Hard Things

Jul. 23rd, 2025 01:02 am
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[personal profile] ysabetwordsmith
Life is full of things which are hard or tedious or otherwise unpleasant that need doing anyhow. They help make the world go 'round, they improve skills, and they boost your sense of self-respect. But doing them still kinda sucks. It's all the more difficult to do those things when nobody appreciates it. Happily, blogging allows us to share our accomplishments and pat each other on the back.

What are some of the hard things you've done recently? What are some hard things you haven't gotten to yet, but need to do? Is there anything your online friends could do to make your hard things a little easier?

Nanotechnology

Jul. 22nd, 2025 04:03 pm
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[personal profile] ysabetwordsmith
Goodbye plastic? Scientists create new supermaterial that outperforms metals and glass

New method aligns bacterial cellulose nanofibrils, enabling high-strength multifunctional bionanocomposites.
Scientists at Rice University and the University of Houston have created a powerful new material by guiding bacteria to grow cellulose in aligned patterns, resulting in sheets with the strength of metals and the flexibility of plastic—without the pollution. Using a spinning bioreactor, they’ve turned Earth’s purest biopolymer into a high-performance alternative to plastic, capable of carrying heat, integrating advanced nanomaterials, and transforming packaging, electronics, and even energy storage
.


I am amused to see someone exploring the non-glamous applications of nanotechnology. Yes, this can work. Any time you're growing something, you have to make sure it can't get loose and cause problems, but organisms really do excel at making useful materials. Remember, conventional plastic comes from petrochemicals, which started out as ancient plants.

Birdfeeding

Jul. 22nd, 2025 03:59 pm
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[personal profile] ysabetwordsmith
Today is partly sunny, humid, and hot.  It drizzled a bit yesterday.

I fed the birds.  I haven't seen much activity yet.

I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 7/22/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

EDIT 7/22/25 -- I've seen a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches plus a pair of mourning doves.

EDIT 7/22/25 -- I trimmed around the garden under the contorta willow tree.  A few things are far enough from the trunk that I might need to move them closer in.

I am done for the night.

Green Building

Jul. 21st, 2025 10:49 pm
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[personal profile] ysabetwordsmith
Scientists invent 'living' concrete that heals its own cracks with sunlight

Jin and fellow researchers used two key materials: Cyanobacteria, which turns air and sunlight into food, and filamentous fungi, which produce minerals that seal the cracks.

The microbes survive on just air, light, and water, and when paired together, are able to grow and produce crack-filling minerals in concrete. At least, that’s what Jin’s latest research, published in Materials Today Communications, concluded.

Birdfeeding

Jul. 21st, 2025 03:16 pm
ysabetwordsmith: Cartoon of me in Wordsmith persona (Default)
[personal profile] ysabetwordsmith
Today is cloudy and warm. It rained yesterday.

I fed the birds. I haven't seen much activity yet.

EDIT 7/21/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

EDIT 7/21/25 -- I refilled the thistle feeder.

EDIT 7/21/25 -- I planted 3 pots with 12 sweet cherry seeds.

It's been drizzling on and off.

EDIT 7/21/25 -- I potted up a white peach seed.

EDIT 7/21/25 -- I was going to go back out, but the drizzle has increased to light rain.

EDIT 7/21/25 -- I picked 3 red cherry tomatoes and 2 blackberries.

I saw a skunk out in the yard, not on the patio, and it scrammed when it saw me. That's what I'm aiming for: we stay out of each other's way. They're welcome to the farther parts the of the yard away from the house.

As it is getting dark, I am done for the night.

Climate Change

Jul. 21st, 2025 02:02 pm
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[personal profile] ysabetwordsmith
The Ice Age Echo That Erased Entire Civilizations (The 8.2K Event)

Around 8,200 years ago, the Earth experienced a sudden climatic crash now known as the 8.2k event. Triggered by the collapse of the Laurentide Ice Sheet and a massive outburst from Lake Agassiz, it dumped freshwater into the North Atlantic, disrupting the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation. Temperatures dropped 1–3°C globally for over a century. Monsoon systems weakened, rainfall declined sharply in the Middle East, Europe, and Africa. The result: failed crops, abandoned Neolithic settlements, and major cultural shifts across regions like Mesopotamia, the Indus Valley, and the Sahara.


This gives a stark look at how even robust, resilient systems can collapse under the pressures of an unpredictable environment. Modern civilization is fragile more than resilient. And the AMOC is faltering again.

Monday Update 7-21-25

Jul. 21st, 2025 01:00 pm
ysabetwordsmith: Artwork of the wordsmith typing. (typing)
[personal profile] ysabetwordsmith
These are some posts from the later part of last week in case you missed them:
Permaculture
Conservation
Early Humans
Creative Jam
Birdfeeding
Recipe: "Dark Chocolate Brownies with Raspberry Spread"
Birdfeeding
Philosophical Questions: Productivity
Permaculture
Survival Skills
Self-Care
Birdfeeding
Current Events
Fireflies
Fruit Trees
Permaculture
Volcanoes
Follow Friday 7-18-25: Homestuck
Hobbies: Makeup Art
Conservation
Safety
Invasive Species
Birdfeeding
Anthropocene
Earthquakes
Evolution
Poem: "Beautiful, Damn Hard, Increasingly Useful"
Paleontology
Smoothie King
Birdfeeding
Good News

"Philosophical Questions: Looks" has 46 comments. "Not a Destination, But a Process" has 147 comments. "The Democratic Armada of the Caribbean" has 96 comments. "Incompetence, Sloppy Thinking, and Laziness" has 65 comments.


Last week's bonus fishbowl went well. Writing is slow, but I have drafts of a triptych to thumbnail shortly.


[community profile] sunshine_revival is running through July. See the schedule, meet the moderators, and use the master post to navigate the event. Meet new folks in the friending meme. Spread the word!

Sunshine-Revival-2025-Banner-3.png

* Sunshine Revival Challenge 1: Light
Poem: "The Pleasure of Escaping the Responsibility"

* Sunshine Revival Challenge 2: Tunnel of Love
Poem: "Legs of Grass, Feet of Flowers"

* Sunshine Revival Challenge 3: Food

* Sunshine Revival Challenge 4: Fun House
Poem: "The Bee Tree's Gift"

* Sunshine Challenge 5: Carnival Barker

* Sunshine Revival Challenge 6: Game Night
Poem: "A New Twist"


[community profile] summerofthe69 is now open! You can see the calendar here and the current themes are and Greater Than 69 and Sopping Wet.


There are no open epics at present.


The weather has been hot and wet here. It rained again yesterday. Seen at the birdfeeders this week: a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches, a pair of cardinals, a mourning dove, and a fox squirrel. I've heard red-winged blackbirds, wrens, and a woodpecker without seeing them. Currently blooming: dandelions, pansies, violas, marigolds, petunias, red salvia, wild strawberries, verbena, lantana, sweet alyssum, zinnias, snapdragons, blue lobelia, perennial pinks, impatiens, oxalis, moss rose, yarrow, anise hyssop, firecracker plant, tomatoes, tomatillos, Asiatic lilies, cucumber, yellow squash, zucchini, morning glory, purple echinacea, narrow-leaf mountain mint, black-eyed Susan, yellow coneflower, wild bergamot, chicory, Queen Anne's lace, sunflowers, cup plant, gladioli, firewheel, orange butterfly weed. Tomatillo and pepper have green fruit. Wild strawberries, mulberries, tomatoes, and cucumbers are ripe. Peas are winding down. The first crop of blackberries is done.

silveradept: A head shot of a  librarian in a floral print shirt wearing goggles with text squiggles on them, holding a pencil. (Librarian Goggles)
[personal profile] silveradept
Sixth prompt time! The [community profile] sunshine_revival team has been providing some different topics to ruminate on.

Looks like there's also a new writing community at [community profile] fan_writers and some of my older December Days posts appeared as writing meta, so hello to anyone new poking around.

Let's get to the prompt.

It’s game night! Whether for you that means getting together with a group of friends or a quiet evening chilling out on your own with video games, this is where you get to tell us all about it. If you have a favourite game, tell us what you love about it.

Challenge #6:

Journaling prompt: What games do you play, if any? Are you a solo-gamer or do you view games as a social activity?

Creative prompt: Write a story/fic around the theme "game night".


What games do we play? Many. )

Conservation

Jul. 20th, 2025 10:38 pm
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[personal profile] ysabetwordsmith
The genius invention that made peace with lions

A 12-year-old boy invented a system of lights that mimicked human patrols, thus shooing lions away from homes and livestock. This reduced interspecies conflicts, allowing lions to coexist peacefully with humans and their livestock.

Think about how humans and wildlife interact. Where there are dangerous conflicts as above, seek to understand each other's behavior and how small changes can reduce or eliminate conflicts so that all species can live and let live. Watch for effective solutions and spread them.

Poem: "A New Twist"

Jul. 20th, 2025 04:13 pm
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[personal profile] ysabetwordsmith
This poem was written for the Sunshine Revival Challenge 6: Game Night. It also fills the "Dodge" square in my 7-1-25 card for the Western Bingo Fest. It belongs to the series Love Is For Children.

Read more... )
ysabetwordsmith: Cartoon of me in Wordsmith persona (Default)
[personal profile] ysabetwordsmith
Sunshine Revival Challenge 6: Game Night

Journaling prompt: What games do you play, if any? Are you a solo-gamer or do you view games as a social activity?

Creative prompt: Write a story/fic around the theme "game night".

Post your answer to today’s challenge in your own space and leave a comment in this post saying you did it. Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so
.

Sunshine-Revival-Carnival-2.png

Read more... )

Early Humans

Jul. 20th, 2025 02:24 pm
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[personal profile] ysabetwordsmith
11,000-year-old feast uncovered: Why hunters hauled wild boars across mountains

Ancient Iranians hosted epic feasts with wild boars that had been hunted and transported from distant regions. These animals weren’t just dinner—they were symbolic gifts. Tooth enamel analysis revealed they came from different areas, suggesting early communities valued geography in gift-giving. The event took place even before agriculture began, hinting at deeply rooted cultural traditions.

Creative Jam

Jul. 20th, 2025 02:22 pm
ysabetwordsmith: Cartoon of me in Wordsmith persona (Default)
[personal profile] ysabetwordsmith
The July [community profile] crowdfunding Creative Jam is open with a theme of "Heroism -- Real or Perceived."  Come give us prompts, or claim some for your own inspiration.


What I Have Written




From My Prompts



Birdfeeding

Jul. 20th, 2025 02:11 pm
ysabetwordsmith: Cartoon of me in Wordsmith persona (Default)
[personal profile] ysabetwordsmith
Today is cloudy and warm.  It rained yesterday.

I fed the birds.  I haven't seen much activity, but heard a squirrel chattering.

EDIT 7/20/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

EDIT 7/20/25 -- It rained copiously this afternoon, and is still thundering occasionally.

I am done for the night.
ysabetwordsmith: Cartoon of me in Wordsmith persona (Default)
[personal profile] ysabetwordsmith
I made these tonight.

Read more... )

Birdfeeding

Jul. 19th, 2025 04:18 pm
ysabetwordsmith: Cartoon of me in Wordsmith persona (Default)
[personal profile] ysabetwordsmith
Today is cloudy, mild, and wet. It rained all morning.

I fed the birds. I've seen motion but the windows were too wet to identify anything.

EDIT 7/19/25 -- Yay, the window dried up enough to see through!  Sparrows, house finches, and a mourning dove are mobbing the feeders.

EDIT 7/19/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

EDIT 7/19/25 -- I potted up 2 cherry plums and a white peach.

EDIT 7/19/25 -- I added more potting soil to several pots that needed it.

Fireflies are coming out.  Cicadas are singing.

I am done for the night.

Philosophical Questions: Productivity

Jul. 19th, 2025 02:24 pm
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[personal profile] ysabetwordsmith
People have expressed interest in deep topics, so this list focuses on philosophical questions.

How should we measure the productivity of a society?

Read more... )

Permaculture

Jul. 19th, 2025 03:59 am
ysabetwordsmith: Cartoon of me in Wordsmith persona (Default)
[personal profile] ysabetwordsmith
THE MINI FOREST - Rewilding using the Miyawaki Method

Terrell Wong is about to plant 100 trees in her small Toronto backyard, a dense mini forest based on the Miyawaki Method. What at first seems like a simple act soon evolves into a complex story about dirt, lawns, fungus, wildlife, native species, and finally the human brain. An anti-lawn anthem from director David Hartman, The Mini Forest explores this innovative form of afforestation and the importance of restoring the native woodlands that once covered so much of Canada and the World.

Read more... )

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