Michael Engard
@engard.me
Writer and web developer. Rochester, NY. Of late: WordPress, TTRPGs, the open web. You may never read my book but at least I’m writing it.
But to be (slightly) more serious, yes, and I think a good many speculative fiction franchises could benefit from a Red Book of Westmarch-style framing device to resolve continuity errors and other mechanical disputes.
December 1, 2025 at 2:08 AM
But to be (slightly) more serious, yes, and I think a good many speculative fiction franchises could benefit from a Red Book of Westmarch-style framing device to resolve continuity errors and other mechanical disputes.
Fun to imagine that the first movie is diegetic and the reason Vader and Obi-Wan fight like arthritis patients is that the New Republic filmmaking industry was in its infancy and poorly sourced.
December 1, 2025 at 2:05 AM
Fun to imagine that the first movie is diegetic and the reason Vader and Obi-Wan fight like arthritis patients is that the New Republic filmmaking industry was in its infancy and poorly sourced.
Which makes perfect sense. JKR’s problem is that even if it *was* satirical in origin, she can’t admit it anymore. The core fans take it all too seriously and earnestly, there’s just no room for her to have a sense of humor about it, or even simple honesty about a tale that grew in the telling.
November 30, 2025 at 8:32 PM
Which makes perfect sense. JKR’s problem is that even if it *was* satirical in origin, she can’t admit it anymore. The core fans take it all too seriously and earnestly, there’s just no room for her to have a sense of humor about it, or even simple honesty about a tale that grew in the telling.
I think even that would have been fine if she’d had a better attitude about being criticized. A little “haha, you’re right, friends, the rules of Quidditch don’t make much sense, do they?” would have gone a long way. (But of course, in hindsight, these are all of a piece.)
November 30, 2025 at 8:13 PM
I think even that would have been fine if she’d had a better attitude about being criticized. A little “haha, you’re right, friends, the rules of Quidditch don’t make much sense, do they?” would have gone a long way. (But of course, in hindsight, these are all of a piece.)
I agree with that, but you were referring specifically to “anti-tech” folks, no?
November 30, 2025 at 7:28 PM
I agree with that, but you were referring specifically to “anti-tech” folks, no?
This is an awkward example in that the people I see being most virulently anti-cryptocurrency tend to be the most technologically literate and experienced.
November 30, 2025 at 7:23 PM
This is an awkward example in that the people I see being most virulently anti-cryptocurrency tend to be the most technologically literate and experienced.
It’s a comfort to know that the spirit of David Lynch still walks among us.
November 30, 2025 at 5:25 PM
It’s a comfort to know that the spirit of David Lynch still walks among us.
I went to my favorite local bookstore this afternoon and I’ve been feeling this HARD. I miss books and if I have to bury my stupid phone in sand to get back to them it will be worth it.
November 29, 2025 at 11:54 PM
I went to my favorite local bookstore this afternoon and I’ve been feeling this HARD. I miss books and if I have to bury my stupid phone in sand to get back to them it will be worth it.
The only reason I don’t is because I have a shit memory and the distance between “this is my new favorite book” and “what even happened in this book?” is measured in days if not hours.
November 29, 2025 at 10:35 PM
The only reason I don’t is because I have a shit memory and the distance between “this is my new favorite book” and “what even happened in this book?” is measured in days if not hours.
Essentially yes. The same “no child left behind” approach that’s been putting high school degrees in the hands of 18-year-olds who can barely read was always eventually going to rise up and swamp higher education as well.
November 29, 2025 at 10:19 PM
Essentially yes. The same “no child left behind” approach that’s been putting high school degrees in the hands of 18-year-olds who can barely read was always eventually going to rise up and swamp higher education as well.
If one student fails, it’s the student that failed. If a quarter, or half, or two-thirds of a class are failing, it starts to look like something that reflects on the teacher or the institution—even if they haven’t changed, and the real issue is something the students are bringing in with them.
November 29, 2025 at 4:38 PM
If one student fails, it’s the student that failed. If a quarter, or half, or two-thirds of a class are failing, it starts to look like something that reflects on the teacher or the institution—even if they haven’t changed, and the real issue is something the students are bringing in with them.
away from objective reality. What did you say? Whatever I feel like I wanted you to have said.
We’re hoping to have a kid in the next year or two, and ever since that became a reality I’ve become a little obsessed with filling our house with books. (And paper and writing and drawing utensils.)
We’re hoping to have a kid in the next year or two, and ever since that became a reality I’ve become a little obsessed with filling our house with books. (And paper and writing and drawing utensils.)
November 29, 2025 at 3:43 PM
away from objective reality. What did you say? Whatever I feel like I wanted you to have said.
We’re hoping to have a kid in the next year or two, and ever since that became a reality I’ve become a little obsessed with filling our house with books. (And paper and writing and drawing utensils.)
We’re hoping to have a kid in the next year or two, and ever since that became a reality I’ve become a little obsessed with filling our house with books. (And paper and writing and drawing utensils.)
I have to confess, since I became aware of three-cueing I’ve been struggling to understand it, and I realized that’s because I don’t even recognize the resulting behavior as *reading*. It sounds like a house of cards built from guessing-upon-guessing that must drift further and further away from 1/
November 29, 2025 at 3:43 PM
I have to confess, since I became aware of three-cueing I’ve been struggling to understand it, and I realized that’s because I don’t even recognize the resulting behavior as *reading*. It sounds like a house of cards built from guessing-upon-guessing that must drift further and further away from 1/
a suicide bombing conducted by the ostensibly-sympathetic protagonist characters. It also explored the treatment of collaborators and double-agents in the aftermath of the conflict.
November 29, 2025 at 5:00 AM
a suicide bombing conducted by the ostensibly-sympathetic protagonist characters. It also explored the treatment of collaborators and double-agents in the aftermath of the conflict.
Battlestar Galactica included an arc of five episodes (season 3, episodes 1-5) centered on a resistance movement against an occupying force. It was inspired most directly by Vichy France, but also drew comparisons to the then-contemporary Iraq War and had some controversial elements, including 1/
November 29, 2025 at 5:00 AM
Battlestar Galactica included an arc of five episodes (season 3, episodes 1-5) centered on a resistance movement against an occupying force. It was inspired most directly by Vichy France, but also drew comparisons to the then-contemporary Iraq War and had some controversial elements, including 1/
It seems natural to me that the amount of meaning in the selection of an image is proportional to the amount of meaning I should take from it. If none, then none.
November 28, 2025 at 7:50 PM
It seems natural to me that the amount of meaning in the selection of an image is proportional to the amount of meaning I should take from it. If none, then none.
I love this movie and I was fully prepared to accept and enjoy a thread of you trashing it but I’m SO delighted by all the appreciation instead!
November 28, 2025 at 2:50 AM
I love this movie and I was fully prepared to accept and enjoy a thread of you trashing it but I’m SO delighted by all the appreciation instead!
Well, that’s not true, but it’s also beside the point. My question is, why do you care that she should be excluded when the cis woman who’s a genetically-born Olympian is welcome to come in and trample the competition?
November 27, 2025 at 6:49 PM
Well, that’s not true, but it’s also beside the point. My question is, why do you care that she should be excluded when the cis woman who’s a genetically-born Olympian is welcome to come in and trample the competition?
Can *you*? Because we’ve established that it’s not about ability. It doesn’t upset you that a female athlete might compete against another cis woman who has, say higher testosterone. But it does upset you if it’s a trans woman, even if she has comparable physical ability. Right?
November 27, 2025 at 6:43 PM
Can *you*? Because we’ve established that it’s not about ability. It doesn’t upset you that a female athlete might compete against another cis woman who has, say higher testosterone. But it does upset you if it’s a trans woman, even if she has comparable physical ability. Right?
I’m not arguing for anything. I’m using hypotheticals to hone in on what you actually believe about this.
And I think your instinct here is telling! Why do you suppose people want to watch women’s sports despite (we’ll stipulate) a lower average performance level? What makes that different?
And I think your instinct here is telling! Why do you suppose people want to watch women’s sports despite (we’ll stipulate) a lower average performance level? What makes that different?
November 27, 2025 at 6:35 PM
I’m not arguing for anything. I’m using hypotheticals to hone in on what you actually believe about this.
And I think your instinct here is telling! Why do you suppose people want to watch women’s sports despite (we’ll stipulate) a lower average performance level? What makes that different?
And I think your instinct here is telling! Why do you suppose people want to watch women’s sports despite (we’ll stipulate) a lower average performance level? What makes that different?