nanila | Network

Bleep Marlowe. She attacked my ankle -- just a few stinging claw punctures -- as i went over to the cat barrier where she'd confronted Bruno. I hope he learned that the barrier protects him. Ugh.

I am so easily distracted.

I feel a little guilty having today off work and nothing more than "try and get myself moving" as the order of the day. Plus tomorrows walk out protest and my conflict in attending (because work, which is whole point, i get it). Plus [deleting incomplete list and replacing with] all the other distressing issues with the slide to fascist government in the US.

Time passes

I have attended the Pendle Hill hybrid worship. There was a moment of clarity for me: a sense that released the guilt, a wave of grace, a sense that it is right to engage in zest in living. Not much more clarity than to turn my attention to my usual forward.

And then looking at the temps for Ohio as my travel dates begin to show up in the ten-day forecast: yikes. So far a high of 21°F and a low of 8°F. More concerning is the snow event on the day i need to get to the airport. I know better than to trust the call for 7" of .. snow? But....

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morning writing

Posted by Yohannes Lowe (now); Vivian Ho and Vicky Graham (earlier)

https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2026/jan/19/spain-train-crash-rescue-cordoba-latest-news-updates

Reuters obtains letter from union last year raising worries over potholes and power lines amid investigations into cause of devastating crash

King Felipe of Spain has expressed his “concern about the terrible accident” in which at least 39 people have been killed.

Speaking from Greece, the monarch was quoted as having told the media:

We have been in contact with Sánchez and Juanma Moreno to learn the details. As soon as we finish, we will return as soon as possible. I understand the anguish of the families of the victims and the injured.

We know that many residents of Adamuz assisted the victims immediately, and we express our gratitude to them for that.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2026/jan/19/spain-train-crash-rescue-cordoba-latest-news-updates

Posted by Zoe Williams

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jan/19/why-cant-women-enjoy-heated-rivalry-tv-show

The TV hit has cracked open a rich seam of misogyny: romance is written off as a weird thing that women like, and the audience is dismissed as ‘wine moms’

I’ve never heard anything more sexist in my life than the (mounting) reasons why women supposedly love the hit TV drama Heated Rivalry. Quick recap: if you’re a woman, or even if you’re not and don’t yet love it: Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie) are two professional ice hockey players on rival teams. It matters that they’re hockey players, beyond the athletic perfection of their “insanely oiled, slick bodies” (as my friend, Eve, who’s 21, put it). And it matters that Rozanov is Russian, because the obstacles are real: he cannot be gay – think about the sponsorship, think about the fans, think about the oppressive patriarchal regime. Think about it for two seconds and this can not happen; and it achingly doesn’t, and almost does, and does, then doesn’t happen, over years.

Heated Rivalry dropped in Canada and the US at the end of November, and the fandom around it is so intense that Hollander and Williams have a compound nickname (HudCon). The actors are all over the late-night US TV shows; the clip of them presenting at the Golden Globes has been viewed more than a million times, and their most throwaway remark on social media blows up.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jan/19/why-cant-women-enjoy-heated-rivalry-tv-show

Posted by Lauren Almeida

https://www.theguardian.com/business/live/2026/jan/19/global-stock-markets-trump-tariff-threats-rachel-reeves-city-business-live-news

Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial news

European luxury stocks are also suffering this morning. The French conglomerate LVMH has dropped 4.45%, wiping billions off its market value. The group owns fashion brands such as Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs and Loewe.

Hermès International is also falling, down 2.9% this morning.

https://www.theguardian.com/business/live/2026/jan/19/global-stock-markets-trump-tariff-threats-rachel-reeves-city-business-live-news

Posted by Rich Pelley

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/jan/19/condoms-cult-hip-hop-film-house-party-kid-n-play

‘I wanted Kid ’n Play but the studio said, “Who are these guys?” I replied, “They’ve got platinum records.” I had no idea if they did’

Black music videos weren’t played on MTV in the late 80s. So while I was still at Harvard, I’d make music videos in my head. One day, while listening to Bad Boy/Having a Party by Luther Vandross, I thought: “This could be a great music video or movie.” And I sat down that night and wrote a script for a short film that ended up not only being made but shown at festivals and becoming a big hit in the world of student films. Spike Lee’s She’s Gotta Have It had piqued interest in up-and-coming black film-makers. New Line Cinema saw my short and brought me in for a meeting. I pitched an expanded version of my idea and they said: “Let’s do it.”

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/jan/19/condoms-cult-hip-hop-film-house-party-kid-n-play

Posted by Sian Lewis

https://www.theguardian.com/thefilter/2025/jan/23/best-womens-hiking-walking-boots

Whether you want waterproof or leather, we put women’s walking boots to the test to find the best for every adventure

• The best women’s waterproof jackets, reviewed and rated

A great pair of walking boots will get you outdoors in any weather. While you can get away with wearing trainers for a stroll in the park, more exciting, hilly terrain (or just walking through mud or in rain) calls for a proper pair of walking boots.

They’ll keep you warm and dry, support your ankles, and give you a decent grip underfoot. It’s worth investing in a quality pair that fits well, and they’ll last for years if you look after them. Here are the best hiking boots, tested and rated.

Best walking boot overall:
Lowa Innovo GTX mid

Best budget walking boots:
Regatta Holcombe III

https://www.theguardian.com/thefilter/2025/jan/23/best-womens-hiking-walking-boots

Posted by Emma Loffhagen

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2026/jan/19/50000-reader-led-writing-prize-launched

The award, run by Hachette UK and Libraro, aims to ‘sidestep the traditional barricades of the book industry’ and give readers a role in discovering new talent

A new £50,000 writing prize that allows readers to select the shortlist from submitted manuscripts – and rewards them with cash prizes for their involvement – has been launched by the publishing platform Libraro, in partnership with Hachette UK.

The Libraro prize aims to “sidestep the traditional barricades of the book industry”, according to organisers. Writers upload full manuscripts to the Libraro platform, where readers champion their favourite entries to create a shortlist of six books.

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2026/jan/19/50000-reader-led-writing-prize-launched

Posted by Lorenzo Tondo in Jerusalem and Dan Sabbagh in London

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/19/kurdish-led-forces-clashes-syrian-army-prison-holding-is-inmates

Syrian Democratic Forces warns of serious security repercussions that could open door to ‘chaos and terrorism’

The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) has said it is fighting Syrian government forces near a prison holding Islamic State detainees on the outskirts of Raqqa, in what it described as an “extremely dangerous development”.

The announcement came less than 24 hours after Syria’s president, Ahmad al-Sharaa, said it had agreed a ceasefire with the SDF and would move to dismantle the group’s decade-long control of the country’s north-east.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/19/kurdish-led-forces-clashes-syrian-army-prison-holding-is-inmates

No dayjob today because we're off for MLK Day.

It snowed all day yesterday, starting before dawn, but nothing stuck to the sidewalk until after dark, by which time it was still snowing and I was just not up for shoveling. Which meant, of course, that first thing this morning, after the overnight freeze, there was a layer of ice on the sidewalk. With a great deal of effort and about an hour in two segments (pre- and post-breakfast), I managed to break up and remove enough to make it reasonably safe. I hope. My hands were a little shaky at the end, which indicates I exerted myself more than I should have. Our house is not that wide, thankfully.

The temperature is supposed to go above freezing this afternoon, so hopefully that softens the remainder enough that I can scrape it up. Putting salt on top of ice doesn't help, it just melts the top so it can refreeze in a new and more slick state. Nope!

I have a free ticket for the Orchestra's MLK Day concert this afternoon; I was originally planning to attend with my friend who is now out of town because of a death in the family. We shall see if I recover from my exertions enough to attend. I am not worried about wasting a spot, they generally hand out more tickets than there are seats for these events, and tell you a seat is not guaranteed.

It's possible more snow will arrive in the coming week. Whee. If it does, I hope it doesn't affect our choir kickoff on Saturday, January 24th. Also, I hope the scores get sent out soon, as I need to make a trip to the library to print mine.

I'm back to the office tomorrow and Wednesday.

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