datahoarders | Member Posts

In this all-women tiny home neighborhood, rent starts at $450. Residents want it to be a nationwide blueprint

Robyn Yerian, 70, used to live in a two-bedroom tiny home that cost just $57,000.

In 2022, she was yearning for more connection — as well as some “passive income.”

So she took some money from her retirement savings, bought a 5-acre plot of land in Cumby, Texas, and is now the landlord and community leader of The Bird’s Nest, an all-women tiny home neighborhood home to 11 women ages 60 to 80.

( Read more... )

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

Today is cloudy and cooler. :D

I fed the birds. I've seen a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches.

I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 8/20/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

EDIT 8/20/25 -- I watered spaces to put the irises.

EDIT 8/20/25 -- I planted a Dangerous Mood Bearded Iris (lavender standards with near-black falls) in the purple-and-white garden. I planted a Montmartre Bearded Iris (purple with yellow edges) and a Ziggy Reblooming Bearded Iris (yellow standards with burgundy-and-yellow streaked falls) under the maple tree.

EDIT 8/20/25 -- I watered the newly planted irises.

EDIT 8/20/25 -- I watered the old picnic table and the patio plants.

.

Current Mood: busy

grayestofghosts

I understand nonbinary as an umbrella term but I kinda hate it as a descriptor. It'd be nice to be something rather than be labeled by what one isn't by default. There's something distinctly unmooring about being forced to identify with what one is not, and I'm not sure who decided on that, but I wish they would have thought this through a little better, idk.

Current Music: "Filaments," Shearwater

ysabetwordsmith

This is a lovely romantic fable about a widow who falls in love with a cloud-herder.

Current Mood: busy

paperghost

I need to make a more introspective and serious article-like writing about this one day when my brain isn't broken. ... That being said, Katherine Dee's latest blog post had me thinking.

Snippet from article about the anti-woke sphere

THE ALT-MEDIA ECOSYSTEM

Here’s a story most of you already know. COVID was a great time to try your hand at Internet celebrity. Institutional trust—CNN, Fox, the New York Times, Fauci, the WHO—collapsed for millions of people who suddenly needed new ways to make sense of the world.

And what filled that vacuum? The so-called “right-wing” alt media. What nobody wants to say about these creators, except for maybe the creators themselves, is that they—and indeed, the whole ecosystem they belong to—are not strictly right-wing. They are “not-left” but they aren’t on the right.

Being “not-left” during COVID was simple. All you had to do was disagree with lockdowns and mandates. That low bar brought in a huge tent of people. The tent, of course, had already been built by the excesses of wokeness, #MeToo, etc. COVID filled it out.
These creators shared one message: “The mainstream media is lying to you. We’re telling the truth.” In many cases, they were right. This “not-left” group was absorbed into the Online Right, a sprawling ecosystem that includes everyone from the Dissident Right to anti-woke crypto hucksters to Nick Fuentes’ groypers to Intellectual Dark Web figures to mainstream conservative podcasters to dozens of smaller micro-subcultures and ideologies.

I’m skeptical that the left doesn’t have the same media power—last time I checked, there are more liberal podcasts, magazines, TV shows, etc. than any one person could count. But it could be that they just don’t have the same political influence. Whatever the case, the specter of the Online Right and Alt-Media Ecosystem emerged, full-force, during the podcast election.

MAGA CHANGES EVERYTHING

Trump’s 2024 win exposed the fault lines in what everyone assumed was a unified “right-wing” movement. For some people, being anti-establishment got complicated when your side controlled the establishment. A lot of people who’d been lumped in with the right realized (or had always known) they didn’t like Trump or his politics—it was just that there was nowhere to go. Some people simply changed their mind.

Whatever the reasons, this fracturing created a massive opportunity. All these people with huge, engaged audiences who’d been accidentally sorted into the “right-wing” category were suddenly politically homeless again. They didn’t want to be MAGA cheerleaders, but they also couldn’t go back to a left that had already expelled them for “thought crimes.”

THE GREAT REALIGNMENT

Now we’re seeing different types of these creators and audiences sorting themselves out:

The Post-Right: People who burnt out on the online right-wing ecosystem entirely. Think Richard Hanania, Nick Fuentes1, or even Richard Spencer. They’re not leftists, they’re not people who were mislabeled during COVID, #MeToo, or “peak woke,” but they do reject the current-state of the Right. Sometimes they’re Democrats who took “the scenic route.” Sometimes these people are opportunists. Sometimes they’ve evolved.
The Post-Anti-Woke: Contrarians and other anti-woke voices who don’t like the state of the Right or “anti-woke” media. They built audiences criticizing progressive excess. Some may have even voted for Trump. Too anti-progressive for the present-day left, too anti-Trump for the right.
Centrists Drifting Right: People responding to audience incentives and cultural energy. They’re following where the engagement is (which has been rightward) or discovering they’re more right-wing than they thought.
The Older Liberal Center: Similar to the post-anti-woke but coming from a different starting point. These are traditional liberals who never went full-bore woke nor did they pivot to anti-woke. Here, I’m thinking of somebody like Ezra Klein or Gavin Newsom’s new stance.
The Grift Doubling-Down: Online right figures who’ve discovered that rage-bait pay the bills better than nuanced takes. They’re trapped in an increasingly extreme content cycle to maintain their audiences.
The New Old Left: I see more and more of these people every day. They’re leftists—and use that word—but they’re trying to improve their theory of mind of the right. They focus more on class than other dimensions of identity.

I've more or less "retired" from this, but I do remember how the pandemic was a gold age of "alternative thinkers" taking advantage of how many people were stuck inside and angry about it. I'll never forget how wrapped up I was in this sphere after my county went under lockdown. I've wasted 7 years of my life to "controversial politics" and making "unpopular opinions" so centric to myself. I haven't bothered to check out "where are they now" with a lot of the content I watched 5 years ago. I don't know if I want to find out. But now liberals and the portion of the left that didn't fall into pure antisemitism are trying to jump in on this train with the whole "dark woke" thing that's pro-offensive but anti-conservative for lack of a better description.

During lockdown it was easy to see all sides as the same and part of "the establishment", near the end of 2018 I became blackpilled and got lovebombed by a tankie who was the only person who reached out to me during an isolated time. When Biden won, it was also easy to continue being "anti-woke" because it was counter-cultural to be conservative. Now that Trump won, the anti-wokes have become "the culture", and seeing everything that's happened in the last 8 months... It isn't fucking worth it to obsess over what "woke" AKA more of a prescriptive than descriptive label even is. I really think obsessing over "wokeness" is borderline privileged when the economy, housing, and healthcare is more important. The "ex-liberal" morons will become single issue over "wokes" and vote Republican, despite nearly every recent recession being caused by a Republican. So many people have been laid off, had their medicaid slashed, veterans benefits lost, and so on, but at least we don't have "woke DEI / CRT" anymore!!! At least we don't see rainbows everywhere anymore!!! Shut up man lol. I never cared about the "DEI" and "CRT" shit. It felt similar to how I felt like I "had to" be on board with Leninism or whatever because I had other opinions in that umbrella. So I just sheep'd in the other direction by nodding along with psychos pretending these were the worst thing ever.

The "big tent" aspect was there in 2020 too. There was always a mix of actual right wingers, MAGA, classical liberals (technically center-right), "old school" anti-idpol Marxists, all under this one umbrella. And now that I'm no longer a "radical" or populist I just find it disgusting instead of an awesome display of solidarity. Because of course there's going to be splintering, even MAGA has had infighting when it comes to Trump's support of H1-B, Elon Musk getting disowned, the spats Tucker Carlson and Ted Cruz had over Iran, Marjorie Taylor Greene and Laura Loomer's catfight on Twitter, the pro-Netanyahu side of MAGA vs. the anti-Israel groypers, etc. This shit is so stupid, I hate these people so much.

I often have people online follow me under the assumption that I'm "based" and secretly in the same camp as they are. They always end up disappointed. I don't know how else to explain it to people, I'll probably figure it out when I have free time. I wasted almost half of my adult life on the bullshit and it's time to move on. I'm still not "PC" or "woke" and still skew "exclusionist" if we're using mid-2010s Tumblr lingo, but the real enemy is right in front of us and it's a matter of picking your hills to die on if you want to go out in the world and interact with real people. Not floating opinions or words on a screen from shut-ins. "Radicalness" is a poison that destroys you from the inside.

scifirenegade

That's how I spent last night.

This morning I finished a Sex in Chains drabble.

Off to watch The Philadelphia Story now. Never seen it.

(Icon is just because it's King of the Damned-themed)

Current Mood: anxious

ysabetwordsmith

Everyone needs contact comfort sometimes. Not everyone has ample opportunities for this in facetime. So here is a chance for a cuddle party in cyberspace. Virtual cuddling can help people feel better.

We have a cuddle room that comes with fort cushions, fort frames, sheets for draping, and a weighted blanket. A nest full of colorful egg pillows sits in one corner. There is a basket of grooming brushes, hairbrushes, and styling combs. A bin holds textured pillows. There is a big basket of craft supplies along with art markers, coloring pages, and blank paper. The kitchen has a popcorn machine. Labels are available to mark dietary needs, recipe ingredients, and level of spiciness. Here is the bathroom, open to everyone. There is a lawn tent and an outdoor hot tub. Bathers should post a sign for nude or clothed activity. Come snuggle up!

Current Mood: busy

haunted_cherries

Guess who just found out that ALL the Final Destination movies (including the new one) are on streaming services and can FINALLY have their movie marathon this Saturday??

So now despite the incredibly terrifying passage of time, I am EXCITED for this weekend!! I was also gonna try to go see the sing-a-long version of Kpop Demon Hunters since it comes to theaters this weekend, but I’m not sure if I’ll have the spoons or not, so I’ll see how this week pans out and make a decision from there! Saturday for sure is DEFINITELY Final Destination day!! >:D

My mom would’ve been so GEEKED that there was another FD movie, so I hope her spirit can live through me when I watch it. ; u; That and Final Destination is one of my top favorite old school horror movies, so I’m OVER THE MOON about this!! 🥰

Hope everyone is having a good week so far!! Been in one of those “fuck it, WE BALL” kinda moods when it comes to writing, so look forward to some writing here this week!! ^ o^)/

Current Mood: sleepy

bedes

I hate having to write down my coherent thoughts on Siffrin having implied internalized homophobia for this analysis essay. Can’t I just point to Siffrin saying that he wishes he didn’t experience romantic attraction, Bad Touch, and their religion being implied to be based in ideas of unchanging fate, and then gesture at all that vaguely for a while

Current Mood: frustrated

bedes

CRK localization can be really bad, specifically WRT Shadow Milk.

English localization: “Excuse me? I’m sorry to disturb you… But I’m still the MAIN CHARACTER here!” // Original text directly translated: “Sorry, but I’m still the main character. You haven’t forgotten about me, have you?”
In response to Shadow Milk saying she should trust him (“her colleagues”), Eternal Sugar says in the English localization: “Would you~?” // Her response directly translated: “Would I trust you if I were you~?”
English localization: “Well well! Where are my favorite minions?” // Original text directly translated: “Kids~?” (Context: he’s calling out to Black Sapphire and Candy Apple.)
English localization: “We all live for some spicy drama, amirite?” // Original text directly translated: “Is it okay to say when hard things are hard?”

That last one is especially egregious imo. I don’t even know where they got that

Current Mood: discontent

bedes

Part of the reason why I find Fuuta singing in pre-war Japanese so interesting is because, up until now, he's always been a character focused on progress, thematically. An intense focus on the internet, technology in its many forms, and progressive views. Even spraypaint is associated with rebellion, punk, and the like.

But, of course, religion is associated with its opposite. Stagnation, or regression, perhaps. "Traditional values"... While we don't know much about Amaneism quite yet, we know that Amane's original cult stressed a refusal of modern medicine, and the values of purity/non-vulgarity.

So now, Fuuta is singing in such old Japanese that many Japanese viewers either borderline or outright do not understand him. From "progress" to "regress", from the future to the past.

bedes

Dunno what it is but Isabeau’s "we can practice!" thing to Siffrin is just. Urbgngngifh. That and him being totally fine with Siffrin needing time to figure out how they feel, and knowing that Siffrin loves them deeply, even if it's not romantic.

IDKKK I think it’s the fact that he's, just, so willing, and even excited, to go at Siffrin's pace…?

And it's made so much more impactful by the fact that he’s not "perfect" as a love interest, either, I think. A lot of queer stories write love interests as like… Always Perfectly Healthy And Communicative! It'd be a lot less impactful if Isabeau didn't get so jealous to the point he snaps at Mirabelle, if he didn't wrongly assume things about Siffrin and not ask for clarification (touching), if he didn't have a Whole Entire Thing about not being able to confess to Siffrin.

Idk. I like it. I like that he has romantic vices, and I like that being pushy or impatient is not one of them. I like that he makes a point to make it so Siffrin can take the lead, try certain actions to see how they feel, and figure out how his feelings for Isabeau. I think it makes Isabeau a really good match for Siffrin. Someone more demanding would probably active Siffrin’s people-pleaser, hide-how-you-really-feel-for-their-sake tendencies.

This was originally supposed to be like 3 sentences max oops

bedes

Unironically very funny of the art book to be like "Vincent has a pretty average relationship with his parents — they love him and don’t put any significant amount of pressure on him," and then IMMEDIATELY follow that up with art of Vincent’s dad committing a homophobic microaggression and Vincent’s mom passive-aggressively commenting about how he (a gay man) (in case you forgot) should get a girlfriend and go to church more.

Current Mood: amused

bedes

I experienced an initial gut reaction of extreme negativity to what was revealed in "Life", but, after thinking it over, I don't think that it was warranted.

Yes, we were led to think that Yuno had an abortion, and that her story was about the residual guilt from that. But a miscarriage, even if accidental, can also cause a ton of trauma and guilt. There is a long, long history of pregnant people being blamed for their miscarriage, with reasoning varying from pseudo-scientific to religious in nature.

I also initially thought, "If she just had an accident which made her miscarry, then she shouldn't even be in Milgram!!" But, then I thought about that for, like, two seconds, and... well, the point of MILGRAM is that none of the prisoners should be there, isn't it? If we view the fetus as if it is a person for a moment, as Jackalope seems to, the only differentiating factor from other prisoners is that it was accidental. Which could be said for multiple other prisoners, too — especially the ones where they likely accidentally caused someone else's suicide: Fuuta, Mahiru and Kazui.

Yuno is still undoubtedly the most innocent prisoner there by a long shot (after all, it was a fetus, and not a person). But I think she isn't quite as out-of-place as I thought. The whole point is that it's cruel and unusual, and, even if Yuno did not make the choice to terminate her pregnancy, it is still extraordinarily common for those who experience miscarriages (especially in an accident) to feel guilt about what happened. And it's not as if the narrative of MILGRAM is saying that she's correct to feel guilty — her MV clearly portrays the accident as a traumatic event that she was a victim in.

Um idk how to end this post. Yuno is a complex character who has gone through a lot, and it is fine that she experiences trauma and shame due to her miscarriage, as that reflects the reality of countless real people who experienced the same thing. Her being portrayed as experiencing guilt is not the creators of MILGRAM saying that she is correct to feel guilt. Also innocent Yuno sweep.

Current Mood: pleased

bedes

Yes, sex is hot and all that (said acespecly), but also I think that it's not discussed enough that sexuality is just an extremely interesting form of characterization in fiction. Nothing wrong with liking it in a horny way, obviously, but I feel like it overshadows how interesting sexuality is as a topic outside of erotic contexts.

Some of my favorite pieces of art in the world are about people coming to terms with their sexuality (queer sexuality, kink, etc), people introspecting on why they find their kinks hot, and dealing with sexual issues. Including (or maybe especially?) the less pleasant stuff, like sexual trauma, sex as self-harm, balancing communication and consent in sexual scenarios, etc. It's an extremely fascinating form of characterization to me.

Current Mood: thoughtful

bedes

Incredibly niche pet peeve but people who call Fuuta an incel are so annoying because they're blatantly ignoring multiple parts of Fuuta's characterization.

His whole Thing was that he harassed someone over art theft. Art. Theft. That is peak stupid internet leftist slapfighting. Fuuta is also very known to consistently talk about "knowing his rights", justice, etc. It's very clear that he's intended to be a take on 'leftists' who use their sense of morality as a reason to harass and bully others.

But no. He is a man and he *checks notes* plays video games. So he's the type of 'chronically online' that is a violent misogynist. Obviously.

TL:DR Fuuta would have his privileges listed in his bio and if you disagree then you do not understand what his character is about on a base level. And I'm not kidding

Current Mood: annoyed

ysabetwordsmith

WARNING: Do not watch with mouth full.

Robots race, play football, crash and collapse at China's 'robot Olympics'

BEIJING, Aug 15 (Reuters) - China kicked off the three-day long World Humanoid Robot Games on Friday, looking to showcase its advances in artificial intelligence and robotics with 280 teams from 16 countries.
Robots competed in sports such as track and field, and table tennis, as well as tackled robot-specific challenges from sorting medicines and handling materials to cleaning services

Watching the evolution of robotics on a primitive planet is hilarious.

Current Mood: amused

ysabetwordsmith

Build an Emergency Food Supply List

There are several ways to build an emergency food supply to stock a survival kit and a “bug out bag”. While you can purchase specialized food products or a self-contained emergency preparedness kit, these can be costly and wasteful.

Instead, you can simply assemble shelf-stable foods that you already buy or preserve at home. Many canned, dried, and pickled foods are quite suitable for use in an emergency kit.

Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.

In particular, watch for sales. Anytime you see a shelf-stable food that you use, consider buying extra if feasible.

Current Mood: busy

malymin

Watch on YouTube

Honestly, I feel similarly about indie games that get massive free updates (like Stardew Valley), not just big budget corporate games like The Sims 4.

For better or worse, you were largely stuck with the base game being as-is for 90's and 00's PC games. These means you could rely on things always working the same without specific gameplay elements being changed out from under you, but it also meant that bugs would often be left to fester in perpetuity...