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Trying to read Dogs of War
Jul. 12th, 2025 01:52 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
conulyAdrian Tchaikovsky is amazingly hit-or-miss for me, but this looks like it's coming up "hit". The sapient arthropods are a swarm of bees. If there are any spiders, I haven't met them yet!
conuly
Bonus Fishbowl
Jul. 11th, 2025 12:38 pmysabetwordsmithThere will be a bonus fishbowl on Tuesday, July 15. The theme will be "anything goes." If you want a continuation of an earlier piece, or something totally new, that doesn't fit the usual themes, then now's your chance. Brainstorm in advance and jot down ideas for later. You can also request any favorite series, character, setting, etc.
Note that our internet connection has been bad for well over a month. Sometimes it's down completely, other times things like Dreamwidth and searches won't run. So I'm losing a lot of work time and may only have access for half a day or less. Given this limitation, there's a higher chance of actually getting things written for prompts that use characters, settings, etc. that are already established.
Note that our internet connection has been bad for well over a month. Sometimes it's down completely, other times things like Dreamwidth and searches won't run. So I'm losing a lot of work time and may only have access for half a day or less. Given this limitation, there's a higher chance of actually getting things written for prompts that use characters, settings, etc. that are already established.
Communities
Jul. 11th, 2025 04:15 amysabetwordsmithHere's a cool Dreamwidth tool: take the URL of any community and add /read to the end. It will show you posts by all the members. So for instance:
https://birdfeeding.dreamwidth.org/read
https://birdfeeding.dreamwidth.org/read
Focus
Jul. 11th, 2025 03:58 amysabetwordsmithThis is why some people hate interruptions and find it hard to switch from one activity to another. It includes people with ADHD, autism, executive function disorder, post-concussion-syndrome, other cognitive issues; many introverts; and most people who spend a lot of time doing things they are bad at (e.g. a linguistically inclined person doing math, or an athletic person forced to write text). Discuss with the people in your life what kinds of interruptions are okay or not, when, and how.
Climate Change
Jul. 11th, 2025 01:00 amysabetwordsmithBigger crops, fewer nutrients: The hidden cost of climate change
Climate change is silently sapping the nutrients from our food. A pioneering study finds that rising CO2 and higher temperatures are not only reshaping how crops grow but are also degrading their nutritional value especially in vital leafy greens like kale and spinach. This shift could spell trouble for global health, particularly in communities already facing nutritional stress. Researchers warn that while crops may grow faster, they may also become less nourishing, with fewer minerals, proteins, and antioxidants raising concerns about obesity, weakened immunity, and chronic diseases.
( Read more... )
Climate change is silently sapping the nutrients from our food. A pioneering study finds that rising CO2 and higher temperatures are not only reshaping how crops grow but are also degrading their nutritional value especially in vital leafy greens like kale and spinach. This shift could spell trouble for global health, particularly in communities already facing nutritional stress. Researchers warn that while crops may grow faster, they may also become less nourishing, with fewer minerals, proteins, and antioxidants raising concerns about obesity, weakened immunity, and chronic diseases.
( Read more... )
Mushrooms
Jul. 10th, 2025 05:40 pmysabetwordsmithToday we cooked up the mixed carton of fancy mushrooms from the Champaign Farmer's Market. They included pink oysters, blue oysters, lion's mane, and some little brown things with long stems and caps the size of a thumbnail. We sauteed them in sunflower oil, seasoned them with garam masala, and added some chopped bacon.
The result tasted good, but not much better than our usual mix of mushrooms, and it was twice as expensive. The oysters were good, but don't taste notably different from the usual white to light brown ones. We did not care of the stringy texture of the lion's mane. Also, they cooked way fast and shrank way down, which left a small amount of stir-fry. They might have worked better in something like wild mushroom spaghetti sauce. So it was interesting to try, but not worth repeating.
The result tasted good, but not much better than our usual mix of mushrooms, and it was twice as expensive. The oysters were good, but don't taste notably different from the usual white to light brown ones. We did not care of the stringy texture of the lion's mane. Also, they cooked way fast and shrank way down, which left a small amount of stir-fry. They might have worked better in something like wild mushroom spaghetti sauce. So it was interesting to try, but not worth repeating.
Artificial Intelligence
Jul. 10th, 2025 04:53 pmysabetwordsmithThis post has the funniest argument I have seen against AI: "A computer can never be spiteful or horny. Therefore a computer must never make art."
Now from an anthropological perspective, anything decorative rather than purely functional is "art" -- a contrasting color around the rim of a jug, for instance. From a cultural perspective, however, art is about emotion. It's how we express our human feelings about things we have seen or imagined as a way of communicating with other people. So by that definition, a computer cannot make art, even if it can mash around colors and images. An interesting point.
Now from an anthropological perspective, anything decorative rather than purely functional is "art" -- a contrasting color around the rim of a jug, for instance. From a cultural perspective, however, art is about emotion. It's how we express our human feelings about things we have seen or imagined as a way of communicating with other people. So by that definition, a computer cannot make art, even if it can mash around colors and images. An interesting point.
today's window into another world
Jul. 10th, 2025 10:39 pmkaberett
(I am continuing to think a lot about sensory systems; today I have mostly been discovering how many of the things I thought I half-remembered about nerves are wrong.)
Birdfeeding
Jul. 10th, 2025 03:29 pmysabetwordsmithToday is mostly sunny and hot.
I fed the birds. I've seen a few sparrows and house finches at the feeders. Blackbirds and catbirds are mobbing the mulberry tree in the house yard.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 7/10/25 -- I did some work around the patio.
.
I fed the birds. I've seen a few sparrows and house finches at the feeders. Blackbirds and catbirds are mobbing the mulberry tree in the house yard.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 7/10/25 -- I did some work around the patio.
.
(no subject)
Jul. 10th, 2025 10:56 pmbadfalconMistakes have been made. I went on that social media site. The one I keep telling myself not to go on. The one I usually only go on to get pictures from.
And I came across... um... this:
At which point, Bob! went:
Darren Cahill isn’t just a brilliant tennis mind - he’s a warlock, an ancient practitioner of binding magic and protective wards, hiding arcane symbols in strategy notebooks and stringing spells into racquets. Every serve Jannik hits is laced with intention; every missed shot by an opponent is no accident.
He made a deal years ago: power in exchange for silence and subtlety. In return, his players would rise. But there’s a cost. The magic must be fed - sometimes with injuries, sometimes with reputation, sometimes with blood.
[EDIT] 5-ish hours later and I'm about to post a fic to AO3 with the summary Darren Cahill works in shadows - in chalk and string tension, in whispered spells and bloodless offerings. Rituals. Sigils. Subtle magics scratched into hardcourt and whispered into clay.
But grass is different. Older. Easily offended. It doesn't like to be used. And Wimbledon remembers him.
And I came across... um... this:
At which point, Bob! went:
Darren Cahill isn’t just a brilliant tennis mind - he’s a warlock, an ancient practitioner of binding magic and protective wards, hiding arcane symbols in strategy notebooks and stringing spells into racquets. Every serve Jannik hits is laced with intention; every missed shot by an opponent is no accident.
He made a deal years ago: power in exchange for silence and subtlety. In return, his players would rise. But there’s a cost. The magic must be fed - sometimes with injuries, sometimes with reputation, sometimes with blood.
[EDIT] 5-ish hours later and I'm about to post a fic to AO3 with the summary Darren Cahill works in shadows - in chalk and string tension, in whispered spells and bloodless offerings. Rituals. Sigils. Subtle magics scratched into hardcourt and whispered into clay.
But grass is different. Older. Easily offended. It doesn't like to be used. And Wimbledon remembers him.
Embodiment requires sacrifice
Jul. 10th, 2025 11:00 amsporky_ratStupid little walk for stupid little brain chemicals in stupid heat.
It was either heat or humidity, so heat.
today I have mostly been at the plot
Jul. 9th, 2025 11:58 pmkaberettI had a first-thing physio appointment, so I dragged myself over to the hospital for that and then nestled down in my Surrounded By Green and... mostly read Murderbot, with occasional fruit harvest and weeding.
(I have also had lots of opportunities to practise self-compassion, both in re the number of things I did not manage to harvest before they went over and in terms of having realised within the last half hour or so that one of my pens has vanished from all of the bags it was nominally in; I hope that if I go and poke around the table etc tomorrow it will rematerialise...)
What I'm Reading Wednesday
Jul. 9th, 2025 11:01 pmbadfalconWhat are you currently reading?
Emilia Hart - Weyward I've been wanting to read this for ages and it was absolutely worth the wait. I only started it yesterday but I'm already uhh 53% through
Kelley Armstrong - Bitten A comfort re-read, dipping in and out as my mood pleases. I have so much love for Jeremy, for Clay, for the pack
Annie Worsley - Windswept My current borrowbox read - I'm about 1/3 of the way through, and I'm not quite sure what I think of it
Alice Roberts - Ancestors I have a teenytinyhugeass crush on Alice, not gonna lie. I'm about 75% through and should hopefully finish it soon
What did you recently finish reading?
Stephen Fry - Mythos 5/5 stars. Greek mythology at its most charming, clever, and chaotic. Stephen Fry retells these ancient stories with so much warmth and humour, I felt like I was being let in on the juiciest gossip from Olympus. Smart, sharp, and ridiculously entertaining — a perfect read for mythology lovers and curious mortals alike.
T Kingfisher - A House with Good Bones 5/5 stars. What starts as an odd visit home turns into a quietly horrifying unraveling of memory, family, and something deeply wrong under the wallpaper. It’s southern gothic with teeth, and I loved every uncanny, bug-filled page.
What do you think you’ll read next?
Mary Shelley - Frankenstein
Erin Sterling - The Kiss Curse
Poppy Z Brite - Exquisite Corpse
Emilia Hart - Weyward I've been wanting to read this for ages and it was absolutely worth the wait. I only started it yesterday but I'm already uhh 53% through
Kelley Armstrong - Bitten A comfort re-read, dipping in and out as my mood pleases. I have so much love for Jeremy, for Clay, for the pack
Annie Worsley - Windswept My current borrowbox read - I'm about 1/3 of the way through, and I'm not quite sure what I think of it
Alice Roberts - Ancestors I have a teenytinyhugeass crush on Alice, not gonna lie. I'm about 75% through and should hopefully finish it soon
What did you recently finish reading?
Stephen Fry - Mythos 5/5 stars. Greek mythology at its most charming, clever, and chaotic. Stephen Fry retells these ancient stories with so much warmth and humour, I felt like I was being let in on the juiciest gossip from Olympus. Smart, sharp, and ridiculously entertaining — a perfect read for mythology lovers and curious mortals alike.
T Kingfisher - A House with Good Bones 5/5 stars. What starts as an odd visit home turns into a quietly horrifying unraveling of memory, family, and something deeply wrong under the wallpaper. It’s southern gothic with teeth, and I loved every uncanny, bug-filled page.
What do you think you’ll read next?
Mary Shelley - Frankenstein
Erin Sterling - The Kiss Curse
Poppy Z Brite - Exquisite Corpse
✨glimmers and good things - day 4 ✨
Jul. 9th, 2025 10:51 pmbadfalconthree tiny joys, glimmers, or moments of soft comfort from today
💻 I did a solo payment run at work today. There was a lot of panic, but I got through it - everything balanced, everything submitted, and no one needed to rescue me.
📚 My gently used book club book arrived and it looks awesome! I love when second-hand books still have personality but are in really good shape.
🎾 Jannik won his Wimbledon quarterfinal against Sunshine - and there was a ridiculously adorable hug between Simone and Darren afterward. Just look at them: 😍
That’s me for today. If you feel like sharing your glimmers, I’d love to read them 💛
Be gentle with yourself, especially if the good things were hard to find.
💻 I did a solo payment run at work today. There was a lot of panic, but I got through it - everything balanced, everything submitted, and no one needed to rescue me.
📚 My gently used book club book arrived and it looks awesome! I love when second-hand books still have personality but are in really good shape.
🎾 Jannik won his Wimbledon quarterfinal against Sunshine - and there was a ridiculously adorable hug between Simone and Darren afterward. Just look at them: 😍
That’s me for today. If you feel like sharing your glimmers, I’d love to read them 💛
Be gentle with yourself, especially if the good things were hard to find.
Points for honesty in this job description....
Jul. 11th, 2025 11:20 amconuly"Why work here?"
"Weekly pay!"
Yup, that's why I would like to apply for any and all jobs!
(On a side note, A has been sending me a lot of job links today. I'm a bit inundated, but I somehow don't think that "Great, please don't send them to me, just fill them out with my resume for me" is going to go over very well.)
***************
( Read more... )
"Weekly pay!"
Yup, that's why I would like to apply for any and all jobs!
(On a side note, A has been sending me a lot of job links today. I'm a bit inundated, but I somehow don't think that "Great, please don't send them to me, just fill them out with my resume for me" is going to go over very well.)
( Read more... )
Activism
Jul. 9th, 2025 03:03 pmysabetwordsmithScientists host 'science fair of canceled grants' on Capitol Hill to fight funding cuts
The researchers gathered, alongside the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, to present posters in a good, old-fashioned science fair, titled “The Things We’ll Never Know: A Science Fair of Canceled Grants.”
It's a great tactic, and one that other fields could use too. "Here are some useful things you could have had, but these specific people took them away from you." That's guaranteed to piss off a lot of people.
It's also among the standard protest techniques in Terramagne. Not only is it sound activism for pounding the perpetrators, it also has a pretty good chance of someone else deciding to sponsor your canceled project if they like your pitch. Feel free to prompt me for that.
The researchers gathered, alongside the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, to present posters in a good, old-fashioned science fair, titled “The Things We’ll Never Know: A Science Fair of Canceled Grants.”
It's a great tactic, and one that other fields could use too. "Here are some useful things you could have had, but these specific people took them away from you." That's guaranteed to piss off a lot of people.
It's also among the standard protest techniques in Terramagne. Not only is it sound activism for pounding the perpetrators, it also has a pretty good chance of someone else deciding to sponsor your canceled project if they like your pitch. Feel free to prompt me for that.
Cuddle Party
Jul. 9th, 2025 03:01 pmysabetwordsmithEveryone needs contact comfort sometimes. Not everyone has ample opportunities for this in facetime. So here is a chance for a cuddle party in cyberspace. Virtual cuddling can help people feel better.
We have a cuddle room that comes with fort cushions, fort frames, sheets for draping, and a weighted blanket. A nest full of colorful egg pillows sits in one corner. There is a basket of grooming brushes, hairbrushes, and styling combs. A bin holds textured pillows. There is a big basket of craft supplies along with art markers, coloring pages, and blank paper. The kitchen has a popcorn machine. Labels are available to mark dietary needs, recipe ingredients, and level of spiciness. Here is the bathroom, open to everyone. There is a lawn tent and an outdoor hot tub. Bathers should post a sign for nude or clothed activity. Come snuggle up!
We have a cuddle room that comes with fort cushions, fort frames, sheets for draping, and a weighted blanket. A nest full of colorful egg pillows sits in one corner. There is a basket of grooming brushes, hairbrushes, and styling combs. A bin holds textured pillows. There is a big basket of craft supplies along with art markers, coloring pages, and blank paper. The kitchen has a popcorn machine. Labels are available to mark dietary needs, recipe ingredients, and level of spiciness. Here is the bathroom, open to everyone. There is a lawn tent and an outdoor hot tub. Bathers should post a sign for nude or clothed activity. Come snuggle up!
