#2020 year in review

[skysometric]

now that i'm counting out everything that happened this year… what the literal shucks was 2020??? even for there being a pandemic and having to stay indoors, this is still the most high-velocity year i can remember since college – but, unlike college, not all of it was bad.

granted, the first half of the year was pretty bad – my grandmother passed away, working from home was a rocky transition, even nearly got kicked out (that's a story for another time). yet somehow i made a ton of levels, poured my heart into Rivers, and built Cartridge Tilt.

meanwhile the second half was like restful discovery: forging an important new friendship-turned-relationship, coming out as genderfluid AND pan, improving my living situation with a new desk and other nice things…

and i've barely even scratched the surface of this year!

i may not have accomplished everything i wanted to – and honestly, who did? – but i'm happy about the fact that i not only survived 2020, but did so with grace. despite everything, i have new skills, new resources, new friends, and a new understanding of myself.

i don't keep new years resolutions well, so i have just one for 2021: finish more stuff than in 2020. not "make" more stuff, finish more stuff.

my creative energy definitely suffered this year, but now that i'm finding my footing, i hope i'll get to do some neat things soon 💖

[buboplague]

incredibly off year. struggled with art block, losing interest, demotivated, feeling aimless; my lowest output in a decade, and sad I'm starting off the new year in such a bad place. But the important thing is I didn't quit, I guess

[that-butch-archivist]

"Tess was a performance artist and part-time jewelry maker who now worked as a set designer. [...] The first night we spent together, I taught her to knit — my classic seduction technique (High Femme Camp Antics, or HFCA) — and about frisson, that carbonated feeling that accompanies a crush. We stared at each other for a long time, unblinking. Because I knew that this otherwise might take forever (lesbians!), I finally asked Tess point-blank if she felt a frisson for me (HFCA). In response, Tess kissed me hard, with teeth. I knew she wanted to fuck, but I pushed her hands away dramatically when they crept under my skirt (HFCA). I told her that I didn’t typically sleep with people so soon (HFCA), which was true not for any real reason but because I was privately humiliated by my body (HFCA). Instead of letting her fuck me, I scratched Tess’s entire torso with my long, pink fingernails (HFCA). “Her fingernails drifted down my neck, across my shoulders,” Jess Goldberg, the butch narrator of Stone Butch Blues, says of a high femme whose camp antics thrill her. “I’d forgotten the sheer pleasure of a high femme tease.” “Your fingernails are full of frisson,” Tess said as morning light began to stream in through the window above her bed. “I know,” I said. I recently read a collection of funny stories by Lesléa Newman, high-femme chronicler of dyke life in the 1990s (the materialistic, shopping-addicted Golden Age of HFCA). In one story, a butch named Flash arrives to pick Lesléa up and take her out to dinner. Flash politely tells Lesléa that she looks nice. “The average femme would have taken that to be a compliment,” Lesléa dishes. “But this high-maintenance femme hadn’t spent the last two weeks shopping for the perfect outfit and the last seven hours bathing, shaving, bleaching, filing, polishing, combing, brushing, drying, moussing, spritzing, spraying, and applying five pounds of makeup to have all her efforts summed up in one little four-letter word.” Flash’s flimsy compliment doesn’t satisfy Lesléa’s desires to be seen, appreciated, and worshiped, and so Lesléa starts from the bottom and works her way up, prompting Flash to compliment her shoes, her miniskirt, and finally her hair in a grand, shimmering pyramid of HFCA. But even as she performs satiation, Lesléa is insatiable. Her antics fail at getting her precisely what she wants from Flash, because there’s always something unsatisfying about getting what you want by asking for it. Lesléa’s desire glows from within the frame of her HFCA, distilled and exposed and unmet. Can I Come Inside, my high-femme sex game, deals primarily with unmet, outsourced, and circumnavigated desire. In Females (2019), trans lesbian critic Andrea Long Chu argues that femaleness is a universal, existential condition rather than a gender or a sex — a condition of being and of consciousness that involves letting others do our desiring for us. At stake in Can I Come Inside, as well as in HFCA at large, is a femaleness that both craves and rebels against its tendency to outsource desire. In playing Can I Come Inside, I, like Lesléa, ask Tess to do my desiring for me, and Tess in turn defers her desire to me: the game is strictly my desire, one that she insists she does not share. Even though it mandates a performance of aggressive desire from Tess, there’s no doubt that Can I Come Inside is about my desire; it’s my game; I make the rules."

-- An excerpt from "High Femme Camp Antics," an essay written by Jenny Fran Davis. (Emphasis in bold my own.)

[snowysaur]

2024 year in review/art summary. i realized i never made these for 2021-23 either so here's all of them. i think i haven't been drawing as much these past few years, oh well support me on: patreon | kofi | redbubble

[weeddennis]

2020 a year in review was a good episode idc what anyone says

[hairscare]

art year in review 2024 is here! cant believe ive been putting this together for a year already. i used a lot of purples

[fortes-fortuna-iogurtum]

anyone know where I can find a recording of this year's ACGAS Christmas special?

[cruiseshipmoment]

I had the thought that the reason the Gang handled COVID quarantine okay, despite a lot of people with severe mental illness having full-on nervous breakdowns IRL, is that their world is so small. They're so codependent there wasn't a whole lot of functional difference; it's normal for them to spend every waking minute with someone they kind of want to strangle. They see the same handful of people every day. They go the same handful of places. They don't really do their jobs, so there's nothing to lose on that front. They're perpetually intoxicated; can't develop substance use disorder in 2020 if you've been struggling with it since the early aughts *taps temple*.

(Also, Frank just didn't follow directions.)

[raspberryyyicedtea]

kineorama - it all makes sense, cats live 100 years (2020)

personal rating: ☆9.0/10 ☆

i actually really really loved this compilation album. it’s got a really calm and almost soothing atmosphere to it, with the vocals sounding like you’re being sung a lullaby. however, the album also carries a kind of strange feeling with it, like something is just a little bit wrong. this feeling really adds to the whole album. in songs like ‘aitsu no nogai’, the lyrics are really melancholic in the same way it feels when you’re waiting for the subway on a winter afternoon and you can see your breath. the whole album has lots of digital instrumentals, which contrasts really nicely with the soft feeling of the piano used in the songs, and with the melodic vocals. it all kind of feels like an empty building with the art still on the walls. it’s cute, it’s a little bit ominous, it’s charming, and most of all it’s just really really nice to listen to. it’s great! some of my favorite songs on this album are ‘pop song’ (probably my favorite song on the album), ‘correct way to fall down a deep hole’, and ‘anime song #5’, but honestly this album has no bad songs on it, and all of them are full of charm. they feel like ceramics and warm lighting. i love this album so much :-]

would i recommend it?: DEFINITELY!!!!!

[bedlund]

crazy things happening on my computer right now Destiel literally real .

[josephlikesmusic]

JosephLikesMusic Top 10 Albums of 2024

First of all, apologies for not being super active anymore :< I've just been busy with school and personal life so this blog just hasn't been a major priority for me. I did want to end off this year with a list of some of my favorite albums that have come out this year, and wow what a year it's been for music. This list doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of all the great music that came out this year, just the ones that stood out the most to me.

#10: Clancy - Twenty One Pilots

Honestly, my biggest disappointment with this album is that I didn't give it a listen sooner. I've never gotten super into the band, but I have a lot of fond memories of hearing their hits while growing up. Clancy proves that Twenty One Pilots is just as capable of writing catchy hits as they ever had, from Next Semester to Navigating, this project has some great songs that played on loop in my mind for days after I first listened to it.

#9: No Normal - Kill Lincoln

As a huge ska enjoyer, this album just had to make the list. I found Kill Lincoln a few years ago and they've been my favorite modern ska band ever since. This album does everything but disappoint, with such a fun and upbeat vibe that I feel perfectly encapsulates the feel of their live shows. With this being the band's fifth studio album, I am so excited to see where they go from here, especially since they have been releasing such consistently great music.

#8: Only God Was Above Us - Vampire Weekend

I got really into Vampire Weekend early this year, with their fun pop songs that have a hint of rock influence. Only God Was Above Us demonstrates everything that I love about the band, from the experimental instrumentation to the beautiful vocals. Capricorn definitely stood out the most to me, the lyrics immediately hooked me in and I just love how the simple production slowly gets more murky and dissonant is the cherry on top. Re-listening to this album while making this list really made me wish that I had listened to it more throughout the year and that my Vampire Weekend phase wasn't so short.

#7: No Name - Jack White

This album almost sounds straight out of the 1970's with easily some of the best blues music that's been written since the turn of the century. I constantly hear people complaining about how people just don't make music like Led Zeppelin and other bands of the time used to, and my new response to that is to point them to this project. It is kind of amazing to me that I haven't seen this album discussed more, but regardless it is easily one of the best rock albums released this year.

#6: HIT ME HARD AND SOFT - Billie Eilish

It is insane to me just how amazing of a songwriter Billie Eilish is when she's not even five years older than I am. Hit Me Hard and Soft is one of the most vulnerable and introspective albums that I've seen released in the last decade or so. Songs like LUNCH still have the classic Billie feel to them, but in a much more mature sense than her past albums. This maturity is what I think makes this album stand out so much in a year full of incredible pop albums. I really think that this project has something for everyone, even if Billie's last albums weren't for you.

#5: CHROMAKOPIA - Tyler, The Creator

This entire list took a lot of narrowing down, but these next three spots were the hardest to decide. Ultimately, I decided to give my #5 spot to Tyler. This album had hook after hook after hook, and watching the entire roll-out take place in less than two weeks was just so crazy from a cultural standpoint. While I don't think that this is Tyler's best album, CHROMAKOPIA is just undeniably catchy. I just have so much fun listening to this project that there was no way it wasn't making the top 5.

#4: GNX - Kendrick Lamar

Like I said for CHROMAKOPIA, this top 5 was just so difficult to narrow down, and it is completely possible that if I were to remake this list a year from now that I would place this album below Tyler's or above my number three. Just when I thought that the 12 day roll-out of CHROMAKOPIA was crazy, the surprise drop of this album just a few weeks later blew my mind. After the incredible summer that Kendrick had, such a catchy album really secures 2024 as his year. Similar to what I said about Tyler, this definitely isn't Kendrick's best album, but with tracks like squabble up and tv off, I really can't talk shit about this album. If anything, this album only made me even more excited to watch Kendrick's performance at the upcoming Super Bowl in February.

#3: Empty Eddy - Ultra Q

If any of my picks this year were to surprise someone, I think that this is it. Ultra Q is far from a household name, yet I am still placing their latest album over well established artists and bands. Am I crazy? Maybe. But at the same time, maybe everyone else is crazy for not giving these guys the attention they deserve. Songs like Beep Boop and You and Me in Dreams demonstrate incredible songwriting skills from the still young Jakob Armstrong as well as amazing musicianship from the rest of the band. I had the pleasure of seeing these guys live a few months ago (and already have tickets for their next US tour), and it was genuinely one of the best shows I've ever gone to. I even got to talk to the band after the show, and they are just so sweet. If I were to try to convince you to listen to any album off this list, it would be this one. Not only does it deserve the most attention, but it is just a remarkable album.

#2: brat - charli xcx

Brat summer brat summer brat summer blah blah blah. There isn't much I can say about this album that hasn't already been said. Not only did Charli have incredible marketing, but she had the music to back it up. Brat is the kind of pop album where you just know how influential it is the moment that it's released. I'm not going to call it the Rubber Soul of the 2020's but I'm also not NOT going to call it that. There's no way that the phenomenon that this album sparked won't change how artists both create and release their work. If I had to predict how 2025's pop music would sound, I would say that there's going to be a chunk of artists trying to ride the wave that Charli has created, and another chunk of artists actually inspired by the fact that such an experimental album was able to sell the way that it did. Regardless, this album defined 2024 and if my favorite band of all time didn't also release an album this year, it would be a clear number one.

#1: Saviors - Green Day

There's a reason that this list is my personal favorite albums and not a subjective list, and it's this album. Green Day has been my favorite band for well over five years at this point and I couldn't not place this album at number one. After the commercial failure of Father of All.. I was a little worried about this album, but Saviors is such a rebound after that disaster. I could ramble all day about this album, and while most of my love for it is rooted in my love for the band, I do think that this is their best album since 21st Century Breakdown way back in 2009. While this album isn't for everyone, songs like Bobby Sox and Dilemma are so catchy and I had a blast seeing both live (although I'm still salty that 1981 debuted the DAY AFTER I saw them live last summer). This album is just pure fun, and I am so glad that we got this instead of Father of All 2.

As I mentioned in the intro, 2024 was a great year for music. There are so many more albums released this year that I didn't place on this list that just barely missed the cut. This doesn't even include albums like The Rise And Fall Of A Midwest Princess by Chappell Roan, that while released last year, helped to define the musical atmosphere of this summer. If there's one thing I can say for sure about this year, it's that good music is so back. 2024 was really a turning point in the industry, and I really think that when we look back on the music of the 2020's, this is the year that will define the decade.

[kevin-day-is-bi]

This will be a guide to all my Batman reviews. I'll add links as I post them

I must emphasize: I have not read every Batman book ever, nor do I intend to. If you have a specific comic that disagrees with something I say, feel free to send an ask about it! Be kind. DC means a lot to me, and I'm sure it means a lot to you, but they are fictional people 💖

Live action:

Batman (1944) - I started to watch this one and the amount of racism made me stop

Batman and Robin (1949) - same with the above. The plot is mostly Batman talking about how evil anyone who isn't America is

Batman (1966) - Currently unavailable on streaming platforms

Batman (1989)

Batman Returns (1992)

Batman & Robin (1995)

Batman Forever (1997)

Batman Begins (2005)

The Dark Knight (2008)

The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)

The Batman (2022)

Animated:

Batman Adventure – The Ride

Batman and Harley Quinn

Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero

Batman and Superman: Battle of the Super Sons

Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker

Batman Ninja

The Batman/Superman Movie: World's Finest

The Batman vs. Dracula

Batman vs. Robin

Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Batman vs. Two-Face

Batman: Assault on Arkham

Batman: Bad Blood

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns

Batman: Death in the Family

Batman: Gotham by Gaslight

Batman: Gotham Knight

Batman: Hush

Batman: The Killing Joke

Batman: The Long Halloween

Batman: Mask of the Phantasm

Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman

Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders

Batman: Soul of the Dragon

Batman: Strange Days

Batman: The Doom That Came to Gotham

Batman: Under the Red Hood

Batman Unlimited: Animal Instincts - Currently unavailable on streaming platforms

Batman Unlimited: Mechs vs Mutants - Currently unavailable on streaming platforms

Batman Unlimited: Monster Mayhem - Currently unavailable on streaming platforms

Batman: Year One

Chase Me

Nightwing and Robin

Scooby-Doo! & Batman: The Brave and the Bold

Lego Batman

Lego Batman: The Movie – DC Super Heroes Unite

Lego Batman: Family Matters

Son of Batman

Superman/Batman: Apocalypse

Superman/Batman: Public Enemies

I'll be tagging with "Batman reviews", and each one will be tagged "Embarking on watching all the Batman movies pt [xx]" if you need to find a specific number.

[a-bit-of-cedarjam]

ok so little story about this comic and my history with it, I saw this comic a while ago i think in 2020 or 2019 when watching a youtube comic dub of it and i really liked it like it made me either go Awwww look at Gannon begin a good dad or genuinely cry because of how heart broken i was. then i kinda forgot about it until a while back and to be very honest I thought that maybe i was just imagining things but HA IT’S REAL! AND IT IS STILL AS GOOD AS I REMBER IT BEING. I going to try and not spoil anything but there’s a moment in this series that made me feel so tense as i was stuck wondering if the characters where going to be alright and also so heartbroken at the same time. 

[louismygf]

girls when they just finished watching aotv

[etirabys]

ACX book review contests bring out the low ranking medieval courtier frantically looking for the right contribution to the big poetry improv event event. in me

[songsofbloodandwater]

So I'm reading Of Blood and Bones by Kate Freuler because, as you could tell by my url, I'm all about blood and if I see it in a witchcraft book title, I'm in. I was told it's a good book. It claims "This book explores topics such as the ethical use of animal parts and bones, blood magick, dark moon energy, and other rarely discussed aspects of witchcraft". But I've only gotten to the 1st chapter and it's already disappointing.

The author states "I’ve heard it said that the dark moon is a time for rest and little magickal work. Likewise, when you’re going through emotional upheaval and hardship, it’s best to put your wand away and wait it out. This seems strange to me, as these energies have so much to offer". Note the use of "magickal" which is already giving me a certain ick , but at least we can agree on something! working with the dark moon shouldn't be feared. Harnessing "negative" emotions to get a positive outcome is incredibly useful. When you're going through emotional upheaval and hardship... is precisely when you should be reaching for your wand (ehh, not a wand type of witch, but still) to find a way to fix things in your favor.

And so I'm expecting the next thing the author will say is something along the lines of that but instead, I get: "...shadow work! it's a good time to look inwards and journal!"... and while that could be useful for some, sure, that's not even witchcraft. That's jungian psychology and you're still not reaching for your proverbial wand to get shit done. It's akin to saying "see a therapist" and in fact, you should at least recommend getting help from a professional if we're talking psychology... but the book doesn't even mention it.

Does it eventually get better than this? Will I be able to salvage anything from the book? Stay tuned to find out.

While we're at it, friendly reminder that witchcraft is not therapy, and it's not a substitute for therapy either. If your psychological health is compromised, you should always seek professional help.