alexcat | Network

We made it to the end of May! \o/ If you have completed some of your short-term goals or subgoals, and/or you're still chugging away at your ongoing goals, then pat yourself on the back. You worked hard for that. We've also passed through of spring. If you're doing seasonal goals, hopefully you have finished the spring one(s), so you can look ahead to the summer batch.

I'm continuing to track goals at the end of each month. So far it seems to be helping, so that's encouraging. I'm looking at my goal list more often and trying to keep ticking off more of them.

These are the previous check in posts:
New Year's Resolutions Check In January 9
New Year's Resolutions Check In January 16
New Year's Resolutions Check In January 23
New Year's Resolutions Check In January 30
New Year's Resolutions Check In February 28
New Year's Resolutions Check In March 31
New Year's Resolutions Check In April 30

( Read more... )

Current Mood: accomplished

ysabetwordsmith

Current Mood: accomplished

but_can_i_be_trusted posting in

lyricaltitles

Title: 'Hey, That Sounds Like My Luck: I Get the Short End of It'
Author:

but_can_i_be_trusted
Fandom: Friends
Characters: Joey Tribbiani, Chandler Bing
Rating: G
Warnings: None
Notes: Crossposted to

100words and

anythingdrabble

Artist: Imagine Dragons
Album: Night Visions
Song: 'Underdog'

Summary: “Thanks,” he muttered, taking a swig.

( Hey, That Sounds Like My Luck: I Get the Short End of It )

but_can_i_be_trusted posting in

100words

Title: 'Hey, That Sounds Like My Luck: I Get the Short End of It'
Fandom: Friends
Rating: G
Notes: Crossposted to

anythingdrabble and

lyricaltitles

( Hey, That Sounds Like My Luck: I Get the Short End of It )

ysabetwordsmith

These are some posts from the later part of last week in case you missed them:
Poetry Fishbowl Report for May 5, 2026
Unsold Poems for the May 5, 2026 Poetry Fishbowl
Art
Birdfeeding
Follow Friday 5-29-26: Music
Education
Wildlife
Birdfeeding
Community Thursdays
Vocabulary: Xenofiction
Recipe: "Pico de Gallo Meatloaf"
Nature
Birdfeeding
Good News

Poem: "Walnut Park" has 46 comments. Early Humans has 22 comments. Philosophical Questions: Pregnancy has 84 comments. Safety has 84 comments.

There will be a Poetry Fishbowl on Tuesday, June 2 with a theme of "Fun with Language." I hope to see you then!

"Let's Go on This Journey Together" belongs to Polychrome Heroics. It needs $151 to be complete. Linus struggles to deal with a broken arm.

"No Faster or Firmer Friendships" belongs to Polychrome Heroics and needs $35 to be complete. Josué reads a funny poem to Maria-Vera.

The weather has been hot and humid here. Seen at the birdfeeders this week: a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches, a male cardinal, a starling, and a fox squirrel. I saw a ruby-throated hummingbird outside the living room window. Currently blooming: pansies, violas, sweet alyssum, marigolds, honeysuckle, snapdragons, lantana, million bells, blue lobelia, petunias, portulaca, nemesia, fan flowers, wild chives, columbine, mock orange, Washington hawthorn, blackberries, firecracker plant, privet, pineapple sage. One yucca is sending up a flower stalk. Green fruit: raspberries, blackberries. Ripe fruit: peas, mulberries.

Current Mood: busy

bluapapilio

( You're about to view content that the journal owner has marked as possibly inappropriate for anyone under the age of 18. )

Current Mood: hot

musesfool

Bedtime is repealed!

I must say, I really am enjoying the Mayor Mamdani experience. And go Knicks!

*

Current Mood: amused
Current Music: Mets vs Mariners on tv

lb_lee

Hey everybody, it's that time again: time to vote for which stuff gets the LiberaPay/Patreon money this month!

As always, anyone can vote (please do!), but LiberaPay and Patreon patrons get double weight for their votes. (Due to Patreon's porn purges, I really encourage you to use LiberaPay, if you get a choice.) If you want to see the blurbs for any of these works, those are here! (You can also leave your requests there; requesting a story or essay is always free!) If you don't have a DW and so can't do the poll, that's okay; just leave your vote in the comments below; anon comments are turned on.

Which works gets the money, and thus posted this month? YOU CHOOSE, readers!

Poll #34678 2026 June Fan Poll

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 2

View Respondents

Did you toss LiberaPay/Patreon money my way last month?

View Answers

Yes (my votes count double)
1 (100.0%)

What writing gets posted this month?

View Answers

Infinity Smashed: Born Lucky
0 (0.0%)

Crazy Boys Surf Couches (Crazy Boys)
1 (50.0%)

Henchwench for Hire (F/F supervillainy)
0 (0.0%)

Rutless (trans omegaverse porno)
0 (0.0%)

Kayfabe in the Coliseum (psuedo-Greco-Roman gladiator fights)
0 (0.0%)

What If Someone Masturbates To That?: Forbidden Fiction (essay)
2 (100.0%)

The Golem Always Dies At The End (essay)
0 (0.0%)

Cross-Ethnic Headmates (essay)
1 (50.0%)

What art/comic/zine gets posted this month?

View Answers

Cult Comix (doodle strips of Cultiples BS)
0 (0.0%)

Death Watch (bony lady comic)
1 (50.0%)

Protection (one-page dark side of protector duty)
0 (0.0%)

Thrown Away
0 (0.0%)

The Anatomy Lesson (Mori/Rawlin fluff)
2 (100.0%)

Possessions (text-only poetry zine of haunting incompetently)
1 (50.0%)

Dr. Frankenstein vs. the Queerborgs (book spine poetry)
0 (0.0%)

Current Mood: productive

got_quiet posting in

booknook

Title: A Handful of Dust
Author: Evelyn Waugh
Genre: Satire
Content Warnings: Racism, including slurs and native savage stereotypes.

A Handful of Dust is a social satire originally published in the 1930s by Evelyn Waugh. The plot revolves an affair that Brenda Last has with John Beaver, as Brenda's husband Tony is completely oblivious and all of their society friends look on.

With one massive caveat I enjoyed it a lot. It's a caustic satire and on a superficial level fits neatly into the genre of Everyone Fucking Sucks. The absurdity of the plot and the playful way that Waugh lets the characters represent themselves as reasonable while the reader thinks, nah, you also suck, elevates it from that cliche.

( Spoilerish Review )

Big Ending Spoiler here

And then there's the ending. WTF was that ending? Again, spoilers for a 90+ year old book, but in the end Tony finds himself at the edge of death and disaster multiple times while being led deeper into the wilderness by someone who has no right to be leading anything. I was on the edge of my seat wondering how they’d fare, if the disease would kill him, or the constantly provoked locals, or some thing else entirely, and every time it seemed like things were getting better they’d just get worse, until in the end he stumbles, delirious with fever, into a literal horror scenario and becomes the permanent captive of a fucked up European who tricks a rescue party into thinking Tony is dead so that he will stay forever and read him Dickens. The implication in the end is that he ends up dying there, eventually, but perhaps of old age 30 years into the future, who knows.

I read this book while on a plane, and the last few scenes had me worked up enough that I was dying to get up and pace and couldn’t, which compounded the emotional reaction. I desperately wanted to turn to the person sitting next to me and ask, "Have you read this book, and if so, can we please commiserate about the ending?" But I did not do this and instead stewed in place. I felt like I was simply out of the habit of reading books that do not get tied up in the way that feels obligatory for genre fiction.

I will admit that I have a strong stomach for the bigotry that permeated literature from this time period. It also helps (???) that for the most part, you don't get jump scared with the blunt stuff until the very end of the story. I haven't read any other Waugh to know if this is one of his best as the introduction says, but I would say that it was better than 90% of what I end up reading nowadays.

(This is also crossposted on my blog)

alchemicink

Happy Pride month! I hope everyone gets to read, write, create, or enjoy something queer this month 💜

Anyway, let's see how May's goals turned out...

( Read more... )

And now, some goals for June:

( Read more... )

Good luck to everyone's creative endeavors in June! (And feel free to tell me about your own plans if you want!)

P.S. Unrelated to goals, but I noticed that I'm only 5 fics away from 400 total posted on ao3. Neat!

kalloway

Here's Oberon, finished! I meant to post last night but DW said no-u.

white, winged robot model kit posed on an old washing machine

Yes, his wing-span is basically my washer, and yes, those are quill-pen dragoons.

( two more under the cut )

olivermoss

* It's June 1 and Tyria Pride has already raised $2.6k for Rainbow Railroad. We have a good start on breaking last year's record, which we've done every year so far. The event involves both fundraising for RR and also in game community events.

* I just crafted the legendary staff Bifrost, and sent it off with the legendary dagger Incinerator to Lelling to be prizes for Tyria Pride events. Bifrost gives rainbow effects, and the Incinerator flamey effects. I'd hoped to craft more than 2, but the map comps you need to do to craft them are a lot. I'd been chipping away at them a bit a day while listening to audio books. I have another map comp at 85%, but I don't think I can get that finished before the end of the event. So, it'll go towards next year.

* A lot of people think Guild Wars 3 is being announced soon. Like, a lot of people who typically would dismiss the idea. Last week, there was drama over people not getting into the ANet partner program because they were upset that they were going to miss out on being able to capitalize on the hype when it hits. One guy crashed out over it.

This morning we got some teasers for some sort of announcement that will happen this Friday at the Summer Games Fest. I don't know what it is. I am pretty sure it's not going to be GW3, but the amount of hype is weirding me out. [Long explanation involving talk of domain name who-is registrations, an NDA leak and also a history of how ANet's PR approaches things] So, as you can see, people claiming this is BIG big know something, and aren't giving the real reason why they know. The reasons they are giving are nonsense.

* A new game hype train, in the middle of launching Tyria Pride Month? Whatever's going on, I hope it's good for the event and doesn't lead to a hype crash or people being distracted. People work all year long on this. Hopefully, this is all good for the event and fundraising.

ysabetwordsmith

Here is my card for the Pride Fest Bingo over in

allbingo. The fest runs from June 1-30. (See all my 2026 bingo cards.)

If you'd like to sponsor a particular square, especially if you have an idea for what character, series, or situation it would fit -- talk to me and we'll work something out. I've had a few requests for this and the results have been awesome so far. This is a good opportunity for those of you with favorites that don't always mesh well with the themes of my monthly projects. I may still post some of the fills for free, because I'm using this to attract new readers; but if it brings in money, that means I can do more of it. That's part of why I'm crossing some of the bingo prompts with other projects, such as the Poetry Fishbowl.

Underlined prompts have been filled.

PRIDE FEST BINGO CARD

Liberation	Hope	Discovery	Clothing	Queerplatonic
Intersectionality	Two-Spirit	Community center	Pin	Identity
History	Validation	WILD CARD	Change	Love
Roots	Belonging	Resistance	Lavender	Comfort
Activism	Friendship	Curious	Exploration	Growth

Current Mood: busy

hannah

Clearing accounts at the start of the month is the easiest time to do it. Updating payment information, deciding to cancel a couple of old Patreon subscriptions since it's been months since I've listened to an episode of that podcast, remembering which family members I can piggyback off of for which streaming services so I don't need to pay for them myself - it's hard to forget to get around to it when it's the start of the billing cycle.

It's not a lot on a month to month basis, and it doesn't add up to a huge amount each year. But it's nice to get it done. To say goodbye without looking back.

What I found worth looking back on was when I last replaced my computer mouse, mostly for my own curiosity. I've used the same make and model of mouse for about as long as I've owned personal computers, and I last got a box of five new ones three years ago, around when I last got a new one - the thought was that if I bought several, I'd be good for a while. Three years seems about the amount of time these things can deliver a good performance, and with four left in the set, I've got a while before I need to start thinking about either buying more or transitioning to another kind of mouse.

Current Mood: lethargic
Current Music: nothing now

bluapapilio

"Akuyaku Reijou desu ga, Shiawase ni Nattemesemasu wa! /
Though I May Be a Villainess, I'll Show You I Can Obtain Happiness!"

Previous: Volumes 1-2

Various, 2020-2021

MangaUpdates

MyAnimeList

Summary: Broken engagements, karma, condemnation events, doting, royalty, reincarnated heroines, banishment endings... it's fully loaded with all the charms of villainesses!! The comic adaption of 5 popular villainess stories that were published on syosetu! An anthology of oneshots with happy endings!!

My comments:

Volume 3

One Day, I Was Able to Hear the Inner Voice of My Fiancée: Prince eats a candy that let's him read fiancee's thoughts, turns out she's this close to giving up on him. Didn't feel strongly about it. 0/5

My Bethrothed's Personality Is Way Different From the Game!: Prince and fiancee both reborn into an otome game. Ehh I wanted them to find out the truth about each other besides their real personalities. It's not really a romance, more a marriage of convenience. 1/5 stars

I Was Supposed to Marry to Someone Who Hated Me, but, Before I Knew It, I Was Being Doted on: Prince from another country saves Prince's fiancee from his and his commoner girlfriend's accusations. LMAO at the last names of the Duke and commoner girl. 1/5 stars

Shall We Continue Down the Flowery Path of Evil: Continuation of Let's Walk the Flowery Path of Evil Together. The Prime Minister has a son from a previous lover. There's a misunderstanding about an affair but all is well. Maybe I'm weird but I like the whole 'Mark has a thing for his stepmom'. Not weird for me tbh.

I Shall Take You up on Your Offer With Pleasure: Really cool premise, though I think it needed more space for me to fully enjoy it. 3/5 stars

Volume 4

Break off the engagement? I didn't do anything, directly or indirectly. But when I looked into the matter ... Who would have thought it would end up this way ?!: The younger sister of Harriet's fiance wants her to break it off because she's a fujoshi and thinks he should get together with his guy friend. The little sister is Victoria is an odd, funny girl so I couldn't be bad at her. And in the end she decided she wanted Harriett for herself. 😂 4.5/5 stars

The Kingdom's Most Feared Noble Lady Knight and a Tale Concerning Her Sword, Fist, and Social Skills: Severely misunderstood noble lady, I felt bad for her, I can only hope that things will improve after that ending;; 2/5 stars

A Story of Being Unable to Help Being in Love: Hmm I liked some aspects to it, the demon summoning was unique, but Claude's feelings came out of nowhere, too bad because it was unique. 2/5 stars

The Reincarnated Noble Girls want to be Wedded to their Beloved: Two friends reincarnate into the villainess and heroine of their favorite novel and their looks changed to how they wished they'd be. They're engages to their favorite two prince brothers but they can't seem to get close to them. I loved this one so much, it had a sweet female friendship and a lovely twist, I wouldn't have minded reading a longer version of this. 5/5 stars

Nightmare Graduation Party: Nothing new here unless you're not tired of the idea of the 'villainess' sticking it to the prince who broke the engagement. 1/5 stars

Current Mood: full

starwatcher posting in

fandom_checkin

This is your check-in post for today. The poll will be open from midnight Universal or Zulu Time (8pm Eastern Time) on Monday, June 01, to midnight on Tuesday, June 02. (8pm Eastern Time).

Poll #34677 Daily Check-in

Open to: Access List, detailed results viewable to: Access List, participants: 13

How are you doing?

I am OK.
10 (76.9%)

I am not OK, but don't need help right now.
3 (23.1%)

I could use some help.
0 (0.0%)

How many other humans live with you?

I am living single.
5 (38.5%)

One other person.
3 (23.1%)

More than one other person.
5 (38.5%)

Please, talk about how things are going for you in the comments, ask for advice or help if you need it, or just discuss whatever you feel like.

stonepicnicking_okapi

nnozomi posting in

guardian_learning

部首
辶 part 8
迷, fan/confused; 迹, trace; 追, to pursue ( pinyin )
https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?cdqrad=162

语法
4.8 认为, to think, vs 以为, to think wrongly
https://www.digmandarin.com/hsk-4-grammar

词汇
重, to repeat; 重新, again (pinyin in tags)
https://mandarinbean.com/new-hsk-4-word-list/

Guardian:
分头追, split up to go after them
我真的以为他是一个好人, I really thought he was a good person
重新做一下自我介绍吧, let's introduce ourselves again

Me:
我是纯粹的乐迷。
我以为认为的意思就是认识的。

stonepicnicking_okapi

Today in jazz tells me this album was recorded on this day. Here's the title track.

Watch on YouTube

I don't know much about Spongebob or memes but SUGA of BTS did a vlog of himself running the Bay to Breakers race and afterward he expressed his regret by singing a line of a Spongebob song.

Watch on YouTube

ysabetwordsmith

Biologists Clone Wild Yaks to Save Golden Subspecies Numbering Fewer Than 300 in First of its Kind Effort

China has performed the first single and multiple cloning of wild yaks in a bid to reinforce this keystone herbivore, and save one of the rarest and most beautiful animals in China.

Legend has it that when Mount Buye on the Tibetan Plateau was married to Mount Zhaxiangqian, 7 golden wild yaks were given as a dowry. This is why, locals have it, the golden yak can only be found high in these mountains.

Conservationists and geneticists studying this enigmatic and stunning creature might say that the reason they’re only found high in these mountains is because they have been hunted, outcompeted, and outbred such that today they’re considered Critically-Endangered.

Current Mood: busy

Profile

alexcat

May 2026

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Page Summary

ysabetwordsmith in goals_on_dw - New Year's Resolutions Check In
ysabetwordsmith - New Year's Resolutions Check In
but_can_i_be_trusted in lyricaltitles - [2026 Album Challenge] Friends: 'Hey, That Sounds Like My Luck: I Get the Short End of It'
but_can_i_be_trusted in 100words - [Challenge #496: Exhaust] Friends: 'Hey, That Sounds Like My Luck [etc.]'
ysabetwordsmith - Monday Update 6-1-26
bluapapilio - 🌈BL Manga Check-in: "Nousatsu Maid in Scissors ~Echiechi Kyun~"
musesfool - closer to the great bambino numbers
lb_lee - 2026 June Fan Poll
got_quiet in booknook - Book Review: A Handful of Dust
alchemicink - June '26 writing goals
kalloway - Mecha Core Oberon [Final]
olivermoss - Guild Wars
ysabetwordsmith - Pride Fest Bingo Card 6-1-26
hannah - June the first.
bluapapilio - Manga Check-in: "Akuyaku Reijou desu ga, Shiawase ni Nattemesemasu wa!" volume 3-4
starwatcher in fandom_checkin - Daily Check-In
stonepicnicking_okapi - Happy PRIDE, y'all!
nnozomi in guardian_learning - 第五年第一百四十二天
stonepicnicking_okapi - Music Monday: Monk & Spongebob--Not together :)
ysabetwordsmith - Wildlife

Style Credit

Style: Descending Blue for Crossroads by branchandroot
Resources: Blue Heart

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Friends

and other stuff

Network

New Year's Resolutions Check In

New Year's Resolutions Check In

[2026 Album Challenge] Friends: 'Hey, That Sounds Like My Luck: I Get the Short End of It'

[Challenge #496: Exhaust] Friends: 'Hey, That Sounds Like My Luck [etc.]'

Monday Update 6-1-26

🌈BL Manga Check-in: "Nousatsu Maid in Scissors ~Echiechi Kyun~"

closer to the great bambino numbers

2026 June Fan Poll

Book Review: A Handful of Dust

June '26 writing goals

Mecha Core Oberon [Final]

Guild Wars

Pride Fest Bingo Card 6-1-26

June the first.

Manga Check-in: "Akuyaku Reijou desu ga, Shiawase ni Nattemesemasu wa!" volume 3-4

Daily Check-In

Happy PRIDE, y'all!

第五年第一百四十二天

Music Monday: Monk & Spongebob--Not together :)

Wildlife

Profile

May 2026

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