Rather behindhand notice
Mar. 23rd, 2026 03:42 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
the_comfortable_courtesanWish to inform those that are interested in Clorinda Cathcart's Circle that Volume 25, Choices: Taking Decisions will appear this coming Friday, 27th March:
A Parliamentary election causes considerable upheaval to the summer plans of Society in general, and of Clorinda and her circle. But besides any choices concerning the government of the nation, several of them find that they have to make decisions touching on more personal matters.
The delay in making this announcement has been caused, in part, by problems with the Google Books version: but it is hoped that these will be resolved in a timely manner.
larryhammerFor Poetry Monday:
Suicide’s Note, Langston Hughes
The calm,
Cool face of the river
Asked me for a kiss.
---L.
Subject quote from Sailing, Christopher Cross.
Suicide’s Note, Langston Hughes
The calm,
Cool face of the river
Asked me for a kiss.
---L.
Subject quote from Sailing, Christopher Cross.
ambsace
Mar. 23rd, 2026 07:36 amprettygoodwordambsace (AYMZ-ays, AMZ-ays) - n., the lowest throw of a pair of dice, two aces; something worthless or unlucky; bad luck, misfortune.
Snake-eyes -- which in most dice games is a bad throw. We've had the word since Middle English ambes as, from Anglo-French, from Old French, from ambes, both (from Latin ambo, both) + as, aces (from Latin as in the sense of unit, originally a lowest value coin).
---L.
Snake-eyes -- which in most dice games is a bad throw. We've had the word since Middle English ambes as, from Anglo-French, from Old French, from ambes, both (from Latin ambo, both) + as, aces (from Latin as in the sense of unit, originally a lowest value coin).
---L.
Technology hates me
Mar. 23rd, 2026 07:06 amoffcntrI already blogged about the failure of my Garmin satnav in Wisconsin. Since I got back, things have only gotten worse.
Sometime on Friday, my cell phone failed. It still turned on, still got wifi, but the signal was abruptly worse, no bars inside the house, and even outside, it wouldn't make calls. Or texts. Or even connect for data. You've no idea how much you depend on that little box, until you can't.
And then there's my email. I usually access my email one of two ways. If I'm on my desktop, I'll download everything with a POP mail client (Eudora, don't laugh. It still works), to read, sort and archive offline. Other times, I'll preview on my tablet, using their web interface. I always click the "Keep logged in" button, and they always log me out again in about a day.
Well, this time, I couldn't log back in. I'd get a little red message, "error with login or password." I almost tried a password reset, but that required two-factor authentication, and my cell phone isn't working. I tried to log in to my account to be sure I'd paid the bill--grabbing at straws here--but I'm locked out there too. And CenturyLink's customer support is only on duty weekdays during business hours, and their chatbot is useless.
If that's not enough, on Saturday, my debit card failed. Trying to gas up the car at Costco, neither of my Oregon Community Credit Union cards would work. Fortunately, we have another account at a different institution, so I was able to get home. But on Sunday, when I tried to deposit a check at an automatic teller, it told me my card didn't support that transaction. And when I tried to log in to their web portal, it said my account was "disabled." And of course, no customer service on weekends.
I'm beginning to feel like that Twilight Zone character who'd died and didn't know it.
I had a little success, though. Testing my Garmin on a charger at home proved the unit itself kept a charge, though still not on the cord connected to the car. I do have a USB plug that fits a car 12 volt/cigarette lighter outlet, and tried running the (too short) proprietary cord from plug to satnav. It booted fine when I turned the car on, though had trouble finding satellites until Denise held it up above the dash. At which point, it was able to direct us to our concert down in South Eugene.
Then yesterday afternoon, it occurred to me to check whether my cell provider had support on weekends, and Hallelujah! Boost Mobile were open from 8 am til midnight seven days a week. Did the chat, and the bot ran me through some simple tests--take out the SIM card, restart the phone, and when that didn't work, connected me to a human. She confirmed the tests I'd done, then took a phone number to have tech support call me. (Oddly, couldn't call my landline. Fortunately, Denise's cell is on a different provider.) They called fairly promptly, heard my story, took info about my phone, and decided I needed to replace the SIM card. I could have them send one in 3-4 business days, or I could buy one locally. There are no longer any Boost stores in Eugene but Walmart sells SIM cards, and they put a $10 credit on my account.
Turned out to cost $11.13, rounded down to $11.10 because I paid cash--no debit card, remember?--and they didn't have any pennies in the till. And while I was at Delta Oaks, I dropped in to Goodwill's computer department. Couldn't find a replacement charger for the Garmin, but was able to score a USB extension cord that would allow me to stick my satnav to the windshield where God and the satellites intended, for $2.75 with the senior discount.
Got home, installed the SIM, had a brief panic attack when the phone booted up on T-Mobile. Tried calling 611 for set-up help, as instructed, on Denise's phone, but that went to Trac-Phone. So I called the Boost set-up number from their website, argued fruitlessly with the phone menu, hung up and called the customer support number, got the same dialog. I'm not sure how I finally got it to connect me with a human--I think by saying Technical support in increasingly impatient tones--but finally got a human, who took the SIM number, my phone ID, had me turn off the phone and remove and replace the SIM--I shouldn't have turned it on yet. She did arcane things on her end, and when she told me to turn on the phone again, it was working properly again.
Two down, two to go.
ETA: Email is back! Though I had to change the password. Will have to update my Eudora. Still waiting on a callback from the credit union.
Sometime on Friday, my cell phone failed. It still turned on, still got wifi, but the signal was abruptly worse, no bars inside the house, and even outside, it wouldn't make calls. Or texts. Or even connect for data. You've no idea how much you depend on that little box, until you can't.
And then there's my email. I usually access my email one of two ways. If I'm on my desktop, I'll download everything with a POP mail client (Eudora, don't laugh. It still works), to read, sort and archive offline. Other times, I'll preview on my tablet, using their web interface. I always click the "Keep logged in" button, and they always log me out again in about a day.
Well, this time, I couldn't log back in. I'd get a little red message, "error with login or password." I almost tried a password reset, but that required two-factor authentication, and my cell phone isn't working. I tried to log in to my account to be sure I'd paid the bill--grabbing at straws here--but I'm locked out there too. And CenturyLink's customer support is only on duty weekdays during business hours, and their chatbot is useless.
If that's not enough, on Saturday, my debit card failed. Trying to gas up the car at Costco, neither of my Oregon Community Credit Union cards would work. Fortunately, we have another account at a different institution, so I was able to get home. But on Sunday, when I tried to deposit a check at an automatic teller, it told me my card didn't support that transaction. And when I tried to log in to their web portal, it said my account was "disabled." And of course, no customer service on weekends.
I'm beginning to feel like that Twilight Zone character who'd died and didn't know it.
I had a little success, though. Testing my Garmin on a charger at home proved the unit itself kept a charge, though still not on the cord connected to the car. I do have a USB plug that fits a car 12 volt/cigarette lighter outlet, and tried running the (too short) proprietary cord from plug to satnav. It booted fine when I turned the car on, though had trouble finding satellites until Denise held it up above the dash. At which point, it was able to direct us to our concert down in South Eugene.
Then yesterday afternoon, it occurred to me to check whether my cell provider had support on weekends, and Hallelujah! Boost Mobile were open from 8 am til midnight seven days a week. Did the chat, and the bot ran me through some simple tests--take out the SIM card, restart the phone, and when that didn't work, connected me to a human. She confirmed the tests I'd done, then took a phone number to have tech support call me. (Oddly, couldn't call my landline. Fortunately, Denise's cell is on a different provider.) They called fairly promptly, heard my story, took info about my phone, and decided I needed to replace the SIM card. I could have them send one in 3-4 business days, or I could buy one locally. There are no longer any Boost stores in Eugene but Walmart sells SIM cards, and they put a $10 credit on my account.
Turned out to cost $11.13, rounded down to $11.10 because I paid cash--no debit card, remember?--and they didn't have any pennies in the till. And while I was at Delta Oaks, I dropped in to Goodwill's computer department. Couldn't find a replacement charger for the Garmin, but was able to score a USB extension cord that would allow me to stick my satnav to the windshield where God and the satellites intended, for $2.75 with the senior discount.
Got home, installed the SIM, had a brief panic attack when the phone booted up on T-Mobile. Tried calling 611 for set-up help, as instructed, on Denise's phone, but that went to Trac-Phone. So I called the Boost set-up number from their website, argued fruitlessly with the phone menu, hung up and called the customer support number, got the same dialog. I'm not sure how I finally got it to connect me with a human--I think by saying Technical support in increasingly impatient tones--but finally got a human, who took the SIM number, my phone ID, had me turn off the phone and remove and replace the SIM--I shouldn't have turned it on yet. She did arcane things on her end, and when she told me to turn on the phone again, it was working properly again.
Two down, two to go.
ETA: Email is back! Though I had to change the password. Will have to update my Eudora. Still waiting on a callback from the credit union.
(no subject)
Mar. 22nd, 2026 09:06 pmadoreHi guise!! (That's my gender-neutral variation of 'guys' as a catch-all term of endearment). I finished watching the k-drama Knight Flower on china_shop's recommendation and IT WAS SO GOOD.
The heroine is a widow during the old-timey monarchy; her life is extremely restricted and it's actually similar to how widows are treated in my country/culture including in my own family just a couple generations ago. So she was immediately sympathetic to me. She becomes a masked vigilante at night, so that she can give herself something fulfilling to do, and her fight scenes are such fun!
Her love interest is a guy in law enforcement who is supposed to catch her but ends up wanting to protect her identity and aid her, which is DELICIOUS to me. He's so righteous in a non-bureaucratic way, I love it. And when he's jealous he's not scary jealous, he's cute pouty jealous, which is my FAVOURITE. It's a delicious slow burn but they don't even kiss at the end, which gave me the feeling of reading a fic tagged with edging and finding out it's actually orgasm denial. Speaking of fic, I have found a couple of fics in which they purportedly kiss, so I'm going to savour those!
I also binge-watched Season 2 of Deadloch, six episodes in two days. Shoutout toisabrella because I wouldn't have found out a second season was out now if you didn't mention it!
I'm still reblogging Yunho things on Tumblr despite the pain mixed with my usual adoration when he appears on my dashboard. I've weaned myself off an idol before, and forcing it doesn't work, so I'll see how I continue to feel, I guess. Vara talked to me about it, and she said a lot of people who have messy romantic relationships are decent in general/in their other relationships. I see her point, and I think any idol in his place would have done the same (not standing up for his girlfriend in order to protect his career). But I can't excuse him allowing her to think he was going to come back and make it up to her, if he had no intention to make good on those promises. Vara said it's not all on him to give her closure, but at the very least he should be honest with her about breaking up with her. He was neither honest nor kind.
I've been bleeding lightly since the 21st even though I had my moontime on the 8th this month. It's the second month I'm bleeding during my luteal phase. It's a good thing I've got cloth pads for light bleeds because imagine if I had to run through boxes of pads during my heavy periods and then had to use pads again for the irregular bleeds. I told Bella that I'm using one to two pads a day and she said she considers that a normal period because that's how much she bleeds during her period. We laughed mirthlessly about me calling it a 'light bleed'.
I've ordered chasteberry vitex tablets so I'm hoping those will reduce my estrogen dominance. I found out that poongar rice, a traditional rice variety from Tamil Nadu, is called 'women's rice' because it's got the nutrients needed for better menstrual health. I'm planning to start eating it for breakfast. It's got iron, magnesium, zinc and calcium. It's got as much protein as a similar serving of greek yoghurt, so with all the talk of protein in wellness spaces I'm surprised it isn't better known. Traditional and heirloom varieties of rice and millets seem to be pretty nutrient-dense, and I'd like to pop fewer vitamin pills.
china_shop's recommendation and IT WAS SO GOOD. The heroine is a widow during the old-timey monarchy; her life is extremely restricted and it's actually similar to how widows are treated in my country/culture including in my own family just a couple generations ago. So she was immediately sympathetic to me. She becomes a masked vigilante at night, so that she can give herself something fulfilling to do, and her fight scenes are such fun!
Her love interest is a guy in law enforcement who is supposed to catch her but ends up wanting to protect her identity and aid her, which is DELICIOUS to me. He's so righteous in a non-bureaucratic way, I love it. And when he's jealous he's not scary jealous, he's cute pouty jealous, which is my FAVOURITE. It's a delicious slow burn but they don't even kiss at the end, which gave me the feeling of reading a fic tagged with edging and finding out it's actually orgasm denial. Speaking of fic, I have found a couple of fics in which they purportedly kiss, so I'm going to savour those!
I also binge-watched Season 2 of Deadloch, six episodes in two days. Shoutout to
isabrella because I wouldn't have found out a second season was out now if you didn't mention it!I'm still reblogging Yunho things on Tumblr despite the pain mixed with my usual adoration when he appears on my dashboard. I've weaned myself off an idol before, and forcing it doesn't work, so I'll see how I continue to feel, I guess. Vara talked to me about it, and she said a lot of people who have messy romantic relationships are decent in general/in their other relationships. I see her point, and I think any idol in his place would have done the same (not standing up for his girlfriend in order to protect his career). But I can't excuse him allowing her to think he was going to come back and make it up to her, if he had no intention to make good on those promises. Vara said it's not all on him to give her closure, but at the very least he should be honest with her about breaking up with her. He was neither honest nor kind.
I've been bleeding lightly since the 21st even though I had my moontime on the 8th this month. It's the second month I'm bleeding during my luteal phase. It's a good thing I've got cloth pads for light bleeds because imagine if I had to run through boxes of pads during my heavy periods and then had to use pads again for the irregular bleeds. I told Bella that I'm using one to two pads a day and she said she considers that a normal period because that's how much she bleeds during her period. We laughed mirthlessly about me calling it a 'light bleed'.
I've ordered chasteberry vitex tablets so I'm hoping those will reduce my estrogen dominance. I found out that poongar rice, a traditional rice variety from Tamil Nadu, is called 'women's rice' because it's got the nutrients needed for better menstrual health. I'm planning to start eating it for breakfast. It's got iron, magnesium, zinc and calcium. It's got as much protein as a similar serving of greek yoghurt, so with all the talk of protein in wellness spaces I'm surprised it isn't better known. Traditional and heirloom varieties of rice and millets seem to be pretty nutrient-dense, and I'd like to pop fewer vitamin pills.
(no subject)
Mar. 23rd, 2026 02:01 pmspiralsheep posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
endingsUsing this process, called photosynthesis, plants store the energy from sunlight in the form of sugar (high in calories, as you know), and they can then use this sugar energy to make everything else they need: like protein, and fibre, and flowers, and corn on the cob, and bark, and leaves, and amazing traps that eat flies, and cures for cancer, and tomatoes, and wispy dandelions, and conkers, and chillies, and all the other amazing things that the plant world has going on.
Trend: Short Trench Coats
Mar. 23rd, 2026 11:00 am![[syndicated profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/feed.png){kind=small}
youlookfab_feedIn the Spring and Summer Trends post, I mentioned that short trench coats are having a fashion moment. They’re a contemporary update on the iconic classic long and belted silhouette. The short trench looks and feels lighter, sportier, and more modern. Cropped at the waist or high hip, these shorter versions retain traditional trench details like double-breasted fronts, storm flaps, big collars and epaulettes. There are single-breasted versions too. Fits are generally fluid, boxy and oversized, although tailored versions exist. Belted versions add waist definition. Colours are neutral and many in earthy stone, khaki, toffee, or tan. There are also olive, cream, black, brown, navy, and false plain options. A potentially fab topper that can be great to wear in mild and transitional weather.
The idea is to wear the short trench with just about any outfit, thereby allowing outfit proportions to fall where they may. The short length of the trending trench is a slam dunk pairing with wide and voluminous pants, jeans, dresses and skirts. Looks fab with shorts too. The unbelted versions are particularly appealing if belted toppers feel fussy, cumbersome, and uncomfortable. Notably, when double-breasted versions are worn open, they drape architecturally over the outfit. Boxy single-breasted versions worn open can drape architecturally too.
Personally, I enjoy wearing trench coats, and usually have a couple in my outerwear capsule. I keep their colours light and bright, and their silhouettes, long, belted, classic, fluid, and preferably hooded. My trench coats are effective raincoats to wear in the Seattle drizzle. That said, I threw caution to the wind this year and bought a short, tan, oversized trench coat without a hood because my ’80s gene is alive and strong. I was shopping with a super stylish friend at MANGO and spotted the Cuba Oversized Short Cotton Trench Coat. Tried it on, and fell in love. My friend gave it a smiley thumbs up, and that was that. It’s big, yet its short length and neat high collar give it just enough structure so that my narrow shoulders don’t drown in the silhouette. The tan and blonde tortoiseshell buttons are an easy match with my hair. It looks good worn over my tailored, fluid and oversized tops and wide bottoms. I’m excited to wear it regularly as soon as the weather warms up. I suspect it will become a wardrobe essential and workhorse.
Over to you. What are your thoughts on the short trench trend?
NOTE: Some rich content in this post was omitted because it isn't supported by the feed. Please visit the post on youlookfab.com to see the additional content.
Bullace farm
Mar. 23rd, 2026 09:04 amwatervoleI belong to two Civil War reenactment groups. The Norfolke Trayned Bandes and Little Woodham.
The Norfolks have a strong connection to Bullace Farm and many of them spend a week there every year as volunteers. This year, the volunteers from LIttle Woodham are visiting the farm for a day.
I really really want to be there, but it's a three hour trip on a mini bus, and three hours back again. And I'm paranoid about long journeys. I've had three really bad (lasting more than two months) of sciatica in the last few years, and two of them were triggered by long journeys.
If you've ever had sciatica, you'll know just how painful it is. If you haven't, all I can tell you is that it's the most painful health condition I've had in my life and it can leave you pretty much immobilised for the duration.
The last bad attack was triggered by a long train journey. I chose train rather than car, as I knew I'd be able to get up and walk round at intervals, but sadly, even that and doing tai chi at stations when there were changes, wasn't enough.
By the time I got home I was in agony. My husband picked me up at the station, and I didn't do any journeys after that for quite some time. Even the short distance to physio appointments had to be done lying on the back seat of the car. Sitting upright was't an option, even for five minutes.
Over the next couple of months, I worked my way through three different physios who all agreed that I needed an operation (to be fair, my original bout of sciatica a few years before HAD needed an operation), until, finally, Manfred came back to England (he has an elderly parent in the Netherlands). I walked in with all my weight on my walking stick, and walked out without the stick.
Took a couple of weeks to finish off the job, but that man is a miracle worker. (He correctly identified the cause of my previous bout of sciatica, as well.)
Ah well, to cut a long story short, I shall not go to Bullace Farm, even though I madly want to.
If you want to know what the farm is like, watch Tales From the Green Valley.
Extremely cool HR vid
Mar. 23rd, 2026 09:47 pmmificThe hunter gets captured by the game by castxt
The song's a light, jazzy Blondie number about a hunter being captured by the game or prey they're stalking - the hunter being Ilya, pursuing Shane. Beautiful, tight editing, uses the whole song, and the ending is just gorgeous.
The song's a light, jazzy Blondie number about a hunter being captured by the game or prey they're stalking - the hunter being Ilya, pursuing Shane. Beautiful, tight editing, uses the whole song, and the ending is just gorgeous.
A Second Act
Mar. 23rd, 2026 06:48 amfutilitycloset_feed
Nathanael West’s 1939 novel The Day of the Locust contains a character named Homer Simpson:
Except for his hands, which belonged on a piece of monumental sculpture, and his small head, he was well proportioned. His muscles were large and round and he had a full, heavy chest. Yet there was something wrong. For all his size and shape, he looked neither strong nor fertile.
In a 2012 interview with Smithsonian, Matt Groening said, “I took that name from a minor character in the novel The Day of the Locust, by Nathanael West. Since Homer was my father’s name, and I thought Simpson was a funny name in that it had the word ‘simp’ in it, which is short for ‘simpleton’ — I just went with it.”
it is ALIVE
Mar. 23rd, 2026 12:18 amesteefeeThanks to squidgiepdx for the reminder to post that I exist. I was laid off back in early October of last year, which both sucked and was expected -- I was never going to obey the Return to Work directive because I'm disabled, but I was prepared to sue them if they just up and fired me because of it. As it turned out, though, they let go 15% of the company due to "strategic shifts to higher-margin areas such as custom AI chip design." lol. The severance package was really sweet, so I just went with it. I'm still scoring off their free insurance through the end of the month.
It feels weird to be coasting along while the world burns. I am protesting, writing letters, and donating where I can. I'm enjoying doing volunteer work at a food pantry and babysitting for my grand-niece: she just turned 7 months and she's painfully cute and mischievous; so alert and constantly needing enrichment because she despises being bored. She has my outsized big toe.
I'm struggling with my migraines in the heat, but back at pottery and crocheting.
Today, Rocket locked herself out of the apartment in the hallway for a couple of hours and I spent the rest of the day coddling her and giving her treats and snuggles.
Anyway, that's me. How's you? Please give me the goods.
squidgiepdx for the reminder to post that I exist. I was laid off back in early October of last year, which both sucked and was expected -- I was never going to obey the Return to Work directive because I'm disabled, but I was prepared to sue them if they just up and fired me because of it. As it turned out, though, they let go 15% of the company due to "strategic shifts to higher-margin areas such as custom AI chip design." lol. The severance package was really sweet, so I just went with it. I'm still scoring off their free insurance through the end of the month. It feels weird to be coasting along while the world burns. I am protesting, writing letters, and donating where I can. I'm enjoying doing volunteer work at a food pantry and babysitting for my grand-niece: she just turned 7 months and she's painfully cute and mischievous; so alert and constantly needing enrichment because she despises being bored. She has my outsized big toe.
I'm struggling with my migraines in the heat, but back at pottery and crocheting.
Today, Rocket locked herself out of the apartment in the hallway for a couple of hours and I spent the rest of the day coddling her and giving her treats and snuggles.
Anyway, that's me. How's you? Please give me the goods.
