Community Thursday
Jun. 26th, 2025 06:57 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
vriddyCommunity Thursday challenge: every Thursday, try to make an effort to engage with a community on Dreamwidth, whether that's posting, commenting, promoting, etc.
Second-to-last vigilantes chit-chat on ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
bnha_fans, as the current season approaches the end!
Commented on common_nature, booknook, anime_manga, ffxv.
Promoted finalfantasy in a comment.
Signal boosts:
- everykindofcraft, a new comm for all kinds of craft and already decently active!
- Continuing to enjoy the weekly stories on senzenwomen, "Histories of women in and around Japan, 1868-1945"
- Bunch of fanweeks, zine and other events for Final Fantasy XV being promoted on ffxv :)
- Via squidgestatus, SquidgeWorld is having their summer fundraiser!
Goblincore
Jun. 26th, 2025 12:34 amysabetwordsmithGoblincore is an aesthetic based on the darker side of faery and the appreciation of imperfect things that other people often consider ugly or otherwise undesirable. Many of the reference pages are less than flattering, but the entries on Wikipedia and Aesthetics Wiki offer a starting point. It is laughably dated to the 2020s. I'm guessing whoever wrote that missed the entire history of fairytales, curiosity cabinets, and the rest of its very long history.
( Read more... )
( Read more... )
Ancient Life
Jun. 25th, 2025 10:00 pmysabetwordsmithHow Earth's First, Unkillable Animals Saved the World
Sponges have survived every catastrophe and every mass extinction event that nature has thrown at them. And by being the little, filter-feeding, water-cleaning creatures that they are, sponges may have saved the world.
How Volcanoes Froze the Earth (Twice)
Over 600 million years ago, sheets of ice coated our planet on both land and sea. How did this happen? And most importantly for us, why did the planet eventually thaw again? The evidence for Snowball Earth is written on every continent today.
That's reassuring given the poor life choices of Homo sapiens today.
Sponges have survived every catastrophe and every mass extinction event that nature has thrown at them. And by being the little, filter-feeding, water-cleaning creatures that they are, sponges may have saved the world.
How Volcanoes Froze the Earth (Twice)
Over 600 million years ago, sheets of ice coated our planet on both land and sea. How did this happen? And most importantly for us, why did the planet eventually thaw again? The evidence for Snowball Earth is written on every continent today.
That's reassuring given the poor life choices of Homo sapiens today.
how would you write the Constitutional law?
Jun. 25th, 2025 06:14 pmmellowtiggerA serious problem that I saw in Trump's first term was the significant delay (even when he was no longer President) in filing prosecution for illegal acts seen committed over the 4 previous years. Delay almost 4 more years while Biden was President, then finally send things to court shortly before the next election. What? Why wait? Even the Mueller report about Trump obstruction of justice during the first presidency was basically just a document saying, "Somebody should do something about this, but it won't be me."
Trial is supposed to be speedy, which means two things need to happen.
Click to read my thoughts and the example of my kin...
1) Charges must be filed, and 2) Defense must be given opportunity to collect their own evidence. Delays in either process can harm the potential for actual justice to happen. With each delay, evidence is lost to simple entropy or willful destruction, and witnesses forget details... or worse, construct inaccurate history. For #1, we have the statute of limitations. I don't always agree with the numbers, but at least they are clear and impartial. For #2, however, things are murky, and I desire clarity.
I think about it now because of this particular case:
- A relative of mine is held in county jail, accused of murdering another relative of mine. (search jail records with Booking # "57369-2024" here, and news story here).
- The deceased was killed on 2023 December 27.
- Jail records show the defendant was booked on 2024 Feb 06.
- It is now almost 1.5 years later, but the defendant is still in county jail.
I wonder, because my own short 1.5 days in county jail brought me zero knowledge of how I was even supposed to contact a lawyer while I was there, and my cat needed water and food back home. What is the justification for delay of trial? Not justification in the sense of reasonable explanation of logistics, I mean justification as in ethical cause for incarcerating an innocent-until-proven-guilty citizen? Even for murder, even for murder of my own distant kin, I tend to think that the government should just drop charges if they cannot make their case within a year. Yes, a whole lot of criminals would go free and crimes go unpunished. On the whole, though, isn't that better than some innocent people losing portions of their short lifespans to government process? There are innocent-until-proven-guilty people awaiting trial from jail because they cannot afford bond, and some people eventually are judged innocent of the accusation against them. In addition (unrelated to pre-trial in discussion here) some people were wrongfully convicted and sitting in prison, and they number more than a few. All of them are held behind bars, and we should have a good reason for it. That's a product of our authority, government acting on our behalf.
I've tried to read about it. This legal case, for example, is eye-opening. That murder case took 7 years to bring to trial. I understand that the Sixth Amendment grants right to speedy trial in federal cases, and I understand that the Fourteenth Amendment extends that right to state prosecutions as part of "due process". That Sixth Amendment, though, is short. What does "speedy" mean in practice?
The devil is in the details, as they say. I don't know how I would write the code that determines justice in the courts. Do you have any thoughts?
Ceramics
Jun. 25th, 2025 06:12 pmysabetwordsmithI spotted this video about harvesting, shaping, and firing wild clay. I did that back in high school at Ancient Lifeways Camp. It was a lot of fun to dig and clean the clay, then make things. Our theme was Sumeria, so we made oil lamps (harder than you'd think) and cuneiform quotes. I also made a ceramic goddess figurine. We used a pit fire, which helps keep the temperature more stable. If you have a source of natural clay, this kind of project is well worth trying.
Artificial Intelligence
Jun. 25th, 2025 06:10 pmysabetwordsmithLatest new exhibits in the LLM-Generated Garbage hall of shame
Featuring Santa Claus and reindeer.
Warning: Do not read with mouth full!
Featuring Santa Claus and reindeer.
Warning: Do not read with mouth full!
Fannish 50 Challenge 2025: Post # 18: Happy Yuri Day!
Jun. 25th, 2025 05:10 pmride_4everToday is Yuri Day! For details about Yuri Day see this page on Fanlore. For details about yuri in general see this page on Fanlore.
The very talented and very generouspetra is offering to write prompted drabbles and poems for Yuri Day. See their post and leave them a comment for your drabble or poem at petra's Yuri Day post on DW.
The very talented and very generous
petra is offering to write prompted drabbles and poems for Yuri Day. See their post and leave them a comment for your drabble or poem at petra's Yuri Day post on DW.[bats] today's brilliant idea
Jun. 25th, 2025 10:35 pmkaberettIt is warm. We have the bedroom window open at night. Dusk is currently around when we are heading to bed.
... I realised I could prop the bat detector up in the open window while we went about our Bed Things and it worked. (Alas A missed most of the activity on account of being in the bathroom, but Proof Of Concept still valuable.)
Other achievements of the day include "1.7 kg of redcurrants picked, processed, and in the freezer" and "finished All Systems Red: the reread" and also "almost finished The Way Out reread".
(I am so so pleased about the redcurrants; turns out that mulching and pruning heavily and watering... works?! Who knew.)
[TWST] "Our" Sweater
Jun. 25th, 2025 01:17 pmhaunted_cherriesFandom: Twisted Wonderland
Characters: Rem Van der Zee (OC), Jade Leech (canon), OC x Canon
Rating: Gen
Words: 293
Summary: What kind of boyfriend would Jade be if he didn't commandeer one of Rem's sweatshirt for his own personal use?
Notes: Been sitting in my WIPs for much too long, so it felt really nice to polish this off and send it out in to the ether (before I ultimately throw myself back into Raidou Remastered and Persona 5X xD)!! Enjoy! ^ o^)/
"Jade…" Rem leaned against the doorway of Jade's dorm room, waiting for his boyfriend to acknowledge him. "Ya know what I'm about to ask, don'tcha?"
( Read more... )
Characters: Rem Van der Zee (OC), Jade Leech (canon), OC x Canon
Rating: Gen
Words: 293
Summary: What kind of boyfriend would Jade be if he didn't commandeer one of Rem's sweatshirt for his own personal use?
Notes: Been sitting in my WIPs for much too long, so it felt really nice to polish this off and send it out in to the ether (before I ultimately throw myself back into Raidou Remastered and Persona 5X xD)!! Enjoy! ^ o^)/
"Jade…" Rem leaned against the doorway of Jade's dorm room, waiting for his boyfriend to acknowledge him. "Ya know what I'm about to ask, don'tcha?"
( Read more... )
Getting Ready for School
Jun. 25th, 2025 07:38 pmiosonochesonoI've set up Maths tutoring with a PhD in engineering and physics and found an MD that I am going to try for the biology subjects. I may try to find a chemistry PhD for the chemistry courses but I figure that's enough for before my arm is even out of the cast. I don't even know I'll get into the programme yet but if not I'll sign up for one online - I just want this one specifically because it's awarded by QUB and I'd like to get into QUB.
I was a bit worried about starting tutoring before school starts even though I need the review - but I'm finding textbooks based off the Lecturers in The Great Courses Plus and McGraw Hill. Plus, courses offered for free by Yale. I suspect I can use those to get revised/educated on a lot of these topics before the courses start and set me up for success.
Hopefully. The reality is, as many financial experts say, you can't save your way out of poverty. I paid off my card. But after I put in my share of the mortgage and money we're saving toward fencing and GFCH, paid Lauren to walk Jake next month, insurance, etc. I barely have anything left over. If I'm honest with myself, I need to be making at least 1.5x what I'm making now, especially if I want to hire tutors. If I'd had a cushion, I'd not have built card debt to begin with.
If Patrick were working evenings and could walk/let Jake out mid-day I could cut Lauren (who I am pretty confident wants to be cut anyway) and that would give me a £240 bigger cushion monthly.
The doctor was right to recommend against working in the cast. It took me two days to write this post lol.
I was a bit worried about starting tutoring before school starts even though I need the review - but I'm finding textbooks based off the Lecturers in The Great Courses Plus and McGraw Hill. Plus, courses offered for free by Yale. I suspect I can use those to get revised/educated on a lot of these topics before the courses start and set me up for success.
Hopefully. The reality is, as many financial experts say, you can't save your way out of poverty. I paid off my card. But after I put in my share of the mortgage and money we're saving toward fencing and GFCH, paid Lauren to walk Jake next month, insurance, etc. I barely have anything left over. If I'm honest with myself, I need to be making at least 1.5x what I'm making now, especially if I want to hire tutors. If I'd had a cushion, I'd not have built card debt to begin with.
If Patrick were working evenings and could walk/let Jake out mid-day I could cut Lauren (who I am pretty confident wants to be cut anyway) and that would give me a £240 bigger cushion monthly.
The doctor was right to recommend against working in the cast. It took me two days to write this post lol.
Books
Jun. 25th, 2025 01:21 pmysabetwordsmithA Rainbow of Queer Books for Pride 2025: Indigo
HAPPY PRIDE 2025! For Pride this year, we’re changing up our usual rec lists. Instead of doing books with specific identities or themes, we’re focused this time on cover color! Throughout the month of June, we’ll be doing 8 rec lists, each with covers inspired by one of the colors of the original Gilbert Baker Pride Flag. We drew a little additional inspiration from the meaning behind the color and why it was included in the original LGBTQIA+ flag (in this case, indigo = serenity), but we prioritized color over meaning. The contributors to this list are: Shadaras, polls, Shannon, Linnea Peterson, Nina Waters, and Tris Lawrence.
HAPPY PRIDE 2025! For Pride this year, we’re changing up our usual rec lists. Instead of doing books with specific identities or themes, we’re focused this time on cover color! Throughout the month of June, we’ll be doing 8 rec lists, each with covers inspired by one of the colors of the original Gilbert Baker Pride Flag. We drew a little additional inspiration from the meaning behind the color and why it was included in the original LGBTQIA+ flag (in this case, indigo = serenity), but we prioritized color over meaning. The contributors to this list are: Shadaras, polls, Shannon, Linnea Peterson, Nina Waters, and Tris Lawrence.
Crafts
Jun. 25th, 2025 01:07 pmysabetwordsmithOff Center Ceramics will be at art festivals in Oregon. If that's your locale, watch for the stoneware painted with wildlife. :D
Exoplanets
Jun. 25th, 2025 01:00 pmysabetwordsmithMojave lichen defies death rays—could life thrive on distant exoplanets?
Lichen from the Mojave Desert can survive, and replicate, under levels of extreme solar radiation found on Earth-like planets in other solar systems.
Lichen from the Mojave Desert has stunned scientists by surviving months of lethal UVC radiation, suggesting life could exist on distant planets orbiting volatile stars. The secret? A microscopic “sunscreen” layer that protects their vital cells—even though Earth’s atmosphere already filters out such rays.
( Read more... )
Lichen from the Mojave Desert can survive, and replicate, under levels of extreme solar radiation found on Earth-like planets in other solar systems.
Lichen from the Mojave Desert has stunned scientists by surviving months of lethal UVC radiation, suggesting life could exist on distant planets orbiting volatile stars. The secret? A microscopic “sunscreen” layer that protects their vital cells—even though Earth’s atmosphere already filters out such rays.
( Read more... )
Birdfeeding
Jun. 25th, 2025 12:57 pmysabetwordsmithToday is partly sunny and sweltering.
I fed the birds. I've seen a few sparrows and house finches.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 6/25/25 -- It's raining, quite vigorously. :D So I won't need to water plants later.
EDIT 6/25/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
EDIT 6/25/25 -- After it quit raining, I did some more work around the patio. I can still hear thunder around, so it may rain again.
EDIT 6/25/25 -- I sowed the Shithouse Marigold seeds from the Litha ritual in a trough pot and a few other pots around the new picnic table garden. I also did some weeding in the septic garden.
Fireflies are starting to come out. I've heard cicadas singing.
EDIT 6/25/25 -- I went back out to watch the fireflies.
As it is now dark, I am done for the night.
I fed the birds. I've seen a few sparrows and house finches.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 6/25/25 -- It's raining, quite vigorously. :D So I won't need to water plants later.
EDIT 6/25/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
EDIT 6/25/25 -- After it quit raining, I did some more work around the patio. I can still hear thunder around, so it may rain again.
EDIT 6/25/25 -- I sowed the Shithouse Marigold seeds from the Litha ritual in a trough pot and a few other pots around the new picnic table garden. I also did some weeding in the septic garden.
Fireflies are starting to come out. I've heard cicadas singing.
EDIT 6/25/25 -- I went back out to watch the fireflies.
As it is now dark, I am done for the night.
Wednesday observed the eco-pond's Monet tribute-act
Jun. 25th, 2025 06:03 pmoursinWhat I read
Finished Cluny Brown.
Defaulted to rereads of Agatha Christie, The Murder in the Mews, The Murder in the Vicarage, Towards Zero and Taken at the Flood.
Somebody on my reading list mentioned Meg Moseman, The Falling Tower (2025) - spooky goings on at Harvard involving the ghostly presence of Charles Williams among other things. May be just me but I found it all a bit rushed: then I realised that my bar for Weird Stuff Going On In Academic Setting was set very high indeed years ago by Pamela Dean's Tam Lin (I considered that there may also be issues around Times Have Changed).
Managed to find my copy of GB Stern's Summer's Play aka The Augs (1933/4) though couldn't lay my hands on The Woman in the Hall alas. Really very good. A problem for republishing may be a few casual allusions to blackface seaside entertainment of the period.
Because I've never actually read it though I've read other of her works, and it was being inaccurately discussed recently as lost, overlooked, neglected etc, Dorothy Canfield Fisher, The Homemaker (1924). This is what, like 40 or so years before The Feminine Mystique and 'the problem that has no name'?
On the go
Just recently republished (collation of two previous collections published in limited editions in 1994 and 1997), Simon Raven, The Islands of Sorrow and Other Macabre Tales. So Simon, very Raven.
I started John Wiswell, Someone You Can Build a Nest In (2024) which I know has been widely admired but I'm somehow just not vibeing with it.
Also well on into first of books for essay review, v good.
Up next
Dunno. The new Barbara Hambly arrives pretty much just as (DV) I am off to a conference.