lebateleur: Ukiyo-e image of Japanese woman reading (TWIB)
[personal profile] lebateleur
I didn't finish anything over the past seven days, due to a combination of late days at work, a bunch of after-work obligations, and heroic attempts to complete the crosswords in two collections I own with an eye to sending them to the recycling center once I do.

What I Finished Reading This Week

Nothing.


What I Am Currently Reading

Of Dice and Men – David Ewalt
I've got one chapter to go before I finish.

A Fate Inked in Blood – Danielle Jensen
I read another 50 pages this week.

When the Tides Held the Moon - Vanessa Vida Kelley
This novel's premise is intriguing, but boy does Vida Kelley love their adjectives.


What I’m Reading Next

I acquired no new books this week.


これで以上です。

Still here

Feb. 25th, 2026 03:25 pm
likeadeuce: (Default)
[personal profile] likeadeuce
Watching as many adaptations of 'Wuthering Heights' as I can get my hands on, professional tennis, or updates on the baby monkey at the Japanese zoo that's having trouble making friends.

How are you?

Dear High Adrenaline author

Feb. 24th, 2026 10:00 pm
beatrice_otter: Me in red--face not shown (Default)
[personal profile] beatrice_otter
I use the same name everywhere so I am [personal profile] beatrice_otter on AO3. Treats are awesome.

I would rather get a story you were happy with than "well, she said she liked x, so I guess I have to do x even though I don't like x and/or am not inspired that way." This letter is long with lots of suggestions and preferences if you find it helpful, but feel free to ignore it if it is not helpful. I'm fairly easy to please; I've been doing ficathons for a long time and am usually very happy with my gifts.

The most important thing for me in a fic is that the characters are well-written and recognizably themselves. Even when I don't like a character, I don't go in for character-bashing. If nothing else, if the rest of this letter is too much or my kinks don't fit yours, just concentrate on writing a story with everyone in character and good spelling and grammar and I will almost certainly love what you come up with.

I have an embarrassment squick, which makes humor kind of hit-or-miss sometimes. The kind of humor where someone does something embarrassing and the audience is laughing at them makes me uncomfortable. On the other hand, the kind of humor where the audience is laughing with the characters I really enjoy.

General Likes and Dislikes )

The Swan )

Random Harvest )

Hobson's Choice )

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner )

Voyager )

Crossovers )

DS9 )

Star Wars OT )

Fandom for Robots )

Babylon 5 )


I was that delinquent

Feb. 24th, 2026 11:13 pm
bunn: (No whining)
[personal profile] bunn
A local Facebook group is currently going nuts about the Appalling Behaviour of the Current Children. The Current Children have flicked balls of mud at a passing car!

Vaguely impressed they are out playing with mud in February, but I can definitely vouch that this is nothing to do with The Horrors of Modern Education, because 50 years ago, I and my friends did exactly this.

Though, so far as I recall, it was summer, because we scooped clay out of a convenient streambed to make our mudballs. The good thing about this was that there was a sort of tunnel that the brambles formed over the stream, so you not only had ammunition to hand, but also a handy escape route far too low, muddy and brambly for adults, in the rare event of the irate motorist noticing the crime in progress, leaping from their car shaking their fist. I think this only happened once.
extrapenguin: Tea being poured from a teapot into a matching ceramic cup. (tea)
[personal profile] extrapenguin
Today I came across this factsheet on autism comorbidities (sleep issues, hypermobility, cardiovascular, immunology/MCAS, gastrointestinal, long COVID, chronic pain, reproductive, jaw/dental stuff), and a) I really need to get back into the melatonin game for my sleep issues, and b) it turns out that L-theanine ("caffeine of tea") is an analog of glutamate, and can thus be metabolized into GABA, which autistic brains generally have less of. So my tea habit is a medical expense!

(WRT the autism comorbidities mentioned, I def have the sleep issues, bruxism, a food allergy, and I guess some non-hEDS hypermobility? I bruise moderately easily, but my floppy joints are my shoulders, I've never dislocated anything due to good muscle tone, and my fingers and wrists are turbo normal, leading to me never getting over the threshold score in any assessments lol.)

Also I have good news WRT VidUKon: I can't be there in person, but my in-person commitment was altered to be only the Saturday, so I can watch the Sunday programming in peace! This year's themed vidshow is Unfinished Business, with vids for sources that e.g. were cancelled before their time, had a rushed ending, etc. So now I'm trying to think about canons that fit. My little lesbian shampoo commercials etc, short though they may be, don't count imo, as they all tell nice self-contained stories. The Star Wars Sequels, maybe, for Finn, but idek. Does anyone have any canon recs? I am willing to invest max 10h in your science fiction or wuxia that was cancelled (possibly mid-airing) or which has an unsatisfying ending.

For regular premieres, I currently have two finished vids. One is Star Wars Sequels (for my vid album); the other is for the Firebird ballet. I think I'll take a look at the full program and then decide which one I want to be my VidUKon premiere.

Monday Music Meme

Feb. 23rd, 2026 09:04 pm
extrapenguin: Northern lights in blue and purple above black horizon. (Default)
[personal profile] extrapenguin
The original prompt for today was "a song title that is in all lowercase" ... which, uh, I have zero (0) songs like that so I came up with an alternative prompt:

newest release
FlowerLeaf - The Wake


This is the first song I heard from the band, and instantly got me preordering the album. Also it's the freshest single, dropping a month ago.

Dreamerie by FlowerLeaf came out last Friday, 20th of Feb 2026.


prompts under the cut

a song you discovered this month
a song that makes you smile
a song that makes you cry
a song that you know all the lyrics of
a song that proves that you have good taste
a song title that is in all lowercase newest release
a song title that is in all uppercase
an underrated song
a song that has three words
a song from your childhood
a song that reminds you of summertime
a song that you feel nostalgic to
the first song that plays on shuffle
a song that someone showed you
a song from a movie soundtrack
a song from a television soundtrack
a song about being 17
a song that reminds you of somebody
a song to drive to
a song with a number in the title
a song that you listen to at 3am in the morning
a song with a long title
a song with a color in the title
a song that gets stuck in your head
a song in a different language
a song that helps you fall asleep at night
a song that describes how you feel right now
a song that you used to hate but love today
a song that you downloaded
a song that you want to share

The Jewish War: Second half of Book 1

Feb. 22nd, 2026 07:06 pm
cahn: (Default)
[personal profile] cahn
Last week: Some really interesting discussions on (among other things) Caesar Augustus, the temple in Egypt, and the destruction of the temple (in Jerusalem) as divine punishment and also free will.

This week: More Herod! Definitely went quite a bit faster than last week! Featuring lots and lots of family drama... the kind that includes a ton of bloodshed. I'll talk more about it in comments.

Next week: [personal profile] selenak can you give us a halfway point for Book 2? It looks a bit shorter but I'm also going to be crunched for time next week (and definitely won't be able to post until Sunday) so half a book is what it's going to have to be! ETA: Death of Emperor Claudius!
rivulet027: (Default)
[personal profile] rivulet027
Title: Incredibly Annoying
Fandom: Batman
Characters/Pairings: Stephanie Brown, Jonathan Samuel Kent, Damian Wayne, Jason Todd
Disclaimer: I own nothing to do with DC. It's not my toy box and I'm merely playing.
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Stephanie wakes up to a riddle.
A/N: Written for the [community profile] fan_flashworks prompt riddle on Dreamwidth way back in 09/25 because I am way behind on crossposting!

Incredibly Annoying )
rivulet027: (Default)
[personal profile] rivulet027
Title: Acquisition
Fandom: Leverage
Characters/Pairings: Alec/Parker/Eliot
Disclaimer: I own nothing to do with Leverage. It's not my toy box and I'm merely playing.
Rating: PG-13
Summary: A kitten adopts Eliot.
A/N: Written for Butterfly for the 2024 [community profile] holly_poly.

Acquisition )

Fleet's Spiritual Seekings

Feb. 20th, 2026 10:38 pm
fleetsparrow: Drawing of Bear in a Batman costume, in her identity Bat-Bear. (Default)
[personal profile] fleetsparrow
(Yes, that's pluralized, dw about it)

I'm thinking this will become a master post of my thoughts and musings under the broader idea of spirit (or magic or gods or what have you).  These will really be "no plot, just vibes" type posts, the kind that would probably stay in a secret journal if I wasn't actively trying to make myself Be In Community (for whatever value this is).  My Tumblr feels too public (like, I know these people there!), while Substack feels a bit too much like Twitter (lots of people whom I do not wish to know, with a few folks I do mixed in).

So, really, this is the best place for it.

(Am I also leaning into the site being called *Dream*width?  Maybe....)

I don't fully know what will come up here, but that's the fun of it.

Inferno

Feb. 20th, 2026 11:46 pm
extrapenguin: Northern lights in blue and purple above black horizon. (Default)
[personal profile] extrapenguin
Procrastinating on my Tit4Tat assignment and listening to today's new release, Dreamerie by FlowerLeaf. (Kimara, I think you might enjoy The Wake!) But! I have also been reading! ...Dante Alighieri.

This is the 700th anniversary edition, translated by J.G. Nichols. It's ... surprisingly hand-hold-y. Like, each canto is prefaced with a prose explanation of what happens in the canto (spoilers!!!!), and adds footnotes in support of readers who can't count (e.g. "So in the smallest circle, at the centre" is footnoted as "The ninth and last"; Inferno XI) and who can't keep track of pronouns (sooo many occurrences of "Named Person, did this and that, and lo, a slightly long description! Is he¹ still alive?" with a footnote on "'He' refers to Named Person"). Judas Iscariot is given an explanatory footnote. ("Who betrayed Christ") One would think that anyone operating on even a pop culture osmosis level of Christianity would realize that the Judas dude being specially punished in the hell for betrayers is probably the one who betrayed Jesus.

Anyway! I have read Inferno, and just started Purgatorio. The translation is eminently readable, with transparent verse. (I guess I'd hoped for a slightly more showy take to mine for fic titles, but I'm not complaining.) Also Dante and Virgil's relationship, though probably considered normal enough by the standards of the period, comes across as very homo by present ones: Dante is incredibly appreciative of Virgil guiding him through the way, gets carried around by him, and kisses his cheeks with gratefulness on multiple occasions. Not really that many thoughts, but. Reading. Classics. I fully expect to go WTF at Purgatorio and especially Paradisio, because uhhh not a Christian at all lol, but hey, at least I can say I read them.

May The Fourth 2026 - Dear Yoda

Feb. 19th, 2026 09:35 pm
desertvixen: (Default)
[personal profile] desertvixen

 

My general preferences are here.

DNW: unrequested mundane AU | female characters in fridges | non-con | violent dub-con | graphic violence | gore | graphic sexual violence | cruelty/death to animals | cruelty/death to children | requested character death | unrelieved grimdark | bigotry by the good guys | first or second POV | reader fic | ABO | soulbonds | wildly OOC in a non-cracky way

SMUT DNW: creampies | the word “cunt” | anal | hate each other out of bed | underage | incest

MAYBE: no-harm dubcon (sex pollen or “fertility artifact”) | period typical attitudes | infidelity | power dynamic

Specific DNW: No Yuuzhaan Vong/Force users plague/fridges

I love treats!

I am clearly a Original Trilogy/Legends girlie, so you know what to do!

 

My Star Wars preferences:

Legends | Stackpole | Zahn | Didn’t we just leave this party? | ROTJ | Rogue One | Kenobi | Lego SW | Wedge Antilles | Rogue Squadron | Mara Jade | Witches of Dathomir | Biggs Darklighter

So, I'm a Star Wars fan who's a little sad that the Extended Universe got handwaved away - I really loved Timothy Zahn and Michael Stackpole, and my requests tend to reflect that.  I am a Legends girl at heart, and you can’t go wrong if you write me something that belongs in either a Timothy Zahn book or one of Stackpole’s Rogue Squadron books.  Please don't refer to anything that happened after the godawful Vector Prime and switch to Del Rey.  No Yuuzhan Vong, no Mara Jade gets weird wasting disease, no Teneniel getting put in the freezer.

I'm also not a very active Star Wars fan.  I’m not into the games, am not reading the new EU stuff, so don’t write anything that requires a lot of homework to GET.

However, I'm also a Star Wars fan who thought Rogue One totally and completely rocked it out of the park. Loved it loved it loved it!  Went and saw it in the theaters like 4 times, including giving up a free day to go see it on a BIG screen.  It’s so good.  The novelization was good too.  I’m a fan of Everyone Lives/Krennic dies AUs or Some People Live/Some People Die.

I love the original three (ROTJ is my favorite).

I enjoyed the sequels (although that like is dwindling more every time I see a stupid handwave plot post) but didn’t LOVE them, especially after the ridiculously evident fact that they DIDN’T HAVE A PLAN.

I am NOT a fan of the prequels.  I wanted to like them, but I just couldn’t get past Phantom Menace and the stupidity of traveling around with young Obi-Wan Kenobi and falling for Anakin. 

I’m not familiar with the animated SW shows, and my ignoring the prequels means I also missed all the “Jedi don’t have emotional attachments” which maybe should have gone down as a bad idea.

I’m not familiar with most of the Disney shows BUT I did enjoy Kenobi quite a bit.  I loved Tala and little Leia and Beru.

I did enjoy the zaniness of the Star Wars Lego Holiday special, so feel free to play off that.

My heart is with the original 3 (and Rogue One, now that it exists) and the "waved away" Extended Universe.  The more they make me feel like it requires me to do homework, the less interested I am.

I'm also not really a Luke fan. Give me Han and Wedge any day of the week. And maybe Ben Kenobi.  Or an AU where Biggs Darklighter becomes the most famous pilot from Tatooine.  And maybe find some way to make Rey a Kenobi descendant…?  I really wanted her to be a Kenobi descendant.  I still want her to be a Kenobi somehow.

 

 

Teneniel Djo/Luke Skywalker

Corran Horn/Mirax Terrik

Wedge Antilles/Leia Organa

Nawara Ven/Rhysati Ynr

Tycho Celchu/Winter Celchu

These are the romance requests.

Teneniel/Luke - I just really loved the vibe they have together. So explore that more. I generally am a Mara/Luke shipper as well but something about these two just speaks to me.

Corran/Mirax - The smartass flyboy meets the smart smuggler. What else do we NEED?

Wedge/Leia - So this is my every year request. I just want this. Like a fling, or FWB or more.

Nawara/Rhysati - These two were also interesting (feel free to pair with Corran/Mirax for a spectacular double date).

Tycho/Winter - I would really just love something soft for these two, maybe aftermath of the trial?

Teneniel/Luke – A fling on Dathomir?  I just enjoy them.  Feel free to blend with another request.

Corran/Mirax - I'm always down for Corran/Mirax and their relationship. (Combining them with Han/Leia could be very fun. Maybe some diplomatic event that gets steadily less boring? Corellia related? Mirax and Han swapping stories?). I love Mirax and Corran, especially when she takes him down a few notches, as he so often NEEDS.

Wedge/Leia - I think a fling could have happened, a little stress relief...

Keep them in the X-Wing or original series timeframe.  Leia is gone when Wedge finally makes his appearance in TLJ, but you could do something with that, him remembering her as friends or more.  I'd love to see more of this relationship, especially as it is portrayed in the Legends book. Or if you want to take it to TLJ, that would also be acceptable.

Nawara/Rhysati – Stolen moments in Rogue Squadron?  What happens after?  And when I say “spectacular double date” it probably involves jail or explosions.

Tycho/Winter -  I’d love something soft and fluffy and sweet for them (or maybe a little spicy).  Feel free to combine with Wedge/Leia.  Tycho/Winter deserve a quiet moment (and maybe a little disbelief that it’s over?)

 

 

Wedge Antilles & Leia Organa

Wedge Antilles & Biggs Darklighter

Teneniel Djo & Mara Jade

Corran Horn & Nejaa Halcyon

Tala Durith & Jyn Erso

 

These are the platonic requests.

Wedge & Leia - Business or pleasure?

Wedge & Biggs - I long for an AU where Biggs Darklighter is the best fighter pilot Tatooine ever produced. These two leaders get in trouble and need to be bailed out (bonus points if Leia is the person they call).

Teneniel & Mara - Aside from possibly dishing about Luke, I'd love to see these two kick some ass together.

Corran & Nejaa - Does Corran ever have a Force Ghost visitation?

Tala & Jyn - An AU where these two survive and get to cause trouble together? Feel free to include little Leia.

Wedge & Leia – Are these two on a mission or just trying to avoid death by boredom in a meeting they would have shot their way out of before the New Republic. Leia’s perspective on Rogue Squadron?

Wedge & Biggs - What if Biggs becomes the most famous fighter pilot from Tatooine? Ghostly encounter? There must always be a Darklighter in Rogue Squadron

I love love love Wedge Antilles. I'd love something set during original movies, X-Wing books or maybe a look at what he's doing in Last Jedi (or why he's NOT doing anything). I like Poe, but he's no Wedge Antilles.

I admit to a preference for the Wedge of the Rogue Squadron books, with the sly humor and him as the Commander of the Rogues (and their craziness). Maybe an AU where Biggs is in there with him? You could keep Gavin around as well.

Not really much to add besides WHERE ARE ALL THE PILOTS in the later movies?

I have a great affection for Biggs as well, and would love to see him and Gavin hanging out (maybe include Wedge). Or maybe Biggs lives and becomes the most famous pilot a planet called Tatooine ever produced....

Teneniel & Mara - Just don't put Teneniel in the fridge like they do later in the series. I loved young Teneniel and was super disapointed to see what they did to her.

Corran & Nejaa - I'd love to see Corran getting a force ghost visit from his grandfather.

Tala Durith and Jyn could be interesting (or Lyra … or all 3). Down time or mission time would be good.  Lyra and Jyn escape and join the Rebellion?  I’m here for it. Involving Tala (another candidate for Not Dying) would be awesome as well.

 

Teneniel Djo & Mara Jade & Leia Organa & Mirax Terrik

Corran Horn & Wedge Antilles & Mirax Terrik & Booster Terrik & Han Solo

Wedge Antilles & Tycho Celchu & Wes Janson & Derek "Hobbie" Klivian

Winter Celchu & Wes Janson

Pash Cracken & Wedge Antilles

 

These are (clearly) the shenanigans requests. For all of these, I am okay with a story about the action OR the bar after the action is over!

Teneniel Djo & Mara Jade & Leia Organa & Mirax Terrik - Not sure what they've teamed up for but their opponents are in trouble.

Corran Horn & Wedge Antilles & Mirax Terrik & Booster Terrik & Han Solo - Corellians attack!

Wedge Antilles & Tycho Celchu & Wes Janson & Derek "Hobbie" Klivian - You know the drill, I love Rogue Squadron. Feel free to add on anyone you need!

Winter Celchu & Wes Janson - What requires both their skills? (If the answer is pre-wedding shenanigans, sign me UP)

Pash & Wedge - The line about Pash buying his father a souvenir gets me every time!

Why have these four teamed up?  Not sure, but I feel bad for their opponents.

Wedge & Corran & Mirax & Han: Corellia Forever! The most epic smuggling job ever - or the stories in the bar later. Hijinks ensue. Rogue Squadron timeline or later. Maybe Booster and/or Leia are included?

So this is my Corellia/Corran Horn request.  Yes I know he’s a pain in the ass, but I do love him (especially if people take him down a peg or two).  I love the idea that all the Corellians could be drinking buddies, and I am 100% here for the idea that Corellians may have a higher percentage of people who use the Force on a subconscious level but think they’re just lucky.  Never tell them the odds.

I’m also totally down for you poking some gentle fun at CorSec Corran Horn being a little twitchy at being surrounded by the Corellian Rogues Gallery, even if he is involved with/married to one.

Wedge & Tycho & Wes & Hobbie – If you read Starfighters of Adumar you know the vibe.  Feel free to involve some others as well! (including Iella & Winter)

Winter & Wes - Getting into or out of trouble? Bonus points if you tie this to a Rogue Squadron related bachelor party. Remembering things/giving comfort/planning a surprise?

Pash & Wedge - Invasion of Coruscant hijinks? Ball Hijinks? Why are two fine upstanding pilots in quite so much trouble? Bonus points if Pash is about his father's business.

  For Wedge and Pash, I love their interactions in the X-Wing books.  The whole bit where they’re undercover at the museum and Pask is talking about getting his father a souvenir?  That’s peak of what I would like.

lebateleur: Ukiyo-e image of Japanese woman reading (TWIB)
[personal profile] lebateleur
A short entry for today since I got home late from work and have to scramble to get to the next thing. Anyway, here's what I read over the last six days:

What I Finished Reading This Week

Lake of Souls - Ann Leckie
This is an excellent book (and I say this as someone who vastly prefers novels to short stories). Lake of Souls has three sections: stand-alone short stories, stories in the Imperial Radch universe, and stories in the Raven Tower universe, and they're all excellent. I enjoyed all but one of the stand-alone stories (and the sole story I didn't like, I didn't enjoy only because it's a bit of a downer. But it's also only 1.5 pages long, so hey). I'd read two of the three Imperial Radch stories prior to this anthology's publication and enjoyed them again here (I won't spoil "She Commands Me And I Obey" but IYKYK...and it's good.) The third, new-to-me story was my least favorite of the bunch, but only because it's so obviously a reskinned version of a standard folktale that didn't add much to the Radch universe or benefit from having Radch elements introduced to it. I was surprised by how much I liked the Raven Tower stories; in fact, I liked many of them more than the novel itself. The Raven Tower worldbuilding constraints just work so well in a short story format. And throughout all three sections, Leckie says a ton of incisive and so-sharp-you-won't-know-you're-cut-and-bleeding things to say about gender. This book was delightful and I will absolutely read it again.


What I Am Currently Reading

A Fate Inked in Blood – Danielle Jensen
I'm only about 50 pages into it but enjoying things so far.

The Laws of Brainjo – Josh Turknett
I'll have this one finished by next week.


What I’m Reading Next

I acquired no new books this week.


これで以上です。

Education meme

Feb. 16th, 2026 11:23 am
cahn: (Default)
[personal profile] cahn
Educational meme from [personal profile] thistleingrey (also seen at a couple of other places under lock). I've answered for both my sister and myself (generally similar answers, sometimes not), as well as for my kids. (Will eventually lock.)
Cut for length )

Monday Music Meme

Feb. 16th, 2026 08:27 pm
extrapenguin: Man wagging his finger at offscreen while looking at camera (zhao yunlan)
[personal profile] extrapenguin
Space Swap assignments are out, and that means I return to the music meme! In keeping with the recent music theme, have a song that came out this year! In 2026! And a good thing too, because it's the only possible answer to this week's question:

a song that proves that you have good taste
Synthwailer - Iron Arch


This one's on Bandcamp! The band itself describes it as:

Inspired by early-2000s trance melodies, industrial metal, and Middle Eastern tonal colors, the song tells the tale of a world trapped in eternal twilight — where the sun itself is chained above a black citadel, stolen as a symbol of power. As the march continues, the voice of the hollow sun awakens those who once served the machine, turning obedience into defiance.


And yeah, that tracks! It's symphonic metal, trance, electronic, industrial, and 100% amazing. It's so great I immediately bought it (despite the fact I generally only buy albums on Bandcamp), and then vidded it, thus listening to it 198374938 times on repeat, and I still want to listen to it on repeat! I love this.


prompts under the cut

a song you discovered this month
a song that makes you smile
a song that makes you cry
a song that you know all the lyrics of
a song that proves that you have good taste
a song title that is in all lowercase
a song title that is in all uppercase
an underrated song
a song that has three words
a song from your childhood
a song that reminds you of summertime
a song that you feel nostalgic to
the first song that plays on shuffle
a song that someone showed you
a song from a movie soundtrack
a song from a television soundtrack
a song about being 17
a song that reminds you of somebody
a song to drive to
a song with a number in the title
a song that you listen to at 3am in the morning
a song with a long title
a song with a color in the title
a song that gets stuck in your head
a song in a different language
a song that helps you fall asleep at night
a song that describes how you feel right now
a song that you used to hate but love today
a song that you downloaded
a song that you want to share

Monday Media - February 16

Feb. 16th, 2026 09:23 am
lebateleur: A picture of the herb sweet woodruff (Default)
[personal profile] lebateleur
A good mix of activities over the last seven days.

Games: Boardgame group has resumed, with the added bonus of two ridiculously cute and rambunctious new kittens. We played Everdell. And I mean played. We spent four hours on this 80 minute game. ) This is funny to remember now but it was even moreso to us at the time, when we were already slap happy from being up in the middle of the night, after a long gaming session, after a long week.

Music: We saw Nine Inch Nails, a phenomenal show and perhaps my favorite of the three times I've seen NIN live (the first with A Perfect Circle opening; the second their "final" show at Summer Sonic in Osaka). The GC, by contrast, had never seen them before and if you only had to see one of those shows, I think this was the one.Read more... ) So yeah, freaking amazing show. I wish I could watch it all over again.

Monday's house session had seven people—the biggest attendance since I've started playing with this group, and a commensurately big sound. The number of players also meant each individual called fewer sets but we played a bigger range of sets, and at different tempos, than the norm, which was both challenging and fun. And I'm going to adopt a few of those sets for my own calls in future sessions.

Podcasts/Articles: No podcasts. I did read a couple of longform articles: Apocalypse No: How almost everything we thought we knew about the Maya is wrong and The Privileged Life and Tragic Death of an 11-Year-Old Tipperary Girl.

Roleplaying: Nothing.

Television: We finished the final episode of Max Headroom season 2, and with it, the entirety of Max Headroom itself. Read more... ) All that said, Max Headroom is still one of the shows that was before its time, and cancelled before its time, and setting aside the few dud episodes it still absolutely holds up.

Video Games: Nothing this week, what with the concert + standing post-work activities + peace monkpocalypse during my commute.

これで以上です。
lebateleur: A picture of the herb sweet woodruff (Default)
[personal profile] lebateleur
...but instead I will just say that I am incredibly saddened to learn of [personal profile] spikedluv's passing. She was such a lovely presence on my reading page and like so many others, I will miss her.

これで以上です。

Dinghy progress

Feb. 15th, 2026 05:12 pm
bunn: (Default)
[personal profile] bunn
I've stripped off a lot of the peeling paint. Now the boat looks like this:Read more... )

The Jewish War: First half of Book 1

Feb. 14th, 2026 10:32 pm
cahn: (Default)
[personal profile] cahn
I am super not promising to always have this on Saturday, but yay long weekend!

Last week: I know some of you reading this study Talmud -- Josephus asserts at the very beginning that the "sufferings of the Jews" (presumably, in context of Josephus' writing, Titus destroying the temple, etc. though we won't get there for a while) are their own fault: "no foreign power is to blame." It was pointed out that the Talmud may (?) have its own opinion(s) as to whether the destruction of the Temple and the resulting diaspora was divine punishment? And regardless of the former, may also blame Titus? (I also don't know yet, because we haven't gotten there yet and won't for a while, whether Josephus himself thinks it's divine punishment or just plain old temporal consequences. My vague recollection of Feuchtwanger's Josephus is that he was thinking more of the latter, which is also very much borne out by this week's reading.)

This week: First half of Book 1 (Ch 22 / Par 444):

Okay, I must say the first part of this was a slog for me -- flitting between a lot of people I didn't know. Good thing we have this reading group or I might not have got through it. As it was, I had to take copious notes to even make a stab at writing up a summary (I won't promise I'll do this every week, but I had a little extra time and quite frankly I knew I wouldn't remember who any of these people were next week if I didn't), and I'm going to put them in comments so this post doesn't get super long. At least Josephus felt it was "inappropriate to go into the early history of the Jews," which would have made it really long. Anyway, it got substantially more interesting once Herod showed up!

Next week: Finish book 1.

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