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Clara Icons

Oswin in her red dress, looking at the camera, frightened, face half in shadow.

Clara, head and shoulders, publicity still.

Clara holding the tiny Tardis from Flatline with the Doctor's hand coming out of it.

Clara's face, side view, emerging from the dark with a light shining on it.

Clara in her waitress outfit, face, looking contemplative.

Current Mood: tired
Current Location: my desk

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Hello to all members, passers-by, curious onlookers, and shy lurkers, and welcome to our regular daily check-in post. Just leave a comment below to let us know how your current projects are progressing, or even if they're not.

Checking in is NOT compulsory, check in as often or as seldom as you want, this community isn't about pressure it's about encouragement, motivation, and support. Crafting is meant to be fun, and what's more fun than sharing achievements and seeing the wonderful things everyone else is creating?

There may also occasionally be questions, but again you don't have to answer them, they're just a way of getting to know each other a bit better.

This Week's Question: What is your favourite thing to make?

If anyone has any questions of their own about the community, or suggestions for tags, questions to be asked on the check-in posts, or if anyone is interested in playing check-in host for a week here on the community, which would entail putting up the daily check-in posts and responding to comments, go to the Questions & Suggestions post and leave a comment.

I now declare this Check-In OPEN!

(no subject)

welcome to spankulert
Goodbyebird's graphic community
You'll mostly find icons, though I sporadically post wallpapers and tutorials. If there are things you're curious about, feel free to ask, and if you like what you see, watch the community!

Comments
They brighten my day :)

Tutorials
If you're wondering about something, ask and I'll tell you if I can. PSDs are member's only.

Hotlinking/altering
Is rude. Please play nice.

Credit
If you use anything. It will help people to find their way here; If you don't know how, I'll happily explain. I can't tell you how many times I've browsed someone's userpics, spotted something and gone oh so pretty! Who made this? only to have there be no credit. Sad times.

Repost/use
Don't repost on Tumblr, fanpop, boards or other websites.
(userimages is just fine everywhere, I mean reposting whole batches. It's happened :/)

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Prompt: #482 - Neutral

This week's prompt is neutral.

Your response should be exactly 100 words long. You do not have to include the prompt in your response -- it is meant as inspiration only.

Please use the tag "prompt: #482 - neutral" with your response.

Please put your drabble under a cut tag if it contains potential triggers, mature or explicit content, or spoilers for media released in the last month.

If you would like a template for the header information you may use this:

Subject: Original - Title (or) Fandom - Title

Post:
Title:
Original (or) Fandom:
Rating:
Notes:

If you are a member of AO3 there is a 100 Words Collection!

(no subject)

I have just been to Aldi on my way home because I was low on cheese and out of bananas for my oatflakes. They have installed self-service check-out since I shopped there last - generally I approve of this very much. But, they apparently expect high-speed customers. I really am known as someone who works very fast. Possibly a bit sloppy, but really very fast. But I could not even quickly shove my bag into a proper position to throw the goods in inbetween, or fish for something less easily squashed to put further to the bottom in my cart without the stupid thing loudly admonishing "Scan the next item or pay, please!" Several times I felt a great urge to holler back "HETZ MICH NED!!!!" (I feel my full level of annoyance there can only be conveyed in native dialect, "don't rush me" doesn't transport it adequately ;-) ). Maybe next time I bring pen and paper and stick a note saying that to the machine. Really, if this thing isn't satisfied with *my* speed, there will be a whole lot of people not fulfilling its expectation. Actually, it successfully stressed me so much that only outside I realized I had forgotten to scan two kohlrabis. They should be grateful that I am well-raised enough that I didn't consider them compensation and instead left my bags alone and went back inside all through the store to pay for the two kohlrabis, also on the infernal thing, because there now was a huge line of people on the check-out counter with a human cashier (it must be very new, I'm certain most queuing hadn't realized the self check-out.)
And when I just unpacked the groceries I realized I had forgotten to buy bananas.

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lecture/reading

[livre] Les vélos rouillés ~Gérad Pussey

Titre : Les vélos rouillés
Auteur : Gérad Pussey
Langue : français
Type : nouvelle jeunesse
Genre : société

1ère parution : 1997
Édition : L'école des loisirs
Format : 60 pages illustré

(trouvé lors d'une foire aux livres récente ?)

Les vélos rouillés sont un artefact d'ambiance : depuis que le père du jeune narrateur est un chômage il n'y a plus de balades à roulettes pour eux. Il passe son temps libre à cumuler les petits boulots pour aider ses parents. Jusqu'au jour où le vieux riche bonhomme excentrique local qui a repéré son manège demande à l'engager comme homme de compagnie. Rien de scabreux ici, juste une amitié inter-générationnelle et inter-classe, et une fin heureuse téléphonée.

Pas mauvais, clairement pas exceptionnel non plus ; allez hop direction la boîte à livres la plus proche.

Kiddie book about an odd friendship between an old rich grandpa and a young boy trying to help his unemployed dad.

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(no subject)

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Current Music: Chasing Cars - Tommee Profitt, Fleurie

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Live Through This / Heated Rivalry fic recs

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Spring Gala 2026

Well, last night dumpling night, and we had some friends over and watched the Spring Gala. Happy Year of the Horse, y'alls!

Some Spring Gala links:

- the intro song that introduces the 4 locations of the year (Harbin, Hefei, Yiwu, Yibing): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHGXOL3lcPo&t=20s
- The thesis of the year, nominally a song celebrating tech advancements and smart devices, but featuring the words: "The future is already here, the product of hard work and intellect. Low-key yet clever. We are made in China" holy shit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHGXOL3lcPo&t=1734s
- kung fu robots: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHGXOL3lcPo&t=1425s (related: convenience store worker robot? https://youtu.be/AXf9vc_7Wgw?si=d-42NFLmpl7e4CO0&t=2781 snarky kid robot? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHGXOL3lcPo&t=691s )
- probably the most c-pop song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHGXOL3lcPo&t=2426s
- extremely hokey song about turning the Fu upside down: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpOF_7foKBQ&t=2029s (but also has the astronauts, and I always like the astronauts)
- Hmmm.... "Formosa Love Song", a segment about how Taiwan and Fujian are just separated by a small strait and are celebrating the spring together? Right a song honoring mothers? Featuring a bunch of Taiwan songs? Wonder what's going on here: https://youtu.be/MpOF_7foKBQ?si=Mh5W-ZaZXRPBOUZQ&t=3362
- cute "come to dinner" segment/ad 公益广告: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXf9vc_7Wgw&t=2299s
- a song celebrating labor and being creative: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXf9vc_7Wgw&t=1880s
- OMG the army one this year is quite ... intimidating: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5pzkcbSwcQ&t=567s
- here's the "we are all 1 china" one, with some great shots of infrastructure. Phases naturally into the new year countdown with shots of all the locations: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5pzkcbSwcQ&t=840s
- cute juggling one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5pzkcbSwcQ&t=335s
- utterly incomprehensible "horse dance": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5pzkcbSwcQ&t=2348s
- cute "sound of spring" orchestra/dance one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5pzkcbSwcQ&t=2608s
- what is masculinity, song one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXf9vc_7Wgw&t=983s , song 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5pzkcbSwcQ&t=1529s (featuring bad CG of Xubeihong horses :( ) Does the weird horse dance count as masculinity song 3?

The ethnic minorities are integrated in an interesting way this year. Like, actual dance troupes from the actual regions, but not like, not as obviously labeling them? (Well, except the Mongolian one lol)
- a Xinjiang dance celebrating the silk road: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHGXOL3lcPo&t=3797s
- it's a song featuring little kids dressed as various ethnic minorities: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHGXOL3lcPo&t=4067s And the kids themselves are from Guizhou, so... sorta win?
- a song of farmers celebrating the harvest, featuring actual farmers from Ningxia: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpOF_7foKBQ&t=80s
- Mongolian folk song, featuring DeDeMa and actual people from inner mongolia! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpOF_7foKBQ&t=1670s , and starts in Mongolian
- a stomping-based dance-off between Spanish, Hungarian, and some Chinese ethnic minority dancers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXf9vc_7Wgw&t=4563s

Locations:
- Harbing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXf9vc_7Wgw&t=511s there's penguins? and of course ice skating, and Russian architecture, and also a parody of the winter olympics. And a giant digital snowman??? and ballet?)
- Yibing 宜宾 (Sichuan): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHGXOL3lcPo&t=3328s (some drumming, some robots, some robot pandas, a riverboat, some drones)
- Yiwu (Zhejiang): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpOF_7foKBQ&t=1213s (robot monkey king, and then Jackie Chan and Lionel Richie singing "We are the world" for some reason???
- Hefei (Anhui): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXf9vc_7Wgw&t=3853s (overly digitized, but also chinese opera? but also giant statue of 夸父 of all people? And a GIANT EYE of Technology???)

Gotta know Chinese for these:
- a surprisingly critical one of Chinese bureaucracy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXf9vc_7Wgw&t=3152s
- cute 相声 about buying veggies: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHGXOL3lcPo&t=2689s

Current Mood: busy

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more HR recs

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TV Tuesday: New Look

Laptop-TV combo with DVDs on top and smartphone on the desk

Have you seen comics or video game adaptations you found well done? What about them worked for you? Or if they didn't, how did the shows fall short?

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Song at Daybreak

I attended a prayer service earlier this week for the mother of one of the congregants. I did not know her, but by the end of the service I felt I knew her a little — would have liked to have known her. Her son is a lovely man, who telephoned me when my grandmother died, although he did not know her. I always try to attend prayer services for people I didn’t know as well as people I did; it brings comfort to those who mourn, and brings me some understanding: of who the deceased was, of their loved ones who grieve. It brings me into contact with their friends and family around the country and around the world (which is how I once shared a Zoom call with Miriam Margolyes; she was a friend of the mother of someone I know). It makes me very conscious of our overlapping lives, and I’m grateful for the people I’ve known; I think of the congregants I knew who have died more often than I think they would expect. The family chose this poem, by an anonymous medieval author, for one of the readings. It can be found in The Penguin Book of Hebrew Verse.

I shall give thanks to the Lord, who tests the heart,
when the morning stars sing together.

Take care of the soul:
she is turquoise, agate, and jasper.
Her light is like the light of the sun,
like the light of seven mornings at once.

She was hewn from the Throne of Glory,
sent to live in a desert land,
to deliver it from fire,
to shine upon it in the early morning.

Rouse yourselves,
for every night your soul goes to heaven
to account for its actions
before the Maker of evening and morning.

May He find her
wrapped in prayer-shawl and frontlets,
always dressed like a bride,
morning after morning.

He who keeps all souls in trust
will return her to you if He wishes.
No man died through His error –
and there was evening, and there was morning.

Gladden the afflicted one,
the only one, perfect and pure.
If a man does not keep his soul alive,
how will he be worthy of the light of morning?

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meme

The Education Meme (Part 1)

used_songs posted this meme, and I thought it would be interesting to have a go. Because I've decided to answer for myself (Me), our two adult kids (TS/TD) and my granddaughter, aka Mini Hobbit (MH), I'm splitting it into three parts over the next few days.

Adults responsible for your care actively helped facilitate your early learning. (Reading at bedtime, playing educational games, going to child-friendly museums...)
Me: Yes - I was read to, played card games etc, and was taken places although child-friendly hadn't really been invented then. I do remember one gallery in the Science Museum in London with knobs to push and twist which was very exciting.
TS/TD: We always read to the kids, and they had educational games to play, which we played, and we went to various places, including seeing the mammoth in the National Museum Cardiff.
MH: Her parents have always read to her, played games and they go places like St Fagans National Museum of History

You had a library card.
Me: Yes. My mother would take me to the library in the town and once they built a new branch literally down the road from us and I was a bit older I took myself.
TS/TD: Yes. We either visited the mobile library which came to the village or we drove up to the nearby branch.
MH: Yes. TS takes her to their local library.

Adults in your life involved you in tasks that involved mathematical skills.
Me: No idea, but probably. Both my parents were accounts clerks so were used to working with numbers. I doubt they specifically considered that we did things involving mathematical skills, more that these things came naturally.
TS/TD: Again both husband and I worked with figures, so we tended to use them automatically rather than specifically.
MH: I don't know. But she's doing fine with numbers at school so I presume she does.

If you started falling behind in school, you received help from a private tutor.
Me: I didn't, and if I had that wouldn't have been possible.
TS/TD: It turned out that both were better at practical skills than purely academic ones. So we encouraged them in those areas. Their basic skills were fine so we never felt the need to push, which since both were very determined, wouldn't have worked anyway. When I saw a teacher to discuss TD's post-16 prospects he asked me what grades she needed to get for her GCSEs. I told him and he said, 'and that's what she'll get'.
MH: As far as I'm aware she isn't. The school have provided extra support for her handwriting. (When TD had poor handwriting I resorted to bribery to get her to practise, which worked.)

You went to a well-funded school.
Me: I had standard state funded primary school, so have no idea. I do remember they had a rebuilding project at my first infant school (in north London). They knocked down one wall and we all had to stand on the other side of the playground - it was a while ago. Secondary was well-funded.
TS/TD: Yes. Their secondary school was well-funded and popular, which no doubt helped.
MH: Yes. She's due to go to the same secondary school as TS.

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Drabblethon: Making A (Haunted) House A Home, 2.17

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!challenge week

Challenge Week 02/ 2026 - Day 2

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Current Music: Iona Zajac - Dilute

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Forsquares Masterpost: misc vol2.

01-20 that 70s show
21-27 archer
45-67 borgen (I fucked up the code and I ain't cleaning that up :p)
68-74 cougar town
75-82 damages
83-105 leverage
106-110 the middleman
111-121 misfits
122-140 the walking dead

( Ma'am, specificity is the soul of all good communication. )

Current Mood: curious

Five For Science

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02/17/26

At the end of "I'll Be Your Mirror", Aladdin and Jasmine are talking about their old friend, the genie, who is gone and free now. This is a reference to the late Robin Williams, who voiced the Genie in Disney's Aladdin.

Aladdin and Jasmine giving a loving nod to the late, great Robin Williams #RIP #OnceUponATime pic.twitter.com/JlpGZLKgCE
— Leah Fong (@leahfong) November 14, 2016

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The Midnight Bell in Autumn - Netta Longdon

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Have any dr rdrz come across this?

Have only just discovered that there is a new (came out in November) biography of Decca Mitford: Carla Kaplan, Troublemaker: The Fierce, Unruly Life of Jessica Mitford.

Via a review in the latest Literary Review which is, alas, not fully online, sounds less than whelmed, and gives the impression that it may be a tad po-faced.

Yes, about Jessica Mitford, that great tease.

Can't find any other unpaywalled online reviews of any great credibility - there are some on GoodReads but they all sound to be from people who Nevererdofer previously.

So before I, that already have several of her own biographical works and essays, collections of letters etc upon my shelves, also the previous biography, spend moolah and time on this, I wonder if anyone has already read it and has opinions?

(Have just had thought that as far as I recall, Upton Sinclair's Lanny Budd did on at least one occasion encounter Unity Mitford, while undercover in Germany: but not, I think, Decca &/or Esmond, anywhere in his exploits.)