Network

Got a callback

Asked where I lived, was concerned that the answer is "Staten Island". FFS, it's not Siberia!

I need to start telling people I'm moving in with a friend in Tribeca. Just straight up lie.

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Bingsu - noun.

Sometimes spelled bingsoo</>, bingsu is a Korean shaved ice dessert, sometimes topped with red beans, fruit syrup or condensed milk.

The dessert's origins date back to 400BC!

By 국립국어원, CC BY-SA 2.0 kr, Link

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The Day in Spikedluv (Tuesday, July 8)

I was at mom’s by 6:30am. Before I headed to mom’s, I did a load of laundry, hand-washed some dishes, scooped kitty litter, and dropped Grant off at the garage.

I stayed until 3pm (again, giving mom a couple of hours by herself before my sister arrived). I stopped at the library on the way home to drop off a book and found a surprise book waiting for me, as I hadn’t yet received the notification. I also stopped at Stewart’s (for gas and milk).

I grilled Italian sausage for Pip’s supper (I’m not a fan), hand-washed more dishes, hung up Pip’s uniforms (last night’s load of laundry), dried the dog sheets (this morning’s load), emptied the dishwasher, and took a shower.

I finished the Clare Fergusson book and read two cozies, the next two in the Inn at Holiday Bay series, on my Kindle app.

Temps started out at 73.2(F) and reached 81.4. It was overcast all day even though we weren’t forecasted to get any rain. I hate not having sun, but it would’ve been much hotter if we had.

Mom Update:

Mom was tired today. ( more back here )

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Five Books About Aliens Who Are Fed Up With Humans

Yelling "Get off my lawn!" on an interplanetary scale...

Five Books About Aliens Who Are Fed Up With Humans

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Wednesday Reading Meme & Books 53 - 57 of 2025

What I Just Finished Reading: Since last Wednesday I have read/finished reading: Silence in the Library (A Lily Adler Mystery) by Katharine Schellman, The Falcon at the Portal (An Amelia Peabody Mystery) by Elizabeth Peters, I Shall Not Want (Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne Mysteries) by Julia Spencer-Fleming, and Portent in the Pages & Poison in the Pudding (The Inn at Holiday Bay) by Kathi Daley.

What I am Currently Reading: I just finished reading the last book last evening, but today I’m going to start Necessary as Blood (A Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James Mystery) by Deborah Crombie.

What I Plan to Read Next: Heir, Apparently by Kara McDowell, unless something else comes in at the library that eclipses it.

Book 53 of 2025: Silence in the Library (A Lily Adler Mystery) (Katharine Schellman)

I enjoyed this book! ( spoilers )

This was a good book and I've already requested the next in the series. I'm giving this one five hearts.

♥♥♥♥♥

Book 54 of 2025: The Falcon at the Portal (An Amelia Peabody Mystery) (Elizabeth Peters)

Good book! ( spoilers )

I enjoyed this book and have requested the next in the series. I'm giving this book five hearts, despite my one disappointment.

♥♥♥♥♥

Book 55 of 2025: I Shall Not Want (Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne Mysteries) (Julia Spencer-Fleming)

Good book! ( spoilers )

I enjoyed this book and have already requested the next. I'm giving this book five hearts.

♥♥♥♥♥

Book 56 of 2025: Portent in the Pages (The Inn at Holiday Bay) (Kathi Daley)

It’s been a while since I’ve read anything in this series, but I was looking for something easy to read after I finished the last book, so I looked through my Kindle library and chose this one. (Technically, I chose a different one that I DNF’d before I got more than a dozen pages into it, so this was my second choice.) This is the sixteenth in the series, to my surprise!

I enjoyed this book. It was a quick comfort read. I was happy to be reintroduced to the characters again. ( spoilers )

There wasn't a whole lot of suspense or concern for the characters, but it did what I wanted it to, which was help me kill a couple hours in an enjoyable fashion. I’m giving it four hearts, and I might even go on and read the next in the series.

♥♥♥♥

Book 57 of 2025: Poison in the Pudding (The Inn at Holiday Bay) (Kathi Daley)

After reading the other book, I decided to keep on with the series. This one was an enjoyable story, but a predictable mystery. Thankfully I read this series more for the characters and location than I do the mysteries. ( spoilers )

I'm giving this book four hearts.

♥♥♥♥♥

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Wednesday Reading Meme

What I’ve Just Finished Reading

I mentioned last week how much I was enjoying Hilary McKay’s The Time of Green Magic, and I continued to enjoy it all the way through. Just the kind of children’s fantasy I like: an old house all covered in ivy, magic that is strange and lovely and just a bit scary (as unknown and unknowable things should be), and just enough real world issues (in this case, the children in a blended family learning to get along) to give the story some emotional ballast without making the magic a mere metaphor for anything.

I also finished Marilyn Kluger’s The Wild Flavor, part food memoir and part foraging manual for wild foods in the Midwest and Northeast. Morels! Persimmons! Hickory nuts! And more! An inspiring read for anyone with foraging aspirations, and an appetizing read for anyone who likes reading about food.

What I’m Reading Now

I’ve begun Lord Peter, a collection of all of Dorothy Sayers’ Peter Wimsey short stories. The second story begins with Peter Wimsey admiring a comely French girl who turns out ( spoilers, if anyone cares about spoilers for a hundred year old short story? )

What I Plan to Read Next

I’ve got the Max in the Land of Lies! How will our twelve-year-old spy handle himself in Nazi Germany?? Tune in to find out!

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(no subject)

Summer of Horror has one post-deadline pinch hit remaining. The deadline is July 11 at 11:59 PM EDT or negotiable. Minimums are 500 words or a nice sketch. Claiming and further info is at the post here.

PH 3 - FIC, ART - Psychonauts (Video Games), Higurashi no Naku Koro ni | Higurashi When They Cry, Umineko no Naku Koro ni | When the Seagulls Cry, Mortal Kombat (Video Games 1992-2020)

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Kowloon Generic Romance, volume 1 by Jun Mayuzuki (Translated by Amanda Haley)

In a city with over a million people per square kilometre, real estate firms will never lack for clients. Good news for the employees of the Wong Loi Realty Company!

Kowloon Generic Romance, volume 1 by Jun Mayuzuki (Translated by Amanda Haley)

I just don't get cocktails

According to last night's news, on his visit to the Palace, President Macron was served a cocktail of English gin and French pastis. This was reported to demonstrate the entente cordiale, but it sounds medicinal to me.

Also, gin? Isn't that traditionally from Holland?

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Next Chancellor of the University of Cambridge

It's time to vote for the next Chancellor (previously); I've looked at the candidates and their statements, but still don't have an obvious-to-me choice of who to vote for.

When I asked on mastodon, I got two responses (one for Sandi Toksvig, one for her or Gina Miller); FB has shown me one friend saying that Chris Smith is "a nice bloke, but also the only candidate worth of the role"; and I've been sent this from someone who evidently doesn't share my general political view (though I'm inclined to agree that being the author of tuition fees probably rules John Browne out).

I can see why people might think Wyn Evans is a good option, but his proposals seem to me more the sort of thing you'd expect the vice-chancellor to do, rather than the chancellor who is not really involved in the running of the university directly.

I'm currently inclined to put Sandi Toksvig first; I'm sure she'd be great at the schmoozing-major-donors thing, but also at engaging with staff & students and advocating for the University.

I'm planning to vote in person on Saturday...

[this post is public, I am screening comments by anyone not already on my DW access list, will unscreen if I think they're making a useful contribution]

(no subject)

https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250708.html

If you have looked at the sky and seen a group of

https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250708.html

Garden Photos

Shade cloth project is coming along but is not finished. Here is a little walk through the garden.
The little fig tree is, well, little.

( Pictures )

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firefly

Firefly

Another successful ride on Firefly with my friend Kim riding Raja. I was a little worried, the wind was blowing, coastal fog (rare this time of year) had cooled things off, and Firefly was objecting to everything from being groomed (normally she loves this) to having the bridle put on. I walked for the first 1/2 mile of our "ride" because it was all downhill. Downhill invites faster speed and that isn't what I wanted. Uphills usually follow downhills, so I mounted up and we went up for the next most of a mile, which calmed things down a lot. She was never "bad" just a little snorty at first. We worked on confidence, she did great, and only once needed Raja to take the lead and show her that the scary downhill with an eroded trail was perfectly safe. We also worked on refining our cues. The times that I have to use big gestures and insist on where I want to go are getting fewer and the times I can give a tiny squeeze of leg, or tightening of my fingers are getting more frequent. At one point I leaned over a little, grabbed a gate and pushed it open a little further. It took some pressure to push, and I could see Firefly thinking hard about what was going on, but she stood perfectly still. Oh, and we picked up trail ribbons from April's event. Firefly only once looked scared of the ribbon, and that was a big 3 color one with 18" streamers. Like usual she thought about it, sniffed it and relaxed. If I can ride, at least a little, three or four times a week, we will make really fast progress. Sorry, snuck out before M took any pics, but here is one of Firefly today being very, very serious about eating her evening meal.

P.S. Yes, she has changed colors again. In my last post, on June 19th, she was dark grey.

simulacrum

https://www.merriam-webster.com/word-of-the-day/simulacrum-2025-07-09

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 9, 2025 is:

simulacrum • \sim-yuh-LAK-rum\ • noun

A simulacrum is a superficial likeness of something, usually as an imitation, copy, or representation. The plural of simulacrum is either simulacrums or simulacra.

// The surprise still succeeded, thanks to the simulacrum of confusion expressed by two guests when they were spotted before the big moment.

See the entry >

Examples:

"Under the lid, there are no strings to move the air, but rather speakers that create an uncanny simulacrum of a grand piano." — Robert Ross, Robb Report, 17 July 2024

Did you know?

There is more than a crumb of similarity between simulacrum and simulate: both words come from simulāre, a Latin verb meaning "to pretend, produce a fraudulent imitation of, imitate." At the root of simulāre is the Latin adjective similis, which means "having characteristics in common." Many "similar" words trace back to similis, hence the resemblance between simulacrum and familiar terms like simultaneous, simile, and of course similarity.

https://www.merriam-webster.com/word-of-the-day/simulacrum-2025-07-09

Right wing coup foiled

Tepid remake of the Fenian Raids fails to launch.

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Lingering and Post-Deadline Pinch Hits for Early Bird Gets The Word Exchange (Due July 14)

Event: Early Bird Gets The Word is a fic and art exchange for small and inactive fandoms. Minimum 1000 words or detailed lineart.

Event link: earlybirdgetstheword

Pinch hit links: Here on the comm. Or below.

Due Date: July 14th 22:00 EDT.

To Claim: Please comment on the dreamwidth post with your AO3 username and the pinch hit number you want to claim.

( PH 1 - Animal Control (TV 2023), Degrassi the Next Generation, Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist (TV), The Good Place (TV), North of North (TV 2025), Only Murders in the Building (TV) )

( PH 4 - ケイ�ヤク | KeixYaku (TV), 御赐小仵作 | The Imperial Coroner (TV), 作りたい女と食べたい女 | Tsukuritai Onna to Tabetai Onna | She Loves to Cook and She Loves to Eat (TV) )

( PH 11 - Blue Period (Manga), Akatsuki no Yona | Yona of the Dawn, Advance Wars (Video Games 2001-2005; 2023), Tales of Berseria, K (Anime), Sengoku Basara, Tales of Legendia, Subarashiki Kono Sekai | The World Ends With You (Video Games) )

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fandom: sinners

the smokestack twins by devilswalkingstick (SFW)

Fandom: Sinners
Characters/Pairing/Other Subject: Stack & Smoke
Content Notes/Warnings: none
Medium: digital art
Artist on DW/LJ: n/a
Artist Website/Gallery: devilswalkingstick on tumblr
Why this piece is awesome: Another take on this favourite scene for artists. I like the simplicity of the planes of colour, and how their signature colours are emphasised - red for Stack, blue for Smoke.
Link: the smokestack twins

[ SECRET POST #6759 ]

⌈ Secret Post #6759 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

01.

( More! )

Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 01 pages, 18 secrets from Secret Submission Post #965.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

Current Mood: geeky

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plural:etymology

Many-Selved Etymology: role terms

Rogan/Mori: Lark of Hungry Ghosts asked me about the origination of plural role terms (which are apparently now this super-rigid straitjacket of How Plurals Must Be?). I dove into my records, and here's what I done found!

It's possible these terms were used earlier than I found here. These were the earliest I could find them in the multi files I have on hand.

Core: This terms looks to originate with Billy Milligan's case, in use by February 1980 in Wallace, Wallechinsky, Wallace, and Wallace's The Book of Lists #2: "In addition to his core self, Milligan has at least nine other personalities" (380) and 1981 in Keyes's The Minds of Billy Milligan. Seeing as Milligan was imprisoned for rape in 1977, it's possible "core" was used in earlier news stories about the case; I'd have to dig in. But Keyes quotes it (and "host") as being used by Cornelia Wilbur on page 50; she also treated Sybil. So: Wilbur, by 1980?

Helper: used by Ross, 1989: "Most persecutor personalities are in fact helpers who are using self-destructive strategies." (110).

Host: first attributed to Wilbur in Keyes, 1981: “the original Billy, sometimes known as the host or core personality” (50). So that explains why "host" and "core" get confused a lot in these things, it's because Wilbur conflated the two in Keyes!

Inner Self-Helper/ISH: Ralph Allison created it by 1977 in Hawkworth's The Five Of Me: "[Phil] was, in the beginning at least, hardly a personality at all, but rather what Dr. Allison refers to as an 'Ish'--an Inner Self-Helper[...] a separate personality whose sole function seems to be to prevent the other personalities from tearing the physical body apart." (20) Allison says he started treating multiples in 1972 (Hawksworth, 5), so 1972-1977.

Original: Wilbur again! She uses it in Keyes 1981 (50) and the term "original Sybil" is used a decent number of times (sorry, my ebook had no page numbers). Flora Rheta Schreiber wrote Sybil, but it seems sensible that Wilbur originated the term? So, by 1973 for adjective form, will have to dig for stand-alone noun.

Persecutor: Used by Ross (and Norton?) in 1989: "An interesting finding (Ross & Norton, 1989b) was a clinical triad of Schneiderian made-impulses, voices in the head, and suicide attempts. This traid should alert the clinican to the possibility of MPD, especially if the made impulse is self-destructive, and the voice is commanding suicide or is hostile and critical. The triad is indicative of the actibility of a dangerous persecutor personality" (Ross, 99)

Protector: Used by Hawksworth once in 1977 (72), but Keyes uses it more formally, declaring Ragen "the protector of the family" (xv).

"Caretaker" is proving weirdly hard to pin down, so I'm calling it quits on that one for now, but of all these other terms, all of them come from medical contexts. If they aren't outright, obviously created by therapists themselves (Ralph Allison, Cornelia Wilbur), they're cited in books that they were involved in--like Sybil or the Minds of Billy Milligan. These are terms created by medical personnel to compartmentalize and organize headmates like a stamp collection... and often deny us the right to self-determine or grow. There's an icky historical context there; there's a reason these terms were considered unfashionable tools of the oppressor when we came on the scene in 2007!

These therapists are not little tin gods you should worship. There's a reason Allison, Ross, and Wilbur have controversies about them! (And I'm not as knowledgeable about them as I should be because... well, read on.) So here's some information about that, as a sorta "multi beware, worship not your doctor" thing.

( Why You Shouldn't Believe Everything Doctors Say )

( Sources )

Current Music: Kaleo, "Way Down We Go"

'Cause they will run you down, down to the dark

Probably because it has been weeks since I slept more than a couple of hours a night and months since I had what would be medically termed a good night's sleep, I spent at least ten hours last night unconscious enough to dream and it was amazing. Under ideal circumstances I would devote my afternoon to reading on the front steps until the thunderstorms arrive. Under the resentful circumstances of realism I have already devoted considerable of my afternoon to phone calls with doctors and will need to enact capitalism while I have the concentration for it. I may still try to take a walk. I have a sort of pressure headache of movies I managed to watch before I ran completely out of time and would like to talk about even in shallow and unsatisfactory ways. I heard Kaleo's "Way Down We Go" (2015) on WERS and am delighted that the video was shot in the dormant volcano Þríhnúkagígur. I will associate it with earthquake-bound Loki. My brain thought it should dream about nonexistent Alan Garner and what I very much doubt will be the second season of Murderbot (2025–).

[edit] Taking a walk informed me that the sidewalk of the street at the bottom of our street has been spray-painted with a swastika, visible efforts to scrub it out notwithstanding. The sentiment is far from shocking, but the placement is rather literally close to home.