[syndicated profile] smbc_comics_feed

Posted by Zach Weinersmith



Click here to go see the bonus panel!

Hovertext:
I recently discovered that many kids today don't even know about cooties. Thank goodness for all those shots.


Today's News:

Back on my bullshit again

Jan. 7th, 2026 08:41 pm
mific: (Heated rivalry)
[personal profile] mific
Oh noes! Toomuchplor just posted a new HR fic but there's no fic! Must have taken it down after posting so as to fix something. *whimpers and waits impatiently*

The 3rd and final chapter of "Ember and Ice" dropped yesterday. Hilariously, fangirls on tumblr are getting stuck into the political situation in the story, which does leave a lot to be desired although the defeat of the Lunare by the Solari results in a slightly "captive fairy prince" situation which is always fun. I enjoyed this extra offering by the boys, but audio erotica as a medium does nothing for me, as opposed to the fanfic (and podfic) now being produced by the ton for Heated Rivalry, much of which is excellent and extremely hot. I find it more hilarious than hot to actually hear our heroes giving a blow job - all those wet sucking and smacking sounds - and I kept imagining the poor foley person having to slap their wet thigh, or something, when they were getting into serious fucking. Imagination works way better than surround-sound for me! Although, if "My Moon My Man" is the standout song of HR, "my moan my man" is definitely Hudson's theme song in Ember and Ice!

I've signed up for the Hollanov Big Bang as a writer, artist, and beta (not that I'm going overboard with this or anything). If you're interested, sign ups are here. Info and the schedule are here.

Excellent recs by lotstradamus, here. Almost all are explicit, with some great ideas and interesting writing.

If you're looking for another gay romance with a happy ending, try the movie "Bros". Where I live it can be rented from Apple+. It's more typical of gay culture than HR and the protagonists are a lot older (pushing forty), but it's very charming in its own way. Commitment-challenged bros to lovers in this case, not "enemies". I thoroughly enjoyed it.

politics, porn, true crime

Jan. 5th, 2026 10:57 am
runpunkrun: white text on red background: "you're in a cult call your dad" (you're in a cult call your dad)
[personal profile] runpunkrun
More screen time. I watched all of these on Netflix.

Hostage: The British Prime Minister's husband is kidnapped in French Guiana while working with Doctors Without Borders. I watched two episodes across several days, mostly for Julie Delpy as the President of France, but I just didn't care about these people's problems. And then Julie Delpy did a public end-run around the prime minister to get French troops stationed on English soil to stop migrants from entering France from the channel and my entire being just shriveled up and died with how much I didn't like that.

Minx: The evolution of an erotic feminist magazine in the early 1970s. A fun and raunchy show that wants people to succeed and be kind to each other—mostly. The main character, Joyce, is kind of a pill, but part of the fun is watching her become more flexible as she's exposed to new perspectives. The first season is about building a team and putting a magazine together, but the characters lose their way in the second season as they give in to fame and power (or are alienated by it) and the show similarly becomes muddled; appropriate, maybe, but it also felt very unfocused and even cruel at times, quite a departure from the first season. Contains: drug use, nudity, and lots of dicks.

The Staircase (2022): The thing about The Staircase (2004) is that it will make you detest Michael Peterson. Did he kill his wife? Well, an owl certainly didn't do it. Guilty or not, the man is an odious narcissist, and Colin Firth nails him right down to his way of speaking. So I hated him immediately of course. But not in a fun way. The series also stars Toni Collette! And wastes her! Outside of a death scene so raw I wanted to look away, she mainly spends her time drinking and being quietly sad, except for a scene with a leaf blower and two more death scenes that are similarly awful, but similar enough to the first that it kind of dulls the effect over time. The whole thing is pretty tedious, which might be excused in a documentary, but not in a drama. If you've seen one The Staircase, you don't need to see the other, and really, you probably don't need to watch either. It was really great to see Juliette Binoche again, though. Contains: a lot of blood; violence.

12th Day of Christmas

Jan. 4th, 2026 11:20 pm
clavally: (Default)
[personal profile] clavally
Yes, this is a day early. I just couldn't bring myself to wait another day. Probably something to do with my vacation being over tomorrow and that just seemed depressing to open things on a work day, lol.

1. Redhead Creamery: The cheese literally just says "Mike" on it. It's your garden variety white cow's milk cheese. It was pretty good. Also in the box was granola and snickerdoodle almond and cashew butter mix. I tasted the very tiniest bit of the nut butter because I'm allergic to cashews, and I ate all the granola. Everything was really, really good. I'd be temped to buy a big bag of the granola

2. The FictionPhantom: The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson. I've been wanting to read this book for a long time, so I'm really happy with this. Great book to end on! Value $28.00, Total Value: $198.37. So, I paid about $130 for this calendar, so definitely getting my money's worth. However, all the books in the calendar were thrifted, but even so, I think it's worth it.


That concludes this year's advent and 12 days of Christmas calendars. Thanks for joining me along the way and thanks to those of you who commented! It's going to be a great reading year!


11th Day of Christmas

Jan. 4th, 2026 11:11 pm
clavally: (Default)
[personal profile] clavally
Greetings! Let's get to it!

1. Redhead Creamery: Little Lucy Bleu cheese and Big Dipper Bee Company wildflower honey. So, turns out, I'm not the biggest fan of blue cheese. It was an odd cross between blue cheese and brie. The honey on the other hand was fascinating. I swear you can actually taste the flowers the honey was made from and I'm not sure that says good things about the quality of honey you get from the store. It's really good!

2. TheFictionPhantom: Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. This has been reluctantly on my TBR because it's supposed to be one of the top science fiction novels, but the author, I guess, is a dick? Anyway, I guess it was a good get anyway. Value: $18.99. Total value: $170.37

clavally: (Default)
[personal profile] clavally
I'm about to bombard you with posts. I apologize for that, but let's get on with the review!

TITLE: A Psalm for the Wild Built
Author: Becky Chambers
Genre: Science Fiction


PEACH
Plot: 4
Enjoyment: 5
Artistry: 5
Characters: 5
Heart: 5

4.8 stars

CAWPILE
Characters: 8
Atmosphere: 10
Writing: 9
Plot: 8
Intrigue: 9
Logic/Relationships: 9
Enjoyment: 9

4.8 Stars

This was a really good book. I never knew there were cozy sci-fi stories, yet here we are. Loved the main characters and the world-building, and I'll be interested to see where this series goes next.
runpunkrun: combat boot, pizza, camo pants = punk  (punk rock girl)
[personal profile] runpunkrun
Photograph of a young Asian girl using a manual typewriter in an office and looking very serious as she stares straight into the camera. Her black hair is slicked into a low ponytail and her round glasses are so big they extend past her face. She's wearing a shirt and tie and an adult-sized yellow blazer that fits her like a dress, almost as if she has been shrunk. Text, in a typewriter font: Crack Treated Seriously, at Fancake.
[community profile] fancake's first theme of the year is Crack Treated Seriously! We've already got recs in The Magnus Archives, Disco Elysium/Death Note, Our Flag Means Death, Bungou Stray Dogs, and Star Wars.

Over at the comm, [personal profile] full_metal_ox gave us a delightful glimpse at the character in the banner, writing:
The model has the distinct air of a little kid whose obsessions are the War of 1812 and raccoons, settling in to compose her Magnum Opus alternate history: what if the War of 1812 had been fought by raccoons?

(The history and biology will draw upon rigorous research—including thick ponderous tomes from the Grownup Section, interviews with real live zoologists and re-enactors, and get thee behind me, ChatGPT, thou Devil's Easy Button!—with the result that the text will be as footnote-riddled as Discworld. Writing is Serious Business, for which she dons her Official Serious Writing Jacket—and what other color could it be? Yellow is the hue of intellect, as well as yet another of her Special Interests.)

If you have any questions about this theme, or the comm, come talk to me!

10th Day of Christmas

Jan. 3rd, 2026 10:42 pm
clavally: (Default)
[personal profile] clavally
Greetings

1. Redhead Creamery: Havarti, Calabrian chili orange spread, and fennel salami. Unfortunately, the rind was so sealed to the salami that I couldn't cut through it, so I had to throw it away. However, I love Havarti cheese and the Calabrian chili orange spread with it was SO GOOD. I for real looked up the maker and saw I can get a large bottle from a local grocery store, which I might do. It was great!

2. The Quantum Thief by Hannu Rajaniemi. Never heard of it before, but might be interesting. Cost: $17.99. Total Value: $151.38

2025 Year in Books

Jan. 3rd, 2026 10:10 am
runpunkrun: Dana Scully reading Jose Chung's 'From Outer Space' in the style of a poster you'd find in your school library, text: Read. (reading)
[personal profile] runpunkrun
I read 47 books last year with MY NEW GLASSES. Still really proud of myself for finally getting that done. Last year at this time I was running out of arm to get the book far enough away to read. Weirdly, after several years of that, I'm still holding books way out in the middle distance even though I no longer have to. It's like they're too close now, like, get out of my face, bro.

Did my reading have a theme? Fiction, mostly. I've been avoiding the news for my whole body health, like, get that reality out of my face, bro. I can barely handle the pressures of day to day living, bro. Please understand I'm doing the best I can, bro.

Here are the best things I read in 2025. Links go to my reviews here on Dreamwidth.

Fiction:
The Hunter, by Tana French: Sequel to French's The Searcher. I enjoyed them both, their interesting characters and a small town setting that's claustrophobic and idyllic in turns, but this one has three narrators rather than one and it creates a beautifully balanced story.

Fly Trap, by Frances Hardinge: Another sequel that I liked even more than the first book. It, too, is filled with interesting characters and a setting so real you feel like you're there, but in a kind of ye olde fantasy England.

The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi, by Shannon Chakraborty: Pirates! Sea monsters! A middle-aged Muslim woman with a bad knee!

The Broken Earth Trilogy, by N.K. Jemisin: This is science fiction and fantasy and filled with textured worldbuilding, incredible characters, and high stakes relationships.

Honorable mentions:
Graphic Novels:
Poetry:
Non-Fiction:
The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness, by Michelle Alexander: If you're only going to read one non-fiction book a year, make this one. It constituted 90% of the reality I engaged with last year, and I won't lie, it's a rough read, but Alexander makes it super accessible.
Cookbooks:
The Elements of Baking, by Katarina Cermelj: A beautiful cookbook and an excellent reference for free-from baking, with a framework for how to adapt recipes to be gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, vegan, or a combination of these things.

You Gotta Eat: Real-Life Strategies for Feeding Yourself When Cooking Feels Impossible, by Margaret Eby: A cookbook, yes, but really more of a gentle hug.
For everything I read in 2025, there's my Goodreads Year in Books, though you have to be logged on in order to see it, or you can check out my book report tag here on Dreamwidth.

Book Review: A Children's Bible

Jan. 3rd, 2026 12:42 am
clavally: (Default)
[personal profile] clavally
Just finished my first book of the year.

Title: A Children's Bible
Author: Lydia Millet
Genre: Sci-fi/dystopian

PEACH RATING
Plot: 3.5
Enjoyment: 4
Artistry: 3.5
Characters: 3.5
Heart: 5

=3.9 stars...but I think I'll just round this up to 4 stars

CAWPILE RATING

Characters: 7
Atmosphere/Setting: 8
Writing Style: 7
Plot: 7
Intrigue: 9
Logic/Relationships: 8
Enjoyment: 8

=4.25 stars

What an odd book. So, someone gave a children's bible to the main character's little brother and then the whole rest of the story was like an allegory for stories in the Bible. Every once in a while I'll be sitting here thinking about the book and then another parallel to the bible in the story will hit me.

click for spoilers )

End of the Year Fanworks Meme: 2025

Jan. 3rd, 2026 12:02 am
xdiorix: (Default)
[personal profile] xdiorix
Finally getting around to this!

Stats: Podfic (191 stories, about 23.5 hours worth of footage recorded overall), 2 non-traditional audio works (~1 hour), and 11 filks (29 mins).

A bit of a dip in my stats this year. Real life really kicked my ass, plus I really just started reading less fic once I fell down the V-tuber hole, which I still have not yet escaped.

Most popular?

My most popular podfic by hits and kudos was like an empty bottle takes the rain for solo podfic and 9-1-1, What's my Emergency? for multivoice podfic I made/organized. The benefits of podficcing in a large fandom! (911)


Most underappreciated?

I guess it's not surprising considering it's an original work, but I do wish Call Me Menace got a little more attention/engagement because I think it's an incredible story and I really loved making it.


Personal favorite, for whatever reason?

I was thrilled to be able to finally produce the new chapter of I have acquired a child! It was so much fun to revisit and bring back recurring voices, plus welcome new podficcers!

In terms of traditional podfic, I LOVED coastal shelf. I am one of Shannon's staunchest defenders and this story was just...ugh, it broke my heart, it made me think, it gave me so many complicated emotions! Like I said in the notes, I cried while reading it, I cried while recording it, I cried while editing it. It was also a beast to make because it's the longest thing I've made this year, but I'm so pleased with it.

For filk, I really loved making It's Time for Voiceteam. It was one of the easiest filks I've ever written. I wrote it, recorded the guide and edited it in a matter of hours. And then everyone who joined me on this filk was so good!!! Everyone's voices together were beautiful and it really, really brought the whole thing to life. I'm super proud of it.


Most difficult to make?

coastal shelf, like I mentioned earlier. It was long, and I was coming off an illness and I was having a particular inarticulate moment while recording it, but we got her done and I'm proud of it!


Most "ah ha ha I can't believe I'm doing this"?

It's (Still) a Trap for sure! Mostly I couldn't believe we succeeded in getting 90% of the Voiceteam server involved in it! But also it all came together so much easier than the first attempt at this challenge lol. All the editors did an incredible job! Just incredible comedic choices by everyone--editors, singers, peanut gallery, etc. Also, I loved that we made it looping and every comment from someone who tells us they got caught by the loop brings me indescribable joy. XD

Also making Lucky Dog aka the Gilear smut fic. I have no regrets. >:3c

Most fun to make?

Aside from some of the pods I talked about earlier, I had a lot of fun making OCTOPUS TALKING IN ALL CAPS because everyone's silly voices were SO SILLY and they brought me so much joy!


Was there one that didn't turn out the way you wanted?

Mmmm....I don't think so? No, I lied. I wasn't particularly pleased with how I read counterpart, counterpoint because it was Tiebreaker, I was rushed, and man, I was struggling with the tones in it. I'm very certain I mispronounced a bunch of things in it.


Biggest learning experience?

Nothing that comes to mind!


What's next?

Prepping for my upcoming podfic-versary! Uhhh....gotta start working on some longer projects. It feels like something like 90% of my stuff this year was less than 10 minutes. I'd like to get some of my big multivoice projects realized! And I'd really like to finally podfic something for Dungeon Crawler Carl.

Profile

sabinetzin: (Default)
Don't be a dick, be a dude.

October 2023

S M T W T F S
1234567
891011121314
15161718 192021
22232425262728
293031    

Most Popular Tags

Style Credit

Expand Cut Tags

No cut tags