I am a writer and a hopeful novelist, working on science fiction and fantasy. Since I want to be as accurate as possible, I want to use this blog as a resource to seek answers to my random questions about how the world works and how I can make MY worlds work for me.
does anyone have that unsettling oil painting of a dark window with a sheet leading out into the darkness? it did the rounds on tumblr a while ago and i need itttt
The only retail job I miss is being the cashier at a local Hardware Store in a small town surrounded by other small towns, because I was essentially a high fantasy GuildMaster.
I worked there three summers in a row, and every laborer from every nearby town would come there for whatever supplies they needed, and man could they gossip like there was an Olympic medal for it.
At 8 AM, every morning, every plumber, roofer, electrician, and landscaper in the county was at the door waiting for me to unlock it, and they’d come back throughout the day.
I knew every tradesman in a 30 miles radius, and I knew too much about everyone in town because of, like I said, the tradesman gossip. It’s shocking that people basically tune out an entire person in their living room and say whatever they want, because they don’t see the guy fixing their light fixture as real somehow.
Then your average citizens, the townsfolk, would come in to ask for labor recommendations. The cashier at the local hardware store is a god among yelp reviews.
A woman needs her roof repaired. A man wants central air installed in his 100 year old house. Someone needs to break into a safe they inherited without the combination.
And I would make recommendations. I’d take down names and information so when a plumber I liked walked in an hour later, I could say, “come here, I have a job for you” like I needed them to clear a village of Redcaps.
There is no difference between your local mom-and-pop hardware employee and Greed Karga sending the Mandalorian on bounty hunting jobs.
If Geralt of Rivia walked in, I could have found him something to do.
I believe all plumbers dual-wield drain snakes and arcane magic, because you’d be surprised how often Liches come up in septic tank repairs.
You can belong to a monster hunters’ guild and a welders’ union, if you have the time. Always good to diversify your portfolio.
Demons and monsters that torture people because they feed on human suffering are so dumb. People are suffering everywhere my guy go literally any place and take a deep whiff.
I’m playing DnD in heaven, and it’s awesome. I can choose to see through the characters’ eyes, and they move and act on the table, following the players’ choices. We are in a desperate battle, and my last gambit has failed. I take out my cell phone, and my call is picked up on the first ring.
“Hey, what’s up?”
“My character is about to die,” I wail into the phone, “and the dice said God won’t help me!”
The door opens, and Jesus comes in, tucking his phone away. He sets a hand on my shoulder and points at my percentile dice. The 90 jolts over to a 10.
The DM glares at Jesus.
“Sue me, I love this character,” Jesus says. “Anyway, what the fuck do you think Divine Intervention is?” He winks at me.
“All right,” the DM grouses, “but you’re not allowed to do that if you’re playing.”
“Fair enough. I’ll be here for your oneshot next week. Have fun storming the castle.” He drops a kiss on my hair and leaves with a smile on his face.
hey!!!! remember standing rock water protectors and the dakota access pipeline?
the massive, poorly constructed environmental risk that spat all over the Standing Rock Sioux people's treaty rights? that dug up their sacred burial sites? the one where the oil corporation who owned it bought out a private company to do a sham of an "environmental analysis" and never consulted the tribe and STILL didn't actually get approval? the one that's literally operating illegally and without proper permits right fucking now?
yeah, that.
you remember that.
surprising absolutely no one, the army corps of engineers this week (September 8, 2023) released an EIS (environmental impact statement) draft for public comment that takes into account absolutely 0 of the tribe's concerns, and in fact did not consult with them once in the process!
they're going to officially approve the pipeline.
what's the good news?
IT'S A DRAFT. YOU CAN SUBMIT PUBLIC COMMENT RIGHT NOW UNTIL NOVEMBER 13!!!
This link RIGHT HERE (https://action.lakotalaw.org/action/dapl-eis-2023) will take you to a Lakota Law Project page where they've set up a form to make it easy to submit a comment.
All you have to do is add your name, email, and zip code, and it pulls up a form with a pre-written message you can just click and submit, listing the most pressing concerns. You can also personalize it if you want, but you don't have to. This will take you two minutes. Please.
you can also access the comment information on the USACE website here, email [email protected] yourself, or call Brent Cossette, the contact for the draft, at 402-995-2716!!!
you can also donate directly to the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe here.
The crack of bones cuts off their inane commentary, and we smile. We lean back in our beach chairs and listen to the wheezing of their breaths, glancing over sunglasses at the sharp angles of the boys’ heads. The sun streams down on our flawless skin and the blood blooming under theirs. We are unforgiving.