Michael Hartford

@mhartford

Ní chuirfidh mé m’asal amuigh nuair a bhíonn brón orm. Will block Nazis, crypto, bad AI, disingenuous bots, and scammers on sight, no apologies, no quarter. He/him.

1.604 Folgt705 Follower2.637 Posts

Bluesky

Ist das dein Profil?Übernimm es — dann gehört dir mhartford.dirty.social.Profil übernehmen

Michael Hartford@mhartford· 29d

#2026Reading: "The Other Side of Midnight" by Simone St. James - one of her inter-war historical romances, this one about psychics in London. I have no more of her historicals to read *sob* and only two of her contemporaries left; she needs to write more ... www.michael-hartford.com/2026-reads-t...

Michael Hartford@mhartford· 29d

I was thinking Dhalgren - I'll be watching nervously for a second moon to appear tonight.

Bantam Paperback cover of Samuel Delany's "Dhalgren," showing a ruined city with a giant red sun behind it.

Michael Hartford@mhartford· Jul 14

Some good books in this Little Free Library on 40th Ave and 35th Street

Books include the Earthsea trilogy and Red White & Royal Blue

Michael Hartford@mhartford· Jul 8

I had this when I was about 10, and understanding 1/3 would be an overestimation ... but it left a mark.

Cover of Doonsbury collection "Speaking of Inalienable Rights, Amy ..." showing a Nathan Harris (Zonker's colonial forebear) and his wife Amy in a four poster bed

Michael Hartford@mhartford· Jul 2

#2026Reading: "Love Life of a Cheltenham Lady" by Dinah Brooke - beautiful prose, and a modern tragedy full of pity and fear - not a fun read, exactly www.michael-hartford.com/2026-reads-l...

Michael Hartford@mhartford· Jun 26

Seen on my run - « Yes, you can take a cherry 🙂 »

Sidewalk chalk writing - Yes, you can take a cherry - out of frame, a cherry tree 🍒

Michael Hartford@mhartford· Jun 25

Name a film with a title that is a full sentence.

Blu-ray cover of "Let's Scare Jessica to Death" showing a woman emerging from a lake; this is a delightfully slow-burn freak out of a creepy movie that you absolutely must watch

Michael Hartford@mhartford· Jun 17

Name a TV show you're positive no one remembers but you.

"Salvage 1", a TV show that aired 16 episodes on ABC in 1979, starring Andy Griffith as a junk man, Joel Higgins as an ex-astronaut, and Trish Stewart as a renegade space scientist, who plan to salvage space junk left on the moon and bring it back to Earth to sell. "An ex-astronaut ... a fuel expert ... and a junkman built a rocketship and went to the moon. Who knows what they'll do next?" Isaac Asimov was one of the science advisors for the show.

Michael Hartford@mhartford· Jun 13

#2026Reading: "Lost Among the Living" by Simone St. James; another delightful inter-war Gothic - St. James is the true heir to Mary Stewart, I could read these stories all day www.michael-hartford.com/2026-reads-l...

Cover of "Lost Among the Living" by Simone St. James, showing a very gothic vine-covered mansion under a stormy sky

Michael Hartford@mhartford· Jun 12

#2026Reading: "Diosa" by Charles Rigdon; a ridiculous Gothic potboiler set in a geographically and historically absurd version of Belize, but kind of fun. If problematic. www.michael-hartford.com/2026-reads-d...

Cover of "Diosa" by Charles Rigdon; "Enthralling!" enthuses Janet Louise Roberts

Michael Hartford@mhartford· Jun 8

I'm sure "Nos Amis" was superseded in the '90s, but I have fond memories of the stories about the kids from Quebec City and the girl from Martinique.

Checkout card for a "Nos Amis" French text book, showing Diane, Adrienne, and Carrie had this copy from 85-89; it was new in 85 but only "fair" when it came back in 89 ...

Michael Hartford@mhartford· Jun 2

#2026Reading: "Cave Mountain" by Benjamin Hale; this book annoyed me more than is probably merited, but still ... www.michael-hartford.com/2026-reads-c...

Cover of "Cave Mountain: A Disappearance and a Reckoning in the Ozarks" by Keith Hale, featuring a black and white photo of a simple clapboard building in the fog

Michael Hartford@mhartford· May 27

The shareholders are no doubt happy with this quarter's dividend checks.

Tom Toro New Yorker cartoon: a man in a tattered business suit sites in front of a fire with children, post-apocalyptic vibe: "Yes, the planet got destroyed. But for a beautiful moment in time we created a lot of value for shareholders." https://www.insidehook.com/culture/story-tom-toro-new-yorker-climate-cartoon

Michael Hartford@mhartford· May 22

There's got to be a fun way to weaponize this against the slop machine ...

Image showing the AI Overview of a Google search for the word "Ignore":

"Understood! If there is anything else you need help with later—whether it's finding local spots in the Minneapolis area or researching a specific topic—just let me know."

Michael Hartford@mhartford· May 12

#2026Reading: "The Cleft" by Paul Tabori. I did not dig this attempt at satire from 1969. But for $1, I guess I can't complain too much. www.michael-hartford.com/2026-reads-t...

Michael Hartford@mhartford· May 11

#AllBangersNoSkips - "Short Sharp Shocked" by Michelle Shocked; I know things got weird for Shocked in 2013, but this record is still an absolute banger: "If Love Was A Train," "Black Widow," "Graffiti Limbo," that punky cover of "Fogtown" with MDC ... michelleshocked.com/product/shor...

Michael Hartford@mhartford· May 8

Billy Strayhorn sidewalk art

“Lush Life” written in chalk on the sidewalk; a week in Paris would indeed ease the bite of it …

Michael Hartford@mhartford· May 6

I love her "Wuthering Heights" series - perfectly nails the unpleasant weirdness of that book. www.harkavagrant.com/index.php?id...

Michael Hartford@mhartford· May 6

Good morning Mister Turkey! 🦃

Photograph of a wild turkey among some bushes, spotted at the end of 35th Street by Winchell Trail in south Minneapolis

Michael Hartford@mhartford· Apr 30

I saw it claimed by Will Stancil; not sure if it’s independently verified. There were also stories of ICE using dating apps to ensnare targets. 🤷‍♂️

From a Will Stancil post: “Okay this isn’t really happening anymore so I can tell you how l had “internal ICE sources”: the 3000 very stir-crazy ICE agents were all going wild on Minneapolis Tinder. Local girls would match with them and string them along for intel. They loved to brag about what they were doing all day”

Michael Hartford@mhartford· Apr 30

#2026Reading: "A Box Full of Darkness" by Simone St. James - a wonderfully spooky ride in the mysterious town of Fell. Some mysteries remain unsolved, but it's still a satisfying read www.michael-hartford.com/2026-reads-a...

Michael Hartford@mhartford· Apr 30

#2026Reading: "An Eye for an Eye" by Leigh Brackett -- the Queen of the Space Opera should be better known for her crime fiction than she is, if this tight little thriller is a representative sample - delightfully tense! www.michael-hartford.com/2026-reads-a...

Michael Hartford@mhartford· Apr 29

#2026Reading: "To the Dark Tower" by Lyda (Frank) Belknap Long - this one is just for the gluttons for punishment or collectors of pseudonymous paperbacks, as Long clearly didn't actually like Gothic novels. www.michael-hartford.com/2026-reads-t...

Michael Hartford@mhartford· Apr 29

#2026Reading: "All of Us Murderers" by KJ Charles, a delightful queer historical take on the Gothic www.michael-hartford.com/2026-reads-a...

Michael Hartford@mhartford· Apr 29

#2026Reading: "The Last September" by Elizabeth Bowen - the bomb of the Irish War of Independence lobbed into a Jane Austen drawing room; a fabulous read www.michael-hartford.com/2026-reads-t...

Michael Hartford@mhartford· Apr 28

Film you've watched more than six times with gif. I seldom watch this one intentionally, but if I stumble on it in progress I must see it through to the end.

Michael Hartford@mhartford· Apr 25

Day trip to Gouda, which involved cheese, a windmill, ice cream, and lots of walking

Cheese plate and bitterballen at the Kaas Bar in Gouda

Roode Leeuw (Red Lion) windmill in Gouda; the door was locked when we got there but I rattled it anyway. The keeper came out and as he had only just closed he lets us climb up for €2 cash each. A young couple arrived at the same time and we spotted them part of the admission because it’s worth it for the story.

View of Sint Janskerk from the top of the windmill; you can see the shadow of the sails.

Michael Hartford@mhartford· Apr 24

Amsterdam is heel mooi

Painted sign reading “wake me up when I’m famous” with rows of bikes parked in front of it; orange, pink, and purple tulips, too

Michael Hartford@mhartford· Apr 13

Also the Raggedy Ann & Andy animated musical takes up an unnatural amount of space in my head (especially the Greedy and the camel with the wrinkly knees)

Michael Hartford@mhartford· Apr 13

HR Pufnstuf still cavorts through my dreams; in my head canon, Living Island is next door to Ronald McDonald’s kingdom