Lake Lewisia #1295
25/8/25 17:00![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
scrubjayspeaksReports have come in of a vast feast laid out in the forest, with rough-hewn tables groaning under a multitude of covered dishes from which enticing smells emanate. As a general rule of thumb, we advise people against partaking of mystery meals until the host and/or cook can be located and permission obtained, to avoid causing offense, poisoning, or lifelong debts. All the same, no one will usually blame you for hanging around in the surrounding areas on the off chance that there are empty seats or leftovers looking for takers once the feast is underway.
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LL#1295
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LL#1295
Monday Update 8-25-25
25/8/25 14:36ysabetwordsmithThese are some posts from the later part of last week in case you missed them:
Today's Smoothie
Stir-Fry
Food
Early Humans
Birdfeeding
Today's Adventures
Birdfeeding
Email Aliases
Philosophical Questions: Money
Heat
Early Humans
Books
Music
Birdfeeding
Follow Friday 8-22-25: Active Communities on Dreamwidth Summer 2025 A-I
Today's Adventures
Birdfeeding
Affordable Housing
Birdfeeding
Read "The Bottle Wall" by Smokingboot
Cuddle Party
Affordable Housing has 39 comments. Robotics has 47 comments. Food has 34 comments. "Philosophical Questions: Looks" has 50 comments.
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
summerofthe69 is open! You can see the calendar here and the current themes are Tropefest 69 and a double theme of Fighting or Fucking AND Monsterfucker.
There are no open epics at present.
The weather is much cooler here. :D Seen at the birdfeeders this week: a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches, a male cardinal, and a hummingbird. Currently blooming: dandelions, pansies, violas, marigolds, petunias, red salvia, verbena, lantana, sweet alyssum, zinnias, snapdragons, blue lobelia, perennial pinks, oxalis, moss rose, yarrow, anise hyssop, firecracker plant, tomatoes, tomatillos, Asiatic lilies, cucumber, yellow squash, zucchini, morning glory, purple echinacea, black-eyed Susan, yellow coneflower, chicory, Queen Anne's lace, sunflowers, cup plant, gladioli, firewheel, orange butterfly weed, cypress vine. Tomatillo and pepper have green fruit. Tomatoes, ball carrots, and groundcherries are ripe.
Today's Smoothie
Stir-Fry
Food
Early Humans
Birdfeeding
Today's Adventures
Birdfeeding
Email Aliases
Philosophical Questions: Money
Heat
Early Humans
Books
Music
Birdfeeding
Follow Friday 8-22-25: Active Communities on Dreamwidth Summer 2025 A-I
Today's Adventures
Birdfeeding
Affordable Housing
Birdfeeding
Read "The Bottle Wall" by Smokingboot
Cuddle Party
Affordable Housing has 39 comments. Robotics has 47 comments. Food has 34 comments. "Philosophical Questions: Looks" has 50 comments.
summerofthe69 is open! You can see the calendar here and the current themes are Tropefest 69 and a double theme of Fighting or Fucking AND Monsterfucker.There are no open epics at present.
The weather is much cooler here. :D Seen at the birdfeeders this week: a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches, a male cardinal, and a hummingbird. Currently blooming: dandelions, pansies, violas, marigolds, petunias, red salvia, verbena, lantana, sweet alyssum, zinnias, snapdragons, blue lobelia, perennial pinks, oxalis, moss rose, yarrow, anise hyssop, firecracker plant, tomatoes, tomatillos, Asiatic lilies, cucumber, yellow squash, zucchini, morning glory, purple echinacea, black-eyed Susan, yellow coneflower, chicory, Queen Anne's lace, sunflowers, cup plant, gladioli, firewheel, orange butterfly weed, cypress vine. Tomatillo and pepper have green fruit. Tomatoes, ball carrots, and groundcherries are ripe.
Birdfeeding
25/8/25 14:15ysabetwordsmithToday is cloudy and warm.
I fed the birds. I've seen a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches.
EDIT 8/25/25 -- We did some work along the south side of the house.
EDIT 8/25/25 -- I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 8/25/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
EDIT 8/25/25 -- I did more work around the patio.
EDIT 8/25/25 -- I watered the new picnic table and the septic garden.
I picked 4 red cherry tomatoes.
EDIT 8/25/25 -- I watered the old picnic table and the house yard plants.
EDIT 8/25/25 -- We did more work along the south side of the house.
I watered the telephone pole garden and a few of the savanna seedlings.
Cicadas and crickets are singing. The first sliver of moon is visible.
As it is getting dark, I am done for the night.
I fed the birds. I've seen a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches.
EDIT 8/25/25 -- We did some work along the south side of the house.
EDIT 8/25/25 -- I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 8/25/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
EDIT 8/25/25 -- I did more work around the patio.
EDIT 8/25/25 -- I watered the new picnic table and the septic garden.
I picked 4 red cherry tomatoes.
EDIT 8/25/25 -- I watered the old picnic table and the house yard plants.
EDIT 8/25/25 -- We did more work along the south side of the house.
I watered the telephone pole garden and a few of the savanna seedlings.
Cicadas and crickets are singing. The first sliver of moon is visible.
As it is getting dark, I am done for the night.
Feathering the Nest
25/8/25 13:09ysabetwordsmithdialecticdreamer is hosting Feathering the Nest today, which always has a theme of fluff an comfort. Leave prompts, get ficlets! Welcome to the second prompt call for the month of August (2025)! This event focuses on gentle fiction, fluff and comfort, rather than plot. (Though… plots tend to sneak in, like kids going to a Saturday morning movie when I was a kid.)
A prompt call is an invitation from the writer to the readers: help me craft the story that you, individually as well as collectively want to read. Participating is easy, just by replying to this post with a comment that suggests a story idea. Be as specific as you like, or just “Hey, comfort and cuddles between a usually standoffish person and someone they trust would be nice, today.”
[---8<---]
If anyone is interested in sponsoring a story, first, thank you. Second, there is no pressure to sponsor the story that you have requested, so that the suggested $20 for a thousand word story becomes even more of a bargain if the prompter chooses to sponsor something that looks interesting from among the list of unpublished stories. The suggested two cents per word makes the math easy, as does the rounded down word counts (I round down to the nearest hundred words.), because this is supposed to be fun for everyone, even the bank balance.
solarbirdGreater Northshore Bike Connector Map 2.0.2 – 4 August 2025 – is now available on github, as is MEGAMAP 2.0.2.
Mostly small updates again this time, but there’s one big one – the Redmond Central Connector final segment connecting to the East Rail Trail at NE 124th is already open! Ribbon cutting isn’t ’til September 12th, and I imagined it’d open early but I didn’t expect it to be this early.
- ADDED: Redmond Central Connector extension up to Eastrail at NE 124th is open earlier than expected! (Both maps)
- ADDED: Warning flag: the Pier 91 section of Elliot Bay Trail will close from 2 September to 2 October for repaving and rebuilding, including getting replacing that weird steep over-rail bridge. There WILL be a posted detour, but it’s kinda long and involves Magnolia Bridge, so I’m flagging it. (MEGAMAP only)
- ADDED: A block-long half-dirt connector between Ashworth and Densmore continuing N 157th for pedestrians and bicyclists willing to deal with a dirt path (both maps)
- ADDED: Extension of a Shoreline Trail Along the Rail fragment south of NE 185th all the way down to NE 180th; at previous check, it didn’t quite connect, and now it does (both maps)
- CORRECTION: 10th Ave NE from 155th to 185th was listed as UNMARKED BUT POPULAR, but has sharrow markings, so will be re-marked as SHARROWS (both maps)
All permalinks continue to work.
If you enjoy these maps and feel like throwing some change at the tip jar, here’s my patreon. Patreon supports get things like pre-sliced printables of the Greater Northshore, and also the completely-uncompressed MEGAMAP, not that the .jpg has much compression in it because honestly it doesn’t.
Enjoy biking!
Posted via Solarbird{y|z|yz}, Collected.
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Feathering the Nest for August of 2025
25/8/25 07:23dialecticdreamerWelcome to the second prompt call for the month of August (2025)! This event focuses on gentle fiction, fluff and comfort, rather than plot. (Though… plots tend to sneak in, like kids going to a Saturday morning movie when I was a kid.)
( Read more... )
( Read more... )
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Insults
25/8/25 02:34ysabetwordsmithHow to Piss Off Men: 109 Things to Say to Shatter the Male Ego by Kyle Prue (2024)
Praise Goddess and pass the ammunition! :D
Praise Goddess and pass the ammunition! :D
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Today's Smoothie
24/8/25 23:42ysabetwordsmithToday we made a smoothie with:
1 cup Ziyad Guava Nectar
1 cup Brown Cow vanilla yogurt
1 banana
1/2 cup Great Value Mixed Fruit (pineapple, strawberry, peach, mango)
1/2 cup ice
The result is thick and pale pink colored with a sweet tropical flavor, and the guava adds a floral-musky quality. It's quite good. :D
1 cup Ziyad Guava Nectar
1 cup Brown Cow vanilla yogurt
1 banana
1/2 cup Great Value Mixed Fruit (pineapple, strawberry, peach, mango)
1/2 cup ice
The result is thick and pale pink colored with a sweet tropical flavor, and the guava adds a floral-musky quality. It's quite good. :D
A couple of interesting things about BYD cars
24/8/25 20:37thewayneYou can't buy BYD cars here: the Biden administration slapped a 100% tariff on them to protect the Ketamine Kid's brand as they would literally destroy Tesla. They're available in Mexico, Europe, and selling like hotcakes in China where they're made.
BYD, Build Your Dream, started as an EV battery maker and became a car company. And they make amazing stuff. You can buy their entry level vehicle, the Seagull (they like aquatic names), for under $10,000 (converted currency, sans tariff).
Now here's where stuff gets interesting.
They have achieved L4 self-drive, and self-parking. Tesla doesn't have L4. And it's provided in the Seagull. And they have such confidence in it, that if your car dings itself or another car while self-parking, BYD will PAY FOR THE REPAIR!
The system is called God's Eye, it comes in three tiers. The basic level has - get this - 12 cameras, 5 millimeter-wave radars, and 12 ultrasonic sensors with 1-centimeter accuracy. The two higher tiers add one or three Lidar sensors.
The Tesla used to have Lidar, but Lidar sensors are expensive to buy and maintain, so they literally took them out of vehicles that it had been installed in and went camera-only. And they were cheap cameras.
My Subaru, a 2015 Crosstrek, has a system called Eyesight. It gives lane deviation warnings and has really cool adaptive cruise control. I can set the follow distance for three different lengths, speed-dependent, and it will maintain that distance quite well. If the vehicle in front of me slows down, my car slows down. If it speeds up, mine will speed up to the limit that the cruise control is set for. If another vehicle pulls in front of me, mine will slow down and re-establish that set distance that I configured.
It's REALLY cool.
But it doesn't self-park.
Tesla had self-park, once upon a time, and also had a recall feature where you could park your car in a lot, then go to dinner, walk back to the lot entrance, hit a button on your phone, and 'recall' your car and it would supposedly navigate the lot and come to you. I don't think they do that anymore after a lot of fender benders. Maybe they do, I'm not sure.
But these BYD cars? I expect they could do it.
https://www.fastcompany.com/91366273/byd-bests-tesla-again-cars-are-the-first-to-truly-park-themselves
https://tech.slashdot.org/story/25/07/11/1930239/byd-pledges-to-cover-damages-from-self-parking-car-crashes
BYD, like pretty much every car maker, has a high-end line called Yangwang. They make a hypercar called the U9.
It can jump over potholes.
I kid you not. It has a computer-controlled suspension that can read the road ahead and tell the car to leap over obstacles! This video has all sorts of awesome, including eluding a ninja ambush. Sorta.
If we move to Europe, I would seriously consider one of their cars.
BYD, Build Your Dream, started as an EV battery maker and became a car company. And they make amazing stuff. You can buy their entry level vehicle, the Seagull (they like aquatic names), for under $10,000 (converted currency, sans tariff).
Now here's where stuff gets interesting.
They have achieved L4 self-drive, and self-parking. Tesla doesn't have L4. And it's provided in the Seagull. And they have such confidence in it, that if your car dings itself or another car while self-parking, BYD will PAY FOR THE REPAIR!
The system is called God's Eye, it comes in three tiers. The basic level has - get this - 12 cameras, 5 millimeter-wave radars, and 12 ultrasonic sensors with 1-centimeter accuracy. The two higher tiers add one or three Lidar sensors.
The Tesla used to have Lidar, but Lidar sensors are expensive to buy and maintain, so they literally took them out of vehicles that it had been installed in and went camera-only. And they were cheap cameras.
My Subaru, a 2015 Crosstrek, has a system called Eyesight. It gives lane deviation warnings and has really cool adaptive cruise control. I can set the follow distance for three different lengths, speed-dependent, and it will maintain that distance quite well. If the vehicle in front of me slows down, my car slows down. If it speeds up, mine will speed up to the limit that the cruise control is set for. If another vehicle pulls in front of me, mine will slow down and re-establish that set distance that I configured.
It's REALLY cool.
But it doesn't self-park.
Tesla had self-park, once upon a time, and also had a recall feature where you could park your car in a lot, then go to dinner, walk back to the lot entrance, hit a button on your phone, and 'recall' your car and it would supposedly navigate the lot and come to you. I don't think they do that anymore after a lot of fender benders. Maybe they do, I'm not sure.
But these BYD cars? I expect they could do it.
https://www.fastcompany.com/91366273/byd-bests-tesla-again-cars-are-the-first-to-truly-park-themselves
https://tech.slashdot.org/story/25/07/11/1930239/byd-pledges-to-cover-damages-from-self-parking-car-crashes
BYD, like pretty much every car maker, has a high-end line called Yangwang. They make a hypercar called the U9.
It can jump over potholes.
I kid you not. It has a computer-controlled suspension that can read the road ahead and tell the car to leap over obstacles! This video has all sorts of awesome, including eluding a ninja ambush. Sorta.
If we move to Europe, I would seriously consider one of their cars.
Tags:
Stir-Fry
24/8/25 20:59ysabetwordsmithTonight we made stir-fry inspired by the leftover peppers and onions from yesterday's mint chicken. For the initial aromatics I used freeze-dried ginger, freeze-dried garlic, and a ball carrot cut into matchsticks. I also added a can of baby corn since the volume of vegetables wasn't all that large. For meat I added shrimp. The sauce was made from the juice of two lemon slices, some full-flavor olive oil, a dribble of Worcestershire sauce, and a little tapioca starch. It didn't need more seasoning because it had some of the mint spice coating mixed in with the vegetables. It turned out rather well.
Thoughtful Interlude (part 1 of 1, complete)
24/8/25 20:50dialecticdreamerThoughtful Interlude
By Dialecticdreamer/Sarah Williams
Part 1 of 1, complete
Word count (story only): 1661
[End of March 179-]
:: On the outermost fringes of Cluj-Napoca, Laszlo finds the orphanage. He wishes immediately that he had not. Part of the “Lost Son” story arc in the Frankenstein’s Family universe. ::
:: PAY SPECIAL ATTENTION: Bianka Almássy, the orphanage matron, insinuates some very dark things about (a) the way that she runs the orphanage and places the children, and (b) the kinds of people who return after the first placement. She’s being a nasty-minded psycho, more than reflecting reality, but that’s because she’s had to deal with the problem and its implications. This is a TOUGH scene, even though no one is in immediate harm or facing direct danger or abuse, and I put in as much fluff as I could. ::
The horses walked placidly, moving a little faster as the day warmed. When it was time to take a break, he pulled off the path. There was no water in sight, not even a trickle narrower than his palm. Laszlo sighed, rubbed the horses’ noses and spoke gently to them, then collected his axe and a length of Vladimir’s strong twine about half the diameter of most rope used in the valley.
( Read more... )
By Dialecticdreamer/Sarah Williams
Part 1 of 1, complete
Word count (story only): 1661
[End of March 179-]
:: On the outermost fringes of Cluj-Napoca, Laszlo finds the orphanage. He wishes immediately that he had not. Part of the “Lost Son” story arc in the Frankenstein’s Family universe. ::
:: PAY SPECIAL ATTENTION: Bianka Almássy, the orphanage matron, insinuates some very dark things about (a) the way that she runs the orphanage and places the children, and (b) the kinds of people who return after the first placement. She’s being a nasty-minded psycho, more than reflecting reality, but that’s because she’s had to deal with the problem and its implications. This is a TOUGH scene, even though no one is in immediate harm or facing direct danger or abuse, and I put in as much fluff as I could. ::
The horses walked placidly, moving a little faster as the day warmed. When it was time to take a break, he pulled off the path. There was no water in sight, not even a trickle narrower than his palm. Laszlo sighed, rubbed the horses’ noses and spoke gently to them, then collected his axe and a length of Vladimir’s strong twine about half the diameter of most rope used in the valley.
( Read more... )
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Food
24/8/25 17:26ysabetwordsmith5 Ways to Use Freshly Roasted Hatch Chiles While They’re in Season
Once late August or early September rolls around, in-season Hatch chiles can be found at specialty grocery stores across the country. They are easiest to come by in the Southwest, but now savvy customers are asking for them far and wide. Whole Foods is frequently a reliable resource. You might find them raw or roasted for your convenience.
Once late August or early September rolls around, in-season Hatch chiles can be found at specialty grocery stores across the country. They are easiest to come by in the Southwest, but now savvy customers are asking for them far and wide. Whole Foods is frequently a reliable resource. You might find them raw or roasted for your convenience.
Early Humans
24/8/25 17:19ysabetwordsmithExtinct human relatives left a genetic gift that helped people thrive in the Americas
A new study found that a gene passed down from extinct archaic humans provided an adaptive advantage for Indigenous people of the Americas and is still common today in people of Indigenous descent.
Scientists have discovered that a gene called MUC19, inherited from Denisovans through ancient interbreeding, may have played a vital role in helping Indigenous ancestors adapt as they migrated into the Americas. Found at unusually high frequencies in both modern and ancient populations, the gene likely provided immune advantages against new pathogens. This research highlights how archaic DNA, passed through both Denisovans and Neanderthals, enriched human genetic diversity in ways that still shape us today.
A new study found that a gene passed down from extinct archaic humans provided an adaptive advantage for Indigenous people of the Americas and is still common today in people of Indigenous descent.
Scientists have discovered that a gene called MUC19, inherited from Denisovans through ancient interbreeding, may have played a vital role in helping Indigenous ancestors adapt as they migrated into the Americas. Found at unusually high frequencies in both modern and ancient populations, the gene likely provided immune advantages against new pathogens. This research highlights how archaic DNA, passed through both Denisovans and Neanderthals, enriched human genetic diversity in ways that still shape us today.
good news / bad news
24/8/25 16:49mellowtiggerIt's not Moody Monday yet, but I don't care.
Click to read the good/bad news, such as it is...
- Bad news: I haven't been paying bills recently, and they've backed up.
- Good news: After work today, I looked through a stack of medical letters and paid the only 1 that was actually a bill. Yay!
- Good news: It's the middle of the busiest work time of the year. I survived the weekend daytime shifts.
- Bad news: I bought a bottle of whisky last week, intending it to be available for Monday, the busiest day of the year at work. Instead, I cracked it open after work on Saturday, going to bed around 8:30pm while it was still light outside.
- Good news: Sunday was slightly better, thanks simply to having more people available on the schedule to share the workload. No need for whisky tonight.
- Good/bad news: I heard informally that someone else was hired for that lead tech support position that I interviewed for. I didn't have time to search for any official announcement, because it was too busy at work because we're understaffed with empty positions on the weekend.
- Bad news: During my lunch hour today, somebody was stabbed about a block away from me. Maybe in the eye, judging from the Citizen app summary of it. The app said it was exactly 1010 feet away, which is about 308 meters, an oddly specific number.
- Good news: I confirmed while the many sirens were scrambling to the scene that fire trucks will indeed still go down my block, despite the new roundabout and 2 speed bumps on my block.
- Bad news: Somebody was shot last night after 3am (I was asleep thanks to whisky) about 8 blocks northwest of me, as the crow flies.
- Bad news: Somebody was shot yesterday at the gas station across the intersection from the Cub grocery where I shopped on Friday.
- Good news: The warzone really has been much quieter than usual this year, overall. Maybe it's just my nice new windows that insulate me from the noisy trauma outside now, but it has seemed quieter to me.
So... I just have to survive tomorrow, the busiest work day of the year, then I'm good for another year.
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