@stevendbrewer@wandering.shop

My mom is still in the hospital, so I sent her a cheery, good-morning message. I worried for a moment I might wake her up. But then I remembered she won't have her hearing aids in, so no danger of that.

"Check it out!" the tourist said. "It's a gaboon viper!"
"Oh, no," the guide said. "That's a puff adder. The color is different and the pattern is more zigzaggy."
"Rats! I always wanted to see a gaboon viper!"
"Watch where you're putting your feet, or it'll be the last thing you see."

#wss366

"neoliberalism has created so much precarity that the commodification of the self is now seen as the only route to any kind of economic security" — Naomi Klein https://www.vox.com/culture/2024/2/1/24056883/tiktok-self-promotion-artist-career-how-to-build-following

The most positive thing you can say: "It doesn't look as bad as a spinal tap."

Pro tip: If you ever look up "thoracentesis" on the Internet, don't look at the pictures.

"I try shaking it," Lord RazorFell said.
"You can perhaps feel some slight shift or change of balance," Tseluna said.
"I try sliding the raised region."
"It slides forward and the cylinder begins to emit light from one end. You can see that you're inside a room."
"Woohoo!" the boys all cried. (4/4)

"What do you suppose it it?" Lord GapTongue said. "Some kind of club?"
"I #resume searching the floor."
"There is nothing else on the floor."
"Hmm. I try pressing the raised region of the object," Lord RazorFell said.
"Nothing happens."
"Try shaking it!" said Lord LightStrike. #wss366 (3/4)

"You cast the spell, but nothing happens. There is no light."
"I will begin to feel around in the darkness," Lord RazorFell said.
"The floor is smooth and cool. You reach a wall. At the base of the wall is a small cylindrical object. You can feel a rectangular raised region on the side." (2/4)

"You find yourself in total darkness," Tseluna said to the boys. She was acting as Game Master for their weekly game of Demon Quest.
"I'll cast light," Lord FrostFire said.
"Nothing happens."
"What?" he said, totally flummoxed. "What do you mean, 'nothing happens'?"
"Like I said," she replied.(1/4)

Happy Boxer-dog Day! #DogsOfMastodon

The waitress had signed her name "Helia" and sketched a little smiley face on the check.
"*Helia…*" Cecelia said to herself. She liked the way it felt when she rolled it around on her tongue.
She left a silver miner on the table and got up. She was walking away when Helia came running up behind her.
"Wait, Milady! Your change!"
"You keep it," Cecelia said. 
Helia was taken aback. "Are you sure, Milady?" She clutched the handful of copper bits to her chest. "Thank you!"

#wss366

I spent Christmas morning in the ER with my mom, who has now been admitted to the hospital. Headed back in a few minutes with a care package before visiting hours over. Fingers crossed.

I attended a presentation by consultants advising my university about strategies for weathering the coming dark days. https://stevendbrewer.com/strategy-for-dark-days-ahead/

At bluesky I saw a reference to a couple of papers about the Marshall fire that I thought might be interesting to @elysegrasso https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestair.4c00258 and https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestair.4c00259

"Not so fast! I play a Squeaky Toy! That cancels your attack!"
"Tch!" Al said, and put the dice down. "Your turn."
"I'll use a Dog Leash and add a Night Mare Doggy Mup to my pack. I attack your pack of one."
"I'll play Barking Violation and remove your pack."
"Then I'll play Doggy Catcher!" 3/3

Al considered his own: a Hot Doggy Mup, a Rainy Day Doggy Mup, and a Noisy Doggy Mup.
"Whatcha gonna do?" asked Ben.
"I'll start a new pack with a Light Day Doggy Mup. Then I'll play a Doggy Treat to use the Hot Doggy Mup's special attack. My pack of three attacks." He got out three dice. 2/3

The two boys each placed three Doggy-Mup tiles on the table, looked up, and locked eyes.
"Ready?" Al asked.
Ben nodded and they both turned their tiles over.
Al studied Ben's pack: A Light Doggy Mup, a Dark Doggy Mup, and a Badly Drawn Doggy Mup. A good starter pack. #wss366 1/3

Now wonder they're so weird, if they let some beastkin pick them.

Did you know that Christmas Eve *always* falls on an even-numbered day?

What's not to like? Pretty girls wearing kimonos with tasuki playing hot R & B. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=feQWsn5ZBjc