jazzyjj ([personal profile] jazzyjj) wrote in [community profile] awesomeers2025-08-11 09:47 pm
Entry tags:

Just one thing: 12 August 2025

It's challenge time!

Comment with Just One Thing you've accomplished in the last 24 hours or so. It doesn't have to be a hard thing, or even a thing that you think is particularly awesome. Just a thing that you did.

Feel free to share more than one thing if you're feeling particularly accomplished!

Extra credit: find someone in the comments and give them props for what they achieved!

Nothing is too big, too small, too strange or too cryptic. And in case you'd rather do this in private, anonymous comments are screened. I will only unscreen if you ask me to.

Go!
the cosmolinguist ([personal profile] cosmolinguist) wrote2025-08-11 11:06 pm
Entry tags:

Unpickled pickles

Everything is so much.

I did get my hair cut between work and circuits today (missing a call from my boss by skiving a little bit early, oops).

And circuits was good, the last week our usual trainer is doing it! They have to reassure us that they'll still be around, they're still doing lift club, but they need their Monday evenings back. They're self-employed and they work long odd hours, and they have a kid and everything. Fair enough but I'll miss them! We've already had their replacement a couple times and it helps to know I like them too but still.

We always have music playing on a big speaker during circuits, and they asked everyone to pick a song to play tonight. I chose Calvin Harris's "Summer" because I'd already had to listen to some metal nonsense and an actual ballad (who wants breathy singer-songwriter types in the gym??) and I needed some dance music. I did my burpees so much faster when "Sandstorm" was playing!

Biggest achievement of today was getting the report draft to the copyeditor on time. Second biggest is making sure my best binder has been washed and has a chance to dry before I need to wear it tomorrow afternoon (and Wednesday). Third biggest achievement is finally, only after I got back from circuits, starting to think about what my keynote speech on Wednesday will entail.

Priorities!

I've got a few slides and everything. Our pal V gave me a lift home from circuits and when I told him I had no idea what my talk was going to be about and maybe should be worried that I'm not more worried, he said "I think I'm more worried for you now!" Oh no. He really did seem it too, bless him. I should text him tomorrow and tell him that it's fine.

The best thing that happened today is something I mostly sorted out a couple of days ago: some friends having a shitty time and dreading the UK heatwave said they'd benefit from getting some groceries delivered. One of them was able to give an idea of what kind of food would work and V told them I'm a genius at sorting out groceries online so no pressure. I took the suggestions and what I know of them and what kinds of things were on offer. The first message we got this afternoon was "It's arrived! Just put it in bags and taking a breather. From first impressions: you know us very well :D" Aw. I'm just glad it's stuff they can eat.

The next message was one of them describing the other's reaction to seeing baby cucumbers (which I'd chosen as easier to eat than having to slice up one big cucumber): "oh they're unpickled pickles!" I've been smiling at that ever since.

ysabetwordsmith: Cartoon of me in Wordsmith persona (Default)
ysabetwordsmith ([personal profile] ysabetwordsmith) wrote2025-08-11 04:47 pm
Entry tags:

Basic Income

In a new pilot program, this city will give homeless young adults $1,200 in cash every month for two years

According to the Stanford Basic Income Lab, universal basic income is a periodic cash payment that is given to individuals unconditionally, requiring no work requirement or sanctions to access.

And as various nonprofits and cities across the country experiment with basic income programs, most have found that the money received is largely used to pay for the basic essentials many Americans struggle to afford.

A new pilot program in Boston, Massachusetts wants to find out if the same trend applies for a specific demographic: young adults facing homelessness
.

Read more... )
ysabetwordsmith: Artwork of the wordsmith typing. (typing)
ysabetwordsmith ([personal profile] ysabetwordsmith) wrote2025-08-11 03:03 pm
Entry tags:

Monday Update 8-11-25

These are some posts from the later part of last week in case you missed them:
Spider Apocalypse
Activism
Fossils
Birdfeeding
Safety
Birdfeeding
Philosophical Questions: Thinking
Safety
Moment of Silence: Jim Lovell
Birdfeeding
Follow Friday 8-8-25: Icons
Today's Adventures
Inventions
Fossils
Birdfeeding
Bigotry
Birdfeeding
Good News

Food has 34 comments. "Philosophical Questions: Looks" has 48 comments. "Incompetence, Sloppy Thinking, and Laziness" has 75 comments. "Not a Destination, But a Process" has 148 comments.


[community profile] summerofthe69 is open! You can see the calendar here and the current themes are Alternate Sexy Parts 69 and Kinky 69.


There are no open epics at present.


The weather has been sweltering agan. Seen at the birdfeeders this week: a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches, a mourning dove, a house wren, a male cardinal, and a fox squirrel. Currently blooming: dandelions, pansies, violas, marigolds, petunias, red salvia, wild strawberries, verbena, lantana, sweet alyssum, zinnias, snapdragons, blue lobelia, perennial pinks, oxalis, moss rose, yarrow, anise hyssop, firecracker plant, tomatoes, tomatillos, Asiatic lilies, cucumber, yellow squash, zucchini, morning glory, purple echinacea, black-eyed Susan, yellow coneflower, chicory, Queen Anne's lace, sunflowers, cup plant, gladioli, firewheel, orange butterfly weed. Tomatillo and pepper have green fruit. Wild strawberries, mulberries, tomatoes, and cucumbers are ripe. The second crop of blackberries and the ball carrots are ripe.

ysabetwordsmith: Cartoon of me in Wordsmith persona (Default)
ysabetwordsmith ([personal profile] ysabetwordsmith) wrote2025-08-11 02:49 pm

Magpie Monday

[personal profile] dialecticdreamer is hosting Magpie Monday with a theme of "Change." Leave prompts, get ficlets!

Change is an immutable element of the universe.

Today, let’s make change our goal. Call it the theme. Big or small, quiet and subtle or dramatic and incontrovertible, what change do you want to see? In the world? In a story with an unsatisfying moment (or worse, ending)?



ysabetwordsmith: Cartoon of me in Wordsmith persona (Default)
ysabetwordsmith ([personal profile] ysabetwordsmith) wrote in [community profile] birdfeeding2025-08-11 02:48 pm

Birdfeeding

Today is mostly sunny, humid, and hot. The sky is blue with fluffy white clouds.

I fed the birds. I've seen a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches.

EDIT 8/11/25 -- I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 8/11/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

EDIT 8/11/25 -- I did more work around the patio.

EDIT 8/11/25 -- We reeled up the garden hose. Yay. Yay.

I am done for the night.
ysabetwordsmith: Cartoon of me in Wordsmith persona (Default)
ysabetwordsmith ([personal profile] ysabetwordsmith) wrote2025-08-11 02:10 pm

Birdfeeding

Today is mostly sunny, humid, and hot. The sky is blue with fluffy white clouds.

I fed the birds. I've seen a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches.

EDIT 8/11/25 -- I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 8/11/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

EDIT 8/11/25 -- I did more work around the patio.

EDIT 8/11/25 -- We reeled up the garden hose. Yay. Yay.

I am done for the night.
yourlibrarian: Dark Connor (BUF-Dark Connor - teragramm.jpg)
yourlibrarian ([personal profile] yourlibrarian) wrote in [community profile] common_nature2025-08-11 10:56 am
Entry tags:

The Devil's Punchbowl



Not far from our hotel was a rock feature that had an interesting look to it. What was especially interesting to me were its walls.

Read more... )
jazzyjj ([personal profile] jazzyjj) wrote in [community profile] awesomeers2025-08-11 06:50 am
Entry tags:

Just one thing: 11 August 2025

It's challenge time!

Comment with Just One Thing you've accomplished in the last 24 hours or so. It doesn't have to be a hard thing, or even a thing that you think is particularly awesome. Just a thing that you did.

Feel free to share more than one thing if you're feeling particularly accomplished!

Extra credit: find someone in the comments and give them props for what they achieved!

Nothing is too big, too small, too strange or too cryptic. And in case you'd rather do this in private, anonymous comments are screened. I will only unscreen if you ask me to.

Go!
ysabetwordsmith: Cartoon of me in Wordsmith persona (Default)
ysabetwordsmith ([personal profile] ysabetwordsmith) wrote2025-08-10 11:38 pm
Entry tags:

Humor

This made me laugh.

The True Self

ysabetwordsmith: Cartoon of me in Wordsmith persona (Default)
ysabetwordsmith ([personal profile] ysabetwordsmith) wrote2025-08-10 10:45 pm
Entry tags:

Spider Apocalypse

This article mentions seeing no grass spiders in a place that typically has them. 

Then I realized that I haven't seen any this year either.  Usually we have one every couple of feet here, so many it's hard not to step on the webs.  They're barely visible most of the time, unless covered in dust or rain or dew.  I may simply not have noticed them.  But with the ongoing insect apocalypse, it is concerning.  I have have seen other spiders spinning webs, though.

What are your spider populations like?
ysabetwordsmith: Cartoon of me in Wordsmith persona (Default)
ysabetwordsmith ([personal profile] ysabetwordsmith) wrote2025-08-10 09:10 pm

Activism

How To Make Your City Stronger With 4 Hours and a Shovel

Last month, members of Livable Lynchburg, a Strong Towns Local Conversation group, joined a walk audit alongside city staff, regional planners, and transit officials. At the corner of 12th and Polk, they noticed two stretches of sidewalk that were so overgrown they were nearly impassable.

Read more... )
ysabetwordsmith: Cartoon of me in Wordsmith persona (Default)
ysabetwordsmith ([personal profile] ysabetwordsmith) wrote2025-08-10 04:40 pm

Fossils

Stunning “wonder reptile” discovery rewrites the origins of feathers

An international team of researchers has published a breakthrough study in the journal Nature showing that early reptiles from the Triassic period had unique structures growing from its skin that formed an alternative to feathers.

The newly described Mirasaura grauvogeli from the Middle Triassic had a striking feather-like crest, hinting that complex skin appendages arose far earlier than previously believed. Its bird-like skull, tree-climbing adaptations, and pigment structures linked to feathers deepen the mystery of reptile evolution.
the cosmolinguist ([personal profile] cosmolinguist) wrote2025-08-10 09:28 pm

Dog show

After we got back from the dog show and picking V up from a social visit, I tried to get my hair cut but they were already closed; turns out they've changed their Sunday hours. Which is fine, but argh. I could really do with a haircut, and I like them before big work events like I have on Wednesday. Which I leave for Tuesday afternoon, which means dealing with this on Monday. When I have circuits after work, and it's just annoying trying to fit everything in.

After 5pm I couldn't go to the gym, I couldn't get my hair cut. So much still goes un-done.

And it's not as if I mis-spent any of my day: I slept until 11 and I think if I could do that every day it would fix me. And in the afternoon D and I went to the dog show that is my favorite part of our local pride. The chonky shiba Oscar! The boopable chocolate-brown Bruno! The best-dressed Artie in Hawaiian shirt and straw hat! The elderly lady Poppy with her cute neon pink and orange legwarmers! A family let me sit on their bench with them so I didn't have to stand. The sun was perfect, the weather was perfect, the beer was cold.

D's idea of a successful weekend is to feel on Sunday night like Friday was a long time ago. And it definitely does. But I still want more weekend.

ysabetwordsmith: Cartoon of me in Wordsmith persona (Default)
ysabetwordsmith ([personal profile] ysabetwordsmith) wrote in [community profile] birdfeeding2025-08-10 03:18 pm

Birdfeeding

Today is partly sunny, humid, and hot.

I fed the birds.  I've seen a few sparrows and house finches.

EDIT 8/10/25 -- I put out water for the birds.  They had drained the small metal birdbath.

EDIT 8/10/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

EDIT 8/10/25 -- I watered the old picnic table, house yard, and patio plants.

EDIT 8/10/25 -- I watered the new picnic table and septic gardens.  I didn't have energy or daylight to pick up the hose, though; I had to turn it off and just leave it out.  :/  I'll try to reel it up tomorrow.  It's exhausting to maneuver.

I am done for the night.








.
 
ysabetwordsmith: Cartoon of me in Wordsmith persona (Default)
ysabetwordsmith ([personal profile] ysabetwordsmith) wrote2025-08-10 03:16 pm

Birdfeeding

Today is partly sunny, humid, and hot.

I fed the birds.  I've seen a few sparrows and house finches.

EDIT 8/10/25 -- I put out water for the birds.  They had drained the small metal birdbath.

EDIT 8/10/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

EDIT 8/10/25 -- I watered the old picnic table, house yard, and patio plants.

EDIT 8/10/25 -- I watered the new picnic table and septic gardens.  I didn't have energy or daylight to pick up the hose, though; I had to turn it off and just leave it out.  :/  I'll try to reel it up tomorrow.  It's exhausting to maneuver.

I am done for the night.

ursula: bear eating salmon (Default)
Ursula ([personal profile] ursula) wrote2025-08-10 10:06 am

worldcon schedule

At seven days post-Paxlovid, I am reasonably confident in saying that I'm going to be at Worldcon! I look forward to seeing some of you there.

Thursday, Aug 14th

Poetry Readings Thursday
1:30 pm - 2:30 pm
Room 445-446

Reading: Ursula Whitcher
3:30 pm - 4:00 pm
Room 428

Interstellar Flight Press reading
7 PM
Seattle Beer Company, 1427 Western Ave

Friday, Aug 15th

Queering History
10:30 am - 11:30 am
Room 423-424

Poetry in World-building
3:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Room 433-434

Saturday, Aug 16th

Science Non-Fiction (Poetry)
10:30 am - 11:30 am
Room 447-448

Hugo Awards
8:30 PM
Ballroom 1, fifth floor

Sunday, Aug 17th

By the Numbers: Mathematics in Science Fiction
9:00 am - 10:00 am
Room 334
jazzyjj ([personal profile] jazzyjj) wrote in [community profile] awesomeers2025-08-10 06:26 am
Entry tags:

Just one thing: 10 August 2025

It's challenge time!

Comment with Just One Thing you've accomplished in the last 24 hours or so. It doesn't have to be a hard thing, or even a thing that you think is particularly awesome. Just a thing that you did.

Feel free to share more than one thing if you're feeling particularly accomplished!

Extra credit: find someone in the comments and give them props for what they achieved!

Nothing is too big, too small, too strange or too cryptic. And in case you'd rather do this in private, anonymous comments are screened. I will only unscreen if you ask me to.

Go!
puddleshark: (Default)
puddleshark ([personal profile] puddleshark) wrote in [community profile] common_nature2025-08-10 10:56 am

West wind

West wind, Purbeck Hills 3

A walk up onto the Purbeck Hills to watch the west wind blowing...

Read more... )
ysabetwordsmith: Cartoon of me in Wordsmith persona (Default)
ysabetwordsmith ([personal profile] ysabetwordsmith) wrote2025-08-10 03:18 am
Entry tags:

Safety

I stumbled across this today, while researching hormone use on livestock:

Causing trauma to the reproductive tract can induce bleeding, and since blood is toxic to sperm, this may result in reduced conception rates, permanently infertile animals, or animal death.

It makes me wonder if that's a cause undermining conception from rape, which often features internal injuries from microabrasions up to serious tears. If so, an interesting example of self-sabotage.

And then, what about the handful of species where rough sex is normal or even required? A tomcat's barbed penis, for example. Is their sperm different somehow? Or is there some other protective mechanism in play?