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shiftercat.bsky.social
The Bookwench 🇨🇦🐱🏳️‍🌈
@shiftercat.bsky.social
1.4K followers 1.8K following 3.7K posts
Another cis feminist for trans rights. She/her. Not quite a crone. Bad-faith arguments get you muted, slurs get you blocked. I repost a lot of geekery, some of it NSFW.
https://linktr.ee/shiftercat
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shiftercat.bsky.social
“You will be visited by three spirits.”

The three spirits:
A picture by Samuel Deats of the main trio from Netflix's Castlevania series: Trevor Belmont, Sypha Belnades, and Alucard. Sypha is conjuring up little magic lights, while Trevor and Alucard, looking slightly embarrassed, are holding up a platter of roast turkey with a little birthday candle stuck in it.
November 25, 2025 at 3:34 AM
shiftercat.bsky.social
Just like a basketball!
Title: "Proof that a basketball is flat!" A closeup photo of the surface of a basketball, too close to see the ball's curvature. Inset is a picture of the photography setup for the basketball. "I used the zetetic method to examine whether a basketball is really a ball, or is it actually flat. Upon taking a closer look with a macro lens on my Nikon P900, I can only conclude that the surface of a basketball, while bumpy, does not appear to have any curvature. Therefore, basketballs are flat. Their roundness must be some kind of illusion caused by perspective and mirages."
November 22, 2025 at 12:48 AM
shiftercat.bsky.social
The perfect album from the year I turned 16 (1992):
The cover for Tori Amos' 1992 Album "Little Earthquakes". It shows her crouched in a little wooden box wearing a sleeveless blue top and blue jeans, barefoot, next to a tiny piano.
November 18, 2025 at 9:33 PM
shiftercat.bsky.social
On a colourful greeting-card-style background: "Holy Shit, that was a really bad take. I hope this was facetious cause, damn. What the fuck were you thinking."
November 18, 2025 at 5:24 AM
shiftercat.bsky.social
Cartoon by Sketchplanations of the Curb-Cut Effect. It shows a street with a curb-cut, which enables a wheelchair user to cross easily. Also in the cartoon are a person pushing boxes on a wheeled dolly, parents pushing a stroller, a person with a rolling suitcase, a skateboarder, and a pair of bicyclists. Caption reads, "When we design for disabilities, we make things better for everyone."
November 15, 2025 at 1:18 AM
shiftercat.bsky.social
That's not how it works. You made a claim. I questioned it. Now you're dodging.

Similarly, the onus is on you to stop replying (or even to block or mute me)!
A photo of a referee, captioned: "Illegal proof reversal. Attemted to shift burden of proof onto the doubter."
October 27, 2025 at 11:46 PM
shiftercat.bsky.social
A slightly altered pair of screencaps from Peaky Blinders. In the first one, Tommy forcefully points a finger at an underling: "No defeatism." In the next, he is shouting to the whole room, "NO FUCKING DEFEATISM!"
October 27, 2025 at 2:14 AM
shiftercat.bsky.social
GdT also wrote this:
A post from Guillermo del Toro, accompanied by a screenshot of The Pale Man from Pan's Labyrinth. Text: "The Pale Man represents all institutional evil feeding on the helpless. It's not accidental that he is a) Pale b) a Man. He's thriving now." Reply by LegalizeVore: "My dad Guillermo laying it out." Reply by UnlimitedTrashWorks: "His table is piled high with food he will never touch, but he will kill you for taking the smallest morsel, even if you are starving. Shit, how did I completely miss the point of this."
October 27, 2025 at 2:05 AM
shiftercat.bsky.social
I'd have been tempted to reply with this:
A screencap from The Princess Bride, showing the grandfather pausing in the midst of reading aloud to his grandson. Caption: "Yes, you're very smart. Shut up."
October 26, 2025 at 4:13 AM
shiftercat.bsky.social
It makes me think of the old Ukrainian lady with the sunflower seeds.
Woman: Who are you? Soldier: We have exercises here. Please go this way. Woman: What kind of exercises? Are you Russian? Soldier: Yes. Woman: So what the fuck are you doing here? Soldier: Right now, our discussion will lead to nothing. Woman: You're occupants, you're fascists! What the fuck are you doing on our land with all these guns? Take these seeds and put them in your pockets, so at least sunflowers [Ukrainian national flower] will grow when you all lie down here. Soldier: Right now, our discussion will lead nowhere. Let's not escalate this situation. Please. Woman: What situation? Guys, guys. Put the sunflower seeds in your pockets, please. You will lie down here with the seeds. You came to my land. Do you understand? You are occupiers. You are enemies. Soldier: Yes. Woman: And from this moment, you are cursed. I'm telling you. Soldier: Now listen to me -- Woman: I've heard you. Soldier: Let's not escalate the situation. Please go this way. Woman: How can it be further escalated? You fucking came here uninvited. Pieces of shit.
October 26, 2025 at 1:21 AM
shiftercat.bsky.social
Also, full version of the Kasia Babis cartoon linked earlier:
Cartoon by Kasia Babis. Panel 1: a man in a t-shirt and jeans stands behind Adolf Hitler, saying, "I don't agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." Panel 2: a group of KKK members, one carrying a sign saying, "We want to kill Black people." Across from them is a group of Black folk carrying a sign saying, "We want civil rights." Between them is a white man carrying a sign saying, "Compromise?" Panel 3: a group of people carrying signs saying, "Peace is just not realistic", "It's complicated", "Ok I guess", and "Reasonable amount of wars". Panel 4: a man with his head in a guillotine, about to be decapitated in front of a crowd. The man is saying, "I don't really care about politics."
October 25, 2025 at 8:15 PM
shiftercat.bsky.social
Evergreen:
Cartoon by Jacob Andrews. Panel 1: A crowd of Nazis facing a crowd of anti-racists. A smug man stands in the middle saying, "Why so much aggression on both sides?" Panel 2: A woman being attacked by a bear. The smug man says, "Frankly I think both sides are at fault here, no doubt about it." Panel 3: A firefighter spraying water onto a fire. The smug man says, "So sad to see this aggression on both sides of the conflict." Panel 4: A man is firing a gun at a horror-movie-style slasher wearing a hockey mask and wielding a bloody machete. The smug man says, "Wow, so much for tolerance, can't believe the hate and violence on both sides." Panel 5: An asteroid is speeding towards the Earth. A speech bubble reads, "Sure, the asteroid is violent, but the Earth is also violent, so obviously there is blame on both si-" Panel 6: The Earth explodes. No dialogue.
October 25, 2025 at 8:06 PM
shiftercat.bsky.social
A screencap of Hugh Laurie as the Stupid Prince in Blackadder the Third, dressed in Regency finery, holding a small glass, and wearing a perfectly credulous Upperclass English Twit expression. Caption reads, "A riveting tale, my dear chap!"
October 23, 2025 at 5:12 AM
shiftercat.bsky.social
A 1980s-style graphic that says, "Disappointed but not surprised".
October 16, 2025 at 9:28 PM
shiftercat.bsky.social
I am far from the only one who had a frustrating time with Mastodon. h/t @deathbybadger.bsky.social
Oliver Darkshire's one-page game "I Do Not Want A Mastodon", available here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/i-do-not-want-74555460
October 9, 2025 at 10:03 PM
shiftercat.bsky.social
The Brits made another WWII poster, but for some reason this one doesn't get as much traction:
A poster done in the same style as the British World War 2 "Keep Calm and Carry On", but this one says, "Freedom Is In Peril. Defend It With All Your Might."
October 7, 2025 at 9:23 AM
shiftercat.bsky.social
Why is this so implausible? Failed satires are a thing, hence this meme:
A white man, looking like a stereotypical douchebag with a backwards baseball cap and index finger raised, is wearing a black sleeveless top onto which has been Photoshopped, "Satire requires clarity of purpose and target lest it be mistaken for and contribute to that which it intends to criticize."
September 22, 2025 at 8:43 PM
shiftercat.bsky.social
h/t @keithpille.bsky.social
Screencap of a post by keithpille.bsky.social: "Worth thinking about how long Tolkien goes on in Return of the King about despair being a weapon, and presenting defeat as a foregone conclusion being a deliberate and effective tactic."
September 18, 2025 at 6:06 AM
shiftercat.bsky.social
My frequent reaction to a Pinterest post:
A screenshot of Blackbeard from Our Flag Means Death, looking wild-eyed and threatening someone with a large dagger. Caption reads, "Where's the link? Where's the fucking link?"
September 7, 2025 at 3:04 AM
shiftercat.bsky.social
As someone who was raised on Tolkien, this is making me incandescent with rage.

Also:
Top: a photo of J.R.R. Tolkien, labeled as such. A stick figure eating cereal is gesturing at the photo and saying, "He will never say trans rights." Bottom: a quotation from Tolkien's Ainulindale: "But when they desire to clothe themselves the Valar take upon them forms some as of male and some as of female; for that difference of temper they had even from their beginning, and it is but bodied forth in the choice of each, not made by the choice, even as with us male and female may be shown by the raiment but is not made thereby." The cereal-eating figure is doing a spit-take in astonishment.
September 3, 2025 at 3:33 AM
shiftercat.bsky.social
I think @existentialcomics.com nailed it:
From Existential Comics: It is an enormous mistake to think people only defend the rich because they think one day they might be rich. Conservative women don't defend the patriarchy because they think one day they will be men. They do so because they believe in a natural hierarchy. People defend the rich because they believe in a society of masters and servants. That's it. Look at the Elon Musk fanboys. They don't want to be in charge themselves, they want Elon Musk to be in charge and they want to serve him. So they invent all sorts of mythology around him to justify his natural superiority and position. They want a kind of feudalism.
August 29, 2025 at 2:14 AM
shiftercat.bsky.social
From A.R. Moxon (JuliusGoat) Meet me in the middle, says the unjust man. You take a step toward him. He takes a step back. Meet me in the middle, says the unjust man.
August 27, 2025 at 2:39 AM
shiftercat.bsky.social
Truly a Wondrous Item.
Dress With Pockets, a D&D item from DropTheDie.com Wondrous Item, Varies (uncommon - legendary) This otherwise mundane yet stylish sundress has pockets that lead to an extradimensional space much larger than the dress itself. These dresses come in different varieties and rarities depending on the dimensions of the storage space and the protection offered to the wearer. The two pockets on either hip have a six-inch opening that leads into an extradimensional space. If the dress is overloaded, pierced, or torn, it ruptures and is destroyed, and its contents are scattered in the Astral Plane. Should the wearer be complimented on this dress and not respond, "Thanks, it has pockets!" all contents within the dress are lost, ejected into the Astral Plane. Breathing creatures inside pocket-space can survive up to a number of minutes equal to 10 divided by the number of creatures (minimum 1 minute), after which time they begin to suffocate. Placing a Dress With Pockets inside an extradimensional space created by a Handy Haversack, Portable Hole, Bag of Holding, or similar item instantly destroys both items and opens a gate to the Astral Plane. The gate originates where the item was placed inside the other. Any creature within 10 feet of the gate is sucked through it to a random location on the Astral Plane. The gate then closes. The gate is one-way only and can't be reopened. (Stats, cost, and AC bonuses for Uncommon, Rare, Very Rare, and Legendary versions of the Dress With Pockets.)
August 22, 2025 at 12:29 AM
shiftercat.bsky.social
One of our cats does the same thing to my spouse.
A black cat lying on a cream-coloured blanket decorated with brown hearts. She has all four of her paws wrapped around a man's arm.
August 10, 2025 at 9:15 PM
shiftercat.bsky.social
Kind of like this:
Cartoon by Lee Gatlin. Panel 1: A man asleep in his bed at night. Panel 2: Bats fly into the open window. Panel 3: With a "voit" sound effect, the bats have transformed into a stereotypical vampire, fangs bared in anticipation of his meal. Panel 4: A vampire hunter in a wide-brimmed hat appears behind the startled vampire, holding a wooden stake. Panel 5: The vampire is showing the vampire hunter the wall above his prospective victim's bed, which is hung with a Confederate flag, a swastika, an "America First" poster, and a "Keep Calm and Make America Great Again" sign. Panel 6: The vampire hunter is on his way out, tipping his hat to the vampire, who is one again bending over his victim's bed in a predatory fashion.
July 17, 2025 at 4:56 AM