Janet Miles

Today is mostly sunny and mild. It rained most of yesterday.

I fed the birds. I've seen a large mixed flock of sparrows and house finches, a mourning dove, and a fox squirrel.

I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 5/9/26 -- We went out to run errands, which included a stop at Rural King for more bagged goods and a few flowers. Sadly they're moving away from the small sizes that I prefer; much of it was big pots and I'm not going spend $15-20 on something I could get elsewhere for $3-4, especially when most of my plantings are mixed. I only bought one big potted thing this season, and that was a pot with 4 different violas (purple-lavender, purple-white, purple-yellow, purple-orange) in it.

EDIT 5/9/26 -- I planted 4 celosia (3 pinkish-red and 1 yellow), a purple wave petunia, and a Bidens flower in the barrel garden. I hadn't seen the Bidens before but it is a yellow-and-orange flower similar to a marigold or coreopsis, so it fits well in the barrel garden. That's almost full -- I've got room to squeeze in a firecracker and maybe some marigolds but that's about it.

A petunia is blooming pale rosepetal pink under the maple tree, and an iris looks to be opening up sort of a chocolate color there too. I'm pleased that the peony has a strong scent; the dark pink one under the apricot tree is nearly scentless.







.

Bad Ass on a Budget is for Indie Filmmakers

Veteran stuntman and action filmmaker Eric Jacobus (God of War, Man Who Feels No Pain) delivers a tech-agnostic, philosophically grounded roadmap for zero-budget filmmakers to achieve high-impact action by mastering the “human universals” of physiology, psychology, and human relationships.

Badass on a Budget is a masterclass for the “Zero-Budget Action Filmmaker” (ZBAF) by veteran action designer Eric Jacobus, who draws on decades of experience from viral hits (Rope-A-Dope and Blindsided) to indie feature film production (Contour and Death Grip) to global franchises (God of War and Mortal Kombat). Rejecting gear-centric trends, Jacobus focuses on tech-agnostic “human universals”—physiology, psychology, and relationships—to provide a holistic framework for a high-impact “Action Ecosystem” where performance, choreography, camera, and editing work in perfect synergy.


Given the "human universals" I suspect this would work well for writers, artists, etc. who wish to choreograph effective fight scenes. Plus of course, a fun read for anyone who enjoys action flix and is fed up with the overuse of tech.  I also like the creative, DIY angle; it reminds me of the book Hang the Cat from Terramagne, which I wish existed in local-Earth.

( Read more... )

People have expressed interest in deep topics, so this list focuses on philosophical questions.

What is the most uplifting thing happening in the world right now? What is the most tragic thing?


Most uplifting: The rise of crowdfunded ecological restoration. My favorites include Mossy Earth and Planet Wild. These places let you use your folding vote to push the planet's future toward a better trajectory.

Most tragic: Humanity as a whole is destroying the biosphere. They know why they need to stop. They know what the cost will be if they don't. They know how to fix what they've broken. They just damned well don't want to do it. >_<

This year during Three Weeks for Dreamwidth, I'm writing about reading as a way of becoming an expert in a given subject. Read Part 1: Introduction to Becoming an Expert, Part 2: Architecture, Part 3: Dance, Part 4: Music, Part 5: Painting, Part 6: Poetry, Part 7: Sculpture, Part 8: Conflict Resolution, Part 9: Cooking, Part 10: Coping Skills, Part 11: Gardening, Part 12: Relationship Skills, Part 13: Repairing, Part 14: Survival Skills.


Three Weeks for Dreamwidth Part 15: Anthropology

Archaeology is the science of studying the past, primarily historic human cultures and their artifacts. It overlaps with anthropology, the study of (mostly current) human cultures; and with paleontology, the study of plants and animals from the past. Paleoanthropology is the study of human evolution in particular, one of the more fascinating aspects of the past. Aspects include famous people, famous finds, and important regions. Culture is a delicate issue here, as Europeans have spent centuries trampling over everyone else and often obliterating their past. But other cultures have their own scientists, who have made plenty of valuable contributions. Here on Dreamwidth, consider archaeology, first_nations_freaks, history, science, and scienceworld.




( Read more... )

Thanks to a donation from janetmiles, you can now read the rest of "The Worst Thing in Life."  Quain finally finds someone to talk with.

This poem is spillover from the May 5, 2026 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired and sponsored by janetmiles. It also fills the "Building" square in my 5-1-26 card for the Greek Myth Fest. This poem belongs to the series Monster House.

( Read more... )

The Trump administration is removing bison herds from public land in Montana

The Trump administration is ordering the removal of hundreds of bison from BLM land in Montana, reversing a 2022 authorization that allowed the nonprofit American Prairie to graze its herds. The bison were allowed to graze on federal land by multiple administrations, including President Donald Trump’s first administration, which faced opposition from some ranchers who preferred the land be used to graze cattle. In a Notice of Proposed Decision issued in January, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum stated that American Prairie’s bison should be managed as wildlife rather than “production-oriented” livestock, making them ineligible for grazing permits under the Taylor Grazing Act.


The hell of it is that buffalo should be recognized as wildlife and thus free to go where they please, just like elk and deer and everything else. But they're not. Every buffalo in America is owned by someone, restricted to land they control, forced to put up with some amount of human interference, and subject to being killed should they stray. That's a problem. It would be bad for any species, but it's especially bad for a keystone species that is urgently needed to fix the human fuckups affecting the Great Plains. >_<

Just in case you hadn't noticed, America is headed for another Dustbowl, and this is one of several reasons why.

summerofthe69 has its theme poll open.  Go vote for your favorite topics in reciprocal smut!

Today is cloudy and cool.

I fed the birds. I've seen a few sparrows and house finches.

I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 5/8/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

EDIT 5/8/26 -- I had just gotten started digging a hole to plant things when I had to go deal with other stuff. I realized that I left my trowel out there, and now it's spitting rain so I don't know if I'll get back out. :/

EDIT 5/8/26 -- I planted the white oak seedling at the north edge of the savanna and mulched around it.

It's drizzling, but not enough to stop me.

EDIT 5/8/26 -- I did more work around the patio.

It's up to a light rain now.

I've seen a male cardinal and a gray catbird.

I am done for the night.

Today's theme is Muse.


add_a_writer  -- Add A Writer
Connect with other writers.
[Active with one post in May.]

musemostwanted  -- Muse Most Wanted - A Home for RP Enablers and the
A place to find canonmates, request muses, and enable others.
[Somewhat active with last post in November 2025.]

museslash  -- Museslash
Slash fanfiction based around the members of British rock band Muse.
[Low traffic with last post in December 2024.]

This year during Three Weeks for Dreamwidth, I'm writing about reading as a way of becoming an expert in a given subject. Read Part 1: Introduction to Becoming an Expert, Part 2: Architecture, Part 3: Dance, Part 4: Music, Part 5: Painting, Part 6: Poetry, Part 7: Sculpture, Part 8: Conflict Resolution, Part 9: Cooking, Part 10: Coping Skills, Part 11: Gardening, Part 12: Relationship Skills, Part 13: Repairing.


Three Weeks for Dreamwidth Part 14: Survival Skills

Survival skills make up a large assortment of knowledge and activities that keep people alive in challenging circumstances. Mostly people focus on what is called bushcraft or woodslore -- skills for use in the wilderness. However, survival skills also deal in things like first aid that apply to everyday emergencies; and to things like self-defense needed primarily in settled areas. Aspects include emergency preparedness, food (see my Cooking and Gardening posts; you'll also need foraging and hunting), water, shelter, repair and maintenance (see my Repairing post), health care, historic skills (like fire-starting and flint-knapping), self-defense, and self-sufficiency. Some cultures have retained an emphasis on survival more than others; Mormons recommend storing one year of food for your family. Here on Dreamwidth, there are no dedicated communities for survival but you can find subtopics such as common_nature, crafty, creative_cooks, gardening, or renew_repair_refashion.




( Read more... )

svgurl has posted a list of current fandom events in DW communities. 

Why are scorpion stings so painful? Metal stingers!

In the scorpion stingers, the researchers found zinc at the tip of the needle-like structure. But many of the scorpions had a sharp transition to manganese below this point.

Meanwhile, in the outer part of the pincers, called the tarsus, the researchers found zinc. In addition, some scorpion pincers also contained iron. Interestingly, the metal only reinforced the cutting edge of the pincer. That’s the side of the tarsus that endures the most stress from struggling prey.


Well no, it's the venom that makes a sting painful. The metal is there for structural support and armor-piercing capacity. Many scorpions hunt primarily chitinous prey and need a way to defeat that armor. It's also why some larger scorpions can sting through heavy cloth or even leather. O_O

Anyhow, this has terrific potential for speculative fiction and speculative evolution.  So don't tease people who design species with metallic components, because there is hard science behind how some extant wildlife uses metal.

Today is partly sunny, breezy, and cool.

I fed the birds. I've seen a few sparrows and house finches plus a fox squirrel.

I put out water for the birds.

I set out a few potted plants to get some sun.

More white peonies are blooming, along with deep pink ones under the apricot tree.

EDIT 5/7/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

I've seen a male Baltimore oriole eating the orange I put out. :D 3q3q3q!!!

EDIT 5/7/26 -- I planted the tulip poplar from Douglas-Hart at the north edge of the savanna. This species hosts multiple moths as well as the tiger swallowtail butterfly.

I've seen a male rose-breasted grosbeak, a male and a female cardinal separately, and a gray catbird.

EDIT 5/7/26 -- I did some bushwhacking to clear the mow space between the flowerbeds and the Midwinter Grove.

EDIT 5/7/26 -- I did more bushwhacking and stick pickup along the path around the prairie garden. I dumped a trolley of sticks into the firepit. There is still one sapling-sized branch too big for me to handle alone. Frustrating.

EDIT 5/7/26 -- We moved the big branch from the prairie garden to the ritual meadow.

I did more work around the patio.

I can see rain to the northwest, so I am done for the night.

Ted Turner has passed away. He is best known for founding CNN, TBS, and TNT but he also created the famous cartoon Captain Planet and the Planeteers.


Carry on the Work

4 Ways to Become an Environmentalist

How to Become an Activist and Advocate for Worthy Causes

How to Become a Broadcast Journalist (with Pictures)

How to Start a Cartoon Show

Institute for Nonprofit News Startup Guide

This Alberta Startup Sells No-Tech Tractors for Half Price

Ursa Ag, a small Canadian manufacturer, is assembling tractors powered by 12-valve Cummins engines — the same mechanically injected workhorses that powered combines and pickup trucks decades ago — and selling them for roughly half the price of comparable machines from established brands. The 150-horsepower model starts at $129,900 CAD, about $95,000 USD. The range-topping 260-hp version runs $199,900 CAD, around $146,000.

( Read more... )

This year I'm doing Community Thursdays. Some of my activity will involve maintaining communities I run, and my favorites. Some will involve checking my list of subscriptions and posting in lower-traffic ones. Today I have interacted with the following communities...


* Posted "Three Weeks for Dreamwidth: Repairing" in renew_repair_refashion.

* Commented on "Just One Thing" in awesomeers.

* Commented on "May Day Full Flower Moon" in common_nature.

* Posted "Birdfeeding" in birdfeeding.