Today's Cooking
Jan. 11th, 2026 04:52 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysabetwordsmithFor his birthday, my partner Doug requested Mom-Mom Bessie's Coconut Molasses Pie from Taste of Home More Easy Everyday Cooking 2024 page 254. So that's in the oven now. :D
EDIT 1/11/26 -- The pie is done and quite tasty. My partner is please. \o/ It resembles a shoofly pie, so if you like that, then this is worth a try.
EDIT 1/11/26 -- The pie is done and quite tasty. My partner is please. \o/ It resembles a shoofly pie, so if you like that, then this is worth a try.
Science
Jan. 11th, 2026 04:45 pmysabetwordsmithNew form of 'artificial metabolism' converts CO2 into biological building blocks
Researchers built the Reductive Formate Pathway, called the ReForm pathway, to convert CO2 into acetyl-CoA outside living cells. Acetyl-CoA is a small but essential molecule your cells use to turn food into energy. When your body breaks down carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, it often funnels the results into acetyl-CoA. From there, acetyl-CoA carries a tiny chemical package called an acetyl group into the citric acid cycle, where your cells “burn” it. That process releases energy, and your body captures it to help make ATP, the main energy currency that powers cellular work.
This study shows how engineered enzymes, electricity-derived carbon feedstocks, and cell-free systems can be combined to recycle CO2 into useful chemical building blocks, while avoiding the limits of living cells and pointing toward new ways to make materials with lower carbon footprints.
That's good news for climate change.
However, it's also a step in most food replicator technologies, for those of you keeping an eye on that track.
Researchers built the Reductive Formate Pathway, called the ReForm pathway, to convert CO2 into acetyl-CoA outside living cells. Acetyl-CoA is a small but essential molecule your cells use to turn food into energy. When your body breaks down carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, it often funnels the results into acetyl-CoA. From there, acetyl-CoA carries a tiny chemical package called an acetyl group into the citric acid cycle, where your cells “burn” it. That process releases energy, and your body captures it to help make ATP, the main energy currency that powers cellular work.
This study shows how engineered enzymes, electricity-derived carbon feedstocks, and cell-free systems can be combined to recycle CO2 into useful chemical building blocks, while avoiding the limits of living cells and pointing toward new ways to make materials with lower carbon footprints.
That's good news for climate change.
However, it's also a step in most food replicator technologies, for those of you keeping an eye on that track.
Snowflake Challenge
Jan. 11th, 2026 04:34 pmysabetwordsmith... is running a bit late today, but the mods are on top of it. If they can't reach the planned day host, someone else will step in to post the challenge.
The Friday Five on a Sunday
Jan. 11th, 2026 10:18 pmnanila- Do you have a favourite cause that you support?
I support multiple causes through charitable donations, but one of the most important to me is the Abortion Support Network, which does exactly what it says on the tin: It helps people in the UK and Europe to get abortions, particularly those who live in areas with restrictive laws. - If so, how do you support it?
I give them as much money per month as I can. When they have fundraising drives, I donate more. When they ask for comments they can use in their promotional materials, I provide as much detail as I can. - Have you been an active member of an organization (attending meetings, volunteering, etc)?
Yes. I was a school governor for a while, and I’ve also volunteered for Parkrun, as well as other charitable organisations. - Have you ever led any group?
No, I’ve never had the capacity with either full-time work or academic study to lead a volunteer group. - If so, how was your experience with it?
See above. I’m sure I’d find it very fulfilling, but it’ll have to wait until I retire (or go part-time).
snowflake challenge #1-5
Jan. 11th, 2026 10:31 pmkanadkaSnowflake time already /o\ I'm speedrunning 1-5 here to catch up as I've only just gotten home.
( #1: icebreaker )
( #2: pets of fandom )
( #3: love letter to fandom )
( #4: rec the contents of your last page (forest fire/climate change discussion) )
( #5: wishlist )
( #1: icebreaker )
( #2: pets of fandom )
( #3: love letter to fandom )
( #4: rec the contents of your last page (forest fire/climate change discussion) )
( #5: wishlist )
Pre-Orders Open for The Guest (嘉宾)
Jan. 11th, 2026 09:22 pmdouqi posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
baihe_mediaHappy new year all!
The first print edition of a baihe novel to be open for pre-order for the year is Yu Shuang's tragic contemporary romance The Guest (嘉宾), which is being brought out under the title 别时茫茫 (going to just dodge the task of translation this because my brain is currently not up to the task of translating a Ba Juyi reference). This is a mainland edition and will be in traditional Chinese and censored (I'm kind of curious to see how they're going to manage the censoring of a tragedy that fundamentally arises from institutional and societal homophobia). Pre-orders can be made via the following bookshops:
The web version of the novel can be read here. Some details of the book art can be found here. I reviewed this book here.
The first print edition of a baihe novel to be open for pre-order for the year is Yu Shuang's tragic contemporary romance The Guest (嘉宾), which is being brought out under the title 别时茫茫 (going to just dodge the task of translation this because my brain is currently not up to the task of translating a Ba Juyi reference). This is a mainland edition and will be in traditional Chinese and censored (I'm kind of curious to see how they're going to manage the censoring of a tragedy that fundamentally arises from institutional and societal homophobia). Pre-orders can be made via the following bookshops:
The web version of the novel can be read here. Some details of the book art can be found here. I reviewed this book here.
Write Every day 2026: January, Day 11
Jan. 11th, 2026 10:11 pmtrobadora- How is tomorrow Monday again already?! Someone stole my weekend!
- According to yesterday's poll, approximately 75% of respondents think about structure in some fashion while writing. POV sections, parallels and repetitions got the most votes.
As for me, I used to always pay attention to structure especially in terms of parallels and mirroring sections and such, even for very short pieces, but I lost that a little bit in recent years. I need to focus more on that again - I always felt it made things better! But for longer pieces, structure is still a basic part of how I conceive of a story.
One of the most obvious structuring elements is with multiple POVs, and I always try to have them alternate in a clear pattern. For example, my Yuletide fic this year has four chapters, structured by location, and the POV pattern was AAB-BBA:
Chapter 1 - POV A
Chapter 2 - POV A, POV B
Chapter 3 - POV B
Chapter 4 - POV B, POV A
The story is mostly written in close limited 3rd person, but I also started each chapter with a more distant/mythic omniscient POV and then zoomed in on the character. - 60% of respondents agree that no poll is complete without tickyboxes. My people! *g*
- I haven't been keeping up with Star Trek for ages, but I was curious about the upcoming Starfleet Academy show and looked into things a little. And video reviews aren't usually my thing, but I just watched most of this video, and it makes it sound very promising! Here's hoping.
Today's writing
Instead of working to finish anything, I've started something new. Why, brain, why?
WED Question of the Day
Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 22
What POV do you like to write in?
View Answers
first person
6 (27.3%)
second person
3 (13.6%)
third person omniscient
7 (31.8%)
third person limited
20 (90.9%)
other (see comments)
0 (0.0%)
What POV do you like to read in?
View Answers
first person
11 (50.0%)
second person
3 (13.6%)
third person omniscient
15 (68.2%)
third person limited
18 (81.8%)
other (see comments)
3 (13.6%)
My writing preferences for fanfic and original fic are ...
My reading preferences for fanfic and original fic are ...
I want a story from the POV of a tickybox
Tally
( Days 1-5 )
Day 6:
alightbuthappypen, badly_knitted, brithistorian, carenejeans, china_shop, cornerofmadness, goddess47, luzula, ofmonstrouswords, sanguinity, shadaras, sylvanwitch, the_siobhan, trobadora, ysilmeDay 7:
badly_knitted, brithistorian, carenejeans, china_shop, cornerofmadness, goddess47, ofmonstrouswords, shadaras, sanguinity, sylvanwitch, trobadora Day 8:
badly_knitted, brithistorian, carenejeans, china_shop, cornerofmadness, goddess47, ofmonstrouswords, sanguinity, shadaras, sylvanwitch, trobadoraDay 9:
badly_knitted, brithistorian, carenejeans, china_shop, cornerofmadness, goddess47, sanguinity, shadaras, sylvanwitch, trobadoraDay 10:
badly_knitted, brithistorian, carenejeans, china_shop, cornerofmadness, goddess47, luzula, sanguinity, shadaras, sylvanwitch, trobadoraDay 11:
china_shop, trobadoraLet me know if I missed anyone! And remember you can drop in or out at any time. :)
watched: the residence
Jan. 11th, 2026 08:56 pmtozka🎬 The Residence: Created by Paul William Davies. With Uzo Aduba, Giancarlo Esposito, Molly Griggs, Ken Marino. Inside the White House's staff residence and the lives which workers share with the First Family. 🔗
Binge rewatched The Residence today and I liked it much more this time around (tho I still think it's a bit too long).
In my first watch, I was too anxious to get to the solution and it became frustrating when they went on tangents. Knowing the solution and watching it again was much more fun. I enjoyed the humor more and caught some things about the murder motive that I missed the first time around.
I wish they'd do another season, or even a movie! I love the Cordelia Cupp character.
Binge rewatched The Residence today and I liked it much more this time around (tho I still think it's a bit too long).
In my first watch, I was too anxious to get to the solution and it became frustrating when they went on tangents. Knowing the solution and watching it again was much more fun. I enjoyed the humor more and caught some things about the murder motive that I missed the first time around.
I wish they'd do another season, or even a movie! I love the Cordelia Cupp character.
Recommendation: Too Late, Too Late - Hornblower amalgam
Jan. 11th, 2026 04:00 pmpetraI recommended the first story in this series when I read it in Yuletide, suspecting but not being sure at the time that it was by sanguinity.
I love William Bush's POV too:
Too Late, Too Late (2008 words) by sanguinity
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Hornblower (TV)
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Characters: William Bush, Horatio Hornblower
Additional Tags: POV William Bush, Episode: e07 Loyalty (Hornblower), Hurt/Comfort, First Kiss
Series: Part 2 of The Worst Part of Waking Up
Summary:
sanguinity.I love William Bush's POV too:
Too Late, Too Late (2008 words) by sanguinity
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Hornblower (TV)
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Characters: William Bush, Horatio Hornblower
Additional Tags: POV William Bush, Episode: e07 Loyalty (Hornblower), Hurt/Comfort, First Kiss
Series: Part 2 of The Worst Part of Waking Up
Summary:
Bush is too late to the beach to stop the firing squad.
Bonus Bush point-of-view on the beach scene.
Sunday Word: Whitherward
Jan. 11th, 2026 09:53 pmsallymn posting in 1word1daywhitherward [hwith-er-werd]
adjective:
(archaic) toward what or which place
Examples:
I felt him directing my looks to what I beheld, shaping my thoughts whitherward they went; but it pleased him to remain invisible. (William Young, Mathieu Ropars: et cetera)
Messire, whitherward is the stable? (Howard Pyle, The Story of Sir Launcelot and His Companions)
We see not whence the eddy comes, nor whitherward it is tending, and we seem ourselves to witness their flight without a sense that we are changed; and yet Time is beguiling man of his strength, as the winds rob the woods of their foliage. (Sir Walter Scott, Woodstock)
Arthur looked, and drew at the caitiff who went afoot beside Atra, and Birdalone at him who went by Viridis, for she wotted whitherward Arthur’s shaft would be turned. (William Morris, The Water of the Wondrous Isles)
We know not whom we trust
Nor whitherward we fare,
But we run because we must
Through the great wide air. (Charles Hamilton Sorley, 'The Song of the Ungirt Runners')
Origin:
Inherited from Middle English whiderward, from whider ('whither') from Old English hwider, from Proto-Germanic hwithre-, from hwi- 'who' (from PIE root kwo-) + ward (adverbial suffix of Germanic origin expressing direction or tendency to or from a point, Old English -weard 'toward,' sometimes -weardes (with genitive singular ending of neuter adjectives), from Proto-Germanic werda- (cognates: Old Saxon, Old Frisian -ward, Old Norse -verðr, German -wärts), variant of PIE werto- 'to turn, wind' (from root wer- (2) 'to turn, bend'). ) (Online Etymology Dictionary)
The earliest known use of the adverb whitherward is in the Middle English period (1150—1500). OED's earliest evidence for whitherward is from around 1175, in Ormulum. (Oxford English Dictionary)
B5 color theorizing
Jan. 11th, 2026 11:46 amsholioI FOUND IT AGAIN. I read a post on Tumblr a while back on a particularly nicely done instance of color symbolism with Londo on B5, and I finally found it. (More beneath the cut.)
( Spoilers for the whole show )
( Spoilers for the whole show )
Snowflake Challenge: day 3, day 4
Jan. 11th, 2026 08:06 pmdancesontrainsChallenge 3: Write a love letter to fandom. It might be to fandom in general, to a particular fandom, favourite character, anything at all.
If it wasn't for
(It'll be eight years of being in a queerplatonic relationship this June, assuming things continue to go well.)
Challenge 4: Rec the contents of your last page - any website you like.
The pet site I mentioned in my second Snowflake post, Flight Rising - https://www1.flightrising.com/
Here, I just joined the community
smallweb, focused on all things smallweb, including:- personal websites
- fediverse
- geminispace
- other small community spaces
- webrings
- curated directories
It looks interesting.
tree trunk library
Jan. 11th, 2026 01:13 pmboxofdelightsWe were walking the dogs yesterday and I took a photo that got 405 favorites and 226 boosts on Mastodon:
( A little free library in a tree trunk, and the book I took from it )
Neighborhoods always feel better with Little Free Libraries.
( A little free library in a tree trunk, and the book I took from it )
Neighborhoods always feel better with Little Free Libraries.
I heard the voice of Jesus say
Jan. 11th, 2026 03:18 pmmarycatelliI heard the voice of Jesus say, "Come unto Me and rest;
Lay down, thou weary one, lay down Thy head upon My breast."
( Read more... )
Lay down, thou weary one, lay down Thy head upon My breast."
( Read more... )
(10 out of 20) Blue - Stargate Atlantis (PG)
Jan. 11th, 2026 03:08 pmgoddess47 posting in sweetandshort
Title: Blue
Author:
goddess47Character(s): John Sheppard, Rodney McKay, Carson Beckett
Pairing(s): John Sheppard/Rodney McKay
Rating: PG
Length: 218 words
Warnings: none
Notes:
For
mcsheplets prompt #133 - transformationFor
sweetandshort January 2026 prompt - blueSummary:
John's transformation to a bug and back was not without some longer lasting effects.
Blue on AO3
Trek rec
Jan. 11th, 2026 03:31 pmkathleen_dailey"Fly Away" by Kyra
Rating: General Audiences
Fandoms: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek
Character: Vic Fontaine
Additional Tags: Holodecks/Holosuites, Holodeck Character, Space Stations, POV Second Person, Sentience
Words: 618
Author's summary: Sentience hurts.
I first read this very short story almost 25 years ago. It was heartbreaking and chillingly prescient then, and in 2026 it's even more frighteningly plausible. This is a well-written character study (of an entity to whom the words "character study" shouldn't apply, but do).
Rating: General Audiences
Fandoms: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek
Character: Vic Fontaine
Additional Tags: Holodecks/Holosuites, Holodeck Character, Space Stations, POV Second Person, Sentience
Words: 618
Author's summary: Sentience hurts.
I first read this very short story almost 25 years ago. It was heartbreaking and chillingly prescient then, and in 2026 it's even more frighteningly plausible. This is a well-written character study (of an entity to whom the words "character study" shouldn't apply, but do).
[ SECRET POST #6946 ]
Jan. 11th, 2026 03:05 pmcase posting in fandomsecrets⌈ Secret Post #6946 ⌋
Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.
01.
( More! )
Notes:
Secrets Left to Post: 02 pages, 46 secrets from Secret Submission Post #992.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.