Lords of Kobol, hear my prayer...

It's not a secret that the true crime online community is quite controversial for numerous reasons. From being horribly invasive and exploitative to spreading misinformation, whether intentionally or accidentally from not doing proper research, and even treating real life people of these serious and horrific events as something fictional or even something to idolize, it's understandable that people are uneasy and disgusted with the unethical and deplorable way some in the true crime community have conducted themselves in various online spaces by crossing that line in taking things too far.

It is also understandable why people gravitate towards these kinds of topics. I, myself, am no stranger to the subject of true crime and unsolved mysteries, having watching shows such as City Confidential and Forensic Files and even watched some YouTube videos covering similar topics every now and again. There is an inherent fascination, or rather morbid curiosity, surrounding it. Not only of being aware of certain cases (as one would naturally be if you're watching news coverage in real time) but also trying to understand the why. Why would someone do something like this? What is going through someone's head? Could they have been helped? What could have been done differently? It's the same thought process one might have when watching a horror movie, which is probably where the line blurs for some who do unfortunately treat true crime as something fictional to fixate on, or similar to that of a "train wreck" or "car crash" incident where your curiosity to such disasters lead to some viewing it as a spectacle than anything. While it is natural to try to understand the darker side of human nature and the psychological elements of that to better understand our world and who we are as human beings, there needs to be an understanding of boundaries and practicing basic decency, respect, and sensitivity when approaching these particular topics. Sadly, this doesn't always happen by those who are just looking to monetize content.

Whether it be in official documentaries or YouTube videos or any kind of online post, it's best to take them with a grain of salt since most of them are done with a certain bias, and doing your own research by cross referencing information is better to get the full picture than just relying on the words of a singular source.

++ It has finally happened. Of all our three years of looking after them, just within the last week we have received at least three dead mice from our neighborhood stray cats that we care for. One of the mice was without its head. I know what this means in cat language so I'm honored. We've also been getting random items brought to our backyard, like washcloths and a variety of toy balls from who knows where. Our backyard (and front yard) seems to also be a home base for cats to bring their kittens to sleep, eat and play around in.

++ I kinda sorta got sucked into Slow Horses. My mom and stepfather have been watching it over the last several nights and I ended up catching the last two episodes of series three. From what I've seen so far it definitely seems like the kind of series I would get into on my own time. I like a good spy thriller and the way the show is paced and how things are revealed it certainly captured my curiosity.

++ Xiao Zhan has released his first solo album, WM, with music videos for the tracks "Wild" and "Life of Us". Not only do the songs sound really good, but the visual storytelling is amazing in both videos. I know that he's done music before, with soundtracks and being on music shows, but never his own album, so I'm really excited for him to be releasing this.

++ It's honestly so annoying and frustrating how "AI" (really, artificially generated) has taken over practically everything now, you cannot escape the push and shilling of it, from commercials/ads to YouTube and even online fandom spaces where even fanfiction and fanart are being used in this way, which is upsetting enough. We have people in the entertainment industry still raising concerns over the use of this with scripts and using their likeness without their knowledge or consent, something I thought was covered during the strikes last year but apparently it's way more complicated than that. YouTube is the worst since it's all controlled via algorithm so if I'm searching for something I'm immediately bombarded with these uncanny valley "AI"-generated thumbnails, people praising or shilling for AI in their videos (ex: claiming something was AI when it most likely was just VFX or just really good art done by an actual talented human being), or those fake fan trailers using "AI". Obviously the answer is clickbait, but it becomes so frustrating that I'll get recommended these and it doesn't matter if I click "not interested" or "don't show me this again" it'll still come back. And while some are more easily to spot than others, I hate it all the same and just wish it would disappear entirely.

++ After seeing the third trailer for Dune: Part 2, and recognizing some of the scenes presented, I'm absolutely ready for this movie. I know it had been pushed back due to the strikes, although now we have a definitive date for its premiere: March 1st. I cannot wait.

Additionally, Denis Villenevue announced that the script for a third Dune is almost finished, by which he means adapting the second book, Dune Messiah. It seems he wants to direct a proper trilogy, and quite frankly I think it works because Dune Messiah is all about deconstructing Paul's arc and journey. I don't know if there are plans on adapting the rest of the books (again, I want them to get to God Emperor of Dune because, WORM! GOLDEN PATH! WEIRDNESS GALORE!), I think adapting at least the first two books is a good starting point.

++ It's also been announced that Saw XI is in the works, continuing the Saw franchise with its eleventh installment that will premiere in September of 2024. As I said in my Saw X review recently, I'm always ready for more of these movies.

++ Hearing about the Cait Corrain (a debut book author review bombing smaller authors, being racist, and ultimately tanking their own career before it even began) drama and the whole expose of James Somerton by Hbomberguy (among others) for being a mass plagiarist and spreading misinformation, it's been quite an interesting thing to witness especially when it has become a conversation by bringing up the deeper, bigger issues each situation has. The former brings attention to the ongoing issues surrounding GoodReads and review bombing which has been a massive problem for a lot of authors for years and how Amazon refuses to do anything about it, while with the latter others have addressed the importance of double/triple/quadruple checking information instead of relying solely on a single source and taking what is being said at face value and being able to suss out the bullshit particularly in regards to stealing/plagiarism and giving questionable statements. Online drama of varying degrees come and go, and yes the Internet will want instant gratification by being reactionary in the moment when it happens, but I do like it when there are takeaways like these where people actually examine the bigger picture and what can be learned from it.

++ With YouTube attempting to block anyone from using adblockers, it just really highlights the absolute capitalistic bullshittery that's been happening online over the recent years. Listen, websites need money to continue to exist, we know and understand this. At best, it's an inconvenient annoyance. However, bombarding people with an endless string of unnecessary and oftentimes unskippable ads isn't going to win people over. And forcing people to see them by taking away their choice to block it just so you can get money is going to repel them even more.

++ Because it's nearing Halloween, this is something that's been on my mind recently. I absolutely love holiday special episodes in television shows, which is something I think has been lost in the recent years of streaming that has drastically reduced episode numbers per season. Aside from losing the episodic factor, it doesn't allow us to get these amazing holiday-centric episodes that can be silly and ridiculous or just overall festive in tone. It can be plot-related or just something completely separate. Sure, not all of them are winners, but the joy comes from seeing what the writers can come up with to accommodate to the holiday themed episode, and if nothing else let us be entertained. Halloween and Christmas special episodes are my favorite, though Thanksgiving episodes can also be just as good too, if nothing else than for the autumn aesthetic. And I think that's what I like about these special holiday episodes, it's the aesthetic. Whether it advances the seasonal plot or not, you can always count on those holiday episodes of providing some kind of festive aesthetic vibe.

(Similarly, while I don't really watch them, I can understand the appeal of Hallmark holiday movies, since they provide a similar dedication to the aesthetic of the holiday they're centering the story around. Every scene, every location, every frame is filmed with lights and decorations so you don't forget what holiday they're in, lol.)

++ Everything going down with Twitter (RIP, 2006 - 2023) just reads like some kind of unbelievably bad parody at this point. Billionaires really are cartoonish, aren't they? Except Muskrat is just adding more to the fact that he's a loser manchild perpetually stuck being an immature 13-year-old edgelord thinking they know everything when they know absolutely nothing at all and continues to double down despite still looking like an embarrassing idiot. It's such a trashfire trainwreck, which, while hilarious to watch how shit is going down in real time and how utterly ridiculous it is to a baffling degree, it's also quite sad. It's simultaneously the fastest yet slowest funeral of a social media site I've seen.

(Between that and Tumblr doing yet more stupid with its unnecessary changes to, ironically, become more like the Social Media App Formerly Known As Twitter, part of me wants people who want more of the blogging platform experience to migrate to DW, especially fannish folks who miss those good old days of blogging, and yet at the same time I don't unless people know how to behave because I don't want that toxic energy to come here, thanks.)

++ While I'm sure award shows are going to be borked due to the SAG/WGA strikes happening, I'm very happy that The Last Of Us has 24 Emmy nominations, sweeping the categories, and rightfully so with the categories, too. Whatever is going to happen during awards season, I do want to say that The Last Of Us is very deserving of being recognized because it wouldn't have been possible without every single person who worked hard to pull off such an amazing adaptation.

++ We have the official cover art for volume 3 of The Husky and His White Cat Shizun. And I cannot wait for my copy of the first volume of Sha Po Lang, which was just released officially yesterday and I'm just sitting patiently for its arrival.

++ I haven't mentioned some of the dramas that I've watched/been watching over the last few months. Some I haven't quite finished watching yet, but I like them enough that even if I'm taking a temporary pause I'll get back to them pretty soon. I may end up doing full length reviews for some of the them eventually, but for now here are just a brief overview of my thoughts.

( Beyond Evil )

( The Glory )

( Love Between Fairy And Devil )

( Love O2O )

( Once Upon A Time in Jinglian Mountain )

( Best Mechanism Great Master / Weir Technician )

++ Additionally, it seems that Wang Zhuocheng and Xuan Lu are in another drama together (Divine Destiny) recently where apparently they may be playing romantic interests of sorts? His character had fallen in love with a rock which ended up transforming into a person and they've spent lifetimes together? I don't know anything beyond that aside from what I've seen from gifsets and vague descriptions others have given. Sometimes it's better without context, lol. The only other thing I know is that they're not the main characters, they're secondary characters that most wish were the central focus anyway. Also, it's just been entertaining witnessing the reactions from The Untamed fans. I don't know, I find it funny.