Perfect storms: Researchers shine light on extreme weather preparedness in Connecticut
2026-Jan-12, Monday 11:48![[syndicated profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/feed.png){kind=small}
phys_environment_feedConnecticut gets snow in the winter, but that's about it for bad weather.
phys_environment_feed
Early dark and wet
2026-Jan-12, Monday 08:59![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
susandennisBill's plane left just before 8. It's a 30 minute drive to the airport if traffic and weather are not factors. We were at the beginning of rush hour and it was dead dark and pouring rain. I was glad he drove. Oh also, we couldn't get out of the Timber Ridge garage! We had to call security and they had to come down and trip the door. This was an inauspicious start but it turned out fine. The airport did not seem particularly busy.
As I was driving away, Google maps said they had found a faster route home, did I want it? Sure. You can basically go on interstate highways the entire time which would be fine except for trucks and several tricky highway changes. OR you can go non highways which is also fine except for the last 6 miles which are twisty, curvy. The faster route this morning was the latter which turned out to be fine. There was a lot of traffic but it was not stopped and it did allow me to go slowly which was also fine.
And the garage door opened.
And now Biggie is looking for Bill.
I put in a load of laundry before I left and it's now cooling down on my bed. I wanted to make sure I had all the hanging clothes hanging when the closet designer comes tomorrow.
I decided to not wait until April to start on taking a semaglutide. I sent a note to the doctor. It will be expensive but maybe only until April and maybe the side effects will kill the whole project. But I'm ready to give it a start now.
I have exercise class at 10 this morning and I have dinner ordered to be picked up at 5. And that's the entire agenda for today. Maybe I'll go fold and hang that pile on my bed before class.
As I was driving away, Google maps said they had found a faster route home, did I want it? Sure. You can basically go on interstate highways the entire time which would be fine except for trucks and several tricky highway changes. OR you can go non highways which is also fine except for the last 6 miles which are twisty, curvy. The faster route this morning was the latter which turned out to be fine. There was a lot of traffic but it was not stopped and it did allow me to go slowly which was also fine.
And the garage door opened.
And now Biggie is looking for Bill.
I put in a load of laundry before I left and it's now cooling down on my bed. I wanted to make sure I had all the hanging clothes hanging when the closet designer comes tomorrow.
I decided to not wait until April to start on taking a semaglutide. I sent a note to the doctor. It will be expensive but maybe only until April and maybe the side effects will kill the whole project. But I'm ready to give it a start now.
I have exercise class at 10 this morning and I have dinner ordered to be picked up at 5. And that's the entire agenda for today. Maybe I'll go fold and hang that pile on my bed before class.
Snowflake Challenge 2026: #6 Top 10 List
2026-Jan-13, Tuesday 02:55mxcatmoon
Challenge #6
Top 10 Challenge. Post your answer to today’s challenge in your own space and leave a comment in this post saying you did it.
This is tough! I had to leave out a lot of beloved characters! 😥
( Read more... )
Top 10 Challenge. Post your answer to today’s challenge in your own space and leave a comment in this post saying you did it.
This is tough! I had to leave out a lot of beloved characters! 😥
( Read more... )
El Niño events projected to cut life expectancy gains and cost trillions by 2100
2026-Jan-12, Monday 11:32phys_environment_feedThe El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), the planet's greatest driver of year-to-year climate swings, shapes temperature, rainfall, and extreme weather around the world. Its impact ranges from heat waves and floods to air pollution and disruptions to food security, with growing evidence that these climate fluctuations influence human health and economic growth.
Microplastics found in rural woodland at higher levels than in city centers
2026-Jan-12, Monday 11:18phys_environment_feedAir-polluting microplastics have been found in rural environments in greater quantities than in urban locations, researchers say. Scientists led by the University of Leeds detected up to 500 microscopic particles of plastic per square meter per day in an area of woodland during the three-month study—almost twice as much as in a sample collected in a city center. The findings are published in the journal Environmental Pollution.
Sinking boreal trees in the deep Arctic Ocean could remove billions of tons of carbon each year
2026-Jan-12, Monday 10:57phys_environment_feedGlobal efforts to reduce pollution will not be enough to mitigate the worst effects of climate change, scientists say. We will also need to extract over 10 gigatons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere every year for the next century. However, currently only two gigatons are being removed annually, so we have to rapidly scale up existing methods or come up with new ideas.
Fandom Snowflake Challenge Post #4
2026-Jan-12, Monday 11:29whimsicalmeerkat
I’m a bit behind on these, but I want to catch up. So, here goes. The fourth ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
snowflake_challenge prompt was to rec a “page” and I’ll admit it’s had me stumped. Most of my fandom engagement that isn’t just reading on AO3 is on tumblr or discord. I’m working on building a community for myself here on dreamwidth, but I’m not quite there yet. So, I guess I’m just going to go with tumblr and all the events and challenges I find there.
Sorry, this isn’t much of a contribution. Still, I did the thing!
Snowflake Challenge 2025 #3 / 4 - Love Letter & Rec
2026-Jan-12, Monday 09:59mxcatmoon
Challenge #3: Write a love letter to fandom. It might be to fandom in general, to a particular fandom, favourite character, anything at all.
I'm pretty sure I've mentioned during previous years' challenges, that fandom saved my life. It made life not just bearable, but enjoyable, when I was going through hard times, distracting me from physical and mental pain. A lot of my social life was around fandom -- and yes, that includes pre-internet when people got together in person. I travelled places I wouldn't have seen (for cons and visiting fan friends). I learned things I wouldn't have known. And it constantly provides a creative outlet that enriches my life.
( Read more... )
K is for Kaleidoscopes – They’re Fun!
2026-Jan-12, Monday 14:00needlenthread_feedGood morning and Happy Monday!
News First
This week, we’ll still have “intermittent” programming here on Needle ‘n Thread. This will be back to normal (whatever that is!) next Monday!
For those who inquired about the felt heart kits that I mentioned last week, those will be available a little later, depending on quantities left in stock after the workshop this past weekend. I’ll post here on the blog once they are available.
ABC Archive Series
Today, we’ll continue the ABC series delving into the archives of Needle ‘n Thread! The blog has been around for 20 years, so there’s a lot of information on the website here, and many embroidery projects, ideas, tips, free patterns, and more. With this series, I wanted to revitalize some of the past content for those who haven’t seen it or who would enjoy a little reminder that it’s there.
We’re on K! And K is for Kaleidoscopes…
When I first started dabbling in Kaleidoscopes, they were a kind of off-shoot of the “zentangle / mandala” trend in the doodling and art world. They really hadn’t come into the embroidery world full-force, but the whole idea of embroidering these types of design took off pretty quickly – as most arts and crafts trends do, thanks to social media – and several books have come out since then, focusing on these types of designs.
They perhaps aren’t as trendy now as they were. But, to me, they still hold a definite appeal for both design and execution in embroidery. They’re fun to work! And they can be very striking. They offer a wide scope for choice of stitches, threads, and colors.
And they can be finished in myriad ways, from framing to upholstering, pillow covers, notebook covers, embroidered clothing – you name it, you can have a lot of fun with this kind of design!
You can find several embroidered kaleidoscope projects here on Needle ‘n Thread, along with free designs. Some of the designs for the projects highlighted on the website, though, come from my pattern collection called Favorite Kaleidoscopes, which is available as a downloadable PDF here.
This Coloris Kaleidoscope above (there’s a free pattern for it linked to below) was conceived in order to test the new Coloris line of DMC threads that came out around that time.
Coloris threads are variegated stranded cotton with very short spans of variegation. They worked pretty well with this kaleidoscope, I thought! The repeat design shows off what the short spans of variegation can do.
Birthday Bash was rather a bit wild for me. I don’t often embroider with loads of yellow, as I did in this design. The colors reminded me of a birthday party!
Tulips Festival was my favorite kaleidoscope embroidery, hands down. I loved working with the colors and the threads, and I was pretty pleased with the outcome. This is worked in silk on linen.
Another favorite was Party in Provence. I enjoyed incorporating beads, and I really liked the color scheme on this one, too.
Octoberfest was an exploration in color combining and color changes, manipulating combinations of multiple threads in the needle at one time. This project ended up being a full project e-book. I used House of Embroidery threads for my sample, but the design can be worked with any line of threads. For example, DMC Variations would be a good choice.
Free Kaleidoscope Patterns
There are a few free downloads here on Needle ‘n Thread for kaleidoscope patterns, too.
With Feathered Fourths, I was playing around with “square” kaleidoscopes – mirrored repeats – imagining what could be done with goldwork threads with this type of design. I didn’t stitch it, but the design is available if you want to!
The design for the Coloris Kaleidoscope (the stitched sample is shown above) is available in this article. Scroll towards the end for the downloadable PDF.
This Hearty Kaleidoscope design is just in time for Valentine’s Day! You can stitch this by then, right?
If you want to get ahead on autumn stitching, you can download this design for Autumn Leaves & Acorns. I think this is a super fun design. I’ve thought about doing it as a stitch-along here on the website. I’m still toying with the idea.
Seventh Heaven is a seven repeat design. When I drew it, I drew it in white on a dark background. It looked pretty neat. I don’t know if I’d stitch it in white on dark fabric, but… I suppose it could be done!
More Delves
Folks have written and asked for an Index of this ABC of Archived Articles on Needle ‘n Thread series, and yes, I will put together an index for you so that you can easily explore all the articles from this series as it develops. I haven’t constructed the index yet, but I will, and then I’ll publish it and let you know where to find it.
Coming Up!
We must talk tools. Good tools are an inevitable, enjoyable, and fascinating aspect of any hobby, embroidery included. I’m working on bringing in a line of lovely wood tools, hand crafted here in the Midwest from exotic woods into beautiful, functional tools that lend not just to the beauty of your tool box, but to the efficiency of your work. More on that soon!
I hope your Monday is off to a lovely start!
Fire risks associated with solar panel installations evaluated
2026-Jan-12, Monday 10:12phys_environment_feedSouthwest Research Institute (SwRI) conducted a series of large-scale tests to investigate factors that affect flame spread beneath photovoltaic (PV) panel installations on flat, commercial and industrial rooftops. The research will help fire safety organizations update standards and fire mitigation strategies.
Damn the torpedoes! Trump ditches a crucial climate treaty as he moves to dismantle America's climat
2026-Jan-12, Monday 10:09phys_environment_feedOn Jan. 7, 2026, President Donald Trump declared that he would officially pull the United States out of the world's most important global treaty for combating climate change. He said it was because the treaty ran "contrary to the interests of the United States."
As the Arctic warms up, the race to control the region is growing ever hotter
2026-Jan-12, Monday 10:08phys_environment_feedDonald Trump and his senior officials insist that Greenland must become part of the US. This is for national security purposes, they say, maintaining that Denmark, of which Greenland is a constituent part, is not investing enough in defending the strategically vital region beyond—as the US president put it—adding "one more dog sled".
Why Greenland is indispensable to global climate science
2026-Jan-12, Monday 10:06phys_environment_feedA 30-minute stroll across New York's Central Park separates Trump Tower from the American Museum of Natural History. If the US president ever found himself inside the museum he could see the Cape York meteorite: a 58-ton mass of iron taken from northwest Greenland and sold in 1897 by the explorer Robert Peary, with the help of local Inuit guides.
Africa's climate finance rules are growing, but they're weakly enforced, new research suggests
2026-Jan-12, Monday 10:05phys_environment_feedClimate change is no longer just about melting ice or hotter summers. It is also a financial problem. Droughts, floods, storms and heat waves damage crops, factories and infrastructure. At the same time, the global push to cut greenhouse gas emissions creates risks for countries that depend on oil, gas or coal.
Cyclone Senyar: Why hazards continue to turn into disasters in Indonesia
2026-Jan-12, Monday 09:54phys_environment_feedWeeks after Cyclone Senyar made landfall in northern Sumatra, Indonesia, the province of Aceh continues to struggle. The cyclone passed through the Strait of Malacca in late November, bringing heavy rains and causing widespread flooding in parts of Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. More than 500 people were killed and 250,000 people displaced in Aceh alone.
a pleasant Sunday
2026-Jan-12, Monday 07:06sistawendy
Yesterday's outing was lunch in the International District with tylik. Much talk. Very noodle. Wow. Spotted an anti-ICE sign, partly in Chinese, in the window of a business. Nun-approved.
Skipped nap in favor of doing laundry. Got eight hours of nearly uninterrupted sleep. Maybe there's a connection, but gift horses.
tylik. Much talk. Very noodle. Wow. Spotted an anti-ICE sign, partly in Chinese, in the window of a business. Nun-approved.Skipped nap in favor of doing laundry. Got eight hours of nearly uninterrupted sleep. Maybe there's a connection, but gift horses.
Rain one minute, heat wave the next: How climate 'whiplash' drives unpredictable fire weather
2026-Jan-12, Monday 09:44phys_environment_feedAfter a weekend of extreme heat and windy conditions, more than 30 blazes were still burning in Victoria and New South Wales as of Sunday evening, including major fires in the Otways, near the town of Alexandra in central Victoria, and on the NSW-Victoria border near Corryong.
Live healthier in 2026 by breathing cleaner air at home
2026-Jan-12, Monday 09:41phys_environment_feedI have a health goal for the new year that doesn't require me to get out of bed earlier or eat fewer cookies. I am an atmospheric chemist and will be committing to clean air at home.
River chemistry insights may boost coastal ocean modeling
2026-Jan-12, Monday 09:16phys_environment_feedRivers deliver freshwater, nutrients, and carbon to Earth's oceans, influencing the chemistry of coastal seawater worldwide. Notably, a river's alkalinity and the levels of dissolved inorganic carbon it brings to the sea help to shape regional conditions for marine life, including shellfish and corals. These factors also affect the ability of coastal seawater to absorb carbon dioxide from Earth's atmosphere—which can have major implications for climate change.
Tire rubber decays into a potentially dangerous chemical cocktail, research shows
2026-Jan-12, Monday 09:03phys_environment_feedThe small, spongy black beads used as fill material in most artificial turf fields are called crumb rubber, which has long been touted as a major win for recycling. However, conflicting studies have alternately identified crumb rubber as either safe for people to play atop or dangerous to human health.
Jet Age Styling at Its Finest: Photos of the 1956 Oldsmobile Golden Rocket
2026-Jan-12, Monday 13:48rare_old_photos_rss_feedBorn at the height of America’s fascination with speed, flight, and the future, the Oldsmobile Golden Rocket emerged as one of the most striking expressions of Jet Age optimism. Created as a two-seat show car for the 1956 General Motors Motorama, the Golden Rocket was never intended for production. Instead, it served as a bold […]
