New Music Monday - 23 February 2026
Feb. 23rd, 2026 08:21 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
paradisedinermod posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
paradisedinerThe regular weekly post for us to talk about any and all of our thoughts about the week's new releases.
IVE - Blackhole
NCT JNJM - Both Sides
Daily:Direction - Roomba Doomba (debut)
ChoCo Family - Gimme / Frenzy
Minho - Flawless / Sunkissed
WJSN - Bloom Hour
Chaser (debut)
One Pact - Sane
QQQ
ASC2NT - Still Rose
AtHeart - Shut Up (pre-release)
NMIXX - Tic Tic (feat. Pabllo Vittar)
Blackpink - Go
Wezag (debut)
New MVs are also added to an ongoing Youtube playlist.
Last week's MVs: 16 February
Feel free to add new comments in the replies for songs/MVs we missed.
[ Rec Something Wednesday | WIP Wednesday | Monthly General Chat | Comment Fest ]
IVE - Blackhole
NCT JNJM - Both Sides
Daily:Direction - Roomba Doomba (debut)
ChoCo Family - Gimme / Frenzy
Minho - Flawless / Sunkissed
WJSN - Bloom Hour
Chaser (debut)
One Pact - Sane
QQQ
ASC2NT - Still Rose
AtHeart - Shut Up (pre-release)
NMIXX - Tic Tic (feat. Pabllo Vittar)
Blackpink - Go
Wezag (debut)
New MVs are also added to an ongoing Youtube playlist.
Last week's MVs: 16 February
Feel free to add new comments in the replies for songs/MVs we missed.
That Seat Has Been Taken
Feb. 23rd, 2026 08:00 am![[syndicated profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/feed.png){kind=small}
notalwaysright_feed
Customer Service: "Store policy is that we don’t do returns on toilet seats once they’re out of the plastic."
Customer: "I just took it out to check it. It’s not the right shape."
Customer Service: "Store policy says we can’t return seats once they’re opened."
Monday Update 2-23-26
Feb. 23rd, 2026 12:37 amysabetwordsmithThese are some posts from the later part of last week in case you missed them:
Poem: "The Struggle Against Overwhelming Odds"
Poem: "Embrace My Fate"
John Scheepers Kitchen Garden Seeds Order
Poem: "The Spectrum of Your Being"
Early Humans
Birdfeeding
Vocabulary: Bricolage
Today's Adventures
Science
Birdfeeding
Meteor Shower Calendar
Philosophical Questions: Life
Edible Landscaping Order
Meme
Photos: House Yard
Water
Birdfeeding
Books
Follow Friday 2-20-26: Active Communities on Dreamwidth Winter 2025-2026 A-I
Energy
Birdfeeding
Community Thursdays
Photos: Flowerbeds
Books
Birdfeeding
Hard Things
Safety has 49 comments. Food has 53 comments. Wildlife has 39 comments. Food has 67 comments. Robotics has 146 comments.
Last week's half-price sale in Not Quite Kansas went well. All sponsored poems have been posted, so you can find those via the title links on the sale page.
The 2026 Rose and Bay Awards are now open for excellence in crowdfunding. It's time to vote for your favorite projects!
The award period for eligible activities spans January 1-December 31, 2025.
The nomination period spans January 1-January 31, 2026.
The voting period spans February 1-February 28, 2026.
These are the handlers for the 2026 award season:
"The Struggle Against Overwhelming Odds" belongs to Not Quite Kansas and needs $34.50 to be complete. Raymond and Gideon get attacked on the way home from research.
The weather has been variable here. Seen at the birdfeeders this week: a large flock of sparrows, several starlings, one male and two female house finches, one female and two male cardinals, a mourning dove, and a fox squirrel. I flushed the great horned owl from the ritual meadow when I went out there. A skein of geese flew overhead, going north. Currently blooming: crocuses.
Poem: "The Struggle Against Overwhelming Odds"
Poem: "Embrace My Fate"
John Scheepers Kitchen Garden Seeds Order
Poem: "The Spectrum of Your Being"
Early Humans
Birdfeeding
Vocabulary: Bricolage
Today's Adventures
Science
Birdfeeding
Meteor Shower Calendar
Philosophical Questions: Life
Edible Landscaping Order
Meme
Photos: House Yard
Water
Birdfeeding
Books
Follow Friday 2-20-26: Active Communities on Dreamwidth Winter 2025-2026 A-I
Energy
Birdfeeding
Community Thursdays
Photos: Flowerbeds
Books
Birdfeeding
Hard Things
Safety has 49 comments. Food has 53 comments. Wildlife has 39 comments. Food has 67 comments. Robotics has 146 comments.
Last week's half-price sale in Not Quite Kansas went well. All sponsored poems have been posted, so you can find those via the title links on the sale page.
The 2026 Rose and Bay Awards are now open for excellence in crowdfunding. It's time to vote for your favorite projects!
The award period for eligible activities spans January 1-December 31, 2025.
The nomination period spans January 1-January 31, 2026.
The voting period spans February 1-February 28, 2026.
These are the handlers for the 2026 award season:
Art:
Fiction:
Poetry:
Webcomic:
Other Project:
Patron:
"The Struggle Against Overwhelming Odds" belongs to Not Quite Kansas and needs $34.50 to be complete. Raymond and Gideon get attacked on the way home from research.
The weather has been variable here. Seen at the birdfeeders this week: a large flock of sparrows, several starlings, one male and two female house finches, one female and two male cardinals, a mourning dove, and a fox squirrel. I flushed the great horned owl from the ritual meadow when I went out there. A skein of geese flew overhead, going north. Currently blooming: crocuses.
Poem: "The Struggle Against Overwhelming Odds"
Feb. 22nd, 2026 11:29 pmysabetwordsmithThis poem is spillover from the October 2020 Creative Jam. It was inspired by a prompt from wyld_dandelyon. It also fills the "demons" square in my 10-1-20 card for the Fall Festival Bingo. This poem has been sponsored by a pool with fuzzyred. It belongs to the series Not Quite Kansas.
Warning: This poem contains intense and controversial topics. Highlight to read the more detailed warnings, some of which are spoilers. It includes feeling lost, an unprovoked attack, hellhounds, violence, gore, unexpected rescue, playing with prey, fatally injured opponents, minor injuries to main characters, awkward discussions, willing sacrifice, intimate magical healing, and other challenges. If these are sensitive issues for you, please consider your tastes and headspace before reading onward.
This microfunded poem is being posted one verse at a time, as donations come in to cover them. The rate is $0.25/line, so $5 will reveal 20 new lines, and so forth. There is a permanent donation button on my profile page, or you can contact me for other arrangements. You can also ask me about the number of lines per verse, if you want to fund a certain number of verses. So far sponsors include:fuzzyred,
355 lines, Buy It Now = $44.50
Amount donated = $10
Verses posted = 13 of 118
Amount remaining to fund fully = $34.50
Amount needed to fund next verse = $0.25
Amount needed to fund the verse after that = $0.75
( Read more... )
wyld_dandelyon. It also fills the "demons" square in my 10-1-20 card for the Fall Festival Bingo. This poem has been sponsored by a pool with fuzzyred. It belongs to the series Not Quite Kansas.Warning: This poem contains intense and controversial topics. Highlight to read the more detailed warnings, some of which are spoilers. It includes feeling lost, an unprovoked attack, hellhounds, violence, gore, unexpected rescue, playing with prey, fatally injured opponents, minor injuries to main characters, awkward discussions, willing sacrifice, intimate magical healing, and other challenges. If these are sensitive issues for you, please consider your tastes and headspace before reading onward.
This microfunded poem is being posted one verse at a time, as donations come in to cover them. The rate is $0.25/line, so $5 will reveal 20 new lines, and so forth. There is a permanent donation button on my profile page, or you can contact me for other arrangements. You can also ask me about the number of lines per verse, if you want to fund a certain number of verses. So far sponsors include:
fuzzyred, 355 lines, Buy It Now = $44.50
Amount donated = $10
Verses posted = 13 of 118
Amount remaining to fund fully = $34.50
Amount needed to fund next verse = $0.25
Amount needed to fund the verse after that = $0.75
( Read more... )
Daily Happiness
Feb. 22nd, 2026 09:04 pmtorachan1. We had a very nice morning at Disneyland today. A little warm (I wore a sweatshirt when we got in and had to take it off about halfway through, so then I had to lug it around the rest of the time, which was annoying) and a little crowded, but we ate a lot of good food and had a good time.
2. Poor Tuxie looks like he got in a scuffle again. Yesterday he came to the door with one eye partially closed and the fur between his eye and ear on that side scraped up. He's looking better today (eye fully open) and unlike some times before where he disappeared for a few days to hunker down, he has been spending his time in our yard as usual, so hopefully he's doing okay. I do wish he wouldn't get in fights. :-/
3. Jasper is just hanging out.
2. Poor Tuxie looks like he got in a scuffle again. Yesterday he came to the door with one eye partially closed and the fur between his eye and ear on that side scraped up. He's looking better today (eye fully open) and unlike some times before where he disappeared for a few days to hunker down, he has been spending his time in our yard as usual, so hopefully he's doing okay. I do wish he wouldn't get in fights. :-/
3. Jasper is just hanging out.
Poem: "Embrace My Fate"
Feb. 22nd, 2026 10:39 pmysabetwordsmithThis poem is spillover from the October 6, 2020 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by a prompt from librarygeek. It also fills the "How do you want to do this?" square in my 10-1-20 card for the Fall Festival Bingo. This poem has been sponsored by a pool with fuzzyred. It belongs to the series Not Quite Kansas.
Warning: This poem contains intense and controversial topics. Highlight to read the more detailed warnings, some of which are spoilers. It includes feeling lost, sorting through a lair acquired by combat, reference to past abuse, cursed artifacts, damned souls, worry, magical body modification, restraint for safety, awkward emotional discussions, and other challenges. If these are sensitive issues for you, please consider your tastes and headspace before reading onward.
( Read more... )
librarygeek. It also fills the "How do you want to do this?" square in my 10-1-20 card for the Fall Festival Bingo. This poem has been sponsored by a pool with fuzzyred. It belongs to the series Not Quite Kansas.Warning: This poem contains intense and controversial topics. Highlight to read the more detailed warnings, some of which are spoilers. It includes feeling lost, sorting through a lair acquired by combat, reference to past abuse, cursed artifacts, damned souls, worry, magical body modification, restraint for safety, awkward emotional discussions, and other challenges. If these are sensitive issues for you, please consider your tastes and headspace before reading onward.
( Read more... )
John Scheepers Kitchen Garden Seeds Order
Feb. 22nd, 2026 09:41 pmysabetwordsmithI picked out what I wanted from John Scheepers Kitchen Garden Seeds. This catalog has the Safe Seed Pledge, meaning everything is non-GMO/toxin-free. My partner Doug further notes that they have the best, easiest ordering system of all the catalogs we use. Call up the Smart Order Form and when you key in the product number, the rest autofills, tells you if it's still in stock, and lists the price. \o/ Somegeek earned their coffee today!
( Read more... )
( Read more... )
Recommendation: Pity and Terror - Slings & Arrows, Geoffrey/Darren and a production of Medea
Feb. 22nd, 2026 11:05 pmpetraPity and Terror (463 words) by RiaSaun
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Slings and Arrows, Medea - Fandom
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Characters: Geoffrey Tennant, Darren Nichols
Additional Tags: Humor, Drama
Summary:
This was inspired by one of the first fanworks I ever put on the AO3, back in my Slings & Arrows heyday. It has an excellent use of Darren Nichols' off-kilter genius.
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Slings and Arrows, Medea - Fandom
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Characters: Geoffrey Tennant, Darren Nichols
Additional Tags: Humor, Drama
Summary:
Darren sells Geoffrey on a production. This is inspired by Petra's "Grace and a Cod-piece."
*This was inspired by one of the first fanworks I ever put on the AO3, back in my Slings & Arrows heyday. It has an excellent use of Darren Nichols' off-kilter genius.
2026 Disneyland Trip #10 (2/22/26)
Feb. 22nd, 2026 06:28 pmtorachanToday is Anaheim Ducks Day at DCA and I specifically made a reservation for today rather than Saturday (our usual), not because either of us care anything about hockey or the Ducks, but because last year we just happened to be there on that day and had an amazing burrito that they only serve on Ducks Day lol.
( Read more... )
( Read more... )
Falling.
Feb. 22nd, 2026 08:42 pmhannahThe travel ban's up. Schools are going back to remote learning. Nobody's going anywhere if they can help it. I'd figured this was coming, and it's nice that it's settling in. The snow's coming down steadily and I can faintly hear human voices - going from where the light's coming from, the people in the next building over are either hosting some friends or having a very loud party by themselves. Either way, it's warm human voices on a cold night.
Not a dark night, though. The clouds aren't letting that happen. It's one of the nicer parts of nighttime snow.
Not a dark night, though. The clouds aren't letting that happen. It's one of the nicer parts of nighttime snow.
Daily Check-In
Feb. 22nd, 2026 08:04 pmmecurtin posting in fandom_checkinThis is your check-in post for today. The poll will be open from midnight Universal or Zulu Time (8pm Eastern Time) on Sunday, February 22, to midnight on Monday, February 23 (8pm Eastern Time).
Please, talk about how things are going for you in the comments, ask for advice or help if you need it, or just discuss whatever you feel like.
Poll #34278 Daily check-in poll
Open to: Access List, detailed results viewable to: Access List, participants: 23
How are you doing?
I am OK
15 (68.2%)
I am not OK, but don't need help right now
7 (31.8%)
I could use some help
0 (0.0%)
How many other humans live with you?
I am living single
6 (26.1%)
One other person
12 (52.2%)
More than one other person
5 (21.7%)
Please, talk about how things are going for you in the comments, ask for advice or help if you need it, or just discuss whatever you feel like.
i don't wanna keep secrets just to keep you
Feb. 22nd, 2026 07:30 pmmusesfoolI got up to watch the hockey this morning and despite Team USA pulling it off in OT, I do not accept that Bill Guerin was proved right in his choices. Eighty-five percent of the game was played in their defensive end and they only won because Connor Hellebuyck stood on his head. Maybe a little more scoring power on the team could have given them some breathing room. I am just saying. I'm happy for Hellebuyck and the Hughes brothers, and I got a little teary when they brought out the Gaudreau jersey and his kids, and I'm not gonna lie, watching Jon Cooper and Connor McDavid (along with Sam Bennett, Tom Wilson, and Brad Marchand) lose was pleasing to me on a deep, personal level, but overall, I'd still have preferred the Finns or the Swedes take home the gold.
I then baked some oatmeal for breakfast for the week, and made macaroni salad for a few days of lunch, and then for dinner, I made angel hair as planned, though when I actually read the recipe, it was not anything new to me - it was what I always do for a super quick tomato sauce, except they were adding chile crisp to it, which I guess is the thing nowadays - every recipe I read has chile crisp in it, but I'm not really a chile crisp person. I have the heat tolerance (in terms of spiciness, though I also don't like my food super hot temperature-wise either) of the whitest baby you know.
Anyway! It is a super easy but delicious meal and if you don't mind waiting a few extra minutes, you can do it all in one pot. Boil your pasta - angel hair is best for this, imo - and reserve a cup of pasta water before you drain it. Return the pot to the stove over low heat and add in a nice glug of olive oil (2 tbsp if you need a measurement), and then add a whole can or tube of tomato paste to the oil (so between 4 and 6 oz). Stir it around and season it as you like - I used garlic and onion powder, oregano and red pepper flakes and salt, but if you want to get fancy, you could probably saute a diced shallot and some minced garlic in the oil for a minute or two before adding the tomato paste - for 2-3 minutes, until it's all hot and sizzling. If you are so inclined, add chile crisp to suit your taste. Then add the pasta back, and about half the reserved water and toss it until the pasta is coated. I only used 4 oz of angel hair, so if you have more, you might need more water. Then put it in bowls and sprinkle it with parmesan cheese. If you are in an even bigger rush, you can sizzle the tomato paste in a frying pan while the pasta cooks and then combine it all back in the pasta pot. The couple of minutes you save isn't worth having to wash an extra pot to me, but it might be to some people.
*
I then baked some oatmeal for breakfast for the week, and made macaroni salad for a few days of lunch, and then for dinner, I made angel hair as planned, though when I actually read the recipe, it was not anything new to me - it was what I always do for a super quick tomato sauce, except they were adding chile crisp to it, which I guess is the thing nowadays - every recipe I read has chile crisp in it, but I'm not really a chile crisp person. I have the heat tolerance (in terms of spiciness, though I also don't like my food super hot temperature-wise either) of the whitest baby you know.
Anyway! It is a super easy but delicious meal and if you don't mind waiting a few extra minutes, you can do it all in one pot. Boil your pasta - angel hair is best for this, imo - and reserve a cup of pasta water before you drain it. Return the pot to the stove over low heat and add in a nice glug of olive oil (2 tbsp if you need a measurement), and then add a whole can or tube of tomato paste to the oil (so between 4 and 6 oz). Stir it around and season it as you like - I used garlic and onion powder, oregano and red pepper flakes and salt, but if you want to get fancy, you could probably saute a diced shallot and some minced garlic in the oil for a minute or two before adding the tomato paste - for 2-3 minutes, until it's all hot and sizzling. If you are so inclined, add chile crisp to suit your taste. Then add the pasta back, and about half the reserved water and toss it until the pasta is coated. I only used 4 oz of angel hair, so if you have more, you might need more water. Then put it in bowls and sprinkle it with parmesan cheese. If you are in an even bigger rush, you can sizzle the tomato paste in a frying pan while the pasta cooks and then combine it all back in the pasta pot. The couple of minutes you save isn't worth having to wash an extra pot to me, but it might be to some people.
*
An Ugly Side Of Society Has Been Unmasked, Part 42
Feb. 23rd, 2026 12:00 amnotalwaysright_feedRead An Ugly Side Of Society Has Been Unmasked, Part 42
Customer: "You can't force me to wear a mask!"
Me: "You're right, but that means we don't have to serve you. Please leave."
Customer: "There are no signs saying I need to wear a mask!"
Me: "You literally passed four of them on the way in, including the front door."
Poem: "The Spectrum of Your Being"
Feb. 22nd, 2026 05:51 pmysabetwordsmithThis poem is spillover from the September 1, 2020 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by a prompt from librarygeek. It also fills the "How do you want to do this?" square in my 9-1-20 card for the I Want Fries With That! Bingo fest. This poem has been sponsored by a pool with fuzzyred. It belongs to the series Not Quite Kansas.
Warning: This poem contains intense and controversial topics. Highlight to read the more detailed warnings, some of which are spoilers. It includes feeling lost, a headless chicken running around, a fight with bit character fatalities, moderate injuries to a main character, messy medical details, an imprisoned demon, torture, binding magic, demonic healing, and other challenges. If these are sensitive issues for you, please consider your tastes and headspace before reading onward.
( Read more... )
librarygeek. It also fills the "How do you want to do this?" square in my 9-1-20 card for the I Want Fries With That! Bingo fest. This poem has been sponsored by a pool with fuzzyred. It belongs to the series Not Quite Kansas.Warning: This poem contains intense and controversial topics. Highlight to read the more detailed warnings, some of which are spoilers. It includes feeling lost, a headless chicken running around, a fight with bit character fatalities, moderate injuries to a main character, messy medical details, an imprisoned demon, torture, binding magic, demonic healing, and other challenges. If these are sensitive issues for you, please consider your tastes and headspace before reading onward.
( Read more... )
Another Needlepoint Update
Feb. 22nd, 2026 06:30 pmlightbirdThe throw pillow I needlepointed in the late summer/early fall is now finished!
My Completed Masterpiece:
I also made ornaments which will be gifts for my friends. Pics under the cut.
( more masterpieces! )
My Completed Masterpiece:
I also made ornaments which will be gifts for my friends. Pics under the cut.
( more masterpieces! )
january booklog
Feb. 22nd, 2026 10:39 pmwychwood( 1. Hogfather - Terry Pratchett ) Pratchett at his best balances the comedy with really meaningful moments, and this is definitely one of those.
( 2. The Book Eaters - Sunyi Dean ) Definitely not my jam.
( 3. Annoying: The Science of What Bugs Us - Joe Palca and Flora Lichtman ) Very light, sometimes questionable, but packed full of fun anecdotes (and a surprisingly good examination-in-passing of how scientific research works).
( 4. Ocean - Colin Butfield and David Attenborough ) Not life-changing, but well worth a read.
( 5. Common Goal, 6. Role Model, and 7. The Long Game - Rachel Reid ) I wasn't keen on CG, but I liked the other two a lot - and I'm looking forward to the seventh book coming out later this year! More Ilya and Shane: give it to me.
( 8. The Fifth Form at St Dominic's - Talbot Baines Reed ) Worth a read! But it's not going to shoot up my list of favourite school stories.
( 9. Time to Shine - Rachel Reid ) Not brilliant, but sweet.
( 10. Identity - Nora Roberts ) Mostly you know what you're getting with Roberts! This was very heavy on the wealth porn, but despite all my mockery I did enjoy reading it.
( 11. Persuasion - Jane Austen ) A delightful story as always.
( 12. Strange Pictures - Uketsu ) Short, weird, and interestingly different.
( 13. The Snow Tiger - Desmond Bagley ) This has aged much better than I expected; I was genuinely gripped.
( 14. Swallowdale - Arthur Ransome ) These are just such good books.
( 15. The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up - Marie Kondo ) Interesting to read the original after all the cultural osmosis, but actually I disagree with her quite a lot! I'm not sorry I read it, though.
( 16. Sassinak - Anne McCaffrey and Elizabeth Moon ) I did still quite enjoy this, but it was a distinct let-down from my much-better remembered version!
( 2. The Book Eaters - Sunyi Dean ) Definitely not my jam.
( 3. Annoying: The Science of What Bugs Us - Joe Palca and Flora Lichtman ) Very light, sometimes questionable, but packed full of fun anecdotes (and a surprisingly good examination-in-passing of how scientific research works).
( 4. Ocean - Colin Butfield and David Attenborough ) Not life-changing, but well worth a read.
( 5. Common Goal, 6. Role Model, and 7. The Long Game - Rachel Reid ) I wasn't keen on CG, but I liked the other two a lot - and I'm looking forward to the seventh book coming out later this year! More Ilya and Shane: give it to me.
( 8. The Fifth Form at St Dominic's - Talbot Baines Reed ) Worth a read! But it's not going to shoot up my list of favourite school stories.
( 9. Time to Shine - Rachel Reid ) Not brilliant, but sweet.
( 10. Identity - Nora Roberts ) Mostly you know what you're getting with Roberts! This was very heavy on the wealth porn, but despite all my mockery I did enjoy reading it.
( 11. Persuasion - Jane Austen ) A delightful story as always.
( 12. Strange Pictures - Uketsu ) Short, weird, and interestingly different.
( 13. The Snow Tiger - Desmond Bagley ) This has aged much better than I expected; I was genuinely gripped.
( 14. Swallowdale - Arthur Ransome ) These are just such good books.
( 15. The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up - Marie Kondo ) Interesting to read the original after all the cultural osmosis, but actually I disagree with her quite a lot! I'm not sorry I read it, though.
( 16. Sassinak - Anne McCaffrey and Elizabeth Moon ) I did still quite enjoy this, but it was a distinct let-down from my much-better remembered version!
Rules of Civility by Amor Towles
Feb. 22nd, 2026 01:50 pmaltamira16My book group likes this mess, and I do not.
I do not want to read books about WASPs who are oblivious to the world beyond the city that they live in. And even in that city, they are about some white people striving and oblivious to anything beyond their own attempt to make it.
They can discuss the trappings of wealth in detail, but when it comes to discussing people, it goes like this:
Holy hell. That is racist.
Then if that was not enough,
This is racist against Asian people AND white people all in two paragraphs. The character making this observation cannot be bothered to figure out if someone is from Texas or Oklahoma, but they decide that the rude person in the restaurant is from Texas because who cares about anything outside of New York City. Truly, a literary achievement.
Now, this author is a talented and capable author, but was any of this scene really necessary?
In the first chapters, there are references to so many other books, as if it is inviting you to write a Ph.D. thesis.
The most obvious thesis id about how this book compares to "Great Expectations." The author invites that comparison so many times. One of the characters picks up "Great Expectations" and turns to Chapter 20 as soon as she hears from her friends to London. That is the chapter in the book where Pip, the young character from "Great Expectations" goes to London, and it is just a dirty and corrupt place to be.
In this book, like in "Great Expectations," there is a wealthy benefactor warping the characters around herself, but it is best to leave the details of that for the people who are interested in the book.
Chapter Six is "The Cruelest Month," and it starts with "One night in April" slamming you over the head with T. S. Eliot's "The Waste Land."
There are too many characters in this book that like to read, and they like to read the type of literature that is ruined by high school English teachers. These characters are absolutely obsessed with "Walden;" and I am happy for them for being able to conceive of Massachusetts, a state outside of New York, but not really.
I do not want to read books about WASPs who are oblivious to the world beyond the city that they live in. And even in that city, they are about some white people striving and oblivious to anything beyond their own attempt to make it.
They can discuss the trappings of wealth in detail, but when it comes to discussing people, it goes like this:
The interior was a fantasy of soon-to-be-cliched Oriental fixtures: large porcelain urns, brass Buddhas, red latterns, and self-postured silent deference of an Oriental waistaff (the last servile ethnicity of American's nineteenth century immigrant classes.)
Holy hell. That is racist.
Then if that was not enough,
In front of me a broad-shouldered man with the twang of an oil-producing state was trying to communicate with the maitre d'
This is racist against Asian people AND white people all in two paragraphs. The character making this observation cannot be bothered to figure out if someone is from Texas or Oklahoma, but they decide that the rude person in the restaurant is from Texas because who cares about anything outside of New York City. Truly, a literary achievement.
Now, this author is a talented and capable author, but was any of this scene really necessary?
In the first chapters, there are references to so many other books, as if it is inviting you to write a Ph.D. thesis.
The most obvious thesis id about how this book compares to "Great Expectations." The author invites that comparison so many times. One of the characters picks up "Great Expectations" and turns to Chapter 20 as soon as she hears from her friends to London. That is the chapter in the book where Pip, the young character from "Great Expectations" goes to London, and it is just a dirty and corrupt place to be.
In this book, like in "Great Expectations," there is a wealthy benefactor warping the characters around herself, but it is best to leave the details of that for the people who are interested in the book.
Chapter Six is "The Cruelest Month," and it starts with "One night in April" slamming you over the head with T. S. Eliot's "The Waste Land."
April is the cruellest month, breeding
Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing
Memory and desire, stirring
Dull roots with spring rain.
There are too many characters in this book that like to read, and they like to read the type of literature that is ruined by high school English teachers. These characters are absolutely obsessed with "Walden;" and I am happy for them for being able to conceive of Massachusetts, a state outside of New York, but not really.
Early Humans
Feb. 22nd, 2026 03:01 pmysabetwordsmithHomo erectus fossils in East Asia rewrite the timeline of human migration
A new analysis dates three Homo erectus skulls from central China to about 1.77 million years ago, making them the oldest securely dated hominin fossils in eastern Asia.
That older age shifts the arrival of early humans in the region back by roughly 600,000 years and compresses the timeline of how quickly our ancestors spread across Eurasia.
[---8<---]
The same layer holds stone tools and animal remains, tying the skulls to a specific moment nearly 1.8 million years ago rather than the younger dates long cited.
A new analysis dates three Homo erectus skulls from central China to about 1.77 million years ago, making them the oldest securely dated hominin fossils in eastern Asia.
That older age shifts the arrival of early humans in the region back by roughly 600,000 years and compresses the timeline of how quickly our ancestors spread across Eurasia.
[---8<---]
The same layer holds stone tools and animal remains, tying the skulls to a specific moment nearly 1.8 million years ago rather than the younger dates long cited.
The bones of houses show in the summertime
Feb. 22nd, 2026 03:13 pmsovayI spent much of yesterday running pre-blizzard errands, but the local state of the parking spots is the truest gauge of the meteorology about to go down.
I have not yet managed to get hold of her memoir, but I deeply appreciate being notified of the existence of E. M. Barraud, who identified herself with chalk-cut hill figures, candidly described her relationship status as "technically single, but 'married' in a permanent homosexual relationship with another woman," published under her assigned initials and was known in Little Eversden where she worked for the Women's Land Army as John. She gave her wartime responses for Mass-Observation as both a man and a woman: "People are people, not specifics of a gender." I had never even encountered her poetry.
I have not yet managed to get hold of her memoir, but I deeply appreciate being notified of the existence of E. M. Barraud, who identified herself with chalk-cut hill figures, candidly described her relationship status as "technically single, but 'married' in a permanent homosexual relationship with another woman," published under her assigned initials and was known in Little Eversden where she worked for the Women's Land Army as John. She gave her wartime responses for Mass-Observation as both a man and a woman: "People are people, not specifics of a gender." I had never even encountered her poetry.
Fangirl geebling
Feb. 22nd, 2026 12:32 pmcupcake_gothThe background: last year MCR announced the second US leg of the Long Live the Black Parade tour, with the city/date closest to me being Oct. 24 in L.A.. The Stroppy One sighed at the inevitable, and cass404 braved the Ticketmaster queue to get us tickets. the Ticketmaster online queue to get us tickets. Then MCR announced the final two shows of the tour, both in L.A.: Oct. 30 & 31. Cue much wailing from me, because there was no way I could afford to stay in L.A. for a week.
Last weekend, the Stroppy One suggested I ask Cass if I could stay at her place for a week, and the we head back to L.A. for the concerts. I stared, asked if he was okay with me missing our anniversary to go see MCR. He pointed out that he wouldn’t have suggested it if he wasn’t, just see if tickets were available you silly head.
So! After conferring with Cass, I’m going to see if any tickets are available. Because spending time with Cass is something I desperately miss, and omg my precious cupcakes of bombast.
Some People Just Want To Watch The World Burn, Part 39
Feb. 22nd, 2026 08:00 pmnotalwaysright_feedRead Some People Just Want To Watch The World Burn, Part 39
Customer: "Your worker here needs to be reprimanded for speaking to me so rudely."
Manager: "Not once did I hear her being anything but professional toward you, ma'am."
Customer: "She denied me service."
Manager: "No, she told you we were out of stock of something. Just because you didn't like what she had to say doesn't mean she was denying you service."
Birdfeeding
Feb. 22nd, 2026 01:23 pmysabetwordsmithToday is cloudy and cold.
I fed the birds. I've seen a large flock of sparrows plus one female and two male cardinals separately.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 2/22/26 -- I planted 3 peonies 'Sorbet Mixed' under the apricot tree. The mix includes white, light pink, and dark pink. These cost $14.98, so about $5 a root. That's a great bargain for peonies, which average $20-30 each and catalogs and the high end is downright exorbitant. So if you want peonies, look for cheap ones at home or garden stores this time of year. Due to the unseasonal warmth, the ground here is unfrozen, so I was able to plant them immediately. \o/
EDIT 2/22/26 -- I labeled and mulched the new peonies.
I put out a fresh cake of peanut suet.
EDIT 2/22/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
EDIT 2/22/26 -- I started the process of trimming dead stems from the wildflower garden, which is going to take a while.
EDIT 2/22/26 -- I did more trimming in the wildflower garden. I discovered a little wildflower putting up leaves, probably echinacea, possibly penstemon or something else.
EDIT 2/22/26 -- I did more trimming in the wildflower garden.
EDIT 2/22/26 -- We hauled in the potting mix bags from last night.
I've seen a fox squirrel in the forest garden.
EDIT 2/22/26 -- I did more work around the patio.
I am done for the night.
I fed the birds. I've seen a large flock of sparrows plus one female and two male cardinals separately.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 2/22/26 -- I planted 3 peonies 'Sorbet Mixed' under the apricot tree. The mix includes white, light pink, and dark pink. These cost $14.98, so about $5 a root. That's a great bargain for peonies, which average $20-30 each and catalogs and the high end is downright exorbitant. So if you want peonies, look for cheap ones at home or garden stores this time of year. Due to the unseasonal warmth, the ground here is unfrozen, so I was able to plant them immediately. \o/
EDIT 2/22/26 -- I labeled and mulched the new peonies.
I put out a fresh cake of peanut suet.
EDIT 2/22/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
EDIT 2/22/26 -- I started the process of trimming dead stems from the wildflower garden, which is going to take a while.
EDIT 2/22/26 -- I did more trimming in the wildflower garden. I discovered a little wildflower putting up leaves, probably echinacea, possibly penstemon or something else.
EDIT 2/22/26 -- I did more trimming in the wildflower garden.
EDIT 2/22/26 -- We hauled in the potting mix bags from last night.
I've seen a fox squirrel in the forest garden.
EDIT 2/22/26 -- I did more work around the patio.
I am done for the night.
Deliver Us From This Bad Service
Feb. 22nd, 2026 06:55 pmnotalwaysright_feedRead Deliver Us From This Bad Service
Courier: "You reported me for a missed delivery, but I have delivered your parcel!"
Me: "Really? Where?"
He smugly goes to my paper bin, opens it, and looks inside, seeing what I saw: just paper and cardboard to be disposed of.
When Their Usual Is Chaos
Feb. 22nd, 2026 06:45 pmnotalwaysright_feedRead When Their Usual Is Chaos
I see a woman come in who I recognized from being here a week before. I don't immediately recall WHY I am recognizing her.
Customer: "I'll get the 'veggieless'."
Me: "I'm sorry, what was that?"
Customer: "The veggie… less!"
Weekly proof of life: recent media | Spring Crunch Eve
Feb. 22nd, 2026 03:10 pmumadoshiReading: Last week I finished Stephanie Burgis' Wooing the Witch Queen (fun!) and read Heated Rivalry. I opted to just skip straight to the actual HR novel rather than first reading the Scott/Kip novel, which worked out fine, since I also had that context from the show. I enjoyed it a fair bit, but now I'm in the awkward position of wanting to see the next chunk for Shane and Ilya but no more urgently than after I finished watching season 1 of the show. The choices now are a) read the entire series (presumably doubling back to actually read book 1), b) skip ahead and read The Long Game, or c) hold off entirely and wait for season 2 of the show.
I also read a few more volumes each of Hikaru no Go and The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service, but I'm still in rereading territory with both. (I think I've already read up to vol. 12 of Kurosagi, but for Hikaru, I think the odds are against me really realizing when I've hit new territory until I go to enter a volume in Goodreads and find it's not already on my Read list there.)
Watching:scruloose and I are caught up on both The Pitt and Frieren, and we finished Midnight Mass last weekend (a very solid, intense ending).
With my crunch time at work starting, it's not an ideal time for us to start a show that's a significant time commitment or that's going to leave me desperate to see a next episode when work is eating most or all of my evenings. It's possible this will result in me just showingscruloose Heated Rivalry, since it's apparently our key cultural export of the decade and all. *g* Only six episodes and I don't have to worry about being impatient to see what happens next or about being spoiled.
(I still don't feel actively fannish about HR at all, but am enjoying being adjacent to it and seeing all the fannish excitement and meta and such. I have saved many fic recs to my read-later list on A03, but have yet to actually read a single one [and may never, given how slowly I go through fic--there's still a steady stream of Guardian fic I haven't read that also goes on that list].)
Weathering/Working: We have what sounds like a significant nor'easter blizzard arriving at some point tomorrow, with heavy wet snow. Will this be where our luck fails for the season and we lose power for the first time? (I'm completely astonished that it hasn't happened yet. Probably it's not really because the generator and backup power are warding that off, like carrying an umbrella around...)
And of course the spring crunch is set to start tomorrow in the late afternoon, right around when the storm is likely to be in full swing. Will the weather have much impact? (Mainly, I guess, in terms of Those Who Speak all being able to make it there safely; I kinda hope that there's some kind of backup power in their actual building, but I don't know for sure one way or the other.)
I also read a few more volumes each of Hikaru no Go and The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service, but I'm still in rereading territory with both. (I think I've already read up to vol. 12 of Kurosagi, but for Hikaru, I think the odds are against me really realizing when I've hit new territory until I go to enter a volume in Goodreads and find it's not already on my Read list there.)
Watching:
scruloose and I are caught up on both The Pitt and Frieren, and we finished Midnight Mass last weekend (a very solid, intense ending).With my crunch time at work starting, it's not an ideal time for us to start a show that's a significant time commitment or that's going to leave me desperate to see a next episode when work is eating most or all of my evenings. It's possible this will result in me just showing
scruloose Heated Rivalry, since it's apparently our key cultural export of the decade and all. *g* Only six episodes and I don't have to worry about being impatient to see what happens next or about being spoiled.(I still don't feel actively fannish about HR at all, but am enjoying being adjacent to it and seeing all the fannish excitement and meta and such. I have saved many fic recs to my read-later list on A03, but have yet to actually read a single one [and may never, given how slowly I go through fic--there's still a steady stream of Guardian fic I haven't read that also goes on that list].)
Weathering/Working: We have what sounds like a significant nor'easter blizzard arriving at some point tomorrow, with heavy wet snow. Will this be where our luck fails for the season and we lose power for the first time? (I'm completely astonished that it hasn't happened yet. Probably it's not really because the generator and backup power are warding that off, like carrying an umbrella around...)
And of course the spring crunch is set to start tomorrow in the late afternoon, right around when the storm is likely to be in full swing. Will the weather have much impact? (Mainly, I guess, in terms of Those Who Speak all being able to make it there safely; I kinda hope that there's some kind of backup power in their actual building, but I don't know for sure one way or the other.)
FIC: in the darkness with you (Guardian: Shen Wei/Zhao Yunlan) [Mature]
Feb. 22nd, 2026 07:47 pmtrobadoracandyheartsex author reveals have happened! And here's the fic I wrote for facethestrange:**
Title: in the darkness with you
Word count: 4,233
Fandom: 镇魂 | Guardian (TV)
Pairing: Shen Wei/Zhao Yunlan
Rating: Mature
Content tags: Blind Zhao Yunlan, First time, Hand-Feeding, Finger-Sucking, Clothed Sex, Zhao Yunlan's oral fixation, Episode Related, Episode 21, Missing Scene, Blindness Arc
A/N: Many thanks to
china_shop for beta-reading.Summary:
Zhao Yunlan woke to the smell of citrus, sweet and strong in the air. Without fully turning his face out of the pillow, he slitted open a sleep-heavy eye - to complete, unchanged darkness. Reality came crashing down like a landslide. Right: still blind.
When Discounts Require A Witness
Feb. 22nd, 2026 06:00 pmnotalwaysright_feedRead When Discounts Require A Witness
Me: "That's already on clearance. It's 70% off."
Customer: "But it's damaged, look."
Me: "That's the reason why it's on clearance. You're already getting the damage discount."
Customer: "Yeah, but I saw the price first, then saw the damage."
Stranger Things: Roll To Charm Person, by harriet_vane
Feb. 22nd, 2026 09:51 amrunpunkrun posting in fancakeFandom: Stranger Things
Pairings/Characters: Will Byers/Mike Wheeler
Rating: Explicit
Length: 59,047 words
Content Notes: Bullying and homophobia.
Creator Link:![[archiveofourown.org profile]](https://archiveofourown.org/favicon.ico)
harriet_vane
Theme: Inept in Love, Pretend Couple, Friends to Lovers, Canon LGBTQ+ Characters
Summary: Will needs a date to his mom's wedding. Mike volunteers.
"I have an idea," says Mike.
Ice cubes form in Will's stomach. "How dangerous is it? Like, should I call Dustin to talk you down, or should I call Nancy to be ready to drive us to the hospital?"
"No," says Mike, "you can't tell anyone or it won't work."
"Or what won't work?" Will asks. It's like picking up a rock you know a spider will be under.
Mike gets up and closes Will's door. Hopper doesn't make them keep it open but sometimes Will does anyway, because every now and then lying around alone with Mike on his bed just makes his chest ache too much. If the door is open he can tell himself You can't do anything right now, someone will see.
Mike leans back against the door. His eyes are lit up with that special maniacal gleam that the Wheelers get right before they do something insane, like when Nancy says, "Then we have to go kill Vecna ourselves," or whatever. "Take me to the wedding," says Mike.
"Yeah," says Will slowly, "you'll be at the wedding. Obviously."
"As your date."
Reccer's Notes: They've fixed Hawkins' Upside Down problem (though this predates the final season), and it's the kids' senior year, and Will is worried his mom is worried about him, so Mike hatches a plan to be Will's (fake) date to Joyce and Hopper's wedding because of course he does. That means we've got Will pretending to pretend he's into Mike and Mike playing gay chicken against himself and...losing? winning? both?? Neither of them is doing a great job (or any job) communicating, but their fake relationship thrives and does what all the best fake relationships do, becomes real. A sweet friends-to-lovers romance with just the right amount of agonizing feelings.
Fanwork Link: Roll To Charm Person
Pairings/Characters: Will Byers/Mike Wheeler
Rating: Explicit
Length: 59,047 words
Content Notes: Bullying and homophobia.
Creator Link:
Theme: Inept in Love, Pretend Couple, Friends to Lovers, Canon LGBTQ+ Characters
Summary: Will needs a date to his mom's wedding. Mike volunteers.
"I have an idea," says Mike.
Ice cubes form in Will's stomach. "How dangerous is it? Like, should I call Dustin to talk you down, or should I call Nancy to be ready to drive us to the hospital?"
"No," says Mike, "you can't tell anyone or it won't work."
"Or what won't work?" Will asks. It's like picking up a rock you know a spider will be under.
Mike gets up and closes Will's door. Hopper doesn't make them keep it open but sometimes Will does anyway, because every now and then lying around alone with Mike on his bed just makes his chest ache too much. If the door is open he can tell himself You can't do anything right now, someone will see.
Mike leans back against the door. His eyes are lit up with that special maniacal gleam that the Wheelers get right before they do something insane, like when Nancy says, "Then we have to go kill Vecna ourselves," or whatever. "Take me to the wedding," says Mike.
"Yeah," says Will slowly, "you'll be at the wedding. Obviously."
"As your date."
Reccer's Notes: They've fixed Hawkins' Upside Down problem (though this predates the final season), and it's the kids' senior year, and Will is worried his mom is worried about him, so Mike hatches a plan to be Will's (fake) date to Joyce and Hopper's wedding because of course he does. That means we've got Will pretending to pretend he's into Mike and Mike playing gay chicken against himself and...losing? winning? both?? Neither of them is doing a great job (or any job) communicating, but their fake relationship thrives and does what all the best fake relationships do, becomes real. A sweet friends-to-lovers romance with just the right amount of agonizing feelings.
Fanwork Link: Roll To Charm Person
(no subject)
Feb. 22nd, 2026 05:07 pmravenThere's a feeling, I hope, a unidentifiable but deeply uncomfortable burn, felt by white women, who don't know, but should know, how many private brown group chats are typing.
And as I don't want to take on a cringe middle-class racist white woman (at this point there's about five of them that I have at various times decided not to take on, all terribly right-on, right-thinking, probably-vegan feminist pro-Palestine queer white women), that is all I have to say about that.
And as I don't want to take on a cringe middle-class racist white woman (at this point there's about five of them that I have at various times decided not to take on, all terribly right-on, right-thinking, probably-vegan feminist pro-Palestine queer white women), that is all I have to say about that.
Hammer Home The Sexism
Feb. 22nd, 2026 04:00 pmnotalwaysright_feed
Me: "Can I help you find something?"
He looked me up and down before replying:
Customer: "You're a woman, so no."
Me: *Dumbfounded.* "I'm sorry?"
Literally Handling Sausages, Mom!
Feb. 22nd, 2026 03:30 pmnotalwaysright_feedRead Literally Handling Sausages, Mom!
Basically, my mom wishes I were a lesbian. Part of it comes from her suspecting I'm a lesbian because of ONE isolated incident.
Goodness Gray-tious
Feb. 22nd, 2026 02:00 pmcakewrecks_feedUnless you've been living under a totally unfashionable rock, you are well aware that gray is one of the hottest trends in Trendville right now.
Less harsh than black, more ketchup-friendly than white, it's everywhere in the worlds of fashion, saucy literature, and decor. And of course...
...Cake! This one combines two hot and happening trends: gray and ombre. Plus polka-dots, which will never go out of style.
Let's hope gray doesn't, either, because pretty much my entire house is painted gray. Some people might think that sounds depressing, but just look at this cake:
By Charm City Cakes West Inspired by Nevie-Pie Cakes
Depressing? I think not! Gray is the perfect backdrop for a pop of color, which I love, unlike the phrase "pop of color" which, ugh.
But don't worry, colorphobes, gray and white make a fine duo, too.
Sophisticated, simple and sublime.
And just think how much detail would have been lost on this cake if it had been white instead of gray.
Would we have even noticed the lacy border? The delicate butterflies? Gray deserves an award for best supporting hue.
BUT! Gray ain't afraid to steal the spotlight.
"This girl belongs on a runway," was my first thought when I saw this cake.
By Karla
Then I learned that it was modeled after a Vera Wang gown, and I felt totally smart and stylish for a second. Then I looked down at my ensemble of mismatched sweats and slowly lowered my hands from their 'raise the roof' position.
But can I get a "holla" for these cakes?
By Erica OBrien
So sweet and modern at the same time. I just love gray and pink together, and that little cluster of roses in the center, too.
I'm also loving the color scheme on this cake. Freaking adorable. Seriously considering turning it into an accessory somehow.
Cake hat? Cake purse? Cake belt buckle? I'll keep thinking.
And here's another one I just want to tear apart and wear!
By Three Little Blackbirds Cakes
Once again, gray adds texture and interest while letting the color shine. Gray: the nicest of neutrals.
That should be its official motto.
But why am I trying to convert you to the Church of Gray? You're probably already a card carrying member.
And if you weren't before, you are now, because WOWZERS. And the little touches of metallics? Swoonballoons.
There is so much awesome happening on this cake, but I think the gray tier is still my favorite.
By Gateaux Inc.
I mean, it even matches the reception hall!
And here's one last gray-hued beauty for our grand finale:
Isn't it great how all the ribbon and fabric look like actual ribbon and fabric? Just amazing.
I sure hope you enjoyed today's gorgeous gray gateaux and that your Sunday is especially sweet!
******
P.S. I was browsing "gray whale" things to link today - because whales are awesome -but then this blue whale butter dish popped up and it's so stinkin' cute you get it instead:
*****
And from my other blog, Epbot:
Photo cross-post
Feb. 22nd, 2026 09:41 amandrewducker
Spent the afternoon at Hugh and Meredith's, where Hugh showed Sophia
how his 3d printer works (and how he makes 3d dungeons out of foam).
Very cool stuff, and they both enjoyed their souvenirs.
Original
is here on Pixelfed.scot.
Candy Hearts Exchange
Feb. 22nd, 2026 03:51 pmluzulaCandy Hearts Exchange has been revealed, and I now know (well, I was already pretty sure) that sanguinity wrote my lovely gift fic There My Heart Forever Lies! It is a 16K (for a 300 word minimum exchange!) Flight of the Heron story that riffs off the musical Brigadoon, which I had never heard of before, where Ardroy is saved by being taken out of time. I especially appreciate that the story took time to develop Keith's relationship with Francis as a counterweight for his eventual choice.
As for me, I wrote the following forsanguinity (which of course she guessed)! We do keep getting paired up in exchanges, which is no wonder considering the rareness of the fandoms. I had fun writing Laurent being his usual earnest, passionate self, while also, well, rising to the occasion. Thanks as always to garonne for beta reading. <3
In Which Laurent Rises to the Occasion (4150 words) by Luzula
Fandom: The Wounded Name - D. K. Broster
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Laurent de Courtomer/Aymar de la Rocheterie, Aymar de la Rocheterie/Avoye de Villecresne
Characters: Laurent de Courtomer, Aymar de la Rocheterie, Avoye de Villecresne
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Pre-Poly
Summary: Aymar despairs of clearing his name and leaves France, leaving only a letter behind.
sanguinity wrote my lovely gift fic There My Heart Forever Lies! It is a 16K (for a 300 word minimum exchange!) Flight of the Heron story that riffs off the musical Brigadoon, which I had never heard of before, where Ardroy is saved by being taken out of time. I especially appreciate that the story took time to develop Keith's relationship with Francis as a counterweight for his eventual choice. As for me, I wrote the following for
sanguinity (which of course she guessed)! We do keep getting paired up in exchanges, which is no wonder considering the rareness of the fandoms. I had fun writing Laurent being his usual earnest, passionate self, while also, well, rising to the occasion. Thanks as always to garonne for beta reading. <3 In Which Laurent Rises to the Occasion (4150 words) by Luzula
Fandom: The Wounded Name - D. K. Broster
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Laurent de Courtomer/Aymar de la Rocheterie, Aymar de la Rocheterie/Avoye de Villecresne
Characters: Laurent de Courtomer, Aymar de la Rocheterie, Avoye de Villecresne
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Pre-Poly
Summary: Aymar despairs of clearing his name and leaves France, leaving only a letter behind.
The Brain Is Not Activated
Feb. 22nd, 2026 02:30 pmnotalwaysright_feedRead The Brain Is Not Activated
Friend: "My doctor told me I should try taking some deactivated charcoal for my tummy issues."
Me: "You mean activated charcoal."
Friend: "No, deactivated. I don't want to burn myself."
There’s A Sting In This Tale, But No Twist
Feb. 22nd, 2026 02:00 pmnotalwaysright_feedRead There’s A Sting In This Tale, But No Twist
Me: "How has your day been so far?"
Customer: "Wonderful!"
Me: "That's good news."
Customer: "Yeah, I got stung by a bee and found out I am not allergic."
(no subject)
Feb. 22nd, 2026 01:45 pmnotalwaysright_feedI work in a public library. The other day, I was helping a borrower discharge her husband’s books. Me: Okay, your books are all done, but it looks like you’ve got some outstanding finance here. Borrower: What for? Me: Let me see… I navigated over to the ‘finance’ tab and looked. Bunch of small late […]
Education privilege
Feb. 22nd, 2026 12:04 pmlivI want to talk about the education privilege meme that's been doing the rounds. On the one hand I love old-school memes that encourage lots of cool people on my d-roll to talk about their experiences growing up. But at the same time, I'm kind of frowning at this particular iteration.
( thinky thoughts )
Anyway, hopefully this is an adequate substitute for the meme and you don't need me to tell you in detail how absurdly precocious I was in reading and maths.
( thinky thoughts )
Anyway, hopefully this is an adequate substitute for the meme and you don't need me to tell you in detail how absurdly precocious I was in reading and maths.
