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Fannish Fifty #40: The Thanksgiving grumble
Nov. 26th, 2025 09:41 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
elaynaHere on the eve of the national holiday celebrating thankfulness, I shall grumble, possibly a repeat, but one that always comes to mind when I cook a turkey.
There's an episode of Hawaii 5-0 where Mary, Steve's irresponsible sister, is trying to thaw a turkey with a blow dryer. Steve catches her and chides her for not being better organized and she apologizes/whines it's not her fault, whatever. (I should rewatch this episode, I don't recall how all the dialogue goes.)
But I'm just watching and thinking... that's not how you thaw a turkey. It's frozen from the inside. Blowing heat on the outside is pointless. You read the instructions that come with every turkey and follow the direction to run water into the middle. (Possibly it's a drip and I believe the water should be room temperature but don't quote me. I rarely need to do this.)
Totally, I could see as a reflection of Mary's character, that she doesn't move the turkey from the freezer to the refrigerator on the correct day for it to thaw naturally. I could even see that she doesn't read the flipping instructions and so tries the forced thawing wrong.
Though I had to wonder if the writer actually knows anything about thawing turkeys? Because *Steve* is the one who bothers me. A turkey that size should have been in Steve's refrigerator at least three days before the holiday. *Steve* is always presented as a good host and decent cook. Sure, he's more often seen at the barbecue, but he's also regularly carrying various bowls of side dishes, he knows his way around a kitchen. *Steve* should have noticed that the turkey wasn't thawing and asked. *Steve* should have told his sister to put down the hair dryer and get that bird under the tap. And Steve doesn't. I'd say maybe Steve is always supposed to have done fresh turkeys, except I've never even seen a fresh turkey in our grocery stores, they're always frozen. This scene is several seasons into the show and Steve is totally the guy who has been hosting holiday meals for his ohana.
STEVE IS A BETTER COOK THAN THIS SCENE SHOWS. And I assume that the writer isn't trying to imply that at all, because the writer either doesn't know how turkeys should be thawed or assumes that the audience won't think about it. Ha ha ha, look, Mary is screwing up again and Steve is being the annoyed big brother again, that's their sibling dynamic. Except I cook one turkey a year, every year for the last 20 or so years, and wow, it weirdly grated on me that *Steve* didn't know how to thaw a turkey.
I don't know how people who work in law enforcement watch cop shows, health people watch medical shows, etc. Those things must be full of procedures, etc., not being done correctly.
Ah, now I want to rewatch some Hawaii 5-0. McDanno rocks. And in summation, if you're ever going to cook a turkey, read the instructions! /weird grumble
There's an episode of Hawaii 5-0 where Mary, Steve's irresponsible sister, is trying to thaw a turkey with a blow dryer. Steve catches her and chides her for not being better organized and she apologizes/whines it's not her fault, whatever. (I should rewatch this episode, I don't recall how all the dialogue goes.)
But I'm just watching and thinking... that's not how you thaw a turkey. It's frozen from the inside. Blowing heat on the outside is pointless. You read the instructions that come with every turkey and follow the direction to run water into the middle. (Possibly it's a drip and I believe the water should be room temperature but don't quote me. I rarely need to do this.)
Totally, I could see as a reflection of Mary's character, that she doesn't move the turkey from the freezer to the refrigerator on the correct day for it to thaw naturally. I could even see that she doesn't read the flipping instructions and so tries the forced thawing wrong.
Though I had to wonder if the writer actually knows anything about thawing turkeys? Because *Steve* is the one who bothers me. A turkey that size should have been in Steve's refrigerator at least three days before the holiday. *Steve* is always presented as a good host and decent cook. Sure, he's more often seen at the barbecue, but he's also regularly carrying various bowls of side dishes, he knows his way around a kitchen. *Steve* should have noticed that the turkey wasn't thawing and asked. *Steve* should have told his sister to put down the hair dryer and get that bird under the tap. And Steve doesn't. I'd say maybe Steve is always supposed to have done fresh turkeys, except I've never even seen a fresh turkey in our grocery stores, they're always frozen. This scene is several seasons into the show and Steve is totally the guy who has been hosting holiday meals for his ohana.
STEVE IS A BETTER COOK THAN THIS SCENE SHOWS. And I assume that the writer isn't trying to imply that at all, because the writer either doesn't know how turkeys should be thawed or assumes that the audience won't think about it. Ha ha ha, look, Mary is screwing up again and Steve is being the annoyed big brother again, that's their sibling dynamic. Except I cook one turkey a year, every year for the last 20 or so years, and wow, it weirdly grated on me that *Steve* didn't know how to thaw a turkey.
I don't know how people who work in law enforcement watch cop shows, health people watch medical shows, etc. Those things must be full of procedures, etc., not being done correctly.
Ah, now I want to rewatch some Hawaii 5-0. McDanno rocks. And in summation, if you're ever going to cook a turkey, read the instructions! /weird grumble
Spammers and hate!bots at AO3.
Nov. 25th, 2025 07:40 pmstarwatcherOne of my friends just got a new-to-her comment on AO3, and I realized that a lot of people don't know about this, and it's a real gut-punch to get one out of the blue. Since forewarned is forearmed, I'll share what I know in case it happens to you. Feel free to copy and/or share this post wherever you feel it could be useful.
I see daily complaints / questions about this on Reddit. AO3 is having a terrible influx of bots and/or scammers. A common variant is a comment that is thrilled with your story, such that they want to "create art" or "create comics" or "discuss ideas for improvement." If someone says 'yes', the next request is to talk off AO3, where they start discussing/demanding money.
There are various forms of hate!bots. "Your story started out so good, then you ruined it by doing X, Y, and Z, how could you let down your readers like that?" Or, "Oh my god, who told you could write? Your story is ordinary and boring, and your grammar and sentence structure are the pits! Go back to school and grow up before you try writing again." By reports, some of them are quite viciously savage. Or, "Your story would be so much better if you included transgender representation; please think of all the trans folks who need to see themselves in media and add a trans character to your story!"
Another is accusations of using AI to write your story, they'll report you immediately, how dare you cheat like that, and you should delete all your stories / account now before you get banned. (For the record, AI is allowed at AO3.)
In other words -- anything that seems outside the norms of fandom interaction is probably a bot or scammer. For example, you know I make art, but I don't approach the author before I start to "sell" them on the idea. I make the art because I want to, then post it, then give the writer the code to use or not, as they choose. There's no going off AO3 to "discuss" it.
(Although there have been a few email exchanges with authors I knew well, to ask their preferences about projects I'd already started. Like "this dress or that dress?" And, "tree A or tree B?" But the dress and tree would be there regardless. It's all about context.)
The recommended response to any of these bots/scammers is to report the comment, then let AO3 deal with and swat them.
So far -- knock on wood -- I haven't had one of these comments, but I've learned about them from Reddit. (That's where I got all my examples.) As I said, be on the lookout, and share where appropriate.
EDIT:
raine reminds me that there have also been hacking bots, trying to get into AO3 accounts. Users get an email saying, "someone has requested a password reset for your account." They can be ignored; since it comes to your email, it shows that the bots didn't succeed. AO3's statement is: “We've recently received a number of other reports from users who are receiving password reset emails that they did not request. We would like to reassure you that receiving these emails does not necessarily mean that someone is deliberately trying to harass you or gain access to ("hack") your account, nor does it mean that your account is at risk.
Password reset emails are automatic messages sent when someone enters either your username or email address into the 'Forgot Password?' form. The emails themselves are not a security threat, and can be safely ignored so long as the email address associated with your AO3 account is secure. Your password will not change unless you use the password reset link."
Peace.
books read
Nov. 25th, 2025 07:09 pmmelaganI read a lot. Two to three books a week, plus fanfic. (I'm currently working on my SGA Santa assignments so I'm not reading quite as much fanfic right now.)
If you like sci-fi and action, I can recommend The Fold by Peter Clines and The Razor by J. Barton Mitchell.
Both are action-packed (should you be trying to write action scenes you might find it helpful) and have engaging, well-defined characters. The hero survives, which is important to me, at least.
It's damn hard to find good sci-fi. It's one of the reasons I'm thrilled (and nervous) about Stargate making a comeback after 14 frigging years.
I'm speculating that they'll do a New Teams First Experience through the gate scenario. In part because Hewlett suggested it many years ago as a screenplay, in part because Star Trek is doing Star Trek Academy, and in part because it lets all of the previous canon remain intact.
Or maybe they'll toss the spaghetti and see what sticks to the wall.
I remember my feelings with Sam Carter was sent to Atlantis. I was so nervous the writers were going to fuck it up. They didn't.
I have similar feelings about this new chapter of Stargate. *fingers crossed*
If you like sci-fi and action, I can recommend The Fold by Peter Clines and The Razor by J. Barton Mitchell.
Both are action-packed (should you be trying to write action scenes you might find it helpful) and have engaging, well-defined characters. The hero survives, which is important to me, at least.
It's damn hard to find good sci-fi. It's one of the reasons I'm thrilled (and nervous) about Stargate making a comeback after 14 frigging years.
I'm speculating that they'll do a New Teams First Experience through the gate scenario. In part because Hewlett suggested it many years ago as a screenplay, in part because Star Trek is doing Star Trek Academy, and in part because it lets all of the previous canon remain intact.
Or maybe they'll toss the spaghetti and see what sticks to the wall.
I remember my feelings with Sam Carter was sent to Atlantis. I was so nervous the writers were going to fuck it up. They didn't.
I have similar feelings about this new chapter of Stargate. *fingers crossed*
Blorbo from my crosswords!
Nov. 26th, 2025 11:21 ammificOk, so, I have a few basic games/apps I use on my iPad while listening to audiobooks or podfics, if I'm not doing art. This is partly as usually I seem to need another activity while listening, and partly as a way to keep my aging brain ticking over in various ways. Note that most have annoying ads which I either manage to avoid eg. by leaving the app smartly when I've solved the puzzle, or I get rid of by them paying the annual fee. These are:
And today, on tumblr, there she is! Ani from my crosswords!
- Real Jigsaw - for spatial skills, pattern recognition, and as I upload art and photos I like (with a suitable level of intricacy) as the jigsaws.
- Happy Colour - just basic colouring-in but there's a certain degree of attention and concentration needed to find all the damn little pale green bits numbered 115, etc. I like the mandalas and use a few as icons, also the silhouettes which are complex and have no lines marking colour patches, so are more of a surprise to complete.
- Mah Jong - which bears no reaction to actual Mah Jong (I used to play that with friends and have a nice old set in a wooden box). Again, for pattern recognition.
- Solitaire and FreeCell - I don't play them competitively or to beat prior scores, just to relax. I guess they use a number of cognitive skills.
- Crosswords - I do one a day, for fun and to maintain and sometimes extend my vocabulary and word-finding. I make this manageable (hello, nominal dysphasia!) by using another app Wordplays that suggests answers to clues, plus internet searches for definitions, Rhymezone.com for synonyms, and gMaps for place names.
And today, on tumblr, there she is! Ani from my crosswords!
What are your favourite things like this, to relax and pass the time? I should mention that I don't play any of the major games out there. I got into a Civilisation-like worldbuilding one for a while back in my thirties and became obsessed with it until it consumed a lot of my time. I've been kind of nervous about trying any since, even though I'm sure I'd love a lot of the visuals. Plus I have no interest in adding more layers of tech complexity to my life, like a high-powered gaming computer.
Shroud, by Adrian Tchaikovsky
Nov. 25th, 2025 11:16 amrunpunkrunA post-Earth society ruled by giant corporations called Concerns whose only goal is to spread vat-grown wage slaves out across the galaxy to exploit resources for profit.
A frozen moon shrouded in eternal darkness and heavy gravity populated by sightless creatures who evolved to live in both.
Like many of Tchaikovsky's novels, this is a story told from two perspectives: the humans whose pod has crashed on a hostile alien planet they can barely make sense of, and the locals who encounter a seemingly idiotic Stranger (a "savant clown beast") that bumbles around, communicates in grunts, and doesn't know enough to come out of the ammonia-methane rain.
The world building and the alien design are, of course, meticulous. The interaction and cobbled together understanding between the humans and the aliens was my favorite part because only the reader knows the full story. Unfortunately the humans, in their duress, aren't all that interesting. The middle sections that focus on them in their pod feel the weakest and, because of that, overlong, but the story picks up again in the last third.
I spent most of the middle in mild agony, thinking there was only one way this story could end, but then I remembered this is Adrian Tchaikovsky, and he doesn't write those kind of stories.
Contains: blood, violence, threat of genocide; no work-life balance.
A frozen moon shrouded in eternal darkness and heavy gravity populated by sightless creatures who evolved to live in both.
Like many of Tchaikovsky's novels, this is a story told from two perspectives: the humans whose pod has crashed on a hostile alien planet they can barely make sense of, and the locals who encounter a seemingly idiotic Stranger (a "savant clown beast") that bumbles around, communicates in grunts, and doesn't know enough to come out of the ammonia-methane rain.
The world building and the alien design are, of course, meticulous. The interaction and cobbled together understanding between the humans and the aliens was my favorite part because only the reader knows the full story. Unfortunately the humans, in their duress, aren't all that interesting. The middle sections that focus on them in their pod feel the weakest and, because of that, overlong, but the story picks up again in the last third.
I spent most of the middle in mild agony, thinking there was only one way this story could end, but then I remembered this is Adrian Tchaikovsky, and he doesn't write those kind of stories.
Contains: blood, violence, threat of genocide; no work-life balance.
you have failed this city
Nov. 24th, 2025 09:38 pmsmilebackwardsKidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson. Adventures in the Scottish Highlands.
Queen Demon by Martha Wells. Always love Martha Wells' emotionally repressed protagonist voice. Is it wrong that my favorite part of this was the feral, claw-hooved omnivorous Arike horses? <3
In TV, I re-watched Arrow (season 1) and yes it is a silly show but I do really enjoy season 1 where Oliver is just going around shooting people with arrows and we get the Slade and Oliver relationship before everything goes fully insane. I watched the show for them and then season 2 betrayed me so bad! Literally considering a sequel to my now 8-year-old season 1 AU fic where everyone lives and stays friends. Also, shout out to Chris GM51 who collected the flashback scenes into a YouTube playlist so I can just watch the backstory.
Queen Demon by Martha Wells. Always love Martha Wells' emotionally repressed protagonist voice. Is it wrong that my favorite part of this was the feral, claw-hooved omnivorous Arike horses? <3
In TV, I re-watched Arrow (season 1) and yes it is a silly show but I do really enjoy season 1 where Oliver is just going around shooting people with arrows and we get the Slade and Oliver relationship before everything goes fully insane. I watched the show for them and then season 2 betrayed me so bad! Literally considering a sequel to my now 8-year-old season 1 AU fic where everyone lives and stays friends. Also, shout out to Chris GM51 who collected the flashback scenes into a YouTube playlist so I can just watch the backstory.
xkcd excels
Nov. 25th, 2025 10:51 ammificThe latest xkcd made me cry (in a good way). For some reason it was the Northern lights pic that did it.
Holiday Cards!
Nov. 22nd, 2025 09:36 amelaynaIt's already that time! I'll be starting on my holiday cards as soon as Thanksgiving is done. I begin with last year's list. If you'd like one or need to update your address, please let me know. Comments are screened. Reciprocation is nice but not required.
Fannish Fifty #39: Rec: Classical Stretch
Nov. 22nd, 2025 08:41 amelaynaEvery year, we have a recs panel at ConStrict where mostly people rec TV shows, movies, and books, media on which fandoms are based, but every once in a while, someone will rec some random thing they think others might enjoy/find helpful/etc. In that spirit, I'm posting about Classical Stretch/Essentrics with Miranda Esmonde-White. There will be health TMI.
I had two attacks of sciatica and a herniated disc in 2020. Lockdown was a blessing for me, as I don't know that I could have walked from the parking lot to my cubicle every day. I was in bad shape, on heavy doses of gabapentin and doing physical therapy. I had a spinal steroid shot in the fall, which did squat, and we were talking about surgery when I retired at the end of the year. Not having to sit 9 hours a day instantly helped and I gradually recovered.
By 2023, I was better, though somewhat resigned to having back problems for the rest of my life, but thinking it was time to try yoga again. I checked out my local PBS station, and only found a chair yoga class, which didn't seem quite enough, but also this Classical Stretch show. Okay, stretching good, I'll give it a try.
This show has been a blessing for me. It's only 22 minutes, done in my living room with minimal equipment, not needing to change clothes, I've got no excuses to put it off. Honestly, I need these conditions.
It's stretching, often with exercises that use your own body weight to add strengthening. It's a little tai chi, yoga, ballet, but not really any of those. A lot is standing, some using a chair, some on the ground. My PBS is showing episodes from four different seasons, so though she definitely has some standard exercises, it also has a lot more variety than the weekly meetings with the physical therapist.
She focuses a lot on the spine, posture, alignment. She's very into stretching and strengthening, 'liberating' all your muscles. It's very 'whole body,' being aware of how all your muscles interact and the chains of muscles impact each other. Many episodes cover the whole body but a lot focus on individual areas, hamstrings, neck pain, etc. The exercises are easy to follow and do.
I have done an episode pretty much every day since 2023. I tapered down and eliminated the gabapentin entirely. I have taken no pain meds for a year or more now. I'm still conscious of my back and that herniated disc, trying to not sit for too long or in a bad position, but I have no back pain. NO. BACK. PAIN.
I have a friend who has had back surgery and I'm so grateful to have avoided that. Which is a combination of circumstances and not just this one show, but I really feel continuing to do this show will help me avoid more problems in the future.
It is an exercise show, she overpromises and says some annoying things (or maybe they've become annoying as I've heard them so often?) but I really do rec it, especially if you have back problems, but even if you don't and would like to avoid them. If your local PBS doesn't show it, some episodes are on YouTube and there is a separate Essentrics channel (though that costs, so last resort). This show has been great at helping my flexibility and mobility, and those are so essential in staying healthy, especially as we age. Try it!
I had two attacks of sciatica and a herniated disc in 2020. Lockdown was a blessing for me, as I don't know that I could have walked from the parking lot to my cubicle every day. I was in bad shape, on heavy doses of gabapentin and doing physical therapy. I had a spinal steroid shot in the fall, which did squat, and we were talking about surgery when I retired at the end of the year. Not having to sit 9 hours a day instantly helped and I gradually recovered.
By 2023, I was better, though somewhat resigned to having back problems for the rest of my life, but thinking it was time to try yoga again. I checked out my local PBS station, and only found a chair yoga class, which didn't seem quite enough, but also this Classical Stretch show. Okay, stretching good, I'll give it a try.
This show has been a blessing for me. It's only 22 minutes, done in my living room with minimal equipment, not needing to change clothes, I've got no excuses to put it off. Honestly, I need these conditions.
It's stretching, often with exercises that use your own body weight to add strengthening. It's a little tai chi, yoga, ballet, but not really any of those. A lot is standing, some using a chair, some on the ground. My PBS is showing episodes from four different seasons, so though she definitely has some standard exercises, it also has a lot more variety than the weekly meetings with the physical therapist.
She focuses a lot on the spine, posture, alignment. She's very into stretching and strengthening, 'liberating' all your muscles. It's very 'whole body,' being aware of how all your muscles interact and the chains of muscles impact each other. Many episodes cover the whole body but a lot focus on individual areas, hamstrings, neck pain, etc. The exercises are easy to follow and do.
I have done an episode pretty much every day since 2023. I tapered down and eliminated the gabapentin entirely. I have taken no pain meds for a year or more now. I'm still conscious of my back and that herniated disc, trying to not sit for too long or in a bad position, but I have no back pain. NO. BACK. PAIN.
I have a friend who has had back surgery and I'm so grateful to have avoided that. Which is a combination of circumstances and not just this one show, but I really feel continuing to do this show will help me avoid more problems in the future.
It is an exercise show, she overpromises and says some annoying things (or maybe they've become annoying as I've heard them so often?) but I really do rec it, especially if you have back problems, but even if you don't and would like to avoid them. If your local PBS doesn't show it, some episodes are on YouTube and there is a separate Essentrics channel (though that costs, so last resort). This show has been great at helping my flexibility and mobility, and those are so essential in staying healthy, especially as we age. Try it!