Little Debbie visited for a bit today. June 25 2026 #backyardzoo #roanokeva #chipmunk

Here’s a minor collection of comments from our book club from the last couple of meetings that made my brain break.

Paraphrased, but pretty close:

“I don’t read anything but the dialogue parts.”

“Why would I read the prologue? That’s just author yap. Same for epilogues.”

“I don’t like stories that have a plot.”

“I literally never read a prologue on principle alone. If it’s that important, it should be in the book.”

Note: This isn’t everyone in the club, but maybe over half *never* read the prologue. That stunned me.

Only one of them was a “I only read dialogue.”

About three of them were anti-plot/story arcs and instead prefer characters that experience zero growth or change, and dislike a three-act story.

Some (but not most) won’t read if it isn’t in the first person.

When I was younger, I might skip a forward,  but the actual beginning and end of a book? Why on earth would you do that?

I was amazed at the replies I got from the “talker only” folks when I asked what they pictured the protagonists looking like or how they were feeling about the setting.

I guess everyone has things they like and don’t…it just amazes me that so many “readers” aren’t members of “the clean plate club.”

“More than 160 troops contract flu at Texas base after Hegseth lifts vaccine order, saying the vaccines were ridiculous overreach.”

The US government leadership should not kneel to the wishes of the dumbest ding dongs on earth because they started that bus towards the cliff after cutting the brake lines.

But here we are since 2016. Death, injury all from a few morons listening to and scared of idiot voters not turning out.

He directly led to a million people in America dying during Covid.
Rapist.
Pedo.
Criminal.
Traitor.
Fraudster.
Bottom-feeding Mobster.
Con Man.

He doesn’t care about any of those awful acts. But the one thing getting to him personally is the Reflecting Pool debacle, and his anger and misery at that, if nothing else affects his hollow soul, is making me happy. It is making him so very deranged, upset, and irritated.

It’s why I will never tire of the Reflecting Pool dunks on him.

got this reply

mama and baby deer out on the wall june 23 2026

#deer #roanokeva #backyardzoo

I got my second part of class action suit against facebook. (Privacy leak)

Just think, they spill my information,  and I get enough for a 6″ sub and a coke, four to nineteen years later. (In addition to them bankrolling the destruction of society)

Context– On October 10, 2023, following a hearing, the United States District Court for the Northern District of California issued an Order Granting Motion for Final Approval of Settlement, an Order Awarding Attorneys’ Fees, Expenses, and Service Awards and a Final Judgment. Objectors filed two Notices of Appeals which were resolved as of May 14, 2025, and on May 22, 2025 the Settlement became final. Pursuant to the Court’s Order dated August 27, 2025, the distribution of settlement benefits commenced in September 2025. The initial distribution of settlement benefits has been completed. On May 6, 2026, the Court issued an Order approving a second distribution. The second distribution is expected to commence in June 2026 and will continue for approximately four weeks.

Note: First refund was about $29 last September 2025.  This is the second in June of 2026. 

Whoever TF wrote the instructions for prep did NOT pass basic English comprehension.The instructions say to mix an entire bottle of miralax with 2 bottles of gatorade (64 ounces).This can be interpreted 2 ways:Two 64 ounce bottles of gatorade OR 2 bottles of gatorade totaling 64 ounces.These are vastly different amounts of gatorade. My brain took it the first way and it wasnt until after had downed the first half and feel nauseous AF that I did the research and found out that standard prep is 64 total ounces of gatorade with that much miralax.So first problem, kroger doesnt sell 32 ounce bottles of gatorade. At most I found there was a 28 ounce bottle.2nd problem, is that all of this could have been avoided had they worded the prep letter properly. Mix 1 bottle of miralax with 64 ounces total Gatorade.Even if they left their original wording in they could have cleared it up in the part that says “starting at 4pm the day before, drink your first 32 ounces of gatorade…. yada yada”.

now, a friend says they got the opposite instructions. Ffs.

Still available for purchase!

www.gotohellmi.com

https://www.wxyz.com/news/tourist-destination-in-hell-michigan-hits-the-market-for-625-000

Roanoke Raven, Vinton Vulture, the SALEMander…

https://www.instagram.com/the.roanoke.raven?igsh=MW5mYnJhb2RzaWhwZw==

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There is a mockingbird outside right now that is tricking my birding app. It thinks the mocking bird is all of these:

Name: Scott von Berg (or just scottobear online)
Age: Somewhere in that solid gen-x / elder millennial sweet spot. Let’s just say old enough to remember when LiveJournal required an invite code to join. Oh, ok, 57.
Sex: Male
Location: Salem, Virginia (formerly North Beach, Maryland, formerly Fort Lauderdale,  Florida, formerly other places, mostly on the east coast of the USA)
How long have you been on LiveJournal?Just crossed the 26-year mark last month.
What do you/will you write about? A little bit of everything. Daily life updates, neighborhood observations, random bits of trivia, numbers stations, local history, and cross-posts of whatever project is currently taking over my workbench. It’s an online grotto of random thoughts.
What particular qualities do you look for in a friend? A good sense of humor, a healthy dose of curiosity about the world, and people who actually engage. I appreciate creativity, kindness, and a smile.
What would cause you not to add someone as a friend, or to delete them? Pure drama, endless negativity, or accounts that are just ghost towns or bot spam. If you only use your journal to vent into the void without ever interacting or showing a shred of humor, we probably won’t click.
Favourite films or TV shows: Brazil, Network, Taskmaster, classic sci-fi, and anything with a solid dystopian or satirical edge.
Favourite books: Plot-driven mysteries, strange fiction, and audiobooks for when I’m working with my hands. (Usually along the lines of Carl Hiaasen or Terry Pratchett).
Favourite foods: A proper thin-crust pizza (loaded with pineapple, black olives, jalapeno peppers, and extra cheese). Also, a really solid burrito or drunken noodles. (I am a vegetarian,  but not vegan)
Favourite drinks: A good cherry cider from our local brewery, a solid iced chai to keep the brain moving, or a simple frozen lemonade works wonders.
Favourite bands and musicians: They Might Be Giants, Camper Van Beethoven, CCR, Talking heads, and recently a healthy appreciation for 1980s vaporwave when the mood strikes.
Hobbies and pastimes: Software development (messing around with Python and HTML5 games), tinkering with microcontrollers and single board computers like the ESP32 or M5Stack, amateur radio, collecting independent action figures, and the occasional round of Minecraft. I also track local Virginia civic issues and take the occasional scenic hike in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
How would you describe your style? Casual, low-key, stream-of-thought. A mix of tech tinkerer and creative builder, some nature appreciation,  random pictures and doodles, life in Western Virginia.
Anything else you’d like to tell us? My journal is a bit of a slow burn, but it’s consistent. I will likely begin reposting my new updates personal blog from scottobear.com back on my permanent account, and checking my friends page now and then to see what humans have been doing here lately.  Leave a comment if you add me so I know you’re a real human and not a Russian spam bot!