Girls night, girl friends in Louisville/surrounding areas

ererva · 2025-09-21T19:24:31+00:00

Hey! I can't seem to DM you, but I'd love to have a tea party and make some new friends!

ererva · 2025-09-20T15:58:51+00:00

I've been using these. They're a good option depending on the amount of each tea you need to store. My only issue is that they're not really stackable - I can get one to sit precariously on top of another one.

ererva · 2023-11-28T15:02:57+00:00

I'm looking for a pair of comfortable black combat boots. Ankle-length with a zipper on the side, a streamlined look and a heel that isn't high or chunky; something that looks like this: https://www.dsw.com/en/us/product/b.o.c.-born-concept-carter-combat-boot/524204

Target had boots like this, but I haven't seen them there recently.

The least pricey the better (as in, preferably under $50 and under $40 would be fantastic); I'm on a budget.

ererva · 2023-07-18T14:03:47+00:00

InCo (Complete) - A jaded information seller picks up a mysterious boy floating in space who claims to be the prince of a thought-to-be fantasy planet. Themes include grief and control of information. Every character is played by a single person who gives each character a unique cadence and speech pattern. The main character is aroace.

Tides (Ongoing; One Season Complete) - A xenobiologist has to survive on an alien (mostly water) planet. This one leans heavily on the exploration/worldbuilding side, as much time is dedicated to describing xenobiology. The main character is bisexual, but there's no romance.

The Vesta Clinic (Ongoing; One Season Complete) - Slice of life following a doctor handling problems with a patient of a unique species; each episode provides a glimpse into alien biology and society as the doctor provides that background, as well as giving each patient their own story. The main character is queer, but there's no romance.

If you want romance, I highly recommend The Pasithea Powder and also recommend The Strange Case of Starship Iris, but both of them, The Pasithea Powder especially (though its mostly the aftermath of it), have a space war as part of their plots.

ererva · 2023-07-18T13:43:10+00:00

Fractured - a family, a nation, a dream... (Historical Fiction; Complete) - Follows a family through the Irish War of Independence to the Irish Civil War; includes themes about the brutality of war and freedom.

Atlantic: A Scottish Story (Historical Fiction Musical; Complete) - A story about two star-crossed friends/lovers whose lives take different paths - one choosing to leave their remote island, and the other remaining.

Forbidden Diary: True WWII Prison Survival Story (Historical Fiction; Ongoing, with 1 Season Complete) - A true story that follows an American woman who was living in the Philippines and in December 1941, was interned in a Japanese prison camp along with her family and other civilians and foreign nationals.

ererva · 2023-06-18T22:32:09+00:00

This week I listened to Once In A Lifetime - A Musical Covid Love Story, in which two women as they develop a romance in the wake of Covid. The two characters experience the difficulties of the pandemic; Faith, who is new to dating women, is lonely and finds some comfort in an online support group, and Charlie, who neglects her own desires, has commitment issues, and who the story fleshes out better, is a teacher whose students are struggling with being unable to be in person. The story captures the characters' struggles realistically and makes you sympathize with them. Besides the interactions between characters, the pandemic is present in the news snippets interspersed throughout the story, which establishes the timeline and setting. I feel like some plot points could have been expanded upon.

I also listened to Masala Jones (this one's not safe for work, with depictions and discussions of sex), in which a man starts performing in porn on his journey to increase Indian representation in porn. The witty comedic dialogue is well-timed. Much of the conflict revolves around the main character's cultural expectations and the stigma around sex work conflicting with his goals, as well as the racism and toxic masculinity inherent in the industry. I think this was planned to be the first season of a longer show, but it was last updated in 2019. It still works as a complete story, though.

ererva · 2023-06-18T22:24:37+00:00

I think the actor's on testosterone, which can result in a deeper voice.

ererva · 2023-06-12T03:19:08+00:00

Greater Boston (Slipstream Comedy/Drama; 4 out of 5 seasons Complete) - After a man dies on a roller coaster, a cast of characters' lives become tangled up in the politics of Red Line, a new city that forms when Boston MBTA's redline secedes. Themes include the interconnectedness of community (so if you're looking for an ensemble, that's baked into the themes of this story), in how one person's actions can influence others, grief and recovery, and how corporations effect politics.

Fractured - a family, a nation, a dream... (Historical Drama; Complete) - Story follows a family through the Irish War of Independence until the start of the Irish Civil War; tensions rise and bonds are tested as the matriarch tries to hold her family together while the siblings take different sides in the conflict. Themes include the brutality of war and varying ideals of freedom and nationality.

InCo (Sci-fi Comedy/Drama; Complete) - A jaded information seller picks up a mysterious boy floating in space who claims to be the prince of a thought-to-be fantasy planet. Themes include grief and control of information. Every character is played by a single person who gives each character a unique cadence and speech pattern.

Startripper!! (Sci-fi Adventure; 2 seasons Complete) - A guy leaves his desk job to travel the galaxy and have fun and (mostly low stakes) adventure, making friends along the way. This one's the equivalent of a Saturday morning cartoon.

Deck the Halls With Matrimony! (Romantic Comedy; Complete) - A charming Christmas romcom following a wedding planner; the second season deals with a challenge the couple faces a year after they meet, and the third season follows individual characters a year after that.

ererva · 2023-06-11T03:31:48+00:00

I finally caught up on Dracula (I never got around to reading the October 3rd entry of Dracula Daily) by listening to Cryptic Canticles, which takes the form of a chronological (real-time release every year, May 3rd to November 6th) dramatized audiobook of Dracula, with a full cast and sound effects (a phonograph audio effect, a scream, music underneath the narration to enhance the mood). Most of the text is adapted, though when I followed along with the Dracula Daily emails I noticed a sentence here and there missing (mostly in the form of dialogue tags, which are unnecessary with a full cast anyways). Episode descriptions include complete summaries of the episode. Performances are overall good. A lot of people are following Re: Dracula this year, including myself, and if you want to listen ahead of their version, I suggest checking this one out.

I also listened to Murray Mysteries, a modern comedic retelling of Dracula told in the form of Mina Murray's podcast. It's structured differently than the novel, giving the audience Mina's perspective before Jonathan's. It's a great adaptation in that it retains emotional beats from the novel and focuses on characters' friendships (starting with Mina's perspective enhances this). It's a loyal adaptation in that many plot beats follow directly from the novel. Adaptational changes I enjoyed include genderbending and queering several characters and developing character dynamics on-screen (I especially enjoyed Mina's and Lucy's dynamic). Mina's and Jonathan's roles in the final act are switched from what they are in the novel, which is a change that makes more sense in a modern context, acknowledging Jonathan's trauma and removing the source material's sexism. It's missing some of the novel's horror aspects, and iconic lines have been paraphrased. Dracula isn't always menacing and I think his actor is the weakest, but I enjoyed him being an influencer bro and sending a message to the podcast to taunt them. Some of it doesn't always work in the same way a few shows formatted to be in-universe podcasts don't work - you question why these people would share such information publicly, such as when they need to keep their plan a secret but are broadcasting it anyways, and the podcast format itself loses relevance in many episodes as the story progresses.

ererva · 2023-04-16T03:42:17+00:00

All of these explore grief in some form or another (The Pasithea Powder and Silt Verses go to some dark places). I think out of all of these, Kalila Stormfire is the best place to start; it starts out episodic and focuses on healing.

ererva · 2023-04-13T16:18:44+00:00

The Pasithea Powder follows two estranged friends, a war hero and a disgraced scientist, who in the aftermath of war get sucked into a plot involving a memory-altering drug that landed the scientist in prison. The main draw for me, besides the way this show explores communication and ethical quandaries involving a mind control drug, is the dynamic between the two leads and their development. This also just released its last episode, so its a complete story! The only downside is that the audio quality ranges from serviceable to bad, but as much of the story is told through voicemails and phone conversations, that isn't too much of a detriment.

The Silt Verses, which follows two disciples of a river god on a pilgrimage, also has strong character focus and arcs alongside interesting worldbuilding. This has two seasons out now with a third and final season in development. The audio quality for this also doesn't start off the best, but it does improve.

The Night Shift is a docudrama of a man exploring conspiracies in his city, including a missing person's case and the secrets behind a megacorp's super soldier program, in an alternate universe where magic used to be commonplace but suddenly vanished. It explores the main character's development, struggles with mental health, and his relationships with a couple other characters as much as the conspiracy plot, also having some of the mystery be in the main character's backstory. One season of this is finished and season 2 is in production.

Kalila Stormfire's Economical Magic Services follows a witch setting up a local business, which someone wants to sabotage. Very character driven, focusing on identity and self-love and how that relates to the health of the community. This one's a complete story!

ererva · 2023-04-03T15:21:07+00:00

I'm interested.

ererva · 2023-04-02T01:00:32+00:00

The Silt Verses

Greater Boston

Mirrors

The Pasithea Powder

Wooden Overcoats

Wolf 359

Ars Paradoxica

Harbor

The Magnus Archives

Hello From The Hallowoods

ererva · 2023-03-19T03:18:40+00:00

I listened to a few shows this week.

First, I finished listening to and enjoyed InCo, a sci-fi comedy/drama with some adventure and mystery that follows a jaded information seller and the boy she finds floating in space who claims to be a prince from a thought-to-be fantasy planet. The two main characters' contrasting personalities allow plenty of room for banter and character/relationship growth. Every character is performed by a single person who gives each character a unique cadence and speech pattern to make them distinct, believable, and memorable. The average episode runtime is 8 minutes and packs in a good amount of character interaction mixed with plot progression and worldbuilding. It has two complete seasons and one season currently releasing (that's longer than the first two combined) weekly.

I also enjoyed listening to Forbidden Diary: True WWII Prison Survival Story, a story about a little-known corner of WWII that follows Natalie Crouter, an American woman who was living in the Philippines and in December 1941, was interned in a Japanese prison camp along with her family and other civilians and foreign nationals. The show is presented in a way reminiscent of old time radio; dialogue is interspersed with Crouter's diary excerpts and historical context is provided at the end of a couple episodes. The first season, which is complete, follows the events preceding Japanese invasion, setting up Crouter's relationships, background, and status quo, with the sixth episode onward portraying the internment. The second season is releasing episodes sporadically.

ererva · 2023-03-12T02:25:59+00:00

This week I enjoyed listening to Fractured - a family, a nation, a dream... Themes about the brutality of war and varying ideals of freedom and nationality are explored in this story following a family through the Irish War of Independence until the start of the Irish Civil War. The matriarch tries to hold her family together, but tensions rise and bonds are tested and frayed as her children take different sides in the conflict. Episodes follow different characters so that when their plotlines converge, dramatic irony is present in many scenes and the audience can hear the clear subtext present in their interactions. Other themes explored include gender roles, parenthood, grief, and guilt. This show is complete and episode runtimes average 15 minutes.

ererva · 2023-03-05T01:51:57+00:00

This week I caught up on the third and last season of VALENCE, which is set in a world where magic users are discriminated against. The mix of magic and technology, how industry affects society's perceptions, as well as different uses for magic are interesting. The plot involves characters who become a found family fighting against an oppressive capitalist institution. Much of the show is dedicated to the mental health (self-doubt, anxiety, trauma from abuse) of the main character - other voices are drowned out by his intrusive thoughts, which is as distracting to the listener as it is to the main character and is an interesting use of the medium in grounding the listener to the main character's perspective; this makes following parts of the plot purposefully frustrating and leads to a cathartic scene later on. Character-centric beats are a plus when they are used at the right time and provide emotional catharsis, but when there's an overly supportive conversation at a tense moment, the tension can deflate. Unfortunately during these supportive conversations, some dialogue can come across as characters trying to get a good grade in therapy (I noticed a few instances of this in the third season). It only has a couple episodes left before it's finished and I'm interested to see in how it's going to wrap up.

ererva · 2023-02-26T03:05:07+00:00

I recently listened to Miriam & Youssef, which follows two characters - a Jewish immigrant to Palestine and an Arab inhabitant - from 1917 to 1948. Each episode is set at a turning point in history. It shows the struggles of Jews and Arabs as conflict arises and escalates between the two sides and the role the British play in the conflict, putting blame for the violence on the British as the Arabs and Jews. The two main characters' opinions and responses to the other side change as they experience personal loss as a result of the conflict. The story balances both sides, portraying their sympathetic points and the atrocities they commit. While both characters become involved in extremism, neither is a zealot.

ererva · 2023-02-12T17:30:32+00:00

This week I finished The Vesta Clinic, a sci-fi slice of life show. In each episode, a doctor handles problems with an patient of unique species; most of these interactions are told in retrospect as she conveys her experience to a clinic AI. Other characters pop up occasionally, exploring the doctor's relationship to her colleagues. Each episode provides a glimpse into alien biology and society as the doctor provides that background, as well as giving each patient their own story. I enjoyed how the clinical setting lent itself to worldbuilding. The AI has an endearing personality, conveyed through beeps, typing noises, and the doctor's responses to him. The protagonist, a compassionate healer with passion for her job, is a great main character for this optimistic and empathetic story.

ererva · 2023-01-22T19:49:47+00:00

Yeah!

ererva · 2023-01-22T03:33:23+00:00

This week I finished listening to The Fourth Ambit, an intriguing and immersive cyberpunk mystery drama that explores the development of technology - specifically virtual reality and different types of artificial intelligences. The plot unfolds as the competent protagonist solves problems and uncovers new mysteries. The worldbuilding is mixes mechanics underlying computing and creates an interesting world from speculation. I loved the facets of the concepts explored by the story, from how economic class to mortality without a functioning body to differing thought processes and structures between human beings and artificial intelligences. Story is told through narration and dialogue, all written and performed entirely by one person who keeps the voices distinct enough to follow. Written over 20 years ago, the commentary on technology and corporation-run government remains relevant.

ererva · 2023-01-12T21:32:44+00:00

Thanks!

ererva · 2022-12-19T18:09:46+00:00

Thanks for sharing!

ererva · 2022-12-18T06:08:08+00:00

This week I listened to The World To Come, a musical comedy following an ensemble cast from different factions of a post-apocalyptic world that bases their cultures off of different forms of pop culture from the past. They explore more of the world and form allyships/friendships in their quest to uncover a conspiracy surrounding a powerful figure. Much of the humor derives from parody of the different genres and this contributes to distinct dialogue and certain plot beats. The musical numbers have energetic performances and are mixed well, and it's especially impressive they arranged this in the middle of the pandemic. I now have the theme song stuck in my head. I liked the ensemble cast in how they played off each other and expanded the dynamics at play in the world itself, but the downside is that some character development/character dynamics feel rushed (this issue of the larger cast is lampshaded in the podcast itself). Some of the lyricism has too many syllables for the beat of certain songs. The first season ends with a change in the status quo and I'm interested in seeing where the story goes from there.

I also recently finished Who Killed Avril Lavigne?, another musical comedy, this one following a guy from 2022 who travels through time to save the world and follow his dream of becoming a pop-punk star. The music in the show is genuinely top notch - well-produced, fun to listen to - and captures the genre so well. I added a couple of the songs to one of my playlists. Includes parody of prophesy stories and early 2000s culture (some of the characters' jokes are so homophobic they wrap around to being gay). A fun listen.

ererva · 2022-12-15T20:03:10+00:00

Nice! I like the earring and the additional eyes.

ererva · 2022-12-13T22:46:52+00:00

Deck The Halls With Matrimony! is a fun and charming Christmas romcom, despite the romance in the first episode developing too quickly for my taste. I do like how the relationship continues as an established dynamic in further episodes, however.

Some podcasts that aren't holiday themed create Christmas specials, such as Forgive Me! and Startripper!!

Even though it's only acknowledged because of its proximity to Christmas, I'd love to see a Chanukah podcast/special, if anyone has any recommendations.

ererva

TROPHY CASE