Reading Wednesday (January Recap)

Feb. 23rd, 2026 01:34 pm
muccamukk: Two stuffed bears looking at a star chart. (M&C: Stars)
[personal profile] muccamukk
Rainbow heart sticker The Paris Express by Emma Donoghue
Read this because a) I'd been meaning to, b) it was a yuletide EPH (which obviously I didn't fill, but you know... good intentions).

In the past, I've found Donoghue rather bleak, and preferred her non, fiction. (Maybe it was just that I read the one where everyone died of Spanish Influenza?)

This takes place across several hours, on a train that runs from the coast of Normandy to Paris, where it will famously fail to brake and blast through the wall of the train station (this was re-enacted in the movie Hugo, and captured in a tonne of contemporary photographs). Which is not what the book's about, other than as a driving sense of inevitable ruin. The book is about a few dozen characters, including the train itself, a slice of life as the world teeters on the edge of a new century. Many of the characters are historical figures, some of whom were on the train that day, a bunch more who might have been. There's an anarchist with a bomb, the railway employees, a painter, a secretary, several politicians, a sex worker, a medical student, some children, a variety of day labourers, all forced to into each other's company for the course of several hours. Many of them are some flavour of queer, several are not white, each has their own story. All have a complicated relationship with the racing pace of technological and cultural change, at a time when France has only been a Republic (again) for a few decades, and it's (again) not at all clear if this time will stick.

I often get confused by books with this many characters, especially when there's not much in the way of plot, and the book jumps between them pretty fast, but Donoghue makes them all so distinct, with their own voices, that I didn't have trouble this time. I also appreciated her deft touch at making the characters feel of that moment in history, rather than being stand ins for the contemporary reader. We hear about the Dreyfus Affair, for example, and mostly people just believe he's a traitor, even the anarchist, who theoretically should know better. If there's any author stand in, it's an elderly Russian lady's companion, who mostly seems to have things figured out, and is also a cranky weirdo. Actually, a lot of characters are cranky weirdos, and not necessarily good people, but also not the kind of vile that are terrible to spend time with.

I'm perhaps not at my most articulate explaining why I liked this, but mostly that it scratched my brain as a deeply considered idea of how life might have looked at another time, when people were like us, but also different.


"Mr Rowl" by D.K. Broster
I'm not sure if this is the second most popular one after The Jacobite Trilogy, or if The Wounded Name is. Anyway, another 1920s book by a lesbian author, about plausibly deniable Historical Gays. This one is set during the Napoleonic wars, and centres on a French officer who is a prisoner of war in England. He's initial held on parole in a bucolic town, but following Events, he ends up in a prison stockade, then on the prison hulks (de-masted ships floating in the English Channel). He has a low-key romance with one of the girls from the original town, and a series of oddly intense interactions with English officers (one of whom appears to be canonically queer). There's also crossdressing, and quite a bit of hurt/comfort.

Having come in to Broster on The Flight of the Heron, I was expecting the same kind of emotional romance plot, with the pivot of the story being around the relationship between the two main male characters. Thus was initially discombobulated by how meandering the plot ended up being. We follow "Mr Rowl" (the English pronunciation of Raoul) across a series of misfortunes as he wanders about England, not meeting either of the other significant male characters until half way through the book. The most intense action is packed into two chapters in the last third, which makes the structure a little lopsided; however, the plotlines that have been building do come together rather neatly, which I enjoyed.

I started watching the new Star Trek show not long after I finished this, and was immediately struck by the connection between how Broster writes honour-obsessed men in the 18th and 19th century, and the Klingons. Some of the "I must do this Because Honour" choices in this book—though they more or less made sense—did feel a little load-bearing in terms of plot. And the heroine did spend some time going, "Um, holy shit, why?" at a few of those choices. It does also lead to several of the most tropy h/c scenes, however, so I suppose I shouldn't complain.

I like that the main antagonists of the book were a) the controlling asshole boyfriend, and b) the British penal system.


Orbital by Samantha Harvey, narrated by Sarah Naudi
Firstly, I remember some debate about this when this came out: this book is not science fiction. It's literary fiction set on the International Space Station. If you wanted to have an argument for why it was SF, you could say, "Well there's an ongoing Moon mission, which there wasn't at the time of this writing." But there being a Moon mission has been on the books for a decade, so setting it slightly in the future so that the mission could be happening at the same time as the book is, frankly, not science fiction, and I don't know why people thought it was.

Secondly, oh my god why? I guess this was so popular because most people haven't really thought about what life on the I.S.S. might be like, and this was more or less informative on that point. If you've never even one time thought about the space program. It rapidly became clear that someone who's read multiple astronaut biographies may not be the target audience.

There were several neat scenes! I liked the bit about the cosmonaut talking on a HAM radio with random Earthlings, for example. However, the majority of the book was poetic reflections on either inane details of space life, or just looking at the Earth being pretty. Eventually the Astronauts go to bed, and then we just close out with long descriptions of the Earth being pretty. I may not have gotten the point of this book.

(While writing this, I discovered that www.HowManyPeopleAreInSpaceRightNow.com is no longer being maintained, which makes me sad.)
sovay: (Haruspex: Autumn War)
[personal profile] sovay
The snow has plastered our windows like blinds. This morning it scudded so thickly down our street that the air itself couldn't have been any clearer: it made walls instead of veils of the late streetlight. The yew trees look like calcified humps of stalagmite. It's still blowing around out there, bending the whippier evergreens of the neighbors' yard like a wind sock. I can hear a commuter train whistling dimly from over Route 16. I am informed we have broken the previous state record for snowfall in a day set by the 1997 April Fool's Day Blizzard which had itself surpassed the Blizzard of '78. Our porch is drifted ankle-deep.

Sheet Pan Peruvian Chicken Thighs

Feb. 23rd, 2026 07:35 pm
[syndicated profile] thewoksoflife_feed

Posted by Sarah

sheet pan peruvian chicken thighs recipeThis sheet pan Peruvian chicken thigh recipe is a weeknight-friendly spin on our beloved Peruvian Roast Chicken with Green Sauce—all the flavor, way less fuss. Marinate the night before, and dinner practically makes itself the next day! An easier version of an iconic dish Okay, let me take you back. Growing up, my dad used […]

banana chocolate chip cake

Feb. 23rd, 2026 06:33 pm
[syndicated profile] smittenkitchen_feed

Posted by deb

Somehow, despite how impossible it seems (to me, a person who has neither aged nor matured a day), that it’s been almost twenty years since I first told you about my family’s favorite coffee cake. It’s tall, plush, crisp with a flaky layer of cinnamon sugar on top, studded with a quilt of chocolate chip and is downright, well, adorable when cut into cubes because they’re a little wobbly. When one tumbles, it shakes off a little pfft of cinnamon sugar, like a pup coming in from today’s blizzard. It’s perfect. It needs no changes or updates.

Read more »

Music Monday

Feb. 23rd, 2026 09:56 am
muccamukk: Elyanna singing, surrounded by emanata and hearts. (Music: Elyanna Hearts)
[personal profile] muccamukk

The queen is back! Long live the queen!

2/14/26 - 2/23/26

Feb. 23rd, 2026 09:20 am
gwydion: (Default)
[personal profile] gwydion
* Physio is kicking my butt. Sorry to cut off with so little of last weeks news.
* "Trump officials plan to build 5,000-person military base in Gaza, files show:" https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/19/trump-gaza-military-plan

* "Trump gets his Board of Peace, even as bigger countries steer clear:" https://www.politico.com/news/2026/02/19/trump-gets-his-board-of-peace-even-as-bigger-countries-steer-clear-00789617

* "With a Golden Gavel and a Threat to Iran, Trump Launches His Board of Peace:" https://archive.ph/Pq6Ut#selection-515.0-515.117

* "Trump to name Jared Kushner envoy for peace:" https://www.politico.com/news/2026/02/19/trump-jared-kushner-peace-envoy-00788606

* "‘A huge heist from the American taxpayers’: Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ seen as new vehicle for grift:" https://www.ms.now/the-briefing-with-jen-psaki/watch/a-huge-heist-from-the-american-taxpayers-trump-s-board-of-peace-seen-as-new-vehicle-for-grift-2488249924000

* "US, Iran offer contradictory accounts of nuclear talks:" https://www.semafor.com/article/02/18/2026/us-iran-offer-contradictory-accounts-of-nuclear-talks

* "2nd US carrier group heads toward Middle East amid Iran tensions:" https://abcnews.com/International/2nd-us-carrier-group-heads-middle-east-amid/story?id=130292386

* Our Military keeps practicing terrorism my murdering random fisherman for Dear Leader's pleasure. "Trump administration strikes three more alleged drug boats in the Pacific and Caribbean:" https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/trump-military-strikes-three-alleged-drug-boats-pacific-caribbean-rcna259364

******

* "Brisbane synagogue targeted in antisemitic hate crime, suspect arrested:" https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-887387
* "Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was poisoned by deadly 'dart frog' toxin, Europeans say:" https://www.nbcnews.com/world/russia/russian-opposition-leader-alexei-navalny-poisoned-deadly-dart-frog-rcna259064

* "South Korea's ex-president Yoon receives life sentence for imposing martial law:" https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/yoon-suk-yeol-life-sentence-9.7096907

* CW: CSA "‘Nobody above law,’ says DPP amid claims against Andrew:" https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/feb/15/uks-top-prosecutor-says-nobody-above-law-as-detectives-investigate-andrews-epstein-links

* CW: CSA "U.K.'s ex-Prince Andrew is released after his arrest over Epstein revelations:" https://www.npr.org/2026/02/19/nx-s1-5719098/former-prince-andrew-arrested-on-suspicion-of-misconduct-in-public-office-reports

* "Tale of two nations: Andrew’s UK arrest highlights US passivity on Epstein files:" https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/feb/21/andrew-epstein-files-us-uk
* The report is accurate, you see, which republicans believe should be illegal. "Hassett says Fed staff should be 'disciplined' for reporting the US pays tariff costs:" https://www.politico.com/news/2026/02/18/hassett-says-fed-staff-should-be-disciplined-for-reporting-the-u-s-pays-tariff-costs-00786562

* "Supreme Court strikes down most of Trump's tariffs in a major blow to the president:" https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/supreme-court/supreme-court-strikes-trumps-tariffs-major-blow-president-rcna244827

* "6 Takeaways From the Supreme Court’s Tariff Decision:" https://archive.ph/rEEhI

Steel and Aluminum tariffs remain under a separate authority, and no words on how, when, and if there will be refunds of the illegal taxes on American Citizens.

* Trump through a long embarrassing public tantrum and is trying to impose another round of illegal tariffs, because Of Course. "Trump brings in new 10% tariff as Supreme Court rejects his global import taxes:" https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn8146l0n55o

* "‘Like a baby’: Schumer blasts Trump’s tantrum over tariff defeat:" https://www.ms.now/all-in/watch/like-a-baby-schumer-blasts-trump-s-tantrum-over-tariff-defeat-2488437827770

* "Trump SPIRALS through five stages of grief after Supreme Court rejects his tariffs scheme:"

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* "Psaki: Tariffs are a tool of Trump's CORRUPTION at taxpayers' expense:"

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* "Pritzker demands $8.6 billion for Illinois residents after Supreme Court strikes Trump tariffs:" https://chicago.suntimes.com/illinois-governor/2026/02/20/pritzker-illinois-refund-trump-tariffs-supreme-court-ruling

* "Pritzker demands REFUNDS for taxpayers who paid for Trump's unconstitutional tariffs:"

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*** Immigration/I.C.E/Autocracy/Slow Motion Civil War/Violent Illegal Occupation of Blue Cities News (Sort likely a little rough)***

* "DHS spokesperson to leave Trump administration amid agency turmoil:" https://www.politico.com/news/2026/02/17/dhs-spokesperson-tricia-mclaughlin-to-leave-trump-administration-00783378

* "‘On thin ice’: Kristi Noem under fire as DHS faces shutdown fallout:" https://www.ms.now/all-in/watch/on-thin-ice-kristi-noem-under-fire-as-dhs-faces-shutdown-fallout-2487748675858

* "Inside the $70M jet Kristi Noem wants to buy for ‘deportations’:" https://www.ms.now/all-in/watch/inside-the-70m-jet-kristi-noem-wants-to-buy-for-deportations-2488221763867

* "White House grants ICE power to detain refugees for aggressive ‘rescreening’:" https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/19/trump-administration-memo-ice-dhs-refugees-screening

These are Refugees who are doing everything legally and have open asylum cases. They are likely using them not having green cards yet as a pretext to send them back to be murdered.

* "Courts have ruled 4,400 times that ICE jailed people illegally. It hasn’t stopped.:" https://archive.ph/uNDJX

* "Federal judge accuses White House of ‘terror’ against immigrants in US:" https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/20/trump-administration-immigration-ice-judge-decision

* "ICE officials knew use of force was rising well before Minneapolis shootings:" https://www.politico.com/news/2026/02/17/ice-officials-use-of-force-00782501

* "Several ICE agents were arrested in recent months, showing risk of misconduct:" https://apnews.com/article/ice-agents-arrested-misconduct-crimes-abuse-corruption-45b0d2248c0add9523e0bf5a953faaea

* "Federal judge rules Kilmar Abrego Garcia can’t be re-detained by immigration authorities:" https://apnews.com/article/abrego-garcia-immigration-ice-ec79dc6e073493ec8a8284fa32c7a2fb

* "Florida couple detained despite documentation freed after month in ICE custody:" https://cbs12.com/news/local/florida-couple-detained-despite-documentation-freed-after-month-in-ice-custody-florida-ice-detention-fadya-conderas-de-rondon-johnny-rondon-rodrguez-orlando-federal-courthouse-us-district-judge-john-antoon-phillip-arroyo-orange-county-jail-asyl

* "St. Peter police chief intervened and got federal agents to release resident, sources say:" https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/01/30/st-peter-police-chief-intervenes-prevents-federal-agents-from-arresting-resident

* "Sheriff Says ICE Zip-Tying Teenage Girl Who Is US Citizen ‘Not Evil’:" https://www.newsweek.com/sheriff-says-ice-zip-tying-teenage-girl-who-is-us-citizen-not-evil-11506656

* "Body camera video and texts reveal details of Border Patrol agent's shooting of Chicago woman:" https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/marimar-martinez-border-patrol-exum-body-cam-texts-released-rcna258549

* "She Honked at ICE. They Shot Her Five Times.:"

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* CW: Child Abuse "Trump's ICE imprisons family with sick toddler; denies her medicine:"

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* "Gay man says ICE is keeping his husband jailed even though they’ve agreed to leave the U.S.:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/immigration/gay-couple-ice-detention-azerbaijan

* "Seattle tries to bar information disclosure to ICE:" https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2026/feb/19/seattle-tries-to-bar-information-disclosure-to-ice/

* "Homeland Security Wants Social Media Sites to Expose Anti-ICE Accounts:" https://archive.ph/06vlm

* "The Department of Homeland Security Is Demanding That Google Turn Over Information About Random Critics:" https://futurism.com/future-society/homeland-security-google

* "Homeland Security is trying to force tech companies to hand over data about Trump critics:" https://techcrunch.com/2026/02/03/homeland-security-is-trying-to-force-tech-companies-to-hand-over-data-about-trump-critics/

* "Our Zine About ICE Surveillance Is Here:" https://www.404media.co/icezine/

* "Protesters Are Trump's Next Target:"

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* "Protestors gather in Belvidere to speak out against ICE:" https://www.wifr.com/2026/02/16/protestors-gather-belvidere-speak-out-against-ice/

* "Thousands gathered at State Capitol after civil rights reverend led 50-mile march for peace, love:" https://www.wral.com/news/local/reverend-william-barber-love-forward-together-march-feb-2026/

* "How to tear gas children:" https://www.theverge.com/policy/872783/tear-gas-children-portland-ice-labor

* "ICE and Disabled Immigrants: ADA Violations and Civil Rights Abuse:" https://www.lawfirm4immigrants.com/ada-violations-ice-abuse-against-disabled-immigrants/

* "When community care became a threat:" https://www.advocate.com/opinion/minnesota-community-care

* "Twin Cities tow truck driver returns abandoned vehicles to families after ICE arrests:" https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/twin-cities-tow-truck-driver-returns-abandoned-vehicles-ice-arrests/

* "Stepping up for ICE detainees who need winter coats:" https://www.startribune.com/stepping-up-for-ice-detainees-who-need-winter-coats/601571358

* "Protests, skepticism continue in Minnesota following announcement that federal surge is ending:" https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/02/15/protests-skepticism-continue-minnesota-following-announcement-federal-surge-ending

* "Mayor Jacob Frey - 435,000 Residents Pushed ICE Out of Minneapolis | The Daily Show:"

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* "The key to defeating Trump? Mass non-cooperation:" https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/feb/15/defeat-trump-mass-non-cooperation

* "Neighborhood, Loop protests are part of nationwide ‘spring surge to melt ICE’:" https://chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/2026/02/13/immigration-ice-trump-administration-protest-students-walkouts

* "Judge Orders ICE to Let Clergy Give Communion to Detained Migrants on Ash Wednesday:" https://archive.ph/6jweT

* "Minnesotans Just Won a Huge Court Victory Against ICE:" https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2026/02/minnesota-court-victory-against-ice-detention.html

* "Department of Homeland Security must provide ‘constitutionally adequate healthcare’ at ICE detention center, judge rules:" https://archive.ph/mMRxP

* "Democrats hold community meeting to discuss proposed ICE facility in Merrimack:" https://www.wmur.com/article/community-meeting-merrimack-ice-facility-nh-021526/70373512

* "Orange County leaders to discuss blocking new ICE facility in Orlando:" https://www.wesh.com/article/orange-county-leaders-discuss-blocking-ice-facility-orlando/70299748

* "Raskin calls Baltimore ICE facility 'inhumane' after visit, whistleblower reveals abuses:" https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/investigations/ice-kristi-noem-baltimore-detention-facility-jamie-raskin-overcrowding-trump/65-4245187b-db2d-4a2c-b204-7abe9c02093d

* "Protests lead owner not to sell Texas warehouse to ICE:" https://baptistnews.com/article/protests-lead-owner-not-to-sell-texas-warehouse-to-ice/

* "Roxbury Protesters Want to Put Federal Agency on ICE:" https://www.insidernj.com/roxbury-protesters-want-to-put-federal-agency-on-ice/

* "Political catastrophe: Republican governor botches ICE prison decision:" https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow/watch/political-catastrophe-republican-governor-botches-ice-prison-decision-2487581251846

* "Journalist vows to fight federal charges connected to St. Paul church protest:" https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/02/17/journalist-georgia-fort-vows-to-fight-federal-charges-connected-to-cities-church

* Here are some ways to help Immigrants and the anti-ICE Protesters:

"Project Salt Box:" https://projectsaltbox.substack.com/
"MASTER LIST OF WAYS TO HELP IN MINNEAPOLIS:" https://www.tumblr.com/gwydionmisha/807223113540599808?source=share
"Here are Minnesota groups that need your help organizing against ICE and DHS operations:" https://www.advocate.com/news/minnesota-mutual-aid-groups-ice
Links to Help organize in advance of ICE Occupation: https://www.tumblr.com/gwydionmisha/807226885129060352?source=share
"How To Help if You are Outside Minnesota:" https://naomikritzer.com/2026/01/21/how-to-help-if-you-are-outside-minnesota/
"Support minnesotans defending their communities from ICE:" https://www.standwithminnesota.com/
"When the Feds Come to Your City: Standing Up to ICE :" https://crimethinc.com/2025/12/03/when-the-feds-come-to-your-city-standing-up-to-ice-a-guide-from-chicago-organizers
Immigrant Defenders: https://give.immdef.org/give/545119/#!/donation/checkout
The Bail Project: https://bailproject.org/
National Bail Fund Network: https://www.communityjusticeexchange.org/en/nbfn-directory
Amnesty International: protect asylum-seekers: https://donate.amnestyusa.org/page/113080/donate/1
The Young Center for Immigrant Children's Rights: https://www.theyoungcenter.org/
CHIRLA: https://www.chirla.org/
AL Otro Lado: https://alotrolado.networkforgood.com/projects/63833-al-otro-lado-fund
"Know Your Rights:" https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights/protesters-rights
"Disappeared In America:" https://www.disappearedinamerica.us/
* "Trump administration ordered to restore George Washington slavery exhibit it removed in Philadelphia:" https://apnews.com/article/george-washington-slavery-exhibit-restored-trump-2a32236320f280ba3e647d900c1301b4

* "‘Ignorance is strength’: Judge shuts down Trump’s attempt to rewrite history in blistering ruling:" https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow/watch/ignorance-is-strength-judge-shuts-down-trump-s-history-re-write-in-devastating-ruling-2487578691543

* "Why CBS Didn't Broadcast Stephen Colbert's Interview With James Talarico:"

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* "Rep. James Talarico On Confronting Christian Nationalism, And Strange Days In The Texas Legislature:"

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* "Censorship Comes for the TV Talk Show:" https://archive.ph/seVnS

* "CBS Didn’t Want Colbert to Talk to This Democratic Candidate. He Did It Anyway.:" https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/02/cbs-didnt-want-colbert-to-talk-to-this-democratic-candidate-he-did-it-anyway/

* "Rep. Crockett SPEAKS OUT on CBS Colbert controversy with her opponent:"

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* "Why Everyone's Talking About Stephen Colbert, CBS, The FCC And James Talarico:"

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* "Stephen Colbert Says CBS Released Statement About Pulled James Talarico Interview ‘Without Ever Talking to Me’: ‘I Really Don’t Want an Adversarial Relationship With the Network’:" https://variety.com/2026/tv/news/stephen-colbert-cbs-james-talarico-interview-fcc-1236666083/
* "Democrats send counteroffer on to White House on DHS funding as partial shutdown continues:" https://abcnews.com/Politics/democrats-send-counteroffer-white-house-dhs-funding-partial/story?id=130231108

Please call your Senators and encourage them to stay firm.

* "Trump's election bill tops 50 Senate votes, but Democrats could still block it:" https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/trumps-election-bill-save-america-act-50-senate-votes-democrats-block-rcna259351

* Meanwhile, Trump pisses on the constitution again. "Trump pushes voter ID ‘whether approved by Congress or not!’:" https://www.politico.com/news/2026/02/13/trump-voter-id-congress-00782094

The goal of this legislation is to make it illegal on a federal level for married women and trans people to vote.

Please tell Quisling Texas Democrat Henry Cuellar exactly what you think of his decision to vote to permanently disenfranchise so many American citizens if he is your Congress Critter.

Please contact your US Senators to tell them to vote AGAINST the SAVE ACT

* Here is a model email: https://amaebi.dreamwidth.org/2767709.html
* Our until Midterms is to survive, to build grassroots resistance, to do all in our power to slow the republican Christo-fascist agenda, and to prepare for 2026 in case there is still Democracy.

"Take action with Indivisible:" https://www.mobilize.us/indivisible/

Trump 2.0 Indivisible Guide.  https://indivisible.org/resource/guide

If you can't safely contact them in person, here are some other options for contacting your Congress Critters:

Five Calls to your critters: https://5calls.org/

Here is one that will send your reps a fax: https://resist.bot/

And another: https://faxzero.com/fax_senate.php

Snail Mail Campaigns: https://conuly.dreamwidth.org/3622760.html

"Congress. gov:" https://www.congress.gov/

White house (Possibly Dangerous): https://www.whitehouse.gov/

ACLU advice for writing to your Critters: https://www.aclu.org/writing-your-elected-representatives

This tracks legislation: https://www.govtrack.us/

"The Public Comment Process (+ how to write effective public comments):" https://www.tumblr.com/gwydionmisha/781844516804149248?source=share

"Swing Left:" https://swingleft.org/

Run for Something: https://runforsomething.net/

"Vote Smart:" https://justfacts.votesmart.org/

Protests: "50501 Events:" https://www.fiftyfifty.one/events

"ICE Raids Toolkit: Defend Against ICE Raids and Community Arrests:" https://www.immigrantdefenseproject.org/raids-toolkit/

Contains a raid tip hotline amoung other things. "Know Your Rights
LEARN HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF AND YOUR FAMILY:" https://wearecasa.org/know-your-rights/
* We are entering primary season just generally. States vote at different times, so I beg ALL of you to check when your state is voting. If you are in an in-person vote state, research ahead of time so you can vote for the candidate with views closest to your own. If you vote by mail, take the time to look them up when your ballot comes.

THIS is how you move the party further LEFT.

Primary schedule here:

* "2026 Statewide Primary Calendar:" https://www.270towin.com/2026-state-primary-calendar/

I don't know where you live, so I can't link this for you, but I find the Progressive Voter Guide online very helpful in narrowing down candidates in the often packed primaries where I live.

I also suggest looking at things like volunteer work and endorsements, because it really, really helps with things like sheriff and judicial elections, but can be useful in all sorts of primaries when you have multiple good options.

REMEMBER: Don't just vote for the big things like US Congress. Vote in every State and local race down to the smallest and on all the referendums.

State and local elections have a massive impact on your quality of life.

* "Early voting begins for high-stakes Texas primary elections:" https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/17/texas-early-voting-primaries

* "Trump endorses self-described ‘Nazi-ish’ Texas Republican as Peter Thiel backs his bid for Congress:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/national/jace-yarbrough-extremist-texas-candidate

* "Kansas lawmakers override governor's veto of anti-trans 'bathroom bounty' bill:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/states/kansas-overrides-bathroom-bill-veto

* "Rhode Island hockey mass shooting leaves family shattered and shooter’s identity in the spotlight:" https://www.advocate.com/news/crime/rhode-island-hockey-shooter-transgender

* "Debunking chart that falsely suggests transgender people are more likely to commit mass shootings:" https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/transgender-people-mass-shootings/

* "Police arrest man who ran toward the US Capitol building holding a shotgun:" https://apnews.com/article/capitol-arrest-shotgun-congress-e4c2233b957ca6ab4ae780006cd75081

* "Pulse nightclub demolition set for March to make way for memorial:" https://www.advocate.com/news/pulse-nightclub-demolition-march

* "Georgia Is Letting a Railroad Seize Land a Black Family Has Owned For 100 Years:" https://capitalbnews.org/georgia-railroad-eminent-domain-black-landowners/

* "Not in Our Name: Women in support of the trans+ community:" https://notinourname.org.uk/

* "He was diagnosed with prostate cancer while homeless. A simple screening likely saved his life:" https://www.advocate.com/health/prostate-cancer-screening-important
* "'Near impossible' travel conditions in New York as 22 inches of snow falls on US east coast:" https://www.bbc.com/news/live/cy7jnjz75e8t
* "Hackers Expose Age-Verification Software Powering Surveillance Web:" https://www.therage.co/persona-age-verification/

* "Let the good times roll: the queer history of Mardi Gras in New Orleans:" https://www.advocate.com/history/queer-history-mardi-gras

* "How Black communities protected each other during the early days of the AIDS crisis:" https://www.advocate.com/health/hiv/black-communiites-hiv-aids-crisis

* "Jesse Jackson, civil rights leader, dies aged 84:" https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/17/jesse-jackson-civil-rights-icon-dies

* "Remembering Jesse Jackson's longtime advocacy for LGBTQ+ equality:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/national/jesse-jackson-lgbtq-rights-record

* I am really struggling with the physio upgrades. A couple things are now much harder, and we've added some new things. I broke the fragile toe Saturday night doing one of the upgraded exercises. I foolishly had prioritized fall risk over space and my leg was not precise enough so SNAP. I still had to do three sets of one of the new ones after I had a cry and recomposed myself. Sunday I managed not to hurt myself doing the exercises, but I was in quite a bit of pain later. Not good pain either.

I think I'm forgetting one. IDK.

* I had surprise physio Friday. I was on the wait list, as there weren't any openings until she got back from vacation. It was good I went. The one I half remembered turned out to be an upgrade, but there wasn't a picture of that one, so I kept doing the upgraded version, which is fine given how badly thrashed I've been from the rest of it. The one I suspected I wasn't doing quite right, I was not doing quite right. (It's fine. I was only activating half the muscles, but it worked fine that way as a sort of stepping stone.) The one I thought fucked up a major tendon likely did fuck up a major tendon and was likely to hard for me, so we are doing something slower and safer.

I am still utterly thrashed. I also left the paper in the car, but it's probably fine, as I'm clear on what's changed and I can likely work off the old sheet with the substitutions. (I really needed the sheet last week as it was A LOT).

Forage sent me another Field Roast last week, which I had the foresight to defrost. I was ravenous and Done Standing Up and also had this week's pitiful forage to put away, so it was fortuitous.

I was forced to sacrifice the special frozen gravy, as I was out of lesser premade and there was no way from scratch was happening. I was lucky I had it, as I'd started prep before checking. Field roast is very dry if one hasn't any gravy; it's fine with.

The housing tax bill has come. The car tax has not. I am still fascinated to discover how I will pay them with food prices so high.

* I'm in the mode where nearly half my waking time approximately is being used up with physio or resting up after physio. I also really have very little say in when I sleep. I'll just get into the flow of something, then have to go sleep. I'm often too tired to read.

The current set is strenuous, but I think manageable in the way the previous weeks weren't. I hate the new replacement exercise, but it is safe and manageable if extremely unpleasant. (Me, out load: Ah! More barre work! And it's a dance step! Me, in my head: Shit this is exhausting and physically unpleasant).

Every time I do these terrible things to myself, I think about how fundamentally we are trying to undo all those years of dance training and to a lesser extent assorted martial arts training. We are up against a lot of things that I was praised for being good at and many of the ways my body reshaped itself in response to a couple decades of strenuous training. (Not the bones of course. Bones are forever.

Everything is so hard right now, and on top of all of it, I broke the little heater I was using to heat the main area of the apartment. Wall heat is right out as I have bookshelves and until the last couple of years I only needed an hour or two of heat and only occasionally, but the weather patterns are fucked now. I'm not without heat entirely as I have the third hand heater I don't trust, but I think it's to dangerous to leave the bathroom/ kitchen area because fire risk. We have to turn it off to use the microwave as I no longer have electricity in my bathroom and have to run everything in there of kitchen current.

March is going to be a nightmare financially. I'm probably going to have to not pay most of the bills except for housing to cover car and housing tax. Maybe next year on replacing the heater.

I've no idea how I am getting the aggregate out. All this prep keeps piling up and when I go to work on it, I start preliminaries and then have to go back to bed. Or deal with a surprise thing happening in the apartment. Or have to go to an appointment.

I love my bedroom. I have done everything in my power to make it beautiful and comfortable and relaxing. It's started to feel like a prison.

* "Condom shortage hits Winter Olympics as supplies vanish in just 3 days:" https://www.nbcboston.com/olympics/2026-milan-cortina/condom-shortage-hits-winter-olympics-supplies-vanish-3-days/3897660/

* "Kristi Noem: A Boss With Benefits | Obama's Alien Coverup | How Not To Eat Your Food:"

Embed: )

* "The Fire Horse Arrives | Optimism Hits A New Low | Epstein Pals Face Consequences | Erotic Poetry:"

Embed: )

* "Pope Leo XIV Won't Join The Board Of Peace | Record Disapproval | The MAHA Workout | Monkey Update:"

Embed: )

* "Epstein Crony Andrew Faces Consequences | Trump's A-List Peace Board | Did Obama Leak Alien Intel?:"

Embed: )

* "ICE & DHS: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO):"

Embed: )

* "Twitter: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO):"

Embed: )

* "Meanwhile... Fast-Casual Fatigue | Logan Paul's Pokémon Haul | Hidden Kissing Room | Ice Volcano:"

Embed: )

* "Ten Titles to Read for Aromantic Awareness Week:" https://duckprintspress.dreamwidth.org/241433.html

* "Steve Agee REVEALS Secret Funeral Prank:"

Embed: )

* "Secret Queer Valentine’s Traditions You’ve Never Heard Of:"

Embed: )

* "Antony Anathema:" https://www.youtube.com/shorts/SiNCNo0NCIU

* "Ludicrous Lionhearts:" https://www.youtube.com/shorts/p6l0wOYkdts

* "Knighthood Knowledge:" https://www.youtube.com/shorts/3iAUe6Fc46o

* "Sengoku Silliness:" https://www.youtube.com/shorts/758hG4JzS8Y

* "Rowdy Rambling Roses:" https://www.youtube.com/shorts/x-3kvaMtK2I

* "Silly Shakespeare Sumary:" https://www.youtube.com/shorts/S4-5bAl_4L0

* Pirates in Fiction vs. History: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/UucSPmimZ54

* "Horrendously Honest Hamilton:" https://www.youtube.com/shorts/VP8rMXbZ6QQ

* "Goofy Grandiose Gandalf:" https://www.youtube.com/shorts/sk5lF6iE8KQ

* "Raucous Romantasy Revisited:" https://www.youtube.com/shorts/viTPxnwhEPs

* "This Presidents' Day, Forget All Your Worries:"

Embed: )

* Zomvivor ate my brain. So good, so good. In related news, I really need to watch more Thai Horror.

* Starfleet Academy Really needs an episode with Kyle and Darem having to work together on something. Kyle needs fleshing out anyway and it would be an interesting way to do it while shifting the dynamic.

* "One of those animal bridegroom stories told from the prince's perspective where an evil witch kidnaps "him" and disguises her as a milkmaid or something but she's actually an egg and kind of a freak.:" https://www.tumblr.com/gwydionmisha/809354528998686720?source=share

*****
* Full list of Resistance and charity links has been migrated to my profile as it was getting out of hand.

The help links are at the bottom under the cut.

* "Project Salt Box:" https://projectsaltbox.substack.com/

* "When the Feds Come to Your City: Standing Up to ICE :" https://crimethinc.com/2025/12/03/when-the-feds-come-to-your-city-standing-up-to-ice-a-guide-from-chicago-organizers

* "MASTER LIST OF WAYS TO HELP IN MINNEAPOLIS:" https://www.tumblr.com/gwydionmisha/807223113540599808?source=share

* "Here are Minnesota groups that need your help organizing against ICE and DHS operations:" https://www.advocate.com/news/minnesota-mutual-aid-groups-ice

* Links to Help organize in advance of ICE Occupation: https://www.tumblr.com/gwydionmisha/807226885129060352?source=share

* "Swing Left:" https://swingleft.org/

* Contains link to trans girl sales pages. "Trans Girl Scouts On Cookie List Sell 71,000 Boxes Of Cookies And Growing:" https://www.erininthemorning.com/p/trans-girl-scouts-on-cookie-list

More )

stranger things happen

Feb. 23rd, 2026 09:43 am
runpunkrun: girl in school uniform fixes her hair in a public restroom (just say when)
[personal profile] runpunkrun

First I bring you two recs I shared on [community profile] fancake, then notes on my recent rewatch, a complaint about taxonomy, some observations about the 1980s, three more recs, and finally a call for papers more recs.

We Better Make a Start (11087 words) by thefourthvine
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson
Characters: Steve Harrington, Eddie Munson, Robin Buckley
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Himbo Steve Harrington, First Time, Robin Buckley & Steve Harrington Are Best Friends, Podfic Available

Summary: As soon as Eddie gets to the counter, Steve turns to him and says, "Back me up here. Kissing is no big deal, right?"

Steve Harrington is talking about kissing. Eddie's brain shorts out. "Uh," he says.

Bookmarker's Notes: Steve accompanies Robin to a gay bar where he discovers his skills with the ladies are transferable to guys. Robin and Eddie both have a crisis over it, though for different reasons. Very fun and very hot, with Steve at his himbo best.
Like a Virgin (26183 words) by mistresscurvy
Chapters: 5/5
Fandom: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Will Byers/Mike Wheeler, Eleven | Jane Hopper/Maxine "Max" Mayfield
Characters: Dustin Henderson, Lucas Sinclair, Steve Harrington, Jonathan Byers, Nancy Wheeler, Robin Buckley, Argyle (Stranger Things), Jim "Chief" Hopper, Joyce Byers
Additional Tags: Loss of Virginity, First Kiss, First Time, 80s teen sex comedy, will and mike are both 17 in this fic, Discussions of sex, Explicit Sexual Content, Coming Out

Summary: "Did it ever occur to any of you that I might not want to have my only sexual experiences be with someone who isn't actually interested in me?" Will asked.

He was met by three identical looks of confusion. "I mean, it would still be sex," Dustin said finally.

Bookmarker's Notes: Set after a season four where, yes, a lot of people died. But the kids are seventeen now, and Mike and Will are both virgins, which Mike is very concerned about: Cue the 80s teen sex comedy. Unlike much of that genre, though, this isn't gross or embarrassing, and everybody's having a good time. I adored Will here, kind of baffled by what Mike's gotten them into, yet excited about it too, and it's wonderful to see him stand up for himself, confident enough to be honest about who he is and what he wants. Plus it includes the entire crew, even Argyle.
So, in November, I started rewatching the first four seasons of Stranger Things in preparation for the fifth season. The first season is still so good; tightly plotted, every group working in their own genre until all three storylines converge. Second season: Not my favorite, for a number of reasons, but it does give us Max and for that I will forgive it. The third season is a mall-shaped masterpiece of nostalgia, even if a bunch of goofy kids infiltrating a secret Russian facility is harder to buy than the Upside Down. Fourth, all over the damn place, literally, and full of infodumps thrown together in order to explain the new retroactive continuity, but the Hawkins crew is absolutely solid.

And the fifth season? The first half felt like a different show than the second half, and the second half wasn't exactly made up of my favorite things. I loved the quarantine aspect—huge fan of a bottle episode—and I was proud of Will (and glad that he finally got something to do), and Robin and Steve running the radio station was perfect, but I wanted MORE TEAM FEELS. There was NOT ENOUGH FRIENDSHIP for me. And would it have killed the Duffers to make Will and El BFFs? Apparently so. It got real sloppy toward the end, too, losing interest in characters in peril (Erica! Mr. Clarke!) and not checking back in with them AT ALL. And that final boss battle was boring. Like Joyce wasn't even a little bit dirty at the end. But I still love the characters and the finale didn't destroy my love for the show, and in this era of television, that's not nothing. Watching all five seasons at once was a great decision and kept me happy for a month.

But when I finished the first part of S5, I desperately wanted more, immediately, and felt all out of sorts for like, a day, until I remembered fanfic. So I went to the Stranger Things tag on AO3, filtered by gen, and sorted by kudos, and I am only going to say this once but the people tagging their Steve/Eddie and Steve/Billy fics gen need to open a fucking window. Though not either of the authors I just recced, because, as you'll see, they didn't tag their explicit relationship fics "gen," and also those came from my bookmarks.

I read, or started to read, several of the things I found on the first few pages of hits, but kept getting that sinking feeling you get when you realize the fic you're reading was written by someone who doesn't remember the 80s—probably because they hadn't been born yet.

A selection of slides from my imaginary PowerPoint presentation on the 1980s:

  • If you're making a joking reference to popular benzodiazepines, it's Valium, not Xanax.

  • Private homes were more likely to have answering machines than voicemail, but even those wouldn't be common until the late 80s and early 90s.

  • The telephone was the phone. No one called them landlines because there was just the one kind.

  • VCRs were still new and very expensive ($500 to $1,000 or more)—so if you were worried about paying the bills you probably didn't have one—but if you did have one, you'd be more likely to rent movies from an independent (and often janky) shop than buy them, as movies on VHS were very very expensive (around $100) when they first hit the market.

  • The only way you're renting a video from Blockbuster in 1985 is if you lived in Dallas, Texas.

I will permit Eddie saying, "My bad," however, because it's funny.

Bonus 1990s slide:

  • If you were playing Mario Kart in 1996 it would have been on the Super Nintendo; there was no Mario Kart on the original 8-bit Nintendo Entertainment System.

I know it's crass to complain about free entertainment, but the cognitive dissonance is real. Many of these things could have been solved with the slightest bit of research, but, on the other hand, you don't know what you don't know, like working class people weren't routinely drinking bottled water in the 1980s, magic eye stereograms became ubiquitous in the 90s, not a decade before, and if you were at the hospital, that thermometer wasn't going in your ear.

And so I trudged on through my disappointing search results. I didn't want to exclude relationships (except for Steve/Billy which can get lost) because some of them are canon and, thus, could be considered gen, so there I was, wading through pages and pages of fic labeled gen that was decidedly not gen, when, in the midst of that relationshippy soup of search results, I found it. The fic I had been looking for. A fic that was just like the show, with a new big bad and EVERYBODY (from S2) in it, where the romantic relationships fit into the story without overwhelming it. Excellent voices. Very well written. And looooooooooong.

In A Strange Land (180411 words) by MrsEvadneCake
Chapters: 12/12
Fandom: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Relationships: Jonathan Byers & Steve Harrington & Nancy Wheeler, Jonathan Byers/Nancy Wheeler, Eleven | Jane Hopper/Mike Wheeler, Maxine "Max" Mayfield/Lucas Sinclair, Past-Steve Harrington/Nancy Wheeler, Jonathan Byers/Steve Harrington/Nancy Wheeler
Characters: Steve Harrington, Dustin Henderson, Lucas Sinclair, Maxine "Max" Mayfield, Will Byers, Mike Wheeler, Eleven | Jane Hopper, Jim "Chief" Hopper, Joyce Byers, Scott Clarke, Sam Owens (Stranger Things), Billy Hargrove, The gang's all here.
Additional Tags: Action/Adventure, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, POV Multiple, Period-Typical Homophobia, 80's Music, Eldritch Abomination, Horror, Steve Harrington-centric, Pre-Jonathan Byers/Steve Harrington/Nancy Wheeler, So many horror references, Honestly Pretty Mediocre Babysitter Steve Harrington

Summary: Doom comes to Hawkins, Indiana. Population est. 30,000.

It's cold, that's all, and the breeze is kicking up. That's why Steve feels the chill go up his spine like someone dropped an ice-cube down his back.

"Why wouldn't I be real, El?"

"The Aboleth got you."

Highly recommended. With the small caveat that it seems to think winter break happens in February?

That fic was so satisfying I stopped digging through the gen tag and moved on to the relationship soup, but lord it's a jungle out there. I did manage to find these three excellent Mike/Will fics all by myself:

Three post-canon Mike/Will fics )

But I saw some shit out there that I can't unsee. Some of the kids just aren't all right. So it's time to get out of the tags and ask for recs: If you have favorite plotty or tropey fics that focus on a pairing—that preferably still involve Hawkins and most of the cast and don't include the redemption of Billy Hargrove, but I'll read anything if it's good—I'd love to hear about it. And of course if there's excellent plotty genfic I've missed, I need to know about that immediately.

Daily life

Feb. 23rd, 2026 10:45 am
melagan: John and Rodney blue background (Default)
[personal profile] melagan
I just spent 10 minutes looking for a screw.


It was a tiny thing and the only one I had that fit an electric outlet plate. Yes. That kind of screw.

I had it taped to the plastic outlet plate. Taped to it so I wouldn't lose it.

While rummaging in my toolbox for pliers for...(that's another story), I came across the bare, naked, screwless plate. I did eventually find the screw, and this time plate and screw are in a ziplock bag.

Huh. I wonder if that has anything to do with the explicit- definitely got screwed - fic I just posted? Balance in the universe and all that.


As long as no minor is reading over your shoulder, you can read it here.

[February: Bingo] Word of Honor icons

Feb. 23rd, 2026 02:23 pm
tarlanx: Wen Kexing holding fan with text FAN (Cdrama - Word of Honor 4 - WKX Fan)
[personal profile] tarlanx posting in [community profile] sweetandshort
For [community profile] sweetandshort - February: Bingo
Fandom: Word of Honor (TV 2021)

Sunshine Green
WoH---Sunshine-by-Tarlan WoH---Green-by-Tarlan
Homesick Magic
WoH---Homesick-by-Tarlan WoH---Magic-by-Tarlan

 
[syndicated profile] otw_news_feed

Posted by Caitlynne

AO3 Tag Wranglers continue to test processes for wrangling canonical additional tags (tags that appear in the auto-complete) which don’t belong to any particular fandom (also known as “No Fandom” tags). This post overviews some of these upcoming changes.

In this round of updates, we continued to adjust existing canonical “No Fandom” tags to add or remove new subtag and metatag relationships. We also continued to streamline creating new canonical tags, prioritizing more straightforward updates which would have less discussion compared to renaming current canonical tags or creating new canonical tags which touch on more complex topics. This method also reviews new tags on a regular basis, so check back on AO3 News for periodic “No Fandom” tag announcements.

None of these updates change the tags users have added to works. If a user-created tag is considered to have the same meaning as a new canonical, it will be made a synonym of one of these newly created canonical tags, and works with that user-created tag will appear when the canonical tag is selected.

In short, these changes only affect which tags appear in AO3’s auto-complete and filters. You can and should continue to tag your works however you prefer.

New Canonicals

The following concepts have been made new canonical tags:

Subtag/Metatag Revisions

Additionally, we continued to adjust existing canonical tags to add or remove new subtag and metatag relationships, which help users find related content and filter in/out content as they browse works on AO3. 

In Conclusion

While some of these tags may be tags and concepts you’re intimately familiar with, others may be concepts you’ve never heard of before. Fortunately, our fellow OTW volunteers at Fanlore may be able to help! As you may have seen in the comments sections of previous posts, Fanlore is a fantastic resource for learning more about these common fandom concepts, and about the history and lore of fandom in general. For the curious, here’s a quick look at a few articles about concepts related to this month’s new canonical tags:

While we won’t be announcing every change we make to No Fandom canonical tags, you can expect similar updates in the future about tags we believe will most affect users. If you’re interested in the changes we’ll be making, you can continue to check AO3 News or follow us on Bluesky @wranglers.archiveofourown.org or Tumblr @ao3org for future announcements.

You can also read previous updates on “No Fandom” tags as well as other wrangling updates, linked below: 

For more information about AO3’s tag system, check out our Tags FAQ.

  

In addition to providing technical help, AO3 Support also handles requests related to how tags are sorted and connected.​ If you have questions about specific tags, which were first used over a month ago and are unrelated to any of the new canonical tags listed above, please contact Support instead of leaving a comment on this post.

Please keep in mind that discussions about what tags to canonize and what format they should take are ongoing. As a result, not all related concepts will be canonized at the same time. This does not mean that related or similar concepts will not be canonized in the future or that we have chosen to canonize one specific concept in lieu of another, simply that we likely either haven’t gotten to that related concept yet or that it needs further discussion and will take a bit longer for us to canonize it as a result. We appreciate your patience and understanding.

Lastly, we’re still working on implementing changes and connecting relevant user-created tags to these new canonicals, so it’ll be some time before these updates are complete. If you have questions about specific tags which should be connected to these new canonicals, please refrain from contacting Support about them until at least three months from now to give us adequate time to do so.

 


The Organization for Transformative Works is the non-profit parent organization of multiple projects including Archive of Our Own, Fanlore, Open Doors, OTW Legal Advocacy, and Transformative Works and Cultures. We are a fan-run, donor-supported organization staffed by volunteers.  Find out more about us on our website.

Topics for talk-February

Feb. 22nd, 2026 11:10 pm
pattrose: (Default)
[personal profile] pattrose
Topics for talk

How to Improve My Life:

I know this will sound weird, but I'm happy with my life. I don't know that I would change anything. I'm happy, content and thrilled to be alive. Great family and friends. Like I said, I'm happy. Would I be happier if I had more money? I have no idea. Some people that have money are sad and alone. I'd rather stay the way I am.

How about you?

2026 60 questions meme.

Feb. 22nd, 2026 11:08 pm
pattrose: (Default)
[personal profile] pattrose
2026 60 questions meme.
What role does love play in your life?

Love is big in our family. Hubby and I still find time to spend together and have fun. We love our family and friends too. We share everything. Okay, not everything. I tell him about a story I'm working on, and he says he doesn't want to hear it. He knows I write slash, but he doesn't want to hear about it. LOL. He's so cute. I truly love him and his quirky ways. 😁

Not quite 365 days questions February

Feb. 22nd, 2026 11:05 pm
pattrose: (Default)
[personal profile] pattrose
Not quite a 365-day questions meme.

23. Do you own many mirrors?

One in each bathroom, one in the spare bedroom, and one in our bedroom. I don't like the way I look; they aren't my good friends. If I lost 50 pounds, I wouldn't mind looking in a mirror every day. I'm doing chair aerobics every night, but it's coming off very slowly. I always get sidetracked and end up talking about something that has nothing to do with the question. Sorry about that. My dad used to call me Rambling Rose. Now you know why.

Recipe Dessert

Feb. 22nd, 2026 11:03 pm
pattrose: (Default)
[personal profile] pattrose
Recipe Dessert

Cheesecake Crescent Rolls Casserole

Ingredients
* 2 cans of refrigerated crescent roll dough
* 2 - 8 ounce blocks of cream cheese, softened to room temperature
* 1 cup of granulated sugar
* 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
* 1/4 cup of melted butter
* 1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon
* 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar

Instructions

Preheat the Oven and Prepare the Baking Dish
* Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish to ensure the casserole does not stick.
First Layer of Crescent Roll Dough
* Unroll one can of crescent roll dough and spread it evenly across the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Press the seams together to create a uniform layer.
Prepare the Cream Cheese Filling
* In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened cream cheese together with 1 cup of granulated sugar and the vanilla extract. Mix until the ingredients are smooth and well combined.
Spread the Cream Cheese Mixture
* Evenly distribute the cream cheese mixture over the layer of crescent roll dough in the baking dish, ensuring a consistent layer.
Second Layer of Crescent Roll Dough
* Unroll the second can of crescent roll dough and carefully place it over the cream cheese layer. Press the seams together to create a smooth top layer.
Apply the Butter and Cinnamon-Sugar Mixture
* Brush the melted butter evenly over the top layer of crescent roll dough. In a small bowl, combine the ground cinnamon and the remaining 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar. Sprinkle this mixture generously over the buttered dough.
Bake the Casserole
* Place the baking dish in the preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes, or until the top is crisp and golden brown.
Cool and Serve
* Allow the casserole to cool for at least 20 minutes before slicing it into squares and serving. Optionally, drizzle with honey for added sweetness.

Recipe Vegetable

Feb. 22nd, 2026 11:01 pm
pattrose: SallyMN (Sloth on a tree)
[personal profile] pattrose
Cheesy baked asparagus

🥦 RECIPE: Cheesy Baked Asparagus 🧀
Based on the text provided, here is the complete recipe for this simple, elegant side dish. Since the text mentions only 6 ingredients and a "creamy cheese sauce" effect, this recipe uses a combination of melting cheeses and garlic to create that rich coating without a heavy flour-based sauce.

🛒 Ingredients
The Asparagus

1½ lbs (680g) Fresh asparagus, woody ends snapped off

2 tbsp Olive oil

Salt & Black pepper, to taste

The Cheesy Topping

1 cup Shredded Mozzarella cheese (for the creamy melt)

½ cup Grated Parmesan cheese (for the sharp, savory flavor)

2 cloves Garlic, minced (or ½ tsp garlic powder)

Optional: Red pepper flakes or lemon zest for a kick

👩‍🍳 Instructions
Preheat & Prep: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Lightly grease a baking sheet or baking dish.

Prep Tip: To remove the woody ends, bend the thick end of the asparagus spear until it naturally snaps off. Discard the tough bottom part.

Season: Place the asparagus on the baking sheet.

Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Toss with your hands to coat evenly, then arrange them in a single layer.

Roast: Bake for 10–15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the spears.

They should be tender-crisp (pierced easily with a fork but not mushy).

The Cheesy Finish: Remove from the oven.

Sprinkle the minced garlic, Mozzarella, and Parmesan evenly over the stalks.

Melt: Return to the oven (or switch to Broil) for 3–5 minutes.

Watch closely! You want the cheese bubbly and golden brown, but not burnt.

Serve: Serve immediately while the cheese is gooey.

randomly

Feb. 22nd, 2026 06:34 pm
muccamukk: Blue sky with aeroplanes trailing red, orange, yellow, green and blue smoke. Text: "Not June. Still Queer." (Misc: Still Queer)
[personal profile] muccamukk
I just have such a strong reaction to the question: "Is it queerbaiting if straight actors play gay roles?"

My answer is neither "yes" nor "no."

It's "Not today, Satan!"

Falling.

Feb. 22nd, 2026 08:42 pm
hannah: (Winter - obsessiveicons)
[personal profile] hannah
The travel ban's up. Schools are going back to remote learning. Nobody's going anywhere if they can help it. I'd figured this was coming, and it's nice that it's settling in. The snow's coming down steadily and I can faintly hear human voices - going from where the light's coming from, the people in the next building over are either hosting some friends or having a very loud party by themselves. Either way, it's warm human voices on a cold night.

Not a dark night, though. The clouds aren't letting that happen. It's one of the nicer parts of nighttime snow.

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