Mmm … sandwich

May. 10th, 2026 11:27 am
[syndicated profile] joshreadscomics_feed

Posted by Josh

Comics Curmudgeon readers! Do you love this blog and yearn for a novel written by its creator? Well, good news: Josh Fruhlinger's The Enthusiast is that novel! It's even about newspaper comic strips, partly. Check it out!

Judge Parker, 5/10/26

There have been hints in this strip that Judge Parker Senior is slipping away into alcoholism or maybe just dementia, and … look, he’s kind of an asshole, and sure, Katherine seems to be on top of his apparent disappearance as this strip opens, but you have to imagine that she leaves those keys where he can find them even though she shouldn’t, and, well, maybe today’s the day when he’s going to drive into a wall and she’ll be rid of him and, since his kids are themselves both kind of assholes, get that money. It turns out that he was just making a sandwich, though! Oh well.

Hagar the Horrible, 5/10/26

Despite my endless attempts to parse the anachronisms of Hagar the Horrible, I do of course realize that the anachronisms are key to the jokes, like the mix of the modern concept of a “hospital” with our vague ideas of ancient medicine here. Anyway, today’s punchline is whatever but I think “Take those leeches out of here! I’m not a blood buffet!” is very funny! A hearty chuckle was had, by me.

Mary Worth, 5/10/26

“I know many people who are smart, successful, resourced, but because of loneliness, they throw almost everything away for an illusion! Now imagine how loneliness would affect a dumb, poor failure!” [SMASH CUT TO: MEANWHILE, TOMMY BEEDIE WEEPS]

sunday

May. 10th, 2026 07:06 am
summersgate: (Default)
[personal profile] summersgate
2026-5-19GoodMorning.jpg
Good Morning.

I decided to wear my hearing aids this morning. I usually don't because I don't like how they are irritating, like there's something in my ear that shouldn't be there, and they frequently fall out a little - I'm not aware of that so I have them in my ears but I'm not hearing any better anyway. They also make everything LOUD; the rustling of my pants, the clock ticking, the floorboards when I walk on them. But one thing about them is wonderful - hearing the birds! What a glorious morning this morning. The rain seems to be over for now. The ground is soaked. It's easy for the robins to pull their worms. The sun is backlighting all the baby green leaves and making them glow. The birds are hollering their songs.

What made me decide to give the hearing aids another try was how often when I was in the hospital last week I couldn't hear what was said to me, and got some things wrong. A few nurses were wearing masks and I really couldn't hear them. I had to keep apologizing that I couldn't hear very well, please say that again. I can see how being hard of hearing is isolating. In certain situations in life I just quit caring what people are saying - can't hear it anyway - why be interested? Many times I just pretend to hear what people say to be agreeable. I'm very good a matching my facial expressions to what others are probably saying. At least I think I am - don't really know.

Going shopping with Jules this morning. Our usual every two weeks Sunday walmart and giant eagle shopping trip. For a change we're going to Meadville.

(no subject)

May. 10th, 2026 12:36 pm
oursin: Brush the Wandering Hedgehog by the fire (Default)
[personal profile] oursin
Happy birthday, [personal profile] lisajulie and [personal profile] luzula!

30 Days of Blake's 7 - day 10

May. 10th, 2026 10:47 pm
vilakins: (oh bum)
[personal profile] vilakins
Day 10: Least favourite episode

Again, I can't just pick one, so I'll go by season.

S1: The Web is pretty dire with the Decimas and the head in a jar.
S2: Voice From the Past has mummy Travis with a google eye, and Le Grand; need I say more?
S3: Harvest of Kairos and Moloch because of the appalling misogyny.
S4: Power because of the same woman-hating writer and Animals for many reasons including Justin and the creepy age difference with Dayna.

Did you think I'd pick Orbit or Blake? They're not among my favourites because of the storyline, but they're well written, Orbit in particular - I do enjoy the Avon and Vila team working so well together for the last time before the shuttle sabotage.

All the questions are on Tumblr.

The Friday Five

May. 10th, 2026 09:55 am
galadhir: a blue octopus sits in a golden armchair reading a black backed novel (Default)
[personal profile] galadhir

Thanks to [personal profile] starandrea for pointing me to [community profile] thefridayfive for this one.

  1. What do you consider your current main fandom? (This can include hobbies and collecting. Anything you feel fannish about!)

It has to be belly dancing at the moment. I have that 'I want to spend every spare moment on it' rush. I am constantly going to YouTube to watch new-to-me dancers do their thing, and practicing my solos and trying to design new dances and costumes.

It's a grief to me that I don't really like classical style, but a joy when I find something I do like. I'm sure I'm going to attempt to make some hybrid that I do like, just as I do with canon and fanon when I meet it. I believe every dancer has to create their own personal style, so that's hopefully not as arrogant a prospect as it might be.

  1. What was your first fandom?

If I consider fandom as a thing that I participated in alongside other people, then it was Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. If I consider it as solo pre-internet hyperfixation that caused attempts at fic-writing, it was A Wizard Of Earthsea as a child.

  1. Do you have any favorite headcanons or fan theories?

Absolutely every one of my favourite characters are alive and happy, and most of them are also doing great things for their worlds according to their particular talents.

  1. Have you ever created fanworks?

I certainly have. There are 98 of them on Ao3 and you can even consider my latest belly dance solo one of them, as it has a Stargate Universe inspired concept. I must write or podfic a couple more, to get to 100 ;)

  1. Are you still active in any old fandoms?

Not really. I tend to be a serial monogamist when it comes to fandoms. I have never gone back to the same one twice (unless you count the SGU bellydance, or a Celeborn fic I wrote specifically for a friend who asked me to.) I remain extremely fond of them all, but when I move on I tend to do so absolutely.

[syndicated profile] smartbitches_feed

Posted by Amanda

Welcome back!

Sometimes Get Rec’d sneaks up on me. The books this week are split between fiction and non-fiction. Two of each!

What recommendations would you like to pass along? Let us know in the comments!

Gather

This is part of the Norton Shorts collection, which I find to be pretty interesting in terms of offerings and topics. Anthropologist Ashanté M. Rees takes a look at the relationship between Black communities, food, and gathering. 

A vibrant new vision of food justice that celebrates Black food and recognizes the power of gathering to create sustainable, systemic change.

Food justice is defined as the understanding that our food system is unequal and that something needs to be done about it. But how can we create a world where everyone has enough? What does it mean to truly nourish ourselves and our communities?

In Gather, anthropologist Ashanté M. Reese argues for a vibrant new vision of food justice that places Black communities at the center and offers us a visionary, delicious path forward. Reese reveals that to truly create equity in our food systems, we must embrace the abundance that already exists around us—and recognize that the social body is as important as our individual health

Gather presents rich, on-the-ground stories of gathering around food in four spaces—gardens, family reunions, repasts, and protests. Blending rich storytelling with analysis, these chapters argue for the political power of food and invite us to learn from the tactics Black communities have long used to create sustainable, systemic change.

There are no simple solutions to the problems of acute need. But by recognizing that food justice is already all around us, we can start working together to create a more nourishing, joyful world. Gather is an intimate and urgent invitation to embrace local power, build better food systems, and nourish ourselves, body and soul.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

Grand Slam Romance: Book 1

Magical girls meets a sports romance in this queer graphical novel romance! There are three books in total in this series. 

Storytelling team Ollie Hicks and Emma Oosterhous’s first Grand Slam Romance is a queer, full-color graphic novel that’s equal parts romance, softball, and drama, where the balls are fast, the smooches are spicy, and the girls . . . magical—now in paperback

Mickey Monsoon is the hotshot pitcher for the Belle City Broads, and their team is poised to sweep the league this season. But Mickey is thrown off their game when Astra Maxima shows up to catch for the Gaiety Gals, the Broads’ fiercest rival. Years ago, Mickey and Astra were best friends . . . and maybe more. That was until Astra unceremoniously dumped Mickey to become a softball wunderkind at a private girl’s school in Switzerland. Now, Astra is flirty, arrogant, and reckless on the field—everything the rule-abiding Mickey hates.

Astra thinks Mickey’s cute and wants to fool around, despite their rocky history and the trail of jilted softballers that Astra leaves in her wake. Too bad the only thing Mickey wants is vengeance for their broken heart and wounded pride! But even they have to admit—Astra is a certified babe. And that’s not Astra isn’t just a softball superstar, she’s a full-fledged magical girl.

Full of wet mitts, hard hits, and a bevy of softball-playing babes, Grand Slam Book 1 is a flawless home run that is sure to knock readers out of the park.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

Humankind

If you’re looking for non-fiction that won’t leave you terribly depressed, this book showcases ways in which humankind has come together. 

From New York Times bestselling author of Utopia for Realists comes a “bold” (Daniel H. Pink) and “extraordinary” (Susan Cain) argument that humans thrive in a crisis and that our innate kindness and cooperation have been the greatest factors in our long-term success on the planet.

If there is one belief that has united the left and the right, psychologists and philosophers, ancient thinkers and modern ones, it is the tacit assumption that humans are bad. It’s a notion that drives newspaper headlines and guides the laws that shape our lives. From Machiavelli to Hobbes, Freud to Pinker, the roots of this belief have sunk deep into Western thought. Human beings, we’re taught, are by nature selfish and governed primarily by self-interest.

But what if it isn’t true? International bestseller Rutger Bregman provides new perspective on the past 200,000 years of human history, setting out to prove that we are hardwired for kindness, geared toward cooperation rather than competition, and more inclined to trust rather than distrust one another. In fact this instinct has a firm evolutionary basis going back to the beginning of Homo sapiens.

From the real-life Lord of the Flies to the solidarity in the aftermath of the Blitz, the hidden flaws in the Stanford prison experiment to the true story of twin brothers on opposite sides who helped Mandela end apartheid, Bregman shows us that believing in human generosity and collaboration isn’t merely optimistic—it’s realistic. Moreover, it has huge implications for how society functions. When we think the worst of people, it brings out the worst in our politics and economics. But if we believe in the reality of humanity’s kindness and altruism, it will form the foundation for achieving true change in society, a case that Bregman makes convincingly with his signature wit, refreshing frankness, and memorable storytelling.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

Not Quite Dead Yet

A woman has a week to solve her own murder. If you love mysteries that are high on tension, consider this one!

In seven days Jet Mason will be dead.

Jet is the daughter of one of the wealthiest families in Woodstock, Vermont. Twenty-seven years old, she’s still waiting for her life to begin. She’ll do it later, she always says. She has time.

Until, on the night of Halloween, Jet is violently attacked by an unseen intruder.

She suffers a catastrophic brain injury. The doctor is certain that within a week, she’ll suffer a deadly aneurysm.

Jet never thought of herself as having enemies. But now she looks at everyone in a new light: her family, her ex-best friend turned sister-in-law, her former boyfriend.

She only has seven days, and as her condition deteriorates she has only her childhood friend Billy for help. But nevertheless, she’s absolutely determined to finally finish something:

Jet is going to solve her own murder.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

Conclusions

May. 10th, 2026 06:34 am
[syndicated profile] futilitycloset_feed

Posted by Greg Ross

From John Boyce Bennett’s 1980 logic textbook Rational Thinking:

If it’s false that no dopips are fraks, characterize each of these propositions as true, false, or doubtful:

a. All dopips are fraks.
b. Few dopips are fraks.
c. Some dopips are fraks.
d. No fraks are dopips.
e. Some dopips are not fraks.

Click for Answer</>

Sunday Sale Digest!

May. 10th, 2026 06:00 am
[syndicated profile] smartbitches_feed

Posted by Amanda

This piece of literary mayhem is exclusive to Smart Bitches After Dark, but fret not. If you'd like to join, we'd love to have you!

Have a look at our membership options, and come join the fun!

If you want to have a little extra fun, be a little more yourself, and be part of keeping the site open for everyone in the future, we can’t wait to see you in our new subscription-based section with exclusive content and events.

Everything you’re used to seeing at the Hot Pink Palace that is Smart Bitches Trashy Books will remain free as always, because we remain committed to fostering community among brilliant readers who love romance.

sovay: (Haruspex: Autumn War)
[personal profile] sovay
And today my physical health went through the floor and my mood with it, but I hadn't known that boglands were permeating pop culture to the point of salt marsh gastronomy, biofictional art, and peat-distressed fashion. What a great time it would be for a proper home release of Michael Almereyda's The Eternal (1998). Have some further Rabbitology.

D.O.P.-T.

May. 9th, 2026 11:44 pm
weofodthignen: selfportrait with Rune the cat (Default)
[personal profile] weofodthignen
I seem to have hurt my back, which is getting in the way. The housemate observed that today I walked slowly enough that she didn't have to hurry. I had trouble lifting the monstera plant to reorient it, so I wound up turning the whole drip plate and pot assemblage in place instead. Big nuisance.

Three Weeks for Dreamwidth: Biology

May. 10th, 2026 12:51 am
ysabetwordsmith: Text -- three weeks for dreamwidth, in pink (three weeks for dreamwidth)
[personal profile] ysabetwordsmith
This year during Three Weeks for Dreamwidth, I'm writing about reading as a way of becoming an expert in a given subject. Read Part 1: Introduction to Becoming an Expert, Part 2: Architecture, Part 3: Dance, Part 4: Music, Part 5: Painting, Part 6: Poetry, Part 7: Sculpture, Part 8: Conflict Resolution, Part 9: Cooking, Part 10: Coping Skills, Part 11: Gardening, Part 12: Relationship Skills, Part 13: Repairing, Part 14: Survival Skills, Part 15: Archaeology.


Three Weeks for Dreamwidth Part 16: Biology

Biology is the science of studying life. Its two main subfields are botany (studying plants) and zoology (studying animals) but there are other branches such as evolutionary biology, genetics, mycology (studying fungi), paleozoology (studying extinct animals), and so forth. Aspects include history, famous people, and regions. Different cultures have very different approaches to biology too. Here on Dreamwidth, check out [community profile] birdfeeding, [community profile] common_nature, [community profile] environment, [community profile] gardening, [community profile] naturaldyes, [community profile] petchat, [community profile] science, and [community profile] scienceworld.


Three Weeks for Dreamwidth April 25-May 15

Read more... )

(no subject)

May. 10th, 2026 05:17 am
sonia: Quilted wall-hanging (Default)
[personal profile] sonia
Back in 2019, I posted links to the fabulous Amalgamation Choir from Crete, led by Vasiliki Anastasiou. In particular, I loved Tis Trihas to Gefyri from Pontos in 9/8. (lyrics)

Recently I went to a concert by Phoebe Vlassis, who weaves at a loom and sings at the same time. At the end of the concert she raffles off the weaving she made during the concert. She opened with Tis Trihas to Gefyri, which I recognized immediately. I asked her about it after the concert, and she said it was the first song she tried singing while weaving.

So I looked around for Amalgamation Choir, and it turns out they're still around! Here's a 20 min concert, posted in 2020.

Links: Reality-based

May. 9th, 2026 09:01 pm
sonia: Quilted wall-hanging (Default)
[personal profile] sonia
The Wonderful World of Artemis II Photos by Hank Green.

Meet Graham by Patricia Piccinini, a creepy and interestingly redesigned human being to better survive automobile crashes.

AI Cannot Self Improve and Math behind PROVES IT! by Dev Simsek.
The paper proves that under a diminishing supply of fresh, authentic data, this system converges to a fixed point – a degenerate distribution with low diversity and high bias. The technical term is model collapse, and it’s been observed empirically too. But now there’s a formal proof that it’s inevitable, not just a bad luck outcome.


To My Students by Brent A. Yorgey.
Care more about people, relationships, and justice than you do about profits, code, or productivity.

Above all, be motivated by love instead of fear.

Yorgey links to a thoughtful list of reasons for adopting Generative AI vegetarianism by Sean Boots which covers my position pretty well. (I am not a food vegetarian.)

Clinician Guide: Constellation of Chronic Medical Conditions Commonly Seen in Autistic & ADHD Adults by All Brains Belong VT, neuroinclusive healthcare & community.
This project seeks to improve Autistic and ADHD adults’ health. Autistic & ADHD adults commonly experience multiple chronic health conditions. These patients can encounter difficulty accessing needed care.

The seven programming ur-languages by Frederick J. Ross.

Finishing Things Dave Gauer. Thoughts about how to work on just one thing at a time.

The Bra-and-Girdle Maker That Fashioned the Impossible for NASA by Nicholas de Monchaux.


Who Killed the Florida Orange?
by Alexander Sammon.
In 2003, the mighty Florida orange industry produced 242 million boxes of fruit, with 90 pounds of oranges per box, most of which went on to become orange juice. Now, not even 25 years later, the United States Department of Agriculture was forecasting a pitiful 12 million boxes of oranges, the least in more than 100 years, the worst year since last. A decline of more than 95 percent.


Impact of Climate Change on Cherry Blossom Flowering.

(no subject)

May. 10th, 2026 04:42 am
[syndicated profile] apod_feed

Many bright nebulae and star clusters in planet Earth's sky Many bright nebulae and star clusters in planet Earth's sky


Yeet?

May. 9th, 2026 09:08 pm
arlie: (Default)
[personal profile] arlie
I'm sitting here glaring at Anti-Piketty: Capital for the 21st century. I spotted it in the library when looking for something else, and borrowed it because I'd been very impressed when I read Thomas Piketty's Capital in the Twenty-First Century, and make a practice of reading counter-arguments whenever I can find them, particularly for arguments that impressed me.

Anti-Piketty is a book of essays critiquing various aspects of Piketty's book. I'm still in the front matter, and already wondering whether to simply return the book to the library with extreme prejudice.

The book was published by the Cato Institute, well-known for sending their particular flavor of US right wing political proselytizing to (presumably) every household in the US, and probably Canada as well, if not every household in any English-speaking country. Or maybe just every household in zip codes prosperous enough to be likely to buy into their argument; all I know is that I've been receiving them for decades, almost certainly starting before I moved to the US.

CATO et al. are libertarians of a sort, and their economic theories seem to me to owe a lot to the Chicago School of Economics. Their spammed literature tends towards the simplistic, perhaps with a side order of preaching to the choir. I suspect them of being bought-and-paid-for shills for people like the Koch brothers.

Needless to say, nothing they advocate or believe is consistent with Piketty's thesis, and nothing in Piketty's thesis is consistent with the positions advocated by the Cato Institute. The closest to overlap might be that both sometimes use the terminology of economics.

Being this opposed, they might have written a useful collection of serious critiques. Or they might instead have written a collection of truth-optional insults and mockery. They would certainly be motivated to convert people away from Piketty's positions. But different strategies convert different types of people.

Read more... )

Starship Enterprise – Staging

May. 9th, 2026 09:30 pm
lovelyangel: (Noriko Angel)
[personal profile] lovelyangel
Enterprise in Dry Dock
Enterprise in Dry Dock

In March, I began unboxing my Enterprise – but then put the process on hold. This month I finished the unboxing and prepared my photography studio for the beauty shots.

Preparations Below This Cut )

Starship Enterprise – Beauty Shots

May. 9th, 2026 08:27 pm
lovelyangel: (Ensign Lefler)
[personal profile] lovelyangel
TOMY 1/350 scale USS Enterprise NCC-1701 (refit)
TOMY 1/350 scale USS Enterprise NCC-1701 (refit)
Nikon Z8 • NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S
f/16 @ 70mm • 0.5s • ISO 800

Nearly two months after I Received My Starship Model, I finally assembled, tested, and photographed my new toy. And the model is stunning! I am extremely pleased.

Any time I get a new toy – mainly anime figurines – I do a photo session. The TOMY Enterprise photographs beautifully, also.

Photos Below This Cut )

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