![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
Magpie Monday
Sep. 15th, 2026 02:53 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysabetwordsmithdialecticdreamer is hosting Magpie Monday with a theme of "cleaning up afterward." Leave prompts, get ficlets!ysabetwordsmithdialecticdreamer is hosting Magpie Monday with a theme of "cleaning up afterward." Leave prompts, get ficlets!
Climate Change
Sep. 14th, 2026 10:52 pmysabetwordsmithGlobal warming is breaking a 400-year climate link between two oceans
The Indian and Pacific oceans have been climatically linked for centuries, but scientists say that connection is now breaking down in an exceptional way. Ancient climate records suggest volcanoes disrupted the relationship in the past, while today human-caused warming appears to be driving a much more unusual shift.
O_O The Indian Ocean drives the monsoon that India relies on for water. Disruptions in that would be bad.
The Indian and Pacific oceans have been climatically linked for centuries, but scientists say that connection is now breaking down in an exceptional way. Ancient climate records suggest volcanoes disrupted the relationship in the past, while today human-caused warming appears to be driving a much more unusual shift.
O_O The Indian Ocean drives the monsoon that India relies on for water. Disruptions in that would be bad.
Today's Cooking
Sep. 14th, 2026 05:00 pmysabetwordsmithToday I made watermelon salsa, approximately:
1/2 cup diced watermelon
1/2 cup diced cucumber
1/2 teaspoon minced ginger root
1 teaspoon minced fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon lime juice
1/2 cup diced watermelon
1/2 cup diced cucumber
1/2 teaspoon minced ginger root
1 teaspoon minced fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon lime juice
Birdfeeding
Sep. 14th, 2026 12:41 pmysabetwordsmithToday is sunny and mild.
I fed the birds. I've seen a few sparrows and house finches.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 9/14/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
I've seen a male cardinal.
EDIT 9/14/26 -- I checked for ripe sunflower seeds in the prairie garden, but they're not ready yet.
EDIT 9/14/26 -- I sprayed weeds in the prairie garden.
EDIT 9/14/26 -- I picked basil to make watermelon salsa.
EDIT 9/14/26 -- I watered the new picnic table garden, recently planted bulbs, patio plants, and old picnic table garden.
EDIT 9/14/26 -- I watered the telephone pole garden.
I've seen a gray catbird.
EDIT 9/14/26 -- I did more work around the patio.
Cicadas and crickets are singing.
As it is getting dark, 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 9/14/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
I've seen a male cardinal.
EDIT 9/14/26 -- I checked for ripe sunflower seeds in the prairie garden, but they're not ready yet.
EDIT 9/14/26 -- I sprayed weeds in the prairie garden.
EDIT 9/14/26 -- I picked basil to make watermelon salsa.
EDIT 9/14/26 -- I watered the new picnic table garden, recently planted bulbs, patio plants, and old picnic table garden.
EDIT 9/14/26 -- I watered the telephone pole garden.
I've seen a gray catbird.
EDIT 9/14/26 -- I did more work around the patio.
Cicadas and crickets are singing.
As it is getting dark, I am done for the night.
Fossils
Sep. 14th, 2026 01:44 amysabetwordsmithDinosaurs evolved very strange and unique strategies for digesting food and absorbing nutrients
A new study built entirely around these swallowed stones, called gastroliths, makes the case that dinosaurs never settled on a single way of digesting food. Some ground their meals inside a muscular stomach, the way a chicken still does. Some appear to have chewed everything to a pulp first, more like a cow. Others may have skipped the grinding altogether, relying instead on a long gut and patient fermentation to do the real work.
A new study built entirely around these swallowed stones, called gastroliths, makes the case that dinosaurs never settled on a single way of digesting food. Some ground their meals inside a muscular stomach, the way a chicken still does. Some appear to have chewed everything to a pulp first, more like a cow. Others may have skipped the grinding altogether, relying instead on a long gut and patient fermentation to do the real work.
Monday Update 9-14-26
Sep. 14th, 2026 12:30 amysabetwordsmithThese are some posts from the later part of last week in case you missed them:
Reading
Today's Adventures
Wildlife
Nature
Birdfeeding
Poem: "Spun Sugar Sky"
Poem: "The Single Biggest Boost"
Fossils
Birdfeeding
Philosophical Questions: Peace
Today's Cooking
Crafts
Friday Five
Nature
Science
Birdfeeding
Follow Friday 9-11-26: Opera
Pawpaw
Today's Adventures
Birdfeeding
Community Thursdays
Poem: "Cutting Butternut"
Water
Books
Today's Cooking
Birdfeeding
Good News
Philosophical Questions: Rights has 31 comments. "Vocabulary: Cobra Chickens" has 21 comments. Poem: "Confidence, Trust, Believing, Strength" has 34 comments. Energy has 30 comments. Food has 31 comments.
There will be a Bonus Fishbowl on Tuesday, September 14. Based on an audience poll, the featured series will be Coracle Shores.
"Save All the Pieces" belongs to The Big One and needs $74 to be complete. Kenneth and Stylet discuss what to do about the mangled hedgerow.
The weather has been hot. Seen at the birdfeeders this week: a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches plus a female cardinal. Cicadas and crickets are singing. Currently blooming: pansies, violas, sweet alyssum, marigolds, lantana, million bells, blue lobelia, petunias, portulaca, nemesia, fan flowers, firecracker plant, pineapple sage, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, garlic chives, purple echinacea, yellow coneflower, frost aster, cosmos, sunflowers, nasturtiums, zinnias, bachelor's button, cup plant, sunchokes, goldenrod. Ripe fruit: tomatoes, peppers.
Reading
Today's Adventures
Wildlife
Nature
Birdfeeding
Poem: "Spun Sugar Sky"
Poem: "The Single Biggest Boost"
Fossils
Birdfeeding
Philosophical Questions: Peace
Today's Cooking
Crafts
Friday Five
Nature
Science
Birdfeeding
Follow Friday 9-11-26: Opera
Pawpaw
Today's Adventures
Birdfeeding
Community Thursdays
Poem: "Cutting Butternut"
Water
Books
Today's Cooking
Birdfeeding
Good News
Philosophical Questions: Rights has 31 comments. "Vocabulary: Cobra Chickens" has 21 comments. Poem: "Confidence, Trust, Believing, Strength" has 34 comments. Energy has 30 comments. Food has 31 comments.
There will be a Bonus Fishbowl on Tuesday, September 14. Based on an audience poll, the featured series will be Coracle Shores.
"Save All the Pieces" belongs to The Big One and needs $74 to be complete. Kenneth and Stylet discuss what to do about the mangled hedgerow.
The weather has been hot. Seen at the birdfeeders this week: a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches plus a female cardinal. Cicadas and crickets are singing. Currently blooming: pansies, violas, sweet alyssum, marigolds, lantana, million bells, blue lobelia, petunias, portulaca, nemesia, fan flowers, firecracker plant, pineapple sage, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, garlic chives, purple echinacea, yellow coneflower, frost aster, cosmos, sunflowers, nasturtiums, zinnias, bachelor's button, cup plant, sunchokes, goldenrod. Ripe fruit: tomatoes, peppers.
Wildlife
Sep. 13th, 2026 08:42 pmysabetwordsmithGeckos repeatedly evolved new sex chromosomes, but not at random
The X and the Y look permanent. In humans, in mice and in nearly every mammal, the same pair decides sex, which makes it easy to read that arrangement as how sex works everywhere. Geckos don’t work that way. Their lineages have turned ordinary chromosomes into sex chromosomes again and again, using a different chromosome almost every time.
A new study of gecko genomes reports that the repeats weren’t scattered at random. They bunched together in time. And the kind a lineage ended up with, an XY like ours or the ZW system birds use, was not arbitrary. It matches what that chromosome was already doing before it had any role in sex.
This is interesting just as an example against sex determinism, but it's also extremely encouraging about reptiles' ability to adapt.
( Read more... )
The X and the Y look permanent. In humans, in mice and in nearly every mammal, the same pair decides sex, which makes it easy to read that arrangement as how sex works everywhere. Geckos don’t work that way. Their lineages have turned ordinary chromosomes into sex chromosomes again and again, using a different chromosome almost every time.
A new study of gecko genomes reports that the repeats weren’t scattered at random. They bunched together in time. And the kind a lineage ended up with, an XY like ours or the ZW system birds use, was not arbitrary. It matches what that chromosome was already doing before it had any role in sex.
This is interesting just as an example against sex determinism, but it's also extremely encouraging about reptiles' ability to adapt.
( Read more... )
Nature
Sep. 13th, 2026 07:35 pmysabetwordsmithPlants choose root bacteria based on what they can do rather than what species they belong to
Researchers discovered that while soil determines which bacterial species inhabit the root system, the host plant ultimately dictates how those microbes behave and function.
A rich microbiome lets plants choose the partners they need. A poor microbiome means needs may go unmet.
Researchers discovered that while soil determines which bacterial species inhabit the root system, the host plant ultimately dictates how those microbes behave and function.
A rich microbiome lets plants choose the partners they need. A poor microbiome means needs may go unmet.
Birdfeeding
Sep. 13th, 2026 05:55 pmysabetwordsmithToday is sunny and quite warm.
I fed the birds. I've seen a few sparrows and house finches.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 9/13/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
EDIT 9/13/25 -- I did more work around the patio.
EDIT 9/13/25 -- I did more work around the patio.
I watered the newly planted bulbs, the new picnic table, and the telephone pole garden.
As it is getting dark, 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 9/13/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
EDIT 9/13/25 -- I did more work around the patio.
EDIT 9/13/25 -- I did more work around the patio.
I watered the newly planted bulbs, the new picnic table, and the telephone pole garden.
As it is getting dark, I am done for the night.
Bonus Fishbowl
Sep. 13th, 2026 02:56 amysabetwordsmithThe September 1, 2026 Poetry Fishbowl met its $300 goal, so there will be a bonus fishbowl on Tuesday, September 15. Everyone is eligible to vote in this poll. I'll leave it open until Sunday night. If there's a clear answer then, I'll close it. Otherwise I may leave it open a little longer. Here are your options...
Coracle Shores is lifeboat fantasy, a type of portal fantasy. It features a version of Earth with dramatically worsening climate change. In this context, fairies have left lifeboats to help sensitive people make their way to other worlds.
Crystal Wood is science fiction about a virus that could make the wood turn transparent when the tree died. When it escaped from the laboratories, it got into pollen and swiftly traveled around the world on the wind. This killed most of the world's forests of wind-pollinated trees, devastating the ecosystem and then civilization.
Not Quite Kansas is dark fantasy. Raymond Ivener interrupts a ritual in progress, run not-very-well by Gideon Lane. As a result, the two of them tumble from their original world into one where angels and demons walk the Earth. It's not quite Kansas as they know it, a weird blend of familiar and alien aspects. With no way home, they have to cope with their new circumstances as best they can.
Coracle Shores is lifeboat fantasy, a type of portal fantasy. It features a version of Earth with dramatically worsening climate change. In this context, fairies have left lifeboats to help sensitive people make their way to other worlds.
Crystal Wood is science fiction about a virus that could make the wood turn transparent when the tree died. When it escaped from the laboratories, it got into pollen and swiftly traveled around the world on the wind. This killed most of the world's forests of wind-pollinated trees, devastating the ecosystem and then civilization.
Not Quite Kansas is dark fantasy. Raymond Ivener interrupts a ritual in progress, run not-very-well by Gideon Lane. As a result, the two of them tumble from their original world into one where angels and demons walk the Earth. It's not quite Kansas as they know it, a weird blend of familiar and alien aspects. With no way home, they have to cope with their new circumstances as best they can.
Poll #35069 Bonus Fishbowl Theme
This poll is closed.
Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 8
Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 8
Which of these themes do you want featured in the bonus fishbowl?
Poem: "Spun Sugar Sky"
Sep. 13th, 2026 01:57 amysabetwordsmithThis poem was written outside the regular prompt calls. It has been sponsored by Anthony Barrette.
"Spun Sugar Sky"
In the gas and dust
of the Milky Way,
there is sugar spun
like cotton candy
across the sky.
It is erythrulose,
found in raspberries
and suntan lotion.
It has been there
for a long time.
In the depths
of space, before
flowers ever bloomed,
the stars were already
dreaming of raspberries,
and before planets or
oceans ever were,
whispering of beaches
and sunscreen and
cotton candy at the fair.
( Read more... )
"Spun Sugar Sky"
In the gas and dust
of the Milky Way,
there is sugar spun
like cotton candy
across the sky.
It is erythrulose,
found in raspberries
and suntan lotion.
It has been there
for a long time.
In the depths
of space, before
flowers ever bloomed,
the stars were already
dreaming of raspberries,
and before planets or
oceans ever were,
whispering of beaches
and sunscreen and
cotton candy at the fair.
( Read more... )
Poem: "The Single Biggest Boost"
Sep. 13th, 2026 01:23 amysabetwordsmithThis poem came out of the September 1, 2026 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by prompts from chanter1944 and see_also_friend. It also fills the "learning to do "" square in my 9-1-26 card for the Life Events Bingo fest. This poem has been sponsored by Anthony Barrette. It belongs to the Big One and Kraken threads of the Polychrome Heroics series.
( Read more... )
chanter1944 and see_also_friend. It also fills the "learning to do "" square in my 9-1-26 card for the Life Events Bingo fest. This poem has been sponsored by Anthony Barrette. It belongs to the Big One and Kraken threads of the Polychrome Heroics series.( Read more... )
Somewhat Weekly Writing Logs - Sept 13th, 2026
Sep. 13th, 2026 07:10 amvriddyUrgh I volunteered to do something early in the week knowing it was pushing myself a bit and that I'd have to plan for a couple of recovery days after... Instead I collapsed mid-way through the event and my brain has been like play-dough I've been trying to reshape into something cephalic since then. I know I owe a couple of mildly time-sensitive replies, I will get back to you very soon!
General status:
Meanwhile I still managed to squirrel a few moments to work on the snowflake outline for [Redacted]. The snowflake lends itself well to taking a lot of breaks between or during steps while you consider things, so that's worked out nicely. I skipped Step 6 again, but I'm starting to think I expand way too much in the earlier steps anyway, so it's more like the steps gets merged XD
I wrote huh 12k words of outline through this (it's not that impressive, a lot of snowflake is more like stream-of-consciousness freewriting and thinking on paper), but I don't count those words in my yearly tally. I think I have a novel-shaped idea now? For the first time, I tracked the time spent planning too, even though it doesn't really matter because the process needs a lot of breaks and breathing space (with many insights happening during walks, tbh, which I do NOT track). I blame TrackBear ;) Which I am still using. My streak! I don't want to count the words there either, but I'm tracking the time.
In the story, I have to be careful that the politics don't overwhelm the personal too much, because it's neither my strength nor interest. I remember back in the day when reading the Royal Assassin trilogy with a friend... I just tore through the books while she carefully took notes of all factions and named characters to keep track of everyone's loyalties. It felt so proper and clever and right, yet rarely have I so heartily felt "WOW COULDN'T BE ME" despite how much I wanted to be as cool as she is XD
I'm also experimenting with a different kind of magic system, curious how this will work out! I have the foundations established, I'll develop as the story goes.
I learnt that I can never spell betrothed right the first time.
I just started on Step 8/the spreadsheet scenes breakdown yesterday, but it's been harder going than usual. I conceptualise scenes very differently after the last round of structural edits, much more fine-grained, but planning at that level risks smothering the story for me. (Interestingly, while looking for other posts in my snowflake method tag, it seems like with every long project I use the snowflake method slightly differently, and every time I seem to brush against the limits of how much I can plan before the story dies an early death.) I'm experimenting with doing broad strokes and thinking more in arcs for this step, but not sure yet how that will pan out.
Projects:
- [Redacted] Snowflake -- for lack of a working title I'm satisfied with XD The bland one is descriptive but not fun. The plot-based one I used for the Scrivener project is super fun but also unfortunately inspires a completely different story in a different genre when I look at it. The Big Bad's descriptor could be a fun working title BUT when I tried it out, it started evoking yet another different story, like, "but what about a story where the MC has this ability instead???" and so too distracting, too. I'll settle on something before I start drafting!!
Fossils
Sep. 12th, 2026 03:11 pmysabetwordsmithMassive Footprints Reveal First Ever Adult T Rex Trackway, a 66-Million-Year-old Walk Through North Dakota
The 23-foot-long trackway consists of four three-toed footprints discovered in the Hell Creek Formation. Each footprint is roughly 3 feet long, and researchers estimate they were made about 66.5 million years ago.
In findings published this week in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, the team identified T. rex as the likely track-maker based on the footprints’ exceptional size and narrow shape of the toes, along with the abundance of T. rex fossils found in the surrounding area.
The 23-foot-long trackway consists of four three-toed footprints discovered in the Hell Creek Formation. Each footprint is roughly 3 feet long, and researchers estimate they were made about 66.5 million years ago.
In findings published this week in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, the team identified T. rex as the likely track-maker based on the footprints’ exceptional size and narrow shape of the toes, along with the abundance of T. rex fossils found in the surrounding area.
Birdfeeding
Sep. 12th, 2026 12:31 pmysabetwordsmithToday is cloudy and warm.
I fed the birds. I've seen a few sparrows and house finches.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 9/12/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
EDIT 9/12/26 -- I cracked 2 yellow peach pits and got 1 good seed. I cracked 2 red plum pits and got 1 good seed. I bagged those in damp sand to cold-stratify in the fridge.
EDIT 9/12/26 -- I processed the 12 seeds from the second pawpaw and bagged them.
EDIT 9/12/26 -- I planted half a bag of leucojum near the maple tree in the house yard.
EDIT 9/12/26 -- I did more work around the patio.
EDIT 9/12/26 -- I finished planting the rest of the leucojum.
EDIT 9/12/26 -- I watered the leucojum, patio plants, and old picnic table garden.
EDIT 9/12/26 -- I watered the new picnic table garden, purple-and-white garden, and maple garden.
EDIT 9/12/26 -- I watered the telephone pole garden, house yard plants, and re-watered the new picnic table.
EDIT 9/12/26 -- I did more work around the patio.
Cicadas and crickets are singing.
As it is getting dark, 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 9/12/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
EDIT 9/12/26 -- I cracked 2 yellow peach pits and got 1 good seed. I cracked 2 red plum pits and got 1 good seed. I bagged those in damp sand to cold-stratify in the fridge.
EDIT 9/12/26 -- I processed the 12 seeds from the second pawpaw and bagged them.
EDIT 9/12/26 -- I planted half a bag of leucojum near the maple tree in the house yard.
EDIT 9/12/26 -- I did more work around the patio.
EDIT 9/12/26 -- I finished planting the rest of the leucojum.
EDIT 9/12/26 -- I watered the leucojum, patio plants, and old picnic table garden.
EDIT 9/12/26 -- I watered the new picnic table garden, purple-and-white garden, and maple garden.
EDIT 9/12/26 -- I watered the telephone pole garden, house yard plants, and re-watered the new picnic table.
EDIT 9/12/26 -- I did more work around the patio.
Cicadas and crickets are singing.
As it is getting dark, I am done for the night.
Philosophical Questions: Peace
Sep. 12th, 2026 03:19 amysabetwordsmithPeople have expressed interest in deep topics, so this list focuses on philosophical questions.
Has the invention of the atomic bomb made the world a more peaceful place?
Obviously not. It's an existential threat hanging over everyone. Radiation from previous explosions has contaminated Earth. Any country with an arsenal could decide to launch at any time. That isn't peace. It's just being not dead yet.
The hellish thing is, Russia's attack on Ukraine made it clear that disarming makes you anyone's meat. If Ukraine had kept its nuclear weapons, Russia would've picked a softer target. So disarmament is not as ethical to recommend as it once was. Let's not forget that one of the countries promising to protect Ukraine if it disarmed was Russia. That's never going to be a believable promise again. >_< For a lifelong activist, that is beyond infuriating.
Has the invention of the atomic bomb made the world a more peaceful place?
Obviously not. It's an existential threat hanging over everyone. Radiation from previous explosions has contaminated Earth. Any country with an arsenal could decide to launch at any time. That isn't peace. It's just being not dead yet.
The hellish thing is, Russia's attack on Ukraine made it clear that disarming makes you anyone's meat. If Ukraine had kept its nuclear weapons, Russia would've picked a softer target. So disarmament is not as ethical to recommend as it once was. Let's not forget that one of the countries promising to protect Ukraine if it disarmed was Russia. That's never going to be a believable promise again. >_< For a lifelong activist, that is beyond infuriating.
Today's Cooking
Sep. 11th, 2026 11:35 pmysabetwordsmithTonight I am making pawpaw quickbread. I'm using my standard recipe for banana bread, but I used pawpaw instead of applesauce, reduced cinnamon to about 3/4 teaspoon, reduced vanilla extract to 1/2 teaspoon, and added 1/4 orange flower water to bring up the floral notes in the pawpaw. The flavor is a bit diluted in the batter but still distinctive -- those high ethereal notes remain, at least before cooking.
I got about 1/2 cup of puree out of the pawpaw, and 12 seeds. \o/ At a total of 25 seeds from the two large pawpaws, and a dollar apiece if I'd bought seeds from a catalog, I think I came out ahead!
I got about 1/2 cup of puree out of the pawpaw, and 12 seeds. \o/ At a total of 25 seeds from the two large pawpaws, and a dollar apiece if I'd bought seeds from a catalog, I think I came out ahead!
