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Alex Katakis @thatwasodd.bsky.social · 1d

Happy book birthday to Crafting for Sinners! @jennykiefer.com

Alex Katakis @thatwasodd.bsky.social · 6d

Is retirement permanent, or will minerals have a chance to return after a few years off? For me, that alters the answer significantly.

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Alex Katakis @thatwasodd.bsky.social · 8d

Very well done. Love it!

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Reposted by Alex Katakis

Tyver Foucault @thedoorthedoor.bsky.social · 8d

Anxiety is a geode.
You are filled with wonderous things
That no one will ever see
Unless you take a hammer
And mean it when you swing.

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Alex Katakis @thatwasodd.bsky.social · 8d

I would say tugtupite is more pink than red, but it's reindeer blood so I'm calling it close enough to Red vs Blue again.

May the best mineral lose.

Vote: www.mineralcup.org/2025/vote/r5...

(And you should read Time War!)

#MinCup25 #Tugtupite #Kyanite @amalelmohtar.com @maxgladstone.bsky.social

The cover of This Is How You Lose the Time War, by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone. The cardinal has been replaced by tugtupite and the blue jay has been replaced by kyanite. The text has been changed to read "this is how you lose the mineral war". The photos of tugtupite and kyanite are both from Mindat.

The image is better than my previous effort in semifinal 1, but I still couldn't get the stagger/slice effect from my phone's default photo app. Oh well.

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Alex Katakis @thatwasodd.bsky.social · 10d

Done in five minutes on my phone so it looks terrible, but when you said Red vs Blue I couldn't resist. Forgive me.

The cover of the novella This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone. The cardinal has been poorly replaced by a photo of hematite and the blue jay has been replaced by a photo of kyanite. The cover now reads This Is How You Lose the Mineral War. Both mineral photos come from Mindat.

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Alex Katakis @thatwasodd.bsky.social · 11d

That linocut is amazing! Thank you for sharing it.

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Alex Katakis @thatwasodd.bsky.social · 13d

I was going to write a short story about Santa's reindeer banding together to create #tugtupite in an effort to destroy eldritch abomination Rudolph (bioluminescence is not normal among reindeer) but having now read about Tutu the reindeer girl's love for her child, how could I beat that? #MinCup25

Mineral Cup #MinCup25 @mineralcup.bsky.social · 13d

#MinCup25 Quarterfinal 2: It's #perovskite and its intriguing structure against #tugtupite's collection of optical tricks for this quarterfinal match!

Vote: www.mineralcup.org/2025/vote/r3...
Results: www.mineralcup.org/2025/results...

Vote in Quarterfinal 2 — Mineral Cup

Click here to vote in Perovskite vs Tugtupite Photo credit: Domenico Preite and Géry Parent

www.mineralcup.org

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Alex Katakis @thatwasodd.bsky.social · 13d

So fast!

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Alex Katakis @thatwasodd.bsky.social · 13d

Heads up, I just went to check previous rounds and the "results" page is showing the chart from cuprosklodowskite vs mannardite all over.

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Alex Katakis @thatwasodd.bsky.social · 14d

I've recruited some coworkers to vote. They're definitely humoring me, but a vote is a vote! A few people even seem genuinely interested.

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Alex Katakis @thatwasodd.bsky.social · 14d

I just realized that if hematite and tugtupite make it to the finals, we can have blood rock vs blood rock for the final match!

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Alex Katakis @thatwasodd.bsky.social · 23d

I had no idea radon spas were a thing, and I'm starting to regret wandering down this rabbit hole. Perhaps I'll just go to a local spa and talk loudly about minerals there.

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Alex Katakis @thatwasodd.bsky.social · 23d

Did I read that correctly? #Paddlewheelite was discovered in *a decommissioned mine that now operates as a spa?*

Everyone pack your bags, we're going on a geology spa trip.

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Alex Katakis @thatwasodd.bsky.social · 28d

Your passion for #thortveitite has swayed me!

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Reposted by Alex Katakis

Owen Missen @scimissionowen.bsky.social · Sep 4

neck and neck in biggest match of #MinCup25 so far!
I like the cubes perovskite forms but a lot of the arguments to vote for it are for its family of structures, not the mineral!
calcite is a mineral that I can't believe has never won, given its abundance of colours and forms!

Mineral Cup #MinCup25 @mineralcup.bsky.social · Sep 4

#MinCup25 Round 1 Match 4: This match of heavy hitters is bound to end in heartbreak as classic #calcite faces off against futuristic #perovskite.

We love them both, but only one can continue on to Round 2!

Vote: www.mineralcup.org/2025/vote/r1...
Results: www.mineralcup.org/2025/results...

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Reposted by Alex Katakis

neotl @ctrlcreep.bsky.social · Sep 2

It feels good to roll over in bed, because it allows the dreams to flow from one half of the brain to the other—and images become language, and poem logic becomes clarified by the logic of rotating stars

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Alex Katakis @thatwasodd.bsky.social · Sep 1

Ok you've won me over. I was leaning towards #pectolite but your campaign for #chrysotile is impeccable. #mincup25

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Alex Katakis @thatwasodd.bsky.social · Aug 19

@forestofwhales.bsky.social see you at the Council

Tyver Foucault @thedoorthedoor.bsky.social · Aug 19

There's a moss-covered stone in your mailbox. It is a summons to represent humankind at the Forest Council. Don't blow this one off

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Alex Katakis @thatwasodd.bsky.social · Jul 21

I wish I could join you! One of my favorite cities, on my birthday? But this year just won't allow it. Still, have fun!

Alex Katakis @thatwasodd.bsky.social · Jul 5

@craigschaeferbooks.com hi Heather, I wanted to let you know that there's an error signing up for your mailing list. I've tried twice and haven't received activation emails.

Related, the link to join the mailing list in Firebreak is broken. There's an extra . at the end.

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Reposted by Alex Katakis

JMFenner @jmfenner.bsky.social · Jun 12

Finally back home & getting settled. Doing tons of doodling - lots of new artwork on the way! ✨

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Reposted by Alex Katakis

neotl @ctrlcreep.bsky.social · May 31

We will be excavating your "uncanny valley" to make it deeper and wider. Your world will be richer; you will be troubled by more things. Sometimes, mere change in expression will render a beloved face inhuman

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Reposted by Alex Katakis

Chuck Tingle @chucktingle.bsky.social · May 22

TEST YOUR LUCK BUCKAROOS. we are giving away 50 advance copies of LUCKY DAY on goodreads. enter between NOW and june 4th to see what fate has in mind
www.goodreads.com/giveaway/sho...

chuck tingle in front of roulette table pointing at viewer while a copy of book lucky day floats between

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Reposted by Alex Katakis

Chuck Tingle @chucktingle.bsky.social · Apr 18

HELLO BUCKAROOS do you use storygraph for your reading ways? we are giving away 50 advance reader copies of LUCKY DAY in storygraph giveaway you can enter here app.thestorygraph.com/giveaways/ad...

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