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the_mary_sue_feed
Alden Hultgren (@theravemama on TikTok), a disgruntled Southwest Airlines flyer, explained why she avoids them “like a plague.” The budget airline has been trimming down on customer benefits, and this has been disappointing to customers like Hultgren.
“The new policies reflect how little they know their customer,” Hultgren said on her TikTok post. She claims that the airline is “disconnected” because they’ve been taking away perks that customers care about.
the_mary_sue_feed
An Orlando woman thought she was doing a good deed by buying baby supplies for women in need. Instead, she says she was caught in a scam—and now she’s warning others.
“Do not help those people that be standing in front of Target,” the woman began in the clip.
the_mary_sue_feed
A Dollar Store employee had the strangest way of showing top-tier customer service to Jahnell (@jahnell.anya on TikTok). It seems that the employee also wanted to know if Jahnell tested positive on her pregnancy test.
Jahnell, who is from Philadelphia, posted a TikTok captioned, “Throwback to that one time I went to Dollar Tree for a pregnancy test and the cashier said she could “feel” that I was and took me to the back to take the test there.”
arstechnica_feedAt the Consumer Electronics Show in 2020, Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda pledged to build a city of the future, a place where researchers, engineers, and scientists could live and work together. It was framed as the start of a transformation for the world's largest car company, moving it toward becoming a fully fledged mobility company.
Six months ago, after Toyota spent an estimated $10 billion to build an urban paradise atop a disused factory, the first residents moved in. One-hundred handpicked "Weavers," residents chosen to boost the tech cred of the sensor-laden mini-metropolis, began settling in.
Last week, I got a chance to check it out. Here's what I learned while wandering the streets of Toyota's vision of the future.
vamp_ress posting in booknookMcMurtry, Larry: Lonesome Dove. Simon & Schuster Audio. 2025
What an epic undertatking! I (and I'm not a native speaker) decided on the audiobook and doubted my sanity during the first two hours. I always need a bit of time to get used to a certain dialect - and this one comes in a nice Texan drawl. Or at least I suppose that this is what I was hearing, LOL. But even through I struggled through some of the language I enjoyed this so very much. I've rarely read something so out of my comfort zone that turns out to be so very addictive. If you like a tale with a lot of characters that are all fleshed out into the tiniest detail, then try this book. And don't let yourself dissuaded by the fact that this is a western!
Dunmore, Helen: The Siege. Penguin. 2001.
I picked this out of a little library without knowing anything about the author or the plot. Turns out this was actually nominated for the Women's Prize back when it was still called the Orange Prize.I liked this and will definitely look for more by the author. This is a convincing piece of historical fiction set during WWII (not my favourite setting) and the siege of Leningrad. If you're interested in a story that's not political or military but that deals with the experience of the normal, everyday people during war, this is one that won't disappoint.
Swarthout, Glendon: The Shootist. Books in Motion. 2010.
Another western but this one isn't nearly as excellent as Lonesome Dove. The premise is pretty cool: An aging gunslinger learns that he only has weeks to live. So he decides to go out with a bang. This tries to come with a surprise twist, but it's neither surprising nor much of a twist. The author didn't do much with his great idea.
Shafak, Elif. Honour. Penguin. 2013.
I read The Island of Missing Trees a while ago and always planned on trying more of Shafak's writing. So this was my next pick and again it was very good. A tough subject matter, but it's told so interestingly and with so much compassion that it swept me away. If you like early Isabel Allende, Shafak could be something for you!
Hari, Johann. Stolen Focus. Crown. 2023.
This guy proves his point (which is that we can't pay attention) by going on every possible tangeant in his book. Wouldn't recommend.
jazzyjj posting in awesomeersthe_mary_sue_feed
In the age of dating apps and the internet, meet-cutes are slowly gaining popularity, and honestly, why wouldn’t they? They’re unexpected, exciting, and you could even say they’re one of the most old-fashioned ways to meet the love of your life.
TikTok user @oliviakayhake experienced something similar when she was on an American Airlines flight to New York. She was randomly called to the front of the plane by a flight attendant, and then another flight attendant told her that the co-pilot of the plane thought she was hot. What happened next? Keep reading to find out.
the_mary_sue_feed
TikTok content creator Ellie (@makeupxellie) has been experiencing strange, haunted phenomena in her home. She thought she was “schizophrenic” until her friends started reporting the same creepy encounters.
Ellie is enlisting the help of the internet to give explanations for the paranormal activities in her home. Now, social media is playing a guessing game that closely resembles Phasmophobia—except all of this is happening to Ellie in real life.
firebatvillain posting in sufficiently_advanced_exabyss_valkyrie posting in ic_animated
sheliak quixotic thesleepingbeauty breyzyyin abyss_valkyriesnickficsummerofhorrorexchange, which doesn't even open noms for almost two weeks, that I might start my letter tonight. Current plans include Ready or Not, maybe The Housemaid, maybe Re-Animator.the_mary_sue_feed
There are unspoken rules at weddings: don’t upstage the bride, don’t cause a scene, and definitely don’t show up in something that could be mistaken for white. One woman says she got booted from her own brother’s wedding over a “white and floral” dress she insists was harmless. The bridal party? Not so convinced.
Things escalated from side-eyes to threats, and she ultimately left. However, she still claims it was unjust and rants about it in a viral video. Now the internet is stuck on the real question: was this an innocent outfit… or a calculated risk that backfired spectacularly?
fanhackers_feedMatt Hills is a fan studies and media scholar of really wide breadth, expertise, and versatility, author of the classic fan studies text Fan Cultures (2002) as well as a number of subsequent monographs: How To Do Things With Cultural Theory (2005),The Pleasures of Horror (2005), Triumph of a time lord (2010), Blade Runner (2011) Doctor Who: The Unfolding Event (2015) - he’s also one of the editors of Transatlantic Television Drama (2019), the Doctor Who reader Adventures Across Space and Time (2023), and Theatre Fandom (2025) as well as a prolific writer of essays and book chapters on a broad swath of fandoms, practices, and cult classics: Star Wars, Veronica Mars, Torchwood, Sherlock, Buffy, Lord of the Rings, and more.
When I asked Matt to give me a go-to piece of criticism, he agonized, wanting different quotes for different areas of his scholarly repertoire. Could he do more than one? Sure he could do more than one! - far be it for me to contain the wide-ranging mind of Matt Hills. :D
So we’ll get three quotes from Matt, starting today with his quote for fan studies. –FC
~ ~ ~
Any go-to citation would have changed over the years for me, and could also have been linked to a specific book project or set of journal articles/chapters that I was working on. If I think about the main areas that I publish in — fan studies and work on Doctor Who (not always about Who fans, but often) — then I’d select the following…
An Indicative Quotation for Fan Studies:
Participation in geek culture, like many leisure activities, presupposes access to at least some material or cultural commodities. For example if you want to garden, you need seeds and tools; if you want to play music, you need instruments and perhaps sheet music; if you want to go bird-watching, you need a pair of binoculars (Keat 2000, 144). Russell Keat calls these objects “equipment-goods.” They are commodities whose consumption enables the pursuit of some practice, rather than being a pleasurable end in itself. Cultural goods can also be considered equipment-goods for at least some of their consumers: comic book fans need comics and gamers need games, just like birdwatchers need their binoculars. In our society, the production and distribution of these goods are principally orchestrated through markets. Markets not only supply practitioners with needed equipment-goods but also generate a livelihood for the people who make and distribute them – after all, even the most committed individuals can only volunteer so much of their time and personal financial resources. Yet the interests of producers, intermediaries, and consumers do not always match. (Woo 2018: 132–133)
I’ve gone back a lot very recently to Getting A Life: The Social Worlds of Geek Culture (2018) by Benjamin Woo. It’s such a rich empirical study, and so well theorised (it reminds me of when I first read Henry Jenkins’ Textual Poachers in that regard). I find it useful for the extent to which it acknowledges how geek culture is built out of commodities (collectables and assorted merch) and relationships to commercial venues/spaces, while also recognising the community but also the sociality of fandom. I think as a study it will end up reaching far beyond the contexts of its initial fieldwork and analysis.
— Matt Hills (Honorary Professor at the University of Bristol, and previously Professor of Fandom Studies at Huddersfield University).
snickficmusesfool
the_mary_sue_feed
Being a server isn’t for the weak. The typical long, grueling hours while balancing a multitude of tasks on their shoulders and tending to difficult customers’ needs can be exhausting.
And a rush exacerbates these feelings tenfold. As the customers flood in, the responsibilities pile up; anything extra can be an inconvenience. Even something as minor as a chocolate milk request was enough to get under this server’s skin. But not everyone is sympathetic.
the_mary_sue_feed
Every film on this list is a triumph of cinema. A stunning blend of story, score, and cinematography that elevated movie-making to new artistic heights. While critics might call them the best films of all time, they could have been better… if only they had been gayer. From best friends who could have been something more to villains who are a little too obsessed with the heroes they supposedly hate, these are 10 movie characters who should have been queer.
Let’s start with a classic, the greatest missed opportunity in an all-time great fantasy series. Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy had all the necessary ingredients for a queer epic. Two twinks are tasked with throwing an evil piece of jewelry into a flaming pit, while hordes of burly orcs hunt them down. The queer subtext is palpable across the entire cast. Gandalf and Saruman’s bitter wizard rivalry fueled by unspoken gay yearning. Legolas and Gimli’s potential enemies-to-lovers romance on the field of battle. The gloriously genderbent antics of Éowyn. But the hottest fires of repressed queer desire burn near the summit of Mount Doom, when Samwise Gamgee whispers in Frodo’s ear about the taste of strawberries and then carries him on his back to complete their quest. Bilbo’s memoirs might call them friends, but the Fellowship of the Ring (and everyone else in Middle-earth) knows better.
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iibnflavvyansnickfictinny posting in fandom10in30shakalooloo posting in scans_daily
the_mary_sue_feed
While I would like to believe that most people in this world are inherently good, it is undeniable that many bad individuals exist. These people are capable of nothing more than making someone’s life miserable.
Two days ago, TikTok user @madisonnicolemorgan_ uploaded a video recounting how she was stalked by a man when she just turned 18 and was working at a Chinese food to go and delivery restaurant. When she first met this person, Madison thought he was really nice. But over time, she realized how creepy he was, and one day, he crossed all limits, forcing her to involve the police.
the_mary_sue_feed
Not everyone likes surprises, and when that surprise can change the entire course of your life, the situation becomes even more complicated. For TikTok user @zzzuulll, the surprise was her getting pregnant after believing for a long time that she was infertile. Because she felt so strongly that she was infertile, @zzzuulll didn’t even initially think she could get pregnant, even after her period was delayed, which was usually always on time.
Does she regret it? No. Does she recommend it? That’s also a no. Does she want to discuss it on social media? Well, yes. In fact, she talked about it on her @zzzuulll TikTok account 2 days ago.
luminousdaze posting in iconthat
3weeks4dreamwidth is celebrating Dreamwidth's anniversary for 2026.sholiooursinLast week's bread held out remarkably.
Friday night supper: penne with Peppadew roasted red peppers in brine whooshed in the blender and heated.
Saturday breakfast rolls: eclectic vanilla.
Today's lunch: diced lamb shoulder casseroled in white wine with baby carrots, chopped leeks, bay leaf, thyme, white peppercorns and salt, with a sliced potato topping (blanched in boiling water for 5 mins, brushed with melted butter, and seasoned with salt and pepper, put on for the final 45 mins or so), served with white-braised fine green beans and baby courgettes.
beccaelizabethtcampbell1000 in scans_daily - Superdickery 1992: Superman’s Brief, Hostile Takeover of the JLA (JLE 36, JLS 1, JLA 61-67/JLI 91)the_mary_sue_feed - Arizona woman paid $25 for a front seat on Southwest. Then they pulled the rug out and made her feelthe_mary_sue_feed - ‘Don’t get fooled’: Orlando woman helps ‘homeless’ women at Target buy $100 of baby supplies. Then sthe_mary_sue_feed - Philadelphia woman put a pregnancy test on the counter at Dollar Tree. Then the cashier walked her tarstechnica_feed - Toyota built a $10 billion private utopia—what’s going on in there?vamp_ress in booknook - Reading Wrap-up 4/26jazzyjj in awesomeers - Just one thing: 04 May 2026the_mary_sue_feed - Woman aboard American Airlines to New York is called to the front, then as the pilot makes announcemthe_mary_sue_feed - Woman thought she was going schizophrenic. Then the people around her started seeing the same thingsthesleepingbeauty in lgbtrainbow - Green; Kitty Song Covey | XO, Kittyabyss_valkyrie in lgbtrainbow - Yellow-Akk & Ayan-The Eclipseoursin - (no subject)firebatvillain in sufficiently_advanced_ex - Post-Deadline Pinch Hits - #6, #7, #8abyss_valkyrie in ic_animated - Round 80-80s-Information!thesleepingbeauty in lgbtrainbow - Orange; Kitty Song Covey | XO, Kittyysabetwordsmith in fandomcalendar - Creative Jambreyzyyin in lgbtrainbow - Red; Marisa | Street Fighter 6ysabetwordsmith in fandomcalendar - May Bingo Festmorebutterflys in smallbatchicons - Keroppi (Sanrio)snickfic - fannish musingsthesleepingbeauty in lgbtrainbow - Violet; Kitty Song Covey | XO, Kittythe_mary_sue_feed - Woman gets kicked out of brother’s wedding over her dress. But people can’t decide if she’s innocentenchanted_jae - It could be cats...maevedarcy in smallbatchicons - Pride and Prejudice (2005)fanhackers_feed - Your Go-To Piece of Criticism: Matt Hills, Part 1snickfic - Seasons of Drabblesmusesfool - i want you to take a look at this picturethe_mary_sue_feed - Server blasts toddlers for ordering chocolate milk during a rush. It backfires: ‘Oh no you have to dthe_mary_sue_feed - 10 Movie Characters Who Should Have Been Queerschneefink - Belated April recs: 3 SGA classicssnickfic - Movies!tinny in fandom10in30 - Round 63: Let's Go Outside - voting!shakalooloo in scans_daily - The Ultimates (2024) #23enchanted_jae - Jae's Monthly Drabble Challenge # 243: Beside Methe_mary_sue_feed - Arizona woman repeatedly encounters an ‘overly nice’ old man at work. Things turn dark and then thethe_mary_sue_feed - 17-year-old believes she is infertile, then her period gets delayed, and the unthinkable happens: ‘Oluminousdaze in iconthat - Three Weeks For Dreamwidth 2026sholio - Paint colorsoursin - Culinarybeccaelizabeth - (no subject)
