I'm just saying, on fashions and me in fandom
Feb. 3rd, 2026 12:24 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rhiI'm looking at this naked fashion trend and I'm just... First, my brain goes back to Roman sumptuary laws on see-through muslin from India. (It was absolutely see-through, too.) Second, though, I think, 'Oh, look, the new body control for women. Take your GLP-1s, and don't eat so you have less ground to complain about the prices of food, and show yourself off to the men.' So, misogyny and fat-shaming. :sighs:
I'll believe this isn't misogyny when I see the straight guys wearing their best lingerie under suits cut out of see-through fabrics, just FYI.
I'm usually a winter person, but this year, I've been sick and then cranky and look forward to spring. Not to summer, just spring.
Anyone got stuff that's making them happy? I'm resisting getting into Heated Rivalry because the only sport I watch is volleyball and some of the Olympics. Mostly gymnastics and ice skating. I'm not sure who else is reading Longmire or In Death, and honestly, I'm afraid Johnson has written himself into a corner with Longmire. There's a nice Discord server for Highlander, and I'm hoping the group rewatches will get me back into my fandom, but honestly, most of the characters there don't talk to me now.
Ah, well. Maybe once I finish the Leverage novel, the Numbers novel, and the Marvel/Lonesome October piece I'll get back to it. I can hope?
I'll believe this isn't misogyny when I see the straight guys wearing their best lingerie under suits cut out of see-through fabrics, just FYI.
I'm usually a winter person, but this year, I've been sick and then cranky and look forward to spring. Not to summer, just spring.
Anyone got stuff that's making them happy? I'm resisting getting into Heated Rivalry because the only sport I watch is volleyball and some of the Olympics. Mostly gymnastics and ice skating. I'm not sure who else is reading Longmire or In Death, and honestly, I'm afraid Johnson has written himself into a corner with Longmire. There's a nice Discord server for Highlander, and I'm hoping the group rewatches will get me back into my fandom, but honestly, most of the characters there don't talk to me now.
Ah, well. Maybe once I finish the Leverage novel, the Numbers novel, and the Marvel/Lonesome October piece I'll get back to it. I can hope?
52/338: Might Makes Fright
Feb. 2nd, 2026 11:21 pmrejectomorphBeing awake in the morning on... what was it, Monday?... I finally got around to doing a couple of loads of laundry, so I won't have to wear limp rags reeking of stale sweat for a while, but damn, I was so exhausted after five round trips sixty or so feet down the driveway from my front door to reach the laundry room that I put myself down (figuratively) for a nap about half past four, and while I slept this big ball of misery we live on turned its other side to the sun and I woke up in the chilly dark once again with a sad sigh of resignation and, just for lagniappe I guess, a crick in my neck.
So I'm sitting here in the nocturnal quiet of the mini-metropolis contemplating my next move, which I am thinking should probably be dinner. In fact it should be Friday's dinner, which I bought (checks calendar) Friday, but haven't gotten around to cooking due to the usual I-have-become-an-incompetent- old-geezer. It's a thing now, and apt to remain one terminally. When I will get around to eating Saturday, Sunday, and Monday's dinners only dog knows. But I'm pretty sure I'll get around to eating something in the next hour or so.
Oh, the forecast is saying that the high here today will be 69, and tomorrow 70, and Thursday 69 again, which means that if I remember I will be able to open the windows for a while each day and air this stagnant place out. I like an occasional warm day to break the monotony of winter, but damn, this winter's monotony has felt stolen from early spring, so what this is doing is making me worry about what hell summer may have in store for our desiccated arses. Probably best not to even think about it. I'll try to do something Alzheimery and forget that there is such a thing as a future. And anyway, I suspect that the way things have been going there actually might not be.
So I'm sitting here in the nocturnal quiet of the mini-metropolis contemplating my next move, which I am thinking should probably be dinner. In fact it should be Friday's dinner, which I bought (checks calendar) Friday, but haven't gotten around to cooking due to the usual I-have-become-an-incompetent- old-geezer. It's a thing now, and apt to remain one terminally. When I will get around to eating Saturday, Sunday, and Monday's dinners only dog knows. But I'm pretty sure I'll get around to eating something in the next hour or so.
Oh, the forecast is saying that the high here today will be 69, and tomorrow 70, and Thursday 69 again, which means that if I remember I will be able to open the windows for a while each day and air this stagnant place out. I like an occasional warm day to break the monotony of winter, but damn, this winter's monotony has felt stolen from early spring, so what this is doing is making me worry about what hell summer may have in store for our desiccated arses. Probably best not to even think about it. I'll try to do something Alzheimery and forget that there is such a thing as a future. And anyway, I suspect that the way things have been going there actually might not be.
2025 round up. (Yes, it's late, hush.)
Feb. 2nd, 2026 10:08 pmrhi I came down with whatever that not-flu, not-Covid, not-strep shit is the morning of Christmas. Three weeks later, I stopped running a fever and started recovering. All of which is to say, this is not late so much as delayed.
To my pleased shock, I posted a *lot* last year: 13 individual pieces, plus three chapters of Deadfall. Total words: 45K, pretty much. I have at least that much again in progress, and I'm delighted to be able to say this!
YAY!!
Also, let me mention that there is a lovely community,![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
communal_creators , in which people work over a week or month together. (March, so coming up soon for the week; September/October and we vote on the dates for that one, too.). This has been a huge help to my creative output coming back up again and it's a blast to see/hear what people are doing, cheer each other on, and man, the gif game in that Discord server is amazing.
Anyway. All of this to say, I'm very happy with how much I posted this last year and hope this year will also be productive!
To my pleased shock, I posted a *lot* last year: 13 individual pieces, plus three chapters of Deadfall. Total words: 45K, pretty much. I have at least that much again in progress, and I'm delighted to be able to say this!
YAY!!
Also, let me mention that there is a lovely community,
communal_creators , in which people work over a week or month together. (March, so coming up soon for the week; September/October and we vote on the dates for that one, too.). This has been a huge help to my creative output coming back up again and it's a blast to see/hear what people are doing, cheer each other on, and man, the gif game in that Discord server is amazing.Anyway. All of this to say, I'm very happy with how much I posted this last year and hope this year will also be productive!
posting to clear the earworm
Feb. 2nd, 2026 08:46 pmlannamichaelsI have had this song stuck in my head on and off for days upon days, so here is a post to maybe make it go awayyyyy
-Lovers in a Dangerous Time
(also randomly having johnny are you queer in my head but at least that one can be banished if I try hard enough)
(no subject)
Feb. 2nd, 2026 09:09 pmswingandswirl
Challenge #8
Talk about your creative process.
You know, I don't think I've ever sat down and thought through my creative process before. This should be fun.
My solo-written fic, as opposed to my cowrites (/waves to
rhi , ilyena_sylph , t_vo0810 and others/) is one of two kinds, usually: either it's written for an exchange fic, or a bunny ups and grabs me. When I sign up for exchanges, I try and craft my sign-up to get specific recipients, although I try and make sure that I can write for all potential recipicients. (I've only hit 'oh God no DEFAULT' levels of DNW a couple of times, which considering my Cursed Exchange Luck, I'm pretty proud of.) Once I get my assignment, I sit with the prompt that calls to me the most, and see what kind of story I can create that fits both the wordcount requirement and what the recip wants. Depending on how much plot there is, I throw myself on rhi's mercy for help, lol.
Once I've figured out what the story is, then I write it. Very rarely, I finish my first draft before deadline; usually I'm butting right up to it. (Being several hours ahead is a wonderful thing, sometimes. It feels like a sneaky little extension, lol.) I use the period between submission deadline and reveals to edit and polish my fic, although (thankfully) I write very clean drafts so there's rarely all that much editing, SPAG aside, to do. Sometimes my brain is a hunk of mouldy cheese and poor
rhi has to talk me down and remind me that I am a good writer and my fic will look better once I have had a snack and a nap. When it comes to non-exchange fic, it usually starts with a bunny nibbling on me. Once the nibbling becomes too hard to ignore, I sit down and write - sometimes just scenes, sometimes snippets, sometimes whole-ass fic. Then I let the for-publishing stuff sit for a few days before going back over it, then getting it beta'd.
Regardless of whether it's exchange fic or for my own satisfaction, there's one step of the process I find utterly loathsome: titles. There's a reason most of my fics have either lyrics or quotes for titles - titling is the worst, even harder than summaries. I am in awe of people who find it easy. But works need titles, alas, and so far I've somehow managed, lol.
And that's my creative process! Feel free to ask me any questions you may have.
larryhammerFor Poetry Monday:
No Such Thing As the Innocent Bystander, Andrea Gibson
Silence rides shotgun
wherever hate goes.
---L.
Subject quote from The Sounds of Silence, Simon & Garfunkel.
No Such Thing As the Innocent Bystander, Andrea Gibson
Silence rides shotgun
wherever hate goes.
---L.
Subject quote from The Sounds of Silence, Simon & Garfunkel.
Casefic Exchange 2026 Letter (because it's easier than fighting with AO3)
Feb. 1st, 2026 07:04 pmbardicraven 'allo and ahoy, fellow gumshoe!!
Welcome to what will be my fandom-based prrrrompts list.
Going to wait a few days to allow for our new Internet router to arrive as doing this on the phone gets tiring v. quickly.
See you in the cases!! 🔎🔍
Birdy 🐦 BardicRaven 🪶 the One Who Tells Tales 🌻 🌞 😺 🐈 🐶 🐕
Welcome to what will be my fandom-based prrrrompts list.
Going to wait a few days to allow for our new Internet router to arrive as doing this on the phone gets tiring v. quickly.
See you in the cases!! 🔎🔍
Birdy 🐦 BardicRaven 🪶 the One Who Tells Tales 🌻 🌞 😺 🐈 🐶 🐕
52/337: Quiet Urp
Feb. 1st, 2026 08:29 amrejectomorphGetting through Sunday. I'm feeling a bit nauseated. I might have eaten something I shouldn't have, and also have developed a bit of headache. My hope was to do some laundry today, but now I'm not feeling it. There's no place to puke in the laundry room. Maybe I'll put a bit of water in my footbath basin and put it beside the bed for emergency chundering, and then just nap for a bit. Other than the nausea it's a pleasant enough day, if still a bit on the chilly side. I wish I could enjoy it.
( Sunday Verse )
( Sunday Verse )
Snowflake Challenge #7: Three Things You Like About Yourself
Feb. 1st, 2026 07:50 pmswingandswirl
So I had to take a break from posting because my eyes decided to act up (After a Deeply Stupid Eye Injury back in college, my left eye likes to throw the occasional tantrum to remind me it's got its eye on me, boyo) but I'm back with challenge #7.
Challenge #7
LIST THREE (or more) THINGS YOU LIKE ABOUT YOURSELF. They don’t have to be your favorite things, just things that you think are good. Feel free to expand as much or as little as you want.
Okay! Three things, huh? I'm going to go with one physical thing, one skill, and one emotional thing.
1. I try really hard to be kind.
Especially in the world we live in, where it's so easy to fall into snark, or into the trap of valuing nonexistent moral purity over imperfect action towards a better present and future, this is one of the things I like best about myself. So while I have certain bedrock principles I won't deviate from, I try very hard to give people grace, both IRL and in fandom. At the end of it, you've gotta be kind.
2. I am a good writer.
There's a Discord I'm in with a writing vent channel, and it always discomfits me a little to hear people tear their own writing down. Now, am I a literary great? Ha, nope. But I am a skilled writer, enough so that I enjoy rereading my own work, lol. Perhaps once Snowflake is over I'll create a self-rec list?
3. I like how my face looks.
So I grew up in a deeply colourist society, although I've been lucky in that my immediate family has never held with that or given me crap for it. What I didn't like about my face was that I don't have the kind of open-mouthed smile that is considered classically beautiful. (My teeth are fine, just small.) Add to that some baby fat that stubbornly stuck around, and nope. It took the pandemic, and seeing my face on Zoom for hours on end to realize that hey, just because I don't photograph well, it doesn't mean there aren't nice things about my face - how my eyes crinkle when I smile, how animated my expressions get when I'm excited about something, how well bright red lipstick contrasts with my dark skin. So yeah. It took a while, but I can safely say that I love my face.
52/335-336: Nap
Jan. 31st, 2026 06:50 amrejectomorphFriday did not get entirely wasted. Groceries were ordered and (mostly) successfully fetched, though one item was unavailable and another failed to make it into the fetching vehicle, a failure which led to time-consuming drama and undue stress (thanks, Safeway.) This, in turn, brought an absence of dinner and an early bedtime, the latter cascading into an inappropriate waking time followed by hamster wheel brain time and (currently) morning exhaustion which will probably lead to another disruptive naptime. It is obvious that I cannot surmount the world's or my own dipshittiness.
Nap.
Nap.
Weekend Cooking: Pickled Oysters
Jan. 31st, 2026 06:36 pmsnowynight To Pickle Oysters.
Take Oysters and wash them cleane in their own Liquor, and let them settle, then strain it, and put your Oysters to it with a little Mace and whole pepper, as much Salt as you please, and a little Wine-Vinegar, then set them over the fire, and let them boyle leisurely till they are pretty tender; be sure to skim them still as the skim riseth; when they are enough, take them out till the Pickle be cold, then put them into any pot that will lye close, they will keep best in Caper barrels, they will keep very well six weeks.
From The Compleat Cook by W. M. (1658 UK)
From The Compleat Cook by W. M. (1658 UK)
Dumpster Fire
Jan. 30th, 2026 10:38 pmsine_nomineWow there is a literal dumpster fire in Downtown LA directly adjacent to a building in which their may be federal law enforcement (it's a protest site). So far no one is putting it out.
How cold is it here?
Jan. 30th, 2026 09:28 pmrhiThe cold's been decently bad, certainly for us delicate Southern critters.
The snow is, of course, insulated top and bottom by ice, or maybe it's insulating the ice. I do not know. It got up over freezing significantly (41 F) yesterday... and hit 31 today, so what little had melted refroze.
But if you want to know just how bad it is in my city? My mailman has not been by since the storm hit.
That bad.
Hope the rest of y'all are well. Me, I have power, I have food in the house, and tea. No worries.
The snow is, of course, insulated top and bottom by ice, or maybe it's insulating the ice. I do not know. It got up over freezing significantly (41 F) yesterday... and hit 31 today, so what little had melted refroze.
But if you want to know just how bad it is in my city? My mailman has not been by since the storm hit.
That bad.
Hope the rest of y'all are well. Me, I have power, I have food in the house, and tea. No worries.