Reading challenge update
Feb. 1st, 2026 10:54 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ganimedeA quick update on my progress for my reading challenge this year. My plan is to finish some of the series that I've got ongoing - I've selected 14 series with a total of 44 books. I've managed to read 4 books this month which is an excellent start. These are:
Spook’s: Seventh Apprentice by Joseph Delaney
Taken by Benedict Jacka
Chosen by Benedict Jacka
Hidden by Benedict Jacka
Seventh Apprentice was the last book of The Wardstone Chronicles series, so that's that all finished. It was a bit odd in that it was the last of the series but actually a prequel. And the series itself continues in The Starblade Chronicles which I've already made a start on. It's very confusing. The other three books - Taken, Chosen, and Hidden - are all from the Alex Verus series. That's the one with the most books so I wanted to get it finished early on. I've got another 6 left yet but I'm having a little break from it which was completely unplanned. I happened to see an intriguing book in the library a couple of days ago, so I'm reading that now. It's Doing Time by Jodi Taylor which happens to be the first book in the Time Police series! I didn't realise it was part of a series, it looked like it was a standalone novel otherwise I wouldn't have picked it up!
So this is what the full list of series looks like now:
Spook’s: Seventh Apprentice by Joseph Delaney
Taken by Benedict Jacka
Chosen by Benedict Jacka
Hidden by Benedict Jacka
Seventh Apprentice was the last book of The Wardstone Chronicles series, so that's that all finished. It was a bit odd in that it was the last of the series but actually a prequel. And the series itself continues in The Starblade Chronicles which I've already made a start on. It's very confusing. The other three books - Taken, Chosen, and Hidden - are all from the Alex Verus series. That's the one with the most books so I wanted to get it finished early on. I've got another 6 left yet but I'm having a little break from it which was completely unplanned. I happened to see an intriguing book in the library a couple of days ago, so I'm reading that now. It's Doing Time by Jodi Taylor which happens to be the first book in the Time Police series! I didn't realise it was part of a series, it looked like it was a standalone novel otherwise I wouldn't have picked it up!
So this is what the full list of series looks like now:
- ✔ The Wardstone Chronicles by Joseph Delaney - 1 book COMPLETED
- The Starblade Chronicles by Joseph Delaney - 2 books
- The Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovich - 7 books *
- ▶ Alex Verus by Benedict Jacka - 10 books - IN PROGRESS
- Shadow and Bone trilogy by Leigh Bardugo - 1 book
- The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman - 1 book *
- Gentlemen Bastard by Scott Lynch - 1 book *
- Her Majesty The Queen Investigates by SJ Bennett - 1 book *
- Spellcaster by Charlie N Holmberg - 1 book
- The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman - 6 books *
- Murder Most Unladylike by Robin Stevens - 7 books
- The Stranger Times by C.K. McDonnell - 1 book *
- The Locked Tomb by Tamsin Muir - 1 book *
- The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells - 4 books *
(no subject)
Feb. 2nd, 2026 03:51 am![[syndicated profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/feed.png){kind=small}
farsidecomics_feed“Let’s not overreact, Agnes. ... For one thing, it was only a dud.”
Snowflake Challenge: Friending Meme
Jan. 31st, 2026 10:13 pmysabetwordsmith posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
newcomerssnowflake_challenge is hosting its Friending Meme today. This is one of the best opportunities of the year to make new friends on Dreamwidth. Use the template in that post to comment with your response. You can also copy it onto your own blog, as I've done here. This provides a place for longer conversations if desired, so they don't clog up the main challenge, which typically runs hundreds of comments anyhow.
Late Saturday check-in
Jan. 31st, 2026 07:25 pmrolanniWell, then. That was Saturday.
I drafted my Remarks for my library event. I think they may be the wrong Remarks, but you can't revise what you don't write down. Still need to figure out how I'm going to handle the reading/what I'm going to read. I'm torn between several small scenes or one big one. May have to resort to flipping a cantra piece.
Spent part of the day loading the apps I usually use on my phone to my Samsung tablet, where they will be larger, which -- in theory -- will help with this current bout of eyestrain.
I also made a couple more adjustments to the new toy. It did a very credible job of reading several chapters of Getting Rid of Bradley to me last night while I just laid in the dark with ninetyleben pounds of coon cat on me, eyes closed and listening. Rookie, predictably perhaps, has really bonded with Zach.
What else? Oh, Had an email from the owner of Oliver and Company who will be handling the sales table during my event, and it seems we Have A Plan. Always good to have a Plan.
Happy Hour was a touch early tonight, and now the cats have scattered. In solidarity, I have a glass of wine with me here at the computer, and my stomach is informing me that I need to rustle something up for dinner RSN.
Tomorrow starts a Warming Trend, with temps soaring into the mid-twenties and thence into the! thirties! By ghod, it's practically summer!
Speaking of tomorrow, next week is going to be busy. Yes . . . busy.
Tomorrow, now that my knees and hips don't hurt enough for me to notice, I'll change out the cat boxes, only a couple days late.
Monday, first thing, I have a PT appointment. Tuesday morning, I have a haircut scheduled, and needlework in the evening; Wednesday, I need to visit the vampyres, which may be an excuse to have breakfast out; Thursday, I have a podiatry appointment, and I should probably go to the grocery somewhere in all of that. Friday morning Sarah comes by to clean, and in the afternoon, I want to go to the tea at the library. I have a pretty flowered skirt and a top hat, so clearly the sartorial part of the venture is well under control.
Tomorrow, I will also be starting my read of the WIP, so that'll be fun.
And that? Is the state of affairs at the Cat Farm and Confusion Factory.
Bringing down the curtain
Jan. 31st, 2026 11:35 pmloganberrybunnyPublic
365/365: Weeping willows, Bewdley
Click for a larger, sharper image
Today marks the end of my 365 project. Every single day since 1st February 2025, I've taken a photo that I've posted on Dreamwidth, usually on the same day. It's been an interesting experience and usually an enjoyable one, though I must admit to there being some days on which I didn't really want to do it and had to push myself. I'm not likely to do 365 again, though there will certainly be more photos posted from time to time. Today's final photo is, rather appropriately, a "curtain" made up of the drooping fronds of weeping willows by the River Severn in Bewdley.
365/365: Weeping willows, Bewdley
Click for a larger, sharper image
Today marks the end of my 365 project. Every single day since 1st February 2025, I've taken a photo that I've posted on Dreamwidth, usually on the same day. It's been an interesting experience and usually an enjoyable one, though I must admit to there being some days on which I didn't really want to do it and had to push myself. I'm not likely to do 365 again, though there will certainly be more photos posted from time to time. Today's final photo is, rather appropriately, a "curtain" made up of the drooping fronds of weeping willows by the River Severn in Bewdley.
The penultimate - IRS version
Jan. 31st, 2026 09:05 amsusandennisToday is January 31 so my last three bits of Shit I Need For Taxes are finally available. Except they aren't the very last. My investment firm has til mid February to get their shit to me but that's just one doc and I can pop it into the CPA's folder when it comes in. So pretty much it is now done and dusted as they say.
So this morning, we are in the pool, playing volleyball when another EMERGENCY emergency emergency announcement came over the loud speakers again. Again, turns out, it was a test and it was not broadcast to the entire complex. They really need to get a grip on this. If/when we ever have a real emergency, no one is going to pay a bit of attention.
But, hey, when they tell you to shelter in place, the pool ain't a bad place to be in!
Sometime yesterday, they put signs on the locker room doors. I rarely ever see staff people in there, and would not think a thing about it but now I am dying to know what in the heck the 'misusing' was all about!
Sometimes, Timber Ridge is so weird.
Jim Across The Hall is still slipping downward and downward. But, he comes to elbow coffee every week. He's throwing out his garbage incorrectly (using a milk crate made to hold bottles instead of the chute) and Bonny's spending hours trying to teach him not to do that. I think she finally realizes it isn't working.
Elbow coffee was ok. I had my arms full when I went down there so didn't shut the door tightly. Biggie turned up in the elbow pretty quickly and settled in but I told him he was not invited and took him home. Probably no one would have minded but if they had they would have been too polite to say so.
The laundry is laundrying. I'm having dinner tonight in the dining room with Jan and Bonny and Jackie - all of whom live up here on this floor. Should be fun.
Martha bought pompoms for the bunny butts. I told her I'd do all the knitting and she's in charge of the rest - butts, neck ribbons, whatever. I think she's kind of tickled to have a bunny job. Here's the bunny bucket as of now.
So this morning, we are in the pool, playing volleyball when another EMERGENCY emergency emergency announcement came over the loud speakers again. Again, turns out, it was a test and it was not broadcast to the entire complex. They really need to get a grip on this. If/when we ever have a real emergency, no one is going to pay a bit of attention.
But, hey, when they tell you to shelter in place, the pool ain't a bad place to be in!
Sometime yesterday, they put signs on the locker room doors. I rarely ever see staff people in there, and would not think a thing about it but now I am dying to know what in the heck the 'misusing' was all about!
Sometimes, Timber Ridge is so weird.
Jim Across The Hall is still slipping downward and downward. But, he comes to elbow coffee every week. He's throwing out his garbage incorrectly (using a milk crate made to hold bottles instead of the chute) and Bonny's spending hours trying to teach him not to do that. I think she finally realizes it isn't working.
Elbow coffee was ok. I had my arms full when I went down there so didn't shut the door tightly. Biggie turned up in the elbow pretty quickly and settled in but I told him he was not invited and took him home. Probably no one would have minded but if they had they would have been too polite to say so.
The laundry is laundrying. I'm having dinner tonight in the dining room with Jan and Bonny and Jackie - all of whom live up here on this floor. Should be fun.
Martha bought pompoms for the bunny butts. I told her I'd do all the knitting and she's in charge of the rest - butts, neck ribbons, whatever. I think she's kind of tickled to have a bunny job. Here's the bunny bucket as of now.
Update: 📼
Jan. 31st, 2026 11:38 amsoemandMy “or best offer” accepted
A Yamaha KX-380 should be en route via Canada Post in the next few days, and I’m already watching the tracking page like it owes me money.
Now to hunt down some Type II cassettes and figure out an interface for the non-existent hi-fi system I apparently believe I own. One step at a time.
📼
Jan. 31st, 2026 09:29 amsoemandI’ve got a few tape decks on my eBay watchlist right now, and I’ve already thrown out an “or best offer” on one of them. Lately I’ve been leaning toward Yamaha decks from the mid‑90s—they hit a sweet spot of build quality, features, and serviceability that really appeals to me.
What’s been unexpectedly fun is diving into the noise‑reduction tech from the early ’80s that wasn’t Dolby. One standout is Sanyo’s Super-D system, which—judging by the demos I’ve found—can push tape hiss down to practically nothing. The real surprise is how simple the underlying circuitry is. The NE570 compander chip, which sits at the heart of the system, is still being manufactured today. Looking at the schematics, the whole approach is refreshingly straightforward: a variable‑gain amplifier that compresses and expands the signal to fit neatly within the tape’s dynamic limits.
For my level of electronics experience, reasonably extensive due to my experience and education, it’s completely maintainable, even inviting. And based on the YouTube comparisons, Super‑D doesn’t just hold its own against Dolby—it blows past it, all while staying fully analog. It’s a reminder that sometimes the most elegant solutions aren’t the most famous ones.
What’s been unexpectedly fun is diving into the noise‑reduction tech from the early ’80s that wasn’t Dolby. One standout is Sanyo’s Super-D system, which—judging by the demos I’ve found—can push tape hiss down to practically nothing. The real surprise is how simple the underlying circuitry is. The NE570 compander chip, which sits at the heart of the system, is still being manufactured today. Looking at the schematics, the whole approach is refreshingly straightforward: a variable‑gain amplifier that compresses and expands the signal to fit neatly within the tape’s dynamic limits.
For my level of electronics experience, reasonably extensive due to my experience and education, it’s completely maintainable, even inviting. And based on the YouTube comparisons, Super‑D doesn’t just hold its own against Dolby—it blows past it, all while staying fully analog. It’s a reminder that sometimes the most elegant solutions aren’t the most famous ones.
(no subject)
Feb. 1st, 2026 03:51 amfarsidecomics_feed“Oh, no! I have several others—Oggy here is just a tad aggressive, so he has to stay in a cage.”
more spring flowers
Jan. 31st, 2026 10:39 ambookscorpion posting in common_nature
my spring flowers are in full bloom now, and there's more to come still
Cakes and cars
Jan. 30th, 2026 11:31 pmloganberrybunnyPublic
364/365: Jaguar XJ8, Bewdley
Click for a larger, sharper image
I went to the Courtyard down by the river this afternoon for a quick break. A pot of tea and a Biscoff cheesecake; the latter was larger than I'd expected it to be, but very nice all the same. On the way back I spotted this 2002 Jaguar XJ8 parked in a side street. You don't often see these on the road nowadays, but I've always rather liked them. They were the final evolution of the "classic" Jaguar saloon style that began with the Jaguar Mark X in 1961, and were discontinued in 2009.
364/365: Jaguar XJ8, Bewdley
Click for a larger, sharper image
I went to the Courtyard down by the river this afternoon for a quick break. A pot of tea and a Biscoff cheesecake; the latter was larger than I'd expected it to be, but very nice all the same. On the way back I spotted this 2002 Jaguar XJ8 parked in a side street. You don't often see these on the road nowadays, but I've always rather liked them. They were the final evolution of the "classic" Jaguar saloon style that began with the Jaguar Mark X in 1961, and were discontinued in 2009.
Sunsets and Woodpecker
Jan. 30th, 2026 03:29 pmyourlibrarian posting in common_nature
This photo wasn't the year's first sunset but rather the first one that was really a "wow". Loved the colors.
( Read more... )
Friday
Jan. 30th, 2026 08:39 amsusandennisLeft over from yesterday:
1. The IRS was a letter telling me not to forget to declare the $400 they paid me in interest as income. Bite me.
2. The screaming shelter in place thing turned out to be a test or mistake or something. After about an hour of radio silence, we got an email that didn't really explain it or give instructions. Turns out only 2 floors got the warning. The End. Lordhelpus if there ever really is a disaster.
Also I recently heard of several people who live here and currently have working guns in their apartment. It is against the rules and when you ask specifically (which I did) you are told there are none. So old people shooting rampage. Could be a thing.
I got up this morning and had some oatmeal and internet and then went and had a wonderful swim. No one but me and my music was excellent.
I need to go out today. Safeway - oatmeal and I forgetwhatelse but I have a list. And Hobby Lobby - Martha says some of my bunnies need to be brown, not white. Plus the current crop is eating up all my white yarn at an alarming rate. And I need a frame and a small shadow box.
I have a Wyze scale. I step on it in the morning and it measures everything. My weight, my BMI, my body fat, my muscle mass, body water, bone mass, etc, fuck, it probably measures the weight over everyone I talk to in a day and their attitude. BUT, at the bottom of the list, it gives me my metabolic age. I will be 77 in March of this year but Wyze tells me my metabolic age is 74. Wyze had 3 scales, I bought the middle one. Wonder if I had gone for the top of the line, they would have shaved another year or two off. I also wonder what age I'd be if I were not 100 pounds overweight and grossly out of shape. 50? or 40?
I started reading a book last night that had the most annoying character in it. I decided to give it one night before I gave up. And then, glory be! The annoying character went missing which seems to be the plot of the book so if she says gone the whole time, then maybe? But, what if I don't want her to be found will that kill the plot for me? I think I'll give it another night.
Endurance auto shit. And Endurance life insurance. I get 3 to 4 emails of these a day - they are so clearly spam - they don't even have alpha characters in their feakin' title. I mark them as spam every time and yet, Google still thinks they are not. I keep hoping they will go away and they keep not going away.
The Mariners announced their TV deal yesterday. There will be a cable channel and it will, likely, cost a fortune. There will be a channel add on for the streaming service - also no cost announced. BUT if all you want is Mariners - $20 a month or $100 a year. Since I paid $70 a month for the stupid add on and one year it was $100 a month, I think this is a heck of deal even if I will have to watch it on mute. And it is unclear how much more I will have to pay to get other games. I haven't decided if I'm still a Phillies fan or not :) I guess it depends on the price.
1. The IRS was a letter telling me not to forget to declare the $400 they paid me in interest as income. Bite me.
2. The screaming shelter in place thing turned out to be a test or mistake or something. After about an hour of radio silence, we got an email that didn't really explain it or give instructions. Turns out only 2 floors got the warning. The End. Lordhelpus if there ever really is a disaster.
Also I recently heard of several people who live here and currently have working guns in their apartment. It is against the rules and when you ask specifically (which I did) you are told there are none. So old people shooting rampage. Could be a thing.
I got up this morning and had some oatmeal and internet and then went and had a wonderful swim. No one but me and my music was excellent.
I need to go out today. Safeway - oatmeal and I forgetwhatelse but I have a list. And Hobby Lobby - Martha says some of my bunnies need to be brown, not white. Plus the current crop is eating up all my white yarn at an alarming rate. And I need a frame and a small shadow box.
I have a Wyze scale. I step on it in the morning and it measures everything. My weight, my BMI, my body fat, my muscle mass, body water, bone mass, etc, fuck, it probably measures the weight over everyone I talk to in a day and their attitude. BUT, at the bottom of the list, it gives me my metabolic age. I will be 77 in March of this year but Wyze tells me my metabolic age is 74. Wyze had 3 scales, I bought the middle one. Wonder if I had gone for the top of the line, they would have shaved another year or two off. I also wonder what age I'd be if I were not 100 pounds overweight and grossly out of shape. 50? or 40?
I started reading a book last night that had the most annoying character in it. I decided to give it one night before I gave up. And then, glory be! The annoying character went missing which seems to be the plot of the book so if she says gone the whole time, then maybe? But, what if I don't want her to be found will that kill the plot for me? I think I'll give it another night.
Endurance auto shit. And Endurance life insurance. I get 3 to 4 emails of these a day - they are so clearly spam - they don't even have alpha characters in their feakin' title. I mark them as spam every time and yet, Google still thinks they are not. I keep hoping they will go away and they keep not going away.
The Mariners announced their TV deal yesterday. There will be a cable channel and it will, likely, cost a fortune. There will be a channel add on for the streaming service - also no cost announced. BUT if all you want is Mariners - $20 a month or $100 a year. Since I paid $70 a month for the stupid add on and one year it was $100 a month, I think this is a heck of deal even if I will have to watch it on mute. And it is unclear how much more I will have to pay to get other games. I haven't decided if I'm still a Phillies fan or not :) I guess it depends on the price.