R'hllor, Give Us Light

Thu, 14 May 2026 05:44:45 GMT

Tealeaf Books & Music is GO!

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The Other End of the Year Meme, Belated

Wed, 28 Jan 2026 20:01:56 GMT

What events, big or small, are you going to tell your grandchildren about?
Probably the rise of AI. It began before this year, and the twists will continue beyond this year, but this was when the key debates started happening.

What new things did you discover about yourself?
I have a pretty good understanding of human nature, although I don't know how to use it.

What was the best news you received?
Raccoons are showing signs of domesticating themselves.

What was your favorite place that you visited this year?
Tuscany. Red Rocks Amphitheatre. The haunted restaurant in Woodland Park. The train shop. The Denver retail expo. SunWater Spa. An English village fête.

Who was your number one go-to person that you could always rely on?
There's one woman at my job who I'm always pleased to be working with because she's so chill and fun. Neither of us has had a good year so we also did some venting together, no judgment, very reliable friend.

What, or who, are you most thankful for?
Oh, my family and friends and pets, as always. But also, not having periods anymore!

If someone wrote a screenplay about your life in 2025, what kind of genre would it be? A comedy, love story, drama, film noir or something else?
Probably one of those insufferable arthouse films where you can't figure out the theme and subplots keep going nowhere.

Which mental block(s) did you overcome?
I started saying "Let me finish" to the loved ones who tend to interrupt me. Magic words.

What 5 people did you most enjoy spending time with?
Oh no, I don't have five pets anymore! Uh...four pets and a husband, I suppose.

How did your relationship to your family evolve?
My sixteen-year-old nephew came to visit us in Colorado, first time he's come on his own. It was nice to hang out with him outside of the usual context.

What was your favorite compliment that you received this year?
"And that's why you're my favourite American!" - Niece by marriage/the bride

What little things did you most enjoy during your day-to-day life?
Baking things and sharing them with others. Seeing a new generation of the neighborhood flock of turkeys grow up. Wearing fun earrings. Board and card games. Having a free parking spot in Manitou. Finishing books and adding them to the Free Library. Gunpowder's headbonks. Peanut butter.

What was your most common mental state this year(e.g. excited, curious, stressed)?
Frustration.

What was your favorite moment spent with your friends?
Taaroko had another random occasion of traveling near me so we got to meet up and play some games.

What major goal did you lay the foundations for?
Some house projects, which aren't necessarily major but definitely important. Also we registered a company name (The Tea Leaf LLC).

Which worries turned out to be completely unnecessary?
That I would be in a lot of pain or housebound for too long after the surgery.

What experience would you love to do all over again?
Exploring Pisa, Killer Queen at Red Rocks, two newborn fawns crossing the road in front of me with their mom, one good massage, the Wolf and Wildlife Center howl.

What was the funniest moment of your year, one that still makes it hard not to burst out laughing when you think about it?
There was a heist at the Louvre and they stole the Crown Jewels and escaped out the window. This is a thing that happened in real life.

What did you think about more than anything else?
Love vs. infatuation, conformity and radicalization, finances, the past, sex and gender, how to start a business, morality.

What advice would you give your early-2025 self if you could?
Secure a plan for the three days following the wedding in Italy. Submit your PTO request. Call Jana. Get some toe spacers and see a podiatrist ASAP. Don't turn on the fireplace until it's been serviced.

What was the single best thing that happened this past year?
Probably the wedding in Italy.

What was the single most challenging thing that happened?
Amazingly, I don't think it was the fire. Other challenges weren't single events like that, though, more like "increasing pressures from various sources start to compound and spiral."

What was an unexpected joy this past year?
Some of the things I made, or even that I found through savvy shopping, turned out well and that's always very satisfying.

What was an unexpected obstacle?
Bunions! Arrgh.

Pick three words to describe this past year.
Limerence, insurance, cats.

In what way(s) did you grow emotionally?
I've been working on facing my mistakes instead of trying not to see them. Still a ways to go but after all the first step is to not try to not see that I have a habit of trying not to see my mistakes.

In what way(s) did you grow physically?
I've put fitness on a back burner, so I probably gained some weight, but I'm not real concerned. My eating habits have been at least fairly healthy.

What was your single biggest time waster in your life this past year?
Dunno. Pokemon Go?

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End of the Year Meme

Sun, 11 Jan 2026 05:35:23 GMT

1. What did you do in 2025 that you'd never done before?
Major surgery and everything that comes with it. Went to a rock concert with my husband. Experienced a fire in my own home. Took a pet to be euthanized. Built sawhorses. Toured a train garage. Attended a retail expo. Wrote paid episode reviews for a website (it's true, my other articles have always been classified as news or features). Drank a Hugo.

2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I wrote a short list and barely accomplished any of it. I hope to do better this year, once I come up with some good resolutions.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Not that I recall.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
We lost two cats, Lemona and Tealeaf.

5. What countries did you visit?
England, Italy.

6. What would you like to have in 2026 that you lacked in 2025?
Financial stability, everything else is secondary to that.

7. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
For once I'm inclined to give myself credit just for holding it all together from day to day.

8. What was your biggest failure?
Mismanaging time, benefits, and payments, which resulted in a rotten stretch of overtime. Losing Lemona to the outdoors.

9. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Aside from the hysterectomy recovery, I developed bunions (a painful foot condition). They're under control now but apparently there's no permanent remedy aside from surgery.

10. What was the best thing you bought?
A vacuum cleaner, a refurbished iPhone, a couple trail maps, a couch and coffee table to replace the ones damaged in the fire, used AirPods, and this little guy:

11. Whose behavior merited celebration?
My sister, who was very generous during a time that was already extremely stressful for her. More recently she landed a job that seems much better than her last one.

12. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
I've been noticing a growing cultural trend of nonchalance toward, of all things, murder. Straight-up literal murder is just not that big of a deal anymore, apparently. I hope we can find our way out of this.

13. Where did most of your money go?
Travel, medical bills.

14. What did you get really, really excited about?
I removed a "really" from this question because I'm too old for three. I did get excited about my shows, even though all of them ultimately disappointed me in one way or another. I got excited about Killer Queen. The wedding we attended in Italy. Our new kitty Gunner. Some art and craft projects I completed. Some cool wildlife sightings.

15. What song will always remind you of 2025?
Anything from K-Pop Demon Hunters or the Mary Poppins stage musical. (Or Sister Act, but I don't expect to hear those much in the future.)

16. Compared to this time last year, are you:
Happier or sadder? Sadder
Fatter or thinner? Thinner?
Richer or poorer? Poorer

17. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Hiking. Fandom. Painting. Yoga. Woodwork.

18. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Worrying.

19. How will you be spending Christmas?
My parents hosted Christmas Eve and invited a couple friends along with the core family. We had our traditional meal, carols, and walnut boat game. Christmas Day was at our house and we made a good lamb dinner, watched the King's speech, and opened some presents. It was all a good time.

20. What was your favorite TV program(s)?
X-Men '97, Daredevil: Born Again, Shogun, The Wheel of Time

21. What was the best book you read?
An Exile Aboard Ship, Things Fall Apart, Nutshell, Patternmaster, Sense and Sensibility, Hamlet, A Brief History of Time, Zafiil: FireBorn UnPainted

22. What was your greatest musical discovery?
The Song of Orpheus in The Sandman S2.

23. What did you want and get?
Trail maps! A new living room rug. Psychedelics.

24. What did you want and not get?
A replacement fireplace, but we're working on it.

25. What was your favorite film of this year?
K-Pop Demon Hunters, Superman, Fantastic Four: First Steps, Thunderbolts*

26. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
We used a gift certificate for the local oldtimey photo place, and then took Kerensa to get a bath. Low key but it was what I requested. Simon got me a massage/jacuzzi package which I redeemed while he was out of town.

27. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Finding and securing a location to open the store.

28. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2025?
I've gotten fed up with most of my clothes but I did make an effort to put makeup on more often than I have in the past.

29. What kept you sane?
Looking at the sky. Reading good books. Watching TV (mostly Red Dwarf and Rick and Morty) with Simon. Petting cats and dogs.

30. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Kemi Badenoch

31. What political issue stirred you the most?
Alright so you all know how much I hate to talk about politics - even in real life with my closest loved ones I avoid taking stands on specific issues - but it has been an ugly year of politics even by my standards. I am stirred. I don't know exactly what that means yet but I value my personal emotional safety less and less.

32. Who did you miss?
Those of my coworkers who quit or only worked seasonally.

33. Who was the best new person you met?
Gunpowder!

34. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2025:
Physical health and success are more tightly intertwined than I'd wanted to admit.

35. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
People you love will turn their backs on you.
You'll lose your hair, your teeth,
Your knife will fall out of its sheath,
But you still don't like to leave before the end of the movie.
No you still don't like to leave before the end of the show.

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2025 Fandom Meme

Tue, 06 Jan 2026 04:59:49 GMT

Which TV shows did you start watching in 2025?
X-Men '97, Daredevil: Born Again, Fear the Walking Dead, Ironheart, Eyes of Wakanda, Marvel Zombies, Shogun, The Handmaid's Tale, The Last of Us, House of the Dragon

Which TV shows did you give up on in 2025?
Wednesday, The Boys universe, the Star Wars universe, What If...?

Which TV shows did you mean to get into but didn't in 2025? Why?
More Walking Dead shows, and I still haven't decided if I should try again. Death Note. Ghosts.

Which TV shows do you intend on checking out in 2026?
Wonder Man, Anansi Boys if it's still happening, maybe some stuff that's on a different streamer than we've had so far, maybe Taskmaster.

Which TV show impressed you least in 2025?
The Sandman, Ironheart, Wednesday, Gen V, Eyes of Wakanda, What If...?, Stranger Things, The Handmaid's Tale, Fear the Walking Dead

Which TV show do you think you might let go of in 2026 unless things significantly improve?
I might actually get to the point where I don't need to watch every new MCU show.

Your main fandom of the year?
Honestly it's been so fragmented. Like, each of my shows during the short window in which they were airing, and then nothing in particular the rest of the time. I guess The Wheel of Time got the most of my attention since I also did some re-reading.

Your favorite film you watched this year?
K-Pop Demon Hunters, Superman, The Princess Bride Home Movie, Fantastic Four: First Steps, Don't Look Up, Thunderbolts*, Mufasa, Rush Hour, Fight or Flight

Your favorite book read this year?
Dragon's Fealty, An Exile Aboard Ship, Things Fall Apart, The Time Machine, Humans, Nutshell, Patternmaster, Gifts of the Crow, The Penguin History of the USA, Sense and Sensibility, Hamlet, A Brief History of Time, Zafiil: FireBorn UnPainted

Your favorite album or song to listen to this year?
I don't recall discovering anything or even downloading a single song all year, so I'll just have to say K-Pop Demon Hunters. I didn't play the music independently, I just liked how it sounded in the movie.

Your favorite TV show(s) of the year?
The Wheel of Time, Daredevil: Born Again, Cobra Kai, What We Do in the Shadows, The Bear

Your best new fandom discovery of the year?
I...guess I'm going to have to say K-Pop Demon Hunters again? Although I'm looking forward to the future of theatrical DC since Superman, so maybe that counts. Oh, and a board game with space cats, called Mlem.

Your fandom that made an unexpected comeback this year?
Mom and I started a "Narnia for Grown-Ups" course through her church. The discussions haven't been all that great so far, but I loved re-reading the books. I rewatched Cowboy Bebop for the nth time, for the hell of it and because I wanted to comb through all the featurettes in the Blu-ray boxed set Also, Simon is finally watching Legion with me.

Your biggest fandom disappointment of the year?
The Wheel of Time being cancelled right when it was getting good, Foggy Nelson dying, almost everything about The Sandman, not getting far with Nexus Point News, missing the local production of R.U.R., failing to get my sister interested enough in Game of Thrones to even finish the first season, several of the books and movies I was hoping to enjoy more than I did.

Your fandom boyfriend(s) of the year?
Perrin Aybara, Rand al'Thor, David Haller, Nandor the Relentless, Kurt Wagner, Clark Kent, Blackthorne, Frank Castle, Matt Murdock, Johnny Lawrence, Tristan LifeRiver, Jinu, Bucky Barnes, Ben Grimm, Digory Kirke, and, okay, I guess, Dream of the Endless.

Your fandom girlfriend(s) of the year?
Faile Bashere, Lenny Busker, Syd Barrett, Zafiil Paidiiza, Karen Page, Toda Mariko, Lois Lane, Mira, Yelena Boleva, Sue Richards, Mary Poppins, Deloris Wilson/Sister Mary Clarence, Sarabi, Elinor Dashwood, Lucy Pevensie, Polly Plummer.

Your biggest squee moment of the year?
On-screen Kastle, Rhuidean, Superman saving a squirrel, stage magic in Mary Poppins, Derpy Tiger, seeing Killer Queen perform at Red Rocks.

The most missed of your old fandoms?
All of them, again.

The fandom you haven't tried yet, but want to?
I don't know if I really want to add any fandoms, again.

Your biggest fan anticipations for the coming year?
Daredevil: Born Again S2, One Hundred Years of Solitude Part 2 (since it didn't come out even though I waited all year for it), Avengers: Doomsday. I really hope I forgot something because my life needs some quality media to look forward to.

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Big old life update

Tue, 02 Sep 2025 17:52:30 GMT

( May through August. )

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Doesn't anybody stay in one place anymore

Fri, 13 Jun 2025 17:53:04 GMT

Alright, haven't caught up on jack and now I'm going to England to see Simon's family (he's been there for two weeks already) and Italy from there for a wedding. I'm not bringing a laptop this time, which is kind of experimental, but maybe being forced to use pens and pencils will help with my screen addiction.

Found a couple house sitters through young friends at work, and they seem fully capable but I'm kind of anxious because it's awkward to leave your home and pets with near-strangers. Also anxious because my health has overall improved after the hysterectomy but now I'm having some weird kind of foot pain that might make long walks difficult. The break from work will be good, though, and I'm sure I'll feel much happier about seeing everyone and celebrating and exploring Tuscany once I get there.

Hope all my internet friends are having a great summer. I'll keep reading about your lives from my phone for the next two weeks.

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General life update/resolutions check-in

Mon, 19 May 2025 00:28:02 GMT

It's been another couple months of not really building any better habits but occasionally accomplishing something anyway. Simon's working another stage musical, Sister Act (I've already been to see it and it was great fun), so he's spread thin and the stress of it seeps through the household just a bit. I'm working my silly little retail job full-time, which is fine, but physically very tiring.

A few weeks ago, my sweetest cat slipped outside and never came home. Every so often I think about her and just feel defeated, frustrated. When I was a kid my family lost multiple cats this way and I never thought I would let it happen now. I love you, Lemona Sif. I'm sorry we failed you.

I've seen some good movies lately, including Thunderbolts*, but it feels like ages since I was really into a book or a show or a comic. You know, entertainment that lasts. I'm waiting for The Wheel of Time to get renewed before I continue my reread, but what if it isn't? Am I just going to leave it at that?

England and Italy next month - another wedding - and we don't have a house sitter lined up yet, since ours moved away last year. It has belatedly dawned on me that there's a good reason most people feel like they have to choose between travel and pets.

Well, I did write up a list of resolutions for 2025 so I guess it's about time to see how I'm doing with them. Looks like I'm in an art phase right now, hoping it will swing back to writing soon. I've been trying so hard to force just one short story out.

Writing
Complete a short story and submit it for publication
Complete the sequel to my Buffy fic "Wolfsbane"
Something for the GotG fandom
A new chapter on my Kastle fic
Fic to correspond with Lion King art mentioned below

It's been really hard to focus on fandom stuff at all lately, and I miss it. I'll still prioritize original fiction if my potential inspiration gives me a choice, but I'm kind of sad in general that I haven't produced any fanfiction in so long.

Art
~~Design merchandise for the Manitou Incline~~
Five more pieces of Lion King art
~~Paint a still life~~
Make something out of wood and paint it

That's two of those crossed off! I'm still waiting for the manager to appraise and hopefully approve my Incline designs, but I did my part.

The still life is in oils, I finished it two days ago and I absolutely loathe the sight of it, seriously oils are so hard, why why why.

Misc Fandom
Buffy episode reviews to the end of S2
Tweet every time I finish a show, movie, or book
~~Repost the Kairos 30 Day Meme with my updated answers~~
Curate a good follow list for all my social media platforms

I can't cross off the second one until the end of the year, but I've been holding to it even though nobody follows me on Twitter. Actually, it's nice to have found a purpose for that account after having it for all these years. Did the meme!

Physical
Hike the Manitou Incline six times

Two down, four to go. It wasn't easy and I have to reevaluate my condition before I try it again, especially with the weather getting hot. I should have put some yoga on my list.

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The Kairos 30-Day Meme: Thirty Favorite Male Characters

Thu, 01 May 2025 04:04:04 GMT

Day Thirty: Male Characters

I didn't have this day finished but I'm sliding in at the last minute to post the fellas, so according to the clock, the meme is completed on time! Some of the entries in here were rush jobs. If I do come back and add more, I'll probably take a break first. Thirty days! Can you believe it?

( 30. Darl )
( 29. Shadow )
( 28. Crowley )
( 27. Stephen Black )
( 26. Ender )
( 25. Jesse )
( 24. Silent Bob )
( 23. Ged )
( 22. The Doctor )
( 21. Lafayette )
( 20. Vash )
( 19. Ford )
( 18. Neo )
( 17. Valjean )
( 16. Chewbacca )
( 15. Varys )
( 14. Aragorn )
( 13. Zoidberg )
( 12. Brooklyn )
( 11. Lucifer )
( 10. Gollum )
( 9. Iroh )
( 8. Lorne )
( 7. Spike Spiegel )
( 6. The Punisher )
( 5. Daredevil )
( 4. Dream )
( 3. Nightcrawler )
( 2. Rocket )
( 1. Angel )

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The Kairos 30-Day Meme: Twenty-Nine Favorite Female Characters

Tue, 29 Apr 2025 13:14:49 GMT

Day Twenty-Nine: Female Characters

( 29. Devi )
( 28. Robin )
( 27. Alice )
( 26. Anya )
( 25. Susanna )
( 24. Donna )
( 23. Amalthea )
( 22. Wednesday )
( 21. Rinoa )
( 20. San )
( 19. The Slave Queen )
( 18. Mantis )
( 17. Lying Cat )
( 16. Toph )
( 15. Buffy )
( 14. Fluttershy )
( 13. Lucy )
( 12. Egwene )
( 11. Shadowcat )
( 10. Nala )
( 9. Luna )
( 8. Delirium )
( 7. River )
( 6. Merle )
( 5. Dany )
( 4. Psyche )
( 3. Lenny )
( 2. Karen )
( 1. Wolfsbane )

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The Kairos 30-Day Meme: Twenty-Eight Favorite Books

Tue, 29 Apr 2025 00:00:53 GMT

Day Twenty-Eight: Books

( 28. The Hunger Games )
( 27. The Unbearable Lightness of Being )
( 26. Life of Pi )
( 25. The Chronicles of Amber )
( 24. Beloved )
( 23. We Need to Talk About Kevin )
( 22. Ender’s Game )
( 21. A Passage to India )
( 20. Jude the Obscure )
( 19. Corelli’s Mandolin )
( 18. One Hundred Years of Solitude )
( 17. Les Misérables )
( 16. The Poisonwood Bible )
( 15. American Gods )
( 14. Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell )
( 13. A Canticle for Leibowitz )
( 12. Anna Karenina )
( 11. As I Lay Dying )
( 10. The Hitchhiker’s Trilogy )
( 9. The Space Trilogy )
( 8. His Dark Materials )
( 7. Harry Potter )
( 6. Watership Down )
( 5. The Wheel of Time )
( 4. Till We Have Faces )
( 3. A Song of Ice and Fire )
( 2. The Lord of the Rings )
( 1. The Last Unicorn )

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The Kairos 30-Day Meme: Twenty-Seven Favorite Ships

Sun, 27 Apr 2025 15:05:38 GMT

Day Twenty-Seven: Ships

There are no rules here; tell me you despise one or more of these ships and everyone who ships it and all I'm gonna do is fist bump you while also telling you why you're wrong and my ships are all written in the stars and I win forever. I'm invincible. Let's party. (Some items contain spoilers by their nature but I tried to avoid big ones.)

( 27. San and Ashitaka )
( 26. Dr. Henry Walton ‘Indiana’ Jones Jr. and Marion Ravenwood )
( 25. Jamie and Claire Fraser )
( 24. Tyrone Johnson/Cloak and Tandy Bowen/Dagger )
( 23. Glenn Rhee and Maggie Greene )
( 22. Crowley and Aziraphale )
( 21. Spike Spiegel and Julia )
( 20. Nynaeve al’Meara and al’Lan Mandragoran )
( 19. Col. Roy Mustang and Lt. Riza Hawkeye )
( 18. Amelia Pond and Rory Williams )
( 17. Marko and Alana )
( 16. Sookie Stackhouse and William Compton )
( 15. April Ludgate and Andy Dwyer )
( 14. Charlie Pace and Claire Littleton )
( 13. Éowyn of Rohan and Faramir of Gondor )
( 12. Lucifer Morningstar and Chloe Decker )
( 11. Goliath and Elisa Maza )
( 10. Prince Zuko and Katara )
( 9. Lord Commander Jon Snow and Queen Daenerys “Stormborn” Targaryen, First of Her Name )
( 8. Spike/William the Bloody and Faith Lehane )
( 7. Jessica Jones and Luke Cage )
( 6. Danielle Moonstar/Mirage and Rahne Sinclair/Wolfsbane )
( 5. Psyche and Cupid/Eros/Amor )
( 4. Victor/Anthony Ceccoli and Sierra/Priya Tsetsang )
( 3. Frank Castle/The Punisher and Karen Page )
( 2. Peter Quill/Star-Lord and Rocket Raccoon/Subject 89P13 )
( 1. Buffy Summers and Angel )

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The Kairos 30-Day Meme: Twenty-Six Favorite Poems

Sat, 26 Apr 2025 16:47:52 GMT

Day Twenty-Six: Poems

( 26. The Tiger )
( 25. The Innkeeper’s Song )
( 24. Madam and Her Madam )
( 23. Ae Fond Kiss )
( 22. All that is gold does not glitter )
( 21. The Nicene Creed )
( 20. Love Song of Night and Day )
( 19. You've Ruined My Evening/You've Ruined My Life )
( 18. The Mad Girl's Love Song )
( 17. Quite Forsaken )
( 16. The Way Through the Woods )
( 15. The Rime of the Ancient Mariner )
( 14. Patrick’s Rune )
( 13. Come, rest in this bosom )
( 12. The Raven )
( 11. Annabel Lee )
( 10. Mending Wall )
( 9. l(a )
( 8. I thought once how Theocritus had sung )
( 7. An Essay on Man )
( 6. This Be the Verse )
( 5. The House By the Side of the Road )
( 4. Hold Onto What Is Good )
( 3. Spring and Fall - To a Young Child )
( 2. Once By the Pacific )
( 1. The Orange )

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The Kairos 30-Day Meme: Twenty-Five Favorite Live-Action TV Shows

Sat, 26 Apr 2025 02:36:28 GMT

Day Twenty-Five: Live-Action TV Shows

( 25. Good Omens )
( 24. Cobra Kai )
( 23. The Boys )
( 22. Battlestar Galactica )
( 21. True Blood )
( 20. The Sandman )
( 19. The Good Place )
( 18. Pushing Daisies )
( 17. Blackadder )
( 16. Dollhouse )
( 15. Doctor Who )
( 14. Parks and Rec )
( 13. Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. )
( 12. Firefly )
( 11. Lost )
( 10. Game of Thrones )
( 9. The Mandalorian )
( 8. Lucifer )
( 7. What We Do in the Shadows )
( 6. Whose Line Is It, Anyway? )
( 5. The Wheel of Time )
( 4. Angel )
( 3. Daredevil )
( 2. Buffy the Vampire Slayer )
( 1. Legion )

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The Kairos 30-Day Meme: Twenty-Four Favorite Titles

Thu, 24 Apr 2025 21:42:02 GMT

Day Twenty-Four: Titles

No cuts - it's not like there are any spoilers anyway (except #12, which is a special case). This is what it says on the tin: the titles that I like the best for being titles. Not influenced by whether the actual media is any good. Random order again because there's no ranking these, although #1 definitely deserves its place.

24. Let's Kill Hitler (Doctor Who episode)

This line in context, and its delivery, were the best part of an otherwise middling episode, but it's also a delightful way to summarize the plot and enthuse the viewer because yay, we're going to kill Hitler!

23. The Unbearable Lightness of Being (book/movie)

See, I don't think this beautiful phrase could have occurred if it were written in English first. I'm guessing it doesn't sound as good in Czech.

22. Tiger Mountain Peasant Song (song by Fleet Foxes)

This one has my firm recommendation for the entire melody and lyrics too, btw.

21. City Nightfall's Rendezvous (short story)

You won't find this story anywhere; my friend wrote it when both of us were about 15 and I'm sure he's wiped the internet clean of it, but the cadence has stuck in my head all this time.

20. Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (book/movie)

Now that I’ve read the book I’m amused by how different the vibe is from its title. Still good though.

19. Grim Fandango (video game)

I think I heard once that it was named after a card game or something?

18. Things Fall Apart (book by Chinua Achebe/song by Cristina)

There are multiple books named after lines in Yeats's The Second Coming, understandably since they all come out pretty damn cool. Anyone noticed me stealing lines of poetry for use in fanfiction? Sometimes a trick just works.

17. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (movie)

I had to look this one up just now because I thought I remembered it was also a line from a poem. It is; "Eloisa to Abelard” by Alexander Pope.

16. The Sound and the Fury (book by William Faulkner)

Shakespeare quote this time. It sounds so glorious and oceanic on its own, but the meaning within the text changes everything.

15. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead (movie/play)

Oh hey, also a Shakespeare quote. I did at one point rent this one just on the basis of the title, and will need to do so again because I think it was too smart for me at the time.

14. Mossflower (book by Brian Jacques)

Along with the food descriptions, one thing Jacques really had a knack for was place names. This was my favorite.

13. Sapphire Bullets of Pure Love (song by TMBG)

The song isn't one of my favorites but one cool thing is that they played it backward once -- flipping both notes and vocalizations. Either way, please enjoy this unlikely phrase to roll around in your head.

12. John Dies at the End (book/movie)

Yeah I watched this for the sake of the title too, even though I don't like horror. It was kind of neat (and funny), if confusing.

11. Battlestar Galactica (TV show, twice)

Battlestar Galactica! Battlestar-freakin'-Galactica! I say it again, it's fun to say, Battlestar Galactica, Battlestar Galactica...I want to get two ferrets and name them Battlestar and Galactica.

10. Ancestral Recall (Magic: the Gathering card)

Could probably make an entire list of just Magic card names, but the only other one I can think of right now is "Naked Singularity”. Oh! "Apocalypse Chime,” that's a good one.

9. The Fault in Our Stars (book/movie)

Haven't read it, haven't seen it, don't really intend to, don't need to be convinced to change my mind, but kudos for that sweet title.

8. Bam Thwok (song by The Pixies)

If I ever open up a nightclub this is what I'm going to call it.

7. Atlas Shrugged (book by Ayn Rand)

For sure gonna read this sometime.

6. Dude, Where's My Car? (movie)

I watched it, so you don't have to -- you're welcome -- but you've probably quoted or referenced the title at some point so don't say this movie never did anything for you.

5. Progress as If Survival Mattered (book)

It turns out the first chapter of this book was a defense of population control, so it’s clearly useless, but I still like that mini-meditation in the title.

4. Hellblazer (comic)

Adapted into a movie and a TV show and neither of them have used this awesome and thematically descriptive antihero name. Hoping they get it right at some point.

3. A Ring of Endless Light (book by Madeleine L'Engle)

Wikipedia tells me, "The title originates from a phrase in the seventeenth-century Welsh poet Henry Vaughan's poem 'The World'," which I remember being used in the text. It also tells me I need to reread this, because I haven't since I was a kid and I think I loved it even while the whole thing was going over my head.

2. Yourself or Someone Like You (album by Matchbox 20)

Because what possible context could this have?

1. Lady Dolphina's Warrior Goddess Belly Dance Workout

Oh my God you guys I've been so excited to bless your life with this extraordinary title especially since I pictured you reading it and thinking ha ha must be some kind of comedy or spoof but NO, it's an ACTUAL WORKOUT VIDEO, it's BASED ON BELLY DANCING and it's made by a woman who calls herself LADY DOLPHINA and she refers to women as WARRIOR GODDESSES throughout the WHOLE THING, I know this because I'VE DONE THE LADY DOLPHINA WARRIOR GODDESS BELLY DANCE WORKOUT, it's been some time but HOW COULD I EVER FORGET?

(Except, googling just now has revealed that there doesn't seem to be a video which puts all the elements in the same order that I quoted up there, but I don't want to ruin it, just accept my version. You can trust me, I'm a warrior goddess. Lady Dolphina told me so.)

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The Kairos 30-Day Meme: Twenty-Three Favorite Episodes

Wed, 23 Apr 2025 14:24:40 GMT

Day Twenty-Three: TV Episodes

Spoilers ahead. There’s not really any way to highlight episodes without them. This list contains some of my favorite shows and also some I really could not care less about, but all of them were chosen for the quality of this single episode, whether or not that takes into account how it interacts with the rest of the show. Premieres, one-shots, plot drivers, season or series finales all have the potential to be awesome.

( 23. Episode #1.2 )
( 22. The Hunt )
( 21. Tricia Tanaka Is Dead )
( 20. The Finger in the Nest )
( 19. Calcium )
( 18. Who's da New King of Hell? )
( 17. The Box Prince )
( 16. The Sound of Her Wings )
( 15. Make New Friends But Keep Discord )
( 14. The Real Folk Blues )
( 13. Epitaph One/Epitaph Two: Return )
( 12. The Tablecloth )
( 11. The Speech )
( 10. Remedial Chaos Theory )
( 9. Mystery Spot )
( 8. Speak of the Devil )
( 7. Felina )
( 6. Earshot )
( 5. I Will Remember You )
( 4. Vincent and the Doctor )
( 3. Virtue of the Vicious )
( 2. Chapter 7 )
( 1. Episode 801 )

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The Kairos 30-Day Meme: Twenty-Two Favorite Live-Action Movies

Tue, 22 Apr 2025 14:40:45 GMT

Day Twenty-Two: Live-Action Movies

My list has diminished since the first time I did this meme. It’s odd because I’m sure I’ve seen some good movies between then and now. I guess my standard has changed - I’ve never been concerned over objective quality, but now I think mostly about which ones I can really enjoy watching again and again. Some of my old favorites have lost that along the way, and some of the new ones are untested. Fortunately, there are still some absolute winners left.

( 22. Free Willy )
( 21. Memento )
( 20. Kung Fu Hustle )
( 19. A Christmas Story )
( 18. Night of the Day of the Dawn of the Son of the Bride of the Return of the Revenge of the Terror of the Attack of the Evil, Mutant, Alien, Flesh Eating, Hellbound, Crawling, Zombified Living Dead Part 2: In Shocking 2-D )
( 17. Deadpool )
( 16. Ladyhawke )
( 15. 300 )
( 14. Love Actually )
( 13. Monty Python and the Holy Grail )
( 12. The Princess Bride )
( 11. The Lord of the Rings )
( 10. The Avengers )
( 9. Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl )
( 8. Jurassic Park )
( 7. X2 )
( 6. The Gods Must Be Crazy )
( 5. Star Wars )
( 4. Empire Records )
( 3. Donnie Darko )
( 2. The Matrix )
( 1. Guardians of the Galaxy )

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The Kairos 30-Day Meme: Twenty-One Favorite Animated Movies

Mon, 21 Apr 2025 13:56:18 GMT

Day Twenty-One: Animated Movies

I have a sinking feeling I'm leaving out a ton of my favorites. For one thing, I was going for some variation so that it wasn't a full list of Disney and Miyazaki, but also I just really love me some animation and there's so much good stuff out there. Recent masterpieces and also much-beloved children's movies that may have just faded out of my memory. Anyway, the ones below are still a good place to start!

( 21. The My Little Pony Movie )
( 20. The Prince of Egypt )
( 19. The Fantastic Mr. Fox )
( 18. Beauty and the Beast )
( 17. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse )
( 16. The Emperor’s New Groove )
( 15. Titan A.E. )
( 14. The Little Mermaid )
( 13. The Secret of NIMH )
( 12. Grave of the Fireflies )
( 11. The Land Before Time )
( 10. Ferngully )
( 9. Lilo and Stitch )
( 8. Inside Out )
( 7. The Rescuers Down Under )
( 6. The Last Unicorn )
( 5. My Neighbor Totoro )
( 4. Wolfwalkers )
( 3. 101 Dalmatians )
( 2. The Lion King )
( 1. Princess Mononoke )

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The Kairos 30-Day Meme: Twenty Favorite Children's Books

Sun, 20 Apr 2025 18:49:59 GMT

Day Twenty: Children’s Books

I love children's literature so much I can't even, you guys. I mean sure there's an element of nostalgia and there's also a detached part of me trying to measure the value of a book which was meant for the enjoyment and growth of someone much younger than myself, but mostly I just love reading a good book. Here are some good books for anyone and everyone to appreciate.

( 20. Black Beauty )
( 19. The Enchanted Forest Chronicles )
( 18. The Voyage of QV66 )
( 17. Misty of Chincoteague )
( 16. Sophie’s World )
( 15. Animalia )
( 14. The American Girl Series )
( 13. The Little House Series )
( 12. Dinotopia )
( 11. Dump Days )
( 10. Fanny and May )
( 9. Doggie and Pussycat )
( 8. Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher )
( 7. The Jungle Book )
( 6. The Hundred and One Dalmatians )
( 5. Whalesong )
( 4. The Hobbit )
( 3. The Chronicles of Narnia )
( 2. The Redwall Series )
( 1. God Bless the Gargoyles )

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The Kairos 30-Day Meme: Nineteen Favorite Musical Artists

Sat, 19 Apr 2025 14:35:44 GMT

Day Nineteen: Music Artists

I'm not great at talking about music, so what I’ve written about each of these bands and singers is mostly autobiographical. The song recs aren’t necessarily my three favorites, just the ones I thought might be good entry points if you want to explore. Links are to Amazon, not to encourage anyone to purchase music there, but just because it’s an easy way to find more information and sound samples.

( 19. Rasputina )
( 18. Fleet Foxes )
( 17. Counting Crows )
( 16. Barenaked Ladies )
( 15. Sublime )
( 14. Pink Floyd )
( 13. The Beatles )
( 12.Ween )
( 11. Bob Dylan )
( 10. Queen )
( 9. Neil Young )
( 8. Nina Simone )
( 7. Tori Amos )
( 6. Tom Waits )
( 5. The Traveling Wilburys )
( 4. They Might Be Giants )
( 3. Iron Wine )
( 2. R.E.M. )
( 1. Eels )

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The Kairos 30-Day Meme: Eighteen Favorite Villains

Fri, 18 Apr 2025 14:36:47 GMT

Day Eighteen: Villains

You know, usually it kind of annoys me that everything is a wiki now instead of more varied fandom content, but this time it was really useful for gathering links. Let's just rush straight into this rogues gallery.

( 18. The Furies )
( 17. Don Karnage )
( 16. Dr. Octopus )
( 15. Inspector Javert )
( 14. Blaine McDonough )
( 13. Mayor Richard Wilkins III )
( 12. Amahl Farouk )
( 11. Darth Vader )
( 10. The Robot Devil )
( 9. Mother Gothel )
( 8. Wilson Fisk )
( 7. Envy )
( 6. Dolores Umbridge )
( 5. The Magic Man )
( 4. David Xanatos )
( 3. Kilgrave )
( 2. Discord )
( 1. Agent Smith )

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The Kairos 30-Day Meme: Seventeen Favorite Short Stories

Thu, 17 Apr 2025 17:01:26 GMT

Day Seventeen: Short Stories

When it came time to post this entry I was at an utter loss on how to rank these stories. I love all of them so much. So I'm not going to bother; they're more or less listed randomly. I've linked directly to the story whenever possible, so I hope one or two will pique your interest.

( 17. I Like Monkeys )
( 16. The Yellow Face )
( 15. The Fox Wife )
( 14. Lust )
( 13. The Gift of the Magi )
( 12. The Porcelain Salamander )
( 11. The Most Magical Thing About Rachel )
( 10. Rikki-tikki-tavi )
( 9. A Dog’s Tale )
( 8. Baby Wilson )
( 7. White Tigers )
( 6. There Will Come Soft Rains )
( 5. The Cat Who Walked by Himself )
( 4. The Queen of the Tyrant Lizards )
( 3. The Displaced Person )
( 2. There’s No Such Place as Far Away )
( 1. Cupid and Psyche )

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The Kairos 30-Day Meme: Sixteen Favorite Authors

Wed, 16 Apr 2025 13:32:27 GMT

Day Sixteen: Authors

If anyone seems conspicuously missing, it's probably because I'm only listing those for whom I've read more than one book, and I count series as books (but not multiple series that all take place in the same world). Links to the Goodreads page for each one and quotes without context. Let me know if you discover anything you like. Or if you discover that I like something you didn't know I liked.

Links to author pages aren't working, but I don't have time at the moment to go in and fix them all, and honestly, nobody needs direct links to those anyway so I might just leave it.

( 16. Thomas Hardy )
( 15. Jane Austen )
( 14. Bill Bryson )
( 13. M.C.A. Hogarth )
( 12. Robin Hobb )
( 11. Charles Dickens )
( 10. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn )
( 9. Toni Morrison )
( 8. Gerald Durrell )
( 7. Rudyard Kipling )
( 6. Neil Gaiman )
( 5. Barbara Kingsolver )
( 4. J.R.R. Tolkien )
( 3. Peter Beagle )
( 2. Flannery O’Connor )
( 1. C.S. Lewis )

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The Kairos 30-Day Meme: Fifteen Favorite Comic Books

Tue, 15 Apr 2025 14:03:12 GMT

Day Fifteen: Comic Books

The way I tend to talk about comics might make me sound like a rabid lifelong fan who knows the medium inside out. Truth is, and I didn't fully realize this myself until I started writing about them, I haven't really read that many comics. In college I was neck-deep in them; before and after, I was limited by availability and not knowing what I liked. I also noticed, in review, that from what I have read, a lot weren't that good. Some were terrible, and some just never affected me that much.

The remainder follows.

( 15. The Last Unicorn )
( 14. Golden Shrike )
( 13. I Feel Sick )
( 12. Creature Tech )
( 11. Making Comics )
( 10. Off-White )
( 9. The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl )
( 8. Watchmen )
( 7. Y: The Last Man )
( 6. Maus )
( 5. Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 8 )
( 4. X-Men )
( 3. Saga )
( 2. The Sandman )
( 1. The New Mutants )

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The Kairos 30-Day Meme: Fourteen Favorite Animal Characters

Mon, 14 Apr 2025 14:38:13 GMT

Day Fourteen: Animal Characters

The competition was fierce for this category, because if I’m honest, the animal companion in any given story is probably going to be my favorite character. But I ruled out the ones that had human or near-human intelligence (even if the writer didn’t intend it that way), and tried to look for distinctive traits beyond being cute and “I wish I had one of those!”

( 14. Psipsina )
( 13. Pabu )
( 12. Ampersand )
( 11. Oy )
( 10. Darwin )
( 9. Joanna )
( 8. Lockheed )
( 7. Boudicca )
( 6. Bela )
( 5. Cloak of Levitation )
( 4. Ghost )
( 3. Gummi )
( 2. Yakkul )
( 1. Goldie )

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The Kairos 30-Day Meme: Thirteen Favorite Websites

Sun, 13 Apr 2025 15:17:31 GMT

Day Thirteen: Websites

Nothing is quite as all-encompassing of genre and media as the internet, so to narrow it down I tried to leave off the biggest ones, like Amazon and Wikipedia, no matter how much use I get out of them. Also, some might be dead. I'm about to find out.

( 13. Neopets )
( 12. The Gryphon’s Guild )
( 11. deviantArt )
( 10. Cracked )
( 9. Elfwood )
( 8. Post Secret )
( 7. Colossal )
( 6. Whedonesque )
( 5. Hyperbole and a Half )
( 4. Archive of Our Own )
( 3. CBR )
( 2. TV Tropes )
( 1. LiveJournal/Dreamwidth )

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