Dance the Eagle to Sleep by Marge Piercy
Feb. 22nd, 2026 09:33 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
james_davis_nicoll
Can America's well-financed, highly-experienced, heavily-armed war machine hope to prevail against a numerically insignificant, poorly-armed, American teen movement?
Dance the Eagle to Sleep by Marge Piercy
it would be so fine to see your face at my door
Feb. 21st, 2026 09:15 pmmusesfoolThis afternoon, I made this lemon cake because 1. I had an open container of ricotta I wanted to use up before it spoiled, and 2. I've been looking for a nut-free alternative to my favorite lemon cake since one of my nieces has a tree nut allergy. It turns out I did not have enough ricotta, but I made it up with sour cream, and the cake seems fine. It did stick to the pan in one small spot so I didn't take a picture of it since it had a gash in it, but it tastes great. The trick of adding turbinado sugar to the glaze to make it crunchy is a good one, too.
I also made dressing for coleslaw, which I've never done before - always just bought the pre-made deli version - and it's ok, not great. Not tangy enough, tbh. I wonder if replacing some of the mayo with buttermilk is the way to go. I ate some with a steak I pan-fried for dinner and that was nice. I don't have steak very often, but sometimes it goes on sale and I get it.
We're supposed to be getting between 12"-18" of snow tomorrow/Monday (wait, I just checked, and the current forecast is 39% likelihood of at least 18" if not more, wow), and I'm supposed to go into the office on Tuesday, so I guess we'll see what actually materializes, whether the streets are cleaned, and how I feel on Tuesday morning. Supposedly we're getting a free lunch, but I don't know when the consultant who is supposed to be buying it for our in person meeting is flying in, idk what is going to happen. There was some back and forth on Teams today about the storm and they are notifying everyone to be remote on Monday, which is the smart choice.
Anyway, my menu is not very cozy - I was planning on making that lemony macaroni salad for lunches, and some baked oatmeal with cherries and chocolate chips for breakfast. I do have bread, milk, and eggs, so there could always be French toast! Though I did make that on Wednesday when I realized it was Ash Wednesday (and that I'd completely forgotten Shrove Tuesday). I'll probably have pasta for dinner tomorrow regardless, since it's Sunday.
Today, I watched Batman Ninja, which features the Batfamily time traveling back to feudal Japan (but so much Joker and I am so tired of Joker), and then its sequel, Batman vs. the Yakuza League, which I enjoyed more because it has Wonder Woman in it and she's fantastic as always. It also features ( I guess this is a spoiler ) It was weird to me though that we got 4 Batboys (Jason's feudal Japan headgear is HILARIOUS), but no Cass or Babs at all, and I didn't love the art for Selina. Someday we'll get an animated version of Wayne Family Adventures and the girls and Duke will get their due!
*
I also made dressing for coleslaw, which I've never done before - always just bought the pre-made deli version - and it's ok, not great. Not tangy enough, tbh. I wonder if replacing some of the mayo with buttermilk is the way to go. I ate some with a steak I pan-fried for dinner and that was nice. I don't have steak very often, but sometimes it goes on sale and I get it.
We're supposed to be getting between 12"-18" of snow tomorrow/Monday (wait, I just checked, and the current forecast is 39% likelihood of at least 18" if not more, wow), and I'm supposed to go into the office on Tuesday, so I guess we'll see what actually materializes, whether the streets are cleaned, and how I feel on Tuesday morning. Supposedly we're getting a free lunch, but I don't know when the consultant who is supposed to be buying it for our in person meeting is flying in, idk what is going to happen. There was some back and forth on Teams today about the storm and they are notifying everyone to be remote on Monday, which is the smart choice.
Anyway, my menu is not very cozy - I was planning on making that lemony macaroni salad for lunches, and some baked oatmeal with cherries and chocolate chips for breakfast. I do have bread, milk, and eggs, so there could always be French toast! Though I did make that on Wednesday when I realized it was Ash Wednesday (and that I'd completely forgotten Shrove Tuesday). I'll probably have pasta for dinner tomorrow regardless, since it's Sunday.
Today, I watched Batman Ninja, which features the Batfamily time traveling back to feudal Japan (but so much Joker and I am so tired of Joker), and then its sequel, Batman vs. the Yakuza League, which I enjoyed more because it has Wonder Woman in it and she's fantastic as always. It also features ( I guess this is a spoiler ) It was weird to me though that we got 4 Batboys (Jason's feudal Japan headgear is HILARIOUS), but no Cass or Babs at all, and I didn't love the art for Selina. Someday we'll get an animated version of Wayne Family Adventures and the girls and Duke will get their due!
*
Books Received, February 14 — February 20
Feb. 21st, 2026 09:02 amjames_davis_nicoll
Seven books new to me. four fantasy, one horror, one ostensibly non-fiction, and one romance. Three are series. Yeah, there does seem to be a shortage of science fiction.
I had a bunch of stuff come in just after the cut-off time for these. Next week will look very different.
Books Received, February 14 — February 20
Poll #34247 Books Received, February 14 — February 20
Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 40
Which of these look interesting?
View Answers
I Want You to Be Happy by Jem Calder (May 2026)
3 (7.5%)
In the Realm of the Last Man: A Memoir by Francis Fukuyama (September 2026)
5 (12.5%)
A Divided Duty: An October Daye Novel by Seanan McGuire (September 2026)
14 (35.0%)
Wickhills by Premee Mohamed (September 2026)
16 (40.0%)
Hallowed Bones: A Sons of Salem Novel by Lucy Smoke (October 2026)
2 (5.0%)
Falling for a Villainous Vampire by Charlotte Stein (October 2026)
6 (15.0%)
I Am the Monster Under the Bed: A Novel by Emily Zinnikas (September 2026)
14 (35.0%)
Some other option (see comments)
0 (0.0%)
Cats!
33 (82.5%)
My motor cortex learning to play Dark Souls
Feb. 21st, 2026 09:07 amrydra_wongcan, to some small degree, be simulated by a blindfolded person trying to push buttons while someone else shouts confused and panicked instructions at them:
(Except that these guys mastered jumping WAY faster than I did.)
It's hilarious and delightful to me to watch people having an experience of Dark Souls which is not wholly unlike mine. In a weird way I feel kind of #represented.
In later vids, they have (like me) discovered the joys of the halberd as adaptive technology for people who are bad at spacing and aiming.
(Except that these guys mastered jumping WAY faster than I did.)
It's hilarious and delightful to me to watch people having an experience of Dark Souls which is not wholly unlike mine. In a weird way I feel kind of #represented.
In later vids, they have (like me) discovered the joys of the halberd as adaptive technology for people who are bad at spacing and aiming.
Wuthering Heights Review
Feb. 20th, 2026 11:59 pmpandarusJust come back from watching “Wuthering Heights”. I’m not mad about it, in either sense. Here be incoherent thoughts:
- it’s a 2 hour long music video: glib, flamboyant & silly.
- the child actors were GREAT. Bless them. Cracking work, really sad that the story scooted forward to the adult actors so fast.
- I love Margot Robbie & I mean no disrespect when I say ( Read more... )
- it’s a 2 hour long music video: glib, flamboyant & silly.
- the child actors were GREAT. Bless them. Cracking work, really sad that the story scooted forward to the adult actors so fast.
- I love Margot Robbie & I mean no disrespect when I say ( Read more... )
The Friend Zone Experiment by Zen Cho
Feb. 20th, 2026 09:10 amjames_davis_nicoll
A successful businesswoman has the opportunity of a lifetime offered to her, only to have an old friend greatly complicate matters.
The Friend Zone Experiment by Zen Cho
yes this is almost entirely olympics
Feb. 19th, 2026 11:59 pmtsuki_no_baraoh my flist i am so tired and of course it has nothing to do with the fact that i stayed up late last night watching the curling. ahem. the us women lost to great britain and i'd feel bad about it except britain's last stone - which won them the game - was an absolutely beautiful shot. seriously, it was perfect. i went to bed partway through the us men vs britain, which was apparently the right move because it was such a rout they called it early. good job, british curlers, and i mean that sincerely.
(and yes i did think ofamberdreams while the brits were winning. :D )
tonight i watched someholy shit thighs men's speed skating and the women's figure skating free skate and was alysa liu having fun or what? hers was such a joyful program. afterwards it looked like she was both congratulating and comforting ami nakai for her bronze - she's like seventeen! i thought her skating was beautiful but evidently it wasn't good enough for gold - and then she hugged the japanese coaches and her coaches hugged the japanese coaches and everyone was hugging (and poor kaori sakamoto was crying and i felt so bad for her because her program was also beautiful) and i gotta say, i love it so much when the medal winners (and almost-medal winners) are so excited for each other.
now i'm watching women's hockey, the gold medal game, and i know how it ends but it's fun to watch anyway.
if you've been watching the norwegian curlers at all (i haven't) you may or may not wonder where the funkypants are. the reason is kind of sad but very sweet.
someone who knows about catholic ritual objects will have to tell me what these altar boys are curling with. and no, i don't mean the brooms. :p
wrap-up of the first week of olympics now that we're almost through the second week. since they mention boopgate i can share that i've had like four conversations about it - with fellow curlers, with the group text, with some of my fellow admins, and with friend s from the libraries. (she's telling everyone that she knows someone with the inside scoop on curling and i keep telling her i probably don't know as much as she thinks i do. like, i had no idea double-touching was a thing, much less that it was an illegal thing.)
this year the cross country skiiers were joined by a very excited doggo. he wasn't fast enough to qualify for a medal run but definitely seemed happy to be there.
in non-olympics news i share pancake day pics from london. people are so weird sometimes but also so fun and silly. and you can't deny the power of the pancake. :D
(and yes i did think of
amberdreams while the brits were winning. :D )tonight i watched some
now i'm watching women's hockey, the gold medal game, and i know how it ends but it's fun to watch anyway.
if you've been watching the norwegian curlers at all (i haven't) you may or may not wonder where the funkypants are. the reason is kind of sad but very sweet.
someone who knows about catholic ritual objects will have to tell me what these altar boys are curling with. and no, i don't mean the brooms. :p
wrap-up of the first week of olympics now that we're almost through the second week. since they mention boopgate i can share that i've had like four conversations about it - with fellow curlers, with the group text, with some of my fellow admins, and with friend s from the libraries. (she's telling everyone that she knows someone with the inside scoop on curling and i keep telling her i probably don't know as much as she thinks i do. like, i had no idea double-touching was a thing, much less that it was an illegal thing.)
this year the cross country skiiers were joined by a very excited doggo. he wasn't fast enough to qualify for a medal run but definitely seemed happy to be there.
in non-olympics news i share pancake day pics from london. people are so weird sometimes but also so fun and silly. and you can't deny the power of the pancake. :D
Insta-rec
Feb. 19th, 2026 08:39 pmkassI just finished Basingstoke's gorgeous HR fic and it rocked my socks so much. And made me laugh. And occasionally made me teary. But mostly it just brought me joy.
Lovers, or, English is a damn funny language (77847 words) by Basingstoke
Chapters: 24/24
Fandom: Heated Rivalry (TV), Game Changers Series - Rachel Reid
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Relationships: Shane Hollander/Ilya Rozanov
Characters: Yuna Hollander, David Hollander, Svetlana Vetrova
Additional Tags: no beta we die like Shane's attempts at heterosexuality, Post-Episode: s01e06 The Cottage (Heated Rivalry), Coming Out, Disordered Eating, Dirty Talk, Depression, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - CPTSD, Suicidal Ideation, Past Domestic Violence, Toxic Family Dynamics, Outing, Found Family, Pittsburgh, look I just think Ilya would really vibe with pittsburgh, Soft Dom Ilya Rozanov, do not take legal advice from this fic, Handwaving, English is this authors's first language and I'm mad about it, threesome teasing but no threesomes, Original Character(s)
Summary:
Lovers, or, English is a damn funny language (77847 words) by Basingstoke
Chapters: 24/24
Fandom: Heated Rivalry (TV), Game Changers Series - Rachel Reid
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Relationships: Shane Hollander/Ilya Rozanov
Characters: Yuna Hollander, David Hollander, Svetlana Vetrova
Additional Tags: no beta we die like Shane's attempts at heterosexuality, Post-Episode: s01e06 The Cottage (Heated Rivalry), Coming Out, Disordered Eating, Dirty Talk, Depression, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - CPTSD, Suicidal Ideation, Past Domestic Violence, Toxic Family Dynamics, Outing, Found Family, Pittsburgh, look I just think Ilya would really vibe with pittsburgh, Soft Dom Ilya Rozanov, do not take legal advice from this fic, Handwaving, English is this authors's first language and I'm mad about it, threesome teasing but no threesomes, Original Character(s)
Summary:
Ilya asked Shane’s father while Shane and his mother were talking outside: “Is boyfriends correct? Lovers is incorrect, but I am not sure what is correct.”
“Well,” Mr. Hollander said. “‘Lovers’ is usually used for, hm, a mistress or an affair. Something kind of sordid. Though--you would say Romeo and Juliet is a play about two lovers,” he said. He paused his knife on the chopping board. “Somehow that’s right and using it for real people isn’t right. English is a damn funny language, Ilya."
“Yes,” Ilya said from the bottom of his heart.
the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat
Feb. 19th, 2026 05:25 pmmusesfoolIn what is likely the only time I will be all "USA USA" about these Olympics (or basically anything these days), the US Women's hockey team won gold in OT over Canada! 🏅🏅🏅🏅🏅
Hilary Knight with the game-tying goal with 2 minutes left and the goalie pulled - she became the all time leading US scorer at the Olympics! GOATed! (She also got engaged yeserday{? I think it was yesterday? to a lady speed-skater} so she's having a time in Milan!) And then Megan Keller won it in OT - right through the 5-hole on Desbiens (who I do feel bad for - she had herself a game today after getting pulled in the previous US-Canada game)! What a sick goal!
(I don't think the overtime in a GOLD MEDAL GAME should be 3-on-3, but at least they were scheduled to play a full period - no shootout in the gold medal game.)
Of course, I was supposed to be working so people kept emailing me and calling me and I couldn't be like, "Don't you know the US women's hockey team is in OT against Canada in the gold medal game!??!" so ugh. work.
In other news, last night I was struck with a mighty strong craving for an Orange Julius, and i had an unopened 11 oz bottle of OJ in the fridge so I stuck it in the freezer, and then this morning I pulled out the blender to make it, and I think the part that defrosted enough to get scraped into the blender was all water, because it had only the vaguest of orangey taste. But I have the other half of the bottle left, so I will try again tomorrow. I'm sure nostalgia is playing a part, but there was something so amazingly good about an Orange Julius at the mall when I was in high school.
*
Hilary Knight with the game-tying goal with 2 minutes left and the goalie pulled - she became the all time leading US scorer at the Olympics! GOATed! (She also got engaged yeserday{? I think it was yesterday? to a lady speed-skater} so she's having a time in Milan!) And then Megan Keller won it in OT - right through the 5-hole on Desbiens (who I do feel bad for - she had herself a game today after getting pulled in the previous US-Canada game)! What a sick goal!
(I don't think the overtime in a GOLD MEDAL GAME should be 3-on-3, but at least they were scheduled to play a full period - no shootout in the gold medal game.)
Of course, I was supposed to be working so people kept emailing me and calling me and I couldn't be like, "Don't you know the US women's hockey team is in OT against Canada in the gold medal game!??!" so ugh. work.
In other news, last night I was struck with a mighty strong craving for an Orange Julius, and i had an unopened 11 oz bottle of OJ in the fridge so I stuck it in the freezer, and then this morning I pulled out the blender to make it, and I think the part that defrosted enough to get scraped into the blender was all water, because it had only the vaguest of orangey taste. But I have the other half of the bottle left, so I will try again tomorrow. I'm sure nostalgia is playing a part, but there was something so amazingly good about an Orange Julius at the mall when I was in high school.
*
All Regulations Are Written in Blood
Feb. 19th, 2026 12:10 pmjames_davis_nicollTTRPG campaign idea.
PCs are field agents in charge of finding and dealing with arcane occupational safety violations. That six-sided summoning pentagram? Flagged. That storeroom where the universal solvent is next to the lemonade? Flagged.
That deadly-trap-filled dungeon abandoned by its creator when the maintenance fees got too high? Red tagged.
This isn't the same as my recent FabUlt campaign. That was about discouraging the worst excesses in a world run by oligarch mages and there weren't really regulations. This would be set in a regulatory state, and would be more an exploration of normalization of deviance.
PCs are field agents in charge of finding and dealing with arcane occupational safety violations. That six-sided summoning pentagram? Flagged. That storeroom where the universal solvent is next to the lemonade? Flagged.
That deadly-trap-filled dungeon abandoned by its creator when the maintenance fees got too high? Red tagged.
This isn't the same as my recent FabUlt campaign. That was about discouraging the worst excesses in a world run by oligarch mages and there weren't really regulations. This would be set in a regulatory state, and would be more an exploration of normalization of deviance.
Slow Gods by Claire North
Feb. 19th, 2026 08:52 amjames_davis_nicoll
Against the gleefully hypocritical, exploitative Shine, the very gods themselves contend in vain.
Slow Gods by Claire North
bleh
Feb. 18th, 2026 10:44 pmviridian5I haven't been feeling well. Between that and being afraid I won't find a parking spot if I drive back home late-ish--the snow/ice mounds are only starting to disappear now, weeks later--I haven't been going out and doing much. (I'm so glad I'm not doing physical therapy, since finding parking near their office would be a nightmare.) Certainly, no late-night trips to the city to see and photograph window displays, which means I've missed Lunar New Year and Valentine's Day displays.
+++
From The Onion:
"Terrified Conservatives Lose Ability To Speak English After Exposure To Bad Bunny Performance (‘¡Dios Mío!’ Cry Millions Of Panicking Republicans)"
Curse you, Conejito Malo.
+++
From The Onion:
"Terrified Conservatives Lose Ability To Speak English After Exposure To Bad Bunny Performance (‘¡Dios Mío!’ Cry Millions Of Panicking Republicans)"
Curse you, Conejito Malo.
i have scaled these city walls
Feb. 18th, 2026 06:36 pmmusesfoolSome things make a post, right?
1. I had the dentist today, so I took the day off, because I am always so exhausted when I come back from the dentist. It's rarely bad, but trying to breathe through the cleaning is always an adventure I do not enjoy and it makes me tired. But I told them that the crown I got in December is mostly fine except if I try to eat almonds or other hard things, so the dentist did something to it "fix the bite." He also said it didn't look like anything was wrong either in the examination or on the x-ray, and to let him know if it didn't get better (or even got worse), so I guess we'll see.
1a. I arrived about 30 minutes early for my appointment - it usually takes much longer to get there so I allowed an hour - but they took me in right away since I was only scheduled to be there for a cleaning, and I was home before noon.
B. I was excited to see ZIBANEJAD score the tying goal for Sweden, but then Quinn Hughes won it for the US in overtime. I have to admit, I don't like 3-on-3 overtime (or shootouts!) for the Olympics. Just play another sudden death period.
iii. This past weekend, Baby Miss L went to her first princess tea party event at the Riverhead aquarium (or near there?) and the pictures of her holding court among the princesses are amazing, but my favorite picture is the one of her making a very excited "oh wow!" face at the plate of desserts in front of her. She was ready to dig in!
d. Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band are coming to MSG in May!!! Tickets go on sale this weekend! I will probably not try to get them, even though MSG is pretty much the 2nd most convenient venue he could play. (Forest Hills Stadium would be the most convenient for me, but would never happen.)
5. I've reached The Butcher's Masquerade in my DCC reread, and I think it might be my favorite of the books? It has a couple of my favorite scenes in it, anyway, including ( spoilers ) I definitely prefer the more open-world type floors than the stuff like the Iron Tangle (and I did find the cards so fucking tedious in book 6; otoh, ( spoilers )).
Though This Inevitable Ruin is also a strong contender, since I fucking love ( spoilers ) There's a lot in it that I enjoyed and that also makes me so curious about what happens next, both in the dungeon and outside of it. I am definitely writing up an epic post based on notes I'm taking on rereading, which will eventually get posted. I hope. *g*
*
1. I had the dentist today, so I took the day off, because I am always so exhausted when I come back from the dentist. It's rarely bad, but trying to breathe through the cleaning is always an adventure I do not enjoy and it makes me tired. But I told them that the crown I got in December is mostly fine except if I try to eat almonds or other hard things, so the dentist did something to it "fix the bite." He also said it didn't look like anything was wrong either in the examination or on the x-ray, and to let him know if it didn't get better (or even got worse), so I guess we'll see.
1a. I arrived about 30 minutes early for my appointment - it usually takes much longer to get there so I allowed an hour - but they took me in right away since I was only scheduled to be there for a cleaning, and I was home before noon.
B. I was excited to see ZIBANEJAD score the tying goal for Sweden, but then Quinn Hughes won it for the US in overtime. I have to admit, I don't like 3-on-3 overtime (or shootouts!) for the Olympics. Just play another sudden death period.
iii. This past weekend, Baby Miss L went to her first princess tea party event at the Riverhead aquarium (or near there?) and the pictures of her holding court among the princesses are amazing, but my favorite picture is the one of her making a very excited "oh wow!" face at the plate of desserts in front of her. She was ready to dig in!
d. Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band are coming to MSG in May!!! Tickets go on sale this weekend! I will probably not try to get them, even though MSG is pretty much the 2nd most convenient venue he could play. (Forest Hills Stadium would be the most convenient for me, but would never happen.)
5. I've reached The Butcher's Masquerade in my DCC reread, and I think it might be my favorite of the books? It has a couple of my favorite scenes in it, anyway, including ( spoilers ) I definitely prefer the more open-world type floors than the stuff like the Iron Tangle (and I did find the cards so fucking tedious in book 6; otoh, ( spoilers )).
Though This Inevitable Ruin is also a strong contender, since I fucking love ( spoilers ) There's a lot in it that I enjoyed and that also makes me so curious about what happens next, both in the dungeon and outside of it. I am definitely writing up an epic post based on notes I'm taking on rereading, which will eventually get posted. I hope. *g*
*
Bundle of Holding: Wolves Upon the Coast
Feb. 18th, 2026 02:57 pmjames_davis_nicoll
The Wolves Upon the Coast Grand Campaign, a bare-bones old-school tabletop roleplaying game by designer Luke Gearing.
Bundle of Holding: Wolves Upon the Coast