Lightning
Aug. 1st, 2025 03:27 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysabetwordsmithScientists finally solve the mystery of what triggers lightning
A Penn State-led research team has unraveled the long-standing mystery of how lightning begins inside thunderclouds. Their findings offer the first quantitative, physics-based explanation for lightning initiation—and a glimpse into the stormy heart of Earth’s atmosphere.
A Penn State-led research team has unraveled the long-standing mystery of how lightning begins inside thunderclouds. Their findings offer the first quantitative, physics-based explanation for lightning initiation—and a glimpse into the stormy heart of Earth’s atmosphere.
MINI-UPDATE: News
Aug. 1st, 2025 04:25 pmduskpetersonSoon after I posted the last update, I tossed into my backpack a few items of clothing, my wifi phone (to use as an offline ereader), and my flip phone. No laptop; I knew I wouldn't have wifi access where I was going, nor much time. Then I rushed off to spend a few days with my sick relative.
I'm still here. The acute medical crisis morphed into a need for long-term care.
I've acquired Internet access again, as you can see. I hope to get my laptop back, later this month; when I do, I'll be able to resume posting online fiction. Ebooks will take a little longer, because my relative is still being flooded with medical care, which I'm coordinating.
The good news is that – for the first time in thirty years – I've established a daily writing schedule. I had vastly underestimated the benefits of paper and pen. So I'm continuing to produce stories, at a more rapid pace than in the recent past; it's just that the publication pipeline is clogged at the moment. Thank you all for your patience.
Cyberspace Theory
Aug. 1st, 2025 03:18 pmysabetwordsmithYoutube's new 18+ restriction thing
If you haven't heard: Youtube's gonna be rolling out a thing where they use AI to analyze the types of videos you watch to determine whether or not you're 18. If they think you're under, they're probably gonna limit what kinds of videos you can watch, and if they think you're 18 or over, you're gonna have to provide your ID. And if at any point Youtube has your age wrong, you're gonna have to provide some sort of ID anyways to rectify it.
I hate it all. Some people have posited that this being put in place is to protect kids, which on it's face sounds like a good thing. But having to give your ID to some online company, and Google no less... Not too long ago there was already another incident where an app intended for women only had it's database leaked, resulting in the leakage of several IDs (because this app used IDs to prove that its users were indeed women, a practice I have my own thoughts about).
Evil, but hardly a surprise. So, think about how much you enjoy using YouTube, and if you start hitting barriers there, consider whether there is an alternative that would be less abusive.
If you haven't heard: Youtube's gonna be rolling out a thing where they use AI to analyze the types of videos you watch to determine whether or not you're 18. If they think you're under, they're probably gonna limit what kinds of videos you can watch, and if they think you're 18 or over, you're gonna have to provide your ID. And if at any point Youtube has your age wrong, you're gonna have to provide some sort of ID anyways to rectify it.
I hate it all. Some people have posited that this being put in place is to protect kids, which on it's face sounds like a good thing. But having to give your ID to some online company, and Google no less... Not too long ago there was already another incident where an app intended for women only had it's database leaked, resulting in the leakage of several IDs (because this app used IDs to prove that its users were indeed women, a practice I have my own thoughts about).
Evil, but hardly a surprise. So, think about how much you enjoy using YouTube, and if you start hitting barriers there, consider whether there is an alternative that would be less abusive.
Birdfeeding
Aug. 1st, 2025 03:14 pmysabetwordsmithToday is sunny and mild, a beautiful day. :D
I fed the birds. I've seen a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches.
I put out water for the birds.
I took a few pictures around the yard.
EDIT 8/1/25 -- I did a bunch of work on the patio and around the house yard.
EDIT 8/1/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
EDIT 8/1/25 -- I watered the new picnic table garden.
I picked a couple of cucumbers and herbs so I can make a chop salad later.
Crickets and cicadas are singing.
As it is now dark, I am done for the night.
I fed the birds. I've seen a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches.
I put out water for the birds.
I took a few pictures around the yard.
EDIT 8/1/25 -- I did a bunch of work on the patio and around the house yard.
EDIT 8/1/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
EDIT 8/1/25 -- I watered the new picnic table garden.
I picked a couple of cucumbers and herbs so I can make a chop salad later.
Crickets and cicadas are singing.
As it is now dark, I am done for the night.
Crime Classics Bingo Card 8-1-25
Aug. 1st, 2025 01:30 pmysabetwordsmithHere is my card for the Crime Classics Bingo fest over in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
allbingo. The fest runs from August 1-31. (See all my 2025 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.
CRIME CLASSICS BINGO CARD
allbingo. The fest runs from August 1-31. (See all my 2025 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.
CRIME CLASSICS BINGO CARD
| Excellent Intentions | Somebody at the Door | Still Waters | In Captivity | My Aunt |
| Underground | A Bookseller | On the Riviera | Family Matters | Not to Be Taken |
| In White | As If By Magic | WILD CARD | Before the Fact | The Village |
| A Lady | Settling Scores | He Who Whispers | Deep Waters | Silent Nights |
| The Black Spectacles | Someone from the Past | In the Basement | The Man Who Didn’t Fly | A Busybody |
Sunshine Revival: Sunset
Aug. 1st, 2025 03:09 amysabetwordsmithSunshine Revival: Sunset
You might also choose to write your own wrap-up post for the Sunshine Revival. It's not an official challenge, but consider it a bit of a bonus prompt:
Which challenges did you participate in? Did you find any new journals to follow? Did you learn anything, either about yourself or someone else? How did you feel this month? Maybe leave a note for your future self reminding them of the little, everyday memories that sometimes get blurred out with the passage of time
( Read more... )
You might also choose to write your own wrap-up post for the Sunshine Revival. It's not an official challenge, but consider it a bit of a bonus prompt:
Which challenges did you participate in? Did you find any new journals to follow? Did you learn anything, either about yourself or someone else? How did you feel this month? Maybe leave a note for your future self reminding them of the little, everyday memories that sometimes get blurred out with the passage of time
( Read more... )
Birdfeeding
Jul. 31st, 2025 01:13 pmysabetwordsmithToday is cloudy and mild.
I fed the birds. I've seen a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches plus a pair of house wrens.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 7/31/25 -- I did some work around the patio.
EDIT 7/31/25 -- I did more work around the patio.
EDIT 7/31/25 -- I did more work around the patio.
A few fireflies are out. I saw a bat.
As it is now dark, I am done for the night.
I fed the birds. I've seen a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches plus a pair of house wrens.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 7/31/25 -- I did some work around the patio.
EDIT 7/31/25 -- I did more work around the patio.
EDIT 7/31/25 -- I did more work around the patio.
A few fireflies are out. I saw a bat.
As it is now dark, I am done for the night.
New Year's Resolutions Check In
Jul. 31st, 2025 12:55 amysabetwordsmithWe made it to the end of July! \o/ If you have completed some of your medium-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're now most of the way through summer. If you're doing seasonal goals, hopefully you have made good progress on the summer batch.
This year I'm trying something new, 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. The main drawback is that this update becomes more of a chore each month.
These are the previous check in posts:
New Year's Resolutions Check In January 4
New Year's Resolutions Check In January 10
New Year's Resolutions Check In January 17
New Year's Resolutions Check In January 24
New Year's Resolutions Check In January 31
New Year's Resolutions Check In February 28
New Year's Resolutions Check In March 31
New Year's Resolutions Check In April 30
New Year's Resolutions Check In May 31
New Year's Resolutions Check In June 30
( Read more... )
This year I'm trying something new, 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. The main drawback is that this update becomes more of a chore each month.
These are the previous check in posts:
New Year's Resolutions Check In January 4
New Year's Resolutions Check In January 10
New Year's Resolutions Check In January 17
New Year's Resolutions Check In January 24
New Year's Resolutions Check In January 31
New Year's Resolutions Check In February 28
New Year's Resolutions Check In March 31
New Year's Resolutions Check In April 30
New Year's Resolutions Check In May 31
New Year's Resolutions Check In June 30
( Read more... )
Bingo
Jul. 30th, 2025 11:51 pmysabetwordsmithI made blackout on my 7-1-25 card for the Western Bingo Fest. \o/
B1 (Bad Girls) -- "Provoking Change by Bringing Nature" (standalone)
B2 (Close-knit Community) -- "Incompetence, Sloppy Thinking, and Laziness" (Frankenstein's Family)
B3 ("Put me down!") -- "A Stronger Woman" (Polychrome Heroics: Fortressa)
B4 ("I tried being reasonable. I didn't like it.") -- "The Pleasure of Escaping the Responsibility" (One God's Story of Mid-Life Crisis)
B5 (Black Hats / White Hats) -- "Upholding It, Wherever Found" (Polychrome Heroics)
I1 (Resist Oppression) -- "Happy Instruments of Salvation" (Peculiar Obligations)
I2 ("He's all hat and no cattle") -- "No Such Thing as Finished" (Polychrome Heroics)
I3 (Dodge) -- "A New Twist" (LIFC)
I4 (Firefly) -- "Something Elusive and Mysterious" (standalone)
I5 (I'll Get My Revenge) -- "The Well-being of All Our People" (Clay of Life)
N1 ("The Wayward Wind") -- "Maho Shoujo" (standalone)
N2 (Buffalo) -- "Legs of Grass, Feet of Flowers" (standalone)
N3 (WILD CARD: Clean Up the Town) -- "Indicative of the Extent" (Polychrome Heroics: The Big One)
N4 (Defenestration) -- "In Effigy" (Frankenstein's Family)
N5 (Independent Woman) -- "But an Empty Shell" (Polychrome Heroics)
G1 (The Harder They Fall) -- "Always Surprised by Consequences" (Polychrome Heroics)
G2 ("Cool Water") -- "Beautiful, Damn Hard, Increasingly Useful" (Polychrome Heroics: Kraken)
G3 (Redemption Story) -- "The Future by Consequence, the Past by Redemption" (Frankenstein's Family)
G4 (Immigrant) -- "Fed from So Many Sources" (Frankenstein's Family)
G5 (Sunrise / Sunset) -- "Strong, Competent, Capable" (Frankenstein's Family)
O1 (Captive / Slave) -- "Four Marks of True Repentence" (Polychrome Heroics)
O2 (Gambling) -- "Finding the Gold in the Spirit" (Polychrome Heroics: Shiv)
O3 (Silver / Gold) -- "The Bee Tree's Gift" (standalone)
O4 (Horse) -- "Nuwneek" (The Bear Tunnels)
O5 (Emotionally Constipated Man) -- "New and Innovative Approaches" (Polychrome Heroics: The Big One)
B1 (Bad Girls) -- "Provoking Change by Bringing Nature" (standalone)
B2 (Close-knit Community) -- "Incompetence, Sloppy Thinking, and Laziness" (Frankenstein's Family)
B3 ("Put me down!") -- "A Stronger Woman" (Polychrome Heroics: Fortressa)
B4 ("I tried being reasonable. I didn't like it.") -- "The Pleasure of Escaping the Responsibility" (One God's Story of Mid-Life Crisis)
B5 (Black Hats / White Hats) -- "Upholding It, Wherever Found" (Polychrome Heroics)
I1 (Resist Oppression) -- "Happy Instruments of Salvation" (Peculiar Obligations)
I2 ("He's all hat and no cattle") -- "No Such Thing as Finished" (Polychrome Heroics)
I3 (Dodge) -- "A New Twist" (LIFC)
I4 (Firefly) -- "Something Elusive and Mysterious" (standalone)
I5 (I'll Get My Revenge) -- "The Well-being of All Our People" (Clay of Life)
N1 ("The Wayward Wind") -- "Maho Shoujo" (standalone)
N2 (Buffalo) -- "Legs of Grass, Feet of Flowers" (standalone)
N3 (WILD CARD: Clean Up the Town) -- "Indicative of the Extent" (Polychrome Heroics: The Big One)
N4 (Defenestration) -- "In Effigy" (Frankenstein's Family)
N5 (Independent Woman) -- "But an Empty Shell" (Polychrome Heroics)
G1 (The Harder They Fall) -- "Always Surprised by Consequences" (Polychrome Heroics)
G2 ("Cool Water") -- "Beautiful, Damn Hard, Increasingly Useful" (Polychrome Heroics: Kraken)
G3 (Redemption Story) -- "The Future by Consequence, the Past by Redemption" (Frankenstein's Family)
G4 (Immigrant) -- "Fed from So Many Sources" (Frankenstein's Family)
G5 (Sunrise / Sunset) -- "Strong, Competent, Capable" (Frankenstein's Family)
O1 (Captive / Slave) -- "Four Marks of True Repentence" (Polychrome Heroics)
O2 (Gambling) -- "Finding the Gold in the Spirit" (Polychrome Heroics: Shiv)
O3 (Silver / Gold) -- "The Bee Tree's Gift" (standalone)
O4 (Horse) -- "Nuwneek" (The Bear Tunnels)
O5 (Emotionally Constipated Man) -- "New and Innovative Approaches" (Polychrome Heroics: The Big One)
Poem: "Maho Shoujo"
Jul. 30th, 2025 08:37 pmysabetwordsmithThis poem is the freebie for the July crowdfunding Creative Jam. It was inspired by himejoshiheart. It also fills "The Wayward Wind" square in my 7-1-25 card for the Western Bingo Fest.
( Read more... )
crowdfunding Creative Jam. It was inspired by himejoshiheart. It also fills "The Wayward Wind" square in my 7-1-25 card for the Western Bingo Fest.( Read more... )
Tags:
Conservation
Jul. 30th, 2025 04:35 pmysabetwordsmithAspen trees are flourishing again in Yellowstone for the first time in 80 years, thanks to gray wolf’s return
“The reintroduction of large carnivores has initiated a recovery process that had been shut down for decades,” Luke Painter, the study’s lead author, told Oregon State University.
“About a third of the 87 aspen stands we examined had large numbers of tall saplings throughout, a remarkable change from the 1990s when surveys found none at all.”
( Read more... )
“The reintroduction of large carnivores has initiated a recovery process that had been shut down for decades,” Luke Painter, the study’s lead author, told Oregon State University.
“About a third of the 87 aspen stands we examined had large numbers of tall saplings throughout, a remarkable change from the 1990s when surveys found none at all.”
( Read more... )
Birdfeeding
Jul. 30th, 2025 01:55 pmysabetwordsmithToday is partly cloudy, humid, and hot.
I fed the birds. I haven't seen much activity yet.
EDIT 7/30/25 -- I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 7/30/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
EDIT 7/30/25 -- I did more work around the patio.
EDIT 7/30/25 -- I picked 2 red cherry tomatoes and a Cherokee Purple tomato.
Some of the goldenberries and ground cherries have little fruit lanterns on them. :D
EDIT 7/30/25 -- I did more work around the patio.
EDIT 7/30/25 -- I potted up 2 white peach and 2 white nectarine seeds.
EDIT 7/30/25 -- I took a few pictures around the yard.
Cicadas are singing.
As it is getting dark, I am done for the night.
I fed the birds. I haven't seen much activity yet.
EDIT 7/30/25 -- I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 7/30/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
EDIT 7/30/25 -- I did more work around the patio.
EDIT 7/30/25 -- I picked 2 red cherry tomatoes and a Cherokee Purple tomato.
Some of the goldenberries and ground cherries have little fruit lanterns on them. :D
EDIT 7/30/25 -- I did more work around the patio.
EDIT 7/30/25 -- I potted up 2 white peach and 2 white nectarine seeds.
EDIT 7/30/25 -- I took a few pictures around the yard.
Cicadas are singing.
As it is getting dark, I am done for the night.
Juggling
Jul. 30th, 2025 02:59 amysabetwordsmithI'm a fan of juggling. This video includes moves from very old Vaudeville routines, circus clowning, modern juggling, and more. Impressive.
Shanidar 1
Jul. 30th, 2025 02:44 amysabetwordsmithShanidar 1 is probably the most famous disabled person in history: missing an arm, blind in one eye, hard of hearing or deaf, mobility impaired, and more. He belonged to a Neanderthal family who exerted maximum effort to keep him alive, far beyond the typical lifespan of the time. Because he strove to survive, and they helped, his story lives on through his bones -- concrete proof that compassion, not brute force, is part of what made us human from the very beginning. The ability to care for each other, and to value people for themselves, not just for what they could contribute, made a difference in our survival.
( Read more... )
( Read more... )
Conservation
Jul. 30th, 2025 01:00 amysabetwordsmithMunmuni Payeng Is Planting a Million Trees in Flood-Hit Assam
Munmuni Payeng, the 'Forest Queen of Assam,' stands resilient against the floods that have long tormented her homeland, Majuli Island. Inspired by her father, the legendary 'Forest Man' of India, Munmuni's mission is clear: plant a million native trees to combat the ceaseless erosion and displacement her community faces. Her efforts are marked not by grand gestures but by a steadfast commitment to reinvigorating the land and fostering a collective resilience. She enlists local communities, particularly children, in her crusade to transform despair into hope, believing deeply that "when you plant with a child, you plant for a lifetime." Munmuni's journey is a profound testament to the power of quiet revolutions, where environmental restoration becomes a tapestry woven with shared stories and seeds of solidarity.
Trees are a tremendous help against flooding. Some trees, such as mangroves, are actually ecosystem engineers.
Munmuni Payeng, the 'Forest Queen of Assam,' stands resilient against the floods that have long tormented her homeland, Majuli Island. Inspired by her father, the legendary 'Forest Man' of India, Munmuni's mission is clear: plant a million native trees to combat the ceaseless erosion and displacement her community faces. Her efforts are marked not by grand gestures but by a steadfast commitment to reinvigorating the land and fostering a collective resilience. She enlists local communities, particularly children, in her crusade to transform despair into hope, believing deeply that "when you plant with a child, you plant for a lifetime." Munmuni's journey is a profound testament to the power of quiet revolutions, where environmental restoration becomes a tapestry woven with shared stories and seeds of solidarity.
Trees are a tremendous help against flooding. Some trees, such as mangroves, are actually ecosystem engineers.
Genocide
Jul. 30th, 2025 12:52 amysabetwordsmithIsrael is not a lawful state
Heartbreaking testimonies gathered from medical staff, parents of children hospitalized for malnutrition and displaced Palestinians struggling to survive paint a horrifying picture of acute levels of starvation and desperation in Gaza. Their accounts provide further evidence of the catastrophic suffering caused by Israel’s ongoing restrictions on life-saving aid and its deadly militarized aid scheme coupled with mass forced displacement, relentless bombardment and destruction of life-sustaining infrastructure.
Even worse, the food aid stations are set up as bait, drawing out parents of starving children to be gunned down by Israeli snipers.
( Read more... )
Heartbreaking testimonies gathered from medical staff, parents of children hospitalized for malnutrition and displaced Palestinians struggling to survive paint a horrifying picture of acute levels of starvation and desperation in Gaza. Their accounts provide further evidence of the catastrophic suffering caused by Israel’s ongoing restrictions on life-saving aid and its deadly militarized aid scheme coupled with mass forced displacement, relentless bombardment and destruction of life-sustaining infrastructure.
Even worse, the food aid stations are set up as bait, drawing out parents of starving children to be gunned down by Israeli snipers.
( Read more... )
Politics
Jul. 30th, 2025 12:47 amysabetwordsmithThe enshittification of American power
There is no question that the last century, and particularly since the end of the Cold War, the world has been characterized by US hegemony exercised through its military and economic power, and control over financial institutions. But in a long article in Wired with the above title, Henry Farrell and Abraham L. Newman argue that under the Trump regime, the US is starting to follow the pattern of big tech entities like Google and Facebook and that this is eventually going to lead to a decline in US power and influence in the world.
This makes a disturbing amount of sense.
There is no question that the last century, and particularly since the end of the Cold War, the world has been characterized by US hegemony exercised through its military and economic power, and control over financial institutions. But in a long article in Wired with the above title, Henry Farrell and Abraham L. Newman argue that under the Trump regime, the US is starting to follow the pattern of big tech entities like Google and Facebook and that this is eventually going to lead to a decline in US power and influence in the world.
This makes a disturbing amount of sense.