Phoebe and Her Unicorn - 2026-07-09
9 July 2026 12:00 am![[syndicated profile]](/post-https-www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/feed.png){kind=small}
Comic strip for 2026-07-09
Phoebe and Her Unicorn
I can feel it coming / the morning light
9 July 2026 02:40 amSomething brought "People Are People" back to my mind, so I borrowed Depeche Mode's The Singles 81>85 from the Queens library system. I hadn't heard some of these songs in ages, since I had their earlier albums on cassettes but didn't rebuy all of them on CDs. Some of the music sounds like toy music these decades later due to the synthesizers being used, and the songs sound brighter, partly as an '80s thing and partly as the band's shift into darker sounding stuff mostly happened later. I still remember my surprise when 2013's Delta Machine had a low end that sometimes made my car's speakers buzz.
It's nostalgic and sometimes a bit funny. This singles album also reminds me that while it's not something Depeche Mode is primarily known for, they've been writing occasional, somewhat political "message" songs their whole career, no matter what some disgruntled listeners of 2017's Spirit had to say about it on Amazon.com, but you know what the "what can't they leave politics that aren't mine out of music and stick to fluffy stuff!" crowd is like.
Speaking of Spirit, here's one of my favorite songs from it, a love song.
I tend to have a preference for songs that tell a story or paint specific images of times and places, something evocative. The first stanza of "Cover Me" sure does that for me. The music also takes you places and has a cinematic feel.
Though you guys can rarely hear my music the way I do, since I often sing along with the melody or harmonize on a lot of songs. With Depeche Mode, I'm singing right with Dave Gahan or with Martin Gore, or creating my own harmonies on some lines and/or putting it into a register of my own. For "Cover Me," it's a mix of Dave and one of my own registers, with occasional harmony to what Dave's singing.
If anyone had told me in the '80s that Depeche Mode would still be a band and still be putting out music I find interesting over 40 years later, I would've been so surprised.
It's nostalgic and sometimes a bit funny. This singles album also reminds me that while it's not something Depeche Mode is primarily known for, they've been writing occasional, somewhat political "message" songs their whole career, no matter what some disgruntled listeners of 2017's Spirit had to say about it on Amazon.com, but you know what the "what can't they leave politics that aren't mine out of music and stick to fluffy stuff!" crowd is like.
Speaking of Spirit, here's one of my favorite songs from it, a love song.
I tend to have a preference for songs that tell a story or paint specific images of times and places, something evocative. The first stanza of "Cover Me" sure does that for me. The music also takes you places and has a cinematic feel.
Though you guys can rarely hear my music the way I do, since I often sing along with the melody or harmonize on a lot of songs. With Depeche Mode, I'm singing right with Dave Gahan or with Martin Gore, or creating my own harmonies on some lines and/or putting it into a register of my own. For "Cover Me," it's a mix of Dave and one of my own registers, with occasional harmony to what Dave's singing.
If anyone had told me in the '80s that Depeche Mode would still be a band and still be putting out music I find interesting over 40 years later, I would've been so surprised.
Farage vs Binface
9 July 2026 07:17 amA little explainer for people overseas who are wondering wtf is happening in UK politics at the moment. The video freezes a little way in, but the sound is fine which is the main thing.
And here is a little interview with Count Binface himself. 🗑🏆
ETA: OK, I couldn't help myself...
MPs make fun of Farage resigning
And here is a little interview with Count Binface himself. 🗑🏆
ETA: OK, I couldn't help myself...
MPs make fun of Farage resigning
(no subject)
9 July 2026 01:13 amNow that I've figured out the current iOS's way of making wallpapers, I'm going hogwild. I loved my June one, and I figure on bringing it back at some point, but for now it's this, which turned out interesting.
( screenshots )
Ah, the red and the blue. I also think it's funny that the weather app on the lockscreen is situated over the reflection of a window across the street and looks deliberately done. I'm annoyed though that for some reason the wallpaper's colors aren't as vivid as in the original photo, especially on the home etc. version. (The colors are very vivid in the original photo when seen on my iPhone but less so off it.)
( screenshots )
Ah, the red and the blue. I also think it's funny that the weather app on the lockscreen is situated over the reflection of a window across the street and looks deliberately done. I'm annoyed though that for some reason the wallpaper's colors aren't as vivid as in the original photo, especially on the home etc. version. (The colors are very vivid in the original photo when seen on my iPhone but less so off it.)
Community Thursday
9 July 2026 06:07 amCommunity Thursday challenge: every Thursday, try to make an effort to engage with a community on Dreamwidth, whether that's posting, commenting, promoting, etc.
Commented on![[community profile]](/post-https-www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
booknook.
Promotedvocab_drabbles.
Commented on
booknook.Promoted
vocab_drabbles.Historical observances
8 July 2026 11:01 pmToday is the 250th anniversary of the first reading of the Declaration of Independence to the general public. To commemorate, there was a "communal reading" across the country at 6:00 p.m. Eastern time this evening.
I won't go into my current political thoughts just now, choosing instead to honor this day by looking ahead.
If you haven't read it, I strongly recommend doing so if for no other reason than to appreciate Jefferson's wonderful command of the language.
https://www.battlefields.org/learn/primary-sources/declaration-independence
I won't go into my current political thoughts just now, choosing instead to honor this day by looking ahead.
If you haven't read it, I strongly recommend doing so if for no other reason than to appreciate Jefferson's wonderful command of the language.
https://www.battlefields.org/learn/primary-sources/declaration-independence
(no subject)
9 July 2026 02:03 pmI love how much the character 酒 looks like, wow, look at this bottle of stuff, like it's putting spirit fingers around a bottle of booze
Things
9 July 2026 01:45 pmBooks
Finished listening to the audiobook of Monkey King (abridged, Monkey-centric, version of Journey to the West translated by Julia Lovell, narrated by Kevin Shen.) It was very fun.
Tech
Dug out the soldering iron etc that I bought years ago with the annual intention of learning electronics this year. Now to check whether they work and haven't become damaged over two moves and mumble years of storage.
Finished listening to the audiobook of Monkey King (abridged, Monkey-centric, version of Journey to the West translated by Julia Lovell, narrated by Kevin Shen.) It was very fun.
Tech
Dug out the soldering iron etc that I bought years ago with the annual intention of learning electronics this year. Now to check whether they work and haven't become damaged over two moves and mumble years of storage.
Jokes
8 July 2026 08:15 pm* What month is the shortest of the year? May, it only has three letters.
* Why do we tell actors to "break a leg?" Because every play has a cast.
* What do you call it when a snowman throws a tantrum? A meltdown.
* My uncle named his dogs Timex and Rolex. They're his watch dogs.
* Did you hear about the guy whose left side was cut off? He's all right now.
* What did the left eye say to the right eye? Between you and me, something smells.
* I'm so good at sleeping I can do it with my eyes closed!
* What do you call a pudgy psychic? A four-chin teller.
* If April showers bring May flowers, what do May flowers bring? Pilgrims.
* Why do we tell actors to "break a leg?" Because every play has a cast.
* What do you call it when a snowman throws a tantrum? A meltdown.
* My uncle named his dogs Timex and Rolex. They're his watch dogs.
* Did you hear about the guy whose left side was cut off? He's all right now.
* What did the left eye say to the right eye? Between you and me, something smells.
* I'm so good at sleeping I can do it with my eyes closed!
* What do you call a pudgy psychic? A four-chin teller.
* If April showers bring May flowers, what do May flowers bring? Pilgrims.
July questions.
8 July 2026 07:51 pm6. Today is the beginning of Great British Pea Week in the UK. Do you like eating peas? Have you ever grown them?
I love peas. I use them in a lot of recipes. And I crave slit pea soup often.
7. It’s the seventh day of the seventh month, and in Japan, it’s the day of the Star Festival (Tanabata). For one day only, wishes, hopes, poetry and dreams are written onto streamers and tied to trees. What would you write on a streamer today?
I would have written something about cancer. My brother is starting his second two-month aggressive chemotherapy. He can use all the prayers he can get.
8. Artemisia Gentileschi was born today in 1593. She was incredibly famous during her career, but largely forgotten until the 20th century. Have you ever seen any of her paintings?
I do know who she is. Her work is lovely but not anything I would want to own.
I love peas. I use them in a lot of recipes. And I crave slit pea soup often.
7. It’s the seventh day of the seventh month, and in Japan, it’s the day of the Star Festival (Tanabata). For one day only, wishes, hopes, poetry and dreams are written onto streamers and tied to trees. What would you write on a streamer today?
I would have written something about cancer. My brother is starting his second two-month aggressive chemotherapy. He can use all the prayers he can get.
8. Artemisia Gentileschi was born today in 1593. She was incredibly famous during her career, but largely forgotten until the 20th century. Have you ever seen any of her paintings?
I do know who she is. Her work is lovely but not anything I would want to own.
Did stuff today
8 July 2026 10:22 pmDespite sleeping til about 12:30. Got up then, had breakfast and coffee, and called ![[personal profile]](/post-https-www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
mashfanficchick to ascertain that we weren't doing anything today.
Having ascertained that, I went and got a load of laundry together. I filled the laundry bag, and moved it to the hall, then took a break.
I cleaned the cat pan, and I got the black suitcase out from behind my couch that I intend to use to transport the boxes of ashes of Mom, Dad, and Oldest Brother upstate to finally inter them. The suitcase that was supposed to be empty was very heavy.
Surprise! It was filled with the Kid's clothing that she must have left in it the last time, many years ago, she used that suitcase. I took everything out and put it in a Target bag.
Then I texted the Kid and asked her what she wanted me to do about it. Then I went to take a shower and wash my hair.
She texted me back and we arranged that. Then I took my shower, washed my hair, and got dressed.
I decided that while I was getting this clothing to the Kid, I should her antique hatbox that I've had here for years and years to her too, so I decided to get that out from under the small table beside the couch.
Easier said than done, I had to clear everything off the table, and move the table so I could get it. But I did. Then I replaced the table and all the knick knacks I had on it.
Then I took the laundry down to the laundromat and dropped it off. I came back, and texted RK about him taking care of Oreo and Christie while I was gone. He's our go-to person for that cause he's a vet tech, and really cares.
Thenmashfanficchick called and we talked about stuff, the upshot of everything is I'm brnging the bag of clothes and the hatbox over to zer place and we will take it to the storage unit to leave for the Kid when we're both back from upstate.
I took out the bag of dirty kitty litter, and walked around the block. I had originally planned on stopping at J's Confection for a milkshake but I didn't because it was too close to time to Team the FWiB.
Then I Teamed the FWiB. My D&D is cancelled for tonight because the DM is busy so we were able to talk for an hour and a half.
I had dinner after that, and went to the bedroom where I played solitaire til it was pet feeding time.
I fed the pets and started here. Busy day!
Gratitude List:
1. The FWiB.
2. RK.
3. Clean laundry.
4. Almost time to go upstate.
5. The Kid replied.
6.mashfanficchick
mashfanficchick to ascertain that we weren't doing anything today.Having ascertained that, I went and got a load of laundry together. I filled the laundry bag, and moved it to the hall, then took a break.
I cleaned the cat pan, and I got the black suitcase out from behind my couch that I intend to use to transport the boxes of ashes of Mom, Dad, and Oldest Brother upstate to finally inter them. The suitcase that was supposed to be empty was very heavy.
Surprise! It was filled with the Kid's clothing that she must have left in it the last time, many years ago, she used that suitcase. I took everything out and put it in a Target bag.
Then I texted the Kid and asked her what she wanted me to do about it. Then I went to take a shower and wash my hair.
She texted me back and we arranged that. Then I took my shower, washed my hair, and got dressed.
I decided that while I was getting this clothing to the Kid, I should her antique hatbox that I've had here for years and years to her too, so I decided to get that out from under the small table beside the couch.
Easier said than done, I had to clear everything off the table, and move the table so I could get it. But I did. Then I replaced the table and all the knick knacks I had on it.
Then I took the laundry down to the laundromat and dropped it off. I came back, and texted RK about him taking care of Oreo and Christie while I was gone. He's our go-to person for that cause he's a vet tech, and really cares.
Then
mashfanficchick called and we talked about stuff, the upshot of everything is I'm brnging the bag of clothes and the hatbox over to zer place and we will take it to the storage unit to leave for the Kid when we're both back from upstate.I took out the bag of dirty kitty litter, and walked around the block. I had originally planned on stopping at J's Confection for a milkshake but I didn't because it was too close to time to Team the FWiB.
Then I Teamed the FWiB. My D&D is cancelled for tonight because the DM is busy so we were able to talk for an hour and a half.
I had dinner after that, and went to the bedroom where I played solitaire til it was pet feeding time.
I fed the pets and started here. Busy day!
Gratitude List:
1. The FWiB.
2. RK.
3. Clean laundry.
4. Almost time to go upstate.
5. The Kid replied.
6.
mashfanficchick
Daily Check-In
8 July 2026 08:20 pmstarwatcher 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 Wednesday July 08, to midnight on Thursday, July 09. (8pm Eastern Time).
Poll #34813 Daily Check-in
Open to: Access List, detailed results viewable to: Access List, participants: 8
How are you doing?
I am OK.
5 (62.5%)
I am not OK, but don't need help right now.
3 (37.5%)
I could use some help.
0 (0.0%)
How many other humans live with you?
I am living single.
2 (25.0%)
One other person.
4 (50.0%)
More than one other person.
2 (25.0%)
<sigh> My apologies, folks. I simply forgot what day it was. 😢
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.
Choices
8 July 2026 09:19 pmSo today I went to the Honda dealer to look at another CR-V and went next door to the Hyundai dealer. Since Hyundai has made remarkable strides in reliability over the years it's now nearly as reliable as Honda and Toyota. After comparing the CR-V to the Tucson, I'm probably going to go with my first ever Korean vehicle. I mean Honda's warranty is 3 years. Hyundai has both the general car AND the electronics under warranty for 6 years/60,000 Miles and tops it with 10 year/100K miles on the driveline.
And then they offered me 0% apr for FIVE years.
It's hard to say no to that.
Came home, searched for end of life planning things that are also humorous found them (and then went to drink pickle brine so I can speed things along)
After that I saw something on Facebook that sounded so good so I went off the site to track it down in the real world so to speak. I found it. It's not some b.s. made up for FB. abruzzo sister tours and they do ancestral tourism. I will check into them more. This would be like archaeotours in Wales where I have a private tour. I am willing to pay for that. Hoping this is an option that doesn't have 1001 complaints lodged around them.
What I'm Reading Wednesday
What I Just Finished Reading:
One of the Girls - this was good
Our Wicked Gifts - not bad, horrorish
What I am Currently Reading:
Purra-normal Activity - a cozy mystery, so far so good
The Silent Companions - for summerween
The Harvesting - Zombie apocalypse fare
What I Plan to Read Next: some of my looming arcs (carry me to the grave or the seance garden) and things for popsugar
And then they offered me 0% apr for FIVE years.
It's hard to say no to that.
Came home, searched for end of life planning things that are also humorous found them (and then went to drink pickle brine so I can speed things along)
After that I saw something on Facebook that sounded so good so I went off the site to track it down in the real world so to speak. I found it. It's not some b.s. made up for FB. abruzzo sister tours and they do ancestral tourism. I will check into them more. This would be like archaeotours in Wales where I have a private tour. I am willing to pay for that. Hoping this is an option that doesn't have 1001 complaints lodged around them.
What I'm Reading Wednesday
What I Just Finished Reading:
One of the Girls - this was good
Our Wicked Gifts - not bad, horrorish
What I am Currently Reading:
Purra-normal Activity - a cozy mystery, so far so good
The Silent Companions - for summerween
The Harvesting - Zombie apocalypse fare
What I Plan to Read Next: some of my looming arcs (carry me to the grave or the seance garden) and things for popsugar
(no subject)
8 July 2026 09:27 pmBy the end of the day, I wished I had more energy.. I had my mid day complaint, which I can remember being real, but when I look back, the day was not bad other than police terrorism. I don't think I will ever reach resolution about this. I mean, I can try to return to my perfect no cop world which will never work.. you know, there is that: "level of control over my reality" . Thing.. so that is one issue, the biggest issue is that I know for a fact that there are criminals working as police, so I have zero trust there. This is awkward, because if you have drivers, maybe it is reasonable to have police around: but they did break the law. They put a heart surgery recipient in jail, and now they will have to go to jail for that. I am so frustrated, because you can have horrible things happen anytime you are alive, so unending WTF. Just try to stay calm and have a nice time, and I just cannot do that.
Unconventional Courtship Masterlist 2026
9 July 2026 12:41 amaflaminghalo posting in unconventionalcourtshipIt's the end of another round of unconventionalcourtship! Thank you so much to everyone who participated this year. Whether you wrote fic, read fic, signed up, made banners, promoted the fest or fell down the UC Generator rabbit hole your participation was very much appreciated.
Now the fest is over here is this year's masterlist to peruse while you give yourself a pat on the back!
2026 masterlist of fic:
June 21st: The UNIT Article (Doctor Who: Kate/Sarah Jane) byparanoidangel
June 22nd: And All the Stars Aligned [Shadow & Bone; Aleksander Kirigan/Nikolai Lantsov/Alina Starkov] bymeridian_rose
June 23rd: My Favorite Things (Hazbin Hotel, Angel Dust/Husk) bycornerofmadness
June 24th: All the Same (Doctor Who (1963)) bynatequarter
June 25th: fare well (out here trying to feel good again) [South Park, Kenny McCormick/Heidi Turner] bylumiosecity
June 26th: The Right Wrong Number (Stargate Atlantis, John/Rodney) bymelagan
June 27th: His Noble Nature (Blake's 7) byvilakins
Amnesty Week:
July 5th: Beyond the Sunset (Octopath Traveler II - Agnea/Throné) byrubylily
Now the fest is over here is this year's masterlist to peruse while you give yourself a pat on the back!
2026 masterlist of fic:
June 21st: The UNIT Article (Doctor Who: Kate/Sarah Jane) by
paranoidangelJune 22nd: And All the Stars Aligned [Shadow & Bone; Aleksander Kirigan/Nikolai Lantsov/Alina Starkov] by
meridian_roseJune 23rd: My Favorite Things (Hazbin Hotel, Angel Dust/Husk) by
cornerofmadnessJune 24th: All the Same (Doctor Who (1963)) by
natequarterJune 25th: fare well (out here trying to feel good again) [South Park, Kenny McCormick/Heidi Turner] by
lumiosecityJune 26th: The Right Wrong Number (Stargate Atlantis, John/Rodney) by
melaganJune 27th: His Noble Nature (Blake's 7) by
vilakinsAmnesty Week:
July 5th: Beyond the Sunset (Octopath Traveler II - Agnea/Throné) by
rubylilyWhat I'm Doing Wednesday
8 July 2026 07:21 pmbooks
America, América: A New History of the New World by Greg Grandin. 2025. FINALLY finished, though I skipped the notes bc I was just done with the book. It's a very thorough and sharply critical history of the Americas, and I loved the first half. The second half is mostly a deep dive into intra-hemispheric politics, most of which I've already studied in detail. I do wish it had started BEFORE the Conquest, rather than at it, but the book's 768 pages as it is.
Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump by Maggie Haberman, Jonathan Swan. 2026. Started reading just before the Independence Day weekend and just now finished. A chore to read, tbh, bc there's so much orange menace in it, and I hate him. But it confirms gvt by the inept following a plan framed by the vicious. I have been angry at H&S for sitting on so much of this info for up to 3 years, rather than releasing it to the public. But the timing now is good. It's fresh in voters' minds for the midterms. And we certainly won't have an impeachment before the new Congress is sworn in on January 3rd.
iwtv 3.5/tvl 1.5
Holy shit. This show is SO GOOD.
yarning
The cat scarf halves are stitched together & now I only have to weave in five million ends before mailing it out Friday. Didn't make yarn group again bc I slept too late. Stupid sleep disorder.
healthcrap
allergy shot yesterday. I need to remember to make a mammogram appt, though. Also, pain clinic appt. Oops.
wildlife
There's a(n o)possum living in my back porch laundry room. I don't know if it's a nesting female or not. It had diarrhea on top of my washer lid. Which is dried on and vile. (Cleaning it up is my project for maybe tomorrow.) I replaced the burned out light bulb today (and left it on) and left the door open, so maybe it'll vacate the premises on its own. I can call maintenance about relocating it. I just haven't yet. I thought about bombing it with peppermint or something, but peppermint is toxic to cats, and the stray cats use the laundry room for shelter in the winter, so that would suck for them.
#resist
? (I'm still waiting to see an announcement of a new march. Granted, it's hotter than hell, so maybe that's the delay? IDEK.)
I hope you're all doing well! <333
America, América: A New History of the New World by Greg Grandin. 2025. FINALLY finished, though I skipped the notes bc I was just done with the book. It's a very thorough and sharply critical history of the Americas, and I loved the first half. The second half is mostly a deep dive into intra-hemispheric politics, most of which I've already studied in detail. I do wish it had started BEFORE the Conquest, rather than at it, but the book's 768 pages as it is.
Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump by Maggie Haberman, Jonathan Swan. 2026. Started reading just before the Independence Day weekend and just now finished. A chore to read, tbh, bc there's so much orange menace in it, and I hate him. But it confirms gvt by the inept following a plan framed by the vicious. I have been angry at H&S for sitting on so much of this info for up to 3 years, rather than releasing it to the public. But the timing now is good. It's fresh in voters' minds for the midterms. And we certainly won't have an impeachment before the new Congress is sworn in on January 3rd.
iwtv 3.5/tvl 1.5
Holy shit. This show is SO GOOD.
yarning
The cat scarf halves are stitched together & now I only have to weave in five million ends before mailing it out Friday. Didn't make yarn group again bc I slept too late. Stupid sleep disorder.
healthcrap
allergy shot yesterday. I need to remember to make a mammogram appt, though. Also, pain clinic appt. Oops.
wildlife
There's a(n o)possum living in my back porch laundry room. I don't know if it's a nesting female or not. It had diarrhea on top of my washer lid. Which is dried on and vile. (Cleaning it up is my project for maybe tomorrow.) I replaced the burned out light bulb today (and left it on) and left the door open, so maybe it'll vacate the premises on its own. I can call maintenance about relocating it. I just haven't yet. I thought about bombing it with peppermint or something, but peppermint is toxic to cats, and the stray cats use the laundry room for shelter in the winter, so that would suck for them.
#resist
? (I'm still waiting to see an announcement of a new march. Granted, it's hotter than hell, so maybe that's the delay? IDEK.)
I hope you're all doing well! <333
Post and Jam: Crossing a Canyon by 54-40 [1996]
8 July 2026 05:04 pmFandom 50 #20
For 1996, a little roots rock from a band named for some 19th century colonial sloganeering.
Crossing a Canyon by 54-40
For 1996, a little roots rock from a band named for some 19th century colonial sloganeering.
Crossing a Canyon by 54-40
The Mass Effect Kink Meme is Moving to AO3
8 July 2026 06:33 pm
The Mass Effect Kink Meme a prompt meme for the Mass Effect games, is being imported to the Archive of Our Own (AO3).
In this post:
- A bit of background explanation
- What this means for creators who have works on The Mass Effect Kink Meme
- And what to do if you still have questions
Background explanation
The archive is being imported to AO3 to preserve the works and make them available to a wider audience.
The purpose of the Open Doors Committee’s Online Archive Rescue Project is to assist moderators of archives to incorporate the fanworks from those archives into the Archive of Our Own. Open Doors works with moderators to import their archives when the moderators lack the funds, time, or other resources to continue to maintain their archives independently. It is extremely important to Open Doors that we work in collaboration with moderators who want to import their archives and that we fully credit creators, giving them as much control as possible over their fanworks. Open Doors will be working with Liara!Mod to import The Mass Effect Kink Meme into a separate, searchable collection on the Archive of Our Own.
We will begin importing works from The Mass Effect Kink Meme to AO3 no sooner than August 2026. However, the import may not take place for several months or even years, depending on the size and complexity of the archive. Creators are always welcome to import their own works and add them to the collection in the meantime.
What does this mean for creators who have work on The Mass Effect Kink Meme?
Most fanwork fills on The Mass Effect Kink Meme were posted anonymously. All the anonymous fills will be imported to AO3 using the collection's archivist account. If the creator of a fill chose not to post anonymously, however, and if they have an email address listed on their Dreamwidth or LiveJournal profile, we will send an import notification to that email address.
We'll do our best to check for an existing copy of any works before importing. If we find a copy already on AO3, we will invite it to the collection instead of importing it. All fanworks archived on behalf of a self-identified creator will include their name in the byline or the summary of the work.
All imported works will be set to be viewable only by logged-in AO3 users. If you claim your works, you can make them publicly-viewable if you choose. After 30 days, all unclaimed imported works will be made visible to all visitors.
Please contact Open Doors with your LiveJournal or Dreamwidth pseud(s) and email address(es), if:
- You'd like us to import your works, but you need the notification sent to a different email address than you used on the original archive.
- You already have an AO3 account and have imported your works already yourself.
- You’d like to import your works yourself (including if you don’t have an AO3 account yet).
- You would NOT like your works moved to AO3, or would NOT like your works added to the archive collection.
- You are happy for us to preserve your works on AO3, but would like us to remove your name.
- You have any other questions we can help you with.
Please include the name of the archive in the subject heading of your email. If you no longer have access to the email account associated with your LiveJournal or Dreamwidth account, please contact Open Doors and we'll help you out. (If you've posted the works elsewhere, or have an easy way to verify that they're yours, that's great; if not, we will work with the Mass Effect Kink Meme mods to confirm your claims.)
Please see the Open Doors Website for instructions on:
- importing your works to AO3
- adding your works to the new collection The Mass Effect Kink Meme
If you still have questions...
If you have further questions, visit the Open Doors FAQ, or contact the Open Doors committee.
We'd also love it if fans could help us preserve the story of The Mass Effect Kink Meme on Fanlore. If you're new to wiki editing, no worries! Check out the new visitor portal, or ask the Fanlore Gardeners for tips.
We're excited to be able to help preserve The Mass Effect Kink Meme!
- The Open Doors team and Liara!Mod
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A Desolation Called Peace by Arkady Martine (2021)
8 July 2026 06:16 pmIn this sequel to A Memory Called Empire, Ambassador Mahit Dzmare and her imperial liaison/maybe-kinda-girlfriend Three Seagrass travel to the front lines of an interstellar war on a mission to try to decipher the alien enemy's language and establish diplomatic relations. What Three Seagrass doesn't know is that Mahit is also on a covert mission to sabotage diplomacy and keep the Teixcalaan Empire mired in an endless, unwinnable war.
I was so-so on A Memory Called Empire. I would say I had a stronger reaction to the sequel, both positive and negative.
First, the positive: I loved Nine Hibiscus and Twenty Cicada, new characters in this installment. She's the passionate, brilliant captain of the flagship, he's her loyal, cerebral first officer who adheres to a stoic alien philosophy. They deal with high-stakes ethical quandaries as the lives of millions hang in the balance, and they love each other with an intensity that goes largely unspoken. Is this aspect of the book pandering to people who love Kirk and Spock? Perhaps, but I had a great time being pandered to. I wanted the entire book to be about these two.
I mostly liked the stuff about establishing communication with the aliens too, which is also classically Star Trek in tone and approach. (It bugged me a little that the linguistics wasn't more realistic, but you rarely get that in SF and it isn't really the point here.)
Unfortunately, the things I liked were pretty definitively outweighed by all the half-baked themes, garbled political messaging, and many characters' infuriatingly stupid choices and baffling cluelessness. It wasn't quite throw-the-book-across-the-room level, but at certain moments it got close.
- I don't get the way the Mahit/Three Seagrass relationship is written at all. In the first book, they liked each other from the start and then nothing happened with it until suddenly they kissed at the end. In this one, they have a stupid fight at the beginning and feel weird and uncomfortable around each other for hundreds of pages until suddenly they fuck. This didn't work for me. It especially didn't work because I felt like I was supposed to side with Mahit in their argument, but I didn't, because Three Seagrass doesn't know what Mahit is mad about and Mahit refuses to tell her. Mahit's narration is explicit that she wants Three Seagrass to know what's bothering her without being told, so basically she's punishing Three Seagrass for not being fucking psychic. Am I the only one who thinks it would have been more interesting if they'd actually ever talked about any of the issues between them, rather than just winding themselves up about it in their heads?? By the end I wasn't rooting for them to get/stay together at all, so when Mahit ran away from the relationship (again) I didn't even care.
- I felt the lack of gender stuff in the first book was a missed opportunity. In this book, the author seems to be strenuously trying to miss that opportunity as hard as she can. There is one scene where Mahit (in their shared consciousness) accuses Yskandr of not understanding fashion for "female-bodied people." It's brushed off. There's another scene where Three Seagrass says she wasn't sure if Mahit liked people of her "gender and sex," and several where Three Seagrass silently wonders if she had sex with Mahit, or with Mahit and Yskandr, or just Yskandr. No further discussion of these points. I truly don't understand what Martine is going for here. She chose to create a protagonist who is a woman sharing a mind and body with a man. She seems dimly aware that there might be interesting things one could say about this. She apparently doesn't want to say any of them.
- Even leaving aside the gender issues, I think there's a lot more that could have been done to explore the mindsharing scenario. Yskandr often reads like an invisible sidekick who just pipes up now and then to give Mahit some information, advice, or a snarky comment. What is his experience/consciousness/sense of embodiment like? We don't get his own internal monologue, just the things he "says" to Mahit. It doesn't feel as weird and alien as it seems like it should.
- Mahit and Twenty Cicada should have talked! He's assimilated to Teixcalaan in some ways but maintained his cultural distinctiveness in others; doesn't that seem like an extremely relevant perspective for Mahit to hear? The books act like Mahit is the only one in the galaxy who has mixed feelings about Teixcalaan, but surely she can't be.
- On a larger level, these books are about an absolutist expansionist empire and the vulnerable republic it threatens, and nothing about any of that is resolved or even really explored all that much. The child heir Eight Antidote is an interesting character and he's trying to do the right thing, but there's so much more going on here that can't and won't be resolved by a kid with some moral fiber taking the throne. Having a relatively nice emperor does not solve the problems of imperialism. In this book we learn more about how systemically fucked up Lsel is too, and nothing happens with that either. The plot doesn't even make it hard for Mahit to decide whether to stay loyal to Lsel, since there are power-mad authorities on Lsel who want to KILL HER. No wonder people were expecting a trilogy here; this book does not wrap up a single loose end.
Okay, that's probably more than enough of a rant. TL;DR: Book dances around a lot of interesting speculative and interpersonal possibilities and solidly lands on very few of them.
I was so-so on A Memory Called Empire. I would say I had a stronger reaction to the sequel, both positive and negative.
First, the positive: I loved Nine Hibiscus and Twenty Cicada, new characters in this installment. She's the passionate, brilliant captain of the flagship, he's her loyal, cerebral first officer who adheres to a stoic alien philosophy. They deal with high-stakes ethical quandaries as the lives of millions hang in the balance, and they love each other with an intensity that goes largely unspoken. Is this aspect of the book pandering to people who love Kirk and Spock? Perhaps, but I had a great time being pandered to. I wanted the entire book to be about these two.
I mostly liked the stuff about establishing communication with the aliens too, which is also classically Star Trek in tone and approach. (It bugged me a little that the linguistics wasn't more realistic, but you rarely get that in SF and it isn't really the point here.)
Unfortunately, the things I liked were pretty definitively outweighed by all the half-baked themes, garbled political messaging, and many characters' infuriatingly stupid choices and baffling cluelessness. It wasn't quite throw-the-book-across-the-room level, but at certain moments it got close.
Ranting and spoilers
- How can it possibly take SO LONG for the characters to figure out that the aliens are a hivemind???? It's not just that it's a basic SF trope and obvious to the reader from literally the first page of the book. It's also that all the prompting the characters need to make the leap is right there in front of them the whole time! Mahit herself has Yskandr's mind in her head, there are the Sunlit guards and the Shard pilots who share their perceptions through technology... To these characters, the existence of a species with a shared consciousness shouldn't even be surprising. But it still takes them 400 fucking pages to figure it out, and they act like it's a galaxy-shattering shock. This makes no sense whatsoever and it makes most of the characters look inexcusably dumb.- I don't get the way the Mahit/Three Seagrass relationship is written at all. In the first book, they liked each other from the start and then nothing happened with it until suddenly they kissed at the end. In this one, they have a stupid fight at the beginning and feel weird and uncomfortable around each other for hundreds of pages until suddenly they fuck. This didn't work for me. It especially didn't work because I felt like I was supposed to side with Mahit in their argument, but I didn't, because Three Seagrass doesn't know what Mahit is mad about and Mahit refuses to tell her. Mahit's narration is explicit that she wants Three Seagrass to know what's bothering her without being told, so basically she's punishing Three Seagrass for not being fucking psychic. Am I the only one who thinks it would have been more interesting if they'd actually ever talked about any of the issues between them, rather than just winding themselves up about it in their heads?? By the end I wasn't rooting for them to get/stay together at all, so when Mahit ran away from the relationship (again) I didn't even care.
- I felt the lack of gender stuff in the first book was a missed opportunity. In this book, the author seems to be strenuously trying to miss that opportunity as hard as she can. There is one scene where Mahit (in their shared consciousness) accuses Yskandr of not understanding fashion for "female-bodied people." It's brushed off. There's another scene where Three Seagrass says she wasn't sure if Mahit liked people of her "gender and sex," and several where Three Seagrass silently wonders if she had sex with Mahit, or with Mahit and Yskandr, or just Yskandr. No further discussion of these points. I truly don't understand what Martine is going for here. She chose to create a protagonist who is a woman sharing a mind and body with a man. She seems dimly aware that there might be interesting things one could say about this. She apparently doesn't want to say any of them.
- Even leaving aside the gender issues, I think there's a lot more that could have been done to explore the mindsharing scenario. Yskandr often reads like an invisible sidekick who just pipes up now and then to give Mahit some information, advice, or a snarky comment. What is his experience/consciousness/sense of embodiment like? We don't get his own internal monologue, just the things he "says" to Mahit. It doesn't feel as weird and alien as it seems like it should.
- Mahit and Twenty Cicada should have talked! He's assimilated to Teixcalaan in some ways but maintained his cultural distinctiveness in others; doesn't that seem like an extremely relevant perspective for Mahit to hear? The books act like Mahit is the only one in the galaxy who has mixed feelings about Teixcalaan, but surely she can't be.
- On a larger level, these books are about an absolutist expansionist empire and the vulnerable republic it threatens, and nothing about any of that is resolved or even really explored all that much. The child heir Eight Antidote is an interesting character and he's trying to do the right thing, but there's so much more going on here that can't and won't be resolved by a kid with some moral fiber taking the throne. Having a relatively nice emperor does not solve the problems of imperialism. In this book we learn more about how systemically fucked up Lsel is too, and nothing happens with that either. The plot doesn't even make it hard for Mahit to decide whether to stay loyal to Lsel, since there are power-mad authorities on Lsel who want to KILL HER. No wonder people were expecting a trilogy here; this book does not wrap up a single loose end.
Okay, that's probably more than enough of a rant. TL;DR: Book dances around a lot of interesting speculative and interpersonal possibilities and solidly lands on very few of them.
Creating a GIF or a collage
9 July 2026 05:36 amg_uava posting in fictional_fansI wrote about the different effects of creating a GIF (moving image) or a collage (compilation of multiple images into one static image out of frames from the same scene, which I thought might interest other photo editors. While writing it, I came across the Fanlore entry on the picspam that likens picspams to fanart. It's a first for me to see picspams described that way!
July Jams: Sarah McLachlan's Surfacing
8 July 2026 02:46 pmAO3 Link | Sweet Surrender (100 words) by Merfilly
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Xena: Warrior Princess
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Xena/Gabrielle [Xena: Warrior Princess]
Characters: Xena [Xena: Warrior Princess], Gabrielle [Xena: Warrior Princess]
Additional Tags: Drabble, Inspired by Music
Summary:
When she had set out on her path, choosing to help instead of conquer, Xena had known there was no going back. To go back would open her to the illusion of weakness. To go back would undo the strides of penance already walked.
Then there was Gabrielle. All of Xena's choices teetered on a dangerous edge when she realized that she would destroy the world ten times over to protect Gabrielle. The first kiss broke Xena and remade her. The gentle caress had her kneeling in prayer that no harm come.
Aphrodite's victory was Xena's surrender to her bard.
AO3 Link | I Love You (100 words) by Merfilly
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Stargate SG-1
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Characters: Samantha "Sam" Carter, Janet Frasier
Additional Tags: Drabble, Canonical Character Death, Inspired by Music
Summary:
From the moment Janet agreed to go on the mission, Sam had three little words she wanted to shout. All of their time spent together, all of the little ways Janet had included her in Cassandra's care circled around those three words.
Sam, consummate soldier and scientist alike, wrapped up the emotional turmoil and put it behind secure locks. There was work to be done; Dr. Fraiser would be taking as few risks as possible to fulfill her part of the mission.
Words remained unsaid, and a woman struggled with holding them back did not protect the ones she loved.
AO3 Link | Full of Grace (100 words) by Merfilly
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Catelyn Tully Stark/Brienne of Tarth
Characters: Catelyn Tully Stark, Brienne of Tarth
Additional Tags: Drabble, Inspired by Music
Summary:
Catelyn Stark viewed the world around her with bitterness. Winter was coming, yes, but she'd never hear the septons say it would cost her her family this severely alongside the strength and peace of the lands.
She looked at the uncomely woman beside her, and the cold despair trying to take hold in her soul knew an easing. The days ahead would be harsh, filled with trials and pain, but where Catelyn walked, so too did a bastion of faith and strength.
"Brienne," she murmured. "The night air is cold. Retire with me."
With obedience and awe, her protector did.
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Xena: Warrior Princess
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Xena/Gabrielle [Xena: Warrior Princess]
Characters: Xena [Xena: Warrior Princess], Gabrielle [Xena: Warrior Princess]
Additional Tags: Drabble, Inspired by Music
Summary:
Xena's contemplation of her chosen path
"Sweet Surrender"
When she had set out on her path, choosing to help instead of conquer, Xena had known there was no going back. To go back would open her to the illusion of weakness. To go back would undo the strides of penance already walked.
Then there was Gabrielle. All of Xena's choices teetered on a dangerous edge when she realized that she would destroy the world ten times over to protect Gabrielle. The first kiss broke Xena and remade her. The gentle caress had her kneeling in prayer that no harm come.
Aphrodite's victory was Xena's surrender to her bard.
AO3 Link | I Love You (100 words) by Merfilly
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Stargate SG-1
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Characters: Samantha "Sam" Carter, Janet Frasier
Additional Tags: Drabble, Canonical Character Death, Inspired by Music
Summary:
Sam has three little words never said...
"I Love You"
From the moment Janet agreed to go on the mission, Sam had three little words she wanted to shout. All of their time spent together, all of the little ways Janet had included her in Cassandra's care circled around those three words.
Sam, consummate soldier and scientist alike, wrapped up the emotional turmoil and put it behind secure locks. There was work to be done; Dr. Fraiser would be taking as few risks as possible to fulfill her part of the mission.
Words remained unsaid, and a woman struggled with holding them back did not protect the ones she loved.
AO3 Link | Full of Grace (100 words) by Merfilly
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Catelyn Tully Stark/Brienne of Tarth
Characters: Catelyn Tully Stark, Brienne of Tarth
Additional Tags: Drabble, Inspired by Music
Summary:
Catelyn has one comfort against the coming winter
"Full of Grace"
Catelyn Stark viewed the world around her with bitterness. Winter was coming, yes, but she'd never hear the septons say it would cost her her family this severely alongside the strength and peace of the lands.
She looked at the uncomely woman beside her, and the cold despair trying to take hold in her soul knew an easing. The days ahead would be harsh, filled with trials and pain, but where Catelyn walked, so too did a bastion of faith and strength.
"Brienne," she murmured. "The night air is cold. Retire with me."
With obedience and awe, her protector did.
Write Every Day: Day 8
8 July 2026 03:28 pmLast night we watched Clueless, just to round out the Emma collection. For all that it's an incredibly dated and silly movie, there were a couple of laughs in it. Also a very young Ant-Man.
In conclusion, only Anya-Taylor Joy is capable of making me like the main character.
And I even managed to open up the WIP I interrupted and add an alibi sentence when I got home. Even better, I reread the current scene and can see very clearly how to make it much better, so the break to work on something else was definitely a good thing.
Day 8 Tally
china_shop
Day 7 Tally
ysilme sylvanwitch badly_knitted glinda trobadora goddess47 cornerofmadness sanguinity dswdiane shippen_stand the_siobhan
( past tallies )
Let me know if I have missed your name at any point. And don't forget you can jump in (or out) at any time.
In conclusion, only Anya-Taylor Joy is capable of making me like the main character.
And I even managed to open up the WIP I interrupted and add an alibi sentence when I got home. Even better, I reread the current scene and can see very clearly how to make it much better, so the break to work on something else was definitely a good thing.
Day 8 Tally
china_shop
Day 7 Tally
ysilme sylvanwitch badly_knitted glinda trobadora goddess47 cornerofmadness sanguinity dswdiane shippen_stand the_siobhan
( past tallies )
Let me know if I have missed your name at any point. And don't forget you can jump in (or out) at any time.
Wednesday has made an appointment to see the dentist
8 July 2026 07:28 pmWhat I read
Finished Second Wind, which was really a bit kitchen-sinky in all the stuff that happened to Our Hero the Physicist Turned Weatherman - I thought Rare Form of Bovine TB was really going a bit far after all the flying through hurricanes etc.
Finished Free for the book-group - account of growing up in Albania just before and just after the Fall of Communism, in a family with rather a lot of intricate backstory on both sides. And a lot of it narrated via perspective of very young person who is, understandably, not being told everything by the parents and living under that particular regime.
Then read JD Robb, Stolen in Death, (In Death #62) (2026), and while I am always pleased when Dallas is not chasing a serial killer or someone with weird perverse agenda, this one did not seem to me one of the top entries in the series, quite apart from the jewel theft from the TATE!!! blooper. (I was trying to construct any scenarios in which there would be v pricey jewels on display alongside, you know, all the PAINTINGS and some sculptures.)
Then I re-read, the first time in a Very Long Time, George Eliot, Felix Holt, the Radical (1866). A lot of it reads like practice-steps for Middlemarch, which has so much more going for it. The plot-stuff to do with legacies, lost heirs, etc, is pretty clunky. Felix himself is somewhat of a pain. There's not much of her humour. Even so, there's some terrific stuff there.
On the go
Winifred Holtby, Poor Caroline (1931), which I appear to have re-read slightly more recently than I thought, though still not very recently.
Up next
There's a new Literary Review. Otherwise, feel I am on a bit of a re-reading things kick.
Water
8 July 2026 11:20 amWater is still taking up a lot of bandwidth. It’s the cows, the time of year and the age of the system. Yesterday I used quite a lot of water in the garden, including some that escaped when a connection on the drip system came apart. Fortunately there was water in the overflow trough, and some in the trough at the house so I wasn’t too worried. I did talk to Cody because, by yesterday we had had water for a couple of days and I had seen exactly 2 cows and their calves. The rest of the herd was missing. Cody thought about it, and decided to go find the cows in the easiest, fastest way. He went out at noon, when the cows were “shaded up”, that is lying down in the shade near water. Smart cows, they take a nap during the hot part of the day. They were quite grumpy and hard to move when he insisted on driving them down to the House Pasture.
( Pics )Update
7 July 2026 01:40 pmI'm STILL not done with the water project. Only one more project involving gluing PVC left to do; however I now also want to replace the problamatic bit of pipe that is in the creek. That pipe is never going to stop trying to coil back up into its original coil and every time it does so it cuts off my water supply by airlocking. I might as well put a new piece of pipe in there that will lie flat without being weighted down by piles of rocks that will wash away with the next heavy rain.
Day before yesterday involved another visit to Fort Bragg. My body feels ever so much better!
This morning Mark O came up to help. I was going to have him help replace the pipe, but he is terribly allergic to poison oak and there is a lot of it up there. So instead we moved the old 6 ft tank into position in the garden. I threw some wood in the bottom and we shoveled out the last of the wood compost from the truck into it. A trip to town filled the truck back up with a planting mix. We put most of the load into the old tank. It is really, really nice mix, the plants will love it. I have a couple winter squash planted and a couple okra will go in this evening when it cools off.
We also worked for a few minutes on the solar, driving rebar through the wooden and the brick paving base to make a really sturdy footing for it.
In the last couple of days I've gotten a lot of the remaining plant materials removed from right next to the house. Should be more fire safe now.
Day before yesterday involved another visit to Fort Bragg. My body feels ever so much better!
This morning Mark O came up to help. I was going to have him help replace the pipe, but he is terribly allergic to poison oak and there is a lot of it up there. So instead we moved the old 6 ft tank into position in the garden. I threw some wood in the bottom and we shoveled out the last of the wood compost from the truck into it. A trip to town filled the truck back up with a planting mix. We put most of the load into the old tank. It is really, really nice mix, the plants will love it. I have a couple winter squash planted and a couple okra will go in this evening when it cools off.
We also worked for a few minutes on the solar, driving rebar through the wooden and the brick paving base to make a really sturdy footing for it.
In the last couple of days I've gotten a lot of the remaining plant materials removed from right next to the house. Should be more fire safe now.
Tomb Raider King
8 July 2026 08:10 pmThe first episode of Tomb Raider King was a lot of fun. Perfect for fans of The Lost Tomb/DMBJ!
I knew it was based on a Korean webtoon, 도굴왕, but I expected it to be in Japanese, not in Korean. Yay for extra practice! \o/
It's available on Crunchyroll.
I knew it was based on a Korean webtoon, 도굴왕, but I expected it to be in Japanese, not in Korean. Yay for extra practice! \o/
It's available on Crunchyroll.
Wednesday reading
8 July 2026 08:39 pmFinished since the last reading post
Borderlines, which was very interesting on some central eastern borders in Europe, but a bit more shallow on some other ones.
Suomi on ruotsalainen by Marjo Vilkko, a book based on a TV programme done for Yle, about the aspects of Finland and Finnishness that owe themselves to the shared history with Sweden. The programme was originally done in 2013 or something like that, but my mum noticed it's being repeated, so I actually saw the first episode too.
Paha meri: Itämeren myrskyisä historia by Petri Laukka and Ari Turunen, about the history and present of the Baltic Sea, another browsing find at the history shelf in the library, but disappointingly shallow and a bit confusing.
Homona Putinin Venäjällä by Erkka Mikkonen, a former Yle correspondent in Moscow who lived in Russia between 2009 and 2022, and has now written this book about his experiences of the changes in attitudes to and legislation about LGBTQ+ people over the years.
Sarviini puhkeaa lehti: Ihmeellinen Reidar Särestöniemi by Noora Vaarala, about the artist and the art particularly in the queer context, trying to get past the name, fame, and clichés.
Seitsemäs vyöhyke: Pohjoista merihistoriaa 1200-1600 by Mikko Huhtamies, another book about the Baltic Sea that I came across in the library and thought that it looked interesting.
Currently reading
Struggling with an extremely boring short story in the parallel text German short stories book. Started reading The Blind Woman of Sorrento by Francesco Mastriani in Idara Crespi's English translation from the Italian. This is the book I recently got from LibraryThing Early Reviewers. Also reading Rutto by Lena Huldén, Larry Huldén and Kari Heliövaara, about the plague.
Reading next
Not sure. I'm saving a book for the journey home, and I ended up buying a couple of Finnish ebooks that I could also pick up soon.
Borderlines, which was very interesting on some central eastern borders in Europe, but a bit more shallow on some other ones.
Suomi on ruotsalainen by Marjo Vilkko, a book based on a TV programme done for Yle, about the aspects of Finland and Finnishness that owe themselves to the shared history with Sweden. The programme was originally done in 2013 or something like that, but my mum noticed it's being repeated, so I actually saw the first episode too.
Paha meri: Itämeren myrskyisä historia by Petri Laukka and Ari Turunen, about the history and present of the Baltic Sea, another browsing find at the history shelf in the library, but disappointingly shallow and a bit confusing.
Homona Putinin Venäjällä by Erkka Mikkonen, a former Yle correspondent in Moscow who lived in Russia between 2009 and 2022, and has now written this book about his experiences of the changes in attitudes to and legislation about LGBTQ+ people over the years.
Sarviini puhkeaa lehti: Ihmeellinen Reidar Särestöniemi by Noora Vaarala, about the artist and the art particularly in the queer context, trying to get past the name, fame, and clichés.
Seitsemäs vyöhyke: Pohjoista merihistoriaa 1200-1600 by Mikko Huhtamies, another book about the Baltic Sea that I came across in the library and thought that it looked interesting.
Currently reading
Struggling with an extremely boring short story in the parallel text German short stories book. Started reading The Blind Woman of Sorrento by Francesco Mastriani in Idara Crespi's English translation from the Italian. This is the book I recently got from LibraryThing Early Reviewers. Also reading Rutto by Lena Huldén, Larry Huldén and Kari Heliövaara, about the plague.
Reading next
Not sure. I'm saving a book for the journey home, and I ended up buying a couple of Finnish ebooks that I could also pick up soon.
(no subject)
8 July 2026 01:10 pmHaving a rough time here. Day is going ok in the major ways I guess. I still feel right to be upset about the things that I get upset about, but I am so tired of being upset about anything. Argh.
Children of Strife (Children of Time #4), by Adrian Tchaikovsky
8 July 2026 10:04 am"We call it a society. It involves coming to accommodations with others."
Goes backwards—and sideways—through time, looking at the events of the last three books from another set of perspectives. Introduces some new characters and locations, brings back some old ones, and does a great job of balancing epic world building with the minutiae of being a person in a society.
If you haven't read this series, you can't start here. And if you have, don't expect the corvids from the last book to join us for this one; Tchaikovsky seems to be switching up the way this series works.
Contains: BUGS (like huge gross bugs, plus the usual spiders and ants), GORE (just, guts, everywhere), BODY HORROR (guts and body parts in places they shouldn't be), animal harm.
Goes backwards—and sideways—through time, looking at the events of the last three books from another set of perspectives. Introduces some new characters and locations, brings back some old ones, and does a great job of balancing epic world building with the minutiae of being a person in a society.
If you haven't read this series, you can't start here. And if you have, don't expect the corvids from the last book to join us for this one; Tchaikovsky seems to be switching up the way this series works.
Contains: BUGS (like huge gross bugs, plus the usual spiders and ants), GORE (just, guts, everywhere), BODY HORROR (guts and body parts in places they shouldn't be), animal harm.
Spider-Man Today #1-4
8 July 2026 09:24 amlaughing_tree posting in scans_daily
"It can be intimidating to a new reader. With ‘Spider-Man TODAY,’ we wanted to make sure that a new reader could pick this up, start here, and not feel left out. So we hold your hand through it. In fact, you see parts of Spider-Man’s origin in each issue as we go through there, and then other characters' origins as we get beyond just this first arc. We wanted to make sure that this entry-level comic was a welcome mat saying, ‘Come on in, the water's fine.'" -- Nick Lowe
( Read more... )
Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal - Four
8 July 2026 11:20 am
Click here to go see the bonus panel!
Hovertext:
Readers are encouraged to try to beat this, and fail.
Today's News:
Five SFF Works About Trying to Escape Massive Debt
8 July 2026 10:15 am
Whether they owe money, their souls, or their futures, these characters are in desperate straits...
Five SFF Works About Trying to Escape Massive Debt
X-MEN: ELSEWHEN #1's best panel
8 July 2026 07:00 amtcampbell1000 posting in scans_dailyThe first of three graphic novels dropped this week, featuring John Byrne writing and drawing an "alternate history of the X-Men" in which Jean Grey doesn't die because the Shi'ar take an alternate approach to the Phoenix problem. ( A not very smart one, as it turns out, but never mind that for now. )
HEY JUDE, Don't Bake It Bad
8 July 2026 01:00 pmWhen I find my cake's in times of trouble
Cake Wrecks Jen, she comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom:
"Let it bleed."
And when my flower's oozing darkness
Or icing balloons spring a leak:
Cake Wrecks Words of Wisdom:
Let it bleed.
Let it bleed
Let it lean!
Let it seep,
Then let us see!
Cake Wrecks wants to laugh, too
So let us see.
HEEEEE!
Thanks to Sarah, Brandy R., Michelle L., Diane B., Adria P., Lisa J., Valerie O., Lisa P., Kerinsa M., & Ann for helping us COME TOGETHER for a DAY IN THE LIFE of wreckage IN MY LIFE. You CAN'T BUY ME LOVE, but you can buy cake, which is sort of the same thing.
*****
P.S. In case this post wasn't painful enough:
Exceptionally Bad Dad Jokes
There are a lot of "dad joke" books out there, but this one has awesome ratings AND the word "spiffing" on the cover, so it's a clear winner.
*****
And from my other blog, Epbot:
