#Northern Perspectives 2024

[niriqatiginnga]

Northern Perspectives 2024 is in Winnipeg Manitoba

[sheepishwoolly]

this one took way longer than it should have. i gotta be able to find more motivation to draw soon. how to do this though-

this takes place in a restaurant in misurata, libya called blendo. im not really sure what exactly it is to be honest, like yeah you can see some of the stuff it sells, but how does it like, advertise itself? an ice cream store? a smoothie shop? a snack parlour? google just describes it as a café. it reminds me a lot of baskin robbins or jamba juice. it looks like an awesome place to go to in person

also, fun fact, i learned this a few days ago but libya is one of fouir countries that does not have an official coat of arms alongside france, türkiye (turkey), and lebanon. unlike the latter two countries though, it actually used to have a coat of arms until a civil war broke out in 2011

[watcherintheweyr]

I can't believe I'm writing this

To open up with: IT IS ABSOLUTELY OKAY AND VALID TO BE DISAPPOINTED BY THE LACK OF WORLDSTATE CUSTOMIZATION IN DRAGON AGE THE VEILGUARD. I have my own disappointments about it!

Ok? We have that covered? We good?

Cool, moving on.

To people who are genuinely, hatefully angry, saying we will now be 'forced into Bioware's worldstate' (when this year alone they've stated there is no 'canon' worldstate more than once), or saying that none of our prior dragon age choices matter, I need you to take a step back and walk with me for a second, okay?

For starters: John Epler stated that one of the reasons they narrowed the choices is because they DO NOT want to invalidate the worldstates of their longtime players. However they also don't want to alienate newer players who don't have the history and lore of the past choices. It's a narrow line to walk.

Secondly, I want you to really look at the choices made by your Hero, Champion, and Inquisitor. Which of those choices genuinely affected NORTHERN Thedas, not Southern Thedas, to the point it would linger for years afterwards? Which of those choices weren't things that specifically affected or altered the sociopolitical Southern Thedas climate and landscape in lasting ways?

The Well? Kieran?

That only leaves that if your Inquisitor drank, they now have knowledge from ages long past... that Rook doesn't need. Rook has a direct line into Solas' history and a possible Veiljumper background, unlocking those very secrets on their own.

It's entirely likely and probable that the Well's fears and threats were a red herring. Think about it. We as a gandom have spent TEN YEARS worrying about the Well, about Solas, about Mythal.

Come June 2024, we're slapped in the face by the big bads of Ghilan'nain and Elgar'nan.

Morrigan likely isn't going to be close and friendly with Rook- so there's likely not much reason for her to tell us about her child or husband if she has them.

The rulers of Southern Thedas aren't going to affect us. We aren't tackling the current world ending crisis from the position of a leader of armies like the Warden and Inquisitor, but as leader of a small task force. The Southern Divine doesn't much affect us either- nor do Southern mage politics or templar politics.

Because Rook is an entirely new perspective.

Because Rook is in an ENTIRELY different sociopolitical climate/landscape.

I DO think there should've been ways implemented to specify your Inquisitor's bonds and personality. I'm HOPING maybe there still are that we haven't seen. But otherwise?

My Warden is free. I can say she's cured her Calling and is wandering the world with Zevran.

My Champion can retire into total obscurity with his husband or be quietly helping said husband destroy the slave trade. Either way.

Your history and choices in Thedas still matter. Your heroes still matter.

They just aren't Rook's focus.

Take a breath please. And stop sending death threats to the devs bc what the **fuck.**

EDIT:

further context from the devs on Bluesky

[apod]

2024 September 21

Sunrise Shadows in the Sky Image Credit & Copyright: Emili Vilamala

Explanation: The defining astronomical moment of this September's equinox is at 12:44 UTC on September 22, when the Sun crosses the celestial equator moving south in its yearly journey through planet Earth's sky. That marks the beginning of fall for our fair planet in the northern hemisphere and spring in the southern hemisphere, when day and night are nearly equal around the globe. Of course, if you celebrate the astronomical change of seasons by watching a sunrise you can also look for crepuscular rays. Outlined by shadows cast by clouds, crepuscular rays can have a dramatic appearance in the twilight sky during any sunrise (or sunset). Due to perspective, the parallel cloud shadows will seem to point back to the rising Sun and a place due east on your horizon on the equinox date. But in this spectacular sunrise skyscape captured in early June, the parallel shadows and crepuscular rays appear to converge toward an eastern horizon's more northerly sunrise. The well-composed photo places the rising Sun just behind the bell tower of a church in the town of Vic, province of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.

∞ Source: apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240921.html

[artzonestuff]

Differences Between the Southern and Northern Renaissance: A Study Through Jan van Eyck's "Portrait of a Man" (self portrait?)"

Written by ArtZoneStuff, 2024

The Renaissance, a period of cultural rebirth and revival of classical learning, manifested differently in the southern and northern regions of Europe. While both regions shared a common interest in humanism, art, and science, the way these ideas were expressed varied significantly due to differing cultural, social, and economic contexts.

The Southern Renaissance, centered in Italy, emphasized classical antiquity, proportion, perspective, and human anatomy. Artists like Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519), Michelangelo (1475-1564), and Raphael (1483-1520) focused on idealized beauty, harmony, and balanced compositions.

In contrast, the Northern Renaissance, which flourished in regions such as the Netherlands, Germany, and Flanders, focused more on meticulous detail, naturalism, and domestic interiors. Northern artists like Jan van Eyck (1390-1441), Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528), and Hieronymus Bosch (?-1516) were known for their detailed and realistic depictions of nature, landscapes, and everyday life. Their work often contained rich symbolism and a focus on surface textures and fine details.

Jan Van Eyck's self portrait

Jan van Eyck's "Portrait of a Man" (Appendix 1), also known as his Self-Portrait from 1433, is a small-scale Dutch portrait measuring 25.9 x 33.1 cm (Google Arts and Culture, n.d.). The man in the painting emerges from a dark background, with his body depicted in three-quarter view. On his head, he wears a red chaperon, often mistaken for a turban, styled upward rather than hanging down (Nash, 2008, p.154). His dark fur-lined garment resembles the attire in "The Arnolfini Portrait" (Appendix 2), indicative of wealth during an era when textiles were extremely costly (ArtUK, 2019). His detailed face features a faint stubble, white highlights in his eyes and on his cheekbones, non-idealized features such as wrinkles and veins on his forehead, showcasing the Northern realism (Hall, 2014, p.44).

As described by the English art historian James Hall, the painting appears almost fleeting and alive - with the gaze seeming to capture the viewer before the face, and just like that, the penetrating stare turns away, perhaps followed by the light streaming from the right (Hall, 2014, p.43). The portrait conveys that the artist scrutinizes everything closely, including himself, without losing sight of the bigger picture (Hall, 2014, p.43). All these naturalistic details clearly indicate a Flemish painting.

The work is considered a self-portrait due to the frame. Jan van Eyck often used frames he designed and painted to enhance understanding and add meaning to his works (Hall, 2014, p.43; The National Gallery, 2021, 4:45-5.15). The gilded original frame of "Portrait of a Man" is crucial for interpreting the piece. Inscribed at the top of the frame is Jan van Eyck’s motto: "Als Ich can," translated to English: "As I can." At the bottom is his signature, and the date in Roman numerals: October 21, and in Arabic numerals, the year 1433. This results in the inscription: "Jan van Eyck made me on October 21, 1433" (Hall, 2014, p.43). He capitalizes the "I" in "Ich," playing on the pun Ich/Eyck. The motto can be interpreted as either boastful, "As I can," or modest, "As best as I can" (Hall, 2014, p.43).

The inscription highlights the relationship between words and image, indicating his awareness of his talent. His skill in painting surpasses that of a craftsman, which painters in this period was considered as. "As I can" suggests he is the only one capable of achieving such stylistic naturalism which cannot be imitated (The National Gallery, 2021, 5:10-5:58). "Jan van Eyck made me" also reflects a high degree of self-awareness, as he claims a painting of this quality, emphasizing that he created it and is conscious of his own abilities (The National Gallery, 2021, 5:10-5:58). All of this, along with his signing of his works as one of the first artists to do so, demonstrates a desire not to remain an anonymous craftsman (Hall, 2014, p.43; Farmer, 1968, p.159; Blunt, 1962).

The motto "Als Ich can" appears on several of his works, but the self-portrait is the only one where it is so prominent and clear. Additionally, the motto is placed at the top of the frame, where he would usually write the model’s name, thus, the motto can be seen as the model's identity (The National Gallery, 2021, 5:15-6:25). This, along with his direct gaze at the viewer, suggesting it was painted from a mirror, are the strongest indicators that the portrait is a self-portrait (Hall, 2014, p.43).

However, this can be taken with some skepticism, as other portraits by him, such as "Portrait of Margaret van Eyck" (Appendix 3) and "Portrait of Jan De Leeuw" (Appendix 4), share the same penetrating gaze (Pächt, 1994, p.107). This might instead indicate his realism, where the painter’s position does not function as an observer but rather takes an active role. The model’s direct gaze towards the viewer shows that the model has looked at Jan Van Eyck. This shows Jan Van Eyck possessing an active role, which was very different from painters in this period, and by doing so, creating a new respect for the painter as an artist, again showcasing his self-awareness of his position and talent (Pächt, 1994, pp.106-108).

Literature

Books and Journals:

Hall, James (2014). The self-portrait, a cultural history. London: Thames & Hudson Ltd 

Nash, Susie (2008). Northeren Renaissance Art. New York: Oxford University Press.

Blunt, Anthony (1962). The Social Position of the Artist. Artistic Theory in Italy, 1450-1600. Oxford & New York: Oxford University Press 

Farmer, David (1968). Reflections on a Van Eyck Self-Portrait. Oud Holland. S. 159 

Online

Google Arts and Culture (n.d.): Portrait of a Man in a Red Turban (selfportrait). Found at: https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/portrait-of-a-man-in-a-red-turban-selfportrait/SAFcS1U8kYssmg?hl=en  

ArtUK: Butchart, Amber (2019). Fashion reconstructed: the dress in Van Eyck's Arnolfini portrait. Found at: https://artuk.org/discover/stories/fashion-reconstructed-the-dress-in-van-eycks-arnolfini-portrait 

The National Gallery (2021). Jan van Eyck's self portrait in 10 minutes or less | National Gallery. Found at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMJK1EDG2X8&t=1s&ab_channel=TheNationalGallery 

[relax-and-read-on]

Hi! I'm not dead!

Just had a busy, BUSY year on my head, with little to no time for this blog except for my fanfic update and the queue. So, time for a lil update, and a fanfic recap of 2024!

Hi, I'm Math! I still love warhammer, but I am branching out to other fandom slowly but certainly! I am also publishing original work, both online and IRL. No, yall with not get my IRL stuff. I adore writing more than anything, and in spite of a capricious mental health for the last year (yeah, that's not fun), I still manage! Here are my last year fanfic work:

Counting Stars: the sequel to my soulmate au!!!!! Oh my GOD I was happy to publish to one!!!! My soulmate au is still probably my favorite fanfic I ever wrote, and I cannot be more proud. This one is also super interesting, because it's Mort interacting with various chaos people! So far we have only seen Lorgar, but Fulgrim, Perty and Magnus are incomming.... and a Certain favorite doctor of mine ;)

Supraglottoplasty (softening the larynx): My lord. That fucking fic is probably the most explicot thing I have ever done lmaooo. Fabius fuck eidolon in a neck wound. They are both happy. First fic with that pairing on ao3 lmao!! It was a delight to write

Tender is The Flesh: .... Ngl, this is my *best* writing. Ever. I'm almost mad that it's a fanfic. It's a horror story about Sang comming back to life. It's.... Well. It sure is gory!!! A lot of people loved it, and it was a gift for a dear friend, Allyria. Only took two years to write lmao

Agency: Updated with the Ferrus chapter!!! Oh my god the people were HAPPY about that one, and so was I!!!! I truly loved that fic, and while it is still ongoing, it's slowly reaching conclusion! Aaaaaaah!!!

Northern Lights: My summer fic exchange fic!! T4T Lorgar/Leman and oh my god is it a tender and sweet fiiiiiic. I loved writing it so much :D! Very funny tho that me and LepetitMonstre got each others and basically wrote the same theme. Two cakes!!!

A different Perspective: The Uriel/Honsou arranged marriaged fic!!!! Gaaaaasp! Yes, I did update it, with 50% more terrible SM cooking, and IW home improvement! Fics are never abandoned with, just on long hiatus. Honsou is so insanely fun to write yall. Feral little fuck. https://archiveofourown.org/works/38956062/chapters/97428954

We are going in a different fandom.... The Mothwashing fandom!!! A Jim/Curly medical-ish non-con fic, with a lot of self hatred and weird ugly feels. I love it. If you want some good angst, try it!

40k's Dracula: The spiritual sequel to my Phantom of the Opera au. Primarch, but it's epistolary Dracula! Oh my! How scandalous!!! It's also super fucking gay, not a straight to be seen. Special mention to Amit, who I have written for the first time and is an adorable grumpy vampire!

In Absence: and finally.... My original work. Technically posted in 2025, but started in 2024. It's on Royal Road, because it's not fanwork and I wouldn't do that to Ao3. It's basically a grimdark Isekai, about a poor woman falling into a fantasy world, and realising that death means nothing in it. It just started and will be quite long, but it has all my usual themes, like violence, sadness, and Mysterious Hot Queer People who will Ruin Your Life. It would mean the world to me if you give it a try!

So, that's it! That's what I did, for the year 2024, and I am more than happy to share it with you, and so much more for 2025!!!!

[ms-m-astrologer]

Transiting Jupiter enters Gemini (pre-retrograde zone)

Saturday, May 25 - Monday, July 15, 2024

Welcome to Jupiter’s annual change of signs, hot on the heels of ingresses into Gemini by the Sun and Venus, kicking off the northern hemisphere summer.

First off: Jupiter isn’t always very comfortable in Gemini. That’s because the sign of the Twins is opposite Sagittarius, Jupiter’s sign. (The official astrology term is “detriment.”) Jupiter is on Mercury’s turf now, and must follow Mercury’s rules. It’s the difference between “can’t see the trees for the forest” (Sag) and “can’t see the forest for the trees” (Gemini).

But, it’s not necessarily a bad thing to have to follow somebody else’s rules. It can prod the planet into growth, discovering new effective ways to operate. We can discover hidden strengths and broaden (Jupiter!) our perspectives.

Jupiter wants us to make the most of life, and one way it can do that via Gemini is to learn something entirely new, from the “ABC” beginner level if necessary. Languages, listening skills, how to drive a car or ride a bicycle, all those Gemini type things. There are a couple of very promising aspects helping us with these areas, during this time.

People ruled by Gemini include classmates, siblings, and neighbors. Some of us are going to “expand” these relationships.

And speaking of “expanding” - some people will have transiting Jupiter in aspect to their Ascendant. If we aren’t careful, Jupiter expands our physical body, and not always upwards. What I’ve done in the past, when I’ve had Jupiter aspecting my Ascendant, is make a conscious, deliberate intention to grow my hair.

Between now and Jupiter’s pre-reteograde shadow, the big planet will move from 0° to 11°17’ Gemini. If you have anything important between those degrees, especially in mutable signs or yang signs, Jupiter will make one aspect to that placement.

Jupiter is expansive - so we can allow plenty of time around these one-and-done aspects. Starting with:

Sunday, June 2 - Tuesday, June 4:

Jupiter/Gemini trine Pluto Rx/Aquarius, 1°53’

Tuesday, June 4 - Jupiter/Gemini conjunct Mercury/Gemini, 2°12’

This is a powerful way to start a transit! It’s very political; I expect a lot of yapping politicians. If we want to learn something new, we can use this energy to figure out what we should learn.

Monday, July 8 - Jupiter/Gemini sextile Mercury/Leo, 9°50’. Again with the “learning” - maybe we’ve made some progress and have an opportunity to kick it up a notch. Q

Friday, July 12 - Jupiter/Gemini sextile North Node/Aries, trine South Node/Libra, 10°38’. Learning helps us be more independent.

[phanfictioncatalogue]

In Progress Chaptered (9) Masterlist

Links last checked: March 12th, 2025

part one, part two, part three, part four, part five, part six, part seven, part eight

In progress as of October 14, 2024

A Semester Abroad (ao3) - EverythingIsAsItWas

Summary: Phil is walking home when he comes across a uni student, barely conscious, confused, sobbing on a bench. He tries to figure out where he's staying, or what happened to lead to his state, but with no avail. It's well past midnight in the freezing London winter, so he does the only thing he can think of, and brings him home. Dan isn't happy.

Fallen and Found (ao3) - Love_Anarchy

Summary: Dan, a demon tasked with the thankless job of observing Earth’s moral decay for nearly 250,000 years, has grown disillusioned and depressed. Each day, he witnesses the worst of humanity’s cruelty and selfishness, reinforcing his belief that there’s no hope left. But everything changes when he meets Phil, a seemingly carefree and oddly authentic angel who challenges Dan’s jaded perspective. As Phil invites Dan to see the world from a different vantage point, the demon must confront the possibility that, maybe, not everything is as hopeless as it seems.

haunted house (ao3) - vvuptic

Summary: this party’s just another haunted house. i can’t wait to lose all my friends tomorrow. this party’s just another haunted house. i can’t wait to carry it with me forever.

or, Dan and Phil were roommates in a frat house for three years before the breakup to end all breakups. Now they have to navigate living in the same house for one final semester before graduation. Surely it won’t end in flames.

Heart to heart (ao3) - amzingmati

Summary: In a world where you get assigned your soulmate at birth, there isn’t much surprise or anticipation about love, or at least that is what Phil thinks. He will be 20 years old in a week and that means that in a week he will find out who his soulmate is. But what happens when a boy enters the picture ?

It's all but fate (ao3) - achromatic__sky

Summary: In an alternate universe, Dan and Phil’s meeting in 2009 went horribly wrong.

Flash forward to 2021. Dan Howell is a depressed, closeted lawyer on the verge of a loveless proposal, and Phil Lester's successful career as a forensic linguist can’t mask the chaos of his love life.

When they lock eyes again in a courtroom twelve years later, they're forced to confront the past and consider the possibilities that taking a chance at the future might hold.

The lingering echoes of a bond that transcends the fabric of time.

All but fate.

Or is it ?

Keep Calm and Carry On (ao3) - That_cool_weirdo

Summary: Phil, an ordinary 15-year-old from Manchester, is being evacuated to some tiny place down south to avoid getting blown up by a German bomb.

Dan works on his dad’s farm down south and is not too happy that he is going to have to share his room with a northern evacuee. That's only until he meets the boy though.

Lights Out and Away We Go (ao3) - Melancholy_Mango

Summary: Dan Howell is a champion. A 7-time World Champion in Formula 1. Nothing would ever stand in his way. He's set to retire after record breaking success in his career just after he wins 1 more world champion. He assumes this year will be no different and the win will be as easy as it was last year.

Phil Lester is Redbull's top driver. He was the oldest debut in Formula 1 after starting his training later than most. His raw talent has gotten him to the second step on the podium, but can he find the discipline to knock out his top competitor or will he be left in the gravel?

What happens when their rivalry is used to capitalize the new age of Formula 1. Will it bring the two closer or rip them further apart?

Or, Dan and Phil enemies to lovers Formula 1 AU

Limerence (ao3) - cherryheartz

Summary: Limerence [ li-mer-uhns] noun

1 the state of being obsessively infatuated with someone, usually accompanied by delusions of or a desire for an intense romantic relationship with that person…

Dan Howell likes Phil Lester's raven colored hair and ice blue eyes. But so does someone else…

not a star i see (it’s always you) (ao3) - dprkives

Summary: Phil Lester returned from the Great War with a box full of medals and haunting dreams, and he had no idea how to pick his life back up. Society wasn’t kind to those who gave their life for their country, and Phil was about to give up all and any hope when a handsome stranger entered his life.

nylon is for delicate work (ao3) - Anonymous

Summary: A forensic linguist meets a lawyer in Rawtenstall.

Say It In French (ao3) - steddieornot

Summary: After years of blood, sweat, and tears, Dan Howell was finally representing Great Britain at the Paris Olympics. It had been his dream for longer than he could remember and he had finally made it. Unfortunately, his rival Phil Lester - son of former Olympian, Kathryn Lester - had also qualified and was to be his teammate... and roommate. It was going to be hell, but Dan refused to let this nepotism brat ruin his dream. But Phil doesn't seem to be the douchebag that Dan remembers meeting all of those years ago.

AKA the olympian showjumping rivals to lovers au no one asked for

Sickness and Health, Work and Holiday (ao3) - incrediblytired

Summary: What's worse than having an unexpected GI bleed? Having an unexpected GI bleed on a derailed holiday in America.

Silver Arrows To The Heart (ao3) - evermorepeyton

Summary: Phil loves his life, he loves being a Mercedes Formula 1 driver and he loves being PJ’s teammate, friend and neighbor. He loves the routine he has going on. He lives in a perfect bubble.

But now that bubble is about to burst when the news that PJ is leaving Mercedes hit the tabloids. And worst of all, his replacement is Red Bull’s two-time world champion Daniel Howell, who has a reputation for having a little bit of an ego.

Phil isn’t exactly happy about this.

To put it lightly, he fucking hates it here.

take a picture, it'll last longer. (ao3) - eftychja

Summary: when new opportunities arise, you take them. no matter the cost, no matter the "what ifs". but when met with an attractive and obnoxious asshole, are you supposed to say no?

OR

dan howell is a photographer for a luxury fashion brand + magazine, phil lester is their star and most prized model. however, he's sassy and not at all compatible to work with. when they start working together, what will come of it?

The Brackenwood Murders (ao3) - Mysticallykai

Summary: After nine murders of gay men in Brackenwood, detective Phil Lester is called in at last to help them catch the killer. Dan Howell is always eager to get a scoop for his blog, so he is often in Phil's way. What has the potential to be an easy enough case proves to be much more in depth than Phil expects, especially when feelings come into the equation.

The Death of Our Star (ao3) - queerbonafide

Summary: Dan Howell has always wanted to be an astronaut. As soon as he graduated, the strange message from the deep space has arrived. As one of the most talented pilots of his generations, he's been chosen to this two-people mission with the purpose of finding out who exactly tried to communicate with them. The second person was Phil Lester, an incredible scientist with PhD in theoretical physics and amazing specialist in black holes.

The Rise of Susan (ao3) - ablonimous

Summary: An AU in which psychic Phil and his helper Dan find different versions of Susan to save the world.

Two birds on a wire (ao3) - EverythingIsAsItWas, solarpower21

Summary: Ever since they met as small children, Dan and Phil have been inseparable. But as they graduate secondary school, life moves them in opposite directions and feelings run high, threatening their relationship. Through the years, Dan and Phil orbit each other, never quite colliding, but getting ever so closer, and closer, and closer…

wait, is this fucking book about us? (ao3) - noxhsw

Summary: dan is a depressed lawyer, phil is a sad romance author. they meet when they're stranded at an airport, thinking they'll never see each other again. but when phil writes a book about their encounter, dan wants to meet him once more.

We don't talk about it (ao3) - Secret_rendezvous

Summary: There is sharing dick pics with your best friend then there is sending a picture of your own dick to said best friend.

Dan thought the implicit rule of not making it personal was obvious, but it seems Phil didn’t get the memo.

Or the one in which they’re obliviously more than best friends (but they don’t talk about it).

you (and all of us in this town) (ao3) - buskingalbatross

Summary: A traveler hears tales of a town's local legends

Your Mess is Mine (ao3) - castrotophic

Status: Completed

Summary: Looking to get bred ?

Dan stared down at the message from where he stood in the middle of his kitchen, waiting for the coffee he was making to finish. The man was hot, Dan would give him that much, but that wasn't the part of the image that had caught his attention. He shook his head and messaged the guy back:

why are all of your cabinets open

[spn-fanfic-reblog-writes]

(Updated 2024-07-27)

✍️ Writing Resources 📝

This will be updated as I come across more, and will add titles or brief descriptions as I can.

Writing Trans Male Characters https://www.tumblr.com/spn-fanfic-reblog-writes/782584201868394496/writing-trans-male-characters

Interesting perspective on Aromantics and Asexuals when it come to relationships https://www.tumblr.com/spn-fanfic-reblog-writes/753560136453324800/crypt

Reverse Trope Writing Prompts https://www.tumblr.com/out-of-jams/747204416306806784/reverse-trope-writing-prompts

how to write and research mental illness: https://www.tumblr.com/hayatheauthor/712950945678524416/how-to-write-and-research-mental-illnesses

@littlewhispersofsolitude ‘s OTP Prompts: Gestures/Phrases of Appreciation

OTP Prompts: Physical Affection

OTP Prompts: Failing to Hide Mental Break https://www.tumblr.com/spn-fanfic-reblog-writes/757122490700070912/this-might-be-too-specific-but-could-i-ask-for-a

OTP Prompts: Long Distance Relationships https://www.tumblr.com/littlewhispersofsolitude/715822104469274624/otp-prompts-long-distance-relationships

OTP Prompts: Vulnerability https://www.tumblr.com/littlewhispersofsolitude/718070826712416256/otp-prompts-fighting

OTP Prompts: Height differences https://www.tumblr.com/littlewhispersofsolitude/718171652079419392/otp-prompts-height-differences

OTP Prompts: Kisses https://www.tumblr.com/littlewhispersofsolitude/718826612085358593/otp-prompts-kisses

OTP Prompts: Smut https://www.tumblr.com/littlewhispersofsolitude/720154490097041408/otp-prompts-sex

OTP Prompts: Road Trips https://www.tumblr.com/littlewhispersofsolitude/721993031725776896/otp-prompts-road-trips

OTP prompts: Arguments https://www.tumblr.com/littlewhispersofsolitude/722455459125133312/otp-prompts-arguments

OTP Prompts: Touch Starvation https://www.tumblr.com/littlewhispersofsolitude/733580783585017856/otp-prompts-touch-starvation

OTP Prompts: Relationship Progression https://www.tumblr.com/littlewhispersofsolitude/730951252628881408/otp-prompts

Dean Winchester Whump List, Season 1-14

Different Writing Prompts

https://www.tumblr.com/spn-fanfic-reblog-writes/731980344484560896/saving-for-later

https://www.tumblr.com/creativepromptsforwriting/731891013263736832

@creativepromptsforwriting ‘s how to write a story

@creativepromptsforwriting ‘s Master Prompt list

https://www.tumblr.com/spn-fanfic-reblog-writes/753917743487762432

What is Whump

Other Writing Resources https://www.tumblr.com/spn-fanfic-reblog-writes/753629611597905920/writing-resource-spnfanficpond-fanficocean

https://www.tumblr.com/spn-fanfic-reblog-writes/753549049600344064/avian-misdemeanors-meinenaffenhosen

https://www.tumblr.com/spn-fanfic-reblog-writes/753029417271443456/oh-the-things-thank-you-so-much

https://www.tumblr.com/spn-fanfic-reblog-writes/752938530623438848/im-saving-this-to-read-later-when-i-have-time

https://www.tumblr.com/spn-fanfic-reblog-writes/752680835449257984/oooo-like-a-challenge-almost

https://www.tumblr.com/spn-fanfic-reblog-writes/752503082307518464

Dean Winchester is a masochist https://www.tumblr.com/spn-fanfic-reblog-writes/752318883861610496/masochism-is-another-he-likes-to-be-slapped

Inspiration and snippets from Mark Rosenfelder https://www.tumblr.com/spn-fanfic-reblog-writes/751460464981082112/now-that-it-writer-inspiration-spnfanficpond

5 things your characters can’t do while speaking

Common mistakes in writing https://www.tumblr.com/spn-fanfic-reblog-writes/751386389803909120/good-stuff-guys-i-edit-professionally-this-list

https://www.tumblr.com/spn-fanfic-reblog-writes/751322758361825280/spnfanficpond-fanficocean

https://www.tumblr.com/spn-fanfic-reblog-writes/750996846602829824/spnfanficpond-fanficocean

https://www.tumblr.com/spn-fanfic-reblog-writes/750995529984606208/spnfanficpond-fanficocean

https://www.tumblr.com/spn-fanfic-reblog-writes/750644246754754560/i-love-science

SPN Cosmos

https://www.tumblr.com/spn-fanfic-reblog-writes/750024063023480833/northern-sparrow-all-right-i-was-forced-to

https://www.tumblr.com/spn-fanfic-reblog-writes/748584348899475456/i-never-thought-of-it-that-way-i-wonder-how-it

https://www.tumblr.com/spn-fanfic-reblog-writes/748196584402173952

https://www.tumblr.com/spn-fanfic-reblog-writes/747701241413566464/lovetheirloves-so-you-want-to-write-about-the

https://www.tumblr.com/spn-fanfic-reblog-writes/747701067072094208/i-mean-when-i-say-he-plays-the-most-accurate

https://www.tumblr.com/spn-fanfic-reblog-writes/747700722569723904/waywardfanficwriter-superlology-safiyabat

https://spn-fanfic-reblog-writes.tumblr.com/post/747563875375972352/silvergryphonart-riptidepublishing

https://spn-fanfic-reblog-writes.tumblr.com/post/747419977899032576/this-is-so-spot-on

https://spn-fanfic-reblog-writes.tumblr.com/post/747402328562368512

Side Note to Fanfic Authors

Spn Headcanon https://spn-fanfic-reblog-writes.tumblr.com/post/742865604003971072/headcanon-accepted

Omega verse worldbuilding tools

https://spn-fanfic-reblog-writes.tumblr.com/post/739528032588611584/this-has-saved-me-so-many-headaches-because-i-can

https://spn-fanfic-reblog-writes.tumblr.com/post/739094601922740225

https://spn-fanfic-reblog-writes.tumblr.com/post/739094567645757440

https://spn-fanfic-reblog-writes.tumblr.com/post/738982483727728640

Fanfic Writers https://spn-fanfic-reblog-writes.tumblr.com/post/734251608704172032/i-feel-this-is-important-for-fic-writers

https://spn-fanfic-reblog-writes.tumblr.com/post/745146140066004992/spnfanficpond-thought-you-might-wanna-see?is_related_post=1

https://spn-fanfic-reblog-writes.tumblr.com/post/726762546062835712/spnfanficpond?is_related_post=1

https://spn-fanfic-reblog-writes.tumblr.com/post/714912936095875072/spnfanficpond?is_related_post=1

https://spn-fanfic-reblog-writes.tumblr.com/post/731534063386689536/reblog?is_related_post=1

https://docs.google.com/document/d/18TkgdoWKxpPxrs2E5-7CPtkA5zJEu15aCaesfLKQzgQ/edit?usp=sharing

A Master Prompt List https://spn-fanfic-reblog-writes.tumblr.com/post/732570661708578816/master-prompt-list

How to write a story

Tips on writing ASL

https://spn-fanfic-reblog-writes.tumblr.com/post/732386244195237888/yes-awesome-spnfanficpond

How not to write smut

Over 600 dialogue prompts without a cut

https://spn-fanfic-reblog-writes.tumblr.com/post/731980344484560896/saving-for-later

https://spn-fanfic-reblog-writes.tumblr.com/post/729487681253408768

@cevansbaby-dove ‘s https://www.tumblr.com/cevansbaby-dove/754007306214260736

@falloutcoys ‘ reasons not to kiss him

A viewpoint on RPFs

@deancrowleycas Season 1 Known Aliases and References https://www.tumblr.com/deancrowleycas/132286561719/supernatural-known-aliases

Archive Of Our Own Helpful Resources

How to comment on ao3 stories

How to lock all your ao3 works at once

Ideas on how to make a profile that can be used for ao3

A Lesson Learned on Tumblr

[alsenvs3000w25]

Unit 01 Blog Post - ENVS*3000 (My Relationship with Nature)

Have you ever sat quietly in nature surrounded by trees as the sun sets, feeling at peace with the world around you? For me, those moments mean so much more than just a sense of calm, they represent how complicated the world can be and serve as a reminder of my role within it. Living my life constantly surrounded by nature has fostered a strong relationship that continuously evolves as my environmental knowledge deepens. As a young child, I saw nature as a source of entertainment, where my imagination created endless possibilities for fun. I remember my siblings and I playing in the conservation area behind our house, observing bugs, picking flowers and inventing games. It wasn’t until my teenage years that I began to truly appreciate the environment and make connections between organisms and their interactions within various ecosystems.

The textbook defines “a sense of place” as the connection people feel toward the world around them. Interpreters play a role in helping individuals form this connection by teaching them how to notice, experience, and understand nature and culture (Beck, Cable, & Knudson, 2018, p. 14). For me, my dad served as an interpreter, offering me “a sense of place” by meaningfully sharing the beauty of life with me (Beck, Cable, & Knudson, 2018, p. 13). When I was 15, my parents bought a cottage located in Northern Ontario, and one of my core memories is sitting on the dock with my dad at night and observing the constellations formed by the bright stars. I remember hearing distant calls coming from animals and other species, along with the soothing sound of the lake, wind and rustling leaves. These peaceful moments cultivated my appreciation for nature. From then on, I began to pay closer attention to the complex interactions occurring within different ecosystems. For instance, when helping my mom in the garden, I often observed insects interacting with the soil and plants, reflecting on how fascinating and complicated it is for species to thrive.

Although I had learned basic information about nature in previous courses, I didn’t gain an in-depth understanding until I took Ecology. This course transformed my perspective by introducing me to the challenges facing the environment and details explaining how ecosystems function. Presently, I not only enjoy hypothesizing about environmental interactions but also view nature as something valuable that needs to be protected. I strongly believe that learning about nature is significant to maintaining our connection with it and discovering ways to protect the environment.

Additionally, I’ve developed a personal bond with nature, using it as a sanctuary when life and school become overwhelming. It’s where I unwind and engage in the activities I love most. Whether it’s sitting quietly and watching all the colours and species around me, playing soccer, or going for long walks, nature provides me with support and relaxation. Through this course, I look forward to gaining a deeper understanding that will further strengthen my relationship with nature and the environment.

To truly appreciate the environment in which we live, I recommend sitting outside for a minimum of five minutes a day and notice the interactions occurring. I’m curious to know, how do you connect with nature, and why is it important to you?

Beck, L., Cable, T. T., & Knudson, D. M. (2018). Interpreting cultural and natural heritage for a better world. Sagamore Publishing.

Go, S. (2024, March 6). Blog post examples and best practices to inspire your writing. Semrush. Contributor: Barcik, B. Retrieved from https://www.semrush.com/blog/blog-post-examples/

[posttexasstressdisorder]

WhatMatters

Your guide to California policy and politics

By Lynn La

April 15, 2025

Presented by Randle Communications, California Resources Corporation, Western States Petroleum Association and Upway

 

 

Good morning, California.

It’s that time again: Get ready to learn about the suspense file

Assemblymembers meet during a suspense file hearing at the Capitol Annex Swing Space in Sacramento on Aug. 15, 2024. Photo by Fred Greaves for CalMatters

Before adjourning for Spring Recess last week, the state Senate and Assembly appropriations committees moved a total of 115 bills onto their “suspense files.” What follows is a rather opaque process that could end with roughly a third of those bills killed — away from public view and with little to no debate.

As CalMatters’ Ryan Sabalow explains, any bill estimated to cost at least $50,000 gets placed on the suspense file. Next month, and again in August, the appropriations committees will either move the bills off of “suspense” so they can advance through the Legislature, or hold them — essentially killing those measures for the session.

Last summer the committees nixed about a third of the 830 bills on suspense. The process can be fast-paced, and with few votes recorded it can be difficult for both the public and even lawmakers who authored the measures, to know why bills were spiked.

Assemblymember Corey Jackson, a Moreno Valley Democrat whose child tax credit bill died last year in the suspense file: “The way we treat the appropriations process is a non-democratic process; I believe that it’s a corrupt process.”

That same summer, other lawmakers and advocates accused Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration of inflating the cost estimates of health care bills in order to block them by way of the suspense process. A spokesperson for the administration said the claim was “outrageous and inaccurate.”

Lorena Gonzalez, a former chairperson of the Assembly Appropriations Committee and current president of the California Labor Federation, does not consider the suspense file process to be secretive, however. She said anyone can review the committees’ fiscal analyses and comment.

The bills placed on suspense last week included measures that would allow homeless students to live out of their cars; require food sold in prison vending machines be priced at market retail price; and create the California Latino Commission.

Read more here.

CalMatters events: Join CalMatters’ Marisa Kendall and policy leaders on April 24 as they tackle what’s working to address homelessness and affordable housing — and what’s not. Register today to attend online or in person at the SAFE Credit Union Convention Center in Sacramento.

And earlier on April 22, Fresnoland and CalMatters’ Yousef Baig are teaming up to explore the future of the High-Speed Rail project with key decision makers and local leaders at the Fresno City College Old Administration Building Auditorium. Register here.

How have Trump’s executive orders and other recent actions affected you? CalMatters is working with public radio partners to gather perspectives across the state. Share your thoughts here. 

Other Stories You Should Know

 Conflict of interest?

Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis speaks at the State of the State ceremony on March 8, 2022. Photo by Miguel Gutierrez Jr., CalMatters

California’s lieutenant governor and 2026 gubernatorial hopeful Eleni Kounalakis has real estate holdings that netted her hundreds of thousands of dollars last year. Though she isn’t prohibited from making money off these properties, the earnings could potentially cause a conflict of interest if she wins her bid for California’s highest office, reports CalMatters’ Alexei Koseff.

In addition to owning a stake in grazing land, solar fields and properties across Northern California and the Central Valley, Kounalakis receives income from three buildings around the state Capitol where interest groups, lobbyists and others with business in state government hold their operations.

In a statement, a spokesperson for Kounalakis’ campaign said if she is elected governor, she will place “any assets that may present a conflict of interest into a blind trust.”

But John Pelissero, the director of government ethics at Santa Clara University, said Kounalakis would have been well-advised to distance herself from these assets as lieutenant governor.

Pelissero: “If she’s benefiting financially from lobbying, then the optics of it are troubling. It would be reasonable for any member of the public to look at that and say, ‘That’s odd.’”

Read more here.

 

Newsom allocates money to wildfire prevention

A firefighter walks through a prescribed burn area at the Sugar Pine Point State Park near Lake Tahoe on Sept. 25, 2024. Photo by Miguel Gutierrez Jr., CalMatters

Three months after deadly wildfires swept through Los Angeles County and killed 30 people, Gov. Newsom signed legislation Monday to provide more than $170 million in state funding to help prevent wildfires, writes CalMatters’ Alejandro Lazo.

The money comes from Proposition 4, a $10 billion bond measure voters approved in November. Six conservancies operating under the governor’s Resources Agency will receive the money to manage vegetation removal and forest thinning around their regions. At least half of the money will go to conservancies in Southern California, while a third will go to conservancies in the Sierra Nevada.

The governor also issued an executive order Monday that enables projects funded from the new legislation to benefit from a March emergency proclamation. The proclamation put a temporary statewide pause on certain provisions of two key California environmental laws to speed up wildfire prevention efforts. Some environmental groups have criticized the order.

Shaye Wolf, climate science director at the Center for Biological Diversity: “This funding doubles down on forest destruction rather than investing in real wildfire safety measures like home hardening in communities.”

Read more here.

 

And lastly: Funding for dementia research restored

Students on campus at UC Davis in Davis on Feb. 2, 2022. Miguel Gutierrez Jr., CalMatters

As part of the President Donald Trump administration’s purge of diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, the National Institutes of Health terminated in March a University of California researcher’s grant studying dementia. But last week, the agency reversed its decision. Find out more from CalMatters’ Mikhail Zinshteyn.

California Voices

In addition to “soft costs,” such as development fees to local governments, time is a major reason why it is so expensive to develop housing in California, writes Jason Ward, co-director of the RAND Center on Housing and Homelessness.

Other things worth your time:

Some stories may require a subscription to read.

Newsom OKs $2.8B to close Medicaid funding gap after expanding immigrant coverage // AP News

Newsom shuns Southern CA in public utilities commission appointments // Los Angeles Times

Federal antisemitism probes in CA: Is your college under investigation? // KQED

Trump’s volatile trade policy creates new problems for CA state budget // Los Angeles Times

How Trump administration’s transgender athlete order affects CA high schools // The Mercury News

For CA’s largest public union, telework poses challenge — and opportunity // The Sacramento Bee

Magnitude 5.2 earthquake northeast of San Diego shakes most of Southern CA // The San Diego Union-Tribune

A young mom’s slaying was horrific. Then came the cruelties of a CA court // San Francisco Chronicle

Undocumented workers vital to Fresno restaurants. How much will deportations hurt? // The Fresno Bee

 

See you next time!

Tips, insight or feedback? Email whatmatters@calmatters.org. Subscribe to CalMatters newsletters here. Follow CalMatters on Facebook and Twitter.

 

     

 

About Us· How We're Funded· Subscribe· Donate

 

CalMatters 1017 L Street #261 Sacramento, CA 95814 United States

[dustedmagazine]

Dust, Volume 10, Number 8

Orcas (not Oasis)

Welcome to our all-Oasis edition of Dust!

Just kidding. We slog through August bemused by the excitement over big ticket tours, though we will, if pressed, admit to a fondness for “Wonderwall,” a song often sung jubiliantly by someone we love on the way to track meets and XC ski practice and theater rehearsal years ago (though not as many years ago as it first emerged).

Anyway, we once again trawl the slush pile for the good stuff, opine briefly on its merits and share it with you. We’re sure you’ll find out what the Gallagher brothers are up to from other sources.

This month’s contributors included Bryon Hayes, Ian Mathers, Jonathan Shaw, Tim Clarke, Jennifer Kelly, Bill Meyer, Mason Jones and Christian Carey.

Ark Zead — Niptaktuk (Glacial Movements)

The Italian label Glacial Movements specializes in music that’s chilled, immense and slow, just like its namesake. Niptaktuk continues this icy throughline, offering a series of highly resonant, frost-tinged drone passages. The creator, of which no information is known, sourced these textures from gongs and singing bowls, stretching the frequencies into lengthy, subtly shifting tone clouds. They cleverly balance lighter shades against darker hues, layering pre-dawn shimmer over sub-sonic bass pulses. The delicate patter of scraped and stroked metal adds a sense of the real to these otherwise uncanny soundscapes. Ark Zead drew influence from the cold northern Canadian winter when they created these sounds, yet the experience of listening doesn’t evoke frostbite or blinding blizzards. Instead Niptaktuk, which is an Inuit word that implies oncoming clear skies, is a remedy against frostiness, a kernel of warmth that seeks to melt the winter ice. 

Bryon Hayes

The Body & Dis Fig — Orchards of a Futile Heaven (Thrill Jockey)

At this point, at least going by actual releases, surely there are no greater collaborators in heavy music (in all its forms) than The Body. In addition to their stellar work as “just” a duo, Chip King and Lee Buford have at this point collaborated with a real murderers’ row of bands and artists, and those albums absolutely refuse to stick to any particular formula. That they’d work with Dis Fig (aka Felicia Chen), who’s made an excellent, emotionally/sonically challenging record called Purge and sang on a full length by The Bug, makes perfect sense. The result, as with many “The Body &” LPs, is so seamlessly satisfying you’d think this was everyone involved’s main gig. The thunderous drums, harsh noise, and King’s peerless shrieks are all present, and Chen gives a hell of a lead vocal performance to centre it all. The closing one-two punch of “Coils of Kaa”/“Back to the Water” is one of the best endings 2024 is going to get, Chen wailing in rage and despair as the music collapses buildings around her.

Ian Mathers

Demiser — Slave to the Scythe (Blacklight Media/Metal Blade)

Retrograde throwback thrash isn’t exactly a growth area in metal, or a particularly enlightened undertaking, culturally speaking. But dudes in denim and bullet-lined bandoliers don’t make records like Slave to the Scythe because they foresee mass-market opportunity or stadiums full of fans in the immediate future. Mostly they don’t see much future at all. Demiser seems to share those perspectives — live fast, die faster, have as much fun as possible in the brief and weird interregnum. Is Slave to the Scythe fun? Depends on your sense of humor, and your tolerance for metal’s more reductive shenanigans. The fellows in the band have given themselves stage names like Gravepisser (he plays guitar) and Infestor (he drums), and they have supplied us with the sublime song title “Hell Is Full of Fire”; no points for innovation, but maximum points for unconquerably up-for-it idiocy. Motörhead seems as significant to Demiser as early Exodus and Kreator (especially the genius of Pleasure to Kill). Sort of nice to hear a thrash record that’s more interested in the riffs than the solos. Sort of fun to play this record really, really loud. Sort of certain that doing so results in becoming materially stupider. That’s okay — it makes that aforementioned lack of a viable future a little less awful to contemplate.

Jonathan Shaw

Dummy — Free Energy (Trouble In Mind)

Dummy’s debut, Mandatory Enjoyment, lived up to its title; it was a record difficult not to appreciate. In her Dusted review, Jennifer Kelly praised it as “a listening experience that simultaneously braces and soothes, agitates and lulls.” Dummy’s second album, Free Energy,has a similar appeal, but knocks this listener off balance with its bizarre fixation on dated drum machines and backwards sounds that bring to mind the baggy indie-dance of the 1990s. You know the stuff: Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine, Jesus Jones, Pop Will Eat Itself. There are some great songs here, such as “Nine Clean Nails,” but you have dig around amongst the misfires to find them. Dummy still have an ear for a good tune, so you can forgive their more questionable aesthetic decision-making.

Tim Clarke

“Father” John Misty — Greatish Hits: I Followed My Dreams and My Dreams Said to Crawl (Sub Pop)

With streaming supplying abundant amounts of playlists, one might reasonably ask why a greatest hits compilation would be useful. Curation instead of algorithms. “Father” John Misty’s Greatish Hits presents the high points in his catalog, beginning with early songs“Real Love Baby” (2016) and “Nancy from Now On” (2012). It is by no means a chronological survey, nor is it front-loaded like so many collections and playlists. The popular “I Love You Honeybear” (2015) is saved for the penultimate track. The finale, “I Guess Time Just Makes Fools of Us All,”  is new. At eight and a half minutes long, it stretches out with saxophone, bongo, and electric piano solos interspersing bluesy pop vocals. Worth the wait - don’t skip ahead!

Christian Carey

Ben Felton — A Lot (Island House)

Ben Felton lets the drones linger, layering sounds on top of sounds, like primary-toned transparencies on an overhead projector. You can spend this album watching the colors these tones make when the light shines through them, hitting one, two, three or more guitar/synth textures before getting to the other side. Complex yes, but peaceful, drowsy almost. One track called “A Foghorn or a Loudspeaker,” sounds like just that, an uneasy truce between natural serenity and amplified buzz and hiss. The space it lives in is large and echoey, a cathedral or, more likely, a vast underground cavern with water lapping at the walls. Occasionally, the electronic mode predominates as in the airy percolation of “What You Need.” Yet though the blippy motif is bright and uncorroded, it sits atop a woozy soup of tone; guitar notes crash in sporadically intimating a rustier, more industrial territory nearby. Felton comes from New York but now resides in more bucolic Carrboro, North Carolina. His soundscapes find a meeting place between folk-adjacent ambience and rougher, noisier music. The album gets more propulsive as it goes. Shaken-not-stirred “The Fifth Day,” turns a three-note upward lilting motif into something approaching rock anthemry. You can’t blame the sustained notes for hanging around. It’s nice here, and you want to stay.

Jennifer Kelly

Margarida Garcia And Manuel Mota—Domestic Scene (Feeding Tube) 

Upright electric bassist Margarida Garcia and electric guitarist Manuel Mota are part of Lisbon, Portugal’s experimental/improvisational music scene and have worked together with and without the participation of others on seven records besides Domestic Scene over the past decade. It is their first LP to be released in the USA, and there’s something poetic about that fact, because it feels like an echo of the work of one American musician — Loren Connors, and more specifically, 21st century Connors in solo mode. It shares his sparseness, boiled-down lyricism and willingness to disappear into a haze of noise. Since Garcia has associated with him at times, there’s definitely a shared aesthetic. However, these are not young copycats. Mota’s spare progressions proceed according to a different logic, purged of blues and baroque elements, guided by a north star of sequential consonance that adds up to quiet dissonance. And Garcia’s subdued, bow-born cries have an ability to compound, making the music thick with atmosphere, but still stingy with note counts. Play it late. 

Bill Meyer

Geneva Jacuzzi — Triple Fire (Dais)

Geneva has been making bedroom synth pop for years. On Triple Fire (named after her astrological sign), the production values tick upward, and several of the songs are club ready. “Laps of Luxury” is a case in point, with Geneva’s dulcet singing abetted by backing vocals, early digital synth sonics, and mechanized beats. “Scena Ballerina” recalls her early bedroom pop, with a taut riff and harmonic swerves. Trebly synths and out of the box percussion underscore an emotive vocal on “Take it or Leave it.” Geneva’s speechsong in “Art is Dangerous” and “Speed of Light” recalls Laurie Anderson’s 1980s work, while “Heart of Poison” has an art rock ambience that incorporates tenor saxophone and is rife with shimmering synths. “Rock and a Hard Place” is an aggressive example of dark wave electronica. The closer, “Yo-yo Boy” is an anthemic piece of minimal synth-pop that reminds listeners of Geneva’s roots while presenting memorable tunefulness. 

Christian Carey

Katatonic Silentio — Axis Of Light (Midnight Shift)

Axis Of Light by Katatonic Silentio

Italy-based Mariachiara Troianiello is a long-time DJ, and independent audio and ethnomusicology researcher at the University of San Marino. She also creates electronic music under the name Katatonic Silentio, and on Axis of Light explores a spatial dub, filled with palpating beats and flickering synthesizer sounds. The five tracks on this EP are all based on rhythmic frameworks that skitter and thud with a dark, night-time vibe for the most part. As the title indicates, opener “Drip in the Cave” is indeed subterranean in nature, with rubbery pads and liquid drums reverberating in tactile space. “Bridging the Gap” is lighter and bouncier, bubbling at a fast tempo and filled with electronic hoots and blips. The other pieces mix slow with fast, and machine-like rhythms with heartbeat-like pulses, all swirling in a warehouse ambience populated by ghostly static, quiet bells, or spooky, whistling tones. It’s all a neat combination of machine world and organic atmosphere, like a science-fiction world populated by real, messy people.

Mason Jones

Nicole Marxen — Thorns (Self-Release)

Nicole Marxen puts an eerie shimmer over rough crescendos of metallic noise, keening in the ghostliest, most disembodied way amidst vibrating slabs of guitar sound. “Thorns,” the album’s spiritual center, floats a chilly line of vocal melody—think Beth Gibbons or Chelsea Wolfe—over a machine-like industrial beat. Fragility blooms in an apocalyptic afterworld. “The Executioner” is heavier, more ominous, slithering to life out of the flickering buzz of downed powerlines. A stolid march emerges soon, swaggering with drums, swelling with amp-frying volume. Marxen presides like a high priestess, unperturbed amid flares, fills and violence. Like Jarboe astride a Justin Broadrick wall of noise, she stakes her claim, with operatic trills and whispered confidences. Dramatic, large-scale stuff.

Jennifer Kelly

Magda Mayas’ Filamental — Ritual Mechanics (Relative Pitch)

Keyboardist Magda Mayas’ music has often evidenced expansive thinking, but it took the resources of a festival to first bring her large group Filamental together. Once convened, she took full advantage of her octet’s assembled potentialities for imagination and sound. Having had one such experience, Mayas wasn’t going to wait for a festival to marshal such a breadth of mindpower and material again, nor was she going to let the impediments to travel and gathering imposed by a world pandemic get in the way. So, she sent out an invitation to an invitation to Filamental’s members and turned their gathered input into two pieces that run a bout 20 minutes in length. Each sets small, contrasting gestures dancing atop a consonant surface of elongated, layered sonorities. Ritual Mechanics is not so much a drone piece as an expression of continuous, focused action, richly detailed and consistently focused.

Bill Meyer

Rob Mazurek — Milan (Clean Feed)

Rob Mazurek has been recording for nearly three decades and performing much longer. His methods encompass composition and improvisation using brass, electronics, voice, and other instruments. In any body of work so broad, there are themes, some more dominant than others. Milan is a successor to Rome, which together comprise a smaller trend that involves recording solo performances in Italian radio studios with nice pianos. Recorded nine years apart, they offer a measure of how Mazurek’s work has changed in that time. Instead of cornet, he plays concert and piccolo trumpets; sternly ceremonial vocalizing and fistfuls of percussion dropped purposefully into the piano assert a more explicitly ritual intent. And, perhaps reflecting the amount of work that Mazurek has done with Damon Locks of late, the electronics now include playback options, so that vocal and instrumental samples (Is that Sun Ra I hear in there? And maybe some Ocora ethnic recordings?) as well as beat patterns muscle their way through the sizzle and smash of the prepared piano. Explicitly conceived as a journey, it’s quite a trip. Mazurek’s ensemble work can be pretty widescreen, but Milan reminds us that he can be epic on his own.

Bill Meyer

Nadja — Jumper (momentarily records)

Out of the many, many records put out by ambient and/or doom metal duo Nadja, it’s truly rare to find one that doesn’t feature Aidan Baker’s guitar in one form or another. But on Jumper, originally released as a bit of an art object on cassette (the online cover art is a look at the contraption that the tape comes in), he restricts himself not just to their drum machine but to layering and processing one particular pattern from it. Leah Buckereff provides bass, a more typical entry in the credits of their release, but here the way the slowly accreting digital noise plays over and around its pulses and feedback gives the whole album a very distinct feeling. Despite the use of drum machine there’s almost no rhythm to the whole hour here (until a surprise right at the end that catches me off guard every time), instead the effect is one of meditative harshness. The result is absolutely industrial, like a factory that’s weirdly compelling to listen to.

Ian Mathers

Orcas — How to Color a Thousand Mistakes (Morr Music)

Orcas — Rafael Anton Irisarri and Benoît Pioulard — haven’t recorded together in a decade, but they have been abundantly busy with their own projects. How to Color a Thousand Mistakes is consistent with past Orcas recordings and also reflects the music they have made in the interim. “Wrong Way to Fall” stands out in both regards, with Pioulard’s husky vocals over shimmering electric guitar solos, synth riffs and minimally complicated, but driving, drums. “Riptide” is populated by a number of different synth parts against a terse countermelody in the guitar. “Swells” has a strong vocal performance, while vibrato and pitch bends in the synths and economical guitar parts make for a memorable arrangement. “Fare” covers all the bases, with Pioulard’s voice double-tracked in a soaring chorus alongside mellifluous electronics, emphatic guitars, and plenty of drum fills. The recording’s closer, “Umbra,” has an extended introduction with a bass melody and warm synths. Then tangy dissonance and glissandos abound in both voice and instruments. It epitomizes the atmospheric textures that Orcas seem able to summon at will.

Christian Carey

Oxygen Destroyer — Guardian of the Universe (Redefining Darkness)

Guardian of the Universe by Oxygen Destroyer

Guardian of the Universe is another slab of monster-movie-themed, death-metal-inflected thrash from Oxygen Destroyer. The Seattle-based band’s previous LP, Sinister Monstrosities Spawned by the Unfathomable Ignorance of Mankind (2021), expanded their long-standing kaiju theme to include colossal beasts from outside the canon of the Tojo Studios Godzilla movies. The new record shifts tactics, focusing exclusively on Gamera and the giant turtle’s films for one of Tojo’s competitors, Daiei Films. It’s hard to know how much the record will appeal to listeners for whom those inside-baseball kaiju references mean little to nothing. But if you’re down for songs that attempt to replicate the absurd pleasures of Gamera in flight — head and limbs retracted into its massive shell, which then spins and shoots sheets of sparks from the holes, natch — this may be the record for you. Guardian of the Universe is non-stop fireworks: crazy, thrashy riffs; maniacal flat-out sprints; dive-bombing guitar solos. Should we take any of it seriously? This reviewer won’t hold forth (again) on the cultural stakes of post-war kaiju films. If you know, you know. And mostly what matters here is the band’s complete conviction and the joys of the music’s excesses. In these dog days of summer, it’s exactly what some of us need.

Jonathan Shaw

Peel Dream Magazine — Rose Main Reading Room (Topshelf)

Rose Main Reading Room by Peel Dream Magazine

It’s been four years since I’ve checked in on Peel Dream Magazine, whose second album Agitpop Alterna I described in my Dust review as “just like early Stereolab, with occasional blasts of shoe-gazey guitar thrown in for good measure.” I missed PDM’s third album Pad, so this brings us to album number four, Rose Main Reading Room. There’s still plenty of Stereolab in the mix, especially in the Mary Hansen-style backing vocals, the Farfisa, and the squelchy synth sounds (see “Oblast”). But here there’s more of a lean towards the baroque pop of Sufjan Stevens circa Illinois, mainly thanks to the chunky glimmer of vibraphone and the spiraling flute lines, which really brighten up proceedings. This balance between droning indie-rock and tuneful pop is very pretty, with sufficient musical complexity to invite rewarding repeat listens.

Tim Clarke

Plastic Bubble — Circular Breathing EP (Garden Gate/Moon Control)

The Circular Breathing EP by Plastic Bubble

Here’s a slab of happy, giddy, psychedelic garage rock which, except for the 2024 release date, wouldn’t be out of place in the Elephant Six universe. Lexington, KY’s Matt Taylor and Elisa McCabe are the chief blowers of bubbles, spinning out rough but iridescent songs like “Recontextualize,” where a guitar vamp grinds but vocals drift in pop ideality, “ah, ah, ah,” indeed. A classic indie boy-girl vibe permeates these five songs, with McCabe especially fetching in “Bright Morning.” “Forever” pulls back on the guitar roar to uncover a jaunty, girl-group bounce, with sweet counterparts and harmonies weaving in and around McCabe’s part. The set closes with a banger, part Who, part Fountains of Wayne, and all the way infectious, “Anything and Everything.”

Jennifer Kelly

SUUNS — The Breaks (Joyful Noise)

The Breaks by SUUNS

Elusiveness characterized SUUNS’ last album, 2021’s The Witness. As I noted in my Dusted review, “There’s no denying that its elusive character is part of its charm, but there are stretches where it feels more evasive than elusive, stubbornly refusing to engage more directly.” On their new album, The Breaks, the Montreal band are more direct in terms of the sounds they’re employing, but more evasive when it comes to songwriting. The majority of contemporary pop music is based around heavily effected vocal melodies and beats, which The Breaks seems to take as a cue towards similar immediacy. However, aside from the title track, the nagging piano of “Road Signs and Meanings,” and the loping stomp of opener “Vanishing Point,” this record is a tough nut to crack.

Tim Clarke

Tatsongs — Bushcraft (Self-Release)

Bushcraft by tat songs

Tatsongs are neither tat, nor really songs. The former implies fussy decoration, and these long, glacially evolving pieces seem as raw and elemental as rock formations. You can almost hear an icy wind blowing through their sheered off contours. The latter argues for a Pavlov’s buzzer of pleasing tone arrangements, and Tatsongs’ Tom Sadler is really not concerned whether you can guess then next 10 seconds of his compositions from the preceding 20. But even so, there’s something to be said for looming, sheeny layers of guitar and synth sounds that carve space and time into epic, barren landscapes. Tones vibrate in and out of true, zooming close and fading back, twitching in rhythm and coalescing in static fuzzed drones. Not a song in the bunch, nor much embroidery, but powerful stuff nonetheless.

Jennifer Kelly

TELESTIALVISIONS — Taurus in a Field (Island House)

Taurus in a Field by TELESTIALVISION

As Dittocrush, Pittsburgh resident Trevor D. Crush assembles tape loops into ambient symphonies. He often adds layers of live instrumentation from other musicians, such as Island House associate Chaz Prymek (Lake Mary, Fuubutsushi) and guitarist Ryan Fedor. TELESTIALVISIONS is his latest project, a tag team with New York guitarist Brinton Jones. The pair offer up a frothy brew that tastes rich and complex. Their debut Taurus in a Field is a pair of woozy collages that, while undeniably loose, are sharp in focus when compared to Dittocrush’s ghostly soundscapes. Crush’s tapes construct tangible shapes that intersect in a variety of patterns, while Jones unveils angelic melodies with his guitar. These two are telling a story that’s more Borges than Burroughs, a fantastical tale that defies conventional logic but manages to meander toward a graspable conclusion.

Bryon Hayes

Tycho — Infinite Health (Ninja Tune)

Infinite Health by Tycho

Tycho is Scott Hansen, and Scott Hansen is a designer. You can hear Hansen’s day job in Tycho’s music: the clean lines, the smart use of space, the sheer digestibility of it all. But should music go down quite this easy? Listening to Infinite Health feels a little bit like you’re at a trendy gym, playing a bit-part in an advert, or hitting up a bar packed with influencers. The common denominator is wanting to feel seen; everything plays a part in attracting attention. The synths sound like Boards of Canada, some of the funkier electro-pop moments sound like Daft Punk, and there’s an expensive sheen over everything. It’s hard to deny it’s appealing, but it also feels like experiencing capitalist obsolescence in real time.

Tim Clarke

White Collar—S/T (Static Shock)

White Collar by White Collar

Listeners with a long memory for North American hardcore might flash on those mid-1980s records by White Flag when listening to this new release from White Collar. Like that earlier Inland Empire band, White Collar frequently turns its critical gaze and its caustic smart-assery on the contemporary cultural climate of punk and politics as lifestyle (and your reviewer uses that odious term advisedly here). Songs like “Compassion Fatigue” and “Petition Signer” snarl at and spit on liberalism’s excesses of self-righteous smugness, to often hilarious effect. There’s a puritanical element to Gen Z’s dispositions and discourse that White Collar finds deeply irritating — not that the band is against strong ethico-political speech; check out “Meat Market” and “Equal Wrongs.” This is not the space for sustained analysis of Gen Z punk, and the extent to which we may want some sort of political purity from punk in the first place. But certainly, it’s an intrinsic good for punk to have snotty, disputatious and nasty voices in the mix. White Collar’s songs are short and sharp, and vocalist Loosey C’s performance is memorably unpleasant. Snarl on, punks.

Jonathan Shaw

[beardedmrbean]

Drug overdose deaths dropped in the United States last year to the lowest levels seen in five years, according to a new federal report published Wednesday morning.

The provisional report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics found nationwide drug overdose deaths fell from 110,037 in 2023 to 80,391 in 2024.

This represents a decline of 26.9% and the lowest figure of annual drug overdose deaths since 2019, according to the report.

This is the second year in a row that drug overdose deaths have dropped after year-over-year increases were seen during the COVID-19 pandemic, and researchers say they're cautiously optimistic about the declines.

"We should have a guarded enthusiasm here because what we're seeing is almost the return to the overdose death rates that we had before the pandemic," Dr. Petros Levounis, a professor and chair of the department of psychiatry and associate decant of Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, who was not involved in the report, told ABC News.

"So essentially, we have corrected the bump and the increase in overdose deaths we experienced with the pandemic," he added.

The report found the biggest drop in deaths by drug type was seen in fatalities linked to synthetic opioids, including fentanyl, which fell from 76,282 to 48,422 between 2023 and 2024.

Declines were also seen in overdose deaths from psychostimulants, such as methamphetamine; cocaine; and natural or semi-synthetic drugs such as morphine.

Additionally, nearly every state across the country saw decreases in drug overdose deaths. Louisiana, Michigan, New Hampshire, Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin, as well as Washington, D.C., saw declines of 35% or more from 2023 to 2024, according to the report.

By comparison, South Dakota and Nevada each saw slight increases in 2024 compared to 2023, the report found.

Lavounis, who is also the director of Rutgers' Northern New Jersey Medications for Addiction Treatment Center of Excellence, said public health officials should also pay attention to Alaska, where opioid overdoses have steadily been increasing since at least 2018.

Overdose rates in Alaska have reached historic levels, according to CDC data, due to a proliferation of fentanyl

Fentanyl is up to 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine and can be deadly even in small doses, according to the CDC. Other drugs may be laced with deadly levels of fentanyl, and a user is not able to see it, taste it, or smell it.

MORE: Walgreens announces it will sell generic version of over-the-counter Narcan

Experts told ABC News they believe there a few reasons behind the drop in overdose deaths. One reason is the more widespread use of naloxone, the overdose reversal drug.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Narcan for over-the-counter use in March 2023.

Narcan, made by the company Emergent BioSolutions, is given as a nasal spray and naloxone -- the active ingredient in the medication -- can quickly restore one's breathing if an individual is experiencing an opioid overdose, though its effect is temporary and some people may need additional doses.

Harm reduction groups and other experts have been pushing for easier access to naloxone as one strategy to help prevent some of the tens of thousands of overdose deaths that occur each year in the U.S.

Dr. Allison Lin, an addiction psychiatrist at University of Michigan Medical School, who was not involved in the report, said there has also been wider use of medications to treat opioid use disorder as well as an increase of public awareness of the dangers of opioid use.

"These are the things that we know, at least from a research perspective, to be lifesaving," she told ABC News. "We've been battling this overdose epidemic for now over a decade, and so there's been tremendous efforts invested by communities, by the federal government, by our state governments, anything from prevention to overdose education."

Lin said although the data is encouraging, it's too soon to say the overdose crisis in the U.S. is over and that public health officials should continue their efforts to drive down overdose death rates.

"It's nice to celebrate all the hard work that people have been putting in; we're starting to see some rewards from that," she said. "But it's not time to like move from the gas pedal, I would say."

[ritchiepage2001newaccount]

Project2025 #CorpMedia #Oligarchs #MegaBanks vs #Union #Occupy #NoDAPL #BLM #SDF #DACA #MeToo #Humanity #FeelTheBern

JinJiyanAzadi #BijiRojava Portrait of Cihan Shekh Ahmed @cihan_shekh

, Spokeswoman of #SDF #Raqqa operation, former Nusra (Al Qaeda) prisoner. [UPDATES]

RELATED: Welcome to Raqqa

RELATED UPDATE: SDF Begins Raqqa Offensive, Progress Continues in Mosul

RELATED UPDATE: Syrian Democratic Forces Make Gains in Raqqa Against ISIS

RELATED UPDATE: WATCH Raqqa: IS 'capital' falls to US-backed Syrian forces

RELATED UPDATE: WATCH Thousands celebrate 18th Zîlan Kurdish women’s festival

RELATED UPDATE: Internationalist Commune releases a series of videos about the Rojava Revolution

RELATED UPDATE: SDF captures an ISIS member near Raqqa

RELATED UPDATE: 12 years ago, the Rojava Revolution

FURTHER READING:

[script-a-world]

Submitted via Google Form, Follow Up:

Some clarifications about the various human races question. (https://scriptaworld.wordpress.com/2024/04/01/submitted-via-google-form-where-do-various-human-races-come-from-when-building-a-sci-fi-story/) First of all, my story is sci-fi mainly because it takes place over a dozen planets over multiple solar systems in a universe I've created from scratch. All the humanoid species started from the same ancestors and spread over the universe in the distant past due to outside interference and had parallel evolution. But the creation of racial traits is microevolution due to local environment unchanging and people not mingling. How do I build all these various things across planets. On earth, we know how race evolved and where people have been and are still discovering connections. But I'm creating entirely new planets and new but habitable terrain. So.. microevolution will likely not be the same across different planets. How can I create such variations? How similar will these microevolutions on different planets? How do I make the terrain and microevolution match up with history on those particular planets? Racial dynamics are even more fluid and are not caused by evolution at all, it's just society itself. Also because the history will be completely different than real life... that will completely change what kind of racial dynamics that might be possible. Such variations will however, be rather important for identification however... race also the the result of how to give these variations names that will help distinguish someone from others. Regardless of any solving of societal issues arising from such tension, when people share or don't share microevolution traits - it is a distinguisher.

Tex: People on Earth look like people from Earth. Presumably people from Venus will look like they’re from Venus, so on and so forth. No matter how large a planet is - and planets are very, very large - there will still be baseline environmental factors at play, such as a planet’s magnetosphere and atmospheric gas composition. There might be a few degrees difference in particular nice environments, but it’s not generally large enough to produce entirely different species unless you’re keen on segregation.

To pull from my extant example, would someone from southern Venus look noticeable different from someone on northern Venus? What about a Venusian living at a higher elevation than another Venusian living at a lower elevation? This would likely introduce some genetic drifts if the societies in different areas only reproduced with their neighbors, yes? Would they all still be people from Venus? Also yes. From an outside perspective, you would likely be able to distinguish the commonalities that make it a singular race.

Addy: If you’re looking at microevolution, I’d say to look at Earth for some ideas. Extreme changes, like gills or tails, probably won’t happen - they’d take significant amounts of restructuring in the body to get to that point. But smaller changes are totally doable. Maybe some people can hold their breath underwater for significant periods of time due to enlarged spleens* and changes in their blood. Maybe you’ve got people adapted to planets with thinner atmospheres, with traits like what you’d find in high-altitude populations –  more nitric oxide in the blood, better energy reserve molecules, more efficient red blood cells, and/or more efficient lungs (such as IRL Sherpas or Andean people). Gravity/climate differences - how do heights vary? Maybe some people are average tall (like Danish people, who average ~5'6" for women and ~5'11" for men) or average short (like Himalayan people, who average ~5' for women and ~5'4" for men). Arm length, general disorders (thalassemia, for example, helps provide resistance to malaria), muscle insertion (tradeoff between strength and finesse)... you’ve got a lot of flexibility for different traits.

* While the IRL Bajau people can hold their breath impressively long (3-5 minutes), there’s a common figure floating around that claims 13 minutes. One of the men being interviewed claimed he could hold his breath for up to that long in his youth, but I have seen no confirmation of anything like that.

If you’re looking for ideas on how to get terrains and traits for those terrains, think about the problems that could arise from a given environment. Lower gravity means thinner atmosphere, for one, but also means less pressure on joints and fewer demands on bone and cartilage. Dark vs bright planet, how do eyes change for that (blue-eyed people actually have better night vision than dark-eyed people, but can have light sensitivity issues during the day)? Humidity, climate, all kinds of things. Play around with it.

And racial dynamics… don’t forget that things as simple as accents can absolutely change how people perceive in-group vs out-group behavior. 

[magickfromscratch]

According to the article (3/18/2024):

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed to send a team of Israeli officials to Washington.

Each side is looking to make “clear to the other its perspective,” White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said.

The disagreement between Biden and Netanyahu is over the food crisis in Gaza and Israel’s conduct during the war, according to the White House.

The White House is skeptical of Netanyahu’s plan to carry out an operation in the southern city of Rafah, where about 1.5 million displaced Palestinians are sheltering.

Biden has once again urged Netanyahu not to carry out a Rafah operation.

U.S. officials will lay out “an alternative approach that would target key Hamas elements in Rafah and secure the Egypt-Gaza border without a major ground invasion.”

“The president has rejected, and did again today, the straw man that raising questions about Rafah is the same as raising questions about defeating Hamas,” Sullivan said. “That’s just nonsense. Our position is that Hamas should not be allowed a safe haven in Rafah or anywhere else, but a major ground operation there would be a mistake. It would lead to more innocent civilian deaths, worsen the already dire humanitarian crisis, deepen the anarchy in Gaza and further isolate Israel internationally.”

Israel has yet to present a credible plan to ensure the safety of innocent Palestinian civilians., according to White House officials.

Biden administration officials have warned that they would not support the operation in Rafah as presently constituted.

A new report warned that “famine is imminent” in northern Gaza, where 70% of the remaining population is experiencing catastrophic hunger, and that a further escalation of the war could push around half of Gaza’s population to the brink of starvation. The report came from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, a partnership of more than a dozen governments, U.N. aid and other agencies that determines the severity of food crises.

Netanyahu lashed out against the American criticism on Sunday, describing calls for a new election as “wholly inappropriate.”

Biden after his State of the Union address earlier this month was caught on a hot mic telling a Democratic ally that he has told Netanyahu they would have a “come to Jesus” meeting over the growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. His frustration with Netanyahu’s prosecution of the war was also on display in a recent MSNBC interview, in which he asserted Netanyahu was “hurting Israel.”

Israel's actions in Gaza have been described as one of the deadliest and most destructive military campaigns in recent history. The war has killed over 31,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

Around 80% of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million have fled their homes, and a quarter of the population faces starvation.