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Jul. 15th, 2025 01:23 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
olivermoss* Oh, right, Caitlin Starling is going to be at our horror book club meeting. I really, really need to get The Death of Jane Lawrence read. No wonder I had her on my 'get these authors read' shortlist.
* My bookclubbing has been very disorganized
* I watched the start of a Lady of the Library video. I don't want much of her content, but one on book reccs interested me, because reccs are such a bugbear for me. At the start she talked about her local book clubs fall for online reccs and says she shows up only for snacks and social contact, but wouldn't waste her precious time ever reading the books. I was surprised to see her proclaim that so proudly. People like this have been a problem at my bookclubs. They show up for social contact and free food, but not only have they not read the book, but they had no intention or interest. Not reading the book because the month got away from you, fine. But... literally no interest and there to leech? Know why we've got such nice spaces and other things for the clubs? Local bookstores are covering the costs . And people are like 'oh, y'all have the nice steampunky bar at Kennedy School that was made out of the old boiler room and cake and people to bother to refill my social meter' Like, fuck off, y'all're literally crowding us out of some spaces, and driving off the people we want to interact with.
Also, hot take but as much as I think booktok trends are typically terrible, I like reading what people are reading if it's making reading social. Unless I have an objection to the book, I don't care if it's a bit crappy. I mean, it's not an issue with my book clubs and honestly I think for me it's a great way to ~break free of the algorithm~ and get better reccs, but even if it wasn't, like if you want to be part of a thing be willing to at least have a little buy in to what's going on. If you don't want to expend even a drop of emotional energy or time, maybe at least fucking pretend to not be that person?
* Guild Wars 2 News: Tyria Pride once again smashed fundraising records for Rainbow Railroad. Love to see it. Also, in 2024 I spend half a year farming legendaries for it and my donation was the majority of the most hype prizes and also did a big dono. This year, I didn't/couldn't do either. So, it was nice to see it thriving even without me.
* Breaking Guild Wars 2 News: The new expac was announced today and... the website didn't go live in time and when it did it was half in English and half in French. Also, the morning patch notes spoiled stuff before the announcement. It wouldn't be ANet if they didn't have a bunch of tech issues with announcements.
* My bookclubbing has been very disorganized
* I watched the start of a Lady of the Library video. I don't want much of her content, but one on book reccs interested me, because reccs are such a bugbear for me. At the start she talked about her local book clubs fall for online reccs and says she shows up only for snacks and social contact, but wouldn't waste her precious time ever reading the books. I was surprised to see her proclaim that so proudly. People like this have been a problem at my bookclubs. They show up for social contact and free food, but not only have they not read the book, but they had no intention or interest. Not reading the book because the month got away from you, fine. But... literally no interest and there to leech? Know why we've got such nice spaces and other things for the clubs? Local bookstores are covering the costs . And people are like 'oh, y'all have the nice steampunky bar at Kennedy School that was made out of the old boiler room and cake and people to bother to refill my social meter' Like, fuck off, y'all're literally crowding us out of some spaces, and driving off the people we want to interact with.
Also, hot take but as much as I think booktok trends are typically terrible, I like reading what people are reading if it's making reading social. Unless I have an objection to the book, I don't care if it's a bit crappy. I mean, it's not an issue with my book clubs and honestly I think for me it's a great way to ~break free of the algorithm~ and get better reccs, but even if it wasn't, like if you want to be part of a thing be willing to at least have a little buy in to what's going on. If you don't want to expend even a drop of emotional energy or time, maybe at least fucking pretend to not be that person?
* Guild Wars 2 News: Tyria Pride once again smashed fundraising records for Rainbow Railroad. Love to see it. Also, in 2024 I spend half a year farming legendaries for it and my donation was the majority of the most hype prizes and also did a big dono. This year, I didn't/couldn't do either. So, it was nice to see it thriving even without me.
* Breaking Guild Wars 2 News: The new expac was announced today and... the website didn't go live in time and when it did it was half in English and half in French. Also, the morning patch notes spoiled stuff before the announcement. It wouldn't be ANet if they didn't have a bunch of tech issues with announcements.
Birdfeeding
Jul. 15th, 2025 02:29 pmysabetwordsmithToday is cloudy and wet.
I was going to feed the birds, but it was raining.
EDIT 7/15/25 -- I fed the birds. Not much activity today though.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 7/15/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
I've seen a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches, plus a fox squirrel at the hopper feeder.
.
I was going to feed the birds, but it was raining.
EDIT 7/15/25 -- I fed the birds. Not much activity today though.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 7/15/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
I've seen a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches, plus a fox squirrel at the hopper feeder.
.
Poetry Fishbowl Open!
Jul. 15th, 2025 01:06 pmysabetwordsmithStarting now, the Poetry Fishbowl is open! Today's theme is "anything goes." I will be checking this page periodically throughout the day. When people make suggestions, I'll pick some and weave them together into a poem ... and then another ... and so on. I'm hoping to get a lot of ideas and a lot of poems.
Note that our internet connection has been bad for well over a month. Sometimes it's down completely, other times things like Dreamwidth and searches won't run. So I'm losing a lot of work time and may only have access for half a day or less. Given this limitation, there's a higher chance of actually getting things written for prompts that use characters, settings, etc. that are already established.
Two poems recently attracted attention with regards to extending their story arcs, so anyone can ask for a followup to these:
"Incompetence, Sloppy Thinking, and Laziness" -- Victor is displeased with Ghenadie shirking work assigned as fines.
"An Interest in the Affairs of Your Government" -- Frank the Crank accidentally gets elected to the City Council in Mercedes.
Stuck for ideas? You can find prompts by ...
* browsing planned poems for Aquariana and the Maldives, The Big One, Broken Angels, Calliope and Vagary, Officer Pink and Turq, Pips and Joshua, or Shiv. (Some of these I've already done, so they're not all up to date, but others I haven't done yet.)
* browsing my Serial Poetry page for favorite threads or characters.
* browsing my QUILTBAG list, Romantic Orientations in My Characters, Sexual Orientations in My Characters, Gender Identities in My Characters, or My Characters with Disabilities for favorites.
* naming a poetic form you'd like to see written.
* picking a prompt from my current bingo cards: Western Bingo Card 7-1-25
* picking some from the Bingo Generator prompt lists.
* looking up fun tropes on Fanlore.
* choosing an unusual word.
* plugging a favorite topic into your search engine and choosing a picture that looks interesting.
* anything short. I could especially use short poems today as other prompts are likely to run long.
* standalone ideas, if you're a fan of that rather than series.
What Is a Poetry Fishbowl?
Writing is usually considered a solitary pursuit. One exception to this is a fascinating exercise called a "fishbowl." This has various forms, but all of them basically involve some kind of writing in public, usually with interaction between author and audience. A famous example is Harlan Ellison's series of "stories under glass" in which he sits in a bookstore window and writes a new story based on an idea that someone gives him. Writing classes sometimes include a version where students watch each other write, often with students calling out suggestions which are chalked up on the blackboard for those writing to use as inspiration.
In this online version of a Poetry Fishbowl, I begin by setting a theme; today's theme is "anything goes." I invite people to suggest characters, settings, and other things of any type. Then I use those prompts as inspiration for writing poems.
( New to the fishbowl? Read all about it! )
Note that our internet connection has been bad for well over a month. Sometimes it's down completely, other times things like Dreamwidth and searches won't run. So I'm losing a lot of work time and may only have access for half a day or less. Given this limitation, there's a higher chance of actually getting things written for prompts that use characters, settings, etc. that are already established.
Two poems recently attracted attention with regards to extending their story arcs, so anyone can ask for a followup to these:
"Incompetence, Sloppy Thinking, and Laziness" -- Victor is displeased with Ghenadie shirking work assigned as fines.
"An Interest in the Affairs of Your Government" -- Frank the Crank accidentally gets elected to the City Council in Mercedes.
Stuck for ideas? You can find prompts by ...
* browsing planned poems for Aquariana and the Maldives, The Big One, Broken Angels, Calliope and Vagary, Officer Pink and Turq, Pips and Joshua, or Shiv. (Some of these I've already done, so they're not all up to date, but others I haven't done yet.)
* browsing my Serial Poetry page for favorite threads or characters.
* browsing my QUILTBAG list, Romantic Orientations in My Characters, Sexual Orientations in My Characters, Gender Identities in My Characters, or My Characters with Disabilities for favorites.
* naming a poetic form you'd like to see written.
* picking a prompt from my current bingo cards: Western Bingo Card 7-1-25
* picking some from the Bingo Generator prompt lists.
* looking up fun tropes on Fanlore.
* choosing an unusual word.
* plugging a favorite topic into your search engine and choosing a picture that looks interesting.
* anything short. I could especially use short poems today as other prompts are likely to run long.
* standalone ideas, if you're a fan of that rather than series.
What Is a Poetry Fishbowl?
Writing is usually considered a solitary pursuit. One exception to this is a fascinating exercise called a "fishbowl." This has various forms, but all of them basically involve some kind of writing in public, usually with interaction between author and audience. A famous example is Harlan Ellison's series of "stories under glass" in which he sits in a bookstore window and writes a new story based on an idea that someone gives him. Writing classes sometimes include a version where students watch each other write, often with students calling out suggestions which are chalked up on the blackboard for those writing to use as inspiration.
In this online version of a Poetry Fishbowl, I begin by setting a theme; today's theme is "anything goes." I invite people to suggest characters, settings, and other things of any type. Then I use those prompts as inspiration for writing poems.
( New to the fishbowl? Read all about it! )
Sunshine Revival || Fun House
Jul. 15th, 2025 10:09 ammuscle_wizardFor ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
sunshine_revival Challenge Four c:
Creative Prompt
Write from the perspective of a house or other location.
I decided to write a short "personals ad" or profile from my childhood home (that my parents still live in.)
( Read more... )
sunshine_revival Challenge Four c:Creative Prompt
Write from the perspective of a house or other location.
I decided to write a short "personals ad" or profile from my childhood home (that my parents still live in.)
( Read more... )
Recent-ish media
Jul. 15th, 2025 08:37 pmhalfcactusLord of (the) Mysteries (donghua)
Only saw two eps! The first ep reminded me so much of various parts of Persona 3: tarot cards (of course the MC is The Fool), Velvet Room, Dark Hour, and the two senpai who see your potential and recruit you into their secret magical organization. :P It's based on a super popular transmigration novel so I thought the MC would be OP and annoying, but the writing is surprisingly even about it, setting up an ensemble cast though right now there is little characterization that makes any of them individually compelling. The MC has a language buff from being Chinese. XD
The ending theme samples Moonlight Sonata and is sung by Curley Gao and I've been obsessed with it.
K-Pop Demon Hunters (2025)
(Or, as I call it, the K-Pop Propaganda Movie haha.)
There are things I like about it: that it was an obvious labor of love and the money was spent on the music and animation, that the romance was meant to be part of a longer journey and not the destination, that you get a magical cat AND a magical bird. The concept of a boyband having devilishly infectious music was also 10/10. But because my fate is to be a hater, I did not think this was a good movie. The writing felt superficial, from the portrayal of girlhood to the conflicts of demonhood.
I would not have minded as much if the music (as good as it is) did not contradict the storylines: Golden and What It Sounds Like are the two big song numbers, which purport to represent the girls' journeys as a group, but they both end up being Rumi's solo songs. What wasted opportunities to do 3-part harmonies. :(
The movie also has a brand of wish fulfillment which, while sometimes funny, ultimately lands oddly. It's a fantasy about idols, but from the PoV of the industry which packages an artificial sense of "relatability" (just like you, they like to eat, go to the spa, and watch Tiktok videos) and "dedication" (they're doing this for the love of the game) in the girls, something I could roll with until the last part where Huntr/x gives up their vacation time because they want to make their fans happy. I guess that's a common superhero trope, but it's not even to save the world, and there's no real sense of empathy for the idols themselves since everyone just sort of forgets and moves on like nothing happened.
PS. While one of the more obvious comparisons to this movie is the fictional band K/DA (especially for Huntr/x's sound), what it reminds me more of is actually FFX-2! Like I can see a sequel where Rumi and the girls go on a quest for closure. XD
Goodbye, My Princess (Fei Wo Si Cun, tr. Tianshu)
Just finished this today!
PLOT: Xiaofeng is a princess from a western desert kingdom who enters a political marriage with the Crown Prince of an empire in the Central Plains.
This is an enemies-to-lovers story in the serious and literal sense as they are from opposing states who don't share the same language, culture or goals; Xiaofeng is guileless but unimpressed with Plains and palace culture, while Li Chengyin is cold and vindictive, (and later on, obsessive) to the point of not having a bottom line. Somewhere in between there's this guy in white named Gu Jian who cryptically alludes to events Xiaofeng has no memory of. As the story progresses, background conversations about power play and subjugation soon come to the forefront until they're impossible to ignore.
On the flip side, the FL being the PoV character makes for a moving story about debts, and I love that by the time it ends you see how her most important relationship is the one she shares with her bodyguard, A'du. Also loved the bits with Yongniang!
The translation was very enjoyable for me. I can see the kinship terms and names throwing people off, but it's immersive, and the writing flows like a book. Hoping for more cnovels to get this kind of translation quality in the future.
Only saw two eps! The first ep reminded me so much of various parts of Persona 3: tarot cards (of course the MC is The Fool), Velvet Room, Dark Hour, and the two senpai who see your potential and recruit you into their secret magical organization. :P It's based on a super popular transmigration novel so I thought the MC would be OP and annoying, but the writing is surprisingly even about it, setting up an ensemble cast though right now there is little characterization that makes any of them individually compelling. The MC has a language buff from being Chinese. XD
The ending theme samples Moonlight Sonata and is sung by Curley Gao and I've been obsessed with it.
K-Pop Demon Hunters (2025)
(Or, as I call it, the K-Pop Propaganda Movie haha.)
Non-spoilery thoughts
There are things I like about it: that it was an obvious labor of love and the money was spent on the music and animation, that the romance was meant to be part of a longer journey and not the destination, that you get a magical cat AND a magical bird. The concept of a boyband having devilishly infectious music was also 10/10. But because my fate is to be a hater, I did not think this was a good movie. The writing felt superficial, from the portrayal of girlhood to the conflicts of demonhood.
I would not have minded as much if the music (as good as it is) did not contradict the storylines: Golden and What It Sounds Like are the two big song numbers, which purport to represent the girls' journeys as a group, but they both end up being Rumi's solo songs. What wasted opportunities to do 3-part harmonies. :(
The movie also has a brand of wish fulfillment which, while sometimes funny, ultimately lands oddly. It's a fantasy about idols, but from the PoV of the industry which packages an artificial sense of "relatability" (just like you, they like to eat, go to the spa, and watch Tiktok videos) and "dedication" (they're doing this for the love of the game) in the girls, something I could roll with until the last part where Huntr/x gives up their vacation time because they want to make their fans happy. I guess that's a common superhero trope, but it's not even to save the world, and there's no real sense of empathy for the idols themselves since everyone just sort of forgets and moves on like nothing happened.
PS. While one of the more obvious comparisons to this movie is the fictional band K/DA (especially for Huntr/x's sound), what it reminds me more of is actually FFX-2! Like I can see a sequel where Rumi and the girls go on a quest for closure. XD
Goodbye, My Princess (Fei Wo Si Cun, tr. Tianshu)
Just finished this today!
PLOT: Xiaofeng is a princess from a western desert kingdom who enters a political marriage with the Crown Prince of an empire in the Central Plains.
This is an enemies-to-lovers story in the serious and literal sense as they are from opposing states who don't share the same language, culture or goals; Xiaofeng is guileless but unimpressed with Plains and palace culture, while Li Chengyin is cold and vindictive, (and later on, obsessive) to the point of not having a bottom line. Somewhere in between there's this guy in white named Gu Jian who cryptically alludes to events Xiaofeng has no memory of. As the story progresses, background conversations about power play and subjugation soon come to the forefront until they're impossible to ignore.
Non-spoilery thoughts
The main story is only around 300 pages and the next 250 pages are the extras… which is good, because I was getting concerned and being like "how long are we going to marinate in misery, I’m not strong enough for this"—evidently not that long for the readers but extremely long for some of the characters. Who deserve it. The suffering is satisfying enough for me to ignore the parts that felt emotionally unconvincing, mostly the present-day/palace stuff—I just don't buy the ML and FL falling in love. Certainly it is a trope, and it makes for a more interesting ML, but the FL's PoV isn't selling me on anything but circumstantial attraction. In some ways I wish the main story had been longer and we got to see more of the politicking and emotional developments. The extra chapters did add other PoVs and moments that fleshed out the plot and characters more; my favorite parts were still the shadows of angst and regret. I haven't seen the drama adaptation but I can see them integrating everything together effectively.On the flip side, the FL being the PoV character makes for a moving story about debts, and I love that by the time it ends you see how her most important relationship is the one she shares with her bodyguard, A'du. Also loved the bits with Yongniang!
The translation was very enjoyable for me. I can see the kinship terms and names throwing people off, but it's immersive, and the writing flows like a book. Hoping for more cnovels to get this kind of translation quality in the future.
The Day in Spikedluv (Monday, July 14)
Jul. 15th, 2025 07:26 amspikedluvI went downtown as usual today and hit Walmart, Price Chopper and the Feedbag. (The first time I’ve been to the Feed Bag since before mom’s surgery! Pip has been having to do the bird seed run.) I also got in a walk around the park and picked up Chinese for lunch.
I was up an hour before Pip, so before I left the house I did a load of laundry, hand-washed dishes, and scooped kitty litter. After I got home I did another load of laundry (both loads got washed and dried, one got folded), hand-washed more dishes, baked chicken for the dogs’ meals, grilled country style pork ribs for Pip’s supper, ran a load in the dishwasher, and shaved.
I finished the Kindle cozy and read more in Amelia Peabody. Hold onto your hats, folks, because I also managed to write ~500 words on a new fic forsmallfandomfest!!
Temps started out at 70.7(F) and reached 93. We didn’t get the forecasted rain last night, so I didn’t mow the lawn today. It was hot. Hot. Pip wanted to show me where he’d found more berry bushes, so I went for a walk with him and the dogs after lunch. He hadn’t exaggerated, the bramble was huge! So many berries. We picked about two cups, but could’ve been there much longer just to get the ones we could reach. I was ready to die when we got back from that short walk. I had to splash my face with cold water and sit in the AC’d bedroom for a while to cool back down. So HOT. And that was just a short walk, including a bit through the shaded orchard.
( 4 photos I took on that walk )
Mom Update:
Mom had the appointment with her oncologist today. ( more back here )
I was up an hour before Pip, so before I left the house I did a load of laundry, hand-washed dishes, and scooped kitty litter. After I got home I did another load of laundry (both loads got washed and dried, one got folded), hand-washed more dishes, baked chicken for the dogs’ meals, grilled country style pork ribs for Pip’s supper, ran a load in the dishwasher, and shaved.
I finished the Kindle cozy and read more in Amelia Peabody. Hold onto your hats, folks, because I also managed to write ~500 words on a new fic for
smallfandomfest!!Temps started out at 70.7(F) and reached 93. We didn’t get the forecasted rain last night, so I didn’t mow the lawn today. It was hot. Hot. Pip wanted to show me where he’d found more berry bushes, so I went for a walk with him and the dogs after lunch. He hadn’t exaggerated, the bramble was huge! So many berries. We picked about two cups, but could’ve been there much longer just to get the ones we could reach. I was ready to die when we got back from that short walk. I had to splash my face with cold water and sit in the AC’d bedroom for a while to cool back down. So HOT. And that was just a short walk, including a bit through the shaded orchard.
( 4 photos I took on that walk )
Mom Update:
Mom had the appointment with her oncologist today. ( more back here )
Sunday, July 06: Roxborough State Park
Jul. 14th, 2025 10:15 pmmistressofmusesLast Sunday, after hitting the halfway point of my time off, Alex and I went to Roxborough State Park.
The rock formations are beautiful.
Absolutely huge bumblebee (appropriately) on a bee plant! I love these bees. They're at least an inch long, maybe a little bigger.
Small stripey lizard behind the grass! This must have been a young one, as it was very little.
Neat longhorn beetle on the milkweed in the garden by the ranger station.
We'd been a little afraid that it would be more crowded than usual, since we were going on a weekend day. I'd say we saw maybe a few more groups than usual, but it really wasn't too bad. It was a pretty hot day, and that probably kept some people away.
A little birds nest up on one of the historic house's outbuildings.
The historic house.
The back side of the house.
Down in the trees behind the house there were wrens nesting! They were very cute.
One of the parent wrens. Both were coming and going.
The nest, in the hole in the tree. You can barely see one of the adults' tails.
The wrens were very impressive hunters! We sat and watched for quite a while, so got to see them come back very frequently, with all manner of insects for their very loud little babies.
Lovely red rocks.
A cute little moth. ...I think this type camouflages itself as bird poop, ha.
Looking up the cliffs.
I never got to see it, but we heard a frog while we were on this part of the trail! It was a chirpier sound than the typical bullfrogs, so maybe a chorus frog?
Stormclouds moving in...
We were a bit worried about the storm, but aside from a bit of thunder and a few spits of wind-blown rain, it didn't do anything.
There were so many of the big bumblebees!
I always love the pollen saddlebags.
I like the trees growing on top of the rocks. Scale is really hard to convey, but those are full-sized pine trees up top.
As we were heading back, the stormclouds looked pretty cool.
And then two pictures from the same day, but not from Roxborough:
I'm pretty sure this itty bitty thing on my mom's geranium is a katydid nymph! So tiny!
And then a bit later, even more dramatic storm clouds from our apartment.
The rock formations are beautiful.
Absolutely huge bumblebee (appropriately) on a bee plant! I love these bees. They're at least an inch long, maybe a little bigger.
17 more pictures:
Small stripey lizard behind the grass! This must have been a young one, as it was very little.
Neat longhorn beetle on the milkweed in the garden by the ranger station.
We'd been a little afraid that it would be more crowded than usual, since we were going on a weekend day. I'd say we saw maybe a few more groups than usual, but it really wasn't too bad. It was a pretty hot day, and that probably kept some people away.
A little birds nest up on one of the historic house's outbuildings.
The historic house.
The back side of the house.
Down in the trees behind the house there were wrens nesting! They were very cute.
One of the parent wrens. Both were coming and going.
The nest, in the hole in the tree. You can barely see one of the adults' tails.
The wrens were very impressive hunters! We sat and watched for quite a while, so got to see them come back very frequently, with all manner of insects for their very loud little babies.
Lovely red rocks.
A cute little moth. ...I think this type camouflages itself as bird poop, ha.
Looking up the cliffs.
I never got to see it, but we heard a frog while we were on this part of the trail! It was a chirpier sound than the typical bullfrogs, so maybe a chorus frog?
Stormclouds moving in...
We were a bit worried about the storm, but aside from a bit of thunder and a few spits of wind-blown rain, it didn't do anything.
There were so many of the big bumblebees!
I always love the pollen saddlebags.
I like the trees growing on top of the rocks. Scale is really hard to convey, but those are full-sized pine trees up top.
As we were heading back, the stormclouds looked pretty cool.
And then two pictures from the same day, but not from Roxborough:
I'm pretty sure this itty bitty thing on my mom's geranium is a katydid nymph! So tiny!
And then a bit later, even more dramatic storm clouds from our apartment.
Fossils
Jul. 14th, 2025 10:03 pmysabetwordsmithThese 545-million-year-old fossil trails just rewrote the story of evolution
A groundbreaking study suggests that the famous Cambrian explosion—the dramatic burst of diverse animal life—might have actually started millions of years earlier than we thought. By analyzing ancient trace fossils, researchers uncovered evidence of complex, mobile organisms thriving 545 million years ago, well before the traditionally accepted timeline. These early creatures likely had segmented bodies, muscle systems, and even directional movement, signaling a surprising level of biological sophistication. Their behavior and mobility, preserved in fossil trails, offer new insight into how complex life evolved, potentially rewriting one of the most important chapters in Earth’s evolutionary history.
A groundbreaking study suggests that the famous Cambrian explosion—the dramatic burst of diverse animal life—might have actually started millions of years earlier than we thought. By analyzing ancient trace fossils, researchers uncovered evidence of complex, mobile organisms thriving 545 million years ago, well before the traditionally accepted timeline. These early creatures likely had segmented bodies, muscle systems, and even directional movement, signaling a surprising level of biological sophistication. Their behavior and mobility, preserved in fossil trails, offer new insight into how complex life evolved, potentially rewriting one of the most important chapters in Earth’s evolutionary history.
Magpie Monday
Jul. 14th, 2025 09:21 pmysabetwordsmithdialecticdreamer is hosting Magpie Monday with a theme of "Surprises and Celebrations." I write mostly gentle fiction (with warnings when I skirt more aggressive elements, of course) which doesn’t exclude drama. With the theme of “surprises and celebrations,” readers can offer negative surprises. The range for prompt ideas is as wide as the readers can explain. “Cold Cash is surprised when he is brought in for questioning by the Feds after the attempt to kidnap the Cort twins,” is a legitimate prompt idea. It is not, however, planned for the story arc.
Slowing Down
Jul. 14th, 2025 08:35 pmgrayestofghostsThere has been too much happening in my life in general I guess so maybe I'm trying to slow down and unplug a bit, with limited success. I've been learning how to play more card games (mostly forms of solitaire), and have been generally trying to read more instead of reaching for social media immediately as well. I think it might be helping my mental health a little bit? I don't know. Reading an article about someone who rereads books a lot and going through my own reread of Harrow The Ninth because I feel like I missed all of what happened the first time around is making me wonder what I have been missing by trying to do things quickly. And also aside from a weekend away in August I don't really have anything planned, and I felt very disheartened about hearing about publishing at my last convention so... maybe I should just plan to do less, and get comfortable with my own company a bit, and try to limit internet stuff a bit. I don't know.
I am continuing to work on my website and am wondering if I should compress the formatting more. I wonder if it is getting hard to read. Lots of things to think about with that, and maybe I will have more time to do those sorts of things, though I guess I wonder if a lot of the stuff I do is just kind of worthless.
I am continuing to work on my website and am wondering if I should compress the formatting more. I wonder if it is getting hard to read. Lots of things to think about with that, and maybe I will have more time to do those sorts of things, though I guess I wonder if a lot of the stuff I do is just kind of worthless.
Poem: "Meeting in the Middle"
Jul. 14th, 2025 08:24 pmysabetwordsmithBased on an audience poll, this is the free epic for the July 1, 2025 Poetry Fishbowl. It was spillover from the April 5, 2022 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by a prompt from rix_scaedu. It also fills the "communication" square in my 4-4-22 "Aspects" card for the Genderplay Bingo fest. This poem belongs to the series Arts and Crafts America.
( Read more... )
rix_scaedu. It also fills the "communication" square in my 4-4-22 "Aspects" card for the Genderplay Bingo fest. This poem belongs to the series Arts and Crafts America.( Read more... )
Tags:
Magpie Monday for July 2025
Jul. 14th, 2025 09:21 pmdialecticdreamerI am, at the moment, dragging around by sheer willpower and the two or three individual muscles that don’t ache.
The whole day caught me by surprise, so the fatigue is also an unexpected and unwelcome surprise.
Which is oddly fitting, as that is the theme that I’d chosen for this month. Let’s call it surprises and celebrations.
( Read more... )
The whole day caught me by surprise, so the fatigue is also an unexpected and unwelcome surprise.
Which is oddly fitting, as that is the theme that I’d chosen for this month. Let’s call it surprises and celebrations.
( Read more... )
Libraries
Jul. 14th, 2025 03:19 pmysabetwordsmithWellington Library trials new shelving system based on Māori deities
Under Tangaroa, atua of the oceans, lakes and rivers - and all life within them, and the guardian of knowledge of carving - you can find books on bodies of water, fish, art/the arts and carving.
Rongomatāne, atua of peace, the kūmara and cultivated food is where you find te ao Māori books on peace, agriculture, gardening, food and cooking.
( Read more... )
Under Tangaroa, atua of the oceans, lakes and rivers - and all life within them, and the guardian of knowledge of carving - you can find books on bodies of water, fish, art/the arts and carving.
Rongomatāne, atua of peace, the kūmara and cultivated food is where you find te ao Māori books on peace, agriculture, gardening, food and cooking.
( Read more... )
Birdfeeding
Jul. 14th, 2025 02:58 pmysabetwordsmithToday is partly sunny and mild. It drizzled for much of yesterday.
I fed the birds. I've seen a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 7/14/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
EDIT 7/14/25 -- I picked a chocolate cherry tomato from the new picnic table.
EDIT 7/14/25 -- I picked a few blackberries. The first crop is done, the second is not ripe yet.
EDIT 7/14/25 -- I watered both picnic table gardens.
I fed the birds. I've seen a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 7/14/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
EDIT 7/14/25 -- I picked a chocolate cherry tomato from the new picnic table.
EDIT 7/14/25 -- I picked a few blackberries. The first crop is done, the second is not ripe yet.
EDIT 7/14/25 -- I watered both picnic table gardens.
Monday Update 7-14-25
Jul. 14th, 2025 01:28 pmysabetwordsmithThese are some posts from the later part of last week in case you missed them:
Poetry Fishbowl Report for July 1, 2025
Unsold Poems for the July 1, 2025 Poetry Fishbowl
Poem: "Provoking Change by Bringing Nature"
Space Exploration
Placemaking: How to Connect the Dots
Birdfeeding
Marketplace Books
Climate Change
Today's Smoothie
Superhero on Call
Birdfeeding
Philosophical Questions: Poverty
Extinct Birds
Today's Adventures
Art
Birdfeeding
Follow Friday 7-11-25: History
Communities
Focus
Climate Change
Sandwich Alignment Chart
Mushrooms
Artificial Intelligence
Birdfeeding
Roadside America
Activism
Birdfeeding
Cuddle Party
"Philosophical Questions: Looks" has 42 comments. "Not a Destination, But a Process" has 146 comments. "The Democratic Armada of the Caribbean" has 95 comments.
There will be a bonus Poetry Fishbowl on Tuesday, July 15 with a theme of "anything goes."
sunshine_revival is running through July. See the schedule, meet the moderators, and use the master post to navigate the event. Meet new folks in the friending meme. Spread the word!
* Sunshine Revival Challenge 1: Light
Poem: "The Pleasure of Escaping the Responsibility"
* Sunshine Revival Challenge 2: Tunnel of Love
Poem: "Legs of Grass, Feet of Flowers"
* Sunshine Revival Challenge 3: Food
* Sunshine Revival Challenge 4: Fun House
Poem: "The Bee Tree's Gift"
summerofthe69 is now open! You can see the calendar here and the current themes are Body Worship 69 and Greater Than 69.
"In the Heart of the Hidden Garden" is now complete! Lawrence shows Stan more of his favorite places.
The weather has been variable here. It drizzled most of yesterday. Seen at the birdfeeders this week: a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches, a pair of mourning doves, a pair of cardinals, a gray catbird, a house wren, a fox squirrel, and at least 2 bats. Currently blooming: dandelions, pansies, violas, marigolds, petunias, red salvia, wild strawberries, verbena, lantana, sweet alyssum, zinnias, snapdragons, blue lobelia, perennial pinks, impatiens, oxalis, moss rose, yarrow, anise hyssop, firecracker plant, tomatoes, tomatillos, Asiatic lilies, cucumber, snowball bush, yellow squash, zucchini, morning glory, purple echinacea, narrow-leaf mountain mint, black-eyed Susan, yellow coneflower, wild bergamot, chicory, Queen Anne's lace, sunflowers, cup plant. Tomatillo and pepper have green fruit. Wild strawberries, mulberries, peas, tomatoes, blackberries, and cucumbers are ripe.
Poetry Fishbowl Report for July 1, 2025
Unsold Poems for the July 1, 2025 Poetry Fishbowl
Poem: "Provoking Change by Bringing Nature"
Space Exploration
Placemaking: How to Connect the Dots
Birdfeeding
Marketplace Books
Climate Change
Today's Smoothie
Superhero on Call
Birdfeeding
Philosophical Questions: Poverty
Extinct Birds
Today's Adventures
Art
Birdfeeding
Follow Friday 7-11-25: History
Communities
Focus
Climate Change
Sandwich Alignment Chart
Mushrooms
Artificial Intelligence
Birdfeeding
Roadside America
Activism
Birdfeeding
Cuddle Party
"Philosophical Questions: Looks" has 42 comments. "Not a Destination, But a Process" has 146 comments. "The Democratic Armada of the Caribbean" has 95 comments.
There will be a bonus Poetry Fishbowl on Tuesday, July 15 with a theme of "anything goes."
sunshine_revival is running through July. See the schedule, meet the moderators, and use the master post to navigate the event. Meet new folks in the friending meme. Spread the word!* Sunshine Revival Challenge 1: Light
Poem: "The Pleasure of Escaping the Responsibility"
* Sunshine Revival Challenge 2: Tunnel of Love
Poem: "Legs of Grass, Feet of Flowers"
* Sunshine Revival Challenge 3: Food
* Sunshine Revival Challenge 4: Fun House
Poem: "The Bee Tree's Gift"
summerofthe69 is now open! You can see the calendar here and the current themes are Body Worship 69 and Greater Than 69."In the Heart of the Hidden Garden" is now complete! Lawrence shows Stan more of his favorite places.
The weather has been variable here. It drizzled most of yesterday. Seen at the birdfeeders this week: a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches, a pair of mourning doves, a pair of cardinals, a gray catbird, a house wren, a fox squirrel, and at least 2 bats. Currently blooming: dandelions, pansies, violas, marigolds, petunias, red salvia, wild strawberries, verbena, lantana, sweet alyssum, zinnias, snapdragons, blue lobelia, perennial pinks, impatiens, oxalis, moss rose, yarrow, anise hyssop, firecracker plant, tomatoes, tomatillos, Asiatic lilies, cucumber, snowball bush, yellow squash, zucchini, morning glory, purple echinacea, narrow-leaf mountain mint, black-eyed Susan, yellow coneflower, wild bergamot, chicory, Queen Anne's lace, sunflowers, cup plant. Tomatillo and pepper have green fruit. Wild strawberries, mulberries, peas, tomatoes, blackberries, and cucumbers are ripe.
Foodstuffs from last week
Jul. 14th, 2025 04:13 pmumadoshiI was sort of kitchen-assistanting for both of last week's cooking ventures, with scruloose doing most of the heavy lifting, but hey.
Last weekend we made this carnitas recipe that E.K. Johnston linked to (and she mentioned mango-lime salsa, which I hadn't had before but sounded good, so I bought some of that too, and liked it a lot), and it was really, really tasty. We got three meals out of it (and between that and a two-meal HelloFresh box, that pretty much covered last week's suppers).
Later in the week we roasted strawberries basically using this method (that recipe is also how I learned you can toast sugar, which I'd like to try sometime), but the only thing we added to the berries was sugar--specifically the summer fruit sugar blend from Silk Road Spices ("a delicious blend of maple and turbinado sugars with mint, ginger and freshly ground green cardamom"). This approach involves roasting the berries in a baking dish, while others do it by spreading them out in a single layer on baking sheets. I'd like to try it that way at some point too.
I also want to try slow roasting them at some point to compare the result.
scruloose doing most of the heavy lifting, but hey.Last weekend we made this carnitas recipe that E.K. Johnston linked to (and she mentioned mango-lime salsa, which I hadn't had before but sounded good, so I bought some of that too, and liked it a lot), and it was really, really tasty. We got three meals out of it (and between that and a two-meal HelloFresh box, that pretty much covered last week's suppers).
Later in the week we roasted strawberries basically using this method (that recipe is also how I learned you can toast sugar, which I'd like to try sometime), but the only thing we added to the berries was sugar--specifically the summer fruit sugar blend from Silk Road Spices ("a delicious blend of maple and turbinado sugars with mint, ginger and freshly ground green cardamom"). This approach involves roasting the berries in a baking dish, while others do it by spreading them out in a single layer on baking sheets. I'd like to try it that way at some point too.
I also want to try slow roasting them at some point to compare the result.
☀️ Reading: June 30-July 13
Jul. 14th, 2025 06:15 pmmothereaderMy parents have been making a trip to Slovenia for a few years now—dad wants to pick out the timber with the least amount of faults and mum goes with for a nice field trip. The usually also make a stop at a restaurant and the last time that they were there they noticed vegan options on the menu. So off we went into Slovenian Alps. Lots of driving and beautiful views from high up the mountain. There was also a conversation that prompted one of the women we met to ask for my number. I wonder when/if I'm going to get a text.
Books read
I read Love in a F*cked Up-World, which is about personal development in relationships, to put it succinctly. Spade is committed to non-monogamy, so there's a lot of talk about jealously, but also childhood wounds and noticing when you're going off. The points it made were good, the tools seem useful, but the style it was written in bored me a little. A lot of it is about romantic relationships, but there are also bits about collaborations and friendships.
Unfortunately, Her Majesty's Royal Coven was much too slow for my tastes. The premise is great and I ended up liking the characters enough to make me want to continue on with this series, but it's just so slow.
Then I had a little reprieve in the form of the newly released Punch Drunk Love Vol. 3. I still find it funny and I can barely wait for volume 4, which is going to feature the rest of my favourite part of the webtoon.
The final entry this week is Against Equality, which didn't have particularly compelling essays—there were a lot of repeats—but was a fascinating look into US politics in the 2010s period. A lot of the arguments against campaigning for same-sex marriages boiled down to "you're putting money into getting the same-sex partner onto someone's healthcare instead of universal healthcare." The other two sections offered arguments rooted in anti-military and prison-abolitionist stances. A few of the essays that stood out to me were "Is Gay Marriage Anti-Black???" by Kenyon Farrow and "Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Don't Serve" by Cecilia Cissell Lucas.
Gay marriage advocates are fold of pointing to Norway or Canada as prime examples of countries where gay marriage is legal, as examples to emulate. They ignore one basic fact: in all these countries, citizens were guaranteed rights like health care long before they legislated marriage. Simply put: in Canada, getting divorced does not put you at risk of losing your health care and dying from a treatable condition. I am not suggesting Canada's public health program is perfect and not under constant threat from the conservative Harper regime, but the fact is that health care is not a basic right in the United States. Tiny differences, but extreme consequences.
— "Against Equality, Against Marriage: An Introduction" by Yasmin Nair
Books mentioned
- Dean Spade, Love in a F*cked-Up World: How to Build Relationships, Hook Up, and Raise Hell, Together
- Juno Dawson, Her Majesty's Royal Coven (Her Majesty's Royal Coven 1)
- Moscareto, Okdong, Punch Drunk Love Vol. 3
- Ryan Conrad ed., Against Equality: Queer Revolution, Not Mere Inclusion