Let's begin with a zine constructed for those who feel like the U.S. Fourth of July holiday is not very representative of the country. Or that it is very representative of the country, and there needs to be a lot of changes.

A useful ponderance on how humans will ascribe beneficence to things they believe are genuine, and will declare things that are identified as copies and knockoffs to have malice, or at least ugliness, associated with them, even though humans, as a whole, are very bad at determining which is authentic and which are not, since that determination tends to be the domain of experts who have studied and have to make such determinations based on their studies and whether a possible forgery matches what they have studied. I think the more interesting thread to tease on this piece is the one that's about the value of enjoying a good fake, because "enjoying a good fake" is pretty well at heart of most human entertainment. We know so many of the stories we tell contain elements of fakery, or special effects that make the fake appear real, and yet we willingly go to them, sometimes repeatedly. I think that's the more interesting route, and the excerpted piece walks around it without answering it. If we get something useful out of the forgery, does the fact that it's a forgery mean that we have to discard everything associated with it? In some cases, the answer is yes, often because the things that came with the forgery are anti-social and harmful to other people, but some of the Pratchettian lies are very, very useful to us. Do we need to discard them, as well? Why are we so upset when something that is warranted as true turns out to be false, even if it is useful, but we do not have similar upset for things that do not warrant themselves as true, even though considerable effort goes in to making them appear as if they are true?

A victory! After a visually impaired man died from falling off a train platform that did not inform him of the edge of the platform, tactile paving has been completed on all of the train platforms so that hopefully there are no further tragedies of the nature of Cleveland Gervais. If someone needs an example of the saying "Regulations are written in blood," this is the kind of thing they can be pointed at.

And then, the things that are less victorious )

Last for tonight, The Lavender marriage, where at least one of the participants is queer in one form, but the marriage is to someone who the law will see as being right and appropriate, providing protection for the queer person about being seen to obviously as queer.

(Materials via [personal profile] adrian_turtle, [personal profile] azurelunatic, [personal profile] boxofdelights, [personal profile] cmcmck, [personal profile] conuly, [personal profile] cosmolinguist, [personal profile] elf, [personal profile] finch, [personal profile] firecat, [personal profile] jadelennox, [personal profile] jenett, [personal profile] jjhunter, [personal profile] kaberett, [personal profile] lilysea, [personal profile] oursin, [personal profile] rydra_wong, [personal profile] snowynight, [personal profile] sonia, [personal profile] the_future_modernes, [personal profile] thewayne, [personal profile] umadoshi, [personal profile] vass, the [community profile] meta_warehouse community, [community profile] little_details, and anyone else I've neglected to mention or who I suspect would rather not be on the list. If you want to know where I get the neat stuff, my reading list has most of it.)
kat_lair: (GEN - wtff)
([personal profile] kat_lair Jul. 15th, 2025 08:50 pm)
***

Today has been a long day and tomorrow will be as well, so just a couple of links for now:

Unsurprising but depressing and worth being aware of: https://www.amnesty.org.uk/anti-rights

And a rec for news on global warming and particularly the political/fossil fuel industry greed affair. Want to know just how readily your local representative bends over for the oil giants, check here: https://www.desmog.com/

***

I didn't make it to the PokemonGO meetup on Saturday. I finished cardio and strength training and thought, I'll just go to the first hour. But as the time was approaching to leave, I thought, well maybe I'll just go for the last hour and then head in to meet S for dinner. And then I just thought, nevermind. I did have dinner with S, though. I was telling her how I just couldn't last week and she was sympathetic and was all, that's how it goes sometimes and you just have to ride out the dips.

I have 4 weekly pillboxes that I fill once every 4 weeks. And it was time to do that on Saturday night. I got to my depression meds and remembered that last month my psych and I decided to try lower the dose. Not a whole lot, just a little bit. And I went, huh, I wonder if that's why I had the week of just couldn't. So I put the old dosage into the pill boxes. I'm not so just couldn't so far. We'll see.

Yesterday I saw the nutritionist again, who was quite pleased with me. Since I sold the car, I have to book a ZipCar to get to the weight management center. Adventures with ZipCar )
kat_lair: (SABRINA - sorted)
([personal profile] kat_lair Jul. 14th, 2025 10:00 pm)
***

Today I'm just linking to the fandom bounty that has come my way over the last few months.

[archiveofourown.org profile] pezzax_podfics has again podficced bunch of my fics and I love her reading So Much, she has such a great way of conveying character voice and mounting tension where it's needed like in the last one linked here
Solar Couture (Extraordinary Attorney Woo, Geurami/Youngwoo)
Vernal (Wheel of Time, Aviendha)
Patience (Wheel of Time, Bair & Egwene)
Renascent (Wheel of Time, Rand/Mat)
Temptation (Seventeen, Jihoon/Soonyoung)

[personal profile] pushkin666  is dropping so much fic goodness for me I can't keep up but I am feeling loved. These are like just the ones I've managed to read so far...!
Enduring the Torture (SGA, McBeck, adorable teasing)
Where Your Eyes Land (The Lost Boys, Michael/Sam, slowburn siblingcest mmhmhmhmhmhmmmhhng?)
The World Can Wait (Stray Kids, Chan/Minho, submission as caretaking awwwww)
Held in the Quiet (H50, Danny/Steve, tender d/s dynamics that had me melting into a puddle)
The Song Between the Realms (Stray Kids, Chan/Felix, fae au with forbidden love and Disney musicals)

Years ago [personal profile] pushkin666, [personal profile] dreamersdare and I wrote a little P!ATD round-robin and then this year [personal profile] pushkin666 decided to expand it into a full on series that is full of yearning and hurt and one of the most romantic things I have ever read. I was clutching my heart the entire time. The language alone is worth the read even if you don't care about the fandom. The description of the magic and how it winds through nature and hearts is breathtaking. There is a happy OT4 ending but it's earned the hard way. Highly recced! Here is a link to the whole series: Dancing's Not a Crime

I got lovely things via the [community profile] seasonsofdrabbles too
all you by lovedays (Ateez, San & Wooyoung, sweet sofa cuddles)
You Like What You See? by [personal profile] facethestrange (Guardian RPF, Bai Yu/Zhu Yilong, sexual tensionnnnnnnnnnn)
Unspoken Care by [personal profile] pushkin666 (SGA, Radek/Rodney, care-taking and feels)

Finally, not fandom but extremely lovely and evocative, was this poem from [personal profile] trialia storm from a Salford bus stop

In conclusion: I am spoiled!

***
watersword: Graffiti scrawl of "ignore this text" (Stock: ignore this text)
([personal profile] watersword Jul. 14th, 2025 01:55 pm)

It turns out that North & South (2004) is not soothing to watch whilst stitching; I am not interested in the 1850's generally, I am in no fit state to be entertained by the Industrial Revolution and labor unrest, and the cinematography is bleak. Richard Armitage's jawline does not make up for these flaws.

The Three Sisters plot has begun giving me peas! It is surprisingly difficult to distinguish between "immature snap pea" and "mature snow pea". I should probably give up this plot next year, as the fee is almost twice as much as the one near my apartment, and getting there & back is annoying, and the plot is weed central ....but the raspberry patch! I got sour and sweet cherries at the farmer's market, which of course means that I made cherry-pit whipped cream to go with the cherry galette; it is now corn and zucchini season, which is one of my favorite seasons; I miss having a grill so much. It is absolutely perfect grilling weather.

Somehow I have three community events at the same time tonight: a embroidery meetup, a constituent outreach meeting with my city councilor, and a meeting of the neighborhood association board. ::facepalm::

Tags:
[community profile] sunshine_revival posted up their fourth topic, even as the heat continues to hammer the Northern Hemisphere, along with humidity, and many of us hide in our climate controlled buildings against it.

We’re heading towards the middle of July, and I hope the weather is treating you kindly this summer, no matter where you are. Any fun plans so far? I’ve spent this week on the mountain, reconnecting with family and staying in a pretty cool house. And talking about houses…

Challenge #4:

Fun House
Journaling: What is making you smile these days? Create a top 10 list of anything you want to talk about.

Creative: Write from the perspective of a house or other location.
What makes you happy? )

More laughs and happiness later!
tjs_whatnot: (Asexuals for a Less Populated Tomorrow)
([personal profile] tjs_whatnot Jul. 13th, 2025 10:55 pm)
The only (slight) downside of reading primarily queer books all year long is that June hits differently for me. I want to go big, but how? How can I differentiate it from any other month? Ho hum. * ponders * But anyway… on to this month's mixed bag of delights.


June 2025 ) Oh, but speaking of Pride. I should probably make another post for this-- but I know myself enough to know I won't-- so here, have some pictures I took in my medium-ish city's Pride Parade:



So, this is the first Pride since moving back to my hometown last summer (did I ever tell you guys I moved across the country? No? Ooops, sorry).

Anyway, I did not know what to expect, but I was excited because they didn't do any pride related things when last I lived here (but that was like 30 years ago, so that wasn't too rare) and it's a middle-ish sized big town, but it's in a red side of a very blue state, so who knows that that means.

But it was lovely! They had a parade, then a festival and at the end, since it was on June 14th, a No Kings rally. I went to the parade and then volunteered at the booth my employer had there and that was great fun. Then I hung out at the protest before taking the bus home. It was a great time!

used_songs: (Default)
([personal profile] used_songs Jul. 13th, 2025 03:27 pm)
Challenge #4

Fun House
Journaling: What is making you smile these days? Create a top 10 list of anything you want to talk about.

1. Ellita
2. Feeling hopeful about work (but also nervous)
3. Watching Ted Lasso with E (y’all were SO right! Thank you for encouraging me to stick with it)
4. My plants/garden
5. Sitting in the hammock with Ellita and talking with E
6. Having the time and energy to read
7. HEB Peach Guava sparkling water
8. Postcrossing
9. Changing up my work wardrobe
10. Having my ear piercings reopened so that I can wear earrings again
anaraine: A crop of the Stardew Valley title screen; a pixellated green valley under an ombré blue sky dotted with stars. ([sdv] stardew valley)
([personal profile] anaraine Jul. 12th, 2025 10:32 pm)
I love "rare" exchanges, so I'm really happy that the timing of this exchange finally lined up for me. As always, this letter is meant for inspiration purposes only - if you already have something in mind for one of this ships, please go for it! I'm sure I'll love whatever you create. ♥

I do have gifts enabled, and treats are always welcome.

In general... )

Crossover: Matthew Cuthbert/Willy )

Naruto: Tobirama/Kagami )

NU:carnival: Eiden/Yakumo )


***

I'm too tired to word an actual post but I don't have to because Ateez dropped this so...




Discuss. (vampireteez!)

***

Tags:
the_comfortable_courtesan: image of a fan c. 1810 (Default)
([personal profile] the_comfortable_courtesan Jul. 12th, 2025 10:06 am)
Other hands that might undertake these burdens

Clorinda looked up from the letter she was perusing as Sandy entered the parlour. La, my dear, you are a late riser the morn – or, indeed, might I suppose you did not sleep at home last night? She picked up the little bell upon the breakfast table to ring for fresh coffee.

Sandy scowled at her as he went sit in the chair opposite and helped himself to a muffin.

I will not attempt, she said, to engage you in conversation until you have been fortified.

He scowled but said nothing.

Shortly afterwards came Hector with coffee and hotter muffins as well as a platter of bacon and grilled kidneys.

Clorinda continued to read her correspondence – oh, fie, here are the orphanage ladies go be troublesome yet again, I must go call on Lady Jane betimes so that we may devize some plan to rout 'em – sure I have no engagements this very afternoon –

Most unwonted! Sandy remarked, as he poured himself a third cup of coffee.

– though I go dine at the Wallaces this e’en, to bid farewell to dear Polly Fendersham and Mr Enderby. But my dear, are you now restored to waking consciousness once more, had a thought while reading a letter from Barbara Collins –

They are all well, I hope?

O, entirely, business flourishes, &C, though she misses young Una. But thinking of how well they are doing out of horseflesh over there, wondered if that young groom that fell foul of Blatchett had any notion to seeking his fortune in the colonies?

Sand raised his eyebrows and took a drink of coffee. 'Tis indeed a thought, he agreed. For quite apart from our concerns over Lady Isabella, I have come to consider that Blatchett may come to wonder what else young Oxton might have seen – even he might find a guilty conscience preying upon him from time to time – and take further measures.

La, Mr MacDonald, did you ever essay the Gothic mode? But that is a point well taken.

Let us not dilly-dally, then: I must to the godless institution this morn, but may take myself into Berkshire and Offerton’s stables to sound Oxton out later. 'Tis no great journey.

Clorinda nodded. 'Tis the wisest course. And you may mention that there is a philanthropic scheme for aiding such deserving young persons to emigrate

There is? – Clorinda smiled – Ah.

So that was one piece of good work dispatched, or at least, well in hand, so early in the day, very gratifying!

But she must look into the matter of the orphanage – alas, dear Dumpling Dora Pockinford had been sadly distracted of late – even had the Honble Simon pulled round from those shocking ways of which the Pockinfords did not speak but of which Clorinda had heard from Josh, that had prevented the boy from laying violent hands upon himself, it must fret a mother that he was now going so distant, and doubtless she imagined all sorts of perils. 'Twixt that, and first Aggie and now Thea showing religious leanings that were anathema to Lord Pockinford’s Evangelicalism, that family was not at its most harmonious. And her deputy, her daughter-in-law Lady Demington, only very lately returned from recovering her heath in Harrogate.

'Twas no wonder matters were somewhat awry!

So Clorinda gathered up the necessary papers – the Matron at least was a good businesslike woman! – and had the horses put to the carriage to take her to that quiet and unfashionable but perfectly respectable neighbourhood where Lady Jane had her apartments, adjacent to those of Amelia Addington. Looking out of the carriage window, Clorinda saw signs that these streets were coming up, 'twas no wonder, were convenient for a deal of matters.

Nick Jupp handed her down, and said he would take the carriage round to the King’s Head and tend to the cattle there –

And I hope you will tend to yourself and take a mug of ale or so!

She was rather surprized, on entering Lady Jane’s sanctum, to find the place in a considerable bustle of company – there was Janey Merrett, and Amelia, and, why, Viola Mulcaster – 'twas quite the family gathering –

But also, over at the pianoforte, that Lady Jane was finding her fingers rather too stiff to play herself these days, but that Janey came to play to her quite frequent, Zipsie Rondegate and Thea Saxorby.

Lady Bexbury! cried Lady Jane, beginning to rise, as Clorinda besought her not to do so. I have a rare treat brought to me the day. Lady Rondegate has been rehearsing Lady Theodora in dear Grace’s settings of Sappho’s lyrics – lately turned 'em up among some papers sent from Nitherholme – Miss McKeown had copies –

But how charming! said Clorinda, taking a chair. One must suppose that dear Viola must have had somewhat to do with this – showed very well in her, when one recalled her own disastrous history with those songs, as a very young woman just out in Society.

Zipsie waxed very effusive about the songs, to Lady Jane’s perceptible gratification. O, she said, I must have been in some concern that they would be considered sadly old-fashioned – not to mention the work of an amateur hand

Not in the least, declared Zipsie, showed 'em to Uncle Casimir and he wondered was there any other compositions of hers surviving.

That was praise indeed!

So after some preliminary exercizes, Zipsie and Thea commenced upon the recital.

O, though Clorinda, that one might prevail upon Thea to perform at one’s drawing-room meetings, if not at a soirée. Such a voice. Not, perchance, these songs – mayhap somewhat unsuited to the taste of the present day? – one supposed Thea was ignorant of the life of the poet –

Tears were running down Lady Jane’s face, a most unwonted event.

Amelia Addington was an actress, and capable of keeping in character whatever disasters were going forward on stage or in the wings or even was there a riot in the audience – yet to Clorinda’s eye of old acquaintance, there seemed an air of – of distress?

The song became silent.

O my dears, said Lady Jane, blowing her nose, you have given me a great gift. I never thought to hear those songs again, and you performed them exquisitely.

Clorinda stood up and said, did not wish to be uncivil, but saw that they were about to engage in deep musical converse, and collected that she needed to talk to Miss Addington about a drawing-room meeting, might they step aside for that?

She drew Amelia out into the corridor, where the actress sank her head onto Clorinda’s shoulder and burst into tears.

Dearest Amelia, she said as she put an arm about her, you should not think that she loved who His Grace always refers to as that jealous Billston hag more than you – she remembers, doubtless, happy times of youth but that is very much about those years –

O, sobbed Amelia, it is not that. It is that I think of how ephemeral my own art is. I strut and fret an hour upon the stage –

Things were very bad was she quoting the Scottish play! Clorinda made certain gestures learnt in her youth backstage.

– and 'tis gone. Mayhap a critic will remark upon me in a newspaper, that will then wrap fish.

And you have taught a deal of generations of other actors. I daresay in Sydney there is Orlando Richardson saying, Addington did thus and so – I remember how Addington directed this scene – you will never come up to Addington in that role –

She gave a weak giggle.

– in New York I daresay Charlie Darcy reminisces, though careful to add that of course, his wife is in a very different style – would that one might see the pair of you together on stage –

Amelia mopped her eyes and blew her nose. 

– And one dares imagine that in heaven the great dramatists gather round and debate the rival virtues of your performance and that of Mrs Siddons in their great roles.

You flattering weasel! she exclaimed.

Is it not a vocation to bring those works to life?

The two women embraced and Amelia said sure she was being very foolish. And mayhap the late Miss Billston had had a pretty talent but she had led poor Lady Jane a sad dance – jealous scenes, and then getting up flirtations herself when they went into Society – and making a deal of her poor health –

Clorinda stroked her hair and said that Lady Jane had been young – only just coming into the understanding of her nature – in maturer years she had made a wiser choice –

She will even say as much, Amelia admitted. Let us go in, and make sober compliments to the performers.

They discovered Lady Jane quite exhorting Lady Theodora to consider upon the Parable of the Talents – and what is that fine passage from the Bard that you are wont to quote, Lady Bexbury, about not concealing our virtues but letting them shine forth?

Thea was blushing, and murmuring that mayhap she should think upon that.

So Clorinda went away, having agreed upon a further rencontre to talk orphanage, feeling that that had been an agreeable occasion and that mayhap Thea would come about to let her virtues go forth of her.

And now there was going to dine with the Wallaces, that had been wont to be an entire pleasure but had been constrained for many months by the louring presence of Lord Fendersham.

However, on her arrival she was greeted with positively giddy glee by Sir Barton and Susannah Wallace, as well as Bobbie and Scilla, conveying the very happy news that Fendersham was finally ceasing to be the prodigal father and returning home to take up his responsibilities.

Has been all day about settling various of his affairs – his valet about packing – takes a morning train –

So even though we are saddened to have dear Lady Fendersham going away for who knows how long, said Susannah, flourishing her lorgnette, we cannot be other than merry at this prospect.

Well indeed, thought Clorinda, wondering how it had come about. Had been quite unable to fathom how she herself might contrive such an end!

Later that night, darling Leda giggled and said, la, did Clorinda take a pet that some other hand had wrought this?

At which she laughed herself and said, was heartily glad that there were other hands that might undertake these burdens.


oriolegirl: (books: escher gallery)
([personal profile] oriolegirl Jul. 11th, 2025 05:22 pm)
No webinar today. Late last night, I was thinking about getting up in the morning and sitting on chat for three hours and couldn't stand the thought. So I decided to take a mental health day. I almost always set an alarm, even on days I plan to sleep in, but although I thought about it last night, I apparently didn't actually do it. I woke up about 10 minutes before the webinar. Ahahaha.

Of course, now my entire day is fucked up. I live with a carefully balanced schedule of vitamins and supplements, meds, and meals. Super duper multivitamins and iron have to be taken at least 2 hours apart from the (3x/day) calcium chews, and need to be taken with food. I woke up so late that there was no breakfast which meant having to rearrange things so I could still take my vitamins and iron with lunch and get the breakfast calcium chew in with a snack, which I had after coming back from a haircut and long walk.

The temperature is rather nice and there's a lovely cool breeze. Alas, it's so effing humid that my clothes were sticking to me and I had to take a quick cold shower when I got home. *sigh*

There's a new edited volume just out about women in quantum physics. One of the essays is about someone I came across in Seaborg's journals. My copy arrived today, so I'm hoping to read that this evening.
.