Setting and content notes for "Beautiful, Damn Hard, Increasingly Useful"
Jul. 16th, 2025 11:55 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysabetwordsmithThese are the setting and content notes for "Beautiful, Damn Hard, Increasingly Useful."
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ysabetwordsmith
Poem: "Beautiful, Damn Hard, Increasingly Useful"
Jul. 16th, 2025 11:05 pmysabetwordsmithThis poem came out of the July 15, 2025 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired and sponsored by bairnsidhe and siliconshaman. It also fills the "Cool Water" square in my 7-1-25 card for the Western Bingo fest. This poem belongs to the Kraken thread of the Polychrome Heroics series. It follows "But an Empty Shell" ($280) -- which, oops, hasn't been sponsored and posted yet.
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bairnsidhe and siliconshaman. It also fills the "Cool Water" square in my 7-1-25 card for the Western Bingo fest. This poem belongs to the Kraken thread of the Polychrome Heroics series. It follows "But an Empty Shell" ($280) -- which, oops, hasn't been sponsored and posted yet.( Read more... )
. . .
Jul. 17th, 2025 12:02 amsettiaiToday was certainly a day. Well, technically yesterday at this point since it's a few minutes after midnight, but still. I haven't gone to bed yet, so we'll just call it "today" and be done with it.
( More under the cut. )
And once I get out of the shower, I have something like five or six more things that I have to get done online before I go to bed despite it already being after midnight. I'm going to have so much fun in a few hours when I need to get up early to take care of some things before work. 🙃
( More under the cut. )
And once I get out of the shower, I have something like five or six more things that I have to get done online before I go to bed despite it already being after midnight. I'm going to have so much fun in a few hours when I need to get up early to take care of some things before work. 🙃
Daily Happiness
Jul. 16th, 2025 08:04 pmtorachan1. Well, the door repair guys did not come today, but they rescheduled for next Tuesday, which is at least not that far away. And I still took my day off, since I'd already said I was going to, so that was nice.
2. This morning I broke a glass bottle in the sink and got a couple small cuts on my hand and one bigger one on my finger, but thankfully it's not "going to the hospital" level. Rather than being a slice, it seems to have cut a little chunk out, so it was bleeding a lot and awkward to bandage. It's my right hand, but my second to last finger, so not a finger I use a whole lot.
3. Since the guys cancelled on us we were able to go to Disneyland earlier, which meant less traffic and less heat (though it was still warm and sunny). We had a really lovely lunch at a restaurant we haven't eaten at in ages.
4. Ollie tongue!
2. This morning I broke a glass bottle in the sink and got a couple small cuts on my hand and one bigger one on my finger, but thankfully it's not "going to the hospital" level. Rather than being a slice, it seems to have cut a little chunk out, so it was bleeding a lot and awkward to bandage. It's my right hand, but my second to last finger, so not a finger I use a whole lot.
3. Since the guys cancelled on us we were able to go to Disneyland earlier, which meant less traffic and less heat (though it was still warm and sunny). We had a really lovely lunch at a restaurant we haven't eaten at in ages.
4. Ollie tongue!
Paleontology
Jul. 16th, 2025 09:23 pmysabetwordsmithHow Dinosaur Extinction Gave Us Fruit
I found this video entertaining for its discussion of r-strategy vs. k-strategy reproduction in plants. Interestingly, during the time of large sauropods, they broke up the forests so much that most plants preferred to make many small seeds rather than fewer large seeds. They had to capitalize on the disturbances to find a place and sprout. In other words, most or all of the plants in those forest behaved like weeds, which are designed to cover disturbed ground as fast as possible.
Later on, after the sauropods died out, the forest canopy became closed rather than open, the forest floor darker. The animals were much smaller, and well suited to distributing seeds. So plants began making larger fruit to bribe the animals to carry their seeds around.
An interesting fork appears before us now, as humans have wiped out almost all large animals. Normally this would lead to dense dark forests, and thus, more and larger fruits. But humans are more disruptive than even the sauropods. We are creating conditions that favor the weed strategy again. Except for the bit where we really love large, sweet fruits and will go farther than any other species to propagate plants that we like. That makes it rather a toss-up how plants will respond.
I found this video entertaining for its discussion of r-strategy vs. k-strategy reproduction in plants. Interestingly, during the time of large sauropods, they broke up the forests so much that most plants preferred to make many small seeds rather than fewer large seeds. They had to capitalize on the disturbances to find a place and sprout. In other words, most or all of the plants in those forest behaved like weeds, which are designed to cover disturbed ground as fast as possible.
Later on, after the sauropods died out, the forest canopy became closed rather than open, the forest floor darker. The animals were much smaller, and well suited to distributing seeds. So plants began making larger fruit to bribe the animals to carry their seeds around.
An interesting fork appears before us now, as humans have wiped out almost all large animals. Normally this would lead to dense dark forests, and thus, more and larger fruits. But humans are more disruptive than even the sauropods. We are creating conditions that favor the weed strategy again. Except for the bit where we really love large, sweet fruits and will go farther than any other species to propagate plants that we like. That makes it rather a toss-up how plants will respond.
fic: The sort of beauty that's called human (Will/Bran, G for now)
Jul. 16th, 2025 09:43 pmlotesseThe sort of beauty that's called human (873 words) by lotesse
Chapters: 1/?
Fandom: Dark Is Rising Sequence - Susan Cooper
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Relationships: Bran Davies/Will Stanton
Characters: Bran Davies, Will Stanton (Dark is Rising), Owen Davies, Herne the Hunter (Dark is Rising)
Additional Tags: Post-Canon, Loss of Parent(s), Immortality
Series: Part 4 of Wherein was bound a child
Summary:
Chapters: 1/?
Fandom: Dark Is Rising Sequence - Susan Cooper
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Relationships: Bran Davies/Will Stanton
Characters: Bran Davies, Will Stanton (Dark is Rising), Owen Davies, Herne the Hunter (Dark is Rising)
Additional Tags: Post-Canon, Loss of Parent(s), Immortality
Series: Part 4 of Wherein was bound a child
Summary:
“We have to go,” Bran said, his voice coming out hoarser than he’d expected. “Rhys called. Trouble with my da. A stroke.”
No more needed to be said aloud. They were going back to Wales.
fic: Not time’s fool, Narnia, Caspian/Lucy, 5/?
Jul. 16th, 2025 09:33 pmlotesseNot time’s fool (8098 words) by lotesse
Chapters: 5/?
Fandom: Chronicles of Narnia - C. S. Lewis
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Relationships: Caspian/Lucy Pevensie
Characters: Lucy Pevensie, Caspian (Narnia), Ramandu's Daughter | Liliandil, Edmund Pevensie, Peter Pevensie, Polly Plummer, Digory Kirke, Eustace Scrubb, Lord Rhoop (Narnia)
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Post-Voyage of the Dawn Treader, Romance, Sailing, Prophecy
Series: Part 3 of An ever-fixèd mark
Summary:
Chapters: 5/?
Fandom: Chronicles of Narnia - C. S. Lewis
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Relationships: Caspian/Lucy Pevensie
Characters: Lucy Pevensie, Caspian (Narnia), Ramandu's Daughter | Liliandil, Edmund Pevensie, Peter Pevensie, Polly Plummer, Digory Kirke, Eustace Scrubb, Lord Rhoop (Narnia)
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Post-Voyage of the Dawn Treader, Romance, Sailing, Prophecy
Series: Part 3 of An ever-fixèd mark
Summary:
“You see,” Edmund began, and all leaned in, visibly listening, “it wasn’t just romance that kept Lucy in Narnia. She is with Caspian, now, but she also had a – a vision isn’t quite right. She was shown a prophetic image in a magical book, and Aslan vouched, later, personally, for its truth. She acted as she did to attempt to divert what she saw, and I think we’d better do likewise, on our end. Here’s what you all need to know.”
Just Married Pinch Hits Due August 17
Jul. 16th, 2025 10:19 pmjustmarriedmod posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
pinchhitsEvent:Just Married, a marriage tropes exchange
Event link:justmarriedexchange
Pinch hit link: https://justmarriedexchange.dreamwidth.org/37699.html
Due date: August 17, 11:59PM UTC (countdown)
PH 4 - Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses, 鸣潮 | Wuthering Waves (Video Game), Limbus Company (Video Game)
PH 8 - Dial M for Murder (1954), To Catch a Thief (1955), Dial M for Murder - Hatcher
PH 10 - 阴阳师 | Yīn Yáng Shī | The Yin-yang Master (Movies - Guo Jingming), 陰陽師 | Onmyouji (Anime 2023), 밤에 피는 꽃 | Knight Flower (TV)
PH 12 - 说英雄谁是英雄 | Heroes (TV 2022), 师兄请按剧本来 | Stick to the Script! (TV), 人渣反派自救系统 - 墨香铜臭 | The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System - Mòxiāng Tóngxiù
PH 16 - Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Shoujo Kakumei Utena | Revolutionary Girl Utena, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, A Dangerous Man: Lawrence After Arabia (1990), Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, The Gilded Age (TV 2022)
PH 17 - Doom (Video Games), Warframe, Warhammer 40.000, Warhammer 40.000, Warhammer 40.000
PH 21 - Hazbin Hotel (Cartoon), Hazbin Hotel (Cartoon), 黄金の太陽 | Golden Sun Series, Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Event link:
justmarriedexchangePinch hit link: https://justmarriedexchange.dreamwidth.org/37699.html
Due date: August 17, 11:59PM UTC (countdown)
PH 4 - Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses, 鸣潮 | Wuthering Waves (Video Game), Limbus Company (Video Game)
PH 8 - Dial M for Murder (1954), To Catch a Thief (1955), Dial M for Murder - Hatcher
PH 10 - 阴阳师 | Yīn Yáng Shī | The Yin-yang Master (Movies - Guo Jingming), 陰陽師 | Onmyouji (Anime 2023), 밤에 피는 꽃 | Knight Flower (TV)
PH 12 - 说英雄谁是英雄 | Heroes (TV 2022), 师兄请按剧本来 | Stick to the Script! (TV), 人渣反派自救系统 - 墨香铜臭 | The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System - Mòxiāng Tóngxiù
PH 16 - Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Shoujo Kakumei Utena | Revolutionary Girl Utena, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, A Dangerous Man: Lawrence After Arabia (1990), Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, The Gilded Age (TV 2022)
PH 21 - Hazbin Hotel (Cartoon), Hazbin Hotel (Cartoon), 黄金の太陽 | Golden Sun Series, Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
095 ☆
Jul. 16th, 2025 10:24 pmtinkatonShowing off some cool stuff I've bought in the last several months. Some pins, a bunch of stationery, and my Last Binding special edition pre-order finally arrived!! Click on the pics to enlarge.
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Despite how this post makes it look I have been very economical this month!! No-buy July for me...if only because I have been saving up for an upcoming anime convention, so really I'm just biding my time in spending too much money sjdhfksjds
I did however drop some dough on this for-charity Jayvik zine. (Pre-orders are still open, go check them out!) I love the merch and art they've shown, and they chose a charity that aims to help people with mobility disabilities to donate the proceeds to. Everything looks awesome, I'm excited to eventually have it in hand.
( Read more... )
Despite how this post makes it look I have been very economical this month!! No-buy July for me...if only because I have been saving up for an upcoming anime convention, so really I'm just biding my time in spending too much money sjdhfksjds
I did however drop some dough on this for-charity Jayvik zine. (Pre-orders are still open, go check them out!) I love the merch and art they've shown, and they chose a charity that aims to help people with mobility disabilities to donate the proceeds to. Everything looks awesome, I'm excited to eventually have it in hand.
2025 Disneyland Trip #50 (7/16/25)
Jul. 16th, 2025 05:20 pmtorachanWe ended up going down to the park earlier than planned since the door repair guys had to cancel on us. Bummed about them having to reschedule but I was very glad to get an earlier start.
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Write Every Day: Day 16
Jul. 16th, 2025 04:32 pmsanguinityIntro/FAQ
Days 1-15
My check-in: Minor editing + researching details to fill in placeholders + meta info (title, tags, summary) forpod_together. My partner and I are doing a collection of stories instead of just the one, so there's going to be a lot of meta-info to write…
Day 16:china_shop, sanguinity, ysilme
When you check in, please use the most recent post and say what day(s) you’re checking in for. Remember you can drop in or out at any time, and let me know if I missed anyone!
Days 1-15
My check-in: Minor editing + researching details to fill in placeholders + meta info (title, tags, summary) for
pod_together. My partner and I are doing a collection of stories instead of just the one, so there's going to be a lot of meta-info to write…Day 16:
china_shop, sanguinity, ysilmeWhen you check in, please use the most recent post and say what day(s) you’re checking in for. Remember you can drop in or out at any time, and let me know if I missed anyone!
confused
Jul. 16th, 2025 07:01 pmaethelRevenged Love is listed on mydramalist as a new BL drama produced? airing? in China. Is this accurate? Meanwhile, more danmei writers are getting arrested.
[ SECRET POST #6767 ]
Jul. 16th, 2025 06:36 pmcase posting in fandomsecrets⌈ Secret Post #6767 ⌋
Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.
01.
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Notes:
Secrets Left to Post: 01 pages, 16 secrets from Secret Submission Post #968.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.
Smoothie King
Jul. 16th, 2025 05:16 pmysabetwordsmithWhile out running errands today, we stopped at Smoothie King. My partner Doug got the Island Impact as is: Pineapples, Mangoes, Papaya Juice Blend, Apple Pineapple Juice Blend, Protein Blend. I added vanilla frozen yogurt to mine. These things cost as much as we usually spend at a sit-down restaurant. But. You get what you pay for. It is indeed a meal's worth of healthy produce plus protein. It's also the best smoothie I have ever put in my mouth.
20 minutes later: Why am I suddenly wide awake and fizzing with energy? Is this what coffee feels like to normal people?
... oh right, also a big cup of life energy from all that fresh fruit.
I really do want to try their Gut Boost probiotic add-in some time, and hopefully that won't overload me on life energy. Maybe take a closer look at some of their other options too. There are a lot of options you can add once you find a base combination that you like, although some things (like the protein powder) that are usually add-ins are in the original combos.
20 minutes later: Why am I suddenly wide awake and fizzing with energy? Is this what coffee feels like to normal people?
... oh right, also a big cup of life energy from all that fresh fruit.
I really do want to try their Gut Boost probiotic add-in some time, and hopefully that won't overload me on life energy. Maybe take a closer look at some of their other options too. There are a lot of options you can add once you find a base combination that you like, although some things (like the protein powder) that are usually add-ins are in the original combos.
![[syndicated profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/feed.png){kind=small}
What I'm Doing Wednesday
Jul. 16th, 2025 03:52 pmsage( books (Aaronovitch, Greene & Sasportas, Erlewine, Billock, Wells, McCord, Kaufman, Odyssey, Oken, Hamaker-Zondag) )
healthcrap
Yay, I'm not anemic anymore, though I've still got another 3 months of iron supps ahead of me. I had a psych appt today to confirm my meds are still doing their thing. Boo, I'm temporarily off the rhodiola rosea and back on Adderall for the next month (because rhodiola hasn't been safety tested for long-term use). ( cut for mention of weight loss )
yay!
As has been posted everywhere, Murderbot is getting a Season 2! That means ART! \o/ I haven't yet caught up with the last few eps of S1, but I'll get there in due time. (Viewing, such a challenge when I'm on a reading kick. And when I'm NOT on a reading kick. Sigh.)
( rl )
yarning
I went to yarn group Sunday and had a really nice time. Great turnout, and it's good for me to see human beings in person. Pain in the shoulder, though. I want my crochet arm back! But I met a few new people, including one young woman who also has Ehlers-Danlos. So cool to commiserate in person.
natural disaster: Texas floods
My parents were finally able to leave their ridgetop and run errands, though all the intact bridges are missing guardrails (at minimum). One of them was completely surrounded with gear and detritus from the kids camp upriver. So heartbreaking. Thankfully, their POA jumped right on finding engineers and requesting bids for repairing their main bridge & its banks, and the low water crossing is sound, now that it's clear of downed trees. I am still so sad about the catastrophe, even though I'm not directly affected. Camps were a safe space for me when I was a kid, and though they were in a different part of the state, it's all too easy to imagine the worst happening.
kitty
![[youtube.com profile]](https://youtube.com/favicon.ico)
KittenAcademy has moved to Pennsylvania and is searching for a new rescue/shelter to work with in the Bethlehem/Allentown general vicinity. If you know of one that is willing to provide pregnant momcats and manage adoption apps, please let me know so I can pass it along to them. ION, the family of black cats and kittens who had been living part time in my backyard are no longer around. I hope they got scooped up by a shelter and/or TNR'd somewhere safe.
#resist
July 17: Good Trouble Lives On protests/marches tomorrow. If you participate, please think of me & everyone else who would like to march but can't.
Note: Mercury stations retrograde tomorrow, July 17, at 15*34' Leo (and stays retrograde until August 11 at 4*14' Leo). I'm curious what that will mean for the protests. At least they're on a Thursday, so maybe that will help keep people safe amid the likely miscommunications.
I hope all of y'all are doing well! <333
healthcrap
Yay, I'm not anemic anymore, though I've still got another 3 months of iron supps ahead of me. I had a psych appt today to confirm my meds are still doing their thing. Boo, I'm temporarily off the rhodiola rosea and back on Adderall for the next month (because rhodiola hasn't been safety tested for long-term use). ( cut for mention of weight loss )
yay!
As has been posted everywhere, Murderbot is getting a Season 2! That means ART! \o/ I haven't yet caught up with the last few eps of S1, but I'll get there in due time. (Viewing, such a challenge when I'm on a reading kick. And when I'm NOT on a reading kick. Sigh.)
( rl )
yarning
I went to yarn group Sunday and had a really nice time. Great turnout, and it's good for me to see human beings in person. Pain in the shoulder, though. I want my crochet arm back! But I met a few new people, including one young woman who also has Ehlers-Danlos. So cool to commiserate in person.
natural disaster: Texas floods
My parents were finally able to leave their ridgetop and run errands, though all the intact bridges are missing guardrails (at minimum). One of them was completely surrounded with gear and detritus from the kids camp upriver. So heartbreaking. Thankfully, their POA jumped right on finding engineers and requesting bids for repairing their main bridge & its banks, and the low water crossing is sound, now that it's clear of downed trees. I am still so sad about the catastrophe, even though I'm not directly affected. Camps were a safe space for me when I was a kid, and though they were in a different part of the state, it's all too easy to imagine the worst happening.
kitty
#resist
July 17: Good Trouble Lives On protests/marches tomorrow. If you participate, please think of me & everyone else who would like to march but can't.
Note: Mercury stations retrograde tomorrow, July 17, at 15*34' Leo (and stays retrograde until August 11 at 4*14' Leo). I'm curious what that will mean for the protests. At least they're on a Thursday, so maybe that will help keep people safe amid the likely miscommunications.
I hope all of y'all are doing well! <333
C.J. Cherryh bibliography
Jul. 16th, 2025 04:34 pmcoffeeandinkSources: ISFDB, Wikipedia, my bookshelves
I collated this list for my Cherryh reread project. I didn't include magazine publications or omnibus editions, and only noted reprints where updated copyright dates or author's notes indicated substantial revision.
Italics = Probably not covering this in the reread.
( Cut for length )
OMG I am so tired
Jul. 16th, 2025 04:27 pmlunabee341. I have been attending a conference this week that starts at 4:30 in the morning because it's based in the UK. Sunday night, I didn't get any sleep because I knew I was going to have to get up at 3:30 to make that first day welcome, and I did that whole stupid day-before-school thing where you can't sleep in anticipation. Then Monday night, I went to bed at 8:00 and slept like a baby until 4:00. It was wonderful. Last night, though, I woke up at 2:00 with the worst burning pain in my thigh. I've had neuropathy before that feels like burning, but it's always been mild and brief. Y'all, this was excruciating; it literally felt like my leg was blistering up in a horrible burn. Fortunately it quit after a bit, but my leg still feels weird and like it might start doing it again at any moment. :(
2. My appointment is tomorrow with the rheumatologist, and I am so worried I'm not going to get any help. Especially if I'm going to start feeling like I'm burning. I have an incredibly high pain tolerance; I can deal with join and muscle pain. I cannot deal with this burning shit. It hurts so bad in a way I can't handle. :(
3. I gave my paper today and it was well received. The chair of my panel, Andrew King, is one of the foremost Ouida scholars, and he introduced me as a serious Ouida scholars in a worldwide context, and I have a hard time knowing if he really means that or if he is just being his delightful, gracious self (the imposter syndrome is real, y'all), but it was a really nice thing to hear even if it's not exactly true.
4. Weird thing: so one of the online conference attendees had her son with her watching the presentations, which is totally fine; he was attentive, and he asked a couple of questions at two panels and was respectful and observed conference etiquette (even if his questions were not good; he's 11; whatever). But then, she was on my panel, and she involved her son in her presentation. It was on Catherine Wells and her rather fraught marriage to H. G. and how he was kind of a dick, and she had her son read several quotes at different points during the presentation. He had a very tiny Oliver Twist more-gruel-please voice and was wearing a newsboy cap. I can't decide if this was cute and precocious or really inappropriate. It certainly was weird and out of the ordinary. LOL Dylan thinks I'm being judgmental. But like, my academic peeps, this is totally weird right?
2. My appointment is tomorrow with the rheumatologist, and I am so worried I'm not going to get any help. Especially if I'm going to start feeling like I'm burning. I have an incredibly high pain tolerance; I can deal with join and muscle pain. I cannot deal with this burning shit. It hurts so bad in a way I can't handle. :(
3. I gave my paper today and it was well received. The chair of my panel, Andrew King, is one of the foremost Ouida scholars, and he introduced me as a serious Ouida scholars in a worldwide context, and I have a hard time knowing if he really means that or if he is just being his delightful, gracious self (the imposter syndrome is real, y'all), but it was a really nice thing to hear even if it's not exactly true.
4. Weird thing: so one of the online conference attendees had her son with her watching the presentations, which is totally fine; he was attentive, and he asked a couple of questions at two panels and was respectful and observed conference etiquette (even if his questions were not good; he's 11; whatever). But then, she was on my panel, and she involved her son in her presentation. It was on Catherine Wells and her rather fraught marriage to H. G. and how he was kind of a dick, and she had her son read several quotes at different points during the presentation. He had a very tiny Oliver Twist more-gruel-please voice and was wearing a newsboy cap. I can't decide if this was cute and precocious or really inappropriate. It certainly was weird and out of the ordinary. LOL Dylan thinks I'm being judgmental. But like, my academic peeps, this is totally weird right?