strange_complex

Yu know the world situation, which adds its mite ( for definitions of "mite,"watch out for falling pianos) to the stress closer by. The worst of it is feeling helpless to do much besides donate money to the outer stresses and listen as I can to the inner. Which I have been doing, in spite of our income dwindling. But this is a common plight.

My brain did go into revolt, and a bit of OT3 fantasy comedy of manners unspooled itself over the past month and a half or so. I wouldn't mind that happening again because it keeps me busy--besides various books and TV shows. But none of those have lit my fire quite as much as having a brainmovie again.

I do have Katherine Arden's latest here, and it looks good. But it's called The Unicorn Hunters and appears to be based on the tapestries so splendidly displayed in New York. Very handsome tapestries, but whew. Those boys strutting their tight breeches and little short jackets and perfect hair were a bunch of brutes. The tapestries illustrate an exercise in human cruelty, and the news is kind of overflowing with that, so I'm waiting for the right mood for the book.

II've done some rereads, and some new reads, I continue to listen to audiobooks while trudging my daily steps.

Oh! edited to add: I watched the Plympics ice skating and ice dancing. Some really lovely stuff, though they do seem to be obsessed with the quad spin.

sabotabby

I have things that I should write about in more detail but I'm having about three weeks of bonkerscrazytimeclownshoes, so have a brief recommendation for Tech Won't Save Us's episode "What’s Driving the Push For Humanoid Robots ft. James Vincent."

Now that I know lots more about robots than I used to, I can tell you that humanoid is maybe the worst shape for a robot. If you don't believe me, watch some videos from the Consumer Electronics Show. They fall down all the time. Sometimes, as with Elon Musk's robots, they are just guys in suits and not robots at all. Humanoid is a bad shape for a human (this observation brought to you by how much my back is currently killing me) so why not make a robot that is shaped like basically anything else?

(I mean you know the answer is slavery, right? It's always slavery.)

Anyway this episode is weirdly fun to listen to because we're talking about something that is basically impossible and can't replace people, vs. AI which is basically impossible but will replace people because of all the middle managers who've had frontal lobotomies.

xkcd_feed

https://xkcd.com/3213/

I mean, half of these are undefined. And your multiplication dots are too low; they look like decimal points.

https://xkcd.com/3213/

languagehat_feed

Posted by languagehat

https://languagehat.com/visiting-aunt-jones/

https://languagehat.com/?p=19325

David S. Reynolds’ NYRB review (February 22, 2024; archived) of Sensationalism and the Jew in Antebellum American Literature by David Anthony provides repellent instances of “hostile portraits of Jews in various realms of US culture during the two decades before the Civil War,” but I’m bringing it here for this passage:

It has been said that nineteenth-century America was mawkishly sentimental—a culture of pap and prudery against which serious authors like Hawthorne, Herman Melville, Edgar Allan Poe, and Walt Whitman rebelled. To some extent this was true, as evidenced by the era’s didactic novels, religious tracts, and codes of proper decorum. It was an age when Evangeline St. Clare, the angelic heroine of Harriet Beecher Stowe’s best seller Uncle Tom’s Cabin, inspired millions, and when, in polite circles, undergarments were called “unmentionables,” legs “limbs,” men’s trousers “continuations,” and a trip to the bathroom “visiting Aunt Jones.”

We all know about “unmentionables” and “limbs,” and the OED confirms that use of “continuations” (though it doesn’t sound much like a euphemism: “Gaiters continuous with ‘shorts’ or knee-breeches, as worn by bishops, deans, etc. Hence in later slang, trousers, as a continuation of the waistcoat”; 1883 citation “For fear of spilling it over what a tailor would call my continuations”), but I can find nothing to back up the claim about “visiting Aunt Jones” except the footnoted source for the assertion, R.W. Holder’s How Not to Say What You Mean: A Dictionary of Euphemisms (Oxford University Press, 2007). The relevant entry in that volume reads

aunt² a lavatory
To whom many women say they are paying a
visit. In Victorian days it was their Aunt Jones.

Which sounds more like the notoriously chatty and unreliable Eric Partridge than a dependable reference work, and I can find no examples of this alleged usage in Google Books. Is anyone familiar with it?

https://languagehat.com/visiting-aunt-jones/

https://languagehat.com/?p=19325

ysabetwordsmith

My seeds arrived from the earlier Pinetree Garden Seeds order. :D

( Read more... )

Current Mood: busy

atlas_obscura_places_feed

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/aircraft-mechanics-creed-monument

Eidur Flugvirkjans

On an isolated stretch of the Ring Road in South Iceland, a portion of a white wing from an Icelandair Boeing 757-200, has been mounted. It is dedicated to the service of aviation mechanics. The aircraft mechanic’s oath is printed on the wing.

The wing is set against the stunning backdrop of sheer mountain cliffs and the island’s wilderness. It is not the location of an airplane wreck, and, there is no indication why this out-of-the-way location was chosen.

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/aircraft-mechanics-creed-monument

selenoclasm posting in

fandomcalendar

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jwz_blog_feed

Posted by jwz

https://www.jwz.org/blog/2026/02/let-friction-ring/

https://jwz.org/b/yk33

Dear Lazyweb,

I have this pulley wheel, 50mm inside diameter, 4mm groove. I need a rubber traction ring to go inside it. I cannot find anyone who will sell this to me.

The ring must be flat or concave, not round like a typical gasket seal O-ring, or the string its pulling will just slide off the track.

Alternately, any similar-sized metal pulley wheel that comes with a friction surface pre-attached, 8mm axis hole with set screw.

I have tried coating it with sugru, but that is too soft and wears off after not-very-long.

Update: If you're going to say "why don't you just" or "have you searched for" without a purchase link to a product of the correct size, please know that you are not helping.

Previously.

https://www.jwz.org/blog/2026/02/let-friction-ring/

https://jwz.org/b/yk33

james_davis_nicoll

Noted author, bigot Dan Simmons reported dead of stroke.

dine

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ysabetwordsmith posting in

followfriday

Got any Follow Friday-related posts to share this week? Comment here with the link(s).

Here's the plan: every Friday, let's recommend some people and/or communities to follow on Dreamwidth. That's it. No complicated rules, no "pass this on to 7.328 friends or your cat will die".

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

These are active communities in Dreamwidth from Winter 2025-2026. They include things I've posted, but only the active ones; the thematic posts also list dormant communities of interest. This list includes some communities that I've found and saved but haven't made it into thematic posts yet. This post covers J-Z.

See my Follow Friday Master Post for more topics.

( Read more... )

Current Mood: busy

pennyarcade_feed

https://www.penny-arcade.com/news/post/2026/02/27/10-000x

I had sent Murgh an image on his phone, which... I mean, I guess I can just show it to you. It's gonna make a lot of sense when you see the strip:

https://www.penny-arcade.com/news/post/2026/02/27/10-000x

atlas_obscura_places_feed

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/po-toi-island

Coastal walkway

Referred to by locals as Hong Kong's 'South Pole', Po Toi is the territory's southernmost island. Covering an area of 3.69 square kilometres, the car-free island is one of Hong Kong's least populated islands, home to only 20 residents.

Once on the island, three hiking trails of varying difficulty allow visitors to reach the main points of interest. Among which are rock formations like Buddha's Palm Cliff or Tortoise Rock, the supposedly haunted ruins of Mo's old house, and the Tin Hau Temple.

Most historically significant are the Bronze age rock carvings, speculated to be over 3000 years old and supposedly hewn to appease sea gods. Po Toi is also a popular destination for campers and stargazers, due to being one of Hong Kong's least light polluted locations.

While the sparse present-day population is a far cry from its 1950s peak of 2000 residents, the traditional industries of fishing and harvesting seaweed still remain prevalent. Combined with the fact that the island is without running water and off the electrical grid, Po Toi seems almost unbothered by the goings-on of the metropolis across the water, remaining a snapshot in time of when Hong Kong was merely an insignificant fishing village, clinging to the South China coastline.

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/po-toi-island

ysabetwordsmith

Today is sunny and warmer with a nice breeze. :D

I fed the birds. I've seen a flock of sparrows and a male house finch.

I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 2/27/26 -- I cut and labeled four water jugs. These will hold Shithouse Marigolds, Black-eyed Susan, Milkweed, and Purple Aster. These are all flowers that I know can handle harsh conditions.

EDIT 2/27/26 -- I taped the jugs, moved them to the parking lot, and secured them with string.

I've seen a starling. Red-winged blackbirds are calling, but I haven't seen them. They arrived way early again this year, so I suspected that they'd wind up in my yard, regretting their poor life choices. At least it has cover and water here.

Crocuses are blooming, still all pale lavender. But there is a white bud in the rain garden!

.

Current Mood: busy

lovelyangel

Complimentary Birthday Spumoni at Nonna Emilia’s
February 26, 2026

On my birthday I was still decompressing from the work I had been doing for the Portland Winter Light Festival. I kept plans for the day very simple – a morning self-portrait session, a bargain lunch, and the traditional birthday dinner with my best friend, Jenni.

After a series of rainy days, Thursday was sunny. I thought it was perfect weather for an outdoor portrait – but I need to plan those well in advance, and I just filed the idea as a possibility for next year. Sunny days aren’t unusual here in the last week of February – but you can’t count on them. The sunshine streaming into my library was cheery and much appreciated.

I did have a tech issue I was trying to resolve – and best be done before I did my brief portrait session. Unfortunately, the tech work took all morning, so I had to postpone the portrait until after lunch. I wanted a quick, light lunch, and I took advantage of an offer from McDonald’s for free fries with a Filet o’ Fish sandwich. Simple enough.

After lunch, I did the short self-portrait session, which had been kept simple because I was using the new bookwall for the background. One side of the bookwall wasn’t well-lit, so I added a studio light to brighten it a bit. I also had set up my Dracast studio light to provide lighting for myself.

I had run a few tests the day before, and I had set up my Nikon Z8 with autofocus and face detect – which would choose one of my eyes as a focus point. I’ve never before used that type of autofocus for a self-portrait – and it seemed to work well. The Z8 takes a standard Nikon 10-pin remote connector, so I connected one of my Phottix wireless remotes.

The photo session and post-processing went quickly. Afterwards, I went for my daily walk – and enjoyed the sun.

At 3:50 pm I left home and met up with Jenni at Nonna Emilia’s for our traditional birthday celebration. I ordered my standard meal – spaghetti with meat sauce and meatballs, while Jenni tried a combination pizza – something different for her. I stopped ordering Nonna’s pizza back in the 90s, I think. I did accept a slice to sample, and we both agreed that the pizza was just OK. The spaghetti was delicious, as always.

The important part of the meetup was chat – and we are grateful that Nonna’s allowed us to occupy a table. (The restaurant wasn’t completely full – but it was getting close by the time we left.) Nonna’s also gave me a free ice cream for my birthday. I was given a choice of vanilla or spumoni. Vanilla is my go-to flavor, but spumoni isn’t offered at most places, so I went with the less common flavor. The spumoni was very good.

Towards the end of our chat, I opened the big birthday basket that Jenni gave me. It shouldn’t be surprising that she totally spoiled me with a wealth of gifts – including treats and gift cards (Kinokuniya, Burgerville, Abby’s Pizza, Saint Cupcake, Nike). Cute plushie gift card holders added to the festiveness. A wonderful birthday card and fancy birthday cake from Saint Cupcake rounded out the presents. Yes, I’m very, very spoiled – and grateful.

Birthday Gifts from Jenni

Our dinner ran from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm. Best evening of the year! I love my BFF and cherish these special and rare get togethers. I had a very special birthday and went to bed with a big smile on my face.

potentiality_26 posting in

100ships

Title: Spark
Rating: Teen
Type: Fic
Size: 1,958 words
Prompt: Electric
Fandom: Arcane
Ship: Jinx/Vi (and background Silco/Vander)
Warnings: Incest and pseudo-incest
Notes: Also fills the the "Pining" square for my incest bingo card
Summary: Reunited after years apart, Vi and Jinx have a plan to bring their little family back together. But nothing's ever quite that simple, is it?

Read it on AO3

7/100 (Table here)

tinny posting in

retro_icontest

Our current round 36 is the Dodgeball challenge from

animan - there are inspiration icons, a technical theme, textures, a font, and a color palette to get inspired by.

We've had exactly one entry with one icon so far. There's no limit, you can absolutely make more than one icon!

You still have two weeks until March 13 to enter, here's the challenge post.

tinny

The February round of

ships20in20 was an inspirational round on the theme of Valentine's day. There were provided textures and fonts and a ton of inspiration icons. I enjoyed it! I hope you do too.

Nothing But You

( 20+4 icons, most of them Wu Lei related )

Every single comment is treasured. All icons shareable! Concrit welcome. Check out my resource post for makers of textures and brushes I use.

Previous icon posts:

atlas_obscura_places_feed

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/music-box-theatre-chicago

The theater shows a mix of first-run indie, foreign and repertory films, classic double features, and specialty screenings throughout the year. It’s known for unique events like a 70 mm film festival, regular Rocky Horror Picture Show with shadow casts, and long-running classics.

A signature tradition at the Music Box is its house organist, who performs before weekend screenings. The theater houses a custom organ that honors its silent-film era roots.

Architecturally, the Music Box features a deep blue, cove-lit ceiling dotted with twinkling stars designed to mimic an Italian courtyard. This creates the feeling of watching a film under an open night sky.

Beyond the main screen, the venue includes a second smaller auditorium added in 1991 and a casual gathering space, the Music Box Theatre Lounge, used for discussions, drinks, and summer garden screenings.

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/music-box-theatre-chicago

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The children of the night

Network

Status

podcast friday

Dental Formulas

Visiting Aunt Jones.

Pinetree Garden Seeds Order

Aircraft Mechanics Creed Monument in Kalfafellsstadur, Iceland

Multifandom: Worldbuilding Exchange

Let Friction Ring

Dan Simmons (April 4, 1948 – February 21, 2026)

a sneak peak?

Follow Friday 2-27-26

Follow Friday 2-20-26: Active Communities on Dreamwidth Winter 2025-2026 J-Z

10,000x

Po Toi Island in Hong Kong

Birdfeeding

Angel’s Day 2026

[#49 - electric] Arcane - Jinx/Vi

Reminder

20 lovey-dovey icons for ships20in20

Music Box Theatre in Chicago, Illinois

Profile

January 2026

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