vivdunstan

My brother's family is out of state for Thanksgiving, so my parents and I didn't really plan anything big. My dad ultimately made reservations for us at a hotel restaurant to eat at their Thanksgiving buffet, and it was pretty darn good; I ate enough to fill me up, but managed not to make myself sick, so I'm taking the win!

I also made sure to leave a thank-you card for the staff; while normally I figure that's the least I can do for someone whose work I'm taking advantage of on a federal holiday, today it came with an extra observation: I noticed that a lot of the attendees were elderly and/or disabled, which makes me actually appreciate the existence of Thanksgiving dining-out opportunities. It's probably pretty damn hard to make a Thanksgiving meal by yourself if you've got a twisted ankle or are over eighty years old! So, while I'd written the card ahead of time and didn't really have room to write more, it may be something I include if we do this again: A specific thank-you to the workers involved for making it so some people are able to have a nice Thanksgiving meal, without inadvertently harming themselves. An important lesson for me to remember.

All that aside, one of my favorite things about Thanksgiving is the leftovers! And since we didn't make our own Thanksgiving meal, we have nothing left over. So I took it upon myself to make a double-batch each of green bean casserole and stuffing. (Also because Dad has been accumulating stuffing kits for months now, and if we don't make it for Thanksgiving, when the hell is any of us going to make it, huh? I didn't want there to still be four boxes of Stovetop stuffing plus two bags of some other more complicated to make brand of stuffing in the cupboard come Christmas, dammit!) And now there's plenty of leftovers of each for us to graze on over the next few days ✌

Current Mood: full

maevedarcy posting in

fandomcalendar

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ysabetwordsmith

What are you thankful for?

Buffy characters with caption "It's a ritual sacrifice with pie."

For Thanksgiving recipes, see the Cuddle Party post.

Current Mood: grateful

ysabetwordsmith

Today is mostly sunny and cool.

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

I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 11/27/25 -- I filled a trolley with cut berry canes and dumped it in the firepit.

EDIT 11/27/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

EDIT 11/27/25 -- I did more work around the patio.

.

Current Mood: busy

runpunkrun posting in

gluten_free

A kind benefactor has given us a year of paid time here at

gluten_free, which, among other things, gives us the ability to search the entire comm, including comments, which I use all the time. Thank you!

I hope everyone is having a lovely day, especially those of us in the U.S. where it is Thanksgiving. I just took my gluten-free dairy-free pumpkin pie bars out of the oven and they're cooling in the microwave where the kitten can't get at them.

If you have a second, or more than one, come share your Thanksgiving menu or a favorite fall dish in the comments!

senmut

AO3 Link | Ladies to the Rescue (150 words) by Merfilly
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: X-Men [Comics]
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Rogue [X-Men], Jubilation Lee | Jubilee, Katherine Anne "Kitty" Pryde, Laura Kinney, James "Logan" Howlett | Wolverine
Additional Tags: Drabble and a Half
Summary:

Wolvie needs a rescue

Rogue looked away as Jubilee set off a light show in the dark of the power going out. Kitty had definitely delivered on that, and everyone they were facing was dazzled. They had waited just long enough for the night vision goggles to go on, after all.

Rogue let loose, drawing all attention to herself, letting Kitty have time to get back — and their fourth member to sniff out where the man they'd come for actually was.

No one had to guess when X-23 found him, as father and daughter cut a path back to this point.

"You look like hell, sugah," Rogue called to her long-time friend.

"You look like the cavalry," he said, before shorting out the one robotic enemy with a well-placed claw-punch.

"Time to exit!" Jubilee called out, and while the few standing tried to stop them, they were no match for Wolvie and his girls.

calimac

I suppose I should feel thankful for this outcome. Instead, it's just irritating.

Wednesday afternoon I came home from a long series of errands and took out my wallet to balance my sales receipts against my bank statement which had just come. It was then that I realized my mobile phone was not in the same pocket, where it belongs. Uh-oh. It must have fallen out of the pocket somewhere, which it has done before.

Not in the car. I hopped in and dashed back to all of the shops and libraries I'd been to. No luck. One shop had already closed for the holiday, which I'd known they would, but there were people inside, which I'd hoped there would be. I rapped at the glass door. They pointed towards the hours sign and made "we're closed" gestures. I nodded - "I know" - and kept rapping until someone came to the door and I could shout through it at her.

I came home dejected. Thursday is no good; Friday I'll have to go out and try to find another of those quaint flip-top phones I prefer and then get it set up. Which I last had to do a year and a half ago, so it's not unprecedented. I changed into my house trousers, the flannel ones that cinch up and don't require suspenders.

It was then I discovered that I'd never taken my phone out of the pocket from when I'd been wearing them that morning.

This is why I don't usually take anything out of the trousers I'm using until I'm ready to change them for another pair. Wallet, phone, keys, other impedimentia stay in the pockets where usually I can find them. But that morning I'd been expecting the possibility of a call, so I took the phone and then afterwards completely forgot I'd done so.

Speaking of which, I still haven't found the computer glasses I know I set down in an unusual spot a couple weeks ago, I just can't remember what the spot was.

In other nuisances, I want to watch something on Disney+ on my computer, but the sound doesn't work. AI is no help: it keeps telling me to check the sound settings on my system, even though I keep telling it there's nothing wrong with that, sound works fine for other apps, it's just Disney+.

muccamukk

Watch on YouTube

(When I saw her in concert, she was very pleased with that line).

(Video has a thread of a butch teen being socially pressured to feminise. But there's a happy ending.)

petra

I 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.

Current Mood: productive
Current Music: Thankfully short -- like Marvin

sovay

Despite 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 ideas 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.

Current Music: Lake Street Dive, "Call Off Your Dogs"

darkoshi

Sexual Orientations & Genders Simplified

(from ChibiGreen)

tamaranth

2025/189: 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... )

Current Mood: nostalgic

ysabetwordsmith

Today 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/

Current Mood: accomplished

lannamichaels

Been meaning to update this for a while, so here goes:

After that, I relied very heavily for a while on the valved Aura (3M 9211+), it was how I got through summer 2024 since the non-valve Aura was just so hot. It was not the most comfortable, but between the Aura and the valved Aura, the valved Aura had advantages (both left marks on my face after wearing).

Then there was a combination of factors, including suddenly the valved Aura being out of stock where I was buying it and me stopping the habit of looking for them (if you want them, they're currently in stock in Uline, I assume also other places), because I'd switched entirely to the BNX F95 in both white and black, which are very light and breathable, which really outweighs the downsides (not many, but it feels like I do need to adjust it more than the regular Aura).

I've also dabbled with the BNX H95B, which has a different shape from the F95. It doesn't fit as well but it's also very light. It's basically a nice light mask for when I don't need to wear a mask for too long or talk or whatever.

But if I'm, for a wild example, waiting in a hospital waiting room for hours and hours, very nearly the only one masking, then the BNX F95 is absolutely the mask for that.

At this point, the Auras just live in coat pockets and backpacks as "oops, forgot to grab a BNX mask" backups. Because the Auras are great masks but they are much hotter and much tighter than the BNX ones.

jwz_blog_feed

Posted by jwz

https://www.jwz.org/blog/2025/11/openai-says-dead-teen-violated-tos-when-he-used-chatgpt-to-plan-suicide/

https://jwz.org/b/ykxy

Ghouls gonna ghoul:

Facing five lawsuits alleging wrongful deaths, OpenAI lobbed its first defense Tuesday, denying in a court filing that ChatGPT caused a teen's suicide and instead arguing the teen violated terms that prohibit discussing suicide or self-harm with the chatbot.

Previously, previously, previously, previously, previously, previously.

https://www.jwz.org/blog/2025/11/openai-says-dead-teen-violated-tos-when-he-used-chatgpt-to-plan-suicide/

https://jwz.org/b/ykxy

chazzbanner

So here's how it goes.

I didn't expect a ton of snow, and I didn't hear plows out working on the roads at 5 a.m. (would have been a clue). I didn't check the weather report when I got up, but about 10 o'clock I looked out the back door window. A pickup with a plow attachment was just finishing a good old scrape of the lot.

We probably got around 2 inches, at the low end of the forecast.

I didn't need to use my car until 3 o'clock. At 2:30 I got rather underdressed for the cold and went out to brush off the car and scrape the windows. The heater worked well front and rear so it was easy to clear the glass. (While muttering to myself I use the term 'windscreen' - shock! - then said, front window?, temporarily forgetting 'windshield'. lol)

Rather underdressed, I said? It was 27F/-2.77C so I wore my cloth coat. However, I neglected to check the windchill: 12F/-11C. I needed mittens over my gloves!, my normal winter wear. And leggings, and a bigger scarf.

I drove to pick up meals (unusual day because of the holiday); the streets were fine.

Mostly today I've done a fairly major list of minor things. I've also read, listened to podcasts (movie soundtracks, ghost stories of the outer boroughs NYC, Pompeii), and I'm watching Blink (Doctor Who) on YT. Very cozy, all in all.

-

senmut

AO3 Link | Memories of Family (100 words) by Merfilly
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Miles O'Brien, Keiko O'Brien, Kira Nerys
Additional Tags: Drabble
Summary:

Miles walks in on a domestic moment

Nerys was slow-dancing to the music with Molly, while Keiko held Kirayoshi and rocked in time. The scene etched itself into Miles' heart as he came in. The moments like this were all too-soon coming to an end as his transfer to Earth was in the works.

At least Molly should keep solid memories of her other-mother, as they referred to Nerys. Video calls would help strengthen ties, he knew, but losing her as a part of their family was the hardest part for he and Keiko both.

Such sad musings were not for now. Kissing his family hello was.

mecurtin

Purrcy 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.

Purrcy the tuxedo tabby stares upward very intently, not toward the camera or human but away as if toward the ceiling. His eyes are wide and green.

Purrcy the tuxedo tabby stares upward very intently, not toward the camera or human but away as if toward the ceiling. His eyes are wide and green.

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.

ysabetwordsmith

Archaeologists 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).

Current Mood: busy

xkcd_feed

https://xkcd.com/3173/

Every weekend I take an ATV out into the desert and spend a day tracing a faint "(C) GOOGLE 2009" watermark across the landscape.

https://xkcd.com/3173/

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vivdunstan

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November 2025

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Page Summary

soc_puppet - Leftover Feelings
maevedarcy in fandomcalendar - [MULTIFANDOM] Pass That Blorbo: Holiday Edition Prompt Challenge
ysabetwordsmith - Happy Thanksgiving
ysabetwordsmith - Birdfeeding
runpunkrun in gluten_free - Thank you!
senmut - 30 in 30: Marvel X-Men
calimac - thanks, I guess
muccamukk - The Images that Fucked You Were a Patriarchal Structure!
petra - Happy Wanksgiving!
sovay - This is what I get for being civilized
darkoshi - Munch the Frog explains
tamaranth - 2025/189: Breed to Come — Andre Norton
ysabetwordsmith - Today's Cooking
lannamichaels - Update on last year's mask reviews
jwz_blog_feed - OpenAI says dead teen violated TOS when he used ChatGPT to plan suicide
chazzbanner - first snow (an example)
senmut - 30 in 30: ST:DS9
mecurtin - Purrcy; Turkey Day
ysabetwordsmith - Food
xkcd_feed - Satellite Imagery

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Leftover Feelings

[MULTIFANDOM] Pass That Blorbo: Holiday Edition Prompt Challenge

Happy Thanksgiving

Birdfeeding

Thank you!

30 in 30: Marvel X-Men

thanks, I guess

The Images that Fucked You Were a Patriarchal Structure!

Happy Wanksgiving!

This is what I get for being civilized

Munch the Frog explains

2025/189: Breed to Come — Andre Norton

Today's Cooking

Update on last year's mask reviews

OpenAI says dead teen violated TOS when he used ChatGPT to plan suicide

first snow (an example)

30 in 30: ST:DS9

Purrcy; Turkey Day

Food

Satellite Imagery

Profile

November 2025

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