Rainy, blustery and cold today, here in the Milwaukee suburbs, but it could be worse. Here's pic from my sister-in-law up in Willard, taken off their back porch.
Heated Rivalry update
Mar. 16th, 2026 12:33 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ruricLOL I am all up in everything HR so much so that it's not even funny. :o)
So the last time I posted I was 5 days in, had watched it once, bought the books and was just about to start a second rewatch - that was last Saturday.
I read all 6 books in 2.5 days, completed a second rewatch, randomly watched eps 3-6 across 4 nights (because why not?) and then decided it would be fun to match reading the relevant chapters of HR and then watch the relevant episodes. I got as far as ep 3 and then got distracted by more cast interviews and HR insta and threads.
Yeserday I disappeared down the YouTube rabbit hole of fan vids - so now I have 193 open tabs across 2 browser windows, there's music playing, I have no idea where it's coming from and I'm in the middle of curating playlists on my YouTube. I need to remember how to DL from YouTube because I want a good chunk of those vids accessible to me at all times and never worry about them being pulled.
I may be curating playlists on Spotify for my gym workouts because HR bvidders use great music for their vids. And...um...I have a bunch of meta posts bookmarked to go back and read properly after the current rewatch.
Still noticing new things - all the subtle little whispered remarks that weren't obvious on first or second viewing. I need to see the whole series on a screen bigger than my tablet.
I'm catching up on the cast interviews which I'm finding delightful and astonishing. I mean the 3 minute social media sound bites, wild humour and meeting fans where they live was an absolute gift - but the long form interviews with their openness, vulnerability and in depth discussions are just blowing my mind.
Still steering clear of fanfic - because there are only 24 hours in a day - and I'm not sure I have time for an "Inception" level fandom event in my life - though I suspect I'm fighting a failed rearguard action there. Inception inhabited my brain for 2.5 years and with S2 of Heated Rivalry not airing until '27 and (please god) a potential further season - it's quite possible I'll be fully consumed by this until 2028.
Around all of that it's been super busy at work and I've been making a bunch of appointments/ running errands which come under the heading of "Get Your Shit Together" but for the first time in months I feel like I'm fully firing on all cylinders.
Not sure how much of that is down to the Little Canadian Hockey Romance That Could or whether it's due to the fact that we've had more than a few days of sunshine, warmth and blue skies (and not the dreary grey, wet and miserable days we've had since before Christmas) - whatever! I'm running with it.
So the last time I posted I was 5 days in, had watched it once, bought the books and was just about to start a second rewatch - that was last Saturday.
I read all 6 books in 2.5 days, completed a second rewatch, randomly watched eps 3-6 across 4 nights (because why not?) and then decided it would be fun to match reading the relevant chapters of HR and then watch the relevant episodes. I got as far as ep 3 and then got distracted by more cast interviews and HR insta and threads.
Yeserday I disappeared down the YouTube rabbit hole of fan vids - so now I have 193 open tabs across 2 browser windows, there's music playing, I have no idea where it's coming from and I'm in the middle of curating playlists on my YouTube. I need to remember how to DL from YouTube because I want a good chunk of those vids accessible to me at all times and never worry about them being pulled.
I may be curating playlists on Spotify for my gym workouts because HR bvidders use great music for their vids. And...um...I have a bunch of meta posts bookmarked to go back and read properly after the current rewatch.
Still noticing new things - all the subtle little whispered remarks that weren't obvious on first or second viewing. I need to see the whole series on a screen bigger than my tablet.
I'm catching up on the cast interviews which I'm finding delightful and astonishing. I mean the 3 minute social media sound bites, wild humour and meeting fans where they live was an absolute gift - but the long form interviews with their openness, vulnerability and in depth discussions are just blowing my mind.
Still steering clear of fanfic - because there are only 24 hours in a day - and I'm not sure I have time for an "Inception" level fandom event in my life - though I suspect I'm fighting a failed rearguard action there. Inception inhabited my brain for 2.5 years and with S2 of Heated Rivalry not airing until '27 and (please god) a potential further season - it's quite possible I'll be fully consumed by this until 2028.
Around all of that it's been super busy at work and I've been making a bunch of appointments/ running errands which come under the heading of "Get Your Shit Together" but for the first time in months I feel like I'm fully firing on all cylinders.
Not sure how much of that is down to the Little Canadian Hockey Romance That Could or whether it's due to the fact that we've had more than a few days of sunshine, warmth and blue skies (and not the dreary grey, wet and miserable days we've had since before Christmas) - whatever! I'm running with it.
Catherine Update
Mar. 15th, 2026 04:23 pmcatherineldfWhere have I been? If you guessed down with another terrible cold, one that made the last one look like a walk in the park, you win! I starting getting sick on Friday and had to skip my panel, then lost my voice on Saturday during MarsCon so I skipped my morning panel and had to whiteboard it with the aid of Michael and Matt for the afternoon one. After that, I has just completely down so we packed up and I stayed home on Sunday. And I coughed and I coughed and I coughed and I did not sleep or talk very much at all for 4 days. Greg was kind enough to let me work from home on DreamHaven stuff so at least I'm not wildly behind on that. Everything else is another story. But in the middle of it all, a good friend died and hey, we put a spiffy new book up for preorder.
On the good side, we are planning on releasing Joyce Chng's mini-collection of queer pirate tales, Sailing the Golden Chersonese, on 4/9! It features beautiful artwork by Dhiyanah Hassan, gorgeous interior design by Terry Roy and lyrical prose by Joyce - who could ask for more! because 2026 is what it is, we have been beset by illness and delays so the print edition may come out a few days after the ebook one, but we are in progress. We will have review arcs for reviewers in the next couple of days so please let me know if you would like one. Preorders are love!
Also: so are award nominations. As I have mentioned a time or two, Queen of Swords Press released new editions of the Astreiant Series by Melissa Scott and Lisa A. Barnett and, because the latest new volume, Point of Hearts, came out in 2025, the series is eligible for the Best Series Hugo. It is not uncommon for books and people to make it on the ballot (and sometimes, win!) by only a handful of votes. Queen of Swords Press is my beloved little postage stamp-sized press - getting this series on the ballot would be HUGE for us! Plus, Melissa hasn't been on the ballot since she won the Campbell for her first novel, despite years of writing terrific sf and f. If you were a member of Seattle Worldcon or a voting member of LA Con, you can nominate! I know the series has a few votes already so please consider putting us over the top to make the ballot!
And I am out of steam and still need to work on a deadline piece. Friend's obit tomorrow. After I call the vet and get a rainbow Bridge appointment set up for Shu. 2026: the gift that keeps on giving.
On the good side, we are planning on releasing Joyce Chng's mini-collection of queer pirate tales, Sailing the Golden Chersonese, on 4/9! It features beautiful artwork by Dhiyanah Hassan, gorgeous interior design by Terry Roy and lyrical prose by Joyce - who could ask for more! because 2026 is what it is, we have been beset by illness and delays so the print edition may come out a few days after the ebook one, but we are in progress. We will have review arcs for reviewers in the next couple of days so please let me know if you would like one. Preorders are love!
Also: so are award nominations. As I have mentioned a time or two, Queen of Swords Press released new editions of the Astreiant Series by Melissa Scott and Lisa A. Barnett and, because the latest new volume, Point of Hearts, came out in 2025, the series is eligible for the Best Series Hugo. It is not uncommon for books and people to make it on the ballot (and sometimes, win!) by only a handful of votes. Queen of Swords Press is my beloved little postage stamp-sized press - getting this series on the ballot would be HUGE for us! Plus, Melissa hasn't been on the ballot since she won the Campbell for her first novel, despite years of writing terrific sf and f. If you were a member of Seattle Worldcon or a voting member of LA Con, you can nominate! I know the series has a few votes already so please consider putting us over the top to make the ballot!
And I am out of steam and still need to work on a deadline piece. Friend's obit tomorrow. After I call the vet and get a rainbow Bridge appointment set up for Shu. 2026: the gift that keeps on giving.
and now for something completely different
Mar. 15th, 2026 05:01 pmmuccamukkThe YouTube algorithm has seen my interest in figure skating and started offering me classical ballet (I think, always difficult to tell how one gets where one ends up).
So I've been watching bits and pieces of that, as well as all of The Royal Ballet's Cinderella. I therefore offer you some fully random observations, from someone who never got into any kind of dance as a kid, and therefore knows baaaaaasically nothing about the topic. (I have been to several ballets in person, The Nutcracker of course, and the Winnipeg Ballet's Svengali..)
Which is all I have for now.
So I've been watching bits and pieces of that, as well as all of The Royal Ballet's Cinderella. I therefore offer you some fully random observations, from someone who never got into any kind of dance as a kid, and therefore knows baaaaaasically nothing about the topic. (I have been to several ballets in person, The Nutcracker of course, and the Winnipeg Ballet's Svengali..)
- I like classical ballet (I'm not really watching modern) because it's quite ridiculous, and unconnected to anything that has ever happened on the face of the Earth.
- I have learned that there's dialogue! Classical ballet has a kind of sign language, done through gestures, so that the dancers can explain plot points such as "We make evil men dance until they die!" and "This lake is made of my mother's tears!"
- There does not seem to be much point to the male principal dancers. They have thighs like birch trees, which allows them to leap impressively high in the air, but they don't spin around on nothing but their big toe, which makes them less interesting to watch. Their main purposes seems to be to move the plot along, and act as a "Ballerina holder upper."
- Maybe it's just because I'm not good enough at reading the mime, but the romantic dances are... not very romantic. They mostly seem to be the ballerina holder upper holding up the ballerina while she spins around on her big toe.
- I don't know if there's non-transphobic/misogynistic way to do the comedy roles where male dancers play female characters, but Cinderella sure didn't manage it.
- The plot of Giselle is really interesting (boy meets girl, girl dies when she finds out that boy has, girl joins chorus of vengeful ghosts, vengeful ghosts attempt to kill boy, girl saves boy), and I wonder if there have been modern retellings like there have of other old fairytales.
- I'm pretty sure the human body is not designed to do any of that.
Which is all I have for now.
Harry Potter: Fanart: Mandrake Potting
Mar. 15th, 2026 06:30 pminfinitum_noctem posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
fan_flashworksTitle: Mandrake Potting
Fandom: Harry Potter
Rating: G
Summary: Drawing of a mandrake half out of a pot, wailing, with earmuffs behind the pot.
( Read more... )
Fandom: Harry Potter
Rating: G
Summary: Drawing of a mandrake half out of a pot, wailing, with earmuffs behind the pot.
( Read more... )
1-5Frozen ground meet 40mm of rain
Mar. 15th, 2026 06:55 pmsoemandThis should make for an interesting commute/day tomorrow. The ground is still rock hard frozen, and gfs has a rainfall warning ⚠️ flashing for the next two days.
We usually get spring flooding, and I’d bet tomorrow we do. I have alternate routes into and out of work, so I’m not too bothered.
nothing but the truth now
Mar. 15th, 2026 05:50 pmmusesfoolGot up yesterday morning baked 4 loaves of soda bread (here's a picture of 2 of them), ate some myself (I kept the 4th loaf) then schlepped out ot the island to deliver them to my brother, sister, and niece.
We went out for a fun dinner - the onion rings at this place are so good! even if the service was a little haphazard - and then I went home with my brother's family. It was early enough that I could have come back here, but my middle niece was like, "aren't you going to hang out with us?!" so of course I stayed, and ended up watching KPop Demon Hunters with middle and youngest niece (youngest was like I don't wanna! but at the end she was like, that was really good!). I should note that they are 27 and 24, but they still like hanging out with me! <333 And now we want the prequel about Rumi's mother and her demon affair.
My car this morning came 90 minutes early, so I rolled out of bed expecting to be able to have a bagel and a cup of coffee before I had to leave, but there he was, blocking the driveway, so I got home before I was even scheduled to leave.
The amount of benadryl and Zyrtec I have to take at their house because of the cat is ridiculous, and I ended up coming home and sleeping for most of the day. I'm glad I didn't cancel my PTO day tomorrow though - I scheduled it when this dinner was originally planned for tonight. I did tell my boss she could ping me if she needed me ahead of their meeting with the board chair tomorrow afternoon, but I so hope she doesn't.
*
We went out for a fun dinner - the onion rings at this place are so good! even if the service was a little haphazard - and then I went home with my brother's family. It was early enough that I could have come back here, but my middle niece was like, "aren't you going to hang out with us?!" so of course I stayed, and ended up watching KPop Demon Hunters with middle and youngest niece (youngest was like I don't wanna! but at the end she was like, that was really good!). I should note that they are 27 and 24, but they still like hanging out with me! <333 And now we want the prequel about Rumi's mother and her demon affair.
My car this morning came 90 minutes early, so I rolled out of bed expecting to be able to have a bagel and a cup of coffee before I had to leave, but there he was, blocking the driveway, so I got home before I was even scheduled to leave.
The amount of benadryl and Zyrtec I have to take at their house because of the cat is ridiculous, and I ended up coming home and sleeping for most of the day. I'm glad I didn't cancel my PTO day tomorrow though - I scheduled it when this dinner was originally planned for tonight. I did tell my boss she could ping me if she needed me ahead of their meeting with the board chair tomorrow afternoon, but I so hope she doesn't.
*
(no subject)
Mar. 15th, 2026 08:40 pmloganberrybunnyPublic
I don't particularly care about Wes Anderson per se. I do care about his film here. It's an absolutely wonderful, spectacular, superbly made movie which is both a very human story and a clear look at the rise of fascism in Europe. Ralph Fiennes is amazing in the lead role,¹ and my initial discomfort at his repeated use of blatant US English in a very British accent turned into enjoyable discomfort as I realised that was surely the point. The film is full of brilliant dialogue, the cinematography is stunning, the cast is sensational, and the hotel itself is as much a character as any of the humans. Or indeed paintings. ★★★★★
¹ He didn't even get nominated for the Best Actor Oscar. Boo!
The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)
Comedy-drama | Letterboxd 4.2/5 | IMDb 8.1/10 | BBFC 15
Comedy-drama | Letterboxd 4.2/5 | IMDb 8.1/10 | BBFC 15
I don't particularly care about Wes Anderson per se. I do care about his film here. It's an absolutely wonderful, spectacular, superbly made movie which is both a very human story and a clear look at the rise of fascism in Europe. Ralph Fiennes is amazing in the lead role,¹ and my initial discomfort at his repeated use of blatant US English in a very British accent turned into enjoyable discomfort as I realised that was surely the point. The film is full of brilliant dialogue, the cinematography is stunning, the cast is sensational, and the hotel itself is as much a character as any of the humans. Or indeed paintings. ★★★★★
¹ He didn't even get nominated for the Best Actor Oscar. Boo!
Abnett's back writing Guardians!!!
Mar. 15th, 2026 08:20 pmshakalooloo posting in scans_dailyYeah, Cosmic Ghost Rider's in the team, but we do have Amadeus Cho to make up for it! And Marvel generously allowed the use of Gamora. And Abnett can get back to what he had been doing with Darkhawk.
Of course, a return to Abnett Guardians also means a return to after-action video logs!
( Read more... )
Of course, a return to Abnett Guardians also means a return to after-action video logs!
( Read more... )
FAKE: Last Minute Repair [Challenge 493: A Stitch In Time]
Mar. 15th, 2026 07:09 pmbadly_knitted posting in drabble_zoneTitle: Last Minute Repair
Fandom: FAKE
Author:
badly_knittedCharacters: Ryo, Dee.
Rating: PG
Written For: Challenge 493: A Stitch In Time.
Setting: After the manga.
Summary: Ryo saves Dee from embarrassment.
Disclaimer: I don’t own FAKE, or the characters. They belong to the wonderful Sanami Matoh.
A/N: Double drabble.
Last Minute Repair
What books did Terry Pratchett find inspirational?
Mar. 15th, 2026 06:54 pmandrewduckerThis is from a post made here on Facebook. I'm copying it here, with the permission of the original author, so that people off Facebook can see it.
I had the pleasure of Terry’s company on a week-long Writer’s Retreat twice, in 1990, as part of a company of eight interesting people in Diss, Suffolk.
Terry later came to my wedding and gave me a proof copy of ‘Lords and Ladies’ as a wedding gift! I had never read his books before I met him, so I began with ‘Wyrd Sisters’ - and have carried on reading them ever since.
When he learned I was meeting up with Terry again, my local Librarian shouted ‘Oook!’ and collected up every book by Terry which he had in the Library, and asked him to sign them. This amused Terry - and shocked other participants! "You shouldn't write in Library Books" etc...
Terry and I were both reading Henry Mayhew’s ‘London labour and the London poor’ at the time.
I asked Terry to make a list of other books which he found inspirational. Here they are:
I had the pleasure of Terry’s company on a week-long Writer’s Retreat twice, in 1990, as part of a company of eight interesting people in Diss, Suffolk.
Terry later came to my wedding and gave me a proof copy of ‘Lords and Ladies’ as a wedding gift! I had never read his books before I met him, so I began with ‘Wyrd Sisters’ - and have carried on reading them ever since.
When he learned I was meeting up with Terry again, my local Librarian shouted ‘Oook!’ and collected up every book by Terry which he had in the Library, and asked him to sign them. This amused Terry - and shocked other participants! "You shouldn't write in Library Books" etc...
Terry and I were both reading Henry Mayhew’s ‘London labour and the London poor’ at the time.
I asked Terry to make a list of other books which he found inspirational. Here they are:
- ‘The Evolution Man’ by Roy Lewis.
- ‘The Specialist’ by Charles Sale.
- ‘The Canterbury Tales’ by Chaucer.
- ‘Fairy Tales’ by Charles Perrault.
- Jacqueline Simpson’s folklore books.
- Everything by J R R Tolkien and C S Lewis.
- ‘The Wind From the Sun’ by Arthur C. Clarke.
- ‘Cold Comfort Farm’ by Stella Gibbons (my favourite book).
- ‘Mistress Masham’s Repose’ and the Arthurian Trilogy by T H White.
- I also add the new series of novels set in St Mary’s by Jodi Taylor, of whom I am a keen fan, and strongly recommend. Terry told Jodi how much he liked her writings. Start with ‘Just One Da*ned Thing After Another’ and carry on enjoying!
- Edit - I forgot 'The Moomins' series!
(no subject)
Mar. 15th, 2026 11:33 amolivermoss* Last night went I went to go stretch my legs after watching hockey, a cop decided to do the whole 'slow down, stare at me, block the cross walk' shit on me. He didn't just do a slow roll, he actually stopped for about 10 seconds and blocked my path. JFC, I don't need that shit.
* Sports Bra finally posted the info for the bus to the Torrent Pride game. I was about to give up and book a bus trip/hotel. Now I need to figure out food since I don't think I can eat anything at CPA and don't know if I can get away with bringing in a protein bar.
* Sports Bra finally posted the info for the bus to the Torrent Pride game. I was about to give up and book a bus trip/hotel. Now I need to figure out food since I don't think I can eat anything at CPA and don't know if I can get away with bringing in a protein bar.
Watching + listening roundup (Hoppers, Britcom rabbit hole) + fannish goals checkin
Mar. 15th, 2026 10:12 amhamsterwomanSo, L and I went to see Hoppers at the movies on Thursday. The premise sounded very stupid to me when I first heard about it, but L had showed me the “lizard lizard lizard lizard” teaser some months ago, and the lizard looked cute, and L wanted to see it by RH was not interested in seeing it with her, so I said I would. I watched Dan Murrell’s review of it with some trepidation, but he said it was a good, though “lesser” Pixar, with a good message but not too preachy, which seemed relatively reassuring. And both L and I ended up enjoying it more than we expected and laughing A LOT, which was nice.
We saw it in 4DX, which was my first experience of that at feature length – ( more on this part )
In fact, the only time the chair-jolting part became really unpleasant was during ( the previews )
The movie itself was fun! ( More, with marked spoilers )
It’s not a movie that will stay with me in some, you know, profound way, like an Encanto or an Inside Out or a Spider-Verse, but it was cute and a time well spent! I even don’t terribly resent it for costing us $33/person XD (though, seriously, that is insane).
*
I also watched a couple of comedy specials:
Pierre Novellie Why Can't I Just Enjoy Things special – about his autism diagnosis via heckler. I liked Novellie when he appeared on How Do You Cope, talking about his autism, and enjoyed him as a guest on Elis & John, in more free-form conversation, and thenscytale recommended this special, so I watched it (because I couldn’t get into Netflix for some reason, and B, whose email it’s linked to, was asleep in Normandy, so I couldn’t watch the James Acaster specials I was planning to watch with my solo dinner at home). ( I liked it (some joke spoilers) )
And then I was watching his other special on YouTube, Quiet Ones, and there is a bit he reads from a paper (because he finds it too boring to remember) about Moore’s Law XD I mean, what are the odds XD XD This show was from 2021, so a lot of it is about the lockdown, and I generally thought it was less strong (which makes sense, you would expect an artist to get better at his art as he practices it more), but I did appreciate the “quiet ones” bit, among the differences between men and women, after which the show is (justly) named.
*
Some more Taskmaster-adjacent content:
- CoC 4 portrait fanart -- what a gloriously mad bunch! :D (cartoon!Andy is my favorite)
- Another Taskmaster Podcast popped up for the second live event in NYC (the last night of the tour). There was some repetition of stuff I heard Greg say on other stops or other interviews, but still some fun gleanings. ( Assorted tidbits )
Long Alex & Greg interview during the US tour (YouTube): Fun and thoughtful, with some unusual questions and good rapport. ( Assorted tidbits )
*
I think it's also time for an Elis & John catch-up. It’s been a bit over a month since my last post, but really, because it took me about a month to get through the previous catch-ups, over 3 separate posts, I’ve actually got over two months worth of listening I’m catching up on – i.e. 2 months of new shows and about 7 months of Radio X backlog.
First, a visual bit: John and a giant teddy (from ~10 years ago?)
Second, John was on Chris and Rosie Ramsey’s “Shagged, Married, Annoyed” podcast earlier this year, where the schtick with the guest is he reads a listener-submitted story, which of course I don’t have much interest in, but he also talked about some personal stuff in more detail than I’ve heard elsewhere. (The recording was from about 6 months earlier than the podcast, so, mid-2025-ish, because How Do You Cope was actively putting out episodes and John said he’d been sober for 2.5 years, when he passed three years in November 2025.) ( Personal tidbits: giving up meat, spooky bum procedure )
Catching up on the current shows, ( Jan - Mar 2026 )
(I do also have ~8 months of Radio X shows to post about, but that's going to be a separate post -- hopefully it all fits in one, LOL.)
*
And oh hey, it's mid-March somehow, so this is probably a good time to check in on my ( fannish goals )
We saw it in 4DX, which was my first experience of that at feature length – ( more on this part )
In fact, the only time the chair-jolting part became really unpleasant was during ( the previews )
The movie itself was fun! ( More, with marked spoilers )
It’s not a movie that will stay with me in some, you know, profound way, like an Encanto or an Inside Out or a Spider-Verse, but it was cute and a time well spent! I even don’t terribly resent it for costing us $33/person XD (though, seriously, that is insane).
*
I also watched a couple of comedy specials:
Pierre Novellie Why Can't I Just Enjoy Things special – about his autism diagnosis via heckler. I liked Novellie when he appeared on How Do You Cope, talking about his autism, and enjoyed him as a guest on Elis & John, in more free-form conversation, and then
scytale recommended this special, so I watched it (because I couldn’t get into Netflix for some reason, and B, whose email it’s linked to, was asleep in Normandy, so I couldn’t watch the James Acaster specials I was planning to watch with my solo dinner at home). ( I liked it (some joke spoilers) )And then I was watching his other special on YouTube, Quiet Ones, and there is a bit he reads from a paper (because he finds it too boring to remember) about Moore’s Law XD I mean, what are the odds XD XD This show was from 2021, so a lot of it is about the lockdown, and I generally thought it was less strong (which makes sense, you would expect an artist to get better at his art as he practices it more), but I did appreciate the “quiet ones” bit, among the differences between men and women, after which the show is (justly) named.
*
Some more Taskmaster-adjacent content:
- CoC 4 portrait fanart -- what a gloriously mad bunch! :D (cartoon!Andy is my favorite)
- Another Taskmaster Podcast popped up for the second live event in NYC (the last night of the tour). There was some repetition of stuff I heard Greg say on other stops or other interviews, but still some fun gleanings. ( Assorted tidbits )
Long Alex & Greg interview during the US tour (YouTube): Fun and thoughtful, with some unusual questions and good rapport. ( Assorted tidbits )
*
I think it's also time for an Elis & John catch-up. It’s been a bit over a month since my last post, but really, because it took me about a month to get through the previous catch-ups, over 3 separate posts, I’ve actually got over two months worth of listening I’m catching up on – i.e. 2 months of new shows and about 7 months of Radio X backlog.
First, a visual bit: John and a giant teddy (from ~10 years ago?)
Second, John was on Chris and Rosie Ramsey’s “Shagged, Married, Annoyed” podcast earlier this year, where the schtick with the guest is he reads a listener-submitted story, which of course I don’t have much interest in, but he also talked about some personal stuff in more detail than I’ve heard elsewhere. (The recording was from about 6 months earlier than the podcast, so, mid-2025-ish, because How Do You Cope was actively putting out episodes and John said he’d been sober for 2.5 years, when he passed three years in November 2025.) ( Personal tidbits: giving up meat, spooky bum procedure )
Catching up on the current shows, ( Jan - Mar 2026 )
(I do also have ~8 months of Radio X shows to post about, but that's going to be a separate post -- hopefully it all fits in one, LOL.)
*
And oh hey, it's mid-March somehow, so this is probably a good time to check in on my ( fannish goals )
Items with Dates between Sunday, March 15th and Saturday, March 21st
Mar. 15th, 2026 10:10 amsquidgiepdx posting in whenisitdueHere are items with dates between Sunday, March 15th and Saturday, March 21st, as well as items added recently that started this past week. Remember, you can comment here on new items that need to be added to the list.
Items starting since the last update & this coming week
Items ending this coming week
NOTE: Here are a few challenge communities that (can) have challenges that (usually) aren't part of the list:
Items starting since the last update & this coming week
| Open Date | Close Date | Community | Type of Challenge | Prompt/Information | Link |
| 03/11/2026 | 08/15/2026 | ds_c6d_bigbang (DW) | Fanworks | due South & related: Author/Creator signups for the 18th annual due South/Canadian Six Degrees Big Bang | click here for details |
| 03/16/2026 | 04/06/2026 | gabrielsbigblog (DW) | Fanworks | Supernatural: Author signup period for Gabriel's Big Bang | click here for details |
| 03/16/2026 | 04/27/2026 | gabrielsbigblog (DW) | Fanworks | Supernatural: Pinch Hitter & Beta signup period for Gabriel's Big Bang | click here for details |
Items ending this coming week
| Open Date | Close Date | Community | Type of Challenge | Prompt/Information | Link |
| 02/16/2026 | 03/15/2026 | ficlet_zone (DW) | Fanworks | Multifandom - Challenge 95: Song Titles - Asleep At The Wheel Note: This is open until the next cycle, but there are no true deadlines for this community. | click here for details |
| 03/09/2026 | 03/15/2026 | Villain's Week (notion) | Fanworks | Star Trek: Villain's Week 2026 | click here for details |
| 03/11/2025 | 03/17/2025 | mdzsrbb (Carrd) | Fanworks | MDZS: Author claims period for MDZS RBB | click here for details |
| 03/10/2026 | 03/20/2026 | fan_flashworks (DW) | Fanworks | Multifamdom: Challenge 509: Plant | click here for details |
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- Harry Potter fandom challenges can be found at PotterFests
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- The AU Challenge Community offers multiple AU challenges with no deadlines
- The Froday Flash Fiction Challenge has weekly & other challenges
- The Fic Promptly Community has daily prompts
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- The 10TrueLoves Community offers multifandom character prompts
due South: lay down your heavy load by Sixthlight
Mar. 15th, 2026 05:09 pmstargore posting in fancakeFandom: due South
Pairings/Characters: Benton Fraser/Ray Kowalski, Maggie McKenzie
Rating: General Audiences
Length: 4,422 words
Creator Links:Ao3, Tumblr
Theme: Siblings, post-canon
Summary: "Maggie, moving on."
Reccer's Notes: This is a post-canon fic from the point of view of Maggie, Ben's sister. They didn't grow up together and she appears in exactly one episode of due South before disappearing back up to the Arctic Circle. In this post-canon fic they end up working together and get to know each other better. See also Sixthlight's short AU fic about Benton and Maggie from dS Ladies Fest!
Fanwork Links: Ao3
Pairings/Characters: Benton Fraser/Ray Kowalski, Maggie McKenzie
Rating: General Audiences
Length: 4,422 words
Creator Links:Ao3, Tumblr
Theme: Siblings, post-canon
Summary: "Maggie, moving on."
Reccer's Notes: This is a post-canon fic from the point of view of Maggie, Ben's sister. They didn't grow up together and she appears in exactly one episode of due South before disappearing back up to the Arctic Circle. In this post-canon fic they end up working together and get to know each other better. See also Sixthlight's short AU fic about Benton and Maggie from dS Ladies Fest!
Fanwork Links: Ao3
Dream Report
Mar. 15th, 2026 12:13 pmmoon_custaferHad several dreams, including one in which sovay and I were watching an old movie titled, iirc, Coral Island, though it had nothing to do with the Edwardian boys’-adventure novel of the same name. I’m pretty sure Robert Newton was in it, though his character disappeared from the plot midway through.
sovay then learnt of some recently-discovered footage in which the camera had been kept running between takes, and the chatter of the actors was audible. In the manner of dreams, the footage was immersive, and we could walk into it. Apparently we were visible to them, though they took us for extras and mostly ignored us, except for somebody from Wardrobe who ran up and handed me some more-appropriate stockings and shoes.
Somehow this then segued into a different dream in which I was editing/writing speeches for the Democrats. I kept telling anybody who’d listen that I was Canadian and I wasn’t sure if I could legally work for them, but nobody paid any attention. Also the speech I was writing eventually turned into a script about the protagonist seeking advice from a magical cat.
sovay and I were watching an old movie titled, iirc, Coral Island, though it had nothing to do with the Edwardian boys’-adventure novel of the same name. I’m pretty sure Robert Newton was in it, though his character disappeared from the plot midway through. sovay then learnt of some recently-discovered footage in which the camera had been kept running between takes, and the chatter of the actors was audible. In the manner of dreams, the footage was immersive, and we could walk into it. Apparently we were visible to them, though they took us for extras and mostly ignored us, except for somebody from Wardrobe who ran up and handed me some more-appropriate stockings and shoes.Somehow this then segued into a different dream in which I was editing/writing speeches for the Democrats. I kept telling anybody who’d listen that I was Canadian and I wasn’t sure if I could legally work for them, but nobody paid any attention. Also the speech I was writing eventually turned into a script about the protagonist seeking advice from a magical cat.