labingi | Network

I don't normally shill for Kickstarter projects, but this one is pretty cool. I participated in the predecessor project to this one and I think the final product was pretty cool and well-built, and went ahead and bought this one, too.

When we did our river cruise in '05 from Prague to Berlin, we were told our cabin on the ship had a 110 VAC outlet. Well, it sorta did. There was one outlet in the bathroom, and it had unsteady voltage. I think it was run off of the ship's generator and not well-regulated. The cabin had a couple of outlets, but they were EU/German design, and that voltage was much better regulated and filtered. We ended up buying an adapter from the ship's shop which was a very nice device, and could handle what seems like all international AC plugs. And we were able to keep our devices charged through careful use of it.

The one we bought ship-board and this device's predecessor, is a little cube-like thingie with sliders that will produce a variety of plugs to socket into probably any AC outlet around the world, terminating in not only a dual-blade USA outlet (so it also has a step-down transformer) but also in most world outlets, so this is not just a gadget for American travelers!

THIS thingie takes it a step further. It also has three USB-C outlets and one USB-A! There are three models available: a 205 watt, a 175 watt, and a 175 with a retractable USB-C cable. If you have a laptop that can charge off of USB-C, then you can charge it directly off of this puppy!

I put in a pre-order for two. I also ordered two sets of cables for Apple people that include Apple Watch chargers to simplify cable management. It comes with a soft pouch, which should also hold some cables, and a hard case is available for additional $$$.

The project is fully-funded and they expect to ship in November, they say they've already sourced their manufacturer. Europeans and some other places will have to pay VAT on top of the purchase price.

We're tentatively expecting to do another river cruise in Europe next year, I'd love it to be one to or from Vienna. A friend of ours is turning 60 and is inviting other friends to join her, and one of her friends is deathly afraid of sharks, so an ocean/Caribbean cruise is kind of ruled out. We're hoping to talk her into an EU trip.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/iblockcube/bolt-205w-and-170w-travel-adapter-with-retractable-cable/

nevanna

I planned to post a list of my top five Gravity Falls episodes in honor of Dipper and Mabel’s upcoming birthday, but since I couldn’t narrow it down, and because they’re the Mystery Twins, I decided to include twice as many favorites.

I’m hiding the list itself to avoid spoilers, because even though Gravity Falls ended nearly a decade ago, part of its appeal lies in trying to solve the central mystery along with the characters, if one is so inclined (and from what I know of the fandom during the show’s run, they were definitely so inclined). I don’t know how easy it is these days to go into the story without being spoiled, but in 2016, I managed to pull it off, and I recommend that viewers start the series with as little foreknowledge as possible.

( Awkward sibling hug? Awkward sibling hugs. )

serafaery

one day I will try to write a new little intro page thingie. but I don't want to do it when I'm depressed and I'm usually depressed, whoops.

Slept through most of the night pain free, and actually had a pleasant dream for once (I get nightmares chronically most nights, it's a common issue with cPTSD/childhood trauma). But I was slow to get out of bed and the back pain crept back in.

A friend suggested a little self-care app called finch to me (lmk if you want an invite, can send it via email or DM or whatever), I failed to use her invite because I didn't understand how but I did friend her when I got there, at least.

It seemed like the app helped me a lot, today. I got through a bunch of stuff I've been struggling with for weeks. I made an appt for my orthotics for my injured right foot, I messaged my doctor at Rebound (disappointing reply but at least I tried), figured out how to get my x-ray done for my ankle (I might go first thing in the morning and then reward myself with a visit to the sunflower festival at Bella Organic Farm on Sauvie's Island), and asked to reschedule an appointment I am not ready for. I asked our realtor to schedule in Josh for a showing this weekend and asked our broker to draft some payment estimates for the house, in case we decide to put in an offer. I have gotten my heart set on another house that I'm hoping will be right for us. Its downsides are workable and it seems like a good little house overall, but there's no way to know for sure until we do an inspection, so. I'll at least look forward to walking through it again with Josh this weekend.

Got some errands done, attended to some work messages I'd been neglecting for a bit, took my supplements, played with Avalanche a lot, did some reading/studying, did some laundry, keeping up on dishes despite Josh not being here (usually I let it go as soon as he leaves), even did my PT this morning.

functioning fairly well but I still feel just absolutely miserable. It is so frustrating. I am working on avoiding the news altogether, especially NPR, which has become just constant violence. I am working on listening to soundscapes and music and not doomscrolling so much, it is helping a bit, it's not as hard as I thought it was going to be.

Just still really reeling from trying to figure out who I am and how to move forward with this really painful body. it feels like dying and I am fixated on death, which happens when I get really depressed. So I know that even though I am getting through some tasks, even ones that can be really difficult for me (medical stuff), I am not well.

It feels like I will never be well.

It's just really hard to figure out how to move forward.

I want to be outside more but it's 90 degrees with poor air quality, alas. Tomorrow will be slightly cooler and a little bit of light rain, I am looking forward to that. x-ray and sunflowers, maybe? I've only been to Bella Organic farm in the fall for the haunted corn maze, it would be nice to see it in summer.

It's nice to have Tues/Wed as my weekend :)

Josh is out of town so I'm a little lonely and eating too much peanut butter (forbidden when he is home) and also relieved that I don't have to pretend to be okay for anyone. I am isolating a bit, I just am so tired of not being seen and listening to what everyone else is going through and not being able to share where I am at because it is too sad.

The friend who sent me the finch invite has been through a lot of death and loss like I have, not quite as much as she still lives with her parents, but her beloved little brother committed suicide a few years ago :(

time for sunset walkies. just had a tearful phone call with josh. he's in New Jersey for work and feeling lonely. we're okay, it's just kinda sad for us right now. walkies will help me not wallow in it too too much.

vivdunstan

A bumper crop of more books finished in the last month. Helped again by some library books.

( earlier books )

Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle
City of Vengeance (Cesare Aldo book 1) by D.V. Bishop
Beside the Ocean of Time by George Mackay Brown
Delirium's Party: A Little Endless Storybook by Jill Thompson
The Haunted Trail: Classic Tales of the Rambling Weird by Weird Walk
Manga Classics Sherlock Holmes volume 1 A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle, Crystal S. Chan and Julien Choy
Glenshee: Glen of the Fairies by Antony Mackenzie Smith
Insomniacs After School volume 7 (manga) by Makoto Ojiro
Forgotten Churches: Exploring England's Hidden Treasures by Luke Sherlock
Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V.E. Schwab

Of the newly finished ones, I enjoyed Arthur Conan Doyle's Memoirs collection of Sherlock Holmes stories yet again. The David Bishop book was a Renaissance Italy thriller, the first in an ongoing series, and very enjoyable. The George Mackay Brown novel (Saltire award winning and Booker shortlisted) was still magical, on a reread. I found the Sandman Little Endless graphic novel on a book clearout/rummage, so read it again quickly before passing it on to charity. The rambling "Tales of the Weird" book was interesting, but not a great run of stories for me. Enjoyed the manga Sherlock Holmes. Still really enjoying the Insomniacs After School manga series. Loved the church history book, and enjoyed with provisos the V.E. Schwab vampire book, newly published in June. That last one was read for my book club. I wouldn't have got to it so quickly otherwise.

hannah

Reminding myself I want what's on the objects more than I want the objects themselves, I'm in the process of ripping my Fringe complete series box set so I can get around to watching it. I did the same for Friday Night Lights already, and I'm trying to tell myself I shouldn't keep the sets around even if I fall in love with the shows. It was great I was able to snag them so affordably. And I don't need them.

If there were still in-person fandom conventions, I'd bring them to a swap table or offer them up for a raffle, but we don't have such things anymore - at least not anywhere it's practical for me to travel to right now. It's a shame, because that kind of swap table mentality is one of the best for getting rid of stuff. How it's going to be picked up and taken home, and you don't have to believe anything else.

Current Mood: calm
Current Music: nothing now

veetvoojagig posting in

sid_guardian

Just joined the fandom and community, and wanted to share what i spent today working on! I plan on messing around with the hands more and inking it properly still, but I like how it's coming along!

shadowkat

1. Hmmm, I've lived in NYC for over 25 years, and I didn't know this Book Store existed. It's on the upper east side near the MET.

"Tucked away inside the French Embassy’s Payne Whitney mansion on NYC’s Upper East Side, Albertine Books is one of New York City’s best-kept secrets—and now, it’s getting global recognition as one of the most beautiful bookstores in the world by book-loving travel guide 1000 Libraries.

Walk through its grand doors and you’ll find yourself beneath a breathtaking zodiac-painted ceiling, surrounded by elegant dark wood, celestial murals, and more than 14,000 French and English titles. It’s the only bookstore in New York City dedicated entirely to French-language works and translations, making it a true cultural gem for literature lovers."

I foresee a trip to the Met, the bookstore, and a gluten free bakery with croissants in my future. All on the upper east side. Along with a foray into Central Park. It's been a long time since I've gone. I tend to spend most of my time in Brooklyn.

Note to non-New Yorkers? The City = Manhattan. Brooklyn is Brooklyn, Bronx is the Bronx, Queens is Queens, and Staten Island is Staten Island. Long Island is Long Island. Upstate - is basically everywhere NORTH of the City and the Bronx. But Manhattan to New Yorkers is referred to as simply - "the City", and everyone knows what you are talking about.

Gotta love a French Book store - I can actually read rudimentary French.

2. Saw a letter from Betrand Russell to Sir Oswald about fascism on Face Book, posted by Rahael. (It reminded me of why I liked Betrand Russel - who I read a lot of in the 1980s.)

Betrand Russell's artful letter refusing to debate British Fascist Leader Oswald Mosely

(A character based on Mosely was also featured (deservingly so) as a villain in the last season of Peaky Blinders.)

3. Apparently they are starting a Robot Taxi program in NYC this fall.
The Taxi and Limousin Commission is understandably upset about it.

" New Yorkers are about to meet a new kind of traffic jam companion: the robotaxi. Beginning in September, Waymo, the Alphabet-owned autonomous vehicle company, will put its self-driving cars on the streets of Manhattan and Downtown Brooklyn.

Before you panic about an empty driver’s seat whizzing down Flatbush, rest assured: State law requires a trained specialist behind the wheel at all times. So yes, there will still be a human gripping the steering wheel while the car quietly does most of the thinking."

As someone who cannot drive - I find the news of self-driving vehicles kind of reassuring? On the other hand - I can already imagine the confusion of more than one person telling the car where they want to go. Not sure how that will work? Just that I'm very glad I rarely, if ever, take any sort of motorized vehicle in the city. I just do subways and walking, thank you very much.

4. Details on Depart Q S2 on Netflix.

questionable_content_feed

http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=5644

the exposition will continue until Roko's morale improves

http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=5644

modzilla posting in

fandomcalendar

( You're about to view content that a community administrator has advised should be viewed with discretion. )

flemmings

The local weather app is always predicting thunderstorms even when the sky is cloudless blue, or when other weather wps simply say showers. Today for a change we actually got the thunder and rain: not bad, but a neighbourhood FB said her dog was cowering in a corner because of the thunderclaps. Upshot being that I spent the day indoors and on the sofa, reading Inspector Macdonalds on the tablet. The plotting may not always be as knotty as Miss Silver but there's a grateful lack of romance. Though it seems there's always a graceful young lady in the mix.

Will get back to Palmer eventually, but I've been beavering through at a rate of 50 pages a day for the last ten'night so one day's holiday won't break me. Presumably if you were familiar with these personages, Palmer's habitual reference to them by sobriquet might annoy. Me, I'm grateful because no way I can keep the Sforza and the Strozzi and the d'Este and the Gonzaga and the Malatesta and the della Rovere clans separate. Still can't. I need a bunch of family trees, with pictures: and also, the index is by no means exhaustive, which doesn't help.

starwatcher posting in

fandom_checkin

This is your check-in post for today. The poll will be open from midnight Universal or Zulu Time (8pm Eastern Time) on Tuesday, August 26, to midnight on Wednesday, August 27. (8pm Eastern Time).

Poll #33539 Daily Check-in

Open to: Access List, detailed results viewable to: Access List, participants: 16

How are you doing?

I am OK.
11 (68.8%)

I am not OK, but don't need help right now.
5 (31.2%)

I could use some help.
0 (0.0%)

How many other humans live with you?

I am living single.
6 (37.5%)

One other person.
7 (43.8%)

More than one other person.
3 (18.8%)

Please, talk about how things are going for you in the comments, ask for advice or help if you need it, or just discuss whatever you feel like.

shadowkat

I'm flirting with seeing the "Chess" revival, which has a new book by Danny Strong (yes, that Danny Strong (aka Jonathan on Buffy), starring Lea Michele. But it is pricey! Previews are $135-$449 seats. The cheap ones are $135. Ugh. No. I'll have to either do Today's Tix or TDF to do it, assuming that will work. I love the musical Chess - I saw the original cast in it in London in the 1980s, when Anthony Stewart Head subbed for his brother, who had been playing one of the lead roles. I fell in love with Anthony Stewart Head in the role - this was in 1987-88, long before the coffee commercials or Buffy. Also it was a lot cheaper. London's West End tends to be a lot cheaper than Broadway, also more interesting. I miss London, I need to visit it again some day. One of my dreams is to do a rail trip across Europe. I want to retire and wander about by train. Trains are perhaps the only source of transportation that does not result in motion sickness, and I feel safe on. I adore trains.

Work and my attempts at having some semblance of a social life, including making new friends (not necessarily in tandem), are leaving me confused and frustrated. Also a touch depressed.( Read more... )

Niece is running into issues with her thesis - she can't find an advisor to help her with it. ( Read more... )

I didn't sleep well last night - mainly because I forgot to take a shower earlier in the day, even though I had the day off. ( Read more... )

August Question a Day Memage (catching up again)

22. Do you have many lamps in your home, or do you rely on overhead lighting?

Yes, two - and they are kind of cheap craft lamps that don't have to have light bulbs replaced. I use them in case the overhead lighting goes out on me. I tend to rely on overhead lighting and natural light through my windows - I get a lot of indirect natural light, so can leave the lights off most of the time, particularly during the late spring and summer months. I have them off at 6:30 pm for example. I prefer natural light.

23. Do you own any clothing you only wear for a specific activity?

Yes, work clothes. Pajamas for sleep. And joggers or light sweats for laying about the house. Casual clothes for wandering about, not work related. I tend to compartmentalize my life.

24. Are you good at packing when you go away, or do you pack all the things ‘just in case’?

I was raised by a father who traveled constantly by airline, he was a road warrior. So I pack light and compact. With the view that I'm more than likely to bring the wrong things or forget something, but I'll survive.
I only bring a carry-on bag and a back pack, very little else. And I have a packing list.

25. If you ended up on a deserted desert island, what luxury would you want to have with you?

Hmmm...this is tough. I honestly don't know. Maybe some sort of wireless solar powered radio?

26. Do you have any tattoos?

No. The appeal is kind of lost on me?

igenlode

I realised this morning, on coming across a copy of "Jo's Boys", that I couldn't actually *remember* the crackfic idea that I'd had for a crossover of something or other with Jo's school set-up in "Little Men" -- who were the couple I'd vaguely envisioned as filling in for Amy and Laurie as the generous rich relations, and what canon had it been?

Light suddenly dawned again in the middle of my singing practice tonight (concert in a week and a half, alas). It was of course the crackfic idea about Athos' school for gentlemen:

Dumas could have just as easily have had him simply choose to adopt a genuine foundling: going by Athos's attitude to the much younger d'Artagnan, he does have a pent-up need to protect and educate, but since he is emotionally far too messed up to want to remarry, it would be not implausible for him to have taken on a child -- or a whole group! -- of his own accord. I can actually see Athos setting up a 'school for gentlemen' somewhat in the spirit of "Jo's Boys", with the aim of taking in the unfortunate or undisciplined young, and turning out perfectly educated youths who would improve the general standards of courtesy and chivalry ;-p

And I think it was Porthos and his elderly spouse who would have played the role of descending upon the chateau with treats for all... or possibly have played the Meg & John Brooke role of parents of the non-orphan pupils, the brother and sister Daisy and Demi (or presumably Jean and Marguerite? ;-) Unfortunately this canon is a little under-endowed with actual marriages; Aramis would make quite a good art-loving uncle in the Laurie mode, but can't very well supply a wife and daughter, although he might quite conceivably put forward a 'patroness' from among the noble ladies of his broad acquaintance! Porthos has no canonical children, but I feel he ought to have some, as he would enjoy them (and probably be great fun as a father) -- the Soviet film had the right idea in cheerfully invoking a future involving a string of "round, charming, tiny Portosiki": Porthoslets :-D So I would have no compunction whatsoever in endowing him with a pair of adored and anxiously watched-over twins, courtesy of crossover parallels.

What the idea never did have, of course, is a plot, although possibly in a one-shot crossover crackfic you can get away with just establishing the setup and leaving it at that.

(Also, where is the actual Raoul in all this? He can't very well turn up at the gates like Nat -- though someone will have to, in order to establish the set-up -- since the whole idea was that acquiring one foundling was the stimulus for setting out to educate them en masse...)

ysobel posting in

agonyaunt

Dear Eric: My wife has three living adult kids from three different fathers — ages 22, 29 and 32. The 32-year-old has a husband and two kids of her own. I allowed all of them to live with us since they couldn’t get along on their own.

Last year, my wife’s fourth adult child died so I inherited her 3-year-old.

We had nine people in our home. I am not their father but tried to give them an opportunity in life until I realized they didn’t want help getting on their feet, they wanted to be taken care of.

So, I filed eviction on all of them. This obviously created some hard feelings and things got very ugly. I’ve decided to cut all ties with my wife’s family due to this which obviously causes problems for her because I will not attend family functions, holidays, etc. Do you think I am wrong to do so?

— Stepfather

Stepfather: My first question is, where is your wife in all of this? I don’t know the financial setup of your marriage, of course, but the home you live in is also her home so one would think that she gets a say in who gets to live there and who gets evicted, particularly if they’re her own children. And maybe there was more joint discussion about the adult children not contributing enough to the household — nine is a lot of people — but it reads like some of these decisions were unilateral and that can cause a lot of conflict.

There are many people who don’t have smooth relationships with in-laws. Sometimes that’s unavoidable. But your wife is your family, and so her family is your family. Refusing to engage with them puts her in an impossible position. Who is she supposed to choose?

You don’t have to let them live with you, but more conversation will be helpful here. Getting into the habit of making joint decisions with your wife, even if it requires more compromise than you’d ideally like, will help your marriage. And finding a way past some of the animosity with her adult kids will help everyone.

superfangirl1 posting in

scans_daily

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penaltywaltz posting in

pinchhits

Event: WIP Big Bang & WIP Reverse Bang
Event link: Dreamwidth | Tumblr
Pinch hit link: WIPBB (authors looking for artists) | WIPRB (artists looking for authors)
Due date: Pinch hitters can collaborate with their WIPBB authors/WIPRB artists for an earlier posting date to post at the same time, but pinch hitters are allowed to post throughout the month of December without having to claim a posting date.

We have extended sign-ups to at least August 31st is the hopes of getting everyone in both events paired off!

Pinch hitter guidelines and links to the summaries are up here on our Tumblr
We have 27 WIPBB fics up for art claims. The fic available for claiming is in the following fandoms:

All For the Game, Captive Prince, Death Note, Formula 1 RPF, Formula 1 RPF/Motorcycle RPF/Motorsports RPF, Harry Potter, Hetalia: Axis Powers, Invisible (2022), Invisible Inc., Lego Monkie Kid, My Hero Academia | Boku No Hero Academia, Professional Wrestling (Please note there are not WWE wrestling fics), Project Wingman/Ace Combat, Saiyuki, Ted Lasso, The Order of the Stick, Zero Escape, The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System, Bangtan Boys | BTS

We have 8 WIPRB art projects up for fic claims. The art available for claiming is in the following fandoms:

Doodle World (Roblox), Invisible Inc., JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind. Naruto/Naruto Shippuden, One Piece, The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System

vivdunstan

Just finished my 40th book of 2025, with Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V.E. Schwab. A vampire tale, told across many centuries. 4/5 stars for me - some concerns about pacing, balance of multiple POVs, and difficulties with some settings as depicted. But overall enjoyed it a lot.

sanguinity

I keep getting distracted by other things and not posting here, but two lovely people made tie-in fanworks for three of my Hornblower stories this... we'll call it summer, okay? (Shit, they were in February and March -- I am quite laggardly!)

Art 1ventipls aka Zeka for Gwir Good Gold: on tumblr // on dropbox // leave a comment for the artist

(story is explicit; art is non-explicit but has soft-focus nudity)
Art by 1ventipls aka Zeka for His Captain's Favour: on Dropbox // leave a comment for the artist

(story is explicit; art is non-explicit but suggestive with some nudity)
Playlist by vastwinterskies for Hornblower's Lost Honour: on tumblr // on Spotify // on YouTube

As always, I am impressed by the thought and care that went into these, and am deeply flattered by their creation!

the_shoshanna

have a recipe! I've made this twice in the last week or so, it's freaking fantastic.

Roasted Squash and Kale Salad

2 delicata squash
olive oil
2 bunches kale
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp smoked paprika
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
⅛ ground cloves
⅛ cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes
½ Tbsp brown sugar
1 cup pecans, roughly chopped
½ cup dried cranberries
½ red onion, minced
2 Tbsp maple syrup
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp lemon juice

Preheat oven to 425°F. Halve the squash lengthwise, scoop out seeds, and slice into half-inch-thick semicircles. Toss squash pieces with a little olive oil and spread them on a couple of baking trays (I use silicone baking mats), overlapping as little as possible. Bake about 25 minutes, until some pieces are browning on top; flip them halfway through if you like. When they come out, dump them into a large bowl.

Meanwhile, strip the kale leaves from the stems and roughly chop the leaves. (I generally dice the stems and save them for soup or the like, but you can also dice them and use them here, or just toss them if you're not a fan.) When the squash comes out of the oven, pile the kale on the baking trays, drizzle the piles with a little olive oil, and toss and massage the leaves with your hands (watching out for the hot tray underneath) until they're well coated and a bit tender. Bake the leaves in the same oven until wilted and crisp in some spots, about 5-10 minutes. When they come out, add them to the bowl with the squash.

Meanwhile, combine the cinnamon, paprika, nutmeg, cloves, cayenne pepper, and brown sugar in a small bowl, add the nuts and 1 or 2 tablespoons olive oil, and toss to coat. When the kale comes out of the oven, spread the nuts on the baking trays (here is where a baking mat is great, since otherwise melting sugar might stick) and bake them in the same oven until toasted and candied, about 5 minutes. Add them to the squash and kale; be sure to scrape in any coating that has come off the nuts. Add the cranberries as well.

Meanwhile, in the same bowl in which you mixed the nuts and their coating (which surely still has a fair bit of leftover coating mix in it), whisk together the onion, maple syrup, mustard, balsamic vinegar, and lemon juice. Whisk in more olive oil, anything from another couple tablespoons to a quarter-cup. Taste and adjust. When you have it as you like it, pour the dressing over the salad and toss everything together. Eat warm or at room temperature.