particularly timely
Feb. 17th, 2026 11:25 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kaberettYesterday afternoon I'd been discussing auditor traps. Yesterday evening we walked out of the supermarket and were confronted by
[description in alt text, better to follow]
kaberettFIC: Entrance to the Emporian palace (Tempestuous Tours)
Feb. 17th, 2026 06:21 pmduskpetersonThe Emorian Palace
Entrance to the palace
Do not be offended if you are denied entrance to the Emorian palace. The fact that you have come far enough to be denied that entrance shows that the Emorians' trust in you is high indeed.
The strong manner in which Emor protects its ruler, the Chara, is not evidence that the Chara is weak and frightened. Rather, it is a simple fact that being Chara is the most dangerous job in the Three Lands. Fully four-fifths of the Charas have died before their time, many from assassination. Few Charas live beyond the age of thirty.
(I should explain to any mainlanders who are puzzled at this point that noble peninsulareans have been known to live as long as one hundred years. Even commoner peninsularans often live till they are fifty. If you meet a thirty-year-old, he is not an elder; by peninsularean standards, thirty years old is barely out of one's youth)
Under these circumstances, it is only natural that the Emorians should seek to protect their Chara, giving him the opportunity to live at least long enough to father an heir. By Emorian law, the Chara may not leave his palace, except in wartime. The number of visitors who are allowed past the outer wall of the palace grounds is small. The number of visitors who are allowed past the inner wall of the palace grounds is even smaller. The number of visitors who are allowed inside the palace is very small indeed. And the number of visitors who are allowed inside the East Wing of the palace, where the Chara lives, can be counted without losing your breath.
In practice, this means that the only people who see the Chara are his council, officials from the palace and army, boys who are training to be palace officials, royal messengers, the palace guards, and honored guests, such as ambassadors.
And the servants. Everyone forgets the servants. If you want to see the Chara, I suggest entering into training for high service.
[Translator's note: The perils of living as a Chara can be seen in Empty Dagger Hand.]
Old movie
Feb. 17th, 2026 11:08 pm![[syndicated profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/feed.png){kind=small}
allthingshorror_feedSaw a post on horror movies that traumatized you as a kid. I immediately had a flashback to a movie that was on TV more than once. Can’t remember much except the scene where a women in a dress/night gown starts descending down a stair case with her head cut off. From 70s to early 80s possibly. Any guesses?
Thanks
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Reimagining the Origins of Winter Sports
Feb. 17th, 2026 10:54 pmkottke_org_feed
A New Winter is a project from Colombian-American photographer Sofia Jaramillo that seeks to
This project revisits the early depictions of skiing, which often portrayed Eurocentric ideals and a narrow vision of who belongs on the slopes. By reimagining the first images of skiing in the United States, A New Winter challenges the stereotypes and exclusive culture perpetuated by these initial depictions, inviting us to expand our understanding of winter sports and celebrate its evolving culture. It seeks to disrupt traditional narratives, challenge stereotypes and promote representation in winter sports by placing people of color at the center of these images.
Several of the images were featured in Outside magazine, where Jaramillo says, “I’m doing this for all the young Black and brown girls and boys out there who don’t see themselves when they walk into a ski resort.”
Tags: photography · remix · skiing · Sofia Jaramillo · sports
media_gazer_feed
Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:
Automattic adds an AI assistant to WordPress.com, enabling users to perform site-wide layout and style modifications via natural language commands — WordPress.com, the website hosting platform from Automattic, will now include a built-in WordPress AI assistant, the company announced on Tuesday.
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Krystal Hur / Wall Street Journal:
Filing: Berkshire Hathaway reports that it purchased 5.1M shares of The New York Times during the December quarter; NYT rises 3%+ after hours — In Warren Buffett's last quarter as CEO, his company further trimmed its holdings in iPhone maker — Berkshire Hathaway sold shares in Bank …
Photos: Flowerbeds
Feb. 17th, 2026 04:59 pmysabetwordsmithYesterday I shared photos from the House Yard and South Lot plus Savanna and Prairie Garden. Today I did a bit of yardwork that revealed fun new things. :D
( Walk with me ... )
( Walk with me ... )
March Meta Matters Challenge 2026 Returning!
Feb. 17th, 2026 04:41 pmyourlibrarian posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
meta_manifesto
March 1 is just weeks away, so that means the kickoff to this year's March Meta Matters Challenge will be taking place soon! The challenge involves locating and copying over meta you've created to a second site in order to ensure its preservation, plus there will be some prompts for creating new meta.
Feel free to ask questions here about the challenge, locations, etc. Otherwise subscribe to
marchmetamatterschallenge and look for our opening post on March 1!A Dark Song (2016)
Feb. 17th, 2026 10:28 pmallthingshorror_feedLove this film.
(Mild spoilers ahead, but not much more than the sort of thing trailers give away.)
----
The Abramelin ritual is a taxing, months-long set of occult processes performed with the aim to purify yourself enough to contact and ask a boon of your Daemon - or, in more traditional, theurgic versions of the ritual, your holy guardian angel. It's probably best known for being a ritual Aleister Crowley bailed out of; he was reportedly never the same again afterwards.
This ritual is at the center of A Dark Song's story - and that, in and of itself, is pretty pretty impressive! But even better, the whole of the film makes an effort to portray occult practices in a somewhat realistic light*. Realistic being a relative term here, of course**, but I'm heavily predisposed to like a movie that mentions Gnosticism and then calls its main character Sophia.
Sophia (Catherine Walker) hires a house out in the Welsh countryside to perform the ritual (which can take anywhere from six months to a year and a half, and can't be safely interrupted once started) and the services of Solomon (Steve Oram), a Brit occultist for hire, to guide her through the process. He gets almost one hundred thousand euros, plus the chance to also ask a boon of the daemon at the end of the rite. She says she does it to talk with her dead infant son; The truth is, of course, a little more complicated.
The meat of the movie revolves around a complex set of evolving rituals as Sophia migrates between the different circles scored on the living room floor in a slow trawl towards purification - all the while enduring both ritual-mandated deprivation and abuse from her chosen guru, who may be as much of a danger as the occult forces they're playing with.
An occult psychological horror chamber piece, then - how's that for a subgenre label?
Writer/director Liam Gavin, production designer Conor Dennison, set decorator Ciara O'Donovan and cinematographer Cathal Watters carefully mark out the progress of the ritual by making the magic(k)al diagrams on the living room floor ever more intricate and messier. There's a little bit of blood and a few special effects later on as the ritual kicks in and unmoors either the house from reality or poor Sophia from her senses, but the film is carefully calibrated to work well within its small-ish indie budget. A wonderfully effective scare is achieved with just shadows, a cigarette ember, and great sound design; It's a beautifully crafted movie.
You may find the film's slow-burn approach a bit, well, slow if you're not interested in the procedural detail of hermetic magic, but the central relationship is intense, dramatic and well-drawn enough that I think the film should still work. Both actors are excellent, and I found Sophia's arc very moving. Outstanding.
*: The only other movie I can think of that pays this much attention to the nerdier aspects of the occult is The Alchemist's Cookbook, also from 2016; The stars were obviously right that year.
**: For obvious reasons. Also, I'm sure it's not an entirely accurate portrayal of the workings involved. In any case, I don't know enough about the subject for it to bother me.
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WGA West Staff Goes On Strike Ahead Of Writers Union’s AMPTP Negotiations
Feb. 17th, 2026 10:21 pmallthingshorror_feedAnyways an update if SAG Goes on strike you all won’t see me promoting new stuff too you. This is important, and the day when the industry goes on strike is coming.
Be prepared if our deals aren’t meant or agreed.
Just a heads up :)
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Okay, hear me out...
Feb. 17th, 2026 10:12 pmallthingshorror_feedDoing some early spring cleaning and listening to my shitty 2010s pop playlist. I would kill to have a horror movie use Domino by Jeese J in it...ironically or unironically, it doesn't matter. I just think it'd be fun to see a gruesome slasher-fest scene with this song playing.
Do you guys have any guilty pleasure songs you would want to see added in to a straight up horror movie??? I'd love to hear yours!
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March Meta Matters Challenge 2026 Returning!
Feb. 17th, 2026 04:40 pmyourlibrarian posting in fanifestoMarch 1 is just weeks away, so that means the kickoff to this year's March Meta Matters Challenge will be taking place soon! The challenge involves locating and copying over meta you've created to a second site in order to ensure its preservation, plus there will be some prompts for creating new meta.
Feel free to ask questions here about the challenge, locations, etc. Otherwise subscribe to
marchmetamatterschallenge and look for our opening post on March 1!March Meta Matters Challenge 2026 Returning!
Feb. 17th, 2026 04:39 pmyourlibrarian posting in ![[site community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/comm_staff.png){kind=small}
dw_community_promoMarch 1 is just weeks away, so that means the kickoff to this year's March Meta Matters Challenge will be taking place soon! The challenge involves locating and copying over meta you've created to a second site in order to ensure its preservation, plus there will be some prompts for creating new meta.
Feel free to ask questions here about the challenge, locations, etc. Otherwise subscribe to
marchmetamatterschallenge and look for our opening post on March 1!
Chris Hemsworth teases future of Thor after Avengers: Doomsday
Feb. 17th, 2026 10:15 pmjoblo_feedChris Hemsworth has been wielding Mjölnir in the Marvel Cinematic Universe for fifteen years, outlasting many of his fellow original Avengers as one of the franchise’s most enduring stars. He’s already set to return in Avengers: Doomsday, and while it might seem like the perfect opportunity for the God of Thunder to take a final bow, Hemsworth has suggested he’s not ready to step away just yet.
Hemsworth on More Thor
While speaking on the SmartLess podcast (via The Playlist), Hemsworth told co-host Sean Hayes that he still has a “couple more times” as Thor beyond Avengers: Doomsday. One of those appearances will come in Avengers: Secret Wars, and there’s always the possibility that Marvel could move forward with Thor 5.
Playing Thor for so long has given Hemsworth the rare chance to explore multiple creative interpretations of the same character across different filmmakers and tones. “It’s been so much fun,” he said. “And what I’ve really enjoyed it—unlike a lot of what the other characters that the [actors] were given, they have had to be pretty consistent— whereas working with Taika Waititi on his films versus Kenneth Branagh with those films and then with the Russos, all [the films] had quite a different sort of tonal opinion.“
Hemsworth explained that this variety has kept the role creatively fresh for him over the years, “But [the Russos] also let me try different things. It’s the same with my tattoos, I’d be getting really bored [with] the same thing and having a real need to kind of throw [the performance] in different directions. I was talking to Kevin Feige about it, and he said it’s cool because the audience now expects dramatic turns with the character. And whatever we do next—we’ve got some ideas to do something pretty unique again and hopefully be [different].“
Hemsworth Knows Thor: Love and Thunder Went Too Far
Of course, experimentation can be a double-edged sword. While Thor: Ragnarok successfully reinvented the character with a lighter, comedic tone, its follow-up pushed that approach even further, dividing audiences. Hemsworth acknowledged that the reaction to Thor: Love and Thunder served as a reminder to strike the right balance when evolving a long-running character.
“When we made ‘Ragnarok,’ it was quite a twist, with Taika’s [film]. And it was so fun,” he said. “There was a huge appreciation for the shift. And then [with] ‘Love And Thunder,’ it was kind of like a Monty Python sketch, and we took the piss probably a little much, and then there was some backlash. There was this real kind of, ‘Why is he a goofball and why is it like this?’ And, [audiences] violently offended and we were like, ‘Oh, we’re just having fun or trying to try something different.’“
Chris Hemsworth will return in Avengers: Doomsday, which will debut on December 18.
The post Chris Hemsworth teases future of Thor after Avengers: Doomsday appeared first on JoBlo.
Godzilla Minus Zero plot revealed?
Feb. 17th, 2026 09:26 pmjoblo_feedBack in 2023, Toho released a Godzilla film called Godzilla Minus One (read our review HERE) in Japan on November 3rd, which happens to be Godzilla Day, the anniversary of the 1954 release of the original Godzilla movie. To celebrate the anniversary in 2024, they announced that they’ve given the greenlight to a new Godzilla movie that will be written and directed by Godzilla Minus One mastermind Takashi Yamazaki, who will also be handling the visual effects. Set to open in Japan on November 3 2026, followed by a release in North America on November 6, that sequel is called Godzilla Minus Zero… and the plot may have just been revealed!
Reminder
Godzilla Minus One saw an already devastated postwar Japan facing a new threat in the form of Godzilla. Toho’s Koji Ueda provided the synopsis: “Set in a post-war Japan, Godzilla Minus One will once again show us a Godzilla that is a terrifying and overwhelming force, which you already get a sense of from the teaser trailer and poster. The concept is that Japan, which had already been devastated by the war, faces a new threat with Godzilla, bringing the country into the ‘minus.’“ The film stars Ryunosuke Kamiki, Minami Hamabe, Yuki Yamada, Munetaka Aoki, Hidetaka Yoshioka, Sakura Ando, and Kuranosuke Sasaki, with music by Naoki Sato. Interestingly, one of Yamazaki’s previous credits is the 2007 film Always: Sunset on Third Street 2, which features a Godzilla cameo in a fantasy sequence.
Something to remember before we get to the potential Godzilla Minus Zero plot: the character Noriko Oishi was infected with Godzilla cells, or “G-cells,” during the events of Minus One. This was represented by a spreading black mark on her neck.
Plot?
Here’s the leaked Godzilla Minus Zero plot, as reported by Geek Tyrant:
Following the devastation of Godzilla’s first rampage in Godzilla Minus One, Kōichi Shikishima (Ryunosuke Kamiki) is determined to lead a quiet life, rebuilding his family with Noriko (Minami Hamabe) and young Akiko (Sae Nagatani) while stepping away from the nightmares of war and monsters.
However, peace is short-lived when Godzilla returns, fully regenerated, larger and more ferocious, while something ancient begins to stir beneath Aokigahara near Mount Fuji, endangering the fragile nation and forcing Kōichi to reconsider his promise.
With stakes higher than ever, Kōichi reluctantly returns to the fight, teaming up with old comrades, and U.S.-Japan alliance forces to confront the two kaiju and protect those he loves, especially as Noriko’s cell connection to Godzilla strengthens, pulling her dangerously closer to the monster’s rage.
So far, fans have been speculating that the second kaiju in the story could be either Mothra or Ghidorah. Toho has declared 2026 to be “The Year of Mothra,” since it marks the 65th anniversary of the original Mothra film, so it would make a lot of sense for that monster to show up in this movie.
Yamazaki
We’ll have to wait and see if that plot synopsis matches up with what happens in Yamazaki’s follow-up.
The filmmaker was always open about the fact that he was hoping to get the chance to make a sequel that would feature a clash between giant monsters. Soon after the release of Godzilla Minus One, he said, “I would certainly like to see what the sequel would look like. I know that Shikishima’s war seems over, and we’ve reached this state of peace and calm – but perhaps [it’s the] calm before the storm, and the characters have not yet been forgiven for what has been imposed upon them. … I don’t know that anyone has pulled off a more serious tone of kaiju-versus-kaiju with human drama, and that challenge is something that I’d like to explore. When you have movies that feature [kaiju battles], I think it’s very easy to put the spotlight and the camera on this massive spectacle, and it detaches itself from the human drama component.” He went on to say that he would have to “make sure that the human drama and whatever’s happening between [the] kaiju both have meaning, and both are able to affect one another in terms of plot development.“
Godzilla Minus Zero started filming last August and wrapped production in December. Filming took place in Japan, New Zealand, and Norway. What do you think of this potential plot synopsis? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
The post Godzilla Minus Zero plot revealed? appeared first on JoBlo.
The water's depths can't kill me yet
Feb. 17th, 2026 04:44 pmsovayI did not end up accompanying rushthatspeaks and his child to the zoo this morning because I crashed so hard last night that I slept ten to eleven hours and am having difficulty remembering the day of the week, but he just dropped by with a nineweaving in the car and brought me my Christmas present of a sweater in the pattern of the Minoan octopus flask from Palaikastro and the cup with the scale motif from Archanes: it's spectacular. I was able to give him the collected cartoons and comics and poems of Le Guin's Book of Cats (2025). I got to see photographs of Artic and fennec foxes, flamingos and peccaries, sloth and snow leopard, porcupine and poison dart frog. Having spent the prior portion of my afternoon in the excitement of calling doctors and paying bills, my evening's plans involve couch and books.
rushthatspeaks and his child to the zoo this morning because I crashed so hard last night that I slept ten to eleven hours and am having difficulty remembering the day of the week, but he just dropped by with a nineweaving in the car and brought me my Christmas present of a sweater in the pattern of the Minoan octopus flask from Palaikastro and the cup with the scale motif from Archanes: it's spectacular. I was able to give him the collected cartoons and comics and poems of Le Guin's Book of Cats (2025). I got to see photographs of Artic and fennec foxes, flamingos and peccaries, sloth and snow leopard, porcupine and poison dart frog. Having spent the prior portion of my afternoon in the excitement of calling doctors and paying bills, my evening's plans involve couch and books.Crafts
Feb. 17th, 2026 04:22 pmysabetwordsmithNaalbinding
I maintain that this is the class that most people take multiple times. So many of my friends have tried it, thought they had it, then two days later it was gone. I was one of those, so I have collected the websites that got me past it. Am I an expert? Heck no. But my socks have all stayed intact so I'm running with it.
I know exactly one stitch. I'm fine with this.
Are you desperate for a way to say "fuck AI" nowadays? Learn a historic craft!
I maintain that this is the class that most people take multiple times. So many of my friends have tried it, thought they had it, then two days later it was gone. I was one of those, so I have collected the websites that got me past it. Am I an expert? Heck no. But my socks have all stayed intact so I'm running with it.
I know exactly one stitch. I'm fine with this.
Are you desperate for a way to say "fuck AI" nowadays? Learn a historic craft!
