I followed a link over to ![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dreamersdare who has created a February 'Stuff I love' challenge to remind us--in this darkest part of the year--that there are still things to enjoy.
And how does this challenge work?
Each week in February, you are challenged to write a themed top ten list, with a focus on different aspects of media.
Week 1 (February 1st-7th): Standalone media (e.g. films, novels, short stories, plays) Week 2 (February 8th-14th): Series (e.g. TV shows, webtoons, comics, web serials) Week 3 (February 15th-21st): Music picks (e.g. bands, artists, songs, music videos) Week 4 (February 22nd-28th): Relationships in our media (e.g. platonic, shippy, familial, canon, fannish)
As it's the 5th of February today, I have a list of standalone media, not listed in order of importance because largely they are all equal in my estimation:
Bladerunner (the original and best.) So atmospheric and dreamy. Went into it expecting to love Harrison Ford's character (because Han Solo was the best,) came out of it with a new blorbo in the shape of Roy Batty, and a new background for the next five years of my life in the shape of that Vangelis music.
Oh blimey, speaking of plays, there was one play that became a hyperfixation for me before I knew the term hyperfixation, and that was an adaptation of Riddley Walker which was on at the Royal Exchange theatre in Manchester when I was a student there. I absolutely adored the made-up futuristic dialog of the play--which is set in a post-apocalyptic England that has reverted to savagery. Just gorgeous language - I mean choppy, brutalist, but so new and vital. I would love to see it again some time.
Speaking of old, pre-fandom blorbos, I loved Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence largely because in those days (1980s and before) it was vanishingly rare to get any queer content, and MCML was about the obsessive/destructive attraction between a captive in a Japanese POW camp (played by David Bowie) and his captor (played by Riuichi Sakamoto.) There was lots of yearning! But there was also an amazing soundtrack by Riuichi Sakamoto's band the Yellow Magic Orchestra, and that was another big part of the soundscape of my youth.
Murderbot--All Systems Red. Enough said. Actually no, I do have something to say. I didn't know there was a word for what I was (asexual/agender/aromantic) until I was in my mid 40s. I had never seen or even conceived of anyone like myself, and I fixated hard on robots and also on other queer people. I recognized my community without knowing why I belonged there. Murderbot combines my love of robots with a character who actually gets what it's like to prefer to be what you are. It is the ace representation I didn't know I needed.
Stargate (the movie.) Ancient Egyptians in space? What more do you need. I have a strong love for things that are alien to my own experience, so obviously I was primed to love the villains in this, and that was only cemented by the fact that Ra was so beautiful, Anubis was so handsome, and they had that (Hollywood thinks it's villainous) homoerotic tension between them. Chef's kiss.
The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula LeGuin. I'm sure I've talked about this one before. Gorgeous language. Representation of a whole planet where the people are asexual like 90% of the time. Obviously the narrator thinks this is weird, but Genly Ai is a moron, and Therem Harth Rem ir Estraven was a childhood blorbo who I still hug to my heart today.
Pirates of the Caribbean (the first movie only.) The movie that launched a thousand fics, and accidentally also launched my professional writing career. I deeply loved Commodore Norrington and as a result I began to research the Age of Sail in 18th Century England. And as a result of that I wrote my first book and got it published. The later movies spoiled this franchise for me but I owe it so much.
Lord of the Rings (the book.) Shaped my life. Taught me my morality. Formed my writerly voice and taught me how to describe things. I can't over-emphasise how much this is a load bearing pillar of my personality.
The Time Bandits. Another one from my youth. Some of God's dwarven helpers steal the map to all the holes in creation and use them to travel in time stealing valuable things. By accident they also drag a young boy from his bedroom and drag him through time and mythology in a series of whacky adventures. Apart from the truly amazing best giant ever, the thing that stuck with me with this one was the depiction of ancient Greece, which turned it back into a proper ancient culture to me, as opposed to the usual Hollywood depictions.
Forerunner Foray by Andre Norton I mentioned my enchantment with things that are alien to me, and this is so alien. It was formative in shaping what I hope for from science fiction, even though what it actually deals with is being possessed by ancient things and cultures. I just love the weird things.
This year I'm doing Community Thursdays. Some of my activity will involve maintaining communities I run, and my favorites. Some will involve checking my list of subscriptions and posting in lower-traffic ones. Today I have interacted with the following communities...
* Posted "What Are Couple Goals And How Do We Achieve Them?" in![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
goals_on_dw.
* Posted "Sighting a Siberian Superstar: Local birder secures rare red-flanked bluetail for life list" inbirdfeeding.
* Commented inawesomeers.
* Posted "What Are Couple Goals And How Do We Achieve Them?" in
goals_on_dw.* Posted "Sighting a Siberian Superstar: Local birder secures rare red-flanked bluetail for life list" in
birdfeeding.* Commented in
awesomeers.
The war on grass is in full swing. At the moment I'm winning. Saw a vole scuttle away when I picked up a piece of plastic that had blown off the compost heap. That led to lots of grass removal in the area to make it a less attractive habitat.
The State of California requires us to report how much water we "divert" from our spring/stream/well and store in our tanks/ponds/whatever. It is a Huge PITA. This year was worse than most. This year they moved to a new computer program. I get really anxious about such reports so of course I was one of the people for whom the new system did not work. Today a very nice fellow named Scott, with a very calming voice called and between us, and the programmers I finally got my report done. Whew!
Tomorrow I'm off for Fort Bragg to have Richard work on my back. Can't wait, I always feel so much better afterward! I get two trips this month, next week Donald will be here and we will go over together. Speaking of Donald, he is currently on his way back from a couple of weeks in Australia where it is HOT.
I realized today that I need to build a little platform before this my Obstacle Practice weekend (this weekend). I have a 4' x 8' sheet of 1/2 inch plywood, used. I think I can cut it in two, stack the two pieces together for strength and build a frame for it fairly quickly.
The State of California requires us to report how much water we "divert" from our spring/stream/well and store in our tanks/ponds/whatever. It is a Huge PITA. This year was worse than most. This year they moved to a new computer program. I get really anxious about such reports so of course I was one of the people for whom the new system did not work. Today a very nice fellow named Scott, with a very calming voice called and between us, and the programmers I finally got my report done. Whew!
Tomorrow I'm off for Fort Bragg to have Richard work on my back. Can't wait, I always feel so much better afterward! I get two trips this month, next week Donald will be here and we will go over together. Speaking of Donald, he is currently on his way back from a couple of weeks in Australia where it is HOT.
I realized today that I need to build a little platform before this my Obstacle Practice weekend (this weekend). I have a 4' x 8' sheet of 1/2 inch plywood, used. I think I can cut it in two, stack the two pieces together for strength and build a frame for it fairly quickly.
Nearly forgot Wip Wednesday!
I've got a couple of new people around since last time, I think, so as a refresher: Give me a word and I'll try to find it in my wips. If I do find it, I post an excerpt that includes it. If I don't find it (or if I do but the whim takes me), I have to write something using it-- but that something has to be part of a current wip, not something entirely new.
Last week, I got "reverse" as a prompt. I had sort of intended to write something to continue the last wip I posted but never got around to it. I do have one wip that uses it, though, so here's that excerpt:
( Read more... )
I've got a couple of new people around since last time, I think, so as a refresher: Give me a word and I'll try to find it in my wips. If I do find it, I post an excerpt that includes it. If I don't find it (or if I do but the whim takes me), I have to write something using it-- but that something has to be part of a current wip, not something entirely new.
Last week, I got "reverse" as a prompt. I had sort of intended to write something to continue the last wip I posted but never got around to it. I do have one wip that uses it, though, so here's that excerpt:
( Read more... )
Well, I was still nauseated when I woke up, enough so that I ended up calling out. I don't love to lose the PTO, especially with the weather situation still kinda touch and go, but I figured better safe than sorry. It's definitely just sinuses but if I ended up puking, which I felt at the time like I might, they only would've sent me home anyway. At least this I saved the cost of rides back and forth for the day.
Oh, yeah, did I tell you guys that I forgot to switch my default payment method for my ride apps, so I was overdrawing my account at least once a day for over a week? Over three hundred dollars in overdraft fees alone. Not a great look for me. I'm almost-- almost-- glad the weather stopped me from going out and potentially spending even more.
Oh, yeah, did I tell you guys that I forgot to switch my default payment method for my ride apps, so I was overdrawing my account at least once a day for over a week? Over three hundred dollars in overdraft fees alone. Not a great look for me. I'm almost-- almost-- glad the weather stopped me from going out and potentially spending even more.
I woke up around 4:00 this morning and couldn't get back to sleep, so went for a social media scroll. I got some absolutely tragic and painful news.
A friend of mine, Mark, died yesterday. I'm still struggling to wrap my head around it.
Alex and I met Mark back in, I think, 2011 (possibly 2010). His band Synapse was opening for Faderhead. We really liked them as the openers, and then ended up chatting with him and the other members of the band for a while after the show.
After that, we made it a point to try and see Synapse as often as we could. One time we even drove all the way up to Steamboat Springs and back to be moral support for a night, because they were booked for a show in a venue that didn't seem like the right type of place, ha.
Here's Alex, Mark, and me. We were wearing our Synapse shirts.
We also hung out frequently at the various goth nights, back in our clubbing days. Eventually we hung out at his house a few times, sometimes as part of a larger party, sometimes just us.
A few years later Synapse broke up, and Mark started up a new project: Voicecoil. We've been to a lot of Voicecoil shows. He also had a side project, Gravity Corps, though we never saw him perform as that project. (I know that he had a previous project as well, Machinegun Symphony, though that project was over by the time we met.)
We were excited to see him as part of an upcoming festival in May, and he seemed excited, too. I'm beyond gutted that it simply... won't happen. We're not going to see him. As many, many times as we went out to see him perform, and as many times as we hung out outside of that... I wish we got to do it again.
Mark was always kind to us, and to so many others on the scene. He was well-known and popular, but he always made us feel like he wanted to spend time with us. He always asked about how we were doing, remembered the things we specifically cared about. Even on show nights, when he was often in high demand, he made time to sit and chat with us, often for long stretches of time. Even at his album release party in 2022, he spent nearly an hour with us. The last time we saw him in person was last May, when he opened for Beborn Beton. It was a great show, and catching up with him beforehand was one of the best parts of the night.
Alex, Mark, and me again. This was either a late Synapse show or an early Voicecoil one.
Today, his Facebook is full of other people saying the same things that I remember most. That he always made so much time to talk to and spend time with so many people, to make sure they were doing all right, taking a genuine interest in them. He mentored our friend Jake in his music. He was always, always so encouraging to other artists.
He had a rough several years. Recently, I know he felt very betrayed by someone... He refused to name names, but someone he'd thought was a friend that he trusted turned out to be saying some extremely cruel and awful things to and about him. Mark was almost completely blind (could see things from one eye within about an inch of his face, and otherwise just faint light and dark, as I understand it.) Apparently this person was being absolutely awful about his disability, and it very clearly bothered him in a way that he was rarely willing to express.
His very long-term partner and he broke up a couple years ago.
Most significantly, a few years ago he lost a different partner to a sudden accidental death. He absolutely never got over that loss. Her birthday would have been on Monday, which was the last thing he posted about, and I think that may be what led to him leaving us.
I'm heartbroken, and still struggling to feel adjusted to him not being here anymore.
A friend of mine, Mark, died yesterday. I'm still struggling to wrap my head around it.
Alex and I met Mark back in, I think, 2011 (possibly 2010). His band Synapse was opening for Faderhead. We really liked them as the openers, and then ended up chatting with him and the other members of the band for a while after the show.
After that, we made it a point to try and see Synapse as often as we could. One time we even drove all the way up to Steamboat Springs and back to be moral support for a night, because they were booked for a show in a venue that didn't seem like the right type of place, ha.
Here's Alex, Mark, and me. We were wearing our Synapse shirts.
We also hung out frequently at the various goth nights, back in our clubbing days. Eventually we hung out at his house a few times, sometimes as part of a larger party, sometimes just us.
A few years later Synapse broke up, and Mark started up a new project: Voicecoil. We've been to a lot of Voicecoil shows. He also had a side project, Gravity Corps, though we never saw him perform as that project. (I know that he had a previous project as well, Machinegun Symphony, though that project was over by the time we met.)
We were excited to see him as part of an upcoming festival in May, and he seemed excited, too. I'm beyond gutted that it simply... won't happen. We're not going to see him. As many, many times as we went out to see him perform, and as many times as we hung out outside of that... I wish we got to do it again.
Mark was always kind to us, and to so many others on the scene. He was well-known and popular, but he always made us feel like he wanted to spend time with us. He always asked about how we were doing, remembered the things we specifically cared about. Even on show nights, when he was often in high demand, he made time to sit and chat with us, often for long stretches of time. Even at his album release party in 2022, he spent nearly an hour with us. The last time we saw him in person was last May, when he opened for Beborn Beton. It was a great show, and catching up with him beforehand was one of the best parts of the night.
Alex, Mark, and me again. This was either a late Synapse show or an early Voicecoil one.
Today, his Facebook is full of other people saying the same things that I remember most. That he always made so much time to talk to and spend time with so many people, to make sure they were doing all right, taking a genuine interest in them. He mentored our friend Jake in his music. He was always, always so encouraging to other artists.
He had a rough several years. Recently, I know he felt very betrayed by someone... He refused to name names, but someone he'd thought was a friend that he trusted turned out to be saying some extremely cruel and awful things to and about him. Mark was almost completely blind (could see things from one eye within about an inch of his face, and otherwise just faint light and dark, as I understand it.) Apparently this person was being absolutely awful about his disability, and it very clearly bothered him in a way that he was rarely willing to express.
His very long-term partner and he broke up a couple years ago.
Most significantly, a few years ago he lost a different partner to a sudden accidental death. He absolutely never got over that loss. Her birthday would have been on Monday, which was the last thing he posted about, and I think that may be what led to him leaving us.
I'm heartbroken, and still struggling to feel adjusted to him not being here anymore.
What is the American red wolf?
The American red wolf is the world’s most endangered. This species is found only in the United States, and fewer than 20 remain in the wild. It is one of the most endangered mammals on Earth.
Now, an unprecedented partnership between universities, government agencies, and biotechnology companies is using the latest genetic tools to save this iconic predator from extinction. The effort represents a new model for how technology may reshape wildlife conservation in the decades ahead.
The American red wolf is the world’s most endangered. This species is found only in the United States, and fewer than 20 remain in the wild. It is one of the most endangered mammals on Earth.
Now, an unprecedented partnership between universities, government agencies, and biotechnology companies is using the latest genetic tools to save this iconic predator from extinction. The effort represents a new model for how technology may reshape wildlife conservation in the decades ahead.
Today is cloudy and cold.
I fed the birds. I've seen a large flock of sparrows, several cardinals, and a starling.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 2/426 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
EDIT 2/426 -- I did more work around the patio.
I am done for the night.
I fed the birds. I've seen a large flock of sparrows, several cardinals, and a starling.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 2/426 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
EDIT 2/426 -- I did more work around the patio.
I am done for the night.
Everyone needs contact comfort sometimes. Not everyone has ample opportunities for this in facetime. So here is a chance for a cuddle party in cyberspace. Virtual cuddling can help people feel better.
We have a cuddle room that comes with fort cushions, fort frames, sheets for draping, and a weighted blanket. A nest full of colorful egg pillows sits in one corner. There is a basket of grooming brushes, hairbrushes, and styling combs. A bin holds textured pillows. There is a big basket of craft supplies along with art markers, coloring pages, and blank paper. The kitchen has a popcorn machine. Labels are available to mark dietary needs, recipe ingredients, and level of spiciness. Here is the bathroom, open to everyone. There is a lawn tent and an outdoor hot tub. Bathers should post a sign for nude or clothed activity. Come snuggle up!
( Read more... )
We have a cuddle room that comes with fort cushions, fort frames, sheets for draping, and a weighted blanket. A nest full of colorful egg pillows sits in one corner. There is a basket of grooming brushes, hairbrushes, and styling combs. A bin holds textured pillows. There is a big basket of craft supplies along with art markers, coloring pages, and blank paper. The kitchen has a popcorn machine. Labels are available to mark dietary needs, recipe ingredients, and level of spiciness. Here is the bathroom, open to everyone. There is a lawn tent and an outdoor hot tub. Bathers should post a sign for nude or clothed activity. Come snuggle up!
( Read more... )
⌈ Secret Post #6970 ⌋
Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.
01.
( More! )
Notes:
Secrets Left to Post: 01 pages, 11 secrets from Secret Submission Post #995.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.
The Last Story: Never Taken for Granted [Challenge 487: Stars]
Feb. 4th, 2026 05:45 pmprecibyss posting in drabble_zoneTitle: Never Taken for Granted
Fandom: The Last Story
Characters/Pairing: Zael/Dagran
Rating: G
Summary: Zael has some thoughts about the life he's lucky to have fallen into.Timeline: Before the start of the game.
Challenge: #487: Stars
Never Taken for Granted
I went to North Berkeley today to get some fancy cheeses and baked goods for my birthday!
YouTube RPF: In My Way by INeverHadMyInternetPhase
Feb. 4th, 2026 04:32 pmsusieboo posting in fancakeFandom: YouTube RPF / Fantastic Foursome RPF
Pairings/Characters: Dan Howell / Phil Lester, PJ Liguori
Rating: Teen and Up
Content Notes: No AO3 warnings apply
Length: 147,120 words, 25 chapters
Creator Links: AO3 profile
Theme: Inept in Love, Enemies to Friends to Lovers
Summary: From AO3:
"Daniel Howell is 21 and Britain’s newest star. He’s just been cast in the much-anticipated film adaption of Last Man Standing, the popular teen fantasy novel with a huge fanbase hanging off his every tweet. In other words, Dan has made it big.
Phil Lester couldn’t care less. He’s a stressed out PHD student working part time at a bookshop while he struggles to get into post-production. He’s 26 and still lives in a tiny flat on the fifth floor of a building with a lift more broken than it is in use. He loves books, but he thinks big film adaptions screw with the plot too much.
Needless to say, Phil is less than impressed when Last Man Standing is getting filmed in his hometown. And he certainly doesn’t want anything to do with obnoxious, arrogant, so irritatingly perfect leading actor Daniel Howell."
Fanwork Links: AO3 link.
Mods, may we add a YouTube RPF tag, and/or a Phan tag please? 😊
FFA DW Post #2427 He wears a disguise to look like red-tailed guys, but he's not a hawk, he's a loon
Feb. 5th, 2026 09:03 amsunnymodffa posting in fail_fandomanonIn movies and TV shows whenever you hear a wolf howl, that’s actually a recording of a loon.
All that Shane moaning? Also a loon.
It's loons all the way down.
All the
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Hello to all members, passers-by, curious onlookers, and shy lurkers, and welcome to our regular daily check-in post. Just leave a comment below to let us know how your current projects are progressing, or even if they're not.
Checking in is NOT compulsory, check in as often or as seldom as you want, this community isn't about pressure it's about encouragement, motivation, and support. Crafting is meant to be fun, and what's more fun than sharing achievements and seeing the wonderful things everyone else is creating?
There may also occasionally be questions, but again you don't have to answer them, they're just a way of getting to know each other a bit better.
This Week's Question: What is your favourite thing to make?
If anyone has any questions of their own about the community, or suggestions for tags, questions to be asked on the check-in posts, or if anyone is interested in playing check-in host for a week here on the community, which would entail putting up the daily check-in posts and responding to comments, go to the Questions & Suggestions post and leave a comment.
I now declare this Check-In OPEN!
