Sustainability
Oct. 29th, 2025 07:59 pmGifts That Do Good: Ethical Subscriptions That Give Back
If you’re wondering how to make the most of your holiday giving, consider giving a subscription to one of the many options Good Good Good has sourced below.
We’ve rounded up some of the most ethical and sustainable subscriptions on the Internet. In addition to being a great gift, you’re also supporting companies that do good.
If you’re wondering how to make the most of your holiday giving, consider giving a subscription to one of the many options Good Good Good has sourced below.
We’ve rounded up some of the most ethical and sustainable subscriptions on the Internet. In addition to being a great gift, you’re also supporting companies that do good.
Birdfeeding
Oct. 29th, 2025 04:34 pmToday is cloudy, chilly, windy, and wet. It rained off and on yesterday, then drizzled earlier today.
I fed the birds. I've seen a few sparrows and house finches.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 10/29/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
EDIT 10/29/25 -- I did more work around the patio.
I am done for the night.
I fed the birds. I've seen a few sparrows and house finches.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 10/29/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
EDIT 10/29/25 -- I did more work around the patio.
I am done for the night.
Good News
Oct. 29th, 2025 01:07 amGood news includes all the things which make us happy or otherwise feel good. It can be personal or public. We never know when something wonderful will happen, and when it does, most people want to share it with someone. It's disappointing when nobody is there to appreciate it. Happily, blogging allows us to share our joys and pat each other on the back.
What good news have you had recently? Are you anticipating any more? Have you found a cute picture or a video that makes you smile? Is there anything your online friends could do to make your life a little happier?
What good news have you had recently? Are you anticipating any more? Have you found a cute picture or a video that makes you smile? Is there anything your online friends could do to make your life a little happier?
Poetry Fishbowl Report for October 7, 2025
Oct. 29th, 2025 12:05 amOur theme this time was "Witches and Wizards." I wrote from 1 PM to 4:30 AM, so about 13 hours 30 minutes, accounting for breaks. I wrote 8 poems on Tuesday plus 2 later in the week.
Participation was up, with 11 comments on LiveJournal and another 28 on Dreamwidth. A total of 12 people sent prompts.
Read Some Poetry!
The following poems from the October 7, 2025 Poetry Fishbowl have been posted:
"The Disappointing Daughter"
"The Unretired Witch"
"What Wizardry Is All About"
"New and Innovative Approaches"
Buy some poetry!
If you plan to sponsor some poetry but haven't made up your mind yet, see the unsold poetry list from October 7. That includes the title, length, price, and the original thumbnail description for the poems still available.
This month's donors include:
janetmiles and Anthony Barrette. All sponsored poems from this fishbowl have been posted. There is 1 tally toward a bonus fishbowl.
The Poetry Fishbowl has a landing page.
Participation was up, with 11 comments on LiveJournal and another 28 on Dreamwidth. A total of 12 people sent prompts.
Read Some Poetry!
The following poems from the October 7, 2025 Poetry Fishbowl have been posted:
"The Disappointing Daughter"
"The Unretired Witch"
"What Wizardry Is All About"
"New and Innovative Approaches"
Buy some poetry!
If you plan to sponsor some poetry but haven't made up your mind yet, see the unsold poetry list from October 7. That includes the title, length, price, and the original thumbnail description for the poems still available.
This month's donors include:
The Poetry Fishbowl has a landing page.
Fungi
Oct. 28th, 2025 08:46 pmBefore plants or animals, fungi conquered Earth’s surface
Fungi were Earth’s first ecosystem engineers, thriving long before plants ever took root.
Fungi’s evolutionary roots stretch far deeper than once believed — up to 1.4 billion years ago, long before plants or animals appeared. Using advanced molecular dating and gene transfer analysis, researchers reconstructed fungi’s ancient lineage, revealing they were crucial in shaping Earth’s first soils and ecosystems.
Fungi were Earth’s first ecosystem engineers, thriving long before plants ever took root.
Fungi’s evolutionary roots stretch far deeper than once believed — up to 1.4 billion years ago, long before plants or animals appeared. Using advanced molecular dating and gene transfer analysis, researchers reconstructed fungi’s ancient lineage, revealing they were crucial in shaping Earth’s first soils and ecosystems.
Birdfeeding
Oct. 28th, 2025 12:19 pmToday is cloudy and cool.
I haven't fed the birds yet, but we heard a great horned owl hoo-hooing out in our yard! :D That's awesome. I don't think we've had one since a few years back when an owl and several crows fought over the yard for the whole summer.
EDIT 10/28/25 -- I fed the birds. I've seen a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches, possibly goldfinches.
I put out water for the birds.
It's spitting rain.
I haven't fed the birds yet, but we heard a great horned owl hoo-hooing out in our yard! :D That's awesome. I don't think we've had one since a few years back when an owl and several crows fought over the yard for the whole summer.
EDIT 10/28/25 -- I fed the birds. I've seen a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches, possibly goldfinches.
I put out water for the birds.
It's spitting rain.
Crafts
Oct. 28th, 2025 12:05 pmUnraveling the Drama Between Hank Green and the Knitting Community
Hank Green has been a knotty boy. One of the latest episodes of his YouTube show, SciShow, is all about knitting and how science is elevating the lowly craft to a place of actual importance. You know who finds that take distasteful? Knitters.
( Read more... )
Hank Green has been a knotty boy. One of the latest episodes of his YouTube show, SciShow, is all about knitting and how science is elevating the lowly craft to a place of actual importance. You know who finds that take distasteful? Knitters.
( Read more... )
Science
Oct. 28th, 2025 01:34 amHidden 5-mile wide asteroid crater beneath the Atlantic revealed in stunning 3D
A massive crater hidden beneath the Atlantic seafloor has been confirmed as the result of an asteroid strike from 66 million years ago. The new 3D seismic data reveals astonishing details about the violent minutes following impact—towering tsunamis, liquefied rock, and shifting seabeds. Researchers call it a once-in-a-lifetime look at how oceanic impacts unfold.
A massive crater hidden beneath the Atlantic seafloor has been confirmed as the result of an asteroid strike from 66 million years ago. The new 3D seismic data reveals astonishing details about the violent minutes following impact—towering tsunamis, liquefied rock, and shifting seabeds. Researchers call it a once-in-a-lifetime look at how oceanic impacts unfold.
Poetry Fishbowl on Tuesday, November 4, 2025
Oct. 28th, 2025 01:10 amThis is an advance announcement for the Tuesday, November 4, 2025 Poetry Fishbowl. This time the theme will be "Fairies and Fey." I'll be soliciting ideas for fairies, seelie or unseelie sidhe, the Wild Hunt, elves, other types of fey, Radical Faeries, other queers, tricksters, contraries, rebels, adventurers, mentors, historians, explorers, magic users, partners, teachers, leaders, dark lords, superheroes, supervillains, teammates, fantasy species, activists, other unusual fantasy folk, doing magic, doing things backwards, causing mischief, breaking rules, caring for the land, exploring new territory, meeting new species, upsetting predictions, twisting tropes, flipping stereotypes, expecting the unexpected, teaching, adventuring, leaving your comfort zone, discovering things, adapting, improvising, troubleshooting, cleaning up messes, cooperating, taking over in an emergency, saving the day, discovering yourself, studying others, testing boundaries, coming of age, coming out, running away from home, going off the rails, subverting fate, learning what you can (and can't) do, sharing, preparing for the worst, fixing what's broke, upsetting the status quo, changing the world, accomplishing the impossible, recovering from setbacks, returning home, other fantastic activities, Underhill, faery rings, the forest primeval, underwater, underground, liminal zones, castles, ruins, dungeons, dragon lairs, schools, kitchens, campfires, libraries, apothecary shops, supervillain lairs, makerspaces, nonhuman accommodations and adaptations, farmer's markets, magical lands, foreign dimensions, other phantasmagoric settings, faerie magic, unusual magical systems, magical artifacts, enchanted musical instruments or weapons, quests, time periods other than medieval, governments other than monarchy, dragons, unicorns, enchantments, potions, reversals, contradictions, conundrums, puzzling discoveries, sudden surprises, fey time distortions, time travel, travel mishaps, the buck stops here, trial and error, polarity, weird food, secret ingredients, supplements that turn out to be metagenic, intercultural entanglements, asking for help and getting it, enemies to friends/lovers, interdimensional travel, superpower manifestation, the end of where your framework actually applies, ethics, innovation, problems that can't be solved by hitting, teamwork, found family, complementary strengths and weaknesses, personal growth, and poetic forms in particular.
Among my more relevant series for the main theme:
The Adventures of Aldornia and Zenobia is about live happy lesbians in a quirky fantasy world.
Clay of Life is Jewish fantasy about a blacksmith and a golem.
Dragonsilk is about trauma and recovery.
Hart's Farm is a free love community with a few really exotic characters.
Monster House is suburban fantasy with a diverse household, where the line between truth and fantasy isn't always clear.
The Ocracies features all the political systems other than monarchy.
The Odd Trio is about a family consisting of a dwarf, an elf, and a human.
P.I.E. is urban fantasy about paranormal investigations,
Polychrome Heroics has ordinary humans, supernaries, blue-plate specials, superheroes, supervillains, primal and animal soups all trying to get along and figure out how to make a functional society. Eric the Elven King has interdimensional refugees. Officer Pink features centaurs and mystic shifters. Vybra of the Broken Angels specializes in fantasy sex and often dresses as a fairy.
Practical Magics is low fantasy with a prosaic focus.
Quixotic Ideas is contemporary fantasy where magic integrates with modern life in positive ways.
The Ursulan Cycle is genderbent King Arthur.
Or you can ask for something new.
Boost the signal to reveal a verse in any open linkback poem.
If you're interested, mark the date on your calendar, and please hold actual prompts until the "Poetry Fishbowl Open" post next week. (If you're not available that day, or you live in a time zone that makes it hard to reach me, you can leave advance prompts. I am now.) Meanwhile, if you want to help with promotion, please feel free to link back here or repost this on your blog.
( New to the fishbowl? Read all about it! )
Among my more relevant series for the main theme:
The Adventures of Aldornia and Zenobia is about live happy lesbians in a quirky fantasy world.
Clay of Life is Jewish fantasy about a blacksmith and a golem.
Dragonsilk is about trauma and recovery.
Hart's Farm is a free love community with a few really exotic characters.
Monster House is suburban fantasy with a diverse household, where the line between truth and fantasy isn't always clear.
The Ocracies features all the political systems other than monarchy.
The Odd Trio is about a family consisting of a dwarf, an elf, and a human.
P.I.E. is urban fantasy about paranormal investigations,
Polychrome Heroics has ordinary humans, supernaries, blue-plate specials, superheroes, supervillains, primal and animal soups all trying to get along and figure out how to make a functional society. Eric the Elven King has interdimensional refugees. Officer Pink features centaurs and mystic shifters. Vybra of the Broken Angels specializes in fantasy sex and often dresses as a fairy.
Practical Magics is low fantasy with a prosaic focus.
Quixotic Ideas is contemporary fantasy where magic integrates with modern life in positive ways.
The Ursulan Cycle is genderbent King Arthur.
Or you can ask for something new.
Boost the signal to reveal a verse in any open linkback poem.
If you're interested, mark the date on your calendar, and please hold actual prompts until the "Poetry Fishbowl Open" post next week. (If you're not available that day, or you live in a time zone that makes it hard to reach me, you can leave advance prompts. I am now.) Meanwhile, if you want to help with promotion, please feel free to link back here or repost this on your blog.
( New to the fishbowl? Read all about it! )
Poem: "The Clearest Signal"
Oct. 27th, 2025 09:42 pmThis poem came out of the October 2025
crowdfunding Creative Jam. It was inspired by prompts from
dialecticdreamer and
readera. It also fills the "Broken" square in my 10-1-25 card for the Fall Festival Bingo. This poem is posted in exchange for the City Engines stories that
dialecticdreamer has been posting about Frank the Crank and belongs to that thread in Polychrome Heroics.
( Read more... )
( Read more... )
Birdfeeding
Oct. 27th, 2025 01:17 pmToday is cloudy and cool.
I fed the birds. I've seen several sparrows and house finches, two goldfinches, and a male cardinal. :D
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 10/27/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
EDIT 10/27/25 -- I did more work around the patio.
I am done for the night.
I fed the birds. I've seen several sparrows and house finches, two goldfinches, and a male cardinal. :D
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 10/27/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
EDIT 10/27/25 -- I did more work around the patio.
I am done for the night.
Feathering the Nest
Oct. 27th, 2025 12:44 pmWorldbuilding
Oct. 27th, 2025 12:30 pmAlien Anthropology: Towns without Farms
Explore diverse Neotect cultures thriving without agriculture on the planet Tira 292b. This video examines nomadic and sedentary societies, showcasing unique adaptations to varied environments. Observe how these sapient beings navigate resource scarcity and seasonal changes.
This video not only does a great job of showing how Neotect aliens develop culturally, it uses examples from diverse human cultures and technologies. I have a suspicion that it was made by someone who, like me, learned history and social studies by getting kicked out of those classes for saying "The book is wrong." It is an unusually astute example of a creature that "thinks as well as a human, but not like a human," which is my favorite kind of alien. :D
I advise establishing a secure anchor before rappelling down into the rabbithole.
Explore diverse Neotect cultures thriving without agriculture on the planet Tira 292b. This video examines nomadic and sedentary societies, showcasing unique adaptations to varied environments. Observe how these sapient beings navigate resource scarcity and seasonal changes.
This video not only does a great job of showing how Neotect aliens develop culturally, it uses examples from diverse human cultures and technologies. I have a suspicion that it was made by someone who, like me, learned history and social studies by getting kicked out of those classes for saying "The book is wrong." It is an unusually astute example of a creature that "thinks as well as a human, but not like a human," which is my favorite kind of alien. :D
I advise establishing a secure anchor before rappelling down into the rabbithole.
Monday Update 10-27-25
Oct. 27th, 2025 02:41 amThese are some posts from the later part of last week in case you missed them:
Books
Birdfeeding
Moment of Silence: June Lockheart
Today's Adventures
Birdfeeding
Philosophical Questions: Privacy
Recipe: "Apple Pie Cookies"
Birdfeeding
Friday Five
Follow Friday 10-24-25: Jpop and Jrock
Affordable Housing
Activism
Advice
Birdfeeding
Today's Smoothie
Photography
Birdfeeding
Mad Science
Cuddle Party
Trauma has 31 comments. Affordable Housing has 55 comments. Robotics has 91 comments.
"An Inkling of Things to Come" belongs to Polychrome: Shiv and needs $191 to be complete. Maiara and Arthur discuss taking notes.
The weather is cool and fall-like now. It dribbled a bit on Saturday but didn't amount to much. Seen at the birdfeeders this week: a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches. I saw a downy woodpecker vigorously drilling insects from the dead stems of cup plants. Currently blooming: dandelions, marigolds, petunias, red salvia, verbena, lantana, sweet alyssum, zinnias, snapdragons, blue lobelia, perennial pinks, oxalis, moss rose, firecracker plant, tomatoes, morning glory, cypress vine, sedum, violas. Tomatoes, ball carrots, and groundcherries are ripe. Fields are about 3/4 harvested.
Books
Birdfeeding
Moment of Silence: June Lockheart
Today's Adventures
Birdfeeding
Philosophical Questions: Privacy
Recipe: "Apple Pie Cookies"
Birdfeeding
Friday Five
Follow Friday 10-24-25: Jpop and Jrock
Affordable Housing
Activism
Advice
Birdfeeding
Today's Smoothie
Photography
Birdfeeding
Mad Science
Cuddle Party
Trauma has 31 comments. Affordable Housing has 55 comments. Robotics has 91 comments.
"An Inkling of Things to Come" belongs to Polychrome: Shiv and needs $191 to be complete. Maiara and Arthur discuss taking notes.
The weather is cool and fall-like now. It dribbled a bit on Saturday but didn't amount to much. Seen at the birdfeeders this week: a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches. I saw a downy woodpecker vigorously drilling insects from the dead stems of cup plants. Currently blooming: dandelions, marigolds, petunias, red salvia, verbena, lantana, sweet alyssum, zinnias, snapdragons, blue lobelia, perennial pinks, oxalis, moss rose, firecracker plant, tomatoes, morning glory, cypress vine, sedum, violas. Tomatoes, ball carrots, and groundcherries are ripe. Fields are about 3/4 harvested.