Gallimaufry of current events

1. Came out of work last night to find the back wheel flat. On a holiday weekend, oh woe. Walked it up to Curbside Bikes, amazingly still open, and asked dispiritedly what the chances were of getting it fixed this weekend. In summer fixing a flat at Curbside will take three days. 'Go talk to the mechanic, I think we can do it now.' They did. Wonder of wonders, miracle of miracles...

2. Optometrist is trying the 'one eye for distance, one eye for reading' thing with me, 'and we'll correct your astigmatism while we're at it.' Astigmatism-correcting lenses make everything mid-range blurry, near *and* far. Unfortunately I usually need to see what's happening three feet in front of me, especially since that's where the computer screen is. Am not impressed with modern technology.
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Historically useful article on Asian steampunk.

All I know about the Warlord period in China comes from Tsui Hark's Peking Opera Blues/ 刀馬旦 and the first bit of Mei Lanfang but that always seemed made for steampunk. So does late Meiji, if I didn't have late Meiji totally confused with the elegant ghosts of the RainyWillow Store.