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Tuesday, December 30th, 2025 02:52 pm
TikTok, YouTube and Facebook are down, as the nation awaits the final result from the presidential poll.
Tuesday, December 30th, 2025 03:22 pm
Our couple of small road trips down into England afforded some success though plans were a little derailed by sites having holiday closures that weren't previously obvious. Fortunately, my plans include fallbacks so, among other things, our dog L. had a good time running around on Bamburgh Beach in Northumberland (near the impressive castle) and Roanhead Beach in Cumbria (near Morecambe Bay). He also got to see swans at Annandale Water from as close as I dared let him get. Roanhead Beach turned out to be enormous: by coincidence, we arrived at around low tide when there is an awful lot of walking along the sand that one can do before getting near any sea. I also learned to avoid Windermere: narrow roads full of tourists.
L.'s been suffering some gastrointestinal issue over these holidays; there has been an infection going around. They now seem to be on the mend but it slows us down and distracts us while we focus on making sure they're okay. We actually left Northumberland early to make it to an appointment with our regular vet. With luck, we won't need a second appointment.
After a quiet New Year at home, we'll go to visit family in Dundee then be back at work. R. works tomorrow too, at least from home, helping to fill out the support rota.
L.'s been suffering some gastrointestinal issue over these holidays; there has been an infection going around. They now seem to be on the mend but it slows us down and distracts us while we focus on making sure they're okay. We actually left Northumberland early to make it to an appointment with our regular vet. With luck, we won't need a second appointment.
After a quiet New Year at home, we'll go to visit family in Dundee then be back at work. R. works tomorrow too, at least from home, helping to fill out the support rota.
Tags:
Tuesday, December 30th, 2025 03:14 pm
Firstly:
So, farewell then, PSC, whose advice to the sexually-bothered (rather than the lovelorn) has so oft provided fodder to ![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
oursinial musings. Guardian G2 today includes 23 of the best Sexual Healing columns
Not sure if they are The Greatest Hits rather than molto tipico of the kind of thing she addressed: in particular we note (as she stresses in the interview about the lessons learnt over 10 years of agony-aunting):
The female orgasm is still a mystery to some people
I’m still getting questions that show me people continue to think that the only “correct” type of female orgasm is one that’s purely vaginal and doesn’t involve the clitoris. For people to still think that, or to have that as the ideal, is extraordinary, but there it is. They just haven’t had the education to understand otherwise.
There is a waterspout off Portland Bill (where Marie Stopes' ashes were scattered). Volumes of the Kinsey Report on the Human Female are spontaneously falling off library shelves. The shade of Shere Hite is gibbering and wailing.
We also note the recurrent MenZ B Terribly Poor Stuff theme, what with the one who appears to regard his wife's bisexuality as a USP meaning *3SOMES* and two or three where one feels she did not interrogate sufficiently whether the male querent was actually gratifying his female partner before offering reassurance/solution e.g. 'My stunning wife makes no effort with our sex life' where we should like to know precisely what effort he is putting in, ahem.
However, there are also some of the wilder shores there.
***
Secondly, and could we have a big AWWWW for this: David Attenborough seeks out London’s hidden wildlife:
Filming the wildlife of London requires an intrepid, agile presenter, willing to lie on damp grass after dark to encounter hedgehogs, scale heights to hold a peregrine falcon chick, and stake out a Tottenham allotment to get within touching distance of wary wild foxes.
Step forward Sir David Attenborough, who spent his 100th summer seeking out the hidden nature of his home city for an unusually personal and intimate BBC documentary.
Tags:
Tuesday, December 30th, 2025 03:00 pm
This HaBO request is from IPs_90, who is looking for this historical romance:
I need your amazing collective memory to find a historical romance novel (read in French translation between 2000-2018).
The Gist: I’m looking for a Historical Romance novel. The whole thing kicks off with a massive scandal at a wedding.
The Scene: The book opens on the hero’s wedding. The heroine (who knows and loves the hero, and does not like the bride) exposes the fiancée for being pregnant by the hero’s brother/cousin/friend. The heroine’s reveal successfully cancels the wedding.
Crucial Details:
The heroine and hero have known each other for years.
The wedding is in a simple location (house, tavern), suggesting they are not Dukes or high society.
The cancelled wedding is only the catalyst for the main plot.
Potential Mix-Up: The heroine’s name might start with P (Penelope, Philida, etc.).
Ruled Out: Mary Balogh (The Secret Pearl), Johanna Lindsey (Malory series).
Any fellow bitches recognize this hyper-specific wedding disaster scene?
Can we HaBO before the new year?
Tuesday, December 30th, 2025 07:53 am
whipcord (HWIP-kawrd, WIP-kawrd) - n., a thin tough cord made of braided or twisted hemp or catgut, sometimes used for the lashes of whips; a cotton or worsted fabric with a distinct diagonal rib.
The very end of a whip being the part that cracks by breaking the sound barrier during a sudden reversal of direction, and so needs to be strongest -- in many whips, the lash is designed to be replaceable when it wears out, as it will long before the rest of the whip. I'm unclear how the fabric (which is woven with a steep-angled twill with even thicker ridges than gabardine) came to be called that, possibly for either its durability or a resemblance to a whipcord's ridges.
---L.
The very end of a whip being the part that cracks by breaking the sound barrier during a sudden reversal of direction, and so needs to be strongest -- in many whips, the lash is designed to be replaceable when it wears out, as it will long before the rest of the whip. I'm unclear how the fabric (which is woven with a steep-angled twill with even thicker ridges than gabardine) came to be called that, possibly for either its durability or a resemblance to a whipcord's ridges.
---L.
Tuesday, December 30th, 2025 09:31 am
Allowed Burglar Drake Maijstral is stalked by a mysterious foe.
Rock of Ages (Drake Maijstral, volume 3) by Walter Jon Williams
Tags:
Fic, Murder, She Wrote/Hudson & Rex, Jessica & Rex & Charlie/Sarah, Charlie & Sarah visit Cabot Cove
Tuesday, December 30th, 2025 09:30 am
Title: Charitable Deduction
Author: Spikedluv
Fandom: Murder, She Wrote (tv)/Hudson & Rex (tv)
Pairing/Characters: Jessica Fletcher & Rex & Charlie Hudson/Sarah Truong
Rating/Category: PG13/Gen(/Het)
Prompt: Murder, She Wrote (tv)/Hudson & Rex (tv), Jessica & Rex & Charlie & or / Sarah, Charlie and Sarah visit Cabot Cove.
Spoilers: Takes place during early seasons of Murder, She Wrote and around season six of Hudson & Rex.
Summary: Charlie, Sarah and Rex visit Cabot Cove when a woman Jessica helped arrest in St. John's escapes police custody. Jessica is more concerned for the safety of her niece, Beatrice, than her own. And naturally, another dead body turns up.
Notes/Warnings: This fic takes place some time after Charity Ends With Murder, though it's not necessary to read that one in order to understand this one. Title is just me playing with the ‘charity' theme.
Read Fic @ AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/76715911
Author: Spikedluv
Fandom: Murder, She Wrote (tv)/Hudson & Rex (tv)
Pairing/Characters: Jessica Fletcher & Rex & Charlie Hudson/Sarah Truong
Rating/Category: PG13/Gen(/Het)
Prompt: Murder, She Wrote (tv)/Hudson & Rex (tv), Jessica & Rex & Charlie & or / Sarah, Charlie and Sarah visit Cabot Cove.
Spoilers: Takes place during early seasons of Murder, She Wrote and around season six of Hudson & Rex.
Summary: Charlie, Sarah and Rex visit Cabot Cove when a woman Jessica helped arrest in St. John's escapes police custody. Jessica is more concerned for the safety of her niece, Beatrice, than her own. And naturally, another dead body turns up.
Notes/Warnings: This fic takes place some time after Charity Ends With Murder, though it's not necessary to read that one in order to understand this one. Title is just me playing with the ‘charity' theme.
Read Fic @ AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/76715911
Tuesday, December 30th, 2025 03:27 pm
Darth Real Life is still on my heels, but:
Katabasis - R.F. Kuang
Two different and both clever and sensitive explorations of what the aftermath of the novel might have been like for Alice and Peter:
The Next Step
The Raven's Paradox
The Last Unicorn - Peter S. Beagle
In that clear unpeopled space: the Unicorn's long way to her forest. Has the poetry, the beauty and the character growth of the book.
Lord of the Flies - Willliam Golding
I Remember (Don't Worry) : in which Ralph encounters Jack years post novel. Disturbing in the way the book is, yet with some glimpse of hope.
Penny Dreadful
mimics the lampllight's struggle with the dawn: After a night of victory, Vanessa and Hecate, separately, search for their footing. Missing scene from the second season's finale, with both women and Malcolm expertly drawn.
The Radiant Emperor Series - Shelley Parker-Chan
The Calligraphy of Disgrace: in which we get another take on these novels' entertainingly screwed up soulmates relationship, with an AU twist.
Frederician Historical Fiction
Five times Amalie saw Luise, and one time Luisa saw Amalie: in which the "Five Things" format is expertly used to portray the relationship between the Melanie Wilkes of the Hohenzollern court and her sharp-tongued sister-in-law.
Courting the Chamberlain : in which we find out how Frederick the Great's lover got married to the resourceful Caroline Daum.
The Ring of the Nibelung - Wagner
Loyalty only to me: Hagen learns many lessons from his father over the years.
Some Desperate Glory - Emily Tesh
Again two different takes on a novel's aftermath, the first focused on Magnus, the other on Avi, which also doubles a great take on his development across several timelines.
Some Desperate Hope
Salvation from falling into the sea of misguidances
Katabasis - R.F. Kuang
Two different and both clever and sensitive explorations of what the aftermath of the novel might have been like for Alice and Peter:
The Next Step
The Raven's Paradox
The Last Unicorn - Peter S. Beagle
In that clear unpeopled space: the Unicorn's long way to her forest. Has the poetry, the beauty and the character growth of the book.
Lord of the Flies - Willliam Golding
I Remember (Don't Worry) : in which Ralph encounters Jack years post novel. Disturbing in the way the book is, yet with some glimpse of hope.
Penny Dreadful
mimics the lampllight's struggle with the dawn: After a night of victory, Vanessa and Hecate, separately, search for their footing. Missing scene from the second season's finale, with both women and Malcolm expertly drawn.
The Radiant Emperor Series - Shelley Parker-Chan
The Calligraphy of Disgrace: in which we get another take on these novels' entertainingly screwed up soulmates relationship, with an AU twist.
Frederician Historical Fiction
Five times Amalie saw Luise, and one time Luisa saw Amalie: in which the "Five Things" format is expertly used to portray the relationship between the Melanie Wilkes of the Hohenzollern court and her sharp-tongued sister-in-law.
Courting the Chamberlain : in which we find out how Frederick the Great's lover got married to the resourceful Caroline Daum.
The Ring of the Nibelung - Wagner
Loyalty only to me: Hagen learns many lessons from his father over the years.
Some Desperate Glory - Emily Tesh
Again two different takes on a novel's aftermath, the first focused on Magnus, the other on Avi, which also doubles a great take on his development across several timelines.
Some Desperate Hope
Salvation from falling into the sea of misguidances
Tags:
Tuesday, December 30th, 2025 09:27 am
This will most likely be the final fic I post in 2025. Which is coincidental, because the first fic I posted in 2024 was not only my first Murder, She Wrote fic, but also the fic that precedes this one. I hope you enjoy this!
Title: Charitable Deduction
Author: Spikedluv
Fandom: Murder, She Wrote (tv)/Hudson & Rex (tv)
Rating: PG13/Gen(/Het)
Pairing/Characters: Jessica Fletcher & Rex & Charlie Hudson/Sarah Truong
Length: 4,100 words
Spoilers: Takes place during early seasons of Murder, She Wrote and around season six of Hudson & Rex.
Summary: Charlie, Sarah and Rex visit Cabot Cove when a woman Jessica helped arrest in St. John’s escapes police custody. Jessica is more concerned for the safety of her niece, Beatrice, than her own. And naturally, another dead body turns up.
Author’s Notes: Written for![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
smallfandomfest for the prompt: Murder, She Wrote (tv)/Hudson & Rex (tv), Jessica & Rex & Charlie & or / Sarah, Charlie and Sarah visit Cabot Cove. This fic takes place some time after Charity Ends With Murder, though it’s not necessary to read that one in order to understand this one. Title is just me playing with the ‘charity’ theme.
Feedback: Would be greatly appreciated.
Disclaimer: None of these characters belong to me.
Posted: December 30, 2025
Read Fic @ AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/76715911
Title: Charitable Deduction
Author: Spikedluv
Fandom: Murder, She Wrote (tv)/Hudson & Rex (tv)
Rating: PG13/Gen(/Het)
Pairing/Characters: Jessica Fletcher & Rex & Charlie Hudson/Sarah Truong
Length: 4,100 words
Spoilers: Takes place during early seasons of Murder, She Wrote and around season six of Hudson & Rex.
Summary: Charlie, Sarah and Rex visit Cabot Cove when a woman Jessica helped arrest in St. John’s escapes police custody. Jessica is more concerned for the safety of her niece, Beatrice, than her own. And naturally, another dead body turns up.
Author’s Notes: Written for
smallfandomfest for the prompt: Murder, She Wrote (tv)/Hudson & Rex (tv), Jessica & Rex & Charlie & or / Sarah, Charlie and Sarah visit Cabot Cove. This fic takes place some time after Charity Ends With Murder, though it’s not necessary to read that one in order to understand this one. Title is just me playing with the ‘charity’ theme.Feedback: Would be greatly appreciated.
Disclaimer: None of these characters belong to me.
Posted: December 30, 2025
Read Fic @ AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/76715911
Tags:
Tuesday, December 30th, 2025 02:08 pm
The UAE denies Saudi claims it sent a shipment of weapons to separatists and pushed them to launch offensives against the Yemeni government.
Tuesday, December 30th, 2025 04:01 pm
(skipping a reread and like four books where my basic emotion was "that was a book, yes")
( Star Eater, What Moves the Dead, What Feasts at Night, The Game and the Candle )
( The Vespers of Palermo, The Clandestine Marriage )
( The Secret of Our Success )
( Proto )
( Star Eater, What Moves the Dead, What Feasts at Night, The Game and the Candle )
( The Vespers of Palermo, The Clandestine Marriage )
( The Secret of Our Success )
( Proto )
Tags:
Tuesday, December 30th, 2025 03:51 pm
Eurostar services will resume with severe delays and possible cancellations after services were suspended due to a power supply problem.
Tuesday, December 30th, 2025 07:45 am
The British heavyweight boxer suffered minor injuries in the crash, which killed two team members and close friends.
Tuesday, December 30th, 2025 02:32 pm
This year I made 3 vids. That's fewer than ever before. But it was a year, so, yeah.
Tango & Cash
It's All Coming Back To Me Now ~ the flesh and the fantasies, all coming back to me
L.A. Confidential
Los Ageless ~ in Los Ageless the mothers milk their young
Deadpool & Wolverine
Something Good ~ something tells me I'm into something good
My favorite vid this year
All of them, really.
Least favorite vid
None really, I'm happy with them all.
Most successful
I think, all festivids recips liked their vid.
Vid most under-appreciated by the universe in my opinion
None, I think, they were all well liked.
Most Fun Vid
It's All Coming Back To Me Now was a lot of fun to make, it cracked me up! The silly action stuff, the over the top use of music. Loved it!
Video with the single sexiest moment
It's All Coming Back To Me Now probably. But also, every time Deadpool and Wolverine "fought".
Hardest Vid to Make
All of them in a way. It's getting harder each year to actually sit down and vid. Maybe it's my attention span or concentration skills, I don't know. But it's been getting harder lately.
Most unintentionally telling vid
At this point it's all intentional :D Gotta pick It's All Coming Back To Me Now!!
Past years:
Meme 2024
Meme 2023
Meme 2022
Meme 2021
Meme 2020
Meme 2019
Meme 2018
Meme 2017
Meme 2016
Meme 2015
Meme 2014
Meme 2013
Meme 2012
Meme 2011
Meme 2010
Tango & Cash
It's All Coming Back To Me Now ~ the flesh and the fantasies, all coming back to me
L.A. Confidential
Los Ageless ~ in Los Ageless the mothers milk their young
Deadpool & Wolverine
Something Good ~ something tells me I'm into something good
My favorite vid this year
All of them, really.
Least favorite vid
None really, I'm happy with them all.
Most successful
I think, all festivids recips liked their vid.
Vid most under-appreciated by the universe in my opinion
None, I think, they were all well liked.
Most Fun Vid
It's All Coming Back To Me Now was a lot of fun to make, it cracked me up! The silly action stuff, the over the top use of music. Loved it!
Video with the single sexiest moment
It's All Coming Back To Me Now probably. But also, every time Deadpool and Wolverine "fought".
Hardest Vid to Make
All of them in a way. It's getting harder each year to actually sit down and vid. Maybe it's my attention span or concentration skills, I don't know. But it's been getting harder lately.
Most unintentionally telling vid
At this point it's all intentional :D Gotta pick It's All Coming Back To Me Now!!
Past years:
Meme 2024
Meme 2023
Meme 2022
Meme 2021
Meme 2020
Meme 2019
Meme 2018
Meme 2017
Meme 2016
Meme 2015
Meme 2014
Meme 2013
Meme 2012
Meme 2011
Meme 2010
Tags:
Tuesday, December 30th, 2025 01:31 pm
That's it!! I think I've exorcised the worst of the fandom fever with this one. It combines a lot of happy images (I don't care if it's all tell-don't-show until the kissing begins, it's telling nice things!! XD). It makes me happy to make them happy, too. The previous angsty fic didn't come out easily, with a new-to-me (well, new-to-the-entire-fandom really 😆) PoV that didn't make it any easier. This one was only hard to edit because of all the happy noises I made rereading :D
And I'm finally able to hear my abandoned kn8 fic making sad kaijuu meeps again, phew. While K-9 is very most certainly in my top fandoms at the moment (and I'm looking forward to requesting it incandyheartsex in 2 days :D) (and also offer it, but, well, I also know how to keep my expectations in check for a fandom in which members can be counted on one hand XD) (wow totally got lost in my parenthesises here) ANYWAY I CAN ALSO THINK OF OTHER PROJECTS wooohoo who knew there were other things going on out there?!
Housewarming | K-9 | Fujimaru Jin/Hizuki Ren/Kagari Yukito/Oboro Yuushirou | 2.4k words | rated T
Summary: They didn't originally intend to move into the basement together.
Read it on Dreamwidth or AO3.
And I'm finally able to hear my abandoned kn8 fic making sad kaijuu meeps again, phew. While K-9 is very most certainly in my top fandoms at the moment (and I'm looking forward to requesting it in
candyheartsex in 2 days :D) (and also offer it, but, well, I also know how to keep my expectations in check for a fandom in which members can be counted on one hand XD) (wow totally got lost in my parenthesises here) ANYWAY I CAN ALSO THINK OF OTHER PROJECTS wooohoo who knew there were other things going on out there?!Housewarming | K-9 | Fujimaru Jin/Hizuki Ren/Kagari Yukito/Oboro Yuushirou | 2.4k words | rated T
Summary: They didn't originally intend to move into the basement together.
Read it on Dreamwidth or AO3.
Tags:
Tuesday, December 30th, 2025 11:43 am
Russia has accused Ukraine of targeting a presidential residence, which President Zelensky called "typical Russian lies".
Tuesday, December 30th, 2025 11:20 am
A petition for a national homage to Brigitte Bardot - who died on Sunday - attracts more than 23,000 signatures.
Tuesday, December 30th, 2025 01:15 am
Overfishing and illegal fishing are contributing to the loss of sharks, including great whites.
Tuesday, December 30th, 2025 11:48 am
Final list of the year. 8 books finished this month, bringing my total for the year to 82 - 7 above my goal.
Firstly, I continued to read for the Goodreads Challenges. Here my intention is simply to broaden my reading, but only choose something which specifically interests me, so I'm never going to complete all the sections within a challenge. For the Fall Challenge I achieved 5 out of 12, the first three being simply to read books over the months.
84 Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff
Short books category. I'm really glad I read this - it crops up every so often. The correspondence between the young American lady and the English bookseller is great and very entertaining. Thoroughly recommended to anyone looking for a short read.
The Cat who Saved the Library by Sosuke Natsukawa
Cosies category, cat sub-section. I do like a good cat book and for me this worked better than some of the others I've read this year. While the human characters have the main part, the cat has their own role to play. This is the second in the series and the first is now on my list for next year.
After which came all my Christmas reads:
Murder in Wintertime: Classic Crime Stories edited by Cecily Gayford
The last few books in this series haven't been as good, but this year I really enjoyed the selection.
Murder for Christmas by Francis Duncan
Written in 1948, I found this disappointing. Normally when reading a mystery I will speed up towards the end, but this time I didn't. And to me the solution was poor and unconvincing.
The Winter Spirits: Ghostly Tales for Frosty Nights edited by Bridget Collins
I'm not always a fan of spooky stories, but these I really enjoyed. Our library has the book from the previous year, so that's also on my list.
Murder for Christmas edited by Thomas Godfrey
Lots of classic short stories. Some of which I'd read at least a couple of times before (good ones) and several I didn't know. An excellent collection.
Death Comes at Christmas edited by C.L. Taylor
A modern collection of short stories which on the whole I enjoyed. Published last year, so worth looking out for.
Death in Ambush by Susan Gilruth
This year's British Library Crime Classics Christmas mystery. I normally treat myself to this for Christmas, but wasn't impressed. Too many boring domestic details, a narrator too sure of herself (think early Hastings) and bizarre behaviour from the police detective.
For completeness, I'm also including the two audiobooks I've recently finished:
The Murder of Mr Ma by SJ Rozan and John Shen Yen Nee read by Daniel York Loh
Set in 1920s London amongst the Chinese community, I eventually enjoyed the book. It will not surprise regular readers of my posts that Lao, the narrator, annoyed me considerably.
The Four Deadly Seasons by David Hewson read by Richard Armitage
The third book in Hewson's Venetian Mysteries series. The premise is that there's an until now undiscovered autobiography by Vivaldi. The ramifications are both convoluted and deadly. I've stopped listening to a number of books Armitage narrates, since I haven't been enjoying them, but this is one series I do enjoy and get caught up in the story.
Firstly, I continued to read for the Goodreads Challenges. Here my intention is simply to broaden my reading, but only choose something which specifically interests me, so I'm never going to complete all the sections within a challenge. For the Fall Challenge I achieved 5 out of 12, the first three being simply to read books over the months.
84 Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff
Short books category. I'm really glad I read this - it crops up every so often. The correspondence between the young American lady and the English bookseller is great and very entertaining. Thoroughly recommended to anyone looking for a short read.
The Cat who Saved the Library by Sosuke Natsukawa
Cosies category, cat sub-section. I do like a good cat book and for me this worked better than some of the others I've read this year. While the human characters have the main part, the cat has their own role to play. This is the second in the series and the first is now on my list for next year.
( Fall Challenge )
After which came all my Christmas reads:
Murder in Wintertime: Classic Crime Stories edited by Cecily Gayford
The last few books in this series haven't been as good, but this year I really enjoyed the selection.
Murder for Christmas by Francis Duncan
Written in 1948, I found this disappointing. Normally when reading a mystery I will speed up towards the end, but this time I didn't. And to me the solution was poor and unconvincing.
The Winter Spirits: Ghostly Tales for Frosty Nights edited by Bridget Collins
I'm not always a fan of spooky stories, but these I really enjoyed. Our library has the book from the previous year, so that's also on my list.
Murder for Christmas edited by Thomas Godfrey
Lots of classic short stories. Some of which I'd read at least a couple of times before (good ones) and several I didn't know. An excellent collection.
Death Comes at Christmas edited by C.L. Taylor
A modern collection of short stories which on the whole I enjoyed. Published last year, so worth looking out for.
Death in Ambush by Susan Gilruth
This year's British Library Crime Classics Christmas mystery. I normally treat myself to this for Christmas, but wasn't impressed. Too many boring domestic details, a narrator too sure of herself (think early Hastings) and bizarre behaviour from the police detective.
( Annual challenge )
For completeness, I'm also including the two audiobooks I've recently finished:
The Murder of Mr Ma by SJ Rozan and John Shen Yen Nee read by Daniel York Loh
Set in 1920s London amongst the Chinese community, I eventually enjoyed the book. It will not surprise regular readers of my posts that Lao, the narrator, annoyed me considerably.
The Four Deadly Seasons by David Hewson read by Richard Armitage
The third book in Hewson's Venetian Mysteries series. The premise is that there's an until now undiscovered autobiography by Vivaldi. The ramifications are both convoluted and deadly. I've stopped listening to a number of books Armitage narrates, since I haven't been enjoying them, but this is one series I do enjoy and get caught up in the story.
Tags:
Tuesday, December 30th, 2025 08:09 am
Is there anyone around who does Fanlore stuff that would mind editing a factually incorrect statement on my page and fixing a link? I'd do it myself but that's probably a guideline/etiquette breach.
Tags:
Tuesday, December 30th, 2025 11:54 pm
Hi everyone. Sorry I've fallen off the posting again.
Here are some Yuletide recs:
Imperial Radch/Translation State - Ann Leckie: a perfect preservation (so we’ll never fall apart). If you haven't read Translation State yet, then I strongly recommend not reading this fic until you've read canon. Otherwise, recommended. (I was the recipient.)
The Lottery - Shirley Jackson/The New Yorker RPF: Why one small American town won’t stop stoning its residents to death
Goose of Soulmate Enforcement trope/Original Fic: #footscraygoose (Especially recommended for people from Melbourne)
Prophet - Sin Blaché & Helen Macdonald: Wrong Choice
The Raven Tower - Ann Leckie: k2, p2, yo, k2tog
Columbo, Princess Bride (1987)
The Princess Murdered
France's language watchdog has told government officials to use French fetish terms... (News Satire): Les immortels au service de la petite mort
Chalion/Les Mis: The Truth that Once Was Spoken
Here are some Yuletide recs:
Imperial Radch/Translation State - Ann Leckie: a perfect preservation (so we’ll never fall apart). If you haven't read Translation State yet, then I strongly recommend not reading this fic until you've read canon. Otherwise, recommended. (I was the recipient.)
The Lottery - Shirley Jackson/The New Yorker RPF: Why one small American town won’t stop stoning its residents to death
Goose of Soulmate Enforcement trope/Original Fic: #footscraygoose (Especially recommended for people from Melbourne)
Prophet - Sin Blaché & Helen Macdonald: Wrong Choice
The Raven Tower - Ann Leckie: k2, p2, yo, k2tog
Columbo, Princess Bride (1987)
The Princess Murdered
France's language watchdog has told government officials to use French fetish terms... (News Satire): Les immortels au service de la petite mort
Chalion/Les Mis: The Truth that Once Was Spoken
Tags:
Tuesday, December 30th, 2025 06:20 am
Tags:
Tuesday, December 30th, 2025 08:34 pm
I got into documenting neighborhood birds in 2025. What I did was take pics on my phone (if the zoom could capture them) and try to trace them on my journal (since I can't actually draw). Technology!
Planner: 2025 Laconic (A5)
Photos here!
Planner: 2025 Laconic (A5)
Photos here!
Tuesday, December 30th, 2025 06:35 am
It's challenge time!
Comment with Just One Thing you've accomplished in the last 24 hours or so. It doesn't have to be a hard thing, or even a thing that you think is particularly awesome. Just a thing that you did.
Feel free to share more than one thing if you're feeling particularly accomplished!
Extra credit: find someone in the comments and give them props for what they achieved!
Nothing is too big, too small, too strange or too cryptic. And in case you'd rather do this in private, anonymous comments are screened. I will only unscreen if you ask me to.
Go!
Comment with Just One Thing you've accomplished in the last 24 hours or so. It doesn't have to be a hard thing, or even a thing that you think is particularly awesome. Just a thing that you did.
Feel free to share more than one thing if you're feeling particularly accomplished!
Extra credit: find someone in the comments and give them props for what they achieved!
Nothing is too big, too small, too strange or too cryptic. And in case you'd rather do this in private, anonymous comments are screened. I will only unscreen if you ask me to.
Go!
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Tuesday, December 30th, 2025 12:32 pm
Title: Fading Memories
Fandom: The Fantastic Journey
Author:
badly_knittedCharacters: Varian, Gwenith, Jonathan.
Rating: PG
Setting: After the series.
Summary: All Varian has left of Gwenith are his memories of her, and already they’re beginning to fade.
Word Count: 300
Content Notes: Nada.
Written For: Challenge 501: Amnesty 83, using Challenge 144: Memory.
Disclaimer: I don’t own The Fantastic Journey, or the characters. They belong to their creators.
A/N: Triple drabble.
Tuesday, December 30th, 2025 10:38 am
The arrests come just a day after three police officers were killed during a siege in the town of Yalova.
Tuesday, December 30th, 2025 10:45 am
"[Surrealism is] the belief that nothing is ordinary; that everything in life is extraordinary. And being old is no more, no less, extraordinary than being young." - Leonora Carrington (Surreal Spaces)
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Tuesday, December 30th, 2025 10:30 am
22 recs in As You Like It, British Airways, Cabin Pressure, Cadfael, Dogsbody, Enigma, Flower Fairies, The Good Place, Georgette Heyer, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, John Finnemore's Souvenir Programme, Ludwig, The Prisoner, Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead, Shakespeare & Hathaway, Time Master, Welcome to Our Village Please Invade Carefully & Yes Minister at my journal.
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Tuesday, December 30th, 2025 04:17 am
I have made bingo for Amnesty this month. Counting each 5 fills as a bingo, I have made two. \o/
5-1-25 B3 "In a Splash of Color"
11-1-25 B3 "The Sand of Celebration"
8-1-25 B2 "Until the Rain Comes"
5-1-25 O5 "A Palette of Appetizers"
11-1-25 O5 "User Interfaces"
2-1-25 B5 "Protect the Inner Core"
5-1-25 B5 "The Marvels of Brush and Ink"
11-1-25 I2 "The Car That Didn't Like Bullies"
11-1-25 B2 "Learning New Skills"
11-1-25 O4 "The Unicorn Door"
5-1-25 B3 "In a Splash of Color"
11-1-25 B3 "The Sand of Celebration"
8-1-25 B2 "Until the Rain Comes"
5-1-25 O5 "A Palette of Appetizers"
11-1-25 O5 "User Interfaces"
2-1-25 B5 "Protect the Inner Core"
5-1-25 B5 "The Marvels of Brush and Ink"
11-1-25 I2 "The Car That Didn't Like Bullies"
11-1-25 B2 "Learning New Skills"
11-1-25 O4 "The Unicorn Door"
Tuesday, December 30th, 2025 11:11 am
1) Kind and supportive colleagues
2) Going out for a walk in the sunshine during lunch break
3) Lazy evening
Tuesday, December 30th, 2025 09:12 am
Giant explosions are dramatic, but can be overkill for personal-level games where players are playing individuals. You only need small explosions to pose a real threat.
Almost any explosion can be terrifying if you build up to it properly. It should happen unexpectedly, of course, but for bonus points you can have it happen where you'd never imagine an explosion could happen. In a barn. On a boat. In a market square. In mid-air for no apparent reason.
Kaboom!
aurilee writes:
Commentary by memnarch (who has not seen the movie)
Blowing up things in multiple star systems at the same time? I don't think Poe dying is the only concern. What about everyone and everything in between? Now I wonder if the Orb is Erso tech as well. It would explain how the Orb is so much better than pretty much all of the other power sources we've seen so far.
This seems a scene where Poe is actually being the smart one and Finn is insistent on going after Rey for some reason. That at least makes more sense than Rey heading off to begin with. Finn would either be wanting to stick with Rey or wanting to rescue Rey to get here back to the rest of the group. As for Poe flying over in the Falcon to pick them both up, there's gonna be some complications in the repairs. We can't have two landing ramp rescues this close together.
Transcript
Tuesday, December 30th, 2025 11:33 am
(technically I only read one of them in June, but all of them are queer)
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Tuesday, December 30th, 2025 10:30 am
characters20in20 has loosened its rules so you can now also icon multiple characters from the same show. I claimed Nie Jiuluo from Love on the Turquoise Land for round 20, but for the category set I went with five different characters just because I thought it would be more fun. :D Oh, and the vampire queen got the red/green octopus.
( 20 Turquoise Land icons )
Every single comment is treasured. All icons shareable! Concrit welcome. Check out my resource post for makers of textures and brushes I use.
Tuesday, December 30th, 2025 12:57 am
Turns out that listening to an audiobook of The Witcher in the vicinity of an iThing can cause a mildly irritating problem
Tuesday, December 30th, 2025 03:57 am
I did not go downtown today because of the expected (and received) ice. I did a load of laundry, hand-washed dishes, ran a load in the dishwasher, cut up chicken for the dogs' meals, scooped kitty litter, and showered.
I read fanfic and watched Secrets of the Zoo (like, actually watched, it wasn’t just background tv). I also re-watched the first two eps of Mistletoe Murders to gather some information for a fic I’m planning to write (forsmallfandomfest; if you guessed that it’s a crossover with Murder, She Wrote, you’d be right *g*).
Today I tried the Ginger Peach tea. At first I didn’t like it, perhaps the ginger, or the combination, but it actually grew on me.
Temps started out at 32.4(F) and reached 46.8. We got a lot of ice, as you can see from the pics, and wind later in the day. The warm temps melted the ice off the trees before the wind hit, thankfully. But Pip discovered that we have a lot of branches down on top of the hill (aka, above the pine trees).
~*~ 
Mom Update:
Again, mom sounded good when I talked to her on the phone. She’s been eating and keeping it down. Sister A was there when I called. Also, Sister S showed up yesterday and she and Sister A got out one of the puzzles I gave mom for Christmas. I hope it encourages mom to do some of it. At least she still has visitors, but I feel bad I can’t be one of them right now.
I read fanfic and watched Secrets of the Zoo (like, actually watched, it wasn’t just background tv). I also re-watched the first two eps of Mistletoe Murders to gather some information for a fic I’m planning to write (for
smallfandomfest; if you guessed that it’s a crossover with Murder, She Wrote, you’d be right *g*).Today I tried the Ginger Peach tea. At first I didn’t like it, perhaps the ginger, or the combination, but it actually grew on me.
Temps started out at 32.4(F) and reached 46.8. We got a lot of ice, as you can see from the pics, and wind later in the day. The warm temps melted the ice off the trees before the wind hit, thankfully. But Pip discovered that we have a lot of branches down on top of the hill (aka, above the pine trees).
~*~ Mom Update:
Again, mom sounded good when I talked to her on the phone. She’s been eating and keeping it down. Sister A was there when I called. Also, Sister S showed up yesterday and she and Sister A got out one of the puzzles I gave mom for Christmas. I hope it encourages mom to do some of it. At least she still has visitors, but I feel bad I can’t be one of them right now.
Tuesday, December 30th, 2025 08:22 am
I just listened to three different Torchwood audios because after each I had a thought about the next
The Crown
Five People You Kill
Lincolnshire Poacher
and I realised that they don't fit together, for instance in how The Crown works, but, that doesn't cause messes with canon, because all three are unreliable narrator messes where someone is lying to someone with the full connivance of the soundtrack.
Which is interesting because audios that lie to the listener feel rare? Like that isn't the rule with Doctor Who audios, you're just listening to The Doctor doing things, it's not playing with truth value, so you can trust him.
But a lot of these Torchwood ones layer it up with stories about stories.
( Read more... )
Torchwood audios are unrestricted, by internal truth value. The people in them are often telling stories and those can be lies that we get a sountrack to. It's interesting.
But it's just one possibility out of many, other stories do seem to be just the audience listening in on the Whoniverse.
But add it to the layer after layer of lies, not all of them cover ups, the imitations of loved ones, the occasional spot of possession, the memory alteration with both retcon and Adam, and how many times people find out their own brains are lying to them... Torchwood audios really cram a lot of unreliable into a tiny slice of story.
Interesting sort of horror.
The Crown
Five People You Kill
Lincolnshire Poacher
and I realised that they don't fit together, for instance in how The Crown works, but, that doesn't cause messes with canon, because all three are unreliable narrator messes where someone is lying to someone with the full connivance of the soundtrack.
Which is interesting because audios that lie to the listener feel rare? Like that isn't the rule with Doctor Who audios, you're just listening to The Doctor doing things, it's not playing with truth value, so you can trust him.
But a lot of these Torchwood ones layer it up with stories about stories.
( Read more... )
Torchwood audios are unrestricted, by internal truth value. The people in them are often telling stories and those can be lies that we get a sountrack to. It's interesting.
But it's just one possibility out of many, other stories do seem to be just the audience listening in on the Whoniverse.
But add it to the layer after layer of lies, not all of them cover ups, the imitations of loved ones, the occasional spot of possession, the memory alteration with both retcon and Adam, and how many times people find out their own brains are lying to them... Torchwood audios really cram a lot of unreliable into a tiny slice of story.
Interesting sort of horror.
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Tuesday, December 30th, 2025 02:22 am
This January, don't change who you are, just try vegan
New Delhi [India], December 9: Veganuary -- the global campaign to try vegan for January and beyond - is today launching its 2026 campaign, titled "New Year, Same You". Since launching in India in 2022, Veganuary has had wide success, and more than 140,000 Indians have already signed up for the 2026 campaign.
With "New Year, Same You", Veganuary is flipping the usual New Year narrative on its head. Instead of pushing people to become someone "better", Veganuary reminds people that taking part does not require changing who they are - just making a few simple swaps that naturally fit into their everyday lives
Get the prompt list. It should also work for vegetarians, flexitarians, climatarians,etc. if you treat it as a "one vegan meal per day" challenge.
New Delhi [India], December 9: Veganuary -- the global campaign to try vegan for January and beyond - is today launching its 2026 campaign, titled "New Year, Same You". Since launching in India in 2022, Veganuary has had wide success, and more than 140,000 Indians have already signed up for the 2026 campaign.
With "New Year, Same You", Veganuary is flipping the usual New Year narrative on its head. Instead of pushing people to become someone "better", Veganuary reminds people that taking part does not require changing who they are - just making a few simple swaps that naturally fit into their everyday lives
Get the prompt list. It should also work for vegetarians, flexitarians, climatarians,etc. if you treat it as a "one vegan meal per day" challenge.
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Tuesday, December 30th, 2025 09:01 pm
Fandom: Heated Rivalry
Characters/Pairings: Shane Hollander/Ilya Rozanov, Yuna Hollander/David Hollander
Rating: Teen
Length: 1443
Content Notes: no AO3 warnings apply
Creator Links: toomuchplor on AO3
Themes: canon LGBTQ+ characters, Family, Established relationship, Missing scene
Summary:
If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away. ~ Thoreau
Or;
What happened when Yuna and Shane were talking.
Reccer's Notes:
I wanted this scene when I watched episode 6, and toomuchplor wrote it! This is what happens between Ilya and David when Shane is outside talking with Yuna. It's also about David observing how in love Shane and Ilya are, and about David and Yuna gradually getting to grips with all the revelations. It's wonderfully written, and just exactly what I'd hoped someone would write. Also, toomuchplor is in the vortex!! *excited noises* (this is plor's 3rd HR fic).
Fanwork Links: Keep Pace
Characters/Pairings: Shane Hollander/Ilya Rozanov, Yuna Hollander/David Hollander
Rating: Teen
Length: 1443
Content Notes: no AO3 warnings apply
Creator Links: toomuchplor on AO3
Themes: canon LGBTQ+ characters, Family, Established relationship, Missing scene
Summary:
If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away. ~ Thoreau
Or;
What happened when Yuna and Shane were talking.
Reccer's Notes:
I wanted this scene when I watched episode 6, and toomuchplor wrote it! This is what happens between Ilya and David when Shane is outside talking with Yuna. It's also about David observing how in love Shane and Ilya are, and about David and Yuna gradually getting to grips with all the revelations. It's wonderfully written, and just exactly what I'd hoped someone would write. Also, toomuchplor is in the vortex!! *excited noises* (this is plor's 3rd HR fic).
Fanwork Links: Keep Pace
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Tuesday, December 30th, 2025 02:02 am
This poem was written outside the regular prompt calls. It fills the "Accident" square in my 6-1-22 card for the Cottoncandy Bingo fest. It has been sponsored by a pool with fuzzyred. This is the second poem in the series Crystal Wood; it follows "Trees of Glass."
Warning: This poem is dark science fiction along the lines of ecological horror.
( Read more... )
fuzzyred. This is the second poem in the series Crystal Wood; it follows "Trees of Glass."Warning: This poem is dark science fiction along the lines of ecological horror.
( Read more... )
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