spikedluv: (winter: mittens by raynedanser)
it only hurts when i breathe ([personal profile] spikedluv) wrote2025-12-17 07:39 am

Wednesday Reading Meme & Books 101 & 111 of 2025

What I Just Finished Reading: Since last Wednesday I have read/finished reading: The Serpent on the Crown (An Amelia Peabody Mystery) by Elizabeth Peters and Killing Field (A Jack Reacher Novel) by Lee Child.


What I am Currently Reading: I haven’t technically started it yet, but the next book on my list is Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall.


What I Plan to Read Next: I have two library books to pick up, so probably one of those.




Book 110 of 2025: The Serpent on the Crown (An Amelia Peabody Mystery) (Elizabeth Peters)

I enjoyed this! spoilers )

I liked this book and have already requested the next. Sadly, I think it's the last in the series that doesn't look back at the ‘lost seasons'. I'm giving this one five hearts.

♥♥♥♥♥




Book 111 of 2025: Killing Field (A Jack Reacher Novel) (Lee Child)

I enjoyed this book, but I wasn't sure I was going to. The authors writing style, with all those short, choppy sentences, drove me nuts. spoilers )

I liked this book enough to check out the next in the series; I'm giving this book four hearts.

♥♥♥♥
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Elise Matthesen ([personal profile] elisem) wrote2025-12-17 04:28 am

Yuletide progress: it is posted!

 I have met the deadline and posted the thing! Now we just have the week between today and Reveal Day, also known as "the week where I find all the hidden typos and fix them." Main Collection Reveal Day for the fics is the 24th, and is followed by Author Reveals on January 1.

This year was more work than previous years, for a very particular reason. I got COVID for the first time in October, and while I got very lucky (Paxlovid turns out to work for me, yay!), I am so easily drained to exhaustion, by pretty much anything including brain work, which has never been this bad before. Also, I'm used to multitasking, and hoo boy do I need different strategies and approaches now.

I'm planning for a very long recuperation, since it looks like that's the smart way to go. But here we are, and today is a milestone day. The story is a story, and it's posted, and now I can catch up a little on my Etsy shop (I hardly posted anything new while writing) and my eBay offers (I'm selling most of a half-century's worth of queer and related subjects library, since I'm not a working journalist any more and somebody really should get use out of these books and periodicals).

It's been a long time. I had forgotten the peculiar satisfaction that comes with meeting a deadline.
spikedluv: (winter: mittens by raynedanser)
it only hurts when i breathe ([personal profile] spikedluv) wrote2025-12-17 06:57 am

The Day in Spikedluv (Tuesday, Dec 16)

I hit Price Chopper, the Pharmacy, and CVS (for mom) while I was downtown.

I did three loads of laundry, hand-washed dishes, went for several walks with Pip and the dogs, cut up chicken for the dogs' meals, scooped kitty litter, and shaved. I made him cheese sausage for supper (one of the guys at work had it and he thought it looked good).

I watched two more eps of The Pitt. Secrets of the Zoo was my background tv in the evening.

Temps started out at 21.4(F) (it was supposed to be 10, so that was a nice surprise; still cold, though) and reached 31.3. It immediately started going down, but there was no wind (and no more snow clogging the trails) so the walks were actually nice.


Mom Update:

Mom was doing about the same today. more back here )
sabotabby: (books!)
sabotabby ([personal profile] sabotabby) wrote2025-12-17 06:50 am
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Reading Wednesday

Just finished: Censorship & Information Control: From Printing Press to Internet by Ada Palmer. This was really good. Feels like even though it's pretty recent and deals mostly with history, it could use an update as the technology for censorship has advanced rapidly in the past few years, so I hope she/her students are still doing some work around it.

Currently reading: The Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann. Usually in December, after I've hit my Goodreads goal, I read something that's gratuitously long and would otherwise fuck up my goal if it didn't spill over into January (yay for anything and everything in my life being quantified and gamified, love that for me). This year's winner is my high school English teacher's favourite book, which he recommended but said that we wouldn't get until we hit middle age. Well, now I am middle aged so I'm reading it.

It's a curious book. I always hit the literary classics and go like. Oh. Haha. This is stranger and funnier than I imagined.

Me: I guess I will finally read literary classic The Magic Mountain.
 
Thomas Mann: Allow me to introduce my himbo failson, Hans Castorp. He is pure of heart and dumb of ass.

Am I enjoying it? I dunno, as much as you can enjoy a 1000+ page book which goes into detail about the breakfast, second breakfast, rest period, lunch, dinner, second dinner, etc. of the character. Which is the point, really—the mountain in question is a liminal space where in theory, the tuberculous patients can leave, but don't. But it's a slog.
The Daily Otter ([syndicated profile] daily_otter_feed) wrote2025-12-17 11:39 am

Who's Who in Sea Otter Pup's First Examination?

Posted by Daily Otter

Last we we showed you a peek inside a sea otter pup admission exam, and here’s a little more info on the process! This comes from the Alaska SeaLife Center, which writes:

Who’s who in a wildlife response patient exam?

When a new patient arrives at the Alaska SeaLife Center, it takes a skilled team to make sure that the first exam is safe and thorough. In EL2526’s admit exam, our veterinary fellow, Dr. Josie, is the one performing the medical assessment, while Wildlife Rescue and Animal Care Specialist Savannah is handling the pup.

The handler plays a critical role. Savannah’s focus is on protecting both the veterinarian and the wild animal by staying in just the right position to prevent potential bites while also not stressing or applying too much pressure to the animal. You may also notice the gear. Savannah is in heavy bite gloves, and Dr. Josie is in nitrile exam gloves.

I Can Has Cheezburger? ([syndicated profile] icanhascheezburger_feed) wrote2025-12-17 02:00 pm

25 Hissterical Hooligan Cat Memes Featuring Felines Bringing Joy And Chaos To Everyday Life

Posted by Briana Viser

We all need joy and chaos. Too much of the same thing will make anyone go crazy, so as we balance our day to day monotony, we add a few dashes of capricious kitty chaos to the mix. Every time you see a cat you may think to yourself, "how adorable!" But underneath the big eyes, the adorable stares, and the wild whiskers lies an evil, mischievous side that no one can refuse. If laughter truly is the best medicine, then cats are actually the best medicine. Being addicted to your cat is okay, even if he is a hooligan. 

There's no menace like that of the four legged feline. Cats are the ultimate jesters, jokers, clowns, and capricious, malicious, prankers and deceivers. They may trick you with their innocent countenance, their baby-like features, soft fur, and sweet meows. Don't trust them! By the time you finish this purrfectly curated list of chaotic cats, you may feel as though you need to squeeze your bundle of softness. So if you scroll these hissterical cat memes, make sure you do it in the comfort of your cozy home so that you can chase, pull, yank, or pet your kitty cat at any time. 

I Can Has Cheezburger? ([syndicated profile] icanhascheezburger_feed) wrote2025-12-17 09:00 am

Pawrent rushes outside to find their "missing" cat, pays over $400 at the vet, then comes home and r

Posted by Blake Seidel

Lucky for us, none of our cats has any desire to go outside, so we have no flight risks in our house. We could leave the door wide open for hours if we wanted to and they wouldn't step one purrfect paw out the door, but that's not true for every cat. Some cats will run at even the slightest opening, not knowing that what they have inside is so much better than life outdoors. It's one of every cat pawrents' greatest fears - the cat escaping and them never coming back. That's what struck our pawrent below, and they went on a wild ride to rescue "their" cat.

They thought they lost their cat, 'Luna', after accidentally leaving the door open. Rushing outside to rescue them, they find a black cat limping outside. Without thinking, they scoop up the cat and drive to the vet, spending over $400 on treatment. Antibiotics, check up, the whole works. Finally letting out a sigh of relief, the pawrent and "her" cat drive home. She lets the cat out of the carrier, and lo and behold, her cat appears from behind the sofa. Uh oh!

We're not sure if they accidentally stole a neighbor's cat or rescued a stray, but in the end, they did a good thing. The Cat Distribution System works in purrfectly unconventional ways, and they may be $400 poorer, but hey, they got a new cat! Now it's your turn to scroll down and read through all the hissterical details below!

I Can Has Cheezburger? ([syndicated profile] icanhascheezburger_feed) wrote2025-12-17 06:00 am

50 Cutest Cat Posts of 2025 to Cozy up With and Smile All the Way to Next Year

Posted by Mariel Ruvinsky

The end of the year is almost here, and really, friends, we don't know how we made it. A lot happened this year. Some would argue too much. In every corner that we looked, there was drama, there was chaos, there were things that we… simply didn't want to see sometimes. But one thing helped us get through it. One thing has made us smile, no matter what else was going on. It's the same thing every year. It always works, and it will continue to work. It's cats. And more specifically, it's adorable cat posts and stories. 

There is a reason why adorable cat stories go viral all the time. People need them. People need the pawsitivity in their lives. And cute cats fulfill that need for us. Forever and always, no matter what is going on in the world, we know that there are corners on the internet full of cats that we can go to. There will always be a new adorable cat, there will always be a sweet story for us to smile at, and cats will always continue to rule the internet. As they should. 

luzula: a Luzula pilosa, or hairy wood-rush (Default)
luzula ([personal profile] luzula) wrote2025-12-16 09:14 pm
Entry tags:

Write every day: Day 16

Oops, I had the draft of this post open yesterday evening, but forgot to post it! How did your writing go? I, um, opened my document and looked at it, but there was no writing. Unless I count the course plans I worked on for my job, which I will not.

Tally:
Read more... )
Day 15: [personal profile] sylvanwitch, [personal profile] trobadora, [personal profile] brithistorian, [personal profile] badly_knitted, [personal profile] goddess47, [personal profile] the_siobhan, [personal profile] cornerofmadness, [personal profile] carenejeans, [personal profile] china_shop, [personal profile] sanguinity, [personal profile] chestnut_pod

Day 16: [personal profile] china_shop, [personal profile] brithistorian, [personal profile] sanguinity

Bonus farm news: Housemate is sawing up a section of a large oak trunk that we got when the neighbors had a tree cut down. Among other things, he plans to make a large oak table for the living room out of two of the (very wide and heavy!) planks. Which will now need drying for two years before said table can be made, but I think it will be gorgeous.
silveradept: A librarian wearing a futuristic-looking visor with text squiggles on them. (Librarian Techno-Visor)
Silver Adept ([personal profile] silveradept) wrote2025-12-16 11:17 pm

December Days 02025 #16: Badger

It's December Days time again. This year, I have decided that I'm going to talk about skills and applications thereof, if for no other reason than because I am prone to both the fixed mindset and the downplaying of any skills that I might have obtained as not "real" skills because they do not fit some form of ideal.

16: Badger )
ysabetwordsmith: Cartoon of me in Wordsmith persona (Default)
ysabetwordsmith ([personal profile] ysabetwordsmith) wrote in [community profile] journalsandplanners2025-12-17 12:42 am

Photos: Testing Pens on Plant Labels

This year I've been running an experiment to see which type of pen lasts the longest for labeling plants outdoors. I have compiled links to the previous posts and added pictures from each month where I hadn't already posted them. Results: Sharpie Oil Pen lasted longest, Craft Smart Oil Pen was still legible at the end of the year, and Sharpie Permanent Marker faded very fast. If you're labeling plants outdoors, buy an oil paint pen, preferably Sharpie.  If you want to test how colorfast or fugitive your journal inks are, you can run the same kind of test indoors on paper that is in a window with sunlight.

These are the other posts regarding the labels.
1/3/25 Photos: Testing Pens on Plant Labels
2/3/25 Photos: House Yard and South Lot
3/3/25 Photos: House Yard and South Lot
4/4/25 Photos: South Lot
5/6/25 Photos: South Lot
6/2/25 Photos: House Yard
11/3/25 Photos: Lantern Terrarium Assembly Part 2 Testing the Fit (labels at bottom)
Photos: House Yard 12-16-25

Let's do science to it... )
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Sonia Connolly ([personal profile] sonia) wrote2025-12-16 10:18 pm
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Sang in a concert

I sang in a concert tonight. We got to sing in a local synagogue with fabulous acoustics because the synagogue's event director joined the choir this session. It was great to be able to hear each other and know that the audience was hearing us sound better too.

I had a small trio part in a Serbian song, and then a solo verse in a Ukrainian song where there were 17 (!) short verses and we each had one, except the last one we all sang together.

It all came together! I was nervous, but it all flowed, and I'm getting better at being able to open up and sing even with an audience there. As the sessions go by and we all get to know each other and get more comfortable with performing, the ambient nerves settle down and I have an easier time managing my own nerves. I used to outright panic, and now I worry a fair amount beforehand, but by the time the concert itself rolls around, I figure I'm as prepared as I'm going to get.

So grateful to get to sing with this teacher and these singers every week. This is a big piece of what I came back to the Bay Area for.
I Can Has Cheezburger? ([syndicated profile] icanhascheezburger_feed) wrote2025-12-16 09:00 pm

A Ray of Sunshine in the Form of 22 Fuzzy Feline Funnies (December 16, 2025)

Posted by Lana DeGaetano

If you're looking for some warmth on a cold Tuesday morning, you've stumbled upon the purrfect place. Warmth doesn't always come from external stimuli, but rather from things that warm the heart more than any space heater could.

Cats. Felines. All of the above and everything in between; We've been blessed to exist in the same timeline as the feline species. Since their domestication, cats have figured out how to not only milk food and shelter out of random hooman they stumbled upon on the street via the cat distribution system, but also how to worm their way into our hooman hearts and stay there furever.

We're approaching the official transition to the winter season, and that means you and your feline companion will need a bit of extra warmth until the snow melts and the warmth returns in the spring. Though your feline can manage by way of their fur, your warm lap, and a sliver of sunlight peeking through the window, we hoomans have to bear the cold every day outside of our homes. Heartwarming content is the key to getting a pep in your step when the cold winter has you feeling blue, so scroll below. The warmth starts here.

I Can Has Cheezburger? ([syndicated profile] icanhascheezburger_feed) wrote2025-12-16 08:00 pm

22 Funny Feline Memes to Melt Your Frosty Mood

Posted by Isabella Penn

The cold weather and total lack of sunlight are officially turning all of us into Scrooge. Not the fun, redeemed-by-the-ghosts Scrooge that happens at the end of the movie, but rather the pre-epiphany version who side-eyes carolers and mutters under his breath about holiday cheer. When the sun sets before we've even eaten lunch and the wind feels like an insult, it's hard not to spiral into full winter gremlin mode.

But thankfully, there's one saving grace that keeps us from becoming full-time curmudgeons, and that is our cats. They could not care less what time of year it is. Seasonal depr*ssion? Holiday stress? Existential dread brought on by darkness at 4:30 PM? Your cat has absolutely no interest in participating. They're too busy loafing on warm laundry, demanding dinner at the same time every day, and acting personally offended when you dare to step outside and return with cold hands.

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𝓬𝓱𝓻𝓲𝓼𝓽𝓪 ([personal profile] mulhollands) wrote in [community profile] iconthat2025-12-17 04:19 pm

Challenge 199: Film Fandom Fest



Sense and Sensibility | Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery | All Of Us Strangers | My Policeman | Ghost World



links )
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candyheartsex ([personal profile] candyheartsex) wrote2025-12-17 12:06 am
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Nominations Are Open!

The 2026 tagset is now open for nominations!

Nominations will be be open until 11:59 PM EST on December 27.

You can nominate up to 10 fandoms, with a maximum of 10 relationships per fandom. (Some megafandoms and franchise fandoms may have special guidelines: check the clarifications here.) If you have any questions about your noms, feel free to ask here.

Make sure that you are using & for platonic relationships and / for romantic/sexual relationships.

If you're nominating relationships where the characters have very common names or exist in multiple versions of the same canon, please disambiguate your nominations by putting the fandom name or an abbreviation for it in parentheses at the end of the tag. This will stop tags from wandering into multiple subfandoms.

Whenever possible, try to avoid piping unless it's necessary to clarify the characters' identities.

Approvals will be a little slow at times, so please don't worry if your nominations are held up for a while.

Additional nomination guidelines are available here.