Belated update?
Mar. 1st, 2026 11:53 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
zero_pixel_countIt's, er, been a minute!
What it's been is the 'fifth season', the '[most beautiful|super*|insert-dialectical-superlative][3-6] days' preceding** lent. Since here all we do is eat pancakes (why don't we party in the UK? I don't know) I have been watching various videos, mostly from Luzern because there at least I can sometimes** follow what's being said. Spouse suggests that the number of brass bands per capita goes some way towards explaining why (newer builds, at least) tend to have good sound insulation.
( footnotes )
(I got about halfway through an English summary of that video, but idk if anyone would be interested in me finishing & posting it?)
What else have I been up to? Uhh. ( sad )
Work, at which I am of course fantastic and even occasionally actually finish things, unlike the entire rest of my life. Not being potentially-redundant (for a few days it looked like we might be because the comms around the whole thing have been terrible, and yet again the media describe the cuts as only affecting 'management' which is just untrue).
Failing to comment on things / reply to comments despite wanting to.
Waking the dawn is going about like this:
- What Guaeth is worried about: has Hanno just given himself a concussion walking into the overhang?
- What Guaeth should be worried about: has Hanno just roofied himself?
Craft stuff, I think by some people's definitions I made a baby quilt yesterday? (I didn't really; I did the patchwork yesterday (bar cutting and the first round of pinning, which was earlier in the week or maybe last week, idk). I gather people sometimes outsource the assembly-of-layers part and consider that a separate thing? Which honestly does make sense given anything much bigger would need a different machine or to be done by hand.) But still: there is not yet a quilt for nibling #2. Mind you nibling #2 isn't here yet either so I have a few weeks in theory. I would like to get it pinned today at least, having worked out that I've definitely already prewashed the fabric I'm planning to use as backing.
[Reasons this post keeps not getting posted: it has just occurred to me that I do need to prewash the edging tape, brb putting that in the machine now.]
"Have you got some offcuts to replace Teddy's shirt?" said my mother, a few months ago; I still do not 100% understand the provenance of Teddy, who was probably mine as a kid? At least everyone with a more functional memory thinks so, but I kind of think he might be older than me. At least, I do not remember him acquiring his remarkably fashion-forward outfit (black shorts, pink shirt, and bow tie) or having to have a leg reattached, or paw and ear felts replaced, and I am moderately certain some of the repairs were my grandmother's work. In any case I have replaced the paw felts (with felt this time, instead of cotton knit), applied some reinforcing twill tape, made a new shirt (still needs buttons) and shorts (also need buttons, and stitching up at the sides). He also needs a new belt and tie; after several failed attempts to tie a bow tie in ribbon, I think he may instead end up with a pink lace cravat. I'm not sure how I'm going to do the buttons. Probably I need to remember how to do french knots.
Hopelessly stuffed up re-setting some shirt sleeves for myself, probably because I thought I knew what I was doing, I've just put that to one side to worry about another day.
And because I am nonetheless possessed of an unfortunate conviction that we can just wing it, when 'it' is obviously a skilled task, I have managed to acquire yet another flute (this makes 4 or 5 depending on whether the piccolo is lost in the house or fully lost-lost), this one a Bb 5-key which I can get all of two notes out of and which is now in pieces on the dining table waiting for new pads, which we are definitely 100% qualified to fit. I mean we already have shellac, right, that's almost halfway there?
...this still does not feel like a complete or coherent post, but if I don't hit the red button it's just going to be even longer...
What it's been is the 'fifth season', the '[most beautiful|super*|insert-dialectical-superlative][3-6] days' preceding** lent. Since here all we do is eat pancakes (why don't we party in the UK? I don't know) I have been watching various videos, mostly from Luzern because there at least I can sometimes** follow what's being said. Spouse suggests that the number of brass bands per capita goes some way towards explaining why (newer builds, at least) tend to have good sound insulation.
( footnotes )
(I got about halfway through an English summary of that video, but idk if anyone would be interested in me finishing & posting it?)
What else have I been up to? Uhh. ( sad )
Work, at which I am of course fantastic and even occasionally actually finish things, unlike the entire rest of my life. Not being potentially-redundant (for a few days it looked like we might be because the comms around the whole thing have been terrible, and yet again the media describe the cuts as only affecting 'management' which is just untrue).
Failing to comment on things / reply to comments despite wanting to.
Waking the dawn is going about like this:
- What Guaeth is worried about: has Hanno just given himself a concussion walking into the overhang?
- What Guaeth should be worried about: has Hanno just roofied himself?
At this distance, he's no longer quite sure how much of it was an act, on Guae's part. Not quite enough, on his own, which is - one hell of a thing to know about himself.
It would be easier to blame the crown if he didn't keep catching himself thinking some innocuous kindness might be the kind of oblique invitation he probably shouldn't have acted on then, and certainly shouldn't now. Even just asking might be - too much pressure.
Too much to ask, of the one who let him get away with it, especially from such a - shoddy excuse for a lover. Especially when he isn't even wholly sure it would help; if control were a reliable substitute for trust and safety, every passage-house custodian would know about it, even if only as a fall-back tool for... difficult cases. And Hanno's been a difficult case often enough to know that the usual approach is - almost entirely the opposite.
Craft stuff, I think by some people's definitions I made a baby quilt yesterday? (I didn't really; I did the patchwork yesterday (bar cutting and the first round of pinning, which was earlier in the week or maybe last week, idk). I gather people sometimes outsource the assembly-of-layers part and consider that a separate thing? Which honestly does make sense given anything much bigger would need a different machine or to be done by hand.) But still: there is not yet a quilt for nibling #2. Mind you nibling #2 isn't here yet either so I have a few weeks in theory. I would like to get it pinned today at least, having worked out that I've definitely already prewashed the fabric I'm planning to use as backing.
[Reasons this post keeps not getting posted: it has just occurred to me that I do need to prewash the edging tape, brb putting that in the machine now.]
"Have you got some offcuts to replace Teddy's shirt?" said my mother, a few months ago; I still do not 100% understand the provenance of Teddy, who was probably mine as a kid? At least everyone with a more functional memory thinks so, but I kind of think he might be older than me. At least, I do not remember him acquiring his remarkably fashion-forward outfit (black shorts, pink shirt, and bow tie) or having to have a leg reattached, or paw and ear felts replaced, and I am moderately certain some of the repairs were my grandmother's work. In any case I have replaced the paw felts (with felt this time, instead of cotton knit), applied some reinforcing twill tape, made a new shirt (still needs buttons) and shorts (also need buttons, and stitching up at the sides). He also needs a new belt and tie; after several failed attempts to tie a bow tie in ribbon, I think he may instead end up with a pink lace cravat. I'm not sure how I'm going to do the buttons. Probably I need to remember how to do french knots.
Hopelessly stuffed up re-setting some shirt sleeves for myself, probably because I thought I knew what I was doing, I've just put that to one side to worry about another day.
And because I am nonetheless possessed of an unfortunate conviction that we can just wing it, when 'it' is obviously a skilled task, I have managed to acquire yet another flute (this makes 4 or 5 depending on whether the piccolo is lost in the house or fully lost-lost), this one a Bb 5-key which I can get all of two notes out of and which is now in pieces on the dining table waiting for new pads, which we are definitely 100% qualified to fit. I mean we already have shellac, right, that's almost halfway there?
...this still does not feel like a complete or coherent post, but if I don't hit the red button it's just going to be even longer...
Chinese Actor Li Mao Stranded in Dubai Amid Middle East Airstrikes
Mar. 1st, 2026 10:58 am![[syndicated profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/feed.png){kind=small}
dramapanda_c_feed
Tensions in the Middle East have escalated sharply after Israel and the United States launched military strikes against Iran on February 28, and sparked retaliation by Iran forces in the region with the conflict now spreading to the United Arab Emirates, affecting countless people. On March 1, Chinese actor Caesar Li Mao, a former member of the C-pop group Top Combine, revealed that he is one of many caught up in the crossfire. The sudden escalation led to major airport disruptions, with missile debris affecting many areas including the iconic Burj Al Arab.
In a video message, the Love’s Ambition actor shared that he had originally been scheduled to fly from Dubai to Beijing in the early hours of March 1. However, his flight was abruptly canceled leaving him stranded. He admits it is the first time he has ever been so close to war and he is anxious to return home.
Quoting his words, Li Mao said: “I didn’t sleep all night because we were supposed to go to the airport before dawn but the flight was canceled. The rebooked flight was also canceled. Now there is only the 3 a.m. flight tomorrow with Emirates that has not yet been canceled. Yesterday, the news said war had started. We’re at Jumeirah Beach in Dubai, right across from us is the Burj Al Arab. Last night, the Burj Al Arab was on fire, and then debris also fell at the airport… I want to go home. I hope that fellow countrymen who are traveling, working, or living here are safe.”
Meanwhile, the social media account of Li Mao’s wife, Chinese singer Zhang Xianzi, shows her IP address as being located in the United Arab Emirates and they are believed to be traveling as a family.
Source: 1
The post Chinese Actor Li Mao Stranded in Dubai Amid Middle East Airstrikes appeared first on DramaPanda.
beansideUgh. I love my cat, but she nearly died this morning. 4am, she started bugging me. I got up and fed her, and went back to sleep, and at 4:30, she was back. I shooed her off and tried to sleep, but I couldn't, because I was annoyed and knew she'd be back. Sure enough at 5 she returned and I finally gave up. I was so annoyed. It's my last night in my bed for 5 fucking days, and I didn't even get to sleep in. I love her so much, but goddamn.
So, I'm up. I'm going to check my prep for todays game session, and wait for Jess to get up and see if they want to do the pancake breakfast at Oregon Ridge Nature center, so I can get some maple candy. I'm a sucker for all things maple, I've gotta admit.
Aside from possible pancakes and game, I don't think we're doing a whole lot else. By the time we finish game, my sister will be on her way to NYC, so we'll probably just enjoy the quiet, maybe watch TV or something that we don't normally do when my sister is home. It's very difficult to enjoy a show that she's not into, because she talks so much during it. With the Pitt, I need to pay attention to the rapid fire dialogue, so I need her not in the vicinity. I suppose I could have watched Heated Rivalry, but I didn't think of it.
Yesterday was nice. Jess had some tummy cramps, so we cancelled their fitting for their suit and moved it to next weekend.
I worked in the morning and had a lot of calls, though my favorite was an older couple. They needed to move an appt that they had made through the portal. In the "special needs and accommodations" section, they had written something incredibly unflattering about our doofus in chief, which I found hilarious. I got them a good appointment.
Then, we relaxed for a few minutes while my sister got her hair cut. Then, it was off to the restaurant.
OMG, the robot server was cute as hell. The head and screen are shaped like a kitty, and it has this very young, very cute voice. It trundles up going "Hello, I'm here!" and then tells you what tray your food is on. Just so adorable! The food was also good, though next time, I swear, I'm getting all appetizers. The entrees were good, but the appetizers were phenomenal.
We got cheese wontons, which were my favorite. They were little purses of a white gooey cheese, in an amazing sauce that I could have put on anything. When we finished the meal, I put in another order for them, and overstuffed myself. No regrets. The other appetizer was gyoza, which came in a circle with a thin crispy covering over them, like they put a bit of lacy batter in the pan and then added the steamed gyoza. It was just the right amount of crunch.
I had the skewers, which were very tasty. I dipped them in the sauce from the wontons. Jess had Pork katsu curry, which had a very nice flavor. But they weren't as good as the appetizers.
Next time, I will also get the pork Shumai, and some other appetizers. It'll be great. Then, we waddled out to the car and came home and laid on the couch, just stuffed.
After lunch, we were discussing the possible Hawaiian hotels, and Jess admitted that they didn't like the one I was looking at, because they had a captive dolphin pool and a swim with them package, and that bothered them. So, back to looking for hotels. I did some more reasearch, looking specifically into LGBT+ friendly hotels. We settled on the Outrigger Reef Waikiki Beach Resort.
It seems very nice, with plenty to do, but a little bit away from the main area. It's down near the reef that borders Waikiki Beach. It has a small beach, as the water comes up very close to the hotel, but it's enough for us. I got a club Oceanview room, so we'll have a great view of the Pacific, and we get access to the club lounge for breakfast and also dinner snacks, and drinks, which you could totally make a meal of if you so desired. There are some local restaurants nearby, and the rest are a quick cab ride away. Best of all, we're close to a trolley loop, so we can use that to get around during the day. Tours will also pick up there for the most part.
We'll have to see if we want to do any big tours. I've been looking on Viator, and there's plenty of fun things to do, but a lot of really long tours with multiple stops. I'm not sure I need a chocolate, wine and rum tasting. That seems like it might be excessive. I definitely want to go to the Dole Plantation and maybe a macademia nut farm. I'm very food motivated, don't you know.
I can't book most of it, but I'm looking. I did book the hotel, but the rest's calendars don't go that far out. I'm definitely getting a hotel transport that gives you a lei on arrival. That just seems fun, and a good memory to have.
The next week is kind of busy. I've got an appt Monday after work with my psych doctor, on Tuesday I have a virtual with a gyn. The FDA approved an at home pap smear, and since I had a really bad and painful experience with my last one, I figured I'd try it. You meet with the GYN, and then they send your the kit. It looks simple enough. You take the sample, send it off, and get results. And then, no pap smear for the next few years. It costs about $99 with insurance, which is totally fair, and was FSA approved.
After that on Tuesday, Yoda has an appt for his Cytopoint shot and to see if he needs antibiotics, because he's been licking his skin, and chewing on his leg a lot. Wednesday is quiet except for game, and then Thursday, I have the interview. Friday is again quiet, except that the sister will return, and that will be a bit of chaos.
I'm not worried about the interview, it'll be what it'll be. I'll do my best, and after that, whatever will be will be.
Oh, and on Tuesday, my new Macbook Air will show up! So I'll spend some time transferring files, and downloading all my apps. I've got about 7 that I need to download and remember my password to. Not my favorite thing, but it'll be worth it when I have it all set up, and I've got a faster computer with a bigger screen that presumably will hold it's charge way better. I'll have this one for travel, which is good.
And now, I'm just going to do some prep for Arvandor today, and drink my coffee and wake up. Everyone have a restful Sunday!
So, I'm up. I'm going to check my prep for todays game session, and wait for Jess to get up and see if they want to do the pancake breakfast at Oregon Ridge Nature center, so I can get some maple candy. I'm a sucker for all things maple, I've gotta admit.
Aside from possible pancakes and game, I don't think we're doing a whole lot else. By the time we finish game, my sister will be on her way to NYC, so we'll probably just enjoy the quiet, maybe watch TV or something that we don't normally do when my sister is home. It's very difficult to enjoy a show that she's not into, because she talks so much during it. With the Pitt, I need to pay attention to the rapid fire dialogue, so I need her not in the vicinity. I suppose I could have watched Heated Rivalry, but I didn't think of it.
Yesterday was nice. Jess had some tummy cramps, so we cancelled their fitting for their suit and moved it to next weekend.
I worked in the morning and had a lot of calls, though my favorite was an older couple. They needed to move an appt that they had made through the portal. In the "special needs and accommodations" section, they had written something incredibly unflattering about our doofus in chief, which I found hilarious. I got them a good appointment.
Then, we relaxed for a few minutes while my sister got her hair cut. Then, it was off to the restaurant.
OMG, the robot server was cute as hell. The head and screen are shaped like a kitty, and it has this very young, very cute voice. It trundles up going "Hello, I'm here!" and then tells you what tray your food is on. Just so adorable! The food was also good, though next time, I swear, I'm getting all appetizers. The entrees were good, but the appetizers were phenomenal.
We got cheese wontons, which were my favorite. They were little purses of a white gooey cheese, in an amazing sauce that I could have put on anything. When we finished the meal, I put in another order for them, and overstuffed myself. No regrets. The other appetizer was gyoza, which came in a circle with a thin crispy covering over them, like they put a bit of lacy batter in the pan and then added the steamed gyoza. It was just the right amount of crunch.
I had the skewers, which were very tasty. I dipped them in the sauce from the wontons. Jess had Pork katsu curry, which had a very nice flavor. But they weren't as good as the appetizers.
Next time, I will also get the pork Shumai, and some other appetizers. It'll be great. Then, we waddled out to the car and came home and laid on the couch, just stuffed.
After lunch, we were discussing the possible Hawaiian hotels, and Jess admitted that they didn't like the one I was looking at, because they had a captive dolphin pool and a swim with them package, and that bothered them. So, back to looking for hotels. I did some more reasearch, looking specifically into LGBT+ friendly hotels. We settled on the Outrigger Reef Waikiki Beach Resort.
It seems very nice, with plenty to do, but a little bit away from the main area. It's down near the reef that borders Waikiki Beach. It has a small beach, as the water comes up very close to the hotel, but it's enough for us. I got a club Oceanview room, so we'll have a great view of the Pacific, and we get access to the club lounge for breakfast and also dinner snacks, and drinks, which you could totally make a meal of if you so desired. There are some local restaurants nearby, and the rest are a quick cab ride away. Best of all, we're close to a trolley loop, so we can use that to get around during the day. Tours will also pick up there for the most part.
We'll have to see if we want to do any big tours. I've been looking on Viator, and there's plenty of fun things to do, but a lot of really long tours with multiple stops. I'm not sure I need a chocolate, wine and rum tasting. That seems like it might be excessive. I definitely want to go to the Dole Plantation and maybe a macademia nut farm. I'm very food motivated, don't you know.
I can't book most of it, but I'm looking. I did book the hotel, but the rest's calendars don't go that far out. I'm definitely getting a hotel transport that gives you a lei on arrival. That just seems fun, and a good memory to have.
The next week is kind of busy. I've got an appt Monday after work with my psych doctor, on Tuesday I have a virtual with a gyn. The FDA approved an at home pap smear, and since I had a really bad and painful experience with my last one, I figured I'd try it. You meet with the GYN, and then they send your the kit. It looks simple enough. You take the sample, send it off, and get results. And then, no pap smear for the next few years. It costs about $99 with insurance, which is totally fair, and was FSA approved.
After that on Tuesday, Yoda has an appt for his Cytopoint shot and to see if he needs antibiotics, because he's been licking his skin, and chewing on his leg a lot. Wednesday is quiet except for game, and then Thursday, I have the interview. Friday is again quiet, except that the sister will return, and that will be a bit of chaos.
I'm not worried about the interview, it'll be what it'll be. I'll do my best, and after that, whatever will be will be.
Oh, and on Tuesday, my new Macbook Air will show up! So I'll spend some time transferring files, and downloading all my apps. I've got about 7 that I need to download and remember my password to. Not my favorite thing, but it'll be worth it when I have it all set up, and I've got a faster computer with a bigger screen that presumably will hold it's charge way better. I'll have this one for travel, which is good.
And now, I'm just going to do some prep for Arvandor today, and drink my coffee and wake up. Everyone have a restful Sunday!
Refusal Challenge: The Fantastic Journey: Fanfic: Demanding The Impossible
Mar. 1st, 2026 10:49 ambadly_knitted posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
fan_flashworksTitle: Demanding The Impossible
Fandom: The Fantastic Journey
Author:
badly_knittedCharacters: Willaway, Queen Halyana, Varian.
Rating: PG
Setting: Turnabout.
Summary: Willaway is frustrated by Halyana’s inability to understand that what she wants him to do is impossible.
Word Count: 400
Content Notes: Nada.
Written For: Challenge 507: Amnesty 84 at fan_flashworks, using Challenge 116: Refusal.
Disclaimer: I don’t own The Fantastic Journey, or the characters. They belong to their creators.
Goal Update
Mar. 1st, 2026 10:38 amzhelanasomehow or other, another month has passed, and it feels like it was just January. But here and it's March, so here's how my goals are coming along for this year
Completed
Be able to walk 1.5 miles
Be able to walk 2 miles
Finish 2025 photoshopping
Unpack green suitcase
In Progress
( Goals in Progress! )
Completed
Be able to walk 1.5 miles
Be able to walk 2 miles
Finish 2025 photoshopping
Unpack green suitcase
In Progress
( Goals in Progress! )
ACFS Concert and the Producer's Role
Mar. 1st, 2026 09:22 pmtcpipYesterday was a concert the acclaimed Shu Cheen Yu and Lotus Wind Choir for the Australia China Friendship Society (Victoria) which, in my role as president of the ACFS, I was co-producer. Held at St John's Anglican Church in Toorak, with its rather delicious Gothic revival architecture and superb acoustics, the concert was very successful. There were around 150 people in attendance, including representatives from the Consulate, Australia's former ambassador to China, and many Chinese community leaders. Shu Cheen Yu herself is really a star, trained in both Peking and Western operatic traditions; she has one of the most astounding voices I've ever heard, and she is such an impressive organiser and leader.
The concert itself was an equal balance between various European and Chinese traditional songs. I was especially taken by the passionate performance of the Neapolitan classic, "Santa Lucia!", and the sheer power and majesty of "Legend of the Dragon". It must be gently said that the concert was a bit of a financial success for the society, with several thousand dollars raised. As an entirely volunteer organisation that receives no outside grants, events like this are required for our survival. The generosity and support of members of Victoria's Chinese community toward the ACFS have not gone unnoticed, and nor has the exceptional support I was provided by members of the ACFS committee.
This is the first time I've produced a concert and, I must say, it is something that is not unlike other forms of event management. In the relatively recent past, I have organised conventions e.g., "Cyberpunk 2020: Year of the Stainless Steel Rat", "RuneQuest-Glorantha Con DownUnder IV" and "RuneQuest-Glorantha Con DownUnder III" (for the latter, I received the inaugural Greg Stafford Memorial Prize). With common characteristics, event management is essentially a subset of project management, which means that it is a unique activity that involves multiple people and is time-dependent. It involves having a governance structure, organising a team, reporting, timetabling, being very aware of dependencies and, as the production-project manager, being very sensitive to tolerances and being prepared to pick up the pieces very quickly when things go wrong. More than a decade ago, I actually did a graduate degree in project management, along with PRINCE2 certification. If you're ever involved in organising events, my notes on this subject might be helpful.
The concert itself was an equal balance between various European and Chinese traditional songs. I was especially taken by the passionate performance of the Neapolitan classic, "Santa Lucia!", and the sheer power and majesty of "Legend of the Dragon". It must be gently said that the concert was a bit of a financial success for the society, with several thousand dollars raised. As an entirely volunteer organisation that receives no outside grants, events like this are required for our survival. The generosity and support of members of Victoria's Chinese community toward the ACFS have not gone unnoticed, and nor has the exceptional support I was provided by members of the ACFS committee.
This is the first time I've produced a concert and, I must say, it is something that is not unlike other forms of event management. In the relatively recent past, I have organised conventions e.g., "Cyberpunk 2020: Year of the Stainless Steel Rat", "RuneQuest-Glorantha Con DownUnder IV" and "RuneQuest-Glorantha Con DownUnder III" (for the latter, I received the inaugural Greg Stafford Memorial Prize). With common characteristics, event management is essentially a subset of project management, which means that it is a unique activity that involves multiple people and is time-dependent. It involves having a governance structure, organising a team, reporting, timetabling, being very aware of dependencies and, as the production-project manager, being very sensitive to tolerances and being prepared to pick up the pieces very quickly when things go wrong. More than a decade ago, I actually did a graduate degree in project management, along with PRINCE2 certification. If you're ever involved in organising events, my notes on this subject might be helpful.
Posting will start March 14!
Mar. 1st, 2026 09:06 pmthemightyflynn posting in hp_bunintheoven
Come join
hp_bunintheoven's FINAL Pregnancy Fest!Posting for the final Pregnancy Fest will begin Saturday, March 14. We should have eight entries altogether. Unless anyone wants to add anything else? Which I would not object to! XD
Seriously, though, I want to say thank you to everyone who has taken the time to participate this year. We're going out with a bigger fest than we've had in years. :)
The Friday Five on a Sunday
Mar. 1st, 2026 10:05 amnanila- What made you happy this week?
Notification of winning a small summer research grant. - What made you sad?
I was disappointed in a colleague for trying to conceal some serious underperformance when it could have been dealt with easily much earlier on. As it is, now another colleague and I are going to have to put in a lot of effort to attempt to rectify the situation before a deadline next week. - What made you angry?
An academic colleague being outrageously disrespectful to a professional services colleague. - What are you looking forward to in the next week?
Getting that sad piece of work, which should not have been mine in the first place, off my desk at the end of the week. - What are you not looking forward to?
I have to be off-campus for two days next week. I'm not looking forward to the amount of meetings I've had to ram into the other three days of the working week.
Sunday 01/03/2026
Mar. 1st, 2026 10:30 amlhune posting in 3_good_things_a_day1) Breakfast on my sunny balcony
2) Maybe a little too optimistic since Spring hasn’t started yet, but I exchanged most of my winter clothing for the lighter versions that were stocked away ^_^ Only the clothes for high summer remain on top of my wardrobe. I know, wishful thinking ^^
3) Dinner with my parents
2) Maybe a little too optimistic since Spring hasn’t started yet, but I exchanged most of my winter clothing for the lighter versions that were stocked away ^_^ Only the clothes for high summer remain on top of my wardrobe. I know, wishful thinking ^^
3) Dinner with my parents
Small Fandoms!
Mar. 1st, 2026 04:16 amkalloway posting in ![[site community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/comm_staff.png){kind=small}
dw_community_promosmall_fandoms has finished up its annual Drabblethon, with more than 140 drabbles posted. The community is open all year for any sort of creations for small, tiny, and dead fandoms. Post your stories, art, icons, meta, and everything else.
Wang Yijin Addresses Plastic Surgery Rumors
Mar. 1st, 2026 08:34 amdramapanda_c_feed
Chinese actress and singer Rita Wang Yijin has recently addressed plastic surgery rumors after her appearance sparked discussion online. Netizens have been commenting on what they described as noticeable changes in her facial features, with some claiming she looks “completely different” from her idol days on the survival reality show Chuang 2020. A few even compared her to influencer Han Anran.
Facing the rumors head-on during a livestream, Wang Yijin directly addressed the speculations that she has had cosmetic procedures. “Did I get plastic surgery? Where did I get it done?” she responded. “I lost a lot of weight during the competition, nearly 20 jin (12 kg). Because of professional requirements, I need to look slimmer on camera.” According to her, she now weighs 96.3 jin (approximately 48 kg). She emphasized that her weight loss was purely to meet on-screen demands and not because she believes “thin equals beauty.” In the past, Wang Yijin had already posted about suddenly waking up with “sausage lips,” asking fans for remedies to reduce “inflammation” and joked that she might have eaten too much hotpot. Her tone was lighthearted, suggesting she’s aware about the comments about her looks such as her lips being fuller than before. Meanwhile, she made it clear that health remains her priority.
Source: 1
The post Wang Yijin Addresses Plastic Surgery Rumors appeared first on DramaPanda.
February 28, 2026
Mar. 1st, 2026 08:32 amheathercoxrichardson_feedEarly this morning, the U.S. and Israel launched a major military assault on Iran. Early reports suggested that Israel targeted senior officials in Iran’s government while the U.S. attacked military targets. The U.S. government named the assault “Operation Epic Fury.” Iran state media reported the strikes killed at least 200 people, including 118 students from a girls’ school, and wounded more than 700.
Iran retaliated with strikes against Israel, where one person was killed and 121 others injured, and with strikes on U.S. bases in Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. U.S. Central Command said there are no U.S. casualties and there has been little damage to U.S. facilities.
Shortly after the strikes, President Donald J. Trump, who was in Florida at Mar-a-Lago, posted an 8-minute video on social media announcing “major combat operations in Iran.” He warned: “The lives of courageous American heroes may be lost, and we may have casualties. That often happens in war. But we’re doing this not for now. We’re doing this for the future. And it is a noble mission.”
Trump referred to that mission vaguely, rehearsing a litany of complaints over the tensions and sometimes combat between the U.S. and Iran since 1979, but indicated the U.S. and Israel were attacking to prevent the country’s murderous regime from becoming “a nuclear-armed Iran.”
In June 2025, the Trump administration struck Iran’s nuclear laboratories at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan, after which Trump insisted the U.S. had “completely obliterated” Iran’s nuclear facilities. In his message, Trump said the U.S. in negotiations afterward warned Iran “never to resume their malicious pursuit of nuclear weapons, and we sought repeatedly to make a deal. We tried. They wanted to do it. They didn’t want to do it. Again they wanted to do it. They didn’t want to do it. They didn’t know what was happening. They just wanted to practice evil. But Iran refused, just as it has for decades and decades.”
Trump did not mention the landmark 2015 nuclear deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), negotiated by Trump’s predecessor Barack Obama, that limited Iran’s nuclear capabilities. Trump withdrew the U.S. from that accord in 2018, and within a year, Iran was ignoring the limits the JCPOA imposed.
But, hours after his team posted his video, Trump told Natalie Allison and Tara Copp of the Washington Post that his real goal is regime change for Iran. “All I want is freedom for the people,” he told the reporters in a phone call shortly after 4 A.M. Eastern Time. In his video address, Trump told Iran’s armed forces and police they “must lay down your weapons and have complete immunity. Or in the alternative, face certain death.” He told the Iranian people that “the hour of your freedom is at hand. Stay sheltered. Don’t leave your home. It’s very dangerous outside. Bombs will be dropping everywhere. When we are finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take. This will be probably your only chance for generations.”
Michael Birnbaum, John Hudson, Karen DeYoung, Natalie Allison, and Souad Mekhennet reported this evening in the Washington Post that U.S. intelligence officers assessed that a threat from Iran was not “imminent,” saying it was unlikely that Iran would pose a threat to the U.S. mainland for at least ten years. The International Atomic Energy Agency says there is no evidence Iran has an active plan for creating nuclear weapons, and the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency assessed that if Iran tries to build an intercontinental ballistic missile, it will take them at least a decade.
This afternoon, Trump posted on social media that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, a cleric who has ruled Iran as supreme leader since 1989, was killed in the strikes, a fact later confirmed by Iran. After celebrating Khamenei’s death, Trump posted: “This is the single greatest chance for the Iranian people to take back their Country.” He claimed without offering evidence that many of Iran’s soldiers and police “no longer want to fight, and are looking for Immunity from us,” and expressed hope that those forces “will peacefully merge with the Iranian Patriots, and work together as a unit to bring back the Country to the Greatness it deserves.”
Notably, he did not suggest how one would get “immunity,” or from whom, or what the process of taking back the country would look like just months after the regime killed tens of thousands of protesters. He also appears unconcerned that the coordinated response to the attack from Iran’s leadership even after the death of Khamenei suggests regime change will not be a question of knocking out the leader.
In his triumphant post, Trump concluded with an Orwellian “war is peace” statement, writing that the process of rebuilding should start soon because in just a day the bombing had “very much destroyed and, even, obliterated” so much of the country. “The heavy and pinpoint bombing, however, will continue, uninterrupted throughout the week or, as long as necessary to achieve our objective of PEACE THROUGHOUT THE MIDDLE EAST AND, INDEED, THE WORLD!”
Trump’s objectives for going to war sound vague because they are. The event that triggered his attack is also vague—so far, there is no evidence of an imminent threat that required the attack. His prescription for what his war is trying to accomplish is also vague.
It’s a given that this sort of vaguely justified attack on another country usually reflects that the leaders in the attacking country are worried about losing power and are launching a war to try to get disaffected people to rally around the flag.
Indeed, social media users are already referring to the attack as “Operation Epstein Fury,” suggesting it is an attempt to distract from the frequent appearance of the president’s name in the Epstein files as well as the recent story that the Department of Justice illegally withheld an allegation that Trump raped a thirteen-year-old.
Before his State of the Union address, Trump’s approval rating had fallen to an abysmal 37%, while 59% of Americans disapproved. His speech did little to convince Americans that he is trying to address their concerns about the economy: G. Elliott Morris of Strength in Numbers reported that after the speech, only 30% of Americans think Trump is focused on the things that matter to them, while 57% think he is focused on other things.
The January inflation report, out yesterday, showed prices rising faster than expected, inspiring Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to suggest Americans should buy cheaper food. “Most of the cheap cuts of meat are very inexpensive,” he said. “You can buy liver or the cheaper cuts of steak.”
Scholar of authoritarianism Timothy Snyder noted in Thinking About… that Trump’s personal corruption is another interpretive framework for thinking about his decision to go to war. Trump’s sudden foray into regime change after years of attacking other presidents who tried it raises the question of whether he is acting for other countries in the Middle East he considers his allies.
“Given the stupefyingly overt corruption of the Trump administration,” Snyder wrote, “one must ask whether the United States armed forces are now being used on a per-hire basis.” Snyder noted that Gulf Arab states eager to curb Iran’s power “have generated extremely generous packages of compensation for companies associated with Trump personally and with members of his family.”
Last week, Hugo Lowell of The Guardian reported that Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, both of whom have deep financial ties to the Middle East, would guide the decision of whether to strike Iran. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been lobbying for U.S. strikes on Iran for a long time, and hours after Snyder wrote, Washington Post journalists Birnbaum, Hudson, DeYoung, Allison, and Mekhennet reported that Trump decided to attack Iran after Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman made “multiple private phone calls to Trump over the past month advocating a U.S. attack” while at the same time publicly calling for a diplomatic solution.
At Talking Points Memo, Josh Marshall pointed out that as his power diminishes, Trump “is leaning heavily into the presidential prerogative powers where his power is most untrammeled, where the loss of political power doesn’t really matter. Almost no presidential power is more clearly in that character [than] the president’s control over the military.”
And that is the crux of the matter. For all the vagueness of Trump’s justifications and goals in attacking Iran, he has launched a war—his word—on his own, assuming the powers of a dictator.
The Constitution gives to Congress, not to the president, the power to declare war. After fighting for their independence against a king they considered a tyrant, the men of the constitutional convention were not about to hand the power of raising an army to a single man. One delegate commented that he “never expected to hear in a republic a motion to empower the Executive alone to declare war.”
Trump’s attack on Iran also violates the charter of the United Nations, under which members promise not to attack other states. This particular attack raises the specter of a larger war. In an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council today, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres warned that “[e]verything must be done to prevent a further escalation” in the Middle East.
Trump launched his attack while lawmakers were not scheduled to be in Washington, D.C., for a week, but Democrats are demanding Congress return immediately to vote on whether to continue military action against Iran. Senator Andy Kim (D-NJ) said in an interview: “This is one of the most dangerous efforts that Trump is undertaking in the second term: trying to normalize war without Congress, trying to normalize the idea that a president can just do whatever they want when it comes to foreign policy.” Huge though this is, there is a larger issue behind it: Since taking office again, Trump has gone out of his way to define tariffs, deportations, and so on as part of national security policy.
The president is supposed to get Congress’s buy-in to go to war in part because that requirement forces an executive to convince the American people that a contemplated military action is worth their tax dollars and their lives. But Trump made little effort to explain his Iran attack to the American people, and they oppose it. Morris notes that support for attacking Iran has held fairly steady for months and remained so after the strikes, with 34% in favor of them and 44% opposed. This is “incredibly low” support for a foreign war, Morris writes, and support for military action tends to be highest at the start of a war.
Trump’s attack on Iran scorns the will of the people and their constitutional right to decide whether they want to pay for a war with their money and their lives. That disdain for democratic government reveals that Trump’s military adventure against Iran is also fundamentally an attack on the United States of America.
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Notes:
https://www.cnn.com/2026/02/28/middleeast/israel-attack-iran-intl-hnk
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/read-trumps-full-statement-on-iran-attack
https://abcnews.com/US/months-after-operation-midnight-hammer-us-strikes-iran/story?id=130599531
https://www.cfr.org/articles/trumps-iran-attack-was-impressive-airpower-has-its-limits
https://www.cfr.org/backgrounders/what-iran-nuclear-deal
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2026/02/28/trump-iran-war-regime-change-freedom/
?
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/02/28/trump-iran-decision-saudi-arabia-israel/
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/02/27/ppi-january-2026-.html
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/23/trump-iran-airstrikes-nuclear-deal
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/prerogative-powers-and-presidential-self-care
https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/constitution-transcript#1-8
https://www.nixonlibrary.gov/news/war-powers-resolution-1973
Max Farrand, ed., The Records of the Federal Convention of 1787 (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1911), p. 318, at https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=nyp.33433031857729&seq=334&q1=%22make+war%22
https://press.un.org/en/sc_live
https://www.un.org/en/about-us/un-charter/full-text
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/02/28/war-powers-congress-trump-iran/
Bluesky:
mistakotta.bsky.social/post/3mfxaa3dmr222
Topics for talk March
Mar. 1st, 2026 01:06 ampattroseWays To Make a Difference
There are so many different ways to volunteer. I don't volunteer as much as I used to because I'm not as healthy. So now I help out mostly by donating to worthy causes. I give monthly to my food bank near our house. We also give to St. Jude's Hospital monthly. Two more, and then I'm done. I give monthly to PBS and to the library near us. I hope that it helps. I used to volunteer at the food bank, but it got harder and harder to do. I believe that the donations make a difference, even if I feel like I'm letting them down.
There are so many different ways to volunteer. I don't volunteer as much as I used to because I'm not as healthy. So now I help out mostly by donating to worthy causes. I give monthly to my food bank near our house. We also give to St. Jude's Hospital monthly. Two more, and then I'm done. I give monthly to PBS and to the library near us. I hope that it helps. I used to volunteer at the food bank, but it got harder and harder to do. I believe that the donations make a difference, even if I feel like I'm letting them down.
Recipe. Lemon cream dump cake
Mar. 1st, 2026 01:39 ampattroseLemon cream dump cake double this for 9x13 pan. This one is super good and easy.
* 1 (16 oz.) can lemon pie filling
* 1 (15 oz.) package yellow cake mix
* 4 oz. cream cheese, cubed
* 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, thinly sliced
1. Preheat your oven to 350º F and generously grease a square baking dish with butter or non-stick spray. This simple step ensures that your cake will effortlessly release from the pan, leaving you with a picture-perfect dessert.
2. Now, let’s lay the foundation of our Lemon Cream Cheese Dump Cake. Gently pour the lemon pie filling into the bottom of the greased baking dish, taking care to spread it evenly across the surface. This vibrant layer sets the stage for the tangy explosion of flavor that awaits.
3. Next, it’s time to add the irresistible allure of cream cheese. Take the cubed cream cheese and distribute it evenly over the lemon pie filling, ensuring that every bite is infused with velvety smoothness.
4. Now, let’s sprinkle on the magic of the yellow cake mix. Cover the cream cheese layer with half of the cake mix, allowing it to form a tantalizing blanket that will envelop the creamy lemon goodness beneath.
5. To elevate the texture and taste of our creation, thinly slice the unsalted butter and arrange the slices in a single layer over the cake mix. This final touch adds a decadent richness that will leave your taste buds craving more.
6. With our masterpiece assembled, it’s time to let the oven work its magic. Place the baking dish in the preheated oven and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. As the aroma of freshly baked cake fills your kitchen, anticipation builds for the moment of indulgence that lies ahead.
* 1 (16 oz.) can lemon pie filling
* 1 (15 oz.) package yellow cake mix
* 4 oz. cream cheese, cubed
* 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, thinly sliced
1. Preheat your oven to 350º F and generously grease a square baking dish with butter or non-stick spray. This simple step ensures that your cake will effortlessly release from the pan, leaving you with a picture-perfect dessert.
2. Now, let’s lay the foundation of our Lemon Cream Cheese Dump Cake. Gently pour the lemon pie filling into the bottom of the greased baking dish, taking care to spread it evenly across the surface. This vibrant layer sets the stage for the tangy explosion of flavor that awaits.
3. Next, it’s time to add the irresistible allure of cream cheese. Take the cubed cream cheese and distribute it evenly over the lemon pie filling, ensuring that every bite is infused with velvety smoothness.
4. Now, let’s sprinkle on the magic of the yellow cake mix. Cover the cream cheese layer with half of the cake mix, allowing it to form a tantalizing blanket that will envelop the creamy lemon goodness beneath.
5. To elevate the texture and taste of our creation, thinly slice the unsalted butter and arrange the slices in a single layer over the cake mix. This final touch adds a decadent richness that will leave your taste buds craving more.
6. With our masterpiece assembled, it’s time to let the oven work its magic. Place the baking dish in the preheated oven and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. As the aroma of freshly baked cake fills your kitchen, anticipation builds for the moment of indulgence that lies ahead.
2026 60 questions meme
Mar. 1st, 2026 01:22 ampattroseIn what ways can you practice kindness, both toward yourself and others, more intentionally?
This one is a little bit easier than the one I was supposed to use. It doesn't take much to be kind, and sometimes someone needs it in the worst way.
When I go grocery shopping, I watch for customers using electric carts. They have a hard time reaching for something on the top shelf, and I ask them before they ask me for help. You can also smile at everyone you pass. I always say, " Have a good day. “
No matter where you are, remember that someone might have lost a family member that week, and your smile might have helped them in a small way. I am not usually rude for this reason. Just remember that someday you might be the one who loses a family member. We all need those smiles or kind words.
This one is a little bit easier than the one I was supposed to use. It doesn't take much to be kind, and sometimes someone needs it in the worst way.
When I go grocery shopping, I watch for customers using electric carts. They have a hard time reaching for something on the top shelf, and I ask them before they ask me for help. You can also smile at everyone you pass. I always say, " Have a good day. “
No matter where you are, remember that someone might have lost a family member that week, and your smile might have helped them in a small way. I am not usually rude for this reason. Just remember that someday you might be the one who loses a family member. We all need those smiles or kind words.
Topics for talk March
Mar. 1st, 2026 01:06 ampattroseWays To Make a Difference
There are so many different ways to volunteer. I don't volunteer as much as I used to because I'm not as healthy. So now I help out mostly by donating to worthy causes. I give monthly to my food bank near our house. We also give to St. Jude's Hospital monthly. Two more, and then I'm done. I give monthly to PBS and to the library near us. I hope that it helps. I used to volunteer at the food bank, but it got harder and harder to do. I believe that the donations make a difference, even if I feel like I'm letting them down.
There are so many different ways to volunteer. I don't volunteer as much as I used to because I'm not as healthy. So now I help out mostly by donating to worthy causes. I give monthly to my food bank near our house. We also give to St. Jude's Hospital monthly. Two more, and then I'm done. I give monthly to PBS and to the library near us. I hope that it helps. I used to volunteer at the food bank, but it got harder and harder to do. I believe that the donations make a difference, even if I feel like I'm letting them down.