(no subject)

Jul. 16th, 2025 07:46 pm
shadowkat: (Default)
[personal profile] shadowkat
1. I discovered an interesting take on reviewing films: professional film/music/book critic and science fiction novelist John Scalzi and his daughter, an inspiring writer (who to date has written mainly blog posts in his blog) post dual reviews of the new film - Superman (directed by James Gunn).

Go HERE (Warning, Athena Scalzi's review is filled with spoilers, although I got confused halfway through, jumped to the end and gave up on her review, her father, John Scalzi's review has relatively few - actually no spoilers outside of what you might see in the trailers.)

The dueling reviews - which are quite different takes on the film - inadvertently and unintentionally show the dos and don'ts of writing reviews.

I figured out from John Scalzi's whether it made sense to see the film in a big theater, and whether I'd like it. And that was without being insanely spoiled on it. Besides giving me a headache, Athena's review confused me and spoiled me. I also couldn't tell if I'd like the film or not. But I knew without a doubt whether I would reading her father's review. (I won't and will wait for it to come on television. It's like Gunn's other films - too busy. And movie theaters aren't comfortable any longer? And have too many distractions? I'd rather watch at home.)
cut for length )

2. Books

I think I've landed on The Rook -

Per Good Reads: Myfanwy Thomas awakens in a London park surrounded by dead bodies. With her memory gone, she must trust the instructions left by her former in order to survive. She quickly learns that she is a Rook, a high-level operative in a secret agency that protects the world from supernatural threats. But there is a mole inside the organization, and this person wants her dead. Battling to save herself, Myfanwy will encounter a person with four bodies, a woman who can enter her dreams, children transformed into deadly fighters, and terrifyingly vast conspiracy. Suspenseful and hilarious, The Rook is an outrageously imaginative thriller for readers who like their espionage with a dollop of purple slime.

"Utterly convincing and engrossing -- -totally thought-through and frequently hilarious....Even this aging, jaded, attention-deficit-disordered critic was blown away."-Lev Grossman, Time

About the author: Dan O'Malley graduated from Michigan State University and earned a Master's Degree in medieval history from Ohio State University. He then returned to his childhood home, Australia. He now works for the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, writing press releases for government investigations of plane crashes and runaway boats.

This may work for me - it fits my sense of humor, and I'm also a jaded, attention-deficit-disordered critic at the moment.

Plus it's on Kindle so not hard to lug around.

Finished Remarkably Bright Creatures - my difficulty with it was all the characters were frustratingly dense. The writer contrived ways to keep them apart which irritated me. I deal with dense people daily, I can't handle reading about them? Also the writing style didn't work for me, for some reason?

Re-listening to all of the Kate Daniels Graphic Audio Dramatizations - there's ten in all. Plus several single audio books, which aren't. Maybe by the time I finish there will be more? The Kate Daniels series scratches whatever itch I need scratched at the moment. Also they are kind of comfort reads.

And still making my way through the thick paperback of Fair Folk.

(no subject)

Jul. 16th, 2025 02:22 pm
lycomingst: (Default)
[personal profile] lycomingst
The other night I stayed up until dawn watching Agents of Shield season 4. It had alternative reality and they know my sweet spot. I couldn’t stop. But I noticed something about my tv. It was so dark that I couldn’t even see who was hitting who.

I moved my smaller tv in from the living room. I don’t watch in there because the electronics are on the floor until I spring for a table. So I hooked it up and yes, my other tv is dying of creeping dark. Testing it involved sorting out about 5 remotes. And then finding the one I needed on the kitchen counter where I randomly put it down as I was to and froing.

I’m debating buying a new, cheap Roku tv.
rionaleonhart: final fantasy viii: found a draw point! no one can draw... (you're a terrible artist)
[personal profile] rionaleonhart
Late last year, I posted an entry examining the titles of my fics that year, and explaining why I'd chosen those titles. It was an interesting exercise, so I thought I'd repeat it whenever I accumulate a good handful of fics!

In reverse chronological order, my fic titles for this year so far:


Rambling about why I chose fic titles. )


I'm not sure whether this post-titling analysis is actually making me any better at choosing titles, but I'm enjoying it nonetheless!

Robben Island by Pamela Sneed

Jul. 18th, 2025 10:59 am
conuly: (Default)
[personal profile] conuly
The only antidote I may have to Trump’s election
is in a small ferry to Robben Island
one that shuttles you to the former prison
where those who fought against apartheid were held
The only answers may be in one wool blanket
a basin
toilet
cell
and the tiny windows of  Robben Island
in the discarded artillery
the rock and the limestone yard
where many were blinded
driven mad
Now the survivors former prisoners
give tours
their faces carved like tree roots exposed
The only answers may be in the surrounding peaks of Table Mountain
its Twelve Apostles
all now standing as testament to what
through years of struggles
can be defeated
overcome


***********


Link
neonvincent: For posts about food and cooking (All your bouillabaisse are belong to us)
[personal profile] neonvincent

Miles Vorkosigan alternate careers

Jul. 16th, 2025 08:46 am
lannamichaels: Astronaut Dale Gardner holds up For Sale sign after EVA. (Default)
[personal profile] lannamichaels


It's not exactly a secret that I hate Miles Vorkosigan being in the military, so for RL reasons I was thinking hmm could Miles instead become a doctor, and then followed up immediately with "absolutely he could not" and in fact I could not think of any position in a hospital that he would be suited for, but then I realized I was overthinking this.

Miles would be a great plumber. It's perfect for him. No boss, just clients, and he can pick the interesting jobs. It's bounded but also a place for creativity. He has to find out what the problem is and fix it. Because of his size, he may even be a better choice for certain jobs than other plumbers. He can pick his hours by picking the clients and the jobs, and then hyperfocus on a problem until it's over. If he wants, he can pack his schedule, or he can relax it. But he's not answering to anyone and people are grateful for his help because it's a problem they can't fix themselves, and it's also necessary: everyone will at some point require the assistance of a plumber.

The only problem is that there's no wonderful recognition and pride from his peers, unless we can get him to value the opinions of other plumbers, and then he can just brag about all the impossible disasters he fixed before breakfast. The sense of accomplishment is built-in, as in the sense of being valuable and needed.

And I feel like even Miles Vorkosigan would not find a way to commit treason whilst doing it.

sholio: Gurathin from Murderbot looking soft and wondering (Murderbot-Gura)
[personal profile] sholio
I'm not sure if this is complete enough for AO3, but I got a delicious hurt/comforty prompt on Tumblr, and ended up writing 1800 words for it. (Prompt and fic under the cut.)

Update: Now posted on AO3 as Soft Reboot.

1800 words of forced drugging )
shadowkat: (Default)
[personal profile] shadowkat
Disclaimer: As always, good news is often in the eye of the beholder and mileage may vary on the below. Hopefully you'll find something to make you smile.

1. Only about a quarter of medical schools include training on how to discuss safe gun storage and firearm injury prevention with patients. Scrubs Addressing the Firearm Epidemic is working to change that — and ensure that future doctors play a role in preventing gun violence.

https://www.thetrace.org/2025/07/medical-school-gun-violence-prevention/

2. Great land protection story from the Port Townsend Leader about the exciting recent purchase of 81 acres of forest and wetlands by our friends at the Northwest Watershed Institute (NWI)! The land will be permanently protected and stewarded as part of NWI's 500-acre Tarboo Wildlife Preserve in the Quilcene area. Jefferson Land Trust is proud to have played a facilitation role in this project by working with the U.S. Navy to secure matching funds through the Navy’s Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration (REPI) Program. The Navy’s funding purchased a restrictive easement on the land that prevents development (but does not grant any rights to the military for use of the property).

https://www.ptleader.com/stories/northwest-watershed-institute-purchases-forest-for-addition-to-tarboo-wildlife-preserve,215813

3.Senator Chris Van Hollen’s amendment in the Senate Appropriations Committee to "retain, preserve and compile" any records related to Jeffrey Epstein passed unanimously. On that note, the Epstein files are proving to be a real thorn in Trump’s shoe, and I’m here for it.

https://www.ksby.com/politics/senate-committee-unanimously-approves-amendment-that-would-preserve-jeffrey-epstein-files

[The fight over the Epstein files and release of the client list is amusing, partly because it's one of the many platforms that the Doofus ran on, and right now, his base, Magna is furious at him. Over on Twitter, Stephen King got into trouble with his fans - for stating that the Epstein Client List was about as real as the Tooth Fantasy and Santa Claus. ]

4.L.A. Mayor Karen Bass has signed an executive order to provide cash cards worth several hundred dollars—funded by philanthropy—to undocumented immigrants who miss work due to fear of ICE raids.

https://mayor.lacity.gov/news/mayor-bass-issues-executive-directive-support-immigrant-communities

5.US District Court Judge Nina Wang has fined two of Mike Lindell's attorneys $3,000 apiece for their error-riddled AI-generated legal brief. Lindell, of My Pillow, lost the defamation case and is on the hook for $2.3M in damages.

[Yeah, don't use AI to write things folks. It's a computer code created by IT - and IT can't write that well, and some can't write to save their lives.]

https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/5389852-mypillow-ceo-mike-lindells-attorneys-fined-for-inaccurate-ai-generated-brief/

6. Poland generated more power from clean energy sources than coal for the first time in June.

https://www.ft.com/content/ae920241-597e-49d9-a4b9-bfdfa9deabb6?accessToken=zwAGOQFSub4YkdOukgJBWX5J2dOkub_fqd6rtg.MEUCIC7wxgJShKjVR3u717YcwKFA3kRvRTs4yUanM49uZ5ZYAiEAiv7r4PrLesRguLHgvVlrgsCiItG8QsBG5GNgqjqgj5A&sharetype=gift&token=4a8b6641-d698-4252-8c2f-e667b96f2351&ref=climativity.com

7.Michael Jordan opened his fourth free clinic for people who are uninsured or underserved in North Carolina, his home state.

https://www.newsweek.com/sports/nba/michael-jordan-opens-another-free-health-clinic-native-north-carolina-2050274?sh_kit=7a2950363f4b90b1881ae76c68d24551846eea9063b67a6a14e9fa39bc419e40

8.NEW ORLEANS FINANCIAL COLLAB GETS $1M GRANT TO INVEST IN LOCAL START-UPS
The Financial Wellness Collaborative received the $1 million grant to help small businesses manage their financial health and scale-up.

https://www.blackenterprise.com/new-orleans-financial-collaborative-grant-invest/

9.Mexico sent water rescue teams and firefighters to help in Texas after the holiday weekend floods.

https://www.newsweek.com/mexico-sends-help-texas-floods-2095878

10.A new Gallup poll taken over the month of June shows Trump support on “handling the immigration issue” now stands at 35% with 62% opposing.

https://news.gallup.com/poll/692522/surge-concern-immigration-abated.aspx
the rest of the 44 beneath the cut - the science stuff is towards the end of the list. )

And just in case you found zip in that list to smile about? Here's a photo of flowers.


Two non-fiction books

Jul. 15th, 2025 08:03 pm
lannamichaels: Text: "We're here to heckle the muppet movie." (heckle the muppet movie)
[personal profile] lannamichaels

  • Unruly: The Ridiculous History of England's Kings and Queens by David Mitchell (2023): [personal profile] lirazel posted about the audiobook version of this, which got me to put this on my list, but alas my library only has access to the print version; I feel that the audiobook version is probably superior. There were several parts in the book that were a slog to get through the paragraph, that would be perfectly fine if you were listening to a patented David Mitchell Rant about the subject. In fact, imagining them in David Mitchell's voice is how I got through them. Read more... )

  • Subpar Parks: America's Most Extraordinary National Parks and Their Least Impressed Visitors by Amber Share (2021): A bookified version of a Instagram account I never followed, a copy of which I read at someone's house who was using as a bookmark something that indicated they had gotten it as a gift when it came out and never got past the first fifth of the book. This book would have been fine if it had not decided it was going to fight the one star reviews, and instead just showed the artwork and mentioned how great the park was. As it was, it positioned itself as an argument between the one star reviewers and the author, and the one star reviewers won.Read more... )

Something that's always interested me

Jul. 15th, 2025 07:27 pm
conuly: (Default)
[personal profile] conuly
is when an organization feels the urgent need to say something both in officialese and also everyday talk. I can think of three very relevant examples in NYC:

1. Every time you do your taxes or do almost anything that involves interacting with the state government, you'll have to pick your county, and if you live in Brooklyn or Staten Island that means they list the county with the coterminous borough in parentheses.

2. If you have a kid in school, every year they send you a form reminding you to fill out your Emergency Contact Card, and every year they include the phrase "Blue Card" right afterwards. Because that's what we all call it. Because they're blue.

3. And here's one I haven't thought about much since adolescence, but if a job is apt to hire teens then they will ask for their Employment Certification and then, inevitably, add "Working Papers" right afterwards, again, because that's what everybody calls them.

There must be other examples I'm missing, as well as non-NY examples. I sometimes wonder if it'd be easier for them to just cave to the inevitable and start listing the everyday term first and then list the "real" term afterwards.

(no subject)

Jul. 15th, 2025 01:23 pm
olivermoss: (Default)
[personal profile] olivermoss
* Oh, right, Caitlin Starling is going to be at our horror book club meeting. I really, really need to get The Death of Jane Lawrence read. No wonder I had her on my 'get these authors read' shortlist.

* My bookclubbing has been very disorganized

* I watched the start of a Lady of the Library video. I don't want much of her content, but one on book reccs interested me, because reccs are such a bugbear for me. At the start she talked about her local book clubs fall for online reccs and says she shows up only for snacks and social contact, but wouldn't waste her precious time ever reading the books. I was surprised to see her proclaim that so proudly. People like this have been a problem at my bookclubs. They show up for social contact and free food, but not only have they not read the book, but they had no intention or interest. Not reading the book because the month got away from you, fine. But... literally no interest and there to leech? Know why we've got such nice spaces and other things for the clubs? Local bookstores are covering the costs . And people are like 'oh, y'all have the nice steampunky bar at Kennedy School that was made out of the old boiler room and cake and people to bother to refill my social meter' Like, fuck off, y'all're literally crowding us out of some spaces, and driving off the people we want to interact with.

Also, hot take but as much as I think booktok trends are typically terrible, I like reading what people are reading if it's making reading social. Unless I have an objection to the book, I don't care if it's a bit crappy. I mean, it's not an issue with my book clubs and honestly I think for me it's a great way to ~break free of the algorithm~ and get better reccs, but even if it wasn't, like if you want to be part of a thing be willing to at least have a little buy in to what's going on. If you don't want to expend even a drop of emotional energy or time, maybe at least fucking pretend to not be that person?

* Guild Wars 2 News: Tyria Pride once again smashed fundraising records for Rainbow Railroad. Love to see it. Also, in 2024 I spend half a year farming legendaries for it and my donation was the majority of the most hype prizes and also did a big dono. This year, I didn't/couldn't do either. So, it was nice to see it thriving even without me.

* Breaking Guild Wars 2 News: The new expac was announced today and... the website didn't go live in time and when it did it was half in English and half in French. Also, the morning patch notes spoiled stuff before the announcement. It wouldn't be ANet if they didn't have a bunch of tech issues with announcements.
tinny: Commandant Karadec from the French series HPI in side profile, gentle and soft, looking at Morgane (hpi_karadec soft look)
[personal profile] tinny
I haven't participated in this comm in ages, but round 15 at [community profile] celebrity20in20 featured my own texture pack, one I always found really hard to use, so I thought it would just be fair if I tried my hand at it now. I usually find 20in20s stressful, and tend to make filler icons just so I can complete the set, but this time it went relatively easily and I am happy with most of these. (The texture pack was still really hard to use. :D)

Teasers:


20 icons of Mehdi Nebbou )

The splatter textures to be used are here: https://icon-resources.dreamwidth.org/3602.html

Concrit welcome! Comments adored! Credit appreciated! Take and use as many icons as you like. If you want to know whose textures and brushes I use, apart from the horribly hard to use ones I make myself ;), take a look at my resource post.

Previous icon posts:

Julé! 15/31

Jul. 15th, 2025 08:50 pm
kat_lair: (GEN - wtff)
[personal profile] kat_lair
***

Today has been a long day and tomorrow will be as well, so just a couple of links for now:

Unsurprising but depressing and worth being aware of: https://www.amnesty.org.uk/anti-rights

And a rec for news on global warming and particularly the political/fossil fuel industry greed affair. Want to know just how readily your local representative bends over for the oil giants, check here: https://www.desmog.com/

***

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