ravan

Not sure what to make of this week. I was not as productive as I need to be, and only got out for walks three times -- four only if you count the 200m taking a bag of mostly cat litter out to the garbage bins at the end of the block. On the other hand, The Black Blood of the Earth, brought back from the US by m, and I had a really good, long video call with E on Thursday.

On the gripping hand, m left for the UK yesterday, to look at colleges and to see whether they like it there. They took their cat, Cricket, which means one less litter box to clean next time I'm on my own here, and also that I'll be able to let Ticia out of my room more (she and Cricket don't get along). But we never did the recording that we'd wanted to do for the Kaleidofolk album. But at least I remembered what I'd read last year about needing a leash and harness for Cricket, so that they could run her carrier through the X-ray, in time for G to order one.

I didn't do as much work on the business websites (HSX and N's author site) as I'd wanted to. But I did do some, and enough of it in time to support N's book release. (And realized that I ought to make a portfolio of the websites I've built, if only for historical purposes and bragging rights.)

Have some links: people are having funerals for the world's melting glaciers, and DO NOT turn to an AI chatbot for therapy.

On the positive side, though, Australia has so much solar that it's offering everyone free electricity (three hours' worth every day). And here's the William Tell Overture Finale on Musical Tesla Coils.

You're welcome.

( Notes & links, as usual )

Current Mood: worried
Current Location: Schildhaven in Den Haag
Current Music: William Tell Overture Finale on Musical Tesla Coils (see post)

Tags:

done,
links

Grand Prairie Friends Acquires New Property- Warbler Bend

Grand Prairie Friends (GPF) is thrilled to announce the purchase of Warbler Bend, a meandering 110 acres along the Embarras River in Coles County (IL). This purchase expands the Conservation Land Trust’s existing Warbler Ridge Conservation Area, now totaling almost 1,400 acres. Warbler Bend is GPF’s second property north of Highway 130, joining Warbler Bluff, located on Harrison St. Rd (Charleston).

Over the last decade, GPF has restored more than 1,200 acres at their Warbler Ridge Conservation Area including the addition of 90,000 trees, nine acres of wetlands and hundreds of acres of pollinator fields.

Connected to Lake Charleston to the north, and Fox Ridge State Park to the south, Warbler Ridge Conservation Area began in 2015, to connect these three landscapes to create an over 4,000 acre contiguous corridor for wildlife, natural habitats and public natural space for the community.

I am so excited! More riverfront!

Current Mood: excited

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Actually warm today. But of course it was nippy in the morning ... when I emerged with kitty breakfast to find there had been some sort of rumble on the porch. The water bowls were absolutely black with sediment, the wet food dish was overturned, the kibble bowl was filthy ... and the teddy bear who lives on one of the chairs had been pitched into the middle of the porch. I set him back in place, put down the new wet food, and when I returned with clean water and with kibble in a washed and dried bowl, Monty was sitting at the other end of the porch, studiously keeping his back to me.

Probably raccoons.

Teddy got a much-needed drench and scrub later in the morning and then spent the rest of the day flopped over on the two washing lines. He wasn't completely dry, but he's back in his (also scrubbed) chair tonight; couldn't leave him arse-to-the-moon all night, poor thing.

Day two of Windycon is in the books. So far, so good, although sales could be better. But we had fun, especially at the art auction.

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displacementdiaries -- Displacement Diaries
A reflective space for journaling life abroad, family complexity, grief, and personal growth.
Displacement Diaries is a reflective space for journaling life transitions, grief, family complexity, and experiences abroad. This community is for those who write about survival, emotional upheaval, and the slow work of rebuilding one’s life. Longform personal narratives, introspective essays, and memory-based storytelling are welcome.

For my friends who are from afar, or forced away from home, or may become so.

Current Mood: busy

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YES YES YES.

SciShow did a collab with Tom Lum and ESOTERICA and delivered a deep dive into the history of the relationship of chemistry and alchemy and the politicization of the distinction between the two: "In Defense of Alchemy" (2025 Oct 17).

I cannot tell you how much I loved this and what a happy surprise this was. It ties into a whole bunch of other things I passionately want to tell you about that have to do with epistemology, science, and politics (and early music) but I didn't expect to be able to tie chemistry/alchemy in to it because I had neither the chops nor the time to do so. But now, some one else has done this valuable work and tied it all up with a bow for me. I'm thrilled.

Please enjoy: 45 transfiguring minutes about the history of alchemy and chemistry and what you were probably told about it and how it is wrong.

Watch on YouTube

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I have been dealing with some health stuff. I recently got a somewhat heavy medical diagnosis. It's nothing life-threatening, and of yet I have only had the mildest of symptoms, and seem to be responding well to treatment, but it's a bummer. My new specialist seems to be fantastic, so that's good.

Meanwhile, I have also finally started having a medical problem I've been anticipating ever since my back went wonky three years ago: my wrists have finally started crapping out. Because I cannot tolerate sitting for long, I have been using my laptop on a rig that holds it over me on my bed. But this means I haven't been using my ergonomic keyboard because it's not compatible with this rig. I'm honestly surprised it's taken this long for my wrists to burst into flames again, but HTML and other coding has always been harder on my arms than simple text, and the research and writing I've been doing on Latin American geopolitics has been a lot of that. And while I can use dictation for text*, it's useless for HTML or anything that involves a lot of cut-and-paste. Consequently, I've gotten really behind on all my writing, both here and my clinical notes.

So I ordered a NocFree split wireless keyboard in hopes that it will be gentler on my arms. It arrived last night, and I have been relearning how to touch type, only with my arms at my side and absolutely not being able to see the keyboard.

You would not believe how long it took me to type this, but it's all slowly coming back. Also, I feel the need to share: I'm doing this in emacs. Which feels like a bit of a high wire act, because errors involving meta keys could, I dunno, reformat my hard drive or crash the electrical grid.

Here's hoping I get the hang of this before I break the backspace key from overuse or accidentally launch a preemptive nuclear strike on Russia.

* If, you know, I don't too dearly value my sanity.

Tags:

health,
me

Today we visited the Charleston Food Forest, Coles County Community Garden, and Lake Charleston. These are the lake pictures, thus meeting my fall goal for birdwatching / leafpeeping. (Begin with the food forest, community garden.)

( Walk with me ... )

Current Mood: accomplished

Tags:

Today we visited the Charleston Food Forest, Coles County Community Garden, and Lake Charleston. These are the community garden pictures. (Begin with the food forest. Continue with the lake.)

( Walk with me ... )

Current Mood: busy

Tags:

Today we visited the Charleston Food Forest, Coles County Community Garden, and Lake Charleston. These are the food forest pictures. What started out as a beautiful fall day, sunny and cool, clouded over by the time we got out of the house. So the lighting isn't great, but at least the pictures look okay. (Continue with the community garden and the lake.)

( Walk with me ... )

Current Mood: accomplished

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Engineers built a drifting wheelchair for an injured colleague.

Given how crappy the official medical equipment is, and how expensive, I'm delighted to see people making adaptive equipment on their own.

Current Mood: busy

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An Off Day
By Dialecticdreamer/Sarah Williams
Part 1 of 1, complete
Word count (story only): 2184
[December 2016]

:: Elisabeth Finn has many things to accomplish, but her body just isn’t cooperating. Several people offer subtle (and not so subtle) assistance. Written for the October of 2025 Feathering the Nest event, prompted by

callibr8, and posted for everyone to enjoy, with my deepest thanks. Part of the Finn Family and the Mercedes story arcs in the Polychrome Heroics universe. ::

Doctor Elisabeth Finn peeled her eyes open slowly, feeling sticky gunk clinging to each eyelash as they separated. When her eyes focused, or tried to, her temples began to pound. Scraps of light slipping over the top of the drawn curtains in the bedroom stung her eyes like frosty wind.

One hand flopped to cover her eyes as she groaned. Then, the existence of daylight registered in her sluggish brain and she pushed the quilt off of her body.

The air in the warm room slammed into her and gooseflesh rose instantly, even on the tops of her feet and the skin on her elbows. Elisabeth groaned.
( Read more... )

Current Mood: weird

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Common pesticides may cause testicular damage and lower sperm counts

Widespread farm pesticides may be quietly undermining male reproductive health.

A decade-long review by George Mason University researchers reveals growing evidence that neonicotinoid insecticides—the world’s most widely used class of pesticides—may harm male reproductive health. The findings, based on 21 animal studies, show consistent links between exposure and reduced sperm quality, hormonal disruption, and testicular damage.

This will be useful to people seeking to ban or limit harmful pesticides. Perpetrators may not care about the environment or other humans, but they almost certainly care about their own virility. Similarly victims who are lethargic about other health threats may rally over this one.

Current Mood: busy

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Today is sunny and cool, a beautiful fall day.

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

I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 11/8/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

EDIT 11/8/25 -- I did more work around the patio.

EDIT 11/8/25 -- I did more work around the patio.

EDIT 11/8/25 -- We went to the Charleston Food Forest and Coles County Community Garden, where I gathered more seeds.

We also stopped by Lake Charleston in search of migratory birds, which was largely a bust. :/

EDIT 11/8/25 -- I did more work around the patio.

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

Current Mood: busy

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Things have gone well so far. Opening Ceremonies were fun and Tim did a great job as Toastmaster.

Time to go to bed now. :)

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People have expressed interest in deep topics, so this list focuses on philosophical questions.

Is hierarchy necessary for all successful human communities?

No. It's just easier. Humans seem inclined to prefer having leadership. Egalitarian communities exist, but they tend to take more work to create and maintain.

Current Mood: busy

Tags:

recurring posts

The first orange came off the tree: small, and not entirely ripe-looking, probably propelled by some critter. So I pulled off the one fat, split orange I'd noticed, cut out the mouldy bit at the bottom, and will add both of them to my breakfast tomorrow. Looking back, I see the first ones came down on almost exactly the same date last year.

Today we made a smoothie with:

1 cup strawberry apple cider
1 cup Brown Cow vanilla yogurt
1 banana
1/2 cup frozen strawberries
1/2 cup ice

The result is bright pink and on the thin side, with a nice fruity flavor. We used strawberry apple cider from Grissom Orchard -- they have a few different flavors, all good. It's at least the second time we've made this, but I forgot to write it down earlier.

Current Mood: accomplished

Tags:

food,
recipe

This poem is spillover from the November 4, 2025 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired and sponsored by

librarygeek. It also fills the "I didn't want power. All I wanted was control. Over my life." square in my 11-1-25 card for the Fairy Tales and Fantasy Stories Bingo fest.

Warning: This poem contains intense and controversial topics. Highlight to read the more detailed notes, some of which are spoilers. It includes a ritual for justice with violent ends, ominous mythical figures, a bad leader, reference to sexual assault, reference to abuse under color of authority, treachery, and other challenges. If these are touchy topics for you, please consider your tastes and headspace before reading onward.

( Read more... )

Current Mood: busy

Tags:

Over Dessert
By Dialecticdreamer/Sarah Williams
Part 1 of 1, complete
Word count (story only): 1265
[Sunday, May 10, 2020, early evening]]

:: Liana and Beverly are offered dessert, and the conversation eases the tension a bit more, fortunately. Part of the Edison’s Mirror universe. ::

Back to Another Idea
To the Edison's Mirror Index
On to

Aidan lifted Beverly’s empty glass. “Would you like some more? Or perhaps a serving of the berry crumble that Vic made for dessert? I adore reheating things in the microwave, it’s almost less work for me than walking to the kitchen.”

Liana brightened. “That sounds good!” She turned a guilty glance to Beverly. “Is it okay?”

“Of course it is,” the older woman assured. “I’d like some as well. Could… Could you explain a bit more about how you would annoy Declan, basically by existing?”

Vic snickered. Loudly. “He’s trying to stake a claim on Liana, and following her around like a stalker. The fact that I’ve been seen with her--male, about her age-- Well, that makes me a massive threat to his ‘approach’. Ed’s too young, and Aidan’s too old, but hanging out with them is a legitimate reason for me to be around her, which will drive Declan up a wall if he’s a classic talker.”
( Read more... )

Current Mood: awake

Tags:

Done Since 2025-11-02

Grand Prairie Friends

D.O.P.-T.

Day Two

Communities

In Defense of Alchemy [sci/chem, hist]

Update, Or: J? Where the hell is the j? [me, heath]

Photos: Lake Charleston

Photos: Coles County Community Garden

Photos: Charleston Food Forest

Activism

An Off Day (part 1 of 1, complete)

Safety

Birdfeeding

Friday

Philosophical Questions: Community

D.O.P.-T.

Today's Smoothie

Poem: "A Clear Path of Freedom"

#41 Over Dessert (part 1 of 1, complete)

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