July Challenge - Day 2
Jul. 2nd, 2025 10:50 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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poetry_fictionFrom Remember
Remember
The days of bondage—
And remembering—
Do not stand still.
Remember
The days of bondage—
And remembering—
Do not stand still.
pf_mod posting in poetry_fiction(no subject)
Jul. 2nd, 2025 11:38 pmconuly posting in agonyauntDear Care and Feeding,
Our house sits on a heavily wooded hill, and there isn’t much in terms of street lights—and no sidewalks. Though there are only a few houses on our bend of the road, we get people speeding through. We have new neighbors. The mother’s behavior is going to end in tragedy.
The neighbors have several very small children. The mom, for some unholy reason, thinks nothing of letting them bike in the street. She lets her babies ride around well ahead of her as she strolls leisurely several yards behind. I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it myself.
My husband has already had a close call with one of the kids. He was backing out and the toddler zoomed right behind the bumper. Luckily, my husband was paying attention and was fast to put his foot on the brake. Even going as slow as he was, just a few miles per hour, it would have been a tragedy if he hadn’t been alert.
The mother’s reaction was to lay into my husband for not being careful enough! The kicker is that she said her kids have a right to play in the street. (There is a park five blocks away, but that is too far for her to go, apparently.) My husband said it was a bad conversation.
What do we do here? It would haunt me if one of these kids got hit because their mother was too lazy to care.
—Blind Corner
( Read more... )
Our house sits on a heavily wooded hill, and there isn’t much in terms of street lights—and no sidewalks. Though there are only a few houses on our bend of the road, we get people speeding through. We have new neighbors. The mother’s behavior is going to end in tragedy.
The neighbors have several very small children. The mom, for some unholy reason, thinks nothing of letting them bike in the street. She lets her babies ride around well ahead of her as she strolls leisurely several yards behind. I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it myself.
My husband has already had a close call with one of the kids. He was backing out and the toddler zoomed right behind the bumper. Luckily, my husband was paying attention and was fast to put his foot on the brake. Even going as slow as he was, just a few miles per hour, it would have been a tragedy if he hadn’t been alert.
The mother’s reaction was to lay into my husband for not being careful enough! The kicker is that she said her kids have a right to play in the street. (There is a park five blocks away, but that is too far for her to go, apparently.) My husband said it was a bad conversation.
What do we do here? It would haunt me if one of these kids got hit because their mother was too lazy to care.
—Blind Corner
( Read more... )
![[syndicated profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/feed.png){kind=small}
Wimsey Quote Database
Jul. 2nd, 2025 08:22 pmbeatrice_otterThe hardest thing about writing Peter Wimsey fanfic is the quotes. Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vane have an encyclopedic knowledge of the literature of their era (and the literature that was considered classic/important in that era), and quote it often.
Today I posted on the Gaud Squad Discord that it would be awesome if we had a searchable database of the literature and poetry that they knew or could reasonably be expected to know, searchable by keyword and theme, so that one could look things up easily. And that I would be willing to do the data entry, but had not the technical skills to set it up.
supertailz responded by setting up a Notion instance and is noodling around with the technical aspects of it, so it looks like this is happening!
The easy part is getting the literature that Peter and Harriet quote added--all I have to do is read through the books (no hardship there!) and source the quotations. Although I know there are some annotated versions floating around, and if anyone has a copy of the annotations, that would be lovely.
The hard part is getting the right mix of things that Peter and Harriet would have known. Because what is considered "classic literature" changes over time. Some things rise in acclaim, some things fall out of favor. What would be really handy is a curriculum for Eton ca. 1900 and for Oxford ca. 1910, but so far I haven't found anything. Does anybody know how to search "what literary works were considered classics in 1920"? Or have a good list of where to start?
Today I posted on the Gaud Squad Discord that it would be awesome if we had a searchable database of the literature and poetry that they knew or could reasonably be expected to know, searchable by keyword and theme, so that one could look things up easily. And that I would be willing to do the data entry, but had not the technical skills to set it up.
supertailz responded by setting up a Notion instance and is noodling around with the technical aspects of it, so it looks like this is happening!
The easy part is getting the literature that Peter and Harriet quote added--all I have to do is read through the books (no hardship there!) and source the quotations. Although I know there are some annotated versions floating around, and if anyone has a copy of the annotations, that would be lovely.
The hard part is getting the right mix of things that Peter and Harriet would have known. Because what is considered "classic literature" changes over time. Some things rise in acclaim, some things fall out of favor. What would be really handy is a curriculum for Eton ca. 1900 and for Oxford ca. 1910, but so far I haven't found anything. Does anybody know how to search "what literary works were considered classics in 1920"? Or have a good list of where to start?
Second day in.
Jul. 2nd, 2025 10:01 pmhannahThinking it'd look more professional, I went with a messenger bag instead of a backpack today. As professional as it may have looked, I'm going to go back to the backpack. So much easier for so many things on so many levels, not the least of which is being able to ride a bike. Yes, I know bike messengers do it all the time. No, I'm not a professional bike messenger, and I'm unwilling to try. Especially if I'm already wearing a nice dress.
There wasn't much time to read at work, mostly because I'd been given an actual task to do: sorting through patient folders and setting aside old records to discard. Not as much fun as it'd have been if I'd had an MP3 player with me, and still satisfying to see the piles start to rise, and space in the drawers start to emerge. Where there's space in a drawer, there's objects to be discovered, and found my second office perk. A stain remover stick's not much, but it's still something I could take home with me. The first thing is a large can of cold brew coffee sitting in my fridge, waiting for a morning I need a jolt beyond all meaning.
There wasn't much time to read at work, mostly because I'd been given an actual task to do: sorting through patient folders and setting aside old records to discard. Not as much fun as it'd have been if I'd had an MP3 player with me, and still satisfying to see the piles start to rise, and space in the drawers start to emerge. Where there's space in a drawer, there's objects to be discovered, and found my second office perk. A stain remover stick's not much, but it's still something I could take home with me. The first thing is a large can of cold brew coffee sitting in my fridge, waiting for a morning I need a jolt beyond all meaning.
Tyler's birthday
Jul. 2nd, 2025 05:52 pmserafaeryhad a really nice day with Tyler. Quiet and gentle. I feel better. I would have rather hiked longer but my ankle is still bothering me from a father's day mishap, so maybe gentler is better, I don't know. Might go for an evening bike ride later, forage for some fresh rosemary. I'm out.
While we were up at angel's rest, I pointed out a bird that I thought was a turkey vulture - it's what I see most frequently in the gorge - but as I watched it gently soar by, a little above eye level, I could clearly see with no doubt that it was a juvenile bald eagle. I know these birds intimately now, after watching Gizmo and Sunny on the nest for three months. I could clearly see the eagle's face and body and feathers, there was no mistaking the species. It felt like it was looking at me. But there were also bunnies on the trail so more likely it was watching those, lol. We hiked early as per Tyler's preference - I would rather go later when there are fewer people. It was packed up there. This is the closest gorge hike to Portland, only a 30 minute drive, and parking is free.
I was grateful for the moment with the young eagle. The girls haven't been seen at the lake by the cameras or the locals who've been reporting on them. This is very concerning. Most eagles take 6-12 weeks to disperse. This has only been three weeks since fledging. The same thing has happened with all of Jackie's previous offspring, and all of her fledglings so far have died. I am not an eagle expert, but I know enough to know that they have to live by what's called "kleptoparasitism" for the first year of their lives, as they are not skilled enough to hunt live fish for themselves yet. So they must steal from other birds and scavenge to survive. Watching Sunny with the squirrel three weeks ago, they were nowhere near ready for that kind of life on their own - Jackie had to tear apart the squirrel for her. They need to learn from their parents, starting with collecting fish the parents drop, then stealing from their talons after a catch, etc. I just don't see how they've had time to learn enough of those skills yet.
(Edit - okay the youtube volunteer eagle experts do actually say 3-12 weeks after fledging is typical for dispersal. It still just seems too early, to me.)
I hope they are just exploring and seeing how far they can get on their own before they come back for more help from their parents. Because there are two of them - this is the first time Jackie has had two chicks survive long enough to fledge together - maybe they are emboldened to go a little further, since they have each other for support and reassurance. Supposedly, they sometimes revisit the nest for several weeks or even months after they fledge. Occasionally they will stay in the area for an entire year, I was selfishly hoping this would happen, even though it is so unusual, since the lake is full of fish and there are no other nesting eagle pairs in the area - it seems like a perfect place to scavenge discarded fish from people who are fishing and toss fish back that often don't survive, and also road kill since it is such a developed area. It would be more reassuring to know they had parental guidance for longer. But. Eagles are supposed to be nomadic until they mate, so this is all probably normal and natural and I should not fret so.
Regardless, it was nice to have a moment with a young eagle out in the wild, today.
We also saw bunnies, and ghost pipe.
Tyler shared his birthday treats with me, he wanted to make up for me not celebrating my own birthday in May, even though I reassured him that I didn't want to celebrate and having him at Green Ridge was all the gift I needed. I had some heavenly little tiny doughnuts from Pip's and a couple bites of a red velvet cupcake, and he got me a black rock cold brew with cream and cold foam and it was AMAZING, I had an almond milk latte from a black rock place years ago and it was awful so I didn't know they could make good drinks, but this was lovely. Birthday freebies are fun. :) I gave him a couple little gifts, too. I hope he had as much fun as I did.
While we were up at angel's rest, I pointed out a bird that I thought was a turkey vulture - it's what I see most frequently in the gorge - but as I watched it gently soar by, a little above eye level, I could clearly see with no doubt that it was a juvenile bald eagle. I know these birds intimately now, after watching Gizmo and Sunny on the nest for three months. I could clearly see the eagle's face and body and feathers, there was no mistaking the species. It felt like it was looking at me. But there were also bunnies on the trail so more likely it was watching those, lol. We hiked early as per Tyler's preference - I would rather go later when there are fewer people. It was packed up there. This is the closest gorge hike to Portland, only a 30 minute drive, and parking is free.
I was grateful for the moment with the young eagle. The girls haven't been seen at the lake by the cameras or the locals who've been reporting on them. This is very concerning. Most eagles take 6-12 weeks to disperse. This has only been three weeks since fledging. The same thing has happened with all of Jackie's previous offspring, and all of her fledglings so far have died. I am not an eagle expert, but I know enough to know that they have to live by what's called "kleptoparasitism" for the first year of their lives, as they are not skilled enough to hunt live fish for themselves yet. So they must steal from other birds and scavenge to survive. Watching Sunny with the squirrel three weeks ago, they were nowhere near ready for that kind of life on their own - Jackie had to tear apart the squirrel for her. They need to learn from their parents, starting with collecting fish the parents drop, then stealing from their talons after a catch, etc. I just don't see how they've had time to learn enough of those skills yet.
(Edit - okay the youtube volunteer eagle experts do actually say 3-12 weeks after fledging is typical for dispersal. It still just seems too early, to me.)
I hope they are just exploring and seeing how far they can get on their own before they come back for more help from their parents. Because there are two of them - this is the first time Jackie has had two chicks survive long enough to fledge together - maybe they are emboldened to go a little further, since they have each other for support and reassurance. Supposedly, they sometimes revisit the nest for several weeks or even months after they fledge. Occasionally they will stay in the area for an entire year, I was selfishly hoping this would happen, even though it is so unusual, since the lake is full of fish and there are no other nesting eagle pairs in the area - it seems like a perfect place to scavenge discarded fish from people who are fishing and toss fish back that often don't survive, and also road kill since it is such a developed area. It would be more reassuring to know they had parental guidance for longer. But. Eagles are supposed to be nomadic until they mate, so this is all probably normal and natural and I should not fret so.
Regardless, it was nice to have a moment with a young eagle out in the wild, today.
We also saw bunnies, and ghost pipe.
Tyler shared his birthday treats with me, he wanted to make up for me not celebrating my own birthday in May, even though I reassured him that I didn't want to celebrate and having him at Green Ridge was all the gift I needed. I had some heavenly little tiny doughnuts from Pip's and a couple bites of a red velvet cupcake, and he got me a black rock cold brew with cream and cold foam and it was AMAZING, I had an almond milk latte from a black rock place years ago and it was awful so I didn't know they could make good drinks, but this was lovely. Birthday freebies are fun. :) I gave him a couple little gifts, too. I hope he had as much fun as I did.
so that just happened
Jul. 2nd, 2025 08:26 pmmickeymI just got a lecture -- voiced as a "concern" -- about overdrafting my checking account to buy groceries. This from someone who just overdrafted HER bank account so she could cook a "romantic, date-night meal" for her girlfriend, and she got some fireworks for Friday.
And then she fussed about how if we buy "too many groceries" it won't leave room for their groceries in the fridge, and what if my account gets shut down, and then if we get kicked out, where are THEY going to live, and on and on.
RENT IS PAID. And I'd like to eat for the next several weeks. Do I want to overdraft my account? No, I don't. Is it a smart move? No, but I'm out of money. And it's none of her fucking business, in any case. In six months, she and Megan have paid the water bill once, bought groceries twice, maybe three times (and I overdrafted my account at least twice to buy groceries when we were still buying for them, too), and paid exactly $200 in rent to us. We asked for $400, and they said no, they can't afford that, can it be $300... and then they haven't even paid for the full month of June. Maybe I wouldn't have to fucking overdraft my account if they helped fucking pay anything.
And then she fussed about how if we buy "too many groceries" it won't leave room for their groceries in the fridge, and what if my account gets shut down, and then if we get kicked out, where are THEY going to live, and on and on.
RENT IS PAID. And I'd like to eat for the next several weeks. Do I want to overdraft my account? No, I don't. Is it a smart move? No, but I'm out of money. And it's none of her fucking business, in any case. In six months, she and Megan have paid the water bill once, bought groceries twice, maybe three times (and I overdrafted my account at least twice to buy groceries when we were still buying for them, too), and paid exactly $200 in rent to us. We asked for $400, and they said no, they can't afford that, can it be $300... and then they haven't even paid for the full month of June. Maybe I wouldn't have to fucking overdraft my account if they helped fucking pay anything.
current reading (spolsky 1/?)
Jul. 2nd, 2025 03:56 pmthistleingreyIn almost two months, I've read about 15% of Bernard Spolsky's The Languages of the Jews (slowness is a me-issue). By the 15% point, the book has summarized contemporary usage of Hebrew in Israel, then begun examining historical usage of Hebrew from earliest to more recent. So far, Spolsky tries to assert rather than tuck away his assumptions, which I appreciate. I've read some work by philologists and historical linguists on other language families, and a historical treatment by a sociolinguist who's aware of his strengths is a lovely thing.
( a couple of the book's assumptions and something cool it does with them )
( a couple of the book's assumptions and something cool it does with them )
ten. good. things.
Jul. 2nd, 2025 11:22 pmkaberett(Yeah I'm struggling with the ukpol news at the moment, and feeling especially bleak about this FOI response in particular. Maybe I will manage to pull together a post of useful "please write to your MP about the UC/PIP bill" tomorrow, given I've got them all open in tabs to do so anyway.)
( Read more... )
[ SECRET POST #6753 ]
Jul. 2nd, 2025 06:08 pmcase posting in fandomsecrets⌈ Secret Post #6753 ⌋
Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.
01.
( More! )
Notes:
Secrets Left to Post: 01 pages, 13 secrets from Secret Submission Post #965.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 1 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.
You think one plus seven seven seven makes two
Jul. 2nd, 2025 04:55 pmsovayI was so transfixed by the Bittersweets' "Hurtin' Kind" (1967) that I sat in the car in front of my house listening until it was done. The 1965 original is solid, stoner-flavored garage rock with its keyboard stomp and harmonica wail, but the all-female cover has that guitar line like a Shepard tone, the ghostly descant in the vocals, the singer's voice falling off at the end of every verse: it sounds like an out-of-body experience of heartbreak. The outro comes on like a prelude to Patti Smith.
If I had a nickel for every time I heard two songs about mental unwellness within the same couple of hours, actually I'd be swimming in nickels, but I appreciated the contrast of the slow-rolling dread-flashover of Doechii's "Anxiety" (2025) with Marmozets' "Major System Error" (2017) just crashing in at gale force panic attack. Hat-tip torushthatspeaks for the former. I must say that I am missing my extinct music blogs much less now that I spend so much time in the car with college radio on.
"Who'll Stand with Us?" (2025) is the most Billy Bragg-like song I have heard from the Dropkick Murphys and a little horrifically timely.
Non-musically, I think I might explode. The curse tablets are not cutting it.
If I had a nickel for every time I heard two songs about mental unwellness within the same couple of hours, actually I'd be swimming in nickels, but I appreciated the contrast of the slow-rolling dread-flashover of Doechii's "Anxiety" (2025) with Marmozets' "Major System Error" (2017) just crashing in at gale force panic attack. Hat-tip to
rushthatspeaks for the former. I must say that I am missing my extinct music blogs much less now that I spend so much time in the car with college radio on."Who'll Stand with Us?" (2025) is the most Billy Bragg-like song I have heard from the Dropkick Murphys and a little horrifically timely.
Non-musically, I think I might explode. The curse tablets are not cutting it.
Nominations Query 3
Jul. 2nd, 2025 11:04 pmtentaclemod posting in raremaleslashexPlease check if your nominations have been approved and are appearing correctly. If there are mistakes, please report them here or at tentaclemod@gmail.com. There are 153 nominations left to approve.
Please reply to the questions within 24 hours.
Please reply to the questions within 24 hours.
- Слабое сердце - Фёдор Достоевский | A Faint Heart - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Arkady/Vasily I can't find any reference to a Vasily by searching the book on Google. Is that Vasya?- 鬼滅の刃 | Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba (Manga)
Could the nominator please help us find the character Tsukiguni Yoriichi/21st Fire Hashira — is that the Flame Hasira?- Our Flag Means Death (TV)
Captain Flint | James McGraw/Israel Hands,
Samuel "Black Sam" Bellamy/Israel Hands - These don’t seem to be canonical characters, can we move these to Crossover Fandoms?- What We Do in the Shadows (TV)
How does Israel Hands belong here? Could the nominator explain?
- What We Do in the Shadows (TV)
- Our Flag Means Death (TV)
- 鬼滅の刃 | Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba (Manga)
A Song on the End of the World by Czeslaw Milosz
Jul. 3rd, 2025 05:00 pmconulyOn the day the world ends
A bee circles a clover,
A fisherman mends a glimmering net.
Happy porpoises jump in the sea,
By the rainspout young sparrows are playing
And the snake is gold-skinned as it should always be.
On the day the world ends
Women walk through the fields under their umbrellas,
A drunkard grows sleepy at the edge of a lawn,
Vegetable peddlers shout in the street
And a yellow-sailed boat comes nearer the island,
The voice of a violin lasts in the air
And leads into a starry night.
And those who expected lightning and thunder
Are disappointed.
And those who expected signs and archangels’ trumps
Do not believe it is happening now.
As long as the sun and the moon are above,
As long as the bumblebee visits a rose,
As long as rosy infants are born
No one believes it is happening now.
Only a white-haired old man, who would be a prophet
Yet is not a prophet, for he’s much too busy,
Repeats while he binds his tomatoes:
There will be no other end of the world,
There will be no other end of the world.
Warsaw, 1944
***
Link
A bee circles a clover,
A fisherman mends a glimmering net.
Happy porpoises jump in the sea,
By the rainspout young sparrows are playing
And the snake is gold-skinned as it should always be.
On the day the world ends
Women walk through the fields under their umbrellas,
A drunkard grows sleepy at the edge of a lawn,
Vegetable peddlers shout in the street
And a yellow-sailed boat comes nearer the island,
The voice of a violin lasts in the air
And leads into a starry night.
And those who expected lightning and thunder
Are disappointed.
And those who expected signs and archangels’ trumps
Do not believe it is happening now.
As long as the sun and the moon are above,
As long as the bumblebee visits a rose,
As long as rosy infants are born
No one believes it is happening now.
Only a white-haired old man, who would be a prophet
Yet is not a prophet, for he’s much too busy,
Repeats while he binds his tomatoes:
There will be no other end of the world,
There will be no other end of the world.
Warsaw, 1944
Link
Poll: Location, location, location (drama)
Jul. 3rd, 2025 08:57 amchina_shop posting in sid_guardianPoll #33318 Location, location, location
Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 7
What's your favourite location in the show?
View Answers
the main room at the SID
4 (66.7%)
Zhao Yunlan's flat
4 (66.7%)
Shen Wei's office
1 (16.7%)
the Dijun's palace
0 (0.0%)
the Sky Pillar in its field of ruins
1 (16.7%)
the SID lab
0 (0.0%)
the Inspectorate lab
0 (0.0%)
Shen Wei's flat
2 (33.3%)
the streets of Dragon City
1 (16.7%)
the streets of Dixing
1 (16.7%)
the Dixing bar
2 (33.3%)
the Allied Forces Head Quarters (YOHE)
0 (0.0%)
other (please specify)
1 (16.7%)
When we first see Da Qing in Ye Olde Haixing Era, how long has he been wandering around looking for Kunlun?
View Answers
thanks to the Hallows' planning, only a few hours
2 (28.6%)
a day or less
1 (14.3%)
several days
0 (0.0%)
one to two weeks
0 (0.0%)
he kept getting distracted chasing mice and birds, so more than two weeks
2 (28.6%)
Shen Wei sent news of his benefactor (short hair; strange weapon) to Ma Gui and Fu You, who did the math and sent Da Qing out to find him, so less than an hour
5 (71.4%)
other (please specify)
1 (14.3%)
The Way Up is Death, by Dan Hanks
Jul. 2nd, 2025 01:39 pmrachelmanija
In a prologue that's very Terry Pratchett-esque without actually being funny, an enormous floating tower appears in England, becomes a 12-hour wonder, and is then forgotten as people have short attention spans. Then thirteen random people suddenly vanish from their lives and appear at the base of the tower, facing the command ASCEND.
I normally love stories about people dealing with inexplicable alien architecture. This was the most boring and unimaginative version of that idea I've ever read. Each level is a death trap based on something in one of their minds - a video game, The Poseidon Adventure, an old home - but less interesting than that sounds. The action was repetitive, the characters were paper-thin, and one, an already-dated influencer, was actively painful to read:
Time to give her the Alpha Male rizzzzzzz, baby!
The ending was, unsurprisingly, also a cliche.
( Read more... )
Life advice
Jul. 2nd, 2025 04:35 pmpetraDo not allow ants in your pants. They might bite you on the genitals, which would Really, Really Hurt. They do not make you fidgety; they make you miserable.
Dear NFE Writer!
Jul. 2nd, 2025 01:49 pmedenfallingNote: I am repurposing my stock Yuletide letter here, which is why some of the sections may seem slightly off-topic for a single fandom exchange.
Hi, and thank you in advance for writing a story for me! I'm pretty easy to please -- unless you write context-free porn, I'll be thrilled just to get a response to one of my prompts. *grin* But I realize that's not terribly helpful, so here's the (very!) long version. (I am sorry for the tl;dr, but I like to talk about things I love and I figure more details are better than fewer.)
---------------
( General Information )
Okay. On to specific prompts.
---------------
( Jadis & the Gods of the Narnian World )
---------------
( The Secret Life of Lasaraleen's Pet Monkey )
---------------
( Arthuriana & Morgan Le Fay )
---------------
( Telmarine Aeneid )
---------------
( Journey to an Alternate Charn )
---------------------------------------------
And that is that.
Hi, and thank you in advance for writing a story for me! I'm pretty easy to please -- unless you write context-free porn, I'll be thrilled just to get a response to one of my prompts. *grin* But I realize that's not terribly helpful, so here's the (very!) long version. (I am sorry for the tl;dr, but I like to talk about things I love and I figure more details are better than fewer.)
---------------
( General Information )
Okay. On to specific prompts.
---------------
( Jadis & the Gods of the Narnian World )
---------------
( The Secret Life of Lasaraleen's Pet Monkey )
---------------
( Arthuriana & Morgan Le Fay )
---------------
( Telmarine Aeneid )
---------------
( Journey to an Alternate Charn )
---------------------------------------------
And that is that.
What I'm Doing Wednesday
Jul. 2nd, 2025 01:42 pmsagebooks
Astrology for Yourself: How to Understand And Interpret Your Own Birth Chart by Demetra George, Douglas Bloch MA. Rev 2006. A bit outdated in terms of social examples, but the basics are sound.
not quite finished with: Chiron and the Healing Journey: An Astrological and Psychological Perspective by Melanie Reinhart. 2009 ed. Super creepy case studies, esp Jonestown, pre-De Klerk South Africa.
yarning
Didn't go to yarn group, though I was dressed, packed up, and ready to leave. I just couldn't get myself to get into the car and go. Or to work on the languishing bunnies on my own. It's true that crochet still hurts my shoulder and I haven't kept up my PT for it, but seeing people in person again would have been nice. And good for me.
( healthcrap )
fandom
Interview with the Vampire S3 is filming, and my tumblr dash is full of pics. It's delightful. I watched Murderbot through 1.6 & haven't yet caught up with the most recent 2 eps. So excited, though, to read that Martha Wells is polishing the final edits on the new Murderbot novella!
astrology
I'm studying hard, and it feels really good to be learning (and relearning) so much again.
#resist
July 4: Independence Day Boycott/Free America Protest/Weekend of Community Events
July 17: Good Trouble Lives On Day of Action (in honor of John Lewis, who died 7/17/2000)
I hope all of y'all are doing well & we US-ians have a happy Fourth of July weekend! If you go to a protest/march, please be safe! <333
Astrology for Yourself: How to Understand And Interpret Your Own Birth Chart by Demetra George, Douglas Bloch MA. Rev 2006. A bit outdated in terms of social examples, but the basics are sound.
not quite finished with: Chiron and the Healing Journey: An Astrological and Psychological Perspective by Melanie Reinhart. 2009 ed. Super creepy case studies, esp Jonestown, pre-De Klerk South Africa.
yarning
Didn't go to yarn group, though I was dressed, packed up, and ready to leave. I just couldn't get myself to get into the car and go. Or to work on the languishing bunnies on my own. It's true that crochet still hurts my shoulder and I haven't kept up my PT for it, but seeing people in person again would have been nice. And good for me.
( healthcrap )
fandom
Interview with the Vampire S3 is filming, and my tumblr dash is full of pics. It's delightful. I watched Murderbot through 1.6 & haven't yet caught up with the most recent 2 eps. So excited, though, to read that Martha Wells is polishing the final edits on the new Murderbot novella!
astrology
I'm studying hard, and it feels really good to be learning (and relearning) so much again.
#resist
July 4: Independence Day Boycott/Free America Protest/Weekend of Community Events
July 17: Good Trouble Lives On Day of Action (in honor of John Lewis, who died 7/17/2000)
I hope all of y'all are doing well & we US-ians have a happy Fourth of July weekend! If you go to a protest/march, please be safe! <333
June Album Choice
Jul. 2nd, 2025 07:39 pmglindaJune’s album is Last Summer Effect by Last Summer Effect. This album feels a bit like a cheat, but it is an album that came out last month, and I did have it on heavy rotation for the rest of the month because I liked it. The reason it feels like a cheat is that one of our freelancer’s at work is a sound engineer and worked on it, and the reason I even heard this album is that he dropped the Spotify link in our team group chat the day it came out with a plea to share it about/give it a listen. (By his own admittance they were the band he was in at eighteen, so he might even be playing on it too.) So I stuck it on in the background while making brunch after a night in the pub, to do a colleague a solid on the stats front and ended up really liking the vibe.
It’s kinda…It’s kind of an emo album I think. A bit Hundred Reasons I think, all crunchy guitars and soulful emoting singing. It’s not really my taste in music any more, but twenty years ago it would have been absolutely my jam and I’d have loved this album. (This album came out last month, but the only reason it couldn’t have come out twenty years ago is that the band would have barely been in double digits at that point, but my point stands, it should have come out on Chemical Underground some time between 2005 and 2009 - which is not far off given that the band were officially together between 2010 and 2013!) It feels like stumbling across an album released by a tiny band I saw at a gig when I was twenty, that I saw twice, followed on MySpace and bought a hand-burned EP off the band at the back of the gig. If one of those bands had miraculously got hold of some decent production values, the harmonies and production are pretty lush - Steve does know what he’s about. It sounds like sunny hungover mornings in friends flats after gigs, or big nights out. (The smell of stale sweat, flat beer and other people’s dead cigarettes hanging in the air.) I’m really not sure if there’s actually a market for this that isn’t millennial nostalgia, I probably wouldn’t have listened to it if they weren’t friends of friends, but that could go for a great number of bands I listened to from that actual period of time too. I keep putting it on to listen to while I do other things so nostalgia or not, so clearly present day me rather likes it too.
It’s kinda…It’s kind of an emo album I think. A bit Hundred Reasons I think, all crunchy guitars and soulful emoting singing. It’s not really my taste in music any more, but twenty years ago it would have been absolutely my jam and I’d have loved this album. (This album came out last month, but the only reason it couldn’t have come out twenty years ago is that the band would have barely been in double digits at that point, but my point stands, it should have come out on Chemical Underground some time between 2005 and 2009 - which is not far off given that the band were officially together between 2010 and 2013!) It feels like stumbling across an album released by a tiny band I saw at a gig when I was twenty, that I saw twice, followed on MySpace and bought a hand-burned EP off the band at the back of the gig. If one of those bands had miraculously got hold of some decent production values, the harmonies and production are pretty lush - Steve does know what he’s about. It sounds like sunny hungover mornings in friends flats after gigs, or big nights out. (The smell of stale sweat, flat beer and other people’s dead cigarettes hanging in the air.) I’m really not sure if there’s actually a market for this that isn’t millennial nostalgia, I probably wouldn’t have listened to it if they weren’t friends of friends, but that could go for a great number of bands I listened to from that actual period of time too. I keep putting it on to listen to while I do other things so nostalgia or not, so clearly present day me rather likes it too.
Wednesday Did In Fact Happen
Jul. 3rd, 2025 04:16 amtygerNot that I did HUGE amounts, but I did finally fucking shower, so there's that.
Sibling came over for a bit to bash nails back in - took way less time than expected, the floor really is in good condition.
Cats are both pretty snuggly at the moment, which is extremely nice. :3
Your regular Wednesday service has been deferred
Jul. 2nd, 2025 06:56 pmoursinFor hedjog is going floppp.
Travel troubles today: being unable to see where the hell the alleged railway station near hotel was, and taking a taxi instead; railway out of order this evening, Ubers were summoned to take participants to hotel.
Yr hedjog was Living Bit of History in opening roundtable.
And in later sessions, there was a certain amount of That There Dr oursin going on in the questions/comments....
Some good conversation - even if hearing aids not too helpful in crowded rooms - but have noped out from evening meal, feeling too tired, will go for light meal here and early night (I hope).
wherein Liz has moved!
Jul. 2nd, 2025 12:26 pmedenfallingHey, quick update: I am IN MINNESOTA!
More specifically, I am in my parents' basement, because apparently this is my current millennial life milestone to hit. *wry*
Anyway, the U-boxes were delivered on Monday, we sorted and packed Tuesday and Wednesday, and then decided to order a third U-box because my dad was uneasy about the weight limits. So on Thursday the delivery guy (who is also apparently the local warehouse manager) picked up one box that we had completed and dropped off an empty replacement. We finished packing both boxes that afternoon and moved on to packing the cars and cleaning. Friday morning the delivery guy picked up the two remaining U-boxes, we finished cleaning, and I turned in my keys to Landlord Dude in return for my security deposit refund.
(I stayed in my parents' hotel room Wednesday and Thursday nights, since we packed my bed on Wednesday.)
Then we drove from Ithaca to the Twin Cities in two days (Friday and Saturday), which was kind of a lot and included two stints on local city streets in downtown Chicago because of a nasty traffic jam on I-90. My mom kept going through stoplights just as they turned yellow so I had to follow on red; it was extremely stressful. But we made it!
I have spent the past few days changing addresses with assorted companies and getting my license, car title, and car registration switched from NY to MN. Today I may or may not see about getting a local library card and visiting a Verizon store to see if they can clear some unwanted apps off my phone (I would do this myself but they came pre-installed and don't seem to have a delete option) and also ask about international calls to/from Canada. Also I will try switching my car insurance and AAA membership to MN -- I couldn't do either of those before I got my car paperwork dealt with.
We have been eating down some food brought from my fridge and freezer, since my parents' freezer was very full already. I have seen Vicky briefly when she picked up Alfie (her dog) Sunday evening -- my parents were watching him while Vicky and some friends were staffing a booth/table at a local Pride festival. Also my dad had a colonoscopy yesterday, my mom had a cardioversion this morning (for her afibrillation), and my aunt should currently be getting knee replacements. It has been a medically exciting week!
I believe I still have one refill left for both of my prescriptions, and my Ithaca pharmacy said that although they can't mail medications, I can have a Minnesota pharmacy contact them and they can transfer the authorization. So that is a relief, though I should still find a local primary care doctor sooner rather than later.
Oh! And signups for the 2025 Narnia Fic Exchange are open until July 11, so if you have any interest, please check that out over atnarniaexchange!
More specifically, I am in my parents' basement, because apparently this is my current millennial life milestone to hit. *wry*
Anyway, the U-boxes were delivered on Monday, we sorted and packed Tuesday and Wednesday, and then decided to order a third U-box because my dad was uneasy about the weight limits. So on Thursday the delivery guy (who is also apparently the local warehouse manager) picked up one box that we had completed and dropped off an empty replacement. We finished packing both boxes that afternoon and moved on to packing the cars and cleaning. Friday morning the delivery guy picked up the two remaining U-boxes, we finished cleaning, and I turned in my keys to Landlord Dude in return for my security deposit refund.
(I stayed in my parents' hotel room Wednesday and Thursday nights, since we packed my bed on Wednesday.)
Then we drove from Ithaca to the Twin Cities in two days (Friday and Saturday), which was kind of a lot and included two stints on local city streets in downtown Chicago because of a nasty traffic jam on I-90. My mom kept going through stoplights just as they turned yellow so I had to follow on red; it was extremely stressful. But we made it!
I have spent the past few days changing addresses with assorted companies and getting my license, car title, and car registration switched from NY to MN. Today I may or may not see about getting a local library card and visiting a Verizon store to see if they can clear some unwanted apps off my phone (I would do this myself but they came pre-installed and don't seem to have a delete option) and also ask about international calls to/from Canada. Also I will try switching my car insurance and AAA membership to MN -- I couldn't do either of those before I got my car paperwork dealt with.
We have been eating down some food brought from my fridge and freezer, since my parents' freezer was very full already. I have seen Vicky briefly when she picked up Alfie (her dog) Sunday evening -- my parents were watching him while Vicky and some friends were staffing a booth/table at a local Pride festival. Also my dad had a colonoscopy yesterday, my mom had a cardioversion this morning (for her afibrillation), and my aunt should currently be getting knee replacements. It has been a medically exciting week!
I believe I still have one refill left for both of my prescriptions, and my Ithaca pharmacy said that although they can't mail medications, I can have a Minnesota pharmacy contact them and they can transfer the authorization. So that is a relief, though I should still find a local primary care doctor sooner rather than later.
Oh! And signups for the 2025 Narnia Fic Exchange are open until July 11, so if you have any interest, please check that out over at
narniaexchange!
(no subject)
Jul. 2nd, 2025 06:09 pmbeccaelizabethToday the weather is Much Better, and I could go for a Nice Walk in the light rain and nice temperatures.
The rain appears to have stopped while I had a nap but the temperature remains.
I hope there is a decent amount of rain soon because the Ducks were in substantially less Pond than is traditional. They had a duck exclusive mud beach. Pond was still present but it looked, like, concentrated, or possibly stewed. That seems less than ideal for the ducks.
I have been watching more Doctor Who and have started on 11 and Clara, and I am ... actually sort of creeped out by how little of these I remember. Couple of images, major plot point, funny bit, but not the actual episodes. Which, great, I get new again Doctor Who, and these are solid stories. But, this is not how my brain usually works and it feels. Bad.
But plus point, I continue to enjoy Doctor Who.
I liked singing and storytelling as a solution.
And evil wifi as a problem, when the problem is connecting to strange networks. Modern fairy tale don't go in the woods.
Leaving my windows open is only having moderate impact on indoor temperatures so the specifically my flat bit of the world is still slightly having a heatwave.
But I quite like sitting in front of the fan watching Doctor Who, so that works out okays.
The rain appears to have stopped while I had a nap but the temperature remains.
I hope there is a decent amount of rain soon because the Ducks were in substantially less Pond than is traditional. They had a duck exclusive mud beach. Pond was still present but it looked, like, concentrated, or possibly stewed. That seems less than ideal for the ducks.
I have been watching more Doctor Who and have started on 11 and Clara, and I am ... actually sort of creeped out by how little of these I remember. Couple of images, major plot point, funny bit, but not the actual episodes. Which, great, I get new again Doctor Who, and these are solid stories. But, this is not how my brain usually works and it feels. Bad.
But plus point, I continue to enjoy Doctor Who.
I liked singing and storytelling as a solution.
And evil wifi as a problem, when the problem is connecting to strange networks. Modern fairy tale don't go in the woods.
Leaving my windows open is only having moderate impact on indoor temperatures so the specifically my flat bit of the world is still slightly having a heatwave.
But I quite like sitting in front of the fan watching Doctor Who, so that works out okays.
PSA: The People's Union USA economic boycotts for July
Jul. 2nd, 2025 11:58 amride_4everThe economic boycotts led by The People's Union USA for the month of July: Amazon, Home Depot, Starbucks.
For more details, see this Newsweek article.
For more details, see this Newsweek article.
Adventures of Superman #453
Jul. 2nd, 2025 06:10 pmiamrman posting in scans_dailyWords and art: Jerry Ordway
Superman: Exile.
Oxygen deprivation is making Superman hallucinate ghosts of his past.
( Read more... )
The Farthest Shore by Ursula K. Le Guin (1972)
Jul. 2nd, 2025 12:21 pmpauraqueMany years have passed since The Tombs of Atuan, and Ged is now Archmage of Roke, the highest magical authority of Earthsea. One day the young prince of Enlad arrives with ill tidings: outside the safety of Roke's impenetrable enchantments, magic is disappearing from the world. Spells and songs are forgotten and the people are falling into despair. Ged and Prince Arren set out to find the cause, a quest that will lead them to realize their own respective destinies.
Even though I have read this book many times, I still find it almost shockingly good. Sometimes when reading it I have a wild urge to shake it and demand how?! how are you so good?? But that might be a little weird so I try to restrain myself.
It's a short book, but well-paced, and I think it feels longer than it is. It is a book where not that much actually "happens" in terms of plot events, and the main things that do happen are signposted fairly early on, so they're not surprises and they're not meant to be. The characters spend a lot of time traveling over sea and land and having thoughtful conversations about the nature of life, death, power, and what they are doing; the book is content to sit with them and listen. The beauty of the language and the depth of what's discussed make it a wonderful book to sink into and feel that there is space to think.
( cut for vaguely spoilery discussion that assumes you've read the book )
This was supposed to be the final book of the series, and it was 18 years before Le Guin added book four. If I stick to my planned re-read schedule, it's going to be just about a year until I get to Tehanu. It is tempting to skip ahead! But part of why I'm doing this chronologically is that I want to look at Le Guin's development as a writer over time and how she went from being the author who wrote A Wizard of Earthsea to being the author who wrote Tehanu. We've got a ways to go yet.
Even though I have read this book many times, I still find it almost shockingly good. Sometimes when reading it I have a wild urge to shake it and demand how?! how are you so good?? But that might be a little weird so I try to restrain myself.
It's a short book, but well-paced, and I think it feels longer than it is. It is a book where not that much actually "happens" in terms of plot events, and the main things that do happen are signposted fairly early on, so they're not surprises and they're not meant to be. The characters spend a lot of time traveling over sea and land and having thoughtful conversations about the nature of life, death, power, and what they are doing; the book is content to sit with them and listen. The beauty of the language and the depth of what's discussed make it a wonderful book to sink into and feel that there is space to think.
( cut for vaguely spoilery discussion that assumes you've read the book )
This was supposed to be the final book of the series, and it was 18 years before Le Guin added book four. If I stick to my planned re-read schedule, it's going to be just about a year until I get to Tehanu. It is tempting to skip ahead! But part of why I'm doing this chronologically is that I want to look at Le Guin's development as a writer over time and how she went from being the author who wrote A Wizard of Earthsea to being the author who wrote Tehanu. We've got a ways to go yet.
Ideas to block the current bill
Jul. 2nd, 2025 11:23 amfabrisse posting in thisfinecrewThere are 17 medical professionals in the current House of Representatives. 11 are Republicans. Trying to argue on most issues with the bill is difficult with such a tight deadline, but the one item most people -- including Congressional Representatives -- are reacting to negatively is the closure of Rural and Regional hospitals. This should be a negative for all of the Republicans, but the ones who understand what lack of medical provision can do should be especially ripe to listen, perhaps even be persuaded.
I live in Georgia. Rich McCormick is Georgia District 6, and I live in District 1. But he's more likely to respond to someone from the same state, especially if he has Senate or Gubernatorial ambitions in the future.
The list I found is through The Patients Action Network. If you are in a District with one of these Republican representatives, particularly if they specialize in Emergency or Family medicine, start calling and/or emailing. If you are in the same state, email them and let them know you have a long memory if they're thinking of statewide offices.
In the meantime, send support to the few Republicans in the House who have already voted against it and continue to oppose it. At the very least, let's make them miss their deadline for vacation.
I live in Georgia. Rich McCormick is Georgia District 6, and I live in District 1. But he's more likely to respond to someone from the same state, especially if he has Senate or Gubernatorial ambitions in the future.
The list I found is through The Patients Action Network. If you are in a District with one of these Republican representatives, particularly if they specialize in Emergency or Family medicine, start calling and/or emailing. If you are in the same state, email them and let them know you have a long memory if they're thinking of statewide offices.
In the meantime, send support to the few Republicans in the House who have already voted against it and continue to oppose it. At the very least, let's make them miss their deadline for vacation.
Squid Game Season 3
Jul. 2nd, 2025 05:33 pmprofiterole_readsNetflix's k-drama Squid Game Season 3 was great. S2 & S3 go together as a whole game, so it's nice that they were released only 6 months apart.
( Spoiler )
( Spoiler )
The Sun Down Motel, by Simone St. James
Jul. 2nd, 2025 08:27 amrunpunkrunOne of those thrillers that splits the narrative between two women—both twenty years old, working at the same grubby motel and living in the same apartment, one in 1982 and the other in 2017 trying to solve the mystery of the first one's disappearance—and their stories run so parallel they're basically interchangeable and you start wondering if maybe the author should have only told the story once. It certainly would have cut down on the amount of clunky exposition and awkward dialogue.
The thrills were not thrilling, but the mystery might have been interesting if we weren't getting it from both ends. As it is, not worth the time.
Contains: References to rape, domestic abuse, and child death; descriptions of dead bodies; ghosts.
The thrills were not thrilling, but the mystery might have been interesting if we weren't getting it from both ends. As it is, not worth the time.
Contains: References to rape, domestic abuse, and child death; descriptions of dead bodies; ghosts.
In which I read therefore I am
Jul. 2nd, 2025 04:17 pmspiralsheep- To Read shelves 1 July 2025 count is 69 (down from 90 on 1 Jan), so hypothetically less than six months of reading.
- Reading: 74 books to 2 July 2025.
72. Fashionable 2025 numerical typo 3, the second from Inventing the Renaissance, which is a good ratio considering the quantity of words and dates in this doorstop, "Marcellus II (1501-5)", nope, but the idea of a Boss Baby Ghost Pope in 1555 is amusing.
00. My third DNF of 2025, on short story 4 of 14.
73. Thirsty Mermaids, by Kat Leyh, 2021, comics (adult), 4.5/5
In search of booze, a found-family pod of three merfolk take their fun and friendship to the human seaside, or rather shoreside, where they discover dreadful human inventions such as "capitalism" and "jobs". They also discover they can't just go back to being mermaids. This story is very much about the diverse friends they make along the way, lol. Warning: yes, Kat Leyh who helped create Lumberjanes but this is a grown-up comic.
- To Read [ALLCAPS in original typography]: y'all will be pleased to know I've acquired a 1959 girls' own comics annual with stories titled "The GAY ADVENTURERS and the Roman Curios" and "Friends of The GAY HIGHWAYMAN", and a 1960 annual featuring "Baffled by Those Two Boy Campers".
- Reading: 74 books to 2 July 2025.
72. Fashionable 2025 numerical typo 3, the second from Inventing the Renaissance, which is a good ratio considering the quantity of words and dates in this doorstop, "Marcellus II (1501-5)", nope, but the idea of a Boss Baby Ghost Pope in 1555 is amusing.
00. My third DNF of 2025, on short story 4 of 14.
73. Thirsty Mermaids, by Kat Leyh, 2021, comics (adult), 4.5/5
In search of booze, a found-family pod of three merfolk take their fun and friendship to the human seaside, or rather shoreside, where they discover dreadful human inventions such as "capitalism" and "jobs". They also discover they can't just go back to being mermaids. This story is very much about the diverse friends they make along the way, lol. Warning: yes, Kat Leyh who helped create Lumberjanes but this is a grown-up comic.
- To Read [ALLCAPS in original typography]: y'all will be pleased to know I've acquired a 1959 girls' own comics annual with stories titled "The GAY ADVENTURERS and the Roman Curios" and "Friends of The GAY HIGHWAYMAN", and a 1960 annual featuring "Baffled by Those Two Boy Campers".
RIP (Read In Progress) Wednesday
Jul. 2nd, 2025 04:06 pmspiralsheep posting in booknookWhen you're bookish then every day is "reading Wednesday".
What are you reading?
What are you reading?
WIP Challenge Check-in, Day 2 -- Wednesday
Jul. 2nd, 2025 09:17 amlinaewen posting in writethisfanfic Hello on Wednesday! How's the day going so far for fic? (If you haven't gotten started on your day as yet, how did yesterday go for writing fic?)
- Excellent!
- Terrible
- Somewhere in between
- Nothing doing
How much time have you spent on writing fic today, roughly?
- None
- 30 minutes or less
- 30-60 minutes
- 60-90 minutes
- More than 90 minutes
In five words or less, how do you feel about that?
Starman #9
Jul. 2nd, 2025 02:31 pmiamrman posting in scans_dailyWriter: Roger Stern
Pencils: Tom Lyle
Inks: Bob Smith
Batman guest-stars as Starman takes on the new Blockbuster.
( Read more... )
What Am I Reading Wednesday, July 2, 2025
Jul. 2nd, 2025 08:54 amjust_ann_nowTwo heat waves, and two sets of storms to break them. Pleasant this morning and a sunny and warm weekend predicted (so I can cut my grass.)
What I've Just Finished Reading
An interesting reading week! A selection (but not everything):
A Garden's Purpose: Cultivating Our Connection with the Natural World, by Felix de Rosen. A very pleasant read inside in the AC when it's too outside hot to garden. Not a garden how-to but a garden think-about, with lots of really nice photos.
Bad Badger: A Love Story, by Maryrose Wood, illustrated by Guila Ghigini. Charming middle-grade novel; if the illustrations has been in color it would have been breathtaking. For Monthly Keyword: Story.
The Last Murder at the End of the World, by Stuart Turton. Whhhhhhhaaaaaaat was this even. Postapocalyptic, twisty, confusing. I had The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, by the same author,on my To-Read list, based onrachelmanija's review (Summary: "It was weird"), but now, nope. It wasn't horrible, just too - something, and I don't quite know what. For a Goodreads "Poolside Puzzlers" challenge.
On the other hand, Arboreality, by Rebecca Campbell, climate-change distopia, but also hopeful and lovely. Interrelated stories joined to novella-length, lovely characterization.
Saving the best for last: Orbital, by Samantha Harvey. Not a plotty book - 24 hours in the lives of an international group of astronauts on the ISS. Gorgous prose, introspective characters, passing mention of things happening outside their metal cocoon. [A spoiler, but a worthwhile one, so no apologies: NO horrible crisis pops in from nowhere, so you don't have to be on tenterhooks, as I was.] Very short, barely 200 pages, won the Booker Prize last year, which usuallly makes me go "Uh-oh, this will be too thinky for me", but what I think is that I'll buy my own copy for when I need soothing. For Monthly Motif: Single Day Story.
What I Am Currently Reading
Just this morning started The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, by V.E. Schwab, also for a Goodreads challenge.
What I Am Reading Next
I'm planning my holiday weekend around Somewhere Beyond the Sea, by T.J. Klune!
Question of the Day: I don't have one. Do you?
What I've Just Finished Reading
An interesting reading week! A selection (but not everything):
A Garden's Purpose: Cultivating Our Connection with the Natural World, by Felix de Rosen. A very pleasant read inside in the AC when it's too outside hot to garden. Not a garden how-to but a garden think-about, with lots of really nice photos.
Bad Badger: A Love Story, by Maryrose Wood, illustrated by Guila Ghigini. Charming middle-grade novel; if the illustrations has been in color it would have been breathtaking. For Monthly Keyword: Story.
The Last Murder at the End of the World, by Stuart Turton. Whhhhhhhaaaaaaat was this even. Postapocalyptic, twisty, confusing. I had The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, by the same author,on my To-Read list, based on
rachelmanija's review (Summary: "It was weird"), but now, nope. It wasn't horrible, just too - something, and I don't quite know what. For a Goodreads "Poolside Puzzlers" challenge. On the other hand, Arboreality, by Rebecca Campbell, climate-change distopia, but also hopeful and lovely. Interrelated stories joined to novella-length, lovely characterization.
Saving the best for last: Orbital, by Samantha Harvey. Not a plotty book - 24 hours in the lives of an international group of astronauts on the ISS. Gorgous prose, introspective characters, passing mention of things happening outside their metal cocoon. [A spoiler, but a worthwhile one, so no apologies: NO horrible crisis pops in from nowhere, so you don't have to be on tenterhooks, as I was.] Very short, barely 200 pages, won the Booker Prize last year, which usuallly makes me go "Uh-oh, this will be too thinky for me", but what I think is that I'll buy my own copy for when I need soothing. For Monthly Motif: Single Day Story.
What I Am Currently Reading
Just this morning started The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, by V.E. Schwab, also for a Goodreads challenge.
What I Am Reading Next
I'm planning my holiday weekend around Somewhere Beyond the Sea, by T.J. Klune!
Question of the Day: I don't have one. Do you?
media update, now on wednesdays (1 week only!)
Jul. 2nd, 2025 09:23 amomensA very flux week, with much running around for the last of the garden centres lol. I think we went out every day aside from Canada Day, and Kelly had a five day weekend, so we did not do a lot.
TV/movies: we'd planned to watch Kpop Demon Hunters but didn't even get that done, lol. Also realised I never wrote my review of Tale of the Nine-Tailed, lol. Unsure if I want to dig that all up out of discord (my memory is like, what drama now? that was so long ago (two weeks))
Games: finished Game Dev Tycoon, it was a lot of fun but I didn't think it had a lot of replaybility (for me, idc about my score, i already won), so I deleted it immediately and sure enough, the day after I was like 🤔 and was glad I had deleted :P sims are so bad for both my physical and mental health, but they are so GOOOOD.
Inched a bit further into What Remains of Edith Finch & continue to enjoy it.
Books: the House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune - a sweet story, sweetly weird and sweetly optimistic. I liked it a lot and immediately ordered the sequel.
Writing and other wips: No writing! Not even a glimmer of hope on the horizon, lol. I have gathered supplies to embroider, inspired by thesunshine_revival challenge.
TV/movies: we'd planned to watch Kpop Demon Hunters but didn't even get that done, lol. Also realised I never wrote my review of Tale of the Nine-Tailed, lol. Unsure if I want to dig that all up out of discord (my memory is like, what drama now? that was so long ago (two weeks))
Games: finished Game Dev Tycoon, it was a lot of fun but I didn't think it had a lot of replaybility (for me, idc about my score, i already won), so I deleted it immediately and sure enough, the day after I was like 🤔 and was glad I had deleted :P sims are so bad for both my physical and mental health, but they are so GOOOOD.
Inched a bit further into What Remains of Edith Finch & continue to enjoy it.
Books: the House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune - a sweet story, sweetly weird and sweetly optimistic. I liked it a lot and immediately ordered the sequel.
spoiler
I figured immediately that Arthur was probably magical, but I also figured that Linus definitely was a repressed case, and was wrong about that! Dang. Coulda been fun.Writing and other wips: No writing! Not even a glimmer of hope on the horizon, lol. I have gathered supplies to embroider, inspired by the
sunshine_revival challenge.Feet
Jul. 2nd, 2025 01:06 pmlexinI had a visit from my chiropodist today, and she spotted a problem with my right big toe. aunty_marion and I travelled hither and yon in North Wales during the last couple of weeks and it turned out I got a blister.
She wants me to take it either to the diabetic nurse, Scary Mary, or the local podiatrist service. So I’ve sent in an online request and await contact.
aunty_marion and I travelled hither and yon in North Wales during the last couple of weeks and it turned out I got a blister. She wants me to take it either to the diabetic nurse, Scary Mary, or the local podiatrist service. So I’ve sent in an online request and await contact.