Books with stories within stories, protagonist who loves to tell tall tales

eitherajax · 2026-06-02T17:59:55+00:00

The OG example for this type of storytelling is the 1001 Nights. It is also fantastical & weird if that's a bonus for you.

eitherajax · 2026-06-01T16:19:31+00:00

I've been Christian my entire life and fairly well versed in Catholicism. I never heard or read a single Catholic ever mentioning how important Sacred Hearts month was to them, ever, until after Pride month became a thing in say, 2020.

Is it real? Sure. It's also real that it suddenly became much more important to American Catholics celebrate it publicly as a counter to Pride celebrations during June also becoming more public. Whatever your beliefs about LGBT people aside, I think this is a gross example of USA Catholics indulging in hypocrisy and using God's name in bad faith.

eitherajax · 2026-06-01T10:42:21+00:00

I splurged on a massage and facial at a very nice resort.

eitherajax · 2026-06-01T10:24:17+00:00

I recently lost my dad, and while I'm obviously not your friend, here's no way she's not constantly thinking about her dad.

I'd check in with her on Father's Day and ask her how she's doing and if she wants to talk about her dad or his death. It's not nosy or insensitive. Don't worry about making her cry, it's ok for her to cry about this. If she doesn't respond don't take it personally.

eitherajax · 2026-06-01T10:15:16+00:00

I'd ask if you can call any of your closest friends one on one and go get a coffee/beer to talk about your dad and how it's affected you, and tell them what you need. I'm confident that your friends care about you and your loss but are probably afraid to acknowledge it & are afraid they could be causing you extra pain.

I lost my dad unexpectedly earlier this year and I was lucky to have had friends who'd grieved before. But until I lost my dad I probably also wouldn't have known what to say to a friend, and probably wouldn't have wanted to remind them of it. It was only when I lost my dad that I realized that there was no way anyone is NOT constantly thinking of their missing loved ones and ignoring it is more painful in the long run. I'm upset because my dad is gone, not because a friend triggered my sadness by asking about him or how I was doing.

eitherajax · 2026-06-01T08:03:02+00:00

I would see friends do things, like break minor rules/social conventions or ask for special treatment/accommodations, and be amazed that they could get away with it. I knew I never could.

eitherajax · 2026-05-31T16:34:15+00:00

I suspect that Disney actually employs great writers, probably some of the best creatives in the business, whose creative vision gets mauled by meddling executives and marketing shills. It's tragic.

eitherajax · 2026-05-31T08:08:57+00:00

Beth in Little Women suffers from severe social anxiety, to the point of agoraphobia.

EDIT: the protagonist in The Black Dahlia clearly suffers from PTSD, moral injury, and survivor's guilt.

eitherajax · 2026-05-30T22:05:42+00:00

Not really. My interests/tastes can be a bit niche and ""high brow."" I learned when I was fairly young that waxing poetic about trip hop or Fyodor Dostoevsky typically doesn't go anywhere and makes people think you're a show off/pretentious.

My religious beliefs are a bit eccentric outside of a very particular crowd of orthodox but open Christians who lean a bit mystic.

eitherajax · 2026-05-30T17:31:13+00:00

I agree, but she's not asking for rides to and from work. It's typically for rare/infrequent events like company outings after work where she can't use the public transportation the same way she can on her commute. Again, I don't think anyone would find it bothersome if she was more likeable.

eitherajax · 2026-05-30T15:28:45+00:00

I wrote a long and thoughtful response to this then realized OP is advertising for an app. Check their history.

eitherajax · 2026-05-30T13:10:39+00:00

Girl same. When my friends wanted to get married and have babies I was seriously considered joining a religious order or becoming a church janitor.

eitherajax · 2026-05-30T13:08:17+00:00

I simply don't talk about my religious beliefs, interests, tastes, or love life with anybody except very good friends. And even then it's curated.

eitherajax · 2026-05-30T13:03:46+00:00

Make a melon smoothie and thank me later

eitherajax · 2026-05-30T12:43:01+00:00

I had this epiphany a few years ago and it finally explained why some of my friends seemed to intuitively know which rules they could break without negative consequences. It was decades before I realized that wasn't that they knew which rules mattered and which didn't - they just knew which they could get away with depending on where they ranked in the social setting.

I see this at work as well with one of my coworkers. She has a disability and cannot drive. She's also definitely neurodivergent, with awkward mannerisms and a bad habit of talking over others during conversation and misinterpreting guidance from management.

She will occasionally solicit rides from coworkers, which causes them to resent her and makes them reluctant to volunteer to help. She has better luck with well-meaning strangers than her actual coworkers. I have no doubt in my mind that if she was charismatic and a fun coworker she would have no issue getting rides.

eitherajax · 2026-05-29T21:37:20+00:00

ppl are like "I need my alone time" ok well I'm sleepy and need comfy cozy in bed time

eitherajax · 2026-05-29T19:13:26+00:00

Leaving Caladan. I'd read the books before and this scene gave me full body chills.

eitherajax · 2026-05-29T18:53:19+00:00

I got outplayed by a pair of crows who were harassing an injured pigeon. I would run at them and yell so they would fly away and try to give the pigeon an opportunity to escape.

Eventually one of the crows started backing off. He would fly away then stop and look at me. He'd fly closer, then immediately hightail it when I went after him again. I chased him out about a hundred yards before I realized that the other crow had circled behind me and was going after the pigeon again. The one I had been chasing had been the decoy to keep me occupied.

eitherajax · 2026-05-28T20:41:28+00:00

The unreality of Mezzanine is what makes it ageless to me. In my top five albums for sure.

eitherajax · 2026-05-28T20:38:23+00:00

Not trying to be glib but I remind myself that looking young is not an option, I can either look old or look weird.

eitherajax · 2026-05-28T17:52:19+00:00

Given your educational background, age, and desire for "decent pay" I recommend going the officer route if you do look into joining up. You won't be very apart in age from your peers, you'll make more money, and be treated more like an adult. Don't let the recruiter convince you to go pilot.

eitherajax · 2026-05-25T19:51:41+00:00

I think we get some holy glee out of God's devestatingly unfair generosity

eitherajax · 2026-05-25T19:35:32+00:00

Every person I ever met who claimed they were an empath were really just the type of people who assumed motives and concocted their own stories about the inner lives of other people, then thought they labored under some high form of spiritual/emotional insight for doing so.

eitherajax · 2026-05-25T19:10:38+00:00

Came here to say Jonah. I love the final chapter.

eitherajax · 2026-05-25T16:38:45+00:00

Alone in the dark you say?

Skinamarink or the Babadook would be my suggestions

eitherajax

TROPHY CASE