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This is exactly the kind of day when I'm glad that I no longer have to go out looking for a photo for the 365 project! It's absolutely awful: it's been 3 °C all morning with gloomy skies and constant light-moderate rain. For what it's worth, non-UK folks, this is what actual British people tend to mean when they complain about our weather. Unless you live in the Faeroes or Newfoundland, you probably get more sunshine than the UK, Ireland and NW Continental Europe. And right now, it really shows.

Feeling: grumpy

ysabetwordsmith

Hundreds of new species found in a hidden world beneath the Pacific

As demand for critical metals grows, scientists have taken a rare, close look at life on the deep Pacific seabed where mining may soon begin. Over five years and 160 days at sea, researchers documented nearly 800 species, many previously unknown. Test mining reduced animal abundance and diversity significantly, though the overall impact was smaller than expected. The study offers vital clues for how future mining could reshape one of the planet’s most fragile ecosystems.

Bluntly put, mining would destroy that very delicate ecosystem, and it would not recover. Also the ocean as a whole is struggling to cope with the damage humanity has already caused, and hasn't got the fault tolerance left to cover more.

Feeling: busy

ysabetwordsmith

With today's posts, all sponsored poems from the 2025 Holiday Poetry Sale have been posted. You can now check the sale page for title links to see if you missed any earlier.

Feeling: accomplished

ysabetwordsmith

This poem came out of the January 7, 2025 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by a prompt from

helgatwb. It also fills the "Plunging Hoofs" square in my 1-1-25 card for the Public Domain Day Bingo fest. This poem has been sponsored by a pool with

fuzzyred.

"To the Beat of Plunging Hooves"
-- an indriso

History is often late
To record what's done or said
By the needful, not the great.

Soleated, harnessed, led
Horses drive the wheels of fate
From behind or by the head.

History, like mountains, moves

To the beat of plunging hooves.

Feeling: busy

ysabetwordsmith

These are the content notes for "Each Diverse Human Gift."

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Feeling: busy

ysabetwordsmith

Here are the location notes for "Each Diverse Human Gift."

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Feeling: busy

ysabetwordsmith

Read "May we raise children who love the unloved things" by Nicolette Sowder.

Feeling: busy

ysabetwordsmith

This poem is spillover from the December 3, 2024 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by a prompt from

fuzzyred. It also fills the "Fresh-baked Bread / Rolls" square in my 11-1-24 card for the Sleepytime Bear Bingo fest, and the "Adaptive Equipment" square in my 9-1-24 card for the People with Disabilities Drabble Fest Bingo. This poem has been sponsored by a pool with

fuzzyred. It belongs to the College Arc of the Shiv thread in the Polychrome Heroics series.

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Feeling: busy

ysabetwordsmith

There's a new Greenland Defense Front video, "Not For Sale." :D

Feeling: amused

ysabetwordsmith

Some polar bears are getting fatter despite a warming Arctic

Polar bears tell you a lot about what’s going on in the Arctic. When food is hard to find, their bodies show it fast. When hunting gets easier, they put weight back on. Less sea ice has meant thinner polar bears and fewer of them.

That’s what makes the situation near Svalbard – midway between the northern coast of Norway and the North Pole – so unexpected. Despite ongoing sea ice loss, adult polar bears there are not in worse shape.

Many are actually heavier than they were years ago. Extra fat is not a small detail for a polar bear. It often decides whether the animal gets through the year.

This is super exciting because for years I've been reading about Alaskan polar bears starving. If this other population is getting fatter, then maybe there is hope for the species. :D

( Read more... )

Feeling: busy

sistawendy

I got my hair done and hit the Mercury on Saturday night. The was (ahem) one queer makeout, but there was also an unacceptably long wait for the bus home. I spent yesterday doing Sunday chores and catching up on sleep.

I have many plans for this coming weekend. If I were a good girl, and sometimes I am, I would use the current Github outage to clean house a little. I will have visitors – plural, even.

Oh: Good Sister gave me a belated birthday call. ♥! Our parents are still dead, the will is still executed, and Mom's house is still sold. It's so nice to talk to GS about things like David Lynch movies and getting my face rearranged.

Feeling: okay
Current Location: the living room of the Devil Girl House
Listening to: DJ Riz from last night on KEXP

porcelainlamb

Made my first ever pixel icon today, it's Afro Ken of San-X ^^; ain't he adorable? I made the little fella in Paint Shop Pro X :] In more serious news, I'm back at uni, and I'm already tired as fuck even tho I had one lesson today (it was a recap lesson btw), lulz. At least, I bought myself these hella tasty noodles and dim sum after it and had the best lunch (& nap) ever!!! I might have to go on hiatus for a bit since school and shit... booo :-/

Feeling: exhausted
Current Location: My Den

ysabetwordsmith

Today we ordered some landrace seeds from the Buffalo Seed Company. They have a lot of great options. This is also a step toward my goal of planting more landraces.

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Feeling: busy

fuzzyred

Here is the Janiary goal review. I think I'm off to a good start so far, but there are a few areas I could improve in. For a more detailed examination, look behind the cut.

( January Goal Review )

Feeling: happy

ysabetwordsmith

Today is cloudy and cold.

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

I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 2/2/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

I put out more birdseed and a new peanut suet cake.

EDIT 2/2/26 -- I did more work around the patio.

EDIT 2/2/26 -- I did more work around the patio.

EDIT 2/2/26 -- I did more work around the patio.

EDIT 2/2/26 -- I did more work around the patio.

I am done for the night.

Feeling: busy

ysabetwordsmith

Thanks to

nsfwords, the series Quixotic Ideas is now up to date. \o/ This is upbeat fantasy with magic integrated into everyday life.

Feeling: accomplished

gs_silva

"That'd be useful! I'll grab you one." Maurice is talking about the Clapper again.

"I don't want it," Jon grumbles, moving away.

"But it's right here!"

"No."

Maurice looks closer at the display, seeing a whole bunch of As Seen On TV products.

"Just get your things so we can go," Jon snaps at him.

They leave and head to the gym. Maurice has both the arm brace and the back brace on and he's squirming uncomfortably.

"What's the verdict?" Jon asks.

"I feel like a mummy," Maurice complains. He's supposed to be carrying a duffel back with their gym clothes in it. Oh well.

"That reminds me..." says Jon. He gets on the weight lifting bench. I didn't draw how. Or all the prep they had to do. But I did draw Maurice spotting him.

Anyway, Jon continues. "What can we do to convince you not to ditch the Halloween party this year?"

"I didn't ditch on purpose," Maurice claims. He's taking his spotting job seriously, even though his right arm is all wrapped up. "I got sent on an impossible quest."

"So you won't run away?" Jon asks. "You survived your wedding, hmm?"

***

These daily comics don't end in convenient places. I think tomorrow's will creep toward that a little better than the last two. Sometimes things stand alone, and sometimes they ought to get posted together. Which I did consider, but it's supposed to be a 'daily' comic.

***

A lot of appointments lately, a lot of driving. A lot of fatigue. Hanging in there for the moment, though. I'm looking forward to March - I plan to hack back the buckthorn and bittersweet so I can make room for the native species that keep trying to angle for space in the borders of my back garden.

loganberrybunny

Public

The Gorton and Denton by-election on 26th February is going to be an interesting one. Andy Burnham was blocked by the Labour Party from being their candidate, something which a lot of people (including me) suspect will cost them the seat. The general view is that it's a fight between Green and Reform, with a lot depending on tactical voting. Right now my feeling is that the Greens have an advantage, though I have to be honest and say that's probably partly because I don't want Reform to win. So, right now, I reckon Green, Reform, Labour in that order – with Labour significantly behind the other two. The Lib Dems and Tories are no-hopers in this constituency anyway.

Feeling: geeky

ysabetwordsmith

These are some posts from the later part of last week in case you missed them:
Review: "Maple Syrup: 40 Tried & True Recipes"
Birdfeeding
Valentines Bingo Card 2-1-26
Today's Adventures
Books
Bingo
Art
Birdfeeding
Philosophical Questions: Intelligence
Recipe: "Thumbprint Cookies with Cornstarch"
New Year's Resolutions Check In
Birdfeeding
Gaming
Poetry Fishbowl Report for January 6, 2026
Follow Friday 1-30-26: Literature
Birdfeeding
Community Thursdays
Alien Romance
Website Updates
Early Humans
Birdfeeding
Hard Things

Safety has 25 comments. Food has 40 comments. Wildlife has 26 comments. Animal Communication has 49 comments. Food has 64 comments. Robotics has 134 comments.

There will be a Poetry Fishbowl on Tuesday, February 3 with a theme of "Books and Literacy." I hope to see you then!

( Read more... )

Feeling: busy

ysabetwordsmith

Over 500 Million Years Ago, Early Vertebrates Had Four Eyes That Could See 360 Degrees

Every mammal, every fish, every vertebrate (creatures that have a spine) has two eyes. It’s been that way for millions and millions of years. But maybe it wasn’t like that forever.

During the Cambrian, when evolution was experimenting all sorts of strategies, early vertebrates may have had four eyes, and they were high-res eyes, too.

Feeling: busy

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Poem: "To the Beat of Plunging Hooves"

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Poem: "Each Diverse Human Gift"

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an OK weekend

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January Goal Review

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Monday Update 2-2-26

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