History
Jul. 7th, 2026 05:58 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysabetwordsmith... is repeating itself. This post compares Washington, D.C. with occupied Berlin from the perspective of someone who's seen both.
Never forget.
Never forget.
ysabetwordsmith
Book Review Backlog: Part I (January to March)
Jul. 7th, 2026 03:36 pmmuccamukk(I was fucking around on my phone for the last few hours, while Kaylee slept on her blanket. The second I got my laptop out, Kaylee came over and started to purr aggressively next to me. You can't be on my lap right now, baby.)
These are probably going to be brief, as my memory isn't that strong six months later.
Searching for Serafim: The Life and Legacy of Serafim "Joe" Fortes by Ruby Smith Díaz
(Local author, read before she gave a talk for Black History Month.)
Short biography and a poem about a Caribbean Black man working as a lifeguard in Vancouver, BC, in the early 20th century. The records of Serafim Fortes are pretty slight, and almost all from the perspective of white people—who treated him as a sort of mascot, and talked about how great he was despite his race—so Smith Díaz is mostly reading against the grain of the historical record, and speculating lot. I normally do not like history books that include this much speculation, however, Smith Díaz is very clear about when and why she's filling in ideas, and I think it works in this context. It introduced me to Marie-Claire Graham's concept of "speculative archiving" as a way of dealing with gaps in the record created by historical violence, which this book is more or less an example of. I appreciated that Smith Díaz did not shy away from or excuse records of Fortes behaving poorly. Very much worth a read as a local history, and as an example of navigating a fragmented and racist archive.
Everything Is Fine Here by Iryn Tushabe, narrated by Nneka Okoye
(Canada Reads Longlist, which I wish had been on the shortlist.)
A coming of age novel about a young woman in western Uganda, who discovers that her beloved older sister is a lesbian. One's reaction to that premise might be, "Oh no!" but this novel was not a tragedy about queer bashing, though the setting and my knowledge of Ugandan politics made it a tense read.
(I also felt that my ((at this point rather hazy)) knowledge of Ugandan geography, culture and food helped me a lot, including having been in the same places described in the book. There's a lot of cultural detail and non-English terms dropped in without explanation, so remembering what most things were saved me a lot of looking stuff up.)
But most of the novel is about a teenager trying to figure out both the world and herself, in a family with a lot of internal conflict and pressures. There's a few cases of sixteen-year-olds making poor choices, but for the most part the novel offers its characters a lot of grace. It's about discovering the world can be a lot bigger than you're told it is, and offering and receiving second chances. Really loved this one.
Witch King by Martha Wells, narrated by Eric Mok
(Reread before getting into the new one.)
I'm really glad I reread this, as I initially rushed through it to find out what happened, and as a result didn't remember several key plot points, which turned out to be essential to the second novel. There are a lot of moving parts!
Basically still love everyone in this band, and appreciate getting a novel about decentralising power, rather than building empires.
Queen Demon by Martha Wells, narrated by Eric Mok
Really enjoyed this one, also, though it ends in a more obvious cliffhanger than the first one, which stands more or less on its own.
Mostly just like the characters and enjoy spending time with them. It's again nice to see people struggling with the work of consensus building, interspersed with battle scenes, lol. I like Kai slowly coming out of his shell in the first timeline, and how much the characters have changed over the centuries between the flashbacks and present day. It really nicely both shows the long-range consequences, and builds up tension as the plots weave towards each other. Bit bummed out by some of the casualties along the way.
I hope we get the next one soon!
These are probably going to be brief, as my memory isn't that strong six months later.
Searching for Serafim: The Life and Legacy of Serafim "Joe" Fortes by Ruby Smith Díaz
(Local author, read before she gave a talk for Black History Month.)
Short biography and a poem about a Caribbean Black man working as a lifeguard in Vancouver, BC, in the early 20th century. The records of Serafim Fortes are pretty slight, and almost all from the perspective of white people—who treated him as a sort of mascot, and talked about how great he was despite his race—so Smith Díaz is mostly reading against the grain of the historical record, and speculating lot. I normally do not like history books that include this much speculation, however, Smith Díaz is very clear about when and why she's filling in ideas, and I think it works in this context. It introduced me to Marie-Claire Graham's concept of "speculative archiving" as a way of dealing with gaps in the record created by historical violence, which this book is more or less an example of. I appreciated that Smith Díaz did not shy away from or excuse records of Fortes behaving poorly. Very much worth a read as a local history, and as an example of navigating a fragmented and racist archive.
Everything Is Fine Here by Iryn Tushabe, narrated by Nneka Okoye(Canada Reads Longlist, which I wish had been on the shortlist.)
A coming of age novel about a young woman in western Uganda, who discovers that her beloved older sister is a lesbian. One's reaction to that premise might be, "Oh no!" but this novel was not a tragedy about queer bashing, though the setting and my knowledge of Ugandan politics made it a tense read.
(I also felt that my ((at this point rather hazy)) knowledge of Ugandan geography, culture and food helped me a lot, including having been in the same places described in the book. There's a lot of cultural detail and non-English terms dropped in without explanation, so remembering what most things were saved me a lot of looking stuff up.)
But most of the novel is about a teenager trying to figure out both the world and herself, in a family with a lot of internal conflict and pressures. There's a few cases of sixteen-year-olds making poor choices, but for the most part the novel offers its characters a lot of grace. It's about discovering the world can be a lot bigger than you're told it is, and offering and receiving second chances. Really loved this one.
Witch King by Martha Wells, narrated by Eric Mok(Reread before getting into the new one.)
I'm really glad I reread this, as I initially rushed through it to find out what happened, and as a result didn't remember several key plot points, which turned out to be essential to the second novel. There are a lot of moving parts!
Basically still love everyone in this band, and appreciate getting a novel about decentralising power, rather than building empires.
Queen Demon by Martha Wells, narrated by Eric MokReally enjoyed this one, also, though it ends in a more obvious cliffhanger than the first one, which stands more or less on its own.
Mostly just like the characters and enjoy spending time with them. It's again nice to see people struggling with the work of consensus building, interspersed with battle scenes, lol. I like Kai slowly coming out of his shell in the first timeline, and how much the characters have changed over the centuries between the flashbacks and present day. It really nicely both shows the long-range consequences, and builds up tension as the plots weave towards each other. Bit bummed out by some of the casualties along the way.
I hope we get the next one soon!
Poetry Fishbowl Open!
Jul. 7th, 2026 11:46 amysabetwordsmithStarting now, the Poetry Fishbowl is open! Today's theme is "Don't add to the casualty list in an emergency." I will be checking this page periodically throughout the day. When people make suggestions, I'll pick some and weave them together into a poem ... and then another ... and so on. I'm hoping to get a lot of ideas and a lot of poems.
I picked this theme for today from the selected list of themes, because of the violent storms that swept through central Illinois in late June. Here's my post about Tornado Alley moving from the Great Plains through the Midwest to the Southeast.
Among my previous poems that mention tornadoes or other violent storms are "A Tornado of Thought," "Windswept," "Know What You Stand For," "Better to Meet Danger," "In Growth, Reform, and Change," and "Nature's Great Masterpiece," and "The Pequot War."
Established settings in Tornado Alley: Omaha Reservation and Omaha and Lincoln, Nebraska (Polychrome Heroics), Stillwater, Oklahoma (Polychrome Heroics), Waxahachie, Texas (Schrodinger's Heroes), River City and Ava and Bluehill, Missouri (Polychrome Heroics), Onion City and Urbanburg, Illinois (Polychrome Heroics), Easy City, Louisiana (Polychrome Heroics), Ninovan, Tennessee (Daughters of the Apocalypse), Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Center
for Elephant Conservation in Florida (Daughters of the Apocalypse).
I'll be soliciting ideas for first responders, troubleshooters, activists, rebels, Women Who Run with the Saberteeth, explorers, refugees, runaway youth, housemates, siblings, parents, teachers, clergy, police, soldiers, leaders, superheroes, supervillains, teammates, failure analysts, ethicists, other people who get into dire situations, running into a fire while others are running out of it, rescuing people, protesting, rebelling, planning, panicking, throwing in the towel, escaping, running like you stole something, adventuring, divorcing, teaching, leaving your comfort zone, discovering things, conducting experiments, observation changing experiments, troubleshooting, improvising, adapting, cleaning up messes, cooperating, taking over in an emergency, saving the day, discovering yourself, studying others, testing boundaries, coming of age, learning what you can (and can't) do, sharing, preparing for the worst, expecting the unexpected, fixing what's broke, upsetting the status quo, changing the world, accomplishing the impossible, recovering from setbacks, returning home, war zones, disaster areas, wastelands, trails, sailing ships, distant lands, the forest primeval, prehistory, liminal zones, schools, homeless shelters, prisons, hotels, churches, sharehouses, campfires, laboratories, supervillain lairs, makerspaces, nonhuman accommodations and adaptations, stores, farmer's markets, starships, alien planets, magical lands, foreign dimensions, other places where disasters happen, cataclysms, natural disasters, climate change, the end of the world, S-risks and X-risks, unhappy relationships, PACE your planning, protest rallies, travel mishaps, sudden surprises, the buck stops here, trial and error, supplements that turn out to be mutagenic, intercultural entanglements, asking for help and getting it, enemies to friends/lovers, interdimensional travel, lab conditions are not field conditions, superpower manifestation, the end of where your framework actually applies, ethics, innovation, problems that can't be solved by hitting, teamwork, found family, complementary strengths and weaknesses, personal growth, and poetic forms in particular.
Currently eligible bingo card(s) for donors wishing to sponsor a square:
Hazbin Hotel Fest Bingo Card 6-1-26
Winterfest in July Bingo Card 7-1-26
Among my more relevant series for the main theme:
An Army of One has some serious challenges between the Galactic Arms.
The Bear Tunnels introduces modern principles to people in the past, in hopes of preventing genocide.
A Conflagration of Dragons features the Six Races struggling to survive as the dragons take over more and more territory.
Crystal Wood is about how the mass death of trees can wreck civilization.
The Daughters of the Apocalypse has people trying to find enough resources to survive, when former cities are unsafe.
The Moon Door explores a women's chronic pain group and lycanthropy.
Not Quite Kansas deals with demons, magic, and other mayhem.
One God's Story of Mid-Life Crisis follows Shaeth as he works on becoming the God of Drunks after quitting as the God of Evil. Addiction always has the potential for disaster.
Path of the Paladins includes some really awful situations due to divine politics and mortal foolishness.
Peculiar Obligations deals with Quakers, pirates, and organized crime.
Polychrome Heroics has ordinary humans, supernaries, blue-plate specials, superheroes, supervillains, primal and animal soups all trying to get along and figure out how to make a functional society. Among the more relevant threads are Berettaflies, the Big One, Dr. Infanta, Iron Horses, Officer Pink, Shiv, and Trichromatic Attachments.
Schrodinger's Heroes has a lot of situations that can destroy things, up to and including whole dimensions.
The Wandering is a series about fantasy time travel where people loop back within their own lifespan.
Or you can ask for something new.
Linkbacks reveal a verse of any open linkback poem.
( Read more... )
I picked this theme for today from the selected list of themes, because of the violent storms that swept through central Illinois in late June. Here's my post about Tornado Alley moving from the Great Plains through the Midwest to the Southeast.
Among my previous poems that mention tornadoes or other violent storms are "A Tornado of Thought," "Windswept," "Know What You Stand For," "Better to Meet Danger," "In Growth, Reform, and Change," and "Nature's Great Masterpiece," and "The Pequot War."
Established settings in Tornado Alley: Omaha Reservation and Omaha and Lincoln, Nebraska (Polychrome Heroics), Stillwater, Oklahoma (Polychrome Heroics), Waxahachie, Texas (Schrodinger's Heroes), River City and Ava and Bluehill, Missouri (Polychrome Heroics), Onion City and Urbanburg, Illinois (Polychrome Heroics), Easy City, Louisiana (Polychrome Heroics), Ninovan, Tennessee (Daughters of the Apocalypse), Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Center
for Elephant Conservation in Florida (Daughters of the Apocalypse).
I'll be soliciting ideas for first responders, troubleshooters, activists, rebels, Women Who Run with the Saberteeth, explorers, refugees, runaway youth, housemates, siblings, parents, teachers, clergy, police, soldiers, leaders, superheroes, supervillains, teammates, failure analysts, ethicists, other people who get into dire situations, running into a fire while others are running out of it, rescuing people, protesting, rebelling, planning, panicking, throwing in the towel, escaping, running like you stole something, adventuring, divorcing, teaching, leaving your comfort zone, discovering things, conducting experiments, observation changing experiments, troubleshooting, improvising, adapting, cleaning up messes, cooperating, taking over in an emergency, saving the day, discovering yourself, studying others, testing boundaries, coming of age, learning what you can (and can't) do, sharing, preparing for the worst, expecting the unexpected, fixing what's broke, upsetting the status quo, changing the world, accomplishing the impossible, recovering from setbacks, returning home, war zones, disaster areas, wastelands, trails, sailing ships, distant lands, the forest primeval, prehistory, liminal zones, schools, homeless shelters, prisons, hotels, churches, sharehouses, campfires, laboratories, supervillain lairs, makerspaces, nonhuman accommodations and adaptations, stores, farmer's markets, starships, alien planets, magical lands, foreign dimensions, other places where disasters happen, cataclysms, natural disasters, climate change, the end of the world, S-risks and X-risks, unhappy relationships, PACE your planning, protest rallies, travel mishaps, sudden surprises, the buck stops here, trial and error, supplements that turn out to be mutagenic, intercultural entanglements, asking for help and getting it, enemies to friends/lovers, interdimensional travel, lab conditions are not field conditions, superpower manifestation, the end of where your framework actually applies, ethics, innovation, problems that can't be solved by hitting, teamwork, found family, complementary strengths and weaknesses, personal growth, and poetic forms in particular.
Currently eligible bingo card(s) for donors wishing to sponsor a square:
Hazbin Hotel Fest Bingo Card 6-1-26
Winterfest in July Bingo Card 7-1-26
Among my more relevant series for the main theme:
An Army of One has some serious challenges between the Galactic Arms.
The Bear Tunnels introduces modern principles to people in the past, in hopes of preventing genocide.
A Conflagration of Dragons features the Six Races struggling to survive as the dragons take over more and more territory.
Crystal Wood is about how the mass death of trees can wreck civilization.
The Daughters of the Apocalypse has people trying to find enough resources to survive, when former cities are unsafe.
The Moon Door explores a women's chronic pain group and lycanthropy.
Not Quite Kansas deals with demons, magic, and other mayhem.
One God's Story of Mid-Life Crisis follows Shaeth as he works on becoming the God of Drunks after quitting as the God of Evil. Addiction always has the potential for disaster.
Path of the Paladins includes some really awful situations due to divine politics and mortal foolishness.
Peculiar Obligations deals with Quakers, pirates, and organized crime.
Polychrome Heroics has ordinary humans, supernaries, blue-plate specials, superheroes, supervillains, primal and animal soups all trying to get along and figure out how to make a functional society. Among the more relevant threads are Berettaflies, the Big One, Dr. Infanta, Iron Horses, Officer Pink, Shiv, and Trichromatic Attachments.
Schrodinger's Heroes has a lot of situations that can destroy things, up to and including whole dimensions.
The Wandering is a series about fantasy time travel where people loop back within their own lifespan.
Or you can ask for something new.
Linkbacks reveal a verse of any open linkback poem.
( Read more... )
Birdfeeding
Jul. 7th, 2026 11:28 amysabetwordsmithToday is cloudy and warm. We got a little rain yesterday.
I fed the birds. I haven't seen much activity yet.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 7/7/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
I've seen a gray catbird splashing in the big red birdbath.
EDIT 7/7/26 -- I did more work around the patio.
EDIT 7/7/26 -- I did more work around the patio.
Sparrows and house finches are eating from the hopper feeder.
EDIT 7/7/26 -- I did more work around the patio.
I also walked around the yard a bit. Cosmos are blooming in the east-west strip of the prairie garden. Sunflowers are up in several places but not blooming yet. There are some zinnias too. :D
I am done for the night.
I fed the birds. I haven't seen much activity yet.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 7/7/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
I've seen a gray catbird splashing in the big red birdbath.
EDIT 7/7/26 -- I did more work around the patio.
EDIT 7/7/26 -- I did more work around the patio.
Sparrows and house finches are eating from the hopper feeder.
EDIT 7/7/26 -- I did more work around the patio.
I also walked around the yard a bit. Cosmos are blooming in the east-west strip of the prairie garden. Sunflowers are up in several places but not blooming yet. There are some zinnias too. :D
I am done for the night.
Nature
Jul. 6th, 2026 10:18 pmysabetwordsmithWildflower meadow returned without planting a single seed
A patch of farmland left to its own devices for over a decade has quietly transformed into a thriving wildflower meadow. It didn’t take expensive seed mixes or heavy machinery. Recovery required only patience, a yearly hay cut, and letting nature do what it does. The find could reshape how governments approach one of conservation’s biggest and most expensive challenges.
This is worth trying anywhere that has at least some seedbank left (that is, the topsoil hasn't been killed or hauled away) and where you have a large amount of land to cover (which can make other options cost-prohibitive). In places that used to be scrub or forest or something other than grassland, it needs mowing at least once a year. Otherwise succession will take over and turn it back into whatever it was. Ideally, mow late enough that nesting creatures have finished and decamped, but early enough to permit regrowth before fall, so there will be winter cover for wildlife and erosion protection for the soil.
( Read more... )
A patch of farmland left to its own devices for over a decade has quietly transformed into a thriving wildflower meadow. It didn’t take expensive seed mixes or heavy machinery. Recovery required only patience, a yearly hay cut, and letting nature do what it does. The find could reshape how governments approach one of conservation’s biggest and most expensive challenges.
This is worth trying anywhere that has at least some seedbank left (that is, the topsoil hasn't been killed or hauled away) and where you have a large amount of land to cover (which can make other options cost-prohibitive). In places that used to be scrub or forest or something other than grassland, it needs mowing at least once a year. Otherwise succession will take over and turn it back into whatever it was. Ideally, mow late enough that nesting creatures have finished and decamped, but early enough to permit regrowth before fall, so there will be winter cover for wildlife and erosion protection for the soil.
( Read more... )
Wildlife
Jul. 6th, 2026 09:55 pmysabetwordsmithHoneybee queens protect themselves from pesticides, but their colonies pay the price
Early on, the workers did their job well. In the first day they stripped out about 95% of the pesticide from the food before it reached the comb.
[---8<---]
But the filter began to slip. By day 10 the workers were removing only 86% of the poison, and it started to build up in the food stored in the cells. The bees’ bodies told the same story. Over 10 days, workers took on 55 times more pesticide than the queen did.
That delay will make pesticide problems difficult to detect and solve. Outside of a study like this, by the time you notice something wrong, it already has a lot of inertia baked in.
( Read more... )
Early on, the workers did their job well. In the first day they stripped out about 95% of the pesticide from the food before it reached the comb.
[---8<---]
But the filter began to slip. By day 10 the workers were removing only 86% of the poison, and it started to build up in the food stored in the cells. The bees’ bodies told the same story. Over 10 days, workers took on 55 times more pesticide than the queen did.
That delay will make pesticide problems difficult to detect and solve. Outside of a study like this, by the time you notice something wrong, it already has a lot of inertia baked in.
( Read more... )
#201 Avidulous/202 Abate - Miami Vice - These days and these hours of fury
Jul. 6th, 2026 09:27 pmmxcatmoon posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
vocab_drabblesTitle: These days and these hours of fury
Fandom: Miami Vice
Author: Cat Moon
Rating: M
Characters/Pairing: Sonny/Rico
Words: 483
Summary: Sonny and Rico rest in the eye of the storm. Together they are a force of nature.
Notes: Title and lyrics from "Yes I Am," by Melissa Etheridge. Rico's song. Unrepentant use of Imagery and some metaphor.
( These days and these hours of fury )
Fandom: Miami Vice
Author: Cat Moon
Rating: M
Characters/Pairing: Sonny/Rico
Words: 483
Summary: Sonny and Rico rest in the eye of the storm. Together they are a force of nature.
Notes: Title and lyrics from "Yes I Am," by Melissa Etheridge. Rico's song. Unrepentant use of Imagery and some metaphor.
( These days and these hours of fury )
Today's Adventures
Jul. 6th, 2026 08:57 pmysabetwordsmithToday we went out to Mattoon so I could attend a permaculture club meeting at Douglas-Hart Nature Center.
( Read more... )
( Read more... )
Three Links Make a List?
Jul. 6th, 2026 03:44 pmmuccamukkReconciliation Theatre: Women of the Fur Trade.
I caught this recently and loved it. Wonderful local cast, fast paced and funny. I think it'll be in Victoria in the fall, if people aren't around for the list of tiny smol towns it's hitting this month.
Keep Android Open: Your phone is about to stop being yours.
tulipathy on BlueSky: Thread About GenAI in Heated Rivalry fanfic [ETA: Need to be logged in to read, very brief summary in comments].
I'd been hearing rumblings about this for a while, but I guess it's broken open now. How depressing for the fans.
I caught this recently and loved it. Wonderful local cast, fast paced and funny. I think it'll be in Victoria in the fall, if people aren't around for the list of tiny smol towns it's hitting this month.
Keep Android Open: Your phone is about to stop being yours.
Starting September 2026, a silent update, nonconsensually pushed by Google, will block every Android app whose developer hasn't registered with Google, signed their contract, paid up, and handed over government ID. Every app and every device, worldwide, with no opt-out.
tulipathy on BlueSky: Thread About GenAI in Heated Rivalry fanfic [ETA: Need to be logged in to read, very brief summary in comments].
I'd been hearing rumblings about this for a while, but I guess it's broken open now. How depressing for the fans.
Buffalo
Jul. 6th, 2026 02:21 pmysabetwordsmithFrom One Surviving Male Bison, Azerbaijan Now Has 25 Calves Born Wild in 7-Year Success Story
As has been the case with other animals, a West Europe zoo held the last remaining male member of the Caucasian bison population. He was bred with several European bison as part of an effort to restore the animal to Azerbaijan, which began in 2012 and culminated with the release of the first animals in 2019.
In Shahdagh, WWF Azerbaijan has slowly watched over the herd as it grew through the additions of 25 calves born wild so far.
It's a valiant effort, but that genetic bottleneck will cause problems.
As has been the case with other animals, a West Europe zoo held the last remaining male member of the Caucasian bison population. He was bred with several European bison as part of an effort to restore the animal to Azerbaijan, which began in 2012 and culminated with the release of the first animals in 2019.
In Shahdagh, WWF Azerbaijan has slowly watched over the herd as it grew through the additions of 25 calves born wild so far.
It's a valiant effort, but that genetic bottleneck will cause problems.
#202 - Abate
Jul. 6th, 2026 02:19 pmmxcatmoon posting in vocab_drabblesThis week's word is
ə-ˈbāt
intransitive verb
1: To decrease in force or intensity, amount or value.
"Waiting for the storm to abate"
"The legacies abated proportionately."
transitive verb
1. To put an end to.
"Abate a nuisance"
2. To reduce in degree or intensity: moderate
"It did little to abate our concerns."
3. Deduct, omit.
"Abate part of the price."
Abate
ə-ˈbāt
intransitive verb
1: To decrease in force or intensity, amount or value.
"Waiting for the storm to abate"
"The legacies abated proportionately."
transitive verb
1. To put an end to.
"Abate a nuisance"
2. To reduce in degree or intensity: moderate
"It did little to abate our concerns."
3. Deduct, omit.
"Abate part of the price."
Birdfeeding
Jul. 6th, 2026 01:11 pmysabetwordsmithToday is mostly cloudy and warm.
I fed the birds. I've seen a few sparrows and house finches.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 7/6/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
EDIT 7/6/26 -- I watered the new picnic table garden. I picked the first tomatoes, 2 red cherries and 1 yellow pear.
I saw a tiger swallowtail butterfly. :D
EDIT 7/6/26 -- I did more work around the patio.
EDIT 7/6/26 -- I did more work around the patio.
EDIT 7/6/26 -- I watered the telephone pole garden.
I've seen a male cardinal and a starling in the forest garden.
EDIT 7/6/26 -- I watered plants in the house yard.
I've seen a mourning dove in the forest garden.
EDIT 7/6/26 -- I went out to a local permaculture club meeting, which was lots of fun. :D
On the way home, we saw a heron at the drainage ditch. There were puddles in the road, so we got at least a little rain. That's means I don't need to water plants tomorrow during the Poetry Fishbowl. \o/
EDIT 7/6/26 -- I cracked open a bunch of cherry pits to expose the seeds.
EDIT 7/6/26 -- I bagged up the black cherry seeds in damp sand to cold-stratify in the refrigerator. I think the ones that had been air-drying longer were smaller than the plump ones from today's batch. I'll have to try cracking more sooner and see if that holds true.
Fireflies are coming out. I've seen at least one bat above the house yard.
As it is getting dark, I am done for the night.
I fed the birds. I've seen a few sparrows and house finches.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 7/6/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
EDIT 7/6/26 -- I watered the new picnic table garden. I picked the first tomatoes, 2 red cherries and 1 yellow pear.
I saw a tiger swallowtail butterfly. :D
EDIT 7/6/26 -- I did more work around the patio.
EDIT 7/6/26 -- I did more work around the patio.
EDIT 7/6/26 -- I watered the telephone pole garden.
I've seen a male cardinal and a starling in the forest garden.
EDIT 7/6/26 -- I watered plants in the house yard.
I've seen a mourning dove in the forest garden.
EDIT 7/6/26 -- I went out to a local permaculture club meeting, which was lots of fun. :D
On the way home, we saw a heron at the drainage ditch. There were puddles in the road, so we got at least a little rain. That's means I don't need to water plants tomorrow during the Poetry Fishbowl. \o/
EDIT 7/6/26 -- I cracked open a bunch of cherry pits to expose the seeds.
EDIT 7/6/26 -- I bagged up the black cherry seeds in damp sand to cold-stratify in the refrigerator. I think the ones that had been air-drying longer were smaller than the plump ones from today's batch. I'll have to try cracking more sooner and see if that holds true.
Fireflies are coming out. I've seen at least one bat above the house yard.
As it is getting dark, I am done for the night.
Crafts
Jul. 6th, 2026 12:17 pmysabetwordsmithToday I came across some references to making hex quilts by starting with circles and folding the sides. This approach works great with hand-sewing.
Hex Quilts Video
Hexagons from Circles
Hexie’s From Circles
( Read more... )
Hex Quilts Video
Hexagons from Circles
Hexie’s From Circles
( Read more... )
Safety
Jul. 6th, 2026 11:47 amysabetwordsmith"The one who hurt you doesn't get a say in how you choose to protect yourself from it happening again."
-- Ehowton
Periodically I encounter people who feel conflicted about obligations and safety. Frequently it's because an abusive parent or spouse has become incapacitated or is heading in that direction. I've often said that you don't owe an abuser anything. The above quote makes it clear why. Acts of neglect or abuse remove any obligation the victim may have had to the abuser. Cast off, expended, gone. You are completely free to protect yourself by ignoring the abuser's wants or needs, walking away, and never seeing them again. You may deny them all your resources -- time, energy, money, attention, everything. They made their choices and now get to live with the consequences.
Remember this if someone pressures you to harm yourself by taking care of an abuser. That person is trying to use and harm you also. Classify them as another threat to your safety.
-- Ehowton
Periodically I encounter people who feel conflicted about obligations and safety. Frequently it's because an abusive parent or spouse has become incapacitated or is heading in that direction. I've often said that you don't owe an abuser anything. The above quote makes it clear why. Acts of neglect or abuse remove any obligation the victim may have had to the abuser. Cast off, expended, gone. You are completely free to protect yourself by ignoring the abuser's wants or needs, walking away, and never seeing them again. You may deny them all your resources -- time, energy, money, attention, everything. They made their choices and now get to live with the consequences.
Remember this if someone pressures you to harm yourself by taking care of an abuser. That person is trying to use and harm you also. Classify them as another threat to your safety.
Monday Update 7-6-26
Jul. 6th, 2026 12:42 amysabetwordsmithThese are some posts from the later part of last week in case you missed them:
Safety
Enshittification
Wildlife
Fossils
Birdfeeding
Audio
Economics
Birdfeeding
Philosophical Questions: Morals
Trees
Writing About Fireworks
Birdfeeding
Early Humans
Today's Adventures
Agriculture
Gaming
Birdfeeding
Follow Friday 7-3-26: Nature
Conservation
Birdfeeding
Community Thursdays
Today's Adventures
Science
Winterfest in July Bingo Card 7-1-26
Space Exploration
Birdfeeding
Clean Beaches Week
Affordable Housing
Cuddle Party
LiveJournal has 37 comments. Poem: "Walnut Park" has 46 comments. Early Humans has 22 comments.
There will be a Poetry Fishbowl on Tuesday, July 7 with a theme of "Don't add to the casualty list in an emergency."
"Save All the Pieces" belongs to The Big One and needs $99 to be complete. Stylet has misplaced a giant ground sloth.
The weather has been sweltering this past week. Seen at the birdfeeders this week: a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches, two starlings, a mourning dove, a male cardinal, a robin, a male indigo bunting, and a fox squirrel. I've seen several bats flying around. Bobwhite quail are calling. Fireflies are swarming. Cicadas are singing. Currently blooming: pansies, violas, sweet alyssum, marigolds, honeysuckle, snapdragons, lantana, million bells, blue lobelia, petunias, portulaca, nemesia, fan flowers, firecracker plant, pineapple sage, yucca, Asiatic lilies, snowball viburnum, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, spiderwort, narrow-leaved mountain mint, elderberries, golden rain tree, garlic chives, blackberry lily, Queen Anne's lace, purple echinacea, yellow coneflower, frost aster, cosmos. Green fruit: tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers. Ripe fruit: mulberries.
Safety
Enshittification
Wildlife
Fossils
Birdfeeding
Audio
Economics
Birdfeeding
Philosophical Questions: Morals
Trees
Writing About Fireworks
Birdfeeding
Early Humans
Today's Adventures
Agriculture
Gaming
Birdfeeding
Follow Friday 7-3-26: Nature
Conservation
Birdfeeding
Community Thursdays
Today's Adventures
Science
Winterfest in July Bingo Card 7-1-26
Space Exploration
Birdfeeding
Clean Beaches Week
Affordable Housing
Cuddle Party
LiveJournal has 37 comments. Poem: "Walnut Park" has 46 comments. Early Humans has 22 comments.
There will be a Poetry Fishbowl on Tuesday, July 7 with a theme of "Don't add to the casualty list in an emergency."
"Save All the Pieces" belongs to The Big One and needs $99 to be complete. Stylet has misplaced a giant ground sloth.
The weather has been sweltering this past week. Seen at the birdfeeders this week: a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches, two starlings, a mourning dove, a male cardinal, a robin, a male indigo bunting, and a fox squirrel. I've seen several bats flying around. Bobwhite quail are calling. Fireflies are swarming. Cicadas are singing. Currently blooming: pansies, violas, sweet alyssum, marigolds, honeysuckle, snapdragons, lantana, million bells, blue lobelia, petunias, portulaca, nemesia, fan flowers, firecracker plant, pineapple sage, yucca, Asiatic lilies, snowball viburnum, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, spiderwort, narrow-leaved mountain mint, elderberries, golden rain tree, garlic chives, blackberry lily, Queen Anne's lace, purple echinacea, yellow coneflower, frost aster, cosmos. Green fruit: tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers. Ripe fruit: mulberries.
Safety
Jul. 5th, 2026 10:09 pmysabetwordsmithThe Reflector That Started a Conversation
Andy realized he couldn’t reconstruct a dangerous road himself. But he could start a conversation. That insight led to a simple idea: a small reflector that could be handed to pedestrians and cyclists throughout the community. The reflector features a uniquely Fort Smith logo: a footprint shaped from the letters “FS,” making it both a practical safety tool and a symbol of local pride.
This is an example of incremental change, doing the next smallest thing to improve a situation. It's replicable anywhere that pedestrian and/or biker safety in low light is a concern.
Ideally, people should build safe roads, but that takes time and lots of money. Walkers and bikers should wear high-visibility clothing, but that is expensive and often uncomfortable. A small reflector is cheap, portable, fast and easy to deploy. It's better than nothing -- and it does get people talking.
( Read more... )
Andy realized he couldn’t reconstruct a dangerous road himself. But he could start a conversation. That insight led to a simple idea: a small reflector that could be handed to pedestrians and cyclists throughout the community. The reflector features a uniquely Fort Smith logo: a footprint shaped from the letters “FS,” making it both a practical safety tool and a symbol of local pride.
This is an example of incremental change, doing the next smallest thing to improve a situation. It's replicable anywhere that pedestrian and/or biker safety in low light is a concern.
Ideally, people should build safe roads, but that takes time and lots of money. Walkers and bikers should wear high-visibility clothing, but that is expensive and often uncomfortable. A small reflector is cheap, portable, fast and easy to deploy. It's better than nothing -- and it does get people talking.
( Read more... )
Enshittification
Jul. 5th, 2026 09:15 pmysabetwordsmithThe Mechanisms Of Enshittification
How the things you buy get worse, who profits from it, and how to tell before you pay.
Find out who owns the brand now, and whether the founder is still there and still in control, because that one fact predicts more than any review. Check whether the company went through bankruptcy in the last decade, and who bought the name out of it. If the brand is public, check what share of its revenue goes to marketing. Notice when the same brand turns up at a flagship store and at Costco and at TJ Maxx all at once, a sign the name has been split across tiers and licensees. Ask how the person selling to you gets paid, because commission turns every recommendation into a sale. And run the math that marketing is built to keep you from running: divide the price by the years the thing will genuinely last, and compare across fifteen years instead of one weekend, because the cheap option you replace twice over is usually the expensive one. If you cannot find out who actually makes a product, that is your answer.
As much as possible, buy things direct from the creator or at least from a company still run by its founder(s).
There are a few other options. Goods sold in Amish territory tend to be rock-solid because those folks are very frugal, make a lot of their own stuff, and have zero patience with planned obsolescence.
Also, be prepared to quit purchasing a category of product that has become useless. If it's not going to do the damn job anyway, you might as well keep your money in your pocket.
How the things you buy get worse, who profits from it, and how to tell before you pay.
Find out who owns the brand now, and whether the founder is still there and still in control, because that one fact predicts more than any review. Check whether the company went through bankruptcy in the last decade, and who bought the name out of it. If the brand is public, check what share of its revenue goes to marketing. Notice when the same brand turns up at a flagship store and at Costco and at TJ Maxx all at once, a sign the name has been split across tiers and licensees. Ask how the person selling to you gets paid, because commission turns every recommendation into a sale. And run the math that marketing is built to keep you from running: divide the price by the years the thing will genuinely last, and compare across fifteen years instead of one weekend, because the cheap option you replace twice over is usually the expensive one. If you cannot find out who actually makes a product, that is your answer.
As much as possible, buy things direct from the creator or at least from a company still run by its founder(s).
There are a few other options. Goods sold in Amish territory tend to be rock-solid because those folks are very frugal, make a lot of their own stuff, and have zero patience with planned obsolescence.
Also, be prepared to quit purchasing a category of product that has become useless. If it's not going to do the damn job anyway, you might as well keep your money in your pocket.
Wildlife
Jul. 5th, 2026 03:28 pmysabetwordsmithThe first primates may have evolved in the cold, not the tropics
A surprising new study suggests the earliest primates didn't originate in tropical forests but in cold, dry parts of North America. Some may have even survived seasonal Arctic conditions by slowing their metabolism or hibernating. Researchers found that dramatic climate shifts, rather than warmth, played a major role in driving primate evolution and expansion. The discovery reshapes our understanding of how our own lineage began.
<3 snow monkeys.
A surprising new study suggests the earliest primates didn't originate in tropical forests but in cold, dry parts of North America. Some may have even survived seasonal Arctic conditions by slowing their metabolism or hibernating. Researchers found that dramatic climate shifts, rather than warmth, played a major role in driving primate evolution and expansion. The discovery reshapes our understanding of how our own lineage began.
<3 snow monkeys.