Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal - Why
Oct. 8th, 2025 11:20 am![[syndicated profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/feed.png){kind=small}
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Wednesday is feeling slightly less post-vaccinial blah
Oct. 8th, 2025 04:16 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
oursinWhat I read
Finished This Real Night and went straight on to Cousin Rosamund (1985).
Then a change of pace: Simon R Green, Stone Certainty (Holy Terrors Mystery, #2) (2025): less about the Horrors from another dimension than the horror of being stuck in a remote stone circle with a bickering TV crew.... not bad.
Angela Thirkell and CA Lejeune, Three Score and Ten (The Barsetshire Novels #29) (1961), in order to be completeist. This was at least less all over the place than Love At All Ages, which one suspects was down to CA Lejeune, undervalued film critic of the day who was apparently a neighbour and pal of Ange from the War years but the 2 bios I have just mention that they were friends and not much else (not that they did movie nights together or whatever, only that Lejeune was massive Barsetshire fangirl), barely that she got this into publishable condition.
KJ Charles, All of Us Murderers (2025). I have been a bit less whelmed by Charles' more recent work - maybe just me, or maybe because the bar is set so very high?
On the go
Simon Goldhill, Queer Cambridge: An Alternative History (2025) - having been there and done that, lo, these many years, about what do we mean, to talk about queer or homosexuality historically, found the intro a bit woffly, but now we are on to Oscar Browning and JK Stephen things are moving a bit more.
Up next
A bit spoilt for choice with my birthday books.
is it a comic, or is it... homework
Oct. 8th, 2025 12:00 amdinosaur_comics_feed| archive - contact - sexy exciting merchandise - search - about |
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October 8th, 2025: If you scroll allll they way down to the bottom of the site (and you're not on the mobile site!) you can see we have switched to our FALL FOOTER! It truly is the marker of the season: the leaves change colour, and so too does the png at the bottom of this webzone!! – Ryan | ||
time to start thinking about christmas planning next
Oct. 8th, 2025 12:20 pmwychwoodEven with the first storm of the season coming in on Friday, we've had some really lovely weather. I was waiting for the bus on Sunday morning in beautiful sunshine and crisp coolness. It's gone a lot colder, though - since the weekend I am wearing the official First Hoodie of the autumn, and in the last couple of weeks I've gone from sleeping under a sheet to a duvet with a blanket on top, at least to warm up.
We had a fancy dinner out on Thursday with the suppliers for our new system, who have been great colleagues, so it was nice to spend some time with them. It was a Chinese "banquet", with lots of terrifying whole-animal courses (a whole turbot! a giant dismembered lobster! what looked like an entire suckling pig with, like, the ribcage removed, splayed out on a platter with its face on one end and four trotters on the corners!), but they'd spent a couple of weeks negotiating with the restaurant to make sure there was enough I could eat, so I definitely had plenty of options. The highlight for me was some particularly good salt and pepper baked tofu, but I also had egg fried rice, and half-a-dozen vegetable dishes, and crispy noodles, and I forget what else.
But actually the nicest part was that the suppliers called me the project MVP right there in front of everyone! Which is of course extremely flattering. And I did put in a lot of work, including some serious project management effort, so it's nice to have that recognised.
The next day was moderately entertaining, because practically everyone was massively hung-over in the office ("I'm not feeling very clever", said Boss Lady). One colleague had driven, so also didn't drink, and she and I congratulated each other (privately!) about it. I did have a bit of a social hangover ("oh no, did I talk too much?? did I say anything stupid? was I super embarrassing???") but mostly I tried to console myself with the fact that practically everyone else was drunk, so probably they wouldn't have noticed or remembered if I did. Ahhh, the joys of being socially awkward.
Now I could do with a resurgence of those project management skills, because there is still Too Much Going On at work, and I am not doing a very good job of, like, properly engaging with it. But I did at least go through the 52 IT Service Desk emails in my inbox and reduce them down somewhat; the "under 100 email" inbox is within my grasp, possibly.
We had a fancy dinner out on Thursday with the suppliers for our new system, who have been great colleagues, so it was nice to spend some time with them. It was a Chinese "banquet", with lots of terrifying whole-animal courses (a whole turbot! a giant dismembered lobster! what looked like an entire suckling pig with, like, the ribcage removed, splayed out on a platter with its face on one end and four trotters on the corners!), but they'd spent a couple of weeks negotiating with the restaurant to make sure there was enough I could eat, so I definitely had plenty of options. The highlight for me was some particularly good salt and pepper baked tofu, but I also had egg fried rice, and half-a-dozen vegetable dishes, and crispy noodles, and I forget what else.
But actually the nicest part was that the suppliers called me the project MVP right there in front of everyone! Which is of course extremely flattering. And I did put in a lot of work, including some serious project management effort, so it's nice to have that recognised.
The next day was moderately entertaining, because practically everyone was massively hung-over in the office ("I'm not feeling very clever", said Boss Lady). One colleague had driven, so also didn't drink, and she and I congratulated each other (privately!) about it. I did have a bit of a social hangover ("oh no, did I talk too much?? did I say anything stupid? was I super embarrassing???") but mostly I tried to console myself with the fact that practically everyone else was drunk, so probably they wouldn't have noticed or remembered if I did. Ahhh, the joys of being socially awkward.
Now I could do with a resurgence of those project management skills, because there is still Too Much Going On at work, and I am not doing a very good job of, like, properly engaging with it. But I did at least go through the 52 IT Service Desk emails in my inbox and reduce them down somewhat; the "under 100 email" inbox is within my grasp, possibly.
Drawtober 2025 Prompt 8. Under the bed
Oct. 8th, 2025 07:14 pmleecetheartist posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
drawesomeTitle: Day 8 - Under the bed
Artist:leecetheartist
leecetheartist Rating: G
Content Notes: Drawn directly with a nibbed dip pen, no pencil. This is the standard 'Jacaranda' ink from Diamine. It's very pretty even if it has no sheen or shimmer.
I thought Under the *sea* bed might hold some intriguing possibilities so I went with it.
Bimo's Farscape Rewatch - Random Observations: 2.02 "Vitas Mortis"
Oct. 8th, 2025 12:55 pmbimoSo, this is probably just for the handful of people who know what I've been up to so far, but anyway I thought I could share:
Cavendish and I now have progressed to early season 2. And while yesterday evening's episode 2.02 "Vitas Mortis" is more or less a random filler with a somewhat Star Trek-ish feel about it (basically the whole "Nilaam, the Orican accidentally drawing energy from Moya instead of D'Argo and not wanting to die" plot with all its ethical implications), I think there is actually some quite noteworthy stuff going on in the background.
Firstly, we are getting valuable glimpses into D'Argo's warrior past which, unlike his weird infatuation with Nilaam, speak volumes about his loyalty, courage and ability to come up with rather creative out of the box solutions in emergency situations. What I'm really wondering about now: Back when the Peacekeepers captured D'Argo, did they assume they had imprisoned an actual Luxan general? Or were they aware those markings were false?
And then there is Crichton. Tense, driven, jumpy, fast and loose with his gun and played by Ben Browder with the type of body language that screams traumatized, a distinct, decidedly impactful characterization which most other shows probably would have scaled back noticeably once the grand season 1 finale was over. But Farscape being Farscape it just amps the depiction of Crichton's condition, and leaves it to a mere filler episode to ram home the point that on this show there will be no reset buttons. Ever. So I have to admit I was impressed by an ep which, by all means, actually should have been rather forgettable.
For when the heart's a sinking stone
Oct. 7th, 2025 11:24 pmsovayHe said, I'm just out of hospital,
but I'm still flying.
—H.D., "R.A.F." (1941)
I had a lot of help—I was that sort of chap.
—Margery Allingham, The China Governess (1962)
Northbound and once again rear-facing for all the good that selecting my seat in advance did me, I watched the trees start to change beyond the gravel-span of the tracks from late southerly green to the occasional bright lick of Halloween leaves, as if the train were coming in to autumn.spatch met me at the station with a roast beef sandwich. Hestia sniffed me all over intently and then licked my nose: I was acceptable despite a week in the company of other cat. I spent the rest of the night in a sort of liquescent state and reconstituted myself this afternoon just enough for a doctor's appointment, after which I promptly decohered for several hours again.
It was such a good trip. It was low-key, which was literally what the doctors ordered. I sat on a bench with my godchild and watched him sketch in his lesser notebook. I slept into the afternoon and no one cared that I often napped after just about any exertion from a walk around the block to dinner out at a Balkan market that served me a pljeskavica that it was doing its best to be bigger than my head and the first can of Schweppes Bitter Lemon I have seen in a store for years. I ate several species of fancy tinned fish. I did not manage to get to a museum withselkie, but all things considered it may have been even better that we spent so much time just hanging out, mostly on the couch where one night my godchild came down to impart weird medical facts before returning to bed. Because he's reading it in English class, I left the first two lines of the Odyssey written for him on the refrigerator in dry-erase marker and Homeric Greek. I took many fewer photos than usual, but have my favorite: my godson, the Star.
I did not get a picture somewhere in Connecticut of the old fender pier of a swing bridge so overgrown with trees and brush, it had become an oak-trussed island, like the prow of a ship burial, but it was the best thing I saw on the return train. Changes in circumstances still being assimilated, but at least I was somewhere loving when they hit.
but I'm still flying.
—H.D., "R.A.F." (1941)
I had a lot of help—I was that sort of chap.
—Margery Allingham, The China Governess (1962)
Northbound and once again rear-facing for all the good that selecting my seat in advance did me, I watched the trees start to change beyond the gravel-span of the tracks from late southerly green to the occasional bright lick of Halloween leaves, as if the train were coming in to autumn.
spatch met me at the station with a roast beef sandwich. Hestia sniffed me all over intently and then licked my nose: I was acceptable despite a week in the company of other cat. I spent the rest of the night in a sort of liquescent state and reconstituted myself this afternoon just enough for a doctor's appointment, after which I promptly decohered for several hours again.It was such a good trip. It was low-key, which was literally what the doctors ordered. I sat on a bench with my godchild and watched him sketch in his lesser notebook. I slept into the afternoon and no one cared that I often napped after just about any exertion from a walk around the block to dinner out at a Balkan market that served me a pljeskavica that it was doing its best to be bigger than my head and the first can of Schweppes Bitter Lemon I have seen in a store for years. I ate several species of fancy tinned fish. I did not manage to get to a museum with
selkie, but all things considered it may have been even better that we spent so much time just hanging out, mostly on the couch where one night my godchild came down to impart weird medical facts before returning to bed. Because he's reading it in English class, I left the first two lines of the Odyssey written for him on the refrigerator in dry-erase marker and Homeric Greek. I took many fewer photos than usual, but have my favorite: my godson, the Star.
I did not get a picture somewhere in Connecticut of the old fender pier of a swing bridge so overgrown with trees and brush, it had become an oak-trussed island, like the prow of a ship burial, but it was the best thing I saw on the return train. Changes in circumstances still being assimilated, but at least I was somewhere loving when they hit.
Drawtober challenge days 1-8
Oct. 8th, 2025 06:55 pmmificOur annual October art challenge is underway over at drawesome. I've been combining some of the prompts where possible as it adds an extra twist. The pics are all made in Procreate - you can click on each one for the full-sized art. The individual posts are here.
drawesome. I've been combining some of the prompts where possible as it adds an extra twist. The pics are all made in Procreate - you can click on each one for the full-sized art. The individual posts are here.  |
| "through a window" & "molten" |
 |
| "friendship" & "pool" |
 |
| "mushroom procession" |
 |
| "ignite" (mushroom procession at night) |
 |
| "fluffy" and "under the bed" |
Good News
Oct. 8th, 2025 01:03 amysabetwordsmithGood news includes all the things which make us happy or otherwise feel good. It can be personal or public. We never know when something wonderful will happen, and when it does, most people want to share it with someone. It's disappointing when nobody is there to appreciate it. Happily, blogging allows us to share our joys and pat each other on the back.
What good news have you had recently? Are you anticipating any more? Have you found a cute picture or a video that makes you smile? Is there anything your online friends could do to make your life a little happier?
What good news have you had recently? Are you anticipating any more? Have you found a cute picture or a video that makes you smile? Is there anything your online friends could do to make your life a little happier?
Days 7 & 8: The Fluffy Under the Bed
Oct. 8th, 2025 06:10 pmCA trans issues - call Gavin Newsom
Oct. 7th, 2025 08:58 pmtoastykitten posting in thisfinecrewPer Trans News Network, there are currently 10 bills on Gavin Newsom's desk that support LBGQT+ rights:
Call him at (916) 445-2841 to ask him to sign these bills into law.
Trans Rights Bills
AB 82 / SB 497 – These privacy-focused bills provide needed confidentiality for patients, providers, and volunteers involved with trans healthcare. AB 82 offers important protections for reproductive healthcare, and prevents prescription data about drugs like testosterone and mifepristone from being stored in databases that could be accessible by other states.
SB 418 – Bolsters nondiscrimination protections for health insurance plans and requires the plans to cover up to a 12-month supply of prescription hormones.
LGBTQ+ Rights Bills
AB 554 – Requires insurance coverage of all FDA-approved medications that prevent HIV such as PreP, without prior authorization.
AB 727 – Mandates that schools and universities must provide all youth suicide hotline information, including numbers for LGBTQ+ hotlines in the wake of Trump’s defunding of the Trevor Project hotline.
AB 678 – Requires state housing programs to coordinate with LGBTQ+ communities to ensure homelessness programs remain inclusive and nondiscriminatory for queer people experiencing homelessness, directly combatting federal efforts to force homeless shelters to ban trans people.
SB 590 – Expands paid family leave protections to include the diverse caregiving needs of queer families.
SB 450 – Clarifies California adoption law to allow for LGBTQ+ couples who live outside of California to adopt children born in the state through California proceedings, which are more inclusive than many other states.
Call him at (916) 445-2841 to ask him to sign these bills into law.
Poem: "The Road to Transformation"
Oct. 7th, 2025 10:23 pmysabetwordsmithThis is today's second freebie, thanks to new prompter andromedaprime. It also fills the "transformation" square in my 10-1-25 card for the Fall Festival Bingo. It is a retelling of Sleeping Beauty.
( Read more... )
andromedaprime. It also fills the "transformation" square in my 10-1-25 card for the Fall Festival Bingo. It is a retelling of Sleeping Beauty.( Read more... )
Book Review - Our Hideous Progeny by C.E. McGill
Oct. 7th, 2025 10:05 pmsmellyunfortunate posting in booknookTitle: Our Hideous Progeny
Author: C.E. McGill
Genre: Horror, historical fiction, gothic fiction
“I loved it. From the moment I first met its strange and terrible eyes, I loved it.” - Our Hideous Progeny, C.E. McGill
I'll be the first to admit that I'm a bit suspicious of retellings and spin-offs by nature. There are some great ones out there, sure, but generally my opinion is that if you really want to make a story your own, you should be twisting it out of its original shape enough to fit a new mold. Not unrecognizable, but not reliant on its original form to survive on its own.
I'm happy to report that Our Hideous Progeny fulfilled my expectations in this sense. Billed as a feminist, queer spin on Frankenstein, its protagonist is Mary Sutherland, who carries on the ill-advised legacy of her great-uncle, Victor von Frankenstein himself. While the concept is fun enough, what caught me from the beginning was the cover. It promised one thing that catches me hook, line, and sinker: prehistoric, hideous beasts.
( Read more... )
Author: C.E. McGill
Genre: Horror, historical fiction, gothic fiction
“I loved it. From the moment I first met its strange and terrible eyes, I loved it.” - Our Hideous Progeny, C.E. McGill
I'll be the first to admit that I'm a bit suspicious of retellings and spin-offs by nature. There are some great ones out there, sure, but generally my opinion is that if you really want to make a story your own, you should be twisting it out of its original shape enough to fit a new mold. Not unrecognizable, but not reliant on its original form to survive on its own.
I'm happy to report that Our Hideous Progeny fulfilled my expectations in this sense. Billed as a feminist, queer spin on Frankenstein, its protagonist is Mary Sutherland, who carries on the ill-advised legacy of her great-uncle, Victor von Frankenstein himself. While the concept is fun enough, what caught me from the beginning was the cover. It promised one thing that catches me hook, line, and sinker: prehistoric, hideous beasts.
( Read more... )
The Dark Crystal
Oct. 7th, 2025 06:34 pmsenmutHave my rambling live watch of The Dark Crystal (1982) below the cut.
( this movie is so dear to me )
I quite enjoyed this rewatch. I'd chosen it for background noise, to have a controlled, constant, known audial stimulation while I contended with pain. I honestly didn't mean to get drawn into ACTIVELY watching it, and yet.
( this movie is so dear to me )
I quite enjoyed this rewatch. I'd chosen it for background noise, to have a controlled, constant, known audial stimulation while I contended with pain. I honestly didn't mean to get drawn into ACTIVELY watching it, and yet.
