Snowflake Challenge
Jan. 13th, 2026 02:47 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysabetwordsmith... is scheduled to appear at 4PM Eastern time, which is 3PM Central time -- so 10-15 minutes from now. It's a planned variation, no need to worry.
ysabetwordsmith
Space Exploration
Jan. 13th, 2026 02:42 pmysabetwordsmithThis strange form of water may power giant planets’ magnetic fields
Water pushed to planetary extremes turns into an exotic, electricity-conducting solid — and it’s far stranger than scientists ever imagined.
At extreme pressures and temperatures, water becomes superionic — a solid that behaves partly like a liquid and conducts electricity. This unusual form is believed to shape the magnetic fields of Uranus and Neptune and may be the most common type of water in the solar system. New high-precision experiments show its atomic structure is far messier than expected, combining multiple crystal patterns instead of one clean arrangement. The finding reshapes models of icy planets both near and far.
Water pushed to planetary extremes turns into an exotic, electricity-conducting solid — and it’s far stranger than scientists ever imagined.
At extreme pressures and temperatures, water becomes superionic — a solid that behaves partly like a liquid and conducts electricity. This unusual form is believed to shape the magnetic fields of Uranus and Neptune and may be the most common type of water in the solar system. New high-precision experiments show its atomic structure is far messier than expected, combining multiple crystal patterns instead of one clean arrangement. The finding reshapes models of icy planets both near and far.
Birdfeeding
Jan. 13th, 2026 01:55 pmysabetwordsmithToday is cloudy and cool.
I fed the birds. I've seen a flock of sparrows.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 1/13/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
EDIT 1/13/26 -- I did more work around the patio.
.
I fed the birds. I've seen a flock of sparrows.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 1/13/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
EDIT 1/13/26 -- I did more work around the patio.
.
Animation Check-in: "Danny Phantom" ep. 4-7
Jan. 13th, 2026 01:04 pmbluapapilio
1x04
At least Jazz has standards.
Telling Danny to sell his comics because they're junk. đ My mom still regrets not being able to keep hers.
Danny selling his father's junk for money. *smh*
Oooh Sam's rich, that's why she was going to help Danny (if he'd listened to her even once).
Danny got turned into Spock!
Tucker straight up asking Tracey if she's a prostitute......
I wonder what software this was supposed to be shading?
Danny still doesn't know about Sam's theater/bowling alley.
1x05
Man in a dress joke on top of sexist joke...
Danny learns that getting revenge on your bully isn't the same as confronting them or fighting back.
Weird to think there's a ghost version of the school stuck in time.
What's wrong with 'band nerds' đ
1x06
It just hit me that this is like Miraculous Ladybug's 'who gets akumatized today' but worse.
What is all that stuff running down the sick people's face supposed to portray?? I'd get it if it was coming out of their nose...
Because anime was mentioned, I looked up what anime came out in the same year as Danny Phantom (2004) and now I feel old.
Wait was it supposed to be a cold sweat?
1x07
I'm kinda surprised no ghost busters have shown up in town with all these ghost sightings.
I felt bad for Vlad until it showed him hitting on Maddie. *rolls eyes*
Jack called his Asian colleague Harriet Chin 'Harry Chin'...... I love Harriet's clapback to Maddie apologizing - "Sweetie, you married him, you should be."
So Vlad sent some of those ghosts to test Jack but Danny always took care of them. Vlad was the first ghost-hybrid Jack caused.
I'm surprised Vlad was willing to debase himself life that in the end even if it was in ghost form.
Danny's parents are so terrible. *smh* At least Danny has the excuse of being young.
The Hike, by Drew Magary
Jan. 13th, 2026 10:17 amrachelmanija
Ben is on a work trip, away from his wife and three young children, when he decides to take a hike through the woods by his hotel. Ben sees a man with a Rottweiler face disposing of a corpse, and flees into the woods with the dog man pursuing him.
The next thing he knows, he's trapped in a surreal world halfway between a nightmare and a video game. It often involves distorted reflections of his own past - Ben has a scar on his face from a Rottweiler bite and he keeps getting attacked by Rottweiler-faced men, an old lover appears at the age she was when he last saw her, and he befriends a talking crab that knows a suspicious amount about him. He has to stay on the path, or he'll die. A mysterious old woman gives him tasks and tells him the only way he can get home is to find the Producer. Things appear and disappear in a very dreamlike manner, the scene shifting from a cannibal giant's castle to a hovercraft to a desert. After each ordeal, he gets a banquet with champagne.
This extremely weird book is a bit like a dreamlike, horror-inflected Alice in Wonderland for bros. I almost gave up on it halfway through - it was so "one random thing after another and the whole thing is clearly not real" that I got bored - but that's when something happened that intrigued me enough to continue. It doesn't need to be as long as it is - it's a short book that would have been better as a novelette - but the ending, while not explaining all that much, still manages to be satisfying.
I wouldn't re-read this - the actual reading experience often felt like a slog - but it was definitely different and had some good twists, so I'm not sorry I read it. I suspect there's some overlap in readership between this and Dungeon Crawler Carl.
Don't read the spoilers if there's any chance you'll actually read the book.
( Spoilers! )
Probably it's all a metaphor for life.
Content notes: Horror-typical gore and gross-outs.
Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal - Consent
Jan. 13th, 2026 11:20 am![[syndicated profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/feed.png){kind=small}
smbc_comics_feed
Click here to go see the bonus panel!
Hovertext:
Wonder Woman is the only superhero comfortable enough to incorporate her kinks into the costume.
Today's News:
Care and Feeding: My Son Argues Endlessly
Jan. 13th, 2026 08:48 amcereta posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
agonyauntDear Care and Feeding,
I am at a loss for what to do with my almost 11-year-old.
He argues constantly about everything. Hereâs an example of the arguing: We made gingerbread houses this weekend. He got home from school, and I gave him a snack. While he was eating, he said, âIâm going to smash the gingerbread house on Christmas.â I said, âNope, we do it on New Yearâs Eve.â He said, âI made mine, so I get to smash it when I want.â I replied, âNope, we always do it on New Yearâs.â He kept repeating himself until I finally said, âWe are done arguing, just drop it.â To which he retorted, âYou just drop it!â I then asked him to go anywhere in the house besides the kitchen because he was still talking about it after I asked him to stop. (I couldnât leave, I was helping his sitter get a snack, and doing dishes.) He then yelled at me, âYou leave! Why do I have to leave if youâre the one with the problem?â
This happens every time he talks to me. I donât get it. I want to spend time with him, but he is so hard and angry right now. He is so exhausting. He is nice to everyone else except his little sister and me. Whenever she talks to him, he makes fun of how she said something. Please help!
âArgued Out
Dear Argued Out,
It seems as if your son is truly upset with something other than what youâre actually arguing about. For example, in the case of the gingerbread house, he seemed upset about the loss of autonomy in making decisions about the house that he created, rather than the actual fact of not being allowed to smash it on Christmas. Does he feel like you always make all of the big and little decisions, while he isnât allowed to make any? During these tween ages, itâs totally normal to want more freedom. It sounds like that could be the case, but youâll need to ask him directly. Approach him in a quiet momentânot when youâre in the middle of a squabble and try to get to the bottom of it and his emotions. But make sure to stress that there is a way to respectfully share his feelings, especially when talking to his little sister. Also, think about the small ways that you can let him make his own decisions. Smashing his own gingerbread house, for example, doesnât really hurt anyone else. So, sometimes, consider letting him make decisions that arenât necessarily the ones youâd make.
In these day-to-day situations, do your best to keep calm. If your emotions start to rev up, his will automatically do the same. Then ask him why he wants to do something and encourage him to rephrase what he is saying. The fact that he only gets angry with you and his sister shows that heâs capable of communicating and expressing himself, but is too frustrated in those moments to do so. Iâm unsure of where this inability is ultimately coming from, but some conversations with a therapistâfor the whole familyâduring calmer times when emotions arenât running so high would be beneficial for everyone. Good luck!
âArionne
I am at a loss for what to do with my almost 11-year-old.
He argues constantly about everything. Hereâs an example of the arguing: We made gingerbread houses this weekend. He got home from school, and I gave him a snack. While he was eating, he said, âIâm going to smash the gingerbread house on Christmas.â I said, âNope, we do it on New Yearâs Eve.â He said, âI made mine, so I get to smash it when I want.â I replied, âNope, we always do it on New Yearâs.â He kept repeating himself until I finally said, âWe are done arguing, just drop it.â To which he retorted, âYou just drop it!â I then asked him to go anywhere in the house besides the kitchen because he was still talking about it after I asked him to stop. (I couldnât leave, I was helping his sitter get a snack, and doing dishes.) He then yelled at me, âYou leave! Why do I have to leave if youâre the one with the problem?â
This happens every time he talks to me. I donât get it. I want to spend time with him, but he is so hard and angry right now. He is so exhausting. He is nice to everyone else except his little sister and me. Whenever she talks to him, he makes fun of how she said something. Please help!
âArgued Out
Dear Argued Out,
It seems as if your son is truly upset with something other than what youâre actually arguing about. For example, in the case of the gingerbread house, he seemed upset about the loss of autonomy in making decisions about the house that he created, rather than the actual fact of not being allowed to smash it on Christmas. Does he feel like you always make all of the big and little decisions, while he isnât allowed to make any? During these tween ages, itâs totally normal to want more freedom. It sounds like that could be the case, but youâll need to ask him directly. Approach him in a quiet momentânot when youâre in the middle of a squabble and try to get to the bottom of it and his emotions. But make sure to stress that there is a way to respectfully share his feelings, especially when talking to his little sister. Also, think about the small ways that you can let him make his own decisions. Smashing his own gingerbread house, for example, doesnât really hurt anyone else. So, sometimes, consider letting him make decisions that arenât necessarily the ones youâd make.
In these day-to-day situations, do your best to keep calm. If your emotions start to rev up, his will automatically do the same. Then ask him why he wants to do something and encourage him to rephrase what he is saying. The fact that he only gets angry with you and his sister shows that heâs capable of communicating and expressing himself, but is too frustrated in those moments to do so. Iâm unsure of where this inability is ultimately coming from, but some conversations with a therapistâfor the whole familyâduring calmer times when emotions arenât running so high would be beneficial for everyone. Good luck!
âArionne
muddling through winter
Jan. 13th, 2026 08:34 amunicorndukethings melted last week and everything was mud, so I got a couple days break from spreading straw. weirdly, my problem elbow hurt more when I wasn't using it constantly than when I was. Not sure what's up with that. The temperature dropped again, so the ground froze again. Did another load at dawn this morning but discovered a belt had worn weirdly on the shredder, so I need to run to town today and get a new one before we shred more.
The pottery class I was going to take isn't actually available on Wed, their only evening hours are mondays from 5-8 and they only just updated that on facebook and haven't emailed me back. I'm busy that night, so that's out. I could theoretically do day classes but with how short the days are, any daylight is needed for work hours especially if I need extra warmup time between morning and afternoon. ETA: I found another studio with wed classes and easier signup procedures. done.
I did go to spinners guild on sunday and it was a gosh dang delight including one of the longer term guild members coming this time who is queer in so many ways and everyone was lovely to him. It was so so so nice and relaxing. I think for the next meeting I'm going to get either my electric wheel battery up and running or take my smaller wheel and start an alpaca spin on it. My CPW is too big and loud for the space we've been meeting in. I got there right at 1pm and was still one of the later arrivals, so clearly I need to get there even earlier :)
We have started the wood stove indoors back up, so that's nice. I missed it. We ran out of wood that size and it had gotten warm, so there was less point in running it. Dad got on the roof and cleaned the chimney out while it was off, so that was nice and split some of the wood at the rental into wood stove size for both their house and mine.
I did kickstart my parents into doing work on their house! I sanded their office floor and then mom cleaned it and we sealed and finished it together. Definitely one of those times where it would have been faster with just one person, but so be it. My dad has been working on their living room wall drywall which is next in line. They do have renters moving into the rental Feb 1, so there is painting to be done there, plus some other small misc stuff. Parents' house also needs paint so I will be helping with some amount of painting. I didn't do drywall in my upstairs bathroom yet as expected, but I'm planning to later this week when dad is around to help me move the drywall outside to cut and then upstairs to get in place. They do have an extremely firm deadline of house renovations of June when my dad's college buddies are coming to visit, so there's that. We did discover that nice foosball tables are extremely heavy and it would be good to have more than two people to get it in a bilco basement door. I didn't get squished but it was very very heavy. After we got it down there, my dad said, you know, I think it did say something about being over 200lbs. hmm. thanks dad. Although we would have had to get a cousin or something to come help, which my parents are slightly allergic to asking for help, so I dunno if that would have happened anyway. We do have a vague plan to get the floor done which is good and there is progress happening. Given my parents hated the smell of the seal and finish, we are waiting to move them into the house until the living room/dining room/kitchen are all sealed and finished.
Winter is one of those times where I am just sleepy a lot, so I do accept this as a fact of life but also am fully aware that I am relatively isolated from the local area. In NY, I had an established friend groups, I had places I could go when I wanted a little socializing or crafting with folks, all sorts of things. Here I don't have any of that, so I'm trying to find something. Over the summer, I was so busy with the farm that I didn't really notice, but now I really can tell. To be fair, I have three nights a week where I have weekly social opportunities, but they are all digital. I know I need to push myself and get out there but it's hard and farm work is a bit unpredictable with when we need to run for straw and things. So spinners guild was excellent. I'm hoping to go to a meetup this saturday, although I'll be missing gaming with Jade that night for it. I need to do something thur/fri nights. And maybe some saturdays during the day. Hmm.
The pottery class I was going to take isn't actually available on Wed, their only evening hours are mondays from 5-8 and they only just updated that on facebook and haven't emailed me back. I'm busy that night, so that's out. I could theoretically do day classes but with how short the days are, any daylight is needed for work hours especially if I need extra warmup time between morning and afternoon. ETA: I found another studio with wed classes and easier signup procedures. done.
I did go to spinners guild on sunday and it was a gosh dang delight including one of the longer term guild members coming this time who is queer in so many ways and everyone was lovely to him. It was so so so nice and relaxing. I think for the next meeting I'm going to get either my electric wheel battery up and running or take my smaller wheel and start an alpaca spin on it. My CPW is too big and loud for the space we've been meeting in. I got there right at 1pm and was still one of the later arrivals, so clearly I need to get there even earlier :)
We have started the wood stove indoors back up, so that's nice. I missed it. We ran out of wood that size and it had gotten warm, so there was less point in running it. Dad got on the roof and cleaned the chimney out while it was off, so that was nice and split some of the wood at the rental into wood stove size for both their house and mine.
I did kickstart my parents into doing work on their house! I sanded their office floor and then mom cleaned it and we sealed and finished it together. Definitely one of those times where it would have been faster with just one person, but so be it. My dad has been working on their living room wall drywall which is next in line. They do have renters moving into the rental Feb 1, so there is painting to be done there, plus some other small misc stuff. Parents' house also needs paint so I will be helping with some amount of painting. I didn't do drywall in my upstairs bathroom yet as expected, but I'm planning to later this week when dad is around to help me move the drywall outside to cut and then upstairs to get in place. They do have an extremely firm deadline of house renovations of June when my dad's college buddies are coming to visit, so there's that. We did discover that nice foosball tables are extremely heavy and it would be good to have more than two people to get it in a bilco basement door. I didn't get squished but it was very very heavy. After we got it down there, my dad said, you know, I think it did say something about being over 200lbs. hmm. thanks dad. Although we would have had to get a cousin or something to come help, which my parents are slightly allergic to asking for help, so I dunno if that would have happened anyway. We do have a vague plan to get the floor done which is good and there is progress happening. Given my parents hated the smell of the seal and finish, we are waiting to move them into the house until the living room/dining room/kitchen are all sealed and finished.
Winter is one of those times where I am just sleepy a lot, so I do accept this as a fact of life but also am fully aware that I am relatively isolated from the local area. In NY, I had an established friend groups, I had places I could go when I wanted a little socializing or crafting with folks, all sorts of things. Here I don't have any of that, so I'm trying to find something. Over the summer, I was so busy with the farm that I didn't really notice, but now I really can tell. To be fair, I have three nights a week where I have weekly social opportunities, but they are all digital. I know I need to push myself and get out there but it's hard and farm work is a bit unpredictable with when we need to run for straw and things. So spinners guild was excellent. I'm hoping to go to a meetup this saturday, although I'll be missing gaming with Jade that night for it. I need to do something thur/fri nights. And maybe some saturdays during the day. Hmm.
Artificial Intelligence
Jan. 13th, 2026 03:18 amysabetwordsmithResearchers poison stolen data to make AI systems return wrong results
Researchers affiliated with universities in China and Singapore have devised a technique to make stolen knowledge graph data useless if incorporated into a GraphRAG AI system without consent.
I'm reminded of how alchemists would leave out a critical detail, or make a substitution, so that nobody could steal and reproduce their work.
Researchers affiliated with universities in China and Singapore have devised a technique to make stolen knowledge graph data useless if incorporated into a GraphRAG AI system without consent.
I'm reminded of how alchemists would leave out a critical detail, or make a substitution, so that nobody could steal and reproduce their work.
metamorphosis.
Jan. 13th, 2026 03:10 amao3_azz_iruma_clara_feedAgainst his better judgement, Iruma meets up with Kiriwo and ends up getting drenched with a strange potion.
Things start going downhill from there.
OR
A personality swap fic but start it off bordering on crack and gradually devolve into angst
Words: 817, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English
- Fandoms: éć „ăăŸăă! ć „éăă | Mairimashita! Iruma-kun | Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun (Manga)
- Rating: Mature
- Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
- Categories: Multi
- Characters: Suzuki Iruma, Ami Kirio, Lord Sullivan (Mairimashita! Iruma-kun), Opera (Mairimashita! Iruma-kun), Asmodeus Alice, Valac Clara, Azazel Ameri, Naberius Kalego, Balam Shichiro, Abnormal Class | Misfit Class (Mairimashita! Iruma-kun)
- Relationships: Ami Kirio/Suzuki Iruma, Asmodeus Alice/Suzuki Iruma/Valac Clara, Azazel Ameri/Suzuki Iruma, Suzuki Iruma & Everyone, Abnormal Class | Misfit Class & Suzuki Iruma
- Additional Tags: Personality Swap, Angst, starts off lighthearted goes downhill, Suicidal Thoughts, Mental Breakdown, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Attempted Cannibalism, Suzuki Iruma Needs a Hug, Self-Harm
Communities
Jan. 12th, 2026 10:47 pmysabetwordsmithpluralquestions -- Discussing plural existenceWelcome to the Plural Questions community! A lot of existing plural communities on Dreamwidth are inactive. We all have a lot to gain from talking to each other, so Plural Questions was created to encourage community discussion around plural experiences. Interactions are encouraged- please comment, post to the community, etc! Get your voice out there! Discussion questions will be posted every now and then, but please feel free to add your own questions or post about your lived experiences.
If you've been following
lb_lee and pluralstories then you might like this new community.Manga Check-in: Dr. Stone v24 ch206-214
Jan. 12th, 2026 09:34 pmbluapapilioSpoilers if you're watching the anime â
Chapter 206:
Aww Suika and the boar and doggyyy---wait what is Tsukasa doing đ€Łđ€Łđ€Ł
The American team is revived! Ukyou's cute little face aw.
Yuzuriha and Taiju reunion!!
Chapter 207: Sai trying to get out of going with them, understandable with a brother like Ryuusui though;; I mean, he went to India to get away from him in the first place. X'D
...Sometimes Chelsea's blunt and rude manner is the best method to get information after all. đ€Ł
Wait were Ryuusui and Sai born from a mistress?? And they're not allowed in family photos. Daamn. Sai was forced to study math and Ryuusui couldn't be controlled. "Ryuusui only thought about how to exploit other people" I get the feeling Ryuusui was just trying to connect with Sai. Poor Ryuusui when he realized Sai ran away... Gen pointing out the truth ahhh. Ryuusui putting his hand over Sai's and saying he'd be lonely on the sea without him. My heart. đ I can't wait to see this animated.
Chapter 208: It was pretty interesting learning how they were going to make a computer from the ground up. A LOT goes into it no matter what level you're on. They also made a bank and I love how there was even candy on the teller desk. xD
Chapter 209: 'Basket weave Excalibur' Gennn.
Ukyou stop being cute for one minute challenge failed.
I forgot there are people who haven't seen that Suika's older now!!
They don't have time to make a return vessel, so whoever gets on the rocket is signing up for a suicide mission... OH I see now, the team would petrify themselves on the Moon and wait for rescue, however long it took. đ±
Chapter 210: Love how Senkuu combined Chrome and Gen's speech quirks to make 'crazy baad asty nay'. đ
Chapter 211:
Cuuute.
Everyone crying over the rice, Senkuu thinking of Byakuya... đ€§
Chapter 212:
Japan group revived again! Lmao at Ruri swinging Kohaku around and everyone's reaction. Guess Ruri's sickness was the only thing holding her back from being a gorilla too.
Chrome said 'we're the same age now' to Ruri, was there an age gap? I know in Japan the slightest age gap can switch dynamics around.
OMG the dog and boar are alive and are still there!! Apparently their names are Chalk and Sagara.
Gen said only humans are affected by the petrification but then why did the birds get petrified? Unless the birds were a test and the beam was adjusted for humans after.
Oh my gosh Chalk and Sagara have a family now...but where did Chalk find another dog, aren't they more rare than boars?
The image of everyone flying into a drooling madness over sushi is so scary ahaha.
Chapter 213: The first TV system was made in Japan apparently.
Aw, Sai made the first game and he looks so happy. :')
The problem with introducing games is that there will be those with certain traits who won't want to stop playing them (speaking from experience). It's a great tool as a stress reliever though considering how much work they have to do in this stone world.
I literally said WTF when You and Gen got blown up. đ± I can only imagine how magazine readers must've felt waiting for the next chapter.
Chapter 214: Lol Kaseki is always excited to help make something new even if he doesn't know what it is. They're making a satellite to find where Whyman is on the Moon so that when they go there, they won't have to find a needle in a haystack.
Chapter 206:
Aww Suika and the boar and doggyyy---wait what is Tsukasa doing đ€Łđ€Łđ€Ł
The American team is revived! Ukyou's cute little face aw.
Yuzuriha and Taiju reunion!!
Chapter 207: Sai trying to get out of going with them, understandable with a brother like Ryuusui though;; I mean, he went to India to get away from him in the first place. X'D
...Sometimes Chelsea's blunt and rude manner is the best method to get information after all. đ€Ł
Wait were Ryuusui and Sai born from a mistress?? And they're not allowed in family photos. Daamn. Sai was forced to study math and Ryuusui couldn't be controlled. "Ryuusui only thought about how to exploit other people" I get the feeling Ryuusui was just trying to connect with Sai. Poor Ryuusui when he realized Sai ran away... Gen pointing out the truth ahhh. Ryuusui putting his hand over Sai's and saying he'd be lonely on the sea without him. My heart. đ I can't wait to see this animated.
Chapter 208: It was pretty interesting learning how they were going to make a computer from the ground up. A LOT goes into it no matter what level you're on. They also made a bank and I love how there was even candy on the teller desk. xD
Chapter 209: 'Basket weave Excalibur' Gennn.
Ukyou stop being cute for one minute challenge failed.
I forgot there are people who haven't seen that Suika's older now!!
They don't have time to make a return vessel, so whoever gets on the rocket is signing up for a suicide mission... OH I see now, the team would petrify themselves on the Moon and wait for rescue, however long it took. đ±
Chapter 210: Love how Senkuu combined Chrome and Gen's speech quirks to make 'crazy baad asty nay'. đ
Chapter 211:
Cuuute.
Everyone crying over the rice, Senkuu thinking of Byakuya... đ€§
Chapter 212:
Japan group revived again! Lmao at Ruri swinging Kohaku around and everyone's reaction. Guess Ruri's sickness was the only thing holding her back from being a gorilla too.
Chrome said 'we're the same age now' to Ruri, was there an age gap? I know in Japan the slightest age gap can switch dynamics around.
OMG the dog and boar are alive and are still there!! Apparently their names are Chalk and Sagara.
Gen said only humans are affected by the petrification but then why did the birds get petrified? Unless the birds were a test and the beam was adjusted for humans after.
Oh my gosh Chalk and Sagara have a family now...but where did Chalk find another dog, aren't they more rare than boars?
The image of everyone flying into a drooling madness over sushi is so scary ahaha.
Chapter 213: The first TV system was made in Japan apparently.
Aw, Sai made the first game and he looks so happy. :')
The problem with introducing games is that there will be those with certain traits who won't want to stop playing them (speaking from experience). It's a great tool as a stress reliever though considering how much work they have to do in this stone world.
I literally said WTF when You and Gen got blown up. đ± I can only imagine how magazine readers must've felt waiting for the next chapter.
Chapter 214: Lol Kaseki is always excited to help make something new even if he doesn't know what it is. They're making a satellite to find where Whyman is on the Moon so that when they go there, they won't have to find a needle in a haystack.
Magpie Monday
Jan. 12th, 2026 09:22 pmysabetwordsmithdialecticdreamer is hosting Magpie Monday today with a theme of "Loose Threads." Leave prompts, get ficlets!( Read more... )
Book review: Empty Wardrobes
Jan. 12th, 2026 07:19 pmrocky41_7 posting in booknookTitle: Empty Wardrobes
Author: Maria Judite de Carvalho
Translator: Margaret Jull Costa
Genre: Fiction, literary
I collect false treasures in empty wardrobes.
This quote by Paul Eluard opens book #14 from the "Women in Translation" rec list, which continues to fatten up my TBR list. This is Empty Wardrobes by Maria Judite de Carvalho, translated from Portuguese by Margaret Jull Costa. This novella, originally published in the 1960s, is about the ways in which women are subsumed by the men in their lives, or otherwise are buffeted about with less control over their lives than they ought to have.
The forward by Kate Zambreno is a wonderfully complementary piece. She talks about the anger she feels going to a woman's funeral and hearing the dead woman sanctified by men in her life who did nothing but take from her, who can speak of her only to praise what she did for others, and can say nothing about what the woman herself was.
Sometimes you can read a book and just know the author was angry when she wrote it. This is one of those. The book uses the phrase "discreet rage" about one of its characters, and I think that sentiment succinctly describes the whole book. The protagonist, Dora Rosario, is ten years into widowhood, and she has devoted her entire life to mourning her unremarkable husband as much as she had previous devoted her life to supporting his every opinion regardless of whether or not she agreed with it. Now, a decade on, her mother-in-law reveals something about Dora's late husband that changes her entire perspective.
I would like to believe we are moving away from the world portrayed in Empty Wardrobes (though not with as much success as I'd like), but this is a stark reminder of how even a few generations ago, in the Sixties, a woman's identity was so controlled by her husband's. There are only two men in this book--Duarte, Dora's dead husband, and Ernesto, the longtime partner of a side character--and they both, through social structures, exercise incredible control over the lives of the women around them without any respect or even knowledge of their impact.
The three main women in this book--Dora, her daughter Lisa, and the narrator--each take a different approach to the male romantic partners in their lives, and none of them comes out the better for it (well, perhaps for Lisa, but I personally doubt it will last), because the ultimate problem is societal attitudes about the way men and women are meant to relate to each other.
It's not a long book, and I can't say much more without spoiling things, but I also think it does some fabulous things with its narration and perspective, and the way it doles out information. Really an excellent framing that allows for a lot of fluidity and filling in gaps with your own visions while remaining clear in the nature of the story it's telling.
This book was only translated into English in 2021, which is a shame, because I think it would have struck a nerve much earlier, but we have it now! Costa does an excellent job with the work too; the writing is full of punchy phrases like the above, and she captures some realistic dialogue--characters repeating themselves, responding in ways that don't quite match up with what was asked, etc.--while keeping it natural-sounding.
Author: Maria Judite de Carvalho
Translator: Margaret Jull Costa
Genre: Fiction, literary
I collect false treasures in empty wardrobes.
This quote by Paul Eluard opens book #14 from the "Women in Translation" rec list, which continues to fatten up my TBR list. This is Empty Wardrobes by Maria Judite de Carvalho, translated from Portuguese by Margaret Jull Costa. This novella, originally published in the 1960s, is about the ways in which women are subsumed by the men in their lives, or otherwise are buffeted about with less control over their lives than they ought to have.
The forward by Kate Zambreno is a wonderfully complementary piece. She talks about the anger she feels going to a woman's funeral and hearing the dead woman sanctified by men in her life who did nothing but take from her, who can speak of her only to praise what she did for others, and can say nothing about what the woman herself was.
Sometimes you can read a book and just know the author was angry when she wrote it. This is one of those. The book uses the phrase "discreet rage" about one of its characters, and I think that sentiment succinctly describes the whole book. The protagonist, Dora Rosario, is ten years into widowhood, and she has devoted her entire life to mourning her unremarkable husband as much as she had previous devoted her life to supporting his every opinion regardless of whether or not she agreed with it. Now, a decade on, her mother-in-law reveals something about Dora's late husband that changes her entire perspective.
I would like to believe we are moving away from the world portrayed in Empty Wardrobes (though not with as much success as I'd like), but this is a stark reminder of how even a few generations ago, in the Sixties, a woman's identity was so controlled by her husband's. There are only two men in this book--Duarte, Dora's dead husband, and Ernesto, the longtime partner of a side character--and they both, through social structures, exercise incredible control over the lives of the women around them without any respect or even knowledge of their impact.
The three main women in this book--Dora, her daughter Lisa, and the narrator--each take a different approach to the male romantic partners in their lives, and none of them comes out the better for it (well, perhaps for Lisa, but I personally doubt it will last), because the ultimate problem is societal attitudes about the way men and women are meant to relate to each other.
It's not a long book, and I can't say much more without spoiling things, but I also think it does some fabulous things with its narration and perspective, and the way it doles out information. Really an excellent framing that allows for a lot of fluidity and filling in gaps with your own visions while remaining clear in the nature of the story it's telling.
This book was only translated into English in 2021, which is a shame, because I think it would have struck a nerve much earlier, but we have it now! Costa does an excellent job with the work too; the writing is full of punchy phrases like the above, and she captures some realistic dialogue--characters repeating themselves, responding in ways that don't quite match up with what was asked, etc.--while keeping it natural-sounding.
Recent Reading: Empty Wardrobes
Jan. 12th, 2026 07:18 pmrocky41_7 posting in booksI collect false treasures in empty wardrobes.
This quote by Paul Eluard opens book #14 from the "Women in Translation" rec list, which continues to fatten up my TBR list. This is Empty Wardrobes by Maria Judite de Carvalho, translated from Portuguese by Margaret Jull Costa. This novella, originally published in the 1960s, is about the ways in which women are subsumed by the men in their lives, or otherwise are buffeted about with less control over their lives than they ought to have.
The forward by Kate Zambreno is a wonderfully complementary piece. She talks about the anger she feels going to a woman's funeral and hearing the dead woman sanctified by men in her life who did nothing but take from her, who can speak of her only to praise what she did for others, and can say nothing about what the woman herself was.
Sometimes you can read a book and just know the author was angry when she wrote it. This is one of those. The book uses the phrase "discreet rage" about one of its characters, and I think that sentiment succinctly describes the whole book. The protagonist, Dora Rosario, is ten years into widowhood, and she has devoted her entire life to mourning her unremarkable husband as much as she had previous devoted her life to supporting his every opinion regardless of whether or not she agreed with it. Now, a decade on, her mother-in-law reveals something about Dora's late husband that changes her entire perspective.
I would like to believe we are moving away from the world portrayed in Empty Wardrobes (though not with as much success as I'd like), but this is a stark reminder of how even a few generations ago, in the Sixties, a woman's identity was so controlled by her husband's. There are only two men in this book--Duarte, Dora's dead husband, and Ernesto, the longtime partner of a side character--and they both, through social structures, exercise incredible control over the lives of the women around them without any respect or even knowledge of their impact.
The three main women in this book--Dora, her daughter Lisa, and the narrator--each take a different approach to the male romantic partners in their lives, and none of them comes out the better for it (well, perhaps for Lisa, but I personally doubt it will last), because the ultimate problem is societal attitudes about the way men and women are meant to relate to each other.
It's not a long book, and I can't say much more without spoiling things, but I also think it does some fabulous things with its narration and perspective, and the way it doles out information. Really an excellent framing that allows for a lot of fluidity and filling in gaps with your own visions while remaining clear in the nature of the story it's telling.
This book was only translated into English in 2021, which is a shame, because I think it would have struck a nerve much earlier, but we have it now! Costa does an excellent job with the work too; the writing is full of punchy phrases like the above, and she captures some realistic dialogue--characters repeating themselves, responding in ways that don't quite match up with what was asked, etc.--while keeping it natural-sounding.
This quote by Paul Eluard opens book #14 from the "Women in Translation" rec list, which continues to fatten up my TBR list. This is Empty Wardrobes by Maria Judite de Carvalho, translated from Portuguese by Margaret Jull Costa. This novella, originally published in the 1960s, is about the ways in which women are subsumed by the men in their lives, or otherwise are buffeted about with less control over their lives than they ought to have.
The forward by Kate Zambreno is a wonderfully complementary piece. She talks about the anger she feels going to a woman's funeral and hearing the dead woman sanctified by men in her life who did nothing but take from her, who can speak of her only to praise what she did for others, and can say nothing about what the woman herself was.
Sometimes you can read a book and just know the author was angry when she wrote it. This is one of those. The book uses the phrase "discreet rage" about one of its characters, and I think that sentiment succinctly describes the whole book. The protagonist, Dora Rosario, is ten years into widowhood, and she has devoted her entire life to mourning her unremarkable husband as much as she had previous devoted her life to supporting his every opinion regardless of whether or not she agreed with it. Now, a decade on, her mother-in-law reveals something about Dora's late husband that changes her entire perspective.
I would like to believe we are moving away from the world portrayed in Empty Wardrobes (though not with as much success as I'd like), but this is a stark reminder of how even a few generations ago, in the Sixties, a woman's identity was so controlled by her husband's. There are only two men in this book--Duarte, Dora's dead husband, and Ernesto, the longtime partner of a side character--and they both, through social structures, exercise incredible control over the lives of the women around them without any respect or even knowledge of their impact.
The three main women in this book--Dora, her daughter Lisa, and the narrator--each take a different approach to the male romantic partners in their lives, and none of them comes out the better for it (well, perhaps for Lisa, but I personally doubt it will last), because the ultimate problem is societal attitudes about the way men and women are meant to relate to each other.
It's not a long book, and I can't say much more without spoiling things, but I also think it does some fabulous things with its narration and perspective, and the way it doles out information. Really an excellent framing that allows for a lot of fluidity and filling in gaps with your own visions while remaining clear in the nature of the story it's telling.
This book was only translated into English in 2021, which is a shame, because I think it would have struck a nerve much earlier, but we have it now! Costa does an excellent job with the work too; the writing is full of punchy phrases like the above, and she captures some realistic dialogue--characters repeating themselves, responding in ways that don't quite match up with what was asked, etc.--while keeping it natural-sounding.
Shocking No One, Azure Once Again Talks About Gender in Cookie People
Jan. 11th, 2026 04:49 pmbedesWas not a fan of the new Shadow Milk costume at first, but it’s slowly growing on me, specifically as a potential alternate universe where Shadow Milk fell into repression.
First, there’s the outfit itself. Shadow Milk, as we know him, is obviously associated with Satan (the snake form referencing Eve and the apple, opposing Jesus/Mary figure Pure Vanilla, the tree of knowledge, etc etc). He abandoned his duties as a religious figure. So, why does his crown have a cross on it? Plus, the fact that he is now a king with a sword, as opposed to an androgynous jester with theatrical associations. He’s so much more traditionally masculine — his hair is even cut short.
Which is kind of horrific, in and of itself, right? We know that his hair is alive; would that not be akin to cutting off a limb? And he looks so tired… Shadow Milk has bags under his eyes in his usual form, of course, but it’s the eyebags in combination with the small smile, upturned eyebrows, and the scar.
We can assume that this version of Shadow Milk is some sort of soft roleswap with Eternal Sugar. Perhaps, in this universe, Shadow Milk feels he is unable to be loved unless he scrubs all of his traditionally-queer forms of self-expression away?
... What does that say about Eternal Sugar, and her relationship to gender expression?
First, there’s the outfit itself. Shadow Milk, as we know him, is obviously associated with Satan (the snake form referencing Eve and the apple, opposing Jesus/Mary figure Pure Vanilla, the tree of knowledge, etc etc). He abandoned his duties as a religious figure. So, why does his crown have a cross on it? Plus, the fact that he is now a king with a sword, as opposed to an androgynous jester with theatrical associations. He’s so much more traditionally masculine — his hair is even cut short.
Which is kind of horrific, in and of itself, right? We know that his hair is alive; would that not be akin to cutting off a limb? And he looks so tired… Shadow Milk has bags under his eyes in his usual form, of course, but it’s the eyebags in combination with the small smile, upturned eyebrows, and the scar.
We can assume that this version of Shadow Milk is some sort of soft roleswap with Eternal Sugar. Perhaps, in this universe, Shadow Milk feels he is unable to be loved unless he scrubs all of his traditionally-queer forms of self-expression away?
... What does that say about Eternal Sugar, and her relationship to gender expression?
Poem: Haiku for Natural Monuments of Japan 1-10-26
Jan. 12th, 2026 08:39 pmysabetwordsmithThese poems are spillover from the January 6, 2026 Poetry Fishbowl. They were inspired and sponsored by Anthony Barrette. They also fill the "Up the River" square in my 1-1-26 card for the Public Domain Day Bingo fest. These poems are the first batch in the collection Haiku for Natural Monuments of Japan.
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Poem: "Fight Less, Cuddle More"
Jan. 12th, 2026 08:09 pmysabetwordsmithThis poem is spillover from the January 6, 2026 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired and sponsored by janetmiles. It also fills the "Soup to Nuts" square in my 1-1-26 card for the Public Domain Day Bingo fest. This poem belongs to the Big One and Mercedes threads of the Polychrome Heroics series.
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janetmiles. It also fills the "Soup to Nuts" square in my 1-1-26 card for the Public Domain Day Bingo fest. This poem belongs to the Big One and Mercedes threads of the Polychrome Heroics series.( Read more... )
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Poem: "Hemma BĂ€st"
Jan. 12th, 2026 07:54 pmysabetwordsmithThis poem came out of the January 6, 2026 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by prompts from nsfwords and wyld_dandelyon. It also fills the "Cup of Coffee" square in my 1-1-26 card for the Public Domain Day Bingo fest. This poem has been sponsored by janetmiles. It belongs to the series Hart's Farm.
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nsfwords and wyld_dandelyon. It also fills the "Cup of Coffee" square in my 1-1-26 card for the Public Domain Day Bingo fest. This poem has been sponsored by janetmiles. It belongs to the series Hart's Farm.( Read more... )
