Aw, Karl, that joke's both cute and kind of a groaner at the same time. Took me a second, too. Reading it out loud helped.
Fred: So you don't worry that it's possible for someone to send out a biological or electronic trigger that effectively overrides your own sense of ideals and values and replaces them with an alternative coercive agenda that reduces you to a mindless meat puppet? Shopkeeper: Wow. People used to think that I was paranoid.
'Time Bomb'
Natter 78: I might need to watch some Buffy for inspiration
Off-topic discussion. Wanna talk about corsets, duct tape, butt kicking, or physics? This is the place. Detailed discussion of any current-season TV must be whitefonted.
erikaj - Aug 21, 2026 5:10:46 pm PDT #13672 of 13675
"Somewhere in this building is our talent." Toby Ziegler, my spirit animal
Steph L. - Aug 21, 2026 5:28:46 pm PDT #13673 of 13675
That which does not kill you should RUN
I'm sorry you're getting back surgery, Tep, but I do remember how much relief the first one gave you.
This time it's weird, because I don't have OHMYGODPAINPAINPAINKILLMEPAIN. It's like an electric shock running down my arms, and then pins and needles in my hands. Which, to be clear, isn't a whole lot of fun, but it's for sure not the same kind of pain. (The surgery is necessary because if the wayward discs don't get off the nerves they're pressing on, there will be permanent nerve damage and I'll eventually lose grip strength in my hands and, I guess, general strength in my arms and hands. And I would like to avoid that. So, surgery.)
I'm thinking you and Tim probably deserve a co-Billboard at this point. Something something Spinal Tapped.
Our family crest (for just us two, the Northside Beckmeyers) is a picture of Skeletor with text superimposed over it that reads "I will be okay. Not because everything is fine, but because I am surprisingly difficult to destroy."
Steph L. - Aug 21, 2026 5:31:15 pm PDT #13674 of 13675
That which does not kill you should RUN
Plus I have a cool new hipster sweater with a fox wearing glasses on it, so I've got that going for me.
erikaj - Aug 21, 2026 5:54:24 pm PDT #13675 of 13675
"Somewhere in this building is our talent." Toby Ziegler, my spirit animal
I totally share that particular Skeletor whenever I can...it's not everyone who has file folders documenting that, lucky me.