Dear Eric: My fiancé and I are facing an impasse regarding the guest list for our upcoming wedding. I want to exclude his brother's (the best man) wife from the invitation list.
She consistently refuses to engage with me socially, going no further than a brief "hi." There has been no conflict; she simply does not converse with me. Although, if I ask her about herself or what's going on in her life she will answer, but there's no back and forth. I doubt she even knows my name.
For context, my fiancé is Hungarian, and his family is small. Although she speaks English fluently, she is the only family member who never attempts to talk to me or ask me any questions. While they invited me to their wedding a few months ago, I believe it was purely out of obligation.
My fiancé says that excluding her will create drama. He has acknowledged her behavior is "mean-spirited" in the past, yet he excuses it as shyness. Saying she took years to warm up to him. I find this a poor excuse for a complete lack of basic manners, and I am unwilling to have a guest at my wedding who will not speak to me.
I have told my fiancé that he needs to discuss this with his brother, but he has not done so, and invitations are about to be sent out. I am intent on sending a clear message by not including her. And from now and until our wedding there won't be any more chances to interact as we don't live in the same country.
Am I overreacting or is it reasonable to save my money while also slighting her.
The Golden Age of published science-fiction was more or less from 1955 to 1975 (lets say). Why did it end when it did? Do you think that science-fiction (or fantasy) published after 1975 was different, or do you just think it had less ability to become part of the "canon"?
This is really non-standard periodization! Wikipedia has the Golden Age of science fiction starting in the late 1930s, in connection with sci-fi magazine publishing history; the end of your period is solidly New Wave.
The counter-argument is the aphorism that the Golden Age of science fiction is twelve; by that rule, it's interesting to think about who was twelve in 1955-1975, or whatever guidelines you want to pick, and what influence they might have had on defining a canon, once they reached their twenties or thirties. The people who were twelve between 1955 and 1975 were mostly baby boomers, in the standard US generational framework; that was my parents' generation (and glowingfish's, I'm guessing), and it makes sense that the stories they considered formative would seem quasi-canonized to our generation.
In your own space, grant someone's wish from Challenge #5. Leave a comment in this post saying you did it and include a link to your own post with the wishes you granted if you feel comfortable doing so.
Okay, I actually granted wishes by commenting on folks' posts, but here's a round-up of the ones I did:
Are you a current or former Digital Humanities or Library and Information Science student? The Organization for Transformative Works is recruiting!
We’re excited to announce the opening of applications for:
Open Doors Digital Collections Intern – closing 29 January 2026 at 23:59 UTC or after 40 applications
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Open Doors Digital Collections Intern
Open Doors is a committee dedicated to preserving fanworks in their many formats, and we’re looking for a temporary intern to support this goal. The work we do preserves fan history, love, and dedication to fandom: we keep fanworks from offline and at-risk archives from being lost, divert fanzines from the trash, and more.
Open Doors is seeking a current or former Digital Humanities or Library and Information Science student to join us for approximately 8-12 weeks (start date is flexible between 1 April and 1 July 2026). The intern should be able to commit at least 10-15 hours per week for the duration of the position. This internship will provide the intern with a temporary position on Open Doors during which they will complete at least one of several available relevant projects while learning more about the committee’s work. The primary project available is to scope and gather requirements for a digital asset management system for archives/zines. However, time permitting, there may be additional projects available, such as investigating options for automating metadata cleanup.
Applicants should be studying toward (or have completed) a Library and Information Science or related degree (in the US or elsewhere in the world), and they should be fluent in written English. The position will be unpaid and entirely virtual/remote. (We may be able to work with university programs that provide compensation or credit for nonprofit work, but we cannot provide in-person supervision.) We will need your assistance connecting us to any university program that may need documentation to provide credit for you.
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If you’re interested, please click through to the application form! Please note you will be required to provide an unofficial college/university transcript as well as a resume/CV as part of your application. For your application to be considered, you will be required to complete a short task within 3 days of submitting your application.
Applications are due 29 January 2026 or after 40 applications
Over the last few months I've given thought to watch Deep Space 9 and Voyager. I've grown up with original Trek due to my father so I've been pretty saturated with trek stuff all my life but I haven't really ever watched it on my own, largely due to disinterest. After my father's scripts were stolen for The Next Generation, we didn't have any further iterations of trek airing in the house as much. So while I knew some things here and there I didn't know anything in extensive detail beyond OG trek. But I've thought about giving some things a watch that would be easy to watch while I was drawing so I looked into those.
I've been mildly curious about Deep Space Nine, not so much about Voyager, so I started off with that one first.
First, some thoughts that extend to both series. Watching both these shows has reminded me, once again, why I tend to be very disinterested in live action shows, especially when I was growing up. I get annoyed enough with poorly portrayed relationships in cartoons, but they at least in kids cartoons they aren't so horribly contrived and drama-saturated as prime time programming. Every issue I have with society's perception of sex and gender is amplified 10 fold in typical prime time programming that's at least dulled in kids cartoons. I already had a poor expectation to begin with so the blow of the obnoxious portrayal of these aren't as bad, especially knowing how media has improved, but this really would have pissed me off so much more as a teen and even young adult.
There's more evidence that the shingles vaccine reduces the risk of Alzheimer's disease: two more natural experiments (in which people were offered the vaccine based on date of birth or where they lived). One of them comparED the older Zostavax vaccine with the newer Shingrix: https://erictopol.substack.com/p/spotlight-on-the-shingles-vaccineagain
As the blogger, Eric Topol says, "If this vaccine was a drug and reduced Alzheimer’s by 20%, it would be considered a major breakthrough for helping to prevent the disease! But as a vaccine, it hasn't reached any sense of being a blockbuster"
This is your check-in post for today. The poll will be open from midnight Universal or Zulu Time (8pm Eastern Time) on Wednesday, January 21, to midnight on Thursday, January 22. (8pm Eastern Time).
Secrets Left to Post: 01 pages, 14 secrets from Secret Submission Post #993. Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ]. Current Secret Submissions Post:here. Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.
Today in one sentence: Trump said he would drop planned tariffs on eight European countries, claiming he had “the framework of a future deal” on Greenland and Arctic security; Trump said “Canada lives because of the United States” after Prime Minister Mark Carney argued at Davos that the U.S.-led “rules-based order” bargain “no longer works” and that “we are in the midst of a rupture, not a transition”; Congress released a bipartisan funding package to keep most of the federal government open ahead of a Jan. 30 shutdown deadline; House Democrats said they’ll oppose a bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security; and the Department of Homeland Security launched “Operation Catch of the Day” and started arresting immigrants in Maine.
1/ Trump said he would drop planned tariffs on eight European countries, claiming he had “the framework of a future deal” on Greenland and Arctic security. He said the 10% tariffs scheduled for Feb. 1 were no longer needed after meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. While Trump didn’t release any details of the framework, the compromise reportedly involves Denmark giving the U.S. sovereignty over small areas of Greenland’s territory to build military bases. Trump claims he needs Greenland for his proposed “golden dome,” a missile defense system that could cover North America. NATO spokeswoman Allison Hart only confirmed that negotiations between Denmark, Greenland, and the U.S. “will go forward” focused on Arctic security and limiting Russia and China influence. Danish officials, meanwhile, publicly reiterated that sovereignty is a red line. (Associated Press / NBC News / Bloomberg / New York Times / Wall Street Journal / Washington Post / Politico / Axios / CNN / CNBC)
EARLIER: Trump used his Davos speech to demand U.S. control of Greenland, saying “No nation or group of nations is in any position to be able to secure Greenland other than the United States.” He added: “I don’t have to use force, I don’t want to use force, I won’t use force.” Trump repeatedly mixed up Greenland and Iceland, saying “Iceland” at least four times and calling Greenland a “big beautiful piece of ice.” European officials said Trump’s remarks left them more confused than before, with one EU diplomat saying it “comes down to how much trust you put in that word,” adding that “few would see that speech and rule out anything.” (Politico / New York Times / CNBC / Wall Street Journal / Axios)
EARLIER: EU lawmakers blocked a vote to ratify a U.S.-EU trade deal after Trump threatened Greenland-linked tariffs. European officials also raised the EU’s anti-coercion instrument, the bloc’s so-called “trade bazooka,” which could include suspending U.S. operating licenses in Europe or target U.S. services with new taxes. The Danish pension fund AkademikerPension said it would sell about $100 million of U.S. Treasuries, citing “poor U.S. government finances.” In response, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent called Denmark “irrelevant” and said he was “not concerned at all.” Hours later, Trump reversed course on the tariffs. (CNN / Bloomberg / Politico / Reuters / Bloomberg)
2/ Trump said “Canada lives because of the United States” after Prime Minister Mark Carney argued at Davos that the U.S.-led “rules-based order” bargain “no longer works” and that “we are in the midst of a rupture, not a transition.” Trump said Canada “gets a lot of freebies from us” and “should be grateful,” saying Ottawa is a beneficiary of U.S. protection and of his proposed “Golden Dome” missile-defense plan. Carney, speaking the day before without naming Trump, said great powers are using “tariffs as leverage” and warned that “if you are not at the table, you are on the menu.” (CBC / Reuters / Bloomberg / Axios / New York Times)
3/ Congress released a bipartisan funding package to keep most of the federal government open ahead of a Jan. 30 shutdown deadline. The legislation would fund the Pentagon and major domestic agencies, including Homeland Security, while preserving ICE’s roughly $10 billion budget. While the package provides $20 million for ICE body cameras, it stops short of limits on arrests, detention practices, or deportations that Democrats demanded. The House plans to vote later this week with a separate vote on DHS funding. In the Senate, however, passage is uncertain because Republicans need Democratic support to reach the 60 votes required. (Politico / NBC News / Washington Post / Axios / CBS News / CNN)
4/ House Democrats said they’ll oppose a bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security. In a closed-door meeting, Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and other leaders argued the bill doesn’t meaningfully constrain ICE. Republicans, however, are expected to pass the measure without Democratic help. (Axios / Politico / NBC News)
5/ The Department of Homeland Security launched “Operation Catch of the Day” and started arresting immigrants in Maine. DHS said the operation targeted people with criminal convictions and, according to U.S. officials, focused largely on immigrants from Somalia. Assistant DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin blamed Maine Gov. Janet Mills and other Democratic “sanctuary politicians” for prompting the operation. It’s not clear how long the operation would last or how many federal agents were deployed. (ABC News / Washington Post / New York Times)
The 2026 midterms are in 286 days; the 2028 presidential election is in 1,021 days; it’s been 34 days since the Trump administration was required by law to release the Epstein files.
Back in November I made a ridiculously overengineered parsnip risotto, as a way of dipping a toe into my next cookbook project. I said at the time that it was very tasty, and also I was unlikely to ever make it again.
A Minnesotan friend read out to me a social media post that went something like "If you know any Minnesotans, you'll know that we take every opportunity to bring up Minnesota and Minnesotan things." The next sentence started something like, "If we manage to expel this ICE invasion..." but I don't remember properly because by the time I heard that much of this sentence I was already sitting up from where I'd been lounging on the couch, so when the sentence ended with "...you'll be hearing about it for the next twenty years."
"Twenty?!" I said. "We're still talking about the Halloween storm of 1991 and that's more than twenty years ago! I think people will be hearing about this for, more like two hundred years."
He scrolled down and chuckled, read out a comment that might not have been understandable because he was still laughing, but I knew what he was saying "This comment says, 'I remember the Halloween blizzard of 1991.' "
Speaking of October 1991, I was just thinking the other day we'll be hearing about the World Series of 1991, and 1987, at the very least every time it's another 5 or 10 years after those dates, for the very least as long as any of those players are still alive.
Gandalf was a chickenshit with no self-control who could have prevented the massive death toll at Pelennor Fields. Take the ring, kill the baddie, jump into Mount Doom before it has a chance to corrupt you. But nooooo, it's way more fun to have a grey-Maia/fire-Maia punch-up in a bottomless pit in order to emerge in a gleam of backlighting and inspirational music riding a glowing horsey like a tween girl's puberty dreams, than it is to take the ring, zap in, punch the eyeball Maia in his dumb eyeball, and then jump into the lava.
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