Unshelved strip originally published on Wed, 23 Sep 2015
Dec. 27th, 2025 12:00 am![[syndicated profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/feed.png){kind=small}
unshelved_feedThis classic Unshelved strip originally appeared on Wed, 23 Sep 2015.
unshelved_feed
For Sale: Nintendo Switch games
Dec. 26th, 2025 02:58 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
settiaiI've made this post a number of times without any luck, but I wanted to try again just in case I have better luck this time. Would anyone be interested in any of the following Nintendo Switch games?
Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! (example on Amazon)
Spyro Reignited Trilogy (example on Amazon)
TemTem (example on Amazon)
If you're not interested but know someone who might be, please point them my way.
For payment, I have CashApp ($Settiai), PayPal, Venmo, or Zelle (nancy.lynn.foster@gmail.com).
Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! (example on Amazon)
Spyro Reignited Trilogy (example on Amazon)
TemTem (example on Amazon)
If you're not interested but know someone who might be, please point them my way.
For payment, I have CashApp ($Settiai), PayPal, Venmo, or Zelle (nancy.lynn.foster@gmail.com).
Unshelved strip originally published on Tue, 22 Sep 2015
Dec. 26th, 2025 12:00 amunshelved_feedThis classic Unshelved strip originally appeared on Tue, 22 Sep 2015.
Christmas Breakfast (Brunch, Lunch, Dinner...)
Dec. 25th, 2025 03:14 pmsettiai
My parents have a lot of issues, but they always send me a care package every year with various Southern foods in it that I can't easily get up here. One of them is country ham. It's delicious but very difficult to cook because it smokes so much, so I ended up giving away the ham they sent me last year because I couldn't make it without setting off the smoke alarm in the hotel.
I tried something new thing this year, though, and apparently cooking country ham in the air fryer works pretty damn well.
Graphic Novel Review: Muybridge by Guy Delisle
Dec. 25th, 2025 03:19 pmlibrary_comic_feed
Muybridge by Guy Delisle. Translation by Helge Dascher and Rob Aspinall. Drawn & Quarterly, 2025. 9781770467729. 218pp. Includes credits for all photos in the book and a timeline of the lives of the artists, photographers, and others appearing in the book.
On the first page of this graphic novel, Delisle summarizes the mystery of the galloping horse and shows Muybridge in the last “panel” as the young Englishman who would eventually solve the mystery (while working for Leland Stanford). What Delisle doesn’t say is that in pioneering the photographic methods that solved that mystery, Muybridge became the first person to animate photographs, leading to movies and more.
Muybridge’s story begins in 1850 when he arrives in New York and becomes a bookseller. “This wasn’t the adventure he had hoped for.” Ha. He went to San Francisco, where he met a friend working for a portrait photographer. And the rest is history, kinda. After failing at the American dream, a gruesome accident, and a return to England to recover, Muybridge returned to the US as a photographer. Not too much later, he headed west and took pictures of the then-unknown Yosemite Valley. The rest of his story is crazy — it includes not only the history of photography and early filmmaking but also a murder and more.
Delisle includes photos as part of the narrative, both by Muybridge and others. I haven’t seen photos this well integrated into a graphic novel since reading Guibert’s The Photographer.
My favorite moment of the book is when, after achieving fame for his photos of a galloping horse, Muybridge decides to capture the motion of other animals and people. This is Victorian times, and he wants people to be photographed nude to show their bodies in motion, but no one will do it. This is why there is a 12-photo sequence of a naked Muybridge, age forty-eight, swinging a pickax. That’s dedication. (My second favorite, and the most unexpected moment, is Delisle’s note about how Muybridge’s techniques led to the way the action sequences in The Matrix were filmed. Very cool.)
A good thread on Terrible Dickens Sequels
Dec. 25th, 2025 09:43 amwondermark_feedOver on Bluesky, Ryan Estrada has done a deep dive on the 22 (!) Christmas stories that Dickens wrote in the aftermath of the success of A Christmas Carol.
An old thread is making the rounds again, so here's an updated version. Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol is one of the most enduring and adapted works of literature in history. But did you know that he wrote 22 sequels? Some are great! Some are trash! Some are bizarrely fascinating.
— Ryan Estrada (@ryanestrada.com) December 24, 2025 at 6:24 PM
[image or embed]
Advent Calendar: Tea
Dec. 24th, 2025 10:16 pmsettiaiConsidering the state of my finances this year, I wasn't expecting to be able to get the Adagio advent calendar for December. Someone sent me a gift card as an early Christmas present, though, so I got to stick with the tradition after all.
It was 24 days for a total of 24 different teas, and - as usual - they tried to provide a fairly nice mix of very different types of teas. Some were great, some very much weren't, but they were all definitely different.
( Teas under the cut. )
It was 24 days for a total of 24 different teas, and - as usual - they tried to provide a fairly nice mix of very different types of teas. Some were great, some very much weren't, but they were all definitely different.
( Teas under the cut. )
Unshelved strip originally published on Mon, 21 Sep 2015
Dec. 25th, 2025 12:00 amunshelved_feedThis classic Unshelved strip originally appeared on Mon, 21 Sep 2015.
The Mighty Nein 1x08
Dec. 24th, 2025 06:20 pmsettiaiContinuing on my previously posted thoughts about episode 1x07, I just finished watching episode 1x08.
( Spoilers under the cut. )
( Spoilers under the cut. )
Yuletide
Dec. 24th, 2025 04:56 pmsettiaiYuletide just went live a little while ago, and I got not one but two lovely gifts!
(And, for the record, I opened both of them immediately upon golive before things glitched, so I haven't seen the writers yet and intentionally am avoiding looking to try to keep myself surprised since I know the mods are manually going through and fixing it right now.)
First up is my main gift, the kid is the turf for Home Alone. Some amazing person took my link to to a Bluesky post from last year ("the Wet Bandits team up against another burglar duo going after Kevin because he is *their* kid") and went with it, and it's brilliant. Gen. 3,489 words.
The second fic was a gorgeous treat for Stealing Fire by Jo Graham (part of the Numinous World series) called Her Last Confession. It focuses on Thais, written in the format of her speaking to Alexander decades upon decades after his death. Gen, with background F/M and M/M. 6,796 words.
As for my own fics, I ended up writing a fair number this year. I didn't beat my record from 2023 (ten fics), but I came close.
(And, for the record, I opened both of them immediately upon golive before things glitched, so I haven't seen the writers yet and intentionally am avoiding looking to try to keep myself surprised since I know the mods are manually going through and fixing it right now.)
First up is my main gift, the kid is the turf for Home Alone. Some amazing person took my link to to a Bluesky post from last year ("the Wet Bandits team up against another burglar duo going after Kevin because he is *their* kid") and went with it, and it's brilliant. Gen. 3,489 words.
The second fic was a gorgeous treat for Stealing Fire by Jo Graham (part of the Numinous World series) called Her Last Confession. It focuses on Thais, written in the format of her speaking to Alexander decades upon decades after his death. Gen, with background F/M and M/M. 6,796 words.
As for my own fics, I ended up writing a fair number this year. I didn't beat my record from 2023 (ten fics), but I came close.
Unshelved strip originally published on Fri, 18 Sep 2015
Dec. 24th, 2025 12:00 amunshelved_feedThis classic Unshelved strip originally appeared on Fri, 18 Sep 2015.
Secrets Post #941
Dec. 26th, 2025 05:00 pmfrancinefrenski posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
officialsimsecret WARNINGS -> Animated .gif -> The Sims Stories -> Homicidal Santa |
001.
( + 17 more )
>NOTICES & REMINDERS:
Next week's Submissions is here.
Please click here to report any comments that break our rules or the Dreamwidth TOS.
Comments may be screened and/or CAPTCHAs enabled due to spam.
Have a happy new year!
Submission Post #942
Dec. 26th, 2025 05:00 pmfrancinefrenski posting in officialsimsecret1) Comments are screened, but please submit secrets anonymously.
2) Host your images at an image sharing website such as postimages.org. If it goes against their TOS you can host it elsewhere. Please provide the URL to the actual picture, nothing else. You don't need to code it (and DreamWidth doesn't use BB/forum code, so stop it). Just paste the "Direct link for layouts" into the comment box. If you want an image that lasts forever [for whatever reason], you can upload it to Tumblr and then delete it after you grab the image link, as that will remain active forever.
3) WCIF and help requests won't be posted. You can use Google instead.
4) Secrets must be somehow related to The Sims games. Whether it's a gameplay secret or a non-game secret that uses the game to illustrate it. To count as sims-related, the secret must contain either a reference to the games or related materials OR a picture from the games, with the exception of usernames and profile/banner images, etc. Vague references to "content" or "story" are only accepted if the mods can recognize that it is in fact sims-related.
5) Further rules/recommendations are normally found listed on the community info page.
6) Please post a DIRECT LINK TO YOUR IMAGE, not a link to the page on the hosting site. It should end in .png, .jpg, .gif etc. If you do not post a DIRECT LINK, your secret will not be posted.
2) Host your images at an image sharing website such as postimages.org. If it goes against their TOS you can host it elsewhere. Please provide the URL to the actual picture, nothing else. You don't need to code it (and DreamWidth doesn't use BB/forum code, so stop it). Just paste the "Direct link for layouts" into the comment box. If you want an image that lasts forever [for whatever reason], you can upload it to Tumblr and then delete it after you grab the image link, as that will remain active forever.
3) WCIF and help requests won't be posted. You can use Google instead.
4) Secrets must be somehow related to The Sims games. Whether it's a gameplay secret or a non-game secret that uses the game to illustrate it. To count as sims-related, the secret must contain either a reference to the games or related materials OR a picture from the games, with the exception of usernames and profile/banner images, etc. Vague references to "content" or "story" are only accepted if the mods can recognize that it is in fact sims-related.
5) Further rules/recommendations are normally found listed on the community info page.
6) Please post a DIRECT LINK TO YOUR IMAGE, not a link to the page on the hosting site. It should end in .png, .jpg, .gif etc. If you do not post a DIRECT LINK, your secret will not be posted.
Graphic Novel Review: A Shining Beacon by James Albon
Dec. 23rd, 2025 04:20 pmlibrary_comic_feed
A Shining Beacon by James Albon. Top Shelf, 2019. 9781603094450. 205pp.
An authoritarian government has created a new pool that’s both a grand rejuvenation project and a national sporting monument! All that remains is to find an artist to create the central mural. Most candidates have been blackballed by the censorship committee. The two men in charge of finding an artist have identified Francesca Saxon as the person to recruit for the job. She lives and works in a small town; her art is a little bland, but they don’t expect her to cause any trouble. After receiving their invitation, she heads for the capital as requested and begins to submit her ideas. Of course, they’re all rejected, with little explanation, but she continues to sketch and submit more. And then some real trouble starts.
Albon’s illustrations are beautiful, loose enough to convey both Saxon’s initial excitement and to later capture the oppressiveness and confusion she experiences. His art really comes to life when the city explodes in violence later.
My favorite thing about the book is the relationship between Saxon and the low-level guard who is supposed to keep an eye on her, who accompanies her wherever she goes. Albon goes to great lengths to humanize him as Saxon tries to get to know him.
Albon has three other graphic novels published by Top Shelf: Her Bark & Her Bite, The Delicacy, and, the most recent (from 2025), Love Languages. I plan to read them all as soon as possible.
Unshelved strip originally published on Thu, 17 Sep 2015
Dec. 23rd, 2025 12:00 amunshelved_feedThis classic Unshelved strip originally appeared on Thu, 17 Sep 2015.
Yuletide
Dec. 22nd, 2025 07:08 pmsettiaiNow that we're getting closer and closer to golive, I've been narrowing down my bookmarks on the app for potential treats to try to get written. I'd originally included some fandoms that I could write for if I found the time to re-read/re-watch/etc. the fandom in question, but the odds of me finding the time to fit any more canon reviews in is slim to none at this point.
So I've taken out those fandoms and left the ones that I know that I'd be able to write without having to do a proper review beforehand. Because, you know, that would get it down to a reasonable number of options to choose from, right? Right?
... yeah, it's still at 161. I'm way too multifannish even with rare fandoms. 🙃
So I've taken out those fandoms and left the ones that I know that I'd be able to write without having to do a proper review beforehand. Because, you know, that would get it down to a reasonable number of options to choose from, right? Right?
... yeah, it's still at 161. I'm way too multifannish even with rare fandoms. 🙃
Unshelved strip originally published on Wed, 16 Sep 2015
Dec. 22nd, 2025 12:00 amunshelved_feedThis classic Unshelved strip originally appeared on Wed, 16 Sep 2015.
Fic: Making Memories (Dragon Age)
Dec. 21st, 2025 03:08 pmsettiaiMaking Memories (1228 words) by Settiai
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age: Inquisition, Dragon Age - All Media Types
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Leliana/Female Tabris (Dragon Age)
Characters: Female Tabris (Dragon Age), Leliana (Dragon Age), Original Child Character(s)
Additional Tags: The Joining Exchange, Mortality, Motherhood, One Shot, Post-Dragon Age: Inquisition - Trespasser DLC, Slice of Life
Summary: It was nothing but a quiet moment just like any other before or after it. There was nothing particularly special or memorable about it, and yet for a few minutes it was everything.
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age: Inquisition, Dragon Age - All Media Types
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Leliana/Female Tabris (Dragon Age)
Characters: Female Tabris (Dragon Age), Leliana (Dragon Age), Original Child Character(s)
Additional Tags: The Joining Exchange, Mortality, Motherhood, One Shot, Post-Dragon Age: Inquisition - Trespasser DLC, Slice of Life
Summary: It was nothing but a quiet moment just like any other before or after it. There was nothing particularly special or memorable about it, and yet for a few minutes it was everything.
How's It Goin, YEM-edition
Dec. 20th, 2025 08:04 pmhitokage posting in getyourwordsoutHard to believe, but it's true: we're in the final stretch of 2025's Year-End Marathon. If my calculations are correct, this should put par at 24 days or 24 590 words, depending on your pledge type. Any way you look at it, that's a lot. If you're on par or ahead of the curve, congrats, you're amazing. If you've fallen behind, that's okay, too. You're trying and that also makes you amazing. Yes, even those who feel (rightly or wrongly) there is no way you can meet your pledge. Abuela is proud of all of you!
So as we enter this final stretch, how are things going? If you've hit your goal, are you going to keep going? If you haven't, do you have any strategies you intend to use to carve out writing time during this busy time of year? What can we do to help you, ahem, get your words out?
For myself, after (accidentally) hitting my goal in the first week of the month, I've let myself shift gears a bit to work on revising and rewriting, while also being very aware that the last half of this month was likely to be Very Tiring. Banking so many words in November definitely helped take the pressure off, but I'm going to keep at it for at least another week. For one thing, I've got some dangling ends I'd like to get settled before the new year!
Whether you're soaring ahead or trailing behind, the fact that you've tried at all is awesome. Writing is hard work! Writing in December is even harder! No matter how things have gone over the course of this marathon, I hope you've found it useful. And if you feel up for an even bigger challenge, pledging for 2026 is open! Pledging unlocks the full GYWO experience starting January 1st, so if you think you'd like to join us, we'd be happy to have you.
Whatever your holidays this busy season, we wish you the best. May your heart be full, your mind at peace, and your favorite beverage at the exactly right temperature.
So as we enter this final stretch, how are things going? If you've hit your goal, are you going to keep going? If you haven't, do you have any strategies you intend to use to carve out writing time during this busy time of year? What can we do to help you, ahem, get your words out?
For myself, after (accidentally) hitting my goal in the first week of the month, I've let myself shift gears a bit to work on revising and rewriting, while also being very aware that the last half of this month was likely to be Very Tiring. Banking so many words in November definitely helped take the pressure off, but I'm going to keep at it for at least another week. For one thing, I've got some dangling ends I'd like to get settled before the new year!
Whether you're soaring ahead or trailing behind, the fact that you've tried at all is awesome. Writing is hard work! Writing in December is even harder! No matter how things have gone over the course of this marathon, I hope you've found it useful. And if you feel up for an even bigger challenge, pledging for 2026 is open! Pledging unlocks the full GYWO experience starting January 1st, so if you think you'd like to join us, we'd be happy to have you.
Whatever your holidays this busy season, we wish you the best. May your heart be full, your mind at peace, and your favorite beverage at the exactly right temperature.
The Mighty Nein 1x07
Dec. 21st, 2025 02:50 amsettiaiContinuing on my previously posted thoughts about episode 1x06, I just finished watching episode 1x07.
( Spoilers under the cut. )
Yes, I'm well aware what time it is. I couldn't sleep, though, so I figured I might as well accomplish something while I was wide awake at 3am.
( Spoilers under the cut. )
Yes, I'm well aware what time it is. I couldn't sleep, though, so I figured I might as well accomplish something while I was wide awake at 3am.