December 2025

I really like Pop Culture Happy Hour’s annual predictions. I decided to make one last year and it was that Trump would bring punk back and… not sure he made it mainstream, but I definitely listen to a lot more angry disaffected punk-like music now than I did when Biden was president.

@mayintoronto
I'm shocked, SHOCKED, May, that after an hour you've garnered only this smattering of memes, so here's one from me:

It's a shiny new blog post called: 2026 Energy

https://lawver.net/2025/12/2026-energy/

#music #politics

I think I like Soft Play? I've been sharing music in Slack at work and YouTube is the lowest common denominator music thingie, and... well... it keeps suggesting their music videos and they keep sucking me in. The latest? Act Violently, which has definitely Office Space feels, where the part of the printer is played by a dumbass on a scooter: https://youtu.be/H0WqeDa5ihE?si=x_FrmuyloNCnVUjW (originally shared the wrong video)

I'm writing an implementation plan for a feature, but because it's new year's eve and I'm a little punchy, I want to make it a pimplementation plan. But, I won't. Because I'm a _stupid_ adult. Stupid.

Horror movies with Spatial Audio... don't recommend. Yikes. #IWillNeverSleepAgain

This feels like an appropriate playlist for the end of a very tumultuous year. It's too long, tries to do too many things, and I'm using it to build a new playlist called "Shh, It's Quiet Time."

https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/beautiful-songs-that-might-make-you-cry/pl.u-BMEp6fVko1p

Your available domain of the day, that I looked up for no good reason is: laserwombat.com

Remember that tomorrow is your last day to apply for the 2026 Gem Fellowship! https://gem.coop/fellowship/ We will announce winners in Jan/Feb.

I live to make the little dots turn from red to green. #testingForLife

2026:

I’m only staying up until midnight on New Years to watch 2025 DIE

Stupid ping pong weather is stupid. It’s not helping my stupid head not stupid hurt. Stupid. Stupid!

Finished my Duolingo streak at 6.22 years, almost 180,000 experience points (110k in 🇫🇷, 69k in 🇪🇸 and a smattering in 🇨🇳, 🇰🇷, 🇧🇷, 🇹🇷& music), and I think that's more than enough for an app that's gotten increasingly annoying and less and less helpful.

Which has me worried about the crap in store for us in 2026, but… maybe we’ll get rid of some polyps and root out nasty precancerous nodules? https://mstdn.social/@qurlyjoe/115799662401908566

I have a new favorite game: proposing ridiculous trips to my wife and use her reaction to figure out what I could actually talk her into.

Tonight’s was to propose going to Scotland for Hogmanay, and then staying through Burn’s Night (which means staying for our wedding anniversary).

She laughed out loud right away, so I need to do some editing.

Migraines suck, right?

Hi. I live in the southern US. If you come visit, and there’s a Publix around, there’s a pretty good bet they have the best fried chicken in town and you should try it (as well as trying out the local meat and three).

What an incredible story. https://beige.party/@raineyday/115793532205514401

Well, this looks epic. Now I need to see if there’s a US (and somewhat local) equivalent. https://fedi.social/notes/ags0iq5sa72d00j2

I’m hopefully on the last day of a Christmas-induced migraine. Come on, previous trends. 🤞🏻

You have leftover pizza in the fridge. You do not have an airfryer.

The kid and I watched the pilot of Somebody Somewhere and… I forgot how emotional (and funny) it is. Wrecked me - and I’ve seen it before!

We are way behind on Pluribus and are watching episode four and it’s…. JEFF HILLER! I’m going to make everyone watch the first episode of Somebody Somewhere after this.

1. Almost anything by the Beatles, but let’s go with Sgt Pepper
2. Ten Tonne Truck by Tami Nielson- it’s STUPID catchy, and everyone I’ve introduced it to has fallen in love with it.
3. Deeply Dippy by Right Said Fred - it’s been a long time and I’ve accepted that it’s a deeply stupid song, but I love it unconditionally. https://sauropods.win/@futurebird/115788108925281182

I’m on season 4, and I’m pretty sure I started it already, but Paramount+ doesn’t think I have… so… let’s go, season 4!

I think this is a fine migraine-fueled weekend to finished watching Star Trek Discovery.

It's a good day to finally create a dotfiles repo and set up chezmoi (which I've been meaning to do for, I don't know, fifteen years?). Thanks to @wq for the push!

We spent Christmas dinner with my in-laws and my grand niblings (don’t laugh, my wife’s brother is a lot older than she is). The niblings are three and five and very loud.

A theory has crystallized: the hierarchy or responsible adults and the consequences they can inflict.

I, a grand uncle who has literally just met them? I am the very very bottom. I can give a look and stop them if there’s real physical danger and that’s about it. Their parents or grandparents who are frequent caregivers? The top and secondary. Everyone else there is somewhere in the middle.

And if you really want to ruin Christmas, forget your place in the hierarchy (don’t worry, it wasn’t me).

It’s a very migraine Christmas, so that’s enough jingling and flashing lights. I’ll be in the corner bah-humbugging quietly under a blanket if you need me.

Wide open, 24/7, just like your mom - and since I’m inclusive, your dad too. https://beige.party/@AppleFangirl/115777480025466232

Merry Christmas! To the non-trans folks out there can you give me a present?

If your family gathering gets political, don’t defend trans folks; celebrate them.

Don’t deny that trans folks are bad, insist that they are good. Explain that society and the world is worse without them. Don’t deny their hate, express to them the love and light trans folks bring to the world.

I made this for the neighbors’ annual Christmas Eve party and it was a big hit! It’s easy to make, and sooooo good. #homemade #canadian

https://foodnouveau.com/pouding-chomeur-maple-pudding/

2025’s Christmas Miracle™️ is that not only did I super glue my wife’s broken glasses back together, but I lined things up correctly, they are holding so far, AND I didn’t glue my fingers together.

Wait, that’s multiple miracles! Woo, thanks, 🎅!

Several years ago, a trailer went around for a giant spider crab movie from Taiwan that looked like The Perfect Storm but, you know, with giant monster crabs.

I’d forgotten about it until this morning when… I found it! It’s called “Mad Spider Sea” in the US and it’s my Christmas Eve morning treat to myself. 🦀🚢🌊

It's pronounced GayPEG

My sister is introducing my niece to "good" singers - not the "best" voices, but good singers. Here's my top of the head list of different kinds of voices that work in different kinds of songs, and some of those songs:

* Gabriels: "In Loving Memory"
* Dan Mangan: "Baskets"
* Waxahatchee: "Tigers Blood"
* Ezra Furman: "Jump Out"
* Nakhane: "Age of Consent"
* The Beths: "Expert in a Dying Field"
* The Pack a.d.: "Everyone Looks Like Everyone"

Popular music is full of expressive voices that create beautiful songs that aren't "great" voices. Got a favorite?

There's a truckload of stuff meant to erode my hope, but at least, I have this song. Joshua Idehan is one of my favorite musical discoveries from the last year or so (check out "Your Mum Does the Washing" and "Learn to Swim"): https://youtu.be/hmod5vTY8fM?si=PdDye8oN1PfTxHco

The downside is that my back is not used to sitting in front of a computer this long anymore, so I am taking lots of standing breaks (and desk dancing breaks, which now that my wobble board is out means... wobble dancing breaks), which I think will be good to keep going.

It’s been 10 years. I still miss Rdio.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rdio

logging on to talk about road safety

Working a full work day, without a ton of meetings, means I'm listening to music all day again and I AM SO HAPPY.

The number of business apps that want to connect to slack so they can send me MOAR NOTIFICATIONS is crazy. No, you can't interrupt me. I don't want to hear from you, Jira. I'll get to you when I'm good and goddamn ready.

Hey lovely people, wishing you all a delightful holiday season and a happy new year! Sending the biggest smiles from two daffy authors living in a small city in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Currently waking up to this fantastic Felix da Housecat set: https://music.apple.com/us/album/funky-disco-house-mix-inside-a-circus-felix-da/1858768050

Over the weekend, listened to Fatboy Slim's Elevator Music set (fun) and a Groove Armada set from 2024 (fun but wouldn't listen to it again).

Pushed by my kids, we all switched from Spotify -> Apple Music over Thanksgiving and I just stumbled on Apple's DJ Mixes category. I may never leave.

1. Anyone have any favorites? I don't recognize most of these DJs (hi, I'm old).
2. Remember when the big argument against mashups was that we can't include them in streaming services because how will we ever figure out the royalties? Well, SOMEONE has figured it out. Bring back the mashups!

#TIL the NHL is older (1917) than both the NFL (1920) and the NBA (1946). The NHL is even older than that but only had two teams and I didn’t keep reading to understand how that worked. Maybe I’ll look that up tomorrow when I should be brushing my teeth.

Good reminder to mention that I also adore @ivory. If you’re an Apple person, it’s both the bee’s knees and the dog’s bollocks, which isn’t easy to do. https://mastodon.social/@Daojoan/115759752934982800

Minor league hockey is fun as hell. In related news, I now own two hockey jerseys.

I want to share the exploits of Great-Aunt Gertie because of the importance her tales have become for many generations of people in our family.

Gertie was married before World War 2 to a man who turned out to be “a bad man”. She joined the women’s coast guard (SPARS) in order to get away from him and rose in rank to become an officer. Shortly after the war, she divorced her husband — virtually unheard of at the time.

In the 1950’s she rode a Harley and ran with a “rough crowd”.
(1/x)

Where there’s a will in a manger, there’s away in a manger.

I think it’s called Charcumanji? Jumacuterie? https://mastodon.social/@VeroniqueB99/115748761036111725

And now that all my wife’s friends are here and they’re happily eating and chatting, it’s time to play video games in my office. #rewards

I was too busy to take a photo of the final product but it’s all so good. I used the Momofuku Bo Ssam recipe (from NYT Cooking, but it’s all over the web) and this one for the cucumber kimchi (it’s not too spicy and is super delicious): https://mykoreankitchen.com/cucumber-kimchi-oi-kimchi/
#cooking #homemade

The homemade accompaniments for bo ssam are done! I made oi kimchi (quick cucumbers), ginger scallion sauce and ssam sauce. It all smells delightful.

Relatedly, I need tips on what to do with all this leftover ssamjang and ginger! #cooking #homemade

I’m making Bo Ssam and quick kimchi cucumbers for the first time tomorrow for my wife’s holiday brunch with her friend group.

I love experimenting on other people… with food.

Followed that up with some Prodigy (Climbatize, Stand Up and Invaders Must Die) and then... I just discovered that the Propellerheads' "Decksdrumsandrockandroll" is on Apple Music, so... yeah, have a good weekend, y'all!

My Friday afternoon needed this: https://youtu.be/LDkmaNfBOtU?si=O3ffNB5M6OLUWVNI

Insta-backed. Let's make the internet weirder and fund good gay things! https://hachyderm.io/@dotmeow/115747548039870274

Am I listening to Christmas music? Nope! It's a Wombats kind of day.

Do people still use travelers' checks? I remember my parents using them when I was a kid, but I don't think I've ever used one.
https://beep.town/@initech/115747534049668281

Dancing on the wobble board at the standing desk is... really something. I don't think it's helping my reading comprehension.

This is really good, and as a non-beer drinker, you can accomplish this with any number of small "only in the airport" indulgences (like buying the dumbest bag of candy, largest pretzel, frilliest cocktail, etc).
https://front-end.social/@piccalilli/115740933962525733

Follow George and get these little slices of joy in your life. https://sunny.garden/@georgepenney/115737541477087900

It was really depressing. My goal for 2026 is not to have a 2026 LinkedIn recap.
https://mastodon.social/@massivemachine/115736935219679756

Wobbling certainly makes reading documentation a whole lot more dramatic.

New job means trying to do new habits... so I'm back on my wobble board and yep, I am really wobbling over here.

My novel Lessons in Magic and Disaster is just $2.99 in all e-book formats today. (Kindle, Kobo, Nook,etc)

This is the book of my heart. It's a queer mother-daughter story about healing and forgiveness. It's got 18th century lit, riot grrls, and filthy weird magic.

https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250867346/lessonsinmagicanddisaster/

Day three of #NewJob starts. I have 300 browser tabs open and I'm not sure which ones are important. So... yeah.. just like a normal day!

Just shipped something https://rambo.codes/posts/2025-12-15-sherlocked-before-it-was-born-lightbuddy

"I'm sorry" and "I apologize" mean basically the same thing.

Except when you're at a funeral.

It's a great afternoon to listen to some old Explosions in the Sky. Currently playing 2007's "All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone," which is GREAT.

This is really good - and way more eloquent than my subconscious “I should read French books instead of using Duolingo” subconscious dissatisfaction. I have a 6 year and 2 month long streak on Duolingo, and in Quebec this summer, I couldn’t understand anything. My big win was reading road signs.

So, January first, the streak ends, and the “thick desire” of slow learning begins. https://mastodon.social/@Daojoan/115725928263036410

And the Day One README PR streak remains UNBROKEN!! That's... five jobs now where I've submitted at least one README-related PR on my first day at a job! It really helps me read through setup instructions carefully, and make sure I leave things better than I found them.

You know what I haven't missed? Google Calendar.

It's nice using my Coding Music playlist while getting paid again. It was a REALLY nice (and much needed) five month break, but here I am, setting up another Macbook Pro again.

Trying out switching from Terminal > GhosTTY just for fun.

As much as we complain, we are spoiled for choice. There are so many great open source options for almost anything you’d want to do, that you’ll probably find something that fits not just your problem but your preferences.

I think the permalink issue is enough to make me punt on the ghost migration. Kind of tempted to move my blog to something static where I can keep the permalinks the way they are and then start fresh with Ghost, which seems lovely.

This article by @parisba is why #CommunityHosting and #SelfHosting need to be normalised. They are the only way we can stop scenarios like this happening:

📰 https://hey.paris/posts/appleid

You might think this couldn't happen to you, but it could happen to anyone. It's especially scary as most big tech companies are in repressive countries.

It's much easier and cheaper than you think to make your own online services. I've done a guide for non-technical people at https://growyourown.services

#Activism

We played cards with my in-laws yesterday and I was very caffeinated. I decided that all of the face cards had names. Of course, I played the Kevin of Spades.

I’m not sure they thought it was funny, but I had a great time.

Well, shit. It looks like all my internal links from one blog post to another are broken - which is fun. I guess that means a giant redirects file, which feels bad? #ghost

Lesson learned: if you’re going to change your permalink routes in #ghost, do it before you import 2,800 blog posts, because you’ll need to reimport them all.

I had to split up the Wordpress export (2,800 blog posts is a lot), but they’re all imported into Ghost. Let the fiddling begin!! First up tomorrow: permalinks. I don’t want to deal with maintaining 2,300+ redirects.

This weekend, I’m moving my blog from Wordpress to Ghost. My blog is over 25 years old and has moved from Blogger -> Movable Type -> WordPress (and then between multiple installs and providers over the years) and now Ghost.

So, if anyone has any great #WordPress to #Ghost migration tips, I’d love them!

Did pub trivia with our neighbors. We won! It was even better because our kids (both of our youngest ones are the same age) joined us and were totally into it! And helped!

Woo, winning! 🏆

Just finished the first Baby Assassins movie and it’s fun as hell. The two leads are hilarious together; I don’t understand all the cultural references (ok, most); it starts kind of slow and will feel over the top if you’ve never watched anime (thanks, kids). The second half really picks up and is a wonderful break from the bleak midwinter of stupidity that is current events. I’m really happy I watched it, and that I have two more movies AND a series to watch (because I’m afraid the stupid isn’t stopping any time soon).

Here's a collection of free-to-use short music for any kind of project imaginable. I've been working on this project for over 10 years on and off, and it's a labour of love.

Whether you're doing work for TV, Radio, Film, your next podcast, show reel, powerpoint presentation, youtube video or university assignment that requires something to intro or outro it, there should be something for you, and if not you directly, maybe someone you know.

This is not the final form. I add to it whenever I find inspiration to do so. Check back every so often as you may find more content was added when you weren't looking 🔇

Currently:
1210 items
766 MB download in mp3
over 9 hours of music.

Absolutely no AI was used (or harmed) in the making of this collection.

If you feel so inclined, please do boost for reach. Many thanks.
https://onj.me/shorts

New rule: all toilets must be installed in the middle of rooms. Reaching behind things trying to thread things you can’t see and can barely reach is bullshit. Sorry you have to pee in the dining room
- but I’m not doing this again.

Thanks to @wq mentioning it, I threw Bluefin on my laptop this morning and I like it so far! It’s way friendlier than Bazzite while seemingly still having the same GPU support.

I also realized this laptop is for playing, and playing involves trying out new distros, so, yeah, this will be fun.

#Spotted While Roaming in Aotearoa New Zealand:

A fluffy big dog is sitting by her human's outdoor cafe table. Fluffy Big Dog is a very polite dog and is genteelly raising her paw to everyone who passes by, ever ready to observe the social niceties.
People stopping to shake hands, charmed.

A small human (3?) wearing sensible shorts, work boots and a spaceship T-shirt is about to march out of a hardware store when Dad calls out: "Can't go yet Buddy. Gotta pay first."
Small Human takes in the drill and rake in Dad's hands and asks: "WHY?!"
Surely all Dad tools should come free!

A big man (20s?) in black skater gear is walking down a shady footpath.
Big Man has attitude.
Big Man has swagger.
Big man has a small bouquet of lavender clutched in one hand.
Raising it to his nose for a sniff and a deep breath before carrying on his way.

A small human (5?) is waiting to cross the road with Mum and Little Brother (3?)
But what is this?!
Little Brother is standing within the Sister Zone?
She'll see about that.
Stretching her arms out so he can't come closer.
This is her own personal road crossing space and he shall not pass!

Two women (40s?) are chilling outside a small country wine bar and cellar door on a sunny day.
One takes a dainty sip from her glass and announces: "This's my favourite. I can't remember any of the others so it's GOTTA be the best."
Her friend bursts into laughter.

(Continued Below)

I’m trying to figure out how to write a summary blog post about this year and it all boils down to: “well, that was a whole lot.”

Ask not for whom the jingle bell tolls.

Mr Rogers was a republican.
He was a white christian cis het man.

He prayed and read the Bible every day.

He created a children's TV show with taxpayer money in which he promoted his "christian views" to a secular audience through secular media.

He studied other religions and other cultures to improve on his reach and connection. He never preached or quoted scripture--yet, we all got the message he intended for us.

He appealed to President Nixon and Congress to continue to fund the creation of PBS with a persuasive speech that is one of the most studied for public speaking and PR. A gentle but powerful speaker.

While white people were pouring concrete into public pools rather than share with black neighrbors, Fred Rogers broadcast himself sharing a quiet conversation in a pool with African-American music and co-worker, Francios Clemmons. The softest act of defiance against White Supremacy.

He was the most demanded speaker on college campuses--he did not have to con his way onto campus to speak and nazis and counter-protesters did not follow his appearances---You know, despite the fact that he was a white christian man promoting christian values to the general public.

Every generation since the 1968 has been positively impacted by Mr Rogers.

Even children in the past 20 years are benefiting from his legacy at PBS --his methods and messages are STILL used in children's programming around the world.

No one had to mandate mourning his death because we all actually felt a genuine loss when he passed away. Even grown adults, who had not watched his show for 10 years by the time he passed, felt a piece of genuine goodness leave the planet.

We did not have to be Christian with Mr Rogers for him to do so much for us.

He never asked us to be Christian with him.

He only asked us to be his neighbor.

So...

If you find that the general public is rejecting your brand of Christianity, it might because you are a horrible fucking person with a 2000 yr old book of shitty excuses that no one is buying into.

It might be because you are a filthy grifter looking to capitalize off end-times hysteria and seniors with end-of-life anxieties.

It might be cause you are a disgusting bigot trying to reap superiority while evading moral accountability.

It probably has nothing to do at all with you actually "being a christian".

Cause we all fucking loved Mr Rogers.

-- Patchie Dee

(And writing the alt text for that image was hard - would love feedback on it)

If you have a small art museum in your town, or in a town you’re visiting, go take a look. You never know what kinds of cursed objects you’ll find!

I love you, you freaks.

🤡👞👞
https://masto.ai/@Nonilex/115663747900195381

It is shocking how white and male the panel is in the early seasons. It gets better.

Amazon Prime just added a bunch of early season of 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown, the weirdest comedy game show of all time that started as a mashup and has been going for 20+ seasons. I love it. You might too. It’s ridiculous.

I’m slowly savoring my way through Ken Liu’s translation of the Dao de Jing and it’s great. I had to reread the first couple of chapters to get it, but reading it in little bites and thinking about it has been really nice.

Adding to an “overwhelming body of evidence”, a recent study showed that “suicidality scores dropped significantly an average of two years and up to five years after [trans youth] received gender-affirming treatment”. https://www.erininthemorning.com/p/study-in-the-journal-of-pediatrics

My daughter’s friend is joining us for Christmas and their favorite holiday dish is Venezuelan hallacas. Anyone have a favorite recipe and/or any tips, tricks or shortcuts?

Instead of checking the news when trying to go to sleep and inducing sleepless nights, I’ve been coming up with domain names.

I need a new tactic, because this one is expensive. On the plus side, I’m going to be building a single page celebration of the cloaca in the near future.

I think I've finished with Coral Island. I started it over after 100%-ing all the story bits and got to the whole Song of the Sea bit, which is a SLOG and a half, and have decided it's time to find a new game.

I think I'll start Herdling next. 🤞🏻

I just want a music service that’ll be honest and tell me: “if you like Moon Hooch, you definitely banged pots and pans together on the kitchen floor as a baby.”

Because I do. And I did.

I don’t think I’m competitive until literally any contest happens.

And that’s why I need to never look at eBay.

This toot brought to you by the People’s Printhouse auction: https://ebay.us/m/hj3ygx (don’t bid on the ones I want, please!)