ravan

I headed down to Tobias Music for their holiday Taylor Tone Show, where many Taylor guitars were compared. It was a lot of fun and I picked up a few new bits of knowledge that I hadn't had before. Mind you, I carefully didn't play any guitars this trip, because no guitars are currently allowed to follow me home. :)

My Taylor 710ce-l9 limited edition short-scale is still on consignment there and can be seen on their website. If you're looking for a standard Taylor dreadnaught, it's a good deal...

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Today I'm trying out a new recipe for Banana Banana Bread that I found in All Recipes. This one uses 5 bananas where my usual one takes 3, and butter instead of oil. I made half the flour whole wheat. Partway through I realized there was no other flavoring besides the bananas, so I added a teaspoon of cinnamon. It will be interesting to see how this turns out. :D

Current Mood: accomplished

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food,
recipe

Equality matters

When we say that we want equality, what do we mean? Same pay for everyone? Same caloric intake? Same size of house? Same amount of electricity consumed every day? Same amount of household waste? Same amount of political power, influence, or fame?

( Read more... )

Current Mood: busy

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A Founder Got Fed Up With Potential Hires Using AI to ‘Fake It.’

Mollion says some job candidates have always misrepresented themselves, but AI has made the gap between presentation and reality even wider—making interviews and written materials even less reliable.

“On top of that, traditional interviews simply don’t reveal real skill, work style, responsiveness, or judgment,” Mollion told me. “People can say all the right things in an interview, but none of that guarantees how they actually perform on the job.”

I've been saying for years that brief resumes, college degrees, and office interviews offer very little indication of an applicant's actual ability to do a job.

( Read more... )

Current Mood: busy

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Strained Resources
By Dialecticdreamer/Sarah Williams
Part 1 of 2, complete
Word count (story only): 1304
[Sat, Dec 17, 2016]

:: A week before Channukah, Genna is settling back into LaPlace when a new neighbor arrives to ask if they have any candles to spare for the menorah. Genna offers to teach them how to dip their own. Part of the Strange Family series, in the Polychrome Heroics universe. This story was written for the December 2025 event, from a suggestion made by

readera, with my great thanks! ::

On to part two

Genna rarely spoke with the neighbors in LaPlace. When they realized that the family spent part of the year in two different places, the neighbors retreated. A few still waved and smiled, but inviting the neighbors to a barbecue at the end of summer had proven how few of them considered the family their neighbors. Genna focused on the bookshelf in front of her, determined to spend as much of the afternoon in the tub as possible. Saul and Dom had taken all the kids to do holiday shopping, which was very much a gift to her as well.

Halfway through the stack of library books, two of which were in danger of needing a renewal, again, someone rang Genna’s front door bell. She dusted her hands and hurried to greet them.
( Read more... )

Current Mood: amused

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Today is cloudy and cold.

I fed the birds. I've seen a large mixed flock of sparrows and house finches, plus two mourning doves.

I put out water for the birds.

Current Mood: busy

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If there is any quality left in movies and TV, it'll be gone soon.

https://apnews.com/article/netflix-warner-acquisition-studio-hbo-streaming-f4884402cadfd07a99af0c8e4353bd83

The fewer corporations involved in any product, the more enshitified it becomes. Why spend on quality - let alone take risks with new ideas, which might be better than the tried-and-true - when there's little or no competition - and if anyone starts to outcompete you, you can simply buy them.

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Got any Follow Friday-related posts to share this week? Comment here with the link(s).

Here's the plan: every Friday, let's recommend some people and/or communities to follow on Dreamwidth. That's it. No complicated rules, no "pass this on to 7.328 friends or your cat will die".

Current Mood: busy

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followfriday

Today's theme is Active Communities on Dreamwidth Fall 2025 J-Z.

( Read more... )

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Today was an adequate drying day, with a very yellow full moon this evening.

Today I took pictures of icicles and snow, mostly in the house yard, some down the driveway.

( Walk with me ... )

Current Mood: accomplished

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Today we went to Mattoon.

( Read more... )

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Today, Calvin the Dog was fixed.

Because the rescue group that we got him from was paying for the bulk of the expenses here (we paid for all of the add-ons, like bloodwork), they needed to find a vet who would work for a low enough fee. This meant that we drove out to Fox Lake, which is about an hour from home. Well, actually *I* drove out to Fox Lake in Gretchen's minivan with Calvin in his kennel in the rear. Calvin did not like this and proceeded to whine for most of the trip. Then I turned around and drove back for work.

Calvin was ready to go home in the afternoon. This time, Gretchen's schedule accommodated her coming along with me, so I put the kennel back in the house and drove back out to Fox Lake to pick Calvin up and bring him home, along with his Cone of Shame (TM).

Calvin is happy to be home, but not that thrilled with the Cone of Shame, which we take off when we're in a position to keep an eye on him. We are not in a position to keep an eye on him overnight, so back in the Cone of Shame the poor pup has gone!

I spent four hours driving around far northwest suburban Chicagoland today, which is just about enough time to drive to Muncie to pick up K.

But not enough to drive back too. :)

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Four countries announce Eurovision 2026 boycott after Israel allowed to compete

Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Spain have all said they won't be taking part in next year's contest.

You can play along at home by skipping Eurovision 2026 to purchase songs from countries who have taken a stand against genocide -- or buy Palestinian music.

Current Mood: busy

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Today I am thankful for...

Getting an appointment scheduled to discuss BP meds.
Finding a good Chinese/Indnesian restaurant that delivers. That delivers rijsttafel! Which I last had when I was in Amsterdam with my parents half a century ago. Not as good as the place we went to back then -- Dad was extremely good at finding the best restaurants and hotels -- but good enough, and closer.
Leftovers. See above.
More generally, having a huge variety of places to order from.
Garlic, blue cheese, chili crisp, and other tasty things. (I have a tendency to graze.)

Current Mood: grateful
Current Location: Schildhaven in Den Haag
Current Music: This weekend, probably

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thanks

A new book of Edward Gorey’s drawings shows what’s lost when the artist’s sexuality is glossed over

As for his personal life, Gorey may have been what today we’d call asexual; Gorey himself used the term “undersexed,” but he also acknowledged, when asked directly about his sexuality, that he “supposed” he was gay.

Mark Dery’s 2018 Gorey biography, “Born to be Posthumous: The Eccentric Life and Mysterious Genius of Edward Gorey,” documents the artist’s participation in postwar gay life. The book details a handful of crushes Gorey had on various men, at least one of which – a brief affair with a man named Victor – involved some physical intimacy.

To whatever extent Gorey entertained sex or romance, it was with men. As Dery points out, however, this fact largely goes unaddressed in discussions of the artist’s work.

Current Mood: busy

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Today is sunny and cold. Icicles are forming along the eaves.

I fed the birds. I've seen a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches, a male cardinal, and a mourning dove.

I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 12/3/25 -- I took some pictures around the yard.

EDIT 12/3/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

I've seen several more mourning doves roosting in the trees, puffed up like little beige softballs. :D

EDIT 12/3/25 -- I did more work around the patio.

EDIT 12/3/25 -- I did more work around the patio.

As it is getting dark, I am done for the night.

Current Mood: busy

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Raccoon goes on drunken rampage in Virginia liquor store and passes out on bathroom floor

The masked burglar broke into the closed Virginia liquor store early on Saturday and hit the bottom shelf, where the scotch and whisky were stored. The bandit was something of a nocturnal menace: bottles were smashed, a ceiling tile collapsed and alcohol pooled on the floor.

The suspect acted like an animal because, in fact, he’s a raccoon.

On Saturday morning, an employee at the Ashland, Virginia-area liquor store found the trash panda passed out on the bathroom floor at the end of his drunken escapade.

( Read more... )

Current Mood: amused

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news,
wildlife

Cold Comforts
By Dialecticdreamer/Sarah Williams
Part 2 of 2, complete
Word count (story only): 1615
[Early December 2016]

:: On a cold, sleeting day, Shiv wants to spend part of his time off at Flights of Fancy. The problem is that he finds the door iced shut. He and Fancy get to work, and later get to relax together. Part of the Shiv an Omaha story threads in the Polychrome Heroics universe; this story was written for the December prompt events, from an idea suggested by

ysabetwordsmith, with my warmest thanks! ::

Back to part one
:: Thanks for reading! ::

Shiv’s nose wrinkled. “Microwaved muffins are horrible,” he deferred. He sniffed, surprised to find a strong aroma of apple, cinnamon, orange, nutmeg, and… was that lavender?

“Wanna see my newest toy?” she countered, her grin widening.
( Read more... )

Current Mood: amused

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Here is Thursday's Modem Problems from Matthew McAndrews:

( Matthew McAndrews' Modem Problems #2288 - Vitamins - December 4th, 2025 )

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Guitars, Mr. Rico!

Today's Cooking

Activism

Economics

Strained Resources (part 1 of 2, complete)

Birdfeeding

Bye Bye Film Quality

Follow Friday 12-5-25

Follow Friday 11-28-25: Active Communities on Dreamwidth Fall 2025 J-Z

D.O.P.-T.

Photos: House Yard

Today's Adventures

Fixed

Activism

Thankful Thursday

Art

Birdfeeding

Wildlife

Cold Comforts (part 2 of 2, complete)

#2288 - Vitamins

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