nyctanthes (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
nyctanthes) wrote2025-09-02 09:51 am
nyctanthes) wrote2025-09-02 09:51 amEntry tags:
Fannish Fifty: 1-6
I’m sooo rusty at being fannish.
1. Dandadan. Earlier this year, the first season of this anime about battling spirits and surviving adolescence with the help of your sexy, kickass grandma and the weirdos you encounter and add to your found family along the way, went from “oh I’ll keep it on in the background,” to “I love it and am paying attention.” Fun stories, characters (girl protags with girl friends!), dynamics, and animation. Bonus: Kid 2 and I can watch together. We went to the movie (the first three episodes of S2) and earlier this week watched eps. 4-10. Only two more episodes of this season left? Wahhh!
2. In addition to Novel #1 and Novel #2, I’m playing around with a collection focused on mothers and daughters. I’d love to make it a hybrid collection: some short stories, a novella, some memoir-ish shorts, some essays that toe the line between fiction and non-fiction. I also want to put some straight-up fanfic in there, a la Carmen Maria Machado and her SVU novella (though imo it was one of the weakest stories in that collection.) To that end, I was excited when I came across this brief piece about the similarities between fanfic and litcrit, which in turn linked me to this trad published novella about Dan Humphrey from Gossip Girl being trans. I know nothing about the quality of the work, but am super interested in this aspect of the mainstreaming of fanfic. If they can do it, so can I?
3. In YKINMKATO news, months ago I read a good As You Are story. The micro-fandom of my heart, I haven’t found quality fic for it in years. Finally, someone wrote one. The catch, of course there’s a catch, is that this story has a feeding kink. Not. My. Thing. (I’m not sure I would have tried it if I read the tags, but I rarely read the tags before dipping in.)
And yet, despite the please-no-not-that-kink, despite the fact that I disagreed with the characterization of the leads, I really enjoyed it. I’ve read it more than once! Which goes to show that i) I love these characters and ii) if there’s a well-written story, and the author makes a good case for the choices they’ve made, I will read it. And rec it. Judging by the comments, several other people feel the same way.
I’m always happy to see writers who just go for it.
4. Heard good things about the anime of Apothecary Diaries, which IIRC is about a servant in a brothel solving mysteries, and will be checking that out.
5. Yuletide! I’m wondering what I might nominate. I’m totally out of practice at reading fanfic, so thinking about what I’d like to receive, that fits the cut-off of less than 1K works, is quite the head-scratcher.
Some ideas:
- Ash: A Secret History. After one thousand plus pages, what else is left to tell? Lots!
- subwaytakes: the instagram show with Kareem Rahma.
- The Great Gatsby: A while back, I said I wanted fanfic of Gatsby and his mentor who owned the boat. Now’s my chance?
- Two Lane Blacktop. This road movie is all vibes, and hence perfect for fanfic. I especially want to know more about The Girl.
No, not my micro-fandom. I feel too strongly about it. That would be setting up my YT writer and me for disappointment.
6. To close out, movies via letterboxd. One aspect of it that’s fun is that everyone on the platform displays, in their profiles, their four favorite movies. If you’re on instagram, letterboxd also posts videos in which people (mostly in the film industry but occasionally just folks like you and me) list their four favorites. A good way to find new movies.
My current four favorites are:
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter…and Spring, Kim Ki-duk (2003). Buddhist perfection.
Consuming Spirits, Chris Sullivan (2012). I watched this on New Year’s Eve in 2021. As soon as I finished it, I watched it again. Here’s more on it (scroll down).
Minding the Gap, Bing Liu (2018). Y’all know I’m a sucker for coming of age stories. This one, and it’s a documentary to boot, is soooo good.
The Music Room, Satyajit Ray (1958). I enjoy tragedies, and stories of quiet, genteel decline.
Movies that might replace these one day:
Seven Samurai, Akira Kurosawa (1954). Enough said.
Trenque Lauquen, Laura Citarella (2022 & 2023). A multi-hour, Argentinian puzzle-box film with a fantastic script. Really unique and lovely. Highly recommended.
Yi Yi, Edward Yang (2000). The perfect family saga. Showing in theaters this fall. I’m so here for it.
Young Frankenstein, Mel Brooks (1974). Just thinking about this movie gets me cackling.
Before Sunset, Richard Linklater (2004). One of my favorite tropes (after years and years, meeting the one who got away) done just right.
What are your four favorites? What are your runners-up?
1. Dandadan. Earlier this year, the first season of this anime about battling spirits and surviving adolescence with the help of your sexy, kickass grandma and the weirdos you encounter and add to your found family along the way, went from “oh I’ll keep it on in the background,” to “I love it and am paying attention.” Fun stories, characters (girl protags with girl friends!), dynamics, and animation. Bonus: Kid 2 and I can watch together. We went to the movie (the first three episodes of S2) and earlier this week watched eps. 4-10. Only two more episodes of this season left? Wahhh!
2. In addition to Novel #1 and Novel #2, I’m playing around with a collection focused on mothers and daughters. I’d love to make it a hybrid collection: some short stories, a novella, some memoir-ish shorts, some essays that toe the line between fiction and non-fiction. I also want to put some straight-up fanfic in there, a la Carmen Maria Machado and her SVU novella (though imo it was one of the weakest stories in that collection.) To that end, I was excited when I came across this brief piece about the similarities between fanfic and litcrit, which in turn linked me to this trad published novella about Dan Humphrey from Gossip Girl being trans. I know nothing about the quality of the work, but am super interested in this aspect of the mainstreaming of fanfic. If they can do it, so can I?
3. In YKINMKATO news, months ago I read a good As You Are story. The micro-fandom of my heart, I haven’t found quality fic for it in years. Finally, someone wrote one. The catch, of course there’s a catch, is that this story has a feeding kink. Not. My. Thing. (I’m not sure I would have tried it if I read the tags, but I rarely read the tags before dipping in.)
And yet, despite the please-no-not-that-kink, despite the fact that I disagreed with the characterization of the leads, I really enjoyed it. I’ve read it more than once! Which goes to show that i) I love these characters and ii) if there’s a well-written story, and the author makes a good case for the choices they’ve made, I will read it. And rec it. Judging by the comments, several other people feel the same way.
I’m always happy to see writers who just go for it.
4. Heard good things about the anime of Apothecary Diaries, which IIRC is about a servant in a brothel solving mysteries, and will be checking that out.
5. Yuletide! I’m wondering what I might nominate. I’m totally out of practice at reading fanfic, so thinking about what I’d like to receive, that fits the cut-off of less than 1K works, is quite the head-scratcher.
Some ideas:
- Ash: A Secret History. After one thousand plus pages, what else is left to tell? Lots!
- subwaytakes: the instagram show with Kareem Rahma.
- The Great Gatsby: A while back, I said I wanted fanfic of Gatsby and his mentor who owned the boat. Now’s my chance?
- Two Lane Blacktop. This road movie is all vibes, and hence perfect for fanfic. I especially want to know more about The Girl.
No, not my micro-fandom. I feel too strongly about it. That would be setting up my YT writer and me for disappointment.
6. To close out, movies via letterboxd. One aspect of it that’s fun is that everyone on the platform displays, in their profiles, their four favorite movies. If you’re on instagram, letterboxd also posts videos in which people (mostly in the film industry but occasionally just folks like you and me) list their four favorites. A good way to find new movies.
My current four favorites are:
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter…and Spring, Kim Ki-duk (2003). Buddhist perfection.
Consuming Spirits, Chris Sullivan (2012). I watched this on New Year’s Eve in 2021. As soon as I finished it, I watched it again. Here’s more on it (scroll down).
Minding the Gap, Bing Liu (2018). Y’all know I’m a sucker for coming of age stories. This one, and it’s a documentary to boot, is soooo good.
The Music Room, Satyajit Ray (1958). I enjoy tragedies, and stories of quiet, genteel decline.
Movies that might replace these one day:
Seven Samurai, Akira Kurosawa (1954). Enough said.
Trenque Lauquen, Laura Citarella (2022 & 2023). A multi-hour, Argentinian puzzle-box film with a fantastic script. Really unique and lovely. Highly recommended.
Yi Yi, Edward Yang (2000). The perfect family saga. Showing in theaters this fall. I’m so here for it.
Young Frankenstein, Mel Brooks (1974). Just thinking about this movie gets me cackling.
Before Sunset, Richard Linklater (2004). One of my favorite tropes (after years and years, meeting the one who got away) done just right.
What are your four favorites? What are your runners-up?
fox (fox) wrote2025-09-02 09:45 am
fox) wrote2025-09-02 09:45 am
Entry tags:
out of joint(s)
Almost every joint in my body cracks. I don't normally feel aches or tension in my hips or elbows (or lower back, thank god) before they make The Noise, but I do everywhere else - ankles, especially the right; knees, especially the right; shoulders, usually the right (but lately the left is bothering me more); spine, which I know is not a joint; neck; both wrists; all fingers.
Each finger (but not the thumbs) cracks at two knuckles, and there's something so very strangely satisfying about getting all eight in a row without having to Do Anything Special to my left little finger (first knuckle) or either index finger (second knuckle).
Last spring I'm pretty sure I strained or even sprained my jaw singing Mozart. That was a bummer. It did an unexpected pop two or three days in a row and then it hurt for weeks - I had to be careful how I opened my mouth when I yawned, which is surprisingly difficult. And just for the past couple of days my left shoulder, as I said, has been bothering me. I thought it might be referred pain from switching to a new bite guard on my bottom teeth, one that I haven't worn a hole in, but it doesn't seem to be that; my next theory is Hormones. (Perimenopause can suck a flagpole.)
iamrman (iamrman) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
scans_daily2025-09-02 02:33 pm
iamrman) wrote in scans_daily2025-09-02 02:33 pmUncanny X-Men #231
Writer: Chris Claremont
Pencils: Rick Leonardi
Inks: Dan Green
Colossus is reunited with his sister, or is it all a dream?
( Read more... )
it only hurts when i breathe (spikedluv) wrote2025-09-02 08:19 am
spikedluv) wrote2025-09-02 08:19 amEntry tags:
The Day in Spikedluv (Monday, Sept 1)
I can’t believe it’s September already! I hit Walmart while I was downtown and got in a walk around the park.
I did a load of laundry (washed and only partially dried), hand-washed dishes, took the dogs for a short walk, cut up chicken for the dogs' meals, paid a bill online, placed a Chewy order, and scooped kitty litter.
I hit Price Chopper after leaving the hospital because I had an idea for tomorrow’s supper; I put pork in the crock pot on warm overnight to make pulled pork. Tonight Pip had leftover ziti.
I started the next Duncan Kincaid book.
Temps started out at 45.8(F) and reached 70.0 before I left the house. I’m sure it got several degrees warmer in the afternoon, but Pip didn’t check.
Mom Update:
Mom felt lousy today, but seemed more alert. ( more back here )
I did a load of laundry (washed and only partially dried), hand-washed dishes, took the dogs for a short walk, cut up chicken for the dogs' meals, paid a bill online, placed a Chewy order, and scooped kitty litter.
I hit Price Chopper after leaving the hospital because I had an idea for tomorrow’s supper; I put pork in the crock pot on warm overnight to make pulled pork. Tonight Pip had leftover ziti.
I started the next Duncan Kincaid book.
Temps started out at 45.8(F) and reached 70.0 before I left the house. I’m sure it got several degrees warmer in the afternoon, but Pip didn’t check.
Mom Update:
Mom felt lousy today, but seemed more alert. ( more back here )
laughing_tree (laughing_tree) wrote in scans_daily2025-09-02 04:58 am
laughing_tree) wrote in scans_daily2025-09-02 04:58 amEntry tags:
Absolute Martian Manhunter #5
I think that there's nothing wrong with being influenced by comics primarily, but it can lead to a little bit of an incestuous thing where the ideas are constantly recycled and kind of the same thing over and over again. And I think, especially with something like The Ultimates and the Absolute Universe, you really want to be drawing not just from other works of art, and other types of stories, but also from life. -- Deniz Camp
( Read more... )
knight_moves (knight_moves) wrote in scans_daily2025-09-02 05:34 am
knight_moves) wrote in scans_daily2025-09-02 05:34 amJLI 12: the sordid saga of Max Lord
Having recently done a read-through of JLI/JLE, it's struck me that Max Lord is so deeply mischaracterized by modern fandom that even the corrective "he's not a villain!" takes are highly flawed. Take an article about the new iteration of the character sponsoring the Justice Gang in James Gunn's new cinematic universe. The original Lord is said to be "get-rich-quick-scheming" and "originally portrayed as a sleazy, if not particularly cunning businessman who sought to make a name for himself – and a dollar – by uniting and subsequently directing the titular team."
( Actually, no. That's not the truth, Ellen. )
( Actually, no. That's not the truth, Ellen. )
Prix (prixmium) wrote2025-09-02 06:59 am
prixmium) wrote2025-09-02 06:59 amRIP Charlie
cw: animal death
cross-post from tumblr
I'm about to go to sleep, and likely before I wake up in the morning, on the other side of the world, my dad and stepmom will have to put down Charlie, the little dog who's been part of my family since 2011 when my mom saw him on a foster site and decided he needed her.
My mom passed on before he did, but he has continued to be a part of our lives, even when he temporarily moved in with a family friend.
I visited home for the first time in over a year for a few weeks in August. He waited all that time to see me. He played with me a few more times.
A couple nights ago, my dad messaged me to let me know that a couple days after I got back to Japan, Charlie collapsed and was having considerable breathing trouble. The vets said he was in late stage heart failure when they got him checked out.
Little guy is old and has had a great and pretty varied life for such a little creature. He's loved many people and been loved.
I'm thankful both to God and little Charlie that I got to see him again. If animals and people go to heaven and to the same one, I hope my mom is glad to see him soon.
Rest well, little cryptid.
cross-post from tumblr
I'm about to go to sleep, and likely before I wake up in the morning, on the other side of the world, my dad and stepmom will have to put down Charlie, the little dog who's been part of my family since 2011 when my mom saw him on a foster site and decided he needed her.
My mom passed on before he did, but he has continued to be a part of our lives, even when he temporarily moved in with a family friend.
I visited home for the first time in over a year for a few weeks in August. He waited all that time to see me. He played with me a few more times.
A couple nights ago, my dad messaged me to let me know that a couple days after I got back to Japan, Charlie collapsed and was having considerable breathing trouble. The vets said he was in late stage heart failure when they got him checked out.
Little guy is old and has had a great and pretty varied life for such a little creature. He's loved many people and been loved.
I'm thankful both to God and little Charlie that I got to see him again. If animals and people go to heaven and to the same one, I hope my mom is glad to see him soon.
Rest well, little cryptid.
suncani (suncani) wrote2025-09-02 11:11 am
suncani) wrote2025-09-02 11:11 amEntry tags:
3 things
1. I go on holiday in less than a week and it's kicking up my anxiety a bit. Which is nutty as its just a beach holiday so very simple and straightforward. But then if it was rational it wouldn't be anxiety.
2. Someone recreated the wallace and gromit breakfast machine! This made me smile when I saw it, and though its probably been very carefully edited I'm amazed at how well bits of it work.
3.I always forget how much regular but light casual chat can make my day a bit brighter. I've started commenting more in various discord servers I'm part of and it's just making me feel better. I'd stopped for a while as I felt like I didn't have much to say/ anxiety got the better of me.
2. Someone recreated the wallace and gromit breakfast machine! This made me smile when I saw it, and though its probably been very carefully edited I'm amazed at how well bits of it work.
3.I always forget how much regular but light casual chat can make my day a bit brighter. I've started commenting more in various discord servers I'm part of and it's just making me feel better. I'd stopped for a while as I felt like I didn't have much to say/ anxiety got the better of me.
icon_uk (icon_uk) wrote in scans_daily2025-09-02 08:51 am
icon_uk) wrote in scans_daily2025-09-02 08:51 amEntry tags:
Mod Post: Off-Topic Tuesday
In the comments to these weekly posts (and only these posts), it's your chance to go as off topic as you like.
Talk about non-comics stuff, thread derail, and just generally chat among yourselves.
The intent of these posts is to chat and have some fun and, sure, vent a little as required. Reasoned debate is fine, as always, but if you have to ask if something is going over the line, think carefully before posting please.
Normal board rules about conduct and behaviour still apply, of course.
It's been suggested that, if discussing spoilers for recent media events, it might be advisable to consider using the rot13 method to prevent other members seeing spoilers in passing.
The world situation is the world situation. If you're following the news, you know it as much as I do, if you're not, then there are better sources than scans_daily. But please, no doomscrolling, for your own sake.
Florida's new detainment centre, nicknamed "Alligator Alctraz" has been ordered closed by a Federal Judge after action by the Miccosukee Nation and environmental groups costing the State $218M without any actual return.
Star Trek Strange New Worlds gave us "Four and a Half Vulcans" a decidedly weird episode which managed to to be stunningly racist and, bizarrely, only a couple of episodes after one where Spock confessing how he was so traumatised by his Vulcan peers mocking him over his human heritage that he self-harmed, has the pseudo-Vulcan crewmembers give him the same treatment, and it's played for laughs. Managed to hit a great many wrong notes and very few right ones, IMHO.
In my attempt to catch up on movies, I've watched both "The Wild Robot" which was perhaps predictable, but beautiful to look at and thoroughly enjoyable (though I've never read the original books so wonder if they pulled a "How to Train Your Dragon" with it) and "Flow" which was breathtaking (Some bits did look rather like levels of a video game but I was literally entranced throughout)
Talk about non-comics stuff, thread derail, and just generally chat among yourselves.
The intent of these posts is to chat and have some fun and, sure, vent a little as required. Reasoned debate is fine, as always, but if you have to ask if something is going over the line, think carefully before posting please.
Normal board rules about conduct and behaviour still apply, of course.
It's been suggested that, if discussing spoilers for recent media events, it might be advisable to consider using the rot13 method to prevent other members seeing spoilers in passing.
The world situation is the world situation. If you're following the news, you know it as much as I do, if you're not, then there are better sources than scans_daily. But please, no doomscrolling, for your own sake.
Florida's new detainment centre, nicknamed "Alligator Alctraz" has been ordered closed by a Federal Judge after action by the Miccosukee Nation and environmental groups costing the State $218M without any actual return.
Star Trek Strange New Worlds gave us "Four and a Half Vulcans" a decidedly weird episode which managed to to be stunningly racist and, bizarrely, only a couple of episodes after one where Spock confessing how he was so traumatised by his Vulcan peers mocking him over his human heritage that he self-harmed, has the pseudo-Vulcan crewmembers give him the same treatment, and it's played for laughs. Managed to hit a great many wrong notes and very few right ones, IMHO.
In my attempt to catch up on movies, I've watched both "The Wild Robot" which was perhaps predictable, but beautiful to look at and thoroughly enjoyable (though I've never read the original books so wonder if they pulled a "How to Train Your Dragon" with it) and "Flow" which was breathtaking (Some bits did look rather like levels of a video game but I was literally entranced throughout)
conuly (conuly) wrote2025-09-04 03:55 am
conuly) wrote2025-09-04 03:55 amPSA text from celli
The IRS invites the public to participate in an anonymous feedback survey on tax preparation and filing options, which will run through Sept. 5, 2025.
The survey is being conducted as part of the Department of Treasury and the IRS’s efforts to fulfill a reporting requirement to Congress under the One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act. The law directs Treasury to deliver a report to Congress by Oct. 2, 2025, on several key issues related to free tax filing options for the public.
Treasury and the IRS encourage taxpayers to share their perspectives and help inform this important congressional report.
Translation: We have to report to Congress about the public's interest in Free File (filing directly on the IRS website) because they want to quash it, so here's a survey!
survey here
There are a couple of leading questions that I personally found HIGHLY entertaining. But I do recommend that if you are an American taxpayer you take a look at it/take it.
There was one question that asked what's important in filing taxes, and it had an "other" option that opened a handy text window, so I used that text window to tell them all about how filing taxes is a waste of time and money when the IRS already has all that information. There is absolutely no reason they can't just send you a bill or a refund every year, with a receipt, and you'd only have to file if you had to correct errors or had income or deductions that had been unreported for whatever reason.
The survey is being conducted as part of the Department of Treasury and the IRS’s efforts to fulfill a reporting requirement to Congress under the One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act. The law directs Treasury to deliver a report to Congress by Oct. 2, 2025, on several key issues related to free tax filing options for the public.
Treasury and the IRS encourage taxpayers to share their perspectives and help inform this important congressional report.
Translation: We have to report to Congress about the public's interest in Free File (filing directly on the IRS website) because they want to quash it, so here's a survey!
survey here
There are a couple of leading questions that I personally found HIGHLY entertaining. But I do recommend that if you are an American taxpayer you take a look at it/take it.
There was one question that asked what's important in filing taxes, and it had an "other" option that opened a handy text window, so I used that text window to tell them all about how filing taxes is a waste of time and money when the IRS already has all that information. There is absolutely no reason they can't just send you a bill or a refund every year, with a receipt, and you'd only have to file if you had to correct errors or had income or deductions that had been unreported for whatever reason.