Bundle of Holding: Neon Lords
Jul. 23rd, 2025 02:16 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
james_davis_nicoll
The all-new Neon Lords Bundle featuring Neon Lords of the Toxic Wasteland, the gonzo slime-punk post-apocalyptic cassette-future tabletop roleplaying game from Super Savage Systems.
Bundle of Holding: Neon Lords
Five SFF Stories About Editing and Storing Memories
Jul. 23rd, 2025 10:01 amjames_davis_nicoll
From magical memory wipes to space-based mind erasure...
Five SFF Stories About Editing and Storing Memories
(no subject)
Jul. 23rd, 2025 09:17 amjhetleyI see a lot of "photos" that I suspect are digital creations, whether AI or Photoshop. After calling out a few dozen, I have quit that as a lost cause. Before you post something, make sure it is real . . .
The Color of the End: Mission in the Apocalypse, volume 1 by Haruo Iwamune
Jul. 23rd, 2025 09:05 amjames_davis_nicoll
Fifty years after the Great Disaster, special investigator Saya searches for survivors. There are a few... but none are human.
The Color of the End: Mission in the Apocalypse, volume 1 by Haruo Iwamune
Not under heat dome
Jul. 23rd, 2025 06:55 amjhetleyAir temperature 56 F, wind near calm, sunny. No hummingbird sightings yet this morning. Since they have to feed early and often to maintain that fierce temper, I assume they have found other fish to fry. So to speak. Morning appointment, afternoon walk?
Cows, Travel, Chena
Jul. 22nd, 2025 09:29 pmranunculusIt is terribly quiet at the house tonight. The cows moved out yesterday. They are over on the entrance road reducing the fire danger along the road. As a bonus they will clean a lot of the grass out of the ditches. Clover tends to grow well in our nice wet (in winter) ditches and the cows always enjoy it. Less grass in the ditches means less weed whacking for me this fall. I miss the noisy bellowing as mamas and calves communicate. I don't miss the flies and dust. In a couple of days, when they have eaten down the sides of the road they will be off to Cody's home ranch for the summer. They won't return till some time in late October or November. There won't be new grass for them yet, but Cody always leaves some pastures ungrazed so there will be feed in winter. Cows are amazingly efficient at turning dead grass, even if it has been rained on a lot, into food.
Hunter and Maddie came over today to see the garden setup. Hunter will be helping take care of the garden and Firefly while I'm gone to Santa Cruz this weekend.
Chena had a visit to the vet today. She has had a little, but very persistent issue with her eye. Both eyes are a little irritated, but the right one often has a very slight infection, judging by the yellowish discharge (tiny amounts). This did not resolve with eye wash, and was slight enough to come and go a bit. She now has eye drops twice a day for a week. She was much better with the vet than in previous visits, barely growling at all, and enjoying lots of treats. Right now she is lying limply in the living room, probably feeling the effects of vaccinations against Leptospirosis (especially easily spread in streams here, also is endemic) and kennel cough. We will be traveling to Alaska in October so she needs to be up to date on that kind of thing. She is negative for heartworm. YAY!
A few days ago I tested my camping mattress to see where the air leak was. Sadly it was along at least a foot of the seam, and that is not really repairable. The mattress is quite old as is our second one. So I ordered two new ones which came today. They weigh about half what the old ones did, roll up into a far smaller carrying container, and they self inflate a lot better. I though the one I tried was quite comfortable. The old ones were always super comfortable.
Hunter and Maddie came over today to see the garden setup. Hunter will be helping take care of the garden and Firefly while I'm gone to Santa Cruz this weekend.
Chena had a visit to the vet today. She has had a little, but very persistent issue with her eye. Both eyes are a little irritated, but the right one often has a very slight infection, judging by the yellowish discharge (tiny amounts). This did not resolve with eye wash, and was slight enough to come and go a bit. She now has eye drops twice a day for a week. She was much better with the vet than in previous visits, barely growling at all, and enjoying lots of treats. Right now she is lying limply in the living room, probably feeling the effects of vaccinations against Leptospirosis (especially easily spread in streams here, also is endemic) and kennel cough. We will be traveling to Alaska in October so she needs to be up to date on that kind of thing. She is negative for heartworm. YAY!
A few days ago I tested my camping mattress to see where the air leak was. Sadly it was along at least a foot of the seam, and that is not really repairable. The mattress is quite old as is our second one. So I ordered two new ones which came today. They weigh about half what the old ones did, roll up into a far smaller carrying container, and they self inflate a lot better. I though the one I tried was quite comfortable. The old ones were always super comfortable.
More Shelving, Table Saws
Jul. 22nd, 2025 09:13 pmranunculusWay back in 2022 my friend Mike came up and stayed at the Ranch for a couple of months, at the same time Chena arrived. He was getting divorced and needed somewhere to crash while he worked on a beat up airstream trailer, getting it in shape to live in. At some point he hauled up some lumber to use while rebuilding the interior of the trailer. One of those pieces of lumber was a 4 x 8 ft sheet of 3/4" plywood, painted black. It had been used for some event; carpet had been stapled around one edge. Mike got the trailer marginally livable and moved out in a rush - he is a stagehand and there was WORK!! I waited for him to come back and claim his lumber. That day never arrived. The sheet of plywood was stood up and tied against one wall of the shop, where, for a while, it helped keep things dry, but was mostly in the way. For 3 years.
This week I uncovered -my- stack of unused lumber, got the plywood moved across the carport and in where it should have been all along. This simple, quick move uncovered 4 feet of wall space along the carport's south side. Another 2 ft x 4 ft shelf unit was clearly needed! Now I have room to store all the shade cloth (in big totes), the 40 gallon water tank, the horse blankets and some misc stuff. Almost all the boxes of stuff from San Francisco are sorted and put away. Snake and mouse habitat is radically reduced.
One of the problems in the carport is that there were 2 table saws in it, one that has been here at the Ranch for decades, and one that was in San Francisco for decades. Table saws are big, taking up at least 3 ft x 5 ft of space. Clearly one saw needed to go. After much though and a suggestion from M, I called our neighbor Michael. The same guy that helps when there is a snake in the yard. He was happy to come get a saw, some apples and a cucumber. The carport looks positively empty. It will be a little less empty when I actually put together the San Francisco saw, which was dismantled for transport, but it will still be a net gain of space.
This week I uncovered -my- stack of unused lumber, got the plywood moved across the carport and in where it should have been all along. This simple, quick move uncovered 4 feet of wall space along the carport's south side. Another 2 ft x 4 ft shelf unit was clearly needed! Now I have room to store all the shade cloth (in big totes), the 40 gallon water tank, the horse blankets and some misc stuff. Almost all the boxes of stuff from San Francisco are sorted and put away. Snake and mouse habitat is radically reduced.
One of the problems in the carport is that there were 2 table saws in it, one that has been here at the Ranch for decades, and one that was in San Francisco for decades. Table saws are big, taking up at least 3 ft x 5 ft of space. Clearly one saw needed to go. After much though and a suggestion from M, I called our neighbor Michael. The same guy that helps when there is a snake in the yard. He was happy to come get a saw, some apples and a cucumber. The carport looks positively empty. It will be a little less empty when I actually put together the San Francisco saw, which was dismantled for transport, but it will still be a net gain of space.
Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, Vol. 9
Jul. 22nd, 2025 07:52 pmmarycatelliFrieren: Beyond Journey's End, Vol. 9 by Kanehito Yamada
Adventures continue. Spoilers ahead for the earlier volumes
( Read more... )
Adventures continue. Spoilers ahead for the earlier volumes
( Read more... )Recent DNFs (Did Not Finish): Horror, Romantasy, Mount St. Helens
Jul. 22nd, 2025 11:10 amrachelmanijaRecent DNFs (Did Not Finish)
Wake Up and Open Your Eyes, by Clay McLeod Chapman
A horror novel about - I think - how a Q-Anon analogue turns people into literal zombies. I couldn't get into this book. I don't think it was bad, it just wasn't my thing. I didn't vibe with the prose style at all.
The Baby Dragon Cafe, by A. T. Qureshi
A woman opens a cafe that's also a baby dragon rescue. I adored the idea of this book, not to mention the extremely charming cover, but the execution left a lot to be desired. It was just plain dull. I dragged myself through two chapters, both of which felt eternal, then gave up. Too bad! I really wanted to like it, because the idea is delightful.
In the Path of Destruction: Eyewitness Chronicles of Mount St. Helens, by Richard Waitt
This ought to have been exactly my jam, except for the author's absolutely bizarre prose style, which is a combination of Pittman shorthand and Chuck Tingle's Twitter minus the sense of humor, with an allergy to articles and very strange syntax. I literally had no idea what some of his sentences meant. This weirdness extends to direct quotes from multiple people, making me suspect how direct they are. And yes, this was traditionally published.
Here are some quotes, none of which make more sense in context:
It contrasts the chance jungle violence with lava flows off Kilauea - so Hollywood but predictable.
"The state's closure seems yours. Have I missed something?"
[And here's a bunch of Tinglers.]
Heart attack took Eddie in 1975.
These years since wife Eddie died Truman's fire has cooled.
Since wife Eddie died, Rob is the closest he has to a friend.
Since wife Eddie died, Truman has been a bleak recluse, the winters especially lonely.
Wake Up and Open Your Eyes, by Clay McLeod Chapman
A horror novel about - I think - how a Q-Anon analogue turns people into literal zombies. I couldn't get into this book. I don't think it was bad, it just wasn't my thing. I didn't vibe with the prose style at all.
The Baby Dragon Cafe, by A. T. Qureshi
A woman opens a cafe that's also a baby dragon rescue. I adored the idea of this book, not to mention the extremely charming cover, but the execution left a lot to be desired. It was just plain dull. I dragged myself through two chapters, both of which felt eternal, then gave up. Too bad! I really wanted to like it, because the idea is delightful.
In the Path of Destruction: Eyewitness Chronicles of Mount St. Helens, by Richard Waitt
This ought to have been exactly my jam, except for the author's absolutely bizarre prose style, which is a combination of Pittman shorthand and Chuck Tingle's Twitter minus the sense of humor, with an allergy to articles and very strange syntax. I literally had no idea what some of his sentences meant. This weirdness extends to direct quotes from multiple people, making me suspect how direct they are. And yes, this was traditionally published.
Here are some quotes, none of which make more sense in context:
It contrasts the chance jungle violence with lava flows off Kilauea - so Hollywood but predictable.
"The state's closure seems yours. Have I missed something?"
[And here's a bunch of Tinglers.]
Heart attack took Eddie in 1975.
These years since wife Eddie died Truman's fire has cooled.
Since wife Eddie died, Rob is the closest he has to a friend.
Since wife Eddie died, Truman has been a bleak recluse, the winters especially lonely.
(no subject)
Jul. 22nd, 2025 11:44 amjhetleyBought a couple of extra bags of coffee on our foraging run. A lot of US coffee comes from Brazil. Donald the Deflector is promising 50% tariffs on Brazil if they don't let his dear buddy out of jail. Prosecuting people for attempting to overthrow the government is a subject close to his heart . . .
“so find someone great but don’t find no one better / i hope you’re happy but don’t be happier”
Jul. 22nd, 2025 07:47 amlarryhammerA few links things I found interesting:
How the Muppets were filmed outside before CGI. (via)
There’s growing evidence that wheels were invented by miners (to help haul out ore) in the Carpathian Mountains around 3900 BCE. (via)
“Nothing is untranslatable. Anything left untranslated is what you’ve decided doesn’t matter anyway.” (viajanni)
---L.
Subject quote from happier, Olivia Rodrigo.
How the Muppets were filmed outside before CGI. (via)
There’s growing evidence that wheels were invented by miners (to help haul out ore) in the Carpathian Mountains around 3900 BCE. (via)
“Nothing is untranslatable. Anything left untranslated is what you’ve decided doesn’t matter anyway.” (via
janni)---L.
Subject quote from happier, Olivia Rodrigo.
Tarnsman of Gor (Gor, volume 1) by John Norman
Jul. 22nd, 2025 08:59 amjames_davis_nicoll
In this ERB pastiche, unremarkable academic Tarl Cabot reinvents himself as a man of action on the counter-Earth, Gor. There's much less BDSM than the series' reputation would lead one to expect.
Tarnsman of Gor (Gor, volume 1) by John Norman
Morning improvement
Jul. 22nd, 2025 06:52 amjhetleyHummingbird working the hosta flowers outside my window while I was getting dressed, about 0500. The early bird gets the nectar? Anyway, one also showed up outside my office window a little while ago, no way of knowing if it was the same bird. Hostas there, too, bumblebee working them now.
Air temperature 55 F, wind west about 7 mph, sunny. Foraging later, either bike ride or walk at some point.
Air temperature 55 F, wind west about 7 mph, sunny. Foraging later, either bike ride or walk at some point.
out of the corner
Jul. 21st, 2025 11:40 pmmarycatelliAt least the story is moving forward again. I think I may need to go back and revise in more of the fighting so that it's clearer what they have to do.
sigh
sigh
Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, Vol. 8
Jul. 21st, 2025 11:37 pmmarycatelliFrieren: Beyond Journey's End, Vol. 8 by Kanehito Yamada
Spoilers ahead for the earlier volumes
( Read more... )
Spoilers ahead for the earlier volumes
( Read more... )The Lighthouse at the End of the World, by JR Dawson
Jul. 21st, 2025 04:10 pmmrissaReview copy provided by the author, who is a personal friend.
Nera has been helping her father at the titular Station her whole life. Or...her whole life-ish thing. Because Nera has only ever been in the Station, so she only interacts with her father, the dead, and the dogs who guide the dead on their way through the Veil and keep them safe. (The dogs. OMG the dogs. So many good doggos in this book.) Charlie has just lost her sister, who is also her best friend, and her family is falling apart. On top of it all, she's been seeing ghosts--but never the one she most wants to see.
But when Charlie finds the Station, she hopes for a chance to reverse what was lost. Nera is astonished--delighted--to meet another living person who can share at least some of her ghost experiences. But all is not well with the Station itself--dark forces threaten its peaceful work of helping spirits leave this world for what comes after. They want to shatter and rend. And the dark forces know all of Nera and Charlie's most vulnerable points.
Like life, this book is so full of both grief and joy. Both are extremely well-drawn and intense--I started reading this book on an airplane and stopped almost immediately, because I could see that there would be moments of stronger emotion than I wanted to invite by myself in seat 16B. If you've suffered loss recently, time your reading of this book carefully, but I think it can be very healing. I think this is one of those rare books that can be enjoyed by many but will be desperately needed by some. There's so much heart here, for other people and of course dogs, but also for places. Highly recommended.
