The Jewish War: Book 3
Mar. 15th, 2026 10:30 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
cahnLast week: The Jews are basically in an abusive relationship with Rome and have no good options; they choose the particular bad option of picking a war with Rome that they can't win. The Romans are terrible. Also continuing discussion here about Britannicus, Messalina, and the Praetorians.
This week: Vespasian comes down like a ton of bricks. That whole !!!! part of Josephus happens, where he gets stuck in the cave with a bunch of others and invents and wins the Josephus problem (well, in the text it says they draw lots, so he doesn't actually really cite what developed into the problem) (*) and surrenders to the Romans once he and another guy are the only ones left, and prophesies to Vespasian that he will become emperor. (selenak: Is it Feuchtwanger's invention to add the nomenclature of Messiah in there too? That definitely... upped the ante.)
(I'll comment more on this tomorrow -- I got done with the reading late and obviously barely got this written.)
Next week: first part of book 4? Where to?
(*) E. wanted to know what I was reading, so I told her about the Josephus problem, and she said, "Real-world applications of math!"
This week: Vespasian comes down like a ton of bricks. That whole !!!! part of Josephus happens, where he gets stuck in the cave with a bunch of others and invents and wins the Josephus problem (well, in the text it says they draw lots, so he doesn't actually really cite what developed into the problem) (*) and surrenders to the Romans once he and another guy are the only ones left, and prophesies to Vespasian that he will become emperor. (
selenak: Is it Feuchtwanger's invention to add the nomenclature of Messiah in there too? That definitely... upped the ante.) (I'll comment more on this tomorrow -- I got done with the reading late and obviously barely got this written.)
Next week: first part of book 4? Where to?
(*) E. wanted to know what I was reading, so I told her about the Josephus problem, and she said, "Real-world applications of math!"
Poem: "Colorful Opportunities"
Mar. 15th, 2026 10:01 pmysabetwordsmithThis is the freebie for the March ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
crowdfunding Creative Jam. It was inspired by the "tape" square in my 3-1-26 card for the National Crafting Month Bingo fest. It belongs to the series Arts and Crafts America.
"Colorful Opportunities"
Tape is a material
that is always full of
colorful opportunities.
It can make borders and
frames on scrapbook pages.
It stripes the handles of
tools for easy identification.
It flags pages for future reading.
It makes cute cutouts for
decorating boxes and books.
Tape holds hobbies together.
crowdfunding Creative Jam. It was inspired by the "tape" square in my 3-1-26 card for the National Crafting Month Bingo fest. It belongs to the series Arts and Crafts America."Colorful Opportunities"
Tape is a material
that is always full of
colorful opportunities.
It can make borders and
frames on scrapbook pages.
It stripes the handles of
tools for easy identification.
It flags pages for future reading.
It makes cute cutouts for
decorating boxes and books.
Tape holds hobbies together.
Original Work: Three Sisters. For Mermay., by Rubynye.
Mar. 15th, 2026 11:05 pmfull_metal_ox posting in fancake.Fandom: Original Work
Pairings: Gen
Characters:: OCs
Rating: Gen
Length: 1 panel
Content Notes: Nudity, although no breasts or genitals are visible.
Creator Tags: I kind of love the reverse mermaid, mermaids, my art, mermay 2021, I am ridiculous
Creator Links: (AO3)![[archiveofourown.org profile]](https://p2.dreamwidth.org/b164c54b26e4/-/archiveofourown.org/favicon.ico)
Rubynye; (Dreamwidth) minoanmiss; (Tumblr) ![[tumblr.com profile]](https://www.tumblr.com/favicon.ico)
rubynye
Theme: Siblings, Non-Fic Recs: Fanart, Mythical Creatures: Mermaids, Non-AO3 Work, Original Work, Tumblr Work, Worldbuilding, Xeno/Alien Biology
Summary: Three mermaids of vastly different conformations sunning themselves together on a rock.
Reccer's Notes: An example ofminoanmiss’s exuberant, joyous, and cartoony artwork, informed by Minoan artifacts and Afro-Caribbean art. The picture is a spur to speculation, raising the question of the exact nature of the three mermaids’ sisterhood (and, if they’re direct birth siblings, exactly how the razzlefrazz the biology played out): a worldbuilding prompt asking to happen.
Fanwork Links: Three Sisters. For Mermay., byrubynye.
Pairings: Gen
Characters:: OCs
Rating: Gen
Length: 1 panel
Content Notes: Nudity, although no breasts or genitals are visible.
Creator Tags: I kind of love the reverse mermaid, mermaids, my art, mermay 2021, I am ridiculous
Creator Links: (AO3)
minoanmiss; (Tumblr) Theme: Siblings, Non-Fic Recs: Fanart, Mythical Creatures: Mermaids, Non-AO3 Work, Original Work, Tumblr Work, Worldbuilding, Xeno/Alien Biology
Summary: Three mermaids of vastly different conformations sunning themselves together on a rock.
Reccer's Notes: An example of
minoanmiss’s exuberant, joyous, and cartoony artwork, informed by Minoan artifacts and Afro-Caribbean art. The picture is a spur to speculation, raising the question of the exact nature of the three mermaids’ sisterhood (and, if they’re direct birth siblings, exactly how the razzlefrazz the biology played out): a worldbuilding prompt asking to happen.Fanwork Links: Three Sisters. For Mermay., by
Goblin Emperor: Four Sisters by Akallabeth
Mar. 15th, 2026 07:57 pmbeatrice_otter posting in fancakeFandom: the Goblin Emperor
Pairings/Characters: Ursu Perenched, Holitho Sevraseched, Nadeian Vizhenka, Shaleän Sevraseched
Rating: Gen
Length: 9k
Creator Links:Akallabeth
Theme: siblings, minor characters, book fandoms, small fandoms, family, gen, female characters
Summary: Short scenes from the lives of four (half-)sisters, the unacknowledged daughters of the Great Avar.
Canon-compliant, to the best of my knowledge and ability.
Reccer's Notes: We only get a sentence in canon about each of these four sisters, but the details we get are really interesting. This is one of the best fics exploring the scant details we get.
Fanwork Links: Four Sisters
Pairings/Characters: Ursu Perenched, Holitho Sevraseched, Nadeian Vizhenka, Shaleän Sevraseched
Rating: Gen
Length: 9k
Creator Links:
Theme: siblings, minor characters, book fandoms, small fandoms, family, gen, female characters
Summary: Short scenes from the lives of four (half-)sisters, the unacknowledged daughters of the Great Avar.
Canon-compliant, to the best of my knowledge and ability.
Reccer's Notes: We only get a sentence in canon about each of these four sisters, but the details we get are really interesting. This is one of the best fics exploring the scant details we get.
Fanwork Links: Four Sisters
Batman: proper rites by the magpie said (hollowmen)
Mar. 15th, 2026 07:44 pmbeatrice_otter posting in fancakeFandom: Batman
Pairings/Characters: Jason Todd, Damian Wayne
Rating: gen
Length: 7k
Creator Links: the magpie said (hollowmen)
Theme: siblings,
Summary: Being a cat for three weeks has repercussions, it turns out.
Jason snacks his way through one of them. Damian reads books. Both of them drink a lot of tea. It's nice, mostly, which Jason finds highly suspicious.
Reccer's Notes: This is sweet and deeply in character for both of them
Fanwork Links: proper rites
(Note: other fics by this author have been recced, but under a different pseud--they used to be magpiemountains (hollowmen))
Pairings/Characters: Jason Todd, Damian Wayne
Rating: gen
Length: 7k
Creator Links: the magpie said (hollowmen)
Theme: siblings,
Summary: Being a cat for three weeks has repercussions, it turns out.
Jason snacks his way through one of them. Damian reads books. Both of them drink a lot of tea. It's nice, mostly, which Jason finds highly suspicious.
Reccer's Notes: This is sweet and deeply in character for both of them
Fanwork Links: proper rites
(Note: other fics by this author have been recced, but under a different pseud--they used to be magpiemountains (hollowmen))
Persuasion: the natural sequel by rain_sleet_snow
Mar. 15th, 2026 07:21 pmbeatrice_otter posting in fancakeFandom: Persuasion
Pairings/Characters: Anne/Frederick
Rating: Gen
Length: 8k words
Creator Links:rain_sleet_snow
Theme: siblings, book fandoms, old fandoms, minor characters, small fandoms, five things
Summary: Five people who were surprised by Anne and Wentworth's engagement, and one who wasn't.
Reccer's Notes: Anne's siblings (and siblings-in-law) are not the only ones reacting to news of the engagement in this story, but they are most of the people reacting. I love the way the news causes each of them to re-evaluate Anne, and what they thought they knew.
Fanwork Links: the natural sequel
Pairings/Characters: Anne/Frederick
Rating: Gen
Length: 8k words
Creator Links:
Theme: siblings, book fandoms, old fandoms, minor characters, small fandoms, five things
Summary: Five people who were surprised by Anne and Wentworth's engagement, and one who wasn't.
Reccer's Notes: Anne's siblings (and siblings-in-law) are not the only ones reacting to news of the engagement in this story, but they are most of the people reacting. I love the way the news causes each of them to re-evaluate Anne, and what they thought they knew.
Fanwork Links: the natural sequel
The 2026 Podfic Big Bang collection is now open!
Mar. 15th, 2026 04:53 pmkitsuneheart posting in podficbigbanghttps://archiveofourown.org/collections/PodficBigBang2026
We are open for business, baby! If you're done already, go ahead and post your podfic. If you're not ready, there's still two weeks and some change left to finish up. The collection is UNREVEALED until April 1st AOE.
This year, I PROBABLY won't be awake until midnight AOE (5am my time), so things won't reveal PRECISELY at deadline, but instead when I wake up around 7am PDT (which is UTC-7). So don't worry when there's a small delay! I'm just not awake and frantically finishing my podfic, for a change!
I will be mostly unreachable from 3/21 to 3/28, on the JoCo Cruise. If there's any fellow JoCoNauts, I'd love to meet up!
Well...I think that's it. Go forth!
OH, WAIT! I almost forgot! Before you go....
🔪🗡️⚔️🗡️🗡️🔪🔪🔪⚔️🗡️⚔️🗡️🗡️🔪🔪🗡️⚔️🗡️🗡️🔪🔪🔪⚔️🗡️⚔️🗡️🗡️🔪🔪🗡️⚔️🗡️🗡️🔪🔪⚔️🗡️⚔️🗡️🗡️🔪
Orderly line, orderly line, everyone. One knife per person, don't get greedy. And don't back out, now! Caesar isn't gonna stab himself, am I right?
and now for something completely different
Mar. 15th, 2026 05:01 pmmuccamukkThe YouTube algorithm has seen my interest in figure skating and started offering me classical ballet (I think, always difficult to tell how one gets where one ends up).
So I've been watching bits and pieces of that, as well as all of The Royal Ballet's Cinderella. I therefore offer you some fully random observations, from someone who never got into any kind of dance as a kid, and therefore knows baaaaaasically nothing about the topic. (I have been to several ballets in person, The Nutcracker of course, and the Winnipeg Ballet's Svengali..)
Which is all I have for now.
So I've been watching bits and pieces of that, as well as all of The Royal Ballet's Cinderella. I therefore offer you some fully random observations, from someone who never got into any kind of dance as a kid, and therefore knows baaaaaasically nothing about the topic. (I have been to several ballets in person, The Nutcracker of course, and the Winnipeg Ballet's Svengali..)
- I like classical ballet (I'm not really watching modern) because it's quite ridiculous, and unconnected to anything that has ever happened on the face of the Earth.
- I have learned that there's dialogue! Classical ballet has a kind of sign language, done through gestures, so that the dancers can explain plot points such as "We make evil men dance until they die!" and "This lake is made of my mother's tears!"
- There does not seem to be much point to the male principal dancers. They have thighs like birch trees, which allows them to leap impressively high in the air, but they don't spin around on nothing but their big toe, which makes them less interesting to watch. Their main purposes seems to be to move the plot along, and act as a "Ballerina holder upper."
- Maybe it's just because I'm not good enough at reading the mime, but the romantic dances are... not very romantic. They mostly seem to be the ballerina holder upper holding up the ballerina while she spins around on her big toe.
- I don't know if there's non-transphobic/misogynistic way to do the comedy roles where male dancers play female characters, but Cinderella sure didn't manage it.
- The plot of Giselle is really interesting (boy meets girl, girl dies when she finds out that boy has a fiancée, girl joins chorus of vengeful ghosts, vengeful ghosts attempt to kill boy, girl saves boy), and I wonder if there have been modern retellings like there have of other old fairytales.
- I'm pretty sure the human body is not designed to do any of that.
Which is all I have for now.
Tool Use
Mar. 15th, 2026 04:17 pmysabetwordsmithToday my partner Doug asked me to remove a bunch of staples for him. I first looked for my staple remover but couldn't find it. Instead I grabbed the tiny screwdriver that I got from Power Plus at the Home and Garden Expo. It actually worked better. Because it's swag, the screwdriver tip is very thin and narrow. That made it a lot easier to slide under the ends of the staples to open them, then slide under the wide part of the wire to twist it loose. Staple removers typically have very thick teeth that can be difficult to get under the wire. So this is now my staple remover of choice, and will live in my office drawer. :D
What most people call luck or opportunity is, in my observation, largely situational awareness. I needed a tool; I thought about what would work; I used what I had. And then I noticed that it worked better than a dedicated tool from the past. A small discovery, but it makes my primate brain very happy.
What most people call luck or opportunity is, in my observation, largely situational awareness. I needed a tool; I thought about what would work; I used what I had. And then I noticed that it worked better than a dedicated tool from the past. A small discovery, but it makes my primate brain very happy.
Cyberspace Theory
Mar. 15th, 2026 01:20 pmysabetwordsmithAO3 BS
AO3 is apparently crashing out again... Le sigh, do NOT get me wrong I do adore that site (for reading... I've yet to use it as a writer) but damn this just keeps happening.
Frequent service outage is one of the later signs of platform degradation heading for collapse. Always stay alert for warning signs, because they help you save your data and shore up contact with friends before it is too late.
( Read more... )
AO3 is apparently crashing out again... Le sigh, do NOT get me wrong I do adore that site (for reading... I've yet to use it as a writer) but damn this just keeps happening.
Frequent service outage is one of the later signs of platform degradation heading for collapse. Always stay alert for warning signs, because they help you save your data and shore up contact with friends before it is too late.
( Read more... )
Birdfeeding
Mar. 15th, 2026 01:14 pmysabetwordsmithToday is cloudy and cool with howling wind. It's up to 18mph. A beautiful day to stay indoors and write!
I fed the birds. Unsurprisingly, I haven't seen any. I expect they're all huddled in whatever shelter they can find.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 3/15/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
I've seen a small mixed flock of sparrows and house finches.
EDIT 3/15/26 -- I did more work around the patio.
A tiny scilla is blooming white in the purple-and-white garden.
It's starting to rain.
I am done for the night.
I fed the birds. Unsurprisingly, I haven't seen any. I expect they're all huddled in whatever shelter they can find.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 3/15/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
I've seen a small mixed flock of sparrows and house finches.
EDIT 3/15/26 -- I did more work around the patio.
A tiny scilla is blooming white in the purple-and-white garden.
It's starting to rain.
I am done for the night.
due South: lay down your heavy load by Sixthlight
Mar. 15th, 2026 05:09 pmstargore posting in fancakeFandom: due South
Pairings/Characters: Benton Fraser/Ray Kowalski, Maggie McKenzie
Rating: General Audiences
Length: 4,422 words
Creator Links:Ao3, Tumblr
Theme: Siblings, post-canon
Summary: "Maggie, moving on."
Reccer's Notes: This is a post-canon fic from the point of view of Maggie, Ben's sister. They didn't grow up together and she appears in exactly one episode of due South before disappearing back up to the Arctic Circle. In this post-canon fic they end up working together and get to know each other better. See also Sixthlight's short AU fic about Benton and Maggie from dS Ladies Fest!
Fanwork Links: Ao3
Pairings/Characters: Benton Fraser/Ray Kowalski, Maggie McKenzie
Rating: General Audiences
Length: 4,422 words
Creator Links:Ao3, Tumblr
Theme: Siblings, post-canon
Summary: "Maggie, moving on."
Reccer's Notes: This is a post-canon fic from the point of view of Maggie, Ben's sister. They didn't grow up together and she appears in exactly one episode of due South before disappearing back up to the Arctic Circle. In this post-canon fic they end up working together and get to know each other better. See also Sixthlight's short AU fic about Benton and Maggie from dS Ladies Fest!
Fanwork Links: Ao3
Science
Mar. 15th, 2026 12:16 amysabetwordsmithThis video beautifully demonstrates the use of art in education, showing how trees catch and release water to help drive the hydrologic cycle. Without forests, you get a drought-flood situation instead. :/
SGA: Postcards to Jeannie by Sholio
Mar. 15th, 2026 05:00 pmmific posting in fancakeFandom: Stargate Atlantis
Characters/Pairings: Jeannie Miller, Teyla Emmagan, John Sheppard, Rodney McKay, Ronon Dex
Rating: Gen
Length: 5000-10,000 (best guess) - the individual postcards are mostly text-based, in different fonts, but it's too hard to add it all up. There are 8 or so sets of postcards/images, plus two longer narrative interludes.
Content Notes: Not all of the postcards or notes have text equivalents, so it's not fully accessible. Rodney at one point talks about a relationship he had at uni with an older woman he describes as a "sex addict".
Creator Links: Sholio on AO3, Sholio's own site
Themes: Siblings, Epistolary, Friendship, Family, Team as family, Unconventional format and style
Summary: (more notes than a summary) Contains spoilers for the Season 3 episode "McKay & Mrs. Miller". I might be taking a certain amount of liberty with the timeline; let's assume that a few months went by between "M&MM" and "Return".
This is a very image-intensive story. Illustrations and photos are all by me, aside from one or two photos taken by my husband. A couple of the postcards utilize (heavily Photoshopped) patterns that I got off the Internet to represent fabrics and such, because I didn't have anything suitable.
Reccer's Notes: This is a heartwarming epistolary story in which Teyla and Jeannie (Rodney's sister) write to each other. Eventually the other team members are brought in as well, especially John and Rodney. It's a mix of tales about Jeannie's life, and of the team's, especially Teyla's, adventures, and although the format as a series of postcard/image pages is a little awkward to negotiate, it's very much worth reading. The postcards start off somewhat formally, and quickly become more personal, and one theme is of the correspondence bringing Rodney and Jeannie closer together. It's touching, funny, tinged with the realities and sadnesses of life in the Pegasus galaxy, and an excellent read.
Fanwork Links: Postcards to Jeannie (and the sequel is Pictures for Jeannie)
Characters/Pairings: Jeannie Miller, Teyla Emmagan, John Sheppard, Rodney McKay, Ronon Dex
Rating: Gen
Length: 5000-10,000 (best guess) - the individual postcards are mostly text-based, in different fonts, but it's too hard to add it all up. There are 8 or so sets of postcards/images, plus two longer narrative interludes.
Content Notes: Not all of the postcards or notes have text equivalents, so it's not fully accessible. Rodney at one point talks about a relationship he had at uni with an older woman he describes as a "sex addict".
Creator Links: Sholio on AO3, Sholio's own site
Themes: Siblings, Epistolary, Friendship, Family, Team as family, Unconventional format and style
Summary: (more notes than a summary) Contains spoilers for the Season 3 episode "McKay & Mrs. Miller". I might be taking a certain amount of liberty with the timeline; let's assume that a few months went by between "M&MM" and "Return".
This is a very image-intensive story. Illustrations and photos are all by me, aside from one or two photos taken by my husband. A couple of the postcards utilize (heavily Photoshopped) patterns that I got off the Internet to represent fabrics and such, because I didn't have anything suitable.
Reccer's Notes: This is a heartwarming epistolary story in which Teyla and Jeannie (Rodney's sister) write to each other. Eventually the other team members are brought in as well, especially John and Rodney. It's a mix of tales about Jeannie's life, and of the team's, especially Teyla's, adventures, and although the format as a series of postcard/image pages is a little awkward to negotiate, it's very much worth reading. The postcards start off somewhat formally, and quickly become more personal, and one theme is of the correspondence bringing Rodney and Jeannie closer together. It's touching, funny, tinged with the realities and sadnesses of life in the Pegasus galaxy, and an excellent read.
Fanwork Links: Postcards to Jeannie (and the sequel is Pictures for Jeannie)
Today's Adventures
Mar. 14th, 2026 10:36 pmysabetwordsmithToday we went to Middlefork at the Mall in Lincoln Square Mall in Urbana. This is a big flea market, although not quite as big as the last one we caught. We both found some great stuff.
( Read more... )
( Read more... )
Urbana Free Library Seed Exchange
Mar. 14th, 2026 09:07 pmysabetwordsmithYesterday I discovered the Seed Library Network. I was delighted to find one near me. (See Today's Adventures for our other activities.)
Today we visited the Urbana Free Library Seed Exchange. It's on the second floor. We rode the elevator up, and the display was big enough to be seen from where the elevator lets out. Seeds are stored in drawers, sorted by type. There are sections for flowers, herbs, and vegetables. Some of the really popular ones have their own drawer; others are grouped together. Unopened packets of commercial seed are filed as they are, for folks who want to know exactly what they're getting. Opened packets or homegrown seeds are put in envelopes by library staff. With wildflower and landrace seeds, especially mixes, you may get more surprises.
( Read more... )
Today we visited the Urbana Free Library Seed Exchange. It's on the second floor. We rode the elevator up, and the display was big enough to be seen from where the elevator lets out. Seeds are stored in drawers, sorted by type. There are sections for flowers, herbs, and vegetables. Some of the really popular ones have their own drawer; others are grouped together. Unopened packets of commercial seed are filed as they are, for folks who want to know exactly what they're getting. Opened packets or homegrown seeds are put in envelopes by library staff. With wildflower and landrace seeds, especially mixes, you may get more surprises.
( Read more... )
