azdak

Posted by Fred Clark

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/slacktivist/2025/11/24/ice-vs-churches-contd/

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/slacktivist/?p=71981

Does DHS have an "official plan" to "raid churches"? Maybe. But considering what its already doing, that hardly matters.

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/slacktivist/2025/11/24/ice-vs-churches-contd/

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/slacktivist/?p=71981

Created to fulfil a challenge in seasons_of_fandom Round 1.

Drabbles

Fandom: Word of Honor (TV)
Characters: Wen Kexing/Zhou Zishu

Wen Kexing awoke with a start, shaking off the nightmare and looking down at the man asleep beside him. Zishu was restless, murmuring as if caught in his own nightmare. Concerned by the pallor of his skin and the sweat beading on his forehead, it seemed only natural to grasp the twitching fingers. Zishu sat up with a gasp, blood on his lips and his breathing was ragged, his Qi pulsing weakly. Kexing moved behind and forced his own Qi into the sick man, shoving down the crushing fear that Zishu was running out of time for both of them.

Fandom: The Yin-Yang Master Dream of Eternity
Characters: Qingming/Boya

Qingming raised his cup of wine and watched as Boya stalked away with a disgruntled expression that would have been amusing on anyone else, but for some inexplicable reason he wanted Boya to like him. He hid his melancholy thoughts and smiled at the lesser demons he had invited to sip wine with him, noticing one of them watching him intently.

"He did not like seeing you in our company."

Qingming's smile waned. "He has no love for demons."

"Perhaps most demons but not all. That was jealousy not anger."

"Jealous? Of me?"

The demon laughed. "No. Jealous of me."

Graphics

Phone Wallpaper - 1080x1920
Fandom: Guardian/L'Oreal Time Engraver
Characters: Zhao Yunlan/Shen Wei|Time Engraver



Bookmark - 300x800
Fandom: The Yin-Yang Master Dream of Eternity
Characters: Boya

 

Postcard
Fandom: Word of Honor (TV)
Characters: Zhou Zishu to Ye Baiyi (with added remarks from Wen Kexing)

 

Chapter 5.1:



It would be a lie to say I wasn’t flustered by this. But whether it was from seeing his bare chest or from Shylock’s natural sex appeal, I wasn’t sure.

*waggles eyebrows*

Chapter 5.2:

Nero on wizards: “Maybe they just want a bit of the things we take for granted, like…appreciation and compassion. Stuff like that.”

Lol I don't know if he was being sarcastic in this convo but he was spot on.

Ughhh Riquet and that slimy priest. I really hope we see Riquet change.

Chapter 5.3:

Poor Chloe having to deal with Rustica and his search for this 'bride'...

Chapter 5.4:

Rustica: “I’ll enjoy anywhere I go as long as you’re with me, Chloe.”

Then stop causing him problems. 😭

Wait, Rustica said the moon chose them, but it's the Great Calamity, right? Why is it choosing people to fight against it??

Chapter 5.5-5.6:

I like the Southern Country people!

The chosen South wizards realizing that means the four wizards sent last time were killed. :'(

Ughh nothing better happen to these guys. >.< And the North wizards better not pick on them, either!!

Chapter 6.1:

Akira: (I can’t even imagine what it’s like. They’ve just been living their lives normally but now they’re suddenly expected to save the world.)

Exactly, and there's a high chance of dying.

The 'I've just changing' scene makes me think of fem!Akira. It's almost like they're going back and forth on how they depict them.

Chapter 6.2:

Man you know you fucked up if you piss off Heathcliff. 

Shylock: “It doesn’t matter what we do, Heathcliff. No matter what we sacrifice, no matter how much we smile and try to play nice—”

Shylock: “—We will forever be their enemies, simply by virtue of possessing a power foreign to them. Stronger than them.”

😭😭😭

Chapter 6.3:

Okay maybe Heathcliff is just a hot-head in certain situations.

Apparently Bradley is the leader of 'the deadliest bandit gang in the world'.

I think the cover image was taken from some other source, maybe another webnovel, and made into a cover for Jubo but I couldn't find the true original source.

Chapter 1: Wang Cheng grew up in a temple, it was just him and his master until he passed away, leaving the old and worn down temple and deed to Wang Cheng.

Chapter 2: Wang Cheng was given up at age seven by his parents because they had a daughter and couldn't afford three kids. Wang Cheng never got to eat his fill as a growing teenager because he lived with the monks, so his mom tries to make up for it when he visits. His parents want him to move back in with them now instead of living alone in the old temple.

Chapter 3: developers took fancy of Shiquan County and wanted to build a large tourist resort here. Several villages have received the news, and Wang' Village was also included.

Wang Cheng doesn't want to sell the temple, he'd rather rebuild it.

How will turning the area into a tourist trap spot effect the villagers...?

Chapter 4-5: Family dynamics explanations and explorations.

Wang Cheng agreed to move back home so he heads off to get his things.

Chapter 6: Wang Cheng is a really good cook.

The real estate company shows up.

Chapter 7: Wang Cheng will only sell the mountain if the temple isn't demolished. Of course the real estate boss isn't happy about it.

Apparently Wang Cheng is really attractive even bald.

Chapter 8: Wang Cheng is so attractive even his sister blushes at him lol

Seems the family are supportive of Wang Cheng's decision?

I think they're moving to Guan Village, the mom's original village?

Chapter 9: The thing about the hands was interesting, I want to know more.

Chapter 10: I think Chu Yifeng, the real estate boss, is the LI?

Chapter 11: It is pretty interesting reading about the family dynamics.

Can't believe Wang Cheng negotiated 12 months work down to 3.

Chapter 12-13: Aunt Zhang is infuriating. 😡 Good luck finding a worker as good as Wang Ziyu!

Chapter 14 Finally moving away! Cute family interaction there at the end.

Chapter 15-16: Unfortunately two uncles they don't get along with also moved to Guan.

Chapter 17: First day of work, reading a bunch of docs, didn't see Boss Chu.

The editing could use some work but it's readable and mostly understandable. Seems like this will be a day-to-day story with a slow burn.

CW: A women gets slapped and called a slut (in Wang Cheng's mind) after she hurls insults and abuse at Wang Ziyu.

Posted by Fred Clark

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/slacktivist/2025/11/23/youre-never-gonna-keep-me-down/

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/slacktivist/?p=71921

'The Carpenter's Son' and

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/slacktivist/2025/11/23/youre-never-gonna-keep-me-down/

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/slacktivist/?p=71921

Summary: Cordelia knows her mother is . . . unusual. Their house doesn’t have any doors between rooms—there are no secrets in this house—and her mother doesn't allow Cordelia to have a single friend. Unless you count Falada, her mother's beautiful white horse. The only time Cordelia feels truly free is on her daily rides with him.

But more than simple eccentricity sets her mother apart. Other mothers don’t force their daughters to be silent and motionless for hours, sometimes days, on end. Other mothers aren’t evil sorcerers.

When her mother unexpectedly moves them into the manor home of a wealthy older Squire and his kind but keen-eyed sister, Hester, Cordelia knows this welcoming pair are to be her mother's next victims. But Cordelia feels at home for the very first time among these people, and as her mother's plans darken, she must decide how to face the woman who raised her to save the people who have become like family.

My thoughts: Gripping from the start and stabs you right in the heart with the abuse that Cordelia suffers from her mother. This is my second T. Kingfisher book and I've found her MCs to be relatable to me personally but especially Cordelia. I grew up isolated and unsocialized after a certain point and had trouble with handling strong emotions (still do).

I really think I would give it 5/5 just for the characters but...I had other issues that bring the score down. At times I felt like the pacing was off, but that could be because I was impatient for answers, and there were multiples times where I was like "why didn't/don't you just do X??" but again, could just be me being impatient lol.

What I was hoping for did happen in the end (Cordelia living with Richard and Hester) so I was happy there. Speaking of those two, my heart swooned for them, I'm glad they found a way to be together in the end. There's plenty of commentary on a woman's place in historical society.

Did I mention how much I love the characters?

I LOVED the narration (Zoe Mills).

(PS: Was the butler in a relationship with another man? Jack was it?)

I would definitely reread (listen) to this again.

CWs:

-Child abuse (including taking over their body but neglecting to go to the bathroom or eat at times)
-Off-screen murder and discussion of it, on-screen murder made to look like a suicide
-Gore (a horse's head was cut off, it walks around headless and Cordelia touches the area while riding it, later the horse stomps someone to death, also it bites someone's ear off)

1. When I say goodbye to my mother-in-law, she frequently traps me in extended hugs. They often last longer than 15 seconds! During these hugs, she rattles off compliments that are probably well-meaning, but which I take as insults: She’s grateful that I’m a good cook for my husband, for instance, and that I keep our house so clean. My husband and I are both working professionals. We split the housework evenly, and I’m proud of that. My husband says that his mother’s comments are just her way of trying to connect with me. But is there a way to dodge her hugs? That’s when the so-called compliments begin.

DAUGHTER-IN-LAW

( Read more... )

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2. Dear Carolyn: We are a very small family — just me, my older sister and my parents. Five years ago, my sister married into a very large family, and her in-laws host all the holidays. We’re always invited, but it’s never any fun for us. There are 20 of them together, talking and laughing, and me and my parents in the corner by ourselves.

I’ve honestly tried to join in, but they’re always talking among themselves about people I don’t know. I ask them about their lives, and they go on and on, but when it’s time for me to talk, I get either cut off or ignored. They try to be nice, but after the third or fourth attempt to answer a question, you can tell they don’t care about the answer.

So I’ve decided I’m not going for Thanksgiving or Christmas this year. On Thanksgiving, some of my friends are meeting up for a hike in the morning, and then there’s a pub crawl later in the evening, and that’s enough holiday for me. I can order a pizza for dinner. For Christmas, I plan to have breakfast with my parents, open gifts and then kick back for the rest of the day while they go off to my sister’s in-laws’ house.

Even though my parents agree about the in-laws, they are telling me to suck it up and go for their sake. They and my sister are really upset with me, saying I’m going to ruin their holidays, hurt my brother-in-law’s feelings and not see my niece. I say there will be so many people around that my brother-in-law and niece won’t miss me, and I’ll see them both on Black Friday and then again on Christmas Eve, so it’s not like I’m missing out entirely.

Am I being selfish like they say? Don’t I have a right to enjoy my holidays, or do I have to suffer in silence?
— Anonymous

( Read more... )

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3. Dear Annie: My son got married about eight months ago, and while I truly do love his new wife, I admit I'm scratching my head over a few things. Maybe it's the times changing, or maybe I'm just old-fashioned, but it feels like I got a fourth child instead of a daughter-in-law.

When they come over for dinner, I do what I've always done: make a nice meal, fix everyone a plate and pass the rolls. I'll serve my husband, my boys and even the dog if he looks hungry enough. But my new daughter-in-law? She piles food on her own plate, sits down and tells my son to get it himself. My jaw nearly hit the mashed potatoes. He works all day to provide for her, and the least she could do is hand him a pork chop! Instead, I find myself jumping up to fix his plate while she's scrolling through her phone.

And the laundry, don't even get me started. Because they don't have a washer and dryer, she brings her clothes over, and somehow, I end up doing them. It's like my son got married, and I gained another load of towels.

Should I speak up, or just keep folding her laundry and praying she buys a washing machine? -- Lost For Words in Georgia

( Read more... )

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4. Dear Annie: Hoping you can offer some advice! My son has been married for six years to a beautiful girl who rarely speaks to us and acts as though we don't exist. Her distance has gotten much worse over time, and we have no idea why. We love her and are just as kind to her as we are to our other kids and their wives. My husband and I are so sad. This has broken our hearts.

We haven't said anything because we don't want to upset our son, but lately even he appears unhappy with her attitude toward us. When we've referred to her as our daughter -- as we do our other daughter-in-law, who loves the title -- she'll say, "No, thank you. I already have a mom and dad." We've always felt as parents ourselves that you can NEVER have too many people to love your child, so we were quite hurt by that.

And that's just the tip of the iceberg. She's so cold and distant toward us that even our friends and family have noticed and commented. We are good people, we stay out of our kids' business and we keep our opinions to ourselves. Our motto is, "If you want our thoughts, you'll have to ask for them." We don't meddle or cause waves ever, yet she continues to find ways to fault us for things. It's completely unsubstantiated, but it persists!

It's to the point I have so much anxiety that I've considered seeking out a therapist. This DIL is so unapproachable, so to avoid conflict, we just sweep EVERYTHING under the rug to avoid causing our sweet son any grief.

Please let us know if you have any advice. Our hearts are broken! -- Boy Momma

( Read more... )

Everybody knows a hot dog is not a sandwich... it's a taco.

(Taken from the comments here.)

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Just picture it: Tres leches... confetti cake.

(It turns out I'm not the only person with this idea, which just shows how brilliant it is!)

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( Read more... )

Let's say, hypothetically I wanted to move a whole bunch of feeds I listen to en masse off of Spotify and onto something else, is there any way to do that other than manually looking at each feed, in alphabetical order, and searching it up elsewhere?

Used my anime TBR boardgame.

I finished 5/6 for my last challenge. Honestly not my favorite challenge, plus when I get a certain amount of exhausted I don't feel like watching anything so that didn't help. I'm hoping for a small list this time or maybe there will be some anime that are easier on me.

Avatar:

Sakura from Wind Breaker
Skill: Re-draw a prompt once

Roll #1:

An 8, PTW tile. #572 and that iss Trickster: Edogawa Ranpo "Shounen Tanteidan" wow I remember nothing about this but I can see why I added it.

Roll #2:

A 6 aand now the CW tile. #20 which is more Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood.

Roll #3:

A, prompt: reincarnated into another world. Nothing on my CW list for that and I don't want to start something else new, so using skill. New prompt: popular anime. Haikyuu!! ,hopefully I'll be in the mood for it (aka more awake) by the end to watch it.

Roll #4:

An 8, intimidates you. *spends several minute hemming and hawing about what exactly that means* Ya know what, fine, I'll do Mawaru Penguindrum. I don't know how much I'll remember but I refuse to backtrack because I'd probably DNF it due to that character I hate. I may DNF anyway but hey, let's find out at least. 🤷

Roll #5:

A 6, prompt: mystery element. More Delico's Nursery then.

Roll #6:

An 8 and the end. Reward: going to be predictable and go with Dr: Stone again because it never fails to cheer me up.

Most looking forward to: Dr. Stone of course
Least looking forward to: Mawaru Penguindrum

SO CUTE 😊

Lol, the watch lady was so nonchalant about being revived.

"Everyone else we've woken up has had a freakish mental attitude."

Yeah but you dressed the lady before reviving her, not poor Joel...

Lmao at Joel not being able to resist using the Medusa.

Poor Armadillo. T_T After getting into The Vampire Dies in No Time especially, thinking of John being eaten is too sad.

I love the chibi of them all on their bikes!

Episode 5: The 'who killed who' and relationship chart hahah, blew Chelsea's mind. And the high five, cute!

Kinda funny to be worrying about Hyouga this late;;

Aw, Tsukasa's expression while eating was so cute. :') He honestly is pretty darn cute when he's being silly.

I am once again overcome with love for these guys. I hope more people can look past Boichi's way of drawing women sometimes to see the amazing writing by Inagaki and the otherwise great art. ❤️️