[personal profile] cosmolinguist

I had a fun time tonight watching D play a very silly round of Hardspace: Shipbreaker, which then got surprisingly stressful and harrowing for a game about taking spaceships apart, and then had an eventful and actually sweet cutscene.

(no subject)

Sunday, 15 June 2025 17:33
maju: Clean my kitchen (Default)
[personal profile] maju
We've had a dramatic cool change; the temperature today didn't even reach 70F/21C, and I had to wear both a long sleeved shirt and socks to keep warm. This is not normal weather for June.

I usually like to go for a longish walk or run on Sunday mornings, making the most of the nearby road that's closed to vehicles on the weekends, but it was raining when I was about to leave the house this morning so I changed my mind and used the exercise bike instead.

Other than that burst of exercise it's been a fairly lazy day. I sorted out one more box of books to be donated, and reorganised some of the ones I want to keep so they don't get given away by mistake. I've got a small collection of Judi Dench movies and I'm working my way through watching them again so I can donate them too. Yesterday I watched Philomena and today I watched The Last of the Blonde Bombshells. Philomena was very good but I might not have watched Blonde Bombshells if Judi Dench wasn't the star.
wickedlittletown: (Springtrapsunflower)
[personal profile] wickedlittletown posting in [community profile] fandomweekly
Theme Prompt: #262 - Soulmates
Title: A Change In A New World
Fandom: Original (based on 'Trucks' by Stephen King)
Rating/Warnings: PG | Mechanophilia
Bonus: Yes
Word Count: 699
Summary: Can man and machine be friends ?

click here to read )

[#262] NEVER TEAR US APART (TORCHWOOD)

Sunday, 15 June 2025 15:53
m_findlow: (Jack sad)
[personal profile] m_findlow posting in [community profile] fandomweekly
Theme Prompt: #262 - Soulmates
Title: Never tear us apart
Fandom: Torchwood
Rating/Warnings: PG
Bonus: Yes
Word Count: 1,000 words
Summary: Ianto was beginning to think that Jack was gone forever.

Read more... )

[#262] Forever And Always (FAKE)

Saturday, 14 June 2025 18:37
badly_knitted: (BSP 5 - Dee & Ryo)
[personal profile] badly_knitted posting in [community profile] fandomweekly


Theme Prompt: #262 – Soulmates
Title: Forever And Always
Fandom: FAKE
Rating/Warnings: PG
Bonus: Yes
Word Count: 681
Summary: It may not have been love at first sight, but something had pulled Dee and Ryo irresistibly together.




(no subject)

Saturday, 14 June 2025 13:34
maju: Clean my kitchen (Default)
[personal profile] maju
We normally have large item pick-up four times a year, once every three months, and it's normally advertised on the town email list. So far this year we've had large item pick-up in January and April, so I was expecting the next one to be in July and I've been collecting things to put out for collection when the time comes. So I was very surprised and disappointed when the truck came around this morning and I missed it. I hadn't seen any piles of stuff out on verges during my daily walks, so I suspect other people were surprised as well. After the truck had passed I checked the town website and found that large item pick-up was scheduled for today (so why weren't we informed ahead of time?) and the next one won't be until October, four months away. I'm guessing the company wants to take a break in the summer? Maybe? Anyway, that was my first annoyance for the day.

The second was that my gas bill arrived, but unlike previous bills, I was unable to pay it online. The company has revamped its website and says it has improved security features, so I guess letting someone pay their bill without logging in (which I've been doing for the last six months or so) was considered a security risk. I got the frustrating message "This account has been flagged for cash only payments" meaning I would have to go to CVS or 7-Eleven or Walmart or one of several other places that are set up to accept these payments. (I emailed them a couple of weeks ago to complain about still having to pay cash after 6 months, and the reply was that after twelve months of on-time payments I would be able to pay online again. So about four more months to wait.)

The third annoyance was that when I went to 7-Eleven, cash in hand, to pay the gas bill, the cashier couldn't read the provided barcode and was unable to process my payment, even though I've paid there in the past. The poor girl was very apologetic and explained that she was new and couldn't work out how to do it (and nor could the two other people she asked for help). I went to CVS to try there, and at first the cashier there couldn't read the barcode either. This time I thought to try a new barcode instead of re-using a previous one (even though the company says you can keep reusing the same barcode as it's directly linked to your account), and this time it worked perfectly. I just wish I'd thought to try that in 7-Eleven so that poor cashier didn't think it was her fault.

Anyway, I went off to parkrun after the first two annoyances feeling very grumpy, and by the time I went to make the payment on my way home I was feeling a bit better. Then when the 7-Eleven cashier couldn't get the barcode to work I was starting to think I'd never be able to pay the bill and things would go from bad to worse, so it was a real relief to eventually be able to make the payment at CVS.

Screm at own ankle

Saturday, 14 June 2025 18:11
[personal profile] cosmolinguist

Ever since D's girlfriend broke her leg while roller skating last weekend, my ankle has been sore, something it hardly ever does any more and I've done nothing physical (like walk a lot) to cause it.

So I have tried yelling "Shut up, this is clearly psychosomatic! You're fine!" at it. Repeatedly.

Disappointingly, this doesn't seem to be working. (I didn't really expect it to. I'm just saying it woulda been nice if it did, is all!)

Naruto: Fest no Jutsu 2025

Friday, 13 June 2025 21:18
gerard_way_is_sexah: (Default)
[personal profile] gerard_way_is_sexah posting in [community profile] fandomcalendar
Description: Do you have a Naruto fanfiction you'd love to read, but just can't seem to find? A familiar trope, ship, or character you can't get enough of? A piece of fanart you want to see come to life? Are you a fan creator who wants fresh inspiration and a fun, low-stakes challenge? The r/NarutoFanfiction Discord server is hosting a fest/prompt meme for Naruto fanworks - and we would love for you to join! Naruto fans of all ages (13+) are welcome to cheerlead, submit ideas for fanworks they'd like to see, and create fanworks for others. Fic minimums for filling a prompt are 500 words and art minimums are a finished piece. 

Prompting Period: Now-June 20

Works due & revealed: September 10

Creators revealed: September 17

An AO3 account is required for participation, and joining the r/NarutoFanfiction Discord server is highly recommended. By joining the server, you can participate in conversations about the event, make suggestions for this and future server events, and contact the moderators directly. For full event rules and for more information on how a fest/prompt meme works, please check the AO3 collection profile. If you don't wish to join the server, but still wish to participate and ask questions about the event, you may e-mail gerardwayissexah@gmail.com as well.

Links: 
AO3 Collection Profile (signup and view submitted prompts)
Discord Server Join Link (never expires)

Naruto: NejiTen Month 2025

Friday, 13 June 2025 20:50
gerard_way_is_sexah: (Default)
[personal profile] gerard_way_is_sexah posting in [community profile] fandomcalendar
Description: NejiTen Month is a monthlong event for fans of the romantic pairing between Neji Hyuga/Hyuga Neji and Tenten. Fanart, fanfiction, moodboards, podfics, edits, and other kinds of fanworks are welcome! Prompts posted to Tumblr are just for inspiration - feel free to disregard, complete out of order, or combine however you please. There are no minimums for either the amount of effort put into a work, or the number of works you post for the event. It's all welcome! 
Schedule: Post works to Tumblr and/or Archive of Our Own (AO3) July 1-July 31st.
Posting: Tag works on Tumblr with #nejitenmonth2025 in the first five tags so the mod can reblog everything. Please tag on AO3 with NejiTen Month 2025 or something similar. The AO3 collection is also an option.
Links:
Tumblr Blog
Full Event Rules
AO3 Collection

NejiTen Month event calendar with prompts

(no subject)

Friday, 13 June 2025 15:12
maju: Clean my kitchen (Default)
[personal profile] maju
I was just coming back from an hour's walk early this morning, all sweaty and with my hair frizzing all over the place, when I met my across-the-cul de sac neighbour walking her dog. She told me I was looking amazing; I said I guessed it was the early morning humidity giving me a glow.

Today I've made a large batch of tomato sauce for pasta in the slow cooker, enough to last for almost two weeks if that's all I eat for dinners. If I have to cook, that's the way to do it as far as I'm concerned.

I'm expecting to have to turn on the a/c soon, but so far I've avoided it by using a fan when I start to feel a bit too warm. I've just now moved a couple of fans into strategic positions, ready for action. The nights are still relatively cool so I can cool the house somewhat by opening all the windows in the early morning. The time will come when that won't work because the nights will be too warm, but not yet.

The sudden warmer weather has also inspired me to finally pack away the last of my winter clothes and take out my summer ones. At the same time, I forced myself to separate out some clothes I've had for years (decades in some cases) and don't wear anymore, and put them into a bag to go to Goodwill. I figure that since it's still some months until I'll be moving, I can chip away very gradually at sorting and disposing of things.

I ordered and received a bundle of small sturdy packing boxes for books a couple of days ago and I've been filling one every day with books to go to Friends of the Library for donation. Even working on just one box a day is rather emotionally taxing, I'm finding. I'd rather not have to get rid of any of the books in the house except a very few that don't interest me at all, but I'm making myself dispose of others that, although I enjoyed them, I'm pretty sure I'll never get around to reading again.

Friday Storytime- Our Flag Means Death

Friday, 13 June 2025 11:00
kitarella_imagines: Profile photo (Default)
[personal profile] kitarella_imagines
Café Spriggs

Chapter 3: Lemon Drizzle Cake

The café they love so much.

~~~

When the coffee shop opened, it was quiet at first as Roach set his exotic cakes out along with the usual crowd-pleasing ones. In the left side of the cabinet, he always put a lemon drizzle, a Victoria sponge and different types of cupcakes for the boring customers, then on the right side, he displayed his experimental cakes for the braver customers. Today of course it was the chocolate beetroot one, which he’d topped with chocolate ganache and sliced, caramelised raspberries. And the avocado lime cheesecake which he’d topped with mango slices.

“Want to try them?” he asked Lucius proudly, cutting a thin slice of each.

“Okay then. But I don’t want to get fatter.” The waiter self-consciously patted his tummy.

“You aren’t fat, stop moaning. Here.”

Lucius chewed for a few moments. “The chocolate one…I didn’t think beetroot would work, but it’s pretty nice.”

Roach beamed. “What about the cheesecake?”

“Erm…it’s very…avocado-ey.”

“It’s meant to be!”

“Yes. Very…unique.”

“Good.” The baker bustled off to sort out the till. It needed careful handling, like all the machines in the café. But the till came first every day. He stood cautiously in front of it, pressing the buttons to start its morning routine, then it beeped and started whirring and clicking in a sinister manner.

Read more... )

Something fishy!

Thursday, 12 June 2025 22:18
[personal profile] cosmolinguist

Today for work, I saw someone spell fisticuffs as "fisty cuffs" and a) that is adorable and b) it also makes me realize what a strange word fisticuffs is!

So naturally I looked it up.

c. 1600, fisty cuffes, from fist (n.) + cuff (n.) "a blow", with the form perhaps in imitation of handiwork.

Well! That's such a boring etymology, but... nice to see the spelling returned to something more like the original!

I said this on fedi and a friend's response has been delighting me ever since:

I always misread it as fishticuffs, so always had an image in my head of some kind of betta fish boxing, complete with gloves over fins

That made me giggle. They're an artist so I asked if they would draw this some time. I am wondering how a fish gets boxing gloves on its fins...

365 Questions 2025

Thursday, 12 June 2025 11:47
maju: Clean my kitchen (Default)
[personal profile] maju
10. If today was the last day of your life, would you want to do what you are about to do today? I don't see why not, but I'd be extremely disappointed if I had to spend the day away from any of my family.

11. If today was the last day of your life, who would you call and what would you tell them? I would call my daughters and tell them I love them and I'm proud of them.

(I can't say I'm a fan of questions that start with "If today was the last day of your life…" It's too much of a reminder of how little time I've got left compared to how much I've already had.)

12. Who do you dream about? I don't normally dream about people, even people I know. although I have had a couple of dreams about S. Generally if people appear in my dreams they are strangers.

(no subject)

Thursday, 12 June 2025 11:34
maju: Clean my kitchen (Default)
[personal profile] maju
My morning started off well enough; I woke up a couple of minutes before my alarm and was able to go for a good walk just after 6 am, while it was still pleasantly cool outside. Things went slightly off the rails while I was getting my breakfast ready though. I'm not sure exactly how it happened (I think I turned around too quickly) but I knocked over my cup of tea just as I was about to spread marmalade on my toast, and the hot tea spilled right onto the front of my right thigh. Luckily the tea wasn't quite still at boiling temperature, but I hadn't yet added milk so it was quite hot. I stepped out of my wet shorts as quickly as I could and then got into the bath and ran cold water over the leg for a while before going back to the kitchen to deal with the mess.

I was eventually able to make myself another cup of tea and warm up my toast, but breakfast wasn't as enjoyable as it might have been. My leg was quite painful for a couple of hours but it's feeling much better now. The burns are still very red but there doesn't appear to be any blistering. I was afraid it would be much worse than this.

Accidents like this are one reason why I'm nervous about living alone. I'll be relieved to be closer to my daughter in due time.

AI

Thursday, 12 June 2025 10:55
catness: (gotcha)
[personal profile] catness
I came across a haunting fanfic (a short poem) that strongly implies (without saying it explicitly) that a certain fictional character was Jack the Ripper. I was curious if this allusion could be detected by an AI, and asked 3 of them (ChatGPT, Copilot and Gemini) to analyse the poem and note any hidden meanings. While their analysis was detailed and mostly on point, none of them guessed it! Moreover, even after I revealed the secret, Copilot asked if this interpretation could be intentional or accidental. Even though it is blindingly obvious to any reader who's into Jack the Ripper lore. (The other two agreed right away that it was brilliant and absolutely fitting.)

It's like what I had posted a while ago, about puns that AI can't understand. I wonder when they will be able to look deeper into the context and put all the clues together...?

On the positive side, with the help of Copilot's clarifying questions (it can never stop a conversation by itself, provoking the user to keep chatting ;) I came up with a satisfying ending/resolution of the story, and ChatGPT even wrote a couple of snippets for me. I guess it can be used to scratch an itch, if you can't find a fanfic you want to read... The problem is, you need to know exactly what to write, with all the twists... whenever I asked to write something from a vague prompt, the results were rather boring.

[#262 | Soulmates] Challenge Post

Wednesday, 11 June 2025 22:23
fanweeklymod: (Default)
[personal profile] fanweeklymod posting in [community profile] fandomweekly
Challenge 262:
SOULMATES
n. a close friend or romantic partner with whom one has a unique deep connection based on mutual understanding and acceptance

Soulmates – a myth, a once-in-a-lifetime experience, or something a little more supernatural? Maybe soulmates are just someone you have a special connection with; maybe they’re something mystical, something predestined for you one way or another, a kind of magic found in special marks or mind-links. Or maybe they don’t exist at all.

Do your characters believe in soulmates? Do they have one, or want one? Is it an option at all for them?

Write a story about soulmates.

BONUS GOAL: “Do you believe in love at first sight?”

If your submission features this line, it will earn an extra point to be tallied in voting!


Challenge ends Monday, June 16 at 9:00PM EST.
• Post submissions as new entries using the template in the profile
• Tag this week's entries as: [#] submission, 262 – soulmates
• If you have questions about this challenge, please ask them here