Julian
@julianmka.bsky.social
Make things. Be kind. Take no shit. Views and skeets are my own.
My glasses cleaning spray ran out this week, and I looked up a DIY recipe so I could reuse the convenient, itty-bitty spray bottle. The stuff I made is SO MUCH BETTER than whatever I was using before! For 1 ounce: 1 part water 3 parts isopropyl alcohol (I subbed 70% rubbing) 1-2 drops dish soap
One year ago, I was at The Providence Athenaeum. Wish I could teleport back to this reading room.
@chuckwendig.bsky.social has the best fans, and he's just as lovely in person as he is online 🤓
Discovered that my printer has a "book" print layout a while back. Now, whenever I print out a new knitting pattern, I bind it into a booklet with embroidery floss. This gives me endless joy and has massively increased my quality of life when knitting.
Got hit with a Mack truck of allergies while in RI this week so I've been offline and mostly communing with boxes of tissues. Can't believe we lost Tim Curry and Peter Cullen this week, too 😢 All the wrong people are dying.
I wrote about Dolly Parton in my latest @nytopinion.nytimes.com column. Thank you. www.nytimes.com/2026/08/27/o...
Opinion | The Greatest Story Dolly Parton Ever Wrote Was Herself (Gift Article)
She didn’t see herself as a saint; she identified as something we needed even more: a writer.
nytimes.com
It is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT to recognize — and the article discusses this — that "underlying conditions" is a very broad category. You may have one even if you don't think of yourself as high risk. See long list here: www.cdc.gov/covid/hcp/cl...
What to Know About New Covid Vaccines for Fall 2026 (Gift Article)
The shots have been approved for people 65 and older, and for younger people with underlying conditions. Others may be able to get them off label.
nytimes.com
My clematis virginiana is blooming! I've been waiting for it all summer. It was particularly striking tonight. #bloomscroll
Describe your musical taste in 3 artists, no genres The Mountain Goats Loreena McKennitt New Pornographers
Petti Crocker@aquarianairhead.bsky.social · 3w agodescribe your musical taste in three artists, no genres Brandi Carlile boygenius Dave Matthews Band
Slept with a CPAP for the first time last night and.... It wasn't bad. Even woke up feeling kinda...rested? Obviously, it makes me furious to admit this.
Just asked spouse to cut up and freeze the remaining pound of strawberries so I can make another snacking cake next week 🫣
The Smitten Kitchen snacking cake has me in a chokehold. I received a bunch of strawberries last night that needed to be used quickly so I used a bunch to make the cake (and added rhubarb left over from making syrup). My home smells so magical and jammy now.
Ballot #515 at 8-4 around 11:25. Had to wait in an actual line, which seems like a good sign. Usually I just walk up, or wait for maybe 1-2 people. Let's go, Peggy & Keith & Cedrick!
Thinking: Many folks from many perspectives aren't keen on the "status quo." We need to be sure we're not shutting down our imaginations by considering it "irreparable." 1st—let's consider: Do we actually want to repair things to a prior condition? Let's not forget CHANGE is still possible.
Reading my 2nd book in 2 weeks by @alixeharrow.bsky.social and, um, RIP to anything that isn't thinking about Starling House or Una Everlasting? To say I'm hooked is an understatement.
Sometimes aggressive snuggles are just what I need. Never had so many headbutts to the face.
Watched the Hadestown film tonight, on the 25th anniversary of my little sister's death. How different the world was in July 2001. How different I am now.
I miss World Books. I miss multivolume sets of reference books on different topics. I miss encyclopedias. I miss carefully curated science-based collections of the most currently-held theories and hypothesies based on fact. I miss agreed-upon experts. I miss *knowing*.
Spouse just brought be boba and mochi donuts. Makes my 4-hour block of meetings a little more bearable.
I got into sewing my own garments during COVID lockdown, and tonight I realized just how much knowing how to make my own clothes has ruined me for off-the-rack clothes. I set out on a simple mission: to find a pair of shorts because it's gonna be hot again and I wanted convenience.
Tech folks: anyone ever do sort of freelance Google Workspace and Microsoft365 admin for small orgs? They're using Workspace for email and M365 for file storage via OneDrive and need periodic, ongoing support. They're currently in crisis that I will get them through, but I cannot take this on again.
PSA: if you feel like maybe reading some old books, like maybe you were inspired to pick up Pride & Prejudice because @trungles.com was live-posting his read-through, you could do much worse than Standard Ebooks. Think Project Gutenberg, but nice epubs.
Standard Ebooks
Free and liberated ebooks, carefully produced for the true book lover. Download free ebooks with professional-quality formatting and typography, in formats compatible with your ereader.
standardebooks.org