Deep Thoughts & Random Bullshit

I spent several minutes just staring at them (and trying to convince them to bite my fingers.) When my sister’s violin lesson ended, her teacher came out to the yard and explained that these goldfish were the same small creatures that were often unfortunately sold in plastic bags at state fairs. They were only about two inches long apiece, when she bought them and put them in the new, empty pond. In essence, they were like every goldfish I had seen before, but they had been given a much larger, much richer environment in which to flourish. As a result, they had grown into some of the most remarkable, vibrant creatures my twelve-year-old self had ever met with. All because of a pond. 

A bright meteor burned up in the atmosphere while capturing Andromeda Galaxy

Gaming Dice.

Last up this week is The History of Hell (1993), by Alice K. Turner, the former literary editor at Playboy Magazine. I distinctly remember buying it on a trip to The Cloisters, a museum dedicated to Medieval art in upper Manhattan, while in high school (just in case you doubted that I’ve always been like this).

It’s a wonderful, heavily illustrated book that walks the reader through the development of the underworld, starting in the Mesopotamian netherworld of Queen Ereshkigal, the Classical Hades, then into the muddy waters of Sheol and the early Christian Hell and Dante and Milton and so on, all the way through to the multitude of hells that have developed since the 1800s — cartoonish ones, decadent ones, fundamentalist ones, psychological ones. Laid out in chronological order, these strung together afterlives seem rather silly, and Turner recognizes that fact by taking a pleasant, irreverent tone the whole way through. It becomes clear that Hell is for other people, not me, never me, an ever-changing, ever-evolving punishment for the folks over there who deserve it; a sort of ancient version of the “I’m built different” meme.

1. The court holds Google responsible for statements made by its AI, considering them Google's statements (search engines have limited liability for results in their engine as they're the words of other sites/companies/people), meaning when their AI lies/hallucinates they're liable for the defamation/harm resulting from those statements.

2. Google's defense that customers are generally aware of the lack of reliability and are responsible for fact checking was dismissed. As the court pointed out, that would "significantly diminish" AI Search's stated purpose and it can't be distinguished from Google's business practices/statements as a search tool.

3. Studies have found about 91% of Google's everyday AI responses are accurate, leaving millions of searches per HOUR with potential liability for falsehoods. 56% of correct responses weren't supported by the sources the AI listed. Both of which mean Google is now liable for a LOT more AI "errors."

4. Google was held liable for 80% of court costs in this case and this precedent is expected to reverberate around the world. This is a massive shift from the 3rd-party search provider role Google has previously played and it comes right as they've tied ALL searches to their AI search.

For Terminology Thursday, we're covering Folksonomies, a term for classification systems created not by site owners, but by the users themselves. Instead of a formal, top-down taxonomy, folksonomies grow from people tagging content in ways that make sense to them, making it easier for themselves and others to find things later.

The portmanteau was coined in 2004 by Thomas Vander Wal as a blend of folk and taxonomy. You may also see it referred to as social tagging, social indexing, or collaborative tagging.

As online communities grew, it evolved into a shared system shaped by many users adding, reusing, and remixing tags, appearing across various platforms, from social bookmarking sites to image-sharing communities like Flickr. In fandom spaces, user-driven tagging plays a significant role on platforms such as AO3, Tumblr, and FanFiction.net, where collective tagging helps fans organise, discover, and navigate content.

Discussions around Folksonomy often focus on its strengths and limitations, including its flexibility and community-driven nuances, as well as the potential for inconsistency or overwhelming tag variation. Still, for many fans, this organic, communal system is part of what makes online fandom so vibrant and searchable.

What are your experiences with user-created tagging systems? Join the discussion on Fanlore!

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A lot has changed these past 15 years but it’s delightful to see this little cat continuing to zip past every corner of the internet. Happy 15th birthday to Nyan Cat!

More series 3 #fix-it fics for the pile...

Their Choice by thelamespaceace (NR)

“What is a person if not their memories?” A story may not need to exceed more than its ending, but just this once God allows an open ended epilogue.

or alternatively, a Good Omens Finale alternate/fix-it ending

Adjacent Moments in Time and Space by polymona (T)

Asa Fell and Professor Anthony Crowley may not yet consciously remember the Angel of the Eastern Gate or the Serpent of Eden, but the echos shine through. déjà vu [noun] : the distinct sensation that one is currently living through a situation or conversation already experienced, though one knows, logically, it must be the very first time. “You can stay at my place if you like.” It was all there, just underneath the surface.

Flying Ostriches by petrichor (T)

At the end of everything there was a bookshop and in it two complex entities who still had a lot to talk about.

With Golden String by Mischel (T)

“Did she . . . I mean, did the Almighty just declare us gods?” “Ngk.” Crowley shook his head, showing his teeth in mild disgust. “I don’t—I mean, I don’t want to be a god, but—“ “I think she just declared us gods, Crowley." A version of the ending where God does indeed create a new, godless universe, only our universe still remains standing, and God is officially done with it. Now it's up to Aziraphale and Crowley to pick up the pieces, and fill the books in the bookshop with the right words to restore their world to how it used to be. (With a few love confessions, proper apologies and dances along the way, as well as improvements to, finally, make the world a better place.)

sometime is now, someplace is here by Path_Finder (T)

Crowley arches a brow. “Do you have a better idea?” Aziraphale dares a small smile. “Surely, you of all people already know this one,” Aziraphale says. “We offer the first choice.” -/- Aziraphale didn’t really mean to try and outsmart God but, well, perhaps She had a point when she’d called him prideful.

if it's meant to be, then it will be by cryptidgenderman (M)

It started off as the strongest sensation of deja vu Asa had ever felt in his life, which was ridiculous, considering he didn't even know who he was, yet Asa felt something quite indescribable. Ineffable, even. OR: Asa starts having dreams and visions about his past life as an angel. The problems with humans is that they aren't mean to remember anything about past lives OR: The post Season 3 finale, where Aziraphale and Crowley get their memories back

Hi. We have a plentiful #professors tag you can check out. Some of these will be on there already, but a couple are also since series 3 has been out...

Ineffable Gravity by Enderhuntress (E)

Crowley’s reputation precedes him- in the academic world he is known as the rebellious professor that dresses as a rock star and has revolutionized the field of Astrophysics. Invited by the Eden Trust foundation, he moves across the country to take part in a joint course that he will have to teach together with professor Aziraphale Fell, who specializes in Creative writing. As Crowley had expected, his colleague is extremely annoying. There is only one problem he hasn’t accounted for- Aziraphale is also unbearably hot. The fan-favourite trope of Frenemies with benefits returns, sprinkled with a little angst and drama; full of fun, sweet moments and with a hot, loving happy ending ensured.

Reports and Forecasts by accidentaldemon (E)

Aziraphale manages research projects at a London university. Anthony J. Crowley, PhD is the new professor and brought his team and his astrophysics project along with him. Collaborating on reports might just change the trajectory of their (love) lives.

Half agony, half hope by blondissophi (G)

Eight years ago Aziraphale Eastgate was in love. He and Anthony J. Crowley belonged together. But Crowley, then an enthusiastic young researcher of astronomy, was not wealthy or from a respected family, and Aziraphale was persuaded by his family to refuse the proposal. Heartbroken, Crowley left the town and Aziraphale never saw him again. But now circumstances beyond the control of either of them have brought them back into the same social circle. And Crowley, now a very wealthy and well known professor of astronomy, is looking for a spouse. Aziraphale still loves him, but knows Crowley hasn’t forgiven him. But how is he supposed to stand by and watch as the love of his life looks for a match? Persuasion AU. A mix of the book, the 1995 film adaptation and good old Good Omens.

Another World by LollipopCop (E)

They were holding hands, skin against skin and expecting to reach the end of everything--together. And then...the end didn't come. In the blink of an eye, Aziraphale and Crowley are rendered human and transported to a new world after God resets the universe, where they apparently live together as a bookseller and professor in a cottage. They don't know how or why they're still alive, but they utilize their unexpected second chance to tell each other everything they hadn't gotten to say in the old world, and have the relationship they always wanted.

A Study In Ineffability by ineffablyeb (E)

Crowley has worked at the same college for what seemed like forever now. But when his lover from college comes to work there too, it's hard to stay away from him. How is he to go forward?

Share My Stars by mothdogs (E)

Astrophysicist Anthony Crowley is halfway into his first year at a new university when disaster strikes, and he and the rest of the science professors are forced to relocate their offices. Crowley, who’s eager for a second chance in the world of academia, wants nothing more than to keep his nose clean and work on his research projects. However, his new office neighbor, a bright and inviting English professor named Dr. Ezra Fell, may be about to upset all of Crowley’s carefully-laid plans.

This is just to let everybody know that for Pride Month of 2026, the Ebooks Direct Pride Package has been really ridiculously discounted.

...From the product page:

This package contains all our Middle Kingdoms material—some of the first LGBTQ-representing epic fantasy in the 20th-century fantasy field, now continuing into the 21st. It also contains the matter-of-fact exit from the (contextual) closet of two of the best-loved characters in the Young Wizards universe—Advisory wizards Tom Swale and Carl Romeo, on their first canonically-"out" venture as a couple. The main part of the collection spans more than forty years, from the publication of Diane Duane's two-time Astounding Award finalist The Door Into Fire, first published in 1979, through its main-sequence sequels (both also Gaylaxic Spectrum Awards Hall of Fame winners) The Door Into Shadow and The Door Into Sunset, to 2018's and 2019's interstitial Tales of the Five novels, The Levin-Gad and The Landlady. The collection also includes such otherwise hard to find short works as Lior and the Sea and the two current volumes of the "Sirronde's World" group, The Span and Parting Gifts.* And finally, it also includes the Middle Kingdoms novelette Overdue (Tales of the Middle Kingdoms #2), and the short Young Wizards work Owl Be Home For Christmas.

All that for $19.99? Seriously, I need my head felt! So please go validate my mental state by buying the package.

And happy Pride!

(Meanwhile, the project for the course of the month is to put all the major queer, bi, and/or ace characters in my various series into that shot. Just added: Mevraen, Wyn and Eftgan. Now to get Lissa and Matt and Matt's boyfriend in there...) 😏

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Ground News - Somali Referee Denied US Entry Before World Cup

He carries a DIPLOMATIC PASSPORT.

Fuck Trump. Fuck ICE. Fuck everything about this.