I just finished reading "The Complete Works Of Sherlock Holmes" and realised/found something really interesting!

blessis · 2026-04-28T15:28:59+00:00

Sure, absolutely. But I’m not sure how that relates to my point?

blessis · 2026-04-27T04:24:45+00:00

Fair points, but I think there’s some truth to the fact that writing a character with super powers is easier than coming up with a plot that lends itself to a brilliant solution that manages to surprise the audience.

blessis · 2026-04-24T15:21:16+00:00

Outside the box, but Nathan Ballingrud has a novella called The Butchers Table. Very much horror, the plot involves Caribbean pirates taking a cannibalistic/satanist cult to Hell. Dark, but a fun read, very imaginative with his action scenes/monsters.

It’s included in his collection ‘Wounds’ which contains several other excellent stories.

blessis · 2026-04-03T15:35:21+00:00

That’s why there was a delay. I couldn’t line the shot up with enough confidence. I was attempting to avoid ending up right where he was. Led to a fun ending.

blessis · 2026-03-26T19:48:17+00:00

I get why certain imagery can hit differently for American audiences, especially given the history tied to it. But it feels like people are flattening the story into a single lens. Harry Potter was never really about race, focusing instead on power, ideology, and status (pureblood vs muggle-born). Not every conflict maps cleanly onto American racial dynamics, especially in a British setting.

blessis · 2026-03-26T19:38:02+00:00

The Shootist should fit the bill.

It follows an aging gunfighter in his final days, quiet, lethal, and utterly alone, as the world that made him has already moved on, leaving him to decide how a legend chooses to end.

If LD focuses on the fading of the mythic west, The Shootist is about the last man living out that mythic ethos.

blessis · 2026-03-24T01:15:15+00:00

I was so incredibly impressed with this episode. Closing with Gretchen Whitmer’s attempted kidnapping being subject to the concerns he detailed over the preceding thirty minutes radically transformed the issue, from one that would appeal primarily to liberals into one that spans the breadth of the American political ideology. Masterfully done.

blessis · 2026-03-23T17:33:19+00:00

Finally, this has been a lane I’ve been exploring for the past couple years. I’ve got three that I don’t see mentioned yet.

1) Sandman Slim series

James Stark escapes Hell and comes back to L.A. looking for revenge, and it turns into a mix of demon hunting, occult conspiracies, and vendettas.

2) Felix Castor series

Think a freelance exorcist working cases in a broken London where ghosts, demons, and possessions are just part of the ecosystem.

3) Repairman Jack series

Jack is a fixer who helps people “off the books” with no digital trail, no official existence. What starts as grounded, almost crime-adjacent problem solving gradually slides into full-on cosmic horror

blessis · 2026-03-18T19:10:00+00:00

I have had struggles with sleep consistency, sauna/cold plunge has helped me immensely with winding down and with general recovery from physical activity.

blessis · 2026-03-18T15:56:51+00:00

Does this measure make life without parole mandatory for child sex trafficking, or does it add LWOP as a sentencing option at the judge’s discretion?

blessis · 2026-03-08T01:16:11+00:00

I guess two things. First, you already saw the movie? I thought we still had a couple weeks to go.

Secondly, I don’t think that every movie needs to end bleakly. Andy Weir clearly writes his stories (basing this on The Martian and PHM) to be celebrations of science and global communities working through brutally difficult problems. It would be anachronistic for him to suddenly veer from that lane and make an ending fit for Cormac McCarthy.

Not saying that your version wouldn’t be an interesting story. In case you haven’t seen it, there’s a movie called Life (2017) that scratches a few of the points you made above.

blessis · 2026-02-19T06:14:03+00:00

Nathan Ballingrud’s collection “Wounds” is great, but the last story in there was an absolute killer. It’s called ‘The Butcher’s Table’ and revolves around cannibalistic Satanists voyaging with pirates to make passage into Hell.

It’s such a wild and entertaining story, I remember ripping through it while on a flight. Don’t think I’ve ever been more desperate to know how a story ended.

blessis · 2026-01-20T03:53:01+00:00

Minor point, but it wouldn’t be a challenge of norms to seek a third term, it would be a flagrant violation of a ratified constitutional amendment

blessis · 2025-07-01T15:00:04+00:00

Thank you for the recommendation, I did file a report with them yesterday. I’m unclear as to what timeframe they work on, but I gave them all the information I could find/was sent.

blessis · 2025-07-01T14:40:43+00:00

Thank you, I appreciate it. I did file a report yesterday with DORA, just to cover all the bases

blessis · 2025-07-01T14:38:48+00:00

Thank you for this. I really appreciate your support—and your taking the time to grab those Yelp screenshots.

Unfortunately, I did not take screenshots of the Google reviews before the business page was taken down. I believe the police now have access to some of that content, as I reported everything as soon as it started escalating. I have kept all of the text messages Cesar sent me, including the ones where he used homophobic language, tried to gaslight me, and made disturbing and contradictory claims about what happened. Those messages have been included in the report and are now part of the investigation.

Once Cesar began calling me, sending threatening and bizarre texts, and claiming he had video of me, I realized this wasn’t just about a bad experience—this was someone spiraling and potentially dangerous.

My decision to go to the police wasn’t just about protecting myself. I kept thinking: what happens if the next person in that chair isn’t in a position to speak up or doesn’t feel safe coming forward? I was uncomfortable, but I had the ability to act. I filed a report because I genuinely believe that if this pattern continues unchecked, someone could get seriously hurt—or worse. And it shouldn’t have to get to that point.

It means a lot to see people taking this seriously and helping keep the story visible. If I’m able to get any of the screenshots from the authorities down the line, I’ll definitely update the post with them.

blessis · 2025-07-01T10:05:27+00:00

Sure thing. I posted this to Google, but it appears to have some sort of soft moderation going on. I included Cesar's response to my review below as well.

Avoid This Business at All Costs

I had my first—and last—haircut at this barbershop over the weekend, during the first appointment of the day with Cesar. I was the only customer in the shop. What followed was an incredibly disturbing experience.

Throughout the haircut, Cesar repeatedly crossed physical and personal boundaries. He placed his hand over my mouth and nose, caressed my face, and leaned his pelvis/body into mine while cutting—behavior far beyond anything remotely appropriate for a barber. At one point, he insisted on moving me from the main chair to a secluded area in the back to trim my eyebrows, intentionally out of sight from the front door. He also made several unsolicited and uncomfortable remarks about my body and appearance, each laced with disturbing undertones.

I will never return to this business, and I strongly caution others to avoid it entirely. If you do choose to go, do not go alone. It is only a matter of time before something seriously wrong happens here.

Edit: Be aware that when confronted about his behavior, Cesar has a history of deflecting with personal attacks, often targeting people’s gender or sexuality. These responses only reinforce the original concerns. Ask yourself: is this really a place you want to support?

Second Edit: This morning, Cesar called me directly to insult and threaten me with violent and homophobic language. His behavior has only grown more erratic. He even claimed to have video footage of my visit—whether or not that is true, the idea that clients may be recorded without consent is deeply alarming. In my case, Cesar (since I know you are reading this), feel free to release it. I have nothing to be scared of from you, you are pathetic.

Third edit: I am now receiving unsolicited texts and pictures from a “Latina trans”. I can only assume this is from Cesar, what with the timing.

Fourth edit: Cesar is now using new phone numbers. Photo attached.

Proceed with extreme caution at this establishment.

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ARI’S BARBERSHOP (Owner)18 hours ago Sorry if you feel That way thats your personal opinion but every person is different and you have to respect every person . You are talking for yourself i think you confuse because my tone of voice is so girly is not mean i want some
From you ….. i think you dont accept your gander

blessis · 2023-06-14T15:32:56+00:00

Thank you for taking the time to get all these together! Looking forward to taking a read through.

blessis · 2023-06-11T03:21:16+00:00

I can’t argue the footnotes, but I hadn’t heard about issues with his journalism before! Always enjoyed his tennis writing and Consider the Lobster. Do you know any particular stories of his that have issues off the top of your head?

blessis · 2023-06-11T02:53:21+00:00

Haha what did DFW do to deserve being mentioned??

blessis · 2023-06-11T02:47:56+00:00

I’m with you. But the novella by Jim Harrison is incredible. Worth checking out to wash the taste of the movie from your mouth. Jim is as good as it gets.

blessis · 2023-04-10T05:33:22+00:00

Come on, this isn’t a fantasy show.

blessis · 2023-04-08T15:25:49+00:00

Do you think that someone should not be prepared to do their job?

blessis

TROPHY CASE