(no subject)
Jul. 20th, 2026 22:50![[personal profile]](/%20https://www.npmjs.com/package/ocr-https-www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
olivermossSo, I did it. I bought tickets to the Kraken's Pride Night game in February.
Yup, plural. I am betting on finding someone to go with somehow. But also, I didn't buy normal tickets I bought the 'barstool seating' which is behind the normal seats, but it's a bit higher and you get like a bar to sit at for your beer, food, etc. You can stand without blocking anyone. I am actually really happy getting those tickets. The seats are also more spread out. But, they are cheaper for a reason. Not everyone is as into the idea as I am. If I can't get upper bowl first row, lower bowl barstools are my second choice.
The second seat not being a normal seat is going to complicate finding a taker for the ticket, but going with someone to this event is what I want so here's hoping.
Yup, plural. I am betting on finding someone to go with somehow. But also, I didn't buy normal tickets I bought the 'barstool seating' which is behind the normal seats, but it's a bit higher and you get like a bar to sit at for your beer, food, etc. You can stand without blocking anyone. I am actually really happy getting those tickets. The seats are also more spread out. But, they are cheaper for a reason. Not everyone is as into the idea as I am. If I can't get upper bowl first row, lower bowl barstools are my second choice.
The second seat not being a normal seat is going to complicate finding a taker for the ticket, but going with someone to this event is what I want so here's hoping.
Links List (Mostly politics and movies)
Jul. 20th, 2026 21:32muccamukkMisc Art
London Review of Books: Diary: Before 1776 by Rebecca Solnit.
Beautiful review of an art exhibit inspired by early Pueblo revolutionaries.
Whatever Works (Substack): let's do a 'couch to 5k' for reading by Naomi Alderman.
Fun co-op to do more reading, thanks tosnickfic for linking to it.
Bona Books: Honey, We Bought an AI Story.
The ongoing struggle to protect the arts, with some stumbles along the way.
Politics:
Anishinabek Nation 7th Generation Charity.
Supporting the Indigenous communities burned out in Northern Ontario.
Assigned Media: Pete Hegseth is Obsessed With Testosterone. Here’s All the Neat Science the Manosphere’s Not Talking About by Jules Sherred.
Mostly about the science rather than US Politics, but it discusses quite a bit of transphobia.
The Odyssey Discourse:
(I'm not going to see this. I decided a long time ago that if Nolan wasn't going to be interested in women as a category, I wasn't going to be interested in him as a filmmaker, and nothing that's happened since has changed my mind about that.)
The Guardian: Christopher Nolan’s Odyssey used occupied land as a film set. That feels like a betrayal by Mohamed Sleiman Labat.
I find this pretty unforgivable, especially given what I understand to be message of the film. WTF!?
Democracy Now: Four Days in Occupied Western Sahara — A Rare Look Inside Africa’s Last Colony as Ceasefire Ends (An hour-long filmed documentary, with transcript).
I didn't know very much about the Sahrawi, and this was quite informative. Things seem really bad there!
sovay: No bones stacked by the hearth, no ghosts on the heath.
About the importance of not placing written history above all else, in context of Nolan's comments regarding The Odyssey.
London Review of Books: Diary: Before 1776 by Rebecca Solnit.
Beautiful review of an art exhibit inspired by early Pueblo revolutionaries.
Whatever Works (Substack): let's do a 'couch to 5k' for reading by Naomi Alderman.
Fun co-op to do more reading, thanks to
snickfic for linking to it.Bona Books: Honey, We Bought an AI Story.
The ongoing struggle to protect the arts, with some stumbles along the way.
Politics:
Anishinabek Nation 7th Generation Charity.
Supporting the Indigenous communities burned out in Northern Ontario.
Assigned Media: Pete Hegseth is Obsessed With Testosterone. Here’s All the Neat Science the Manosphere’s Not Talking About by Jules Sherred.
Mostly about the science rather than US Politics, but it discusses quite a bit of transphobia.
The Odyssey Discourse:
(I'm not going to see this. I decided a long time ago that if Nolan wasn't going to be interested in women as a category, I wasn't going to be interested in him as a filmmaker, and nothing that's happened since has changed my mind about that.)
The Guardian: Christopher Nolan’s Odyssey used occupied land as a film set. That feels like a betrayal by Mohamed Sleiman Labat.
Morocco weaponises cinema to whitewash its occupation of our land. By courting foreign film crews to shoot in Western Sahara while denying the Sahrawi the right to film and express themselves, Morocco uses cinema to manufacture a romantic, tourist-friendly image designed by a regime deploying every political, economic and cultural tool to keep the occupation’s status quo and deny Sahrawi existence and resistance.
I find this pretty unforgivable, especially given what I understand to be message of the film. WTF!?
Democracy Now: Four Days in Occupied Western Sahara — A Rare Look Inside Africa’s Last Colony as Ceasefire Ends (An hour-long filmed documentary, with transcript).
I didn't know very much about the Sahrawi, and this was quite informative. Things seem really bad there!
sovay: No bones stacked by the hearth, no ghosts on the heath.About the importance of not placing written history above all else, in context of Nolan's comments regarding The Odyssey.
Third Bridge Trip
Jul. 20th, 2026 20:59olivermossIt went well! The curse is broken. And I think I've been to all Portland bridges now?
I was going to fucking rest today because I need a day where I'm not working or walking 5 miles or doing other stuff. But, the air was still good here today so I tossed my ass out the door. That, and it's supposed to be a hundred degrees tomorrow.
Who knows what will happen, but figured I'd get while the gettin's good.
( Read more... )
I was going to fucking rest today because I need a day where I'm not working or walking 5 miles or doing other stuff. But, the air was still good here today so I tossed my ass out the door. That, and it's supposed to be a hundred degrees tomorrow.
Who knows what will happen, but figured I'd get while the gettin's good.
( Read more... )
Affordable Housing
Jul. 20th, 2026 21:25ysabetwordsmithHow Courtyard Blocks Promote Social Connection
The courtyard block is one of the oldest and most successful urban forms we have. If you’ve walked through Barcelona, Vienna, Berlin, Stockholm, Rome, Prague, Copenhagen, or almost any great European city, you have likely admired courtyard block neighborhoods without necessarily realizing what you were seeing. From the street, you see the continuous building wall: shops, doors, windows, balconies, cornices, stoops, and street life. What you often do not see is the second world inside the block: a protected green courtyard hidden behind the public face of the city.
America has few courtyard blocks that are solid walls of independently owned buildings. But it does have some things are that are related...
( Read more... )
The courtyard block is one of the oldest and most successful urban forms we have. If you’ve walked through Barcelona, Vienna, Berlin, Stockholm, Rome, Prague, Copenhagen, or almost any great European city, you have likely admired courtyard block neighborhoods without necessarily realizing what you were seeing. From the street, you see the continuous building wall: shops, doors, windows, balconies, cornices, stoops, and street life. What you often do not see is the second world inside the block: a protected green courtyard hidden behind the public face of the city.
America has few courtyard blocks that are solid walls of independently owned buildings. But it does have some things are that are related...
( Read more... )
It was cool this morning
Jul. 20th, 2026 21:58cornerofmadnessThat is always welcome to me.
The good news is two fold. One I sold another story for a holiday episode of a magazine (online) and it pays well so woo hoo.
And I got the cover of the next anthology I'll be in. I'll let you know when the buy links are live.
today was just more work and grocery shopping.
I did manage to finish a second![[community profile]](/%20https://www.npmjs.com/package/ocr-https-www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
fandomgiftbasket story. I have two more I'd like to write. I'm not sure if this one fits the prompts as well as it should but I don't think it's a bad one. I do hope the masterlist of who needs gifts comes out soon.
And it's music monday. I'm restarting an old favorite, the Alphabet. This time I'm keeping the songs in the last year or so.
First up is A with Harry Styles who has two in the last year.
The good news is two fold. One I sold another story for a holiday episode of a magazine (online) and it pays well so woo hoo.
And I got the cover of the next anthology I'll be in. I'll let you know when the buy links are live.
today was just more work and grocery shopping.
I did manage to finish a second
fandomgiftbasket story. I have two more I'd like to write. I'm not sure if this one fits the prompts as well as it should but I don't think it's a bad one. I do hope the masterlist of who needs gifts comes out soon.And it's music monday. I'm restarting an old favorite, the Alphabet. This time I'm keeping the songs in the last year or so.
First up is A with Harry Styles who has two in the last year.
Lake Lewisia #1424
Jul. 20th, 2026 17:30scrubjayspeaksLocal river spirits recently learned of the concept of streaming and were very distressed to know they were so behind on something related to their habitats. As such, they have been working overtime to provide free streaming music to the community, ranging from traditional drowning ballads to experimental cave metal. So please don’t be alarmed when your faucets, showers, and toilets start serenading you, as we are still working on explaining to them acceptable streaming platforms and the downsides of broadcasting on every moving water source.
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LL#1424
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LL#1424
trying to beat the Miz
Jul. 20th, 2026 19:30musesfoolBack to work this morning after 4 days (+ the weekend) off and it felt like I was away longer based on the 310 emails in my inbox sigh. Thankfully, Assistant J handled a bunch of stuff while I was out, so I didn't have to worry about that, but the CEO and Chair keep asking me for very labor-intensive things and then when I produce them they're like, nah, that's not what we meant. Like, you asked for a list of ALL ACTION ITEMS from ALL COMMITTEES plus the board for the last 6 years. That is a pretty specific ask! And then after I produce it, to turn around and say, no, no, we just want a list of stuff that came up. WTF? My boss thinks it's the CEO badly misinterpreting what the Chair wants, because this keeps happening, but I also wonder if my boss is not getting it either and so I'm hearing it third-hand and it's just...garbled at that point. Idk.
Anyway! A couple of years ago we created a follow-ups list but it was annoying to me because I like to spend my work time getting my work done, not documenting the work I've done in a spreadsheet when the documents should stand as the...documentation. But I guess that's what we're doing now. 🙄
So I was off for 6 whole days in a row and did not watch any of the things I planned to watch. It's just so hard for me right now to invest in something new, I guess. I have watched the first episode of a couple of different things, but none of them has made me want to watch further with any urgency. I also have the second season of many shows to watch and haven't done that either. I think right now books are easier? Which they weren't for the last few years, so maybe I will just ride that for a while. *hands*
*
Anyway! A couple of years ago we created a follow-ups list but it was annoying to me because I like to spend my work time getting my work done, not documenting the work I've done in a spreadsheet when the documents should stand as the...documentation. But I guess that's what we're doing now. 🙄
So I was off for 6 whole days in a row and did not watch any of the things I planned to watch. It's just so hard for me right now to invest in something new, I guess. I have watched the first episode of a couple of different things, but none of them has made me want to watch further with any urgency. I also have the second season of many shows to watch and haven't done that either. I think right now books are easier? Which they weren't for the last few years, so maybe I will just ride that for a while. *hands*
*
lj update, PODFIC!!!, crafting, and recs
Jul. 20th, 2026 16:51donutsweeperWow, so much to post about. First of all, update on my last post where I mentioned about Livejournal seeming to have been blocked to those trying to access it from the United States, all in all that seemed to have been the case for about two to two and a half weeks or so but then randomly began to start to work again. Not sure what was up with that.
Amazingly, tinypinkmouse podficced four (4!!!!) of my DMBJ fics:
Oh for Those Lazy Days [Podfic]. Summary: Retirement suited Wang Pangzi.
As Evening Slowly Slides Into Night [Podfic]. Summary: An evening, like many others, for the Iron Triangle. (And their shared big bed.)
Unsteady Footsteps Along a Familiar Path [Podfic]. Summary: As Tianzhen's health deteriorated he'd requested this, one last adventure for the Iron Triangle, but why was it so similar to Pangzi's dream?
Travel Down the Road and Back Again (and Again) [Podfic]. Summary: The Iron Triangle's adventures don't always go according to plan.
Please go give them a listen, tinypinkmouse's work is always amazing.
Crafting-wise I've finished a few things things, a rug and a market bag. The market bag is actually pretty exciting since I actually created the pattern for it! Full write up of pattern is in this dreamwidth post (at some point I may add it to ravelry but I don't have the brainpower for it at the moment) but see the bag and the rug under the cut:
Grey rug made from a torn queen-sized fitted sheet - 32” x 22.5”
I also made a slouchy string market bag because a discord friend was having problems with the pattern they were using and it was easier to just make my own and share pics at each step than try to help any other way but that one is less exciting than the rectangular one.
Have two weeks ofrecthething recs (one MDZS fic and a bunch of taggle art recs):
Unnatural Consequences by Ashura (11k, locked to archive)
Summary: Lan Wangji began to play, and Wei Wuxian poked through the wreckage of fallen trees. The guqin’s soothing song cleared some of the haze of resentment, and Wei Wuxian could feel his muscles relaxing, the dull throbbing ache at the tip of his spine beginning to fade away. He stepped carefully between shattered branches, nudging away the piles of leaves and debris. He was hardly even paying attention when he felt something… respond.
When Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji encounter a creature that even the two of them together can't defeat, it seems a little unbelievable that nobody in the surrounding area has heard of it. In the wilderness north of Gusu, they uncover a secret that has waited years for one particular answer - one it turns out they might be just the people to provide. (interesting post-canon LWJ/WWX casefic)
Sometaggle art recs, works anon until July 27th, check out the whole collection here
DCU
- where the hell is my lover! Summary: Art of Pamela Isley with some art nouveau inspiration!
MDZS/The Untamed:
- [Art] Rinsing (The fall of Lotus Pier, very eerie)
Original Work
- [ART] Pegasus in the mist Summary: It does not fear you. Do not come closer. (dark and foreboding)
- Bellerophon's Field Guide to Equines (art and descriptions of a Pegasus, Kelpie, Hippocamp, and Unicorn. Very cool)
- [Art] Oceanside Stroll. Summary: It's a beautiful evening for a sunset stroll on the beach. (wonderful dragon characters)
- [ART] An Avid Reader. Summary: Meet Snort, a guard of the Evil Wizard’s Small Dungeon. (such an adorable goblin!)
The weather here has been stupidly hot and humid all month and the wildfires have made the air terrible. Hope things are better where all of you are :)
Amazingly, tinypinkmouse podficced four (4!!!!) of my DMBJ fics:
Oh for Those Lazy Days [Podfic]. Summary: Retirement suited Wang Pangzi.
As Evening Slowly Slides Into Night [Podfic]. Summary: An evening, like many others, for the Iron Triangle. (And their shared big bed.)
Unsteady Footsteps Along a Familiar Path [Podfic]. Summary: As Tianzhen's health deteriorated he'd requested this, one last adventure for the Iron Triangle, but why was it so similar to Pangzi's dream?
Travel Down the Road and Back Again (and Again) [Podfic]. Summary: The Iron Triangle's adventures don't always go according to plan.
Please go give them a listen, tinypinkmouse's work is always amazing.
Crafting-wise I've finished a few things things, a rug and a market bag. The market bag is actually pretty exciting since I actually created the pattern for it! Full write up of pattern is in this dreamwidth post (at some point I may add it to ravelry but I don't have the brainpower for it at the moment) but see the bag and the rug under the cut:
Grey rug made from a torn queen-sized fitted sheet - 32” x 22.5”
I also made a slouchy string market bag because a discord friend was having problems with the pattern they were using and it was easier to just make my own and share pics at each step than try to help any other way but that one is less exciting than the rectangular one.
Have two weeks of
recthething recs (one MDZS fic and a bunch of taggle art recs): Unnatural Consequences by Ashura (11k, locked to archive)
Summary: Lan Wangji began to play, and Wei Wuxian poked through the wreckage of fallen trees. The guqin’s soothing song cleared some of the haze of resentment, and Wei Wuxian could feel his muscles relaxing, the dull throbbing ache at the tip of his spine beginning to fade away. He stepped carefully between shattered branches, nudging away the piles of leaves and debris. He was hardly even paying attention when he felt something… respond.
When Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji encounter a creature that even the two of them together can't defeat, it seems a little unbelievable that nobody in the surrounding area has heard of it. In the wilderness north of Gusu, they uncover a secret that has waited years for one particular answer - one it turns out they might be just the people to provide. (interesting post-canon LWJ/WWX casefic)
Some
taggle art recs, works anon until July 27th, check out the whole collection hereDCU
- where the hell is my lover! Summary: Art of Pamela Isley with some art nouveau inspiration!
MDZS/The Untamed:
- [Art] Rinsing (The fall of Lotus Pier, very eerie)
Original Work
- [ART] Pegasus in the mist Summary: It does not fear you. Do not come closer. (dark and foreboding)
- Bellerophon's Field Guide to Equines (art and descriptions of a Pegasus, Kelpie, Hippocamp, and Unicorn. Very cool)
- [Art] Oceanside Stroll. Summary: It's a beautiful evening for a sunset stroll on the beach. (wonderful dragon characters)
- [ART] An Avid Reader. Summary: Meet Snort, a guard of the Evil Wizard’s Small Dungeon. (such an adorable goblin!)
The weather here has been stupidly hot and humid all month and the wildfires have made the air terrible. Hope things are better where all of you are :)
Done This Week
Jul. 20th, 2026 15:05scrubjayspeaksLate edition!
I didn’t even attempt to write this up yesterday, as I spent much of the day at the local Renaissance Festival. I had taken today off work, knowing this whole weekend was going to be A Lot, so here I am now. Let’s get into it.
Friday was Day 0 of my club’s annual show and sale. Between planning to take off Sunday for the Renaissance Festival, and needing to drop off my first-ever show entry (!!!), I needed to be at this set-up day most of the time. I’ve been scrambling to sort out barcode issues down to the wire, so Friday was a testing opportunity as well.
In a move that will surprise no one, two of the vendors fucked up on barcodes. One had a bunch of price points they hadn’t provided to me, even though we requested this from all the vendors months in advance. The other had provided barcodes, but then just didn’t bother to place barcode stickers on a bunch of their plants. *sigh*
Unfortunately, Friday morning I got a message from our treasurer and my companion in snark. She has had a whole series of medical issues this year and was once again desperately unwell. So, uh, I got to be in charge of the cashier department. And the money. And the tech. *eye twitch*
Oh, and it meant I needed to cashier the live auction alone. That, at least, ended up being no worse than usual. Possibly a bit easier, thanks to the lack of distractions--see above re: snark companion.
Still, that was a rather robust two days. I still ended up needing to provide some phone tech support on Sunday for Reasons, but I didn’t have to go in.
And I’ve really buried the lede here, which is: my plant won! It won in its class, monstrose and crested cacti, AND it won best in the cactus division. Both were for the rookie rank, of course, but I’m going to let myself have a big head about it for a little while anyway. (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧
The ren faire was lovely. I really missed going last year. I finally succeeded in my multi-year quest to obtain a scotch egg. It was no longer about the scotch egg itself, to be clear--I’ve had them, they’re nice enough, it’s not a big deal. It was the fact that EVERY time I tried to buy one, I was thwarted by fate. But not this year!
I got another ring to add to my usual kit--a small, vaguely art nouveau unicorn head in sterling, sized for my pinkies. (I still have a few more fingers available to fill.) I found some nice trinkets to bring home to mum, as well as some food to share. And I got the card of the ceramicist I got a mushroom cup and saucer from, so I can hopefully buy a full tea set or at least the matching tea pot in the future.
I wish I had taken a few more days off to recover afterward. Today is not going to be enough. Or rather, it is just enough to have me back to the slightly-drowning baseline I’ve been at. I would need more time to actually feel like I have caught up/rested/reset.
But at least I had a good time. That’s something.
Lewisia: no new pieces written
Day job: 34.25 hours
Gardening: club meeting, show and sale
Reading: The Adventure Zone graphic novel #1 by The McElroys and Carey Pietsch (no, I’m still not done hanging out in the world, and this is definitely a fun way to revisit the adventure, especially since it’s been so long since I first listened to these early arcs)
Watching: X-Files season 2 episodes 15-16
Listening: trail cam by Louie Zong (just a short little thing for a busy week, I like the genre vibe this has going--something sort of alt rock ish?--but goddamn, I wish everyone would mix their vocals to be clearer)
Playing: I have at last suffered my first deaths in this Nuzlocke run...
Clock Mouse: still taking a break
I didn’t even attempt to write this up yesterday, as I spent much of the day at the local Renaissance Festival. I had taken today off work, knowing this whole weekend was going to be A Lot, so here I am now. Let’s get into it.
Friday was Day 0 of my club’s annual show and sale. Between planning to take off Sunday for the Renaissance Festival, and needing to drop off my first-ever show entry (!!!), I needed to be at this set-up day most of the time. I’ve been scrambling to sort out barcode issues down to the wire, so Friday was a testing opportunity as well.
In a move that will surprise no one, two of the vendors fucked up on barcodes. One had a bunch of price points they hadn’t provided to me, even though we requested this from all the vendors months in advance. The other had provided barcodes, but then just didn’t bother to place barcode stickers on a bunch of their plants. *sigh*
Unfortunately, Friday morning I got a message from our treasurer and my companion in snark. She has had a whole series of medical issues this year and was once again desperately unwell. So, uh, I got to be in charge of the cashier department. And the money. And the tech. *eye twitch*
Oh, and it meant I needed to cashier the live auction alone. That, at least, ended up being no worse than usual. Possibly a bit easier, thanks to the lack of distractions--see above re: snark companion.
Still, that was a rather robust two days. I still ended up needing to provide some phone tech support on Sunday for Reasons, but I didn’t have to go in.
And I’ve really buried the lede here, which is: my plant won! It won in its class, monstrose and crested cacti, AND it won best in the cactus division. Both were for the rookie rank, of course, but I’m going to let myself have a big head about it for a little while anyway. (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧
The ren faire was lovely. I really missed going last year. I finally succeeded in my multi-year quest to obtain a scotch egg. It was no longer about the scotch egg itself, to be clear--I’ve had them, they’re nice enough, it’s not a big deal. It was the fact that EVERY time I tried to buy one, I was thwarted by fate. But not this year!
I got another ring to add to my usual kit--a small, vaguely art nouveau unicorn head in sterling, sized for my pinkies. (I still have a few more fingers available to fill.) I found some nice trinkets to bring home to mum, as well as some food to share. And I got the card of the ceramicist I got a mushroom cup and saucer from, so I can hopefully buy a full tea set or at least the matching tea pot in the future.
I wish I had taken a few more days off to recover afterward. Today is not going to be enough. Or rather, it is just enough to have me back to the slightly-drowning baseline I’ve been at. I would need more time to actually feel like I have caught up/rested/reset.
But at least I had a good time. That’s something.
Lewisia: no new pieces written
Day job: 34.25 hours
Gardening: club meeting, show and sale
Reading: The Adventure Zone graphic novel #1 by The McElroys and Carey Pietsch (no, I’m still not done hanging out in the world, and this is definitely a fun way to revisit the adventure, especially since it’s been so long since I first listened to these early arcs)
Watching: X-Files season 2 episodes 15-16
Listening: trail cam by Louie Zong (just a short little thing for a busy week, I like the genre vibe this has going--something sort of alt rock ish?--but goddamn, I wish everyone would mix their vocals to be clearer)
Playing: I have at last suffered my first deaths in this Nuzlocke run...
Clock Mouse: still taking a break
Sidetracks - July 20, 2026
Jul. 20th, 2026 15:49helloladies posting in ladybusinessSidetracks is a collaborative project featuring various essays, videos, reviews, or other Internet content that we want to share. All past and current links for the Sidetracks project can be found in our Sidetracks tag. You can also support Sidetracks and our other work on Patreon.
( Read more... )
Love Me Against the Night (爱在极夜降临前) Available on GagaOOLala
Jul. 20th, 2026 20:42douqi posting in baihe_mediaThe baihe vertical mini-drama Love Me Against the Night (爱在极夜降临前, pinyin: ai zai ji ye jianglin qian) is now available on GagaOOLala! Here's the official synopsis:
The drama consists of 59 episodes of around two minutes each, and as the synopsis indicates, is unabashedly catering to the 'toxic yuri' crowd (the first episode begins with Nan Xun crawling on all fours towards Bei Li so that Bei Li can put a dog collar around her neck)*. The main page for the show is here. The first 12 episodes are free-to-view.
The mini-drama is produced by the lesbian dating app Lespark, and was later (as far as I can tell) licensed to a bunch of random media companies, which proceeded to over-localise the subtitles to a heartbreaking degree (Bei Li was named 'Elowen Veyra' and Nan Xun was named 'Sera Kael', among other crimes). So it's nice that it's finally ended up at GagaOOLala and everyone seems to have normal names.
*I can already hear Bobbi Flekman's voice in my head: 'That's right, it's 1982, get out of the Sixties. We don't have this mentality anymore.'
Bei Li is a manipulative heiress who delights in controlling people's hearts. Nan Xun is determined to survive no matter what, and willingly signs a contract to become her bodyguard and servant. Bei Li revels in Nan Xun's absolute loyalty and unquestioning obedience, never realizing that the look in Nan Xun's eyes has never been one of fear. Instead, it hides a love she has carried in silence for ten years.
The drama consists of 59 episodes of around two minutes each, and as the synopsis indicates, is unabashedly catering to the 'toxic yuri' crowd (the first episode begins with Nan Xun crawling on all fours towards Bei Li so that Bei Li can put a dog collar around her neck)*. The main page for the show is here. The first 12 episodes are free-to-view.
The mini-drama is produced by the lesbian dating app Lespark, and was later (as far as I can tell) licensed to a bunch of random media companies, which proceeded to over-localise the subtitles to a heartbreaking degree (Bei Li was named 'Elowen Veyra' and Nan Xun was named 'Sera Kael', among other crimes). So it's nice that it's finally ended up at GagaOOLala and everyone seems to have normal names.
*I can already hear Bobbi Flekman's voice in my head: 'That's right, it's 1982, get out of the Sixties. We don't have this mentality anymore.'
Birdfeeding
Jul. 20th, 2026 14:35ysabetwordsmithToday is mostly cloudy and warm, but less sweltering than recent days.
I fed the birds. I've seen a few sparrows and house finches.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 7/20/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
EDIT 7/20/26 -- I did more work around the patio.
I saw a gray catbird trying to break open a beetle. Without direct sunlight, I couldn't tell for sure, but some sort of small scarab mostly likely a junebug or Japanese beetle. This catbird had somehow figured out that, although the outside was armored, the inside was tender and delicious. The bird mostly hurled the beetle at the pavement and pecked at it. Sometimes it held onto the beetle and thrashed it against the ground. This caused the beetle to bounce around a lot. The catbird never lost track of its prey, even when the beetle bounced into a pile of leaves. Impressive. Eventually the beetle broke open enough for the bird to take a bite, then fly away with it.
It's intriguing to watch how predators learn. Ten years so so back, when the Japanese beetles first arrived, nothing ate them and they devoured every green thing in sight. I spent several years saying, "Dear insectivores, I know that these are unfamiliar to you, but I swear they are insects and therefore your food." Then one summer several beautiful new types of wasps appeared in swarms on my sedum and garlic chive flowers. Looking them up, I discovered they were parasitoids who all prey on scarab beetles. The next year the junebugs and Japanese beetles were fewer, and their populations have fallen since. :D
EDIT 7/20/26 -- We hauled more rocks to the purple-and-white garden.
EDIT 7/20/26 -- I did more work around the patio.
EDIT 7/20/26 -- I did more work around the patio.
EDIT 7/20/26 -- I watered the new picnic table garden.
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I fed the birds. I've seen a few sparrows and house finches.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 7/20/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
EDIT 7/20/26 -- I did more work around the patio.
I saw a gray catbird trying to break open a beetle. Without direct sunlight, I couldn't tell for sure, but some sort of small scarab mostly likely a junebug or Japanese beetle. This catbird had somehow figured out that, although the outside was armored, the inside was tender and delicious. The bird mostly hurled the beetle at the pavement and pecked at it. Sometimes it held onto the beetle and thrashed it against the ground. This caused the beetle to bounce around a lot. The catbird never lost track of its prey, even when the beetle bounced into a pile of leaves. Impressive. Eventually the beetle broke open enough for the bird to take a bite, then fly away with it.
It's intriguing to watch how predators learn. Ten years so so back, when the Japanese beetles first arrived, nothing ate them and they devoured every green thing in sight. I spent several years saying, "Dear insectivores, I know that these are unfamiliar to you, but I swear they are insects and therefore your food." Then one summer several beautiful new types of wasps appeared in swarms on my sedum and garlic chive flowers. Looking them up, I discovered they were parasitoids who all prey on scarab beetles. The next year the junebugs and Japanese beetles were fewer, and their populations have fallen since. :D
EDIT 7/20/26 -- We hauled more rocks to the purple-and-white garden.
EDIT 7/20/26 -- I did more work around the patio.
EDIT 7/20/26 -- I did more work around the patio.
EDIT 7/20/26 -- I watered the new picnic table garden.
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Food
Jul. 20th, 2026 13:01ysabetwordsmithUnderstanding the Climatarian Diet
The climatarian diet centres how you buy, prepare, eat, and store food on reducing greenhouse gas emissions while still enjoying a variety of foods prepared simply. Plant-based foods tend to have the lowest Carbon Cost, so the climatarian diet encourages at least 75% of your plate to be plant based.
Some extra points here:
* Grow at least some of your own food if you can. This eliminates shipping.
* If you grow landrace crops, they can adapt to climate change, plus you don't need to buy seeds or seedlings for those anymore.
* Farmer's markets, farmstands or truckstands, U-Pick farms, and Community Supported Agriculture are good alternatives for locally grown foods.
* Also watch for local products at grocery stores, especially health food stores or food co-ops.
* Prefer climate-resilient crops, whether you grow or buy them.
( Read more... )
The climatarian diet centres how you buy, prepare, eat, and store food on reducing greenhouse gas emissions while still enjoying a variety of foods prepared simply. Plant-based foods tend to have the lowest Carbon Cost, so the climatarian diet encourages at least 75% of your plate to be plant based.
Some extra points here:
* Grow at least some of your own food if you can. This eliminates shipping.
* If you grow landrace crops, they can adapt to climate change, plus you don't need to buy seeds or seedlings for those anymore.
* Farmer's markets, farmstands or truckstands, U-Pick farms, and Community Supported Agriculture are good alternatives for locally grown foods.
* Also watch for local products at grocery stores, especially health food stores or food co-ops.
* Prefer climate-resilient crops, whether you grow or buy them.
( Read more... )
