A Statue Without A Belly

In our home, anniversaries aren’t just dates on a calendar — they’re milestones worth celebrating. We mark January 26th, the day of our first date, and the eighth of every month, our wedding anniversary. Most recently, we celebrated the anniversary of the day I proposed. It was our second, and we decided — why not make an evening of it?

My wife cooked us dinner; I brought home a dozen roses. We spent the night talking, sipping wine, and dancing between kisses. The mood was playful, the kind of night where teasing becomes its own love language.

As we flirted, I told her how stunning she looked. “Your new breasts look amazing,” I said, admiring her figure. She smiled mischievously and replied, “You’ve got amazing legs. If I were a sculptor, I’d carve everything below your waist.”

I gave her a puzzled look.

“I mean,” she clarified, “you have a belly.”

She wasn’t wrong. I laughed. “Wow. You only like me from the waist down?”

“Not true,” she said quickly, defending herself with a grin. “I love your penis, balls, legs, and feet. Just not the belly.”

“And my face?” I asked, half curious, half amused.

“And your face,” she said, smiling. “I’d sculpt your face, chest, and everything below your waist.”

Apparently, in her imagined marble masterpiece of me, I’d be a statue without a stomach — leaving the rest to the viewer’s imagination. 

AI generated

Where's the Chase?

Early in any relationship, there’s a natural rush — that moment when two people realize the chemistry is real and everything feels new and full of possibility. That was true for my wife and me when we started dating, and in many ways, that spark still remains.

Our beginning, though, unfolded differently from what most people imagine, yet probably familiar to couples who started dating right before the COVID lockdown. Instead of going out, our dates shifted to my place. 

There wasn’t much of a chase because we chose to ride out the uncertainty together. The usual “little black book” mindset disappeared for both of us. And honestly, without the lockdown forcing me to slow down, I might have sabotaged things — commitment wasn’t on my radar, and I’ve never been skilled at the chase.

Looking back now, I’m grateful I didn’t miss my chance. I found the person I want to build a life with. And yes, there’s still a bit of a chase between us — a playful one. She’s changed over time, and with her confidence growing after her breast enhancement, I admit a small sense of protectiveness kicks in, knowing others notice her too.

by Tom Toro for The New Yorker (Dec. 30, 2024)

Camila Cabello - Never Be the Same

Music Appreciation

I'll be honest, it was Camila Cabello that I was a fan of when she was in the girl group Fifth Harmony. Her looks, sensuality, and voice attracted me. So, naturally, I became a bigger fan when she went solo and debut her studio album, Camila, in 2018.

On December 7, 2017, Camila Cabello released “Never Be the Same” as a promotional single ahead of her debut solo album Camila. The song was written by Cabello alongside producers and writers including Noonie Bao and Sasha Sloan as well as Frank Dukes and the production duo Jarami. This creative team helped shape what became one of Cabello’s most successful solo tracks.

Lyrically and musically, the track presents a mid-tempo ballad grounded in pop and electro-R&B elements. The lyrics convey love as an addictive, almost drug-like experience, with lines such as “Just one hit of you, I knew I’ll never ever, ever be the same," underlining the sense of surrender and transformation that the protagonist experiences. 

The official music video, directed by Grant Singer and released March 8, 2018, marries polished fashion-forward scenes with raw, intimate hotel-room footage of Cabello. In contrast to the couture shots of Cabello standing on cliffs, submerged in water, or encased in oversized glass boxes, we also see her in a white robe in a hotel room telling the cameraman “Stop, turn it off,” suggesting a tension between public image and private self. 

Sources:

Wikipedia

https://www.iheart.com/content/2018-03-08-watch-camila-cabello-shine-in-her-dazzling-video-for-never-be-the-same

https://www.thefader.com/2017/12/07/camila-cabello-new-singles-never-be-the-same-real-friends

https://camilacabello.fandom.com/wiki/Never_Be_the_Same

Spinners: Tinzo - House / Soulful Grooves House Mix

via Book Club Radio 

Cosplay is an Art: MCM Comic Con London 2025

via Justin Cosplay

Gumiho Hannya

Model Appreciation

There’s something undeniably captivating about Gumiho Hannya—the kind of allure that stops your scroll mid-swipe. It starts with her striking green eyes, the kind that seem to see right through you, paired with her smooth ivory skin that glows even in the dim light of a convention floor. 

Whether she’s channeling a fierce demon queen or a playful anime heroine, she brings each character to life with a presence that’s both enchanting and just the right amount of mischievous.

Beyond the lens, Gumiho is a full-time creator with a dreamer’s heart and a gamer’s soul. Her feed is a treasure chest of meticulously crafted cosplays, nerdy nods to League of Legends and anime, and glimpses into her snake-filled sanctuary of pets with names straight out of Westeros. 

She’s the type who could slay a photoshoot in one moment and nerd out about folklore or psychology in the next—and yes, she might throw in a dance break or a cat cuddle session for good measure.

What makes Gumiho Hannya even more fun to follow is that she doesn’t just cosplay—she world-builds. Her fusion of Korean and Japanese mythology in her name is no accident: it’s a love letter to fantasy, storytelling, and transformation. 

Sources:

https://www.instagram.com/gumihohannya/

https://www.youtube.com/@GumihoHannya

https://www.famousbirthdays.com/people/gumiho-hannya.html

https://www.twitch.tv/gumihohannya/about

Somewhere Between Baby Einstein and Baby Chaos

I think many of us, at some point in our new-parent lives, have shared a moment like the one beautifully captured by cartoonist and illustrator R. Kikuo Johnson on the cover of The New Yorker.

For me, it stirred memories of my ex-wife, our tiny Maltese, and me collapsed on our beaten-up couch, watching our toddler stretch out on a red-and-black checkered mat — the kind supposedly designed to boost focus and attention. Back then, we were convinced high-contrast toys would unlock hidden baby genius. For a while, our living room looked like a black-and-white art installation with splashes of red.

Of course, that didn’t last. Within months, the floor vanished beneath a sea of toys — stuffed animals, musical gadgets, and plastic contraptions that promised to make our kid smarter, stronger, and possibly bilingual by age two. Let me clarify something: I bought toys I would’ve enjoyed as a toddler. My wife, on the other hand, stuck to toys and books that actually nurtured brain development. Together, we struck a balance — somewhere between baby Einstein and baby chaos.

by R Kikuo Johnson (@r_kikuo_johnson)