Test post

May. 31st, 2026 05:34 pm
spiralicious: Cereal Killer Mask (Default)
[personal profile] spiralicious
Earlier today I posted the Currently/Last post for May 2026 (it was very long and I didn't write it out by hand first so no other copy to redo it, yay) and now a couple hours later it seems to be gone. So I'm posting this to see if it stays.

Currently/Last May 2026

May. 31st, 2026 03:37 pm
spiralicious: Cereal Killer Mask (Default)
[personal profile] spiralicious
Currently/Last lists are the last and/or current answer to the categories for a given time period, in this case a month.

In the text box, I've a blank html coded version of the list, including categories I didn't use this month.

Watching: Fafner volume 7 Going Home (episodes 24-26) + Stargate Atlantis s4
Reading: Death Note 13 How to Read by Tsugumi Ohba & Takeshi Obata (art)
Listening: Today's Oz's Vault Reddit reaction video/"Jealous" by Nick Jonas
Eating: fettuccine Alfredo with chicken & broccoli
Drinking: Powerade Xtra Sour in Peach Pucker
Loving: fan art by Circlearts of Damian Wayne drawing on Jason Todd while he was sleeping
Hating: My nonstop anxiety
Wanting: to actually finish something
Thinking: where am I going to put all this stuff?
Planning: future projects to do on Mondays with Lynne/setting up my calendar for the week & the month
Wishing: I could squeeze either just a little more productivity out of my day without exhausting myself or get some real rest so I'd actually feel like doing something.
Puzzle Books: been ignoring the puzzle books in favor of doing daily Huedoku puzzles and daily Light Brite puzzles
Wearing: PJs
Needing: some help, but I've put feelers out
Enjoying: having a day off
Wondering: Where am I going to put all this stuff?
Playing: Subeta (no special events right now) & lots of Buzzfeed Quizes
Trying: drink more water, get real rest, calm my anxiety enough to be functional, and clean (yes, all at the same time)
Cooking: stroganoff
Calling: Vexed
Texting: Vexed
Crafting: knitting on the cable blanket (still & forever), a sample magnet I want to try making with Lynne
Going: last place I went was the library because I had an escape room reservation there, a book club meeting, photo copying I needed to do, donations (face paint stencils & white glue) to drop off, things to turn in, & holds to pick up all on the same day.
Feeling: anxious
Hoping (For): This summer to go smoothly
Celebrating: I got the post taxes accountant copy incorporated into QuickBooks
Smelling: whatever shampoo it is we are currently using for hand soap in the bathroom
Thanking: That their were some people in my corner this month.
Considering: if I can afford everything I'm planning on doing
Finishing: ani-MAY, MAY-nga, One Book One Coast, clearing out PumpkinSpider's apartment, the flower bouquet project I was doing with Lynne
Starting: the deep clean from hell (I have been told to come up with a more positive name for what is happening to my room, but this feels most appropriate) & the library summer reading program

Notes:
This was an insane month. My anxiety was mostly low, but nonstop, which is not helpful. On top of the normal shenanigans I have every month, I had extra Lynne drama, an advance directive workshop with my mother, a lecture (I was in attendance, not speaking, but let's just say they had to hire security for the event and my person who was going to go with me flaked), preparing for and being part of a public book discussion panel, voting, the azalea festival, the kick off of tourist season, a last minute birthday party, One Book One Coast and its various events, some personal things I don't want to talk about here, some things my friends went through that are not mine to tell, some ongoing issues with my Dad, and clearing out PumpkinSpider's apartment. I feel like I have missed things and most of them were not bad. It was just a lot and I do not see things slowing down for the rest of the year.

shadaras: A phoenix with wings fully outspread, holidng a rose and an arrow in its talons. (Default)
[personal profile] shadaras
I took my nidan test yesterday. (And passed, of course; these are tests that do not happen unless you're ready.)

Everyone who watched it says that it was a wonderful test and I looked fantastic and all my aikido shone through. All my sensei complimented me, all my friends were delighted, and it was an excellent ending to a full day of seminar practice.

Also I do not remember eighty percent of what I did because all I was doing was moving and breathing. This is the core of the art, really; connect to the person you're practicing with, move, and breathe. So long as you keep that connection, know where your center and your partner's center are, and keep moving, you'll find something to do.

One of my friends informs me that I thwacked her hard against the ground (she's fine, it's just funny). I have no memory of this. I told her that "I only remember the bits I had to think about" and she was like "yeah that was definitely a bit where you were just doing, not thinking."

More description of the weekend as a whole:

cut for length )

Very good weekend. Got to see a lot of friends and have a lot of fun, and also it was cooler than usual for this time of year and thus perfect seminar weather! We were not melting and sweating horribly much, just a reasonable amount for the amount of physical activity we were doing!

Done This Week

May. 31st, 2026 10:02 am
scrubjayspeaks: hand holding pen over notebook (done this week)
[personal profile] scrubjayspeaks
After being very successful in getting things done during the long weekend, and feeling like maybe it was going to be the reset I needed, I...got sick. Had a little bit of a scratchy throat on Monday and was clearly ill on Tuesday. Got through nearly the whole day at work, but left a little early to take a nap, in the hopes that I would recover. Only made it through a few hours on Wednesday. Didn’t even try on Thursday.

Now, even when I wasn’t at work, I called in for virtual meetings several times, because I’m not going to let them fuck with my projects without me, damn it. And fuck with them, they tried. I’m really tired of people who don’t know what’s going on claiming to know exactly what’s wrong with the project or inventing wild scenarios we need to “troubleshoot” that are 100% not happening. Anything to avoid acknowledging that they aren’t scheduling time for this project, yet still expect it to make progress.

I have slept more than I’ve been awake the last few days. I still have a cough (of course it turned into a cough, it’s always a cough with me) and the energy of a tranquilized sloth. Well, I *did* need to get more sleep. *facepalm*

Lewisia: 3 new pieces written

Day job: 21 hours (*snerk* that’s a very silly number)

Cooking: KAF’s recipe of the year, the puff crust pizza--a fun change from our usual, mostly a lateral move in terms of effort

Cleaning: fixed (with outrageous difficulty) the leaking faucet handle in the master bathroom

Crafting: removed the old stairs and placed the new ones

Gardening: harvested apricots before any of the branches could break--so many apricots!

Watching: Stranger Things season 3 episodes 5-7

Listening: Strange Weather by Louie Zong (needed something chill this week, fit particularly well with our brief rainstorm)

Clock Mouse: still taking a break

(no subject)

May. 31st, 2026 04:08 pm
galadhir: Against a backdrop of green leaves and gold sparkles the text "Tell us now the full tale" is written. Both a Celeborn quote and a request to know more (Tell us now the full tale)
[personal profile] galadhir

Has anyone tried Indian club swinging as an exercise?

It looks kind of fun and makes the big claims that all types of exercise make these days.

I'm wary because I know that I tend to start things and try them a couple of times but then give up. On the other hand I do enjoy twirling things and I enjoy weapons. So I might like it?

I'm not currently enjoying the weightlifting, and I seem to have strained or injured my right arm, which is exactly the opposite of what I went into it for. Replacing an hour of weightlifting twice a week with twenty minutes of club twirling a day could be an improvement.

pictures for May

May. 31st, 2026 09:28 am
pauraque: pale purple flower with raindrops on petals (chicory)
[personal profile] pauraque
four finches eat from a seed feeder, three brown and streaky all over, one yellow with black and white wings

Three Pine Siskins and an American Goldfinch (lower left). Pine Siskins are heavily striped little finches with sharply pointed bills and a yellow wash on the wings that can be quite faint, like the highlighter was running out of ink. It's somewhat visible on the upper two birds in this picture.

more birds [11 photos] )

not birds [5 photos] )

tea review: 2013 liu bao dark tea

May. 30th, 2026 10:53 pm
spiralicious: heart shaped tea cup (<3 tea)
[personal profile] spiralicious
Tea Month 2026: Tea 18

Tea Review
Name: 2013 Liu Bao Dark Tea
Brand: unsure, vendor: Ohio Tea Co.
Type: fermented
Loose tea

Notes:
This is the other tea that we sampled at both tastings. Dark tea is another name for fermented tea. It is also aged. The 2013 in the name refers to when it was originally harvested. This kind of tea is considered an after dinner tea and is supposed to aid in digestion. It requires hotter water and has a high brewing threshold, which is why Tea Guy prefers to use a clay tea pot to brew it in. The first steeping of this tea is always a rinsing of the tea that is thrown away and not drank. The way it is aged and stored means things accumulate on it that need to be rinsed off. Tea Guy says the first steeping (the one you dump) usually has an "oceany" or fishy flavor. This particular tea is considered an "approachable" tea for beginners wanting to try fermented teas. Even with a light steeping, this tea is almost black in color. It is very dark, with maybe a little red. At the second tasting, I noted it had no scent, but I think that was the leaves before brewing not the tea. It's a very thick tea, not in a syrup kind of a way. It just sort of fills your mouth in a way other tea doesn't. The flavor is hard to pin down. At first, it made me think of the way peat smells, but the more I drank, the more it tasted like figs. I enjoy fermented teas, but they are an acquired taste.

Rate
Appearance: 8
Aroma: 5
Flavor: 8

Overall Rating: 3.5 stars

(no subject)

May. 31st, 2026 12:31 am
thedarlingone: J'onn J'onzz from Justice League: The Animated Series (j'onn j'onzz)
[personal profile] thedarlingone
i finished watching batman the animated series on amazon prime. excellent show. i started rewatching superman but kept getting distracted because the voice talent (other than clancy brown) just isn't quite as top tier as the other shows. then i found justice league unlimited on tubi; i'm pretty sure i've never seen all of it, have probably seen some of it, and remember almost none of it.

i'm five episodes in and starting to see why i don't remember any of them. first, of course, is the reason i never picked up the jlu dvds: j'onn gets demoted from team member to mission control, aka the guy who gets maybe two lines every few episodes telling someone not to fly off the handle right before they inevitably fly off the handle. waste of a great voice actor. second, i don't like the artstyle change: they lost the line weighting and much of the hyper-stylization that made the timmverse look good, and the scenes are much harder to visually read now. third, the writing... maybe i'm just being influenced by nostalgia but it feels a lot worse than previous installments? like i said, five episodes, and there's been (not in this order) one pretty fun one, one major stinker, one straight retelling of a comics story that did a perfectly cromulent job, one just boring one, and one where the only redeeming quality was kevin conroy. admittedly it did feature him singing very beautifully in character as batman for Reasons, which is a hell of a redeeming quality, but it also had b'wana beast so on the whole i think it is still heavier than the feather of ma'at.

(...i may be on a blood sugar rollercoaster and not entirely in control of my metaphors. anyway.)

point is. there's three seasons. i have been livebageling the episodes over on tumblr if y'all are interested. i am not sure how far i will continue. jl:tas didn't have any really good episodes in its first season, so i feel like i don't want to be too much harsher on its continuation, but it had a *lot* more carl lumbly and kevin conroy to keep me listening.

look we all knew i had a voice kink okay next question
sonia: Quilted wall-hanging (Default)
[personal profile] sonia
Do You Love the Color of the Sky by Rachel A. Rosen. A haunting and sharply detailed time travel story.

Long list of Tumblr classic stories. I can't see all of these without a Tumblr account, but many of them. Fabulous stories.
Love how Tumblr has its own folk stories

For example, You are a long-forgotten god by [tumblr.com profile] dycefic.
You are a long forgotten god. A small girl leaves a piece of candy at your shrine, and you awaken. Now, you must do everything to protect your High Priestess, the girl, and her entire kindergarten class, your worshipers.

Tuesday, May 12: Belmar Lake

May. 30th, 2026 07:24 pm
mistressofmuses: Image of nebulae in the colors of the bi pride flag: pink, purple, and blue (Default)
[personal profile] mistressofmuses
A bit belated now, but a few weeks ago, we did go on a nice walk at Belmar!

Mostly we saw a bunch of different birds, which was nice.

([personal profile] umadoshi, there are a few jumping spiders!)


An egret! I was pretty happy with this picture. It looks like a watercolor painting, haha.


Look at this adorable little bold jumping spider. Love the green. I think they're adorable!


Some very cute little swallows! Interesting white patches on the one.


Fifteen more pictures:

A small pool, with one lone duck.


A turtle! (It's interesting that the ground is still so deeply cracked from when it was dry, even though the water level is back up.)


This goose! She is apparently a domestic/Canada goose hybrid, and she's lived in the park for years. I know I've seen her around for years.


Cormorants nesting!


A freshly gnawed little tree. I assume the muskrats are still going strong.


A pair of geese and some goslings.


Quite a bit farther along the path, another little jumping spider! This one was crossing the trail, and Alex was very worried that it was going to get stepped on before it made it.

I picked it up and carried it across.


As soon as we got within sight of the pine tree over there, the little spider attached a thread to my hand (which you can see in the picture) and then flung itself over to the tree, haha.


Cormorant, diving down to fish. I love how weird they look.


Turtle!


Duck and ducklings!


Another duck and ducklings! A pretty good number.


A pair of avocets.


Some phlox.


And the heron statue. Somewhere I think I have a picture of me as a teen in front of it, ha.

(no subject)

May. 30th, 2026 06:08 pm
stardust_rifle: A cartoon-style image of of a fluffy brown cat sitting upright and reading a book, overlayed over a sparkly purple circle. (Default)
[personal profile] stardust_rifle
god a lot of suburbanite cis women exist in this truly bizarre life-limiting state of paranoia which makes me insane, like yes, i live alone in an apartment, yes, i take the subway by myself, sometimes after dark. yes, i am completely comfortable commuting back home in the dark so long as i've done the commute before, yes, i am completely comfortable going for walks in the evening around my neighborhood, yes, i am completely comfortable riding the bus alone and commuting to places on foot, and every time i actively mention these things to like 90% of cis women who don't live in the city and regularly do them they react like i've just said that i enjoy rolling myself in tartar sauce and throwing myself into lion's dens for fun
haunted_cherries: (Tatsuya)
[personal profile] haunted_cherries
Small projects I’m working on that are bringing me some joy:

♥️Searching for all the tracks from each respective artist on the Neon Palm Mall mixtape so I can buy all of em and subsequently make a physical mixtape of it! Has anyone ever written music manifesto before? Even if not I’M GONNA WRITE ONE FOR THIS >:D

♥️Figuring out HOW IN THE GODDAMN am I gonna print my own zine since I finally found a zine for my favorite ship 🥰 Context: I've once again been HDKJSHJDHJDS for my Persona 2 ship TatsuJun and in searching for art of them, I stumbled on an old TatsuJun zine called Der Doppelganger! I wanted to get my hands on it but problem was this zine ran in 2018-2019 HDJSHJKDS!!

Lemme tell y'all that was a WHOLE ASS SAGA that lasted all of a few days b/c I was able to get a recc on Pillowfort that led to a large zine server where someone in there had the zine I was looking for!!! ; u; The art and stories in it are so BEAUTIFUL and I've been rotating it in my head ever since I got it!! 🥰

♥️Organizing all my kpop photocards b/c my latest finds are accumulating in a pile and NEED SORTING xD (My kpop loving coworker said she started out collecting Pokemon cards and now collects cards of her favorite human beings and y'all the way I fucking HOLLERED HDJKSHJDKS)

Outside of that, I've been back and forth in between finishing up the Persona 3 events on Persona 5X and playing Paralives (which you can check out all of my cute pictures for on my Pillowfort tag for it xD)!!

I miss writing (I've spent more time daydreaming about the scenarios than actually writing them so maybe that in itself is enough, but STILL xD), so I'm gonna try to find some ways to get back into it. Now that my depressive episode from the last few weeks has subsided, I don't wanna fully give it up how I was originally thinking, so C'MON BRAIN WE GOTTA TRY xD

Anyways, hope some small joys find you, too!! Have a good weekend. ♥️
stardust_rifle: A cartoon-style image of of a fluffy brown cat sitting upright and reading a book, overlayed over a sparkly purple circle. (Default)
[personal profile] stardust_rifle
First time getting jumpscared by the OG LiveJournal posting of a fic I've already read on Ao3! Very surreal experience, honestly.

(Fic is The Dragon Saga, for the curious, and I'm absolutely going to be going into it in detail when I write that meta about Megumi's treatment in Gackt/Hyde stuff, because the author does some interesting stuff with her.)


~*~



I've now seen "running away to have a secret gay wedding in Canada" as a plot point in multiple fics by different authors. I think it's really charming when you see a fic that could have only been written at a specific time (like that one fic I found about a still-living Atsushi mourning Issay's death) or that is so clearly of its era.


~*~



*rubs little pawsies*

I love fandom drama. I love tales of deception. I have found a truly delightful little story for you all that incorporates both.

More detail at this link, but an author, who was both into Die/Kaoru (Dir en grey) and the TV show Prison Break, was apparently maintaining two different identities for the purpose of taking fics written for one fandom by other people, changing the names, and publishing them as fanfics for the other fandom. When both fandoms realized what was going on, they deleted both journals and fled fandom.

My absolute favorite quote to come out of this whole ordeal is this, from a summary post describing some of the signs in the fic that was plagiarized.

Die being built like a brick house construction worker. My limited understanding of that fandom is that would not be a reasonable description of Die.

We only ship twinks here, sire.


~*~



I am cataloguing every single comment I see about The Horrible Scourge of Diru Fujos Writing Toshiya As A Teenaged Girl for the inevitable Fanlore article. Example!

I'm not sure if this should be under warnings but...my Toshiya isn't going to look anything like the standard fanfic Toshiya. That means he isn't going to be wearing skirts or mascara, his major pastime will be making music rather than shopping, and there will be very little giggling or other girliness (seriously folks, when I saw them he was wearing motorcycle boots and looking generally very dude-like). sauce 4 m's reference

5/14/26 - 5/29/26

May. 29th, 2026 11:39 pm
gwydion: (Default)
[personal profile] gwydion
* Between the Firefox disaster and the kittens, I have two weeks of backed up news. I did what I could, but I had to put a lot off until next edition. Apologies.
The War news is I think last week's. Sorry.

* "Lebanon says six killed in Israeli strike as US announces ceasefire extension:" https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cqlpzzl0d67o

******

* "U.S. Intelligence Shows Iran Retains Substantial Missile Capabilities:" https://archive.ph/W8nhp

* "Trump's geopolitical brinkmanship has hit a wall with Iran:" https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/trumps-geopolitical-brinkmanship-has-hit-wall-with-iran-2026-05-16/

* "Checkmate in Iran:" https://archive.ph/BKZj7

* "Pentagon Puts War Cost at $29 Billion as Hegseth Deflects on Funding:" https://archive.ph/1x21p

* "Trump says he’s not thinking about Americans’ finances ‘even a little bit’ in Iran talks:" https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-not-thinking-american-finances-iran-talk-rcna344785

* "Inflation jumps to its highest level since 2023. Here are 3 things costing a lot more:" https://www.npr.org/2026/05/12/nx-s1-5818279/inflation-cpi-gas-prices-housing-fuel-iran-war

* "The Iran war is hitting home as gasoline prices fuel inflation surge of 3.8% in the US:" https://apnews.com/article/us-inflation-consumer-iran-war-3f11b7fdd20ea56d2f0895e5241af7b6

* "Producer prices shot up 6%, adding pressure on companies to hike prices for struggling customers:" https://apnews.com/article/inflation-consumers-iran-energy-trump-3cbd24e5e977c8d5f4518ece41ac61d8

* "Trump’s proposed ‘Golden Dome’ estimated to cost $1.2 trillion, far more than he initially said:" https://apnews.com/article/trump-golden-dome-price-tag-cbo-4f18f4ae8f1ba232abc097277ad0367a

******

* "Inside Ukraine's drive to defeat the dreaded Shahed drone:" https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/inside-ukraines-drive-defeat-dreaded-shahed-drone-2026-04-29/

****

* "Pakistan struck a rehab centre and killed 269 Afghans. Their families want to know why:" https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c202xrd9gn7o

* "Toddlers among more than 50 schoolchildren kidnapped in Nigeria:" https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c202vrxlwqgo

* "Gunfire chaos as Philippine senator resists ICC arrest: What we know so far:" https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5y7edln4j0o

* "The Final Hours: An Afghan family’s flight to safety:" https://archive.ph/ikQB5
* "China's fishing fleet off coast of Argentina raises concerns:" https://archive.ph/7bo3S
* " Taiwan emerges as flash point in Trump-Xi talks:" https://www.politico.com/news/2026/05/14/taiwan-flash-point-trump-xi-united-states-china-talks-00920370

* "Trump’s campaign tough talk on China evaporates in real-world test:" https://www.ms.now/the-briefing-with-jen-psaki/watch/trump-s-campaign-tough-talk-on-china-evaporates-in-real-world-test-2500312643985

*** Immigration/I.C.E/Autocracy/***

* "Memphis Is “Under Full-Blown Occupation” by ICE. Here’s Why You May Not Know That.:" https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/05/memphis-safe-task-force-still-operating-aclu-lawsuit-cameras-filming-ice-harassment-homeland-security-tennessee-highway-patrol/
* "The Trump Administration Aims to Penalize Disabled Adults Who Live With Their Families:" https://www.propublica.org/article/trump-social-security-ssi-disability-benefits-cuts-parents-children
* "Supreme Court rules abortion pills can continue to be mailed:" https://19thnews.org/2026/05/supreme-court-ban-abortion-pill-mail/

* "Justice Department expands Trump settlement to cover his tax audits:" https://www.politico.com/news/2026/05/19/trump-irs-settlement-tax-returns-00927911

* "Most Corrupt Act in Presidential History:"

Embed: )

* "Trump reportedly to launch $1.7B ‘slush fund’ for ‘weaponization’ victims:" https://www.ms.now/all-in/watch/trump-reportedly-to-launch-1-7b-slush-fund-for-weaponization-victims-2500138563895

* "McConnell rips Trump’s Jan. 6 ‘slush fund’ as ‘utterly stupid, morally wrong’:" https://www.ms.now/all-in/watch/mcconnell-rips-trump-s-jan-6-slush-fund-as-utterly-stupid-morally-wrong-2500982339645

* "MAGA grifters & insurrectionists line up for a piece of Trump’s $1.8 billion ‘slush fund’:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/national/grifters-insurrectionists-trump-slush-fund

* "Trump slammed as 'most corrupt president' ever at gathering of left-leaning leaders:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/national/robert-garcia-cap-trump-corrupt

* "GOP calls off votes after contentious meeting on ‘anti-weaponization’ fund:" https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2026/05/21/congress/todd-blanche-gop-weaponization-fund-00932244

* "‘Sedition fund’: Even Republicans balk at Trump’s $1.776B Jan. 6 ‘slush fund’:" https://www.ms.now/all-in/watch/sedition-fund-even-republicans-balk-at-trump-s-1-776b-jan-6-slush-fund-2500842051966

* "Jan. 6 police officers sue to block Trump’s ‘anti-weaponization fund’:" https://www.politico.com/news/2026/05/20/trump-weaponization-fund-lawsuit-jan-6-00929342

* "‘It’s horrific’: Jan. 6 officer warns Trump’s $1.776B fund could fuel more violence:" https://www.ms.now/all-in/watch/it-s-horrific-jan-6-officer-warns-trump-s-1-776b-fund-could-fuel-more-violence-2500845123980

* "‘Every single taxpayer is being robbed’: Trump goes too far with money grab for criminal allies:" https://www.ms.now/the-briefing-with-jen-psaki/watch/every-single-taxpayer-is-being-robbed-trump-goes-too-far-with-money-grab-for-criminal-allies-2500997699935

* "Busted: Video suggests Trump botched deadline for lawsuit at heart of $1.776 billion ‘slush fund’:" https://www.ms.now/the-briefing-with-jen-psaki/watch/busted-video-suggests-trump-botched-deadline-for-lawsuit-at-heart-of-1-776-billion-slush-fund-2500872259846

* "‘The mob has a word for that’: Trump seeks $10B in taxpayer cash in IRS suit :" https://www.ms.now/all-in/watch/the-mob-has-a-word-for-that-trump-seeks-10b-in-taxpayer-cash-in-irs-suit-2499988547844
* "‘Abject nonsense’: Sanders, Platner rip Bezos’ defense against billionaire tax hikes:" https://www.ms.now/all-in/watch/abject-nonsense-sanders-platner-rip-bezos-defense-against-billionaire-tax-hikes-2501300291648

* "Ballroom won’t be funded after Senate GOP drops $1 billion Trump security request:" https://www.politico.com/news/2026/05/20/ballroom-security-funding-reconciliation-00930193

* "Sarah McBride, recalling her husband’s cancer battle, delivers emotional plea for paid family leave:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/national/sarah-mcbride-paid-family-leave

* "House Republicans advance education bill restricting discussions on racism & gender:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/national/republicans-limit-black-transgender-history

It's called H.R. 8705.

Note: the bill is also racist.

* "These 8 Democrats voted for the Republican national ‘Don’t Say Trans’ bill passed by the House:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/national/8-democrats-abandon-trans-kids

"Here are the names of the eight Democrats who voted for what the House Equality Caucus condemned as the "Don't Say Trans" bill:

Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas
Rep. Don Davis of North Carolina
Rep. Cleo Fields of Louisiana
Rep. Laura Gillen of New York
Rep. Vicente González of Texas
Rep. Marcy Kaptur of Ohio
Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington
Rep. Eugene Vindman of Virginia"

I beg of you to please contact your senators regardless of party. Say what you have to say to get them to vote against. This is incredibly dangerous.

If one of the Democratic quislings in the House represents you, please call them to tell you exactly how you feel about racist and transphobic censorship and their decision to endanger the lives of children through forced outing.

* "Do Your Phone Calls and Emails Matter? :" https://cmarmitage.substack.com/p/do-your-phone-calls-and-emails-matter
* Our until Midterms is to survive, to build grassroots resistance, to do all in our power to slow the republican Christo-fascist agenda, and to prepare for 2026 in case there is still Democracy.

"Take action with Indivisible:" https://www.mobilize.us/indivisible/

Trump 2.0 Indivisible Guide.  https://indivisible.org/resource/guide

If you can't safely contact them in person, here are some other options for contacting your Congress Critters:

Five Calls to your critters: https://5calls.org/

Here is one that will send your reps a fax: https://resist.bot/

And another: https://faxzero.com/fax_senate.php

Snail Mail Campaigns: https://conuly.dreamwidth.org/3622760.html

"Congress. gov:" https://www.congress.gov/

White house (Possibly Dangerous): https://www.whitehouse.gov/

ACLU advice for writing to your Critters: https://www.aclu.org/writing-your-elected-representatives

This tracks legislation: https://www.govtrack.us/

"The Public Comment Process (+ how to write effective public comments):" https://www.tumblr.com/gwydionmisha/781844516804149248?source=share

"Swing Left:" https://swingleft.org/

Run for Something: https://runforsomething.net/

"Vote Smart:" https://justfacts.votesmart.org/

Protests: "50501 Events:" https://www.fiftyfifty.one/events

"ICE Raids Toolkit: Defend Against ICE Raids and Community Arrests:" https://www.immigrantdefenseproject.org/raids-toolkit/

Contains a raid tip hotline amoung other things. "Know Your Rights
LEARN HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF AND YOUR FAMILY:" https://wearecasa.org/know-your-rights/
* "Federal court blocks Alabama’s midterm gerrymandering plan, a blow for Republicans:" https://www.politico.com/news/2026/05/26/alabama-redistricting-2026-election-order-00935834

* "Alabama asks Supreme Court to allow redistricting for 2026:" https://www.politico.com/news/2026/05/27/alabama-asks-supreme-court-to-allow-redistricting-for-2026-00938494

* "Louisiana passes new congressional map, dismantling one majority-Black district:" https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2026-election/louisiana-passes-new-congressional-map-dismantling-one-majority-black-rcna347575

* "Louisiana Democrats, GOP might get to exclude ‘no-party’ voters from their primary elections:" https://lailluminator.com/2026/05/20/louisiana-democrats-gop-might-get-to-exclude-no-party-voters-from-their-primary-elections/

* "North Carolina voters have until July to comment on proposed election rules:" https://www.wect.com/2026/05/14/north-carolina-voters-have-until-july-comment-proposed-election-rules/

* "Clyburn’s seat survives for now as South Carolina Republicans buck Trump on redistricting:" https://www.politico.com/news/2026/05/26/south-carolina-redistricting-fails-clyburn-trump-00936000

* "GOP scores another gerrymandering victory with Missouri Supreme Court win:" https://www.politico.com/news/2026/05/12/republican-gerrymandering-missouri-victory-00917806

* "Georgia to draw new congressional maps for 2028:" https://www.politico.com/news/2026/05/13/georgia-2028-redistricting-special-session-00919233

* Keep protesting!

* "In the birthplace of Civil Rights Movement, groups rally to defend Black political representation:" https://apnews.com/article/voting-rights-act-rally-alabama-scotus-a71782f45369654ab86e0e66e633fcf4

* "Colorado Gov. Jared Polis grants clemency to Trump election denier Tina Peters:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/states/jared-polis-tina-peters-clemency

* "NAACP calls for boycott of Southern college sports programs over voting rights:" https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/naacp-calls-for-boycott-of-southern-college-sports-programs-over-votin

* We are in primary season. States vote at different times, so I beg ALL of you to check when your state is voting. If you are in an in-person vote state, research ahead of time so you can vote for the candidate with views closest to your own. If you vote by mail, take the time to look them up when your ballot comes.

THIS is how you move the party further LEFT.

PLAN YOUR VOTE!!!

Primary schedule here:

* "2026 Statewide Primary Calendar:" https://www.270towin.com/2026-state-primary-calendar/

I don't know where you live, so I can't link this for you, but I find the Progressive Voter Guide online very helpful in narrowing down candidates in the often packed primaries where I live.

I also suggest looking at things like volunteer work and endorsements, because it really, really helps with things like sheriff and judicial elections, but can be useful in all sorts of primaries when you have multiple good options.

REMEMBER: Don't just vote for the big things like US Congress. Vote in every State and local race down to the smallest and on all the referendums.

State and local elections have a massive impact on your quality of life.

* California, Iowa, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, South Dakota! Don't forget to vote June 2!

* Maine, Nevada, North Dakota, South Carolina! Don't forget to vote June 9!

* "John Cornyn booted from Senate as indicted anti-trans Texas AG Ken Paxton clinches GOP nomination:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/election/ken-paxton-beats-john-cornyn

* "Texas AG Ken Paxton calls James Talarico’s support for trans kids ‘weird’ in runoff victory speech:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/national/ken-paxton-trans-kids-weird

* "Stephen Miller made an anti-trans post about James Talarico. The DNC response hit its mark:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/national/dnc-calls-stephen-miller-ugly

* "‘So many scandals’: Control of the Senate could hinge on deeply flawed Trump pick, Paxton:" https://www.ms.now/the-briefing-with-jen-psaki/watch/so-many-scandals-control-of-the-senate-could-hinge-on-deeply-flawed-trump-pick-paxton-2501492291613

* "Hayes: The MAGA base is shrinking, but Trump’s grip is tightening:" https://www.ms.now/all-in/watch/hayes-the-maga-base-is-shrinking-but-trump-s-grip-is-tightening-2501579843988

**** Last Week's Elections ****

* "Here's how Tuesday's primary elections played out, state-by-state:" https://www.npr.org/2026/05/18/g-s1-122235/primary-day-alabama-georgia-idaho-kentucky-oregon-pennsylvania

* "Trump notches more GOP primary wins, but big midterm questions remain:" https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2026-election/trump-primary-election-race-influence-gop-massie-cassidy-paxton-rcna346007

* "Trump-backed challenger defeats Republican rebel Massie in primary:" Trump-backed challenger defeats Republican rebel Massie in primary

* "Trump completed his revenge tour. Allies wonder what it cost.:" https://www.politico.com/news/2026/05/20/trump-revenge-midterms-00929255

* "Trump’s power play is backfiring as betrayed Republicans go rogue:" https://www.ms.now/the-briefing-with-jen-psaki/watch/trump-s-power-play-is-backfiring-as-betrayed-republicans-go-rogue-2500859459779

* "Trump is losing control of the Senate (even some ‘bootlickers’):" https://www.ms.now/the-briefing-with-jen-psaki/watch/trump-is-losing-control-of-the-senate-even-some-bootlickers-2500998723584

* "Results are in for Pa.'s primary elections; Chris Rabb, Bob Brooks among winners:" https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/politics/live-updates-democrats-republicans-pick-their-nominees-in-pa-primaries/4403709/

* "Christine Drazan wins Oregon GOP primary for governor, setting up rematch with Democratic Gov. Tina Kotek:" https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2026-election/oregon-governor-primary-election-race-winner-christine-drazan-rcna345007

* "Oregon voters decisive as they reject gas tax, renominate Drazan:" https://www.opb.org/article/2026/05/20/oregon-primary-election-voters-gas-tax-drazan-gop-governor/

* "Idaho’s Hard-Right Republicans Suffer Heavy Losses in Primary Elections:" https://www.newsweek.com/idaho-gang-of-eight-republican-primary-suffer-election-result-losses-11971384

* "Georgia Supreme Court justices fend off Democratic-backed challengers:" https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2026-election/georgia-state-supreme-court-election-results-rcna345001

* "Maynard Nexsen Shareholder Poised to Oversee Alabama Elections After Victory in Primary:" https://www.law.com/dailyreportonline/2026/05/21/maynard-nexsen-shareholder-poised-to-oversee-alabama-elections-after-victory-in-primary/

* "Nebraska Democratic Senate primary winner says she’ll drop out to support independent in general election:" https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/may/12/nebraska-demoratic-house-primary-winner-cindy-burbank

This is a good thing. Republicans ran a ringer as a Democrat to try to confuse voters as the Democrats are backing an independant in Novemember. She ran to beat the ringer, not to win the November election and was very open about what she was doing.

* "Louisiana senator who voted to convict Trump loses Republican primary:" https://www.npr.org/2026/05/16/nx-s1-5824533/bill-cassidy-lost-louisiana-primary-letlow-trump

* "‘Flushed down the toilet’: Trump wastes tens of millions of GOP dollars bungling primaries:" https://www.ms.now/the-briefing-with-jen-psaki/watch/flushed-down-the-toilet-trump-wastes-tens-of-millions-of-gop-dollars-bungling-primaries-2500722755801

********

* "A nine-hour prayer service on the National Mall & LGBTQ+ hate in the midterms:" https://www.advocate.com/opinion/national-mall-prayer

* "Running for office while LGBTQ+ increasingly means preparing for violence:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/national/lgbtq-candidates-face-political-violence

* "Gay civil rights lawyer launches insurgent challenge to Delaware attorney general:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/states/dwayne-bensing-delaware-ag-challenger

* "Top House Democrats slam Jen Kiggans over radio host’s ‘vile and racist language’:" https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2026/05/12/congress/jen-kiggans-radio-interview-00915928

* "Meet the Democrat poised to become Georgia’s first transgender state lawmaker:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/states/bentley-hudgins-georgia-democrat

* "Texas Democrat Maureen Galindo pledged 'prison for American Zionists' if elected to U.S. House:" https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/maureen-galindo-zionists-quote/

* "Could America elect its first Black transgender member of Congress?:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/national/precious-brady-davis-congressional-prospects

* "Trump calls for GOP challenger to Rep. Boebert as she campaigns with Massie in Kentucky:" https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/5881792-trump-boebert-endorsement-threat/

* "Mamdani Administration Recovers More Than $9 Million in Unpaid Amazon Idling Fines:" https://www.nyc.gov/mayors-office/news/2026/05/mamdani-administration-recovers-more-than--9-million-in-unpaid-a

* "‘We will not be threatened’: Mamdani rejects Trump admin’s anti-immigrant tough talk:" https://www.ms.now/the-briefing-with-jen-psaki/watch/we-will-not-be-threatened-mamdani-rejects-trump-admin-s-anti-immigrant-tough-talk-2501754435745

* "Mamdani endorses primary challenger over Democratic incumbent in House race:" https://www.ms.now/the-briefing-with-jen-psaki/watch/mamdani-endorses-primary-challenger-over-democratic-incumbent-in-house-race-2501746755850

* "California city that banned the Pride flag poised to get powerful gay congressman:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/election/huntington-beach-robert-garcia

* "Democratic Rep. Steve Cohen drops reelection bid after redistricting in Tennessee:" https://www.cbsnews.com/news/democratic-rep-steve-cohen-tennessee-announces-retirement-congress/

* "Pete Buttigieg emerges as early favorite for 2028 Democratic nomination:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/national/pete-buttigieg-leads-2028-hopefuls

While I would rather him than Gavin Newsom or a Kamala Harris re-run, please, please, Democrats, pick someone better.

* "Flurry of new NC constitutional amendments piling up for November ballot:" https://ncnewsline.com/2026/05/14/flurry-of-new-nc-constitutional-amendments-piling-up-for-november-ballot/

* "Mainers won’t vote on anti-trans measure after it fails to qualify for November ballot:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/states/maine-trans-sports-ballot-fails

* "Teenage gunmen open fire on San Diego mosque, killing 3 men and then themselves:" https://apnews.com/article/san-diego-islamic-center-shooting-af934ee29b397fba1495baf2529c49f8

* "The teens who attacked the Islamic Center of San Diego were latest to cite prior atrocities:" https://apnews.com/article/christchurch-islamic-center-mosque-san-diego-47582ddae2690a0205e2af6439ee9e65

* "Year before shooting, father removed guns from home of Islamic Center teen gunman:" https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/year-before-shooting-father-removed-guns-from-home-of-islamic-center-teen-gunman/4027678/

* "San Diego’s Muslim community picks up the pieces after mass shooting: ‘We’re just your neighbors’:" https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/may/22/islamic-center-of-san-diego-shooting-aftermath

* "Luigi Mangione trial judge allows gun and notebook to be used as evidence:" https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/may/18/luigi-mangione-trial-new-york-united-healthcare-ceo?

* "Secret Service kills man who opened fire at White House security checkpoint:" https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/gunshots-reported-near-white-house-rcna346671

* "Alex Murdaugh's Murder Trial is a Catastrophe:"

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* CW: Child Abuse. "Native kids with disabilities were held in wooden boxes. Sweeping reforms are coming:" https://www.npr.org/2026/05/14/nx-s1-5821682/salmon-river-mohawk-children

* CW: CSA. "Former Waco attorney Adam Hoffman released from 60-day jail term after 29 days :" https://www.kwtx.com/2026/05/25/former-waco-attorney-adam-hoffman-released-60-day-jail-term-after-29-days/

* CW: Sexual Assault. "Man arrested for pulling down trans woman’s skirt in front of children at Ohio amusement park:" https://www.advocate.com/news/crime/ohio-transgender-woman-skirt-arrest

* "Judge stops Kansas law restricting transgender youth health care:" https://www.advocate.com/health/transgender-health/judge-blocks-kansas-care-ban

* "Kansas Judge Eviscerates Anti-Trans "Experts" Jamie Reed, Chloe Cole, James Cantor; Blocks Care Ban:" https://www.erininthemorning.com/p/kansas-judge-eviscerates-anti-trans

* "The Christian nonprofit, founded by the late James Dobson, has advocated for anti-LGBTQ policies for nearly half a century.:" https://www.advocate.com/news/religion/focus-on-the-family-track-record

* "Defendant charged with killing gay NYC dancer denies hate crime motive at trial:" https://www.advocate.com/news/crime/oshae-sibley-murder-defendant-testifies

* "Chicago community raises more than $40K for husband of gay man killed in alleged stalker shooting:" https://www.advocate.com/news/crime/chicago-leather-community-murder

* "NYC man indicted on hate crimes charges in alleged antigay beating:" https://www.advocate.com/news/crime/nyc-subway-beating-hate-crime

* "Missing transgender student found dead in Kentucky after weeks-long search:" https://www.advocate.com/news/transgender-kentucky-student-dead

* "Police arrest man in alleged antigay hate crime during D.C. Black Pride:" https://www.advocate.com/news/crime/dc-antigay-hate-crime

* "Pete Hegseth’s West Point commencement address was a diatribe of hateful garbage:" https://www.advocate.com/opinion/pete-hegseth-westpoint-speech-trash

* "Trans salutatorian’s powerful graduation speech puts Mississippi school’s mistreatment on display:" https://www.advocate.com/news/jonas-hole-mississippi-graduation-speech

* "Gay Kentucky 8th grader calls out his school’s ‘racism’ & ‘homophobia’ in viral graduation speech:" https://www.advocate.com/news/people/kentucky-middle-school-graduation-speech

* "Under New Olympic Sex Testing Policy, A Cis Woman Who Gives Birth Could Be Considered Male:" https://www.erininthemorning.com/p/under-new-olympic-sex-testing-policy

* "Trans teen at center of Supreme Court sports case wins West Virginia state title:" https://www.advocate.com/news/people/becky-pepper-jackson-championship-win

* "The pursuit continues: Why an HIV vaccine still matters:" https://www.advocate.com/opinion/why-hiv-vaccine-research-still-matters

* "Hantavirus Legal Nightmare:"

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* "The Close, Prolonged Contact Myth:" https://web.archive.org/web/20260512233134/https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/05/hantavirus-outbreak-cruise-ship/687140/

* "How a Nature Cruise Turned Into a Nightmare:" https://archive.ph/nMIzv

* "Health officials track fourth King County resident tied to MV Hondius Andes hantavirus :" https://komonews.com/news/local/4th-king-county-resident-connected-to-cruise-ship-hantavirus-outbreak-being-monitored-amsterdam-johannesburg-symptoms-mv-hondius-andes-hantavirus

* "How South African scientists identified hantavirus on a cruise ship thousands of miles away:" https://apnews.com/article/south-africa-hantavirus-diagnosis-scientists-42d1ec3a330e6647856f74b25594e856

* "Trump Administration Health Official Tapped to Lead Hantavirus Response Is a Penile Implant Specialist:" https://people.com/trump-admin-health-official-leading-hantavirus-response-penile-implant-specialist-11975764

* "Study finds deadly hantavirus more widespread in Pacific Northwest rodents than expected:" https://komonews.com/news/local/study-finds-deadly-hantavirus-more-widespread-in-pacific-northwest-rodents-than-expected-disease-infection-mice-rats-droppings-symptoms-pandemic-andes-virus-covid-cruise-ship-washington-idaho-oregon

* "Polymarket’s Hot New Bet: Hantavirus:" https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/05/polymarket-prediction-market-hantavirus-pandemic-epidemic-betting/

* "World Health Organization declares Ebola outbreak in Congo a global health emergency:" https://www.npr.org/2026/05/16/g-s1-122494/new-ebola-outbreak-drc-who-global-emergency

* "Inside the epicenter of the Ebola outbreak in DRC as the virus spreads:" https://www.cnn.com/2026/05/24/africa/ebola-outbreak-view-from-drc-congo-intl

* "Congo curtails funeral wakes in Ebola outbreak as WHO upgrades risk assessment:" https://apnews.com/article/congo-ebola-outbreak-who-4e08d8df6d9c34039a9e0b8bad7a8954

* "In City at Center of Ebola Crisis, ‘the Virus Is Far Ahead of Us’:" https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/24/world/africa/ebola-virus-congo-response.html

* "Red Cross volunteers die from suspected Ebola in DR Congo:" https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c759knxln0wo

* "This Ebola outbreak raises questions about when it all began — and the U.S. response:" https://www.npr.org/2026/05/18/g-s1-122655/ebola-outbreak-democratic-republic-congo-uganda

* "UK scientists developing Ebola vaccine that could be ready for trials in months:" https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy82gkr7xzlo

Not soon enough for so many, alas.

* "WHO Reveals ‘Huge’ Death Rate From Ebola Outbreak:" https://www.thedailybeast.com/who-reveals-huge-death-rate-from-ebola-outbreak-in-drc/

* "Tracking the 2026 Ebola outbreak:" https://www.nbcnews.com/data-graphics/ebola-outbreak-2026-cases-virus-tracking-maps-spread-congo-ugangda-us-rcna347102

* "U.S. passengers flying from Ebola-affected countries rerouted:" https://www.npr.org/2026/05/23/nx-s1-5831963/u-s-passengers-flying-from-ebola-affected-countries-rerouted

* "Kenya court suspends US plan for Ebola quarantine facility for Americans:" https://apnews.com/article/kenya-us-ebola-quarantine-facility-f0c7ed6dc3fe339b9b974fd12782ca8d

* I don't blame them. "Ebola and hantavirus outbreaks prompt raft of conspiracy theories in divided US:" https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/may/25/ebola-hantavirus-conspiracy-theories

* How to help a person who has fallen out of their wheelchair: https://www.tumblr.com/gwydionmisha/817559147942985728?source=share

* Suggestions for people who struggle with tooth brushing because sensory issues. Things for people who have a hard time brushing at all up top. Scrool down for toopaste and mouthwash suggestions. "On Dentists:" https://www.tumblr.com/gwydionmisha/817002427155988482/on-dentists?source=share
* "New wildfire reported in Los Angeles County on May 25 :" https://www.fresnobee.com/news/california/fires/article315884416.html

* "Nasa images show wildfire damage to island dubbed ‘Galapagos of California’ :" https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/may/27/santa-rosa-island-california-wildfire-damage

* "Flooding kills at least nine in China's Chongqing, state media says:" https://archive.ph/CIkm9

* "Flooding reported across Southwest Ohio; Weather to dry starting Thursday:" https://www.daytondailynews.com/local/flooding-reported-across-southwest-ohio-weather-to-dry-starting-thursday/article_208b305c-cfdc-55c5-be7e-aa6584029a91.html

* "‘A nightmare’: Deadly flash flooding shocks residents, first responders in Cocke County:" https://www.wate.com/news/cocke-county-news/cocke-county-flooding-kills-one/

* "Heavy rain around West Alabama stokes flash flooding worries:" https://www.wvua23.com/news/heavy-rain-around-west-alabama-stokes-flash-flooding-worries/article_5f3843df-c3e7-4e42-9baf-05484400fff4.html

* "1 person has died after blast at New York City shipyard that also injured 36 people, officials say.:" https://apnews.com/article/nyc-new-york-shipyard-explosion-fire-injured-90e97ade84e47b493191169eeda1a3f2

* "What to Know the Mysterious Deaths in New Mexico Linked to Unknown Substance:" https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/new-mexico/articles/2026-05-21/what-to-know-the-mysterious-deaths-in-new-mexico-linked-to-unknown-substance
* "In a First for the U.S., Renewables Generate More Power Than Natural Gas:" https://e360.yale.edu/digest/us-renewables-natural-gas-coal

* "Anthropic blames dystopian sci-fi for training AI models to act “evil”:" https://arstechnica.com/ai/2026/05/anthropic-blames-dystopian-sci-fi-for-training-ai-models-to-act-evil/

* "Hidden History: This nonbinary minister was a hero of the American Revolution:" https://www.advocate.com/history/nonbinary-minister-hero-american-revolution

* "What Memorial Day owes queer soldiers :" https://www.advocate.com/opinion/queer-soldiers-american-history-memorial-day

* "Community grieves Juniper Blessing, trans student with 'heart of gold' who loved meteorology and Pokémon:" https://www.advocate.com/news/community-grieves-juniper-blessing-trans-student-with-heart-of-gold-who-loved-meteorology-and-pokemon

* "Dog shoots woman with shotgun at Nebraska convenience store:" https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/may/26/dog-shotgun-nebraska-convenience-store

* "Hancock Middle School Students Stop Bus From Crashing After Driver Blacks Out:" https://www.mississippifreepress.org/hancock-middle-school-students-stop-bus-from-crashing-after-driver-blacks-out/

* Kitten news! Livia's old rescue called and we are getting kittens from them instead. Due to scheduling issues, not Saturday next. They will be girls from the January litter. One will be black. The other will either be tuxedo or black with subtle tabby markings. There are only four of the seven left as of last Friday. The plan is, I sit on the floor and let the kittens pick me.

UPDATE: Wheelchair practice is exhausting for everyone involved, but we made some progress.

* It has been a really rough week physically with Too Many Things in it. Also too much pollen. Way too much pollen.

When I went on my TP run to ethical grocery, I saw Plant bukake floating around over the highway, which added to my car being covered in it, and me coming home with my shirt visibly dusted on and off for weeks gives you an idea of what I am dealing with.

We've been using the Livingroom window bench for wheelchair practice, which prevents installing the air-conditioning/air filtration.

By the time I went north for the optometrist there were some plant bukake balls as big as my thumb above the knuckle. It's in the parking lot on little clusters and scattered on the entry rug in the lobby, but we aren't at drift stage yet.

I had forgotten to budget for glasses. Fuckssake. I am committed on the kittens, which we go to get Saturday, as in the money is a fixed amount and I have moved it onto a card they accept, along with a little extra in case we need gas to get back home. I am really hoping I have enough to cover end of the month auto-withdraw, but I can't be sure.

Wheelchair practice keeps getting postponed. It was meant to be Wednesday, then Thursday, but the air quality is just so bad we are all exhausted. every little thing I do I need to lie down after.

When I came out of my room with it's strong filtration, I really struggled to breath. There was nothing for it but to move the wheelchair into the kitchen and manhandle the air conditioner into place. In less than an hour of starting it up I felt so much better. I'm still congested, but the cough is down to just a little worse than normal. I feel terrible for Livia, who's window box had to be moved left and who's window is now closed. As I typed this she came out and saw to her distress. So unfair.

* Firefox did another update where it wiped everything. I had so much laid out and organized to go, but too many things were happening Thursday night so I shut down planning to do all the posting Friday.

It's gone. I just can't put it all back. I do not have a couple days for recovery and reorganization, not as my health is now. I am already drowning in too many things and I still have some kitten prep and to somehow squeeze in some sleep.

It wasn't just Firefox either. At least Waterfox fixed their shit so I'm not going to have to reconstruct there too. (Do the real work on Water and Fire, but I keep a couple other browsers around because some things are easier if I can just flip back and forth. I just checked and the podcast browser is okay. These are the three that matter most).

I'm going to see what I can do about saving the last couple weeks of work, but please, please don't rely on me for anything right now.

* Saturday/Sunday Kitten post with pictures: https://www.tumblr.com/gwydionmisha/817545222297878528/personal-kitten-update?source=share

* Monday: the kittens are a delight but they are athletic on the Hector "Are you sure you don't have wings scale" and are likely going to be Livia big when the grow up as they are already nearly Tavy sized. I will be sitting at my desk and a kitten will fly over my shoulder. Lat night, I looked up just in time to catch one of them leaping about three feet in the are on a very narrow parabola, tail flying like a flag. I heard the landing thump right as the other dig the exact same thing. They literally bounce off furniture.

Clawdia makes waaaay more messes and is voted most likely to end up in a toilet, fish tank, or dryer and is a pain in the ass when she escapes anything. Sappho is quiet and clever and very patient. She is voted most likely to get past the legs without you knowing and her capacity for large scale mess making stunned me today. Like, she doesn't knock small things over all the time or make mistakes near the litter box, but goes for it she really goes for it. It took more than half an hour to sort out the mess in the kitchen. I'm pretty sure the blender will be all right, but another of my great grandmother's plates was broken in half, and the rack with the extracts and food colouring was ripped from the wall, destroying the fasteners and scattering everything everywhere. I will need to buy more fasteners when there is money again.

They really, really want to befriend Livia, particularly Saffy. Livia is enforcing a three foot rule for their approach, but will come within a foot if they are in sleepy mode. I managed to give her a really long bed pet last night with them turning up halfway through. She was up at the head center, and they spread out along the closet side. She's going about it exactly the way Livia seduced Little Miss back in the day. I will sit still just outside growling distance, and respectfully hang out making the occasional blinky eyes. Next time, she sits just slightly closer. She got as close as two feet last night by slow increments, but once she triggered growls, Livia insisted she move back to the cordon line.

Clawdia is temperamentally closer to Tavy, so will likely take longer, but I know Livia misses having cats around and when they are sleeping in view or hanging out quietly, it's fine.

Adjustment takes time and they are making daily progress with it, which is Fast on a cat scale.

* Tuesday: Livia, grumbling: It is very hard to get angry at this kitten when she is just sitting peaceably a foot away and I am getting head scritches. It is infuriating!

It was fine, even when Clawdia came and sat behind Sappho, completely ignoring the pre-established three foot Clawdia cordon. What was not fine was when Saffy in a moment of over ambitious enthusiasm prepared to leap the small gap to Livia's personal bedroom window podium, which her human made just for her and which even Tavy wasn't allowed to sit on, the one on which she was at that very moment getting a belly rub. It was a bridge too far!

Livia: How dare! How Dare!

Sappho, chastened, steps back to the two foot Saffy cordon

* Wednesday: Nose touch today before Livia hissed at Saffy. Saffy decided to take her afternoon nap in there, sprawled out about two feet from Livia, who curled up for hers on her podium.

Livia has resumed pettin throne Pets, another sign she is relaxing around the kittens.

Clawdia's intestinal distress seems to have resolved, and it turns out she likes burrowing under the blankets with me.

I have no idea what was going on in the vicinity of my legs around the time the Black Death was crossing into Savoy, but ist was clearly very exciting.

Today we did feather time with Tavy's feather and bat toy he got as a gift from friends about a month and a half before he died. (This was is personal special toy. ) It is perfect for two kittens who play well together as the bat and the little boa move differently and if one of them grabs one to rassle, I can wiggle the other part for the other kitten. I ended up with two toys in play, but it was really helpful when I needed a hand for something else. Saffy eventually grabbed the bat toy and ran off with it.

Later when I went to return library stuff, I found someone had found were I hid Livia's personal favorite toy and dragged it to the kitchen door. I have hidden it somewhere else. (Livia will play with a few things, but most things she won't and it's little fragile and her favorite, so it is her personal special toy. Eventually the kittens will each have one special toy just for them, but right now they are having a wonderful time trying all the toys).

My bank stopped posting updates for the holiday end of Thursday and only just updated everything today. I was super close on the glasses and it is possible I miscalculated by 20-25 dollars as I wasn't sure what was and wasn't still in processing limbo. If the glasses check was cashed and cleared by the optometrist before the weekend, I am fine. If not, it's possible I'm fucked. I had a surprise autodraw for my anti-virus, which would be the thing putting me over. (Kitten funds had been moved to a credit card earlier in the week.)

IDK. I am hoping they either cashed it, or are super slow cashers like my car mechanic and they only deposit checks twice a month. There is nothing to be done about it now. Sigh.

If I'd realized it was coming I would have cancelled it.

In any case they cats are doing really well, and everyone is adjusting pretty fast by cat standards. They are starting to form routines.

* "MAGA Rages Over Missing Trump Phones & POTUS Heads to China with Elon and the Boys | The Daily Show:"

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* "Billionaire Boys Trip | Our Trillion-Dollar “Sledgehammer” | America Is Out Of Control:"

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* "Handshake Dominance | Trump: I Only Say The Truth | Fox News In China | The Snack Crisis:"

Embed: )

* "Structured Settlements & Factoring Companies: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO):"

Embed: )

* "A Reciprocal Emotional Relationship - Colbert's Series Finale Begins With A Message For His Audience:"

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* "Glitter, wings and whimsy: Black cosplayers turn Georgia woods into a fae wonderland:" https://apnews.com/photo-essay/black-fae-fest-photo-essay-48e67b5ca66b6348cd8e1e0617bf96df?

* CW: Suicidal Ideation. "She's In A Casket. Then Things Got Weird | Grave Conversations:"

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* CW: Suicide. "Matthew Lillard RETURNS | Grave Conversations With David Dastmalchian:"

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* "Horrendous Hellenic Heroes:" https://www.youtube.com/shorts/jK9uAnPXtFg

* "Alcibiades Anarchy:" https://www.youtube.com/shorts/pUooWHd70Uk

* "Funny Funerals:" https://www.youtube.com/shorts/CNfarr063J0

* "Titanic Triumvirate Trifling Trials:" https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Z1FrAq1YZLE

* "Profitable Proscription:" https://www.youtube.com/shorts/ZMzUnbbwoSw

* "Silly Schisms:" https://www.youtube.com/shorts/qyEghOtq9HM

* "Obstinate Oaths:" https://www.youtube.com/shorts/qXyXTfD3HTI

* "Napoleonic Novelty:" https://www.youtube.com/shorts/UpgZK5d3Oz0

* "Nauseating Nostalgia Films:" https://www.youtube.com/shorts/TG0IuTVV3Bo

* "Kind-hearted Kids 10 (Tantrums):" https://www.youtube.com/shorts/bNiBcbRBA2g

* "President Barack Obama Takes The Colbert Questionert:"

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* "How President Trump Negotiates With Himself:"

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* ""Streets of Minneapolis" - Bruce Springsteen (LIVE on The Late Show):"

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* "Interviewing the Cat Sitter:" https://www.youtube.com/shorts/WCO6ve3ANTQ

* I think this pause we just had in Dracula Daily is one of those moments where reading it in this weird way adds a little something special.

Jonathan’s terror is palpable in his short May 19th note in which he writes the day he expects to die. The briefness and lack of extra description hammer home his fear.

And then he just sits with it for a while, letting the enormity of it all sink in, and we sit with it with him as days pass.

* Cool Shakespeare Staging (I'd seen the first couple before, but not the others: https://www.tumblr.com/gwydionmisha/817826600322285568?source=share

* Things people misunderstood writing fanfic: https://www.tumblr.com/gwydionmisha/817835123041091585?source=share

*****
* Full list of Resistance and charity links has been migrated to my profile as it was getting out of hand.

The help links are at the bottom under the cut.

* The public comment period is open now through May 22, 2026: https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs/search/docket-detail/19-41

* "Transcontinental Pipeline:" https://tcpipeline.org/steps/

* "Project Salt Box:" https://projectsaltbox.substack.com/

* "When the Feds Come to Your City: Standing Up to ICE :" https://crimethinc.com/2025/12/03/when-the-feds-come-to-your-city-standing-up-to-ice-a-guide-from-chicago-organizers

* Links to Help organize in advance of ICE Occupation: https://www.tumblr.com/gwydionmisha/807226885129060352?source=share

* "Swing Left:" https://swingleft.org/

* "2026 Statewide Primary Calendar:" https://www.270towin.com/2026-state-primary-calendar/

More )

tea review: formosa black tea

May. 29th, 2026 10:59 pm
spiralicious: heart shaped tea cup (<3 tea)
[personal profile] spiralicious
Tea Month 2026: Tea 17

Tea Review
Name: Formosa Black Tea
Brand: unsure, vendor: Tao of Tea
Type: black
Loose leaf

Notes:
This was another tea from Taiwan. I did not write enough notes to describe this properly, but according to Tea Guy, Taiwan has a program to incentivize farmers to experiment with different ways to cultivate tea and bring out different flavors in the tea. And this tea is possibly part of that. This one was grown in such a way that it has a fruity flavor. All of us experienced that slightly differently. For me, it tasted and smelled a bit like raspberry hard candy, but everyone either tasted something similar to raspberries or citrus. It's a very light black tea, flavor wise. We did two infusions of this one. With the first infusion, it was a very dark amber color and the fruity scent was very strong. For the second infusion though, the color became more golden and the fruity scent was gone. Tea Guy said this happened because the more you brew it the more it brings out the tannins I'm the tea. He also said this one makes an excellent iced tea.

Rate
Appearance: 8
Aroma: 7
Flavor: 7

Overall Rating: 3.5 stars

Holy shit!

May. 29th, 2026 09:53 pm
soc_puppet: Two girls in highschool uniform staring in awe; their hands are pressed together, and imaginary roses are blooming behind them. Above them is a crude drawing of an umbrella topped with a heart and the words, "A happy ending". (A happy ending)
[personal profile] soc_puppet
I've been waiting on the typical spring Kodansha manga drop at HumbleBundle, and while it usually comes sooner in the year (IIRC), this year's dump does not disappoint:

61 volume BL, Yuri, and Beyond bundle for $30 USD. Includes a couple of titles I've been meaning to pick up for a while now, as well as at least one "classic" (Saiyuki: The Original Series Resurrected Edition).

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