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Posted by Zach Weinersmith



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[syndicated profile] dorktower_feed

Posted by John Kovalic

 

This or any DORK TOWER strip is now available as a signed, high-quality print, from just $25!  CLICK HERE to find out more!

HEY! Want to help keep DORK TOWER going? Then consider joining the DORK TOWER Patreon and ENLIST IN THE ARMY OF DORKNESS TODAY! (We have COOKIES!) (And SWAG!) (And GRATITUDE!)

 

Moment of Silence: Patricia Crowther

Oct. 31st, 2025 03:38 pm
ysabetwordsmith: (moment of silence)
[personal profile] ysabetwordsmith
Famous witch Patricia Crowther has crossed over.

And there is much rejoicing in the Summerland!

Read more... )

Birdfeeding

Oct. 31st, 2025 03:23 pm
ysabetwordsmith: Cartoon of me in Wordsmith persona (Default)
[personal profile] ysabetwordsmith
Today is mostly sunny and mild.

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

I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 10/31/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

EDIT 10/31/25 -- I did more work around the patio.





.
 

The New Whip

Oct. 31st, 2025 07:00 pm
[syndicated profile] mikehoye_feed

Posted by mhoye

Untitled
Untitled

“There’s no trail here, turn back, you need to portage your canoe,” look at all this quitter talk.

This bike started its young life as Canyon Stitched 360, a single speed jump bike that was a ton of fun on burms and pavement, but shipping with a 30×12 drivetrain that made it difficult to wrangle hills and the off-piste nonsense I seem to favour. Most of where I end up is… well. Sometimes it’s a path? I sometimes – not always, but sometimes – think that if you know where you’re going and how you’re getting there you’ve already missed a part of the point.

In any case; today this bike’s a bit different.

Front to back, the stubby jump-bike stem has been replaced with a 130mm Profile Aris stem that gives it a trials-bike front end feeling, more a bit more leverage and legroom. Cut-narrow handlebars with a bit of extra lift have me standing almost straight up if I’m out of the seat, looking like a meercat in overgrowth and joyously swoopy down Toronto’s few hills. The post holding up that seat is TranzX dropper that gets mostly out of the way if I’m knee deep in the gnarls, but gives me enough height that getting where I’m going on the flats isn’t a hunched-up unpleasantry.

Down in the drivetrain, 30-12 is perfectly fine for a jump bike but pushing that 2.5 ratio up a 25 degree singletrack incline made of mud and roots, it’s a bit much. The rear wheel now sports an Alfine 8-speed internal hub, in theory is meant for e-bikes.

It’s so quiet.

I pay a bit of a weight penalty for that, but… look, there’s no way I’m the strongest anyone in the anything, I know that, but I’ve stripped the teeth off a Gates belt before, and I’m told you’re not supposed to be able to do that; I’m hoping that this thing doesn’t get turned into a fistful of scrap shavings next time I get a bit excitable. Replacing the front cog with a 38-tooth gear that juuuuust barely fits has given me enough range that I can haul myself up the 20% grade Redway Service Road, no … well, not “no problem”, really. 20% is a slog, full stop. But now it’s achievable. And at the top end, that 3.8 ratio (on 26ers) isn’t quite what I get from my beloved track bike, but with a bit of a tailwind or down a bit of a hill, I can soar.

It’s unstoppable. I love it.

The only thing I need now are some knobbies, but that’s a springtime project. For now… it’s just about perfect, an instrument precision-tuned to the idiosyncracies, predelictions and frame of one random weirdo that happens to be me.

But I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that occasionally, when somebody asks “what kind of bike is that?” I get a fair bit of satisfaction out of saying, there are no other bikes like this.

Holiday

Oct. 31st, 2025 02:25 pm
ysabetwordsmith: Cartoon of me in Wordsmith persona (Default)
[personal profile] ysabetwordsmith
I saw this line elsenet and thought it would be fun to share here:

What day does the Christmas season begin?

Read more... )

Books

Oct. 31st, 2025 01:53 pm
ysabetwordsmith: Cartoon of me in Wordsmith persona (Default)
[personal profile] ysabetwordsmith
libraries as resistance

In a system that wants to dismantle education and undermine critical thought, libraries become sanctuaries of truth, radical hope, and quiet rebellion.


Generously stocked, freely accessible, public libraries are ideal.

However, if the government destroys them, we have another option: private libraries run by actual bookworms. A library can be stocked quite cheaply with used books, hence the Little Free Library movement and swap shelves. But if you have or can afford to rent or buy space in a building, then you can provide a bigger collection. A private library is not at the mercy of the government, and you are free to do things like ban censorship.

(no subject)

Oct. 31st, 2025 11:36 am
radiantfracture: Beadwork bunny head (Default)
[personal profile] radiantfracture
I am trying to remember a quotation that may or may not exist.

It is a bit like Kiss of the Spider Woman's "This dream is short, but this dream is happy."

Something like "this is a (something) story for bad times."

Any contenders?

{rf}

Halloween viewing

Oct. 31st, 2025 05:46 pm
vivdunstan: A picture of a cinema projector (films)
[personal profile] vivdunstan
Planning our Halloween viewing, possibly spread over a couple of nights. First up Hammer's movie The Vampire Lovers, based on Sheridan Le Fanu's novella Carmilla, which I recently read for my book club. Then bonkers supernatural comedy movie Hundreds of Beavers.
[syndicated profile] whateverscalzi_feed

Posted by John Scalzi

Originally posted on Threads, but I’m posting here because for some reason Threads doesn’t embed here:

“Trick or treat candy is for everyone. Cute kid in an adorable costume? Candy. Teen not in a costume feeling self-conscious but hoping you’ll give ’em candy anyway? Candy. Adults accompanying the trick-or-treating little kids so they don’t run into traffic in a middle of a sugar high? Oh, you best believe they’re getting candy. You, giving out the candy? Have a fun-size treat, babe, you deserve it. CANDY FOR EVERYONE, all the time and this year most of all.”

That’s it, that’s the post. Happy Halloween, everyone.

— JS

manual pasta maker

Oct. 31st, 2025 12:08 pm
ljgeoff: (Default)
[personal profile] ljgeoff
So I dont lose it: CucinaPro Manual Pasta Maker

This will also roll oats, make veggies chips, phyllo dough and puff pastry.

growing cereal crops

Oct. 31st, 2025 09:45 am
ljgeoff: (Default)
[personal profile] ljgeoff
We're thinking of trying out a quarter acre each of several cereal crops:

- duram wheat
- khorasan wheat
- hard spring red wheat
- dent corn
- rye
- barley
- millet
- oats
- buckwheat

So that's two acres that'll need to be cleared. More like four acres, since we'll be companion planting our veggies in with the cereals.
vivdunstan: Photo of some of my books (books)
[personal profile] vivdunstan
Today’s arrival, a new book by JRR Tolkien. A satirical fantasy from the future looking back at the fragmentary remains of somewhere rather heavily inspired by Oxford.

I got me a signed copy (normal RRP) from Blackwells in Oxford. Signed by the head of the Bodleian, who wrote the accompanying essay in the book.

A hardback copy, resting on a red sofa, of “The Bovadium Fragments” by JRR Tolkien edited by Christopher Tolkien with a new accompanying essay by Richard Ovenden “The Origin of Bovadium”. Bovadium = Oxford. My copy is signed by Richard Ovenden.

October 2025 in Review

Oct. 31st, 2025 09:05 am
james_davis_nicoll: (Default)
[personal profile] james_davis_nicoll


James Nicoll Reviews saw its 3000th review on the 17th.

23 works reviewed. 12.5 by women (54%), 10 by men (43%), 0.5 by non-binary authors (2%), 0 by authors whose gender is unknown (0%), and 10.5 by POC (46%).

More stats and a big chart here.

Wildlife

Oct. 31st, 2025 04:44 am
ysabetwordsmith: Cartoon of me in Wordsmith persona (Default)
[personal profile] ysabetwordsmith
Scientists discover a stunning new golden-tongued lizard in China

A new species of mountain lizard, Diploderma bifluviale, has been discovered in the upper Dadu River Valley of China. Its distinct traits and isolated habitat highlight the hidden biodiversity of the Hengduan Mountains.

Garden of Repose

Oct. 31st, 2025 04:28 am
ysabetwordsmith: (repose)
[personal profile] ysabetwordsmith
Revisit those who have passed during the year. These entries from my "Moment of Silence" tag highlight those who have died recently. Some of my posts have a "Carry on the Work" section regarding the person's accomplishments in case anyone else wants to explore those.

Browse ways to celebrate Dia de los Muertos.

Here are some things to do for Samhain. See the Greenhaven Coven page for Samhain and its recipes.

Does anyone else have names to remember?

October 2025

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