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Poem: "To Understand Water"
Mar. 11th, 2026 11:02 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysabetwordsmithThis poem came out of the October 5, 2025 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by a prompt from dialecticdreamer. It also fills the "That felt weird." square in my 10-1-25 card for the Fall Festival Bingo. This poem has been sponsored by Anthony Barrette. It belongs to the Polychrome Heroics series.
( Read more... )
dialecticdreamer. It also fills the "That felt weird." square in my 10-1-25 card for the Fall Festival Bingo. This poem has been sponsored by Anthony Barrette. It belongs to the Polychrome Heroics series.( Read more... )
Cyberspace Theory
Mar. 11th, 2026 10:21 pmysabetwordsmithWhen you're surfing the web & face a tsunami, make home under a bridge along the information highway
I hereby propose the term "The Under-net" (or "The Undernet") to refer to our preparation for and relationship with whatever (if anything) will be left for us in a future Internet dominated by unending, disingenuous, grifting slop.
This is an analysis of what's wrong with the Internet and some things we can do to improve it, as a form of resistance against corporate takeovers and enshittification.
I hereby propose the term "The Under-net" (or "The Undernet") to refer to our preparation for and relationship with whatever (if anything) will be left for us in a future Internet dominated by unending, disingenuous, grifting slop.
This is an analysis of what's wrong with the Internet and some things we can do to improve it, as a form of resistance against corporate takeovers and enshittification.
Science
Mar. 11th, 2026 09:58 pmysabetwordsmithScientists finally reveal why mint feels cold
Scientists have captured the first close-up view of the body’s “cold sensor,” revealing how winter air—and even mint—tricks your brain into feeling cool.
Scientists have revealed how the body’s microscopic cold sensor, TRPM8, detects both chilly temperatures and the cooling effect of menthol. The discovery finally shows how the sensation of “cool” works at the molecular level—and could inspire new treatments for pain and eye disorders.
Scientists have captured the first close-up view of the body’s “cold sensor,” revealing how winter air—and even mint—tricks your brain into feeling cool.
Scientists have revealed how the body’s microscopic cold sensor, TRPM8, detects both chilly temperatures and the cooling effect of menthol. The discovery finally shows how the sensation of “cool” works at the molecular level—and could inspire new treatments for pain and eye disorders.
Safety
Mar. 11th, 2026 11:48 amysabetwordsmithExtreme heat limits safe activity for millions of people worldwide
Extreme heat is now stopping people from doing simple daily tasks like walking, cleaning, or working outside.
A new study shows that climate warming has changed how much activity the human body can safely handle in hot weather.
Scientists found that since the 1950s, the number of hours each year when heat becomes dangerous for normal activity has increased sharply.
Yesterday it got up to 79℉, in Illinois, in early March. That is not normal. I rely on cool spring temperatures for yardwork such as planting bare-root trees and shrubs. I had to start my summer heat-coping skills, like avoiding direct sunlight and reducing workload. Plus we had to turn on the damn air conditioner, because recently when it was 76℉ outside, the house got considerably hotter and stayed that way through the wee hours. >_<
Summer, of course, has days when I can only go out for a few minutes at a time or not at all, and I worry about the air conditioner breaking because repairs take months to complete. It's life support for me, but other people don't consider that urgent.
( Read more... )
Extreme heat is now stopping people from doing simple daily tasks like walking, cleaning, or working outside.
A new study shows that climate warming has changed how much activity the human body can safely handle in hot weather.
Scientists found that since the 1950s, the number of hours each year when heat becomes dangerous for normal activity has increased sharply.
Yesterday it got up to 79℉, in Illinois, in early March. That is not normal. I rely on cool spring temperatures for yardwork such as planting bare-root trees and shrubs. I had to start my summer heat-coping skills, like avoiding direct sunlight and reducing workload. Plus we had to turn on the damn air conditioner, because recently when it was 76℉ outside, the house got considerably hotter and stayed that way through the wee hours. >_<
Summer, of course, has days when I can only go out for a few minutes at a time or not at all, and I worry about the air conditioner breaking because repairs take months to complete. It's life support for me, but other people don't consider that urgent.
( Read more... )
Birdfeeding
Mar. 11th, 2026 11:44 amysabetwordsmithToday is cloudy, cold, and wet.
I fed the birds. I've seen a few sparrows and house finches.
I put out water for the birds.
.
I fed the birds. I've seen a few sparrows and house finches.
I put out water for the birds.
.
Science
Mar. 11th, 2026 11:14 amysabetwordsmithA massive asteroid hit the North Sea and triggered a 330-foot tsunami
A long-running debate about the Silverpit Crater beneath the North Sea has finally been resolved. Scientists now confirm it formed when a roughly 160-meter asteroid struck the seabed about 43–46 million years ago. New seismic imaging and rare shocked minerals in rock samples provided the crucial proof. The impact would have sent a massive plume skyward and unleashed a tsunami over 100 meters (330 feet) high.
One thing I love about science is that occasionally it can really prove things.
A long-running debate about the Silverpit Crater beneath the North Sea has finally been resolved. Scientists now confirm it formed when a roughly 160-meter asteroid struck the seabed about 43–46 million years ago. New seismic imaging and rare shocked minerals in rock samples provided the crucial proof. The impact would have sent a massive plume skyward and unleashed a tsunami over 100 meters (330 feet) high.
One thing I love about science is that occasionally it can really prove things.
Mice
Mar. 11th, 2026 10:36 amlea_hazelEverything is bad *jazz hands* but on Sunday I managed to replace my janky mouse with one that has a functional thumb-operated scroll button. One that doesn't periodically freeze, jump, uno reverse, or play other similar psy-ops on my cursor. Unbelievably irritating, especially when gaming.
Though I still intend to eventually get an ergonomic controller to attach to my PC, for gaming purposes. Eventually.
Though I still intend to eventually get an ergonomic controller to attach to my PC, for gaming purposes. Eventually.
Prairie Moon Order
Mar. 11th, 2026 12:14 amysabetwordsmithOn Monday, I picked out what I wanted for the Prairie Moon order. This is meant to be the last catalog order of the spring.
Spicebush (plant)
American Plum (plant)
Early Figwort (seed)
Late Figwort (seed)
Common Ironweed (seed)
Purple Love Grass (seed)
Lead Plant (seed)
Spicebush (plant)
American Plum (plant)
Early Figwort (seed)
Late Figwort (seed)
Common Ironweed (seed)
Purple Love Grass (seed)
Lead Plant (seed)
Select Seeds Order
Mar. 11th, 2026 12:04 amysabetwordsmithOn Monday, I picked out what I wanted for the Select Seeds order.
Old-Fashioned Climbing Petunia (plant)
Lantana 'PassionFruit' (plant)
Penstemon 'Dakota Burgundy' (plant)
Painted Tongue 'Select Superbissima Mix' (seeds)
Yarrow 'Flowerburst Red Shades' (seeds)
Coreopsis 'Corusco Cream-Red' (seeds)
Old-Fashioned Climbing Petunia (plant)
Lantana 'PassionFruit' (plant)
Penstemon 'Dakota Burgundy' (plant)
Painted Tongue 'Select Superbissima Mix' (seeds)
Yarrow 'Flowerburst Red Shades' (seeds)
Coreopsis 'Corusco Cream-Red' (seeds)
Hard Things
Mar. 11th, 2026 12:03 amysabetwordsmithLife is full of things which are hard or tedious or otherwise unpleasant that need doing anyhow. They help make the world go 'round, they improve skills, and they boost your sense of self-respect. But doing them still kinda sucks. It's all the more difficult to do those things when nobody appreciates it. Happily, blogging allows us to share our accomplishments and pat each other on the back.
What are some of the hard things you've done recently? What are some hard things you haven't gotten to yet, but need to do? Is there anything your online friends could do to make your hard things a little easier?
What are some of the hard things you've done recently? What are some hard things you haven't gotten to yet, but need to do? Is there anything your online friends could do to make your hard things a little easier?
just press post already
Mar. 10th, 2026 09:48 pmursamajorStuck in my head this week: the CHVRCHES cover of Such Great Heights. Lauren Mayberry was the opener for the Northeastern leg of the Postal Service anniversary tour, and I have been enjoyably earwormed with her band's version of this song. It's making me want to do a ukelele cover of it, somehow.
( YT video within )
*
I don't usually pay that much attention to celebrity news, nor am I a fan of horror movies (I tend to run screaming the other direction), but it feels right to rewatch Army of Darkness upon hearing the news that whatever cancer Bruce Campbell's just announced that he's got is "treatable, but not curable." But jeez, that's like two major ones of these "fuck cancer" announcements in just a few weeks now. Le sigh.
Of course, this means I'll need to figure out how to get ahold of a copy of said movie, and I'm feeling just cantankerous enough about the state of media preservation that I'm wondering where I can pick up a physical copy on DVD (yes, DVD, we don't have a BluRay player). And it turns out there's apparently fifty bajillion editions, heh.
*
This year's hamantaschen flavors: vanilla dough with cherry preserves, vanilla dough with apricot hot pepper jelly, chocolate dough with raspberry preserves, chocolate dough with peanut butter. I tried out Smitten Kitchen's dough recipe this year to see how a buttery dough behaved compared to the oil-based recipe I usually use fromnoghri, with mixed success. The chocolate dough options remained intact, probably partly because I didn't roll it out to 1/8" thin, partly because I froze the peanut butter balls before folding them into the dough, and partly because the raspberry preserves were thick enough to not spread. I think it came out a little dry relative to the fillings, probably two minutes too long in the oven. The vanilla dough behaved with the apricot hot pepper jelly because it wasn't really a jelly, definitely more of a preserves texture. But with the cherry "preserves," it was another story, because the texture of that was much closer to an improperly-set jam, which I only realized starting to scoop it into the cookies. If you think all of the blowouts were the cherry ones, you'd be right!
Had friends over for dinner to help eat the hamantaschen, and I also made chicken adobo and rice and a mizuna salad with seaweed dressing. K brought fancy fruity sodas from TJ's, and we didn't remotely realize how late it had gotten until one of us looked at our watches and gasped that it was after midnight, heh. I really ought to do that more often; I like hosting my friends and us gossiping around a table until all hours. Plus, it's good motivation to keep things a bit tidier around here!
And it felt good to show off progress in the library/my office. Still need to figure out the desk situation; still need to frame the art I want to hang up in there; still want this rug to drape over the back of the glider chair. And I need to figure out a good reading lamp. But now that we've been here almost five years, figuring out how to make things the way we want; what we want to change, what we want to keep.
*
I never did post about our Super Bowl menu, but we made:
- Seattle: Teriyaki Wings, because it's a thing; every Seattle local friend I've ever visited there has taken me out for teriyaki there.
- Boston: Miso Clam Chowder. Used the Saveur recipe as a base, then to get it closer to Oga-style, added an assortment of Japanese mushrooms. Subbed out the cream for coconut milk, but that swung the flavor profile significantly more Thai, so I may need to consider other options if I want it to taste like Oga's. And I'll go ahead and pick up some ume next time for a topping, I think it needs just a bit of that fermented sourness to taste right.
I ran out of steam before making it to the Boston Cream Pie (Joanne Chang's, of course), but I did also make a smoked salmon dip: cream cheese, lemon juice, dill, onion powder, green onions, garlic, chili crisp, and smoked salmon on top.
( YT video within )
*
I don't usually pay that much attention to celebrity news, nor am I a fan of horror movies (I tend to run screaming the other direction), but it feels right to rewatch Army of Darkness upon hearing the news that whatever cancer Bruce Campbell's just announced that he's got is "treatable, but not curable." But jeez, that's like two major ones of these "fuck cancer" announcements in just a few weeks now. Le sigh.
Of course, this means I'll need to figure out how to get ahold of a copy of said movie, and I'm feeling just cantankerous enough about the state of media preservation that I'm wondering where I can pick up a physical copy on DVD (yes, DVD, we don't have a BluRay player). And it turns out there's apparently fifty bajillion editions, heh.
*
This year's hamantaschen flavors: vanilla dough with cherry preserves, vanilla dough with apricot hot pepper jelly, chocolate dough with raspberry preserves, chocolate dough with peanut butter. I tried out Smitten Kitchen's dough recipe this year to see how a buttery dough behaved compared to the oil-based recipe I usually use from
noghri, with mixed success. The chocolate dough options remained intact, probably partly because I didn't roll it out to 1/8" thin, partly because I froze the peanut butter balls before folding them into the dough, and partly because the raspberry preserves were thick enough to not spread. I think it came out a little dry relative to the fillings, probably two minutes too long in the oven. The vanilla dough behaved with the apricot hot pepper jelly because it wasn't really a jelly, definitely more of a preserves texture. But with the cherry "preserves," it was another story, because the texture of that was much closer to an improperly-set jam, which I only realized starting to scoop it into the cookies. If you think all of the blowouts were the cherry ones, you'd be right!Had friends over for dinner to help eat the hamantaschen, and I also made chicken adobo and rice and a mizuna salad with seaweed dressing. K brought fancy fruity sodas from TJ's, and we didn't remotely realize how late it had gotten until one of us looked at our watches and gasped that it was after midnight, heh. I really ought to do that more often; I like hosting my friends and us gossiping around a table until all hours. Plus, it's good motivation to keep things a bit tidier around here!
And it felt good to show off progress in the library/my office. Still need to figure out the desk situation; still need to frame the art I want to hang up in there; still want this rug to drape over the back of the glider chair. And I need to figure out a good reading lamp. But now that we've been here almost five years, figuring out how to make things the way we want; what we want to change, what we want to keep.
*
I never did post about our Super Bowl menu, but we made:
- Seattle: Teriyaki Wings, because it's a thing; every Seattle local friend I've ever visited there has taken me out for teriyaki there.
- Boston: Miso Clam Chowder. Used the Saveur recipe as a base, then to get it closer to Oga-style, added an assortment of Japanese mushrooms. Subbed out the cream for coconut milk, but that swung the flavor profile significantly more Thai, so I may need to consider other options if I want it to taste like Oga's. And I'll go ahead and pick up some ume next time for a topping, I think it needs just a bit of that fermented sourness to taste right.
I ran out of steam before making it to the Boston Cream Pie (Joanne Chang's, of course), but I did also make a smoked salmon dip: cream cheese, lemon juice, dill, onion powder, green onions, garlic, chili crisp, and smoked salmon on top.
Space Exploration
Mar. 10th, 2026 07:01 pmysabetwordsmithRemember when DART struck an asteroid? New surprises!
Don’t miss this astounding 40-second video. It shows the DART spacecraft’s strike of the asteroid moon Dimorphos, in the year 2022, from the vantagepoint of a camera on the spacecraft. It was a test of our capabilities in planetary defense from asteroids that might strike us. Afterwards, we knew the strike had slightly changed the orbit of Dimorphos. Now a new study shows how the DART spacecraft also affected the orbit of the primary asteroid in this system.
Don’t miss this astounding 40-second video. It shows the DART spacecraft’s strike of the asteroid moon Dimorphos, in the year 2022, from the vantagepoint of a camera on the spacecraft. It was a test of our capabilities in planetary defense from asteroids that might strike us. Afterwards, we knew the strike had slightly changed the orbit of Dimorphos. Now a new study shows how the DART spacecraft also affected the orbit of the primary asteroid in this system.
(no subject)
Mar. 10th, 2026 01:40 pmolivermoss* Upper Canada Films announced The Hockey Player, a feature documentary following Luke Prokop, the first openly gay hockey player under contract in the National Hockey League. Link to announcement on Prokop's insta
* The newly acquired squid's immigration process is taking longer than expected. He might be out a few games. This really sucks because we suddenly have an opening on the line he's expected to be on. One of our players took a boot to the face. Hopefully he's doing okay, but he's going to be out for a bit. Teams are very secretive about injuries so no idea how bad it is.
* The newly acquired squid's immigration process is taking longer than expected. He might be out a few games. This really sucks because we suddenly have an opening on the line he's expected to be on. One of our players took a boot to the face. Hopefully he's doing okay, but he's going to be out for a bit. Teams are very secretive about injuries so no idea how bad it is.
Birdfeeding
Mar. 10th, 2026 02:01 pmysabetwordsmithToday is partly sunny, breezy, and quite warm. It's 76℉ already.
I fed the birds. I've seen a small mixed flock of sparrows and house finches.
I put out water for the birds.
The first hostas have sprouted, and more bluebells are putting up leaves. More things are sprouting in the water jugs too. The first daffodils are blooming under the maple tree.
EDIT 3/10/26 -- I put out my indoor flat of fruit tree sprouts to get some sun and air.
I took pictures around the yard.
EDIT 3/10/26 -- It's 79℉ now. Earlier was overly warm; now it's just plain hot even with a brisk breeze. We had to turn on the air conditioning. In early March. Fuck climate change. >_<
We hauled the two bags of topsoil from the car to the old picnic table bench. We put the solid-top pallet in the garden shed.
EDIT 3/10/26 -- I trimmed the woody stems from the wildflower garden. Lots of miniature irises are blooming there. :D
EDIT 3/10/26 -- I started trimming woody stems from the septic garden.
EDIT 3/10/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
I brought in the fruit tree sprouts. I've seen a fox squirrel bounding across the ground.
EDIT 3/10/26 -- I did more work around the patio.
EDIT 3/10/26 -- I finished trimming woody stems from the septic garden.
I am done for the night.
I fed the birds. I've seen a small mixed flock of sparrows and house finches.
I put out water for the birds.
The first hostas have sprouted, and more bluebells are putting up leaves. More things are sprouting in the water jugs too. The first daffodils are blooming under the maple tree.
EDIT 3/10/26 -- I put out my indoor flat of fruit tree sprouts to get some sun and air.
I took pictures around the yard.
EDIT 3/10/26 -- It's 79℉ now. Earlier was overly warm; now it's just plain hot even with a brisk breeze. We had to turn on the air conditioning. In early March. Fuck climate change. >_<
We hauled the two bags of topsoil from the car to the old picnic table bench. We put the solid-top pallet in the garden shed.
EDIT 3/10/26 -- I trimmed the woody stems from the wildflower garden. Lots of miniature irises are blooming there. :D
EDIT 3/10/26 -- I started trimming woody stems from the septic garden.
EDIT 3/10/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
I brought in the fruit tree sprouts. I've seen a fox squirrel bounding across the ground.
EDIT 3/10/26 -- I did more work around the patio.
EDIT 3/10/26 -- I finished trimming woody stems from the septic garden.
I am done for the night.
OS age verification laws
Mar. 10th, 2026 12:12 pmdikemBrazil - 03.18.2026
California,Colorado 01.01.2027
Illinois, NY - ??
California,Colorado 01.01.2027
Illinois, NY - ??
work cons
Mar. 9th, 2026 08:27 pmechanI survived another year at SCaLE in Pasadena, and made it home again where its technically tshirt weather despite the snow lining the highway. My Leaf made it there and back again with 29% battery left, so that was a relief, I've never driven anywhere near that far at once before. Also I did not fall asleep and crash! It helped that my rock climbing gym is almost exactly halfway there so I stopped there as a driving break.
I went to so many restaurants in Pasadena! I'm quite proud of my success on that. I think my favorite this year was Mr Mushroom -- fantastic burgers, even with the sweet pickles (whyyy).
I saw some coworkers, current and former, a couple times. It was good, and it was awkward. I'm really not a hallway track, hang around and talk, sort of person, with anyone. (Probably not a coincidence that the best interaction was in a panel room before a talk, and not in a hallway.) But also, I want to do better at preparing in advance things to talk about -- it often feels like my mind puts everything off limits for sharing, unless I do a deliberate mental inventory and flag specific things as safe talking points.
The most common themes, in the talks I went to, were "AI is like an overenthusiastic book-smart intern" and data lake houses (like a data lake and a data warehouse but better). A lot of general industry insecurity -- the job board seemed almost entirely folks looking for work, with very few posts about open positions. (Percona is hiring, but everyone knows DBAs are a strange sort.)
Later this year PyCon the Python con is in Long Beach, and I don't much work with Python these days but a programming con sounds fun, probably. Monitorama is coming back sometime soon, also. Dunno if dates will conflict, or what work will pay for, will need to figure that out.
I went to so many restaurants in Pasadena! I'm quite proud of my success on that. I think my favorite this year was Mr Mushroom -- fantastic burgers, even with the sweet pickles (whyyy).
I saw some coworkers, current and former, a couple times. It was good, and it was awkward. I'm really not a hallway track, hang around and talk, sort of person, with anyone. (Probably not a coincidence that the best interaction was in a panel room before a talk, and not in a hallway.) But also, I want to do better at preparing in advance things to talk about -- it often feels like my mind puts everything off limits for sharing, unless I do a deliberate mental inventory and flag specific things as safe talking points.
The most common themes, in the talks I went to, were "AI is like an overenthusiastic book-smart intern" and data lake houses (like a data lake and a data warehouse but better). A lot of general industry insecurity -- the job board seemed almost entirely folks looking for work, with very few posts about open positions. (Percona is hiring, but everyone knows DBAs are a strange sort.)
Later this year PyCon the Python con is in Long Beach, and I don't much work with Python these days but a programming con sounds fun, probably. Monitorama is coming back sometime soon, also. Dunno if dates will conflict, or what work will pay for, will need to figure that out.