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Featured Article: Equilibrium (Star Trek: TOS story by PSW)
Sep. 9th, 2025 06:01 pm![[syndicated profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/feed.png){kind=small}
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ALTThis week’s Featured Article brings you Equilibrium - the Star Trek: TOS fic written by PSW featuring Leonard McCoy as the protagonist. As a doctor aboard the starship Enterprise, McCoy often provides the emotional voice on matters concerning humanity and morality and serves as a foil to Spock’s pragmatism.
In Equilibrium, McCoy is kidnapped by non-federation aliens and is forced to work for them. Meanwhile, the Enterprise’s crew received a report that McCoy has died when his transport exploded, leaving Kirk and Spock to grief the loss of their friend.
The fic is often recced as a must-read for McCoy fans and can be said to rival official tie-in novels in its quality and length. It is also praised for its well-written original characters.
Are you a McCoy fan? Or simply interested in Star Trek fics? Learn more about Equilibrium and the fans’ reception on Fanlore.
——
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FAKE Double Drabble: The Interview
Sep. 9th, 2025 06:43 pmbadly_knittedTitle: The Interview
Fandom: FAKE
Author:
badly_knittedCharacters: Ryo, OC, Bikky.
Rating: PG
Setting: After Like Like Love.
Summary: A reporter interviews Ryo about his son.
Written For: Challenge 489: Amnesty 81 at
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
fan_flashworks, using Challenge 457: Credit.Disclaimer: I don’t own FAKE, or the characters. They belong to the wonderful Sanami Matoh.
A/N: Double drabble and a half, 250 words.
( The Interview... )
Tags:
Doctor Who Drabble: Too Complicated
Sep. 9th, 2025 06:28 pmbadly_knittedTitle: Too Complicated
Author:
badly_knittedCharacters: Ninth Doctor, Rose Tyler, Jack Harkness.
Rating: G
Written For: Challenge 957: ‘Stochastic’ at
dw100.Spoilers: Nada.
Summary: As smart as Rose is, some things the Doctor tries to explain are beyond her.
Disclaimer: I don’t own Doctor Who, or the characters.
Tags:
Book review: Tales of Earthsea
Sep. 9th, 2025 10:24 amrocky41_7 posting in booknookTitle: Tales of Earthsea
Author: Ursula K. Le Guin
Genre: Fiction, fantasy, adventure
We're back at the Earthsea Cycle with book 5: Tales of Earthsea. This book is a collection of short stories set in Earthsea, crafted as a kind of bridge between books 4 and 6.
Friends may recall that the last book, Tehanu, was not my favorite of the series, although I appreciate what Le Guin was doing. In Tales of Earthsea, we get the best of both worlds in a sense--a return to the fantasy adventure themes of the original trilogy combined with Le Guin's updated views on gender and roles. Like Tehanu, Tales of Earthsea is no longer really children's fiction. Sex, substance abuse, child abuse, and various other mature themes are much more present here than in the original trilogy. These later Earthsea books read like they were written for the then-adult fans of the original trilogy, and I think it works well.
In each of the five stories of Tales of Earthsea, Le Guin is introducing us to elements of Earthsea society not seen before in the series: How women ended up being excluded from wizardry, a young man with the ability to become a wizard (the magical aptitude) who decides he wants another sort of life for himself, a wizard of Roke who misuses his power and chooses not to return although he is invited to, a woman who wants to study at Roke but is refused. In this way, Le Guin gives much breadth to the world of Earthsea by introducing these stories outside the "mainstream" Earthsea narratives.
I respect that Le Guin doesn't just try to retcon the sexism written into the earlier Earthsea books--instead, she really tries here to reckon with how the women of Earthsea manage it, how they get around it, and how it hurts them. The resultant picture feels realistic, up to and including how frustrating it is to watch women be excluded from the school of Roke despite having helped found it.
She continues with her theme of unexpected heroes--protagonists who are average people from little nothing towns on little nothing islands who despite expectations prove themselves capable of great things, which is always fun to watch.
We get backstory on several things present in the original trilogy, like the founding of the school and some history of Ged's first teacher, Ogion, which was great fun (and once again I am screaming clapping cheering as the specialist boy in all of Earthsea Ged makes a cameo).
A very enjoyable read overall, and I feel properly enthused and excited for the next book.
Author: Ursula K. Le Guin
Genre: Fiction, fantasy, adventure
We're back at the Earthsea Cycle with book 5: Tales of Earthsea. This book is a collection of short stories set in Earthsea, crafted as a kind of bridge between books 4 and 6.
Friends may recall that the last book, Tehanu, was not my favorite of the series, although I appreciate what Le Guin was doing. In Tales of Earthsea, we get the best of both worlds in a sense--a return to the fantasy adventure themes of the original trilogy combined with Le Guin's updated views on gender and roles. Like Tehanu, Tales of Earthsea is no longer really children's fiction. Sex, substance abuse, child abuse, and various other mature themes are much more present here than in the original trilogy. These later Earthsea books read like they were written for the then-adult fans of the original trilogy, and I think it works well.
In each of the five stories of Tales of Earthsea, Le Guin is introducing us to elements of Earthsea society not seen before in the series: How women ended up being excluded from wizardry, a young man with the ability to become a wizard (the magical aptitude) who decides he wants another sort of life for himself, a wizard of Roke who misuses his power and chooses not to return although he is invited to, a woman who wants to study at Roke but is refused. In this way, Le Guin gives much breadth to the world of Earthsea by introducing these stories outside the "mainstream" Earthsea narratives.
I respect that Le Guin doesn't just try to retcon the sexism written into the earlier Earthsea books--instead, she really tries here to reckon with how the women of Earthsea manage it, how they get around it, and how it hurts them. The resultant picture feels realistic, up to and including how frustrating it is to watch women be excluded from the school of Roke despite having helped found it.
She continues with her theme of unexpected heroes--protagonists who are average people from little nothing towns on little nothing islands who despite expectations prove themselves capable of great things, which is always fun to watch.
We get backstory on several things present in the original trilogy, like the founding of the school and some history of Ged's first teacher, Ogion, which was great fun (and once again I am screaming clapping cheering as the specialist boy in all of Earthsea Ged makes a cameo).
A very enjoyable read overall, and I feel properly enthused and excited for the next book.
Recent Reading: Tales of Earthsea
Sep. 9th, 2025 10:23 amrocky41_7 posting in booksWe're back at the Earthsea Cycle with book 5: Tales of Earthsea. This book is a collection of short stories set in Earthsea, crafted as a kind of bridge between books 4 and 6.
Friends may recall that the last book, Tehanu, was not my favorite of the series, although I appreciate what Le Guin was doing. In Tales of Earthsea, we get the best of both worlds in a sense--a return to the fantasy adventure themes of the original trilogy combined with Le Guin's updated views on gender and roles. Like Tehanu, Tales of Earthsea is no longer really children's fiction. Sex, substance abuse, child abuse, and various other mature themes are much more present here than in the original trilogy. These later Earthsea books read like they were written for the then-adult fans of the original trilogy, and I think it works well.
In each of the five stories of Tales of Earthsea, Le Guin is introducing us to elements of Earthsea society not seen before in the series: How women ended up being excluded from wizardry, a young man with the ability to become a wizard (the magical aptitude) who decides he wants another sort of life for himself, a wizard of Roke who misuses his power and chooses not to return although he is invited to, a woman who wants to study at Roke but is refused. In this way, Le Guin gives much breadth to the world of Earthsea by introducing these stories outside the "mainstream" Earthsea narratives.
I respect that Le Guin doesn't just try to retcon the sexism written into the earlier Earthsea books--instead, she really tries here to reckon with how the women of Earthsea manage it, how they get around it, and how it hurts them. The resultant picture feels realistic, up to and including how frustrating it is to watch women be excluded from the school of Roke despite having helped found it.
She continues with her theme of unexpected heroes--protagonists who are average people from little nothing towns on little nothing islands who despite expectations prove themselves capable of great things, which is always fun to watch.
We get backstory on several things present in the original trilogy, like the founding of the school and some history of Ged's first teacher, Ogion, which was great fun (and once again I am screaming clapping cheering as the specialist boy in all of Earthsea Ged makes a cameo).
A very enjoyable read overall, and I feel properly enthused and excited for the next book.
Friends may recall that the last book, Tehanu, was not my favorite of the series, although I appreciate what Le Guin was doing. In Tales of Earthsea, we get the best of both worlds in a sense--a return to the fantasy adventure themes of the original trilogy combined with Le Guin's updated views on gender and roles. Like Tehanu, Tales of Earthsea is no longer really children's fiction. Sex, substance abuse, child abuse, and various other mature themes are much more present here than in the original trilogy. These later Earthsea books read like they were written for the then-adult fans of the original trilogy, and I think it works well.
In each of the five stories of Tales of Earthsea, Le Guin is introducing us to elements of Earthsea society not seen before in the series: How women ended up being excluded from wizardry, a young man with the ability to become a wizard (the magical aptitude) who decides he wants another sort of life for himself, a wizard of Roke who misuses his power and chooses not to return although he is invited to, a woman who wants to study at Roke but is refused. In this way, Le Guin gives much breadth to the world of Earthsea by introducing these stories outside the "mainstream" Earthsea narratives.
I respect that Le Guin doesn't just try to retcon the sexism written into the earlier Earthsea books--instead, she really tries here to reckon with how the women of Earthsea manage it, how they get around it, and how it hurts them. The resultant picture feels realistic, up to and including how frustrating it is to watch women be excluded from the school of Roke despite having helped found it.
She continues with her theme of unexpected heroes--protagonists who are average people from little nothing towns on little nothing islands who despite expectations prove themselves capable of great things, which is always fun to watch.
We get backstory on several things present in the original trilogy, like the founding of the school and some history of Ged's first teacher, Ogion, which was great fun (and once again I am screaming clapping cheering as the specialist boy in all of Earthsea Ged makes a cameo).
A very enjoyable read overall, and I feel properly enthused and excited for the next book.
Double Drabble: Coffee Crisis
Sep. 9th, 2025 06:17 pmbadly_knittedTitle: Coffee Crisis
Author:
badly_knittedCharacters: Jack, Ianto.
Rating: PG
Written For: Challenge 882: Taste at
torchwood100.Spoilers: Nada.
Summary: Jack has already been without Ianto’s coffee for a week…
Disclaimer: I don’t own Torchwood, or the characters.
A/N: Double drabble.
( Coffee Crisis... )
Tags:
Not a lemonade stand
Sep. 9th, 2025 11:41 amasakiyumeThis past weekend I was doing errands, and there were a bunch of kids, maybe four, ages about nine to twelve, at a T-junction of a road into a development and the more general-use road. They were waving and gesticulating at passing cars the way high school kids do when they're trying to get you to come to their fundraiser car wash, but there was no place to wash cars, and these kids were definitely younger than high school age.
So maybe they were selling lemonade? Or cookies? Or --?
I came back around and pulled into the smaller street and parked.
"Pokemon cards! Pokemon cards for sale!" they yelled, waving around exactly the sort of notebooks my kids stored their Pokemon cards in.
"Why are you selling your Pokemon cards?" I asked.
"We're bored," said one.
"We want money," said another.
"We're going to buy more Pokemon cards," said a third.
"This card here?" said one, stabbing one with his finger, "it's worth $600. I looked it up on eBay."
"I don't think anyone driving by is going to have $600 on them," I said.
"No but, no but: this one guy? On a bicycle? He bought one for $30!" said another.
"And another guy said he'd come back with $50!"
O_o
Okay, what do I know?
They proceeded to show me several others that they assured me were worth hundreds of dollars.
"Mmmokay, but that's out of my price range," I said. "Do you have any in the $5–$10 range? ... of Pikachu?" (Because I am boring and vanilla)
They showed me several and I got a cute one for $10.
Then I told them the story of the ninja girl, how she entered a contest to design a Pokemon starter card for a starter pack, and her Pikachu won and was included in the pack. As a prize, she got a $500 gift card to Target and 50 packs of the winning five cards. Those are now worth a couple thousand dollars, so we've been told. Uhhh, yup, just checked. Here's an example showing the ninja girl's Pikachu.
I mentioned this to the kids, and one nodded knowledgeably. "A creator pack," he said. "You should get your daughter to come here and look at our cards."
"She lives in Japan," I said.
"JaPAN?!" he wailed. "Lucky! Japan is the best place for Pokemon cards because, um. It was started there."
Afterward I told the ninja girl the story and showed her the Pikachu I bought.
"Oh!" she said. "A surfing Pikachu! So cute!"
I told her I'd send it to her.
So maybe they were selling lemonade? Or cookies? Or --?
I came back around and pulled into the smaller street and parked.
"Pokemon cards! Pokemon cards for sale!" they yelled, waving around exactly the sort of notebooks my kids stored their Pokemon cards in.
"Why are you selling your Pokemon cards?" I asked.
"We're bored," said one.
"We want money," said another.
"We're going to buy more Pokemon cards," said a third.
"This card here?" said one, stabbing one with his finger, "it's worth $600. I looked it up on eBay."
"I don't think anyone driving by is going to have $600 on them," I said.
"No but, no but: this one guy? On a bicycle? He bought one for $30!" said another.
"And another guy said he'd come back with $50!"
O_o
Okay, what do I know?
They proceeded to show me several others that they assured me were worth hundreds of dollars.
"Mmmokay, but that's out of my price range," I said. "Do you have any in the $5–$10 range? ... of Pikachu?" (Because I am boring and vanilla)
They showed me several and I got a cute one for $10.
Then I told them the story of the ninja girl, how she entered a contest to design a Pokemon starter card for a starter pack, and her Pikachu won and was included in the pack. As a prize, she got a $500 gift card to Target and 50 packs of the winning five cards. Those are now worth a couple thousand dollars, so we've been told. Uhhh, yup, just checked. Here's an example showing the ninja girl's Pikachu.
I mentioned this to the kids, and one nodded knowledgeably. "A creator pack," he said. "You should get your daughter to come here and look at our cards."
"She lives in Japan," I said.
"JaPAN?!" he wailed. "Lucky! Japan is the best place for Pokemon cards because, um. It was started there."
Afterward I told the ninja girl the story and showed her the Pikachu I bought.
"Oh!" she said. "A surfing Pikachu! So cute!"
I told her I'd send it to her.
ocelot
Sep. 9th, 2025 07:55 amprettygoodwordocelot (OS-uh-lot, OH-suh-lot) - n., a medium-sized spotted wild cat (Leopardus pardalis, formerly Felis pardalis) of Central and South America with a grayish or yellow coat with stripy black spots.
_Zoo_Itatiba.jpg/480px-Ocelot_(Jaguatirica)_Zoo_Itatiba.jpg)
Thanks, WikiMedia!
Although I live at the very edge of their territory, I have only seen them in captivity and Minecraft -- which is as it should be as they are nocturnal and live in brushy woodlands, and have not adapted to human environments the way coyotes have. [Sidebar: Yes, captive ocelots do oscillate in an enclosure.] The name is from Nahuatl, but not the Nahuatl name for the ocelot -- ōcēlōtl is jaguar, while the ocelot is tlālocēlōtl, literally "field jaguar." It's not clear whether French naturalist Georges Louis Leclerc de Buffon, who introduced the name in 1765, made a mistake or deliberately shortened the long name. [Sidebar: Although ocelots can have ocellated ("eye-shaped") spots, the words are otherwise unrelated, ocellated coming from Latin. The pun may have been a reason to shorten the name, though.]
---L.
Thanks, WikiMedia!
Although I live at the very edge of their territory, I have only seen them in captivity and Minecraft -- which is as it should be as they are nocturnal and live in brushy woodlands, and have not adapted to human environments the way coyotes have. [Sidebar: Yes, captive ocelots do oscillate in an enclosure.] The name is from Nahuatl, but not the Nahuatl name for the ocelot -- ōcēlōtl is jaguar, while the ocelot is tlālocēlōtl, literally "field jaguar." It's not clear whether French naturalist Georges Louis Leclerc de Buffon, who introduced the name in 1765, made a mistake or deliberately shortened the long name. [Sidebar: Although ocelots can have ocellated ("eye-shaped") spots, the words are otherwise unrelated, ocellated coming from Latin. The pun may have been a reason to shorten the name, though.]
---L.
Latest Posts
Sep. 9th, 2025 10:12 amglitteryv posting in fandom50challengeA few more BTS-centric posts plus a girl group!
32. BTS Vlogs (which inclulde travels, work, and arts & crafts (including woodworking!).)
33. Ranking BTS documentaries (covering the time span from debut era up to 2023.)
34. Jin and his unique tour (plus two live performances.)
35. Killin' It Girl x 3 (Hobi at his hottest!)
36. Hobipalooza Redux! (a behind-the-scenes vlog + his full, hour and a half performance at this year's Lollapalooza Berlin.)
37. Is Jin a good liar? (Jin vs. Vanity Fair's Lie Detector test = LOLs a-aplenty!)
38. ILLIT, Magical Girls & You!. (A soft rec for Illit's music and their creative MVs.)
32. BTS Vlogs (which inclulde travels, work, and arts & crafts (including woodworking!).)
33. Ranking BTS documentaries (covering the time span from debut era up to 2023.)
34. Jin and his unique tour (plus two live performances.)
35. Killin' It Girl x 3 (Hobi at his hottest!)
36. Hobipalooza Redux! (a behind-the-scenes vlog + his full, hour and a half performance at this year's Lollapalooza Berlin.)
37. Is Jin a good liar? (Jin vs. Vanity Fair's Lie Detector test = LOLs a-aplenty!)
38. ILLIT, Magical Girls & You!. (A soft rec for Illit's music and their creative MVs.)
Birch, Please.
Sep. 9th, 2025 01:00 pmcakewrecks_feed
Me: AAAUUGH! BWAHAHAAA!
John: What? [seeing cake] What IS that?
Me: [laughing]
John: Is it a cow? Buried face down?
Me: [still laughing]
John: Wait, no, I think it's a tree. A birch tree.
Me: [shrill cackling punctuated by honking, bugle-like snorts]
John: Is there a two-liter in that thing? Seriously, look; I think there's a soda bottle in there! Jen?
Me: [wiping eyes] Oh, so you're saying it's all bark and no bite?
John: Ug, that's terrible. We need some good puns.
Me: Hey, if you don't like my puns, you can make like a tree, and GET OUT OF HERE.
John: That's it. No more Back to the Future marathons for you.
Me: Awww. You are my density, baby.
Thanks to Amanda C. for proving there's nothing shady at all about a tree stump with two limbs.
there's four directions on this map, but you're only going one way
Sep. 9th, 2025 09:56 amlirazelI have not felt like watching anything serious for the last couples of weeks, so what did I decide to do instead? I am watching Due South for the first time since it was airing! The show was my family's favorite when I was a kid, and I have memories of the characters and the vibes, but I have zero memory of the details. It's been really fun revisiting it and I am currently ten episodes in.
Is this show good? Not by any objective standard. Is it profoundly silly? It sure is! But y'all, I love Benton Fraser so much. As a child, I imprinted on him like a little baby ducking, and my affection is even more intense now. He's such a doof! And so good! I love men who are just so good! He's like Clark Kent if Clark Kent was even more of a loser and also Canadian and also had a deaf wolf as a pet.
I also do love RayV a whole whole lot and I am thoroughly enjoying these episodes even if I am looking forward to season 3 and the shippy goodness.
For those who are not aware of this Canadian cop show from the 90s, it started off as a one-off TV movie in which Paul Gross is Benton Fraser, a Mountie whose Mountie father gets murdered and he has to track down the murderers in Chicago. While there he meets Ray Vecchio, who is a central casting Italian-American cop and very funny. They have a typical odd couple partnership, and end up uncovering a big conspiracy back in Canada that implicates so many powerful people that Fraser pretty much has to just to get out of the country for a while, so he goes back to Canada, where he works at the consulate and solves ridiculous crimes with his deaf wolf Diefenbaker and with RayV.
However! In season 3, RayV leaves the show (for reasons I'm not clear on) and who do we get instead? A very young Callum Keith Rennie as Ray Kowalsky (RayK) who has ridiculously good chemistry with Gross. Ostensibly the show doesn't change--it's still overly earnest Mountie solves crimes with streetwise Chicago cop--but the dynamic is completely different. Fraser and RayV are buddies and such fun together and they love each other a lot, but Fraser and RayK are major slashbait. Like one of the great Western TV slash ships a la Starsky and Hutch and the Man from UNCLE dudes. And once I get to their seasons, I am going to need all the fic recs, especially the stuff that was written in the 90s and early 2000s.
As I said, despite its extreme silliness, I am having a lot of fun. The show (so far) has aged incredibly well in that Fraser's whole thing is that he believes in people who are written off by everyone else, so in the first few episodes, we get him standing up for a Black boy with a criminal record, a Latina immigrant mother whose children get taken away from her, a working class white guy single father who is involved in an insurance scam, a Chinese immigrant man whose son is being targeted by organized crime, and a white kid who's just out of juvie and is trying to turn his life around. Fraser is like, "This person is in difficult circumstances and is either innocent or is being coerced into something they don't want to do, and if we give them a chance, they will do the right thing." AND HE IS ALWAYS RIGHT.
He chooses to live in a really "bad" area of town because it allows him to walk to work (which probably doesn't make sense from an actual-geography-of-Chicago perspective but who cares?) and while we get lots of jokes about crime, in actuality, we end up seeing that the people who live in this neighborhood are just people who are struggling.
I love it so much. I truly feel if this show was airing today, it would be hated by conservatives and decried as too woke.
This all ends up softening the fact that this show is a cop show. It doesn't feel like copaganda in the way most cop shows do, which is probably why I can enjoy it so much.
It's full of 90s music--I keep getting surprised by the songs they include. Is that Tracy Chapman? It sure is! Is that Sarah McLachlan? Hey, it's the 90's! (Honestly there's so much Sarah McLachlan. Omg they're actually playing the Crash Test Dummies' "Superman"? Of course they are! My jaw absolutely dropped when I recognized Loreena McKennitt! I mean, I wasn't that surprised her music was included because it's a Canadian show from the 90s, and that was certainly her heyday, but I was gobsmacked that the song in question was "Prospero's Speech" and not one of her more familiar songs.
Honestly, the 90s music and fashion and just general vibes are making me so nostalgic. I know that the 90s were not that great for everyone, but I was a child then, so it makes sense that it feels like a simpler time to me. This is what the world is supposed to look like! Because it's the world I got used to as a child! It's really nice to reivist it in this way.
The one thing that kind of annoys me is the women thing. The truly main cast is just Fraser, his wolf, and whichever Ray he's working with at the moment. But there's also the people back at Ray's precinct office--his male boss, his two annoying male coworkers, and the very competent lady cop who actually does most of the work. I like Elaine a lot! But she develops a crush on Fraser at the beginning and that kind of becomes her thing? Besides being competent? I am hoping she'll get other things to do as the show carries on.
Honestly, too many of the women in the show fall in love with Fraser. And on the one hand, I can certainly understand this! I am also in love with Fraser! He has ruined me for men! He's just so good and so pretty! I like that the show is like, "Actually, despite what some people say, women don't always go for the bad boy--if you give them a really righteous and pretty man, they will fall for him hard." Which I appreciate! But I feel like they push the joke too far.
Because the joke is that Fraser loves and respects women and treats them like actual human beings, but as soon as they start hitting on him or expressing interest in him, he has no idea how to handle it. He's so awkward!
And like, obviously fandom read this as, "Look at this poor gay man who doesn't know how to deal with female romantic/sexual attention." But the show doesn't actually know he's gay, which is hilarious to me because he is so gay. Like, there are a couple of moments so far in which it seems to imply that he might actually be interested in a woman, and I am like, "Give me a break." It's not remotely convincing.
Anyway, it's not a huge complaint because the women who show up (like the immigrant mother or another mother whose boyfriend MARK RUFFALO is trying to sell their baby yes you actually read those words with your own two eyes) are treated respectfully and like real people. It's just the women around the edges who fall for Fraser too easily.
I actually really liked the amoral reporter lady we met in one of the first episodes who isn't in love with Fraser, and I think it would have been really fun if she'd become recurring. She would have been a nice balance for Elaine. But alas! The main cast is male!
The guest stars are wild, though! So many familiar faces! In the first ten episodes, we have been visited by Eric Schweig (Uncas from The Last of the Mohicans, who I am very fond of), Leslie Nielsen (as another mountie), Teri Polo (aka First Lady Helen Santos from The West Wing), baby Mark Ruffalo (okay, he's in his mid-20s, but he looks like a baby to me), and baby Ryan Phillippe (who probably was a teenager at the time). I so look forward to seeing who else pops up!
I imagine the show would be grating for Canadians because Fraser is such a cliche, and a great deal of the humor of the show comes from the contrast between him and his Chicago setting. But I choose to view the show as less "isn't it funny when a Canadian has to navigate Chicago?" and instead "isn't it funny when this very particular individual who has lived in the Yukon his whole life and was raised by his librarian grandparents has to navigate Chicago?"
So yeah, enjoying the show a lot, looking forward to seeing how things develop, and definitely anticipating the future slash of it all!
Is this show good? Not by any objective standard. Is it profoundly silly? It sure is! But y'all, I love Benton Fraser so much. As a child, I imprinted on him like a little baby ducking, and my affection is even more intense now. He's such a doof! And so good! I love men who are just so good! He's like Clark Kent if Clark Kent was even more of a loser and also Canadian and also had a deaf wolf as a pet.
I also do love RayV a whole whole lot and I am thoroughly enjoying these episodes even if I am looking forward to season 3 and the shippy goodness.
For those who are not aware of this Canadian cop show from the 90s, it started off as a one-off TV movie in which Paul Gross is Benton Fraser, a Mountie whose Mountie father gets murdered and he has to track down the murderers in Chicago. While there he meets Ray Vecchio, who is a central casting Italian-American cop and very funny. They have a typical odd couple partnership, and end up uncovering a big conspiracy back in Canada that implicates so many powerful people that Fraser pretty much has to just to get out of the country for a while, so he goes back to Canada, where he works at the consulate and solves ridiculous crimes with his deaf wolf Diefenbaker and with RayV.
However! In season 3, RayV leaves the show (for reasons I'm not clear on) and who do we get instead? A very young Callum Keith Rennie as Ray Kowalsky (RayK) who has ridiculously good chemistry with Gross. Ostensibly the show doesn't change--it's still overly earnest Mountie solves crimes with streetwise Chicago cop--but the dynamic is completely different. Fraser and RayV are buddies and such fun together and they love each other a lot, but Fraser and RayK are major slashbait. Like one of the great Western TV slash ships a la Starsky and Hutch and the Man from UNCLE dudes. And once I get to their seasons, I am going to need all the fic recs, especially the stuff that was written in the 90s and early 2000s.
As I said, despite its extreme silliness, I am having a lot of fun. The show (so far) has aged incredibly well in that Fraser's whole thing is that he believes in people who are written off by everyone else, so in the first few episodes, we get him standing up for a Black boy with a criminal record, a Latina immigrant mother whose children get taken away from her, a working class white guy single father who is involved in an insurance scam, a Chinese immigrant man whose son is being targeted by organized crime, and a white kid who's just out of juvie and is trying to turn his life around. Fraser is like, "This person is in difficult circumstances and is either innocent or is being coerced into something they don't want to do, and if we give them a chance, they will do the right thing." AND HE IS ALWAYS RIGHT.
He chooses to live in a really "bad" area of town because it allows him to walk to work (which probably doesn't make sense from an actual-geography-of-Chicago perspective but who cares?) and while we get lots of jokes about crime, in actuality, we end up seeing that the people who live in this neighborhood are just people who are struggling.
I love it so much. I truly feel if this show was airing today, it would be hated by conservatives and decried as too woke.
This all ends up softening the fact that this show is a cop show. It doesn't feel like copaganda in the way most cop shows do, which is probably why I can enjoy it so much.
It's full of 90s music--I keep getting surprised by the songs they include. Is that Tracy Chapman? It sure is! Is that Sarah McLachlan? Hey, it's the 90's! (Honestly there's so much Sarah McLachlan. Omg they're actually playing the Crash Test Dummies' "Superman"? Of course they are! My jaw absolutely dropped when I recognized Loreena McKennitt! I mean, I wasn't that surprised her music was included because it's a Canadian show from the 90s, and that was certainly her heyday, but I was gobsmacked that the song in question was "Prospero's Speech" and not one of her more familiar songs.
Honestly, the 90s music and fashion and just general vibes are making me so nostalgic. I know that the 90s were not that great for everyone, but I was a child then, so it makes sense that it feels like a simpler time to me. This is what the world is supposed to look like! Because it's the world I got used to as a child! It's really nice to reivist it in this way.
The one thing that kind of annoys me is the women thing. The truly main cast is just Fraser, his wolf, and whichever Ray he's working with at the moment. But there's also the people back at Ray's precinct office--his male boss, his two annoying male coworkers, and the very competent lady cop who actually does most of the work. I like Elaine a lot! But she develops a crush on Fraser at the beginning and that kind of becomes her thing? Besides being competent? I am hoping she'll get other things to do as the show carries on.
Honestly, too many of the women in the show fall in love with Fraser. And on the one hand, I can certainly understand this! I am also in love with Fraser! He has ruined me for men! He's just so good and so pretty! I like that the show is like, "Actually, despite what some people say, women don't always go for the bad boy--if you give them a really righteous and pretty man, they will fall for him hard." Which I appreciate! But I feel like they push the joke too far.
Because the joke is that Fraser loves and respects women and treats them like actual human beings, but as soon as they start hitting on him or expressing interest in him, he has no idea how to handle it. He's so awkward!
And like, obviously fandom read this as, "Look at this poor gay man who doesn't know how to deal with female romantic/sexual attention." But the show doesn't actually know he's gay, which is hilarious to me because he is so gay. Like, there are a couple of moments so far in which it seems to imply that he might actually be interested in a woman, and I am like, "Give me a break." It's not remotely convincing.
Anyway, it's not a huge complaint because the women who show up (like the immigrant mother or another mother whose boyfriend MARK RUFFALO is trying to sell their baby yes you actually read those words with your own two eyes) are treated respectfully and like real people. It's just the women around the edges who fall for Fraser too easily.
I actually really liked the amoral reporter lady we met in one of the first episodes who isn't in love with Fraser, and I think it would have been really fun if she'd become recurring. She would have been a nice balance for Elaine. But alas! The main cast is male!
The guest stars are wild, though! So many familiar faces! In the first ten episodes, we have been visited by Eric Schweig (Uncas from The Last of the Mohicans, who I am very fond of), Leslie Nielsen (as another mountie), Teri Polo (aka First Lady Helen Santos from The West Wing), baby Mark Ruffalo (okay, he's in his mid-20s, but he looks like a baby to me), and baby Ryan Phillippe (who probably was a teenager at the time). I so look forward to seeing who else pops up!
I imagine the show would be grating for Canadians because Fraser is such a cliche, and a great deal of the humor of the show comes from the contrast between him and his Chicago setting. But I choose to view the show as less "isn't it funny when a Canadian has to navigate Chicago?" and instead "isn't it funny when this very particular individual who has lived in the Yukon his whole life and was raised by his librarian grandparents has to navigate Chicago?"
So yeah, enjoying the show a lot, looking forward to seeing how things develop, and definitely anticipating the future slash of it all!
The Day in Spikedluv (Monday, Sept 8)
Sep. 9th, 2025 07:31 amspikedluvI hit Walmart and the bottle redemption center while I was downtown and got in a walk around the park. I hit the bank drive-thru on the way to mom’s and stopped to fill my gas tank on the way home.
I did a load of laundry (washed, dried AND folded), hand-washed dishes, vacuumed the bedroom rug, went on a couple of walks with Pip and the dogs, cut up chicken for the dogs' meals, placed an online order, and scooped kitty litter.
I visited mom, read another long fanfic, and watched some HGTV programs.
Temps started out at 48.9(F) and reached 65.5, that I saw. It was mostly sunny, but for a day we weren’t supposed to have any rain, the clouds made some unexpected appearances.
Mom Update:
Mom was doing okay today. ( more back here )
In other ‘not great’ news ( this time it’s about Sister A )
I did a load of laundry (washed, dried AND folded), hand-washed dishes, vacuumed the bedroom rug, went on a couple of walks with Pip and the dogs, cut up chicken for the dogs' meals, placed an online order, and scooped kitty litter.
I visited mom, read another long fanfic, and watched some HGTV programs.
Temps started out at 48.9(F) and reached 65.5, that I saw. It was mostly sunny, but for a day we weren’t supposed to have any rain, the clouds made some unexpected appearances.
Mom Update:
Mom was doing okay today. ( more back here )
In other ‘not great’ news ( this time it’s about Sister A )
Life with two kids: Old time language
Sep. 9th, 2025 08:19 amandrewduckerYesterday I was having fun with Gideon playing with webcam special effects, and we got to one that looks like old sepia film stock with damage marks on it and judderiness and he delightedly shouted "It's footage!"
A wreck of possibilities, a volatility of stars
Sep. 9th, 2025 02:00 amsovayI wish merely to register my pleasure that when I went looking for the uncredited actor playing the dean of the law school in the early scenes of Winterset (1936), I found that Murray Kinnell had the kind of Wikipedia biographer who includes short reviews with their subject's stage and screen resume. "An unusual role for Kinnell as a derelict one-time gentleman; the film opened in July 1931." "'No man is a hero to his valet', as Kinnell's character in this murder mystery could testify." "Kinnell as yet another butler, though this time with an unexpected flourish." I am much more used to finding this kind of partisanship on social media: with no prior attachment to an actor whom I did not notice previously in a handful of pre-Codes, just its enthusiasm makes me want to see these lovingly noted small parts even when a non-zero quantity of Charlie Chan seems to be involved. I hope Kinnell would have appreciated his future, however microscopic fandom.
Daily Happiness
Sep. 8th, 2025 11:25 pmtorachan1. Today marks one full week since I decided to start taking an early morning walk. I have been enjoying it very much and it currently works with my sleep and work schedules, so I'll be keeping it up. We've been in the habit of taking an evening walk every day for years, and a year or so I ago started making it two walks a day on weekends, but I'd never tried to make it a daily thing.
2. Today I actually took a walk at lunch as well, but I'm not sure how often I'll do that, at least in this weather. It was cooler than it has been, but still in the low 80s, and the area around my work doesn't have a lot of shady streets so I was in direct sun most of the time and ended up getting back to work sweatier than I'd prefer, but I did stop at 85C and get a delicious lavender taro latte on my way, so that was nice. I will definitely be taking a lunchtime walk on cooler days, and maybe even some not so cool days, depending on how I feel. It felt good to get up from my desk for more than just a quick run to the restroom or to go downstairs and buy a drink (I do get up for a few minutes every hour, but it's still a lot of sitting).
3. We had a nice dinner at Disneyland. The park was actually not that crowded and the weather was really pleasant (we didn't get down there until around eight, so the sun was down, but it wasn't as muggy as it has been the last few times we've been at night, including Saturday) and even traffic getting down there was pretty light.
4. Woke up to find Gemma in bed with me the other morning. Usually it's Molly!
2. Today I actually took a walk at lunch as well, but I'm not sure how often I'll do that, at least in this weather. It was cooler than it has been, but still in the low 80s, and the area around my work doesn't have a lot of shady streets so I was in direct sun most of the time and ended up getting back to work sweatier than I'd prefer, but I did stop at 85C and get a delicious lavender taro latte on my way, so that was nice. I will definitely be taking a lunchtime walk on cooler days, and maybe even some not so cool days, depending on how I feel. It felt good to get up from my desk for more than just a quick run to the restroom or to go downstairs and buy a drink (I do get up for a few minutes every hour, but it's still a lot of sitting).
3. We had a nice dinner at Disneyland. The park was actually not that crowded and the weather was really pleasant (we didn't get down there until around eight, so the sun was down, but it wasn't as muggy as it has been the last few times we've been at night, including Saturday) and even traffic getting down there was pretty light.
4. Woke up to find Gemma in bed with me the other morning. Usually it's Molly!
Recent Life
Sep. 8th, 2025 11:18 pmaseI intended to read the Hugo novella nominees, even after I realized I'd missed the voting deadline, but the "read novellas" brain was sidetracked by other stuff until after Worldcon had come and gone. So that didn't happen.
Instead, I reread Murderbot, as one does, and ran through a Victoria Goddard reread of her Greenwing and Dart novels, and also picked up a couple of the related 2024 shorter stories I hadn't gotten to. I think Goddard's revised her intentions about the series a lot since the first novel, or she's learned some things about writing, or both. I also wonder if it's a characteristic of Goddard's writing, or of cozy fantasies, to recap events a lot; it makes for a repetitive experience when rereading, especially if doing a marathon reread.
I also picked up an insufferably cute, extremely entry level cross-stitch kit in August, completed it before the labor day weekend, and now I'm making good on three year old threats to Get Into Cross Stitch. I spent late last week and the weekend splitting my attention between organizing a generous embroidery floss gift / hand me down, and actually doing the project of the week(s), a bookmark kit. Some of the gifted threads have wraps that look like a pre-2000 style, so I've inherited not just E.'s foray into needlework, but possibly E.'s mother's or grandmother's. Or a successful goodwill trip; the mysteries are many.
The Goddard marathon and adventures in fiber arts ate the vacation time I had put in for last week, but at least thread organization was compatible with rewatching chunks of The Expanse. "Oh, I'll put on something for background," I said. "I can stitch and watch." Ha, not quickly or consistently, not without getting much better at cross stitch. But I can watch a screen while sorting and cataloging thread - success!
I also pushed the first episode of B5 on a friend who also enjoys The Expanse, and she liked "Midnight on the Firing Line" enough go on to "Soul Mates". (I offered a highlights watch, she said she wanted the full experience. Will report back if/when she makes it through "Infection".) I cannot imagine why I thought someone who liked a 21st century SF/F epic with lots of geopolitical tensions and protomolecule shenangians flipping over the table would enjoy Babylon 5, a late 20th century SF/F with lots of geopolitical tensions and the Shadows actively wedging a hydraulic jack under a table leg. Yes, that's sarcasm, I am quite happy I have talked another person into watching B5.
Instead, I reread Murderbot, as one does, and ran through a Victoria Goddard reread of her Greenwing and Dart novels, and also picked up a couple of the related 2024 shorter stories I hadn't gotten to. I think Goddard's revised her intentions about the series a lot since the first novel, or she's learned some things about writing, or both. I also wonder if it's a characteristic of Goddard's writing, or of cozy fantasies, to recap events a lot; it makes for a repetitive experience when rereading, especially if doing a marathon reread.
I also picked up an insufferably cute, extremely entry level cross-stitch kit in August, completed it before the labor day weekend, and now I'm making good on three year old threats to Get Into Cross Stitch. I spent late last week and the weekend splitting my attention between organizing a generous embroidery floss gift / hand me down, and actually doing the project of the week(s), a bookmark kit. Some of the gifted threads have wraps that look like a pre-2000 style, so I've inherited not just E.'s foray into needlework, but possibly E.'s mother's or grandmother's. Or a successful goodwill trip; the mysteries are many.
The Goddard marathon and adventures in fiber arts ate the vacation time I had put in for last week, but at least thread organization was compatible with rewatching chunks of The Expanse. "Oh, I'll put on something for background," I said. "I can stitch and watch." Ha, not quickly or consistently, not without getting much better at cross stitch. But I can watch a screen while sorting and cataloging thread - success!
I also pushed the first episode of B5 on a friend who also enjoys The Expanse, and she liked "Midnight on the Firing Line" enough go on to "Soul Mates". (I offered a highlights watch, she said she wanted the full experience. Will report back if/when she makes it through "Infection".) I cannot imagine why I thought someone who liked a 21st century SF/F epic with lots of geopolitical tensions and protomolecule shenangians flipping over the table would enjoy Babylon 5, a late 20th century SF/F with lots of geopolitical tensions and the Shadows actively wedging a hydraulic jack under a table leg. Yes, that's sarcasm, I am quite happy I have talked another person into watching B5.
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Sail Off Into The Night
Sep. 8th, 2025 10:26 pmolivermossStarted off spooky season by seeing Lost Boys on the big screen, on an original print of the film. Original, and very beat up.
It was cool to see it on the big screen. Visually, the movie is stunning. Not in an 'every frame a picture' sort of a way. The individual compositions are okay, but the visual storytelling is impressive.
I saw some people from book club and sat with them. They were out as a group for someone's birthday, so I accidentally crashed his birthday, but it was chill. Then, the bus home didn't seem to exist, so I took a Lyft home.
It was cool to see it on the big screen. Visually, the movie is stunning. Not in an 'every frame a picture' sort of a way. The individual compositions are okay, but the visual storytelling is impressive.
I saw some people from book club and sat with them. They were out as a group for someone's birthday, so I accidentally crashed his birthday, but it was chill. Then, the bus home didn't seem to exist, so I took a Lyft home.
the Royal Purrcy
Sep. 9th, 2025 12:16 ammecurtinAt one point Purrcy was looking very regal as he stre-e-e-e-etched his arms out in front of him & crossed his paws, but by the time I got over to take his picture his expression was kind of vacant. That probably just makes it more authentically royal.
What I Did on My Summer Vacation
Sep. 9th, 2025 12:01 ammecurtinBeth and I went to Worldcon! And then spent another week in Seattle.
I had a great time at Worldcon, much better than last year at Glasgow where I spent almost all my time at the Business Meeting That Would Not Die. This year all but one short session of the BM was held online & ahead of time, it was *great*. A bunch of the Usual Suspects complained that the online meeting was scheduled Against the Rules and we should have been able to vote about it (and wait another year) but I say, meh, this way I got Worldcon back & also attendance was 3 times as high as at regular Business Meetings, so there.
Beth put her foot down & said I couldn't go to Worldcon without getting a scooter, and she was completely right. In the first place, any venue that can hold 6-10K people has really long halls, that's just math. In the second place, downtown Seattle is REALLY hilly.
The con wasn't able to rent scooters (due to competition from cruises) so I rented one myself that was brought to the hotel, and wow ... it's been decades since I've had that sense of freedom and speed. Once I got an experienced scooter-driver to tell me how to get in&out of elevators, that is. I'm seriously considering bringing a scooter-costume to LACon, dressing the scooter up as a rocket ship, because you can go really fast down the hallway (if it's mostly empty, of course).
It's so cool! And it's been so long, so very long since moving around has been anything but painful & draining for me, it was really freeing to have it be *fun*.
Martha Wells was the Worldcon Guest of Honor, so she spoke a bunch of times and I was one of a big crowd of people following her around like ... not ducklings, ducklings don't travel in enormous mobs. Devotees, anyway. And we got together and talked, and shared stickers and things, & talked about Murderbut & her other works.
And WOW, I was seriously shocked & disappointed at how many fen over the age of 50 seem incapable of not calling Murderbot "he", wtf. Although Mr Dr Science consistently starts off using they/them, then has to correct himself.
In addition to Martha Wells, I went to panels on "Food in History—The Impact of Spice" (packed to the gunwales! it was great), "Beyond the Torment Nexus" (even more packed, people sitting on the floor), "Centuries of Marriage" (disappointingly centered on Western Europe in the last 500 years, except Shauna Lawless had good info on Ireland c 11th-12th c, with much more marriage flexibility than WEur standard). Maybe I went to others? It's kind of a blur.
I sawgwyn ! I saw seekingferret ! I saw bethbethbeth ! there were probably other people but cons make my brain kind of mushy. And there were a bunch of other people who aren't on DW, too.
I got to cruise through the dealer's room and chat with vendors every time I bought something. I made several passes through the Art Show to look and to bid on some small things -- I'm under orders from Mr Dr not to get more things that go on walls until I find more walls to put them on. I chatted with people about the upcoming Worldcons in LA (Anaheim) & Montreal, and possible ones in Edmonton, Brisbane, and Dublin. It's doing to be a LONG time after LA before there's another one in the US, folks.
We stayed in Seattle for another week after Worldcon. One of the things I did was travel to West Seattle and have lunch withgwyn under relaxed conditions, which was really nice. Then toward the weekend I went out toward Bellevue and stayed there for a few days, including finally meeting cruisedirector & her husband, after knowing them online for *decades*. It was great to see them at last, and their Home By The Lake, and to talk about life and fandom for a few hours.
A plan to get together with a bunch of people from college got cancelled when the hostess came down with covid, but that just meant I had a bit more time to rest & write up a few things before getting Beth, dropping off the car, and heading back to the airport for a frankly exhausting trip back. Beth & I continue our NOVID record: we didn't mask *all* the time, just in most of the crowded situations (airport, airplane aka flying virus box, inside crowded rooms at con), on Whale Watch boat. Oh, we saw orcas! They were super cool, totally worth it.
The cat was *very* glad to see us. Mr Dr was, too: he did better at taking care of himself than he'd been last year, while still failing at some tasks.
I had a great time at Worldcon, much better than last year at Glasgow where I spent almost all my time at the Business Meeting That Would Not Die. This year all but one short session of the BM was held online & ahead of time, it was *great*. A bunch of the Usual Suspects complained that the online meeting was scheduled Against the Rules and we should have been able to vote about it (and wait another year) but I say, meh, this way I got Worldcon back & also attendance was 3 times as high as at regular Business Meetings, so there.
Beth put her foot down & said I couldn't go to Worldcon without getting a scooter, and she was completely right. In the first place, any venue that can hold 6-10K people has really long halls, that's just math. In the second place, downtown Seattle is REALLY hilly.
The con wasn't able to rent scooters (due to competition from cruises) so I rented one myself that was brought to the hotel, and wow ... it's been decades since I've had that sense of freedom and speed. Once I got an experienced scooter-driver to tell me how to get in&out of elevators, that is. I'm seriously considering bringing a scooter-costume to LACon, dressing the scooter up as a rocket ship, because you can go really fast down the hallway (if it's mostly empty, of course).
It's so cool! And it's been so long, so very long since moving around has been anything but painful & draining for me, it was really freeing to have it be *fun*.
Martha Wells was the Worldcon Guest of Honor, so she spoke a bunch of times and I was one of a big crowd of people following her around like ... not ducklings, ducklings don't travel in enormous mobs. Devotees, anyway. And we got together and talked, and shared stickers and things, & talked about Murderbut & her other works.
And WOW, I was seriously shocked & disappointed at how many fen over the age of 50 seem incapable of not calling Murderbot "he", wtf. Although Mr Dr Science consistently starts off using they/them, then has to correct himself.
In addition to Martha Wells, I went to panels on "Food in History—The Impact of Spice" (packed to the gunwales! it was great), "Beyond the Torment Nexus" (even more packed, people sitting on the floor), "Centuries of Marriage" (disappointingly centered on Western Europe in the last 500 years, except Shauna Lawless had good info on Ireland c 11th-12th c, with much more marriage flexibility than WEur standard). Maybe I went to others? It's kind of a blur.
I saw
gwyn ! I saw seekingferret ! I saw bethbethbeth ! there were probably other people but cons make my brain kind of mushy. And there were a bunch of other people who aren't on DW, too. I got to cruise through the dealer's room and chat with vendors every time I bought something. I made several passes through the Art Show to look and to bid on some small things -- I'm under orders from Mr Dr not to get more things that go on walls until I find more walls to put them on. I chatted with people about the upcoming Worldcons in LA (Anaheim) & Montreal, and possible ones in Edmonton, Brisbane, and Dublin. It's doing to be a LONG time after LA before there's another one in the US, folks.
We stayed in Seattle for another week after Worldcon. One of the things I did was travel to West Seattle and have lunch with
gwyn under relaxed conditions, which was really nice. Then toward the weekend I went out toward Bellevue and stayed there for a few days, including finally meeting cruisedirector & her husband, after knowing them online for *decades*. It was great to see them at last, and their Home By The Lake, and to talk about life and fandom for a few hours.A plan to get together with a bunch of people from college got cancelled when the hostess came down with covid, but that just meant I had a bit more time to rest & write up a few things before getting Beth, dropping off the car, and heading back to the airport for a frankly exhausting trip back. Beth & I continue our NOVID record: we didn't mask *all* the time, just in most of the crowded situations (airport, airplane aka flying virus box, inside crowded rooms at con), on Whale Watch boat. Oh, we saw orcas! They were super cool, totally worth it.
The cat was *very* glad to see us. Mr Dr was, too: he did better at taking care of himself than he'd been last year, while still failing at some tasks.