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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

Talk about your favourite tropes in media or transformative works. (Feel free to substitute in theme/motif/cliche if "trope" doesn't resonate with you.)

Where to start? Let's start with swashbuckling. That's a nice easy one. Really, I think my fannish id was formed by The Prisoner of Zenda at an early age (I am still very fond of The Prisoner of Zenda).

See also: Ruritania. I love a good fictional society, and the deeper we go into the government departments and the transport infrastructure, the happier I am.

And love and duty. I don't necessarily mind which triumphs, so long as both are taken seriously. I also love it when one of the arts - or sports, or whatever - is the third party in a relationship, particularly when the partners are both very enthusiastic about that. Not to mention the creator. (This was why I enjoyed Yuri!!! on Ice so much: it was very much about the skating.)

I like relationships between women, romantic or otherwise. And friendships between men and women where it's never going to become romantic.

And then I always enjoy a good description:
Food. Chalet School breakfasts. The Marseille chapter in Madam Will You Talk.
Clothes. Annoyingly, I can't think of a good example at this moment. Probably Eva Ibbotson.
Landscape. A John Buchan evening. Can't beat an apple-green twilight.

Finally, something that I write more often than I read is the situation where you will never be able either to clean up Dodge or to get out of Dodge, you have to live in Dodge, but nevertheless you can find a way to carve out a happy and/or meaningful life there. And maybe you find you've made it slightly less grubby.

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 )

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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.]

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Fandom: Lord Peter Wimsey
Pairings/Characters: Lord Peter Wimsey/Harriet Vane (not requited - yet)
Rating: G
Length: 12,200
Creator Links: nineveh_uk
Theme: crack treated seriously

Summary: Harriet Vane and Lord Peter Wimsey have triumphantly solved the Wilvercombe murder, and only want to return to London. But first they must solve a new mystery: why they have woken up in one another's bodies, and what on earth are they going to do about it?

Reccer's notes Bodyswap is a pretty cracky trope, but here nineveh_uk uses it very effectively to explore the nuances of the complicated and touchy relationship between Peter and Harriet. As the summary suggests, it's set straight after Have His Carcase, where in canon they seem somehow simultaneously closer to and further away from resolving their relationship than ever. The bodyswap twist doesn't make things any less confusing. The voice is pitch perfect: if Dorothy L. Sayers had thought to write this premise, this is exactly what it would have sounded like.

Fanwork Links: My True Love Has My Heart

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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! )

Hello all!

How was writing today?

Today's discussion question: what are some recent influences on your writing? This is less of a question about what fandoms you write for, but rather, what has influenced your writing style or your craft?

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

Bundle of Holding: Sleepy Hollow

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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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H.R. 7013 (Greenland Sovereignty Protection Act) was introduced by Jimmy Gomez (D-CA) last week: https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/7013

It prohibits the use of Federal funding to facilitate the invasion, annexation, purchase, or other form of acquisition of Greenland.

( Read more... )

The pool's closure has felt kind of like a vacation for me in many ways. Which is weird because I do miss volleyball and I do miss swimming but I'm very much enjoying waking up with nothing I have to and nowhere I have to be. My sleep numbers are in the stratosphere.

But, hopefully, the vacation will be over soon. They are saying they hope to finish up the fix on Tuesday and have the pool open on Wednesday and probably warmed up enough for Volleyball on Thursday.

Oh fuck, the landscape guy just fired up the very loud hedge trimmer and it's just now 8 am. They are supposed to hold off until 9. Old people will be bitchin' today. This is where my neighbor Ingrid, will lean out of her terrace and screech at them to be quiet and then scream at them at length about why they need to be quiet. Irony and Ingrid are one and the same. She usually only comes to elbow coffee when she has some outrageous wrong she needs to have all of us help her correct. This could mean we see her next Saturday.

I have three free months of Apple TV but I really watched what I wanted weeks ago so haven't logged on. Last night I fired it up and ohnyfuckingod, Apple stopped just short of sending someone to take a DNA swab. First the message said my account was locked. I got it unlocked then I had to log in - the first of 5 - yes, that is FIVE times they required me to log in. Happily I had set up security questions and answered those several times - the same ones, over and over again. By the time I got Apple TV on my TV I was way too annoyed to watch any of their shit. I have no use for Apple - the hardware, the software, the company. None.

And I am kind of feeling the same way about Microsoft. Dick (of Dick and Jan) asked for my help yesterday showing him how to do something I showed him how to do a month ago - attach a One Drive document to email. That it was a repeat did not thrill me and then I could not figure out how to sort the documents to show him. It did not help that he kept moving the fucking mouse around while I was trying to figure it out. Also his data was at 98% on his machine so I knew it was going to freeze up beyond use any second. I got the document attached to the email and sent. He kept hitting send and sending the email over and over again with no attachment. Finally, I gave up and told him to call the IT guys. I have not used Windows in the last decade or more and I sure do not miss it. Also call the IT guys first next time.

I did get my closet emptied of shoes. I'll clear it out completely on Friday morning but until then, I'm set.

There is a new season of Night Manager so I thought I'd rewatch Season 1. But, turns out, I'd never seen Season 1! I finished it last night. Season 2 is a serial dropper and the last one won't be until the first week of February. I prefer to watch only when the whole season is available. So I'll hold off for now.

Ingrid has not done her balcony scream yet. I'm disappointed in the old girl.

The egg muffin situation is good. The ones I made reheated really nicely. In fact, they are a little better and easier to eat on the run (walk) when reheated. They are too big and not proportioned correctly but I can fix. I think what I really need is egg bites. I will adjust.

I am skipping exercise this morning. Since the pool is reopening, I am less motivated. The guy teaching today is really annoying. He only does the class on two Mondays a month and today is one of his. Plus, the class is at 10. So it makes no sense to shower and get dressed and then go sweat. So I come home and shower and dress and the day is half gone. Nope. (There is a MWF class earlier that is more advanced exercise. And I think there is even a killer class before that one. So I have choices. I chose none of them.)

Oh these landscape guys are really doing a great job! They are clearing out all the old winter stuff out of the beds and it's looking lovely.

Time to get into the shower and get dressed.