Pluribus Episode 6: HDP

See 100 Word reviews of previous episodes here

Episode 5 cliffhanger revealed: Carol turned vlogger and documented the frozen, shrink-wrapped body parts that fuel the Others' Human-Derived Protein drink. The cannibalism is explained by the body, mouth, but not the brain, of John Cena.

Diabaté returns in a glorious scene. He informs Carol that she is not in the private chat.

Motivated by Carol’s video, Manousos in Paraguay sets off to find her, but runs into “Mom.”

Gilligan served the obvious while shrugging it off. No narrative-changing reveals, just practical explanations of the Hive’s moral code. He provides plot answers, leaving us with bigger philosophical questions.

Watch it.

#tv #Pluribus #SciFi #VinceGilligan #AppleTV #Television #100WordReview #Larrys100 #100DaysToOffload #socialmedia

Usually my mind is potent, l I’ll just go grab a string of pearls from there

Like a necklace

Which I show to everybody’s delight

My brain

It used to be full of thoughts

But now there is nothing there

No strings of pearls.

It’s just like the inside of an empty oil barrel

And

I have no thoughts on that fact

But

But

From where then, would someone might ask that: why is this state of mind then so beautifully (arguably) described?

Do I have more barrels than one or something?

I’m right now walking Hash, And I just have this Vague feeling about how I’m unhappy with my current life state. But I really want to remind myself that there aren’t necessarily big reasons to feel this way other than just the fact that this is what I’m used to in my comfortable state in my mind. But I also do have a lot of choice on perspective, if I choose to focus on the things where I feel good about my life then I will feel that way.

19 November 2025

Null map

Air purple to skin dart down spinal central boots rushing flat gum sole our own pockets of water on a strawberry hill

JOURNAL 5 décembre 2025

Je retourne dans ma tête mes entretiens de hier avec les psys. C’est vrai que je n’ai pas envie d'aller trouver l'explication. C’est vrai que je la connais, mais pour le moment je ne veux pas savoir. Je ne veux pas me dire ok c'est ça, parce que automatiquement je serais amenée à poser la question genre « est ce que je suis ce que je crois que je suis » et je ne veux pas poser cette question précisément, j'ai peur que la réponse soit négative. A me regarde et je crois qu’elle aussi est un peu inquiète de la réponse. Parce que si c’est négatif, alors je devrai remettre toute ma vie en question. ET ÇA ME FERAIT BIEN CHIER Je ne veux pas me poser de questions sur ma vie, c’est pour ça que j'ai peur de sauter. J’ai peut être tort, mais c’est existentiel, alors c’est un risque quand même.

Je sais bien que je le ferai et bientôt mais en attendant je vais me blottir dans les bras de A comme une petite fille un peu malade fermer mes yeux noirs de mer et plus penser à rien à rien du tout

#002269 – 15 de Agosto de 2025

Jorge Luis Borges elogiava a língua inglesa por ter, para muitas ideias, duas palavras: uma de origem germânica e outra de origem latina. Segundo ele, “regal” e “kingly” não expressam a mesma coisa. Noutros dos exemplos que dá, temos: “dark” e “obscure”, “holy spirit” e “holy ghost”.

A mim dava-me jeito que o português tivesse outra palavra para dizer explorar (no sentido de procurar, investigar, indagar) que não tivesse o peso histórico do outro sentido da palavra, ligado ao capitalismo e ao colonialismo. Nenhum dos sinónimos que conheço me satisfaz e assim acabo por usar a palavra explorar mas amuado, desiludido com a minha falta de agilidade vocabular.

Der Tag beginnt mit einer Tasse Tee. Eine frisch gekochte Kanne Kaffee folgt mir unauffällig ins Home-Office. Ich starte den Laptop, schalte die Kamera ein und entzünde ein Adventslicht. Der Bildschirmschoner der Hochschule leuchtet mir entgegen.

Um 8:00 Uhr geht es dann los mit der virtuellen Lehre, dem Live-Tutorium “Inklusion”.

Ich öffne E-Mails und finde eine Bewertung der Studierenden, die mir ein Lächeln ins Gesicht zaubert. Ein Glitzermoment!

Das Tutorium geht los. Ich habe Wiederholungen vorbereitet. Wir starten mit einem Kahoot-Quiz. Dann planen die Studierenden Projekte zur Förderung der Inklusion in ihren Heimatstädten, gestalten Visionboards und beschreiben Whiteboards. Zwischendurch gibt es immer wieder Input und dann ist der letzte Termin in dieser Reihe zu Ende.

Ich besteige das Fahrrad und radel durch den herbstlichen Park Richtung Einkaufsmeile. Dabei probiere ich einen neuen Fahrradweg aus, der durch leuchtende Birkenstämme führt.

In der Vorderreihe ist Adventsmarkt. Zwischen den Ständen wärmen Feuerstellen, es duftet nach Holzkohle und Essen.

“Alles selbst gemacht!” erzählt die Verkäuferin hinter einem Stand mit vielen liebevoll gestalteten Weihnachtsartikeln stolz.

Ich radele weiter zum Meer. Liegt Schnee in der Luft? Luft 4 Grad, Wasser 7 Grad verrät die Informationstafel. Zu warm für Schnee.

Die Trelche wurden gerade erst wieder an der Nordermole aufgestellt. Sie waren zeitweise kopflos.

Nach einem kleinen Lunch geht es zurück ins Home-Office. Zwischendurch bleibt Zeit für das Klavier.

Um fünf Uhr nachmittags startet die letzte virtuelle Lehre in diesem Jahr. Eine Einheit von 90 Minuten, in der die Studierenden ihre Arbeit in ihren Praxisbetrieben reflektieren. Ein virtueller Adventskalender mit Mini-Impulsen bildet den Einstieg. Einige Themen werden vertieft. Die Wintermonate sind in der Sozialen Arbeit besonders herausfordernd, besonders die Arbeit mit Kindern und Jugendlichen in stationären Einrichtungen. Zum Abschluss laden Zukunftsfragen zu einem Ausblick in das neue Jahr ein. Es werden Glitzerfunken gestreut: Welcher kurze Moment zeigt dir, dass Du auf dem richtigen Weg bist? Und Fußspuren im Schnee hinterlassen: Was ist Dein ganz persönlicher Weg?

Der Abend klingt mit einem leckeren Essen, Wein und einem Weihnachtsfilm aus der Filmfriend Bibliothek aus.

#EinTag #Winter #Dezember

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Gerne mache ich wieder mit bei “Was machst Du eigentlich den ganzen Tag?” oder kurz #WMDEDGT.

Zu dieser Frage trifft sich der Freundeskreis des Tagebuchbloggen am 5. eines Monats in Frau Brüllens Blog. Danke dafür! Es macht viel Spaß!

Die Regeln zum Mitmachen sind einfach:

über den heutigen 5. Tag eines Monats tagebuchbloggen (ohne Werbung, ohne Geschwurbel) und verlinken.

#002268 – 14 de Agosto de 2025

Na maravilhosa série “Wayfarers” (tetralogia, até ao momento), Becky Chambers mostra que uma sensibilidade de política identitária não tem necessariamente de tornar a ficção estéril e irrelevante. Há autoras como a N. K. Jemisin que, tendo essa sensibilidade enquanto cidadãs, não a transportam para a linguagem dos seus livros. Já Chambers adopta os pronomes mais usuais, que incluem (além do feminino e do masculino) forma de referir alguém cujo género desconhecemos e também alguém cujo identidade de género não cabe numa lógica binária. As narrativas são fluídas, divertidas e exuberantes, como nas melhores space operas. A escrita é despretensiosa mas cintilante.

Ainda assim, é precisamente nestas questões de género que noto a maior fragilidade destes livros. Algo que é mais saliente ainda pelo facto impressionante e raro de estes romances não serem antropocêntricos. A maior parte das personagens são extraterrestres, nem sequer aparentados com os mamíferos do nosso planeta. Por isso é tão estranho ler as palavras homem, mulher, não-binário, para referir seres que não são humanos nem sequer se assemelham a humanos. Se até no nosso planeta há culturas que não fazem esta divisão dos sexos, por que motivo haveriam as espécies de uma galáxia inteira estar alinhadas nesta taxonomia?

Bem mais interessantes são experiências como a de Iain M. Banks, em “The Player of Games”, em que uma espécie de humanoides tem três sexos, todos necessários para a reprodução, ou o exemplo clássico de “The Left Hand of Darkness”, da Ursula K. Le Guin. É verdade que há umas décadas atrás, ao se pensar nestas questões se pensava sobretudo no sexo e pouco na expressão ou identidade de género. Mas sinto que em relação ao género ainda estamos no início da sua exploração pela ficção científica e num momento cultural em que não há sequer muita vontade de explorar, sendo o medo vigente imensamente paralisador da criatividade.

Lydia's Weekly Lifestyle blog is for today's African girl, so no subject is taboo. My purpose is to share things that may interest today's African girl.

This week's contributors: Lydia, Pépé Pépinière, Titi. This week's subjects: From Makola to the Boardroom: How to Slay Corporate Chic in Accra, Accra Fashion Week25 from 15th till 21st December, He is bored, Headache, constipation and UTIs, and How to spell Bofrot

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From Makola to the Boardroom: How to Slay Corporate Chic in Accra. Yesss! A playful, stylish, and proudly Accra-themed fashion — the kind that sparkles with personality, humor, and confidence while still sounding polished and fashion-savvy: Because you can buy fabric at dawn and close deals by noon. Accra women are a different kind of powerful. We know how to hustle at Makola, negotiate at Airport City, and still show up at work looking like a million cedis. Call it magic — or just good fashion sense. Here’s your guide to looking like you own the boardroom — with a little Makola flair on the side. The Fabric Hunt: Makola, But Make It Fashion Let’s be honest — Makola Market is not for the faint of heart, but it’s where style dreams are born. Between the buzzing stalls and endless rolls of Ankara, crepe, and linen, lies the beginning of every corporate slay. If you know your tailors and your fabrics, you can easily turn ₵100 worth of material into an outfit that screams executive presence. Pro tip: Stick with classic prints and neutral tones. Think deep blues, rich browns, and subtle golds — they say “promotion ready,” not “weekend wedding guest.” Tailor-made Confidence: In Accra, your tailor is practically your stylist. A well-cut suit or dress can change your whole aura. Forget the oversized blazers and stiff skirts — go for fit and flair. A cinched waist, structured shoulders, or a peplum hem can transform “office outfit” into “main character energy.” When your clothes fit well, you don’t just walk — you glide through the office corridors like it’s your runway (because it is). Accra Fashion Week25 from 15th till 21st December. It's 10 years since they started and it's going to be a big do with designers from 15 countries and models from Ethiopia, Ghana, Togo, Sierra Leone and others. Better get your tickets now, the big shows are on Saturday and Sunday 20st and 21nd. Or try to get free tickets through one of the models or designers.

He is bored. Happy together with hubby? Takes care of your everything and is ever so friendly and helpful and polite. But seems not really interested in you in the bed anymore. He sees every girl his car (with you inside) passes, in fact he looks at every woman he sees, even whilst sitting or walking next to you. What happened? This is not stress in the office, this is you. You are not exiting him anymore, whilst his sex drive is there all right. Be honest, have you been giving him the attention he wants? The compliments he is looking for? The challenges that light his fire? Maybe rather you are stressed, office, kids, money. But you'll get a lot more stressed if you don’t take care of him. So take the lead. Book a table at that restaurant nearby and dress for the waiter's eyes to pop out. Or wait for him in the bedroom when he gets home and call “ Honey I'm here”, dressed as when you were born, or even with some decorations on you. To create a situation like that may not be as simple as I write it here. But, very simply said, either you do something, or trouble will come. He'll find what he wants, but it may not be with you.

Headache, constipation and UTIs. I wrote earlier that lots of people drink far too little water, resulting in a permanent dehydrated status, often leading to very frequent, sometimes permanent headaches. And more. Constipation also often results, the stool becomes so dry that it simply does not want to move. This gives a bloated feeling but is also unhealthy. The body has decided to reject certain things, but rather you keep them in you, so some of these rejected, maybe poisonous things can still get absorbed. And there is UTI ( urinary tract infection). If you don't urinate regularly any infection which tries to creep up there does not get washed out and gets a full chance to install itself. And because your bladder lining is already irritated by the too dark urine the potential infection gets an additional chance to install itself. So drink. How much? About 0.03-0,04 liter per kg body weight. So if you weigh 60 kg you should get about 60 x 0.03 to 0.04 = 1.8-2.4 liter of water per day, 4-5 sachets. Some of that will come through food. And the colour of your urine should be very light white/yellow, not yellow/orange/brown. Can't afford 4 sachets per day? (4 sachets per day is about 700 GHS per year!). Nothing wrong with our tap water, GWC adds plenty chloride so we don't get cholera. And that's where most of the sachet manufacturers get their water anyway.

How to spell Bofrot. This is a good one to keep the conversation going during a dinner, and if you ask AI it will give you a good demo on how stupid AI really is. And these days if you google something it even puts a notice “thinking, thinking”, whilst in fact the algorithm is only searching through trillions of data, in the case for bofrot in vain. And not thinking. I've heard many versions on Bofrot, personally I like the ball float, copying the dough coming up when done. And a women near me is selling ballfloats so nice that now every afternoon there is a traffic jam there, and a guy opposite has started selling towels and trousers, a market is being formed right there on that busy street. Baflute?

Lydia...

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This week's goals were:

1. Design a cover for Book 2 – Done though I might tweak it some.
2. Finish missing scenes – Done.
3. Major edits – Done and then some.
4. First pass audio recording – I'm not quite sure what I meant by that. I'm either way past it or I'm most of the way there. Either way, it will be complete before the impending deadline.

Not goals but still accomplished:

• More plotting on Fallen Heaven
• Finished plotting Book 3 of Vay Ideal

So, that's a pretty good week. I also wrote Web browsers have betrayed us and a bit of flash fiction (bluesky – Sharkey). I'm contemplating whether it makes sense to produce things like the flash fiction and the blog as videos on YouTube instead. I haven't made much traction on social media.

Like ... not talking about sales in that sense. I haven't looked at those yet. 😹

I know how to build a following over time. I did it when Twitter was still a place worth being. In my heart, I feel like the things that build a community remain the same over time. Some jokes. Positive but meaningful discussion. Promoting others' work, not in the hopes that they'll return the favor, but because I genuinely want to see their stuff succeed.

I was never Twitter famous but, while being myself, I did build a group of mutuals that was pretty reasonable at the time I was doing it. I have a feeling that doing that again is going to be a key component of making creativity work as my 'day job' over time.

Next week's goals

1. Press publish on Book 2 of Vay Ideal before the Smashwords 'deadline'
2. Write some words on Book 3
3. Create audiobook account and finish production on audiobook for Death In Transit
4. Work on super-secret project

It would be great if I could have Book 3 release in audio and ebook simultaneously. I'm getting closer to that possibility but the next step is releasing Death In Transit in audio to begin with.

Personal

This week has been incredibly long. If I didn't have some big goals I need to hit by Monday, I would be trying to take it easy for the next few days.

#ProgressUpdate #VayIdeal