![[syndicated profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/feed.png){kind=small}
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Experts say Russia's energy industry is under increasing pressure as Ukraine tilts the war closer to the country that has been waging it, through a combination of long- and middle-range strikes.
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Owner of beleaguered Toys 'R' Us Canada floats rebrand in court files
Jun. 19th, 2026 02:38 pmcbc_topnews_feed
The owner of Toys "R" Us Canada is trying to buy some of the retailer's assets so it can keep the chain going or rebrand the beleaguered business that has been in creditor protection since February.
4 fishermen rescued after boat catches fire in Bay of Fundy
Jun. 19th, 2026 11:27 amcbc_topnews_feed
All four people onboard a Digby, N.S., fishing vessel that caught fire on Thursday were rescued safely after being brought to shore by a nearby boat.
Tales from the Bookshop: GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY
Jun. 19th, 2026 11:39 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rachelmanijaJune is the month where every time I post about my shop, brave internet warriors call me a pedophile and a groomer. Joke's on them though: every time they comment, the algorithm boosts my post and gets my shop more publicity.
I had fun creating a display for Pride. The books rotate - I have lots that fit the categories I highlighted. Which slogan is your favorite?
I had fun creating a display for Pride. The books rotate - I have lots that fit the categories I highlighted. Which slogan is your favorite?
British police responding after trains reportedly collide north of London
Jun. 19th, 2026 02:12 pmcbc_topnews_feed
British police said Friday they were responding to a report of a collision between two trains in the Bedford area north of London.
Jelly Roll and Bunnie Xo break silence about divorce
Jun. 19th, 2026 02:10 pmcbc_topnews_feed
American country star Jelly Roll and podcaster Bunnie Xo are breaking their silence following the news earlier this week of their divorce.
Canada imposes 10% global tariff on canned vegetables — excluding U.S., Mexico
Jun. 19th, 2026 01:57 pmcbc_topnews_feed
Canada announced a 10 per cent tariff on imports of canned vegetables on Friday, saying the measure, which excludes the United States, was aimed at addressing challenges facing its domestic producers.
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An estimated 20,000 Alberta kids are on a waitlist for the Family Support for Children with Disabilities program. In the meantime, parents are losing their jobs or are unable to find work because children are being banned from daycare. They are taking on debt to fund therapy. They report stress to the point of burnout.
Check-In Post - June 19th 2026
Jun. 19th, 2026 07:26 pmbadly_knitted posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
get_knittedHello to all members, passers-by, curious onlookers, and shy lurkers, and welcome to our regular daily check-in post. Just leave a comment below to let us know how your current projects are progressing, or even if they're not.
Checking in is NOT compulsory, check in as often or as seldom as you want, this community isn't about pressure it's about encouragement, motivation, and support. Crafting is meant to be fun, and what's more fun than sharing achievements and seeing the wonderful things everyone else is creating?
There may also occasionally be questions, but again you don't have to answer them, they're just a way of getting to know each other a bit better.
This Week's Question: What kinds of organizers do you like to hold your arts and crafts supplies?
If anyone has any questions of their own about the community, or suggestions for tags, questions to be asked on the check-in posts, or if anyone is interested in playing check-in host for a week here on the community, which would entail putting up the daily check-in posts and responding to comments, go to the Questions & Suggestions post and leave a comment.
I now declare this Check-In OPEN!
2026 52 Card Project: Week 24: Celebration
Jun. 19th, 2026 01:04 pmpegkerrAs I mentioned in my last post, my granddaughter M's first birthday was this past week. Fiona and Alona decided to combine the celebration for Alona's Master's degree and the change in Fiona's career, along with M's birthday, into one big party.
We were incredibly lucky on the weather: after several weeks of miserable humid heat with poor air quality, the day dawned with comfortable air temperatures and beautiful clarity. The view over the lake was gorgeous. A large circle of friends and family had been invited out to my sister Betsy's beautiful home in Mound on Lake Minnetonka, and 75 people RSVP'd yes.
We had a truly lovely afternoon. There were a number of children, and they enjoyed themselves romping in the sun, playing lawn games, and dancing through the bubbles thrown off by the bubble machine. We had Middle Eastern food catered in as well as nibblies and desserts. Betsy had set tables out on the lawn, and I was included in many lively conversations. It was great to catch up with everyone. M has several great-grandparents, and they all gathered in Adirondack chairs on the lawn overlooking the lake to visit and pass babies around.
M had her own smash cake to taste and destroy, a definite highlight of the event. She was extremely happy all day.
A wonderful day.
M is just on the verge of walking, and whoa, her parents' lives will soon be changing accordingly.
Bottom left corner, Fiona and Delia sit at a table at a party, smiling. Behind them is a table spread with party food. Bottom right corner: a collection of gift bags. Center: white sheet cake with the message "Congratulations on it all!" Above that: Fiona and Alona smile at the camera. Between their heads at the top: a baby's hands smush into a yellow cake.
Celebration
Click on the links to see the 2026, 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022 and 2021 52 Card Project galleries.
We were incredibly lucky on the weather: after several weeks of miserable humid heat with poor air quality, the day dawned with comfortable air temperatures and beautiful clarity. The view over the lake was gorgeous. A large circle of friends and family had been invited out to my sister Betsy's beautiful home in Mound on Lake Minnetonka, and 75 people RSVP'd yes.
We had a truly lovely afternoon. There were a number of children, and they enjoyed themselves romping in the sun, playing lawn games, and dancing through the bubbles thrown off by the bubble machine. We had Middle Eastern food catered in as well as nibblies and desserts. Betsy had set tables out on the lawn, and I was included in many lively conversations. It was great to catch up with everyone. M has several great-grandparents, and they all gathered in Adirondack chairs on the lawn overlooking the lake to visit and pass babies around.
M had her own smash cake to taste and destroy, a definite highlight of the event. She was extremely happy all day.
A wonderful day.
M is just on the verge of walking, and whoa, her parents' lives will soon be changing accordingly.
Bottom left corner, Fiona and Delia sit at a table at a party, smiling. Behind them is a table spread with party food. Bottom right corner: a collection of gift bags. Center: white sheet cake with the message "Congratulations on it all!" Above that: Fiona and Alona smile at the camera. Between their heads at the top: a baby's hands smush into a yellow cake.
Click on the links to see the 2026, 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022 and 2021 52 Card Project galleries.
Canada midfielder Ismaël Koné undergoes surgery to repair broken leg
Jun. 19th, 2026 01:40 pmcbc_topnews_feed
Midfielder Ismael Kone has undergone successful surgery to repair a broken leg suffered in Canada's 6-0 win over Qatar at the World Cup.
19-year-old accused of killing Toronto police officer appears in court from hospital bed
Jun. 19th, 2026 01:27 pmcbc_topnews_feed
A 19-year-old charged with first-degree murder in connection with the death of a Toronto police officer last week made his first appearance in court Friday from his hospital bed.
The Fantastic Journey Double Drabble: To Save A Friend
Jun. 19th, 2026 06:59 pmbadly_knittedTitle: To Save A Friend
Fandom: The Fantastic Journey
Author:
badly_knittedCharacters: Varian, Apollonius, Jonathan Willaway.
Rating: PG
Setting: Funhouse.
Summary: Jonathan’s life is in peril, but Varian is determined to save him.
Written For: The prompt ‘Fate’ on my
1character table.Disclaimer: I don’t own The Fantastic Journey, or the characters. They belong to their creators.
A/N: Double drabble.
Doctor Who Ficlet: Myth Is Reality
Jun. 19th, 2026 06:51 pmbadly_knittedTitle: Myth Is Reality
Fandom: Doctor Who
Author:
badly_knittedCharacters: The Doctor.
Rating: PG
Word Count: 535
Spoilers: Nada
Summary: Everything that can possibly exist does so somewhere in the universe.
Written For:
adriennefae’s prompt ‘Doctor Who, any, all the myths are true’, at threesentenceficathon.Disclaimer: I don’t own Doctor Who, or the characters.
MTT memorial, pt 1
Jun. 19th, 2026 10:48 amcalimac(pt 1? Yes, pt 2 is coming along in a couple of days)
Regular San Francisco Symphony guest conductor James Gaffigan was scheduled to lead Beethoven's Ninth this week. After former music director Michael Tilson Thomas died two months ago, management decided to repurpose this concert as a memorial to him.
This was appropriate, as the Ninth was a signature work for MTT. He performed it in his inaugural concert as music director in 1995, and I heard him conduct it at least twice - when he recorded it in 2013, and in the last concert by him I ever heard, in 2023.
To the Ninth - which was originally scheduled as the whole concert - management added new material as a first half. It began with brief appreciation/reminiscences by representatives of the orchestra, the chorus, and the symphony board - all women, by the way. I particularly enjoyed the chorus member talking about the time that MTT, with a combination of curiosity and whimsical joy, scheduled a fiendishly difficult choral work by the Italian ultra-modernist Giacinto Scelsi. Thanks to MTT's attitude, both performers and audience had a great time.
Then, three brief works - a lullaby movement from Brahms's German Requiem, done just as a memorial, I guess; Ives' The Unanswered Question, because it was a favorite of MTT's; and a raucously Bernsteinian squib by MTT himself, titled Agnegram.
Gaffigan took the three instrumental movements of the Ninth with broad imperturbability, satisfying without trying to dazzle. The Ode to Joy was bolder and busier in its instrumental presentation. The chorus burned through the score with unspeakable power, towering over everything Beethoven forced them to do. Principal soloist bass Peixin Chen gave an impressively deep sound, with a hollow tone that sounded as if he were singing from within a very large cave. Tenor Thomas Cooley was lighter and fleetier, with a pleasing strong tone quality. The two women don't get enough solo material to judge, but soprano Jessica Faselt and mezzo Kelley O'Connor were both strong and clear in voice, topping each other in turn as they sang together.
Regular San Francisco Symphony guest conductor James Gaffigan was scheduled to lead Beethoven's Ninth this week. After former music director Michael Tilson Thomas died two months ago, management decided to repurpose this concert as a memorial to him.
This was appropriate, as the Ninth was a signature work for MTT. He performed it in his inaugural concert as music director in 1995, and I heard him conduct it at least twice - when he recorded it in 2013, and in the last concert by him I ever heard, in 2023.
To the Ninth - which was originally scheduled as the whole concert - management added new material as a first half. It began with brief appreciation/reminiscences by representatives of the orchestra, the chorus, and the symphony board - all women, by the way. I particularly enjoyed the chorus member talking about the time that MTT, with a combination of curiosity and whimsical joy, scheduled a fiendishly difficult choral work by the Italian ultra-modernist Giacinto Scelsi. Thanks to MTT's attitude, both performers and audience had a great time.
Then, three brief works - a lullaby movement from Brahms's German Requiem, done just as a memorial, I guess; Ives' The Unanswered Question, because it was a favorite of MTT's; and a raucously Bernsteinian squib by MTT himself, titled Agnegram.
Gaffigan took the three instrumental movements of the Ninth with broad imperturbability, satisfying without trying to dazzle. The Ode to Joy was bolder and busier in its instrumental presentation. The chorus burned through the score with unspeakable power, towering over everything Beethoven forced them to do. Principal soloist bass Peixin Chen gave an impressively deep sound, with a hollow tone that sounded as if he were singing from within a very large cave. Tenor Thomas Cooley was lighter and fleetier, with a pleasing strong tone quality. The two women don't get enough solo material to judge, but soprano Jessica Faselt and mezzo Kelley O'Connor were both strong and clear in voice, topping each other in turn as they sang together.
Fic: Blonds Have More Fun – Chapter 3 - Slip Of The Tongue
Jun. 19th, 2026 06:38 pmbadly_knittedTitle: Slip Of The Tongue - Follows ‘Armed And Sexy’
Author:
badly_knittedCharacters: Andy Davidson, John Hart.
Rating: PG-15
Word Count: 593
Spoilers: A few weeks after Exit Wounds, maybe.
Summary: The sex with Hart is so good, it’s making Andy wonder if the other man might have drugged him.
Written For:
raisedbymoogles’ prompt ‘any, any/any, the sex was great until someone said something funny and they were laughing too hard to continue,’ at threesentenceficathon.Disclaimer: I don’t own Torchwood, or the characters.
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The five children killed June 12 in a two-vehicle collision in Ontario's Mapleton Township will be honoured Saturday at their funeral. Three other members of the Doerksen family and a couple were also injured.
Music producer Tay Keith, who worked with Drake and Travis Scott, dead at 29
Jun. 19th, 2026 12:29 pmcbc_topnews_feed
Police in Nashville say 29-year-old Tay Keith was found dead in his Nashville apartment Thursday by officers performing a welfare check. A cause of death has not been identified, but foul play is not suspected, and an autopsy will be conducted.
Jonathan Toews calls it a career, retires after 16 NHL seasons
Jun. 19th, 2026 11:30 amcbc_topnews_feed
Winnipeg's Jonathan Toews, who played for his hometown team last season, announced his retirement Friday after 16 seasons.
Recent Reading
Jun. 19th, 2026 10:01 amsanguinityI'm behind on my book-logging, so you get this hot on the heels of the previous one.
Rose Lerner, Sailor's Delight (2022)
Gay romance set in 1813 Portsmouth between a Jewish naval agent and a Royal Navy sailing master.
Novella-length, so a straightforward plot and a quick read, narrating when the High Holy Days intersected with Elie's client/friend/crush object's shore leave -- oh, and Elie really must finish his prize accounting, so that said crush object can get married on the proceeds.
I loved all the immersive textural details of Elie's family and faith and job, and his deeply felt (but presumed hopeless) thirst for his friend and client. For a little while it looked like the novella was setting up Augie's fiancée as a controlling and vindictive obstacle to the main romance, but that thread was resolved reasonably well, with Sarah and Elie establishing an amicable business relationship at the same time that Augie and Elie advanced to a romance. Augie's penchant for going about in breeches and no shirt jarred me (my understanding is that clothing didn't work that way in 1813), but I can forgive it, given how much I enjoyed the rest.
Fahrad J. Dadyburjor, The Other Man (2021)
Gay romance set in Mumbai on the eve of the decriminalization of homosexuality. Ved is crushed by parental expectations: his father's expectation that he take over the family business and his mother's expectation that he get married. Meanwhile, he's not over his first-last-only relationship: a man he saw secretly on weekends, who himself decided to get married in deference to parental expectations. (He wanted to keep seeing Ved on the side after his marriage; Ved, insulted, broke it off.)
To placate his mother, Ved agrees to a date with a Parson's graduate, and gets on with her so well that he ends up drifting into an engagement with her. After all, he and Disha are good friends, are they not? He likes her. Surely this could work out? Simultaneously, Ved's Grindr flirtation with a Brazilian man visiting India becomes a fling, then becomes a whirlwind romance. Ved knows he has to come clean with everyone -- Disha, Carlos, his parents -- but a paralyzing combination of denial and fear keeps him from doing it.
I personally liked how sympathetically Disha (the fiancée) was portrayed, and that she and Ved walked out of the mutual wreckage of their engagement still friends. I also liked that the resolution was 1000% dependent on Ved getting his shit together across the board, and not on any big romantic declarations. I'm a little squirrelly about how persistently Ved kept texting Carlos after their break-up, but I presume Carlos could have blocked Ved's number if he felt strongly about it. And I'm a lot squirrelly about Ved's choice of midlife crisis career change:
Quick, enjoyable read, but obviously a non-starter for people who can't deal with cheating storylines, or characters who get stuck in a spiral of bad decisions.
Randall Munroe, What If? Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions, 10th Anniversary Edition (2014, 2024)
In fact, these are silly answers to silly questions, typically answered with back-of-the-envelope precision, but it was an amusing read, and I learned some sciencey-engineery facts along the way. For the 10th Anniversary Edition, Munroe added annotations for where the march of time had (or sometimes hadn't) changed an answer, plus additionally answered what would happen if we increased everything by a factor of ten.
From the author of XKCD, and with illustrations and humour in the style thereof. I understand there's a sequel; I may check it out at some point.
Rose Lerner, Sailor's Delight (2022)
Gay romance set in 1813 Portsmouth between a Jewish naval agent and a Royal Navy sailing master.
Novella-length, so a straightforward plot and a quick read, narrating when the High Holy Days intersected with Elie's client/friend/crush object's shore leave -- oh, and Elie really must finish his prize accounting, so that said crush object can get married on the proceeds.
I loved all the immersive textural details of Elie's family and faith and job, and his deeply felt (but presumed hopeless) thirst for his friend and client. For a little while it looked like the novella was setting up Augie's fiancée as a controlling and vindictive obstacle to the main romance, but that thread was resolved reasonably well, with Sarah and Elie establishing an amicable business relationship at the same time that Augie and Elie advanced to a romance. Augie's penchant for going about in breeches and no shirt jarred me (my understanding is that clothing didn't work that way in 1813), but I can forgive it, given how much I enjoyed the rest.
Fahrad J. Dadyburjor, The Other Man (2021)
Gay romance set in Mumbai on the eve of the decriminalization of homosexuality. Ved is crushed by parental expectations: his father's expectation that he take over the family business and his mother's expectation that he get married. Meanwhile, he's not over his first-last-only relationship: a man he saw secretly on weekends, who himself decided to get married in deference to parental expectations. (He wanted to keep seeing Ved on the side after his marriage; Ved, insulted, broke it off.)
To placate his mother, Ved agrees to a date with a Parson's graduate, and gets on with her so well that he ends up drifting into an engagement with her. After all, he and Disha are good friends, are they not? He likes her. Surely this could work out? Simultaneously, Ved's Grindr flirtation with a Brazilian man visiting India becomes a fling, then becomes a whirlwind romance. Ved knows he has to come clean with everyone -- Disha, Carlos, his parents -- but a paralyzing combination of denial and fear keeps him from doing it.
I personally liked how sympathetically Disha (the fiancée) was portrayed, and that she and Ved walked out of the mutual wreckage of their engagement still friends. I also liked that the resolution was 1000% dependent on Ved getting his shit together across the board, and not on any big romantic declarations. I'm a little squirrelly about how persistently Ved kept texting Carlos after their break-up, but I presume Carlos could have blocked Ved's number if he felt strongly about it. And I'm a lot squirrelly about Ved's choice of midlife crisis career change:
spoiler
a middle-aged businessman who has been out for two hot minutes doesn't seem the best choice for a counselor for queer youth.Quick, enjoyable read, but obviously a non-starter for people who can't deal with cheating storylines, or characters who get stuck in a spiral of bad decisions.
Randall Munroe, What If? Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions, 10th Anniversary Edition (2014, 2024)
In fact, these are silly answers to silly questions, typically answered with back-of-the-envelope precision, but it was an amusing read, and I learned some sciencey-engineery facts along the way. For the 10th Anniversary Edition, Munroe added annotations for where the march of time had (or sometimes hadn't) changed an answer, plus additionally answered what would happen if we increased everything by a factor of ten.
From the author of XKCD, and with illustrations and humour in the style thereof. I understand there's a sequel; I may check it out at some point.