Darksight Dare (Penric & Desdemona, volume 16) by Lois McMaster Bujold
May. 7th, 2026 08:53 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
james_davis_nicoll
Can two intractable problems be mutual solutions?
Darksight Dare (Penric & Desdemona, volume 16) by Lois McMaster Bujold
james_davis_nicollCan two intractable problems be mutual solutions?
Darksight Dare (Penric & Desdemona, volume 16) by Lois McMaster Bujold
dentist: crown
May. 6th, 2026 06:30 pmredbirdI went to the dentist this afternoon, and they did some uncomfortable things as part of creating a new/replacement crown for one of my teeth (which had cavities under the old crown). I currently have a temporary crown, and will be getting the permanent replacement in three weeks; it will be ready sooner, but that's the next available appointment.
I was pleased to see that my Lyft driver, the dentist, and the dental assistant were all masked when I first saw them. I told the driver it was nice to see other people masking, and I tipped extra because of it.
When I checked in, the receptionist told me there would be a $750 copay. I told her that I had been told that the crown was fully covered, and asked her to check. A few minutes later, she confirmed that I wouldn't have to pay anything. I do not understand dental insurance, including this dental insurance, which is an add-on to my Medicare Advantage plan; I would have paid the $750 if I had to, but I'm glad I don't.
I'd been planning to stop and visit some lilac bushes on the way home, but it was raining, which made that less appealing, so I didn't. I did stop at Lizzy's on the way home, and now have a total of five unlabeled pints of ice cream: three today, because a broken freezer meant I had to get the clerk to hand-scoop the ice cream, plus the two from Tosci's. However, I have blank sticky adhesive labels, which should make this easy.
I was pleased to see that my Lyft driver, the dentist, and the dental assistant were all masked when I first saw them. I told the driver it was nice to see other people masking, and I tipped extra because of it.
When I checked in, the receptionist told me there would be a $750 copay. I told her that I had been told that the crown was fully covered, and asked her to check. A few minutes later, she confirmed that I wouldn't have to pay anything. I do not understand dental insurance, including this dental insurance, which is an add-on to my Medicare Advantage plan; I would have paid the $750 if I had to, but I'm glad I don't.
I'd been planning to stop and visit some lilac bushes on the way home, but it was raining, which made that less appealing, so I didn't. I did stop at Lizzy's on the way home, and now have a total of five unlabeled pints of ice cream: three today, because a broken freezer meant I had to get the clerk to hand-scoop the ice cream, plus the two from Tosci's. However, I have blank sticky adhesive labels, which should make this easy.
Fannish Appreciation
May. 6th, 2026 01:11 pmlydamorehouse I truly love fandom.
I've been in Bleach fandom since at least 2012 (a date easily checked because that's when I started my AO3 account.) And, you do not need to immediately comment that you've never read Bleach. I honestly wouldn't recommend it to most people. I honestly wouldn't recommend it to anime or manga fans, either! For whatever reason, Bleach just happened to be the thing for me that hit me in the right place at the right time. I felt 15 years old again, absolutely caught up in something that I felt desperate to share with other people. That feeling is probably familiar to you, my nerdy friends. So, as I talk, just imagine Your Thing anytime I say Bleach.
I've been really lucky that, over the years, I've had other Bleach fans gift me things. People have written stories for me, people have drawn amazing art for me, andopalsong even podcast one of my fics ("Hey, Opalsong, if you like Free! you should read my Bleach x Free! crossover," I say for the nineteenth time before I remember that YOU PODCASTED it.) There are so many things people have offered me as part of this fandom that I will cherish forever, but until recently no one has ever offered to share a amateur bound book of my work with me.
Behold!
Image: a fan-drawn manga of a fan work of Bleach.
The crazy thing about this, of course, is that in the past year or so there's been a scammer who has targetted me twice attempting to suggest that they will draw a comic book/manga-style work from my story. (It's usually kind of obvious it's a scam because they'll pick a story where I'm like, "three people have read this. Why?") I always answer this with, "if you found my AO3 profile, you know I've given blanket permission for you to do this. Have at it!" and then they always come back with, "Yes, but for a commission," and I have to say, "Friend, I write fan fic for free. If you want to do fan art for the love of it, go for it. I am not paying you to make fan art of my fan work." Especially since this book I got? I paid nothing. The book artist wouldn't even let me pay for shipping.
Anyway, fandom is the best.
I've been in Bleach fandom since at least 2012 (a date easily checked because that's when I started my AO3 account.) And, you do not need to immediately comment that you've never read Bleach. I honestly wouldn't recommend it to most people. I honestly wouldn't recommend it to anime or manga fans, either! For whatever reason, Bleach just happened to be the thing for me that hit me in the right place at the right time. I felt 15 years old again, absolutely caught up in something that I felt desperate to share with other people. That feeling is probably familiar to you, my nerdy friends. So, as I talk, just imagine Your Thing anytime I say Bleach.
I've been really lucky that, over the years, I've had other Bleach fans gift me things. People have written stories for me, people have drawn amazing art for me, and
opalsong even podcast one of my fics ("Hey, Opalsong, if you like Free! you should read my Bleach x Free! crossover," I say for the nineteenth time before I remember that YOU PODCASTED it.) There are so many things people have offered me as part of this fandom that I will cherish forever, but until recently no one has ever offered to share a amateur bound book of my work with me.Behold!
Image: a fan bound book with the title "Academy Blues" by TSP Bindery. (https://www.tiktok.com/@tsp.bindery).
This volume actually contains two of my multi-chapter fics. First,"Forever With You Never Sounded So Stupid"and "Academy Blues." Not than most of you care, but both of these fics are part of my emotional process of recovering after the absolutely stupid, rushed ending of the official Bleach manga. I will not get into it (in part because if I start ranting, I will not stop), but suffice to say this is a fix-it that, in my own personal head, is now canon. I literally note which panel to stop reading, because my story perfectly fits canon up to that point. I also actually include a lot of the information gleaned from the official light novels that Shounen Jump commissioned to also try to actually fix the mess Kubo Tite left behind.
Anyway, the cover isn't all that exciting, honestly. But wait until you see the interior....
Interior chapter start, this one featuring Renji from Bleach....
And a second one,
Image: featuring a bone tree from a part of the Bleach universe known as Hueco Mundo, the Hollow World
Also scatterred throughout are some bits of a manga-style comicbook that aysmiro drew and shared with me, while I was writing this particular set of fics. As I was telling a friend, the pieces of this fan manga are so important to me that I've desperately been saving it on various digital back-ups for years. Now, thanks to this fan project, I have high quality printouts forever.
Image: a fan-drawn manga of a fan work of Bleach.
The crazy thing about this, of course, is that in the past year or so there's been a scammer who has targetted me twice attempting to suggest that they will draw a comic book/manga-style work from my story. (It's usually kind of obvious it's a scam because they'll pick a story where I'm like, "three people have read this. Why?") I always answer this with, "if you found my AO3 profile, you know I've given blanket permission for you to do this. Have at it!" and then they always come back with, "Yes, but for a commission," and I have to say, "Friend, I write fan fic for free. If you want to do fan art for the love of it, go for it. I am not paying you to make fan art of my fan work." Especially since this book I got? I paid nothing. The book artist wouldn't even let me pay for shipping.
Anyway, fandom is the best.
2026.05.06
May. 6th, 2026 11:01 amlsandersonGas prices pique interest in EVs
by Brian Martucci
https://www.minnpost.com/newsletter/rising-gas-prices-pique-interest-in-evs/
Sunny hopes mixed with warning signs in Frey’s State of the City
And yes, of course he mentioned the Timberwolves.
by Trevor Mitchell
https://www.minnpost.com/metro/2026/05/frey-state-of-the-city-sunny-hopes-mixed-with-warning-signs/ ( Read more... )
by Brian Martucci
https://www.minnpost.com/newsletter/rising-gas-prices-pique-interest-in-evs/
Sunny hopes mixed with warning signs in Frey’s State of the City
And yes, of course he mentioned the Timberwolves.
by Trevor Mitchell
https://www.minnpost.com/metro/2026/05/frey-state-of-the-city-sunny-hopes-mixed-with-warning-signs/ ( Read more... )
I think that about covers it
May. 6th, 2026 07:03 ammrissaHello, friends. I've got something to show you
It's a book cover! In fact it is my book cover! Because...you can preorder my novella, A Dubious Clamor, directly from the publisher or from an assortment of bookstores of your choice! In ebook or hardcover editions! Isn't it pretty? Isn't it appropriate for the book?
Okay, so you can't know whether it's appropriate for the book yet. But you can trust Naomi Kritzer, friend and multi-award winner, who describes this book as, "No war but class war; also, harpies!" (She also says it's "delightful, unique, and frequently hilarious," in case you were wondering.) Some other awesome people describe it as things too! Wonderful people like authors Ruthanna Emrys and Davinia Evans and critic Paul Weimer! Do you want to know what those things are? You can see them on the pre-order page!
But wait! there's more. (You did the right voice in your head for that, right?) If you preorder, you can not only get this lovely novella (ooooh! aaaaah!), you can also get a really cool sticker of a skeptical sword! You can put this on your laptop, phone, water bottle, small child, or other sticker-bearing device! Be the envy of your friends and neighbors, or at least those of your friends and neighbors who are cool enough to like sword stickers. (As for the other kind, who cares what they think? You are a discerning individual who knows the value of sword stickers, and that's what matters.)
Don't go yet! There's still more. Sadly we currently live in the timeline that has class war but no harpies. (I have improved on this in the novella! Which you can read on September 15 if you preorder it now!) But do you know what our timeline does have? It has harpy eagles. Harpy eagles are so cool. And the lovely people at the World Wildlife Fund allow you to donate to support their habitat. Every person who preorders will be entered into a drawing (subject to sweepstakes laws in your jurisdiction) to win a harpy eagle plushie that also supports harpy eagles in real life! For each hundred pre-orders, we will add another harpy eagle plushie (and its attendant habitat support) to the drawing, so your odds of winning an awesome harpy eagle plushie to be your new cuddly pal and mascot will never be less than 1 in 100. Or you can pass it on to be the cuddly pal and mascot of someone else you know, that part is up to you. Similarly you can also preorder copies of the novella and not read them, if for some reason you're opposed to opinionated weaponry, fictional operetta, and cake in your reading life. I will warn you, there is much cake.
So here it is! Pre-order today! or also other days, that's fine too!
My Dress-Up Darling, volume 1 by Shinichi Fukuda
May. 6th, 2026 09:30 amjames_davis_nicoll
When a teen schoolgirl stumbles over a classmate's most closely held secret, there is only one course of action open to him.
My Dress-Up Darling, volume 1 by Shinichi Fukuda
2026.05.05
May. 5th, 2026 12:00 pmlsandersonWhile all eyes are on the Boundary Waters, a different mining project nears a regulatory yardstick
Tribal and environmental groups have lined up against the Tamarack mine west of Duluth ahead of a summer public comment period.
by Brian Arola
https://www.minnpost.com/environment/2026/05/while-all-eyes-are-on-the-boundary-waters-a-different-mining-project-nears-a-regulatory-yardstick/
Want more electricians? Build better career opportunities
Young people will be drawn to careers in the trades if they can see a clear career path. Policymakers — and business — can do more to address workforce gaps.
by Matt Bergmann
https://www.minnpost.com/community-voices/2026/05/want-more-electricians-build-better-career-opportunities-trades/ ( Read more... )
Tribal and environmental groups have lined up against the Tamarack mine west of Duluth ahead of a summer public comment period.
by Brian Arola
https://www.minnpost.com/environment/2026/05/while-all-eyes-are-on-the-boundary-waters-a-different-mining-project-nears-a-regulatory-yardstick/
Want more electricians? Build better career opportunities
Young people will be drawn to careers in the trades if they can see a clear career path. Policymakers — and business — can do more to address workforce gaps.
by Matt Bergmann
https://www.minnpost.com/community-voices/2026/05/want-more-electricians-build-better-career-opportunities-trades/ ( Read more... )
Tripoint (Company Wars, volume 6) by C J Cherryh
May. 5th, 2026 08:51 amjames_davis_nicoll
A mother's determination allows her son to finally meet his long-lost father.
Tripoint (Company Wars, volume 6) by C J Cherryh
Inspired by a Space Wizard discussion on Discord
May. 4th, 2026 07:05 pmjames_davis_nicollSpace wizard cultists but instead of one sanctioned cult and one forbidden cult, there are hundreds of space wizard cults, each of whom is convinced they have the best space wizardry. So they're continually fighting to see whose is better.
The Space Emperor's antipathy is due to the disruption caused by incessant space wizard cultist fights.
The Space Emperor's antipathy is due to the disruption caused by incessant space wizard cultist fights.
another pointless medical test
May. 4th, 2026 06:53 pmredbirdI saw Carmen (my PCP) this afternoon, in person. I couldn't remember why we'd scheduled this in person, but assumed we had a reason at the time, but when I asked, Carmen didn't know either.
She wrote the next Ritalin prescription; listened to my heart and lungs as long as I was there; and had me provide a urine sample for a once-a-year toxicology screening. In theory, that screening is to make sure that the patient is actually taking rather than selling their Schedule II drugs. The thing is, the standard/required test panel is for about a dozen things, not including Ritalin. There is a test for that, which she didn't order because the sample would have to go to a different lab, and she trusts that I'm taking the medication as prescribed.
I'm also supposed to schedule a mammogram.
It's a nice day, so I went to Tosci's afterwards, and now have a pint each of sweet cream and lime vanilla ice cream.
She wrote the next Ritalin prescription; listened to my heart and lungs as long as I was there; and had me provide a urine sample for a once-a-year toxicology screening. In theory, that screening is to make sure that the patient is actually taking rather than selling their Schedule II drugs. The thing is, the standard/required test panel is for about a dozen things, not including Ritalin. There is a test for that, which she didn't order because the sample would have to go to a different lab, and she trusts that I'm taking the medication as prescribed.
I'm also supposed to schedule a mammogram.
It's a nice day, so I went to Tosci's afterwards, and now have a pint each of sweet cream and lime vanilla ice cream.
Bundle of Holding: Critical Kit Solos
May. 4th, 2026 02:43 pmjames_davis_nicoll
This all-new Critical Kit Solos Bundle presents Be Like a Cat, Be Like a Crow, and other one- and two-player tabletop roleplaying games from designer Tim Roberts at UK games publisher Critical Kit Ltd.
Bundle of Holding: Critical Kit Solos
2026.05.04
May. 4th, 2026 11:38 amlsandersonDNA Just Exposed The Drug Berserkers Drank Before Battle — And Their Genes Still Walk Modern Norway
Origin Decoder
https://youtu.be/vWKnK1HCuoU?si=Ci0V3lzv4uL2y4Cs
8 things you should know about Trump’s effort to “take over” the midterm elections
From dismantling guardrails that upheld the integrity of past elections to gutting federal agencies and installing allies who supported Trump’s claim that the 2020 vote was stolen, here are the key takeaways from our recent investigation.
By ProPublica
https://www.minnpost.com/national/washington/2026/05/trumps-effort-to-take-over-the-midterm-elections/ ( Read more... )
Origin Decoder
https://youtu.be/vWKnK1HCuoU?si=Ci0V3lzv4uL2y4Cs
8 things you should know about Trump’s effort to “take over” the midterm elections
From dismantling guardrails that upheld the integrity of past elections to gutting federal agencies and installing allies who supported Trump’s claim that the 2020 vote was stolen, here are the key takeaways from our recent investigation.
By ProPublica
https://www.minnpost.com/national/washington/2026/05/trumps-effort-to-take-over-the-midterm-elections/ ( Read more... )
What Was the First Book You Bought From Each SF Publisher?
May. 4th, 2026 10:08 amjames_davis_nicoll
Let's take a trip down the book-lined pathways of Memory Lane...
What Was the First Book You Bought From Each SF Publisher?
a slightly weird spring
May. 3rd, 2026 11:07 pmredbirdThe timing of spring is being weird in the Boston area. The lilies of the valley have started to bloom, while some of the forsythia bushes still have a lot of bright yellow flowers.
We still have daffodils, the rhododendrons are being exuberant, and the violets have been looking good for a week or two.
I will look for lilacs sometime in the next few days. The most convenient would be to see what's in bloom along and near Mount Auburn Street near Ash Street, on my way home from the dentist on Wednesday. (I'm also considering a side trip to Sophia's Greek Pantry for good oregano, but stopping at Sevan Bakery or Arax would be more convenient.)
We still have daffodils, the rhododendrons are being exuberant, and the violets have been looking good for a week or two.
I will look for lilacs sometime in the next few days. The most convenient would be to see what's in bloom along and near Mount Auburn Street near Ash Street, on my way home from the dentist on Wednesday. (I'm also considering a side trip to Sophia's Greek Pantry for good oregano, but stopping at Sevan Bakery or Arax would be more convenient.)
nggg
May. 3rd, 2026 11:22 amjames_davis_nicollYesterday I had a very, very annoying set of shifts that started with me locking myself out of my office. Then, despite the client in question being a total sweetheart who is very familiar with the theatre, one particular group of dancers kept blocking the same fire door, over and over and over. It was blocked in different ways by different people all but two times I checked.
In fact, I encountered twice as many fire code violations involving that door yesterday as I have in the previous ten years.
The client was reportedly aghast but that didn’t stop it from happening.
If I’d been house manager in the evening, I would have parked an usher by that door full time to keep an eye on it. I happened to be the usher at the aisle just up the hall, so I did check every 30 minutes.
However, on my way home I missed my train and that meant I could spend ten minutes playing a ground hog. So that was good.
In fact, I encountered twice as many fire code violations involving that door yesterday as I have in the previous ten years.
The client was reportedly aghast but that didn’t stop it from happening.
If I’d been house manager in the evening, I would have parked an usher by that door full time to keep an eye on it. I happened to be the usher at the aisle just up the hall, so I did check every 30 minutes.
However, on my way home I missed my train and that meant I could spend ten minutes playing a ground hog. So that was good.
2026.05.03
May. 3rd, 2026 09:18 amlsandersonMayday 2026 Powderhorn Park
https://www.maydaympls.org/
‘This is just disarray’: alarm inside Pentagon after Hegseth staff purges
Insiders portray defense secretary as increasingly isolated after officers with impeccable reputations forced out
Robert Tait in Washington
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/may/03/pentagon-pete-hegseth-us-military ( Read more... )
https://www.maydaympls.org/
‘This is just disarray’: alarm inside Pentagon after Hegseth staff purges
Insiders portray defense secretary as increasingly isolated after officers with impeccable reputations forced out
Robert Tait in Washington
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/may/03/pentagon-pete-hegseth-us-military ( Read more... )
Books Received, April 26 — May 1 poll
May. 3rd, 2026 09:57 amjames_davis_nicollPoll #34548 Books Received, April 26 — May 1
Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 49
Which of these look interesting?
View Answers
This is Free Trader Beowulf by Shannon Appelcline (2024)
23 (46.9%)
Darksight Dare by Lois McMaster Bujold (April 2026)
28 (57.1%)
Blood to the True Crown by Sung-Il Kim (November 2026)
6 (12.2%)
Some other option (see comments)
1 (2.0%)
cats!
35 (71.4%)
I am very tired, thus the lack of a poll earlier.
Books Received, April 26 — May 1
May. 3rd, 2026 08:52 amjames_davis_nicoll
Yesterday was a very long work day so I didn't have time to post this. Two books new to me. One I wanted in paper.One non-fiction about an--no, THE SF game, and two fantasy. Both fantasies are series.
Books Received, April 26 — May 1