#My money’s on December for a release date

[salemrph]

"Let the World Burn"

Chapter 1: A not so well planned night (Coming soon)

Summary: A night of celebration ends in chaos—you vanish without a trace. The ransom demand arrives, but Sylus knows this isn’t just about money. What should’ve been a simple rescue mission unearths secrets far more sinister than anyone ever imagined.

Character: Sylus x MC; Luke and Kieran, Caleb, Zayne

Genre/Warning: descriptions of violence and blood, hurt/comfort, injuries, grief, romantic, drama, action, slight sexual content, angst

Reading Time: around 30 min

Release date: Thursday, 13th February

A/N: I've been working on this since December. I'm not used to writing such complex or long stories, but despite the challenge, I'm enjoying the process immensely. I'd love to share it with all of you. I go over what I write multiple times before publishing to ensure the rhythm feels right and everything is coherent and clear. I also do my best to catch any spelling mistakes. Forgive me if some slip through, and if it takes a bit longer to release the following chapters. Thanks you!

Inspired by the song: Let the world burn

[squipedmew]

Sometimes my dashboard lines up perfectly

[shitpostingfromthebarricade]

Locations of Les Mis - Jean Valjean's Journey

Okay, so JVJ starts his life in Faverolles, Brie (modern Aisne — thanks @vapaus-ystavyys-tasaarvo).

Then he was put in chains in Bicêtre (in Paris)

and continued on his way to Toulon, where he was in prison for 19 years.

The day after his release, he was underpaid for his labor in Grasse (was told 30 sous but, after showing his papers, was only paid 15 sous)

and several days later was in Brignolles, Digne where he was denied food and shelter but met the Bishop (inspired by the historical Bishop of Digne).

He was supposed to be going to Pontarlier next to work in the dairy farms

but instead went on to Montreuil-sur-Mer (Fantine's hometown and where she'd later return after Tholomyès left), arriving "just at nightfall, on a December evening" in 1815. What I suspect happened in the interim is that JVJ went to Paris before setting out for this town that he heard was good for cottage industries (and away from Faverolles, where he knew he would be searched for) (and anyway, last he heard his sister and niblings had moved to Paris as well) (OH SHIT was his first instinct to seek them out in Paris???). (Map updated, thank you to @baloo394 for the correction!)

In early March 1823 when Champmathieu was on trial in Arras, JVJ went through great lengths to travel from Montrieul-sur-Mer to there, leaving at 5AM and arriving at "nearly eight o'clock in the evening" despite all of the hindrances.

He then returns to Montrieul-sur-Mer to see Fantine die and be re-arrested. He escapes for three or four days, allowing him time to bury his money in the woods near Montfermeil (which Boulatruelle sees and is haunted by for the rest of his days) — Montfermeil also being where Fantine stopped on her way from Paris to Montrieul-sur-Mer and deposited Cosette with the Thénardiers —

after which he was found in Paris "at the very moment when he was entering one of those little vehicles which run between the capital and the village of Montfermeil (Seine-et-Oise)" (2.2.1). (What was the PLAN JVJ??? You went to Montfermeil, then on to Paris, and then ... what, were gonna backtrack back to Montfermeil? Did they report inaccurately and you'd just arrived in Paris? What did you go on to Paris to do?????)

He then next appears at the Court of Assizes of the Var (see the green in the bottom right-hand corner?) not long before 25 July 1823. I assume this is because he robbed Petit-Gervais while in that region.

After this, he was returned to Toulon.

Orion entered Toulon's port late October 1823, and JVJ made his unlikely escape 17 November 1823.

24 December 1823, we know that JVJ finally arrives in Montfermeil to retrieve Cosette,

after which they escape to Paris where they remain more or less the rest of the book (besides JVJ's periodic Monfermeil excursions).

[ghelullu]

Ghost Tour and Album release timelines Infopost

I saw a lot of curiosity and also really bad takes about the upcoming album release in relation to the tour starting soon: „he’s decepting us by selling tickets and we don’t even have an album yet“, „it’s worrying that the album hasn’t even been released!“ etc, and I couldn’t take it anymore. So have a very short overview on how Ghost handled these things in the past and some speculations, brought to you by my autistic historian ass

Opus Popus as the first album doesn’t count here Update: see below, so I’ll ignore it. Just like the EPs (even Popestar, yes)

Infestissumam

Papa II was introduced by Papa I on 15.12.2012 in Linköping

there we also got the first songs (Secular Haze, Marionette cover) played live,

SH single was released a few days (20.12.2012) later on their Website

Papa II Tour start: 23.02.2012 (if you don’t count the bit in december and that P3 Guld Awards thing)

Album Release Date: 10.04.2013

time between tour and album: 1,5 months (46 days)

Meliora

Papa III premiered in Linköping on 03.06.2015 (with the wrong facemask), which also started the tour

first single (Cirice) released on 30.05.2015

Album Release Date: 21.08.2015

time between tour and album: 2,5 months (79 days)

Prequelle (my beloved)

we meet the Cardinal on 06.04.2018 in a Chapter (and some small concerts) before tour kicks off properly:

Tour start: 05.05.2018

first single (Rats) was released on 13.04.2018 (followed by Dance Macabre on 18.05.2018)

notably there's a bit of a break after the pre-release tour (ROTR), the release of the album and then the „proper“ tour (Pale Tour)

Album Release Date: 01.06.2018

time between tour and album: just under 1 month (27 days)

Impera

not counting the Ascension on 03.03.2020 and Sympathy for the Devil (my beloved) on 22.01.2021);

we get 3! singles before the album releases (Hunter’s Moon (super early bc of the movie), CMLS, Twenties)

Preimperatour started on 25.01.2022 (again with a break between the pre-release tour, release and post-release tour)

Album Release Day: 11.03.2022

time between tour and album: 1,5 months (45 days)

Conclusion:

As you see, Ghost always go on tour first and THEN release the album with about 1,5 months inbetween. Many songs are first played live and then we get to hear the studio versions. Recently we even got dedicated „pre-tours“ (Rats on the Road, Pre-Imperatour) to hype us up. So there is no need to be worried, or even accuse him of being a scammer or whatever. It’s literally the normal modus operandi!

My guess for this Album/Tour (this might age terribly with the most recent website update): I’d assume we get a single later this month/ in march at the latest, and, if I had to guess, the album comes out after the Euro leg of the Redacted tour in late May (1 month passed plus theres a break again, like there was for ROTR/Pale Tour and Pre-/Imperatour)

Update

Since it's been pointed out that not including Opus isn't fair, I shall add that era. I didn't include it, because first albums always have a bit of their own rules and there's a whole lot of issues coming with releasing your first baby - plus I was trying to make a point based on recency (4 of the last 5 albums) etc. plus the lack of money & recognition didn't allow for a real Tour for quite a while. ANYWAY, here's it:

Opus Eponymous:

12.03.2010 they uploaded the Demo tape to MySpace and got a LOT of attention immediately (because it's a frickin' banger)

the album itself was released on 18.10.2010 officially

they played their first gig at Hammer of Doom in Würzburg of all places on 23.10.2010 - yes, after the album release

it wasn't really a tour in that sense; they went on to play some gigs wherever they could, then supported other bands (Paradise Lost in early 2011), the first thing you could call a real tour was Defenders of the Faith III with Trivium, In Flames (my beloveds, check out In Flames if you haven't!) and Rise to Remain in late 2011 - not a real Headliner Solo tour, though, either

Sources: Setlist.fm, wikipedia, my memory, really

[jjungkookislife]

Home for the Holidays: Teaser

pairing: Jungkook x f. Reader

genre: fake dating au, college au, smut [18+]

summary: Jungkook is in desperate need to find a girlfriend for Christmas. His mom has nagged and nagged about him bringing someone home for the holidays. Determined, Jungkook recruits his friends in hopes of finding the right girl to take home. In need of a place to stay, and no plans for Christmas, you answer his friend’s ad.

You have 25 days to convince not only his parents but his grandmother that you’re in a real relationship, solid enough to get through Christmas with the Jeons.

wc: tba

warnings: tba

date of teaser: December 27, 2023

date of release: December 31, 2023 (hopefully)

“Your grandmother just gave your brother a brand new house for getting engaged,” Jungkook’s mom states during their weekly phone call.

“What?” Jungkook is astounded at the news, not about his brother, Seojun, being engaged, but getting a home for it.

“Your grandmother is in a giving mood this year, son. Something about not being able to take money with her when she passes,” Jungkook’s mom shrugs on the other end of the line. “I’m sure she’d get you something if you brought someone home for the holidays. Maybe a check for a few grand or an apartment. You never know with her.”

“An apartment? Or money? And all I’d have to do is bring someone home?” Jungkook asks, looking for confirmation.

“Well, not any rando off the street, Jungkook. A girlfriend, boyfriend, partner? Just someone, Jungkook. Someone you’re semi-serious about. Don’t go bringing a Tinder match to our home.”

“Moooom,” Jungkook wipes his face with his hand, embarrassed.

“I’m just saying, I know how much you kids like to hook up. Not in my home though,” Jungkook wonders if he can die from listening to this conversation.

“Anyway, your father is trying to wrap Christmas gifts and cut his hand with the tape dispenser for the third time, so I gotta go. Bring someone home! Use condoms, love you!” Jungkook grimaces, hanging up. He knows his mother meant well, but sometimes she was a bit too much to handle so early in the day.

“A girlfriend?” Jungkook bites his lip, pacing back and forth. He wasn’t seeing anyone at the moment, school taking up most of his time but with only a few short weeks until Christmas, he was hoping his grandmother would come through with some money or something. All he had to do was take someone home for Christmas. How hard could that be?

[valuentumbrian]

How Does 37% Sound?

Image: The Schwab U.S. Large Cap Growth ETF (SCHG) is up more than 37% so far in 2024.

By Brian Nelson, CFA

How does 37% sound? That was the price-only performance of the Schwab U.S. Large Cap Growth ETF (SCHG) thus far in 2024. Over the preceding 5-year period, the SCHG is up over 140%.

For years, I have pounded the table on the theory that there are not value or growth stocks, but rather undervalued, fairly valued, or overvalued stocks. It’s why many growth stocks can be undervalued. It’s the Theory of Universal Valuation found in Value Trap that ties myriad areas of finance to the well-known discounted cash-flow [DCF] model. Growth is a component of value. Hook, line, and sinker.

For years, I have been pounding the table on large cap growth as my favorite area for idea generation (given its Valuentum stock tendencies), and I have put my money where my mouth is, too, with a meaningful portion of my net worth in SCHG. You’ll find that a lot of the top holdings in SCHG are top considerations in the Best Ideas Newsletter portfolio, too, so there’s some good overlap between what I consider Valuentum stocks and where I’m putting my money.

But why don’t I actually own all the stocks I like? It’s the question I have been asked for more than a decade. Here’s what I wrote back in September 2023. I’m an old school analyst that cut my teeth in this business following the Global Analyst Settlement, meaning I believe that writers should generally not be taking stakes in the individual stocks they write about. Writers with positions in the stocks they write about can lead to biased research, or worse, terrible outcomes.

So what’s the playbook for 2025? You can probably guess that I think large cap growth and big cap tech will continue to lead the markets to new heights. 2024 was a boring year, if a 37% return can be considered boring for large cap growth. Frankly, with the market focusing on macro data and the Fed during 2024, there wasn’t much material to write about. We all already know the story: Inflation is under control, the job market remains healthy, the Fed is cutting, and artificial intelligence will be the name of the game this decade.

I think it’s worth clarifying some of our offerings every now and then, as each one focuses on a unique vertical. For those seeking capital appreciation, the Best Ideas Newsletter portfolio may be of interest. For those seeking dividend growth, the Dividend Growth Newsletter portfolio includes our favorite ideas, while for those seeking high yield, the High Yield Dividend Newsletter may be your cup of tea. Dividend growth focuses on dividend growth potential; high yield focuses on current high yield, and so on and so forth.

The Exclusive publication is one of my favorite publications, where we highlight an income idea, a capital appreciation idea and a short idea consideration each month. You can read more about the Exclusive publication here. As of the date of the release of the December edition of the Exclusive publication, success rates for Capital Appreciation Ideas were 90.1%, while success rates for Short Idea Considerations were 88.1%. If you haven’t yet tried out the Exclusive, please do so.

Okay – so what about dividends? Unfortunately, I think we’re in for another difficult year for dividend growth investing. The SPDR S&P Dividend ETF (SDY) is only up 6% year-to-date, trailing both the equal-weight and market-cap weighted S&P 500 indices by sizable margins. With the 10-year Treasury yield at 4.6% and certificate-of-deposit rates still elevated, dividend-only-focused investors will likely continue to trail the broader markets. Remember: dividends are capital appreciation that otherwise would have been achieved, so don’t let the dividend tail wag the total return dog.

What about Bitcoin? I really don’t know. It’s definitely a greater fool asset like gold, but I have totally underestimated the number of fools there are these days. Haha. Just kidding, but seriously, with the regulatory environment easing with respect to crypto and with President-elect Donald Trump supporting crypto assets, who really knows how high Bitcoin can get or just how volatile the asset may become as institutional money ebbs and flows.

So what about small cap value? Well, year-to-date, the iShares Russell 2000 Value ETF (IWN) is up a meager 6%, and it is up just 28% over the past 5 years, trailing large cap growth considerably. With a near 30% weighting in financials and 10% weighting in real estate in the IWN, for me, it’s a no-brainer to avoid. The only way I believe the gap between large cap growth and small cap value narrows is if large cap growth falls on difficult times, which can never be ruled out. But that said, there’s no reason to believe in the IWN, no matter what the statisticians say about quantitative value. I tackle the issue of the pitfalls of falling in love with historical data in Value Trap, too.

All things considered, 2024 was an absolutely amazing year for our core research exposure (i.e. large cap growth). Do I think the SCHG will repeat its dazzling performance in 2025? Probably not to the same extent, but it’s hard to bet against some of the strongest net-cash-rich, free-cash-flow generating powerhouses on the market today. Give me Apple (AAPL), Nvidia (NVDA), Microsoft (MSFT), Amazon (AMZN), Alphabet (GOOG) any day of the week, especially over any financials-heavy index. Enjoy the rest of 2024 folks!

Leave a comment >>

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The High Yield Dividend Newsletter, Best Ideas Newsletter, Dividend Growth Newsletter, Valuentum Exclusive publication, ESG Newsletter, and any reports, data and content found on this website are for information purposes only and should not be considered a solicitation to buy or sell any security. Valuentum is not responsible for any errors or omissions or for results obtained from the use of its newsletters, reports, commentary, data or publications and accepts no liability for how readers may choose to utilize the content. Valuentum is not a money manager, is not a registered investment advisor, and does not offer brokerage or investment banking services. The sources of the data used on this website and reports are believed by Valuentum to be reliable, but the data’s accuracy, completeness or interpretation cannot be guaranteed. Valuentum, its employees, and independent contractors may have long, short or derivative positions in the securities mentioned on this website. The High Yield Dividend Newsletter portfolio, ESG Newsletter portfolio, Best Ideas Newsletter portfolio and Dividend Growth Newsletter portfolio are not real money portfolios. Performance, including that in the Valuentum Exclusive publication and additional options commentary feature, is hypothetical and does not represent actual trading. Actual results may differ from simulated information, results, or performance being presented. For more information about Valuentum and the products and services it offers, please contact us at info@valuentum.com.

[innuendostudios]

by a wide margin the weirdest video essay I've ever release: List of Songs that Represent "Smart Music" Ranked from Most to Least Appropriate to Put in a Video Essay

this video is sponsored by Nebula, where you can watch ad-free and (sometimes, slightly) better edited versions of my videos for 40% off an annual subscription. just follow this link.

as a quick note: YouTube has already demonetized this video, as two different corporations are claiming copyright on recordings they do not own the copyright to - both are Creative Commons recordings of public domain music, that, in one case, YouTube has misidentified as a different recording, and, in the other, YouTube has the music in its database as under copyright despite it being having been released under CC BY-SA 3.0. I am disputing these false claims and will (hopefully) get whatever money I am owed, but, for now, YouTube is not paying me a dime for this.

so it would be a bigger help than usual if you would either watch the video on Nebula or back me on Patreon.

thanks. transcript below the cut!

List of Songs That Represent “Smart Music” Ranked From Most To Least Appropriate To Put In A Video Essay (And Presented In Drill Bit Order).

1. Clair de Lune, Debussy

This has been top dog ever since the teaser for Godzilla: King of the Monsters, and cemented its position against challengers with a showcase in Everything Everywhere All at Once. Said film could have been the shark-jumping moment where the song was irretrievably lost to irony, given directors Kwan and Scheinert (Daniels)’s style mercilessly marries the aesthetics of prestige and shitpost. Yes, despite its silliness, EEAAO is achingly sincere, but could the general public be trusted to recognize that? But then it won Best Picture, so apparently yes! Beautiful, delicate, to score a film or video with Clair de Lune signals a desire to be seen not only as an intellectual, but as an aesthete. The song could lose potency if the Clair de Lune sequence were parodied enough, but how does one parody EEAAO???

9. Gymnopedie No. 1, Satie

I fear we must, as a society, and as a community of video essayists, move on from Gymnopedie No. 1. It held the title longer than, I think, any champion previous, and for that it deserves merit. But its time is over. It is, like the phrase “mad dated,” mad dated. It is saying “lmao” out loud. Did you know the original screenplay for 2005 film The Island specifically stated that, in the weird culty enclave in which the film opens, Gymnopedie No. 1 must be playing over the loudspeaker? I don’t think Michael Bay followed that directive (I’m not rewatching the movie to find out), but that is how long this was the “Smart Music” song - since 5 months after YouTube launched. If you must - absolutely must - put Satie in a video essay, use Gnossienne No. 1, though it too is on its way to passe. At this point I’m prepared to say Vexations or GTFO.

2. Ave Maria, Schubert/Liszt

Nothing was certain after Satie vacated the throne, and for a while it seemed we might have a Starks vs. Baratheons situation between Schubert and Debussy. Following several appearances in pretentious YouTube videos, the Ave Maria made its strongest showing yet by scoring the opening scene of the grimdarkest Batman film so far, an entire twenty days before getting fully Lannister’d by Everything Everywhere All at Once. Unbowed, unbent, and unbroken, still she nips at the heels of the king, and may yet take his place. No one else poses a comparable threat. Hers is a curious strategy, being a religious, Christmas, and even classic Disney standard now repurposed as “Smart Music;” she gets a big boost every December, but can she take the top spot before this cyclical exposure nudges her back into a prior niche?

8. Moonlight Sonata, Beethoven

If you were in a film program in the mid-2000s, you are sick to death of Moonlight Sonata. Also if you were in a music class where you were asked to determine a song’s time signature by ear - how am I supposed to tell the difference between waltz time and 4/4 with all triplets without the sheet music in front of me? To say scoring a video with Moonlight Sonata is a hack move - you’d have to be a hack to not already know! This was the soundtrack to the blind cave salamander level of Earthworm Jim 2, there’s no coming back from that! I mean, the association with Tallarico Studios alone… It’s done. Roll over, Beethoven.

3. Cello Suite No. 1 (Prelude), Bach

This one is firmly-rooted. It is not going anywhere, both in the sense that nothing could soon push it off the list but it’s hard to imagine rising any higher. It is just slightly too beautiful, too expressive, too legato to fall into the stiffness of Habanera or the pomposity of a De Beers ad, but just close enough to them in tone to always read as a hipper alternative. So you’ll never be overexposed, but never go that long without hearing the Yo-Yo Ma version. And so here it stays, third on the podium, solid bronze, the waterbender, the Plup; with you as always is Prelude to Cello Suite No. 1. (Frankly surprised it took us this long to get to Johann, but don’t worry - he’ll be Bach.)

7. Air on the G String, Bach/Wilhelmj

Told ya. It’s not that she isn’t a beautiful piece of music, and it’s not that she already had her time. In truth, she never got her flowers. Inasmuch as she had a run, it was squished between the omnipresences of Beethoven and Satie. You’ll still hear from her now and then; she crops up, like a lucky penny. And you’ll smile, every time, but you know the stars in your eyes are not present joy, but nostalgia. A fondness for what was and what could’ve been - what should have been. Why - why couldn’t this have had the legs of Gymnopedie? I mean, even the Fucking Champs version - could that have made a run? Could TikTok pick up on it? But comes the day you have to accept - if it was gonna happen, it would’ve happened by now. Air on the G String grows weary; let her rest.

4. Duo des Fleurs, Delibes

Bit of a dark horse, this one. Didn’t exactly come out of nowhere - it’s been here the whole time - but you didn’t see it coming! It’s like that time I went snorkeling, and I wondered, “Where are the fish?” I was told there would be tropical fish, but all I saw was blue. Then I caught one flitting by my head and, as soon my eyes registered the shape, I realized they were everywhere! I just hadn’t taken them in. This is the one that makes you ask, where did I hear that before? Was this the one at the end of Margaret? No! How did it go? How do I hum dyads? But then it shows up and, oh yeah, that’s the one! The really pretty one. I knew it’d come around again. Has staying power, could make a run for the top if it sees an opening, but seemingly content, for now, to dance around the periphery, appreciated when heard if only half-remembered the next day.

6. Prelude in E Minor Op. 28 No. 4, Chopin

The bottom end of acceptability. Anything lower, you must avoid. But you can use Prelude in E. It is a risk, and it takes skill. But you can use Prelude in E. It is not for the faint of heart. This is the ending of Fez we’re talking about here. This is that one TED Talk about how everyone loves classical music they just don’t know it yet. This was all over Anatomy of a Fall. Are you sure you wouldn’t prefer something lighter? Nocturne in E-flat [Op. 9 No. 2] is very nice. Prelude has just enough penetration that some people are going to recognize it, and enough clout that those who do are going to expect things of the person who puts it in a video essay. You can’t just throw this under a rant about The Snyder Cut. But you can - with care, with effort, and with grace - use Prelude in E.

5. Spiegel im Spiegel, Part

We are not ready for Spiegel im Spiegel. The rare “Smart Music” that is, rather than classical, contemporary minimalist. This is - I have been led to believe - all over the film festival circuit. It is the go-to for aspiring arthouse directors. So I assume it is only a matter of time until it reaches general cultural awareness. But we - the YouTube video essay community - are not, at this point in time, pretentious enough to pull off Spiegel im Spiegel. This is not a statement on the song: it is a lovely, sparse, and unpretentious piece of music, which is why pretentious people are drawn to it. And we are not there yet. But I believe in us.

POSTSCRIPTUM

The List of Songs that Represent “Smart Music” is not ranked by quality; they are all, as a baseline, masterpieces. They are ordered, instead, by their possession of antipodal qualities. Beethoven’s Fifth may be a beautiful piece but it’s too well-known - to the casual listener, it reads only as “classical music.” Vltava is a beautiful piece, but it’s not recognizable enough - to most, it will read only as “music.” Pachelbel’s Canon works in too many contexts. Mozart’s Lacrimosa no longer works in any context but “Shit’s About To Go Off.” The Song that Represents “Smart Music” must balance these humors: suggestive, but not too specific; recognizable, but not overfamiliar. The kind of thing one imagines cultured people listen to, and fancies oneself cultured for having noticed it. Just popular enough to signify obscurity to a large number of people.

This impossibility of being both popular and obscure is what keeps the list in motion. Many songs drift back into obscurity before reaching the top, but, once in the primary position, a song begins its slow procession to overexposure. And when, at last, it is too popular to be niche, it does not slip to number 2; it plummets to the bottom, as did Icarus.

Due to this slow but constant movement, new songs will, at intervals, join the ranks, taking the place of those that became gauche. And if, dear listener, you were aiming to trendset, to score your next whatever-it-is-you-do with the newest Song to Represent “Smart Music,” and were I a gambling man… Bach’s Prelude in C. And I’ll tell you why: it appears in the Netflix series Bodies alongside Chopin (#6), mirroring Satie’s dual appearance in The Queen’s Gambit (#9); its arpeggiated structure makes it usable in scenarios similar to the Cello Suite (#3) (Johann did love him some broken chords); and it forms the basis of the Gounod version of Ave Maria, if you would like a Cool Person’s Alternative to Schubert (#2). You may feel I’m playing too safe, but I tell you truly: this song is due. But if I can impart one piece of wisdom let it be this: whatever you do, whoever you are, you cannot use Fur Elise. You cannot. You can’t do it. It can’t be allowed. Don’t fu-

[inkedbookboyfriend]

Vulnerable StoryTime 2024 in review:

(Please do not reblog. But know if I can get through the following and still be super positive and optimistic, then so can you. I believe in you and hope my story helps)

2024... Wow, what a year!! Started off with new years day 911 call and getting admitted to the ER for a month. During that time I was dating a gal who I was in a volatile/narcissistic relationship with. We were planning on getting a place and I was going to raise her son as my own (that she was pregnant with when we met and already had 3 other kids so what was one more right 🤷🏻 i always wanted to be a dad) and kid was born in November and things were great. Then January happened. Got admitted for my flare up of ulcerative colitis and went through three infusion treatments and couldn't get it under control.

January 24th I woke up in my hospital bed screaming to "get it the f**k out of me" as my colon went mega toxic colon and I was distended the size of a beach ball (it was dead and exploding inside of me) had it removed. No more colon and was left with an ileostomy bag to shit in for the rest of my life (if I chose not to do jpouch procedure) and my life was forever changed.

I had almost died from organ failure due to malnutrition from not eating since December 2nd (was down from 207 in prime shape working out everyday to 150lbs) had a pick line put in with a bag of nutrients to keep me alive during this. The whole time in the hospital the girl I was dating never came to see me. We fought etc and not to mention on January 16th the baby passed away due to sids during that major icestorm we had (she lived two hours away in Eugene where it was very bad. So here I am almost dying, baby I was planning on being a dad to died, malnutrished, 150lb skeleton, lost my Colon, stuck shitting in an ileostomy bag and then she ghosts me (which I understood her baby dying I can't imagine how she felt)...

I get pushed out of hospital a week later and scared af, traumatized by so much of everything and get massive infection 3 days after being released and taken back to hospital. Surgery number two to insert drainage tube and was there most of February. Get out and have two massive wounds from on surgical line from the infection.

Then she pops back up out of no where and find out she was cheating on me and having a whole ass other full time relationship with another guy and she was cheating on him with another guy on top of that! Like wtf how is this possible! Literally extremely sick and twisted... so that ends! Then comes the worst shit you can say to another human being "Of course I cheated. You have a bag of shit stuck to the side of you. I'd never touch you again. No woman will. I was only with you for your money anyways and that's all you'll ever be good for now. No one wants to be with someone like that". Dude I've never been so hurt in my entire life.... I wanted to die after everything I had been through and still dealing with.

Back to health: so now I'm going to wound care 3 times a week to have dressing changed for a month then get a wound vac put on for another month and a half and during that time trying to learn to change this stupid bag lol (I had the hardest time doing that) now we're in May and end back up in the hospital for a week for infection again.

Then out of nowhere I wake up one night in pain! Horrible pain and can't move. Took 30 minutes to get out of bed and another month of Dr appointment and test and then get to rheumatologist to find out that my ulcerative colitis now attacks my joints like severe rheumatoid arthritis because it is an autoimmune disease. Even though my colon was gone it now attacks this, greeeeeat. So I now have to take an injection 💉 once a week on top of a ton of other meds and an ungodly amount of pain meds just to function daily. I still get flare ups but they are now short and fast lived. Few days max but they are rough and I hurt like he'll.

Then I meet Jessica. An amazing woman whom I adored and we would just talk for hours. She was a great woman and mom and she made me feel like a human being again. Helped restore my confidence and made me realize how much of a good man I really was. I gave her and her kiddo the world and summer and fall were great. However, she had alot of emotional Baggage and abuse she was dealing with from her ex (won't go into detail but was alot) and unfortunately it just wasn't going to work. We split up and that was rough too because it was a great relationship for what it was. Just wrong timing but we both got what we needed from the other to grow as people.

Then surgery number 3 happened during this time too and she was great (unlike the other one lol) and it went could to clean up all the scar tissue and and pull my stomach facia back together because it had split from the infection. But a day later I developed a hematoma along the whole surgical line. Basically a 13" blood clot and they had to go back into surgery again 2 days later.(#4 this year) and recovering this time was so much harder. Last few months had no energy and way more difficult due to the amount of trauma my body has been through.

Now I didn't cover all but the main parts. Here is what I took from this year.

It was the hardest, weakest, strongest and most challenging and growing year of my life. I had my lowest lows and my highest highs.

I found and lost love twice (which is surprising in itself considering I never date) I mourned the loss of a child, but I experienced him for a month and a half prior so was blessed with that even though he wasn't mine, I endured the most narcissistic/manipulative person alive, I found the most amazing, kind, loyal and encouraging person too, I learned true patience and understanding from her and her situation, I learned healing and self dependence on a level I never knew existed, I found myself after losing myself, I accepted total defeat and over came it, I found strength I never knew anyone could have, I found compassion and empathy in ways I can't explain because I also found true forgiveness and actually forgive Mariah for the evil she did.

Life is never what we expect it nor will it ever be perfect. We can only choose to be patient and understanding of everything we have and be fully grateful for life itself! It is so short my friends... so short. Make the most of it. Take chances. Take risks. Give yourself the opportunity to have an amazing life and be happy but most of all find your peace.

Find forgiveness and let go of the pain and hurt others caused you. We are not what has happened to us. We are not what anyone has done to us. Those were actions and choices reflecting on them. Let it go.

Find the people who choose you consistently day in and day out and please be kind.. always be kind to others because you never know what they're going through.

If I can get through and handle all that and still happy, smiling, helping others, trying to make as many people smile and laugh as possible, then you can get through whatever you're going through I promise you! I believe and have faith in you and am always here for anyone whoever needs to talk!

P.S.

GO TO DISNEYLAND & GET A TATTOO!!

(My cousin took me for the first time in my life, and it was my dream come true)

[blazehedgehog]

What do you think of the idea that YouTubers in the 2010s are the reason Sonic had/has a bad reputation?

It's really stupid. Completely unfounded.

You know why Youtubers in 2010's felt that way? Because a lot of people outside of the Sonic fandom felt that way.

I was in high school when Sonic Adventure 1 came out. I got my Dreamcast for Christmas in 1999. Purely by surprise, my brother sent me $200 for Christmas that year after not hearing from him for a decade. I was living in Colorado, and we'd had a white Christmas, meaning the roads were too slick to drive anywhere on December 26th. But I knew I wanted that Dreamcast.

The local Wal-mart was a little over a mile away. So, I bundled up and hiked it. With other money I got for Christmas that year, I had just enough for the Dreamcast, Sonic Adventure, an off-brand VMU, an issue of Official Dreamcast Magazine with a demo disc, and a lightgun -- I'd wanted House of the Dead 2 and I was desperate for a home port of The Lost World.

I played Sonic Adventure all day, every day, for like a week. Some of that was the fault of the cheap VMU I got -- it wasn't even a VMU, it was just a memory card, and it was half the price of the official thing. For whatever reason, Sonic Adventure (and ONLY Sonic Adventure) had trouble saving to that thing. My saves would frequently corrupt and disappear. I didn't mind as much as you'd think. I willingly and happily replayed Sonic Adventure over, and over, and over, and over.

When I got back to school in January of 2000, a lot of other kids had gotten Dreamcasts and Sonic Adventure. And it turned out I was the Sonic Adventure evangelist.

I wouldn't say everyone hated Sonic Adventure, but they were pretty frustrated with it. The main talking point was that there were too many characters in the game and most of them weren't very good. Everyone had their ranking list for who they'd rather be playing as, and universally, everyone just wanted to keep playing as Sonic. Knuckles, Amy, and Big brought up the rear for the most-hated gameplay styles. A lot of kids were saying they weren't even going to bother finishing the game if it meant having to play as Amy and Big.

My point of view was that it was normal. Sonic 2 introduced Tails, Sonic 3 introduced Knuckles, so it makes sense that Sonic Adventure would introduce new playable characters as well. It did little to address their complaints that most of the non-Sonic characters were annoying.

This sentiment never went away. A year later, in 2001, Penny-Arcade, basically the biggest webcomic in the world at that point, awarded Sonic Adventure 2 "the best Sonic game where you do not play as Sonic" award, which was less of an actual award and more of a jab at how Sonic wasn't actually in 75% of that game.

Then the Gamecube ports started coming in, which, if you've watched my Definitive Way to Play series, you'd know that SA1 and SA2 were quick and dirty ports that introduced a lot of problems in visuals, control, and sound. Reviews for those versions deservedly slammed them, citing poor music that drowned out the dialog, rapidly dated visuals, and a generally buggy presentation, on top of all the problems people had with the original Dreamcast releases.

After that, the decline really hit its stride. Sonic Heroes, then Shadow the Hedgehog, then Sonic 06. A real triple whammy of things just getting worse, and worse, and worse. Sonic 06 in particular was so much worse that it hit the fabled point where it wrapped around to being kind of funny for some people.

All of this was YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS before "2010's Youtubers" ever stepped in front of a microphone. Those people were just recounting the lives they had lived.

Anyone who thinks 2010's Youtubers did anything are just revealing how young they were back then, and how ignorant they were about the general temperature of things beyond "after my nappy time and my juice box I'm going to play the colorful animals game, yay!!!"

Before that gets me into too much trouble, I'd also like to say that obviously, times change. Opinions are a fluid thing. There will always be a "younger generation" that thinks about things in a different way than the older generation. Anyone, no matter what era they grew up in, can go back and find some beloved nostalgic classic getting blasted by critics. (For example: recently I rewatched Howard the Duck, a legendary bomb for Lucasfilm, and I loved that movie as a kid)

Loving something that you realize everybody hated when it originally came out is kind of just part of the human experience. A rite of passage, almost. But it helps to embrace that perspective, understand it, and realize you can still keep liking that thing regardless.

2010's Youtubers did nothing except exist.

[catsketgames]

Finding a Dream to Die In is an upcoming visual novel. You wake up in an unfamiliar room, hooked up to a galactic tank and a book containing every word of your forgotten fantasies. You have been kidnapped by Silas, the Demon of Dreams, who has a single goal: to find a way to escape his immortality through the dreams and thoughts of human beings.

When his magic cannot put you back to sleep, how will you fare with his other methods?

Release date is December 24th, 2023. This game will be $1 (I need money, girls) and will have a NSFW side quest available on my $5 Patreon tier if you so desire to view it (this will not be available until December 24th. Details on my Patreon will be revealed when it launches in December).

This release will include at least 4 endings, plus music from @zackvalence

[putschki1969]

KEIKO Planetarium Live〜Starry Night〜 & Chocolate meating#3〜Starry Night edition〜 Live Report

I experienced so many amazing things during my recent Japan trip but for some reason, this special planetarium event left the most lasting impression so that's why I wanted it to be the topic of my first live report. Below you'll find an abundance of fangirling and mindless blabbering so please brace yourselves! The post will be divided into the following sections to make it easier for you to get through.

General Info

Preface

Merchandise

Venue

Performance

Fan Club Exclusive Part

General Info

Instagram post by Keiko | Tweet by Keiko | Tweet by Yuriko

『KEIKO Planetarium Live ~Starry Night~』 [Date] Sunday, December 17, 2023 [Time] Open 14:30 / Start 15:00 [Ticket fee] 8,000 yen (tax included) [Venue] Konica Minolta Planetaria TOKYO DOME1

FC Exclusive 『Chocolate meating #3 ～Starry Night edition～』 [Date] Sunday, December 17, 2023 [Time] Open 17:00 / Start 17:30 [Ticket fee] 8,500 yen (tax included) ※FC exclusive benefit included [Venue] Konica Minolta Planetaria TOKYO DOME1

Preface

When this was first announced I was devastated because at that time, my trip to Japan was scheduled to end on Dec 14th. But with both Wakana and Keiko announcing solo performances after that day, I was determined to find a way to extend my stay. Initially, I was hesitant because I knew there was no way to change my return flight. I would ultimately lose a significant amount of money and on top of that, I would have to book a new one-way return ticket for a later date which would cost me a fortune as well. After considering all my pros and cons, I ultimately decided to go through with the whole thing because I knew I would probably hate myself forever if I didn't use that opportunity. Of course it also hinged upon whether or not I would manage to get a ticket for the fan club performance in the evening. I knew my chances were super slim due to the tiny venue (~100 people) but luckily, I won a ticket. At that point I knew that I had no excuses not to go XD This is by far one of he craziest and most irrational things I've ever done so for some time I was afraid that I would end up with horrible regrets but I am happy to report that it was worth every penny for me. Not only was Wakana's concert amazing, these two Keiko performances absolutely blew me away with their intimate nature and unique atmosphere. Can you believe that this was actually the first time for me to attend a Keiko solo event? I had purchased streaming tickets for all of her online lives of course but I had never been to an on-site event. And for a while now, I have been asking myself if I would even enjoy a one-man live like that since - as we all know - I am not particularly fond of a lot of her solo releases but, lo and behold, my love for Keiko and her music was 100% reaffirmed. I am so glad that I took the plunge, I couldn't be more grateful to have been able to be there for this amazing experience. On this note, I wanna give a big shout-out to my friend Pae who encouraged me from the get-go to come to the event and who got our tickets for the day performance. It was a general sale on a first come-first serve basis and she really knocked it out of the park with her professional ticket purchasing skills. I definitely could never have done it that quickly so kudos to her. Here's a picture of little old me, Pae and her friend from Thailand.

Merchandise

I wanna take a few moments to talk about the live goods because I am utterly smitten with everything. The acrylic stands and the block are particularly pretty but I am also obsessed with the polaroids. I almost couldn't contain myself and since they didn't have any limits as to how many pieces one person could buy, I naturally went all out. Don't worry, I didn't buy that much since I was still reeling from how expensive it was to extend my trip. Also, I was one of the first few people in line so it would have been rude to buy an excessive amount, there were a ton of other fans around after all, they obviously also wanted to buy a lot of merch. While they prepared plenty of the random polaroid magnets, they unfortunately didn't really bring enough of the acrylic stuff. By the end of the day performance, the acrylic stands were already completely sold out and after the evening performance, the acrylic block was gone too. I guess that means that even if we get an online sale at one point, they will only sell the tote bag and the magnets...or maybe they'll produce another batch of all the acrylic items...We'll have to wait and see...I could see myself buying some more polaroids if they become available online. I only got two pieces with a handwritten message by Keiko so it would be nice to have more. But they are not exactly cheap so I'll have to think about it.

Venue

The venue was...not what I had expected XD. The pictures online of Konica Minolta Planetaria are a bit misleading but I guess that's because they only ever feature Dome 2 and not Dome 1 which is significantly smaller and doesn't have any of the fancy seats. Our seats were little more than reclining beach chairs with a little table but oh well, I didn't come there to be seated comfortably so it didn't bother me too much. At the end of the day, it was a good thing that the dome was so tiny because it made everything feel so much more intimate. And let me tell you, when I say intimate, I mean intimate. I've never ever been this close to Keiko (and I've had my fair share of close encounters with her). There were no assigned seats for the performances, everyone just had a number on their ticket and we were allowed to enter the dome in order of that number. As mentioned earlier, Pae was super fast getting our tickets so we ended up with the numbers 5 to 7, meaning that for the day performance I got a seat right at the front with a clear view of Keiko. There was no stage or anything, just a bit of basic equipment, some microphones and two stools. This meant that there was barely any space between the front row and the artist area (1 metre maybe). Needless to say, I spent the entire time looking at Keiko XD. I almost felt a bit bad because I was missing out on the lovely projections but to be fair, it was actually quite hard to get a good view of them this close to the front so the best option for me was to just stare at Keiko. During the break I bought myself a yummy galaxy donut which was almost too pretty to eat but at that point I was starving so I literally devoured it. For the FC exclusive evening performance I wasn't nearly as lucky when it came to my number. I got #71 so I ended up in one of the last rows unfortunately. From the first performance I knew that Keiko would be entering from the back door on the left side and walk through the audience so I at least made sure to take a seat close to the door so she would walk right past me (which she did so YAY but more on that later). On another positive note, the seat in the back made it possible for me to get fully immersed in the projections without being too distracted by Keiko. It was truly breathtaking to see all these space-themed vivid images across the ceiling.

Performance

It feels like I have already talked so much about the whole thing but I haven't mentioned a single thing about the actual performances so let me rectify that. I've already alluded to it in the beginning of this post, Keiko was absolutely stunning and I am obviously not just talking about her looks. Her vocals were out of this world, every single song of the setlist flattered her so much, there was not a single misplaced note as far as I could tell. Due to the nature of the event, it was of course a very understated performance, there was no wild movement or crazy choreography, it was just Keiko standing/sitting there being illuminated by the tiniest of lights, just enough to still see her but never enough to distract from the visuals. After all, the main focus were supposed to be the projected images and for the most part, that was the case. Only occasionally they would shine some more light on Keiko (mostly during MCs). As you can see below, the setlist was full of ballads and OMG, I couldn't have been happier about that. She sang almost all my faves so I was pretty much in heaven for the first half of the live. Almost started crying during 通り雨 because it was painstakingly beautiful. キミガネムルカラ and 夕顔 were also true gems to experience live, so haunting and mystic. She brought out her brand new guitar for songs #4 to #6 and while I have never been the biggest fan of acoustic guitars, Keiko really managed to make me fall in love with the sound. Both her and her guitarist did a fantastic job arranging and performing these tracks. Also, I was quite surprised to hear Yas Nakajima provide backup vocals for Keiko during Burn In The Wind, their voices match perfectly.

The cover section was admittedly a bit of a let-down for me since the chosen songs are not exactly among my favourites. That's not to say that I didn't enjoy myself or that Keiko didn't deliver the songs flawlessly, it's just that I don't really care all that much for the songs themselves. There were some really gorgeous high notes though so I really can't complain. Speaking of covers, I was super hyped when Keiko announced that she would be singing 風の街へ, a self-cover of her first FictionJunction KEIKO work. I had a feeling she would maybe sing it (since it's obviously a perfect fit for this sort of atmosphere) but Pae kept telling me that it probably wouldn't be happening. Glad I was right about that. During the MC, Keiko was talking about her upcoming single 夕闇のうた so for a while I was sure she would just sing that but she ultimately did not perform it. We got to hear the full version a few days earlier at Kaji Fes. so I wasn't too disappointed that it didn't make it onto the setlist of the planetarium live (also, if I am being honest, the song hasn't really grown on me yet so it's not like I'm dying to hear it again and again). Instead, she chose the song that marked the very beginning of Keiko's journey together with Yuki Kajiura and really, I can never get enough of it. It's one of my very favourite YK x Keiko collaborations and it's always such a pleasure to hear it live. It was only my second time so I couldn't have been more grateful. The final three songs were a nice change of pace with more involvement from the audience and more focus on Keiko rather than the projections. I certainly didn't expect ラテ to make an appearance but with the pretty lights, it worked surprisingly well. The whole thing had a very futuristic feel to it if you know what I mean. ユア has slowly been growing on me and it's just such a feel-good song that I cannot stop vibing with it (similar to Wakana's Happy Hello Day actually). The ending was beyond epic, エンドロール is such a cool song. I just wish I had known the lyrics so I would have been able to sing along properly (I have zero skills when it comes to memorising lyrics) . Keiko tried to prepare us with a few test-runs but I kept mixing up some lines T_T Oh well, I had a blast so that's all that counts! The one thing I felt kinda sad about was the fact that we didn't get an encore but I guess they had to keep the performance short...?

M-1キミガネムルカラ M-2夕顔 M-3通り雨 M-4夜の嘘と M-5Lost M-6Burn In The Wind M-7駅 by 竹内まりや (Cover) M-8ルビーの指環 by 寺尾聰 (Cover) M-9秋桜 by 山口百恵 (Cover) M-10風の街へ (Self-Cover) M-11ラテ M-12ユア M-13エンドロール

Fan Club Exclusive Part

When I entered the dome for the fan club exclusive evening performance, I was given a large envelope by a staff member containing a message card by Keiko. The scan above features the picture which makes up one half of the card. So pretty! (Please keep in mind that this is fan club exclusive!) As mentioned earlier, I had a seat pretty far in the back during this performance, I was still close enough to have a good view of Keiko but I decided to focus on the projections this time around since Keiko jokingly mentioned a couple of times that she felt so many eyes on her and that we should try to enjoy the gorgeous view above as well. With the way she said it, I could tell that she wasn't annoyed or angry about it but she genuinely just wanted us the get the most out of the experience. And yeah, I have to admit, it was amazing to just lean back and watch the gorgeous space visuals while being gently wrapped by Keiko's vocals. Also, for some weird reason, the seats in the back were much more comfortable than the ones in the front row so that made it a lot easier to just relax. The setlist was the exact same and Keiko's performance was just as good. There were some technical issues with the projections at one point so the staff asked Keiko to take a little break and entertain the audience for a while so they could fix the problem. Keiko was really cute during this section because she struggled to come up with something to talk about. All her other MCs had been rather short and straight-to-the-point so there wasn't really anything to talk about. She even admitted that it was quite hard for her to just talk to an audience without having anyone on stage with her to create a sort of a back and forth. Unfortunately, her guitarist was pretty useless in that regard since he didn't feel comfortable at all talking XD Keiko ended up blabbering on and on about the most random stuff and eventually talked a bit about the guitar arrangement for 秋桜 which she found quite impressive. After they had fixed the issue, we went back to the regular program for a couple of songs until Keiko announced that it was time for some special games since this was a fan club event after all. First, we played a few rounds of a Maru-Batsu-Quiz (True-or-False-Quiz). They had prepared some Keiko-trivia questions. Everyone was asked to stand up and with every question people either answered with "true" (fist) or "false" (open hand). Those who answered incorrectly had to sit down so fewer and fewer people remained standing as time went by. Some of the questions were a bit tricky so all you could do was guess. Unfortunately, I wasn't one of the lucky winners at the end. Although I will say that these games are mostly based on trust since you can always pretend to have made the correct gesture or change your gesture in the right moment (it's hard to verify stuff like that). There were a handful of guys who won the first two rounds, they got to walk towards the front and Keiko gave them a little present (some snack souvenirs from the most recent Asia tour-leg, nothing too exciting). Then we were all surprised because for one round the last person standing happened to be none other than Yuriko Kaida. Turns out she had been sitting right behind me all this time (her seat was the closest one to the back door in the very last row). I did not expect her to actually collect her prize (especially since Keiko mentioned that Yuriko had gotten the exact same souvenir in Taiwan) but she did. It was a treat seeing them interact like that. They are so funny together and it was during those moments that you could immediately tell that Keiko became so much more relaxed and talkative once she had someone on-stage with her who she felt comfortable with. As a final game, we did one round of rock-paper-scissors which once again, I wasn't lucky enough to win but I guess it just wasn't meant to be T_T

When the show was over, Keiko walked through the audience towards the door in the back and that's when my seat choice really paid off. She got super close to the people who had an aisle seat, she made eye contact, waved at us and even did little high fives with the one or the other female fan who dared to initiate a gesture like that (of course I didn't because I am too chicken-shit for that). Once Keiko was gone, Yuriko was also ushered outside. Some of us were still hopeful that we would get an encore, especially since they had closed the exit again but alas we didn't get one. However, we were all in for a special treat when it was time to finally get up and leave. When they started playing the usual after-live announcement it was obvious that there wouldn't be an encore so I took my stuff and headed towards the back door which a staff member was just about to open. That's when I realised that Keiko was standing right outside the door, waiting for the audience members to give each one of us a private send-off. This is a common occurrence with fan club events in Japan but I've never had it happen with Keiko before so this was super special. Also, during and even long after the pandemic, situations with close encounters like that were strictly avoided so I didn't really expect them to do a send-off. Seems like we have finally moved past those restrictions! BANZAI! Anyway, I literally froze in place when I saw Keiko standing there because I was scared to be the first one to be greeted by her. I waited a few seconds so a handful of people could walk out before me. This way I was able to observe what other fans were saying to her and how much time the staff allowed each person with Keiko. I know, it probably sounds ridiculous to you but this sort of stuff stresses me out immensely, I prefer to be at least a tiny bit prepared. I was probably the fifth person to walk outside and most people inside the dome were still putting on their clothes or picking up their stuff so there was not really a line behind me or any type of rush. When I got in front of Keiko, we both did the crazy waving thing again while I thanked her for everything. Then I told her that I am always supporting her from Vienna and she was like, "wow, Vienna, so cool!" At that point it would have probably been my turn to step away since I could tell that the staff member next to Keiko was getting antsy and already preparing to ask me to continue walking. But I wanted to use the opportunity to briefly mention my undying love for the beret I had won during a previous fan club event. As you probably all know, this is my most-prized possession. It's a hat previously owned and frequently worn by Keiko herself, she signed it and even wrote my name on it before shipping it out to me. Being as obsessed with Kalafina fashion as I am, I really couldn't have asked for a better gift. Squeezing all those emotions into a single sentence or two was very hard but I tried my best. I had forgotten how to breathe at that point and my voice was getting super weird. I pointed at my hat and hoped that she would even remember that she had given it away. Then I all but squeaked out how grateful I was to win it and that I would treasure it all my life. She also pointed at it with clear recognition on her face (thank God or it would have been embarrassing XD) and told me with the brightest of smiles, "ah yes, yes, I know, that's amazing, I am so happy for you!" Needless to say, that almost killed me 💀I definitely ascended to another plane of existence that day. I didn't wanna push my luck any further so with a final wave I kept walking towards the reception area and thus ended my Keiko Planetarium experience. Even hours after the event, I was still reeling from everything that had happened.

My plane was supposed to leave bright and early the following morning so I did not stick around longer than necessary. I said my goodbyes to a couple of fellow fans and then took off. Some of them wanted to invite me to a small after-dinner-party but I just wouldn't have been able to deal with the stress on the eve of my departure.

All right, that's it, hopefully I didn't forget anything and I didn't bore you to death. Kudos to anyone who managed to make it to the end.

PS: I just wanna say that Keiko is the prettiest human being ever. Every time I see her up-close I'm reminded of her other-worldly beauty. Standing right next to her, it doesn't even feel like she is a real person because everything about her looks so smooth and polished, like someone put a filter on top of her XD

[midnightemy35]

T’is the Season for Giving

What I would give the Eleceed cast for Christmas 

Since it’s December 1st, I think its officially Christmas time

Jiwoo - another cat (you can never have too many cats)

Subin - that thing that looks like a pack of gum but if you touch the strip it shocks you (to use on jisuk )

Jisuk - a chance to beat up his “friends” (the ones who used him to extort money from other students)

Wooin - a bowl of jajangmyeon ofc

Kayden - new clothes (why does the mf wear the same shit every time we see his human form)

Kartein/ Curtin - balls (y’know for his cat form) + a break from Kayden and Jiwoo’s bs

Dr Delein - some bonding time with Wooin (he probs doesn’t get much time to spend with Wooin outside of Wooin’s visits)

Gangseok - his spar with Jiwoo

Iseul - a date with Jiwoo/ a break from Jisuk and Subin’s teasing

Sucheon - therapy + a good sleep schedule (have you seen how big his eye bags are)

Suman - a good night’s sleep

Vatore - shopping spree with Kartein

Jiyoung- a break from work (girl is so busy as the chairwoman of shinhwa and the top ranker of Korea let her have a break)

Inhyuk - a basket full of cat related stuff + a break from Jisuk’s bs

Seongha - a break from the gang’s bs

Arthur/ Asher - a prosthetic arm + a hug (his family are assholes)

Cain/ Gahin - a hug (my poor bby got stabbed twice by his “friend” he needs the hug)

Duke - a slap + clown makeup & nose

Amyeong/ Dark - therapy + a hug from mama Jiwoo 

Mama Jiwoo - bonding time with Jiwoo, Amyeong, Kayden and Kartein 

Veramonte Patrick - a hug (got some fun grandpa vibes from him)

Julian/ Jurion Patrick - a consoling pat on the back (for losing the chance to date Jiyoung to Jiwoo, he didn’t even have a chance to win her over from the very start)

Ian Patrick - an outing with the gang!! (I want him to join the group and add on to the sillies)

Spoilers under cut (Based on the chapters webtoon has released as of Dec 1 2023)

Schnauder/ Schneider - shoes (why does mf wear slippers out when it is literally snowing in Frame territory )

Supri - old woman perfume (idk much about her)

Andrei - a kick to the crotch (I really really REALLY don’t like him)

Earthquake - a kick to the crotch (don’t like him either, the two of them were beefing with a teen despite being fucking adults)

Roist/ Royst - a hug ( i love the clown boy)

Muse - a hug ( i love him he is beautiful and perfect)

Astra - a kick to the crotch (you’d think he’d have some dignity being a top ten but you’d be wrong)

Muras - a new eye

[arsquare]

Shop

As you all know, currently I have a Kaishin bundle up for sale on my Ko-Fi shop! Sales end on Dec. 9th, which is only a few days away, so remember to grab it if you haven't already!

If you're interested in the bundle, but it's more money than you're willing to shell out, you could enter into a free giveaway by reblogging the promotional post here! You can also share my giveaway posts on Bluesky, X, and Instagram for additional entries. The giveaway also ends on Dec. 9th!

Additionally, I've added several prints to my INPRNT:

Zines

The Detective Conan Fanzine, which I drew a Movie 2: The Fourteenth Target piece for, has been released! You can download it for free on Itch.io here!

I'm also an artist in the Disco Elysium fanzine, the Counter-Pale Resistance. I've made gold foil postcards of my piece, which features Harry and Dora, though I can't upload it on my shop until the zine comes out. It's looking like January will be a likely time for the zine's release! You can follow updates on the zine's Tumblr and X.

Cons and In-Person Events

I tabled for the first time in November! A huge thank you to everyone who came to see me! I'm not really sure if I'm cut out for tabling to be honest, since I still feel a bit exhausted from the ordeal, but I'll try again in December before I pass judgement!

You can come see my on December 14th and 15th at FFK17 in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. I'll post a more detailed post later, including the site map and which table I'm at!

Additionally, I'll be hosting a lecture on creating fanzines and doujinshi on Dec. 10th from 7 PM-9PM, at the NCKU Student Activity Center, Floor 3, Conference room 2. The talk will be in Chinese, but since I have a whole Powerpoint already prepared, I'm thinking of doing a Twitch stream featuring the same content in English at a later date. More info to come later!

Online Events

The posting for Tanabemas will start on Dec. 10th. I've got a few pieces lined up already, and I can't wait to share! I also signed up for the Heishin Valentine's exchange, and I've basically finished with the brainstorming on that so all that's left to do is to make it!

CHORUS

As usual, I'm posting regular updates on my BIRDMEN fan manga blog! I don't know what to say other than I love it a lot and I wholeheartedly believe everyone should read it!

Thank you to everyone who has supported me as I try all these new things, like sales and tabling. I'm learning a lot!

Love, Soh Arsquare. Dec. 5th, 2024.

[jules-has-notes]

Aca Top 10: Hits of 2019 — VoicePlay music video

It had been a while since their last "Aca Top 10" countdown, and even longer since their previous celebration of recent hit songs, so VoicePlay decided to close out 2019 with a medley featuring the year's biggest bangers.

Details:

title: Aca Top 10 – Hits of 2019

original songs / performers: "Good As Hell" by Lizzo ; [0:29] "I Don't Care" by Ed Sheeran & Justin Bieber; [0:48] "Me!" by Taylor Swift, feat. Brendon Urie; [1:08] "7 Rings" by Ariana Grande; [1:34] "Memories" by Maroon 5; [1:54] "Someone You Loved" by Lewis Capaldi; [2:16] "Sucker" by the Jonas Brothers; [2:30] "Bad Guy" by Billie Eilish; [2:44] "Señorita" by Shawn Mendes & Camila Caballo; [3:17] "Circles" by Post Malone; [3:47] "Old Town Road" by Lil Nas X & Billy Ray Cyrus

written by: "Good As Hell" by Melissa "Lizzo" Jefferson & Ricky Reed; "I Don't Care" by Ed Sheeran, Justin Bieber, Max Martin, Karl "Shellback" Schuster, Fred Gibson, & Jason Boyd; "Me!" by Taylor Swift, Joel Little, & Brendon Urie; "7 Rings" by Ariana Grande, Victoria Monét, Tayla Parx, Tommy Brown, Charles Anderson, Michael Foster, Njomza Vitia, & Kimberly Krysiuk; "Memories" by Adam Levine, Jonathan Bellion, Jacob Kasher Hindlin, Michael Pollack, Jordan K. Johnson, Stefan Johnson, & Vincent Ford; "Someone You Loved" by Lewis Capaldi, Samuel Romans, Thomas Barnes, Peter Kelleher, & Benjamin Kohn; "Sucker" by Ryan Tedder, Louis Bell, Mustafa Ahmed, Adam Feeney, Homer Steinweiss, & the Jonas Brothers; "Bad Guy" by Billie Eilish & Finneas O'Connell; "Señorita" by Shawn Mendes, Camila Cabello, & Alexandra Tamposi; "Circles" by Austin Post, Louis Bell, Adam Feeney, Kaan Gunesberk, & Billy Walsh; "Old Town Road" by Montero "Lil Nas X" Hill, Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, & Kiowa Roukema

arranged by: Geoff Castellucci

release date: 30 December 2019

My favorite bits:

the little slides Earl puts on the beginning of ♫ "Ooh, child!" ♫ and ♫ "Yeees, Lord!" ♫

Eli and J.None following the direction to ♫ "dust your shoulders off" ♫

Geoff's subharmonic drop at the end of ♫ ⇘ "out the dooo-ooo-OOOOR" ⇘ ♫

J's smooth tone for the melody in "I Don't Care"

the high fanfare Earl gives to the transition

Eli's clear timbre on the lead for "7 Rings"

Layne's coquettish expression and J.None's finger twiddle to illustrate ♫ "getting in trouble" ♫

making it rain drizzle, and Geoff's confused expression when one of the bills lands in his lap 💸

the lovely three-part harmony on ♫ "write my own checks like I write what I sing" ♫

Layne joining in on the harmonies for "Memories" and "Someone You Loved"

Earl getting softer as he looks at suddenly melodramatic Eli in confusion 🤔

J.None showing off his falsetto at the beginning of "Sucker"

the stacatto repetition of ♫ "you you you" ♫

all the vocal antics as they bounce through "Bad Guy"

the combination of bouncy descending bass line and woodblock sounds Geoff and Layne do in "Señorita"

J.None indugling in a little cha-cha groove during the chorus 🕺

Earl's incredible tremolo in "Circles" (How does he DO that?!)

Eli slipping in a quick Ennio Morricone western movie sting

putting a little extra twang into their "Old Town Road" vocals

that fabulous descending riff on the second half of ♫ "guitar" ♫

return of the animated carrot for horsey Layne 🥕 🐎

Trivia:

○ The guys had previously recorded other versions of several of these songs, one together, and the rest with different performers.

"Bad Guy" was included in VoicePlay's "Billie Eilish in 3 Minutes" medley that was part of their spooky season offerings for the year.

It was also covered by PattyCake's incarnation of Maleficent to coincide with the release of Disney's live-action film sequel.

J.None had filmed multiple edutainment parodies with his friend Nikita for her JamSchooled series that were released both before and after this one. "7 Rings" became a lesson about money; "Old Town Road" turned into a tutorial on skeletal anatomy; and "Señorita" morphed into a rundown of ecosystems.

○ Lizzo's video for "Good As Hell" celebrates her history as a flute player in the school marching band. The members of VoicePlay are talented insturmentalists in their own rights.

Layne has been playing violin since he was four years old, primarily studying the Suzuki method, and was a member of the Florida Symphony Youth Orchestra. He also learned a bit of piano from his mom, and knows enough drum kit technique to convincingly mime while he beatboxes.

Geoff has played piano since middle school, studying both classical and jazz techniques. He also knows a little guitar, and learned to play the harmonica for a stint in the Blues Brothers show at Universal Studios.

Earl played trumpet and french horn through middle school and high school band.

Eli plays a bit of both piano and guitar, some of which he honed during his days in various rock bands.

J.None plays a number of instruments "passably" but doesn't consider himself proficient in any of them. They include piano, violin, guitar, accordion, saxophone, and clarinet.

○ The main melody of "Memories" contains a very recognizable portion of Pachelbel's "Canon in D", which (surprisingly) hasn't yet been included in any of VoicePlay's classical pieces or mashups.

[docholligay]

I hope you enjoyed that! I'm going to have season two done by the release date for season three!

If you enjoyed, I would really like to ask you, if you were thinking of tipping me, to contribute to my local Christmas Store.

But Doc, you may be saying, you fucking hate Christmas. True!@ But let me explain.

What the CLDI’s Christmas store does, is buy or take donated brand new toys, and puts them in a store at huge discounts, so families in need, in their programs, can buy them with their own money, but still get their kids really nice gifts. This gives parents a real sense of pride that they can buy their children’s gifts, without having to just fill out an ornament and hope someone wants to give to their kids. They get to have a hand in it!

I usually volunteer to gift wrap on shopping day*, but I’m actually volunteering to be the Jew In Charge at the holiday cultural thing at our local museum, so I won’t be this year.

This year, they are very behind on donations–less than 1,000 has been donated. The day of the store open is December 7th. They know best what to buy for kids!

If you wanted to donate in my name, that would be great, but frankly I do not fucking care about getting the credit, I want lots of gifts for parents to buy.

I hate Christmas, sure, but I love my community more than I hate Christmas.

*I’m bad at wrapping–as a practical matter I spend all day curling ribbon, getting water and snacks for people, and finding left-handed scissors.

[celticcrossanon]

Sigh. Not 2 hours go by after that delightful, heartwarming health update of the Princess of Wales and BAM! Harry has Netflix announce his polo documentary release date this December. Can't there be just ONE lovely announcement or update from the Prince/Princess of Wales w/out some jealous, petty adult toddlers in Moanacito trying to overshadow the future King/Queen of the UK? It's just getting more and more childish of these two California ex-Royals.

Hi Nonny,

I'm afraid that won't happen as long as people continue to pay attention to Harry and his wife and as long as they have money for PR. I did not know about their announcement as it did not make my news, while Catherine's message was on the front page of my news website. I find that noting and ignoring their desperate PR antics makes life a lot easier.

I know they are desperate because I believe we had three PR announcements that all tried to overshadow The Princess of Wales, and all failed dismally - the Polo documentary whatever it was (very rushed and unprofessional), their next infliction of themselves on some poor country under the guise of a visit, and something else that was so insignificant that I can't even remember it. All this does is show how little response they get to their articles and how desperate they are for attention. Tantruming toddlers is about right, but at least toddlers cna be inadvertently entertaining, unlike these two.