#and i will forever be grateful to that friend for starting that campaign and the other friends that are in that campaign with me

[undermostcorgi]

very quick and not quite my best but yesterday was kind of osiris's bday? so heres some strange sad (slightly erotic??) art of him based loosely on some vent art i made a while back :) i like to put this boy in situations. if you couldn't tell

[deadpresidents]

Waking Up In Dallas: November 22, 1963.

Two American Presidents woke up in Dallas, Texas, on November 22, 1963. Neither of them were the two men who actually served as President on that tragic day -- John F. Kennedy or Lyndon B. Johnson.

The 37th President of the United States, 50-year-old Richard Nixon, had arrived in Dallas on November 20th for a conference of the American Bottlers of Carbonated Beverages on behalf of Pepsi-Cola, a company that his New York law firm was representing.  On November 21st, Nixon sat down with reporters in his room at the Baker Hotel, where he criticized many of the policies of President Kennedy, his 1960 opponent, who would be arriving in Dallas the next day.  That night, Nixon and Pepsi executives including actress Joan Crawford, who had been married to Pepsi's chairman, Alfred Steele, until his death in 1959, were entertained at the Statler Hilton.

In the early morning of November 22nd, a car dropped Nixon off, alone, at Love Field, the Dallas airport that would host President and Mrs. Kennedy, Vice President Johnson and Mrs. Johnson, and Texas Governor John Connally and his wife in just a few hours.  Nixon later remembered the flags and signs displayed along the motorcade route that Kennedy would soon follow.  Nixon approached the American Airlines ticket counter to check-in for his flight to New York City and told the attendant, "It looks like you're going to have a big day today."

Nixon landed several hours later in New York at an airport that would be renamed after John F. Kennedy a month later.  He described what happened next in his 1978 autobiography, RN: The Memoirs of Richard Nixon:

Arriving in New York, I hailed a cab home.  We drove through Queens toward the 59th Street Bridge, and as we stopped at a traffic light, a man rushed over from the curb and started talking to the driver.  I heard him say, "Do you have a radio in your cab?  I just heard that Kennedy was shot."  We had no radio, and as we continued into Manhattan a hundred thoughts rushed through my mind.  The man could have been crazy or a macabre prankster.  He could have been mistaken about what he had heard; or perhaps a gunman might have shot at Kennedy but missed or only wounded him.  I refused to believe that he could have been killed. As the cab drew up in front of my building, the doorman ran out.  Tears were streaming down his cheeks.  "Oh, Mr. Nixon, have you heard, sir?" he asked.  "It's just terrible.  They've killed President Kennedy."

The close 1960 Presidential election changed the relationship between Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy, but they had once been very close.  When they first entered Congress together in 1947, they considered each other personal friends, and when Nixon ran for the Senate from California in 1950, JFK stopped into Nixon's office and dropped off a financial contribution to Nixon's campaign from Kennedy's father.  Nixon would later write that he felt as bad on the night of Kennedy's assassination as he had when he lost two brothers to tuberculosis when he was very young.  That night, he wrote an emotional letter to Jacqueline Kennedy:

Dear Jackie, In this tragic hour Pat and I want you to know that our thoughts and prayers are with you. While the hand of fate made Jack and me political opponents I always cherished the fact that we were personal friends from the time we came to the Congress together in 1947.  That friendship evidenced itself in many ways including the invitation we received to attend your wedding. Nothing I could say now could add to the splendid tributes which have come from throughout the world to him. But I want you to know that the nation will also be forever grateful for your service as First Lady.  You brought to the White House charm, beauty and elegance as the official hostess of America, and the mystique of the young in heart which was uniquely yours made an indelible impression on the American consciousness. If in the days ahead we could be helpful in any way we shall be honored to be at your command. Sincerely, Dick Nixon 

••• On the morning of November 22, 1963, the 41st President of the United States also woke up in Dallas, Texas.  George Herbert Walker Bush was the 39-year-old president of the Zapata Off-Shore Drilling Company and chairman of the Harris County, Texas Republican Party, and had stayed the night of November 21st at the Dallas Sheraton alongside his wife, Barbara.  Bush was planning a bid for the U.S. Senate in 1964 and making the rounds to line up support amongst many Texans who considered him far too moderate.  One of the groups that was strongest in opposition to Bush was the ultra-right wing John Birch Society, which had recently been lodging vehement protests against President Kennedy's upcoming visit to Dallas.

Conspiracy theorists claim that there were far more sinister motives for George Bush being in Dallas on November 22, 1963.  Some claim that Bush was a secret CIA operative involved in planning or even carrying out the assassination of President Kennedy.  Some even argue that a grainy photograph of a man resembling Bush taken shortly after the assassination proves that Bush was actually in Dealey Plaza at the time of Kennedy's shooting.

He wasn't.  He wasn't even in Dallas.  We know where George Herbert Walker Bush was at the time of JFK's assassination -- we have plenty of eyewitnesses who can confirm it.  While Lee Harvey Oswald was shooting President Kennedy, George Bush was about 100 miles away from Dallas, in Tyler, Texas, speaking at a Kiwanis Club luncheon.  Like Nixon, Bush and his wife, Barbara, had also boarded a plane that morning in Dallas -- a private plane that transported them to Tyler for the Kiwanis Club event.  While Bush was speaking, word of the President's assassination reached the luncheon and the local club president, Wendell Cherry, leaned over and gave the news to Bush.  Bush quickly notified the crowd, and said, "In view of the President's death, I consider it inappropriate to continue with a political speech at this time."  He ended his speech and sat down while the luncheon broke up in stunned silence. 

Bush's wife, Barbara, wasn't at the Kiwanis Club luncheon.  While her husband was speaking, Barbara Bush went to a beauty parlor in Tyler to get her hair styled.  As her hair was being done, Barbara began writing a letter to family and heard the news over the radio that JFK had been shot and then that the President had died.  In her 1994 memoir, Barbara included the letter, part of which said:

I am writing this at the Beauty Parlor, and the radio says that the President has been shot.  Oh Texas -- my Texas -- my God -- let's hope it's not true.  I am sick at heart as we all are.  Yes, the story is true and the Governor also.  How hateful some people are. Since, the beauty parlor, the President has died.  We are once again on a plane.  This time a commercial plane.  Poppy (George H.W. Bush's family nickname) picked me up at the beauty parlor -- we went right to the airport, flew to Ft. Worth and dropped Mr. Zeppo off (we were on his plane) and flew back to Dallas.  We had to circle the field while the second Presidential plane took off.  Immediately, Pop got tickets back to Houston, and here we are flying home.  We are sick at heart.  The tales the radio reporters tell of Jackie Kennedy are the bravest.  We are hoping that it is not some far-right nut, but a "commie" nut.  You understand that we know they are both nuts, but just hope that it is not a Texan and not an American at all. I am amazed by the rapid-fire thinking and planning that has already been done.  LBJ has been the President for some time now -- two hours at least and it is only 4:30. My dearest love to you all, Bar

As Barbara Bush noted in her letter, the Bushes did not stay another night at the Dallas Sheraton on November 22nd, as they had originally planned.  They returned to Dallas on the private jet that had transported them to Tyler earlier in the day, and caught a commercial flight home to Houston.  The "second Presidential plane" that took off while Bush's plane circled Love Field was the plane that had transported Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson to Dallas earlier that day, Air Force Two.  Johnson was already heading back to Washington, now on Air Force One, with the casket of John F. Kennedy.

••• The 37th President of the United States and the 41st President of the United States woke up in Dallas, Texas on the morning of November 22, 1963.  The 31st President, 89-year-old Herbert Hoover, was in failing health in the elegant suite he called home at New York's Waldorf-Astoria.  Within the next few weeks, he would be visited by the new President, Lyndon Johnson, and President Kennedy's grieving widow, Jackie, and the President's brother, Attorney General Bobby Kennedy.  The 33rd President, 79-year-old Harry Truman, learned of JFK's death in Missouri, while the 34th President, 73-year-old Dwight D. Eisenhower, heard of the assassination while attending a meeting at the United Nations in New York.  Truman and Eisenhower would squash a long, bitter personal feud that weekend while attending Kennedy's funeral in Washington.  The 38th President, 50-year-old Michigan Congressman Gerald Ford, was driving home with his wife Betty after attending a parent conference with their son Jack's teacher when they heard the news on the radio in their car.  Two days later, President Johnson would call on Ford to serve on the Warren Commission investigating the assassination.  

The 39th President, Jimmy Carter was 39 years old and had just gotten off a tractor near the warehouse of his Plains, Georgia peanut farm when a group of farmers informed him of the news of the shooting.  Carter found a quiet area, kneeled down in prayer, and when he heard that Kennedy had died, cried for the first time since his father had died ten years earlier.  Ronald Reagan, the 40th President, was 52 years old and preparing for a run as Governor of California.  A little more than 17 years later, the now-President Reagan would also be shot by a lone gunman in the middle of the day.  While Reagan would survive the attempt on his life, it was very nearly fatal and reminded his wife, Nancy, of November 22, 1963.  As she was transported to George Washington Hospital following Reagan's shooting, Nancy would later note, "As my mind raced, I flashed to scenes of Parkland Memorial Hospital in Texas, and the day President Kennedy was shot.  I had been driving down San Vicente Boulevard in Los Angeles when a bulletin came over the car radio.  Now, more than seventeen years later, I prayed that history would not be repeated, that Washington would not become another Dallas.  That my husband would live."

The 41st President, Bill Clinton, and the 43rd President, George W. Bush, were both 17 years old and in school -- Bush at the Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts, and Clinton at Hot Springs High School in Hot Springs, Arkansas.  Clinton was in his fourth period calculus class when his teacher was called out of the room and returned to announce that President Kennedy had been killed.  Four months earlier, Clinton had traveled to Washington with the Boys Nation program and, during a ceremony in the Rose Garden of the White House, pushed his way to the front of the line and shook President Kennedy's hand.  The 44th President, Barack Obama, was a 2-year-old living in Hawaii.

••• The 35th President, 46-year-old John F. Kennedy, would die in Dallas on November 22, 1963.  Lyndon B. Johnson, 55, would become the 36th President in Dallas that day.  But they woke up that morning in Fort Worth at the Texas Hotel.  Kennedy had slept the last night of his life in suite 850 on the eighth floor, now the Presidential suite.  LBJ had slept the last night of his Vice Presidency in the much more expensive and elegant Will Rogers Suite on the thirteenth floor.  The Secret Service had vetoed the Will Rogers Suite for the President because it was more difficult to secure.  It was raining in Fort Worth as they woke up, but the skies had cleared by the time they landed in Dallas.  Before breakfast, President Kennedy, Vice President Johnson, and Texas Governor John Connally headed outside and briefly addressed a crowd that had gathered long before the sun had come up in hopes of seeing JFK.  Jacqueline Kennedy didn't accompany them outside and President Kennedy joked to the crowd, "Mrs. Kennedy is organizing herself.  It takes her a little longer but, of course, she looks better than we do when she does it."

Afterward, they headed inside for breakfast in the Texas Hotel's Grand Ballroom with several hundred guests.  The President sent for Mrs. Kennedy to join them, and her late arrival to the breakfast excited the guests in the ballroom.  When the President spoke to the group, he joked again, "Two years ago I introduced myself in Paris as the man who had accompanied Mrs. Kennedy to Paris.  I'm getting somewhat that same sensation as I travel around Texas."  Then he noted, "Nobody wonders what Lyndon and I wear."

When the breakfast ended, the Kennedys headed upstairs and had an hour or so to wait before heading to the airport for the short flight to Dallas.  It was during this time that Jackie Kennedy saw a hateful ad placed in that morning's Dallas Morning News accusing President Kennedy of collusion with Communists and treasnous activity.  Trying to calm Jackie down, the President joked, "Oh, we're heading into nut country today."  But a few minutes later, Jackie overheard Kennedy telling his aide, Ken O'Donnell, "It would not be a very difficult job to shoot the President of the United States.  All you'd have to do is get up in a high building with a high-powered rifle with a telescopic sight, and there's nothing anybody can do."

••• Even though the trip from Fort Worth's Carswell Air Force Base to Dallas's Love Field would only take thirteen minutes by air, the trip to Texas was first-and-foremost a political trip -- a kickoff of sorts to JFK's 1964 re-election campaign -- and a grand entrance was needed.  So, JFK and Jackie boarded the plane usually used as Air Force One, LBJ and Lady Bird Johnson boarded the plane usually used by the Vice President, Air Force Two, and the huge Presidential party took to the skies, covering thirty miles in thirteen minutes, in order to get the big Dallas welcome that they were hoping for.  They landed in Dallas at 11:40 AM, and President Kennedy looked out the window of his plane, saw a big, happy crowd, and told Ken O'Donnell, "This trip is turning out to be terrific.  Here we are in Dallas, and it looks like everything in Texas is going to be fine for us."

At 2:47 PM -- just three hours and seven minutes later -- everyone was back on Air Force One as the plane climbed off of the Love Field runway and into the Dallas sky.  John F. Kennedy, the 35th President, was in a casket wedged into a space in the rear of Air Force One where two rows of seats had been removed so that it would be fit.  Lyndon B. Johnson had officially been sworn in as the 36th President about ten minutes earlier on the plane by federal judge Sarah T. Hughes.  On one side of Johnson while he took the oath was his wife, Lady Bird, and on the other side, the widowed former First Lady, Jackie Kennedy, still wearing a pink dress splattered with her husband's blood and brain matter.

Two American Presidents woke up in Dallas on November 22, 1963 -- Richard Nixon and George H.W. Bush -- but they weren't in town when John F. Kennedy was assassinated, no matter how many ways conspiracy theorists try to twist the story.  The President who died in Dallas that day, John F. Kennedy, and the man who became President in Dallas that day, Lyndon B. Johnson, woke up in Fort Worth on the morning of November 22, 1963.  But they'll be forever linked with Dallas -- and the world that woke up the next morning would never be the same again.    

[nuka]

Well. I woke up and read David's post. It's been an hour and I've gone through every emotion possible for a human being.

If Our Flag Means Death doesn't get its last season, I have no hope for TV anymore. Like, I'm done. I don't want to start a new show if it doesn't get a proper ending. I'm tired of queer shows getting cancelled. I'm just so. fucking. tired.

One more season was all it needed. ONE.

I'm seeing a lot of people in the fandom who aren't giving up on the campaign. I'm not either, until David says "please stop, I've given up, so you should too".

David's post makes it sound that there was interest in the show.

I'm gonna hang out with a friend today and take a breather. My thoughts are all over the place rn.

I am forever grateful for this show, for everything we got. For the journeys of self-discovery so many of us went through because of this show. For everyone who's been fighting to get our pirates back. For everyone involved in making the show.

Crew for life. 🏴‍☠️💜

[smytherines]

I went through my big Starkid era over the last like six months or so. I had seen Spies Are Forever once a few months back, liked it, but it kinda got buried by life stuff. Maybe a week or two before the tinlightenment kickstarter started up, I remembered SAF and decided to rewatch it, and seeing it again with the context of the full story just really spoke to me in a way I cannot shut up about.

I love Spies Are Forever. I love how funny and tender and gay and hilarious it is. But as much as I love SAF, I'm most grateful that I've gotten to make so many friends bonding over this show. Friends who are working so so so hard to promote the kickstarter because they love Tin Can Bros stuff as much as I do. We have had so much fun on streams, making up ridiculous inside jokes, posting sandwiches and asses in bios and the Sacred Text.

When I found out about the kickstarter I went and liked all the socials, not even thinking about funding it if I'm honest, but I wanted to share stuff at least. That has changed in a big way. I just increased my pledge today, actually!

Anyways I kept rewatching SAF and appreciating it in new ways. I watched Solve It Squad and Grunch and Wayward Guide. I started engaging with the tinlightenment posts. I asked my partner for the 54 Below digital ticket for Valentines Day. I made a new tumblr for the first time in years so I could post hyperfixations about SAF. I made a Diane Lopez-Richter meme that still makes me smile every time I see it, and now I'm just doing as much TCB promo as I possibly can because I really believe in what they're doing.

Theatre is hard. Independent theatre is so much harder. I spent 8 years in a children's community theatre company growing up. My mom did their books in exchange for my tuition. It was always a hustle to keep the doors open. I can say without question that it saved my life. It gave me a space to safely have my big ADHD feelings. Theatre gives you space to feel huge things in a safe way, and TCB provides free, fully original productions to anyone who can access youtube.

I backed the Tinlightenment kickstarter because these original shows and songs and characters are rare and precious, given to us FOR FREE in the hopes that we'll continue to choose to support all of these wonderful creators when they do these big fundraising campaigns.

Corey, Joey, and Brian have spent ten years working hard as fuck to bring us new things for our goblin brains to latch onto, and I want to see more. They have been working so hard on this kickstarter to give us SEVEN events for 200k, which is basically nonsense. An irrationally small amount of money for what they are planning to do. And I want to see them get there.

If you can't back the kickstarter, that's totally cool. Everyone has their own shit going on, nobody is going to hold it against you. We love you we love you we love you.

If you can afford to throw a few bucks towards the kickstarter, please please do it. Independent theatre only happens if we fund it.

>>> Tinlightenment <<<

(Reposting the Diane meme because I love watching her get new treats)

[shotgunrider428]

Urgent Humanitarian Relief for Evacuation from Gaza

Dear friends, supporters of humanitarian causes,

I am Mohammed Emad, and I write to you with a heavy heart and a plea for urgent assistance during this time of unprecedented crisis for my family.

For the past nine months, we have been caught in the relentless crossfire of conflict in Gaza. Our once peaceful home in Khanyounis has been reduced to rubble, and we now find ourselves displaced in mawasi khanywns, living in dire conditions in a makeshift tent on the streets. The war has not only robbed us of our physical shelter but has also destroyed our dreams to live normally. The daily struggle for survival is compounded by the scarcity of basic necessities such as clean water, adequate sanitation, and essential medical supplies.

Our primary objective now is to ensure the safety and well-being of my loved ones through their urgent evacuation from Gaza. This campaign is our lifeline, aimed at raising critical funds to cover immediate expenses. These include exorbitant border crossing fees, transportation arrangements to a place of safety, and essential provisions to sustain us during the precarious journey ahead.

Your compassionate support, regardless of the amount, will make an immediate and tangible impact on our lives. By contributing to this campaign, you are not only providing financial assistance but also offering hope for a future free from fear and uncertainty. Your generosity will empower us to rebuild our lives with dignity and security, beyond the devastation we have endured.

I humbly ask for your solidarity and compassion in our cause. Please consider donating to our campaign and sharing our story within your network. Your voice has the power to amplify our plea and reach individuals who may be able to assist during this critical time of need،We have been in danger for a long time and have not reached our goal. My family and I are in danger. I ask for your support, even if it is just a little

Thank you deeply for your kindness and generosity. Your support is a lifeline we desperately need, and we will forever be grateful for your empathy during this challenging chapter of our lives.

With heartfelt appreciation and hope, Mohammed and family

Of course! I'll support however I can, starting with this. To everyone seeing this, here's the link to Mohammed's GoFundMe:

Please donate and support if possible! If you're unable to at this time, then at least reblog to help spread awareness!

I made sure to check if it was vetted and it seems like it is. According to peoples notes on Mohammed's blog, @90-ghost confirmed the campaign as legitimate, just when it was under a now terminated account. I wasn't able to find anything else on it myself, but there aren't any red flags either, so I'm trusting peoples' word on it!

I wish the best for you and your family, and that you're able to meet your goal!

[a-shade-of-blue]

Urgent Request for Support: Help Amplify Our Story

Dear [a_shade_of_blue],n

I hope this message finds you well. I am reaching out to you with an urgent plea for help. My family and I are living through unimaginable hardship in Gaza, where our home was destroyed in a bombing. My two young children, Amir (3 years old) and Taim (2 years old), along with their parents, are struggling to survive in dire conditions.

We have started a GoFundMe campaign to raise $20,000 to escape Gaza and relocate to safety in Egypt. We are hoping to spread our story far and wide, and we believe that with your influence and support for the Palestinian cause, you can help us reach more people.

It would mean the world to us if you could share our story and campaign on your social media platforms. Your post could be life-changing, urging your followers to donate or share the campaign and giving my family a chance to rebuild our lives.

Here is the link to our campaign: [https://gofund.me/3dd68ad4]

We would be forever grateful for your support in helping us find safety.

Thank you so much for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Amir’s Family

This campaign is vetted by association. Amir's family are close friends with @dodoomar12345 (shared by 90-ghost), see post here for proof.

Currently kr18,681 SEK raised of kr200,000 target!

 Amir and Rana have 2 children: Amir (3) and Taim (2). Their house has been bombed. Mohammad and Rana both broke their legs. Amir was shot in the back while his brother Taim was shot in the face and hands. They are trying to evacuate out of Gaza.

[that-house]

Heyyy it’s me the oh fuck the killer person again it’s been a hot sec! Just wanted to give a quick update that i had so much fun GMing for my session of oftk (my friend group rotates GMs every time we play which is often) that I’ve since written a whole campaign aimed to get some of my non-dnd friends into dnd! Everything is done, characters are made, we start sometime in the next few weeks (ttrpg scheduling is the real boss battle) and every time I sit down to write or design I’m so thankful that your game was the catalyst I needed to explore what is now one of my biggest sources of joy. I just wanted you to know that you have genuinely changed my life and I am forever grateful. -ember

Framing this and putting it on my wall this is all I ever want out of my work oh my god 😭🥰❤️😭

[loveletters4teo]

this blog was called a love letter for a reason, yet i stopped sending them when we were finally together. my apologies, darling, allow me to start over again. 📬

i wouldn’t waste any second of taking this life where i get to love you every second for granted again.

it honestly doesn’t make sense to start a letter in the middle of the month either, but you’d tell me that it’s me just being me— so here goes. 🪻

hello, my dearest.

writing my feelings out felt so hard back in the day, you can name every single emotion a normal person would feel and it would hit me all at once just thinking about you. we’ve known each other for a year and we’ve been dating for almost a year, it honestly feels crazy to think about it. you’ve heard me talk about how impossible our relationship would be; i thought you’d be a friend that i will only admire from afar, or worse, the woman i was grateful to talk to at least once in my life, but life didn’t let our stories to be written that way. you’ll always listen to me with your defenses whenever i bring this up because you’ll tell me i was the one who broke your heart first by saying that i wasn’t looking for any relationship when i was just so scared to lose you even though it’s only been days since we met.

those days turned weeks, those weeks turned a month, and a couple more, and now it’s been a year. you’ve seen me cry, you’ve seen me get angry, frustrated. i tend to lash out at you, i tend to leave you out in the open, you’ve seen me get so scared, but you were always here; the same woman who i thought was going to leave me after a couple of weeks talking. my eyes feels heavy right now—i know, i should’ve washed it last night and didn’t let my ugly sobs put me to bed, but here i am, struggling to open my eyes as i chuckle to myself because ah, my girlfriend will always be right.

in every medium i liked, you were always there to listen and try it out yourself to see why i like it. i’m quite good at minecraft now and it’s because of you. the skeletons and creepers don’t scare me that much anymore because you taught me how to fight them properly. d&d is not that confusing anymore because you operated the campaign in a way where i’ll get to express myself better before hopping in the actual game. facing my feelings head on doesn’t feel scary anymore. in fact, i learned to express if there’s anything wrong and if there’s anything in there, but i can’t understand what exactly it is yet.

the percy to my annabeth, the annabeth to my percy, the lucy to my lockwood, the falin to my marcille, the marcelline to my bubblegum, the sydney to my dina, the dina to my ellie, the mj to my peter, the peter to my mj, the yang to my blake, the vi to my caitlyn, the hiccup to my astrid, the bagi to my tina, the michael to my lily, the lily to my michael, the max to my chloe, the chloe to my rachel—half of these were mostly my influence and this shows how much you love me, but most of it all; the ogway to my bunbunemoji in all caps, the teo to my dana.

thank you so much for always loving me. a part of me doesn’t understand why you always do, but a part of me is grateful that you do. a part of me is grateful to know you, and a part of me is happy to see that you feel the same way when you’re with me. a part of me wants to help you when it’s your turn to be sad, a part of me wants to fight anyone immediately who makes you feel sad. if you put all of them together, every single part of me loves you.

te iubesc, philtatos. 🫂💛 i hope you never get tired of me.

yours truly, always and forever,

@loveletters4dana

[allycryz]

Back on my Strahd hyperfocus planning for a possible campaign this summer and am once again annoyed at Tracy Hickman's foreword to CoS 5e.

I'm going to paste it below in full under the cut so no one can say I'm taking it out of context, but I will bold the parts I find especially annoying:

----

We turned the corner, and there was a vampire.

I groaned and rolled my eyes.

It was 1978, and I was playing in one of my first dungeon adventures. It was being run by a friend I had known in high school, John Scott Clegg, and it was typical of the type of adventure that people played in those days. It was all about exploring a hodgepodge collection of rooms connected by dungeon corridors, beating up the monsters that we encountered, searching for treasure, and gaining experience points.

Now we were face to face with random encounter number thirty-four: a vampire. Not a Vampire with a capital V, but a so-many-Hit-Dice-with-such-and-such-an-Armor-Class lowercase vampire. Just another monster in the dungeon.

I remember thinking at the time, What are you doing here? This creature seemed completely out of place with the kobolds, orcs, and gelatinous cubes we had seen thus far. This was a creature who deserved his own setting and to be so much more than just a wandering monster. When I came home from that game, I told all these thoughts to Laura.

That was when Strahd von Zarovich was born.

Strahd would be no afterthought—he demanded his own setting, his own tragic history. Laura and I launched into researching the mythology and folklore surrounding the vampire. We started with the vague, black-and-white image of Bela Lugosi in 1931, but found so much more.

The first "modern" literary foundation of the vampire was penned by John William Polidori based on a fragment of a story by Lord Byron. It was while at the Villa Diodati—a rented house next to Lake Geneva, Switzerland—that Byron and Polidori met Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin and her husband-to-be, Percy Shelley. One night in June, Byron suggested that they each write a ghost story. Mary Shelley's contribution to the effort would later become Frankenstein. The short story "The Vampyre," published in 1819, was Polidori's contribution. He was Byron's personal physician, and the first of the so-called "romantic" vampires under Polidori's hand was actually modeled after Lord Byron.

Byron—like the fictional vampires that he inspired, from Polidori's Lord Ruthven down through the penultimate work of Bram Stoker—was a decadent predator, an abuser hidden behind a romantic veil. He was a comely and alluring monster—but a monster nevertheless. The romantic vampire of the earliest years of the genre was not just a spouse abuser but a spouse killer, the archetype of abuse in the worst kind of destructive codependency.

For Laura and me, those were the elements that truly defined Strahd von Zarovich—a selfish beast forever lurking behind a mask of tragic romance, the illusion of redemption that was ever only camouflage for his prey.

Initially we were going to title the adventure Vampyr—one of a series of games we called Nightventure that Laura and I were self-publishing back in 1978. The castle was called Ravenloft, and when Halloween came around each year, our friends asked us if we could play "that Ravenloft game" again... and so the better title won out. It was, in part, because of this design that I was hired by TSR, Inc., to write Dungeons & Dragons adventures in 1982. Soon thereafter, I6 Ravenloft was published.

Since then, fans of Ravenloft have seen many different creative perspectives on Barovia (a country which, by absolute coincidence, is featured in a 1947 Bob Hope movie called Where There's Life). It continues to be one of the most popular Dungeons & Dragons adventures of all time. In its various incarnations, each designer has endeavored to bring something new to the ancient legend of Strahd, and to each of them we are grateful.

But the vampire genre has taken a turn from its roots in recent years. The vampire we so often see today exemplifies the polar opposite of the original archetype: the lie that it's okay to enter into a romance with an abusive monster because if you love it enough, it will change.

When Laura and I got a call from Christopher Perkins about revisiting Ravenloft, we hoped we could bring the message of the vampire folktale back to its original cautionary roots. The talented team at Wizards of the Coast not only graciously took our suggestions but engaged us in a dialogue that delivered new insights on the nightmare beyond the gates of Barovia.

Now we invite you again as our guests to pass through the Svalich Woods if you dare. For here the romance is tragically dangerous... and a true monster smiles at your approach.

----

It's just so

Patronizing

It would be an entirely different post to talk about the meaning of the vampire figure in folklore and literature and what it represents; because you cannot pin it to simply one meaning. Vampiric folklore can speak of fears of disease and death and plague, Dracula can represent xenophobia AND classism AND sexuality, Polidori's Lord Ruthven can be a high society predator AND an emblem of repressed queerness

But even if Tracy was correct that the vampire has one specific meaning...so what? Why can people not subvert and change the stock characters of fiction? Is there really a problem if Interview with a Vampire turned tropes on their heads? I'm no fan of Twilight but its sin is absolutely not "it made Vampires hot and romantic"

This is especially galling because when you release a ttrpg story or system out into the world, it's going to be changed at every table. For every group that runs a module as is, there are dozens making it their own.

I do think Strahd as written, as a monster who cannot recognize his faults is fascinating. I also think there are a lot of possibilities to mine if you have a table who likes romance and intrigue. My most frequent table plays a lot of Good Society and they get very excited when similar options show up in other systems.

And, honestly, at the end of the day Tracy just sounds like every guy whining that they made vampires sparkly and those aren't reaaalll vampires and every internet user handwringing over oh no there are people who find villains hot

[somethingstrangerthings]

𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐆 𝐆𝐎𝐃 - ᴀɴ ᴇᴅᴅɪᴇ ᴍᴜɴꜱᴏɴ ꜰᴀɴ ꜰɪᴄᴛɪᴏɴ

A/N

I'm finally coming out with another book ! I just want to say thank you for taking time out of your day/night to read this story. I know we are all upset about volume 2, but I decided to make this in heart of it all. This is an Eddie Munson Fanfiction, preferably for female, or anyone who identifies as female, although you are always free to read anyway. Thank you guys so so so much for your support with my other books. It means the world. <3

Y/n - This will mean ' Your Name '

L/n - This will mean your ' Last Name' (Which is Harrington)

Yn/Ln - Means your ' First and Last Name '

I will be forever grateful if you read this ! I love you all <3

PART I

↳ Welcome to the Club

❝...it seemed like I'm the only one that showed up❞

Hawkins High

7:23 P.M.

It was around 7 O'clock when you started to make your way to the gymnasium with Steve Harrington, your brother. You had promised Lucas that you would be at his championship Basketball game, although also promising Dustin that you would try to make it to their D&D campaign. You always had a problem with promises, not that you couldn't keep them, more like you made too many.  Being 17 years old, and being two years older than Dustin and the others, and then being two years younger from Steve's little group, you felt like it was hard to fit in. That's why you tried to make every promise you could. To fit in, or seem like you could be everyone's friend. 

You and Steve made your way to the benches in the gym, and stood there for a hot second until you saw the players come out. The space around you felt compact, shoulder to shoulder with all the other people standing around you. You were trying to find people you recognizd in the crowd, although was unlucky only finding Nancy Wheeler, standing by the left exit, only here for her paper. Everyone started cheering, and you could notice Lucas trying to find his friends. 

All of a sudden Steve wooped, and Lucas looked up towards the top of the bleachers, and made eye contact with us. He smiled as you made a small wave towards him. The game had started after a few minutes of introductions, and all that fancy stuff before a game. You glance over at Steve who was concentrated on the game. Suddenly you had remembered you had promised you were going to the D&D campaign at the school the same time the game started. You looked down at your feet, and watched as you inched your way closer to the stairs of the bleachers. Making your way through the kids beside you, reaching the steps you quickly ran down those stairs, and didn't look back. Closing your eyes for a second hopeful that Steve wasn't going to follow. You felt everyone's eyes on the back of your head. Finally reaching where Nancy stood, you tried not to make eye contact with her. As you quickly opened the door to the outside. The sounds of cheers and shouts along with the light coming from the gym faded as the heavy doors behind you closed slowly. 

Looking around for a second, you started for the room where Dustin had told you where the campaign was going to be held. It had took you longer than you had expected, because next thing you knew you were only halfway there. After realizing, you made your way to the room almost in a rush. You took a deep breath before knocking on the door, knowing you were already late, hopeful Dustin wouldn't be upset in any way. You knocked on the door and heard sudden clutter noises from the inside. Standing by the door in wait the door opened swiftly, and you saw Dustin at the door, almost seeming out of breath, but then instantly caught his breath as he made eye contact with you.

"Oh Y/n, I'm so glad you're here, we've been needing an extra player." In oblivion you nodded your head, not knowing what you were getting yourself into. Suddenly the room went dark, and then the luminesence of candles met your eyes. In front of you sat a man with longer dark brown hair, with a Hellfire shirt, which made you certain he was a part of the club. You glanced behind towards Dustin, before turning back to the sound of a forceful voice. 

"I've heard some things about you, from Henderson, he says that-" You cut him off in confidence, unaware of what you were to say was a deal breaker. "I don't know how to play D&D." As soon as you said that the man's eyes darted behind you at Dustin. You wanted to turn away to look at Dustin, although your urges weren't enough, so you stayed facing foward. You could hear Dustin stammer behind you. It made your stomach ache for a second, before you realized it was just for games. "She doesn't know how to play D&D Henderson ?" "Uh Eddie, we needed an extra player. I'm sorry, but you knew all the back ups were going to be at the game." 

Eddie snarled through his teeth standing up, and leaning his hands on the table in front of him. "Which I think is complete bull crap, but, we have to deal with what we got." Eddie rolling his eyes put his head down in dissapointment still holding his body up. Your throat got tight. You looked around at the other people in the room. They all seemed scary looking, to you, even his friends looked more hair raising than Eddie himself. You cleared your throat and spoke. "If it makes a difference it seemed like I'm the only one that showed up." You tried to hold your head up high, to show no signs of fear. 

Eddie bit his bottom lip pondering your words, and then lifted up his head again. He unfurled his arms and voiced his proposition. "Welcome to the club, only for tonight though." A small grin was plastered on your face, and you glanced back at Dustin who was smiling at you. You turned your body towards Eddie once more and tried to fade your grin. "Alright, I'm ready."

~•Later•~

All of you guys came out of the room cheering your victory in your game. Not noticing Lucas was doing the same thing with his team outside near the parking lot. You had seen Steve trying to look for you in the clump of crowds that exited the gym. After high fiving Eddie your smile faded as you saw Steve walked towards you. Instant regret washed upon your face. You knew you had to be at that basketball game, but you forgot to come back before it had ended. You took a deep breath before being confronted. All the others stood behind you hearing Steve's bickering. "Y/n where were you ? I thought we said we would be here for Lucas." It seemed like he was putting blame on Dustin, but Dustin glanced over at Mike, knowing they chose to play D&D instead of watching his game. Your mouth was open aching for words, but you couldn't utter an explanation. Abruptly you heard that forceful voice again. It made your body shudder for a nanosecond, before your attention laid upon Eddie. 

"Listen man, I understand you're upset, but everyone has priorities they have to take care of." Eddie placed his arm around your shoulder and withdrew from talking to Steve. Dustin, Mike, and the others followed behind you and Eddie. Briefly he stopped and tapped Steve on the shoulder with the same arm that was wrapped around your shoulder. "No hard feeling though, right ? good, we'll see you around." 

You looked to the side of you where Eddie was. He let go of you and pressed his lips together as a half hearted smile. "thanks for that Eddie, but I could have handled it by myself." He nodded his head in agreement. "I know, but I said you are in the club for tonight, so you get treated as such." You took his words into consideration. Glancing beside you at Dustin you decided to express yourself. "Well, me, Dustin, and Mike ought to get going. It's already...9:30, sorry Eddie, I'll see you around though." You quickly made your way across the parking lot with Dustin and Mike. He glared at you as you hurried away.  He flicked away a piece of lint that he pulled from his jean vest and muttered under his breath before walking away in the opposite direcion. "welcome to the club indeed."

[koyoba]

Looking Back At 2022

At the end of the year as we move into 2023, I just wanted to reflect a bit on the past 12 months in my life, where I've been and where I'd like to go.

So, what did I do this year? What did I do this year? A lot of nothing, it feels like.

That's not true, haha, I did quite a bit, but I had a couple pretty big setbacks that really threw me off. I'd wanted to do a month by month retrospective, but frankly a lot of things were a blur, so I'll just mention the big ones.

Winter to Mid-Spring

I worked mostly! I don't know what on. It all kind of runs together after a bit. There were some light novels and some manga, more light novels. Same old, same old.

Late Spring

Oohhhh, this was a bad one. I suffered some pretty severe anxiety for a number of reasons, a handful of mild panic attacks and a lot of lost sleep. I didn't work much. Not the best of times :(

Summer

Finally things started looking up again! I had made plans to attend Anime Expo for the first time. I never had much interest in going, since we have a lot of other cons here in the DC area and LA is pretty far, but I was excited to attend for once because I was able to snag an industry badge! Unfortunately, I wasn't able to secure lodging because my plans were a bit last minute, so I ended up dropping that.

Looking at how AX ended up though... kind of glad I did not go xD

It was okay though! I still went to LA, but to visit with good friends instead. I enjoyed July 4 on the beach and got to meet some other cool folks. After that, I went to Vegas for the first time to visit with another good pal. Had some good food, slept on a very comfy couch, and got to visit Omegamart! A very solid vacation.

...Mostly.

Summer to Fall

Oh boy. Oh boy. So, when I was in NV, I started getting some strange tooth pain one morning. I figured ok, I haven't been to the dentist in 5 years, this is probably a cavity or something.

It got worse. It got way worse. Even with two root canals it kept getting worse.

I'm going to go into it later because frankly I would like to make a proper post about it, but tl;dr it turns out I have a rare nerve disorder! One which I'm currently medicated for 3x daily. It took me a long, long while to claw my way out of that hole, but at least it's a climb I've been able to make.

Late Fall to Winter

And that brings us to now! As of this writing, I've been fully pain-free for almost 2 months. I don't know that it'll stay that way forever, but I'm enjoying my time while I can. I'm back to working normally and living as best I can, and I can only hope things keep getting better.

Through the Year

I've played lots of D&D this year! 3-4 diff campaigns, I can't get enough of it. I'll have to introduce everyone to my PCs later. I've picked up a new work project with some folks I've always wanted to work with, on a pretty fun series. There's been changes in the household, and wonderful news in the family. All I can say is that I'm grateful for what I have right now.

Year to Come

Obviously, I don't know what the future holds, but I can't wait to see. I plan to keep up more of the same, and work on improving my art and other crafts. And of course I'd like to keep posting here more! Gotta have some place that isn't birdsite, right? xD

Anyway, just having a ramble here while I'm waiting for dinner. Hope all of you have a wonderful new year <3

[keepers-of-lost-light]

How did Keepers of Lost Light start?

Let’s start at the beginning. 

Before there was a universe. Before there were realms. Before there were gods. Before there were stories. Before there were even characters to conceptualize. 

There was a D&D Campaign that I was invited to join, but did not know I had the time for. Low and behold, I was dragged into a Session 0 last minute. Told to create a character in under 15 minutes, and to start talking to everyone. 

I knew everyone in the group, some of them I still play with today, but at the time I had no idea what I was doing. I had made this wood elf druid, and I had no backstory. No idea how stats worked. No idea how the game was even played. 

(What are these dice for again?)

Next thing I know my wood elf was running through the streets helping chase after some thief. 

This campaign went on for almost a year? Little over a year? Not important. What was important to me at the time was my character. I was invited to play this game during a rough period in my life, and it really lifted my spirits. (I think it came down to being surrounded by some of the people I consider close friends today. Shout out to Faun, Pal, and MJ <3.)

Anyway, the campaign ended before I could resolve my character's backstory which left me grasping at straws. I still wanted to share it with everyone, but I had no idea how to do that. This also happened during the middle of the pandemic which meant I had even more time on my hands. Which translated into too much time to think.

So I made my own solution, and tentatively asked my friends who knew my character already (And some new ones! Shout out to Crow & Moth!) if they wanted to play a one-shot that resolved her backstory. I will forever be grateful that they said yes despite the fact that I had no experience as a Dungeon Master. They truly helped kickstart this entire project. 

Being left to my own devices, I made a home for my character in a universe to call my own. It started as a quaint little valley that held two villages, and a port city. That was it! Nothing else! Nothing existed outside the mountains of the valley my character grew up in!

She had a treehouse in the woods, and there was a mysterious waterfall somewhere that had connections to the Fey. She lived in this little valley with her mom and sister, and that was it. 

The one-shot that my friends graciously allowed me to run turned into the first official story that would take place in The Seren Planar System long before it held that name. Her backstory would be altered to fit the narrative, and I would combine the two stories together. 

My friends from The Grand Ghost helped me write the first book to Keepers of Lost Light. 

Thank you.

Lyra & The Scribe of Thiania

[As a side note: We stream The Grand Ghost Campaign on Twitch every Wednesday at 8pm over on my friend @divineb0nes channel. They are the DM & they are awesome! Check it out sometime! https://www.twitch.tv/divineb0nes ]

[maidenofthecloud]

Urgent Humanitarian Relief for Evacuation from Gaza

Dear friends, supporters of humanitarian causes,

I am Mohammed Emad, and I write to you with a heavy heart and a plea for urgent assistance during this time of unprecedented crisis for my family.

For the past nine months, we have been caught in the relentless crossfire of conflict in Gaza. Our once peaceful home in Khanyounis has been reduced to rubble, and we now find ourselves displaced in mawasi khanywns, living in dire conditions in a makeshift tent on the streets. The war has not only robbed us of our physical shelter but has also destroyed our dreams to live normally. The daily struggle for survival is compounded by the scarcity of basic necessities such as clean water, adequate sanitation, and essential medical supplies.

Our primary objective now is to ensure the safety and well-being of my loved ones through their urgent evacuation from Gaza. This campaign is our lifeline, aimed at raising critical funds to cover immediate expenses. These include exorbitant border crossing fees, transportation arrangements to a place of safety, and essential provisions to sustain us during the precarious journey ahead.

Your compassionate support, regardless of the amount, will make an immediate and tangible impact on our lives. By contributing to this campaign, you are not only providing financial assistance but also offering hope for a future free from fear and uncertainty. Your generosity will empower us to rebuild our lives with dignity and security, beyond the devastation we have endured.

I humbly ask for your solidarity and compassion in our cause. Please consider donating to our campaign and sharing our story within your network. Your voice has the power to amplify our plea and reach individuals who may be able to assist during this critical time of need،We have been in danger for a long time and have not reached our goal. My family and I are in danger. I ask for your support, even if it is just a little

Thank you deeply for your kindness and generosity. Your support is a lifeline we desperately need, and we will forever be grateful for your empathy during this challenging chapter of our lives.

With heartfelt appreciation and hope, Mohammed and family

I'm so sorry but I can't donate even though I can reblog

I genuinely hope you can start over in a safe place

Lo siento mucho

[mostlymalena]

August 25th 2024 11:38pm

Our landlord finally fixed our hot water today! Such a relief since it's been over a week since me and Jo took a hot shower in our own house. I spent most of my day yesterday at Lala's which was nice. She always brings me such joy and can make me laugh. We played lots of games and I even took a small nap.

Work has been so good I'm finally catching up on my LP's and ppc campaign build outs. I love my job so much!

My sweet apple and I are enjoying the time I have left. 50 something days which is hard to swallow. It's not like I'll be gone forever just 4 something months. It's nice to have something easy and well, nice. No pressure and very relaxed, mostly.

I have been hanging up pictures and art around the house and I have also started drawing again. Something about life right now is making me feel creative. Tonight I made ramen for the family and Ethan came over and we drew a little and I made brownies. He is my very very best friend.

Saturday I went out with the whole gang and a local girl who I have spoken too maybe ONCE approached me and demanded I tell her why I unfollowed her on instagram and removed her as a follower. I told her what I typed on this very blog" I don't fuck with you". She then proceeded to ask why and it got a little heated. I was steered away but it unfortunately creeped me out a lot. This girl has never had one full conversation with me. She acted like I owed her something. I wasn't sure and still am not sure what her goal was in coming at me like that. Her and my ex were posting each other before I washed away most of my followers in my social media cleansing, so maybe it has something to do with that? I'm not sure.

Why does that matter so much. I feel like she only followed me to report back to others or to find something to bad mouth. It was so fucking WEIRD. She should feel embarrassed.

This week I am having lunch with my old friend Nat who just bought a house in wilmy. I havent seen her in 4 years now so that will be exciting. I am also meeting with a family lawyer to start the prosecution process for the person who made the false CPS report.

Fall has woven its thread into the air. It smells like devotion and the death of a careless summer. Surf might be good this week and my old friend Juliet might come to town soon and we will surf as well.

I am very happy right now. Life seems perfect with my family and friends and my little house and my front porch that is always warm.

Ive become very smitten and a strange but not unwelcome peace has settled over everything. I'm hoping the autumn leaves that fall down cover the memories of summer and bury them. Spring will bring fresh blossoms and the promise of never seeing her around town ever again. It is something I dread but it is something I look forward too more. At this point it feels more like surviving her than getting over her.

I think this Adam from the Bible character has become the apple of both of my eyes. It's just so easy going. I think it helps that I'm leaving so nothing is serious, I still mourn and he just listens.

But things are different for me now. The CPS thing broke something inside me I thought was a solid thing.

I must rest now and write a bit of poetry. I took all the love I had for her and used it to fall in love with my life. I feel real. I feel like everything is okay. I feel right and that is a little scary but I'm so grateful for it all.

[helpfamilysingaza]

Help Dr. Youssef Ashour and his Family evacute Gaza

Link to the GoFundMe

Dr. Youssef Ashour Story (fromGFM):

My name is Dr. Youssef Ashour from Gaza - Khan Yunis (Palestine). I write this after much thought, hesitation, and extreme shame. But the urgency and need to save my family is too great for me to hold on. I urgently need your generous support to help me evacuate my

I work at Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis, and have volunteered at various remaining hospitals since then in Khan Yunis and Rafah. I am committed to staying here and saving lives in Gaza, but now I have reached a point where I feel desperate and I urgently and humbly ask you to help me save my faymily's lives by getting them out of Gaza because nowhere is safe. It occurs in Gaza due to slow deaths due to hunger, drought, displacement, the spread of diseases, and constant bombing. Choosing to leave is an extremely painful decision, but the situation has become unbearable. Even my father was injured in the horrific bombing, but he is fine now.

We are now homeless like many others due to the ongoing bombing of Gaza since October 7th. My family has been displaced three times, and we are now in the south of the Gaza Strip in the city of Rafah on the border with Egypt.

We are now staying in a tent somewhere in Rafah in completely inhumane conditions, where the food has run out, there is no electricity, no water, no toilet, the weather is cold and rainy, there is bombing and terror, and we are waiting for death at every moment. .

We enter the fourth month of hell, terror and fear. This genocide has gone on for too long, and our mental health and lives are in constant danger. We truly cannot take any more (I cannot describe enough what I have been dealing with every day in the hospitals for the past 92 days. We have reached a point where there is no longer any hope for us here in Gaza, and we are sadly waiting for our turn to die. .) Even if a ceasefire is established, it will not be possible to quickly repair the damage in Gaza.

Please help me get them out, I would sincerely appreciate any donation, even if small that would make a huge difference in alleviating our suffering. Please consider sharing my campaign widely with your family and friends to reach my goal as soon as possible because every second is a risk of death in Ga.za. I will be forever grateful for your kind assistance in this difficult time.

We hope to raise $58,000. The proceeds from this fundraiser will go to an account I manage. Distributed as follows:

$50,000 for a Rafah crossing permit for the entire family.

$2000 travel and transportation fees from Gaza to Egypt

US$5,000 will be allocated to rent a shelter/house in Egypt, resettlement, purchase of clothes, urgent healthcare, and other humanitarian needs for a few months up to one year.

To learn more about me, please visit my Facebook account:

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for standing with us in solidarity and making a positive impact on the lives of those who have lost their lives.

[adignorantiam]

If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible; who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time; who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.

It's the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen; by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the very first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different; that their voice could be that difference.

It's the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Latino, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled — Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been a collection of red states and blue states; we are, and always will be, the United States of America.

It's the answer that led those who have been told for so long by so many to be cynical, and fearful, and doubtful of what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day.

It's been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to America.

I just received a very gracious call from Sen. McCain. He fought long and hard in this campaign, and he's fought even longer and harder for the country he loves. He has endured sacrifices for America that most of us cannot begin to imagine, and we are better off for the service rendered by this brave and selfless leader. I congratulate him and Gov. Palin for all they have achieved, and I look forward to working with them to renew this nation's promise in the months ahead.

I want to thank my partner in this journey, a man who campaigned from his heart and spoke for the men and women he grew up with on the streets of Scranton and rode with on that train home to Delaware, the vice-president-elect of the United States, Joe Biden.

I would not be standing here tonight without the unyielding support of my best friend for the last 16 years, the rock of our family and the love of my life, our nation's next first lady, Michelle Obama. Sasha and Malia, I love you both so much, and you have earned the new puppy that's coming with us to the White House. And while she's no longer with us, I know my grandmother is watching, along with the family that made me who I am. I miss them tonight, and know that my debt to them is beyond measure.

To my campaign manager, David Plouffe; my chief strategist, David Axelrod; and the best campaign team ever assembled in the history of politics — you made this happen, and I am forever grateful for what you've sacrificed to get it done.

But above all, I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to — it belongs to you.

I was never the likeliest candidate for this office. We didn't start with much money or many endorsements. Our campaign was not hatched in the halls of Washington — it began in the backyards of Des Moines and the living rooms of Concord and the front porches of Charleston.

It was built by working men and women who dug into what little savings they had to give $5 and $10 and $20 to this cause. It grew strength from the young people who rejected the myth of their generation's apathy; who left their homes and their families for jobs that offered little pay and less sleep; from the not-so-young people who braved the bitter cold and scorching heat to knock on the doors of perfect strangers; from the millions of Americans who volunteered and organized, and proved that more than two centuries later, a government of the people, by the people and for the people has not perished from this earth. This is your victory.

I know you didn't do this just to win an election, and I know you didn't do it for me. You did it because you understand the enormity of the task that lies ahead. For even as we celebrate tonight, we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime — two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century. Even as we stand here tonight, we know there are brave Americans waking up in the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan to risk their lives for us. There are mothers and fathers who will lie awake after their children fall asleep and wonder how they'll make the mortgage, or pay their doctor's bills, or save enough for college. There is new energy to harness and new jobs to be created; new schools to build and threats to meet and alliances to repair.

The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year, or even one term, but America — I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you: We as a people will get there.

There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who won't agree with every decision or policy I make as president, and we know that government can't solve every problem. But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree. And, above all, I will ask you join in the work of remaking this nation the only way it's been done in America for 221 years — block by block, brick by brick, callused hand by callused hand.

What began 21 months ago in the depths of winter must not end on this autumn night. This victory alone is not the change we seek — it is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were. It cannot happen without you.

So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism; of service and responsibility where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves, but each other. Let us remember that if this financial crisis taught us anything, it's that we cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers. In this country, we rise or fall as one nation — as one people.

Let us resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long. Let us remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White House — a party founded on the values of self-reliance, individual liberty and national unity. Those are values we all share, and while the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress.

As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, "We are not enemies, but friends... Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection." And, to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn, I may not have won your vote, but I hear your voices, I need your help, and I will be your president, too.

And to all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of our world — our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand. To those who would tear this world down: We will defeat you. To those who seek peace and security: We support you. And to all those who have wondered if America's beacon still burns as bright: Tonight, we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity and unyielding hope.

For that is the true genius of America — that America can change. Our union can be perfected. And what we have already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.

This election had many firsts and many stories that will be told for generations. But one that's on my mind tonight is about a woman who cast her ballot in Atlanta. She's a lot like the millions of others who stood in line to make their voice heard in this election, except for one thing: Ann Nixon Cooper is 106 years old.

She was born just a generation past slavery; a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky; when someone like her couldn't vote for two reasons — because she was a woman and because of the color of her skin.

And tonight, I think about all that she's seen throughout her century in America — the heartache and the hope; the struggle and the progress; the times we were told that we can't and the people who pressed on with that American creed: Yes, we can.

At a time when women's voices were silenced and their hopes dismissed, she lived to see them stand up and speak out and reach for the ballot. Yes, we can.

When there was despair in the Dust Bowl and depression across the land, she saw a nation conquer fear itself with a New Deal, new jobs and a new sense of common purpose. Yes, we can.

When the bombs fell on our harbor and tyranny threatened the world, she was there to witness a generation rise to greatness and a democracy was saved. Yes, we can.

She was there for the buses in Montgomery, the hoses in Birmingham, a bridge in Selma and a preacher from Atlanta who told a people that "We Shall Overcome." Yes, we can.

A man touched down on the moon, a wall came down in Berlin, a world was connected by our own science and imagination. And this year, in this election, she touched her finger to a screen and cast her vote, because after 106 years in America, through the best of times and the darkest of hours, she knows how America can change. Yes, we can.

America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there is so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves: If our children should live to see the next century; if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made?

This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment. This is our time — to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American Dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and those who tell us that we can't, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes, we can.

Thank you, God bless you, and may God bless the United States of America.