Why don't we use "embattled" to describe anyone but politicians? Could I be an embattled writer?

Seeking a lot of familiar names and titles here, can't wait to read the ones I missed.

LAcon V Announces 2026 Hugo Awards Finalists LAcon V, the 84th World Science Fiction Convention, announced the finalists for the 2026 Hugo Awards, the most prestigious honors for excellence in science fiction and fantasy, on April 21. First p…

Congratulations to all the Hugo finalists!

How do I get a medical marijuana card? How to get started in Florida Nearly a million people in Florida have medical marijuana cards. Here's a guide on how to get one, costs for products, and what to buy at a dispensary

How do you get a medical marijuana card in Florida? It's not difficult, if you have a qualifying condition, but what to do next can be intimidating. Here's a step-by-step guide.

A copy of the “Fix-It and Forget It” cookbook.

A three-ingredient recipe for Beef and Cabbage alongside a picture with a notable lack of cabbage.

Beef With Broccoli, next to a picture of beef without broccoli.

Teresa picked up a cookbook from a series she’s liked before, only to find that many of the pictures don’t match the recipes or descriptions.

This is not the sort of thing that helps the insecure cook.

A Columbo Mystery Puzzleu Game.

I did NOT buy this, only because I couldn’t check to see if it was all there and because I strongly suspect it’s a generic mystery puzzle with a picture of Peter Falk whipped in there.

I’m just about at that age when I don’t clean up the house so much for company as to make sure the paramedics have an easier path.

Some folks like how I slice bananas lengthwise for my peanut butter sandwiches and some folks just want to know how I got in their house.

Pretty sure the soundtrack of my life will include a lot of slide whistles.

They even have cameos as stage hands looking down at the show during the Live Aid concert.

When my wife and I visited a few years back it seemed like every damn diner we visited (and we are diner people) was equal to the very best one back in central Florida.

It made us pine for a homeland we never knew, and have no attachment to.

There was definitely some fudging on the timing of some events. But the main bits and the emotional story is accurate and the surviving members of Queen approved, supported and praised the movie, so any tweaks to improve the narrative are fine with me.

A large pin of a pointing finger on an award badge and the text YOU ARE A REGULAR GUY

YOU ARE A REGULAR GUY
YOU CAN ENTER A SPACE
YOU ARE A REGULAR GUY
YOU CAN ENTER A ROOM
YOU ARE A REGULAR GUY
YOU CAN DO THAT TRANSACTION

Apparently. My @makesomenoise.dropout.tv pin arrived.

A hand holds a red rubber dodgeball.

Anyone want to relive some childhood trauma?

See latest wildfire map for Florida, showing active fires, smoke path As of 9 a.m. April 16, 69 wildfires were burning more than 7,800 acres across Florida, from Collier County to Escambia County.

There is a STRONG smell of smoke outside right now. Smoke from wildfires around Florida is drifting everywhere across the state and there’s no immediate danger for me.

But as the owner of a wooden house in an unkempt woodsy lot, this is triggering.

Me: I can’t decide whether to grab a late lunch or take a nap and then have an early dinner.

Teresa: But what if you wake up hungry and cranky because I punched you after I woke up hungry and cranky?

By screwing around with the supplied British voices and reducing the speed to 80% I have accidentally given Siri a working class Manchester accent that is frankly cracking me up whenever I’m out walking the dog and my phone reads me texts from Teresa.

“Your woife Tareeeza sent you a mes-sage.”

I Was in a Music Rut. I Blame the Algorithm. I Found a Simple Way to Break Out of It. It was exactly what I had been looking for.

I was in a music rut. I blame the algorithm. I found a simple way to break out of it. slate.trib.al/nZj5htJ

I feel like "20% of battery remaining" just flashed across my forehead.

At this point I’m getting all my news alerts from the fastest source of breaking news available: @chucktingle.bsky.social ‘s new book titles.

“Come for the space sex, stay for the Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies!”

I did prefer Hů’s packaging, which is like an envelope and easier to close. It was the priciest per ounce, though.

I eat these things over days, people, a bit at a time. A resealing package would be awesome.

Chocolove reminded me of Tony’s but creamier. Very good.

Hů has a deeper taste that seemed to have a very slightly sour (but not bitter) aftertaste. Teresa doesn’t like dark chocolate at all but she disliked this… less? I thought it was good but I still prefer Lindt 70% because I’m a wuss.

A Tony’s Chocoloney bar, a Hů bar, and a Chocolove bar.

The back of the Hů lists a variety of things that don’t use. The slogan above: “NO WEIRD INGREDIENTS. EVER!”

Chocolove’s inside wrapper, with Shakespeare’s Sonnet 48.

We usually buy Tony’s but while we were out shopping today we decided to try a few others.

I love that Hů has a longer list of ingredients they don’t include (8) than the list of ingredients they do (4).

Chocolove came with a romantic Shakespeare sonnet inside, which was nice.

A thrift store rack of DVDs, including seasons of Hawaii 5-0, Magnum P.I., Emergency!, The Streets of San Francisco and others.

Throw in MASH, Columbo, Star Trek, and a dump load of sitcoms, and you’ve basically got my childhood in that rack.

Kinda love that my entire feed right now is just people celebrating the Artemis II splashdown.

Why does this sound like a cosmological mythology for a new age of gods?

The capsule splashing down onto the water with the three red and white parachutes above it

Splashdown! Vehicle is stable and upright. “A perfect bulls-eye splash for Integrity and its four astronauts!” #Artemis

How many GoPros do you think @taskmaster.tv goes through in a series? 500? 600?

A pepperoni pizza with a clump of mushroom in the middle.

I ordered a pepperoni pizza, half mushroom. I guess they put mushroom on the middle half?