Nine Tomorrows by Isaac Asimov
Feb. 8th, 2026 08:57 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
james_davis_nicoll
An assortment of (mostly) SF from just before Asimov's Sputnik-inspired hiatus from SF.
Nine Tomorrows by Isaac Asimov
james_davis_nicollAn assortment of (mostly) SF from just before Asimov's Sputnik-inspired hiatus from SF.
Nine Tomorrows by Isaac Asimov
Birfdays
Feb. 8th, 2026 07:57 amspryng4yo is going to become 5yo this week, so yesterday we had his birthday party. February is peak strawberry season here, so when he was 2yo we celebrated by inviting friends/family to come strawberry picking with us. A lark became tradition, and now 4yo started asking about strawberry picking for his birthday back in October.
It helps that the farm we pick at is both just up the road and has a play area for the kids. For a fraction of what it would cost at any other play place, we can have them and their friends play all afternoon in the sand and sun. I hope he continues wanting to pick strawberries for his birthday because this is a way better tradition than going to a loud, overwhelming jump place.
I had to admit, what with all the cold and hard freezes, I wasn't even sure the strawberry place would be open. But their plants were healthy, even if some of the berries were clearly frost-bitten, and while the pickings were slimmer than usual for this time of year, there were still pickings. I think we got two pounds?
It was also just a perfectly nice day, one of those Florida winter days that almost make up for our summers. We haven't had a lot of those this winter, what with either the bitterly cold days or the cloudy ones, so it was nice to be out and be grateful.
The cold has really been a lot. I know the rest of the country is being hit hard, too, so I haven't been complaining, but (lol) I have had to de-ice the chicken water way more times than any other winter we've been here and most of our frost-sensitive plants are dead. Pour one out for our poor elephant ears. I'm waiting to see if the lemon tree pulls through, but it's not looking good. :/
Today we continue the birthday shenanigans with a dinosaur show. I'm not entirely sure what we're walking into, but it's put on by the university's Performing Arts and it looks like realistic dinosaur animatronics? IDK, but I'm 100% sure 4yo will enjoy it. I'm also reminded that I need to check out their showings more regularly, because I missed a lot of cool stuff last year.
And then later this week he'll be 5 and somehow we'll be half a decade into having two kids and living in this house in Florida and he'll start Kindergarten in the fall. We're finally transitioning out of the baby era, which lasted seemingly forever. A lot of the things he was struggling with earlier this year he's pretty much got the hang of now -- emotional regulation, for one; bedtime, for another. Even food, he's starting to open back up on. Is toddlerhood over?
I, for one, am just grateful to have two kids who sleep in past 5am, and no more middle of the night wake-ups. Solid sleep schedules are really the pinnacle of parenthood, and I know my mental health has been a lot more stable for it.
Here's to another five years and really getting to know who this little guy is. <3
It helps that the farm we pick at is both just up the road and has a play area for the kids. For a fraction of what it would cost at any other play place, we can have them and their friends play all afternoon in the sand and sun. I hope he continues wanting to pick strawberries for his birthday because this is a way better tradition than going to a loud, overwhelming jump place.
I had to admit, what with all the cold and hard freezes, I wasn't even sure the strawberry place would be open. But their plants were healthy, even if some of the berries were clearly frost-bitten, and while the pickings were slimmer than usual for this time of year, there were still pickings. I think we got two pounds?
It was also just a perfectly nice day, one of those Florida winter days that almost make up for our summers. We haven't had a lot of those this winter, what with either the bitterly cold days or the cloudy ones, so it was nice to be out and be grateful.
The cold has really been a lot. I know the rest of the country is being hit hard, too, so I haven't been complaining, but (lol) I have had to de-ice the chicken water way more times than any other winter we've been here and most of our frost-sensitive plants are dead. Pour one out for our poor elephant ears. I'm waiting to see if the lemon tree pulls through, but it's not looking good. :/
Today we continue the birthday shenanigans with a dinosaur show. I'm not entirely sure what we're walking into, but it's put on by the university's Performing Arts and it looks like realistic dinosaur animatronics? IDK, but I'm 100% sure 4yo will enjoy it. I'm also reminded that I need to check out their showings more regularly, because I missed a lot of cool stuff last year.
And then later this week he'll be 5 and somehow we'll be half a decade into having two kids and living in this house in Florida and he'll start Kindergarten in the fall. We're finally transitioning out of the baby era, which lasted seemingly forever. A lot of the things he was struggling with earlier this year he's pretty much got the hang of now -- emotional regulation, for one; bedtime, for another. Even food, he's starting to open back up on. Is toddlerhood over?
I, for one, am just grateful to have two kids who sleep in past 5am, and no more middle of the night wake-ups. Solid sleep schedules are really the pinnacle of parenthood, and I know my mental health has been a lot more stable for it.
Here's to another five years and really getting to know who this little guy is. <3
Trophy
Feb. 8th, 2026 12:14 amjames_davis_nicoll
This detached from a car as it passed me. Missed me, hit a snow bank. When I returned from work, it was still there, so I collected it.
Not sure what happened, except the car's bumper also (mostly) detached.
52/342: I'm In My Fridge Not Eating My Foodz
Feb. 7th, 2026 08:02 pmrejectomorphIt appears that I've grown sick of the whole eating meals thing, as I haven't done it for a while. Friday night I thought about making a meal but gave up and opened a can of soup. I can't remember Thursday but I'm pretty sure I ate something other than a meal that night too. Tonight I'm feeling pretty resistant to the very idea of mealness, but can't think of an adequate substitute. In the meantime I've spoiled what appetite I had by snacking on candy. There was a part of a Toblerone bar, and now there isn't.
Oh, I've just recalled I have popcorn. Popcorn is an excellent meal avoidant. It is almost food itself, and can be buttered. If something has butter on it, my mind is inclined to consider it a near-meal. I might find it easier to sleep after that.
But weather. The highs in the sixties will continue for a couple more days, but Wednesday will be chilly and will probably bring some actual rain. Actual rain will be nice for a change. I can't think of a single reason not to be pleased with the prospect. Maybe it will even give me an appetite for an actual meal. Stranger things have happened. In fact stranger things are pretty common. No need to be excited. Especially so close to bedtime. As soon as I eat that popcorn.
Oh, I've just recalled I have popcorn. Popcorn is an excellent meal avoidant. It is almost food itself, and can be buttered. If something has butter on it, my mind is inclined to consider it a near-meal. I might find it easier to sleep after that.
But weather. The highs in the sixties will continue for a couple more days, but Wednesday will be chilly and will probably bring some actual rain. Actual rain will be nice for a change. I can't think of a single reason not to be pleased with the prospect. Maybe it will even give me an appetite for an actual meal. Stranger things have happened. In fact stranger things are pretty common. No need to be excited. Especially so close to bedtime. As soon as I eat that popcorn.
Awash in a sea of diamonds
Feb. 7th, 2026 11:04 pmcornerofmadnessOr at least that's how the snow looked in the bright sunshine. I didn't try to get out of here today but I should have apparently. It's supposed to snow again tomorrow.
I am struggling to do the declutter thing but I did get the top of the jewelry box cleaned off and untangled about a dozen necklaces. Also realized the jewelry box on top the big jewelry box (I love jewelry so I have lots) was empty. It's now filled with anime fandom pins. I need to find a display for them.
This whole day seemed to slip past me in a very unsatisfying way. So I have little to report so have science Saturday
RFK Jr. Once Celebrated Raw Milk. Now, A Baby Has Died From Bacteria Linked To Unpasteurized Dairy Guess th is is going on the micro discussion board for class
Review Of 52 Studies Finds No Fitness Advantage For Trans Women Over Cis Women There are admitted flaws to the study but it does make a good point (that will be ignored by those who don't want it to be true)
A Subterranean City Of Salt Has Been Preserved Within This Cave-Like Mine For Centuries This has been on my bucket list for years
Heard The Rumor Earth Will Lose Gravity For 7 Seconds On August 12, 2026? Here’s Why It’s Rubbish FFS
Dry Scooping: Scientists Have Warned Against A Potentially Deadly TikTok Challenge.
When Vampire Bats Become Close Friends, They Start ‘Talking’ Like Each Other
Physicists push thousands of atoms to a 'Schrödinger's cat' state — bringing the quantum world closer to reality than ever before
Preserved hair reveals just how bad lead exposure was in the 20th century
James Webb telescope solves mystery of 'forever young' vampire stars from the dawn of time
More than 43,000 years ago, Neanderthals spent centuries collecting animal skulls in a cave; but archaeologists aren't sure why
I am struggling to do the declutter thing but I did get the top of the jewelry box cleaned off and untangled about a dozen necklaces. Also realized the jewelry box on top the big jewelry box (I love jewelry so I have lots) was empty. It's now filled with anime fandom pins. I need to find a display for them.
This whole day seemed to slip past me in a very unsatisfying way. So I have little to report so have science Saturday
RFK Jr. Once Celebrated Raw Milk. Now, A Baby Has Died From Bacteria Linked To Unpasteurized Dairy Guess th is is going on the micro discussion board for class
Review Of 52 Studies Finds No Fitness Advantage For Trans Women Over Cis Women There are admitted flaws to the study but it does make a good point (that will be ignored by those who don't want it to be true)
A Subterranean City Of Salt Has Been Preserved Within This Cave-Like Mine For Centuries This has been on my bucket list for years
Heard The Rumor Earth Will Lose Gravity For 7 Seconds On August 12, 2026? Here’s Why It’s Rubbish FFS
Dry Scooping: Scientists Have Warned Against A Potentially Deadly TikTok Challenge.
When Vampire Bats Become Close Friends, They Start ‘Talking’ Like Each Other
Physicists push thousands of atoms to a 'Schrödinger's cat' state — bringing the quantum world closer to reality than ever before
Preserved hair reveals just how bad lead exposure was in the 20th century
James Webb telescope solves mystery of 'forever young' vampire stars from the dawn of time
More than 43,000 years ago, Neanderthals spent centuries collecting animal skulls in a cave; but archaeologists aren't sure why
girls' night in
Feb. 7th, 2026 07:54 amsistawendyTacoma Girl came over to the Devil Girl house. Mental note: she likes Friday night KEXP more than Groove Salad on SomaFM; much local hip hop ensued. And unlike the poorer parts of Tacoma in the aughts, I can pick up KEXP over the air at my house just fine.
She actually apologized for drinking all my beer. "Nonsense," I said. "That's why I bought it." Indeed, I get Kolsch if she's coming. It's pretty good, but not my fave, and I'm not supposed to use it for making rarebit.
Did not overindulge, except in cheese popcorn.
She actually apologized for drinking all my beer. "Nonsense," I said. "That's why I bought it." Indeed, I get Kolsch if she's coming. It's pretty good, but not my fave, and I'm not supposed to use it for making rarebit.
Did not overindulge, except in cheese popcorn.
Books Received, January 31 — February 6
Feb. 7th, 2026 09:15 amjames_davis_nicoll
With two books new to me, this just barely qualifies as books received. One SF, one fantasy and the SF novel is from a series.
Books Received, January 31 — February 6
Poll #34194 Books Received, January 31 — February 6
Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 28
Which of these look interesting?
View Answers
A City Dreaming by Maurice Broaddus (June 2026)
12 (42.9%)
Lord of the Heights by Scarlett J. Thorne (July 2026
5 (17.9%)
Some other option (see comments)
1 (3.6%)
Cats!
22 (78.6%)
Sending one up for my Guardian Angel
Feb. 6th, 2026 11:09 pmcornerofmadnessI woke to zero no snow. It was due in at 2 AM. It starts instead exactly at 930 but friday is now a half day for me. I leave at noon. In those 2 1/2 hours it had snowed about 3-4 more inches. I can't see the road in town. Worse, I can't see it on the major highway but traffic is moving...until 1 1/2 miles from my place. Ahead of me I see two 18 wheelers skid, jack knife and bump into each other. I pump the brakes and naturally I'm not stopping. Worse, the 18 wheeler next to me also can't stop and he begins to jack knife. Luckily I DO stop without hitting anyone or skidding out. The 18 wheeler stops without taking me out.
No one behind me hits me. I'm like well a) glad I wasn't crammed and hopefully that stays that way b) I'm gonna be here forever c) I forgot my ereader. I call my parents to have something to do and then realize after dad says 'go grade something.' oh right I DID bring 6 folders of grading to do. that kept me busy for the next hour and 10 minutes. The truck drivers came back to be sure we were all okay. So no one was hurt. the big tow trucks come and the road is opened on one side and immediately the chucklefuck in the pick up behind me starts BLARING his horn at us. Dude, the cop is still in the road. When he says we can go we will.
I finished that vampire story about 800 words over. I might leave it that way because they said they'll read a little over and that's not that much.
I wrote something for![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
halfamoon Here you go
Title: Bad Girl Gone Good
Summary: Cherri finds herself doing things she never imagined herself doing like writing letters and thinking about changing her ways.
Rating: teen
Notes:Written for spikesgirl58’s 6 word challenge. The words were Tangible, Imaginary, Patch, Sheet, Persuade & Breakable and halfamoon's prompt of the outlaw
( at the above link or under here )
And here's my friday fannish 50 recs
14 Days of Valentine's Day Hazbin Hotel
The Hazards of Being Jack O'Neill Stargate Atlantis
Battle Of The Library Torchwood
When In Rome Stargate SG-1
Return of the Hale Pack Teen Wolf
Late Night Arrival The Owl House
Lost Love, Lost Life Torchwood
the Love Songs of the Urban Borahae Bird 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Weirder Weather Torchwood
Episode 2: Exist Ugly Dolls
Vulcans Don't Feel Guilt (Usually) Star Trek: Enterprise
Not Everyone Gets a Second Chance Inspector George Gently
talk (let's have conversations in the dark). Merlin
Wait for Back-up Prodigal Son
The heart on the right side. The Nightmare Before Christmas
Consequences 9-1-1
honesty is the best policy 陈情令 | The Untamed (TV)魔道祖师 - 墨香铜臭 | Módào Zǔshī - Mòxiāng Tóngxiù
nightmares The Amazing Digital Circus
Ombrielle The Amazing Digital Circus
In the Know Teen Wolf
Resting MCU
No one behind me hits me. I'm like well a) glad I wasn't crammed and hopefully that stays that way b) I'm gonna be here forever c) I forgot my ereader. I call my parents to have something to do and then realize after dad says 'go grade something.' oh right I DID bring 6 folders of grading to do. that kept me busy for the next hour and 10 minutes. The truck drivers came back to be sure we were all okay. So no one was hurt. the big tow trucks come and the road is opened on one side and immediately the chucklefuck in the pick up behind me starts BLARING his horn at us. Dude, the cop is still in the road. When he says we can go we will.
I finished that vampire story about 800 words over. I might leave it that way because they said they'll read a little over and that's not that much.
I wrote something for
halfamoon Here you goTitle: Bad Girl Gone Good
Summary: Cherri finds herself doing things she never imagined herself doing like writing letters and thinking about changing her ways.
Rating: teen
Notes:Written for spikesgirl58’s 6 word challenge. The words were Tangible, Imaginary, Patch, Sheet, Persuade & Breakable and halfamoon's prompt of the outlaw
( at the above link or under here )
And here's my friday fannish 50 recs
14 Days of Valentine's Day Hazbin Hotel
The Hazards of Being Jack O'Neill Stargate Atlantis
Battle Of The Library Torchwood
When In Rome Stargate SG-1
Return of the Hale Pack Teen Wolf
Late Night Arrival The Owl House
Lost Love, Lost Life Torchwood
the Love Songs of the Urban Borahae Bird 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Weirder Weather Torchwood
Episode 2: Exist Ugly Dolls
Vulcans Don't Feel Guilt (Usually) Star Trek: Enterprise
Not Everyone Gets a Second Chance Inspector George Gently
talk (let's have conversations in the dark). Merlin
Wait for Back-up Prodigal Son
The heart on the right side. The Nightmare Before Christmas
Consequences 9-1-1
honesty is the best policy 陈情令 | The Untamed (TV)魔道祖师 - 墨香铜臭 | Módào Zǔshī - Mòxiāng Tóngxiù
nightmares The Amazing Digital Circus
Ombrielle The Amazing Digital Circus
In the Know Teen Wolf
Resting MCU
shiny eats
Feb. 6th, 2026 06:42 pmsistawendyDinner with the latex folks last night. All lovely, except restaurants aren't meant for people to walk around and socialize with all the other people. Not that we ever let that stop us, the difficulty of sliding past someone when you're both wearing latex notwithstanding. Herb & Bitter is a good place to get drinks, but I think I should have ordered one of the small plates instead of a big one; darn my geezer habit of eating early in the day.
It occurred to me while I was there that I've got three travel plans this year: Kinkfest in Portland in early April, surgery in San Francisco in late April and early May, and then Burning Man in Black Rock City, NV in late August and early September. Have I lost my mind? We'll see. It's likely that I'll be happier than usual to be huddled in my home during the darkness that begins in November.
It occurred to me while I was there that I've got three travel plans this year: Kinkfest in Portland in early April, surgery in San Francisco in late April and early May, and then Burning Man in Black Rock City, NV in late August and early September. Have I lost my mind? We'll see. It's likely that I'll be happier than usual to be huddled in my home during the darkness that begins in November.
Friday five
Feb. 6th, 2026 04:41 pmglacier_kitty1. What’s a stupid lyric from a song you like? From "Dirty Paws" by Of Monsters and Men:
Jumping up and down the floor
My head is an animal
And once there was an animal
It had a son that mowed the lawn
The son was an OK guy
Huh?? Haha
2. What’s a pretty good lyric from a song you dislike? Not sure..
3. What’s a good non-Weird-Al-Yankovic lyric about food and drink? I LOVE the food references in "One Week" by the Barenaked Ladies: "I summon fish to the dish," "Chickity China the Chinese chicken, you have a drumstick and your brain stops tickin'," "I like vanilla, it's the finest of the flavors," etc. So fun!
4. What’s a good song lyric to describe your week? "Tumble out of bed and I stumble to the kitchen, pour myself a cup of ambition and yawn and stretch and try to come to life"-"9 to 5" by Dolly Parton. I'm not a morning person haha, and I've been pretty tired this week
5. What’s a good song lyric about inclement weather? From "Tip of the Iceberg" by Owl City:
Welcome back, winter, once again
And put on your warm fuzzy sweater 'cause you'll feel much better when
The snowflakes fall gently to the ground
The temperature drops and your shivers freeze all the rivers around
Danae was having so much fun on her first 50% off sale today! It is addictive and fun..the customers have fun buying stacks of books and their happiness bleeds into Danae and I. We work so well together! There were way more people this time around, which was awesome. It'll be cool seeing how much the store made when I go to work tomorrow! SO happy people haven't forgotten us. <3 A customer called earlier and asked if we had The Worst Journey in the World! I kiiinda had to gush about how it was one of my favorite books LOL, and that I visited Cherry's grave in 2018. He probably wasn't expecting that haha, oops. :P I put him on the request list for it..hopefully we'll get in an edition I have already lol
( 6. Where do you want to live when you are old? )
Jumping up and down the floor
My head is an animal
And once there was an animal
It had a son that mowed the lawn
The son was an OK guy
Huh?? Haha
2. What’s a pretty good lyric from a song you dislike? Not sure..
3. What’s a good non-Weird-Al-Yankovic lyric about food and drink? I LOVE the food references in "One Week" by the Barenaked Ladies: "I summon fish to the dish," "Chickity China the Chinese chicken, you have a drumstick and your brain stops tickin'," "I like vanilla, it's the finest of the flavors," etc. So fun!
4. What’s a good song lyric to describe your week? "Tumble out of bed and I stumble to the kitchen, pour myself a cup of ambition and yawn and stretch and try to come to life"-"9 to 5" by Dolly Parton. I'm not a morning person haha, and I've been pretty tired this week
5. What’s a good song lyric about inclement weather? From "Tip of the Iceberg" by Owl City:
Welcome back, winter, once again
And put on your warm fuzzy sweater 'cause you'll feel much better when
The snowflakes fall gently to the ground
The temperature drops and your shivers freeze all the rivers around
Danae was having so much fun on her first 50% off sale today! It is addictive and fun..the customers have fun buying stacks of books and their happiness bleeds into Danae and I. We work so well together! There were way more people this time around, which was awesome. It'll be cool seeing how much the store made when I go to work tomorrow! SO happy people haven't forgotten us. <3 A customer called earlier and asked if we had The Worst Journey in the World! I kiiinda had to gush about how it was one of my favorite books LOL, and that I visited Cherry's grave in 2018. He probably wasn't expecting that haha, oops. :P I put him on the request list for it..hopefully we'll get in an edition I have already lol
( 6. Where do you want to live when you are old? )
52/341: Whyever
Feb. 5th, 2026 08:31 pmrejectomorphThursday afternoon's high here got all the way up to 72. It was nice to have the windows open for a couple of hours, but it might be even nicer if we get the showers the forecast is predicting for late next week. In fact there could be quite a bit of shower activity through the rest of February. These, I suppose, are the April showers of legend, but come early. And the dog days of summer? Those will be ravening wolf days.
Oh crap, I lost track of time again and it's after midnight. Wanted to post this yesterday. The day I had a peanut butter sandwich for diner. Life has become a battle to the death with the clock. The clock always wins.
Oh crap, I lost track of time again and it's after midnight. Wanted to post this yesterday. The day I had a peanut butter sandwich for diner. Life has become a battle to the death with the clock. The clock always wins.
Curti strikes a pose!
Feb. 5th, 2026 07:33 pmglacier_kittyCurti is way too cute!
An interesting pose haha. I love his super fluffy tail! He probably needs a bigger cat tree :P
People donate the coolest things at work, like this super cool maritime compass!
The top..
Inside! SO cool!! I definitely had to buy that haha. It's like Christmas every day at the bookstore :P
Tomorrow at work is another First Friday 50% off sale..hopefully it'll be busy, since people have been discovering us again!
( feb 2-5 )
An interesting pose haha. I love his super fluffy tail! He probably needs a bigger cat tree :P
People donate the coolest things at work, like this super cool maritime compass!
The top..
Inside! SO cool!! I definitely had to buy that haha. It's like Christmas every day at the bookstore :P
Tomorrow at work is another First Friday 50% off sale..hopefully it'll be busy, since people have been discovering us again!
( feb 2-5 )
Curious but don't want to be ghoulish
Feb. 5th, 2026 10:40 pmcornerofmadnessWhen I came home today the ambulance is over all the parking places (I'm now on the ice floe wondering if I'm going to work tomorrow after all). No one was about, no doors open so I don't know who they were here for but we have a lot of 70+ people here. I hope they'll be okay.
My nursing students gave me hope today. They did really well on the micro test for the most part. Out of 37 less than 5 failed. I'm happy with that.
Nearly finished my vampire story.
Speaking of vampires, let me do Tuesday's fannish 50 tonight. I found, by accident, a station showing Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I wanted to talk about her forhalfamoon which I just don't have time to write for, not with my deadlines. Sigh. I WILL do at least one more but I'm on the struggle bus.
But it occurred to me watching now almost 30 years later (OMFG HOW) that it really hits different than it did then. I always maintained that Joss Whedon wasn't the champion of women he pretended to be back then but I wasn't believed much. I've said this before. I just watched the last few episodes of S3 and the beginning of S4. I know that Xander was meant to be Whedon's avatar which is weird. He's rather incel coded for one but that aside, Xander was never a stand up guy to me. I was also struck about how many age-difference couples there were. I can almost look past Angel (and Spike) as immortals but while the age gap between Wes and Cordy wasn't ridiculous, we don't take too kindly to a mid 20s man trying to date a 17 year old (oh 18 years old, how many times have we heard them screaming that on this show, with her, with COnnor, etc) even in the prom a lot of the dates looked way older than the random girls. Sure that could be bad casting.
Then I remember we now know that they had to protect Michelle Trachenberg from being in the same room with Whedon. Amber Heard told me herself about the pressures put on her.
So do you have any older fandoms that feel different now?
While we're talking about shows, I'm trying to get into a new one, Inspector George Gently. Okay it's not new but new to me. It's interesting but I have never hated a character more than I do in this, at least not in a long time. If I thought Troy was bad in Midsomer Murders, he's a Woke snowflake in comparison to the sergeant in this, Bacchus is frigging awful. Yeah it's set in the mid 60s. I don't expect him to be LGBT friendly. But he's misogynistic, xenophobic and worse, a bully. He uses his job to bully people he doesn't like the Gently has called him out more than once. I'm like either give this man a redemption arc, kick him to the curb or maybe I just need to give up.
My nursing students gave me hope today. They did really well on the micro test for the most part. Out of 37 less than 5 failed. I'm happy with that.
Nearly finished my vampire story.
Speaking of vampires, let me do Tuesday's fannish 50 tonight. I found, by accident, a station showing Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I wanted to talk about her for
halfamoon which I just don't have time to write for, not with my deadlines. Sigh. I WILL do at least one more but I'm on the struggle bus. But it occurred to me watching now almost 30 years later (OMFG HOW) that it really hits different than it did then. I always maintained that Joss Whedon wasn't the champion of women he pretended to be back then but I wasn't believed much. I've said this before. I just watched the last few episodes of S3 and the beginning of S4. I know that Xander was meant to be Whedon's avatar which is weird. He's rather incel coded for one but that aside, Xander was never a stand up guy to me. I was also struck about how many age-difference couples there were. I can almost look past Angel (and Spike) as immortals but while the age gap between Wes and Cordy wasn't ridiculous, we don't take too kindly to a mid 20s man trying to date a 17 year old (oh 18 years old, how many times have we heard them screaming that on this show, with her, with COnnor, etc) even in the prom a lot of the dates looked way older than the random girls. Sure that could be bad casting.
Then I remember we now know that they had to protect Michelle Trachenberg from being in the same room with Whedon. Amber Heard told me herself about the pressures put on her.
So do you have any older fandoms that feel different now?
While we're talking about shows, I'm trying to get into a new one, Inspector George Gently. Okay it's not new but new to me. It's interesting but I have never hated a character more than I do in this, at least not in a long time. If I thought Troy was bad in Midsomer Murders, he's a Woke snowflake in comparison to the sergeant in this, Bacchus is frigging awful. Yeah it's set in the mid 60s. I don't expect him to be LGBT friendly. But he's misogynistic, xenophobic and worse, a bully. He uses his job to bully people he doesn't like the Gently has called him out more than once. I'm like either give this man a redemption arc, kick him to the curb or maybe I just need to give up.
the "ook" of a database monkey
Feb. 5th, 2026 12:41 pmsistawendySpent yesterday evening nomming teriyaki courtesy of the Wendling, shopping for snacks for future visitors, hoping I had an excuse not to go to Lambert House, and then going to Lambert House. The director had a random query to come up with a list of invitees for a particular activity, and the volunteer coordinator needed me to update income ranges. Yes, we have to collect data on how much youth, if on their own, or their parents earn.
Fun fact: you can do all kinds of gnarly multi-table operations (“joins”) inside one query against a real SQL engine. Microsoft Access’s subset (Ptui!) of SQL is more restrictive, but it appears to support named subqueries, which in many cases will get you where you want to go. I miss real SQL date handling, though.
The director has finally agreed with me that maybe getting off Access 2010 would be a good thing, and not even for the above reasons. It went out of support six years ago*, and the UI library that it comes with has bugs that'll never be fixed. Those bugs are what the director is responding to. I have a long list of my own reasons.
The director drove me home for the second time this week. Much appreciated, because that would have been two chilly waits for a bus otherwise.
*Ten years of support for a particular product isn't bad by industry standards.
Fun fact: you can do all kinds of gnarly multi-table operations (“joins”) inside one query against a real SQL engine. Microsoft Access’s subset (Ptui!) of SQL is more restrictive, but it appears to support named subqueries, which in many cases will get you where you want to go. I miss real SQL date handling, though.
The director has finally agreed with me that maybe getting off Access 2010 would be a good thing, and not even for the above reasons. It went out of support six years ago*, and the UI library that it comes with has bugs that'll never be fixed. Those bugs are what the director is responding to. I have a long list of my own reasons.
The director drove me home for the second time this week. Much appreciated, because that would have been two chilly waits for a bus otherwise.
*Ten years of support for a particular product isn't bad by industry standards.
Golden Sunlands by Christopher Rowley
Feb. 5th, 2026 08:52 amjames_davis_nicoll
Federal Ranger Cracka Buckshore's efforts to keep irate parents from lynching handsome Fodo Bathin are complicated when Cracka, Fodo, and everyone else on the planet are kidnapped and taken to an artificial universe.
Golden Sunlands by Christopher Rowley
52/340: Oh
Feb. 5th, 2026 03:16 amrejectomorphSo I'm not sure why I'm awake in the middle of the night tonight, other than that I had to take a nap around eight o'clock Wednesday evening and didn't eat dinner, and most likely it was hunger that woke me up just a few hours later and prevented me from getting back to sleep. So here I am hungry but I really don't feel like eating, which sounds contradictory, but the thing is that eating has never been one of my favorite experiences, and as a rule I will wait until the hunger becomes more unpleasant than the act of eating and then I will eat, as the lesser of two evils.
Anyway, I'm hungry enough to be annoyed to wakefulness, but not hungry enough to actually stick something in my mouth and chew on it. If somebody else were around to actually prepare the food for me, or if there was a decent restaurant within easy walking distance (and I still had the energy to walk) I'd probably eat now, but the extra hassle of needing to decide what to eat and then fix it makes the hunger more tolerable, for now. I'll probably go on sitting here not eating for half the night, and end up regretting the sleep I could have had. Stupid stomach.
You can't spell go on without goon, and I can't say I can't goon because it's so obviously false and ridiculous, and I've just realized that that is probably why I'm still alive. Words are funny, and almost as stupid as stomachs. And brains, which often just keep on running even when they are running on empty. So.
Anyway, I'm hungry enough to be annoyed to wakefulness, but not hungry enough to actually stick something in my mouth and chew on it. If somebody else were around to actually prepare the food for me, or if there was a decent restaurant within easy walking distance (and I still had the energy to walk) I'd probably eat now, but the extra hassle of needing to decide what to eat and then fix it makes the hunger more tolerable, for now. I'll probably go on sitting here not eating for half the night, and end up regretting the sleep I could have had. Stupid stomach.
You can't spell go on without goon, and I can't say I can't goon because it's so obviously false and ridiculous, and I've just realized that that is probably why I'm still alive. Words are funny, and almost as stupid as stomachs. And brains, which often just keep on running even when they are running on empty. So.
Insurance!?!
Feb. 4th, 2026 11:04 pmcornerofmadnessWhich is better title than Rocket is a shit (but he is) So I called my bank. They called both phones...to sell me INSURANCE!?! I was too stunned to say anything other than what? Oh all kind but health. WHY would you not have just said that in the message? I hardly slept last night thinking I was hacked and cleaned out because you left me two messages on two phones to call you.
It's a beautiful snow on my road. It was really pretty, at least to me. And then I got to the top of my hill (in the opposite direction of the hill I'm looking up for this picture) and the accident is still there. An 18 wheeler jackknifed and went over the guard rails. That metal plow on asphalt noise I heard must have been the guard rails failing. It was still there 14 hours later when I went to work. Luckily the cab seems to be whole so hopefully the driver wasn't too badly hurt.
It's not a great pic but there was a whole crew up there and I didn't want to seem ghoulish.
And Rocket IS a shit. He wanted out this morning. I tried to put him back in when I left. He refused and ran. Fine you'll be in the snow for hours buddy. I come racing in because I needed to do something in Jackson and then had a faculty meeting. I'm sitting here on Teams after Rocket races inside He immediately jumps in the litter, throwing it everywhere and poops. Well then. I guess he's decided that he likes to poop in a box and make me clean it (after 4 years of hating that box) or more likely he can scratch thru the ice to poop.
What I Just Finished Reading:
Cooking with Monsters - a graphic novel about monster hunting chefs.. ha. It wasn't bad.
What I am Currently Reading:
When the Moon Hits Your Eye - weird and I'm not sure I like it
The Final Problem - mystery set in the 60s
Dark Life - YA book (so far so good)
The Parable of the Sower graphic novel (this is not the right time for this dystopia but if fulfills a reading prompt)
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier - liking t his better than I expected.
What I Plan to Read Next: La Grand Familia Zombie Day Care and something by Alison Bechdel about being superhuman. Oh joy an exercise memoir. Nearly done.
Luna Park history - it was an amusement park in Pittsburgh around 1910. Mostly interested because it feels like a place to set a story. I mean a lion escaped from it and ate a woman.
And have I mentioned that I'm doing the American Cancer Society February readathon. You can see more about it here on facebook.
It's a beautiful snow on my road. It was really pretty, at least to me. And then I got to the top of my hill (in the opposite direction of the hill I'm looking up for this picture) and the accident is still there. An 18 wheeler jackknifed and went over the guard rails. That metal plow on asphalt noise I heard must have been the guard rails failing. It was still there 14 hours later when I went to work. Luckily the cab seems to be whole so hopefully the driver wasn't too badly hurt.
It's not a great pic but there was a whole crew up there and I didn't want to seem ghoulish.
And Rocket IS a shit. He wanted out this morning. I tried to put him back in when I left. He refused and ran. Fine you'll be in the snow for hours buddy. I come racing in because I needed to do something in Jackson and then had a faculty meeting. I'm sitting here on Teams after Rocket races inside He immediately jumps in the litter, throwing it everywhere and poops. Well then. I guess he's decided that he likes to poop in a box and make me clean it (after 4 years of hating that box) or more likely he can scratch thru the ice to poop.
What I Just Finished Reading:
Cooking with Monsters - a graphic novel about monster hunting chefs.. ha. It wasn't bad.
What I am Currently Reading:
When the Moon Hits Your Eye - weird and I'm not sure I like it
The Final Problem - mystery set in the 60s
Dark Life - YA book (so far so good)
The Parable of the Sower graphic novel (this is not the right time for this dystopia but if fulfills a reading prompt)
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier - liking t his better than I expected.
What I Plan to Read Next: La Grand Familia Zombie Day Care and something by Alison Bechdel about being superhuman. Oh joy an exercise memoir. Nearly done.
Luna Park history - it was an amusement park in Pittsburgh around 1910. Mostly interested because it feels like a place to set a story. I mean a lion escaped from it and ate a woman.
And have I mentioned that I'm doing the American Cancer Society February readathon. You can see more about it here on facebook.
I can has ticket to TTITD!
Feb. 4th, 2026 12:19 pmsistawendyThere's an old joke among Burners. What's the difference between a Burner and a hippie? A ticket.
For the first time in eight years, I can say that I just stopped being a hippie. And it only took me ten minutes, as opposed to one or two years in the early teens when it took hours.
So yeah, I'm committed. I'll be meeting with my camp a couple of weekends hence. I have questions. Time to scroll down my spreadsheet of doom and start knocking off items, green background first, yellow background as various conditions are met.
Aw, yeah.
For the first time in eight years, I can say that I just stopped being a hippie. And it only took me ten minutes, as opposed to one or two years in the early teens when it took hours.
So yeah, I'm committed. I'll be meeting with my camp a couple of weekends hence. I have questions. Time to scroll down my spreadsheet of doom and start knocking off items, green background first, yellow background as various conditions are met.
Aw, yeah.
Bundle of Holding: Human Gorilla Heists
Feb. 4th, 2026 02:25 pmjames_davis_nicoll
This all-new Human Gorilla Heists Bundle presents .PDF ebooks from Human Gorilla Creations that help you create tabletop fantasy roleplaying adventures of thieves and thievery.
Bundle of Holding: Human Gorilla Heists