Cygnia

And here's the 1st one of the new year! https://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots1295.html

...is it me? Am I the problem? My Wednesday game -- no one else seems to care. I mean, they claim they're enjoying themselves -- but I'm cynical enough to wonder if their enjoyment comes from finding anything that might look like a rail they could blow up. (2 of the other 3 players at least -- the 3rd is just so damn passive). And these are the guys in their 40's-50's -- these are the guys who are supposed to KNOW better! Hell, one of the players was bemoaning a con he was GMing where the people at the table wanted to torture NPCs! And at our table, he's just looking to throw monkey wrenches. This is a group that cares more about a stolen book than 3 murdered people from their organization. And who appears to hate the owner of said stolen book more than the person who stole it (and framed us)! I don't know what to do here. My husband senses my frustration, says there'll be moments for me to shine on the horizon. And I'm now dreading the group will somehow sabotage me when I try to do anything. Not out of malice -- I swear. But it's just hard to get through to them to actually be proactive (same problem in the previous game hubby GM'ed) and care about what's going on. Having one of those 3 GM isn't the solution -- two will not do it. And the third will only GM his con games he has pre-gens for, so any hope of having an adventure tailored around any backstory hooks is SOL. I need to feel like what my character does matters. That I can make a difference. My pretendy fun time games that I use to escape frustration in Real Life shouldn't be giving me frustration too! (meanwhile, I resume GMing the 5e game at the end of the month -- nothing to stress about there yet)

Why is the mainstream media failing to report accurately on the upcoming election?

Yikers! https://www.huffpost.com/entry/alaska-airlines-emergency-landing-window-blows-out_n_6598d80ee4b0f9f6621cc573?93l

There's the "White Knight" reality from DC's Black Label line that has a "heroic" Joker...

Before COVID hit and back when my friendly local wine shop was still open, they'd hold at the end of the year a "Nectars, Bubblies and Ports" tasting. A range of dry sparkling wines (Cava/Prosecco/Champagne) to sweet wines like Madeiras, Sherries, and Ports. And my guilty pleasure was to hit the nearby McDonald's beforehand for French Fries... 😈 And come Girl Scout Cookie season, we'd have a tasting pairing cookies with wines (sponsored by a local troop, of course). And twice a year (Valentine's and Halloween) was the wine & chocolate pairing. I miss that shop https://www.foodandwine.com/wine/red-wine/potato-chips-and-wine https://www.wineenthusiast.com/basics/how-to-pair/how-to-pair-wine-and-potato-chips/ https://www.allrecipes.com/best-wine-and-chip-snack-pairings-7966899

Oh, we've had tasteless marketing for decades, alas. That being said, I've read (well-written) articles about what wines pair well with various fried potatoes ala fries and potato chips. Dry sparkling wines like Champagne and Prosecco are on the top of that list.

Doctorin' the TARDIS!

Florida Surgeon General Cites Debunked Claims In Calling For Halt Of COVID Shots

Ex-Rock Musician Arrested In Killing Of Missing Girlfriend After Human Remains Found

Between a cat and a cobra chicken, I worry more for the cat...