Hobbies: Stage Magic
Jun. 26th, 2025 09:55 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysabetwordsmithFolks have mentioned an interest in questions and conversations that make them think. So I've decided to offer more of those. This batch features hobbies.
Stage magic is a hobby of illusion. There are many styles, from closeup to grand stage effects. Some can be done with very affordable props. Much is now available online for free. If you have any interest in card magic, start with The Royal Road to Card Magic and an ordinary deck of playing cards. Pay attention to skill trees, that is, which techniques will enable you to learn more techniques based on them. Note that this hobby is fun and easy to start, but getting good at it will require a lot of practice.
On Dreamwidth, consider creative communities like![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
justcreate.
( Read more... )
Stage magic is a hobby of illusion. There are many styles, from closeup to grand stage effects. Some can be done with very affordable props. Much is now available online for free. If you have any interest in card magic, start with The Royal Road to Card Magic and an ordinary deck of playing cards. Pay attention to skill trees, that is, which techniques will enable you to learn more techniques based on them. Note that this hobby is fun and easy to start, but getting good at it will require a lot of practice.
On Dreamwidth, consider creative communities like
justcreate.( Read more... )
Birdfeeding
Jun. 26th, 2025 12:28 pmysabetwordsmithToday is mostly sunny and sweltering.
I fed the birds. I've seen a few sparrows and house finches.
I put out water for the birds.
I fed the birds. I've seen a few sparrows and house finches.
I put out water for the birds.
Goblincore
Jun. 26th, 2025 12:34 amysabetwordsmithGoblincore is an aesthetic based on the darker side of faery and the appreciation of imperfect things that other people often consider ugly or otherwise undesirable. Many of the reference pages are less than flattering, but the entries on Wikipedia and Aesthetics Wiki offer a starting point. It is laughably dated to the 2020s. I'm guessing whoever wrote that missed the entire history of fairytales, curiosity cabinets, and the rest of its very long history.
( Read more... )
( Read more... )
An update
Jun. 26th, 2025 02:54 pmmificI turned back on the AI functions for my iPad again so as to write a fic with minimal impediments (I have enough inbuilt impediments these days not to want more). So that's autocapitalisation, autocorrect, and predictive text. And JFC, but it's bossy! Constantly changing words from the way I wanted to write them to some AI bullshit of its own. I had to be super-vigilant with the betaing. Have since turned predictive text off again to see if that's better. I hate the AI aspect but it's such a tiresome slog correcting my own (numerous) typos with it all turned off.
Bum music, a bit of YT whimsy. In Hieronymus Bosch's Garden of Earthly Delights panel there's a guy, face down, bum up, with sheet music stacked on his ass. So Amelia Hamrick transcribed it, James Spalink arranged it, and played it using period-type instruments. It's actually not bad.
I managed a short fic for into-a-bar. I've been using the challenge to add to my Losers in Pegasus series but was hoist with my own petard this time by being allocated an SGA character I'd killed off in the last fic! Finally figured out a solution (enter the clones!) but was unable to finish the longer fic (that gets Pooch to Atlantis) by the deadline, so that one will come later.
Still mostly doing art, and podficcing. And the podfics mean cover art so that's always fun. I now tend to beta-listen while working on the cover, although that makes it tricky to note down bits that I've flubbed.
My Mexican sunflower still has some flowers, which the bees will be grateful for. Pretty amazing, now we're past the shortest day of winter, but it's slowly winding up its flowering season. 10/10, will see how many years it can manage encores.
I have a few recs, but will do a separate post for those. Summer sounds a bit brutal up north (for many reasons). Hope you're all OK.
Bum music, a bit of YT whimsy. In Hieronymus Bosch's Garden of Earthly Delights panel there's a guy, face down, bum up, with sheet music stacked on his ass. So Amelia Hamrick transcribed it, James Spalink arranged it, and played it using period-type instruments. It's actually not bad.
I managed a short fic for into-a-bar. I've been using the challenge to add to my Losers in Pegasus series but was hoist with my own petard this time by being allocated an SGA character I'd killed off in the last fic! Finally figured out a solution (enter the clones!) but was unable to finish the longer fic (that gets Pooch to Atlantis) by the deadline, so that one will come later.
Still mostly doing art, and podficcing. And the podfics mean cover art so that's always fun. I now tend to beta-listen while working on the cover, although that makes it tricky to note down bits that I've flubbed.
My Mexican sunflower still has some flowers, which the bees will be grateful for. Pretty amazing, now we're past the shortest day of winter, but it's slowly winding up its flowering season. 10/10, will see how many years it can manage encores.
I have a few recs, but will do a separate post for those. Summer sounds a bit brutal up north (for many reasons). Hope you're all OK.
Ancient Life
Jun. 25th, 2025 10:00 pmysabetwordsmithHow Earth's First, Unkillable Animals Saved the World
Sponges have survived every catastrophe and every mass extinction event that nature has thrown at them. And by being the little, filter-feeding, water-cleaning creatures that they are, sponges may have saved the world.
How Volcanoes Froze the Earth (Twice)
Over 600 million years ago, sheets of ice coated our planet on both land and sea. How did this happen? And most importantly for us, why did the planet eventually thaw again? The evidence for Snowball Earth is written on every continent today.
That's reassuring given the poor life choices of Homo sapiens today.
Sponges have survived every catastrophe and every mass extinction event that nature has thrown at them. And by being the little, filter-feeding, water-cleaning creatures that they are, sponges may have saved the world.
How Volcanoes Froze the Earth (Twice)
Over 600 million years ago, sheets of ice coated our planet on both land and sea. How did this happen? And most importantly for us, why did the planet eventually thaw again? The evidence for Snowball Earth is written on every continent today.
That's reassuring given the poor life choices of Homo sapiens today.
Ceramics
Jun. 25th, 2025 06:12 pmysabetwordsmithI spotted this video about harvesting, shaping, and firing wild clay. I did that back in high school at Ancient Lifeways Camp. It was a lot of fun to dig and clean the clay, then make things. Our theme was Sumeria, so we made oil lamps (harder than you'd think) and cuneiform quotes. I also made a ceramic goddess figurine. We used a pit fire, which helps keep the temperature more stable. If you have a source of natural clay, this kind of project is well worth trying.
Artificial Intelligence
Jun. 25th, 2025 06:10 pmysabetwordsmithLatest new exhibits in the LLM-Generated Garbage hall of shame
Featuring Santa Claus and reindeer.
Warning: Do not read with mouth full!
Featuring Santa Claus and reindeer.
Warning: Do not read with mouth full!
Watson Birthday Prompt Fest
Jun. 25th, 2025 02:27 pmkingstoken
Hey everyone, I'm running a little prompt fest to celebrate John Watson's birthday. Come leave a prompt or claim a prompt (all Watsons welcome). Link
Books
Jun. 25th, 2025 01:21 pmysabetwordsmithA Rainbow of Queer Books for Pride 2025: Indigo
HAPPY PRIDE 2025! For Pride this year, we’re changing up our usual rec lists. Instead of doing books with specific identities or themes, we’re focused this time on cover color! Throughout the month of June, we’ll be doing 8 rec lists, each with covers inspired by one of the colors of the original Gilbert Baker Pride Flag. We drew a little additional inspiration from the meaning behind the color and why it was included in the original LGBTQIA+ flag (in this case, indigo = serenity), but we prioritized color over meaning. The contributors to this list are: Shadaras, polls, Shannon, Linnea Peterson, Nina Waters, and Tris Lawrence.
HAPPY PRIDE 2025! For Pride this year, we’re changing up our usual rec lists. Instead of doing books with specific identities or themes, we’re focused this time on cover color! Throughout the month of June, we’ll be doing 8 rec lists, each with covers inspired by one of the colors of the original Gilbert Baker Pride Flag. We drew a little additional inspiration from the meaning behind the color and why it was included in the original LGBTQIA+ flag (in this case, indigo = serenity), but we prioritized color over meaning. The contributors to this list are: Shadaras, polls, Shannon, Linnea Peterson, Nina Waters, and Tris Lawrence.
Crafts
Jun. 25th, 2025 01:07 pmysabetwordsmithOff Center Ceramics will be at art festivals in Oregon. If that's your locale, watch for the stoneware painted with wildlife. :D
Exoplanets
Jun. 25th, 2025 01:00 pmysabetwordsmithMojave lichen defies death rays—could life thrive on distant exoplanets?
Lichen from the Mojave Desert can survive, and replicate, under levels of extreme solar radiation found on Earth-like planets in other solar systems.
Lichen from the Mojave Desert has stunned scientists by surviving months of lethal UVC radiation, suggesting life could exist on distant planets orbiting volatile stars. The secret? A microscopic “sunscreen” layer that protects their vital cells—even though Earth’s atmosphere already filters out such rays.
( Read more... )
Lichen from the Mojave Desert can survive, and replicate, under levels of extreme solar radiation found on Earth-like planets in other solar systems.
Lichen from the Mojave Desert has stunned scientists by surviving months of lethal UVC radiation, suggesting life could exist on distant planets orbiting volatile stars. The secret? A microscopic “sunscreen” layer that protects their vital cells—even though Earth’s atmosphere already filters out such rays.
( Read more... )
Birdfeeding
Jun. 25th, 2025 12:57 pmysabetwordsmithToday is partly sunny and sweltering.
I fed the birds. I've seen a few sparrows and house finches.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 6/25/25 -- It's raining, quite vigorously. :D So I won't need to water plants later.
EDIT 6/25/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
EDIT 6/25/25 -- After it quit raining, I did some more work around the patio. I can still hear thunder around, so it may rain again.
EDIT 6/25/25 -- I sowed the Shithouse Marigold seeds from the Litha ritual in a trough pot and a few other pots around the new picnic table garden. I also did some weeding in the septic garden.
Fireflies are starting to come out. I've heard cicadas singing.
EDIT 6/25/25 -- I went back out to watch the fireflies.
As it is now dark, I am done for the night.
I fed the birds. I've seen a few sparrows and house finches.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 6/25/25 -- It's raining, quite vigorously. :D So I won't need to water plants later.
EDIT 6/25/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
EDIT 6/25/25 -- After it quit raining, I did some more work around the patio. I can still hear thunder around, so it may rain again.
EDIT 6/25/25 -- I sowed the Shithouse Marigold seeds from the Litha ritual in a trough pot and a few other pots around the new picnic table garden. I also did some weeding in the septic garden.
Fireflies are starting to come out. I've heard cicadas singing.
EDIT 6/25/25 -- I went back out to watch the fireflies.
As it is now dark, I am done for the night.