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Jan. 8th, 2026 07:05 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
twistedchickI haven't written much about myself here in a while... ( so pass on by if you aren't interested )
2025
Jan. 8th, 2026 06:40 pmmomijizukamoriA new year means time for one of my six posts a year here, lol. I'm most active on Bluesky at the moment but 90% of it is reposting TKRB fanart and replying to friends.
2025 was weird in that I kept being like 'wait how is it [date] already???' but also there is stuff where I'm like 'wait that was this year????'. Time, man. Anyway!
* Big thing this year - top surgery! Was early June, and everything went smoothly, so all the initial healing has been done for a few months and it's now the long tail of like, nerve regrowth and scar remodeling. I was also extremely lucky in that my health insurance covered basically all of it!
* Related to the above, I did my first truly shirtless cosplay at Dragon*Con, which was also my first time trying to do fake facial hair - Goro Majima from Yazuka for an 'oops all Majima group with friends'. We also got badge ribbons made to hand out for the first time.
* After years of refusing to care about 2.5D stuff, I made new sword friends at Katsucon who convinced me to give it a go and two months later I had watched basically all the Musical Touken Ranbu back catalogue and I now own more blu-rays that I'm sure I want to admit. Half the songs are like 'these lyrics are so dumb but this melody line slaps so hard'
* I bought a kit to copperplate 3d prints - I've only done a few small things so far, so my technique still needs a lot of refinement, but it's very neat to be able to basically turn things into actual metal.
* I took an intro blacksmithing class! It was offered through the community education program at a localish vocational high school and was very resonably priced. It was really need and got me interested in learning more, even if most of my creations from the class are extremely janky-looking (no, we didn't get to make knives, being at a school meant no weapons)
* Went outside the US for the first time in... probably close to a decade? Only as far as Montreal to visit family for Christmas, but look, the world's been weird. Managed to forget cellphone roaming was a thing, but we spent most of the time inside watching movies and playing with cats anyway.
* Got around to setting up my lathe, and turned one extremely messy test piece out of some scrap pine I had, then realized I needed better safety gear before getting more into it. So more to come on that this year hopefully.
* Signed up for an e-learning course on sewing machine servicing and maintenence, in part because the place I used to take my machines to closed and in part because I want to Learn All The Things.
* I finally saw Labyrinth. Yes, the 1986 Jim Henson film. Yes, I somehow managed to have not seen it before. It was delightful, I want most of Jareth's clothes, and afterwards we watched the making-of featurette filmed at the same time as the movie and it was super-cool to see all the stuff that went into the puppets and effects.
* Bought a smart ring in September, which feels hopelessly tech-bougie of me, but I wanted some fitness/heartrate tracking and the one I have (Oura) is particularly good at tracking sleep as well as having good privacy policies. We'll see how useful it ends up being.
2025 was weird in that I kept being like 'wait how is it [date] already???' but also there is stuff where I'm like 'wait that was this year????'. Time, man. Anyway!
* Big thing this year - top surgery! Was early June, and everything went smoothly, so all the initial healing has been done for a few months and it's now the long tail of like, nerve regrowth and scar remodeling. I was also extremely lucky in that my health insurance covered basically all of it!
* Related to the above, I did my first truly shirtless cosplay at Dragon*Con, which was also my first time trying to do fake facial hair - Goro Majima from Yazuka for an 'oops all Majima group with friends'. We also got badge ribbons made to hand out for the first time.
* After years of refusing to care about 2.5D stuff, I made new sword friends at Katsucon who convinced me to give it a go and two months later I had watched basically all the Musical Touken Ranbu back catalogue and I now own more blu-rays that I'm sure I want to admit. Half the songs are like 'these lyrics are so dumb but this melody line slaps so hard'
* I bought a kit to copperplate 3d prints - I've only done a few small things so far, so my technique still needs a lot of refinement, but it's very neat to be able to basically turn things into actual metal.
* I took an intro blacksmithing class! It was offered through the community education program at a localish vocational high school and was very resonably priced. It was really need and got me interested in learning more, even if most of my creations from the class are extremely janky-looking (no, we didn't get to make knives, being at a school meant no weapons)
* Went outside the US for the first time in... probably close to a decade? Only as far as Montreal to visit family for Christmas, but look, the world's been weird. Managed to forget cellphone roaming was a thing, but we spent most of the time inside watching movies and playing with cats anyway.
* Got around to setting up my lathe, and turned one extremely messy test piece out of some scrap pine I had, then realized I needed better safety gear before getting more into it. So more to come on that this year hopefully.
* Signed up for an e-learning course on sewing machine servicing and maintenence, in part because the place I used to take my machines to closed and in part because I want to Learn All The Things.
* I finally saw Labyrinth. Yes, the 1986 Jim Henson film. Yes, I somehow managed to have not seen it before. It was delightful, I want most of Jareth's clothes, and afterwards we watched the making-of featurette filmed at the same time as the movie and it was super-cool to see all the stuff that went into the puppets and effects.
* Bought a smart ring in September, which feels hopelessly tech-bougie of me, but I wanted some fitness/heartrate tracking and the one I have (Oura) is particularly good at tracking sleep as well as having good privacy policies. We'll see how useful it ends up being.
2025 In Review
Jan. 8th, 2026 05:28 pmatherleisureI finally finished the “Street Scene” cross-stitch in May. Other than that I mostly made little stuff this year. The biggest project was the 1897 evening dress, which I really like. I finished the rest of the cross-stitched Christmas stockings so now we have a full set for the family.
( This year’s projects behind the cut )
( This year’s projects behind the cut )
Roots of Madness 1-3
Jan. 8th, 2026 02:52 pmrachelmanijaA new comic from Ignite Press by Stephanie Williams, Letizia Cadonici (main artist) and Juliet Nneka (alternate covers.) At the turn of the century, Etta, a young Black woman, studies both science and a book of old remedies she inherited from her mother, along with some dire warnings she doesn't heed.
This is a really interesting historical fantasy with elements of cosmic horror and dark academia. Each issue has alternate covers in very different styles. I like both of them.
I'll be following this one.
Content notes: So far racism is part of the world and why the characters make some choices, rather than violent or constantly present on-page. The rabbits are used in experiments that are not cruel - Etta tests a healing ointment on one that has an injury - but they seem likely to eventually turn into zombies or get possessed by cosmic horrors or merge with eldritch plants.
This is a really interesting historical fantasy with elements of cosmic horror and dark academia. Each issue has alternate covers in very different styles. I like both of them.
I'll be following this one.
Content notes: So far racism is part of the world and why the characters make some choices, rather than violent or constantly present on-page. The rabbits are used in experiments that are not cruel - Etta tests a healing ointment on one that has an injury - but they seem likely to eventually turn into zombies or get possessed by cosmic horrors or merge with eldritch plants.
WIP Big Bang/WIP Reverse Bang 2025 - Posting Officially Closes At 11:59 PM PST
Jan. 8th, 2026 02:41 pmpenaltywaltz posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
wipbigbangPosting for the 2025 round of WIP Big Bang and WIP Reverse Bang will officially close at 11:59 PM PST (roughly a little over nine hours from this posting). I will not be reblogging anything submitted after that point. If you do not post and do not send an email to wipbigbang@gmail.com officially dropping out before that point, you will be banned for the 2026 round as a regular participant (you may sign up as an artist for a fic/writer for an art project, however). The 2025 round masterlist will go up at some point in January.
The 2026 WIP Mini Bang details will go up at some point tomorrow (January 9th) and posting for that event will be extended to March 1st due to the information going out over a week late.
Information for the 2026 WIP Big Bang & WIP Reverse Bang will go up on April 1st.
The 2026 WIP Mini Bang details will go up at some point tomorrow (January 9th) and posting for that event will be extended to March 1st due to the information going out over a week late.
Information for the 2026 WIP Big Bang & WIP Reverse Bang will go up on April 1st.
Poem post: stunbone
Jan. 8th, 2026 01:39 pmradiantfractureWhere is there to sit exactly
If everything is shining on me
Friend, you have buttsense
you have stone buns, as your grandma says
Here in the driftwood feeling sundrunk, sunbent
Sensate among the ebb tones of the sea
I thought you said stun bone
You draw with a stick among the ebb stones
The tide wriggles up the sand grooves
Your breathing makes the subtones shimmer
You draw the water up to bait our shoes
Just for the craft of it, just because you can do it
Like a gull riding on the sky tide
Laughing at our temporary ruin
* * * * * *
Every morning very nearly without fail I solve the Merriam-Webster Blossom puzzle, and then I re-solve it to see if I can get a higher score, and if I'm not careful this becomes a kind of intellectual busywork I can use to distract myself from actual writing.
So a thing I'm trying to do (among all the other things) is to use the puzzle as a prompt. Inevitably each group of letters generates a semantic zone. Real and nonce words produce themselves. The letterset today was BENOSTU.
Here's a less complete poem from Sunday (letterset EINRTVW):
The riverine interview of winter,
that inept vintner: cool distillate
interrogates the view, shreds and repurposes it,
turns window to vitrine
where the morning light, when it comes,
cold citrine, tobacco stain,
will ennerve us, animate the inert twin
...Not sure what I planned to do with that twin, but I will let you know.
§rf§
If everything is shining on me
Friend, you have buttsense
you have stone buns, as your grandma says
Here in the driftwood feeling sundrunk, sunbent
Sensate among the ebb tones of the sea
I thought you said stun bone
You draw with a stick among the ebb stones
The tide wriggles up the sand grooves
Your breathing makes the subtones shimmer
You draw the water up to bait our shoes
Just for the craft of it, just because you can do it
Like a gull riding on the sky tide
Laughing at our temporary ruin
* * * * * *
Every morning very nearly without fail I solve the Merriam-Webster Blossom puzzle, and then I re-solve it to see if I can get a higher score, and if I'm not careful this becomes a kind of intellectual busywork I can use to distract myself from actual writing.
So a thing I'm trying to do (among all the other things) is to use the puzzle as a prompt. Inevitably each group of letters generates a semantic zone. Real and nonce words produce themselves. The letterset today was BENOSTU.
Here's a less complete poem from Sunday (letterset EINRTVW):
The riverine interview of winter,
that inept vintner: cool distillate
interrogates the view, shreds and repurposes it,
turns window to vitrine
where the morning light, when it comes,
cold citrine, tobacco stain,
will ennerve us, animate the inert twin
...Not sure what I planned to do with that twin, but I will let you know.
§rf§
Introductions
Jan. 8th, 2026 09:50 pmcosmolinguistangelofthenorth hadn't seen Glass Onion, so we're watching it tonight.
Turns out she hadn't thought of roasting cabbage until I served it -- along with roasted mushrooms and carrots and Christmasy things I'd stashed in the freezer: salmon wellington for those two and veggie pastry parcels for me -- tonight.
I am delighted to have been able to share such wonderful things.
Does it seem slow to rain? Does it feel like soft moss?
Jan. 8th, 2026 03:29 pmsovayNow that we are back in the swing of the year, my days are marked by doctors' appointments. I preferred being outside the calendar. I did dream briefly and unexpectedly of Alexander Knox, playing one of those harrowed, abrasive, obdurate figures on the other side of some internment or imprisonment that made me think he would have been anachronistically great as E. T. C. Werner. Have some link-like things.
1. John Heffernan falls into the category of actors of whom I have somehow become very fond without actually seeing all that much of them, which normally happens with character faces in the '40's. I am unlikely even to see his latest project, the freshly announced Amazon TV version of Tomb Raider, but since his character is described in the promotional dramatis personae as "an exhausted government official who finds himself tangled up in Lara's unusual world," it's nice to know I would almost certainly develop a disproportionate attachment to him if I had the chance. You can tell I am otherwise a solid generation of actors behind the times since I was impressed by the casting in the same place of Jason Isaacs, Bill Paterson, Celia Imrie, Paterson Joseph, and Sigourney Weaver.
2. This song transfixed me a few nights ago on WHRB: Barbez, "Strange" (2005).
3. I meant once again to praise the Malden Public Library for ordering me a sun-bleached, peach-orange, jacketless first edition of Leslie Howard's Trivial Fond Records (ed. Ronald Howard, 1982), about whose selected nonfiction I have been intensely curious since discovering its existence in 2008, but the problem with reading some of the broadcasts he made for J. B. Priestley's Britain Speaks in 1940 is that one runs into passages like:
Democracy today, to survive at all, must be as militant as autocracy, and what the world is desperately in need of now is not the gentle, philosophic democracy of Jefferson, but the outspoken, militant and ringing democracy of Roosevelt, representing the righteous anger of the free people of the world aroused against the cynical arrogance of the totalitarian feudalists.
1. John Heffernan falls into the category of actors of whom I have somehow become very fond without actually seeing all that much of them, which normally happens with character faces in the '40's. I am unlikely even to see his latest project, the freshly announced Amazon TV version of Tomb Raider, but since his character is described in the promotional dramatis personae as "an exhausted government official who finds himself tangled up in Lara's unusual world," it's nice to know I would almost certainly develop a disproportionate attachment to him if I had the chance. You can tell I am otherwise a solid generation of actors behind the times since I was impressed by the casting in the same place of Jason Isaacs, Bill Paterson, Celia Imrie, Paterson Joseph, and Sigourney Weaver.
2. This song transfixed me a few nights ago on WHRB: Barbez, "Strange" (2005).
3. I meant once again to praise the Malden Public Library for ordering me a sun-bleached, peach-orange, jacketless first edition of Leslie Howard's Trivial Fond Records (ed. Ronald Howard, 1982), about whose selected nonfiction I have been intensely curious since discovering its existence in 2008, but the problem with reading some of the broadcasts he made for J. B. Priestley's Britain Speaks in 1940 is that one runs into passages like:
Democracy today, to survive at all, must be as militant as autocracy, and what the world is desperately in need of now is not the gentle, philosophic democracy of Jefferson, but the outspoken, militant and ringing democracy of Roosevelt, representing the righteous anger of the free people of the world aroused against the cynical arrogance of the totalitarian feudalists.
Write Every day 2026: January, Day 8
Jan. 8th, 2026 10:10 pmtrobadora- As usual (and as I hoped for), fandomtrees has a one-week delay, so now I have a much better chance of finishing more than one thing, heh. Here is the latest admin post with the trees that still need gifts.
- Also, candyheartsex sign-ups have closed, and three more people in my fandoms signed up after I had already gone to bed! Can't wait to find out what my actual assignment will be.
Today's writing
I worked a little on one
fandomtrees treat, started planning another, and did some brainstorming for candyheartsex. It's still all slower going than I'd like, but I'm feeling much better, so there's that.WED Question of the Day
Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 15
If I have multiple works I want/need to finish by the same deadline, I ...
View Answers
write and finish them one after the other
8 (53.3%)
work on multiple things in parallel
6 (40.0%)
something else
1 (6.7%)
When I'm working on things without deadlines, I ...
View Answers
work on one thing until I finish or give up
5 (33.3%)
work on multiple things in parallel
10 (66.7%)
something else
0 (0.0%)
When I have tickyboxes, I ...
View Answers
tick one
4 (28.6%)
tick them all
4 (28.6%)
tick whichever ones I like
12 (85.7%)
something else
1 (7.1%)
Tally
( Days 1-5 )
Day 6:
alightbuthappypen, badly_knitted, brithistorian, carenejeans, china_shop, cornerofmadness, goddess47, luzula, sanguinity, shadaras, sylvanwitch, the_siobhan, trobadora, ysilmeDay 7:
badly_knitted, brithistorian, carenejeans, china_shop, cornerofmadness, goddess47, shadaras, sanguinity, sylvanwitch, trobadora Day 8:
china_shop, trobadoraLet me know if I missed anyone! And remember you can drop in or out at any time. :)
That "wait...what" moment
Jan. 8th, 2026 12:26 pmhrjSo yesterday I was checking my calendar to make sure I was keep track of things and had a "wait...what?" moment when I realized that I fly off to the east coast for a couple weeks...um...next Monday. And that means I"m popping down to Monterey for a family ting on Saturday. And that means...
So I spent a large chunk of yesterday evening drawing up my compulsively -detailed itinerary/schedule and making some additional reservations. I got the plane tickets months ago, but my plans also include some Amtrak travel, a rental car, and a motel room. I didn't want to leave any of that to chance (despite it being off season) but I hadn't previously nailed down exactly when I was doing the non-NYC parts of the trip.
The conjunction that inspired this trip is a friends large-number birthday (hi Lauri!), the Emma Stebbins exhibit at the Heckscher Museum (which I did a podcast interview for), it having been too long since I've seen my brother and family in Maine, and the chance to meet my grand-niece (also in Maine). Alas, the grand-niece contingent had since decided to do the snowbird thing for several months and won't be in scope on this trip.
So I'll be in NYC for 7 days (including two planned-but-not-yet-calendared events) then Augusta ME for 4 days. Currently it's looking like no blizzard, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed as that would make the driving parts annoying.
Unlike most NYC trips, I have plenty of unscheduled time this trip, and I'd love to meet up with folks if it works out.
So I spent a large chunk of yesterday evening drawing up my compulsively -detailed itinerary/schedule and making some additional reservations. I got the plane tickets months ago, but my plans also include some Amtrak travel, a rental car, and a motel room. I didn't want to leave any of that to chance (despite it being off season) but I hadn't previously nailed down exactly when I was doing the non-NYC parts of the trip.
The conjunction that inspired this trip is a friends large-number birthday (hi Lauri!), the Emma Stebbins exhibit at the Heckscher Museum (which I did a podcast interview for), it having been too long since I've seen my brother and family in Maine, and the chance to meet my grand-niece (also in Maine). Alas, the grand-niece contingent had since decided to do the snowbird thing for several months and won't be in scope on this trip.
So I'll be in NYC for 7 days (including two planned-but-not-yet-calendared events) then Augusta ME for 4 days. Currently it's looking like no blizzard, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed as that would make the driving parts annoying.
Unlike most NYC trips, I have plenty of unscheduled time this trip, and I'd love to meet up with folks if it works out.
brief note
Jan. 8th, 2026 12:36 pmyhleeTerminated my SFWA membership as of today (modulo administrative steps), which I wrote and requested. My contact was friendly and efficient.
I requested this for multiple reasons, of which the recent Nebula-and-AI rules change handling fiasco was only the latest. I'm done.
To sf/f writer-folk, good luck out there.
I'm running an infection and I have work to do; comments disabled.
I requested this for multiple reasons, of which the recent Nebula-and-AI rules change handling fiasco was only the latest. I'm done.
To sf/f writer-folk, good luck out there.
I'm running an infection and I have work to do; comments disabled.
2026.01.08
Jan. 8th, 2026 12:21 pmlsandersonMinnPost's Glean is all ICE related this morning
https://www.minnpost.com/glean/2026/01/more-on-the-ice-shooting-in-minneapolis-federal-agents-renee-good/
Thousands gather at vigil for woman slain by ICE agent in Minneapolis
Mourners filled an entire city block on Wednesday night following the early morning shooting of a woman who was trying to drive away from ICE agents.
by Katelyn Vue
https://sahanjournal.com/immigration/minneapolis-vigil-woman-slain-ice-agent/
Yes, state and local prosecutors can charge federal law enforcement agents with crimes. But it isn’t easy
Minnesota officials are demanding a role in the investigation of Wednesday’s fatal shooting by an ICE agent in Minneapolis.
by Shadi Bushra
https://www.minnpost.com/public-safety/2026/01/minnesota-ice-shooting-yes-state-and-local-prosecutors-can-charge-federal-agents-law-enforcement-with-crimes-but-it-isnt-easy/
Viewed From Across the Pond: ( Read more... )
https://www.minnpost.com/glean/2026/01/more-on-the-ice-shooting-in-minneapolis-federal-agents-renee-good/
Thousands gather at vigil for woman slain by ICE agent in Minneapolis
Mourners filled an entire city block on Wednesday night following the early morning shooting of a woman who was trying to drive away from ICE agents.
by Katelyn Vue
https://sahanjournal.com/immigration/minneapolis-vigil-woman-slain-ice-agent/
Yes, state and local prosecutors can charge federal law enforcement agents with crimes. But it isn’t easy
Minnesota officials are demanding a role in the investigation of Wednesday’s fatal shooting by an ICE agent in Minneapolis.
by Shadi Bushra
https://www.minnpost.com/public-safety/2026/01/minnesota-ice-shooting-yes-state-and-local-prosecutors-can-charge-federal-agents-law-enforcement-with-crimes-but-it-isnt-easy/
Viewed From Across the Pond: ( Read more... )
S.W.A.T.: Fan Fiction: Looking Forward To Most
Jan. 8th, 2026 12:54 pmdarkjediqueen posting in fan_flashworksTitle: Looking Forward To Most
Rating: R
Warnings: No Warnings Apply
Fandom: S.W.A.T.
Relationships: Donovan Rocker/Molly Hicks
Tags: Established Relationship, Hurt/Comfort
Summary: Donny gets poisoned.
Word Count: 2,873
( Looking Forward To Most )
Rating: R
Warnings: No Warnings Apply
Fandom: S.W.A.T.
Relationships: Donovan Rocker/Molly Hicks
Tags: Established Relationship, Hurt/Comfort
Summary: Donny gets poisoned.
Word Count: 2,873
( Looking Forward To Most )
Happy More Joy Day! Drabbles & Limericks posted
Jan. 8th, 2026 11:47 ampetraDrabbles and limericks for people who requested them:
Chrestomanci
due South + Murderbot
due South + Venom
Interview with the Vampire (TV)
KPop Demon Hunters
Pride and Prejudice
Singin' in the Rain
Slough House
Star Wars
Prompt me if you would you like something in one or more of my fandoms. I may not get to you today, but we can have Even More Joy Day tomorrow!
Chrestomanci
due South + Murderbot
due South + Venom
Interview with the Vampire (TV)
KPop Demon Hunters
Pride and Prejudice
Singin' in the Rain
Slough House
Star Wars
Prompt me if you would you like something in one or more of my fandoms. I may not get to you today, but we can have Even More Joy Day tomorrow!
