kimurho

Today we visited the Charleston Food Forest, Coles County Community Garden, and Lake Charleston. These are the food forest pictures. What started out as a beautiful fall day, sunny and cool, clouded over by the time we got out of the house. So the lighting isn't great, but at least the pictures look okay.

( Walk with me ... )

Current Mood: accomplished

ysabetwordsmith

Engineers built a drifting wheelchair for an injured colleague.

Given how crappy the official medical equipment is, and how expensive, I'm delighted to see people making adaptive equipment on their own.

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

Common pesticides may cause testicular damage and lower sperm counts

Widespread farm pesticides may be quietly undermining male reproductive health.

A decade-long review by George Mason University researchers reveals growing evidence that neonicotinoid insecticides—the world’s most widely used class of pesticides—may harm male reproductive health. The findings, based on 21 animal studies, show consistent links between exposure and reduced sperm quality, hormonal disruption, and testicular damage.

This will be useful to people seeking to ban or limit harmful pesticides. Perpetrators may not care about the environment or other humans, but they almost certainly care about their own virility. Similarly victims who are lethargic about other health threats may rally over this one.

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

Today is sunny and cool, a beautiful fall day.

I fed the birds. I've seen a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches.

I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 11/8/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

EDIT 11/8/25 -- I did more work around the patio.

EDIT 11/8/25 -- I did more work around the patio.

EDIT 11/8/25 -- We went to the Charleston Food Forest and Coles County Community Garden, where I gathered more seeds.

We also stopped by Lake Charleston in search of migratory birds, which was largely a bust. :/

EDIT 11/8/25 -- I did more work around the patio.

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

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

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

Is hierarchy necessary for all successful human communities?

No. It's just easier. Humans seem inclined to prefer having leadership. Egalitarian communities exist, but they tend to take more work to create and maintain.

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

Today we made a smoothie with:

1 cup strawberry apple cider
1 cup Brown Cow vanilla yogurt
1 banana
1/2 cup frozen strawberries
1/2 cup ice

The result is bright pink and on the thin side, with a nice fruity flavor. We used strawberry apple cider from Grissom Orchard -- they have a few different flavors, all good. It's at least the second time we've made this, but I forgot to write it down earlier.

Current Mood: accomplished

ysabetwordsmith

This poem is spillover from the November 4, 2025 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired and sponsored by

librarygeek. It also fills the "I didn't want power. All I wanted was control. Over my life." square in my 11-1-25 card for the Fairy Tales and Fantasy Stories Bingo fest.

Warning: This poem contains intense and controversial topics. Highlight to read the more detailed notes, some of which are spoilers. It includes a ritual for justice with violent ends, ominous mythical figures, a bad leader, reference to sexual assault, reference to abuse under color of authority, treachery, and other challenges. If these are touchy topics for you, please consider your tastes and headspace before reading onward.

( Read more... )

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

People are having funerals for the world's melting glaciers. Could it mobilize further climate action?

Glaciers around the world are melting so quickly that the scale of the loss is difficult to comprehend. Death, on the other hand, is a universal experience, familiar across all cultures.

To bridge that gap, anthropologists Dominic Boyer and Cymene Howe of Rice University are drawing parallels between human death rituals and the disappearance of glaciers, offering people a more tangible way to understand what’s being lost.

( Read more... )

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

Today is sunny and mild.

I fed the birds. I've seen a large mixed flock of sparrows and house finches.

I put out water for the birds.

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

Today's theme is Kingdom Hearts.

addme_fandom -- find friends who share your fannish obsessions.
[Active with one post in October.]

akuroku -- BURN BABY!!!!!
The axel/roxas community.
[Active with one post in November.]

khkinkanon -- Kingdom Hearts Anonymous Kink Meme
[Active with multiple posts in October.]

kingdomhearts -- Kingdom Hearts Community
For Fans of Kingdom Hearts.
[Somewhat active with last post in March.]

.

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

Antarctica’s collapse may already be unstoppable, scientists warn

Researchers warn Antarctica is undergoing abrupt changes that could trigger global consequences. Melting ice, collapsing ice shelves, and disrupted ocean circulation threaten sea levels, ecosystems, and climate stability. Wildlife such as penguins and krill face growing extinction risks. Scientists stress that only rapid emission reductions can avert irreversible damage.

Well, that's wishful thinking. It's too late to save most of the polar ice, because of choices already made and warming baked in regardless of what we do. But Antarctica was a rainforest once, and then a temperate forest, eventually freezing over. It's okay for it to green again. Nature is good at fixing things. Humans can help by staying the fuck out of the way.

Of course, that's no excuse for runaway emissions. Humans should still cut way back on that for other safety reasons, like maintaining an atmosphere in which food plants can grow and working outside won't immediately kill people.

ysabetwordsmith

Today is sunny and mild, a beautiful fall day.

I fed the birds. I've seen a flock of sparrows and a goldfinch.

I put out water for the birds.

The tree guys are supposed to come out today. We looked at the area where the chip mulch should be deposited, and want to do a bit of trimming there to make it more obvious.

EDIT 11/6/25 -- We trimmed brush to make the mulch location more visible.

The tree guys are here! :D Loud work, but much needed.

EDIT 11/6/25 -- We checked on progress. The path to the east edge and through the orchard is clear. The big limb has been removed from the south lot. Progress!

Despite all that racket, the goldfinch is still hugging the thistle feeder.

EDIT 11/6/25 -- The tree guys are done! \o/ There is still some cut brush we'll need to deal with, more to cut down around the edges of the parking lot, and at least two places that need stumps ground. But a lot has been cleared, we have some piles of firewood, and I have a lot of mulch. Yay.

EDIT 11/6/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

I've seen several house finches.

EDIT 11/6/25 -- I did more work around the patio.

I am done for the night.

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

One of the country's first '100% free full-service' grocery stores operates inside a Baltimore library: 'No income requirements, no ID needed'

But tucked inside its first floor is something unique: The Pratt Free Market. It’s one of the country’s first 100% free and full-service grocery stores operated within a public library.

Every Wednesday from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. and Fridays from 2 p.m. - 5 p.m., customers are welcome to grab whatever they can fit in a library-supplied bag — entirely for free.

The market, which is 90% volunteer-run, is stocked like any other grocery store, with fresh produce, dry goods, paper goods, feminine hygiene products, baby essentials, and household items.

Food is a human need, therefore must be recognized as a human right not a paid privilege. The same is true for other things such as feminine hygiene products.

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

Today is sunny and mild, a beautiful fall day.

I fed the birds. I've seen a large flock of sparrows. They drained the hopper feeder and the small metal birdbath.

I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 11/5/25 -- I finished spreading the last bag of composted manure on the tulip bed. Both flowerbeds are now ready for leaf mulch. \o/

EDIT 11/5/25 -- We started picking up sticks from the entrance to the south lot and where the wood chips will go. I found two large, old pieces of deadwood that I dragged to edge the wildflower garden.

EDIT 11/5/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

EDIT 11/5/25 -- I did more work around the patio.

I've also been working on the main branch for the lantern terrarium, gluing more pieces onto it.

EDIT 11/5/25 -- I bagged up Ambrosia apple and yellow pear seeds in damp sand to cold-stratify in the fridge.

I set up the core of the next bonfire so we can dump more sticks on top of it.

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

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

Today's second freebie was inspired by new prompter

gs_silva. It also fills the "Very little worth knowing is taught by fear." square in my 11-1-25 card for the Fairy Tales and Fantasy Stories Bingo fest. It belongs to the fandom Doctor Who. and follows "Time and Relative Dimensions in Magic" so read that first or this won't make much sense.

( Read more... )

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

2.7-million-year-old tools reveal humanity’s first great innovation

Ancient hominins in Kenya’s Turkana Basin crafted the same style of stone tools for 300,000 years, weathering fire, drought, and shifting ecosystems.

Researchers uncovered a 2.75–2.44 million-year-old site in Kenya showing that early humans maintained stone tool traditions for nearly 300,000 years despite extreme climate swings. The tools, remarkably consistent across generations, helped our ancestors adapt and survive. The discovery reshapes our understanding of how early technology anchored human evolution.

Current Mood: busy

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?

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

Today's first freebie was inspired by a backchannel prompt from new prompter

ljgeoff. It also fills the "Fairy Ring" square in my 11-1-25 card for the Fairy Tales and Fantasy Stories Bingo fest. It belongs to the fandom Doctor Who. The sequel is "To the Rational Mind."

( Read more... )

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

Sunflowers may be the future of "vegan meat"

Sunflower flour emerges as a sustainable, nutrient-packed, and surprisingly meat-like plant protein innovation.

A collaboration between Brazilian and German researchers has led to a sunflower-based meat substitute that’s high in protein and minerals. The new ingredient, made from refined sunflower flour, delivers excellent nutritional value and a mild flavor. Tests showed strong texture and healthy fat content, suggesting great potential for use in the growing plant-based food sector.

( Read more... )

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

Today is mostly sunny and mild.

I fed the birds. I've seen a large mixed flock of sparrows and house finches.

I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 11/4/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

I've seen a lot more sparrows. The sky has clouded over and is acting like it might rain.

EDIT 11/4/25 -- I did more work around the patio.

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

Current Mood: busy

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kimurho

October 2025

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Page generated Nov. 9th, 2025 03:22 am

Reading

Photos: Charleston Food Forest

Activism

Safety

Birdfeeding

Philosophical Questions: Community

Today's Smoothie

Poem: "A Clear Path of Freedom"

Climate Change

Birdfeeding

Follow Friday 11-7-25: Kingdom Hearts

Climate Change

Birdfeeding

Food

Birdfeeding

Poem: "To the Rational Mind"

Early Humans

Hard Things

Poem: "Time and Relative Dimensions in Magic"

Food

Birdfeeding

Profile

October 2025

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