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duckprintspress) wrote2026-02-06 11:10 amSapphic Stories: an itch.io bundle!
February has ended up really active for itch.io bundles. I mentioned the Friendship-centered SFF stories bundle a few days ago, and the aromantic characters bundle I organized launches in 9 days. Here’s another: a Sapphic stories bundle!! This bundle includes 22 wlw stories by many authors and in many genres, including two of our e-books – Moongatherer by Willa Blythe (a novelette) and Many Drops Make a Stream by Adrian Harley (a novel).
Check out the whole Sapphic stories bundle here!
oursin) wrote2026-02-06 03:36 pmOdds and sods
Do I need to ask, guess the critic, given the headline on this review of the Gwen John exhibition: In a superb, mystical retrospective, the painter sheds social trappings – and her clothes – as she uses her enormous intelligence to paint purely. JJ, go and take a cold shower!
***
I am not sure that exorcism is quite what is needed in the case, unless he starts doing manifestations in galleries of writhing and speaking in occult tongues and so on: Demand for exorcisms rises as faithful want ‘deliverance from evil’. And in fact it all sounds rather low-key:
Even when an Anglican priest does perform an exorcism, they are nothing like Hollywood horror scenes with “shouting and screaming” and demonic drama.
They are “quiet and calm” affairs where a priest prays with a troubled person, usually after consultation with a psychiatrist and safeguarding experts.
One does feel that this is in the tradition of the C of E! Maybe with a nice cup of tea afterwards....
***
Knepp: Wilding from the Weald to the waves:
After inheriting the estate from his grandparents in 1983, Charles Burrell soon realised that large-scale farming was impossible on low-lying clay land. So, in 2002 he and his wife, author, and journalist Isabella Tree, embarked on what has become a pioneering rewilding project converting pasture into a patchwork of grasslands, scrub, groves, and towering oaks. Now home to storks, beavers, and nightingales, to name a few, Knepp’s ever-evolving experiment is open for all to enjoy.
Call me a cynical old bat, but I can't help feeling that this is in a Grand Old Longstanding Tradition of landowners doing whatever is The Latest Thing with the estate they inherited. And these days it is not either, tart it up like unto the gardens he saw on his Grand Tour in Italy, introducing various invasive species animal and vegetable, or, set up a funfair and safari park as a remunerative enterprise to enable him to pay off the crippling death duties the iron heel of Clem Attlee and Co has imposed, but to get acclaim for this absolutely on-trend thing to do with his land.
***
This is a different kind of heritage: Heritage Unlocked: Birmingham’s Unique Municipal Bank:
Birmingham Municipal Bank (1919-1976) was unique as the first and only local authority savings bank in England. Unlike other savings banks (such as the Trustee Savings Banks), customers could borrow money through the House Purchase Department to buy their home. Unlocking the Vaults, has been uncovering the Bank’s history and how it helped shape Birmingham’s story. The Exchange (opposite the Library of Birmingham) was once the head office for the Municipal Bank, and it lies at the heart of this project with many projects and events taking place in the historic Vaults.
Historic black and white photo of the Birmingham Municipal Bank, showcasing its grand architecture with tall columns and detailed facade.
....
A key finding of the project has been the significance of the Municipal Bank, not only as a financial institution but also as a cornerstone of community life, with local branches established on high streets across the city between the 1920s and 1970s.
***
The rise of ‘low contact’ family relationships - in fact, point is made in there that perhaps what there has been is a rise of is families being all up in one another's business because of Modern Technology and tracking devices, family group chats, the ability to know where family members are and what they are up to at all hours of the night and day.
Because I would not at all describe my own family as 'low contact', we just did not live in one another's pockets and need to be constantly informed and have opinions about each other's lives. Weekly phone-calls - occasional visits- etc etc.
I'm not surprised people feel smothered and overwhelmed when I read some of the shenanigans that families do but then, am introvert to start with.
turps) wrote2026-02-06 04:00 pm(no subject)
It's raining, cold and windy today. It's been cold and rainy and windy for what feels weeks now, and the week ahead forecast is rain, wind, and cold. Joy. I don't mind going out in the rain, but do protest at going out into sleety rain that's lashing against my face due to the wind. Roll on some spring sunshine.
As part of the weight management programme I get an email on a Friday summing up the talks for the previous weeks, a couple of recipes and saying what sessions will be held the upcoming week. I read the email earlier and the sessions for my class are cancelled again next week, which does make me worry that something has gone wrong for Rosie as this would be a month the classes have been cancelled.
I've been trying to organise a wider family meal for Corey's birthday next week, and am getting nowhere. People are either broke or at work or school, so getting everyone together on his actual birthday week is a no-go. At this point, I'll be surprised if I can arrange anything this month at all.
Nearly bath and book time. I'm reading The Inheritance by Ilona Andrews atm and enjoying it. I knew I would, as their writing always hits the spot for me.
Oh, talking of books. When we went to restock some stock at the Craft Shop, the bookshop opposite was open, and all the books are free! You're limited to 6 items a day, and how I walked out with nothing still amazes me. Also great, they take books as donations so I can donate a load of books that I've read already.
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halfamoon2026-02-06 12:57 pmDAY 5 - FIC - TWELVE KINGDOMS - NAKAJIMA YOUKO
Title: Sentence
Fandom: 12 Kingdoms | Juuni Kokki
Characters: Nakajima Youko; Rakushun
Rating: Gen
Summary: How could she properly judge the one in front of her for committing the same crimes she did? Youko reflects on her past, when she first arrived in this world.
Story in ao3
A ficlet for once since I tend to write too much hah. The women in this series are so good, each could have a day of her own.
bookscorpion) wrote in common_nature2026-02-06 03:51 pmCrow in the Snow
I took a bunch of really nice photos of the crow army today - with the light reflecting from the snow, the details of their feathers come out so beautifully. Look at how blue/purple the big feathers are, edged by black, compared to the dark black of the smaller head feathers.
This is the boldest of them. He stayed juuuust out of arm's reach but didn't mind me kneeling down and stretching my arm out at him. He miiiight be Mr Roadside Pair but I don't think so, I think he is smaller.,,,
larryhammer) wrote2026-02-06 08:43 am“life is very short and there’s no time / for fussing and fighting my friend”
This is mostly by temperament—they signal (though let me asterisk that * ) a laid-back temperament, which is both true and helps me through interactions with strangers. Mostly, as there’s also a practical component. I’ve mentioned this a couple times, but I come across IRL as taller than I do online: I’m 6'4" / 193cm. Finding men’s short-sleeve shirts that are long enough for my torso to stay tucked in is a challenge. (Paradoxically, it’s easier with long-sleeve shirts, as “long” sizes is a thing for those.) Aloha shirts, however, are designed to not be tucked in, and indeed look worse that way. Win!
But then there’s that asterisk: * I’m graying enough, both hair and goatee (which last I’ve been keeping for two years now), that I can sometimes be misidentified as a Boomer, and a Boomer in an aloha shirt signals a different temperament than a younger guy in one. I’m lean enough I don’t entirely lean into that stereotype, but still. I’m older Gen X and … touchy … about being mistaken for a Boomer.
The goatee is starting to annoy me in other ways, anyway, so maybe shaving it will help—it has the most white. Or I could, yanno, suck it up and deal. Be laid-back. Just like the shirts claim.
---L.
Subject quote from We Can Work It Out, The Beatles.
duckprintspress) wrote2026-02-06 10:10 amOur Favorite Queer Children’s Books
The first week of February is Children’s Authors and Illustrators Week! We pulled out nine of our favorite queer children’s books and middle grade books for the occasion. You can find more queer children’s and middle grade books on our Goodreads bookshelf and pagebound.co list! The contributors to the list are: Tryan A Bex, Nina Waters, E. C., and Puck.
M is for Mustache by Catherine Hernandez & Marisa Firebaugh
It’s Pride Day, and this big loving chosen family is ready to celebrate! See what they do to make their Pride Day special and so much fun–one letter at a time!
The Zero Dads Club by Aubrey Williams, Angel Adeyoha
It’s Father’s Day craft time in Akilah and Kai’s class, but they don’t have dads! So, they hatch a plan to create a special club. It’s for all the kids in their grade who don’t have a dad, but want to celebrate other family members instead. See what they make in The Zero Dads Club!
Is That For a Boy or a Girl? by S. Bear Bergman & Rachel Dougherty
Meet some awesome kids who have gotten pretty tired of being told that certain things are for girls and others just for boys. See how they mix and match everything they like to get what suits them best!
The Backstagers by James Tynion IV, Rian Sygh & Walter Baiamonte
All the world’s a stage . . . but what happens behind the curtain is pure magic—literally!
When Jory transfers to an all-boys private high school, he’s taken in by the only ones who don’t treat him like a new kid, the lowly stage crew known as the Backstagers. Not only does he gain great, lifetime friends, Jory is also introduced to an entire magical world that lives beyond the curtain. With the unpredictable twists and turns of the underground world, the Backstagers venture into the unknown, determined to put together the best play their high school has ever seen.
The Witch Boy by Lee Knox Ostertag
In thirteen-year-old Aster’s family, all the girls are raised to be witches, while boys grow up to be shapeshifters. Anyone who dares cross those lines is exiled. Unfortunately for Aster, he still hasn’t shifted . . . and he’s still fascinated by witchery, no matter how forbidden it might be.
When a mysterious danger threatens the other boys, Aster knows he can help — as a witch. It will take the encouragement of a new friend, the non-magical and non-conforming Charlie, to convince Aster to try practicing his skills. And it will require even more courage to save his family . . . and be truly himself.
The Moth Keeper by K. O’Neill
Anya is finally a Moth Keeper, the protector of the lunar moths that allow the Night-Lily flower to bloom once a year. Her village needs the flower to continue thriving and Anya is excited to prove her worth and show her thanks to her friends with her actions, but what happens when being a Moth Keeper isn’t exactly what Anya thought it would be?
The nights are cold in the desert and the lunar moths live far from the village. Anya finds herself isolated and lonely. Despite Anya’s dedication, she wonders what it would be like to live in the sun. Her thoughts turn into an obsession, and when Anya takes a chance to stay up during the day to feel the sun’s warmth, her village and the lunar moths are left to deal with the consequences.
Introducing Teddy: A Gentle Story about Gender and Friendship by Jessica Walton & Dougal MacPherson
Errol and his teddy, Thomas, are best friends who do everything together. Whether it’s riding a bike, playing in the tree house, having a tea party, or all of the above, every day holds something fun to do.
One sunny day, Errol finds that Thomas is sad, even when they are playing in their favorite ways. Errol can’t figure out why, until Thomas finally tells Errol what the teddy has been afraid to say: In my heart, I’ve always known that I’m a girl teddy, not a boy teddy. I wish my name was Tilly, not Thomas. And Errol says, I don’t care if you’re a girl teddy or a boy teddy What matters is that you are my friend.
Lumberjanes by ND Stevenson, Grace Ellis, Shannon Watters & Brooklyn Allen
Five best friends spending the summer at Lumberjane scout camp…defeating yetis, three-eyed wolves, and giant falcons…what’s not to love?
A Princess of Great Daring by Tobi Hill-Meyer & Elenore Toczynski
When Jamie is ready to tell people that she’s really a girl inside, she becomes a princess of great daring in a game she plays with her best friends to gather her courage. She’s pleased (but not surprised) that her questing friends turn out to be just as loyal and true as any princess could want.
See a book you just gotta have? You can browse these and other queer children’s books on our Bookshop.org list!
Join our Book Lover’s Discord server to chat books, fandom, and more!
wildeabandon) wrote2026-02-06 03:38 pmExam results.
The one that's bugging me is the Psalms though. I thought I understood the material well, and that I'd had some interesting and insightful things to say. I know that I got 18/20 in the paper that makes up half the mark, which means that I only got 15-16/20 in the exam. Hardly the end of the world, but it's the only one where I don't understand why I didn't do better. I've emailed the prof to ask for feedback, so with luck I'll get something useful. (ETA: Apparently marks get rounded down, not up - I got 8/10 and 9/10 in the two exam questions, and the 8 was because he had to prompt me a couple of times, and since at least one of those time he prompted me for the thing I was about to say anyway I am now feeling a lot less bothered by the overall mark.)
One result though which is positive in a sense is that my overall grade is now almost guaranteed. My average is currently 87%. The top grade boundary is an average of 90%, which had seemed in reach before these results, but would now require me to get 20/20 in all but one of my remaining courses (and 19/20 in that), which isn't really plausible. The grade boundary below is an average of 85%, and whilst the fact that there are just more numbers between 0 and 87 than between 87 and 100 means that there's more scope for my grade to be dragged down than up, I would have to do quite a bit worse than I have been for that to happen. Anyway, the sense that there's not a lot that I can do to change my overall grade means that I can concentrate more on learning for the sake of learning, which in the long term is almost certainly better than chasing grades.
sisterdivinium) wrote in halfamoon2026-02-06 12:07 pmDay 6: picspam, Bad Sisters - Bibi and Ursula
Fandom: Bad Sisters
Characters: Bibi Garvey and Ursula Garvey (Eva, Becka and Grace are also in many of the frames)
Rating: G
Notes: Image-heavy post.
Summary: A collection of Bibi and Urs' glances at one another throughout the show. They certainly do this quite a lot.
At Tumblr, my journal or simply below the cut :)
( Read more... )
james_davis_nicoll) wrote2026-02-06 10:02 am
prettygoodword) wrote2026-02-06 07:47 amarboricide
Or as the OED puts it, "the wanton destruction of trees." In memory of the large pine that, until yesterday, stood between our house and the neighbor's, shading us from the southwest. Its destruction was not wanton, however, as it like all too many pines in our neighborhood was dying (bark beetles). Coined in the 1890s from Latin roots arbor, tree + -cidium, killing (from caedere, to cut/kill).
---L.
andrewducker) wrote2026-02-06 02:45 pmA brief history of Peter Mandelson
Peter Mandelson accepted a £373,000 unsecured interest-free loan from businessman and fellow minister Geoffrey Robinson to buy a house. He did not declare this loan or inform Prime Minister Tony Blair about it, or his permanent secretary. As the story emerged, he gave false and misleading statements to the Commons Committee.
This led to his resignation as Trade and Industry Secretary.
2001: The Hinduja passports affair
Peter Mandelson, then a government minister with responsibility for the Millennium Dome, denied any personal involvement in supporting successful UK passport applications made by Srichand and Gopichand Hinduja, super-wealthy businessmen brothers, who had expressed an interest in contributing to the costs of the Dome after their initial passport applications had been refused.
Mandelson is revealed to have lied, and is forced to resign for misleading conduct.
2009-10: Epstein relationship
Peter Mandelson downplays and minimises his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein in ways that were shown to be false around 2019-20, when press investigations revealed that he had had multiple meetings with Epstein, had stayed at his home, and had been introduced by Epstein to major figures in global finance. This relationship was shown to have continued after Epstein’s conviction.
2024: Keir Starmer appoints Peter Mandelson as British Ambassador to the United States.
2026: Keir Starmer expresses shock and outrage that Peter Mandelson lied to him.
js_thrill) wrote2026-02-06 09:28 amThis Year 365 songs: January 5th & 6th
The first song is titled after the scene in a tragedy where the protagonist sees that they are stuck in a tragedy. The tone of the song certainly works with that reference. The second song is about Darnielle experiencing actual* cold weather as someone who had grown up chiefly in warmer, sunnier parts of California.
Both songs are nice, but I don't have much to say about either.
*Those of us familiar with winter in places other than Portland, Oregon, may question whether this really constituted "actual cold weather"
spiralsheep) wrote2026-02-06 02:30 pmIn which there are monstrous turnips (what, you want more than that?!)
"In 1849, through exchange, Higgins gave the Yorkshire Museum 'fossil fishes from Lyme Regis'. Annual Report of the Council of the Yorkshire Philosophical Society for 1849, 20 (as well as donating a 'Turnip presenting a singular monstrosity of form' to the botany collections)."
Monstrous turnip! :D
Reading: on book 21. If anyone wants me to post a monthly list of my 4/5 and 5/5 books then please apply in writing to the management &c.
Friday Five:
( Q1-4. )
5. What does it take to make you happy?
The chain of tiny everyday pleasures: cozy bed, daylight, hot drinks that are absolutely perfect in their moment, truly soft comfy old clothes, whatever the plants are doing this week (e.g. mistletoe spheres high in bare branches), my birb neighbours (get out of my chimney you jackdaw b@$t@rd5! Note to self - get capping pot replaced), my human neighbours acknowledging each other but not intruding when in our shared spaces, the bus queue chats, &c.
Ecstatic joy is a wonderful bonus but I don't need it.
rynling) wrote2026-02-06 08:57 amRe: A type of Tumblr discourse I actually appreciate
Night in the Woods is a really, really good example.
Also, a short graphic novel I recently read and very much appreciated is Where Black Stars Shine, which is a super fun reworking of "The King in Yellow," a nineteenth-century short story (famous in Lovecraft circles) about a play that induces madness in anyone who watches a performance or even reads the script.
I feel like, if you present an actually realistic depiction of schizophrenia, it can add an incredible layer of nuance (and poetic beauty) to the broader theme of "madness." In any case, it's always cool when people feel comfortable telling stories about their own experiences with the full range of artistic tools at their disposal.