Margaret Dunlap

I found out eventually! 😂

Happy birthday!

Well, I thought I knew, but now that I'm listening to myself say it, I have no idea, so I guess I Schrodinger a recipe when I cut it in half

Three Jeopardy contestants: Ron, Youssef and Margaret (me), behind their podiums. All appear to be approximately the same height. This is a result of trickery and stagecraft

If anyone is wondering why there were no on-camera handshakes at the end of Friday's Jeopardy game, look at this picture and realize that Youssef is a *full head taller* than I am. The crew would not let us move until I was back on terra firma. 😆 Plenty of hugs and handshakes as we left the stage

Even better, it's a dress!

Thank you! ☺️

Thank you!!! (I suspected that might be it, but sources were ambiguous)

And géocoucou is almost as fun to say

A woman on the Jeopardy stage with purple hair and a space themed dress standing behind a podium with "Margaret" written on it. (It's me. The answer is me.)

Hey, who's that on Jeopardy! tomorrow?

WRITING TIP, something simple but it catches many of us out: if you have a great/fun idea for your story, *use it now*.

Don’t save your ideas for some nebulous other story you might write tomorrow. I promise you’ll have more.

Break your story’s status quo. Go a step further. Use the big idea.

This is true. It is the best email I got this year.

Yes, I put things I've already done on my to do list for the satisfaction of crossing them off

Furthermore, I don't even give such items serious task names like "get groceries."

No, I just checked off "buy cheap flour and fruit snacks" and have zero regrets about my life choices

If you have ever thought that my journalism or my first book were net positives for the world, understand that they probably would not exist if I did not have a spouse who paid the mortgage. If I'd been a solo earner/parent, I likely would have left criticism, journalism or book writing long ago.

Awesome! Congrats!

Okay, I need a French speaker to confirm this for me:

Is the French word for "road-runner" actually "Bip Bip" or is Google translate having me on?

Keep Books with Pictures Alive: Donate Now, organized by Katie Pryde Dear friends: I need your help. I’m proud of everything Books with Pictures… Katie Pryde needs your support for Keep Books with Pictures Alive: Donate Now

Go get 'em @omgkatiep.bsky.social! gofund.me/fdade21fe

They also have an online shop:

shop.bookswithpictures.com

I just ordered some holiday presents.

@spyscribe.bsky.social’s “Observations of a Small Object in Decaying Orbit” in @apexmag.bsky.social spotlights the impact of toxic dogmatism on the families of political elites. Humane and unadorned - a space-faring Hemingway, a child-sized Orwell.

#sff #scifi #shortstories #fiction

Ideally in a positive and supportive context, even!

Everyone should get to experience an arena full of people chanting your name... even if they're not talking about you 🤷🏻‍♀️

There's not a time in my life that I've regretted my humanities degrees. I use them every day, not just professionally (though they've helped me there, too), but to envision and work toward a better future.

The lady at the charity shop today told me that she wishes people would clear out their children's old toys in the lead up to Christmas rather than after because she always sees a number of parents in the days before Christmas looking for toys for their little ones who might be strapped for cash. She said there's very rarely anything in just before, but that they get inundated with toys in the days after. And it really made me think about it in a way I never would have before. If you know your child is going to get lots of presents from father Christmas this year, by clearing out your cupboards a few days early you could make another child's Christmas a lot more special too. Saw this & thought I'd repost

Reposting with Alt-text:

Our #ttrpg group has used Microscope to build our last two campaign game worlds. Great for that or any night you want a fun storytelling one off.

Such a beautiful film

Okay, I want to say it again for anyone who needs to hear it right now:

Yes, calling is better for getting in touch with your reps. But right now? DO IT HOWEVER YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE.

I'm really concerned that the emphasis on calling right now is stopping people from getting in touch.

I uhhhh… i love Fiona Apple. Like a lot.

Baby does have more bones than kid though, fr

Cis men truly need to understand the power of saying “that’s fucked up bro why would you say that” to another cis man

Donate to Help Ashley Clements and Brendan Bradley Rebuild After Fire, organized by Ashley Clements When I received an alert about a “fast moving fire in your ar… Ashley Clements needs your support for Help Ashley Clements and Brendan Bradley Rebuild After Fire

It's very surreal to be a victim of the Eaton Fire, and we are still too much in survival mode to fully process it, but it's certainly not my favorite experience. We'd greatly appreciate any help you can offer, including sharing this link. Thank you 🙏 gofund.me/cab84a3e

stone text inlay: HERE WE ADMIT A WRONG

I went to post about the National Japanese American Memorial in D.C., which is beautiful but usually missed by tourists. It is a deeply staggering admission of guilt and a warning to future Americans. I went to link to the inscriptions and-

Well, they took the site down. www.nps.gov/places/japan...

I had somebody QP this and ask "what does this accomplish" and Jesus, people, there are two parts to politics. Doing shit, and *being seen to be doing shit*. Not understanding that second bit is why Biden's sitting at home wondering why nobody noticed he dumped all that money into Red States.