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a gift year at Dreamwidth
Nov. 30th, 2025 08:54 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mellowtiggerIf any regular readers here (whether you currently even have a Dreamwidth account or not) would like a regular Paid account for a year, then send me a private message from your Dreamwidth account through the Inbox. I will send you a gift subscription.
This post from Dreamwidth admins reminded me of their tradition of encouraging gift subscriptions at Dreamwidth. This FAQ page explains the benefits of Paid versus Free accounts. I don't really understand the point system, so I'm sticking with the Paid offer for this year.
Turning Twelve by Kathryn Ormsbee, illustrated by Molly Brooks (2024)
Nov. 29th, 2025 07:43 pmlannamichaelsSummary: The titular girl turning 12 is Katie, a homeschooled girl in Kentucky in summer/autumn 2004. She is enduring the beginning of puberty -- having to wear a bra*, growing leg hair, getting her period -- while her best friends have temporarily moved to Wisconsin, she is getting bullied at church** youth group, discovering her budding feminist rage about dress codes, and, worryingly, might have a crush on a girl in her theater club. A midgrade graphic novel.
( Read more... )
[pain] oh this book is bad
Nov. 29th, 2025 08:59 pmkaberettThe terrible hyphenation one can reasonably attribute to a failure to invest in subject specialist proof readers (or possibly any proof readers at all, good grief).
The wildly ahistorical nonsense about the history of medicine? Less so. I begin to understand why there isn't a references section, and I've only made it as far as page 7 before needing to stop and shriek about it and also stare at a wall for a bit...
Weekly proof of life: media, an appliance, and chicken and cabbage
Nov. 29th, 2025 03:10 pmumadoshiReading: Since last weekend, I've finished reading Rebecca Mahoney's The Memory Eater and read Susan Cooper's Over Sea, Under Stone and Aster Glenn Gray's The Wolf and the Girl, and scruloose and I finished listening to Network Effect. (One Murderbot audiobook left to go! At least until whenever the new one comes out next year.)
I'd never read any of The Dark is Rising [series] before, but a while back I got the whole set in an ebook bundle, and this week I remembered to actually ask around about which part of people read seasonally (or if it's the whole thing) and confirmed that winter solstice is indeed the season in question. So I expect to take a stab at reading The Dark is Rising [book] in a few weeks.
Seasonally related: Llinos Cathryn Thomas has a new seasonal novella out, All is Bright, which I understand can just be read like any other book but is written to work as an Advent countdown, one chapter a day. Hopefully I'll remember to start that on Monday, alongside whatever else I pick up next.
Watching: Having finally finished Network Effect,scruloose and I dipped back into Silo season 2 last night. Three whole episodes down now!
I also succumbed to anticipatory fandom hype and watched the first two episodes of Heated Rivalry. I can't say I'm in love, but it looks like it's only six episodes total, so I expect I'll keep on with it. [Content note: the sex scenes are fairly graphic, at least by my fuzzy impression of standards for a mainstream show.] I have zero familiarity with the book, so no idea what's going to happen or how it is as an adaptation.
[Via The Rec Centre: "How ‘Heated Rivalry’ Became the Internet’s Favorite Show — Before It’s Even Aired".]
Householding: We've ordered a new upright freezer for the garage, since the current one is still being cranky. Once we've swapped the new one in (ETA: next weekend),scruloose may take a stab at repairing it; that might've been the first step if it had been an appliance that's not full of food that needs to stay frozen, but with no idea what we would've done with said food during the attempt and troubleshooting and repair, and given how busy they've been lately, it wasn't a good choice right now. If they're able to fix the old one, we should be able to rehome it with someone who needs one.
Cooking: We did indeed make the Smitten Kitchen Roast Chicken with Schmaltzy Cabbage last weekend, and it was really good. I've been pleased about how many vegetables it turns out I can find palatable in some situations, but I think this was the most actual enjoyment I've had from one. (The cabbage didn't do as well as a leftover the next night as the chicken itself did, but was still fine.)
scruloose and I finished listening to Network Effect. (One Murderbot audiobook left to go! At least until whenever the new one comes out next year.)I'd never read any of The Dark is Rising [series] before, but a while back I got the whole set in an ebook bundle, and this week I remembered to actually ask around about which part of people read seasonally (or if it's the whole thing) and confirmed that winter solstice is indeed the season in question. So I expect to take a stab at reading The Dark is Rising [book] in a few weeks.
Seasonally related: Llinos Cathryn Thomas has a new seasonal novella out, All is Bright, which I understand can just be read like any other book but is written to work as an Advent countdown, one chapter a day. Hopefully I'll remember to start that on Monday, alongside whatever else I pick up next.
Watching: Having finally finished Network Effect,
scruloose and I dipped back into Silo season 2 last night. Three whole episodes down now!I also succumbed to anticipatory fandom hype and watched the first two episodes of Heated Rivalry. I can't say I'm in love, but it looks like it's only six episodes total, so I expect I'll keep on with it. [Content note: the sex scenes are fairly graphic, at least by my fuzzy impression of standards for a mainstream show.] I have zero familiarity with the book, so no idea what's going to happen or how it is as an adaptation.
[Via The Rec Centre: "How ‘Heated Rivalry’ Became the Internet’s Favorite Show — Before It’s Even Aired".]
Householding: We've ordered a new upright freezer for the garage, since the current one is still being cranky. Once we've swapped the new one in (ETA: next weekend),
scruloose may take a stab at repairing it; that might've been the first step if it had been an appliance that's not full of food that needs to stay frozen, but with no idea what we would've done with said food during the attempt and troubleshooting and repair, and given how busy they've been lately, it wasn't a good choice right now. If they're able to fix the old one, we should be able to rehome it with someone who needs one.Cooking: We did indeed make the Smitten Kitchen Roast Chicken with Schmaltzy Cabbage last weekend, and it was really good. I've been pleased about how many vegetables it turns out I can find palatable in some situations, but I think this was the most actual enjoyment I've had from one. (The cabbage didn't do as well as a leftover the next night as the chicken itself did, but was still fine.)
it's that time again!
Nov. 29th, 2025 09:21 amalthea_valaramy thread here
If you're not familiar with this: you comment on the post with your username(s), and then people ANONYMOUSLY leave comments on why they like you.
Post-Turkey (well, there are leftovers...)
Nov. 28th, 2025 07:20 pmazurelunaticThe new dryer is just fine, except the top is ever so slightly slanted in a way that makes it a bad place to set your dryer balls.
Have I mentioned that especially after Colonoscopy Week I've had more trouble than usual walking? I've been using my cane inside the house for the first time in quite a while, and I'm limited in how much I can carry without (more) pain. It sucks. Belovedest has set up the short ramp against the shortest outside stairs, and while going up it is Bad, going up the stairs without it is Worse. (Both outside doors have stairs.)
I wasn't available to assist with any of the Thanksgiving cooking. Belovedest did it themselves! Including: turkey, the epic tray of dressing, biscuits from the mix, and instant potatoes made the way that erases the taste of Box. (There was also salad available, but there's quite a bit of vegetable in the sausage-cornbread dressing.)
Today we had some roof inspectors. The inspection's free; the quote for fixing things up is *sigh* very much not free.
Have I mentioned that especially after Colonoscopy Week I've had more trouble than usual walking? I've been using my cane inside the house for the first time in quite a while, and I'm limited in how much I can carry without (more) pain. It sucks. Belovedest has set up the short ramp against the shortest outside stairs, and while going up it is Bad, going up the stairs without it is Worse. (Both outside doors have stairs.)
I wasn't available to assist with any of the Thanksgiving cooking. Belovedest did it themselves! Including: turkey, the epic tray of dressing, biscuits from the mix, and instant potatoes made the way that erases the taste of Box. (There was also salad available, but there's quite a bit of vegetable in the sausage-cornbread dressing.)
Today we had some roof inspectors. The inspection's free; the quote for fixing things up is *sigh* very much not free.
[pain] a strong contender for The Worst Possible Hyphenation
Nov. 28th, 2025 08:56 pmkaberettSpotted in today's book, with just as much of a medical theme as you might reasonably expect:
... biopsy-
chosocial...
umadoshiA day off without sleeping in at all feels so expansive! (scruloose had to be out a bit early all this week, so I've been getting up a bit earlier too to do my supervision part of the clowder's breakfast routine.) But I took the day off mainly to try to get some manga work done, so going back to bed after that seemed counterproductive. Somehow it's not even 10 AM yet? Incredible. (Could I have used the sleep, though? Oh yes.)
Happy day-after-Thanksgiving to the USians* observing this emotionally-complex holiday. I enjoy the food chatter from afar. Someone on a cooking feed on Bluesky posted about doing a stuffing flight, and now I really want a stuffing flight, although the specific types they'd made didn't sing to me. ^^;
*I've been seeing the edges of Discourse about this term on Bluesky, and several people complained about the pronunciation/having no good pronunciation options, which made me realize that to me it's strictly a term for writing, not saying. It works fine visually. *shrugs*
First Yule scent of the year: But Men Loved Darkness Better Than Light (2009 vintage). I'd forgotten how much I love this one.
Last year I had a pretty good streak of wearing Weenie scents, and then in Novemberscruloose's breathing was a bit rough, and we didn't think it was the BPAL, but I didn't wear any through the Christmas season. (It turned out not to be what was causing the problem, which has been IDed and dealt with.) So maybe this year. (As always, the Weenie and Yule updates tempted me dreadfully, but the added horror of current crossborder shipping gave me extra armor against getting in on a decant circle.)
I'm finally listening to the new Florence + The Machine album; listening to new music takes even longer now than it used to, and I've never been quick about listening or bonding. Given the season, after this album I'll probably switch to Christmas music while working. As long as it's good (wholly subjective, obviously, along with if you're a Christmas person and if seasonal music doesn't hit all the wrong buttons in general), Christmas music is kind of ideal for when I'm trying to just get some work done--it doesn't require the attention that beloved favorite music or new-to-me music does, even if it's not a recording I'm familiar with. Handy!
(Yesterday I deployed some for the first time this year. I didn't know Carole King had a holiday album, although it's never a surprise when a western musician does. *eyes Tori Amos holiday album* [Which I do listen to.] And now I've heard it once and never need to hear it again.)
Also on the music front, I finally cut off my Spotify subscription, and I'm trying out Qobuz after waffling between it and Deezer. Neither of them has native Linux desktop support or a Roku app, either of which would've weighted my decision significantly, and Qobuz allows you to actually buy music--apparently DRM-free, no less!--so I'm starting here.
Package-delivery updates cover such a bizarre spectrum. I currently have in my inbox: a) an update from a courier saying they've got my package and will deliver it this afternoon, with no indication of the sender, and I do not have a ship notification from anywhere that makes it obvious, so...I guess we'll see soon, and b) a Canada Post "Ship Notification for Item" (not to be confused with a "your item is out for delivery" notification) that didn't arrive in my inbox until a couple of hours after the CP person had already theoretically been by and attempted delivery. (Canada Post folks are better than others about actually attempting delivery, so I have to assume I just didn't hear the doorbell somehow, but the email timing remains bizarre.)
scruloose had to be out a bit early all this week, so I've been getting up a bit earlier too to do my supervision part of the clowder's breakfast routine.) But I took the day off mainly to try to get some manga work done, so going back to bed after that seemed counterproductive. Somehow it's not even 10 AM yet? Incredible. (Could I have used the sleep, though? Oh yes.)Happy day-after-Thanksgiving to the USians* observing this emotionally-complex holiday. I enjoy the food chatter from afar. Someone on a cooking feed on Bluesky posted about doing a stuffing flight, and now I really want a stuffing flight, although the specific types they'd made didn't sing to me. ^^;
*I've been seeing the edges of Discourse about this term on Bluesky, and several people complained about the pronunciation/having no good pronunciation options, which made me realize that to me it's strictly a term for writing, not saying. It works fine visually. *shrugs*
First Yule scent of the year: But Men Loved Darkness Better Than Light (2009 vintage). I'd forgotten how much I love this one.
Last year I had a pretty good streak of wearing Weenie scents, and then in November
scruloose's breathing was a bit rough, and we didn't think it was the BPAL, but I didn't wear any through the Christmas season. (It turned out not to be what was causing the problem, which has been IDed and dealt with.) So maybe this year. (As always, the Weenie and Yule updates tempted me dreadfully, but the added horror of current crossborder shipping gave me extra armor against getting in on a decant circle.)I'm finally listening to the new Florence + The Machine album; listening to new music takes even longer now than it used to, and I've never been quick about listening or bonding. Given the season, after this album I'll probably switch to Christmas music while working. As long as it's good (wholly subjective, obviously, along with if you're a Christmas person and if seasonal music doesn't hit all the wrong buttons in general), Christmas music is kind of ideal for when I'm trying to just get some work done--it doesn't require the attention that beloved favorite music or new-to-me music does, even if it's not a recording I'm familiar with. Handy!
(Yesterday I deployed some for the first time this year. I didn't know Carole King had a holiday album, although it's never a surprise when a western musician does. *eyes Tori Amos holiday album* [Which I do listen to.] And now I've heard it once and never need to hear it again.)
Also on the music front, I finally cut off my Spotify subscription, and I'm trying out Qobuz after waffling between it and Deezer. Neither of them has native Linux desktop support or a Roku app, either of which would've weighted my decision significantly, and Qobuz allows you to actually buy music--apparently DRM-free, no less!--so I'm starting here.
Package-delivery updates cover such a bizarre spectrum. I currently have in my inbox: a) an update from a courier saying they've got my package and will deliver it this afternoon, with no indication of the sender, and I do not have a ship notification from anywhere that makes it obvious, so...I guess we'll see soon, and b) a Canada Post "Ship Notification for Item" (not to be confused with a "your item is out for delivery" notification) that didn't arrive in my inbox until a couple of hours after the CP person had already theoretically been by and attempted delivery. (Canada Post folks are better than others about actually attempting delivery, so I have to assume I just didn't hear the doorbell somehow, but the email timing remains bizarre.)
Welp!
Nov. 27th, 2025 08:47 pmjulianThis is a Long Post because I have Thoughts, but the short version is, "Hey, my mom had a stroke, and isn't just sedated to the gills! Though she is that, too."
Less telegraphic version: My mom (who just turned 86!) has progressed, in her dementia, from anxious and logical to anxious and tangential, in both technical and non-technical senses. That is to say, to people who don't know her, it seems as if she says basically random stuff, whereas to people who know her, it's clear she's saying stuff that has connections in her brain but she doesn't seem to recognize that she needs to provide the connective tissue to make it explicable to people outside herself.
Mostly, up until now, if she's not tired, she's quite audible and quite understandable. When tired, she gets a little blurry, but not *very*. (Also, and this is irrelevant except for med issues, she gets delusions. All of which are quite harmless, so far, and seem to mostly involve expecting visitors for dinner and the like. My dad says there's like, consistent expectations/background to this, and things.)
She and my dad are both very wary of assisted living and don't want anything to do with it, in part because of a friend of theirs who they felt had basically been stuck into a facility by her daughter. (Mind you, this friend had dementia and kept falling down, so, warranted.)
My mom's also wandering, or, rather, taking walks and then getting lost in her own neighborhood, which isn't *quite* the same thing, but kind of similar. One can ask why my dad lets her do that, to which the answer is, he sometimes needs to pay a bill or something and she gets impatient. She otherwise seems to not have many interests -- she's not reading much (or, I suppose, able to read), she's not watching movies, she's not... doing things. Other than taking walks.
So the point is, yesterday, she was taking her third walk of the day, alone, and someone called 911 because she was apparently walking in the middle of High St, aka, a very busy street with a *lot* of rush hour traffic. (When I heard this I had an actual chill run down my actual spine. Things that happen in real life! Who knew!) A police officer stopped by, and she was apparently combative and/or belligerent, so he brought her to the hospital. (The same one I volunteered at when I was a teenager, let us timewarp now.) It seemed odd to me that since she was *registered* as a wanderer, he'd take her to the hospital rather than home, but there's a few possibilities, some of which are stroke-related, some of which are dementia-related.
( More details about various visits. )
Anyway, so, clearly, what we need to do is get her into a rehab facility and get the support system set up for getting her back home, hopefully. We've got a "light housekeeping" person coming in starting about a week from now, and I can call some nursing folks her doctor recommended, so, we have Planz.
In more emotional aspects of stuff, this now starts another kind of slippery slope toward possibilities like pneumonia and other things. And I don't want my mom to *die*, but on the other hand she's been telling my dad she's unhappy and doesn't want to exist anymore (though doesn't have any kind of inclination to kill herself), so I mean. If this starts that faster downhill slope, I'll be *sad*, but I'm not going to cling if she's wanting to slowly go that direction. Just. I'll be sad. I *am* sad. Sadness is.
Less telegraphic version: My mom (who just turned 86!) has progressed, in her dementia, from anxious and logical to anxious and tangential, in both technical and non-technical senses. That is to say, to people who don't know her, it seems as if she says basically random stuff, whereas to people who know her, it's clear she's saying stuff that has connections in her brain but she doesn't seem to recognize that she needs to provide the connective tissue to make it explicable to people outside herself.
Mostly, up until now, if she's not tired, she's quite audible and quite understandable. When tired, she gets a little blurry, but not *very*. (Also, and this is irrelevant except for med issues, she gets delusions. All of which are quite harmless, so far, and seem to mostly involve expecting visitors for dinner and the like. My dad says there's like, consistent expectations/background to this, and things.)
She and my dad are both very wary of assisted living and don't want anything to do with it, in part because of a friend of theirs who they felt had basically been stuck into a facility by her daughter. (Mind you, this friend had dementia and kept falling down, so, warranted.)
My mom's also wandering, or, rather, taking walks and then getting lost in her own neighborhood, which isn't *quite* the same thing, but kind of similar. One can ask why my dad lets her do that, to which the answer is, he sometimes needs to pay a bill or something and she gets impatient. She otherwise seems to not have many interests -- she's not reading much (or, I suppose, able to read), she's not watching movies, she's not... doing things. Other than taking walks.
So the point is, yesterday, she was taking her third walk of the day, alone, and someone called 911 because she was apparently walking in the middle of High St, aka, a very busy street with a *lot* of rush hour traffic. (When I heard this I had an actual chill run down my actual spine. Things that happen in real life! Who knew!) A police officer stopped by, and she was apparently combative and/or belligerent, so he brought her to the hospital. (The same one I volunteered at when I was a teenager, let us timewarp now.) It seemed odd to me that since she was *registered* as a wanderer, he'd take her to the hospital rather than home, but there's a few possibilities, some of which are stroke-related, some of which are dementia-related.
( More details about various visits. )
Anyway, so, clearly, what we need to do is get her into a rehab facility and get the support system set up for getting her back home, hopefully. We've got a "light housekeeping" person coming in starting about a week from now, and I can call some nursing folks her doctor recommended, so, we have Planz.
In more emotional aspects of stuff, this now starts another kind of slippery slope toward possibilities like pneumonia and other things. And I don't want my mom to *die*, but on the other hand she's been telling my dad she's unhappy and doesn't want to exist anymore (though doesn't have any kind of inclination to kill herself), so I mean. If this starts that faster downhill slope, I'll be *sad*, but I'm not going to cling if she's wanting to slowly go that direction. Just. I'll be sad. I *am* sad. Sadness is.
my appetite has mysteriously vanished...
Nov. 27th, 2025 06:06 pmysobel...which I'm sure has ~no~ correlation to having gone to the free thanksgiving meal my church did
two types of salad, turkey, ham, sage stuffing, peas and shallots, roasted brussels sprouts / carrots / onions, green bean casserole, sweet potato casserole, mashed potatoes, potato rolls, and like eight types of pie (including: pecan, pumpkin, sweet potato, apple, chocolate cream, key lime, and idk what else) with real whipped cream.
All homemade, all insanely good, and there was even a centerpiece that was a handmade cornucopia made out of bread and containing actual fruots and vegetables.
I ... am going to go into a food coma now, lol
two types of salad, turkey, ham, sage stuffing, peas and shallots, roasted brussels sprouts / carrots / onions, green bean casserole, sweet potato casserole, mashed potatoes, potato rolls, and like eight types of pie (including: pecan, pumpkin, sweet potato, apple, chocolate cream, key lime, and idk what else) with real whipped cream.
All homemade, all insanely good, and there was even a centerpiece that was a handmade cornucopia made out of bread and containing actual fruots and vegetables.
I ... am going to go into a food coma now, lol
How Are You? (in Haiku)
Nov. 27th, 2025 06:32 amjjhunterPick a thing or two that sums up how you're doing today, this week, in general, and tell me about it in the 5-7-5 syllables of a haiku.
=
Signal-boosting much appreciated!
=
Signal-boosting much appreciated!
Update on last year's mask reviews
Nov. 26th, 2025 08:53 pmlannamichaelsBeen meaning to update this for a while, so here goes:
After that, I relied very heavily for a while on the valved Aura (3M 9211+), it was how I got through summer 2024 since the non-valve Aura was just so hot. It was not the most comfortable, but between the Aura and the valved Aura, the valved Aura had advantages (both left marks on my face after wearing).
Then there was a combination of factors, including suddenly the valved Aura being out of stock where I was buying it and me stopping the habit of looking for them (if you want them, they're currently in stock in Uline, I assume also other places), because I'd switched entirely to the BNX F95 in both white and black, which are very light and breathable, which really outweighs the downsides (not many, but it feels like I do need to adjust it more than the regular Aura).
I've also dabbled with the BNX H95B, which has a different shape from the F95. It doesn't fit as well but it's also very light. It's basically a nice light mask for when I don't need to wear a mask for too long or talk or whatever.
But if I'm, for a wild example, waiting in a hospital waiting room for hours and hours, very nearly the only one masking, then the BNX F95 is absolutely the mask for that.
At this point, the Auras just live in coat pockets and backpacks as "oops, forgot to grab a BNX mask" backups. Because the Auras are great masks but they are much hotter and much tighter than the BNX ones.
first snow of the 2025 season in Minneapolis
Nov. 26th, 2025 02:48 pmmellowtiggerYesterday, there was dense fog in Minneapolis. I could see almost (but not quite) a full block away. Later that afternoon, there was some rain. Overnight we got our first snow. It was light snow at my house. I got only about 2.5cm/1in deep, but I still had to go shovel the sidewalk and alleyway to move some snow-and-leaves combo that would be unpleasant if allowed to stay. They got significantly more snow farther north around Minnesota.
The temperature in Minneapolis is just slightly below freezing right now. We're expected to get -17C/1F low temperature over the weekend. Winter is here.
What I'm Doing Wednesday
Nov. 26th, 2025 11:08 amsagebooks
still reading: A Companion to Women in the Ancient World by Sharon L. James (Editor), Sheila Dillon (Editor). I did not expect this book to be so fucking triggery, so it's slow going.
Yuletide
I've reviewed canon a million times, inflicted canon on my beta (bless them), and now I'm rereading fic I wrote back in the day...trying to lure the muses back, I guess? IDK. I am blocked. I am stymied. I am in awe of my past self as a writer. I used to be so good! Now all that energy is going into crochet, or so it seems. I'm so frustrated. I mean, I should be able to do two things well, right? Creativity isn't a zero sum game. And yet. I'm really considering defaulting, even though I don't want to. I just can't seem to get my brain working. (I've never defaulted. I think this is my 20th? Yuletide & I don't want to break my streak, and yet. And YET.) :(((
yarning
Rockstar Lestat in the gold pants looks so GOOD! I'm so pleased. I've made him a little microphone out of wire and painted glitter onto his face. Not sure how much glitter to put on his chest, yet; the screencaps are inconsistent there. Could be the gold necklace is enough.
Yesterday I added wire rings to his index fingers, such as he has fingers, but this pic is from before that. Point is, I'm really happy with him so far. Maybe I'll keep him and make others to sell. Also, I went to yarn group Sunday and had a good time. Another new person came, and I worked on a gold and yellow kickbunny to replace the one that sold. A lot have sold in the last few weeks, which is great, as I need the $. And I just got a commission to make an orange fish cat kicker, so that'll be fun to work on over Thanksgiving.
etsy sale!
My Black Friday sale is here! Most things are 25% off, which is a deeper cut than is entirely reasonable, since I try to keep my prices as low as possible, but I really want some things to find their forever homes. Go to Sage's Handmade to have a look around. Also, commissions are open!
healthcrap
I've got to have yet another doc appt to fill out medical transportation forms, drat it all. ION my scale said that I'd lost 4 pounds last week alone, but! It turned out the ten year old scale was BROKEN. New scale came Sunday & proved the ridiculous weight drop was false, whew!
#resist
#50501 We (the People) Dissent Protests: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1f-30Rsg6N_ONQAulO-yVXTKpZxXchRRB2kD3Zhkpe_A/preview
#50501: Thanksgiving/Black Friday Boycott of Amazon, Target, and Home Depot
I hope all of y'all are doing wonderfully! Have a safe and happy holiday if you're in the US & a lovely week if you're elsewhere. <333
still reading: A Companion to Women in the Ancient World by Sharon L. James (Editor), Sheila Dillon (Editor). I did not expect this book to be so fucking triggery, so it's slow going.
Yuletide
I've reviewed canon a million times, inflicted canon on my beta (bless them), and now I'm rereading fic I wrote back in the day...trying to lure the muses back, I guess? IDK. I am blocked. I am stymied. I am in awe of my past self as a writer. I used to be so good! Now all that energy is going into crochet, or so it seems. I'm so frustrated. I mean, I should be able to do two things well, right? Creativity isn't a zero sum game. And yet. I'm really considering defaulting, even though I don't want to. I just can't seem to get my brain working. (I've never defaulted. I think this is my 20th? Yuletide & I don't want to break my streak, and yet. And YET.) :(((
yarning
Rockstar Lestat in the gold pants looks so GOOD! I'm so pleased. I've made him a little microphone out of wire and painted glitter onto his face. Not sure how much glitter to put on his chest, yet; the screencaps are inconsistent there. Could be the gold necklace is enough.
Yesterday I added wire rings to his index fingers, such as he has fingers, but this pic is from before that. Point is, I'm really happy with him so far. Maybe I'll keep him and make others to sell. Also, I went to yarn group Sunday and had a good time. Another new person came, and I worked on a gold and yellow kickbunny to replace the one that sold. A lot have sold in the last few weeks, which is great, as I need the $. And I just got a commission to make an orange fish cat kicker, so that'll be fun to work on over Thanksgiving.
etsy sale!
My Black Friday sale is here! Most things are 25% off, which is a deeper cut than is entirely reasonable, since I try to keep my prices as low as possible, but I really want some things to find their forever homes. Go to Sage's Handmade to have a look around. Also, commissions are open!
healthcrap
I've got to have yet another doc appt to fill out medical transportation forms, drat it all. ION my scale said that I'd lost 4 pounds last week alone, but! It turned out the ten year old scale was BROKEN. New scale came Sunday & proved the ridiculous weight drop was false, whew!
#resist
#50501 We (the People) Dissent Protests: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1f-30Rsg6N_ONQAulO-yVXTKpZxXchRRB2kD3Zhkpe_A/preview
#50501: Thanksgiving/Black Friday Boycott of Amazon, Target, and Home Depot
I hope all of y'all are doing wonderfully! Have a safe and happy holiday if you're in the US & a lovely week if you're elsewhere. <333
Superman (2025)
Nov. 24th, 2025 08:07 pmlannamichaelsAs superhero movies go, this is a very good superhero movie. As regular movies go, I kept being annoyed about the seriously compressed timeline and some really basic suspension of disbelief, like "is anyone going to say Lex Luthor is lying about translation" because, uh. Also, how does anyone know Kryptonian? So many little things just drove me up the wall.
However! It was a good movie, and the Clark/Lois stuff was very well done, I actually really loved their interview/fight because it worked so well in with characterization, it didn't strike my "I cannot, I cannot, I cannot" that I tend to have about couples arguing.
The main effect of the movie was, after it was revealed that Lex had people going over every inch of every Superman fight so he could get a single strand of Superman's hair so he could clone him -- I went and reread some old favorite Smallville fics. Good times.
The movie also did something I noticed with the Knives Out 2: Glass Onion film, where it made the Cool Evil Rich Villain... not come off very compelling on the slash goggles. I did not walk out of this movie shipping Clark/Lex, even though I ship Clark/Lex. Lex Luthor, played by Why Do I Recognize Him Oh That's The Boy From About A Boy, is very well done and very well performed and is not a magnificent bastard and he has zero chemistry with Clark, but not in a way that detracts from the film. This is not a film where Clark and Lex have ever been on good terms; this is not a film where they even ever knew each other. There was nothing about the movie that was in the same flavor or theme as Smallville, but hey, always fun to go reread some stuff.
But for a movie that did Lois so well, did we have to have Eve The Awful Clingy Obsessive Wannabe Girlfriend with Jimmy who did not want to date her, just wanted info from her? That was so hard to endure. I think worse of the movie for making that decision, it casts a long tail on the movie even a week after I finished it, like "oh yeah so that was a movie that made me go reread some old fics from 20 years ago, and also had this unnecessarily misogynistic sideplotline played for laughs (?)".
Nathan Fillion also appeared to be treating this film as "I will do bad acting on purpose to show that my character is a buffoon" but mostly it just came off annoying.
I also have a nit to pick with this movie that is solely from watching it with the DVD closed captions, which kept noting when the main Superman theme was playing, which is: the soundtrack to this movie is ... well, it's got some perfectly acceptable pop songs peppered in. But the rest of it is just so bland.
But this movie is better than every MCU movie I've seen, with the exception of Captain America 2: A Good Spy Movie With I Guess Absolutely Zero Repercussions For The Worldbuilding Oh Well.