Some more Dreamwidth tips.
21 Mar 2026 10:03 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
teres posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
the_great_tumblr_purgeHere I am again with some more Dreamwidth tips!
( More technical tips this time. )
( More technical tips this time. )
Some more Dreamwidth tips.
21 Mar 2026 09:13 amteres posting in newcomersHere I am again with some more Dreamwidth tips!
( More technical tips this time. )
( More technical tips this time. )
Jokes
21 Mar 2026 01:11 ampattroseJokes
* Where can you buy soup in bulk? The stock market.
* What’s brown and sticky? A stick.
* Why do bees have sticky hair? They use honeycombs.
* Sea monsters have been known to eat what? Fish and ships.
* What do you call a vicar who becomes a lawyer? A father-in-law.
* What kind of cheese doesn't belong to you? Nacho cheese.
* How did the phone propose to his girlfriend? He gave her a ring.
* Where can you buy soup in bulk? The stock market.
* What’s brown and sticky? A stick.
* Why do bees have sticky hair? They use honeycombs.
* Sea monsters have been known to eat what? Fish and ships.
* What do you call a vicar who becomes a lawyer? A father-in-law.
* What kind of cheese doesn't belong to you? Nacho cheese.
* How did the phone propose to his girlfriend? He gave her a ring.
March Not quite 365 days questions.
21 Mar 2026 01:08 ampattroseMarch not quite 365 days questions.
21. It’s National California Strawberry Day. What is your favourite way to eat strawberries?
I love fresh strawberries over cheesecake. 2nd favorite-strawberry shortcake. With lots of whipped cream.
21. It’s National California Strawberry Day. What is your favourite way to eat strawberries?
I love fresh strawberries over cheesecake. 2nd favorite-strawberry shortcake. With lots of whipped cream.
Crunchy questions
21 Mar 2026 01:01 ampattroseCrunchy questions
From author_by_night. Thank you.
What is a reboot that has happened in recent years that you think actually works? What is a reboot that you think was absolutely unnecessary? If you had to reboot something, what would it be and how would you want it to go?
Can we say Equalizer, with Denzel Washington? Also, the new Reacher series from the movies. It is so much better than the movie one with Tom Cruise. The series makes you believe in Reacher and fall for the show. Alan Ritchson is his name, I believe.
One that was unnecessary was the Roseanne reboot. I didn’t like her show the first time.
I would love to see a new Pretender made. I don’t think people were ready for it. But now, I think it could be a killer show.
Thank you, author_by_night
From author_by_night. Thank you.
What is a reboot that has happened in recent years that you think actually works? What is a reboot that you think was absolutely unnecessary? If you had to reboot something, what would it be and how would you want it to go?
Can we say Equalizer, with Denzel Washington? Also, the new Reacher series from the movies. It is so much better than the movie one with Tom Cruise. The series makes you believe in Reacher and fall for the show. Alan Ritchson is his name, I believe.
One that was unnecessary was the Roseanne reboot. I didn’t like her show the first time.
I would love to see a new Pretender made. I don’t think people were ready for it. But now, I think it could be a killer show.
Thank you, author_by_night
Philosophical Questions: Marriage
21 Mar 2026 12:30 amysabetwordsmithPeople have expressed interest in deep topics, so this list focuses on philosophical questions.
Does marriage as an institution need to be updated or is it fine how it is?
( Read more... )
Does marriage as an institution need to be updated or is it fine how it is?
( Read more... )
Friday Five: Dreamwidth
20 Mar 2026 10:06 pmcyberneticdryadFrom thefridayfive
Oh, what a week it has been! Will be catching up on my reading page and comments as I can tonight and tomorrow. =3
thefridayfiveOh, what a week it has been! Will be catching up on my reading page and comments as I can tonight and tomorrow. =3
- What was the reason you began a Dreamwidth or LiveJournal account (or both)?
I never had a LiveJournal account (though I lurked fiercely in the Star Wars fandom then), but I started this account forgetyourwordsout last year. I did nothing with the account and didn't really engage with the community over there at all, but I wanted to give it a go this year! It's honestly been super refreshing even with my only active social media platform being tumblr. - How many DW or LJ communities do you subscribe to?
Excluding the dreamwidth news/maintenance ones, eleven! - Do you have a favorite community or one you check out often to see what's new?
Other than reading new posts/comments on my reading page, I don't think so! - How did you pick your user name?
It was from a poem I wrote in high school, haha. I probably still have the poem tucked away somewhere as I don't remember much else about it, but the cybernetic dryads imagery and ideas have held strong. - If you could change your user name, would you?
Absolutely not! I've been cyberneticdryad for this long (and am that just about everywhere else). Plus I'm terrible at picking names.
Dear Worldbuilder
21 Mar 2026 12:15 amermingardenThank you for writing for me! I'm very excited to see your take on any of these worlds - I love them all and can't wait to see what you have to add!
General likes and DNWs
Structurally, I’m a big fan of epistolary fic, in-universe documents (including academic pastiche and social media pastiche), and outsider POV.
DNW: explicit sex scenes, BDSM
The Windrose Chronicles
the Citadel of Wizards, wizards' apprenticeships, hasu/Church wizards
What is it like to live in the Citadel of Wizards? I'd love to see a slice of life there, or perhaps an exploration of the origin of any of the many architectural oddities that became part of the Citadel over the years.
I'm very curious about what wizards' apprenticeships tend to look like in general; I'd also love to see an exploration of any specific apprenticeship, whether that's Antryg or Daurannon studying under Salteris, Kyra learning from Rosamund, Antryg's apprenticeship to Suraklin, or anyone else!
I'm also really curious about the Church wizards! What is day-to-day life like for the hasu? What is their training like? How do they think about their role in the Church and the nature of their powers?
The Silmarillion
Vanyarin culture, Valimar, archaeology of Beleriand, manuscripts and manuscript transmission, Tol Himling after the War of Wrath
We're told that the Vanyar and the Noldor built Tirion together, but that the Vanyar later left Tirion to dwell closer to the Valar. What is it like to live among your gods on a daily basis? How does Vanyarin culture change after the death of the Trees? After the War of Wrath? We don't get too much about the Vanyar, and I'm interested in really any direction you'd like to take this!
I'm fascinated by the questions of (a) what survives the sinking of Beleriand, (b) how it survives, and (c) how the surviving material is interpreted and reinterpreted by future scholars (and laypeople!) to recreate the history of Beleriand. What are the gaps that still need to be filled in? Where is the guesswork right – and where is it wrong? Why were these things preserved and not others – was it chance? If it was deliberate, who decided what was to be preserved, and how did they make that decision? Are there questions of authenticity and suspected forgeries? What new meanings did objects and places from Beleriand take on in the Ages after the War of Wrath?
Star Wars Legends
Jedi holocrons, Centerpoint Station
I've been kind of obsessed with holocrons for a while now. How sentient really are holocrons? What role do they play in Jedi society – both in the Old Republic and in the rebuilt Jedi Order? What is it like to interact with the holographic echo of someone you knew in life?
Centerpoint Station absolutely fascinates me. What is it like to live in the hollow interior of a space station the size of a planet? Who were the first people to live in Centerpoint, and why did they choose to settle there?
General likes and DNWs
Structurally, I’m a big fan of epistolary fic, in-universe documents (including academic pastiche and social media pastiche), and outsider POV.
DNW: explicit sex scenes, BDSM
The Windrose Chronicles
the Citadel of Wizards, wizards' apprenticeships, hasu/Church wizards
What is it like to live in the Citadel of Wizards? I'd love to see a slice of life there, or perhaps an exploration of the origin of any of the many architectural oddities that became part of the Citadel over the years.
I'm very curious about what wizards' apprenticeships tend to look like in general; I'd also love to see an exploration of any specific apprenticeship, whether that's Antryg or Daurannon studying under Salteris, Kyra learning from Rosamund, Antryg's apprenticeship to Suraklin, or anyone else!
I'm also really curious about the Church wizards! What is day-to-day life like for the hasu? What is their training like? How do they think about their role in the Church and the nature of their powers?
The Silmarillion
Vanyarin culture, Valimar, archaeology of Beleriand, manuscripts and manuscript transmission, Tol Himling after the War of Wrath
We're told that the Vanyar and the Noldor built Tirion together, but that the Vanyar later left Tirion to dwell closer to the Valar. What is it like to live among your gods on a daily basis? How does Vanyarin culture change after the death of the Trees? After the War of Wrath? We don't get too much about the Vanyar, and I'm interested in really any direction you'd like to take this!
I'm fascinated by the questions of (a) what survives the sinking of Beleriand, (b) how it survives, and (c) how the surviving material is interpreted and reinterpreted by future scholars (and laypeople!) to recreate the history of Beleriand. What are the gaps that still need to be filled in? Where is the guesswork right – and where is it wrong? Why were these things preserved and not others – was it chance? If it was deliberate, who decided what was to be preserved, and how did they make that decision? Are there questions of authenticity and suspected forgeries? What new meanings did objects and places from Beleriand take on in the Ages after the War of Wrath?
Star Wars Legends
Jedi holocrons, Centerpoint Station
I've been kind of obsessed with holocrons for a while now. How sentient really are holocrons? What role do they play in Jedi society – both in the Old Republic and in the rebuilt Jedi Order? What is it like to interact with the holographic echo of someone you knew in life?
Centerpoint Station absolutely fascinates me. What is it like to live in the hollow interior of a space station the size of a planet? Who were the first people to live in Centerpoint, and why did they choose to settle there?
scrutinize
21 Mar 2026 01:00 am![[syndicated profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/feed.png){kind=small}
merriamwebster_feedMerriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 21, 2026 is:
scrutinize • \SKROO-tuh-nyze\ • verb
To scrutinize something is to examine it carefully especially in a critical way.
// I closely scrutinized my opponent's moves before making my own.
Examples:
"The governor proposes a balanced budget, and the General Assembly scrutinizes every line." — J.B. Jennings, The Baltimore Sun, 5 Feb. 2026
Did you know?
Scrutinize the history of scrutinize far back enough and you wind up sifting through trash: the word comes from Latin scrutari, which means "to search, to examine," and scrutari likely comes from scruta, meaning "trash." The etymology evokes one who searches through trash for anything of value. The noun scrutiny preceded scrutinize in English, and in its earliest 15th century use referred to a formal vote, and later to an official examination of votes. Scrutinize was established in the 17th century with its familiar "to examine closely" meaning, but retained reference to voting with the specific meaning "to examine votes" at least into the 18th century. (Votes are still commonly said to be scrutinized in the general sense of the word.) And while the term scrutineer can be a general term referring to someone who examines something, it is also sometimes used in British English specifically as a term for someone who takes or counts votes.
MV fic: Daydreaming of Paradise
20 Mar 2026 11:54 pmmxcatmoonWritten for the prompt, Daydreaming, at fandomweekly
Title: Daydreaming of Paradise
Fandom: Miami Vice (TV)
Rating/Warnings: PG-13
Word Count: 676
Summary: When the daily grind of being a Miami Vice cop gets to be too much, Sonny escapes in his mind. Sometimes, though, the mind can be a tricky thing when one is half asleep…
Notes: Fluff, just pure (slightly spicy) fluff. And I was lucky enough to have been a repeat visitor to the location mentioned in this fic, back in the 1980s. It was paradise.
( Daydreaming of Paradise )
fandomweekly Title: Daydreaming of Paradise
Fandom: Miami Vice (TV)
Rating/Warnings: PG-13
Word Count: 676
Summary: When the daily grind of being a Miami Vice cop gets to be too much, Sonny escapes in his mind. Sometimes, though, the mind can be a tricky thing when one is half asleep…
Notes: Fluff, just pure (slightly spicy) fluff. And I was lucky enough to have been a repeat visitor to the location mentioned in this fic, back in the 1980s. It was paradise.
( Daydreaming of Paradise )
no subject
20 Mar 2026 08:52 pmursamajorI spent half an hour of my one wild and precious life filling out the Serious Eats Starch Madness bracket, because the world is going to hell so why not. (I will take the tiny light that California will be renaming Cesar Chavez Day to Farmworkers Day, and still observing it as a state holiday. Better to honor farmworkers as a class rather than continue the grand American tradition of hero-worshipping fallible individuals and then being shocked that "good people" can do "bad things" because we refuse to understand nuance, let alone act intelligently upon it. But goddammit that's one hell of a missing stair.)
( in which I get highly opinionated about baked goods, join me! 😁 )
Okay, I guess I should go figure out dinner that doesn't involve a stove because it got to 90F today, like 25-30F above normal. Rude. And yes, I started with ice cream. But I may need something a little more substantial.
( in which I get highly opinionated about baked goods, join me! 😁 )
Okay, I guess I should go figure out dinner that doesn't involve a stove because it got to 90F today, like 25-30F above normal. Rude. And yes, I started with ice cream. But I may need something a little more substantial.
CC is a Megachonker on a Feline Weight Loss Journey
20 Mar 2026 07:46 pmneatorama_feed
CC is a wobbly cat, meaning she has cerebellar hypoplasia. But you don't even notice that when you see her- what you notice is that she's a heckin' chonker. CC weighed 23 pounds when she came into the care of The Big House Cats in Ontario, a rescue shelter for very overweight cats. CC was so fat she couldn't climb into her litter box, and she could barely take a few steps before she had to sit down.
Restricted food and lots of love got her started. Then they added exercise, and found that CC really wanted to play, but she was just too big to do it. As she lost weight, she became more playful. So far, she's lost six pounds! At around five minutes, you get to see before and after pictures that show how far she has come. Her goal is to lose five more pounds. See more of the Big House Cats at Instagram
wtf, Cesar Chavez?
20 Mar 2026 08:30 pmcalimacThe news broke locally a few days ago, and has now percolated out to the general media: charges have been made that Cesar Chavez, the revered farm labor activist, was a sexual molester. Dolores Huerta, his long-time colleague, has said that he both raped and seduced her, and was the father of some of her children. Huerta revealed this in support of two other women who report that Chavez molested them when they were in their teens and he was in his forties. And more have come out.
I didn't write about this earlier because I needed time to process this disturbing news. Chavez has been considered a secular saint at least since his death in 1993. His name is all over buildings and plazas and sidewalks and such like around California and probably elsewhere. Parades are held in his name. His home is a national monument, also with his name on it. There's a near-hagiographical bio-pic starring Michael Peña. His birthday - which is also mine, so I feel a kind of granfalloonish personal connection to him - is a state holiday in California.
Are we to erase all of that? It would be like taking Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson out of the South, wouldn't it? (Something which has not been very comprehensively done.)
Huerta has been sitting on this charge for some 60 years. She says she never said anything about it earlier because it would have harmed the farmworkers movement. Or maybe nobody would have believed her, though perhaps that block has been removed since the Harvey Weinstein case. But that was less than ten years ago, and Chavez had already been elevated to secular sainthood long before that.
The thing is, though, that it's long been known that Chavez was "no angel," as cops like to say of the people they murder on the streets. Chavez was a cruel authoritarian boss, he enforced stereotyped gender roles, he indulged in anti-semitism, he neglected his family, he was pals with Ferdinand Marcos, he was already a known adulterer. We named things for him while overlooking or ignoring these facts. Some of this - notably some shocking misogyny and the neglect of his family - even pop up in that hagiographical bio-pic. As with others of this kind, he was considered a good man - or maybe a great man, which is not the same as "good" - despite his flaws.
But now it turns out ... such a shame, such a horror. Wtf, Cesar Chavez?
I didn't write about this earlier because I needed time to process this disturbing news. Chavez has been considered a secular saint at least since his death in 1993. His name is all over buildings and plazas and sidewalks and such like around California and probably elsewhere. Parades are held in his name. His home is a national monument, also with his name on it. There's a near-hagiographical bio-pic starring Michael Peña. His birthday - which is also mine, so I feel a kind of granfalloonish personal connection to him - is a state holiday in California.
Are we to erase all of that? It would be like taking Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson out of the South, wouldn't it? (Something which has not been very comprehensively done.)
Huerta has been sitting on this charge for some 60 years. She says she never said anything about it earlier because it would have harmed the farmworkers movement. Or maybe nobody would have believed her, though perhaps that block has been removed since the Harvey Weinstein case. But that was less than ten years ago, and Chavez had already been elevated to secular sainthood long before that.
The thing is, though, that it's long been known that Chavez was "no angel," as cops like to say of the people they murder on the streets. Chavez was a cruel authoritarian boss, he enforced stereotyped gender roles, he indulged in anti-semitism, he neglected his family, he was pals with Ferdinand Marcos, he was already a known adulterer. We named things for him while overlooking or ignoring these facts. Some of this - notably some shocking misogyny and the neglect of his family - even pop up in that hagiographical bio-pic. As with others of this kind, he was considered a good man - or maybe a great man, which is not the same as "good" - despite his flaws.
But now it turns out ... such a shame, such a horror. Wtf, Cesar Chavez?
no subject
20 Mar 2026 09:04 pmyuuago+ Work was nuts today; a really gnarly assignment crossed my desk and I'm like, ew. This one is going to be such a pain. (But I will manage.)
+ Going to Edmonton next week for a concert. Looking forward to it! Feels kind of silly to be away for three days, two of which will be spent on a bus, but I suppose a lot of people drive down to there for just one day in a similar way, so.
+ Received my FTH assignment. This one is going to be challenging, but interesting. I will need to do canon review and probably also some research. Hmm. (It's Hetalia, Liet/Pru.) Maybe I can make some notes while on the bus?
+ I'm going to Winnipeg in October to see Sabaton perform! *_* I was supposed to see them in Edmonton several years ago, but that trip never ended up happening. Anyway, the people I've mentioned the trip to generally react like "Eew, Winnipeg" but honestly, I'm pretty jazzed about it. Looking forward to the museums and art gallery and maybe also the zoo if I have time. Should be fun!
+ Going to Edmonton next week for a concert. Looking forward to it! Feels kind of silly to be away for three days, two of which will be spent on a bus, but I suppose a lot of people drive down to there for just one day in a similar way, so.
+ Received my FTH assignment. This one is going to be challenging, but interesting. I will need to do canon review and probably also some research. Hmm. (It's Hetalia, Liet/Pru.) Maybe I can make some notes while on the bus?
+ I'm going to Winnipeg in October to see Sabaton perform! *_* I was supposed to see them in Edmonton several years ago, but that trip never ended up happening. Anyway, the people I've mentioned the trip to generally react like "Eew, Winnipeg" but honestly, I'm pretty jazzed about it. Looking forward to the museums and art gallery and maybe also the zoo if I have time. Should be fun!
Three Metro notes.
20 Mar 2026 10:54 pmhannah1. Paying based on distance traveled rather than a flat fee per ride doesn’t encourage the perception of public transit as a social equalizer.
2. It’s still public transit.
3. A couple maps to orient on cardinal directions wouldn’t go amiss, though.
2. It’s still public transit.
3. A couple maps to orient on cardinal directions wouldn’t go amiss, though.
Bingo!! (Comment Bingo Round 8)
20 Mar 2026 10:55 pmmossy_benchI participated in comment_bingo for the first time this year! Ultimately, I got three line bingos. It gave me the kick in the ass to comment on some fics I'd bookmarked but hadn't yet left feedback on, and to dig into my Marked for Later, so I'd call it an all-around success. ^^
( My bingo card + links to fics )
comment_bingo for the first time this year! Ultimately, I got three line bingos. It gave me the kick in the ass to comment on some fics I'd bookmarked but hadn't yet left feedback on, and to dig into my Marked for Later, so I'd call it an all-around success. ^^ ( My bingo card + links to fics )
claning commented on The Peevish Dust Bunny by Kelly Lynn Smith
21 Mar 2026 01:26 amravelryfriendsursule_feedclaning commented on The Peevish Dust Bunny by Kelly Lynn Smith
<p>I found the pattern here: <br /><a href="http://angelsunafghans.com/2016patterns/The%20Peevish%20Dust%20Bunny.pdf">http://angelsunafghans.com/2016patterns/The%20Peevish%20D...</a></p>
Video Games!
20 Mar 2026 06:07 pmmistressofmusesI have gotten to play things on the shiny new PS5 that I got for my birthday!
My most recent system prior was a PS3, which for me still feels so ~modern~, in part because I also got that one fairly late (I think the PS4 came out within a year) but... it's not so much a current system at this point, haha. I still had a handful of games that I played periodically, but hadn't had a chance to play anything newer. Until now!
(I really, really like that the PS5 is backwards-compatible to the PS4, because it opens up the potential game library even more!)
So here are the handful of games that I have now played:
- Persona 5 Royal
Persona 5 is probably the most recent game that I got to play on the PS5. I got relatively far through one playthrough, but I wimped out right before The Betrayal, because I knew it was going to happen and it made me sad, haha.
I have periodically gotten the urge to play it again, but I generally only get through the first Palace before I wander away, and then when I come back, I feel the need to start over again.
Persona games in general, and certainly 5, are a bit of a struggle for my general perfectionism/completionist tendencies. There's just so much in order to maximize your stats, and max out all the confidants, and catch all the personas, pokemon-style... and trying to ensure you do all of the above makes for an extremely rigid play experience (it's possible with a guide, but means that you HAVE to do everything in a very exact way.) I need to just let myself have fun however I want, even if it means I miss things or don't max everything out. That can be what a New Game+ is for!
(I really did enjoy this game, and I'm interested in the additions that came along with Royal. The new character that was introduced even in the intro interests me.)
- Untitled Goose Game
This is so fun! I love how creative some of the puzzle options are, for what's ultimately fairly simple gameplay. The goose is adorable, and it's just so damn fun to get to run around and be an absolute menace.
I've made it through the first three areas, so there's one left to go. I do see this having replay appeal, just for having fun, even after knowing the puzzle solutions.
- Silent Hill f
One of the games I have been most upset about being unable to play. I avoided basically any spoilers, until the day after I got it when accidentally tripping over one, alas.
Turns out, I've gotten really bad at survival horror games, lol. I need to practice, haha. This used to be my genre!
I haven't gotten terribly far - just through the first chunk that happens in town, and then the first shrine level. I love the setting - Japan in the 1960s - and the monster designs so far. The puzzles have so far been fairly simple, but feel suited to the franchise. (Though when I was your age, if we wanted to write down a puzzle clue, we had to bring our own paper! The protagonist wouldn't just write it down in her journal for you!) That said, I do really love the journal - the art in it is lovely, and I like having something more than just the map to flip through and look at in-game. I like that those entries are revealing in terms of the protagonist, as well. I do wish the journal kept track of the notes that you find, and am surprised that it doesn't seem to.
Part of me already wants to restart in the hopes of doing better, because wow, I'm not good at it, but I should probably just power forward and save the getting-better-at-it for future playthroughs, since again, multiple endings means I'll likely want to replay anyway.
- Fallout 4
My playing this game immediately hit on an annoying bug on the very first screen of the game itself. Character creation. This is apparently a fairly common bug, across all platforms, and has been a known issue since the game was released. We haven't been able to patch it in more than a decade, now? Come on. Luckily the easy fix did fix it, and it's hopefully not going to reoccur, but still.
I'm still very much at the start, having just left the vault. I do really wish for a plot other than "find my beloved kidnapped family member", because I fundamentally am not interested in that as a character motivation. (Didn't care when it was finding my dad in 3, though at least that had the fairly funny "now I'm Liam Neeson's daughter trying to rescue him for a change" thing. I care about a thousand times less about wanting to rescue my baby, sorry. Hate babies. Don't care. Stay gone. Come back, Courier 6 - I'd much rather go on a revenge quest against the person who interrupted my delivery and failed to murder me!) Sure, this is "rescue my baby, and get revenge for my dead spouse" but... idk, it still falls flat.
I am leaving my PS3 accessible to basically be a dedicated Fallout: New Vegas machine, but I will keep playing more of 4 and see how I like it. (I've heard not-great things about the story and writing, but have also heard that it is still quite fun, and it certainly plays like a Fallout game, which IS sometimes just what I want.)
- Hades
The only game I bought new, haha. Everything else we were able to pick up used at a local game store.
I am also very much not good at this game in the slightest yet, but I am having so much fun. I'm early yet, still in Tartarus, Meg has kicked my ass immediately both times I've made it to her, and I managed to beat one miniboss once. So... not great.
While I've watched the main plotline all the way through with Taylor playing, this is my first time playing it myself. I am impressed all over again at the design itself, in terms of how information and mechanics are introduced. I love how different each run feels, while also still feeling like you are improving and progressing. It's also a bit freeing to NOT have the option to save or reload - there is no "doing it wrong," because dying over and over and trying again is the whole point. I have yet to feel "bad" about losing a run (minus a few, "ugh, why did my dumb ass step on a spike trap" things), so even when I kind of suck, I feel okay about it, haha.
I'm excited to try and get all the character plotlines completed, even though I know it takes forever. We went through the conclusion of the main plot, but I want to resolve the Achilles/Patroclus plot, the Orpheus/Eurydice plot, and the Zagreus/Thanatos/Meg line. (Love when a game gives you multiple romance options, and also apparently allows a poly option.)
I'm guessing this is the game I'll be playing the most, at least for now.
- Skyrim
A much-played PS3 game, ha. I have not played the shiny new PS5 version yet, but Alex has, and he's very happy with it! He said he really likes the graphics upgrade (and tbh, I was still pretty pleased with how the PS3 one looked), and he's hit a few of the new quest lines, which is novel and a lot of fun. He's been having a great time.
I will eventually start up a new game, because it is a lot of fun. As is frequently a problem, I end up starting over when I want to play, getting through the same early-game stuff as always, wandering away from it, and then feeling like I need to start over again the next time I want to play... over and over. It's been a long time since I made it to some of my favorite areas and plotlines (and the fun DLC questlines), because I never get that far!
So... that's where I'm at. I'm trying not to let games absorb all my free time, but so far I've been happy with an hour or two of playing each night, while also still getting some other stuff done. Though that's in general been that issue to overcome: feeling like I should be doing something "productive" instead of "just" playing a game. But I'm allowed to have fun, dammit. And I am!
My most recent system prior was a PS3, which for me still feels so ~modern~, in part because I also got that one fairly late (I think the PS4 came out within a year) but... it's not so much a current system at this point, haha. I still had a handful of games that I played periodically, but hadn't had a chance to play anything newer. Until now!
(I really, really like that the PS5 is backwards-compatible to the PS4, because it opens up the potential game library even more!)
So here are the handful of games that I have now played:
- Persona 5 Royal
Persona 5 is probably the most recent game that I got to play on the PS5. I got relatively far through one playthrough, but I wimped out right before The Betrayal, because I knew it was going to happen and it made me sad, haha.
I have periodically gotten the urge to play it again, but I generally only get through the first Palace before I wander away, and then when I come back, I feel the need to start over again.
Persona games in general, and certainly 5, are a bit of a struggle for my general perfectionism/completionist tendencies. There's just so much in order to maximize your stats, and max out all the confidants, and catch all the personas, pokemon-style... and trying to ensure you do all of the above makes for an extremely rigid play experience (it's possible with a guide, but means that you HAVE to do everything in a very exact way.) I need to just let myself have fun however I want, even if it means I miss things or don't max everything out. That can be what a New Game+ is for!
(I really did enjoy this game, and I'm interested in the additions that came along with Royal. The new character that was introduced even in the intro interests me.)
- Untitled Goose Game
This is so fun! I love how creative some of the puzzle options are, for what's ultimately fairly simple gameplay. The goose is adorable, and it's just so damn fun to get to run around and be an absolute menace.
I've made it through the first three areas, so there's one left to go. I do see this having replay appeal, just for having fun, even after knowing the puzzle solutions.
- Silent Hill f
One of the games I have been most upset about being unable to play. I avoided basically any spoilers, until the day after I got it when accidentally tripping over one, alas.
Turns out, I've gotten really bad at survival horror games, lol. I need to practice, haha. This used to be my genre!
I haven't gotten terribly far - just through the first chunk that happens in town, and then the first shrine level. I love the setting - Japan in the 1960s - and the monster designs so far. The puzzles have so far been fairly simple, but feel suited to the franchise. (Though when I was your age, if we wanted to write down a puzzle clue, we had to bring our own paper! The protagonist wouldn't just write it down in her journal for you!) That said, I do really love the journal - the art in it is lovely, and I like having something more than just the map to flip through and look at in-game. I like that those entries are revealing in terms of the protagonist, as well. I do wish the journal kept track of the notes that you find, and am surprised that it doesn't seem to.
Part of me already wants to restart in the hopes of doing better, because wow, I'm not good at it, but I should probably just power forward and save the getting-better-at-it for future playthroughs, since again, multiple endings means I'll likely want to replay anyway.
- Fallout 4
My playing this game immediately hit on an annoying bug on the very first screen of the game itself. Character creation. This is apparently a fairly common bug, across all platforms, and has been a known issue since the game was released. We haven't been able to patch it in more than a decade, now? Come on. Luckily the easy fix did fix it, and it's hopefully not going to reoccur, but still.
I'm still very much at the start, having just left the vault. I do really wish for a plot other than "find my beloved kidnapped family member", because I fundamentally am not interested in that as a character motivation. (Didn't care when it was finding my dad in 3, though at least that had the fairly funny "now I'm Liam Neeson's daughter trying to rescue him for a change" thing. I care about a thousand times less about wanting to rescue my baby, sorry. Hate babies. Don't care. Stay gone. Come back, Courier 6 - I'd much rather go on a revenge quest against the person who interrupted my delivery and failed to murder me!) Sure, this is "rescue my baby, and get revenge for my dead spouse" but... idk, it still falls flat.
I am leaving my PS3 accessible to basically be a dedicated Fallout: New Vegas machine, but I will keep playing more of 4 and see how I like it. (I've heard not-great things about the story and writing, but have also heard that it is still quite fun, and it certainly plays like a Fallout game, which IS sometimes just what I want.)
- Hades
The only game I bought new, haha. Everything else we were able to pick up used at a local game store.
I am also very much not good at this game in the slightest yet, but I am having so much fun. I'm early yet, still in Tartarus, Meg has kicked my ass immediately both times I've made it to her, and I managed to beat one miniboss once. So... not great.
While I've watched the main plotline all the way through with Taylor playing, this is my first time playing it myself. I am impressed all over again at the design itself, in terms of how information and mechanics are introduced. I love how different each run feels, while also still feeling like you are improving and progressing. It's also a bit freeing to NOT have the option to save or reload - there is no "doing it wrong," because dying over and over and trying again is the whole point. I have yet to feel "bad" about losing a run (minus a few, "ugh, why did my dumb ass step on a spike trap" things), so even when I kind of suck, I feel okay about it, haha.
I'm excited to try and get all the character plotlines completed, even though I know it takes forever. We went through the conclusion of the main plot, but I want to resolve the Achilles/Patroclus plot, the Orpheus/Eurydice plot, and the Zagreus/Thanatos/Meg line. (Love when a game gives you multiple romance options, and also apparently allows a poly option.)
I'm guessing this is the game I'll be playing the most, at least for now.
- Skyrim
A much-played PS3 game, ha. I have not played the shiny new PS5 version yet, but Alex has, and he's very happy with it! He said he really likes the graphics upgrade (and tbh, I was still pretty pleased with how the PS3 one looked), and he's hit a few of the new quest lines, which is novel and a lot of fun. He's been having a great time.
I will eventually start up a new game, because it is a lot of fun. As is frequently a problem, I end up starting over when I want to play, getting through the same early-game stuff as always, wandering away from it, and then feeling like I need to start over again the next time I want to play... over and over. It's been a long time since I made it to some of my favorite areas and plotlines (and the fun DLC questlines), because I never get that far!
So... that's where I'm at. I'm trying not to let games absorb all my free time, but so far I've been happy with an hour or two of playing each night, while also still getting some other stuff done. Though that's in general been that issue to overcome: feeling like I should be doing something "productive" instead of "just" playing a game. But I'm allowed to have fun, dammit. And I am!
Counting Sheep to Fall Asleep is an Ancient Tip
20 Mar 2026 04:50 pmneatorama_feed
The adage that counting sheep will help you sleep has given us a lot of jokes, but not a lot of sleep. The idea is very old. In the book Disciplina Clericalis, a collection of fables from the early 12th century, a king summons his storyteller, who is sleepy and doesn't want to tell stories. He tells a tale of a shepherd with 2,000 sheep, and to get them home they must cross a river. The only available boat will only hold two sheep, so they must make 1,000 trips. The first two sheep were loaded into the boat when the storyteller fell asleep. The king woke him, but the storyteller insisted that each sheep must be taken across the river. I'm not sure where the story goes after that; the only copy of the book I could find was a 1519 translation that didn't have that particular story.
The gist of it is that this story hints that falling asleep due to counting sheep was already an established concept understood by many before the story was written. Cervantes later made it funnier in Don Quixote. But does counting sheep in your mind actually help you fall asleep? The research is mixed, but you can see an overview of it at Purple Motes. -via Boing Boing
(Image credit: amenclinicsphotos ac via Wikimedia Commons)
What's Making Me Happy Today: Sew into You (2025)
20 Mar 2026 05:08 pmdelphiContinuing the queer short film recs, thanks to muscle_wizard sharing this one in my last post:
An older woman with a crush on someone in her circle approaches her younger co-worker for advice on how to ask out another woman for the first time. This really got me—charming and moving at the same time.
muscle_wizard sharing this one in my last post:An older woman with a crush on someone in her circle approaches her younger co-worker for advice on how to ask out another woman for the first time. This really got me—charming and moving at the same time.
Snow Springs Eternal
20 Mar 2026 08:28 pmfrith
It is Spring and as it is often the case, there is snow. The llama hates snow but I don't mind, I have no schedule, no rush to shovel snow that will just melt away in a few days. I heed not time changes, like the llama I get up with the dawn regardless. I grow fat.
I have a fresh book to read I haven't started it. I've been building a collection of translations of My Little Pony fanfiction stories in multiple languages as a reference library or resource. There are over 1,000 now and counting. There are a dozen languages to choose from but the overwhelming majority of the translations are in Chinese, Russian, Spanish and French.
The only flowers around here are indoors. My amaryllis bloomed last week and is now busy making seeds. Maybe this time I'll succeed in germinating them. My azalea is winding down after months of pink blooms. I have hope that the fertilizer spike I stuck into the soil will be what it needed as the leaves are rather brown for the most part.
I'm still building up the nerve to dump Windows 10 and replace it with Linux of some flavor or other. My USB keys weren't working on the new machine, messing up any plans of saving stuff prior to wiping the disk, but the USB SNAFU mystery cure seems to be use a new USB with (I assume) an intact installation code. I probably had deleted it off the older USB sticks as I am wont to do with any suspicious software. Maybe. The 32 GB USB keys I bought recently works. 2 for $10! Not too shabby. So the USB Linux installation route is go! When I'm ready to bite the bullet.
One thing I want is a Linux Wordpad document clone. It was looking that Ted was just the thing! But it stopped getting updated about 13 years ago and doesn't seem to be readily available. It might not even work on recent iterations of Linux. LaTeX is probably overkill but now I've learned that there's LyX. I hope it's WorpPad compliant. I had expected that freeware would get better and omnipresent over the years, especially painting software. Instead software just keeps getting more bloated, difficult to use and the stuff that worked well just vanished. All the more reason to not update and to hold on to old software.
Yesterday I tried to update ComfyUI and instead of working well it stopped working altogether. Probably because I didn't download the three checkpoints it offered. That was because the bandwidth total was about my allotment for the entire month (Bell Canada sucks) and I already have a bunch of checkpoints. Somehow copy/pasting them into what looked like the correct folders did not work. Oh well, I already have hundreds of alien horse pictures, dancing, swimming, sleeping and whatnot.
I had a few gift cards retaining a residue of value but expiring in January of this year. So, panic time, I ramped up my Search for Stuff on eBay. I'd not seen the Barbie movie, despite hearing good things, but I live in a movie desert where the only oasis skips most unadulterated versions of movies and Barbie en version originale was one such omission. I'll drive an hour to see the My Little Pony Movie, but that's about it. So, I had an unrequited desire to see Barbie. I found it on eBay, on Blu-ray, UK import, Canadian seller (or just a Canadian division), free delivery, and delivery by mail. Mail! Oh yes, le gusta.
It arrived fast, two weeks early. It wasn't terrible. It had a very funny (and disturbing) 2001 A Space Odyssey spoof, a great Barbie world, plausible Quest, and then it slid a bit with the Real World and Ken takeover, kidnapping/deprogramming interventions and the Long Walk in the Snow. Not literal snow. 'Tain't Canada. So worth it enough to also watch the "making of" extras but otherwise. It was alright. Except the CEO bunch. There must be a CEO line of dolls I've never heard of.
Last year I saw Predator: Badlands, it was everything I hoped it would be. The perky killer synth was a riot, the extreme deadly ecology was great, and everything else was just icing. I'd heard that Prey, which is another Predator movie, is also good, so I ordered a copy off eBay and watched that. It was alright, kinda. Like, the Comanche have only the _one_ dog and the dozens of French traders are hauling a ton of bear traps out into the far frontier... by canoe? IIRC, the money was in beaver pelts, not bear.
I also saw Tron: Ares last year and it was worth it. The fact that not only do I remember that I saw it but that I still remember the story confirms that it was good. Not great, but good. The whole '3D laser printing plus simulations = instant cure for disease and hunger' plot device is a tough pill to swallow, as is the use of eye searing lasers to print or disintegrate tissue at the molecular level without cooking it. I wouldn't see this movie twice.
Dvd's from goodwill watched in 2025:
Book of Life, Guillermo del Toro animation, carved from wood/pop-up book style, exaggerated caricatures, so interesting visually. Story-wise, OK, somewhat predictable, no big surprises, I've already forgotten some of the plot points. Worth keeping.
Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer. Not good. Forgettable even. I saw the remake last year and it was only marginally better, suffering from Disney's family/children theme template. I should drop it back into the Goodwill bin.
More: Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs (hokey, failed equality), Tangled (I liked the horse), Cowboys and Aliens (worth seeing once), Shrek Forever After: The Final Chapter (surprisingly good), The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (surprisingly bad), Trolls World Tour (worth it) and Monsters VS Aliens (worth it). I have a few seasons of Teen Titans on DVD, but after half a season I'd had enough. It's going back to Goodwill pronto.
Challenge 510: River
20 Mar 2026 05:41 pmteaotter posting in fan_flashworksOur new challenge is:
As always, you can interpret the prompt literally or figuratively, in whatever way works for you.
Each work created for this challenge should be posted as a new entry to the comm. Posting starts now and continues up until the challenge ends at 4pm Pacific Time on Wednesday, April 1st. No sign-up required.
Mods will tag your work for fandom. When you've posted entries to three consecutive challenges, you will earn a name tag, and we'll go back and tag all your previous entries with your name, as well.
All kinds of fanworks in all fandoms are welcome. Please have a look at our guidelines before you play. If you have any questions or concerns, don't hesitate to contact a mod. And if you have any suggestions for future challenges, you can leave them in the comments of this post.
You can view stats forfan_flashworks entries and search and filter them via the Community Report and Creator Report. See our FAQ post for more details.
Also, keep an eye out for the nextffw_social post, which will go up in the next couple of days. If you haven't joined the ffw_social comm, it's never too late to come and check it out. (Posts are locked, which means you have to join to see them.)
RIVER
As always, you can interpret the prompt literally or figuratively, in whatever way works for you.
Each work created for this challenge should be posted as a new entry to the comm. Posting starts now and continues up until the challenge ends at 4pm Pacific Time on Wednesday, April 1st. No sign-up required.
Mods will tag your work for fandom. When you've posted entries to three consecutive challenges, you will earn a name tag, and we'll go back and tag all your previous entries with your name, as well.
All kinds of fanworks in all fandoms are welcome. Please have a look at our guidelines before you play. If you have any questions or concerns, don't hesitate to contact a mod. And if you have any suggestions for future challenges, you can leave them in the comments of this post.
You can view stats for
fan_flashworks entries and search and filter them via the Community Report and Creator Report. See our FAQ post for more details.Also, keep an eye out for the next
ffw_social post, which will go up in the next couple of days. If you haven't joined the ffw_social comm, it's never too late to come and check it out. (Posts are locked, which means you have to join to see them.)Admin: challenge closed
20 Mar 2026 05:35 pmteaotter posting in fan_flashworksThe Plant challenge is now closed. Here are the entries:
Original: Collage: House + Garden, bysmallhobbit
Culture Club: Fanfic: Twice Over, bymidnight_heavenly_bodies
Harry Potter: Fanart: Mandrake Potting, byinfinitum_noctem
S.W.A.T.: Fan Fiction: Plant of First Beginnings, bydarkjediqueen
Torchwood: Fanfic: Spring Planting, bybadly_knitted
Original: Collage: Aberglasney Gardens - Magnolias & Camellias, bysmallhobbit
Water the Roses - Flavor Foley: Fanart: stuck within my head, byx95
Original: Photos: Umbrella Plant, bysmallhobbit
Torchwood: Fanfic: False trail, bym_findlow
NCT Wish: Fanfic: the garden, as I grew, bybluedreaming
The Professionals: Fanfiction: Wondering Why?, bylucy_roman
Viola come il mare: Fanfic: Undercover, byveronyxk84
War of the Worlds (2005): haiku: cycle, byteaotter
White Collar : fic : Gardening, byhighlander_ii
Sentenced to Be a Hero: Fic: Foraging, byjordannamorgan
\o/ \o/ \o/
Thank you to everyone who participated! You're now free to post your entries to your journal or wherever else you'd like. If you're archiving on AO3, you can add your work to our fan_flashworks collection there.
The Community Report and Creator Report will be updated shortly with the entries from this round. See our FAQ for more details.
New challenge coming right up!
Original: Collage: House + Garden, by
smallhobbitCulture Club: Fanfic: Twice Over, by
midnight_heavenly_bodiesHarry Potter: Fanart: Mandrake Potting, by
infinitum_noctemS.W.A.T.: Fan Fiction: Plant of First Beginnings, by
darkjediqueenTorchwood: Fanfic: Spring Planting, by
badly_knittedOriginal: Collage: Aberglasney Gardens - Magnolias & Camellias, by
smallhobbitWater the Roses - Flavor Foley: Fanart: stuck within my head, by
x95Original: Photos: Umbrella Plant, by
smallhobbitTorchwood: Fanfic: False trail, by
m_findlowNCT Wish: Fanfic: the garden, as I grew, by
bluedreamingThe Professionals: Fanfiction: Wondering Why?, by
lucy_romanViola come il mare: Fanfic: Undercover, by
veronyxk84War of the Worlds (2005): haiku: cycle, by
teaotterWhite Collar : fic : Gardening, by
highlander_iiSentenced to Be a Hero: Fic: Foraging, by
jordannamorgan\o/ \o/ \o/
Thank you to everyone who participated! You're now free to post your entries to your journal or wherever else you'd like. If you're archiving on AO3, you can add your work to our fan_flashworks collection there.
The Community Report and Creator Report will be updated shortly with the entries from this round. See our FAQ for more details.
New challenge coming right up!
Friday Word: Metatarsalgia
20 Mar 2026 06:15 pmcalzephyr posting in 1word1dayMetatarsalgia - noun.
Today's word is courtesy of Dr. Google. Metatarsalgia, sometimes called stone bruise, is any pain in the metatarsal area of the foot.
Today's word is courtesy of Dr. Google. Metatarsalgia, sometimes called stone bruise, is any pain in the metatarsal area of the foot.
Fanfiction: Mixed Beans (The Goes Wrong Show, Robert/Chris)
20 Mar 2026 11:48 pmrionaleonhartI think this is the worst title I've ever given a fic.
Fun fact: I've now officially posted an entire quarter of the Robert/Chris fanfiction on AO3. I think this means there's not enough Robert/Chris fanfiction on AO3.
Title: Mixed Beans
Fandom: The Goes Wrong Show
Rating: 14
Pairing: Robert/Chris, with references to Robert/Celia
Wordcount: 2,700
Summary: Robert books a romantic getaway with Chris's mother. There is a misunderstanding.
( Mixed Beans )
Fun fact: I've now officially posted an entire quarter of the Robert/Chris fanfiction on AO3. I think this means there's not enough Robert/Chris fanfiction on AO3.
Title: Mixed Beans
Fandom: The Goes Wrong Show
Rating: 14
Pairing: Robert/Chris, with references to Robert/Celia
Wordcount: 2,700
Summary: Robert books a romantic getaway with Chris's mother. There is a misunderstanding.
( Mixed Beans )
Diary of a Cranky Bookworm release
20 Mar 2026 07:37 pmosprey_archerMy new book is out! Diary of a Cranky Bookworm has been in the works since 2011, undergoing a long and meandering composition process, and it's a bit of a shock to realize that it's actually out there in the world. Go little book go!
May 12, 2012
Dear Diary,
DISASTER. I thought college application essays were bad enough, but now I have to write a summary of my diary??? Horrifying. I’m just a high school senior in a small town in Minnesota, getting up to shenanigans with my friends, retreating to my Treehouse to daydream about slipping into a portal fantasy, and discovering to my horror that my long-time nemesis is maybe, possibly, actually a delight.
And I might be a little bit in love with her.
Which is an unwelcome Realization, as it is sure to cut disgracefully into my reading time. And that’s already in short supply, in between college applications and AP calc and my friend Arielle who always thinks she’s in crisis maybe actually being in crisis for real.
Is that enough of a summary? I sure hope so, because it’s time to meet Georgie for our weekly trip to the library!
May 12, 2012
Dear Diary,
DISASTER. I thought college application essays were bad enough, but now I have to write a summary of my diary??? Horrifying. I’m just a high school senior in a small town in Minnesota, getting up to shenanigans with my friends, retreating to my Treehouse to daydream about slipping into a portal fantasy, and discovering to my horror that my long-time nemesis is maybe, possibly, actually a delight.
And I might be a little bit in love with her.
Which is an unwelcome Realization, as it is sure to cut disgracefully into my reading time. And that’s already in short supply, in between college applications and AP calc and my friend Arielle who always thinks she’s in crisis maybe actually being in crisis for real.
Is that enough of a summary? I sure hope so, because it’s time to meet Georgie for our weekly trip to the library!
Recommendation: nothing and everything - Hamlets vid
20 Mar 2026 07:41 pmpetra[VID] nothing and everything (0 words) by hartknyx
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Hamlet - Shakespeare
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Characters: Hamlet (Hamlet)
Additional Tags: Good Friend Horatio (Hamlet), Canon-Typical Violence, Suicidal Thoughts, Mental Health Issues, Lighter than it sounds, emo kid hamlet
Summary:
Hamlet + Green Day = FUCKING INSPIRED. I howled with laughter at the song choice before clicking, and the vid lives up to it.
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Hamlet - Shakespeare
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Characters: Hamlet (Hamlet)
Additional Tags: Good Friend Horatio (Hamlet), Canon-Typical Violence, Suicidal Thoughts, Mental Health Issues, Lighter than it sounds, emo kid hamlet
Summary:
do you have the time to listen to me whine?
*Hamlet + Green Day = FUCKING INSPIRED. I howled with laughter at the song choice before clicking, and the vid lives up to it.
handled it...
20 Mar 2026 06:26 pmchazzbannerI decided this morning that I'd make an effort to not be depressed or angry at myself. Why? Because I didn't have plans, I didn't have to leave the neighborhood.
When this is the case I often don't find this relaxing, but instead feel anxious because I'm at loose ends. And then I get angry at myself because I'm not doing "those" tasks I avoid. You know... cleaning, filing, that kind of thing.
Fortunately I feel ok. I started going through a partially banker's box that has been sitting neglected since Christmas. I know the exact timing, as the box is full of things I moved from my table when I set up my creche. LOL I thrust them into the box and put the box in my bedroom.
What's the temp? A high of around 60F/15.5C. I went for a walk, wearing a windbreaker but still wearing boots, just in case. (Lots of slop.)
Yesterday I took tax forms to H&R Block and stopped by Barnes and Noble - next door. :-). I bought a copy of Mojo and several books relating to (I hope) a future trip.
Note: Reading about Strangers on a Train makes me watch to watch it again. Then again, I think about Shadow of a Doubt, what a movie. I'll never underestimate Joseph Cotten again.
-
When this is the case I often don't find this relaxing, but instead feel anxious because I'm at loose ends. And then I get angry at myself because I'm not doing "those" tasks I avoid. You know... cleaning, filing, that kind of thing.
Fortunately I feel ok. I started going through a partially banker's box that has been sitting neglected since Christmas. I know the exact timing, as the box is full of things I moved from my table when I set up my creche. LOL I thrust them into the box and put the box in my bedroom.
What's the temp? A high of around 60F/15.5C. I went for a walk, wearing a windbreaker but still wearing boots, just in case. (Lots of slop.)
Yesterday I took tax forms to H&R Block and stopped by Barnes and Noble - next door. :-). I bought a copy of Mojo and several books relating to (I hope) a future trip.
Note: Reading about Strangers on a Train makes me watch to watch it again. Then again, I think about Shadow of a Doubt, what a movie. I'll never underestimate Joseph Cotten again.
-
Write every day! - March 2026 - Day 20
21 Mar 2026 12:07 amzwei_hexenTally:
Welcome post
( Days 1-15 )
Day 16:badly_knitted, brithistorian, carenejeans, china_shop, cornerofmadness, glinda, goddess47, sanguinity, sylvanwitch, the_siobhan, trobadora, ysilme
Day 17:badly_knitted, brithistorian, carenejeans, china_shop, cornerofmadness, goddess47, sanguinity, sylvanwitch, the_siobhan, trobadora, ysilme
Day 18:badly_knitted, brithistorian, carenejeans, china_shop, cornerofmadness, sanguinity, sylvanwitch, trobadora, ysilme
Day 19:badly_knitted, carenejeans, china_shop, cornerofmadness, goddess47, sanguinity, sylvanwitch, the_siobhan, trobadora, ysilme
Day 20:luzula
Let us know if we missed you or if you didn't check in for a while, so we can add you. Of course joining the fun is possible at any point.
~ ~ ~
ysilme here: 549 words for the new story.
sylvanwitch here: 312 on “Dixon and the Detective.”
Welcome post
( Days 1-15 )
Day 16:
badly_knitted, brithistorian, carenejeans, china_shop, cornerofmadness, glinda, goddess47, sanguinity, sylvanwitch, the_siobhan, trobadora, ysilmeDay 17:
badly_knitted, brithistorian, carenejeans, china_shop, cornerofmadness, goddess47, sanguinity, sylvanwitch, the_siobhan, trobadora, ysilmeDay 18:
badly_knitted, brithistorian, carenejeans, china_shop, cornerofmadness, sanguinity, sylvanwitch, trobadora, ysilmeDay 19:
badly_knitted, carenejeans, china_shop, cornerofmadness, goddess47, sanguinity, sylvanwitch, the_siobhan, trobadora, ysilmeDay 20:
luzulaLet us know if we missed you or if you didn't check in for a while, so we can add you. Of course joining the fun is possible at any point.
~ ~ ~
ysilme here: 549 words for the new story.sylvanwitch here: 312 on “Dixon and the Detective.”Daily Check In.
20 Mar 2026 06:15 pmadafrog posting in fandom_checkinThis is your check-in post for today. The poll will be open from midnight Universal or Zulu Time (8pm Eastern Time) on Friday to midnight on Saturday (8pm Eastern Time).
Please, talk about how things are going for you in the comments, ask for advice or help if you need it, or just discuss whatever you feel like.
Poll #34392 Daily poll
This poll is closed.
Open to: Access List, detailed results viewable to: Access List, participants: 23
Open to: Access List, detailed results viewable to: Access List, participants: 23
How are you doing?
I am okay
13 (56.5%)
I am not okay, but don't need help right now
10 (43.5%)
I could use some help.
0 (0.0%)
How many other humans are you living with?
I am living single
9 (39.1%)
One other person
9 (39.1%)
More than one other person
5 (21.7%)
Please, talk about how things are going for you in the comments, ask for advice or help if you need it, or just discuss whatever you feel like.
Keeping It Together
20 Mar 2026 05:54 pmyourlibrarian1) My response to the meta prompt at marchmetamatterschallenge, "Do you think it's more likely that meta would be preserved and read if it were regularly included in other fanwork challenges? Would you take part if you had the chance?"
I do, and that's because I feel that challenges, fests, and other group activities help extend the life of the given fandom. ( Read more... )
2) I watched the Sally Ride documentary and had mixed feelings about it. ( Read more... )
3) I tried out Happiness, a New Zealand comedy about a director returning to his hometown community theater group. I'm liking it more as it goes on, though the way so many characters are turned up to 10 is a little much for me. What I am liking quite a lot are the musical numbers themselves. If more kids learned history like this, they might remember it.
4) I took a survey which explored how much people trust the wisdom of crowds vs AI. I clearly didn't do it the way they had planned. ( Read more... )
5) Delighted by the arrival of spring, wish it didn't feel like the arrival of summer.
marchmetamatterschallenge, "Do you think it's more likely that meta would be preserved and read if it were regularly included in other fanwork challenges? Would you take part if you had the chance?"I do, and that's because I feel that challenges, fests, and other group activities help extend the life of the given fandom. ( Read more... )
2) I watched the Sally Ride documentary and had mixed feelings about it. ( Read more... )
3) I tried out Happiness, a New Zealand comedy about a director returning to his hometown community theater group. I'm liking it more as it goes on, though the way so many characters are turned up to 10 is a little much for me. What I am liking quite a lot are the musical numbers themselves. If more kids learned history like this, they might remember it.
4) I took a survey which explored how much people trust the wisdom of crowds vs AI. I clearly didn't do it the way they had planned. ( Read more... )
5) Delighted by the arrival of spring, wish it didn't feel like the arrival of summer.
Poll #34391 Kudos Footer-566
This poll is anonymous.
Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 9
Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 9
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reading city watch part i + death-head's deals
20 Mar 2026 07:03 pmgreetingsfrommaarsGuards! Guards! and Men At Arms by Terry Pratchett
synopsis: wherein we meet the ankh-morpork city watch, led by one disillusioned captain sam vimes. dragons, secretive professional guilds, and variously chaotic magical citizens abound.
as promised, getting started on discworld! (i did read the wee free men years ago as well, but i don't remember much from it.) i'm having fun so far! the first book got me used to the world and the writing style, and then i enjoyed the second book even more. a lot of the characters delight me, in particular death lol. i want to try writing pov changes at the speed pratchett does them.
not related to the books themselves, but i don't really like the kobo books app. i didn't realize when i bought the bundle that i wasn't going to be able to get the books onto the e-reader i already own, so i've ended up having to figure out how best to read kobo books without a kobo e-reader. it had me trying to figure out why i'm fine reading fic in my phone browser but not books in this app. i think it's that flipping through page by page on a phone-sized screen makes the chunks feel too small, as opposed to scrolling continuously?
Death-Head's Deals by ninuiente
on tumblr and webtoons (mature content)
synopsis: this is basically a serial webcomic about a really nice hitman with bunny ears. alrick works as a "death-head", which means people can make deals with him to do anything - "retrieve this package", "kill all these people", etc - and as long as it's completed through a death-head, all resulting activities are legal. in exchange, the client must be willing to pay whatever price the death-head sets. it's like making a deal with the devil, except the devil is just some guy who does this as their full-time job, and there's a whole organization of such guys. for the average citizen, death-heads are just a scary part of normal life. (also, as with alrick's bunny ears, all characters in this world are humanoid with some level of animal characteristics.)
it was entertaining, but i don't think i'll follow along with future updates. on one hand, i do like the concepts of some characters and a lot of the character designs. on the other, i feel like some character moments needed more buildup and/or more depth.
this does make sense, considering that the creator has stated she's coming up with it as she goes along. i think i want it to be less episodic and disconnected than it is.
i also don't care about the romance storylines very much. they can all be summarized as: a nice young lady in a desperate situation consults a male death-head, and then she deals with the challenging power dynamic inherent in owing this man whatever he asks for in exchange. the details are different, but the broad strokes are too similar for me. if they're all going to be m/f, you could at least have a female death-head one time! shift around the power imbalance and who gets to be violent! i think some of the side characters hint at the possibilities, but the main romances do not.
synopsis: wherein we meet the ankh-morpork city watch, led by one disillusioned captain sam vimes. dragons, secretive professional guilds, and variously chaotic magical citizens abound.
as promised, getting started on discworld! (i did read the wee free men years ago as well, but i don't remember much from it.) i'm having fun so far! the first book got me used to the world and the writing style, and then i enjoyed the second book even more. a lot of the characters delight me, in particular death lol. i want to try writing pov changes at the speed pratchett does them.
spoilery thoughts
- i had a series of realizations about the title of Men at Arms as i went along. "Men" at Arms (non-humans, Angua who is not a "man" in multiple ways)... Men at "Arms" (the introduction of a gun; the idea that assassins don't do "unarmed" combat)...
- also the moment when i realized "gonne" is just "gun" 😂 before it became obvious, i thought it was going to be part of a word like chaconne or something
- it sort of surprised me to see vetinari out of sorts so soon in the series (when he gets shot at in his carriage, and the guard rescues him). he came across as so omniscient and in control in all of his appearances before then. i don't know if it'd feel different going in publication order, like if maybe you'd see even more of him before that point? but maybe i was just fooled by his early appearances
- i was excited to see sam vimes' boot theory of economics because i recognized it from tumblr screenshots haha
- and carrot and the patrician so cordially making arrangements for the future of the watch at the end??? what a pair
not related to the books themselves, but i don't really like the kobo books app. i didn't realize when i bought the bundle that i wasn't going to be able to get the books onto the e-reader i already own, so i've ended up having to figure out how best to read kobo books without a kobo e-reader. it had me trying to figure out why i'm fine reading fic in my phone browser but not books in this app. i think it's that flipping through page by page on a phone-sized screen makes the chunks feel too small, as opposed to scrolling continuously?
Death-Head's Deals by ninuiente
on tumblr and webtoons (mature content)
synopsis: this is basically a serial webcomic about a really nice hitman with bunny ears. alrick works as a "death-head", which means people can make deals with him to do anything - "retrieve this package", "kill all these people", etc - and as long as it's completed through a death-head, all resulting activities are legal. in exchange, the client must be willing to pay whatever price the death-head sets. it's like making a deal with the devil, except the devil is just some guy who does this as their full-time job, and there's a whole organization of such guys. for the average citizen, death-heads are just a scary part of normal life. (also, as with alrick's bunny ears, all characters in this world are humanoid with some level of animal characteristics.)
it was entertaining, but i don't think i'll follow along with future updates. on one hand, i do like the concepts of some characters and a lot of the character designs. on the other, i feel like some character moments needed more buildup and/or more depth.
spoilers: what i'm thinking of here
dio cutting out alrick's tongue (sudden, jarring but also weirdly casual?), joon talking about a traumatic deal (again, brought up somewhat casually and then never mentioned again)this does make sense, considering that the creator has stated she's coming up with it as she goes along. i think i want it to be less episodic and disconnected than it is.
i also don't care about the romance storylines very much. they can all be summarized as: a nice young lady in a desperate situation consults a male death-head, and then she deals with the challenging power dynamic inherent in owing this man whatever he asks for in exchange. the details are different, but the broad strokes are too similar for me. if they're all going to be m/f, you could at least have a female death-head one time! shift around the power imbalance and who gets to be violent! i think some of the side characters hint at the possibilities, but the main romances do not.
also
20 Mar 2026 03:57 pmthistleingreyUnbidden, my mother apologized the other day for something that wasn't hers, namely the pressure to stay in college instead of taking a medical withdrawal the term I had surgery. (I would've been allowed to return to school subsequently without penalty, but they wouldn't have pro-rated the fees, of course.) I was off for our one week of spring break, and then I resumed carrying a backpack uphill to class daily.
It wasn't hers because I didn't grant her my choice (and she didn't know enough about how US universities operate to make a good guess about my options). The responsibility is shared unevenly between a dead person and me, and I think my concerns then were valid, given that he tried truncating my undergrad studies the next year---because, he said, not for the first time, I wasn't taking it seriously enough. Dude who had left secondary school unfinished told me I was doing undergrad wrong.
Unlike Sana in Jalaluddin's Detective Aunty, I always knew my mother was good for more than cleaning, cooking, and child-minding. It still took some effort to learn to see her as a person, however.
It wasn't hers because I didn't grant her my choice (and she didn't know enough about how US universities operate to make a good guess about my options). The responsibility is shared unevenly between a dead person and me, and I think my concerns then were valid, given that he tried truncating my undergrad studies the next year---because, he said, not for the first time, I wasn't taking it seriously enough. Dude who had left secondary school unfinished told me I was doing undergrad wrong.
Unlike Sana in Jalaluddin's Detective Aunty, I always knew my mother was good for more than cleaning, cooking, and child-minding. It still took some effort to learn to see her as a person, however.
Amazing HR stories (massive rec for OpalApparition)
21 Mar 2026 11:31 ammificApogee by OpalApparition - where Commander Shane Hollander and Flight Engineer Ilya Rozanov are stranded on the International Space Station and have to survive a solar storm. It's an amazing mix of hard science, detailed knowledge of the ISS, space program history, intense action/adventure, gripping drama, an incredibly repressed Shane, pining, jealous Ilya, incendiary sex in microgravity, and romance. The writing is extremely good - gripping, fluent, with great descriptive detail. It's the best complete AU in the fandom I've read so far. (50,348 words)
I'm very into everything by OpalApparition, especially Wolfbird - a regularly updating WIP featuring professional dom Ilya and extremely uptight hockey star Shane. Although the way they meet is a BDSM club, in fact the fic's largely not about that (although there are several extremely hot scenes). It's more about the two characters, as despite his in-control dom role at the club, Ilya's actually a complex mess, an illegal overstayer with a ruined knee after a disaster very early in his NHL career, and Shane is the profoundly repressed hockey-robot star he'd be if he'd never met Ilya as a teen. It's addictive, and, as above, beautifully written. (currently 170,925 words)
I'm very into everything by OpalApparition, especially Wolfbird - a regularly updating WIP featuring professional dom Ilya and extremely uptight hockey star Shane. Although the way they meet is a BDSM club, in fact the fic's largely not about that (although there are several extremely hot scenes). It's more about the two characters, as despite his in-control dom role at the club, Ilya's actually a complex mess, an illegal overstayer with a ruined knee after a disaster very early in his NHL career, and Shane is the profoundly repressed hockey-robot star he'd be if he'd never met Ilya as a teen. It's addictive, and, as above, beautifully written. (currently 170,925 words)
When Your Wedding Budget is Unlimited, It Can Get Weird
20 Mar 2026 02:35 pmneatorama_feed
There are people in this world who can afford to spend millions of dollars on a wedding. That's the perfect way to show the world how filthy rich you are, because there's going to be a lot of pictures testifying to how much you spent on a one-day party. And what good is money if you can't conspicuously consume it? Ryan George was obviously inspired to make this video by Jeff Bezos' and Lauren Sánchez' wedding last year, which reportedly cost $50 million. That wedding made all the papers for its outrageous flaunting of wealth, while Bezos' ex-wife MacKenzie Scott quietly spends her days writing large checks to charities.
But that's not the only over-the-top wedding designed to flaunt a family's wealth highlighted in this video. Some are more expensive than others, and some are just weird. He also takes a special look at ridiculous wedding cakes, which probably won't even make you hungry.
Mafia.
20 Mar 2026 10:07 pmlanguagehat_feedI ran across the information that Mafia was derived from a Sicilian adjective mafiusu, which surprised me and made me curious about further etymology. The OED (entry revised 2000) wasn’t much help — it just says “< Italian mafia (1865; also †maffia), probably back-formation < mafiuso, Italian regional (Sicily) mafiusu” — but the Wikipedia article has this fairly astonishing etymology section:
Mafia (English: /ˈmɑːfiə/; Italian: [ˈmaːfja]) derives from the Sicilian adjective mafiusu, which roughly translated means “swagger” but can also be translated as “boldness” or “bravado”. According to scholar Diego Gambetta, mafiusu (mafioso in Italian) in 19th-century Sicily, in reference to a man, signified “fearless”, “enterprising”, and “proud”. In reference to a woman, the feminine-form adjective mafiusa means “beautiful” or “attractive”. Because Sicily was under Islamic rule from 827 to 1091, Mafia may have come to Sicilian through Arabic, although the word’s origins are uncertain. Mafia in the Florentine dialect means “poverty” or “misery”, while a cognate word in Piedmontese is mafium, meaning “a little or petty person”. Possible Arabic roots of the word include:
■ maʿfī (معفي), meaning “exempted”. In Islamic law, jizya is the yearly tax imposed on non-Muslims residing in Muslim lands, and people who pay it are “exempted” from prosecution.
■ màha, meaning “quarry” or “cave”; the mafie were the caves in the region of Marsala that acted as hiding places for persecuted Muslims and later served other types of refugees, in particular Giuseppe Garibaldi’s “Redshirts” after their embarkment on Sicily in 1860 in the struggle for Italian unification. According to Giuseppe Guido Lo Schiavo [it], cave in Arabic literary writing is Maqtaa hagiar, while in popular Arabic it is pronounced as Mahias hagiar, and then “from Maqtaa (Mahias) = Mafia, that is cave, hence the name (ma)qotai, quarrymen, stone-cutters, that is, Mafia”.
■ mahyāṣ (مهياص), meaning “aggressive boasting” or “bragging”.
■ marfūḍ (مرفوض), meaning “rejected”, considered to be the most plausible derivation; marfūḍ developed into marpiuni (“swindler”) to marpiusu and finally mafiusu.
■ muʿāfā (معافى), meaning “safety” or “protection”.
■ maʿāfir (معافر), the name of an Arab tribe that ruled Palermo. The local peasants imitated these Arabs and as a result the tribe’s name entered the popular lexicon. The word Mafia was then used to refer to the defenders of Palermo during the Sicilian Vespers against rule of the Capetian House of Anjou on 30 March 1282.
■ mafyaʾ (مفيء), meaning “place of shade”. Shade meaning refuge or derived from refuge. After the Normans destroyed the Saracen rule in Sicily in the 11th century, Sicily became feudalistic. Most Arab smallholders became serfs on new estates, with some escaping to “the Mafia”. It became a secret refuge.
Does anyone have any thoughts about that parade of possibles?
Sentenced to Be a Hero: Fic: Foraging
20 Mar 2026 06:13 pmjordannamorgan posting in fan_flashworksTitle: Foraging
Author:jordannamorgan
Fandom: Sentenced to Be a Hero
Characters: Xylo and Teoritta.
Setting: General.
Rating: G.
Length: 862 words.
Summary: Sometimes a compromise is a perfectly acceptable apology.
Notes: Long time no post! I had an inspiration while cooking that just happened to fit the prompt, so here's an opportunistic last-minute submission.
( Foraging )
Author:
jordannamorganFandom: Sentenced to Be a Hero
Characters: Xylo and Teoritta.
Setting: General.
Rating: G.
Length: 862 words.
Summary: Sometimes a compromise is a perfectly acceptable apology.
Notes: Long time no post! I had an inspiration while cooking that just happened to fit the prompt, so here's an opportunistic last-minute submission.
( Foraging )
Knitting Update - finished the Regina Marie shawl!
20 Mar 2026 09:56 pmbuttonsbeadslacePhotos on Tumblr here.
I don't see that I posted about it here, but I did also make a mini fruit slice.
( Read more... )
I don't see that I posted about it here, but I did also make a mini fruit slice.
( Read more... )
Comic: Sneak Attack!
20 Mar 2026 05:32 pmlb_leeWinner of the 2026 fan poll! All text under this is text-only transcription of the comic.
( No Sneaks were involved in this sneak attack. )
( No Sneaks were involved in this sneak attack. )
3/19/2026 Lower Packrat Trail
19 Mar 2026 01:19 pmmrkinchI got started early, enough so that I heard a Great Horned Owl, and was home before it got hot.\o/ Lower Packrat is lovely and green, and everyone was singing. No one new showed up, but the number of Wilson's Warblers was amazing, singing, chipping, chasing. They clearly have not settled their territories yet. The Mallards at the Lake confuse me. The last two visits there have been two drakes, and I imagine there are two nests around somewhere, since they each had a mate before that. But sometimes they sit together companionably on the log and sometimes they chase each other incessantly. Why? Did one drake venture too close to the other's nest? This is the merest speculation. ( The list: )
The Anna's Hummingbird continues on her nest. U will bring her camera on Monday so we can compare the old and new nests, see how much she's added.
The Anna's Hummingbird continues on her nest. U will bring her camera on Monday so we can compare the old and new nests, see how much she's added.