Snowflake Challenge
Dec. 29th, 2025 11:15 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysabetwordsmith posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
goals_on_dwHappy Snowflake Season to all! As we prepare to kick off the 2026 snowflake_challenge, please feel free to promote this event within your own circles. You are welcome to use any of these new banners for that. The community page also has icons.
This event may appeal to those with goals about blogging, reading, writing, arts and crafts, networking, making friends, having fun, and so on.
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snowflake_challenge, please feel free to promote this event within your own circles. You are welcome to use any of these new banners for that. The community page also has icons. This event may appeal to those with goals about blogging, reading, writing, arts and crafts, networking, making friends, having fun, and so on.
( Read more... )
ramrod
Dec. 29th, 2025 09:13 amprettygoodwordramrod (RAM-rod) - n., a rod for ramming home the charge in a muzzle-loading firearm; a ranch or trail foreman, responsible for getting the work done; a demanding overseer, a disciplinarian. v., to force with or as with a ramrod. adj., marked by rigidity, severity, or stiffness.
That last includes the colorful idiom of ramrodding a bill through the legislature, which produces an interesting image when you apply the original context. The original ramrods were, indeed, rods, thus the name.
---L.
That last includes the colorful idiom of ramrodding a bill through the legislature, which produces an interesting image when you apply the original context. The original ramrods were, indeed, rods, thus the name.
---L.
What to Read After You Watch Pluribus
Dec. 29th, 2025 03:00 pm![[syndicated profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/feed.png){kind=small}
reactor_feedWhat to Read After You Watch Pluribus
Hi Carol, we have some book recommendations for you
Published on December 29, 2025
Photo: Apple TV
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[Error: Irreparable invalid markup ('<a [...] w-[18px]>') in entry. Owner must fix manually. Raw contents below.]
<p class="syndicationauthor">Posted by Matthew Byrd</p><p class="ljsyndicationlink"><a href="https://reactormag.com/what-to-read-after-you-watch-pluribus/">https://reactormag.com/what-to-read-after-you-watch-pluribus/</a></p><p class="ljsyndicationlink"><a href="https://reactormag.com/?p=834048">https://reactormag.com/?p=834048</a></p><post-hero class="wp-block-post-hero js-post-hero post-hero post-hero-horizontal">
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<h2 class="post-hero-title text-h1">What to Read After You Watch <i>Pluribus</i></h2>
<div class="prose post-hero-description prose--post-hero">Hi Carol, we have some book recommendations for you</div>
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<p class="post-hero-author text-xs font-aktiv uppercase font-medium [&_a]:link-hover">By <a href="https://reactormag.com/author/matthew-byrd/" title="Posts by Matthew Byrd" class="author url fn" rel="author">Matthew Byrd</a></p>
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Published on December 29, 2025
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<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="740" height="493" src="https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Pluribus-Carol-phone-call-740x493.png" class="w-full object-cover" alt="Carol (Rhea Seehorn) answers the phone in a scene from Pluribus" srcset="https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Pluribus-Carol-phone-call-740x493.png 740w, https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Pluribus-Carol-phone-call-1100x733.png 1100w, https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Pluribus-Carol-phone-call-768x512.png 768w, https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Pluribus-Carol-phone-call.png 1500w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 740px) 100vw, 740px" /> </figure>
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<p>Life after <em>Pluribus</em> feels pretty lonely. Expectations were high for Vince Gilligan’s next show, and <em>Pluribus </em>has quickly proven to be one of the best new sci-fi series since <em>Severance</em>. Yes, <em>Pluribus </em>was heavily inspired by numerous genre works that came before (most notably <em><a href="https://reactormag.com/pluribus-reimagines-1978-invasion-of-the-body-snatchers/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Invasion of the Body Snatchers</a></em>), but the show’s vision of a post-apocalyptic landscape run by an intergalactic hivemind has rarely been exactly what you think it’s going to be. The twists, the dark humor, the quiet moments of reflection, absolutely everything that Rhea Seehorn does… there really is nothing quite like <em>Pluribus</em>.</p>
<p>If you are struggling to fill that <em>Pluribus</em>-shaped hole in your life, though, then your best option may be to pick up a book. It’s not only appropriate given that <em>Pluribus </em>protagonist Carol Sturka <a href="https://reactormag.com/pluribus-and-romantasy-art-at-the-end-of-the-world/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">is a romantasy writer</a> (more on that in a bit), but there are some tremendous novels that present their own fascinating visions of unusual doomsday scenarios while offering at least an element of what makes <em>Pluribus</em> so special (as well as their own charms).</p>
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<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/severance-a-novel-ling-ma/c738b1415221c430" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong><em>Severance</em> by Ling Ma</strong></a><strong> (2018)</strong></h3>
<div class="wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile is-vertically-aligned-top" style="grid-template-columns:20% auto"><figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="300" height="460" src="https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/severance-ling-ma.jpg" alt="cover of Severance by Ling Ma" class="wp-image-760700 size-full" /></figure><div class="wp-block-media-text__content">
<p>A mysterious illness is tearing through the United States. The infected continue to live their lives, but only as a shell of their former selves. With no cure in sight, a young woman named Candace and other immune survivors navigate an uncertain future. Like <em>Pluribus</em>, <em>Severance</em> imagines a different kind of apocalypse in which the world continues to spin and efforts are made to retain “normalcy” even as such a concept begins to feel increasingly absurd. </p>
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<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-seep-chana-porter/19677b4e7aab83ed" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong><em>The Seep </em>by Chana Porter</strong></a><strong> (2020)</strong></h3>
<div class="wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile is-vertically-aligned-top" style="grid-template-columns:20% auto"><figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1000" height="1600" src="https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/The-Seep.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-834150 size-full" srcset="https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/The-Seep.jpg 1000w, https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/The-Seep-740x1184.jpg 740w, https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/The-Seep-768x1229.jpg 768w, https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/The-Seep-960x1536.jpg 960w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure><div class="wp-block-media-text__content">
<p>Earth is upended by the arrival of an alien force known as the Seep. Their takeover is swift, but proves to be oddly peaceful. Much of Earth becomes an unlikely kind of utopia in which the Seep connect people and gift them with the knowledge that anything is possible. In that world, a trans woman named Trina Goldberg-Oneka and her wife Deeba embark upon a mind-bending journey of self-discovery. There’s a fever dream quality to<em> The Seep</em> we haven’t seen in <em>Pluribus</em> yet, but it too raises incredible questions about what is lost and gained when our identities are blurred. </p>
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<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/all-better-now-neal-shusterman/2fb2b4d9b5bee724" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong><em>All Better Now</em> by Neal Shusterman</strong></a><strong> (2025)</strong></h3>
<div class="wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile is-vertically-aligned-top" style="grid-template-columns:20% auto"><figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1100" height="1624" src="https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/All-Better-Now-1100x1624.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-834153 size-full" srcset="https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/All-Better-Now-1100x1624.jpg 1100w, https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/All-Better-Now-740x1093.jpg 740w, https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/All-Better-Now-768x1134.jpg 768w, https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/All-Better-Now-1040x1536.jpg 1040w, https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/All-Better-Now-1387x2048.jpg 1387w, https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/All-Better-Now.jpg 1400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1100px) 100vw, 1100px" /></figure><div class="wp-block-media-text__content">
<p>Stop me when you’ve heard this before, but <em>All Better Now</em> imagines what would happen if humanity were suddenly infected by a virus that washes away all negative feelings and leaves everyone feeling entirely happy. Yes, <em>Pluribus</em> drew connections to <em>All Better Now</em> before its release, and both certainly deal with the downsides of what initially appears to be a utopian (if disturbing) scenario. Spoiler alert, but it turns out a little conflict can go a long way. </p>
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<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-wall-marlen-haushofer/9c646a1d94007205" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong><em>The Wall</em> by Marlen Haushofer</strong></a><strong> (1963)</strong></h3>
<div class="wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile is-vertically-aligned-top" style="grid-template-columns:20% auto"><figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="300" height="460" src="https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/the-wall-haushofer.png" alt="cover of The Wall by Marlen Haushofer" class="wp-image-834598 size-full" /></figure><div class="wp-block-media-text__content">
<p>Many post-apocalyptic stories (including <em>Pluribus</em>) deal with the pain of isolation. Few address that theme as overtly and effectively as Marlen Haushofer does in <em>The Wall</em>. It follows a woman who suddenly finds herself cut off from the rest of the world by an invisible wall that mysteriously appears one day. Her time is then spent trying to find a way out, making the most of the world around her, and, gradually, trying to accept her circumstances. It’s a powerful examination of our relationship with other humans, nature, and the sheer will to survive at the heart of it all. </p>
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<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-host-stephenie-meyer/375c4d583cbe2549" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong><em>The Host </em>by Stephenie Meyer</strong></a><strong> (2008)</strong></h3>
<div class="wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile is-vertically-aligned-top" style="grid-template-columns:20% auto"><figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="645" height="1000" src="https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/The-Host.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-834154 size-full" /></figure><div class="wp-block-media-text__content">
<p>Imagine, if you will, what may happen if we were all taken over by an invading force of parasitic beings known as “souls.” Most of the world is essentially hijacked by these creatures, but your invader has a harder time taking over your body. Instead, you and your invader engage in a prolonged battle of wills that ends up impacting both of your fates as well as the rest of the world. That core premise drives Stephenie Meyer’s <em>The Host</em>: a novel that overtly deals with the relationship between the body and soul while emphasizing the value and scarcity of a true home. </p>
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<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-age-of-miracles-a-novel-karen-thompson-walker/408f6f5cf5e07c08" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong><em>The Age of Miracles </em>by Karen Thompson Walker</strong></a><strong> (2012)</strong></h3>
<div class="wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile is-vertically-aligned-top" style="grid-template-columns:20% auto"><figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="300" height="462" src="https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/age-of-miracles-paperback.jpg" alt="paperback cover of The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker" class="wp-image-834600 size-full" /></figure><div class="wp-block-media-text__content">
<p><em>The Age of Miracles</em> is one of those fascinating sci-fi novels that explores the effects of a quieter kind of extinction. Here, the inciting event is an unexplained phenomenon that causes the world to spin more slowly than before. The immediate results are fairly trivial things like slightly longer days. As the effect continues and escalates, though, people begin to react to it in drastic (though not altogether shocking) ways. Much like <em>The Leftovers</em>, the hooks in this page-turner come not from its biggest moments but rather by watching how the people caught at the center of it all gradually reshape their lives as well as the world around them. </p>
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<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-bees-a-novel-laline-paull/cb8ff96eb840b310?ean=9780062331168&next=t&digital=t" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong><em>The Bees </em>by Laline Paull</strong></a><strong> (2014)</strong></h3>
<div class="wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile is-vertically-aligned-top" style="grid-template-columns:20% auto"><figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="1206" src="https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/The-Bees-2.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-834162 size-full" srcset="https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/The-Bees-2.jpg 800w, https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/The-Bees-2-740x1116.jpg 740w, https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/The-Bees-2-768x1158.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></figure><div class="wp-block-media-text__content">
<p>There are many sci-fi stories that deal with the concept of a hive mind, but there are few such stories quite like <em>The Bees</em>. That’s because its protagonist is an actual bee living in a literal hive. It sounds gimmicky, but it’s so much more than that. Often compared to <em>Watership Down</em>, <em>The Bees</em> is an adventurous exploration of both the intricate inner workings of a collective (which often reads like palace intrigue) and the power of an individual life within that environment. </p>
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<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/station-eleven-a-novel-national-book-award-finalist-emily-st-john-mandel/0e96a86b5246b32c" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong><em>Station Eleven</em> by Emily St. John Mandel</strong></a><strong> (2014)</strong></h3>
<div class="wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile is-vertically-aligned-top" style="grid-template-columns:20% auto"><figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="676" height="1000" src="https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Station-Eleven.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-834157 size-full" /></figure><div class="wp-block-media-text__content">
<p><em>Station Eleven</em> is a story about <a href="https://reactormag.com/station-eleven-mr-burns-and-retelling-stories-to-survive/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">what keeps us going</a>. Not just the instinct to survive, but the idea that life (much less civilization) must include things that are finer and greater than our primal needs and urges. The “present day” chapters of <em>Station Eleven</em> largely focus on a group of traveling performers trying to bring hope and joy to the world through art and entertainment. Their adventures are juxtaposed with flashbacks of the terrifying early days of the deadly flu that wiped out much of society, which underscore both how much was lost and the importance of finding it again. As a bonus, <em>Station Eleven </em>received an exceptional HBO adaptation that remains tragically underrated, partially due to its proximity to our own global pandemic. </p>
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<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-midwich-cuckoos-john-wyndham/015f4ec01c7c713d?ean=9780593450123&next=t&" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong><em>The Midwich Cuckoos</em> by John Wyndham</strong></a><strong> (1957)</strong></h3>
<div class="wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile is-vertically-aligned-top" style="grid-template-columns:20% auto"><figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="300" height="462" src="https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/midwich-cuckoos-paperback.jpg" alt="paperback cover of The Midwich Cuckoos by John Wyndham" class="wp-image-834599 size-full" /></figure><div class="wp-block-media-text__content">
<p>A classic of the genre that was later adapted into the<em> Village of the Damned</em> movies (one of which was great, one of which was… well, we still love John Carpenter), <em>The Midwich Cuckoos</em> is often described as a cozy kind of catastrophe. Granted, that’s an odd way to describe a story featuring villainous children inexplicably born across the world in droves following the appearance of a mysterious object in the sky. Yet, there is something darkly quaint about this story of a powerful group that nefariously works its way into our world which recalls some of <em>Pluribus</em>’ more quiet and menacing moments.</p>
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<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/bloodsong-of-wycaro/id6754341665?ign-itscg=80048&ign-itsct=NULL_tvpluribus1196_syn" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong><em>Bloodsong of Wycaro </em>by Carol Sturka</strong></a><strong> (2025)</strong></h3>
<div class="wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile is-vertically-aligned-top" style="grid-template-columns:20% auto"><figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="1200" src="https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Bloodsong-of-Wycaro.png" alt="" class="wp-image-834160 size-full" srcset="https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Bloodsong-of-Wycaro.png 800w, https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Bloodsong-of-Wycaro-740x1110.png 740w, https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Bloodsong-of-Wycaro-768x1152.png 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></figure><div class="wp-block-media-text__content">
<p>Finally, this list would feel incomplete without mentioning <em>Bloodsong of Wycaro</em>: the third entry in the Winds of Wycaro series. Yes, Apple <a href="https://reactormag.com/pluribus-read-excerpt-carol-winds-of-wycaro-romantasy/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">released a real section</a> from Carol’s fictional romantasy book series in the Pluribus universe. While the section’s real author remains a mystery I’ve been trying to get to the bottom of, it is a remarkably entertaining standalone work that also adds a little context to the <em>Pluribus</em> universe. And hey, maybe it’ll be your gateway into the exciting world of pirate romantasy.[end-mark]</p>
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<p class="has-sm-font-size">Note: Comments are closed until the Reactor offices reopen on January 5, 2026. See you in the new year!</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://reactormag.com/what-to-read-after-you-watch-pluribus/">What to Read After You Watch <i>Pluribus</i></a> appeared first on <a href="https://reactormag.com">Reactor</a>.</p><p class="ljsyndicationlink"><a href="https://reactormag.com/what-to-read-after-you-watch-pluribus/">https://reactormag.com/what-to-read-after-you-watch-pluribus/</a></p><p class="ljsyndicationlink"><a href="https://reactormag.com/?p=834048">https://reactormag.com/?p=834048</a></p>
A Tail Of WHOA
Dec. 29th, 2025 02:00 pmcakewrecks_feedCW reader Eric ordered a "pin the tail on the donkey" cake for his twin girls' fourth birthday party.
They got this:
So many jokes, so little time.
Let's just stick with: OUCH.
Thanks to Eric T. for the hee-haws.
*****
P.S. Is your life boring? Does your soul yearn for adventure? Are you waiting for the universe to send you a sign?
Then here:
The Yodeling Pickle
Also the universe says "hi."
(Listen, if you can't think of anything to do with an 8-inch plastic yodeling pickle, then I can't help you.)
*****
And from my other blog, Epbot:
Final December meme post, and some fannish links
Dec. 29th, 2025 01:24 pmdolorosa_12Today's prompt from chestnut_pod brings this year's December talking meme to a close, and it's been a great run of questions. Many thanks to all of you who left a prompt! This final prompt is to talk about how I learnt to garden, plus any longstanding plant friends in my garden.
( Response here )
fandomtrees is due to open for reveals on 10 January, but it will only do so when every participant has a minimum of two gifts each. This post on the comm links to a spreadsheet of needy trees — there are still a substantial number of participants with only one gift, or with no gift at all. My own tree is here.
And the new year means thatsnowflake_challenge will be rolling around again. I'm always so happy to see the consequent burst of enthusiastic activity on Dreamwidth!
chestnut_pod brings this year's December talking meme to a close, and it's been a great run of questions. Many thanks to all of you who left a prompt! This final prompt is to talk about how I learnt to garden, plus any longstanding plant friends in my garden.( Response here )
fandomtrees is due to open for reveals on 10 January, but it will only do so when every participant has a minimum of two gifts each. This post on the comm links to a spreadsheet of needy trees — there are still a substantial number of participants with only one gift, or with no gift at all. My own tree is here.And the new year means that
snowflake_challenge will be rolling around again. I'm always so happy to see the consequent burst of enthusiastic activity on Dreamwidth!Crusin' to the End of the World
Dec. 29th, 2025 11:42 pmtcpipLeaving the fine city of Buenos Aires, we embarked upon the Sapphire Princess to head to Antarctica. It's an impressive vessel, over 300m in length, over 60m in height, weighing 115K tonnes, and carrying 3.5K crew and passengers. I confess that in the past I have looked down on cruise ships, considering them to be places of vacuous culture whose greatest good is the opportunity to hide away and write a novel. Neither of those positions is incorrect; the place is full of bars and gaudy nightclubs, with multiple light jazz bands playing in various nooks, and with incessant piping of the worst of Christmas songs. But my assessment was also quite incomplete. Being the type of cruise this is, the rather impressive theatrical hall is also home to high-quality, accessible, and entertaining lectures, given multiple times a day by geologists, naturalists, and historians, concerning the Antarctic. The same location also hosts evening performances by singers, musicians, and comedy shows, among others. The most impressive was an Argentine tango dance that cleverly melded the history and representation of the dance into its performance.
Due to a curious turn of events, I ended up presenting at the theatre itself on Christmas Day; the ship required someone to conduct an interdenominational service, and, with a bit of a background in such things, I offered my time. A pre-designed service had already been written; however, I was given the opportunity to add a brief introduction, introduce the readings (carried out by other volunteers), and provide a brief address. I took the opportunity to emphasise the importance of remembering how fortunate everyone present was to be on such a voyage, with the time, money, and health, and how everyone must not forget those who did not have this opportunity. I concluded with a reading from James 2: 14-18, which speaks of the need to feed and clothe all as a priority; "Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds". The message seemed to strike a chord; I am guessing that a number of the congregation have more than a sense of unease and self-awareness to be so privileged on such a journey. I will take this opportunity to, once again, recommend my preferred charity (life-years saved per dollar spent), Effective Altruism.
After Christmas, the ship ventured into Patagonian Tierra del Fuego, the southernmost permanently inhabited region on Earth, a wild place of channels, mountains, a plentiful supply of wind and rain, and an abundance of natural beauty. Our first port was Chilean Punta Arenas in the Straits of Magellan, where we were able to tender for a day ashore. It was a town with some charm, including the Sara Braun cemetery that held the remains of not only author Charles Amherst Milward but also the University of Melbourne's Walter Baldwin Spencer. There was a moment of greater excitement when there was a sudden change of weather on the return tender in the late afternoon, with winds reaching over 100kmh, which was interesting if you were on the top deck of a little lifeboat, as we were. The following day, travelling through the Beagle Channel, we reached Argentinia's Ushuaia, the southernmost city of the world, "fin del mundo", a fairly rough-and-ready place, but also surrounded by astounding glaciers and subpolar forests. The next step is the Drake Passage, notoriously known for the roughest seas in the world, and then Antarctica itself.
Due to a curious turn of events, I ended up presenting at the theatre itself on Christmas Day; the ship required someone to conduct an interdenominational service, and, with a bit of a background in such things, I offered my time. A pre-designed service had already been written; however, I was given the opportunity to add a brief introduction, introduce the readings (carried out by other volunteers), and provide a brief address. I took the opportunity to emphasise the importance of remembering how fortunate everyone present was to be on such a voyage, with the time, money, and health, and how everyone must not forget those who did not have this opportunity. I concluded with a reading from James 2: 14-18, which speaks of the need to feed and clothe all as a priority; "Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds". The message seemed to strike a chord; I am guessing that a number of the congregation have more than a sense of unease and self-awareness to be so privileged on such a journey. I will take this opportunity to, once again, recommend my preferred charity (life-years saved per dollar spent), Effective Altruism.
After Christmas, the ship ventured into Patagonian Tierra del Fuego, the southernmost permanently inhabited region on Earth, a wild place of channels, mountains, a plentiful supply of wind and rain, and an abundance of natural beauty. Our first port was Chilean Punta Arenas in the Straits of Magellan, where we were able to tender for a day ashore. It was a town with some charm, including the Sara Braun cemetery that held the remains of not only author Charles Amherst Milward but also the University of Melbourne's Walter Baldwin Spencer. There was a moment of greater excitement when there was a sudden change of weather on the return tender in the late afternoon, with winds reaching over 100kmh, which was interesting if you were on the top deck of a little lifeboat, as we were. The following day, travelling through the Beagle Channel, we reached Argentinia's Ushuaia, the southernmost city of the world, "fin del mundo", a fairly rough-and-ready place, but also surrounded by astounding glaciers and subpolar forests. The next step is the Drake Passage, notoriously known for the roughest seas in the world, and then Antarctica itself.
Monday Word: Maquette
Dec. 29th, 2025 06:57 amstonepicnicking_okapi posting in 1word1daymaquette [ma-ket, muh-]
noun
a small model or study in three dimensions for either a sculptural or an architectural project.
examples
1. we make midnight a maquette of the year: "on new year's eve" by Evie Shockley
2. This hand-painted cold-cast porcelain maquette of Owlman is based on art from the highly anticipated Warner Home Video made-for-DVD animated original movie, Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths! DC Comics for February 2010 | Major Spoilers - Comic Book Reviews and News 2009
origin
1900–05; < French < Italian macchietta, diminutive of macchia a sketch, complex of lines < Latin macula mesh, spot
Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux's maquette for the fountain he donated to Valenciennes
noun
a small model or study in three dimensions for either a sculptural or an architectural project.
examples
1. we make midnight a maquette of the year: "on new year's eve" by Evie Shockley
2. This hand-painted cold-cast porcelain maquette of Owlman is based on art from the highly anticipated Warner Home Video made-for-DVD animated original movie, Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths! DC Comics for February 2010 | Major Spoilers - Comic Book Reviews and News 2009
origin
1900–05; < French < Italian macchietta, diminutive of macchia a sketch, complex of lines < Latin macula mesh, spot
Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux's maquette for the fountain he donated to Valenciennes
Birdfeeding
Dec. 29th, 2025 01:00 amysabetwordsmith posting in ![[site community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/comm_staff.png){kind=small}
dw_community_promobirdfeeding is a community started on January 1, 2023. It's all about birdfeeding, birdwatching, and other topics relating to birds. It also touches on nature in general, and observations that may effect bird activity such as local weather. Both text and image posts are welcome. Now is a great time to join as hungry birds are easy to attract with a feeder.Community resources include posts about birding events, nurseries that sell seeds or plants attractive to birds, bird identification apps, the benefits of birdwatching, and other useful materials. Check out the anchor posts from Three Weeks for Dreamwidth.
Recent posts:
Photos: House Yard
Christmas Bird Count
Birds
Signup Post: Full Content on Dreamwidth in 2026
Dec. 28th, 2025 06:57 pmysabetwordsmith posting in goals_on_dwDreamwidth offers a place to post pretty much whatever people want to share. However, a lot of creators put their stories, webcomics, etc. on some other platform and only share links on Dreamwidth. The same holds true for the recommendation communities for fiction and other topics: most rely on links that lead offsite. The problem with this is that more and more platforms are closing to nonmembers, becoming unavailable in some parts of the world, incompatible with some software or hardware, suffering service outages -- or shutting down entirely like Cohost did. That makes offsite links less useful than in the past, because there's no telling who can see the content or not. When creators post the full content on Dreamwidth in an open blog, however, anyone already using Dreamwidth can access that content. (Creators still have the option of using access lists and filters if they want to serve a more specific audience.) Furthermore, copying the material to multiple platforms increases the chance of more people seeing it and of it surviving if one platform collapses. We've lost enough fanwork archives already.
This post provides a place to list communities and individual blogs where people post full content. It will help readers find new sources to enjoy, and creators find new audience members. It supports goals related to blogging, reading, writing, networking, Dreamwidth, and so on. It's a bit like Three Weeks for Dreamwidth, except not limited in time and you can echo your work on other platforms in addition to this one. MOAR GOODEEZ for everyone! \o/
You can pick whichever challenge(s) you want to set as a goal in 2026 and reply with a comment. Below the list of sample full-content journals is a short form for listing what you have chosen. You can make a post in your blog like "I signed up for the Full Content on Dreamwidth challenge ingoals_on_dw" or similar. Then make a tag for it like "Full Content" and put that on the post; it should stick that way. Check your Interests page to see if you have Writing, Fiction, Science Fiction, Fanfic, Webcomics, etc. listed there, which helps people find you. You don't have to sign up to participate, it just helps spread the word and attract more readers.
( Read more... )
This post provides a place to list communities and individual blogs where people post full content. It will help readers find new sources to enjoy, and creators find new audience members. It supports goals related to blogging, reading, writing, networking, Dreamwidth, and so on. It's a bit like Three Weeks for Dreamwidth, except not limited in time and you can echo your work on other platforms in addition to this one. MOAR GOODEEZ for everyone! \o/
You can pick whichever challenge(s) you want to set as a goal in 2026 and reply with a comment. Below the list of sample full-content journals is a short form for listing what you have chosen. You can make a post in your blog like "I signed up for the Full Content on Dreamwidth challenge in
goals_on_dw" or similar. Then make a tag for it like "Full Content" and put that on the post; it should stick that way. Check your Interests page to see if you have Writing, Fiction, Science Fiction, Fanfic, Webcomics, etc. listed there, which helps people find you. You don't have to sign up to participate, it just helps spread the word and attract more readers.( Read more... )
Media Post
Dec. 28th, 2025 06:39 pminchoatewordsMovies: I watched about half of The Sound of Music while visiting the in-laws. Also watched The Family Man, the early-00s movie with Nicolas Cage. I know that it's supposed to be a send-up of movies like It's a Wonderful Life and A Christmas Carol, but this movie annoyed me so much.
If you've never seen it, Cage's character plays a workaholic named Jack, who years prior to the movie, chose career over his girlfriend (Tea Leoni). An intervention on Christmas Eve at a convenience store holdup leads the gunman (an angel, presumably, played by Don Cheadle) to show Jack a "glimpse" of life for the man who has everything he wants (this is what he says to the angel when Jack is asked this).
Jack goes to sleep in his New York apartment and wakes up the next morning as a suburban dad, living in New Jersey with wife and two kids. The wife is Leoni's character; in this "glimpse," Cage never left her and instead of a high-powered executive, he's a car tire salesman for his father-in-law's business. Of course, he has trouble navigating this new life, but then he learns to love it in time.
And once he does, he goes to sleep again and wakes up in his old life.
So, I hate this movie because this "glimpse" is really torture . . . both ways. A "glimpse" of the life that wasn't would be a one night thing, like Scrooge sees when he is visited by the ghosts. In this movie, the vision of what might have been takes WEEKS of real life time. He can't get anyone to understand what's going on with me, which, admittedly, would be unbelievable.
But then he does come to love his wife and kids, and by happenstance, he meets the CEO of the company he worked for in his old life, and due to his prior knowledge, he's able to talk himself into a job. Things are looking up for him, and then, he sees the angel again and BOOM, he's back in his old life - no wife, no kids, just loneliness and a bachelor apartment.
This is incredibly cruel! The movie does end on a hopeful note, but I still did not like this at all. I don't understand why people like this movie. Or why you would want to watch it more than once!
Television/Streaming:
We finished season 2 of Farscape and Buffy before we left for the holiday. Aeryn's dead, Crichton has completely lost his mind, and after the chip gets excised, he can't speak - and a cliffhanger here, too. Buffy's mom finding out that she's a vampire slayer, having to team up with Spike, and then Buffy's mom telling her not to come back. Oof. I don't like Joyce very much right now at all. You can't say something like that to kids and not have them take it literally.
Books:
I chose Lord of the Butterflies by Andrea Gibson for the last book to read for DEI book club this year, as it's the holidays and I thought a book of poetry would be an easier choice. Everyone agreed. Which is not to say these poems are light; they're about gender and politics and fraught familial relationships, but I found some ideas in them quite relatable. It's a shame I was not familiar with Gibson until this year, after they died from cancer earlier this year.
I also finished The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper, which I have now read three times. My online book club chose to read it as an optional read over the holidays, as that is when the events in the book take place. This is a fantasy series, but it can be read as a standalone. On my third read this time, I think I enjoyed the family and celebrations bits more than the fantasy bits, but still quite good overall.
If you've never seen it, Cage's character plays a workaholic named Jack, who years prior to the movie, chose career over his girlfriend (Tea Leoni). An intervention on Christmas Eve at a convenience store holdup leads the gunman (an angel, presumably, played by Don Cheadle) to show Jack a "glimpse" of life for the man who has everything he wants (this is what he says to the angel when Jack is asked this).
Jack goes to sleep in his New York apartment and wakes up the next morning as a suburban dad, living in New Jersey with wife and two kids. The wife is Leoni's character; in this "glimpse," Cage never left her and instead of a high-powered executive, he's a car tire salesman for his father-in-law's business. Of course, he has trouble navigating this new life, but then he learns to love it in time.
And once he does, he goes to sleep again and wakes up in his old life.
So, I hate this movie because this "glimpse" is really torture . . . both ways. A "glimpse" of the life that wasn't would be a one night thing, like Scrooge sees when he is visited by the ghosts. In this movie, the vision of what might have been takes WEEKS of real life time. He can't get anyone to understand what's going on with me, which, admittedly, would be unbelievable.
But then he does come to love his wife and kids, and by happenstance, he meets the CEO of the company he worked for in his old life, and due to his prior knowledge, he's able to talk himself into a job. Things are looking up for him, and then, he sees the angel again and BOOM, he's back in his old life - no wife, no kids, just loneliness and a bachelor apartment.
This is incredibly cruel! The movie does end on a hopeful note, but I still did not like this at all. I don't understand why people like this movie. Or why you would want to watch it more than once!
Television/Streaming:
We finished season 2 of Farscape and Buffy before we left for the holiday. Aeryn's dead, Crichton has completely lost his mind, and after the chip gets excised, he can't speak - and a cliffhanger here, too. Buffy's mom finding out that she's a vampire slayer, having to team up with Spike, and then Buffy's mom telling her not to come back. Oof. I don't like Joyce very much right now at all. You can't say something like that to kids and not have them take it literally.
Books:
I chose Lord of the Butterflies by Andrea Gibson for the last book to read for DEI book club this year, as it's the holidays and I thought a book of poetry would be an easier choice. Everyone agreed. Which is not to say these poems are light; they're about gender and politics and fraught familial relationships, but I found some ideas in them quite relatable. It's a shame I was not familiar with Gibson until this year, after they died from cancer earlier this year.
I also finished The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper, which I have now read three times. My online book club chose to read it as an optional read over the holidays, as that is when the events in the book take place. This is a fantasy series, but it can be read as a standalone. On my third read this time, I think I enjoyed the family and celebrations bits more than the fantasy bits, but still quite good overall.
Three for the Memories Coming Back Next Month!
Dec. 28th, 2025 05:30 pmyourlibrarian posting in common_nature
3 for the Memories' 2025 session will be open for posts on January 3, 2026 and will run for 3 weeks until January 24. Event participation is as follows:
1) Three photos only per person during each annual session. Members are encouraged to discuss the reason for their choices.
2) Photos can be hosted at Dreamwidth or elsewhere, and should not be larger than 800 px width or height.
3) All three photos should be in the same post. Cut tags should be placed after the first photo.
3 for the Memories is not a competition, and entries are not being judged. Rather, participants are encouraged to share photos they took in 2025 that they find meaningful in some way or which represent how they experienced the year.
Questions? Visit the announcement post at
threeforthememoriesGame Check-in: Duet Night Abyss
Dec. 28th, 2025 02:31 pmbluapapilio
A Rainbow-Coloured Dream (Fina event):
It's always weird in these games when the MC starts talking for themselves with a personality you wouldn't necessarily choose when you're in control. Vita ribbing on Outsider so much is pretty funny though. X'D
Can't believe Vita took Fina outside without telling Outsider?? And she was 20 levels lower than the mobs, and Vita wasn't much help only using his sword.
I've always liked powers that can create from imagination, like Ronan's from The Raven Boys.
What were they doing with the kidnapped kids??
We didn't get all the details about what happened with the Glennvilles, I wonder if we'll get it with an Outsider quest?
Meeting Zhiliu:
*smh* That ticket seller in the theatre digging himself into a deeper and deeper hole. Hope he gets fired. "Thoughtless lips invite trouble." you mean loose lips ink ships? X'D
Lol why is Snow standing off to the side in the viewing box, there's plenty of room on the seat. How come it played Phantasio's singing when it was Violetta singing? They could've just played the melody without the voice.
Zhiliu's phoxichor sensor reacted to Vita? 🤔
I don't care one way or another for her design.
Books I've Read: Book of the Year
Dec. 28th, 2025 10:00 amhrj(This is the promised separate review of my favorite book from 2025.)
Inventing the Renaissance by Ada Palmer is not simply my favorite book of the year, but is my candidate for Best Book of the Year overall. This is not simply a book about history but is a book about the process of history. It demonstrates the fractal messiness of the people, places, and events that we try to tidily sort into specific eras, and especially how all those people, places, and events are braided together into a solid fabric. Palmer doesn’t shy away from pointing out how thoroughly our understanding of history is shaped by the prejudices and preoccupations of historians; she embraces this aspect noting at every turn how her own take is shaped by her love of the city of Florence and especially its most controversial son, Machiavelli.
But what makes this book great is the humor poured into the cracks around the politics, violence, and art. (A recurring feature is little comic dialogues that summarize key events in a narrative style familiar to anyone on Twitter or Bluesky. I desperately want to see these presented in visual format, whether as live theater or animated shorts. It’s hard to pick a favorite line, but the top two are “Maria Visconti-Sforza: I’m standing right here!” and “King of France: You Italians are very strange.”)
The book concludes with what I can only describe as a stump speech for the importance to the contemporary world of studying and understanding history, embracing the necessary messiness of “progress,” and the hope that we can indeed continue the Renaissance project of reaching for a better world.
This is a very long book, though paced in manageable chapters. When I decided to read it and found that the audiobook was the same price as the hardcover, I went for audio (at over 30 hours!) and listened to it while taking the train home from the International Medieval Conference. The narration is top-notch, capturing the emotional range of the text perfectly. The side benefit is that the combination of material, voice, and length made it perfect to add to my “sleep-aid audiobooks” collection, which means I get to enjoy it over and over again (in the bits and pieces I consciously hear). But of course I bought the hardcover too, not only so I could get Palmer to autograph it, but because I needed to be able to track down my favorite bits and check out the footnotes.
Inventing the Renaissance by Ada Palmer is not simply my favorite book of the year, but is my candidate for Best Book of the Year overall. This is not simply a book about history but is a book about the process of history. It demonstrates the fractal messiness of the people, places, and events that we try to tidily sort into specific eras, and especially how all those people, places, and events are braided together into a solid fabric. Palmer doesn’t shy away from pointing out how thoroughly our understanding of history is shaped by the prejudices and preoccupations of historians; she embraces this aspect noting at every turn how her own take is shaped by her love of the city of Florence and especially its most controversial son, Machiavelli.
But what makes this book great is the humor poured into the cracks around the politics, violence, and art. (A recurring feature is little comic dialogues that summarize key events in a narrative style familiar to anyone on Twitter or Bluesky. I desperately want to see these presented in visual format, whether as live theater or animated shorts. It’s hard to pick a favorite line, but the top two are “Maria Visconti-Sforza: I’m standing right here!” and “King of France: You Italians are very strange.”)
The book concludes with what I can only describe as a stump speech for the importance to the contemporary world of studying and understanding history, embracing the necessary messiness of “progress,” and the hope that we can indeed continue the Renaissance project of reaching for a better world.
This is a very long book, though paced in manageable chapters. When I decided to read it and found that the audiobook was the same price as the hardcover, I went for audio (at over 30 hours!) and listened to it while taking the train home from the International Medieval Conference. The narration is top-notch, capturing the emotional range of the text perfectly. The side benefit is that the combination of material, voice, and length made it perfect to add to my “sleep-aid audiobooks” collection, which means I get to enjoy it over and over again (in the bits and pieces I consciously hear). But of course I bought the hardcover too, not only so I could get Palmer to autograph it, but because I needed to be able to track down my favorite bits and check out the footnotes.
It's A Sweet Day For A Winter Wedding
Dec. 28th, 2025 02:00 pmcakewrecks_feedHey, if you can't beat the cold, celebrate it!
(Says the girl in Florida. :D)
Besides, sparkly ice and swirling snowflakes are PERFECT for a fairy tale wedding:
(By The Caketress)
See?
The frosted branches and glittery "snow" on each tier is so pretty and delicate!
This one has the tiniest touches of gold to warm up the gray:
And that shadowbox effect with the trees? GENIUS.
Here's another woodsy design:
I like all the white-on-white texture, and the thistle-like greenery is perfect with the mountainscapes.
But if you prefer something with a lot more glitz to it:
(By Delicut Cakes)
Sha-pow! GLITZ.
The flowers were inspired by British bluebells, and I'm so impressed by the filigree trim and tightly packed ruffles!
Now for something completely different:
(By Torta Couture)
Chocolate!! Such a dramatic backdrop for those metallic snowflakes. And I think gold, copper, and chocolate is one of my new favorite color combos.
More impressive snowflakes, this time cascading down the side of the cake:
(By Taarten Deco)
And this icy beauty has the hint of an onion-domed castle on top:
(By Nadia & Co.)
Plus check out the hand painted vignette! Mmmm. So dreamy.
More hand painting on one of today's most beautifully minimalistic designs:
(By Sweet Little Treat)
I am all about that blue-gray wood grain. Gah, so gorgeous!
You wouldn't usually think of gold and bronze for a winter cake, but wow:
(By Sugar Cane)
I like!
And finally, a glittering ice tower fit for Queen Elsa herself:
(By Design Cakes)
OooooOOOooooo. Perfection.
Hope you guys enjoyed! Happy Sunday, and stay warm out there!
*****
And from my other blog, Epbot:
Sunday Secrets
Dec. 28th, 2025 12:20 ampost_secret_feed
See the secrets, read the stories, share your confession. Visit Now
The post Sunday Secrets appeared first on PostSecret.
Sunday Word: Contemporaneous
Dec. 28th, 2025 12:09 pmsallymn posting in 1word1daycontemporaneous [kuhn-tem-puh-rey-nee-uhs]
adjective:
existing, beginning, or occurring in the same period of time
Examples:
Some economic data, such as last month’s unemployment rate and consumer-inflation numbers, can’t be compiled retroactively, the Labor Department has said, because they rely on contemporaneous surveys. (Nick Timiraos and Matt Grossman, Wholesale Price Gains Hint at Muted Rise in Fed’s Preferred Inflation Gauge, The Wall Street Journal, November 2025)
These moments of reckoning - in which something that once felt exciting begins to seem noxious, mephitic, dangerous - are important to heed. (Alex Ross, At Ninety, Arvo Pärt and Terry Riley Still Sound Vital, The New Yorker, November 2025)
In addition to contemporaneous comics, architecture, and music, the film explores the influence of the space race on everyday life of the 1960s. (Ben Sachs, Lewis Klahr’s Sixty Six is a masterful journey through inner space and the American past, Chicago Reader, May 2017)
It gave the explanation, gave sanity to the pranks of this atavistic brain of mine that, modern and normal, harked back to a past so remote as to be contemporaneous with the raw beginnings of mankind. (Jack London, Before Adam)
Origin:
'living or existing at the same time,' 1650s, from Late Latin contemporaneus 'contemporary,' from the same Latin source as contemporary but with an extended form after Late Latin temporaneous 'timely.' An earlier adjective was contemporanean (1550s). (Online Etymology Dictionary)
December-January Movie PTW List
Dec. 27th, 2025 09:35 pmbluapapilioUsing my movies boardgame.
I completed 4/5 movies from my last challenge, the highest rated was booksmart at 4/5 stars. Not the funnest challenge, coulda been better but I'm not in the biggest mood for movies tbh.
Avatar:
Action (Tremors)
Skill: If you land on a tile you don't like: roll a dice, if even go forward one tile, if odd go back (doesn't work on the trap tile)
Roll #1
Heree we go again, a 7 which is the trap tile so I had to go back. Oh, a 12 now, ok. Prompt: weapon on the cover. I am going to chose based solely on the prompts versus my feelings because nothing will get chosen otherwise. Alright, there's a gun on the cover of Dust Bunny.
Roll #2
A 7, prompt: favorite genre (fantasy). ('24) The Little Mermaid,
Roll #3
A 4, generate from PTW tile. #64, Trunk - Locked In.
Roll #4
A 5, prompt: horror element. Beyond Loch Ness,
Roll #5
Reward: Flight of the Living Dead.
Movie PTW List:
[Thriller/Fantasy/Action] Dust Bunny
[Horror/Fantasy] '24 The Little Mermaid
[Thriller] Trunk - Locked In
[Mystery/Sci-Fi/Horror] Beyond Loch Ness
[Horror] Flight of the Living Dead
I completed 4/5 movies from my last challenge, the highest rated was booksmart at 4/5 stars. Not the funnest challenge, coulda been better but I'm not in the biggest mood for movies tbh.
Avatar:
Action (Tremors)
Skill: If you land on a tile you don't like: roll a dice, if even go forward one tile, if odd go back (doesn't work on the trap tile)
Roll #1
Heree we go again, a 7 which is the trap tile so I had to go back. Oh, a 12 now, ok. Prompt: weapon on the cover. I am going to chose based solely on the prompts versus my feelings because nothing will get chosen otherwise. Alright, there's a gun on the cover of Dust Bunny.
Roll #2
A 7, prompt: favorite genre (fantasy). ('24) The Little Mermaid,
Roll #3
A 4, generate from PTW tile. #64, Trunk - Locked In.
Roll #4
A 5, prompt: horror element. Beyond Loch Ness,
Roll #5
Reward: Flight of the Living Dead.
Movie PTW List:
[Thriller/Fantasy/Action] Dust Bunny
[Horror/Fantasy] '24 The Little Mermaid
[Thriller] Trunk - Locked In
[Mystery/Sci-Fi/Horror] Beyond Loch Ness
[Horror] Flight of the Living Dead
