wisdomeagle | Friends

1. We had a nice morning at DCA. It's the first weekend of the Food and Wine Festival, so there's all sorts of exciting new menu items and everything we had today was delicious.

2. We have Verizon for our phones and until recently had Frontier for internet, but it seems Frontier has been bought up by Verizon, which is funny because we used to have Verizon until they sold our area off to Frontier or something idk. Anyway, I've been getting messages from Verizon saying that if I combine my internet and phone accounts I can save money and I just hadn't gotten around to it, but today they sent a flier in the mail, too, so I finally went and did that and now I will save $15 a month.

3. Multiple supermarkets near us still have McConnel's peppermint ice cream in stock, even though it's a seasonal flavor, so we keep buying it. I'm sure it won't last that much longer, but we're enjoying it while it's still here. It's so good!

4. Got some super cute pics of Gemma last night.

musesfool

Went to the office yesterday and as much as I enjoyed seeing so many of my co-workers, almost no work got done. it is just not a good use of time if they want us to be productive. Since it's an open office and we are all sitting together with no walls between us, we just chat and jump into each other's conversations and people stop by and also join in, and it's great for socializing but most of my work is stuff that requires concentration and quiet, which is in short supply at the office. But the anniversary celebration is a lot of fun and I probably won't have to attend another one for 4 more years. *g*

Our next in-office day is in late April, and I floated the idea of maybe bringing in baked goods, so I'm already considering what recipe I might choose to make, since I can experiment.

Today, I made these orange shortbread cookies and they're good, though I would zest another orange (I did 2 this time) if I make them again. Also I didn't sift the flour and instead of rolling out the dough and using cookie cutters, I rolled it into a log and just sliced them (after chilling), since they are just for me so there was no need to get fancy.

I also planned to caramelize onions overnight in the slow cooker, but then I ended up engrossed in F.D. Signifier's Tyler Perry video (which is FOUR HOURS long - I have one hour left but I'm taking a break to watch the WBC) and didn't end up doing the slicing I need to do, so I figure I'll do it in the morning, let them slow cook for most of the day, and then make French onion pasta for dinner. Anyway, I have never seen a Tyler Perry movie or show, but F.D. Signifier's videos are always worth watching.

So yeah, I've been sort of paying attention to the WBC and why is the "S" in USA like a strip of curly bacon on the Team USA jersey??? Once I saw it I couldn't unsee it. Also so many of these unis could be cool and yet so many of them are just meh. Design fail, Nike! Come on! Also, I might be rooting for the DR since Juan Soto is on that team; if Lindor were in it, I'd probably be rooting for Puerto Rico. Though of course I was pleased for Clay Holmes just now, and will be interested to see Nolan McLean pitch.

*

Current Mood: thoughtful
Current Music: USA vs Great Britain on tv

princessofgeeks

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Current Mood: cheerful

jadelennox

I was writing up a navel-gazing post about grief (tl;dr turned out I think "oh MM would like that!" more often than I would have suspected) and it somehow spiraled into how I could make beautiful and accessible no-Javascript footnotes CSS given the Dreamwidth CSS restrictions. This resulted in me, among other things, reading the DW codebase to see all the CSS restrictions, and then finally after a couple of hours getting my perfect CSS, even though it's completely useless because it will only work when reading in my journal style.

(ETA: That's only because I'm being a perfectionist about placement for the purposes of this exercise, and DW doesn't allow absolute positioning in inline HTML.)

(Also even making this post resulted in me reading the code for Perl's Text::Markdown since I couldn't remember which code block syntax it used.

Hyperfixation FTW!

( CSS, FWIW )

beccaelizabeth

I have rearranged my bookshelves on the principle of
things I actually read go where I can reach
and things I inherited can go behind everything in the back corner.

McGuire, Huff, Bujold, Cherryh and Duane are now on the nice visible shelves next to me.
Other stuff got sort of stirred around and I am not especially confident of finding it again later, so this is a work in progress.

But somehow the book stirring process has made a space on the shelves suitable for putting plural books in.
Which basically never happens.
I am puzzled yet pleased.

torachan

Yesterday was the first day of the Food and Wine Festival at DCA and there are some really tasty-looking items on the menu this year.

( Read more... )

kaberett

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beccaelizabeth

Today I have done two loads of laundry. First one is all put away even. Second one is in the dryer.

The laundry bags/baskets are still full. They started full and they are still full. That is not how geometry is supposed to work.
The newer bag is the gigantic ikea one and it is full even though previously the smaller one was just kind of overfull a bit. Or apparently a lot.
Expanding laundry.

I have also been listening to more Dalek Universe. I think I would like them better if I wasn't tired. But they are quite good.

It is so weird sometimes to realise how long it has been since the TV canon Big Finish is picking up and running with. I mean they are still doing 4th Doctor adventures. But even these 10th Doctor ones are featuring someone from 16 years ago. Entire human beings got invented and grew up since he started.

About twenty years since Torchwood. Seventeenish since Ianto died.

I saw https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cddnn2rn0v7o Ianto's Shrine is scheduled to come down soon due to the wood and iron under all the pictures and that being all wore out.
I acknowledge that the Shrine existing in the first place is a bit nuts, but it's a cool sort, where we decided a story mattered enough to keep passing it along.
There's a petition https://www.change.org/p/save-ianto-s-shrine but I kind of don't see what else they're going to do about it.
Cool if they could though.

I'd still like to go and see it but since I haven't been more than a half hour walk away from my flat since 2020 that is a bit Maybe I Personally Could Visit The Moon. Only a bit though, it's still there and only taxis and trains away, I'd just have to be a different me to get there.

Like Flux next weekend https://seanharry.com/home/flux/
that looks brilliant and exactly the sort of thing I liked to do when I liked to do things.

My plans for this month instead involve attempting to get my hair cut again. Which involves several challenging parts. But has been achievable goals.

I am a bit frustrated by how small I shrank everything. Tricky to get growing again though.

I shall persevere.

Also, listen more Doctor Who and finish the drying on this laundry.

settiai

The extended stay hotel that I've been living in for over a year-and-a-half is being sold, so I've been desperately trying to find somewhere else to move. Through a lot of luck, I think that I've found a basement apartment in the home of an older woman nearby if I can get the money together to cover the deposit and first month's rent sooner rather than later. Which leads to this post. I don't have a lot left to try to sell right now, at least not until I really go digging in my storage unit to see what all is there, but I'm going to try to sell what I can in the hope of raising enough to get this apartment.

First, I have a few Nintendo Switch games for sale:

Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! (example on Amazon)
Spyro Reignited Trilogy (example on Amazon)
TemTem (example on Amazon)

And then a few TTRPGs that were Christmas presents so they're still in basically like new shape:

Candela Obscura Core Rulebook (example on Amazon)
Daggerheart Core Set (example on Amazon)

If you're not interested but know someone who might be, please point them my way.

For payment, I have CashApp ($Settiai), PayPal, Venmo, or Zelle (nancy.lynn.foster@gmail.com).

Current Mood: hopeful

petrea_mitchell posting in

agonyaunt

A reader writes:

I work in a cubicle office and bring a trained, medically necessary service dog named “Betty” to the office with me. I allow her to socialize with coworkers on breaks, and she is very loved in the office for how friendly and adorable she is. She also adores her coworkers and thinks everyone is her best friend.

Unfortunately, a new coworker, “Sarah,” has been repeatedly ignoring service dog boundaries with Betty over the last six months.

These boundary violations include taking Betty out of my cube while I’m on work calls or distracted, removing her leash in public work areas without asking, entering my cube without permission to interact with her, and petting her or interacting with her when I step away from my desk. This has started to impact Betty’s training as she’s now having separation anxiety behaviors when I leave in order to get attention. Sarah would respond to this behavior, which escalated it, despite being asked repeatedly not to.

Things were at their worst today when Sarah not only removed Betty’s leash but also attempted to remove her service dog gear. I asked her to stop but this didn’t work, and I had to physically push her hands away from Betty.

I have had multiple conversations with Sarah about her behavior with little success. When I point out a specific behavior, Sarah will then start doing a new one or find different ways to circumvent the boundary and continue her interactions with Betty. This appears to be a pattern with Sarah, as there are other areas where she struggles to incorporate feedback.

All my conversations with Sarah so far have been verbal and in the moment, as we are equals and I don’t feel it is my place to supervise her behavior. I did message my supervisor about the concerns when they started escalating and we had a one-on-one about it. My supervisor then spoke with Sarah’s supervisor about the issues and a one-on-one was had with Sarah about a month ago. Despite this, the behavior has not gotten better and seems to be getting worse.

I have had a previous negative experience with HR where I was blamed for not handling a verbally aggressive and threatening coworker with clearer boundaries before escalating to them. This time I want to make sure that I’m doing everything I can and should before I escalate things to HR again. I also don’t want to ruin the atmosphere of the office by cutting off all contact to Betty due to one coworker being unable to follow boundaries. What should I do in this instance to handle it professionally and not step on toes or upset HR?

– Trying to keep my working dog working

( Read more... )

( Plus, an update from the comments )

petrea_mitchell posting in

agonyaunt

Miss Manners: Items vanish post‑party, and list of possible culprits is down to 3. How do I proceed?

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I hosted a dinner party for 20 guests. Since a few of them smoke, I had arranged a separate room to function as a smoking room.

After the party, I discovered that a very small painting and a little sculpture were missing from the smoking room. Neither of them is really valuable, even sentimentally, but it still has left me very distraught.

There is no other way that these items could have disappeared except being taken by someone. Only three guests were ever in that room.

Now, what do I do? I have not mentioned this to anyone, since it undoubtedly would make everyone uncomfortable and lead to speculations about who took the things. I’d rather just forget about the whole thing, but if something similar happens in someone else’s home, I will feel guilty for not having said anything.

( Read more... )

princessofgeeks

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Current Mood: enthralled

princessofgeeks

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veronyxk84 posting in

fan_flashworks

Title: First Date
Fandom: Viola come il mare (category: tv)
Author:

veronyxk84
Pairing: Viola Vitale/Francesco Demir
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: none
Word count: 440 (Ellipsus)
Spoilers/Setting: Set post S2.
Summary: Their first official date should be easy—after all, they’ve known each other for two years. Instead, anticipation hits hard as Viola and Francesco prepare for their first night out as an actual couple.
Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction created for fun and no profit has been made. All rights belong to the respective owners.

Challenge: #508 - Anticipation

—
( READ: First Date/Ficlet )

☙ ☙ ☙

princessofgeeks

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Current Mood: ecstatic

rydra_wong

[ID: shot of my character from the back as she looks into the blasted ruins of the Kiln of the First Flame. She is wearing mismatched red and yellow clothes and a silver helmet, and holding a halberd.]

And it only took 8 months, and a number of hours I will not disclose. Though, to be fair, since I unexpectedly got into the multi-player, a lot of the total hours actually represent me reading a book while waiting to be summoned.

Dark Souls is slow, janky, eccentric, flawed, wilfully obscure about some of its mechanics, and one of the best games I've ever played. I am in love. Ask me anything.

kingstoken posting in

fanart_recs

Fandom: Merlin
Characters/Pairing/Other Subject: Arthur is the main focus with Merlin, Gwen and Morgana
Content Notes/Warnings: N/A
Medium: Digital
Artist Website/Gallery: klimtsonian
Why this piece is awesome: Lovely piece that is a little art nouveau and reminds you a little of a tarot card. The focus is on Arthur, but also hints at those behind his throne.
Link: Tumblr

torachan

1. It is once again the weekend and I am once again very glad for it. It's felt like a long week.

2. We're getting pizza for dinner tonight. Nothing fancy, just Dominos, but I do like Dominos (especially their pan pizza crust - so cheesy).

3. I'm maybe getting used to the new mouse? At least I don't seem to be getting any wrist pain today. Still unsure if I want to keep it, but I'm going to go to Best Buy this weekend and actually try out some mice in person and see if I can find anything that is a better fit. I actually need to get a new work mouse, too, so if I find something I like better than the Lift, I might just order that for work and swap them so I have the better one at home idk. (Depends on if I can get a full refund from Amazon or if they're only going to give me partial since it's used and not defective.)

4. Jasper looks like he's seen some shit.

pauraque

Though written before it, this book chronologically follows Wild Seed. It picks up the story in 1970s Los Angeles, where the body-hopping immortal Doro has continued his human breeding program, now focused on creating a race of telepaths who can mind-control ordinary humans into total subjugation. He has high hopes for his daughter/lover Mary to become his most powerful telepath yet, but when her abilities fully mature, she accidentally links herself to several other telepaths, gaining psychic power over them. Now, for the first time in thousands of years, there's a real threat to Doro's control and the continuation of his eugenics project.

spoilery thoughts

As I think about this book, a thought keeps arising: This book has no good guys. Mary is not a good guy. She's is positioned as the protagonist because she opposes Doro, and in the world of the books Doro is, if not literally the worst person on Earth, at least the person with the most power to do the most harm over the longest period of time. He is a merciless sociopath who will not stop until he is the absolute ruler of humanity. Being a better person than him is a low, low bar.

To be fair, Mary never intended to bring others under her control and she doesn't know how to stop it, and she at least has some conception of using her power to help others, even if only other telepaths. And yes, most telepaths were dying or succumbing to mental breakdowns before she set up a plan to help them. But she has no qualms about enslaving the mutes (non-telepaths) and using them as an underclass to serve her and the Patternists. Some characters voice concerns, but by that time it's basically too late, she's already consolidated her power and there's no going back.

Doro's downfall has the shape of classical tragedy, as his obsession with controlling others spectacularly backfires and rebounds on him. Everything he's been working towards points inevitably to this outcome, as he creates people with stronger and stronger powers while believing he would somehow remain in control of them. But he can't have it both ways. He's made Mary everything she is, and while she lacks his immortality, she has something he doesn't: followers who see her as a savior, who love her because she's made their lives better, not just because they're scared of her.

No reader is ever going to be sad about Doro finally being defeated, but his defeat means the triumph of a society where an enslaved majority serve a privileged minority. The best you can say for it is that power is shared with a sizeable elite rather than concentrated in one absolute despot. It's the victory of the lesser of two evils—emphasis on the evil. (And again, I am reminded of Kindred's chilling examination of "less bad" enslavers in real world history.)

There actually is one good guy in the book, though. Anyanwu (here called Emma) is a tertiary character. Of course, this was written before her character had been fully revealed in Wild Seed; I wonder how much Butler already knew about her? I'm not sure what I would have thought of her if this book were all I knew. This reading order emphasizes that the best Anyanwu could ever do was to fight Doro to a stalemate, and suggests that she could never defeat him in part because she wasn't ruthless enough. Unlike Mary, she wasn't born into his twisted world, and she has a moral code that goes beyond mere self-preservation. No wonder Mary can't stand her.

With this book I felt more of a sense of it being backstory to an existing work, setting up for what's to come. Which is exactly what it is—it was written as a prequel to the first-published book in the series. And Wild Seed was in turn a prequel to Mind of My Mind, but I got more of a stand-alone vibe from that one. I still do not actually know what eventually becomes of Doro and Mary's descendants, but I am guessing it doesn't go super great for humanity!

princessofgeeks

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Current Mood: cheerful

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ubi caritas et amor

Deus ibi est

Daily Happiness

that wasn't a no

Heated Rivalry rec

ADHD with the knockout 🎉

(no subject)

2026 Disneyland Trip #12 (3/7/26)

[food] the courgette and tofu thing

(no subject)

For Sale: Nintendo Switch games + TTRPG books

AAM: my coworker won’t stop interfering with my service dog

Miss Manners investigates a crime

discussion of a wip that has me refreshing like a rat seeking cocaine

Heated Rivalry rec

Viola come il mare: Fanfic: First Date

Heated Rivalry gold mine

I beat Dark Souls, AMA

“And what kind of king would Camelot want?” by klimtsonian (SFW)

Daily Happiness

Mind of My Mind by Octavia E. Butler (1977)

Heated Rivalry rec

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January 2020

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