I think now I must have read all the published work of the estimable Ms Tesh. In reverse order, as she published these two novel(la)s first, and once more demonstrating her bandwidth, being different yet again from both Some Desperate Glory and The Incandescent. (Not solely because in this duology, the two main characters are male, though there are very memorable female supporting characters.) What it reminded me of was fanfiction to some earlier canon, though I could not say which canon, in the way it focused on the central m/m romance. Which isn't to say said romance - which is thoroughly charming - is all it has going for itself, by far not. The books do a wonderful job with its vaguely 19th century AU England which has Wild Men in the woods, dryads, some (not many) fairies, folklore-studying researchers and female vampire hunters. In all her books, Tesh proves she can create beings that feel guinely different, not like humans in costumes, be they demons or aliens or fae, and the while the heart of the duology is in the romance between stoic and brawny Wild Man Tobias Finch and geeky and cheerful gentleman scholar Henry Silver, it's by far not the only interesting relationship going on. There's also Henry's mother, Mrs. Silver the enterprising non-nonsense slayer hunter, with the way she and Tobias come to relate to each other being a welcome surprise, in the first novel Tobias' creepy ex of centuries past and in the second Maud Linderhurst, ( who is something spoilery ).
One can nitpick (for example, it's not clear to me what the difference between what Bramble the Dyrad is by the end of the duology and what the fairy servant is, to put it as unspoilery as possible), but nothing that takes away from this thoroughly enjoyable duology of stories. And given the daily news horror, they were very welcome distractions indeed.
Speaking of entertaining distractions: Sirens on Netflix is a five episodes miniseries based on a play, both written by Molly Brown Metzler,), which strikes me as unusual (plays usually ending up as movies), though some googling after watching the series which brought me to reviews of the originial play (titled Elemeno Pea), I found the review descriptions of the play made it clear there were enough differences for the play now to feel like a first draft. The miniseries stars Meghann Fahy, Milly Alcock and Julianne Moore, and a lot of gorgeous costumes. (Also Kevin Bacon as Julianne Moore's husband.) At first I thought it would be another entry in the "eat the rich" genre, but no, not really. The premise: Our heroine and central character is Devon (Fahy), who is overwhelmed with work, an alcoholic father in the early stages of dementia, and her own past alcoholism (she's barely six months sober), and when after an SOS all she gets from younger sister Simone is an basket full of fruits, she impulsviely goes to the island for the superrich where Simone now works as PA for Michaela (Moore) to have it out with her sister. However, once she's there her anger is soon distracted by the fact Michaela/Kiki (as Simone is allowed to call her) comes across like a cult leader to her, and Simone's relationship with her boss has zero boundaries. The general narrative tone of the entire miniseries is black comedy, though as the Michaela and the audience discover both Simone and Devon have horroundous backstory trauma in their childhood and youth, said backstory trauma isn't played for laughs. The three main performances are terrific, with Julianne Moore having a ball coming across as intensely charismatic and creepy without technically doing anything wrong (so you get both why Devon is weirded out and why Simone seems to worship her), while Milly Alcock, whom I had previously only seen as young Rhaenyra in House of Dragon, also excells both as Simone in Devoted Lieutenant mode and with what's underneath showing up more and more. Meghann Fahy I hadn't seen in anything previously but she's wonderful here, no matter whether chewing someone out or trying to hold it together while things around her get ever more bizarre. Of the supporting cast, the most standout is Felix Solis as Jose, the house manager and general factotum. The fact that the staff hates Simone (who hands down Michaela's orders and is therefore loathed as the taskmaster) is a running gag through the series and gets an ironic pay off at the end, though again, this is not another entry in the "eat the rich" genre. Most of all it strikes me as a comedy of manners, and of course the setting - the island which in the play is Martha's Vineyard but in the miniseries has a fictional name - allows for some great landscaping in addition to everyone dressed up gorgeously. All in all, not something that will change your life, but immensely entertaining to watch, and everyone's fates at the end feel narratively earned.
One can nitpick (for example, it's not clear to me what the difference between what Bramble the Dyrad is by the end of the duology and what the fairy servant is, to put it as unspoilery as possible), but nothing that takes away from this thoroughly enjoyable duology of stories. And given the daily news horror, they were very welcome distractions indeed.
Speaking of entertaining distractions: Sirens on Netflix is a five episodes miniseries based on a play, both written by Molly Brown Metzler,), which strikes me as unusual (plays usually ending up as movies), though some googling after watching the series which brought me to reviews of the originial play (titled Elemeno Pea), I found the review descriptions of the play made it clear there were enough differences for the play now to feel like a first draft. The miniseries stars Meghann Fahy, Milly Alcock and Julianne Moore, and a lot of gorgeous costumes. (Also Kevin Bacon as Julianne Moore's husband.) At first I thought it would be another entry in the "eat the rich" genre, but no, not really. The premise: Our heroine and central character is Devon (Fahy), who is overwhelmed with work, an alcoholic father in the early stages of dementia, and her own past alcoholism (she's barely six months sober), and when after an SOS all she gets from younger sister Simone is an basket full of fruits, she impulsviely goes to the island for the superrich where Simone now works as PA for Michaela (Moore) to have it out with her sister. However, once she's there her anger is soon distracted by the fact Michaela/Kiki (as Simone is allowed to call her) comes across like a cult leader to her, and Simone's relationship with her boss has zero boundaries. The general narrative tone of the entire miniseries is black comedy, though as the Michaela and the audience discover both Simone and Devon have horroundous backstory trauma in their childhood and youth, said backstory trauma isn't played for laughs. The three main performances are terrific, with Julianne Moore having a ball coming across as intensely charismatic and creepy without technically doing anything wrong (so you get both why Devon is weirded out and why Simone seems to worship her), while Milly Alcock, whom I had previously only seen as young Rhaenyra in House of Dragon, also excells both as Simone in Devoted Lieutenant mode and with what's underneath showing up more and more. Meghann Fahy I hadn't seen in anything previously but she's wonderful here, no matter whether chewing someone out or trying to hold it together while things around her get ever more bizarre. Of the supporting cast, the most standout is Felix Solis as Jose, the house manager and general factotum. The fact that the staff hates Simone (who hands down Michaela's orders and is therefore loathed as the taskmaster) is a running gag through the series and gets an ironic pay off at the end, though again, this is not another entry in the "eat the rich" genre. Most of all it strikes me as a comedy of manners, and of course the setting - the island which in the play is Martha's Vineyard but in the miniseries has a fictional name - allows for some great landscaping in addition to everyone dressed up gorgeously. All in all, not something that will change your life, but immensely entertaining to watch, and everyone's fates at the end feel narratively earned.
Tags:
In trying to tidy my closet and the dresses I've got in there, I'm now seeing how many "nice" dresses I have that cover a fairly wide variety of situations. It's nice to see that the ones I bought well over a decade ago are still largely holding up well.
In other news, while my sister in law E. and my brother J. are planning on going to Cancún, I somehow doubt they're at all interested in visiting the Chicxulub crater. Some people just don't know how to have a good time.
In other news, while my sister in law E. and my brother J. are planning on going to Cancún, I somehow doubt they're at all interested in visiting the Chicxulub crater. Some people just don't know how to have a good time.
It's been a slightly quieter month since the last check-in, but still busy:
( May posts )
Thanks to everyone who posted. Here's a check-in poll to tell us what you've been doing:
As always, everyone is free to make posts about any issues and actions they think the comm should know about. You can also drop some information into a comment to our sticky post if you'd like the mods to do it.
If you're looking for information on anything else, you can use our tags to check for any ongoing actions or resources relevant to the issues you care about. I try to keep the tag list up-to-date. If you need a tag added, you can DM me.
( May posts )
Thanks to everyone who posted. Here's a check-in poll to tell us what you've been doing:
Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 19
In the last month, I
View Answers
called one of my senators
9 (47.4%)
called my other senator
9 (47.4%)
called my congressmember
5 (26.3%)
called my governor
0 (0.0%)
called my mayor, state rep, or other local official
2 (10.5%)
did get-out-the-vote work, such as postcarding or phone banking
0 (0.0%)
voted
1 (5.3%)
sent a postcard/email/letter/fax to a government official or agency
8 (42.1%)
went to a protest
3 (15.8%)
attended an in-person activist group
1 (5.3%)
went to a town hall
0 (0.0%)
participated in phone or online training
0 (0.0%)
donated money to a cause
12 (63.2%)
worked for a campaign
0 (0.0%)
did textbanking/phonebanking
0 (0.0%)
took care of myself
11 (57.9%)
not a US citizen, but worked in solidarity in my community
1 (5.3%)
did something else (tell us about it in comments)
2 (10.5%)
committed to action in the coming month
5 (26.3%)
As always, everyone is free to make posts about any issues and actions they think the comm should know about. You can also drop some information into a comment to our sticky post if you'd like the mods to do it.
If you're looking for information on anything else, you can use our tags to check for any ongoing actions or resources relevant to the issues you care about. I try to keep the tag list up-to-date. If you need a tag added, you can DM me.
This in fannish and rl political matters was not a good past week, but what is anymore, one is tempted to ask. But it wasn't universally bleak, either.
Wheel of Time cancelled: a pity. I was only so so about it in the first season, grew to like it in the second, and was impressed by the third. Where it had felt like starting out on a generic fantasy pattern (heroes called to quest, evil dark overlords and minions wrecking the land), it had truly become its own unique thing. Yes, I could still read the books, but I osmosed that many of the things I liked best about the tv version are in fact different to the books (for example, unless I osmosed wrongly, Rand is the clear main character in the books, while if there is any lead on tv, it's Moraine, Liandrin is a simple Evil McEvil villainess in the book where in the tv version she has backstory and complicated feelings, and "more complicated" is true for other villains as well, Moraine's sister Alvaere (spelling?), wonderfully played by Lindsay Duncan, only exists as a name in the books and her relationship with Moraine not at all, and the books have only same sex subtext where the show has main text, etc.). I wanted to follow this specific version of the tale, and now I won't be able to.
(Also, I'm reminded of how annoying I always found back in the day and sometimes years later when B5 and DS9 were played out against each other; I loved both, and refused to play that game, and interaction with other fans was tricky if you wanted discussions of one only to to come across rants about the other. It's not that I love Rings of Power, but I do like it, and if it was difficult already to come across interesting meta, now there will be additional bile blaming it on a note of "why wasn't this cancelled instead".)
The Mouse channel put up Captain America: Brave New World on its streaming service. I hadn't bothered to see it in the cinema after getting only discouraging noises, and while sometimes I come across media loathed by most which I love or at least like, this wasn't the case here. It had some elements I liked, but simply wasn't very good. I do wonder whether Captain America: The Winter Soldier is for the MCU what Star Trek: Wrath of Khan was for decades for the ST franchise - to wit, the movie most of fandom adores and loves best and which subsequently gets imitated over and over to the detriment of the results because they don't succeed in creating something of equal value and the repeated tropes get less convincing the more they're repeated. In the MCU case, subsequent attempts to combine 70s style political thriller with the superhero formula included the dreadful Secret Invasion which everyone seems to silently agree never to have happened since it's been ignored by the rest of the franchise, and Falcon and the Winter Soldier, which was decidedly mixed in quality and result (though definitely better than Secret Invasion). Some short observations why despite having good actors and some good ideas, Brave New World just didn't stick the landing (imo, as always) in its attempt to recreate Winter Soldier: ( are spoilery. )
Doctor Who ?.08: Reality War: Which felt at times like RTD throwing everything against the wall to see what sticks, at times like (great) trolling, and at times was surprisingly touching giving everything else. ( Spoilery comments await )
***
Peter David the writer died. Back in the 1990s, I loved reading most of his Star Trek novels, especially but by no means exclusively Imzadi and Q-Squared. (I haven't reread them in decades by now, and have no idea whether they would still hold up, but I remember the reading pleasure they gave me, and how they long before the internet provided me with online fanfic showed how a story can enhance and deepen characterisation as given by a tv show.) On the B5 side of things, he contributed two episodes, including Soul Mates in season 2, which is still one of my all time favourites, and in it he created who is definitely my favourite one episode only on Babylon 5 character, Timov. (His B5 books were more of a mixed affair, but this is not the place to repeat my problems with the Centauri trilogy and its (lack of) worldbuilding.) If a writer is able to gift you with characters that remain with you for the rest of your life, that is more than many of us will ever achieve, so, hail and farewell, Peter David.
Wheel of Time cancelled: a pity. I was only so so about it in the first season, grew to like it in the second, and was impressed by the third. Where it had felt like starting out on a generic fantasy pattern (heroes called to quest, evil dark overlords and minions wrecking the land), it had truly become its own unique thing. Yes, I could still read the books, but I osmosed that many of the things I liked best about the tv version are in fact different to the books (for example, unless I osmosed wrongly, Rand is the clear main character in the books, while if there is any lead on tv, it's Moraine, Liandrin is a simple Evil McEvil villainess in the book where in the tv version she has backstory and complicated feelings, and "more complicated" is true for other villains as well, Moraine's sister Alvaere (spelling?), wonderfully played by Lindsay Duncan, only exists as a name in the books and her relationship with Moraine not at all, and the books have only same sex subtext where the show has main text, etc.). I wanted to follow this specific version of the tale, and now I won't be able to.
(Also, I'm reminded of how annoying I always found back in the day and sometimes years later when B5 and DS9 were played out against each other; I loved both, and refused to play that game, and interaction with other fans was tricky if you wanted discussions of one only to to come across rants about the other. It's not that I love Rings of Power, but I do like it, and if it was difficult already to come across interesting meta, now there will be additional bile blaming it on a note of "why wasn't this cancelled instead".)
The Mouse channel put up Captain America: Brave New World on its streaming service. I hadn't bothered to see it in the cinema after getting only discouraging noises, and while sometimes I come across media loathed by most which I love or at least like, this wasn't the case here. It had some elements I liked, but simply wasn't very good. I do wonder whether Captain America: The Winter Soldier is for the MCU what Star Trek: Wrath of Khan was for decades for the ST franchise - to wit, the movie most of fandom adores and loves best and which subsequently gets imitated over and over to the detriment of the results because they don't succeed in creating something of equal value and the repeated tropes get less convincing the more they're repeated. In the MCU case, subsequent attempts to combine 70s style political thriller with the superhero formula included the dreadful Secret Invasion which everyone seems to silently agree never to have happened since it's been ignored by the rest of the franchise, and Falcon and the Winter Soldier, which was decidedly mixed in quality and result (though definitely better than Secret Invasion). Some short observations why despite having good actors and some good ideas, Brave New World just didn't stick the landing (imo, as always) in its attempt to recreate Winter Soldier: ( are spoilery. )
Doctor Who ?.08: Reality War: Which felt at times like RTD throwing everything against the wall to see what sticks, at times like (great) trolling, and at times was surprisingly touching giving everything else. ( Spoilery comments await )
***
Peter David the writer died. Back in the 1990s, I loved reading most of his Star Trek novels, especially but by no means exclusively Imzadi and Q-Squared. (I haven't reread them in decades by now, and have no idea whether they would still hold up, but I remember the reading pleasure they gave me, and how they long before the internet provided me with online fanfic showed how a story can enhance and deepen characterisation as given by a tv show.) On the B5 side of things, he contributed two episodes, including Soul Mates in season 2, which is still one of my all time favourites, and in it he created who is definitely my favourite one episode only on Babylon 5 character, Timov. (His B5 books were more of a mixed affair, but this is not the place to repeat my problems with the Centauri trilogy and its (lack of) worldbuilding.) If a writer is able to gift you with characters that remain with you for the rest of your life, that is more than many of us will ever achieve, so, hail and farewell, Peter David.
Tags:
(![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
petra Jun. 1st, 2025 09:35 pm)
petra Jun. 1st, 2025 09:35 pm)Dance in the oldest boots I own (5106 words) by Petra
Chapters: 2/2
Fandom: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Obi-Wan Kenobi & Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi/Hondo Ohnaka
Characters: Obi-Wan Kenobi, Hondo Ohnaka, Anakin Skywalker | Darth Vader
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Winter Soldier AU, Inspired by Fanart, Not a Superhero AU
Summary:
Chapters: 2/2
Fandom: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Obi-Wan Kenobi & Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi/Hondo Ohnaka
Characters: Obi-Wan Kenobi, Hondo Ohnaka, Anakin Skywalker | Darth Vader
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Winter Soldier AU, Inspired by Fanart, Not a Superhero AU
Summary:
Hondo finds Obi-Wan frozen in carbonite and decides that he is worth more than the bounty on his head.
Obi-Wan is discomfited to learn what has been happening in the galaxy since he's been out of commission, but not nearly as discomfited as he is by finding out what his erstwhile padawan has been doing.
Two chapters of a Winter Soldier AU.
I spent several hours today not knowing where my towel was. I knew I'd taken it down to the laundry room and brought it out from the washer, and somewhere between the dryer and my apartment, it disappeared. Couldn't be found. I went back and checked, and didn't find it. I figured it wasn't a huge loss, all things considered, and tried to move on.
I just went back to check to be sure, and somewhere between the washer and the dryer, it got misplaced without leaving the laundry room, because that's where I found it. Someone had tossed it into the garbage bin - not even hanging it over the sink, but tossing it out entirely, which has me irritated on the general principle of throwing out a good hand towel being a bad idea because hey, free towel.
It's also got me relieved because I again know where my towel is. I couldn't well go hitchhiking otherwise.
I just went back to check to be sure, and somewhere between the washer and the dryer, it got misplaced without leaving the laundry room, because that's where I found it. Someone had tossed it into the garbage bin - not even hanging it over the sink, but tossing it out entirely, which has me irritated on the general principle of throwing out a good hand towel being a bad idea because hey, free towel.
It's also got me relieved because I again know where my towel is. I couldn't well go hitchhiking otherwise.
Title: Blue Song
Fandom: The Blue Caftan (2022)
Music: Your Song by Elton John
Summary: How wonderful life is while you're in the world.
Notes: Premiered at![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
vidukon_cardiff 2025
Warnings: major character death
AO3 | Tumblr
Fandom: The Blue Caftan (2022)
Music: Your Song by Elton John
Summary: How wonderful life is while you're in the world.
Notes: Premiered at
vidukon_cardiff 2025Warnings: major character death
AO3 | Tumblr
Tags:
(aurumcalendula posting in vidding Jun. 1st, 2025 12:45 pm)
aurumcalendula posting in vidding Jun. 1st, 2025 12:45 pm)Title: Can't Help Falling In Love
Fandom: 双兔 | Soul Sisters (2024)
Music: Can't Help Falling in Love by Kacey Musgraves
Summary: 'some things are meant to be'
Notes: Premiered atvidukon_cardiff 2025!
Warnings: quick cuts and flashing lights
AO3 | bsky | DW | tumblr | YouTube
Fandom: 双兔 | Soul Sisters (2024)
Music: Can't Help Falling in Love by Kacey Musgraves
Summary: 'some things are meant to be'
Notes: Premiered at
vidukon_cardiff 2025!Warnings: quick cuts and flashing lights
AO3 | bsky | DW | tumblr | YouTube
Tags:
So, this season of Doctor Who has come to an end! I thought the last episode was the weakest part of an overall good season. Complete waste of Belinda (something that was a problem with the whole season unfortunately), far too talky, climax happened much too early we spent the last twenty minutes on something that should have probably been an entire season and left a bunch of threads dangling that should probably have been resolved already. Oh well, RTD has always sucked at finales. I'm one of those people who doesn't even like The Parting of the Ways much, although I have a weird soft spot for Army of Ghosts/Doomsday largely because it pleases my fangirl heart to see the Daleks and Cybermen fight.
For this season we've got Lux, The Well, The Story & The Engine and The Interstellar Song Contest so I'd still say I loved it as a whole even though the end wasn't great. But on to the spoilery part!
( I don't even know why I'm cutting when this was all over the newspaper headlines in Britain and here in Australia, but at least I can say I didn't spoil anyone ... )
Anyway, whatever happens next I await it with interest!
For this season we've got Lux, The Well, The Story & The Engine and The Interstellar Song Contest so I'd still say I loved it as a whole even though the end wasn't great. But on to the spoilery part!
( I don't even know why I'm cutting when this was all over the newspaper headlines in Britain and here in Australia, but at least I can say I didn't spoil anyone ... )
Anyway, whatever happens next I await it with interest!
Tags:
At present, settling into telling myself the story and figuring out how it's put together, is the important part. What the story's about, its purpose and intentions, can come later. Right now, I'm telling it to myself. Well, myself and the accountability readers. Mostly myself. Nobody else is thinking about it as much as I am.
Keeping to that tunnel vision of one word at a time, no matter how good the word happens to be or how much I like it, is where I'm at. I'm likely going to opt to stay in New York for most of the vacation my parents planned for upstate and that's only in part because I'm not sure how I feel about always automatically being included. It's a lot of complicated feelings, and what's not complicated is it's easier to keep writing when I'm in my apartment. All my stuff is here. My notes, my research materials. Also the practical momentum of sitting down and getting the words out.
Keeping to that tunnel vision of one word at a time, no matter how good the word happens to be or how much I like it, is where I'm at. I'm likely going to opt to stay in New York for most of the vacation my parents planned for upstate and that's only in part because I'm not sure how I feel about always automatically being included. It's a lot of complicated feelings, and what's not complicated is it's easier to keep writing when I'm in my apartment. All my stuff is here. My notes, my research materials. Also the practical momentum of sitting down and getting the words out.
oh my goddddddddddd I am never going to get out of this scennnnnnnne
(aurumcalendula posting in vidding May. 31st, 2025 06:14 pm)
aurumcalendula posting in vidding May. 31st, 2025 06:14 pm)Title: 5 Out Of 6
Fandom: 风声 | The Message (2020)
Music: 5 Out Of 6 by Dessa
Summary: 'I ain't afraid of it'
Notes: Premiered atvidukon_cardiff 2025!
Warnings: quick cuts and flashing lights, old film effects (sepia filter and random dark spots and lines) in some footage, violence, major character death
AO3 | bsky | DW | tumblr | YouTube
Fandom: 风声 | The Message (2020)
Music: 5 Out Of 6 by Dessa
Summary: 'I ain't afraid of it'
Notes: Premiered at
vidukon_cardiff 2025!Warnings: quick cuts and flashing lights, old film effects (sepia filter and random dark spots and lines) in some footage, violence, major character death
AO3 | bsky | DW | tumblr | YouTube
Tags:
(brokenframe posting in vidding May. 31st, 2025 01:59 pm)
brokenframe posting in vidding May. 31st, 2025 01:59 pm)Title: I Don't Even Care About You
Characters: Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski
TV Series: Teen Wolf
Music: I Don't Even Care About You by MISSIO
Length: 1:57
Streaming/download at: DW | Tumblr
Characters: Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski
TV Series: Teen Wolf
Music: I Don't Even Care About You by MISSIO
Length: 1:57
Streaming/download at: DW | Tumblr
Tags:
Earlier this week, my older brother J. wanted to inflate an exercise ball for his wife E. My younger brother R. and his wife G. who live about a block away have several bike pumps that could be used to that precise task. Now, they're a block away from each other. J. doesn't walk to R.'s apartment to borrow the pump, inflate the ball at his place, and walk back to return the pump when he's done. He doesn't ask R. or G. to bring a bike pump over to inflate the ball at his apartment. He brings the un-flated ball to their apartment to inflate it there.
I know I have my own set of strengths and weaknesses, and I know I'd aim for a more practical solution to the problem of how to move around a fully inflated exercise ball. Like keeping it in one location. The pump's a far more modular device.
Also of note is that E. told G. - not in confidence, not in secret - that she wasn't interested in coming to Friday night dinners anymore. She didn't feel up to it. I know she's pregnant right now, but even before she was expecting, she was pulling the exact same excuse of having a long week at work. She's been using that excuse for several years now, and I'd figured not every week could be that long. I'd apparently figured right. At the same time, it's nice to know that if she's not making the effort, I don't have to worry about it. I'd had a small bit of concern my attempt at polite behavior - attentive listening, eye contact, not interrupting, waiting patiently for people to finish their sentences - had sent the wrong message, what with being told that she probably found it intimidating. Maybe she did, and thinking it's just on me is something where I can't afford that level of vanity. This part isn't me thinking, this part is me realizing: no matter what I do, at some point she needs to make the effort. And G. told me she told E. that at some point, she needed to make the effort, and E. didn't seem all that interested.
I know I have my own set of strengths and weaknesses, and I know I'd aim for a more practical solution to the problem of how to move around a fully inflated exercise ball. Like keeping it in one location. The pump's a far more modular device.
Also of note is that E. told G. - not in confidence, not in secret - that she wasn't interested in coming to Friday night dinners anymore. She didn't feel up to it. I know she's pregnant right now, but even before she was expecting, she was pulling the exact same excuse of having a long week at work. She's been using that excuse for several years now, and I'd figured not every week could be that long. I'd apparently figured right. At the same time, it's nice to know that if she's not making the effort, I don't have to worry about it. I'd had a small bit of concern my attempt at polite behavior - attentive listening, eye contact, not interrupting, waiting patiently for people to finish their sentences - had sent the wrong message, what with being told that she probably found it intimidating. Maybe she did, and thinking it's just on me is something where I can't afford that level of vanity. This part isn't me thinking, this part is me realizing: no matter what I do, at some point she needs to make the effort. And G. told me she told E. that at some point, she needed to make the effort, and E. didn't seem all that interested.
(cyborganize posting in wiscon_vidparty May. 30th, 2025 02:24 pm)
cyborganize posting in wiscon_vidparty May. 30th, 2025 02:24 pm)Surprise! By a heroic effort of eruthros, a virtual Vid Party happened at this year's Wisconline.
Here is the playlist for the whole show, including warnings/notes and links to watch the vids.
I want to highlight one Premiere: Deep Space bygarrideb
If you check out and enjoy any of the vids from this show, I know the creators would really appreciate a comment!
eruthros, a virtual Vid Party happened at this year's Wisconline.Here is the playlist for the whole show, including warnings/notes and links to watch the vids.
I want to highlight one Premiere: Deep Space by
garridebIf you check out and enjoy any of the vids from this show, I know the creators would really appreciate a comment!
Tags:
You know a drink's good when you take a sip and all you can say is, "Hot damn." It was a 35mm at Metrograph, one of the in-house cocktails. I was in the mood to give something like that a try and I'm happy I did. Also worth a "hot damn" tonight was the bar making two Pink Flamingos by accident and giving us one for free, and getting home by midnight.
I took my younger brother and his wife out to see Magnolia on, yes, 35mm film. They covered the tickets and I covered dinner, food and drinks both. They said it was a lot, and it might have been; I don't have a good frame of reference for a fairly upscale dinner for three with dessert and drinks included, especially when I usually drink at home and the closest I ordinarily come to eating out is buying some ready-made food at a grocery store. Especially when it was my genuine pleasure to do so. A great movie followed by a good meal with lovely company - well worth the end cost.
I took my younger brother and his wife out to see Magnolia on, yes, 35mm film. They covered the tickets and I covered dinner, food and drinks both. They said it was a lot, and it might have been; I don't have a good frame of reference for a fairly upscale dinner for three with dessert and drinks included, especially when I usually drink at home and the closest I ordinarily come to eating out is buying some ready-made food at a grocery store. Especially when it was my genuine pleasure to do so. A great movie followed by a good meal with lovely company - well worth the end cost.
Cdramas: I finished watching Blossom | 九重紫 (34 episodes) starring Meng Ziyi and Li Yunrui. It's a historical romance with a fantasy element at the beginning.
I loved Meng Ziyi and Li Yunrui in this and thought they had great chemistry together. The relationship between Dou Zhao and Song Mo was nicely developed, and when they get together it didn't lose interest for me. They're both strong and supportive of each other, which I loved to see. Dou Zhao also has great female friendships.
The families in this show rank among the most horrible Cdrama families I've ever seen! (Which is saying something.) But what I absolutely loved is that we see the reasons why everyone is the way they are, and some of the reasons are quite poignant. Not all the antagonists get fully fleshed-out backstories, but they all get at least some indication of their motivations, which I really appreciated. I was amazed how I came to see Dou Zhao's scheming stepmother (played by Alina Zhang) as a tragic character after loathing her so much.
Another thing I loved was the dramatic do-over version of Dou Zhao's awful husband and his affair with Dou Zhao's half-sister. That was handled so well and ended up so painfully tragic!
The series has a happy ending for the leads! ♥
The actor Xia Zhiguang was in it as a major side character, so I've started watching The Spirealm, where he's one of the leads. I'm only on episode 4 but I'm finding it interesting so far.
After Blossom, I watched The Story of Pearl Girl | 珠帘玉幕 (40 episodes) starring Zhao Lusi and Liu Yuning. Another historical romance, this one about the rise of Duanwu, a pearl diver, who meets Yan Zijing, a mysterious trader.
But on the other hand! I loved Duanwu and her growth and strength as she goes from mere survival to pursuing her ambitions. I especially loved how she learns to treat others with kindness, and how that is contrasted against Yan Zijing's obsessive drive for revenge that underlies everything he does. I liked their relationship, and I loved that the set-up for a love triangle where Yan Zijing and Zhang Jinran (played by Tang Xiaotian) compete for Duanwu never really goes anywhere and Zhang Jinran remains a friend to them both. Zhao Lusi is so good in this and I was really impressed with Liu Yuning. (Plus he looks great in the costumes and braided wig. *g*)
There are some great side characters, too. I especially loved Kang Ju, Yan Zijing's right-hand man and confidante. But I have to say, Cui Shijiu (played by Xie Keyin), nearly stole the show with her ruthless determination (and crossdressing swagger). I enjoy stories where two strong, competent women go from enemies to frenemies to wary friends. The drama delivered on that point, but I wasn't crazy about how in the second half both Cui Shijiu and Duanwu seemed more passive and in peril.
I didn't find the ending very sad despite the tragic, doomed romance. Yan Zijing's fate is set up from the moment we meet him and I never really believed it would play out differently. I liked that Duanwu knew and just wanted as much time as they could have together. The very end, where we find out Duanwu went on to become successful for the next 40 years, felt oddly tacked-on but was a nice conclusion to what should've been a story that stayed focused on the female lead and women's empowerment against the odds.
Speaking of Liu Yuning, I'm currently watching The Truth 3 with him, Bai Yu, Zhang Linhe, Dilraba, Jin Jing, and Zhou Keyu. The show is kind of like celebrities doing RPG to solve murder mysteries in escape rooms. It's fun! Loving the costumes this season. ♥ Hope this BlueSky link to Bai Yu's pirate look works. :D
The other Cdrama I finished recently is Love in Pavilion | 淮水竹亭 (36 episodes) starring Zhang Yunlong and Liu Shishi. This is the second series in the "Fox Spirit Matchmaker" xianxia romance trilogy, and I didn't watch the first one but I don't think that would've changed my feelings about this one.
On the plus side, some of the embedded mini-arc stories were interesting (though, to be fair, they were part of why I felt the pacing was so bad). And I own my bias in this, but Zhao Yibo as Li Quzhou brought a welcome liveliness and spark. And his character didn't die! (Though what we see of the end of his story isn't happy, either.) Content warning for ableism in Li Quzhou's storyline.
It ends tragically, which unfortunately I wasn't particularly moved by because I'd lost interest by then. Just not my cup of tea.
Speaking of the farmboys, I found Chen Shaoxi's movie The Midsummer's Voice | 倒仓 on YouTube. I thought it was a well-made coming-of-age story about three friends in a school for traditional opera singers. Shaoxi plays the male lead's friend and though he doesn't get to sing he has a good role. It was interesting and enjoyable.
More speaking of the farmboys: Wang Yang returned as a guest in season 3 and it was wonderful. He seems like a big fan (he wowed them by knowing all of their birth years) and they think he's the bee's knees and cat's pajamas and I was so happy for everyone. ♥___♥ The episode is on YouTube: part 1 and part 2.
I finished reading Golden Terrace, translated by E Danglars.
And in non-Chinese media, I watched Andor season 2.
I wasn't surprised by Brasso's death but it was still a gut punch. *sob* I didn't hate the ending with Bix. I just kept thinking how awful for her, because we know Cassian's never coming back. *sob* (And who knows what happens to the planet she's on...) The whole episode about Kleya and Luthien! And "Who are you?" Wow.
I really appreciated how the force was mentioned and its context. It was a great way of including that part of Star Wars lore but in a way that didn't jerk me out of the very specific worldbuilding of Andor. In the same way, I appreciated seeing the backstory of how K2SO joins Cassian.
I'm so glad season 2 didn't disappoint. I KNOW I will be rewatching it soon.
( Chinese language stuff )
There's probably other stuff I'm forgetting. Ah, well.
I loved it! (Spoilers!)
It's a "do over" fantasy where the main character, Dou Zhao, is magically sent back in time and gets the chance to avoid the pitfalls that led to her disastrous marriage and ill fate the first time. This time around she crosses paths with Song Mo, a young general who's drawn to her. There's a good political plot revolving around Song Mo and his complicated family, but the main plot is about how Dou Zhao, aware of how and why her life turned out so horribly the first time, doesn't back down from changing her life this time.I loved Meng Ziyi and Li Yunrui in this and thought they had great chemistry together. The relationship between Dou Zhao and Song Mo was nicely developed, and when they get together it didn't lose interest for me. They're both strong and supportive of each other, which I loved to see. Dou Zhao also has great female friendships.
The families in this show rank among the most horrible Cdrama families I've ever seen! (Which is saying something.) But what I absolutely loved is that we see the reasons why everyone is the way they are, and some of the reasons are quite poignant. Not all the antagonists get fully fleshed-out backstories, but they all get at least some indication of their motivations, which I really appreciated. I was amazed how I came to see Dou Zhao's scheming stepmother (played by Alina Zhang) as a tragic character after loathing her so much.
Another thing I loved was the dramatic do-over version of Dou Zhao's awful husband and his affair with Dou Zhao's half-sister. That was handled so well and ended up so painfully tragic!
The series has a happy ending for the leads! ♥
The actor Xia Zhiguang was in it as a major side character, so I've started watching The Spirealm, where he's one of the leads. I'm only on episode 4 but I'm finding it interesting so far.
After Blossom, I watched The Story of Pearl Girl | 珠帘玉幕 (40 episodes) starring Zhao Lusi and Liu Yuning. Another historical romance, this one about the rise of Duanwu, a pearl diver, who meets Yan Zijing, a mysterious trader.
I really liked this a lot. A great cast in a high quality production, gorgeous costumes, and an interesting story that grabbed me from the start. (Spoilers!)
I want to say I loved it, but unfortunately there are two halves to this drama, and the second half was just not as strong as the first half, although the story as a whole was still interesting. There are some pacing problems in the second half (as well as some disconcerting editing jumps, where things seem to happen out of order), but for me the main problem with the second half is that the focus moves away from Duanwu and Yan Zijing and we seem to spend a lot more time with the villains. Also, unlike Blossom, not all of the antagonists feel well-rounded or sufficiently motivated.But on the other hand! I loved Duanwu and her growth and strength as she goes from mere survival to pursuing her ambitions. I especially loved how she learns to treat others with kindness, and how that is contrasted against Yan Zijing's obsessive drive for revenge that underlies everything he does. I liked their relationship, and I loved that the set-up for a love triangle where Yan Zijing and Zhang Jinran (played by Tang Xiaotian) compete for Duanwu never really goes anywhere and Zhang Jinran remains a friend to them both. Zhao Lusi is so good in this and I was really impressed with Liu Yuning. (Plus he looks great in the costumes and braided wig. *g*)
There are some great side characters, too. I especially loved Kang Ju, Yan Zijing's right-hand man and confidante. But I have to say, Cui Shijiu (played by Xie Keyin), nearly stole the show with her ruthless determination (and crossdressing swagger). I enjoy stories where two strong, competent women go from enemies to frenemies to wary friends. The drama delivered on that point, but I wasn't crazy about how in the second half both Cui Shijiu and Duanwu seemed more passive and in peril.
I didn't find the ending very sad despite the tragic, doomed romance. Yan Zijing's fate is set up from the moment we meet him and I never really believed it would play out differently. I liked that Duanwu knew and just wanted as much time as they could have together. The very end, where we find out Duanwu went on to become successful for the next 40 years, felt oddly tacked-on but was a nice conclusion to what should've been a story that stayed focused on the female lead and women's empowerment against the odds.
Speaking of Liu Yuning, I'm currently watching The Truth 3 with him, Bai Yu, Zhang Linhe, Dilraba, Jin Jing, and Zhou Keyu. The show is kind of like celebrities doing RPG to solve murder mysteries in escape rooms. It's fun! Loving the costumes this season. ♥ Hope this BlueSky link to Bai Yu's pirate look works. :D
The other Cdrama I finished recently is Love in Pavilion | 淮水竹亭 (36 episodes) starring Zhang Yunlong and Liu Shishi. This is the second series in the "Fox Spirit Matchmaker" xianxia romance trilogy, and I didn't watch the first one but I don't think that would've changed my feelings about this one.
I ended up skimming a lot and only watching it because one of my beloved farmboys, Zhao Yibo, had a supporting role and was surprisingly good in it, I thought. (Spoilers)
I started off very frustrated by this drama and ended up losing interest. I tried to find the leads compelling, tried not to be bored by all the effects-heavy swooshing fights, tried to follow the plot through its complex detours and mostly one-dimensional villains. That was a lot of effort and unfortunately I couldn't sustain it. I thought the pacing was slow and the production which was apparently quite expensive didn't look it.On the plus side, some of the embedded mini-arc stories were interesting (though, to be fair, they were part of why I felt the pacing was so bad). And I own my bias in this, but Zhao Yibo as Li Quzhou brought a welcome liveliness and spark. And his character didn't die! (Though what we see of the end of his story isn't happy, either.) Content warning for ableism in Li Quzhou's storyline.
It ends tragically, which unfortunately I wasn't particularly moved by because I'd lost interest by then. Just not my cup of tea.
Speaking of the farmboys, I found Chen Shaoxi's movie The Midsummer's Voice | 倒仓 on YouTube. I thought it was a well-made coming-of-age story about three friends in a school for traditional opera singers. Shaoxi plays the male lead's friend and though he doesn't get to sing he has a good role. It was interesting and enjoyable.
More speaking of the farmboys: Wang Yang returned as a guest in season 3 and it was wonderful. He seems like a big fan (he wowed them by knowing all of their birth years) and they think he's the bee's knees and cat's pajamas and I was so happy for everyone. ♥___♥ The episode is on YouTube: part 1 and part 2.
I finished reading Golden Terrace, translated by E Danglars.
I enjoyed it so much! (Spoilers)
Arranged marriage, yay! I loved the reveals of the characters' feelings for each other, their competence, and the political plot. If anyone ever did a poll for "Cnovel BL couple most likely to switch" I think my vote would go to Yan Xiaohan/Fu Shen, lol.And in non-Chinese media, I watched Andor season 2.
SO GOOD! (Spoilers!)
I rewatched the first season before starting season 2, and season 1 is nearly perfect in my opinion, so I was pretty wary about season 2. But I thought season 2 was almost as good as season 1, and it kept the same feel throughout. Great storytelling and sustained tension. And the cast is so, so good. ♥ Diego Luna.I wasn't surprised by Brasso's death but it was still a gut punch. *sob* I didn't hate the ending with Bix. I just kept thinking how awful for her, because we know Cassian's never coming back. *sob* (And who knows what happens to the planet she's on...) The whole episode about Kleya and Luthien! And "Who are you?" Wow.
I really appreciated how the force was mentioned and its context. It was a great way of including that part of Star Wars lore but in a way that didn't jerk me out of the very specific worldbuilding of Andor. In the same way, I appreciated seeing the backstory of how K2SO joins Cassian.
I'm so glad season 2 didn't disappoint. I KNOW I will be rewatching it soon.
( Chinese language stuff )
There's probably other stuff I'm forgetting. Ah, well.
Tags:
I feel like I have recently seen more than one person on my reading list linking to the Ever-Fixed Mark series by ![[archiveofourown.org profile]](https://p.dreamwidth.org/b164c54b26e4/-/archiveofourown.org/favicon.ico)
AMarguerite -- which I enjoy very much whenever I reread it, but I was poking around and reminded of And Now the Storm-Blast Came, so now I am rereading that. It appears to be unfinished (and probably forever so) but is giving me exactly what I come to Jane Austen fanfiction for, which is extra-intense woobification of her iron woobie underappreciated heroines, of whom Anne Elliot is an excellent example. I am sure I read the story before, but have no real memory of anything that happens in it, so it's as if it's all new to me.
Having finished Andor (which did come together well in the end, I felt, with some touches I really appreciated, especially everything to do with Dedra's story and how she ended up) I decided to give Murderbot a try; I never have read the books, so it's all new to me, and I've seen the first two episodes. It seems enjoyable so far?
Also, a while ago I agreed to do some editing for English usage for someone on a different website where I use a different username (which is why I am mentioning it here not under flock) but I have not been back to work on it for about a month and now the avoidance is making everything worse and I can't make myself go to that website at all! Why is my brain doing this to me? It is literally the matter of sending a quick apology and getting my act together.
Having finished Andor (which did come together well in the end, I felt, with some touches I really appreciated, especially everything to do with Dedra's story and how she ended up) I decided to give Murderbot a try; I never have read the books, so it's all new to me, and I've seen the first two episodes. It seems enjoyable so far?
Also, a while ago I agreed to do some editing for English usage for someone on a different website where I use a different username (which is why I am mentioning it here not under flock) but I have not been back to work on it for about a month and now the avoidance is making everything worse and I can't make myself go to that website at all! Why is my brain doing this to me? It is literally the matter of sending a quick apology and getting my act together.
On May 8th, I offered to read the first five books people recced - assuming they were available (preferably from the library) - and I'd give a short review [https://bethbethbeth.dreamwidth.org/701769.html].
This is the sixth recced book review.
Rules for Ghosting (2024), by Shelly Jay Shore (recced by mx-sno on bluesky)
Yes, this is a romance (gay cis man/bi trans-man), but it's also a story about family dynamics, grief, birth and death, found family, Judaism, and a dog named Sappho.
Oh, and ghosts!
I'm passing on the rec, but I'd offer two caveats:
One...if you have anxiety surrounding death rituals, including taharah (the "ritual washing, purification, and dressing of a deceased Jewish person before burial"), you might want to think twice.
Second, on a pure story level, there's sometimes a little too much "not telling people important things either for their own good or because you don't know how to start the conversation" for my personal tastes, but for all I know, that's your favorite trope. :)
However, Rules for Ghosting is generally an interesting, good-hearted story with a clever premise and a diverse group of likable characters.
This is the sixth recced book review.
Rules for Ghosting (2024), by Shelly Jay Shore (recced by mx-sno on bluesky)
Yes, this is a romance (gay cis man/bi trans-man), but it's also a story about family dynamics, grief, birth and death, found family, Judaism, and a dog named Sappho.
Oh, and ghosts!
I'm passing on the rec, but I'd offer two caveats:
One...if you have anxiety surrounding death rituals, including taharah (the "ritual washing, purification, and dressing of a deceased Jewish person before burial"), you might want to think twice.
Second, on a pure story level, there's sometimes a little too much "not telling people important things either for their own good or because you don't know how to start the conversation" for my personal tastes, but for all I know, that's your favorite trope. :)
However, Rules for Ghosting is generally an interesting, good-hearted story with a clever premise and a diverse group of likable characters.
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(forestofglory posting in ladybusiness May. 29th, 2025 11:01 am)
forestofglory posting in ladybusiness May. 29th, 2025 11:01 am)Last year I wrote an essay about cozy SFF. I started out writing a passionate defense of cozy SFF, then I wasn't quite happy with it and put it on the shelf for a while. When I got back to it, I realized there were some things about the current moment of cozy SFF that I don't really like. So I had to edit my piece. But even then I felt the conversation was getting away from me.
I've only become more frustrated with what's being marketed as cozy SFF and the discourse around it. I find the stuff being published isn't digging into the themes that I want to see. Meanwhile the discourse is both dismissive and full of moral panic. I think both that domestic labor and community building are important and worth telling stories about and shouldn’t be dismissed, and that it's ok to read soft comforting stories. I wish people would calm down a bit.
( Read more... )
I've only become more frustrated with what's being marketed as cozy SFF and the discourse around it. I find the stuff being published isn't digging into the themes that I want to see. Meanwhile the discourse is both dismissive and full of moral panic. I think both that domestic labor and community building are important and worth telling stories about and shouldn’t be dismissed, and that it's ok to read soft comforting stories. I wish people would calm down a bit.
( Read more... )
There's so many bad things going on requiring our attention that the cuts/firing in the meteorology and climate science communities gets less attention, but having a fully staffed NOAA is an important issue. Right now, there is a 100-hour livestream going on to call attention to how vital these services are, especially as hurricane season is upon us. I have it on in the background right now.
What can we do? Watch the livestream, call our Representatives, and go to 5 Calls for sample script/letters.
Info and schedule: The Weather and Climate Livestream
Direct YouTube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rG4ePBqD-E
What can we do? Watch the livestream, call our Representatives, and go to 5 Calls for sample script/letters.
Info and schedule: The Weather and Climate Livestream
Direct YouTube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rG4ePBqD-E
I have been staggering through the past few weeks, holding myself together with string and duct tape, and it is finally the Cottagecore Week.
I have finished a sashiko patch on a pair of jeans and I am very proud of myself, as well as the first of the embroidered numbers for my front & back doors, and I have solved the problem of how to print patterns onto stabilizer (use the library makerspace printer from a USB). The mending circle at the local "sustainable fashion collective" (it's a secondhand store with some mending/tailoring services) was fun and I'll go back when the bus schedule allows. Dropout.tv and the 1995 Pride & Prejudice miniseries have been my companions as I sew this week, and they are both great for that purpose. I think I will move on to North & South and perhaps Horrible Histories next. Is Shakespeare & Hathaway fun?
The knotweed in the garden has been beaten back from the path to the shed, and the asparagus is coming up spindly and feathery (I really hope that they will thicken over time, I will eat a thin asparagus spear without complaining but I love asparagus with some heft); no trace of the rhubarb, which I'm kind of upset about, but seeds are always chancy, and I'm waiting to see what happened with the watermelon and sunflowers, now that I've staked the peas. Surely something will come up? The gladiolus in the front garden are looking more promising, although I don't know what happened to everything else. I have proof that someone in the Parks Department exists, and has just been ignoring my emails (a coworker knows the parks director, and emailed her, and the person I have been trying to get in touch with answered when their boss was on the chain, but no luck since, so this is progress but not by much).
I have been wallowing in books, and can enthusiastically join the chorus of those of you who have been shrieking delightedly about Robert Jackson Bennett's latest, A Drop of Corruption, it's so good, please discuss in the comments; and I finally got my hands on Katherine Addison's The Tomb of Dragons, ditto.
When I was ten years old, friends and I came back from seeing a James Bond movie and were playing at James Bond on our bikes, and I swerved too sharply, fell over, and broke my left leg. I broke both the fibia and the tibula, in fact, but they were clean breaks, very tidy. Hurt like screaming hell, though. As was the custom of the time I was in the hospital for several days and came out in a full-leg cast. My father, who lived some distance away, couldn’t get there right away and sent me a dozen roses in the hospital, which made the whole thing absolutely worth it; I had never felt so grown-up!
But that was the end of my bicycling career. For fifty years.
Now, however, I've moved to a small, mostly flat, navigable city, and I want to try getting back on that literal-not-proverbial bike! I fairly often have places to go and errands to run where driving feels silly but walking might take juuuuust too much time, and a bike seems like the obvious option. But do I want to spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars on a new bike and run the risk that I won't enjoy it, or feel safely balanced after so long, or whatever, and will in fact end up not using it much? I do not.
Fortunately this city has a couple of nonprofit bike repairing and reselling organizations! So I stopped by one of them this afternoon and chatted with the head mechanic, and he picked out a bike for me from their (all donated) stock on hand, and we verified that it fits me. It needs some repair work and tuning up, which they will do over the next couple of weeks (him: "There's about six bikes ahead of you in line." me: "It's been fifty years, another two weeks is not a problem!"), and they asked for $125-$175, according to my ability to pay. I wasn't able to actually test-ride it, since it has no tires at the moment, but I was able to balance pretty well; I do feel pretty confident that I haven't forgotten how to ride a bike.
(And this time I hope to learn how to shift gears, too! Kid-me's bike was a three-speed and I just left it in second all the time.)
Now I just need to get a helmet -- which I do know to buy new/unused. And a lock. Whee!
But that was the end of my bicycling career. For fifty years.
Now, however, I've moved to a small, mostly flat, navigable city, and I want to try getting back on that literal-not-proverbial bike! I fairly often have places to go and errands to run where driving feels silly but walking might take juuuuust too much time, and a bike seems like the obvious option. But do I want to spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars on a new bike and run the risk that I won't enjoy it, or feel safely balanced after so long, or whatever, and will in fact end up not using it much? I do not.
Fortunately this city has a couple of nonprofit bike repairing and reselling organizations! So I stopped by one of them this afternoon and chatted with the head mechanic, and he picked out a bike for me from their (all donated) stock on hand, and we verified that it fits me. It needs some repair work and tuning up, which they will do over the next couple of weeks (him: "There's about six bikes ahead of you in line." me: "It's been fifty years, another two weeks is not a problem!"), and they asked for $125-$175, according to my ability to pay. I wasn't able to actually test-ride it, since it has no tires at the moment, but I was able to balance pretty well; I do feel pretty confident that I haven't forgotten how to ride a bike.
(And this time I hope to learn how to shift gears, too! Kid-me's bike was a three-speed and I just left it in second all the time.)
Now I just need to get a helmet -- which I do know to buy new/unused. And a lock. Whee!
I ended up recording a video and uploading it to Google Drive, and providing a link to that. I emailed the organization for advice on how to go forward and that was their suggestion, and it's my hope that it'll at least get the application looked at by a person, though I'm trying to be realistic and not hold out hope for anything more than that. Just take what comes, whatever that happens to be.
Same with having sent out another novel query today. It's out and off, and it's not something I'll be thinking about until I get a response - and if I never do, then I'm going to let myself forget about it. It's a little odd to conceptualize this as having been fairly productive as days spent in my apartment go, for the productive things to be forgotten almost immediately, but then again, that's how doing the laundry usually works.
Same with having sent out another novel query today. It's out and off, and it's not something I'll be thinking about until I get a response - and if I never do, then I'm going to let myself forget about it. It's a little odd to conceptualize this as having been fairly productive as days spent in my apartment go, for the productive things to be forgotten almost immediately, but then again, that's how doing the laundry usually works.
1. I participated in Science! This involved an MRI of my right calf while at rest and before, during, and after doing a minute of movement. I got paid, and used part of it to finally buy the Shape Note song book a college friend (from choir) worked on. The next step is to try and make at least a few of the monthly sings in my neighborhood this summer, while I'm off from regular choir.
( Read more... )
( Read more... )
(brokenframe posting in vidding May. 27th, 2025 11:32 am)
brokenframe posting in vidding May. 27th, 2025 11:32 am)Title: California Dreamin'
Characters: Ensemble - Derek Hale, Peter Hale, Scott McCall, Liam Dunbar, Isaac Lahey, Vernon Boyd, Jackson Whittemore
TV Series: Teen Wolf
Music: California Dreamin' cover by Sia
Length: 3:36
Notes: Werewolf centric
Streaming/download at: DW | Tumblr
Characters: Ensemble - Derek Hale, Peter Hale, Scott McCall, Liam Dunbar, Isaac Lahey, Vernon Boyd, Jackson Whittemore
TV Series: Teen Wolf
Music: California Dreamin' cover by Sia
Length: 3:36
Notes: Werewolf centric
Streaming/download at: DW | Tumblr
Tags:
Just came across this on Bluesky: a Star Wars: Andor vid, centering on Season 2 Dedra, using Taylor Swift's "I Can Do It With A Broken Heart".
It turns out something that I thought conflicted with plans this week is happening next week. I'm almost disappointed: it would've been nice to have an outstanding commitment preventing me from having to make a decision. It's eminently possible something might come up and take care of things for me that way. I'm hoping it does. If not, I won't be able to complain - I'll have the day free for it, so I might as well spend it on the event with an invitation.
Today would've been spent being more productive, but then I saw the job listing required a link to a short video explaining why I should get hired. Stopped me cold. I figure with something like that, I might as well just call them in the morning, because I'm probably about as likely to get a job cold-calling a place as I am linking to a video. Not sending it in; uploading it somewhere.
Today would've been spent being more productive, but then I saw the job listing required a link to a short video explaining why I should get hired. Stopped me cold. I figure with something like that, I might as well just call them in the morning, because I'm probably about as likely to get a job cold-calling a place as I am linking to a video. Not sending it in; uploading it somewhere.
Vid: One Night Fandoms: A Tribute to Yuletide (1596 words) by eruthros, thingswithwings
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Multi-Fandom, Yuletide - Fandom
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Underage Sex
Additional Tags: Yuletide, One Night Stands, Bondage, Weddings, Vampires, Musicians, Dancing, Impact Play, Gags, we watched so many things for this vid, basically no fandom gets more than twenty frames, Fanvid
Summary:
*
I revisited this masterpiece today because I accidentally wrote cheek-touching in last night's story, and a friend asked, "Not what you were going for? Or...more like the equivalent of waking up, rolling over, seeing a story in the cold, revealing light of day, and scrambling to get dressed before it wakes up?"
And what better way to get Angel of the Morning stuck in my head than this gorgeous vid?
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Multi-Fandom, Yuletide - Fandom
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Underage Sex
Additional Tags: Yuletide, One Night Stands, Bondage, Weddings, Vampires, Musicians, Dancing, Impact Play, Gags, we watched so many things for this vid, basically no fandom gets more than twenty frames, Fanvid
Summary:
Just call me angel of the morning, angel.
*
I revisited this masterpiece today because I accidentally wrote cheek-touching in last night's story, and a friend asked, "Not what you were going for? Or...more like the equivalent of waking up, rolling over, seeing a story in the cold, revealing light of day, and scrambling to get dressed before it wakes up?"
And what better way to get Angel of the Morning stuck in my head than this gorgeous vid?
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It's terrifically frustrating to realize one of the reasons I'm presently struggling with a new piece of writing is I don't have anyone to talk to about it. The person I talked to through my last big project hasn't been online in a while - which, honestly, is the right call given her real life responsibilities - and I haven't been able to find someone else to help me out through conversation. In part I don't know who to ask about it. In part I don't know how to ask about it.
Some of me feels like I should be able to manage this without the back and forth, that it was just that one project and the rest should be able to keep going as I've done before. Some of me feels like I'm spoiled in several senses of the term to want that kind of thing again. There's questions about time, too: time zones and free time. Free space in people's heads. As though it's too much to ask people for. Especially in regards to the people I know, because I know them, and it's hard to ask someone to start doing that kind of thing for you. At least, I've found it difficult. Writing to an individual, the Stephen King "ideal reader", is a good way to get the juices flowing, and right now, I'm feeling readerless. It's making it difficult to parse out certain choices, because I can't talk them over with anyone. I'm looking at the wall because rubber duck debugging isn't working right now.
Maybe I just need a couple nights' good sleep. I hope that's all it takes.
Some of me feels like I should be able to manage this without the back and forth, that it was just that one project and the rest should be able to keep going as I've done before. Some of me feels like I'm spoiled in several senses of the term to want that kind of thing again. There's questions about time, too: time zones and free time. Free space in people's heads. As though it's too much to ask people for. Especially in regards to the people I know, because I know them, and it's hard to ask someone to start doing that kind of thing for you. At least, I've found it difficult. Writing to an individual, the Stephen King "ideal reader", is a good way to get the juices flowing, and right now, I'm feeling readerless. It's making it difficult to parse out certain choices, because I can't talk them over with anyone. I'm looking at the wall because rubber duck debugging isn't working right now.
Maybe I just need a couple nights' good sleep. I hope that's all it takes.
I was supposed to meet up with someone yesterday, and we had the following email conversation:
them: We operate out of Location A and Location B. I'll be at Location A Saturday afternoon from 2:00 on.
me: Great, I'll be at Location A a few minutes past 2:00 on Saturday!
me at 2:15 pm: Hey, you're not here yet so I'm going to run a quick errand and come back.
me at 2:30 pm: You're still not here, so I guess we'll try again next week? I hope everything is all right on your end.
them at 3:00 pm, after I was already home again: We're at Location B.
It's not a huge deal, we will connect next week, but damn, I would have appreciated even a perfunctory "Oops, my bad," you know?
them: We operate out of Location A and Location B. I'll be at Location A Saturday afternoon from 2:00 on.
me: Great, I'll be at Location A a few minutes past 2:00 on Saturday!
me at 2:15 pm: Hey, you're not here yet so I'm going to run a quick errand and come back.
me at 2:30 pm: You're still not here, so I guess we'll try again next week? I hope everything is all right on your end.
them at 3:00 pm, after I was already home again: We're at Location B.
It's not a huge deal, we will connect next week, but damn, I would have appreciated even a perfunctory "Oops, my bad," you know?
Truth, Justice, Freedom, Reasonably Priced Love, and a Hard-Boiled Egg!
My Tumblr dash runneth over with Terry Pratchett memes, as is only right and proper.
I know where my towel is, and I am thinking of the friends I have lost along the way, as is traditional on this day.
My Tumblr dash runneth over with Terry Pratchett memes, as is only right and proper.
I know where my towel is, and I am thinking of the friends I have lost along the way, as is traditional on this day.
Note that this does not reflect what plays are currently on the service.
( Recommended Plays )
( Take it or leave it )
( Avoid avoid avoid )
( Recommended Plays )
( Take it or leave it )
( Avoid avoid avoid )
Tags:
Index of NTatHome reviews
(Yes, I finally caved and just spent an hour creating an index. If someone can tell me how to make Excel include straight quotes in concatenation I'd be much obliged.)
Part fifteen in the neverending series of Ivy watches all the plays on the NT at Home service. Why am I still going? Who knows!
( The Father and the Assassin )
( Constellations )
( The House of Bernarda Alba )
( The Effect )
( The Other Place )
( London Tide )
(Yes, I finally caved and just spent an hour creating an index. If someone can tell me how to make Excel include straight quotes in concatenation I'd be much obliged.)
Part fifteen in the neverending series of Ivy watches all the plays on the NT at Home service. Why am I still going? Who knows!
( The Father and the Assassin )
( Constellations )
( The House of Bernarda Alba )
( The Effect )
( The Other Place )
( London Tide )
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Before I get to this week's episode: is an interview with Juno Dawson, who wrote last week's episode. In it, she makes a comment about the Doctor and the Spoiler which I found interesting in term's of this week's episode: ( which is spoilery. )
Now, on to The Wish World. Basically, classic pre finale set up episode, making things as desperate as possible, though this time the horror is of a very different type compared to other RTD pre finale episodes.
( Spoilers live in a Tory Utopia )
Now, on to The Wish World. Basically, classic pre finale set up episode, making things as desperate as possible, though this time the horror is of a very different type compared to other RTD pre finale episodes.
( Spoilers live in a Tory Utopia )
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I have finished Slow Horses s1-3, as a result of paying for Apple TV to encourage them to Murderbot.
I want to inflict the Slow Horses, AU-ized, on various fandoms. Some of their mistakes are universal; others can be readily translated between universes.
I mean, really, what do the Jedi do with their terminal fuckups, once they've been accepted as padawans-- other than promote them to Council seats?
Not me wanting Roderick Ho the Jedi slicer who thinks he's hot bantha poodoo, nosiree bob.
In other universe-smashing paradigms, I still want to introduce Lamb to Peter Grant. They would loathe each other uncordially. It would be splendid.
Sorry, this is as close as my icon collection gets without going all Gene Hunt -- who would also be deeply entertaining to inflict on Lamb and his merry band, while I'm proposing crossovers.
I want to inflict the Slow Horses, AU-ized, on various fandoms. Some of their mistakes are universal; others can be readily translated between universes.
I mean, really, what do the Jedi do with their terminal fuckups, once they've been accepted as padawans
Not me wanting Roderick Ho the Jedi slicer who thinks he's hot bantha poodoo, nosiree bob.
In other universe-smashing paradigms, I still want to introduce Lamb to Peter Grant. They would loathe each other uncordially. It would be splendid.
Sorry, this is as close as my icon collection gets without going all Gene Hunt -- who would also be deeply entertaining to inflict on Lamb and his merry band, while I'm proposing crossovers.
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Quick final update: coffee everywhere except at home tasted fine, and coffee at home was vastly improved after we, uh, disassembled and thoroughly cleaned the grinder, which had never been done. So I guess I was just hypersensitive to the buildup of ick after several days away from it? Anyway everything is fine and I did not have COVID and I can enjoy my morning coffee again, yay.
(thatyourefuse May. 23rd, 2025 06:59 pm)
thatyourefuse May. 23rd, 2025 06:59 pm)( warnings for canon-typical Logan continue )
So it's been a fucking minute, for a long and mostly tedious list of reasons, and I'm not sure how much I have to say, ( BUT. )
So it's been a fucking minute, for a long and mostly tedious list of reasons, and I'm not sure how much I have to say, ( BUT. )
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Rudest tag I have seen in a month of Sundays:
( Life on Mars (UK) spoiler for the finale )
Compare with ( The Untamed spoiler for the first episode )
Which is kinda like ( Shakespeare spoiler )
When it could've been ( Bigger Shakespeare spoiler )
( Greek myth spoiler )
( Life on Mars (UK) spoiler for the finale )
Compare with ( The Untamed spoiler for the first episode )
Which is kinda like ( Shakespeare spoiler )
When it could've been ( Bigger Shakespeare spoiler )
( Greek myth spoiler )
Tags:
(bethbethbeth May. 23rd, 2025 09:44 am)
bethbethbeth May. 23rd, 2025 09:44 am)On May 8th, I offered to read the first five books people recced - assuming they were available (preferably from the library) - and I'd give a short review [https://bethbethbeth.dreamwidth.org/701769.html].
This is the fifth recced book review.
Calling Bullshit: The Art of Skepticism (2020) by Jevin D. West & Carl T. Bergstrom (recced by Snakeling)
So glad this was recced, especially since the 5 years since publication has seen bullshit grow ever more ubiquitous ("Blah blah this administration blah blah.")
The book touches on so many things: linguistics, whether animals can bullshit, the debunked but not-dead-yet theories of Wakefield about Autism, the way technology (inc. the printing press) has changed how we bullshit, communication theory, etc. And that's just in the first 2 chapters!
It also looks at ways of assessing whether something's bullshit, even when we don't have a background in the field (e.g., if we don't have expertise in vaccine side effects), and when & where - if possible - to refute bullshit when you see it (w/o being that "Well, actually...." person)
Caveat: I had to get the audiobook (regular print & digital books had 2 month waits). This proved to be a problem because some of the scientific examples were relatively technical and required referring to downloadable pdfs of graphs, charts, illustrations etc.
OverDrive used to allow audiobook downloads, even after Libby was introduced, but OverDrive is no longer available in my library system and Libby doesn't allow PDF downloading. This made following some of the arguments difficult.
What I'm saying is...if at all possible, read the book instead of getting the audiobook.
This is the fifth recced book review.
Calling Bullshit: The Art of Skepticism (2020) by Jevin D. West & Carl T. Bergstrom (recced by Snakeling)
So glad this was recced, especially since the 5 years since publication has seen bullshit grow ever more ubiquitous ("Blah blah this administration blah blah.")
The book touches on so many things: linguistics, whether animals can bullshit, the debunked but not-dead-yet theories of Wakefield about Autism, the way technology (inc. the printing press) has changed how we bullshit, communication theory, etc. And that's just in the first 2 chapters!
It also looks at ways of assessing whether something's bullshit, even when we don't have a background in the field (e.g., if we don't have expertise in vaccine side effects), and when & where - if possible - to refute bullshit when you see it (w/o being that "Well, actually...." person)
Caveat: I had to get the audiobook (regular print & digital books had 2 month waits). This proved to be a problem because some of the scientific examples were relatively technical and required referring to downloadable pdfs of graphs, charts, illustrations etc.
OverDrive used to allow audiobook downloads, even after Libby was introduced, but OverDrive is no longer available in my library system and Libby doesn't allow PDF downloading. This made following some of the arguments difficult.
What I'm saying is...if at all possible, read the book instead of getting the audiobook.
Tags:
Sidetracks is a collaborative project featuring various essays, videos, reviews, or other Internet content that we want to share with each other. All past and current links for the Sidetracks project can be found in our Sidetracks tag. You can also support Sidetracks and our other work on Patreon.
( Read more... )
(bethbethbeth May. 22nd, 2025 01:40 pm)
bethbethbeth May. 22nd, 2025 01:40 pm)On May 8th, I offered to read the first five books people recced - assuming they were available (preferably from the library) - and I'd give a short review [https://bethbethbeth.dreamwidth.org/701769.html].
This is the fourth recced book review
Get a Life, Chloe Brown (2019) by Talia Hibbert (recced by lareinenoire on DW)
Let me start by saying that I have read many a romance novel in my day - thousands if I include fanfic, which I do - and lord knows I don't privilege fancy-pants literature over genre fiction.
However, for the first 50 or 60 pages, this romance novel wasn't doing much for me. The 2 main characters (a man & a woman) had started to feel as if they'd been created based on checklists of race, disability, class, etc., and their secretly-attracted-antagonists'-banter felt a little boilerplate.
Never say die, though. I soldiered on, and once Chloe & Red started actually interacting, both characters grew on me, and the book became much more engaging...and often charming.
For those of you who like super-tropey fiction (and fancy some decent sex scenes), you should give this a try.
This is the fourth recced book review
Get a Life, Chloe Brown (2019) by Talia Hibbert (recced by lareinenoire on DW)
Let me start by saying that I have read many a romance novel in my day - thousands if I include fanfic, which I do - and lord knows I don't privilege fancy-pants literature over genre fiction.
However, for the first 50 or 60 pages, this romance novel wasn't doing much for me. The 2 main characters (a man & a woman) had started to feel as if they'd been created based on checklists of race, disability, class, etc., and their secretly-attracted-antagonists'-banter felt a little boilerplate.
Never say die, though. I soldiered on, and once Chloe & Red started actually interacting, both characters grew on me, and the book became much more engaging...and often charming.
For those of you who like super-tropey fiction (and fancy some decent sex scenes), you should give this a try.
Tags:
Y'all, things are shitty and going to get worse. I'm so sorry for, well, everyone.
But I heard a story today that was just fucking amazing, and I cannot repeat it, but! ( Read more... )
And that's all I can say about that.
Anyway I watched the finale of Andor and the first two eps of Murderbot, and lo! they are enjoyable. I have my issues with how Gilroy handled one specific character, but in general, he landed the show really well.
Murderbot is fun and it's nice to see they are hinting at the backstory already. And the casting is excellent.
But I heard a story today that was just fucking amazing, and I cannot repeat it, but! ( Read more... )
And that's all I can say about that.
Anyway I watched the finale of Andor and the first two eps of Murderbot, and lo! they are enjoyable. I have my issues with how Gilroy handled one specific character, but in general, he landed the show really well.
Murderbot is fun and it's nice to see they are hinting at the backstory already. And the casting is excellent.
.