Reading

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Various Goodbyes

1) Finally saw the last episode of Vera and the Farewell Pet documentary extra about the series. Interesting that the show has been so successful in so many countries. I will miss seeing new stories and it's particularly unfortunate that the last season was only 2 episodes. But I'm glad it had a long run and was satisfied with how it left off.

2) When I went to cancel Britbox earlier this week, they offered me a free month to continue. So why not? As a result I had more time to get through House of Elliot and finished S3. They clearly expected to go onto another season, which is unfortunate because without the final scenes they could have wrapped the story up fairly well. ( Read more... )

3) I also forged ahead up to season 19 of Silent Witness. ( Read more... )

4) I can't say I miss mass market paperbacks, largely because I read e-books and their costs have risen considerably. But their decline does upset some for a variety of reasons. I definitely think it's a shame they've been replaced by paperback copies in a hardback size, due to storage space, cost, and reduced titles. ( Read more... )

5) Some more trip photos at

common_nature, these at Agate Beach and nearby areas. Also a lack of whales.

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Current Mood: busy

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Birdfeeding

Today is cloudy and mild.

I fed the birds. I've seen a few sparrows and house finches.

I put out water for the birds.

.

Current Mood: busy

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Email Aliases

arlie mentioned in a post that Protonmail allows you to create email aliases to avoid spam. This also seems extremely useful for cases where someone extorts your email from you before giving you something you need, but you don't really want to hear from them afterwards.

Current Mood: busy

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recurring posts

Philosophical Questions: Money

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

Could societies exist without a way to transfer value (i.e. without money or a barter system)?

( Read more... )

Current Mood: busy

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Heat

The Truth About Caffeine, Dehydration, and Extreme Heat

As dangerous heat waves sweep the U.S., the CDC cautions against consuming caffeine. But not every expert is convinced the advice needs to be one-size-fits-all.
[---8<---]
"Don’t drink liquids that contain caffeine, alcohol, or large amounts of sugar — these actually cause you to lose more body fluid. Also, avoid very cold drinks because they can cause stomach cramps," the CDC wrote in its Extreme Heat guidance. It doubles down on this warning on its Heat and Your Health page, though with softer language, stating, "Consider limiting beverages high in sugars and sodium, caffeine, and alcohol, if possible."

( Read more... )

Current Mood: busy

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Early Humans

Ancient fossil discovery in Ethiopia rewrites human origins

The fossils found in northeastern Ethiopia date between 2.6 to 2.8 million years ago and shed new light on human evolution.
In the deserts of Ethiopia, scientists uncovered fossils showing that early members of our genus Homo lived side by side with a newly identified species of Australopithecus nearly three million years ago. These finds challenge the old idea of a straight evolutionary ladder, revealing instead a tangled web of ancient relatives.

I'm surprised to find such far-flung relatives coexisting like that, but it's a happier image than today's lonely Homo.

Current Mood: busy

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Books

23 Must-Read Books About Hope That Inspire Change & Action

John Parsi, executive director of the Hope Center, says that while optimistic people see the glass as half full, hopeful people ask how they can fill the glass full.

“Hope requires a person to take responsibility for their wants and desires and take action in working towards them,” Parsi says.

So whether you’re looking to start, sustain, or complete something, we hope the books included in this list inspire you to take action and work towards whatever goals you have in front of you.

I am particularly charmed to see “The Impossible Will Take a Little While: A Citizen’s Guide to Hope in a Time of Fear” edited by Paul Rogat Loeb because I've got a poem in that one, "Origami Emotion," from a couple decades ago.

Current Mood: busy

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Music

My Noise has a bunch of new soundscapes that you can play with.

Current Mood: busy

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Birdfeeding

Today is mostly cloudy and warm.

I fed the birds. I've seen a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches.

I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 8/22/26 -- I did some work around the patio.

EDIT 8/22/26 -- I did more work around the patio.

I am done for the night.

Current Mood: busy

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Follow Friday 8-22-25: Active Communities on Dreamwidth Summer 2025 A-I

These are active communities in Dreamwidth from Summer 2025. They include things I've posted, but only the active ones; the thematic posts also list dormant communities of interest. This list includes some communities that I've found and saved but haven't made it into thematic posts yet. This post covers A-I.

See my Follow Friday Master Post for more topics.

Highly active with multiple posts per day, daily posts, or too many to count easily
Active with (one, multiple, many) posts in (current or recent month)
Somewhat active (latest post within current year, not in last month or few)
Low traffic (latest post in previous year)
Dormant (latest post before previous year, but could be revived because membership is open and posting is open to all members or anyone)
Dead (not listed because there are no recent posts, plus membership and/or posting are moderated)
Note that some communities are only active during a limited time, or only have gather posts on a certain schedule.

Follow Friday 6-6-25: Active Communities on Dreamwidth Spring 2025 J-Z
Follow Friday 6-13-24: Hetalia
Follow Friday 6-20-25: Highlander
Follow Friday 6-27-25: Hiking
Follow Friday 7-4-25: Historical Fiction
Follow Friday 7-11-25: History
Follow Friday 7-18-25: Homestuck
Follow Friday 7-25-25: Horror
Follow Friday 8-1-25: House
Follow Friday 8-8-25: Icons
Follow Friday 8-15-25: Indie

( Read more... )

Current Mood: busy

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Today's Adventures

Today we visited several places in Tuscola.

( Read more... )

Current Mood: busy

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Birdfeeding

Today is cloudy and mild. :D

I fed the birds. I've seen a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches.

I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 8/22/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

EDIT 8/22/25 -- I did more work around the patio.

I am done for the night.

Current Mood: busy

Entry tags:

Affordable Housing

In this all-women tiny home neighborhood, rent starts at $450. Residents want it to be a nationwide blueprint

Robyn Yerian, 70, used to live in a two-bedroom tiny home that cost just $57,000.

In 2022, she was yearning for more connection — as well as some “passive income.”

So she took some money from her retirement savings, bought a 5-acre plot of land in Cumby, Texas, and is now the landlord and community leader of The Bird’s Nest, an all-women tiny home neighborhood home to 11 women ages 60 to 80.

( Read more... )

Current Mood: busy

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Birdfeeding

Today is cloudy and cooler. :D

I fed the birds. I've seen a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches.

I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 8/20/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

EDIT 8/20/25 -- I watered spaces to put the irises.

EDIT 8/20/25 -- I planted a Dangerous Mood Bearded Iris (lavender standards with near-black falls) in the purple-and-white garden. I planted a Montmartre Bearded Iris (purple with yellow edges) and a Ziggy Reblooming Bearded Iris (yellow standards with burgundy-and-yellow streaked falls) under the maple tree.

EDIT 8/20/25 -- I watered the newly planted irises.

EDIT 8/20/25 -- I watered the old picnic table and the patio plants.

EDIT 8/20/25 -- I watered the new picnic table and septic garden.

EDIT 8/20/25 -- I watered the telephone pole garden and some of the savanna plants.

Cicadas and crickets are singing. Fireflies are out.

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

Current Mood: busy

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Read "The Bottle Wall" by Smokingboot

This is a lovely romantic fable about a widow who falls in love with a cloud-herder.

Current Mood: busy

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recurring posts

Cuddle Party

Everyone needs contact comfort sometimes. Not everyone has ample opportunities for this in facetime. So here is a chance for a cuddle party in cyberspace. Virtual cuddling can help people feel better.

We have a cuddle room that comes with fort cushions, fort frames, sheets for draping, and a weighted blanket. A nest full of colorful egg pillows sits in one corner. There is a basket of grooming brushes, hairbrushes, and styling combs. A bin holds textured pillows. There is a big basket of craft supplies along with art markers, coloring pages, and blank paper. The kitchen has a popcorn machine. Labels are available to mark dietary needs, recipe ingredients, and level of spiciness. Here is the bathroom, open to everyone. There is a lawn tent and an outdoor hot tub. Bathers should post a sign for nude or clothed activity. Come snuggle up!

Current Mood: amused

Entry tags:

Robotics

WARNING: Do not watch with mouth full.

Robots race, play football, crash and collapse at China's 'robot Olympics'

BEIJING, Aug 15 (Reuters) - China kicked off the three-day long World Humanoid Robot Games on Friday, looking to showcase its advances in artificial intelligence and robotics with 280 teams from 16 countries.
Robots competed in sports such as track and field, and table tennis, as well as tackled robot-specific challenges from sorting medicines and handling materials to cleaning services

Watching the evolution of robotics on a primitive planet is hilarious.

Current Mood: busy

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Food

Build an Emergency Food Supply List

There are several ways to build an emergency food supply to stock a survival kit and a “bug out bag”. While you can purchase specialized food products or a self-contained emergency preparedness kit, these can be costly and wasteful.

Instead, you can simply assemble shelf-stable foods that you already buy or preserve at home. Many canned, dried, and pickled foods are quite suitable for use in an emergency kit.

Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.

In particular, watch for sales. Anytime you see a shelf-stable food that you use, consider buying extra if feasible.

Current Mood: excited

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American Meadows Order

My fall order from American Meadows has arrived. :D Now I just need the weather to break so I can actually get out to plant things. If you're still shopping, this nursery has some stock of fall bulbs left and some of those are on sale.

Dangerous Mood Bearded Iris (lavender standards with near-black falls)

Montmartre Bearded Iris (purple with yellow edges)

Ziggy Reblooming Bearded Iris (yellow standards with burgundy-and-yellow streaked falls)

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Well there's a change

1) Even though I saw it months ago now, I never really wrote up thoughts about Andor S2. I think it's hard to compare the two seasons because S1 has a lot of setup and a pretty wide canvas whereas S2 sticks with the characters we already knew but also jumps forward in time repeatedly, leaving various things unexplained. ( Read more... )

2) Another bundle of Death in Paradise seasons and yet another new inspector. I was glad to see it though for various reasons. ( Read more... )

3) Nothing like changing my email service to make it obvious how PR mailing lists work. I have maintained my Yahoo mail because after 25 years there was an awful lot tied to it that I will never remember to change. However very little comes to it now other than marketing emails for a variety of accounts I have. In fact, in one case my brokerage was still sending my statements to that address instead of the new one. ( Read more... )

4) Nobody on TV ever has their blinds closed or curtains that can't be seen through. This stands out a lot in mysteries because there are inevitably lurkers and peepers and passersby. But there are so many shows with houses made of windows and clear doors etc. ( Read more... )

5) Have that many people even ever had anchovies? Other than being an increasingly rare topping for pizza, I have to wonder how else people even encounter it. But this survey puts it at the top of the list for Americans' disliked foods. ( Read more... )

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