Holiday Poetry Sale
2 Feb 2026 11:06 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysabetwordsmithWith today's posts, all sponsored poems from the 2025 Holiday Poetry Sale have been posted. You can now check the sale page for title links to see if you missed any earlier.
ysabetwordsmith
Still between jobs
2 Feb 2026 11:45 pmmnemeI've been getting some feelers and at least one interview opportunity which seemed to vanish re-appeared, but I'm also widening my net -- it's so easy to try to use only the job sites and particularly LinkedIn, but in fact so many companies only post their jobs on their internal web site so if there are placed you'd love to work I guess it's best to look directly there to see if they have openings.
In other news, the larp (re-run for the first time in 15 years ago! Written 17 years ago! Yeah, there's a lot to unpack here) is coming together; we'll send out the casting hints tomorrow (HOPING) and then do some edits on the character sheets for the next two weeks before things get busy again (with Dreamation and then Intercon in quick succession!).
We went out to NOLA two weeks ago for a friends thing (and to see Chwebaccus) and then our plane got delayed for four days (it was originally going to come back on Sunday). So, we HAD to spend the week in NOLA (oh, no!) for an extra four days, finishing out the week; I can't really complain; it gave us some time to reflect and in which we couldn't keep our existing patterns (and also some extra days to enjoy NOLA nightlife, including a Fusion Dance thing that was apparently their revival of the local scene; I mostly danced withdrcpunk but did also get dances with around 4 other dancers which was nice. The venue was in the back of a clothing shop, which gave nice speakeasy vibes (although since it didn't occur to me to buy soda from the store, I got rather parched and we headed out after 2ish hours when the band finished their set).
Before that, we did Arisia, which was small (for an Arisia, anyway) but rather pleasant.
I've also gotten back into reading Wyrm (which I had previously paused after reading chapter 21). I have to prioritize working on the larp, but it's pretty nice.
In other news, the larp (re-run for the first time in 15 years ago! Written 17 years ago! Yeah, there's a lot to unpack here) is coming together; we'll send out the casting hints tomorrow (HOPING) and then do some edits on the character sheets for the next two weeks before things get busy again (with Dreamation and then Intercon in quick succession!).
We went out to NOLA two weeks ago for a friends thing (and to see Chwebaccus) and then our plane got delayed for four days (it was originally going to come back on Sunday). So, we HAD to spend the week in NOLA (oh, no!) for an extra four days, finishing out the week; I can't really complain; it gave us some time to reflect and in which we couldn't keep our existing patterns (and also some extra days to enjoy NOLA nightlife, including a Fusion Dance thing that was apparently their revival of the local scene; I mostly danced with
drcpunk but did also get dances with around 4 other dancers which was nice. The venue was in the back of a clothing shop, which gave nice speakeasy vibes (although since it didn't occur to me to buy soda from the store, I got rather parched and we headed out after 2ish hours when the band finished their set).Before that, we did Arisia, which was small (for an Arisia, anyway) but rather pleasant.
I've also gotten back into reading Wyrm (which I had previously paused after reading chapter 21). I have to prioritize working on the larp, but it's pretty nice.
Poem: "To the Beat of Plunging Hooves"
2 Feb 2026 10:43 pmysabetwordsmithThis poem came out of the January 7, 2025 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by a prompt from helgatwb. It also fills the "Plunging Hoofs" square in my 1-1-25 card for the Public Domain Day Bingo fest. This poem has been sponsored by a pool with fuzzyred.
"To the Beat of Plunging Hooves"
-- an indriso
History is often late
To record what's done or said
By the needful, not the great.
Soleated, harnessed, led
Horses drive the wheels of fate
From behind or by the head.
History, like mountains, moves
To the beat of plunging hooves.
helgatwb. It also fills the "Plunging Hoofs" square in my 1-1-25 card for the Public Domain Day Bingo fest. This poem has been sponsored by a pool with fuzzyred."To the Beat of Plunging Hooves"
-- an indriso
History is often late
To record what's done or said
By the needful, not the great.
Soleated, harnessed, led
Horses drive the wheels of fate
From behind or by the head.
History, like mountains, moves
To the beat of plunging hooves.
no subject
2 Feb 2026 08:31 pmolivermoss* A former Leafs forward who is now playing for a team in Scotland was injured after not doing warm ups to avoid wearing a pride jersey.
The team was originally going to wear the jerseys during the game but dropped that last minute due to 'player beliefs'.
The club is facing massive backlash over caving to homophobe. And now that homophobe's hockey career might be over due to injury over refusing to do warm ups.
The team was originally going to wear the jerseys during the game but dropped that last minute due to 'player beliefs'.
The club is facing massive backlash over caving to homophobe. And now that homophobe's hockey career might be over due to injury over refusing to do warm ups.
I want Phil to be right. Let's keep it cold
2 Feb 2026 10:27 pmcornerofmadnessNow I haven't lost my mind... maybe. I'm looking at the weather for tomorrow and it says rain and then snow. Excuse me? It's been under 30 for nearly 2 weeks. Let's leave it there. I DO NOT WANT RAIN and then snow. holy shit the ice is thick enough. (the poor grounds keepers were watching me trying to get across the ice floe apologizing. We can't get it off!) Snow, go for it. Rain first, go fuck yourself Mother Nature. No one wants that.
Speaking of DNW, my students some day. So I've been preparing to flip my lab to mondays. We talked about it in Dec. We talked about it the first two weeks. Today is the first day we did it (snowed out last monday) and one of the students goes 'i have class in that time period. OMFG. WHY did you wait until now to tell me? I'm speaking with the chair/dean because in the original position upwards of half the class will miss every lab. If I move it only 1 misses, the one who didn't tell me about this class. I'm gonna go out and sleep on the ice.
I'm at the point in my reading journey where I'm not liking a book but all my friends love it and now I feel pressured.
I made a real milk hot chocolate. At least this didn't have the same weird taste to me BUT my lactose pills did nothing. Someone is playing cat's cradle with my stomach. Way to fail me
it's music monday 30 weeks of music. This week's prompt is 12 A song from the 90s. Share your faves too.
( I'm breaking this into two under here, the rock-pop ones and the country )
here's the whole prompt list
( it's under here )
And I have decided to do a new declutter project but rather than talk about what I'm tossing, my plan is to pick ONE thing a day to red up. Some things will get tossed. Others will be put away correctly. Etc.
today - cleared up the top of the dresser. Found many earrings that had been missing. My mother mentioned a friend of hers in NC has an abused women's shelter that takes jewelry and clothing to get these women back on their feet, give them something to wear to job interviews etc. I wonder if I have something like that hear because I need to dump half of these earrings and I don't want to toss them in the trash
Speaking of DNW, my students some day. So I've been preparing to flip my lab to mondays. We talked about it in Dec. We talked about it the first two weeks. Today is the first day we did it (snowed out last monday) and one of the students goes 'i have class in that time period. OMFG. WHY did you wait until now to tell me? I'm speaking with the chair/dean because in the original position upwards of half the class will miss every lab. If I move it only 1 misses, the one who didn't tell me about this class. I'm gonna go out and sleep on the ice.
I'm at the point in my reading journey where I'm not liking a book but all my friends love it and now I feel pressured.
I made a real milk hot chocolate. At least this didn't have the same weird taste to me BUT my lactose pills did nothing. Someone is playing cat's cradle with my stomach. Way to fail me
it's music monday 30 weeks of music. This week's prompt is 12 A song from the 90s. Share your faves too.
( I'm breaking this into two under here, the rock-pop ones and the country )
here's the whole prompt list
( it's under here )
And I have decided to do a new declutter project but rather than talk about what I'm tossing, my plan is to pick ONE thing a day to red up. Some things will get tossed. Others will be put away correctly. Etc.
today - cleared up the top of the dresser. Found many earrings that had been missing. My mother mentioned a friend of hers in NC has an abused women's shelter that takes jewelry and clothing to get these women back on their feet, give them something to wear to job interviews etc. I wonder if I have something like that hear because I need to dump half of these earrings and I don't want to toss them in the trash
2025 round up. (Yes, it's late, hush.)
2 Feb 2026 10:08 pmrhi I came down with whatever that not-flu, not-Covid, not-strep shit is the morning of Christmas. Three weeks later, I stopped running a fever and started recovering. All of which is to say, this is not late so much as delayed.
To my pleased shock, I posted a *lot* last year: 13 individual pieces, plus three chapters of Deadfall. Total words: 45K, pretty much. I have at least that much again in progress, and I'm delighted to be able to say this!
YAY!!
Also, let me mention that there is a lovely community,![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
communal_creators , in which people work over a week or month together. (March, so coming up soon for the week; September/October and we vote on the dates for that one, too.). This has been a huge help to my creative output coming back up again and it's a blast to see/hear what people are doing, cheer each other on, and man, the gif game in that Discord server is amazing.
Anyway. All of this to say, I'm very happy with how much I posted this last year and hope this year will also be productive!
To my pleased shock, I posted a *lot* last year: 13 individual pieces, plus three chapters of Deadfall. Total words: 45K, pretty much. I have at least that much again in progress, and I'm delighted to be able to say this!
YAY!!
Also, let me mention that there is a lovely community,
communal_creators , in which people work over a week or month together. (March, so coming up soon for the week; September/October and we vote on the dates for that one, too.). This has been a huge help to my creative output coming back up again and it's a blast to see/hear what people are doing, cheer each other on, and man, the gif game in that Discord server is amazing.Anyway. All of this to say, I'm very happy with how much I posted this last year and hope this year will also be productive!
Daily Happiness
2 Feb 2026 07:53 pmtorachan1. I stopped at the car wash on the way to work this morning and it looks much better now. Thankfully the trees on our street have stopped shedding berries the way they were a couple weeks ago, but there's still a ton of dust from the construction site at the end of the street, so it was very dusty even though I have been getting it washed like every week. D:
2. Looking at my work tasks and meetings and I think I will be able to work from home most or all of the rest of the week.
3. Look at those toes!
2. Looking at my work tasks and meetings and I think I will be able to work from home most or all of the rest of the week.
3. Look at those toes!
Texts From Superheroes
2 Feb 2026 09:00 pm![[syndicated profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/feed.png){kind=small}
textsfromsuperheroes_feedTexts From SuperheroesFacebook | Threads | Patreon | Instagram | BlueSky
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Admin Post: [#289 | Hot Cocoa] Amnesty Post
2 Feb 2026 10:24 pm![[admin post]](http://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/entry/admin_post.png){kind=small}
fanweeklymod posting in fandomweeklySince we only have two fills this week, we won't have a voting round. Feel free to post any more fills for prompt #289 over the next couple days; challenge #290 will be up at the usual time, 9pm EST on Wednesday!
monday poem #337: Mary O'Malley, "The Lie"
2 Feb 2026 09:06 pmheresluckThe Lie
The lie that a protester shot dead by ICE
in Minneapolis was a terrorist, the lie
that killers set loose on their own cities
are victims, the lie that a poem is a gun.
A poem is not a gun, though a poem
from the pen of Akhmatova or Neruda
or Mandelstam, not one of whom ever
to my knowledge fired a shot, might
in certain conjugations of the stars
lodge in the heart and spread out
across mountains and borders
across languages and the sea and you
can't shoot it down, or lock it up
or alter its pixels. It is played
on the hollowed reeds of dead bones.
A poem like that is a bomb.
— Mary O'Malley
from The Irish Times, 31 January 2026
The lie that a protester shot dead by ICE
in Minneapolis was a terrorist, the lie
that killers set loose on their own cities
are victims, the lie that a poem is a gun.
A poem is not a gun, though a poem
from the pen of Akhmatova or Neruda
or Mandelstam, not one of whom ever
to my knowledge fired a shot, might
in certain conjugations of the stars
lodge in the heart and spread out
across mountains and borders
across languages and the sea and you
can't shoot it down, or lock it up
or alter its pixels. It is played
on the hollowed reeds of dead bones.
A poem like that is a bomb.
— Mary O'Malley
from The Irish Times, 31 January 2026
fic roundup: January 2026
2 Feb 2026 09:57 pmgreetingsfrommaarsThis is actually partially a roundup for November/December, sort of, because it includes the recs I was holding in reserve out of an abundance of caution for exchange anonymity. Also, the 2026 round of Bloody Hearts Bingo has just started!
And What a Privilege it is to Love by climbingvines, Straytease
Omegaverse and idolverse AU with established Eunkwang/Minhyuk, where idol groups are also packs. The fic incorporates pack stuff into the in-universe kpop industry, and I was surprised by its straightforwardness about groups with members who have had a scandal and left the group (but remain in the pack, here). I like the added omegaverse layer to the main relationship and to Eunkwang being a leader.
( and more for Ateez, DC )
So You Want To Participate In A Fandom Exchange by silveradept
I'm including this one on its own because it's not a fic, strictly speaking. A clear guide to nominations, signups, pinch hits, and more! I would have found this really helpful if I'd known about it before the first time I joined such an exchange.
[ BTOB ]
And What a Privilege it is to Love by climbingvines, Straytease
Omegaverse and idolverse AU with established Eunkwang/Minhyuk, where idol groups are also packs. The fic incorporates pack stuff into the in-universe kpop industry, and I was surprised by its straightforwardness about groups with members who have had a scandal and left the group (but remain in the pack, here). I like the added omegaverse layer to the main relationship and to Eunkwang being a leader.
( and more for Ateez, DC )
[ Resources ]
So You Want To Participate In A Fandom Exchange by silveradept
I'm including this one on its own because it's not a fic, strictly speaking. A clear guide to nominations, signups, pinch hits, and more! I would have found this really helpful if I'd known about it before the first time I joined such an exchange.
posting to clear the earworm
2 Feb 2026 08:46 pmlannamichaelsI have had this song stuck in my head on and off for days upon days, so here is a post to maybe make it go awayyyyy
-Lovers in a Dangerous Time
(also randomly having johnny are you queer in my head but at least that one can be banished if I try hard enough)
Sick Day
2 Feb 2026 08:46 pmdays_unfoldingEmailed in sick. I’m going to feed the fur faces and go back to bed. Oliver will abandon his food and follow me to see what I’m doing. Curious cat.
I had set my alarm for 11:30 AM to check if I felt up to working. The reminder on my phone went off at 10:15, but I thought that it was 11:30. I emailed in sick for the afternoon. I woke up again when I thought that someone was knocking at the door, but no one was there. Then at 11:30, I shut my alarm off and slept until 1. Ate lunch.
My dad sent me an email that he was worried because he hadn’t heard from me for a while “and there’s all that crazy weather”. I told him that I was fine.
Told my choir director that I wasn’t going to make it to choir.
Napped and woke up at 5:30 PM. The dogs don’t want to come inside. “Mommy, it’s warmer!” It is warmer (28F/-2C). Gracie finally came inside and ate. Fed us all.
I remembered to pull market stats from WSJ’s site. Go me.
I want to make apple fritters, so I bought a deep fryer on Mercari. I need to submit a grocery order (done).
I'm going to go back to bed.
I had set my alarm for 11:30 AM to check if I felt up to working. The reminder on my phone went off at 10:15, but I thought that it was 11:30. I emailed in sick for the afternoon. I woke up again when I thought that someone was knocking at the door, but no one was there. Then at 11:30, I shut my alarm off and slept until 1. Ate lunch.
My dad sent me an email that he was worried because he hadn’t heard from me for a while “and there’s all that crazy weather”. I told him that I was fine.
Told my choir director that I wasn’t going to make it to choir.
Napped and woke up at 5:30 PM. The dogs don’t want to come inside. “Mommy, it’s warmer!” It is warmer (28F/-2C). Gracie finally came inside and ate. Fed us all.
I remembered to pull market stats from WSJ’s site. Go me.
I want to make apple fritters, so I bought a deep fryer on Mercari. I need to submit a grocery order (done).
I'm going to go back to bed.
Shanties in a Lagos lagoon: Bulldozed and burnt
3 Feb 2026 12:13 ambbcnewsworld_feedResidents suspect the demolitions are aimed at gentrifying the waterfront in Nigeria's biggest city, but officials deny this.
US and India reach trade deal, Trump says after Modi call
2 Feb 2026 08:53 pmbbcnewsworld_feedTariffs will drop from 50% to 18% on Indian goods, while India has agreed to stop buying Russian oil.
Leverage Fic: Eliot Spencer & Mr. Quinn
2 Feb 2026 08:36 pmmimihylea posting in 10truelovesTitle: Don't Lose Yourself Looking For Answers
Fandom: Leverage
Character: Eliot Spencer (& Mr. Quinn)
Theme Set: 4
Prompt: Surprise
Rating: T
Warnings: Guns, off-page gun-violence
Summary: Eliot locks himself away after Hardison gets wounded on his watch. Parker calls in some back-up.
Read on AO3
Fandom: Leverage
Character: Eliot Spencer (& Mr. Quinn)
Theme Set: 4
Prompt: Surprise
Rating: T
Warnings: Guns, off-page gun-violence
Summary: Eliot locks himself away after Hardison gets wounded on his watch. Parker calls in some back-up.
Read on AO3
Snowcrete
3 Feb 2026 12:55 amlanguagelog_feedFrom François Lang:
The storm that Mother Nature visited upon the Washington DC area was unusually difficult because several inches of snow were followed by several more inches of sleet. This combination resulted in a top layer of solid ice which has been dubbed "snowcrete".
The same storm hit us in Philadelphia, so I know exactly what "snowcrete" is like.
Frustrated by city response, D.C. residents step up to help clear ‘snowcrete’:
As mounds of stubborn snow remained on some residential streets and other areas, many Washingtonians found their own ways of digging out, whether through charity, camaraderieor commerce.
WP (January 31, 2026)
By Brittany Shammas, Michael Laris and Ruby Mellen
I don't know about the city's response in DC, but in the towns and suburbs around Philadelphia, in most cases whole armies of plows were out in force, and they did a respectable job, although the snow was more than man and machine could handle efficiently right away.
Officials in D.C. and its surrounding suburbs have stressed the extraorinary nature of the Jan. 25 storm, which began with 4 to 7 inches of snow and was followed by up to 4 inches of sleet. The amount of sleet — snow that falls, melts and refreezes into ice pellets before hitting the ground — was more than had hit the region in at least three decades, according to the Capital Weather Gang. Brutally frigid temperatures in the days since has kept things from melting.
I realize that people were frustrated and badly inconvenienced by the snow and sleet, but I am in sympathy with the public servants who had to move all of that heavy, cumbersome snow and ice.
As François cautioned, "Be careful walking on that snowcrete. I've slipped and fallen on my derrière a couple times already."
The snowcrete was bad enough, but I think even worse were the unremitting weeks of sub-freezing temperatures. Truly painful.
This is the fiercest winter of my whole life. I can understand Punxsutawney Phil running back down in his burrow this morning, but I hope that he doesn't stay there for more than six weeks!
Selected readings
- "Schneewind" (1/30/26)
- "'No word for X meets snowcloning" (11/20/20
- "Linguistic relativity: snow and horses" (4/15/25)
- "Snowclone" — Language Log played a major role in the conceptualization and popularization of this word
- "Punxsutawney and Maxatawny" (1/21/25)
Iris
2 Feb 2026 05:14 pmranunculusThis is for kaishin108 I think you need to replant the iris in your bed. There seem to be some amazing ones out there! This is Day By the Bay.
I don't know the name of this iris, but I have a couple and love them.
kaishin108 I think you need to replant the iris in your bed. There seem to be some amazing ones out there! This is Day By the Bay.I don't know the name of this iris, but I have a couple and love them.
Daily Check-In
2 Feb 2026 06:00 pmstarwatcher 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 Monday, February 2, to midnight on Tuesday, February 3. (8pm Eastern Time).
Poll #34176 Daily Check-in
Open to: Access List, detailed results viewable to: Access List, participants: 22
How are you doing?
I am OK.
15 (68.2%)
I am not OK, but don't need help right now.
7 (31.8%)
I could use some help.
0 (0.0%)
How many other humans live with you?
I am living single.
10 (45.5%)
One other person.
8 (36.4%)
More than one other person.
4 (18.2%)
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.
osx_daily_feedApple has released important software updates to a variety of older devices, including older model Macs, iPhones, iPads, and Apple Watch’s. These new updates are released as macOS Big Sur 11.7.11 and macOS Catalina Security Update 2026-001 Catalina, iOS 16.7.14, iPadOS 16.7.14, watchOS 10.6.2, watchOS 9.6.4, and watchOS 6.3.1. According to release notes from Apple, ... Read More
Poem: "Each Diverse Human Gift"
2 Feb 2026 05:11 pmysabetwordsmithThis poem is spillover from the December 3, 2024 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by a prompt from fuzzyred. It also fills the "Fresh-baked Bread / Rolls" square in my 11-1-24 card for the Sleepytime Bear Bingo fest, and the "Adaptive Equipment" square in my 9-1-24 card for the People with Disabilities Drabble Fest Bingo. This poem has been sponsored by a pool with fuzzyred. It belongs to the College Arc of the Shiv thread in the Polychrome Heroics series.
( Read more... )
fuzzyred. It also fills the "Fresh-baked Bread / Rolls" square in my 11-1-24 card for the Sleepytime Bear Bingo fest, and the "Adaptive Equipment" square in my 9-1-24 card for the People with Disabilities Drabble Fest Bingo. This poem has been sponsored by a pool with fuzzyred. It belongs to the College Arc of the Shiv thread in the Polychrome Heroics series.( Read more... )
Updated Badge URLs
2 Feb 2026 04:05 pmffw_mod posting in fan_flashworksHi, all!
We previously hosted our achievement badges on image-hosting site Imgur, but on 30 September, Imgur blocked people in the UK from accessing its content. It’s taken us a little while, but we’ve uploaded the badges to a private hosting site.
We’ve updated the Achievement Badges page and the Creator and Community Reports.
How do I update my badge links if I want to do that?
To update your badge links:
I can still see my badges! Do I have to update the links?
We have no plans to remove or change the old Imgur links. If you have badges embedded on your profile page or anywhere else, you can leave your badge links as is. But if you do, the badges will not be visible to people in the UK.
We previously hosted our achievement badges on image-hosting site Imgur, but on 30 September, Imgur blocked people in the UK from accessing its content. It’s taken us a little while, but we’ve uploaded the badges to a private hosting site.
We’ve updated the Achievement Badges page and the Creator and Community Reports.
How do I update my badge links if I want to do that?
To update your badge links:
- Go to the Creator Report and search on your username.
- Under Details, click Badges, and then under View, click Badges again.
Result: The badges you’ve earned will display, with a Copy Embed button under each. - Click the Copy Embed button under each of your badges, and paste the embed codes in place of your old badge links.
I can still see my badges! Do I have to update the links?
We have no plans to remove or change the old Imgur links. If you have badges embedded on your profile page or anywhere else, you can leave your badge links as is. But if you do, the badges will not be visible to people in the UK.
Amazing videos - not just Heated Rivalry!
3 Feb 2026 12:49 pmmificTwo extraordinary CGI sci-fi vids about the exploitation of a distant alien planet. Extraordinary visuals.
solstice-5 [00.10.37]
solstice-5 forgotten archives [00.11.12]
And a brilliant and hilarious short HR edit that turns the show into a thriller murder mystery.
HR thriller edit
solstice-5 [00.10.37]
solstice-5 forgotten archives [00.11.12]
And a brilliant and hilarious short HR edit that turns the show into a thriller murder mystery.
HR thriller edit
3SF 26 #15
2 Feb 2026 11:51 pmraisedbymooglesi can't believe it's already more than half over ;_;
Beast Wars, Optimus, Megatron, OC - that OC that won't go away
FF7, OC - he's magic and myth
Slice & Dice, dancer/Hexia - a deal with the devil
BotW, Link & Zelda - The werewolf wants to play fetch.
TMNT, OC - "found family" is actually a cult who recruits kids with unsatisfying home lives
Beast Wars, Optimus, Megatron, OC - that OC that won't go away
FF7, OC - he's magic and myth
Slice & Dice, dancer/Hexia - a deal with the devil
BotW, Link & Zelda - The werewolf wants to play fetch.
TMNT, OC - "found family" is actually a cult who recruits kids with unsatisfying home lives
Three HR recs
2 Feb 2026 01:34 pmmificTwo hot off the press HR recs, and an older GC one.
cut to the feeling - by Charlotte_Stant, one of my fave authors in HR and HR RPF. For magical realism reasons, 18 y.o. Shane wakes up in the body and life of himself at age 35, married to Ilya. It's brilliant, very funny and just the best "crack taken seriously" imaginable. Also hot as hell. So good.
Torture Me (With All I've Wanted) - by Toomuchplor, also an absolute fave author. 17 y.o. Shane and Ilya end up on a long bus ride together. Under a blanket. Yes, it's super hot but all the details are so lovely, the writing so good. I love it.
And so it's gonna be forever has already been reccd by people and is still a WIP damn it, but it's completely addictive. I just loooove fix-it fics, and in this, Ilya dies in the Centaurs' plane crash but is magically transported back to his teens again, reliving his life with all his future memories intact, determined to get it righter this time - and boy, does he make some changes. I could do without a few of the mystical bits but the majority of this fic is like pure crack to me.
cut to the feeling - by Charlotte_Stant, one of my fave authors in HR and HR RPF. For magical realism reasons, 18 y.o. Shane wakes up in the body and life of himself at age 35, married to Ilya. It's brilliant, very funny and just the best "crack taken seriously" imaginable. Also hot as hell. So good.
Torture Me (With All I've Wanted) - by Toomuchplor, also an absolute fave author. 17 y.o. Shane and Ilya end up on a long bus ride together. Under a blanket. Yes, it's super hot but all the details are so lovely, the writing so good. I love it.
And so it's gonna be forever has already been reccd by people and is still a WIP damn it, but it's completely addictive. I just loooove fix-it fics, and in this, Ilya dies in the Centaurs' plane crash but is magically transported back to his teens again, reliving his life with all his future memories intact, determined to get it righter this time - and boy, does he make some changes. I could do without a few of the mystical bits but the majority of this fic is like pure crack to me.
Fitness Fellowship 2026: Week Five Check-in
2 Feb 2026 06:39 pmsylvanwitchHello, fellow fitness folks! I hope you're keeping warm (or cool) and well wherever you are. The weather has somewhat moderated here in my part of the world, but it won't last. Still, I'll take my chances to get outdoors while I've got them.
As usual, please share how you've been doing with your goals, big and/or small. I hope you've got successes to report, but if you don't, please know that you'll get nothing but support from me.
( My Week in Review )
Have a good week, be kind to yourself, find joy where you can, and enjoy the quiet moments when they come to you.
As usual, please share how you've been doing with your goals, big and/or small. I hope you've got successes to report, but if you don't, please know that you'll get nothing but support from me.
( My Week in Review )
Have a good week, be kind to yourself, find joy where you can, and enjoy the quiet moments when they come to you.
Day 2 - Fic - Suikoden III - Chocoholic - Chris Lightfellow
2 Feb 2026 03:45 pmsuzume posting in halfamoonTitle: Chocoholic
Fandom: Suikoden III
Character(s): Chris Lightfellow
Rating: G
Summary: Chris can't get a break.
( Sneaking around, Chris finally thinks she's found a good spot... )
Fandom: Suikoden III
Character(s): Chris Lightfellow
Rating: G
Summary: Chris can't get a break.
( Sneaking around, Chris finally thinks she's found a good spot... )
Let me out!
2 Feb 2026 06:32 pmalchemicinkBeing snowed in my house: fine
Being snowed in my house while listening to a basketball game with repetitive Bojangles commercials reminding me how much I want some fried chicken: torture
Being snowed in my house while listening to a basketball game with repetitive Bojangles commercials reminding me how much I want some fried chicken: torture
Day 2: Fic - Yu Yu Hakusho - Shizuru
2 Feb 2026 06:27 pmalchemicink posting in halfamoonThe first character who popped in my head for "Guilty Pleasures" was Shizuru and her cigarette smoking habit. (I don't like real life smoking but I do love fictional smoking 😅)
Title: Rising Smoke
Fandom: Yu Yu Hakusho
Character: Kuwabara Shizuru
Rating: G
Length: 100 words
Summary: Shizuru takes a quiet moment to herself
Link: here on ao3 or you can read it under the cut below
( Read more... )
Title: Rising Smoke
Fandom: Yu Yu Hakusho
Character: Kuwabara Shizuru
Rating: G
Length: 100 words
Summary: Shizuru takes a quiet moment to herself
Link: here on ao3 or you can read it under the cut below
( Read more... )
Toechwood Big Finish Monthly range early ones revisited
2 Feb 2026 11:14 pmbeccaelizabethToday I relistened to
Torchwood The Conspiracy and
Torchwood Forgotten Lives
The Conspiracy starts the Comittee of Erebus, which is honestly a bit boring even if you throw in the possible crossover opportunities with Pathfinder's name for a layer of Hell. I don't think we really need aliens in our conspiracy theories, people trying to get rich seems like sufficient motivation of itself. The misinformation bit where they tell patchwork truth in amongst the mess so nobody will believe it later? *sigh* little bit depressing.
Forgotten Lives I relistened to because I'd started wondering if Jack in this one was actually Jack. I think he's meant to be but it's also possible Gwen got tricksed, the story Jack started as such a simplified version and then Gwen and Rhys kept adding details. So there's one spin where it wasn't actually him but snogging everyone was a good enough impression he could get Gwen to unlock classified Torchwood stashes. And there's the other one, more interesting I think, where a Jack who says he lost track of his age after the first couple of thousand is stuck in the body of an ill old man and suffering his mental decline. Nightmare time. And then at the end it is implied he's going to get swapped around between bodies being all sorts of people for an unknown length of time. But still trying to act like Jack. And the new bodies are not immortal but he got reloaded into one after the old body died, so does he reset to his own body when he gets killed and then get sent out again? He says it'll be torture but it's a story mine and a half.
I'm not sure how they think it'll work though, the redistributing society thing. I mean sure that body was in charge yesterday but why would hierarchy depend on body? I can see it being incentive to make every body live in reasonable conditions, like environmental laws and free healthcare stuff, but I don't see how it would be much different from remote working in the end.
... which is another weird comment now I think about it and a Story again.
I miss when Jack could be in the stories and I would be Deeply Displeased if they cast another actor, but they have left themselves a story loophole with this and other body swap stories.
I want the Torchwood range to keep going for as close to forever as possible, but we are not getting that kind of luck. Last few coming out. I liked how it could be stories from any time Torchwood existed, a hundred years and change of the past and thousands of years of future so far. And without the Doctor there the range of endings got really broad. It's interesting.
But to be fair it does not give the range a strong through line or specific characters to get emotionally attached to, and the characters going away was the fandom's basic problem with Miracle Day, so, I can see why it doesn't have the same draw as the Doctor Who ranges.
... if I win the lottery i shall clearly have to do something about that...
But relistening now is good.
... especially as I am avoiding listening to the last few ones on account of then they are over. Boo...
Torchwood The Conspiracy and
Torchwood Forgotten Lives
The Conspiracy starts the Comittee of Erebus, which is honestly a bit boring even if you throw in the possible crossover opportunities with Pathfinder's name for a layer of Hell. I don't think we really need aliens in our conspiracy theories, people trying to get rich seems like sufficient motivation of itself. The misinformation bit where they tell patchwork truth in amongst the mess so nobody will believe it later? *sigh* little bit depressing.
Forgotten Lives I relistened to because I'd started wondering if Jack in this one was actually Jack. I think he's meant to be but it's also possible Gwen got tricksed, the story Jack started as such a simplified version and then Gwen and Rhys kept adding details. So there's one spin where it wasn't actually him but snogging everyone was a good enough impression he could get Gwen to unlock classified Torchwood stashes. And there's the other one, more interesting I think, where a Jack who says he lost track of his age after the first couple of thousand is stuck in the body of an ill old man and suffering his mental decline. Nightmare time. And then at the end it is implied he's going to get swapped around between bodies being all sorts of people for an unknown length of time. But still trying to act like Jack. And the new bodies are not immortal but he got reloaded into one after the old body died, so does he reset to his own body when he gets killed and then get sent out again? He says it'll be torture but it's a story mine and a half.
I'm not sure how they think it'll work though, the redistributing society thing. I mean sure that body was in charge yesterday but why would hierarchy depend on body? I can see it being incentive to make every body live in reasonable conditions, like environmental laws and free healthcare stuff, but I don't see how it would be much different from remote working in the end.
... which is another weird comment now I think about it and a Story again.
I miss when Jack could be in the stories and I would be Deeply Displeased if they cast another actor, but they have left themselves a story loophole with this and other body swap stories.
I want the Torchwood range to keep going for as close to forever as possible, but we are not getting that kind of luck. Last few coming out. I liked how it could be stories from any time Torchwood existed, a hundred years and change of the past and thousands of years of future so far. And without the Doctor there the range of endings got really broad. It's interesting.
But to be fair it does not give the range a strong through line or specific characters to get emotionally attached to, and the characters going away was the fandom's basic problem with Miracle Day, so, I can see why it doesn't have the same draw as the Doctor Who ranges.
... if I win the lottery i shall clearly have to do something about that...
But relistening now is good.
... especially as I am avoiding listening to the last few ones on account of then they are over. Boo...
Wildlife
2 Feb 2026 05:06 pmysabetwordsmithSome polar bears are getting fatter despite a warming Arctic
Polar bears tell you a lot about what’s going on in the Arctic. When food is hard to find, their bodies show it fast. When hunting gets easier, they put weight back on. Less sea ice has meant thinner polar bears and fewer of them.
That’s what makes the situation near Svalbard – midway between the northern coast of Norway and the North Pole – so unexpected. Despite ongoing sea ice loss, adult polar bears there are not in worse shape.
Many are actually heavier than they were years ago. Extra fat is not a small detail for a polar bear. It often decides whether the animal gets through the year.
This is super exciting because for years I've been reading about Alaskan polar bears starving. If this other population is getting fatter, then maybe there is hope for the species. :D
( Read more... )
Polar bears tell you a lot about what’s going on in the Arctic. When food is hard to find, their bodies show it fast. When hunting gets easier, they put weight back on. Less sea ice has meant thinner polar bears and fewer of them.
That’s what makes the situation near Svalbard – midway between the northern coast of Norway and the North Pole – so unexpected. Despite ongoing sea ice loss, adult polar bears there are not in worse shape.
Many are actually heavier than they were years ago. Extra fat is not a small detail for a polar bear. It often decides whether the animal gets through the year.
This is super exciting because for years I've been reading about Alaskan polar bears starving. If this other population is getting fatter, then maybe there is hope for the species. :D
( Read more... )
no subject
2 Feb 2026 05:49 pmmissizzyThere is still a mostly smooth-topped layer of snow covering our yard, and it has turned firm, but actually isn't that slippery right now. I was worried about getting the trash bins out to the front when I got home from work just now, especially since we didn't get collection last week and they are currently very full, but I was able to walk on top of the smooth snow so easily I felt like an elf! And the bins rolled easily on top of it as well, at least until I reached the more piled up snow on the curb.
Once again, there is a government shutdown, but once again, there is still money in the revolving fund that pays for the library, and even if things don't go as expected tomorrow, it's hard to think this one will last two months. It all felt very undramatic today.
I have gotten a bit MDZSed over the past few days, starting to read the third volume of the serial while watching the final episodes of The Untamed. I watched episode 45 yesterday, and holy shit, the acting in that one, from Yu Bin and Qi Pei Xin especially. I am now reading enough also to spot adaptational differences, and while there are one or two straightwashing ones I must be unimpressed by, I actually think they've been for the better generally.
Once again, there is a government shutdown, but once again, there is still money in the revolving fund that pays for the library, and even if things don't go as expected tomorrow, it's hard to think this one will last two months. It all felt very undramatic today.
I have gotten a bit MDZSed over the past few days, starting to read the third volume of the serial while watching the final episodes of The Untamed. I watched episode 45 yesterday, and holy shit, the acting in that one, from Yu Bin and Qi Pei Xin especially. I am now reading enough also to spot adaptational differences, and while there are one or two straightwashing ones I must be unimpressed by, I actually think they've been for the better generally.
travel: Georgia - Uplistsikhe and Kutaisi
3 Feb 2026 07:55 amtielanYes, I'm back with the Georgian trip!
Day 1: Overview | Day 2: Vashlovani Nature Reserve | Day 3: Jvari Monastery and Svetitskhoveli Cathedral
-----
The night of the Jvari Monastery and the Svetitskhoveli Cathedral (still Wednesday) we stayed in a little vineyard tucked away in the back of beyond, which required a hike along rough tracks and up and down roads. Our luggage was (thankfully) taken by a very old jeep - Soviet era, we were told. It surely looked it!
The vineyard had been owned by a former church minister, and they were still doing it up. The road there was a little rough, and a few of the women struggled somewhat with the path.
There was also almost no signal.
But there were kittens!
This night was a particularly bad case of "we can't eat anything, we're too stuffed full of food". I didn't even take photos of the food, I was so full!
And the next morning was no better.
Ruins and vineyards and buildings on the walk back down to where the bus awaited us in the morning:
Yeah, it's a bit of a mouthful...
Uplistsikhe Rock Village dates back to the 2nd Century BC, and translates to 'God's Fortress'.
The carvings and design of it indicate both pagan and Christian residency (a pagan temple's fire altars were filled in when the community converted to Christianity and the space used as a chapel/cathedral), and multiple cultural influences from outside Georgia are indicated by its architecture and decoration before it was sacked in the 12th Century by the Mongols.
There was so much of it to see, but we only had an hour, so it was a very truncated tour of a really interesting historical site.
And I spent long enough in the chapel that I and my roomie (only other non-American on the tour, apart from the 'host' who was local, and the 'organiser' who was ) lost the rest of the group on the way out of the site. I found the chapel particularly fascinating to me for the black Madonna-and-Child portrait, the layout of the space, and the "drooping arms" cross symbol, which is representative of St Nino's grapevine cross she carried to Georgia when she brought Christianity to that part of the world.
Oh yes, and the black Madonna and child!
No, not me! (I just realised the juxtaposition of the photos. XD XD)
More seriously, there was a woman in the chapel who was praying or observing her pilgrimage. I had to be quiet while she was there and even after she left, I had to be quiet because there was a woman manning the shop right outside the door. *sigh*
I find it a bit restricting, actually, that the chapels and cathedrals all demand silence of you. There are times for silence, of course. But there's also time to sing and be joyful - to shout to the Lord! To everything a time and a season, as Ecclesiastes declares. I did manage to sing a hymn in a chapel in Positano, Italy and that was fun!
Anyway, there was a tunnel we missed out on seeing because we didn't work out where the rest of the group went, and then we got stuck at the top and ended up having to go back down the way we came, whereupon we met the rest of the group and went along to the bus.
On the way to lunch, we passed through the city of Gori, which is Stalin's birthplace. Many of the older Americans wanted to hop out and have a look at it, and I hopped out because the architecture looked really interesting!
C'mon, tell me this isn't fascinating to the daughter of an architect!
The location is the house in which he was born. The neighbourhood was "bought out" (*cough cough* we know how that goes in the west, now imagine it in Soviet Georgia!) and everything else razed to bring you...this edifice of stone and magnificence...
The Americans exclaimed over the details of Stalin's life. Me? I looked around at the architecture (very interesting, oddly beautiful for what I think of as 'communist brutalism') and then out at the public gardens surrounding it, and the Georgian national flag flapping in the wind. And I turned to our Georgia guide, grinned, and said "Stalin would have hated it." And she grinned back.
It was pretty much a fifteen minute stop because we were already kind of late to lunch. But then, we were still kind of full from the previous night and breakfast, so it's not like we were rushing to get to eat!
--
Lunch at Sisters-in-Law winery. The owner used to be in the diplomatic service, but married a guy whose family owned land out in the countryside and now runs a restaurant that they built out of reclaimed everything. All the bricks, all the wood, all the furnishings found and repaired and now reused. It's very permaculture.
They're also very socially active (also very permaculture) to the point where they decided to close the restaurant this summer, because they wanted to participate in local protests against pro-Russia government and they were worried about retaliation. That's a dedication to the cause. There were assorted signs and stickers around the place that showed the sentiment of the younger generation about Russia, but the older generations often recall the good times of the Soviet Union and want that back.
Sounds a bit familiar, really.
They definitely had some permaculture books...
Also, there was a wine there that was absolutely amazing, and honestly I'd have shipped an entire crate of it back home except they didn't have any left over from that batch! *sigh*
A beautiful place with a beautiful couple doing good, solid things in the world.
--
Kutaisi
At this point, my memories are growing a little fuzzy. I shouldn't have put off typing this up for so long, and since I've been back, a lot has happened!
But I do remember that the dinner in Kutaisi was a bit ordinary, all things considered...
A walking bridge, quite close to where we were staying, and the last light of day.
Day 1: Overview | Day 2: Vashlovani Nature Reserve | Day 3: Jvari Monastery and Svetitskhoveli Cathedral
-----
The night of the Jvari Monastery and the Svetitskhoveli Cathedral (still Wednesday) we stayed in a little vineyard tucked away in the back of beyond, which required a hike along rough tracks and up and down roads. Our luggage was (thankfully) taken by a very old jeep - Soviet era, we were told. It surely looked it!
A B&B up in the mountains
The vineyard had been owned by a former church minister, and they were still doing it up. The road there was a little rough, and a few of the women struggled somewhat with the path.
There was also almost no signal.
But there were kittens!
This night was a particularly bad case of "we can't eat anything, we're too stuffed full of food". I didn't even take photos of the food, I was so full!
And the next morning was no better.
Ruins and vineyards and buildings on the walk back down to where the bus awaited us in the morning:
Thursday: Uplistsikhe
Yeah, it's a bit of a mouthful...
Uplistsikhe Rock Village dates back to the 2nd Century BC, and translates to 'God's Fortress'.
The carvings and design of it indicate both pagan and Christian residency (a pagan temple's fire altars were filled in when the community converted to Christianity and the space used as a chapel/cathedral), and multiple cultural influences from outside Georgia are indicated by its architecture and decoration before it was sacked in the 12th Century by the Mongols.
There was so much of it to see, but we only had an hour, so it was a very truncated tour of a really interesting historical site.
And I spent long enough in the chapel that I and my roomie (only other non-American on the tour, apart from the 'host' who was local, and the 'organiser' who was ) lost the rest of the group on the way out of the site. I found the chapel particularly fascinating to me for the black Madonna-and-Child portrait, the layout of the space, and the "drooping arms" cross symbol, which is representative of St Nino's grapevine cross she carried to Georgia when she brought Christianity to that part of the world.
Oh yes, and the black Madonna and child!
No, not me! (I just realised the juxtaposition of the photos. XD XD)
More seriously, there was a woman in the chapel who was praying or observing her pilgrimage. I had to be quiet while she was there and even after she left, I had to be quiet because there was a woman manning the shop right outside the door. *sigh*
I find it a bit restricting, actually, that the chapels and cathedrals all demand silence of you. There are times for silence, of course. But there's also time to sing and be joyful - to shout to the Lord! To everything a time and a season, as Ecclesiastes declares. I did manage to sing a hymn in a chapel in Positano, Italy and that was fun!
Anyway, there was a tunnel we missed out on seeing because we didn't work out where the rest of the group went, and then we got stuck at the top and ended up having to go back down the way we came, whereupon we met the rest of the group and went along to the bus.
On the way to lunch, we passed through the city of Gori, which is Stalin's birthplace. Many of the older Americans wanted to hop out and have a look at it, and I hopped out because the architecture looked really interesting!
C'mon, tell me this isn't fascinating to the daughter of an architect!
Gori: birthplace of Stalin
The location is the house in which he was born. The neighbourhood was "bought out" (*cough cough* we know how that goes in the west, now imagine it in Soviet Georgia!) and everything else razed to bring you...this edifice of stone and magnificence...
The Americans exclaimed over the details of Stalin's life. Me? I looked around at the architecture (very interesting, oddly beautiful for what I think of as 'communist brutalism') and then out at the public gardens surrounding it, and the Georgian national flag flapping in the wind. And I turned to our Georgia guide, grinned, and said "Stalin would have hated it." And she grinned back.
It was pretty much a fifteen minute stop because we were already kind of late to lunch. But then, we were still kind of full from the previous night and breakfast, so it's not like we were rushing to get to eat!
--
Lunch at Sisters-in-Law winery. The owner used to be in the diplomatic service, but married a guy whose family owned land out in the countryside and now runs a restaurant that they built out of reclaimed everything. All the bricks, all the wood, all the furnishings found and repaired and now reused. It's very permaculture.
books and food and activism against an oppressive government: what it can look like
They're also very socially active (also very permaculture) to the point where they decided to close the restaurant this summer, because they wanted to participate in local protests against pro-Russia government and they were worried about retaliation. That's a dedication to the cause. There were assorted signs and stickers around the place that showed the sentiment of the younger generation about Russia, but the older generations often recall the good times of the Soviet Union and want that back.
Sounds a bit familiar, really.
They definitely had some permaculture books...
Also, there was a wine there that was absolutely amazing, and honestly I'd have shipped an entire crate of it back home except they didn't have any left over from that batch! *sigh*
A beautiful place with a beautiful couple doing good, solid things in the world.
--
Kutaisi
At this point, my memories are growing a little fuzzy. I shouldn't have put off typing this up for so long, and since I've been back, a lot has happened!
But I do remember that the dinner in Kutaisi was a bit ordinary, all things considered...
A walking bridge, quite close to where we were staying, and the last light of day.
Day One Theme - The Innocent - The Briefest of Heroes (BtVS Fic from 2020)
2 Feb 2026 10:03 pmkerk_hiraeth posting in halfamoonTITLE: The Briefest of Heroes https://kerk-hiraeth.dreamwidth.org/21839.html
PROMPT: Day One - The Innocent
FANDOM: Buffy the Vampire Slayer FutureFic AU
AUTHOR: kerk_hiraeth
RATING: PG-13
LENGTH: 350,
CHARACTERS: OC Pov & Willow/Kennedy
SUMMARY: Amongst all the Slayers born into new powers; what happens to those alone; untrained and unfound. This is an account of one such abandoned innocent.
A/N: This is set in the summer of 2020, in a world where the Buffy/Faith bodyswap of BtVS S4 was not reversed; there is a cold war between the old Council of Watchers and a new Council of Slayers and their allies set up after the destruction of Sunnydale.
This is not a happy tale with a happy ending
This is the link to the original Dec 2020 post in case anyone is interested https://kerk-hiraeth.dreamwidth.org/12156.html
kerk
Day 1: The Innocent, Fic, Yellowjackets - Natalie
2 Feb 2026 10:13 pmtellshannon815 posting in halfamoonTitle: All Things Truly Wicked Start From Innocence
Fandom: Yellowjackets
Characters: Natalie
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Reference to character death, spoilers through S3
Word count: 467
Summary: As Natalie attends a memorial for Javi, she reflects on how he was the only one of them who was ever truly innocent.
( Read more... )
Fandom: Yellowjackets
Characters: Natalie
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Reference to character death, spoilers through S3
Word count: 467
Summary: As Natalie attends a memorial for Javi, she reflects on how he was the only one of them who was ever truly innocent.
( Read more... )
2026 February Fan Poll
2 Feb 2026 05:02 pmlb_leeHey everybody, it's that time again: time to vote for which stuff gets the LiberaPay/Patreon money this month! We've got some new zines/comics on the pile this month, because I finally sold my last copy of Rumbleghost!
As always, anyone can vote (please do!), but LiberaPay and Patreon patrons get double weight for their votes. (Due to Patreon's porn purges, I really encourage you to use LiberaPay, if you get a choice.) If you want to see the blurbs for any of these works, those are here! (You can also leave your requests there; requesting a story or essay is always free!) If you don't have a DW and so can't do the poll, that's okay; just leave your vote in the comments below; anon comments are turned on.
Which works gets the money, and thus posted this month? YOU CHOOSE, readers!
As always, anyone can vote (please do!), but LiberaPay and Patreon patrons get double weight for their votes. (Due to Patreon's porn purges, I really encourage you to use LiberaPay, if you get a choice.) If you want to see the blurbs for any of these works, those are here! (You can also leave your requests there; requesting a story or essay is always free!) If you don't have a DW and so can't do the poll, that's okay; just leave your vote in the comments below; anon comments are turned on.
Which works gets the money, and thus posted this month? YOU CHOOSE, readers!
Poll #34175 2026 February Fan Poll
Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 14
Did you toss LiberaPay/Patreon money my way last month?
What writing gets posted this month?
View Answers
Infinity Smashed: Born Lucky
5 (38.5%)
Reverend Alpert: the Traveling Exorcist
3 (23.1%)
Henchwench for Hire (F/F supervillainy)
2 (15.4%)
Rutless (trans omegaverse porno)
3 (23.1%)
Crazy Boys Get Money (autobio heist)
7 (53.8%)
The Battle-Axe and the Blood-Eater (pseudo-Greco-Roman blood sports)
2 (15.4%)
What art/comic/zine gets posted this month?
View Answers
Cult Comix
4 (33.3%)
Death Watch
4 (33.3%)
Protection
2 (16.7%)
Thrown Away
0 (0.0%)
Sneak Attack!
4 (33.3%)
Barred from Pokemon Forever
8 (66.7%)
Possessions (Rumbleghost)
1 (8.3%)
scalziwhatever_feed
Last week, I was having a serious craving for some fresh baked chocolate chip cookies. Between the weather and the world, I really felt like a cookie would help improve my morale.
So, I decided to try out Half Baked Harvest’s recipe for what she calls “Really Good Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies.” Let’s get right into the process of making them and how they turned out!
Looking at the ingredients list, it’s pretty clear that these are definitely pretty standard cookies made with just everyday household items. Sugar (white and brown), flour, eggs, butter, some vanilla, chocolate, it’s all the usual suspects. Thankfully I didn’t have to go out and buy anything, I could just get right into baking.
The first thing to do was to brown the butter. I was surprised by this step because usually if browning butter is required in a recipe, the food blogger will include such information in the title of the recipe. Like, if I make Binging With Babish’s brown butter chocolate chunk cookies with flaky sea salt, I make a point to mention allll of that.
Anyways, I browned the butter and let it cool off for just a bit while I mixed together the sugars, eggs, and vanilla. Normally I use a stand mixer, but the recipe says that all you need is a bowl and a whisk, and really don’t need an electric mixer. I decided to follow in the spirit of the recipe and keep things simple. Simple ingredients, simple equipment.
After adding the butter (which was still melted but not hot so I didn’t cook the eggs), it was finally time to add the dry ingredients. The recipe calls for 2 cups of flour, and pretty much the second I put in the two cups, I could tell that it was too much flour.
I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking I packed the measuring cups too full of flour, resulting in extra unaccounted for flour in the mix. I’ll have you know I am a pro, and I spoon all the flour into the measuring cup, resulting in a nice, loose cup of flour rather than a tightly packed one. So it wasn’t my fault (this time, anyway).
The dough immediately became very dry and crumbly, and wouldn’t hold any type of ball shape. It would crumble apart so easily that the dough wasn’t even retaining any of the chocolate chips, they would just fall out.
I knew there was only one thing to do (besides cry and throw the bowl of cookie dough off a cliff). I was going to have to press all the dough into a 9×13 and make cookie bars.
I wasn’t sure how to adjust the cooking time for that, but I figured the initial temperature of 350 would be okay, so I put them in and basically eyeballed them until they were done, which took less than twenty minutes, I think. Here’s what they looked like:
Honestly, they didn’t look too bad! They were pretty okay right out of the oven, but as they cooled they quickly got harder and harder, until eventually all I had was a pan full of chocolate chip bricks. I can only assume it’s from how dry the dough was due to all the flour, but these were definitely more like biscotti. Certainly no “chewy chocolate chip cookie” in sight.
I was definitely a little disappointed, but at least they tasted pretty good and could be slightly softened in the microwave, then washed down with a nice, cold glass of milk.
Do you like cookie bars? Is chocolate chip your favorite type of cookie? Let me know in the comments, and have a great day!
-AMS
BBC reports from Oslo court ahead of rape trial of Crown Princess's son
2 Feb 2026 08:22 pmbbcnewsworld_feedNorway's royal family has been embroiled in recent scandals, including Crown Princess Mette-Marit links with Epstein.
Courses - January 2026
2 Feb 2026 09:12 pmsmallhobbitFutureLearn
Art and the Environment in South-East Asia: Making in a Changing World (National Gallery of Singapore)
A very interesting course looking at current day artists in South-East Asia and ways their art is reflecting the environment around them, with all the ways this is changing.
OpenLearn
What do Genes Do?
Gene Testing
Inheritance of Characters
Three very short courses looking at some basic aspects of genes. It was helpful to learn a little more about DNA and how genes are passed on through the generations.
Introduction to Spanish
The German I had been thinking of doing was above my level, and while it's helpful to be challenged, there is no point in floundering completely. So instead I took the new Spanish introduction, which served as a good reminder of what I know.
Art and the Environment in South-East Asia: Making in a Changing World (National Gallery of Singapore)
A very interesting course looking at current day artists in South-East Asia and ways their art is reflecting the environment around them, with all the ways this is changing.
OpenLearn
What do Genes Do?
Gene Testing
Inheritance of Characters
Three very short courses looking at some basic aspects of genes. It was helpful to learn a little more about DNA and how genes are passed on through the generations.
Introduction to Spanish
The German I had been thinking of doing was above my level, and while it's helpful to be challenged, there is no point in floundering completely. So instead I took the new Spanish introduction, which served as a good reminder of what I know.
Weekend
2 Feb 2026 08:49 pmcosmolinguistWork team check-in this morning, I dreaded getting asked "How was your weekend, Erik?" My actual weekend: onboarding for new antifascist activities and returning to old ones, across two continents. My answer: "Oh you know, quiet."
I'm not doing anything scary or glamorous btw: mostly I'm in a bunch of Signal chats and standing around having cool conversations with strangers. There really is stuff for everyone to do.
(Including the people who are looking after people like me. I had a bad brain day yesterday and then listened to my parents for an hour and this time it was 100% [cw: MN, ICE, etc.] Details I'd managed to avoid myself, my mom just splurged all over me. My mom was late getting in touch with me because she'd been on the phone to her most annoying sister for the previous hour and, except for this bare fact, didn't even mention it. Normally I'd expect several solid minutes about how bad that was! So I went to bed feeling really down and the people and things that help lift me up are part of the fight too.)