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([personal profile] ysabetwordsmith Nov. 23rd, 2025 02:47 pm)
Today is partly sunny and cool, a beautiful fall day.

I fed the birds.  I've seen several sparrows and house finches plus at least 3 goldfinches.

I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 11/23/25 -- We spent an exasperating amount of time trying to set up for chipping the brush pile from the parking lot.










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([personal profile] mdlbear Nov. 23rd, 2025 01:08 pm)

I had a lot of trouble getting things done this week. That may have been due in part to having gone out of the house three times (for a doctor's appointment, labs, and picking up drugs at the pharmacy). Each of which burns up two or three hours, and I seem to have trouble switching gears after that. Or maybe I'm just lazy.

Thursday I let the cats out of my room, which may have been a mistake. Picking Bronx up afterward and trying to carry him upstairs to put him back was definitely a mistake, and a firm reminder to keep one hand on the banister every damned time. Fortunately, I got away with it -- this time.

I've started using compression socks; they seem to help somewhat with the edema, but it's still there and doesn't seem much improved in the morning after not wearing the socks at night. Well, I have another appointment this coming Friday.

Linkies: Record Numbers of Younger Women Want to Leave the U.S. -- if you're surprised, you may be reading the wrong blog. Also, Satellite images reveal the fastest Antarctic glacier retreat ever. On the other hand, it seems that A Poem Is All You Need to Jailbreak a chatbot.

And on the gripping hand, here's a filk adjacent cat video: Bohemian Catsody.

Notes & links, as usual )

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siderea: (Default)
([personal profile] siderea Nov. 23rd, 2025 05:16 am)
Saw this, blew my mind, thought I'd share. Behold, Lençóis Maranhenses:



2025 Oct 28: PBS Terra [pbsterra on YT]: It Looks Like a Desert. But It Has Thousands of Lakes

When I heard in the video how big it was, I turned on satellite view in Google Maps and popped "Lençóis Maranhenses" into the search bar:

Image below cut. Content advisory: trypophobes avoid )
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([personal profile] weofodthignen Nov. 22nd, 2025 11:59 pm)
Sunny and a smidgen warmer. Got to see and feed all three cats. The dog barked at length at the house that now looks down over the privacy fence into our back garden. Nobody living there yet; they'll get to know her voice once they do.
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([personal profile] billroper Nov. 22nd, 2025 10:18 pm)
I am scheduled to go see the podiatrist on Wednesday for a follow-up visit for the new orthotics that I got last month. That is good, because these things are killing me and today is especially bad.

The problem is that I'm simply not getting enough support. Now I think he thought there was a good chance that these were going to be insufficiently supportive, but he didn't want to err in the opposite direction.

He has not. They are "sort of" ok, but today everything is hurting from the hips on down, because I've been out walking around and that actually requires, well, support.

After the follow-up, I may hand these orthotics back to him and switch to the standard supports that come with these shoes that I can install. They normally work pretty well for two or three months and then I've just caved in the shoes and it's time to start with a new pair.

But I suspect that things will hurt less.
ysabetwordsmith: Cartoon of me in Wordsmith persona (Default)
([personal profile] ysabetwordsmith Nov. 22nd, 2025 10:05 pm)
The five great forests that keep North America’s birds alive

Migratory birds that fill North American forests with spring songs depend on Central America’s Five Great Forests far more than most people realize. New research shows these tropical strongholds shelter enormous shares of species like Wood Thrushes, Cerulean Warblers, and Golden-winged Warblers—many of which are rapidly declining. Yet these forests are disappearing at an alarming pace due to illegal cattle ranching, placing both birds and local communities at risk.
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([personal profile] ysabetwordsmith Nov. 22nd, 2025 09:59 pm)
The November 4, 2025 Poetry Fishbowl has made its $200 goal, so you get a free epic. Everyone is eligible to vote in this poll. I will keep it open at least until Sunday night. If there's a clear answer then, I'll close it; otherwise I may leave it open a little while longer. Here are your options...

"No Worthless Herbs"
Shaeth and Trobby owe a favor to Abredin the Herb Goddess.
92 lines

"Once the Avalanche Has Begun"
A foolish choice in a neighboring town makes life challenging for Shaeth's followers.
70 lines

Poll #33870 Free Epic for the October 7, 2025 Poetry Fishbowl
Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 9


Which of these should be the free epic?

View Answers

"No Worthless Herbs"
8 (88.9%)

"Once the Avalanche Has Begun"
1 (11.1%)

Bad Decisions, Good Decisions
By Dialecticdreamer/Sarah Williams
Part 1 of 1, complete
Word count (story only): 1680
[Second week of December, 2016]


:: A decision made at the power company in an attempt to prevent rolling blackouts has a huge impact on certain people in Mercedes. Frank organizes a response, including rigged equipment to substitute for generators that aren’t available. Part of the City Engines story arc in the Polychrome Heroics universe. This story was written from a prompt by [personal profile] ysabetwordsmith, with my thanks. ::




“Boss?” the young woman asked, flexing her fingers nervously. One hand held her phone, staring at the text displayed on her screen.

“What is it, Nela?” Frank paused, lifting his wrench away from the engine.

“I’m subscribed to the emergency services line, and they’re cutting power in the next half hour to a section of the county bordered by the plaque we’re working on.” Her voice shook like she was standing at the epicenter of the Big One, and sweat beaded on her brow.
Read more... )
ysabetwordsmith: Cartoon of me in Wordsmith persona (Default)
([personal profile] ysabetwordsmith Nov. 22nd, 2025 02:17 pm)

Today is partly sunny and mild.  It rained most of yesterday.

I fed the birds.  I've seen a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches.

I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 11/22/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

I've seen two squirrels running around the trees.

EDIT 11/22/25 -- I did more work around the patio.

EDIT 11/22/25 -- I did more work around the patio.

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

 

The half-price sale in Polychrome Heroics will close at the end of Sunday.  The pool by [personal profile] fuzzyred will close late Saturday night, so if you're still planning to participate, now's the time. 
weofodthignen: selfportrait with Rune the cat (Default)
([personal profile] weofodthignen Nov. 21st, 2025 11:59 pm)
Sunny enough today to put my laundry out, and for the dog to not only spend time in the back garden but to lead me on a long, meandering walkies through the park. And I swept the still dank driveway, and the pavement.
ysabetwordsmith: Cartoon of me in Wordsmith persona (Default)
([personal profile] ysabetwordsmith Nov. 22nd, 2025 01:25 am)
People have expressed interest in deep topics, so this list focuses on philosophical questions.

What are the biggest moral dilemmas your country is facing now?


Privacy, body autonomy, democracy, and climate change.


ysabetwordsmith: Cartoon of me in Wordsmith persona (Default)
([personal profile] ysabetwordsmith Nov. 21st, 2025 10:46 pm)
Today we made a smoothie with:

1 cup Pom pomegranate-blueberry juice
1 cup Brown Cow vanilla yogurt
1 banana
1/2 cup frozen strawberries
1/2 cup ice

The result is bright red-violet and on the thin side.  It has a deeper fruit flavor from the pomegranate -- a nice fall smoothie. 
Tags:
Highway Intersection
By Dialecticdreamer/Sarah Williams
Part 1 of 1, complete
Word count (story only): 1850
[Spring 2016]


:: Daniela Lawson is on her way to meet family for lunch. Instead, the universe throws a monkey wrench into her plans. Part of the Strange Family series, this story should be at the beginning of their third summer in Red Lake. ::




Daniela Lawson checked her watch, then hefted her backpack. Her shoulder twinged, badly, and shooting pain darted down to the palm of her right hand. It felt like she’d put her full weight onto a rose bush. The searing pain was familiar, but impossible to ignore.

Automatically, she looked for the blood that she expected to see, but the tinted skin was unblemished.
Read more... )
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([personal profile] billroper Nov. 21st, 2025 05:00 pm)
This song has been rolling around my head since before Windycon with various bits and pieces scrawled on a sheet of paper and bits of tune coming out of the guitar. The problem was getting the bits to fit together, which they were stubbornly refusing to do. I finally bashed the tune over the head and figured out how to shift the melody and tempo back to what I'd originally been thinking of. After that, things started coming together and I finally finished it up today.

The protagonist is having a distinctly unpleasant night.

But not you. Sleep well. :)
Lyrics inside... )
ysabetwordsmith: Cartoon of me in Wordsmith persona (Default)
([personal profile] ysabetwordsmith Nov. 21st, 2025 02:59 pm)
Light has been hiding a magnetic secret for nearly 200 years

New research shows that light’s magnetic field is far more influential than scientists once believed. The team found that this magnetic component significantly affects how light rotates as it passes through certain materials. Their work challenges a 180-year-old understanding of the Faraday Effect and opens pathways to new optical and magnetic technologies.
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([personal profile] ysabetwordsmith Nov. 21st, 2025 02:18 pm)
Today is cloudy, rainy, and cool.

I fed the birds. I haven't seen any activity today.

The birdbaths are already full from the rain.

EDIT 11/21/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

I've seen several sparrows and house finches at the fly-through feeder, which is basically a little roof over a tray of seed. I can see why they'd prefer it today.

EDIT 11/21/25 -- I did more work around the patio.

I am done for the night.
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([personal profile] siderea Nov. 21st, 2025 03:09 am)
The Bostoniensis household's last grocery order included some cucumbers but the delivery service mystifyingly substituted for them a head of cabbage. They were very apologetic when Mr B called to complain, and refunded us the price of the cabbage, so now it's a free cabbage. But it's still here taking up a remarkably large volume of space in our fridge, what with the spherical thing, and it's a week before Thanksgiving.

Cooking a cabbage was not on our plans for this week. But throwing out a perfectly good cabbage seems sad. And I have been complaining about not getting enough veggies to eat. So.

Anybody have a very delicious recipe for cabbage that conforms to the following parameters?:

• Cooked. No raw cabbage.

• Really, really low effort. I am resigned to having to chop the cabbage itself, but maybe minimal other chopping of other veggies or meats. Something where the actual cooking isn't too fussy.

• Not haluski. We love haluski. We have most of the ingredients for haluski. We do not have the time or energy for taking on a project like haluski.

• Not stuffed cabbage. The kind with ground beef and tomato sauce. Neither of us likes it. Possibly because we don't like the taste of cabbage in tomato sauce.

• Not corned beef and cabbage. We love corned beef and cabbage but omg have you seen the price of brisket.

• Relately, maybe no stewing or slow cooking? The smell of slow cooking the corned beef and cabbage is dire, and we don't want to have to flush air we paid to heat. Maybe it would be okay if more heavily seasoned.

• Gotta mostly be cabbage. We have a lot of cabbage to get through.

We like spicy, though it's not required; no cilantro, and probably no coconut. Main dish or side, with meat or without.

Edit: Okay, maybe we'll just buy more cabbages. I am very excited by this harvest of recipes.
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ysabetwordsmith: Cartoon of me in Wordsmith persona (Default)
([personal profile] ysabetwordsmith posting in [community profile] followfriday Nov. 21st, 2025 01:38 am)
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".
ysabetwordsmith: A blue sheep holding a quill dreams of Dreamwidth (Dreamsheep)
([personal profile] ysabetwordsmith Nov. 21st, 2025 01:20 am)
Today's theme is Knitting.  You might also like my Hobbies: Knitting post with resources.

Read more... )

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