The first crocuses are blooming! I just had to take pictures when I spotted them this morning. Yesterday they were just buds.
( Walk with me ... )
( Walk with me ... )
Ten Titles to Read for Aromantic Awareness Week
Happy Aromantic Spectrum Awareness Week! We’re stoked to be celebrating this awesome week for the fourth time with some great aro book recommendations!
Happy Aromantic Spectrum Awareness Week! We’re stoked to be celebrating this awesome week for the fourth time with some great aro book recommendations!
I've just learned that Aeon Books has decided to bring out a deluxe edition of my forthcoming book The Magical Writings of W.B. Yeats. I'm delighted, of course -- show me the author whose heart doesn't beat a little faster at the thought of having his work in a fine edition! -- but I also wanted to leak word of this to my readers sooner rather than later, because it's a limited edition of 500 copies, and once it's gone, it's gone. Preorders can be placed here:
https://spirit.aeonbooks.com/product/magical-writings-of-wb-yeats/95401 (US site)
https://spirit.aeonbooks.co.uk/product/magical-writings-of-wb-yeats/95401 (UK site)
And, since I have the best commentariat on the web, the 20% discount for preorders applies. Use the code YEATS20 at checkout and you're good.
Viola come il mare: Fanfic: Far From Over
Feb. 18th, 2026 09:09 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
veronyxk84 posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
fan_flashworksTitle: Far From Over
Fandom: Viola come il mare (category: tv)
Author:veronyxk84
Characters/Pairing: Viola Vitale/Francesco Demir
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: none
Word count: 955 (Ellipsus)
Spoilers/Setting: Set in early S2.
Summary: Viola has survived a whole year of living next door to Francesco Demir: a dangerously charming neighbor with a smile that should come with a warning label.
Breakfast on the terrace was supposed to be simple, but nothing is simple when the attraction is mutual, the teasing never stops, and neither of them is willing to be the first to give in.
Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction created for fun and no profit has been made. All rights belong to the respective owners.
Challenge: #506 - Melt
—
( READ: Far From Over/Ficlet )
***
( ITALIAN VERSION: Tutt’altro che Finito/Ficlet )
Fandom: Viola come il mare (category: tv)
Author:
veronyxk84Characters/Pairing: Viola Vitale/Francesco Demir
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: none
Word count: 955 (Ellipsus)
Spoilers/Setting: Set in early S2.
Summary: Viola has survived a whole year of living next door to Francesco Demir: a dangerously charming neighbor with a smile that should come with a warning label.
Breakfast on the terrace was supposed to be simple, but nothing is simple when the attraction is mutual, the teasing never stops, and neither of them is willing to be the first to give in.
Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction created for fun and no profit has been made. All rights belong to the respective owners.
Challenge: #506 - Melt
—
( READ: Far From Over/Ficlet )
***
( ITALIAN VERSION: Tutt’altro che Finito/Ficlet )
The Wolves Upon the Coast Grand Campaign, a bare-bones old-school tabletop roleplaying game by designer Luke Gearing.
Bundle of Holding: Wolves Upon the Coast
Today is sunny and actually warm, with a light breeze -- it's 69°F outside.
I fed the birds. I've seen a small flock of sparrows, and a mourning dove flying around.
I put out water for the birds.
The crocuses are blooming in the rain garden! :D I'm pretty sure this is the earliest I've seen anything bloom here. The snowdrops don't even have their buds up yet. I took a few pictures of the crocuses.
EDIT 2/18/26 -- While we were out, I spotted 2 red-winged blackbirds. They are waaayyy too early. They won't find much to eat yet. :/
EDIT 2/18/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
EDIT 2/18/26 -- I trimmed the dead stems from the 'Autumn Joy' sedum in the septic garden. The garlic chives are already sprouting there too.
I've seen a flock of sparrows, a male cardinal, and a male house finch.
EDIT 2/18/26 -- I did more work around the patio.
I am done for the night.
I fed the birds. I've seen a small flock of sparrows, and a mourning dove flying around.
I put out water for the birds.
The crocuses are blooming in the rain garden! :D I'm pretty sure this is the earliest I've seen anything bloom here. The snowdrops don't even have their buds up yet. I took a few pictures of the crocuses.
EDIT 2/18/26 -- While we were out, I spotted 2 red-winged blackbirds. They are waaayyy too early. They won't find much to eat yet. :/
EDIT 2/18/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
EDIT 2/18/26 -- I trimmed the dead stems from the 'Autumn Joy' sedum in the septic garden. The garlic chives are already sprouting there too.
I've seen a flock of sparrows, a male cardinal, and a male house finch.
EDIT 2/18/26 -- I did more work around the patio.
I am done for the night.
March Meta Matters Challenge 2026 Returning!
Feb. 18th, 2026 12:56 pmyourlibrarian posting in month_of_meta
March 1 is just weeks away, so that means the kickoff to this year's March Meta Matters Challenge will be taking place soon! The challenge involves locating and copying over meta you've created to a second site in order to ensure its preservation, plus there will be some prompts for creating new meta.
Feel free to ask questions here about the challenge, locations, etc. Otherwise subscribe to
marchmetamatterschallenge and look for our opening post on March 1!March Meta Matters Challenge 2026 Returning!
Feb. 17th, 2026 04:43 pmyourlibrarian posting in dreamwidth_metaMarch 1 is just weeks away, so that means the kickoff to this year's March Meta Matters Challenge will be taking place soon! The challenge involves locating and copying over meta you've created to a second site in order to ensure its preservation, plus there will be some prompts for creating new meta.
Feel free to ask questions here about the challenge, locations, etc. Otherwise subscribe to
marchmetamatterschallenge and look for our opening post on March 1!CANON: The Pitt
CHARACTERS: Frank Langdon, Michael "Robby" Robinavitch, Dennis Whitaker
ADDITIONAL INFO: Currently only from S2E1 for rp / personal journal essentials!
CREDIT TO:sweeticedtea
here @sweeticedtea
CHARACTERS: Frank Langdon, Michael "Robby" Robinavitch, Dennis Whitaker
ADDITIONAL INFO: Currently only from S2E1 for rp / personal journal essentials!
CREDIT TO:
sweeticedtea here @
sweeticedteaCANON: The Pitt
CHARACTERS: Victoria Javadi, Mel King, Cassie McKay, Samira Mohan, Trinity Santos
ADDITIONAL INFO: Currently only from S2E1 for rp / personal journal essentials!
CREDIT TO:sweeticedtea
here @sweeticedtea
CHARACTERS: Victoria Javadi, Mel King, Cassie McKay, Samira Mohan, Trinity Santos
ADDITIONAL INFO: Currently only from S2E1 for rp / personal journal essentials!
CREDIT TO:
sweeticedtea here @
sweeticedteaApparently I have a white-and-purple fuchsia. Cathy gave me one of her little fuchsias last fall, and honestly it has not been thriving. I just haven't got the knack of fuchsias yet. But it started budding last week (I thought for sure the buds would fall off because the plant wasn't healthy enough to support flowers), and yesterday one opened! And today another one opened!
It's particularly exciting because I've only had pink fuchsias before this, so I just assumed this one was also pink. Nope! So pretty. And it looks nice with the dried orchid blooms on the plant next to it, also purple, so that's extra special. (I don't know if you're supposed to remove orchid blooms once they go by: probably, but these are the blooms on Mimi's orchid and there's zero chance I will interfere with this hardy and symbolic gift. Those flowers are there until they fall off.)
The second of my baby geraniums is flowering, also red, and my rescue geranium from two years ago at the hardware store is budding again. It blooms white and several shades of pink, which is interesting and I don't know how common that is, that a single geranium plant has multiple colors of flowers. It's the only one I have like that out of seven or eight, so that's neat.
Oh! Okay, also, remember the "dormant" passionflower vines? Ha ha, they are not twining around the tree, they are growing straight up, probably looking for the light they aren't supposed to have because it's winter and they should be sleeping. I saw one of them poking up above the tree on Monday and thought, "Oh hi??"
Then I forgot about it, except for pouring a bunch of water in that pot because apparently the vines are awake and will (I assume) want a drink. Today I had designated as minting day, just to keep ahead of potential pests, and when I was gently spraying the tree I realized there are multiple passionflower vines on their way up and one of them has leaned forward for the floor light (instead of back for the wall light, which was installed over the vine pot but I didn't think reached all the way down through the tree canopy).
So I'm not sure what their plan is, but it looks like I may need an indoor trellis for them, unless I want them to go for the ceiling lights. How does Cathy keep hers dormant over the winter? (Apparently other people have cool parts of their house, or warm parts of their garage. I find it a struggle just to keep the canna and dahlia tubers below 60F.)
Anyway, I have today off from work, and my $8 soldering iron has arrived, so it's back to work on the winter sowing. I have a bunch of test containers and test seeds, along with an assortment of soil and a warm-ish day for working outside. At this rate I should finish just in time for the winter sowing workshop.
It's particularly exciting because I've only had pink fuchsias before this, so I just assumed this one was also pink. Nope! So pretty. And it looks nice with the dried orchid blooms on the plant next to it, also purple, so that's extra special. (I don't know if you're supposed to remove orchid blooms once they go by: probably, but these are the blooms on Mimi's orchid and there's zero chance I will interfere with this hardy and symbolic gift. Those flowers are there until they fall off.)
The second of my baby geraniums is flowering, also red, and my rescue geranium from two years ago at the hardware store is budding again. It blooms white and several shades of pink, which is interesting and I don't know how common that is, that a single geranium plant has multiple colors of flowers. It's the only one I have like that out of seven or eight, so that's neat.
Oh! Okay, also, remember the "dormant" passionflower vines? Ha ha, they are not twining around the tree, they are growing straight up, probably looking for the light they aren't supposed to have because it's winter and they should be sleeping. I saw one of them poking up above the tree on Monday and thought, "Oh hi??"
Then I forgot about it, except for pouring a bunch of water in that pot because apparently the vines are awake and will (I assume) want a drink. Today I had designated as minting day, just to keep ahead of potential pests, and when I was gently spraying the tree I realized there are multiple passionflower vines on their way up and one of them has leaned forward for the floor light (instead of back for the wall light, which was installed over the vine pot but I didn't think reached all the way down through the tree canopy).
So I'm not sure what their plan is, but it looks like I may need an indoor trellis for them, unless I want them to go for the ceiling lights. How does Cathy keep hers dormant over the winter? (Apparently other people have cool parts of their house, or warm parts of their garage. I find it a struggle just to keep the canna and dahlia tubers below 60F.)
Anyway, I have today off from work, and my $8 soldering iron has arrived, so it's back to work on the winter sowing. I have a bunch of test containers and test seeds, along with an assortment of soil and a warm-ish day for working outside. At this rate I should finish just in time for the winter sowing workshop.
Kuidaore
Here's a word I can get behind--kuidaore or 食い倒れ. It describes indulging in eating food to the point where one risks physical or financial ruin. It's not the same as gluttony--more like the passionate enjoyment of food and the joy it brings. I have to trust the Internet on this one, but kuidaore means "eat until you fall" :-)
Here's a word I can get behind--kuidaore or 食い倒れ. It describes indulging in eating food to the point where one risks physical or financial ruin. It's not the same as gluttony--more like the passionate enjoyment of food and the joy it brings. I have to trust the Internet on this one, but kuidaore means "eat until you fall" :-)
![[syndicated profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/feed.png){kind=small}
♫ Bulbous-nosed witches who probably eat kittens
Messages piped out that should be rewritten
(Supposed to read "Congratulations Wojtek From Thunder Road")
Cakes decorated with smeared silly string
Bakers make some of the wreckiest things!
Is that a tongue sticking out of that poodle?
Were they attempting to make ersatz noodles?
"Congradulations" with Doritos rings
Bakers make some of the wreckiest things!
Plumber's jeans that don't quite cover their "assets"
Creepy-faced smiley with too-thick eyelashes
Harry and Gollum and wands holding rings
Bakers make some of the wreckiest things!
Though these dogs might
Be all frosting
Though these cakes are bad!
I simply remember these wreckiest things
And then I just can't
Feel sad! ♪
BIG thanks to Katie G., Victoria L., J.R., Vanessa M., Lisa H., Pete Z., Andrea G., Darla H., Becca T., Rachel L., and J.C. You know you're my favorites, right?
*****
P.S. If you're going to wear an Easter tee this year, THIS IS THE WAY:
Star Wars Grogu Easter T-Shirt
This one's the child's size, but it also comes in adult sizes and tons more colors.
*****
And from my other blog, Epbot:
One Way to Immunize Yourself Against Pseudoscience and Other Nonsense
Feb. 18th, 2026 10:10 amjames_davis_nicoll
Classic SF was chock-full of dubious ideas; Martin Gardner supplied the antidote.
One Way to Immunize Yourself Against Pseudoscience and Other Nonsense
Only witches hunt demons, all witches are women, and Uroro cannot be defeated by any woman. Uroro feels entirely safe, right until the world's first male witch defeats him.
Ichi the Witch, volume 1 by Osamu NIchi & Shiro Usazaki (Translated by Adrienne Beck)
Drabblethon: Dead End: War of the Worlds (1988-90)
Feb. 18th, 2026 12:10 pmbadly_knitted posting in small_fandomsTitle: Dead End
Fandom: War of the Worlds (1988-90)
Summary: Fighting a war against aliens most people aren’t even aware of is a difficult task.
( Dead End... )
I need to hand wash a bunch of wool things. Three sweaters with soot on the cuffs can be washed in the bathroom sink, but there are two big wool blankets which won't fit in that sink. And we don't have a laundry tub! I remember when I was four or five we were living in an apartment that only had a shower, not a tub, and I was afraid of the shower, so my mom had a laundry tub for me to bathe in and at that age I fit in it comfortably. It was one of those round zinc ones. I've never even seen those for sale as an adult, and I love hardware stores.
I have seen sturdy black plastic tubs that are about that size and larger at hardware stores - they're used in construction, to mix concrete and thinset and mud and stuff in. Not sure that would be a sensible purchase though (it's so big!). My current idea is that I could wash blankets in one of our biggest size of plastic storage bins. The problem is all of them are full of stuff being stored and I'm not sure which one would make the most sense to temporarily borrow.
Another consideration: drying. Drying takes AGES when it's cold. Wool absorbs a lot of water and therefore takes a long time to dry, and sweaters have to dry flat. I suppose we can put the things in front of the stove and light a fire, but we can't keep it going until they're dry. I suppose I have to do this one wool object at a time.
ETA: I should just wait until it's spring and I can dry the blankets outside. The sweaters are more urgent than that, but they are also smaller. I'll just have to try to dry them by the fire.
I have seen sturdy black plastic tubs that are about that size and larger at hardware stores - they're used in construction, to mix concrete and thinset and mud and stuff in. Not sure that would be a sensible purchase though (it's so big!). My current idea is that I could wash blankets in one of our biggest size of plastic storage bins. The problem is all of them are full of stuff being stored and I'm not sure which one would make the most sense to temporarily borrow.
Another consideration: drying. Drying takes AGES when it's cold. Wool absorbs a lot of water and therefore takes a long time to dry, and sweaters have to dry flat. I suppose we can put the things in front of the stove and light a fire, but we can't keep it going until they're dry. I suppose I have to do this one wool object at a time.
ETA: I should just wait until it's spring and I can dry the blankets outside. The sweaters are more urgent than that, but they are also smaller. I'll just have to try to dry them by the fire.
[Challenge #183: Stoic] Doctor Who: 'Undue Attention'
Feb. 17th, 2026 10:12 pmbut_can_i_be_trusted posting in vocab_drabblesTitle: 'Undue Attention'
Fandom: Doctor Who
Author:but_can_i_be_trusted
Rating: G
Word Count: 100
Characters/Pairings: The Doctor, unspecified companion
Warnings: None
Notes: Crossposted toanythingdrabble, 100words, and drabble_zone
Summary: "Why is everything so drab here," I asked.
( Undue Attention )
Fandom: Doctor Who
Author:
but_can_i_be_trustedRating: G
Word Count: 100
Characters/Pairings: The Doctor, unspecified companion
Warnings: None
Notes: Crossposted to
anythingdrabble, 100words, and drabble_zoneSummary: "Why is everything so drab here," I asked.
( Undue Attention )
Life is full of things which are hard or tedious or otherwise unpleasant that need doing anyhow. They help make the world go 'round, they improve skills, and they boost your sense of self-respect. But doing them still kinda sucks. It's all the more difficult to do those things when nobody appreciates it. Happily, blogging allows us to share our accomplishments and pat each other on the back.
What are some of the hard things you've done recently? What are some hard things you haven't gotten to yet, but need to do? Is there anything your online friends could do to make your hard things a little easier?
What are some of the hard things you've done recently? What are some hard things you haven't gotten to yet, but need to do? Is there anything your online friends could do to make your hard things a little easier?
I did not realize "Xennials" referred specifically to the Oregon Trail microgeneration. The internet seems to largely define them as, "analog childhood, digital young adulthood."
♥ Psychology of Xennials (1976-1985), youtube vid by Psychology Simplified
Commenter: "Too feral to be Millennials, too optimistic to be Gen X. The generation of Oregon Trail."
I remember Sarah showing Steve the Oregon Trail game, and him being like, "Wait, so you always die? This game is really morbid."
♥ Psychology of Xennials (1976-1985), youtube vid by Psychology Simplified
Commenter: "Too feral to be Millennials, too optimistic to be Gen X. The generation of Oregon Trail."
I remember Sarah showing Steve the Oregon Trail game, and him being like, "Wait, so you always die? This game is really morbid."
NASA fired three rockets into the northern lights and the results are stunning
NASA has pulled off a high-flying aurora investigation, launching three rockets into the glowing northern lights over Alaska. One mission targeted mysterious dark patches called black auroras, while the twin GNEISS rockets created a 3D scan of the aurora’s electrical currents. All rockets reached their planned altitudes and returned strong data. The result: an unprecedented look at how these dazzling light shows are wired from space to sky.
That's such a cool concept for an experiment!
NASA has pulled off a high-flying aurora investigation, launching three rockets into the glowing northern lights over Alaska. One mission targeted mysterious dark patches called black auroras, while the twin GNEISS rockets created a 3D scan of the aurora’s electrical currents. All rockets reached their planned altitudes and returned strong data. The result: an unprecedented look at how these dazzling light shows are wired from space to sky.
That's such a cool concept for an experiment!
Pandemic Life
Just had my Covid booster.
Previous poll review
In the Oxford comma poll, 44.4% of respondents have firm opinions, 34.9% have moderate preferences, and 6.3% are officially neutral. (I worded the poll badly, because actually what I have is a firm preference, which is to weed out unnecessary commas for cleaner prose. Yes, I realise I used an Oxford comma above. ;-p) The "always use it!" contingent makes up 39.7% of respondents, while 15.9% said "only use it when necessary!"
In ticky-boxes, 39.7% of respondents selected "buying a random bargain bin product, imprinting on it, and spending the rest of your life trying to track down replacements", and I'm very glad it's not just me. I recently bought 18 toothbrushes online, which should theoretically keep me going until I'm 60. Naturally, hugs won the ticky-boxes, with 69.8%. Thank you for your votes!! ♥
Reading
I can't remember what prompted me to, but I listened to the audiobook of The Duke Who Didn't by Courtney Milan, read by Mary Jane Wells, and loved it all over again. (Last time I read it in ebook.) It's a British historical het romance with leads of Chinese descent, and they and their supporting cast are delightful.
I've now started the next in the series, The Marquis Who Mustn't, in ebook. (It's the first ebook I've bought in ages. I'm proud to say that, after some technical hitches, I managed to load a Kobo book onto my Kindle, so that'll be my plan from now on.)
While waiting to see if my Covid jab would importune me, I was allowed to go hang out in the library for the 15 minutes. I not only picked up my reserve, but also two random contemporary romance novels and a Japanese coffee shop book with cats. Given my recent rate of (not) reading hard-copy books, I should clearly not be allowed to browse.
Kdramas
Still going on One Spring Night. It's finally picking up. The cast is amazing, and they have excellent chemistry, which is what's been keeping me watching. The plot is, in essence, woman dumps her long-term high-status boyfriend for someone nicer of lower status; everyone has a hard time accepting this, especially the long-term boyfriend. Personally, I'm like, "The new guy is Jung Hae-in! Look at his smile!! How could you not??" Anyway, it felt like they were all having the same conversations over and over for seven episodes, which got a bit wearying, but hopefully the latest developments will stay developed. (FTR, this drama feels like an obvious descendant of Something in the Rain, with many of the same cast but (thankfully) no subplot about workplace sexual harassment. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this one will stick the landing better!)
Other TV
Watching our way through the extended edition of Lord of the Rings, plus many of the extras. What a blast from the past! Frodo actually made me tear up at the end of Fellowship. We're on the second disk of Fellowship extras.
Also, still, The Pitt and SurrealEstate, and my sister and I started season 4 of Fringe. (I would totally watch this show if it were always Olivia and Lincoln as partners. Who even needs Peter? ;-p)
Audio entertainment
Letters from an American, The Shit They Don't Tell You About Writing, Runaway Country with Alex Wagner (part of Crooked Media), and a whole bunch of episodes of Better Offline, including "Openclaw with David Gerard" (as recced bysabotabby), four short, angry episodes titled "AI Is Worse Than The Dot Com Bubble", and a fantastic rant with Cal Newport about AI reporting (spoiler: the vast majority of it is hype), which also, towards the end, explained (in words small enough for me to understand) how AIs are made/trained. Highly rec. I'm now working my way through Better Offline's series "The Enshittifinancial Crisis" and greatly appreciating his invective.
Online life
The Guardian slo-mo rewatch is still my happy place.
Writing/making things
I've been working on the sameYuletide New Year's Resolutions treat for, like, forever. It's only a couple of thousand words, it's just taking a while to come together. That's okay. I've also been noodling at a post about adverbs in speech tags for fan_writers, but there's too much to say; I need to rein it in.
Still intermittently practising drawing. Telling myself that one day I'll be able to do expressions and poses. That would be nice.
Life/health/mental state things
( Grumbling, feat. local politics )
Cats
Halle keeps bringing cicadas into the house and crunching them, nom nom nom.
Goals
I wrote a list of goals for the year and have not looked at it since. La la la.
Good things
Podcasts, kdramas, DVDs, audiobooks, media generally. Fandom and Guardian specifically. Sunshine again, yay! My roof did not blow off. Andrew and Halle and friends and biking out to meet someone for lunch.
Just had my Covid booster.
Previous poll review
In the Oxford comma poll, 44.4% of respondents have firm opinions, 34.9% have moderate preferences, and 6.3% are officially neutral. (I worded the poll badly, because actually what I have is a firm preference, which is to weed out unnecessary commas for cleaner prose. Yes, I realise I used an Oxford comma above. ;-p) The "always use it!" contingent makes up 39.7% of respondents, while 15.9% said "only use it when necessary!"
In ticky-boxes, 39.7% of respondents selected "buying a random bargain bin product, imprinting on it, and spending the rest of your life trying to track down replacements", and I'm very glad it's not just me. I recently bought 18 toothbrushes online, which should theoretically keep me going until I'm 60. Naturally, hugs won the ticky-boxes, with 69.8%. Thank you for your votes!! ♥
Reading
I can't remember what prompted me to, but I listened to the audiobook of The Duke Who Didn't by Courtney Milan, read by Mary Jane Wells, and loved it all over again. (Last time I read it in ebook.) It's a British historical het romance with leads of Chinese descent, and they and their supporting cast are delightful.
I've now started the next in the series, The Marquis Who Mustn't, in ebook. (It's the first ebook I've bought in ages. I'm proud to say that, after some technical hitches, I managed to load a Kobo book onto my Kindle, so that'll be my plan from now on.)
While waiting to see if my Covid jab would importune me, I was allowed to go hang out in the library for the 15 minutes. I not only picked up my reserve, but also two random contemporary romance novels and a Japanese coffee shop book with cats. Given my recent rate of (not) reading hard-copy books, I should clearly not be allowed to browse.
Kdramas
Still going on One Spring Night. It's finally picking up. The cast is amazing, and they have excellent chemistry, which is what's been keeping me watching. The plot is, in essence, woman dumps her long-term high-status boyfriend for someone nicer of lower status; everyone has a hard time accepting this, especially the long-term boyfriend. Personally, I'm like, "The new guy is Jung Hae-in! Look at his smile!! How could you not??" Anyway, it felt like they were all having the same conversations over and over for seven episodes, which got a bit wearying, but hopefully the latest developments will stay developed. (FTR, this drama feels like an obvious descendant of Something in the Rain, with many of the same cast but (thankfully) no subplot about workplace sexual harassment. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this one will stick the landing better!)
Other TV
Watching our way through the extended edition of Lord of the Rings, plus many of the extras. What a blast from the past! Frodo actually made me tear up at the end of Fellowship. We're on the second disk of Fellowship extras.
Also, still, The Pitt and SurrealEstate, and my sister and I started season 4 of Fringe. (I would totally watch this show if it were always Olivia and Lincoln as partners. Who even needs Peter? ;-p)
Audio entertainment
Letters from an American, The Shit They Don't Tell You About Writing, Runaway Country with Alex Wagner (part of Crooked Media), and a whole bunch of episodes of Better Offline, including "Openclaw with David Gerard" (as recced by
sabotabby), four short, angry episodes titled "AI Is Worse Than The Dot Com Bubble", and a fantastic rant with Cal Newport about AI reporting (spoiler: the vast majority of it is hype), which also, towards the end, explained (in words small enough for me to understand) how AIs are made/trained. Highly rec. I'm now working my way through Better Offline's series "The Enshittifinancial Crisis" and greatly appreciating his invective.Online life
The Guardian slo-mo rewatch is still my happy place.
Writing/making things
I've been working on the same
fan_writers, but there's too much to say; I need to rein it in.Still intermittently practising drawing. Telling myself that one day I'll be able to do expressions and poses. That would be nice.
Life/health/mental state things
( Grumbling, feat. local politics )
Cats
Halle keeps bringing cicadas into the house and crunching them, nom nom nom.
Goals
I wrote a list of goals for the year and have not looked at it since. La la la.
Good things
Podcasts, kdramas, DVDs, audiobooks, media generally. Fandom and Guardian specifically. Sunshine again, yay! My roof did not blow off. Andrew and Halle and friends and biking out to meet someone for lunch.
Poll #34237 Fourth walls
Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 34
Which fourth walls are important to you?
View Answers
the one-way glass that stops TPTB seeing fannish activity
23 (67.6%)
the one-way glass that stops fans from seeing how the show/BSO/sausage gets made
5 (14.7%)
the wibbly-wobby physics-defying thing that means celebs and fans exist in separate universes that just happen to occupy the same space-time
21 (61.8%)
the one that stops celebs/TPTB from seeing us on the internet
18 (52.9%)
the one that shields fandom from public/media attention
23 (67.6%)
other fourth walls
2 (5.9%)
I love ALL the walls
8 (23.5%)
no! smash them all!
1 (2.9%)
ticky-box full of swooshy cloudscapes forming punctuation marks
17 (50.0%)
ticky-box full of reading in hard copy
12 (35.3%)
ticky-box full of chinchillas chilling their chins all over the place
18 (52.9%)
ticky-box full of ballooooooons and golden sparkles
20 (58.8%)
ticky-box full of hugs
25 (73.5%)
Jesse Jackson, a leading voice for civil rights, dies at 84
A former aide to Martin Luther King Jr., he launched two historic presidential campaigns while spreading a message of hope and resilience: “I am — somebody.”
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A former aide to Martin Luther King Jr., he launched two historic presidential campaigns while spreading a message of hope and resilience: “I am — somebody.”
( Read more... )
Thanks to a lot of work from fuzzyred, the landing page for Not Quite Kansas is now visible! \o/ It's dark fantasy with demons and angels. You can read the introduction and the previously published poems. This series is featured in our current Half-Price Sale if you want to see more. fuzzyred is hosting a pool in case you want to magnify your impact with the quarter-price option.
fuzzyred, the landing page for Not Quite Kansas is now visible! \o/ It's dark fantasy with demons and angels. You can read the introduction and the previously published poems. This series is featured in our current Half-Price Sale if you want to see more. fuzzyred is hosting a pool in case you want to magnify your impact with the quarter-price option.AO3 Link | Anakin's Not So Imaginary Friend (1636 words) by Merfilly
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace [1999], Star Wars: Rebels
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Anakin Skywalker & Ahsoka Tano
Characters: Ahsoka Tano, Anakin Skywalker
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Timey Wimey Stuff, The Force is Weird [Star Wars], Ensemble Cast
Summary:
"If someone was whispering poison in his ears all those years, shouldn't he have a different point of view?"
The bird and the woman stared each other down, before Morai fluffed all of her feathers, and Fulcrum smiled, winning the debate.
~You will give up your place here/now and all you became. The girl will be different.~
"That is not a drawback. If I do this well, he will make true choices, not be played out in the game as a pawn."
~So certain he did not choose his destruction.~
"Maybe he did, but did he do it with enough knowledge?"
Morai remained silent, and Fulcrum touched the last rune in the circle, imbuing it with all she was, letting existence change.
~How have you survived so long, Skykid?~
The amused, gentle voice that Anakin had been hearing for the last year was actually something to steady him as he came down from the high of winning.
~I do understand that people said I was like you a little better.~
That was almost sobering. Anakin had realized the ghost in his head had lived a life, but come to him as a protector. Already, she had helped him recognize his 'luck' and 'sense of things' was actually the Force, that thing that Jedi had. She was coaching him in how to use it more actively.
She liked Mom, a lot, and she never asked him to do anything he didn't want to do.
When Master Jinn said he'd only been able to buy Anakin's freedom, she was the one with the words.
"If you take me from Mom, with Watto so poor, she's got nothing, and might be sold," he said firmly. "Can't the Jedi do something about that? How can you expect me to learn how to be a Jedi if I worry about her being here, alone, maybe bought by a mean master?"
Master Jinn frowned, considering. "When we get to the ship, I will send a comm to someone in the Temple that I trust, about what happened here. Will that be enough?"
~He will ask a good person. We can make sure it happened, later.~
"Okay, Master Jinn."
Anakin was afraid, even with Master Jinn and Padmé both promising that his Mom would be saved. None of these people — he hadn't even seen some of their species before! — liked him.
~They didn't always like me, either. Yoda doesn't get on the best with anyone but the little kids. Master Windu has some very bad things in the Force hanging on him. Master Plo is grieving a man that was his partner in all ways. Master Mundi has to analyze everything through logic.~
Anakin felt that knowledge, realized that his friend in his head was still with him, still able to give him pieces of information. That… that made things a little better. He drew himself up as tall as he could, considered navigating this as to be like a pod race course with explosives, and focused intently on how they asked their questions.
"Yes, Masters. I am afraid," he said calmly. "My mother is a slave, owned by a man that lost everything in Master Jinn's attempt to get things done. But I can't help her there. I can only trust that people who have the ability handle that, since I was taken from her to live free. It would be fair, after all, to give something back to her with value.
"I may be older than the ones you accept, but I can learn. I like learning. And I do want to help!"
~Oh good job, Skykid. You just needed a little support, but you did that all on your own!~
The absolute joy of being able to help, the exhilaration of taking the droid control ship down mingled and made Anakin feel like he was walking on air when they all landed.
~Just, remember. We survive. That means we must remember those who don't.~
The words were gentle, but laced with a pain that knew loss, and Anakin looked, mentally tallying how many ships had landed against how many he'd seen earlier.
~You lost lots; I can tell. How do you remember?~
~I say their names, when they're close to me. I remember what they did to live, how they lived outside the fighting. When I didn't know them well… I live harder, for the ideas they held strongly.~
~Then… I'll have to ask Captain Olié to tell me about the ones that don't make it back,~ Anakin decided, still up on a pilot's shoulders in their shared joy at living.
Anakin kept his smile on his face, but he was worried. Why, with all the good things happening, did he feel empty inside?
He didn't want his ghost friend to leave him! She had helped him so much!
All through the rest of the events, he kept hoping to hear her, kept wishing for her to give him something to go by when the Jedi elders said he was not a padawan yet, but he would be.
It wasn't until he was in his room that night, with Master Jinn and Padawan Kenobi talking so quietly in the main one, that he could feel her again.
~You left me!~ he accused, fear and worry mingling in the words.
~I cannot be present when my enemy is near, apparently,~ she said, all apology and a feeling of being nettled by the restriction.
~Who?~
There was a long pause, but he could still feel her.
~I don't think I can tell you that without putting you in more danger,~ she said, raw honestly in the words, and the feeling of a hug all around him.
~Maybe when I am older, stronger? More able to protect others and myself?~ he asked, having caught worry for the Jedi in those words.
~I think so,~ she said softly.
~Tell me something about you,~ he said, changing tactics, not liking the sadness he could feel in her.
~How about a name? They used to call me Fulcrum.~
~That's an engineering thing! The point you balance on to shift heavy weights!~ Anakin told her, before his quick mind raced ahead. ~The weight of why you are sad, and you want me to be the lever?~
~No, I want you safer,~ Fulcrum said, rejecting the idea that Anakin Skywalker was a tool to be used. ~I want you to make your own choices, but with a little advice that others don't know how to give to you.~
~What makes you sure you do?~
Her presence grew lighter, playful and teasing, at that. ~Because, Skykid, I knew you in a different life. Now rest; we're leaving tomorrow for the Temple.~
He started to protest, but it had been a long day, and now he had a name for his friend.
Anakin's skin was crawling as he came back to the Temple after the meeting that Master Gallia had arranged at the request of the Chancellor. He'd been doing so well in his classes, and Knight Kenobi was actually considering him as a padawan.
But.
He was way too smart, running over who had been at the Naboo celebration versus who had been present in that meeting. The Chancellor had been kind, speaking well of Anakin's daring and skills —
— and Fulcrum had been silent, no longer sitting in his mind. He wondered how long it would take her to come back (she had to come back, she'd promised to be there and keep helping him with his lessons and his temper!) this time.
There was something he could do, as he reached out to lightly tug on Master Gallia's sleeve hem.
"Master, may I speak with you?"
She ushered her friends along, and crouched to be more on a level with the Initiate. "Go ahead, Anakin."
"I don't want to meet with him again." Seeing her begin to muster all the reasons for trying to be their diplomatic gesture, he shook his head firmly, and she held them back. "I am just a kid. I might have done some big things with the Force, but where I am from?
"People with power only reach out to those with skills but no leverage when they want to use them for something. I have a bad feeling about this, and want to focus on my lessons, so I can be a good padawan."
She let her face show her acceptance, and nodded. "Very well. I hope Obi-Wan makes that choice soon, once you have all the basics down, Anakin."
~How do we beat him?~
It was three days past that meeting and Fulcrum had been back in his mind for two of them, when he finally asked, and she could see who he meant.
~Patience, observing everything, fixing as many little things as we can,~ she answered honestly. ~I wish you did not know, but at the same time… now he can't take all you are and push it into his plans of destruction.~
Anakin's lips thinned to tight line of anger, glimpsing the future in the Force, the one she had lived, the one where he hadn't thought of motive before pride.
~I have you, you have me, and we're going to make sure he doesn't win.~
Fulcrum gave him her love, her pride in him making that choice, and settled back to teaching him, going over his lessons, to draw him away from the kindled anger for now.
Later, once he had more training, they could try to push. For now, Fulcrum intended to help Anakin ground in the here and now of learning how to be a Jedi that wasn't so mistrusted, or too far on the outskirts.
That, and his knowledge of who the enemy was, just might set them on a better path for all.
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace [1999], Star Wars: Rebels
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Anakin Skywalker & Ahsoka Tano
Characters: Ahsoka Tano, Anakin Skywalker
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Timey Wimey Stuff, The Force is Weird [Star Wars], Ensemble Cast
Summary:
Ahsoka makes a choice to give up embodiment and become a shoulder angel.
Anakin's Not So Imaginary Friend
"If someone was whispering poison in his ears all those years, shouldn't he have a different point of view?"
The bird and the woman stared each other down, before Morai fluffed all of her feathers, and Fulcrum smiled, winning the debate.
~You will give up your place here/now and all you became. The girl will be different.~
"That is not a drawback. If I do this well, he will make true choices, not be played out in the game as a pawn."
~So certain he did not choose his destruction.~
"Maybe he did, but did he do it with enough knowledge?"
Morai remained silent, and Fulcrum touched the last rune in the circle, imbuing it with all she was, letting existence change.
~How have you survived so long, Skykid?~
The amused, gentle voice that Anakin had been hearing for the last year was actually something to steady him as he came down from the high of winning.
~I do understand that people said I was like you a little better.~
That was almost sobering. Anakin had realized the ghost in his head had lived a life, but come to him as a protector. Already, she had helped him recognize his 'luck' and 'sense of things' was actually the Force, that thing that Jedi had. She was coaching him in how to use it more actively.
She liked Mom, a lot, and she never asked him to do anything he didn't want to do.
When Master Jinn said he'd only been able to buy Anakin's freedom, she was the one with the words.
"If you take me from Mom, with Watto so poor, she's got nothing, and might be sold," he said firmly. "Can't the Jedi do something about that? How can you expect me to learn how to be a Jedi if I worry about her being here, alone, maybe bought by a mean master?"
Master Jinn frowned, considering. "When we get to the ship, I will send a comm to someone in the Temple that I trust, about what happened here. Will that be enough?"
~He will ask a good person. We can make sure it happened, later.~
"Okay, Master Jinn."
Anakin was afraid, even with Master Jinn and Padmé both promising that his Mom would be saved. None of these people — he hadn't even seen some of their species before! — liked him.
~They didn't always like me, either. Yoda doesn't get on the best with anyone but the little kids. Master Windu has some very bad things in the Force hanging on him. Master Plo is grieving a man that was his partner in all ways. Master Mundi has to analyze everything through logic.~
Anakin felt that knowledge, realized that his friend in his head was still with him, still able to give him pieces of information. That… that made things a little better. He drew himself up as tall as he could, considered navigating this as to be like a pod race course with explosives, and focused intently on how they asked their questions.
"Yes, Masters. I am afraid," he said calmly. "My mother is a slave, owned by a man that lost everything in Master Jinn's attempt to get things done. But I can't help her there. I can only trust that people who have the ability handle that, since I was taken from her to live free. It would be fair, after all, to give something back to her with value.
"I may be older than the ones you accept, but I can learn. I like learning. And I do want to help!"
~Oh good job, Skykid. You just needed a little support, but you did that all on your own!~
The absolute joy of being able to help, the exhilaration of taking the droid control ship down mingled and made Anakin feel like he was walking on air when they all landed.
~Just, remember. We survive. That means we must remember those who don't.~
The words were gentle, but laced with a pain that knew loss, and Anakin looked, mentally tallying how many ships had landed against how many he'd seen earlier.
~You lost lots; I can tell. How do you remember?~
~I say their names, when they're close to me. I remember what they did to live, how they lived outside the fighting. When I didn't know them well… I live harder, for the ideas they held strongly.~
~Then… I'll have to ask Captain Olié to tell me about the ones that don't make it back,~ Anakin decided, still up on a pilot's shoulders in their shared joy at living.
Anakin kept his smile on his face, but he was worried. Why, with all the good things happening, did he feel empty inside?
He didn't want his ghost friend to leave him! She had helped him so much!
All through the rest of the events, he kept hoping to hear her, kept wishing for her to give him something to go by when the Jedi elders said he was not a padawan yet, but he would be.
It wasn't until he was in his room that night, with Master Jinn and Padawan Kenobi talking so quietly in the main one, that he could feel her again.
~You left me!~ he accused, fear and worry mingling in the words.
~I cannot be present when my enemy is near, apparently,~ she said, all apology and a feeling of being nettled by the restriction.
~Who?~
There was a long pause, but he could still feel her.
~I don't think I can tell you that without putting you in more danger,~ she said, raw honestly in the words, and the feeling of a hug all around him.
~Maybe when I am older, stronger? More able to protect others and myself?~ he asked, having caught worry for the Jedi in those words.
~I think so,~ she said softly.
~Tell me something about you,~ he said, changing tactics, not liking the sadness he could feel in her.
~How about a name? They used to call me Fulcrum.~
~That's an engineering thing! The point you balance on to shift heavy weights!~ Anakin told her, before his quick mind raced ahead. ~The weight of why you are sad, and you want me to be the lever?~
~No, I want you safer,~ Fulcrum said, rejecting the idea that Anakin Skywalker was a tool to be used. ~I want you to make your own choices, but with a little advice that others don't know how to give to you.~
~What makes you sure you do?~
Her presence grew lighter, playful and teasing, at that. ~Because, Skykid, I knew you in a different life. Now rest; we're leaving tomorrow for the Temple.~
He started to protest, but it had been a long day, and now he had a name for his friend.
Anakin's skin was crawling as he came back to the Temple after the meeting that Master Gallia had arranged at the request of the Chancellor. He'd been doing so well in his classes, and Knight Kenobi was actually considering him as a padawan.
But.
He was way too smart, running over who had been at the Naboo celebration versus who had been present in that meeting. The Chancellor had been kind, speaking well of Anakin's daring and skills —
— and Fulcrum had been silent, no longer sitting in his mind. He wondered how long it would take her to come back (she had to come back, she'd promised to be there and keep helping him with his lessons and his temper!) this time.
There was something he could do, as he reached out to lightly tug on Master Gallia's sleeve hem.
"Master, may I speak with you?"
She ushered her friends along, and crouched to be more on a level with the Initiate. "Go ahead, Anakin."
"I don't want to meet with him again." Seeing her begin to muster all the reasons for trying to be their diplomatic gesture, he shook his head firmly, and she held them back. "I am just a kid. I might have done some big things with the Force, but where I am from?
"People with power only reach out to those with skills but no leverage when they want to use them for something. I have a bad feeling about this, and want to focus on my lessons, so I can be a good padawan."
She let her face show her acceptance, and nodded. "Very well. I hope Obi-Wan makes that choice soon, once you have all the basics down, Anakin."
~How do we beat him?~
It was three days past that meeting and Fulcrum had been back in his mind for two of them, when he finally asked, and she could see who he meant.
~Patience, observing everything, fixing as many little things as we can,~ she answered honestly. ~I wish you did not know, but at the same time… now he can't take all you are and push it into his plans of destruction.~
Anakin's lips thinned to tight line of anger, glimpsing the future in the Force, the one she had lived, the one where he hadn't thought of motive before pride.
~I have you, you have me, and we're going to make sure he doesn't win.~
Fulcrum gave him her love, her pride in him making that choice, and settled back to teaching him, going over his lessons, to draw him away from the kindled anger for now.
Later, once he had more training, they could try to push. For now, Fulcrum intended to help Anakin ground in the here and now of learning how to be a Jedi that wasn't so mistrusted, or too far on the outskirts.
That, and his knowledge of who the enemy was, just might set them on a better path for all.
Today we made the Cold Stream Farm order. This is one of the few remaining nurseries with affordable prices, focusing mostly on native species of trees and bushes. Most have wildlife value. Some are good for permaculture.
( Read more... )
( Read more... )
Klingon Pop Warrior, Tim Griffin, Doubleclicks, Dan The Bard, Timelines, Barry & Sally Childs-Helton, Jim Fox-Davis, Dandelion Wine, Lord Landless, Tera Mitchel, Infilktion, Mikey Mason, Magic Fire
Available on iTunes, Google Play and most other places you can get podcasts. We can be heard Wednesday at 6am and 9pm Central on scifi.radio.
filkcast.blogspot.com
Available on iTunes, Google Play and most other places you can get podcasts. We can be heard Wednesday at 6am and 9pm Central on scifi.radio.
filkcast.blogspot.com
Humanity has “lost the fight against climate change”.
This video looks at lost opportunities to fight climate change, and the shitty circumstances that humanity has created. As bad as things are now, this is the least-worst they will ever be again within a human timescale.
( Read more... )
This video looks at lost opportunities to fight climate change, and the shitty circumstances that humanity has created. As bad as things are now, this is the least-worst they will ever be again within a human timescale.
( Read more... )
Yesterday I shared photos from the House Yard and South Lot plus Savanna and Prairie Garden. Today I did a bit of yardwork that revealed fun new things. :D
( Walk with me ... )
( Walk with me ... )
March Meta Matters Challenge 2026 Returning!
Feb. 17th, 2026 04:42 pmyourlibrarian posting in notficNaalbinding
I maintain that this is the class that most people take multiple times. So many of my friends have tried it, thought they had it, then two days later it was gone. I was one of those, so I have collected the websites that got me past it. Am I an expert? Heck no. But my socks have all stayed intact so I'm running with it.
I know exactly one stitch. I'm fine with this.
Are you desperate for a way to say "fuck AI" nowadays? Learn a historic craft!
I maintain that this is the class that most people take multiple times. So many of my friends have tried it, thought they had it, then two days later it was gone. I was one of those, so I have collected the websites that got me past it. Am I an expert? Heck no. But my socks have all stayed intact so I'm running with it.
I know exactly one stitch. I'm fine with this.
Are you desperate for a way to say "fuck AI" nowadays? Learn a historic craft!
Just a nice moment I had today that I want to preserve here for whenever I'm feeling down.
Came out of my class around 3:15 and ran into a professor of mine. She's the one who was a day late with my letter of recommendation, but who is also on the board to accept grad students. I had her for a very intense writing class in fall of '24 and it's where I produced my best work. She introduced me to technical writing. She's made a very large impact on my life despite only ever having a singular class with her.
Anyway, I come out of my class and she says hi to me, asks me about my Barcelona sweatshirt and we exchange stories about European travels. She begins telling me about wild stories from her research, and eventually we get into what her research is. For everyone's sake, I will just summarize it and say that it is a household item from the Victorian era that, despite it's popularity in the early 19th century, is rather unknown now. I asked her a lot of questions because it sounded very interesting.
When the conversation ended, she told me that I had the "best kind of brain", one that "will never be bored". She told me that she was very excited for me to go to grad school and that I absolutely will be going. She had to leave right after that, but it really did make me smile. I have been feeling very dumb recently. I am always so fatigued and tired. Rarely is there a day that I can actually get into academic reading anymore. There has been a sharp decline in me since I took her class. I think I do too much with people, I don't think I lay in bed and rest enough. I don't know. But it's been bugging me, and to have someone like her who I admire reassure me (when she didn't even know I was struggling to begin with) really made my day so much better.
I am unsure of where I will go to grad school. I have good online options, but I also have applied to my current university and am not opposed to staying here. This is a small town, though. I'm scared I will continue to feel very trapped. I don't know. I have such good relationships with so many of my professors, and I am not sure if going to online school would allow me to create more. Part of me wants to stay here, to meet more professors and to continue my relationships with them.
I've also been worried about what my partner would think. We'd been thinking about moving in together again in the city, where we'd both be (assuming I did online school). I didn't want to let them down or to dangle the idea of long-distance over them, and pulling out as a roommate would be shitty. Of course, there is the threat of not getting into online school at all, so we haven't made any plans, but the idea is still there. I very briefly mentioned it to them and they told me to make the decision for me. I hadn't even brought the topic of us up. And while there would be issues we'd have to overcome if we did long distance, it makes me feel a lot better that their first instinct was to encourage me to do what was best for myself.
I have very wonderful friends and people in my life. I am very often overwhelmed by it.
I'm sitting in the chapel on campus now. There is someone napping two rows in front of me and someone playing the piano and singing. Someone else looks to be praying further up. I like it in here. I don't come and sit here very often, but I always like it when I do. I have a poetry reading tonight that I'll be going to. My arms hurt from yesterdays workout, but it's the good kind of hurt. I've done pretty poorly in a class this semester. I've never had this sort of issue and I don't know how to go about fixing it, but I'm trying. I hope it doesn't mess up my graduation status. If I can get the credit I think I'd survive. Here's to hoping.
Came out of my class around 3:15 and ran into a professor of mine. She's the one who was a day late with my letter of recommendation, but who is also on the board to accept grad students. I had her for a very intense writing class in fall of '24 and it's where I produced my best work. She introduced me to technical writing. She's made a very large impact on my life despite only ever having a singular class with her.
Anyway, I come out of my class and she says hi to me, asks me about my Barcelona sweatshirt and we exchange stories about European travels. She begins telling me about wild stories from her research, and eventually we get into what her research is. For everyone's sake, I will just summarize it and say that it is a household item from the Victorian era that, despite it's popularity in the early 19th century, is rather unknown now. I asked her a lot of questions because it sounded very interesting.
When the conversation ended, she told me that I had the "best kind of brain", one that "will never be bored". She told me that she was very excited for me to go to grad school and that I absolutely will be going. She had to leave right after that, but it really did make me smile. I have been feeling very dumb recently. I am always so fatigued and tired. Rarely is there a day that I can actually get into academic reading anymore. There has been a sharp decline in me since I took her class. I think I do too much with people, I don't think I lay in bed and rest enough. I don't know. But it's been bugging me, and to have someone like her who I admire reassure me (when she didn't even know I was struggling to begin with) really made my day so much better.
I am unsure of where I will go to grad school. I have good online options, but I also have applied to my current university and am not opposed to staying here. This is a small town, though. I'm scared I will continue to feel very trapped. I don't know. I have such good relationships with so many of my professors, and I am not sure if going to online school would allow me to create more. Part of me wants to stay here, to meet more professors and to continue my relationships with them.
I've also been worried about what my partner would think. We'd been thinking about moving in together again in the city, where we'd both be (assuming I did online school). I didn't want to let them down or to dangle the idea of long-distance over them, and pulling out as a roommate would be shitty. Of course, there is the threat of not getting into online school at all, so we haven't made any plans, but the idea is still there. I very briefly mentioned it to them and they told me to make the decision for me. I hadn't even brought the topic of us up. And while there would be issues we'd have to overcome if we did long distance, it makes me feel a lot better that their first instinct was to encourage me to do what was best for myself.
I have very wonderful friends and people in my life. I am very often overwhelmed by it.
I'm sitting in the chapel on campus now. There is someone napping two rows in front of me and someone playing the piano and singing. Someone else looks to be praying further up. I like it in here. I don't come and sit here very often, but I always like it when I do. I have a poetry reading tonight that I'll be going to. My arms hurt from yesterdays workout, but it's the good kind of hurt. I've done pretty poorly in a class this semester. I've never had this sort of issue and I don't know how to go about fixing it, but I'm trying. I hope it doesn't mess up my graduation status. If I can get the credit I think I'd survive. Here's to hoping.
Human noise is stressing birds worldwide - but we can help
Birds don’t just “put up with” our noise. A new analysis suggests that traffic, construction, and other human-made sounds are changing how birds behave, how stressed they get, and even how well they reproduce.
Some of these shifts look small on their own, but together they paint a picture of animals constantly adjusting to a louder world.
Anthropogenic noise is bad for many kinds of wildlife. It is also terrible for humans. There are things you can do about it.
( Read more... )
Birds don’t just “put up with” our noise. A new analysis suggests that traffic, construction, and other human-made sounds are changing how birds behave, how stressed they get, and even how well they reproduce.
Some of these shifts look small on their own, but together they paint a picture of animals constantly adjusting to a louder world.
Anthropogenic noise is bad for many kinds of wildlife. It is also terrible for humans. There are things you can do about it.
( Read more... )
Today is cloudy and dim, chilly and damp.
I fed the birds. I've seen a flock of sparrows and a female cardinal.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 2/17/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
EDIT 2/17/26 -- I raked the leaves off the rain garden. Underneath I found not just a lot more shoots, but the first tiny lavender buds of crocus! :D
EDIT 2/17/26 -- I trimmed off the dead stems from the 'Autumn Joy' sedum in the maple garden and purple-and-white garden, plus peonies in the purple-and-white garden. I still need to trim the sedum in the septic garden.
EDIT 2/17/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
I am done for the night.
I fed the birds. I've seen a flock of sparrows and a female cardinal.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 2/17/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
EDIT 2/17/26 -- I raked the leaves off the rain garden. Underneath I found not just a lot more shoots, but the first tiny lavender buds of crocus! :D
EDIT 2/17/26 -- I trimmed off the dead stems from the 'Autumn Joy' sedum in the maple garden and purple-and-white garden, plus peonies in the purple-and-white garden. I still need to trim the sedum in the septic garden.
EDIT 2/17/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
I am done for the night.
February 17, 2026
Ebullient (adjective)
ebullient [ih-buhl-yuhnt, ih-bool-]
adjective
1. overflowing with fervor, enthusiasm, or excitement; high-spirited: The award winner was in an ebullient mood at the dinner in her honor.
2. bubbling up like a boiling liquid: ebullient lava streaming down the mountainside.
Other Word Forms
ebullience noun
ebulliently adverb
nonebullient adjective
nonebulliently adverb
unebullient adjective
Related Words
agitated, brash, buoyant, chipper, effervescent, effusive, elated, exuberant, irrepressible
See more synonyms on Thesaurus.com
Origin: First recorded in 1590–1600; from Latin ēbullient- (stem of ēbulliēns “boiling up,” present participle of ēbullīre ), equivalent to ē- + bulli- (derivative of bulla “a bubble”) + -ent-; e- , boil ( def. ), -ent
Example Sentences
During a streamed interview in November with Zeta CEO David Steinberg, Ives sounded ebullient about Zeta’s prospects and said the company was “almost like a step ahead” of an offering from Salesforce.
From Barron's
After a night of jubilation in Dakar, the morning newspapers were ebullient: "Heroic!"
From Barron's
Aside from a mournful clarinet line in the first part of its third and final movement, the work had a surprisingly ebullient spirt for something composed by a Dane in 1944.
From The Wall Street Journal
Examining your current holdings, you might find that ebullient stock markets last year expanded your share of equities to 70%.
From The Wall Street Journal
Some investors were hoping for a more ebullient end to 2025, pinning their hopes on a holiday-season market phenomenon that lifts share prices in the days surrounding Christmas and New Year’s Day.
From The Wall Street Journal
Ebullient (adjective)
ebullient [ih-buhl-yuhnt, ih-bool-]
adjective
1. overflowing with fervor, enthusiasm, or excitement; high-spirited: The award winner was in an ebullient mood at the dinner in her honor.
2. bubbling up like a boiling liquid: ebullient lava streaming down the mountainside.
Other Word Forms
ebullience noun
ebulliently adverb
nonebullient adjective
nonebulliently adverb
unebullient adjective
Related Words
agitated, brash, buoyant, chipper, effervescent, effusive, elated, exuberant, irrepressible
See more synonyms on Thesaurus.com
Origin: First recorded in 1590–1600; from Latin ēbullient- (stem of ēbulliēns “boiling up,” present participle of ēbullīre ), equivalent to ē- + bulli- (derivative of bulla “a bubble”) + -ent-; e- , boil ( def. ), -ent
Example Sentences
During a streamed interview in November with Zeta CEO David Steinberg, Ives sounded ebullient about Zeta’s prospects and said the company was “almost like a step ahead” of an offering from Salesforce.
From Barron's
After a night of jubilation in Dakar, the morning newspapers were ebullient: "Heroic!"
From Barron's
Aside from a mournful clarinet line in the first part of its third and final movement, the work had a surprisingly ebullient spirt for something composed by a Dane in 1944.
From The Wall Street Journal
Examining your current holdings, you might find that ebullient stock markets last year expanded your share of equities to 70%.
From The Wall Street Journal
Some investors were hoping for a more ebullient end to 2025, pinning their hopes on a holiday-season market phenomenon that lifts share prices in the days surrounding Christmas and New Year’s Day.
From The Wall Street Journal
Transcript of the actual conversation of the Loud Girl talking on her phone in the next booth last night at dinner...
"So, like, I was at work today, and my boss Bob comes up to me, y'know, and he's all like,
"Did you finish that project I gave you last week?"
"And I, like, totally forgot about it, so I'm thinking, like,
But I don't say that. I'm all
And he's just, y'know, looking at me, so I say
And he just stands there, so I go
And he rolls his eyes and looks at me, and he says,
I know.
And I say, what, like you never missed a deadline? Oh, I know, that's cuz
right, Bob?
And I'm getting, like, totally pissed that he thinks he can treat me like that, so I'm just all,
and I walked out.
Yeah, I know! Good for me!
Now I'm like
I didn't want to be a lawyer anyway."
Really, like, epic thanks to Sheryl L., Ellen B., Lexi R., Katherine B., Sam B., Allison W., Amy O., Bruce T., Julia R., and Laura D. I love you guys. You really get me.
*****
And from my other blog, Epbot:
We are now into the fifth year of these open posts. When I first posted a tentative hypothesis on the course of the Covid phenomenon, I had no idea that discussion on the subject would still be necessary all these years later, much less that it would turn into so lively, complex, and troubling a conversation. Still, here we are. Crude death rates and other measures of collapsing public health remain anomalously high in many countries, but nobody in authority wants to talk about the inadequately tested experimental Covid injections that are the most likely cause; So it's time for another open post. The rules are the same as before:
1. If you plan on parroting the party line of the medical industry and its paid shills, please go away. This is a place for people to talk openly, honestly, and freely about their concerns that the party line in question is dangerously flawed and that actions being pushed by the medical industry and its government enablers are causing injury and death on a massive scale. It is not a place for you to dismiss those concerns. Anyone who wants to hear the official story and the arguments in favor of it can find those on hundreds of thousands of websites.
2. If you plan on insisting that the current situation is the result of a deliberate plot by some villainous group of people or other, please go away. There are tens of thousands of websites currently rehashing various conspiracy theories about the Covid-19 outbreak and the vaccines. This is not one of them. What we're exploring is the likelihood that what's going on is the product of the same arrogance, incompetence, and corruption that the medical industry and its wholly owned politicians have displayed so abundantly in recent decades. That possibility deserves a space of its own for discussion, and that's what we're doing here.
3. If you plan on using rent-a-troll derailing or disruption tactics, please go away. I'm quite familiar with the standard tactics used by troll farms to disrupt online forums, and am ready, willing, and able -- and in fact quite eager -- to ban people permanently for engaging in them here. Oh, and I also lurk on other Covid-19 vaccine skeptic blogs, so I'm likely to notice when the same posts are showing up on more than one venue.
4. If you plan on making off topic comments, please go away. This is an open post for discussion of the Covid epidemic, the vaccines, drugs, policies, and other measures that supposedly treat it, and other topics directly relevant to those things. It is not a place for general discussion of unrelated topics. Nor is it a place to ask for medical advice; giving such advice, unless you're a licensed health care provider, legally counts as practicing medicine without a license and is a crime in the US. Don't even go there.
5. If you don't believe in treating people with common courtesy, please go away. I have, and enforce, a strict courtesy policy on my blogs and online forums, and this is no exception. The sort of schoolyard bullying that takes place on so many other internet forums will get you deleted and banned here. Also, please don't drag in current quarrels about sex, race, religions, etc. No, I don't care if you disagree with that: my journal, my rules.
6. Please don't just post bare links without explanation. A sentence or two telling readers what's on the other side of the link is a reasonable courtesy, and if you don't include it, your attempted post will be deleted.
7. Please don't post LLM ("AI") generated text. This is a place for human beings to talk to other human beings, not for the regurgitation of machine-generated text. Also, please don't discuss large language models (the technology popularly and inaccurately called "artificial intelligence" these days) except as they bear directly on the Covid phenomenon. Here again, my finger is hovering over the delete button.
Please also note that nothing posted here should be construed as medical advice, which neither I nor the commentariat (excepting those who are licensed medical providers) are qualified to give. Please take your medical questions to the licensed professional provider of your choice.
With that said, the floor is open for discussion.
What hope has 10th century Icelandic culture against an armed and moderately educated 20th century American?
The Man Who Came Early by Poul Anderson