Wins by Lisa Bodell.
Reading next
Not sure, but I've got a library book waiting.
Finished since the last reading post
A Poisonous Plot with the usual string of deaths and strife between the town and the university.
Currently reading
No progress on Pohjoinen tanssi. Started reading Life after Life by Kate Atkinson—so far it's been intriguing but I've still got hundreds of pages to go. I mentioned it at the book group and somebody said they'd liked it. Also reading Challenger by Adam Higginbotham as my non-fiction book on the go, and started reading a business book I won from some draw or another at work a couple of years ago, Why Simple Wins by Lisa Bodell.
Reading next
Not sure, but I've got a library book waiting.
Birdfeeding
Jan. 14th, 2026 11:59 amysabetwordsmithToday is cloudy, windy, and cold.
I fed the birds. I've seen a few sparrows.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 1/14/26 -- We saw a flock of geese flying mostly north.
I fed the birds. I've seen a few sparrows.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 1/14/26 -- We saw a flock of geese flying mostly north.
Upcoming Speaking Engagements
Jan. 14th, 2026 05:00 pmbruce_schneier_feedThis is a current list of where and when I am scheduled to speak:
- I’m speaking at the David R. Cheriton School of Computer Science in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, on January 27, 2026, at 1:30 PM ET.
- I’m speaking at the Université de Montréal in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, on January 29, 2026, at 4:00 PM ET.
- I’m speaking and signing books at the Chicago Public Library in Chicago, Illinois, USA, on February 5, 2026, at 6:00 PM CT.
- I’m speaking at Capricon 46 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. The convention runs February 5–8, 2026. My speaking time is TBD.
- I’m speaking at the Munich Cybersecurity Conference in Munich, Germany, on February 12, 2026.
- I’m speaking at Tech Live: Cybersecurity in New York City, USA, on March 11, 2026.
- I’m giving the Ross Anderson Lecture at the University of Cambridge’s Churchill College at 5:30 PM GMT on March 19, 2026.
- I’m speaking at RSAC 2026 in San Francisco, California, USA, on March 25, 2026.
The list is maintained on this page.
(no subject)
Jan. 14th, 2026 10:31 pmadoreCrowdsourcing opinions: what's an email service you like/recommend? I want to leave Gmail and only use it for signing into websites because nowadays it's all Gemini this Gemini that.
I saw an amazing Tumblr post about a Chinese poet who was so brilliant and her man so mediocre 😭 the love story she didn't deserve. She made a poem puzzle that yields more poems the more you look at it. So cool!
Historic medical event: I had an online consultation with a gynaecologist and she said my periods are definitely not normal. No hesitation, no excuses, just straight up "That's not normal. Have you had an ultrasound done?" And when I said I never have, she said I needed to get one done, along with a blood test. And that once I got tested, the results would give her some idea of where to go from here.
First time a doctor has said heavy painful periods are not normal, and that we need to find out causes.
She prescribed that I'm got to get tested for my complete blood count, fasting blood sugar, free testosterone, total testosterone, liver function test, serum creatine, fasting lipid profile, HDA1C (haemoglobin A1C), fasting insulin, HOMA IR (for insulin resistance), Vitamin D, Vitamin B12, prolactin. And I've got to get an ultrasound of my abdomen and pelvis.
I saw an Instagram post by The Period Lab about what to get tested in your bloodwork if you have bleeding more than 8 diva cups over your entire period (I bleed that amount in ONE DAY) and there's a lot of overlap, but also other things not included in my prescription that I want to get done as well:
I saw an amazing Tumblr post about a Chinese poet who was so brilliant and her man so mediocre 😭 the love story she didn't deserve. She made a poem puzzle that yields more poems the more you look at it. So cool!
Historic medical event: I had an online consultation with a gynaecologist and she said my periods are definitely not normal. No hesitation, no excuses, just straight up "That's not normal. Have you had an ultrasound done?" And when I said I never have, she said I needed to get one done, along with a blood test. And that once I got tested, the results would give her some idea of where to go from here.
First time a doctor has said heavy painful periods are not normal, and that we need to find out causes.
She prescribed that I'm got to get tested for my complete blood count, fasting blood sugar, free testosterone, total testosterone, liver function test, serum creatine, fasting lipid profile, HDA1C (haemoglobin A1C), fasting insulin, HOMA IR (for insulin resistance), Vitamin D, Vitamin B12, prolactin. And I've got to get an ultrasound of my abdomen and pelvis.
I saw an Instagram post by The Period Lab about what to get tested in your bloodwork if you have bleeding more than 8 diva cups over your entire period (I bleed that amount in ONE DAY) and there's a lot of overlap, but also other things not included in my prescription that I want to get done as well: