#Above Normal Hurricane Season

[anumetservice]

268Weather Updated 2023 Atlantic Hurricane Season Forecast – July, 2023

By Dale C. S. Destin – Published 01 August 2023 | Introduction July-Standby is over; it is now August-Lookout-You-Must be prepared for the hurricane season, if you have not already done so. As we move into the heart of the Atlantic hurricane season, 268Weather has released another updated forecast for the 2023 season. With higher confidence, the forecast continues to call for this year’s…

[meteorologistaustenlonek]

"The Tropical Atlantic has never been this hot before in May.

A severe marine heatwave has developed across much of the Tropical Atlantic and Caribbean, with water temperatures up to 5-7°F above normal in some areas.

Water temperatures in the Caribbean have already exceeded peak hurricane season levels (mid-September). This will have significant implications for marine life and hurricane season."

Colin McCarthy @US_Stormwatch

[sugarlesswriting]

Just remembered how scientist are wondering if they should create a category 6 hurricane and I just want to say please don't ✨❤️✨

[thesimmerjay]

🚨 Dia de los Muertos Mexican Pack🚨

[BASEGAME COMPATIBLE!!]

Why Hello Familia! Happy first week of spooky season!

I rushed this beautiful and traditional pack out as quick as I could! With there being another Hurricane on the way! Who knows if I'll have power etc.! I hope everyone in the effected area stays safe and is prepared to the best of their ability! Fur babies are family!! Please take them along if you evacuate!

So as I said previously I had a few things up my sleeve and this pack was one of them! My first Mexican related pack too! Finally out now! This Mini Dia de los Muertos [Day of the Dead] pack includes 3 (wall decor) and 5 (normal Deco) items!

P.S - I strongly believe this Mini pack would go along beautifully with the new Expansion pack coming out [LIFE & DEATH]

-Items shown above^

Dia de los Muertos Sugar Skull Folk art Large Canvas

Dia de los Muertos Sugar Skull Folk Art Framed Medium

Deco Ceramic Jewelry Pot Sugar Skull

Wall Decor Corazon Pintados [ Painted Hearts]

Wooden Traditional Bowl of Chamuco Bread [DECO] 

Wooden Traditional Bowl of Bandera Cookies [DECO]

Wooden Traditional Bowl of Concha Sweet Bread [DECO]

Dai de los Muertos Handmade Talavera Catrina Figure

These are all created by me in blender/Canva/Photoshop original meshes!

Tested - With & without mods!

Here's a direct link to DOWNLOAD!♥️

[uchidachi]

First off. I am not a superstitious person. I believe the best prediction of a severe storm in your area comes from a meteorologist, and you should definitely listen to them over any other kind of prediction.

So this is not superstition. This is just a recurring theme in my family, where the biggest, most damaging hurricanes tend to have our names. And I know it sounds crazy to even mention this, and I know there must be confounding factors that make this happen with our names so often but it really is often! I did the math and over a quarter of the so-bad-they’re-retired Atlantic storm names belong to someone in my family. Which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it happened 28 times. Right?

So if I was superstitious, I would look at the list of names to be used for storms this year, and I would tell people in hurricane areas to get ready, and get ready early, right now, before the storms start.

But I really am not superstitious, and I only mention this coincidence because the scientists say this year will be especially bad

And my grandfather’s name was Alberto.

[charlieslowartsies]

focusing today on anything feels impossible and my brain is chewing itself from the inside out. while weds are normally writing days, i cant even focus on that long enough to say so.

either way, have a snippet from Days of Thunder, which is the next oneshot for Another Five Nights 2 from the knight guard au:

New Jersey had Camp Crystal Lake. Utah, Hurricane had Camp Tall Pines and was centered near a smaller, man-made lake controlled by a dam. Granted, there was no monster in this lake, Jason’s mother wasn’t going to jump out at them, and Tall Pines was likely half the size of Friday the 13th’s beautiful, sprawling campsite. 

But they had walked to Tall Pines in only a day, arriving just after the sun managed to hit the top of the sky above behind the thick, white clouds. This was as much distance as he could put between him and his home, the Diner and his father and crumbled remains of any family they had.

Michael peered around, but to his relief the camp was closed up and quiet for the season. It must have been later in the month than he thought, which was sobering. 

Scraptrap had followed faithfully, never complaining or anything. 

“Let’s get inside, quick. I’m fucken exhausted.” Michael declared, then grabbed Scraptrap’s arm before he could get too far away. “No! Not those ones, they’re too small, c’mon. The mess hall has to be somewhere. We can hide in it easier, just in case…”

It was more in the middle of the camp ground than Michael would have liked, but he tried not to worry about eyes on them. The place was popular during the height of summer, but it was so small and old it often shut down before Labor Day, and well before kids even had to worry about returning to school. 

It was quiet, save for the chitter of invisible birds and Michael felt like there were ghosts of former campers milling around, doing their little activities and being kids and having fun. 

Michael spotted the thick padlock and chain and balked, rubbing his hands nervously on his stained jeans. He tugged at it once, but of course it did not give. He failed to notice Scraptrap’s full attention on him as he did so. 

“Damn.” The zombine sighed, drawing back. “We need to find another way in–shit, jesus christ!” 

Because Scraptrap had spotted the lock too. But rather than thinking about another, more subtle way in, simply gabbed the chain in both paws and wrenched with a terrifying display of brute strength. 

The chain slithered to the floor and Scraptrap tugged the yellow door open, then turned to Michael with an expectant stare as if to say, ‘Well? Aren’t we going in?’

Not for the first time Michael overlaid words that he thought Scraptrap would be saying if he could speak. 

“Uh….r-right. Thanks, Scrap.” He muttered without thinking, and moved past Scrap before he caught the animatronic’s clear look of delight at being praised. 

“It’s gunna get cold in a few weeks, and then it’s gunna get colder. And then it’s gunna snow.” Michael said as the two slunk through the dark old building. The generator was obviously off, but checking the drawers revealed candles and flashlights and some matches. 

Scraptrap chittered back, more interested in opening the empty fridges and freezers as if he was hungry and searching for food. Michael was convinced he was exploring, or even just copying the dead teenager like he had been doing since they woke up in the back alley of Fredbear’s Diner. 

“Hey, Scrap. Eyes on me–” He was rewarded with the instant snap of glowing optics on him. He held up his findings, “Get me more of these, yeah?” 

In the end, they found enough supplies to last them a while, provided they rationed and accepted that most time would be spent in the dark together. 

It was a week later that Michael realized he was able to see in the dark as well as Scrap who had glowing optics to guide them.

Michael wasn’t sure why he had the ability to. He tried not to let it bother him. After all, it had its usefulness.

**********************************************************

It was starting to think those Memories things that belonged to Technician, but the whole process was incredibly slow and filling in along random spots. Gaps were still wide and broad. It likened the process to [MEMORY TRANSFER] and left the strange shifting alone to go at the speed it wanted.

It was forever learning, drinking in as many sights and and sounds as its processors could handle without overheating. 

The world was so big and brand new.

Unwilling to miss a single moment of this strange Newness, [SPRINGBONNIE002]’s AI had clumsily begun labeling, assigning, and reassigning terms as needed. It was a slapdash, messy sort of organization that would have fascinated both of its two programmers. 

For example, it was [SPRINGBONNIE002] but it was also “Scraptrap” or “Scrap” when [TECHNICIAN: MICHAEL AFTON] addressed it. 

[TECHNICIAN: MICHAEL AFTON] was also “Michael” and “Suit” according to some new programming it had unearthed in itself and was running off of. 

It had also labeled a new title over its technician’s name, a tertiary term that was simply ‘Mine.’ Technician belonged to [SPRINGBONNIE002], this was a fact like the [SKY] being [COLOR: BLUE.] 

It knew [COMMAND: EYES ON ME] was the order for it to stop what it was doing and turn to face Technician. 

It never needed to be taught [COMMAND: FOLLOW] because that was an easy one. It was still working on obeying [COMMAND: DO NOT FOLLOW] because this one did not make sense and seemed very wrong.

[TECHNICIAN: MICHAEL AFTON] found [WHITE SQUARE] in a large [BUILDING] named [ARTS AND CRAFTS]. He also seemed very pleased at finding [COLORED STICKS] and had sat down in the [MESS HALL] by the window with the most light coming in. 

He was talking as he sat there, bent over and animated about something. 

[SPRINGBONNIE002] strayed from its technician’s side but did not head out of eyeline. Technician did not stop it. This was an allowed action. 

[SPRINGBONNIE002] strayed a bit farther, keeping one ear trained on Technician out of reflex and enjoyment. 

“–drawing us a map, so you can find your way back if ever get separated. It’s gunna look like shit but it’ll get the job done I hope. Remember, you do NOT approach anyone ever, you stay hidden and out of sight…dammit, broke the red crayon…” and things like that. 

A familiar [RULE] it had already cataloged. [RULE #8: STAY OUT OF SIGHT] was easy enough to follow. But Technician seemed to find it important to state a lot. It considered replacing this one with [RULE #4] which seemed useless.

[SPRINGBONNIE002] changed [COLORED STICK] to [CRAYON] after glancing at Technician when he cursed softly. It also changed [WHITE SQUARE] to [MAP] as it did not comprehend things could have multiple names yet. It had barely grasped the concept of Itself and Technician having dual roles and titles. 

Whenever Technician made a noise that meant he was disgruntled, alarmed or shocked something interesting was always going on. 

[SPRINGBONNIE002] knew better than to exit the building they were in. Even if Technician hadn’t, straying out of sight where it could not see its familiar, animated Technician was not advisable. 

(The Animatronic didn’t quite have the word for it yet, but not knowing where Michael made it feel …uneasy. Frightened.) 

It was still working on applying strong, inarticulate things such as Emotions to Itself. 

[SPRINGBONNIE002] pawed at [DRAWER] and studied the brass curved thing. It found remarkable ease to slot its right paw through the hole between brass and drawer, the same as it found it easy to remove the [LOCK] preventing them from being inside when Technician wanted them to be inside. 

It did not understand before but it understood now, being inside [MESS HALL] made Technician more at ease and less panicked. These were all good things. 

[SPRINGBONNIE002] pushed on the [DRAWER] and stared, optics cycling. Pushing didn’t work. 

It tugged right. Then it tugged left. Both attempts yielded nothing. 

“You gotta pull on it, dude.” Technician informed, and received a blank stare in reply. His mouth did that funny thing, where it went wider and showed white squares. “Pull, like tug your arm toward yourself–” 

[SPRINGBONNIE002] glanced over its shoulder and then back down to reaffix its cameras on the [DRAWER]. It worked its jaw slowly, processing over these instructions and comparing with what it had tried. Oh. Well. That logic made sense, alright.

Servos cranked, metal joints shifted.

Technician wanted [FLASHLIGHT] and [WHITE LONG STICKS] and [VERY SMALL WHITE BOXES] for some reason.

[SPRINGBONNIE002] yanked. The [DRAWER] opened. 

It went flying downwards and slammed into the tile, causing Technician to startle and yell and the items inside to spill across the floor. [SMALL SILVER TOOLS] clattered every where.

[SPRINGBONNIE002] blinked. 

It had gotten the [DRAWER] open though. 

[midwestbramble]

Hunter's Moon

The Hunter's Moon is the full moon following the Harvest moon (the full moon closest to the autumn equinox). This means it could be in October, like this year, or November. I went into a little more detail about the naming of this moon in my New Hunter's Moon post. Here I will talk about a ritual I do at this time and hopefully inspire some of you to think about the moon at this time of year in your area.

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

Contents:

Full Moon in Aries

Working with the Hunt

Putting it All Together

Conclusion

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

Full Moon in Aries

This full moon is great for beginning what we have been putting off. At the new moon we talked about evaluating our relationships. Is there a conversation you need to have in order to begin one of your goals? Maybe there’s someone in your life that can help you start.

This full moon will also be sextile my natal Saturn which depicts benefits through hard work and discipline. It’s also conjunct my natal Venus which makes it harmonious and comfortable. For me, these conversations may have a positive impact for where I want to go in my life. We can always help that a long a little bit.

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

Working with the Hunt

Oh the hunt. As I said in the new moon post linked above, I come from a hunting family. Deer, pheasant, duck, turkey, among others have been a key part of my family's diet for generations. This full moon I take the time to honor the prey animals; the ones that will die to sustain us and the other animals. Coupled with a working for prosperity and abundance in the line of the animals (though maybe the deer in this area don't need that). Usually this goes along with a mimic of the deer clashing antlers for mates and shapeshifting in spirit flight to experience a night in a particular animals eyes.

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

Putting it All Together

How it all comes together is going to depend on what goals you set at the new moon. My goal had to do with a dream I have, which goes along nicely with honoring the animals as above (my personal goal does). What goals did you set that fold in with a hunt or an honoring of animals in general? This may be an opportune time to speak with conservationists and get going with some volunteer work, or look at your diet and what you ACTUALLY eat, where it comes from and how it is treated.

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

Conclusion

It won't be hunting season everywhere in the world at this time. What is going on where you live? Are there any animals getting ready for hibernation or coming out of it? Flying to warmer weather or returning for the spring? Maybe you're in the midst of the hurricanes plaguing the eastern United States, is that normal where you live? If you are, I genuinely hope you are safe and get what you need to move forward.

[mariacallous]

On Tuesday, Santa Ana winds swept seaward through Southern California, scattering embers and then fanning flames of a growing wildfire. By nighttime, residents received urgent text alerts warning of potential 100 mph gusts—a terrifying escalation that transformed a precarious situation into a full-blown crisis. As the winds howled, more embers took flight, sparking new fires in dry, brittle brushlands that hadn’t seen significant rain in over eight months.

Los Angeles County, primed by drought-like conditions, was a tinderbox waiting for a spark. Firefighters faced an uphill battle against winds so severe that airplanes used to drop water and flame retardants were grounded. Officials warned in a Wednesday morning press release that “all residents of Los Angeles county are in danger.” Evacuation orders have since displaced tens of thousands of residents, with thousands more awaiting updates. By Wednesday evening, three major fires had consumed over 13,000 acres with containment efforts lagging: The Palisades Fire in Pacific Palisades and Malibu, Hurst Fire in Sylmar, and Eaton Fire near Pasadena have showed no signs of slowing down, are at the time of writing 0 percent contained, and have already become the most destructive in California history.

The fires turned catastrophic so quickly because of unusually dry and windy conditions: “Any little spark, whether from a lightning strike or a person or a campfire is going to quickly, quickly escalate,” says Jennifer Marlon, research scientist and lecturer at the Yale School of the Environment and the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. “Once a fire starts in these conditions, it’s very, very hard to get under control,” adds Kaitlyn Trudeau, senior research associate of climate science at the nonprofit news organization Climate Central.

Santa Ana winds events aren’t uncommon. “We see it every single year at this time,” says Jason Moreland, senior meteorologist at emergency communications platform AlertMedia. These downhill winds, which originate inland, are caused by a dry high-pressure system coming from the northwest, and a low, humid pressure system from the south. “It’s like if you have a hose and you fold it in half to cut off the water. If you prick a hole in the side, you have a lot of pressure to get out,” explains Trudeau. “That’s basically what’s happening with the air.”

However, these winds are a lot stronger than usual because of a dip in the jet stream near the Baja Peninsula in northwestern Mexico, Moreland explains. Winds that are usually relegated to higher elevations are reaching lower terrain areas. “Every so many decades, we do get wind events of this magnitude,” he says.

While this wind event seems extreme, Noah Diffenbaugh, professor and senior fellow at Stanford’s Woods Institute for the Environment, explained that it might just be due to natural weather variability—and more research is needed to know if it is caused by climate change.

However, while the winds aren’t unseasonal, climate change is increasing the risk of late- or early-season wildfires in California. “This is not only a particularly strong wind event, but is also a particularly dry season here in the beginning of January,” says Diffenbaugh. Southern California’s wet season, which runs from October through April, has seen record low precipitation, following one of the driest falls on record. As precipitation is more variable due to climate change, the overlap between the windy season and the dry season is increasing. “We’re seeing a significant amount of more, hot, dry, windy days, especially in Southern California,” says Trudeau.

Adding to the problem, the two previous years saw above-normal precipitation, leading to growth of vegetation and foliage in the mountain regions. “That was priming the land, so to speak,” says Moreland. “All that vegetation has now cured and is more flammable, and we’re seeing easier ignitions, more rapid fire spread.” The proximity to people and structures compounds the risks: “The houses intermixed with the vegetation is what’s so problematic because, in this case, the houses are providing a lot of the fuel,” says Marlon.

Plus, all of these events are occurring against a backdrop of warmer annual temperatures due to climate change. “Just boosting that background temperature a little bit can allow fires to rapidly escalate,” says Marlon.

Diffenburgh likens it to a baseball game: Climate change doesn’t have to hit the home run to affect how many runs are scored. “If it puts runners on base, then the impact of the home run is increased,” he explains. In this case, the bases were loaded with dry conditions, warm temperatures, and fuel. The winds were just up to bat.

Without rain in sight, many regions are still vulnerable. “Southern California relies on the winter months for their wet season,” says Moreland. “If you don’t get beneficial precipitation during this time of the year, it doesn’t bode well for really the rest of the spring and summer months going into 2025.” Fires are also happening in unexpected places at unusual times: “There are many aspects to the fires that are changing: Their place, their location, their timing, their severity, their size, the whole nature of fire in a warmer climate is different,” says Marlon. “All of this is happening in the context of an incoming president who has called climate change a hoax,” says Marlon. “To me, it’s really alarming that we’re going to have this vacuum in leadership right when we need to be protecting people and preparing the most.”

As fires are increasingly common, severe, and unpredictable, better preparation and climate adaptation is crucial to mitigate future disasters. Local organizations and governments are working to protect homes and communities, and advances in fire-resistant building materials, more aggressive fuel management programs, and improved early warning systems can—and already are—making a difference. “We should be keeping this in mind as development expands and continues to encroach into these places that regularly naturally burn,” says Marlon.

[jinruihokankeikaku]

Tropical Storm Leslie is now officially forecast to become a major hurricane by the NHC; if this forecast were to verify, the numbers for the Atlantic hurricane season would rise to 12 storms named, 8 hurricanes, and 4 major hurricanes, above the climatological norm in all categories except number of named storms. The basin appears poised to achieve above-normal ACE by the end of the year with Kirk and Leslie's contributions alone, regardless of later October and November TC activity.

[plethoraworldatlas]

As Hurricane Beryl barreled toward Jamaica on Tuesday after killing at least four people in the Caribbean's Windward Islands, climate scientists warned the record-breaking Category 5 storm is a present-tense example of what's to come on a rapidly heating planet.

Even before the Atlantic hurricane season began on June 1, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted an 85% chance of above-normal activity and 17-25 total named storms this year. Matthew Cappucci, a meteorologist for The Washington Post's Capital Weather Gang, highlighted some records Beryl has already broken.

"There is a strong, well-documented link between the effects of human-induced climate change and the development of stronger, wetter storms that are more prone to rapidly intensify," he wrote Tuesday. "Beryl sprung from a tropical depression to a Category 4 hurricane in just 48 hours, the fastest any storm on record has strengthened before the month of September."

[thethirdman8]

[anumetservice]

Early Prediction: An Active 2023 Atlantic Hurricane Season Forecast

By Dale C. S. Destin – Published 18 April 2023 | As we approach summer, the anticipation for the Atlantic Hurricane Season is on the rise. My April forecast is out, and it calls for an active or above normal season. The prediction is for 18 named storms, 8 hurricanes, 4 major hurricanes and an accumulated cyclone energy index (ACE) of 149. Recall that the ACE is the universally accepted metric…

[sataniccapitalist]

Gulf of Mexico Is August-Level Hot as Hurricane Season Nears

Temperature readings off the coasts of Florida, Texas and Mexico are way above normal for this time of year.

[weatherdingus]

2024 Atlantic Hurricane Season Summary

Welcome back to Rowan's Meteo Corner and the third Annual Atlantic Hurricane Season Summary! If you see this post somewhere else that's because this is the first year that I'm cross posting this to Threads and technically Instagram as well. I won't plug, but if you see it, it's probably me.

Disclamers: This is posted the DAY AFTER THE END OF HURRICANE SEASON and off season storms do exist, so a storm could possibly form before the end of the year and be counted as a 2024 Atlantic Storm. Also, this are unofficial cost estimates coming from early surveys, so things may change.

With that, have some delicious data!

ACE (Accumulated Cyclone Energy) Score: ~161.6 units (Extremely Active)

This is the highest ACE score since 2020, which had an ACE score of ~180.4,

This is also the 4th year in the 2020's with an above average ACE score (2021 and 2023 were considered "above normal" and as previously stated 2020 was considered "extremely active").

For those who don't know ACE is calculated by adding or summing together the squares of the maximum sustained velocity of all storms that are at least tropical storm strength at the recorded six hour intervals, then divide that by 10,000 to make it less complicated (definition from the National Hurricane Center butchered by your local dingus).

Major Hurricanes (anything with 1 minute sustained winds of over 111 mph or 178 km/h: 5 (Beryl, Helene, Kirk, Milton, Rafael)

We'll get more into the nitty gritty of some of these storms in my record/history section!

Hurricanes (anything with 1 minute sustained winds of over 74 mph or 119 km/h): 11

Named Storms: 18

Depressions: 18

One tropical disturbance was given the title of Potential Tropical Cyclone 8 in mid-September, but never formed into a storm or depression. It dissapated off the East Coast and will forever be known as PTC 8, rest in wind sheer little guy.

This was the latest starting Atlantic Hurricane Season since 2014, with the first storm, Tropical Storm Alberto, forming on June 19th.

This is also the first storm to feature two Catagory 5 Hurricanes since 2019 with Hurricanes Dorian and Lorenzo.

Current (December 1st, 2024) damage estimates: > $222 billion USD (2024)

If these estimates hold true, that would place this as the second costliest Atlantic Hurricane Season, overtaking the legendary 2005 season coming in at $172.3 Billion.

STORM INFO:

Strongest Storm (Barometric Pressure): Hurricane Milton (897 mbar)

Strongest Storm (Wind Speed): Hurricane Milton (180 mph/285 km/h 1 minute sustained)

Longest Lasting Storm: Hurricane Beryl (10.5 days)

Crossover Storms: None

Number of Storms Your Local Weather Dingus Weathered: One (Hurricane Francine)

RECORDS AND HISTORY:

Hurricane Beryl became the earliest forming Catagory 5 storm in the Basin, gaining that status on July 2nd and beating out 2005's Hurricane Emily which gained Catagory 5 status on July 16th.

Hurricane Milton attained the lowest recorded pressure in the Atlantic Basin in almost 20 years, becoming the 2nd most intense Hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico behind Hurricane Rita (895 mbar) and the 5th most intense in the Basin behind Rite, Labor Day 1935 (892 mbar), Gilbert (888 mbar), and my beloved Wilma (882 mbar).

Hurricane Milton allowed the Atlantic to snag the storm with the lowest pressure in the world for 2024, for the first time since 2017 with Hurricane Maria. Is this important, no, but it's still a very interesting fact to me.

Hurricane Helene dropped record amounts of rain in North Carolina, Georgia, and is currently estimated to have caused ~$120 Billion in damages. If these estimates hold true, that puts Helene as the 3rd costliest Atlantic Hurricane behind Harvey and Katrina (both are tied for first, so is Helene technically 2nd?) at $125 Billion.

CW: Discussions of death tolls, nothing specific, but still I wanted to put a warning.

I'm not doing death toll facts both out of respect for the dead (I'm still on the fence about some of my jokes, but jokes are the Gen Z way) and for the fact that they're always changing. This was one of the deadliest seasons in recent history and every person lost, counted or not, will be gravely missed

RAAA, you hear that lord, I did it! Now I can finally lay down and die! (Trail to Oregon reference)

Please take this time to see if you can afford to donate to relef efforts in North Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. If you have money, time, food, or supplies that you're able to spare, please see if it can be donated, especially as it starts getting colder.

Next Year's naming list starts June 1st with the name Andrea.

Goodnight Atlantic, rest well and please give us a break, I beg, we cannot take this anymore.

[goodbysunball]

Best of 2023

Toledo, OH, Dec. 30, 2023

It's going to take years to unpack the last few months of 2023. Whatever mental trauma is inflicted upon those removed from the situation in no way approximates the devastation and inhumanity occurring daily to millions. That the US is funding it all, and institutions and businesses domestically are punishing those who speak out about it, is sickening and terrifying. The latest Lulu's email newsletter wrote more eloquently about it all than I could, and plainly calls for empathy at the end: "Be good in a bad world."

And we do that, pretending things are normal for the sake of others, our kids, our partners. But things are not normal, and that pressure forces other changes, because while we can to some degree control what happens within our lives, there's no fix for seeing (let alone experiencing) dead, maimed children regularly on Instagram, victims of bombings without caution or consequence. A sense of powerlessness pervades. What we can do is keep talking, sharing and banding together. Being good in a bad world.

Some notes:

Lots more instrumental, or nearly instrumental, music than usual this year on my list, which tracks with the current climate. Music without words, or without discernible words, leaves space for thoughts to become untangled, sure; but a lot of what’s highlighted below felt more transcendent than meditative.

I still listen to rap quite a bit, but very few new songs I heard stuck around past a few days. Call it malaise from living in an era where every other song on the radio has a trap beat. Starlito dropped a clunker, which shouldn't have shocked me but did, and it personally felt significant. Maybe it’s indicative of the old guard’s demise, but hopefully it removes a wall and allows me to engage with newer rap music better. That being said: Veeze's Ganger was head and shoulders above everything else; billy woods' short verse on "As the Crow Flies" made me gasp the first time I heard it (and I also loved ELUCID's verse on "Baby Steps"); and I listened to The Jacka's The Jack Artist most of all.

Of all the books I read this year, two books by Fernanda Melchor, Hurricane Season and Paradais, stood out. Melchor’s prose is incredibly powerful, bleakly funny and vicious in equal measure. The sharp, frank assessments by characters in often ludicrous situations feel like a product of the contemporary but imbued with some ancient wisdom. Shout out to Julia S. for the new and notable South American literature tips.

In the midst of holiday/short day doldrums, amidst endless bleak news reports, it was difficult battling back cynicism to listen to anything, especially back to all of these records and tapes listed below. It ended up being oddly therapeutic, highly enjoyable and maybe necessary, the same as when I force myself out to shows when it's easier to stay home. That feeling chips away at the notion of this list-making exercise as futile, for me certainly, but hopefully also for you. Thank you for reading, and I hope you find something you like, too.

And so:

LP

Lewsberg, Out and About (12XU)

Equipment Pointed Ankh, From Inside the House (Bruit Direct Disques)

The Native Cats, The Way On Is the Way Off (Chapter Music)

Water Damage, 2 Songs (12XU)

VoidCeremony, Threads of Unknowing (20 Buck Spin)

Emily Robb, If I Am Misery Then Give Me Affection (Petty Bunco)

CIA Debutante, Down, Willow (Siltbreeze)

Olimpia Splendid, 2 (Fonal/Kraak)

Nusidm, The Last Temptation of Thrill (Bruit Direct Disques)

Incipientium, Underg​å​ng (Happiest Place)

Witness K, s/t (ever/never)

Leda, Neuter (Discreet Music)

12"/10"/7"/CS

Chrome Cell Torture, Laugh Then Lie 7" (Scarlet)

Joe Colley, Acting As If 10" (Substantia Innominata)

Disintegration, Time Moves For Me 12" (Feel It)

Life Expectancy, Decline CS (Iron Lung)

Gabi Losoncy, Lieutenant single-sided 12" (self-released)

Peg, We Know Who You Are and Everyone Is on the Lookout CS (No Rent)

Romance, Seven Inches of... 7" (self-released)

Sial, Sangkar 7" (La Vida Es Un Mus)

Slow Blink/Stomachache split CS (Hectare)

Howard Stelzer, oh calm down you're fine CS (No Rent)

Troth, Idle Easel 12" (Digital Regress)

Mark Van Fleet, Vordenal CS (Refulgent Sepulchre)

Stress Positions at the Pilot Light, Dec. 9, 2023

Shows

Bill Orcutt & Chris Corsano duo at Jackson Terminal, Knoxville, TN, April 1

Hell & My Wall at DRKMTTR, Nashville, TN, April 7

Cyberplasm, X-Harlow & FKA Ice at the Pilot Light, Knoxville, TN, May 18

Lewsberg at JJ's Bohemia, Chattanooga, TN, September 27

Stress Positions & Utopia at the Pilot Light, Knoxville, TN, December 9

Five songs favorably commented upon by my 3 y/o daughter*

*Something that happens so rarely that I try to take note when it does

Dua Lipa, "Levitating"

Martin Frawley, "Heart In Hand"

Mount Trout, "Hang Around"

Witness K, "In Knots"

The Young Senators, "Ringing Bells (Sweet Music) Part II"

[neonscandal]

So, Neon, have you watched 2 of the best anime of 2024 (for me) :

- YATAGARASU: The Raven Does Not Choose Its Master (historical, political drama, amazing plot twist)

- Senpai is an Otokonoko (queer vibes, platonic > romantic, friendship, one of the best "love triangle")

As a fan of Ranma½, do you love the new animation, adaptations, & voice actors/actress? Somehow, I doubt that they will have the same 100+ episodes (don't you agree)?

Ooohhh! Senpai is an Otokonoko is on my radar but Yatagarasu wasn’t. I’m a bit behind this year, honestly. I started doing artist alley stuff and juggling that with my full time job was a bit overwhelming. Most recently, I’ve been really busy with my normal work due to the recent hurricanes.

I finally caught up with Ranma 1/2 this past weekend and it is beautiful. The character design is true to Takahashi’s design and there are a lot of nods to the age of the series that I find endearing. But at its core it still has modern aspects like the color saturation and contrast of shadow color choices (as in the above gif). The brighter colors feel like a nice touch. The scene where Ranma and Akane are walking to school and there’s that paper doll-esque outline as they transitioned? I thought that was really cute as well. I wouldn’t compare it to the artistic range of the Spiderverse movies but would say that they have random effects that look to be from that older era that are very dynamic looking and, as of yet, not super repetitive either.

I watched the series in English as a kid and kinda hoped there’d be some continuity there so I’m getting used to that (Nabiki is really the only one that feels a little too dissonant) but another anon said at least the seiyu are true to the original run. ❤️ I’m excited to see who they get for other characters with such a huge ensemble cast.

We may not get a full adaptation but the Inuyasha reboot already has two seasons so never say never 🤞🏾

Unless Mappa gets overwhelmed with all the work they go after… again. 🥲