ts_bluejungle | Member Posts

The Paperwork Problem Behind the Housing Shortage

In more and more places, the rules technically allow incremental housing. Backyard cottages, accessory dwelling units, and small infill homes are legal on paper; beautiful, glossy images of these homes are shared on city websites and included in planning documents. Yet these homes rarely get built—not because of public opposition or failed rezonings, but because routine procedures treat small homes like major developments.

What we have is not a failure of vision, but one of process.

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Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

The George Foreman Lean Mean Fat Reducing Grilling Machine Cookbook
Paperback – January 1, 2000
by george-foreman-connie-merydith (Author)

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ysabetwordsmith

Today we went up to Champaign-Urbana to celebrate Black History Month by visiting black-owned establishments, along with some other stops.

( Read more... )

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ysabetwordsmith

Today is partly cloudy and cold.

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

I put out water for the birds.

I am done for the night.

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

These are some posts from the later part of last week in case you missed them:
Poem: "The Struggle Against Overwhelming Odds"
Poem: "Embrace My Fate"
John Scheepers Kitchen Garden Seeds Order
Poem: "The Spectrum of Your Being"
Early Humans
Birdfeeding
Vocabulary: Bricolage
Today's Adventures
Science
Birdfeeding
Meteor Shower Calendar
Philosophical Questions: Life
Edible Landscaping Order
Meme
Photos: House Yard
Water
Birdfeeding
Books
Follow Friday 2-20-26: Active Communities on Dreamwidth Winter 2025-2026 A-I
Energy
Birdfeeding
Community Thursdays
Photos: Flowerbeds
Books
Birdfeeding
Hard Things

Safety has 49 comments. Food has 53 comments. Wildlife has 39 comments. Food has 67 comments. Robotics has 146 comments.

Last week's half-price sale in Not Quite Kansas went well. All sponsored poems have been posted, so you can find those via the title links on the sale page.

The 2026 Rose and Bay Awards are now open for excellence in crowdfunding. It's time to vote for your favorite projects!

The award period for eligible activities spans January 1-December 31, 2025.
The nomination period spans January 1-January 31, 2026.
The voting period spans February 1-February 28, 2026.

These are the handlers for the 2026 award season:

Art: gs_silva Nominate art! Vote for art!
Fiction: fuzzyred Nominate fiction! Vote for fiction!
Poetry: gs_silva Nominate poetry! Vote for poetry!
Webcomic: curiosity Nominate webcomics! Vote for webcomics!
Other Project: curiosity Nominate other projects! Vote for other projects!
Patron: fuzzyred Nominate patrons! Vote for patrons!

"The Struggle Against Overwhelming Odds" belongs to Not Quite Kansas and needs $34.50 to be complete. Raymond and Gideon get attacked on the way home from research.

The weather has been variable here. Seen at the birdfeeders this week: a large flock of sparrows, several starlings, one male and two female house finches, one female and two male cardinals, a mourning dove, and a fox squirrel. I flushed the great horned owl from the ritual meadow when I went out there. A skein of geese flew overhead, going north. Currently blooming: crocuses.

Current Mood: busy

pattrose

Topics for talk

How to Improve My Life:

I know this will sound weird, but I'm happy with my life. I don't know that I would change anything. I'm happy, content and thrilled to be alive. Great family and friends. Like I said, I'm happy. Would I be happier if I had more money? I have no idea. Some people that have money are sad and alone. I'd rather stay the way I am.

How about you?

pattrose

2026 60 questions meme.
What role does love play in your life?

Love is big in our family. Hubby and I still find time to spend together and have fun. We love our family and friends too. We share everything. Okay, not everything. I tell him about a story I'm working on, and he says he doesn't want to hear it. He knows I write slash, but he doesn't want to hear about it. LOL. He's so cute. I truly love him and his quirky ways. 😁

pattrose

Not quite a 365-day questions meme.

23. Do you own many mirrors?

One in each bathroom, one in the spare bedroom, and one in our bedroom. I don't like the way I look; they aren't my good friends. If I lost 50 pounds, I wouldn't mind looking in a mirror every day. I'm doing chair aerobics every night, but it's coming off very slowly. I always get sidetracked and end up talking about something that has nothing to do with the question. Sorry about that. My dad used to call me Rambling Rose. Now you know why.

pattrose

Recipe Dessert

Cheesecake Crescent Rolls Casserole

Ingredients
* 2 cans of refrigerated crescent roll dough
* 2 - 8 ounce blocks of cream cheese, softened to room temperature
* 1 cup of granulated sugar
* 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
* 1/4 cup of melted butter
* 1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon
* 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar

Instructions

Preheat the Oven and Prepare the Baking Dish
* Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish to ensure the casserole does not stick.
First Layer of Crescent Roll Dough
* Unroll one can of crescent roll dough and spread it evenly across the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Press the seams together to create a uniform layer.
Prepare the Cream Cheese Filling
* In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened cream cheese together with 1 cup of granulated sugar and the vanilla extract. Mix until the ingredients are smooth and well combined.
Spread the Cream Cheese Mixture
* Evenly distribute the cream cheese mixture over the layer of crescent roll dough in the baking dish, ensuring a consistent layer.
Second Layer of Crescent Roll Dough
* Unroll the second can of crescent roll dough and carefully place it over the cream cheese layer. Press the seams together to create a smooth top layer.
Apply the Butter and Cinnamon-Sugar Mixture
* Brush the melted butter evenly over the top layer of crescent roll dough. In a small bowl, combine the ground cinnamon and the remaining 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar. Sprinkle this mixture generously over the buttered dough.
Bake the Casserole
* Place the baking dish in the preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes, or until the top is crisp and golden brown.
Cool and Serve
* Allow the casserole to cool for at least 20 minutes before slicing it into squares and serving. Optionally, drizzle with honey for added sweetness.

pattrose

Cheesy baked asparagus

🥦 RECIPE: Cheesy Baked Asparagus 🧀
Based on the text provided, here is the complete recipe for this simple, elegant side dish. Since the text mentions only 6 ingredients and a "creamy cheese sauce" effect, this recipe uses a combination of melting cheeses and garlic to create that rich coating without a heavy flour-based sauce.

🛒 Ingredients
The Asparagus

1½ lbs (680g) Fresh asparagus, woody ends snapped off

2 tbsp Olive oil

Salt & Black pepper, to taste

The Cheesy Topping

1 cup Shredded Mozzarella cheese (for the creamy melt)

½ cup Grated Parmesan cheese (for the sharp, savory flavor)

2 cloves Garlic, minced (or ½ tsp garlic powder)

Optional: Red pepper flakes or lemon zest for a kick

👩‍🍳 Instructions
Preheat & Prep: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Lightly grease a baking sheet or baking dish.

Prep Tip: To remove the woody ends, bend the thick end of the asparagus spear until it naturally snaps off. Discard the tough bottom part.

Season: Place the asparagus on the baking sheet.

Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Toss with your hands to coat evenly, then arrange them in a single layer.

Roast: Bake for 10–15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the spears.

They should be tender-crisp (pierced easily with a fork but not mushy).

The Cheesy Finish: Remove from the oven.

Sprinkle the minced garlic, Mozzarella, and Parmesan evenly over the stalks.

Melt: Return to the oven (or switch to Broil) for 3–5 minutes.

Watch closely! You want the cheese bubbly and golden brown, but not burnt.

Serve: Serve immediately while the cheese is gooey.

ysabetwordsmith

These are the notes for "The Struggle Against Overwhelming Odds."

( Read more... )

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

This poem is spillover from the October 2020 Creative Jam. It was inspired by a prompt from

wyld_dandelyon. It also fills the "demons" square in my 10-1-20 card for the Fall Festival Bingo. This poem has been sponsored by a pool with

fuzzyred. It belongs to the series Not Quite Kansas.

Warning: This poem contains intense and controversial topics. Highlight to read the more detailed warnings, some of which are spoilers. It includes feeling lost, an unprovoked attack, hellhounds, violence, gore, unexpected rescue, playing with prey, fatally injured opponents, minor injuries to main characters, awkward discussions, willing sacrifice, intimate magical healing, and other challenges. If these are sensitive issues for you, please consider your tastes and headspace before reading onward.

This microfunded poem is being posted one verse at a time, as donations come in to cover them. The rate is $0.25/line, so $5 will reveal 20 new lines, and so forth. There is a permanent donation button on my profile page, or you can contact me for other arrangements. You can also ask me about the number of lines per verse, if you want to fund a certain number of verses. So far sponsors include:

fuzzyred,

355 lines, Buy It Now = $44.50
Amount donated = $10
Verses posted = 13 of 118
Amount remaining to fund fully = $34.50
Amount needed to fund next verse = $0.25
Amount needed to fund the verse after that = $0.75

( Read more... )

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

Here are the notes for "Embrace My Fate."

( Read more... )

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ysabetwordsmith

This poem is spillover from the October 6, 2020 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by a prompt from

librarygeek. It also fills the "How do you want to do this?" square in my 10-1-20 card for the Fall Festival Bingo. This poem has been sponsored by a pool with

fuzzyred. It belongs to the series Not Quite Kansas.

Warning: This poem contains intense and controversial topics. Highlight to read the more detailed warnings, some of which are spoilers. It includes feeling lost, sorting through a lair acquired by combat, reference to past abuse, cursed artifacts, damned souls, worry, magical body modification, restraint for safety, awkward emotional discussions, and other challenges. If these are sensitive issues for you, please consider your tastes and headspace before reading onward.

( Read more... )

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

I picked out what I wanted from John Scheepers Kitchen Garden Seeds. This catalog has the Safe Seed Pledge, meaning everything is non-GMO/toxin-free. My partner Doug further notes that they have the best, easiest ordering system of all the catalogs we use. Call up the Smart Order Form and when you key in the product number, the rest autofills, tells you if it's still in stock, and lists the price. \o/ Somegeek earned their coffee today!

( Read more... )

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

These are the notes for "The Spectrum of Your Being."

( Read more... )

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

This poem is spillover from the September 1, 2020 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by a prompt from

librarygeek. It also fills the "How do you want to do this?" square in my 9-1-20 card for the I Want Fries With That! Bingo fest. This poem has been sponsored by a pool with

fuzzyred. It belongs to the series Not Quite Kansas.

Warning: This poem contains intense and controversial topics. Highlight to read the more detailed warnings, some of which are spoilers. It includes feeling lost, a headless chicken running around, a fight with bit character fatalities, moderate injuries to a main character, messy medical details, an imprisoned demon, torture, binding magic, demonic healing, and other challenges. If these are sensitive issues for you, please consider your tastes and headspace before reading onward.

( Read more... )

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

Homo erectus fossils in East Asia rewrite the timeline of human migration

A new analysis dates three Homo erectus skulls from central China to about 1.77 million years ago, making them the oldest securely dated hominin fossils in eastern Asia.

That older age shifts the arrival of early humans in the region back by roughly 600,000 years and compresses the timeline of how quickly our ancestors spread across Eurasia.
[---8<---]
The same layer holds stone tools and animal remains, tying the skulls to a specific moment nearly 1.8 million years ago rather than the younger dates long cited.

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

Today is cloudy and cold.

I fed the birds. I've seen a large flock of sparrows plus one female and two male cardinals separately.

I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 2/22/26 -- I planted 3 peonies 'Sorbet Mixed' under the apricot tree. The mix includes white, light pink, and dark pink. These cost $14.98, so about $5 a root. That's a great bargain for peonies, which average $20-30 each and catalogs and the high end is downright exorbitant. So if you want peonies, look for cheap ones at home or garden stores this time of year. Due to the unseasonal warmth, the ground here is unfrozen, so I was able to plant them immediately. \o/

EDIT 2/22/26 -- I labeled and mulched the new peonies.

I put out a fresh cake of peanut suet.

EDIT 2/22/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

EDIT 2/22/26 -- I started the process of trimming dead stems from the wildflower garden, which is going to take a while.

EDIT 2/22/26 -- I did more trimming in the wildflower garden. I discovered a little wildflower putting up leaves, probably echinacea, possibly penstemon or something else.

EDIT 2/22/26 -- I did more trimming in the wildflower garden.

EDIT 2/22/26 -- We hauled in the potting mix bags from last night.

I've seen a fox squirrel in the forest garden.

EDIT 2/22/26 -- I did more work around the patio.

I am done for the night.

Current Mood: busy

grey853

BEWARE
This post contains spoilers for the movie Rental Family.

Rental Family staring Brendan Fraser is about an American actor living in Japan. He works for a company where citizens hire actors to play parts in their lives. He could be paid to be a groom, a mourner, a biographer or even a father for a fatherless child. Of course any of those roles could become personal if he gets too attached to a client.

This movie is not at all what I expected. I'm not sure why I thought it would be heart-warming or a comedy. What I got was something sad, something that made me think about how grim it is that people have to hire others to be part of their lives. The fact that it's become a common practice made it even more depressing to me.

It was an interesting movie, but not something I really enjoyed. It did, however, make me think about the human condition in modern times.

Current Mood: sad
Current Location: Louisville, Kentucky
Current Music: "Cold" by Chris Stapleton

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Page Summary

ysabetwordsmith - Affordable Housing
ysabetwordsmith - Review: "The George Foreman Lean Mean Fat Reducing Grilling Machine Cookbook"
ysabetwordsmith - Today's Adventures
ysabetwordsmith - Birdfeeding
ysabetwordsmith - Monday Update 2-23-26
pattrose - Topics for talk-February
pattrose - 2026 60 questions meme.
pattrose - Not quite 365 days questions February
pattrose - Recipe Dessert
pattrose - Recipe Vegetable
ysabetwordsmith - Notes for "The Struggle Against Overwhelming Odds"
ysabetwordsmith - Poem: "The Struggle Against Overwhelming Odds"
ysabetwordsmith - Notes for "Embrace My Fate"
ysabetwordsmith - Poem: "Embrace My Fate"
ysabetwordsmith - John Scheepers Kitchen Garden Seeds Order
ysabetwordsmith - Notes for "The Spectrum of Your Being"
ysabetwordsmith - Poem: "The Spectrum of Your Being"
ysabetwordsmith - Early Humans
ysabetwordsmith - Birdfeeding
grey853 - Rental Family Movie Reaction

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The Blue Jungle

A Meeting Place for Fans of The Sentinel

Member Posts

Affordable Housing

Review: "The George Foreman Lean Mean Fat Reducing Grilling Machine Cookbook"

Today's Adventures

Birdfeeding

Monday Update 2-23-26

Topics for talk-February

2026 60 questions meme.

Not quite 365 days questions February

Recipe Dessert

Recipe Vegetable

Notes for "The Struggle Against Overwhelming Odds"

Poem: "The Struggle Against Overwhelming Odds"

Notes for "Embrace My Fate"

Poem: "Embrace My Fate"

John Scheepers Kitchen Garden Seeds Order

Notes for "The Spectrum of Your Being"

Poem: "The Spectrum of Your Being"

Early Humans

Birdfeeding

Rental Family Movie Reaction

Profile

Navigation

February 2026

Most Popular Tags

Page Summary

Style Credit

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