little_details | Member Posts

Firefly species discovered after 90-year absence: 'Even when things seem lost, they can still find their way back'

Tan soon realized that he was looking at a Pteroptyx gombakia, or a Gombak bent-winged firefly. The discovery marked the first time that the species had been identified in 90 years — and the first live sighting of the species, ever.

Yay, fireflies!

Current Mood: busy

shadowkat

Somewhat sleep deprived, but hanging in there?

I'm still in a reading slump. It may be somewhat affected by the amount of technical information I have to read at work daily on a computer screen. Very dry technical and legal information. Things like how many cubic yards of Permeable low-density cellular concrete (PLDCC) is required for a job, and what a credit should be in cost savings for not installing that many cubic yards. Add to that contractual information, which is a lot less interesting than the technical data, not to mention editing financial documentation and legal documentation.

Yeah, that may have an effect. And it probably explains why I am doing lots of fantasy audio books. Finished Crooked Kingdom - the sequel to "Six of Crows", which was a long, but ultimately satisfying conclusion to Six of Crows. I kind of fell for Kaz Brekker and Inej. The others, I was ambivalent about. Similar to the television series Shadow and Bone, actually. Although I think it would have been better if it had just focused on the Crows. The audio book works because it has different narrators for each characters perspective in the books, of which there are eight, two villains. Some are better than others - the Inej narrator is by far the best, and I kind of wish they were reading Kaz's pov instead of the guy reading Kaz's.

Struggled to find something to follow it with. Tried Peter Watts Blindside, a sci-fi novel about a group of oddities who are sent into space to confront an alien presence. Part philosophy, part morality, part hard sci-fi. It was dirt cheap, but also hard to listen to. The Narrator is good, but it's not holding my attention. Nor did Susannah Clark's follow up her popular novel, Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrel (which I also tried to read, gave up on, and watched the mini-series instead), Piransi. What is it about? I have no idea, I gave up after two chapters. Here's what I found on Google: ( Read more... ) Which I guess explains why I gave up on it? My brain has no room for it.

Finally decided on Graphic Audio Dramatization of another of the Kate Daniels novels, which basically have an entire cast - it's like listening to a radio play of your favorite books. And I've forgotten most of the story by now, so...

These are rather cheap - just cost me $9.99 a month. Because I have a subscription and with that you get a credit each month, and I had about five credits. So, I have about fifty books to listen to, plus free podcasts, etc.

Am plodding my way through Remarkable Creatures - I don't get why people recommended it as delightful and funny, and a happy book? Right now, it's very depressing, no one is happy, all the characters are trapped, frustrated, angry and lonely, and it just keeps jumping points of view. I thought it would just be two points of view? But noooo, it's about four to date. It may be more. Each time I think it's done with character pov, it adds another one. (Reminds me of Eternity Station in that respect, also GRR Martin). And outside of Tova and the octopus, I'm not really interested in them, and want to go back to Tova and the octopus. I've decided that maybe Cameron is Tova's missing son, but that doesn't quite work, so maybe not.
Look, I don't need to read a book - to get frustrated, trapped, angry and lonely...or mundane. Escapism it's not. We'll see how long I stick with this.

I'd read the Faire Folk book - but it's bigger, and not an e-book, so not conducive to reading on subways.

tiggymalvern

I was away for five days, two of which were the weekend, but work continued for some of them. We now have all the beams in place and lumber between them - the shoring is basically complete! So now the massive drill and crane have been removed (improving access immensely) and the true process of excavation has begun...

There will be a post on my long weekend away when I have photos organised :-)

Current Mood: impressed

stepnix

One of my weaknesses here is that it's going to be really hard for me to tell how much of the book is weird because it's trying to be Vampire, and how much is it because it's just a weird book. But I persevere.

( Read more... )

isis

What I've recently finished reading:

Heartstone by C. J. Sansom, the fifth Shardlake book. Looking back at my reviews, I think the author must have got his feet under him better as he went on, or else he just shifted to things more to my taste, because I had said the fourth was my favorite so far, but I think I liked this one even better! This story is set mostly distant from court intrigue, though it comes in at the end; Matthew is given a legal case by Queen Catherine Parr, and it intertwines with his own interest in the situation that led to Ellen Fettiplace's commitment to Bedlam. I'm not going to mention my favorite thing about this book, because it is a spoiler, but - this book contains one of my favorite things. :-) Also I like the way the various plots and sub-plots wind around each other: the legal case, Ellen's history, Barak's relationship with his wife Tamasin (complicated by her pregnancy), Matthew's problematic new steward. Okay, I lied, this book contains two of my favorite things, and the other one is a fascinating and detailed endnote about the real historical events that this book is built around. I loved this in Bernard Cornwell's Last Kingdom books, and I love it here.

The Maid and the Crocodile by Jordan Ifueko, which is related to the Raybearer series, and which several people in my circle read and enjoyed, so I got it from the library despite my having been disappointed in the series. And as the other reviews said, it was rather heavy-handed issuefic (so was the Raybearer series), but also had clever worldbuilding, charming characters and, I thought, better pacing than the series. (Also was in past rather than present tense, which I prefer.) However, will someone please tell Ifueko that "monotone" is NOT A SPEECH VERB DAMN IT?!?!

What I'm watching now:

We've got three episodes left to go of Andor S2, and gosh isn't it ironic to be watching

Spoiler you can probably guess if you have seen the show

a manufactured riot as pretext for government crackdown while a riot is being manufactured as pretext for government crackdown

I did read the interview with the showrunner about how no, he wasn't inspired by current events (that is, recent events, obviously the show was written well before current events!) but it's definitely inspired by historical fascist governments and fights against them, and wow, we are just proving that what goes around comes around, that human foibles are universal, etc etc, but still, holy shit, right? Yeah.

But as I have said before, this is the wonderful thing about SF, that it can recast real issues in ways that make them easier to understand than when you are right in the middle of them argh.

linky

( You're about to view content that the journal owner has marked as possibly inappropriate for anyone under the age of 18. )

Current Mood: hot
Current Music: 仮面ライダーガッチャードメインテーマ

olivermoss

* Salt Magic, Skin Magic by Lee Welch - It was cute! I did not guess where it was going, but once it got there it made a lot of sense. And then thinking back on other details from the book, that all clicked. There are a few moments where I wasn't sure which POV that bit was in, but that's okay.

* I am soft-DNFing Per Sanguem by Ashlyn Drewek. I do want to get back to it, but I am drowning in books and series I am trying to finish and also want to be more on top of my bookclub reads. Part of why I've put it down is that some bits read like editorial notes were left in? (I don't think they are ChatGPT prompts, tho authors putting books with their prompts hanging out has been going around.)

linky

( You're about to view content that the journal owner has marked as possibly inappropriate for anyone under the age of 18. )

Current Mood: chipper

kick_back_80s

Title: haven't been home lately (why keep a room?)
Rating: Explicit
Fandom: Justified
Relationship: Raylan Givens/Tim Gutterson
Additional Tags: Masturbation, Getting Together, coworkers with benefits, Blow Jobs, Anal Sex

Summary:
Thoughts circling like the fan blades, Tim comes back to the same frustrating reality. He's been working with Raylan for months now, and each infuriating habit is growing increasingly endearing. The way Raylan carries himself doesn't help, and when Tim's eyes close, Raylan's swagger plays on repeat against Tim's eyelids.

"Stupid cowboy," Tim mutters, although there's no one around to overhear — he's not back in the barracks, isn't trying to keep quiet in a hostile household.

A/N: For Unconventional Courtship. The Harlequin Romance I picked was Never Tempt A Lawman by Lauri Robinson

Book Summary

Western Kansas, 1866

Steady, wealthy and oh-so-safe—that's the kind of husband Bess Trundale wants. Someone like the local banker's son. Someone unlike Sheriff Kirk Landers. The lawman's confident swagger gets right under her skin…and into her fantasies. And though she's tried to ignore the chemistry surging between them, one night is about to change everything.

Kirk isn't planning on being anyone's husband ever again. But months of living under the same boardinghouse roof as quick-witted, feisty Bess have stirred desires he can't ignore. Together they could put their pasts to rest and claim a bold, passionate future—if he can tempt her to break all the rules with him….

( Read more... )

elf

I have been reading the TTRPG space on bluesky.

1) Everything is commercial. Soooo much "buy my thing." You might think there'd be a mix of "buy my thing" and "hey come watch/listen to our playthroughs" but no. It's all "buy my thing."

2) It's really, really hard to avoid D&D and Pathfinder.

3) I had managed to forget how wank in TTRPG spaces goes down. It's never just "D&D has taken over the hobby and that sucks." It has to include "people who play D&D are stupid/cowards/wimps/conformist shills." Possibly with a side of, "if people were paying attention to what's good, they would buy my thing..."

(I do not like D&D. I do not play D&D. I have thought many negative things about D&D, and about D&D evangelists. I have never thought the only reason people play D&D was because they were too stupid to look at other game systems. I am damn well aware there is a ton of inertia involved, plus the hassle of convincing your entire gaming group to try something different.)

4) We don't have any shared vocabulary and this is a problem. Or rather: We have some words - crunchy, rules-lite, narrative game, OSR, "role-play vs roll-play," meta-gaming, RAW, probably a few more - but we have zero agreement on what they actually mean, on which games or play styles fall under which term.

5) Unlike the fanfic communities, there has been no serious meta looking into what's changed when a former on-paper hobby went digital. There are blog posts and such, but they're scattered as hell. And 2/3 of the discussion is weird hand-wringing about what people will or won't buy, not about how the hobby itself changes when the rules are on a screen rather than paper.

+1) If there are discussion groups about TTRPGs-as-a-fandom, I can't find them. Dammit.

+2) Don't get me started on the gleeblor.

magid

I re-upped with Stone Soup Farm; they’ve got good quality veggies, and while sometimes I wish they grew a wider variety of things, it can be useful to have enough to use in more than one recipe.

2 bunches of green curly kale
2 bunches of broccolini
2 heads of lettuce (I chose red leaf varieties over green leaf; I don’t know why those almost always call me louder, but they do)
1 pound of spinach (huge leaves: this is for cooking, not salad)
1 pound of mixed salad greens (that might be ok to wilt into something towards the end of cooking)
1 pound of garlic scapes

First thoughts: some kind of vegan saag using the spinach and some pureed garlic scalpes (perhaps some kale?) with tofu. Kale salad with lemon-tahini dressing and sunflower seeds (iron building salad). Stir-fried broccolini with onions, mushrooms, and tofu over rice (it feels so strange to wish I had carrots!). Green salad with tuna and a variety of pickles, plus some cucumber and tomatoes. Garlic scape puree for later use.

stonepicnicking_okapi

This Wednesday's word is brought to you via new DW friend

daryl_wor:

skookum

A lot of different definitions:

adjective

1. marked by strength or power
2. marked by excellent quality, first-rate
3. reliable or hard-working.

noun

1. an evil spirit or a woodland monster

origins

Chinook Jargon. Chinook Jargon developed as a language among Indigenous peoples and European traders in the Pacific Northwest (of the US), particularly around the Columbia River. It emerged in the late 18th century, primarily as a means of communication in trade, and incorporated elements from various languages, including Chinook, French, and English.

sineala

What I Just Finished Reading

Nothing! Still trying to get fic written.

What I'm Reading Now

Comics Wednesday!

( Marvel United #1, New Avengers #1, One World Under Doom #5, Ultimate Black Panther #17, Ultimate X-Men #16 )

What I'm Reading Next

Who knows? I have a stupid migraine again. Great.

Current Mood: annoyed

phosfate

https://linktr.ee/annlairms

And started a Patreon, which is free. Come visit the deeply stupid TOS stickers.

Current Mood: anxious
Current Location: cubetown
Current Music: johnny hallyday in head

olivermoss

I was taking the bus over to Bingen when I saw the words 'Report Paranormal Sightings Here' out of the window. I immediately started tracking where it was in relation to where I was staying, and as luck would have it the bus loop back around and my stop was just two blocks up the slope from it.

There is a laptop on the table to type in your reports there. Also love the sign with info on the reports and the... everything.

I've never heard of the Klickitat Ape Cat and I'd be 0% surprised if they made it up themselves to add some extra flavor to the area, but I don't care. I believe in the Klickitat Ape Cat.

The place is an outdoors store, which is basically a convenience store with goods meant for people hiking or climbing in the area. They carry trail food, pack soap, etc. Theirs was also a paranormal center and pot shop. Perfect, 10/10, no notes. My 'if I win the lottery' dream has long been to open an outdoors store, but I never considered adding paranormal center into my business plan. Their actual reality outshines my dream plans.

So far I'd stayed at a perfectly maintained mid-century sprawl and a semi-basement that felt like an obscure form of punishment. And the third and final place is...

Bougie Capsule Hotel. Or you consider it like a hostel, but hostels typically operate under special rules and have exceptions to the rules hotels and inns have to follow. This had none of that stuff, so I tended to not think of it as more capsule vibes.

Way more my speed. I stayed where because my train was super early and this was right by the station and I've always wanted to stay here for a night. I thought an upscale capsule/hostel seemed amusing. I had a great time. Jury is out if I'd do it again because the bunk area is pretty packed. Things went well, but it's a risk. One couple there had a crock pot and was making a spicy bean soup and also had the door propped open to keep the smell down, but that meant the bunk area was fully open to passersby. I wasn't stressed by it because the smell did dissipate and I kept my bag with me, but it's easy to see how easily one overly entitled person can wreck everyone's stay in the bunk area. Super glad I checked that place off my list.

There are normal rooms and even private cabins with hammocks. Also, a general hammock area:

White Salmon didn't go well, Bingen was amazing. Bingen delivered.

Then my return train was actually on time and I got back to Portland.

thispatternismine

Finally getting around to posting some of the many photos I took in this game.

( if its in b&w it's automatically art )

Current Mood: accomplished
Current Music: Iron Maiden - The Wicker Man

ysabetwordsmith

Today is sunny and warm.

I fed the birds. I've seen a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches. They've been draining the hopper feeder daily and putting a dent in the thistle feeder.

I put out water for the birds.

My partner Doug is out mowing the house yard.

EDIT 6/11/25 -- I refilled the thistle feeder.

I started trimming grass around the edge of the strip garden, now that I have the big weeds pulled out.

EDIT 6/11/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

EDIT 6/11/25 -- I took some pictures around the yard.

EDIT 6/11/25 -- I picked half a bag of mulberries in the south lot.

I've seen a skunk on the patio. I've seen a catbird and a phoebe. I heard a red-bellied woodpecker but didn't see it.

EDIT 6/11/25 -- I set up firestarters for the firepit.

I picked half a bag of mulberries along the west fence.

EDIT 6/11/25 -- We lit the bonfire for the esbat tonight. It took a little while to get going but then it burned pretty well. I'll try to check on it later.

Fireflies are out and I've seen a bat.

EDIT 6/11/25 -- I checked the bonfire. It's mostly burned down. I threw most of the stray ends into the middle, but it was still too warm for me to get all the way around. I'll need to go back out later.

.

Current Mood: busy

mekachu04

part of the illusive second chapter of the 'kid' pirates.

( Read more... )

mekachu04

Got some zoroxf!Killer postwano (idk man... the two just do what they want)

( Read more... )

gentlyepigrams

One of our little treats is ordering out every other Wednesday for lunch so we can avoid messing up the kitchen on the day the maid service is here. Usually we order from one of our staples in the area like Rodeo Goat, but today we tried The Empanada Cookhouse, which we've been thinking about for a while. (We miss Marini's Empanadas in Houston something fierce).

We got a six-pack of three different kinds: the Pork Tamarindo (sweet and spicy), the Pork Al Pastor, and the Beef Chimichurri. The beef was the weakest of the lot, which surprised me, but I just wasn't feeling the chimichurri, which wasn't the kind I like. I also ate it last and the Tamarindo and the Al Pastor were delicious. There were also some tots with cheese that didn't really survive the car trip and would have done better if we'd re-crisped them in an air fryer or something, and a Nutella sweet empanada for dessert that would have done better if I had warmed it. It was still really good though, and I don't think it needed a crisping, just a warming.

Verdict: it stays on the list, and I want to eat at the restaurant to get the empanadas warm and fresh. Based on my experience at Marini's back in the day, it does make a difference.

Current Music: Silence is golden.

Profile

Little Details

Navigation

June 2025

S	M	T	W	T	F	S
1	2	3	4	5	6	7
8	9	10	11	12	13	14
15	16	17	18	19	20	21
22	23	24	25	26	27	28
29	30

Page Summary

Style Credit

Style: Grayscale Light for Librarian's Dream by branchandroot

Expand Cut Tags

No cut tags

Page generated Jun. 12th, 2025 02:47 am

Little Details Members

Member Posts

Fireflies

Wednesday feels like doing a reading meme for the heck of it...

Garage Progress

WIR: The Everlasting (2)

wednesday reads and things

Fannish Fifty #31: 72 Multifandom questions part 4

Boooks

Chipping Away

Unconventional Courtship: [Justified] haven't been home lately (why keep a room?)

Five Things Make a Post, TTRPG edition

Farm share, week 1

Word: Skookum

Wednesday Reading Meme

I made a linktree

Overly Complicated Gorge Trip: Bingen

Horizon Zero Dawn - black & white

Birdfeeding

2025.06.11

2025.06.10

We ate from: The Empanada Cookhouse