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bristlecone [ˈbri-səl-ˌkōn-]

noun

a pine, Pinus aristata, of the southwestern U.S., bearing short needles crowded into long, thick bundles and cones having scales tipped with a slender, curved spine; one of the longest-lived trees, useful in radiocarbon dating

examples
1. Ultimately, it's the rising temperatures and droughts associated with global warming that will significantly impinge upon Nature's finest masterpiece -- the near-immortal Great Basin bristlecone pines. Dr. Reese Halter: Saving the Ancient Pines by Reducing our Global Footprints, 2010

2. "There is a bristlecone pine tree that's nearly five thousand years old."
The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst

origin
first recorded use of the word 1893

Greetings from the snowy north! We're in the middle of a winter storm that keeps oscillating north and south of the city. We're north, and sometimes we get snow from north of us and south of us, since we're located between two lakes. We had whiteout conditions at times this morning, got a big dumping of snow overnight last night, and the wind chills are down in the negative numbers. Yesterday and today were definitely indoor workout days, and I don't see that changing over the next couple of days more, but we'll see.

Some of us were discussing in the comments of last week's post where we go to walk when the weather is inclement. Do you have a favorite indoor space? Mine is the closest mall, which is about .8 miles per loop. It can be boring--we're quite familiar with it by now--but at least we can people-watch.

Feel free to ignore the question, but please do update us about how the past week has been for you in terms of fitness (or any other area of your life you'd like to share with us).

( My Week in Review )

Here's hoping the week ahead is a good one for all of us, weather notwithstanding.

The Scavenger Door by Suzanne Palmer : The third book in The Finder Chronicles; as much fun as its predecessors, and the end had me immediately turning around to start book four. ( Spoilery thoughts. )

Non-spoilery thought: Suzanne Palmer sure knows what it's like to live with a cat.

Um Actually live show: I don't subscribe to Dropout, so I'm sadly unfamiliar with most of their shows, but during high pandemic, they dropped a bunch of Um Actually episodes on YouTube, and T and I spent a lot of time watching them. So when we learned that there would a live show at this year's SF Sketchfest, we immediately decided to get tickets. The panel, which was not announced in advance, was Janet Varney, Marc Evan Jackson, and Tawny Newsome; they were an awesome group who played well off the hosts and each other, and we had a great time.

I went to Google, looked him up, and have been reading all morning. I remembered a lot of it. It was nice spending the morning with him in my mind. I hope everyone else does the same thing.

( Moodboard )

Today is partly sunny and cold.

I fed the birds. I've seen a flock of sparrows and a lady cardinal.

I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 1/19/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

EDIT 1/19/26 -- I did more work around the patio.

I've seen two starlings and a male cardinal.

EDIT 1/19/26 -- I did more work around the patio.

I am done for the night. 5:20 and I can still see light in the west. :D

( You're about to view content that the journal owner has advised should be viewed with discretion. )

So famed is the Empire of Emor for its law system that many foreigners do not realize that Emor holds accomplishments in other arts. Foremost among these arts is medicine.

Until the practice of medical training was formalized in Emor, the knowledge of how to heal was informally passed on by peninsularean men and women who received no special training. Despite these drawbacks, some of the healers were quite good; Koretia's healing women deserve special mention. But the creation of the Medical Academy during the period of the Middle Charas caused knowledge of healing to leap forward immensely. These days, many a healing woman, priest, or bard will travel north to spend time in the Medical Academy, learning valuable lessons.

The Physicians' Quarters next door were created after the Medical Academy, as a place to allow students to work under experienced doctors. The Physicians' Quarters cares for city residents and a select number of soldiers who are undergoing lengthy convalescence.

Because of the doctors' important work, visitors may find it difficult to obtain entrance to either the Quarters or the Academy. I've found that dropping a rock on my foot does the trick.

[Translator's note: The protagonist of Death Mask begins his journey at the Physicians' Quarters.]

Road Trip to the End of the World (2025, PC) -- Joined by a talking fish in overalls, a young woman drives across the United States to crash the wedding of her ex-best friend.


This Ren'py visual novel, a thesis project from Alex M. Lee as part of her MFA at SVA, is short and polished and free to play. It took me about an hour to experience from start to finish, and that brevity is both a strength and a weakness. On one hand: a perfectly self-contained one-hour game, we love to see it! On the other hand, perhaps due to the thesis-project demands of MUST DEMONSTRATE ALL PORTFOLIO STRENGTHS HEREIN, the game appears anxious about cramming in a full character arc for its protagonist. This means that she is maybe overly self-actualized and speaks in the idiom of self-help therapy TikToks -- but just when I was starting to frown at all the epiphanies being awkwardly vocalized, there was a Guy Fieri jump-scare joke that had me howling with laughter. So, on the whole: a good game!

J'ai participé à des mèmes où on offre des petiters fics de Noël à des gens qui donnent des listes de fandoms et de thèmes (de Noël ou d'hiver) préférés.


Titre : Le soleil d'hiver
Auteur : Nelja
Fandom : Les Misérables
Persos/Couples : Grantaire->Enjolras
Genre : Angst
Résumé : Grantaire déteste les nuits d'hiver.
Rating : PG
Disclaimer : Domaine public, les personnages ont été créée par Victor Hugo
Nombre de mots : ~600
Notes : Ecrit pour Sweety-Mutant sur le thème "Dépression saisonnière"

( Lien vers AO3 )


Titre : Le bon timing
Auteur : Nelja
Fandom : Cable & Deadpool (Marvel)
Persos/Couples : Cable/Deadpool
Genre : Humour, très vaguement smut
Résumé : Wade est curieux des bonnes résolutions que Nate a prises ; cela ne peut pas être que sauver le monde en trente exemplaires avec du papier carbone !
La suite lui donnera raison.
Rating : M
Disclaimer : Rien ne m'appartient !
Nombre de mots : ~800
Notes : Ecrit pour Calystacat sur le thème "Bonnes résolutions"

( Lien vers AO3 )


Titre : Les petites chances
Auteur : Nelja
Fandom : Bungou Stray Dogs
Persos/Couples : Akutagawa->Dazai, Gin
Genre : Angst
Résumé : Akutagawa et Gin vont prier au temple pour le Nouvel An. Akutagawa n'a qu'une seule chose à demander.
Rating : T
Disclaimer : Tout appartient à Asagiri Kafka et Harukawa 35
Nombre de mots : ~700
Notes : Ecrit pour Bass sur les thèmes "Notre fête à nous" et "Attendre un miracle"

( Lien vers AO3 )

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I am once again completing my Year in Books meme! I had so much fun with this meme last year and I really enjoyed going back and reviewing my answers again as I prepared for this year's reflection. So without further ado...

In 2025 I made a New Year's Resolution to commit to rereading favorite books, which you'll see that I was very successful with! Rereads will be marked with a *.

2025 Book List:
1. The Rifter Book One: The Shattered Gates by Ginn Hale *
2. Yield Under Great Persuasion by Alexandra Rowland
3. The More You Do The Better You Feel: How to Overcome Procrastination and Live a Happier Life by David Parker
4. The Day the World Stops Shopping: How Ending Consumerism Saves the Environment and Ourselves by J.B. MacKinnon
5. The Rifter Book Two: The Holy Road by Ginn Hale *
6. The Uses of Illicit Art by Wendy Palmer
7. Captive Prince by C.S. Pacat *
8. The Rifter Book Three: His Sacred Bones by Ginn Hale *
9. Prince's Gambit by C.S. Pacat *
10. Halfway Human by Carolyn Ives Gilman *
11. Kings Rising by C.S. Pacat *
12. Westmark by Lloyd Alexander *
13. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien *
14. The Kestrel by Lloyd Alexander *
15. Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier
16. The Beggar Queen by Lloyd Alexander *
17. The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy *
18. The Third Gilmore Girl by Kelly Bishop
19. Talking As Fast As I Can: From Gilmore Girls to Gilmore Girls (And Everything in Between) by Lauren Graham
20. How to Keep House While Drowning: A Gentle Approach to Cleaning and Organizing by KC Davis
21. The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner *
22. The Queen of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner *
23. The King of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner *
24. The Fire's Stone by Tanya Huff
25. A Conspiracy of Kings by Megan Whalen Turner *
26. Holes by Louis Sacher *
27. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card *
28. Sunrise On The Reaping by Suzanne Collins
29. Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business by Gino Wickman
30. Sword Catcher by Cassandra Clare

The first book you read in 2025:
Although I started it in December of 2024, the first book I finished was book 1 of the Rifter trilogy by Ginn Hale.

The last book you finished in 2025:
Sword Catcher by Cassandra Clare

The first book you will finish (or did finish!) in 2026:
Probably The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni. I read like 90% of it over the summer but got distracted and just need to go back and finish it up.

How many books read in 2025
30!

( Lots more (including some hot takes) under the cut! )

The tabletop fantasy roleplaying game of early 19th-Century folk horror.

Bundle of Holding: Sleepy Hollow

my partner took their own life shortly after my last journal.

there's a lot i could say, but not right now. let me wallow in this sorrow a little longer.

The great imponderable of toasted cheese (100 words) by Petra
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Aubrey-Maturin Series - Patrick O'Brian
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Jack Aubrey & Stephen Maturin
Characters: Jack Aubrey, Stephen Maturin
Additional Tags: Drabble, Natural Philosophy, Baffle them with bullshit
Summary:

Jack engages in natural philosophy.

*

A cuppa (100 words) by Petra
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Dark Is Rising Sequence - Susan Cooper
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Jane Drew & The Lady (Dark is Rising)
Characters: Jane Drew (Dark is Rising), The Lady (Dark Is Rising)
Additional Tags: Drabble, Hope
Summary:

Jane has tea, not quite alone.

*

How to apply torture (100 words) by Petra
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Star Wars Original Trilogy, Star Wars - All Media Types
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Leia Organa & Darth Vader
Characters: Leia Organa, Darth Vader
Additional Tags: Drabble, Alternate Universe - Soulmates
Series: Part 3 of The Shoop Shoop Soulmate Song
Summary:

Common wisdom says everyone has one soulmate, but common wisdom has forgotten the Force.

Hello to all members, passers-by, curious onlookers, and shy lurkers, and welcome to our regular daily check-in post. Just leave a comment below to let us know how your current projects are progressing, or even if they're not.

Checking in is NOT compulsory, check in as often or as seldom as you want, this community isn't about pressure it's about encouragement, motivation, and support. Crafting is meant to be fun, and what's more fun than sharing achievements and seeing the wonderful things everyone else is creating?

There may also occasionally be questions, but again you don't have to answer them, they're just a way of getting to know each other a bit better.


This Week's Question: What are your crafting goals for 2026?


If anyone has any questions of their own about the community, or suggestions for tags, questions to be asked on the check-in posts, or if anyone is interested in playing check-in host for a week here on the community, which would entail putting up the daily check-in posts and responding to comments, go to the Questions & Suggestions post and leave a comment.

I now declare this Check-In OPEN!

Happy birthday to Rosado from Fire Emblem Engage 🩵

I tried to go directly from sketch to coloring and it's a bit messier than I would have liked, but I realized it's probably just because I keep on zooming in and can see how rough the lines look. At a passing glance (which is usually the case on social media feeds), it looks fine. The ribbon on his top stressed me out the most, ngl. I'm happy with how this turned out in the end!

Title: Morning Calls
Ratings & Warnings: G (no warnings apply)
Fandom: Guardian (TV 2018)
Character(s): Zhao Yunlan, Da Qing, Shen Wei, Ye Zun, Zhao Xinci
Summary: The morning after the night before. (A follow-up fic to Night Letters for Be A Goldfish Week 3.)

AO3 link

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Posted by Mikhail Madnani

https://www.rpgsite.net/news/19387-the-seven-deadly-sins-origin-release-date-delayed-march-2026

Netmarble has announced that the co-op open world RPG The Seven Deadly Sins: Origin will now launch in March instead of this month.

https://www.rpgsite.net/news/19387-the-seven-deadly-sins-origin-release-date-delayed-march-2026