😅 As always with subtitled screenings, it's just me and one couple in the theatre - a white dude trying his best in Spanish, and a Colombian sweetheart with very little English.

My favourite part is when the fellows in such couples try to talk to me in English, but I reply in Spanish and keep the conversation on her turf instead.

(Second favourite part is the documentary shorts that always precede movies here. This one is on the work of a Colombian director.)

Movie time! 🥳

The coworking space now has two people at my table running a series of phone calls, so... time to walk, stretch, and eat before my "field research"* of a sci-fi film.

*Dead serious: I have two stories in process that I'm hoping this flick will help with, because I get highly inspired to write whenever I like *or* dislike a film in my genre. (And I'm sure I'll enjoy it on a general spectator level, too. 🙃 Maybe.)

OH DEAR. THIS POST WAS SET TO SELF-DETONATE 💣 💥 🔥

Ą̷͇̀l̵̩̓̕l̸̩͘ ̸̭̪̈́ť̷̝̍̆h̶̡̛̰̯̏͌a̷͕̞͋̂t̵̩͙͑̈́͝'̵̛̍́ͅͅş̴̬̱͝ ̷̗̊͠l̵͚̕͠ē̸̻͓̐͝f̷̧͙̀̑͝t̶͓̓͊̚ ̶̜̱̓͌́a̴͉͊r̶̡̩͛̀é̵̦̞͕ ̶̮̾ṫ̷̡͈̍ḧ̸̛͍́̊e̴̫̅ş̶̥̰̓e̴̟̪͌͂̇ ̷̞̅͊̚h̷̰͕͈͂e̶̡̹̜̚ŗ̸̗͈̾̇e̴̩̍͐ ̷̪͉̩̀a̵̡̱̐͑͝s̴͎͖̈́h̸͈͌́͜e̴͕̝̐̌ś̶͓̆ͅ.̵̩̉ ̵̱͊͑̀

Leaving home early to work at the mall before the movie tonight.

😅 It occurred to me that I've naturally adopted an unusual set of bag checks these days. I now always make sure I have coin for street folks, and at least a bag of rice for someone in deep hunger, before stepping out.

(This is for my sanity, too. I wouldn't feel as comfortable going out to enjoy an evening at the movies while beelining past anyone in need along the way.)

The weird ways we adapt to our neighbourhood needs, eh? 🙃

#Israel #Gaza #democracy

Haaretz is left-of-centre, but far from the only Israeli paper hashing out how to get rid of Netanyahu. This summary presents the problem for the West as one that can be solved by treating him like Putin, for reasons described below. The one thing the columnist missed is that Harris has *already* been given diplomatic roles to signal US keenness to work with someone else.

But locals have to throw off their far-right nightmare first. And soon.

https://archive.ph/IFJJZ

🧐 Also, feel free to tag your own niche!

I am a...

#SitterWithStreetFolk
#HelperWithWords
#IncluderOfOutsiders
#AuntieAtLarge
#BearerOfSometimesUsefulFacts
#MakerOfTreatsAndGoodEats
#GeneralTryHard

Y tú? 👀

This is a sweet read for anyone who might feel like they can't find their place:

"We need a whole lot more than just Breakup Whisperers. We need D&D Group Conveners, Last-Minute Babysitters, People Who Write Articles Online Explaining The Confusing Endings of Certain Movies, A Cappella Concert Attendees, Wikipedia Editors, Phone Fixers, Local Historians, Post-Tragedy Casserole Providers ... and on and on, forever. Roll a few of those together, and baby, that’s a niche."

https://open.substack.com/pub/experimentalhistory/p/theres-a-place-for-everyone

One more book to read and one more submission to send out today, and then I'll be heading across town to watch Alien: Romulus in the "English" theatre.

You know you're ready for some sci-fi when even looking at a flower makes you think of deep-space voids and the quiet horror of the unknown. 👾🌌

If I get enough backlogged work done today and tomorrow, so help me, I am watching Alien: Romulus in a theatre across town in the evening. 🤞🏻

(It's a trip, but only in a few theatres can I "hear" people scream in space in English. Most showings are dubbed.)

With thanks to @Tacitus_Kilgore for the nudge, I'm taking the week away from the newsletter... not for a rest, exactly, but to hit an end-of-month deadline and clear the rest of my slate of outstanding tasks.

Will return to that work next Monday all shiny and chrome - and ideally with key projects out, workflow stabilized, and more writing in submission queues. 🤞🏻

For me:

Naturalistic fallacy is a favourite. When people confuse what "is" with what "ought" to be, we get into all kinds of messy and hilarious forms of ahistorical and nature-ignorant error.

(But I also like "inflation of conflict", when people treat the existence of debate within a field as a sign that no truth can be found within it. Nah, bruv.)

And I can be super susceptible to black-and-white thinking when it comes to my own options and life path. Working on it!

I love the idea of us talking more about #MediaLiteracy in general, and critical thinking touchstones.

I used to buy into the lie of "rational" debate, but it's much more effective to remember that this isn't how humans develop most of their views - or change them. (That said, some people are more *aware* of their emotional & cultural inputs than others, which makes discussion easier.)

Easy queries today, then:

What's your favourite fallacy?
And what's the fallacy you struggle with the most?

🧐 Haven't touched base with a few of you lovelies for a while.

@NiveusLepus, have you been able to rest and reacclimate?

@JoyfullyDazed, any rainy-day art breaks as of late?

@Mauve_matelot, is your leg feeling any better?

@stueytheround, any buns in the oven?! 👀

@Kaysymmetry, are you getting lots of kitty snuggles in for sanity?

@Graci, are you ready for the girls of the pod to move on from P2025?

@elmaxx, how're the jams treating you?

@Kinnison: 👋🏻 Hi neighbour!

Hugs to the rest! 🤗

Catching the moon on the replacement phone is still going to be tough, but if you zoom in, at least I have more stars! 😍

Good morning, starshines!
The world says hello!

Seriously awesome day here, CoSo.

I'm so grateful when we can share in the laughs and the learning, the lows and the lewds, all in equal measure.

Other parts of my day got derailed by Unexpected and Tedious Work Tasks, but rather than get stressed out over it, I'm calling it quits, giving up on fully catching up, and starting fresh tomorrow.

Be good, but not *too* good, eh?

It's always better to leave a little room for improvement. 👍🏻

Free-to-read Patreon story!

Today, I just wanted to extend a wee chuckle to my fellow creators, so please enjoy a tiny SF tale that takes a few teasing digs at the whole submission and rejection process - as seen from alien worlds.

This is "Sympathy for the Rejects, Elsewhere in the Milky Way" - and I hope it finds my fellow writers in good cheer.

Keep on keepin' on!

#WritingCommunity #SFF #WritersOfCoSo #ScienceFiction
https://www.patreon.com/posts/wee-sf-story-for-110851819