(no subject)
Jan. 3rd, 2026 08:42 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mistressofmusesWhat a good start to the year.
(We were still awake late last night, so Alex got a news alert and switched over to coverage of the airstrikes in Venezuela, though I eventually had to go to bed.)
Who cares about petty things like the Constitution or legality? Those are for other people.
Sure, Maduro is a corrupt dictator, and shouldn't be in control of the country... but we all know that has nothing to do with this. And even if it did, that doesn't mean that any nation can just... swoop in and kidnap a corrupt leader and declare the intent to take over.
Not that it's stopped us before. Sometimes we at least pretended some subtlety.
Empires gonna empire.
(We were still awake late last night, so Alex got a news alert and switched over to coverage of the airstrikes in Venezuela, though I eventually had to go to bed.)
Who cares about petty things like the Constitution or legality? Those are for other people.
Sure, Maduro is a corrupt dictator, and shouldn't be in control of the country... but we all know that has nothing to do with this. And even if it did, that doesn't mean that any nation can just... swoop in and kidnap a corrupt leader and declare the intent to take over.
Not that it's stopped us before. Sometimes we at least pretended some subtlety.
Empires gonna empire.
10th Day of Christmas
Jan. 3rd, 2026 10:42 pmclavallyGreetings
1. Redhead Creamery: Havarti, Calabrian chili orange spread, and fennel salami. Unfortunately, the rind was so sealed to the salami that I couldn't cut through it, so I had to throw it away. However, I love Havarti cheese and the Calabrian chili orange spread with it was SO GOOD. I for real looked up the maker and saw I can get a large bottle from a local grocery store, which I might do. It was great!
2. The Quantum Thief by Hannu Rajaniemi. Never heard of it before, but might be interesting. Cost: $17.99. Total Value: $151.38
1. Redhead Creamery: Havarti, Calabrian chili orange spread, and fennel salami. Unfortunately, the rind was so sealed to the salami that I couldn't cut through it, so I had to throw it away. However, I love Havarti cheese and the Calabrian chili orange spread with it was SO GOOD. I for real looked up the maker and saw I can get a large bottle from a local grocery store, which I might do. It was great!
2. The Quantum Thief by Hannu Rajaniemi. Never heard of it before, but might be interesting. Cost: $17.99. Total Value: $151.38
fandomtrees & sapphic stocking stuffers need fills
Jan. 3rd, 2026 09:21 pmflareonfury So I wrote two drabbles for ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
fandomtrees today, and if you're interested check out THIS updated post about some needy trees out there. And you don't have to be part of the community/signed up to take part. Feel free to gift stuff to anyone you want to as long as it follows their wants/DNW. End date is January 8 (reveals January 10).
Same thing is happening for sapphic stocking stuffers, there's three left that don't have anything if you're interested/fans of whatever they are requesting. End date is January 8 as well.
at xmen100 and mcu100 - both ends January 10.
The below are the NEW monthly challenges!!!
at mcu100 - both ends January 31.
at xmen100 - both ends January 31.
Also finally made my firstsmallfandomfest entry! Safer With Him (AO3 URL), a Moonlight - Beth/Josef fic. It's also the first fic of the new year that I wrote so yay! Weirdly I ended 2025 with a 1.4k fic and I started 2026 with a 1.4k fic - I did not plan that. Ok so I just have one more for my claims for smallfandomfest.
Thank you to everyone that's promotinggamechangerhr!!!! And of course everyone participating! I really appreciate it and I hope it grows more. :)
Alsokingstoken has a 2026 Book bingo if you're interested. I haven't quite looked at the prompts but I'm probably going to try do this one. I kinda forgot about the last one, lmao.
Also incase anyone missed it, there's a JANEuary Prompt event at Tumblr. Still not sure if I'm going to write anything, but I do love Jane Austen stuff, and I love Regency AUs. Oh god, if someone wrote a Ilya/Shane Regency AU I would freaking love you. (I'll have to check AO3 if there is one or not already)
Also found out Hey, Sweetheart challenge - hopefully I can think of something by then for it.
fandomtrees today, and if you're interested check out THIS updated post about some needy trees out there. And you don't have to be part of the community/signed up to take part. Feel free to gift stuff to anyone you want to as long as it follows their wants/DNW. End date is January 8 (reveals January 10).Same thing is happening for sapphic stocking stuffers, there's three left that don't have anything if you're interested/fans of whatever they are requesting. End date is January 8 as well.
at xmen100 and mcu100 - both ends January 10.The below are the NEW monthly challenges!!!
at mcu100 - both ends January 31. at xmen100 - both ends January 31.Also finally made my first
smallfandomfest entry! Safer With Him (AO3 URL), a Moonlight - Beth/Josef fic. It's also the first fic of the new year that I wrote so yay! Weirdly I ended 2025 with a 1.4k fic and I started 2026 with a 1.4k fic - I did not plan that. Ok so I just have one more for my claims for smallfandomfest.Thank you to everyone that's promoting
gamechangerhr!!!! And of course everyone participating! I really appreciate it and I hope it grows more. :)Also
kingstoken has a 2026 Book bingo if you're interested. I haven't quite looked at the prompts but I'm probably going to try do this one. I kinda forgot about the last one, lmao.Also incase anyone missed it, there's a JANEuary Prompt event at Tumblr. Still not sure if I'm going to write anything, but I do love Jane Austen stuff, and I love Regency AUs. Oh god, if someone wrote a Ilya/Shane Regency AU I would freaking love you. (I'll have to check AO3 if there is one or not already)
Also found out Hey, Sweetheart challenge - hopefully I can think of something by then for it.
New Manga Humble Bundle
Jan. 3rd, 2026 07:49 pmsoc_puppetNew manga bundle at Humble Bundle! It's for Lone Wolf and Cub and a bunch of other works by the same creative team. Full bundle for $18 (comes out to about twenty-nine cents a volume), supported charity is The Hero Initiative.
2026.01.03
Jan. 3rd, 2026 05:57 pm
Tags:
- an: series,
- an: sketch,
- chara: kidd pirate commander: heat,
- chara: kidd pirate commander: killer,
- chara: kidd pirate commander: wire,
- ip: one piece,
- platform: bsky,
- platform: reddit,
- platform: sheezy,
- platform: tumblr,
- ship: molotov cocktail,
- ship: punk molotov,
- tag: children,
- verse: r.rebellions,
- warning: drugs/alcohol,
- warning: mild but 18+,
- warning: underage
Poem: "Help Others to Grow Up"
Jan. 3rd, 2026 04:59 pmysabetwordsmithThis poem is spillover from the June 6, 2023 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by a prompt from mama_kestrel. It also fills the "Main character has to use odds and ends to fix a problem" square in my 6-1-23 card for the Kinky and Unusual Situations Bingo fest. This poem has been sponsored by a pool with fuzzyred. It belongs to Marionettes thread of the Polychrome Heroics series.
Warning: This poem contains intense and controversial topics. Highlight to read the warnings, some of which are spoilers. It includes reference to past injuries, reference to traumatic loss of teammates, volcanic activity, traumatic stress, human trafficking, surprise baby, moving to a new home, dramatic scars, attachment, and other challenges. If these are sensitive issues for you, please consider your tastes and headspace before reading onward.
( Read more... )
mama_kestrel. It also fills the "Main character has to use odds and ends to fix a problem" square in my 6-1-23 card for the Kinky and Unusual Situations Bingo fest. This poem has been sponsored by a pool with fuzzyred. It belongs to Marionettes thread of the Polychrome Heroics series.Warning: This poem contains intense and controversial topics. Highlight to read the warnings, some of which are spoilers. It includes reference to past injuries, reference to traumatic loss of teammates, volcanic activity, traumatic stress, human trafficking, surprise baby, moving to a new home, dramatic scars, attachment, and other challenges. If these are sensitive issues for you, please consider your tastes and headspace before reading onward.
( Read more... )
Snowflake Challenge #2
Jan. 3rd, 2026 10:08 pmovermore
Loosely defined! Post about your pets, pets from your canon, anything you want!
Looks like I get to talk about my dog a little. He's a Jack Russel Terrier, very hyperactive and does not know when to stop sometimes.They're hunting dogs so it makes sense that he'd be like this, but it can be a pain sometimes when you live in an apartment and have to take him out whenever he feels like it. It's also not helping that now when it's winter, it gets all snowy and rainy, so he has to shower every time he comes back home. He's not too fond of them at times and will bite if you do something he doesn't like (which can be anything, even something he previously didn't react to).
He's a good dog sometimes and very cute when asleep. He can nap a lot if walked well, but that would require 2-3 hour long walks if you want him to just drop down and sleep. As of recently he's been very cuddly, and likes being petted for long periods of time. He also has a fun habit of putting his paw against the arm of the person petting him, I assume to show affection towards the person that's petting him.
stuff and surreal surreal surreal
Jan. 3rd, 2026 04:33 pmobliviousallythis last week has been surreal
i came out to warren on, uh, tuesday i think? my mom got moved to hospice monday night and the facility gave me a call tuesday morning to e-sign intake paperwork. i also spoke to the hospice nurse who told me, y'know, it'd be ideal for me to be in town and to come visit her. i'd been in cleveland to visit on the sunday prior and she was kinda still with it, but the decline has been SO fast and by the time she was in hospice she wasn't really talking at all (or, like, she would be trying to talk, but couldn't really speak). so i took the day off and poked at chris to give me a ride into warren b/c the car wasn't charged and tony wasn't comfortable driving in the snow
tuesday evening, donna (bud's...sister? i think she's actually his aunt, but they were the same age and raised together - the family ties are weird in bud's family), jenna (donna's wife), and nikki (bud's relation, iirc, but she calls herself my mom's cousin/pisces-sister lol) were at the hospice facility with me, but me and nikki went home and donna and jenna stayed the night. on new year's eve, me, donna, jenna, and lydia (bud's bio-kid, my step-sister) all stayed over b/c the weather/roads were SO bad and the hospice nurse said, you know, she was probably close. maybe a couple hours. i slept on the floor of the room (which wasn't as bad as it could've been lol) and at one point in the middle of the night she asked for me, so i sat up with her for awhile
on new year's day, i stayed out there by myself after folks left in the afternoon. but prior to that, my youngest sister adri reached out on fb and asked if she could come see her. which, obv, i was gracious about. adri is the only one who's ever made an attempt to reconnect with my mom, sabrina and robbie have been hard no contact the whole time (which, like, i also don't blame them, shit's just complicated). so she came down from cleveland and we talked a little bit and i let her have all the time she needed alone to talk to my (our) mom. it was just, idk, surreal. the whole thing, surreal lol. it wasn't a negative thing, at all, mostly bittersweet
i slept there new year's day night, but i got to sleep on the other bed this time at least lol. i spent a lot of the night kind of glancing over going 'is she still.....oh, yeah, still breathing' and playing music all night. it was pretty peaceful, she seemed like she rested well that evening
on the 2nd, the nurses adjusted her a bit and cleaned her up and she was a bit more animated (likely partially from the discomfort) before getting her morphine. her friend cat came out to visit, as well. i went back to the house in the afternoon (jenna stopped at aldi for me to grab some real food lol). i got antsy midday and took the bus downtown to return the elfquest books i'd checked out from the library when i was out here after thanksgiving, then walked around a bit. stopped at the comic book store and bullshat with greg for a minute, took the back shortcut walk between the library and my gma's old place on porter st (also where my mom and i used to live, in the house next door), went to the mocha house for some treats, walked down to my favorite cemeteries and took some photos, then walked back to my mom's place and took a long, hot bath and hung out with the cats
i was gonna go back out to hospice today, but i've been hacking and coughing (i'm still SO congested from my cold before xmas) and i opted to take a day where i just chill out and don't do fuckin anything and i think that's been a good plan
but i've got some thai coconut chicken and cilantro lime rice, so i'm gonna have that for dinner and sit around with the cats and re-watch buzzfeed unsolved lol
little miss emmie lou + miss moonshine
i came out to warren on, uh, tuesday i think? my mom got moved to hospice monday night and the facility gave me a call tuesday morning to e-sign intake paperwork. i also spoke to the hospice nurse who told me, y'know, it'd be ideal for me to be in town and to come visit her. i'd been in cleveland to visit on the sunday prior and she was kinda still with it, but the decline has been SO fast and by the time she was in hospice she wasn't really talking at all (or, like, she would be trying to talk, but couldn't really speak). so i took the day off and poked at chris to give me a ride into warren b/c the car wasn't charged and tony wasn't comfortable driving in the snow
tuesday evening, donna (bud's...sister? i think she's actually his aunt, but they were the same age and raised together - the family ties are weird in bud's family), jenna (donna's wife), and nikki (bud's relation, iirc, but she calls herself my mom's cousin/pisces-sister lol) were at the hospice facility with me, but me and nikki went home and donna and jenna stayed the night. on new year's eve, me, donna, jenna, and lydia (bud's bio-kid, my step-sister) all stayed over b/c the weather/roads were SO bad and the hospice nurse said, you know, she was probably close. maybe a couple hours. i slept on the floor of the room (which wasn't as bad as it could've been lol) and at one point in the middle of the night she asked for me, so i sat up with her for awhile
on new year's day, i stayed out there by myself after folks left in the afternoon. but prior to that, my youngest sister adri reached out on fb and asked if she could come see her. which, obv, i was gracious about. adri is the only one who's ever made an attempt to reconnect with my mom, sabrina and robbie have been hard no contact the whole time (which, like, i also don't blame them, shit's just complicated). so she came down from cleveland and we talked a little bit and i let her have all the time she needed alone to talk to my (our) mom. it was just, idk, surreal. the whole thing, surreal lol. it wasn't a negative thing, at all, mostly bittersweet
i slept there new year's day night, but i got to sleep on the other bed this time at least lol. i spent a lot of the night kind of glancing over going 'is she still.....oh, yeah, still breathing' and playing music all night. it was pretty peaceful, she seemed like she rested well that evening
on the 2nd, the nurses adjusted her a bit and cleaned her up and she was a bit more animated (likely partially from the discomfort) before getting her morphine. her friend cat came out to visit, as well. i went back to the house in the afternoon (jenna stopped at aldi for me to grab some real food lol). i got antsy midday and took the bus downtown to return the elfquest books i'd checked out from the library when i was out here after thanksgiving, then walked around a bit. stopped at the comic book store and bullshat with greg for a minute, took the back shortcut walk between the library and my gma's old place on porter st (also where my mom and i used to live, in the house next door), went to the mocha house for some treats, walked down to my favorite cemeteries and took some photos, then walked back to my mom's place and took a long, hot bath and hung out with the cats
i was gonna go back out to hospice today, but i've been hacking and coughing (i'm still SO congested from my cold before xmas) and i opted to take a day where i just chill out and don't do fuckin anything and i think that's been a good plan
but i've got some thai coconut chicken and cilantro lime rice, so i'm gonna have that for dinner and sit around with the cats and re-watch buzzfeed unsolved lol
little miss emmie lou + miss moonshine
Fossils
Jan. 3rd, 2026 03:22 pmysabetwordsmithFossilized bones are revealing secrets from a lost world
Tiny chemical clues trapped inside ancient bones are revealing what animals ate, the diseases they carried, and the environments they lived in.
Researchers have uncovered thousands of preserved metabolic molecules inside fossilized bones millions of years old, offering a surprising new window into prehistoric life. The findings reveal animals’ diets, diseases, and even their surrounding climate, including evidence of warmer, wetter environments. One fossil even showed signs of a parasite still known today. This approach could transform how scientists reconstruct ancient ecosystems.
That which is small can still hold volumes. :D
Tiny chemical clues trapped inside ancient bones are revealing what animals ate, the diseases they carried, and the environments they lived in.
Researchers have uncovered thousands of preserved metabolic molecules inside fossilized bones millions of years old, offering a surprising new window into prehistoric life. The findings reveal animals’ diets, diseases, and even their surrounding climate, including evidence of warmer, wetter environments. One fossil even showed signs of a parasite still known today. This approach could transform how scientists reconstruct ancient ecosystems.
That which is small can still hold volumes. :D
Fic: Sanity in Ribbons
Jan. 3rd, 2026 02:52 pmsoc_puppetFandom: SVSSS
Summary: Shang Qinghua actually had a very good reason for ditching Shen Qingqiu a few hours outside of Jinlan City, thank you very much, and it was only somewhat to do with not wanting to sneeze himself naked in a city full of strangers.
Mirrors: On AO3
Wordcount: ~6700
Ships: MoShang
Notes: Inspired by Sanity in Tatters and Sanity in Shreds
Fic: ( Sanity in Ribbons )
Summary: Shang Qinghua actually had a very good reason for ditching Shen Qingqiu a few hours outside of Jinlan City, thank you very much, and it was only somewhat to do with not wanting to sneeze himself naked in a city full of strangers.
Mirrors: On AO3
Wordcount: ~6700
Ships: MoShang
Notes: Inspired by Sanity in Tatters and Sanity in Shreds
Fic: ( Sanity in Ribbons )
Birdfeeding
Jan. 3rd, 2026 02:35 pmysabetwordsmithToday is partly sunny and cool.
I fed the birds. I've seen a large flock of sparrows.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 1/3/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
EDIT 1/3/25 -- I did more work around the patio.
EDIT 1/3/25 -- I filled a trolley with sticks from the brushpile beside the driveway, then dumped that in the firepit.
I saw a flock of mourning doves in the ritual meadow.
EDIT 1/3/25 -- I filled another trolley with sticks, then dumped that in the firepit.
EDIT 1/3/25 -- I filled another trolley with sticks, then dumped that in the firepit.
EDIT 1/3/25 -- I did more work around the patio.
As it is getting dark, I am done for the night. It's 4:50 and still twilight, a big improvement over 4:30!
I fed the birds. I've seen a large flock of sparrows.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 1/3/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
EDIT 1/3/25 -- I did more work around the patio.
EDIT 1/3/25 -- I filled a trolley with sticks from the brushpile beside the driveway, then dumped that in the firepit.
I saw a flock of mourning doves in the ritual meadow.
EDIT 1/3/25 -- I filled another trolley with sticks, then dumped that in the firepit.
EDIT 1/3/25 -- I filled another trolley with sticks, then dumped that in the firepit.
EDIT 1/3/25 -- I did more work around the patio.
As it is getting dark, I am done for the night. It's 4:50 and still twilight, a big improvement over 4:30!
(jack) one for the day that we decide
Jan. 3rd, 2026 02:48 pmnorthlandsI do my best to avoid making new year's resolutions. I don't need another weapon to hand myself when I fail; I'm already well-equipped at viewing myself through a negative lens. This time around I'm going to try something.
As we get older and our hormonal state begins to change, our skin has gotten progressively drier. I've never been any good at using lotion because there's something about applying it that is an absolute sensory nightmare for me. And because of the way we work as a group, I can't just let someone else handle it. I'm superglued to the front, and when anything unpleasant happens, I have the worst tendency to shut everything down. We are trying to work on both these things, but progress is slow, and in the mean time I can't keep neglecting this aspect of care.
So my resolution is to start applying lotion after we shower. I've found things that help: thinner lotion, unscented, quick absorbing. I've found a brand that while still unpleasant is at least something I can actually use.
I'm really hoping that as I use it more often I can maybe get more accustomed to the feel and it won't be such a bad ordeal, but past experience with other sensory issues doesn't bode well.
I do like how nice our skin feels after, at least.
As we get older and our hormonal state begins to change, our skin has gotten progressively drier. I've never been any good at using lotion because there's something about applying it that is an absolute sensory nightmare for me. And because of the way we work as a group, I can't just let someone else handle it. I'm superglued to the front, and when anything unpleasant happens, I have the worst tendency to shut everything down. We are trying to work on both these things, but progress is slow, and in the mean time I can't keep neglecting this aspect of care.
So my resolution is to start applying lotion after we shower. I've found things that help: thinner lotion, unscented, quick absorbing. I've found a brand that while still unpleasant is at least something I can actually use.
I'm really hoping that as I use it more often I can maybe get more accustomed to the feel and it won't be such a bad ordeal, but past experience with other sensory issues doesn't bode well.
I do like how nice our skin feels after, at least.
Snowflake Challenge 2026 #2
Jan. 3rd, 2026 02:40 pmmythicmistressChallenge #2: Pets of Fandom
Loosely defined! Post about your pets, pets from your canon, anything you want!
Warning: mentioned pet death.
I currently don't have a real-life pet. My last pet was a dog that we had to have euthanized in September 2024. I miss her, but can share a funny story about her- We were on vacation, and brought her along, and then- she found a floor-length mirror. I believe this was the first time she'd seen herself in a mirror. Cue some growling and barking! My family was laughing so much, I wish I had been able to record it.
Now I just have some virtual pets, my dragons on Flight Rising and my Finch app bird.
As for pets from some of my fandoms/canons, one that immediately comes to mind is Missile the Pomeranian from the video game Ghost Trick. He is such a good boy, and devoted to protecting his owners, as best as he can (because that's what little doggies do). Top Pom, for sure!
Loosely defined! Post about your pets, pets from your canon, anything you want!
Warning: mentioned pet death.
I currently don't have a real-life pet. My last pet was a dog that we had to have euthanized in September 2024. I miss her, but can share a funny story about her- We were on vacation, and brought her along, and then- she found a floor-length mirror. I believe this was the first time she'd seen herself in a mirror. Cue some growling and barking! My family was laughing so much, I wish I had been able to record it.
Now I just have some virtual pets, my dragons on Flight Rising and my Finch app bird.
As for pets from some of my fandoms/canons, one that immediately comes to mind is Missile the Pomeranian from the video game Ghost Trick. He is such a good boy, and devoted to protecting his owners, as best as he can (because that's what little doggies do). Top Pom, for sure!
Brains
Jan. 3rd, 2026 01:28 pmysabetwordsmithBad Brains
Your brain on revenge looks a lot like your brain on drugs—and there’s only one twisted way to get your fix.
( Read more... )
Your brain on revenge looks a lot like your brain on drugs—and there’s only one twisted way to get your fix.
( Read more... )
(no subject)
Jan. 3rd, 2026 07:37 pmaflaminghaloRemembered to put up some photos from seeing the Christmas lights at Chester Zoo with my sister and nephew. It was a nice (expensive, but you go in knowing that) evening.
( Read more... )