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2026 Reading List

36 novels in 2025 (list here)! I have been reading quite a bit: escapism! Here’s what is in queue for 2026 so far!

King Sorrow is wrapping up, so I’m leaving on 2025. GREAT read! This epic tale is like Dark Tower and Fairy Tale (by King) had a baby. SO GOOD.

Dream Girl, Laura Lippman. Turns out, Lippman is a pretty famous writer. This novel is the story of an author intertwined with a mysterious stalker of the author. Decent plot and characters. It’s OK.

The Golden Gate, Amy Chua.

2025 Xmess Hurl:
Filterworld ST How Algorithms Flattened Culture, Kyle Chayka. I tried, I really did. The title seemed like a relevant read, but it turns out that while the subject is relevant, the content is pretty fucking banal. The author is a millennial and I just can’t take the whining. “Oh, woe is me, I HAVE TO SUBSCRIBE to Spotify, it’s where all my music is!” Or this one: “I found my CD case from the 90s. I wish I could play these CDs now!” Wow, really? You know WHY algorithms run everything? Because millennials and beyond have zero awareness of doing anything OTHER THAN using these stupid services and have zero ability to think for themselves. If you are too dumb to figure out how to set up a server for your shit, hook up an optical drive and make your own library, then I have no sympathy for you. You probably don’t back up your shit, either. I got to page 78 of this drivel and bounced. I think if you ARE a millennial, and confused about why you can’t control your apps, then this book would be relevant. However, if you are someone who’s been in tech since the mid-90s and understand how it works, don’t bother with this. It’s interesting to note that this guy also does a newsletter called Dirt that I recently subscribed to. It must be pretty banal, too, since I can’t tell you a thing that has been in the couple of issues I’ve looked at. (And I ditched the newsletter.) ::shrug::

The Sweetest Fruits, Monique Truong. I think I’m done with Monique. Bitter in the Mouth was good, but the other two I’ve read are just too slow and convoluted.

Mediocre, Ijeoma Olouo. ST “The Dangerous Legacy of White Male America.” This one is very good so far. It was published in 20 or 21, so it’s before that orange turd was elected AGAIN. UGH. This book is well researched and pretty much 100% on point. At about 2/3, the book gets bogged down in a long discussion about race, which is fine and part of white America, but I feel she was retreading stuff from her first book. It picked up a little towards the end, but I will admit to skimming. A LOT. It’s worth the read, but be prepared for a bit of a slog.

Care and Feeding, Laurie Woolever. This is a memoir by the author of a Bourdain biography. This is her stories and her experiences with Tony Bourdain. I was happy to have my suspicions about that cunt Asia Argento confirmed. It’s a decent memoir and an easy read.

Fairy Tale, Stephen King. REREAD, but still counts! King Sorrow made me want to revisit this one!

The End of the World as We Know It, New Tales from Stephen King’s The Stand. A collection of stories spun off from the The Stand. Nick says it’s awesome, it’ll be my read after King Sorrow. I started this, but got very tired of the theme about 1/3 in. I have gone back to this book after Mediocre. It’s best to do this one in chunks, since the subject is the same for all the stories. It is a perfect interstitial book.

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How to Become a Feral Bog Witch

It takes a while, but you, too, can become a Feral Bog Witch!

Just get old and become REALLY tired of people’s SHIT. Simmer in frustration and resentment for about 20 years, then add in a dash of malevolence and a shot of BITING and there ya go!

Last night I had a minor meltdown due to just finally being so frustrated I couldn’t hold it together any longer. I am lucky to have a wonderful partner to listen to my ranting and even allow a stress relieving bite. Now THAT is love!

We were talking about an issue that has been brewing for some time with a couple of friends. It’s a complicated knot, and we can’t really untangle it, which is maddening. It became emotional and the desire to bite was fierce. So, my loving and very trusting darling let me give him a good ole bite. It helped a bit. I did leave marks, but since I don’t really want to bite him, it was about half the bite I’d have given the people that deserve it.

I need to be clear: this is not a joke.

I am truly at the point where I am so fucking feral, I WILL bite. It’s all I have left. I am not listened to nor responded to by some people I care about and it has made me feral. I feel that biting the shit out of someone is the only way I’ll get any sort of acknowledgement or response. I guess this is what it feels like to be an animal who is trying to make a point. When nothing else works, biting is a valid response.

Feral.
Bog.
Witch.

This is not a threat to everyone, there are only a few people I’d like to bite the shit out of. But lemme tell you, if those few continue to behave in the manner that they are, I probably will just chomp rather than waste any more of my time talking. Either it’ll piss them off or scare them, whatever, at least it’s a response. ::shrug::

As we were discussing the biting thing, we realised that it is similar to people who self harm, in the way that you get so desperate you must do something to make sure you’re an actual person.

This morning, I remembered a story my mother told me. Apparently this biting issue has precedent! In the early 70s, we were at K Mart (mother, younger brother, me). We were probably 5 and 3-ish. I don’t remember this, so it had to be when we were very young.

So, at some point, the biting commenced. I don’t know who bit who, but there was a kerfluffle and my mother did what any 70s mom would do: she bit the biter and/or both of us! Right there in K Mart! LOL Then she hauled our crying asses out the door.

I wonder if anyone witnessed this and how hard they laughed about it! I know we just laughed until we cried when I relayed the story to Nick. OMG! Hysterical! I’m sure they thought, “Well, they come by it honest!”

All of that is to say: the biting has precedent. It has just been dormant for very long time. So beware the Feral Bog Witch. Approach carefully, bearing wine and dark chocolate. And maybe don’t piss her off. ::chomp:: ;)

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UPDATED!! A Public Beatdown Post!

It’s been a long minute, but I’ve finally been inspired to post a public takedown of some crazy bitch who desperately deserves it. Yep, full name and everything. So satisfying! This is a direct crosspost from the public FB post with some edits for clarity. It’s easier to read here because I can post the screen shots IN LINE. Without further ado, let the FLAMES begin!

Psycho White Trash update!!!

[From FB, edited for clarity] Bitch finally responded!! It’s precious that the psycho tried to troll NICK again, where she is blocked, then realised that she was not blocked here, so generously provided me with a screen shot of her inane blather! SWEET!

This is the crazy shit that happens when you rot your brain by being stoned 24/7 and have no friends, so you sit around obsessing about someone you’ve not seen in 20 years. [I am still rather flattered that I am so intriguing!]

She is STILL going on about the house her mama arranged for her. She did not buy it, she was GIFTED IT. I guess that’s the only thing she HAS, which is why it’s so important to her. [I’ve seen photos and that place is a filthy pit just like every place she’s lived. Her car is also so full of trash you can’t get in the passenger seat. She is NASTY WHITE TRASH!!]

She’s pathetic, but it’s a great way to start my day! Crazy people amuse me – esp when they think their psychotic shit matters one tiny bit. LOL

And to top it off, SHE blocked ME! LOL LOL

I WIN!

Ok, so Melissa Trammell has decided to once again troll Nick in order to bitch about me. I don’t know what this fucking bitch is thinking, hey, she is not blocked HERE [FB]. She is such a passive aggressive cunt that she goes for NICK to complain about what a cunt I am rather than message me directly. I’m sure the blocking will be imminent, but hopefully she’ll send some bullshit my way and I can post that, too. ;)

SO, I shall post her idiotic messages to Nick and offer up some tidbits about what she seems to think is her STERLING life. Hey, you poke the Scorpio, you get the sting. Heh. Besides, it’s been a very long time since I called out someone on the internet! I will also post this on my blog so it can live there forever. :D

Yeah, bitch we know all about your adventures in livin’ la vida white trash. You have always dated losers (other than D, of course). Let’s talk about the loser that lived in N Ga who had a NYE “party” where your idiot brother and his GF had a screaming match in the front yard and we feared that 1. the cops would be called and they’d see the ACRES of pot laying all over the front room of that nasty ass house, and 2. the drunk GF was going to drive into our NEW truck, and 3. We were trapped there because the drunken hillbillies were scrapping in the front yard. Yeah, good times. Fucking WHITE TRASH.

Yeah, we know about the house and the fact that you did not have to do ANYTHING other than take over the mortgage. No down payment, no nothing. You are a homeowner because your mama arranged it for you. Fuck off with this ‘I did it by myself’ bullshit.

HA! Yeah, most white trash hillbillies who date losers have “crazy and stressful” lives. We don’t give a single fuck if you are OK or not, you fucking narcissistic cunt. DIAFF How is Nick? LOL He is puzzled that you’d troll him AGAIN after the last time he ignored your friend request. You are psychotic.

“I own my own house, babe.” Yeah, again, because of your mama. You are a complete psycho pothead, just like you’ve always been. “Anytime I reconnect with Angela”, uh, when would that be? I’ve not heard from your psycho ass in years! Harassing Nick is not the same as “reconnecting” [or stalking us on FB]. And yeah, I am a lot smarter than YOU, that’s for sure. I don’t work? Hmm, guess my 20+ years as admin doesn’t count, then, right? Because I don’t do grunt work for an insurance company, I’m not employed, I guess? I do accounting you stupid bitch, something which your pot addled brain could never handle. Again with the house? You really hang a lot of your self worth on something you did not earn, pendeja.

And finally, every single bit of idiocy you spout supposedly towards me, is actually towards both of us, which means you are stalking and trolling NICK as well. He is not as petty as I, which is why I am the one posting all your bullshit to the internet.

But I do TRULY appreciate that I get to occupy so much of what’s left of your pot rotted brain RENT FREE. Apparently you have some sort of fetish about me. Flattering! HA!!

You need to get on some meds my dude. You are absolutely insane.

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New Year’s Thoughts

I posted this on FB and realised it really should be HERE. It’s modified for my blog, but the content is the same.

I’d love to be optimistic about 2026, but I just can’t get past the knowledge that we WILL have an economic meltdown, we just don’t know when.

Nick got an official Operations Manager position and a raise, but we’ll still be lucky to break even with it. We currently run at a deficit, since this year’s raise was destroyed by the shitty economy. We are, as always, in debt and it sucks.

All I can tell you is PUT IN STOP LOSS ORDERS if you have stocks, because when the bubble bursts, it’s going to be a bloodbath.

But aside from the existential dread, I hope that we all can find time to visit friends and support each other. The only way through is TOGETHER.

My personal goal this year is to be a better friend. If you need something, just ask. I’ll try my best to help.

Let’s all raise a glass to the death of MTV and part of our GenX souls and try to make the best of an enshittified world.

Peace out.

PS: I will be posting about some shit that happened in November shortly, and probably another post about The Enshitticene we are living in. Stay tuned. I’ll also be wrapping the 2025 Reading List and setting up the 2026. BUT it will probably be the second week of January, since I’m swamped with TEV work until then.

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Post Tgiving Ramblings

Trek Tree 2025

I was going back and forth about writing out all my trials and tribulations since that’s all I do these days, but it’s that or not write at all, and I need to write. So.

Since I last wrote, Halloween came and went and the nastiest Mercury Retrograde I’ve endured in a very long time has finally ended.

We had a Super Moon on top of this Retrograde, and I paid the price for not listening to my instincts. Sigh.

I went out on Thu Nov 6 to make a quick run to Tower Liquor to reup supplies and get a bottle of Veuve Clicquot for my birthday weekend. I was feeling very unsure about going out, but pushed myself to do it anyway. Bad decision.

While driving on Chamblee Tucker Road, I hit a badly patched spot and it pushed me into a bit of curb that was sticking out – at 35-40mph. It was bad. Fortunately there was a neighborhood right there, so I could pull of just a few yards past the road hazard. I knew my tire was busted and I could see my busted windshield. It was a VERY HARD HIT to the right front wheel. There was no fluid leakage, so that was a relief. I was hoping that it was just the wheel and perhaps the suspension. I called Nick to come change the tire and help me assess the damage. I decided I should review the manual instructions about using the spare and good thing I did: my car cannot be driven with the donut on the front (they expect you to put the donut on the back and the back tire on the front. NOPE.). It could damage the differential. Great. So we called AAA to come haul Romeo to the mechanic. I was not going to drive him anyway with that busted windscreen and unknown damages. Good thing I did, he was VERY damaged:

– Bearings
– Hub
– Tie Rod
– Control Arm
– Strut
– Gravel diverter
– Alignment
TOTAL: $2980

New tire: $200 (somehow the wheel itself was not damaged)
Mount/balance $38

New windshield: $355

TOTAL DAMAGES: $3573 posted to our large emergency CC, which is now at about 40%.

Of course, I take to the phone and email to bring Dekalb County to task for this road hazard. Of course, they told me to go fuck myself. You see, Dekalb County is too trifling to have their own insurance, so when something happens, they see if ANY CONTRACTORS have been working in the area, so they can then force THEM to use THEIR insurance for claims. Nifty, eh? Fucking Dekalb bullshit. They don’t give a single solitary SHIT about anything going on, other than getting paid. I can’t WAIT to vote against the CEO (a stupid useless position in the first place) next round of voting. She is just there for the paycheck and sides with ICE and police teargassing citizens. CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson, you are a disgrace. I hope to get the office of CEO abolished, but not holding my breath about that one. If there’s one thing Dekalb is great at, it’s layers of bureaucracy and nepotism. The person in charge of pothole issues has FOUR layers of managers over her – all of which are determined to deny any and all claims. NICE.

The fight is not over, but I doubt anything will be reimbursed to me. I tried a bunch of lawyers and they won’t take on the county – and I was also informed that my car was “too old” to bother with. Fucking hell. I fucking hate lawyers and bureaucrats, so lots of annoyance.

This ruined my birthday, which was not a pleasant one to begin with. Big milestone one. BLECH. And on top of all this, some very good friends didn’t even wish me a happy day, so that didn’t help AT ALL. I pretty much spun into a 2-3 wk bout of anxiety and depression.

I finally came out of that crap in time for Thanksgiving. We put up the tree last weekend and the interior lights. Just the big tree this year and only Trek ornaments. There are 41 of them, so it’s not like the tree is bare! LOL We got the Titan and the Star Trek arcade game ornaments this year. I cooked a modest meal and had a good friend over. It was nice.

I am 100% exhausted by this year. There won’t be much going on around here for the foreseeable future. We’re selling some games to offset the Romeo Debacle™ and not doing very much in the way of xmess gifts. FUN. SIGH.

I hope everyone ELSE has a great holiday and New Year.

That’s all I have to say about that.