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ysabetwordsmith

Everyone needs contact comfort sometimes. Not everyone has ample opportunities for this in facetime. So here is a chance for a cuddle party in cyberspace. Virtual cuddling can help people feel better.

We have a cuddle room that comes with fort cushions, fort frames, sheets for draping, and a weighted blanket. A nest full of colorful egg pillows sits in one corner. There is a basket of grooming brushes, hairbrushes, and styling combs. A bin holds textured pillows. There is a big basket of craft supplies along with art markers, coloring pages, and blank paper. The kitchen has a popcorn machine. Labels are available to mark dietary needs, recipe ingredients, and level of spiciness. Here is the bathroom, open to everyone. There is a lawn tent and an outdoor hot tub. Bathers should post a sign for nude or clothed activity. Come snuggle up!

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

WARNING: Do not watch with mouth full.

Robots race, play football, crash and collapse at China's 'robot Olympics'

BEIJING, Aug 15 (Reuters) - China kicked off the three-day long World Humanoid Robot Games on Friday, looking to showcase its advances in artificial intelligence and robotics with 280 teams from 16 countries.
Robots competed in sports such as track and field, and table tennis, as well as tackled robot-specific challenges from sorting medicines and handling materials to cleaning services

Watching the evolution of robotics on a primitive planet is hilarious.

Current Mood: amused

ysabetwordsmith

Build an Emergency Food Supply List

There are several ways to build an emergency food supply to stock a survival kit and a “bug out bag”. While you can purchase specialized food products or a self-contained emergency preparedness kit, these can be costly and wasteful.

Instead, you can simply assemble shelf-stable foods that you already buy or preserve at home. Many canned, dried, and pickled foods are quite suitable for use in an emergency kit.

Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.

In particular, watch for sales. Anytime you see a shelf-stable food that you use, consider buying extra if feasible.

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

My fall order from American Meadows has arrived. :D Now I just need the weather to break so I can actually get out to plant things. If you're still shopping, this nursery has some stock of fall bulbs left and some of those are on sale.

Dangerous Mood Bearded Iris (lavender standards with near-black falls)

Montmartre Bearded Iris (purple with yellow edges)

Ziggy Reblooming Bearded Iris (yellow standards with burgundy-and-yellow streaked falls)

Current Mood: excited

ysabetwordsmith

Today is partly cloudy and sweltering. It rained a little last night.

I fed the birds. I've seen a few sparrows and house finches.

EDIT 8/19/25 -- I put out water for the birds. I've seen a male cardinal.

EDIT 8/19/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

EDIT 8/19/25 -- I did more work around the patio.

EDIT 8/19/25 -- I watered the barrel garden and the old picnic table garden.

EDIT 8/19/25 -- I watered the new picnic table and the septic garden.

As it is getting dark, I am done for the night.

Current Mood: busy

yellowrosess posting in

Vampire Diaries cast
Taylor Swift
Gigi Hadid
Elsa Hosk
Cats and books
Coffee/matcha

yr020

yr020

yr08

yr02

rest HERE

ysabetwordsmith

This is the freebie for the August 5, 2025 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by a prompt from

siliconshaman. It also fills the "He Who Whispers" square in my 8-1-25 card for the Crime Classics fest. This poem belongs to An Army of One series.

( Read more... )

Current Mood: busy

gimmighoulcoins posting in

dw_community_promo

the banner has the image of a blank notebook and a pencil on a white background, with a bullet point list that reads: Pick a character. Pick a theme set. Write 50 one-sentence fic. The title of the community, 1character, is displayed under the list.

Description: Pick one character as your focus in this fic writing community in the style of

1sentence, choose from 1 of the 6 theme sets, and make your claim - then, write 50 one-sentence fic inspired by the prompts to share on the comm! This is an ongoing activity, open to writers for all fandoms, as well as original characters. Claims are good for three months, and you can get an extension of one month if needed.
Schedule: Ongoing
Links:
On Dreamwidth:

At the last minute I signed up for the hAPPy birthday flash exchange, where we celebrate

karanguni's fantastically useful exchange app by writing fic for people's past requests. And I have received two fantastic fics for past requests, one for a request made a long time ago that I instantly remembered and which reminded me all over again of why I love the fandom, and another for a more recent and very fun request. They are:

Reaper at the Festival, a lovely spooky DS9 Odo-centric Halloween story, and in plane sight, a triple drabble for the deeply ridiculous were-plane EvS plot bunny. Thank you to both anonymous authors!

ysabetwordsmith

Myanmar’s massive quake hints at bigger earthquakes to come

The massive 2025 Myanmar earthquake revealed that strike slip faults can behave in surprising ways. Using satellite data, Caltech researchers found the Sagaing Fault ruptured more dramatically than expected, suggesting faults like the San Andreas could unleash even larger quakes than history shows.

Never assume that the worst thing you know about is the worst thing that can happen.

Current Mood: busy

oh_what_can_it_mean

The first "big story" of the Ara 'verse: "Cin aska Ara on a date, sort of."

1/9-10/25:

Idea for before any appearance by Ara and/or Cin and/or Yoda on Zarra's morning show, there's a meeting in the Temple. Definitely Zara, probably Mann-Gel, and one or two others. Originally I was going to have Ara going into the meeting slightly loopy, because this is one to three days after "Cin Asks Ara." (One of the bits here: "Ara 'verse - new story bits, May/June 2024" GDoc) Quoted here:

5/16/24:

The morning after Cin asks Ara.

Ara wakes up alone in Cin's bed. Cin's pillow is cold. She can hear quiet conversation outside the bedroom and sense other Force presences. She opens the door a bit, enough to see Cin at the kitchen table with Feemor, Yoda, Obi-Wan, and Master Monti, then ducks back into the bedroom as Feemor calls out, "No need to get dressed on my account!"

( snip! )

I have rambly ideas (several too-long paragraphs) after that from the past several months, but I've also had other rambly ideas and it's hard to concentrate long enough to concentrate on anything that's just in my head. But I'm going to keep doing what I've been doing for the past month or so, which is just letting the daydreams wander where they may and only writing down what feels worth writing down, and not stressing about how long it's been since the last "big story" because that'd make it worse.

Anyhow, early Cin/Ara seems to be handling at least the polyfuckery well so far. ^_^

ysabetwordsmith

Today is mostly sunny and sweltering.

I fed the birds. I've seen a few house finches and sparrows.

EDIT 8/18/25 -- I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 8/18/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

I've seen a hummingbird in the forest garden. I couldn't tell more detail than that, but presumably it is a rubythroat as that is the only kind typically found in Illinois. It may have been attracted to the water, or the robust colony of red salvia blooming in the barrel garden.

EDIT 8/18/25 -- I did a more work around the patio.

EDIT 8/18/25 -- I potted up 24 sweet cherry seeds.

EDIT 8/18/25 -- I watered the old picnic table and the patio plants.

EDIT 8/18/25 -- I watered the new picnic table garden.

As it is now dark, I am done for the night.

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

These are some posts from the later part of last week in case you missed them:
Writing
Read "For the Many" by Beepbird
How to not build the Torment Nexus
Affordable Housing
Moment of Silence: Terence Stamp
Climate Change
Birdfeeding
Robotics
Genetics
Birdfeeding
Crafts
Climate Change
Creative Jam
Philosophical Questions: Diversity
Today's Adventures
Early Humans
Birdfeeding
Follow Friday 8-15-25: Indie
Affordable Housing
Celebrate Love Your Bookshop Day
Birdfeeding
Vocabulary: Unintended Sidequences
Conservation
Birdfeeding
Poem: "To Allow in More Light"
Hard Things

Affordable Housing has 26 comments. Robotics has 46 comments. Food has 34 comments. "Philosophical Questions: Looks" has 49 comments. "Incompetence, Sloppy Thinking, and Laziness" has 75 comments.

summerofthe69 is open! You can see the calendar here and the current themes are Kinky 69 and Tropefest 69.

There are no open epics at present.

The weather is still sweltering here. Seen at the birdfeeders this week: a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches, a mourning dove, a male cardinal, a fox squirrel, a skunk, and a bat. Currently blooming: dandelions, pansies, violas, marigolds, petunias, red salvia, verbena, lantana, sweet alyssum, zinnias, snapdragons, blue lobelia, perennial pinks, oxalis, moss rose, yarrow, anise hyssop, firecracker plant, tomatoes, tomatillos, Asiatic lilies, cucumber, yellow squash, zucchini, morning glory, purple echinacea, black-eyed Susan, yellow coneflower, chicory, Queen Anne's lace, sunflowers, cup plant, gladioli, firewheel, orange butterfly weed. Tomatillo and pepper have green fruit. Tomatoes, cucumbers, ball carrots, and groundcherries are ripe.

Current Mood: busy

innitmarvelous_og posting in

dw_community_promo

description

Description:
It's one part dream.
One part disaster.
And absolutely 100% fandom.
It's Your OTPs/Fandoms combined with our chaos.

Schedule: From now until October 12, 2025 when our first challenges closes.

Links:
On Dreamwidth:

innitmarvelous_og | Hodge Podge

monkiainen posting in

dw_community_promo

If you're anything like us, you'll no doubt have a mountain of books that you just never get around to reading. Well, that's where

thestoryinside comes in - have someone choose your book for you!

The process is simple: join the community, and each month sign up to be partnered with a buddy, who will then choose a book from your 'to read' list. At the end of each month there will be a community post to discuss your thoughts on the book(s) you read!

However, we're putting a twist on the traditional 'pick for me' routine and each month we'll vote on what genre of book we'll be reading; now, of course this is open to personal interpretation, for example, if the genre is horror and you're not a big fan, you could go for a Goosebumps book, or even Twilight. There will be an opportunity in each voting post to ask any questions you might have.

ysabetwordsmith

china_shop has posted "Writing meta: What Middles Are For." It's an excellent essay about story structure.

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

beepbird has written "For the Many," a book about plurality / multiplicity. It is available at this post with links to download PDF or EPUB formats.

I know I have a bunch of plural people in my audience, and I write about some plural characters such as Damask in Polychrome Heroics or Bruce-and-Hulk in Love Is For Children (The Avengers), so I'm always watching for good resources on this topic. Go read the book. It is very clearly written and includes many practical descriptions of how to achieve healthy multiplicity. Many of the suggestions are good people skills for living in other communal contexts too. It's good to read if you have plural friends, so you don't hurt them, because society affords them little or no protection. If you want to know how to do something, listen to someone who's been doing it a while -- not an "expert" who has never done it.

Current Mood: impressed

ysabetwordsmith

How to not build the Torment Nexus

This week’s question comes to us from Will Hopkins:
When your job and healthcare depends on building the Torment Nexus, but you actually learned the lesson from the popular book Don't Build the Torment Nexus, how do you keep your soul intact and try to put less torment into the world?

I would add: when your survival requires a job, and most jobs involve building some form of Torment Nexus, be aware that your society is in the toilet, circling the drain. And it's not an accident for people to feel outright trapped in truly heinous jobs. That's what homeless people are for: so the boss can say, "Quit dragging your feet and build the goddamn Torment Nexus! Or do you want to be homeless?"

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

Small Changes With Big Impacts in Dallas

On April 23, the Dallas City Council did something worth paying attention to.
They voted unanimously to approve a change to the city’s building code that allows up to eight dwelling units in three-story buildings under a modified version of the International Residential Code (IRC).

Multiplexes and small apartment buildings belong to the "missing middle" of affordable housing. They mix well with freestanding homes, particularly if you put them on the larger corner lots of a block. Imagine a block of mostly 2-3 bedroom houses with the corners holding a couple of small apartment buildings or multiplexes and a couple of bigger 4+ bedroom houses that could be for large families, sharehouses, boarding houses, etc. And some of those single-family homes could also have a garage apartment or a home business on the porch or garage. Such blocks exist in many of the towns near me, and they are awesome.

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

Famous actor Terence Stamp has passed away. He was best known for his role in two Superman movies ("Kneel before Zod!") but performed in many other roles as well.

Carry on the Work:

Acting -- how to articles from wikiHow

The Creative Writer's Ultimate Guide to Science Fantasy

How to Study Voice Acting: A Step-by-Step Guide

Current Mood: pensive

ysabetwordsmith

Unprecedented climate shocks are changing the Great Lakes forever

Heat waves and cold spells are now more common on the Great Lakes, according to U-M research, with implications for the region's weather, economy and ecology.
Extreme heat waves and cold spells on the Great Lakes have more than doubled since the late 1990s, coinciding with a major El Niño event. Using advanced ocean-style modeling adapted for the lakes, researchers traced temperature trends back to 1940, revealing alarming potential impacts on billion-dollar fishing industries, fragile ecosystems, and drinking water quality.

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

Today is partly sunny and sweltering.

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

I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 8/17/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

EDIT 8/17/25 -- I did more work around the patio.

EDIT 8/17/25 -- I watered the patio plants and the old picnic table garden.

I picked 4 goldenberries.

I've seen a male cardinal.

EDIT 8/17/25 -- I watered the new picnic table garden.

I picked 2 red cherry tomatoes.

EDIT 8/17/25 -- I watered the telephone pole garden and a few of the savanna seedlings.

I am done for the night.

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

China firm plans world’s first pregnancy humanoid robot using artificial womb

The innovation uses artificial amniotic fluid and nutrient delivery via hose, replicating natural gestation, now to be integrated into humanoid robots.

( Read more... )

Current Mood: busy

azurelunatic

Thursday's appointment was one that I knew was going to stir up trauma. The doctor ended up listing that aspect of it as PTSD, which I guess is fair. I always have thought of it as "trauma" rather than PTSD, which is kind of odd in retrospect.

I wound up taking a small dose of my "street cred" when I realized I was starting to have a trauma response. That turned out to be a good idea. There's a follow up in a few months, and I should pre-medicate for it.

Afterwards I got the 32 oz reverse mocha from a local coffee shack. (Not one of the bikini coffee shacks.) With chocolate whipped cream, thank you very much. My first time encountering white coffee espresso in a drink. Interesting and almost floral. I had Belovedest (a bitter supertaster) try it. Still coffee tasting, but not as strongly.

Although that's also possibly due to me only having 3 shots of espresso in the drink instead of the usual 6.

I would much rather discuss the coffee than the source of the trauma and the appointment, in any event.

ysabetwordsmith

Great white sharks have a DNA mystery science still can’t explain

Once on the brink during the last ice age, great white sharks made a remarkable recovery globally, but their DNA reveals a baffling story. Classic migration explanations fail, leaving scientists with a mystery that defies reproductive and evolutionary logic.

The most important part of science is being willing and able to say, "I don't know."

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

Today is partly sunny and sweltering.

I fed the birds. I've seen a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches, a male cardinal, and a mourning dove.

I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 8/16/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

EDIT 8/16/25 -- I did a more work around the patio.

EDIT 8/16/25 -- I watered the patio plants and old picnic table garden.

EDIT 8/16/25 -- I watered the new picnic table garden.

I picked 5 ground cherries and a red cherry tomato. The ground cherries are related to tomatillos, with a sweet fruit inside a husk. They are about the size of a chickpea with a faint pineapple flavor. :D

EDIT 8/16/25 -- I watered the telephone pole garden and a few of the savanna seedlngs.

Cicacas and crickets are singing. Fireflies are out. I saw a bat.

As it is now dark, I am done for the night.

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

DIY Vader and Leia Coke Can Lights

These turned out so well. :D

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

Mexican cave stalagmites reveal the deadly droughts behind the Maya collapse

Summary:
Chemical evidence from a stalagmite in Mexico has revealed that the Classic Maya civilization’s decline coincided with repeated severe wet-season droughts, including one that lasted 13 years. These prolonged droughts corresponded with halted monument construction and political disruption at key Maya sites, suggesting that climate stress played a major role in the collapse. The findings demonstrate how stalagmites offer unmatched precision for linking environmental change to historical events.

Just in case you thought climate change wasn't very important, a shift in the environmental conditions is one of the leading causes of civilization collapse.

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

The August

crowdfunding Creative Jam is now up with a theme of "Inner vs. Outer Strength." Come give us prompts or claim some for your own inspiration.

What I Have Written

From My Prompts

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith posting in

crowdfunding

Welcome to the 146th Crowdfunding Creative Jam! This session will run Saturday, August 16-Sunday, August 17. The theme is "Inner vs. Outer Strength."

Crowdfunding Creative Jam

Everyone is eligible to post prompts, which may be words or phrases, titles, images, etc. Prompters may request a specific creator, but everyone else may still use that prompt if they wish. Prompts may specify a particular character/world/etc. but creators may use the prompt for something else anyway and post the results. Prompters are still encouraged to post mostly prompts that anyone could use anywhere, as this maximizes the chance of having creators make something based on your prompt. Please title your comment "Prompt" or "Prompts" when providing inspiration so these are easy to find.

Prompt responses may also be treated as prompts and used for further inspiration. For example, a prompt may lead to a sketch which leads to a story, and so on. This kind of cascading inspiration is one of the most fun things about a collective jam session.

Everyone is eligible to use prompts, and everyone who wants to use a given prompt may do so, for maximum flexibility of creator choice in inspiration. You do not have to post a "Claim" reply when you decide to use a prompt, but this does help indicate what is going on so that other prompters can spread out their choice of prompts if they wish.

Creators are encouraged, but not required, to post at least one item free. Likewise, sharing a private copy of material with the prompter is encouraged but not required. Creative material resulting from prompts should be indicated in a reply to the prompt, with a link to the full content elsewhere on the creator's site (if desired); a brief excerpt and/or description of the material may be included in the reply (if desired). It helps to title your comment "Prompt Filled" or something like that so these are easy to identify. There is no time limit on responding to prompts. However, creators are encouraged to post replies sooner rather than later, as the attention of prompters will be highest during and shortly after the session.

Some items created from prompts may become available for sponsorship. Some creators may offer perks for donations, linkbacks, or other activity relating to this project. Check creator comments and links for their respective offerings.

Prompters, creators, and bystanders are expected to behave in a responsible and civil manner. If the moderators have to drag someone out of the sandbox for improper behavior, we will not be amused. Please respect other people's territory and intellectual property rights, and only play with someone else's characters/setting/etc. if you have permission. (Fanfic/fanart freebies are okay.) If you want to invite folks to play with something of yours, title the comment something like "Open Playground" so it's easy to spot. This can be a good way to attract new people to a shared world or open-source project, or just have some good non-canon fun.

Boost the signal! The more people who participate, the more fun this will be. Hopefully we'll see activity from a lot of folks who regularly mention their projects in this community, but new people are always welcome. You can link to this session post or to individual items created from prompts, whatever you think is awesome enough to recommend to your friends.

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

People have expressed interest in deep topics, so this list focuses on philosophical questions.

What are the benefits and drawbacks of diversity in society?

( Read more... )

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

Today we went out to Mattoon in search of evening farmer's markets.

( Read more... )

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

Science Newsfrom research organizations

Mysterious Denisovan interbreeding shaped the humans we are today.
Denisovans, a mysterious human relative, left behind far more than a handful of fossils—they left genetic fingerprints in modern humans across the globe. Multiple interbreeding events with distinct Denisovan populations helped shape traits like high-altitude survival in Tibetans, cold-weather adaptation in Inuits, and enhanced immunity. Their influence spanned from Siberia to South America, and scientists are now uncovering how these genetic gifts transformed human evolution, even with such limited physical remains.

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

Today is partly sunny and sweltering. :P

I fed the birds. I've seen a few sparrows and house finches.

EDIT 8/15/25 -- I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 8/15/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

I've seen a flock of sparrows and house finches.

EDIT 8/15/25 -- I did more work around the patio.

EDIT 8/15/25 -- I did more work around the patio.

EDIT 8/15/25 -- I watered the patio plants, old picnic garden, and new picnic garden.

I picked a red cherry tomato.

I am done for the night.

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

Today's theme is Indie.

i_love_games -- A Gaming Community
An Active Gaming Community created July 5th, 2013.
[Somewhat active with last post in December 2024.]

indie_games -- Indie Games
Indie games discussion, recs, and squee.
[Somewhat active with last post in June.]

indie_lifestyle -- Indie coolness and all that.
[Dormant with last post in November 2020, but posting is open to all members so this should be revivable.]

musicianships -- The Freaks Club: Musicianships
This Community is for everyone who is involved in music in any way.
[Active with one post in August.]

onesongaday -- One Song A Day
You love music? Come share, listen, enjoy.
[Active with multiple posts in August.]

thefreaksclub -- TFC // The Anti-Thesis Social Network
Everything related to darker alternative subcutlures. Discussion on books, the occult, music, & more.
[Active with one post in August.]

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

These futuristic 3D-printed homes start at just $200K. One city is building 80 of them.

The development will include energy-efficient, high-quality homes with an average size of about 1,360 square feet.

HiveASMBLD plans to print two unique home designs, each with a two-bedroom and two and a half bathroom configuration, as well as an office or flex space, and a covered patio.

Pricing for these homes starts in the mid to high $200,000s.

( Read more... )

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

Here is a list of bookshops from

duckprintspress over a wide area.

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

Today is sunny, humid, and hot.

I fed the birds. I've seen a few sparrows and house finches.

EDIT 8/14/25 -- I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 8/14/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

EDIT 8/14/25 -- I did more work around the patio.

EDIT 8/14/25 -- I watered the patio plants and old picnic table garden.

I've seen a male cardinal in the forest garden.

EDIT 8/14/25 -- I watered the new picnic table garden, telephone pole garden, and some of the savanna seedlings.

Crickets and cicadas are singing. Fireflies are out; I haven't seen them in a while.

There was a skunk in the south lot.

I am done for the night.

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

Clearly a portmanteau of "side effects / consequences." I like it.

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

Scientists confirm two new species of pika in the Himalayas after 20 years of research

Using data collected from 2003, 2023, and 2024, researchers Pan Xuan and Wang Xuming were able to delineate previously unidentified species as Ochotona galunglaensis and O. legbona.

“Our findings highlight the previously underestimated diversity within Conothoa and contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of pika diversity in the Himalayan region,” Xuan and Xuming observed in their study, which was published in Ecology and Evolution.

Pint-sized pikas, which resemble hamsters in appearance, are not rodents but lagomorphs, meaning that they are closely related to rabbits and hares.

Good news, but hardly a surprise. Pikas are currently alpine species. That means they are easily isolated and thus prone to speciation. Think of mountaintops as islands, in the sense that creatures dwelling there find it difficult or impossible to move from one to another.

Current Mood: busy

wickedgame posting in

Fandoms: 9-1-1, All American, Black Sails, Chicago Fire, Dynasty, Heartstopper, Homeland, Legend of the Seeker, Marco Polo, Nancy Drew, Neumatt/New Heights, Orange is the New Black, Preacher, Scorpion, Shadowhunters, Stay By My Side, Supergirl, The Flash, Triage, Unforgotten Night, Younger, Young Royals, Zorro

wat-blacksails-3x05 (2).png

wat-blacksails-3x05 (2).png

rest HERE @

mundodefieras

ysabetwordsmith

Today is mostly sunny, humid, and hot.

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

EDIT 8/12/25 -- I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 8/12/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

EDIT 8/12/25 -- I did more work around the patio.

EDIT 8/12/25 -- I potted up 4 asparagus berries from the Charleston Food Forest.

EDIT 8/12/25 -- I did more work around the patio.

EDIT 8/12/25 -- I did more work around the patio.

EDIT 8/12/25 -- I did more work around the patio.

EDIT 8/12/25 -- I did more work around the patio.

I am done for the night.

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

This poem came out of the August 5, 2025 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired and sponsored by

janetmiles. It also fills the "As If By Magic" square in my 8-1-25 card for the Crime Classics Bingo fest. This poem belongs to the series Monster House. It falls between "Secondhand Sight" and "Paper, Scissors, Stone" so reading in that order will make more sense.

( Read more... )

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

Life is full of things which are hard or tedious or otherwise unpleasant that need doing anyhow. They help make the world go 'round, they improve skills, and they boost your sense of self-respect. But doing them still kinda sucks. It's all the more difficult to do those things when nobody appreciates it. Happily, blogging allows us to share our accomplishments and pat each other on the back.

What are some of the hard things you've done recently? What are some hard things you haven't gotten to yet, but need to do? Is there anything your online friends could do to make your hard things a little easier?

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

This is an online magazine that is anti-capitalist and degrowth. It's something you can read when you get disgusted with enshittification and planned obsolescence and all that crap.

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

Today is partly sunny and sweltering.

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

EDIT 8/12/25 -- I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 8/12/25 -- I potted up 12 sweet cherry seeds.

EDIT 8/12/25 -- I did some work around the patio.

EDIT 8/12/25 -- I did more work around the patio.

EDIT 8/12/25 -- I watered some plants on the old and new picnic tables that were wilting, then did the telephone pole garden and a few of the savanna seedlings. I'm annoyed that some plants are wilting so soon after copious watering, because I can't haul that hose around every day, or even every few days. >_<

I've seen a skunk on the patio.

I am done for the night.

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

I came across this post on Dreamwidth discussing a rant from John Scalzi. I'd like to say a few things about reading and writing. To establish my credentials for the below remarks:

* I have a degree in Rhetoric, that is, writing.

* I'm a professional writer across multiple fields and types of writing.

* I'm a professional editor.

* I have read many tens of thousands of books over the decades. I have inhaled whole libraries. Our house is lined with books; we counted once, it was well over 10,000 then and that was many years ago.

* I am an activist.

( Read more... )

Current Mood: busy

azurelunatic

I have:

* 3 appointments tomorrow, all remote (for later today versions of "tomorrow", because I rarely get to sleep before midnight)
* 2 appointments Wednesday
* Only one appointment Thursday, but it looks like a doozy
* The morning primary care adjacent appointment on Wednesday got scheduled today (Monday) by using the magic combination of phrases "my oncologist said" and "new lump"
* (it's probably a ganglion cyst, since I have a history of those going back to the 1980s)

And then I managed to drive myself to Pained Noises & a complete lack of energy today by:
* ( Read more... )

peaked posting in

100 icons of superman 2025 trailer
75 | clark kent/superman + lois lane
05 | krypto the superdog
13 | lex luthor
07 | justice gang (working name)

HERE @

ysabetwordsmith

In a new pilot program, this city will give homeless young adults $1,200 in cash every month for two years

According to the Stanford Basic Income Lab, universal basic income is a periodic cash payment that is given to individuals unconditionally, requiring no work requirement or sanctions to access.

And as various nonprofits and cities across the country experiment with basic income programs, most have found that the money received is largely used to pay for the basic essentials many Americans struggle to afford.

A new pilot program in Boston, Massachusetts wants to find out if the same trend applies for a specific demographic: young adults facing homelessness.

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