Photos: Tuscola Winter Window Walk Part 1
Dec. 9th, 2025 01:41 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysabetwordsmith in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
flaneursMonday we visited Tuscola so I could take pictures of the holiday window paintings. These were done by Libby Neathery of Libby Jo Art Studio and there are 22 in this year's batch. I did not find quite all of them but I came close. Despite changing the camera batteries right before we left home, I barely got through the two sides of the block with Flesor's Candy Kitchen before the batteries died, so we had to stop and get new ones. I did manage to finish photographing the rest of the windows we found. I love seeing local artists do things like this, because it encourages people to get out and look for them. A little slice of Terramagne! (Continue with Part 2.)
( Walk with me ... )
( Walk with me ... )
Health and stuff
Dec. 8th, 2025 10:46 amflaviomataniIt's been a rather strange week.
Winter finally coming, what gets to me is not the cold (and it hasn't been _that_ cold) but the darkness, the short days, it becoming pitch black night in the middle of the afternoon.
And then there's been the health issues. Or rather, the not knowing what's going on.
A few months ago I started having back pain. I also noticed that I had tingly feet and my ankles were a bit swollen. This can be caused by various alarming things so went to the doctors. They said it could be one of various alarming things and sent me for an ultra-sound scan, which was inconclusive. Then to a CT scan, a PET scan and finally an MRI scan, the results of which were never released to me or to the GP. I insisted and they sent me to UCLH for further checks - blood and urine tests, then a cardio echosonogram, then a full body MRI. Appointment to discuss whatever comes out of those, next week. On a day, of course, I had told them I would not be available so I had to scramble to sort that out.
The worst bit, thus far, is not knowing what's going on. But then, thus far, neither do they know what it is, so just a matter of patience. Wait and see.
Winter finally coming, what gets to me is not the cold (and it hasn't been _that_ cold) but the darkness, the short days, it becoming pitch black night in the middle of the afternoon.
And then there's been the health issues. Or rather, the not knowing what's going on.
A few months ago I started having back pain. I also noticed that I had tingly feet and my ankles were a bit swollen. This can be caused by various alarming things so went to the doctors. They said it could be one of various alarming things and sent me for an ultra-sound scan, which was inconclusive. Then to a CT scan, a PET scan and finally an MRI scan, the results of which were never released to me or to the GP. I insisted and they sent me to UCLH for further checks - blood and urine tests, then a cardio echosonogram, then a full body MRI. Appointment to discuss whatever comes out of those, next week. On a day, of course, I had told them I would not be available so I had to scramble to sort that out.
The worst bit, thus far, is not knowing what's going on. But then, thus far, neither do they know what it is, so just a matter of patience. Wait and see.
Podcast Friday - Fuck Israel
Dec. 5th, 2025 04:01 amfrandroidThe best thing you can do in your life to not lose sight of the genocide happening in Palestine is to listen to The Electronic Intifada's weekly live show on their podcast. It's a beast of a news show (frequently clocks in at 2 hours) but thankfully it's split in known segments, and you can decide to skip certain parts. Usually it goes like this:
1) News round-up (if you listen to nothing else, listen to that one; ends up on some good news to recover up a bit from the current horrors)
2) Interview with someone in Gaza, usually an Electronic Intifada writer or a friend of the show, or
3) Interview with a relevant guest, people like Francesca Albanese (the UN Special Rapporteur on Palestine), Dyad Abu Jahjah from the Hind Rajab Foundation, etc
4) Combat report by Jon Elmer
5) Sometimes something from the UK by Asa Winstanley
5) Group discussion
I want to bring your attention to the last episode of November, which was Day 776: Gaza Betrayed.
Podcast link
YouTube link
Two particular topics were discussed on this episode:
- The report on Palestinian prisoners' treatment at the hands of Israel. We're talking about multiple beatings, brutality, sexual assaults, gang sexual assaults, leading to injury and sometimes death. Just utter barbarity from "the only democracy in the middle east".
- The proposal agreed to at the UNSC to hand over Gaza to an American-controlled council. This is an absolutely betrayal of the the sovereign rights of Palestinians, endorsed by the UN, the same organization that originally endorsed the colonization of Palestine in 1948. But this is worst because it's also bringing in the United States, the co-author of the current genocide, as an active participant in controlling the territory. Craig Mokhiber, who used to work at the UN, explains why the deal and why it's so bad.
So I recommend listening to this particular episode, to understand how things are, and how things are becoming. As for listening on the regular, you can see the weekly livestreams on YouTube here, or you can listen on your favourite podcast app.
1) News round-up (if you listen to nothing else, listen to that one; ends up on some good news to recover up a bit from the current horrors)
2) Interview with someone in Gaza, usually an Electronic Intifada writer or a friend of the show, or
3) Interview with a relevant guest, people like Francesca Albanese (the UN Special Rapporteur on Palestine), Dyad Abu Jahjah from the Hind Rajab Foundation, etc
4) Combat report by Jon Elmer
5) Sometimes something from the UK by Asa Winstanley
5) Group discussion
I want to bring your attention to the last episode of November, which was Day 776: Gaza Betrayed.
Podcast link
YouTube link
Two particular topics were discussed on this episode:
- The report on Palestinian prisoners' treatment at the hands of Israel. We're talking about multiple beatings, brutality, sexual assaults, gang sexual assaults, leading to injury and sometimes death. Just utter barbarity from "the only democracy in the middle east".
- The proposal agreed to at the UNSC to hand over Gaza to an American-controlled council. This is an absolutely betrayal of the the sovereign rights of Palestinians, endorsed by the UN, the same organization that originally endorsed the colonization of Palestine in 1948. But this is worst because it's also bringing in the United States, the co-author of the current genocide, as an active participant in controlling the territory. Craig Mokhiber, who used to work at the UN, explains why the deal and why it's so bad.
So I recommend listening to this particular episode, to understand how things are, and how things are becoming. As for listening on the regular, you can see the weekly livestreams on YouTube here, or you can listen on your favourite podcast app.
Look! I remembered to post before December started this year!
Nov. 30th, 2025 02:42 am![[staff profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user_staff.png){kind=small}
denise in ![[site community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/comm_staff.png){kind=small}
dw_newsHello, friends! It's about to be December again, and you know what that means: the fact I am posting this actually before December 1 means karzilla reminded me about the existence of linear time again. Wait, no -- well, yes, but also -- okay, look, let me back up and start again: it's almost December, and that means it's time for our annual December holiday points bonus.
The standard explanation: For the entire month of December, all orders made in the Shop of points and paid time, either for you or as a gift for a friend, will have 10% of your completed cart total sent to you in points when you finish the transaction. For instance, if you buy an order of 12 months of paid time for $35 (350 points), you'll get 35 points when the order is complete, to use on a future purchase.
( The fine print and much more behind this cut! )
Thank you, in short, for being the best possible users any social media site could possibly ever hope for. I'm probably in danger of crossing the Sappiness Line if I haven't already, but you all make everything worth it.
On behalf of Mark, Jen, Robby, and our team of awesome volunteers, and to each and every one of you, whether you've been with us on this wild ride since the beginning or just signed up last week, I'm wishing you all a very happy set of end-of-year holidays, whichever ones you celebrate, and hoping for all of you that your 2026 is full of kindness, determination, empathy, and a hell of a lot more luck than we've all had lately. Let's go.
karzilla reminded me about the existence of linear time again. Wait, no -- well, yes, but also -- okay, look, let me back up and start again: it's almost December, and that means it's time for our annual December holiday points bonus.The standard explanation: For the entire month of December, all orders made in the Shop of points and paid time, either for you or as a gift for a friend, will have 10% of your completed cart total sent to you in points when you finish the transaction. For instance, if you buy an order of 12 months of paid time for $35 (350 points), you'll get 35 points when the order is complete, to use on a future purchase.
( The fine print and much more behind this cut! )
Thank you, in short, for being the best possible users any social media site could possibly ever hope for. I'm probably in danger of crossing the Sappiness Line if I haven't already, but you all make everything worth it.
On behalf of Mark, Jen, Robby, and our team of awesome volunteers, and to each and every one of you, whether you've been with us on this wild ride since the beginning or just signed up last week, I'm wishing you all a very happy set of end-of-year holidays, whichever ones you celebrate, and hoping for all of you that your 2026 is full of kindness, determination, empathy, and a hell of a lot more luck than we've all had lately. Let's go.