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This Friday: Troy Pride Night Out!

A graphic designed to look like patches on a jeans surface. Text on the patches describes the event: Downtown Troy BID Presents Pride Night Out! Friday June 20th 5 PM to 9 PM Monument Square. Enjoy crafts, bites, and drag! Downtown Tory, City of Troy NY. Thank you to our sponsors!

Come one, come all, to Troy Pride Night Out in Troy, New York, this Friday evening, June 20th, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.! There’ll be shows and crafts, food and vendors, and some kickin’ after parties, too. You can learn the deets about Troy Pride Night Out! on their webpage, here. The vendor logistics are being done with A Big Gay Market, more than 60 awesome Capital Region (and beyond!) creators coming to share what we do – Duck Prints Press included, obviously! You can read the full vendor list on abiggaymarket.com.

TL:DR: Troy Pride Night Out! More great Pride shenanigans with shows, vendors, food, and more! This Friday June 20th 5 p.m. – 9 p.m. at Monument Square in Troy, New York! Be there or be… not there!

Monday

Friday night, Ethel asked me if I wanted wine or water 'or we have some tonic and lime' and pointed to glasses set up that looked delicious and refreshing so I opted for tonic and lime. And now, of course, I'm hooked. I do enjoy a good gin and tonics but I like most alcohol, while I enjoy the taste, I do not enjoy the effects. Plus who needs the extra calories anyway? For some reason it never occurred to me to just leave out the gin. So tonic and lime is my new, refreshing, Summer beverage.

I went out yesterday to buy some tonic and to make an Amazon return and then remembered, after I had left, that the UPS shop was closed for father's day. So I still have that errand to do. But, still no hurry.

There are workers out on the patio this morning but they are working very quietly :) There are several tables set up for eating so someone must be having a lunch or dinner out there today. Tis the season. My friend, Steve, gathers folks for dinners on Thursdays out there. I can watch from my table. I keep thinking I'll join them sometime but on Thursdays I usually find a million reasons why I'd rather not. Starting with... eating outside?? I've never understood the allure. It's way cooler and more pleasant in here and... no bugs.

I have nothing on the agenda today. So that's probably what I will do. More Clarksons Farm and more Pride dolls. I need to build up an inventory for when I'm not knitting next week. My New Zealand friends arrive on Sunday.

Even with nothing on the agenda, it would be good if I got dressed.

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Fandom Update

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clarke award

Clarke Award Finalists 2001

2001: Labour narrowly wins a second overwhelming victory, Simon Darcount finds his calling, and Jeffrey Archer distracts people from that time he was accused of stealing three suits.

Poll #33257 Clarke Award Finalists 2001

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 29

View Respondents

Which 2001 Clarke Award Finalists Have You Read?

View Answers

Perdido Street Station by China Miéville
17 (58.6%)

Ash: A Secret History by Mary Gentle
14 (48.3%)

Cosmonaut Keep by Ken MacLeod
10 (34.5%)

Parable of the Talents by Octavia E. Butler
12 (41.4%)

Revelation Space by Alastair Reynolds
10 (34.5%)

Salt by Adam Roberts
4 (13.8%)

Bold for have read, italic for intend to read,, underline for never heard of it.

Which 2001 Clarke Award Finalists Have You Read?
Perdido Street Station by China Miéville
Ash: A Secret History by Mary Gentle
Cosmonaut Keep by Ken MacLeod
Parable of the Talents by Octavia E. Butler
Revelation Space by Alastair Reynolds
Salt by Adam Roberts

Current Mood: busy

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Reverse Benchmarking

This video describes an instance of reverse benchmarking in restaurants. Instead of trying to mimic what other people do well, identify what they do badly and do that well.

I routinely use this in my writing. I look for things that other people do badly or not at all, then I write those things. Also I never have the patience to wait around for 20 years while other folks work through the whole identity literature process. New trait? Trait-having hero! Done. This is how I wind up with things like An Army of One (neurodiverse characters making their own culture), The Bear Tunnels (Native American time travelers), The Moon Door (women with disabilities who become werewolves), The Ocracies (everything but monarchy), The Origami Mage and Path of the Paladins (ace heras), P.I.E. (a hera who doesn't fall for a jerk), Polychrome Heroics (superpowers that involve more than crime and crimefighting), and The Steamsmith (a black, genderqueer, British, steampunk engineer).

Go ahead, throw me prompts for things that nobody is doing well, or doing at all, in any relevant prompt call. We can fill that gap together.

Current Mood: busy

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Worldbuilding

How to Color Your Map Using SCIENCE!

Sketching out a map for a setting can be a lot of fun. Drawing a map gives you a bird’s-eye view of the world, a way to spatially organize plot arcs, and can be a great piece of artwork in its own right. But like most works of fiction, the creator should remember to keep it as believable as possible. This might be less important or less possible for unrecognizably alien worlds. Maps of Earth-like settings, however, can benefit from following some basic rules. Forests, tundras, deserts and plains don’t appear arbitrarily. These biomes are located where they are on Earth due to the way air and water circulate in the atmosphere – and any Earth-like world should follow the same basic rules for its atmosphere that Earth does.

But who wants to spend time researching atmospheric science just to know which parts of their map to color green, brown, or beige? Well, I do, so let me save you some trouble by relaying what I’ve learned.

( Read more... )

Current Mood: accomplished

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food,
recipe

Recipe: "Pretzel Bread Grilled Cheese Sandwiches"

Tonight we made grilled cheese with the pretzel bread that we bought recently at the Marshall Farmer's Market. It turned out really well. :D

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Current Mood: busy

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food,
recipe

Today's Smoothie

Today we made a smoothie with:

1 cup Brown Cow vanilla yogurt
about 1 to 1 1/2 cups fresh seedless watermelon chunks
about 2/3 cup frozen strawberries
1 teaspoon lime juice

The result is bright pink and on the thin side, with a notable watermelon flavor. I think next time I'll add a frozen banana.

Current Mood: busy

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Listen to "The Singing, Ringing Tree"

This sculpture is made of pipes that sing when the wind blows over them. It's weird to see one made out of metal. I'm used to live ones that open their holes as a means of summoning their pollinators.

Current Mood: tired

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d&d: titansfall

Titansfall D&D: Summary for 6/15 Game

In tonight's game, ( the rest under a cut for those who don't care. )

And that's where we left off.

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fic,
fic:bts

BTS drabble: Backwards Compatibility

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(no subject)

You can send this on to any dads in your life.

Current Mood: busy

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Poetry Fishbowl Themes for Late 2025

Based on an audience poll, these are the Poetry Fishbowl themes for late 2025:

July 1 -- Weaponized Incompetence and Malicious Compliance
August 5 -- Books and Learning
September 2 -- Communication Styles
October 7 -- Witches and Wizards
November 4 -- Fairies and Fey
December 2 -- Sentient and Self-Aware Machines

Please mark your calendars, and I hope to see you then!

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IPQ 2025 PDPHs

Event: Id Pro Quo
Event link:

idproquo
Pinch hit link: https://idproquo.dreamwidth.org/tag/pinch+hits
Due date: June 20th, 10pm EDT
Work Minimums: 2k fic or finished artwork

~~PH 21 - 阴阳师 | Yīn Yáng Shī | The Yin-yang Master (Movies - Guo Jingming), 陰陽師 | Onmyouji (Anime 2023), 밤에 피는 꽃 | Knight Flower (TV)~~

PH 22 - Vampire: The Masquerade — Parliament of Knives - Jeffrey Dean, Vampire: The Masquerade — Parliament of Knives - Jeffrey Dean, Vampire: The Masquerade — Parliament of Knives - Jeffrey Dean, Vampire: The Masquerade — Parliament of Knives - Jeffrey Dean, Vampire: The Masquerade Port Saga (Podcast), Path of Night (Podcast), Path of Night (Podcast)

PH 40 - 今際の国のアリス | Imawa no Kuni no Alice | Alice in Borderland (TV), The Ancient One - Cat2000, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes - Suzanne Collins, Mortal Kombat (Video Games 1992-2020), Mortal Kombat (Video Games 2023-), Marvel Cinematic Universe

PH 47 - Hazbin Hotel (Cartoon), Hazbin Hotel (Cartoon), Hazbin Hotel (Cartoon)

PH 49 - Clean Slate (TV), High Potential (TV), Crossover Fandom, Crossover Fandom, Crossover Fandom

Thank you for considering our pinch hits!

Current Mood: amused

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Politics

I found this protest sign amusing.

Current Mood: busy

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Read "Time Off"

"Time Off" by

badly_knitted
Fandom: Stargate SG-1
Summary: SG-1 have been given two days off, and Daniel doesn’t know what to do with himself.
A/N: Double drabble.

I have had exactly that kind of conversation. Also ones like:

Friend: "I just want to KILL something!"

Me: "I have a functionally endless supply of weeds. You are welcome to come massacre them."

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tv & movies: thai-drama

a new MileApo project: Shine

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Current Mood: busy

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Poem: "Fatherhood Is Support"

This poem was written outside the regular prompt calls. It fills the "support" square in my 6-2-25 card for the Pride Fest Bingo. It is posted as a gift to Anthony Barrette for Father's Day. This is the last of that batch. Check the Poem tag to see the others; it's a batch of 6 total, all with that red gift icon. \o/

"Fatherhood Is Support"

Fatherhood is
more than just DNA,
more than just being
married to a mother.

Fatherhood is
about support.

It's a treetrunk leg
for a baby to cling to,
strong arms tossing
a toddler into the air.

It's a hand on the back
of the bicycle right after
the training wheels come off --
and knowing when to let go.

It's clapping at recitals,
at school plays, at all
of the sporting events
or other performances.

It's a calm voice from
the passenger seat
while learning to drive.

It's paying for college
and going to graduation.

It's the everyday words
that become an inner voice,
heard and remembered,
absorbed and echoed:

I knew you could do it.

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Lately on TV: Legend of Zang Hai

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Current Mood: busy

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Poem: "Born and Found and Made"

This poem was written outside the regular prompt calls. It fills the "found family" square in my 6-2-25 card for the Pride Fest Bingo. It is posted as a gift to Anthony Barrette for Father's Day.

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