Reading

Entry tags:

The Day in Spikedluv (Sunday, Aug 10)

I did two loads of laundry, hand-washed dishes, cut up chicken for the dogs’ meals, and changed kitty litter.

We went to a local restaurant for supper to celebrate my birthday. (I had their fish and chips which I remembered fondly; they were good, but not as good as in my memory.) I also finished the Kindle cozy and started the next Clare Fergusson book.

I visited mom and got my birthday raspberry pie. (I've reached the big 6-0 today!) I also got pressies from mom, my sister A (who left the bag there yesterday) and my brother (who visited mom today). Lots of gift certificates: Amazon, Bath & Body, and Panera. I also got some candy (Andes mints), some lip balm, a scented candle (mango tangerine), and some sunflower themed stuff (a wind chime, a mug, and a sun catcher) from one of Pip’s sisters.

I received a lot of birthday wishes from family on FB and from DW peeps

angelofthenorth,

angelskuuipo and

desdemonaspace, so thank you for that!

Temps started out at 60.1(F) and reached 92.3.

Mom Update:

Mom was actually doing better today. ( more back here )

Entry tags:

[August 10 out of 20] FFXII - That Itch

Title: That Itch
Fandom: Final Fantasy XII
Characters: Penelo & Vaan
Rating: G
Warning: None. Spoilers through the Dreadnought Leviathan.
Prompt: Responsibility
Word Count: 456
Summary: Penelo loves Vaan, truly; but sometimes she wishes he had a heavier head on his shoulders.

( That Itch )

Current Mood: amused

Entry tags:

humor

Humor

This made me laugh.

The True Self

Current Mood: busy

Entry tags:

Spider Apocalypse

This article mentions seeing no grass spiders in a place that typically has them.

Then I realized that I haven't seen any this year either. Usually we have one every couple of feet here, so many it's hard not to step on the webs. They're barely visible most of the time, unless covered in dust or rain or dew. I may simply not have noticed them. But with the ongoing insect apocalypse, it is concerning. I have have seen other spiders spinning webs, though.

What are your spider populations like?

Current Mood: busy

Entry tags:

Activism

How To Make Your City Stronger With 4 Hours and a Shovel

Last month, members of Livable Lynchburg, a Strong Towns Local Conversation group, joined a walk audit alongside city staff, regional planners, and transit officials. At the corner of 12th and Polk, they noticed two stretches of sidewalk that were so overgrown they were nearly impassable.

( Read more... )

Current Mood: busy

Entry tags:

Fossils

Stunning “wonder reptile” discovery rewrites the origins of feathers

An international team of researchers has published a breakthrough study in the journal Nature showing that early reptiles from the Triassic period had unique structures growing from its skin that formed an alternative to feathers.

The newly described Mirasaura grauvogeli from the Middle Triassic had a striking feather-like crest, hinting that complex skin appendages arose far earlier than previously believed. Its bird-like skull, tree-climbing adaptations, and pigment structures linked to feathers deepen the mystery of reptile evolution.

Current Mood: busy

Entry tags:

Birdfeeding

Today is partly sunny, humid, and hot.

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

EDIT 8/10/25 -- I put out water for the birds. They had drained the small metal birdbath.

EDIT 8/10/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

EDIT 8/10/25 -- I watered the old picnic table, house yard, and patio plants.

EDIT 8/10/25 -- I watered the new picnic table and septic gardens. I didn't have energy or daylight to pick up the hose, though; I had to turn it off and just leave it out. :/ I'll try to reel it up tomorrow. It's exhausting to maneuver.

I am done for the night.

Entry tags:

Photos: Pumpkins & Flowers

Here are some photos I took on a walk at the end of July.

More baby pumpkins! And medium. And large.

( 8 more back here )

Entry tags:

The Day in Spikedluv (Saturday, Aug 9)

I hit the Pharmacy and the Bakery while I was downtown and got in a walk around the park. I stopped at the farm stand and the post office on the way home. I spent several hours with mom.

I did a load of laundry (yes, washed, dried AND folded!!), took the dogs for a short walk, cut up chicken for the dogs’ meals, hand-washed dishes, placed an online order, scooped kitty litter, and showered.

I finished the Duncan Kincaid book and started another Kindle cozy.

Temps started out at 59.0(F) and reached 88.3. Yes, it was hot in the sun.

Mom Update:

Mom was doing a little better today. ( more back here )

Current Mood: busy

Entry tags:

Safety

I stumbled across this today, while researching hormone use on livestock:

Causing trauma to the reproductive tract can induce bleeding, and since blood is toxic to sperm, this may result in reduced conception rates, permanently infertile animals, or animal death.

It makes me wonder if that's a cause undermining conception from rape, which often features internal injuries from microabrasions up to serious tears. If so, an interesting example of self-sabotage.

And then, what about the handful of species where rough sex is normal or even required? A tomcat's barbed penis, for example. Is their sperm different somehow? Or is there some other protective mechanism in play?

Current Mood: busy

Entry tags:

Food

How much damage are ultraprocessed foods really doing to your health?

New American Heart Association Science Advisory reviews current evidence about UPFs and their impact on adverse health outcomes and outlines opportunities for research, policy and regulatory reform to improve dietary intake and overall health.
Many foods we consume today are ultraprocessed, packed with unhealthy ingredients, and linked to major health risks. As consumption of these foods rises, so do chronic health issues, especially among lower-income groups. Experts are calling for clearer guidelines, better research, and systemic changes to reduce the impact of ultraprocessed foods on public health.

( Read more... )

Current Mood: busy

Entry tags:

Birdfeeding

Today is mostly sunny and hot.

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

EDIT 8/9/25 -- I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 8/9/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

Entry tags:

The Day in Spikedluv (Friday, Aug 7)

I hit Price Chopper while I was downtown and got in a walk around the park. I visited my aunt (who woke up enough for me to show her some recent photos) and stopped in to see mom on the way home.

On the way home from mom's I picked up chicken quarters for supper o_O, stopped at the library to return a book (and got a surprise book that had just arrived!), hit the bank drive-thru, and filled my gas tank. I also did a load of laundry (washed, dried AND folded!), hand-washed dishes and did a load in the dishwasher, baked chicken for the dogs’ meals, scooped kitty litter, and showered.

I started the next Duncan Kincaid book. I forgot to mention that I recently purchased the Thunderbolts DVD, so I hope to watch that again at some point.

Temps started out at 61.7(F) and reached 88.0. We’re hitting hotter temps again. Today started off hazy (again, I’m sure it’s smoke) and then cleared so that we had blue sky and full on sun.

Mom Update:

Mom was doing better today than yesterday! ( more back here )

Current Mood: busy

Entry tags:

recurring posts

Philosophical Questions: Thinking

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

If everyone said what they were actually thinking, what would happen to society?

KERPLOWIE

Current Mood: busy

Entry tags:

Safety

Helsinki just went a full year without traffic fatalities — here's their secret

In the United States, traffic incidents are a leading cause of death, with an average of 120 people dying every day due to motor vehicle collisions.

On a global scale, a person dies from a road-related accident every 24 seconds.

But Finland’s capital city of Helsinki has pulled off something astonishing — the last recorded traffic-related death was over a year ago, in July 2024.

( Read more... )

Current Mood: pensive

Entry tags:

Moment of Silence: Jim Lovell

Astronaut Jim Lovell has passed away. He flew four missions, including the famous Apollo 13 in which the crew narrowly averted disaster.

Under the wide and starry sky,
Dig the grave and let me lie.
Glad did I live and gladly die,
And laid me down with a will.
This be the verse you grave for me:
Here he lies where he longed to be;
Home is the sailor, home from the sea,
And the hunter home from the hill.
-- Robert Louis Stevenson

( Read more... )

Entry tags:

August: This and That

Welcome to our challenge This and That. Every month, I will offer you a main theme you should base your works on.

For August, the theme is Dialogue only for written works / Text only for graphic works.

Allowed are fics up to 500 words, small poems such as haiku or tanka, icons (100 x 100px), and graphics (maximum 500 x 500px).

All fandoms, genres, and ratings are welcome. Original works and real-person works are fine, too.

Please tag your work with all relevant tags.

This challenge runs until August 31, midnight in your timezone.

:::

Challenge Reminder:
10 out of 20

Current Mood: busy

Entry tags:

Birdfeeding

Today is sunny, humid, and hot.

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

I put out water for the birds.

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

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

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

I picked a red cherry tomato.

EDIT 8/8/25 -- I watered the savanna seedlings.

EDIT 8/8/25 -- I watered the telephone pole garden and the septic garden.

I found a baby preying mantis on the burn barrel and moved it to the barrel garden.

Cicadas and crickets are singing. I've seen a few fireflies.

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

Entry tags:

babble,
recs

How is it August already?

I threw together some Battleship recs for the last two weeks'

recthething community rec posts (mostly art but a little fic) and just remembered I should share it here too (creators will still be anon until Wednesday):

Art recs:
Carmilla
- Art: Your Sleep Demon (delightfully creepy)

DCU
- Art: Just a little more, Superman... A young Jason helps Clark to safety.(gorgeous, particularly the lighting)

Dracula
- Art: Midnight The scene after Dracula leaves Jonathan and Mina's room. (the emotions in this!)

Dredge (Video Game)
- [Art] Sunset Scene Summary: A small atmospheric piece.(absolutely beautiful, no canon knowledge needed digital art piece)

Moby Dick - Herman Melville
- [Art] The Ghost Hunter AU Summary: No-dialogue comic imagining if the events of the book were loosely adapted into a found footage horror piece centered on Ahab's quest to prove the existence of the spirit Moby-Dick. (so many details in this comic and so well done!)

Original Works
- [Art] She was a fairy This art was inspired by samiabenchaou_ on Instagram. She’s a hijabi fashion influencer. (beautiful)
- A Regency grape angel enjoying some tea with her pets (so sweet)
- Art: Madame Poire A woman wearing a pear-themed historical dress. (wonderfully detailed)
- The Fruit Heist Glorbo, Barry, and Pearry stealing fruits. (All of the teams' mascots and friends, so cute!)
- [art] Glorby Be (Manuscript art! Amazing)
- Battleship 2025: Paper Dolls (A series of paper dolls of Glorbo and others that can be cut out with clothing and whatnot to add, so neat!)
- [Art] The Tower Sumary: A mermaid is... happy to see the lighthouse keeper she's been watching. (beautiful, if slightly creepy charcoal/chalk/pastels on paper piece)
- [Art] Monster in 8B Summary: The shadows aren't cruel. (amazingly creepy)

fic recs:
Eureka/Stargate SG1 crossover
- Bugs in the System Summary: SG-1's visit to Eureka has some unexpected results. (Jack Carter and Sam Carter are cousins and amazing in this)

Leverage/DCU crossover
- https://archiveofourown.org/works/68406316" target="_blank">They Meet Again Summary: At a charity gala, Bruce Wayne meets a beautiful woman he's run into many, many times before. (great Bruce voice and so many neat little details)

Star Trek Lower Decks
- Battlesheep Potemkin Summary: First officer's log, stardate, uh, computer, add the stardate in. The Cerritos is responding to a distress call from the USS Potemkin, an Excelsior-class starship that was exploring the Gra'pe-2025 system. Upon arrival, we found Potemkin adrift in orbit of the third planet, which is currently surrounded by an ion storm. There is no sign of the crew. However, the ship is filled with hundreds of strange mammalian life-forms. (hilarious)

The last team, Lemon, cleared their final board today and those works will go live tomorrow. I will be very interested in hearing from their team (and everyone else) when the feedback post is put up. I don't usually comment on those posts but I might this year, depending on what the mods say in the first place about how the game might change for next year (there was already mention in the discord that the tag count will drop back down to 400 from the 574 of this year which is such a relief). Without some mod changes (or at least issue acknowledgements) I'll have to think very hard about signing up again next year, which is a shame since I'm one of the very few who've done it every year but the things I love about it are starting to be outweighed but what I find stressful or outright dislike. Sigh.

Now that battleship's winding down hopefully I'll have time to tackle a few things on my to-watch and to-read lists. I would really like to get through the official Guardian translation before the Guardian-read-along finishes up but I am just not sure I'll manage it. (And then there's my poor MDL to-watch list. So long despite efforts earlier this year to work my way through it. Somehow, I keep adding to it. Too many good shows/movies out there I guess.) I also have to start thinking about Yuletide and what I'll want to nominate for it.

Crafting-wise I've been working on a blanket my daughter 'commissioned' from me (aka she bought the yarn). I'm about 3 skeins into the 7 I think it'll need for the length she wants. It's turning out nice, but will still take a while to finish. After that (or maybe during a break from that) I need to do another bread/bagel bag rug because my stack of bags is starting to get unwieldly. Not sure what I'll do with it/where I'll put it once I make it, but that's a future me problem. I also have a string bag I was designing that I ran out of crochet thread for that I need to get back to now that I've bought more. (Here's hoping my notes still make sense)

Anyway, hope all of you are doing well and August is being nice to you! :)

Entry tags:

The Day in Spikedluv (Thursday, Aug 7)

I hit Walmart while I was downtown and got in a walk around the park. I did a load of laundry (washed, dried AND folded!!), hand-washed dishes, placed an on-line order, scooped kitty litter, and shaved.

I stopped at the library to talk to the librarian about a series we’re both reading and picked up a book. (It’s one I requested on a whim and I hope my interest lasts long enough for me to actually read it.) I also finished the Amelia Peabody book.

Imgur was not loading properly for me today, which is annoying because I have so many pics I want to share!!

Temps started out at 63.5(F) and reached 84.0. I realized this morning that the haze and overcast skies of the past few days have probably actually been smoke coming in from the fires in Canada. I really frelling hate climate change and the fact that so many people are still denying that it’s a problem.

Mom Update:

Mom was doing okay today. Better than I expected after last night’s phone call, but not as good as she could be. ( more back here )