kengr

Skiing Lesson
By Dialecticdreamer/Sarah Williams
Part 1 of 1, complete
Word count (story only): 1375

:: Farrah is visiting friends in Colorado when they interrupt their original plans to give her a birthday surprise. General fiction, written for the December of 2025 prompt call, from a suggestion made by

callibr8. My deepest thanks to her! ::

Farrah walked as quickly as her snow pants allowed, and reached the front desk at the hotel before the clerk could page her a third time. “Call for Miss Anders? I’m here,” Farrah declared, crossing her arms. “You do realize that it’s before eight in the morning?”

“Yes, Miss Anders.” The clerk shrugged almost imperceptibly. “We tried calling your room, and when there was no answer, switched to making a general announcement. You had a call, but they asked that you be told to be ready to depart at a quarter of nine. I’m doing my best to make sure that you’re ready.”
( Read more... )

Current Mood: artistic

conuly

Watch on YouTube

conuly

The goal is to herd all the "What do you call this?" posts into the comments there. It never ever works. However, they do occasionally get comments like "Here are the answers to the questions you asked rhetorically as an example" and "Why do you keep posting this and asking the same questions" and "There is no such thing as a pork burger".

Yes, Virginia, there is a pork burger. This is why I have a picture of pork burger patties on my phone, so I can post it every time somebody says that those don't exist, or that they "really" mean a breakfast sandwich or a pulled pork sandwich or a ham sandwich or a BLT.

I always want to ask these people who, I guess, don't get out much why they're so sure that anything they haven't personally heard of before must not exist. It's a big old world, but apparently, not so much for them.

(I suppose I can be forgiven for being a bit snippy this time around, I mean, given everything.)

***********************

( Read more... )

ysabetwordsmith

Human brains light up for chimp voices in a way no one expected

Humans may carry ancient neural traces that let us recognize the voices of our primate cousins.

Humans don’t just recognize each other’s voices—our brains also light up for the calls of chimpanzees, hinting at ancient communication roots shared with our closest primate relatives. Researchers found a specialized region in the auditory cortex that reacts distinctly to chimp vocalizations, but not to those of bonobos or macaques, revealing an unexpected mix of evolutionary and acoustic influences.

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

Today is cloudy and cold with copious snow. This has wiped out our plans to visit a holiday market. :(

I fed the birds. I've seen a large mixed flock of sparrows and house finches, at least one female and four male cardinals, a mourning dove, and a tiny wren clinging to the bathroom window as it probed the edges for hibernating insects.

I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 12/13/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

EDIT 12/13/25 -- I did more work around the patio.

EDIT 12/13/25 -- I did more work around the patio.

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

Current Mood: busy

fayanora

I just woke up from my upsetting dream in the real upsetting part was that it was a false awakening. First layer was an upsetting dream about Lily. I mean, it was pleasant until I started noticing weird stuff made me realize it was a dream and I tried waking up. I thought I did wake up because in the dream when I was waking up I became aware of the CPAP and I took it off and I got up and I don't remember what happened after that apart from there being more dreams but then I just woke up for real and realized that I had gone through a false awakening.

And don't you start,

kengr.

Except now I do actually remember more. Other things in the dream after the false awakening: couldn't find my phone, there was a guy who was made of wood, only he had one leg and the other leg was a prosthetic, except the guy who was made of wood started out as a guy played by Sylvester Stallone who needed a super macho song to fight to. Oh, and I sucked Will Smith's cock.

conuly

And one email and voicemail later, my pay didn't come in and nobody has responded yet. (I did wake up pretty late, but seriously.)

I'll call again in the morning, I don't care if it is a weekend, but....

*headdesk*

I don't know what I'll do for groceries if this isn't resolved by Monday, but I'll wait until Monday to worry about it.

daily_illuminator_feed

http://www.sjgames.com/ill/a/2025-12-13

You're a musician. You and your three best friends made a deal with the Devil. You're doomed. Or are you . . .?

Sure, making that deal seemed like a good idea at the time . . . 13 years ago, to be exact. Your band became wealthy and famous. It was everything you ever dreamed of. But you're starting to realize it was a terribly poor decision, now that the Devil has come to collect his due. You board a boxcar without even knowing where it's headed. Will you face the most fearsome villain of all and live to tell the tale? Only one of you can survive. Will it be you?

Last Train to Bremen, a storytelling RPG utilizing the bluffing mechanisms of Liar's Dice, is available for download.

To learn more about the initial crowdfunding project and read the latest updates on pricing and fulfillment, please visit BackerKit. If you missed out on backing the box set, there's still time to make a late pledge.

And if you just can't wait for the boxed set to be released next year, you can grab the PDF today.

– Michelle Richardson

Warehouse 23 News: The City Never Sleeps Because Of All The Action

There are a million stories in the city, and they're all exciting! GURPS Action 9: The City shows how you can add GURPS City Stats to your GURPS Action campaigns. It also features six sample cities to use with your own action-packed adventures. Download it today from Warehouse 23!

http://www.sjgames.com/ill/a/2025-12-13

ysabetwordsmith

Ground Zero: Los Angeles and the Endgame of the Growth Ponzi Scheme

Los Angeles didn’t mismanage its way into crisis. It built its way here.

I disagree. If a city does not track all of its liabilities, such as the maintenance costs of roads and utilities, that is mismanagement. You can't run a budget when you don't know where your money is going. That ought to be obvious.

( Read more... )

Current Mood: busy

apod_feed

https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap251212.html

Northern Fox Fires

https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap251212.html

ysabetwordsmith

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

Is the human tendency to create groups an overall positive or a negative trait in terms of general human flourishing?

Necessary. Insofar as we know, Homo like most primates is a troop animal, evolved to live in groups rather than alone. Individuals may choose to live alone, but it is much more difficult. Of course, humans can choose to create groups that are themselves positive or negative in structure and behavior, but that's a personal choice.

Current Mood: busy

sp2_feed

Posted by rkmilholland

https://somethingpositive.net/2025/12/12/december-12-2025/

https://somethingpositive.net/?p=1250

First Comic Previous Comic Next Comic Today’s Comic Latest Updates

https://somethingpositive.net/2025/12/12/december-12-2025/

https://somethingpositive.net/?p=1250

dumbingofage_feed

Posted by David M Willis

https://www.dumbingofage.com/2025/comic/book-16/02-im-the-problem-its-me/knickersonloan/

https://www.dumbingofage.com/?p=20005

https://www.dumbingofage.com/2025/comic/book-16/02-im-the-problem-its-me/knickersonloan/

https://www.dumbingofage.com/?p=20005

pilliadventure_feed

Posted by pillia5_wp

http://pilli-adventure.com/?p=10729

oh no

http://pilli-adventure.com/?p=10729

ysabetwordsmith

Scientists find hidden rainfall pattern that could reshape farming

Where rain comes from may decide the future stability of global food production.

New research shows that crops are far more vulnerable when too much rainfall originates from land rather than the ocean. Land-sourced moisture leads to weaker, less reliable rainfall, heightening drought risk. The U.S. Midwest and East Africa are particularly exposed due to soil drying and deforestation. Protecting forests and improving land management could help stabilize rainfall and crop yields.

Allow me to point out that the Midwest used to have copious fencerows of trees and bushes, more pocket forests, and more farmhouse yards. People cut down most of those to clear a few more acres of farmland. The results have been poor across multiple areas including wildlife losses, soil erosion, worsening winds with less interruption, and of course the aforementioned droughts.

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

Today is partly cloudy and chilly. Yesterday it snowed.

I fed the birds. I've seen a few sparrows and house finches.

I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 12/12/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

EDIT 12/12/25 -- I did more work around the patio.

EDIT 12/12/25 -- I did more work around the patio.

EDIT 12/12/25 -- I did more work around the patio.

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

Current Mood: busy

assignedmale_feed

https://assignedmale.tumblr.com/post/802743998203691008

Ho! Ho! Ho! Here are just a few examples of the new line of conversation starter Holiday designs that I’m launching - check out the others on my Dashery merch store. To mark the occasion, there’s a big sitewide sale for only two days. And just so you know, the cutoff date for receiving orders before Christmas in the US is next Monday!

https://assignedmale.tumblr.com/post/802743998203691008

dialecticdreamer

Holiday Extras
By Dialecticdreamer/Sarah Williams
Part 2 of 2, complete
Word count (story only): 1375
[Mid-December 2016, flexible timing]

:: Genna is spending most of the month of December touching base with her students via crafting. Edison arrives with Zipper, and both get a surprise. Part of the Strange Family and the Finn Family story arcs in the Polychrome Heroics universe. Posted for the December 2025 Giftmas, with my deepest thanks. ::

Back to part one
:: Thanks for reading! ::

Genna motioned toward the row of imperfect, awkward-looking snowflakes made of curls of wood, then touched Edison’s shoulder gently. “Those look good. Wabi-sabi means beauty in imperfections. They aren’t ugly or lumpy or… what was the other word that you said?”

“Bruscar,” Edison murmured, the syllables heavy with disappointment. “It means trash.”

“They’re not trash,” Genna assured the boy.
( Read more... )

Current Mood: cold

the_daily_wtf_feed

Posted by Lyle Seaman

https://thedailywtf.com/articles/anonymice

Three blind anonymice are unbothered by the gathering dark as we approach the winter solstice. Those of you fortunate enough to be approaching the summer solstice are no doubt gloating. Feel free, we don't begrudge it. You'll get yours soon enough. Here we have some suggestions from a motley crew of three or four or maybe more or fewer.

Mouse Number One is suffering an identity crisis, whimpering "I don't really know who I am anymore and I really hoped to have this information after modifying my profile."

Mouse Number Twö müses „While Amazon is trying to upsell me their service, I am wondering how their localization infrastructure must be implemented to enable errors like \".“

Mouse Number N is almost ready to square off with some back office programmer. "A very secure PIN on an obligatory wooden table."

Mouse Number 502 has gone bad. "This could be a gateway to something better. I think I'll apply."

Finally, an anon from some summer morn sent us this some time ago and it confused me so much I sat on it. I've never figured out what he was on about, so maybe you can explain it to me. Perhaps his snarky comment will be clueful? "When you don't know how to screenshot, print it out and scan it back in," he said.

[Advertisement] Plan Your .NET 9 Migration with Confidence
Your journey to .NET 9 is more than just one decision.Avoid migration migraines with the advice in this free guide. Download Free Guide Now!

https://thedailywtf.com/articles/anonymice

murgatroyd_666 posting in

girlgenius_lair

https://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20251212

The best rebuttal to criticism is demonstration of competence and correctness.

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kengr

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Page generated Dec. 13th, 2025 11:54 pm

Reading

Skiing Lesson (part 1 of 1, complete)

(no subject)

So, over at /r/Englishlearning there is a weekly "What is this thing" post

Science

Birdfeeding

Whole new level of fucked

Well, my pay didn't come in

December 13, 2025: Hop Aboard The Last Train To Bremen

Economics

Northern Fox Fires

Philosophical Questions: Humans

December 12, 2025

Knickers-on-loan

AI horror(filler)

Water

Birdfeeding

Ho! Ho! Ho! Here are just a few examples of the new line of conversation starter Holiday designs&hel

Holiday Extras (part 2 of 2, complete)

Error'd: Anonymice

Friday's comic

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November 2025

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