asakiyume | Network

So, the premieres that were on my list for this season are out and I have watched them.

Witch Hat Atelier: Not much to say here except "Yup, that's the good stuff."

Observation Log of My Fiancee Who Calls Herself a Villainess: I found the male lead / viewpoint character and his attitude toward the titular fiancee irritating, plus there was a minor plot point made of fatphobia, so this one's a pass for me. On the other hand...

Always A Catch: This looks like the "fun villainess-genre-adjacent anime" I wanted. Our heroine is straightforward the point of silliness but also caring and assertive, and seriously, she wears brass knuckles as a hair accessory. I'm in until further notice.

Agents of the Four Seasons: I enjoyed episode one, but it was pushing the line on being self-importantly sentimental, so I'm almost afraid to keep going...?

Ascendance of a Bookworm Part 3: I'm a big fan of the franchise and this is getting into one of my favorite parts, so I was hyped, but being a big fan of the franchise also makes me picky, and I actually found the premiere disappointing. As an adaptation, it felt humorless and superficial; like, the art was more pretty than functional, and it felt like just watching a sequence of events rather than inhabiting Myne's often-amusing viewpoint like I expect to. So yeah, great material here and as a fan I'll keep watching, but I'd recommend the manga (or the original novels) over this anime season so far. The OP is quite pretty, tho.

james_davis_nicoll

An all-new Runecairn Bundle presenting Runecairn, the one-on-one tabletop fantasy roleplaying game of Soulslike Viking fantasy from By Odin's Beard, along with the weird-West RPG We Deal in Lead.

Bundle of Holding: Runecairn

phys_breaking_feed

https://phys.org/news/2026-04-robotic-uncover-hidden-ocean-chemistry.html

Scientists have found a new way to detect subtle chemical signatures in seawater, revealing previously invisible details about the ocean's chemistry from data continuously collected by thousands of autonomous robotic floats drifting across the seas.

https://phys.org/news/2026-04-robotic-uncover-hidden-ocean-chemistry.html

muccamukk

Sting - "Shape of My Heart" (Live)

Watch on YouTube

I think this is the first Sting song I ever heard. Still sounds good.

calimac

Quiet Easter with B's family at her nephew L's house. His sister T, our usual hostess, is recovering from an arm injury and decided to pass. There's only so far that being Super Mom can take you.

That did mean that T's friends who usually enliven our gathering weren't present, so it was just family and their ailing dad's caretaker. Moderate amount of food. I made my cashew broccoli, discovering that it will reheat nicely instead of having to be cooked on the spot. Asparagus soup, made by L's wife E, was the treat I liked the most.

Afterwards B and E, mostly, put together a fairly simple jigsaw puzzle. We got home in time to feed the cats before they began meowing too loudly.

This morning, equally quiet when I went to the grocer's to pick up some blueberries, B's favorite which somehow got left out of our pickup order last week. I guess everybody's still sleeping off their Eastern dinner.

phys_breaking_feed

https://phys.org/news/2026-04-york-bight-key-habitat-endangered.html

A new study led by scientists from the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) reveals that endangered sei whales regularly use the New York Bight as a key spring habitat, underscoring the importance of this heavily trafficked region for one of the world's fastest and most elusive baleen whales.

https://phys.org/news/2026-04-york-bight-key-habitat-endangered.html

phys_breaking_feed

https://phys.org/news/2026-04-pigeons-tend-edge-chaos.html

If you were rewarded for following a particular pattern of behavior, wouldn't you keep doing it? The answer turns out to be more nuanced than you might think. In a new study, University of Iowa researchers report that pigeons rewarded with food after pecking five buttons in any order did, indeed, decrease the variety of their sequences. However, the birds kept their options open, never gravitating toward a single sequence and consistently electing to try different sequences.

https://phys.org/news/2026-04-pigeons-tend-edge-chaos.html

ysabetwordsmith

Today is sunny and cool.

I fed the birds. I haven't seen much activity yet.

I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 4/6/26 -- I started raking part of the orchard so I can sow grass seed there.

I've seen a few sparrows and house finches.

.

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

Innovation Theater

The federal transportation funding model was designed in an era of large-scale capital expansion. That structure persists today. Projects compete within funding categories that prioritize new capital investment and visible transformation. Good stewardship — making what you have work better, doing more with less — is not rewarded.

The federal standards do a bad job of meeting people's needs, because they measure the wrong things. However, the article includes an example of a different way to measure what a bus system does...

( Read more... )

Current Mood: busy

oursin

A concatenation of things Relevant To My Research Interests (I guess), or, well, I feel I ought to keep up with this sort of thing....

Exiles of love?: uncovering lesbian voices in interwar Czechoslovakia, by someone I know, or at least, whose partner I know and whom I know by association.

Confining yet Convenient: Using Gender Norms to Defend Oneself in Cases of Rural Spousal Violence in Post-Independence Ireland: because that sort of thing could happen, using the system (see that book on 'economic divorce from deserting husbands' in late C19th England).

Review of Pious and Promiscuous: Life, Love and Family in Presbyterian Ulster, which is again, about how the system allows of certain flexibilities.

***

How to piss off historians: Drought, Conflict and the Use of Historical Data and Methodologies in Interdisciplinary Palaeoclimatic Research:

Norman et al. argue that historical sources support their conclusions that drought contributed causally to the ‘barbarian conspiracy’ of 367CE and to other late Roman conflicts. Although historians have developed rigorous methodologies for effective analysis and interpretation of surviving texts, the authors outline no methodologies for dealing with the textual evidence. Further, there are issues with the historical ‘conflict’ and numismatic datasets and with their interpretation.... the textual evidence discussed by Norman et al. does not, and cannot, support the authors’ assertions.

Swing that codfish!

***

Is this not lovely news? posthumous work by Vonda McIntyre forthcoming from Aqueduct Press in May

soemand

It’s municipal election season, and the local candidate lineup is a fascinating study in human nature. With 24 candidates vying for 11 seats across the mayor's office, wards, and at-large positions, the energy is high—but the strategies are a mixed bag.

The irony is thick this year. We have incumbents campaigning on "change" despite holding office for two terms. Then there are the career hopefuls, leaning heavily on their past provincial or federal party ties and working Facebook like it's their full-time job.

On the fringes, we see the perennial candidates—the ones who've faced ten rejections and yet still show up to pay their deposit, hoping the eleventh time is the charm.

The ground game varies just as much. I've been impressed by a younger gentleman who took the time to knock on my door, while others seem to be living out a Jethro Tull song—firmly "living in the past" with their platforms.

Election day will bring its usual mix of triumph and heartbreak.
Until then, grab the popcorn; local democracy is many things, but it's never boring.

phys_breaking_feed

https://phys.org/news/2026-04-female-baboon-body-sperm.html

Just because a female olive baboon has mated with a specific male doesn't mean he will be the father of her offspring. According to a new study published in PLOS Biology, mate selection continues long after copulation as the vaginal tract appears to "weed out" genetically incompatible suitors.

https://phys.org/news/2026-04-female-baboon-body-sperm.html

phys_breaking_feed

https://phys.org/news/2026-04-common-herbicide-affects-honeybee-brains.html

Cultivating flowering plants for pollinator gardens, commercial farms, or home landscapes often relies on the use of herbicides to manage unwanted weeds. Honeybees are attracted to these locations and play a critical role in their success. So what happens when foraging bees pick up a dose of weedkiller?

https://phys.org/news/2026-04-common-herbicide-affects-honeybee-brains.html

purplecat

As well as a pub whose loss is to be mourned, there was a bus terminal plus petrol station/car wash thing on the corner. This was abandoned, then occupied by squatters, then reclaimed and finally demolished. Then Lidl applied for planning permission.

We have been waiting for our Lidl to appear.

This weekend diggers appeared on the site.

An iron fence through which can be seen a digger and pile of rubble.

An iron fence through which can be seen a digger and pile of rubble.

glitteryv

As part of AOTY ARIRANG's promo/rollout, BTS has opted to do a lot of YouTube content with v. few interviews elsewhere. This time around, we get two different videos that bring equal parts lulz and awww.

Starting with Jin attempting to cook while Vmin are just BRATTY AF. He's so patient with their detours and impish vibes. Taehyung, especially, is A TERROR AND A DELIGHT. I was literally wiping tears from my face cuz I laughed THAT hard.

Watch on YouTube

Then, SUGA, RM, Jungkook, and j-hope sat down to teach viewers some Korean words (including slang.) Though less wild than the cooking video, this one deffo had a lot of moments to enjoy as well.

Watch on YouTube

phys_breaking_feed

https://phys.org/news/2026-04-quantum-ground-state-rotation-dimensions.html

Quantum mechanics tells us that a particle can never be perfectly still. But how precisely can it be oriented? A research team at the University of Vienna, together with colleagues at TU Wien and Ulm University, has now cooled the rotational motion of a levitated silica nanorotor all the way to its quantum ground state—in two orientational degrees of freedom.

https://phys.org/news/2026-04-quantum-ground-state-rotation-dimensions.html

phys_breaking_feed

https://phys.org/news/2026-04-polymers-built-body-blood-catalyzed.html

The 19th-century science fiction novel Frankenstein explores the idea of combining artificial materials with human body components, purely as a matter of imagination. Two centuries later, such concepts have become integral to our medical science. Synthetic materials and devices can interface with the body's electrical and chemical systems to restore function—from regulating neural activity in neurodegenerative disorders to managing heart rhythm in cardiovascular diseases.

https://phys.org/news/2026-04-polymers-built-body-blood-catalyzed.html

phys_breaking_feed

https://phys.org/news/2026-04-astronomers-thought-early-universe-full.html

The Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment (HETDEX) has discovered tens of thousands of gigantic hydrogen gas halos, called "Lyman-alpha nebulae," surrounding galaxies 10 billion to 12 billion years ago. Known as Cosmic Noon, this is an epoch in the early universe when galaxies were growing their fastest. To spur this growth, they would have needed access to vast reservoirs of hydrogen gas, a key building block for stars. However, until recently, astronomers had only found a handful of these essential structures.

https://phys.org/news/2026-04-astronomers-thought-early-universe-full.html

aurumcalendula

I still have a bunch of sections I'm ??? about, but I think I've figured out the start and ending sections of the ClaireBell fanvid I've been working on!

susandennis

I am not going to the pool today. I am taking the day off. For no good reason.

A few months ago, Jim Down The Hall had a weird experience. His apartment is very large and has two full bathrooms but he rarely uses most of it. His housecleaner was working in there one day and came to him and asked "what do you want me to do about the bathroom?" Completely confused, he went to the bathroom she was talking about - his second one that he never uses - and saw that the glass shower door had completely shattered all over everywhere. Weird and Wild.

Yesterday, Bonny came in and said "come see my shower door"... ??? ok. And, yep, it had shattered, but mostly in place. She said she called security as soon as she noticed it and the security guy came up immediately. There was a towel hanging over the door and as soon as he touched the towel to move it, some of the glass fell out so he stopped. So mostly it was all in the door. On a Sunday. Easter. But, maintenance was up there getting ready to at least make it safe to go in. Wild and grateful for quick responses.

She said the security guy was the new one and it was his first day. Welcome!!

I just got a text from Martha. Martha has a daughter I have never met but said daughter is always sharing cute little knitted and crocheted toys with me through Martha. The original bunny idea came from her and at least one other one. Anyway, Saturday, Martha took several of the chickens and took one to her daughter yesterday. When she got there, her daughter has a surprise for her, a chicken she had crocheted! hahaha

Tomorrow I have my first Wegovy checkup with my doctor. I'll be very interested to hear what she has to say.

Wednesday is a Food & Beverage Committee meeting - the agenda is very short. The current jihad is salt. Everyone knows what's best. And I don't care.

The Mariners are playing in Texas which means 3 days of early games which is lovely.

I finished Proof by Jon Cowan. It was a decent story not very well told. The audio book had this hilarious quirk. The reader was good except. One of the characters was a police woman from Scotland and he made her sound like she was from Cape May, New Jersey and had a speech impediment. It was very jarring.

I have the next of the five that the librarian recommended checked out and queued up.

Time to get this day started.

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April 2026

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Page Summary

foxinthestars in anime_manga - Spring 2026 Premiere Impressions
james_davis_nicoll - Bundle of Holding: Runecairn
phys_breaking_feed - Robotic floats uncover hidden ocean chemistry in low-oxygen zones
muccamukk - Music Monday
calimac - Eatster
phys_breaking_feed - New York Bight is a key spring habitat for endangered sei whales, research reveals
phys_breaking_feed - Pigeons tend to respond 'at the edge of chaos,' study finds
ysabetwordsmith - Birdfeeding
ysabetwordsmith - Transportation
oursin - Assorted things
soemand - 24 candidates,11 seats, and plenty of irony.
phys_breaking_feed - How the female baboon body has the final say in sperm selection
phys_breaking_feed - How a common herbicide affects honeybee brains and behavior
purplecat - Lidl is Coming
glitteryv - Fandom 50 S4 Post 9: BTS @ Vogue = CHAOS and KNOWLEDGE!
phys_breaking_feed - Quantum ground state of rotation achieved for the first time in two dimensions
phys_breaking_feed - Polymers built inside the body through blood-catalyzed chemistry allow on-demand brain control
phys_breaking_feed - Astronomers thought the early universe was full of hydrogen: Now they've found it
aurumcalendula - (no subject)
susandennis - Slacker

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Page generated Apr. 6th, 2026 06:15 pm

Asakiyume mita

Network

Spring 2026 Premiere Impressions

Bundle of Holding: Runecairn

Robotic floats uncover hidden ocean chemistry in low-oxygen zones

Music Monday

Eatster

New York Bight is a key spring habitat for endangered sei whales, research reveals

Pigeons tend to respond 'at the edge of chaos,' study finds

Birdfeeding

Transportation

Assorted things

24 candidates,11 seats, and plenty of irony.

How the female baboon body has the final say in sperm selection

How a common herbicide affects honeybee brains and behavior

Lidl is Coming

Fandom 50 S4 Post 9: BTS @ Vogue = CHAOS and KNOWLEDGE!

Quantum ground state of rotation achieved for the first time in two dimensions

Polymers built inside the body through blood-catalyzed chemistry allow on-demand brain control

Astronomers thought the early universe was full of hydrogen: Now they've found it

(no subject)

Slacker

Profile

April 2026

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