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Weird dream channel - K-pop, dentisty, and strange conventions

Last night I dreamed that I was hanging out with Blackpink Jennie — I'm not sure if we were dating or just friends, but we knew each other very well and either option could have been a possibility. Anyway, we were at a convention that was like a combination craft fair/science fair for geology and/or conspiracy theories.[^1] While we were there, we ran into our dentist[^2] and our dentist's new business partner. Jennie and I both agreed that the new business partner was kind of strange — he was obsessed with the idea of some sort of link between diagonally opposing teeth[^4] — but we couldn't say anything about it because we didn't want to offend our dentist. Jennie and I were still trying to come up with a socially acceptable way to ditch our dentist and his partner when I woke up.

[^1] To give a better idea of what it was like, it was kind of like a dealers' room at a con: A huge room filled with tables, each table with a person behind it. Some of the people wanted to sell you something, some just wanted to tell you about their findings/theories. Some seemed to be related to geology, some to conspiracy theories, and some to both.

[^2] Not my IRL dentist, and probably not Jennie's IRL dentist either.[^3]

[^3] I don't know who Jennie's dentist is, but I'd be very, very surprised if her dentist isn't Korean, and this dentist was an elderly white man.

[^4] For example, that a problem with the left upper first molar would also cause problems in the right lower first molar.

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Corroborative V&V for Autonomous Systems

I have a publication in the Agents and Robots for Reliable Engineered Autonomy (AREA) workshop. Corroborative V&V for Autonomous Systems: Integrating Evidence and Discrepancy Analysis for Safety Assurance. It should be open access, but does not appear to be. It's not a super-exciting paper. It takes the observation that, if you are doing assurance of robotic systems you will take a variety of approaches; abstract models, simulated tests, hardware tests... and then have to reconcile the results of these approaches. The paper describes the first stab at a tool for this, but it is a very early prototype.

Current Mood: busy

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Cyberspace Theory

Plausible: Privacy focused Google Analytics alternative

Even though the purpose of Plausible Analytics is to track the usage of a website, this can still be done without collecting any personal data or personally identifiable information (PII), without using cookies and while respecting the privacy of your website visitors.

By using Plausible Analytics, all the site measurement is carried out absolutely anonymously. Cookies are not set and no personal data is collected. All data is in aggregate only. The website owner gets some actionable data to help them learn and improve, while the visitor keeps having a nice and enjoyable experience.

I stumbled across this today. Here is the kind of thing that websites could be doing instead of violating people's boundaries, using their property without permission, and teaching dangerously wrong interpretations of "consent." If you have your own website where you control the software, you might look into it.

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Yellow + Textured + Text

Made in Heaven

https://i.imgur.com/4REmY2k.png

(no subject)

His father asks, "What should we give her?"

This child says, "The moon."

And they do.

They blow up a gray balloon and draw on its craters and tell me this story. And they give me the moon.

Current Mood: busy

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Vocabulary: Apastron

From

prettygoodword:

apastron (uh-PAS-truhn, uh-PAS-tron) - n., the point of greatest separation between a celestial object and the star it orbits.

Many dictionaries specify that the celestial object is another star in a binary system, but the more general definition is correct. Contrast with periastron, the point of closest approach. Coined on the model of aphelion from Ancient Greek roots ap(o)-, away/apart (the form of ad- before vowels & h) + ắstron, star (ultimately from PIE root *h₂stḗr, burn/glow).

This sounds useful for my nerd friends. :D

Current Mood: amused

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Ask a Manager: our board member got scammed

( Read more... )

Current Mood: annoyed

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I took a step back and feel like I'm failing

( Read more... )

Current Mood: curious

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Ask a Manager: I Can't Shake My Crush On a Former Coworker

AAM was exciting recently!

( Read more... )

Current Mood: depressed

adventures in US health insurance

( You're about to view content that the journal owner has marked as possibly inappropriate for anyone under the age of 18. )

Current Mood: tired
Current Location: my desk

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FAKE Double Drabble: Can't Win For Losing

Title: Can't Win For Losing
Fandom: FAKE
Author:

badly_knitted
Characters: Ryo, Dee.
Rating: PG
Setting: After Like Like Love.
Summary: As usual, Dee’s poker night didn’t go his way.
Written Using: The dw100 prompt ‘Who’.
Disclaimer: I don’t own FAKE, or the characters. They belong to the wonderful Sanami Matoh.
A/N: Double drabble.

( Can't Win For Losing... )

Current Mood: tired
Current Location: my desk

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Doctor Who Drabble: Intrigued

Title: Intrigued
Author:

badly_knitted
Characters: Fifteenth Doctor, Rogue.
Rating: PG
Written For: Challenge 974: ‘Forlorn’ at

dw100.
Spoilers: Rogue.
Summary: The Doctor finds Rogue intriguing.
Disclaimer: I don’t own Doctor Who, or the characters.

( Intrigued... )

Current Mood: tired
Current Location: my desk

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Double Drabble: No Good Deed...

Title: No Good Deed...
Author:

badly_knitted
Characters: Ianto, Jack, Owen.
Rating: PG
Written For: Challenge 891: Feather at

torchwood100.
Spoilers: Nada.
Summary: Ianto is injured, and Jack is overreacting.
Disclaimer: I don’t own Torchwood, or the characters.
A/N: Double drabble.

( No Good Deed... )

(no subject)

There were two new people at class yesterday, so due to my status as an oldie, I was separated from my usual partner/friend and paired with the lady newbie. Still can't believe Rosie trusts me to explain how to do stuff. Especially as I remain so bad at some things, like forward lunges.

We did go to the cinema on Saturday, going to see The Choral at the Odeon Metrocentre. Going in we had a quick natter to one of the workers we know there, and he said it was a twee film, and he was right, but I still enjoyed it. I also enjoyed checking out all the Christmas decorations in the malls. We missed them all last year due to James not being able to drive after breaking his arm, so it was good to take in all the sparkles.

Then, arriving home, we watched our neighbour decorating her windows with Christmas scenes for a bit. She was using what looked like a white window crayon/paint, and the results were so pretty. So much better than that spray on snow we used to use to make our own snow scenes back in the day.

Sunday we'd planned a walk, but the day got away from us. We posted two parcels of wooden art that James had sold, went grocery shopping, and dropped something off to my brother. Who wasn't actually in, but I did get a nice chat with my niece. We also checked out the near to us Aldi that had just opened last week. What I especially liked was they must have over stocked, as lots of the fruit and veg was at a 75% off discount. Which is why we had a very veg heavy casserole for tea last night.

James also found out one of his booked craft fairs has been cancelled which is a disappointment, as it's the one in our town and closest to Christmas, which would have been perfect for last minute buyers. He's put the feelers out to see if tables are going elsewhere, but as of now we've only got two fairs left this month and then nothing in December.

Today I'm on special sand litter tray watch as I need another pee sample from Murphy, but he's not providing the goods yet. He appears back to his old self, and when I can finally send a sample in, I'm hoping they test it, and he can be cleared for coming off his meds. But, as it's after four now and the vet shuts at 6, I have the feeling the test is going to be a no-go today, especially as Kayleigh was going to be on dropping off duties as James is at work until 6.

Everyday Aliens by Polenth Blake

Everyday Aliens by Polenth Blake was absolutely brilliant! It's a collection of sci-fi short stories, sometimes interconnected, about aliens that are completely different from humans.

These stories are very experimental, told from the aliens' strange POVs. Sometimes, they're easy to understand. Other times, they're not, so you just go with the flow, like you're reading poetry. This made me think of Bogi Takács's writing (I actually heard of this book on Bogi's Bluesky).

At the end of the book, you will find a list of everyday Earthlings, like dandelions and tardigrades, that inspired the author.

There are many non-binary characters, often with neo-pronouns.

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gin palace

To-Do List

( nothing to see here )

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Five Ways to Build a Story Around an Unlikeable Protagonist

Thoughts on hateable, problematic, and morally bankrupt characters.

Five Ways to Build a Story Around an Unlikeable Protagonist

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Book blurb challenge

When you see this, use one or more of the following prompts to come up a story idea and write it up like a book blurb.

- now I'm fighting for the hope of second chances
- all I see when I look at my reflection
- I see your silhouette burning in time

You can use the prompts with the exact wording, or in a way where it's clear you've drawn inspiration from them.

(Prompts from Reflections by Melrose Avenue.)

If you like the idea you've come up with, consider writing it as one of your next projects. :)

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Look out for another week-long challenge in early December - very likely another 700 to 7k to help with any last writing goals you have for the year. :)

And a reminder, Worderlands has a discord now. Join us.

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history,
poetry

In which there was an Armistice

Armistice, by Paul Dehn*

It is finished. The enormous dust-cloud over Europe
Lifts like a million swallows; and a light,
Drifting in craters, touches the quiet dead.

Now, at the bugle’s hour, before the blood
Cakes in a clean wind on their marble faces,
Making them monuments; before the sun,

Hung like a medal on the smoky noon,
Whitens the bone that feeds the earth; before
Wheat-ear springs green again, in the green spring

And they are bread in the bodies of the young:
Be strong to remember how the bread died, screaming;
Gangrene was corn, and monuments went mad.

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* Yes, the same Paul Dehn as Mrs Ravoon - he had quite the range.

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"it's only a mountain, it ain't hard if you don't stop" (dierks bentley)

Today's cute bilingualisms:

Planters still on the porch: 7 3 (planters moved from porch to patio... 3)
Vacuuming to do: ~~all of it~~