laconia | Reading

1. Everything We Learned at the Star Wars Celebration 2025

Takeaways?

I really want to see Andor S2.

( excerpt )

Also, apparently the new Star Wars movie starring Ryan Gosling, and directed by Shawn Levy, entitled Star Wars: Star Fighter - takes place post Rise of Skywalker, and with all new characters. (Smart move. The better films pull away from the Skywalker story arcs.)

Also, I may try Ashoska again.

2. Not a fandom bit - but R.I.P Pope Francis. I'm saddened by this news.
Also he accomplished a lot in short period of time - shifting the course of the Catholic Church, promoting kindness and humility. (I also hope he talked some sense into devout Catholic and wannabee Fascist, Vance, who saw Francis before he died.)

3. Buffy Redux

So, I've been rewatching Buffy episodes intermittently. Picked up on a few things that I hadn't previously picked up on? ( Read more... )

4. Daredevil Born Again

I liked the season finale, and for the most part the series. It's similar yet different than Netflix's Daredevil, which had defter writing. However both are fairly uneven.

Fisk is clearly Marvel's commentary on the Fascist asshole in the White House or the Hitler Wannabee. Fisk even kind of looks like him, without hair. And that makes watching this - an odd experience.

The message at the end is Daredevil can't take on Fisk alone, which sets up S2 to be more of a group effort. People are speculating already on who will be joining the cast. Already slotted are Karen and Frank Castle (Jon Bernthal) aka The Punisher. Also Lily Taylor, and Mathew Lillard in a recurring role.

musesfool

Today's poem:

I Have News for You

There are people who do not see a broken playground swing
as a symbol of ruined childhood

and there are people who don't interpret the behavior
of a fly in a motel room as a mocking representation of their thought process.

There are people who don't walk past an empty swimming pool
and think about past pleasures unrecoverable

and then stand there blocking the sidewalk for other pedestrians.
I have read about a town somewhere in California where human beings

do not send their sinuous feeder roots
deep into the potting soil of others' emotional lives

as if they were greedy six-year-olds
sucking the last half-inch of milkshake up through a noisy straw;

and other persons in the Midwest who can kiss without
debating the imperialist baggage of heterosexuality.

Do you see that creamy, lemon-yellow moon?
There are some people, unlike me and you,

who do not yearn after fame or love or quantities of money as
unattainable as that moon;
thus, they do not later
have to waste more time
defaming the object of their former ardor.

Or consequently run and crucify themselves
in some solitary midnight Starbucks Golgotha.

I have news for you—
there are people who get up in the morning and cross a room

and open a window to let the sweet breeze in
and let it touch them all over their faces and bodies.

--Tony Hoagland

*

Current Mood: sleepy
Current Music: Mets vs Phillies on tv

shadowkat

Believe it or not? There has actually been some good news on the Climate Change and Environmental Front and a few other fronts...it's not all grim out there.

1. A partnership between the Miccosukee Tribe and Pinecrest, FL converts food scraps into compost for the tribe’s community garden, improving soil and reducing landfill waste. Go HERE

2. The Iñupiat community of Elim, AK protests a proposed uranium mine during the Iditarod dogsled race to protect their subsistence way of life and the biodiversity of Norton Sound. Go HERE

***

And apparently on the immigration front? So a break from our scheduled programming into that...which is an on-going battle:
( Immigration Legal and Political Battles )

***

Back to the environment:

5.A federal appeals court revives a civil rights lawsuit challenging polluting industries in Louisiana’s “Cancer Alley,” opening the door for justice in historically harmed Black communities. Go HERE

6. Climate activists are increasingly suing governments and companies to take action against climate change — and WINNING. Go Here

( excerpt )

7.In 2024, a record 112 million Americans rode bikes, the highest participation rate since 2014, with youth ridership jumping from 49% to 56%. Go HERE

8.The U.S. and China both show significant growth in renewable energy, outpacing traditional power sources. Go HERE

9.Despite budget cuts, NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center continues to provide critical climate information. Go HERE

10. Attorneys general in four states—CA, IL, ME, and MN—sue the EPA and Citibank for unlawfully withholding funds from state green banks meant to support climate solutions. Go HERE

( the rest of the 25 items )
***

Non-climate change related, academic law suit:

26. Harvard takes the counter-offensive and sues the Trump administration for freezing billions of dollars in federal funding.

rydra_wong

https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2025/04/protests-erupt-across-the-uk-after-supreme-court-ruled-against-trans-rights/

Many many pictures.

Also, more protests yet to come, apparently, with ones scheduled for Oxford and Cambridge.

james_davis_nicoll

Improbable, but not impossible, ascents to the world stage...

Five SFF Works About Unlikely Global Superpowers

james_davis_nicoll

Retired superhero turned lawyer, Naomi "Foxfire" Ziegler pursues a wrongful death case involving a fire, a young superhero and a host of shifty housing corporations.

Foxfire, Esq. by Noa (October)

sonia

Crisis Planning: The Hit-By-A-Bus Plan by

lb_lee.

The hit-by-a-bus plan is for when you are suddenly unable to perform your usual duties or communicate the need to get them done to others—such as when you are suddenly committed to a mental hospital, kidnapped, or hit by a bus and put in a coma. The plan is especially for people without spouse or families. Getting hit by a bus may be unavoidable, but less so is getting fired (or a pet dying) because you aren’t there and nobody knows what happened or what to do. It has two components: prep work for yourself (for psychological crisis), and stuff for helpers to do on your behalf afterward (general purpose).

This is a great post. I find it overwhelming to try to set all of this up at once. I might take small steps, like giving my immediate neighbors an emergency contact's phone number.

For those of us who have pets, having a pet sitter who already knows the situation and can get in if needed is useful in an unexpected absence.

Declaration of Interdependence by

queerspacepunk (aka

emmett) via

jesse_the_k. I love this vision of easy interconnectedness, although a followup post brings up the need for clear communication and respect for boundaries as well.

I recently went through, "Where the heck is my neighbor and how do I make sure his cat gets fed." (All ended well, thank goodness.) While it might feel vulnerable to share information and ask for help, it's a kindness rather than an imposition to the surrounding community in case of unexpected emergencies.

musesfool

Monday miscellany:

- So what are the odds we get an antipope this time in addition to a pope?

- Sepinwall gave season 2 of Andor a good review (minor spoilers, I guess) - the first 3 episodes drop tomorrow and it sounds like they are doing 3 episodes a week for 4 weeks, as each one comprises a mini-arc. Trying not to get spoiled on the internet is sure to be a nightmare.

- I haven't done the AO3 stats meme regularly since 2018 because not much changes in my top 10. In 2021, however, I made note of some up-and-comers in the 11-20 slots, and it turns out that as of 4/20/25, Post Hoc, Ergo Propter Hoc (i.e., the one where Dick convinces Jason to stop killing through the power of hugs) has crept into the top 10 by hits - it's number 9! (It looks like Our history is just in our blood (history, like love, is never enough) (the Steve/Bucky remix AU where Steve finds Bucky working as a barista) is the one that fell out of the top 10.)

Post Hoc, Ergo Propter Hoc also made inroads into the top 10 by kudos, landing at number 5! Additionally, 2 Star Wars stories also found their way into the top 10 by kudos: There's Still Time to Change the Road You're On (in which Anakin time travels to the post-RotJ era and meets his kids) at 6, and deep as a secret nobody knows (AU where Leia tells Vader she's Padme's daughter and it changes everything) at number 8!

The 3 Avengers stories that dropped are again, Our history is just in our blood (history, like love, is never enough), plus Even a Miracle Needs a Hand (Clint/Darcy fake Christmas boyfriend), and with the lights out, it's less dangerous (Steve/Bucky, then and now).

According to these posts, I did not previously do the full list by comments, but I will note the appearance of deep as a secret nobody knows at number 3 on the comments list, and another Vader-and-Leia AU, Just a Little Bit of History Repeating, at number 10, with the VMars/Avengers crossover we travel without seatbelts on sitting pretty at number 7.

So I guess given enough time, these things CAN change.

- Today's poem:

Nothing Will Warn You
by Stephen Dunn

Nothing will warn you,
not even the promise of severe weather
or the threats of neighbors muttered
under their breath, unheard by the sonar

in you that no longer functions.
You'll be expecting blue skies, perhaps
a picnic at which you'll be anticipating
a reward for being the best handler

of raw meat in a county known
for its per capita cases of salmonella.
You'll have no memory of those women
with old grievances nor will you guess

that small bulge in one of their purses
could be a derringer. You'll be opening
a cold one, thinking this is the life,
this is the very life I've always wanted.

Nothing will warn you,
no one will blurt out that this picnic
is no picnic, the clouds in the west
will be darkly billowing toward you,

and you will not hear your neighbors'
conspiratorial whispers. You'll be
readying yourself to tell the joke
no one has ever laughed at, the joke

someone would have told you by now
is only funny if told on yourself, but no one
has ever liked you enough to say so.
Even your wife never warned you.

***

Current Mood: thoughtful
Current Music: Good Times, Bad Times = Led Zeppelin

cosmolinguist

The one thing about discord that I wish I could get on Signal is different names for different group chats. I'm the only Firstname Lastname LinkedIn-sona in this new trans group I've joined; everyone else has a single lowercase noun for a name, like a normal person.

I hosted a hybrid meeting today, and when D asked who was coming, the names I gave him were one animal, two vegetable, and one mineral.

conuly

and applied for a shitton of jobs. The worst they can do is call me a dipshit, and they probably wouldn't do that to my face. I think? Seems like a waste of time to call somebody up and say "You're terrible, how could you think we'd consider you?"

*****************

( Read more... )

rachelmanija

In this YA novel published in 1990, six fourteen-year-olds face their inner dragons while they're in an accelerated academic program which includes a class on Beowulf.

I read this when it first came out, so when I saw a copy at a library book sale, I grabbed it to re-read. It largely holds up, though I'd completely forgotten the main plot and only recalled the theme and the subplot.

My recollection of the book was that the six teenagers are inspired by class discussions on Beowulf to face their personal fears. This is correct. I also recalled that one of the girls was a gymnast with an eating disorder and one of the boys was an athlete partially paralyzed in an accident, and those two bonded over their love of sports and current conflicted/damaging relationship to sports and their bodies, and ended up dating. This is also correct.

What I'd completely forgotten was the main plot, which was about the narrator, Eric, who idolized his best friend, Paul, and had an idealized crush on one of the girls in the class, who he was correctly convinced had a crush on Paul, and incorrectly convinced Paul was mutually attracted to. Paul, who is charming and outgoing, convinces Eric, who is shy, to do a speech class with him, where Eric surprisingly excels. The main plot is about the Eric/Paul relationship, how Eric's jealousy nearly wrecks it, and how the boys both end up facing their dragons and fixing their friendship.

Paul's dragon is that he's secretly gay. The speech teacher takes a dislike to him, promotes Eric to the debate team when Paul deserves it more (and tells Eric this in private), and finally tries to destroy Paul in front of the whole class by accusing him of being gay! Eric defends Paul, Paul confesses his secret to him, and the boys repair their friendship.

While a bit dated/historical, especially in terms of both boys knowing literally nothing about what being gay actually means in terms of living your life, it's a very nicely done novel with lots of good character sketches. The teachers are all real characters, as are the six kids - all of whom have their own journeys. The crush object, for instance, is a pretty rich girl who's been crammed into a narrow box of traditional femininity, and her journey is to destroy the idealized image that Eric is in love with and her parents have imposed on her - and part of Eric's journey is to accept the role of being her supportive friend who helps her do it.

I was surprised and pleased to discover that this and other Sweeney books are currently available as ebooks. I will check some out.

james_davis_nicoll

This all-new Coyote & Crow Bundle presents Coyote & Crow, the alternate-history RPG set in the Free Lands of an uncolonized North America.

Bundle of Holding: Coyote & Crow

andrewducker

In the future all zoo trips will look like this.
Original is here on Pixelfed.scot.

james_davis_nicoll

1994: At least four MPs die from unrelated causes, Tony Blair uses his new position as leader of the Labour Party to make bold economic statements unbounded by reality, and in a bold rebuke of a half million years of effort to isolate Britain from the continent, the Chunnel opens.

Poll #33014 Clarke Award Finalists 1994

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 60

View Respondents

Which 1994 Clarke Award Finalists Have You Read?

View Answers

Vurt by Jeff Noon
10 (16.7%)

A Million Open Doors by John Barnes
17 (28.3%)

Ammonite by Nicola Griffith
29 (48.3%)

Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson
49 (81.7%)

The Broken God by David Zindell
6 (10.0%)

The Iron Dragon's Daughter by Michael Swanwick
29 (48.3%)

Bold for have read, italic for intend to read,, underline for never heard of it.

Which 1994 Clarke Award Finalists Have You Read?
Vurt by Jeff Noon
A Million Open Doors by John Barnes
Ammonite by Nicola Griffith
Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson
The Broken God by David Zindell
The Iron Dragon's Daughter by Michael Swanwick

gwydion

* As has been the case since January, the sort may be a little rough. News keeps moving fast, so some items may be already out of date.

*

*

* "Back to Russian gas? Trump-wary EU has energy security dilemma:" https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/back-russian-gas-trump-wary-eu-has-energy-security-dilemma-2025-04-14/

* "Saudi Arabia plans to pay off Syria's World Bank debts, sources say:" https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/saudi-arabia-plans-pay-off-syrias-world-bank-debts-sources-say-2025-04-14/

* "Memo shows U.S. can send migrants without criminal records to Guantanamo, despite Trump's promise to hold "the worst" there:" https://www.cbsnews.com/news/guantanamo-trump-migrants-without-criminal-records/

* "ICE director envisions Amazon-like mass deportation system: ‘Prime, but with human beings’:" https://azmirror.com/2025/04/08/ice-director-envisions-amazon-like-mass-deportation-system-prime-but-with-human-beings/

* "Deporting veterans betrays America’s promise:" https://prismreports.org/2025/04/07/deported-veterans-undocumented-immigrants/

* "Hispanic Churches Groan Under Florida’s Double Immigration Crackdown:" https://www.christianitytoday.com/2025/03/florida-hispanic-latino-evangelicals-immigration-persecution/

* "In the battle to keep ICE from raiding houses of worship, the grassroots needs to flex more muscle:" https://religionnews.com/2025/03/21/in-the-battle-to-keep-ice-from-raiding-houses-of-worship-the-grassroots-needs-to-flex-more-muscle/

* "Tufts student ICE grabbed off street says hijab was removed, asthma wasn't treated at Louisiana facility:" https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/tufts-student-grabbed-street-ice-says-hijab-removed-asthma-not-treated-rcna201122

* "Don’t Take the Bait — Kristi Noem and Fascism’s Sadistic Eroticization of Power:" https://religiondispatches.org/dont-take-the-bait-kristi-noem-and-fascisms-sadistic-eroticization-of-power/

* "Immigrants prove they are alive, forcing Social Security to undo death label:" https://archive.ph/oj0SK

* "DOGE is collecting federal data to remove immigrants from housing, jobs:" https://archive.ph/pFB6F

* "Social Insecurity:" https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/social-insecurity/id1638974657?i=1000703934164

* "Pentagon chief Hegseth shared sensitive Yemen war plans in second Signal chat, source says:" https://archive.ph/x89u0

* "Pete Buttigieg calls Pete Hegseth ‘unfit to lead’ after second bombshell Signal chat leak revelation:" https://www.advocate.com/news/pete-buttigieg-pete-hegseth-unfit

* "The MAGA-fication of the Military:" https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-maga-fication-of-the-military/id1638974657?i=1000702094669

* "The speech police: Chairman Brendan Carr and the FCC’s news distortion policy:" https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2025/04/trumps-fcc-chair-invokes-rarely-enforced-news-distortion-policy-to-punish-media/

* "What exactly does Trump think is in the Smithsonian?:" https://archive.ph/rp6e9

* "'Please don’t tax the rich': Seattle crosswalk buttons hacked to sound like Jeff Bezos:" https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/seattle/hacked-crosswalk-buttons-altered-play-fake-messages-south-lake-union-u-district/281-a2fb5c9b-be47-40c1-bdba-8cf36316ecfc

* Our job for the next two years is to survive, to build grassroots resistance, to do all in our power to slow the republican Christo-fascist agenda, and to prepare for 2026 in case there is still Democracy.

We are trying to build a good list of resistance resources.

Please add more below if you have them.

* Trump 2.0 Indivisible Guide. https://indivisible.org/resource/guide

* "Democracy 2025:" https://www.democracy2025.org/?utm_source=df-ad&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=21912407002&utm_content=721373734297&source=df-ad-gs&gad_source=1

* "Resisting Fascism in 2025 and Beyond:" https://www.prideandpagesbookclub.com/resisting-fascism-in-2025-and-beyond

* If you can't safely contact them in person, here are some other options for contacting your Congress Critters:

Five Calls to your critters: https://5calls.org/

Here is one that will send your reps a fax: https://resist.bot/

"Congress. gov:" https://www.congress.gov/

White house (Possibly Dangerous): https://www.whitehouse.gov/

ACLU advice for writing to your Critters: https://www.aclu.org/writing-your-elected-representatives

Script to complain about Elon Musk/DOGE. I also suggest contacting your AG about data privacy. "Introducing Red State Scripts, Vol. 1:" https://homewiththearmadillo.blog/2025/02/10/introducing-red-state-scripts-vol-1/

* This tracks legislation: https://www.govtrack.us/

* "Vote Smart:" https://justfacts.votesmart.org/

* Useful organizing links and resources: https://www.tumblr.com/gwydionmisha/771859083592613888/hater-of-terfs-ive-already-reblogged-a-link-to?source=share

* Run for Something: https://runforsomething.net/

* How to render emergency aid in a riot: https://riotmedicine.net/static/downloads/riot-medicine_a5.pdf

* "How to Safely and Ethically Film Police Misconduct:" https://www.teenvogue.com/story/how-to-film-police-safely

* Avoiding Activist Burnout: https://www.tumblr.com/veluigi/771755723969478656/on-twitter-im-seeing-dozens-of-threads-from-black?source=share

* "ICE Raids Toolkit: Defend Against ICE Raids and Community Arrests:" https://www.immigrantdefenseproject.org/raids-toolkit/

* Contains a raid tip hotline amoung other things. "Know Your Rights
LEARN HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF AND YOUR FAMILY:" https://wearecasa.org/know-your-rights/

* Free Bystander training amoung other useful things. "Right to Be Training:" https://righttobe.org/upcoming-free-trainings/

* "Meet the Iowa Democrat challenging Sen. Joni Ernst: 'I live in the real world':" https://www.msnbc.com/jonathan-capehart/watch/meet-the-iowa-democrat-challenging-sen-joni-ernst-i-live-in-the-real-world-237952581831

* "Former OneRepublic bassist announces bid for Congress:" https://www.msnbc.com/jonathan-capehart/watch/former-onerepublic-bassist-announces-bid-for-congress-237953093677

* "Nancy Mace yells 'F**k you!' at man she assumes is gay for asking her a question in an Ulta store:" https://www.advocate.com/news/nancy-mace-confronts-gay-man

* "Two dead, suspect in custody after sheriff’s deputy’s son opens fire at FSU:" https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/crime/article304434411.html

* "A Key Fight Over the Most Infamous Police Project in the Country Is Coming to a Head:" https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2025/04/copy-city-fight-future-of-journalism.html

* "A Lawyer’s Crusade Against “Copaganda”:" https://newrepublic.com/article/192070/copaganda-book-alec-karakatsanis-police-crime-statistics

* "Lawsuit alleging Alabama officials illegally harvested inmates’ organs can proceed, judge rules:" https://apnews.com/article/organ-harvesting-university-of-alabama-corrections-department-ddf8f08ccedf4998961f20e2ff0740b1

* "For the American Prison Writing Archive, a ‘Shadow Canon’ Sheds Light:" https://archive.ph/pkS6c

* "Via porn, gore and ultra-violence, extremist groups are sinking hooks online into the very young:" https://apnews.com/article/technology-parenting-terror-islamic-state-police-security-attacks-4888bab2d10502edadf787d419d45b5b

* "Whiteness rooted in place:" https://www.christiancentury.org/article/interview/whiteness-rooted-place

* "Barbarian Virtues:" https://currentpub.com/2025/04/02/barbarian-virtues/

* "Vandalism at NYU Islamic prayer room under investigation as hate crime:" https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/vandalism-nyu-islamic-prayer-room-hate-crime-rcna199832

* "DEI? You're Fired:" https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dei-youre-fired-with-heather-mcghee/id1583132133?i=1000703845266

* "Top 5 LGBTQ+ books banned in the U.S. :" https://www.advocate.com/top-5-lgbtq-books-banned-2024#rebelltitem1

* CW: Sexual Assault. "The She Made Him Do It Theory of Everything:" https://www.meditationsinanemergency.com/the-she-made-him-do-it-theory-of-everything-2/

* "MAGA's war on empathy exposes misogynist fears:" https://www.salon.com/2025/04/11/magas-on-empathy-exposes-misogynist-fears/

* "This reporter spent a year dating rabid anti-feminists — here’s what she found:" https://www.alternet.org/breaking-social/manosphere-cnn-papisova/

* "In Your Face: The Brutal Aesthetics of MAGA:" https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2025/03/maralago-face-conservative-girl-makeup-brutal-aesthetics-of-maga-trump-gaetz-guilfoyle/

* "Morning-after pill to be offered without charge at pharmacies in England:" https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/mar/30/morning-after-pill-contraception-free-pharmacies-nhs-england

* "Why Elon Musk and JD Vance Are Obsessed With You Having More Babies:" https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2025/03/this-is-a-war-and-natalism-is-our-sword-and-shield-my-weekend-with-the-pronatalists/

* "NY county clerk refuses to file Texas’ fine for doctor accused of prescribing abortion pills:" https://apnews.com/article/abortion-pills-lawsuit-texas-new-york-carpenter-e97d5c38d9429083d03c2a7b385cbbfd

* "From Afghanistan to Malaysia, these are the 61 countries that still criminalize homosexuality:" https://www.advocate.com/news/61-countries-criminalize-homosexuality#rebelltitem65

* "Hungary passes constitutional amendment banning public LGBTQ+ events:" https://www.advocate.com/world/hungary-gray-pride-protest-lgbtq

* "Caribbean activists step up fight to end homophobic laws that ‘breach fundamental rights’:" https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/caribbean-activists-step-up-fight-to-end-homophobic-laws-that-breach-fundamental-rights/ar-AA1CXwL5

* "New German, Swiss, And Austrian Guidelines Recommend Trans Youth Care, Slam Cass Review:" https://www.erininthemorning.com/p/new-german-swiss-and-austria-guidelines

* "Trans Norwegian politician wants to give asylum to transgender people fleeing Trump's policies:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/norwegian-us-trans-asylum

* "Transgender teen can't legally change name until age 21, Mississippi Supreme Court rules:" https://www.advocate.com/law/mississippi-transgender-teen-name-change

* "Chicago Teachers Union ratifies groundbreaking contract cementing LGBTQ+ protections:" https://www.advocate.com/news/chicago-teachers-union-lgbtq-inclusion

* "Hundreds protest Pittsburgh hospital for caving to Trump and denying trans youth gender-affirming care:" https://www.advocate.com/news/hundreds-protest-upmc-trump-transgender-care

* "How doctors became providers of hope and our kids' last line of defense:" https://www.advocate.com/voices/gender-affirming-care-doctors-children

* "Anti-LGBTQ+ attacks on the rise in Los Angeles: report:" https://www.advocate.com/crime/anti-lgbtq-attacks-on-the-rise-in-los-angeles-report

* "'Kiss your kids goodbye:' Indiana mom tells teacher who flew a Pride flag in class, police say:" https://www.advocate.com/crime/indiana-mom-threatens-queer-teacher

* "Florida high school teacher loses job for using student's preferred name:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/florida-teacher-fired-preferred-name

* "Georgia mother of trans and nonbinary children forcibly removed from school board meeting:" https://www.advocate.com/news/georgia-mother-removed-school-board

* "A mom complained about a trans girl using the locker room. Hundreds turned out to support the girl:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/chicago-transgender-girl-locker-room

* "New Hampshire men can't wear anti-trans gear at their kids' school while their lawsuit proceeds:" https://www.advocate.com/news/transphobic-gear-banned-new-hampshire

* "University of Cincinnati removes 'biological' bathroom signs, wasting $16K :" https://www.advocate.com/transgender/university-cincinnati-biological-bathroom-removed

* "Right-wing extremists threaten LGBTQ-affirming religious communities: report:" https://www.advocate.com/news/extremists-target-affirming-religious-institutions

* "‘Just plain old Larry’: A Wisconsin man’s testimony about gender-affirming care went viral. Here’s his story.:" https://www.wpr.org/news/larry-jones-wisconsin-testimony-gender-affirming-care-viral

* "It takes a village to raise a child, but what if the village votes red?:" https://www.advocate.com/voices/trump-connecticut

* "Texas investigating USA Fencing Association after it disqualified cis player for refusing to play trans woman:" https://www.advocate.com/sports/texas-usa-fencing-investigation

* "Tennessee far-right pastor fears 'gay beam' airport scanner will make him queer:" https://www.advocate.com/news/pastor-airport-scanners-gay

* "I was beset by a sudden desire to know what, exactly, JKR said recently:" https://conuly.dreamwidth.org/3617152.html

* "Imperfect sounds:Cochlear implants give deaf kids unprecedented access to sound. But insisting they avoid using sign language may be risky:" https://www.science.org/content/article/implants-can-help-deaf-kids-hear-many-still-struggle-spoken-language

Ya think?

* "“Not Just Measles”: Whooping Cough Cases Are Soaring as Vaccine Rates Decline:" https://www.propublica.org/article/whooping-cough-measles-outbreak-vaccine-hesitancy-trump?

* "How stress shapes cancer’s course:" https://knowablemagazine.org/content/article/health-disease/2025/how-stress-affects-cancer?

* "U.S. fentanyl deaths have been plunging. Enter Trump:" https://archive.ph/70V6M

* "“Slow Pay, Low Pay or No Pay”:" https://www.propublica.org/article/blue-cross-blue-shield-louisiana-insurance-lawsuit-breast-cancer-doctors

* "Climate Violence Is Coming for Rich Countries, and They’re Not Ready:" https://thewalrus.ca/climate-violence-is-coming-for-rich-countries-and-theyre-not-ready/

* "How South Korea's largest and deadliest wildfire spread:" https://www.reuters.com/graphics/SOUTHKOREA-FIRE/movaydeneva/

* "Why We Have Lawns:" https://blog.nwf.org/2024/04/why-we-have-lawns/

* "This Interactive Map Shows You Where Your Food Comes From:" https://www.mentalfloss.com/interactive-map-shows-where-food-comes-from

* "From Daikin to Samsung, companies fight Modi over e-waste policy:" https://www.reuters.com/world/india/daikin-samsung-companies-fight-modi-over-e-waste-policy-2025-04-11/

* "Bubble Trouble: An AI bubble threatens Silicon Valley, and all of us.:" https://prospect.org/power/2025-03-25-bubble-trouble-ai-threat/

* "That groan you hear is users’ reaction to Recall going back into Windows:" https://arstechnica.com/security/2025/04/microsoft-is-putting-privacy-endangering-recall-back-into-windows-11/

* "T-Mobile Shows Users the Names, Pictures, and Exact Locations of Random Children:" https://www.404media.co/t-mobile-shows-users-the-names-pictures-and-exact-locations-of-random-children/

* "Tesla accused of using sneaky tactic to dodge car repairs:" https://www.thestreet.com/automotive/tesla-accused-of-using-sneaky-tactic-to-dodge-car-repairs

* "Mark Zuckerberg personally lost the Facebook antitrust case:" https://pluralistic.net/2025/04/18/chatty-zucky/

* "Things to post about on Dreamwidth:" https://soc-puppet.dreamwidth.org/933696.html

* "The Animals That Exist Between Life and Death :" https://nautil.us/the-animals-that-exist-between-life-and-death-1202592/

* "Scientists map part of a mouse’s brain that’s so complex it looks like a galaxy:" https://apnews.com/article/brain-map-neurons-alzheimers-autism-1a4e9db0a86c082e10da9c154546c592

* "Amazing ROV Footage of the First Confirmed Live Sighting of the Elusive Colossal Squid:" https://laughingsquid.com/colossal-squid-first-live-sighting/

* "A crow's math skills include geometry:" https://www.npr.org/2025/04/12/nx-s1-5359438/a-crows-math-skills-include-geometry

* "The horses and mules that moved mountains and hearts:" https://www.hcn.org/articles/the-horses-and-mules-that-moved-mountains-and-hearts/

* "This Warrior Was Buried in Ice Under a Bone Shield for 4,000 Years and His Face Was Just Reconstructed:" https://www.zmescience.com/science/news-science/this-warrior-was-buried-in-ice-under-a-bone-shield-for-4000-years-and-his-face-was-just-reconstructed/

* "50 Viking Sayings That Still Hit Hard Today:" https://www.medievalists.net/2025/04/50-viking-sayings/

* "Sheryl Lee Ralph Learns of Ancestors' Uncommon Love Story | Finding Your Roots:"

( Embed: )

* "Unearth the homoerotic art of Impressionist Gustave Caillebotte :" https://www.advocate.com/arts-entertainment/gustave-caillebottes-impressionist-queer#rebelltitem16

* "Two women have sent each other the same weathered birthday card for 81 years:" https://archive.ph/Uz9HD#selection-234.0-234.1

* "Pope Francis, first Latin American pontiff who ministered with a charming, humble style, dies at 88:" https://apnews.com/article/vatican-pope-francis-dead-01ca7d73c3c48d25fd1504ba076e2e2a

* "King of fruits:" https://worksinprogress.co/issue/king-of-fruits/

* Something has gone dramatically wrong with my bank account. I suspect paypal allowed a secret autowithdraw again at exactly the wrong time, which I will need to track down, as a bill I'd scheduled to pay with more than enough money in the account rather suddenly caused an overdraft. (I checked it wasn't Amazon prime randomly reactivating again, but it's a pain in the ass finding the right tab on paypal. I will do that next.) I had some cash I'd socked away at the beginning of the month in case I needed it for inspection cleaning. I put it back in in time to patch the hole, but when Insuarnce auto-withdraws hit, I am fucked. I think $70.00 would cover those plus fees.

Want to help? https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/Gwydion

* I've been behind on Tumblr scheduling since… I think Nov. 3rd 2023. On 4/20/25, I finally caught up. Guess my new system is working. O.o

I think I've finally got the workflow on computer stuff mostly settled. Finally.

I am really struggling with pain right now. Part of it is the new physio I've been working since the last visit to the ostio, part of it is the randomness of the spring weather, part of it? Who knows.

The Cats are definitively into their Spring migration pattern around the house, which means Livia is ascendant on bed pets and Tavy is mostly living in the living room. Mostly.

* ""ER" Sues "The Pitt":"

( Embed: )

* "The Hidden Meanings in Nature Art: Crash Course Art History #9:"

( Embed: )

* "How Communities Make Art: Crash Course Art History #10:"

( Embed: )

* "Bodies in Art: Crash Course Art History #11:"

( Embed: )

* "Senator Shenanigans:" https://www.youtube.com/shorts/0sPH8N0-4w4

* "Obnoxious Octavian:" https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Kqi8Zl4rySE

* "Goofy Gladiators:" https://www.youtube.com/shorts/SzaQlQabIsw

* "The Anxious Anarchy:" https://www.youtube.com/shorts/_cExqCxVi90

* "Crazy Crusaders:" https://www.youtube.com/shorts/PZuDndcB750

* "Knaverous Knights:" https://www.youtube.com/shorts/yE9u-SwW50A

* "Music Mayhem:" https://www.youtube.com/shorts/17mjE0alOV4

*****
* Full list of Resistance and charity links has been migrated to my profile as it was getting out of hand.

The help links are at the bottom under the cut.

* "United States Disappeared Tracker:" https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/danielleharlow/viz/UnitedStatesDisappearedTracker/Map

* "Nationwide Economic Blackout: Boycott Dates for Target, Amazon, Others:" https://www.newsweek.com/nationwide-economic-blackout-boycott-dates-target-amazon-others-2037986

* "Introducing Rise Up: Federal Workers Legal Defense Network:" https://aflcio.org/2025/4/16/introducing-rise-federal-workers-legal-defense-network

( More Links Underneath: )

siderea

There's been a lot of really great public addresses of various kinds on the occasion of the 250th anniversary of the Battles of Lexington and Concord. I thought I'd share a few.

1.

Here's one that is quite worth your time. Historian Heather Cox Richardson gave a talk on the 18th of April in the Old North Church – the very building where the two lanterns of legend were hung. It's an absolutely fantastic account of the events leading up to April 19, 1775 – a marvel of concision, coherence, and clarity – that I think helps really see them anew.

You can read it at her blog if you prefer, but I strongly recommend listening to her tell you this story in her voice, standing on the site.

2025 April 18: Heather Cox Richardson [YT]: Heather Cox Richardson Speech - 250 Year Lantern Anniversary - Old North Church (28 minutes):

Watch on YouTube

( More within )

rydra_wong

Rebellion is growing among Labour MPs, so if you have a Labour MP, now is a VERY good and important time to write to them to protest the proposed PIP and other cuts:

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/apr/20/the-whole-policy-is-wrong-rebellion-among-labour-mps-grows-over-5bn-benefits-cut

(If you have a non-Labour MP, hassle them too and see if they can be persuaded to do something vaguely useful.)

conuly

And what if I had simply passed you by,
your false skins gathering light in a basket,
those skins of unpolished copper,
would you have lived more greatly?

Now you are free of that metallic coating,
a broken hull of parchment,
the dried petals of a lily—
those who have not loved you
will not know differently.

But you are green fading into yellow—
how deceptive you have been.

Once I played the cithara,
fingers chafing against each note.
Once I worked the loom,
cast the shuttle through the warp.
Once I scrubbed the tiles
deep in the tub of Alejandro.
Now I try to deciper you.

Beyond the village, within a cloud
of wild cacao and tamarind,
they chant your tale, how you,
most common of your kind,
make the great warrior-men cry
but a woman can unravel you.

****

Link

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Laconia

November 2020

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22	23	24	25	26	27	28
29	30

Page Summary

shadowkat - Fandom Bits and Pieces...among other things
musesfool - in some solitary midnight Starbucks Golgotha
shadowkat - Good News from Earth Day...among other things..
rydra_wong - If anyone could use a morale boost
james_davis_nicoll - Five SFF Works About Unlikely Global Superpowers
james_davis_nicoll - Foxfire, Esq. by Noa (October)
andrewducker - Interesting Links for 22-04-2025
sonia - Mutual aid, living alone edition
musesfool - this picnic is no picnic
cosmolinguist - Dictionary words
conuly - I did the second most terrifying thing
rachelmanija - Face the Dragon, by Joyce Sweeney
james_davis_nicoll - Bundle of Holding: Coyote & Crow
andrewducker - Photo cross-post
james_davis_nicoll - Clarke Award Finalists 1994
gwydion - 4/20/25 - 4/21/25 Catch Up Edition
andrewducker - Interesting Links for 21-04-2025
siderea - Reflections on a Revolution [Ω, hist, pols, curr ev, MA]
rydra_wong - UK people: disability benefit cuts
conuly - Ode to a Yellow Onion by C. Dale Young

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