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Book Retrieval
Apr. 22nd, 2025 09:05 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kevin_standleeLisa and I went into Reno/Sparks today to do several errands. The first stop was Jiffy Lube, where I retrieved my lost property that they fortunately held for me.
( Dominion )
Next was Cost Plus World Market where we got several things and used $5 of store credit. I was happy to see that they had Icelandic Chocolate back in stock. I reckon this is likely to be the last time I get some withe pre-tariff pricing, though.
Best Buy was next. I will talk about that tomorrow.
WinCo Foods was our big grocery stop, but there were a few things that Lisa wanted that WinCo doesn't have, like Bubbie's pickles, which she has taken a shine to eating these days. For that, we stopped at Raley's before heading for home. On the way home, we collected the mail including some packages (about which more later).
It's been a long day for me, as I was awake before 4 AM and normally would have been in bed before 8 PM, so I'm putting off writing more until later.
( Dominion )
Next was Cost Plus World Market where we got several things and used $5 of store credit. I was happy to see that they had Icelandic Chocolate back in stock. I reckon this is likely to be the last time I get some withe pre-tariff pricing, though.
Best Buy was next. I will talk about that tomorrow.
WinCo Foods was our big grocery stop, but there were a few things that Lisa wanted that WinCo doesn't have, like Bubbie's pickles, which she has taken a shine to eating these days. For that, we stopped at Raley's before heading for home. On the way home, we collected the mail including some packages (about which more later).
It's been a long day for me, as I was awake before 4 AM and normally would have been in bed before 8 PM, so I'm putting off writing more until later.
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Insect Apocalypse
Apr. 22nd, 2025 10:29 pmysabetwordsmithInsects are disappearing due to agriculture -- and many other drivers, new research reveals
New paper highlights 500+ interconnected drivers behind global insect decline.
Insects are disappearing at an alarming rate worldwide, but why? Agricultural intensification tops the list of proposed reasons, but there are many other, interconnected drivers that have an impact, according to new research.
( Read more... )
New paper highlights 500+ interconnected drivers behind global insect decline.
Insects are disappearing at an alarming rate worldwide, but why? Agricultural intensification tops the list of proposed reasons, but there are many other, interconnected drivers that have an impact, according to new research.
( Read more... )
Happy Earth Day!
Apr. 22nd, 2025 10:13 pmwyld_dandelyonI've been under the weather. This time I managed to get Bronchitis just from the end of the winter heating season (unless a friend with a congestive heart condition was actually sick, and not just coughing because of the heart condition). But I think this was coming on earlier, and the med regime my former allergist suggested was keeping my lungs and sinuses a lot clearer than in the past, but not enough for my body to clear out the infection.
Well, I came to this conclusion Friday, with (among other things) singing at the Eurofilk showing me I was unusually short of breath for singing; I already had an appointment with my newish primary doc who I really like on Monday, and when I tried to call the allergist last month to set up an appointment, there was no answer or answering machine on his number, or on the alternate number I found on Google. I did find an article about him listing him as 81 years old, and I'm not sure how long ago that was written, so I'm assuming he died or retired. So, I waited out the weekend and got tireder and tireder, and shorter and shorter of breath.
Happily, she was willing to prescribe antibiotics and steroids (if I'd gotten antibiotics on Friday, that might have been enough), unhappily, when they figured out that the only way they could give me the meds the doc thought most appropriate that didn't have corn in it (kids' liquid, again), it turned out that the pharmacy couldn't fill it until today. It was too late to try to talk the doc into prescribing something different, as the clinic was closed.
So today I woke up way too early, and was NOT falling asleep again (my body does insist on waking when I really need meds, which freaked out my RN mother when I was first sick enough to always be awake when she came in to wake me up to take them). This was handy in that I was able to deal with a bank overdraft for my grown-up kid (she's still using the account I got her when she went to Denmark in 4th grade so I could easily transfer money to her if there was an unexpected need, so, being awake I saw the text notification) (Her birthday is later this month, so an early birthday gift was perfectly reasonable).
And then I had food and called the pharmacy, because I WANTED those meds before the rest of the day's errands, which included getting My Angel to her PT appointment, mailing a thing (in a post office, since there seems to be no more drop-off boxes outside our regular post office any more--WTF, government?--and going to pick up meds at a different pharmacy too.
The strip mall the post office was in had one of the closing JoAnne Fabrics, which had almost no fabric left, and not much of anything else either. I did find some things to buy, including two substantially marked down big bags designed to hold a sewing machine and sewing stuff, but which I plan to use one of for author stuff (books, display, etc.) on the assumption that I'll do signings at cons again, and the other for acrylic paints, brushes, and the like since my current bag and plastic bin plan isn't working out as well as I'd like, and because having that stuff on wheels will be very convenient.
I also got some beads, wire, a thimble and multitool, sewing machine needles, an ironing pad to put on a table, some tape, a couple of pillow forms for planned gifting, and, surprisingly, a basket of tumbled stones to put in the fishtank. Sadly, the heavy-duty dolly they had pictured in the front as available had already been sold. I looked at the jewelry making stuff, thought about the heavy duty crimper and some of those beads, but I haven't been making jewelry lately and can use the hemostats I use for holding autoharp strings to crimp things, so I left those behind. I did also get some very discounted project boards, so if we decide to go to one or more protests, we can take signs.
And I took photos of our daffodils in the middle of all that.
I am cheered by all the photos of protests I'm seeing, and by how badly Elon's car company is doing. It gives me hope. Keep contacting your elected officials, we've got to wear them down until they stand up to our very cruel and foolish leader.
Now I am going to hit post and go watch Rachel show all those pictures of the signs again, and do Duolinguo, so I don't miss a day, and fall in bed. Maybe I'll manage to post Daffodil pics tomorrow.
Well, I came to this conclusion Friday, with (among other things) singing at the Eurofilk showing me I was unusually short of breath for singing; I already had an appointment with my newish primary doc who I really like on Monday, and when I tried to call the allergist last month to set up an appointment, there was no answer or answering machine on his number, or on the alternate number I found on Google. I did find an article about him listing him as 81 years old, and I'm not sure how long ago that was written, so I'm assuming he died or retired. So, I waited out the weekend and got tireder and tireder, and shorter and shorter of breath.
Happily, she was willing to prescribe antibiotics and steroids (if I'd gotten antibiotics on Friday, that might have been enough), unhappily, when they figured out that the only way they could give me the meds the doc thought most appropriate that didn't have corn in it (kids' liquid, again), it turned out that the pharmacy couldn't fill it until today. It was too late to try to talk the doc into prescribing something different, as the clinic was closed.
So today I woke up way too early, and was NOT falling asleep again (my body does insist on waking when I really need meds, which freaked out my RN mother when I was first sick enough to always be awake when she came in to wake me up to take them). This was handy in that I was able to deal with a bank overdraft for my grown-up kid (she's still using the account I got her when she went to Denmark in 4th grade so I could easily transfer money to her if there was an unexpected need, so, being awake I saw the text notification) (Her birthday is later this month, so an early birthday gift was perfectly reasonable).
And then I had food and called the pharmacy, because I WANTED those meds before the rest of the day's errands, which included getting My Angel to her PT appointment, mailing a thing (in a post office, since there seems to be no more drop-off boxes outside our regular post office any more--WTF, government?--and going to pick up meds at a different pharmacy too.
The strip mall the post office was in had one of the closing JoAnne Fabrics, which had almost no fabric left, and not much of anything else either. I did find some things to buy, including two substantially marked down big bags designed to hold a sewing machine and sewing stuff, but which I plan to use one of for author stuff (books, display, etc.) on the assumption that I'll do signings at cons again, and the other for acrylic paints, brushes, and the like since my current bag and plastic bin plan isn't working out as well as I'd like, and because having that stuff on wheels will be very convenient.
I also got some beads, wire, a thimble and multitool, sewing machine needles, an ironing pad to put on a table, some tape, a couple of pillow forms for planned gifting, and, surprisingly, a basket of tumbled stones to put in the fishtank. Sadly, the heavy-duty dolly they had pictured in the front as available had already been sold. I looked at the jewelry making stuff, thought about the heavy duty crimper and some of those beads, but I haven't been making jewelry lately and can use the hemostats I use for holding autoharp strings to crimp things, so I left those behind. I did also get some very discounted project boards, so if we decide to go to one or more protests, we can take signs.
And I took photos of our daffodils in the middle of all that.
I am cheered by all the photos of protests I'm seeing, and by how badly Elon's car company is doing. It gives me hope. Keep contacting your elected officials, we've got to wear them down until they stand up to our very cruel and foolish leader.
Now I am going to hit post and go watch Rachel show all those pictures of the signs again, and do Duolinguo, so I don't miss a day, and fall in bed. Maybe I'll manage to post Daffodil pics tomorrow.
We ate at: Tasting Collective's Via Triozzi dinner
Apr. 22nd, 2025 10:26 pmgentlyepigramsThis month's Tasting Collective dinner was at Via Triozzi, which is on Lower Greenville. I liked the idea of the menu but the execution was disappointing.
The first course was a celery and fennel root salad, which would have been better if there had been more of the sweet gorgonzola with it. Second course was a fancy mussels in sauce with spicy chickpeas, which I thought was the best thing on the menu (and the only item from the regular menu). The third courts was a mushroom pasta. The pasta was fine; the mushrooms were amazing. The fourth course was a roasted chicken ravioli. We thought it was a little weird because there was chicken outside the ravioli, and little bits of crispy chicken skin. Not bad, just a little strange. Apparently it was based on a comfort meal for one of the chefs. The dessert was olive oil cake with whipped cream and macerated berries, and it was fine but the olive oil cake was dry, which ... I'm not sure how you do that.
Like the Goldie's trip we did a while ago (which I failed to write up at the time), this was mostly a tasting menu of new ideas, and not yet refined by the chef into menu quality. Based on the bar, the service, and the one dish from the regular menu, I'd try it again, but not with the enthusiasm that I tried Rye.
The first course was a celery and fennel root salad, which would have been better if there had been more of the sweet gorgonzola with it. Second course was a fancy mussels in sauce with spicy chickpeas, which I thought was the best thing on the menu (and the only item from the regular menu). The third courts was a mushroom pasta. The pasta was fine; the mushrooms were amazing. The fourth course was a roasted chicken ravioli. We thought it was a little weird because there was chicken outside the ravioli, and little bits of crispy chicken skin. Not bad, just a little strange. Apparently it was based on a comfort meal for one of the chefs. The dessert was olive oil cake with whipped cream and macerated berries, and it was fine but the olive oil cake was dry, which ... I'm not sure how you do that.
Like the Goldie's trip we did a while ago (which I failed to write up at the time), this was mostly a tasting menu of new ideas, and not yet refined by the chef into menu quality. Based on the bar, the service, and the one dish from the regular menu, I'd try it again, but not with the enthusiasm that I tried Rye.
One of my students offered me blood
Apr. 22nd, 2025 10:50 pmcornerofmadnessIn learning that I'm severely anemic and might need a transfusion (we were talking about hepatitis C and transfusions in micro) he offered me a pint of his blood if we were a match (we are) Hopefully I can avoid the transfusion but that was touching and I appreciate it and I wish all of us could have empathy like that.
I forgot to say yesterday that I was very sad to see Pope Francis passing. I grew up Catholic. He was the first Pope I actually liked. I thought he was a very good man. But since I waited a day I can add how much of a shit stain Marjorie Taylor Greene is as she's been vocally celebrating an 'evil man's' passing. People like her make me hope there IS an afterlife... I just hope that the church doesn't swing back ultraconservative again. Regardless, RIP Pope Francis, we're poorer for your loss.
Rocket is home. He looks good except his face is swollen. I think they were pulling a lot of ticks off him (so much for that 30$ tick medicine) He's already insisting on going out so good wishes for him everyone.
So fannish 50 I had something else in mind, can't remember what it is and now I'm doing this because I had planned to do this last week and forgot. Every so often I like to share the newish stuff I find on YouTube in way of fan creations. look at some of this cool stuff. Fandom is really embracing the music and animation side of things. Prior to this all we had was AMVs (which are lovely too) but I haven't see this level of music since the filk music from the 80s.
I'm in love with this and jealous too but then again I'm not an artist so no one is going to dub my art but I love it.
Axel is a fan voice actor known for doing Arackniss and someone did some more music for him.
Oh geez has a lot of music
And it's a part of this, over an hour of fan music for The Owl House
I might have shared this before but this Gravity Falls/Hazbin Hotel mash up is delightful
And I'm pretty sure this was shared but it popped back up and I love it.
I forgot to say yesterday that I was very sad to see Pope Francis passing. I grew up Catholic. He was the first Pope I actually liked. I thought he was a very good man. But since I waited a day I can add how much of a shit stain Marjorie Taylor Greene is as she's been vocally celebrating an 'evil man's' passing. People like her make me hope there IS an afterlife... I just hope that the church doesn't swing back ultraconservative again. Regardless, RIP Pope Francis, we're poorer for your loss.
Rocket is home. He looks good except his face is swollen. I think they were pulling a lot of ticks off him (so much for that 30$ tick medicine) He's already insisting on going out so good wishes for him everyone.
So fannish 50 I had something else in mind, can't remember what it is and now I'm doing this because I had planned to do this last week and forgot. Every so often I like to share the newish stuff I find on YouTube in way of fan creations. look at some of this cool stuff. Fandom is really embracing the music and animation side of things. Prior to this all we had was AMVs (which are lovely too) but I haven't see this level of music since the filk music from the 80s.
I'm in love with this and jealous too but then again I'm not an artist so no one is going to dub my art but I love it.
Axel is a fan voice actor known for doing Arackniss and someone did some more music for him.
Oh geez has a lot of music
And it's a part of this, over an hour of fan music for The Owl House
I might have shared this before but this Gravity Falls/Hazbin Hotel mash up is delightful
And I'm pretty sure this was shared but it popped back up and I love it.
Poet's Corner: Leaving the Psychologist: An Abecedarian Ekphrastic by Grisel Y. Acosta
Apr. 22nd, 2025 10:51 pmstonepicnicking_okapiI love an ekphrastic and this is proof that poetic forms we might think of as nothing but wordplay or for children (e.g., abecedarians or acrostics) can be very sophisticated and serious.
Leaving the Psychologist: An Abecedarian Ekphrastic by Grisel Y. Acosta
after Remedios Varo’s Mujer saliendo del psicoanalista
another face has sprouted in my chest
beastly, that’s me, a super freak
cavorting with your skull in my grasp
displaced personalities cannot be cloaked
ever, they will grow like a haunted
fever of wispy hair
gathered in a basket, along with time, a
half-filled vial of poison &
illusions of tick-tock-clocking syringe
just let me explain:
killing myself is not an option
let me try to live with my
multiple personas and their infinite masks, why
not weave them into a poncho
of chartreuse green, grow them,
pouch them, wear them like horns
question my memories, befriend
radical thoughts and nightmares
solemn my specters behind
tenuous doors with intimidating bells
understand the unexplainable, develop
venom as Tilda Swinton couture
when dreams become a snail shell planted
X, marks the spot of this treasure I shall reveal,
yell on a mountain, YES, this is mine, I will
zap my fears—I can face all the faces, darling, of course I can
--
This is the work of art which inspired the piece:
Leaving the Psychologist: An Abecedarian Ekphrastic by Grisel Y. Acosta
after Remedios Varo’s Mujer saliendo del psicoanalista
another face has sprouted in my chest
beastly, that’s me, a super freak
cavorting with your skull in my grasp
displaced personalities cannot be cloaked
ever, they will grow like a haunted
fever of wispy hair
gathered in a basket, along with time, a
half-filled vial of poison &
illusions of tick-tock-clocking syringe
just let me explain:
killing myself is not an option
let me try to live with my
multiple personas and their infinite masks, why
not weave them into a poncho
of chartreuse green, grow them,
pouch them, wear them like horns
question my memories, befriend
radical thoughts and nightmares
solemn my specters behind
tenuous doors with intimidating bells
understand the unexplainable, develop
venom as Tilda Swinton couture
when dreams become a snail shell planted
X, marks the spot of this treasure I shall reveal,
yell on a mountain, YES, this is mine, I will
zap my fears—I can face all the faces, darling, of course I can
--
This is the work of art which inspired the piece:
Lily watches: "Rozen Maiden: Traumend" eps 1-2
Apr. 22nd, 2025 10:20 pmatamascolilyI knew I was going to be confused jumping in in media res, and I think I've figured most things out from context, but wow, I was not expecting the creepy rabbit in evening dress who runs an alternate mirror dimension (literally accessed through a mirror). He hasn't been mentioned by name, but I looked it up and it's "Laplace's Demon" which is just a little too on the nose.
The premise of the show is that there are a bunch of living dolls created by a guy who studied alchemy, but they have to fight each other in the "Alice Game" so that the lone survivor can become a real girl. What the hell, "Father"?! Why the hell would you do this to your so-called children??! Clearly, he's the bad guy here, but I'm surprised none of the characters have figured it out yet; it seems like a total no-brainer. I get why the dolls would be for it (fucked-up family dynamics; going along with what "Daddy" tells them) but seems weird that their human companions would go along with it. I think they should unionize.
Overall, very 2000s animation, lots of roses as a thematic motif. The contrast between the dark, serious OP and then the comedy antics is wild, though. I like the doll themes (reminds me of TBF puppets) and the general aesthetic, so I'll stick with it for now. Looking forward to learning what the hell is going on in future episodes.
The premise of the show is that there are a bunch of living dolls created by a guy who studied alchemy, but they have to fight each other in the "Alice Game" so that the lone survivor can become a real girl. What the hell, "Father"?! Why the hell would you do this to your so-called children??! Clearly, he's the bad guy here, but I'm surprised none of the characters have figured it out yet; it seems like a total no-brainer. I get why the dolls would be for it (fucked-up family dynamics; going along with what "Daddy" tells them) but seems weird that their human companions would go along with it. I think they should unionize.
Overall, very 2000s animation, lots of roses as a thematic motif. The contrast between the dark, serious OP and then the comedy antics is wild, though. I like the doll themes (reminds me of TBF puppets) and the general aesthetic, so I'll stick with it for now. Looking forward to learning what the hell is going on in future episodes.
everything looks perfect from far away
Apr. 22nd, 2025 10:34 pmtsuki_no_barasomething happened today that i wanted to share and now i don't remember what it was. it's spring? but you knew that. i don't have an apartment yet, but you knew that too. i do however have a lot of leftover passover food. i have an entire unopened box of egg matzo. i should buy chocolate chips and make matzo crack.
we got new desk chairs at work and they are COM. FY. my back feels so supported.
My heart of silk
is filled with lights,
with lost bells,
with lilies and bees.
I will go very far,
farther than those hills,
farther than the seas,
close to the stars
--Federico García Lorca, from "Ballad of the Small Plaza"
we got new desk chairs at work and they are COM. FY. my back feels so supported.
My heart of silk
is filled with lights,
with lost bells,
with lilies and bees.
I will go very far,
farther than those hills,
farther than the seas,
close to the stars
--Federico García Lorca, from "Ballad of the Small Plaza"
Rejected video for Earth Day post
Apr. 22nd, 2025 10:20 pmneonvincentI wanted to be spooky, so I posted Storied asks 'Why Does A Ghost Whale Terrorize The Japanese Coast?' An Earth Month ghost story, then I wanted to laugh, so I posted 'The Daily Show' Celebrates Earth Day by Tackling Climate Change.
Road Not Taken
Apr. 22nd, 2025 10:12 pmsettiaiI was feeling nostalgic, so I pulled up Road Not Taken and played it for a little while earlier. It took a bit to get back into the swing of things, but I started to remember some of the hidden details and combinations after a while.
It's been ages since the last time I played, and I'd forgotten just how much I love it. It's so helpful if I want to turn off my brain for a little while. I can't believe it's been over a decade since it was first released.
It's been ages since the last time I played, and I'd forgotten just how much I love it. It's so helpful if I want to turn off my brain for a little while. I can't believe it's been over a decade since it was first released.
Writing Star of Stage, Screen, and ... Well, Mostly Screen
Apr. 24th, 2025 06:05 pmozma914 I got an email the other day about a new book that's out:
Thanks for letting me know! I do know the author, but I didn't know I followed me.
Other than covering it in the newsletter, I haven't even made a public announcement that the newly rereleased The Notorious Ian Grant is out, yet. Maybe next week, if the print version is ready.
Then, the other other day, I was perusing the internet when I stumbled across this:
If you look closely you'll see Hoosier Hysterical is for sale used, on eBay. The print edition goes for ten bucks new; I went over to eBay and some of the used copies were priced at almost twice what they are new. I saw a "new" copy available--from Germany--for $24.88 ... PLUS shipping.
It just goes to show, you gotta shop around.
Or you could just follow our buy links:
· Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B0058CL6OO
· Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/"Mark R Hunter"
· Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4898846.Mark_R_Hunter
· Website: http://www.markrhunter.com/
· Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/ozma914
· Audible: https://www.audible.com/search?searchAuthor=Mark+R.+Hunter&ref_pageloadid=4C1TS2KZGoOjloaJ&pf
I'm okay with our already-sold books being passed around--it's nice to gain readers. On the other hand, if you go to our links and buy new, we get a little of the money. I'm okay with that, too. (And no, I had nothing to do with any of these ads ... I mean, as far as I know.)
