Diary: OK, then what?

Oct. 25th, 2025 03:01 pm
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[personal profile] degringolade

I don't really have a good sense of the way things are going to be going in the future. Granted that the trajectory of things a couple or four lifetimes past my expiration date seem pretty well set (at least in my humble opinion), the closer the predictions come to current events, the less certain my thoughts become.

Folks in this particular cul de sac of the net seem to be pretty much agreed that the end game is baked in. Beyond that though, the specious and premature arguments (including those of this humble correspondent) are really just coping mechanisms for the author(s). Shit is changing, and we have no clue which way it will go. So write away, bitch about the change, let it out. The society as a whole is moving away from your ideal. That doesn't mean that the movement is wrong, it is just the change.

Pumpkin harvest stereogram

Oct. 25th, 2025 09:52 am
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[personal profile] cvirtue

I've been looking through (and printing out) stereograms from the Library of Congress, Smithsonian, etc, to view on my stereoviewer. There are also some recently-published books of these which include a stereoviewer in the front cover.

Text from the back of the photo card; probably around 1930 (at the end of the popularity of stereograms)

"WHEN THE FROST IS ON THE PUN'K-IN, AND THE FODDER'S IN THE SHOCK" INDIANA. Lat. 40° N.; Long. 86° W.

Here is a genuine fall scene in the country You could almost walk across the cornfield by stepping from pumpkin to pumpkin. In the background are some fodder shocks, and beyond this lies the apple orchard. It is "gathering-in" time in the fall. In the bright days of autumn when the frost glitters in the early morning, farmers begin to gather in the crops.

James Whitcomb Riley, the Indiana poet, thought this the best time of the year. He tells about it in the poem that is the subject of this description. You have doubtless read others of his poems such as "When the Flag Goes By, "The Old Swimmin' Hole," "Out to Old Aunt Mary's." Riley was born in 1853 at Greenfield, Indiana. He had only a common school education. Then he went as an assistant to a patent medicine man. Later he began writing verse for the Indianapolis papers. He soon became popular as the "Hoosier Poet" , and is known all over the world where people like the poetry of common things. He died in 1916.

Whittier also wrote a poem on the pumpkin:

From his home in the north. On the fields of his harvest the Yankee looks forth, Where crook-necks are curling and yellow fruit shines, And the sun of September melts down on his vines.

What moistens the lip and what brightens the eye? What calls back the past like the rich pumpkin pie?

When wild, ugly faces we carved in its skin, Glaring out through the dark with a candle within!"

The last lines refer to Hallowe'en when the shell of the pumpkin is used to make a head in which a candle is set.

137- (16755) Copyright by The Keystone View Company.

Philosophical Questions: Privacy

Oct. 25th, 2025 12:47 am
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[personal profile] ysabetwordsmith
People have expressed interest in deep topics, so this list focuses on philosophical questions.

How much privacy are you willing to sacrifice for safety?

Read more... )

Write Every Day: Day 25

Oct. 25th, 2025 06:14 pm
china_shop: New Zealand painting of flax (NZ flax)
[personal profile] china_shop
"Nobody talks about the middle. The part where the excitement fades and progress stalls. Where the work feels endless, the wins feel small, and the finish line isn't even in sight.
The middle part is where most people quit – not because they couldn't do it, but because they thought it wasn't supposed to feel this way.
But this is actually where the growth happens. Push through.
One day, this chapter will be the part of the story you're most proud of."

–Jay Yang, via Instagram

My day 25: A bit of a slow start (partly distracted by the Yuletide letters post), but I managed 1,115 words of a new gift fic. I'm trying to slow down the writing and let it be sensory, rather than racing to get to the finish. Let's see how that goes. (There are so many things I'm "in the middle of" or meaning to write atm that my head feels splintered. I need to get back into the habit of sustained attention and finishing, without making the writing feel rushed.)

Other than that, another walk through trees this afternoon, and a quiet evening ahead.

The tally
Tally )

Day 23: [personal profile] alightbuthappypen, [personal profile] badly_knitted, [personal profile] carenejeans, [personal profile] chanter1944, [personal profile] china_shop, [personal profile] cmk418, [personal profile] cornerofmadness, [personal profile] sanguinity, [personal profile] sylvanwitch, [personal profile] the_siobhan, [personal profile] trobadora

Day 24: [personal profile] badly_knitted, [personal profile] brithistorian, [personal profile] china_shop, [personal profile] cmk418, [personal profile] goddess47, [personal profile] sanguinity, [personal profile] sylvanwitch, [personal profile] the_siobhan, [personal profile] trobadora

When you check in, please say what day(s) you’re checking in for. You can join in or take a break at any time; you’re always welcome back. And please let me know if I’ve missed you.

Recipe: "Apple Pie Cookies"

Oct. 24th, 2025 11:52 pm
ysabetwordsmith: Cartoon of me in Wordsmith persona (Default)
[personal profile] ysabetwordsmith
I made these tonight. They turned out very well. :D

Read more... )
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[personal profile] elisem
 (I call housecleaning and sorting through old treasures "attic archaeology.")

Quite a while back, Joel Rosenberg and a number of us had a joke that there should be a Minnesota Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association (MSFFWA), and its motto should be "Quae narravi, nullo modo negabo," which he told us means loosely "That's my story and I'm sticking to it." There were cups made, bearing motto and also logo, which was crossed sword and space shuttle over the shape of Minnesota.




(I cannot manage to upload the photos yet. I'll work on it.)
dialecticdreamer: My work (Default)
[personal profile] dialecticdreamer
False Alarm
By Dialecticdreamer/Sarah Williams
Part 1 of 1, complete
Word count (story only): 1542
[Saturday, May 9, 2020, a bit after 8 a.m.]



:: The next morning brings even more pressure. Vic snaps and unloads his opinions on Win. Her reaction speaks well of their future in the area. Part of the Edison’s Mirror arc. ::


Back to More Danger, More Confusion, part two
To the Edison's Mirror Index
On to




Aidan stood outside near the front door of Shandiin and Nik’s home, filling the first of the new garden tables with soil. Even with gloves, every time he had to break apart coarse clumps, he wrinkled his nose. Win drove up, parking several dozen yards before she reached the round turnabout and the large planter in the center of it. She marched closer. “Good morning, Mister Teague. Is Vic awake?”

“He’s been up for hours,” Aidan answered, chuckling. He dusted his hands, shaking his head at the soil. “I’ll need to weave a screen. That soil that Nik bought at the merchant’s was completely inadequate. It’s like half-finished compost, not proper garden soil at all. But, it’s what we have, so later today I’ll collect a few cups full of worms and let them settle in overnight before we transplant the herbs bought at the store. They’re strong and healthy, at least.”
Read more... )

Birdfeeding

Oct. 24th, 2025 02:06 pm
ysabetwordsmith: Cartoon of me in Wordsmith persona (Default)
[personal profile] ysabetwordsmith
Today is cloudy and cool.

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

I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 10/24/25 -- I planted 15 purple and pink mixed tulips in the purple-and-white garden.










.
 

Friday Five

Oct. 24th, 2025 01:04 am
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[personal profile] ysabetwordsmith
These questions come from [community profile] thefridayfive.

Read more... )
ysabetwordsmith: A blue sheep holding a quill dreams of Dreamwidth (Dreamsheep)
[personal profile] ysabetwordsmith
Today's theme is Jpop and Jrock from Japanese music.

Read more... )

Write Every Day: Day 24

Oct. 24th, 2025 06:14 pm
china_shop: New Zealand painting of flax (NZ flax)
[personal profile] china_shop
‘We have to believe in our work; the only thing that lightens the burden of it, sometimes, is the sense that it matters, and that we've committed ourselves to something valuable, so that even if we don't succeed we'll have an honourable failure.

So there was my imagination, and there was my embarrassment whispering, ‘Why work at something you’re going to be ashamed of?’

However, if I know anything about writing stories, it’s this: that you have to do what your imagination wants, not what your fastidious literary taste is inclined towards, not what your finely honed judgment feels comfortable with, not what your desire for the esteem of critics advises you to. Good intentions never wrote a story worth reading: only the imagination can do that.’

– Philip Pullman, Daemon Voices

My day 24: More pairing experimentation: 660 words. Weatherwise, today was a total contrast to yesterday's gale. We went for lunch in the sun at our favourite outdoor cafe and, later on, took a walk along a stream.

The tally
Tally )

Day 22: [personal profile] alightbuthappypen, [personal profile] badly_knitted, [personal profile] brithistorian, [personal profile] chanter1944, [personal profile] china_shop, [personal profile] cmk418, [personal profile] cornerofmadness, [personal profile] sanguinity, [personal profile] sylvanwitch, [personal profile] the_siobhan, [personal profile] trobadora

Day 23: [personal profile] alightbuthappypen, [personal profile] badly_knitted, [personal profile] chanter1944, [personal profile] china_shop, [personal profile] cmk418, [personal profile] cornerofmadness, [personal profile] sanguinity, [personal profile] sylvanwitch, [personal profile] the_siobhan, [personal profile] trobadora

When you check in, please say what day(s) you’re checking in for. You can join in or take a break at any time; you’re always welcome back. And please let me know if I’ve missed you.

Palestine/Gaza

Oct. 23rd, 2025 08:25 pm
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[personal profile] toastykitten posting in [community profile] thisfinecrew
Even though there is ostensibly a ceasefire in place, not enough aid is getting in, Israel is also bombing Lebanon despite the ceasefire they agreed to with the Lebanese, and Israeli settlers beat Palestinian farmers during their olive harvest in the West Bank

So 1 thing I've been doing is joining a weekly Zoom "Power Hours for Palestine" every Thursday at 9am PST. Feel free to join me. Today we called our reps regarding HR 3565, sent a few letters, and were updated on different things going on. It's hosted by Rising Majority

Also a Jews Demand Action letter toolkit, signed by many including Spencer Ackerman, Debra Winger, etc. 

Since last I posted:
Some things to read/watch:Places to donate to:

Affordable Housing

Oct. 23rd, 2025 09:18 pm
ysabetwordsmith: Cartoon of me in Wordsmith persona (Default)
[personal profile] ysabetwordsmith
This motel was transformed into colorful affordable housing. And it's named after a civil rights icon

Once a motel in the Reynoldstown neighborhood — built in the 1960s — the space was transformed into 56 modern studio apartments for individuals or families who were previously unhoused.

Read more... )

Activism

Oct. 23rd, 2025 09:08 pm
ysabetwordsmith: Cartoon of me in Wordsmith persona (Default)
[personal profile] ysabetwordsmith
10 effective ways you can make change — in addition to attending a protest

In a nutshell: Nonviolent resistance is based on noncooperation with autocratic actions. It has proven more effective in toppling autocracies than violent, armed struggle.

But it requires more than street demonstrations
.

Read more... )

Advice

Oct. 23rd, 2025 06:35 pm
ysabetwordsmith: Cartoon of me in Wordsmith persona (Default)
[personal profile] ysabetwordsmith
On mental health advice

What nobody tells you: Most mental health advice is just expensive ways to avoid hard conversations and difficult decisions.

You don't need another coping mechanism. You need to quit the job. Leave the relationship. Set the boundary. Therapy can't fix problems that require action
.

Read more... )
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
We are presenting a slideshow and talk on spirited/many-selved family portraiture at the New England Graphic Medicine Summit, on Friday, October 24, at 10 AM! Attendance can be virtual via Zoom or in-person at the Richard E. Griffin Academic Center, 670 Huntington Ave., Boston. Come say hi, and let's paint the con multi!

(Many thanks to [personal profile] dreamer_marie for being our test rehearsal audience!)

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