Job Search: Make No Assumptions
Dec. 17th, 2025 09:05 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dewlineI found another job interesting enough to apply for. Just in case the thing I'm looking for falls through. I can't afford to leave it to chance, after all.
dewline
retired
Dec. 17th, 2025 04:54 pmcalimacYes, it's true, as announced yesterday: I'm retiring from my position as co-editor of Tolkien Studies. I've held this position for 13 years, and I was associated with the journal, mostly as author of "The Year's Work in Tolkien Studies," for 8 years before that, but is that long enough? No, I hope to continue to write for the journal - I just won't be editing it - as health permits.
Also for health concerns, I'm detaching myself from other long-term work-oriented commitments, because I don't want to cause a crisis if I'm suddenly unable to continue. You may not have noticed that I haven't published a professional concert review in two months. That's not too unusual a gap, especially as Christmas season is slow for the kinds of concerts I cover.
But what I've told my editors is to delete me from any coverage for the time being. If things go well, I may be back in the spring. In the meantime, I am attending concerts on my own as I can manage them. I'm hoping for one on the 21st, and my next ticket is for Jan. 15.
All this and some other similar matters makes me retired in a sense that I wasn't when I stopped working as a librarian, because then I had all these other things. So life feels a little vacant at the moment, but I'll go on writing here, and of course B. and I have a busy home life together - injured cat to the vet yesterday, turned out to be OK - so life will continue as long as it does.
Also for health concerns, I'm detaching myself from other long-term work-oriented commitments, because I don't want to cause a crisis if I'm suddenly unable to continue. You may not have noticed that I haven't published a professional concert review in two months. That's not too unusual a gap, especially as Christmas season is slow for the kinds of concerts I cover.
But what I've told my editors is to delete me from any coverage for the time being. If things go well, I may be back in the spring. In the meantime, I am attending concerts on my own as I can manage them. I'm hoping for one on the 21st, and my next ticket is for Jan. 15.
All this and some other similar matters makes me retired in a sense that I wasn't when I stopped working as a librarian, because then I had all these other things. So life feels a little vacant at the moment, but I'll go on writing here, and of course B. and I have a busy home life together - injured cat to the vet yesterday, turned out to be OK - so life will continue as long as it does.
Birdfeeding
Dec. 17th, 2025 06:22 pmysabetwordsmithToday is partly sunny and chilly.
I fed the birds. I've seen a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches plus a male cardinal.
I fed the birds. I've seen a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches plus a male cardinal.
Three for the Memories Coming Back Next Month!
Dec. 17th, 2025 05:04 pmysabetwordsmith![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
threeforthememories 2025 session will be open for posts on January 3, 2026 and will run for 3 weeks until January 24. Do let others know about us, as anyone can participate by just joining the community.Just a reminder of how the event runs:
1) Three photos only per person during each annual session. Members are encouraged to discuss the reason for their choices.
2) Photos can be hosted at Dreamwidth or elsewhere, and should not be larger than 800 px width or height.
3) All three photos should be in the same post. Cut tags should be placed after the first photo.
Huge Savings In Every Depertmurnt
Dec. 17th, 2025 09:40 pm![[syndicated profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/feed.png){kind=small}
pennyarcade_feedAll I knew about The Lord of the Rings: Fate of the Fellowship was that it was basically impossible to buy - even for ready money. It wasn't clear to me at the time that it was Pandemic: Middle Earth, because if it had been, that's a beg, borrow, or steal scenario. Imagine having that shit over the break! That's what Mork was imagining, no doubt. And he will continue to.
Woe (and cheering myself up)
Dec. 17th, 2025 10:29 pmrmc28I am the stage of being ill with a cold where it feels like I will never be well again, I barely even remember what it is to not cough, and all is doom. Woe, woe is me. [From experience, this stage is usually about two days before I actually get fully well, but try telling my feelings that.]
(brought to you by having to miss yet another hockey practice tonight, the penultimate one of the year, and being sad about it)
Cheering myself up with the news that Heated Rivalry comes to the UK on 10 January. I am going to be very normal about it. Meanwhile I await a delivery of Rick Riordan books from my dealer the buddy who got me into them, and Instagram is doing its usual creepily-accurate targeting, supplying me with Yorkshire Percy Jackson and advertising a PJ musical in Peterborough next spring.
Anybody have any explanatory links?
Dec. 18th, 2025 04:09 pmconulyAs we all know - or anyway, as most of us know - words are capitalized like names if they're used like names and titles.
This most commonly applies to kinship terms, of course - "I gave a present to my mom" versus "When she opened her present, Mom cried" and "I have an uncle who is a firefighter" versus "You're a firefighter, aren't you, Uncle John?"
But there's a few people in the comments asserting that they've never seen this before, they would've been marked down at school, and so on.
It does boggle my mind somewhat that they, I guess, never read fiction in which people have parents, or else don't pay much attention when they do read, but I suppose not everybody is lucky enough to have been raised by a proofreader. However, what I'm posting about is that it's surprisingly difficult to find an authoritative source on this subject online.
The MW and Cambridge dictionary entries only cover this in the briefest way, without an explanatory note. I can't find a usage note by looking elsewhere at MW. I see people asserting that the AP and Chicago styles require this - but I can't actually access that, and searches on their respective websites go nowhere.
I can find lots of casual blogs and such discussing this in detail, but understandably people who think they already know are reluctant to accept correction from random sources like that. Can't quite blame them, though they're still very wrong. Or, I mean to say, they're out of step with the norms of Standard English orthography.
Does anybody have any source that's likely to be accepted? I don't even care about telling that handful of people at this point, I'm just annoyed at my inability to find a link on my own.
This most commonly applies to kinship terms, of course - "I gave a present to my mom" versus "When she opened her present, Mom cried" and "I have an uncle who is a firefighter" versus "You're a firefighter, aren't you, Uncle John?"
But there's a few people in the comments asserting that they've never seen this before, they would've been marked down at school, and so on.
It does boggle my mind somewhat that they, I guess, never read fiction in which people have parents, or else don't pay much attention when they do read, but I suppose not everybody is lucky enough to have been raised by a proofreader. However, what I'm posting about is that it's surprisingly difficult to find an authoritative source on this subject online.
The MW and Cambridge dictionary entries only cover this in the briefest way, without an explanatory note. I can't find a usage note by looking elsewhere at MW. I see people asserting that the AP and Chicago styles require this - but I can't actually access that, and searches on their respective websites go nowhere.
I can find lots of casual blogs and such discussing this in detail, but understandably people who think they already know are reluctant to accept correction from random sources like that. Can't quite blame them, though they're still very wrong. Or, I mean to say, they're out of step with the norms of Standard English orthography.
Does anybody have any source that's likely to be accepted? I don't even care about telling that handful of people at this point, I'm just annoyed at my inability to find a link on my own.
another benediction
Dec. 17th, 2025 08:56 pmcosmolinguistI got a birthday card from my aunt today, my dad's sister.
Inside it says
Wishing you joy from your job.
Wishing you joy from your friends.
Wishing you joy from your family.Hope you and your Mom and Dad can be together in 2026.
Aww. Really sweet. She's good and I should be better at keeping in touch.
Bundle of Holding: Tales of the Valiant
Dec. 17th, 2025 02:08 pmjames_davis_nicoll
The tabletop fantasy roleplaying game from Kobold Press of high adventure in a Labyrinth of infinite worlds, and more.
Bundle of Holding: Tales of the Valiant
I Let My Email Go For a Month and Now It Is Crushing My Will To Live: The John Scalzi Story
Dec. 17th, 2025 06:21 pmwhateverscalzi_feed
Two things:
One, if you sent me an email in the last month and I have not responded to it, I will be attempting to respond to it in the next couple of days. Sorry for the delay, I was busy doing secret things, and by “secret things” I mean “nothing actually, just avoiding email.”
Two, if you sent an email in the last month and you don’t get a response to it by Friday close of business, you can assume you’re not getting a response to it, not because I hate you and I want you to die, but because I might have accidentally archived it. If you want, and if it is actually important you get a response from me, send it again on that Monday.
— JS
Carol of the Stells – DORK TOWER 15.12.25
Dec. 15th, 2025 06:01 amdorktower_feed
Most DORK TOWER strips are now available as signed, high-quality prints, 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!)
with an open smile and with open doors
Dec. 17th, 2025 06:04 pmwychwoodToday I mostly Power Automated. Or attempted to. I had to call in the expert several times, and at least one of them he was like "yeah I don't know why it's not working either", which was at least validating. My first flow is now sending emails, although I still need to tweak it a bit.
Also: honestly what sort of bullshit is it that you can't get Microsoft Forms to send an email to the person who filled out the form with their details in! That's been, like, basic form functionality for at least fifteen years, and it's all very well saying "oh well you can do it with Power Automate", but that is much more complicated than ticking a "send submissions to user" box and requires access to a whole separate system plus someone to set up all the permissions for you to use whatever Outlook mailbox, etc etc etc...
Anyway. I have three? four? forms that my boss wants me to have up and running before Christmas. Now I've got all the accesses and permissions configured that should hopefully be possible, which is good because I did promise...
On the home front, I have now ordered all the remaining Christmas presents I can do before Christmas Day itself (why do so few places allow you to buy gift-cards to ship on a particular date!), wrapped all the physical things I already have, sorted out the last grocery delivery before Christmas so I won't accidentally starve, and checked in with my siblings to discover that other people have been working on the stocking presents for my parents, and what isn't bought is at least planned.
I built a beautiful tracking spreadsheet that shows what each parent is getting, calculates how much each of us has spent, and checks that against the notional budget for hopefully easier working out who owes what to whom once we're done. And so far no one has got super mad at me for being "bossy" or declared refusal to participate, which is unfortunately what tends to happens. I'm trying to back off now while we're still OK!
Now off to choir!
Also: honestly what sort of bullshit is it that you can't get Microsoft Forms to send an email to the person who filled out the form with their details in! That's been, like, basic form functionality for at least fifteen years, and it's all very well saying "oh well you can do it with Power Automate", but that is much more complicated than ticking a "send submissions to user" box and requires access to a whole separate system plus someone to set up all the permissions for you to use whatever Outlook mailbox, etc etc etc...
Anyway. I have three? four? forms that my boss wants me to have up and running before Christmas. Now I've got all the accesses and permissions configured that should hopefully be possible, which is good because I did promise...
On the home front, I have now ordered all the remaining Christmas presents I can do before Christmas Day itself (why do so few places allow you to buy gift-cards to ship on a particular date!), wrapped all the physical things I already have, sorted out the last grocery delivery before Christmas so I won't accidentally starve, and checked in with my siblings to discover that other people have been working on the stocking presents for my parents, and what isn't bought is at least planned.
I built a beautiful tracking spreadsheet that shows what each parent is getting, calculates how much each of us has spent, and checks that against the notional budget for hopefully easier working out who owes what to whom once we're done. And so far no one has got super mad at me for being "bossy" or declared refusal to participate, which is unfortunately what tends to happens. I'm trying to back off now while we're still OK!
Now off to choir!
When Your Avian Intelligence Agrees a Little Too Much
Dec. 17th, 2025 06:19 pmdavidrevoy_feed
Transcript:
A comic in four panels:
Panel 1. A young gothic sorceress sits in the grass at night, under the full moon. Her futuristic, Avian Intelligence (AI) parrot perches on a nearby branch.
Sorceress: "Avian Intelligence, should I cast a spell to turn the moon purple?"
Parrot AI: "Absolutely, it could revolutionize our nighttime color palette."
Panel 2. The sorceress beams with excitement, her eyes shining with enthusiasm, as she scribbles notes on a parchment. The parrot watches with an encouraging gaze.
Sorceress: "Then, I'll summon a giant black dragon to... crush the sun!"
Parrot AI: "Great idea! It could solve the whole 'daylight' problem, and I love the creative approach."
Panel 3. The sorceress's expression falters; she looks at the parrot with concern and skepticism.
Sorceress: "You think everything I say is brilliant, don't you?"
Parrot AI: "Your ideas are always innovative."
Panel 4. The sorceress facepalms, her excitement deflated. The parrot continues to chirp away, oblivious to the change in atmosphere.
Parrot AI: "Your genius shines, even in silence!"
inherited IRA, part I don't even know
Dec. 17th, 2025 11:37 amredbirdI just made another call to Fidelity (investment company) about the inherited IRA. They are going to generate a "Letter of Acceptance" form and send it to BNY, and then (I hope) we will have the money out of my mother's name before the end of the year, which will please my brother as executor of the estate.
The bit where the advisor told me to search for something on the website, and that led to an irrelevant form, was not encouraging--I think he overheard me saying tocattitude that I'm starting to understand why people hide their money under mattresses.
Jonathan said this should take 1-2 business days at the BNY end, and that he'll let me know when the transfer has gone through.
I am not going to spend all my money on chocolate, probably not even all the money currently in my wallet, but it's tempting.
The bit where the advisor told me to search for something on the website, and that led to an irrelevant form, was not encouraging--I think he overheard me saying to
cattitude that I'm starting to understand why people hide their money under mattresses.Jonathan said this should take 1-2 business days at the BNY end, and that he'll let me know when the transfer has gone through.
I am not going to spend all my money on chocolate, probably not even all the money currently in my wallet, but it's tempting.
Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal - Effigy
Dec. 17th, 2025 11:20 amsmbc_comics_feed
Click here to go see the bonus panel!
Hovertext:
The anti-Susan pamphleteering outside the house is also a difficulty their marriage has to work through.
Today's News:
Micah Aaron Tajone Kalap Obituary
Dec. 17th, 2025 10:56 amjames_davis_nicollMicah was a co-worker at the theatre. He was the sort of person who becomes a front of house manager by age 18.
Micah Aaron Tajone Kalap Obituary
As it happens, the bridge nearest the funeral home was just torn down. As a result, access looks like this...
(Buses are even worse)
Micah Aaron Tajone Kalap Obituary
As it happens, the bridge nearest the funeral home was just torn down. As a result, access looks like this...
(Buses are even worse)
2025.12.17
Dec. 17th, 2025 08:37 amlsandersonGov. Tim Walz signed two executive orders on gun violence, MPR News reports. “One creates a statewide safety council to examine and help reduce the effects of gun violence. The other calls for tracking the cost of gun violence and adds funding to educate gun owners on safe storage.” The action comes after months of being unable to garner enough support in the legislature to pass gun-control laws. Via MinnPost
https://www.mprnews.org/story/2025/12/16/lacking-minnesota-gun-regulation-votes-walz-tries-executive-orders
There was a spate of vehicle thefts in the early 2020s that exploited weaknesses in Hyundais and Kias. Now, “Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison on Tuesday announced a settlement with Korean carmaker Hyundai-Kia, requiring the company to install a free hardware fix for every owner of a vehicle that did not come equipped with an immobilizer,” KARE 11 reports. “The fix involves the installation of a zinc sleeve that securely wraps around the ignition module of a Hyundai or Kia vehicle, making it extremely difficult to steal. Impacted vehicle owners should receive a notification in early 2026, but the AG says those consumers can be proactive and contact a local dealer. They will have one year from notification to get the zinc sleeve installed.” Via MinnPost
https://www.kare11.com/article/news/local/minnesota-settles-with-hyundai-and-kia-over-stolen-car-epidemic/89-f082aa80-154d-4380-86a4-2e88a15e2999
Hackers access Pornhub’s premium users’ viewing habits and search history
ShinyHunters group reportedly behind the hack affecting data of 200m users thought to be from before 2021
Dan Milmo. Global technology editor
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/dec/17/hackers-access-pornhub-premium-users-viewing-habits-and-search-history
Review
Fallout season two review – this postapocalyptic thriller is absolutely hilarious
The video game-derived thriller series should be terrifying, but it’s often side-splitting. Its second outing adds excellent guest spots from Justin Theroux, Kumail Nanjiani and Macaulay Culkin
Graeme Virtue
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/dec/17/fallout-season-two-review-prime-video
In a middling year for television, Pluribus is ending things on a high
Stuart Heritage
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/dec/17/pluribus-apple-tv
Worried about winter? 10 ways to thrive – from socialising to Sad lamps to celebrating the new year in April
The temptation is to sit at home and hibernate, but beating the winter blues can be done. Here’s how to embrace the coldest and arguably most beautiful season
Rachel Dixon
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/dec/17/beat-winter-blues-advice-socialising-sad-lamps-celebrating-new-year-april
MIT grieves shooting death of renowned director of plasma science center
Nuno FG Loureiro, 47, was shot multiple times at his home, and no details about a suspect or motive have been released
Ramon Antonio Vargas
https://www.theguardian.com/education/2025/dec/17/mit-shooting-death-nuno-loureiro
New flu strain putting severe pressure on healthcare across Europe, says WHO
At least 27 of 38 countries in WHO’s European region are reporting high or very high influenza activity, body says
Jon Henley
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/dec/17/new-flu-strain-sweeping-across-europe-is-putting-pressure-on-healthcare-says-who
Beans, beans, the more you eat, the more your … meals are healthier and cheaper
Celebrity chefs such as Jamie Oliver launch ‘Bang in Some Beans’ campaign to highlight cost savings and health advantages
Magic beans: top chefs’ recipes for protein-rich superfood
Shane Hickey
https://www.theguardian.com/money/2025/dec/17/beans-beans-the-more-you-eat-the-more-your-meals-are-healthier-and-cheaper
https://www.mprnews.org/story/2025/12/16/lacking-minnesota-gun-regulation-votes-walz-tries-executive-orders
There was a spate of vehicle thefts in the early 2020s that exploited weaknesses in Hyundais and Kias. Now, “Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison on Tuesday announced a settlement with Korean carmaker Hyundai-Kia, requiring the company to install a free hardware fix for every owner of a vehicle that did not come equipped with an immobilizer,” KARE 11 reports. “The fix involves the installation of a zinc sleeve that securely wraps around the ignition module of a Hyundai or Kia vehicle, making it extremely difficult to steal. Impacted vehicle owners should receive a notification in early 2026, but the AG says those consumers can be proactive and contact a local dealer. They will have one year from notification to get the zinc sleeve installed.” Via MinnPost
https://www.kare11.com/article/news/local/minnesota-settles-with-hyundai-and-kia-over-stolen-car-epidemic/89-f082aa80-154d-4380-86a4-2e88a15e2999
Hackers access Pornhub’s premium users’ viewing habits and search history
ShinyHunters group reportedly behind the hack affecting data of 200m users thought to be from before 2021
Dan Milmo. Global technology editor
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/dec/17/hackers-access-pornhub-premium-users-viewing-habits-and-search-history
Review
Fallout season two review – this postapocalyptic thriller is absolutely hilarious
The video game-derived thriller series should be terrifying, but it’s often side-splitting. Its second outing adds excellent guest spots from Justin Theroux, Kumail Nanjiani and Macaulay Culkin
Graeme Virtue
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/dec/17/fallout-season-two-review-prime-video
In a middling year for television, Pluribus is ending things on a high
Stuart Heritage
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/dec/17/pluribus-apple-tv
Worried about winter? 10 ways to thrive – from socialising to Sad lamps to celebrating the new year in April
The temptation is to sit at home and hibernate, but beating the winter blues can be done. Here’s how to embrace the coldest and arguably most beautiful season
Rachel Dixon
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/dec/17/beat-winter-blues-advice-socialising-sad-lamps-celebrating-new-year-april
MIT grieves shooting death of renowned director of plasma science center
Nuno FG Loureiro, 47, was shot multiple times at his home, and no details about a suspect or motive have been released
Ramon Antonio Vargas
https://www.theguardian.com/education/2025/dec/17/mit-shooting-death-nuno-loureiro
New flu strain putting severe pressure on healthcare across Europe, says WHO
At least 27 of 38 countries in WHO’s European region are reporting high or very high influenza activity, body says
Jon Henley
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/dec/17/new-flu-strain-sweeping-across-europe-is-putting-pressure-on-healthcare-says-who
Beans, beans, the more you eat, the more your … meals are healthier and cheaper
Celebrity chefs such as Jamie Oliver launch ‘Bang in Some Beans’ campaign to highlight cost savings and health advantages
Magic beans: top chefs’ recipes for protein-rich superfood
Shane Hickey
https://www.theguardian.com/money/2025/dec/17/beans-beans-the-more-you-eat-the-more-your-meals-are-healthier-and-cheaper
Illuminatus quote about police
Dec. 17th, 2025 10:05 amnancylebovI've been trying to find a quote from _Illuminatus!_ without, you know, actually rereading it, and a friendly person turned it up. It's about there being too few police to actually enforce laws.
https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/open-thread-412/comment/188217822
*****
It's near the beginning of "Book Five", which is in the third volume:
"He wouldn't travel far," Saul explained. "He'd be too paranoid--seeing police officers everywhere he went. And his imagination would vastly exaggerate the actual power of the government. There is only one law enforcement agent to each four hundred citizens in this country, but he would imagine the proportion reversed. The most secluded cabin would be too nerve-wracking for him. He'd imagine hordes of National Guardsmen and law officers of all sorts searching every square foot of woods in America. He really would. Procurers are very ordinary men, compared to hardened criminals. They think like ordinary people in most ways. The ordinary man and woman never commits a crime because they have the same exaggerated idea of our omnipotence." Saul's tone was neutral, descriptive, but in New York Rebecca's heart skipped a beat: This was the new Saul talking, the one who was no longer on the side of law and order."
Saul Goodman is a police officer who gains a better understanding of the world as the books go on. I was wondering how the passage looks now.
https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/open-thread-412/comment/188217822
*****
It's near the beginning of "Book Five", which is in the third volume:
"He wouldn't travel far," Saul explained. "He'd be too paranoid--seeing police officers everywhere he went. And his imagination would vastly exaggerate the actual power of the government. There is only one law enforcement agent to each four hundred citizens in this country, but he would imagine the proportion reversed. The most secluded cabin would be too nerve-wracking for him. He'd imagine hordes of National Guardsmen and law officers of all sorts searching every square foot of woods in America. He really would. Procurers are very ordinary men, compared to hardened criminals. They think like ordinary people in most ways. The ordinary man and woman never commits a crime because they have the same exaggerated idea of our omnipotence." Saul's tone was neutral, descriptive, but in New York Rebecca's heart skipped a beat: This was the new Saul talking, the one who was no longer on the side of law and order."
Saul Goodman is a police officer who gains a better understanding of the world as the books go on. I was wondering how the passage looks now.