#Lost Lands 2018 Mix

[putschki1969]

KALAFINA REUNION 📢IT'S TRUE📢

Why did I even go to bed last night??! Damn it, I lost precious time. Anways, many of you must have seen my post last night about that ominous Nikkan Sports article speculating about a possible comeback of Kalafina. I honestly thought it was fake news since it contained a ton of unconfirmed/uncredited information. However, there was lots of interesting stuff that kept me from dismissing it entirely. I mean, who would go through all the trouble coming up with details such as specific quotes or exact concert details? Turns out they mostly got the dates mixed up but the rest was true. At noon Japanese Standard Time, we got all of our official announcements. Here's the gist of it〈(•ˇ‿ˇ•)-→

Kalafina Staff Posts 1 & 2 on Twitter

Announcement of "Kalafina Anniversary LIVE 2025" Date: Wednesday, January 15, 2025 Open at 17:30 /Start 18:30 Venue: Tokyo Garden Theater Performers: Kalafina (Wakana, Keiko, Hikaru) Music Director: Takebe Satoshi

To everyone who loves and supports Kalafina We have decided to hold a "Kalafina Anniversary LlVE 2025". We want to sing together as a trio again, knowing that you all have always cherished Kalafina, even while we are doing solo activities. We look forward to seeing you there! Kalafina (Wakana, Keiko, Hikaru)

Ticket sales are scheduled for the following dates: ■Wakana/KEIKO Fan Club Advanced Lottery October 10, 2024, 11:00 - October 20, 23:59 ■Hikaru X (formerly Twitter) Advanced Lottery October 25, 11:00 - November 4, 23:59 ■General Ticket Lottery November 9, 11:00 - November 11, 23:59

Keiko Posts 1 & 2 on Twitter & Fan Club Site & Tristone & Instagram post

To all our supporters We have decided to hold a "Kalafina Anniversary LlVE 2025". Through my solo activities and activities with FictionJunction, I have had many new encounters and taken on new challenges, and I am where I am today thanks to the support of many people. This is a personal matter, but the reason I took a break from singing and then decided to sing again was because of Yuki Kajiura's music. And it was the feelings of everyone who has supported us up until now that led to this event. I am grateful for those feelings, and I am simply happy that the three of us can deliver Kalafina's music again. I am truly looking forward to seeing you all next year. KEIKO

Hikaru's Post on Twitter and Instagram

To everyone who always supports us We are happy to announce that we'll be holding a "Kalafina Anniversary LlVE 2025". Even during my solo activities, I always got a strong sense of everyone's love for Kalafina. I'm grateful we are getting this opportunity to sing together again as a trio and to perform all those treasured songs which Yuki Kajiura has written for us. I hope we can raise a new flag together with all of you. I look forward to seeing you there that day! 2024.10.03 Hikaru

Wakana Posts on Twitter & Botanical Land & Instagram post

(We finally have an official statement from Wakana on her Insta) It has been decided that an "Kalafina Anniversary LIVE 2025" will be held on January 15th next year. From 2018 to the present, we have each pursued our own music, but we have decided to sing together again. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all of you who always think of and love Kalafina. I am very much looking forward to meeting you all.

Satoshi Takebe Tweet 1 & Tweet 2 & Tweet 3 (deleted)

Today I had a meeting with some artists I truly respect and had a beer in the middle of the day 🍺 We had a fun afternoon. I hope there will be lots of fun things to do next year too. I can't say anything yet, but I'm already working on some exciting projects!! (Tweet 1)

I believe that my mission is to support artists. It is never my intention to betray or hurt people. That is the one thing I have always stayed true to, and I will continue to do so. It may sound naive, but I believe that sincerity and passion are what motivate people. (Tweet 2)

Due to confidentiality obligations, I cannot explain the situation. However, Kajiura-san is an artist I respect, she's a wonderful musician, and I am a fan of the music she creates. I would like to support the three members with the utmost respect. (Tweet 3 - deleted)

Tweet by Yuki Kajiura & Tweet 2 & Tweet 3

Regarding Kalafina I've received some inquiries in relation to the most recent announcement of an upcoming Kalafina Live Concert so I'd like to use this opportunity to clarify that I, Yuki Kajiura, will not have no involvement whatsoever in this concert. Furthermore, I have not received any advance notice or explanation from the organisers or any of the group members. Given the situation, I am therefore unable to answer any questions. I apologise, but any future inquiries regarding Kalafina should be directed at the organisers and official agencies of the group members.

I believe the members of Kalafina have decided to step away from me as their producer to go on a new path that is not related to me. I had been searching for a way to work together again in the future to create new Kalafina music but that will no longer be happening. It is very unfortunate but this is the road that each member has chosen. We are all individuals searching for our personal musical path so things like this happen.

As you all know, the three of them are truly wonderful singers so I have no doubt that they will continue to deliver amazing vocals and music to their fans. I would like to express my sincere gratitude once again for the privilege and happiness of having been able to create music together with them for nearly ten years, and I wish Kalafina continued success in the future.

Yuki Kajiura (Tweet 1)

I hope for a great success regarding the upcoming concert, and that's all I can say about this. I hope to continue making music in a cheerful and fun way in the future (^^). (Tweet 2)

This may be an unnecessary remark, but… there's no way that Kalafina will no longer be able to sing their past songs just because one producer has left, and I personally don't wish that upon them.

I'm sure they'll create a wonderful harmony at their live show in January, so I hope you'll give thunderous cheers and applause to Kalafina's singing and to the musicians who support them on stage. Once again, I wish them all the success in the world. (Tweet 3)

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───── ───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ────────── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

Wow. All of this is wild. I don't even know what to say. I can hardly believe it. On one hand, I am beyond happy and excited. There's no way I will not be there for this concert and everything beyond that. But on the other hand, all the announcements make this feel a little bittersweet. The personal statements by Wakana, Keiko and Hikaru don't necessarily feel disingenuous but they sound a bit flat and forced. Sadly, there's no personal statement from Wakana yet. Obviously, the elephant in the room is Yuki Kajiura's statement and her exclusion from the entire project. The way her statement is written comes off as quite bitter, passive aggressive and honestly a little petty which doesn't bode well for the future (maybe her manager Mori asked her to phrase it in such a way to make the organisers look bad. And I can understand why she would feel frustrated at being excluded like that). Mostly, I interpret her standoffish attitude as a knee-jerk reaction or as a way to strongly distance herself from the whole thing and not so much as an attempt to bash the members (the latter half of the statement would indicate that at least). Also, she already seems to regret posting such a harsh statement and posted a couple of follow-up tweets. I truly do not understand what is going on behind the scenes to cause so much hostility between Yuki Kajiura, her management and whoever is pulling the strings for this Kalafina reunion (presumably Space Craft's management). My best guess is that Space Craft is at least somehow involved in this project since both Wakana and Satoshi Takebe are able to participate (Takebe is not affiliated with Space Craft but he's been in charge of almost all of Wakana's solo work so maybe there are some ties to the agency).It looks like Space Craft are adamant about not working together with YK (same old childish attitude). Then again, Satoshi Takebe has enough influence in the industry to organise a project like this without the help of Space Craft. Maybe Sony is also involved? I have no idea. Hope we are getting more details once the ticket lotteries start. A new Kalafina website (still being developed) has popped up and it's run by Space Craft so that's probably proof enough that they are one of the main players in all of this.

I wonder if this was a spur of the moment thing once they realised how much hype there still exists for Kalafina after that "ring your bell" performance at the FSN event...Overall, the timing is so weird, Why now? I mean, this doesn't sound like it has been in the making for a very long time based on the fact that Yuki Kajiura didn't even know about it. Keiko and Hikaru literally collaborated with her a couple of weeks ago so how did this topic not come up even once???! Wonder how it will affect future collaborations between Yuki, Keiko and Hikaru? They still have the Asia tour dates coming up in November so I can imagine it would be kinda awkward to work together after this bomb has been dropped. Will they still be covering Kalafina songs? Either way, I refuse to believe tha there has been a real falling out between any of them. It comes across like a series of unfortunate events. Maybe some miscommunication and rushed action but nothing that couldn't be cleared up with a proper conversation.

One thing I'm also curious about is whether or not Satoshi Takebe will take on the role as producer for future music (if they are even planning to go down that route?? It does sound like they might have new projects/releases in store for us...I do feel a little conflicted about that since Yuki Kajiura is such an important component of Kalafina. This is basically what I thought would happen back in 2018/2019. With someone else coming in to take charge of the music production. Back then I wasn't completely against the idea since I was convinced the girls could make it work (especially with the help of someone as established and competent as Satoshi Takebe) but it certainly wasn't my preferred option. Ughhh, I will remain open-minded for the time being. My love for Wakana, Keiko and Hikaru goes beyond anything so as of right now, I feel happy and excited. The live in January will be a celebration of Kalafina so there's no way I'm not going. If they continue to hold "tribute" concerts like this, it will mostly be a nostalgic cash-grab but hey, I'm the target group for that. They can have all my money. And I can definitely see myself supporting them in future projects even with Yuki Kajiura out of the picture. Takebe has been engaging in some surprisingly frank one-on-one discussions on Twitter and so far, it looks like certain confidentiality agreements keep him from going into detail in the matter but his involvement as of right now is limited to being a director/producer for the concert on January 15.

It goes without saying that I will not tolerate any hate towards the girls on this blog! If you are bitter that Yuki Kajiura is not involved, that's your prerogative, I'm sure this will antagonise quite a few hardcore YK fans. But please, don't shit on the members for making this decision. I'm sure they put a lot of thought into it and felt like this course of action was in everyone's best interest. They are clearly thinking about the fans, their own passion/love for Kalafina's music and obviously their careers within the industry.

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Rosemary Kirstein’s “The Steerswoman”

I'm touring my new, nationally bestselling novel The Bezzle! Catch me TONIGHT (May 4) in VANCOUVER, then onto Tartu, Estonia, and beyond!

For decades, scammy "book doctors" and vanity presses spun a tale about how Big Publishing was too conservative and risk-averse for really really adventurous books, and the only way to get your visionary work published was to pay them to fill your garage with badly printed books that you'd spend the rest of your life trying to get other people to read:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/07/04/self-publishing/

Like all successful grifts, this one worked because it wasn't entirely untrue. No, mainstream publishing isn't filled with corporate gatekeepers who relish the idea of keeping your brilliance from reaching its audience.

But.

But editors sometimes make bad calls. They reject books because of quirks of taste, or fleeting inattentiveness, or personal bias. In a healthy publishing industry – one with dozens of equal-sized presses, all commanding roughly comparable market-share, good books would never slip through the cracks. One publisher's misstep would be another's opportunity.

But after decades of mergers, the population of major publishers has dwindled to a mere Big Five (it was almost four, but the DOJ blocked Penguin Random House's acquisition of Simon & Schuster):

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-sues-block-penguin-random-house-s-acquisition-rival-publisher-simon

This means that some good books definitely can't find a home in Big Publishing. If you miss with five editors, you can exhaust all your chances with the Big Five.

There's a second tier of great publishers, from data-driven juggernauts like Sourcebooks to boutique presses like Verso and Beacon Press, who publish wonderful books and are very good to their authors (I've published with four of the Big Five and half a dozen of the smaller publishers).

But even with these we-try-harder boutique publishers in the mix, there's a lot of space for amazing books that just don't fit with a "trad" publisher's program. These books are often labors of love by their creators, and that love is reciprocated by their readers. You can have my unbelievably gigantic Little Nemo in Slumberland collection when you pry my cold, dead fingers off of it:

https://memex.craphound.com/2006/09/25/gigantic-little-nemo-book-does-justice-to-the-loveliest-comic-ever/

And don't even think of asking to borrow my copy of Jack Womack's Flying Saucers are Real!:

https://memex.craphound.com/2016/10/03/flying-saucers-are-real-anthology-of-the-lost-saucer-craze/

I will forever cherish my Crad Kilodney chapbooks:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/02/19/crad-kilodney-was-an-outlier/#intermediation

Then there's last year's surprise smash hit, Shift Happens, a two-volume, 750-page slipcased book recounting the history of the keyboard. I own one. It's fantastic:

https://glennf.medium.com/how-we-crowdfunded-750-000-for-a-giant-book-about-keyboard-history-c30e24c4022e

Then there's the whole world of indie Kindle books pitched at incredibly voracious communities of readers, especially the very long tail of very niche sub-sub-genres radiating off the woefully imprecise category of "paranormal romance." These books are landing at precisely the right spot for their readers, despite some genuinely weird behind-the-scenes feuds between their writers:

https://www.theverge.com/2018/7/16/17566276/cockygate-amazon-kindle-unlimited-algorithm-self-published-romance-novel-cabal

But as Sturgeon's Law has it: "90% of everything is shit." Having read slush – the pile of unsolicited manuscripts sent to publishers – I can tell you that a vast number of books get rejected from trad publishers because they aren't good books. I say this without intending any disparagement towards their authors and the creative impulses that drive them. But a publisher's job isn't merely to be good to writers – it's to serve readers, by introducing them to works they are apt to enjoy.

The vast majority of books that publishers pass on are not books that you will want to read, so it follows that the vast majority of self-published work that is offered on self-serve platforms like Kindle or pitched by hopeful writers at street fairs and book festivals is just not very good.

But sometimes you find someone's independent book and it's brilliant, and you get the double thrill of falling in love with a book and of fishing a glittering needle out of an unimaginably gigantic haystack.

(If you want to read an author who beautifully expresses the wonder of finding an obscure, self-published book that's full of unsuspected brilliance, try Daniel Pinkwater, whose Alan Mendelsohn, The Boy From Mars is eleven kinds of brilliant, but is also a marvelous tale of the wonders of weird used book stores with titles like KLONG! You Are a Pickle!):

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Mendelsohn,_the_Boy_from_Mars

I also write books, and I am, in fact, presently in the midst of a long book-tour for my novel The Bezzle. Last month, I did an event in Cambridge, Mass with Randall "XKCD" Munroe that went great. We had a full house, and even after the venue caught fire (really!), everyone followed us across the street to another building, up five flights of stairs, and into another auditorium where we wrapped up the gig:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulnlSRbH80Y

Afterwards, our hosts from Harvard Berkman-Klein took us to a campus pizza joint/tiki bar for dinner and drinks, and we had a great chat about a great many things. Naturally, we talked about books we loved, and Randall said, "Hey, have you ever read Rosemary Kirstein's Steerswoman novels?"

(I hadn't.)

"They're incredible. All these different people kept recommending them to me, and they kept telling me that I would love them, but they wouldn't tell me what they were about because there's this huge riddle in them that's super fun to figure out for yourself:"

https://www.rosemarykirstein.com/the-books/

"The books were published in the eighties by Del Ray, and the cover of the first one had a huge spoiler on it. But the author got the rights back and she's self-published it" (WARNING: the following link has a HUGE SPOILER!):

https://www.rosemarykirstein.com/2010/12/the-difference/

"I got it and it was pretty rough-looking, but the book was so good. I can't tell you what it was about, but I think you'll really like it!"

How could I resist a pitch like that? So I ordered a copy:

https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-steerswoman-rosemary-kirstein/7900759

Holy moly is this a good novel! And yeah, there's a super interesting puzzle in it that I won't even hint at, except to say that even the book's genre is a riddle that you'll have enormous great fun solving.

Randall wasn't kidding about the book's package. The type looks to be default Microsoft fonts, the spine is printed slightly off-register, the typesetting has lots of gonks, and it's just got that semi-disposable feel of a print-on-demand title.

Without Randall's recommendation, I never would have even read this book closely enough to notice the glowing cover endorsement from Jo Walton, nor the fact that it was included in Damien Broderick and Paul Di Filippo's "101 Best Science Fiction Novels 1985-2010."

But I finished reading the first volume just a few minutes ago and I instantly ordered the next three in the series (it's planned for seven volumes, and the author says she plans on finishing it – I can't wait).

This book is such an unexpected marvel, a stunner of a novel filled with brilliant world-building, deft characterizations, a hard-driving plot and a bunch of great surprises. The fact that such a remarkable tale comes in such an unremarkable package makes it even more of a treasure, like a geode: unremarkable on the outside, a glittering blaze within.

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/05/04/the-wulf/#underground-fave

[sunanthrope]

Canine Nonhuman Media

Under cut. This is gonna be a long list and will be updated. But growing up I always knew I was a dog and was always open about being canine, and consumed canine media almost exclusively. So here you go

Books:

Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George - A story about an Inuit teenager who gets lost in the Alaskan ass end of nowhere and lives with a pack of wolves. This book is beautifully written and showcases Inuit culture, as well as fending for yourself, communicating with other species, and thinking of yourself as not entirely human. Miyax (Julie) is such a complex character as well and through the length of the book her story is revealed, as well as the story of her father, her late mother, her penpal, and eventually, why she ran away in the first place. I cannot recommend this book enough.

Julie by Jean Craighead George - The sequel to Julie of the Wolves. This book is set after Miyax is rescued from the icey wilderness and returned to civil life. It shows in detail how Miyax has adapted the ways of her wolf family and is conflicted by her father's return, because he is her family too. She is put off by her father's white wife, and longs to return to her wolf family. Delves into the idea of found vs blood family, as well as nonhuman family and not relating to humans.

The Survivors Series by Erin Hunter - So yeah, this book series is aimed at preteens. I recently started reading it though, after a long time of refusing to go near Erin Hunter's books due to trauma relating to Warrior Cats, but this series is so far amazing. I'm not far enough to say much else on it, but I will say the portrayal of how the dogs think is eerily similar to how I think.

Movies:

White Fang (2018) - I watched the 2018 movie when it first came out and fell in love with it. It's still a comfort movie for me and I feel a very close kinship with White Fang, because he's exactly like me in so many ways. This movie talks about animal abuse, dog fighting, Native American genocide and theft of land, and learning to trust again.

Balto (1995) - I love this movie and will always love this movie. Touches on subjects of learning to accept yourself, of loving both sides of yourself -- which can also be taken as a stanced on Mixed-Race BIPOC people, as Balto is half wolf and half dog, described as not quite either. Also a super heartwarming story!

Wolf Children (2012) - The story of a mother and her two werewolf children. After their werewolf father dies, the mother struggles raising her children, not only because being a mother is hard, but because her kids are half-wolf. The gradual growth of character in this movie is incredible. Touches on accepting yourself, of accepting your family, and of learning to love your true nature and decide for yourself who you want to be.

Princess Mononoke (1997) - Ok I just love Studio Ghibli. But Princess Mononoke was the first Ghibli film I watched and I adored it. It's a story about love, about found family, and about growing up and learning to leave the nest. She overcomes her hatred of humans in the end, learning that not all of them are bad. Also a story about Eco-consciousness and how factories and unsustainable living harms the environment. Princess Mononoke is so insanely hot too good lord, she was the entirety of 12 year old me's gay mind. Wanted to be her, wanted to date her.

[book--brackets]

Kingdoms and Empires by Jaclyn Moriarty (2017-2023)

Bronte Mettlestone's parents ran away to have adventures when she was a baby, leaving her to be raised by her Aunt Isabelle and the Butler. She's had a perfectly pleasant childhood of afternoon teas and riding lessons - and no adventures, thank you very much.

But Bronte's parents have left extremely detailed (and bossy) instructions for Bronte in their will. The instructions must be followed to the letter, or disaster will befall Bronte's home. She is to travel the kingdoms and empires, perfectly alone, delivering special gifts to her ten other aunts. There is a farmer aunt who owns an orange orchard and a veterinarian aunt who specialises in dragon care, a pair of aunts who captain a cruise ship together and a former rockstar aunt who is now the reigning monarch of a small kingdom.

Now, armed with only her parents' instructions, a chest full of strange gifts and her own strong will, Bronte must journey forth to face dragons, Chief Detectives and pirates - and the gathering suspicion that there might be something more to her extremely inconvenient quest than meets the eye...

The Lost Conspiracy by Francis Hardinge (2008)

On Gullstruck Island, legend has it that the mountain ranges and volcanoes are in charge. Anger them, and you'll pay the price. Keep them happy, and you'll enjoy their protection. These stories of the land's command come in handy for quiet, near-invisible Hathin when she must run for her life. Hathin's sister, Arilou, is believed to be a Lost. The Lost are held nearly sacred by those on Gullstruck, for they can send their senses away from their bodies. If Lost, Arilou can read a message across the island. If Lost, Arilou can hear whispers in the corners of private rooms. If Lost, Arilou can smell bread baking in the governor's mansion. All from her beachside hut. But the question remains: Is Arilou really a Lost? When all the Lost drop dead--except Arilou--she and Hathin are swept into a grand conspiracy that leads them to the most sinister depths--and heights--of the island.

Isola by Brenden Fletcher (2018-2020)

An evil spell has been cast on the Queen of Maar and her Captain of the Guard will do anything to reverse it. Their only hope lies on an island half a world away--a place known in myth as Isola, land of the dead.

The Secret of a Heart Note by Stacey Lee (2016)

Sometimes love is right under your nose. As one of only two aromateurs left on the planet, sixteen-year-old Mimosa knows what her future holds: a lifetime of weeding, mixing love elixirs, and matchmaking—all while remaining incurably alone. For Mim, the rules are clear: falling in love would render her nose useless, taking away her one great talent. Still, Mimosa doesn’t want to spend her life elbow-deep in soil and begonias. She dreams of a normal high school experience with friends, sports practices, debate club, and even a boyfriend. But when she accidentally gives an elixir to the wrong woman and has to rely on the lovesick woman’s son, the school soccer star, to help fix the situation, Mim quickly begins to realize that falling in love isn’t always a choice you can make.

The Fairy Realm by Emily Rodda (2001-2006)

When Jessie searches for her ill grandmother's missing charm bracelet, she is led to a magical world and finds she has a reason and right to be there.

Lays of the Hearth-Fire by Victoria Goddard (2019-2023)

Cliopher Mdang knows all about consequences. He is the Secretary in Chief of the offices of the Lords of State: the official head of the Imperial Bureaucratic Service of Zunidh, unofficial head of the government. He spends his days dealing with all the manifold results of enormously complicated systems.

He is also the personal secretary to his Radiency Artorin Damara, Last Emperor of Astandalas, Lord of Zunidh: the Sun-on-Earth, the Lord of Tising Stars, worshiped as a god.

Cliopher has never touched his lord, never called him by name, never initiated a conversation. He would never say aloud that he loves him, but it is for his lord, and not his own power or prestige, that he spends his life far from home and the family who have never quite forgiven him for leaving.

It is blasphemy to suggest that the Sun-on-Earth might need something as ordinary in human as a break. But one day Cliopher turns to his lord and invites him on a holiday to his homeland, the tropical paradise of Vangavaye-ve, which is as far from the court as it is possible to be. It is a place where pretension is soundly discouraged and pretenses are undone, and where the divine never very far from the human.

Valkyrie by Kate O'Hearn (2013-2016)

Freya is dreading her upcoming birthday when she'll officially have to take up her duties as a Valkyrie. She doesn't want to follow in the footsteps of the legends before her--legends including her mother and sisters. And she certainly doesn't want anything to do with humans 

Freya thinks humans are cruel, hate-filled creatures, but as she observes their world, she begins to wonder what it would be like to make friends with the girls or laugh with the boys she sees. And what would it be like to live without the fear that she could cause someone's death with a single touch? 

Then when she's sent on her first mission, she reaps the soul of a fallen soldier with unfinished business...business that sends her on an epic quest to the mortal world. Will Freya find the true meaning of being a human, or will she finally accept the legend she is destined to become?

Doomspell by Cliff McNish (2000-2002)

In a blaze of light, rush of wind and scrabble of claws, Rachel and Eric are ripped through the wall and hurtled on to another world. Like thousands of other children before them, they have been snatched away by the Witch.

But this time the Witch has met her match. Rachel discovers that she has extraordinary gifts: she can transform herself into a feather, or fly on an owl’s back, just as the Witch can. The Witch is excited she has found someone to use for her own evil purposes. But for the Witch’s victims, Rachel is their only hope.

Drizzle by Kathleen Van Cleve (2010)

Eleven-year-old Polly Peabody knows her family's world-famous rhubarb farm is magical. The plants taste like chocolate, jewels appear in the soil, bugs talk to her, and her best friend is a rhubarb plant named Harry. But the most magical thing is that every single Monday, at exactly 1:00, it rains. Until the Monday when the rain just stops. Now it's up to Polly to figure out why, and whether her brother's mysterious illness and her glamorous aunt Edith's sudden desire to sell the farm have anything to do with it. Most of all, Polly has to make it start raining again before it's too late. Her brother's life, the plants' survival, and her family's future all depend on it.

Lyra by Patricia C. Wrede (1982-1994)

Trouble is brewing in Alkyra. While the kingdom’s noblemen squabble, on their borders an ancient enemy, the Lithmern, raises an army. As the head of the Noble House of Brenn attempts to organize an alliance, the princess Alethia celebrates her twentieth birthday. She is a remarkable woman: quick-witted, beautiful, and handy with a throwing knife. But on the next night, she passes through a dark corridor on her way to the banquet hall, and never emerges from the shadows. The Lithmern have kidnapped the princess.   When Alethia regains consciousness, an evil Lithmern with a face made of shadows is carrying her through the forest. These are magic woods, home to fabled creatures whose existence she has always doubted. To find her way home, Alethia will have to learn to trust in the old tales, whose legends of magic and daring hold the only hope of saving her kingdom.

[harleiquina]

All TV series I've ever seen III

1940 - 1970

1980 -2000

2010 - now (this post)

2010 - Mike & Molly

Sitcom with some funny jokes... got lost at season 3 maybe... I don't know.

I know some people can't stand Melissa McCarthy but what I can't stand is the typical jokes of "well she's fat so she has to be eating in every scene or making a big deal about food" as it happens in Ghostbusters.

2011 -Once upon a time

At first I thought it was a silly premise (and maybe it is) but I do like fairytales twisted over and over again to create something new.

I stopped watching around season 5... because I was watching it through Sony (LatAm) and they started to play it dubbed and the voices were horrible.

I should pick it up someday.

2011 - 2 broke girls

Yet another sitcom that sometimes lands and others don't. Good enough to watch when there's nothing else available.

2011 - Person of Interest

A man creates a system (AI?) that can identify a criminals so hires someone to take care of them. I might've watched two seasons... then I lost track.

2013 - The Blacklist

James Spader has one of the best voices in the planet and when he plays a snarky a-hole he's at his best. The first two season were great... then I lost track and all the sudden they are ending the show after 10 seasons. I have a lot to catch up.

2013 - The Goldbergs

I might've been born in 1992 but thanks to mom and my aunts I grew up with in the '80s so this show was made for me... or so I thought. Some things are cringy, once Adam grows up the whole nerdy thing isn't as funny but it's ok... ish.

2013 - Father Brown

You can never be wrong with Chersterton's creation. Altough as all british TV shows it can be a little too slow for my taste.

2016 - Nafta Súper (Argentina)

The whole thing started with a simple question: what would've happened if Superman fell in a poor neighbourhood in Buenos Aires instead of the Kent's farm? This was the premise for Kriptonita a book that presented the DC heroes in their argentinean versions. But beware since they are outlaws and not always do good (but compared to our police they aren't as bad)... it is kinda hard to root for them. I mean Nafta Súper (is the name of a type of gasoline you get here) got his name because whenever he had to meet with other crime bosses he would carry gasoline with him and set them on fire if they didn't agree with his views 🤷🏻‍♀️

The movie was a good enough hit, so the TV show was meant to happen and expand the universe. Each episode focuses in one of the members of the Justice League (El Federico/Batman, Lady Di/Wonder Woman, El Faisán/Green Lantern, Ráfaga/Flash) while they all look for Nafta Súper/Superman that, after the end of the movie, is hiding.

As I said, it is hard to root for them but I have to give it to the creatives with all the clever ways to twist this heroes and villains so they fit in our culture. And I do like El Federico & Corona (Batman and The Joker) they are the highlight of the show for me.

2016 - Анна, детектив (Anna, detective -Russia)

Do you remember Medium? Have you ever thought how it could've been set in the early 1900s in a backwater town in Russia? Well now you don't have to!

Anna Mironova is a young woman that always had psychic abilities but they would come and go during childhood. Now this abilities are back around the same time the Officer Shtolman is assigned to her town.

Sometimes is very VERY telenovela (I am not entirely on board when it happens), each case lasts 2 episodes and I do think that is a bit of a strech. But I do have to recognize that Dimitri Frid (Shtolman) plays a man that is very smitten and deeply in love very well.

You can see it in Youtube in Star Media English (captioned in this language)

2018 - Killing Eve

We all know that the first 2 seasons were the best (we can add the 3rd in it too when we compare it to the 4th). This cat-and-mouse spy thriller started strong mixing dark humour and just darkness and left us all with a bad taste in the last episode. Still Eve and Villanelle will live forever in our hearts.

2019 - Good Omens

An Angel a Demon beeing close friends got 20K christians so angry that they started a pettition to cancel this show adressed to the wrong company. And people still ask me today why I am Agnostic?

The Antichrist was born, the Four Horsemen summoned so it is time to stop the Apocalypse.

Really funny, layered and worth a lot more than just a watch (mom and I watched it about 4 times in less than a year, so... is that good)

2019 - The Mandalorian

At home we were never huuuuuge Star Wars fans (we would watch for Harrison Ford and some creatures). Still, since the premise to this show was that you didn't needed to be a hardcore-fan we gave it a go and we loved it! It's very close to old shows, like Zorro, where you have the adventure-of-the-day kinda plot (that some people just can't dig, don't know why) and I do like good fights on TV/Cinema

Never underestimate the power of Baby Yoda!

2021 - Wandavision

Even if we never read a comic, we did watched most of Marvel movies and we wanted to know what all of this was about.

It's a lot more effective if you already know the shows they pay homage to.

Beware... it will break your heart.

2021 - Falcon & the Winter Soldier

Following the MCU, came the buddy-mov... erm, TV show, buddy-Tv show starred by Falcon and Bucky.

At a moment you might think that there are too many things on the plate (super soldiers, the new & bad Captain America, a black market dealer, Zemo) so some things do feel a little rushed. But well... at least was fun.

2021 - Loki

Don't kill me but I do not understand people's obsession with Loki.

I mean, the mythological god is a thing... but aside from Tom Hiddleston's fans I don't see the appeal of any nordic god in the MCU (as I said, I don't read comics).

The show is ok...

2021 - Hawkeye

Since I'm little I always liked archery and I was curious about this Avenger that is easily lost in the background of the movies.

It is not the greatest show ever made... but at least is less "the world will be destroyed" and that is a good change. Less is more.

2021 - The Book of Boba Fett

Of course after watching Mando I had to follow the story... and yes, he did took over in the last episodes. But still... it was nice seeing Boba Fett's arch that transformed him from a Bounty Hunter to a Leader (???).

Something could be a little bit more explored, but well... we'll see what the future holds for him.

2022 - Our Flag means Death

When I had a glimpse of the trailers (mostly focused on Steede's most feminine traits vs the tough life of a pirate) I was like "yay... another show making fun of a clearly gay character. Awesome. Are we in 1980 again?" But some gifsets in here spiked my curiosity... does the story really shows a romantic relationship between Blackbeard and Steede or this is the fandom beeing fandom once again?

Well... watch and find out!

2022 - Moonknight

I love the Ancient Egypt so this show was for me. I didn't know that there was a superhero based on those myths (nor that he had DID) and I really liked him.

Fingers crossed for a second season... or a movie (once the strike is over, of course).

2022 - Ms. Marvel

I was expecting something more teenage-based but anyone can see Ms. Marvel.

I don't understand why so many hated it... oh wait... Sor Juana said it better "foolish men that accuse the woman without reason..."

2022 - She-Hulk

And odd experiment, I do think that the last episode was kinda cheating but if she breaks the fourth wall... what can we do? 🤷🏻‍♀️

At least they aknowledged some narrative issues that have been dragging for a while.

2022 - The Sandman

Loving this show is an understatement.

Once again, I didn't read the graphic novel with the exceptions of a few panels here and there that I saw many years ago in Facebook (when Morpheus meets The Fates and the baby scene on The Sound of her Wings).

I love when all mythology and fairytales and other myths can be combined into something new. So this was my jam.

Waiting for season 2 (and getting a better paid job so I can buy the books).

2022 - Obi-Wan

Is there anybody in this world that hates Ewan McGregor? I don't think so.

The show was ok... some twists were predictable from the get-go (still some didn't see them coming and got angry at them 🤷🏻‍♀️). But well... everybody wanted Vader vs Obi-Wan and they sure had it!

2022 - Andor

I don't know if living in Argentina absolutely killed the idea of a heroic guerrilla, revolution and such (because we are the spoils of that and, trust me, thinks don't get better. But this is not about argebtinean politics so... moving on)... or it is because in USA is heavily romanticized but... Andor didn't clicked with me.

It was a task watching it and we only finished it because we started it... don't know if we will watch a second season.

2022 - Wednesday

A lot of people say that Tim Burton is overrated (I disagree, I think that he is tired of beeing ask to be Tim Burton, wacky director or weird films) but Wednesday is heavily overrated to me. Really? This has 12 Emmy nominations and The Sandman has zero? What the Bloody Hell?!

I like the Addams Family, I watched the TV show... the movies... this is not the Addams Family. I know, I know... this is about Wednesday blah, blah, blah. But this isn't Wednesday either... this is moody goth teenager with the biggest ego in the room.

Let's leave aside all the character and worldbuilding inconsistencies... Wednesday is a sharp and blunt person but she is never mean without a good point. This Wednesday is cruel even with people that loves her!

Did people forget that the weirdest thing about the Addams Family was that they are weird and they deeply love each other? That was what made them who they are! Instead of having the husband complaining about the wife, you have Gomez. Instead of having the wife trying to have the perfect house scolding her kids for their behaviour , you have Morticia with her own interests aside from beeing a housewife and assists her kids with their passions... I'll stop ranting now or I will never end.

Not a fan of the powers, the story is ok-ish...

2023 - The Last of Us

Never played videogames either and zombies (I'm sorry, infected) are not a big genre at home unless is Michael Jackson's Thriller video. Still we decided to give it a go because Pedro Pascal is latino and you have to support your people... even if they are chileans... or brazilians (argie joke. You wouldn't understand it).

We loved it!

I was ready for mom to complain with "is it necessary to always have gays?" in episode 3 but she didn't... and I dare to say that its one of her favourite episodes. (And no, readers, mom isn't conservative... but she's against tokenism -just like me-. If you want to have diversity in the world you've created, that's awesome... if you are doing it just to check some items off a list, it's annoying and feels like a desperate move)

2023 - The Muppets Mayhem

We love The Muppets but since Jim Henson's death they are kind of a hit-and-miss.

It does get better as it goes... wouldn't say is ✨️the best✨️ Muppets yet... but it is a lot better than the Haunted Mansion from last year (?)

2023 - FUBAR

Did you liked the movie True Lies with Arnold Schwartzenneger and Jaime Lee Curtis? Well... what if we do the same premise but this time his daughter is also a secret agent?

It is still good though... sometimes humor can be a little cringey, but Arnie knows his audience well enough and delivers.

2023 - Secret Inavsion (current)

It is still going so I cannot tell much just yet. Doesn't feel like a spy-thriller as I imagined but we'll see.

[ghostflowerdreams]

My Halloween Movie Watch List

Sometimes, choosing a movie for Halloween night is a struggle. When that happens, I rely on a random number generator. I set it to pick a number between 1 and 90 (or 100 if my list was longer), and whichever it lands on decides the movie for the night. Or if I’m not watching alone, I just ask a friend or family member to pick a number.

There’s a nice mix here—some films are spooky, while others are lighthearted, funny, and just plain fun. The random pick keeps things exciting, and each one on this list is a movie I know I'll be happy to watch.

Note: Some movies share the same name due to remakes or adaptations. When I can’t decide which version to watch, I just flip a coin.

We Are Still Here (2015)

You’re Next (2011)

Thir13en Ghosts (2001) / 13 Ghosts (1960)

Scream (1996)

Trick 'r Treat (2007)

Hocus Pocus (1993)

Halloweentown (1998)

Halloweentown II: Kalabar’s Revenge (2001)

Halloween (1978) / Halloween (2007) / Halloween (2018)

The Craft (1996)

Sleepy Hollow (1999)

The Faculty (1998)

The Crow (1994)

The Lost Boys (1987)

Near Dark (1987)

The Witches (1990) / The Witches (2020)

Casper (1995)

Pumpkinhead (1988)

Deathgasm (2015)

Totally Killer (2023)

Batman: The Long Halloween (2021)

Jennifer's Body (2009)

Ready Or Not (2019)

Satanic Panic (2019)

30 Days of Night (2007)

Pontypool (2008)

Freaky (2020)

The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)

Dawn of the Dead (1978) / Dawn of the Dead (2004)

The Evil Dead (1981)

The Babysitter (2017)

Slither (2006)

Pitch Black (2000)

Hellboy (2004)

Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008)

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

Van Helsing (2004)

Event Horizon (1997)

Train to Busan (2016)

Friday the 13th (1980)

From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)

Gremlins (1984)

The Ring (2002) / Ringu (1998)

The Shining (1980)

The Thing (1982) / The Thing (2011)

Dog Soldiers (2002)

House on Haunted Hill (1959) / The House on Haunted Hill (1999)

Gothika (2003)

The Fog (1980) / The Fog (2005)

Boys From County Hell (2021)

Rosemary's Baby (1968)

The Frighteners (1996)

Housebound (2014)

Haunt (2019)

Black Sheep (2006)

Candyman (1992)

The Little Vampire (2000)

Fright Night (1985) / Fright Night (2011)

The Sixth Sense (1999)

Coraline (2009)

Death Becomes Her (1992)

Addams Family Values (1993)

Scooby Doo on Zombie Island (1998)

Scooby-Doo and the Witch's Ghost (1999)

Idle Hands (1999)

Shaun of the Dead (2004)

Psycho Goreman (2020)

Cockneys vs Zombies (2012)

Deep Rising (1998)

Alien (1979)

Aliens (1986)

Beetlejuice (1988)

Army of Darkness (1992)

Ghostbusters (1984)

Tremors (1990)

Happy Death Day (2017)

Tucker & Dale vs. Evil (2010)

Attack the Block (2011)

The Others (2001)

The Fly (1986) / The Fly (1958)

Carrie (1976) / Carrie (2013)

Frankenweenie (2012)

Critters (1986)

Grabbers (2012)

Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992)

Donnie Darko (2001)

Edward Scissorhands (1990)

Crimson Peak (2015)

Corpse Bride (2005)

The Devil's Candy (2015)

[aangussca]

Gallery visit: Banksy exhibition (24.1.24)

Timeline and history in the gallery:

Dismaland (2015, mixed media with replicas displayed)

Description: "'Dismaland', Banksy largest project to date, opened its doors in 2015, within the walls of a derelict lido site, Tropicana, in Weston-super-Mare. The show was built as a Bemusement Park for a family day out, but instead of a sugar-coated fantasy land, it appeared as a distorted-mirror-Banksy-kind of fun fair: dark, ironic, sharp and unsettling. For this huge project, the elusive artist invited 50 different artists from 17 countries and created 'a fairground that embraces brutality and low-level criminality'."

Girl and Balloon Mural (2002, stencil)

Description: "'Girl and Balloon' first appeared as a mural on Waterloo Bridge in South Bank, London. The piece depicts a young girl reaching out to a red heart-shaped balloon with the words 'There is always hope' alongside it. This striking image has been used in various social campaigns over the years, including ones focused on the West Bank barrier in 2005, the Syrian refugee crisis in 2014, and the 2017 UK election. In 2018, a framed copy of the artwork was auctioned and spontaneously shredded by a hidden mechanical device, which Banksy had installed. The altered piece was renamed 'Love is in the Bin,' and Sotheby's noted that 'it was the first work in history ever created during a live auction.' Despite its transformation, the artwork remains a powerful commentary on hope and the value of art."

CCTV Britannia (2009, spray paint on metal mesh)

Description: "In 2009, Banksy displayed 'CCTV Britannia' at his 'Banksy vs. Bristol' Museum exhibit. The artwork is a modified version of the Armada memorial statue in Plymouth, Devon, which depicts Britannia, a symbol of Britain, holding a shield, spear, and lion. The original statue commemorates Britain's victory over the Spanish army."

UFO (2006, oil on canvas and oil on aluminium cut-outs)

Description: "'UFO' from Banksy's 'Crude Oils' exhibition showcases his unique approach of reimagining classical paintings with a twist of vandalism. 'UFO' was originally created for the special exhibition, it later made an appearance at Banksy's own show, 'Banksy vs. Bristol' museum in 2009. The piece explores the connection between different artistic expressions and challenges traditional notions of what is considered 'art'."

No Ball Games (2006, stencil)

Description: "'No Ball Games' alludes to a liberation of childhood and children's exemption from life's rules and expectations. The children are in an area not zoned for fun and play, but do so in defiance, going so far as to toss the sign as if it were a toy. 'No Ball Games' was sprayed in the same year on a shop wall at the junction between Tottenham High Road and Philip Lane, North London, but has since been removed and sold by the Sincura group in 2013, at an estimated £500,000, with the profits going to help disadvantaged children. It was taken down by the group as part of their controversial Stealing Banksy project. Many argued the work's meaning would be lost by its removal, but also that a piece of the area's heritage would also be taken. Banksy condemned the group's removal of the work, saying in a statement: "The show has nothing to do with me and I think it's disgusting people are allowed to go display art on walls without getting permission." This piece first appeared on canvas in 2006 at Banksy's Barely Legal exhibition in Los Angeles. Later in 2009, Banksy released a signed edition of 250 No Ball Games prints on both green and grey block backgrounds."

Mother Teresa (2006, stencil)

Description: "One of the notable pieces from Banksy's 'Barely Legal' exhibition in Los Angeles in 2006, this artwork encompasses multiple critiques. It humorously targets religion by utilising a religious figure that has become a pop culture icon of virtue. However, it also highlights the diminishing impact of Mother Teresa's life and teachings, reduced to cosmetic advice presented in a crude and shallow manner reminiscent of a basic internet search."

Barcode Leopard (2003, stencil)

Description: "Banksy's 'Barcode Leopard' originally appeared on the side of a house in Bristol on Pembroke Road before the stencil was mysteriously removed in August 2010. After four years, it unexpectedly resurfaced during a local school exhibition in Somerset. This minimalist image holds significant symbolism. The leopard depicted in the artwork is seen breaking free from its cage, which takes the form of a barcode. The powerful imagery forces us to confront the issue of animal cruelty, highlighting how animals are often treated as mere commodities and how endangered species are subjected to the forces of commercialism. Animal rights advocacy is a recurring theme in Banksy's art, and 'Barcode Leopard' serves as a prominent example of his commentary on the subject."

Paranoid Pictures (2003, stencil)

Description: "In 2003, Banksy created a small edition of acrylic and stencil spray paint on canvas featuring a modified version of the Paramount Pictures logo, renamed as 'Paranoid Pictures.' 'Your mind works best when you're paranoid. You explore every avenue and possibility of your situation at high speed with total clarity.' - Banksy (Banging Your Head Against A Brick Wall) Through this piece, Banksy challenges conventional thinking and encourages viewers to embrace a more vigilant and inquisitive mindset. The modification of the iconic logo serves as a clever subversion of popular culture, highlighting the artist's ability to juxtapose familiar imagery with thought- provoking messages."

Flower Thrower (2002, stencil)

Description: "By incorporating the image of an activist utilising a peaceful gesture in a zone of intense war conflict, Banksy presents a powerful message of love and activism. The artwork symbolises the desire for positive change and the rejection of violence as a means to achieve it. It highlights the potential of peaceful protest and advocates for a shift in the approach to addressing issues such as capitalism and military regimes. 'Flower Thrower' also offers a contemplative perspective on the efficacy of nonviolent resistance. The act of throwing flowers against a wall, which may seem futile in the face of oppressive systems, serves as a metaphorical representation of the idea that goodness and positive."

Kissing Coppers (2006, stencil)

Description: "'Kissing Coppers' is a Banksy stencil of two British policemen kissing. It was originally unveiled on the wall of the Prince Albert Pub in Brighton, England in 2004 and gained significant attention due to Banks's notoriety as a provocative street artist and activist. This piece was intentionally placed in Brighton, a city which has been referred to as the LGBTQ+ Capital of the UK. It has frequently been regarded as one of Banksy's most notable works for supporting gay [and other LGBTQ+] rights. In the UK, up until the year 2000, homosexual [and other LGBTQ+ people] were barred from serving in the British armed forces. Section 28, an act introduced by Margaret Thatcher to ban councils and schools from promoting homosexuality [and other LGBTQ+ topics/themes] in 1987, was also not replaced until 2003. It was only in the same year that gay/[queer] policemen were allowed to march uniform at gay [LGBTQ+] pride events. The Civic Partnership Act, giving same-sex couples the same rights as heterosexual couples, was not introduced until 2004. In other words, when Banksy stencilled this piece, [LGBTQ+] rights were still a big issue. (Tapies, Xavier: Where's Banksy?, Graffito Books Ltd., 2019) The original was replaced with a replica encased in Perspex after being carefully removed in 2011. It fetched $575,000 USD at a US auction after being removed from the wall of the Brighton pub."

Street Artist in Venice with Venice in Oil paintings (2019, oil paintings and short online video)

Submerged Phone Booth (2006, metal, acrylic and glass)

Description: "Banksy's 'Submerged Phone Booth', created in 2006, portrays a replica of the iconic British telecommunications phone booth emerging from a cement pavement, fragmenting and splitting the surface in the process. As with much of his work, Banksy questions society and events that often go unnoticed or ignored."

[littlemissidontcare]

Ppl don't tweet to the point Seb's CAMEO trended more than Evan's movie. But, please, how have you figured he lost 70% of his fanbase? It's not by IG followers, or else he'd be down to 3 million. So, how did you come up w that figure? //

Quick eyeball. I’ve been around for so long, since 2015. Out of the fifteen close friends of mine that were in this fandom, only 2 are still around. I’ve heard similar and have seen similar outside our circle and with the fans that came in during TFATWS. It went down six months after the show ended and some hype went down and it went down even more after he left social media. It’s funky be he was still popular during his awards hype year but even that went down as well, and during that I saw some fans still striking around for, but like I said with mixed factors, it went down A LOT.

Most of the fans that even came in during 2020 have also left as well but they keep tabs when they can. It’s not something hard to miss. It’s heartbreaking but it’s true. 2014-2018 was his prime in fandom-land hype was in the sebastian stan fandom. He was still popular post 2018 but things started changing. He regained his major popularity once more with TFATWS but it was different in the sense that a lot also only stuck around for about a year or so. Not all obviously, most here right now are from then, but a lot. So that’s where I’m getting my number.

Basing off numbers of people I know personally and math and blogs and pages I used to follow that are now abandoned and seeing how little his mentioned has gone down. It’s still up there but not as much as it used to be. His lack of instragram interaction affected this majorly as well and it’s normal for that to happen. They lost interest and moved on to other fandoms. Maybe they will return hype when his projects come back a little or even when Bucky is back too, I don’t see that happening very very soon.

I would not based his fandom numbers off his Instagram follows. I know people who follow him because of his gained (name) popularity in the last 2-3 years when his followers numbers jumped, but they aren’t even his fan. They followed him because he was talked about. Keep in mind that he is still gaining more than he is losing, so some are starting to remember they still follow him and don’t remember why. Like I said I know it hurts but his fandom is down A LOT and I put an estimate of 70% down. That’s up for debate and just my eye balling and opinion.

[finishinglinepress]

FLP POETRY BOOK OF THE DAY: The Hatchet Sun by Victoria Dym

On SALE now! Pre-order Price Guarantee: https://www.finishinglinepress.com/product/the-hatchet-sun-by-victoria-dym/

The Hatchet Sun is about leaving home, the darkness of Pittsburgh, and finding home in the light of Tampa, when…heat becomes the only lover to hold, the only weight that feels familiar (Sarah Kay). There is a clarity in exile, a chance for reincarnation. This is a collection of poems about rain and water, about lizards and alligators, about old love and new love, about time and grief, and death; about aging and climate change, about Cormants, Muscovy, mermaids and millepedes, about a wolf who has lost her pack. #life #nature

Victoria Dym is a graduate of Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Clown College with a degree in Humility, a Bachelor of Arts, in Philosophy, from the University of Pittsburgh, and a Masters of Fine Arts, Creative Writing-Poetry from Carlow University. Her two poetry chapbooks, Class Clown, and When the Walls Cave In were published by Finishing Line Press in 2015 and 2018. Victoria’s chapbook, Spontaneous, was selected by Northwest Poet Laureate Katherine Nelson-Born as the winner of the 2021 Poem-A-Day Chapbook Challenge Contest, won a cash prize, and subsequently was published by the West Florida Literary Federation in 2022.

PRAISE FOR The Hatchet Sun by Victoria Dym

In her debut full-length collection, Ms. Dym feeds us stories of love, laughter, and food itself, food is love / love is food, juxtaposed in stark contrast to the often-shocking tragedies that inhabit the human condition. For example, amidst the decadence and pampering of a mother-daughter Christmas Eve, we find a man / in shadow / beds down / blankets on the concrete sidewalk. Themes of longing, impermanence, brokenness, loss, grief, and death echo throughout this poignant work. We are invited into secret places where treasures are kept: a lock of baby’s curls; a dead mother’s rings. The poet asks: Is anybody watching me? Can you see me? Do you hear me? And says outright: I am singing to you. Indeed, the poet sings of nature, both the beautiful and the brutal and we, like the millipede in her kitchen, climb on the wall to observe as human and animal lives mingle. This hybrid-form writing begins in a kind of staccato like stand-up, like the news and with the poet, we are drawn into the possibility of what’s around the next corner. There exist, also in contrast to such staccato, beautifully crafted lines: the holiness of time, the holiness of place / morning’s fog, laced veil. & in the end, the poet honor[s her] own smallness with a graceful bow as she tells us: I bear within me, deep / my own ocean of swirling silence.

–d. ellis phelps, poet, editor, author, of failure & faith, (Kelsay Books, 2023)

The Hatchet Sun is like cutting into light the way one slices into a summer fruit. There can’t help but be sweet juice dripping. In these poems Victoria Dym writes with all the senses leaning into sensuality by skillfully mixing and remixing the language of life, love and grief. These poems move seamlessly from human, to animal, to nature and back using facts, tenderness and humor. The images twist and turn to create a new way of seeing. The overall breath of this gorgeous work speaks of achievement and celebration in the midst of a melancholy as Victoria writes in the poem “Mermaid,” I am singing to you this mermaid’s dream—to shed these scales, to trust my legs—to walk onto the land, upright, drenched—to wrap my siren thighs with yours. I am singing to you. This kind of sensual awareness walks the thin line between real and possible. This is Victoria’s charm and ability to create a two-toned consciousness which makes each poem extend the reach of reality.

–Sheila Carter-Jones, author of Three Birds Deep, Naomi Madgett Book Award

The prose poems in ‘The Hatchet Sun’ took my breath away. Violence, avoidance, and dysfunction abound in such works as ‘History’, but the prose itself lingers in the mind as pure poetry. An alternative view of Dym’s vision is presented in her sensuously explored visual images and sounds, and the satisfactions of maternal feeling, with reference to her daughter, as ‘my very best work’. The father monolith rears his head from time to time in this brimming and varied collection, and a wise poet like Dym recognises the role of generation and inheritance. Life is a camouflage of colour and shade in the poem ‘When the Octopus Dreams’, and we, like the multi-brained, three-hearted octopus, are pulled into our emotional colors according to experience. The writer enquires ‘Am I changing color?’ and the burden of obligation demands that this beautiful poem conclude with the instinctive longing ‘If only I had another brain, another heart, an extra arm’.

The collection includes poems of desire, and a stomach ‘fills with several hundred chrysalises . . . & moths spill from my lips . . .’ This is where Dym triumphs, in her evocation of what is lost forever but which may at times be tremulously attained again. There is a delicacy to such work, a wistfulness light as a door knocker lifted up by the wind.

This sensuous and unashamedly intellectual poet brings gifts of authority to her work, which presents itself here as achieved, memorable and entirely compelling. As a bulwark against changing times, poems such as Love Opus 18 for the Bassoon show the full scope of a journey characterised by curiosity and the writer’s own sense of her (and by inference our) place in the cosmos. In such a cosmos, math, music, and history coalesce quite magnificently. A collection to be savoured.

–Mary O’Donnell, poet, novelist, short-story writer, Massacre of the Birds (Salmon, 2020)

Please share/please repost #flpauthor #preorder #AwesomeCoverArt #poetry #read #poetrybook #poems #life #nature

[mostlysignssomeportents]

This day in history

Next Tuesday (December 5), I'm at Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, NC, with my new solarpunk novel The Lost Cause, which 350.org's Bill McKibben called "The first great YIMBY novel: perceptive, scientifically sound, and extraordinarily hopeful."b

#20yrago Bruce Sterling hits his stride on his blog https://web.archive.org/web/20040505163610/https://wiredblogs.tripod.com/sterling/index.blog?entry_id=154868

#20yrsago Hayes Micro: the moral is, take the money and run https://web.archive.org/web/20031205001612/https://www.ajc.com/business/content/business/1103/23hayes.html

#20yrsago Fan builds 11,000 sqft Haunted Mansion replica https://web.archive.org/web/20031203011208/https://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/gwinnett/1103/26haunted.html

#15yrsago Neil Gaiman explains why he opposes laws banning speech he disagrees with https://journal.neilgaiman.com/2008/12/why-defend-freedom-of-icky-speech.html

#15yrsago Why Candyland doesn’t suck https://web.archive.org/web/20081205063135/http://playthisthing.com/candy-land

#15yrsago Vietnam’s amazing phone-unlockers https://www.cnet.com/culture/unlocking-iphone-3gs-the-vietnamese-way/

#15yrsago UK to punish “publishing police info” with 10 years in jail https://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/11/413023.html

#10yrsago Porno copyright trolls Prenda Law fined $261K https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2013/11/unhappy-thanksgiving-for-prenda-law-ordered-to-pay-261k-to-defendants/

#10yrsago Presenting political argument on Twitter, and the “prestige economy” https://www.mic.com/articles/48829/why-you-should-never-have-taken-that-prestigious-internship

#10yrsago Apps come bundled with secret Bitcoin mining programs, paper over the practice with EULAs https://www.malwarebytes.com/blog/news/2013/11/potentially-unwanted-miners-toolbar-peddlers-use-your-system-to-make-btc

#10yrsago Study shows removing DRM increased music sales https://torrentfreak.com/what-piracy-removing-drm-boosts-music-sales-by-10-percent-131130/

#10yrsago JP Morgan’s “Twitter takeover” seeks questions from Twitter, gets flooded with critiques of banksterism #AskJPM https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/nov/30/shock-poll-reveals-gulf-britain-eu-france-germany-poland-hostile

#10yrsago UK Home Secretary Theresa May secretly charters private jet to (unsuccessfully) deport dying man to Nigeria https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2013/nov/30/theresa-may-hunger-striker-ifa-muaza-asylum-uk

#5yrsago To save Brexit deal, Prime Minister Theresa May dropped an assault rifle ban https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2018/11/something-crazy-happened-parliament-last-night-and-no-one-talking-about-it

#5yrsago David Byrne’s “Eclectic Music for the Holidays” playlist http://davidbyrne.com/radio/david-byrne-presents-eclectic-for-the-holidays

#5yrsago Incredibly detailed technical guide to camgirling is a mix of advanced retail psychology and advice on performing emotional labor https://knowingless.com/2018/11/19/maximizing-your-slut-impact-an-overly-analytical-guide-to-camgirling/

#5yrsago AI scientist who quit Google over Chinese censorship plans details the hypocrisy that sent him packing https://theintercept.com/2018/12/01/google-china-censorship-human-rights/

#5yrsago St Louis cops indicted for beating up a “protester” who turned out to be an undercover cop https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2018/11/30/its-still-blast-beating-people-st-louis-police-indicted-assault-undercover-officer-posing-protester/

#1yrago All the books I reviewed in 2022 https://pluralistic.net/2022/12/01/bookishness/#2022-in-review

It's EFF's Power Up Your Donation Week: this week, donations to the Electronic Frontier Foundation are matched 1:1, meaning your money goes twice as far. I've worked with EFF for 22 years now and I have always been - and remain - a major donor, because I've seen firsthand how effective, responsible and brilliant this organization is. Please join me in helping EFF continue its work!

[transitranger327]

My favorite part of Fowl Play is that it went from “hahah funny unset card” to “regular draft common” in the past 5–6 years. No other Unglued card has done that (yet). Yes die-rolling is black-border now, but that’s really only in the D&D sets. But blue enchantments that remove abilities are now in many sets.

1998: Unglued’s “Fowl Play” is a 3-mana common that makes the creature a 1/1 Chicken

2016: Eldritch Moon’s “Imprisoned in the Moon” is a 3-mana Rare that makes the creature or planeswalker a colorless land that only taps for colorless

2018: Dominaria’s “Deep Freeze” is a 3-mana common that makes a creature a 0/4 blue Wall with defender, but it keeps its other colors and types (not abilities)

2019: War of the Spark’s “Kasmina’s Transmutation” is a 2-mana common that turns the creature into a 1/1 (very clean templating)

2019: Throne of Eldraine’s “Frogify” is a 2-mana uncommon that turns the creature into a 1/1 blue frog (i would call this strictly better than Fowl play, as bird is a more relevant creature type than frog).

2020: Theros Beyond Death’s “Ichthyomorphosis” is a 3-mana common that turns the creature into a 0/1 fish

2020–2022: R&D starts mixing and matching “losing all abilities” into typical blue removal auras (“doesn’t untap” variants and “-N/-0”)

2022: Streets of New Capenna gives us the ultimate form of Fowl Play variants, “Witness Protection”, a 1-mana common that turns the enchanted creature into a 1/1 green and white Citizen named (i kid you not) “Legitimate Businessperson”.

2023: Shadows Over Innistrad Remastered on Arena downshifts “Imprisoned in the Moon” to common because the magic zoomers think this is a normal card now

2023–2024: March of the Machine, Lost Caverns of Ixalan, Modern Horizons 3, and Bloomburrow all have variants on the theme

Honorable mentions to Lignify and Kenrith’s Transformation (green versions of Fowl Play) as well as Darksteel Mutation and Reprobation (white versions of Fowl Play). A Dishonorable mention to Oko, Thief of Crowns (a planeswalker that turns a creature or artifact into a 3/3 elk permanently as a +1 for some godforsaken reason).

Silver border card legality ranking: Silver border Magic cards are free from the rules of the game, but some of the cards still follow the rules anyway. And some of them ALMOST follow the rules, but don't. I'm gonna group them into categories.

Category 1: Legal

These are cards that just straight up work with their current oracle text, no changes needed.

Not much to say about these, they just came up with kinda-weird (or even perfectly normal) card effects and gave them funny names and artwork. Or even perfectly normal name and artwork. Seriously if Fowl Play was printed today the only thing weird about it would be that the artstyle is old-looking.

Category 2: Player-controlled non-game actions/conditions

These are cards that involve one or more players doing something outside the game. Some of these are trivial, while some are intended to be challenging, but as long as the relevant player theoretically has full control over the action/condition, it goes in this category.

These cards can be fairly easily converted into legal cards by making any non-game action/condition simply a choice by a player; performing a non-game action (such as saying a word on a Gotcha card) can be done any time a player has priority or any time a card asks a player to. Changing a non-game condition (such as whether or not your hands are in contact with each other) can be done at any time a player has priority.

In these converted cards, the actual out-of-game action/condition itself is not relevant; abilities such as Gotcha don't trigger unless a player explicitly says they're performing the action that triggers the Gotcha, and you don't actually have to flap your arms and cluck like a chicken to activate Mesa Chicken's ability.

Some cards, such as Handcuffs, become basically pointless when converted this way; the player will simply declare the condition to be true and never change it to false. Oh well.

Category 3: Non-player-controlled non-game actions/conditions

These rely on actions/conditions that aren't controlled by any one player in the game. They can be dependent on people/conditions outside the game, on aspects of cards that aren't proper game elements such as artists, artwork, or wordplay, or on a contest between two players in the game.

These cards have perfectly legal effects, but the conditions that trigger or affect those effects aren't determined by legal game information, and can't be controlled by players. With no good way to adjust the conditions of these cards, they cannot be converted to legal cards.

Category 4: Illegal effects

These are cards that do things to the game state that aren't possible in the rules, such as fractional numbers or affecting games outside of the current game.

These are cards that are just straight-up impossible, the things they try to do don't work in the rules. There's no hope of saving them. They are true silver-border cards.

Bonus Category: Special mechanics

Unstable introduced Host-Augment and Contraptions, mechanics that, while weird, don't do anything that the game can't handle; host-augment is a unique way of combining creature cards, while contraptions involve a special contraption deck.

While these mechanics would certainly need entries in the comprehensive rules, they'd certainly be able to work. Host-Augment combining cards is comparable to mutate (though it's different enough to need its own rules), and attractions, a tournament-legal mechanic introduced in the Unfinity set, also use a special deck just like contraptions.

While these cards don't work in the CURRENT comprehensive rules, I give them an honorary placement in category 1.

[book--brackets]

The Cemeteries of Amalo by Katherine Addison (2021-present)

When the young half-goblin emperor Maia sought to learn who had set the bombs that killed his father and half-brothers, he turned to an obscure resident of his father’s Court, a Prelate of Ulis and a Witness for the Dead. Thara Celehar found the truth, though it did him no good to discover it. He lost his place as a retainer of his cousin the former Empress, and made far too many enemies among the many factions vying for power in the new Court. The favor of the Emperor is a dangerous coin. 

Now Celehar lives in the city of Amalo, far from the Court though not exactly in exile. He has not escaped from politics, but his position gives him the ability to serve the common people of the city, which is his preference. He lives modestly, but his decency and fundamental honestly will not permit him to live quietly. As a Witness for the Dead, he can, sometimes, speak to the recently dead: see the last thing they saw, know the last thought they had, experience the last thing they felt. It is his duty use that ability to resolve disputes, to ascertain the intent of the dead, to find the killers of the murdered. 

Now Celehar’s skills lead him out of the quiet and into a morass of treachery, murder, and injustice. No matter his own background with the imperial house, Celehar will stand with the commoners, and possibly find a light in the darkness. 

The Children of Green Knowe by Lucy M. Boston (1954-1976)

Tolly's great-grandmother wasn't a witch but both she and her old house, Green Knowe, were full of a very special kind of magic. And Green Knowe turned out not to be the lonely place Tolly had imagined it to be. There were other children living in the house - children who had been happy there centuries before.

The Smoke Thieves by Sally Green (2018-2020)

In a land tinged with magic and a bustling trade in an illicit supernatural substance, destiny will intertwine the fates of five players: 

A visionary princess determined to forge her own path. 

An idealistic solider whose heart is at odds with his duty. 

A streetwise hunter tracking the most dangerous prey. 

A charming thief with a powerful hidden identity. 

A loyal servant on a quest to avenge his kingdom. 

 Their lives intersect with a stolen bottle of demon smoke. As war approaches, they must navigate a tangled web of political intrigue, shifting alliances, and forbidden love in order to uncover the dangerous truth about the strangely powerful smoke that interwines their fates.

Mongrels by Stephen Graham Jones (2016)

He was born an outsider, like the rest of his family. Poor yet resilient, he lives in the shadows with his aunt Libby and uncle Darren, folk who stubbornly make their way in a society that does not understand or want them. They are mongrels, mixed blood, neither this nor that. The boy at the center of Mongrels must decide if he belongs on the road with his aunt and uncle, or if he fits with the people on the other side of the tracks.

For ten years, he and his family have lived a life of late-night exits and narrow escapes—always on the move across the South to stay one step ahead of the law. But the time is drawing near when Darren and Libby will finally know if their nephew is like them or not. And the close calls they’ve been running from for so long are catching up fast now. Everything is about to change.

The Door Within by Wayne Thomas Batson (2005-2006)

Aidan Thomas is miserable. And it's much more than the strange nightmares he's been having. Just when life seemed to be coming together for Aidan, his parents suddenly move the family across the country to take care of his wheelchair-bound grandfather. When strange events begin to occur, Aidan is drawn into his grandfather's basement where he discovers three ancient scrolls and an invitation to another world.

No longer confined to the realm of his own imagination, Aidan embarks on an adventure where he joins them in the struggle between good and evil. With the fate of two worlds hanging in the balance, Aidan faces Paragory, the eternal enemy. Will Aidan be willing to risk everything and trust the unseen hand of the one true King? The answer comes from The Door Within.

A Face Like Glass by Frances Hardinge (2012)

In the underground city of Caverna the world's most skilled craftsmen toil in the darkness to create delicacies beyond compare. They create wines that can remove memories, cheeses that can make you hallucinate and perfumes that convince you to trust the wearer even as they slit your throat. The people of Caverna are more ordinary, but for one thing: their faces are as blank as untouched snow. Expressions must be learned. Only the famous Facesmiths can teach a person to show (or fake) joy, despair or fear — at a price.

Into this dark and distrustful world comes Neverfell, a little girl with no memory of her past and a face so terrifying to those around her that she must wear a mask at all times. For Neverfell's emotions are as obvious on her face as those of the most skilled Facesmiths, though entirely genuine. And that makes her very dangerous indeed...

Squire by Nadia Shammas (2022)

Born a second-class citizen, Aiza has always dreamt of becoming a Knight. It’s the highest military honor in the once-great Bayt-Sajji Empire, and as a member of the Ornu people, her only path to full citizenship.

Now, ravaged by famine, Bayt-Sajji finds itself on the brink of war once again. This means Aiza can finally enlist to the competitive Squire training program.

The camp is nothing like she envisioned. Hiding her Ornu status in order to blend in, Aiza must navigate friendships, rivalries, and rigorous training under the merciless General Hende. As the pressure mounts, Aiza realizes that the “greater good” Bayt-Sajji’s military promises might not include her, and that the recruits might be in more danger than she ever imagined.

Dragon's Bait by Vivian Vande Velde (1992)

Fifteen-year-old Alys is not a witch. But that doesn't matter--the villagers think she is and have staked her out on a hillside as a sacrifice to the local dragon. It's late, it's cold, and it's raining, and Alys can think of only one thing--revenge. But first she's got to escape, and even if she does, how can one girl possibly take on an entire town alone? Then the dragon arrives--a dragon that could quite possibly be the perfect ally. . . .

Tales of Alderly by Alan Garner (1960-2012)

About 150 years ago, my great-great-grandfather, Robert Garner, carved the face of an old man with long hair and beard in the rock of a cliff on a hill where my family has lived for at least 400 years, and still does. He carved the face above a well that is much older. How much older, no one knows, but it's centuries older, or even more. And why did he carve it? He carved it to mark that here is the Wizard's Well.

I am Joseph's grandson, and I grew up on that hill, Alderley Edge in Cheshire, aware of its magic and accepting it. I didn't know that it wasn't the same for everyone. I didn't know that not all children played, by day and by night, the year long, on a wooded hill where heroes slept in the ground. Yet there were strange things. Below another ancient well, the Holy Well, a rock lies in a bog. It fell from the cliff above in 1740 and made the Garners' cottage shake. It landed on an old woman and her cow that, for some reason, were standing in the bog, and, as a result, are still there. When I was seven, the bog was dangerous for somebody of my size and I once got stuck in it and thought I was going to drown, even though I sank only to my hips; but I managed to reach the rock and to climb up it to where a fallen tree was lodged, which spanned the bog, and by sliding along the trunk I was able to reach firm land. Nearby, under the leaf mould, is a layer of white clay that we used as soap to wash ourselves before we went home after playing. But there wasn't anything I could do about my clothes, and Grandad was not pleased.

The Edge is a land of two worlds: above and below. It took me my childhood to learn about above; when I was 19, I went to learn the wonders of below: a world of darkness and silence, so dark that you can see the lights of brain cells discharging; so silent that blood in the veins can be heard.

Stoneheart by Charlie Fletcher (2007-2009)

A city has many lives and layers. London has more than most. Not all the layers are underground, and not all the lives belong to the living. Twelve-year-old George Chapman is about to find this out the hard way. When, in a tiny act of rebellion, George breaks the head from a stone dragon outside the Natural History Museum, he awakes an ancient power. This power has been dormant for centuries but the results are instant and terrifying: A stone Pterodactyl unpeels from the wall and starts chasing George. He runs for his life but it seems that no one can see what he's running from. No one, except Edie, who is also trapped in this strange world. And this is just the beginning as the statues of London awake

[dudja]

Excision - Lost Lands 2018 Mix by Excision Download the Lost Lands 2018 Mix now! https://ift.tt/2PosiXt Purchase/stream tracks from the mix Spotify https://ift.tt/2QyAMrM iTunes https://ift.tt/2RIzESk Apple Music https://ift.tt/2Dwm0yS Beatport https://ift.tt/2PgIGcu GooglePlay https://ift.tt/2QvabeV Excision - Baby Steps Excision & Space Laces - 1 On 1 Kompany - Buck [Never Say Die] SLANDER & Wavedash - Move Back Antiserum - On The Edge ft Bok Nero Panda Eyes - I Am Undead (Nasko Remix) Bailo & NXSTY - Tear It Down ft BORN I RIOT - Aiwa Ubur & Subject 31 - Flex Peekaboo & G-Rex - Babatunde Monxx & Walter Wilde - The Wonky Song (X Rated Version) Svdden Death - Behemoth Eptic - No Mercy [Never Say Die] SLANDER & Crankdat - Kneel Before Me ft Asking Alexandria NGHTMRE & Dillon Francis - Another Dimension (YOOKiE Remix) Dion Timmer - Barrows Ballad NXSTY - Coupe Bandlez - Together Jantsen - Bring It Back Lifecycle - Zero-X (Franky Nuts Remix) Bandlez - Spy Kidz ID - ID Bassnectar & Jantsen - What Monxx - Wonky Riddim VIP PhaseOne & YounBuck - Double Up (Bandlez Remix) Excision - G Shit ft Sam King (BadKlaat Remix) Excision & Illenium - Gold ft Shallows (Stupid Love) Excision - With You (Sullivan King Remix) Sullivan King - Dropkick Pegboard Nerds & Dion Timmer - Escape Carbin - Twenty2Life Ivory & Samplifire - ID [Never Say Die] Spag Heddy - Reddy The Throne ft PsoGnar [Never Say Die] Barely Alive - Wompum Figure - Heartbeat Of Hell [NSD Black Label] Megalodon - Sum More ft Leo Black [Never Say Die] Tha Trickaz, Creaky Jackals - OG Purp (PhaseOne Remix) Excision - Vault Lil Jon & Skellism - In The Pit ft Terror Bass (Excision Remix) Excision & Space Laces - Throwin' Elbows (Getter & Virtual Riot Remix) Oliverse & Tisoki - Friends Forever Bassnectar & Digital Ethos - Slather Peekaboo - Arrival Kayzo - Feel The Power ft Micah Martin (Tisoki Remix) Spag Heddy - Gospel ft Born I [Never Say Die] Gammer - The Drop PhaseOne - Welcome To Mayhem Mashok & Nost - Blow This Bassnectar & Jantsen - Heavyweight Sound ft RD MurDa - Ball Licker VIP (Killionaire Succ Edit) Trivecta & Wooli - Falling Excision - Drowning Excision & Dion Timmer - Her (Wooli Remix) Snails & Dion Timmer - Forever ft KLP (Funtcase Remix) Virtual Riot - Dog Fight Lev3l & Sweettooth - Impending Doom HE$H - Hit a Lick MONXX - SCARY RIDDIM Spag Heddy - Zoom IVORY - No Regrets [NSD: Black Label] Excision & Sullivan King - Fight Through The Pain Excision & Sullivan King - Wake Up Wooli - Throw It Up [Never Say Die] Excision & Dion Timmer - Hoods Up ft Messinian Spag Heddy - Strayed Up ft Armanni Reign [Never Say Die] CYBRPNK - MSHPT ft Sullivan King Mantis - Moshaholics ft Messinian Excision - Exterminate Samplifire & Ivory - ID [Never Say Die] Space Laces - Kaiju [Never Say Die] Wavedash, Quest - Devil Music NXSTY & Snavs - Flex TYNAN - Terminal 4B - Ice Cold (Acraze remix) Big Gigantic - Got The Love (Kill The Noise & Mat Zo remix) Ivory - The Fight Fox Stevenson - Miss You Excision - Fall Phiso - Jotaro (Mighty Duck Edit) AFK - On The Floor ft Messinian (2018 VIP) Megalodon - Half Breed [Never Say Die] Sullivan King - ID HE$H - Mike Tyson Chime - Experience Points Celldweller - The Imperial March (Pegboard Nerds Remix) Bossfight - Work Delta Heavy - I Need You Excision - Tonight Carbin - Bad Habit Virtual Riot - Purple Dragons VIP Excision - Power Riot Ten & Sullivan King - Pit Boss ft DJ Paul (Badklaat Remix) Dodge & Fuski, Ivory - Dog Eat Dog Excision - Die For You ft Akylla Barely Alive - Odyssey Sam Lamar - Destroy Adventure Club & Dion Timmer ft Kai - Need Your Heart 2.0 VIP Excision & Dion Timmer - Home Barely Alive, Panda Eyes, Virtual Riot - Triforce (Dodge & Fuski Remix) LAXX & Dion Timmer - Join Me (Gentlemens Club Remix) [Never Say Die] Downlink - Threat Excision & Downlink - Headbanga Eptic - Bloodlust [Never Say Die] Excision & Space Laces - Rumble Hekler - Basic Bass Tune

[ectonurites]

When did Kon change his look?

Mmm okay so I know I had thrown together an image that went over the basics of Kon's looks a WHILE ago but I don't feel like digging to find that and it was very quick anyways, so lets do something a little more comprehensive.

1993 - Reign of the Supermen & Early Days:

(Adventures of Superman #500)

So Kon starts out with his iconic jacket look- the suit underneath is what the Cadmus scientists had him in, and he gets the first jacket from the Newsboy Legion when they helped him escape. The initial jacket was a plain one, but during the course of Reign of the Supermen he gets the more familiar one (well he gets many of these he can go through LMAO) with the gold 'S' on the back. This is also what he wears for the first big chunk of his solo comic!

1994-2000 Temporary looks:

(Cover of Superboy Vol. 4 #0, #51, #60, #74, Cover of #76)

Before his next like, more longterm major costume change, there's a few temporary looks that I think are worth mentioning. He has X-Ray glasses (since that's a power he lacks) before he loses them on a mission. When he gets stranded in the Wild Lands for a bit he has a whole Kamandi thing going on. For Hyper-Tension! he dons the jacket that an alternate reality version of himself had died in for travelling through Hypertime. During Sins of Youth he gets temporarily turned into an adult and thus has a slightly altered look. After Sins of Youth he temporarily lost his powers and wore a T-shirt look with a shield and Legion flight ring until he got them back.

2001ish - Superboy #83

(Superboy Vol. 4 #83 + Cover of #89)

At the start of Kelly's run on his solo, Kon goes through a lowkey identity crisis and with the help of a civillian named Bianca he re-learns how to be cool... and a new outfit comes along with it! This design does have a jacket, but he gets drawn pretty often without it in various appearances.

2003 - Teen Titans era

(Cover of Teen Titans Vol. 3 #2)

After Graduation Day when Geoff Johns attacked the Core Four moved onto the Teen Titans, Kon gets the T-shirt as his main look for the rest of the 2000s up to the reboot

2003-2019 Temporary looks:

(Teen Titans Vol. 3 #16, Cover of #25, Young Justice (2019) #3)

Before his next longterm costume change, we see Kon in a more classic Superman-ish suit when he spent time in the future with the Legion of Super-Heroes. Then the unfortunate 'Lex takes over Kon and makes him shave his head' situation... occurs. In YJ 2019 Flashbacks we also see Kon mix some previous looks by wearing the T-shirt and a leather jacket together.

(I am purposefully skipping New 52 Kon here because he is a separate character.)

2019 - Post-Flashpoint/Young Justice

(Young Justice (2019) #1)

When Kon gets brought back into existing he's in a revamped version of his original look! Leather jacket but now with spikes and MORE patches <3

Now?

So there was the whole fakeout thing with Suicide Squad 2021 where who we thought was Kon back in the T-Shirt look was actually Match who believed he was Kon... we later got the reveal and saw Kon was in fact still in his punk look:

(Suicide Squad 2021 Annual)

We haven't really seen him since then, but we have some covers for upcoming stuff that makes his current costume uhhhh... uncertain.

(Upcoming covers for Suicide Squad (2021) #13 and Justice League (2018) #75)

Kon might be in a T-Shirt during the War for Earth-3 crossover? Or it might not even be him on this cover because the solicits don't actually mention him by name- we have to wait and see! He's also on a cover for Death of the Justice League which comes out after that, in the jacket look, so uhhhh 🤷‍♂️. We really don't know what the deal is at this exact moment, he could very well just be alternating depending on his mood for all we know. Also covers lie sometimes so either one of these could just be wrong.

[qqueenofhades]

As a Non-American (French), I have a genuine question regarding the basis of abortion right in the US. I read your response to this ask about why not passing abortion right into law and I still don't quite understand a) why it could not be done at the time of R Vs W or later and b) why it wouldn't necessarily be more protected against Supreme Court decisions. I think I don't quite understand the scope of the powers of the Supreme Court in a sense.

French 2: Not to say that it's on the Democrats at all, I'm just a bit curious as to why this right was never explicitly out into the law and left at the mercy of jurisprudence and interpretation of the constitution. I follow American politics from afar only so I'm a bit lost. I had enough on my French political plate recently…

French 3: OK so the Democrats had little control over both Congress and Senate, so at least it clarifies a little bit for the more recent years. Now I guess my questions morphs a bit into why is it such a big cornerstone of Republican policy to want to do away with this? Not saying that it's not a non-issue in France but for instance, our right is much more focused on surrogate pregnancy for instance. 

WELP. Welcome to the complete and utter shitshow that is American politics, and which has especially become the case as the Republican party has lurched further and further hard-right and openly fascist, while still being largely accepted as a “mainstream” political movement. The reasons for this are an incredibly complicated mix of political, legal, social, cultural, and religious factors, and I’ll see if I can possibly condense it into anything resembling a succinct explanation. It’s totally fair if you don’t understand everything about our Lovecraftian nightmare of a government, because tons of actual Americans who were born and grew up and have lived all their lives here don’t understand it either. Sometimes this is due to deficiencies in public education, sometimes to apathy and indifference and “bothsiderism,” sometimes because of willful ignorance and the deliberate creation of an alternate universe, supported by its own media ecosystem and hardworking disinformation spigot. So let’s see what I can start with.

1. The Supreme Court is the highest legal authority in the land -- the end, full stop, no more debate. Even if the Democrats had managed to squeak through a law that formalized Roe, in one of their very brief periods of full control of the Senate, House, and Presidency, the Supreme Court would still have been able to strike it down. (And the Democrats would have needed not just full control, but an absolute supermajority, due to a horrible invention called the filibuster, which we will discuss next, and the fact that literally no member of the Republican party, especially post-Obama, would have voted with them or supported it). Any law made in America can be challenged in court -- whether on the federal, state, or local level. Even if Democrats had turned Roe into an actual law, anti-choicers could still have sued them and won, especially since the judiciary was packed with hard-right wingnuts during Trump’s reign of terror.

Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which is the actual case that will overturn Roe when the final decision is handed down, could still have been brought all the way to the Supreme Court. Any ruling has to be upheld by lower courts -- state, district, federal, circuit -- before it reaches the Supreme Court, but Republicans have packed those lower benches with anti-choice, hard-right judges precisely in order to get favorable rulings to bump the case up the food chain. Once again, it would not have mattered if Roe was an actual federal law, since Dobbs regards a Mississippi state law that was enacted in 2018 and prevented abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. Anti-choice factions could still sue to overturn the federal law, and could still win, and we would still be in this exact same position. So if anyone wants to claim that the Democrats could have just stopped all this by making it into law, as if that would have shielded it from judicial review and/or overturn, yet again, they don’t know what they’re talking about.

Another thing that’s important to stress: the Supreme Court does NOT have to take all the cases presented to it. They often either simply decline to hear cases (in which case the legal chain of custody expires), or issue what is known as “shadow docket” rulings, wherein they just issue their opinion without public debate, formal hearings before the Court, or any of the other ordinary apparatus of a lawsuit. This has been criticized as an underhanded way for this neoconservative, Republican-packed court to hand down federally binding and unchallengeable rulings with the minimum of public scrutiny or due process, especially since those rulings often tend to advance said neoconservative Republican interests. The thing is, once the Supreme Court makes a ruling, that’s it. There is no other legal avenue to overturn it, aside from starting the lawsuit process all over again at level zero (and once again, it will take YEARS to get to the Supreme Court, and they don’t even have to agree to hear it). Much of American politics rests on the honor system: the idea that elected officials will do the things they’re supposed to do, and act in the public interest. We saw the danger of that when Trump, for the first time in history, refused to respect the peaceful transition of power to a democratically elected successor, and instead organized a coup that came within a whisker of actually succeeding. Congress’ certification of the Electoral College/popular vote results is supposed to be a basic formality. Instead, on January 6, 2021, it became the site of an alt-right terrorist attack that openly wanted to hang the Speaker of the House (Nancy Pelosi) and the then-Vice President (Mike Pence). Trump did not respect a precedent that has existed for as long as America has, and it’s mostly luck that he and his red-hat thugs didn’t succeed.

The Supreme Court made a deliberate choice to hear Dobbs, which they didn’t have to do. Furthermore, it’s clear that it was made because the hard-right faction of the court (6 out of 9 justices are conservatives appointed by Republican presidents) knew that it finally had the votes to fulfill the cherished Republican dream of overturning Roe. (Which wasn’t even actually at issue in the Dobbs case!) That’s why we all got to read that horrifying draft opinion wherein Samuel Alito decided that the question of whether the state of Mississippi could forbid abortions after 15 weeks could be interpreted to mean that the federal government had no right to require abortions to be legal in any US state. If the SC insisted on hearing Dobbs at all, this ruling could have been tailored to the question at hand. It wasn’t. It was a blatantly maximalist action to unilaterally fulfill the Republican wet dream of overturning abortion rights. Because once again, the Supreme Court’s ruling cannot be appealed. They are the final legal authority in America, full stop, the end. Traditionally, they are viewed as impartial and apolitical, making decisions only on the pure and abstract rational and legal merits and being morally uninterested in grubby party politics. Except we’ve all seen that the conservative wing of the court is nothing more than Republican hacks in black robes, and are acting exactly like rank-and-file Republican politicians, while crying about how “trust in the institution is being eroded” and people “don’t want to live with” unpopular decisions. (Yes, this from the party that organized an actual coup in an attempt to overturn a presidential election, spews lies and hate around the clock, and continues to whine and sob about people protesting outside the SC justices’ homes, because suddenly they’re really big into the concept of “civility.”) Once again, we’re seeing how a very small handful of bad actors can make huge decisions that affect everyone in the country, and why everyone who claimed during the 2016 election that the Supreme Court wasn’t important can go jump in a lake.

2. The Republicans have become so extreme that none of them will support abortion rights, and two bad-faith Democratic senators are helping them maintain the filibuster. Two Republican female senators, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska are generally viewed as “moderates” who occasionally vote with the Democrats and aren’t total raving MAGA wingnuts. Both of them voiced “concern” during the hearings for Trump’s three Supreme Court picks, about whether those judges would commit to upholding Roe as settled law. And yet, in the most unsurprising move ever, both of them announced that they would vote *against* the Democrats’ motion to codify Roe into law (happening later today). They can make all the Statements of Concern that they want, but when push comes to shove, they will vote with their party and that’s it. And these are the so-called “reasonable” Republicans who even dared to act like they were pro-abortion at all! Yes, the two-party system is a terrible idea, but it’s what we’re currently stuck with.

I will bet you a million dollars that the mainstream media framing of the vote will be “Democrats fail to codify Roe,” thus and yet again putting the implicit blame on them for Not Doing Enough, while completely failing to point out that an entire Republican caucus voted against it. Because the spin is that Both Sides Are Bad and At Fault For Our Polarized Politics (tm), and that means even the most tepid criticism of the Republicans has to be matched with something something Democrats Did Not Do Enough. This will ignore the fact that 48 of the 50 Democratic senators will vote for it, including Bob Casey of Pennsylvania, who is still regarded as fairly anti-abortion and whose father was the namesake for Planned Parenthood v. Casey in 1992, the Supreme Court decision that largely upheld and reaffirmed Roe in its entirety. The two Democratic holdouts will be the exact same ones who have caused constant problems for us all along and stopped the Democratic caucus from passing more of Biden’s major legislative priorities: Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona. Both of them have repeatedly voted to keep the filibuster in place, and refused to support even modest reforms or carve out exemptions for voting rights or (in this case) abortion rights.

Why is this a problem? Because right now, the Senate is split 50-50 between Democrats and Republicans, with Vice President Kamala Harris serving as the tiebreaker/51st Democratic vote in event of a gridlock. Any piece of legislation before the Senate can be “filibustered,” i.e. indefinitely delayed and sent to die a slow death. The only way to break the logjam is for 60 senators to vote for “cloture,” therefore ending the filibuster and setting up a floor vote for actual passage. To say the least, there’s no way in hell you’ll find 10 Republicans willing to vote with the Democrats on anything, and that means they can stonewall most legislation as they please. However, if the Senate passed a procedural rule with a simple majority vote, they could eliminate or severely reduce the filibuster and therefore skip this step altogether. But because Manchin and Sinema won’t vote for it, ever,  in any circumstances, that means Majority Leader Chuck Schumer physically cannot get more than 48 votes, and the motion will fail 48-52 (the 48 good Democrats against Manchin, Sinema, and all the Republicans). We don’t know what the fuck their problem is, but in an equally divided Senate where you have literally no margin for error, it’s difficult to read the riot act to them completely (since they’re fucking terrible enough, especially God Emperor Joe Manchin, to threaten to withhold their vote entirely in terms of judges, economic issues, etc). This is why we need AT LEAST two more Democratic senators who will vote to eliminate the filibuster and make Manchin, Sinema, and their two-man obnoxious circus of endless obstruction irrelevant.

3. The religious right is a huge force in American politics, and have long framed abortion as a moral, not a medical, issue. I’ve written before about the rise of the religious right in the 1980s under Reagan, and how the Republican party has become increasingly illiberal, theocratic, fascist, and anti-everybody except straight white rich Christian heterosexual men. They have incorporated fundamentalist Protestant evangelicalism into their policies and worldviews at all levels, and that means viewing all women who get abortions, for any reason, as slutty baby murderers who probably got pregnant from having casual sex while unmarried and contributing to the Moral Decay of America etc etc. The anti-choicers have conducted a decades-long, guerrilla terrorist campaign ever since Roe was handed down -- bombing abortion clinics, murdering doctors, harassing women, so on and so forth, you name it. (The idea that the so-called “Pro Life” movement, which only cares about theoretical unborn children and literally nobody else, is a peaceful and principled opposition is another of the Republicans’ favorite lies.)

The right wing doesn’t view abortion in terms of a medical procedure, a woman exercising basic control over her own body, or anything else. In their minds, it’s only Terrible Murder, and is deeply tied to all those evangelical fiats about women, sexuality, control, repression, and patriarchy. The thinking is that if they punish women for having sex, or make it difficult or impossible to get abortions, they will give up all this silly “feminism” stuff and be content to stay home, be dominated by their husbands, and pump out babies as fast as Quiverfull would like it. That’s also why the GOP has voiced their intention to go after birth control, condoms, Plan B, and IUDs next. Any sex, ever, has to be heterosexual, married, and procreative in intent, just like we’re still in the Old Testament. It’s an essential pillar of their theocratic, fascist worldview, and rests entirely on viewing women as subordinate to and lesser than men, unable to be trusted with decisions about their own body, and needing to be punished for having sex for any reason other than to have babies. It sounds horribly regressive, sure, but this is the reality of the once-proud Republican Party in America, 2022.

Anyway, in summary:

1. Even if the Democrats did make Roe into a federal law, it could still be challenged in lawsuits and ultimately overturned by the Supreme Court, which made a deliberate decision not only to hear Dobbs, but to make its ruling as broad and anti-abortion as possible, in service of long-held Republican political goals.

2. At present, the Senate Democrats simply do not have the numbers to overcome a legislative filibuster, thanks to Manchin, Sinema, and the entire goddamn Republican Party voting against it. This is why we need to elect more and better Democrats in November 2022 and make the Manema clown show irrelevant, ASAP. The only way to make abortion rights SCOTUS-proof is with a constitutional amendment, and in this current political climate, it will never, ever pass.

3. The modern Republican Party hates women and doesn’t believe they have the right to control their own bodies, have sex outside of heterosexual marriage, or pursue careers outside the “traditional” sphere of domestic housewifery, marriage, and motherhood. This is because they’ve gone so far-right that they’re literally re-enacting the early days of The Handmaid’s Tale. (Lest we forget, Gilead got started with a terrorist attack wherein right-wing extremists “shot the President and machine-gunned the Congress and blamed the Islamic terrorists.” January 6, anyone? Anyone? Bueller?)

Anyway, yes. I hope that was somewhat helpful, and illuminates the utter shambles that this country is currently in. Hoo lord.