In honor of International Networking Week (February 2-8), we bring you awkwardness.
According to terrestrial linguists, the root word awkward was first recorded in writing in Middle English somewhere around 1300-1350 AD, having arrived from Old Norse through Old English. They define awkwardness as a vague social discomfort caused by misread cues, nerves, or “just one of those moments.”
Yes, the word awkwardness comes from (more than) one of those moments...that no one really wanted in the official written record, but the memories of which went down in history plenty well through other means.
Awkwardness as a concept, and a word, is really the residual effect of clumsy first contact events, most likely with the Asgard. Of note: first contacts with Thor seem to be particularly uncomfortable in any timeline, on any world.
Evidence:
Stargate: SG-1 "Thor's Chariot," S2:E6
from Thor (2011) -- click to watch a 1 minute clip of one of Thor's many 'first contacts' on Earth
Later on, Starfleet tried very hard to prevent Thor's influence on us from causing even more 'networking issues' in the galaxy by creating strict first contact protocols. But despite translators, cultural modeling, and even careful exchanges of pre-studied pleasantries, awkwardness continued to make most first contact situations quite... memorable.
Consider a classic example: Captain Picard and Dathon in Darmok (Star Trek: TNG, S5:E2). The universal translator was functioning, but awkwardness escalated to confusion, frustration, suspicion, injury, and finally some near-death bonding (sci-fi's traditional solution to awkwardness), followed by a heroic-actual-death bonding (sci-fi's backup solution to awkwardness).
So the next time you meet someone and your conversation stalls, your joke falls flat, or the room goes quiet in a way that feels historically significant,
Be glad you're [probably] not a sci-fi character [yet]. Most likely, no one has to die.
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Shawnie and Darryl decided to go all-in on the concept of "You are what you eat." After executing a clandestine raid on the dishwasher while it was being loaded, they are both lucky to have made it unscathed to Shawnie's 3rd birthday ('officially' 2/15, the day we met her at the Chessie rescue two years ago)...
Shawnie's attempt at becoming a Ninja (found outside, in her 'hidey area,' complete with DNA evidence attached)
Darryl's attempt at becoming a Ninja (found in a Darryl fur outline on the office floor)
Meanwhile, Chicken is still hard at work on this one, I think:
Or maybe it's this one. I'm not sure, at this point, whether her blankie 'identifies' more as a blanket or as:
Chicken (15)
But at any rate, I think they've all underestimated the amounts of 💩 they've ingested in their lifetimes.
NOTE: TIME JUMPER HAS BEEN PAUSED FOR A FEW MONTHS BECAUSE IT'S BEEN DISTRACTING ME FROM WORKING ON THE EREBI. BUT IT WILL RETURN! You can catch up on previous chapters by going to the website (click the button below).
NOTE: Because my emails are the opposite of "shortish," this section will likely be clipped by your email client before you get to the end. Click here to go straight to *this* spot in the email on the web version for uninterrupted deal browsing!
What happens when a system designed to help starts making choices you never intended?
The blackout didn’t just kill the lights—it shattered understanding.
At Grindelwald monastery, David Reznor stops playing God, re-coding BabelCore for survival while letting humanity choose its own imperfect path.
Towers fall, languages fracture, and God remains sovereign—but now, for the first time, David must trust that scattered freedom is stronger than perfect control.
In a world ravaged by drought and ruled by the ruthless Sicarium, the resilience of a family is tested. Lenna and Devland struggle to protect their children amidst dwindling resources and constant danger. When the Sicarium arrive, their fight for survival escalates, leading to heartbreaking sacrifices and an uncertain future.
Can she collect enough fragments of her past before the nightmarish figure from her dreams catches up with her?
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As she wakes up in a bedroom she doesn’t recognize, Ellayne becomes increasingly aware of one thing: she has no memories—no identity—no name. Dark figures not only haunt her nightmares, but also stalk her in reality. Ellayne finds herself on the run, chased by a hooded archer with deadly aim.
*PSA: While I do try to pick books, giveaways, and sales that will be appealing to you in general, I definitely haven't read or screened every book... Use discretion while browsing (some may contain objectionable content).
Don't miss this Christian fiction promo that doesn't include any romance, literary, or historical romance books -- it's full of sci-fi, fantasy, action, and adventure! But it's only on until 2/28/26, so check it out today!
Thanks for reading this episode of The Blessed Bulletin! Let's connect on socials if we haven't already (or if you prefer that to emails). See you next month!
