#Monday Special Winning Numbers

[loves0phelia]

Casual

Summery: Casual things you and JJ did before starting to date.

Words: 2k

Warning: bad grammar

A/N: This is my first JJ fic hope you like it

Rumours about the annual beach bonfire had been heard all week, the one night where Kooks and Pogues set aside their differences and partied in peace. 

Initially, you’d planned to skip it—staying home with a good movie sounded way more appealing than hanging out with half of the outer banks on the beach. But when a classmate invited you, and your parents chimed in, insisting it would be a great way to make new friends, you found yourself agreeing to go.

The fire crackled softly, casting a warm glow over the sand as laughter and chatter echoed around you. You found yourself sitting on a wooden log, idly watching the orange flames dance. 

Your train of thought was interrupted when a blond boy dropped beside you, his sudden presence snapped you back to reality. You glanced over, surprised, as he settled in with a casual smile.

“I haven't seen you around here before” his body was turned completely to you, giving you his entire attention.

"I just moved here a couple of months ago…" you said, feeling a bit shy as you glanced at his deep blue eyes.

JJ hummed and then noticed the small stash of candy in your lap, carefully guarded under your arm. 

"What's that?" he asked.

You hugged the candy closer, "Candies, I didn't know if there was gonna be any snacks here so… I brought my own" You shrugged.

“Can I have one?” he grinned mischievously.

“I only have my favourite left” You looked down at the nearly empty box of Sour Patch Kids.

"Come on, just one. Sharing is caring, you know?" JJ chuckled, leaning a little closer, his arm brushing yours. He reached out, but you swatted his hand away, giggling.

But JJ was quick—faster than you expected. With a winning grin, he managed to snatch a piece from the carton box in your lap, popping it in his mouth before you could protest.

“Hey!” you exclaimed, half-annoyed, half-amused.

“I'll see you around sweets” After that he walked away still savoring your candy.

“what the hell” you muttered under your breath, you had not expected your night to end with a candy thief.

It was a typical evening at the local seafood shack, and you were rushing between tables, balancing trays of oysters and fried shrimp baskets. 

"Well, look who’s working hard," JJ drawled, flashing his usual grin.

You turned around, surprised to see the thief from the other night leaning casually against the counter. The last person you expected to see at your job, but somehow not a surprise at all. He tossed you a wink as you grabbed your notepad and pen.

“Candy thief,” you said, arching an eyebrow.

“That’s me,” JJ replied, laughing. “Pretty sure I’ve got an order under the name JJ Maybank.”

“Finally, I can put a name to that face.” You rolled your eyes playfully, turning to grab the brown bag labelled JJ Maybank, filled with fish tacos and crawfish. As you handed it over, you asked, “Anything else with that order?”

He leaned in, flashing that signature smirk. “Yeah, I’ll also take your number if it’s on the menu.”

You felt a blush creeping up but managed a smirk. “Bold request for a thief.”

JJ shrugged, still grinning. “I thought it was the special tonight. It's written on the window” You glanced at the window where the words “chefs special monday-friday” reflect back to you.

“I thought a sweet like you was the chef's special, my bad” he added only worsening the state of your red cheeks.

After a pause, you scribbled your number on a napkin and slipped it into his bag. “Consider it one-time only.”

JJ’s eyes lit up as he took the bag. “Perfect.  I’ll call you, then I'm gonna  take you out somewhere that doesn’t smell like shrimp!" He yelled across the restaurant and disappeared behind the doors leaving you with a bunch of customers staring directly at your flushed face.

It was nearly midnight when you heard the faint, familiar tapping on your window. Smiling to yourself, you tiptoed over and pulled it open, revealing JJ’s face. He climbed in with ease, careful not to make a sound, and you couldn’t help but stifle a laugh as he landed lightly on your bedroom floor.

“Hey,” you whispered, watching him recover from his fall quickly and proceed to settle on your bed.

“Make yourself at home” You laughed and followed after him under the cozy and soft blankets.

JJ wrapped an arm around you, pulling you close as you both lay back. The quiet murmur of the movie playing on your TV plays in the background, but all you can really focus on is the warmth of his presence. You’d only known each other for a couple of months, yet moments like this already felt like second nature.

After a while, JJ sighed a hint of playfulness in his voice. “You know, it just hit me… I haven’t even taken you on the date I promised the first time I saw you at your work yet.”

You turned to him, amused. “I forgot about that. So where would you take me, then?”

He thought for a second, his eyes lighting up. “I was thinking we could go stargazing, just you, me, and a bunch of candy. What do you think about that, sweets?”

Your heart fluttered at the nickname, he's been calling you that since day one but the butterflies never fail to flutter and you smiled, feeling a little bashful. “That actually sounds perfect.”

JJ’s face softened as he brushed a stray hair from your face. “Good.” He leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to your forehead, and you nestled into him, many would say you were a couple but nothing was official yet.

JJ was stretched out on your bed, casually tossing a piece of candy up and catching it in his mouth, while you looked through dresses in your closet Kiara had invited you to Midsummers—something you never thought you’d actually attend, given how much of a Kook affair it was. But after some convincing from her, you decided to give it a shot. Now, the only thing left was choosing a dress, and naturally, JJ had found himself roped into being your fashion advisor for the night.

“Alright, what do you think of this one?” you asked, walking out of your closet in a dress to show him. It was a soft, flowy, baby blue, with delicate lace along the sleeves.

JJ, mid-candy toss, froze, the small piece landing unceremoniously on his chest as he sat up.  

“Wait… you’re actually wearing that?” he asked, blinking as if he needed to make sure he’d seen it right. “That has to be like a 100 bucks”

“Kiara said I should try something fancy, and I found it at the thrift store… I don’t know, I thought it was cute.”

JJ nodded, still staring at you as if he couldn’t look away. His usual air of easy confidence had completely vanished, and he just sat there, a little pink creeping up his cheeks. 

“Yeah, uh… fancy. Right,” he murmured, his voice unusually soft. For a moment, he seemed completely at a loss for words, a rare sight when it came to JJ Maybank.

“You don’t like it?” you asked, feeling a hint of embarrassment creep in as he continued to look at you in silence.

He shook his head quickly, snapping back to attention. “No, no—I mean, I like it. I just… I mean, you’re already beautiful and all, but in that?” He let out a soft whistle, rubbing the back of his neck. “You’re, like, the most stunning person, there’s no denying it.”

You felt warmth rise in your cheeks, his words catching you off guard. JJ wasn’t one to give out compliments like that, and hearing him say it made your heart skip a beat.

“So you like it, huh?” you asked, teasing him a little as you nudged his shoulder.

“Sweets, I don’t think anyone’s ready for how good you’re gonna look. And I, for one, am officially honoured to be the first to see it.” He gave you a look that was half-amused, half-awestruck.

“Alright, then,” you said, smiling as you looked down at yourself. “Guess that means I’m wearing it.”

JJ leaned back, his grin widening.

“Good call. Just so you know, though, I’m calling dibs on the first dance.”

You chuckled, rolling your eyes. “Oh, you are?”

“Absolutely,” he replied, winking. “Wouldn’t miss it for the world. Besides, I have to make sure one of those Kooks doesn't try to sweep you off your feet 'cause that's my job.”

It was warm outside the night of midsummer,  the soft hum of laughter and chatter filled the air. You were standing by the snack table, chatting with one of the guests— a boy dressed with a fancy tuxedo, you had no interest in.

As you fake laughed at a joke he made, you felt a gaze burning into the back of your neck. You glanced over your shoulder and saw JJ standing by the door leading inside the house, his arms crossed, a tight frown on his face. There was a look in his eyes—something dark, almost possessive—that made your stomach flip. He wasn’t happy about something.

You turned back to the guest, unaware of the growing tension simmering behind you. It wasn’t until you felt a light tap on your shoulder that made you turned to see JJ standing right behind you now inches away, a forced smile on his face.

“Hey, mind if I steal you away for a second?” he asked, his voice a little too bitter for your liking.

You raised an eyebrow, a playful grin tugging at your lips. “Steal me away? What’s going on?”

JJ’s gaze flickered to the guest you’d been speaking with, then back to you. The jealousy was barely concealed, but it was there. “I need to talk to you. In private.”

Before you could protest, he gently guided you away from the boy, leading you through the house and into the backyard. The garden, draped in the soft glow of fairy lights, felt like a world apart from the party in front of the house. You walked slowly, and when you reached the center of the garden, JJ stopped. 

“What’s up JJ?” You asked concerned.

“I hate seeing you with him,” JJ said, his voice barely above a whisper. He was standing too close, his gaze fixed on you with a burning intensity. “I don’t know why, but it drives me crazy”

You blinked, caught off guard. “What do you mean? We were just having a conversation.”

He shook his head, the muscles in his jaw tightening. “It’s not just that. It’s… it’s the way you make me feel. I can’t stand it anymore, pretending like we're just friends”

You stared at him, realizing what he was trying to say. The way his eyes softened, the way his voice shook with vulnerability and emotion.

“I—JJ, what are you saying?”

His hands cupped your face gently. “I’m saying that I love you. I’ve loved you for so long, and I’m tired of watching you be close to some other people without them knowing you're mine”

Before you could respond, he closed the distance between you, his lips crashing into yours. It wasn’t gentle. It wasn’t slow. It was desperate, full of the passion and longing that had built up between you over the months. His hands tangled in your hair, pulling you closer as if he never wanted to let you go.

You kissed him back, your heart racing, the entire world fading away until it was just the two of you, wrapped in each other’s arms.

“I love you, sweets”

“I love you too JJ, it was about damn time you say it” he smiled against your lips and pressed another kiss after another on your pink swollen lips.

[kairiscorner]

❝stop, you're losing me.❞ — oikawa tooru x gn!reader (angst)

🎧 song inspo: you're losing me. – taylor swift

✒️ word count: 1,492

🍞 genre: angst.

💗 special mention to: @xoxo-cha for introducing me to the song ! (gave me so many ideas that day UHEUHEUHEUEEUHUEHE LABYU)

you used to think you were important to him, that you mattered just a little more than ordinary people to him–that you mattered to him, period.

but you never once felt that you were anything more than a chore for tooru to finish, that he actually felt happy to see you after school before or after practice, and walking home with you–not even looking at you and mindlessly answering with a nod or a shake of his head. he was always in his own head, in his own world.

he was always hard working, only taking mondays off, but still setting in a court in his mind. he wasn't always with you, no matter how close to you he was–he was always in his own little world, and he could never help it. to you, tooru was worlds apart from you; but you could never tell him that, you couldn't even find the words or the voice to speak it out to him, let alone the courage to back up your thoughts. hours of tooru not seeing you was bearable, you understood he couldn't always come to see you, he was the genius setter and captain of seijoh's volleyball team, of course he had more urgent matters to attend to.

that's fine.

you could handle a few more hours without him, you kind of needed space, too. could never have too much of it, right? well, hours turned to days; it had been three days since you last spoke to tooru. all your texts to him went ignored, you were always too shy to call–he always initiated them, until the calls stopped coming when the team began to practice for the inter high preliminaries.

that's fine.

you did have some homework you needed to catch up on, a big test next week, you had to focus. in all honesty, you were mich more like tooru than either of you would like to admit–you were much calmer and quieter than him. you hated standing out, you preferred staying out of the spotlight. you did have a tendency to want to prove you were worth something, that you mattered–but you never went out of your way to go beyond.

you stuck right where you belonged, in your league, because after falling for tooru, you realized that you didn't need to feel special in others' eyes, you just wanted to be special in his eyes. but that was where you and tooru were different.

tooru was always hungry for success, to be better, to be at the top and to prove to everyone he is just as good, no, that he's better than everyone claims he is. and he's terrifying when he gets stuck in that state of mind. it shouldn't matter too much... should it? after all, he was only seijoh's pride and joy, one of the big reasons why seijoh is a formidable force to be dealt with–of course it shouldn't matter what you think, just who were you to meddle with his success?

...well you were his partner. you were his true, number one fan. you were his lover.

you weren't just somebody to him... right?

well if you weren't just somebody to him, then why doesn't he bother to call you at least once in the weeks that passed by? not even apologizing for missing your texts? not even exchanging glances with you anymore when you two cross paths in the hallway?

it's like you went from strangers, to lovers, to back to being strangers.

it's hard loving a stranger, because you don't know if you were ever in love with them to begin with, because that past when you two were lovers felt so far away... it didn't feel real, it didn't feel familiar anymore.

your friends tried to tell you he wasn't worth it, that he couldn't love anyone but himself—but they were far from right; tooru oikawa has never known a day where he truly loves himself. if he did, he wouldn't need to stay up countless hours at dawn, watching and rewatching matches of his opponents to come up with a plan in his mind on how to win against them, and he'd do it over, and over, and over again. he tortures himself, and you can't understand how he can't see that it's hurting him, how it's hurting you.

do you even know you're hurting?

you decided one day, after school, you would confront him and tell him everything you were feeling—even if you had no idea what kinds of feelings those knots in your stomach were whenever you thought about him and how much he's changed since you last spoke with him. you couldn't even remember the events that led up to you asking him to see you outside of the gym, all you could remember was your mind screaming at you, "don't you dare cry" as he approached you with an obviously bothered expression. his eyebrows were furrowed so slightly, in an attempt to hide his frustration, you believe—he sharply breathed in and out, throwing the ball to his teammate as he said briefly he'd be back in a few, he just has some stuff to take care of. yeah, some stuff.

the full conversation was a blur, words coming in and out of your ear, words flying out of your mouth; his eyes saying so much when he himself says so little. you could remember, at least, how you couldn't believe how little, yet so much, self-awareness the boy in front of you had. he knew he lacked in some areas in volleyball, as a captain, as a player—but he never seemed to realize what he lacked as your boyfriend. you wished you slapped him into reality then, maybe you did, and that's why your clearest memory of that day was him with reddened cheeks and a flushed nose; with his eyes threatening to erupt into tears, his lips quivering as he tried biting back his urge to scream, to yell, to cry. he was losing. he was losing you.

"love, i... i don't understa—" "i know you don't."

is this really you speaking? are those words coming out of your mouth? since when did you learn how to act so... cold? maybe this was the effect of tooru leaving you buried in the snow of his own icy neglect. and the worst part was... he can't take you like this. he doesn't recognize you in this cold blizzard raging between you two. there are storms in your eyes, a dark glare looms over your face that once stared back at him with nothing but sunshine and warmth. he said, over and over, that he loves you, that he has no idea why you're acting so cruel—whatever it is, he'll make up for it; he promises.

how could he say that he loves someone who he can't tell is dying?

he gets on his knees, he doesn't care anymore if the team sees him groveling at your feet, begging for you not to leave him—because you are the reason tooru keeps going, at least, that's what he says. he cries a little louder, clinging on to your hands, your hands that have gone cold and have felt calloused. does he not realize that you... aren't affected by his little act anymore?

"do something, babe, say something."

"tooru... stop it, this is embarrassing, even for you..." you plead with him softly, trying to hide his crying figure so he can save face. he shakes his head and cries against the end of your shirt, hoping that in his cries, you'll hear him out. but why should you listen? why should you offer him a listening ear, when he never bothered to listen if your heart still had a pulse for him?

"lose something, babe, risk something."

"i can't... go on without you... please, l-let's try again! i'll take you on... on those dates i promised! i-i'm just a little set back, i'll make you happy, happier than you've ever been, because i love you!"

"choose something, babe, i got nothing to believe—"

"stop." you whisper, and tooru pauses his whimpering and sniffling, looking up at you as he anxiously anticipates what you had to say. he fears it's the last thing you'll ever tell him before you turn your back on him and disappear into the frigid cold, never to speak to him or acknowledge him, never to love him again.

you take in a ragged breath, and a silver lining comes out of the gray clouds that curtain your once bright and loving eyes that lookedupon him with so much love, patience, and devotion—now looking like that of sad pity.

"unless you're choosin' me."

"...you're losing me, tooru."

and that... was the last thing you said to him; not even a 'good bye', or an 'i wish you the best'—because he could achieve the best, he could train that much if he wanted—but he'll never have the best you's anymore, he'll never, ever have you again.

[spacetimewithstuartgary]

New SpaceTime out Friday

SpaceTime 20241101 Series 27 Episode 132

Could Betelgeuse be two stars

A new study has raised the possibility that the red supergiant Betelgeuse might actually be a binary star system.

Richard Branson to co-pilot first crewed flight for Space Perspective

Virgin boss Richard Branson will co-pilot Space Perspective’s first stratospheric balloon flight.

Australia looking at developing more space ports.

Although Australia hasn’t put anything in orbit since the glory days of the Woomera Rocket range over half a century ago plans for new space ports continue to surface with Western Australia and Queensland the latest to make a proposal.

November Skywatch

The giant spiral galaxy M31 Andromeda. the Crab Nebula M1 and three meteor showers are among the highlights of the November night skies on Skywatch.

SpaceTime covers the latest news in astronomy & space sciences.

The show is available every Monday, Wednesday and Friday through Apple Podcasts (itunes), Stitcher, Google Podcast, Pocketcasts, SoundCloud, Bitez.com, YouTube, your favourite podcast download provider, and from www.spacetimewithstuartgary.com

SpaceTime is also broadcast through the National Science Foundation on Science Zone Radio and on both i-heart Radio and Tune-In Radio.

SpaceTime daily news blog: http://spacetimewithstuartgary.tumblr.com/

SpaceTime facebook: www.facebook.com/spacetimewithstuartgary

SpaceTime Instagram @spacetimewithstuartgary

SpaceTime twitter feed @stuartgary

SpaceTime YouTube: @SpaceTimewithStuartGary

SpaceTime -- A brief history

SpaceTime is Australia’s most popular and respected astronomy and space science news program – averaging over two million downloads every year. We’re also number five in the United States.  The show reports on the latest stories and discoveries making news in astronomy, space flight, and science.  SpaceTime features weekly interviews with leading Australian scientists about their research.  The show began life in 1995 as ‘StarStuff’ on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s (ABC) NewsRadio network.  Award winning investigative reporter Stuart Gary created the program during more than fifteen years as NewsRadio’s evening anchor and Science Editor.  Gary’s always loved science. He studied astronomy at university and was invited to undertake a PHD in astrophysics, but instead focused on his career in journalism and radio broadcasting. Gary’s radio career stretches back some 34 years including 26 at the ABC. He worked as an announcer and music DJ in commercial radio, before becoming a journalist and eventually joining ABC News and Current Affairs. He was part of the team that set up ABC NewsRadio and became one of its first on air presenters. When asked to put his science background to use, Gary developed StarStuff which he wrote, produced and hosted, consistently achieving 9 per cent of the national Australian radio audience based on the ABC’s Nielsen ratings survey figures for the five major Australian metro markets: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Perth.  The StarStuff podcast was published on line by ABC Science -- achieving over 1.3 million downloads annually.  However, after some 20 years, the show finally wrapped up in December 2015 following ABC funding cuts, and a redirection of available finances to increase sports and horse racing coverage.  Rather than continue with the ABC, Gary resigned so that he could keep the show going independently.  StarStuff was rebranded as “SpaceTime”, with the first episode being broadcast in February 2016.  Over the years, SpaceTime has grown, more than doubling its former ABC audience numbers and expanding to include new segments such as the Science Report -- which provides a wrap of general science news, weekly skeptical science features, special reports looking at the latest computer and technology news, and Skywatch – which provides a monthly guide to the night skies. The show is published three times weekly (every Monday, Wednesday and Friday) and available from the United States National Science Foundation on Science Zone Radio, and through both i-heart Radio and Tune-In Radio.

[mythriteshah]

Ladies, gentlemen, and those in between: the time has come once again! After yet another long winter’s time of gathering resources, the Higuri Regalia is proud to announce the return of the “Regalia Largesse” - marking its seventh occurrence!

For those unaware or uninitiated: The Regalia Largesse is an annual event spanning anywhere between 5-7 days that occurs around the late spring/early summer, and is considered the “pinnacle of Noblesse Oblige”!

During this event, individuals from the Higuri Regalia’s hierarchy will make appearances within the various city-states to offer wares to the adventuring public - FOR FREE (Tips and donations are always greatly appreciated, but never mandatory)!

On Sunday, June 16th, at around 7PM EDT, look for a Party Finder ad from any one of the Regalia members; they will provide you information on where they are, and what items will be offered, with a detailed list of what’s available while supplies last.  Due to the ever-increasing quantity of wares, their post duration has been extended to three hours. All locations take place on the Balmung World in the Crystal Data Center.

Also, throughout the week, starting at the commencement of the Largesse, those who are willing to partake in a special contest will receive a number.  On last day of that week (i.e. the end of  the Largesse), a raffle will take place where a series of numbers will be drawn, and those who win will be offered prizes!

RULES:

*To enter the raffle, simply ask the representative currently posted during that day; a tracker is kept throughout the course of the event, and is shared amongst the Regalia members.

You MUST attend the final day of the Largesse in order to qualify for a chance to win.

In the event you are unable to attend the raffle for any reason, you are allowed 1 proxy to vouch for you, so long as they state whom they are  replacing.

If your number happens to be drawn, you are offered a chance to decline a particular prize if you have eyes on another, but a winner will be decided for the sake of fairness.

Notes: Sprouts (New Players/Adventurers) will receive Flying Beds and/or attire Coffers as a consolation gift. 

The prize list includes the following, and are subject to change:

1st Place Winners: A Chrysomallos Horn/Magitek Avenger G1 Identification Key/Gilded Mikoshi Horn/Golden Ronkan Flute! (4 winners)

2nd Place Winners: An Island Adenium Whistle/Quaqua Horn/Sabotender De La Luna Whistle! (x2 each; 6 winners)

3rd Place Winners: A full set of Free Spirit's Attire!  (5 winners)  

4th Place Winners: An Uolosapa! (10 winners)

Look for these beautiful individuals throughout the week for the item(s) of the day.  Note: stock may (and will) expand between now and the commencement of the Largesse, so everything listed herein is not final.

Sunday, June 16th: Isja "Coldgaze" Kaltablik (Ul’dah, Steps of Nald; Arrzaneth Ossuary) 

Items:

Fashion Accessories (Archangel Wings; Pixie Wings; Statice's Wings; False Classic Spectacles; Rose Colored Spectacles)

Summer Attire (Moonfire Halter/Vest; Ti Leaf Lei/Coronal Summer Halter; South Seas/Coeurl Talisman; Sea Breeze Summer Halter & Pareo; Coeurl Beach Halter & Pareo; Blue/Red/Coeurl Beach Summer Maro)

Parasols (Black; Sky Blue; Vermillion Paper; Pleasant Dot; Prim Dot; Pastoral Dot; White Lace; Plum Paper; Calming Checkered; Cheerful Checkered; Classic Checkered; Giant Leaf; Tsukumogami; Sabotender; Blue Blossom; Raindrop Defense System)

Monday, June 17th: Treasurer Susuna Suna (Ul’dah, Steps of Thal; The Gold Court)

Items:

Modern Aesthetics (A Close Shave; Gyr Abanian Plait; Samsonian Locks; Both Ways; Scanning for Style; Battle-ready Bobs; Wind Caller; Controlled Chaos; Early to Rise; Form and Function; Modern Legend; Saintly Style; Ambitious Ends; The Bold and the Braid)

Ballroom Etiquette (/Lean; /Shiver; /Wow; /Eatapple; /Eatriceball; /Bread; /Malevolence; /Guard; /Confirm; /Insist; /Scheme; /Wringhands; /Read; /Paint; /Broom; /Highfive; /Fistpump; /Wow; /Reference; /Humbletriumph)

Tuesday, June 18th: Yuanji Yuji (Shirogane; Ward 16, Plot 60)

Items:

Chocobo Barding (Tidal; Levin; Ice; Highland; Orthodox; Hive; Expanse; Sephirotic; Sophic; Zurvanite; Horde; Abigail; Reveler's; Blissful; Shinryu; Byakko; Suzaku; Seiryu; Samurai; Titania; Innocence; Hades; Ruby; Machinist; True Barding of Light; Emerald; Queen's Guard; Bozjan; Diamond; Eternal Darkness; Divine Light; Bluefeather; Windswept; Flamecloaked; Allagan; Voidcast; Abyssal)

Wednesday, June 19th: Umimi Umi (Limsa Lominsa Upper Decks; The Aftcastle)

Items:

Rare Minions (Fat Cat; Calamari; Assassin Fry; White Whittret; Dwarf Rabbit; Gold Whisker; Capybara Pup; Conditional Virtue; Clionid Larva; Chameleon; Domakin; Ephemeral Necromancer; Armadillo Bowler; Optimus Omicron; Calca; Brave New Urianger; Hippo Calf; Prince Lunatender; Adventure Basket; Teacup Kapikulu; Bacon Bits; Little Leannan; Miniature White Knight; Mandragora Queen; Sungold Talos; Silver Dasher; Petit Pteranadon; Drippy; Magitek Predator F1; Paissa Threadpuller; Paissa Patissier; Cerberpup; Fenrir Pup; Magitek Helldiver F1; Flag; Sponge Silkie; Sewer Skink; Suzusaurus; Bantam Train; Mikra Lyssa; Puffin; Plush Cushion; Royal Lunatender; Morpho; Google-Eyed Dogu; Crabe de la Crabe; Forgiven Hate; Benben Stone; Okuri Chochin; Shiromaru; Kuromaru; Repulu; Save the Princess; Exciting Dynamite)

Wind-Ups/Dress-Ups (Lakshmi; Susano; Thancred; Alisaie; Omega M/F; Magus Sisters; Anima; Kangaroo; Fuath; Grebuloff; Scarmiglione; Cagnazzo; Barbariccia; Golbez)

Thursday, June 20th: Sesena Sena (Old Gridania; Mih Khetto’s Amphitheatre)

Items:

Vanity clothing (New World Jacket & Headdress; Spring Dress; High House Justacorps/Bustle; Taoist's Shirt; Cashmere Poncho; Raincoat; Hooded Fireglass Leather Vest/Adventurer's Hooded Vest; Summer Indigo Shirt; Urban/Rebel Coat; Craftsman's Singlet/Coverall Top/Apron; Dalmascan Draped Shirt; Calfskin Rider's Jacket; Frontier Jacket/Dress; Peacelover's Shirt; Cape of Happiness; Varsity Jacket/Buttoned Varsity Jacket; Ao Dai; Thavnairian/Hannish Wool Autumn Shirt; Thavnairian Wool Autumn Dress; Southern Seas Shirt; Adventuring Sweater; Boulevardier's Ruffled Shirt; Quaintrelle's Ruffled Dress; Whisperfine Woolen Coat; Salon Server's Vest/Dress Vest; Casual Jacket; Noir Longcoat; Lawless Enforcer's Jacket; Free Spirit's Jacket; Shishu Bujin Hitatare/Gozen Kochiki; Martial Artist's Vest/Sleeveless Vest)

Pajamas (Plain; Cactuar; Chocobo)

Friday, June 21st: Thiji Higuri (The Birdcage; Empyreum, Ward 15, Plot 30)

Raffle & Additional Surprises

We look forward to serving you all, and thank you for choosing the Higuri Regalia, Where There is Power in Beauty.

[cheritzteam]

[The Ssum] If You Like Them, You’ll Get Teased😘 2024 April Fool’s Day Event Announcement

Hello, dear lab participant.

We bring you news on this year’s April Fool’s Day events.

< ① A Ssumone’s Transformation Is Innocent!>

Piu Piu, who worked day and night to deliver to you the image of a great guy.

It is said that something is wrong with its cutting-edge system due to burning passion...!

Regardless of Piu Piu’s will(?), it starts taking pictures as it pleases!

The great photos are showing a new side of your Ssumone….

Check out the new side of your Ssumone shown by Piu Piu's camera on X(Twitter)!

Please share your thoughts on seeing your Ssumone’s new side on social media!

All of your precious stories become love research data.

A total of 10 lab participants will be given 100 Aurora Batteries through a drawing✨

Event Period : April 1st, 2024 (Monday) ~ April 11th, 2024 (Thursday) KST

How to Participate : Use hashtag #TheSsum_Innocent_Ssumone’s_Transformation and share your thoughts about the new side of your Ssumone.

Winner Announcement : April 25th, 2024 (Thurs) KST

*The social media platforms you can use are limited to  X/Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram.

*If you participate using someone else’s work, even if you win the event, your prize may be canceled.

< ② City of Free Men : Celebratory Lab >

For the following period, a Celebratory Lab📚 in commemoration of April Fool’s Day will open in the City of Free Men.

Join other lab participants in voting for the best April Fool’s Day prank,

and aim to become Top Lab Participant for the prize of 200 Aurora Batteries!

Celebratory Lab open for : 28th of March 2024 (Thu) 9:00 am KST ~ 11th of April 2024 (Thu) 8:59 am KST

Criteria : Number of supports in a post (5 lab participants will be chosen per language)

Winner Announcement : 25th of April 2024 (Thu) KST

*Posts will still remain after the event period, but you will not be able to write new posts.

*We will count the number of supports accumulated at the event's end.

*If you have won an in-game event within the past 3 months, you will be excluded from the raffle for this event.

< ③ In-game Seasonal Content and Access Gift >

Log in to <The Ssum> on April Fool’s Day to ring a special phone call📞 and get his photo memento📸.

The winner of this year’s April Fool’s is…?

Seasonal Content open for : 31th of March (Sat) ~ 2th of April 2024 (Tue) (based on your account timezone)

Seasonal Content : April Fool’s Phone Call + April Fool’s Photo Memento

*You can check past Seasonal Content anytime in your Milky Way Calendar and Album after unlocking them.

In-game Access Gift : 15 Aurora Batteries + 3 Frequency Momint

Have a delightful day with The Ssum🤹‍♂️🎭

Thank you.

Cheritz

[miketownsends]

Have been wondering for a bit, since it flew completely off my radar for all of the time it was happening. What was/is Blaseball? Like I know from wikipedia that it was a baseball horror game (?) but it really gives no impression of like. What was it like, what was so special abt it?

blaseball was, at its core, a cosmic horror baseball simulator, with some kind of TTRPG-adjacent aspects. it’s… hard to describe. in so many ways it was something you needed to be there for. but i can try!

there were 24 (originally 20) teams, based in both real (Seattle, Tokyo, Boston, etc) and fake (Atlantis, Hellmouth, Hades) locations. seasons lasted a week. games played out every hour on the hour starting at 7:00am PST on Monday and running until 99 games had completed. games were played out under various weathers, such as Solar Eclipse and Feedback, that could impact the players or the game at random. the postseason played out on Friday evening and Saturday. election results occurred on Sunday.

elections were the big interactive portions of blaseball. throughout the week fans could bet in-game money on the outcomes of games. you could then use that money to buy votes. the votes were used to either vote on Decrees, which were rule/game changes (decided by popular vote) or to try to improve your team through Blessings or Wills (decided via raffle). these could do anything from buffing a player to stealing a player from another team to giving your entire team a specific blood type to killing off your least-idolized player and replacing them with a new one to… any other number of things. this forced a kind of collaborative community effort because teams would prioritize certain things and try to steer their fans toward putting their votes toward those things to increase the odds of their team getting picked in the raffle.

the community was the big thing about blaseball and it’s why it’s kind of hard to explain what it was really like now that it’s over. every blaseball player was just a name and a randomly generated collection of stats. the community gave every one of these players personalities and stories and lives. the teams had their own lore and “personalities” as well, kinda. different teams prioritized different things and had their own team culture. some teams were really stat-focused, some were really insular, some were more heavily into lore and narrative.

i think i will tell you the story of The Resurrection of Jaylen Hotdogfingers. i’ll try to keep it brief. (it will not be brief, i’m so sorry)

in season one, the Seattle Garages are not a very good team. their lone bright spot is their ace, 4-star pitcher Jaylen Hotdogfingers, who is the best pitcher in the league. (she is also mayor of Seattle.)

at the end of season one, the fans vote for the Decree to open the Forbidden Book. why? obviously, because it is Forbidden. (this is the first but not last time blaseball fans ran headfirst toward consequences just because they could.) this has several very immediate consequences, one of which was the incineration of Jaylen Hotdogfingers. this is the first ever incineration. it is permadeath. moving forward, any games played under the solar eclipse weather carry the risk of a player being randomly incinerated and replaced with a new, randomly generated player. the Garages lose a lot of players to incineration in the early seasons, which combined with Jaylen’s targeting give rise to a significant “fuck the gods” sentiment amongst the fans.

as per Garages lore, Jaylen’s final words before she was incinerated were “we’ve just gotta make it to the playoffs.”

seasons pass. the Garages are still bad but getting better, slowly. they win a couple pitching blessings, which helps a little. one of the other Garages pitchers is a guy named Mike Townsend. he’s… pretty bad. definitely no Jaylen. Mike gets unfairly scapegoated for the team’s struggles, to the point where there is a real actual real-life song called “Mike Townsend (Is A Disappointment)” written about him by Garages fans. (this starts The Garages the band, which now has like 20+ albums and hundreds of songs. they are on Spotify.)

going into season 6, a new site feature is introduced. fans can choose to idolize a player and then they can earn passive income whenever that player strikes someone out or hits a home run or whatever. cool! partway through the season, a player for the Boston Flowers, Caligula Lotus, is incinerated. Caligula is a popular player, and quite a few fans had her idolized. one of those fans noticed that, rather than having the option to now idolize a new player, they are still idolizing Caligula even after her death, which means they can still see her player page. prior to this, players who were incinerated were just… gone. no way to access them anymore.

the player goes to report the bug. they are informed that this is not a bug.

about 15 minutes later, someone from another team, the Canada Moist Talkers, comes into the Garages channel of the blaseball Discord. they drop a link to Jaylen’s player page with just the message “we know how to get her back.”

one of the Blessings that season was a Blessing called Lottery Pick. this would allow the winning team to steal the 14th most idolized player in the league. (the top 20 players are visible on an idol leaderboard.)

Jaylen’s page had a button that allowed her to be idolized.

all hell breaks loose in the Garages channels (and throughout the rest of the Discord as word gets out). the thought is this: with some coordination, Jaylen can be moved into the 14th spot on the leaderboard. this will, theoretically, allow the team who wins the Lottery Pick to steal Jaylen from… wherever she is. (her team is listed simply as “Null Team.”)

the Garages close their channels to visitors briefly to discuss amongst themselves whether or not they want to attempt this (the Garages mantra is “the Garage is always open,” so closing the channels is a huge deal). it’s a HUGE, fairly contentious, discussion. there’s, obviously, a million things that can go wrong. a different team could win the Lottery Pick. Jaylen could get bumped out of #14 last minute. no one knows if it’s even possible to steal a dead player (and if it is, there will DEFINITELY be consequences). other teams are interested in potentially resurrecting former players, too, but the overarching league-wide sentiment is “first in, first out” - if the Garages decide they want to try and get Jaylen back, they get first crack at it, so the Garages HAVE to come to a decision.

no matter what, SOMEONE is going to push the button. Jaylen has, by this point, already made her way onto the leaderboard. the Garages fans decide “well, someone’s committing necromancy; might as well be us.” they inform the league they’re going for it and everyone starts strategizing to hold Jaylen at #14. some fans of other teams switch teams temporarily to the Garages just to put votes into the Lottery Pick blessing in order to increase the Garages’ chances of winning.

meanwhile, the Garages (the blaseball team)? actually having a pretty good season for once! they manage to make it into the playoffs for the first time (“we’ve just gotta make it to the playoffs”). they sweep the Philly Pies (two-time champions) and the Hades Tigers (two-time champions) to make it to the Internet Series (where they are then swept by the Baltimore Crabs, but that’s okay).

fan sentiment on Mike Townsend has also shifted by this point. he’s still not very good but he’s become beloved. fans mostly find his terrible pitching kind of endearing. there is a new song about him called “Mike Townsend (Is A Credit to the Team).” the song contains the line “your redemption arc is coming up.”

the morning of the elections comes. Jaylen is still firmly at #14 on the leaderboard. all anyone can do is wait for the results.

the Garages win the Lottery Pick, with 58% of the vote.

Jaylen returns to the Garages. as was the case with other similar Blessings which stole a player from elsewhere in the League, Jaylen replaces the worst player on the team for her position (pitcher).

the Garages’ worst pitcher is Mike Townsend.

usually, in a situation where a player is stolen from an active team, it would just be a player swap. however, Null Team is not an active team and Mike cannot be sent there, so instead, Mike is sent to the Shadows. at this point, the Shadows are a mostly-unknown and inaccessible site feature. he’s not DEAD, but he’s no longer on the Garages’ active roster. within an hour there is a song called “Mike Townsend (Knows What He’s Gotta Do)” about Mike getting Jaylen back for the team.

his redemption arc.

Jaylen’s return gives her a status called “Debted” that simply says “this player must fulfill a Debt.” no one knows what it means. probably it will be bad (it is). in the moment, it doesn’t matter. Jaylen is safe. she’s home. it’s a victory against the gods, against the Peanut. (the Peanut is a whole other story.)

this is not even close to the end of Jaylen’s story, or Mike’s, but this is more than long enough. and this is just one story - a big one, since it had a wider impact on the narrative, but every team had hundreds of stories like this. about big things, about small things. they took a random number generator and spun it into an infinite amount of stories. they made narratives out of spreadsheets.

it really, truly sucks that it’s gone.

[merrock]

event: Emergency Services Carnival

location: Town Hall & Cityview Park

date & time: June 29 - July 6, 2024

ooc duration: same dates!

Once a year, we throw a carnival in town to raise money for our emergency services, so the next time that you dial 911 due to a medical emergency or a fire breaking out, or a cat stuck in a tree (it happens, we know), the best of the best has the resources that they need to get out and help you to the best of their ability.

Located downtown, in the vicinity of the Cityview Park and Town Hall, a main stretch of road has been closed and the street cleared so that tents and trucks can set up for the week, happy to provide you with eats and treats! You can spend time enjoying the park, or go 'touch a truck' and meet the ambulance workers and firefighters of Merrock as they show off their stations, as well.

For food, you can expect all of the carnival staples: pizza, hot dogs, cheeseburgers, fresh cut French fries, a number of hot sandwiches, homemade soups, hot pretzels, nachos and cheese and so much more! If you want something dessert-y, reach for cotton candy, sno*cones, homemade ice cream and milkshakes, funnel cakes, churros and lots of candy sweets.

All of your favorite games are ready to go! There's the ring toss, where you can win a glass bottle of soda, the duck pond, balloon pop, frog pond, ball toss, lucky wheel and more! Great opportunity to win that special someone a prize. There are also a few rides set up for you to enjoy: the carousel, tilt-a-whirl and ferris wheel and mini-train are at your service! And before you head home, don't forget to pay to toss a few balls at the dunk tank, see if you can knock your favorite firefighter or EMT or other prominent town figure off their mark.

Performances for the week include: local band on Saturday, 80s cover band on Sunday, Unknown Destination on Monday, country band on Tuesday, classic rock band on Wednesday, local band on Thursday, Chetan Gupta on Friday, 90s and 00s cover band on Saturday.

On July 4th, at dusk, we will be having fireworks to celebrate the 4th of July!

[cidthesquid]

Style Savvy Trendsetter #11 - The Curtain Closes!

[Previous Post]            [First Post]            [Styling Star #1]

... I know I know! I said, I was done with this game in Post #10, and in post 10.5, I uploaded my remaining screenshots/outfits. But after my injury, the number of games I can play has been limited, and my mood was a bit low, so I went back and finally unlock and completed the 'Elite Contest', and thus completed the game!

There's still more to do in the game, such as the 'International Contest', more hairstyles, photo backgrounds, etc,

and the special brand, 'Purple Moon' is unlocked:

I've heard others refer to it as the 'cosplay brand', But I generally tend to think of it's image simply as 'Fantasy', but either way they have a very distinct style. Once some time passes in game (Day->Night) I also trigger the shop event that unlocks the final contest:

...But this requires me to win the 'Elite Contest' in each of the 10 themes, ...Again, with no way to track what themes you've done. And it's random, So for now, I'll consider the game complete. -_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

Overall, I'm super glad I went back and finished up this game. I ended up spending a lot of time making new outfits, and I think Style Savvy: Trendsetters is a TON of fun. It's a HUGE improvement over the DS original, it terms of not just graphics, but quality of life changes:

It's SOO much easier to navigate, everything is snappier, the outfit uil is much better, and the music's nicer too! ...But I will miss the more cartooney character models of the DS game:

The newer 3d models are more realistic, but loose a bit of the 'flair'. -_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

Anyway tomorrow (or Monday) I plan to start the 3rd and final style savvy game! As I mentioned in in post 10.5, I may be changing up how I play a bit, to move away from the (cute/cool) outfit 'neuron activation' style designs, in an attempt to see if I'll also enjoy working with more complex designs. Or what will bring me the most enjoyment. I'm sure that very idea may be confusing to some, so I'll just simplify it by saying that pretty much any kind of expression, even something as simple as designing outfits, functions a bit differently for me, (my brain is a little silly) One of the main reason I started this blog was, so I could talk about these games and fashion in my own weird way, even if it mainly benefits just me, getting the thoughts out. So I'll be doing the same thing with dealing with how I should approach these games. Try new stuff, and even if it seems weird or unconventional, find what form I enjoy most, as I proceed on my digital fashion journey! -_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

But anyway, thanks for reading! I had a lot of fun making this, so I hope you had fun reading it as well. (Click here for my blog on Style Savvy: Styling Star)

As always, all comments, questions, and suggestions are welcome!

You literally can't bother me, (unless you go out of your way to be a jerk), so post whatever you need to say!

[copperbadge]

Radio Free Monday

Good morning everyone, and welcome to Radio Free Monday!

Ways to Give:

love-lays-bleeding is raising funds to get through a rough patch between unemployment ending and a new job starting, including covering some hospital bills. They are also offering commissions on lap quilts and quilted cloaks; you can read more, reblog, and find giving information here.

gwydion linked to a fundraiser for Squirrel, a good friend who has recently lost his job and needs to raise about $800 to cover bills and food this month. You can give via paypal here.

Anon linked to a fundraiser for Jamie, whose family has suffered a number of financial setbacks recently including home damage, medical issues, and loss of medical leave pay. You can read more and support the fundraiser here.

mid-nighttiger linked to a fundraiser for a friend, Katherine, who was severely injured in a car accident and needs help with medical expenses; you can read more and reblog here or support the fundraiser here.

Buy Stuff, Help Out:

The marveltrumpshate 2023 fandom charity auction is now live, with 152 creators and 264 auctions offering all types of fanworks across the Marvel universes. They're inviting fandom to come celebrate half a decade of Marvel Trumps Hate by shopping for and bidding on auction items to support nonprofits; bidding will be open until midnight eastern time on October 28. You can find characters, ships, and fanwork types using their tags and search guide. After winning you donate directly to the nonprofit, so Marvel Trumps Hate doesn't handle the money; there are inexpensive options and also the opportunity to bid in pods with a group. You can read more and start shopping here!

Recurring Needs:

rilee16 is raising funds after having to use rent money to pay their electric bill; their roommate, with whom they have had a number of issues, has been an ongoing issue and is also costing them money, and they now owe a late fee for October rent. You can read more, reblog, and find giving information here.

gwydion linked to a fundraiser for a friend, whose dog Rosie needs medical care, dental work, and special food; you can read more and give here at gofundme.

And this has been Radio Free Monday! Thank you for your time. You can post items for my attention at the Radio Free Monday submissions form. If you're new to fundraising, you may want to check out my guide to fundraising here.

[chloe-caulfield94]

Would Max be the one to propose marriage, or would it be Chloe?

In Season 1 Chloe expressed romantic interest in Max on multiple occasions, but she initially did it in a way that could be explained away as goofing around if Max didn't reciprocate. "Maybe you made a move on me and I don't know", "fuq that, let's elope", "I dare you to kiss me". She probably did it like that because her greatest fear is that of being rejected.

But she also made a series of declarations that were more straightforward. Your powers might not last? "That's okay, we will - forever". "I'm never leaving you". I guess those could be seen as vows of best friendship. But when she says "nobody is good enough for you - except me", straight after discussing the dating pool in Blackwell with Max, the romantic implications cannot be escaped.

In Episode 5 at the beach Chloe says that she and Max are "meant to be together". After Max refuses to sacrifice her, she says "Max, I'll always be with you". That does sound like something you would say as part of a marriage proposal.

So while Chloe was initially hesitant to voice her feelings towards Max, she quickly finds her courage. And she doesn't have any qualms about letting the world know how she feels. She tells mr Jefferson that she will be "Max's date" at the party. And when Max accepted her dare, Chloe texted Warren that he's now out of the loop.

So would she be the one to pop the question? The only arguement against that I see is the possibility of Chloe feeling unworthy or like a burden to Max following the storm, which would prevent her from taking such a momentous step unless Max clearly expressed the desire to do so first.

I adore the LiS comics and I personally consider them to be "canon" as much as the games. The comics shows that while both Max and Chloe feel the weight of what happened and Chloe misses her mother, they are moving forward in time. Chloe works as a car mechanic (turns out David, she can have the skills without losing the attitude) and she picks up scultping as a hobby. Somewhat surpisingly, she seems to be the main breadwinner in her relationship with Max, who is just starting to get her career as a freelance photographer off the ground. And in my personal favourite moment, Chloe says to Max "I'm through feeling like I wasn't worthy of your choice". When Max is struggling with guilt and "flickers" of other possible worlds, Chloe is consoling her, returning the love and care Max showed her in Season 1. Post-storm Chloe seems to be looking forward and making plans for the future. So I see no reason why she wouldn't propose making their love official.

Having said all that, I think it would be Max who would propose.

Max might be initially slow to pick up what Chloe is putting down, but when she does see the writing on the wall, she goes all in. Every time she emerges from a time jump, she exclaims Chloe's name and runs to hug her. When she's fighting to break free from the dark room and uses her selfie to go back to Jefferson's classroom on Monday, she says "It doesn't matter what happens to me. I have to save Chloe". When she's in the art gallery and learns that the storm hit Arcadia Bay, her first thought is "Chloe can't die". She throws away the "perfect" timeline without a moment's hesitation, ripping her award-winning photo: "Chloe comes first".

Max very clearly realizes her feelings and it is reflected in her internal monologue. But she's also not shy to express her love outwardly.

At the beach in Episode 5, Max says that she always wanted her life to be special, an adventure. "But not without you". At the lighthouse she adds "You are my number one priority. You are all that matters to me now". Doesn't that sound like a proposal? A beatifully put proposal I might add.

Seeing that Max quickly realizes how much Chloe means to her, that she has no problem expressing her feelings and that she's more than capable of grand gestures of love, my money is on her proposing.

The question remains: Would she get down on her knee? Given that Chloe is noticeably taller even when they are both on their feet, that would probably look funny, but very, very adorably.

[mariacallous]

Moldova’s National Anticorruption Centre, CNA, said on Wednesday it has imposed fines worth over 2 million lei [over 100,000 euros] for electoral corruption just four days before the second round of the presidential election in which the pro-Western incumbent, Maia Sandu, is fighting to secure a second term.

The CNA added that it has received about 1,000 reports of electoral corruption and said that a fine of 25,000  to 37,500 lei [around 1,900 euros] is stipulated for such offences.

According to the authorities, these are the largest fines for electoral corruption ever applied in Moldova. They come against a background of major fraud attempts and a system of votes-for-payment set up by the fugitive Russia-based oligarch Ilan Shor in a scheme coordinated with Moscow.

“The voter corruption scheme was developed by Russian special services,” Moldova’s General Prosecutor, Ion Munteanu, said on Monday about the allegations being investigated by police.

He added that “the mechanism has been implemented by the Shor criminal organisation”, starting from the spring of 2024.

“Members of the network are paid monthly to pay voters to vote for a certain candidate, which was announced the day before the current October 20 election by members of the Victory bloc” – a bloc de facto led by Shor – Munteanu said.

According to the CNA, passive electoral corruption involves voters claiming or receiving, personally or through an intermediary, goods, services, privileges or advantages that are not due to them, to vote a certain way in elections.

“Persons who offer money to influence the results of an election risk from one to five years in prison and a fine of over 50,000 lei [2,500 euros], and the illegal financing of political parties from prohibited sources is punishable by up to six years of prison and with a fine of over 67,000 lei [around 3,400 euros],” the CNA warned.

In September, police opened a criminal case into an electoral corruption scheme led by Shor to hijack the October 20 presidential election and simultaneous constitutional referendum.

They have identified more than 130,000 members of the organisation, including persons responsible for polling stations, campaigners and simple enforcers of order in the electoral process. Authorities estimate that when investigations are completed, the number of those involved in the scheme will likely exceed 300,000.

In the second round of the presidential elections on Sunday, pro-EU incumbent Sandu faces former MP and Prosecutor-General Alexandr Stoianoglo, the candidate of the pro-Russian Socialist Party.

Sandu won the first round on October 20 with roughly 42.5 per cent, and also claimed a knife-edge win in a referendum to enshrine Moldova’s European Union accession ambition in the country’s constitution. Stoianoglo got around 27 per cent of the vote in the first round.

Stoianoglo is currently embroiled in a number of criminal cases including charges of passive corruption, false statements and abuse of office. He denies any wrongdoing.

[spacetimewithstuartgary]

New SpaceTime out Friday

SpaceTime 20241025 Series 27 Episode 129

First evidence of a volcanic spatter cone on Mars

Scientists have detected what appears to be the first ever evidence for a volcanic spatter cone on the red planet Mars.

Distant exo-planet may host volcanic moon like Jupiter's Io

New research has revealed potential signs of a rocky, volcanic moon orbiting an exoplanet 635 light-years from Earth.

The Sun reaching the maximum period of space weather events

Representatives from NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration NOAA together with the international Solar Cycle Prediction Panel have announced that the Sun has reached its solar maximum period, which could continue for the next year or so.

The Science Report

The rise in human life expectancy is slowing down.

Scientists find that even low-risk drinking causes higher mortality in adults.

A new study warns that thawing permafrost may accelerate Arctic riverbank erosion.

Skeptics guide to the internet censorship free speech bill

SpaceTime covers the latest news in astronomy & space sciences.

The show is available every Monday, Wednesday and Friday through Apple Podcasts (itunes), Stitcher, Google Podcast, Pocketcasts, SoundCloud, Bitez.com, YouTube, your favourite podcast download provider, and from www.spacetimewithstuartgary.com

SpaceTime is also broadcast through the National Science Foundation on Science Zone Radio and on both i-heart Radio and Tune-In Radio.

SpaceTime daily news blog: http://spacetimewithstuartgary.tumblr.com/

SpaceTime facebook: www.facebook.com/spacetimewithstuartgary

SpaceTime Instagram @spacetimewithstuartgary

SpaceTime twitter feed @stuartgary

SpaceTime YouTube: @SpaceTimewithStuartGary

SpaceTime -- A brief history

SpaceTime is Australia’s most popular and respected astronomy and space science news program – averaging over two million downloads every year. We’re also number five in the United States.  The show reports on the latest stories and discoveries making news in astronomy, space flight, and science.  SpaceTime features weekly interviews with leading Australian scientists about their research.  The show began life in 1995 as ‘StarStuff’ on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s (ABC) NewsRadio network.  Award winning investigative reporter Stuart Gary created the program during more than fifteen years as NewsRadio’s evening anchor and Science Editor.  Gary’s always loved science. He studied astronomy at university and was invited to undertake a PHD in astrophysics, but instead focused on his career in journalism and radio broadcasting. Gary’s radio career stretches back some 34 years including 26 at the ABC. He worked as an announcer and music DJ in commercial radio, before becoming a journalist and eventually joining ABC News and Current Affairs. He was part of the team that set up ABC NewsRadio and became one of its first on air presenters. When asked to put his science background to use, Gary developed StarStuff which he wrote, produced and hosted, consistently achieving 9 per cent of the national Australian radio audience based on the ABC’s Nielsen ratings survey figures for the five major Australian metro markets: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Perth.  The StarStuff podcast was published on line by ABC Science -- achieving over 1.3 million downloads annually.  However, after some 20 years, the show finally wrapped up in December 2015 following ABC funding cuts, and a redirection of available finances to increase sports and horse racing coverage.  Rather than continue with the ABC, Gary resigned so that he could keep the show going independently.  StarStuff was rebranded as “SpaceTime”, with the first episode being broadcast in February 2016.  Over the years, SpaceTime has grown, more than doubling its former ABC audience numbers and expanding to include new segments such as the Science Report -- which provides a wrap of general science news, weekly skeptical science features, special reports looking at the latest computer and technology news, and Skywatch – which provides a monthly guide to the night skies. The show is published three times weekly (every Monday, Wednesday and Friday) and available from the United States National Science Foundation on Science Zone Radio, and through both i-heart Radio and Tune-In Radio.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Amanda Marcotte at Salon:

Is Donald Trump wishing he could replace Sen. JD Vance of Ohio with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as his running mate? That question jumped from the world of social media jokes to a serious inquiry on Monday, when the anti-vaccine conspiracy theorist and former presidential candidate told Tucker Carlson that he's been hired to "pick the people who will be running the government" if Trump gets elected in November. Since Kennedy dropped out of the race and endorsed Trump, the GOP candidate has fully embraced the black sheep of the famous Democratic clan. Trump used to sneer that Kennedy was a "Radical Left Democrat," which was false, and that he's the "dumbest member" of the Kennedy clan, which is fair enough. After Kennedy endorsed him, however, Trump hugged Kennedy and declared, "He's a great guy, respected by everybody." (Fact check: Kennedy isn't even respected by his family members, who are blanketing the airwaves to say his behavior is "obscene" and a betrayal of his father, a New York senator and presidential candidate who was assassinated in 1968.)

The imagery of the two men together spread far and wide, to the point where it seems that Kennedy is Trump's running mate — not Vance. 

Vice President Kamala Harris' campaign seems fine with this, since Kennedy's presence only proves the "weird" accusations the campaign has blasted onto the Trump ticket. "In the four days since he endorsed Trump, RFK Jr. has spent his time tweeting about chemtrails and dodging questions about illegally sawing off a dead whale's head," DNC senior adviser Mary Beth Cahill said in a statement. "Normal candidates would run from a surrogate like this, but desperate men do desperate things."

Trump has a stench of desperation to him, as Harris rises in the polls. Still, it's not initially clear what an alliance with Kennedy does for Trump. Although he and Vance keep insisting they're "normal" and "not weird," here they are, lavishing attention on a man who claimed to have a brain worm and by his own account once dumped a dead bear cub in Central Park. The choice is yet another indicator of how much the Trump campaign's strategy depends on appealing to fringe constituencies in hopes that they turn out just enough creeps and conspiracy theorists to eke out a win in the swing states.  Kennedy doesn't just connect with the anti-vaccine community. He likely has special appeal to a group that isn't mentioned as much in the mainstream media anymore, but whose bizarre ideas still hold power over millions: QAnon, a cult-like conspiracy community that believes Trump is a savior sent to stop an imaginary cabal of Satan-worshipping pedophiles. [...] A popular belief in QAnon circles is that John F. Kennedy Jr., who was Robert Kennedy's first cousin, did not actually die in a 1999 plane crash, but has been in hiding and will emerge as Trump's running mate. Many have decided that Vince Fusca, a random Trump follower, is the dead son of President John F. Kennedy.

[...] There's been a good deal of media discussion about Americans who voted for Joe Biden in 2020, but are leaning toward Trump now. Those numbers are relatively small but could be enough to make a difference in tight swing-state elections if Harris can't win them back. A lot of theories abound to explain this drift, from inflation to gender relations. What is under-discussed, however, is the role of conspiracy theories like QAnon. Most QAnoners are white conservatives, but in recent years, QAnon has sucked in a more diverse group of people. In her book, Cook tells the stories of Bay Area Bernie Sanders supporters, an elderly Democrat and a Black single mother who were pulled into MAGA after being radicalized by QAnon. PRRI data reflects this, showing that the number of Democrats espousing QAnon beliefs doubled after Trump left office, from 7% in 2021 to 14% in late 2023. Harris' rise in the polls, however, suggests she may be starting to get some of the drifters back. 

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s hitching his wagons to Donald Trump reeks of a desperation act.

His allying with Trump appeals to some parts of QAnon, who believe that JFK Jr. will come back from the dead. That is in addition to the natural appeal of anti-vaxxer extremists.

[jgroffdaily]

Broadway’s biggest names and brightest talents, both onstage and behind the scenes, are set to celebrate six weeks of dedicated fundraising with songs, skits and dance at the return of Red Bucket Follies, produced by and benefiting Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.

The heartwarming homecoming of the annual fall event, which has been on a pandemic hiatus since 2019, takes place at 4:30 pm on Monday, December 4, and at 2 pm Tuesday, December 5.

The heartwarming homecoming of the annual fall event, which has been on a pandemic hiatus since 2019, takes place at 4:30 pm on Monday, December 4, and at 2 pm Tuesday, December 5.

A limited number of tickets, starting at $40, are still available for the exhilarating insider event. They can be purchased at Click Here.

Red Bucket Follies (#redbucketfollies) will feature guest appearances by Roger Bart (Back to the Future: The Musical); Corbin Bleu (Little Shop of Horrors); Sierra Boggess, Danny Kornfeld, Zal Owen and Chip Zien (Harmony); Alex Brightman (The Shark is Broken, Spamalot); Victoria Clark and Justin Cooley (Kimberly Akimbo); Lorna Courtney (& Juliet); Danny DeVito (I Need That); Jonathan Groff (Merrily We Roll Along); Leslie Odom Jr. and Kara Young (Purlie Victorious); and Patrick Page (All the Devils Are Here).

Broadway shows represented in Red Bucket Follies include Back to the Future: The Musical, Forbidden Sondheim, Hadestown, Hamilton, Harmony, Here Lies Love, Here We Are, Kimberly Akimbo, The Lion King, Some Like it Hot and Sweeney Todd, as well as Grammy Award-winning choir Broadway Inspirational Voices.

This year’s show also will feature special performances by Maria Bilbao, Sierra Boggess, Danny Burstein, Jessica Hecht, Rachel Bay Jones, Andrea Martin, Bonnie Milligan, Christine Pedi, Marc Shaiman and Lillias White.

[merrock]

It's time… for a bake-off! With world baking day happening on May 19th this year, we thought that we would do something fun and new to celebrate! Sponsored by Flour Co. in the suburbs, this event will allow Merrockites to show off their baking skills (or lack of) and win some fun prizes along the way! Everyone will be judged on May 19th, with your fellow townspeople (who chip in a donation) doing some sampling as they wander from table to table, seeing which treat tickles their fancy the most. Who will take home the grand prize?!

ic date: May 19, 2024

ooc date: May 14-19, 2024

dress code: casual, but if you want to dress like a cute baker, we won't judge!

invited: everyone! but those who want to judge must pay a fee to taste all the entrees.

notes: please read under the cut for lots more information!

This event is very much so going to be a 'trial and error' type of thing for us, as we've never really held a competition where we are asking you guys to submit things… and using it in character. But we thought that it would be something fun and new to spice up the town, and hope to see lots of participation! Here are some important rules / things to keep in mind:

to limit the amount of submissions, each player may submit three, only, and each character can only submit one! this means if you play six characters, you can choose three who will participate.

characters may team up for the event! but that will count as one of your submissions.

be realistic with submissions! if you have a character who is notoriously awful at baking, please don't take something off of google that looks professionally done and submit it. send us something horrible! that makes it all the more funny!

along with that, giving credit is preferred; we will talk about formatting your submission after the rules, but if you can link us to where you found it, that would be amazing.

In character interactions for this event will take place at the judging -- anyone who wishes to participate in judging will give a small donation and be able to wander through Flour Co., sampling the various entries so they're not just seeing them, but tasting them, too! Each table will be set up with forks, napkins, plates, the submission, and a number of photographs to view, just in case it gets all eaten up first! You're also welcome to write out baking the item, itself, if you'd prefer! But obviously please don't do open starters in your character's kitchen (baking takes place at home).

To submit, please use our submit box and fill out this little form.

CHARACTER: who is submitting

ITEM BAKED: what they baked (sending us the link to the source would be awesome!)

BAKING LEVEL: i tried, pretty good, damn! (choose one!)

DESCRIPTION: how your character would describe the submission, just a couple of sentences is fine!

NOTES: this is where you tell us anything special about the submission, like maybe it looks horrible, but tastes great, or it looks unreal, but tastes meh, anything that will help people vote!

Submissions will be taken until Monday, May 13th at 10PM EST!

[tieflingkisser]

Prosecute a Cop? You’ll Face Removal From Office

Reform-minded district attorneys like Minnesota’s Mary Moriarty are facing backlash for prosecuting police shootings and misconduct.

Two unions representing police and state troopers in Minnesota wrote a letter to Gov. Tim Walz last friday. An elected prosecutor in Hennepin County, which includes Minneapolis, was prosecuting one of their own, and they wanted her removed from the case — immediately.  On Wednesday, four Republican members of U.S. Congress from Minnesota followed up in another letter to Walz expressing “outrage” in the same case. “It is time for us as a nation to stop demonizing law enforcement,” the Republican representatives wrote. They called for an investigation into Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty. At least one of the four, Rep. Michelle Fischbach, has called on Moriarty to resign.  Only a few days earlier, Minnesota Republican state lawmakers called on Moriarty to resign and drop charges against the state trooper in the case. Lawmakers accused her of coddling criminals and targeting police in “politically-motivated prosecution.” The controversy erupted around the prosecution of a state trooper who shot and killed 33-year-old Ricky Cobb II, a Black man, during a traffic stop in July. Moriarty’s office said the trooper’s use of deadly force against Cobb was not justified. The pressure campaign against the prosecution seems, so far, to be working. Asked about the case during a press conference on Monday, Walz, a Democrat, questioned Moriarty’s handling of the charges and criticized her assessment of the use of force. The governor’s office, however, has not yet said whether Moriarty will be removed from the case. (Moriarty’s office did not respond to a request for comment, but in a previous statement she said the unions wanted Walz to “give special treatment to this case.” Walz’s office did not respond to a request for comment.) The attacks like those on Moriarty are not unique to Minnesota. Moriarty was among a clutch of reform-minded prosecutors who started winning elections in greater numbers in recent years. Constituents were increasingly casting their ballots for criminal justice reformers who ran on prosecuting police for misconduct and killing of civilians, ending cash bail, and curtailing the prosecution of nonviolent offenses.  In response, opponents of the reform push have been more and more explicit about why they want to remove elected attorneys like Moriarty: They’re prosecuting the police. “It’s clear this is not about safety,” said Jessica Brand, who founded the Wren Collective, a progressive consulting firm, and works with several reform prosecutors. “It’s about power — they don’t want prosecutors in office who will hold them accountable when they abuse their power. That’s the theme that is running through the backlash in every state.”

[keep reading]