Monday, February 9th, 2026 01:53 pm

I . . . have been remiss in updating the blog, for which my apologies.  The last couple days have been not much worth writing about anyway -- mostly reading and doing daily chores, with intermittent sadness.

That said, we move on to!

Monday midday already. Sunny and cold. I put paper plates of seeds out on top the snow on the deck. I prolly shouldn't have done, but I miss seeing the birds. The cats are fascinated and the new sliders in Steve's office gets them right up close and personal.

I called Dead River this morning, while I was still sitting under the glow of the Happy Lite, and was therefore taught the new method of oil delivery. Back in the Old Days, the oil truck came on -- oh, Tuesday. Or possibly every other Tuesday. But, they delivered to a schedule, which they could be expected to keep, to top off the tank. This was ... simple. We have now graduated to a more complex system, wherein oil usage for a particular address is calculated, using known data, and when the oil tank at that particular address reaches what ought to be one/third full, an oil delivery is triggered.

I pause here to mourn simplicity.

The helpful office person I spoke with at the crack of dawn this morning explained this to me, though she could not tell me when the delivery would be triggered. We left it that a truck would come by sometime this week to top off my tank, and then I will Observe the System in Real Time, so that I may see for myself how well it works.

Moving on. Yesterday, my back hurt, and my hands hurt, and -- let's just say that I was a hurtin' person, enough that I was aware that I was hurting. After I finished my work with the WIP, and had written a draft of my Remarks, I decided to field test a gummy. For Science!

I cut a gummy in half (taking it from 10mg of THC to the 5mg  recommended for newbies), which dose is said to make one feel calm and subtly relaxed. It made me feel that I had drunk way too much wine.  Not a pleasant buzz, but rather a "shouldn't have had that last glass" light-headed-and-unsteady feeling. I mention here that the muscle relaxants and prescribed pain relievers also make me lightheaded and foolish on my feet.

On the plus side, I was feeling no pain. I spent the next while drinking lots of water, and eating snacks and listening to my audiobook, and eventually the "too much" feeling went away, and pretty soon thereafter, I went to bed, and slept very well.

And when I got up this morning, I was still pain-free.

So! Conclusions. Do gummies work for pain relief? Yessir, they do, and they don't make me sick. Most of the prescribed pain relievers and muscle relaxants really make me sick. Already, I'm ahead of the game. Do gummies work as a muscle relaxant? Seems so, since the pain hasn't come back today. And let's not discount that lovely night's sleep.

Obviously, I'm going to have to be very cautious with them, and I may want to conduct a follow-up experiment with one-quarter of a gummy, to see if I can get relief and! still be able to function.

But that's for later.

For today, I spent the morning reviewing the WIP and have less than 50 pages left to read. I'll be doing that after lunch, which will be bean and veggie soup out of the freezer. Unless I decide on something else.

Tomorrow, I will start the day off by opening the tax portal and will hopefully finish filling in the necessary forms before it's time to go to needlework.

Wednesday morning, first thing, Tali has an appointment with her vet, and when I come home I will begin reviewing beta reader comments, and starting the process of producing a final draft of the WIP.

Doesn't that look tidy and fine?

So! Who else is tidy and fine today?

Ah.  One of the things I let get past me was the Celebration of Talizea's Gotcha Day, on February 3.  Here, we have Then:

And now:

 


Monday, February 9th, 2026 10:50 am
Discord will require a face scan or ID for full access next month | The Verge
Beginning in March, all accounts will have a ‘teen-appropriate experience by default.’
A government ID might still be required for age verification in its global rollout. According to Discord, to remove the new “teen-by-default” changes and limitations, “users can choose to use facial age estimation or submit a form of identification to [Discord’s] vendor partners, with more options coming in the future.”
Monday, February 9th, 2026 01:43 pm
 Hey all, if you'd like to join the crafting hangout, it is tonight from 6-8pm ET!
 
Video encouraged but not required!
 
Topic: Crafting Hangout
Time: Mondays 6:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
 
Join Zoom Meeting
 
Meeting ID: 973 2674 2763
Monday, February 9th, 2026 10:38 am
The graphic novel pile is still going strong! (I did start watching a mini drama but I’m going to wait until I finish it to include it in one of these round ups)

In other media related news I have figured out that I can read comics from Hoopla on a tablet and that’s been nicer on my hands than reading at my normal computer set up. I’ve also gotten a new timer and have been doing better at taking hand breaks so I’ve been watch more Crush of Music

Lumberjanes, Vol. 1-2 by N.D. Stevenson et al.—There’s a Lumberjanes/Gotham academy crossover that I want to check out, but it's been ages since I read any Lumberjanes so I thought I’d re-read them. Another series about girls who are friends with each other! Friendship is so great! This is definitely an advantage of reading a lot of YA and MG things, though it still would like more female friendships in media for adults. Anyway, these comics are very fun! I have requested several more volumes form the library

The Space Cat: A Graphic Novel written by Nnedi Okorafor, art by Tana Ford— I was very excited when I learned that Nnedi Okorafor had written a graphic novel about a cat! It turns out this is based on her real life cat. It is extremely cute and very charming! The art was perfect for the story.

Teen Titans: Raven, Teen Titans: Beast Boy, Teen Titans: Beast Boy Loves Raven, Teen Titans: Robin, and Teen Titans: Robin Teen Titans: Starfire written by Kami Garcia, art by Gabriel Picolo—These are like YA graphic novels adaptations of the Teen Titans – that is this own version and not as far as I can tell part of larger continuity, but clearly based on the earlier versions. I’m not super familiar with most of these characters or the earlier version of the Teen Titans but I liked these as their own thing.

I did break my no YA with dead moms rule, as the first book opens with Raven’s mom dying in a car crash. The characters are fun, and I liked seeing their friends and family. The romances do feel really fast and underdeveloped though. But seeing the team form is a lot of fun! The art is good too!

There’s supposed to be one more of these published later this year so I’m going to have to keep an eye out for it so I can read the ending!

Taproot by Keezy Young—A lovely graphic novel about a gardener who can see ghosts. I loved all the lush plants! I would have liked just a little bit more detail about how the magic worked though. The whole book was really sweet.(CW: several of the ghosts are kids)

The Changeling King by Ethan M. Aldridge—Sequel to Estranged, I liked how this dealt with the consequences of the events of the first book. And the art remains excellent!

The Return of the King— Watched with R and the Kid. This one felt the darkest of the three, also the one with the most changes from the book. We took more breaks this time so I felt less over-stimulated by the end, which was good.
Monday, February 9th, 2026 05:52 pm

Posted by dhruva

Medieval Monks Wrote Over a Copy of an Ancient Star Catalog. Now, a Particle Accelerator Is Revealing the Long-Lost Original Text "The original text, however, might not be completely lost. That's good news, because it seems to contain copied portions of a second-century B.C.E. star catalog with maps originally created by the Greek astronomer Hipparchus, known as the "father of scientific astronomy"."
Monday, February 9th, 2026 12:04 pm
We're still experiencing Arctic cold here, though tomorrow it's supposed to get up to 38F, a regular heat wave. The consequence of the cold has been deepening Seasonal Affective Disorder for me. Yes, I have a special lamp; no, I haven't been using it. *rolls eyes at self* I am pleased to report that unlike in previous years, this year I've avoided overeating and overspending to counteract my grim mood.

So far, anyway, I've stuck to my exercise and eating plans, and I'm proud of myself for that. Have you had a health- and/or fitness-related experience lately of which you're proud? I've learned over the years that it's important to take joy in even the smallest positive changes, and I hope you'll share one of those little happy moments with us all.

My Week in Review )

May the week ahead bring sunshine and blue skies, if those are conditions you'd enjoy.
Monday, February 9th, 2026 08:23 am
Last night was the night. The night when I was most grateful of all to be out of that condo. Even though the game wasn't played at the stadium across the street, the neighborhood was ground zero for all the drunk idiots who leave their lovely neighborhoods to disseminate ours. Last time, they literally ruined historic architecture. Not to mention leaving a sea of puke and pee and shit on every sidewalk. Yep. Do not miss it. One single bit.

Get off my lawn does not even begin to cover it.

And they will do it all again Wednesday when they have the victory parade. This time I can blissfully ignore the whole thing.

Just saw the most fun dog scene. There's this bent over little old man who lives here and has two small dogs. He's not at all friendly but his dogs are adorable. Just now he's bringing them in from their very wet morning walk and as they make the turn to go across the terrace to the door, one of the dogs just sits. The other one moves forward but dog #1 just sits and stares at the guy. It's hilarious. Finally after a really long time, the dog jumps forward, up and down with tail wagging clearly saying in doggie speak "hahahahaha just kidding!! I love you, do you love me? Will there be treats?" That crabby man can be as crabby as he wants, his dogs are still adorable (and his wife is very nice).

I got to the pool early this morning and had a lovely swim. No other plans for today. The rest of the week is relatively busy so it's fine that today is not.

I took a break from bunnies yesterday to replenish my monster supply.

20260208_173854-COLLAGE
Monday, February 9th, 2026 10:55 am
Y'all, I cannot stop thinking about The Testament of Ann Lee, which I saw last Thursday at our incredible local indie theater. I think it’s going to end up being one of my favorite films.

A movie about a religious figure that presents someone with true faith without winking at the audience all, “you know how dumb it is to believe this”??? When was the last time I saw that? Neither I nor the filmmakers believe what Ann Lee believed, obviously, but there’s no doubt she believed it, and the film respects that. It’s honestly a hagiography in a way that you usually only see historically for Catholic saints? But it’s such an inspired way to approach this story? So stylized and gorgeous? But also sincere?

A film about a woman who finds her meaning and satisfaction in her spirituality and religious vocation? Whose main relationship is with her understanding of God? Yes please!!! (Her second most important relationship is with her brother, which was equally moving.) When she sings, "I hunger and thirst for true righteousness," I believe her. That's what she wants! Not a romance, not a family, not standing in society, not money or power or anything else. (Though she does end up having a certain amount of power and I think she really loves having it. People contain multitudes!) I can't remember seeing a mystic portrayed onscreen like this before? (I am the opposite of a mystic, but I have always been very fascinated by mystics, especially women mystics, so I dug this.)

Amanda Seyfried is mind-blowing. Casting of all time. It’s rare that I see a performance and I think, “No one else could have ever possibly played this role.” I often think, “No one else could have ever played this role like this,” but I almost never think, “No one else could have played it period.” But I feel that way about her. Her face, her voice (her voice!!!), her range! Goodness gracious. I’m in awe.

THE MUSIC and the dancing! Using the original Shaker hymns but updating them with really unexpected production was a genius move, and the choreography really felt like a kind of religious rapture. I know that the Shakers’ dancing didn’t look like that, but it I am positive that it felt like that. I have had the soundtrack on repeat since I walked out of the theater. Fuck me UP, Daniel Blumberg! I will have to seek out more of his music because it was really genius.

The film was also visually gorgeous, especially when it leaned into the Shaker aesthetic in the last third (it also made me want to go back to Shakertown, which I haven't visited since high school). I know that aesthetic had not really emerged during Ann Lee’s life, so it was technically historically inaccurate, but it does not matter because that kind of beauty found through extreme simplicity and order was absolutely the manifestation of Ann Lee’s teachings, so it was entirely appropriate to have it onscreen. Choosing the spirit of history over the letter.

I really loved how much of the script was direct quotes from the first-hand Shaker accounts from the early 19th century. And the places where it diverged from historical fact all made sense.

The speculation on why Ann Lee might have insisted on celibacy seems to have been drawn from Nardi Reeder Campion (as, again, is some of the language of the script), and I think it was entirely appropriate. I personally like to think that Ann Lee was just so asexual that she started a religion about it, but yeah, the trauma thesis is a strong one.

I just kind of can't get over how perfectly tailored this film was to my interests and priorities? Ann Lee's life was difficult and painful in many ways, so it's not an easy film to watch. But I was swept away by it I want to rewatch it again and again. I wish I could see it in the theater again, but it's already left here, alas.

This is how you make an unconventional, artsy period piece. I’m enraptured.

I know other people did not react to this movie in the way I did--there are people who hated it, people who have a lot of complaints about it--but f you like: stories about unconventional historical women, religious faith treated seriously but not at all polemically, unorthodox approaches to the musical genre, beautiful but slightly unnerving music and dance, films that lean into their own weirdness without being weighed down by it…you should watch this movie. Preferably in a theater, but if you can’t swing that, any other way.

If you do see it, come back and tell me what you thought. Even if it doesn't work for you, I would love to read your thoughts about why because I know I can trust y'all to be thoughtful!
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Monday, February 9th, 2026 03:26 pm

Posted by kliuless

How Not to Defeat Authoritarianism - "Moderation used to help Democrats win, but its advantages now have been greatly exaggerated. [T]he old rules are dead. In a nationalized media environment with an authoritarian movement capturing one major party, electoral politics has become existential conflict. This requires not moderation but mobilization, not positioning but purpose, not just messaging but genuine reform to prove that Democrats will fight for democracy itself by first attacking the corruption that rots it from within."[1,2] (via)

Playing defense forfeits the moral clarity and collective purpose that have sustained successful anti-authoritarian movements worldwide... The median voter theorem made sense in an era of stable coalitions, low polarization, and localized elections. That era is over. Democrats need strategies built for this new reality... The real divide isn't left versus center—it's whether Democrats view Trump as an aberration to be waited out or as an authoritarian threat that requires an extraordinary response. Journalist Ronald Brownstein recently identified this fault line: those who view authoritarianism as a "distraction" from kitchen-table issues versus those who see it as the existential crisis defining all other questions. The "distraction" camp still operates by 1990s rules, counseling moderation and patience, trusting failed institutions. This brings us back to a crucial point: successful anti-authoritarian movements don't win by moderating their positions on a traditional left-right axis but by creating an entirely new one. They mobilize previously disengaged citizens by framing the struggle not as a contest over policy, but as a fight for the fundamental fairness of the system itself. Scholars of democratic breakdown know that moments like this demand institutional coordination, civil society mobilization, and the political courage to name and confront the authoritarian threat on its weakest flank. Every democracy facing this challenge has learned you don't defeat authoritarians by being more reasonable. You defeat them by being more determined and by uniting the country against their most visible vulnerability: their corruption. History won't judge Democrats on whether they were moderate enough. It will judge them on whether they fought hard enough, and smart enough, when democracy was threatened. The politics of careful positioning and poll-tested moderation have been tested, and on their own, they have failed to deliver the victories needed to protect democracy. The choice now is to transform the party's strategy to meet the scale of the threat, or to fail. In this contest, failure is not just an electoral defeat; it may be the end of democratic self-governance.
e.g. NJ-11! also btw...
  • Five reasons Republicans are worried about this Texas state Senate race - "The district, which had supported President Trump by a 17-point margin, elected Democrat Taylor Rehmet with a 14-point margin, a shocking swing in a traditionally deep-red area."
  • If the state Senate race portends significant swings leftward of voters across the state, especially independents, [Texas's gerrymandering] could backfire. The new map depended on Texas Republicans maintaining the gains they have made with Hispanic voters, with four of the five new districts being predominantly Hispanic.
  • Democrat Christian Menefee wins U.S. House election in Texas, narrowing slim GOP majority - "Democrat Christian Menefee won a Texas U.S. House seat in a special election Saturday that will narrow Republicans' already-slim majority, telling President Donald Trump that the Democratic district 'topples corrupt presidencies.'"
  • @taniel.bsky.social‬: "Late result for anyone still awake: Na'Cole Thompson, the Democratic candidate in the mayoral race today in Leander, Texas, has won the election. She got 57% and won't need a runoff, with two Republicans adding up to 43%."
  • @the-downballot.com‬: "The GOP just had its best chance to finally flip a legislative seat in Trump 2.0. Democrats had other ideas. Chasity Martinez just won a rural Trump+13 in the Louisiana House in a 24-point landslide—an overperformance of 37 points."
Monday, February 9th, 2026 02:54 pm

Posted by Wordshore

BBC now: Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar calls on Keir Starmer to stand down as prime minister. Guardian, 3h ago: Keir Starmer's director of communications Tim Allan steps down. Guardian, 18h ago: McSweeney resigns as PM's top aide after Peter Mandelson revelations. BBC, 3d ago: Police search properties linked to Mandelson over Epstein investigation. Side point: Keir Starmer is/was the UK's 6th Prime Minister in less than a decade, since Brexit. [Previously]
Sunday, February 8th, 2026 08:46 pm
RL continues to conspire against me, but I am determined to finish this challenge, damn it. So here is #9!




Snowflake Challenge promotional banner featuring an image of a wrapped giftbox with a snowflake on the gift tag. Text: Snowflake Challenge January 1-31.


Challenge #9

Talk about your favorite tropes in media or transformative works. (Feel free to substitute in theme/motif/cliche if "trope" doesn't resonate with you.)

For this challenge, I'm going to talk about my favourite tropes in fic.

1. Genderswap, specifically M > F in specific canons/contexts.

Genderswap is one of my favourite tropes, especially in canons where it would make a massive difference. I just love seeing what the story would be if it were Rose Potter rather than Harry, Clara Kent rather than Clark, or Stephanie Rogers rather than Steve, not least because I just find women more interesting. And I'm always here for M/F romances that aren't your standard Heterosexual Nonsense, lol. As a bonus, girls are women just aren't allowed to be the same kind of stupid that boys and men are, which usually makes for a much better story. 


2. Fix-it fics

Sometimes canon is stupid, so you reject it and insert your own. I love all kinds of fix-its, whether they're canon divergence or time travel. It helps that I grew up in HP fandom and later fell into MCU, both of which canons started well and then spectacularly shat the bed, lolsob. I also enjoy fics that give characters a smoother path to happiness - this is my favourite kind of Pride and Prejudice variant. What can I say, I just want my blorbos to be happy and live easy lives!

(Important note: I do not enjoy the kind of self-proclaimed 'fix-it' endemic to the Harry Potter fandom where it's clear that the author does not understand that Harry Potter started out as a silly kids' series that got so big JKR couldn't cope. No, you're not super smart for going 'ohoho the WW is a dystopia populated by sheep'; you just don't understand how genre conventions work. And that HP shifted mid-series in the most goatfucking stupid way possible.)


3. Competence porn

Keep your hot messes, y'all, I'm enough of one already, I don't want to read about or watch them for entertainment, thanks. One of my favourite parts of fiction is watching smart, skilled people do their jobs well - I blame all the romance novels with bad-ass heroines I read as a child. Also all the HP AUs and fix-its that consumed my adolescence, and falling headfirst into Superbat, because you don't get more competent than those two. There's just something so invigorating as well as reassuring about the quiet confidence that skill brings with it. I don't have to worry - my blorbos have it. 


4. Confessions


Look, I'm a romance girlie, okay? Confessions are the best part! Especially if they come after pining, or when the characters have no idea their feelings are reciprocated. Bonus points if the confession happens in a situation of great peril, or is prompted by one or both of the characters nearly dying. 


5. Pining

Look, instalove is all well and good, but sometimes you need the happy ending to be EARNED. Especially if it's two clueless idiots who have no bloody clue and insist the other just sees them as a friend. (Never mind their lives are basically 'Friends Don't' by Maddie and Tay.) Look, Superbat is one of my OTPs for a REASON and that reason is that pining is DELICIOUS. 


6. Fake dating

The only way to make pining better? Put the blorbos in situations where they have to pretend to be a couple For Reasons. Marriage of convenience, undercover, keeping family/friends/whoever off one's back... so many ways to have them go 'but they would never like me like that' while situation after situation happens that proves the opposite, lol. 


7. Better than canon/the real world

Look, I read for escapism. Plain and simple. I don't want tooth-rotting fluffy curtain-fic, but at the same time... if it's darker than canon? NOPE. Get the behind me, Satan. I don't want a HP universe that is a sexist hellscape where Muggleborns are little better than animals, or a dystopia run by sheep that needs to be saved by the oh-so-advanced Muggles. I don't want Bruce and Clark, or Steve and Tony, at each others' throats. I don't want Darcy and Elizabeth to have to go through hell before they can have their happy ending. 


8. Geeky girl with non-intellectual-but-smart-jock who loves her brain

Look, I've been a Hermione/Viktor fan since I was fourteen. If that doesn't explain my love for this trope, I don't know what does. Hilariously, I was reminded of how much I love it by Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce. Because there's honestly nothing sexier than a guy who is secure enough in his masculinity to revel in his woman's success. Also? Just because someone isn't an intellectual, or is into sports, doesn't mean they aren't smart and capable and great partners. Much more so than Intellectual Art Boys, in many cases. 


9. Being picked over a supposedly 'better' romantic option

This is tied to my love of the previous trope. There is nothing that makes me swoon like someone telling their partner, 'No. I choose YOU, because you are a be choice for me and fuck what society/anyone else thinks.' Because at the end of the day, that's what true love is to me, more than fate or soulmates or whatever - choosing to be with someone. 


If anyone has recs with these tropes, I would love to hear them! My reading fandoms are HP (no Snape though please), Numb3rs, Superbat, Stony, Star Trek AOS, LOTR/The Hobbit, The Goblin Emperor, Hawaii 5-0, and Pride and Prejudice.

Monday, February 9th, 2026 01:53 pm

Posted by Art_Pot

It's the Olympics, a time when human bodies are pushed to the limits mentally and physically. What random fact about the Olympics do you remember? Favorite Event or Performance? What are your favorite human tricks? Or talk to us about life, food, pets or anything but politics.
Monday, February 9th, 2026 09:39 am
1. I got the backup battery recharged last night.

2. I am going to learn how to remove and reinstall the main battery so I can bring it indoors when it's ludicrously cold. This is not the kind of thing one wants to try and learn when it's -5°F and dark outside, one would much rather learn this sort of thing in broad daylight and maybe around 10°F? By now, 10°F feels pretty balmy!

3. S says he has a 12V battery charger somewhere in the garage, so I'll also apply that to the battery when I bring it indoors.

4. There's a good chance this one is approaching the end of its useable lifespan, so I'll also start looking around for a replacement (sigh).

Cars, so convenient and inexpensive, amirite?

I am also dreading this month's utility bill, sigh.
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