Poem: "Dragons of Rain and Fire"

Based on an audience poll, this is the freebie for the January 2, 2024 Poetry Fishbowl meeting its $150 goal. It came out of the December 5, 2023 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by prompts from helgatwb and see_also_friend. It also fills the "Misunderstanding" square in my 9-1-23 card for the Story Sparks Bingo fest. This poem belongs to the series Quixotic Ideas.

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Menopause

Cold water swimming improves menopause symptoms

Menopausal women who regularly swim in cold water report significant improvements to their physical and mental symptoms, finds a new study.


Positive points:
* Swimming has many benefits in general.
* It is cheap or free in many places.
* Most people can do it, or at least get in the water and splash around.
* You don't have to convince someone important, probably a man, that your problem is worthy of attention. You can just try the technique yourself and observe its effects.

Crowdfunding Project Update: Fujoshi Guide to Web Development

This project continues apace. A recent update mentioned further resources:

Enter the FujoVerse
Create communities. Teach coding skills. Empower nichefolks to build online venues that serve their needs. Make bigots cry because of all the diversity going on. What's not to like? :D

Your angle or yuor devil: choosing between LLC and nonprofit
Ms Boba's Quarterly Extravaganza #2 part 2
Possibly useful to other folks looking to organize something. Also:
The lawyers themselves said, "the legal system is 20 years behind the type of project you’re trying to build."
Now doesn't that sound like a little slice of Terramagne?

You can support this on Patreon. Like say, every time enshittification makes you want to scream, throw some money at an alternative.  We deserve better, and we have ways to pursue that.

Snowflake Challenge 15: Fandom Wrapped

Snowflake Challenge #15

Fandom Snowflake Challenge's 2023 Fandom Wrapped!



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Monday Update 1-29-24

These are some posts from the later part of last week in case you missed them:
Crowdfunding Project Update: Fujoshi Guide to Web Development
Menopause
Poem: "Dragons of Rain and Fire"
Recipe: "Buddha Bars"
Birdfeeding
Poem: "The Imagination to Improvise"
Poetry Fishbowl Report for January 2, 2024
Birdfeeding
Spiral Crystals
Philosophical Questions: Thinking
Today's Adventures
Review: Basque Cookbook
Moment of Silence: Melanie Safka
Follow Friday 1-26-24: Crafts
Poem: Weather Haiku 1-2-24
Birdfeeding
Hobbies: Skiing
Birdfeeding
Poem: "Iron-Like Animals"
Underground Flower
Good News


I'm continuing to work on the Holiday Poetry Sale. Sorry for the delay on those sponsored poems; I still have a stack left. I've posted about 43 of 48 sponsored poems, with 5 left to post, so it's getting close to done.


Every January I do support for New Year's resolutions. I made a new list of Seasonal Resolutions. The support posts appear on Fridays so folks can talk about their progress on their goals. There will be a month-end post on January 31 too.

New Year's Resolutions Check In (January 5)
New Year's Resolutions Check In (January 12)
New Year's Resolutions Check In (January 19)
New Year's Resolutions Check In (January 26)


The 2024 Rose and Bay Awards are open for nominations! Please make your nominations and pass the word to all the crowdfunders you know and encourage them to participate. It would be especially helpful for folks you know via places like Kickstarter or Patreon, as I'm not on those sites. Poetry still has no nominations, and Patron has only one, so we need more there to create a competition. More in other categories would help too. This is the last Monday reminder before nomination closes, so if you haven't voted yet, please do so now. Voting will begin on February 1.

These are the handlers for the 2024 award season:

Art: ysabetwordsmith Nominate art! Vote for art! (3 nominations)
Fiction: ysabetwordsmith Nominate fiction! Vote for fiction! (2 nominations)
Poetry: nsfwords Nominate poetry! Vote for poetry! (0 nominations)
Webcomic: nsfwords Nominate webcomics! Vote for webcomics! (2 nominations)
Other Project: fuzzyred Nominate other projects! Vote for other projects! (4 nominations)
Patron: fuzzyred Nominate patrons! Vote for patrons! (1 nomination)

It's Snowflake season! :D I'm doing the snowflake_challenge this year, so watch for my posts on odd-numbered days in January.



Snowflake Challenge 1: Update Your Fandom Information
Snowflake Challenge 2: Goals
Snowflake Challenge 3: Create a Wishlist
Snowflake Challenge 4: IceBreaker
Snowflake Challenge 5: Scavenger Hunt
Snowflake Challenge 6: Canon
Snowflake Challenge 7: Fannish and Creative Resources
Snowflake Challenge 8: Fannish Project
Snowflake Challenge 9: Newest Thing
Snowflake Challenge 10: Five Things
Snowflake Challenge 11: Create a Fanwork: "Life, Libertines, and the Pursuit of Happiness"
Snowflake Challenge 12: Personal Win
Snowflake Challenge 13: Make a Rec List
Snowflake Challenge 14: Try Something New: "The Elements of Quonjury"
Snowflake Challenge 15: Fandom Wrapped


There are two open epics at present.

"Before You Can Love Me" belongs to Iron Horses. Spotted Deer and Warshirt discuss oppression.

"The Simple Act of Caring" belongs to the Big One. Pips takes care of Bennett and Jules after the earthquake.


The weather has been variable, mostly chilly and wet. Seen at the birdfeeders this week: a flock of sparrows, a pair of cardinals, and a fox squirrel.

Birdfeeding

Today is partly sunny and chilly.

I fed the birds. I've seen a flock of sparrows.