forkedtongues | Member Posts

Ancient people carried a wild potato across the American Southwest

Ancient travelers carried a wild potato across the Southwest, shaping its future for thousands of years.

Long before farming took hold, ancient Indigenous peoples of the American Southwest were already shaping the future of a wild potato. New evidence shows that this small, hardy plant was deliberately carried across the Four Corners region more than 10,000 years ago, helping it spread far beyond its natural range.

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Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

It snowed yesterday, probably about 4 inches. The ground is covered. The trees still have a little sticking to them, but this is light fluffy snow so most has already fallen off. The temperature is frigid.

I haven't been out to feed the birds yet, but they're active. I've seen a flock of sparrows, a flock of mourning doves, two starlings, and a downy woodpecker.

EDIT 1/25/26 -- I fed the birds. I've seen a male and a female cardinal.

I put out water for the birds.

It's snowing slightly again.

EDIT 1/25/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

Snow is sifting down off and on, but the wind has picked up so it's drifting more in places. Surprisingly the snowplow has already passed by at least once. That usually doesn't happen until the day after the snow stops, because we're out in the country.

EDIT 1/25/26 -- I did more work around the patio.

.

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

Today I'm making Healthy Spice Quick Bread. This way we'll have something that isn't cold to go with the apple topping.

EDIT 1/25/26 -- The spice bread turned out pretty well. The flavor is good, not particularly strong, a little on the dry side -- but it works great with the apple topping and probably would with any other wet topping. \o/

Current Mood: accomplished

ysabetwordsmith

The January 6, 2026 Poetry Fishbowl has made its $200 goal, so you get a free epic. Everyone is eligible to vote in this poll. I will keep it open at least until Sunday night. If there's a clear answer then, I'll close it; otherwise I may leave it open a little while longer. Here are your options...

"A Fountain of Energy"
Johan practices with his abilities.
70 lines

"Once the Avalanche Has Begun"
A foolish choice in a neighboring town makes life challenging for Shaeth's followers.
70 lines

Poll #34116 Free Epic for the January 6, 2026 Poetry Fishbowl

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 9

View Respondents

Which of these should be the free epic?

View Answers

"A Fountain of Energy"
3 (33.3%)

"Once the Avalanche Has Begun"
6 (66.7%)

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

This poem came out of the January 6, 2026 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by a prompt from

siliconshaman. It has been sponsored by

fuzzyred.

lacquerware poet
haiku in and haiku out --
beauty? or cheating?

* * *

Notes:

Haiku is a form of poetry, first made popular in Japan, which has become appreciated around the world. Haiku poets are challenged to convey a vivid message in only 17 syllables.

The Machines Are Coming, and They Write Really Bad Poetry

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

Warming spices have hot, aromatic qualities. They encourage body heat; they go well with other thermogenic foods. Their scent evokes warmth and comfort. That makes them ideal for cold days. Browse a list of warming spices; you probably have some in your cabinet already. Here is a FAQ list. Screw winter, make something redolent.

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Current Mood: busy

kaberett

for a Treat. and we saw (highlights edition):

the baby white rhino!!! three and a half weeks old, nose still not pointy, ridiculous little ear tufts; at one point got startled and did a tiny canter, and at another point was subsided into the straw pile with its eyes closed and its ears doing intermittent sleepy waggles
the baby giraffes!!! two of them, both with TONGUES and both (obviously) much much taller than us
ostriches doing A Gentle Jog, and also flapping their wings about a bunch
The Pygmy Hippo (who also at one point got startled and GALUMPHED about it)
the New Tapir, who is not a Common Hippos
a CHEETAH (who then decided everything was Too Loud and it was going to slope off to the private paddocks thank you very much)
The Flamingoes, who were almost all asleep; majority were on two legs not one, and it was Immediately Apparent from watching the one-legged sleepy flamingoes swaying enthusiastically that this was on account of The Wind
Medium Elephant once again became Very Startled, made a Loud Noise With Her Face, and needed reassuring by All Her Grown-Ups
baby giraffes (again)
wolverines go LOLLOP, and
A Penguin Pedicure (and lots of porpoising)

(Many other good things included Running Creatures, a very muddy tiger, the sleepy bongos, a baby monkey bum, the ponies labelled Lesser Rhea, a selection of sheep, and a sleepy African Wild Dog.)

The weather was extremely cooperative. I am very very glad we managed this outing. (And then I fell asleep listening to The Hidden Almanac in the car on the way home...)

marina

This post has been brewing for a while, and I guess I'm finally going to just write it down, even though it doesn't feel "complete" or fully processed or anything of the sort. But it probably never will be. So, this is as coherent as it's going to get.

( long text under the cut )

ysabetwordsmith

A major storm is sweeping over America. Here it has just started to snow.

Here is a post about keeping water liquid for birds. If you have feeders, make sure they're full.

Looking for something to do? Buy Nothing Day has links to many crafts and other activities.

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

Today is cloudy and frigid. The first fine snowflakes are beginning to fall. Much snow is predicted for the weekend.

I fed the birds. I've seen several sparrows, a pair of cardinals plus an extra male, and a starling.

I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 1/25/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

I also put more seed in the hopper feeder, so that's full in case snow covers the ground. I've seen one female and four male cardinals.

Snow is still dusting down, just enough to leave a white film over flat things and pockets in the grassl.

EDIT 1/25/26 -- I did more work around the patio.

The birds have disappeared, likely holed up somewhere sheltered.

EDIT 1/25/26 -- I brought in more firewood for the woodstove.

I've seen birds off and on, plus a fox squirrel.

EDIT 1/25/26 -- I did more work around the patio.

Snow has made a light layer of frosting over everything.

As it is getting dark, I am done for the night.

Current Mood: busy

jjhunter

Unbreaking Team @ the Unbreaking: This week at Unbreaking, January 16

Beginning in late November and escalating through early January, the Trump administration has sent 3,000 ICE and CBP agents into Minneapolis–St. Paul. For comparison, the “Operation Midway Blitz” surge in Chicago deployed about 300 federal immigration agents. The Chicago metro area’s population is roughly 2.5 times the size of the Twin Cities’, so the Minneapolis–St. Paul operation has sent about 10 times as many enforcers into a much smaller population center.

Kelly Hayes @ Organizing My Thoughts: Choosing Each Other in a Time of Terror

Trump is waging war on our communities, and we don’t need “better training” for our attackers.

Scott Meslow @ the Verge: How much can a city take?

The most heartening thing about this deeply disturbing moment is seeing how consistently and forcefully Minnesotans of all demographics have been pushing back.

Fred Glass @ Jacboin: The Citywide General Strike Has a Rich History in America

In response to the killing of Renee Good and the ICE invasion, the Minneapolis labor movement has issued the nation’s first citywide general strike call in nearly 80 years

Andrea Pitzer @ Degenerate Art: Into the abyss

You can’t reform a concentration camp regime. You have to dismantle it and replace it. We have a thousand ways to do it. And most U.S. citizens—particularly white ones—have the freedom to act, for now, with far less risk than the many people currently targeted.

ETA: Naomi Kritzer @ Will Tell Stories For Food: How To Help if You are Outside Minnesota

If You’d Like to Donate Money
Contact Your Senators/House Rep
Write a Letter to the Editor
Hassle ICE-Supporting Businesses
To Learn More About What’s Going On in Minnesota, Read Minnesotan News Sources
Push Back on Disinformation
Send Words of Encouragement
Get Ready For This Bullshit to Come to You
Talk About Immigration, and Make it Clear You Think It’s GOOD

spiralsheep

I might have mentioned my favourite palaeontological mystery a few times so here's a link to a significant new paper on the subject, based on samples from the Rhynie Chert in Scotland:

[Science Advances] 'Prototaxites fossils are structurally and chemically distinct from extinct and extant Fungi.'

And, more relevant to most people reading this post, here's a link to Joe Botting, half of my favourite team nerd* @ Life Through Time, with an explainer vid:

[youtube] 'Life, but not as we know it... the Prototaxites mystery deepens again!'

Enjoy!

P.S. TUUUBES!!1!! ;-)

* Lucy Muir being the other not-appearing-in-this-film half. :-)

ysabetwordsmith

A friend from Tennessee shared this video made by a nearby police station, a parody of "Let It Snow." Bear in mind that they're expecting a lot of snow, in an area that rarely gets any, so folks have neither the experience nor the equipment to deal with heavy snow safely.

Current Mood: amused

ysabetwordsmith

Here are the content notes for "The Bones of Chihuly."

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Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

People have expressed interest in deep topics, so this list focuses on philosophical questions.

Under our government are there any rights that you have but shouldn’t? How about rights you don’t have but should?

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Current Mood: busy

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November 2018

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Members' Journals

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Early Humans

Birdfeeding

Today's Cooking

Free Epic Poll

Poem: "lacquerware poet"

Warming Spices

we went to the ZOO

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Snow

Birdfeeding

Linkspam Is Fighting Existential Harms

In which there is Prototaxites <3

Watch "Stay at Home"

Content notes for "The Bones of Chihuly"

Philosophical Questions: Rights

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November 2018

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