sunshine_revival challenge #5

Journaling prompt: Be a carnival barker for your favorite movie, book, or show (or any other of your choice - game, comic, anything else)! Write a post that showcases the best your chosen title has to offer and entices passersby to check it out.

I'm gonna be real and say I couldn't muster up the energy to do a big post about one thing so here's a small post about a few things I call favourites:

Duel (1971) [trailer]

Duel is a a thriller about a salesman named Dave (played by Dennis Weaver) who is travelling across through California to meet a client. Along the way he overtakes an old tanker truck several times earning the driver's ire. From that moment on Dave is relentlessly pursued by the Truck, and I say that because we never see the driver entirely, so the Truck becomes the "monster" in the story, almost taking on a life of its own. Everywhere Dave goes, the Truck shows up to antagonise him.

The movie is great because of how minimalist it is. There's really only two characters. Dave, and the Truck. And the setting is the rural roads throughout the California desert. There's barely any dialogue, instead the movie relies on sound. The sound of the Truck revving for example becomes a threat. It also really sells the isolation and loneliness of being on the road, and the futility of trying to best something that is unknown/not understood, the Truck seeming almost immortal and not human like its driver.

=

The Writer and the Witch by Robin Sloan

This is a short story thats available for free on the authors website. Its about young writer who meets a witch as he is travelling along the road. He's in a rush to be on his way so ignores the Witch. The Witch curses him and he has to either stand in the same spot or age a year for every step he takes. After discovering the curse is real (he ages 20 years just crossing a bridge), he stands in the same spot for a thousand years (he doesn't age while standing still). Eventually the Witch returns.

I won't spoil what happens because its only 23 pages and you can read it yourself, but its a lovely short story about slowing down and paying attention to the world around you and finding happiness in that.

=

Confessions (short film)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STU9x7OxUy4

Confessions is a dark comedy that starts with two elderly nuns standing in a church looking at the body of a third nun who has died. One of the nuns confesses that she feels a little envious of the third nun. This sparks a conversation between the two remaining nuns about life, growing old, friendship and death as the nuns think about how they would like die and what they would do if they were young women today. The film is funny and the nuns are adorable as they spend the day "breaking the rules"

leecetheartist

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zenigotchas

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ysabetwordsmith

Scientists invent 'living' concrete that heals its own cracks with sunlight

Jin and fellow researchers used two key materials: Cyanobacteria, which turns air and sunlight into food, and filamentous fungi, which produce minerals that seal the cracks.

The microbes survive on just air, light, and water, and when paired together, are able to grow and produce crack-filling minerals in concrete. At least, that’s what Jin’s latest research, published in Materials Today Communications, concluded.

Current Mood: busy

grayestofghosts

I just saw this and thought you all needed to see it immediately:

Ernest Hemingway Visits Chappell Roan's Pink Pony Club by Amy Estes, at McSweeny's

Current Music: "Pink Pony Club," Chappel Roan

apachefirecat

Sorry this is late, guys. We've suddenly had A LOT going on -- A LOT of bad but some seriously good things too. This is going to be the last post for a little while, but please know I love you all!!! Also, if you want, pm me and I'll give you my number for texting.

Didn't get to finish this post, but just sharing what I had brought together in the hopes that it will/can help at least one soul out there. :)

Please do continue with your learning/therapy/sermons while I'm gone, and hey, if you find something really good, don't hesitate to share it! Much love and hugs hugs to you all!!!

Also, those vision boards, guys, like Steve Harvey and others talk about, really DO work!!! Our way of getting things done, though, is not always the good Lord's way, but in the end, it all works out according to His plan -- and thereby for our good!

Watch on YouTube

( Read more... )

apachefirecat

Please be sure to stop by and give the creators some love! Remember, feedback is the breakfast of Champions!

Sorry this is late, guys. We've suddenly had A LOT going on -- A LOT of bad but some seriously good things too. This is going to be the last post for a little while, but please know I love you all!!! Also, if you want, pm me and I'll give you my number for texting.

Watch on YouTube

( Read more... )

tellshannon815

If you’ve written fics for more than one year on AO3, go to your statistics page. Click on the different years at the top to see the categories of statistics for each year.

1. Which year did you write the most words? Do you know why? e.g. you had more time; you were caught up in an exciting new fandom or pairing; you got a rush of ideas etc.
Apparently 2023. That was the year I got into three of my top five fandoms of all time (Dark, From and School Spirits - there was also a new season of Yellowjackets, another of the top five, so I think those would have given me inspiration). Having said that, this was the year I started the epic Dark series which I'm only now coming close to finishing, and AO3 has carried that word count over to 2025 because the most recent chapter of that was posted this year.

2. Which year did you write the least words? Why was this? e.g. lack of time, too busy, no inspiration etc.
Technically it's telling me 2012, but I don't know if I should count that because I only joined AO3 that October so would have the least words for that reason. Out of the full years, it appears to be 2020, with 2021 following. That time period is pretty self explanatory, with a combination of lots of my shows being on ice for the pandemic and therefore not providing as much inspiration, but also I was not in a good headspace during that time due to the lockdowns and not seeing any family for over a year (for anyone who doesn't know this, my extended family is rather scattered across the UK)

3. Which years did you get most hits, kudos, bookmarks and fic subscriptions? Do you know why? (e.g. popular fandoms, lots of words written.) Are there years where you have the same amount of bookmarks and subscriptions?
2015 for hits, 2017 for subscriptions and that has just reminded me of another series I need to finish. Will someone please stop me from starting series? 2023 for bookmarks (blame that one on School Spirits.) 2015 just beats 2023 for kudos.

4. Which years did you get least hits, kudos, bookmarks and fic subscriptions? Do you know why? (e.g. niche fandoms, not many fics written.) Do you have any other conclusions?
2019, looks like quite a few niche fandoms that year.

stonepicnicking_okapi

I am combining my usual Music Monday with answers to Sunshine Challenge #5

Journaling prompt: Be a carnival barker for your favorite movie, book, or show (or any other of your choice - game, comic, anything else)! Write a post that showcases the best your chosen title has to offer and entices passersby to check it out.
Creative prompt: Write a fic or original story about a character reluctantly doing something they are hesitant about.

I struggled a bit with this prompt. It's not really my thing to try to convince someone else to like what I like. But I don't mind talking about 4 songs by Korean rapper Agust D (aka SUGA of BTS, real name: Min Yoongi).

So in my mind, Agust D has 4 great songs: Agust D, Moonlight, Daechwita, and People No. 1.

"Agust D" is the best pump song. I listen to it almost every time I exercise. There are military style snare drums, and he samples James Brown's "It’s Man’s Man’s Man’s World." James Brown is a big deal where I'm from (South Carolina). Here on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Y_Eiyg4bfk&list=RD3Y_Eiyg4bfk&start_radio=1

"Moonlight" is my favorite song. It's a me song. It sounds like me. Rolling, strolling, people-watching, and not getting in anyone's business. Not too fast. Not too slow. Not too angry. Nothing to do with sex, romance, or love. [Live in Japan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1_WpxS3NqI&list=RDz1_WpxS3NqI&start_radio=1] And it has this line, which is universal for poets and songwriters:

Verse1 은 존나 빠르게 썼는데도
I wrote Verse1 fucking fast,

Verse2 는 진짜 안 나오네 쥐어짜도
but can’t make Verse2 no matter how hard I rack my brain

"Daechwita" is his most important song because it introduces the world outside Korea to Korean culture. Daechwita (literally “great blowing and hitting”) is a genre of Korean traditional music consisting of military music played by wind and percussion instruments, generally performed while marching. And the video is epic.

Watch on YouTube

"People No. 1" is his best song. He had something to say, he said it well, and the beat pushes. The closest I've ever come to finding something I might want to tattoo on my skin permanently is this line from the chorus: 뭐 어때 [What about it] On youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHbl6mt6X80&list=RDsHbl6mt6X80&start_radio=1

This is the chorus:

뭐 어때
What about it

스쳐 지나가면 뭐 어때
If you brush past, what about it

뭐 어때
What about it

상처받으면 뭐 어때
If you get hurt, what about it

때론 또 아플지도
Sometimes you might be in pain again

가끔은 속상해 눈물 흘릴지도
Sometimes you might get upset and shed tears

뭐 어때
What about it

그렇게 살면 뭐 어때
If you live like that, what about it

---

For the creative challenge, yesterday I did a double drabble about Watson going to Devon with Sir Henry Baskerville.

Title: Hesitancy
Fandom: Sherlock Holmes (ACD)
Rating: Gen
Length: 200
Summary: Watson reflects on the decision to go to Dartmoor with Sir Henry Baskerville.

( Read more... )

ysabetwordsmith

Today is cloudy and warm. It rained yesterday.

I fed the birds. I haven't seen much activity yet.

EDIT 7/21/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

EDIT 7/21/25 -- I refilled the thistle feeder.

EDIT 7/21/25 -- I planted 3 pots with 12 sweet cherry seeds.

It's been drizzling on and off.

EDIT 7/21/25 -- I potted up a white peach seed.

EDIT 7/21/25 -- I was going to go back out, but the drizzle has increased to light rain.

EDIT 7/21/25 -- I picked 3 red cherry tomatoes and 2 blackberries.

I saw a skunk out in the yard, not on the patio, and it scrammed when it saw me. That's what I'm aiming for: we stay out of each other's way. They're welcome to the farther parts the of the yard away from the house.

As it is getting dark, I am done for the night.

Current Mood: busy

muscle_wizard

For

sunshine_revival Challenge Six

Journal Prompt
What games do you play, if any? Are you a solo-gamer or do you view games as a social activity?

I grew up playing board games and card games, and while I still enjoy them, I'm most passionate about video games. I was introduced to them thanks to my older brother. He's 14 years older than me, and I think that definitely influenced our dynamic, growing up it felt like having a second dad sometimes. I'm grateful that rather than exclude me, he included me and my earliest memory is being 4 or 5, watching him play Sonic the Hedgehog 2 on a tiny portable B&W tv. Looking back at it, the fact he could play the bonus stages in greyscale is insane lmao.

I would sit and watch him play, asking questions about what was happening, how the game worked, and he would answer me. He introduced me to RPGs, JRPGs, platformers, racing games, strategy games, and that variety encouraged me to look into other genres as I got older.

One of my favorite baby Toki memories was when we played Spyro the Dragon. Each time Spyro freed a dragon statue, the controller would vibrate and it was the coolest thing to me. I told him this and he would immediately pass the controller to me so I could experience it each time.

The first time I tried playing an RPG on my own, combat "scared" me, so he would get me to the next town and I would run wild in the shops and talking to NPCs. I inherited his PS1 when he got a PS2 and I was allowed to play games in my room with a hand-me-down tv. But when there were games I wanted to play on the PS2, I was allowed to be in his room and play while he was at work.

I was spoiled happily as a child and I appreciate it, because it makes me want to spoil others and make sure everyone has fun. My wife wasn't allowed to have the same experiences growing up, so playing games together has partially been about reclaiming that. She likes low-stress, low-pressure games but her confidence increased to the point I got her to play Paper Mario & The Thousand Year Old Door while I watched c: I also have fond memories of watching my best friend on our sleepovers play Tales of Symphonia and Fire Emblem 7.

This sort of experience has extended to watching my friend play games over Discord for me, and it's some of my favorite bonding we've done.

As a kid I played Candy Land and Go! Fish so much my family still sighs when I mention the games. I was addicted to Space Pinball. My GBC was glued to my hand when I got Pokemon Silver for my birthday. I made my first lesbian lovers OCs when I played Disgaea. The first fandom I wrote thousands of words for was Tales of the Abyss, showing me video games spark my creativity in a different way from comics or film.

I love the worlds presented to me through their music, their mechanics, the flavor text that haunts me in my dreams.

I love video games.

ysabetwordsmith

The Ice Age Echo That Erased Entire Civilizations (The 8.2K Event)

Around 8,200 years ago, the Earth experienced a sudden climatic crash now known as the 8.2k event. Triggered by the collapse of the Laurentide Ice Sheet and a massive outburst from Lake Agassiz, it dumped freshwater into the North Atlantic, disrupting the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation. Temperatures dropped 1–3°C globally for over a century. Monsoon systems weakened, rainfall declined sharply in the Middle East, Europe, and Africa. The result: failed crops, abandoned Neolithic settlements, and major cultural shifts across regions like Mesopotamia, the Indus Valley, and the Sahara.

This gives a stark look at how even robust, resilient systems can collapse under the pressures of an unpredictable environment. Modern civilization is fragile more than resilient. And the AMOC is faltering again.

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

These are some posts from the later part of last week in case you missed them:
Permaculture
Conservation
Early Humans
Creative Jam
Birdfeeding
Recipe: "Dark Chocolate Brownies with Raspberry Spread"
Birdfeeding
Philosophical Questions: Productivity
Permaculture
Survival Skills
Self-Care
Birdfeeding
Current Events
Fireflies
Fruit Trees
Permaculture
Volcanoes
Follow Friday 7-18-25: Homestuck
Hobbies: Makeup Art
Conservation
Safety
Invasive Species
Birdfeeding
Anthropocene
Earthquakes
Evolution
Poem: "Beautiful, Damn Hard, Increasingly Useful"
Paleontology
Smoothie King
Birdfeeding
Good News

"Philosophical Questions: Looks" has 46 comments. "Not a Destination, But a Process" has 147 comments. "The Democratic Armada of the Caribbean" has 96 comments. "Incompetence, Sloppy Thinking, and Laziness" has 65 comments.

Last week's bonus fishbowl went well. Writing is slow, but I have drafts of a triptych to thumbnail shortly.

sunshine_revival is running through July. See the schedule, meet the moderators, and use the master post to navigate the event. Meet new folks in the friending meme. Spread the word!

* Sunshine Revival Challenge 1: Light
Poem: "The Pleasure of Escaping the Responsibility"

* Sunshine Revival Challenge 2: Tunnel of Love
Poem: "Legs of Grass, Feet of Flowers"

* Sunshine Revival Challenge 3: Food

* Sunshine Revival Challenge 4: Fun House
Poem: "The Bee Tree's Gift"

* Sunshine Challenge 5: Carnival Barker

* Sunshine Revival Challenge 6: Game Night
Poem: "A New Twist"

summerofthe69 is now open! You can see the calendar here and the current themes are and Greater Than 69 and Sopping Wet.

There are no open epics at present.

The weather has been hot and wet here. It rained again yesterday. Seen at the birdfeeders this week: a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches, a pair of cardinals, a mourning dove, and a fox squirrel. I've heard red-winged blackbirds, wrens, and a woodpecker without seeing them. Currently blooming: dandelions, pansies, violas, marigolds, petunias, red salvia, wild strawberries, verbena, lantana, sweet alyssum, zinnias, snapdragons, blue lobelia, perennial pinks, impatiens, oxalis, moss rose, yarrow, anise hyssop, firecracker plant, tomatoes, tomatillos, Asiatic lilies, cucumber, yellow squash, zucchini, morning glory, purple echinacea, narrow-leaf mountain mint, black-eyed Susan, yellow coneflower, wild bergamot, chicory, Queen Anne's lace, sunflowers, cup plant, gladioli, firewheel, orange butterfly weed. Tomatillo and pepper have green fruit. Wild strawberries, mulberries, tomatoes, and cucumbers are ripe. Peas are winding down. The first crop of blackberries is done.

Current Mood: busy

zenigotchas

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Current Mood: amused

badly_knitted

Title: Small Kindnesses
Fandom: BtVS
Author:

badly_knitted
Characters: Buffy.
Rating: PG
Setting: After Once More With Feeling.
Summary: Buffy feels raw and broken after being dragged out of heaven, but she’s trying to put a brave face on it.
Word Count: 620
Written For:

sheenianni’s prompt ‘Any, any, you try to hold back the cold; one word, one smile, one baked cookie at a time,’ at

threesentenceficathon.
Disclaimer: I don’t own BtVS, or the characters.

( Small Kindnesses... )

Current Mood: tired
Current Location: my desk

badly_knitted

Title: Well-Behaved
Author:

badly_knitted
Characters: Tosh, Ianto, Owen, Gwen.
Rating: PG
Word Count: 650
Spoilers: A few weeks after End of Days.
Summary: With Jack gone, the rest of the team have been doing their best to carry on, but tonight they’ve decided they need a bit of a break from work.
Written For:

acoldwarinmyhead’s prompt ‘Any, Any, ‘we’re always the well-behaved ones,’ at

threesentenceficathon.
Disclaimer: I don’t own Torchwood, or the characters.

( Well-Behaved... )

Current Mood: tired
Current Location: my desk

andersenmom

Weekly Score: 69.2% (27/39)

Goal 1: Declutter house and take care of family. 79% (23/29)

Review: I didn't do the best on this. I'm having a hard time getting to bed at a good time, and it's becoming obvious.

Goal 2: Catch up on Fannish50. 80% (4/5)

Review: I managed to get both posts written, although I had to change the topic of one, but only posted two instead of the three I'd hoped to. I might have to make an actual schedule on this.

Goal 3: Prep for writing retreat. 0% (0/5)

Review: I didn't manage to do any of this, but it's getting close. So I'd better get moving.

Intentions for the future: G1: Five minutes a day on primary bed, bath, and closet, and get moving on Laundry. My husband managed to catch up with the dishes, so I'll have those to keep up on. G2: I have three posts to write, and at least three to post. G3: I need to email the writing group about the date I chose, and I want to get the meals figured out.

Current Mood: sleepy
Current Music: Soda Pop - Saja Boys

starfleetbrat

I'm so behind with

sunshine_revival

Here's Challenge #4

What is making you smile these days? Create a top 10 list of anything you want to talk about.

1. Cyberpunk 2077 got released for Mac! I am so hype!! Now I just need a steam sale...
2. The Enchanted Greenhouse by Sarah Beth Durst was finally released. I'm looking forward to reading it!
3. Sewing. Sewing makes me happy.
4. The Great British Sewing Bee! its back for S11 and I am so there for it
5. Tunnock's Caramel Wafers - I bought some from Amazon and omg they are so delicious.
6. /r/WeirdFriends over on reddit. people post pics of their frankenstein plushies - plushie friends that have been upcycled into new (sometimes creepy) weirder friends! Some of them are so cute.
7. the ThinkyGames youtube channel - they cover puzzle, problem solving and some mystery games.
8. the small web. honestly seeing so many people making cool little personal sites makes me very happy
9. the news that youtube is going to demonetize AI generated videos! yay!
10. it was 50% off pizzas at Dominoes today so we had pizza!

ysabetwordsmith

Just LET IT DIE

( Read more... )

Current Mood: busy

dualscreen

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ysabetwordsmith

The genius invention that made peace with lions

A 12-year-old boy invented a system of lights that mimicked human patrols, thus shooing lions away from homes and livestock. This reduced interspecies conflicts, allowing lions to coexist peacefully with humans and their livestock.

Think about how humans and wildlife interact. Where there are dangerous conflicts as above, seek to understand each other's behavior and how small changes can reduce or eliminate conflicts so that all species can live and let live. Watch for effective solutions and spread them.

Current Mood: busy

zenigotchas

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stonepicnicking_okapi

Chapters 2-5 of The Hound of the Baskervilles is the London part of the story.

We meet Doctor Mortimer, and he presents the problem to Holmes. We learn of the curse of the Baskervilles and the death of Sir Charles Baskerville [and get the wonderful line: Mr. Holmes, they were the footprints of a gigantic hound!]and the apparition of a hound and the arrival of the new heir, Sir Henry Baskerville. Sir Henry gets a warning letter and loses one of his boots (twice).

Sir Henry

Holmes does some detective work, three threads snap: 1. the caretaker Barrymore is in Dartmoor (so he can't be following Sir Henry in London), 2. the Baker Street irregulars can't find the newspaper from which the words of Sir Henry's warning letter were cut, and 3. they can't correctly identify the man by the cabbie who drove him.

And Holmes dispatches Watson to Dartmoor to accompany Sir Henry.

"...there is no man who is better worth having at your side when you are in a tight place..."

And we get Holmes paraphrasing Laertes in Hamlet when the mysterious follower gives his name to the cabbie as Sherlock Holmes:

A touch, Watson--an undeniable touch!" said e. "I feel a foil as quick and supple as my own."

yourlibrarian

1) I have not been keeping up with the challenges given other things going on, but this one grabbed me: What games do you play, if any? Are you a solo-gamer or do you view games as a social activity? ( Read more... )

2) I've been watching a bunch of things on Max, mostly biographies. I found the Jaws 50 year anniversary documentary interesting as, while I remember the film I've never seen it.

In bios I finished Rock Hudson: All That Heaven Allowed which was a fair amount of surface stuff. ( Read more... )

3) In movies, saw Shazam fury of the gods which was pretty meh, as it just seemed rather predictable. Also watched Traitor which was a lot more interesting in terms of the undercover spy story. Then saw the Batman Lego movie which was 30 minutes too long (tedious final battle section) but was otherwise entertaining, particularly in all its pop culture references. ( Read more... )

4) In TV series, I ended up skipping through most of The New Pope just as I had The Young Pope. It just felt rather repetitive. Also watched The Investigation, a Danish production focused on the police activity finding evidence for the actual case of a murdered journalist aboard a submarine. ( Read more... )

5) Continuing to post trip photos to

common_nature, the latest being our stay in Hood River

Poll #33381 Kudos Footer-530

This poll is anonymous.
Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 5

Want to leave a Kudos?

View Answers

Kudos!
5 (100.0%)

ysabetwordsmith

This poem was written for the Sunshine Revival Challenge 6: Game Night. It also fills the "Dodge" square in my 7-1-25 card for the Western Bingo Fest. It belongs to the series Love Is For Children.

( Read more... )

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

Sunshine Revival Challenge 6: Game Night

Journaling prompt: What games do you play, if any? Are you a solo-gamer or do you view games as a social activity?

Creative prompt: Write a story/fic around the theme "game night".

Post your answer to today’s challenge in your own space and leave a comment in this post saying you did it. Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so.

( Read more... )

Current Mood: busy

zenigotchas

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ysabetwordsmith

11,000-year-old feast uncovered: Why hunters hauled wild boars across mountains

Ancient Iranians hosted epic feasts with wild boars that had been hunted and transported from distant regions. These animals weren’t just dinner—they were symbolic gifts. Tooth enamel analysis revealed they came from different areas, suggesting early communities valued geography in gift-giving. The event took place even before agriculture began, hinting at deeply rooted cultural traditions.

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

The July

crowdfunding Creative Jam is open with a theme of "Heroism -- Real or Perceived." Come give us prompts, or claim some for your own inspiration.

What I Have Written

From My Prompts

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

Today is cloudy and warm. It rained yesterday.

I fed the birds. I haven't seen much activity, but heard a squirrel chattering.

EDIT 7/20/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

EDIT 7/20/25 -- It rained copiously this afternoon, and is still thundering occasionally.

I am done for the night.

Current Mood: busy

thepasteldyke

Today me and Tofi picked some cherries. We picked about 3 liters, but there's still a lot left to pick.

I did a little bit of climbing to get to the higher blanches, but we need to get a different ladder next time so we (I - Tofi is afraid of heights) can reach more of them. Branches do tend to, well... branch out. So if you just lean a ladder against the trunk you'll only reach what's closer to it.

We also made cherry soup, or, as we grew up calling it, spit soup. Cus you cook the berries with the pit (seed?) still in it, so you have a glass next to you while you eat the soup so you can spit it out. Not a very pretty name, but it's true to its name! The first time our friend Ren heard us call cherry soup that they thought we were crazy. It really doesn't sound appetizing when you call it that.

Current Mood: happy
Current Music: 3DS modding/customisation videos

dianec42

Had my first jam session with my new band friends on Friday night. I learned a couple of new songs, semi-learned a couple more. YES, I HAVE STARTED A SPREADSHEET.

Uh oh. These people are GOOD. And loud. And they like fast, energetic songs.

We're doing some Pat Benatar, Blink 182, Green Day (soon), No Doubt, maybe some Alice In Chains, that sort of thing. All new songs to me, which is fine. I don't actually remember any songs from my previous lives; and frankly, if I never play Van Morrison for drunk 40-something coworkers ever again, that's okay. Not that there's anything wrong with being 40 - I wish I was 40 again! - just saying this is a different vibe altogether.

Edit: Also, cue me trying to remember which online sheet music stores I bought stuff from 20 years ago to see if I can re-download any of it. ALAS. SheetMusicPlus admits it knows me, but says I've never bought anything.

badly_knitted

Title: Denial
Fandom: Babylon 5
Author:

badly_knitted
Characters: Stephen Franklin, Michael Garibaldi
Rating: PG
Spoilers/Setting: Interludes and Examinations.
Summary: Stephen attempts to prove that he isn’t addicted to stims.
Written For: Challenge 465: Amnesty 77 at

fan_flashworks, using Challenge 84: Drugs.
Disclaimer: I don’t own Babylon 5, or the characters. They belong to J. Michael Straczynski.
A/N: Quadruple drabble.

( Denial... )

Current Mood: tired
Current Location: my desk

badly_knitted

Title: Don't Give Up
Fandom: FAKE
Author:

badly_knitted
Characters: Dee, Ryo.
Rating: PG
Written For: Challenge 459: Going To Pot at

drabble_zone.
Setting: After Like Like Love.
Summary: Ryo and Dee aren’t going to let the current political situation drag them down.
Disclaimer: I don’t own FAKE, or the characters. They belong to the wonderful Sanami Matoh.
A/N: Double drabble.

( Don't Give Up... )

Current Mood: tired
Current Location: my desk

badly_knitted

Title: Annoying Situation
Author:

badly_knitted
Characters: Ianto, Jack.
Rating: PG
Written For: Challenge 874: Mad at

torchwood100.
Spoilers: Nada.
Summary: Jack has done something stupid.
Disclaimer: I don’t own Torchwood, or the characters.
A/N: Double drabble.

( Annoying Situation... )

Current Mood: tired
Current Location: my desk

althea_valara

Challenge #6

Journaling prompt: What games do you play, if any? Are you a solo-gamer or do you view games as a social activity?
Creative prompt: Write a story/fic around the theme "game night".

Post your answer to today’s challenge in your own space and leave a comment in this post saying you did it. Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so.

I don't watch TV (except for game shows during dinner, and that's more mom's doing than mine). I don't watch movies. It's rare I read books these days. What I DO do, though, is play video games, mostly (Japanese) Role Playing Games. Those games are filled with stories, which satisfies my need for escapism into other worlds. I also find that I very much prefer my media to be interactive these days; when I do try to watch a movie, I often get antsy and bored because it's so passive.

Streamed Games

I'm currently playing three games on my Twitch Stream:

* Final Fantasy V for the Four Job Fiesta, Mondays at 7:30pm CDT
* Final Fantasy XI, where we're currently in the Chains of Promathia expansion, Fridays at 7:30pm CDT
* Final Fantasy XIV, doing side content, Saturdays at 7:30pm CDT

...uh, yeah, I LOVE FINAL FANTASY. I have played non-Final Fantasy games on stream - most recently was the Nintendo Switch game Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles which was chill and delightful. And I really hope to play more non-Final Fantasy games in the future.

Final Fantasy V is a single-player game, in which there are a multitude of jobs your four characters can play as. The Four Job Fiesta is a challenge in which you are assigned four jobs to play, one for each character, and you can only play as those jobs. It's usually a fun, grand time, but I have not had luck with the RNG this year; I've gotten terrible jobs that I don't enjoy playing as (so far: Thief, Mystic Knight, and Beastmaster). Yuck! But I intend to continue the run.

Both FFXI and FFXIV are MMORPGs (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games). FFXI has been around for over 20 years (!!!) and I used to play it heavily about 12 years ago. Back then, I played with other players, because it was the best way to progress. The game is much more solo-friendly now, and I'm playing through story on a new alt, so I've been soloing everything with Trusts (non-player characters).

FFXIV is most efficient when played with other players, and yet I do a lot of things solo in that game too. I'm pretty shy and have social anxiety, so it can be hard for me to find the courage to play with others. I'm getting better at doing that, though! I've been joining some Party Finders that sound fun and interesting, including a challenge run of an Alliance raid (we went all healers!) and a Blue Mage spell learning party.

I'm grateful there's so many different ways to advance in FFXIV, and I can do it in a way that's comfy for me. But yes, I do want to practice putting myself out there and being brave.

Casual Games

I play a number of casual games, too! These I can pick up and play for a few minutes here and there.

On my Fire tablet, I play Word Shaker (a Boggle clone) and Solitaire City where I am VERY partial to the Yukon solitaire game.

On my iPhone, I play WordScapes. My particular version sets of the board as a crossword.

On my computer, I'm playing Cats In Boxes which is a delightful puzzle game in which you direct cats to push boxes around so the boxes land on the shaded squares. I'm really enjoying it!

So yeah, I'm a BIG gamer. I enjoy casual games because they distract me from my thoughts and give me a few minutes to reset. I enjoy my (J)RPGs for the amazing stories and fantastic characters. I hope to be gaming the rest of my life!

Current Mood: enthralled

mabiana

All the fannish coffee mugs I bought at Thalia this spring needed appropriate coasters, obviously. ;-)

In a macrame book I have there are instructions for making coasters and I vaguely wondered if they might make nice presents, but the design they proposed didn't really call to me and so I postponed the idea. But with the new old fannish obsession there then came quite an obvious choice. ;-) Although with all the white and my tendency to spill my tea I am not that sure they will really go into practical use and not just end up on a wall. In fact, I am now wondering which other fandoms I could thus work into a macrame project, and make some kind of macrame fandom exhibition on said non-existent empty wall...

ysabetwordsmith

I made these tonight.

( Read more... )

Current Mood: accomplished

elf

1. Chaos. Last night, the building across the street caught on fire.

Again.

It's an abandoned/defunct factory; this is the... fifth? time it's caught on fire in the last couple of years. (The owner who acquired it after the previous owner died has been trying to sell it for far more than anyone wants to pay.)

2. Discord. This morning: Skipped my GURPS game (sigh) for round 3 of 4 of the Seattle Worldcon virtual business meeting. 3.75 hours of intense Roberts Rules neepery wrapped around 16 action items. 14 passed, 2 failed. I took notes on (1) everything that happened and (2) How To Bog Down A Worldcon Business Meeting, should I ever be so inclined.

There are a substantial number of people involved for whom Roberts Rules is apparently their main fandom. The Worldcon Business Meeting is their Pennsic. Some of them get annoyed at people who aren't interested in RRONR procedures as much as they want changes to Worldcon rules.

Also I have volunteered to be on two committees; we'll see if I get accepted to either.

3. Confusion. Family birthday party. Eldest daughter came over to cook tacos yay. Much bustling around a small kitchen with people no longer used to having three butts in a one-butt sized space.

Tacos were yummy. Cake and ice cream were yummy. French-press coffee was yummy; I wound up thinking "I should do that more often" and then remembered why I don't - because the cleanup is a hassle, and also, I prefer the coffee hotter than the press makes it. (5 minutes of sitting in a glass cylinder is cooler than I prefer.) But it's nice once in a while.

4. Bureaucracy. 2 hrs of OTW Board public meeting. (The meeting is 1 hr, but I'm involved as a volunteer, so had to be there in advance.) It ran short - instead of the normal "dozen questions emailed in advance + 10-20 questions asked in session," it was "5 questions sent in advance and only 4 more asked in session." All questions answered during the meeting; none left over to get posted on the website later.

5. Aftermath. Kid the Elder has gone home with doggo via Lyft; I am trying to catch up on the several chat channels with all sorts of stuff in them. Also now trying to figure out what writing deadlines I have pressing that have been shoved aside during prep for these two meetings.

( Now what? )

tellshannon815

Ever wished more people knew more about some of your favourite fandoms, whether that be movie, book, show, video game, comic, even band or hobby? Now is your chance to be a “carnival barker”, someone who hangs around outside the carnival and tries to promote it to people passing by.

Challenge #5

Journaling prompt: Be a carnival barker for your favorite movie, book, or show (or any other of your choice - game, comic, anything else)! Write a post that showcases the best your chosen title has to offer and entices passersby to check it out.
Creative prompt: Write a fic or original story about a character reluctantly doing something they are hesitant about.

Title: I'm Never Going Back, The Past Is In The Past
Fandom: School Spirits
Characters: Charley, Yuri, Wally, Rhonda, Janet, Quinn
Rating: PG
Warnings: Spoilers all through S2
Summary: Charley's always avoided his class reunions, but reluctantly considers attending the next one.

( Read more... )

zenigotchas

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

ysabetwordsmith

Today is cloudy, mild, and wet. It rained all morning.

I fed the birds. I've seen motion but the windows were too wet to identify anything.

EDIT 7/19/25 -- Yay, the window dried up enough to see through! Sparrows, house finches, and a mourning dove are mobbing the feeders.

EDIT 7/19/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

EDIT 7/19/25 -- I potted up 2 cherry plums and a white peach.

EDIT 7/19/25 -- I added more potting soil to several pots that needed it.

Fireflies are coming out. Cicadas are singing.

I am done for the night.

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

People have expressed interest in deep topics, so this list focuses on philosophical questions.

How should we measure the productivity of a society?

( Read more... )

Current Mood: busy

stonepicnicking_okapi

Journaling: What is making you smile these days? Create a top 10 list of anything you want to talk about.
Creative: Write from the perspective of a house or other location.

Part 1

Here are 10 interesting things I've done (Note: all these took place 15+ years ago. I am not interesting anymore.).

1. I was a participant in phase 1 of a clinical trial for an Ebola virus vaccine.
2. I was in Rwanda on the 10th anniversary of the genocide.
3. I allowed a Sri Lankan child to put me in my underpants in a bathtub of what looked like tomato soup and whack me with something like a cabbage leaf. It was strange. This was for a project on ayurvedic medicine.
4. I survived an earthquake in Bolivia.
5. Skydiving.
6. Guanacos laughed at me when I was hiking in Tierra del Fuego. They see you (and you don't see them) and they make his noise like laughing. It's funny and weird.
7. I hiked alone part of Ruta de los Jesuitas between Argentina and Chile. This is an ancient path that the Jesuit missionaries would walk between camps.
8. When landing in Zanzibar, the small plane dropped too fast, and something happened to my ears, and I was completely deaf for the first day of my stay there. It was strange.
9. On 9/11, I was working on an organic pineapple farm in Ecuador which only had radio contact with the outside world, and I didn't know what happened for about three days until I went to an internet cafe in the nearest town to figure out what the kids were talking about.
10. A baboon once stole my breakfast jam.

Part 2

Title: 221 B
Fandom: Sherlock Holmes (ACD)
Rating: Gen
Length: 300
Note: POV building, in response to this scholar's comment in The New Annotated Sherlock Holmes: It is curious how frequenly Holmes' clients took insufficient care of their property. The result was always highly satisfactory for Holmes invariably made a reconstruction of the missing client from the missing article.
Summary: How 221B helps divert its occupant.

( Read more... )

badly_knitted

Title: Different Strokes
Fandom: FAKE
Author:

badly_knitted
Characters: Dee, Ryo.
Rating: PG
Setting: After the manga.
Summary: Everyone has their own way of keeping energised for work.
Written For: Challenge 483: Amnesty 80 at

fan_flashworks, using Challenge 480: Nap.
Disclaimer: I don’t own FAKE, or the characters. They belong to the wonderful Sanami Matoh.
A/N: Double drabble.

( Different Strokes... )

Current Mood: tired
Current Location: my desk

badly_knitted

Title: Floral Spectacle
Author:

badly_knitted
Characters: Tenth Doctor, Martha Jones.
Rating: G
Written For: Challenge 941: ‘Blossom’ at

dw100.
Spoilers: Nada.
Summary: The Doctor takes Martha somewhere beautiful.
Disclaimer: I don’t own Doctor Who, or the characters.

( Floral Spectacle... )

Current Mood: tired
Current Location: my desk

badly_knitted

Title: Occupational Hazard
Author:

badly_knitted
Characters: Jack, OMC William.
Rating: PG
Written For: Challenge 874: Mad at

torchwood100.
Spoilers: Nada.
Summary: Torchwood agents are seldom paragons of sanity. Not after the first few weeks anyway.
Disclaimer: I don’t own Torchwood, or the characters.
A/N: Double drabble.

( Occupational Hazard... )

Current Mood: tired
Current Location: my desk

littleliability

Would you believe me if I said I meant to post yesterday? Ah, alas, I had work and almost fell asleep on the couch when I got home. But that's alright, I'm happy to be back at work with some of my favorite (and, admittedly, least favorite) coworkers. Doesn't necessarily help that we were deep cleaning last night (I suspect that's why my back hurts more than usual), but it was okay. I had a hell of a day yesterday - Soup decided to copy his older brother and try drinking out of the toilet, leading to me having to fish him out and give him a bath at 5 in the morning. What a creature he is. He's fine, he was just stinky for a bit.

But, for today's small joys, it may be early but I have a few (and will add more later):

it's Tim Drake's birthday! The third Robin and, for a time, Red Robin. I swear I can be normal about him. (I can't.)
salted caramel coffee gifted to me by my late friend :)
the light catcher on the porch made rainbows on the wall earlier and the cats were chasing them
my friend sent me a picture of a black widow
meeting up later to make character sheets for a Call of Cthulhu game

Looking forward to today, overall :D today is gonna be a good day.

Current Mood: dreamy!
Current Music: So-Called Str8 Grrrl by Gina Young

mabiana

I cannot decide whether I'm tired enough to actually attempt to nap or whether to do something when I'm feeling too sleepy to decide what I want to do, so I shall babble at you. ;-)

Yesterday at work, we had to attend two hours mandatory explanation of the current data protection laws. It wasn't helped that the lecture had actually been intended for supervisors only who were then supposed to instruct those at the bottom, and our head of department had decided to just have everyone attend at once, much to the bafflement of the person from outside the institution faced with 40 instead of 15 people in the virtual meeting. It was very lucky it was at least online. Not that I did anything but intently listen, of course. Particularly to the stuff totally above my paygrade. So, it was certainly not during those two hours of my life that I googled the number who keeps calling my landline and my cell phone after all. And to my surprise found that it was indeed already known for aggressive advertising. So, not a person who knows me, but someone had apparently sold both my numbers at once. Not that much better, but I can now stop wondering if it is my sister-in-law suddenly remembering my existence after all (possibly because I stubbornly keep sending Christmas and only recently birthday cards into the silence, as I am not going to be the one who cuts the relation for good Period, or poked at by one of the aunts). Good I googled after all, at some point I might have felt obliged to answer in case it is her. Now that number is blocked.

Quite a while ago I had preordered a book on amazon, before I had started to order books in German on Thalia. I was quite baffled last Saturday when I saw someone posting on Tumblr about just having received the book that is only supposed to be published next week, and went to check - amazon still only offered preorders, Thalia already had listed it as available for mail orders. I have noticed that orders from Thalia are actually sometimes fulfilled by wholesale trader Zeitfracht, so I can see how they could be quicker with something newly published. I waited until Monday, hoping my order would be sent with only a few days delay, but no - and as I am impatient fangirl I ordered at Thalia on Tuesday and had my book on Thursday night. I had actually forgotten to cancel the amazon order which I meant to do once I got confirmation of the other copy being mailed, and expected it would now be too late - but no, no problem, not even the thing with the later email rejection or confirmation, order just gone right away. I see that now they say they could deliver on Tuesday, but it would still be a preorder. Interesting. I shall investigate further with other things to come out soon.

The book now gotten quicker is Die Auferstehung by bestselling author Andreas Eschbach, who wrote a crime novel with the Die Drei Fragezeichen/The Three Investigators characters, but at a much later point in their life. As the two and counting graphic novels who also chose that motif he has them be estranged for decades, but thankfully his book is not as dark as the graphic novels and doesn't do the cliffhanger endings they apparently will keep on having (I will in all likelihood faithfully keep buying them, but I'm not sure I would if it weren't about them, because they really are gloomy and I am not a fan of the cliffhanger), but has an actual ending. I started yesterday afternoon and finished this morning and if I hadn't been keen on being early at the pool for minimal swimming crowd (or was still younger ;-) ) I'd probably have read it in one go. So, obviously, I liked it and wanted to know how it ends and was very invested in them finally working together again already instead of trying to solve the same case solo. Very much appreciate that they hadn't just been aged up to be somewhat older, but where actually my current age with the graying hair and all. And yet, Aunt Mathilda is still alive, yay. ;-) I can't say this really is where I see the characters going with their futures (well, acually, I see them living happily ever after bonded in eternal friendship as professional private investigators ;-) ), but interesting take that I thoroughly enjoyed and that I at least intend to read again at one point.

In other news, while I was lying on the balcony with my book yesterday and took a little break to admire my petunia, I noticed they had lice. Two different kinds of them. And ants herding them. Booo.

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