Don't be afraid of the stars
Sep. 1st, 2025 01:56 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
copracatI'm at the penultimate episode of Coroner's Diary and there are simply too many cinnamon rolls of the kind who die tragically. I am on melodramatic tenterhooks for the second, third and fourth couples. If it all goes too pear-shaped I am watching A Dream Within A Dream again.
In other news my copy of Hetty McKinnon's latest, Linger, has arrived. Coronation cauliflower and chickpeas is calling to me.
In other news my copy of Hetty McKinnon's latest, Linger, has arrived. Coronation cauliflower and chickpeas is calling to me.
Changelog Digest for Sun, Aug 31
Aug. 31st, 2025 10:28 pmkareila posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
changelog_digest[dreamwidth]
- 02dc705: Commit 02dc705: Fixes, thanks AI
- Removes a stray automatically generated code comment.
- 62af744: Commit 62af744: Fix locale errors
- Some locale-related config tweaks for the Github Codespace feature.
- d08023a: Commit d08023a: Checkpoint for devcontainer
- Further progress: use memcached, speed up update-db.pl.
- a49617f: Commit a49617f: Devcontainer works?!
- Uses Apache and seems to work as expected; requires Ruby 3.1 which is only in 22.04.
- d8273ca: Issue #3495: Add TN state age logic
- Ask new users if they're in Tennessee and explain why they have to be 18 or older if so.
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Code deploy happening shortly
Aug. 31st, 2025 07:37 pm![[staff profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user_staff.png){kind=small}
mark posting in ![[site community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/comm_staff.png){kind=small}
dw_maintenancePer the dw_news post regarding the MS/TN blocks, we are doing a small code push shortly in order to get the code live. As per usual, please let us know if you see anything wonky.
There is some code cleanup we've been doing that is going out with this push but I don't think there is any new/reworked functionality, so it should be pretty invisible if all goes well.
Nobi Nobi Sword in Play
Aug. 31st, 2025 08:41 pm![[syndicated profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/feed.png){kind=small}
deeperinthegame_feedThis weekend I got to sit down and play Nobi Nobi: Sword with two friends and see how it actually runs. It did not run too far from what I expected, but here’s some thoughts.
First, the set up was easy since all you’re doing is choosing a pregen character type and pulling out a quest to tie things together. There’s no meaningful setting lore attached outside of whatever that card gives you, which, speeds play but also means a lot of “get ready to improvise world details”, which might be a bump for some folks.
Each scene is it’s own thing and I feel like mostly the default mode of play is “don’t think too hard about how this scene ties to whatever the last scene is, or the mission itself”. It’s not impossible to come up with these things, it’s just that it is likely to be the most work or challenge in this game if you’re going to be a stickler about trying to rationalize consistent logic bewteen the randomness.
Because players aren’t making any choice about what the party is doing next, what kind of scene is happening next, it’s the lack of agency you got from a railroaded game without the unifying vision of a GM. On the other hand, because you know you don’t get that choice, you’re not left trying to suss out what direction you should go or if you can do something or not because it would “interfere with the plot”. This is kind of the main thing I felt why this would be a little pick up game but not a great long term sort of experience and that was 100% the experience.
A small, surprising element that appeared during play is that some of the reward cards you get point to building relationship ties with the other player characters. One player picked up “Sensei” which you pick another character to be your mentor; you can use their ability at double power. I picked up “Tsundere” which meant I had to have a crush on another character but allowed me to give them a bonus to their rolls by helping them out. I think tying in “you get stronger relationship mechanics as part of advancement” might be an interesting idea to port to other games, just not randomized through cards, is all.
Overall I’m going to put it in the category of “short boardgame experience with a light dusting of roleplaying”as a game, and certainly not a bad one to start as a light intro to people curious about roleplaying games. Probably not a category most people who frequent this blog need, but if you have a large circle of boardgame friends who have been on the edge about RPGs, this could be a way to open the door for them.
If you find my blog entertaining and valuable, consider supporting me on Patreon.
Mississippi site block, plus a small restriction on Tennessee new accounts
Aug. 31st, 2025 12:28 pmdenise posting in dw_newsA reminder to everyone that starting tomorrow, we are being forced to block access to any IP address that geolocates to the state of Mississippi for legal reasons while we and Netchoice continue fighting the law in court. People whose IP addresses geolocate to Mississippi will only be able to access a page that explains the issue and lets them know that we'll be back to offer them service as soon as the legal risk to us is less existential.
The block page will include the apology but I'll repeat it here: we don't do geolocation ourselves, so we're limited to the geolocation ability of our network provider. Our anti-spam geolocation blocks have shown us that their geolocation database has a number of mistakes in it. If one of your friends who doesn't live in Mississippi gets the block message, there is nothing we can do on our end to adjust the block, because we don't control it. The only way to fix a mistaken block is to change your IP address to one that doesn't register as being in Mississippi, either by disconnecting your internet connection and reconnecting it (if you don't have a static IP address) or using a VPN.
In related news, the judge in our challenge to Tennessee's social media age verification, parental consent, and parental surveillance law (which we are also part of the fight against!) ruled last month that we had not met the threshold for a temporary injunction preventing the state from enforcing the law while the court case proceeds.
The Tennesee law is less onerous than the Mississippi law and the fines for violating it are slightly less ruinous (slightly), but it's still a risk to us. While the fight goes on, we've decided to prevent any new account signups from anyone under 18 in Tennessee to protect ourselves against risk. We do not need to block access from the whole state: this only applies to new account creation.
Because we don't do any geolocation on our users and our network provider's geolocation services only apply to blocking access to the site entirely, the way we're implementing this is a new mandatory question on the account creation form asking if you live in Tennessee. If you do, you'll be unable to register an account if you're under 18, not just the under 13 restriction mandated by COPPA. Like the restrictions on the state of Mississippi, we absolutely hate having to do this, we're sorry, and we hope we'll be able to undo it as soon as possible.
Finally, I'd like to thank every one of you who's commented with a message of support for this fight or who's bought paid time to help keep us running. The fact we're entirely user-supported and you all genuinely understand why this fight is so important for everyone is a huge part of why we can continue to do this work. I've also sent a lot of your comments to the lawyers who are fighting the actual battles in court, and they find your wholehearted support just as encouraging and motivating as I do. Thank you all once again for being the best users any social media site could ever hope for. You make me proud and even more determined to yell at state attorneys general on your behalf.
Haunted Toilet — Best Craigslist Post This Decade
Aug. 31st, 2025 11:29 amjesse_the_kFree Toilet – Haunted. Slightly Used. You’ve Been Warned.
Posted 7-Aug-2025 from the north side of Madison
In a dark room, a standard toilet seems to glow white
( click for pic )
Do you have guts of steel, a strong back, and a questionable sense of judgment? Then boy, do I have the throne for you.
As Paul Harvey intoned, the rest of the story…
I’m giving away a toilet. Not just any toilet. A porcelain enigma, a mystical butt-bucket, a vessel forged in the deepest depths of a cursed Home Depot clearance aisle.
It flushes with the fury of Poseidon’s trident and occasionally emits sounds that suggest it’s trying to communicate in Morse code. It once screamed. Not like the pipes—like a person.
The backstory? This toilet was installed in my guest bathroom, affectionately known as “The Chamber of Screams.” Three guests used it. Two of them have since moved to Canada without explanation, and the third refuses to make eye contact with me at barbecues.
What you need to know:
Flushes. Sometimes violently.
Bowl glows faintly during thunderstorms.
Came with a bidet. Now it just hisses and sprays randomly like a venomous snake.
Every full moon, the tank fills with glitter. Unclear why.
One Yelp review from a plumber simply said “no.”
I just want it out of my house. You must pick it up yourself and sign a waiver that I am not responsible if it follows you home.
NO SCAMMERS. NO WITCHES. NO EXORCISTS (already tried). Serious inquiries only.
If you’re brave enough to sit upon the throne and live to tell the tale, contact me ASAP.
Upcoming fall shows preview
Aug. 31st, 2025 08:07 amjo posting in tv_talkIt's that time of year again -- the "best new shows of the fall" preview time! The Guardian has a "50 Best TV shows to watch this autumn" listing, with the usual caveat that the Guardian is a UK paper so many are British productions that may never air outside of the UK (and also lists where the show will be available to watch in the UK, so it may be a different streaming service outside of the UK -- e.g. HBO productions tend to air on Sky Atlantic in the UK). That said, I think this year's listing includes more non-British shows than in previous years. Are there any here that look interesting to you?
Today's Adventures
Aug. 30th, 2025 11:38 pmysabetwordsmith posting in flaneursToday we went to the Tuscola Family Fun Day and the Arthur Amish Country Cheese Festival.
Amusingly, I'm wearing a goldenrod-yellow T-shirt with a corncob and the caption "This is my crop top." (It's full length.) I got at least half a dozen compliments on it. :D I bought it earlier this year at another event, definitely a good choice for fall festivals.
( Read more... )
Amusingly, I'm wearing a goldenrod-yellow T-shirt with a corncob and the caption "This is my crop top." (It's full length.) I got at least half a dozen compliments on it. :D I bought it earlier this year at another event, definitely a good choice for fall festivals.
( Read more... )
fiber redux
Aug. 30th, 2025 06:04 pmyhleeCloud is SO HAPPY with her new nesting material:
Y'all. I'd missed an earlier message (thanks, FaceBook!) but I managed not to pick out sheep fleece (breed unknown). Due to the holiday weekend, this wasn't an in-person transaction, although I hope to return in a bitand be able to talk to the farmer in person!
...I am sitting on a few pounds each of alpaca (definitely huacaya, not sure if one is suri) and angora goat fiber a.k.a. MOHAIR. Mind you, I would have been very happy to work with raw WOOL.
Well, I'll be picking through vegetable matter and sorting this VERY SLOWLY for the rest of 2025 lol. :) I do own hand carders but I think I save my pennies for a drum carder for the holidays...
Y'all. I'd missed an earlier message (thanks, FaceBook!) but I managed not to pick out sheep fleece (breed unknown). Due to the holiday weekend, this wasn't an in-person transaction, although I hope to return in a bitand be able to talk to the farmer in person!
...I am sitting on a few pounds each of alpaca (definitely huacaya, not sure if one is suri) and angora goat fiber a.k.a. MOHAIR. Mind you, I would have been very happy to work with raw WOOL.
Well, I'll be picking through vegetable matter and sorting this VERY SLOWLY for the rest of 2025 lol. :) I do own hand carders but I think I save my pennies for a drum carder for the holidays...
(no subject)
Aug. 30th, 2025 06:25 pmjadelennoxThought process: "Why isn't there a biopic about John Brown? His life was weird and full of adventures and it would be a banger. Wait, maybe there is, let me check wikipedia... oh my goodness these are very different movies."
If anyone's seen any of these and they're worth watching (because good), or hatewatching, or avoiding like the plague, then let me know!
Santa Fe Trail (1940), with Raymond Massey as John Brown, also Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, and Ronald Reagan as General Custer. That's certainly some casting?
Wikipedia says:
[The film] depicted Brown completely unsympathetically as a villainous madman and Massey plays him with a constant, wild-eyed stare. The film gave the impression that he did not oppose slavery
and quotes from the film:
Mammy: "Well, Old John Brown said he's gonna give us freedom, but shuckins, if this here Kansas is 'freedom', then I got no use for it. No, sir." Then, a black man adds, "Me, neither. I just wants to get back home to Texas and sit till Kingdom Come."
So this certainly sounds like a gem.
The Good Lord Bird (2020 miniseries), starring Ethan Hawke as John Brown and an large cast including Daveed Diggs, Orlando Jones, and...Killer Mike? Sure, why not.
Did I know about this one? I bet I did—it won a lot of awards—but everyone's brain was oatmeal in 2020 and I am not sure I formed long term memories. Also maybe I heard of it and assumed it was about the Lord God Bird (the ivory billed woodpecker) because who wouldn't assume that?
Anyway the assessment of this is mostly a lot of awards and a positive rotten tomatoes rating so probably a safer bet watching Daveed Diggs as Frederick Douglass instead of Ronald Reagan as George Custer, yeow.
Yuletide 2025 Schedule & New Year's Resolutions
Aug. 30th, 2025 03:24 pmyuletidemods posting in yuletide_adminIt’s time to start thinking about Yuletide! Here is our schedule for this year. Please note that the time of some deadlines has changed from last year. This may mean the date in UTC has also changed, or that the date relative to your own time zone may have changed.
Tuesday 14 to Friday 24 October: Sign-ups (end 9pm UTC 24 October)
Sunday 26 October: Assignments out (may be earlier)
Wednesday 10 December: Default deadline (9pm UTC)
Wednesday 17 December: Assignment deadline (9pm UTC)
Wednesday 24 December: Main collection works reveals (9pm UTC)
Thursday 25 December: Madness collection works reveals (9pm UTC)
Thursday 1 January: Author reveals, end of event (9pm UTC)
Please check back closer to the time if you want to be sure about deadlines! Deadlines in other timezones may be closer than they appear. If your region has a seasonal time shift during the above dates, your relationship to the deadline will also change. We recommend using timeanddate.com to check when each deadline is for you before it occurs.
We use the email that's associated with your AO3 account. This is a good time to check what that email is! If you have any doubts about whether you received it, you're welcome to check your status with us by emailing yuletideadmin@gmail.com. Please include your AO3 name.
See the rules for defaulting on AO3
If you defaulted in a previous year, we will not have sent you a new reminder. We issued a general amnesty for ordinary defaults before the 2023 round, but if you were told you needed to complete a NYR due to turning in a placeholder story or a similar problem, you are probably still on our NYR list. Please check with us if you aren’t sure!
If you had to default in a past year, we are aware that this may have been for a carefully-considered reason or in a difficult time. Needing to complete a NYR does not mean we think you're terrible. Even members of the mod team have needed to write NYRs in the past. We hope you use it as an opportunity to write something you enjoy.
People are also welcome to write NYR stories just for fun! The collection will stay open for late fills until Yuletide 2025 sign-ups close (approx Oct 24).
Prompts for Yuletide 2010-2024 can be found through the relevant individual collections and the NYR collections (see the Yuletide parent collection).
Contact Mods | Participant DW | Participant LJ | Pinch Hits | Discord
Please either comment logged-in or sign a name. Unsigned anonymous comments will be left screened.
2025 Schedule
Monday 15 to Friday 26 September: Nominations (end 9pm UTC 26 September)Tuesday 14 to Friday 24 October: Sign-ups (end 9pm UTC 24 October)
Sunday 26 October: Assignments out (may be earlier)
Wednesday 10 December: Default deadline (9pm UTC)
Wednesday 17 December: Assignment deadline (9pm UTC)
Wednesday 24 December: Main collection works reveals (9pm UTC)
Thursday 25 December: Madness collection works reveals (9pm UTC)
Thursday 1 January: Author reveals, end of event (9pm UTC)
Please check back closer to the time if you want to be sure about deadlines! Deadlines in other timezones may be closer than they appear. If your region has a seasonal time shift during the above dates, your relationship to the deadline will also change. We recommend using timeanddate.com to check when each deadline is for you before it occurs.
New Year's Resolutions
We just sent an email to everyone who took part in Yuletide 2024 and who needs to complete a New Year's Resolution story before signing up again.We use the email that's associated with your AO3 account. This is a good time to check what that email is! If you have any doubts about whether you received it, you're welcome to check your status with us by emailing yuletideadmin@gmail.com. Please include your AO3 name.
Who needs to complete a New Year's Resolution
If you took part in Yuletide and defaulted after the default deadline, or you submitted an incomplete story at the posting deadline, or you defaulted in Yuletide twice in a row, we generally ask you to complete a New Year’s Resolution story before you sign up again.See the rules for defaulting on AO3
If you defaulted in a previous year, we will not have sent you a new reminder. We issued a general amnesty for ordinary defaults before the 2023 round, but if you were told you needed to complete a NYR due to turning in a placeholder story or a similar problem, you are probably still on our NYR list. Please check with us if you aren’t sure!
How to fulfil the requirement
Stories written for the purpose of re-qualifying for Yuletide must be posted to the New Year's Resolutions 2025 collection before you sign up to Yuletide 2025. They must be over 1,000 words, written for a specific person's past Yuletide prompt, and given to that person. You can write for any Yuletide 2024 prompt, or you can choose an older Yuletide prompt as long as the fandom in which you write is small enough to still qualify for Yuletide (that is, there are fewer than 1,000 fics on AO3 that are in English, complete, and over 1,000 words long).Purpose of New Year's Resolutions
The NYR system exists for several reasons:- It's an incentive to encourage people either to default early, or, to push on through and post something
- It works as a warm-up, or as practice, or as a way of proving to yourself you can finish a story to a prompt
- It's a contribution to the project of getting more stories written in tiny fandoms
- It's a way of ensuring that past prompts don't get entirely forgotten.
If you had to default in a past year, we are aware that this may have been for a carefully-considered reason or in a difficult time. Needing to complete a NYR does not mean we think you're terrible. Even members of the mod team have needed to write NYRs in the past. We hope you use it as an opportunity to write something you enjoy.
People are also welcome to write NYR stories just for fun! The collection will stay open for late fills until Yuletide 2025 sign-ups close (approx Oct 24).
2024 prompts
- On AO3
- In an app
- In a text file
- From pinch hitters
- As part of the Someday My Fic Will Come mini-challenge
Prompts for Yuletide 2010-2024 can be found through the relevant individual collections and the NYR collections (see the Yuletide parent collection).
Please either comment logged-in or sign a name. Unsigned anonymous comments will be left screened.
Well, that escalated
Aug. 30th, 2025 11:24 amyhlee
Sheep and alpaca! Raw unprocessed fiber bought directly from a local-ish farmer. I reckon processing this will be my hobby project for the rest of the year.
Fiber animal wonders about her own fate. :) :) I have...10g of catten floof (which is very spinnable!).
ETA: Also, this may have happened /o\
Covid vaccine access at pharmacies
Aug. 30th, 2025 10:34 amredbird posting in thisfinecrewBecause RFK Jr. is out to get us, CVS (and possibly other pharmacies) isn’t shipping the updated covid vaccine in 16 states. https://www.idse.net/CDC-News/Article/08-25/CVS-stops-COVID-shots/78068
In Massachusetts, New Mexico, and Nevada, state law says pharmacists can’t give vaccines that aren’t CDC-approved. In another 13 states, they can, but it requires a prescription.
These are state laws, so call your state respresentatives.
Here’s a script, and the Massachusetts phone numbers:
( Read more... )
This is in addition to calling your doctor’s office (if you have one) to ask for the vaccine.
In Massachusetts, New Mexico, and Nevada, state law says pharmacists can’t give vaccines that aren’t CDC-approved. In another 13 states, they can, but it requires a prescription.
These are state laws, so call your state respresentatives.
Here’s a script, and the Massachusetts phone numbers:
( Read more... )
This is in addition to calling your doctor’s office (if you have one) to ask for the vaccine.
