ysabetwordsmith: Cartoon of me in Wordsmith persona (Default)
[personal profile] ysabetwordsmith
Where do migratory birds have their home?

Below are just three screenshots from a series of 16 photos on the Instagram account of somadifusa (Laura Ortiz), of murals she and the tattoo artist Azul Luna (Instagram account azulunailustra) painted in Bogota, Colombia.

I'm captivated by these images both of traveling swallows, some bearing backpacks and baskets, some with shells on their back like hermit crabs, and of hearts that are also nests, or that morph into shells, or sprout flowers and eyes. "Home is where the heart is," or the heart makes the home
.

Read more... )

Birdfeeding

Jun. 17th, 2025 03:07 pm
ysabetwordsmith: Cartoon of me in Wordsmith persona (Default)
[personal profile] ysabetwordsmith
Today is partly sunny, steamy, and hot.

I fed the birds.  Sparrows and house finches have been all over the feeders today.

I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 6/17/25 -- I checked the grass patch by the garden shed.  Something had eaten about half the seedling clover.  :/  So I sowed more Bee Lawn Mix, watered that, and watered the recently planted wild indigo.

EDIT 6/17/25 -- I took some pictures around the yard.

My wildflower garden is swarming with baby praying mantises, at least two hatches.  I've seen a tiny brown one and a slightly larger green one.  :D

I've seen a mourning dove in the forest garden.

EDIT 6/17/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.





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Costume Bracket: Round 4, Post 2

Jun. 17th, 2025 06:46 pm
purplecat: The Tardis against a sunset (or possibly sunrise) (Doctor Who)
[personal profile] purplecat
Two Doctor Who companion outfits for your delectation and delight! Outfits selected by a mixture of ones I, personally, like; lists on the internet; and a certain random element.


Outfits below the Cut )

Vote for your favourite of these costumes. Use whatever criteria you please - most practical, most outrageously spacey, most of its decade!

Voting will remain open for at least a week, possibly longer!

Costume Bracket Masterlist

Images are a mixture of my own screencaps, screencaps from Lost in Time Graphics, PCJ's Whoniverse Gallery, and random Google searches.

May 2025 Books

Jun. 17th, 2025 12:19 pm
kay_brooke: A stack of old books (books)
[personal profile] kay_brooke
Late again. It was kind of a ho-hum reading month, with nothing rating higher than 3.5 stars, and I didn't feel particularly eager to write up this entry. Still, I read eight books in May, no DNFs.

Previous books posts:
Books 1-9 (January)
Books 10-15 (February)
Books 16-24 (March)
Books 25-33 (April)

As usual, cut for length, not spoilers. Any spoilers that do make it in will be marked.

34. Holdout by Jeffrey Kluger - 3 stars )

35. Patient Zero: A Curious History of the World's Worst Diseases by Lydia Kang and Nate Pedersen - 3 stars )

36. Let Him In by William Friend - 2.5 stars )

37. Admiral by Sean Danker - 3.5 stars )

38. The Women Could Fly by Megan Giddings - 2 stars )

39. Weyward by Emilia Hart - 3 stars )

40. Face by Joma West - 2 stars )

41. Terminal World by Alastair Reynolds - 3.5 stars )

music: A Wistful Satellite Song

Jun. 17th, 2025 10:33 am
jesse_the_k: Photo of Pluto's heart region with text "I" above and "science" below. (I love science)
[personal profile] jesse_the_k

I’ve been a Karine Polwart fan for decades, which led me to her recent collaboration with Julie Fowlis and Mary Chapin Carpenter. "Looking for the Thread" mixes Scots Gaelic and US country and a little bit of rock’n’roll.

I was moved by this farewell from the POV of a dying satellite—can you tell me if this matches an actual satellite that circled our planet?

Stream here on YouTube )

Or on SoundCloud or on Spotify.

Lyrics in the cut )

Every Time We Move

Jun. 17th, 2025 10:03 am
lb_lee: A B-movie blond young man with a pompadour, resembling a Cabbage Patch Elvis, grins weirdly into the camera. (wowzy wow wow!)
[personal profile] lb_lee
This is a post about the Kafka-esque process of moving while living legally disabled in Massachusetts.

Every time we move, we have to update our address, not just with our bank and phone people, but also the myriad social services agencies who control our existence. Since we have to move every few months to few years, depending on our housing luck, this is a cyclical, regular occurrence. We have streamlined our procedure over the course of a decade plus, studying the augurs of obscure bureaucratic paperwork errors, reading the signs in the entrails of the bald eagle.

Of course, the exact procedure changes every few years, and there is no way to find out except by accident or error.

Please put on a recording of Yakety Sax or the Gonk for the proper emotional effect of this post. Thank you. )

Photos: Thrifted Paintings

Jun. 17th, 2025 05:11 am
ysabetwordsmith: Cartoon of me in Wordsmith persona (Default)
[personal profile] ysabetwordsmith
I found these three paintings at the Thrift'n'Sip Indoor Rummage Sale. There is a seascape, a forest, and a flower garden with a birdbath.

Read more... )

The Great Farting Oxygen Event

Jun. 17th, 2025 12:02 am
ysabetwordsmith: Cartoon of me in Wordsmith persona (Default)
[personal profile] ysabetwordsmith
This is the earliest mass extinction we know of on Earth, and it may well have been the worst.  However, it usually doesn't appear on the standard lists of major mass extinctions.

Currently we are in the Anthropocene, whether people want to admit it or not.  We are also in the midst of the Anthropocene Extinction, whether people want to admit it or not.  See the insect apocalypse, amphibian apocalypse, and bird apocalypse

Despite these grim statistics, humanity is not the most destructive species the Earth has ever known.  That honor goes to whatever organism first discovered fire, harnessed the power of the Sun, and farted so much oxygen that almost everything else died.  

23 | just a very queer question

Jun. 17th, 2025 03:16 am
verylongfarewell: (queen marie-claude.)
[personal profile] verylongfarewell




To those of you with an opinion on it... I got this idea yesterday to work on a speech for Marie-Claude, but not a Parliament speech or really, any political (as such) speech at all, but rather a speech for a specific occasion. I guess it would be seen as a political speech, because it would be held at Pride celebrations and Pride is inherently political, but this speech should be less about any specific political affiliation and more to document a lived experience.

The idea is that in the year prior to this Pride speech, Marie-Claude, the Prime Minister of her country, came out of the closet as bisexual and moved in, under much public scrutiny, with her girlfriend (and speechwriter, though Marie-Claude would be writing this particular speech herself), Sasha. Although it did create some uproar, generally her country is pretty liberal-minded and at least, she wasn't a corrupt criminal, right - so it wasn't treated as anything politically damaging. Fast forward to the time of the speech: although Marie-Claude, both before and after she became Prime Minister, has partaken in Pride events as a political representative, this is the first time she partakes as a woman who is an out and recognised part of the community herself.

If you're still with me... As I've never partaken in a lot of Pride events, I only remember one speech from a Pride parade years and years back - and it wasn't a positive experience, as it was the Danish right-wing party, Dansk Folkeparti, doing it - I wanted to know what others thought would be good and required subjects to talk about at such an event, especially considering Marie-Claudes own backstory.

I was thinking about letting her address her own experiece of stepping into a position of marginalisation, how she - until she realized she was a part of the LGBT+ group herself - could play the part of someone who had the right to "bestow rights" upon others, a part of the majority, and thus now has to accept her place as a minority who relies on people, who think like she did before, to bestow rights upon her.

I'd like for the red thread to be something about making it a required skill for the majority to consider and learn about minority needs - that would be the most political part of her speech, not an electional promise, but definitely a political agenda for the time to come.

Is there anything in particular any of you guys would like to hear in a speech like that, coming from a person in power who herself is part of the community? Any themes or specific subject matters that you'd like her to touch upon, if you were the listeners at that Pride event? Should she be very political in her points? She is leader of the Social-Liberals, a fictional party that is very centric-leaning, though probably more socialist than liberal in its views. Or should she speak from a more personal, "lived experience" angle? If so, this would be her first time doing so, would that sway your opinon on what you'd like to hear her say?

Any input on this is welcome. If there's something you need to know in order to answer, don't hesitate to ask, I'll be happy to elaborate.

Thank you in advance!


Loony-Brain Hive

Jun. 16th, 2025 07:02 pm
lb_lee: A clay sculpture of a heart, with a black interior containing little red, brown, white, green, and blue figures. (plural)
[personal profile] lb_lee
Realized we may well have never outright said this, so we might as well make it clear: over the past few years, some of the LB alter family has grown more hivemind-y, and at times with less differentiation, in a way that doesn't bother us.

There are a few demographics in here, and the ones we call the "alters" are all people who split off the original girl who inhabited this vessel (Mori, Rawlin, Gigi, Rogan, Sneak, and Miranda), rather than folks who had their own lives and came here from elsewhere (Biff, Falcon, Grey, Bob, and Mac). The alters are like threads of a greater rope, and we unravel and rebraid ourselves sometimes to achieve our goals, though only while working on corporeal tasks that engross us, such as working on a story. When engrossed in making group art, it can sometimes be hard for us to tell who's doing what! (Other times it is not. Coming In or Staying Out was very much Rogan drawing, while the Rawlin comics are all Mori drawing.) And constantly interrupting ourselves from the work to ask, "who am I?" is pointless and annoying, because in that moment, it doesn't matter.

This has also been happening sometimes while chatting with people or posting. We sometimes don't tag our entries because we don't know who's talking or care so much, or we share enough of an opinion that it no longer matters being like, "all the alters agree on this paragraph though Sneak questions Sentence 6."

Mori, Rogan, Sneak, and Miranda can braid like this without too much trouble, but Rawlin especially and also Gigi are still pretty separate, presumably because they still have a lot of memories and history that remain buried and lost to us. As we deal with that, perhaps they'll be able to rebraid with us easier in the future.

The braiding happens without our conscious effort, and we unravel just as fluidly. We don't think of it or call it fusion or integration, because neither have the right feel or connotations. We were threads ripped from a greater cloth, which can never be remade again. Now we are braiding ourselves in a new way that suits us, when it suits us, a cord and not a cloth.

multifandom questionnaire pt 3

Jun. 16th, 2025 05:10 pm
svgurl: (bollywood: shahrukh looking back)
[personal profile] svgurl
This is part 3 of [personal profile] maevedarcy's 72 Multifandom questions to ask a fangirl.

Experiences and Memories

1. What’s the most memorable experience you’ve had related to your fandom(s)?
I feel like everything in Smallville fandom has kinda blurred together. Maybe not a specific fandom, but in recent years, the excitement of running (well, co running) my first exchange was such a good feeling, as was the unexpected enthusiasm over Comment Bingo, when I finally got it up and running.

#2-12
2. Have you ever traveled to a location specifically because it was featured or related to your fandom(s)?
No. When I went to Vancouver though, I was excited when I realized I could recognize the top of the building that they used as Oliver's penthouse/Queen Tower in Smallville. I still remember a LJ friend made a list of places that they film at, and I left it on my laptop and forgot that I wasn't planning on taking it, so I couldn't use it. IDK how much my family would be all for my Smallville related tour of Vancouver but I could've tried to see a couple of spots. Oh well.

3. Can you share about a time when fandom helped you through a difficult period?
I don't know if there's a specific time, but fandom has always felt like an escape. I'm pretty closed off/keep things to myself, for better or for worse, and sometimes, I think I have been able to express myself online in a way that is a little harder to do in person. And people have always been kind and supportive and I have appreciated that a lot. I've left fandom multiple times but it's always easy to find a home here when I return.

4. What’s the longest you’ve ever waited in line for an event or release related to fandom?
Probably a couple of hours. Both when I stood in line at Barnes N Nobles for the 7th Harry Potter book (had to go twice - one to get the ticket with the Letter Group I was in earlier in the day and the second time when they were actually opening the doors) or when I went to the midnight showing of The Dark Knight and had to be there at like, 9PM. Even then, we were further back than I planned so we could've gotten there sooner but the seats we ended up with weren't so bad, iirc.

5. Have you had the chance to meet any of the actors, musicians, authors, or creators from your fandom(s)?
No, the closest I got was when I saw Shah Rukh Khan filming on my college campus and seeing Chris Evans in LA pre-Captain America. I was getting ice cream with a few friends and a premiere for Push had just let out. Dakota Fanning left fairly quickly, but I do remember he was hanging around. We recognized him but I didn't have a smart phone or anything for him to sign, so I didn't bother.

6. What’s the most treasured piece of merchandise you have that’s related to fandom?
Bollywood may not be a fandom I was ever in much, but I was obsessed with Shah Rukh Khan as a teen and I was in London a few days after his Madame Tussaud's statue was revealed, so when we went, they had a SRK doll. I bought it and brought it back with me. I still have it. Also my sister once got me a Superman keychain from Six Flags and I still keep it on my lanyard. It's held up well! :D

7. Do you remember the first item you ever collected or received related to fandom?
Not really. I had a lot of Shah Rukh Khan posters as a teen. I would assume it was something Superman related though since I've been a fan for so long.

8. What’s the most exciting fan event or panel you’ve attended?
I've never attended any fan events/panels.

9. Have you participated in any challenges, collaborations, or competitions within fandom?
Yes, I've been apart of land comms, bingo events (though I'm terrible about completing them!), fests, and exchanges. They're a lot of fun and have helped me get out of my comfort zone.

10. How did you feel the first time you saw your favorite character, band, or actor in person?
I remember OneRepublic was part of this summer fest years ago and I was really excited to watch them live. I don't know how much I actually enjoy live music events/concerts, but that was a blast.

11. Have any of your family or friends become fans because of your influence? What was that like?
My sister has actually ended up getting me into shows for the most part, because I barely watch anything and she gives a lot of things a shot (she was even watching Smallville before me). My dad watched Elementary because of me, since I wanted to, and he really liked it too, so we'd watch together.

12. What’s the most emotional moment you’ve had as a fan within your community?
I remember when one of my LJ friends passed away. We weren't close, but we did work together on a fandom newsletter and I was just shocked. I'm sure many other people can relate unfortunately, but the way it all happened and escalated so quickly was a lot. I think that was the first time someone I knew online had passed away. Just so sad.

Conservation

Jun. 16th, 2025 05:25 pm
ysabetwordsmith: Cartoon of me in Wordsmith persona (Default)
[personal profile] ysabetwordsmith
This 5-star island paradise doubles as a sea turtle rescue

In Malaysia, five islands form Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park, a glittery turquoise oasis filled with coral reefs, parrotfish, seahorses, and green sea turtles.

Gaya, the largest of the five islands, is also home to the Gaya Island Resort: a luxury 5-star retreat nestled in an ancient rainforest that boasts stunning sea views, swim-up pools, and a spa village hidden amongst the mangroves.

But when guests have free time — between relaxing on massage tables and eating teppanyaki, shabu-shabu, and nabe — the resort challenges visitors to partake in local marine conservation efforts.



Ecotourism is a good way to get people involved, and maybe they'll want to stay involved.

Remigration vs. Refoulement

Jun. 16th, 2025 05:14 pm
ysabetwordsmith: Cartoon of me in Wordsmith persona (Default)
[personal profile] ysabetwordsmith
I've seen a lot of vocabulary abuse recently.

Remigration is the voluntary return to country of origin. If it's not voluntary, it's not remigration. This term covers things like freed slaves moving from America to Africa, or Syrian refugees going back to Syria now that some of them deem it safe. We need this term for such purposes, which right now means defending it from people who use it wrongly.

Refoulement is the forcible movement of refugees from the place they fled to back to the dangerous place they fled from. This is what the American government has done many times, such as sending boats full of Jewish refugees back to Nazi-infested Europe during World War II or the current transfer of refugees back to their country of origin. Call it what it is and cite the historic comparisons, where we've got evidence of people dying because of it.

Read more... )