Sleepy Sunday

Oct. 20th, 2025 12:49 am
tyger: Xemnas' Avatar Kingdom chibi. Text: Xemnas (Xemnas - chibi)
[personal profile] tyger

We tried to work on the chook coop thing again! It... did progress? But not far. Fuck this fucking kit, I swear. (Also Mama is SO SURPRISED at how small it is, and is like, I don't think it's matching the measurements on the website. Me: No it totally is, it's just that you thought that meant something bigger than it actually is.)

Anyway, might try and get some more done tomorrow, though it'll depend on how late my doctor's appointment is and when I get back from getting meds etc. etc.

I did also work on the quilt tonight! Got three more lines done, which is half the number of lines as yesterday, but more than half the work. They're still! Getting! Longer!!! Getting through thread, too, which is part of the goal! Looks like we'll be running out of variegated stuff sooner than I thought we would, I thought it'd last one whole direction, but looks like not so much. Oh well! Still got a fuckton of thread to use, I'm not worried about that so it's fine. :3 (Hopefully after this we'll at least be down to two boxes of thread, though I'm not gonna be mad if it's only one... :D)

Also! Managed to brush both cats this afternoon, which is extremely handy given it's shedding season again. They're still gonna be shedding every-fucking-where, but at least some of it is contained! :3

tyger: Aqua, from the BbS opening cutscene (Aqua - >|)
[personal profile] tyger

Working on the chook coop again today, and. Wow. Just. UGH. Part of this thing is EXTREMELY ANNOYING and I ended up nopeing out of it for today because frustration levels too high. Nope!!!!

Will try with a different approach probably tomorrow (depending on weather).

I DID get a bunch of quilting done, though, so I'm happy with that. It's looking pretty good! Definitely amateur, but as I AM an amateur, that's fine! I don't actually care about stuff like 'gaps should be exactly half the stitch length', or even. You know. Super consistent stitch lengths in general. I mean, they should be ballpark the same, because I want this thing to STICK, but that's a practical consideration rather than aesthetic. The thing's big enough it's gonna fade into the background anyway, so I really do not feel bad about not caring. XD;;;

I also went for a walk to the shops with Mama, and we got extremely useful staples, milk and cordial. I continue to combat dehydration! Not the best at succeeding, but I also don't lose majorly, so it'll be fine... Having non-gross things to drink does help a lot though.

Speak Up Saturday 💌

Oct. 18th, 2025 03:35 pm
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[personal profile] feurioo posting in [community profile] tv_talk
Assortment of black and white speech bubbles

Welcome to the weekly roundup post! What are you watching this week? What are you excited about?

Fwee!

Oct. 18th, 2025 02:19 am
tyger: Xion-sprite, glaring. (Xion - >[)
[personal profile] tyger

Did a few things, today!

Helped Mama out putting together this chook run kit thing she got - the idea is to replace the run we have so it's less. Completely terrible to move around in. Not sure if it's gonna be big enough, but it's something at least! Very fiddly to put together, but should be okay.

I also started the quilting part of the blanket! Doing sashiko-style, and it's going pretty well! Faster than I was dreading, too! Still going to take a while, but I might end up doing the entire pattern rather than just bare bones... Will see how it goes; since I'm going on a diagonal the rows are getting longer, and I haven't reached max width yet, so might take forever after all. Still, it's encouraging!

Home repairs/improvement updates )

...anyway. Yes. House stuff is happening! Slowly, but still! Happening! :D

Also my toof is pmuch better. Which is great! :3

Review: Jinkies and Minority Monsters

Oct. 17th, 2025 04:13 pm
merrileemakes: A very tired looking orange cat peering sleepily at you while curled up on a laptop bag (Default)
[personal profile] merrileemakes posting in [community profile] booknook
There's 2 more works from the itch Curated Collections About LGBTQIA list that I want to highlight.


Jinkies! A Daphne/Velma Zine by Elise Schuenke

More an art book than a story but it contains utterly adorable snippets from the life of 2 gorgeous and adventerous women. There's fun encounters, domestic scenes and bonus Buzzfeed Unsolved references. I am 100% here for these feels.

If you like Elise's style I also recommend her other works Starcrossed and Still Here.


Minority Monsters by Tab Kimpton

Description: Greetings explorers, and welcome to Alphabet Soup Land! Want to learn about the not-so-invisible Bisexual Unicorn? The secrets of the Asexual Succubus? Or the previously unfathomable fathoms of the Genderqueer Merperson? If so, you’re in the right place! Packed full with comics of mythical monsters, field notes and information sections; this spotters guide of LGBT* and Queer creatures is the perfect companion for any adventurer.

Review: This is such a wholesome and fun approach to describing the different flavours of humans. But it's also quite nuanced and introduces some of the common mythconceptions and misunderstandings around different identities. The art is fun, colourful and inclusive. It might read a little condescending at times, but I mostly read that as minority fatigue. For an entry price of pay what you want it's worth checking out, even if only for a moment of dopamine.

How Much Will TV Shows Matter?

Oct. 16th, 2025 04:09 pm
yourlibrarian: Mariko-san, close-up (OTH-Mariko-bangparty)
[personal profile] yourlibrarian posting in [community profile] tv_talk
There was a recent article in the Hollywood Reporter about how movies are the lifeblood of streaming services. Though I find this disappointing, I don't find it surprising. Movies are (often) a one-shot sort of story, quick to get through, and usually getting a lot of expensive publicity before their release date, thus raising awareness in a big part of the potential viewing public. And people rewatch a good bit because, again, it's short and doesn't require a big commitment.

The other two reasons are, I think, more recent in nature. One is that movie attendance has been declining for some time, but I never thought this was because people were less interested in them. It's just that it's expensive and inconvenient to go see them away from home. I mean, HBO was created in 1972 primarily as a home movie viewing option, as well as for some sports, which was also entertainment you had to go out for. And people were so interested in being able to watch movies (I won't even say "recent' because the theatrical run used to be pretty long), not even on demand, but on a convenient schedule, that HBO was a viable business for decades even as video rental became common. I'd add that it was common that, whether or not a hotel had cable, HBO was almost expected to be available as well.

But these numbers seem to indicate something besides the eternal popularity of movies and increasing desire to skip the theater and see them at home: Read more... )

Toof hurt :( :( :(

Oct. 17th, 2025 01:39 am
tyger: A small ginger cat in a wicker bag (Sushi - bag)
[personal profile] tyger

Yeah, dentist today. Bleh. I mean, they're nice and they do good work but. Well.

It's like I said at tea time, on the one hand the anaesthetic's worn off. On the other hand, the anaesthetic's worn off...

One was a really deep one, and that's the one that's hurting. Bleh. It's not too bad, I don't even actually need painkillers for it, it's just annoying. Also I'm hungry and there's a couple of jaw movements that are painful, which is. Not a great combination. :( I did eat tea, and I had a boiled egg and a lychee pudding cup a couple of hours ago, but stomach says MOAR. Bleh.

Clearly it is time for sleepy sleeps, and hopefully my toof will have settled down in the morning!

silversea: Blonde girl laying (Default)
[personal profile] silversea posting in [community profile] booknook


Title: The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches
Author: Sangu Mandanna
Genre: Cozy fantasy, romance

Happy spooky month! My book club read The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches this month, and it was a fun story about a lonely witch finding a family.

There aren't many rules for witches, but the most important rule is to keep yourself hidden. Another very important rule is witches should not gather together, out of fear of magic going haywire. Mika Moon, a lonely witch, decides to break these rules when a desperate man reaches out to her for her help with teaching three young witches how to control their powers.

This is a sweet story about making your own home, focusing on Mika and the odd inhabitants of Nowhere House, including a grumpy but handsome librarian, Jamie. Thanks to Mika’s cold upbringing, she has few connections with others and feels isolated. As she becomes more comfortable at Nowhere House, she starts questioning the rules she was raised with and fall in love with Jamie. The residents are also misfits of society who are fiercely protective of the safe refuge they made, understand her loneliness and extends their family to her. However, when Mika learns their secrets, she realizes the situation is more complicated than expected.

Spoilers for the ending )

I am not usually a fan of cozy fantasies, but this was a nice breezy read and I enjoyed the romance. It’s a rather predictable story, but still entertaining with charming characters that you just want to root for. I'm also admittedly a big fan of the Jane Austen references throughout the books!

Basting! Is! Done!!!

Oct. 16th, 2025 03:36 am
tyger: (One Piece) Helmeppo hugging Coby, as he has a haki-awakening induced breakdown on the battlefield at Marineford (Cobymeppo - hug)
[personal profile] tyger

It's done! It's finally fucking done! \o/!!!!!

I had to work pretty late to get it done, honestly it was a little much for one day (for me), but I was SO CLOSE so of course I pushed myself and got it done. Eeeee, done! Hopefully I never have to do that again omg. Particularly not on this scale!

Still, yay! May or may not start the actual quilting tomorrow; I've got the dentist again with a couple of fillings and it'll depend on how motivated I feel as much as anything hahaha.

Other than that, went for a walk with Mama, which was nice! I wore my new shoes and got a blister, though, which I was pmuch expecting. Hopefully once I get my feet used to them / shoes worn in I'll get a callus that'll fucking stay, but given how often this happens I'm not gonna count on it. :/ At least these are all season shoes so it won't be like my goddamn sandal calluses that need to be acquired every fucking year...

RIP (Read In Progress) Wednesday

Oct. 15th, 2025 04:29 pm
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[personal profile] spiralsheep posting in [community profile] booknook
I hope you're all enjoying the longer reviews that members have been posting.

Those of you who prefer a shorter check-in can share your recent reading in comments to this post. :-)

Review: Fall Baking

Oct. 14th, 2025 10:05 pm
ysabetwordsmith: Cartoon of me in Wordsmith persona (Default)
[personal profile] ysabetwordsmith posting in [community profile] books
Taste of Home Fall Baking: 275+ Breads, Pies, Cookies and More!
Paperback – September 13, 2022
by Taste of Home (Editor)

Read more... )

TV Tuesday: Who's That?

Oct. 14th, 2025 11:40 am
yourlibrarian: Jon Stewart is confused (OTH-Whaa-Stewart)
[personal profile] yourlibrarian posting in [community profile] tv_talk

Laptop-TV combo with DVDs on top and smartphone on the desk



Sometimes we hear about certain actors almost being cast in television shows. Which actor would you like to have seen in a particular show? Or are there examples in which you're glad a particular actor didn't make the cut?

Progress, if slow.

Oct. 15th, 2025 01:27 am
tyger: Saïx's Avatar Kingdom chibi. Text: Saïx. (Saïx - chibi)
[personal profile] tyger

No post last night as the internet went down and I said fuckit and went to bed, hahaha.

Both yesterday and today mostly just working on the blanket, nothing too exciting really. Still not done, but I'm getting much faster, which is something! Hopefully I'll get it fully basted tomorrow, but we'll see, it's uh. Still a lot.

Blanket rambles. )

Sanders' High School Reader

Oct. 12th, 2025 11:49 pm
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[personal profile] marycatelli posting in [community profile] books
Sanders' High School Reader by Charles Walton Sanders

The final reading program with more elocution exercises. The standards by which the choices were made are laid out in the preface.

So again the interesting thing to the modern reader is probably the choices. Scientific, religious, political, historical -- poems, speeches, essays --

The religious is sometimes generically theistic, sometimes Christian, sometimes specifically Protestant (in a passage where it is explicitly stated that the contemplative vocation is non-existent).

Book Review: The Originalism Trap

Oct. 12th, 2025 05:21 pm
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[personal profile] rocky41_7 posting in [community profile] booknook
Title: The Originalism Trap: How Extremists Stole the Constitution and How We the People Can Take it Back
Author: Madiba K. Deenie
Genre: Non-fiction, politics

This one is not likely to be of much interest to non-Americans. This weekend I blew through The Originalism Trap: How Extremists Stole the Constitution and How We the People can Take it Back by Madiba K. Dennie. This book delves into the originalism theory of constitutional interpretation, why it's far more ahistorical than its adherents want you to believe, and some tracks we could take to counter it.

If you aren't familiar, "originalism" is a theory of constitutional interpretation that says in order to understand the Constitution, we must interpret it as closely as we can to how the original writers would have interpreted it. It posits itself as the most true-to-history and unbiased way to interpret the Constitution. It was also a fringe theory for decades, until relatively recent political winds brought it to the forefront.

Originalism traps us in the mindset of 18th century wealthy white men and refuses to let us progress any further. Originalism says if we didn't have the right then, we can't have it now. Originalism cherry-picks its history to conveniently arrive at a conservative goalpost no matter what the real story is. I wrote an essay in grad school on why originalism is horseshit, so this book was of particular interest to me.

Dennie does a great job making this book accessible to everyone. I would strongly recommend this as a read for any one in the legal or legal-adjacent professions, but I think anyone can read and pick up what Dennie is laying down here. She summarizes the history of originalism as well as deep-diving into its most recent developments (this book was published in 2024, so it's quite recent).

Originalism has a way of making itself seem inevitable, but Dennie reveals with researched ease how untrue that is; she shows the hypocrisy and insincerity of the theory over and over. 

Dennie doesn't stop at "here's what's wrong" either--she has proposal and suggestions for how to counter the outsized influence of this once-disfavored theory and what we as citizens can do to push back against it. On the whole, while there is obviously anger and frustration in this book--feelings I share!--there is also a lot of hope and optimism. Dennie calls herself an optimist at heart, and it shows. This is not a doom-and-gloom book foreseeing an indefinite miserable political future for liberals and anyone who wants to expand rather than contract the depth and breadth of our rights. It is a justified call-out to political opportunists seeking to dress their partisanship up as rationalism, but it is also an essay on how it doesn't have to be this way.

At a brief 218 pages (plus bibliography), The Originalism Trap is easy to recommend to any fellow Americans, both as a way to understand where we're at, and a way forward, hopefully out of this extremist quagmire. Dennie can occasionally be irreverent in a way I feel detracts rather than adds to her argument, but she is also dealing with incredibly dry material that the average reader will probably struggle to stay engaged with, so I can forgive it. Very glad I picked this one up and I left feeling hopeful that there is an achievable alternative to where we are now.


Recent Reading: The Originalism Trap

Oct. 12th, 2025 05:19 pm
rocky41_7: (Default)
[personal profile] rocky41_7 posting in [community profile] books
This one is not likely to be of much interest to non-Americans. This weekend I blew through The Originalism Trap: How Extremists Stole the Constitution and How We the People can Take it Back by Madiba K. Dennie. This book delves into the originalism theory of constitutional interpretation, why it's far more ahistorical than its adherents want you to believe, and some tracks we could take to counter it.

If you aren't familiar, "originalism" is a theory of constitutional interpretation that says in order to understand the Constitution, we must interpret it as closely as we can to how the original writers would have interpreted it. It posits itself as the most true-to-history and unbiased way to interpret the Constitution. It was also a fringe theory for decades, until relatively recent political winds brought it to the forefront.

Originalism traps us in the mindset of 18th century wealthy white men and refuses to let us progress any further. Originalism says if we didn't have the right then, we can't have it now. Originalism cherry-picks its history to conveniently arrive at a conservative goalpost no matter what the real story is. I wrote an essay in grad school on why originalism is horseshit, so this book was of particular interest to me.

Dennie does a great job making this book accessible to everyone. I would strongly recommend this as a read for any one in the legal or legal-adjacent professions, but I think anyone can read and pick up what Dennie is laying down here. She summarizes the history of originalism as well as deep-diving into its most recent developments (this book was published in 2024, so it's quite recent).

Originalism has a way of making itself seem inevitable, but Dennie reveals with researched ease how untrue that is; she shows the hypocrisy and insincerity of the theory over and over. 

Dennie doesn't stop at "here's what's wrong" either--she has proposal and suggestions for how to counter the outsized influence of this once-disfavored theory and what we as citizens can do to push back against it. On the whole, while there is obviously anger and frustration in this book--feelings I share!--there is also a lot of hope and optimism. Dennie calls herself an optimist at heart, and it shows. This is not a doom-and-gloom book foreseeing an indefinite miserable political future for liberals and anyone who wants to expand rather than contract the depth and breadth of our rights. It is a justified call-out to political opportunists seeking to dress their partisanship up as rationalism, but it is also an essay on how it doesn't have to be this way.

At a brief 218 pages (plus bibliography), The Originalism Trap is easy to recommend to any fellow Americans, both as a way to understand where we're at, and a way forward, hopefully out of this extremist quagmire. Dennie can occasionally be irreverent in a way I feel detracts rather than adds to her argument, but she is also dealing with incredibly dry material that the average reader will probably struggle to stay engaged with, so I can forgive it. Very glad I picked this one up and I left feeling hopeful that there is an achievable alternative to where we are now.

althea_valara: Icon of Althea Valara, my main character from Final Fantasy XIV. (Althea Valara)
[personal profile] althea_valara posting in [community profile] booknook
Title: The Ultimate Final Fantasy XIV Online Cookbook: The Essential Culinarian Guide to Hydaelyn
Author: Victoria Rosenthal
ISBN: 978-1-64722-511-7

A photo of the cover of The Ultimate Final Fantasy XIV Online Cookbook.


One of the things I love about Final Fantasy XIV is that it abounds in stories. There's not only the Main Scenario Quest, but tons of side quests to explore. I love that each job in the game has its own storyline, and that is true of the "Crafters" as well. For this cookbook, they took this emphasis on story and ran with it. The first few pages of the book set up the premise for it: Gourmand Gyohan, a "soon-to-be famous Namazu Culinarian", is traveling around Hydaelyn in companionship with Mogria, a moogle who's "a master of meandering". They are visiting the sites where the Warrior of Light (that's the name for the player character) did fantastic deeds.

Like just about every cookbook, this one is grouped by course/meal type, but it also includes a primer on the lands that the Warrior of Light has visited, plus an ingredients guide for the lesser-known items. Care was taken with the book to make the recipes as faithful to the in-game versions; this means that some ingredients might sound exotic to our ears. For example, Birch Syrup is used in the game, and thus is called for in some of the recipes, but the Ingredients Guide does say it can be replaced with Maple Syrup. Some of the ingredients will be familiar to those of Eastern cultures but may be unfamiliar to those from the West, and the English book takes the time to define these ingredients.

Each recipe is photographed and starts with "flavor text", explaining a bit about how Gyohan and Mogria discovered the recipe. The remaining layout of each recipe is as you'd expect: a list of ingredients and the steps to make it, along with prep time and a rating of the recipe's difficulty. Recipes rate from Easy (example: Nutrient-Rich Porridge) to Extreme (example: The Minstrel's Ballad: Almond Cream Croissants). Folks who have played FFXIV will appreciate this nod to the harder trials in the game, which are known as Extremes and often are unlocked by talking to a Minstrel.

I found this cookbook a delight to read, especially since I'm a die-hard player of the game. I do think those that haven't played the game might enjoy it as well. I have only tried one recipe so far, which was the Exquisite Beef Stew. This is rated Easy, but since I am not the family cook, Sautéing the floured meat was a little difficult for me. The recipe calls for a generous amount of garlic. We thought it'd be too much, so used half the amount called for the first time we made it. TRUST THE RECIPE - it came out fine the first time, but the second time we used all the garlic and it was tastier. I definitely need practice making this, but I really enjoyed it and plan to make it again in the future.

I've got pages marked in the book to try at a later date, maybe once I move out again and am in my own place. A second cookbook is coming out soon, covering other regions the Warrior of Light has visited, and I've already placed my pre-order for it. Even if I don't make anything from the book, I'm sure it will be fun to page through.

FUCKING DAMNIT

Oct. 13th, 2025 02:01 am
tyger: Axel sprite with a :/-face.  Text: you have GOT to be fucking shitting me (Axel - you're shitting me)
[personal profile] tyger

SO IT TURNS OUT I TOTALLY FUCKED UP THE BASTING

By which I mean. The blanket was turned 90 degrees from where it should be. So the new top didn't fit.

So yeah, had to pull it ALL OUT omfg ARGH

...yeah I sulked a bunch about that. Because. No. Goddamnit.

Anyway Mama did help me re-fold everything this evening once I'd sulked enough to face it, but I've still gotta start from scratch again. :|

But hey at least shopping this morning was successful! Mama got the doona covers she was looking for, and I got some new shoes! (AND they were super cheap!) Gonna have to wear them in a bit, but they definitely fit better than the previous ones, whee! Don't need to worry about them falling off my feet at all!

Also heard from A about a possible tech thing I could help out a friend with - unless it's a MUCH bigger project than it seems I wouldn't charge for it, but it'd be something else to put on my resume, which is extremely important right now too hahahaha. So we'll see how that goes!

dancesontrains: A white man with brown hair wearing a suit and holding a bunch of blue balloons in a white hallway (Mark S.)
[personal profile] dancesontrains posting in [community profile] tv_talk
My partner mentioned to me a while back that Eleanor Shellstrop from 'The Good Place' is one of the few lead women characters sey've seen who are awful in the selfish and mean way she is; usually they tend to be catty or bitchy (I've not yet finished S2, no spoilers please).

I was wondering what other lead women or girl characters come to mind that fit this dynamic? Hyacinth Bucket from 'Keeping Up Appearances' is the first to come to mind, a stunning performance of deep denial and heavy class pretentions (not sure if this was called something else in the US or other countries). Or on a darker note, Jill from the horror comedy 'Nighty Night' https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0395404/ who is unashamedly vile.

Granted I've mostly been watching stuff with male leads recently, but I was wondering who else there is that fits this unlikeable or deeply flawed niche?
marycatelli: (Golden Hair)
[personal profile] marycatelli posting in [community profile] books
The Perks of Being an S-Class Heroine, Vol. 5 by Grrr

Spoilers ahead for the earlier volumes.

Read more... )
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