US and UK pulling some personnel from Qatar base as US considers Iran action
Jan. 15th, 2026 12:35 am![[syndicated profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/feed.png){kind=small}
bbc_feedUS officials say it is a "precautionary measure" and comes as Donald Trump weighs up whether to take action against Iran.
X to stop Grok AI from undressing images of real people after backlash
Jan. 15th, 2026 12:28 ambbc_feedGrok will no longer allow users to remove clothing from images of real people, a statement posted on X reads.
Hearts 'underdogs by long shot' but still setting Premiership pace
Jan. 15th, 2026 12:23 ambbc_feedIf it seemed Hearts made a statement by winning with 10 men at Dundee on Sunday, they upped the ante against St Mirren four days later.
Zelensky declares state of emergency in Ukraine's energy sector
Jan. 15th, 2026 12:22 ambbc_feedThousands of Ukrainians are without power in temperatures well below freezing, due to ongoing Russian airstrikes.
US launches phase two of Gaza peace plan with new technocratic government
Jan. 14th, 2026 08:50 pmbbc_feedIt includes the establishment of a technocratic Palestinian government, as well as the reconstruction and demilitarisation of Gaza, US envoy Steve Witkoff says.
various...
Jan. 14th, 2026 06:43 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
chazzbannerDid you know that there's a film from the 19490s called Dumblin Damnity? Say that fast, and remember to pronounce the n in damnity. :-)
This gem is thanks to the Word in Your Ear podcast automatic transcription. Double Indemnity, of course.
I finally got around to searching through my CDs for Bessie Smith: The Complete Columbia Recordings. I've decided to listen to one disc a day, ten discs in all.
Now I need to find my Louis Armstrong Hot Five and Hot Seven collection.
Something I read recently (hmm) used the word "fonebone" - from Mad Magazine. I decided to google the word and found this article:
The Ultra-Mad Madness of Don Martin
-
This gem is thanks to the Word in Your Ear podcast automatic transcription. Double Indemnity, of course.
I finally got around to searching through my CDs for Bessie Smith: The Complete Columbia Recordings. I've decided to listen to one disc a day, ten discs in all.
Now I need to find my Louis Armstrong Hot Five and Hot Seven collection.
Something I read recently (hmm) used the word "fonebone" - from Mad Magazine. I decided to google the word and found this article:
The Ultra-Mad Madness of Don Martin
-
(no subject)
Jan. 15th, 2026 12:10 amtellshannon815
In your own space, create a list of at least three things you'd love to receive, a wishlist of sorts.
My One True Crossover pairing is Rumple from Once Upon a Time and Rowena from Supernatural, so any kind of fic or art for them would be great.
I still love the idea of an iZombie fic where Liv is on romance writer brain right after solving the Zombie High murder case, starts writing Zombie High slash fiction and Ravi has to read it.
Anything post-S2 of The Wilds, which was cancelled way before its time.
CAT icons.
Anything Sayid/Desmond from Lost.
Anything at all from Dark, From, School Spirits or Yellowjackets.
Speaking of, even just having people who know Dark or From and who I can ramble at about them would be great. It's hard to vent about how I've written myself into a corner while trying to rescue Mikkel from 1986 when no one knows the whole complexities of that family tree.
Adventures Elsewhere — December 2025
Jan. 15th, 2026 12:38 amhelloladies posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
ladybusinessAdventures Elsewhere collects our reviews, guest posts, articles, and other content we've spread across the Internet recently! See what we've been up in our other projects. :D
( Read more... )
Sanchez mistakes 'on me' - Rosenior defends Chelsea keeper
Jan. 15th, 2026 12:01 ambbc_feedChelsea boss Liam Rosenior defends goalkeeper Robert Sanchez following two mistakes in his side's 3-2 defeat at home to Arsenal on Wednesday in their Carabao Cup semi-final first-leg tie.
Elon Musk's X to block AI tool Grok from undressing images of real people after backlash
Jan. 14th, 2026 11:58 pmbbc_feedGrok will no longer allow users to remove clothing from images of real people, a statement posted on X reads.
The Papers: 'World on the brink' and Trump intent on 'conquering' Greenland
Jan. 14th, 2026 11:58 pmbbc_feedThe global tensions from Greenland and Iran feature prominently on Thursday's front pages.
California investigates Grok over AI deepfakes
Jan. 14th, 2026 08:19 pmbbc_feedThe state attorney general urges xAI to take action over the "shocking" material as Musk denies the allegations.
Arsenal take step to ending semi-final nightmares - but regrets remain
Jan. 14th, 2026 11:51 pmbbc_feedArsenal's 3-2 win at Chelsea seizes control of their EFL Cup tie - and overcoming their poor record in semi-finals will be the big positive for Mikel Arteta.
A 6-2 sweep - Robertson & Trump complete bizarre Masters sequence
Jan. 14th, 2026 11:37 pmbbc_feedNeil Robertson completes an unprecedented eighth 6-2 win in the first round of the Masters as he advanced past Chris Wakelin into the quarter-finals.
Wednesday - at last...more commuting woes, Buffy/Angel rewatch & Angelica Huston on Polanski
Jan. 14th, 2026 05:51 pmshadowkatAnother difficult commute - I swear, me and Transit are going to have words one of these days. (Considering I currently inhabit the same building that they inhabit - it could actually happen. Possibly in an elevator or in a hallway.) The R train was running with delays and on other tracks, skipping Whitehall Street again this evening. I wish I knew before I hobbled down the eight flights of steps. Someone pulled the Emergency Break again. So, ended up taking the 4 to Borough Hall Brooklyn and walked 10 blocks to Bergen, took the G home. The 4/5 also had delays due to a passenger being hit by a train but seemed to be fine by the time I got there. And the G was running with delays due to a incident with a train being taken out of service somewhere on 21st Street in North Brooklyn. Plus they had a police officer patrolling the G train. Knee was bothering by the time I got there - so icing. Hopefully can do exercises after dinner. Did exercises at work at least.
It's hard to find the time to fit them in, with work. Also hard to do the cardiac activity necessary to lose weight. Stupid knees.
My 83 year old mother is doing fine. I'm the invalid. Turns out a sedentary desk job is tough on the knees.
Oh, digestive issues woke me last night - but, have discovered a concoction that helps a sour stomach. (Gas pains, gastric reflex, and cramping or anything stuck in the esophagus).
1 teaspoon baking soda
Lemon juice
Mixed in a glass of water
It's basically home-brewed alka seltzer, but more effective. Works like a charm - takes about five to ten minutes to work.
Had two decent and reassuring conversations with higher ups today - so I feel a little less sidelined and more valuable than I did previously. They do see me as a valuable resource. (Actually I think Breaking Bad is the one in trouble - and has been for a while now. But I'm not.) I just need to be patient, and keep doing what I've been doing. Being helpful. And keeping my charts up to date.
****
More on Angel/Buffy Rewatch
David Greenwalt in the chat with Holtz, Lindsey, and Lilah actors - stated that Whedon had asked him if he wanted to do work on an Angel spin-off and show-run it for him. It was supposed to be dark and noir - similar in tone to what Greenwalt had previously done with Profit. The actor who played Holtz - came from Profit. Greenwalt asked for Charisma Carpenter - who played Cordelia - because he felt they needed humor and some lightness to the show, which was rather dark in concept. Also apparently they went too dark for the network in the second episode's original/initial script by David Fury - which initially had Angel killing the girl and licking blood off the floor of the bathroom. The network understandably went nuts - and said no, you can't do that.
The actor who played Holtz - brought up how he didn't view his character as a villain. And Greenwalt stated that they tried not to write characters as villains. That's kind of boring. And the other actors chimed in - that you never see your character as a villain, the character doesn't. But it is more fun to play them. Christian Kane (Lindsey) said he looked at it as - you're the company you keep. Lindsey was tainted by WRH. He said having his character be a villain but not quite - made him more fun to play, than to have him be a hero. It's better to have an edge. Romanov (Lilah) agreed.
I'm beginning to understand why I still love these shows - the cast, crew, writers, and fandom are so enjoyable.
**
The characters of Dawn, Riley and Xander with a few exceptions, have the worst episodes in Buffy for some reason. I think the writers either didn't identify with them, over-identified, or didn't know what to do with them? ( Read more... )
***
Angelica Huston memoir - Watch Me, which I'm listening to via audible.
It's well written. She really disliked Ryan O'Neal, who was violent and Huston describes as a bully with no conscience. She'd been in love with him for a bit - and in a very toxic relationship. He beat her and abused her, and it took her a while to break off the relationship and go back to Jack Nicholson.
She also writes about Roman Polanski - whom she lived next door to for a bit, and was friends with. Apparently they tried to get her to testify against Polanski in the "statutory rape" case - by offering her a deal to drop cocaine charges. ( Read more... )
Off to make dinner.
It's hard to find the time to fit them in, with work. Also hard to do the cardiac activity necessary to lose weight. Stupid knees.
My 83 year old mother is doing fine. I'm the invalid. Turns out a sedentary desk job is tough on the knees.
Oh, digestive issues woke me last night - but, have discovered a concoction that helps a sour stomach. (Gas pains, gastric reflex, and cramping or anything stuck in the esophagus).
1 teaspoon baking soda
Lemon juice
Mixed in a glass of water
It's basically home-brewed alka seltzer, but more effective. Works like a charm - takes about five to ten minutes to work.
Had two decent and reassuring conversations with higher ups today - so I feel a little less sidelined and more valuable than I did previously. They do see me as a valuable resource. (Actually I think Breaking Bad is the one in trouble - and has been for a while now. But I'm not.) I just need to be patient, and keep doing what I've been doing. Being helpful. And keeping my charts up to date.
****
More on Angel/Buffy Rewatch
David Greenwalt in the chat with Holtz, Lindsey, and Lilah actors - stated that Whedon had asked him if he wanted to do work on an Angel spin-off and show-run it for him. It was supposed to be dark and noir - similar in tone to what Greenwalt had previously done with Profit. The actor who played Holtz - came from Profit. Greenwalt asked for Charisma Carpenter - who played Cordelia - because he felt they needed humor and some lightness to the show, which was rather dark in concept. Also apparently they went too dark for the network in the second episode's original/initial script by David Fury - which initially had Angel killing the girl and licking blood off the floor of the bathroom. The network understandably went nuts - and said no, you can't do that.
The actor who played Holtz - brought up how he didn't view his character as a villain. And Greenwalt stated that they tried not to write characters as villains. That's kind of boring. And the other actors chimed in - that you never see your character as a villain, the character doesn't. But it is more fun to play them. Christian Kane (Lindsey) said he looked at it as - you're the company you keep. Lindsey was tainted by WRH. He said having his character be a villain but not quite - made him more fun to play, than to have him be a hero. It's better to have an edge. Romanov (Lilah) agreed.
I'm beginning to understand why I still love these shows - the cast, crew, writers, and fandom are so enjoyable.
**
The characters of Dawn, Riley and Xander with a few exceptions, have the worst episodes in Buffy for some reason. I think the writers either didn't identify with them, over-identified, or didn't know what to do with them? ( Read more... )
***
Angelica Huston memoir - Watch Me, which I'm listening to via audible.
It's well written. She really disliked Ryan O'Neal, who was violent and Huston describes as a bully with no conscience. She'd been in love with him for a bit - and in a very toxic relationship. He beat her and abused her, and it took her a while to break off the relationship and go back to Jack Nicholson.
She also writes about Roman Polanski - whom she lived next door to for a bit, and was friends with. Apparently they tried to get her to testify against Polanski in the "statutory rape" case - by offering her a deal to drop cocaine charges. ( Read more... )
Off to make dinner.
wednesday reads and things
Jan. 14th, 2026 04:32 pmisisWhat I've recently finished reading:
The Tiger and the Wolf by Adrian Tchaikovsky, first book in the Echoes of the Fall series. This is a fantasy Bronze-Age-ish world where tribes not only identify with an animal-god, but tribal members can shapeshift into the form of that animal at will. Interestingly, people can see at a glance which animal-tribe people are part of, seeing their "soul"; each also has its own culture which seems appropriate for the associated animal, i.e. the Wolf people are pack-oriented, aggressive, dominating, while the Bear people are big and shambling and prefer their solitary caves. The story follows a teen girl, Maniye, who has two souls and therefore two forms - that of her father, the Wolf that raised her, and that of her mother, a captured Tiger - but it's more of an adult story than YA, even though it's largely a coming-of-age narrative. There are hints of dark things coming, the return of the "Plague People" who the people of this land came here to escape; these are people who have no souls, which again is something plainly visible. I liked this a lot! So I'm reading the second book now, The Bear and the Serpent.
(I should say, I really like the major Bear character, Loud Thunder, who basically wants to sit in his cave with his dogs and sometimes go out and hunt and not be bothered by, ugh, people, but unfortunately has a Destiny, and hates it. Also the major Serpent character - the Serpents in general are super interesting, sort of the wise elders of the world.)
What I'm currently watching:
We finished S1 and are now mid-S2 of The Empress. It's oddly butting up against The Leopard now as we're getting to the Italian provinces of the Austrian Empire agitating for freedom and a united Italy, even mentioned Garibaldi. I love the history of it all, the problems of an old world inexorably moving into the modern times, rulers having to face the collisions of the privilege they love and the reality of being a good leader. Also the costumes, especially the womens' gowns, are fantastic.
What I'm currently playing:
Still Ghost of Tsushima. It's so pretty! And I appreciate that there are a number of female swordsmen and archers, even if it's not strictly historically factual.
The Tiger and the Wolf by Adrian Tchaikovsky, first book in the Echoes of the Fall series. This is a fantasy Bronze-Age-ish world where tribes not only identify with an animal-god, but tribal members can shapeshift into the form of that animal at will. Interestingly, people can see at a glance which animal-tribe people are part of, seeing their "soul"; each also has its own culture which seems appropriate for the associated animal, i.e. the Wolf people are pack-oriented, aggressive, dominating, while the Bear people are big and shambling and prefer their solitary caves. The story follows a teen girl, Maniye, who has two souls and therefore two forms - that of her father, the Wolf that raised her, and that of her mother, a captured Tiger - but it's more of an adult story than YA, even though it's largely a coming-of-age narrative. There are hints of dark things coming, the return of the "Plague People" who the people of this land came here to escape; these are people who have no souls, which again is something plainly visible. I liked this a lot! So I'm reading the second book now, The Bear and the Serpent.
(I should say, I really like the major Bear character, Loud Thunder, who basically wants to sit in his cave with his dogs and sometimes go out and hunt and not be bothered by, ugh, people, but unfortunately has a Destiny, and hates it. Also the major Serpent character - the Serpents in general are super interesting, sort of the wise elders of the world.)
What I'm currently watching:
We finished S1 and are now mid-S2 of The Empress. It's oddly butting up against The Leopard now as we're getting to the Italian provinces of the Austrian Empire agitating for freedom and a united Italy, even mentioned Garibaldi. I love the history of it all, the problems of an old world inexorably moving into the modern times, rulers having to face the collisions of the privilege they love and the reality of being a good leader. Also the costumes, especially the womens' gowns, are fantastic.
What I'm currently playing:
Still Ghost of Tsushima. It's so pretty! And I appreciate that there are a number of female swordsmen and archers, even if it's not strictly historically factual.
Denmark warns of 'fundamental disagreement' after White House talks on Greenland
Jan. 14th, 2026 11:13 pmbbc_feedThere was no major breakthrough during the meeting, and President Trump reiterated his interest in acquiring the island shortly afterwards.