clouditchi | Reading

My kitchen sink was backing up all weekend so I had to ask them to fix it today. They haven't shown up yet. This time around I actually told them it was OK if they went in while I was out because I want to get together with L. today and if they're not available I think I may go to the library.

Current Music: CSNY

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Dre

Description:
It's one part dream.
One part disaster.
And absolutely 100% fandom.
It's Your OTPs/Fandoms combined with our chaos.

Schedule: From now until October 12, 2025 when our first challenges closes.

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If you're anything like us, you'll no doubt have a mountain of books that you just never get around to reading. Well, that's where

thestoryinside comes in - have someone choose your book for you!

The process is simple: join the community, and each month sign up to be partnered with a buddy, who will then choose a book from your 'to read' list. At the end of each month there will be a community post to discuss your thoughts on the book(s) you read!

However, we're putting a twist on the traditional 'pick for me' routine and each month we'll vote on what genre of book we'll be reading; now, of course this is open to personal interpretation, for example, if the genre is horror and you're not a big fan, you could go for a Goosebumps book, or even Twilight. There will be an opportunity in each voting post to ask any questions you might have.

ysabetwordsmith

china_shop has posted "Writing meta: What Middles Are For." It's an excellent essay about story structure.

Current Mood: busy

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https://www.merriam-webster.com/word-of-the-day/ostentatious-2025-08-18

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 18, 2025 is:

ostentatious • \ah-stun-TAY-shus\ • adjective

Ostentatious describes someone or something that displays wealth, knowledge, power, etc., in a way that is meant to attract attention, admiration, or envy. Things that are ostentatious tend to stand out as overly elaborate or conspicuous.

// The resort town is famous for its extravagantly expensive summer homes, which some tourists view as impressive and others as merely ostentatious.

See the entry >

Examples:

"Valentino presented a dizzying display at Paris haute couture week, fusing the past and present in theatrical, ostentatious designs." — Lara Owen, The Independent (United Kingdom), 29 Jan. 2025

Did you know?

Both ostentatious and the related noun ostentation can be traced to the Latin verb ostentāre, meaning "to display," and the idea of display persists in the English word’s current use: people and things described as ostentatious seem to be practically begging to be looked at. Ostentatious is often applied to objects and buildings that can also be described as luxurious—flashy jewelry, mansions, edifices with marble columns. Someone with an ostentatious lifestyle spends money in a way that makes it obvious that they have a lot of it. When used in negative constructions—"the house is large but not ostentatious"—the implication is that display isn’t the point.

https://www.merriam-webster.com/word-of-the-day/ostentatious-2025-08-18

ysabetwordsmith

beepbird has written "For the Many," a book about plurality / multiplicity. It is available at this post with links to download PDF or EPUB formats.

I know I have a bunch of plural people in my audience, and I write about some plural characters such as Damask in Polychrome Heroics or Bruce-and-Hulk in Love Is For Children (The Avengers), so I'm always watching for good resources on this topic. Go read the book. It is very clearly written and includes many practical descriptions of how to achieve healthy multiplicity. Many of the suggestions are good people skills for living in other communal contexts too. It's good to read if you have plural friends, so you don't hurt them, because society affords them little or no protection. If you want to know how to do something, listen to someone who's been doing it a while -- not an "expert" who has never done it.

Current Mood: impressed

ysabetwordsmith

How to not build the Torment Nexus

This week’s question comes to us from Will Hopkins:
When your job and healthcare depends on building the Torment Nexus, but you actually learned the lesson from the popular book Don't Build the Torment Nexus, how do you keep your soul intact and try to put less torment into the world?

I would add: when your survival requires a job, and most jobs involve building some form of Torment Nexus, be aware that your society is in the toilet, circling the drain. And it's not an accident for people to feel outright trapped in truly heinous jobs. That's what homeless people are for: so the boss can say, "Quit dragging your feet and build the goddamn Torment Nexus! Or do you want to be homeless?"

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

Small Changes With Big Impacts in Dallas

On April 23, the Dallas City Council did something worth paying attention to.
They voted unanimously to approve a change to the city’s building code that allows up to eight dwelling units in three-story buildings under a modified version of the International Residential Code (IRC).

Multiplexes and small apartment buildings belong to the "missing middle" of affordable housing. They mix well with freestanding homes, particularly if you put them on the larger corner lots of a block. Imagine a block of mostly 2-3 bedroom houses with the corners holding a couple of small apartment buildings or multiplexes and a couple of bigger 4+ bedroom houses that could be for large families, sharehouses, boarding houses, etc. And some of those single-family homes could also have a garage apartment or a home business on the porch or garage. Such blocks exist in many of the towns near me, and they are awesome.

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

Famous actor Terence Stamp has passed away. He was best known for his role in two Superman movies ("Kneel before Zod!") but performed in many other roles as well.

Carry on the Work:

Acting -- how to articles from wikiHow

The Creative Writer's Ultimate Guide to Science Fantasy

How to Study Voice Acting: A Step-by-Step Guide

Current Mood: pensive

ysabetwordsmith

Unprecedented climate shocks are changing the Great Lakes forever

Heat waves and cold spells are now more common on the Great Lakes, according to U-M research, with implications for the region's weather, economy and ecology.
Extreme heat waves and cold spells on the Great Lakes have more than doubled since the late 1990s, coinciding with a major El Niño event. Using advanced ocean-style modeling adapted for the lakes, researchers traced temperature trends back to 1940, revealing alarming potential impacts on billion-dollar fishing industries, fragile ecosystems, and drinking water quality.

Current Mood: busy

immortalje posting in

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Today's prompt is: feet

• You have 2 days time to submit an icon for this prompt (in other words, until prompt 2580 gets posted)!
• Prompt 2576 has been closed.
• If you have any questions regarding the prompt, feel free to ask in a comment.
• To submit an icon you simply reply to this post with the following information:
Icon:
Claim: (only necessary if it's a specific claim)
Status: (e.g. #1/10 - number of icon completed/table size)

Pre-formatted

ysabetwordsmith

Today is partly sunny and sweltering.

I fed the birds. I've seen a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches.

I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 8/17/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

EDIT 8/17/25 -- I did more work around the patio.

EDIT 8/17/25 -- I watered the patio plants and the old picnic table garden.

I picked 4 goldenberries.

I've seen a male cardinal.

EDIT 8/17/25 -- I watered the new picnic table garden.

I picked 2 red cherry tomatoes.

.

Current Mood: busy

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ysabetwordsmith

China firm plans world’s first pregnancy humanoid robot using artificial womb

The innovation uses artificial amniotic fluid and nutrient delivery via hose, replicating natural gestation, now to be integrated into humanoid robots.

( Read more... )

Current Mood: busy

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Hello to all members, passers-by, curious onlookers, and shy lurkers, and welcome to our regular daily check-in post. Just leave a comment below to let us know how your current projects are progressing, or even if they're not.

Checking in is NOT compulsory, check in as often or as seldom as you want, this community isn't about pressure it's about encouragement, motivation, and support. Crafting is meant to be fun, and what's more fun than sharing achievements and seeing the wonderful things everyone else is creating?

There may also occasionally be questions, but again you don't have to answer them, they're just a way of getting to know each other a bit better.

This Week's Question: Share your favourite crafting tip, if you have one.

If anyone has any questions of their own about the community, or suggestions for tags, questions to be asked on the check-in posts, or if anyone is interested in playing check-in host for a week here on the community, which would entail putting up the daily check-in posts and responding to comments, go to the Questions & Suggestions post and leave a comment.

I now declare this Check-In OPEN!

Current Mood: tired
Current Location: my desk

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clouditchi

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Musings

Reading

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Disney_20in20 • Round 12

Tvmovie20in20 • Round 19

Dreams and Mayhem: Hodge Podge!!!

Dreams and Mayhem: Hodge Podge

Multifandom: Fic In A Box Nominations Sign Ups Open

thestoryinside

Multifandom: First And Last - An Alpha/Omegaverse Exchange 2025/2026

Writing

ostentatious

Read "For the Many" by Beepbird

How to not build the Torment Nexus

Affordable Housing

Moment of Silence: Terence Stamp

Climate Change

Prompt 2578: Feet

Today's prompt is: feet

Birdfeeding

Multifandom: Jump Scare

Robotics

Check-In Post - Aug 17th 2025

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May 2025

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