watervole | Network

* News keeps moving fast, so some items may be already out of date.

* "Gaza war testing Germany's long unconditional commitment to Israel:" https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/gaza-war-testing-germanys-long-unconditional-commitment-israel-2025-05-28/

* "Gaza pediatrician and mother loses 9 of 10 children after Israeli airstrike hits their home, hospital says:" https://abcnews.go.com/International/gaza-pediatrician-mother-loses-9-10-children-after/story?id=122140789

* "MSF doctor: Aid entering Gaza “woefully” inadequate:" https://www.msnbc.com/the-weekend-primetime/watch/msf-doctor-aid-entering-gaza-woefully-inadequate-240298053750

* "Controversial U.S.-backed Gaza aid group breaching rules for foundations registered in Switzerland, Swiss authorities say:" https://www.cbsnews.com/news/gaza-humanitarian-foundation-ghf-breaching-rules-switzerland-authorities-say/

* "Deadly break in at UN warehouse as aid trickles into Gaza:" https://archive.ph/dDvdU

******

* "Russia mocks Trump's 'emotional' meltdown over his failure to secure peace for Ukraine:" https://www.msnbc.com/the-briefing-with-jen-psaki/watch/russia-mocks-trump-s-emotional-meltdown-over-his-failure-to-secure-peace-for-ukraine-240428613781

* "Russia hits Ukraine with the largest drone-and-missile attack of the war so far:" https://www.npr.org/2025/05/25/g-s1-68868/russia-ukraine-drone-missile-attack

* "Ukraine’s New Way of War: American weapons are important, but Ukrainian drones have changed everything.:" https://archive.ph/VGj4f

* "Ukraine Rebuilds Its Energy Grid With Lessons From the Frontline:" https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2025-ukraine-rebuilds-energy-grid-as-russia-war-continues/?accessToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJzb3VyY2UiOiJTdWJzY3JpYmVyR2lmdGVkQXJ0aWNsZSIsImlhdCI6MTc0ODI3NTg4OSwiZXhwIjoxNzQ4ODgwNjg5LCJhcnRpY2xlSWQiOiJTV1A0R0tEV0xVNjgwMCIsImJjb25uZWN0SWQiOiIzRDhGMEEzMTc2MDc0NUM5OTg4NkFCNzA1NDk2RUNEQSJ9.IdUvxpluTZBWO4nKQPg2q7759v1jw_W3F_BW8ox2sLo&leadSource=uverify%20wall

******

* "Boko Haram’s resurgence: Why Nigeria’s military is struggling to hold the line:" https://apnews.com/article/boko-haram-nigeria-islamic-state-renewed-attacks-4c9876d5de46fd292d73ec5c21233b00?

* "Syrians Rush to Preserve Remembrances of a Painful Revolution:" https://archive.ph/vaPtB

* "Mexican influencer Valeria Marquez shot to death during TikTok livestream:" https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/mexican-beauty-influencer-shot-death-during-tiktok-livestream-2025-05-14/

* "Murder of Colombian model sparks outrage over rising femicides:" https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/may/19/colombian-model-maria-jose-estupinan-murder

* "Trump Admin Misleads the Supreme Court About Its South Sudan Deportations:" https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/trump-supreme-court-south-sudan-deportations-mislead-1235350607/

* "Supreme Court allows Trump to revoke temporary legal status of 500,000 immigrants from 4 countries:" https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/supreme-court/supreme-court-allows-trump-revoke-legal-status-500000-immigrants-rcna207271

* "Supreme Court declines to hear case involving Massachusetts school's ban on 'only two genders' t-shirt:" https://www.advocate.com/news/scotus-declines-two-genders-shirt

* "Supreme Court limits environmental reviews of infrastructure projects:" https://www.npr.org/2025/05/29/nx-s1-5415742/supreme-court-nepa

* We need to fight the Budget Bill

If this budget passes, people die because they won't be able to afford the copays, especially as Trump economic policies kill jobs and keep causing prices to rise.

They are sacrificing people for the billionaires that bought them.

STOP WHAT YOU ARE DOING AND CONTACT YOUR SENATORS NOW!!!

Remind Red State Senators that they are killing their own base with this bill!

They are stealing healthcare from 13.7 million people with this bill at minimum.

They are making the bottom 10% of Americans 2% Poorer.

This is all so they can make the Wealthiest 10% 4% richer.

The goal of this legislation is to harm or kill as many ordinary people by stealing their health care while ballooning the deficit by 2.3 trillion (according to last night's figures) by giving tax cuts to billionaires.

Not all deficit is bad. Deficit to invest in things like education or health or infrastructure is good for obvious reasons. This deficit is entirely about sucking money out of the economy and into billionaire bank accounts. It gives nothing back; it only harms.

* "'Big, Beautiful' Medicaid Cuts, Explained:"

( Embed: )

* "We Exposed Fraud at Enron and WorldCom. Don’t Let History Repeat Itself.:" https://archive.ph/b3PC8

The goal of this provision is to repeal financial reforms and regulations so that the billionaires can crash the economy the way they did under George W. Bush, as World Economic crashes, while devastating for ordinary people are extremely lucrative for billionaires.

* "The One Big Beautiful Bill Act would ban states from regulating AI:" https://mashable.com/article/ban-on-ai-regulation-bill-moratorium

Another give away to billionaires that will be environmentally devastating and accelerate enshitification of internet/tech.

* "Republican Town Hall Erupts After Damning Confession on Budget Bill:" https://newrepublic.com/post/195777/republican-town-hall-mike-flood-budget

* "'Well, we all are going to die': Sen. Ernst defends Medicaid cuts at heated Iowa town hall:" https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/politics/2025/05/30/joni-ernst-town-hall-medicaid/83885078007/

* "GOP senator defends Medicaid cuts: ‘We’re all going to die’:" https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/gop-senator-defends-medicaid-cuts-we-re-all-going-to-die-240641093554

* "Worst possible answer: Ernst downplays death as consequence of purging Medicaid:" https://www.msnbc.com/the-briefing-with-jen-psaki/watch/worst-possible-answer-ernst-downplays-death-as-consequence-of-purging-medicaid-240650309971

* "After Ernst's town hall, Democrat Nathan Sage meets with frustrated voters in Parkersburg:" https://cbs2iowa.com/news/local/after-ernsts-town-hall-democrat-nathan-sage-meets-with-frustrated-voters-in-parkersburg-sen-joni-ernst-medicare-medicaid-veteran-program-cuts-va-benefits-veterans-care-sioux-citys-jim-carlin-indianolas-joshua-smith-cedar-rapids-john-berman

* Want to help Nathan Sage against Joni Ernst? https://www.sageforsenate.com/

* "White House plans — at last — to send some DOGE cuts to Hill:" https://www.politico.com/news/2025/05/28/white-house-plans-at-last-to-send-some-doge-cuts-to-hill-00372274

* RE: SAVE ACT "Do This Today: Call Senators:" https://solarbird.dreamwidth.org/2036106.html

If these are your Senators, please stop what you are doing and call now:

KELLY (AZ)
WARNOCK (GA)
PETERS (MI)
SHAHEEN (NH)
HASSAN (NH)
CORTEZ MASTO (NV)
ROSEN (NV)

* This one is a super dangerous attack on the judiciary's ability to protect citizen's rights. "H.R. 1526: NORRA of 2025:" https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/119/hr1526

* "Trump admin limits ABA's input on judicial nominees; LGBTQ+ groups say it will undermine quality:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/trump-aba-judicial-nominations

* "Trump nominates Emil Bove, his DOJ enforcer and former criminal defense lawyer, to be a federal judge:" https://www.politico.com/news/2025/05/28/emil-bove-judge-nomination-trump-00373123

* "Trump oversight picks include scandal-hit ex-lawmaker, antiabortion lawyer:" https://archive.ph/CZe5V

* "California says it’ll sue feds over electric vehicle rule reversal:" https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2025/05/22/congress/california-says-itll-sue-feds-over-electric-vehicle-rule-reversal-00366265

* Another quisling. "Arizona Democrat Ruben Gallego adopts anti-trans, far-right talking points:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/ruben-gallego-drops-transgender-rights

* "Nancy Mace’s Former Staff Claim She Had Them Create Burner Accounts to Promote Her:" https://www.wired.com/story/nancy-mace-former-staff-burner-accounts/

* "GOP rep's ex-staffers say she made them use burner accounts to hype her up: report:" https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/gop-rep-s-ex-staffers-say-she-made-them-use-burner-accounts-to-hype-her-up-report-240570949938

* Our job for the next two years is to survive, to build grassroots resistance, to do all in our power to slow the republican Christo-fascist agenda, and to prepare for 2026 in case there is still Democracy.

We are trying to build a good list of resistance resources.

Please add more below if you have them.

* "Take action with Indivisible:" https://www.mobilize.us/indivisible/

* Trump 2.0 Indivisible Guide. https://indivisible.org/resource/guide

* "Democracy 2025:" https://www.democracy2025.org/?utm_source=df-ad&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=21912407002&utm_content=721373734297&source=df-ad-gs&gad_source=1

* "Resisting Fascism in 2025 and Beyond:" https://www.prideandpagesbookclub.com/resisting-fascism-in-2025-and-beyond

* If you can't safely contact them in person, here are some other options for contacting your Congress Critters:

Five Calls to your critters: https://5calls.org/

Here is one that will send your reps a fax: https://resist.bot/

And another: https://faxzero.com/fax_senate.php

Snail Mail Campaigns: https://conuly.dreamwidth.org/3622760.html

"Congress. gov:" https://www.congress.gov/

White house (Possibly Dangerous): https://www.whitehouse.gov/

ACLU advice for writing to your Critters: https://www.aclu.org/writing-your-elected-representatives

This tracks legislation: https://www.govtrack.us/

"The Public Comment Process (+ how to write effective public comments):" https://www.tumblr.com/gwydionmisha/781844516804149248?source=share

Run for Something: https://runforsomething.net/

"Vote Smart:" https://justfacts.votesmart.org/

Useful organizing links and resources: https://www.tumblr.com/gwydionmisha/771859083592613888/hater-of-terfs-ive-already-reblogged-a-link-to?source=share

Protests: "50501 Events:" https://www.fiftyfifty.one/events

How to render emergency aid in a riot: https://riotmedicine.net/static/downloads/riot-medicine_a5.pdf

"How to Safely and Ethically Film Police Misconduct:" https://www.teenvogue.com/story/how-to-film-police-safely

"ICE Raids Toolkit: Defend Against ICE Raids and Community Arrests:" https://www.immigrantdefenseproject.org/raids-toolkit/

Contains a raid tip hotline amoung other things. "Know Your Rights
LEARN HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF AND YOUR FAMILY:" https://wearecasa.org/know-your-rights/

* "How megafloods in California start in Japan:" https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20250516-the-pilots-chasing-sky-rivers-and-cyclones-from-japan-to-the-us?

* "Parts of the U.S. have already experienced 100 degree heat. Experts say this summer is going to get even hotter:" https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/summer-us-weather-forecast-noaa-b2753807.html

* "How to Disappear:" https://archive.ph/lQuw1#selection-599.4-599.7

* "License Plate Reader Company Flock Is Building a Massive People Lookup Tool, Leak Shows:" https://www.404media.co/license-plate-reader-company-flock-is-building-a-massive-people-lookup-tool-leak-shows/

* "Physicists confirm the incredible existence of 'time mirrors':" https://www.earth.com/news/physicists-confirm-the-incredible-existence-of-time-mirrors/

* " Viruses that roam the fungal kingdom :" https://knowablemagazine.org/content/article/living-world/2025/the-strange-viruses-that-infect-fungi?

* "Paleontologists discover a 500-million-year-old, 3-eyed predator:" https://www.npr.org/2025/05/17/g-s1-67434/sea-creature-fossil-three-eyed-predator-mosura

* "Wild orangutans show communication complexity thought to be uniquely human:" https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250516134254.htm

* "The Nation’s First Black Female Doctor Blazed a Path for Women in Medicine. But She Was Left Out of the Story for Decades:" https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-nations-first-black-female-doctor-blazed-a-path-for-women-in-medicine-but-she-was-left-out-of-the-story-for-decades-180986328/

* "The Clever Tricks Behind Daring Stunts Performed in Classic Movies Made in the 1920s:" https://laughingsquid.com/tricks-behind-1920s-movie-stunts/

* "The Spy Factory:" https://archive.ph/axvtM

* "Lesbian journalist Victoria A. Brownworth dead at 69:" https://www.advocate.com/news/lesbian-journalist-victoria-brownworth-dies

* "He Documented the History of New York’s Lower East Side. Where Will His Archives Go?:" https://archive.ph/zsnfX

* "They Invented the Game. Will They Be Allowed to Play It in the Olympics?:" https://archive.ph/Ofopm

* "U.S. Man Who Tried to Escape FBI on Underwater Scooter Pleads Guilty to $35M Ponzi Scheme:" https://www.vice.com/en/article/u-s-man-who-tried-to-escape-fbi-on-underwater-scooter-pleads-guilty-to-35m-ponzi-scheme/?

* I am not really recovered from the physical strains of last week. The pain level and exhaustion are simply too much for me.

I was meant to go to this cross generational queer mixer thing Wednesday night, but the trip to the library was too much heat and pollen, so I decided to stay home and rest instead. Goth Millennial made me protein and set up the air conditioning/filtration for the common area of the apartment and I am feeling a bit better now. We are two weeks in on the mating season for a tree I am extremely allergic to which has been a major contributing factor. Them mowing outside my window today likely wasn't helping either.

I was hoping to wait a week or two longer as the cats have really been enjoying the living room window, but there was nothing for it. Two hours or so of filtration and my breathing is noticeably improved.

* Tavy pics: https://www.tumblr.com/gwydionmisha/784734608181903360/techie-and-art-millennial-gave-the-cats-this?source=share

* "Memorial Day Road Trips | Kennedy Center Drag | Vance's Dating Advice | Thirsty Judge Jeanine:"

( Embed: )

* "The Problem with Polyamory Representation:"

( Embed: )

* "Should Art Be Political?:"

( Embed: )

* "11 historic photos of New York's LGBTQ+ history from the book Queer Happened Here :" https://www.advocate.com/news/queer-happened-here-interview-book#rebelltitem1

* "A Deep Dive Into The History of Sh*tposts:"

( Embed: )

* "Traditional Chinese Dressmaking Techniques are COOL (A 1930s Qipao ft. Claire Zhang):"

( Embed: )

* "The Fire Raisers to go (Frisch in 8 minutes, English version):"

( Embed: )

* "Devastating Diomedes:" https://www.youtube.com/shorts/PGUs0TOm8Rg

* "Antagonistic Archimedes:" https://www.youtube.com/shorts/4NAyiM4zn2Y

* "Rude Romans:" https://www.youtube.com/shorts/6mzzEF-gkWY

* "Parthian Prancksters:" https://www.youtube.com/shorts/nrzliHTO6to

* "Callous Cromwell:" https://www.youtube.com/shorts/axQIXsCSHO4

* "Severe Samurai:" https://www.youtube.com/shorts/oaVJtp05Rhw

* "What Happens When Monkey Babies Get Kidnapped?:"

( Embed: )

* "Trump Executive Orders Cold Open - SNL:"

( Embed: )

* "OnlySeniors - SNL:"

( Embed: )

* "Will and Todd’s Radical Experience - SNL:"

( Embed: )

* "Trump Middle East Trip Cold Open - SNL:"

( Embed: )

*****
* Full list of Resistance and charity links has been migrated to my profile as it was getting out of hand.

The help links are at the bottom under the cut.

* "United States Disappeared Tracker:" https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/danielleharlow/viz/UnitedStatesDisappearedTracker/Map

* "Nationwide Economic Blackout: Boycott Dates for Target, Amazon, Others:" https://www.newsweek.com/nationwide-economic-blackout-boycott-dates-target-amazon-others-2037986

* "Introducing Rise Up: Federal Workers Legal Defense Network:" https://aflcio.org/2025/4/16/introducing-rise-federal-workers-legal-defense-network

* Want to help Nathan Sage against Joni Ernst? https://www.sageforsenate.com/

( More Links Underneath: )

luminousdaze posting in

iconthat

Challenge 195
The new theme is...
MerMay 2025 - Sea Life & Seascapes
🧜🏽‍♀️ 🌺 🧜‍♂️

This is a last day of Mer May inspired challenge! We can create icons that show mermaids/merfolk, real sea creatures and/or ocean scenery views (beaches, shores, waves, islands with seascapes and so on). If you are not using a screen cap or picture that has a scene of a merperson, ocean scenery, beach or sea creatures then adding stock images, brushes, decorations or fake backgrounds showing sea life or seascapes to any fandom or character icon is allowed.
Let me know if you would like me to supply some screen captures or more icon examples.

🐠 🐬 🦀 🦑 🐳 🐡 🐙 🐚

( 8 Inspo Icons... )

( Challenge Guidelines, Directions & Rules... )

Current Mood: rushed

dine

( You're about to view content that the journal owner has advised should be viewed with discretion. )

twistedchick

Sometime during lockdown in the last four years, my arches fell. They had never been particularly high, but they felt fine in Birkies and so on. But now I am doing foot exercises to get them to show up at all, and if I don't it is really painful to walk any distance.

This cuts into my abiity to regain stamina and general fitness.

The exercises are starting to help significantly, so now all I need is a day or two without a major rainstorm or enough after a rainstorm that I won't be getting wet just by walking around near trees and bushes.

A friend told me that it takes at least 6 months to get one's energy back after COVID. Well, I was diagnosed Jan. 20 and it went for a couple of weeks actively and a few more overall. It took more time to be rid of the bad taste from the Pax than I expected. So I'm still within six months of it. I keep telling myself this.

The other thing that interferes with my health at the moment is variable tinitis, as in it comes and goes, and when it's there I have to find a soundscape in my CALM app that has that tone in it, so that the app's sounds distract me from the one inside my brain. Usually it works, but last night the inner sound had apparently retuned itself (autotune is the plague) and did not match anything on Calm except a wind in the trees, so I wasn't able to sleep, since the 'wind in pines' just didn't work. There is a downside to having perfect pitch and noticing when the inner-produced noises change.

cahn

1. In the annals of Rather Trivial in the Grand Scheme of Things But Still Annoying Drama: This week I found out that A's school is in the process of imploding. Again. All the drama over the past year is too tedious for me to recount here (and there seems to be more every day), but anyway here's the upshot: ( Small startup school ~drama~ )

2. Much more happily: the kids I've been coaching did the local 4th-6th grade math competition we've been prepping for all spring. It is hilariously the biggest math event in the county because pretty much every school in our half of the county does it, there are something like ~350 kids there, you are bound to see friends. I saw two former classmates of A's, had pointed out to me a future classmate of A's (uh, well, maybe), and saw a couple of kids he knows from orchestra and math-extracurricular, not to mention a few adult acquaintances as well. A. tied for first in the 4th-grade competition. (I was expecting A. to do well, given how he did at practice :) He doesn't necessarily want to be all-in with respect to math contests like his sister, but he liked the practices well enough and it's not that hard as competitions go.) Our 5th grader (who was the only kid on her team) got 4th place in the 5th-grade "Engineering Challenge" where the team had to build as high a tower as they could with three sheets of paper, a long strip of tape, and a paperclip -- and I'm probably the most excited about this, as we never do well on the engineering challenge, AND her tower got knocked down halfway through and she had to fix the resulting structural integrity problems. Anyway, all the kids had fun, I think, and a lot of them saw friends; it's just a fun time and they get to miss school and feel cool being with other math kids :)

3. I drove D and E to the airport this morning to go to Reno for the American Regions Math League (ARML) competition, where they met up with two more girls from her school that somehow she talked into going and whom D is chaperoning. I usually go to math contest stuff with her because I find it super fun, but I just went out of town for a family reunion -- I may or may not post about that later -- and I didn't feel like traveling again... I briefly felt bad for not going, as I think it would be a ton of fun, and then I realized how much executive function it was going to take (schedules, paperwork, coordinating the three kids, etc) and I've been losing a lot of work time to the above drama and now I'm again glad I didn't go. Also, I drove back home and fell into bed and got an hour and a half more sleep this morning than they did :) I talked to D very briefly tonight and he had gotten sucked into grading, so he might be up late tonight too. It is very quiet without either of them! And I had a whole hour to myself ~~to write a DW post~~ that I don't usually have because she really likes to talk to me after A. goes to bed, ha.

( I promise this is the last utterly boring post about test scores: a more-or-less reasonable conclusion )

apod_feed

https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250530.html

This composite of images spaced a weather-permitting 5 to 9 days apart,

https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250530.html

guardian_blinddate_feed

Posted by Guardian Staff

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/may/31/blind-date-silva-megan

Silva, 30, who works in theatre, meets Megan, 30, an artist manager

What were you hoping for?
To meet the mother of my future five daughters: Raven, Phoenix, Ocean, River and Amethyst. Failing that, a dating horror story to regale friends with at parties.

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/may/31/blind-date-silva-megan

skygiants

The Boston Ballet production of Maillot's Romeo et Juliette has turned out to be not only my favorite Boston Ballet production that I've seen so far but also tbh one of my favorite Romeo and Juliets full stop. It is Taking Swings and Making Choices and some of them are very weird but all of them are interesting.

( we're just gonna go ahead and cut for length )

ao3_st_lowerdecksrss_feed

Posted by Cipher99

https://archiveofourown.org/works/66043966

by Cipher99

A month has almost passed since the battle over Thedas II. When Mariner receives a pair of all-inclusive tickets to a resort on Risa, she knows immediately her plus one will be her new boyfriend, who is also notably her longtime bestie.

But this unexpected gift brings with it a dilemma for the junior grade lieutenant; the fear she’s moving things too fast for Boimler. It will fall to him to reassure her he’s fine pretty much wherever, whenever, and whatever, as long as it’s all with her.

Words: 10490, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Series: Part 2 of A Vow Eternal

Fandoms: Star Trek: Lower Decks (Cartoon), Star Trek
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Categories: F/M
Characters: Brad Boimler, Beckett Mariner, T'Lyn (Star Trek), D'Vana Tendi
Relationships: Brad Boimler/Beckett Mariner, Brad Boimler & Beckett Mariner
Additional Tags: Romance, Established Relationship, Resolved Sexual Tension, Sex, Fluff and Smut, Anniversary, Cunnilingus, Shore Leave

https://archiveofourown.org/works/66043966

ao3_st_lowerdecksrss_feed

Posted by Allansfirebird

https://archiveofourown.org/works/66038425

by Allansfirebird

Stardate 50707.1: Nerv investigates a string of disappearances at a dilithium mining colony, forcing Dr. Amagi to confront a mistake from her past.

Words: 1220, Chapters: 7/7, Language: English

Series: Part 13 of EVA-Trek - Season Two

https://archiveofourown.org/works/66038425

siderea

Back in 2013, I winnowed down the entire listings of Boston Early Music Festival events, official and fringe, to a curated concentrate of just concerts and other events featuring music from before 1600 AD. There were about 35 of them.

The 2025 BEMF is just nine days out and the Fringe Concerts listings updated today has a total of fewer than 30 listings.

medievalists_rss_feed

Posted by Medievalists.net

https://www.medievalists.net/2025/05/medieval-frontier-walls-mongolia/

https://www.medievalists.net/?p=104617

New research reveals that Mongolia’s medieval wall systems served not only defensive purposes but also regulated trade, movement, and daily life on the frontier.

https://www.medievalists.net/2025/05/medieval-frontier-walls-mongolia/

https://www.medievalists.net/?p=104617

kaffy_r

Happy Birthday, Mum

This is Mary Glen Keirstead Routliffe Stirling. She was born on May 30, 1927, in Greenwich, Nova Scotia, Canada. For most of her life, she lived within 10.5 miles of the house where a midwife delivered her.* Nova Scotia was where she died, on Oct. 27, 2013. Nova Scotia was her home.

In the 13 years since she died, I've generally remembered her on the anniversary of her death, and I'll undoubtedly do that again. But today, when she would have turned 98 if she hadn't moved on, I wanted to turn my face to the sky and sing Happy Birthday to her. I hope she and my stepdad, Rob Stirling, young and beautiful again as they were when they fell in love, are together.

And I like to think that after a modest dinner at a modest heavenly restaurant, with a birthday cake that has all the taste and none of the calories, that they will leave the restaurant, and dance together, twirling and laughing, in the stars.

I love you, Mum.

*She spent a short time in Montreal as a newly minted nurse, and later, in the years she was married to my father, she lived in or around Mont Joli, Quebec. Together, those probably consisted of no more than five years.

Current Mood: contemplative
Current Location: the home office
Current Music: Ateez, "Say My Name"

nevanna

Wearing: A dress printed with cats wearing neckties or sunglasses. Today's storytime theme was "Clothing." I read this book in a pirate voice.
Reading: I finished Blazing Eye Sees All, which was excellent, and am about to start Immaculate Conception by Ling Ling Huang. Her first book, Natural Beauty, blew me away, and her new one seems like it'll be even more up my alley. I also recently read a fantastic essay by Jude Doyle about Watchmen and Gritty Reimaginings in general.
Writing: Still between projects!
Planning: I'm going to a friend's Pride brunch tomorrow! Planning to start a batch of mini quiches as soon as I finish this post. On Sunday, I'm volunteering for a few hours in the afternoon, but hope to attend at least one craft market before or after.

What about you?

musesfool

I slept very poorly last night and woke up with a blinding headache and some serious nausea, so I called out of work and went back to bed for a couple of hours.

I keep meaning to post then forgetting what I want to say, since it's mostly just about work. I did get several amazing photos of Baby Miss L in a Spider-Gwen outfit with a hood (with a glittery pink mask on it), a cute blue spider on the torso (when I first saw it, I admit my initial response was "Khaji Da?" so it's more scarab than spider but also she's 2 and a half, so) and a skirt decorated with webbing. It's so cute and she apparently approved of it by saying "Spider-Man! Spider-Man!" in her specific toddler lingo. And the Superman dress finally arrived so I hope to see pictures of that soon, too! Also, she has taken to carrying her Easter basket over her shoulder like a purse and calling it her bag, so she is definitely getting a headstart on her fashionista personality.

In other news, I was reading some fic I was otherwise enjoying but I will never ever ever understand why in EVERY SINGLE FANDOM I have ever read fic in, there are some gobsmackingly awful non-canon nicknames that proliferate. Sometimes for characters who already have a canonical nickname, so why? I mean, I get that the use of a nickname can be intimacy marker (much like the switch from last name to first name, or full first name to canon nickname), but the fact is, none of the characters this is applied to would ever allow themselves to be called these names by ANYONE, not even an intimate partner. The worst is when Jason calls Talia "Tals." NO. WHO thinks TALIA AL GHUL, DAUGHTER OF THE DEMON, is going to let ANYONE call her "Tals." No, really, meet me in the parking lot, I just have some questions.

I also don't understand when people apologize for...well, anything really, in their author's notes, but especially when they say shit like, "Sorry this chapter is mostly dialogue! We'll get back to the introspection soon!" I mean, I guess some people don't like dialogue??? Obviously mileage varies. But it is frequently the best part of a story for me. If your story holds off on dialogue for too long in favor of maundering introspection, I will likely wander away and never come back (like, obviously if it's a 900-word plotless character ramble that's fine, but then you are not posting it in chapters, at least I'd hope not).

I guess if you're not confident in your character voices, dialogue can be difficult, but you're still going to need to get the character voice right in the narration/introspection, and some characters are not really going to be doing a lot of introspection at all, even in their own heads, so it's even harder to get them right. Which is probably when it's time to revisit canon. But I admit, dialogue is pretty much the easiest thing I find to write, so possibly it's just me.

*

Current Mood: better
Current Music: Mets vs Rockies on tv

kaberett

Yesterday, on the drive, we found the greater part of a small light blue eggshell. (Dunnock? Starling?)

We have also, with the rain, been seeing (and relocating) lots of gastropods, so I suggested we move the eggshell into gastropod territory.

Checked back this morning, and while the blue is mostly intact the inside surface has been very clearly significantly monched. V v pleased to have provided delicious snack and also by CREATURES in general :-)

medievalists_rss_feed

Posted by Medievalists.net

https://www.medievalists.net/2025/05/conspiracy-theories-and-the-deep-state-now-and-then-with-winston-berg/

https://www.medievalists.net/?p=104614

Winston Berg is a political scientist who studies modern American conspiracy theories about politics and the deep state; his dissertation studied the movement known as QAnon. Given our political moment, I thought it would be interesting to discuss with him the different contours and valences that conspiracy theories and deep state notions took in the east Roman polity and in the United States.

https://www.medievalists.net/2025/05/conspiracy-theories-and-the-deep-state-now-and-then-with-winston-berg/

https://www.medievalists.net/?p=104614

medievalists_rss_feed

Posted by Medievalists.net

https://www.medievalists.net/2025/05/scotlands-only-free-standing-round-tower-reopens-to-the-public/

https://www.medievalists.net/?p=104609

A rare medieval tower in Scotland has reopened to visitors after undergoing masonry inspections to ensure its stability. Orchardton Tower, a 15th-century structure located in the Dumfries and Galloway region, is now welcoming guests once more, offering a glimpse into noble life during the later Middle Ages.

https://www.medievalists.net/2025/05/scotlands-only-free-standing-round-tower-reopens-to-the-public/

https://www.medievalists.net/?p=104609

shipperslist

( You're about to view content that the journal owner has marked as possibly inappropriate for anyone under the age of 18. )

tellshannon815

Is DW being annoying for anyone else, keeps giving me error messages?

chazzbanner

It took me some time to figure out that I could write an entry at home (in Word) and copy it here later. Amazingly slow of me!
I drove to campus, getting there about 10:50. I had planned to take the light-rail from West Bank to East Bank, but it looked like the stations were closed for the day, so I walked across the Mississippi and on to the SBs shop for coffee. Come to find out, the “closure” starts at 7 p.m. today and lasts through the weekend! Yeah, I took the light-rail back to my car.

ivee and I had lunch as usual at Stub and Herb’s, a sports bar that’s been there forever. Um, from the 60s? *LOL I had a California burger for the first time in years. (I think someone had a poll about who understood what that means, and who didn’t. It’s a burger with tomato, lettuce, and union. Standard size, and no bacon or cheese.) It was very juicy.

We talked ‘people we know’, Duolingo study (she’s doing Welsh), and travel. Also AI. She’s worried that her speechwriting job (office of the Provost) will be replaced by AI.

In my aerogramme-transcribing from Spring in London, I’ve finished the letter about a trip to the West Country over Easter. The next one will describe a camping trip to the Mendips. I just told j-wat that I’d never been to the Mendips! We were on the edge, I guess (west).

A favorite line with non-sequitur:

"By the way, we were freezing in our room until we discovered how to turn on the heat! OK now. Central heating. Day-dreamed about kolache the other day – haven’t had it for ages."

*googled at the library: since 1939! The building was bought by two brothers, Stub and Herb Lewis. Speakeasy and (probably) brothel before that. (If it was a speakeasy .. it must have been a hidden room before the brothel. I guess.)

-

rachelmanija

In a magical version of the medieval Middle East, a middle-aged single mom, who was once the notorious pirate Amina al-Sirafi, is dragged out of retirement for one final job.

This book is a complete and utter delight from start to finish. It has all the pirate tropes you could possibly want - sea battles! sea monsters! quests for magical objects! loyal crews! tossed overboard! marooned! - and sly twists on others. It's got great characters. It's got hilarious dialogue and character interactions. The world is wonderfully detailed and varied, full of plausible historical details and with a lovely faux-historical feel. There are stories within stories. It's all marvelous.

As a child, I had a book called Muslim Saints and Mystics, which was a translation of parts of the Tazkirat al-Awliyā, a collection of stories about Muslim saints written around 1200. It was funny and magical, and some of the stories-within-stories in Amina al-Sirafi have a similar feel. The novel neatly toes the line between dialogue that feels fairly contemporary and a plausibly historical mindset. Amina is horny as hell, but a serious Muslim who believes in not having sex before marriage; as a result, she's had five husbands. There's a major trans character, in addition to several gay characters; Amina has come across people before who prefer to live as the other sex, and takes it in stride without resorting to Tumblr-esque labels or attitudes.

I loved every moment of this book, and was delighted that though it has a reasonable ending, it is the start of a trilogy. It's the first book I've read by Chakraborty, and I'm excited to read her City of Brass series.

( Read more... )

merridia

It's one of those days where every 'good morning' feels like a personal attack. It's been so hot and beautiful outside, which has, naturally, meant freezing in a horrible artificial icebox all day while everyone coming in from outside tells me how good it feels and I try not to stab them in the face with my pen, and it's so smoky today that I can't even spend my lunch break outside in the sunshine unless the wind performs some miracles in the next six hours. Also I somehow lost my wired earbuds with the dongle because heaven forbid phones have headphone jacks these days and I am mad about everything, so I am simply going to cast my mind back to the weekend, and the emotional catharsis that was Double or Nothing.

( AEW Double or Nothing 2025 )

it's almost lunchtime so I'm not reading over that, hopefully it's not gibberish!!! HALFWAY THERE

moon_custafer

Oh hey, Renny Rye was also the director on The Box of Delights (1984). Also forgot to mention when I referenced Fahrenheit 451 (1960) in my previous post that Julie Christie is in this too.

Oof, Ben’s breakdown that we only see from the back. I really am going to have to watch Roy Hudd in more things.

When Dan stops talking around things and says them straight out, he really says them straight out.

I admit I’m a little disappointed his singing at the end was such an obvious dub—I know it’s Dennis Potter and it’s an in-joke, and we’ve abandoned any pretense of realism a while back; but I’d like to have heard the song in Finney’s real voice. Oh well, maybe he was actually incapable of carrying a tune, idk.

Not even sure Dan needs an alibi, but it makes for a good end line.

Welp, now I guess I'll have to watch Cold Lazarus.

slippery_fish

18) Do you use any tools, like worksheets or outlines?

Not really. I have Scrivener and I use its inbuild tools when I work on something longer (which I haven't done for a while). It's a great software. And I use some websites for editing like quillbot.

The rest of the questions are here.

maju

It stopped raining on Wednesday afternoon but it was completely cloudy on Thursday and more rain was forecast for today and Saturday - so I might be skipping parkrun yet again. However, today so far there is no sign of rain and it's sunny and slightly warmer than just mild; we've gone rather suddenly today from warm clothes weather to shorts weather.

My adventures in bread making continue. Today I started a loaf of sourdough but I decided to leave out the ⅔ cup of ground flaxseed that I normally add to every loaf I made, and this affected the dough a lot more than I was expecting. Apparently flaxseed soaks up more moisture than I was aware of, and my dough ended up way too wet so that I had to add more flour. I didn't measure it, but I'd guess about ¼ of a cup extra, and the dough is still fairly wet. It's now workable though. I'm making cinnamon raisin bread so the raisins are soaking up some of the extra liquid, and also at the last minute added in about 1 tablespoon of flaxseeds to combat the wetness.

I'm trying out a few different crochet flower granny squares, with varying degrees of success. The first one I finished looks a bit wonky but I don't think there are any mistakes. I got about ¾ of the way through a second one and discovered that I had done round 3 completely wrong and thus ended up with only half as many stitches as I'm supposed to have, so I'll be restarting that one. It's all a learning curve at this point.

sciencenews_feed

Posted by Susan Milius

https://www.sciencenews.org/article/luna-moths-grow-extravagant-wings

https://www.sciencenews.org/?p=3155411

Warm temperatures, not just predator pressure, may favor luna moths’ long bat-fooling streamers, a geographic analysis of iNaturalist pics shows.

https://www.sciencenews.org/article/luna-moths-grow-extravagant-wings

https://www.sciencenews.org/?p=3155411

sciencenews_feed

Posted by Nikk Ogasa

https://www.sciencenews.org/article/venus-tectonics-shaping-surface

https://www.sciencenews.org/?p=3155393

Circular landforms speckling the Venusian surface may be the work of tectonic activity.

https://www.sciencenews.org/article/venus-tectonics-shaping-surface

https://www.sciencenews.org/?p=3155393

luminousdaze posting in

iconthat

Congratulations everyone! 🎉🎈🏅 Thank you to all the participants and all 13 voters.
The tally when needed is in the comments of the voting post.
If you would like an award banner for this challenge, please comment below & request one.

Challenge 194: Painterly - Winners

1st Place