davidgillon | Reading

Have had food. (Soup!) Have had meds. Vented on Bluesky, where I am

lionesselise. Am about to rest again for a while. LIKE A POTATO. If a potato could crochet, anyhow. I'm in a mood for a little crocheting before sleepage.

Love you all.
You are the best.

sovay

spatch and I have performed our civic duties and received stickers in exchange for the exercise of democracy. It's been at least a year since we had to prove our residence in this ward and precinct, but the original experience was so scarifying that we still show up carrying utility bills just in case. The moon was brilliantly full and some of the leaves streetlight-orange in it. Earlier in the afternoon, I walked some distance by the side of a road where the afternoon sun had tinted the conservation meadows like ambrotypes. I have seen the news of the death of Dick Cheney. Twenty-five years sooner would have been better, but I had begun to wonder if he was even in the machine. Since Halloween, WERS has been playing a lot of the Last Dinner Party's "This Is the Killer Speaking" (2025). I am completly unsurprised that the band has covered Sparks.

P.S. w00t, Mamdani!

Current Music: Damon & Naomi, "The Robot Speaks"

elisem

Because I recently turned 65, there were changes in my insurance.
I now have Blue Cross Blue Shield, which I used to have some years ago before I got switched to a different insurance.
They have now denied a med that is a cornerstone of why I am feeling better and breathing better these days.

The switch happened after my August birthday.
All the other meds are (allegedly, and I do believe them) on the way from the mail order pharmacy (who were good when I used to use them).
This med has been denied by insurance, which is BCBS. Even after special authorization, which they told me I needed, they denied it.

Am almost out.

(Yes, this is the med that the other insurance company kept only filling for one month, despite my doc writing a three-month scrip every frikkin time. Yes, this is one of the things I worry about running out of, because it matters a lot.)

Also you may imagine bitter laughter as various med and scheduling people explain to me that the insurance is apparently requiring the patient, me, go in to meet with the doc. The agoraphobic patient, these days. Though we did get to "virtual visit is acceptable," which is good, before we got to "the first virtual visit possible is a while after patient runs out of meds" which is not.

This stuff is what I was already making calls on and trying to handle before I got COVID. The two together is just a really horrible coincidence.

(Even if we did try to switch me to the insurance that was fine with it before (like Blue Cross Blue Shield was actually fine with it a few years ago when I had it!), there's no guarantee we won't run afoul of some new rule.)

There are options being looked into, for which details will be scant and the passive voice, for the moment, will be employed.

I do not have words that will cover exactly how I feel about this insurance bullshit. However the person just now taking the note to give my doc did write down faithfully that "patient is worried that without this med, she may not be around to keep this appointment," which is at least something I guess.

I am hungry. (I am the king now and I want a sandwich?) Actually what I want right now is soup. I wonder if I can stand up long enough to microwave some. Gotta put some food in or the meds might bounce, and it's meds time.

Grrrrr.

rmc28

Books on pre-order:

Platform Decay (Murderbot 8) by Martha Wells (5 May 2025)

Books acquired in October:

and read:
1. The Mirror & The Maze (Wrath & the Dawn) by Renée Ahdieh
2. The Crown & The Arrow (Wrath & the Dawn) by Renée Ahdieh
3. The Moth & The Flame (Wrath & the Dawn) by Renée Ahdieh
4. On The Fly (Portland Storm 2) by Catherine Gayle
5. Taking A Shot (Portland Storm 3) by Catherine Gayle
6. Light The Lamp (Portland Storm 4) by Catherine Gayle
7. The O Zone by Kelly Jamieson [7]
8. Hockey Halloween: A Charity Anthology
and unread:
1. Queen Demon (Rising World 2) by Martha Wells [1]

Books acquired previously and read in October:

The Element of Fire by Martha Wells [Sep]
The Death of the Necromancer by Martha Wells [Sep]

Borrowed books read in October:

The Perplexing Theft of the Jewel in the Crown (Baby Ganesha 2) by Vaseem Khan [3]
The Strange Disappearance of a Bollywood Star (Baby Ganesha 3) by Vaseem Khan [3]

Much of the month's reading has been alternating between hockey romance and Mumbai private detective stories, along with a complete failure to read my long-awaited pre-order of the latest Martha Wells. (but I did read different new-to-me Martha Wells, so yay?)

[1] Pre-order
[2] Audiobook
[3] Physical book
[4] Crowdfunding
[5] Goodbye read
[6] Cambridgeshire Reads/Listens
[7] FaRoFeb / FaRoCation / Bookmas / HRBC
[8] Prime Reading / Kindle Unlimited

cosmolinguist

I agreed to do a favor for someone at work that meant going to Sheffield this afternoon.

I was briefly filmed answering a few questions that the interviewer thought I had in advance but either I didn't, I didn't read the email that contained them, or I did read them but they were so boring and generic I forgot that they existed. All seem about equally likely.

It was very quick and dull but then I got to do something way more exciting, which was see sfred and actually catch up in person, something we haven't done in so long we don't even remember when it would last have happened. We agreed that Dreamwidth is a great way of keeping in touch, but also being able to hug was better. I was not prepared to be able to be gracious in response to being told that the gym has made me noticeably more hench, heh.

We talked a lot about how good the Springsteen movie was, of course.

Getting home was going far too smoothly (I got on a train with plenty of time to spare despite it arriving only three minutes after I got to the station! I'm not used to this) until we got delayed and then diverted around some kind of ominous-sounding incident in or near Stockport. By the time I finally got to Piccadilly, it was chaos as almost everything departs via Stockport and even trains that don't, like mine home, were held up behind all the other trains.

So I got home just in time to eat dinner and then it's bedtime!

I get to stay home tomorrow, and then I'm off again on Thursday, work takes me to Liverpool this time to do something equally dull but it'll take much longer.

oursin

Actually I daresay it was bots, even then, but it had a vaguely handspun amateur air about it-

Does anyone else remember (did anyone else receive) those scam messages alleging that they had VIDEO of the recipient pleasuring themself to PORN and if X amount was not sent to scamdealer's bitcoin wallet, they would send it to all of the recipient's contacts?

This was all badly enough spelt and ungrammatical enough, before the whole This Never Happened factor, that it could be readily dismissed.

(Or do I lead an unnaturally clean life? Is this a version of 'Fly! All Is Discovered!' at which a significant % who receive the message will, indeed, Get Out Of Dodge Pronto.)

Anyway, it sounds positively sweet and pastoral, compared to this, which is presumably pulling on the same shame strings: Rise of the ‘porno-trolls’: how one porn platform made millions suing its viewers:

Thousands of lawsuits follow a similar formula: Strike 3 claims to use a proprietary software called VXN Scan to track IP addresses that have downloaded porn they own. The software cannot identify the user beyond a rough geographic location, so Strike 3 files suit against an anonymous John Doe, and subpoenas their internet service provider (ISP) to unmask the user. The ISP in turn alerts the subscriber – which is when most people find out they have been sued. These people are often keen to settle, being cheaper than litigation and the only way to ensure their anonymity.
....
Thousands of lawsuits follow a similar formula: Strike 3 claims to use a proprietary software called VXN Scan to track IP addresses that have downloaded porn they own. The software cannot identify the user beyond a rough geographic location, so Strike 3 files suit against an anonymous John Doe, and subpoenas their internet service provider (ISP) to unmask the user. The ISP in turn alerts the subscriber – which is when most people find out they have been sued. These people are often keen to settle, being cheaper than litigation and the only way to ensure their anonymity.

The further one reads, the dodgier this all sounds.

jazzyjj posting in

awesomeers

It's challenge time!

Comment with Just One Thing you've accomplished in the last 24 hours or so. It doesn't have to be a hard thing, or even a thing that you think is particularly awesome. Just a thing that you did.

Feel free to share more than one thing if you're feeling particularly accomplished!

Extra credit: find someone in the comments and give them props for what they achieved!

Nothing is too big, too small, too strange or too cryptic. And in case you'd rather do this in private, anonymous comments are screened. I will only unscreen if you ask me to.

Go!

jadelennox

If anyone needs a hand to get through this month, let me know. You don’t need to explain, it doesn’t need to be SNAP related in any way. Comments screened. (Not doing friend of a friend stuff, just you, people who read this.)

I will probably make this post private in like a week out of sheer embarrassment so ask soon if you need something.

oursin

Happy birthday,

erika!

elisem

Still have COVID.
Still continuing.
Still resting like potatoes.
(With the caveat that I do get up and sit in a chair for a while each day, because my body needs that for some things.)

Today's things included talking on phone with multiple people at new insurance/pharmacy/et cetera.
Cried twice.
This is harder than it actually needs to be.
Told them, when they asked if med was medically necessary, that I like breathing and wished not to give it up.
(I DUNNO, WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU GUYS THINK, IS A MED THAT HELPS WITH MY ALLERGIES AND MY ASTHMA POSSIBLY IMPORTANT WHEN I AM IN ACUTE COVID RIGHT NOW? WHY COULD THAT POSSIBLY MATTER, RIGHT GUYS?)

Paxlovid mouth-taste is evil.
Only have to get through tonight and tomorrow and however long the aftertaste lasts.
Am combating it with gummy candies.
Decided why the heck not.
About to open bag of jelly turtles that tells me they are from Spain.
O jelly turtles from Spain, I put my hope in your benevolent tastiness.

Thank you all for being here.
Good words help a lot. Maybe tell me something good from your life today?
I like hearing about good moments.

I do have plans.
They are not vengeance unless vengeance is making really good art.
I just have to get well enough to realize them.
Meanwhile, jelly turtles from Spain, and also some weird blueberry planets that are freaking huge.
And you all. I like you people. Hello, people!
I may be slightly giddy again.

xkcd_feed

https://xkcd.com/3163/

The statue should be in the likeness of whatever sculptor posted the sculpting tool repair video that was most helpful during the installation of the statue.

https://xkcd.com/3163/

cosmolinguist

I worked hard at work today, all day. My butt barely left my chair. I was pushing my brain to do a lot and it felt bad and stressful but at least I did enough work that I'm not too worried. I have two work trips this week, both about an hour away by train, but it eats into my time and energy so much to have to travel.

After work, I was aware that angelofthenorth had to take her cat to the vet and when D left too, to drive them, I figured I should make dinner. It was very basic but ready not long after they got back, so that worked out. And while I'd been working on that and waiting for things to defrost/the time to put the burgers in the oven after the fries got a head start, I made a Tesco order for tomorrow, which was sorely needed.

And then I ate dinner. And then, after dithering for a while, I did get myself to go to the gym. D kindly drove me there too, which got me through what felt like the most difficult part of the process. I happily pushed myself a little on the rowing machine and most of the weights and I even did some extra core exercises at the end, just like in lift club on Saturday mornings. The trainer for those classes would've been proud, I figured.

And then I came home and showered and now I'm in bed! I have some clean laundry I really should put away, and some more dirty laundry I should put in the basket to take downstairs, but that might not happen tonight. It feels like it's been such a busy day, one thing after another.

sovay

To my absolute shock, international mail brought the Blu-Ray I had ordered of Girl Stroke Boy (1971) and with far more dispatch than the regular workings of the U.S. postal system, judging by the simultaneous arrival of the return receipt for last month's rent check. The booklet with its numerous production stills has already been illuminating as well as enjoyable. Successfully ordering a physical copy of an interracial queer and trans film from another country feels like a much bigger deal than it would have eleven months ago.

Current Music: Elastica, "Connection"

jesse_the_k posting in

access_fandom

Marissa Lingen (mrissa here) is a disabled SF writer. She’s been publishing short stories since 2001—over 200 so far. Most of her work is quite short, and I’m delighted at how her subtle implications generate detailed worlds and relationships.

Her disability experience informs her work. One of my faves is “A Pilgrimage to the God of High Places”, free to read in print or in audio at Beneath Ceaseless Skies. Like the author, the viewpoint character has vertigo.

Her monthly newsletter alerted me that she’s

leading a writing workshop where people can process their vertigo experiences through the written word.

FREE
23 November 2025 1700 GMT
must register in advance or more info
ar220@st-andrews.ac.uk

FULL DETAILS:
https://dateful.com/eventlink/1965359842

She’s eager to spread the word to people directly or indirectly affected by vertigo—please share the Dateful link far and wide.

Free Story, Essay & Interview

( links and excerpts )

oursin

Thought I had some lovely free unspoilt time to get to grips with review I am writing.

There have been Problems with partner's internet connection in downstairs backroom, and after faffing around endeavouring to reset the TP-Link Powerlines, I came to the conclusion that they are ex-Powerlines and should be given a suitable funeral with relevant honours.

Have ordered new ones from Argos. Upside: next day delivery means they are coming today. Downside: but not until the very end of the pm delivery slot, i.e. the evening, Bah.

This is all generally distracting from concentrating the mind on the sleazier reaches of the Victorian booktrade.

Plus, I had a demand for my US tax details. Fortunately, many years ago, I was obliged to acquire an ITIN in connection with receiving a research grant, which makes the whole thing a lot simpler.

This all also rather distracts my mind from upcoming book group discussion of the next volume in Dance to the Music of Time. Though, in unexpected Powelliana encountered during the week, who was a massive fangirl? Eve Babitz was a massive fangirl! ('much less leaden than John Updike... a downright souffle compared to just about anyone').

jazzyjj posting in

awesomeers

oursin

Happy birthday,

fengi and

kore!

sovay

Having access this evening to a tableful of newspapers, I saw the front-page article in the Globe about the climatically imminent flooding of the Seaport and it was pretty much exactly like reading that water is wet. I still have difficulty regarding that neighborhood as a real part of Boston, not merely because of its glass-shelled gentrification but because it is even more obviously on loan from the sea than the rest of this flat gravel-fill town. As soon as there was sea-rise in the future, Boston was going to be under it, long before the governments and corporations of this world blew through the 1.5C deadline. I love the harborwalk and I have seen the harbor walking over it. Urban renewal was faster cash in the moment than streets that would not flood the next minute. I do not believe in the stupidest timeline because I was exposed too early to the folktale in which it could always be worse, but it is nonsensical and nightmarish to me that this is the one we are all trapped in. It is because the universe is an unjust place that so many in power are not found in the morning blue-lipped, salt-lunged, sea-strangled on land.

On the other hand, tonight I watched Hestia trot over to

spatch's new computer on which was still stuck the silver-paper bow of its early holiday present and pluck it in passing, after which she hunted it up and down the front hall with much batting and biting and singing the high, clear song to her prey which is usually reserved for socks. Decades after bouncing off all the George Eliot I tried after Silas Marner (1861), I seem to be embedded in Middlemarch (1872). It washed out my plans for the day which I then did little with, but I slept a generally assessed normal number of hours.

Current Music: Wolf Alice, "White Horses"

yhlee

I slightly less half-assedly fixed the warp on the Clover Sakiori loom (Japanese).

weaving WIP close-up

I didn't bring a comb for the weft and was using a tapestry needle, but catten remains unlikely to mind imperfect weaving.

Also, further adventures in dyeing wool yarn. I'd like to test on dyeing combed top for cotton, ramie, and silk (mulberry/bombyx, eri, tussah, and maybe a small sample of my treasured stash of muga); and then try some on alpaca or mohair after I've processed some more.

dyed yarn

Later in the season, in natural dyes, I might experiment with the traditional hoary old standby of onion skins; rose hips (several of my roses shrubs produce them); and find out if windfall figs from the no-longer-quite-so-baby fig tree do anything interested as dyes. Osage orange, common madder, true and false indigo, hibiscus, and elderberry grow in Louisiana so making a dye plant plot might be entertaining. That or I sacrifice e.g. a bunch of beets lol. For personal use, I don't care about consistency (I prefer chaos ball colors) and I'm not that fussed about reliable fastness. "Throw it in a pot and also an ~appropriate mordant" for personal experiment promises to be very entertaining.