Network

Live Journal history

A lot of us migrated from LJ to Dreamwidth. When this article link popped up on The Rec Center it gave me a piece of history I hadn't known and I wanted to share.

The Linux of social media—How LiveJournal pioneered (then lost) blogging

Like many eventual household names in tech, LiveJournal started as a one-man project on a lark, driven by a techy teenager with too much time on his hands.

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weekly chat

The weekly chat posts are intended for just that, chatting among each other. What are you currently watching? Reading? What actor/idol are you currently following? What are you looking forward to? Are you busy writing, creating art? Or did you have no time at all for anything, and are bemoaning that fact?

Whatever it is, talk to us about it here. Tell us what you liked or didn't like, and if you want to talk about spoilery things, please hide them under either of these codes:
or

(no subject)

Happy birthday,

szandara!

Inspector George Gently: Fanfiction: The Hardest Task

Title: The Hardest Task
Author:

lucy_roman
Rating: Teen and up
Summary/Warnings: George is about to do one of the hardest things he has ever done. Death fic.
Word Count: 260

( The Hardest Task )

Entry tags:

acme,
mail

well, that didn't work - but I have at least three more terrible ideas

( You're about to view content that the journal owner has advised should be viewed with discretion. )

Photo

https://fy-merlinxarthur.tumblr.com/post/817374280673312769

Entry tags:

challenge or exchange

Fic Challenge (Prompt Style)

fkficfest is running again this year!

details here with the pool of prompts.

I've played off and on since 2010, it looks like. Here's what I've done over the years.

2010: Trials of Conscience
2011: To Not Be Alone
2015: Family from the Ashes

2016: Encounter in the Hills
2017: Flicker of a Memory
2018: A Night's Work

2021: Difficult Lesson
2021: Crisis Response
2021: What He Is

2022: Any Regrets?
2024: To Say Goodbye

Current Mood: busy

Entry tags:

recurring posts

Philosophical Questions: Honor

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

What does honor mean to you? How important is it to you? Does your culture value honor? What exemplifies honor in your culture?

"Reputation is what other people know about you. Honor is what you know about yourself.... The friction tends to arise when the two are not the same....There is no more hollow feeling than to stand with your honor shattered at your feet while soaring public reputation wraps you in rewards. That's soul destroying. The other way around is merely very, very irritating."
-- Lois McMaster Bujold, A Civil Campaign

"Guard your honor. Let your reputation fall where it will. And
outlive the bastards."
― Lois McMaster Bujold, A Civil Campaign

Japan’s instant ramen snack theme park features an athletic course even adults can enjoy

Posted by Elliot Hale

https://soranews24.com/2026/05/23/japans-instant-ramen-snack-theme-park-features-an-athletic-course-even-adults-can-enjoy/

https://soranews24.com/?p=733583

Sample ramen pizza, alongside other limited-edition items to pick up, or just make your own treats.

Snacks in Japan come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, from ever-feuding mushrooms and bamboo shoots to make-your-own sweets, but one that I see fairly often in the hands of little children are packets of Baby Star Ramen. A popular snack made of deep-fried, crunchy, bite-sized pieces of instant noodles, Baby Star Ramen came about in 1959 when the founder of Oyatsu Company realized that the broken noodle fragments left at the bottom of instant noodle production lines could actually be seasoned and packaged up as a snack by themselves.

The Oyatsu Company factory is located in Tsu, Mie, and while factory tours are currently suspended, for those who want to dive into the world of Baby Star, right next door is Oyatsu Town, a theme park offering everything from a giant athletic course to making original Baby Star Ramen, as well as limited-edition food you can only eat there, resulting in an enjoyable experience for child and adult alike.

▼ Sadly, no factory tours are currently available.

Our Japanese-language reporter Natsuno Futon visited the theme park with her kids in tow during Golden Week, one of Japan’s busiest periods for travel and day excursions, so upon arriving and noting that same-day entry was limited until after lunch, it wasn’t too unexpected. So, Natsuno’s first recommendation for any future visit is to always reserve your entry tickets in advance, particularly if you plan to go on a weekend or holiday.

Arriving at the entrance, the first thing to welcome Natsuno and her family was a giant Baby Star photo spot, appearing as if Baby Star was flowing like a waterfall, along with a spot where you could get inside a Butamen cup, Oyatsu Company’s line of instant cup noodles, adorned with designs of Hoshio-kun, the Baby Star Ramen mascot.

Peak season entry is 2,500 yen (US$15.70) for adults, whereas it drops down to 2,200 yen during the Regular days, and 1,600 yen for the Value days.

It’s best to check the company website for absolute clarity, but the general rule seems to be Saturday through Monday is Regular, Tuesday through Friday is Value, and national holidays like Golden Week in May and Obon in August are Peak.

▼ Natsuno couldn’t help but take one last look at the factory, as she really enjoys factory tours, but it sadly wasn’t to be.

Stepping inside, Natsuno was greeted with the company’s history spread out on the floor, designed almost like a board game.

It was quite interesting to learn that the name change to Oyatsu Company was an unexpectedly recent development.

▼ Not at all spoken through the pitch-black sunglasses of denial: 1993 is still very recent.

Proceeding further inwards, a giant athletic area appears, teeming with the Golden Week crowd of people.

While as an adult, Natsuno tends to curb her childhood playfulness and instead let her children loose to gallivant through play areas, she couldn’t quite restrain herself from wanting to join in on the fun. Looking around, she could even see many adults playing there quite seriously, so she embraced her inner child and entered the play equipment.

Among them, what was particularly enjoyable was the Hoshio-kun Giant Slide, which gets quite a bit of speed.

▼ They’re even considerate enough to provide wrap-around skirts to make sliding even more speedy.

The Super Giant Butamen-kun Adventure and Giant Jungle Gym are also extremely fun.

Since you walk on the net, the stimulation to the soles of your feet is amazing, nearing the level where you might mistake it for a minor piece of health equipment.

▼ Natsuno is still a child at heart, she promises.

The most popular one, though, is the giant athletic course consisting of three whole floors, which are divided by height; the first floor is for small children, but the second and third floors offer up more of a challenge.

Natsuno ventured up to the third floor together with her children but had to retire halfway through for a very specific reason: her sweaty hands.

It’s a little difficult to see in the image below, but this is a course where you have to move forward while moving around the outside of orange bars that bulge outward.

With hands that get particularly sweaty, Natsuno could just foresee herself slipping off due to them. Yet, because she wanted to show her children an inspirational figure that takes on challenges even in the face of adversity, plus it was too frustrating to just give up, she attempted it a second time and cleared it safely. However, she later heard from her children, “since we were moving ahead of you, we couldn’t see you.” Sad though she was, she still felt a sense of accomplishment, so it wasn’t all bad.

▼ There is even a section of the park dedicated to interactive digital content that kids can have fun with.

Next, the family moved on to the experience of making Baby Star at Hoshio-kun Kitchen, where you can make your very own original Baby Star Ramen.

For an additional 1,000 yen each to the park entrance fee, the children challenged the “My Special Baby Star,” where you can choose your favorite flavor from several types, season it yourself, and then have the staff bake it for you in the oven.

Natsuno had reserved in advance, but there seemed to be sufficient availability that you could even reserve on the day itself.

After completing the ramen, you put stickers on the original container, though her children instead opted to put on only a few, saving the rest for later to add to their sticker collection albums.

The family came away from the experience with the children beaming with happiness and proud faces for their new creations.

However, being hungry, they decided to swing by Baby Star Dining, where you can savor original foods using Baby Star, such as Baby Star Katsu Curry.

Among them all, Natsuno can personally recommend the pizza, particularly the limited-time Pink Butamen Gratin Pizza, being a lot more authentic than expected.

It’s baked in a pizza oven, so you get that classic pizza base texture, and the pink coloring is added via beetroot instead of food coloring.

The appearance certainly has quite the impact, referencing Butamen and its pig mascot, but the taste has no unexpected quirks and is extremely delicious.

▼ The Ramen Pizza was also full of ingredients and highly satisfying.

Of course, you can eat freshly-fried Baby Star Ramen.

At the gift shop Oyatsu Marche, limited-edition products and character goods are lined up, with Natsuno being drawn to all of the Butamen goods. He just has such a charming presence…

Natsuno also discovered Baby Star limited to Oyatsu Town, this time purchasing the Spiny Lobster Flavor (850 yen for a pack of six), and found it to have a very strong shrimp taste, both rich and delicious.

There was also a cute, little steel suitcase-like container that you could stuff your favorite Baby Star flavors into for just 1,700 yen.

Before walking through the doors, Natsuno had assumed she would be entering a facility designed just for children, but she ended up, even as an adult, enjoying it with all her might.

In the end, from their 10:30 a.m. start, they stayed fully until the closing time at 5:00 p.m., staying more than six hours. With the addition of a new area opening in Spring 2027, there will be even more to get lost in, although prospective visitors should take note that the park will be closed from January 12, 2027, to prepare for this new opening.

Whether you visit with kids or not, it’s all but guaranteed you’ll have a great time exploring Oyatsu Town, just remember to book in advance on the weekends and holidays.

Location information
Oyatsu Town / おやつタウン
Address: Mie-ken, Tsu-shi, Mori-cho 1945-11
三重県津市森町1945-11
Open: 10:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m. (Tuesday–Friday), 10:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. (Saturdays and Mondays), 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. (Sundays) However, times can change, so check the website for up-to-date information
Closed: Irregular Days
Website

Photos ©SoraNews24
● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

https://soranews24.com/2026/05/23/japans-instant-ramen-snack-theme-park-features-an-athletic-course-even-adults-can-enjoy/

https://soranews24.com/?p=733583

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"plants will find a way" (rich)

♥ Okay I got two more alt brick trees, a maple and a pine, with a cherry tree on the way. Every scene needs more trees. And birds. (At least Lumibricks agrees with me about water; I appreciate that so much of their stuff includes a water feature.) I will have more nature in my plastic toy bricks.

♥ It seems I have an Easter cactus. One of my neighbors was getting rid of an unidentified succulent last year and offered it to me (somewhat apologetically, she thought it looked terrible) so I poured a bunch of water over it and left it on the back porch for a few months until winter came, then I brought it in and put it under a light. This week it started to bloom.

♥ The gardens are starting to look like something and I spent almost two hours watering today, so I definitely do not need any more plants, which is why we're only going to one plant sale this weekend. I think last year's intensive watering effort is paying off: some of the things that hadn't grown in years are bigger, and some of the things I thought were goners are cheerfully waving their hopeful little leaves in the air.

♥ Since January, I've been taking some herbal stuff for focus and cognitive function, and I feel like it's significantly improved my ability to remember, focus on, and complete tasks. A few days ago I found some detailed to-do lists from last summer that made me realize my executive function has improved much more than I realized. It was surprising to find such solid evidence of change.

♥ evildea has shared his first 50-hour update from the lingopie challenge. He started about two weeks ahead of me and he remains about two weeks ahead of me. This is very motivating to me, since I feel like we're starting with similar Chinese levels. So it's like that t-shirt one of my basketball-loving classmates used to wear in middle school:

"Somewhere someone is practicing while I'm stuck in school. One day I will meet him in head to head competition, and he will beat me."

Jia you.

Current Mood: tired
Current Music: Wednesday

Entry tags:

Please drive in the center of the lane

Yeah lane assist, I'd do that IF I could see it. It rained for 335 miles from my door to

evil_little_dog's. Some places I couldn't even see. From Cincinnati to Louisville I'm not sure we ever got above 25 mph.

Luckily it was mostly uneventful (lots of accidents none near me) and the Jetta gets surprisingly good gas mileage.

have some recs for fannish 50

Undeserved Mercy Torchwood

Through The Ring Stargate Atlantis

Live! Starsky & Hutch

Musical The Owl House

Soulmate The Owl House

Protocol Torchwood

All Roads Lead To Haven Hazbin Hotel

Childhood The Owl House

Opposite Hazbin Hotel

Gambler's Fallacy Hornblower - C. S. Forester Hornblower

Unwritten 镇魂 | Guardian

Recuperation 9-1-1

Handyman Teen Wolf

Flyer Derby The Owl House

Picnic The Owl House

Play Time Teen Wolf

captivated captive Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates

Horror (Movie) The Owl House

Seasons The Owl House

Cozy Evening Stargate Atlantis

Before The End Torchwood

Human Realm The Owl House

Fairytale The Owl House

The Salvage Yard The Trixie Belden Mysteries - Julie Campbell Tatham & Kathryn KennyThe Three Investigators | Die drei

Bedridden Teen Wolf

Normal-ish Hazbin Hotel

Learning to Compromise Teen Wolf

Tiny Tots Splash Time at Sholem Aquatic Center

Posted by From The Editors

https://www.chambanamoms.com/2026/05/22/tiny-tots-splash-time-sholem-aquatic-center/

https://www.chambanamoms.com/?p=1106077

Parents of babies and toddlers will want to know about this perfect outing for warm summer mornings at Sholem Aquatic Center

Nothing says summer more than a sweet morning splashing around with young children when the pool is open just for them

You can find families with young children at playgrounds, libraries, the mall and so many other places. No matter what time of year it is, anyone watching babies, toddlers and preschoolers will tell you how important it is to get OUT and do things in the morning to ensure that oh-so-precious nap time arrives just as it should after lunch time.

During the summer months in Champaign-Urbana, we have one more option to add to the list — tiny tots splash time at Sholem! We love Sholem Aquatic Center for about a dozen reasons and tiny tots splash time is just one of them.

Tot Swim at Sholem Aquatic Center

Important Info

What: Tiny Tots Splash Time at Sholem Aquatic Center
Who: Ages 5 and under with parent/guardian
When: Monday – Friday 8:30 – 11:30 a.m.; Saturday – Sunday 8:30 – 10:45 a.m., except for a few days here and there (click on Tiny Tots Splash Time for specific dates)
How much: $5 (resident) per person; free for season pass holders. Children ages 2 and under are free with a paying adult.

Tot splash Sholem

Know Before You Go

Packing for a visit to tiny tots time is just like a visit to the pool during any other hours. The only difference is that you will spend your entire visit in the fenced-in kiddie pool. Approved swim diapers are required for all children that wear diapers. The other areas at Sholem are being used in different ways (or not open) during this time.

You may want to confirm everything is still on before you go, as this can get canceled sometimes if the weather is not cooperating. You can check the Champaign Park District Rainout Line or sometimes find info on the Sholem Facebook page.

The kiddie pool at Sholem is a very shallow splash pool with some water spray features and an adorable turtle slide (shown below) in the middle. Children can safely maneuver up the stairs and down the slide and walk or crawl around under the watchful eyes of their parent and the Sholem lifeguards on duty.

It is worth noting that the concession stand is not open during tot swim hours, so pack those snacks and plenty of water before you leave home.

Sholem Tot Swim

Final thoughts

If you hold a Sholem season pass and are planning on staying for open swim when it opens for pass holders, you will have to pack up when tiny tots swim wraps up, exit Sholem Aquatic Center and re-enter when swim time begins.

Whether you go to splash time just once or twice a summer or you make it a regular part of your summer routine, you’ll definitely meet other adults you have something in common with — a great part of any great baby/toddler outing — and your child is going to have a fun time, too. It definitely checks the box of ensuring you have a quiet rest of the day while your little recoups from all that fresh air and splish-splash fun!

Looking for more to do with babies and toddlers in Champaign-Urbana? We have ideas for you here.

Get ready for summer in Champaign-Urbana:

The post Tiny Tots Splash Time at Sholem Aquatic Center appeared first on ChambanaMoms.com.

https://www.chambanamoms.com/2026/05/22/tiny-tots-splash-time-sholem-aquatic-center/

https://www.chambanamoms.com/?p=1106077

Splash Pads Around Champaign-Urbana

Posted by From The Editors

https://www.chambanamoms.com/2026/05/22/champaign-urbana-mahomet-splash-spray-pads/

https://www.chambanamoms.com/?p=1106071

Your children can splash away the summer at Champaign-Urbana area splash pads

These free, water-based playgrounds (or spray-grounds) are open for family fun all summer long in Champaign, Urbana and surrounding communities

From Champaign to Mahomet, Rantoul to Bloomington, there are numerous splash pads that Champaign-Urbana area families can visit during summertime months. Some are newer than others, some have more bells and whistles, but all of them prove to be great for keeping cool and staying on a budget.

Splash Pads around Champaign-Urbana

Favorite Splash Pads near Champaign-Urbana

Human Kinetics Park, Champaign

The newest splash pad in C-U is at Human Kinetics Park on the north side of Champaign. Runs 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., seven days a week, Memorial Day until Labor Day.

Splash pad at Human Kinetics Park

Barber Park, Mahomet

Mahomet’s Barber Park is sure to have lots of visitors this summer. The splash pad features a dumping bucket (!) and will be turned on from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. There is also an inclusive playground that your kids will want to visit again and again.

Splash pad in Mahomet's Barber Park

Hessel Park, Champaign

Perhaps the most famous splash pad in Champaign-Urbana, Hessel Park has been there for far longer than this generation of today’s kids. The Champaign Park District property was updated in 2018 with new water features and many improvements. Runs 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., seven days a week, Memorial Day until Labor Day. It has a theme of bugs/critters and your kids are sure to find this adorable. A handful of nearby benches are available. The bathrooms, if you’ve not experienced them before, have the feel of pool bathrooms.

Douglass Park, Champaign

Not as “famous” as Hessel Park but nearly equal in size and features, the Douglass Park splash pad is on the same block as the Douglass Branch Library and at the same park that features a real “fitness trail.” This splash pad is typically much less crowded than Hessel (the secret is out now!) and it is another great spot to set up camp for a couple hours while the kids play. Bathrooms are available at the community center (located on the same property). Runs 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., seven days a week, Memorial Day until Labor Day.

Douglass Park splash pad

Rantoul Sports Complex

The splash pad at the Rantoul Sports Complex highlights sports-themed features and offers a great way for kids to cool down before, during or after a game at the adjacent sports complex. It is famous for turning on before Memorial Day (the only one on our list!)

You’ll find it running, weather-permitting, during summer days and special events. A mud-free playground also opened next to the splash pad, so you can really have a good time letting your kids burn off some summer energy here. Located right off the Rantoul exit from Interstate 57.

Rantoul splash pad

Miller Park, Bloomington

This splash pad is located outside Miller Park Zoo in Bloomington-Normal, just under an hour’s drive from the heart of Champaign-Urbana. Why do we think it is worth the drive? The abundance of water features, for starters! This splash pad is HUGE. We don’t have the specifics on square footage, but we can tell you it feels gigantic compared to the other splash pads on our list. Kids can aim the sprayers towards other kids running around the splash pad (or siblings, ahem) and get just as soaked as they would in a pool. So don’t skip the swimsuits if you’re coming to this destination. Note: We’ve been known to trek over with our littles JUST for the splash pad, without even venturing to the zoo located across the park from here. It is a trip in and of itself.

Splash Pad at Miller Park in Bloomington, IL — Miller Park Splash Pad in Bloomington.

Homer Village Park

The park in downtown Homer is a lovely place to head with your kiddos to cool off in a shaded playground with a water play option. If you are looking for a quiet, small-town park feel, Homer is the splash pad for you. It is much smaller than the other options on this list, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be a welcome outing for your kids, especially younger ones.

Homer Lake Playscape

Want another water play option in Homer? Be sure to visit the natural playscape at Homer Lake. Not a splash pad, but another free option to get cooled off (pictured below).

Homer Lake playscape

Arcola: Moore Park

Opened in 2023, Arcola’s Moore Park now includes a splash pad.

Get ready for summer in Champaign-Urbana:

The post Splash Pads Around Champaign-Urbana appeared first on ChambanaMoms.com.

https://www.chambanamoms.com/2026/05/22/champaign-urbana-mahomet-splash-spray-pads/

https://www.chambanamoms.com/?p=1106071

Current Mood: busy

Entry tags:

Gardening

'Roly-poly' Bugs Are Great Garden Composters

A detritivorous diet increases the speed of decomposition in dead plants, animals or poop, increasing the bioavailability of nutrients in the soil. This gives plants a higher chance of survival by providing better quality soil. It's not just what roly-poly bugs add to the soil, but what they take out too.

Turns out these guys love heavy metals. After studying the composition of their insides, scientists found that roly-poly bugs ingest a lot of heavy metal contamination from our soil. That's why they can live and thrive in areas contaminated with toxins like lead, cadmium and arsenic. Once they've ingested these toxins, they become crystallized within their guts, meaning a construction site contaminated with heavy metals could effectively be cleaned by a bunch of hungry roly-poly bugs.

Here at Fieldhaven, we have lots of pillbugs. I saw some crawling around the new picnic table garden the other day, attracted by the soil in the pots. Aside from performing useful tasks themselves, they also tend to carry other soil organisms along with them, which boosts the bioactivity and health of the soil. You can attract them by putting a handful of damp, dead leaves under a weight such as a brick or a pot.

Current Mood: busy

Entry tags:

Science

Einstein’s “wormhole” may actually reveal a hidden mirror of time

What if wormholes were never cosmic tunnels at all? New research suggests Einstein and Rosen’s famous “bridge” may actually reveal something even stranger: time itself could flow in two directions at once. Instead of connecting distant places in space, these bridges may connect mirror versions of time deep inside quantum physics, potentially solving the long-standing black hole information paradox and hinting that our universe existed before the Big Bang.

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This that and the other thingamagig

1. Mother won't stop bugging me about finalizing a will.

Mother is like a dog with a bone about my will. Every other month - she'll harp on it. Latest? Telling me horror stories about her friend's children who don't have wills.

( mother drives me crazy about the damn will )

As an aside? It's not like I haven't drawn one up yet or investigated it. ( Read more... )

As I attempted to explain to Mother - I only procrastinate about things I don't know what to do, or how to make them work. Also dealing with my brother makes me crazy.

Sigh. Hell is other people.

2. Should we be permitted to critique and analyze and/or review fanfiction (and/or fanworks)? Or is it understood to be off-limits by polite society?

There is an on-going argument about whether people should be "permitted" to critique and/or review fanfiction. And how fanfiction should be either protected, shielded, or off limits to any and all sorts of criticism. (ie. We much protect fanfic writers, who just want to have fun and not create anything of lasting impact or value.) - that's not quite a direct quote but close of a fan and former editor on Threads. [I'd tell you who - but I can't spell the name, or find it again. It's Threads.]

This begs the question? If criticism or reviews are off limits for fanfic, then are kudos or positive feedback off limits too? Should we just pretend it doesn't exist, and not respond to it at all? Or is only validation and supportive kudos permitted?

The latest spiel about how it should be off-limits to any and all sorts of criticism came once again from the Buffy fandom (do other fandoms do this? I presume so? But I'm not certain?) and it was on Threads. (This individual thought of themselves as old school fandom - since they went all the way back to the dark ages of 2007. I thought, no, hon, that's not old school fandom. Old school fandom is the 1960s with Star Trek and Doctor Who, before you could post a fic to over a million readers on the internet. Back then, they published it in fanzines handed out at conventions. (I found this out from Star Trek and Doctor Who fans.). And old school Buffy fandom goes back to the late 1990s and up to roughly 2004, when the show was airing living. You're not that old. (Not that old school fandom doesn't necessarily agree with your sentiment - the last argument I had on the topic was with someone twenty years older than me, and who dated back to the dark ages of fandom - 1960s Doctor Who.)

I flirted with responding and chose not to - it wouldn't end well. (Been there done that...back when I actually bothered to review and critique it. I don't do that any longer - either.) It never does end well. Note: Never argue with someone on Threads, Twitter, Bluesky or on social media who is in sermon mode or rant mode or on their holier than thou soap box - it won't end well. I have the battle scars to prove it.

But it is something I want to discuss? Preferably not with someone who feels strongly about it? (I don't read or critique fanfic any longer folks, I can't remember when I last critiqued or reviewed it? It was THAT long ago. And the folks whose fanfic I did critique? Are long gone from Dreamwidth and the fandom. So, even if I disagree with you? I'm hardly a threat.)

( Should critiques of Fan-fiction be Permitted Online? )

3. Barnes and Nobel announced it would sell AI Books. And the internet along with various co-workers have been debating whether they should boycott Barnes and Nobel. (Poor B&N, just when they had made a comeback and were seen as the golden child in comparison to evil Amazon. Although, I've got news for people - AI written books are most likely in Amazon, and various independent bookstores as well. They aren't that selective on the books they sell us.]

To be fair, that's not exactly what they said?
( Read more... )
[Cubicle aisle mate and I decided we weren't going to exactly boycott B&N, just not buy as many books there. We'd both started buying them again, because we'd learned we didn't own them on the kindle.
( Read more... )
I think there's a high possibility people will buy them. There's a lot of books out there that kind of written that way already, formulaic and paint by numbers.

4. Actors and AI (And James Marsters' sexy Spike as a Rock and Roller video)

I can see why Actors fear it - it's relatively easy to grab an actor's likeness and enhance it with AI or alter it, or have AI take over. I see it on Facebook and Instagram constantly.

Heck, James Marsters recently put out a music video of his band's song, Civilized Man, where he's playing the guitar shirtless, and looks 35 years of age. I'm willing to bet he used AI? Even though it comes with the disclaimer that this video used no digital effects. (So maybe not?) I wonder why he didn't do it while he was playing Spike? Whedon probably wouldn't let him? Or it never occurred to him? He really should do the Bruce Springsteen's "Fire" song in Spike get up.

( James Marsters playing Spike as a Rock and Roller in Civilized Man )

Proving that he'd have no problems coming back as Spike in the Buffy Reboot. Annoying me all the more with the missed opportunities. I really wanted rock star Spike. Even as just a cameo.

At the very least AI may wreck havoc on the plastic surgery industry.
It works better on film than plastic surgery does.

Entry tags:

fandom: oasis

it's been a great few weeks in Oasis land <3

+ Liam and Noel have been going to football matches together, along with various combinations of Liam's kids Gene and Lennon and Noel's kids Anais, Sonny, and Donovan. Liam and Noel's first time hanging out in public since like 2008?? Some great photos and short clips, but this one from last weekend has got to be the best. The full belly laugh, head thrown back! Noel trying ever more insistently to get his attention again because he wasn't finished yet!!

Bonus: Anais thinks her uncle is funny. ;__;

+ Speaking of the kids, here's how the comeback is going from their perspective:
( cut for image )

+ The reunion tour documentary has an official release date! And it's going to have JOINT INTERVIEWS, YOU GUYS. Liam and Noel in the same room, answering questions. Can you even fucking imagine. They haven't done one of those since 2005. Noel is going to laugh at all Liam's jokes and Liam is going to be SO SMUG about it. I'm going to see this IN A THEATER and I am going to dieeeeee.

+ Of course twitter asked Liam about this, and his response was:

People asking me what the documentary's like it's a ROMANTIC COMEDY with a bit of ROCK N ROLL

He later said that the romance would be between "us and the fans," but we know the truth. :')

+ And finally, have this old clip I found of Liam at a gig singing I waited for a thousand years for you to come / and take me from behind.

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Daily Happiness

1. It's the start of a three day weekend! I'm very excited about that. No particular plans, but an extra day off work is exciting on its own.

2. The weather is back to high 60s/low 70s after those couple days of heat we had earlier this week. I just checked the forecast and it looks like it'll stay that way for the next week or so at least.

3. I just happened to look at the calendar for next month and saw that my birthday is on a Friday, so I put in for that day and the Monday to give myself a four day weekend.

4. Where could Ollie be!?

Current Mood: busy

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Summer of the 69

summerofthe69 has posted its theme calendar. There are some double themes this year. The fest will run 6/9 through 9/6. This activity may appeal to people with writing, art, romantic, and/or blogging goals.

Current Mood: frustrated
Current Location: my apartment

Entry tags:

(no subject)

Insurance did indeed decline to cover my dermatology appointment, saying I did not have a valid referral (since the nurse signed it instead of the doctor.) I had called my insurance company and asked if that would be okay, and was told yes. That's the second time I've tried to be ~responsible~ and call in advance to ask if something would be covered, and the second time I've been told yes, it would not be an issue, and the second time that was not true.

Since we're heading into a holiday weekend, I'll call them on Tuesday, but I am not particularly hopeful that it will help. I called about the previous "you needed a referral" issue, was told that it should be easy to resubmit with the info that this was my PCP, was told they were doing that... and it changed nothing.

So I'm pretty well fucked, even if both biopsies come back as clear. If one or both don't... welp, guess I can wait for the melanoma to kill me, because I'm already basically a full paycheck in the hole by the time I pay for the shit they're already not covering, not even counting the few hundred I've had to shell out in the copays. ~~No, I'll figure out what I need to do to get the melanomas removed if need be, I'm sure, but fucking hell.~~

Right now I'm just very pissed off, and really am struggling to do any of the mildly responsible but low-stakes things that I was planning on. I don't want to reply to comments. I don't want to write book reviews. But I don't want to just sit here and keep being pissed off and anxious about it, either. >:/

I know I can't do anything about it until Tuesday, so I sort of want to just forget about it for a couple days, but I also know I won't.