Incredible things are happening in Philadelphia.

In the spirit of the Amazing Things Found While Visiting Relatives threads of yore:

Spotted these on the free shelf of the retirement community we're visiting. TFW you've stumbled into the beating heart of someone else's *remarkably* specific kink.

It's paradoxically intriguing and disappointing. I think about this Tolkien quote a lot:

Finally ready to complete my metamorphosis into A Dad.

Sipping on the laaast little bit of @marthawells.bsky.social 's Murderbot Diaries that's available to me. Was really hoping to make it last until System Collapse drops in 2 weeks, but c'mon y'all I'm not made of stone.

Category error like that is such a knife in the heart for the typical shmup head, too -- classicists to the end!

This ALL-STARS bundle seems to have its heart in the right place, at least?

If I ever teach a semiotics course, we're definitely going to spend some time on the iconography smoothies coming from our friends the Semi-Militarized-Outdoorsmen.

Like... what are we doing, here? Do symbols... "bear meaning"?

At the local bougie-and-slightly-euro toy store this weekend, was once again confronted with evidence that I've either A) lived a little too long or B) somehow blundered into an esoteric shard universe.

I'm not saying I'm a hero (because what's a hero?) BUT

I loved living in Philly but a sign like this was simply unthinkable.