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Help?

*dusts off journal* I've been meaning to post updates for a while, but of course never got around to it.

Anyway, CB had a stroke while we were on a family vacation in Paris. He is doing well, all things considered--the damage seems limited to a slight droop in his mouth and double vision--but he's been in the hospital for about a week now. My parents are with me, and we are trying to figure out his care with limited access to his doctors (visiting hours are limited, and they often make the rounds outside visiting hours). We have a translator, though it's our tour guide who obviously doesn't have that much knowledge about medical terminology. We have some print outs of test results in French, but we're having difficulty getting access to actual medical records, since they usually are put together on patient discharge.

Does anyone have experience with internationally transferring patients and/or flying with medical escorts or on a plane with medical equipment? We obviously don't want to move him if it will endanger him in any way, but we would also like for him to begin treatment back at home as soon as it is safe for him to go back.

Current Mood: busy

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Space Exploration

New rocket fuel compound packs 150% more energy

A new boron-rich compound, manganese diboride, delivers much higher energy density than current solid-rocket materials while remaining stable until intentionally ignited. Its power comes from an unusual, strained atomic structure formed during ultra-hot synthesis, with promising uses beyond propulsion.

Honestly, I'm FAR more impressed by the stability than by the power boost. Making things go "boom" is easy. Making wait until you tell them to go "boom" is much harder. One of the biggest risks in space exploration is the fuel itself -- says the person who has seen a lot of model rocket mishaps.

Current Mood: busy

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Today's Adventures

Today we went to the Second Annual Fall Fest at the Milk & Honey Coffeehouse in Mattoon. Here are some pictures from the event.

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Birdfeeding

Today is mostly sunny and sweltering.

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

I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 10/4/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

EDIT 10/4/25 -- I did more work around the patio.

I heard a bluejay screaming but didn't see it.

EDIT 10/4/25 -- I watered the irises, telephone pole garden, and a few of the savanna seedlings.

As it is almost suppertime, I am done for the night.

Done

* scavenger hunt thingy with B & S & A
* power supply to A
* lots of YT tagmodding
* automata course parts 2 & 3
* helped D catalogue old computers
* ordered the annual beer
* ordered nose goo

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sleepingdogs

My memory vs the Internet. A horrifying tale.

So I really have distinct memories of playing Sleeping Dogs - a superlative open-world gangster/police game set in Hong Kong - in January 2011.

I remember the sofa I was sat on, where I was playing it, the tension waiting for The Teenager to emerge, the fact that The Wife was mocking my sartorial choices for my in-game character (if you wear certain clothing, you get +5% in your stats etc.)

Every single online reference to the game's release date is August 2012. When by then we would have been in a different flat, on a different sofa, using a different TV etc.

Every piece of objective reality data tells me that my memory is wrong. But it can't be.

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Surprise Birthday Brahms!

When I turned on my clock radio - which I do on Saturdays to ensure that the time is co-ordinating with the radio time-signal - Radio 3 was playing the finale to Brahms Violin Concerto.

Joy!

Well, this has been an up and downy year as ever, but I am beginning to poke my nose out of my hole. I am still Doing Stuff, even if various projects seem to have got bogged down (not just on my side ahem ahem).

Anyway, in accordance with tradition, I pass round virtual rich dark gingerbread (and also gluten-free, diabetic-friendly, etc, versions), sanitive madeira (eschewing Duke of Clarence jokes) and other beverages of choice, and lift a glass to dr rdrz.

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Birthday in Maui

I spent my birthday on my own in Maui after the conference I attended there, and I had a brilliant time.*

My birthday treat to myself was a boat trip to Molokini crater to snorkel with the fishes, and to Turtle Town off Wailea Point to swim with the sea turtles. I got really lucky with the weather, and Cap'n Doug sailed us around the far side of Molokini so we could see the sea bird nesting sites. Then we pulled into the harbour and we were allowed to jump in the water. I don't have a waterproof camera and I also don't feel too secure snorkeling without a boogie board in hand, so I've no photos of that. But the visibility was incredible, like I remember from Hanauma Bay as a kid. I saw a tube fish and a giant parrot fish. I followed her around for a bit, listening to her chomp the coral and seeing her make sand. I saw wrasse and tangs, sea urchins and crabs, and of course the legendary Humuhumunukunukuapua'a, from whom Eldest gets her moniker. It's colourful, pugnacious, and territorial. Mmhmm.

[Approach to Molokini crater.]

[Seabird nesting sites round the back of Molokini.]

Turtle Town offered excellent fish viewing in the water as well, although to be honest it was much better watching the turtles from the boat as the view was clearer and they got quite close to the bow, where you're not allowed to snorkel.

[Sea turtle next to the tour boat.]

There were lots of older retired couples on the boat - because who else can afford $200+ plus tips for a five hour boat trip - and I could see them looking sidelong at me until finally when we were eating lunch someone sidled up to me and after some desultory introductions, asked if I was scared to travel alone. Hahaha. Nope! Very happy by myself, tyvm.

I pootled back to the hotel in the convertible Mustang** I’d hired with the top down, although “pootled” doesn’t feel like quite the right word for travelling in an absurdly ostentatious car. I had a shower to get all the sand off, liberally slathered on the after-sun, and got dressed again. I had a couple of chats with family and friends. I got myself a cold drink at the 808 market and wandered down to watch my last Maui sunset on this trip.

I got changed into a nice dress and spoke to the family before hopping in the car again to take myself to dinner: Isana in Kihei. I ingested a heroic quantity of nigiri (choice bits pictured below) and part of a silly cocktail (because driving, and that thing was strong).

( Sushi under the cut because raw fish isn't everyone's cup of tea )

I plucked up the courage to ask my waiter a very odd question. I explained to him that I’d grown up in Hawai’i, and I had happy memories of eating something we called “stinky pickle sushi” which you obviously cannot put on a menu in a nice restaurant. After he’d finished guffawing, I explained that it was pickled daikon radish in a maki roll. He said he would go ask the chef if he knew about this.

Two minutes later, he returned, placed a small black dish in front of me, and said, “Yes, chef is from Japan, he knows this ingredient. Is this it?” I popped the bright yellow rectangle into my mouth and clapped my hands with joy. The waiter returned to place my stinky pickle nori roll order. And that, my friends, was my final brave birthday treat to myself: procuring a sushi roll I have not tasted for over twenty years.

[Behold: stinky pickle maki]

* Sorry, family! We would have had a brilliant time together, too. But this conference happens during the school year, and so I was on my own. I love you guys. I also love time to myself.
** I actually wanted to hire the Mazda Miata but they didn’t have any, and also the hire car person said my giant battered old Briggs & Riley suitcase would not have fit in the boot anyway.

THE END.

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Let's see if adding an image works this time!

I'm not saying that the forces of destiny are conspiring against my innovative microwave cheese floppies but look at what I've just been given...

A raclette-making thingy

Current Mood: busy

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recurring posts

Philosophical Questions: Money

People have expressed interest in deep topics, so this list focuses on philosophical questions.

Should tax payers have the option to explicitly say what they don’t want their tax dollars spent on?

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Current Mood: accomplished

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food

Today's Cooking

I made apple cider caramel sauce to put over vanilla ice cream. :D

Current Mood: amused

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Gaming

In new heist video game, players return museum artifacts stolen from African countries

Set in the late 21st century, the game follows Nomali, a fast-thinking, acrobatic leader who assembles a crew of ordinary citizens-turned-thieves.

Their mission: to reclaim 70 real-life African artifacts from Western institutions and return them to their rightful homelands.

I am amused. :D And there are so many other cultures that could design similar games to retrieve their own artifacts. See, this is what we get from diverse game developers: new game plots instead of rehashes.

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The Friday Five on a Friday x2

[HELLO I AM COMET AND I AM TOO CLOSE]

Do you ever wonder if the way you see things visually aren't how other people see them?

Frequently. My partner and I sometimes have very different perceptions of certain colours (and no, he’s not red-green colour-blind).
What kind of sounds are the most annoying?

Sounds I didn’t choose to hear, ha. Seriously, though, I quite often put my noise-cancelling headphones on with nothing coming through them, just to block out background sound.
When walking through a store, do you shop with your hands by touching/feeling the texture of things?

I *want* to do that all the time. I’m very sensitive to touch. I restrain myself most of the time unless it seems like it is OK (like in a clothing shop). I suspect I’d get thrown out of places if I went round running my hands over veg, freshly baked goods or pick-n-mix for example.
If you could only smell three scents for the rest of your life, what would they be?

My cats’ fur when they come in from outside on a cold day. Black Opium by YSL. My partner’s armpits. I am not joking.
What sorts of things do you savor when eating them?

Everything! I love food so much. I especially love very cold fruit juices on a hot day or with a sore throat, the velvety texture of a good chocolate mousse, and the salty satisfaction of slurping ramen noodles.

( Last week's FF )

Current Mood: busy

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Friday Five

This set of questions comes from

thefridayfive community...

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Resources to learn Brazilian Portuguese!

[English/Spanish below. Open to corrections from Brazilian Portuguese speakers]

Olá pessoal! Como vai? Sou a Maeve y sou do Chile. Falo espanhol e inglês fluidamente, além disso, estoy estudando português há uns 10 anos (intermitentemente. Acho que ainda é muito dificil para mim escrever e falar porque não pratico o que deveria). Além disso sou estudante de tradução e interpretação inglês-espanhol. Ensino inglês como língua estrangeira e gosto muito dos idiomas en geral (já estudei um pouco de outros como italiano, coreano e grego). Falo inglês há muitos anos (acho que uns 20) entâo estou comoda demais falando esse. Acho que é ora de falar e escrever mais em português.

Fiz este post para compartilhar alguns dos recursos educativos que já usei ou que já experimentei e que acho que são bons para praticar com o idioma. Vai encontrar eles baixo o curto.

Acho que é muito importante aprender idiomas e conhecer um pouco da cultura dos paises que falar o idioma, então muitos destes recursos educativos são tambêm uma forma de aprender de cultura e história. Estou aprendendo Português Brasileiro, entâo você vai ver muitos vídeos acerca do Brasil. Se vocês estão aprendendo outro dialecto, por favor, compartilha seus recursos nos comentários.

( English )

( Espa�ol )

( Read more... )

Current Mood: busy

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Birdfeeding

Today is partly sunny and sweltering.

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

I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 10/3/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

EDIT 10/3/25 -- I did more work around the patio.

EDIT 10/3/25 -- I watered the old picnic table and new picnic table.

I heard a squirrel chattering but didn't see it.

As it is almost suppertime, I am done for the night.

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Omniumgatherum

In case this has passed dr rdrz by, it is now possible for ordinary people to register for access to JSTOR's massive collection of scholarly resources.

***

This month's freebie from the University of Chicago Press is Courtenay Raia, The New Prometheans: Faith, Science, and the Supernatural Mind in the Victorian Fin de Siècle on psychical research.

***

Okay, I know I was going off at people getting all up in the woowoo about the Pill, but this is a bit grim about Depo-Provera: Pfizer sued in US over contraceptive that women say caused brain tumours. I was raising my eyebrows at this:

Pfizer argues that it tried to have a tumour warning attached to the drug’s label but this was rejected by the US regulator, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The company said in its court filings: “This is a clear pre-emption case because FDA expressly barred Pfizer from adding a warning about meningioma risk, which plaintiffs say state law required.”

and going hmmm, because there was a huge furore in the 70s in the UK about Depo-Provera and what sections of the population were actually being put on it, i.e. there was a whole ethnicity/discrimination pattern going on, and I would not be entirely astonished to find out that there were programmes in certain US states which were maybe no longer sterilising 'the unfit' (though I'm not sure I'd bet good money on it) but blithely applying long-acting hormonal contraception instead.

***

And also in the realm of reproductive control: Of embryos and vaccines: If you REALLY want to protect the unborn... on rubella. Abortion historian notes that one reason (apart from thalidomide) for resurgence of abortion activism in UK in early 60s had been a German measles epidemic.... Also recall that my sister - who like me was not of a generation that routinely got this vaccine in childhood - when she fell pregnant with her first getting tested in the antenatal clinic to see if she needed to get the jab stat (in fact, she had high level of antibodies, so maybe we'd all had German measles among all our other many childhood ailments and barely noticed....)

***

Something more agreeable: the Royal School of Needlework's Stitch Bank:

RSN Stitch Bank is a free resource designed to preserve the art of hand embroidery through digitally conserving and showcasing the wide variety of the world’s embroidery stitches and the ways in which they have been used in different cultures and times. Now containing over 500 stitches, each stitch entry contains information about its history, use and structure as well as a step-by-step method with photographs, illustrations and video.

***

Asking good questions is harder than giving great answers: this so resonated with my experience as an archivist: 'often when people ask for help or information, what they ask for isn't what they actually want'.

***

Many years ago I used to go to a restaurant- Le Bistingo in South Ken, as I recall - that had a cartoon pinned on the wall depicting a chef bodily ejecting a diner. Waiter to observers: 'He Attempted To Add Salt'. This was rather my reaction to this particularly WTF 'You Be The Judge': Should my partner stop hankering after salt and pepper shakers?

Why do you need salt and pepper on the table, haven't you seasoned the food adequately? (oh, and btw, Gene, as a comment remarks, salt has naturally antiseptic properties*).

*I remember some historical drama of Ye Medeevles on the telly in my youth about dousing somebody's flogged back in salt water (?or rubbing it with salt) to stop it festering.

Entry tags:

events,
judaism

After Yom Kippur

The only two things certain in life are death and taxes. In the hangover from Yom Kippur I've just finished filling out my Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts, which I loathe with a passion. But death seems more significant this year.

Last night I got back from Yom Kippur services exhausted and still a bit light-headed from the twenty-five hour fast. The first thing I saw was an email from my mother about "the attack on Manchester." Amazingly it was the first I'd heard of it. The security people at the synagogue must have known but I don't think most people did. I should have realised when I saw a police car outside in the afternoon that something must have happened.

This is apparently "the first deadly attack on a British synagogue" and the deadliest attack ever on a place of worship outside Northern Ireland. (Per a useful thread by Sunder Katwala.) Also last night one (1) of my colleagues sent me an expression of sympathy, for which I was, and am, ridiculously grateful. Local and national Muslim leaders have also posted statements of solidarity, but taking the mood as a whole right now it's easy to feel (and maybe this is because I'm still exhausted, but I feel I've been exhausted for a long time) that most non-Jews are not interested in solidarity with the Jewish community right now because they don't think it's compatible, rhetorically at least, with being against what Israel is committing in Gaza. (And the ones who are, are interested for the wrong reasons.)

Hearteningly, Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez did post a statement of sympathy – but most of the comments (on BlueSky! not even on X!) were variants on "Anti-Zionism is not antisemitism" or "Criticism of Israel is legitimate." I would be a whole lot more convinced by the former if comments like this didn't keep cropping up on posts about Jewish holidays and/or the death of Jews.

(Feminism isn't transphobia, but you'd be amazed how many purported feminists haven't got the memo. Being anti-crime isn't racist or anti-immigrant, in theory, but you'd be amazed by how many people use one thing as cover for the other. I could go on.)

Anyway, the other email I came home to was from Caledonian Sleeper, saying that my journey to Aberdeen this evening has been cancelled due to a storm. I managed to quickly rebook, so I'm now going straight to Inverness on Monday for my writing retreat at Moniack Mhor. It's a shame I'm going to miss my weekend in Aberdeen but maybe I needed the rest. And it doesn't seem so important right now. I would really like to wear my little magen david necklace up to Moniack Mhor but it gives me pause that so many people seem to be unable to distinguish "I am proud to be Jewish" from "I support genocide."

Like I said, I'm exhausted.

Current Mood: busy

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Activism

Recently I posted about the importance of how small actions can change the future. Here's an example: the Grapefruit Ladies.

Help?

Space Exploration

Today's Adventures

More Soothing YouTube Videos

Everyone is calm and competent and cooperative

Ocean Creatures

Admire Our Planet from Space

Birdfeeding

Done

My memory vs the Internet. A horrifying tale.

Surprise Birthday Brahms!

Birthday in Maui

Let's see if adding an image works this time!

Philosophical Questions: Money

Today's Cooking

Gaming

The Friday Five on a Friday x2

Friday Five

Resources to learn Brazilian Portuguese!

Birdfeeding

Omniumgatherum

After Yom Kippur

Activism