November Group Read Check-In Final
Nov. 30th, 2025 07:04 am(and a reminder that
round 136, hour 35
Nov. 30th, 2025 10:45 amAnything to report?
I've been for a walk and it's bitterly cold out there. Now I'm home I'm planning on working on a drabble or a ficlet just to get myself started.
Last Day of Check-In
Nov. 30th, 2025 11:39 pmFor checking in, please click on this link and check in at the previous post.
Sunday Word: Mantra
Nov. 30th, 2025 07:07 pmmantra [man-truh]
noun:
1 (Hindu) a word or formula, as from the Veda, chanted or sung as an incantation or prayer.
1 an often repeated word, formula, or phrase, often a truism
Examples:
Maybe the 'us against the world' mantra is something that can drive the team on towards the heights that they have so far been unable to get to. (Andy Burke, Is there 'entitlement' around Scotland or has Townsend misjudged criticism?, BBC, November 2025)
Maharishi taught a form of meditation derived from the Vedas, the foundation of philosophical thinking in India, known as mantra meditation, in which a person silently sits alone with the eyes closed, and repeats in the mind a sacred Sanskrit mantra that is believed to be endowed with spiritual potency. (Syama Allard, Buddhist mindfulness is all the rage, but Hinduism has a deep meditation tradition too, Hindu American Foundation, May 2021)
Greenland is still a place where 'the weather decides' can be a liberating mantra - once we accept that we're powerless to do anything about the weather, we can give up control. (Gabriel Leigh, Greenland Wants You to Visit. But Not All at Once., New York Times, February 2023)
It was hard to find adequate space to run and stretch and even harder to find a quiet corner for my breathing and mantra ritual. (Ibtihaj Muhammad, Proud)
He was sitting on the ground, his knees drawn up to his chest, and he was chanting the statement like a mantra, but loudly. (Dave Eggers, Zeitoun)
Origin:
1808, 'that part of the Vedas which contains hymns,' from Sanskrit mantra-s 'sacred message or text, charm, spell, counsel,' literally 'instrument of thought,' related to manyate 'thinks,' from PIE root men- 'to think.' Meaning 'sacred text used as a charm or incantation' is by 1900 (Online Etymology Dictionary)
News
Nov. 30th, 2025 02:20 amIn 2024, Maine business owner Reade Brower was forced to sell off a majority of the newspapers that he owned. He then tried to salvage four weeklies by combining them into one paper: The Midcoast Villager.
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Moment of Silence: Leslie Fish
Nov. 30th, 2025 01:59 amSo, screw the moment of silence because we all know the Great Con in the Sky is bellowing "Banned from Argo." I got to hear her sing that one once, and it was glorious. But I think "Hope Eyrie" is more apt. Another timely one is "Freedom of the Snow," which I used to belt out when walking across campus after an evening class. Frat rats crossed the street to get away from me. \o/
Here's a good description of Leslie's impact on filk.
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November Monthly Post
Nov. 30th, 2025 01:44 amFor November we had:
[new]
Fairy Tales and Fantasy Bingo Fest hosted by
This fest will feature magical creatures, places, and stories. There will be several prompt lists and bingo cards.
Posting will be November 1-30.
For December we will have:
[recurring]
Our annual amnesty season! Play any open card you have. You can make a new one if you wish, but most folks are busy with holiday activities and can use a break.
See the 2026 Community Calendar. We need volunteers to host fests. Remember that you can offer to run a new fest in a month that has a recurring one. Also, we desperately need someone to host the Public Domain Day fest for January. I'd really rather not run two in a row, and I'm already booked for Valentines in February. Any volunteers?
Look! I remembered to post before December started this year!
Nov. 30th, 2025 02:42 amThe standard explanation: For the entire month of December, all orders made in the Shop of points and paid time, either for you or as a gift for a friend, will have 10% of your completed cart total sent to you in points when you finish the transaction. For instance, if you buy an order of 12 months of paid time for $35 (350 points), you'll get 35 points when the order is complete, to use on a future purchase.
( The fine print and much more behind this cut! )
Thank you, in short, for being the best possible users any social media site could possibly ever hope for. I'm probably in danger of crossing the Sappiness Line if I haven't already, but you all make everything worth it.
On behalf of Mark, Jen, Robby, and our team of awesome volunteers, and to each and every one of you, whether you've been with us on this wild ride since the beginning or just signed up last week, I'm wishing you all a very happy set of end-of-year holidays, whichever ones you celebrate, and hoping for all of you that your 2026 is full of kindness, determination, empathy, and a hell of a lot more luck than we've all had lately. Let's go.
Science
Nov. 30th, 2025 12:54 amBearded vultures are unusual birds. Their diet consists primarily of bones, which they sometimes drop from great heights to break into smaller, bite-size pieces. They deliberately change the color of their plumage by rolling around in reddish-orange mud. And they return to the same nesting sites year after year, with generations of the species even reusing nests for centuries.
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Shop for Good Sunday
Nov. 30th, 2025 12:16 amIf you know what your friends and family value -- whether that's fair trade or sustainability or women-owned businesses -- then you can buy treats they might not ordinarily get because the good, responsible stuff tends to cost more. Pay attention to packaging: some companies just slap on a seal or few and call it good, but others really highlight the values aspect of their goodies with text or illustrations so your recipient will definitely notice it. The same goes for cards or gift wrapping in companies that offer that service.

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Recommendation: Retrograde & my new favorite minced oath
Nov. 30th, 2025 01:01 amWhat made me pause to cry laughing was actually a footnote in the fic that "'Snails" is a minced oath for "God's nails," as cited in Green's Dictionary of Slang from 1599.
I haven't giggled this hard at something snail-related since the Barricades Con did a snéance (a snail séance) to ask Victor Hugo a few burning questions.
I am also sad all over again that they didn't name the sequel 2 Old 2 Guard, and that it wasn't good, but that is a Doylistic set of concerns, and when I am enmeshed in the story, I don't care so much.
Round 156, Hour 31
Nov. 30th, 2025 12:05 amAllbingo and Crowdfunding
Nov. 29th, 2025 11:54 pmFurther details below ...
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Factions in a Typical Isekai/Transmigration/Time Travel Comic
Nov. 29th, 2025 11:22 pmI was coming back to a comic I'd read part of a while back and it took me a bit to remember the storyline. As part of my remembering, I started identifying and aligning factions without thinking about what I was doing. Once I noticed, I realized there was a pattern that is potentially useful for other stories (and for tabletop games).
Anyway! Every faction in these comics has the same goal: power. Power is an interesting goal because it is really just a type of currency. Power enables its wielders to shape the world in specific ways. The better comics get into what the factions want to do with said-power, but often that is just left unstated.
In a comic, every faction has an alignment of sorts that basically comes down to how they feel about the main character's chosen faction (or the MC's romantic partner's faction). The alignment has little to do with good/evil, noble/selfish, etc. While those can be factors, what ultimately matters is whether the faction promotes or obstructs the main character's goals.
Anyway! The factions you typically find (though you may not find all of them in the same story) are the following:
- Imperial/royal: The people who rule the realm (this faction may be divided by the ruler and the spouse. If so, the spouse is likely tightly connected to either the traditionalists or the progressives).
- Traditionalists: Typically older noble houses that support tradition
- Progressives: Typically new noble houses that support change
- The Defenders: Different from the military, this is often a noble house or guild charged with the specific duty of defending the realm, such as from monsters. This faction is often represented by 'The Northern Duke.'
- The Church: These may be represented by an actual church, priesthood, or a saintess.
- The Military: These may be national forces, a mercenary group, etc.
- The Magic Tower: Not always a tower, but an organized magical group; may desire control over magic.
- Merchants: These are rich commoners whose wealth may be on par with nobility.
- Scholars: These may be represented by a university or guild; typically they are innovators developing new technologies.
- Information Guild: Rarely a power-seeker on their own, but can sometimes become a close ally rather than mere resource.
- Common folk: Rarely a faction on their own, though.
- The imperial faction typically gets their power from the societal structure, primarily, though they may also borrow divine authority.
- Traditionalists get their power from the weight and importance of tradition and history. They also tend to have wealth. If they're nobles, they also get power from the societal structure.
- Progressives get their power via an alliance of whatever faction is fueling or most benefitting from change. So they may get the power of populism (common folk), innovation (scholars), etc. They also likely have wealth and, if noble, societal structures on their side.
- Defenders get their authority from fear (the fear of what happens should they stop their defense).
- The Church gets power from a perceived connection to the divine. They represent a power beyond humanity. They may also have power from populism if well-liked by the common folk.
- The military gets power through might, primarily.
- The mage tower gets power through might as well, but they may also have innovation on their side. (Innovation is the ability to do something others can't or do something more effectively than they can using a new method).
- Merchants have wealth on their side, primarily. Wealth lets you buy the kind of authority you want.
- Scholars primarily have knowledge and innovation for authority.
- Information guild relies on knowledge.
- Common folk have the power of numbers. They are numerous.
Anyway. I think when setting up a game (or basic world), it could help to decide which factions you want to be major players. Then, decide how each faction is represented in the setting. Then ensure each faction has a unique authority (unless you want them fighting for control of an authority). For bonus points, decide what each faction wants to do with their power. What do they do with what they have? What have they planned should they get more? What do they fear if their power wanes or another faction's power grows?
Fairy Tales and Fantasy Stories Bingo
Nov. 30th, 2025 12:38 amCard Theme: Fall Fest
Prompts: Love is putting someone else's needs before your own, Duty is heavier than a mountain. Death light as a feather, Angel, Devil, I didn't want power. All I wanted was control over my life.
Fandoms: Hazbin Hotel
My Card: My Card
( my fills under here )
much emotional support fiber
Nov. 29th, 2025 11:34 pm

Finished the 2-ply merino yarn!
