RIP: Yvonne McCool
Feb. 3rd, 2026 11:18 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ladyjaxI received word today that an old friend from my Sentinel days, Yvonne McCool, passed away last month.
I knew she'd been very ill but it still hits hard to know she's gone.
I knew she'd been very ill but it still hits hard to know she's gone.
diaphanous
Feb. 4th, 2026 12:00 am![[syndicated profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/feed.png){kind=small}
merriamwebster_feedMerriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 4, 2026 is:
diaphanous • \dye-AF-uh-nus\ • adjective
Diaphanous is a formal word used to describe fabric of a texture so fine that one can see through it. Diaphanous is also sometimes used figuratively to describe something characterized by extreme delicacy of form.
// The bride looked radiant in her floor-length gown and diaphanous veil.
Examples:
"With a bright pattern set on flaming crimson and a diaphanous petticoat underneath, the dress fits her perfectly." — David Wingrave, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
Did you know?
What do the words diaphanous, epiphany, fancy, phenomenon, sycophant, emphasis, and phase all have in common? The Greek word phaínein shows more clearly in some of these words than in others, but it underlies all of them. The groundwork for diaphanous was laid when phaínein (meaning "to bring to light, cause to appear") was combined with the prefix dia- (meaning "through"). From that pairing came the Greek diaphanḗs ("transparent"), parent of the Medieval Latin diaphanus, which is the direct ancestor of the English word.
Fig (2011 - 2026)
Feb. 3rd, 2026 11:45 pmjames_davis_nicoll
I just got email from Fig's owner that Fig (who I owned from 2012 to 2017) passed away this evening. Cause unknown. My impression is Fig just didn't wake up.
Slow Gods by Claire North
Feb. 3rd, 2026 07:46 pmlightreadsSlow Gods
3/5. Science fiction about a guy who grows up in and gets crushed by a kleptocratic fascist state, and how he is transformed, and what happens when an alien arrives to tell the scattered worlds of humanity that a supernova is about to wipe half of them out.
Interesting. Lots of things to say here. First, to be clear, you won’t ever catch me arguing that North isn’t a talented and unusual writer. She’s a good stylist, too. This book is science fiction in set dressing, but that’s wrapped around an eldritch and fantastical core that she is too smart to ruin by explaining or caging. I won’t spoil it more than to say that a lesser writer would have made this book about the protagonist’s attempts to understand the weird and creepy thing that happened to him. Instead, the reader understands that, mostly implicitly, and the book can go on about its business of being about immigration and politics and cultural preservation and assimilation.
Also, this is a book about autism. An autism metaphor, specifically. North has said this was a result of her own recent diagnosis, and I’m not in the business of critiquing how a person processes that in fiction. I will say that I would be critiquing the substance of it if this were not own voices, because I think parts of the portrayal (the equivalent to autism meltdowns, in particular) lean into a kind of scary stereotype of the violently uncontrolled autistic person. But because it is own voices, I’ll sit here and defend North’s right to process as she sees fit, even if that means grappling with some stereotypes in a messy way that didn’t land, at least for me.
All in all it’s an interesting book and I’m glad I read it.
Content notes: Fascist hellscapes – debt slavery, violence, imprisonment, medical experimentation, mass death and genocide through negligence.
3/5. Science fiction about a guy who grows up in and gets crushed by a kleptocratic fascist state, and how he is transformed, and what happens when an alien arrives to tell the scattered worlds of humanity that a supernova is about to wipe half of them out.
Interesting. Lots of things to say here. First, to be clear, you won’t ever catch me arguing that North isn’t a talented and unusual writer. She’s a good stylist, too. This book is science fiction in set dressing, but that’s wrapped around an eldritch and fantastical core that she is too smart to ruin by explaining or caging. I won’t spoil it more than to say that a lesser writer would have made this book about the protagonist’s attempts to understand the weird and creepy thing that happened to him. Instead, the reader understands that, mostly implicitly, and the book can go on about its business of being about immigration and politics and cultural preservation and assimilation.
Also, this is a book about autism. An autism metaphor, specifically. North has said this was a result of her own recent diagnosis, and I’m not in the business of critiquing how a person processes that in fiction. I will say that I would be critiquing the substance of it if this were not own voices, because I think parts of the portrayal (the equivalent to autism meltdowns, in particular) lean into a kind of scary stereotype of the violently uncontrolled autistic person. But because it is own voices, I’ll sit here and defend North’s right to process as she sees fit, even if that means grappling with some stereotypes in a messy way that didn’t land, at least for me.
All in all it’s an interesting book and I’m glad I read it.
Content notes: Fascist hellscapes – debt slavery, violence, imprisonment, medical experimentation, mass death and genocide through negligence.
In spite of apathy, do the things
Feb. 3rd, 2026 04:59 pmamberleewriterIn short - no matter how I feel I make it a point to be kind to others. I am not always the best at it with DH (we are two neurodivergents sharing space for 29 years so ... ya know) but I even make a point to thank him for doing his chores and helping me out with things.
Today I went to water aerobics and wow. Ugh. So tired and hungry and boy do I hurt. So early for me. But I held the elevator for an older woman, said good morning and pardon me to people, and did my masking smile as much as possible.
I'm working on less masking and more relaxing but I think the part where I am KIND is important. Be kind to others. Be kind to yourself. I'm making my lists and thinking of them as being kind to future me. This makes it all seem less a chore and more a "wow I'll be happier if I don't have to panic later."
I know it doesn't change the world, but kindness can win.
Today I went to water aerobics and wow. Ugh. So tired and hungry and boy do I hurt. So early for me. But I held the elevator for an older woman, said good morning and pardon me to people, and did my masking smile as much as possible.
I'm working on less masking and more relaxing but I think the part where I am KIND is important. Be kind to others. Be kind to yourself. I'm making my lists and thinking of them as being kind to future me. This makes it all seem less a chore and more a "wow I'll be happier if I don't have to panic later."
I know it doesn't change the world, but kindness can win.
Dull roots stirred, even if it's hardly spring rain out there
Feb. 3rd, 2026 08:03 pmoursinSo yesterday I had further converse with another person apropos giving a talk as part of a series of events in connection with an exhibition of archives at a local record office some months hence and they sound keen, and it is something I can do, and have a fair amount of material including visual stuff already. Plus, besides expenses, there will also be a modest honorarium - they actually asked what do I usually get paid - errrr.
So there's that.
And the long review essay is finally in production and while I had some rather confusing emails about this yesterday I think this is down to Academic Journals Having Really Confusing Systems, it is indeed going ahead, and I was obliged to compose a short biographical note, both to reflect current institutional state and also be pertinent to topics addressed in review (my last bio note leaned rather heavily on my relationship with Sid).
And I am beginning to get to grips with article for review, though slightly fearing I may be Interrogating From the Wrong Perspective (journal is Not My Disciplinary Field, though article certainly overlaps it).
Have had the very cheering news that a conference I thought I would never get to again because it would involve transatlantic travel, is coming to London next year, yay yay yay, I am already pondering a paper.
In other personal news, have booked dental checkup and hygienist appointment for next week.
And in other news, the National Trust has reached its target to buy the land around the Cerne Giant:
The money will be used to improve access to the 55-metre (180ft) figure and to link up a patchwork of habitats, improving conditions for species such as the rare Duke of Burgundy butterfly.
It will also enable further archaeological work to help solve the enduring mystery of whom the giant depicts, and when and why it was created.
(no subject)
Feb. 3rd, 2026 02:48 pmconuly posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
agonyauntDear Care and Feeding,
When I was 14, my parents kicked me out because I was doing drugs and getting rides with random dudes. My uncle found me a couple of days later, having driven around town constantly looking for me the moment he heard about what had happened. He was a total wild man, but he put a roof over my head when nobody else would, gave me unconditional love, and helped me find my way. He helped me get into college, and he paid for it.
When he died, he left a void in my life. He also left me the house I grew up in, a large amount of money, and a successful business. Suddenly, my parents and my brothers, whom I’ve not spoken to in nearly two decades, are “reaching out.” It’s heartbreaking because I’ve always wanted my family back, but I am not stupid enough to believe that they have any interest in me. Is there a pathway for reconciliation here? Or am I just kidding myself? Am I a fool for wanting these people in my life? Or to even believe that could happen on my terms?
—Misspent Youth
( Read more... )
When I was 14, my parents kicked me out because I was doing drugs and getting rides with random dudes. My uncle found me a couple of days later, having driven around town constantly looking for me the moment he heard about what had happened. He was a total wild man, but he put a roof over my head when nobody else would, gave me unconditional love, and helped me find my way. He helped me get into college, and he paid for it.
When he died, he left a void in my life. He also left me the house I grew up in, a large amount of money, and a successful business. Suddenly, my parents and my brothers, whom I’ve not spoken to in nearly two decades, are “reaching out.” It’s heartbreaking because I’ve always wanted my family back, but I am not stupid enough to believe that they have any interest in me. Is there a pathway for reconciliation here? Or am I just kidding myself? Am I a fool for wanting these people in my life? Or to even believe that could happen on my terms?
—Misspent Youth
( Read more... )
Seen on the Watsfic Discord
Feb. 3rd, 2026 02:40 pmjames_davis_nicoll
QWP
Hey everyone,
**This year marks WATSFIC's 50th Anniversary!** To commemorate this we are releasing a new issue of our club fanzine Starsongs.
If you would like to become an officially published author, we are opening up submissions right now! Send us your **short stories, opinion pieces, open letters** [to systems, games, concepts, authors, or WATSFIC itself], **reviews of Sci-Fi/Fantasy** games, books, or other media, **your best drawings or paintings**, or whatever else you'd like to share with WATSFIC and the greater UW Community. We will endeavour to accept and print as many submissions as possible as long as they are club appropriate. If you're unsure if your idea is right for Starsongs, please don't hesitate to contact an exec and we'd be more than happy to discuss it and/or workshop it with you!
If you are looking for inspiration, you can find the 1970s releases of Starsongs on the University of Waterloo's Digital Library.
**We will be accepting submissions until the end of March, if you would like to contribute** please fill out this form here.
-# Submissions after March 31st may still be accepted, but we cannot promise anything, so please try to get any and all submission in before this deadline to ensure your work can be considered.
Stuff I Love: One Shots
Feb. 3rd, 2026 02:26 pmauthor_by_night Doing dreamersdare 's Stuff I Love Challenge!
#1 - One Shots.
Make a Top Ten list for your favourite standalone media and tell people exactly why you love it. This can be in any format - movies, one shot dramas, novels, short stories, plays, something else not mentioned here. Whatever you like!
Let's see.
1. Nightcrawler
I've only seen this movie once, but it had a deep impact on me. It's about a rogue photographer who grows frustrated with his poor job prospects (IIRC), and takes matters into his own hands by taking crime scene footage in very unethical ways. I don't want to spoil too much, but let me just say it wasn't so much the turns it took as it was the turns it didn't. I thought the chickens would come to roost, and they really didn't. It's amazing and makes you think about what you see on TV and even social media.
2. The Importance of Being Earnest
I'll be honest, when we were assigned this play in high school, I had a visceral reaction because the name Ernest made me think of the Ernest films in the 90's. Obviously, it is not that. I've read it and scene it several times since, though it has been quite some time. It's a master satire with fun twists that, thinking about it, really shouldn't have worked, but works very well. "A handbag?" indeed.
Interestingly, I read a few of Cecily's part out loud for fun once, to test my acting skills. I actually got a very different impression of her doing so, playing her as less ditzy than she let on.
3. Kindred
The bare-bones description is that it's about a black woman in the seventies who ends up going back in time and unknowingly saves the life of her ancestor's enslaver's son. The son continues to call her into the past. It's very much about black trauma, and also a critique on how time travel would be different for black characters versus white characters. (No apologies are made for any of the enslavers.)
I first heard of it when it was on Hulu. I decided to read the book before watching the show. From what I've heard, the show does a disservice to the novel, so I'm glad I made that decision.
4. The Lizzie Bennet Diaries
While marred by learning that the creator, Bernie Su, was terrible and continues to be terrible to the cast, I love the webseries itself. It's a modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice, wherein Lizzie Bennet is a grad student vlogging for her thesis. I unfortunately missed the show while it was being released, so I didn't get to enjoy this part, but it was very interactive. You could follow the characters on what was then twitter and tumblr, along with other social media pages. You could ask questions in Q&A's. All that aside, I think the story itself was adapted well. Lydia's character is actually far more sympathetic (even if Lizzie is scathing at first), and she's allowed to rise from a bad situation. Charlotte's modernized storyline is actually very clever. All in all, it's clever and a lot of fun. I just wish Bernie Su wasn't a terrible person.
5. Funny in Farsi
Funny in Farsi is a memoir I wish everyone would read, that I may re-read myself. It's Firoozeh Dumas's account of growing up in the United States as an immigrant from Iran. While the story does touch on sad subjects, it's mostly fun (hence "funny"), focusing on friends, family, and culture.
6. I'm Thinking of Ending Things
This is a movie I shouldn't love so much, as it's very grim and pessimistic. But it's such an amazing mindfuck that gets me every time I watch. The supposed premise is that it's a woman traveling home with her boyfriend to meet his parents, all the while thinking of breaking up with him. As the movie goes on, however, you realize there's a lot more to the story than that. All I'm going to say.
7. North By Northwest
I love that it starts out as a comedy of errors, then becomes so much more than that. It's also fun to recognize so many tropes in the film.
8. Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal
Lamb walks us through not only Joshua's childhood (and later adulthood), but what are known as the "missing years". Biff and Joshua spend those years globetrotting, and their trek includes a study of Buddhism. The book also has very interesting depictions of various Biblical figures, including Maggie - AKA "Mary Magdalene".
The author has said that he is "Buddhist with Christian tendencies".
9. Persepolis
A graphic novel and memoir about a girl growing up during the Iranian revolution. It's a story of how fast your world can fall apart, but also of resilience. You watch Marjan see everything through very innocent eyes initially, though she isn't so naive as not to notice contradictions between her parents' wealth and their claims of being socialist. We grow up with her as her world becomes scarier and she better understands the darkness, but there's still a lot of love in the pages.
The second volume is also very good, though she's older completely void of that innocent optimism. (Or as Satrapi once put it, "in the first book, I am cute. In the second, I am not cute.")
10. Jane Eyre
(I know some of you really don't like Jane Eyre. Sorry.)
Jane Eyre was a quarantine read; I somehow managed to get through high school and college without reading it. One of my friends and I wanted something to do while quarantining, so we started a two person book club, She'd already read Jane Eyre, I never had.
I'll grant you, Jane Eyre didn't age particularly well, and parts of the novel lost me entirely. But I was still enthralled with it; the main character isn't wealthy (unlike many contemporary female heroines), although she does live among the wealthy for much of the novel. While her abusive childhood is heartbreaking, it rang true, including the part where she feels she has to reconcile with her abusive stepparent - only to learn the stepparent only ever wanted to gloat. In that way, it actually felt quite modern. The mystery is worked in quite well, and not at all how I was expecting. And while Jane had some problematic views (again, it didn't age well in a lot of ways), I still enjoyed following her story.
Oh, and Helen Burns would definitely sell CBD oil today..
dreamersdare 's Stuff I Love Challenge!#1 - One Shots.
Make a Top Ten list for your favourite standalone media and tell people exactly why you love it. This can be in any format - movies, one shot dramas, novels, short stories, plays, something else not mentioned here. Whatever you like!
Let's see.
1. Nightcrawler
I've only seen this movie once, but it had a deep impact on me. It's about a rogue photographer who grows frustrated with his poor job prospects (IIRC), and takes matters into his own hands by taking crime scene footage in very unethical ways. I don't want to spoil too much, but let me just say it wasn't so much the turns it took as it was the turns it didn't. I thought the chickens would come to roost, and they really didn't. It's amazing and makes you think about what you see on TV and even social media.
2. The Importance of Being Earnest
I'll be honest, when we were assigned this play in high school, I had a visceral reaction because the name Ernest made me think of the Ernest films in the 90's. Obviously, it is not that. I've read it and scene it several times since, though it has been quite some time. It's a master satire with fun twists that, thinking about it, really shouldn't have worked, but works very well. "A handbag?" indeed.
Interestingly, I read a few of Cecily's part out loud for fun once, to test my acting skills. I actually got a very different impression of her doing so, playing her as less ditzy than she let on.
3. Kindred
The bare-bones description is that it's about a black woman in the seventies who ends up going back in time and unknowingly saves the life of her ancestor's enslaver's son. The son continues to call her into the past. It's very much about black trauma, and also a critique on how time travel would be different for black characters versus white characters. (No apologies are made for any of the enslavers.)
I first heard of it when it was on Hulu. I decided to read the book before watching the show. From what I've heard, the show does a disservice to the novel, so I'm glad I made that decision.
4. The Lizzie Bennet Diaries
While marred by learning that the creator, Bernie Su, was terrible and continues to be terrible to the cast, I love the webseries itself. It's a modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice, wherein Lizzie Bennet is a grad student vlogging for her thesis. I unfortunately missed the show while it was being released, so I didn't get to enjoy this part, but it was very interactive. You could follow the characters on what was then twitter and tumblr, along with other social media pages. You could ask questions in Q&A's. All that aside, I think the story itself was adapted well. Lydia's character is actually far more sympathetic (even if Lizzie is scathing at first), and she's allowed to rise from a bad situation. Charlotte's modernized storyline is actually very clever. All in all, it's clever and a lot of fun. I just wish Bernie Su wasn't a terrible person.
5. Funny in Farsi
Funny in Farsi is a memoir I wish everyone would read, that I may re-read myself. It's Firoozeh Dumas's account of growing up in the United States as an immigrant from Iran. While the story does touch on sad subjects, it's mostly fun (hence "funny"), focusing on friends, family, and culture.
6. I'm Thinking of Ending Things
This is a movie I shouldn't love so much, as it's very grim and pessimistic. But it's such an amazing mindfuck that gets me every time I watch. The supposed premise is that it's a woman traveling home with her boyfriend to meet his parents, all the while thinking of breaking up with him. As the movie goes on, however, you realize there's a lot more to the story than that. All I'm going to say.
7. North By Northwest
I love that it starts out as a comedy of errors, then becomes so much more than that. It's also fun to recognize so many tropes in the film.
8. Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal
Lamb walks us through not only Joshua's childhood (and later adulthood), but what are known as the "missing years". Biff and Joshua spend those years globetrotting, and their trek includes a study of Buddhism. The book also has very interesting depictions of various Biblical figures, including Maggie - AKA "Mary Magdalene".
The author has said that he is "Buddhist with Christian tendencies".
9. Persepolis
A graphic novel and memoir about a girl growing up during the Iranian revolution. It's a story of how fast your world can fall apart, but also of resilience. You watch Marjan see everything through very innocent eyes initially, though she isn't so naive as not to notice contradictions between her parents' wealth and their claims of being socialist. We grow up with her as her world becomes scarier and she better understands the darkness, but there's still a lot of love in the pages.
The second volume is also very good, though she's older completely void of that innocent optimism. (Or as Satrapi once put it, "in the first book, I am cute. In the second, I am not cute.")
10. Jane Eyre
(I know some of you really don't like Jane Eyre. Sorry.)
Jane Eyre was a quarantine read; I somehow managed to get through high school and college without reading it. One of my friends and I wanted something to do while quarantining, so we started a two person book club, She'd already read Jane Eyre, I never had.
I'll grant you, Jane Eyre didn't age particularly well, and parts of the novel lost me entirely. But I was still enthralled with it; the main character isn't wealthy (unlike many contemporary female heroines), although she does live among the wealthy for much of the novel. While her abusive childhood is heartbreaking, it rang true, including the part where she feels she has to reconcile with her abusive stepparent - only to learn the stepparent only ever wanted to gloat. In that way, it actually felt quite modern. The mystery is worked in quite well, and not at all how I was expecting. And while Jane had some problematic views (again, it didn't age well in a lot of ways), I still enjoyed following her story.
Oh, and Helen Burns would definitely sell CBD oil today..
I'm just saying, on fashions and me in fandom
Feb. 3rd, 2026 12:24 pmrhiI'm looking at this naked fashion trend and I'm just... First, my brain goes back to Roman sumptuary laws on see-through muslin from India. (It was absolutely see-through, too.) Second, though, I think, 'Oh, look, the new body control for women. Take your GLP-1s, and don't eat so you have less ground to complain about the prices of food, and show yourself off to the men.' So, misogyny and fat-shaming. :sighs:
I'll believe this isn't misogyny when I see the straight guys wearing their best lingerie under suits cut out of see-through fabrics, just FYI.
I'm usually a winter person, but this year, I've been sick and then cranky and look forward to spring. Not to summer, just spring.
Anyone got stuff that's making them happy? I'm resisting getting into Heated Rivalry because the only sport I watch is volleyball and some of the Olympics. Mostly gymnastics and ice skating. I'm not sure who else is reading Longmire or In Death, and honestly, I'm afraid Johnson has written himself into a corner with Longmire. There's a nice Discord server for Highlander, and I'm hoping the group rewatches will get me back into my fandom, but honestly, most of the characters there don't talk to me now.
Ah, well. Maybe once I finish the Leverage novel, the Numbers novel, and the Marvel/Lonesome October piece I'll get back to it. I can hope?
I'll believe this isn't misogyny when I see the straight guys wearing their best lingerie under suits cut out of see-through fabrics, just FYI.
I'm usually a winter person, but this year, I've been sick and then cranky and look forward to spring. Not to summer, just spring.
Anyone got stuff that's making them happy? I'm resisting getting into Heated Rivalry because the only sport I watch is volleyball and some of the Olympics. Mostly gymnastics and ice skating. I'm not sure who else is reading Longmire or In Death, and honestly, I'm afraid Johnson has written himself into a corner with Longmire. There's a nice Discord server for Highlander, and I'm hoping the group rewatches will get me back into my fandom, but honestly, most of the characters there don't talk to me now.
Ah, well. Maybe once I finish the Leverage novel, the Numbers novel, and the Marvel/Lonesome October piece I'll get back to it. I can hope?
D&D scenario
Feb. 3rd, 2026 11:54 amjames_davis_nicollDecades after the PCs' last adventure, an old epic foe reappears, still bent on conquest.
Time to get the band back together!
Alas, the band isn't just dispersed. All but one member is long dead.
Happily, the last surviving member is a necromancer.
Time to get the band back together!
Alas, the band isn't just dispersed. All but one member is long dead.
Happily, the last surviving member is a necromancer.
Well, this is a dramatic letter that's hopefully fake
Feb. 3rd, 2026 10:18 amconuly posting in agonyauntDear Prudence,
A few days after Christmas, my oldest sister (“Clair”) sent a text message to me and my siblings (four of us total) saying “due to what happened on Christmas Day, I am taking a break from my family”—nothing more, no explanation, no response to us texting back “what happened?”. Christmas was at my house, and I could not think of anything bad that happened, and my other siblings were at a loss also. In talking to my mom a few days later, she mentioned that Clair was upset that we didn’t get her grandkids (ages 5 and 7), my grandnephews, anything for Christmas and that she and her family were topics of discussion and unwarranted questions were being asked about them and she didn’t like it. I can’t for the life of me imagine why.
Her son and his wife and kids moved back to the area three months ago and other than some baby gifts when they were newborns, no gifts have ever been given to them, so the expectation caught us completely off guard. As for being the topic of discussion and questions? How could we help ourselves when Clair was charged with vandalism a week before Christmas when she found out the married man she was seeing had no intention of leaving his wife for her, and she keyed and spray painted his car. Plus, why did her son, with supposedly a good job and a house, just up and move back with no explanation and remain unwilling to give one? And why is her unemployed daughter not applying where her uncle works, as they are hiring for entry level positions? Could it be because she knows she will fail the drug test?
This brings me to last weekend, when our cousin “Emily” and her husband were travelling near our area. They stayed the night at my house, so I invited my mom and other siblings, except for Clair (remember, no contact), over for supper. Yesterday, Clair found out about Emily’s visit and sent me a message demanding to know why she wasn’t made aware of Emily visiting and not being invited for supper. I mentioned her “break from the family” and she said “that’s not what I said,” so I sent her a screenshot of her message and said “I don’t know how to take it any other way except that you don’t want anything to do with the family.” Today she sent another message to the family saying she wants to be included in family things, but she and her family are “off limits for questions and conversations.”
Am I being unreasonable in thinking this requirement is ridiculous? In the past, she has had no issues in making my and my sibling’s families the topic of discussion, good or bad.
—Not Buying It
( Read more... )
A few days after Christmas, my oldest sister (“Clair”) sent a text message to me and my siblings (four of us total) saying “due to what happened on Christmas Day, I am taking a break from my family”—nothing more, no explanation, no response to us texting back “what happened?”. Christmas was at my house, and I could not think of anything bad that happened, and my other siblings were at a loss also. In talking to my mom a few days later, she mentioned that Clair was upset that we didn’t get her grandkids (ages 5 and 7), my grandnephews, anything for Christmas and that she and her family were topics of discussion and unwarranted questions were being asked about them and she didn’t like it. I can’t for the life of me imagine why.
Her son and his wife and kids moved back to the area three months ago and other than some baby gifts when they were newborns, no gifts have ever been given to them, so the expectation caught us completely off guard. As for being the topic of discussion and questions? How could we help ourselves when Clair was charged with vandalism a week before Christmas when she found out the married man she was seeing had no intention of leaving his wife for her, and she keyed and spray painted his car. Plus, why did her son, with supposedly a good job and a house, just up and move back with no explanation and remain unwilling to give one? And why is her unemployed daughter not applying where her uncle works, as they are hiring for entry level positions? Could it be because she knows she will fail the drug test?
This brings me to last weekend, when our cousin “Emily” and her husband were travelling near our area. They stayed the night at my house, so I invited my mom and other siblings, except for Clair (remember, no contact), over for supper. Yesterday, Clair found out about Emily’s visit and sent me a message demanding to know why she wasn’t made aware of Emily visiting and not being invited for supper. I mentioned her “break from the family” and she said “that’s not what I said,” so I sent her a screenshot of her message and said “I don’t know how to take it any other way except that you don’t want anything to do with the family.” Today she sent another message to the family saying she wants to be included in family things, but she and her family are “off limits for questions and conversations.”
Am I being unreasonable in thinking this requirement is ridiculous? In the past, she has had no issues in making my and my sibling’s families the topic of discussion, good or bad.
—Not Buying It
( Read more... )
I am bound to these shores, I'll be bound till the end
Feb. 3rd, 2026 09:42 amsovayMy poem "Reap the Rules" has been accepted by Reckoning. It is my first sale to the journal; it is a particular honor that it was selected for the conflict-themed special issue It Was Paradise. I wrote it last summer after the U.S. strikes on Iran. It is a prayer dedicated in cuneiform to the oldest goddess I know in that region. The title is a mondegreen from Johnny Flynn and Robert Macfarlane's "Coins for the Eyes" (2022) which was about all I listened to while writing. Curse tablets do not seem to be going out of fashion any time soon.
I feel as though I remember to check out Festivids even less reliably than Yuletide, but this year has been a bonanza of which my socks-blown-off favorites look like "There Is No Ship" (Steerswoman), "ASSHOLE" (Looney Tunes), "Queen Bitch Cartagia" (Babylon 5), and "So It Goes" (Foundation). Honorable mentions to "It's a Sin" (Murderbot) even though I can't separate that song from Derek Jarman and "Hard Knock Life" (The Canopener Bridge) for introducing me to its fandom and perfectly illustrating the concept of storrowing.
My sleep has gone extraordinarily off the rails, but the snow in our back yard is criss-crossed with rabbit tracks. Hestia has broken three of the slats in my blinds in order to provide herself with a better view on Bird Theater.
I feel as though I remember to check out Festivids even less reliably than Yuletide, but this year has been a bonanza of which my socks-blown-off favorites look like "There Is No Ship" (Steerswoman), "ASSHOLE" (Looney Tunes), "Queen Bitch Cartagia" (Babylon 5), and "So It Goes" (Foundation). Honorable mentions to "It's a Sin" (Murderbot) even though I can't separate that song from Derek Jarman and "Hard Knock Life" (The Canopener Bridge) for introducing me to its fandom and perfectly illustrating the concept of storrowing.
My sleep has gone extraordinarily off the rails, but the snow in our back yard is criss-crossed with rabbit tracks. Hestia has broken three of the slats in my blinds in order to provide herself with a better view on Bird Theater.
Angel With a Sword (Merovingen Nights, volume 1) by C J Cherryh
Feb. 3rd, 2026 08:49 amjames_davis_nicoll
A moment of foolish charity drags impoverished Altair Jones into a deadly struggle.
Angel With a Sword (Merovingen Nights, volume 1) by C J Cherryh
Springfield, Ohio is up next
Feb. 3rd, 2026 01:43 pmrydra_wong posting in thisfinecrewVia Naomi Kritzer on Bsky, this thread of ways to donate or volunteer:
https://bsky.app/profile/leeceelee.bsky.social/post/3mduanvydvs2q
https://bsky.app/profile/leeceelee.bsky.social/post/3mduanvydvs2q
SGA: Oblivious by astolat
Feb. 3rd, 2026 06:46 pmmific posting in fancakeFandom: Stargate Atlantis
Characters/Pairings: John Sheppard/Rodney McKay, Elizabeth Weir, Carson Beckett, Aiden Ford
Rating: Explicit
Length: 8100
Content Notes: no AO3 warnings apply
Creator Links: astolat on AO3
Themes: Inept in love, Friends to lovers, First time, Favorite fanworks
Summary: In which Rodney and John fail to pay attention.
Reccer's Notes: For me, this is the ultimate "inept in love" fic. It's clever, very funny, and brilliantly written, as Rodney bounces blithely from assumption to oblivious assumption, with John startled by the sudden sex they're having, but somehow never managing to communicate clearly that Rodney's got it all wrong about them being in a relationship - until it's finally totally clear that they both are. An all-time classic!
Fanwork Links: Oblivious on AO3
And there are TWO excellent podfics!
podfic by cookiemom6067
podfic by jenwryn
Characters/Pairings: John Sheppard/Rodney McKay, Elizabeth Weir, Carson Beckett, Aiden Ford
Rating: Explicit
Length: 8100
Content Notes: no AO3 warnings apply
Creator Links: astolat on AO3
Themes: Inept in love, Friends to lovers, First time, Favorite fanworks
Summary: In which Rodney and John fail to pay attention.
Reccer's Notes: For me, this is the ultimate "inept in love" fic. It's clever, very funny, and brilliantly written, as Rodney bounces blithely from assumption to oblivious assumption, with John startled by the sudden sex they're having, but somehow never managing to communicate clearly that Rodney's got it all wrong about them being in a relationship - until it's finally totally clear that they both are. An all-time classic!
Fanwork Links: Oblivious on AO3
And there are TWO excellent podfics!
podfic by cookiemom6067
podfic by jenwryn