Habit Tracking: Week 43 (October 19 - October 25)
Oct. 29th, 2025 11:12 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mistressofmuses
This week, fancy books and skull from Sunset Road (part of their "Hanted Library" set.) Also a spiderweb from a set I bought at the Butterfly Pavilion a couple years ago.
This was a good week. Feeling sick for much of the mid-week wasn't great, but at least it seemed to resolve quickly. We went to Hudson Gardens, which was beautiful and a perfect day to be out. Work was fine. On Saturday we went to "Spirits and Spirits," which was our big Halloween thing for the year. It was a lot of fun, and I'm really glad we decided to do it. I wish I hadn't had to go back to work for one more day afterwards, but alas.
Goals for the week:
- We did attend Spirits and Spirits
- I picked up my ballot
- I read What Moves the Dead
- I worked on my book reviews
- I did not work on my reading page
- I did not make that stupid phone call
- I continued my October Devotional
- I did collect new branches for the katydids
- I started Queen Demon
- I wrote up the intro for the Alice Isn't Dead/Sparrow Hill Road crossover
For my October Devotional:
- 19 - I collected branches for the katydids
- 20 - Definitely appreciated some beautiful fall colors; got a pumpkin latte; bought fancy bread for French toast
- 21 - Went on a really nice walk at Hudson Gardens; splurged on some Halloween pins for myself
- 22 - Alex made another zucchini cake
- 23 - I did some plant care; got sweet potato fries
- 24 - We went and got pumpkin milkshakes (again)
- 25 - We went to Spirits and Spirits
Tracked habits:
- Work - 4.5/7 - took a half day on Saturday
- Household Maintenance - 5/7
- Physical Activity - 3/7
- Wrote 500/1000+ Words - 1/7 - over 500 words
- Wrote on 2nd+ Draft - 0/7
- Meta Work - 3/7
- Personal Writing - 6/7
- Other Creative Things - 2/7
- Reading - 6/7 - I read What Moves the Dead and started Queen Demon; I also read a bit of Bloodhunt Academy, and kept up with Re: Dracula/Dracula Daily
- Attention to Media - 7/7 - Sunday we had some explore videos in the background and watched a book review; Monday I listened to music and later had stuff in the background; Tuesday I listened to music and later we watched Drive Back, which was better than anticipated; Wednesday we watched the documentary Audrey + Daisy; Thursday we watched Abbott Elementary, then had 20/20 and explore videos in the background; Friday we watched Great British Bake Off, and a paranormal livestream; Saturday had some stuff on in the background.
- Video Games - 0/7
- Social Interaction - 6/7
Total words written: 803 on the fic intro
![[syndicated profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/feed.png){kind=small}
fail_feedWhen a group of friends booked a small cottage for a quiet weekend away, they didn't expect to become legal scholars of Airbnb fine print. The listing clearly stated: Quiet after 10 PM. No parties. Host will mediate disputes if guests aren't at fault.
On their second night, a nearby house threw a loud party. The host, Mark, assumed it was them. Without checking cameras or calling the neighbors, he accused the group of breaking the rules and threatened to keep their deposit, plus charge a "peace-of-mind fee."
Unfortunately for Mark, his own policies became his undoing.
Seven Deadly Sins of reading
Oct. 29th, 2025 08:53 amwychwoodI like the book meme that is going around - I saw it first on naraht's journal, but it seems to be spreading vigorously!
Lust, books I want to read for their cover:
I don't think there's anything at the moment, but I first read Flying Dutch by Tom Holt because of the Josh Kirby cover! Does that count?
Pride, challenging books I've finished:
Speaking purely personally, finishing Arcadia by Iain Pears was a real achievement, although I've no idea why I found it so impossible a read. I've read some books that would probably fall under the popular definition, but I feel like it doesn't count if I was reading them for fun! Maybe St Augustine's City of God; that did feel like a real achievement to get through, it's so enormous.
Gluttony, books I've read more than once:
I mean. Even these days roughly 40% of my reading is re-reading, and growing up it was a lot higher than that! I don't understand people who never re-read. Arthur Ransome's Swallows and Amazons can stand for the vast number.
Sloth, books on my to-read list the longest:
lol where to start. I acquired Consilience by Edward O Wilson in 2009, I think that may be the oldest physically sitting on my to-read shelves.
Greed, books I own multiple editions of:
The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan - I have a Penguin Classics copy, a giant hardback edition with illustrations that looks rather William-Blake-esque, and a tiny pocket hardback that used to live permanently in my rucksack pocket. Oh, and an ebook from Project Gutenberg.
I also have a few dozen audiobooks that duplicate paper or ebooks I already had, and an increasing number of ebooks duplicating paper I already had. Mostly I get one format or the other, but I've picked up quite a few cheap ebooks of favourites where I don't want to get rid of the original, or where I have the whole series in paper and don't want to give away the one or two I have in ebook, etc... I suspect I will gradually prune things down over time.
Notably I'm up to nearly 50 Chalet School ebooks now! But I have spent nearly forty years accumulating my paper set, and it's going to take a while before I'm ready to give them up. Greed indeed.
Oh, and five? six? Bibles? One in German. Plus a couple of New Testaments including one in Greek (I don't even read Greek, it was just so beautiful!).
Wrath, books I despised:
I'm sure there are a ton of better choices that will come to me after I post this, but such is life. I looked through my "Product of its Time" booklog awards and found some promising candidates, but then I remembered Ada Palmer's Too Like the Lightning, which left me with the sort of loathing that feels appropriate for this category. It's not that it was rubbish, because those mostly aren't worth despising really, it's that it was just persistently unpleasant in a gloating kind of way that left me wanting a shower. Ugh.
Envy, books I want to live in:
Relatively few, without a guarantee of being one of the lucky ones! Graydon Saunders' Commonweal books are pretty invested in everyone getting an equal chance, more or less, so that might not be too bad as long as I could be sure of being in the Commonweal and not one of Reems' slaves or something.
Otherwise mostly looking at positive high-tech futures, to be sure of having access to medication and/or medical treatment for my numerous chronic health conditions! Maybe Bujold's Vorkosigan saga? I'd like Beta, I think. But again, I could end up on Jackson's Whole, and that would not end well for me. Maybe a Star Trek novel, that universe is probably as safe as anywhere I can find.
naraht's journal, but it seems to be spreading vigorously!Lust, books I want to read for their cover:
I don't think there's anything at the moment, but I first read Flying Dutch by Tom Holt because of the Josh Kirby cover! Does that count?
Pride, challenging books I've finished:
Speaking purely personally, finishing Arcadia by Iain Pears was a real achievement, although I've no idea why I found it so impossible a read. I've read some books that would probably fall under the popular definition, but I feel like it doesn't count if I was reading them for fun! Maybe St Augustine's City of God; that did feel like a real achievement to get through, it's so enormous.
Gluttony, books I've read more than once:
I mean. Even these days roughly 40% of my reading is re-reading, and growing up it was a lot higher than that! I don't understand people who never re-read. Arthur Ransome's Swallows and Amazons can stand for the vast number.
Sloth, books on my to-read list the longest:
lol where to start. I acquired Consilience by Edward O Wilson in 2009, I think that may be the oldest physically sitting on my to-read shelves.
Greed, books I own multiple editions of:
The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan - I have a Penguin Classics copy, a giant hardback edition with illustrations that looks rather William-Blake-esque, and a tiny pocket hardback that used to live permanently in my rucksack pocket. Oh, and an ebook from Project Gutenberg.
I also have a few dozen audiobooks that duplicate paper or ebooks I already had, and an increasing number of ebooks duplicating paper I already had. Mostly I get one format or the other, but I've picked up quite a few cheap ebooks of favourites where I don't want to get rid of the original, or where I have the whole series in paper and don't want to give away the one or two I have in ebook, etc... I suspect I will gradually prune things down over time.
Notably I'm up to nearly 50 Chalet School ebooks now! But I have spent nearly forty years accumulating my paper set, and it's going to take a while before I'm ready to give them up. Greed indeed.
Oh, and five? six? Bibles? One in German. Plus a couple of New Testaments including one in Greek (I don't even read Greek, it was just so beautiful!).
Wrath, books I despised:
I'm sure there are a ton of better choices that will come to me after I post this, but such is life. I looked through my "Product of its Time" booklog awards and found some promising candidates, but then I remembered Ada Palmer's Too Like the Lightning, which left me with the sort of loathing that feels appropriate for this category. It's not that it was rubbish, because those mostly aren't worth despising really, it's that it was just persistently unpleasant in a gloating kind of way that left me wanting a shower. Ugh.
Envy, books I want to live in:
Relatively few, without a guarantee of being one of the lucky ones! Graydon Saunders' Commonweal books are pretty invested in everyone getting an equal chance, more or less, so that might not be too bad as long as I could be sure of being in the Commonweal and not one of Reems' slaves or something.
Otherwise mostly looking at positive high-tech futures, to be sure of having access to medication and/or medical treatment for my numerous chronic health conditions! Maybe Bujold's Vorkosigan saga? I'd like Beta, I think. But again, I could end up on Jackson's Whole, and that would not end well for me. Maybe a Star Trek novel, that universe is probably as safe as anywhere I can find.
This 2TB Western Digital Elements Portable Hard Drive Is on Sale for Just $65 Right Now
Oct. 29th, 2025 05:15 pmlh_wayfarer_feedWe may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.
A dependable external drive is one of those things you don’t realize you need until your laptop storage is nearly full or your photos are scattered across cloud accounts. Western Digital’s Elements Portable USB 3.0 Hard Drive is built for exactly that situation, and it’s currently on sale for $64.99 on StackSocial for 2TB of storage. That’s enough space to offload years of pictures and videos or stash work files without juggling thumb drives. At just under half a pound, it’s light enough to carry around in a bag, and since it uses USB 3.0, transferring large batches of files feels quick and painless compared to older drives.
It’s plug-and-play for Windows 10 and newer, so you don’t need extra software to get going. You can literally connect it and start dragging files over in seconds. The design is also more thoughtful than you might expect for a budget drive: the casing is made from over 50% recycled plastic, and the packaging is recyclable as well—a small but welcome improvement. It also has fast file transfers, straightforward backup, and a three-year limited warranty in case anything goes wrong.
That said, there are limitations worth noting. This particular model is formatted for Windows out of the box, so if you plan to use it with a Mac or Linux system, you’ll need to reformat it first. Like all portable hard drives, it also isn’t built to survive drops or rough handling—WD even cautions that a small fall can cause data loss. And unlike pricier SSDs, this is still a spinning-disk drive, so while it’s reliable for everyday backups, it won’t be as fast or durable as solid-state options. Still, if your main goal is affordable, dependable storage that you can toss in a backpack and trust with years’ worth of files, this 2TB WD Elements drive is hard to argue with at this price.
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Grammarly Isn’t Going Anywhere
Oct. 29th, 2025 04:45 pmlh_wayfarer_feedWe may earn a commission from links on this page.
Earlier today, you might have seen reports that Grammarly is changing its name to Superhuman. That's not really the whole story. While the company did announce a broader rebrand coinciding with the release of a new AI assistant (more on that later), it also assured users that "the Grammarly brand isn't going anywhere." Essentially, what that means is that while Grammarly the company has a new name, Grammarly the product is still going by the same tried-and-true moniker as ever.
The confusion follows Grammarly's acquisition of AI-powered email app Superhuman in June, which the company said "accelerates Grammarly's evolution into an AI productivity platform for apps and agents." Usually, acquired companies take the name of the companies that bought them, but that's not a hard-and-fast rule. "Superhuman" certainly implies a broader scope than a name that's all about grammar, so it makes sense that Grammarly might want to yoink its name if it plans to expand into other markets.
To that end, the company also today announced Superhuman Go, a more general AI addition to the Grammarly extension that works like Grammarly does now, but with more capability. The free version will still let you do everything Grammarly does, but it also ropes in access to tools like Coda, a collaborative workspace, and a chatbot that supposedly integrates with and can help take action for you across 100 apps. Or, you could pay up to also get the Superhuman AI inbox and the features you would previously expect from Grammarly Pro and Enterprise.
But while Grammarly is available within Go, if you're skeptical, you don't need to change your workflow yet. Pricing for the base paid Superhuman Suite subscription matches the previous Grammarly Pro subscription pricing, so you won't be paying more even with access to new tools (although you'll need to hop up to a higher tier to get that AI inbox). And as for using Go itself, it's entirely optional.
Credit: Superhuman
To try Superhuman Go out, open the Grammarly extension, go to Settings and toggle on the switch next to Go. Otherwise, you can leave it off to continue using Grammarly as you always have, name and all.
lh_wayfarer_feedWe may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.
The Tinymoose Pencil Pro 2 is aimed squarely at iPad users who want the feel of Apple’s own stylus without paying Apple’s price, and it's on sale for just $29.99 on StackSocial right now. It costs a fraction of the official Pencil but still packs features that cover most daily needs. This second-generation version is made for iPads from 2018 onward and brings a few upgrades over the original, including Bluetooth support and shortcut gestures. A smart button on the side is mapped for simple actions: one press for multitasking, two presses to exit apps, and a long press to power the pen on or off. That may not sound like much, but it helps when you’re hopping between notes and apps throughout the day.
Using the stylus feels pretty close to writing or sketching with a real pen. You can tilt it to shade or adjust the angle of your strokes, and palm rejection makes it easy to rest your hand on the screen without disrupting your lines. The input keeps up well, too, with no lag or weird trailing behind the tip. It connects over Bluetooth, which means your iPad can show you the battery level, and charging is quick. A full charge takes about 25 minutes and lasts over 10 hours, while a 15-minute top-up on USB-C gets you most of the way there. The aluminum body of the Pencil Pro 2 is light at just 13 grams and snaps onto supported iPads with its magnetic strip, though unlike the pricier models, it doesn’t recharge that way.
The extras round it out. Each purchase includes three spare nibs, a USB-C cable, and a leather case, which is more than Apple throws in. Still, there are compromises to consider. The Pencil Pro 2 only works with iPads, so you won’t get the cross-platform flexibility some third-party styluses offer. Its six-month warranty is also shorter than the standard one-year coverage from Apple, and while gestures and shortcuts are handy, they’re limited compared to the wider integration of the official Pencil. Even so, for students, note-takers, and casual artists who don’t need pro-level features but want a reliable everyday stylus, this deal makes a lot of sense.
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All the New Features Coming to macOS 26.1
Oct. 29th, 2025 04:00 pmlh_wayfarer_feedWhile I updated my iPhone to iOS 26 as soon as I could, I haven't yet pulled the trigger with macOS Tahoe. I love my M1 iMac, but I worry that Apple's first version of this new update isn't quite optimized for the five-year-old chip, and have been waiting to see if a future version of Tahoe performs a bit better.
As it happens, that next version is well on its way—and does seem improved, at that. Apple has been beta testing macOS Tahoe 26.1 alongside iOS 26.1 since September, and it dropped the release candidates for both of the updates on Tuesday. The "RC," as the name implies, is what Apple thinks is the finished version of any given software release. Barring any major bugs or glitches discovered by developers and public testers, this will be the version of macOS Tahoe 26.1 released to the general public.
That release will likely come next week. In the meantime, we know what features Apple has in store for Mac users who decide to update. This is a much smaller revision than macOS 26, but 26.1 does bring some interesting new features for users to explore.
Control over Liquid Glass' appearance
By far the most striking difference between this year's Apple updates and last year's is Liquid Glass. This new design language is Apple's most drastic UI change in years, and while some people love it, others hate it. I've enjoyed the new look on my iPhone, but I understand why some users dislike how some elements let the background shine through, in some cases reducing visibility.
Apple seems to have taken the criticism to heart: With macOS Tahoe, as well as iOS 26.1 and iPadOS 26.1, the company now gives users the option to control how Liquid Glass looks, at least to a degree. The new toggle, which you can find in System Settings > Appearance, has two options: "Clear," which retains the original look of Liquid Glass, and "Tinted," which increases the opacity of your system's UI elements. With Tinted, you won't see as much of the background poke through, and whatever does come through doesn't take over the overlayed element as much.
If you find Liquid Glass in macOS Tahoe too clear and "glassy," this might be a good option to try.
Expanded support for Apple Music AutoMix
Apple's latest round of updates introduced a new DJ-like feature to Apple Music. AutoMix will automatically build a transition between songs, fading one song into another. It's a cool feature (when it works well), and can make transitioning between dissimilar songs a lot smoother.
With macOS 26.1, AutoMix now works over AirPlay. Previously, you lost this feature when beaming your music to an AirPlay device.
Better FaceTime audio quality
Apple says that Mac users updating to 26.1 should experience improved FaceTime audio quality in low-bandwidth conditions. The company doesn't elaborate, but this is good news on its, uh, face: If you're calling someone in a low-signal area, or with a weak wifi connection, you should be able to hear each other better.
Communication Safety and Web content filters for child accounts
If your Mac has child accounts (made for ages 13 through 17), Communication Safety and Web content filters will be enabled by default for those accounts after updating to this latest version. These filters are designed to limit adult websites, protecting underage users from content they shouldn't be accessing.
A new Network icon
As spotted by the MacOSBeta subreddit, Apple has updated the Network icon for macOS 26.1. The new icon looks great, in my opinion, sporting a blue theme with glow effects:
A new Macintosh HD icon
Similarly, the Macintosh HD icon gets a small refresh. The original Tahoe icon was a major redesign over the previous, iconic icon. Now, Apple has removed the additional elements to simplify the design. (I still miss the original.)
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A few security updates, probably
Apple hasn't announced security updates for macOS 26.1 yet, but in all likelihood, they will. Apple doesn't often issue true security patches like other companies, barring an emergency patch. Instead, the company usually bundles its security patches within point updates like 26.1. Once the official update drops, expect Apple to update its security release notes to include details about these patches.
This 2TB Western Digital Elements Portable Hard Drive Is on Sale for Just $65 Right Now
Oct. 29th, 2025 05:15 pmlifehacker_feedWe may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.
A dependable external drive is one of those things you don’t realize you need until your laptop storage is nearly full or your photos are scattered across cloud accounts. Western Digital’s Elements Portable USB 3.0 Hard Drive is built for exactly that situation, and it’s currently on sale for $64.99 on StackSocial for 2TB of storage. That’s enough space to offload years of pictures and videos or stash work files without juggling thumb drives. At just under half a pound, it’s light enough to carry around in a bag, and since it uses USB 3.0, transferring large batches of files feels quick and painless compared to older drives.
It’s plug-and-play for Windows 10 and newer, so you don’t need extra software to get going. You can literally connect it and start dragging files over in seconds. The design is also more thoughtful than you might expect for a budget drive: the casing is made from over 50% recycled plastic, and the packaging is recyclable as well—a small but welcome improvement. It also has fast file transfers, straightforward backup, and a three-year limited warranty in case anything goes wrong.
That said, there are limitations worth noting. This particular model is formatted for Windows out of the box, so if you plan to use it with a Mac or Linux system, you’ll need to reformat it first. Like all portable hard drives, it also isn’t built to survive drops or rough handling—WD even cautions that a small fall can cause data loss. And unlike pricier SSDs, this is still a spinning-disk drive, so while it’s reliable for everyday backups, it won’t be as fast or durable as solid-state options. Still, if your main goal is affordable, dependable storage that you can toss in a backpack and trust with years’ worth of files, this 2TB WD Elements drive is hard to argue with at this price.
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Grammarly Isn’t Going Anywhere
Oct. 29th, 2025 04:45 pmlifehacker_feedWe may earn a commission from links on this page.
Earlier today, you might have seen reports that Grammarly is changing its name to Superhuman. That's not really the whole story. While the company did announce a broader rebrand coinciding with the release of a new AI assistant (more on that later), it also assured users that "the Grammarly brand isn't going anywhere." Essentially, what that means is that while Grammarly the company has a new name, Grammarly the product is still going by the same tried-and-true moniker as ever.
The confusion follows Grammarly's acquisition of AI-powered email app Superhuman in June, which the company said "accelerates Grammarly's evolution into an AI productivity platform for apps and agents." Usually, acquired companies take the name of the companies that bought them, but that's not a hard-and-fast rule. "Superhuman" certainly implies a broader scope than a name that's all about grammar, so it makes sense that Grammarly might want to yoink its name if it plans to expand into other markets.
To that end, the company also today announced Superhuman Go, a more general AI addition to the Grammarly extension that works like Grammarly does now, but with more capability. The free version will still let you do everything Grammarly does, but it also ropes in access to tools like Coda, a collaborative workspace, and a chatbot that supposedly integrates with and can help take action for you across 100 apps. Or, you could pay up to also get the Superhuman AI inbox and the features you would previously expect from Grammarly Pro and Enterprise.
But while Grammarly is available within Go, if you're skeptical, you don't need to change your workflow yet. Pricing for the base paid Superhuman Suite subscription matches the previous Grammarly Pro subscription pricing, so you won't be paying more even with access to new tools (although you'll need to hop up to a higher tier to get that AI inbox). And as for using Go itself, it's entirely optional.
Credit: Superhuman
To try Superhuman Go out, open the Grammarly extension, go to Settings and toggle on the switch next to Go. Otherwise, you can leave it off to continue using Grammarly as you always have, name and all.
lifehacker_feedWe may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.
The Tinymoose Pencil Pro 2 is aimed squarely at iPad users who want the feel of Apple’s own stylus without paying Apple’s price, and it's on sale for just $29.99 on StackSocial right now. It costs a fraction of the official Pencil but still packs features that cover most daily needs. This second-generation version is made for iPads from 2018 onward and brings a few upgrades over the original, including Bluetooth support and shortcut gestures. A smart button on the side is mapped for simple actions: one press for multitasking, two presses to exit apps, and a long press to power the pen on or off. That may not sound like much, but it helps when you’re hopping between notes and apps throughout the day.
Using the stylus feels pretty close to writing or sketching with a real pen. You can tilt it to shade or adjust the angle of your strokes, and palm rejection makes it easy to rest your hand on the screen without disrupting your lines. The input keeps up well, too, with no lag or weird trailing behind the tip. It connects over Bluetooth, which means your iPad can show you the battery level, and charging is quick. A full charge takes about 25 minutes and lasts over 10 hours, while a 15-minute top-up on USB-C gets you most of the way there. The aluminum body of the Pencil Pro 2 is light at just 13 grams and snaps onto supported iPads with its magnetic strip, though unlike the pricier models, it doesn’t recharge that way.
The extras round it out. Each purchase includes three spare nibs, a USB-C cable, and a leather case, which is more than Apple throws in. Still, there are compromises to consider. The Pencil Pro 2 only works with iPads, so you won’t get the cross-platform flexibility some third-party styluses offer. Its six-month warranty is also shorter than the standard one-year coverage from Apple, and while gestures and shortcuts are handy, they’re limited compared to the wider integration of the official Pencil. Even so, for students, note-takers, and casual artists who don’t need pro-level features but want a reliable everyday stylus, this deal makes a lot of sense.
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(List Price $249.00)
Apple iPad 11" 128GB A16 WiFi Tablet (Blue, 2025)
—
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(List Price $349.00)
Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Plus
—
$29.99
(List Price $49.99)
Shark AV2501AE AI XL Hepa- Safe Self-Emptying Base Robot Vacuum
—
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(List Price $649.99)
Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam, White with Ring Indoor Cam (2nd Gen), White
—
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All the New Features Coming to macOS 26.1
Oct. 29th, 2025 04:00 pmlifehacker_feedWhile I updated my iPhone to iOS 26 as soon as I could, I haven't yet pulled the trigger with macOS Tahoe. I love my M1 iMac, but I worry that Apple's first version of this new update isn't quite optimized for the five-year-old chip, and have been waiting to see if a future version of Tahoe performs a bit better.
As it happens, that next version is well on its way—and does seem improved, at that. Apple has been beta testing macOS Tahoe 26.1 alongside iOS 26.1 since September, and it dropped the release candidates for both of the updates on Tuesday. The "RC," as the name implies, is what Apple thinks is the finished version of any given software release. Barring any major bugs or glitches discovered by developers and public testers, this will be the version of macOS Tahoe 26.1 released to the general public.
That release will likely come next week. In the meantime, we know what features Apple has in store for Mac users who decide to update. This is a much smaller revision than macOS 26, but 26.1 does bring some interesting new features for users to explore.
Control over Liquid Glass' appearance
By far the most striking difference between this year's Apple updates and last year's is Liquid Glass. This new design language is Apple's most drastic UI change in years, and while some people love it, others hate it. I've enjoyed the new look on my iPhone, but I understand why some users dislike how some elements let the background shine through, in some cases reducing visibility.
Apple seems to have taken the criticism to heart: With macOS Tahoe, as well as iOS 26.1 and iPadOS 26.1, the company now gives users the option to control how Liquid Glass looks, at least to a degree. The new toggle, which you can find in System Settings > Appearance, has two options: "Clear," which retains the original look of Liquid Glass, and "Tinted," which increases the opacity of your system's UI elements. With Tinted, you won't see as much of the background poke through, and whatever does come through doesn't take over the overlayed element as much.
If you find Liquid Glass in macOS Tahoe too clear and "glassy," this might be a good option to try.
Expanded support for Apple Music AutoMix
Apple's latest round of updates introduced a new DJ-like feature to Apple Music. AutoMix will automatically build a transition between songs, fading one song into another. It's a cool feature (when it works well), and can make transitioning between dissimilar songs a lot smoother.
With macOS 26.1, AutoMix now works over AirPlay. Previously, you lost this feature when beaming your music to an AirPlay device.
Better FaceTime audio quality
Apple says that Mac users updating to 26.1 should experience improved FaceTime audio quality in low-bandwidth conditions. The company doesn't elaborate, but this is good news on its, uh, face: If you're calling someone in a low-signal area, or with a weak wifi connection, you should be able to hear each other better.
Communication Safety and Web content filters for child accounts
If your Mac has child accounts (made for ages 13 through 17), Communication Safety and Web content filters will be enabled by default for those accounts after updating to this latest version. These filters are designed to limit adult websites, protecting underage users from content they shouldn't be accessing.
A new Network icon
As spotted by the MacOSBeta subreddit, Apple has updated the Network icon for macOS 26.1. The new icon looks great, in my opinion, sporting a blue theme with glow effects:
A new Macintosh HD icon
Similarly, the Macintosh HD icon gets a small refresh. The original Tahoe icon was a major redesign over the previous, iconic icon. Now, Apple has removed the additional elements to simplify the design. (I still miss the original.)
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A few security updates, probably
Apple hasn't announced security updates for macOS 26.1 yet, but in all likelihood, they will. Apple doesn't often issue true security patches like other companies, barring an emergency patch. Instead, the company usually bundles its security patches within point updates like 26.1. Once the official update drops, expect Apple to update its security release notes to include details about these patches.
The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones (2020)
Oct. 29th, 2025 01:06 pmpauraqueTen years ago, four young Blackfeet men went hunting on land that's meant to be reserved for elders, and accidentally shot a pregnant elk. Trying to make up for their transgression, they swore to use every bit of her meat and hide, with nothing going to waste. But years passed, and the last piece of meat lay in the back of someone's freezer, its significance long forgotten... until two months ago, when they finally threw it away. Now the four men find themselves stalked by an entity that's bent on vengeance, blood for blood.
Wowwww this book was so good. It's grounded deep in the realities of contemporary Indigenous life; the character studies alone would be worth the read. It vividly paints the ambivalence and complexity and frustration of feeling drawn to tradition but also disconnected from it—fumbling towards it, or trying to hold it at arm's length. It's a story about how the past comes back to haunt you, both the deep past of your ancestors and your own mistakes that can't be taken back.
The style is intense, visceral, and raw, moving quickly as the hunters are hunted down one by one. It's part creature horror and part revenge thriller, as you get the perspective of both the humans and the elk-entity. She's a fantastic villain, playing the humans against each other and driving them to madness, but also an empathetic hero of her own story as she metes out her own form of poetic justice for what was taken from her. The conclusion wasn't what I expected, but I found it very satisfying.
The book has graphic gory deaths of people and animals (including dogs) so I wouldn't recommend it to everyone. But I'm not much for gore myself, and I found the violence essential to the story and not gratuitous. I'll definitely look for more of Jones' work.
Wowwww this book was so good. It's grounded deep in the realities of contemporary Indigenous life; the character studies alone would be worth the read. It vividly paints the ambivalence and complexity and frustration of feeling drawn to tradition but also disconnected from it—fumbling towards it, or trying to hold it at arm's length. It's a story about how the past comes back to haunt you, both the deep past of your ancestors and your own mistakes that can't be taken back.
The style is intense, visceral, and raw, moving quickly as the hunters are hunted down one by one. It's part creature horror and part revenge thriller, as you get the perspective of both the humans and the elk-entity. She's a fantastic villain, playing the humans against each other and driving them to madness, but also an empathetic hero of her own story as she metes out her own form of poetic justice for what was taken from her. The conclusion wasn't what I expected, but I found it very satisfying.
The book has graphic gory deaths of people and animals (including dogs) so I wouldn't recommend it to everyone. But I'm not much for gore myself, and I found the violence essential to the story and not gratuitous. I'll definitely look for more of Jones' work.
Fannish 50 S3 Post 44: My fave beauty YT channel
Oct. 29th, 2025 12:44 pmglitteryvUnderskin is MY kind of beauty channel: in that they (I don't know what kind of pronouns the person running it uses, so I'm defaulting to "they") look at the creativity, business, and popularity angles. Everything is well-reseached, so even if the titles might be a tad clickbait-y, there's v. little (if any) room for weird/doubtful claims.
They've got videos on a lot of brands (from Fenty to Max Factor, r.e.m beauty, and more.) Here are some of my faves:
This is one is super fascinating to me. Particularly cuz I was a teenager when The Body Shop was considered a good-to-upscale indication at USA malls. In addition to that was the marketing (appealing to cruelty-free and environmentally-centered products at a time where such labels were only a few years from total hippie-dom.) In any case, I love how deep of a look Underskin takes into the implosion of this once super popular brand.
I do consider this video part 1 of why Pat McGrath as a brand has fallen out of favor within the beauty product world. Personally, I've liked some of their earlier products, but (v. mild spoiler for the video essay) I do agree with Underskin in that there's been a v. sad/unfortunate decline on the launches.
One thing I appreciate is how the video focuses on the brand itself and NOT Pat McGrath herself. She remains a v. talented MUA.
And this is what I consider part 2. As the theme has to do with the Louis Vuitton x Pat McGrath collabo (launched back in late August this year. A controversial line that included $160 lipsticks. And there's the (alleged) shared PR packaging which FUCKING YIKES.
I don't want to end this post on a downer/ragebait-y note, so I'm posting abt this cosmetic brand instead. It's also interesting in seeing a brand bounce back after a rather ho-hum, sort-of-plateau moment.
They've got videos on a lot of brands (from Fenty to Max Factor, r.e.m beauty, and more.) Here are some of my faves:
This is one is super fascinating to me. Particularly cuz I was a teenager when The Body Shop was considered a good-to-upscale indication at USA malls. In addition to that was the marketing (appealing to cruelty-free and environmentally-centered products at a time where such labels were only a few years from total hippie-dom.) In any case, I love how deep of a look Underskin takes into the implosion of this once super popular brand.
I do consider this video part 1 of why Pat McGrath as a brand has fallen out of favor within the beauty product world. Personally, I've liked some of their earlier products, but (v. mild spoiler for the video essay) I do agree with Underskin in that there's been a v. sad/unfortunate decline on the launches.
One thing I appreciate is how the video focuses on the brand itself and NOT Pat McGrath herself. She remains a v. talented MUA.
And this is what I consider part 2. As the theme has to do with the Louis Vuitton x Pat McGrath collabo (launched back in late August this year. A controversial line that included $160 lipsticks. And there's the (alleged) shared PR packaging which FUCKING YIKES.
I don't want to end this post on a downer/ragebait-y note, so I'm posting abt this cosmetic brand instead. It's also interesting in seeing a brand bounce back after a rather ho-hum, sort-of-plateau moment.
[Music] Freya Ridings’ self-titled
Oct. 29th, 2025 12:59 pmanneapocalypseSurprise! A music review!
I’ve been making a gradual push away from streaming and toward building a physical media and mp3 music collection again, and in the process both rediscovering some old favorites and exploring newer ones more deeply.
fail_feedJust because something is new and shiny doesn't always make it better.
Just think of all of the "AI-powered" products we're getting that demand higher subscription costs for—what exactly? We have smart appliances that are "AI-powered," yet they can't seem to run without a subscription or a connection to a server somewhere.
Look at what happened last week, with the AWS outage that left those with smart beds and even smart water filters unable to use their products. What are these products doing with a server connection? Who knows, but I'd bet you a lot of money that it has something to do with collecting and selling your data.
This concept of "new isn't better" came into full effect in this workplace when the management rolled out a brand new project management software and insisted that all communication flow through the software's built-in communication systems. You can probably see where this is going: clients who are used to being able to pick up the phone and call someone don't like being told that they have to log a ticket and wait for a response. And nothing will send a client over the edge like being told to wait when they've already been waiting to resolve an issue. It's like all these "AI assistants" that companies have started using for customer help lines that lead you in endless circles until you finally resort to repeatedly demanding that it connect you to an actual service agent.
Usually, these types of decisions get rolled back when the customers and clients themselves begin to complain and when there's actual money on the line in the threat of cancelled contracts, but when the service agent's boss doubled down, the client forced the CEO to get involved by calling them directly.
maybe I went a little overboard
Oct. 29th, 2025 12:04 pmwaterswordAs is tradition in this journal, I have a birthday cake for everyone: recs!
This year, it's Wimsey-flavoured. All of these should be read after reading Gaudy Night.
All Our Scattered Leaves by marycrawford. No archive warnings apply, rated G. "A selection of letters and diaries on the eve of the Armistice."
21 Oct 1918.-- Saunders has toothache and refuses to do anything about it, silly woman, walking around with her cheek swollen and smiling horribly at everyone like a perfect martyr, so tiresome of her and I have no patience with it -- have made appointment for her with Mr. Platt down in the village, whose ideas on sedation really quite modern, nothing like that horrible tooth-drawer my father had us visit when I was a girl, like something out of Hoffmann or am I thinking of Grimm?
That a Lover have his Desire by Nineveh_uk. Creator chose not to use archive warnings, rated G. "... because apparently it all happened quite late on Sunday evening, and they sat up half the night, kissing one another madly in a punt. From the Balliol hall to the morning after; at the end of Gaudy Night, Harriet and Peter take a punt on the river. Missing scene fic, the rest of that evening that DLS (curse her!) didn't give us."
'However did you do it?'
'Stood the porter a pint to 'phone Padgett and ask if Lord Peter Wimsey could be trusted with a punt. Don't worry: Padgett is as silent as the grave.'
'Is that the honour of the regiment?'
'Of course,' Peter continued, 'if you'd prefer the Daimler, an elderly and probably oil-stained Burberry, and to take your chances with the cow-pats...'
'Not on your life! I shall learn to live with luxury.'
'I certainly hope so.'
Peter and the Power of Suggestion by keswindhover. No archive warnings apply, rated G. "For once, Lord Peter Wimsey is at a loss. What on earth can a man buy his wife for Christmas that costs under a guinea? Harriet also has a one guinea budget for Peter's present, but she has had the good sense to ask for assistance from Miss Climpson. (And sometimes the best presents are the ones you make yourself.)"
She had mentioned a house and Peter bought it for her. Presumably if she had mentioned the desire for a tiger and some peacocks, there would now be a small zoo in the garage, along with Mrs Merdle. This time, she had felt, Peter needed a firm hand.
So for their second Christmas together she had stipulated, very clearly, that she required something small and modestly priced – no more than a guinea she had added hastily, realising just in time that Peter’s definition of modest was likely to vary from her own. Look on it as a chance to live within somebody else’s means, she had added, a little imp of mischief urging her on. And had been rewarded when she saw Peter’s eyes suddenly gleam behind his monocle, as he realised that a challenge had been laid down.
“Dulcius ex asperis,” he had declared, “Domina, I accept.”
Gentle Antidote by x_los. No archive warnings apply, rated T. "At twenty-one, Harriet Vane gets her Name. It's rather longer than she expected."
“Oh I don’t say that one can’t or shouldn’t love a man not one’s soulmate, of course, only that my husband could at times make himself quite difficult to like. So I quite understand taking care with these decisions, because heaven knows the lithesome limbs of youth and suchlike don’t long endure, nor does their memory adequately compensate one for the grumbling sulks of age."
Green Ice by Adina. No archive warnings apply, rated G. "Wooster has a reputation for pinching things--necklaces, amber statuettes, umbrellas--a reputation that becomes dashedly awkward when Lord Attenbury's emeralds go missing."
"Bertie, you blot on the family escutcheon!" the aforementioned aunt, my good and deserving Aunt Dahlia, cried. "What are you doing here?"
"I like that," I responded with no little heat. "Here I drove from the distant metrop. in answer to an ancient relative's urgent telegram, only to have her look at me like some battered corpse the cat dragged in."
"I sent no blasted telegram!"
I tut-tutted. "You most certainly did."
"I did not."
"You did."
Traces Through Time by brutti_ma_buoni. No archive warnings apply, rated T. "Katherine Climpson explores the documentation of an unusual example of medieval matrimony."
Climpson, K., The Wimseys of Bredon: a textual study in marital relationships among the 14th century English high nobility (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1992), [xi, 439pp].
Introduction
Peter, second son of Mortimer Wimsey, 5th Duke of Denver, is well-known as an exemplar of unconventional medieval noble life. His bibliophily, cultural patronage and prominence in jurisprudence have been examined by, most recently, Pharos and McLellan in their illustrated biography, and challenged by Jones, who sees the Wimsey reputation for charitable giving as a typical example of high-status fourteenth-century power politics, rather than an exceptional personal commitment. This work does not attempt to reappraise the life of Wimsey alone. It contends, on the contrary, that his relationship and eventual marriage with Harriet (also Harriott, Henriet) Vane is a genuinely enlightening and exceptional case. With parallels to the John of Gaunt-Katherine Swynford marriage, its successor by half a century, the relationship transgressed social norms and was subject to censure and comment within high-status circles. These will to some extent be examined within the present volume. The focus, however, is on the reconstruction of an emotional relationship from the surviving records.
And if you would like to make my birthday extra awesome, please donate to the National Network of Abortion Funds or your local food bank, or tell me something you like about me. ♥
This BIC EZ LOAD Lighter Is the Secret to a Safe, Scary Glow
Oct. 29th, 2025 03:21 pmlh_wayfarer_feedThe following content is brought to you by Lifehacker partners. If you buy a product featured here, we may earn an affiliate commission or other compensation.
You spent hours carving a perfectly frightful jack-o'-lantern for Halloween. Now you just need to light it up somehow for maximum scare factor.
Maybe you plan on using electric candles or tea lights to glow up your scary gourd. If you choose the more traditional route of lighting your pumpkin with a real candle, however, you definitely want to follow some fire-safety protocols.
Carving your pumpkin is only half the battle, but you should also be careful when lighting the candle inside. This is where a reloadable BIC EZ LOAD Lighter can come in handy. The long, thin wand easily gets into your jack-o'-lantern—and your grill, fireplace, and campfires. Now through Oct. 31, you can even save 25% on two BIC EZ LOAD starter kits with the code SPOOKY25.*
Be smart about lighting your pumpkin’s candle
If you’re going old-school and using a real candle this year, make sure your pumpkin is sitting on a flat, stable surface so that it won’t tip over. Cut a good-sized hole in the gourd’s lid to let the heat from the candle escape, and put in a squatty votive candle, no tapered types. Use the BIC EZ LOAD Lighter to light the candle from a safe distance, and then place the lid ajar so that smoke can get out. Never leave a burning candle unattended.
Extinguish and relight up to 15,000* times
Another Halloween-night safety trick is to blow out your pumpkin’s candle—and all candles—in between groups of trick-or-treaters. As the first reloadable lighter in the BIC lineup, the BIC EZ LOAD ensures you’re always able to brighten any moment in three easy steps.
Whenever the lighter wand is running low on fuel, all you have to do is pop open the bottom cap and replace it with a new BIC Maxi Pocket Lighter. Providing up to 15,000* lights, the BIC EZ LOAD Lighter is conveniently replaceable up to 10 times with a BIC Maxi Pocket Lighter.
Safe, reliable lighting for Halloween and beyond
The BIC EZ LOAD Lighter will be lighting the moment for many of your Halloweens, backyard bonfires, and camping trips to come. In addition to being reloadable, each lighter goes through over 50 quality checks and meets BIC's stringent safety standards.
Now through Oct. 31, nab two BIC EZ LOAD starter kits, with two BIC Maxi Pocket Lighters included, at 25% off with code SPOOKY25.
DISCLAIMERS:
*Based on reloading up to 10x with BIC Maxi.
*25% off orders $40+ through midnight ET on October 31st, 2025.
This BIC EZ LOAD Lighter Is the Secret to a Safe, Scary Glow
Oct. 29th, 2025 03:21 pmlifehacker_feedThe following content is brought to you by Lifehacker partners. If you buy a product featured here, we may earn an affiliate commission or other compensation.
You spent hours carving a perfectly frightful jack-o'-lantern for Halloween. Now you just need to light it up somehow for maximum scare factor.
Maybe you plan on using electric candles or tea lights to glow up your scary gourd. If you choose the more traditional route of lighting your pumpkin with a real candle, however, you definitely want to follow some fire-safety protocols.
Carving your pumpkin is only half the battle, but you should also be careful when lighting the candle inside. This is where a reloadable BIC EZ LOAD Lighter can come in handy. The long, thin wand easily gets into your jack-o'-lantern—and your grill, fireplace, and campfires. Now through Oct. 31, you can even save 25% on two BIC EZ LOAD starter kits with the code SPOOKY25.*
Be smart about lighting your pumpkin’s candle
If you’re going old-school and using a real candle this year, make sure your pumpkin is sitting on a flat, stable surface so that it won’t tip over. Cut a good-sized hole in the gourd’s lid to let the heat from the candle escape, and put in a squatty votive candle, no tapered types. Use the BIC EZ LOAD Lighter to light the candle from a safe distance, and then place the lid ajar so that smoke can get out. Never leave a burning candle unattended.
Extinguish and relight up to 15,000* times
Another Halloween-night safety trick is to blow out your pumpkin’s candle—and all candles—in between groups of trick-or-treaters. As the first reloadable lighter in the BIC lineup, the BIC EZ LOAD ensures you’re always able to brighten any moment in three easy steps.
Whenever the lighter wand is running low on fuel, all you have to do is pop open the bottom cap and replace it with a new BIC Maxi Pocket Lighter. Providing up to 15,000* lights, the BIC EZ LOAD Lighter is conveniently replaceable up to 10 times with a BIC Maxi Pocket Lighter.
Safe, reliable lighting for Halloween and beyond
The BIC EZ LOAD Lighter will be lighting the moment for many of your Halloweens, backyard bonfires, and camping trips to come. In addition to being reloadable, each lighter goes through over 50 quality checks and meets BIC's stringent safety standards.
Now through Oct. 31, nab two BIC EZ LOAD starter kits, with two BIC Maxi Pocket Lighters included, at 25% off with code SPOOKY25.
DISCLAIMERS:
*Based on reloading up to 10x with BIC Maxi.
*25% off orders $40+ through midnight ET on October 31st, 2025.
fail_feedFor residents of this Nashville, TN community, outsiders aren't welcome on Halloween night.
Instead of crashing the rich communities to get an exceptional candy haul, this HOA-led neighborhood is insisting kids make other plans.
If you want to get king-sized candy bars, cash, or other really great Halloween treats, you should head to the wealthiest neighborhood you can find. It's sure to be a great experience — a lot of times, these people deck out their houses to be extra festive, have elaborate costumes, and you can feel safe while wandering the brightly lit streets full of other trick or treaters. Still, just because people know they can head to the rich neighborhoods to trick or treat, doesn't mean they will. A lot of kids still like to stay in their own developments to trick or treat, or they'll head to a friend's house and go there. It's a lot of fun to see how your neighbors are going to dress up, and if you already know the area you're going to be wandering, you can sprint from house to house even faster.
However, there are a bunch of Grinches at this one Nashville-based neighborhood, and they're clutching their pearls due to last year's influx of trick-or-treaters. Groups of little children dressed in costumes are knocking at your doors asking for candy? Terrifying!!!
They're being extra snippy about the whole thing, as they've detailed in a letter below. Instead of trick or treating until from after-school hours until 9 PM or so, this place is strictly limiting the little ghouls and goblins to a 6 PM - 8 PM time frame. They cited issues with property damage, which is a fair concern… but I can't help but wonder if they're just upset about Mischief Night, aka the night before Halloween, when kids will throw toilet paper into trees and sometimes egg cars. That's totally annoying, but my hot take is that you should just let kids be kids and let them have their fun, even if it means having to roll your eyes and break out the ladder to un-TP your trees. You're only little for so long, and no one should stop these little Princess Elsas and Blueys from getting buckets and buckets full of sweet treats.
I'm not even doing a roundup this month.
Oct. 29th, 2025 10:58 amkallowayI am signed up for WritingMonth and so can you! If you want to be buddies, I'm 'kalloway' there as well. ^_^ My goal is 100 stories but that is 100 very short stories. Last year I managed 80 despite my life being absolutely on fire so maybe I can manage the full 100 and I think a We Didn't Start The Fire joke goes here or something.
Did the pre-signup for a secret santa in the one little gunpla discord I'm in. Offered to subsidize a local friend for the next month if necessary. (probably necessary) Gonna try to toss some cash at the food pantry. (obstructed more by their hours being counter to mine than anything - obviously a me-problem) Still debating how much I want to do with![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
holiday_wishes, though I suspect the annual 'I can give more!' will envelop me at some point even if I want to humbug.
Comic-con is on the 22nd so I suppose I need to actually start sorting through things. I'm burning some vacation time the week before so at least I'll be mildly rested and hopefully so tired of looking at my stuff that I just toss it in the bags of whoever walks by our table. Or something.
Finished watching the quarter's JFF films and will, as always, aspire to watch the next batch before the last possible minute.
Did the pre-signup for a secret santa in the one little gunpla discord I'm in. Offered to subsidize a local friend for the next month if necessary. (probably necessary) Gonna try to toss some cash at the food pantry. (obstructed more by their hours being counter to mine than anything - obviously a me-problem) Still debating how much I want to do with
holiday_wishes, though I suspect the annual 'I can give more!' will envelop me at some point even if I want to humbug. Comic-con is on the 22nd so I suppose I need to actually start sorting through things. I'm burning some vacation time the week before so at least I'll be mildly rested and hopefully so tired of looking at my stuff that I just toss it in the bags of whoever walks by our table. Or something.
Finished watching the quarter's JFF films and will, as always, aspire to watch the next batch before the last possible minute.
Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal - Aww
Oct. 29th, 2025 11:20 amsmbc_comics_feed
Click here to go see the bonus panel!
Hovertext:
Of course they'll never realize, but in your heart you'll have the linguistic upper hand.
Today's News:
My Favorite Amazon Deal of the Day: The Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED
Oct. 29th, 2025 03:00 pmlh_wayfarer_feedWe may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.
With Black Friday looming on the horizon and Walmart and Best Buy jumping on the early holiday sale bandwagon, it can be a little overwhelming to commit to where to spend your money. However, something that has stayed consistent over the many sales has been Amazon device prices during the early sales. One of those Amazon devices with a record-low price is the 43-inch Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED, currently $339.99 (originally $439.99), the lowest price it has been according to price-checking tools.
The Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED launched in 2022, and it's much better than the older Amazon Fire TV 4-Series. The main difference is that it's a QLED display, which provides better backlight and colors than an LED (it's also one of the best budget QLEDs TV of 2025). It also has Dolby Vision IQ and HDR10+ Adaptive, which adjusts picture quality based on ambient lighting, and HDR10+ Gaming, which gives a smoother and more responsive gameplay while maintaining picture quality.
When you're not using this TV to watch your media, you can use its Fire TV Ambient Experience to do many other things, like keep track of security cameras, control lights, adjust thermostats, and view your reminders or calendar. You can also install Kodi on it to virtually stream anything for free. You can read about these and other useful features in PCMag's "excellent" review.
This TV works great for a room that won't get too bright, since it only has 474 nits of brightness. You'll still be able to see it fine with windows open on a sunny day, but it won't get as bright as other TVs. If you're in the Alexa ecosystem, you'd be able to get the best value out of this Fire TV.
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