isabellerecs | Reading

The 10,000-word big bang for small fandoms is coming soon!
Author Sign-Ups Open Sept 1 | Artist Sign-Ups Open Nov 1

Opening soon. Any fandom excluding RPF that has less than 2k fics on AO3 qualifies. Artists always needed!
I'm thinking about signing up again. I completed round 13 but didn't participate in round 14.

shipperslist

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tozka

🎬 Mary Heilmann: Waves, Roads and Hallucinations: Directed by Matt Creed. A look at the life and influential work of pioneering abstract painter Mary Heilmann, who emerged from the minimalist and Beat Generation scenes in California. 🔗

I’d never heard of Heilmann before and her work doesn’t look familiar to me, but I still enjoyed this documentary because she’s such an interesting person.

It’s mostly direct interviews with her, with some tours of her studio and an exhibit she was doing at the time. They did a good job of going over her work from the 1960s onward, and sprinkling in bits about her life. She’s not afraid to say personal/emotional stuff and it doesn’t feel trite.

Early on she talked about how, when you think about being an artist, you never think of the business side of it. And she said nowadays art is so commodified, if you do it professionally you basically HAVE to sell out to actually make any money. People talk more about what a piece is worth than anything else, and art collectors are thinking of investments rather than pure artistic merit.

I also liked how she said that she did art to have an identity– refreshing! More than half the artists nowadays say it’s some BS thing about wanting to connect with people/help people/bare their soul to the world/etc. Maybe some of that’s true, but I feel like that’s the marketing line and not always reality. You want the consumer to think that you care about them (specifically), and they’ll buy your stuff…anyway.

A final good thing she says is: you have to find the good things about the new art world to be satisfied with your place in it. Smart!

💟 Her website / Public collections list (Wikipedia)

Crossposted from Pixietails Club Blog.

jasmasson posting in

fancake

Fandom: Die Hard 4.0
Pairings/Characters: Matt Farrell/John McClane
Rating: Not Rated (I would say Gen or Teen at most)
Length: 13,139 words
Creator Links: Helenish at AO3
Theme: Marriage of Convenience

Summary:

“Anyway, he’s staying with me for a while,” John says.

“My place got firebombed,” Matt says, reflexively.

Reccer’s Notes: This fic is absolutely note perfect. The characters feel absolutely on point and the marriage of convenience trope feels completely natural. An exploration of how to be normal after something absolutely crazy has happened to you.

It feels very warm and true and absolutely delightfully done in Helenish’s brilliant way of writing.

Fanwork links: Pre-Existing Condition

spikedluv

I finally have this all typed in and can share it! I hope you enjoy it. *g*

Title: Mission: Retrieve Coulson Redux
Author: Spikedluv
Fandom: Murder, She Wrote (tv)/The Avengers (2012)
Rating: PG13/Gen(/Het/Slash)
Pairing/Characters: Jessica Fletcher & the Avengers (Cameo by Michael Hagarty; appearances by Pepper, Nick Fury and Maria Hill; background Clint/Coulson and Tony/Pepper)
Length: 13,760 words
Spoilers: Complete AU for Murder, She Wrote; takes place post-The Avengers.
Summary: Steve Rogers is pulled out of the ice and aliens attack Manhattan. And Jessica’s nephew, fellow agent of SHIELD Philip J. Coulson, is killed by Loki. Or is he?
Author’s Notes: Team fic. Tower fic. Fix-it fic. This fic is part of my Jessica Fletcher, Agent of SHIELD series and takes place several years after Mission: Retrieve Coulson.
Feedback: Would be greatly appreciated.
Disclaimer: None of these characters belong to me.
Posted: August 23, 2025

Read Fic @ AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/69680196

lunabee34

1. I need a reality check, y'all.

I was talking about omegaverse fic with Dylan, and they said that omegaverse fic is harmful to intersex people. And I'm all, "In what way?" And they answered that it causes people to believe untrue things about being intersex and to ask intersex people rude questions. My response to that was, "Anybody who believes the story where people have self-lubricating assholes, smell like roses and petrichor, and pop knots on their dicks like wolves is a good representation of what being intersex is like is the kind of person who would ask rude questions about people's personal lives whether they'd ever read an omegaverse story or not." Dylan did the whole, "Well, I disagree," thing they do that drives me absolutely nuts.

So, am I off-base here? Is omegaverse fic really harmful to intersex people, or is this another way in which my child is terminally online? I am willing to accept the verdict of the hivemind.

2. PSA: Go to the fucking dentist, friends.

Like months ago, I bit into something, and I could tell that something went wonky with my tooth, but I ignored it. I hate going to the dentist. Ever since my autoimmune stuff got ramped up, it's like the anesthesia doesn't fully work, so it always hurts some during the drilling part (also, I think my dentist thinks I'm crazy because he's shot my mouth full of shit, so I shouldn't be feeling any pain, and yet I am, hurray!). I said to myself, "I'll see if they find anything at my regular cleaning and go from there."

Well, the tech did the x-rays, and the first thing she says to me is, "Are you having a problem with your tooth on the right side?"

Goddammit.

"Yes."

I schedule the root canal for two weeks out because it's not hurting yet, and I don't want to have to cancel class. By the beginning of the second week, I am in horrible pain. A couple of days before the procedure on Thursday, my cheek swelled up. I fucked around and found out, y'all. :(

Fortunately the root canal didn't hurt. I don't know if I was just already in such pain and everything was so inflamed that the pain didn't register or what, but I'm grateful for it. However, my face is still swollen and everything kind of hurts, and I'm worried that another tooth is messed up, too, or that my sinuses have somehow gotten infected. Bah. Everything was probably just so inflamed that it needs time to go down and heal, but I am so fucking done with this mess.

The moral of the story is go to the dentist, friends.

spikedluv

I hit Price Chopper and the Pharmacy while I was downtown and got in a walk around the park. I also went to the lab for blood work as I have an appointment with my PCP next week.

I did a load of laundry (washed, dried AND folded), hand-washed dishes, took Grant for a short walk, cut up chicken for the dogs' meals, scooped kitty litter, paid some bills online, placed an online order, hard boiled some eggs, and showered.

I also went for a walk with Pip and the dogs when he got home. I'm trying to get more walks in because I've been slacking even though I haven't been spending entire days with mom. Today I managed just over a mile, so I'm hoping to increase that before winter hits and my walks also take a hit. o_O

We had BBQ chicken quarters for dinner! This time I picked them up. I made sure it was okay with Pip to have it again and he agreed. I like chicken and I'm happy to not have to cook, so win-win for me! *g*

I visited mom, read more in Hatshepsut, and watched some HGTV programs.

Temps started out at 48.9(F) and reached 82.3. It turned out so nice!! However, the TWC app is calling for ~80 today and tomorrow, then mid-70s for two days, then mid-60s for two days, then temps in the 70s, slowly moving from 71 to 78. Except for two days when the overnight low will reach 60, it will be ~50. I don’t like this. (TBF, I love the temps of fall, but not at the expense of summer, and also, I’m sorry fall, but you get a bad rap because you lead right into winter.)

Mom Update:

Mom did not feel well at all today. ( more back here, including the mention of vomiting, though no details )

meridian_rose

Sunshine Revival. So it's almost the end of August, it's been chilly for a couple of days, holiday is over, and I'm behind on many aspects of personal journaling, get your words out, and posting backdated things.
So why not lean in to that and do the Sunshine revival from July!

( Read more... )

ysabetwordsmith

People have expressed interest in deep topics, so this list focuses on philosophical questions.

Could societies exist without a way to transfer value (i.e. without money or a barter system)?

( Read more... )

Current Mood: busy

sholio

Watched the first couple of episodes of the new season!

( Spoilers )

If you're watching it, no spoilers beyond episode 2, please!

reeby10

20 Gravity Falls icons for

disney_20in20

Preview:

*Icons are free for use.
*Credit and comments are nice.

( Read more... )

ysabetwordsmith

The Truth About Caffeine, Dehydration, and Extreme Heat

As dangerous heat waves sweep the U.S., the CDC cautions against consuming caffeine. But not every expert is convinced the advice needs to be one-size-fits-all.
[---8<---]
"Don’t drink liquids that contain caffeine, alcohol, or large amounts of sugar — these actually cause you to lose more body fluid. Also, avoid very cold drinks because they can cause stomach cramps," the CDC wrote in its Extreme Heat guidance. It doubles down on this warning on its Heat and Your Health page, though with softer language, stating, "Consider limiting beverages high in sugars and sodium, caffeine, and alcohol, if possible."

( Read more... )

Current Mood: busy

hannah

I used the last of the season's rhubarb to make my sister in law G. a tart birthday cake. I didn't try any, because she didn't want to slice it, but based on the batter and the sound of the crust when I tapped it, it came out the way I'd hoped. Not too sweet, with a bit of pucker you don't often find in cakes. If I make it again, I'll keep it at just one cup of sugar and use more rhubarb. Also, seeing about a lemon juice glaze to give it one last punch-up.

My dad's book group isn't meeting this coming Wednesday. However, I've still been tasked to bake for my parents' roof party in a few weeks, and I've decided on mocha and parsley for an extreme contrast. While I said I'd be happy to do this, I was told by one of my parents' friends that I was more or less tasked to make three cakes: two for the party, one for him. I'm thinking something with plums. Or possibly carrots. I'll see where the market takes me.

Current Mood: restless
Current Music: Black Balloon - The Goo Goo Dolls

ysabetwordsmith

Ancient fossil discovery in Ethiopia rewrites human origins

The fossils found in northeastern Ethiopia date between 2.6 to 2.8 million years ago and shed new light on human evolution.
In the deserts of Ethiopia, scientists uncovered fossils showing that early members of our genus Homo lived side by side with a newly identified species of Australopithecus nearly three million years ago. These finds challenge the old idea of a straight evolutionary ladder, revealing instead a tangled web of ancient relatives.

I'm surprised to find such far-flung relatives coexisting like that, but it's a happier image than today's lonely Homo.

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

23 Must-Read Books About Hope That Inspire Change & Action

John Parsi, executive director of the Hope Center, says that while optimistic people see the glass as half full, hopeful people ask how they can fill the glass full.

“Hope requires a person to take responsibility for their wants and desires and take action in working towards them,” Parsi says.

So whether you’re looking to start, sustain, or complete something, we hope the books included in this list inspire you to take action and work towards whatever goals you have in front of you.

I am particularly charmed to see “The Impossible Will Take a Little While: A Citizen’s Guide to Hope in a Time of Fear” edited by Paul Rogat Loeb because I've got a poem in that one, "Origami Emotion," from a couple decades ago.

Current Mood: busy

hebethen posting in

fffriday

Just popping in to mention that the latest Rivers of London entry, Stone & Sky, features our talented young apprentice Abigail as a co-narrator, and she meets a very intriguing huntress while she's tagged along on a Scottish investigation. It's a very "ah, youth" kind of summer romance for sure, but I enjoyed Abigail's POV on it a great deal, not to mention the particular ways that it was tinged by their involvements in the demimonde!

aikawa_akihiko

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muccamukk

to signal boost anyway: due to new legislation, social media sites that either morally object to or can't afford to run age-verification software on all users are starting to block IPs from Mississippi. This currently includes BlueSky, and may soon include Dreamwidth, as per

denise on BlueSky:

I expect to see a lot more social media sites blocking MS in the weeks to come -- we're probably going to have to as well :/

Mississippi residents, get your VPNs now! I can recommend ProtonVPN as caring about protecting your privacy: they don't keep records and they don't sell your data."

[link to source]

ysabetwordsmith

My Noise has a bunch of new soundscapes that you can play with.

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

Today is mostly cloudy and warm.

I fed the birds. I've seen a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches.

I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 8/22/26 -- I did some work around the patio.

EDIT 8/22/26 -- I did more work around the patio.

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