My Reading Page

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/artemis-ii-mission-biden/

Posted by Emery Winter

The Artemis II mission fulfilled the original objective planned during Trump's first term and has origins in prior administrations.

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/artemis-ii-mission-biden/

paradisedinermod posting in

paradisediner

Please feel free to justify your answer or provide supporting examples in the comments.

Poll #34480 What is the ideal group size?

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 2

View Respondents

What is the ideal number of members for a group?

View Answers

1 - a soloist is all you need
1 (50.0%)

2 - a pair is perfect
0 (0.0%)

3 - a structurally sound triumvirate
0 (0.0%)

4 - a classic. also they can double date
0 (0.0%)

5 - they can do some nice dance formations
1 (50.0%)

6 - comfortably fits in 2 cars
1 (50.0%)

7 - they can do some fancy dance formations
1 (50.0%)

8 - they can double date twice over
0 (0.0%)

9 - they can also play as a baseball team
0 (0.0%)

10 - no need to hire back up dancers ever
0 (0.0%)

11 - they can also play as a football/soccer team
0 (0.0%)

12 - one for every month of the year!
0 (0.0%)

13 - one for every month AND a spare
0 (0.0%)

over 13 members - the sky is the limit
0 (0.0%)

Did Miriam Seabrook die of natural causes or was she murdered by her creepy coven? Witch Bast will find out.

Speak Daggers to Her (Bast, volume 1) by Rosemary Edghill

umadoshi

Current Mood: busy

Our planter is here! Getting it wasn't actually a saga, but it felt a bit like one. ( TL;DR: delivery service annoyance )

We also both took yesterday off (and I'm off the rest of the week, but got up at my usual workday time today in hopes of getting a fair amount of manga work done), and ventured out to buy veg seeds for the planter. (We also still need to get soil/fertilizer/etc., but want to read up on it more first. I think I might order a hard copy of The Vegetable Gardener's Bible, which I got on sale in ebook recently and like so far.)

Yesterday's important lesson: when noting down which seed varieties we like the looks of, include the source, because our local store, at least, has separate displays for each originating company, and knowing that would make it much easier to check for the various varieties. Anyway, here's what we wound up with (descriptions are in my last post):

Basil: Devotion.

Cabbage: Early Golden Acre (green) and Serpentine F1 (savoy).

Spinach: Bloomsdale and Renegade.

Lettuce: Brighton (Butterhead), Black Seeded Simpson (green leaf), Red Salad Bowl (red leaf), Grand Rapids (green leaf), Freckles (romaine), and Drunken Woman.

https://www.snopes.com/news/2026/04/16/young-pope-leo-blues-brothers-photo/

Posted by Joey Esposito

The photo was included as part of an official Vatican documentary about the pontiff's life titled "Leo from Chicago."

https://www.snopes.com/news/2026/04/16/young-pope-leo-blues-brothers-photo/

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/israeli-palestinian-italian-magazine/

Posted by Nur Ibrahim

Israel's ambassador to Italy accused the magazine, L'Espresso, of publishing a manipulated image.

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/israeli-palestinian-italian-magazine/

dine

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

Current Mood: busy

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...

* "Books" in

history

* "Female Leads" in

hooked_on_heroines

* "Follow Friday Master Post" in

interested_in_that

whisperswaltz posting in

dwrp_icons

CANON: xo kitty
CHARACTERS:
50 icons of kitty song covey

CREDIT TO:

junerebellion

LINK HERE

cornerofmadness

Current Mood: sad
Current Music: Hudson & Rex

My one class begged me to move the test from today to monday. I did.

The other class should have begged me. Holy shit. I do not what to say. Based on their spelling I would swear they're fifth graders. They aren't borderline illiterate. We're over the border. I do know that when I took this job they asked me could I teach illiterate students and those ones were head and shoulders over this. They literally frighten me to let them loose in a hospital.

I saw my doctor. I love her. So. Much. She listens to me. Anything I want I get. She thinks my cardiologist needs to be doing more than writing pills but agreed with me that the echo looked good (i fucking forgot to bring my lab reports with me). She is as worried as me because I've gained 20 pounds in 9 months. This is in spite of me actively cutting down on calories and exercising more. I'm worried. I'm concerned. Why in the last nine months is my blood pressure skyrocketing along with my weight? She thinks the insulin I think it's that plus the stress. I have no other explanations but it has made me very sad.

The doc said 'the nurse said you're having knee pain which on....oh never mind.' Yeah because the right one was such a balloon of swelling you could see the difference thru my jeans.

Speaking of sad I hope to hell my poker face was working today. One of my students, a nice young person I've had two semesters now. They wanted my advice because they have two pick between two surgeries...for pancreatic cancer. They're worried about falling behind in their course work and the big life changes they have planned for the summer and as I'm helping them navigate medical holds on the classes thinking you'll be lucky to be alive on graduation day next year. It has a terrible survival rate and I know this. I couldn't help them other than to arrange for them to talk to my work friend DM who is a 5 year pancreatic cancer survivor(the one I mentioned on monday whose cancer is back and spreading)

I don't like this day much.

And during the test I was rereading a chapter trying to find the steam for the one I'm writing and whining about. And realized I had FORGOTTEN a major detail. It would make things much more interesting even without me changing anything. Ezio is swearing Phoenix didn't have a lover but I forgot the coroner found out she's pregnant. It's gonna hit Ezio hard.

What I Just Finished Reading:

Stay for a Spell - cozy fantasy, loved this

The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek - ouch

What I am Currently Reading:

Deadly Fates

What Feasts in the Night

Keeper of Lonely spirits (or something like that)

Hazelthorn - ya horror, really good so far

What I Plan to Read Next: Hooked on Murder - lousy so far

The Death Card (an arc I just got in the mail)

luthien

Hey, look - there's more! (One WIP down; three to go.)

The Moment We Knew (4049 words) by Luthien
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Heated Rivalry (TV), Game Changers Series - Rachel Reid
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Shane Hollander/Ilya Rozanov
Characters: Shane Hollander, Ilya Rozanov
Additional Tags: Interviews, Post-Book 6: The Long Game (Game Changers), Transcript Format, Shane Hollander Loves Ilya Rozanov, Ilya Rozanov Loves Shane Hollander, Minor Original Character(s)
Summary: Hi Yuna,
Please find attached the edited transcript of the interview I conducted with Shane and Ilya yesterday as part of our The Moment We Knew series.
I am, of course, more than happy to address any questions, changes or clarifications that they (or you!) may wish to raise with me before I start work on the article that will appear on our website.
Everything remains subject to the terms of the NDA until final clearance is provided in writing, as per our formal agreement.
Regards

Hayley Rhodes
Lifestyle Editor
Guardian News, North America

A year into their marriage, Shane and Ilya do an interview looking back on their relationship.

http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=5809

Current Mood: busy

Skills That Survived Every Economic Collapse in History

Every economic collapse in recorded history — from Weimar Germany to Argentina's default to Venezuela's currency crisis — followed the same brutal pattern: institutions failed, credentials evaporated, and the most "educated" people were often the first to starve. Doctors drove taxis. Engineers washed cars. PhDs traded cigarettes for potatoes.

So which skills actually survived? Not the ones you'd expect.

This video is an economic autopsy of seven major collapses across a century of data — drawing on NBER labor forensics, Bureau of Labor Statistics projections, World Bank research, and the real stories of Argentine mechanics, Cuban physicians, Russian dacha farmers, and Lebanese currency brokers — to identify the four structural categories of skills that have demonstrated resilience in every single collapse environment ever studied.

So let's take a look at what these are and how to use them...

( Read more... )

enchanted_jae posting in

drabble_zone

( You're about to view content that a community administrator has advised should be viewed with discretion. )

questionable_content_feed

Two coffee makers AND a trap door

http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=5809

melagan posting in

sga_saturday

First Touch - A soulmate AU (660 words) by melagan
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Rodney McKay/John Sheppard
Characters: Rodney McKay, John Sheppard
Additional Tags: Soulmates, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, First Meetings, POV First Person
Summary:

A rainy night, a 24-hour diner, and it's not until that first touch that Rodney McKay realizes he's found his soulmate.

sage

gnu MinoanMiss/Rubynye/Ny
The memorial was so lovely. I cried a lot. I miss her so much.

books
Overthrow: America's Century of Regime Change from Hawaii to Iraq by Stephen Kinzer. 2006. Imperialism is so gross.

The Brothers: John Foster Dulles, Allen Dulles & Their Secret World War by Stephen Kinzer. 2013. These guys were such jackasses. I only knew about their Latin American horrors, not the rest of it.

Right Ho, Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse. 1934. My Wodehouse is all over the place and I didn't keep track of what I read when, so I'm rereading. This was cute and fast-paced.

The Jeeves Omnibus Vol. 1 by P.G. Wodehouse.
Thank You, Jeeves: Really pissed off at Bertie's repeated "n-word minstrels", and the disaster blackface, augh, though Jeeves at least uses "negro." SIGH. I guess it was 1934, but GAH.
The Code of the Woosters: a bit tedious. Needed more Dahlia. 1937.
The Inimitable Jeeves: Needed more Jeeves and less gambling. 1923.

healthcrap
Had an allergy shot Monday and I need one more to get back on maintenance after falling behind.

taxes
I tried twice today to free-file my taxes, only to get to the end of the long long long process and have then say, no, this isn't free after all. So I paid a semi-random amount and got an extension. I think I got an extension. Did I get an extension? Now I need to double check. Gah.

#resist
May 1: No Kings 4

I hope you're all doing well! <333

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/pizzagate-epstein-files-claims/

Posted by Jordan Liles

Vice President JD Vance falsely suggested an email in the Epstein files mentioning pizza and grape soda might verify the long-debunked rumor.

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/pizzagate-epstein-files-claims/

starwatcher posting in

fandom_checkin

This is your check-in post for today. The poll will be open from midnight Universal or Zulu Time (8pm Eastern Time) on Wednesday April 15, to midnight on Thursday, April 16. (8pm Eastern Time).

Poll #34478 Daily Check-in

Open to: Access List, detailed results viewable to: Access List, participants: 23

How are you doing?

I am OK.
14 (63.6%)

I am not OK, but don't need help right now.
8 (36.4%)

I could use some help.
0 (0.0%)

How many other humans live with you?

I am living single.
10 (43.5%)

One other person.
10 (43.5%)

More than one other person.
3 (13.0%)

Please, talk about how things are going for you in the comments, ask for advice or help if you need it, or just discuss whatever you feel like.

sanguinity

What Is Write Every Day?
A roving writing support community, with a bias toward encouraging a daily writing habit. It's a decentralized community, without moderators or a fixed home; hosting duties are passed around among members of the community.

carenejeans hosted the first half of April; I'm hosting the second half, starting on the sixteenth. (By my time-zone: tomorrow.)

zwei_hexen keeps a list of who volunteered to host when.. No one is yet scheduled for May -- it could be you!

( FAQ )

Housekeeping
As host, I'll be publishing daily check-in posts, distributing encouragement in the comments, and keeping a tally of who checked in what day. I'm in Pacific Daylight Time (UTC -7), and plan to post the daily check-in during my evening. (About when this post went up.) I know my proposed posting time is very late for many people, so don't feel you have to wait for the new day's post -- just check in on the most recent post whenever is convenient for you. Whatever post you use, please include what day you're checking in for, so I can keep the tally straight.

I'll also be using a consistent tag for these check-in posts ("write every day") so feel free to block or follow that, depending on your interest.

If you have any questions, or wish to check-in ahead of tomorrow's post, the comments are open! Welcome!

Current Mood: busy

Queer Artists and Artworks We Love for World Art Day

Happy World Art Day! Our rec lists tend to be a bit book-centric, so we thought this’d be a great chance to share some artists and artworks we love.

Submit a link to be included in the newsletter!

Current Mood: frustrated

March heat in the U.S. was the largest temperature anomaly ever recorded

Heat usually doesn’t define March, a month that still carries a hint of winter’s last breath. This year, it felt more like a preview of late spring, and sometimes even early summer.

Across the United States, temperatures didn’t just creep up. They jumped far beyond what anyone would expect for that time of year.

The numbers tell a blunt story. The average temperature for March hit 50.85 degrees Fahrenheit. That is 9.35 degrees higher than the 20th-century average.

It is not just a record for March. It is the largest jump above normal for any month ever recorded in the Lower 48 states.

Daytime highs pushed even further, running 11.4 degrees above average, nearly matching what people usually feel in April.

Ya THINK? It hit 89 fucking degrees here in central Illinois. REPEATEDLY. We're also in drought conditions. I've had to water things already planted so they don't die, in what should be the wettest time of year. >_< I really don't want this to be another year of eight months watering.

veronyxk84 posting in

su_herald

WILLOW: So scabby demon got away?
BUFFY: Scabby demon number two got away. Scabby demon number one, big check in the slay column.
WILLOW: I don't like this whole no mouth thing. It's disquieting.
BUFFY: Well, no mouth means no teeth. Unless they have them somewhere else...

~~BtVS 3x18 “Earshot”~~

The Sunnydale Herald is looking for at least one new editor. Contributing to the Herald is a great way to get your Buffy on! Find out more here.

[Drabbles & Short Fiction]

Silent Night (Buffy, PG) by badly_knitted

[COLLECTION] Rare Kink Buffet 2026: A Prompt Fest | 2 works for AtS (various ships, E) by unrevealed creators
[COLLECTION] Rare Kink Buffet 2026: A Prompt Fest | 4 works for BtVS (various ships and ratings) by unrevealed creators
A Watcher doesn't panic. (Giles, Jenny, Buffy, T) by NorbertoMcFlirto
Old News, But a Revelation All the Same (Angel/Spike, G) by xaeyrnofnbe
A coke with a cutie (Buffy, Dawn, G) by Gohstface
Reminiscense (Drusilla/Buffy, E) by Severina_Blue
Drabbles 30 – Tilted Mirror (Buffy, Willow, Giles, Xander, G) by Aadler
One last goodbye (Drusilla/Buffy, G) by Severina_Blue
this certainly won't bite him in the ass (Angel/Spike, G) by Chaotic_Wag
It was Tuesday. (Buffy/Spike, T) by Pomegranate_oolong
Good Girl (Angel/Fred Burkle/Spike, E) by Kittenwritings

[Chaptered Fiction]

Moments, Chapter 6/? (Buffy/Giles, M) by KatyAmberAuthor
First Light, Chapter 2/? (Giles/Jenny, Giles/Ethan, M) by jannacore
A Stake In The Family, Chapter 17/? (Buffy/Spike, M) by voidslayerworks98
Infinitely, Chapter 97/? (Willow/Tara, M) by Laragh
The Seal of Solomon, Chapter 4/? (Buffy/Giles, E) by Cosmic__Cowgirl
He used to be Mine, Chapter 15/15 (Buffy/Spike, not rated) by DeamonQueen
Summers and Winters, Chapter 1/? (Buffy/Spike, HP xover, G) by PensivePensieve
Always and Forever, Chapter 16/? (Willow/Tara, M) by storiwr

A Bloody Tricky Tale, Chapter 2 (Buffy/Spike, PG-13) by Willow25
And no net ensnares me, Chapter 7 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Sirabella
Restructuring Reality [Series Part 3], Chapter 21 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Ragini
the adventures of Ciri and Boots, Chapter 5 (Buffy/Spike, G) by flootzavut

A Very Dangerous Game, Chapters 20-21 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Maxine Eden
Everyone And their Mother, Chapters 3-4 (Buffy/Spike, R) by Tikiriaaa
And no net ensnares me, Chapter 7 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Sirabella
the adventures of Ciri and Boots, Chapter 5 (Buffy/Spike, G) by flootzavut

[Images, Audio & Video]

Artwork: DO YOU THINK THEY’LL LET YOU? (Spike, mildly suggestive) by rabbitmotifs
Crafts: An old repurposed paint box with some plastic creatures because I was reminded recently this bag of Buffy’s exists (worksafe) by thegothicalice
Gifset: Spike’s Tracking Chip Removal | 4x13 The I in Team (Spike, Scoobies, worksafe) by victorfreakenste1n
Pixel Art: [Spike as a pony] (worksafe) by derpidydooo
Pixel Art: Willow! A classic look from Willow in a pair of overalls and a very rustic red sweater (worksafe) by dglsmcmffnpnts
Artwork: art of Drusilla incredibly focused on Kendra’s scar (worksafe) by sideartblog999

[Reviews & Recaps]

5.01 Buffy vs Dracula | 5.02 Real Me by boatshoesbreadsticksandbastards
Btvs s5-7 rewatch liveblog!! 5.03 The Replacement by boatshoesbreadsticksandbastards
Btvs s5-7 rewatch liveblog!! 5.04 Out of My Mind by boatshoesbreadsticksandbastards

Buffy the Vampire Slayer S3E18 "Earshot" Recap & Review (Major Slayage) by Major Slayage - A Buffy Rewatch Podcast

Old School Bangel Comic by CandidateHefty329

[In Search Of]

ISO: does anyone know what shirt [Buffy] is wearing in the musical episode? requested by Zestyclose_Ice_5279

[Fandom Discussions]

Angel for the character ask game? by lycanpunk666
Kinda sad when you think about Buffy and Giles’s relationship pre s6 and post by lxvespxffy
Anya for the ask game by lycanpunk666
your character ask game: Cordelia (Chase, ofc) by evanescence-ep
Willow? [Ask game] by evanescence-ep
Ask game: Dawn or Anya!! by evanescence-ep
Tara for the ask game by n1-adora-fan
Willow for the character ask game? by rebornautumn
ok actually cordelia is such a badass from day 1 by thread-bare-theoretician
I feel like Maggie Walsh would’ve been a way cooler and effective villain than Adam by beatriceoverwall
For the character asks… Cordelia Chase! by lycanpunk666
rewatching buffy & enjoying the fact that the first guy buffy dates in the show is in fact not angel but owen by july-19th-club
spike phrased everything weird as hell during his soul retrieving quest by deathlesshate
Giles should have had a past as an alchemist rather than as a wizard by victorfreakenste1n
BUFFY!! [Ask game] by evanescence-ep

Faith having the best storylines on Angel by IntelligentPumpkin74
When to watch Angel? by pythonisssam
A New Buffy Comic is Coming by AndrewHeard
Angel is Coming to Tubi (Next Month) by Remarkable-Law-5902

[Articles, Interviews, and Other News]

CONVENTION: James Marsters to Attend Paris Manga 3-4 October 2026 by dontkillspike

Current Mood: busy

Today is cloudy and mild. It has been spitting a few drops of water now and then, but the promised storms have not arrived. :/

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

I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 4/15/26 -- While we were out at Whiteside Garden, I picked up a generous clump of wild ginger. :D I also saw a red-headed woodpecker.

We stopped at Home Depot and bought 12 concrete blocks, the kind with two holes, and water sealer. I'm going to make a planting bench with the solid-top pallet that we obtained earlier.

EDIT 4/15/26 -- I planted the clump of wild ginger at the east end of the savanna where moss is growing. I'm going to try establishing a woodland garden there.

EDIT 4/15/26 -- I did some work around the patio.

EDIT 4/15/26 -- I planted the mountain mint in the wildflower garden. This looks similar to the mystery wild mint that I had before, which is among the most popular pollinator plants. If so, that boosts genetic diversity.

EDIT 4/15/26 -- I did more work around the patio.

EDIT 4/15/26 -- I did more work around the patio.

I hauled 6 of the 12 concrete blocks out of the car. For some reason the guy putting them on the flatbed trolley gave me two different kinds; some have flat ends and some have ridges sticking out, and these aren't the kind of blocks meant to interlock.

I am done for the night.

prisca posting in

fic_promptly

( You're about to view content that a community administrator has advised should be viewed with discretion. )

loganberrybunny

Current Mood: thirsty

Public

...as I've just seen someone point out elsewhere, is this. A whole bunch of candidates get elected on national issues and/or their own pet subjects. So you end up with a bunch of people whose main interest is Gaza (some indies and Greens) or leaving the ECHR (some Tories and Reform) suddenly having to devote most of their actual time not to those issues, but to somehow trying to find money from the council budget for the ever-increasing cost of adult social care. And surprise surprise, they're not always very good at it. As in other areas of democracy, you can't simply govern as you oppose and still make it work.

pauraque

As a kid I never played any of The Learning Company's dozens of Reader Rabbit games, so today we'll be correcting this surprising gap in my edutainment knowledge.

zorealis suggested the first game in the series, 1984's Reader Rabbit, aka Reader Rabbit and the Fabulous Word Factory. The alternate title sounds suspiciously Oompa-Loompaish to me, so fingers crossed that we will not meet with any gruesome poetic justice.

The game's menu offers nine options: Sorter, Labeler, Word Train, and six different Matchup Games. In Sorter you get a series of words, and you have to decide whether each one matches a given letter in either the first, second, or third position. If it matches, you move it over to the side, but if it doesn't you throw it in the garbage. (This obviously predates the 1990s eco-tainment craze, or else we'd be recycling.)

player chooses to save the word cod or throw it away

player chooses to save the word cod or throw it away

( More on Reader Rabbit )

Reader Rabbit was wildly popular and led to a slew of sequels and spinoffs. I had never heard of 1986's Writer Rabbit until

delphi brought it to my attention. Now, I'm not saying that playing this game will make you as good of a writer as

delphi is... but I'm not not saying that.

While Reader Rabbit offers a solid but fairly staid selection of spelling exercises, Writer Rabbit is far more wacky. After punching out from a week of back-breaking labor at the Word Factory, it's time to attend Writer Rabbit's Sentence Party and cut loose with a mix of games mashing up sentence diagramming and Mad Libs. In the Ice Cream Game, you are given a phrase and have to identify it as either WHO, WHAT, DID WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, WHY, or HOW.

game asks what part of a sentence the phrase 'with style' is

game asks what part of a sentence the phrase 'with style' is

( More on Writer Rabbit )

You can play Reader Rabbit and Writer Rabbit on the Internet Archive, for the finest in lapine-themed edutainment. Did anyone else play a game from this series? There are a million of them!

https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_posts/26530612-mention-at-the-museum

Core rules and supplements for the Liberi Gothica Games tabletop fantasy roleplaying game of heroism against world-shattering odds, Fellowship.

Bundle of Holding: Fellowship (from 2020)

rionaleonhart

Thank you to

wolfy_writing for inspiring the concept of Robert trying to help Chris accept his sexuality! I had a great time writing this.

Title: Breaking the Closet
Fandom: The Goes Wrong Show
Rating: G
Pairing: Robert/Chris
Wordcount: 2,200
Summary: “Left to his own devices,” Robert says, “Chris will simply continue to repress his homosexuality. We have a duty to help.”

( Breaking the Closet )

kat_lair

***

Title: Reopened
Author:

kat_lair
Fandom: The X-Files (incl Reboot!)
Characters: uhhh The X-Files?
Tags: Drabble, Metafiction
Rating: G
Word count: 100

Summary: Files are meant to be opened.

Author notes: Spring defiance from under the crushing forces of capitalism = a drabble a day in April. This one for

wendelah1 who wanted something for The X-Files reboot pilot that hasn't even started filming yet and therefore doesn't even have a proper series title for a fandom tag :D I'm not entirely sure this counts as metafiction but the tag was like closest to... Whatever this is :D

Reopened on AO3

( Reopened )

***

rachelmanija

Danny is a 15-year-old closeted trans girl in a world where superheroes are real. She's across town from her home and her transphobic abusive father, hiding in an alley and painting her toenails with polish bought in a shop as far from her home as she can manage, when America's strongest superhero, Dreadnought, gets in a fight with a supervillain, crashes at her feet, and passes on his powers to her, since she's the only one there to receive them, before dying.

His powers automatically reshape her body into her mental ideal. So now she's physically a very pretty, very strong girl with superpowers... who now has to explain this to her abusive transphobic parents, everyone at her school, and the local superheroes, one of whom is a TERF. Not to mention that the supervillain who killed Dreadnought is still out there...

This is basically exactly what it sounds like: a superhero origin story for persecuted trans teenagers. It's very earnest and has absolutely no subtext. My favorite parts were the bits where Danny gets her gender affirmed by new friends and a sympathetic superhero, which are genuinely very sweet, and when Danny finally proclaims herself the new Dreadnought, which is a great stand up and cheer moment . But overall, I'm too old to be its ideal reader.

Content notes: A LOT of transphobia and transphobic slurs.

badly_knitted posting in

drabble_zone

Current Mood: tired
Current Location: my desk

Title: Silent Night
Fandom: BtVS
Author:

badly_knitted
Characters: Buffy.
Rating: PG
Written For: Challenge 497: Ghost Town.
Spoilers/Setting: Hush.
Summary: Sunnydale has never been this silent and eerie.
Disclaimer: I don’t own BtVS, or the characters.
A/N: Double drabble.

Silent Night

carenejeans

Write Every Day April 2026 - Day 15

This is my last day hosting for this month! Tomorrow, head over to sanguinity's place. See you there!

Quote of the Day:

"Steal from anywhere that resonates with inspiration or fuels your imagination. Devour old films, new films, music, books, paintings, photographs, poems, dreams, random conversations, architecture, bridges, street signs, trees, clouds, bodies of water, light and shadows. Select only things to steal from that speak directly to your soul. If you do this, your work (and theft) will be authentic."

— Jim Jarmusch, quoted in Austin Kleon's Steal Like an Artist.

My Check-In:

Alibi sentence! Because, er, I was lazy! ;-)

Tally
( Days 1-13 )

Day 14:

badly_knitted,

carenejeans,

china_shop,

cornerofmadness,

dswdiane,

sanguinity,

sylvanwitch,

the_siobhan,

trobadora

Day 15:

china_shop

Let me know if I missed you, or if you wrote but didn't check in yet. And remember, you can join in at any time!

sweettartheart posting in

100words

Sorry about the delayed posting the last couple of weeks. I hope to be back on track now. I appreciate your participation!

sweettartheart posting in

100words

Every tenth week on

100words is Amnesty Week, when all previous prompts are fair game. Did you miss a prompt the first time around? Write it now! Want to write a prompt again? Please do!

Your response should be exactly 100 words long. You do not have to include the prompt in your response -- it is meant as inspiration only.

Please use the appropriate prompt tag with your response.

Please put your drabble under a cut tag if it contains potential triggers, mature or explicit content, or spoilers for media released in the last month.

If you would like a template for the header information you may use this:

Subject: Original - Title (or) Fandom - Title

Post:
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Here's the template as code for easier pasting:

If you are a member of AO3 there is a 100 Words Collection!

The prompts are:

489. Curse

488. Crown

487. Quest

486. Coincidence

485. Innocent

484. Lament

483. Gravity

482. Neutral

481. Roar

( Earlier prompts )

writerlibrarian

Health

I took a dive in the outside steps on Sunday. My right knee was scratched a whole lot. The shock was brutal. I'm better, yea! for chiropractor and Polysporin cream.

Teacher stuff

Last week of online class, I still have to write one text for next Monday. Then they have to do their last term paper due on the 30th. By May 10th it's done.

I really enjoyed the experience. If the opportunity is offered again I'll take it.

Work stuff

I might take a short term replacement job at my old library. One of the librarian is out on sick leave. I'm just the back up if she doesn't come back mid May and only part time (3 1/2 days) and only until June. That's a lot of only. We will see.

Reading

April is a slow month reading wise I'm still reading Katabasis by R. F. Kuang. I'm up to 21% and it's interesting. But I'm more into reading fic this month. It's Rough Trade first writing challenge of the year. The theme is Complications : competence/alternative universe. I love reading the stories as they are written. I have two this time I'm following : Bone Deep it's a Harry Potter Master of Death AU and (How to) Save a Life also Potter fandom but with a focus on Draco being the main character. Often I end up rereading some stores that were posted through the challenge and published months later. I am rereading Keira Marcos Fusion/AU Potter/Tolkien: The Arda Exodus. It is still very entertaining and a comfort read.

Watching

Pursuit of Jade is on pause because I'm not in a historical drama mood but I'll go back to it eventually. I am watching Sunsets Secrets Regrets a noir, crime, undercover, police drama. So far (10/28), it's keeping me watching. Rebirth was a no go, I watched the first three and nope.

Hockey

The battle of Pennsylvania Pittsburgh vs Philadelphia. Redux. Go Pens. Starts this week-end.

Crafting

My red fox in the forest is done.

lois_mcmaster_bujold_feed

Ran across this poll that mentions me this morning from the Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle...

https://www.mopop.org/sffhof-vote-2026

I'm trying to remember if I ever visited the place in one of its earlier incarnations during one of my many book tours/conventions that passed through Seattle; if so my memories are dim. Anyway, it's worth a visit if you are in their neighborhood.

Ta, L.

posted by Lois McMaster Bujold on April, 15

https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_posts/26530612-mention-at-the-museum

conuly

Just went to the store, spent over $90 for half a week's groceries just for me.

This is not sustainable, but it's not going to get better any time soon.

I could eat at work, but let's be clear, I don't much like the housekeeper's cooking, they rarely have in stock what I'd need to make my own food the way I like it (other than eggs), and also I have some weird food issues around... I don't really know. Eating other people's food? But not at a restaurant where it's okay? Maybe it's smelling the food? I honestly do not know, that's what makes these issues weird. (But even if I didn't, she boils the poor vegetables to death.)

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/obama-cash-iran/

Posted by Aleksandra Wrona

The Obama administration sent Iran $1.7 billion in 2016, but social media posts often omitted why.

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/obama-cash-iran/

cakewrecks_feed

Posted by Jen

https://www.cakewrecks.com/home/a-yelp-for-help-2026

Most chain bakeries have numbered order books, so you can just write down the code for the design you want.

For example, at this place, if you want a picture of a trophy you write down "SB1."

NAILED IT.

Beth S. didn't want any mix-ups, though, so to be EXTRA careful she wrote down the name of the design she wanted, not the number:

...which is how Beth ended up with this:

Doggone it.

Ok, you're thinking, but surely - SURELY - if you draw an actual diagram of the cake yourself, clearly labeled, this won't happen. Right?

Linsay K. agreed, so she carefully mapped out directions for drawing the Quebec flag on her friend's birthday cake:

She picked the color blue, then used a piece of paper to show the bakers just where to draw the four fleur-de-lis.

I think you'll agree, minions, that all of Linsay's hard work really paid off:

Eh?

Thanks to Veronica L. Beth S., & Linsay K. for giving me a new fleur-de-lis on life.

*****

P.S. I recently reviewed this book over on Epbot, and it's making big waves over there:

Organizing Solutions For People With ADHD

The title says it all, but this book is so much more, minions. Check out my review where I share my top 5 tips from the book; total game changers if you have ADHD or live with someone who does.

https://www.cakewrecks.com/home/a-yelp-for-help-2026

feurioo posting in

tv_talk

Watch on YouTube

College dropout and aspiring writer, Margo (Elle Fanning), is the daughter of an ex-Hooter’s waitress (Michelle Pfeiffer) and ex-pro wrestler (Nick Offerman). After an affair with her junior college English professor leaves her pregnant, Margo turns to OnlyFans to support herself. Reconnecting with her estranged father, who shares wisdom gleaned from his wrestling, Margo achieves remarkable success. This David E. Kelley series also stars Marcia Gay Harden, Greg Kinnear, Michael Angarano, Rico Nasty, and Lindsey Normington.

Now on Apple TV.

runpunkrun

The lyrics to 365 songs written by John "The Mountain Goats" Darnielle, including some that are unreleased, accompanied by musings on their poetics, musicality, and personal meaning. Darnielle is a thoughtful, funny, devout man who has lived a lot of different lives, and while he resists making this a memoir, it is, though you just as often see him decline to explain the personal significance of a song. I respect his honesty, and his self-reflection, and even his coyness. If he were a character in a book, I'd say he had interiority, which isn't something you can say about everyone who's written a memoir.

I really enjoyed this, even as it's basically just really, really thick liner notes. The book gave me a new appreciation for my favorite songs and even introduced me to some new ones. I bought "Horseradish Road" after reading the lyrics and listening to it on YouTube; I learned he had an album that came out in 2022 that I'd never heard of—probably because we had some other stuff going on at the time—and which I will be buying soon, and in the four months it took me to read this, I've been listening to the albums I already knew I enjoyed (Transcendental Youth, All Eternals Deck, We Shall All Be Healed) and those I never quite clicked with (Beat the Champ, Get Lonely). I did not listen to Goths, Jenny From Thebes, Dark in Here, Getting Into Knives, In League With Dragons, All Hail West Texas, or Ghana, but there's still time. And I don't need an excuse to listen to Tallahassee, The Sunset Tree, The Life of the World to Come, or Heretic Pride, as they are my absolute favorites and I'm listening to them all the time anyway. Also do not sleep on the Babylon Springs EP.

If you're a The Mountain Goats fan, or a fan of Darnielle's social media presence, and/or a poet, songwriter, or storyteller, there's plenty to think about here. Darnielle shares what he finds interesting as an artist, the phases and trends he's gone through in his career, and the echoes he finds in his work. He recommends reading one entry a day, thus the format, but I had to read several a day because this was a library book, and huge, but it definitely benefits from being read in small bites, like poetry, so you can sit with it a while.

Contains (in part): references to child abuse, drug use, addiction, overdose, suicide. The ebook duplicates the print book's index, but does not bother to link any of the song titles to their entries, which is bullshit.

( Status Updates from Goodreads )

Reaching the Moon is one thing; trying to settle and survive there is another matter...

Five Stories About What Happens After We Get to the Moon

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/melania-trump-kiss-epstein/

Posted by Jordan Liles

The U.S. first lady addressed such fake images during an April 2026 statement, warning people to "be cautious about what you believe."

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/melania-trump-kiss-epstein/

linaewen posting in

writethisfanfic

Hello on Wednesday! Sorry for missing yesterday -- anyway, how are things going in the world of fic?

Did you write?

- Yes!
- No!
- Not yet!

If yes, what kind of writerly activity did you engage in? How do you feel about it?
If no, what were the obstacles/situations that affected your writerly pursuits? What will you do differently tomorrow to get more writing done?
If not yet, because the day hasn't gotten going yet, what kind of writing activity are you planning (or hoping) to accomplish?

adore

Current Mood: sore

Moontime began today morning, right as I woke up. Turns out napping is what works to relieve the cramps better than anything else. This is not good news for workplaces that don't want to give menstrual leave.

I've been reading Haroun and the Study of Mischief by Lynn Strong and it's the perfect moontime read. It's comforting and hilarious and all the characters are a delight. It's set in a fantasy world that feels close to home. My South Asian self rarely encounters such a thing. I don't often want to escape to a world that feels close to home, but here I do. So that's a novel feeling!

I bleed so heavy that I need to use pads most of the time and change around 8 times a day. I prefer period panties on my light days, but on my heavy days it has to be pads because washing a pile of period panties is exhausting. Four days of my period are heavy, so that's a lot of pads I run through. I was unhappy about the prices of organic pads and the hazardousness of the inorganic ones, but I recently found organic bamboo pads that are 400 rupees, or $4, for a pack of 40 pads 320mm long! I'm using them now and they're really nice. Comfortable, handle my flow, don't make me sweat. And they're unbleached!

It seems that there's a factory churning them out cheap and supplying it to brands (white labelling) because when I search for organic bamboo pads, they all have the same wrapper but are being sold as different brands. There are some being sold as a generic lot with no box or brand, and with the same wrapper, like this lot. I just thought that was interesting, lol. I'm going to stick to the brand I bought because they come with additional individual disposal bags that you can reseal.