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Chat corner 199: Relationships

Hi!

This week, our topic is "relationships". Familial, platonic, romantic, sexual, or maybe something unknowable in-between? Do you have a specific relationship you keep coming back to? A specific type of relationship that you love to read or write - or perhaps one that you never see in SW and would love to?

Or, here, lets have a few silly AU prompts!

Who is whose long-lost sibling?
Who ends up being neighbors with whom?
Who is whose not-so-amicably-divorced ex?
Who is whose secret booty call?
Who discovers they're members of the same polycule - and through whom?

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DRACO100 - PROMPT 193

Hi Friends,

Welcome back to

draco100. We are so happy to see you here. Here's our next prompt!

PROMPT 193 is…
Train
Happy Drabbling.

Don't forget that you can post you drabbles on the AO3 collection.

Current Music: Residente: This is not America

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Si quiere' mi machete te muerde

I went to a show the sea spirit (spouse of the tall one, mother of my little grandson) was in (show was a queer BIPOC group--the sea spirit's piece was about being nonbinary but claiming the title of mother), and before the show, there was music playing, and one piece had this really powerful chorus:

Aquí estamo', siempre estamo'
No nos fuimo', no nos vamo'
Aquí estamo' pa' que te recuerde
Si quiere' mi machete te muerde

(We're here, we're always here
We haven't left, we're not leaving
We're here to remind you:
If you want my machete it'll bite you)

I looked it up when I got home. It's by the Puerto Rican artist Residente and is called "This Is Not America" (at one point in direct conversation with Childish Gambino's "This Is America," with the line "Yes, Gambino my brother, this IS America" and the same point-blank head shot as in his video).

It was pretty overwhelming. Big fat content warning on the video--but also, if you're feeling strong, it's just. Wow, very powerful with its images, and I don't mean the violent ones. ~~A politician~~ Jair Bolsonaro [I didn't know it was him! I see very little visual news] eats a meal and wipes his mouth on the Brazilian flag. Indigenous children in traditional garb reject Amazon-McDonalds-Starbucks.

But the ones that spoke to me the most were a set relating to immigration, detention, deportation ... and families, and love, and physical closeness.

Detainees on one side of a wire fence, including a father with a crying baby in a sling:

many people, including a crying baby, are on one side of a wire fence

many people, including a crying baby, are on one side of a wire fence

The mother, on the other side, approaches and nurses the baby. Through the wire fence.
through a wire fence a woman nurses a baby held by man

The couple lock hands...
two hands hold on to each other through a wire fence

They touch foreheads....
a man and woman lean touch foreheads through a wire fence

The baby holds the mother's breast, looks up, nurses...
a baby nurses through a wire fence

Through a wire fence. As Residente says, Esto sí es America.

(no subject)

She can't believe there's a product labeled "wild Chilean baby pears." How superlatively exotic. She can't believe how tender and naked and raw the little pear bodies seem. She can't believe there are so many jars - rows and rows of jars, their storage the same as their display. How museum-like it seems: each jar a group of individuals dated and labeled as one type, then preserved in fluid.

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clarke award

Clarke Award Finalists 2011

2011: The VAT is improved by altering it from the hard to remember 17.5% to the more memorable 20%, the government continues efforts to replace the Incapacity Benefit with an alternate program in which applicants have cinderblocks dropped on them from a height and there is absolutely no news involving PM Cameron and a pig.

Poll #33534 Clarke Award Finalists 2011

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 33

View Respondents

Which 2011 Clarke Award Finalists Have You Read?

View Answers

Zoo City by Lauren Beukes
17 (51.5%)

Declare by Tim Powers
20 (60.6%)

Generosity: An Enhancement by Richard Powers
0 (0.0%)

Lightborn by Tricia Sullivan
4 (12.1%)

Monsters of Men by Patrick Ness
3 (9.1%)

The Dervish House by Ian McDonald
10 (30.3%)

Bold for have read, italic for intend to read, underline for never heard of it.

Which 2011 Clarke Award Finalists Have You Read?
Zoo City by Lauren Beukes
Declare by Tim Powers
Generosity: An Enhancement by Richard Powers
Lightborn by Tricia Sullivan
Monsters of Men by Patrick Ness
The Dervish House by Ian McDonald

Gaslamp Fantasy, Jodi Taylor, & More

Posted by Amanda

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/08/gaslamp-fantasy-jodi-taylor-more/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=150723

To Beguile a Beast

To Beguile a Beast by Elizabeth Hoyt is $1.99! This is book three in the Legend of the Four Soldiers series. There is definitely a Beauty and the Beast element here. Have you read this series?

CAN A WOUNDED BEAST . . .

Reclusive Sir Alistair Munroe has hidden in his castle ever since returning from the Colonies, scarred inside and out. But when a mysterious beauty arrives at his door, the passions he’s kept suppressed for years begin to awaken.

TRUST A BEAUTY WITH A PAST . . .

Running from past mistakes has taken legendary beauty Helen Fitzwilliam from the luxury of the ton to a crumbling Scottish castle . . . and a job as a housekeeper. Yet Helen is determined to start a new life and she won’t let dust-or a beast of a man-scare her away.

TO TAME HIS MOST SECRET DESIRES?

Beneath Helen’s beautiful façade, Alistair finds a courageous and sensual woman. A woman who doesn’t back away from his surliness-or his scars. But just as he begins to believe in true love, Helen’s secret past threatens to tear them apart. Now both Beast and Beauty must fight for the one thing neither believed they could ever find-a happy ever after.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

The Last Hour Between Worlds

PODCAST RECOMMENDED: The Last Hour Between Worlds by Melissa Caruso is $2.99! This was recommended on one of our end of the year podcast episodes, where we talk with readers about their favorite books of the year. In the podcast, this was described as a “gaslamp sapphic horror fantasy.”

A whip-smart adventure fantasy packed with rival guilds, reality-bending magic, and sapphic pining, The Last Hour Between Worlds is the brilliant launch of a new series from David Gemmell Award-nominated author, Melissa Caruso.

Kembral Thorne is spending a few hours away from her newborn, and she’s determined to enjoy herself at this party no matter what. But when the guests start dropping dead, Kem has no choice but to get to work. She is a Hound, after all, and she can’t help picking up the scent of trouble.

She’s not the only one. Her professional and personal nemesis, notorious burglar Rika Nonesuch, is on the prowl. They quickly identify what’s causing the a mysterious grandfather clock that sends them down an Echo every time it chimes. In each strange new layer of reality, time resets and a sinister figure appears to perform a blood-soaked ritual.

As Kem and Rika fall into increasingly macabre versions of their city, they’ll need to rely on their wits—and each other—to unravel the secret of the clock and save their home.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

A Groom of One’s Own

A Groom of One’s Own by Maya Rodale is 99c! This is also the first book in her Writing Girls series, and the other two books are also on sale. This historical romance does feature a heroine who pursues a man who is already engaged, which many readers didn’t like. However, many loved the dialogue, especially if you’re familiar with Rodale’s writing.

Miss Harlow’s marriage in high life

London, 1823

A handsome duke. His beautiful soon-to-be duchess. A whirlwind courtship. It is this author’s privilege to report on the event all of London is talking about: the upcoming wedding of the Duke of Hamilton and Brandon to the only daughter of the Duke of Richmond. Every detail of the “Wedding of the Year” will be reported in these pages as a London Weekly exclusive.

But I, Miss Sophie Harlow, must confess to a secret infatuation with this “double duke” that can only lead to trouble. It is impossible that this notoriously upstanding gentleman would ever jilt his bride for a scandalous female newspaper writer. And yet . . . the arrival of a foreign prince, the discovery of a shocking secret, and one passionate kiss could change everything. Will this perfect duke risk the scandal of the year to marry the woman his heart desires?

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

The Nothing Girl

The Nothing Girl by Jodi Taylor is 99c! This is book one in the Frogmorton Farm series and it’s giving me British chick lit with light magical elements vibes. Have any of you read this one?

Getting a life isn’t always easy. And hanging on to it is even harder . . .

Discover this funny, heart-warming tale of self-discovery from Jodi Taylor, author of the internationally bestselling Chronicles of St Mary’s series.

Nobody ever notices little Jenny Dove. Even her family call her the Nothing Girl. Isolated and alone, Jenny is about to end it all when she is rescued by Thomas, a giant golden horse only she can see.

Under his mischievous guidance, Jenny begins to think she might one day become someone. And when the charmingly chaotic Russell Checkland erupts into her life – together with his tumbledown farmhouse – and proposes a marriage that will save them both, Jenny is ready to take a chance.

Sadly, her new life at Frogmorton Farm doesn’t exactly sweep Jenny off her feet. There are leaking roofs, unpaid bills and so many buckets. And then, as a series of apparent ‘accidents’ unfolds, Jenny begins to worry this might not be a fairy-tale ending after all…

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/08/gaslamp-fantasy-jodi-taylor-more/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=150723

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Fannish 50 S3 Post 33: A ranking of BTS documentaries

This post is abt 8 of BTS' docus--including a quick overview of what each one is abt, my opinion on them, where they're available for streaming, a score (out of 5), and trailers for each.

Let me be nice cuz it's Monday and this post is pretty long...

Group documentaries

I'm placing the spotlight on the first and the latest of the already-released docus.

Burn the Stage (2018) consists of 8 episodes that cover the time period from debut (2013) up to the Wings Tour (2017). This is content I've returned to a few times. What makes it special is the level of rawness in what is shown; the members being so unguarded in a way that I doubt we will ever see again. Adding to that are the dramatic things that happen during the tour (including injuries, ppl losing their passports, etc.) . I find it super fascinating to see past!BTS and compare them to their current selves.

The first ep is available for free ninety-nine on YouTube. If you have a YT Premium account, you can watch the rest of eps too.

Le Trailer

Watch on YouTube

BTS Monuments: Beyond the Star dropped in 2023 as an 8-episode miniseries on Disney+. Although not presented in linear form, the series does cover a little bit from pre-debut era up to early 2023. It gets an extra kudos from me cuz they compressed the often-trod LYS Era and tour to a single episode (number 3.) HALLELU!

The reason for my \o/ is cuz this meant there was enough space for other things to be covered*. I also appreciated seeing the guys discuss things in a more frank manner. Finally, the last two eps have additional footage (including some of the members' homes). It ends riiiight around the first year of Chapter 2 as enlistment era begins.

THAT SAID, I'm not sure how well the series works for locals? Especially with the time jumps and certain things (that, again, have been covered in other content and docus) being mentioned rather than dove into. FWIW, the series feels geared more toward ARMYs more than anyone else. WOMAN SHRUG EMOJI.

In between these two docus I've mentioned, there are two other ones (Bring the Soul (2019) and Break the Silence (2020).) AFAIK, both are available as paid content on Weverse, as part of the Kocowa subscription, and in certain Netflix regions.

* Gotta mention that I know a lot of ARMYs love these docus a ton. OTOH, there are some cool/key scenes that make them worth checking out. Including things that have become important highlights in BTS' history (for both shippy and non-shippy reasons.) OTOH, however, both cover THE SAME TIME PERIOD. Bring the Soul focuses on the Love Yourself Tour (62 shows, 2018-2019) while Break the Silence dives into the Love Yourself: Speak Yourself tour extension (20 shows, May-October 2019.)

And so, to me, they feel repetitive. YMMV, etc.

Watch on YouTube

Here's a bonus!trailer for the Permission To Dance Los Angeles concert (available on D+).

Watch on YouTube

Docus that focus on Chapter 2 (solo) in ascending order

6. J-Hope IN THE BOX (2023) - Streaming on D+ and also available as paid content on Weverse. This is an hour and a half of Hobi working on Jack in the Box, his first solo album, including the albu's listening party. The second half or so of the film is abt him preparing to take the (eventual) headliner stage at 2022 Lollapalooza Chicago. It's a good intro to seeing the level of professionalism that fuels him as well as all of the moving parts (choreo, music, etc) involved in that v. important and historic performance.

Once he's in dancer mode, he's super focused to the point of making the viewer awe at him.

The reason why I ranked it last is cuz there are two behind-the-scenes Bangtan Bombs for the "Arson" and "More" MVs, an 11-min Bangtan Bomb for the listening party, another one for the album photoshoot, a 22-min Bangtan Episode abt the v. same thing PLUS an hour and 16 minute recording of his entire Lolla set. So, to me, all of this content is an abbreviated version of the docu. The movie does have a handful of additional scenes (especially when it comes to Hobi writing and recording the album, but not enough for me to feel more enthusiastic abt this specific docu. Locals and casuals might end up enjoying it a lot more. I'm giving it a 2.3 out of 5

Watch on YouTube

5. I'm Still (2024) - Streaming on D+. An hour and 30-min docu (split into three episodes) that covers the 8 or so months leading up to AND performances of JK's first solo album Golden. Although I liked seeing the focus on Jungkook, I felt quite meh abt it overall.

CONFESSION TIME: out of all of Chapter 2's solo releases, Jungkook's is the one that I found just okay. IDK! "Standing Next to You" is a good song, I liked "SEVEN", and yet...

He was v. clear as to what his goals were for his first solo album; kudos to him for achieving them! HOWEVAH, compared to other stuff he's released before it (like "Stay", "My Time", and "Begin"), I'm underwhelmed with his new music. Again, there are some good moments, but my neutral feels abt it have expanded to this docu as well. *Hands*.

THAT SAID, there ARE some good and OJO moments. And, it ends (just like the BTS Monuments docu) on a half-bittersweet, half-tender moment as SPOILER Jungkook shaves his head as he prepares to enlist END OF SPOILER. Anyways, I'm giving this a 2.4 out of 5

Watch on YouTube

4. HOPE on the Street (2024) - A 6-episode miniseries that is available on Amazon Prime Video. It's got a companion album under the same name. Each song of that album's tracklist is a title of an episode in this miniseries.

Viewers join Hobi as he travels to the US, France, Japan, and also films in some parts of South Korea. Each episode centers on a specific dance style (like pop-and-lock, house, etc.) One of the things that made it such a delightful watch was seeing how much Hobi respects and loves dance. He understands and loves it to the point of remaining curious and wanting to continue learning despite having spent decades perfecting his own dance language. My fave ep was the Paris, France episode. A+++ vibes.

The cutest surprises pop up at the end of the each 30-min. episode in the form of showing some behind-the-scenes footage of the album recording (including each of the artists who featured.) I'm giving it a 3 out of 5.

Watch on YouTube

3. Road to D-Day (2023) - SUGA, a.k.a. Min Yoongi, dropped an hour and half docu that's available on Disney+ and as paid content on Weverse. It follows him working on D-Day while traveling to California, Las Vegas, Tokyo, and some places in Korea. Along the way he meets up with some famous artists. There are lots of scenes of him working at his craft, getting frustrated, and then diving back into the process.

It was brutally honest on the ins and outs of songwriting. Pushing aside the "mystique" and more esoteric aspect of creativity to showcase the reality of music pursuits. There are tons of scenes where Yoongi's working on a song, trashing it, and then tweaking what he needed to tweak in order to make the song actually listenable. I also love the different performances throughout. It's one of my fave docus for sure. I'm giving it a 4 out of 5.

Watch on YouTube

2. Jimin's Production Diary - A v. surprising entry! This is one of those docus I wish more ppl would watch. It's got Jimin, PDogg, GHSTLOOP, and EVAN doing a mini-songwriting camp at PDogg's apartment as they work in what would eventually become FACE, Jimin's first solo album.

There's a quick scene with RM (lending songwriting help) and Jungkook (who shows up to do vocals for "Letter"). The bulk of the ppl onscreen are Jimin and the three BigHit producers writing, joking, and coming up with melodies.

Part of the reason I love it is how it's proof that Jimin was quite hands-on with his first album. Other than Jin, he's had a general image of not being quite as involved with the songwriting. [This is, btw, despite the fact that he's contributed to a lot of BTS' music through the years. But I digress…] I do fully understand how Jimin's singing and dancing skills are eye-catching. He should most deffo be celebrated for displaying his artistry using his voice and body! Buuuut, that's not all that he is. And so I like the way that this documentary is able to reveal more of him as a person who is insecure but cute and impish but also lovely.

This docu is split into three parts: the main film (which is a little over an hour), a 23-minute commentary with all four guys, and a short (I think it's 12-15 mins?) "quiz show". So, like the rest of the docus, it all adds up to an hour and 30 mins +/-.

IMO, the only "downside" is that the docu is only available for sale on Weverse, so that's a bit of a barrier for casuals and locals. Like all things, ofc, there are other places to find it at, IJS.

In any case, I was mesmerized, charmed, and delighted at seeing this aspect of Jimin. Especially since all but 1 of the songs from his first album were co-written by him! I'm giving this docu a 4.5 out of 5.

Watch on YouTube

RM: Right People, Wrong Place (2024)

NO spoilers, just a bit of rambling from when I went to see this docu in the theaters.

This movie is all about Namjoon's process during this second solo album, Right Place, Wrong Person (often abbreviated to rpwp.) It first debuted in October '24 at the Busan International Film Festival to a ton of acclaim. THANKFULLY, there was a weeklong worldwide distribution deal in early December '24. At the time, I didn't know when or even IF the movie was gonna be available for purchase (it is! Over at Weverse as of late spring, IIRC),so I headed to the movies.

What follows is a transcript of what posted elsewhere:

Starting with: I didn't cry while watching it, but now that I am painfully slowly processing what I just watched, I have teared up almost to the point of fully crying. Because I am SO fucking moved by how much access there was into Kim Namjoon's psyche. For those that have watched the 2-part "All Day" RM thing from 2 yrs ago, this docu is a similar vibe BUT MORE INTENSE.

In some ways, this docu was like the indie version of Jimin's "Production Diary". Same approach to how an artist creates and how having a team helps the artist until an album is born. Aside from the obvious (two different artists for two different albums), the most stark difference is that Smeraldo Garden Marching Band (what Jimin named his team) was all BH while Team RM brought in a whole new crew.

Moving on, hehehe. A+ cinematography too! It was a v. visually stimulating (tho not to the point of becoming overwhelming) movie.

*EXTREMELY MILD SPOILER* They also show all of the MVs behind-the-scenes. Which was a treat. And it explains why there weren't any Bangtan bombs for those videos.*END OF THE EXTREMELY MILD SPOILER*

I know this docu has a super limited release window (it's 2 wks in the US, I think?)--which is a real shame. Because EVERYONE (both ARMYs and locals) would benefit from watching this movie. I cannot think of anyone who wouldn't be super 😍 by the end of it.

Sadly, I couldn't stay til the credits rolled. 🥲 The lights went on and the usher came by. I was robbed of the experience. ROBBED I TELL YOU! Anyways, 1000000000/5 docu. I am even more in love with Joonie than before. 😅

Watch on YouTube

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fannitude

[série] Chair tendre

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rain,
rainy

hidey hole rainy

*****
It just started raining. The weather has changed to being chilly now. I'll need to take my umbrella when I go to the shed.

The shoe hunt continues

I'm still looking for my best shoes. Shoes that I can pop on any day, wear with socks and walk whereever/whenever I want that are NOT athletic shoes or sneakers. They need to fit well so I don't walk out of them and look decent (and my 'decent' gets broader and more inclusive every day). I have two pair of sandal-y shoes that I can actually wear every day all day and walk a fair bit in. I wore a pair of those the other day with socks and it worked out ok but not great.

Amazon is bringing me some more options later this week. And I still have one shoe store - the one my podiatrist recommended - that I haven't tried yet. If this week's Amazon selections don't work, I'll be heading over there to that store.

Otherwise, things are kind of on a good keel right now. I'm not on hold because of anything outside of my control - like SteveTheLawyer or the IRS. SteveTheLawyer has yet to settle the now 3.5 year old very simple trust. His last promise was to get it done by early 2025. Whatfuckingever.

The IRS still owes me money but it is clear that the chances of my living long enough to get it are growing slimmer every day. I went on their website this past weekend to check my transcript to see if there was any progress (none) and they asked me if I would take a survey. Sure. First question. Based on your visit today, how much do you trust the IRS. Hahahahaha. That was my giggle of the day.

It was a year ago that I switched financial advisors from the outfit I had used for more than 25 years to a new one. I am still delighted about that decision.

Two ballgames today - this afternoon. Aqua yoga this afternoon. I'll probably go out and puzzle some this morning and see if I can capture any hallway news.

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Fic In A Box 2025 Letter

Dear Fic In A Box creator,

Please forgive any disparity in section lengths: some fandoms I can copypasta more than others, but I am excited for everything I'm requesting!

( Read more... )

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Late summer in the tomato farm

Long weekends in the UK can go two ways: freezing, rainy and miserable, or sun-drenched to perfection. This time around, we got the latter, and everyone seemed to be in a great mood, spilling outside to make the best of the last gasp of summer. Matthias and I were no different: we went to Norfolk, we went to Suffolk, we sat under the trees in our favourite courtyard bar in Ely, and life was good.

Ever since we moved to Ely five years ago, I kept suggesting that we go on a day trip to Kings Lynn (at the far northern end of the train line on which we sit; the southern end is London), and every long weekend when we had a spare day, it would end up pouring with rain and we'd elect to stay home. This time, however, the weather did what we wanted, and we took the train half an hour north, for day of pottering around. We ate a lot of seafood, we discovered a fabulous gin distillery and bar, a fabulous rum bar, and a pretty decent gastropub, we wandered through the historic city centre, and realised far too late that there was also a pretty little walkway along the riverfront, with a foot ferry — something for a future trip, perhaps.

That was Saturday. On Sunday, we caught the train half an hour in the other direction to Bury St Edmund's, which was holding a beer festival in its massive cathedral grounds. (It felt somewhat medieval, especially with all the church officials wandering around in ecclesiastical dress, as if we'd stepped back in time before the Reformation, as guests of a beer-brewing monastery.) We stayed for about five hours, people watching and chatting, before returning to Ely in the early evening. Miraculously, everything worked flawlessly with the trains for both day trips, which is not always a given!

My preference on long weekends is to do the travel on the earlier days, staying progressively closer and closer to home each day, so today we did just that — I haven't gone further than the swimming pool, although we did have lunch at the market, before wandering home, eating gelato. This afternoon will involve the usual weekend wind-down activities: yoga, cooking, a bit of catching up on Dreamwidth.

( Two books )

It still feels like summer here, but if I look closely, there are changes: some of the cherry trees' leaves are yellow, the lavender plants in the front garden are all dried out, the feel of the air is slightly different. My nod to the slide towards autumn is to start bottling some of the summer abundance — fridge pickles, three litres of fermented tomatoes. I picked some of the dahlias and marigolds and put them in the living room. Our front windowsill has a line of pears and giant tomatoes in varying stages (and hues) of ripeness. If nothing else, the colours of summer are alive and vivid in my house, even as time marches on.

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Behold my hand kink...

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Airport crime reports increase by 40% in two years

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2qkkv47p1o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2qkkv47p1o#0

Officers attended 5,598 incidents last year, ranging from disturbances to border control issues, up 41% on 2022.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2qkkv47p1o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2qkkv47p1o#0

Water savings call as dry August hits reservoir levels

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c201d04g0jgo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c201d04g0jgo#1

Water levels in the east of Scotland are almost a quarter lower than expected at this time of year.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c201d04g0jgo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c201d04g0jgo#1

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ship logs: on writing

grammar checking et al.

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Current Mood: tired
Current Music: "How It's Done" HUNTR/X

reminder

I've had to change the way this community works due to AI scraping bots being spotted on Dreamwidth. Please join the community if you'd like to see the posts here!

Current Mood: peaceful
Current Music: Ai (Chuuseishin) a.k.a. Excel Saga Opening

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Nostalgic and Productive Activities

Some activities I did lately that I haven't been doing for the past year or so:

Studying Japanese -- I managed to secure a seat to retake the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) and have begun revising in earnest! I'm going to sit for the test for level N1, but to be fully prepared I'm going to revise the grammar for level N3 and N2. Currently, I'm almost done with taking notes and completing the quizzes in the JLPT TRY N3 book, which I recommend for its relevant and practical sentence examples.

Posting fic on AO3 -- Today, I've posted my first new work since May 2024. It's a drabble compilation about The Karate Kid and I might as well admit now that I've failed in my resolution that I've stated in a previous post, which is to only watch media related to the Lupin III franchise for the rest of 2025.

Watching tokusatsu -- I've redownloaded Kishiryu Sentai Ryusoulger and have rewatched up to E8. Back when the show was on the air, I've only watched half of it and so I'll watching many of the latter episodes for the very first time. Most of the show aired during the Reiwa era, yet I can't help but see it as a Heisei show.

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just one thing

Just one thing: 25 August 2025

It's challenge time!

Comment with Just One Thing you've accomplished in the last 24 hours or so. It doesn't have to be a hard thing, or even a thing that you think is particularly awesome. Just a thing that you did.

Feel free to share more than one thing if you're feeling particularly accomplished!

Extra credit: find someone in the comments and give them props for what they achieved!

Nothing is too big, too small, too strange or too cryptic. And in case you'd rather do this in private, anonymous comments are screened. I will only unscreen if you ask me to.

Go!

spinning, cont'd

40/40/20 cotton/tussah silk/hemp (the seller called it an "experimental blend"). Very inconsistent yarn thanks to the learning curve, as I'm still quite new to this. Surprisingly soft once plied, though, despite the hemp content, and one of my favorite fiber blends to spin because there's never a dull moment. This one's going to my graduate advisor.

Cloud oversaw the winding of the center-pull ball using a plying-size Turkish spindle. (I did the actual spinning and plying on the wheel.)

(Still buried under orchestration homework and health stuff, but fortunately I am taking a LONG break from writing so I can recuperate.)