solarbird | Network

Posted by Mariel Ruvinsky

https://cheezburger.com/43259141/group-of-teenagers-rescues-a-trio-of-abandoned-kittens-then-not-knowing-what-to-do-they-bring-the

Sometimes, you see kindness from people who you least expect it. People who have nothing to gain. People who wouldn't expect to understand. It's easy to see the bad in the world, but seeing the good in people - that matters, that makes everything about life a little easier. And we can't think of more selfless kindness than humans rescuing kittens.

You'd be pleasantly surprised, we think, by some of the stories that we have come across over the years. A story of a man who hated cats saving a cat from a bad situation. A story of a kid saving a cat by trading his skateboard, knowing that he will never get it back. A story of a teenager trying to save a cat by climbing up a tree… only to get stuck on the tree herself. It's the intent that matters. And when the internet is good - which it always is when you're trying to save a cat - then things tend to work out right. And they definitely worked out in this story.

https://cheezburger.com/43259141/group-of-teenagers-rescues-a-trio-of-abandoned-kittens-then-not-knowing-what-to-do-they-bring-the

mount_oregano

Anthologies tend to make less money than novels, yet they keep appearing. And I keep reading them. An anthology offers the chance to read a carefully curated selection, and I love short stories as an art form.

Apex Book Company asked me if I’d like to read an advanced copy of ECO24, The Year's Best Speculative Ecofiction, and offer a blurb if I liked it.

I liked it a lot. Like every good anthology, the stories offer a range of approaches, including literary science fiction, magical realism, and dark fantasy. Some are set in the present, such as the war in Ukraine, others in the future, and they feature settings around our planet and beyond. Some are grim, many hopeful.

My favorite is “The Plasticity of Being” by Renan Bernardo, which illustrates the paradoxes of offering help to poor people. I also especially enjoyed “Bodies” by Cat McMahon about the dangers of being a clone, and “Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackened Husk of a Planet” by Adeline Wong about the emotional weight of being a student, with hints of poetry. But I could go on. There’s the quiet wisdom of “Batter and Pearl” by Steph Kwiatkowski, and the aspiration of “Father Time Dares You to Dream” by Trae Hawkins — and both stories take place near me.

My blurb:

Each author offers us a unique ecological niche to reveal what our present and future could be, ranging from wrenching disasters to elating possibilities of recovery. These stories are personal and lyrical, and the breadth of imagination and styles make this anthology dazzling. Every story is a gem.

thewayne

"Oh, well, you see there's still an on-going investigation! We CAN'T release them!"

The stage was set a few weeks ago when Trumplestiltskin told Bondi to investigate Bill Clinton and the Democrats. So now the files are part of an active, on-going investigation and it could conceivably be argued that they can't be released. At least until the investigation is concluded. Even though in the 20,000 pages that have been released thus far Clinton's name has not appeared.

Regarding the claim that the release of the files will endanger the privacy of victims or other innocent people in the files, the bill that was approved yesterday did address those concerns, so that claim is null. Also, any CSAM or identifying photographs are also redacted, so that's null.

And again, what's Mike Johnson going to do? The bill ordering the documents to be released has no teeth to it. So what, he'll hold members of the government in contempt and order PAM BONDI to prosecute them? Yeah, that'll happen.

What I think would be the likely result is if the Justice Department doesn't release them despite this law passing is that we'll have a Deepthroat event and more tranches of the documents will happen to leak.

We shall see.

Article is behind a free paywall requiring registration:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2025/11/19/epstein-files-justice-department-release/

I should have included one very important piece of information on the court throwing out the Texas redistricting plan. It was concluded that it was blatantly and baldly illegal on the simple premise that it was racist and racially discriminatory. A very important point.

RACIAL DISCRIMINATION IN TEXAS? SAY IT ISN'T SO!

Another point in California's Proposition 50, their redistricting plan to fight Texas' redistricting. The original plan was that it had a trigger - if Texas went through with their plan to redistrict, so would California. From what I read last night in two different sources - neither of which was 100% official but tended towards that way - that trigger was removed in the legislative process before it went to the public vote. So theoretically, if Prop 50 survives court challenges, the redistricting will happen and the count in the house of Democratic seats will go up in California's representation.

Of course, it is widely believed that in next year's mid-term elections that there will be a huge backlash against the incumbent party and the Dems will gain a large number of seats in both chambers. But as that election is over 11 months away, I'm not holding my breath. Too much will happen between now and then, memories are short and there's no telling what the state of the country or the political landscape will be then.

oursin

What I read

Finished The Golden Notebook - had a few comments about Lessing and blokes and plus ca change and allotropes of excuses in yesterday's post.

Decompressed with a Dick Francis, Slay-Ride (1973), which is the one set in Norway - period at which The War, resistance, Quislings etc still hangs heavy over them - not a top specimen of his, I spotted Dodgy Person very early on (but maybe protag does not read thrillers....).

Then got a jump on the next volume in the Dance to the Music of Time reading group, Temporary Kings (#11), which is the one set at some kind of cultural conference in Venice.

Also the latest Literary Review.

On the go

Continuing to dip in to Some Men in London 1960-1967.

Was agreeably surprised by the arrival of my preordered Cat Sebastian (had forgotten it was due), After Hours at Dooryard Books, which is being v good so far.

Up next

Latest Slightly Foxed.

minoanmiss

( You're about to view content that the journal owner has advised should be viewed with discretion. )

Current Mood: creative

rebeccmeister

On Sunday I prepared the ingredients for a lentil and beet salad with feta, hazelnuts, and arugula. I think I prepared enough for around 4 servings altogether, so I had the first serving on Sunday and a second serving last night. Ya'll, this salad is SO GOOD!

Beet-lentil salad with feta, hazelnuts, and arugula

It's a NYTimes recipe, except I made it with beets I roasted myself, the Braised Black Lentils recipe from the Cafe Flora cookbook, and I used feta because that's what was in my refrigerator waiting to be used up. Oh, and I keep forgetting/ignoring the "soft herbs." Those are fairly minor substitutions, really.

quillpunk posting in

booknook

It's Wednesday! What are you reading? 👀

spikedluv

Holy moly, I finally finished a book! A combination of reading/writing fic, watching tv shows/movies, and my fun bout of sciatica meant I didn’t pick up a book for weeks! October 1st was the last time I posted a reading meme! That’s six weeks! Yikes. I had even requested three books from the library, two of which I had to return because I ran out of renewals.

What I Just Finished Reading: Since my last Wednesday Reading Meme post I have read/finished reading: Winging It with You by Chip Pons.

What I am Currently Reading: Guardian of the Horizon (An Amelia Peabody Mystery) by Elizabeth Peters.

What I Plan to Read Next: Despite my track record, I have requested three more books from the library. o_O One has been shipped, so I will hopefully have that one soon.

Book 105 of 2025: Winging It with You (Chip Pons)

I enjoyed this book, though you wouldn't know it by how long it took me to read it. ( spoilers )

I was feeling so good about this book by the end that I looked up the author to see what else he'd written. I'm giving this book four hearts and may yet read another of his books.

♥♥♥♥

(If anyone is interested in reading this book, please let me know, I’m happy to send it to you. USA only, sorry.)

prettygoodword

potato (poh-TAY-toh, poh-TAH-toh, let’s call the whole thing off) - n., a South American herb (Solanum tuberosum) of the nightshade family or its edible starchy tuber.

Thanks, WikiMedia!

Plus a host of metaphoric extensions related to its shape, mobility, or power. Originally domesticated in southern Peru from the S. brevicaule complex of around 20 species and cultivated throughout the Andes, then spread worldwide by the Spanish. We got the name from Spanish patata, which came in turn from Taíno batata, which actually meant sweet potato, which is an entirely different plant (Ipomoea batatas) of the morning glory family that was domesticated in Ecuador. [Sidebar: Yams are yet another collection of species, most closely related to arrowroot, with the English name coming from any of several possible west African languages.] [Sidebar²: Taro is still another species (Colocasia esculenta) and family (it’s an arum), named from either Maori or Tahitian.] [Sidebar³: So, yeah, potato and tomato are named from completely unrelated languages, and both names originally meant a different thing.]

---L.

icanhascheezburger_feed

Posted by Ayala Sorotsky

https://cheezburger.com/10576819456/where-do-they-all-come-from

languagelog_feed

Posted by Mark Liberman

https://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=72008&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=errorist-returns

https://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=72008

In the comments on "Final prepositions again", AntC alerts us to Elle Cordova's latest, part III in the Grammarian Saga: "Grammarian vs Errorist showdown at the secret L'error".

Watch on YouTube

Part I was: "Grammarian vs Errorist – a supervillain showdown"

Watch on YouTube

And Part II: "The Errorist strikes again!"

Watch on YouTube

For some background on the negatively-evaluated version of the term grammarian, see here.

https://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=72008&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=errorist-returns

https://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=72008

yhlee

Watch on YouTube

I won't claim this is good weaving (it is not). The handspun is janky, the selvedges and tension are janky, but baby's first WIP on a floor loom was bound to be janky. Other than the unhinged levels of fog this morning, this is very enjoyable. I'm not weaving for production or efficiency at this point, just the joy of working with my hands and learning something new to me.

spikedluv

I hit Price Chopper and the Pharmacy while I was downtown and Stewart’s on the way home from mom’s. I heard ‘(My Angel is a) Centerfold’ while I was at BK. It was certainly a blast from the past and I immediately wondered just exactly what kind of playlist they’ve chosen?!! o_O It’s certainly a choice.

I drove mom to her treatment, did a load of laundry, hand-washed dishes, emptied the dishwasher and ran another load, went for a couple walks with Pip and the dogs, cut up chicken for the dogs' meals, and scooped kitty litter. I made the meatloaf for supper before I picked mom up and stuck it in the fridge. I serve it with mashed potatoes and green beans. Always. Don’t ask me to change this! Also, it was really good.

I baked some cookies from frozen cookie dough that I bought for a school fundraiser. I also filled some wishes at Holiday Wishes, which made me feel good. I read fanfic and started an actual book.

Temps started out at 34.2(F) and reached 37.0.

Mom Update:

Mom was doing okay today. She’s admitted that she’s getting more tired and weak, which the person doing her treatment said was to be expected. She didn’t have any issues eating.

I got her mail, wrote out checks (her hands still shake pretty badly) and put them back in the mailbox; filled pill organizers, and did dishes for her.

sabotabby

Just finished: Kalivas! Or, Another Tempest by Nick Mamatas. This was excellent—basically what I said last week, then it gets super weird at the end (much like Girls Against God did, except that unlike that one, I enjoyed the more narratively straightforward first three quarters of the book). I'm not educated enough to know if there are other authors besides, say, Silvia Federici, who really explore Prospero-as-colonizer, but I do think Nick might be the only one to tie that to a cyberpunk future, in particular our cyberpunk present where dystopia is driven primarily by billionaires' fear of death and fantasies of immortality. Which is to say there's a lot going on in this little book and you should check it out.

Currently reading: To Leave a Warrior Behind: The Life and Stories of Charles R. Saunders, the Man Who Rewrote Fantasy by Jon Tattrie. You ever read a bio of someone you've never heard of? It's an interesting experience. It's kind of shameful that I hadn't heard of Charles R. Saunders until his induction into the Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame this year, but that's kind of the point—he died broke and unknown and was buried in an unmarked grave before his friends and fans figured out where he was and crowdfunded a memorial. He was a Black author and journalist from the US who fled the draft and eventually settled in Halifax, and he pioneered the genre of sword and soul, which is Conan-inspired stories set in fantasy Africa. Again. Hadn't heard of it. Tattrie worked with and was friends with Saunders (he was one of the aforementioned crowdfunders) so Saunders' life story is interwoven with Tattrie's investigation into what happened to him and why. He also gets a big assist from Charles de Lint (!!) who kept all of the many letters that Saunders wrote to him. I am reading this for podcast-related reasons but I'm genuinely fascinated by this story and will probably check out Saunders' novels based on this if I can find them.

oursin posting in

agonyaunt

The yoga studio where I teach hasn’t been paying me on time (AAM: 4th one down):

I’ve been teaching yoga for about four years now and was hired for my first job at this small group training facility. I teach once a week and often sub for one of the two other instructors. I previously got paid monthly. I have a full-time job and this is my side gig. So, it’s money I use for things like gifts, or save up for vacations.
Over the last two years, my monthly payment stretched to being paid every two months. This past year, it’s stretched out to being paid every four or five months. I’ve asked the owners several times to leave a check for me for next week. I’ve also asked if there is an easier way for them to pay me, such as Venmo or direct deposit.
I’m at the point now where I’m owed for over 21 classes ($40 per class). Enrollment in the small training groups seems to have dropped as I’m seeing new members less. People do join for the yoga-only package to come to the yoga classes. What’s the best way to ask to be paid and let them know I can’t/shouldn’t have to wait longer than two months for payment? I’m at the point now where I want to say that I won’t teach until I get paid, but that isn’t really my vibe.

Alison responds: ( saying that you won’t teach until you get paid should be your vibe )

nverland posting in

creative_cooks

Hazelnut Panforte
Makes 1

1 cup hazelnuts, toasted, husked, coarsely chopped
1 cup pecan halves, toasted, coarsely chopped
3/4 cup pitted Medjool dates, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup coarsely chopped candied orange peel
1/2 cup dried tart cherries
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup stemmed dried Mission figs, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon finely grated orange peel
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
Pinch of ground white pepper
3/4 cup honey
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter

1 9-inch-diameter cardboard cake round

Preparation
Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 300°F. Butter 9-inch-diameter springform pan. Line bottom and sides with parchment paper; butter paper.

Mix first 16 ingredients in large bowl, tossing to separate fruit pieces. Bring honey, sugar, and butter to boil in small saucepan, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to medium-low. Place candy thermometer in mixture, tilting to submerge bulb, and cook until thermometer registers 242°F to 248°F, stirring occasionally, about 9 minutes. Pour syrup over nut mixture; stir to blend. Immediately transfer mixture to prepared pan; smooth top. Bake until bubbling slightly at edges and top appears dry, about 55 minutes. Cool completely in pan on rack. Cover; let stand overnight at room temperature.

Release pan sides. Remove paper from sides and bottom of panforte. Place panforte on cardboard round. (Can be made 3 weeks ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.)

marcicat

*total goal word count: 25,000

*current total words: 16,000(ish?)

*still only three files, thank goodness

*there's always a shift around this time when I stop thinking 'oh no what if there's not enough words?!?' to 'oh no what if I can't wrap it up in time!?!'

*and then it usually shifts back again a few thousand words from the finish line

*non-writing note: time to wear my Thanksgiving 5K sweatshirt to the office, since it's the last office day before the holiday, woohoo!

*last sentence written: You are meant to be drawing attention.

malinaldarose

Here are the pages from my June work calendar. I found this package of rather whimsical celestial stickers in the depths of my celestial sticker box and decided to go with them.

The second week is a little different from the rest, but that's okay. I didn't have enough of the big pastel stickers for four different weeks, anyway. I still like it.

siderea

Canonical link: https://siderea.dreamwidth.org/1886696.html

Hey, Americans and other people stuck in the American healthcare system. It's open enrollment on the state exchanges, and possibly through your employer, so I wanted to give you a little heads up about preventive care and shopping for a health insurance plan.

I've noticed from time to time various health insurance companies advertising themselves to consumers by boasting that their health plans focus on covering preventive care. Maybe they lay a spiel on you about how they believe in keeping you healthy rather than trying to fix problems after they happen. Maybe they point out in big letters "PREVENTIVE CARE 100% FREE" or "NO CO-PAYS FOR PREVENTIVE CARE".

When you come across a health insurance product advertised this way, promoted for its coverage of preventive health, I propose you should think of that as a bad thing.

Why? Do I think preventive medicine is a bad thing? Yes, actually, but that's a topic for another post. For purposes of this post, no, preventive medicine is great.

It's just that it's illegal for them not to cover preventive care 100% with no copays or other cost-sharing.

Yeah, thanks to the Obamacare law, the ACA, it's literally illegal for a health plan to be sold on the exchanges if it doesn't cover preventive care 100% with no cost-sharing, and while there are rare exceptions, it's also basically illegal for an employer to offer a health plan that doesn't cover preventive care.

They can't not, and neither can any of their competitors.

( So any health plan that's bragging on covering preventive care?.... Read more [2,270 words] )

This post brought to you by the 220 readers who funded my writing it – thank you all so much! You can see who they are at my Patreon page. If you're not one of them, and would be willing to chip in so I can write more things like this, please do so there.

Please leave comments on the Comment Catcher comment, instead of the main body of the post – unless you are commenting to get a copy of the post sent to you in email through the notification system, then go ahead and comment on it directly. Thanks!

Profile

solarbird

I'm on Mastodon!

November 2025

S	M	T	W	T	F	S
						1
2	3	4	5	6	7	8
9	10	11	12	13	14	15
16	17	18	19	20	21	22
23	24	25	26	27	28	29
30

Page Summary

icanhascheezburger_feed - Group of teenagers rescues a trio of abandoned kittens, then, not knowing what to do, they bring the
mount_oregano - ECO24: The Year’s Best Speculative Ecofiction
thewayne - Why we may still never see the Epstein files, and a bit more on the Texas gerrymander
oursin - Wednesday there was SNOW
minoanmiss - Confetti Black Beans
rebeccmeister - This salad is SO GOOD [food]
quillpunk in booknook - RIP (Read In Progress) Wednesday
spikedluv - Wednesday Reading Meme
prettygoodword - potato
icanhascheezburger_feed - Where do they all come from?
languagelog_feed - Errorist returns
yhlee - the return of emotional support weaving
spikedluv - The Day in Spikedluv (Tuesday, Nov 18)
andrewducker - Interesting Links for 19-11-2025
sabotabby - Reading Wednesday
oursin in agonyaunt - Surely you invoke the negative energy that's effecting the vibes???
nverland in creative_cooks - Hazelnut Panforte
marcicat - day 19
malinaldarose - June Calendar
siderea - Choosing Health Insurance: Preventive Care [US, healthcare, Patreon]

収束ゾーンでのライフ: Life in the Convergence Zone

cheers, love - the cavalry's queer!

Network

Group of teenagers rescues a trio of abandoned kittens, then, not knowing what to do, they bring the

ECO24: The Year’s Best Speculative Ecofiction

Why we may still never see the Epstein files, and a bit more on the Texas gerrymander

Wednesday there was SNOW

Confetti Black Beans

This salad is SO GOOD [food]

RIP (Read In Progress) Wednesday

Wednesday Reading Meme

potato

Where do they all come from?

Errorist returns

the return of emotional support weaving

The Day in Spikedluv (Tuesday, Nov 18)

Interesting Links for 19-11-2025

Reading Wednesday

Surely you invoke the negative energy that's effecting the vibes???

Hazelnut Panforte

day 19

June Calendar

Choosing Health Insurance: Preventive Care [US, healthcare, Patreon]

Profile

Links

November 2025

Most Popular Tags

Page Summary