Unwanted Update (part 2 of 2, complete)
Jul. 8th, 2026 10:43 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dialecticdreamerUnwanted Update
By Dialecticdreamer/Sarah Williams
Part 2 of 2, complete
Word count (story only): 1502
[1 pm on Wednesday, 29 November of 2017]
:: Jules has to handle a glitch in his waiting job… or is it a glitch? Part of the Lodestar story arc in the Polychrome Heroics universe. ::
Back to part one
:: Thanks for reading! ::
Jules waited until both the troubleshooter and Pips had taken seats in the living room before he joined them. “Start with the reason that you’re not on call, but I only need an overview, a way to put the emotional turmoil I’m seeing over what seem to be simple texts into some kind of context,” the troubleshooter began. “Also, please just call me Stone. I keep looking around for my father when someone says ‘Mister Larrent.”
“Got it. I’m Jules. I’d been asked to put in the same system for files that I’d set up at the local Thalassian embassy, out in the kids’ camp, but we were still on the basic tour when someone abandoned a baby at the gate. He had chicken pox. I went into quarantine with the baby, with the understanding that I’d come back to the job I was actually hired for, and that I’d be paid at the same rate while taking care of the little boy.”
( Read more... )
By Dialecticdreamer/Sarah Williams
Part 2 of 2, complete
Word count (story only): 1502
[1 pm on Wednesday, 29 November of 2017]
:: Jules has to handle a glitch in his waiting job… or is it a glitch? Part of the Lodestar story arc in the Polychrome Heroics universe. ::
Back to part one
:: Thanks for reading! ::
Jules waited until both the troubleshooter and Pips had taken seats in the living room before he joined them. “Start with the reason that you’re not on call, but I only need an overview, a way to put the emotional turmoil I’m seeing over what seem to be simple texts into some kind of context,” the troubleshooter began. “Also, please just call me Stone. I keep looking around for my father when someone says ‘Mister Larrent.”
“Got it. I’m Jules. I’d been asked to put in the same system for files that I’d set up at the local Thalassian embassy, out in the kids’ camp, but we were still on the basic tour when someone abandoned a baby at the gate. He had chicken pox. I went into quarantine with the baby, with the understanding that I’d come back to the job I was actually hired for, and that I’d be paid at the same rate while taking care of the little boy.”
( Read more... )
Daily Check-In
Jul. 8th, 2026 08:20 pmstarwatcher posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
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: 3
How are you doing?
I am OK.
2 (66.7%)
I am not OK, but don't need help right now.
1 (33.3%)
I could use some help.
0 (0.0%)
How many other humans live with you?
I am living single.
1 (33.3%)
One other person.
2 (66.7%)
More than one other person.
0 (0.0%)
<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.
Hiking Twin Falls
Jul. 8th, 2026 06:41 pmcanyonwalkerMammoth Lakes Travelog #8
Twin Lakes · Mon, 6 Jul 2026. 12:15pm.
As Hawk and I were putting together a list of possible trails to hike on this visit to Mammoth Lakes, she suggested Twin Falls just outside of town and showed me a map. It's practically right next to the start of a trail we hiked on a previous visit. "I think we looked at that from the side of the road and considered it 'done'," I said. But then she showed me a pic on AllTrails.com, and I realized we had definitely not seen Twin Falls before— and if we had, I wouldn't have pooh-poohed it!
To put this falls in perspective I'll start with the view we got to last.
This is Twin Falls as seen from across one of the Twin Lakes. It falls almost 300' down a steep ridge from Mamie Lake. There's a trail from the bottom that switch-backs up the mountainside but doesn't really get close to the falls.... Then, according to AllTrails.com at least, there's a trail from the top that drops like a shot right next to the falls. We opted to hike the latter.
What AllTrails.com marked wasn't an established trail but rather a "social route" as people call it nowadays. Use trail was the term we hikers used years ago. Either way, it's a path that's beaten down from people walking on it, it's very dicey in spots, and it's not maintained. The trail notes promised us view of Upper and Lower Twin Falls, which are near the top and about halfway down the long cascade you see in the pic above.
In this video you can also see Twin Lakes below us when I pan away from the falls. And did you spot that little bridge spanning between the Twin Lakes? That's where I stood to capture the first pic in this blog.
When we were done enjoying the Lower Falls we continued hiking up the use trail to Upper Falls. There was a use trail between the two! It's just in such poor condition that it wasn't really visible from above. I mean, climbing up from below we were doing things like climbing almost vertical sections of hillside by grabbing onto exposed tree routes. Here's a pic Hawk took of me coming up the trail:
When we got back up to Upper Falls I felt like my butt had been thoroughly kicked. Well, actually it was my butt that was in agony, it was my lungs. The elevation up here is nearly 9,000', and having barely 24 hours to acclimate from sea level is not enough for a person of my age. So from here we lateraled back over to the switchback-y trail and zigzagged our way back up to the trailhead at the top.
Twin Lakes · Mon, 6 Jul 2026. 12:15pm.
As Hawk and I were putting together a list of possible trails to hike on this visit to Mammoth Lakes, she suggested Twin Falls just outside of town and showed me a map. It's practically right next to the start of a trail we hiked on a previous visit. "I think we looked at that from the side of the road and considered it 'done'," I said. But then she showed me a pic on AllTrails.com, and I realized we had definitely not seen Twin Falls before— and if we had, I wouldn't have pooh-poohed it!
To put this falls in perspective I'll start with the view we got to last.
This is Twin Falls as seen from across one of the Twin Lakes. It falls almost 300' down a steep ridge from Mamie Lake. There's a trail from the bottom that switch-backs up the mountainside but doesn't really get close to the falls.... Then, according to AllTrails.com at least, there's a trail from the top that drops like a shot right next to the falls. We opted to hike the latter.
What AllTrails.com marked wasn't an established trail but rather a "social route" as people call it nowadays. Use trail was the term we hikers used years ago. Either way, it's a path that's beaten down from people walking on it, it's very dicey in spots, and it's not maintained. The trail notes promised us view of Upper and Lower Twin Falls, which are near the top and about halfway down the long cascade you see in the pic above.
In this video you can also see Twin Lakes below us when I pan away from the falls. And did you spot that little bridge spanning between the Twin Lakes? That's where I stood to capture the first pic in this blog.
When we were done enjoying the Lower Falls we continued hiking up the use trail to Upper Falls. There was a use trail between the two! It's just in such poor condition that it wasn't really visible from above. I mean, climbing up from below we were doing things like climbing almost vertical sections of hillside by grabbing onto exposed tree routes. Here's a pic Hawk took of me coming up the trail:
When we got back up to Upper Falls I felt like my butt had been thoroughly kicked. Well, actually it was my butt that was in agony, it was my lungs. The elevation up here is nearly 9,000', and having barely 24 hours to acclimate from sea level is not enough for a person of my age. So from here we lateraled back over to the switchback-y trail and zigzagged our way back up to the trailhead at the top.
Prospects.
Jul. 8th, 2026 09:15 pmhannahI ended up getting enough done today I won't feel too bad about going to the movies tomorrow, which is pleasant enough. The end of the project is within sight, though not without some consultations about the ephemera. I don't know how my client wants the bank notes and shopping lists tabulated - likely by format and in chronological order, but it's his family documents, so I'm not going forward until I know exactly what he wants.
I've got a decent idea of how I'd do it - and again, his documents. So, while I wait: the movies.
I've got a decent idea of how I'd do it - and again, his documents. So, while I wait: the movies.
Shall We Try Typing?
Jul. 8th, 2026 05:51 pmhrjI had my first physical therapy appointment today, though I've been doing some exercises 3x per day since last Thursday (cast-off day). She took measurements of various angles of range-of-motion and set up a more tailored set of exercises. Turns out there's an app for that: has a list of the exercises with demonstration videos and timers. I like that.
I got praise for my exercise technique (including having done a lot of finger work even before the cast came off). Typing as therapy is approved. I got clarification on the timeline for weight-bearing. (Timeline started at the operation, so I'm already up to 2-3 lbs occasionally.) The brace is only for extra protection when I feel I need it, plus at night. (I think they assume I flail around more in my sleep than I actually do.) I have a compression glove for general wear, which will help with mobility as swelling is part of what I need to overcome.
I have follow-up appointments weekly for the rest of the month to assess progress and adjust exercises. Yesterday I went to the gym for treadmill time, which I plan to make a daily thing.
The typing is slow and slightly painful, but my key-accuracy is much better than my first attempt several days ago. And last night I pulled out my almost-finished socks and did the cast-off (which I've been joking about for some time).
I got praise for my exercise technique (including having done a lot of finger work even before the cast came off). Typing as therapy is approved. I got clarification on the timeline for weight-bearing. (Timeline started at the operation, so I'm already up to 2-3 lbs occasionally.) The brace is only for extra protection when I feel I need it, plus at night. (I think they assume I flail around more in my sleep than I actually do.) I have a compression glove for general wear, which will help with mobility as swelling is part of what I need to overcome.
I have follow-up appointments weekly for the rest of the month to assess progress and adjust exercises. Yesterday I went to the gym for treadmill time, which I plan to make a daily thing.
The typing is slow and slightly painful, but my key-accuracy is much better than my first attempt several days ago. And last night I pulled out my almost-finished socks and did the cast-off (which I've been joking about for some time).
notes on The Residence finale
Jul. 8th, 2026 05:43 pmjazzfishPaul William Davies et al, The Residence
A cosy whodunnit set at the White House during a state dinner. About six hours' worth of material, spread over eight hour-long episodes. Rapid-fire dialogue reminiscent of Howard Hawks's screwball comedies, a fun birding-obsessed detective, and a great cast. Recommended.
Three thoughts after the last episode:
1) That last episode is emblematic of the Netflix Way. The detective gathers all the suspects to walk them through the crime, as is traditional for the genre (though she's doing it to see who will give themselves away, rather than because she knows). So she takes them all through a recap of everything that's come up in the series so far. Then, just in case you missed it, she spells out explicitly how the murder was committed, again, for the big reveal. Dumbed down, for people who've been half watching and half scrolling. Kudos to the writers for managing to keep the rest of the show interesting, but I was about ready to gnaw my arm off to escape yet more Here's What Happened.
I recognise that audiences can't be trusted anymore, what with the proliferation of videos explaining the ending of even fairly straightforward movies. I just wish it weren't so.
2) I did not so much call the culprit as really really want it to be that person.
3) The whole series demonstrates how mysteries are a fundamentally conservative genre. ( spoilers follow ) I have no beef with this in general; it's just really obvious, and not a little frustrating, in this instance.
A cosy whodunnit set at the White House during a state dinner. About six hours' worth of material, spread over eight hour-long episodes. Rapid-fire dialogue reminiscent of Howard Hawks's screwball comedies, a fun birding-obsessed detective, and a great cast. Recommended.
Three thoughts after the last episode:
1) That last episode is emblematic of the Netflix Way. The detective gathers all the suspects to walk them through the crime, as is traditional for the genre (though she's doing it to see who will give themselves away, rather than because she knows). So she takes them all through a recap of everything that's come up in the series so far. Then, just in case you missed it, she spells out explicitly how the murder was committed, again, for the big reveal. Dumbed down, for people who've been half watching and half scrolling. Kudos to the writers for managing to keep the rest of the show interesting, but I was about ready to gnaw my arm off to escape yet more Here's What Happened.
I recognise that audiences can't be trusted anymore, what with the proliferation of videos explaining the ending of even fairly straightforward movies. I just wish it weren't so.
2) I did not so much call the culprit as really really want it to be that person.
3) The whole series demonstrates how mysteries are a fundamentally conservative genre. ( spoilers follow ) I have no beef with this in general; it's just really obvious, and not a little frustrating, in this instance.
What I'm Doing Wednesday
Jul. 8th, 2026 07:21 pmsagebooks
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
Reading Wednesday
Jul. 8th, 2026 07:59 pmtroisoiseauxFinished Summer Light, and Then Comes the Night by Jón Kalman Stefánsson, a slice-of-life novel set in "a village of four hundred souls" in '90s(?) Iceland, narrated in a sort of anonymous, collective community voice (opening line: "Now, we'd almost written that what made our village unique was that it wasn't unique at all, but apparently that isn't true"). Something of a collected short stories feel in the way each chapter does follow a different, specific story arc/plotline from beginning to end, but even then, there's a meandering, kaleidoscopic feel— I'd say it's somehow both sprawling and narrow in focus?— and a few running plot/story threads throughout. (I've seen the author described as an Icelandic Charles Dickens; I found myself thinking more of South Riding.) Particularly enjoyed this for having recently traveled to Iceland, because although we only drove past/through the type of very small, rural town/village where this is set, I did have enough of a sense of the buildings and landscape and the vibes to picture it as I read. (More than if I had read this before I went to Iceland, anyway...)
Finished Buffet for Unwelcome Guests by Christianna Brand, a collection of short stories categorized into "Cockrill Cocktails" (featuring her recurring detective Inspector Cockrill), "Entrees" (longer stand-alones), "Petit Fours", and "Black Coffee." There was something generally flippant about the "Petit Fours", including two separate stories that made me think of the Mmm Whatcha Say SNL sketch, only one of them was about a jewel heist* and one about blackmail and murder; the latter also featured some cheerfully callous children, making two for two on a reaction of o__O towards the children in Brand's mystery stories, which does make me curious about the vibe of her novels for children. The "Black Coffee" stories were, as the name suggests, just plain dark: ( ... ) Bit of a grab bag, quality-wise, and I did skip a couple of stories— one had such a baffling opening sentence that I was like, you know what? I'll come back to this and then I didn't; one was just virulent fatphobia for the first couple of pages and I safely assumed it would not improve— and it ended on a sour note, since the second-to-last story hinged on an intentionally false accusation of sexual assault in a way that has aged extremely poorly. (Not sure when it was written, but this collection was published in the early '80s?) There were some good stories, though— particularly among the Cockrill ones, where I found I liked him more than in Brand's novels— so not an entirely disappointing experience.
* Actually, on double-checking, that one was filed under "Something to Clear the Palate" rather than a "Petit Four"— presumably as the one story in the collection that did not involve murder?— but I don't want to rewrite that whole sentence at this point.
Finished Buffet for Unwelcome Guests by Christianna Brand, a collection of short stories categorized into "Cockrill Cocktails" (featuring her recurring detective Inspector Cockrill), "Entrees" (longer stand-alones), "Petit Fours", and "Black Coffee." There was something generally flippant about the "Petit Fours", including two separate stories that made me think of the Mmm Whatcha Say SNL sketch, only one of them was about a jewel heist* and one about blackmail and murder; the latter also featured some cheerfully callous children, making two for two on a reaction of o__O towards the children in Brand's mystery stories, which does make me curious about the vibe of her novels for children. The "Black Coffee" stories were, as the name suggests, just plain dark: ( ... ) Bit of a grab bag, quality-wise, and I did skip a couple of stories— one had such a baffling opening sentence that I was like, you know what? I'll come back to this and then I didn't; one was just virulent fatphobia for the first couple of pages and I safely assumed it would not improve— and it ended on a sour note, since the second-to-last story hinged on an intentionally false accusation of sexual assault in a way that has aged extremely poorly. (Not sure when it was written, but this collection was published in the early '80s?) There were some good stories, though— particularly among the Cockrill ones, where I found I liked him more than in Brand's novels— so not an entirely disappointing experience.
* Actually, on double-checking, that one was filed under "Something to Clear the Palate" rather than a "Petit Four"— presumably as the one story in the collection that did not involve murder?— but I don't want to rewrite that whole sentence at this point.
(no subject)
Jul. 8th, 2026 07:08 pmflemmingsHot again but drier than forecast and breezy as well, so I was fine getting up to physio and shopping. Because I stayed in yesterday and didn't wear a backpack, my shoulder was perfectly well-behaved. And then I put it on today and ouch. Physio acupunctured and taped shoulder so I trust it will go back to being quiet. Especially since tomorrow is supposed to be rain and thunderstorms off and on all day, so will be back to couch potatodom.
Finally got the form for my quarterly blood draw from my doctor's secretary-- who suddenly seems not to remember who I am: clearly out of sight, out of mind-- and now must get to the library to print it out and then get to the lab. I do hate the whole thing but needs must.
Finished only 100 Demons 27 last week. Had Witch King come through on an ebook library loan and am wading through that. Definitely wish I had it in paper, definitely wish there were not two narratives, find it oddly a downer for no good reason. Continue only because Kai has moments of sounding like Murderbot. And then there's the Ada Palmer that I'd like to concentrate on and can't. Perhaps I should let Witch King go to the 'two people waiting' and, well, concentrate on the nonfiction Renaissance, since nonfiction goes down so much easier in the hot weather we're forecast to have well into August.
Finally got the form for my quarterly blood draw from my doctor's secretary-- who suddenly seems not to remember who I am: clearly out of sight, out of mind-- and now must get to the library to print it out and then get to the lab. I do hate the whole thing but needs must.
Finished only 100 Demons 27 last week. Had Witch King come through on an ebook library loan and am wading through that. Definitely wish I had it in paper, definitely wish there were not two narratives, find it oddly a downer for no good reason. Continue only because Kai has moments of sounding like Murderbot. And then there's the Ada Palmer that I'd like to concentrate on and can't. Perhaps I should let Witch King go to the 'two people waiting' and, well, concentrate on the nonfiction Renaissance, since nonfiction goes down so much easier in the hot weather we're forecast to have well into August.
if it's not love, then it's the bomb that will bring us together
Jul. 8th, 2026 06:28 pmmusesfoolMy dental appointment went well - it was just a cleaning! - but they still want me to come every three months instead of twice a year. Sigh. Anyway, the appointment was timed so that I did not have coffee or breakfast beforehand, and didn't get home until a little after 1 pm, so I should have just had lunch. But I was so tired that sleep won out over food and I ended up taking a THREE HOUR tour nap. I did finally eat, but now I'm like, maybe I should just go back to bed? Idk.
Anyway, it's Wednesday and I have read some books!
What I've just finished
Radiant Star by Ann Leckie. This was enjoyable but very low-key, even at the climax.
Long Live Evil and All Hail Chaos by Sarah Rees Brennan. Hiilarious and very genre-savvy portal fantasy. I enjoyed both books and am hoping the third one sticks the landing. Sadly, it's not due out until next summer. Alas.
What I'm reading now
Dead Hand Rule by Max Gladstone, which is the third (and final?) book in the Craft Wars trilogy? series? Idk. I'm enjoying it but he is pulling people from all over the first series and I don't always remember who they are since it's been a while since I read those books.
What I'm reading next
As ever, it is a mystery.
*
Anyway, it's Wednesday and I have read some books!
What I've just finished
Radiant Star by Ann Leckie. This was enjoyable but very low-key, even at the climax.
Long Live Evil and All Hail Chaos by Sarah Rees Brennan. Hiilarious and very genre-savvy portal fantasy. I enjoyed both books and am hoping the third one sticks the landing. Sadly, it's not due out until next summer. Alas.
What I'm reading now
Dead Hand Rule by Max Gladstone, which is the third (and final?) book in the Craft Wars trilogy? series? Idk. I'm enjoying it but he is pulling people from all over the first series and I don't always remember who they are since it's been a while since I read those books.
What I'm reading next
As ever, it is a mystery.
*
Bands vs weather 2-2; other natter
Jul. 8th, 2026 05:40 pmjennlkThe season series is now even, and in a delightful fashion. The rescheduled FCB concert went quite well on Monday evening. The weather was terrific (air temp around 80, but we were on an island and the river breeze was lovely, it was sunny but not glaringly so), we played quite well, and the audience was appreciative. I got in the wrong lane in a construction zone on the way home, and wound up coming home back roads, but it was fine. Probably only a few minutes longer than if I'd navigated the (new since the last time I went through there two weeks ago) traffic pattern correctly, and 7 Mile Rd is a nice drive when you're that far west.
We were able to cobble together enough people to work the election. The webinar we did a couple of weeks ago pointed out that I really should not chair the AVCB -- if BC should be unavailable on election day, I would need to step in to many of her duties because DC is not at all comfortable with them. The AVCB as constituted is qualified and well able to do the duties allotted to them without me there, but they are _required_ to have a Chair. (Thanks webinar provider! I don't like being Chair anyway, because I know that I will be called away to do "clerk-y" things.)
We got an email from someone who said that when they stopped by to put their ballot in the drop box, a pair of ballots that were not completely inserted into the slot on the drop box fell out. They said that we should "do something" about it! I can't fix stupid. If you're the kind of person who will just shove envelopes into a slot and drive away, would it help if there was a sign "be sure to insert your ballot completely into the slot"? We've been using this drop box since 2022, so five elections, and this is the first time we've had ballots not completely inserted.
And in things I cannot control, the USPS is being difficult. To be fair, it's one out of 1000, which is pretty good. Several of our voters go Up North for the summer. I checked with them all to determine where their ballots should be sent. One of them was returned with a Twp forwarding address. sigh. no, I'm pretty sure this person is at UpNorth address right now. So I emailed the voter and asked him to go poke the local PO so they'd not return his mail again. We've gotten other ballots back as not deliverable as addressed, but those are all on the voters who moved and didn't tell anyone but the PO. I have followed up with them using BoE procedures. (and this is why the voter rolls have "extra" voters on them. Federal law says we can't remove voters from the local rolls unless they tell us (in writing!) they've moved or it's been two Presidential election cycles since they last voted. there are procedures for deceased voters that don't take that long.)
We were able to cobble together enough people to work the election. The webinar we did a couple of weeks ago pointed out that I really should not chair the AVCB -- if BC should be unavailable on election day, I would need to step in to many of her duties because DC is not at all comfortable with them. The AVCB as constituted is qualified and well able to do the duties allotted to them without me there, but they are _required_ to have a Chair. (Thanks webinar provider! I don't like being Chair anyway, because I know that I will be called away to do "clerk-y" things.)
We got an email from someone who said that when they stopped by to put their ballot in the drop box, a pair of ballots that were not completely inserted into the slot on the drop box fell out. They said that we should "do something" about it! I can't fix stupid. If you're the kind of person who will just shove envelopes into a slot and drive away, would it help if there was a sign "be sure to insert your ballot completely into the slot"? We've been using this drop box since 2022, so five elections, and this is the first time we've had ballots not completely inserted.
And in things I cannot control, the USPS is being difficult. To be fair, it's one out of 1000, which is pretty good. Several of our voters go Up North for the summer. I checked with them all to determine where their ballots should be sent. One of them was returned with a Twp forwarding address. sigh. no, I'm pretty sure this person is at UpNorth address right now. So I emailed the voter and asked him to go poke the local PO so they'd not return his mail again. We've gotten other ballots back as not deliverable as addressed, but those are all on the voters who moved and didn't tell anyone but the PO. I have followed up with them using BoE procedures. (and this is why the voter rolls have "extra" voters on them. Federal law says we can't remove voters from the local rolls unless they tell us (in writing!) they've moved or it's been two Presidential election cycles since they last voted. there are procedures for deceased voters that don't take that long.)
wednesday reads and things
Jul. 8th, 2026 04:00 pmisisHello from Colorado, which is on fire :( We are not actually near any of the big fires, but we are getting smoke in the mornings from two of them, which means that several times in the past few weeks we've had to get up at 3 am and close the windows and turn on the air purifier. Anyway:
What I've recently read:
The Astrobiology Immersion Program by![[archiveofourown.org profile]](https://archiveofourown.org/favicon.ico)
startingatmidnight, short-novel-length (~50K) Project Hail Mary gen, I think petra recommended it. AU in which on the way back to Erid, Rocky and Ryland Grace bodyswap. I love bodyswap as a trope and it's especially rich when the bodies are alien to each other. I thought it was a little long, and the handwaving a little handwavy, though the ultimate "why" resolution was super interesting, and I really liked that the story continues through to the consequences on Erid.
The Sisters Brothers by Patrick DeWitt, which is a sort of literary dark-humor western, with a really fun narrative voice. Charlie and Eli Sisters are Bad Men With Guns who wield them for a mysterious mogul called the Commodore. Except Eli's got a sensitive side, and he's starting to wonder why he's killing people for money when he could just settle down and run a trading post somewhere. My favorite part, oddly, was the throughline of Eli being completely unable to hold onto any money; if he doesn't give it away out of soft-heartedness as soon as he gets it, it's stolen, and I was delighted every time it happened.
The Rook by Daniel O'Malley, which was a recommendation frommerit - I couldn't resist the premise of a woman waking up with amnesia and learning, through letters written from her former self, that she's a high-up bureaucrat in a secret organization of people with supernatural powers who deal with supernatural crimes and threats to the country. Sort of like Rivers of London but with Ghostbusters-level humor. ETA: and now I am reminded of another reason I really liked this: the main character, Myfanwy Thomas, discovers (somewhat to her surprise) that she is frighteningly competent at her job. Also there is a fantastic female character with whom I ship her (and there is fic). Anyway, lots of fun, and I'm now reading the second book in this series, Stiletto.
What I've recently watched:
S4 of Dark Winds, which unfortunately had quite a bit of action in LA - not that I have anything against LA, it's just it's not the familiar Four Corners scenery. As soon as they (metaphorically) hung a German on the wall I was expecting it to fire (metaphorically) Karl May, and I was not disappointed.
We've just watched the first episode of S2 of the live-action One Piece. I love how goofy it is!
What I've recently read:
The Astrobiology Immersion Program by
petra recommended it. AU in which on the way back to Erid, Rocky and Ryland Grace bodyswap. I love bodyswap as a trope and it's especially rich when the bodies are alien to each other. I thought it was a little long, and the handwaving a little handwavy, though the ultimate "why" resolution was super interesting, and I really liked that the story continues through to the consequences on Erid.The Sisters Brothers by Patrick DeWitt, which is a sort of literary dark-humor western, with a really fun narrative voice. Charlie and Eli Sisters are Bad Men With Guns who wield them for a mysterious mogul called the Commodore. Except Eli's got a sensitive side, and he's starting to wonder why he's killing people for money when he could just settle down and run a trading post somewhere. My favorite part, oddly, was the throughline of Eli being completely unable to hold onto any money; if he doesn't give it away out of soft-heartedness as soon as he gets it, it's stolen, and I was delighted every time it happened.
The Rook by Daniel O'Malley, which was a recommendation from
merit - I couldn't resist the premise of a woman waking up with amnesia and learning, through letters written from her former self, that she's a high-up bureaucrat in a secret organization of people with supernatural powers who deal with supernatural crimes and threats to the country. Sort of like Rivers of London but with Ghostbusters-level humor. ETA: and now I am reminded of another reason I really liked this: the main character, Myfanwy Thomas, discovers (somewhat to her surprise) that she is frighteningly competent at her job. Also there is a fantastic female character with whom I ship her (and there is fic). Anyway, lots of fun, and I'm now reading the second book in this series, Stiletto.What I've recently watched:
S4 of Dark Winds, which unfortunately had quite a bit of action in LA - not that I have anything against LA, it's just it's not the familiar Four Corners scenery. As soon as they (metaphorically) hung a German on the wall I was expecting it to fire (metaphorically) Karl May, and I was not disappointed.
We've just watched the first episode of S2 of the live-action One Piece. I love how goofy it is!
The Mass Effect Kink Meme is Moving to AO3
Jul. 8th, 2026 06:33 pm![[syndicated profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/feed.png){kind=small}
otw_news_feedThe 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:
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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:
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If you still have questions…
If you have further questions, visit the Open Doors FAQ, or contact the Open Doors committee.
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Wednesday has made an appointment to see the dentist
Jul. 8th, 2026 07:28 pmoursinWhat 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
Jul. 8th, 2026 11:20 amranunculusWater 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
Jul. 7th, 2026 01:40 pmranunculusI'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.
Modern day lotus eaters
Jul. 8th, 2026 10:17 amfayanoraAI truly is doing to people, for real, what people used to think TV would do to people: turn them into mindless shambling zombies.
These AI addicts have zero creativity, zero intelligence, and zero care about anything but their addiction. It's sad to see. All that noise pollution, heat pollution, water consumption, and stress to the electric grid just so some knuckle-dragging lotus eaters can atrophy their brains on bot-pureed brain vomit.
These AI addicts have zero creativity, zero intelligence, and zero care about anything but their addiction. It's sad to see. All that noise pollution, heat pollution, water consumption, and stress to the electric grid just so some knuckle-dragging lotus eaters can atrophy their brains on bot-pureed brain vomit.
Manners?
Jul. 8th, 2026 07:24 pmoldestcharmI feel like an ancient asking for this, but wouldn't it be nice if people were pleasant and considerate towards strangers? It's silly to complain about, because it sounds like I want compensation for being kind to people, but perhaps I'm currently just more emotional than usual and take things to heart when I shouldn't.
The people at the station weren't much better. I do not understand how no one these days lets people get off the train first, but is already rushing to board. No one noticed the wheelchair lady or the guy with the crutches — both of whom I'd held the door for earlier at the station. I got on the train last, being shoved at.
Anyway, I got yelled at by the ticket lady on the train. She was annoyed I didn't put my small but heavy suitcase up on the shelf. The shelf was already full of other people's stuff and I am not allowed to lift heavy things as I am recovering from my surgery. I hadn't left it in anyone's way, it was as close to me as possible, but she was in a bad mood and I suppose she felt she could take it out on me.
Just... this isn't how I was raised. My mum did a good job instilling manners in us and now it seems they are utterly useless. One good thing is that I made some people smile. I would focus on that, but unfortunately during the whole ordeal with the ticket lady I moved wrong and now the surgery wounds are a whole lot more painful that the were previously. It will pass, I know. And I'll get back to making people smile tomorrow at work. I hope each one of you found something to smile over today. <3
The people at the station weren't much better. I do not understand how no one these days lets people get off the train first, but is already rushing to board. No one noticed the wheelchair lady or the guy with the crutches — both of whom I'd held the door for earlier at the station. I got on the train last, being shoved at.
Anyway, I got yelled at by the ticket lady on the train. She was annoyed I didn't put my small but heavy suitcase up on the shelf. The shelf was already full of other people's stuff and I am not allowed to lift heavy things as I am recovering from my surgery. I hadn't left it in anyone's way, it was as close to me as possible, but she was in a bad mood and I suppose she felt she could take it out on me.
Just... this isn't how I was raised. My mum did a good job instilling manners in us and now it seems they are utterly useless. One good thing is that I made some people smile. I would focus on that, but unfortunately during the whole ordeal with the ticket lady I moved wrong and now the surgery wounds are a whole lot more painful that the were previously. It will pass, I know. And I'll get back to making people smile tomorrow at work. I hope each one of you found something to smile over today. <3
elote
Jul. 8th, 2026 08:20 amprettygoodwordelote (eh-LOH-tay) - n., corn/maize harvested before maturity; a Central American street food consisting of grilled or boiled young corn on the cob served on a stick and seasoned with a creamy sauce (such as mayonnaise, sour cream, or crema) and garnished with toppings (such as lime juice, cotija cheese, and chili powder).
Thanks, WikiMedia! Though it'd be a better shot if the stick wasn't blurred out
Also called Mexican street corn, though it's eaten this way throughout Central America with much regional variation in seasoning. Not to be confused with esquites, which is kernels of corn with the same dressings, served in a cup. We got the name from Mexican Spanish, where its primary meaning is the first one above (the street food is also called that, but because of the young cob not the preparation), in turn from Nahuatl ēlōtl, young/fresh ear of corn/maize. (Esquites fwiw is also from Nahuatl, from īzquitl, toasted corn kernels.)
Admin note: posting might be spotty over the next week due to external obligations (aka: adulting, ugh).
---L.
Thanks, WikiMedia! Though it'd be a better shot if the stick wasn't blurred out
Also called Mexican street corn, though it's eaten this way throughout Central America with much regional variation in seasoning. Not to be confused with esquites, which is kernels of corn with the same dressings, served in a cup. We got the name from Mexican Spanish, where its primary meaning is the first one above (the street food is also called that, but because of the young cob not the preparation), in turn from Nahuatl ēlōtl, young/fresh ear of corn/maize. (Esquites fwiw is also from Nahuatl, from īzquitl, toasted corn kernels.)
Admin note: posting might be spotty over the next week due to external obligations (aka: adulting, ugh).
---L.
On a less morose note, here's a verbatim quote from /r/whatsthatbook:
Jul. 10th, 2026 11:26 amconulyThis has to have been an EARLY scifi novel. 80s- to early 00s at the latest.
********************
( Read more... )
( Read more... )
Sticking to Everything
Jul. 8th, 2026 08:11 amlydamorehouse My least favorite weather condition: humidity.
Last night, in fact, I slept on the floor in the sunroom because I could not stand the humidity. We live in an old house without central air. Shawn will also get migraines if cold air blasts on her head too much from a window unit. So, we have our air-conditioner in the sunroom as a compromise. The master bedroom connects to the sunroom and so, when it's actually too hot for Shawn (a rare event) we can close up the bedroom and extend the air-conditioning. Last night, Shawn was fine without and so I made a pillow fort and slept on the floor of the sunroom. Not necessarily due to the heat, but because I could not stand sticking to everything and one of the things air-conditioning does is dehumidify.
I can't say that I slept super well last night.
I'm getting a bit old to sleep on the hard wooden floors. (Or I need a real futon mattress, like they have in Japan.)
Today is a day off work and I have a bunch of things I need to do today, including calling Lakewood Cemetery. When we last visited Ella's grave we noticed that the nearby tree's roots are shifting her stone. I need to call and have them reset it and see how much that is going to cost us (if anything?).I also need to make an appointment for an oil change for the car. (Just did it.)
Otherwise, there's not a lot to report. I worked at the library again last night and... it finally happened. I started work at 2 pm and by 3 pm I had shelved all the books. I am not joking. There were simply no more books in need of shelving, full stop. Luckily, there is something else I can do as part of my job called "wanding." The "wand" is a hand-held device that scans the RFID (Radio Frequency IDentification) cards pasted inside each library books and automatically checks its status. 99.9% of the books end up registering as "available" (aka checked-in.) But, occassionally "missing" books will show up. I think that our library, in particular, ends up finding so many missing books because we are asked by the library, when we find piles of abandoned books around the library, to check those in as "used items" (for statitistical reasons.) I have noticed that the missing item option is RIGHT NEXT to the used item and I have to imagine that sometimes library staff are accidentally marking them missing instead of used. Or... something else must regularly trigger the missing tag becasue I have found WAY MORE books that are missing than you'd think would be possible. Last night, for instance, I found three of them and in the two hours I spent wanding I only got through Adult Fiction A-G.
But, speaking of books, today is Wednesday and so I shall report on my reading for the week.
I returned the Marie Kondo book (Letter from Japan) last night and, in exchange, I took out a Dungeons & Dragons sourcebook--technically, the one I took out is an adventure anthology. Basically, it's a collection of one-shot ideas. The D&D group that I run is full of adults with busy lives, so it always behooves me to be prepared for an absence or two during the regular campaign. When a one or more people can't make it, I try to run one-shots. I will probably not "read" this book in the traditional sense, but I've already had fun glancing through it.
The thing people don't always remember! Libraries often have RPG sourcebooks!
It's been fascinating to me that I think I may be the only library staff who regularly checks books out. At Ramsey County, it was very typical to be in the back room and see circ staff and librarians heading home with piles of books under their arms. Here at Anoka? Not so much. However, I'm not sure that this means that they're not readers. After all, I use Libby all the time for e-books and audiobooks. Most of the reading I did this last week, in fact, was online using Comics Plus.
Again, if you want a detailed review of any of the titles I list below, please feel free to check out my manga blog at: https://mangakast.wordpress.com/
I also have not gotten around to reviewing called My Lover is Just to Innocent to Handle by Hirota, which is basically a all boys' school love affair with a very ernest, sincere love interest. It's the first time I've seen an exchange diary passed between two boys, which is interesting especially as they seem to not use it to talk about anything much at all--other than make secret meet-up dates. It's a comedy and I have talked a lot on my manga blog about the fact that humor is not actually as universal as we'd like to think, so comedies are often very hit and miss for me. This one was cute? But another one where I feel slightly misled, this time by the title. The inclusion of the word "lover" implies a whole different kind of relationship than what we get (which is fine! These kids are in high school!)
I'm in a very weird place with my manga blog because I am, for once, desperately behind on reviewing everything I've read. (Usually, I'm just not reading.) I still have not even tackled Kowloon Generic Love Story which I read so long ago now that I might have to re-read it. I haven't reviewed it because I'd only read four volumes of it and it feels like the meat of the story hasn't yet landed and so I was waiting for something more conclusive to comment on. I may just have to go ahead and review what I've read, but, anyway.
Maybe I will spend part of my time today catching up.
I have not had a good audio book in the queue since I bounced out of A Guardian and a Thief by Megha Majumdar. I did watch all of the live-action movie of Cells at Work. They did some interesting things, merging the original with Cells at Work: Code Black and... I guess, upping the stakes in a way I was unprepared for. But, it was enjoyable enough that I lost sleep on Monday night because I wanted to see how things ended.
I was also struggling to find a good podcast to replace some of the false starts and landed on a delightful one called Historical Homos, which I started listening to last night. One of their first episodes is about Le Chavalier d'Eon whom I'd known nothing about, who publically transitioned in the early 17th century in France. She was a trans woman who, in the fashion of the time, preferred to dress as man. (Sounds confusing, but isn't. I am a woman like Le Chavlier d'Eon, after all. Joan of Arc was a woman like Le Chavalier d'Eon.) I will say that if any of my trans friends listen to this episode, I was a little irritated that the hosts insisted on using all pronouns kind of indiscriminately for Le Chavalier d'Eon, even though she spent the majority of her life as a woman. (I'm not sure their reasoning, as Wikipedia uses the correct pronoun, imho, throughout.) But, the two hosts are very irreverent and "slutty" and I found them generaly the kind of entertaining I need when I need to unwind from *gestures at everything.*
How's about you? Read or watch or listen to anything good lately?
Last night, in fact, I slept on the floor in the sunroom because I could not stand the humidity. We live in an old house without central air. Shawn will also get migraines if cold air blasts on her head too much from a window unit. So, we have our air-conditioner in the sunroom as a compromise. The master bedroom connects to the sunroom and so, when it's actually too hot for Shawn (a rare event) we can close up the bedroom and extend the air-conditioning. Last night, Shawn was fine without and so I made a pillow fort and slept on the floor of the sunroom. Not necessarily due to the heat, but because I could not stand sticking to everything and one of the things air-conditioning does is dehumidify.
I can't say that I slept super well last night.
I'm getting a bit old to sleep on the hard wooden floors. (Or I need a real futon mattress, like they have in Japan.)
Today is a day off work and I have a bunch of things I need to do today, including calling Lakewood Cemetery. When we last visited Ella's grave we noticed that the nearby tree's roots are shifting her stone. I need to call and have them reset it and see how much that is going to cost us (if anything?).
Otherwise, there's not a lot to report. I worked at the library again last night and... it finally happened. I started work at 2 pm and by 3 pm I had shelved all the books. I am not joking. There were simply no more books in need of shelving, full stop. Luckily, there is something else I can do as part of my job called "wanding." The "wand" is a hand-held device that scans the RFID (Radio Frequency IDentification) cards pasted inside each library books and automatically checks its status. 99.9% of the books end up registering as "available" (aka checked-in.) But, occassionally "missing" books will show up. I think that our library, in particular, ends up finding so many missing books because we are asked by the library, when we find piles of abandoned books around the library, to check those in as "used items" (for statitistical reasons.) I have noticed that the missing item option is RIGHT NEXT to the used item and I have to imagine that sometimes library staff are accidentally marking them missing instead of used. Or... something else must regularly trigger the missing tag becasue I have found WAY MORE books that are missing than you'd think would be possible. Last night, for instance, I found three of them and in the two hours I spent wanding I only got through Adult Fiction A-G.
But, speaking of books, today is Wednesday and so I shall report on my reading for the week.
I returned the Marie Kondo book (Letter from Japan) last night and, in exchange, I took out a Dungeons & Dragons sourcebook--technically, the one I took out is an adventure anthology. Basically, it's a collection of one-shot ideas. The D&D group that I run is full of adults with busy lives, so it always behooves me to be prepared for an absence or two during the regular campaign. When a one or more people can't make it, I try to run one-shots. I will probably not "read" this book in the traditional sense, but I've already had fun glancing through it.
The thing people don't always remember! Libraries often have RPG sourcebooks!
It's been fascinating to me that I think I may be the only library staff who regularly checks books out. At Ramsey County, it was very typical to be in the back room and see circ staff and librarians heading home with piles of books under their arms. Here at Anoka? Not so much. However, I'm not sure that this means that they're not readers. After all, I use Libby all the time for e-books and audiobooks. Most of the reading I did this last week, in fact, was online using Comics Plus.
Again, if you want a detailed review of any of the titles I list below, please feel free to check out my manga blog at: https://mangakast.wordpress.com/
- I Love You So Much, I Hate You by Yuni. An office romance gone bad. This one is a yuri (f/f.)
- There Are Things I Can't Tell You by Edako Mofumofu. Adult men who love each other, but suck at communicating. Yaoi (m/m)
- Don't Call Me Dirty by Kanbe Gorou. Busy-body twink adopts homeless guy with mixed results. Yaoi (m/m)
I also have not gotten around to reviewing called My Lover is Just to Innocent to Handle by Hirota, which is basically a all boys' school love affair with a very ernest, sincere love interest. It's the first time I've seen an exchange diary passed between two boys, which is interesting especially as they seem to not use it to talk about anything much at all--other than make secret meet-up dates. It's a comedy and I have talked a lot on my manga blog about the fact that humor is not actually as universal as we'd like to think, so comedies are often very hit and miss for me. This one was cute? But another one where I feel slightly misled, this time by the title. The inclusion of the word "lover" implies a whole different kind of relationship than what we get (which is fine! These kids are in high school!)
I'm in a very weird place with my manga blog because I am, for once, desperately behind on reviewing everything I've read. (Usually, I'm just not reading.) I still have not even tackled Kowloon Generic Love Story which I read so long ago now that I might have to re-read it. I haven't reviewed it because I'd only read four volumes of it and it feels like the meat of the story hasn't yet landed and so I was waiting for something more conclusive to comment on. I may just have to go ahead and review what I've read, but, anyway.
Maybe I will spend part of my time today catching up.
I have not had a good audio book in the queue since I bounced out of A Guardian and a Thief by Megha Majumdar. I did watch all of the live-action movie of Cells at Work. They did some interesting things, merging the original with Cells at Work: Code Black and... I guess, upping the stakes in a way I was unprepared for. But, it was enjoyable enough that I lost sleep on Monday night because I wanted to see how things ended.
I was also struggling to find a good podcast to replace some of the false starts and landed on a delightful one called Historical Homos, which I started listening to last night. One of their first episodes is about Le Chavalier d'Eon whom I'd known nothing about, who publically transitioned in the early 17th century in France. She was a trans woman who, in the fashion of the time, preferred to dress as man. (Sounds confusing, but isn't. I am a woman like Le Chavlier d'Eon, after all. Joan of Arc was a woman like Le Chavalier d'Eon.) I will say that if any of my trans friends listen to this episode, I was a little irritated that the hosts insisted on using all pronouns kind of indiscriminately for Le Chavalier d'Eon, even though she spent the majority of her life as a woman. (I'm not sure their reasoning, as Wikipedia uses the correct pronoun, imho, throughout.) But, the two hosts are very irreverent and "slutty" and I found them generaly the kind of entertaining I need when I need to unwind from *gestures at everything.*
How's about you? Read or watch or listen to anything good lately?
Five SFF Works About Trying to Escape Massive Debt
Jul. 8th, 2026 10:15 amjames_davis_nicoll
Whether they owe money, their souls, or their futures, these characters are in desperate straits...
Five SFF Works About Trying to Escape Massive Debt
2026.07.08
Jul. 8th, 2026 08:41 amlsandersonHow Patrick DesJarlait offered a new way of seeing Native Americans in art
During a time when Native people were often stereotyped in media, DesJarlait portrayed the Red Lake Ojibwe as a part of a living culture in his paintings.
By Laura Laptsevitch, MNopedia
https://www.minnpost.com/mnopedia/2026/07/patrick-desjarlait-red-lake-nation-native-artist-minnesota/
The north metro needs the growth and opportunity the Blue Line Extension can provide
Buses alone are not enough. Light rail would add the kind of reliability, permanence and economic development the area needs.
By Jeff Lunde and Hollies Winston
https://www.minnpost.com/community-voices/2026/07/the-north-metro-needs-the-growth-and-opportunity-the-blue-line-extension-can-provide/ ( Read more... )
During a time when Native people were often stereotyped in media, DesJarlait portrayed the Red Lake Ojibwe as a part of a living culture in his paintings.
By Laura Laptsevitch, MNopedia
https://www.minnpost.com/mnopedia/2026/07/patrick-desjarlait-red-lake-nation-native-artist-minnesota/
The north metro needs the growth and opportunity the Blue Line Extension can provide
Buses alone are not enough. Light rail would add the kind of reliability, permanence and economic development the area needs.
By Jeff Lunde and Hollies Winston
https://www.minnpost.com/community-voices/2026/07/the-north-metro-needs-the-growth-and-opportunity-the-blue-line-extension-can-provide/ ( Read more... )