People have expressed interest in deep topics, so this list focuses on philosophical questions.
Is it right or wrong that everyone seems to be accustomed to the fact that all of humanity and most of the life on Earth could be wiped out at the whim of a handful of people?
I picked out what to get from Edible Landscaping. There's not much left this season. I should try them in fall to see if they have a better selection then.
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 21, 2026 is:
laconic • \luh-KAH-nik\ • adjective
Laconic describes someone or something communicating with few words. Laconic can more narrowly mean "concise to the point of seeming rude or mysterious."
// The stand-up comedian is known for his laconic wit and mastery of the one-liner.
"Elijah did not enjoy all my choices. ... But my son listened closely to every selection. He remembered plot points better than I did and assessed historical figures concisely. 'Mean,' he said of Voltaire. 'Creepy,' summed up Alexander Hamilton. ... Most surprising, my laconic teenager shared my love of Austen. Those hours listening to Pride and Prejudice were some of the happiest of my parenting life." — Allegra Goodman, LitHub.com, 4 Feb. 2025
Did you know?
We'll keep it brief. Laconia was once an ancient province in southern Greece. Its capital city was Sparta, and the Spartans were famous for their terseness of speech. Laconic comes to us by way of the Latin word laconicus ("Spartan") from the Greek word lakōnikos. In current use, laconic means "terse" or "concise to the point of seeming rude or mysterious," and thus recalls the Spartans' tight-lipped taciturnity.
Because it's nice to let people know that we appreciate them.
In the spirit of love memes, this meme is a place to thank someone who's created something you love, or done something kind that you still remember after all this time, or who has made your fandom life (or your life in general!) better in some way.
I had some long days at the end of this week. On Thursday I took a job that was listed as a para position in a classroom alongside a teacher and assistant. When I got there it emerged that they actually wanted me to teach a first grade class alone, last minute, without plans and with no other adult in the classroom to lean on. In a class usually run by three adults.
I did it, and no one got badly hurt. One girl got a little pencil prick and bled a bit, but that was the worst direct child-harm. The little boy who normally has his own one-to-one para needed redirection about every thirty seconds, but I managed to keep things fairly calm and tear-free while getting through all but one of the emergency make-do lessons the very kind teacher next door printed for me. One student was determinedly destructive, which eventually forced me to break a long streak of not removing students from my classrooms. I hate doing that, but I tried everything else first.
Sometimes at this job, I'm thrown into a situation where I just have to tell myself that I need to do the best I can with the skills and tools I have. From a surprise solo teaching gig with zero premade sub plans, I ended up with a roomful of alive, uninjured children and a couple stacks of semi-complete worksheets. That's not a bad result, even if I'm not as polished at lower elementary instruction as I hope to eventually become. Everything is practice.
The funniest moment of the day was when a teeny six year old boy looked down at his subtraction worksheet and back up at me, scrunched up his face, and said in his birdlike little voice, "Ms. Gremdark, why are you such a bastard?" I did a strategic lip bite to keep from laughing. It was an absolutely hilarious delivery.
Today, things worked out so that I was in the classroom directly across the hall from Thursday's, teaching K-5 music. The music teacher had planned her absence well in advance and left an absolute holy grail of sub plans. She had detailed teaching scripts for each class, bonus suggestions for if material ended early, and all kinds of supplementals to cover various contingencies. As a result things went very smoothly. I taught 5th and 2nd grade music in the morning, then saw 4th grade and Kindergarten after recess and 3rd grade just before dismissal. It was a nigh-perfect day, even with the usual shoving matches and tattling and stolen pencils. I've started bringing a little bluetooth speaker in my bag, and I use it to play a specific jazz album when classes are doing ""silent"" solo work. It's a very effective strategy, though it was no match for post-recess Kindergarten energy.
3rd grade was the most challenging. One boy repeatedly asked me if I was a virgin. "That's not a question we ask people at school, Name. Focus on your worksheet." Later in the class, the same boy asked to go to the bathroom, then flooded it. According to his teacher, he's done that several times this year.
My favorite moment of the day happened in the 4th grade class, which the sub plan had warned me would be "chatty and high energy." Sure enough, I had to raise my voice more than I prefer and separate several people. The older kids were doing a webquest about Black musicians. The jazz album brought the chattiness down to a low rumble. Then I had to spend a good fifteen minutes intervening in a situation where two girls were bullying a third girl, calling her names and trying to make her upset. It was clearly an established pattern.
I finally got the instigators separated on opposite sides of the back of the room, but by then the girl they'd been cruel to was crying. She'd already been stuck on the worksheet before the bullying picked up steam, and of course it's so hard to figure out a confusing assignment when something else is upsetting you. I sat with her for a bit and made sure she knew that I would tell her regular teacher what happened and that there would be no consequences if she couldn't finish it by the end of class. That made her feel better about taking a breather in the "calming corner." It took about twenty minutes, but she emerged with dry eyes at last and settled in to work out the tricky part of the worksheet.
Just as I was about to walk over and see if I could help without embarrassing her, two little boys looked at each other and crossed the room to talk to her. These two had previously been very high energy and done a lot of roughhousing, but now they made sure to speak quietly and kindly to their classmate. They invited her back to where they were sitting and folded her into their little group. I was touched to see how gently a previously loud and rough group of kids met their classmate's anxiety and stress with compassion. I didn't need to say a word to that group for the rest of the period. With their support, she finished the worksheet just before the end of class. I made sure to tell all three that I was proud of them before they lined up.
That's one thing I love about teaching. For every kid I see acting out cruel patterns they've adopted from adults, I see more making choices like those little boys and using the tools they have to do what they can for the people around them.
Current Mood:touched
Current Music:Mint Jams (The jazz album with magic child quieting powers)
Today's project was creating an enclosure behind the log garden. I dragged some more logs back there so I can dump dead leaves inside. That way, they'll stay put, create habitat, hold moisture, and remain available in case I want some leaf litter during the warm season. This is a good use for old logs if you have any lying around.
A new report from the United Nations warns humanity has entered an era that researchers call “water bankruptcy.” In many regions, yearly rainfall and river flows are no longer enough to meet demand.
In response, countries are increasingly drawing down groundwater reserves that can take centuries, or even millennia, to refill.
That's right, the highest court in the land blocked the tariffs in a 6-3 decision. Opposing the decision were - take a big guess - Alito, Thomas, and Kavanaugh.
There were a few problems. HIS use of tariffs were predicated on using the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), which a lower court declared did not give him the power to impose tariffs. Specifically, the law that created the act did not include the words "tariffs" or "duties" and that those powers did indeed lie in the House of Representatives and their specific control of the country's purse strings.
Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the ruling. From the NBC article: "The president asserts the extraordinary power to unilaterally impose tariffs of unlimited amount, duration and scope," Roberts wrote. But the Trump administration "points to no statute" in which Congress has previously said that the language in IEEPA could apply to tariffs, he added.
As such, "we hold that IEEPA does not authorize the president to impose tariffs," Roberts wrote.
The 1977 IEEPA has never been previously invoked, so there is no historical precedent to draw from.
To try and throw a bone to the President's supporters, Gorsuch said this:
For those who think it important for the Nation to impose more tariffs, I understand that today’s decision will be disappointing. All I can offer them is that most major decisions affecting the rights and responsibilities of the American people (including the duty to pay taxes and tariffs) are funneled through the legislative process for a reason. Yes, legislating can be hard and take time. And, yes, it can be tempting to bypass Congress when some pressing problem arises. But the deliberative nature of the legislative process was the whole point of its design. Through that process, the Nation can tap the combined wisdom of the people’s elected representatives, not just that of one faction or man. There, deliberation tempers impulse, and compromise hammers disagreements into workable solutions. And because laws must earn such broad support to survive the legislative process, they tend to endure, allowing ordinary people to plan their lives in ways they cannot when the rules shift from day to day."
Now, I think this is a fine thing to say. But I wonder how many of his followers will be able to parse the meaning of it?
In response to the ruling, a hissy fit was thrown, a certain toddler was heard saying that 'I don't need the IEEPA!' and set all tariffs to 10%, which is a great reduction for lots of countries and an increase for some.
Also from the NBC article: "The decision does not affect all of Trump's tariffs, leaving in place ones he imposed on steel and aluminum using different laws, for example. But it upends his tariffs in two categories. One is country-by-country or “reciprocal” tariffs, which range from 34% for China to a 10% baseline for the rest of the world. The other is a 25% tariff Trump imposed on some goods from Canada, China and Mexico for what the administration said was their failure to curb the flow of fentanyl."
It looks like the $175 billion that has been paid by importers could be subject to refunds, we'll see what happens. It's going to be a huge mess trying to pry that money out of the Treasury, regardless.
Today I went to my local Japanese restaurant, Ikenohana, specifically for a gyudon makeup lunch. I already know that Ikenohana has excellent gyudon – and it would be the unicorn chaser for the Donburi Factory experience.
I had actually made a lunch reservation – and got my usual table. Service was fast and excellent. I received hot green tea, ice water, a salad, and miso soup for starters. This all was included in the price of the donburi.
Salad, Miso Soup, and Green Tea at Ikenohana
(I’d actually eaten about half of the salad before the miso soup arrived and I took the picture.)
The miso soup was prepared, not instant – and had a rich taste not present in the thin soup at Donburi Factory.
The donburi was delicious, as always. This is to be expected from a restaurant that also serves excellent sukiyaki. And benishoga (red pickled ginger) is always provided. (I could have used some for the Donburi Factory gyudon.) Presentation is a huge step up from Donburi Factory, as the gyudon was served in a ceramic bowl, the miso soup served in a lacquer bowl, and restaurant non-disposable chopsticks were provided.
The Japanese servers recognized me and called me by name – and were super polite as always. I always feel spoiled by them. This is all to say that atmosphere and service were outstanding. I was very happy with lunch.
Because service was quick, I was finished with lunch in 40 minutes, even as I was reading Apple News during lunch.
A price comparison between my two donburi lunches this week is revealing:
Gyudon Price Comparison
Guess where I’ll be getting my donburi from here on out (not that there was any question)?
I haven't fed the birds yet. Already I've seen one male and two female house finches, plus a male cardinal. :D
EDIT 2/20/26 -- I fed the birds. I've seen a fox squirrel at the hopper feeder.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 2/20/26 -- Under the big mulberry tree in the house yard, I hauled several logs toward the log garden. I am working on creating a sort of enclosure there where I can pile dead leaves. That will contain raked-off leaves, create habitat, store moisture, and keep the leaf litter available into the growing season.
EDIT 2/20/26 -- I hauled more logs to complete the enclosure. \o/
I flushed the great horned owl from the ritual meadow when I went back there.
EDIT 2/20/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
I took a few pictures of the log garden enclosure.
I've seen a large flock of sparrows and a mourning dove.
EDIT 2/20/26 -- I raked leaves away from the base of the barrel garden. So many tulips are sprouting there! :D
EDIT 2/20/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
A week and a half ago, we posted about our favorite sports books with queer characters. When we were collecting the recommendations for that post, we got so many recommendations for hockey books that we decided to break them out into their own post! Today, we bring that post to you, in celebration of the Olympic men’s hockey semi-finals taking place today (game one started just a few minutes before I started this post, in fact). Most of these are m/m, which wasn’t intentional, but here we are I suppose.
1. Попасть на концерт Гоголь Борделло я пыталась начиная с 2010-2011 года, возможно раньше. Каждый раз, когда я покупала билеты или хотя бы пристреливалась -- умирал кто-то близкий или случался иной глобальный пиздец. Поэтому в декабре билеты покупал Патлатый. У него рука полегче, и карма почище. Но вчера, целый день, я всё равно ждала, что где-то что-то ёбнет. В концерт-холл заложат бомбу, прилетит стадо зимней саранчи, начнётся третья мировая. Пока нннет, не началось. И таки шо сказать, дорогая редакция? Ожидание длиной в 15 лет того стоило! Панки живы, веселы, адекватны политически. Не подвели ни грамулечки. Сегодня у меня болят шея и ноги, и голос сиплый. Just like the good old days.
А ещё Евгений выкинул все русскоязычные вставки в песнях. Без "ах подайте нам карету, вот эту, и мы поедем к ебеням" немножечко грустно. Но зато когда он объявил "this song does not have russian words anymore, heh-heh, you know why", несколько лаптеногов демонстративно изобразили драму и покинули зал. Ах, какая утрата! Невосполнимейшая.
2. День святого Валентина мы так-то не празднуем (я в принципе не люблю колхозные праздники и предпочитаю сугубо личные, как-то понятней, что праздновать), но в этом году мы решили, что харэ тянуть и нет в году более подходящего дня, чтобы купить себе настоящий, взрослый матрас. Гусары, молчать. НЕ из Ашана, НЕ из Икеи, НЕ из стрёмного постсоветского магазина со стрёмной тёткой. А такой, как в отелях, высокий и прям за деньги. Больше скажу, он не белый, и не в мерзкий цветочек, а чёрный! вааау И таки шо сказать, дорогая редакция? Инвестция достойная. Адекватные жилищные условия в мою жизнь заползают крайне медленно. Вот нормальный матрас случился только в 44 годика, например. But better late than never, right?
Thursday evening, after a long day at the Patent Office, I came home and ate dinner: the last of a batch of black bean chili with guacamole, a green salad, and a pair of Girl Scout cookies. Then I prepared a batch of chocolate chip cookie dough, and put it in the refrigerator to rest, as the recipe calls for. Tonight, I plan to bake cookies, after a dinner of defrosted sweet and sour tempeh, for which I’ll cook brown rice.
And now to start my workday (I’m teleworking today).
February marks an anniversary for us: in this month in 2001, Krissy and Athena and I moved to this house in Bradford, Ohio, so now we have been citizens of this village and state for 25 years. On the 20th anniversary, I wrote a long piece about moving here and what that meant to us, and that’s still largely accurate, so I’m not going to replicate here. I will note that in the last five years, we’ve become even more entrenched here in Bradford, as we went on a bit of a real estate spree, purchasing a church, a campground, and a few other properties, and started a business and foundation here in town as well. We’ve become basically (if not technically precisely) the 21st century equivalent of landed gentry.
It’s possibly fitting that after a quarter century here in rural Ohio, I finally wrote a novel that takes place in it, which will be out, as timing would have it, on election day this year. The town in the novel is fictional but the county is real, as it my own, and it’s been interesting writing something about this place, now — that also, you know, has monsters in it. I certainly hope people around here are going to be okay with that, rather than, say, “you wrote what now about us?” There is a reason I made a fictional town, mind you.
I continue to be a bit of an odd duck for the area, which I don’t see changing, and despite the fact the number of full-time writers in Bradford has doubled thanks to Athena. On the other hand, as I’ve noted before, my output is such that Bradford is the undisputed literary capital of Darke County, and I think that’s something both Bradford and Darke County can be proud of.
Anyway, Ohio, and Darke County, and Bradford, have been good to me in the last quarter century. I hope I have been likewise to them. We’re likely to stay.
These are active communities in Dreamwidth from Winter 2025-2026. They include things I've posted, but only the active ones; the thematic posts also list dormant communities of interest. This list includes some communities that I've found and saved but haven't made it into thematic posts yet. This post covers A-I.
Highly active with multiple posts per day, daily posts, or too many to count easily Active with (one, multiple, many) posts in (current or recent month) Somewhat active (latest post within current year, not in last month or few) Low traffic (latest post in previous year) Dormant (latest post before previous year, but could be revived because membership is open and posting is open to all members or anyone) Dead (not listed because there are no recent posts, plus membership and/or posting are moderated) Note that some communities are only active during a limited time, or only have gather posts on a certain schedule.
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 20, 2026 is:
encapsulate • \in-KAP-suh-layt\ • verb
Encapsulate literally means “to enclose in or as if in a capsule,” but the word is more often used figuratively as a synonym of summarize, to talk about showing or expressing a main idea or quality in a brief way.
// Can you encapsulate the speech in a single paragraph?
// The first song encapsulates the mood of the whole album.
// The contaminated material should be encapsulated and removed.
“While choosing a single film to encapsulate a quarter-century of cinema is an impossible task, Bong Joon Ho’s dark comedy certainly belongs in the conversation. A scathing satire that links two families of vastly different means, the film’s stars thinly smile through the indignities and social faux pas before a climactic and inevitable eruption of violence.” — Kevin Slane, Boston.com, 2 Jan. 2026
Did you know?
We’ll keep it brief by encapsulating the history of this word in just a few sentences. Encapsulate and its related noun, capsule, come to English (via French) from capsula, a diminutive form of the Latin noun capsa, meaning “box.” (Capsa also gave English the word case as it refers to a container or box—not to be confused with the case in “just in case,” which is a separate case.) The earliest examples of encapsulate are for its literal use, “to enclose something in a capsule,” and they date to the late 19th century. Its extended meaning, “to give a summary or synopsis of something,” plays on the notion of a capsule being something compact, self-contained, and often easily digestible.
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