06 July 2025 @ 12:42 pm
Countdown: I decided to give this show a try mainly because of Jensen Ackles. It's pretty good, though I don't think I'll get fannish about it. And so far I don't have any deep comments about it, but watching the first four eps was a good way to spend some time. spoilers )
 
 
 
06 July 2025 @ 03:06 pm
FutureLearn

Italian for Beginners - Part 4 (Open University)
Much to my surprise I'm finding I'm able to complete the quizzes with fewer mistakes and understanding more, which is encouraging.

What do Popular Songs Mean? (University of Leeds)
Like the previous music course I've done with Leeds Uni, this was aimed at potential music students, which I imagine is only a very limited proportion of those taking FutureLearn courses.  Some things were interesting, some were a reminder of things I learnt on an OpenLearn course; at other times they would teach about analysis, but then when I came to work through an example for myself the answer would come up 'you may think xxx, but in this case yyy applies'.  And in at least one occasion there seemed to be a contradiction between something stated earlier and than later in the course.


OpenLearn

Egyptian Mathematics
I read through the course, but it lacks the presentation of later courses.  It was interesting to see a little about Egyptian mathematics, although very little has survived, probably because most of their maths had to do with practical problems they encountered rather than matters they deemed sufficiently important to save for posterity.

Babylonian Mathematics
Similarly with this course, although there was a small amount that was presumably kept for teaching purposes.  Unlike our modern maths, with a decimal system of counting, the Babylonians worked in 60s, so comparing then and now isn't always easy.

The Science of Nutrition & Healthy Eating
My latest badged course.  Definitely interesting and made me consider what I do eat.  Not sure it will change my diet - but I'm more aware of food labels and what I should be considering.



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06 July 2025 @ 03:11 pm
Here are the accumulated stats for all the reviews I've written so far in 2025:

Film & TV:
Positive – 2 (67%)
Negative – 1 (33%)

Books:
Positive – 48 (70%)
Negative – 12 (17%)
DNF - 9 (13%)

Live Entertainment:
Positive – 4 (80%)
Negative – 1 (20%)

Audiobooks:
Positive – 21 (95%)
Negative – 0 (0%)
DNF - 1 (5%)

Games (video and board):
Positive – 14 (88%)
Negative – 2 (12%)

Comics:
Positive - 10 (100%)
Negative - 0 (0%)
DNF - 0 (0%)

Reviews total for first half of 2025:
Positive – 99 (79%)
Negative – 26 (21%)

I'm counting the DNFs as negative for the overall stats.
 
 
06 July 2025 @ 07:52 am
I didn’t have mom duty until 10am, so I went downtown as usual. I hit Walmart, the Bakery, and Agway while I was there, and got in a walk around the park.

After I got home from downtown I tossed a load of what I call ‘dog sheets’ (the sheets I use to cover the furniture) into the washer, hand-washed some dishes, took the dogs for a short walk (I got in .85 mi today, which is good considering mom’s operation/hospitalization etc has really put a crimp in my ‘I can get to a mile this week’ *spoken in mocking tone* notion), and scooped kitty litter before I headed to mom’s.

I got home in time to make supper, so grilled chicken legs, hand-washed more dishes, dried the sheets, and took a shower.

I watched the current ep of Murderbot and finished the Amelia Peabody book. I also saw my first fawn! Sadly, it wasn’t one of ~our fawns, but a downtown fawn. (I’m always surprised how many deer live downtown! I see them crossing the road or people’s lawns all the time.) Mama and baby were crossing the road as I was heading home (and made it safely, even though baby was taking its sweet time). Baby was so tiny and adorable! All those spots!

Temps started out at 51.1(F) (what is with these cool temps?!!) and reached 91.0. In the shade.


Mom Update:

Mom was tired today. more back here )
 
 
06 July 2025 @ 02:58 am
Quote:

"I am my own muse. I am the subject I know best. The subject I want to better."

"Can one invent verbs? I want to tell you one: I sky you, so my wings extend so large to love you without measure."

~ Frida Kahlo


Facts: Sake/Seishu

1.) The word sake (酒) in Japanese usually means alcohol, which is a broader term. Nowadays, what we think is sake points to seishu, which is alcohol made from rice, rice malt and water with a special process unique to Japan. (This alcohol has an unique taste. Do I like it? I'm not sure.)


2.) You can drink sake cold or hot. You can mix it with other beverages if you like, but sake is at its best taken straight cold or hot. People admire the taste and aroma of it by drinking it without anything else. (This is why I am undetermined. I have only had the dry type warmed. I would love to try the sweet chilled. Do not confuse with Korean Soju. You might start a war. Not kidding.)
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05 July 2025 @ 09:43 pm
The Old Guard 2 ends on a cliffhanger.

A. FUCKING. CLIFFHANGER.

There is no confirmation of The Old Guard 3 movie. IMdb lists 21 upcoming projects for Charlize Theron as a producer and 5 as an actress, and none of those are The Old Guard 3.

Multiple people are left in deadly peril at the end and the stupid AI overview says 'the movie leaves room for a sequel.'

The movie REQUIRES a sequel. It is incomplete.

My sister got to gloat because she said, "wow, this really seems to be heading toward a cliffhanger," and I hit the pause and said, "no, look, it's got 23 minutes left, this'll be wrapped up in 23 minutes." Bizarrely, the movie ended with almost 10 minutes left. Maybe the credits were that long. So sis was right.

I normally try to avoid spoiling people for brand new movies that I think many are anticipating, but I'm very annoyed by movies that end in cliffhangers without warning, and I would want to know. So now you all know.
 
 
05 July 2025 @ 09:09 pm
the story that ate my brain. Hopefully tomorrow I can post chapter one.

I also got my first Arackniss pin. It's funny. The character isn't even canon (yet), just part of the background notes from years ago and everyone has a take on him. Me included. I was not expecting to have such fun with him but he's a blank slate. Now I'm actually dreading seeing Arackniss in actual canon.

Speaking of it, now Season 3 (S2 hasn't even aired yet) has had all its music leaked. It's such a shame. And I know some Hazbin fans will buy it. If there wasn't a market, people wouldn't steal this stuff.

I started editing through the new cryptid story. Had a panic attack when there was at least two scenes missing. Found it later and then some of it was duplicated. UGH HOW? But that's the good news. This story was very close to being way too long. It's not done but I didn't have much left to play with and the villain isn't even here yet.
 
 
Current Music: Golden Girls
Current Mood: hot
 
 
06 July 2025 @ 01:33 pm
I'm very much in winter mode here as although some days are sunny, it's cold, and a lot of days are very wet. So not going outside much and not doing gardening, which I don't feel great about. I seem a bit beset by inertia in terms of things physical, possibly a mid-winter slump, but I'm doing indoors things just fine - well, the things I like doing, anyway. Not cleaning or organising! I do tidy up once a week before Fionna comes to vacuum, and occasionally the dishes get washed, but that's about it.

I've started another longer podfic - this one for the due South Big Bang. Am also continuing to add lots of new podfics to the Audiofic Archive (we got inundated by >600 short ones from a recent Voiceteam challenge). And I finished a personal project with the Audiofic Archive of adding streaming links to all the SGA podfics there so they can be enjoyed easily with no need to download zip files. That's 138 pages of SGA podfics! - and increasing each week, as we make more. Next fandom to complete is due South.

In the process I stumbled on Lim's old Fanvid page on Wayback, and the vid downloads still worked. Lim made avant garde vids with lots of altered graphics. Some are on AO3 but a lot of the SGA ones aren't. The Wayback page is here (with additional info and credits), and I downloaded the SGA ones and converted them to mp4 format here. CW for flashing, fast cuts, loud music in some of them. One, Mission Report, (lyrics) is a multimedia podvid where Lim created the lyrics, music, and vid, and sang it for the SGA flashfic comm.

In "first world problem" news, a grocery mix-up. My online delivery packer needs help with alliums! Ordered a bunch of spring (green) onions:
alt
And got a giant leek. Size matters! (in terms of making salads, anyway)

alt


Finally, I saw this amazing poem on tumblr, apparently written by nine-for-a-kiss as a teenager. It's very Dark-is-Rising-ish.

 
 
 
05 July 2025 @ 02:00 pm
Sunshine-Revival-Carnival-4.png
Challenge #2

Tunnel of Love
Journaling: The romance of summer! What do you love? Write about anything you feel sentimental about or that gets your heart pumping.
Creative: Write a love poem to anyone or anything you like

Oh man neither one of these challenges was made for me. Summer is not my favourite season, that would be Autumn, I know very basic white woman of me. Plus, I grew up on a farm, so summer always meant work. I guess I do like how fast and easy it is to get dressed in the mornings, just throw on shorts and a t-shirt and you're good. I also love all the summer fruit we get this time of year, strawberries, raspberries, cherries, etc, yummy!

I'm not a person who really writes poetry anymore (I dabbled a little bit when I was teenager). I got nothing against it, I enjoy other people's poetry, it just not something I enjoy doing myself.

As recompense for my lack of creativity please accept his famous poem about Sherlock Holmes:

 
 
Hello, I'm Q! This is my Creator Letter for the 2025 Rare Male Slash Exchange. First, thank you for your interest! Whether you're my assigned giftor or thinking of making a treat, I appreciate you so very much :)

This letter has my general DNWs and Likes, and then I have individual sections for each of my fandom requests for this year's exchange (and I don't have a preference between any of them, so don't think if one's section is longer than the other that I want it more!). I hope my provided details will give you some inspiration! I really look forward to whatever y'all create, I know I'm gonna love it <3

Details under the cut! )
 
 
05 July 2025 @ 01:54 pm
The second theme this month at [community profile] allbingo  is Western.

Here's my card:

ArmadilloSunbonnet
Chasing a DreamRattlesnake

Tags:
 
 
05 July 2025 @ 07:53 am
* = Rewatch/reread
 
Anime/Cartoons
  • Bob's Burgers 15.12-15.15
Books/Short Stories
  • Critical Role: Vox Machina--Stories Untold Collection 
  • The Five-Minute Marriage by Joan Aiken 
  • The Barrow Will Send What It May by Margaret Killjoy 
  • Paris in Ruins: Love, War, and the Birth of Impressionism by Sebastian Smee 
  • Hell Followed With Us by Andrew Joseph White
Manga/Comics/Light Novels
  • Dandadan Volume 8
  • One Piece Volumes 107 by Eiichiro Oda
  • Oglaf (ongoing webcomic)
  • Order of the Stick (ongoing webcomic)
  • Wilde Life (ongoing webcomic)
 Movies/Documentaries
  • Deathtrap (1982)  
  • The Lion in Winter (1968)*
  • The Third Man (1949) 
Podcasts
  • Midst:Unend 
  • Not Another D&D Podcast
Theater/Concerts 
  •  Ain't Too Proud (National Theater)
  • Frankenstein (Shakespeare Theater Company)
  • A Wrinkle in Time (Arena Stage)
TV Shows/Web Series
  • The Afterparty 1.01-2.09 
  • Battle Camp 1.01-1.10
  • The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin 1.01-1.06
  • Critical Role: Age of Umbra 2-5
  • Dickinson 1.01-1.03
  • Dimension 20: Skyward Ho 1-4
  • Loot 2.08-2.10
  • The Murderbot Diaries 1.05-1.08
  • The Nanny 3.03-6.22
  • Tales Unrolled 1-6 
 

 
 
05 July 2025 @ 12:41 pm
Creative Prompt: Write a love poem to anyone or anything you like

Who or what do I love?
Let's go with cakes
There's my husband, of course
And the scones which he bakes
And the Daughter
To whom we send Christmas cake
Plus her sibling the Son
Who takes us out for cake
I have some good friends
And yes, we do discuss cake
Not to mention my church
With a variety of cake
Shakespeare wrote sonnets
And I eulogise cake!
 
 
 
05 July 2025 @ 07:04 am
Happy belated The Original No Kings Day.

I had mom duty from 8am to 3pm. Before I left I hand-washed some dishes and changed kitty litter. I returned a book to the library on my way there. While I was at mom’s I went for a walk. (I had eyed up this walk previously, thinking it would be close to my half-mile walks, but this was the first time I tried it. It turned out to be .65 mi, but it was a nice walk. Aside from the horrid sidewalks. The village really needs to fix the sidewalks, which have been in poor condition since I was a child, and probably before that.)

When I got home I did more hand-washing of dishes, grilled steak for Pip’s supper, shaved, and tossed a load of bath towel in the washer (AND dryer!).

I started the next Amelia Peabody book.

Temps started out at 57.4(F) and reached 77. It was a lovely day, sunny with a strong breeze.


Mom Update:

Mom was doing okay today. more back here )
 
 
05 July 2025 @ 04:11 am
Quote:

"Never do what a specialist can do better. Discover your own specialty. Do not despair if your specialty appears to be more delicate, a lesser thing. Make up in finesse what you lose in force."

"I love cats because I enjoy my home; and little by little, they become its visible soul."

~ Jean Cocteau


Facts: Rum

1.) Its origins trace back to the Caribbean in the 17th century. The spirit was first distilled from sugarcane byproducts like molasses, which was abundant in the region. (I prefer golden rum over silver rum.)

2.) In moderation, rum contains antioxidants such as polyphenols, which are derived from the sugarcane plant. However, excessive consumption can negate any potential benefits. (So, don't use this as an excuse to get piss ass drunk.)
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04 July 2025 @ 08:52 pm
I don't much feel like celebrating this fourth but found myself at the 4th party/doggie birthday party. My brother's sister in law has two labs. They're so sweet. She also has a pizza oven so it was make your own gluten free pizza. I definitely want one of those ovens. It's stupid and ridiculous and I still want it.


The heat, on the other hand, nearly killed me and I'm still nauseous from it. Ugh.

Have the friday fannish 50 recs


Time For Bed FAKE

Rocky Road Deadpool

Memento Torchwood

A Narrow Escape Teen Wolf

Adronitis The Owl House

i’m starving, darling (let me put my lips to something) 时光代理人 | Link Click

Allow Me To Demonstrate Hazbin Hotel

Plant The Murderbot Diaries

burned with desire Star Trek Voyager

Realism The Murderbot Diaries

For Now Prodigal Son

Another Fine Mess Torchwood

When Val Leaves A Trail Of Corpses... Hazbin Hotel

You Kissed Me Just to Kiss Me (Not to Take Me Home)
Hazbin Hotel

just spread my arms and go The Murderbot Diaries

The Great Wolf Lodge 9-1-1

Sometimes Things Don't Go As Planned Queer as Folk

There Has Been a Poisoning, Sire Hazbin Hotel

Mischief on the Loose Teen Wolf

Midnight Eclipse The Murderbot Diaries
 
 
Current Music: Golden Girls
Current Mood: hot
 
 
04 July 2025 @ 09:45 pm
I'm a big fan of the "string of" plants: string of pearls, string of turtles, string of frogs, you name it. I have a string of hearts and a string of arrows among the various plants on one of my narrower windowsills.



They generally seemed pretty happy there. However, a series of calamities have befallen my houseplants over the last 11 months. Think scale, powdery mildew, mealybugs, and wildly fluctuating temperatures and humidity levels...sometimes in the course of a single day. So I was not pleased to find that some as-yet-unknown-to-me pest had started nesting in my string of hearts.

For some reason, I kept not doing anything about it. And for some reason, the string of hearts carried on living and growing quite happily in the face of my neglect. I started to wonder...



Turns out, those little globes aren't insect nests at all, but tubers. How cool--and cool looking--are these things? Better yet, I can clip some of them off, pop them in medium, and have a bunch of new baby string of hearts after they take root.

It's a constant battle between houseplants and books in this residence, and for the time being at least, it looks like the houseplants are in the ascendant.


これで以上です。