Goliath usually wins

Jun. 9th, 2025 11:20 am
cellio: (Default)
[personal profile] cellio

About a year and a half ago, the president of my synagogue started a project to merge ours with another synagogue. We were supposed to be exploring other options for our future too, but the leaders were really only investigating this one path. Some of us members had concerns about both that path and how this was being done, but power imbalances are a thing, and yesterday there was a vote.

There've been plenty of irregularities, and also some maligning by leaders of dissenters, and at this point it feels like the damage has been done even if the deal ultimately falls through. I've lost faith in our leaders, am disappointed by the unnecessary discord and condescension, and am saddened by the drop in civility and goodwill affecting people I care about. It is possible for people to disagree constructively and work together to address those differences, but it doesn't feel like that happened here. To me this felt more like a conquest than democracy, but as a member of the minority I'm naturally biased.

Maybe this was the swift kick I've been needing for a while to join a movement more aligned with me. I joined Temple Sinai despite it being Reform, not because of it, but our leaders seem to be more interested in the future of Reform Judaism here than in the future of Temple Sinai. My long-time rabbi retired a few years ago, recent trends have been leftward, and I think I've stayed only for my friends (a pattern in my life, I know). I don't want to lose those friendships, but it's time to go make some new friends too.

lauradi7dw: me wearing a straw hat and gray mask (anniversary)
[personal profile] lauradi7dw
A month ago, one of the photos I posted of folks from the Met Gala was Khaby Lame wearing a bunch of pocket watches, except not in his pockets.
https://lauradi7dw.dreamwidth.org/954223.html
He was detained by ICE the other day and agreed to "self-deport," as the saying goes
https://www.newsweek.com/khaby-lame-tiktok-video-detained-ice-deported-united-states-2082628

I may come across as gloomy on here, as befits the state of the world. Am I in fact having a somewhat fun life? Yeah, probably. I don't sleep much and (possibly as compensation, since I don't use caffeine) I have been engaging in a very high carb diet, but I haven't crashed quite yet. Yesterday there was some very good ringing, then I briefly watched many people and dragon boats. One of the things I enjoyed most was how well organized it was - teams lined up to be in and out of the boats efficiently. Might not sound fun to watch, but I thought it was. Then I attended the end of the year Korean music and dancing recital, similar to the December one in which I participated
https://lauradi7dw.dreamwidth.org/911900.html
This time there was a much larger and more ethnically mixed audience crammed into the church hall, and we were encouraged to learn some words and participate a little. During the little kids" janggu portion (there were not kid drummers in December's show), I was quietly drumming along to the rhythm with hands on my legs. I was very glad to be able to do that. Learning something and retaining at least a little bit can bring joy.

still covid, improving

Jun. 8th, 2025 11:01 pm
matildalucet: (Default)
[personal profile] matildalucet
I felt well enough to mask up and drive stuff over to the Melrose Free Swap event yesterday. I tested again in the afternoon and there is still a positive line, though fainter than the original test. Symptoms are also much improved so I'm happy with the trend. I'm probably not going to try to get to a BEMF concert Monday evening. I'm slated to play with the Waytes in Quintavia Tuesday evening, and I know some of the folks out there are pretty covid-conscious so I'll test again Tuesday before making a final call on that, and mask anyway.

I'm not exactly clear on which was Day 0 for the infection since I had symptoms for at least a day before I thought to test, and it could have been the day before that, even. Wednesday is at least Day 11, maybe more, so unless I'm more tired than I have been, I'll go BEMFing a little then.

Dream surrealism

Jun. 8th, 2025 10:47 pm
kiya: (akhet)
[personal profile] kiya
Last night's sleep was Bad in complex ways (I woke up at 6, tried to get back to sleep and did not until after 7, and then had to be up at 8:30 for church service). But that meant I woke up in the middle of a dream and thus remember some bits of it.

Just a few remembered snippets, mostly because I remember them from telling KJ this morning. )

random, almost instant news

Jun. 8th, 2025 09:30 pm
lauradi7dw: me wearing a straw hat and gray mask (anniversary)
[personal profile] lauradi7dw
Israeli forces have boarded the freedom flotilla
https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/08/middleeast/freedom-flotilla-gaza-aid-ship-thunberg-intl-hnk

Worthy people have won Tonys.

People are wrong (as well as lying) on the internet. And wrong and lying *about* the internet. And weirdly enough, the clearest online guide (in terms of ease of use) to next Saturday's protests is on Richard Stallman's website, for crying out loud.
https://stallman.org/no-kings.html

pastrami disappointment

Jun. 8th, 2025 02:25 pm
mindstalk: (Default)
[personal profile] mindstalk

After visiting the Jewish museum Friday, I found myself wanting pastrami. BOP Kosh (nee Koch?) deli was a block away, and had a good price ($12), but no pastrami in stock at the moment. Oh well.

Today I set out around my neighborhood, having asked Google Maps for candidates. Read more... )

[syndicated profile] sat_am_cereal_feed

Posted by Zach Weinersmith



Click here to go see the bonus panel!

Hovertext:
The only problem is that if someone disproves existence, all your fake compliments become void.


Today's News:

LCFD camp!

Jun. 8th, 2025 12:53 am
sorcyress: Drawing of me as a pirate, standing in front of the Boston Citgo sign (Default)
[personal profile] sorcyress
I am at Pinewoods!

I mean, I arrived yesterday around five thirty (over 2.5 hours drive from Somerville, _oof_), but it is Saturday night of my first actual session as a camper this year. Of, I guess, four (not counting the work weekend or the crewunion).

I'm very pleased about it!

It's LCFD's spring camp, which has been running in general since 1989 or so, but at Pinewoods since 2023. Pinewoods is starting off the year Gay As Hell, since last weekend was their first camper session --the Boston Queer Tango-- and now is us, the Lavender Country and Folk Dancers.

It is _so good_ to be at an explicitly queer dance camp, full of explicitly queer people. Yes, absolutely, some of those people are the kind of weird where they have never felt misaligned about their assigned gender or are only interested in people with different genders from themself, but even the cishets are the kinds who are excited to be at a big gay camp full of lovely queer people and it makes the space _amazing_. Just...loving, open, gentle, good-hearted, and fucking funny and sexy as well.

(As I remarked to several people tonight, as I looked around the wide range of finery that is the "dress up in fancy dress or costume" Saturday evening dance, "oh no, everyone is hot and I am gay".)

I saw ballgowns, leather hot pants, loud print Hawai'in shirts, mesh tops with harnesses, at least two people with tails, and the usual evening dance array of swoopy twirly swishy fun. I myself was fairly understated, which is to say, my black-and-rainbow kilt, a formal black collared shirt and grey vest, and a loud-as-fuck rainbow bowtie. Oh, and my makeup is essentially "Furiosa, but make it gay".

Beyond the incredible highlights that are just "queer community" and "gay dancing", I am having such a lovely time with the regular programming. This morning I went to a "contra refresher" class explicitly named as a "show up and tell us what you want to work on" sort of basics class. It was being taught by Chris Ricciotti, who is an _incredible_ teacher --I quite literally sat down after it was over and frantically scribbled notes about his flawless ability to mix the dancers around and the fascinating parallels between a robin's chain and a hay.

After lunch, Chris was running a "queer dance history" panel, which was half him sharing and half open to the class. It was amazing --something like 40 people were crammed into the camphouse to hear and share their stories. I cried repeatedly --tearing up at the tales of the first time someone ever tried a skirt on (including one gentleman, at 89, doing so to show support of his trans granddaughter, and then discovering that he _loves_ skirts and immediately sought out more) and of a couple celebrating their twentieth year together, and tenth year married (and especially counting back in my head to remember that means they very well might've married the first year it was legal country-wide. Remember that the DoMA is not even ten years old.).

Mostly I cried with joy at the earnest, soppy lovefest happening back and forth at the panel between the elders, who were expressing their joy that other people are taking up the torch and keeping the community going, and the youth, who were expressing their joy that they didn't have to start from zero, that the groundwork had been laid. Everyone joyous at how far we have come, and excited to find out how far we can go.

The straights don't know what they're missing, when they box themselves up miserably into binary assignments and strict policing of their own and each other's presentation.

The only mar has been how incredibly _tired_ I am in general. But even that is coming with comfort: this afternoon I took a ninety minute nap, and I settled in to sleep while listening to the soft sound of a light rain in the nearby trees. I woke up to the delicious pounding of pouring rain on the roof of my beloved little cabin, and mama nature did me the courtesy of even ceasing shortly after so that I could walk to the dining hall without getting entirely soaked to the skin.

(Yes, the subtext is that I am once again in Kitty Alone, the best cabin in all of Pinewoods. I truly try not to be a diva about it, and I truly am grateful that I keep winding up in this perfect little paradise, where I'm so familiar with the space that unpacking is a breeze.)

So because of that, I'm off to bed now. No more rain, but the trees are gently dripping, and the moon is shining through the clouds. This is my home.

~Sor
MOOP!
siderea: (Default)
[personal profile] siderea
2025 Jun 7 11:40 am: [profile] benjalvarez1 on Twitter:

WATCH THIS: https://x.com/BenjAlvarez1/status/1931375699786334704

Click through to see the video. You really, really should. Sound is irrelevant.

Text: "Tanks, fighting vehicles and howitzers arrive in Washington, D.C. ahead of next week's military parade. They departed from Texas on June 2." Two minutes and forty seconds.

Allegedly that train is a mile long and is transporting:

• 28 Abrams tanks (M1A2 main battle tank)
• 3 armored recovery vehicles (M88)
• 28 Bradleys (M2A3 infantry fighting vehicle)
• 5 Paladins (M109A7 self-propelled howitzer), and
• 28 Strykers (infantry carrier vehicle)

Source: 2025 Jun 6: @USAMilitaryChannel on YT [not official military channel]: "1-Mile Military Train -Texas to D.C. with Tanks, Armor, and More for Army's 250th Parade". I do not know if that source is reputable or if that inventory is accurate.

USA Today is reporting that "The military vehicles will be joined by 1,800 soldiers". (Source: 2025 Jun 6, USATODAY on YT: "Watch: Tanks, fighting vehicles head to DC for Trump's military parade", CW: face full of Trump, alt: screenshot).

I dunno, maybe it's just me, but I'm thinking that maybe the guy who attempted one coup already bringing a well-armed military force into our capitol city and, crucially, within artillery-range of the Pentagon, is just throwing himself a birthday party, but also maybe not.

ETA: For those of you confused by this, thinking, but doesn't he already control the military? You might want to watch this video about the rise of Xi Jinping.

Now, obviously, Trump would never play a long game like Xi did. But, 1) there are other ways to achieve the same end and 2) he doesn't have to, because his buddies, the Dominionists, did.
[syndicated profile] ekgazette_feed

Posted by East Kingdom Gazette

East Kingdom College of Heralds Seal

Being the Court of Their Majesties Ryouko’jin & Indrakshi
held on May 31st, A.S. LX (2025)
in the Barony of Carillion
at Southern Region War Camp
Court Heralds: Grim the Skald, Malcolm Bowman, Sabine de Kerbriant,
Reporting Herald: Lærifaðir Grim the Skald

 

Order SCA Name Award C&I
  Morning Court  
1 Ciaran Ua Meic Thire and Ellynor Redpath Baron and Baroness of Carillion (Investiture)
2 Máirghréad Ghearr Court Barony Katherine Barr

 

  Evening Court  
3 Josef Ludwíckzak

 

Consort’s Champion of Archery W: Aloysius Sartore
C: Fayette des Rothenburg
4 Lada Monguligin

 

Sovereign’s Champion of Archery W: Aloysius Sartore
C: Fayette des Rothenburg
5 Sarah of Owlsherst (she/her) Award of Arms Margarette la Gantiere
6 Kieran Windsong (Him/He) Order of the Silver Wheel Áine inghean Uí Tuathail
7 Martina De La Rosa (She/Her) Burdened Tyger
8 Antonius Gracchius / Twyg (He him) Order of Rabbit and Moon
9 Micah of Owlsherst Award of Arms Aurelia Colleoni a’Buccafurno
10 Cailleach Chainnig Bhallach (she/her) Order of the Silver Rapier Aoife Inghean Ui Briain
 

11

 

Oddi Fjallstorm (He/him) Order of the Silver Tyger Veritas (Octavia Verita)
12 Musa Ibn Nigal Al-Djenni (FORMERLY Lucius Aternius Calidus) (he/him) Award of Arms Triona MacCasky

 

Other Business:

  • Rose tokens were awarded for the Champions Tourney:
    • Caoilfhionn awarded one to Magnus
    • Hönig awarded to Durin
    • Indrakshi gave one to Elizabeth of Hawkwood
  • Ryan Mac Whyte took off with the toybox before even the Children of the East could be summoned, but they managed to catch him regardless.
  • Newcomers were invited into court and given the gift of a cup

 

[syndicated profile] ekgazette_feed

Posted by East Kingdom Gazette

East Kingdom College of Heralds Seal

Being the Court of Their Majesties Ryouko’jin & Indrakshi
held on May 17th, A.S. LX (2025)
in the Shire of Eisental
at Earl Horic Memorial East Kingdom Armored Champions Tournament
Court Heralds: Malcolm Bowman
Reporting Herald: Lærifaðir Grim the Skald

 

Order SCA Name Award C&I
   

Arne Ulrichsson

 

Sovereign’s Armored  Champion W: Theo of Stonemarche
C: Diamond Stone
I: Quentis Quintilus Mortis
   

Saga Mac Cainain

 

Consort’s Armored Champion W: Theo of Stonemarche
C: Diamond Stone
I: Quentis Quintilus Mortis
  Alustiel Cea Bon Silver Wheel Ciaran ua Meic Thire
  Maol Mhuire inghean Ghiolla Chríost Uí hAirt Rabbit in the Moon Token only
   

 

  • The Companions of the Order of the Rose Gave tokens.
    • Duchess Honig gave tokens to Rafi al-Qasid and Brennan mac Fearghus
    • Her Majesty presented a token to Andromedus Leonida
  • Their Majesties thanked the event stewards, Jakob Agnarsson and Ellesbeth Donofrey
  • The toybox was run by Bran Mac Cianain
  • The EK historian, Bryan Mac Dhunghaill, addressed the populace to request more stories to preserve EK history.
  • Maol Mhuire inghean Ghiolla Chríost Uí hAirt received thanks and a personal token from Her Majesty for making more than 300 Consort’s favors!

Garden today

Jun. 7th, 2025 09:43 pm
cvirtue: CV in front of museum (Default)
[personal profile] cvirtue

Rainy day here, but I did a bunch of seedling planting before it got too wet, then did a lot of training/tying branches for roses, wisteria, forsythia (ie, forCynthia) and grapes.

Should enlarge a LOT, if you want to see the panels better; 2048 px sq. 20 plants blooming (or fruiting) in the garden today, in the rain.

Of particular note:

Top two pics are blackcurrants and gooseberries. Yellow rose on right will go on arch over the chain link fence gate -- only another foot to go to reach the top of the 6' fence. Standard rose (rose on a stick, for you non-gardeners) on the bottom row is a wild sprout from a rosebush at the previous house, which I cut off and rooted. It's almost 3' tall.

Lower L corner is malva sylvestris -- ongoing flowers all summer, easy and dramatic. The tree behind the fish is a peach.

I generally don't photograph plants I've bought this year; I don't feel like they are truly "mine" until I've managed to not kill them for a year. Seedlings I started from seed, are entirely mine; the baby lupines on the left edge, for example.

[image: image.png]

What the heck, NPR? (Los Angeles)

Jun. 7th, 2025 08:50 pm
lauradi7dw: (abolish ICE)
[personal profile] lauradi7dw
There have been violent confrontations in Los Angeles 1 (and Paramount, which I guess is nearby?) yesterday and today. Protestors have been hit with tear gas, non-lethal bullets, and maybe vehicles. Extensive coverage on Twitter, NOTHING on NPR. Their policy is not to publish until they have corroboration from three separate sources, but there are reporters in the streets, including at least one in a gas mask. 2

I hope to have multiple descendants in under two weeks. 3 I am packed and ready to wait in a waiting room or rock babies if things go well. But aside from that, am I ready in other aspects of life? for resistance? Would I put my life or at least my lungs and skin on the line to confront ICE and the (presumed) cosplay militias?


1 LA area niece is not involved

2 Scientific American, from 2020
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-to-protect-yourself-during-protests/

3 https://lauradi7dw.dreamwidth.org/938373.html
[syndicated profile] sat_am_cereal_feed

Posted by Zach Weinersmith



Click here to go see the bonus panel!

Hovertext:
The explanation of the Fermi Paradox is no beings who practice internal fertilization are to be invited to the galactic party.


Today's News:

(no subject)

Jun. 7th, 2025 05:11 pm
watersword: Zoe Saldana flexing her biceps (Zoe Saldana: biceps)
[personal profile] watersword

Over the course of about six hours this week, the weather went from "pleasant warm early-summer" to "holy bananas, it is hot and sticky high summer" and I was not emotionally prepared for it. But I am promised thunderstorms today, and I got cucumbers at the farmer's market, and will finish swapping out the cozy linens for the crisp ones, and all of that will help.

Photo cross-post

Jun. 7th, 2025 12:29 pm
andrewducker: (Default)
[personal profile] andrewducker


My brother Mike got me this for my birthday, and it just takes a weight off my mind being able to say "bring the steam temperature up to 95 degrees and hold it there"

(Control over oil temperature when frying eggs is also awesome.)
Original is here on Pixelfed.scot.

cvirtue: CV in front of museum (Default)
[personal profile] cvirtue

O great.
Report covers Texas and California, but I would expect a wide band of warmer-weather states are also affected.

the Resurgence of Flea-Borne Typhus in Texas in the 21st Century: Part 1: The Bacteria, the Cat Flea, Urbanization, and Climate Change

The report doesn't seem to break out the three types of typhus.

"about one quarter of patients suffer respiratory, neurologic, renal, hepatic, cardiac, ocular, or other complications"

"transmission is closely associated with human behavior, domestic pets, stray/feral dogs and cats, and urban wildlife"

https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/14/2/154

Typhus info: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/typhus

Chart from report: [image: image.png]

Human in the Loop

Jun. 7th, 2025 10:27 am
l33tminion: (Default)
[personal profile] l33tminion
I've been thinking about AI a lot this week, in particular this hilarious take on OpenAI's approach to AI development, "If OpenAI Made Black Holes" and the AI 2027 scenario (including this very good video summary).

Still trying to make more of AI coding tools in my job. Those can be a real boost to productivity. These models aren't the best software engineers, a bit stumble-y, but they're very, very versatile, and they can write fast. It's impressive, and unsettling. As Cory Doctorow notes, It's not about whether AI can do your job per se.

Work's been chaotic, I'm moving on to fifth manager since 2022 since ours is changing teams. This was my first time reporting to someone less senior than myself in terms of span on company, team, and career, but two of my previous three managers have been less senior in some of those metrics. I'm a little fish in a big pond, struggling, even thinking this means I'm not cut out for it.

I've started playing Patrick's Parabox a mind-bending block-pushing puzzle game. Great so far. Reminds me of Baba is You, in that it's a block-pushing puzzle game with a twist: In Baba is You the rules of the game are also blocks, in Patrick's Parabox the rooms of the puzzle are blocks.

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