Daily Check-in
Sep. 22nd, 2025 06:02 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
starwatcher 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 Monday, June September 22, to midnight on Tuesday, September 23. (8pm Eastern Time).
How are you doing?
I am OK.
1 (100.0%)
I am not OK, but don't need help right now.
0 (0.0%)
I could use some help.
0 (0.0%)
How many other humans live with you?
I am living single.
1 (100.0%)
One other person.
0 (0.0%)
More than one other person.
0 (0.0%)
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.
Weekend reading
Sep. 22nd, 2025 07:05 pmtroisoiseauxosprey_archer's post, which I am copying here for posterity:The actual book was entertainingly what it was - having now read two (2) Dick Francis books, I am amused by his apparent quirk of going on super-detailed digressions about, like, corporate takeover law and how boilers work that you just kind of have to ride out until he gets back to the story - but I was, as the kids say, hooting and hollering throughout the fic. So many good lines, but the one that really got me was: where we derailed the bad-guy-capture scene to weigh me on the jockey scales, because we were all united in fucking curiosity at that point.
Anyway! Whip Hand certainly continued to put this man into situations.
I'm now reading Grief Is For People by Sloane Crosley, which kind of inexplicably strikes me as a minor-chord version of Hope Jahren's Lab Girl, in the sense that both are memoirs in which the author's close platonic relationship with a male colleague turned friend plays a major role; in Crosley's case, it's about grieving a friend who died by suicide, so... not actually much like Lab Girl at all, but there's some similar, I don't know, shape...? (Echo? Vibe?)
[sims 2] Darling ISBI Legacy 1
Sep. 22nd, 2025 04:00 pmnathanialroyale
I had sometime to play and wanted to try an ISBI!
Where I can only control the founder then the heirs once they are adults.
[ SECRET POST #6835 ]
Sep. 22nd, 2025 06:33 pmcase posting in fandomsecrets⌈ Secret Post #6835 ⌋
Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.
01.
( More! )
Notes:
Secrets Left to Post: 02 pages, 38 secrets from Secret Submission Post #976.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.
Pick of the Week: Mi Casa Es Tsukasa
Sep. 22nd, 2025 09:35 pm![[syndicated profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/feed.png){kind=small}
mangabookshelf_feed
MICHELLE: I struggle to decide between the two Tsukasa Hojo debuts, but a trio of sisters in unitards (with scarves for unnecessary belts) is really serving up ’80s nostalgia for me, so Cat’s Eye it is!
SEAN: I am very familiar with the City Hunter manga, as I got the original Japanese volumes years ago so I could look at the art and wonder what they were saying. As such, I too will pick Cat’s Eye, which I am far less familiar with. Sexy girls, I hear!
ANNA: I can’t decide! I’m picking both Cat’s Eye AND City Hunter.
KATE: I might just have to come out of semi-retirement; it’s rare that we get TWO eighties classics in a single week! I second Anna’s picks.
ASH: Who am I to go against the trend? I am absolutely here for City Hunter and will definitely be reading Cat’s Eye, too. It’s an exciting week!
Fanvid: Where We Are
Sep. 22nd, 2025 05:25 pmgarridebSong: Where We Are by The Lumineers
Warnings: some fast cuts
Summary: Starsky sometimes finds himself in strange situations and places, but he knows he and Hutch will alright in the end.
Notes: This premiered as SHareCon 2025
Other streaming options on AO3 here. Also posted to tumblr.
Shopping List (Transformers [G1], Starscream & Megatron)
Sep. 22nd, 2025 05:10 pmsenmut posting in no_true_pairFandom: Transformers [G1]
Pairing/Characters: Starscream & Megatron
Content Notes: Decepticon humor
Prompt: September Twenty-two - 2 & 8 - grocery list
"Energon. Cabling. Chassis wiring."
"Dermaplates. Epoxy. Resin."
In unison, the pair said the next item on the list. "Optimus Prime's head on a plate."
The roar of laughter between them was frightening to the other Decepticons in the bay, but Megatron in high spirits, with Starscream in accord with him was plenty of reason to be terrified.
"This plan of yours, my traitor, just may net us that item finally," Megatron said, flicking over the rest of the pieces they had already acquired.
"Of course it will, my Lord, for it makes best advantage of their weakness."
"Indeed it does."
(no subject)
Sep. 22nd, 2025 05:52 pmstonepicnicking_okapiEight of History's most Spectacular Prison Escapes
Sep. 22nd, 2025 01:48 pmneatorama_feed
We see audacious prison escapes in movies and think, that can't happen in real life. Strangely, it happens, and sometimes in ways too unbelievable for the movies. Successful prison breaks often require collaboration with outside accomplices. Or with those who are supposed to keep you inside, or at least their carelessness or incompetence. It can also require long term planning, patience, and luck.
However, breaking out of prison doesn't mean you are exactly free. Most prison escapees are apprehended sooner or later while on the run, which leads to the subgroup of prisoners who managed to escape over and over. You have to wonder how someone with an escape on their record isn't under better security, but the most talented escapees have several in their history. Honest Jack Sheppard (illustrated above) flew the coop four times! John Dillinger managed multiple prison breaks because he had a network of people willing to help him. And even Ted Bundy pulled off two of them. Read about eight of the most spectacular prison breaks at Mental Floss.
(Image credit: J. Sketch)
I am so incredibly excited to share Miguel’s thoughtful and delightful approach to translating
Sep. 22nd, 2025 03:14 pmallthingslinguistic_feedBonus 103: ¡Pos ya está! Translating Because Internet into Spanish with Miguel Sánchez Ibáñez
Because Internet, our cohost’s book about internet language, now exists in four additional languages: Japanese, Korean, Chinese, and Spanish. But these translations are also very much acts of creation, of figuring out which things to translate literally, which to leave in English as it’s used globally, and which to translate figuratively so that the spirit of the original comes across more clearly – all questions that are especially acute when it comes to translating a book that is itself about language.
In this bonus episode, Gretchen gets enthusiastic about the joys and challenges of translating internet slang with Miguel Sánchez Ibáñez, linguist and translator of Because Internet into Spanish. We talk about why Because Internet was the toughest and also most entertaining book he’s ever translated (for some of the same reasons), from coming up with localized Spanish versions of vintage internet memes to making the silly names of pretend people in the example sentences just as silly in Spanish. We also talk about leaving breadcrumbs for future translators in the original text and the special challenge of translocalizing the title: Arroba Lengua isn’t a literal translation of Because Internet, but it fits similarly into Spanish internet slang.
Here are the links mentioned in the episode:
- Miguel Sánchez Ibáñez
- Miguel Sánchez Ibáñez on Bluesky
- Miguel’s own pop linguistics book in Spanish, ’La (neo)lógica de las lenguas’
- You can get Arroba Lengua, the Spanish translation of Because Internet at Piodepagina, Casadellibro, and other places Spanish-language books are sold (note that the ebook edition may be more readily available if you’re outside Europe)
- You can also get English, simplified Chinese, Japanese, and Korean copies of Because Internet here
- Lingthusiasm episode ‘How translators approach a text’
I am so incredibly excited to share Miguel’s thoughtful and delightful approach to translating Because Internet! If you read this or any of the translations, I would be interested in your thoughts about how the translators approach the text.
Snoop Lake: Snoop Dogg Does the Swan Lake Ballet
Sep. 22nd, 2025 11:50 amneatorama_feed
Try as you might, it would be extremely difficult to find more disparate music genres than Snoop Dogg's West Coast rap style and a classic Russian ballet. But in the hands of Dustin Ballard, also known as There I Ruined It (previously at Neatorama), the two have finally come together. And we only post those songs that aren't ruined, but are instead actually improved.
You didn't know this tune had lyrics, did you? Snoop Dogg is all about lyrics, and these are definitely NSFW. Snoop not only sings along with Tchaikovsky's "Dance of the Cygnets" from the ballet Swan Lake, he also dances as the prima ballerina. That requires a lot of athletic ability for a 53-year-old. But Snoop has surprised us before. So has Ballard. The comments are all wondering when we are going to see a reaction video from Dogg himself, possibly racking his brain trying to remember when he danced the ballet.
Films! Some Films!
Sep. 22nd, 2025 09:24 pmnetgirl_y2kA Working Man - I have had a soft spot for Statham ever since Spy. This was fine, but the peak dumb Statham action flick is still the The Beekeeper.
Shazam! Fury of the Gods - A kid says a magic world and turns into an adult man with superpowers was a cute premise for a movie; a grown man says a magic world and turns into a different, worse adult man less so.
Thunderbolts - Er...why did this look like it was filmed in a cupboard?
Becky/Wrath of Becky - Killin' nazis in the woods!
Sisu - Killin' nazis in the snow!
Red Sonja - Was this film good? Good grief, no. Was the film excellent? Hell yeah!
Heathers the Musical - Candy Store is a bop. Do the kids still say bop?
What should I watch next? Killin' nazis optional but obviously preferred.
FIC: Historian's room (Tempestuous Tours)
Sep. 22nd, 2025 04:31 pmduskpetersonMost of the official documents of the Koretian government are locked away or in active use, but the outer chamber of the historian's room boasts a magnificent chart of the bloodlines of the previous rulers of Koretia. You will see that there are two main bloodlines; both were cut off by wartime casualties, although the last surviving direct descendant of the second line died surprisingly recently. See the section of this book on Valouse for more details.
The Jackal's previous bloodline is unknown, but the Koretian ruler has established a new bloodline by selecting a young kinsman as his heir. The kinsmanship is dually established through a wardship and through a blood-brotherhood of an earlier generation.
[Translator's note: With his usual reticence, the Ambassador fails to cite plainly his own connection to Koretia's royal line. That connection is mentioned often in Empty Dagger Hand.]
Monday Update 9-22-25
Sep. 22nd, 2025 02:44 pmysabetwordsmithEducation
Nature
Birdfeeding
Cyberspace Theory
Creative Jam
Neurodiversity
Books
Birdfeeding
Philosophical Questions: Society
Books
Today's Adventures
Birdfeeding
Follow Friday 9-19-25: J-pop
Corncob Broth
Recipe: "Three Sisters Succotash"
Today's Cooking
Artificial Intelligence
Birdfeeding
Hobbies: Embroidery
Hopescrolling
Genocide
Space Exploration
Today's Adventures
Birdfeeding
Good News
Let's Boycott Mississippi has 60 comments. Affordable Housing has 49 comments. Robotics has 69 comments.
"An Inkling of Things to Come" belongs to Polychrome: Shiv and needs $200 to be complete. Shiv attends the first session of his Worldbuilding class.
The weather has cooled off somewhat. We got a little rain last night and drizzled today. Seen at the birdfeeders this week: a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches and a fox squirrel. Lots of butterflies are out, and honeybees are draining the small metal birdbath. Currently blooming: dandelions, marigolds, petunias, red salvia, verbena, lantana, sweet alyssum, zinnias, snapdragons, blue lobelia, perennial pinks, oxalis, moss rose, firecracker plant, tomatoes, tomatillos, yellow squash, zucchini, morning glory, purple echinacea, chicory, Queen Anne's lace, sunflowers, cup plant, firewheel, cypress vine, sunchokes, sedum. Tomatoes, ball carrots, cucumbers, and groundcherries are ripe. Fields are about a quarter harvested.
Supply and Demand (Stargate Atlantis, Stargate SG-1; Jack O'Neill, Rodney McKay)
Sep. 22nd, 2025 04:09 pmgoddess47 posting in no_true_pairFandom: Stargate Atlantis, Stargate SG-1
Pairing/Characters: Jack O'Neill, Rodney McKay
Word Count: 166
Content Notes: none
Prompt:
no_true_pair September 22 - Rodney McKay & Jack O'Neill - grocery listLink to fic: Supply and Demand (on AO3)
Blackfish City
Sep. 22nd, 2025 08:44 pmalobearIt's about oppression, societal inequality, climate change - and also about the importance of family and community. It's got a lot of heart, but it's also very grim and violent. It took me a while to get into it, but once the disparate narrative strands came together, I got a lot more invested - though I wasn't wholly happy with some of what happened right at the end.
Overall, it's got a lot of interesting things to say, some very well-drawn characters and a compelling throughline. But it's not very jolly.
Chop Wood, Carry Water 9/22
Sep. 22nd, 2025 07:10 pmchopwood_carrywater_feed
Hi, all, and happy Monday!
Hope you had a great weekend.
If you did, you likely didn’t watch the Charlie Kirk memorial. Everyone I know who did is much the worse for it. Me, I spent time with family and friends—a much better choice! I also saw Singing in the Rain for the first time ever, and on a big screen! It was a total delight.
This is your friendly reminder that watching fascists act like fascists is disturbing, upsetting, and debilitating to our mental health. I try not to do it unless I absolutely have to. We are under no obligation to subject ourselves to right wing, Christian nationalist propaganda; I truly encourage you not to. If your response is, “but I have to be informed!” trust me—you can be fully informed by reading about these events afterwards.
Or just accept these evergreen cliff notes: the fascists acted like fascists again.
There! You’re caught up!
Now it’s time to shake off the persistent stink of Trumpian grift and get busy. It’s up to us, after all, to reshape this country into something that works for all of us. It’s a long, hard slog, but it’s got to be done, and nothing is impossible provided that we stay united, stay active, and stay in the game.
OK, folks. If you want to talk about the wild corruption we saw more evidence of this weekend and then get a big old pep talk from me, come join me on my Live at 4PM PT /7PM ET tonight! I’m also on with at 2PM PT /5PM ET, so if you hop on your app at either of those times you’ll see an invite pop up.
Let’s get to work!
Call Your Senators (find yours here) 📲
Hi, I'm a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is ______.
First, I understand that Senators Baldwin and Murkowski have introduced a bipartisan bill to re-establish the national emergency suicide prevention services for LGBTQ+ youth. It’s called the 988 LGBTQ+ Youth Access Act. I expect the Senator to co-sponsor it.
Second, I’m outraged that Trump is using the Justice Department to go after his political enemies, while simultaneously forcing it to shut down investigations into crimes committed by his allies. The Trump Administration is engaging in unprecedented corruption while simultaneously throwing working Americans under the bus. It’s disgusting and it needs to stop. I want the Senator to call for hearings into the DOJ’s handling of Tom Homan’s bribery case, demand an end to the DOJ’s baseless investigations into Trump’s enemies, and get to work on legislation to help Americans. Thanks.
Call Your House Rep (find yours here) 📲
Hi, I'm a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is _______.
First, I’m outraged that Trump is using the Justice Department to go after his political enemies, while simultaneously forcing it to shut down investigations into crimes committed by his allies. The Trump Administration is engaging in unprecedented corruption while simultaneously throwing working Americans under the bus. It’s disgusting and it needs to stop. I want the Senator to call for hearings into the DOJ’s shutting down of Tom Homan’s bribery case, demand an end to the baseless investigations into Trump’s enemies, and get to work on legislation to help Americans. Thanks.
Second, I only support a budget deal that includes a PERMANENT extension of the ACA premium tax credits, a reversal of all cuts to Medicaid, and strong guardrails to prevent Trump from cutting funding that Congress has allocated. Without those provisions, vote no. Thanks.
Extra Credit—Let’s Keep Hammering Disney!
First, there’s a great new website BOYCOTTDISNEYABC.COM. It has a toolkit with lots of ways to push back—it WILL BE UPDATED WITH WEEKLY ACTIONS!
Second, my friend Tracy Cook has an action for you:
She wrote:
Go to NexStar affiliate page and click on the closest affiliate to you.
Go to Sinclair Wikipedia page and find the closest affiliate to you.
Once you have that info go to those affiliates’ websites. See who has bought ads on the website and/or their programs.
I went to KTLA, my local Nexstar affiliate, and I saw ads for T-Mobile. I then searched for the CEO of T-Mobile. I found the corporate address and email. I wrote them a snail mail and email.
My letter was simple:
Free speech is important to me.
On September 17, Disney suspended ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ because of a mild comment in his monologue that the Trump Administration appointee to the FCC, Brendan Carr, perceived as a malicious. It was not. In response, Nextstar pressured Disney to pull Kimmel. They capitulated. Sinclair Media also pressured Disney. I sad when I unplugged from Disney+ yesterday. But I cannot sit by and let Free Speech crumble. This act by Carr and the affiliates is a violation of the 1st amendment.
I went to KTLA’s website (Nexstar affiliate) and saw that T-Mobile was their chief advertiser.
I am asking T-Mobile to remove your ads from all Nexstar affiliates. I am also asking you to remove any ads that you have with Sinclair affiliates. I am also asking you to remove any ads that you have with Disney.
Do the right thing for America and pull your ads. You have the power, the money, and the position to be brave. It is heroes whom history remembers. It is collaborators it condemns. Thanks.
Let’s do the work today and go after those advertisers, y’all!
Extra EXTRA Credit ✅
The Restoring Food Security for American Families and Farmers Act of 2025 — soon to be introduced — would repeal the damaging budget reconciliation cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
Use the FRAC Action Network to send a ready-to-go email to your Members of Congress urging them to reject any Farm Bill that does not address the recent, devastating SNAP cuts and to actively pursue every legislative avenue to restore SNAP.
Get Smart! 📚
HCR alert!!!
Join Red, Wine, and Blue to hear from historian and author Heather Cox Richardson as we explore how each of us can play a vital role in fighting back against Project 2025, starting with where we live. From the Supreme Court in Wisconsin to the State Senate in Iowa, women are standing up to authoritarians and winning big. Learn how you can bring these wins to your own community, one conversation and one local race at a time.
Wednesday, September 24, 7:30 PM - 8:30 PM ET
Messaging! Messaging! Messaging! 📣
This is a GREAT ad from the Save America Movement. Please share!
Win Races! 🗳
Calling All Postcard Writers. Virginia Needs YOU!
Join Postcards4VA, Markers For Democracy and a veritable who’s who of grassroots groups on Tuesday, Sept. 30, from 7-8:30pm ET, for the final National Postcard Party for Virginia. These parties feature a slate of candidates you get to meet up close and unfiltered while you write postcards. This final party in this series is dedicated to school board and supervisor candidates.
For the list of candidates and to get addresses, go here.
RSVP here: Zoom Registration Link
Give Money!
Republicans are redrawing the maps to lock in power before 2026. We need to push back now. Join Focus For Democracy on Tuesday, September 30th, at 5 PM Pacific/8 PM Eastern
Hear the latest analysis of the 2026 races and the challenges ahead
See how smart investments right now can flip the House
F4D puts together data-backed recommendations for where your political donor dollars can go the farthest. Their presentations are always fascinating and really helpful.
Resistbot Letter (new to Resistbot? Go here! And then here.) 💻
[To: all 3 reps] [H/T ] [Text SIGN PBUSHO to 50409, or to @Resistbot on Apple Messages, Messenger, Instagram, or Telegram]
(Note that for the most effective RESISTBOT it’s best to personalize this text. More about how to do this here. But if you’re short on time just send it as is using the above code.)
I urge you to call immediate hearings on the Department of Justice’s decision to close the bribery investigation into Trump’s “border czar” Tom Homan.
Undercover FBI agents in September 2024 allegedly handed Homan a grocery bag containing $50,000 in cash. In return, Homan promised to steer lucrative border security contracts their way if Trump returned to power. Despite this evidence, the Trump DOJ has now shut down the investigation.
The explanation given by FBI Director Kash Patel and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche — that there was “no credible evidence of wrongdoing” and that the DOJ must focus on “real threats” — is both insulting and alarming. Accepting a grocery bag stuffed with cash in exchange for promises of federal contracts is exactly the kind of corruption Congress is duty-bound to investigate.
As many Americans are now asking, “Who among us hasn’t accepted the occasional grocery bag containing $50,000 cash in exchange for promises of federal contracts?” The absurdity of that question highlights just how outrageous it is to call this case “baseless.” If ordinary citizens would face prosecution for far less, why should a senior Trump official be given a pass?
Congress must insist on public hearings with subpoena power, testimony from DOJ and FBI officials, and release of all investigative materials. The integrity of our justice system depends on showing that no one — not even Trump’s inner circle — is above the law.
OK, you did it again! You’re helping to save democracy! You’re amazing.
Talk soon.
Jess
Deadpool Red Velvet Brownies
Sep. 22nd, 2025 10:44 amneatorama_feed
Chris-Rachael Oseland is a professional chef in Columbus, Ohio. She has a long-established track record as a geek who prepares artistically perfect foods inspired by her pop culture interests, leading to the publication of several cookbooks with dishes inspired by True Blood, Doctor Who, and The Settlers of Catan.
When the first Deadpool film came out, she made these startling brownies that look like Wade Wilson's mask. The recipe is detailed, measured, precise, and orderly--quite unlike the antihero that inspires them. Oseland made the eyes from Oreo cookies and then sliced them midway to produce the sharp impact of Deadpool's vision.