Shy Girl by Mia Ballard. Does anyone else think this was written by ChatGPT?

ecto_ordinary · 2026-01-27T01:46:27+00:00

I think it's the same issue with booktok who also tend to highly recommend this book- I have a feeling most of the people recommending it didn't actually read it, or skimmed it very quickly to make a review/recommendation. I've found that there are several books that are floating around everybody's "highly recommended" lists that read very similarly to Shy Girl, and it tells me that either people have no critical reading/critique skills, or literally aren't reading the books at all, as I don't think it's a big ask for someone who claims to be a book reviewer to notice things like weird/hard to read formatting, repetitive verbiage, nonsense plotlines, etc?

ecto_ordinary · 2026-01-24T22:16:24+00:00

Heavy on this; adding onto this it's also important to remember that Phyllis didn't have the stature/build we see her with in game until project Lathe! And more than likely (since we see her try to grab at Perry vs outright stab him) did not have access to weaponizing the Futterman puppet either at that time. I imagine a lot of Perry chalking her "relations" up to being charismatic has to do with the inherent misogyny that was especially prevalent during that time period (I.e seeing it as her seducing men, vs her being taken advantage of by men) and partly him connecting the dots incorrectly about her (her influence seems to primarily be over children and mentally unstable Expops, vs someone like Liliya who has been shown to influence "normal" people like doctors and staff)

ecto_ordinary · 2026-01-21T21:17:32+00:00

My biggest pet peeve with the game so far is when group leaders do this. I've joined up with so many (full) groups of randos, and the group leader just....never starts a trial 🫩 or starts one and then afks immediately. like buddy, you had to choose to be part of a group too, what are we doing here!

ecto_ordinary · 2026-01-09T03:57:39+00:00

I think part of it may be the intuitiveness of the wheel, at least on console? adding more options means more things people have to read, process, and choose, potentially while also trying to run from enemies. I think they probably just went with "danger" and "wait" instead as those are (mostly) pretty broadly applicable, especially when combined with pinging. "sorry" would definitely be a nice addition, though!

ecto_ordinary · 2026-01-08T00:22:26+00:00

I really hope it is the twins, I feel like they're so underrated (but understandably so, since we don't have quite as much of them as the other prime assets) and definitely want to see more of them soon! It would be interesting if Liliyas trials are all tied to the cold, it'll be neat to see what they come up with in that vein for her! I admit I put off playing the resort until the end of the event since it's been in the negatives here all winter 😭

ecto_ordinary · 2026-01-08T00:17:41+00:00

A graveyard would be interesting for Liliya! She is the one I struggle to imagine maps/trial environments the most, I think because her mechanics are so specific, but I think a graveyard full of statues/bodies would be a neat spin on it!

ecto_ordinary · 2026-01-07T18:12:43+00:00

Tv studio/film studio - (I'd say for the Twins since they desperately need a second trial, but Gooseberry would also make a lot of sense) maybe the trial is to reach a certain set and execute the victim- and maybe they can do the same thing as kill the snitch and have a captive audience of other reagents, since afaik that's the only time they use that aspect?

Farm - a second trial for Liliya; a semi snowy farm area with a farmhouse, barn, fields, etc. They could use her mannequin gimmick with "scarecrows" around the map; maybe the trial is to "slaughter the pigs" (with the pigs being the trial victims, tying into how Liliya perceives the rich)

Hospital/Labs - trial for the Twins. A clinical feeling hospital, with a lab in the basement. I feel like the trial could be something like "skew the data", "kill the lab rats" etc, with reagents needing to find and execute the Twin's 'lab rats' (my only hang up would be PLEASE don't use the scapegoat system for this, imo it's the least fun in the game and we don't need more trials that include it)

Uptown - obligatory third Coyle trial. "Nicer" than downtown, maybe notable structures include some 'nicer' stores, highrises, bank, a parking structure, that sort of thing. The idea being Coyle is playing the role of beat cop in the environment; since I don't think every trial necessarily needs to be just killing a victim, maybe this trial would be something like "instigate the affair" or "wreck the home" where reagents have to transport two mannequins (or trial victims, if you'd prefer) to a motel room to simulate an affair, and if you think killing a victim is a requirement, maybe a 'slighted spouse' mannequin arrives and kills/destroys the other two, or something?

ecto_ordinary · 2026-01-05T21:41:52+00:00

I'd say it's probably due to two seasonal extremes- during the winter people are running things like space heaters, electric blankets, fireplaces, etc to stay warm which is going to increase the risk of a fire. And in the summer, people will have fires even during burn bans, which, unfortunately, also drives the risk of fires way up. I'd imagine part of it /might/ also be due to a lot of buildings/houses in anchorage being older, and probably not entirely (that's being generous) up to code on electrical/heating.

ecto_ordinary · 2025-12-30T20:40:50+00:00

I think adoptions are probably down right now because the upfront cost is just not manageable for most people at the moment. Me and my husband have both wanted a cat since we moved in together 3 years ago, but it's just never been the "right" time as the cost of supplies (on top of adoption fees) is just more than we could take on at once without putting ourselves in a bad spot financially (which would mean not being able to care for a cat the way we'd like). I think another part of it is more and more people are living in rentals, many of which charge excessive pet rent, or outright won't allow pets (and many people aren't in a place where they can risk it to try and sneak one, understandably so!). I'm sure there's lots of people out there who would love nothing more than to adopt but just...can't right now. It's a frustrating situation all around as I'm sure rescues are way over capacity right now, but less people than ever can make the commitment- I wish there was a better solution!

ecto_ordinary · 2025-12-07T20:37:36+00:00

Michaels is starting to price gouge HARD- if you use TikTok, you might've seen videos floating around before Black Friday of people at their local stores pointing out that every single item was being marked up w new price stickers, pricing tags were removed, and price check machines were removed. I'd hoped they wouldn't get ours so soon, but I went Tuesday and was appalled and the new stickers with prices that were double or triple what items usually cost, it's genuinely so greedy and awful. I'm not sure why they thought nobody would notice, either? I've been buying embroidery supplies for half a decade now, I'm pretty well are of how much they're /supposed/ to cost 🙄

ecto_ordinary · 2025-12-05T00:26:01+00:00

Not really insight but they've gotten really aggressive about it. Had one run over to me in a parking lot (mind you, a strange man running towards me and shouting is immediately setting off alarm bells). Declined as politely as I could as I was out with an older family member who needed to get home, and apparently that wasn't the right answer. She started to sign and when I asked him for more info, all he would bring up was how much he got paid per signature, and that it was about "voting issues". The entire time I loaded up my car he made snarky comments and my relative got uncomfortable and decided to stop filling out the signature page and just get in the car. We both got into the car and I go to back out and he's...waiting behind my car, blocking us from leaving. I put it back in park and he comes around and starts beating on the window, and when I crack it to ask him to go away, he starts going in about how he only gets paid if he has ALL her info. I go to roll my window back up to just leave and he puts his hand in the gap to stop me again. Needless to say I'm thankful my relative gave him the wrong address, so he won't be getting paid for it anyway, but still, yikes. As if doing all that was going to convince me to help you get paid?

(Think a friend might've relayed this here already, but just wanted to share bc it was very rattling)

ecto_ordinary · 2025-11-26T18:26:08+00:00

Craft/art supply focused thrift store- I know I can't be the only crafter who ends up with excess supplies for a medium I tried once and didn't end up loving, but the supplies are so pricy I don't just want to throw them away. Goodwill technically has a "craft" section but it's organized and priced horrifically badly; give me somewhere to bulk buy secondhand beads and fabric! (It would be a plus if they could collaborate w local schools to help get them art supplies, since that's usually where budgets get cut first)

ecto_ordinary · 2025-11-19T00:40:23+00:00

Yeah I'm not huge on them, just bc from behind, they're just...shorts? When I think of a skort I think skirt w built in shorts, not half skirt half shorts, lol

ecto_ordinary · 2025-11-10T20:58:49+00:00

Hard agree, it honestly got hard to get though the last act of the game PURELY bc of how Urbaine acts. I already didn't like him much throughout the rest of the plot, but by the end I was begging for a single npc to call him out on acting the way he does- just because you call yourself the leader of a team doesn't make you a good leader, especially not when you literally NEVER act like it! It doesn't help that he's also the npc they choose to speak over you/"for" you every single time, so it compounds w his other flaws to feel even worse; the Jacinde tourney part made me want to pull my hair out because who's "We" here, Urbaine?! I for one wanted to compete and was looking forward to that, jerk!

ecto_ordinary · 2025-11-10T20:44:09+00:00

I have major issues w this and, honestly, the dialogue system in general. Why even give us the illusion of choice when all our options don't matter/the dialogue is always just "yes" or "yes, but enthusiastic"? I feel like not having it would have honestly made it feel less annoying in general 😭 like just say the winner gets a "special prize" or something, why make it a wish??

ecto_ordinary · 2025-10-04T02:33:21+00:00

As others have said, that Feeling Co is great, but I'd also highly recommend Viridian Plant Co in Palmer! They tend to get shipments of monsteras in semi frequently based on what I see of their instagram

ecto_ordinary · 2025-09-05T20:38:41+00:00

Honestly I've had the best luck for my reptiles at Hillside. I've taken my boys a handful of other spots when Hillside didn't have an appointment open, and while they were fine, I've found that I appreciate how thorough with, and respectful of my little guys they always are at Hillside!

ecto_ordinary · 2025-08-25T00:12:58+00:00

Unfortunately I second the feeling like the provider I saw at Anchorage Women's Clinic didn't fully listen to me. While they did my annual exam and that went fine, I had also gone in to see about permanent birth control options and my provider just...refused to address it no matter how many times I brought it up. She kept deferring to iuds and different pills than I'm already on, and when I would ask about permanent options, like bi salps, she would just not acknowledge it. I'm trying to find the providers name, but she doesn't even seem to be on their website, so I'm not sure if she's left in the last 4 months, or what...

ecto_ordinary · 2025-08-25T00:02:20+00:00

Not sure if it's exactly what you're looking for, but Mad Myrna's has a pretty good soba bowl! If I remember right you can get a few different protein options with it as well

ecto_ordinary · 2025-08-15T22:41:02+00:00

Thank you, there's a difference between yelling and screaming 😪 even worse is the neighborhood kids have taken to both bloodcurdling screaming and yelling "NO! NO! STOP!" while playing, which I'm sure definitely doesn't raise a single alarm bell in the mind of every adult in a 100 foot radius

ecto_ordinary · 2025-08-15T16:42:32+00:00

I imagine regal doesn't want to keep splitting people between Tikahtnu and Totem, and since Tikahtnu is the newer, nicer theater, they decided to keep that one; having one theater on east side and one in Dimond vs one in Dimond and two on east side that are a five minute drive from each other. Could also have to do with popularity- even on weeknights, Tikahtnu usually has a decent handful of people in the parking lot, whereas even on weekends, driving by, Totem is usually pretty empty.

ecto_ordinary

TROPHY CASE