ysabetwordsmith: Cartoon of me in Wordsmith persona (Default)
[personal profile] ysabetwordsmith
Under the character notes for my poem "Help Others to Grow Up," [personal profile] greghousesgf has commented:

I remember seeing a poster in the Bart trains (local mass transit) talking about what to do in an emergency and one of the instructions was "comfort the dying". Frankly I don't know how some random person on the train who isn't a professional psychologist or something would be able to do that. I certainly wouldn't.


Nobody is obligated to help if they're no kind of first responder, which in this case to comfort the dying, would primarily be clergy. Remember that "Stay out of the way" is always a legitimate role in an emergency, and nobody has the right to criticize anyone for choosing that role. If the problem is simply a lack of knowing what to do, though, that is straightforward to fix by learning ways to help. It's good to think about such things in advance, because you never know when you might need to make that decision. Here are some basic ideas...

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Jan. 4th, 2026 03:03 pm

Early Humans

ysabetwordsmith: Cartoon of me in Wordsmith persona (Default)
[personal profile] ysabetwordsmith
This ancient fossil could rewrite the story of human origins

A seven-million-year-old fossil may rewrite human origins, showing our ancestors were walking upright far earlier than anyone expected.

Scientists may have cracked the case of whether a seven-million-year-old fossil could walk upright. A new study found strong anatomical evidence that Sahelanthropus tchadensis was bipedal, including a ligament attachment seen only in human ancestors. Despite its ape-like appearance and small brain, its leg and hip structure suggest it moved confidently on two legs. The finding places bipedalism near the very root of the human family tree
.


This makes sense given how many primates are capable of walking on two legs and do so whenever it offers them an advantage. With the potential already there, all it would take is an environment where bipedalism worked better than other methods -- like Africa's growing savannas.
Jan. 4th, 2026 02:32 pm

Birdfeeding

ysabetwordsmith: Cartoon of me in Wordsmith persona (Default)
[personal profile] ysabetwordsmith
Today is mostly cloudy and cool.

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

I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 1/4/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

EDIT 1/4/26 -- I did more work around the patio.

EDIT 1/4/26 -- We did a round of fridge-cleaning.

EDIT 1/4/26 -- I started raking around the firepit, and got about a quarter of the way around.  The plastic leaf rake does slightly better with leaves than in the parking lot with leaves and sticks, but still not as good as a metal rake.

EDIT 1/4/26 -- I did more work around the patio.

EDIT 1/4/26 -- I spotted the tail end of a very pretty sunset, so I grabbed my camera and shot a few pictures.  :D  It is 4:58 now and nearly dark.

I am done for the night.
Jan. 4th, 2026 03:32 am

Poem: "The Sound of Anguish"

ysabetwordsmith: Damask smiling over their shoulder (polychrome)
[personal profile] ysabetwordsmith
This poem is spillover from the September 2023 [community profile] crowdfunding Creative Jam. It was inspired by prompts from [personal profile] curiosity. It also fills the "Rescue / Recovery" square in my 9-1-23 card for the Story Sparks Bingo fest. This poem has been sponsored by a pool with [personal profile] fuzzyred. It belongs to the Aquariana, Cuoio & Chiara, and Marionettes threads of the Polychrome Heroics series, and follows "Help Others to Grow Up."

Warning: This poem contains intense and controversial topics with emotional mayhem. Highlight to read the warnings, some of which are spoilers. It includes traumatic loss, traumatic stress, supporting character death, a crying man, an inept messenger, reference to past losses, upset baby super-intellect, and other challenges. If these are sensitive issues for you, please consider your tastes and headspace before deciding if this is something you want to read.

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Jan. 4th, 2026 02:35 am

Politics

ysabetwordsmith: Cartoon of me in Wordsmith persona (Default)
[personal profile] ysabetwordsmith
So today, America's craziness reached a new frenzy...


What’s Happening in Venezuela? Start Here

US forces struck multiple military and civilian targets in Caracas and nearby cities, and captured Maduro. Here’s what we know at this point.


Sovereign countries are not supposed to violate each other's borders or leadership, outside of properly declared war; and that's largely about defense because war of aggression is also forbidden at this time. But people have largely quite caring about those rules, which is a growing problem.

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Jan. 3rd, 2026 10:43 pm

Babylon 5 script books, part 2

sholio: (B5-station)
[personal profile] sholio
Some more random excerpts from the script books, currently going through season 2.

(At the present time, I've taken pictures of pages in the book and haven't transcribed it. Sorry for lack of legibility/accessibility! I will try to type them up later.)

Spoilers for a lot of the show )
dialecticdreamer: My work (Default)
[personal profile] dialecticdreamer
Exploring the Darkness
By Dialecticdreamer/Sarah Williams
Part 1 of 1, complete
Word count (story only): 1252
[Monday, May 11, 2020, a few hours before dawn]


:: Aidan roams the island and finds a surprising... Part of the Edison’s Mirror universe. ::




Aidan began walking, using long, ground-eating strides which were utterly silent. His thoughts tumbled, but the familiar movements turned the thrumming energy in his head in to loose, warm muscles.

When he could think instead of tumble amid the random ideas and scraps of details, like the single amber-tinted branch on a pine tree on his left, Aidan began sorting through every detail connected to the new friends that he’d made, and through them, every connection to others on the island and beyond.
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Jan. 3rd, 2026 04:59 pm

Poem: "Help Others to Grow Up"

ysabetwordsmith: Damask smiling over their shoulder (polychrome)
[personal profile] ysabetwordsmith
This poem is spillover from the June 6, 2023 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by a prompt from [personal profile] mama_kestrel. It also fills the "Main character has to use odds and ends to fix a problem" square in my 6-1-23 card for the Kinky and Unusual Situations Bingo fest. This poem has been sponsored by a pool with [personal profile] fuzzyred. It belongs to the Aquariana, Cuoio & Chiara, and Marionettes threads of the Polychrome Heroics series.

Warning: This poem contains intense and controversial topics. Highlight to read the warnings, some of which are spoilers. It includes reference to past injuries, reference to traumatic loss of teammates, volcanic activity, traumatic stress, human trafficking, surprise baby, moving to a new home, dramatic scars, attachment, and other challenges. If these are sensitive issues for you, please consider your tastes and headspace before reading onward.

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Jan. 3rd, 2026 03:22 pm

Fossils

ysabetwordsmith: Cartoon of me in Wordsmith persona (Default)
[personal profile] ysabetwordsmith
Fossilized bones are revealing secrets from a lost world

Tiny chemical clues trapped inside ancient bones are revealing what animals ate, the diseases they carried, and the environments they lived in.

Researchers have uncovered thousands of preserved metabolic molecules inside fossilized bones millions of years old, offering a surprising new window into prehistoric life. The findings reveal animals’ diets, diseases, and even their surrounding climate, including evidence of warmer, wetter environments. One fossil even showed signs of a parasite still known today. This approach could transform how scientists reconstruct ancient ecosystems
.


That which is small can still hold volumes.  :D
Jan. 3rd, 2026 02:35 pm

Birdfeeding

ysabetwordsmith: Cartoon of me in Wordsmith persona (Default)
[personal profile] ysabetwordsmith
Today is partly sunny and cool.

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

I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 1/3/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

EDIT 1/3/25 -- I did more work around the patio.

EDIT 1/3/25 -- I filled a trolley with sticks from the brushpile beside the driveway, then dumped that in the firepit.

I saw a flock of mourning doves in the ritual meadow.

EDIT 1/3/25 -- I filled another trolley with sticks, then dumped that in the firepit.

EDIT 1/3/25 -- I filled another trolley with sticks, then dumped that in the firepit.

EDIT 1/3/25 -- I did more work around the patio.

As it is getting dark, I am done for the night.  It's 4:50 and still twilight, a big improvement over 4:30!
 
Jan. 3rd, 2026 01:28 pm

Brains

ysabetwordsmith: Cartoon of me in Wordsmith persona (Default)
[personal profile] ysabetwordsmith
Bad Brains

Your brain on revenge looks a lot like your brain on drugs—and there’s only one twisted way to get your fix.

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ysabetwordsmith: Cartoon of me in Wordsmith persona (Default)
[personal profile] ysabetwordsmith
Snowflake Challenge 2: Pets of Fandom

Loosely defined! Post about your pets, pets from your canon, anything you want!


Snowflake Challenge: A close up shot of an owl ornament hanging amidst pine boughs..

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Jan. 3rd, 2026 03:36 am

Poem: "The Songwitch"

ysabetwordsmith: Cartoon of me in Wordsmith persona (Default)
[personal profile] ysabetwordsmith
This poem came out of the October 7, 2025 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by a prompt from [personal profile] wyld_dandelyon. It also fills the "Alone in the Woods" square in my 10-1-25 card for the Fall Festival Bingo. This poem has been sponsored by a pool with [personal profile] fuzzyred. It belongs to the series Practical Magics and follows "Maybe She's Just Singing."

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Jan. 3rd, 2026 01:06 am

Philosophical Questions: Government

ysabetwordsmith: Cartoon of me in Wordsmith persona (Default)
[personal profile] ysabetwordsmith
People have expressed interest in deep topics, so this list focuses on philosophical questions.

Would a government run with algorithms, A.I., and statistics be better or worse than the government we have now?


Worse. AI can't even figure out how many fingers a hand is supposed to have.

"Dear Autocorrect: Not once have I ever meant ducking."
ysabetwordsmith: Damask smiling over their shoulder (polychrome)
[personal profile] ysabetwordsmith
This poem is spillover from the April 1, 2025 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by a prompt from [personal profile] see_also_friend. It also fills the "Lagenlook / Layered Look" square in my 4-1-25 card for the Aesthetics Bingo fest. This poem has been sponsored by a pool with [personal profile] fuzzyred. It belongs to the Rutledge thread of the Polychrome Heroics series.

Warning: This poem contains intense and controversial topics. Highlight to see the warnings, some of which are spoilers. It includes a refugees, crying baby, religious unrest, language acquisition issues, emotional upheaval, crying man, reference to past tragedies, and other challenges. If these are sensitive issues for you, please consider your tastes and headspace before reading onward.

Read more... )
dialecticdreamer: My work (Default)
[personal profile] dialecticdreamer
Pressing Time
By Dialecticdreamer/Sarah Williams
Part 1 of 1, complete
Word count (story only):
[Monday, May 11, 2020, a few hours before dawn]


:: Aidan and Shandiin have an intense, and personal, conversation. She has some advice, which he doesn’t like. Part of the Edison’s Mirror universe. ::


:: Author’s note: Thank you to everyone for the grand prompt call for the month of December 2025. Now that we’re back to the Teague Family story, I hope to wrap it up before the end of January. Which means that the story pacing will pic up sharply! ::




Aidan paced on the grass in front of the garage, confining his steps to the pool of light from the light mounted next to the door. He moved back and forth, forth and back, with his head tilted unerringly toward a particular star in the cloudy sky. Even when heavy gray clouds scudded over it, his movements were confident and smooth.

After an unmeasured time, a light came on in the house.

Aidan kept pacing.
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