Poem: "The Clearest Signal"
Oct. 27th, 2025 09:42 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysabetwordsmithThis poem came out of the October 2025 ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
crowdfunding Creative Jam. It was inspired by prompts from dialecticdreamer and readera. It also fills the "Broken" square in my 10-1-25 card for the Fall Festival Bingo. This poem is posted in exchange for the City Engines stories that dialecticdreamer has been posting about Frank the Crank and belongs to that thread in Polychrome Heroics.
( Read more... )
crowdfunding Creative Jam. It was inspired by prompts from dialecticdreamer and readera. It also fills the "Broken" square in my 10-1-25 card for the Fall Festival Bingo. This poem is posted in exchange for the City Engines stories that dialecticdreamer has been posting about Frank the Crank and belongs to that thread in Polychrome Heroics.( Read more... )
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Lake Lewisia #1322
Oct. 27th, 2025 08:27 pmscrubjayspeaksIf you are struggling to get last-minute Halloween decorations up, due to work demands, mental health issues, new responsibilities, or just the unforgiving nature of time, local creatures are here to help. Cryptids, nocturnal animals, and unsettling weirdos living in local abandoned sheds and alleys are happy to spice up your yard or front door with ominous looming and half-seen movements in the peripheral vision of passers-by and trick-or-treaters. It is considered polite to reward these efforts with a portion of the season’s bounty--king size candy bars may even earn you an eerie and threatening entryway well into November if you wish.
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LL#1322
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LL#1322
Birdfeeding
Oct. 27th, 2025 01:17 pmysabetwordsmithToday is cloudy and cool.
I fed the birds. I've seen several sparrows and house finches, two goldfinches, and a male cardinal. :D
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 10/27/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
EDIT 10/27/25 -- I did more work around the patio.
I am done for the night.
I fed the birds. I've seen several sparrows and house finches, two goldfinches, and a male cardinal. :D
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 10/27/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
EDIT 10/27/25 -- I did more work around the patio.
I am done for the night.
Feathering the Nest
Oct. 27th, 2025 12:44 pmysabetwordsmithdialecticdreamer is hosting Feathering the Nest today, with its standard theme of fluff and comfort. Leave prompts, get ficlets!Worldbuilding
Oct. 27th, 2025 12:30 pmysabetwordsmithAlien Anthropology: Towns without Farms
Explore diverse Neotect cultures thriving without agriculture on the planet Tira 292b. This video examines nomadic and sedentary societies, showcasing unique adaptations to varied environments. Observe how these sapient beings navigate resource scarcity and seasonal changes.
This video not only does a great job of showing how Neotect aliens develop culturally, it uses examples from diverse human cultures and technologies. I have a suspicion that it was made by someone who, like me, learned history and social studies by getting kicked out of those classes for saying "The book is wrong." It is an unusually astute example of a creature that "thinks as well as a human, but not like a human," which is my favorite kind of alien. :D
I advise establishing a secure anchor before rappelling down into the rabbithole.
Explore diverse Neotect cultures thriving without agriculture on the planet Tira 292b. This video examines nomadic and sedentary societies, showcasing unique adaptations to varied environments. Observe how these sapient beings navigate resource scarcity and seasonal changes.
This video not only does a great job of showing how Neotect aliens develop culturally, it uses examples from diverse human cultures and technologies. I have a suspicion that it was made by someone who, like me, learned history and social studies by getting kicked out of those classes for saying "The book is wrong." It is an unusually astute example of a creature that "thinks as well as a human, but not like a human," which is my favorite kind of alien. :D
I advise establishing a secure anchor before rappelling down into the rabbithole.
Monday Update 10-27-25
Oct. 27th, 2025 02:41 amysabetwordsmithThese are some posts from the later part of last week in case you missed them:
Books
Birdfeeding
Moment of Silence: June Lockheart
Today's Adventures
Birdfeeding
Philosophical Questions: Privacy
Recipe: "Apple Pie Cookies"
Birdfeeding
Friday Five
Follow Friday 10-24-25: Jpop and Jrock
Affordable Housing
Activism
Advice
Birdfeeding
Today's Smoothie
Photography
Birdfeeding
Mad Science
Cuddle Party
Trauma has 31 comments. Affordable Housing has 55 comments. Robotics has 91 comments.
"An Inkling of Things to Come" belongs to Polychrome: Shiv and needs $191 to be complete. Maiara and Arthur discuss taking notes.
The weather is cool and fall-like now. It dribbled a bit on Saturday but didn't amount to much. Seen at the birdfeeders this week: a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches. I saw a downy woodpecker vigorously drilling insects from the dead stems of cup plants. Currently blooming: dandelions, marigolds, petunias, red salvia, verbena, lantana, sweet alyssum, zinnias, snapdragons, blue lobelia, perennial pinks, oxalis, moss rose, firecracker plant, tomatoes, morning glory, cypress vine, sedum, violas. Tomatoes, ball carrots, and groundcherries are ripe. Fields are about 3/4 harvested.
Books
Birdfeeding
Moment of Silence: June Lockheart
Today's Adventures
Birdfeeding
Philosophical Questions: Privacy
Recipe: "Apple Pie Cookies"
Birdfeeding
Friday Five
Follow Friday 10-24-25: Jpop and Jrock
Affordable Housing
Activism
Advice
Birdfeeding
Today's Smoothie
Photography
Birdfeeding
Mad Science
Cuddle Party
Trauma has 31 comments. Affordable Housing has 55 comments. Robotics has 91 comments.
"An Inkling of Things to Come" belongs to Polychrome: Shiv and needs $191 to be complete. Maiara and Arthur discuss taking notes.
The weather is cool and fall-like now. It dribbled a bit on Saturday but didn't amount to much. Seen at the birdfeeders this week: a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches. I saw a downy woodpecker vigorously drilling insects from the dead stems of cup plants. Currently blooming: dandelions, marigolds, petunias, red salvia, verbena, lantana, sweet alyssum, zinnias, snapdragons, blue lobelia, perennial pinks, oxalis, moss rose, firecracker plant, tomatoes, morning glory, cypress vine, sedum, violas. Tomatoes, ball carrots, and groundcherries are ripe. Fields are about 3/4 harvested.
Books
Oct. 26th, 2025 04:14 pmysabetwordsmithTen Books for Intersex Awareness Day!
Happy Intersex Awareness Day! We sought out stories from our book recommendation crew of books with intersex rep – explicit or implied, clear-cut or open to interpretation. Intersex characters are upsettingly underrepresented, and finding “unproblematic” representation is even harder, but we did our best and are here with ten titles that we think are worth a read (or, in one case, a watch, should you get the opportunity to see it staged)! The contributors to the list are: Meera S., Nina Waters, Shannon and an anonymous contributor.
Happy Intersex Awareness Day! We sought out stories from our book recommendation crew of books with intersex rep – explicit or implied, clear-cut or open to interpretation. Intersex characters are upsettingly underrepresented, and finding “unproblematic” representation is even harder, but we did our best and are here with ten titles that we think are worth a read (or, in one case, a watch, should you get the opportunity to see it staged)! The contributors to the list are: Meera S., Nina Waters, Shannon and an anonymous contributor.
Birdfeeding
Oct. 26th, 2025 04:05 pmysabetwordsmithToday is cloudy and cool. Yesterday it spit rain a couple times, but never amounted to much.
I fed the birds. I've seen a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches -- they were all over the feeders this morning.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 10/26/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
EDIT 10/26/25 -- I did more work around the patio.
EDIT 10/26/25 -- I did more work around the patio.
I am done for the night.
I fed the birds. I've seen a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches -- they were all over the feeders this morning.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 10/26/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
EDIT 10/26/25 -- I did more work around the patio.
EDIT 10/26/25 -- I did more work around the patio.
I am done for the night.
Done This Week
Oct. 26th, 2025 10:12 amscrubjayspeaksWell, a number of people have fucked up royally, but at least I haven’t been one of them. I did, however, end up working (voluntarily) a half day on Saturday to help with the pickup of a very large shipment. Which included some synchronized forklifting, so I’ve got that feather in my cap now!
Mum has been seeing a dermatologist for a few skin issues. One of them finally ended up being a form of skin cancer. It was small, at least, so they went in and removed it with way less fanfare than we were expecting. Still, that was a harrowing piece of information…
It’s just generally been an extra exhausting week. This seems to be the way whenever I take my vacation time. Considering how rundown I was already feeling, I didn’t really need anything else to make me feel like I needed time off.
Still, I now have a whole week away from work to enjoy Halloween things and whatever else I fancy. Many naps, possibly. And, because I am an adult and this is the sort of thing that makes me feel better, possibly some house cleaning even ahead of NaClYoHo month.
Weather has swung wildly between quite warm again and heavy fog, with another small thunderstorm thrown in there for good measure.
Lewisia: 0 new pieces written
Day job: 46.5 hours and six days ಥ_ಥ
Reading: These Fleeting Shadows by Kate Alice Marshall (another round of asking Libby to give me queer horror stories, I loved this more than I could have ever predicted, it somehow hit all my buttons?!)
Listening: Swedish Fiddle Tunes: A Selection by Rowan Piggott (one of the people behind The Wilderness Yet, I’ve been craving instrumental stuff lately)
Clock Mouse: 1211 words
Other: got to visit with E briefly at my house
Mum has been seeing a dermatologist for a few skin issues. One of them finally ended up being a form of skin cancer. It was small, at least, so they went in and removed it with way less fanfare than we were expecting. Still, that was a harrowing piece of information…
It’s just generally been an extra exhausting week. This seems to be the way whenever I take my vacation time. Considering how rundown I was already feeling, I didn’t really need anything else to make me feel like I needed time off.
Still, I now have a whole week away from work to enjoy Halloween things and whatever else I fancy. Many naps, possibly. And, because I am an adult and this is the sort of thing that makes me feel better, possibly some house cleaning even ahead of NaClYoHo month.
Weather has swung wildly between quite warm again and heavy fog, with another small thunderstorm thrown in there for good measure.
Lewisia: 0 new pieces written
Day job: 46.5 hours and six days ಥ_ಥ
Reading: These Fleeting Shadows by Kate Alice Marshall (another round of asking Libby to give me queer horror stories, I loved this more than I could have ever predicted, it somehow hit all my buttons?!)
Listening: Swedish Fiddle Tunes: A Selection by Rowan Piggott (one of the people behind The Wilderness Yet, I’ve been craving instrumental stuff lately)
Clock Mouse: 1211 words
Other: got to visit with E briefly at my house
Birdfeeding
Oct. 25th, 2025 01:06 pmysabetwordsmithToday is cloudy and cool.
I fed the birds. I've seen a few sparrows and house finches.
I put out water for the birds.
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.
I am done for the night.
Database maintenance
Oct. 25th, 2025 08:42 am![[staff profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user_staff.png){kind=small}
mark posting in ![[site community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/comm_staff.png){kind=small}
dw_maintenanceGood morning, afternoon, and evening!
We're doing some database and other light server maintenance this weekend (upgrading the version of MySQL we use in particular, but also probably doing some CDN work.)
I expect all of this to be pretty invisible except for some small "couple of minute" blips as we switch between machines, but there's a chance you will notice something untoward. I'll keep an eye on comments as per usual.
Ta for now!
Philosophical Questions: Privacy
Oct. 25th, 2025 12:47 amysabetwordsmithPeople have expressed interest in deep topics, so this list focuses on philosophical questions.
How much privacy are you willing to sacrifice for safety?
( Read more... )
How much privacy are you willing to sacrifice for safety?
( Read more... )
Lake Lewisia #1321
Oct. 24th, 2025 05:25 pmscrubjayspeaksWhile the living manor consisted mainly of perennials for stability, many annuals reseeded themselves in available architecture, and bird- and wind-dispersed newcomers bloomed like seasonal stained glass windows. Preservationists documented what changed and what remained the same, while groundskeepers simply monitored the well-being of whatever living things they found. Occasionally, that meant non-plant, non-architectural asylum-seekers, who were likewise recorded as part of the manor’s history and tended to as a welcome addition to the ever-shifting structure.
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LL#1321
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LL#1321
Birdfeeding
Oct. 24th, 2025 02:06 pmysabetwordsmithToday is cloudy and cool.
I fed the birds. I've seen a few sparrows and house finches.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 10/24/25 -- I planted 15 purple and pink mixed tulips in the purple-and-white garden.
10/24/25 -- I gathered seeds from sunflowers, zinnias, wild senna, and northern sea oats.
I saw a downy woodpecker industriously drilling insects from the dry stems of cup plants.
10/24/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
10/24/25 -- I did a more work around the patio.
10/24/25 -- I planted 8 'Purissima' tulips, 4 around the barrel garden and 4 in the tulip bed. These are white tulips with variegated green-and-yellow leaves.
10/24/25 -- I planted 15 'Ice Queen' giant snow crocuses in the purple-and-white garden. That completes the shipment from Breck's.
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 10/24/25 -- I planted 15 purple and pink mixed tulips in the purple-and-white garden.
10/24/25 -- I gathered seeds from sunflowers, zinnias, wild senna, and northern sea oats.
I saw a downy woodpecker industriously drilling insects from the dry stems of cup plants.
10/24/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
10/24/25 -- I did a more work around the patio.
10/24/25 -- I planted 8 'Purissima' tulips, 4 around the barrel garden and 4 in the tulip bed. These are white tulips with variegated green-and-yellow leaves.
10/24/25 -- I planted 15 'Ice Queen' giant snow crocuses in the purple-and-white garden. That completes the shipment from Breck's.
I am done for the night.
Affordable Housing
Oct. 23rd, 2025 09:18 pmysabetwordsmithThis motel was transformed into colorful affordable housing. And it's named after a civil rights icon
Once a motel in the Reynoldstown neighborhood — built in the 1960s — the space was transformed into 56 modern studio apartments for individuals or families who were previously unhoused.
( Read more... )
Once a motel in the Reynoldstown neighborhood — built in the 1960s — the space was transformed into 56 modern studio apartments for individuals or families who were previously unhoused.
( Read more... )
Activism
Oct. 23rd, 2025 09:08 pmysabetwordsmith10 effective ways you can make change — in addition to attending a protest
In a nutshell: Nonviolent resistance is based on noncooperation with autocratic actions. It has proven more effective in toppling autocracies than violent, armed struggle.
But it requires more than street demonstrations.
( Read more... )
In a nutshell: Nonviolent resistance is based on noncooperation with autocratic actions. It has proven more effective in toppling autocracies than violent, armed struggle.
But it requires more than street demonstrations.
( Read more... )
Advice
Oct. 23rd, 2025 06:35 pmysabetwordsmithOn mental health advice
What nobody tells you: Most mental health advice is just expensive ways to avoid hard conversations and difficult decisions.
You don't need another coping mechanism. You need to quit the job. Leave the relationship. Set the boundary. Therapy can't fix problems that require action.
( Read more... )
What nobody tells you: Most mental health advice is just expensive ways to avoid hard conversations and difficult decisions.
You don't need another coping mechanism. You need to quit the job. Leave the relationship. Set the boundary. Therapy can't fix problems that require action.
( Read more... )
Birdfeeding
Oct. 23rd, 2025 01:56 pmysabetwordsmithToday is mostly sunny and cool.
I fed the birds. I've seen a small flock of sparrows and house finches. Some of the sparrows were splashing in the red birdbath.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 10/23/25 -- I potted up some of the asparagus seeds from the Charleston Food Forest.
EDIT 10/23/25 -- I planted 10 'Colour Magic' tulips around the barrel garden, and still have 10 left. These flowers change colors as they mature, often starting white or yellow with color at the edges which then spreads.
EDIT 10/23/25 -- I planted the rest of the 'Color Magic' tulips in the tulip bed.
EDIT 10/23/25 -- We went out for lunch. I picked up a bag of 12 assorted Dutch irises and a bag of 12 mixed crocuses at Rural King, plus 4 bags of compost and manure to top the flowerbeds. Then I got a bag of 15 purple and pink tulips, and a bag of 5 purple-and-white striped crocuses at Home Depot.
EDIT 10/23/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
EDIT 10/23/25 -- I did more work around the patio.
I am done for the night.
I fed the birds. I've seen a small flock of sparrows and house finches. Some of the sparrows were splashing in the red birdbath.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 10/23/25 -- I potted up some of the asparagus seeds from the Charleston Food Forest.
EDIT 10/23/25 -- I planted 10 'Colour Magic' tulips around the barrel garden, and still have 10 left. These flowers change colors as they mature, often starting white or yellow with color at the edges which then spreads.
EDIT 10/23/25 -- I planted the rest of the 'Color Magic' tulips in the tulip bed.
EDIT 10/23/25 -- We went out for lunch. I picked up a bag of 12 assorted Dutch irises and a bag of 12 mixed crocuses at Rural King, plus 4 bags of compost and manure to top the flowerbeds. Then I got a bag of 15 purple and pink tulips, and a bag of 5 purple-and-white striped crocuses at Home Depot.
EDIT 10/23/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
EDIT 10/23/25 -- I did more work around the patio.
I am done for the night.
Today's Smoothie
Oct. 22nd, 2025 10:45 pmysabetwordsmithNote to self: do not put red grapes in a green smoothie. Red + green = brown. :/ It still tastes good, but it is not the beautiful jade-green that we usually get.
We use the Alan's Going Green Smoothie. We don't use the jalapeño or cashews. Sometimes we use a kiwi instead of a lime. Today we used a handful of pea shoots instead of spinach, so there's a pea flavor alongside the lime.
We use the Alan's Going Green Smoothie. We don't use the jalapeño or cashews. Sometimes we use a kiwi instead of a lime. Today we used a handful of pea shoots instead of spinach, so there's a pea flavor alongside the lime.
Lake Lewisia #1320
Oct. 22nd, 2025 05:26 pmscrubjayspeaksWhen an unfortunate incident with a wind storm and a food truck took out one of the oldest sacred trees in the area, the magical network in which it was an anchor faded and surged as the rest of the anchors tried to take up the sudden slack. Around town, people watched crystal balls dim then turn beacon-bright and cauldrons chill before boiling over. While occult arborists would spend the week removing the felled tree and planting a sapling replacement, repair experts would be stuck recalibrating magical tools and replacing blown crystals.
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LL#1320
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LL#1320
Photography
Oct. 22nd, 2025 05:53 pmysabetwordsmithCórdoba -- Festival of the Patios
In addition to being listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Córdoba also appears on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list for its Festival of the Patios. Held each spring, the festival celebrates the tradition of decorating the patios or courtyards of the homes in the historic center of the city with flowers and other plants. During the Festival, these patios are open to the public, to show off the beauty of these spaces.
The pictures come from later in the season, not the festival itself, but are still beautiful.
Are you looking for a theme to make your small town stand out? Or a theme for a spring event that isn't Easter? Consider a patio festival! Celebrate the beauty of small gardens on patios, balconies, front porches, etc. Get your local florists and garden shops to join the fun with special displays or sales. Throw in a plant / seed swap for houseplants, garden plants that are customarily divided or planted in spring, local landraces of flowers or vegetables, and so on.
In addition to being listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Córdoba also appears on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list for its Festival of the Patios. Held each spring, the festival celebrates the tradition of decorating the patios or courtyards of the homes in the historic center of the city with flowers and other plants. During the Festival, these patios are open to the public, to show off the beauty of these spaces.
The pictures come from later in the season, not the festival itself, but are still beautiful.
Are you looking for a theme to make your small town stand out? Or a theme for a spring event that isn't Easter? Consider a patio festival! Celebrate the beauty of small gardens on patios, balconies, front porches, etc. Get your local florists and garden shops to join the fun with special displays or sales. Throw in a plant / seed swap for houseplants, garden plants that are customarily divided or planted in spring, local landraces of flowers or vegetables, and so on.