# taco 'bout it find something to taco 'bout - Site: https://tacobout.online/ ## long, exasperated groan: “Bringing Harry Houdini back from the dead could be a portent for the future of documentaries.” - Link: https://tacobout.online/2026/10/20/long-exasperated-groan-bringing-harry-houdini-back-from-the-dead-could-be-a-portent-for-the-future-of-documentaries/ - Published: 2026-10-20T11:07:26-05:00 - Author: schwegler ![](https://i0.wp.com/tacobout.online/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/MixCollage-19-Oct- 2026-01-39-PM-300-1.jpg?ssl=1) > It is a perfect example of AI slop, a phrase we like to use for anything that > is AI-heavy. Weird micro dramas. Karma-farming fake videos on social media. “We > are Charlie Kirk.” Yet usually the AI slop is coming from the fringes. People > not already working in the entertainment world and eager to get a piece of the > profit pie. This is coming from Fox, albeit the right wing news entertainment > version of Fox and not _The Simpsons_-and-FX version owned by Disney. Fox Nation > is a streaming service providing curated content for Fox News super fans. AI slop > appearing there, a small service with limited content, makes the slop feel even > more sloppy. Watching the doc, I could practically hear a cigar-chomping executive > shouting “slop em up, boys.”   Bringing Harry Houdini back from the dead could > be a portent for the future of documentaries. Source: _[Can AI slop even have an aesthetic?](https://www.avclub.com/ai-slop-aesthetic-debate-harry-houdini-back-from-the-dead)_ ## Free Cable TV Alternatives: Channels With Movies, Shows, and Variety - Link: https://tacobout.online/2026/10/20/free-cable-tv-alternatives-variety-channels/ - Published: 2026-10-20T09:00:00-05:00 - Author: schwegler sometimes I do not want to choose a show. I want to put a channel on and let it be television. a movie might become a sitcom, which might become something else. I can fold laundry while somebody in programming handles the decision-making. this is the part of USA, TNT, and HBO that an endless single-show FAST feed does not quite replace. a marathon is useful when I specifically want that show. a general entertainment channel is useful when I would like the room to contain a variety of television without my continued supervision. ![](https://i0.wp.com/tacobout.online/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/telly-03-stand- by-v2.png?resize=300%2C279&ssl=1) the best free cable replacement for that job is a small set of varied channels you actually like. these four are starting points, with different strengths. schedules can still include blocks and marathons, so the current guide matters more than an enormous channel count. ## Shout! TV: start with the flagship [Shout! TV](https://www.shout-tv.com/about) combines classic and cult films, television, and original programming across free live channels and an on-demand library. for variety, look for the main **Shout! TV** feed first. the company also operates dedicated show feeds and specialist channels; those solve a different problem. ![A grid of Shout! TV channel logos, including Shout! TV, Shout! Movies, and dedicated show channels](https://i0.wp.com/tacobout.online/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/free- cable-shout-tv-channels.webp?resize=1800%2C1332&ssl=1) Promotional image: [Shout! TV](https://www.shout-tv.com/about); used for commentary. this is the useful old-cable quality: a programming identity broad enough to contain more than one title. you are choosing a general sensibility, then allowing the schedule to make smaller choices. the free [Local Now channel page](https://localnow.com/channels/shout-factory-tv) and [Sling Freestream guide](https://watch.sling.com/1/channel/d82e3e57f3954342acbdeb7bf3420289/browse) give you concrete places to inspect the feed. Shout! also offers direct viewing through its own site and apps. choose the ad-supported route if the point is keeping the bill at zero. ## ElectricNOW: scripted comfort television and movies [ElectricNOW](https://www.electricentertainment.com/about) has a lineup built around shows such as _Leverage_, _The Librarians_, _Almost Paradise_, and _The Outpost_, alongside acquired films. the combination is closer to a familiar genre entertainment network than a feed devoted to one sitcom. there is also genuine original programming. Electric’s [2026 expansion announcement](https://www.electricentertainment.com/news-content/2026/3/19/electricnows-major-expansion-debuts-with-all-new-streaming-apps-and-its-first-original-scripted-series-the-poly-couple) explicitly scheduled the first two episodes of _The Poly Couple_ on the FAST channel the same day the show launched in its app. the app itself contains additional channels, so select the ElectricNOW feed when you want this particular lineup. ![Official promotional poster for ElectricNOW's comedy The Poly Couple](https:// i0.wp.com/tacobout.online/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/free-tv-poly.webp?resize=1920% 2C1079&ssl=1) Promotional image: [Electric Entertainment](https://www.electricentertainment.com/news-content/2026/3/19/electricnows-major-expansion-debuts-with-all-new-streaming-apps-and-its-first-original-scripted-series-the-poly-couple); used for commentary. you can inspect a free feed on [Xumo Play](https://play.xumo.com/networks/electricnow/99991378) or use [ElectricNOW’s own service](https://www.electricnow.tv/). expect episodic blocks as well as films; a varied library is not a guarantee that the next six hours have been programmed without a marathon. ## MovieSphere: the movie-channel half of the cable experience **MovieSphere by Lionsgate** is the choice for an evening of movies across genres. [Lionsgate and Nielsen describe](https://www.nielsen.com/news-center/2024/lionsgate-and-nielsen-bring-nielsen-measurement-to-the-fast-space/) a free feed combining major releases and independent films from the studio’s library. [Pluto TV offers a direct live channel](https://pluto.tv/us/watch/live-tv/29067/). this one is a movie channel, rather than a movie-and-sitcom mixture. it belongs here because the HBO comparison includes that experience, too: arrive during a film, see what follows it, and stop designing your own evening. it does not come with HBO’s current originals. ![](https://i0.wp.com/tacobout.online/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/facet-10-katya- party-scene-approved.png?resize=200%2C300&ssl=1) Lionsgate also markets paid MovieSphere options. use the free live feed, not a subscription checkout wearing a similar name. ## Revry: a mixed network with a queer point of view [Revry](https://www.revry.tv/watch-revry) combines queer films, series, music, news, and originals. it is an especially useful addition when you want the channel’s perspective to feel relevant, rather than relying on a generic algorithm to remember gay people exist. the network may still schedule title blocks. the reason to include it is breadth within a clear identity: scripted television can share space with performance, competition, and other programming. there is something to encounter beyond the episode you already came for. ## build a tiny channel lineup, then stop browsing start by favoriting Shout! TV and ElectricNOW. add MovieSphere when you want films and Revry when you want a queer network. look ahead a few slots in the guide before deciding which feed gets the remote tonight. that is a more useful test than whether an app advertises hundreds of channels. three channels you leave running beat 400 channels you spend the evening evaluating. these are alternatives to cable’s viewing rhythm, not free access to USA, TNT, or HBO themselves. the thing being replaced is the experience: somebody else assembles a varied schedule, and I am allowed to turn it on halfway through. I do not need every moment of leisure to begin with a selection committee. sometimes I would simply like television to proceed. ## previously in this series * [Part 1: Free Streaming Originals: What to Watch Without a Subscription](https://tacobout.online/?p=125686) * [Part 2: Tastemade Free Streaming: Cooking Shows Beyond the Reruns](https://tacobout.online/?p=125687) * [Part 3: Watch Revry Free: Drag Competitions, Queer Comedy, and More](https://tacobout.online/?p=125688) * [Part 4: Tubi Originals to Watch Free: Slay, Lowlifes, and The Z-Suite](https://tacobout.online/?p=125689) * [Part 5: Samsung TV Plus Originals: Free Shows Beyond the Reruns](https://tacobout.online/?p=125692) This is part 6 of [Stuff You Can Watch Free](https://tacobout.online/about/stuff-you-can-watch-free/). The series covers original shows on free networks and channels that recreate cable’s put-it-on-and-leave-it-on experience. ## none pizza, left beef can vote now - Link: https://tacobout.online/2026/10/19/none-pizza-left-beef-can-vote-now/ - Published: 2026-10-19T18:12:59-05:00 - Author: schwegler none pizza, left beef is nineteen today. legally old enough to vote. still no sauce. still no cheese. a remarkably consistent platform. ![Hitch smiles gently while holding a warm mug in both hands. Reaction: comfort.]( https://i0.wp.com/tacobout.online/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/hitch-09-comfort.png? resize=250%2C300&ssl=1) Steven Molaro’s [original pizza-ordering experiment](https://thesneeze.com/none-pizza-left-beef/) went up on The Sneeze on October 19, 2007. the website let him remove the cheese and sauce, then assign the remaining beef to one side. he wanted to see whether the pizza would arrive correctly oriented. the internet received a cultural artifact. the best part is that the form accepted this. every individual option made sense. together, they produced a small edible argument for considering the whole situation. nineteen years later, the [original post](https://thesneeze.com/none-pizza-left-beef/) is still there. a little bread. some beef. an enduring contribution to the arts. Photograph: [Steven Molaro / The Sneeze](https://thesneeze.com/none-pizza-left-beef/). ## my grilled cheese needed better bread, not a personal brand - Link: https://tacobout.online/2026/10/19/grilled-cheese-bakery-bread/ - Published: 2026-10-19T18:00:00-05:00 - Author: schwegler Illustrative photograph: [Mack Male, “Simple grilled cheese”](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Simple_grilled_cheese.jpg)· [CC BY-SA 2.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/). Resized for display. this week’s life-changing hack is to buy a sliced loaf from the bakery section and make grilled cheese with it. that’s the hack. we can all go home. the internet would like every minor improvement to arrive with a methodology, a specialized appliance, and a man explaining why you’ve been doing lunch wrong. sometimes the answer is just different bread. i’m not starting a bread discourse. sandwich bread has done nothing wrong and remains employed. i just made one small upgrade to a thing i already liked, without turning it into a new hobby. there is a useful category of improvement between “change nothing” and “become a different person.” **move one aisle over. make the sandwich.** enjoy your extremely local renaissance. > this one neat hack will change your life and it’s just buy bakery bread instead > of bread aisle bread and make grilled cheese with it > — [schweg, 🦇 (@schwegler.lol)](https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:djguxreovfe4bkm7sizg2kxk?ref_src=embed) > [2026-10-16T02:57:08.326Z](https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:djguxreovfe4bkm7sizg2kxk/post/3mxxlcyrdms2r?ref_src=embed) ## immortality has not improved anybody’s living arrangements - Link: https://tacobout.online/2026/10/19/halloween-shelf-tv/ - Published: 2026-10-19T13:00:00-05:00 - Author: schwegler **the halloween shelf · 2 / 6 · TV** five picks from [my Trove TV shelf](https://trove.schweg.xyz/@schwegler/shelf?category=TvShow&theme=halloween). ![](https://i0.wp.com/tacobout.online/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/facet-sleepy.png? ssl=1) apparently the real supernatural curse is having to deal with other people. vampires form households. witches need a group. a teenage slayer still has friends to worry about. even a sprawling english manor comes with several relationships in urgent need of attention. that gives the tv corner of the halloween shelf a useful through-line. these five shows make room for the awkward, affectionate, destructive business of being close to someone, then add fangs or magic or a deeply unsuitable house. they also ask for very different amounts of your life, which matters when october is already filling up. here is what kind of company each one offers. ## interview with the vampire: the relationship has a very long memory [From my media collectionInterview with the Vampire (2022)Network: AMC • Genre: Drama, Sci-Fi & Fantasy • Year: 2022View on Trove ](https://trove.schweg.xyz/tv_shows/131-interview-with-the-vampire-2022) amc’s [adaptation of anne rice’s novel](https://www.amc.com/blogs/anne-rice-s-interview-with-the-vampire-renewed-for-a-second-season-ahead-of-series-debut--1059494) puts louis de pointe du lac’s account of love and immortality in front of journalist daniel molloy. louis, lestat, and claudia form the central vampire family, with all the intimacy and danger that arrangement suggests. choose this for a sustained gothic relationship drama. having centuries available does leave plenty of time to develop a grievance. start at the beginning and give it your attention: the interview frame makes the telling of the story part of the attraction. this is a serialized commitment, best approached when you want to get invested in some exceptionally complicated people. ## agatha all along: group work, with consequences [From my media collectionAgatha All Along (2024)Network: Disney+ • Director: Caleb Heymann, Isiah Donté Lee, Jon Chema, Lauren Abiouness, May Mitchell • Genre: Comedy, Action, Science-Fiction • Year: 2024View on Trove ](https://trove.schweg.xyz/tv_shows/132-agatha-all-along-2024) a powerless agatha harkness and a mysterious teenager assemble a coven to face the witches’ road. [disney’s conversation with kathryn hahn and creator jac schaeffer](https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/news/a-magical-look-at-the-making-of-agatha-all-along-with-kathryn-hahn-and-jac-schaeffer/) gets at the appeal: agatha is a habitual loner being forced to work with others, who have their own reasons for being difficult. the nine-episode run makes this a smaller calendar commitment. it is a wandavision follow-on, so that earlier series provides useful context. pick it for witchcraft, competing personalities, and a journey that requires an actual group effort. assembling a coven sounds lovely until somebody has to manage the coven. ## buffy the vampire slayer: make room for the whole friend group [From my media collectionBuffy the Vampire Slayer (1997)Network: UPN • Director: Michael Gershman, Kenneth Zunder, Brenda Kalosh, Alan Steinman • Genre: Drama, Action, Supernatural • Year: 1997View on Trove ](https://trove.schweg.xyz/tv_shows/128-buffy-the-vampire-slayer-1997) [buffy](https://www.disneyplus.com/browse/entity-f2c277c5-62b4-417c-b277-8435b70176dd) begins with a teenager equipped to hunt vampires, then gives her a life that stubbornly continues around that responsibility. school, friendships, and supernatural trouble share a calendar. sarah michelle gellar’s buffy has help, but having a support system does not make the monsters especially considerate. ![](https://i0.wp.com/tacobout.online/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/facet-02-buffy- comeback-approved.png?resize=1027%2C1532&ssl=1) the original series runs seven seasons, making it the long-haul choice here. let october be the doorway if you want an ensemble to spend time with beyond halloween. start with season one and let the relationships accumulate. nobody needs to turn watching television into a deadline with candles around it. ## what we do in the shadows: eternal life, shared accommodation [From my media collectionWhat We Do in the Shadows (2019)Network: FX • Genre: Comedy, Sci-Fi & Fantasy • Year: 2019View on Trove ](https://trove.schweg.xyz/tv_shows/133-what-we-do-in-the-shadows-2019) [vampire roommates on staten island](https://www.rogerssportsandmedia.com/?rsm_show=what-we-do-in-the-shadows) provide a fairly efficient sitcom premise. nandor, laszlo, nadja, and colin robinson have the modern world to navigate, alongside the human guillermo. immortality has apparently failed to make communal living straightforward. choose this when you want the supernatural household to be funny. its [six-season run is complete](https://www.fxnetworks.com/shows/what-we-do-in-the-shadows), and the comedy format makes it an easy choice for a few episodes at a time. begin at the start to get acquainted with the house. allow some space between installments if your tolerance for other people’s nonsense has already been tested that day. ## the haunting of bly manor: a house full of attachments [From my media collectionThe Haunting of Bly Manor (2020)Network: Netflix • Genre: Mystery, Drama • Year: 2020View on Trove ](https://trove.schweg.xyz/tv_shows/134-the-haunting-of-bly-manor-2020) an american nanny arrives at an english estate to care for two orphaned children. the household includes a chef, a groundskeeper, a housekeeper, and a past that refuses to remain politely in the past. [mike flanagan’s gothic romance](https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/81237854) draws on henry james and places love and loss inside the haunted-house machinery. this is a [nine-episode limited series](https://www.netflix.com/title/81237854), a practical choice when you want a contained story. pick it for a more melancholy stretch of october, with room for the people as well as the ghosts. the accommodation looks impressive. the emotional deposit may be considerable. so: a vampire family, a reluctant coven, a slayer’s circle, a house share, or a haunted estate. pick the company and the commitment that fit. halloween television has plenty of ways to make staying home feel socially exhausting. part 2 of the halloween shelf: six category roundups from my public Trove picks, checked october 18, 2026. [browse the complete shelf](https://trove.schweg.xyz/@schwegler/shelf). featured image: AMC promotional artwork, via Trove; used for commentary. Facet illustrations are site mascots. ## graham norton’s theme song did not need to go this hard - Link: https://tacobout.online/2026/10/19/graham-norton-theme-song/ - Published: 2026-10-19T09:00:00-05:00 - Author: schwegler graham norton’s theme song sounds like the party is already happening and you have made the correct decision by showing up. all this just to introduce some people sitting on a couch. exemplary use of everyone’s time. ![](https://i0.wp.com/tacobout.online/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/facet-05-macho- yeah-approved.png?resize=201%2C300&ssl=1) The Graham Norton Show intro, uploaded by Mustafa Durmuş. Found via Merlin Mann on Bluesky. [Source](https://bsky.app/profile/hotdogsladies.bsky.social/post/3my2bzizfts2f). ## my halloween bookshelf has concerns about the human body - Link: https://tacobout.online/2026/10/18/halloween-shelf-books/ - Published: 2026-10-18T23:27:14-05:00 - Author: schwegler **the halloween shelf · 1 / 6 · books** five picks from [my Trove books shelf](https://trove.schweg.xyz/@schwegler/shelf?category=Book&theme=halloween). ![](https://i0.wp.com/tacobout.online/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/facet-reading.png? ssl=1) some halloween reading comes with a reassuring amount of distance. old castle. distant village. someone else’s questionable basement. these five books keep finding ways to make the trouble personal: your home, your face, your body, the people who say they’ll take care of you. lovely. very restful. this is the books corner of the halloween shelf on trove, running from illustrated fairy-tale dread to gothic classics, alien body horror, and a supernatural romance with an alarming workload. pick according to how much unease you’d like to bring to bed. the bedside lamp can only do so much. ## through the woods: bedtime has been cancelled [From my media collectionThrough the Woods (2014)Author: Emily Carroll • Publisher: DARKSIDE • Year: 2014View on Trove ](https://trove.schweg.xyz/books/202-through-the-woods-2014) emily carroll’s collection holds five graphic stories, including _his face all red_. the [publisher’s overview](https://www.simonandschuster.net/books/Through-the-Woods/Emily-Carroll/9781442465954) offers a useful warning about the territory: mysterious houses, an unsettling marriage, and familiar people who may be something else entirely. it’s a good doorway into this shelf if you want your horror in separate, illustrated doses. the fairy-tale setup makes the danger feel close to home, with a forest conveniently available whenever somebody needs to make a terrible decision. yes, it’s a comics collection living in the books section here. the woods have bigger administrative problems. ## you weren’t meant to be human: belonging comes at a cost [From my media collectionYou Weren't Meant to Be Human (2025)Author: Andrew Joseph White • Publisher: Titan Books Limited • Year: 2025View on Trove ](https://trove.schweg.xyz/books/201-you-weren-t-meant-to-be-human-2025) andrew joseph white takes alien invasion into rural west virginia. crane, a trans man, finds refuge among the followers of a hive that trades shelter and possibility for loyalty and bodies. that refuge becomes a threat to his autonomy. [the premise](https://www.simonandschuster.net/books/You-Werent-Meant-to-Be-Human/Andrew-Joseph-White/9781668038086) puts unwanted pregnancy and reproductive coercion at the center of the horror. this is the shelf’s heavy-duty body-horror choice, where needing somewhere to belong makes a person vulnerable to exploitation. check [the author’s content warnings](https://andrewjosephwhite.com/content-warnings) first. a book can be exactly the right kind of horrible and still require choosing the right evening. ## the picture of dorian gray: skincare with consequences [From my media collectionThe Picture of Dorian GrayAuthor: Oscar Wilde • Year: 2008View on Trove ](https://trove.schweg.xyz/books/94-the-picture-of-dorian-gray-2008) oscar wilde gives a beautiful young man the ability to keep his looks while his portrait records the damage. [penguin’s description](https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/286391/the-picture-of-dorian-gray-by-oscar-wilde/) lays out the bargain: dorian’s public respectability survives while his hidden life grows increasingly corrupt. choose this for vanity, temptation, and the creeping possibility that appearances are doing an awful lot of unpaid labor. the bodily unease happens at a remove, hanging on a wall, which somehow makes it more intimate. imagine having a permanent record of your worst behavior in the house. then imagine still inviting people over. ## frankenstein: the aftercare was inadequate [From my media collectionFrankensteinAuthor: Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley • Year: 2023View on Trove ](https://trove.schweg.xyz/books/92-frankenstein-2023) victor frankenstein creates life and recoils from what he’s made. mary shelley’s [gothic novel](https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/286385/frankenstein-by-mary-shelley-edited-with-an-introduction-and-notes-by-maurice-hindle-cover-illustration-by-coralie-bickford-smith/9780141393391/) follows the damage of that rejection, with a creature denied companionship and a creator spectacularly unprepared for responsibility. this is the pick for a sadder, more reflective halloween mood: ambition, loneliness, and the obligations that arrive after doing something irreversible. the creation is only the beginning of the problem. there is a whole person to account for afterward, a detail victor might have put somewhere in the project plan. ## a ferry of bones & gold: a little romance during the supernatural emergency [From my media collectionA Ferry of Bones & GoldAuthor: Hailey Turner • Year: 2018View on Trove ](https://trove.schweg.xyz/books/19-a-ferry-of-bones-gold-2018) ![](https://i0.wp.com/tacobout.online/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/facet-06-liz-blerg- approved.png?resize=201%2C300&ssl=1) hailey turner’s [soulbound series](https://haileyturner.com/series/soulbound/) begins with mage patrick collins and werewolf jonothon de vere. patrick is a supernatural agent dealing with a missing immortal, ritual killings, and gods collecting a debt. [turner’s synopsis](https://shop.haileyturner.com/products/a-ferry-of-bones-gold-paperback) adds an inconvenient attraction to an already crowded caseload. reach for this when you’d like the monsters and magic to come with queer romance and an investigation to follow. it’s the shelf’s urban-fantasy turn, with desire giving all that supernatural danger a different pulse. apparently even a looming disaster leaves room for a complicated crush. scheduling remains everyone’s real enemy. part 1 of the halloween shelf: six category roundups from my public Trove picks, checked october 18, 2026. [browse the complete shelf](https://trove.schweg.xyz/@schwegler/shelf). featured image: Emily Carroll / publisher cover artwork, via Trove; used for commentary. Facet illustrations are site mascots. ## the websites are going to a costume party - Link: https://tacobout.online/2026/10/18/websites-costume-party-halloween-2026/ - Published: 2026-10-18T20:39:40-05:00 - Author: schwegler i’m getting the websites dressed for halloween. apparently having several sites also means coordinating a group costume, so this feels like a good time to introduce the little people wearing them. there’s a vampire, a bat, a wizard, and a little mint gecko. the halloween looks are still being finished across the sites, but the cast is ready. ## telly has kept the microphone telly is the blue television-headed host of taco ’bout it. you’ll see him around the blog, usually looking like he has something to say. his halloween costume adds a cape and tiny fangs. unfortunately, becoming a vampire has done nothing to reduce the talking. ## facet has wings now facet is trove’s purple crystal-headed mascot, with the round gold glasses. trove is where the movies, shows, books, albums, comics, and games go. facet’s halloween outfit is a bat costume: same glasses, additional wings. ## the pencil is doing wand duty the purple-haired character on schweg.xyz is the illustrated version of me. he normally has a pencil. for halloween, he gets a plum wizard outfit and the pencil gets a promotion. useful range for one piece of stationery. ## hitch joins the party hitch is moots’ little mint gecko, the newest face in the group. his halloween outfit adds a patched jacket and a collar with silver bolts for a little frankenstein dress- up. still considerably more approachable than most things associated with a block checker. ## a small invitation to get spooky the new experience being finished starts with a small animated character floating over the page after a short pause. clicking the costumed visitor will turn on the dark halloween look, with orange accents and animated backgrounds that lean spooky, whimsical, and a little camp. it’s optional. the invitation can be dismissed with ×, and the appearance can be reversed. the controls are being brought together in the header, where the light and dark choices live, so changing the look has one place to go. i’m keeping the character small and the page usable. keyboard access, reduced-motion behavior, dismissal, and getting back to your previous appearance are part of the final checks before the whole family is ready. ## the shelves get a costume, too trove’s halloween shelf styling is getting its own attention, including portrait images for sharing a shelf in stories. i’ll give those a closer look separately; this introduction belongs to the little bat supervising the collection. ## first halloween, then the next outfit the sites share the seasonal groundwork, but each keeps its own character. christmas is planned next, in november. for now, the dress code is capes, wings, and a little gecko. ## trove community reviews: books, comics, movies, and tv - Link: https://tacobout.online/2026/10/18/trove-community-review-roundup/ - Published: 2026-10-18T19:20:03-05:00 - Author: schwegler the nice thing about a small media-tracking site is that you can actually read what people wrote. the less convenient thing is that reading what people wrote immediately produces more things to read. ![Facet projects a Liz Lemon-inspired persona, clasps their hands eagerly, and says“ I WANT TO GO TO THERE.” Reaction: longing.](https://i0.wp.com/tacobout.online/wp- content/uploads/2026/10/facet-01-liz-longing-approved.png?resize=1027%2C1532&ssl =1) so, a look around [Trove](https://trove.schweg.xyz/): queer horror, a disputed ending, mutual aid, and a very handsome fish situation. the opinions below belong to the people credited. the expanding backlog belongs to all of us. ## around the community shelves ### you weren’t meant to be human [From my media collectionYou Weren't Meant to Be Human (2025)Author: Andrew Joseph White • Publisher: Titan Books Limited • Year: 2025View on Trove ](https://trove.schweg.xyz/books/201-you-weren-t-meant-to-be-human-2025) **Melinoë Agnès (@thrstyanrchst): 4/5.** the ending caught them off guard, and their review is an enthusiastic recommendation for its queer horror. keeping the actual surprise out of this roundup seems like basic neighborly conduct. [read Melinoë’s review on Trove](https://trove.schweg.xyz/books/201-you-weren-t-meant-to-be-human-2025#community). ### there is no antimemetics division [From my media collectionThere Is No Antimemetics DivisionAuthor: QNTM • Year: 2025View on Trove ](https://trove.schweg.xyz/books/13-there-is-no-antimemetics-division-2025) **Melinoë Agnès (@thrstyanrchst): 3/5.** they liked the book, but the ending didn’t land for them. a useful distinction when a star rating by itself would make you do the detective work. [read Melinoë’s review on Trove](https://trove.schweg.xyz/books/13-there-is-no-antimemetics-division-2025#community). ### mutual aid [From my media collectionMutual AidAuthor: Dean Spade • Publisher: Verso • Year: 2020View on Trove ](https://trove.schweg.xyz/books/11-mutual-aid-2020) **Melinoë Agnès (@thrstyanrchst): 4/5.** a quick, accessible read that earned plenty of annotations, with a recommendation for anyone looking to make a difference. sometimes the useful reading list is the one that sends you back into the world with something to do. [read Melinoë’s review on Trove](https://trove.schweg.xyz/books/11-mutual-aid-2020#community). ### the shape of water [From my media collectionThe Shape of WaterDirector: Guillermo del Toro • Genre: Drama, Fantasy, Romance • Year: 2017View on Trove ](https://trove.schweg.xyz/movies/214-the-shape-of-water-2017) **jacob (@bartsdoodle): 5/5.** the beauty of the film and its soundtrack are the big takeaways here. concise, enthusiastic, and considerably easier to fit into an evening than the three books i just added to your problems. [read jacob’s review on Trove](https://trove.schweg.xyz/movies/214-the-shape-of-water-2017#community). ![](https://i0.wp.com/tacobout.online/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/facet-reading.png? resize=302%2C519&ssl=1) ## a few from my shelf ### dungeon crawler carl [From my media collectionDungeon Crawler CarlAuthor: Matt Dinniman • Year: 2025View on Trove ](https://trove.schweg.xyz/books/14-dungeon-crawler-carl-2025) **my rating: 3.5/5.** my review was pretty practical: it got me hooked enough to buy book two. i mixed listening and reading on this one. not every recommendation requires a manifesto; sometimes the evidence is the next purchase. [my review on Trove](https://trove.schweg.xyz/books/14-dungeon-crawler-carl-2025#community). ### x-men united [From my media collectionX-Men United (2026)Writer: Eve L. Ewing • Artist: Tiago Palma • Publisher: MarvelView on Trove ](https://trove.schweg.xyz/comics/5-x-men-united-2026) **my rating: 4/5.** Graymatter Lane and an Emma-focused story. that was the pitch, and my review was essentially an immediate yes. some interests have a very efficient approval process. [my review on Trove](https://trove.schweg.xyz/comics/5-x-men-united-2026#community). ### big brother [From my media collectionBig Brother (2000)Network: CBS • Director: Robyn Kass, Chris Salomon • Year: 2000View on Trove ](https://trove.schweg.xyz/tv_shows/13-big-brother-2000) **my rating: 4/5.** i called it the best competition reality show, with most of the credit going to the live feeds and the online community around them. which probably explains the amount of this blog devoted to people having preventable conversations in a house. [my review on Trove](https://trove.schweg.xyz/tv_shows/13-big-brother-2000#community). there we go: seven takes, several different kinds of media, and nobody had to build a personal brand around having finished a book. [the shelves are open](https://trove.schweg.xyz/). roundup checked october 18, 2026: all 154 pages of Trove’s public community activity, plus the public reviewer profiles and linked title pages. included here are all four distinct written reviews by other people found in that public activity, plus three of mine. ratings and logged watches/reads without written reviews aren’t counted. summaries preserve each reviewer’s opinion; follow the links for their own words. private activity is outside this roundup. ## baseball and i have a seasonal situationship - Link: https://tacobout.online/2026/10/18/baseball-seasonal-situationship/ - Published: 2026-10-18T18:00:00-05:00 - Author: schwegler i enjoy watching baseball. i also forget baseball exists until the playoffs every year. _apparently my fandom has a flowering season._ there is a particular pleasure in turning up when the stakes are high and immediately developing opinions. do i have the longitudinal data? no. do i suddenly care very deeply about this man reaching second base? absolutely. sports people sometimes make casual fandom sound like stolen valor. sorry i didn’t complete the summer internship before enjoying the game. **i am here now, i have a snack, and i would like something dramatic to happen.** **you’re allowed to like a thing seasonally.** not every interest needs to become a second job. see also: my annual return to knowing what an inning is. > I enjoy watching baseball. I also forget baseball exists until the playoffs every > year. > — [schweg, 🦇 (@schwegler.lol)](https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:djguxreovfe4bkm7sizg2kxk?ref_src=embed) > [2026-10-16T03:01:43.549Z](https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:djguxreovfe4bkm7sizg2kxk/post/3mxxll7ag522r?ref_src=embed) From my Bluesky: [Original post](https://bsky.app/profile/schwegler.lol/post/3mxxll7ag522r). Featured photo: [Robert Bye / Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/photos/baseball-field-during-night-time-0B_S1vTY0NU).