Just wondering
Apr. 20th, 2026 11:33 pm
If you have the chance to drink from the Fountain of Youth, would you? Would you gulp or sip?

Were/Are you ever a fan of the $10,000 Pyramid? If not that game show, any other catch your fancy?

Space Exploration
Apr. 20th, 2026 06:22 pmAcross the northern lowlands, the terrain holds an unusually broad belt of flat ground far below Mars’ reference level.
Tracing that belt across the planet, Abdallah S. Zaki at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), linked it to the kind of coastal margin oceans leave behind on Earth.
Rather than preserving one sharp edge, that ancient coast seems to have survived as a wide zone built and reshaped over long stretches of time.
boost: Hand-drawn Digital Artwork
Apr. 20th, 2026 05:50 pmMy favorite Apple-oriented publication celebrates 36 years and 1800 issues this month. Their well-moderated forum talk.tidbits.com provides excellent tech support for thorny issues. This week I learned about a super-cool article for us old graphic geeks:
How a poster that morphed Hokusai’s Great Wave into The Wave of the Future, showing its original woodblock changing into bitmaps then raytracing was actually created by hand, because in 1981 it would have been too expensive to do it digitally.
fic: Why's she acting so strange?
Apr. 20th, 2026 05:35 pmOriginal Upload Date: 27 Oct 2019, to Ao3
Fandom: Beetlejuice (The Musical)
Character(s): Barbara Maitland, Delia Deetz, and the rest of the cast
Relationship(s): Barbara Maitland & Delia Deetz
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,758
Quick Notes: Past Miscarriage, Angst, Post-Canon, Pregnancy, Friendship. These tags make it sound like an entirely different kind of fic lmao.
Summary: In which Delia announces she is, in fact, pregnant, and Barbara reacts in a way no one was expecting her to. How will the two friends make up, and how much does Delia actually know about her closest (dead) friend?
( Chapter 1: Tuesday Night-The Big Reveal )
There is no chapter summary for chapter 1.
( Chapter 2: A weight off her shoulders )
Chapter summary: Barbara gives Delia a gift she wasn't expecting, and nearly has a breakdown during the entire process.
Reading Monday #1
Apr. 20th, 2026 04:22 pm1. What have you recently finished reading?
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin. It's a middle-grade fiction book based on Chinese mythology about a girl, Minli, who goes on a quest to bring fortune to her poor family. It was an incredibly lovely read!
2. What are you currently reading?
Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton. It's for the book club I attend at Library F! I've had it on my TBR for a while, anyway, so this is a win-win. I'm about 80 pages into it--the grandkids just arrived on the island.
3. What will you be reading next?
Circe by Madeline Miller. This is for the local High School's book club that I, as an employee of Library F, attend to... I guess represent the local library? I'm actually not entirely sure. The woman who used to do what I'm doing left Library F to pursue other things--mostly so she could get a better paying job. I've since taken over this one duty of hers. She still drops into the library every now and again!
Suicide Run by Salchat (T)
Apr. 20th, 2026 09:50 pmRec Category: John/Rodney
Characters: John Sheppard, Rodney McKay
Pairings: John Sheppard/Rodney McKay
Categories: friends to lovers, angst with a happy ending
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Words: 5,465
Author's Journal:
Author's Website: Salchat on AO3
Link Fic: Suicide Run
Author's summary: John decides it's now or never - he has to confront Rodney about how he feels, before his friend leaves Atlantis to begin a new life with Jennifer. But his big confession is more disastrous than even John expected...
Why This Must Be Read: This fic by the awesome Salchat is beautifully written, with such an artist’s eye for detail and description. The way she shows the emotional turmoil of both, seen through each other’s eyes, is incredible—painful and glorious in equal measure. It’s an emotional masterpiece, a journey through hell and back for both Rodney and John, but with the best possible outcome: finding the love of their lives.
( snippet of fic )
🔗 Links of interest
Apr. 20th, 2026 02:26 pm
[Fanfic] [Dragon Age | Cullrian]] Darkness Peering - AU where Cullen gets sent to the worst place possible, Tevinter, after Kinloch Hold and meets Dorian, who is struggling with the fact that he's a Dreamer. I love the fresh ideas in this and the pacing was just right.
A Reader’s Guide to the Omegaverse - Most people in fandom already know what they need to but this article does link to books I didn't know about in the genre.
A Guide to DYNAMIC CHORD: The Rise and Fall (and its Resurgence) - One I was always curious about and know I know. I didn't realize it was linked to otome games for one. It has the same art as A3!
The Evolution of “Boys’ Love” Culture: Can BL Spark Social Change? (Drama)
2015-2019: A Fandom Culture Metamorphosisthey claim it will ricochet through my life
Apr. 20th, 2026 02:52 pmIn some cases, the choice is easy (I still have not forgiven the Kings for 2012 and I have a fondness for the Avs; I root for Dallas because of
Overall, I would like to see Buffalo win it all, and I enjoyed their game, but if it has to be a Canadian team, at this point, I would pick Montreal over Ottawa (disqualified due to Brady Tkachuk) or Edmonton (ugh, McDavid's vibes are rancid, imo). At least I like Martin St. Louis, and their kids seem fun and their game was also entertaining.
And as I said on bsky last night, Henrik Lundqvist looked like an ANGEL in his silver suit. He just gets more handsome every time I see him. *dreamy sigh*
Anyway!
Today's poem:
White Noise
by Alice Pettway
I ordered silence online,
from the makers
of that robot vacuum,
the one that terrifies cats.
They claim it will ricochet
through my life, siphoning
the mewling of the computer
in its dark cubby, the shiver
of leaves, even the snap of fish beaks
against coral, the air conditioner
accelerating endlessly
around its distant track.
I asked customer support
if there was an attachment
to suck the cacophony
out of my head. For this,
I said, I would pay extra,
whatever they asked, really.
No response came.
I lay on the rug. The machine
ran along my legs, the side
of my face. I imagined
as loudly as possible, waiting
for the indicator to switch on,
for the whir and pinch of suction.
The room is quiet now.
Even the stuffing in the couch
does not exhale beneath my weight.
*
Half-Price Sale in Polychrome Heroics
Apr. 20th, 2026 01:40 pmThis week, the poetry of Polychrome Heroics is on sale for half price from Monday, April 20 through Sunday, April 26. This series is superhero fantasy. It features themes of heroism, coming of age, diversity, identity kink, family of choice, friendship, and cultural engineering. Sale prices range from $5 to $319, so hopefully there will be something for everyone.
Prices on open epics are locked at the time of opening; however, if anyone wants to donate to open epics and buy poetry, spending $100 will get you the quarter-price rate on the new poems, regardless of the rate on the open epic(s) you support. There are no open epics at present, so you may open one if you wish.
We are repeating the special discount for purchases of $100 or more, in which you get poetry at 25% of its original price instead of 50%. (Note that this increases the amount of poetry you get, rather than reducing the amount of money spent; the point is to get this stuff off of my desk. Yes, I can afford it.) That size of donation also makes you a k-fan which comes with some other perks, like a year-end collection of a poetic series. If several folks want to bundle their orders to make the $100 threshold and have one person send it all, that's okay; you'll get the discount and I'll list all your names as donors, but you'll have to decide amongst you who gets the k-fan credit. If you host a pool, please close it the day before the sale closes, so you have time to collect funds and turn them in on time.
Some of the poems are in sequence of related action, so in places there are prerequisites before a poem can be published. They can be sponsored at any time, just might have to wait for publication until something else gets posted first. Those are marked accordingly. I have also made lists of poems which unlock sequels, and poems which have prerequisites.
Linkback perk: The following poems have verses left to reveal. Boost the signal for this half-price sale and tell me which poem you want to extend.
"A Sense of Weather Changes"
"The Loving Embrace of Night"
"Generations of Cooks Past"
"Homefree and Clear "
"One Bite at a Time"
"Mishpocha"
"Changing Your Nature"
"Besa"
About characters and storylines: The storylines feature multiple characters, so if you want poems about ONE specific character, look closely. The thumbnail descriptions here give some indication who features in each poem. The storyline pages are adding precise, complete information about which characters appear in each poem. If you need more than what's already visible, you can ask me.
About timing: If you want maximum choice, shop early. We usually send a batch of things to my father near the end of a sale, and those poems will be posted as I have time.
About pools: Yes, you can combine your funds with other prompters to get the quarter-price rate. Yes, you can combine your funds with other prompters to buy a bigger poem. Yes, you can offer to match donations by other people. However, the wordsmith is not also a math whiz! After several attempts to find a way that I can work with pools and matches, I have concluded that this is over my head. (I did figure out how to avoid generating fractional pennies, though: all initial prices are now whole dollars, which means they cut evenly into halves and quarters.) So if you want to host a pool or a match, make a post for that in your blog or other venue, then comment here with what you're doing and include a link to wherever the discussion will be. You figure out the poems, you collect the funds, and when stuff is fully funded, you send me the money and the list of what it's for. Then I'll post the goodies. Please close the pool in time to collect donations by the end of the sale, so I can start posting pool poems no later than the day after the sale.
Before placing your order, please check this sale page to see what is still unsold! I will try to update the page as things sell, and it's likely to be the case that some poems will be marked SOLD before appearing in posts. People often buy things in batches, which means that selling gets ahead of posting. Also sometimes people ask for the same thing at the same time, so that not all overlaps are preventable. If you have alternate instructions in case you request something that has just sold, please include that in your message; otherwise I'll email you back and ask what you want to do.
Poems that unlock sequels: "Where You Find Light," "When You Learn to Read," "Your Emotional Abilities"
Poems that have prerequisites: "When You Learn to Read," "No Faster or Firmer Friendships," "A Beautiful Paradox"
FOR SALE
25 poems, $3,109 ÷ 2 = $1,554.50
prices from $5 to $319
THE BIG ONE (4 poems,
"Our Homemade Safety Nets"
Story Date: 2016-2017
Summary: Blainn never intended to stay in Mercedes -- or anywhere -- but it has turned out better than he expected.
364 lines,
These poems form a triptych, to be posted in order:
"Where You Find Light"
Story Date: Early June, 2016
Summary: Josué and Aidan set up a house for earthquake refugees, complete with books.
422 lines,
"When You Learn to Read"
Story Date: Monday, June 13, 2016
Summary: Josué reads aloud to refugee children.
286 lines,
"No Faster or Firmer Friendships"
Story Date: Monday, June 13, 2016
Summary: Josué and Maria-Vera read together.
515 lines,
KRAKEN (3 poems,
"The Frequent Passage from Hand to Hand"
Story Date: April 2002
Summary: Kraken appreciates BookCrossing.
56 lines, was $20, sale price $10
"Filled with Things You Don't Know"
Story Date: Tuesday, March 25, 2014
Summary: Marjane works on library decor and gets a new assistant.
98 lines, was $49, sale price $24.50
"Lágrimas da Floresta Tropical"
Story Date: Monday, November 17, 2014
Summary: Pinion and Camberhawk team up with Kayapó forest guardians to stop a logging incursion.
170 lines, was $85, sale price $42.50
RUTLEDGE (5 poems, was $867, sale price $433.50)
"Nothing Like Looking"
Story Date: Tuesday, September 2, 2014
Summary: Aria visits Rutledge as part of Many Paths Up the Mountain.
466 lines, was $233, sale price $116.50
"Your Emotional Abilities"
Story Date: Saturday, May 30, 2015
Summary: Amethyst gives Johan some ideas about accommodations that might help cope with his current challenges.
366 lines, was $183, sale price $91.50
"Shag Carpet Cuddles"
Story Date: June 2015
Summary: The Vermont Shag Carpet Cats love snuggling with people.
19 lines, was $10, sale price $5
"A Beautiful Paradox"
Story Date: Friday, June 5, 2015
Summary: Johan loses his temper
259 lines, was $130, sale price $65
Available for posting after "Your Emotional Abilities" has been sponsored and published.
"Learning New Skills"
Story Date: Sunday, June 12, 2016
Summary: Wrenley Immen teaches her new neighbor about gardening.
311 lines, was $311, sale price $155.50
Double price for research.
SHIV (5 poems, was $264, sale price $132)
"The Graffiti of the Rich"
Story Date: Wednesday, November 5, 2014
Summary: When someone paints over a graffit wall, Shiv leaves a pointed message.
28 lines, was $15, sale price $7.50
"Let the Glass Make Itself"
Story Date: Tuesday, July 5, 2016
Summary: Dale Chihuly rebuilds after the Big One.
45 lines, was $20, sale price $10
"An Expression That Crosses Boundaries"
Story Date: Saturday, July 9, 2016
Summary: Shiv and Pain's Gray make treats to celebrate Rutledge setting up a teleport hub, and they visit Kardal at the Syrian Foods truck.
236 lines, was $118, sale price $59
"Always Guided by Passion"
[Morning of Saturday, September 17, 2016]
Summary: Shiv discusses graffiti with Bo-Art and Creamjeans.
51 lines, was $20, sale price $10
"Never Turn Your Back"
Story Date: Thursday, October 6, 2016
Summary: An incident at college leaves Shiv striving to rescue a classmate.
182 lines, was $91, sale price $45.50
OTHER POLYCHROME POEMS (8 poems, was $1978, sale price $989)
"The Four Marks of True Repentance"
Story Date: Monday, August 13, 2013
Summary: Three former child soldiers move to America.
953 lines, was $477, sale price $238.50
"When Everyone Around You Has Theirs Bowed"
Story Date: Sunday, April 6, 2014
Summary: Therapy for men's genital injury tends to focus on loss, but Marvis Willing knows the proud history of eunuchs.
304 lines, was $152, sale price $76
"Let's Go on This Journey Together"
Story Date: Monday, September 29, 2014
Summary: After breaking his arm, Linus gets a lot of support from his friends.
638 lines, was $638, sale price $319
Double price for research.
"Hear a Thousand Stars Singing"
Story Date: Night of Sunday, October 25, 2015
Summary: Fascinated by the idea of becoming a robonaut, Quain takes up stargazing.
28 lines, was $15, sale price $7.50
"Far Stronger Links"
Story Date: Friday, September 4, 2015
Summary: A coworker's loss inspires support at work.
515 lines, was $258, sale price $129
"Aim a Little Above It"
Nagi deals with a young man who tries to rob her.
260 lines, was $130, sale price $65
"Formidable Tasks of Adaptation"
Story Date: Sunday, March 20, 2016
Summary: Denim has had enough of her parents' shit.
359 lines, was $180, sale price $90
"Upholding It, Wherever Found"
Story Date: Thursday, November 3, 2016
Summary: Gail Somerville works for Interpol, but feels increasingly uncomfortable with it.
256 lines, was $128, sale price $64
Chat corner, dusty
Apr. 20th, 2026 08:37 pmHi,
here's the weekly chat post. All Star Wars related talk is welcome, come and share!
~ ~ ~
I've spent the last 2 hours cleaning and I'm so done. Do you think people in GFFA have to do their own vacuuming? You'd think they'd have droids for that... then again. I don't know which droid, from the movies at least, I'd trust with dusting my bookshelves. And at least I don't live on Tatooine - getting rid of all that dust must be hell.
Hey, lets play a game:
- Pick a SW character.
- Do you think they ever vacuum/sweep/dust?
Congratulations! (Aurora Awards)
Apr. 20th, 2026 11:27 amBest Novel - Blight, second book in the Sleep of Reason series
Best Short Story - “What If We Kissed While Sinking a Billionaire’s Yacht?“
Best Fan-Related Work, Wizards and Spaceships Podcast
Tribute to her excellent writing (and talking) and also to the uncrushable grit of small press publishing.
§rf§
Bundle of Holding: Land of Eem
Apr. 20th, 2026 02:11 pm
A bundle for Land of Eem, the whimsical tabletop fantasy roleplaying game of colourful characters exploring the Mucklands from Star & Flame Games and Exalted Funeral.
Bundle of Holding: Land of Eem
Birdfeeding
Apr. 20th, 2026 12:55 pmI fed the birds. I've seen several house finches and a fox squirrel.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 4/20/26 -- I planted a flat parsley and a curly parsley in a trough pot, then sowed both kinds of parsley seeds around them.
EDIT 4/20/26 -- I planted two million bells in the barrel garden, one solid red and the other streaked in shades of yellow and orange.
I planted the solid black petunia and the black-and-yellow pom-pom petunia in one pot of black pansies, and the burgundy oxalis in another pot of black pansies.
EDIT 4/20/26 -- In one white pot, I planted two portulaca, one yellow and the other orange streaked. In another white pot, I planted two more portulaca, one pink-and-white striped and the other solid white.
EDIT 4/20/26 -- I planted two pots, each with four dianthus pinks around a dusty miller artemesia. One set of dianthus is white with pink streaks, the other pink with a darker center.
EDIT 4/20/26 -- I planted the two white owl pots. One has two dark purple torenia and a dusty miller artemesia. The other has a purple-and-yellow million bells, a purple-and-white nemesia, and a dusty miller artemesia.
EDIT 4/20/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
.
