Dept. of Thankfulness
Nov. 26th, 2025 09:03 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kaffy_rI Am Blessed ...
.. even though I don't believe in blessings on most days ending in y. I have so much good in my life, and so many good people in my life, that some days I can hardly believe that the world has given them to me.
Today in the U.S., a huge number of us celebrate Thanksgiving, and we do it with family gatherings that more than occasionally descend into chaos (both the good and bad kinds), food that generally involves a huge turkey, too much stuffing, too many mashed potatoes or candied yams, probably some green bean casserole and canonical pumpkin pie (I prefer squash pie, but that's me) and innumerable college football games. And although it sounds as if I am mocking all that, I am not. All of this somehow combines to make a good thing.
It's also a day of mourning for members of First Nations and Indigenous Americans, who remember the landing of the Mayflower as the start of a centuries-long genocide, complete with theft of land, broken promises, broken families, and loss of culture. I don't want to write about my thankfulness, without acknowledging that the stories we learned in elementary school about The First Thanksgiving were so wrong as to be evil. I hope that those nations and tribes can find some glimmer of thankfulness in this day. God knows you deserve more than a little.
Moar importantly, I am grateful for the friends I have in Chicago and Canada, and everywhere else. You are so loved by me.
Finally, I am grateful to all of you here on Dreamwidth - whether you celebrated Thanksgiving last month up in Canada, down here across the U.S. or never at all in Europe, Australia, Africa, Asia, and everywhere else across the world. You have made my life infinitely more rich, more full of conversation, laughter, intent thought and completely spectacular funniness.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
.. even though I don't believe in blessings on most days ending in y. I have so much good in my life, and so many good people in my life, that some days I can hardly believe that the world has given them to me.
Today in the U.S., a huge number of us celebrate Thanksgiving, and we do it with family gatherings that more than occasionally descend into chaos (both the good and bad kinds), food that generally involves a huge turkey, too much stuffing, too many mashed potatoes or candied yams, probably some green bean casserole and canonical pumpkin pie (I prefer squash pie, but that's me) and innumerable college football games. And although it sounds as if I am mocking all that, I am not. All of this somehow combines to make a good thing.
It's also a day of mourning for members of First Nations and Indigenous Americans, who remember the landing of the Mayflower as the start of a centuries-long genocide, complete with theft of land, broken promises, broken families, and loss of culture. I don't want to write about my thankfulness, without acknowledging that the stories we learned in elementary school about The First Thanksgiving were so wrong as to be evil. I hope that those nations and tribes can find some glimmer of thankfulness in this day. God knows you deserve more than a little.
Moar importantly, I am grateful for the friends I have in Chicago and Canada, and everywhere else. You are so loved by me.
Finally, I am grateful to all of you here on Dreamwidth - whether you celebrated Thanksgiving last month up in Canada, down here across the U.S. or never at all in Europe, Australia, Africa, Asia, and everywhere else across the world. You have made my life infinitely more rich, more full of conversation, laughter, intent thought and completely spectacular funniness.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Happy Wanksgiving!
Nov. 27th, 2025 11:04 ampetraI posted 10 drabbles to the Wanksgiving fest, which is currently anonymous. If you didn't get me to write for you, and you spot something in there that you think was me, leave me a comment with an "I think you wrote this!" and a request and I will follow up with you when I am not mid-giving-thanks.
2025.11.27
Nov. 27th, 2025 07:31 amlsandersonAnd with tomorrow’s [today's] menu at the top of mind, did you know that Minnesota produces more turkeys than any other state? WCCO shares how we got there. Via MinnPost
https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/minnesota-turkey-production-thanksgiving/
Speaking of turkeys, it's Turkey Day here in the USA. Happy Thanksgiving.
How to be a good party host (or guest)
From picking your guests (always add a random) and your outfit, to coping with drunks and nudity, this is what you need to know
Zoe Williams
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/nov/26/how-to-be-a-good-party-host-or-guest
‘Stay tuned’: new Anne Rice film could foretell release of unpublished work by late author
Documentary series of Interview with the Vampire writer available to stream with potential for further releases
Ramon Antonio Vargas in New Orleans
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/nov/27/anne-rice-author-anthology
Netflix crashes within minutes of releasing Stranger Things series five
Viewers unable to watch episodes of long-awaited final series on TV when the streaming service briefly froze
Rachel Hall
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/nov/27/netflix-crashes-stranger-things-series-five
Review
Stranger Things season five review – this luxurious final run will have you standing on a chair, yelling with joy
The kids growing up might have changed this show’s appeal, but they manage to go out in a flame-throwing, bullet-dodging blaze of glory – while still being more moving than ever before
Jack Seale
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/nov/27/stranger-things-final-season-five-review-netflix
‘We like it a lot’: how Romania created the largest deposit return scheme in the world
In the two years since the system was launched, beverage-packaging collection and recycling has risen to 94%
By Andrei Popoviciu in Bucharest, Romania
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/nov/27/we-like-it-a-lot-how-romania-created-the-largest-deposit-return-scheme-in-the-world
‘I didn’t even know this type of attack existed’: more than 200 women allege drugging by senior French civil servant
In a case echoing the Pelicot trial, dozens of women allege they were given hot drinks mixed with a diuretic to make them urinate. Three of them speak out here
Angelique Chrisafis in Paris
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/nov/26/women-allege-drugging-by-senior-french-civil-servant
'Extraordinary discovery' at Orkney Neolithic site
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c7836wvx4q4o
Novel scientific method proves pit circle near Stonehenge was man-made, say researchers
Archaeologists use multiple types of geophysics equipment to analyse ‘extraordinary structure’
Steven Morris
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2025/nov/27/novel-scientific-method-proves-pit-circle-near-stonehenge-was-man-made-say-researchers
Scottish fashion designer Pam Hogg dies
Steven McIntosh
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm28v743mpyo
From Paul Krugman: https://youtu.be/tJE3KDxTbWI?si=vKYHnCMiS0nDelby
https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/minnesota-turkey-production-thanksgiving/
Speaking of turkeys, it's Turkey Day here in the USA. Happy Thanksgiving.
How to be a good party host (or guest)
From picking your guests (always add a random) and your outfit, to coping with drunks and nudity, this is what you need to know
Zoe Williams
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/nov/26/how-to-be-a-good-party-host-or-guest
‘Stay tuned’: new Anne Rice film could foretell release of unpublished work by late author
Documentary series of Interview with the Vampire writer available to stream with potential for further releases
Ramon Antonio Vargas in New Orleans
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/nov/27/anne-rice-author-anthology
Netflix crashes within minutes of releasing Stranger Things series five
Viewers unable to watch episodes of long-awaited final series on TV when the streaming service briefly froze
Rachel Hall
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/nov/27/netflix-crashes-stranger-things-series-five
Review
Stranger Things season five review – this luxurious final run will have you standing on a chair, yelling with joy
The kids growing up might have changed this show’s appeal, but they manage to go out in a flame-throwing, bullet-dodging blaze of glory – while still being more moving than ever before
Jack Seale
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/nov/27/stranger-things-final-season-five-review-netflix
‘We like it a lot’: how Romania created the largest deposit return scheme in the world
In the two years since the system was launched, beverage-packaging collection and recycling has risen to 94%
By Andrei Popoviciu in Bucharest, Romania
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/nov/27/we-like-it-a-lot-how-romania-created-the-largest-deposit-return-scheme-in-the-world
‘I didn’t even know this type of attack existed’: more than 200 women allege drugging by senior French civil servant
In a case echoing the Pelicot trial, dozens of women allege they were given hot drinks mixed with a diuretic to make them urinate. Three of them speak out here
Angelique Chrisafis in Paris
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/nov/26/women-allege-drugging-by-senior-french-civil-servant
'Extraordinary discovery' at Orkney Neolithic site
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c7836wvx4q4o
Novel scientific method proves pit circle near Stonehenge was man-made, say researchers
Archaeologists use multiple types of geophysics equipment to analyse ‘extraordinary structure’
Steven Morris
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2025/nov/27/novel-scientific-method-proves-pit-circle-near-stonehenge-was-man-made-say-researchers
Scottish fashion designer Pam Hogg dies
Steven McIntosh
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm28v743mpyo
From Paul Krugman: https://youtu.be/tJE3KDxTbWI?si=vKYHnCMiS0nDelby
This is what I get for being civilized
Nov. 27th, 2025 09:44 amsovayDespite my best intentions of routine insomnia, I was awake too late because I fell into a 1990 BBC Radio 3 production of Michael Frayn's Benefactors (1984) which I had never read and barely heard of and if I had a nickel for every play by Michael Frayn which dips in and out of the fourth wall of the timestream as its characters post-mortem what went wrong in the complicated spaces between them all those years ago, I still wouldn't be able to afford a cup of coffee at these prices even if I could drink it, but since I've seen two productions of Copenhagen (1998) and heard a third, I still think it's funny. Benefactors is harder-edged as its Brutalist architecture, more pitilessly patterned, still a memory play of arguments without answers, still the lacuna of human actions radiating at its heart. "But then you look up on a clear night and you'll see there's only a dusting of light in all creation. It's a dark universe." If I have to be thankful for something at this miserable moment of history, the accessibility of art is a strong contender. Also cats.
2025/189: Breed to Come — Andre Norton
Nov. 27th, 2025 07:33 amtamaranth2025/189: Breed to Come — Andre Norton
There had always been Puttis -- round and soft, made for children. She had kept hers because it was the last thing her mother had made... Puttis were four-legged and tailed. Their heads were round, with shining eyes made of buttons or beads, upstanding ears, whiskers above the small mouth. Puttis were loved, played with, adored in the child world; their origin was those brought by children on the First Ships. [loc. 2219]
This was the first science fiction book I remember reading, from Rochford Library, probably pre-1975. I don't think I've read it since, though I did briefly own a paperback copy. Apparently the blurbs of newer editions mention 'university complex' and 'epidemic virus': aged <10, I was hooked by the cat on the front.
( Read more... )
Today's Cooking
Nov. 26th, 2025 11:43 pmysabetwordsmithToday I'm baking cinnamon cookies using a crushed cinnamon candy cane and the Candy Cane Cookies recipe (which works with any flavor).
EDIT 11/26/25 -- These turned out well, with a definite cinnamon flavor. \o/
EDIT 11/26/25 -- These turned out well, with a definite cinnamon flavor. \o/
![[syndicated profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/feed.png){kind=small}
Only two emotions.
Nov. 26th, 2025 09:54 pmhannahIt's my dad's birthday this Friday. It's my family's plan to have a small get-together about it. It's been my family's plan to do it in Brooklyn with bagels and cake. It's the assumption I'll make the cake. I'm good with making the cake. I'm happy with making the cake. I'm unhappy with being told I'd make the cake without being told I was invited to the get-together. That the invitation was implicit was lost on me. Nobody told me I was invited until I was told there was an expectation I'd provide a cake.
I'm going on a hike with my parents tomorrow, and having dinner alone with them on Friday. I'm presently on the fence about a Saturday get together on the grounds that I really don't know how I'll feel about spending three consecutive days with them. I know if I don't tell them that with those specific words, in more or less that specific way, there won't be any effect on their behavior. I know that and I'm also wondering about staying quiet and observing what they say and how they act in regards to my presence as a litmus test they're not aware of. I'm fairly certain that'd backfire just as much as telling them I want to feel comfortable around them. I might go with the "not saying anything until I have no choice" strategy, or I might go with the "talk about it with someone on Friday to get my feelings out" strategy. I worry I'll have to buy more bourbon and rum in any case.
I'm going on a hike with my parents tomorrow, and having dinner alone with them on Friday. I'm presently on the fence about a Saturday get together on the grounds that I really don't know how I'll feel about spending three consecutive days with them. I know if I don't tell them that with those specific words, in more or less that specific way, there won't be any effect on their behavior. I know that and I'm also wondering about staying quiet and observing what they say and how they act in regards to my presence as a litmus test they're not aware of. I'm fairly certain that'd backfire just as much as telling them I want to feel comfortable around them. I might go with the "not saying anything until I have no choice" strategy, or I might go with the "talk about it with someone on Friday to get my feelings out" strategy. I worry I'll have to buy more bourbon and rum in any case.
Project Döstädning: Music Edition
Nov. 27th, 2025 11:45 amtcpipIn recent days, I have been engaging in my personal Project Döstädning, literally "Death Cleaning" in Swedish. Whilst the original concept is that a person should sort out and minimise their belongings in the event of their death so others don't have to sift through everything, it does have a number of broader applications. It fits with the principle of one should keep in their possessions the things that they will use, along with mementoes of their life experience, all matching a short presentation I gave to the Melbourne Agnostics Society about five years ago, "The Continuum of Needs and Wants". Because disaster can strike at any time, it is recommended that everyone, regardless of health or age, invest in the process. In a more advanced sense, Döstädning also applies to emotional content, relationships, and ultimately is very close to the Stoic principle of "memento mori".
In the past year, I have engaged in several actions on this theme. Earlier this year, I sold off three bookcases' worth of roleplaying games and raised around $15000 for the Isla Bell Charitable Fund. I have also gifted a similar-sized collection of books, initially according to academic requirements (and with a sense of motivating concern), but more recently with a more open-ended approach, and one which will have to be revisited again (I still have thousands of books). In the past week, I've taken a similar approach with my collection of LPs and CDS. Whilst I am not a music collector or librarian, over the many years I've been a reviewer for a variety of physical and online 'zines and, as an enthusiastic attendee and listener, I have ended up with a rather large and eclectic collection, and much of it can be passed on to those who are more likely to use it. Following on from my recent Lightbringers post ("The Phenomenology of Nostalgia and Record Players"), from my collection I have earmarked over 300LPs to give away, and almost 600CDs.
Rather than provide a list of everything that's available (I haven't had the time to type that out), it would be far quicker for people to simply drop me a line about what sort of material they're interested in, and we can take the arrangements for collection from there. With the music part of Project Döstädning reaching this initial stage, the next targets on the agenda are DVDs and that curious collection of oddities that makes up my wardrobe. But with regards to music, books, etc., at my next linner-soiree planned for January, I'll be encouraging attendees to gather and take whatever interests them. After that, the rest goes to charity stores. It's all about redistributing my things to those who can best use them, all whilst preparing myself for one of the most substantial changes in my own life.
In the past year, I have engaged in several actions on this theme. Earlier this year, I sold off three bookcases' worth of roleplaying games and raised around $15000 for the Isla Bell Charitable Fund. I have also gifted a similar-sized collection of books, initially according to academic requirements (and with a sense of motivating concern), but more recently with a more open-ended approach, and one which will have to be revisited again (I still have thousands of books). In the past week, I've taken a similar approach with my collection of LPs and CDS. Whilst I am not a music collector or librarian, over the many years I've been a reviewer for a variety of physical and online 'zines and, as an enthusiastic attendee and listener, I have ended up with a rather large and eclectic collection, and much of it can be passed on to those who are more likely to use it. Following on from my recent Lightbringers post ("The Phenomenology of Nostalgia and Record Players"), from my collection I have earmarked over 300LPs to give away, and almost 600CDs.
Rather than provide a list of everything that's available (I haven't had the time to type that out), it would be far quicker for people to simply drop me a line about what sort of material they're interested in, and we can take the arrangements for collection from there. With the music part of Project Döstädning reaching this initial stage, the next targets on the agenda are DVDs and that curious collection of oddities that makes up my wardrobe. But with regards to music, books, etc., at my next linner-soiree planned for January, I'll be encouraging attendees to gather and take whatever interests them. After that, the rest goes to charity stores. It's all about redistributing my things to those who can best use them, all whilst preparing myself for one of the most substantial changes in my own life.
Of course I can't stay away from volunteering for long...
Nov. 26th, 2025 11:47 pmcosmolinguistAbout 48 hours after stepping down from my previous volunteer position, I've as-formally-as-I'm-going-to taken up a new one.
The queer club I've written about a bunch, where I've made friends and felt part of a community again in a way that was so desperately needed and so good for me after The Other Events of March 2020, had been run by two people out of the goodness of their heart and very little else about two and a half years ago. It was only this summer that they started saying it'd be nice to have a little group of people to help do things like arrive early, set up the room we rent in the community center and stuff like that, and in the last few months a dozen or so of us have done various things (someone procures tea and biscuits, someone knows the code to get in, I am good at setting out tables and chairs and stacking them away again neatly at the end of the evening...)
It's reached the point where our two original organizers want to step back entirely from running things and just be regular attendees of the club, and a handful of us have offered to do that. So tonight those two and four of us had a video meeting for them to share the details of how to book the room, what the password is for the e-mail account, one of us taking over looking after the money, all that kind of stuff. Also when is the Christmas party going to be.
Of course I took notes and of course I tidied them up and circulated them immediately after the meeting.
For all I adore the two founders, I don't begrudge them their break before they can come back and make use of their projects and ideas because they don't have to run up every month and look after all the admin and stuff.
I love the vibe of this, everyone's happy to pitch in. At the Christmas party someone's going to teach us BSL "We Wish You A Merry Christmas" and we're going to wear cozy cardigans and have home-baked treats and maybe mulled apple cider [USian meaning of the word, it's a sober space too which is also great]. Onward and upward, queer club!
End of an era
Nov. 25th, 2025 11:23 pmcosmolinguistI was so busy talking about other things yesterday that I entirely missed something I wanted to say.
It's been something like three and a half years...yes I just went and checked, March 2022, I know it wasn't long before I got offered the job I now have (which was May of that year) because it was important that I was still so-underemployed-I-basically-unemployed, pretty much working as a favor to the friends I was working for, and really struggling with job hunting and interviews.
That chance meeting with someone who I got along with so well and who was so complimentary to me meant so much.
Things quickly got complicated and then the rest of my life got more complicated -- I remember having phone calls about the CEO recruitment while I was in Bournemouth for the work conference that I basically abandoned halfway through to deal with the ticket office closure campaign, still the biggest thing I've dealt with at work, and I'd been there barely a year at the time.
I did present at the board and staff away day that summer about EDI; amid people who could really do finance and governance and stuff I felt like such a lightweight with my focus on inclusivity and lived experience and all that, but everyone was supportive and flattering about absolutely everything that I did as a member of that board of trustees. I learned a hell of a lot -- including getting my first experience of being on the other side of a job interview, so soon after I was lambasting them, which was really interesting and did end up useful at work where I've been part of a few recruiting processes since.
Around the new year, with the sad loss of Gary and the impending Trump doom and the potential to lose my job or face a much-changed workplace and my grandma in hospice care, I reached a point where something had to give and it turned out to be this. I e-mailed the new CEO and said I thought I'd have to step down. She was very kind and said that if I could hang on until the end of my term, which them understanding my reduced capacity, it'd make various things easier for them. Since this meant probably no more than attending a few online meetings and the occasional e-mail, I said I was happy to give it a try. I did make an attempt to meet them on this summer's away day, as I was in London that day anyway for work, but it didn't end up happening and that was fine.
Monday was the AGM at which I and the long-time treasurer stepped down: our terms had ended, his job was more demanding now, and I was sad to go but feeling sufficiently battered by the year that I know I made the right decision; I already feel bad that I wasn't able to give this more time and attention in 2025. The outgoing treasurer said his little piece and left the Teams meeting, and then I quickly burbled something about how much this has meant to me, how much I appreciated having been brought in (sadly the person who did so has not been able to be part of the organisation for some time themselves, so they were not able to hear me say this) and how much of a difference it had made to my
They also got me a free Audible credit as a leaving present, which is a perfect gift for me in that I like audiobooks, maybe not enough to faff around setting up an Amazon account (I had shared Andrew's, back in the day, so already lost access to years of Audible subscription that way, sigh), but the thought really does count. When I wrote back to the CEO to thank her/everyone for it, she replied not only being gracious about that but also saying "I was touched by what you said about the impact for you of becoming a trustee and wondered if you might be willing to write a paragraph that we might use when we’re recruiting trustees again or for our Trustees report? It would be great to capture as a quote if that’s possible?"
Yeah, I am very happy to write them a paragraph. Least I can do.
Purrcy; Turkey Day
Nov. 26th, 2025 05:26 pmmecurtinPurrcy looks very *intent* but not necessarily *intelligent* because ... there was a MOTH! Flying much too high for him to even try grabbing, but a riveting prey item nonetheless. This was from a few weeks ago.
Turkey day is upon us!
E&P drove down from Boston yesterday during the day yesterday, though the last part had to be in the dark because the traffic got so heavy from Danbury on, and it was raining.
I'm feeling really good about having surrendered the spatula, because the fact is I'm going through a period where I'm in pain a lot. I guess I haven't mentioned this before, but in the past month or so I've developed tendonitis in my left shoulder, the one that works the cane, and also the one that controls the mouse--because I've got such long-standing pain and weakness in the *right* hand.
The pain often (usually?) wakes me up after not-quite-enough sleep, and it really drags me down.elayna just mentioned Essentrics, which I can stream on NJ-PBS, and I'm going to try doing that 3 times a week and see if it helps. Otherwise I feel as though I'm gradually accumulating chronic pain vampires that are gradually sapping my ability to function. And I've got to find a way to beat them back other than "lie in bed for hours a day, under a heating blanket & cat, reading".
Menu this year, as last:
- roast spatchcocked chicken, plus turkey legs & thighs
- roasted garlic gravy
- Our Stuffing Recipe™
- roast veg, asst.
- "Indian Pudding"
- Our Cranberry Sauce™
- salad
- pumpkin pie, apple pie, whipped cream
Alas, my brother has a bad cold and won't be joining us. It's not COVID & not the flu, so there's that, but he's too snotty to travel. Since he won't be around I think I won't make turkey gumbo tomorrow, I'll just make stock, do the gumbo on Saturday.
Turkey day is upon us!
E&P drove down from Boston yesterday during the day yesterday, though the last part had to be in the dark because the traffic got so heavy from Danbury on, and it was raining.
I'm feeling really good about having surrendered the spatula, because the fact is I'm going through a period where I'm in pain a lot. I guess I haven't mentioned this before, but in the past month or so I've developed tendonitis in my left shoulder, the one that works the cane, and also the one that controls the mouse--because I've got such long-standing pain and weakness in the *right* hand.
The pain often (usually?) wakes me up after not-quite-enough sleep, and it really drags me down.
elayna just mentioned Essentrics, which I can stream on NJ-PBS, and I'm going to try doing that 3 times a week and see if it helps. Otherwise I feel as though I'm gradually accumulating chronic pain vampires that are gradually sapping my ability to function. And I've got to find a way to beat them back other than "lie in bed for hours a day, under a heating blanket & cat, reading".Menu this year, as last:
- roast spatchcocked chicken, plus turkey legs & thighs
- roasted garlic gravy
- Our Stuffing Recipe™
- roast veg, asst.
- "Indian Pudding"
- Our Cranberry Sauce™
- salad
- pumpkin pie, apple pie, whipped cream
Alas, my brother has a bad cold and won't be joining us. It's not COVID & not the flu, so there's that, but he's too snotty to travel. Since he won't be around I think I won't make turkey gumbo tomorrow, I'll just make stock, do the gumbo on Saturday.
Food
Nov. 26th, 2025 04:11 pmysabetwordsmithArchaeologists uncover a 2,000-year-old crop in the Canary Islands
Millennia-old Canary Island lentils reveal a resilient genetic legacy with major potential for future climate-smart crops.
Scientists decoded DNA from millennia-old lentils preserved in volcanic rock silos on Gran Canaria. The findings show that today’s Canary Island lentils largely descend from varieties brought from North Africa around the 200s. These crops survived cultural upheavals because they were so well-suited to the islands’ harsh climate. Their long-standing resilience could make them valuable for future agriculture.
Lentils in general comprise a climate-resilient crop.
Allow me to recommend our family recipe for Lentil Dal from the Vegetarian Epicure Vol. 2. It is warm, aromatic, delicious comfort food. :D If you like seasoned but not picante food, either skip the tadka (simmering spices in ghee) that goes on the top -- which is what I do, taking my portion before that goes on -- or just omit the peppers from it. If you like food that commands respect, use your favorite hot peppers. This dal is lovely by itself, with rice, or over other things like hot dogs or baked potatoes (anywhere you'd use a chili topping).
Millennia-old Canary Island lentils reveal a resilient genetic legacy with major potential for future climate-smart crops.
Scientists decoded DNA from millennia-old lentils preserved in volcanic rock silos on Gran Canaria. The findings show that today’s Canary Island lentils largely descend from varieties brought from North Africa around the 200s. These crops survived cultural upheavals because they were so well-suited to the islands’ harsh climate. Their long-standing resilience could make them valuable for future agriculture.
Lentils in general comprise a climate-resilient crop.
Allow me to recommend our family recipe for Lentil Dal from the Vegetarian Epicure Vol. 2. It is warm, aromatic, delicious comfort food. :D If you like seasoned but not picante food, either skip the tadka (simmering spices in ghee) that goes on the top -- which is what I do, taking my portion before that goes on -- or just omit the peppers from it. If you like food that commands respect, use your favorite hot peppers. This dal is lovely by itself, with rice, or over other things like hot dogs or baked potatoes (anywhere you'd use a chili topping).
Recently read: 'Enter Sir John' by Clemence Dane and Helen Simpson
Nov. 26th, 2025 08:31 pmjohn_amend_allThis had been on my to-read list for some time. When I read the Detection Club's parody Ask a Policeman I had some knowledge of three of the detectives being parodied — Lord Peter Wimsey, Mrs Bradley and Roger Sheringham, but the fourth, Sir John Saumarez, I'd never heard of before. At the time none of the books featuring him was readily available, but Enter Sir John has been reprinted recently so I thought I'd take a look. (The reprint is of the 1929 US edition, which apparently changes the victim's name compared to the UK version).
So, the plot: A travelling theatre company visits a provincial town. Screams are heard at a boarding house where two of the women are having dinner. When help arrives, one of them is dead, and the other one is promptly arrested, tried and convicted for the murder. Sir John, a noted actor-manager who knows Martella, the convicted actress, decides she is innocent and sets out to clear her name. Whether this inspired the premise of Dorothy L Sayers' Strong Poison or whether it was convergent evolution, I don't know.
Having read it, I think it's not entirely surprising that Sir John didn't have the lasting fame of the other three. He's an entertaining enough character, with the authors not taking him entirely seriously, but a lot of the surrounding cast aren't really fleshed out. And the plot is fairly slight; once Sir John has decided that Martella didn't do it, there aren't that many suspects for who did, so the second half of the book is fairly linear as he builds up his case, extracts a confession from the murderer, and gets Martella's conviction overturned. It's not to say there isn't the odd plot twist, but there's no point at which he has to throw out all his work and start again.
What does stick a little in the mind is the motive. ( spoiler )
And one curiosity. The reprint included a reproduction of the original frontispiece. What caught my attention was that the illustrator appears to have presciently modelled Sir John on Peter Capaldi.
gotta write the verse til you get to the chorus
Nov. 26th, 2025 08:22 pmpensnestDear Becky
No, I don't want you to update my website and maximise my sales. Do you in fact know what my website is for? What exactly it is that I am selling? Didn't think so.
Yours, irritably,
Pen
*
Last night I thought I was incubating—had incubated, indeed—the most horrendous cold. I was miserable! I cancelled this morning's yoga and prepared to battle with Vicks and tissues.
This evening I'm... more or less fine. I do emit an occasional mighty sneeze, and I don't think I can manage any top notes, but otherwise, I'm good. It's nice, but rather baffling.
Spent Sunday at a mixed chorus rehearsal, which was interesting and useful although possibly less fun than I had anticipated. We had a drama chap come to work with us on our performance. He choreographed a number of carefully-thought-out moves, but I had hoped he would work with us on conveying emotions through body language or learning to make our faces work harder for us, or something. Still. It was a useful start on a more disciplined presentation of our song.
Now we just have to remember it all.
*
I think my procrastination skills are faltering a bit, which is just as well as I have a Yuletide story to write and Christmas stuff to organise. I have made a start on the Yuletide thing, which is flowing reasonably well, so far, but it's fairly canon-y at present and I shall flounder far more once I am further adrift. Meanwhile I have also found myself writing a Romance of a not-fannish kind, unless it be a rather remote tribute to Georgette Heyer. Sentences keep forming themselves in my mind when I am trying to go to sleep. So far I have not resorted to phone or notebook to deal with them, as I more or less trust myself to be able to say what I want to say, but argh! Months and months without the ability to write so much as a sentence of fiction, and now, abundance! And I'm sooooo indolent. Sigh.
*
Christmas will be getting under way for me this coming weekend. Well, no, that is not strictly true, of course, I have parcels arriving daily and even went shopping yesterday in Jarrolds Food Hall, always a pleasure. I approve of Norfolk Stuff. And they have a Chocolate Library. Anyway, do sign up for a card from me, on my previous post! I like sending cards out, despite the eyewatering costs of postage.
But this weekend is the chorus concert at the local church, just up the road. It is the traditional start to my chorus's Christmas season, except last year when somebody at the church managed to double book and we ended up not going there. Grump. As mentioned above, I may not be able to hit the high notes, but there are few of these as I only sing Tenor on one song with the women's chorus. (Oddly, I managed an F# on Sunday in brief rehearsal with my quartet, though my voice was feeling the strain at Eb earlier.) I am arming myself with a handful of very short Christmas poems, as I'll probably be doing some of the MC's duties.
*
I seem to have developed an alternative personality for Reddit. Rather more astringent than I am here, where I am myself, and also, rather wittier. Hmm.
Back to the story with the deadline.
No, I don't want you to update my website and maximise my sales. Do you in fact know what my website is for? What exactly it is that I am selling? Didn't think so.
Yours, irritably,
Pen
*
Last night I thought I was incubating—had incubated, indeed—the most horrendous cold. I was miserable! I cancelled this morning's yoga and prepared to battle with Vicks and tissues.
This evening I'm... more or less fine. I do emit an occasional mighty sneeze, and I don't think I can manage any top notes, but otherwise, I'm good. It's nice, but rather baffling.
Spent Sunday at a mixed chorus rehearsal, which was interesting and useful although possibly less fun than I had anticipated. We had a drama chap come to work with us on our performance. He choreographed a number of carefully-thought-out moves, but I had hoped he would work with us on conveying emotions through body language or learning to make our faces work harder for us, or something. Still. It was a useful start on a more disciplined presentation of our song.
Now we just have to remember it all.
*
I think my procrastination skills are faltering a bit, which is just as well as I have a Yuletide story to write and Christmas stuff to organise. I have made a start on the Yuletide thing, which is flowing reasonably well, so far, but it's fairly canon-y at present and I shall flounder far more once I am further adrift. Meanwhile I have also found myself writing a Romance of a not-fannish kind, unless it be a rather remote tribute to Georgette Heyer. Sentences keep forming themselves in my mind when I am trying to go to sleep. So far I have not resorted to phone or notebook to deal with them, as I more or less trust myself to be able to say what I want to say, but argh! Months and months without the ability to write so much as a sentence of fiction, and now, abundance! And I'm sooooo indolent. Sigh.
*
Christmas will be getting under way for me this coming weekend. Well, no, that is not strictly true, of course, I have parcels arriving daily and even went shopping yesterday in Jarrolds Food Hall, always a pleasure. I approve of Norfolk Stuff. And they have a Chocolate Library. Anyway, do sign up for a card from me, on my previous post! I like sending cards out, despite the eyewatering costs of postage.
But this weekend is the chorus concert at the local church, just up the road. It is the traditional start to my chorus's Christmas season, except last year when somebody at the church managed to double book and we ended up not going there. Grump. As mentioned above, I may not be able to hit the high notes, but there are few of these as I only sing Tenor on one song with the women's chorus. (Oddly, I managed an F# on Sunday in brief rehearsal with my quartet, though my voice was feeling the strain at Eb earlier.) I am arming myself with a handful of very short Christmas poems, as I'll probably be doing some of the MC's duties.
*
I seem to have developed an alternative personality for Reddit. Rather more astringent than I am here, where I am myself, and also, rather wittier. Hmm.
Back to the story with the deadline.
Birdfeeding
Nov. 26th, 2025 02:11 pmysabetwordsmithToday is mostly cloudy, windy, and cold.
I fed the birds. I've seen a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 11/26/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
EDIT 11/26/25 -- I did more work around the patio.
EDIT 11/26/25 -- I did more work around the patio.
As it is getting dark, I am done for the night.
I fed the birds. I've seen a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 11/26/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
EDIT 11/26/25 -- I did more work around the patio.
EDIT 11/26/25 -- I did more work around the patio.
As it is getting dark, I am done for the night.
Nonfiction
Nov. 26th, 2025 01:21 pmrivkatMichael Grunwald, We Are Eating the Earth: The thing about land is that they aren’t making any more of it, and although you can make more farmland (for now) from forests, it’s not a good idea. This means that agriculture is hugely important to climate change, but most of the time proposals for, e.g., biofuels or organic farming don’t take into account the costs in farmland. The book explores various things that backfired because of that failed accounting and what might work in the future. Bonus: the audiobook is narrated by Kevin R. Free, the voice of Murderbot, who turns out to be substantially more expressive when condemning habitat destruction.
Tony Magistrale & Michael J. Blouin, King Noir: The Crime Fiction of Stephen King (feat. Stephen King and Charles Ardai): Treads the scholarly/popular line, as the inclusion of a chapter by King and a “dialogue” with Ardai suggest. The book explores King’s noir-ish work like Joyland, but also considers his horror protagonists as hardboiled detectives, trying to find out why bad things happen (and, in King’s own words, often finding the noirish answer “Because they can.”). I especially liked the reading of Wendy Torrance as a more successful detective than her husband Jack. Richard Bachman shows up as the dark side of King’s optimism (I would have given more attention to the short stories—they’re also mostly from the Bachman era and those often are quite bleak). And the conclusion interestingly explores the near-absence of the (living) big city and the femme fatale—two noir staples—from King’s work, part of a general refusal of fluidity.
Gerardo Con Diaz, Everyone Breaks These Laws: How Copyrights Made the Online World: This book is literally not for me because I live and breathe copyright law and it is a tour through the law of copyright & the internet that is aimed at an intelligent nonlawyer. Although I didn’t learn much, I appreciated lines like “Back then, all my porn was illegally obtained, and it definitely constituted copyright infringement.” The focus is on court cases and the arguments behind them, so the contributions of “user generated content” and, notably, fanworks to the ecosystem don’t get a mention.
Stephanie Burt, Taylor’s Version: The Poetic and Musical Genius of Taylor Swift: ( longer )
Kyla Sommers, When the Smoke Cleared: The 1968 Rebellions and the Unfinished Battle for Civil Rights in the Nation’s Capital: Extensive account of the lead-up to, experience of, and consequences of the 1968 riots after MLK Jr.’s assassination. There was some interesting stuff about Stokely Carmichael, who (reportedly) told people to go home during the riots because they didn’t have enough guns to win. (Later: “According to the FBI, Carmichael held up a gun and declared ‘tonight bring your gun, don’t loot, shoot.’ The Washington Post, however, reported Carmichael held up a gun and said, ‘Stay off the streets if you don’t have a gun because there’s going to be shooting.’”) Congress did not allow DC to control its own political fate, and that shaped how things happened, including the limited success of citizens’ attempts to direct development and get more control over the police, but ultimately DC was caught up in the larger right-wing backlash that was willing to invest in prisons but not in sustained economic opportunity. Reading it now, I was struct by the fact that—even without riots, fires, or other large-scale destruction—white people who don’t live in the area are still calling for military occupation because they don’t feel safe. So maybe the riots weren’t as causal as they are considered.
Tony Magistrale & Michael J. Blouin, King Noir: The Crime Fiction of Stephen King (feat. Stephen King and Charles Ardai): Treads the scholarly/popular line, as the inclusion of a chapter by King and a “dialogue” with Ardai suggest. The book explores King’s noir-ish work like Joyland, but also considers his horror protagonists as hardboiled detectives, trying to find out why bad things happen (and, in King’s own words, often finding the noirish answer “Because they can.”). I especially liked the reading of Wendy Torrance as a more successful detective than her husband Jack. Richard Bachman shows up as the dark side of King’s optimism (I would have given more attention to the short stories—they’re also mostly from the Bachman era and those often are quite bleak). And the conclusion interestingly explores the near-absence of the (living) big city and the femme fatale—two noir staples—from King’s work, part of a general refusal of fluidity.
Gerardo Con Diaz, Everyone Breaks These Laws: How Copyrights Made the Online World: This book is literally not for me because I live and breathe copyright law and it is a tour through the law of copyright & the internet that is aimed at an intelligent nonlawyer. Although I didn’t learn much, I appreciated lines like “Back then, all my porn was illegally obtained, and it definitely constituted copyright infringement.” The focus is on court cases and the arguments behind them, so the contributions of “user generated content” and, notably, fanworks to the ecosystem don’t get a mention.
Stephanie Burt, Taylor’s Version: The Poetic and Musical Genius of Taylor Swift: ( longer )
Kyla Sommers, When the Smoke Cleared: The 1968 Rebellions and the Unfinished Battle for Civil Rights in the Nation’s Capital: Extensive account of the lead-up to, experience of, and consequences of the 1968 riots after MLK Jr.’s assassination. There was some interesting stuff about Stokely Carmichael, who (reportedly) told people to go home during the riots because they didn’t have enough guns to win. (Later: “According to the FBI, Carmichael held up a gun and declared ‘tonight bring your gun, don’t loot, shoot.’ The Washington Post, however, reported Carmichael held up a gun and said, ‘Stay off the streets if you don’t have a gun because there’s going to be shooting.’”) Congress did not allow DC to control its own political fate, and that shaped how things happened, including the limited success of citizens’ attempts to direct development and get more control over the police, but ultimately DC was caught up in the larger right-wing backlash that was willing to invest in prisons but not in sustained economic opportunity. Reading it now, I was struct by the fact that—even without riots, fires, or other large-scale destruction—white people who don’t live in the area are still calling for military occupation because they don’t feel safe. So maybe the riots weren’t as causal as they are considered.