Minami?!
Apr. 23rd, 2026 10:39 pmSo I stumbled across a tweet this week which reminded me that JFF Theater is a thing. They rotate through different movies every few months. So I just watched "Let's go karaoke" (the 2024 live action movie based on the manga... which I haven't read).
It was really good!! I will probably write an actual review soon.
Anyway, I can't watch any Japanese media without recognizing at least one actor in it from something else. So I yelled "Minami?!" when Yagi Miki shows up within the first five minutes 😂 (Minami is the name of her character in Kamen Rider Zeztz. I recognized her voice immediately lol)
Also, the guy who plays Haruno in Ultraman Blazar is in this movie for one scene too 😂
It was really good!! I will probably write an actual review soon.
Anyway, I can't watch any Japanese media without recognizing at least one actor in it from something else. So I yelled "Minami?!" when Yagi Miki shows up within the first five minutes 😂 (Minami is the name of her character in Kamen Rider Zeztz. I recognized her voice immediately lol)
Also, the guy who plays Haruno in Ultraman Blazar is in this movie for one scene too 😂
Spring Sprung and Recs Recced
Apr. 23rd, 2026 07:48 pmAfter a light dusting of snow on the 19th spring has finally sprung and sprung with a vengeance here (to be fair it was unseasonably hot before that snow and now again after, 20+ degrees (f) warmer than usual which is making my least favorite time of year even worse due to a combo of Blargh-Pollen-Everywhere allergies and encroaching ants (dudes, the outside is where you should be! You do not pay rent, do not be in my house). Sigh. Usual tactics to get them gone aren't working either, it might be exterminator time which I hate to do, but oh well.
This is neat: NASA's Your Name in Landsat (see your name spelled out in landsat imagery of the Earth)
Nothing much else interesting is happening in my neck of the woods, I've been doing a lot of cleaning and organizing (a cute self-care/tracking app I use, Finch, had a challenge last month where it suggested little tasks to do each day/every few days and I found it a great way to do things without being overwhelmed - like dust a shelf, go through one drawer, etc - so I've been trying to keep it up and do something most days.) And craftwise, I'm nearly finished with a blanket. Not sure what project I'll do next, something will come to me, though I'm sure.
And for the main reason for this post... here, have three weeks of
recthething recs (lots of tumblr art and one MDZS/Untamed fic):
Doctor Who (Classic)
- More Four Stuff (A whole bunch of adorable Four doodles)
Discworld
- its a heavy burden, having a heart as big as a city. and heavier still when it loves you back (love the way the Ankh Morpork is silhouetted in the background with Vetinari and Sybil looking down at Vimes)
MDZS/The Untamed
- my baby my baby (gorgeous LWJ holding a bunny sketch)
Merlin
- The Favour (love the dreaminess of this)
Nirvana in Fire
- Consort Jing (gorgeous)
Sherlock Holmes
- "Labours of Love" English paper piecing: Doodles and Research (fascinating read and wonderful art)
Supernatural
- Happy Easter!! ✨🐝 "Thought the boys deserved at least one nice, happy Easter egg hunt and in my mind Bobby did so too :)" (adorable comic)
X-Files
- awoo (hilarious Mulder and Scully comic)
MDZS/Untamed fic:
A Fork in the Road by Bodldops (142k)
Summary: With a small change, Wei Wuxian has a chance to reconsider his stance. That change leads to others. The most important words you can say, after all, are thank you, and I am sorry. It is better to say them earlier, than later through tears. ( an interesting turn-left AU where canon events shift post WWX punching JZN in Cloud Recessess. FYI contains some Jiang, especially Madam Yu, bashing)
This is neat: NASA's Your Name in Landsat (see your name spelled out in landsat imagery of the Earth)
Nothing much else interesting is happening in my neck of the woods, I've been doing a lot of cleaning and organizing (a cute self-care/tracking app I use, Finch, had a challenge last month where it suggested little tasks to do each day/every few days and I found it a great way to do things without being overwhelmed - like dust a shelf, go through one drawer, etc - so I've been trying to keep it up and do something most days.) And craftwise, I'm nearly finished with a blanket. Not sure what project I'll do next, something will come to me, though I'm sure.
And for the main reason for this post... here, have three weeks of
Doctor Who (Classic)
- More Four Stuff (A whole bunch of adorable Four doodles)
Discworld
- its a heavy burden, having a heart as big as a city. and heavier still when it loves you back (love the way the Ankh Morpork is silhouetted in the background with Vetinari and Sybil looking down at Vimes)
MDZS/The Untamed
- my baby my baby (gorgeous LWJ holding a bunny sketch)
Merlin
- The Favour (love the dreaminess of this)
Nirvana in Fire
- Consort Jing (gorgeous)
Sherlock Holmes
- "Labours of Love" English paper piecing: Doodles and Research (fascinating read and wonderful art)
Supernatural
- Happy Easter!! ✨🐝 "Thought the boys deserved at least one nice, happy Easter egg hunt and in my mind Bobby did so too :)" (adorable comic)
X-Files
- awoo (hilarious Mulder and Scully comic)
MDZS/Untamed fic:
A Fork in the Road by Bodldops (142k)
Summary: With a small change, Wei Wuxian has a chance to reconsider his stance. That change leads to others. The most important words you can say, after all, are thank you, and I am sorry. It is better to say them earlier, than later through tears. ( an interesting turn-left AU where canon events shift post WWX punching JZN in Cloud Recessess. FYI contains some Jiang, especially Madam Yu, bashing)
(no subject)
Apr. 23rd, 2026 04:57 pmGuys have been building a new fence around part of the mobile park. They finished at my place yesterday. It needed it, part of the old fence was hanging down leaving a gap. The blackberry vine that was clinging to the fence is just a small stump.
I really wanted to grow blackberries. They have some weird pattern of growing berries on the second year growth. I've tried to understand it by watching YT. Anyway, I cut a lot of it down previously and I think there were going to be flowers this year, then berries. Now nothing. But you can't kill blackberries, not without a nuclear option. So that plant will rise again. With its wicked, wicked thorns. You want berries, well berries cost. And right here is where you start paying…
I really wanted to grow blackberries. They have some weird pattern of growing berries on the second year growth. I've tried to understand it by watching YT. Anyway, I cut a lot of it down previously and I think there were going to be flowers this year, then berries. Now nothing. But you can't kill blackberries, not without a nuclear option. So that plant will rise again. With its wicked, wicked thorns. You want berries, well berries cost. And right here is where you start paying…
Pool Open!
Apr. 23rd, 2026 03:35 pmMy main targets will be all of the Shiv poems and "Our Homemade Safety Nets." If there is more interest, I would like to contribute to the open epic "No Faster or Firmer Friendships," then possibly Rutledge poems if people are interested.
[---8<---]
If there is a specific poem you would like, let me know, and it can be added to the pool goals.
10 outdoorsy icons for fandom10in30
Apr. 23rd, 2026 10:08 pmThis month's challenge #63 at
fandom10in30 was to icon characters outdoors.
Enjoy!
( 10 icons, mostly of Wu Lei in different roles )
Comments are love - and concrit, too. <3 Take and use as many icons as you like, credit is appreciated. Texture and brush makers: here in my resource post.
Previous icon posts:
Enjoy!
( 10 icons, mostly of Wu Lei in different roles )
Comments are love - and concrit, too. <3 Take and use as many icons as you like, credit is appreciated. Texture and brush makers: here in my resource post.
Spring Drabble 23/30: Stray Kids, Salt
Apr. 23rd, 2026 08:57 pm***
Title: Salt
Author:
kat_lair
Fandom: Stray Kids
Pairing: Changbin/Seungminn
Tags: Drabble, Ocean, Implied Sexual Content
Rating: T
Word count: 100
Summary: Afterwards, Seungmin follows Changbin into one of the many bathrooms of the beach house.
Author notes: Spring defiance from under the crushing forces of capitalism = a drabble a day in April. This one for
pushkin666 who provided the pairing and 'salt of the sea' as prompts. It immediately made me think of the Do It jacket making video. This takes place in the immediate aftermath, in case you want to like, picture outfits :D
Salt on AO3
( Salt )
***
Title: Salt
Author:
Fandom: Stray Kids
Pairing: Changbin/Seungminn
Tags: Drabble, Ocean, Implied Sexual Content
Rating: T
Word count: 100
Summary: Afterwards, Seungmin follows Changbin into one of the many bathrooms of the beach house.
Author notes: Spring defiance from under the crushing forces of capitalism = a drabble a day in April. This one for
Salt on AO3
( Salt )
***
Vocabulary: Scabrous
Apr. 23rd, 2026 02:25 pmscabrous (SKAB-ruhs) - adj., covered with scales or scabs; hence, very coarse or rough; hence, disgusting, repellent; hence, dealing with suggestive, indecent, or scandalous themes; difficult, thorny, troublesome.
In botany, this lacks the negative connotations, and it is used heavily to describe things as diverse as tree bark, fruit, and squashes.
In botany, this lacks the negative connotations, and it is used heavily to describe things as diverse as tree bark, fruit, and squashes.
Dragaera reread: Hawk
Apr. 23rd, 2026 11:18 amFinally getting back to my Dragaera reread, which was originally rereading happening in late 2025. My reread is all over the place - I'm not doing every book - but the last one I read was Vallista in December, and now I'm rereading Hawk, and I just got to A Thing.
( Spoilers for Hawk and Tsalmoth )
Edit: originally had noted this as spoilers for Lyorn and changed it to Tsalmoth, as I had apparently forgotten which book that happened in ...
Edit2: Another spoiler for Hawk: ( Under here )
( Spoilers for Hawk and Tsalmoth )
Edit: originally had noted this as spoilers for Lyorn and changed it to Tsalmoth, as I had apparently forgotten which book that happened in ...
Edit2: Another spoiler for Hawk: ( Under here )
History
Apr. 23rd, 2026 01:44 pmThe Pit of Bones: A Death Chamber Time Capsule
In 1997, scientists discovered this small chamber within a much larger complex cave system. They’ve found other human occupation sites within it, but The Pit of Bones was no place for the living. To date, more than 50,000 partially fossilized bones have been collected. These bones include more than 6500 belonging to an ancient hominid species, in addition to bones of over 160 individuals of an extinct species of cave bear, a panther, lynxes, canines, and small mammals.
In addition to some nice details and diagrams of the actual science, there is an amusing discussion of how badly this fits the "young Earth creationism" fantasy.
In 1997, scientists discovered this small chamber within a much larger complex cave system. They’ve found other human occupation sites within it, but The Pit of Bones was no place for the living. To date, more than 50,000 partially fossilized bones have been collected. These bones include more than 6500 belonging to an ancient hominid species, in addition to bones of over 160 individuals of an extinct species of cave bear, a panther, lynxes, canines, and small mammals.
In addition to some nice details and diagrams of the actual science, there is an amusing discussion of how badly this fits the "young Earth creationism" fantasy.
Birdfeeding
Apr. 23rd, 2026 01:29 pmToday is sunny and hot, with fluffy white clouds in the sky.
I fed the birds. I've seen a few house finches.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 4/23/26 -- I took some pictures around the yard.
EDIT 4/23/26 -- I refilled potting soil into the hollow logs at the front of the log garden. Then I planted a 4-pack of white impatiens in the holes.
I put the flats of plants outside to get some sun.
I've seen a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches plus a male cardinal.
EDIT 4/23/26 -- I watered the impatiens and flats of plants.
I've seen a starling at the hopper feeder.
EDIT 4/23/26 -- I potted up four green sweet basil plants and one purple ruffles basil, then watered them.
I've seen a fox squirrel at the hopper feeder.
EDIT 4/23/26 -- We hauled the new bag of grass seed out of the car.
EDIT 4/23/26 -- I sowed grass seed in the big bare patch at the west edge of the south lot.
EDIT 4/23/26 -- We hauled out the tape hose and the new sprinkler head. There is not enough hose to reach the grass patch, and with the low water pressure that we have, the spray only covers about 6 feet wide. *sigh*
EDIT 4/23/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
EDIT 4/23/26 -- I planted a small trough pot with orange mint, mojito mint, and apple mint. There is room for one more mint there.
EDIT 4/23/26 -- I did more work around the patio.
I watered the grass patch using the watering can.
As it is now dark, I am done for the night.
I fed the birds. I've seen a few house finches.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 4/23/26 -- I took some pictures around the yard.
EDIT 4/23/26 -- I refilled potting soil into the hollow logs at the front of the log garden. Then I planted a 4-pack of white impatiens in the holes.
I put the flats of plants outside to get some sun.
I've seen a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches plus a male cardinal.
EDIT 4/23/26 -- I watered the impatiens and flats of plants.
I've seen a starling at the hopper feeder.
EDIT 4/23/26 -- I potted up four green sweet basil plants and one purple ruffles basil, then watered them.
I've seen a fox squirrel at the hopper feeder.
EDIT 4/23/26 -- We hauled the new bag of grass seed out of the car.
EDIT 4/23/26 -- I sowed grass seed in the big bare patch at the west edge of the south lot.
EDIT 4/23/26 -- We hauled out the tape hose and the new sprinkler head. There is not enough hose to reach the grass patch, and with the low water pressure that we have, the spray only covers about 6 feet wide. *sigh*
EDIT 4/23/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
EDIT 4/23/26 -- I planted a small trough pot with orange mint, mojito mint, and apple mint. There is room for one more mint there.
EDIT 4/23/26 -- I did more work around the patio.
I watered the grass patch using the watering can.
As it is now dark, I am done for the night.
A lovely sunny outing with tulips!
Apr. 23rd, 2026 03:11 pmIt has been a gloriously sunny day today with clear skies and a temperature of 20ºC/68ºF, which was perfect for an outing to a tulip festival about an hour's drive away.
Tulley's Tulip Fest runs for about three weeks each year and is a celebration of beautiful tulips. This week is the peak time to see them, and they have 1.5 million tulips with over 120 different varieties on show. It was lovely to enjoy them in the sunshine today.
This is one of two fields covered in rows and rows of gorgeous colour. Under the cut for giant tulips, floating tulips, windmills, butterflies and unicorns...

( Read more... )
There were lots of opportunities to buy from vendors selling food, including Dutch specialities such as bitterballen, pancakes and stroopwaffles, but also lots of street food. We ended up having a delicious, freshly cooked wood-fired pizza for lunch before heading home.
Tulley's Tulip Fest runs for about three weeks each year and is a celebration of beautiful tulips. This week is the peak time to see them, and they have 1.5 million tulips with over 120 different varieties on show. It was lovely to enjoy them in the sunshine today.
This is one of two fields covered in rows and rows of gorgeous colour. Under the cut for giant tulips, floating tulips, windmills, butterflies and unicorns...

( Read more... )
There were lots of opportunities to buy from vendors selling food, including Dutch specialities such as bitterballen, pancakes and stroopwaffles, but also lots of street food. We ended up having a delicious, freshly cooked wood-fired pizza for lunch before heading home.
Video for an abandoned English Language Day post
Apr. 23rd, 2026 08:58 amI decided to write Storied explains 'How English Took Over the World' for English Language Day instead.
I am still here!
Apr. 23rd, 2026 02:20 pmApologies for the radio silence.
I tend to vanish off the face of the Earth for weeks when I'm working on a big writing project, and that is definitely the case here -- "new Scrivener document for this project alone" sort of big, and probably the most ambitious and out-of-my-comfort-zone thing I've worked on in over a decade.
Whether or not I'll actually see this ridiculous monster through to its end, I have no idea, but as always, it's a joy to be inspired, and doubly so to be inspired in that specific way that forces me to stop and think and make Actual Story Notes.
In wholly unrelated news, Spring has finally, definitely (mostly) sprung! We are finally seeing consistent temperatures of 10°, and more than four hours of daylight! It's still windy, and the wind is still bitterly, arctic-level freezing, as is usual for April, but at least we're heading in the right direction.
Anyhow!
This has been your obligatory, totally substanceless update. We now return you to your regularly scheduled FLists.
I tend to vanish off the face of the Earth for weeks when I'm working on a big writing project, and that is definitely the case here -- "new Scrivener document for this project alone" sort of big, and probably the most ambitious and out-of-my-comfort-zone thing I've worked on in over a decade.
Whether or not I'll actually see this ridiculous monster through to its end, I have no idea, but as always, it's a joy to be inspired, and doubly so to be inspired in that specific way that forces me to stop and think and make Actual Story Notes.
In wholly unrelated news, Spring has finally, definitely (mostly) sprung! We are finally seeing consistent temperatures of 10°, and more than four hours of daylight! It's still windy, and the wind is still bitterly, arctic-level freezing, as is usual for April, but at least we're heading in the right direction.
Anyhow!
This has been your obligatory, totally substanceless update. We now return you to your regularly scheduled FLists.
History
Apr. 23rd, 2026 02:19 amThe Great Oxidation Event Was Earth’s First Apocalypse
The Great Oxidation Event marks the point when oxygen first began to accumulate in Earth’s atmosphere and shallow oceans, permanently altering the course of life on our planet.
I was really pleased to find this description, since most sources ignore Earth's first mass extinction.
The Great Oxidation Event marks the point when oxygen first began to accumulate in Earth’s atmosphere and shallow oceans, permanently altering the course of life on our planet.
I was really pleased to find this description, since most sources ignore Earth's first mass extinction.