Reading

Caged Bird by Maya Angelou

A free bird leaps
on the back of the wind
and floats downstream
till the current ends
and dips his wing
in the orange sun rays
and dares to claim the sky.

But a bird that stalks
down his narrow cage
can seldom see through
his bars of rage
his wings are clipped and
his feet are tied
so he opens his throat to sing.

The caged bird sings
with a fearful trill
of things unknown
but longed for still
and his tune is heard
on the distant hill
for the caged bird
sings of freedom.

The free bird thinks of another breeze
and the trade winds soft through the sighing trees
and the fat worms waiting on a dawn bright lawn
and he names the sky his own.

But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams
his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream
his wings are clipped and his feet are tied
so he opens his throat to sing.

The caged bird sings
with a fearful trill
of things unknown
but longed for still
and his tune is heard
on the distant hill
for the caged bird
sings of freedom.

********

Link

I have no idea why this was suggested to me by YouTube

Watch on YouTube

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Sufficiency and Wellbeing Magazine

This is an online magazine that is anti-capitalist and degrowth. It's something you can read when you get disgusted with enshittification and planned obsolescence and all that crap.

Current Mood: grateful

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Anticipation (part 3 of 3, complete)

Anticipation
By Dialecticdreamer/Sarah Williams
Part 3 of 3, complete
Word count (story only, in total): 4140
[Early November of 2016]

:: Written for the July of 2025 Magpie Monday, from a prompt by

fuzzyred, the story has been sponsored by

mama_kestrel with my deepest thanks.

Back to part two
:: Thanks for reading! ::

= = Halley= =

Halley accepted the oval platter with careful hands beneath the extra-long dishtowel. “Nonna,” thon began carefully, “I need a good idea for a baby gift.”

The elderly Italian woman’s eyebrows climbed higher than the frames of her oversized, yellow-tinted bifocals. “Whose baby, little one?”
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Anticipation (part 2 of 3, complete)

Anticipation
By Dialecticdreamer/Sarah Williams
Part 2 of 3, complete
Word count (story only, in total): 4140
[Early November of 2016]

:: Written for the July of 2025 Magpie Monday, from a prompt by

fuzzyred, the story has been sponsored by

mama_kestrel with my deepest thanks.

Back to part one
On to part three

= = Aida= =

The teaching assistant stepped slightly into Aida’s path as the other students filed out of the lecture hall. “A moment, Miss,” he began. One hand dipped into his sand-colored suit jacket, worn over a white polo shirt. “You’re making arrangements to miss class from the end of November until nearly the first of January, but only listed ‘family reasons’ on the form,” he began carefully. “Is everything all right? I know that the United States is far away, but… It seems like a long gap.”

Aida glanced around at the nearly empty lecture hall, and wet her lips. “Mukhtar… It really is complicated, and personal, but not a secret. I can explain but it’ll take quite a few minutes.” She waved a hand toward the stacks of papers and the rolling file box that he habitually strapped his backpack to when hustling across campus. “I can help clear up, or walk you to the next lecture?”

“You don’t have class now?” he confirmed.
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Birdfeeding

Today is partly sunny and sweltering.

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

EDIT 8/12/25 -- I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 8/12/25 -- I potted up 12 sweet cherry seeds.

EDIT 8/12/25 -- I did some work around the patio.

EDIT 8/12/25 -- I did more work around the patio.

EDIT 8/12/25 -- I watered some plants on the old and new picnic tables that were wilting, then did the telephone pole garden and a few of the savanna seedlings. I'm annoyed that some plants are wilting so soon after copious watering, because I can't haul that hose around every day, or even every few days. >_<

I've seen a skunk on the patio.

I am done for the night.

Current Mood: grateful

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Anticipation (part 1 of 3, complete)

Anticipation
By Dialecticdreamer/Sarah Williams
Part 1 of 3, complete
Word count (story only, in total): 4140
[Early November of 2016]

:: Written for the July of 2025 Magpie Monday, from a prompt by

fuzzyred, the story has been sponsored by

mama_kestrel with my deepest thanks.

On to part two

= = Molly = =

Folding the clean laundry from the line now secured in the garage instead of outside on the metal posts set in concrete footings along one edge of the back yard, Molly traced a fingertip along the neckline of a peach tee shirt that folded over the baby’s tiny shoulders. “It’s going to be weird, if I think about it in detail. Our baby is older than her new aunt or uncle will be.”

Dave looked up, then flicked the power off the iron. He set it back on the base and walked away from Bethan’s navy blue uniform top. “What’s on your mind?”
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Current Mood: busy

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Recommendations

I came across this post on Dreamwidth discussing a rant from John Scalzi. I'd like to say a few things about reading and writing. To establish my credentials for the below remarks:

* I have a degree in Rhetoric, that is, writing.

* I'm a professional writer across multiple fields and types of writing.

* I'm a professional editor.

* I have read many tens of thousands of books over the decades. I have inhaled whole libraries. Our house is lined with books; we counted once, it was well over 10,000 then and that was many years ago.

* I am an activist.

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Current Mood: accomplished

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Beyond Unexpected (part 1 of 1, complete)

Beyond Unexpected
By Dialecticdreamer/Sarah Williams
Part 1 of 1, complete
Word count (story only): 1940
[The date is a month after Elisabeth gives birth, just before the end of December on her timeline, but undetermined on Victor’s. So far.]

:: A strange accident dumps Elisabeth Finn into a completely unfamiliar area. With a storm brewing above steeply mountainous terrain, she accepts help offered by a stranger speaking broken English, and discovers many unexpected things. Consider this AU for both timelines. . Written for the August of 2025 Magpie Monday, from a prompt given by

siliconshaman, with my thanks. ::

:: Author’s note: the change in tone from the first section to the second is deliberate. I’d like to know which readers prefer. ::

The trip, quite literally, began on the stairs down the den, and ended in a strange forest with air that smelled like pine and impending rain. The dull gray clouds overhead threatened a downpour. Elisabeth Finn winced as her foot missed the next-to-the-last step to land in a layer of rich leaf mold, but her ankle did not twist.

Deep breath.

Assess.

No injuries. No one injured near her. No obvious danger, no natural hazard.

Deep breath.

Assess.
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At last, an advice column we can all get behind!

Ask the Algorithm!

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( Links )

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startrek,
writing

Insert story title here

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Basic Income

In a new pilot program, this city will give homeless young adults $1,200 in cash every month for two years

According to the Stanford Basic Income Lab, universal basic income is a periodic cash payment that is given to individuals unconditionally, requiring no work requirement or sanctions to access.

And as various nonprofits and cities across the country experiment with basic income programs, most have found that the money received is largely used to pay for the basic essentials many Americans struggle to afford.

A new pilot program in Boston, Massachusetts wants to find out if the same trend applies for a specific demographic: young adults facing homelessness.

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Current Mood: busy

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blogging,
personal

Monday Update 8-11-25

These are some posts from the later part of last week in case you missed them:
Spider Apocalypse
Activism
Fossils
Birdfeeding
Safety
Birdfeeding
Philosophical Questions: Thinking
Safety
Moment of Silence: Jim Lovell
Birdfeeding
Follow Friday 8-8-25: Icons
Today's Adventures
Inventions
Fossils
Birdfeeding
Bigotry
Birdfeeding
Good News

Food has 34 comments. "Philosophical Questions: Looks" has 48 comments. "Incompetence, Sloppy Thinking, and Laziness" has 75 comments. "Not a Destination, But a Process" has 148 comments.

summerofthe69 is open! You can see the calendar here and the current themes are Alternate Sexy Parts 69 and Kinky 69.

There are no open epics at present.

The weather has been sweltering agan. Seen at the birdfeeders this week: a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches, a mourning dove, a house wren, a male cardinal, and a fox squirrel. Currently blooming: dandelions, pansies, violas, marigolds, petunias, red salvia, wild strawberries, verbena, lantana, sweet alyssum, zinnias, snapdragons, blue lobelia, perennial pinks, oxalis, moss rose, yarrow, anise hyssop, firecracker plant, tomatoes, tomatillos, Asiatic lilies, cucumber, yellow squash, zucchini, morning glory, purple echinacea, black-eyed Susan, yellow coneflower, chicory, Queen Anne's lace, sunflowers, cup plant, gladioli, firewheel, orange butterfly weed. Tomatillo and pepper have green fruit. Wild strawberries, mulberries, tomatoes, and cucumbers are ripe. The second crop of blackberries and the ball carrots are ripe.

Current Mood: busy

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Magpie Monday

dialecticdreamer is hosting Magpie Monday with a theme of "Change." Leave prompts, get ficlets!

Change is an immutable element of the universe.

Today, let’s make change our goal. Call it the theme. Big or small, quiet and subtle or dramatic and incontrovertible, what change do you want to see? In the world? In a story with an unsatisfying moment (or worse, ending)?

Current Mood: busy

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Birdfeeding

Today is mostly sunny, humid, and hot. The sky is blue with fluffy white clouds.

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

EDIT 8/11/25 -- I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 8/11/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

EDIT 8/11/25 -- I did more work around the patio.

EDIT 8/11/25 -- We reeled up the garden hose. Yay. Yay.

I am done for the night.

Current Mood: excited

Entry tags:

prompt call

Magpie Monday for August of 2025

Welcome to the Magpie Monday prompt call for August of 2025!

Change is an immutable element of the universe.

Today, let’s make change our goal. Call it the theme. Big or small, quiet and subtle or dramatic and incontrovertible, what change do you want to see? In the world? In a story with an unsatisfying moment (or worse, ending)?
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Current Mood: thoughtful
Current Music: Badflower - Paws

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film thoughts

(no subject)

Before I get into the main thing of the post, Uk people there’s gonna be MCR shows in London next year (details here) and tickets go on sale Friday morning.

I’m probably gonna give it a miss? Going to London is a hassle and it feels like the process will just be stressful. And, well, practically and emotionally I don’t feel I could go alone. But if anyone else is gonna try I wish you luck.

(I’m also still annoyed Waterparks just has one show in London too why does London have to get everything)

Anyway, onto the main post topic, which is about the film All The Gods In The Sky, which is a film that just came to shudder this past week. Here is the description, which is pretty vague.

It’s one of those descriptions that’s vague enough that could go anywhere but what caught my eye was the poster on imdb which is pretty decidpving for two reasons. One it makes out like tentacles feature prominently (there is an octopus in two scenes but that’s it) and the other is it makes out like the main female character is black which she is very much not.

Before I get in my main thoughts though there is a technical issue with it. The film is French so it’s subtitled. However there is an issue with the subtitles. Several times they’re just… not there. Simon has a conversation with his boss and his boss says a few sentences of dialogue but only one word is subtitled. A social work shows up and I hear her say telephone but that’s not translated at all. Also sometimes some subtitles flash up and go too quick. Like it’s not a deal breaker, you can still follow along with the story, but it does feel odd.

Thoughts under the cut, so they’ll get spoilery.

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Plan today is mostly to:
*go on a Donkey Kong Bananza to finish the tempest layer
*Fic some
*read some

Current Mood: amused

Entry tags:

humor

Humor

This made me laugh.

The True Self

A few unrelated questions

(Some of which I may have asked before, in which case, forgive me.)

1. People often do say that the English subjunctive is in decline. However, literally nobody I've ever heard say this has provided any sort of evidence. Is there any data on this other than "yeah, feels that way to me"?

1a. I've also heard that the subjunctive, or at least some forms of the subjunctive, is more common in USA English than UK English, from somewhat more authoritative sources but with roughly the same amount of evidence.

2. I got into it with somebody on the subject of "flammable/inflammable". I am aware that there are signs that warn about inflammable materials, and also signs warning about flammable materials. Is it actually the case that anybody has ever been confused and thought they were being warned that something could not catch on fire? Or is that just an urban legend / just-so story to explain why the two words mean the same thing and can be found on the same sorts of signs?

3. Not a language question! I've recently found one of the Myth Adventures books in my house. Gosh, I haven't re-read these in 20 years. Worth a re-read, or oh god no, save it for the recycle bin?

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Current Mood: worn out

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2025,
weekly post

This past week...

Another quick recap for this week (it's late and my spoons are long gone).

Foot: The good news is there's no fractures. The not-so-good news is that there are signs of arthritis. Unfortunately the doctor I saw at the clinic isn't back there until tomorrow, so I'll get more detail then.

Work: An OK week overall, although there were some stupid things that cropped up Friday when I was out of the office (naturally) that'll get sorted tomorrow. Also, only one more week left in my current office before moving to the plant.

Social: Similar to last week, including a depleted social battery. One thing I anticipate from my change of office location is that I'll be forced to take a step back from some of the extra social stuff that is overloading me, which should lead to a better balance.

Goals: I'm mostly still tracking things daily, and for the most part nothing has changed in the last couple of months. I haven't looked at monthly numbers in many months now, and getting back to a monthly review post seems more and more unlikely.

Exercise: I haven't run in almost four weeks now, and I'm probably going to have to back out of my first half marathon, which is only five weeks away. I'm glad I got myself going to the gym - I've been doing a lot more there recently, but I'll need to figure out a workable schedule after I change offices. I've also been riding my bike quite a bit. I've ridden to the Tuesday run club a few times, done a couple of 25km rides on a paved trail, and this morning a 50km long-haul on a naturalized trail. It feels good to be able to do as much as I have been, but I really want to get back to running as well.

That's all I've got for this week. See you next time. =]