sraun | Network

Pyromancers • 2026 PDXWLF Opening Ceremonies
Pioneer Courthouse Square • Portland, Oregon
February 6, 2026
Nikon Z8 • NIKKOR Z 24-120mm f/4 S
f/4 @ 81mm • 1/30s • ISO 3200

(I am soooo behind this month! I’m going to try to catch up on my PDXWLF posts before the end of the month. *fingers crossed*)

I had again signed up to be a photographer for the Portland Winter Light Festival. A select subset of us PDXWLF photographers have an agreement with the Communications Director that we are no longer accepting specific assignments – but are free to roam and photograph whatever we want. But even with that, we are expected to provide a certain kind of event/art coverage. The six-page photography guidelines document spells everything out in detail. Lots of do’s and don’ts. I end up going into coverage autopilot mode instead of doing only my own photography. This isn’t actually a good thing.

( PDXWLF Friday Below This Cut )

alatefeline

...is an act of hope, and therefore resistance.

Today I saw: bittercress, henbit, and onion grass are up - yum! Witch hazel bloom is fading, daffodils are coming up.

Today I got: free pears; spendy-but-fair local yarn that was what I had been lowkey looking for (natural gray undyed wool); gluten-free muffins.

Today I was able to: help others during a fire drill; encourage friendship; try my best under the circumstances; take a walk.

Today I read: some old Marvel fic that is comfort reading for me.

Today I gave: time; a fresh start; an opportunity for others to speak; adequate space in traffic; polite greetings; pettings to a kitty.

Today I ask the universe for: rest, first; encouragement therein; and opportunity, thereafter.

Current Mood: stressed
Current Location: kerflop
Current Music: purring cats

ysabetwordsmith

Six planets will align in a rare ‘planetary parade’ this weekend

Six planets will be visible in the evening sky. Mercury, Venus, Saturn, and Jupiter will be bright enough to see with just your eyes.

Uranus and Neptune will be much dimmer, so binoculars or a telescope will make them easier to find.

( Read more... )

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

Singer and songwriter Neil Sedaka has passed away. His hits included "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do," "Laughter in the Rain," and "Love Will Keep Us Together."

( Read more... )

Current Mood: pensive

kaberett

Got libgourou working (link to follow), with thanks to simont for bringing it to my attention and me_and for making sympathetic and encouraging noises while I stared muzzily at the documentation this evening. Happy to report that I have successfully downloaded Adobe DRMed ebooks from my command line without any Windows install or emulators at all.
I am enjoying A Physical Education so much - SO much - that I have gone out and bought a book it recommends (Starting Strength; very wordy descriptions of which muscles one should be using for what, apparently, i.e. exactly my kind of thing). Acquiring my own copy once I've given the library's back is a definite possibility. It's really interesting in terms of both the pain Project (memoir about embodiment!) and in terms of my own movement-related special interests (e.g. the gulf between my experience of largely self-led Pilates vs the version available via mainstream contemporary classes embedded in diet culture). Lots of content notes but I'm really really liking it. Gratitude to buttonsbeadslace for posting about it (... link to follow...)
Stupid Little Walk yielded both very cheap pistachio croissants (MORE BREAKFAST NONSENSE) and a very cheap "cinnamon danish with vanilla fondant icing" I've been vaguely eyeing up but was also very suspicious of. I am glad to have tried it and probably won't get it again, even if it is only 19p.
This evening's tofu was particularly cooperative with being cooked. (Thanks be to evilsusan for the specific combination of courgettes, tofu and garlic that I still make regularly lo these many years later )
I hit refresh on Oxfam Online and discovered that the rotating sale has migrated back around to "30% off 3+ books". Thus now on their way to me I have: the first edition of Explain Pain for an astonishingly reasonable price (I want to do the deeply nerdy thing of a side-by-side comparison with the second edition, and also to revisit its structure while the second edition is on loan to a physio friend...); a book entitled Science of Pilates, which I'd previously eyed up but that time it sold before I got around to it; a book about allotments and cooking; and a probably questionable out-of-print 1980s cookbook...

sartorias

Yu know the world situation, which adds its mite ( for definitions of "mite,"watch out for falling pianos) to the stress closer by. The worst of it is feeling helpless to do much besides donate money to the outer stresses and listen as I can to the inner. Which I have been doing, in spite of our income dwindling. But this is a common plight.

My brain did go into revolt, and a bit of OT3 fantasy comedy of manners unspooled itself over the past month and a half or so. I wouldn't mind that happening again because it keeps me busy--besides various books and TV shows. But none of those have lit my fire quite as much as having a brainmovie again.

I do have Katherine Arden's latest here, and it looks good. But it's called The Unicorn Hunters and appears to be based on the tapestries so splendidly displayed in New York. Very handsome tapestries, but whew. Those boys strutting their tight breeches and little short jackets and perfect hair were a bunch of brutes. The tapestries illustrate an exercise in human cruelty, and the news is kind of overflowing with that, so I'm waiting for the right mood for the book.

II've done some rereads, and some new reads, I continue to listen to audiobooks while trudging my daily steps.

Oh! edited to add: I watched the Plympics ice skating and ice dancing. Some really lovely stuff, though they do seem to be obsessed with the quad spin.

sabotabby

I have things that I should write about in more detail but I'm having about three weeks of bonkerscrazytimeclownshoes, so have a brief recommendation for Tech Won't Save Us's episode "What’s Driving the Push For Humanoid Robots ft. James Vincent."

Now that I know lots more about robots than I used to, I can tell you that humanoid is maybe the worst shape for a robot. If you don't believe me, watch some videos from the Consumer Electronics Show. They fall down all the time. Sometimes, as with Elon Musk's robots, they are just guys in suits and not robots at all. Humanoid is a bad shape for a human (this observation brought to you by how much my back is currently killing me) so why not make a robot that is shaped like basically anything else?

(I mean you know the answer is slavery, right? It's always slavery.)

Anyway this episode is weirdly fun to listen to because we're talking about something that is basically impossible and can't replace people, vs. AI which is basically impossible but will replace people because of all the middle managers who've had frontal lobotomies.

bruce_schneier_feed

Posted by Bruce Schneier

https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2026/02/friday-squid-blogging-squid-fishing-in-peru.html

https://www.schneier.com/?p=71679

Peru has increased its squid catch limit. The article says “giant squid,” but they can’t possibly mean that.

As usual, you can also use this squid post to talk about the security stories in the news that I haven’t covered.

Blog moderation policy.

https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2026/02/friday-squid-blogging-squid-fishing-in-peru.html

https://www.schneier.com/?p=71679

xkcd_feed

https://xkcd.com/3213/

I mean, half of these are undefined. And your multiplication dots are too low; they look like decimal points.

https://xkcd.com/3213/

ysabetwordsmith

My seeds arrived from the earlier Pinetree Garden Seeds order. :D

( Read more... )

Current Mood: busy

atlas_obscura_places_feed

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/aircraft-mechanics-creed-monument

Eidur Flugvirkjans

On an isolated stretch of the Ring Road in South Iceland, a portion of a white wing from an Icelandair Boeing 757-200, has been mounted. It is dedicated to the service of aviation mechanics. The aircraft mechanic’s oath is printed on the wing.

The wing is set against the stunning backdrop of sheer mountain cliffs and the island’s wilderness. It is not the location of an airplane wreck, and, there is no indication why this out-of-the-way location was chosen.

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/aircraft-mechanics-creed-monument

susandennis

I could not get that toasted uncrustable out of my head so I decided to have it for lunch today after all - or at least try it and put the idea out of my misery.

From freezer - 3 on my toaster - to me. Chef's Fucking Kiss!! It's my new thing. Never again will I eat a raw Uncrustable. Toasted for me from now on and that also solves the problem of I want one, but they are all frozen.

This is big. Very big. This was grape jelly. I think there's a honey one in the bottom of the freezer, that would be maybe even better!!!!

Laundry done and put away. Pockets sewn on two robes that were slated for the bin because their pockets were not useable. They are not really robes - they are long zipper hoodies. Really old but since they are used to walk through the parking garage to the pool, I don't care.

Jim Across The Hall got his haircut and a shave this morning and he was so excited, he rang my doorbell to show me. It does look nice.

It's the other Jim's birthday tomorrow and his girlfriend is baking a cake - it's the same cake he has every year and he brought it to elbow coffee last year and it was soooooooo good. So tomorrow we are having cake!

marycatelli

Kill the Villainess, Vol. 5 by Haegi

Spoilers ahead for the earlier ones.

( Read more... )

ysabetwordsmith

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 J-Z.

See my Follow Friday Master Post for more topics.

( Read more... )

Current Mood: busy

atlas_obscura_places_feed

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/po-toi-island

Coastal walkway

Referred to by locals as Hong Kong's 'South Pole', Po Toi is the territory's southernmost island. Covering an area of 3.69 square kilometres, the car-free island is one of Hong Kong's least populated islands, home to only 20 residents.

Once on the island, three hiking trails of varying difficulty allow visitors to reach the main points of interest. Among which are rock formations like Buddha's Palm Cliff or Tortoise Rock, the supposedly haunted ruins of Mo's old house, and the Tin Hau Temple.

Most historically significant are the Bronze age rock carvings, speculated to be over 3000 years old and supposedly hewn to appease sea gods. Po Toi is also a popular destination for campers and stargazers, due to being one of Hong Kong's least light polluted locations.

While the sparse present-day population is a far cry from its 1950s peak of 2000 residents, the traditional industries of fishing and harvesting seaweed still remain prevalent. Combined with the fact that the island is without running water and off the electrical grid, Po Toi seems almost unbothered by the goings-on of the metropolis across the water, remaining a snapshot in time of when Hong Kong was merely an insignificant fishing village, clinging to the South China coastline.

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/po-toi-island

ysabetwordsmith

Today is sunny and warmer with a nice breeze. :D

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

I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 2/27/26 -- I cut and labeled four water jugs. These will hold Shithouse Marigolds, Black-eyed Susan, Milkweed, and Purple Aster. These are all flowers that I know can handle harsh conditions.

EDIT 2/27/26 -- I taped the jugs, moved them to the parking lot, and secured them with string.

I've seen a starling. Red-winged blackbirds are calling, but I haven't seen them. They arrived way early again this year, so I suspected that they'd wind up in my yard, regretting their poor life choices. At least it has cover and water here.

Crocuses are blooming, still all pale lavender. But there is a white bud in the rain garden!

EDIT 2/27/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

EDIT 2/27/26 -- I did more work around the patio.

I've seen a fox squirrel at the hopper feeder.

EDIT 2/27/26 -- I did more work around the patio.

EDIT 2/27/26 -- I finished trimming dead stems off the wildflower garden. I still need to cut down the tree seedlings and rake more leaves off it, but the old grass is gone.

A yellow crocus is blooming by the log garden. Snowdrop flowers are opening. :D

EDIT 2/27/26 -- I did more work around the patio.

I am done for the night.

Current Mood: busy

sovay

I was supposed to spend the afternoon with my husband and instead I am about to spend it at the doctor's. The one is obviously much preferable to the other. Have a photo I took yesterday when I was out and walking and thought I had a decent chance of doing something human with the end of my week.

Current Music: Chalk, "Can't Feel It"

marycatelli

Peter Plymley's Letters And Selected Essays by Sydney Smith

Primary source. And polemic. Smith writing on the treatment of Ireland and the laws against Catholics, and reviews of books on Ireland. Sometimes very skillfully:

"When I hear any man talk of an unalterable law, the only effect it produces upon me is to convince me that he is an unalterable fool."

It is useful as a view of the issues -- one notes he heartily assures everyone he shares their views of the terribleness of the Catholic Church -- and of the era in general. He quotes one author, who discusses how one explanation of Ireland's backwardness was its elective kings, but points out that Poland also suffered horribly from the kingship being elective but wasn't so backward. Ah, the views one wants to research, sometimes.

lovelyangel

Complimentary Birthday Spumoni at Nonna Emilia’s
February 26, 2026

On my birthday I was still decompressing from the work I had been doing for the Portland Winter Light Festival. I kept plans for the day very simple – a morning self-portrait session, a bargain lunch, and the traditional birthday dinner with my best friend, Jenni.

After a series of rainy days, Thursday was sunny. I thought it was perfect weather for an outdoor portrait – but I need to plan those well in advance, and I just filed the idea as a possibility for next year. Sunny days aren’t unusual here in the last week of February – but you can’t count on them. The sunshine streaming into my library was cheery and much appreciated.

I did have a tech issue I was trying to resolve – and best be done before I did my brief portrait session. Unfortunately, the tech work took all morning, so I had to postpone the portrait until after lunch. I wanted a quick, light lunch, and I took advantage of an offer from McDonald’s for free fries with a Filet o’ Fish sandwich. Simple enough.

After lunch, I did the short self-portrait session, which had been kept simple because I was using the new bookwall for the background. One side of the bookwall wasn’t well-lit, so I added a studio light to brighten it a bit. I also had set up my Dracast studio light to provide lighting for myself.

I had run a few tests the day before, and I had set up my Nikon Z8 with autofocus and face detect – which would choose one of my eyes as a focus point. I’ve never before used that type of autofocus for a self-portrait – and it seemed to work well. The Z8 takes a standard Nikon 10-pin remote connector, so I connected one of my Phottix wireless remotes.

The photo session and post-processing went quickly. Afterwards, I went for my daily walk – and enjoyed the sun.

At 3:50 pm I left home and met up with Jenni at Nonna Emilia’s for our traditional birthday celebration. I ordered my standard meal – spaghetti with meat sauce and meatballs, while Jenni tried a combination pizza – something different for her. I stopped ordering Nonna’s pizza back in the 90s, I think. I did accept a slice to sample, and we both agreed that the pizza was just OK. The spaghetti was delicious, as always.

The important part of the meetup was chat – and we are grateful that Nonna’s allowed us to occupy a table. (The restaurant wasn’t completely full – but it was getting close by the time we left.) Nonna’s also gave me a free ice cream for my birthday. I was given a choice of vanilla or spumoni. Vanilla is my go-to flavor, but spumoni isn’t offered at most places, so I went with the less common flavor. The spumoni was very good.

Towards the end of our chat, I opened the big birthday basket that Jenni gave me. It shouldn’t be surprising that she totally spoiled me with a wealth of gifts – including treats and gift cards (Kinokuniya, Burgerville, Abby’s Pizza, Saint Cupcake, Nike). Cute plushie gift card holders added to the festiveness. A wonderful birthday card and fancy birthday cake from Saint Cupcake rounded out the presents. Yes, I’m very, very spoiled – and grateful.

Birthday Gifts from Jenni

Our dinner ran from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm. Best evening of the year! I love my BFF and cherish these special and rare get togethers. I had a very special birthday and went to bed with a big smile on my face.

atlas_obscura_places_feed

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/music-box-theatre-chicago

The theater shows a mix of first-run indie, foreign and repertory films, classic double features, and specialty screenings throughout the year. It’s known for unique events like a 70 mm film festival, regular Rocky Horror Picture Show with shadow casts, and long-running classics.

A signature tradition at the Music Box is its house organist, who performs before weekend screenings. The theater houses a custom organ that honors its silent-film era roots.

Architecturally, the Music Box features a deep blue, cove-lit ceiling dotted with twinkling stars designed to mimic an Italian courtyard. This creates the feeling of watching a film under an open night sky.

Beyond the main screen, the venue includes a second smaller auditorium added in 1991 and a casual gathering space, the Music Box Theatre Lounge, used for discussions, drinks, and summer garden screenings.

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/music-box-theatre-chicago

Profile

sraun

January 2026

S	M	T	W	T	F	S
				1	2	3
4	5	6	7	8	9	10
11	12	13	14	15	16	17
18	19	20	21	22	23	24
25	26	27	28	29	30	31

Page Summary

lovelyangel - PDXWLF 2026, Day 1 – Friday
alatefeline - noticing small good things...
ysabetwordsmith - Space Exploration
ysabetwordsmith - Moment of Silence: Neil Sedaka
kaberett - some good things!
sartorias - Status
sabotabby - podcast friday
bruce_schneier_feed - Friday Squid Blogging: Squid Fishing in Peru
xkcd_feed - Dental Formulas
ysabetwordsmith - Pinetree Garden Seeds Order
atlas_obscura_places_feed - Aircraft Mechanics Creed Monument in Kalfafellsstadur, Iceland
susandennis - I lied and breaking news!!!
marycatelli - Kill the Villainess, Vol. 5
ysabetwordsmith - Follow Friday 2-20-26: Active Communities on Dreamwidth Winter 2025-2026 J-Z
atlas_obscura_places_feed - Po Toi Island in Hong Kong
ysabetwordsmith - Birdfeeding
sovay - Never tasted anything like you before
marycatelli - Peter Plymley's Letters And Selected Essays
lovelyangel - Angel’s Day 2026
atlas_obscura_places_feed - Music Box Theatre in Chicago, Illinois

Style Credit

Style: Sea and Salt for Nouveau Oleanders by branchandroot
Resources: OpenClipart and Oceanside Twilight

Expand Cut Tags

No cut tags

Page generated Feb. 28th, 2026 12:47 am

Who I'm Reading Today

Network

PDXWLF 2026, Day 1 – Friday

noticing small good things...

Space Exploration

Moment of Silence: Neil Sedaka

some good things!

Status

podcast friday

Friday Squid Blogging: Squid Fishing in Peru

Dental Formulas

Pinetree Garden Seeds Order

Aircraft Mechanics Creed Monument in Kalfafellsstadur, Iceland

I lied and breaking news!!!

Kill the Villainess, Vol. 5

Follow Friday 2-20-26: Active Communities on Dreamwidth Winter 2025-2026 J-Z

Po Toi Island in Hong Kong

Birdfeeding

Never tasted anything like you before

Peter Plymley's Letters And Selected Essays

Angel’s Day 2026

Music Box Theatre in Chicago, Illinois

Profile

January 2026

Most Popular Tags

Page Summary

Style Credit

Expand Cut Tags