#april 2022 contest

[milligramspoison]

Hi! First two MCR shows for 2024! Except part of the list started in 2023 thanks to fucking Mikey and Chris!

I also have a list of MCR’s 2022-2023 tour if you also want to check that out! Anyways ty Mikey and Chris for starting this list off 11 months early 😭

MCR @ WWWY

Hey Chris commented a sunset emoji under Mikey’s post that announced day 2 of WWWY, referring to Pete’s Amazing New Mexico Sunset post from 2005 (writing this on November 17th, 2023- 11 fucking months to go lmao)

Mikey also replied to Chris’ comment

Mikey is also very excited to play Disenchanted! (Love this for him)

Not WWWY but it deserves to be here -> Gerard’s cat costume from Toronto night 2 made it into the show Carol & the End of the World! (Hi it’s January 29th, 2024 as I’m writing this bullet point)

Frank is back on his fortune cookie bullshit (hello it’s March 18th, 2024 as I’m writing this)

American Idol contestant Abi Carter sang WTTBP for her top 20 performance on April 14th, 2024!

Chris posted the Pete and Mikey emo critters on his story on May 17th, 2024, using 🌅 as the fucking caption 😭

My Chem’s facebook got hacked on July 25th, 2024 😍

They’re doing additional songs after they do TBP in full, possibly the B Sides and Living With Ghosts 👀 (update they didn’t do either 😭)

Teenagers surpassed 1 BILLION streams on Spotify!!

I’m Not Okay will be added to Fortnite October 17th! (And will already be in the game by the time this post goes up!)

Close up of MCR’s (and FOB’s) merch for the festival!

The Swarm fly also returns for whatever reason 👀 (it was a big symbol during the last tour so I’m surprised it’s back for two one off shows)

DAY BEFORE WWWY WE HAVE THE BAND SOUNDCHECKING FAMOUS LAST WORDS (it’s officially WWWY weekend!!!)

MCR’s first show since March 26th, 2023!! (That’s 573 days aka 19 months!!)

Frank’s first tonight’s our night post involving MCR since last year 🥲

Mikey was spotted watching Mayday Parade’s set!

A CLIP OF THEM SOUNDCHECKING ON THE 18TH

Mikey was also spotted watching Dashboard Confessional’s set!

A third Mikey (and this time Kristin too!) spotting!

A fourth Mikey spotting and he’s with Patrick of FOB this time!!

WHITE FLOORING IS BEING LAID OUT

MCR’S STAGE AROUND THE BEGINNING OF FOB’S SET

MCR’S STAGE TOWARDS THE MIDDLE OF FOB’S SET

MCR’S STAGE AROUND 9:45PM

Pete of FOB hyped up the crowd for MCR’s set during the FOB set!!

WHATEVER THIS IS THEYRE TESTING STUFF FOR MCR’S SET

4 separate stage lights for them as of rn…….

GERARD AND MIKEY’S PARENTS ARE THERE

GERARD GOT A HAIRCUT

THE END FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE OCTOBER 7TH, 2007

DEAD FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE AUGUST 27TH, 2011

RAY ALSO HAD TWO GUITARS (obvi but still exciting nonetheless 😭)

“Fuck yeah” ~ Gerard

“Kisses for you!” ~ also Gerard!

SHARPEST LIVES FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE MAY 9TH, 2008

RAY’S WINE RETURNS

“Spicy, you're fucking spicy” ~ Gerard ofc

I DON’T LOVE YOU FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE OCTOBER 17TH, 2022

Gerard asked the audience to bark as they were going into House of Wolves 😭

HOUSE OF WOLVES FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE MARCH 20TH, 2023

CANCER FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE MARCH 19TH, 2023

They also got a violinist for Cancer and it sounded incredible

The violinist was Kayleigh Goldsworthy!!!!!

DISENCHANTED FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE OCTOBER 7TH, 2007

There was also blooming and decaying flowers during Disenchanted!!

And there was also swords at some point during the set too…

RAYRARD MOMENT

“I got all this fucking honey in my mouth, it broke my ass! The fucking softest hands!” ~ Gerard, whatever he was rambling about 😭

WTTBP WAS REPRISED AT THE END OF FAMOUS

Blood was played on tape for the first time in many years!!

The band had an encore following the entirety of TBP!

I’m Not Okay was the first song of the encore!

A fan rushed the stage and touched Frank before being escorted off 🤦‍♀️ (BE NORMAL PPL they’re human just like the rest of us)

The look Gerard gave the stage rusher was super funny tho 😭

And they ended night one off on Helena!

DAN AND PHIL REFERENCED NO BUT SERIOUSLY IMAGINE IT

VIDEO OF THEM REFERENCING IT

Frank and Gerard goofing around <3

Marina Toybina styled their outfits (or at least Gerard’s) for night one of the festival!! (She also styled a lot of outfits for Gerard on the last tour!)

“Hey everybody!” ~ Gerard as he was going backstage!

MIKEY WATCHED FOB’S SET AND SANG ALONG TO MMRS

Gerard got on their tippy toes to reach over to fans on the other side of the fence 🥹

FRANK SPOTTING (WWWY night 2)

Cherry, Miles, and Lily (Frank’s kiddos) watching the Dunes set from yesterday <3 (and a bonus- it’s also Frank’s second tonight’s our night post for MCR since last year!)

Pete of FOB once again hyped up the crowd for MCR’s set during FOB’s!!!

GERARD IS IN THE SAME OUTFIT

RAY IS IN A BLACK SHIRT AND JEANS

“FUCKING ACE MAN” ~ Gerard!

Pixels of Mikey and Frank!!!

“Thank you” ~ Gerard after I Don’t Love You 🥹

KAYLEIGH RETURNED ON VIOLIN

SERENITY PRAYER BEFORE MAMA

KAYLEIGH ALSO DID VIOLIN ON MAMA TONIGHT

“BAG FULL OF KNIVES”

“There was a summer, I started collecting knives. Big bags full of knives. It’s because my friend died. And I was hoping somebody would try to hurt me so I could kill them. And he fell down. And one day he went to sleep forever.” ~ GERARD BEFORE SLEEP

“Vegas, I want you you to let go of everything. Everything!” ~ also Gerard before Sleep!

Gerard also laughed during Sleep 😭

“BELLISSIMO”

“THIS IS A SONG ABOUT BEING IN THE DREAM. AND DYING. BECAUSE THATS ALL DREAMS DO” ~ GERARD GOING INTO DISENCHANTED

WTTBP REPRISE AGAIN DURING FAMOUS

NA NA NA IS THE FIRST SONG OF THE ENCORE

SECOND SONG OF THE ENCORE IS HELENA

“Good night Las Vegas!” ~ Gerard before Helena!

WWWY POSTED PROFESSIONAL FOOTAGE OF MCR’S SET

GERARD WRAPPED THE MIC CORD AROUND THEIR NECK JUST LIKE OLD TIMES

This photo of Gerard…

AND THIS PHOTO OF GERARD WITH RAY AND MIKEY

Gerard met some fans after the show!!

RAY’S STAGE LEFT TATTOO HAS MADE AN APPEARANCE

Some of the photos Beemer took last night!

RAY AND HIS WINE RETURN ONCE AGAIN

INCREDIBLE video of Gerard

Hi if you’ve made it this far! Welcome to the 2024 list for MCR!- that feels so good to say omg

I’m so excited to be posting this after having it in my drafts since last November. And it was so exciting to be liveblogging about an MCR show again with everyone!!

I hope it isn’t a long time before we all can do this again. Following the tour was such an incredible experience for me and to do it again for two nights only this weekend was amazing

Anyways, thank you if you’ve made it this far. And I hope all of you enjoy looking back on the list!!

My Chemical Romance forever and ever, okay? <33333

[thebandghostofficial]

[MESSAGE FROM THE CLERGY]

An important (and overwinded) announcement regarding this blog below the cut.

Hello everyone! This is Rawkin Ghoul/ Tumblr Ghoul/ Tumblrina/ Soda/ etc etc.

First thing’s first: no, this blog is not an official Ghost social media account.

I started this blog in late 2022 when ghost-official started blowing up (I do not believe this one to be real either, and honestly I won’t believe they have a Tumblr until it is linked on their official website) and thought, “wow, I could make a better Ghost blog than that. One that’s way better organized and actually advertises properly for them, and posts regularly!” So I did.

Originally it was meant as just that, a little joke between some friends, and wasn’t meant to really get farther than that. But then I thought, Ghost does have a lot of fans on Tumblr- a lot of exquisitely talented and devoted fans. Maybe I can kinda “roleplay” it for a while, build almost a bit of a portfolio, and then either offer the blog to management or offer to run it for them officially, for fun, if they were interested.

More time passes and more people followed. I thought “xofficial” as a username was a common enough joke/ gimmick that people would realize it wasn’t for real (and in fact, when I first searched the URL, I found that this username was once in use years ago! Sorry, previous owner), especially after posting that April Fools joke post- this was wrong of me to assume. There are a lot of roleplay/ joke “official” Ghost accounts all over the web but I failed to really properly disclaim that I was one of them.

I of course don’t plan to reach out to Ghost anymore and haven’t for some time, for multiple reasons including Tumblr just not being a good website for advertising. But another one is I got pretty loose on here. Tumblr is so different from Twitter and Insta and all that- you guys (and myself! I go here too) don’t want to have someone sell something to you- but you do love interaction and jokes and solving things together.

I think we can all admit it- when Ghost is dormant, the fans can get bored and even agitated, and can start to have a go at eachother. I’m certainly not guiltless there either. I wouldn’t say I’m notorious or even particularly well known in general but I’ve gotten into drama here and there. I figured the blog would be a fun way not just to distract the community, but really engage with it. The blog passed 5k a month or so ago and I started thinking, we could do something really cool with it. Smaller events like fanart contests and zines. But what if we did more? Organizing pre-ritual meetups. Larger community projects like fan-made music videos. ARG. Maybe even a short video game- there are so many incredibly skilled and hard-working Ghost fans and I wanted to try to bring them together because I think our love for Ghost, for whatever reason we love them, screams so loud and everyone deserves recognition (also a reason I started Fanart Friday as a regular thing).

You guys know I do my best to keep up with your tagging and what you’re saying and everything and I’ve seen the people pointing out the blog isn’t real from the beginning- I didn’t want to address it directly at first because I thought if nothing else people enjoyed the mystery.

But, more lately there’s been more and more people who are agitated, disappointed, and even a little scared to hear that this blog is not official.

I want to offer my very sincere apologies to people who I made feel that way. I should have made it obvious sooner- I know so well that there are a lot of very young Ghost fans especially who wouldn’t necessarily surmise that this isn’t real. I’m really sorry to those of you I disappointed.

I will never ask you for money here, or any personal information, or send asks anonymous or otherwise from here or my main personal blog as “Tumblr Ghoul”. I have had one person ask to message me so I messaged them to allow them to do that. If somebody contacts you claiming to be the person running this blog, they are lying. Please block them. My interactions here I aim to keep as public as possible, hence being increasingly liberal with replies and reblogs as the number of people interacting grew.

My only goal with this blog is to advertise for a band that I love and to entertain/ help the fandom when and where I can. I love and appreciate all the fanart and interest in the character of Tumblr Ghoul but I don’t want anybody to feel obligated to me and I especially don’t want to hurt anybody. I started this blog for fun and that how I want it to remain- fun for everyone.

People pointed out when I didn’t post for some time a few months back and it was because I had lost interest in the blog and was going through a rough time- and then one particularly bad day I got on to check it by chance and just seeing your guy’s tags and comments made me feel so much better. I tell people that I found Ghost when I really needed a friend and they fulfilled that for me, but the past few months you guys have done just the same for me. I am so sorry to have betrayed that and made you feel unsafe and lied to in return.

As of posting I do intend to still run the blog as I have been (with a disclaimer added to the bio regarding the legitimacy of this account)- posting about tours, chapters, merch, etc, as well as Fanart Friday. I 100% understand if anybody doesn’t want to be involved in that, so anybody who has tagged me in something and don’t want it on the blog now, I can open messages and you can let me know. I will probably close them again after a week or so if I get a large flood of unrelated messages.

Please do not message me asking me who I am, who knows about the blog, etc. Gaining popularity was never something I wanted from this so I will stay anonymous, for the time being at the very least. A very small number of people know who is behind the blog and to my knowledge only one of them is even on Tumblr and in the fandom.

Thank you for all the support you’ve shown me, Ghost, and eachother. It can be easy to see the bad parts of a community and roll your eyes electing to keep your distance, but since starting this blog I’ve been reminded what good community is even when it’s frustrating sometimes.

Thank you for reading, I won’t hold it against anybody who wants to separate themselves from this blog at this point, and please don’t let my oversight and general dummyness sour your experience with Ghost or its other fans. Enjoy the rest of this tour and whether it’s with or without me, please keep rawking 🤘 Be good to eachother.

Thank you.

[louisupdates]

Louis Tomlinson's 35-hour marathons in Chile: the singer who revived pop fanaticism

Fans crowded at the airport, the hotel, the radio and the stadium; the four stops that the British artist had on his fleeting return to the country last April. On May 24, he returns to perform his fourth solo show after filling the Movistar Arena three times in 2022, and expectations are high. What does the artist have who came to think that he would be nothing without One Direction and today he moves masses? Those who witnessed his last visit decipher it.

By Dove Couple, 16 May 2024

If it weren't for the teenagers of the 60s, -in part- The Beatles would not be the legend they are today. That so-called "uncontrolled fanaticism" resulted in a single word: Beatlemania. The girls were called hysterical, however they were the first people to see the potential of John, Paul, George and Ringo.

FIRST STOP: SANTIAGO AIRPORT

On the night of April 3, the performer stepped on Chile for the third time, the first approach with his fans was at Santiago Airport, who waited anxiously for him after his flash visit was surprisingly confirmed to promote his May 24 show at the La Florida Bicentennial Stadium.

At 32 years old, the Briton already had experience in our territory, he had tried success in 2014, when he came as a member of One Direction with some very young Zayn, Liam, Harry and Niall. The group filled the National Stadium twice.

"Since their last three shows at Movistar Arena in 2022, the girls have been asking when the new tour begins, and the expectation is to see Louis' growth on stage," Rodrigo Ostolaza, Representative in Chile of the BMG label, and in charge of marketing and promotion, told La Cuarta.

Tomlinson greeted kindly those who were waiting for him, but visibly tired, he went straight to the Mandarin Hotel - where there was another group of young people shouting his name - that was his "home" for the about 35 hours he stayed in the country.

SECOND STOP: RADIO LOS40

The next day, he had scheduled a visit to Los40 radio, where he spoke live with the host Martina Orrego and answered the questions asked by the followers who won a contest to meet him. While others crowded on the outskirts of the Iberoamericana building.

"It was something that didn't happen a long time ago, but in a way I expected it, he is an artist who has an important fan, his audience has accompanied him in the development of his career, so I found it very exciting," Orrego confided to us.

The co-director of Los40 and creator of the program Mujeres Que Suenan, said that one of the most entertaining things "was to have the fans on the radio and that they could share more closely with him. It's something that happens so rarely and they were wonderful, they behaved super well."

THIRD STOP: HOTEL MANDARÍN

Back at the hotel, Louis had a press round with various media, including La Cuarta.

"What he provokes is something super unique and special, he is an artist very close to his fans and concerned about his environment, that the person who interviews him or talks to him is comfortable or comfortable," Rafaella Fornazzari, Media Manager of DG Media, in charge of the concert, told us.

The return of the star had the production company until the wee hours of the morning enlisting details. "Louis' visit was a nice challenge, it's been a long time since an international artist in this category came to promote a tour, we had to work together with the entire region where he will be performing with his 'Faith in the Future World Tour'," Rafaella added.

FOURTH STOP: BICENTENARY STADIUM

Indeed, his fleeting passage through South America included Brazil, Chile and Argentina; and in all these countries he visited the venues where he would appear. In which he took advantage of playing football for a while, recalling his past as a Doncaster Rovers footballer. And yes, he took the luxury of scoring a goal.

There he also had a meet and greet with followers, but the fans who were waiting outside the venue did not run with the same luck, they only saw him for a couple of seconds through the van that took him out of the place. Even so, they were happy.

THE SECRET OF SUCCESS

The expectations of the May 24 show are very high. "It comes with a new album and that immediately translates into a different show than those of 2022. In addition, it has the challenge of a larger capacity enclosure," Fornazzari revealed. "He is a very committed artist and involved with his career, he likes to deliver the best," he added.

For his part, Rodrigo Ostolaza hopes: "To see the Bicentennial Stadium full, he brought as a drag what was the One Direction phenomenon and those concerts they did at the National Stadium. It always moved a lot of people, and that lasted over time."

For Ostolaza, what happened in April reminded him of the visit to Chile of the RBD Mexicans, at the peak of his career: "We took them to Mekano and it was also crazy, a little what happened to Louis." Martina Orrego says that the effervescence that was lived can be assimilated to contemporary phenomena such as K-pop.

And the performer, who at some point thought he could not continue without One Direction, today has two successful albums - "Walls" and "Faith in the Future" - countless triumphs and a loyal community that he loves, protects and defends.

Unlike other singers, he does not charge for meet and greet, the events are always competitive, his lyrics go deep but he does not release so many commercial songs - as in his boyband time - that they can easily enter the radios, that's why the challenge of moving the masses is greater; on the other hand, fashion or social networks are not his strength, his thing is the live shows and the charts, where he goes up with his pop rock sound.

So, what is his secret? Beyond talent and charisma, he is a recognized worker, he finished a tour and immediately started another; and above all, he is close, simple and connected with people. Records sharing distly with your followers abound on the Internet.

"The successful boybands after a break have had their members as soloists. The 1Ds were the new generation of the good and beautiful that pop delivered, now Louis is the soloist who remains in contact with his fans," Fornazzari concluded.

Louis Tomlinson will perform at the La Florida Bicentennial Stadium on May 24. The latest tickets are still available through Ticketmaster.cl

[pickmedolls]

𓉸ྀི ݁ ˖ ◜ THE PICK ME GIRLS

Pick Me! (commonly stylized as Pick Me) is the second chance for five girls who have been mistreated by the industry and poorly managed by their companies. Known for their appearances in various survival shows, four of the girls (Yue, Kiko, Pink, and Jules) were unfairly cut from the final groups due to rigged rankings. The remaining girl, Rosie, managed to debut with EVERMORE after Once Upon a Dream, but her situation didn’t get any better. After just a year with the group, her members accused Rosie of being a bully and got her removed from the lineup, despite the lack of evidence to back up the claims against her.

The group was formed and handpicked by Sylvia Hara, the creative director of Heartbreak Entertainment. Sylvia, who seems unfazed about discussing the group's origins, has stated several times that the idea for the group came about after she watched an interview of Choi Mijun, former group mate of Rosie and leader of EVERAFTER, in which she labeled Yue as a "pick me."

All three of them competed in Once Upon a Dream, but only Mijun and Rosie made it to the top 6 and got to debut. Yue, on the other hand, accused Mijun of cheating and claimed that her father had made a generous donation to Mnet to ensure that Mijun not only debuted but also won the show. Allegedly, Mijun would then orchestrate Yue’s exclusion from the top 6 despite her being a fan favorite to win. After OUAD, Yue went live on Instagram with a stream titled “OUAD: All the shit swept under the rug,” where she delved deeper into the topic. Just a few days later, Mijun gave an interview as an excuse to address Yue’s accusations and labeled her a “pick me” for complaining about not being good enough to earn a spot in EVERAFTER’s lineup.

Sylvia found the interaction hilarious and decided to capitalize on it. After signing Yue and making her the leader of the group, Sylvia had a marathon of survival shows. Notebook in hand, she listed 7 potential candidates to complete the lineup, ultimately selecting 4 of them.

Pick Me is known for its unfiltered girl crush concept and its dance-pop sound with hyperpop elements. Their debut single, "Angel of My Dreams," was a huge success, driven both by the drama surrounding the group and the song itself, which went viral from the moment the teaser for the music video was released. The girls are widely regarded as the leaders of their generation.

⋆˙⊹ COMPANY: Heartbreak Entertainment

⋆˙⊹ DEBUT DATE: April 20th, 2022

⋆˙⊹ DEBUT SINGLE ALBUM: Angel of my Dreams

⋆˙⊹ FANDOM: n/a

⋆˙⊹ MEMBERS: Yue, Rosie, Kiko, Pink & Jules

𓉸ྀི ݁ ˖ ◜ WHAT MADE THE GIRLS GET PICKED?

♡ FENG YUE, 2002 ݁ ˖ ◜ Competed in Mnet's Once Upon a Dream. Even though she was the show's front-runner since her very first performance, Yue ended up ranking seventh, missing out on EVERMORE by just one position. Her fellow contestant Choi Mijun, who unfairly won the show, was behind this. As the untalented nepobaby she is, got the show rigged in her favor by her daddy, who donated a huge amount of money to Mnet. All of this because Yue called them out. Also called her a pick after debuting. The audacity!

⋆˙⊹ SHOWS: Once Upon a Dream.

⋆˙⊹ RANKED: 7th.

⋆˙⊹ FORMER COMPANY: SM Entertainment.

⋆˙⊹ YEARS TRAINED: 4 years prior OUAD, 1 year before debut.

♡ SEORA ‘ROSIE’ PARK, 1998 ݁ ˖ ◜ Competed in Produce 101, didn’t make it. She then tried in Once upon a Dream. Contrary to Yue, she managed to debut after ranking sixth. Rosie opted for a much smarter approach: keeping her mouth shut and away from any drama. At least until her debut with EVERMORE. Spending twenty-four hours a day with a mean queen bee and her pose of hair-headed girls was bound to take its toll. Fed up with being bossed around and verbally abused by her leader Mijun, she stood up for herself and called her out to the company. Mijun accused her of being a bully and got her kicked out.

⋆˙⊹ SHOWS: Produce 101, Once Upon a Dream.

⋆˙⊹ RANKED: 13th (Produce 101), 6th (OUAD).

⋆˙⊹ FORMER COMPANIES: JYP Entertainment, Idol Maker Entertainment.

⋆˙⊹ FORMER GROUP: EVERMORE (2020-2021).

⋆˙⊹ YEARS TRAINED: 2 years prior Produce 101, 3 years before OUAD.

♡ SUKIKO ‘KIKO’ MORI, 2000 ݁ ˖ ◜ Competed in Mnet’s Produce 48 after just two years of training with SM. Although she went a bit unnoticed at the beginning of the show, Kiko ended up becoming a fan favorite to debut. She’s not just the best dancer I’ve probably ever seen, but also a super creative and versatile choreographer. Kiko was born to dance; you can tell just by watching her. But somehow, she ended up ranking fifteenth. With that talent! Literal daylight robbery!!

⋆˙⊹ SHOWS: Produce 48.

⋆˙⊹ RANKED: 15th.

⋆˙⊹ FORMER COMPANY: SM Entertainment.

⋆˙⊹ YEARS TRAINED: 2 years prior Produce 48, 4 years before debut.

♡ PAVINEE ‘PINK’ WORACHOT, 2002 ݁ ˖ ◜ Competed in Produce 48 and was blatantly robbed. Pink stood out from the get-go with her unique voice and natural charisma. No matter where you looked, there she was, smiling and surrounded by people like moths to a flame. She was one of the most popular contestants, even though her Korean wasn’t perfect. That’s the excuse the judges used to keep her out of Iz*One by just one spot. Fans went absolutely wild, and rightfully so!

⋆˙⊹ SHOWS: Produce 48.

⋆˙⊹ RANKED: 13th.

⋆˙⊹ FORMER COMPANY: YG Entertainment.

⋆˙⊹ YEARS TRAINED: 1 year prior Produce 48, 4 years before debut.

♡ JULIANA ‘JULES’ SANTOS, 2002 ݁ ˖ ◜ Jules initially debuted in JYP's disastrous attempt at a coed group, 2LUVU, which crashed and burned after just a year and a half, with only two comebacks to their name. After that, she competed in Girls Planet 999, where she somehow ended up in eleventh place even though she was more debut-ready than half the girls who ranked above her. She was edited to seem like she had a superiority complex and zero interest in bonding with the other contestants. Nowadays you can’t even have a bit of RBF without getting canceled. Mnet boo, you suck!

⋆˙⊹ SHOWS: Girls Planet 999.

⋆˙⊹ RANKED: 11th.

⋆˙⊹ FORMER COMPANY: JYP Entertainment.

⋆˙⊹ FORMER GROUP: 2LUVU (2018-2019)

⋆˙⊹ YEARS TRAINED: 5 years before debut with 2LU, 1 year prior Girls Planet 999.

[arofili]

Tolkien Fandom Event Calendar

Recently I’ve received some asks about events/weeks in the Tolkien fandom, so I thought I’d compile a list of those that I know about. This is not exhaustive, and dates are subject to change by the organizers of these events!

Other blogs you can check out are @tolkieneventsblog and @tolkienfandomevents, though I’m not sure how active those are. The @silmarillionwritersguild Discord also has a channel dedicated to signal boosts for all sorts of Tolkien-related & general fandom happenings, which is another excellent way to keep up with fandom goings-on.

Want to run your own event? Here’s some of my tips!

If your event is not on here and you’d like it to be, let me know and I can add it :) Note: I will only add events that have announced dates!

~

JANUARY Screw Yule My Slashy Valentine @myslashyvalentine — work time Lord of the Rings Secret Santa @lotr-sesa — reveals Thorin’s Spring Forge @thorinsspringforge — signups Second Age Week @secondageweek

FEBRUARY Hidden Paths My Slashy Valentine — reveals Thorin’s Spring Forge — claims Maedhros and Maglor Week @maedhrosmaglorweek

MARCH Back to Middle-earth Month @spring-into-arda Thorin’s Spring Forge — work time Fëanorian Week Fun with Fanon Fest Round 1 @funwithfanon

APRIL Tolkien Reverse Summer Bang @tolkienrsb — signups Silm Remix @tolkienremix — signups & assignments Thorin’s Spring Forge — reveals  Aralas Week @aralas-week Barduil Month @bi-widower-dads All of Arda is Autistic @all-of-arda-is-autistic F3: Focus on Friendship & Family, Phase I @spring-into-arda

MAY Tolkien Reverse Summer Bang — claims Silm Remix — reveals Aspec Arda Week @aspecardaweek Angbang Week @angbangweek Gondolin Week @gondolinweek F3: Focus on Friendship & Family, Phase II

JUNE Tolkien Reverse Summer Bang — work time Scribbles and Drabbles @fall-for-tolkien — signups Tolkien Ekphrasis Week @tolkienekphrasisweek F3: Focus on Friendship & Family, Phase III

JULY Tolkien Reverse Summer Bang — work time Scribbles and Drabbles — claims Tolkien Gen Week @tolkiengenweek LotR Ladies Week @lotrladiessource Tolkien Appreciation Week @tolkienweek Tolkien Latin American & Caribbean Week @tolkienlatamandcaribbeanweek

AUGUST Tolkien Reverse Summer Bang — deadlines Scribbles and Drabbles — art reveals Innumerable Stars Exchange @innumerable-stars — nominations & signups Tolkien of Colour Week @tolkienofcolourweek Silvergifting Week @silvergiftingweek Tolkien OC Week @tolkienocweek

SEPTEMBER Tolkien Reverse Summer Bang — reveals Scribbles and Drabbles — work time Innumerable Stars Exchange — signups & assignments Sindar Week @sindarweek Dor Cúarthol Week @dorcuartholweek Finwëan Ladies Week @finweanladiesweek

OCTOBER Innumerable Stars Exchange — reveals Scribbles and Drabbles — work time Half-elven Week @halfelvenweek

NOVEMBER Tolkien Secret Santa @officialtolkiensecretsanta — signups & assignments Scribbles and Drabbles — fic reveals Nolofinwean Week @nolofinweanweek

DECEMBER Tolkien Secret Santa — advent calendar & reveals My Slashy Valentine @myslashyvalentine — signups & assignments Lord of the Rings Secret Santa — claims Khazad Week @khazadweek

MONTHLY EVENTS: These events have prompts/challenges occurring every month. Teitho Contest Tolkien Short Fanworks Silmarillion Writers’ Guild @silmarillionwritersguild

(this list was last updated 5/4/23)

LEGACY EVENTS: These events used to occur, but have not happened within the last year. Arda Needs More Pride @ardaneedsmorepride (bimonthly; last run 2020) Kiliel Week @kilielweek (timing variable; last run 2021) @oneringnet monthly events (last run 2021) Atani Week @ataniweek (January; last run 2021) Legendarium Ladies April @legendariumladiesapril (April; last run 2020) Gates of Summer Exchange @gatesofsummerexchange (May-June, last run 2022) Tolkien South Asian Week, run by @arwenindomiel (June; last run 2022) Arafinwëan Week @arafinweanweek (July; last run 2019) Fëanturi Week (August; last run 2019; no official blog and the creator has deactivated) Imladrim Week @imladrimweek (November; last run 2019) Doriath Week @doriathweek (November; last run 2020) Tolkien Family Week @tolkienfamilyweek (November; last run 2021)

[mariacallous]

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court of the United States will hear oral arguments in a challenge to abortion pill access across the country, including in states where abortion is legal. The stakes for abortion rights are sky-high, and the case is the most consequential battle over reproductive health care access since Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022.

At the center of this fight is mifepristone, a pill that blocks a hormone needed for pregnancy. The drug has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for more than two decades, and it’s used to treat some patients with Cushing’s syndrome, as well as endometriosis and uterine fibroids. But its primary use is the one contested now—mifepristone is the first of two pills taken in the first 10 weeks of pregnancy for a standard medication abortion, along with the drug misoprostol.

If the justices side with the antiabortion activists seeking to limit access to mifepristone, it could upend nationwide access to the most common form of abortion care. A ruling that invalidates mifepristone’s approval would open the door for any judge to reverse the FDA approval of any drug, especially ones sometimes seen as controversial, such as HIV drugs and hormonal birth control. It could also have a chilling effect on the development of new drugs, making companies wary of investing research into medicines that could later be pulled from the market.

Pills are now the leading abortion method in the US, and their popularity has spiked in recent years. More than six in 10 abortions in 2023 were carried out via medication, according to new data from the Guttmacher Institute. Since rules around telehealth were relaxed during the Covid-19 pandemic, many patients seeking medication abortions have relied on virtual clinics, which send abortion pills by mail. And it keeps getting more popular: Hey Jane, a prominent telemedicine provider, saw demand increase 73 percent from 2022 to 2023. It recorded another 28 percent spike comparing data from January 2023 to January 2024.

“Telemedicine abortion is too effective to not be in the targets of antiabortion folks,” says Julie F. Kay, a longtime reproductive rights lawyer and director of the advocacy group Abortion Coalition for Telemedicine.

Tomorrow’s argument comes after a long, tangled series of legal disputes in lower courts. The Supreme Court will be hearing two cases consolidated together, including FDA v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine, in which a coalition of antiabortion activists filed a suit challenging the FDA’s approval of mifepristone, asking for it to be removed from the market. The Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine is represented by the Alliance Defending Freedom, a right-wing Christian law firm that often takes politically charged cases.

Despite decades of scientific consensus on the drug’s safety record, the Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine has alleged that mifepristone is dangerous to women and leads to emergency room visits. A 2021 study cited by the plaintiffs to back up their claims was retracted in February after an independent review found that its authors came to inaccurate conclusions.

In April 2023, the Trump-appointed judge Matthew Kacsmaryk of the Northern District of Texas issued a preliminary ruling on the FDA case invalidating the agency’s approval of mifepristone. The ruling sent shock waves far beyond the reproductive-rights world, as it had major implications for the entire pharmaceutical industry, as well as the FDA itself; the ruling suggested that the courts could revoke a drug’s approval even after decades on the market.

The US 5th Circuit Court of Appeals narrowed Kacsmaryk’s decision a week later, allowing the drug to remain on the market, but undid FDA decisions in recent years that made mifepristone easier to prescribe and obtain. That decision limited the time frame in which it can be taken to the first seven weeks of pregnancy and put telemedicine access, as well as access to the generic version of the drug in jeopardy.

Following the 5th Circuit ruling, the FDA and Danco Laboratories sought emergency relief from the Supreme Court, asking the justices to preserve access until it could hear the case. In its legal filing, Danco aptly described the situation as “regulatory chaos.”

SCOTUS issued a temporary stay, maintaining the status quo; the court ultimately decided to take up the case in December 2023.

As all this was unfolding, pro-abortion-rights states across the country were passing what are known as shield laws, which protect medical practitioners who offer abortion care to pregnant patients in states where abortion is banned. This has allowed some providers, including the longtime medication-abortion-advocacy group Aid Access, to mail abortion pills to people who requested them in states like Louisiana and Arkansas.

Though the oral arguments before the Supreme Court begin on Tuesday, it will likely be months before a ruling. Court watchers suspect a decision may be handed down in June. With the US presidential election in the fall, the ruling may become a major campaign issue, especially as abortion access helped galvanize voters in the 2022 midterms.

If the Supreme Court agrees with the plaintiffs that mifepristone should be taken off the market, some in the pharmaceutical industry worry that it will undermine the authority of the FDA, the agency tasked with reviewing and approving drugs based on their safety and efficacy.

“This case isn't about mifepristone,” says Elizabeth Jeffords, CEO of Iolyx Therapeutics, a company developing drugs for immune and eye diseases. Jeffords is a signatory on an amicus brief filed in April 2023 that brought together 350 pharmaceutical companies, executives, and investors to challenge the Texas district court’s ruling.

“This case could have easily been about minoxidil for hair loss. It could have been about Mylotarg for cancer. It could have been about measles vaccines,” Jeffords says. “This is about whether or not the FDA is allowed to be the scientific arbiter of what is good and safe for patients.”

Greer Donley, an associate professor of law at the University of Pittsburgh and an expert on abortion on the law, doesn’t think it’s likely that the court will revoke mifepristone’s approval entirely. Instead, she sees two possible outcomes. The Supreme Court could dismiss the case or could undo the FDA’s decision in 2023 to permanently remove the in-person dispensing requirement and allow abortion by telehealth. “This would be an even more narrow decision than what the 5th Circuit did, but it would still be pretty devastating to abortion access,” she says.

The Supreme Court could also decide that the plaintiffs lack a right to bring the case to court, says David Cohen, a professor of law at Drexel University whose expertise is in constitutional law and gender issues. “This case could get kicked out on standing, meaning that the plaintiffs aren't the right people to bring this case,” he says. “If most of the questions are about standing, that will give you a sense that that's what the justices are concerned about.”

As the current Supreme Court is considered virulently antiabortion, reproductive-health-care workers are already preparing for the worst. Some telehealth providers have already floated a backup plan: offering misoprostol-only medication abortions. This is less than ideal, as the combination of pills is the current standard of care and offers the best results; misoprostol on its own can cause additional cramping and nausea. For some providers who may have to choose between misoprostol-only or nothing, it’s better than nothing.

Abortion-rights activists have no plans to give up on telehealth abortions, regardless of the outcome of this particular case. “Let us be clear, Hey Jane will not stop delivering telemedicine abortion care, regardless of the outcome of this case,” says Hey Jane’s CEO and cofounder, Kiki Freedman.

“They’re not going to stuff the genie back in the bottle,” Kay says.

[theanticool]

One of my favorite boxing writers, Malissa Smith, has finally published a sequel to her book on women’s boxing history!

The Promise of Women’s Boxing: A Momentous New Era for the Sweet Science is now available!

The must-read book on the rise of elite women’s boxing

On April 30th, 2022, the first boxing super-fight of the era, headlined by two women and fought at Madison Square Garden, lived up to its hype and then some. The two contestants fought the battle of their lives in front of a sold-out crowd and garnered 1.5 million views through online streaming. It was the culmination of a long, three-centuries arc of women’s boxing history, a history fraught with highs and lows but always imbued with the heart and passion of the women who fought.

In The Promise of Women's Boxing: A Momentous New Era for the Sweet Science, Malissa Smith details the exciting period from the 2012 Olympics through the true “million-dollar baby” women’s super-fights of 2022 and beyond. Rich in content, the stories that emerge focus on boxing stars new and old, important battles, and the challenges women still face in boxing. Smith examines the development of the sport on a global basis, the transition of amateur boxers to the pros, the impact of online streamlining on the sport, the challenges boxing has faced from MMA, and the unprecedented gains women’s boxing has made in the era of the super-fight with extraordinary seven-figure opportunities for elite female stars.

Featuring the stories of women’s boxing icons Katie Taylor, Amanda Serrano, Savannah Marshall, and more, and with a foreword by two-time Olympic gold medalist and three-time undisputed champion Claressa Shields, The Promise of Women’s Boxing offers unprecedented insight into the incredible growth of the sport and the women who have fought in and out of the ring to make it all possible.

[eurovision-facts]

Eurovision Fact #821:

"Fairytale," the winning song of the 2009 contest by Alexander Rybak, has consistently been one of the 20 most watched songs on the Eurovision Song Contest official YouTube since the channel started publishing its monthly top 20 lists.

In the first list from January of 2022, the song was the 4th most watched song of the month. According to this first video, the song had spent 8 months in the top 20 at this point.

In February of 2022, it was the 7th most watched song of the month. The following month, it was only the 15th most watched song. In April, the song climbed up to 12th place. However, in May, the month of the contest, the song was not included in the top 20 list for the first time.

The rest of the year's rankings are as follows:

June: 4th most watched

July & August: 3rd most watched

September: 4th most watched

October: 3rd most watched

November: 2nd most watched

December: 4th most watched

In 2023, "Fairytale" opened the year by maintaining its spot as 4th most watched song of the month. The rest of 2023's rankings are as follows:

February: 9th most watched

March: Did not place

April: 16th most watched

May: Did not place

June: 6th most watched

July: 5th most watched

August & September: 3rd most watched

October & November: 2nd most watched

December: 3rd most watched

To open up 2024, Rybak's song was the 2nd most watched song of January. The rest of the year, as of November, is as follows:

February: 6th most watched

March: 8th most watched

April: 2nd most watched

May: 14th most watched

June: 7th most watched

July: 6th most watched

August: 2nd most watched

September & October: Most watched song of the month

[Sources]

Eurovision Top 20 Most Watched: January 2022, YouTube.com.

Eurovision Top 20 Most Watched: February 2022, YouTube.com.

Eurovision Top 20 Most Watched: March 2022, YouTube.com.

Eurovision Top 20 Most Watched: April 2022, YouTube.com.

Eurovision Top 20 Most Watched: May 2022, YouTube.com.

Eurovision Top 20 Most Watched: June 2022, YouTube.com.

Eurovision Top 20 Most Watched: July 2022, YouTube.com.

Eurovision Top 20 Most Watched: August 2022, YouTube.com.

Eurovision Top 20 Most Watched: September 2022, YouTube.com.

Eurovision Top 20 Most Watched: October 2022, YouTube.com.

Eurovision Top 20 Most Watched: November 2022, YouTube.com.

Eurovision Top 20 Most Watched: December 2022, YouTube.com.

Eurovision Top 20 Most Watched: January 2023, YouTube.com.

Eurovision Top 20 Most Watched: February 2023, YouTube.com.

Eurovision Top 20 Most Watched: March 2023, YouTube.com.

Eurovision Top 20 Most Watched: July 2024 | #UnitedByMusic, YouTube.com.

Eurovision Top 20 Most Watched: April 2023, YouTube.com.

Eurovision Top 20 Most Watched: May 2023, YouTube.com.

Eurovision Top 20 Most Watched: June 2023 | #UnitedByMusic, YouTube.com.

Eurovision Top 20 Most Watched: July 2023 | #UnitedByMusic, YouTube.com.

Eurovision Top 20 Most Watched: August 2023 | #UnitedByMusic, YouTube.com.

Eurovision Top 20 Most Watched: September 2023 | #UnitedByMusic, YouTube.com.

Eurovision Top 20 Most Watched: October 2023 | #UnitedByMusic, YouTube.com.

Eurovision Top 20 Most Watched: November 2023 | #UnitedByMusic, YouTube.com.

Eurovision Top 20 Most Watched: December 2023 | #UnitedByMusic, YouTube.com.

Eurovision Top 20 Most Watched: January 2024 | #UnitedByMusic, YouTube.com.

Eurovision Top 20 Most Watched: February 2024 | #UnitedByMusic, YouTube.com.

Eurovision Top 20 Most Watched: March 2024 | #UnitedByMusic, YouTube.com.

Eurovision Top 20 Most Watched: April 2024 | #UnitedByMusic, YouTube.com.

Eurovision Top 20 Most Watched: May 2024 | #UnitedByMusic, YouTube.com.

Eurovision Top 20 Most Watched: June 2024 | #UnitedByMusic, YouTube.com.

Eurovision Top 20 Most Watched: August 2024 | #UnitedByMusic, YouTube.com.

Eurovision Top 20 Most Watched: September 2024 | #UnitedByMusic, YouTube.com.

Eurovision Top 20 Most Watched: October 2024 | #UnitedByMusic, YouTube.com.

[itsstarseason]

╭┈──── ◌ೄ◌ྀ ˊˎ

╰┈➤ ❝ NAOKO’S BACKGROUND !

✰ DISCLAIMER

Quoted paragraphs indicate that Naoko has talked about the topic in front of cameras before; therefore, the information is known to the public. Mentions of death.

╭┈──── ◌ೄ◌ྀ ˊˎ

╰┈➤ ❝ 2000–2018: EARLY LIFE !

Kuroda Naoko was born on February 28, 2000, in Nōgata, Fukuoka, Japan. She is the only child of mother Kuroda Minami and father Kuroda Yuka.

Her parents both own and work on a farm. Although Naoko lived with them, she was raised by her grandparents who took care of her while her parents were busy with work. Naoko doesn’t talk much about her childhood, so little is known about her from that time.

In 2006, Naoko started elementary education. She graduated elementary school in 2012 and began secondary education the same year.

At 14, Naoko got interested in dance after discovering K-pop. She wasn't able to attend dance classes, so she taught herself how to dance at home.

❝I started dancing when I was about 14. I saw K-pop groups dance and I got interested, but my parents didn’t have money for dance classes, so I danced at home.❞

In 2015, Naoko graduated from junior high school and started senior high school. She was an average student. Naoko graduated from senior high school in 2018.

╭┈──── ◌ೄ◌ྀ ˊˎ

╰┈➤ ❝ 2018–2022: TRAINEE LIFE !

Months after graduation, Naoko was street cast by a JYP employee and was asked to come to Korea and train. She was hesitant at first, but ultimately decided to try. In September 2018, Naoko moved to South Korea and became a trainee at JYP Entertainment.

Naoko quickly became one of the best trainees at JYP. She was already good at dancing and seemed to find no struggle with singing. She was often praised for her skills and visuals. After she had finished the basic training, Naoko trained with ITZY members, but she was dropped from the lineup 2 months before ITZY’s debut.

In June 2020, Naoko’s grandparents died. She then left JYP and considered going back to Japan. However, 2 months later she was scouted by a CUBE Entertainment employee and became a trainee again, this time at CUBE.

❝My grandparents died during covid. I think I didn’t know what to do at the time. I didn’t want my parents to be alone, but I didn’t want to go back home yet. I left JYP without thinking it through.❞

While training at CUBE, she worked part-time jobs. The longer she trained, the more hope she was losing of ever debuting, but she tried to stay determined until the end.

╭┈──── ◌ೄ◌ྀ ˊˎ

╰┈➤ ❝ 2022–PRESENT: BOYS PLANET AND ZEROBASEONE !

In July 2022, NAOKO applied for BOYS PLANET after her trainee friend encouraged her to do so. She was chosen as one of the contestants months later. At the end of 2022, BOYS PLANET's filming began.

❝I auditioned for BOYS PLANET with my friend who was also a trainee, but he didn’t get picked.❞

On April 20, 2023, Naoko placed 10th during BOYS PLANET's finale, making her a member of ZEROBASEONE. She debuted as a ZEROBASEONE member on July 10 with the group’s first mini album "YOUTH IN THE SHADE".

Despite thousands of doubts and uncertainty, Naoko’s debut in ZEROBASEONE was like a turning point in her life. It’s obvious—she smiles wider, sleeps better, and her heart beats a little faster. And although the future is still unknown, Naoko makes the most out of every moment she has with her fans and members. The success is more than personal; her popularity from BOYS PLANET carried over into ZEROBASEONE, and from debut until the present, she has remained one of the most popular members of the group.

itsstarseason 2024 ✰

[pinkyjulien]

I won Nexus's halloween VP contest and there's already people going "it looks like a 3D render"

Oh man FEELS JUST LIKE APRIL 2022

At least people can't say I won because "I'm friend with the devs" this time lmaooo

[itsvivace]

— VIVACE . . THE DISCOGRAPHY . . !

VIVACE is a fictional thirteen-member girl group formed by the survival show I-Doll, where seventy contestants competed for a chance to debut in a group under the company I-Teen Media. VIVACE is split into three active sub-units, but today, we’ll be talking about the main group’s music, which has captured the hearts of fans worldwide and solidified them as one of the best Kpop acts of the current generation. VIVACE has stated that they want their music to be reminiscent of the older generations in Kpop and music for girls all around the world to feel empowered by.

— 2019 - 2020 . . ORIGINS OF A SUPERSTAR . .

After the finale of I-Doll, I-Teen Media announced that VIVACE would debut in mid-September, leaving fans in anticipation of their upcoming debut. VIVACE officially debuted on September 17, 2019, with the self-titled mini album “VIVACE” consisting of five tracks, including the title track “Gee!”. VIVACE debuted with 63K album sales and Gee! charted #22 on the global charts within the first 24 hours. Gee!’s cute sound and second-gen influence attracted even more attention to the group, and by the end of the first week, both the title track and album topped the charts at #1.

With their debut a huge success, many waited for VIVACE’s first comeback, announced to be released in December of the same year. On December 12, 2019, their first single album, “QUEENDOM,” was released consisting of three tracks, including the title track, “Royalty.” Royalty captivated fans for its themes of self-love and upbeat lyrics but wasn’t enough to get it to more success than “Gee!” with Royalty charting #48 on global charts and QUEENDOM earning 15K album sales, a lot of netizens were saying VIVACE was one-hit wonders and would end up flopping after this comeback.

VIVACE would take a small break and focus on their sub-unit releases until they came back on July 5, 2020, with their second mini album, “SUMMER VACAY,” which consists of five tracks, counting the title track “Drunk In You”. Despite the low reception of “QUEENDOM”, SUMMER VACAY instantly trended for its catchy songs and fresh sound, which earned the album 98K album sales, and the entire album charted in the top ten on the global charts. SUMMER VACAY was known as the uprising of VIVACE and the start of their international stardom.

By their next comeback, VIVACE had become one of the biggest Kpop acts of 4th Gen, especially with all of the popularity their sub-units were getting. Their third mini album, “PAPARAZZI”, was released on October 24, 2020, with the album consisting of six tracks, including their breakout title track, “RUN”. RUN was a darker, more mature sound than what VIVACE usually did, but it ended up going viral just from the teasers alone, earning the album 283K sales and 8 million views in just the first 24 hours. Fresh off RUN's success, VIVACE released their first digital single, “Ladies Night”, on December 25, 2020, as a Christmas gift to fans. The song charted #2 on Melon and went #1 on global charts.

— 2021 - 2023 . . LIVIN’ IT LIKE A STAR . .

VIVACE took an almost year long hiatus as a group to further focus on sub-unit releases until they finally made a comeback with their first full album, “CELESTE”, on September 17, 2021. CELESTE is a two year anniversary album with thirteen tracks, including the title track, “YES, YOU”. CELESTE introduces a retro theme, which, despite not having done so before, fans say sounds authentically VIVACE. CELESTE sold 1.4 million copies, a huge jump from PAPARAZZI, after gaining an insane number of fans during the group’s hiatus. The entire album charted within the top 20, and the top 5 spots on the charts were all VIVACE. Fans refer to this era as the start of VIVACE’s prime.

With VIVACE releasing only CELESTE in 2021, fans went into 2022 hoping for a release sometime soon; they got their wish when VIVACE released their second full album, “MY IMPACT”, on April 19, 2022. MY IMPACT is an album consisting of 11 tracks along with the title track, “The Boys”, where VIVACE talks about their impact on the kpop industry and also empowers women not to let gender discrimination hold them back from their dreams. MY IMPACT sold almost 9 million copies, the most copies VIVACE has sold to this day, and most of the songs off the album charted within the top 10. MY IMPACT ended up being the most successful era they had so far with them winning Song Of The Year, Artist Of The Year, and almost winning Album Of The Year for 2022.

On November 13, 2022, VIVACE released their fourth mini album, “ALL I ASK”, consisting of six tracks, including the title track, “SAVE ME”. The album has a slower, elegant sound than some of their previous releases, earning the album 7 million album sales and the title track charting #3 in Korea and #9 internationally. ALL I ASK is known as one of VIVACE’s forgotten eras, a lot of fans even think VIVACE themselves don’t remember the album.

As a collaboration project with the Barbie Movie, VIVACE released “Barbie Girl”, their fifth mini album, on June 10, 2023. The album consists of five tracks, including their first English title track, “VALENTINE”. VIVACE promoted the album completely in the United States, and the album sold 7.8 million copies and charted #1 on iTunes. VALENTINE ended up being the end credits song, which attracted even more international fans to the group.

VIVACE’s most recent release, “1-800-LOVERGIRL”, is their second single album, released on December 29, 2023. It consists of three tracks, including the lead title track, “YOUNG LOVE.” 1-800-LOVERGIRL sold 6 million copies, and the title charted #2 on Korean charts and #5 on global charts. As of July 2024, VIVACE has not made any news on a comeback, including with any of their sub-units, leaving fans wondering when VIVACE will make a comeback.

[offender42085]

Post 1102

“You are suffering the consequences of the sentence that was imposed.” --Judge

Brandon M Fox, Florida inmate N51790, born 1999, incarceration intake April 2023 at age 23, scheduled for release December 2047

Possession of Photographs-Child Sex Performance

In August 2023, a former Daytona Beach Police officer tried to withdraw his plea to possession of child sexual assault material, saying that his defense attorney had told him he would be sentenced to no more than five years.

But instead of five years, Brandon Michael Fox was sentenced to 25 years in state prison. And that's what his sentence will remain after Circuit Judge Elizabeth Blackburn denied Fox's request to withdraw his plea.

The hearing included testimony from Fox's former attorney Aaron Delgado. It also included testimony that Fox and his sister had discussed hiring a private investigator to tail a prosecutor and a police detective.

Fox had been with the Daytona Beach Police Department for two years before his arrest in April 2022. Investigators found about 100 images and videos of child sexual abuse material on his phone and said Fox also participated in an online chat room on Kik in which group members shared more than 3,800 illegal images.

Fox entered no contest pleas to 38 counts of possession of sexual performance by a child, each punishable by up to 15 years in prison. It was an open plea, but prosecutors agreed to waive a minimum sentence of 63 years. That gave the judge a wide sentencing range: from no jail time all the way to 570 years in prison.

Blackburn sentenced Fox on March 15, 2023 to the 25 years in prison followed by 45 years of sex offender probation. Fox must also register as a sex offender.

At the hearing Fox testified that Delgado had told him he would face no more than five years in prison if he entered the plea agreement.

During cross examination, Assistant State Attorney Mark Interlicchio asked Fox whether in court on January 18, 2023 when he accepted the plea agreement if he said he had been promised no more five years.

"You never mentioned … this promise of five years, none of that,” Interlicchio said. “I was under the impression that my attorney had my best interest,” Fox said.

Judge Blackburn then told Fox to answer the question. Interlicchio repeated the question and Fox said, “No, sir.”

During questioning by his new attorney, Asad Ali, Fox said that after the sentence Delgado told him, “Oh, I didn’t expect that to happen. ”

Delgado took the stand and testified that prosecutors had at one point offered Fox 15 years in prison and that he would have to register as a sex offender. Later they reached an agreement on an open plea with the state waiving the minimum guideline sentence.

Delgado repeatedly denied guaranteeing Fox at any time that the prison sentence would be no greater than five years. Ali did not cross-examine Delgado.

The judge said she reviewed the plea form with Fox at the January plea hearing and she read portions which stated that Fox agreed no one had promised him a specific sentence and that he understood the judge was not required to follow any state recommendation.

Blackburn said that Fox, who is serving his time at Columbia Correctional Institution in Lake City, “you are suffering the consequences of the sentence that was imposed.”

As the judge ruled, Fox lowered and shook his head.

3d

[charlieslowartsies]

the reason why my August vacation is so important...

This is a long, kinda emotional for me journal <3

As I mentioned a while ago, I was splitting my usual two weeks in June of debauchery (sleeping & laying in the sun & hiking in the woods outback lol) into one week last month and then saved the last week for the end of August.

I also wanted to explain the significance of this trip! Less about having to justify my time off and more about 'eeee excite omg!' and wanted to share with y'all!

SO a long time ago when I was a wee Charlie, from age 0 up to 21, I was incredibly close to my grandparents on my mom's side. My nana died when I was 15, and while that took a huge toll on me, I was fortunate enough to have my grandpa till 21. These two people were absolutely second parents. My parents did a good enough job raising me, but they had huge fights and my father had anger issues and it caused a lot of wounds. These were the people I could always rely on, when I couldn't rely on my folks.

They lived 2 hours away on a wonderful lake in a lil tiny trailer over looking it. I spent weeks at a time there, even the occasional month. I learned to swim in that lake, which in hindsight prolly wasn't the safest idea due to its depth, and grew up to be obsessed with swimming. Learned how to sail, ski, fish. Learned how to bake, tend a garden, how a fresh bowl of fruit in the morning should be before breakfast.

We'd swim 3x a day, sometimes just to float and cool down before bed, since there was no a/c and the summer nights were hot. Laid on our backs and counted stars like the Lion King. Fried trout on the grill after we'd caught them, had watermelon seed spittin' contests. My grandpa grew pumpkins and carved my name into one, so that the writing grew bigger and bigger over the months. I had one pumpkin live from September to April.

My handprint is on the last cement step leading down to the beach. It was eroded when we scattered my grandpa's ashes in 2014, but I remember where it was, how to place my palm to compare.

I guess I'd say I had a mixed childhood of various great, good, bad, and horrible things. Like most people, yanno? But those golden summer days on the lake were 100% a part of who I am today, and where my many of my happiest memories come from.

Due to me being in college, cost to heat the place in winter when they had no intention of living there, my family sold the property on the lake to an investor who planned to rent it out.

This was 2014. The same year he died, the same year my horse died (within 2 months of each other) and one of my father's many health issues landed him in the hospital from Oct to Dec, so that he spent xmas on an iv stand. With everything going on, we had no time or money for a big dinner, or presents that year.

I guess that was the first year I realized childhood was truly and officially over, and it was time to grow up. Many of us have that marked moment on our life.

Time passed. I finished college, went back home after turning down a few out of state jobs to spend time with my dad, who I had a feeling didn't have much time left. Turned out I was right, as I came home in 2015 and he died in 2022. There was an accident in '16 where he almost bled to death on our kitchen floor, but I was able to provide pressure/medical care and give him some more years.

Shortly after we moved in 17, I was notified that the house on the lake had been rented to someone who unfortunately had a lot of issues mental health wise, and they had eventually abandoned the property. It sat, rotting, and got so covered on the inside in black mold the county leveled the place and destroyed it.

We had left it fully furnished due to the buyer's urging. Ancient, stunning mid century and older furniture from my great-great grandparents time. My nana's organ player. The rocker my mom and I sat in. And, frankly, to quote one of those popular songs, the house that built me was just gone.

I figured that was the end of it, and cried and got angry/sad and then moved on and just tried surviving as covid hit later on in the years.

Turns out, the man who rented it decided that wasn't going to happen again. He put a new trailer on the property, and rented it out for vacationing due to it's location. We didn't know this until I stumbled across it while daydreaming about a vacation on the lake that I missed it was a relative, one I could at least go back to for a few days. My heart skipped so many beats when I saw the address and paused, thinking there had to be come mistake. It wasn't.

Not only can I spend time on that property again (in a new house which honestly might be for the best) But turns out, for whatever reason, they kept the furniture separate and placed a few pieces into the new house. There's a photo of the rocker in the layout photos. The two level lamp they had is still intact and functioning. I booked the place for a week immediately.

It's expensive for me, but my girlfriend and I will make it work. (Certainly not like we have far to travel.) We're going to be there smack dab in the middle of my Grandfather's birthday. I haven't had a true, just-for-me vacation since 2015 when we went to a camping ground. The excitement I have for this is immeasurable.

The dock my Dad and Grandpa put in themselves is fixed up. The crumbled little cement step is still there with a tiny indent, where my 4 yr old hand was pressed. I am going back to this place, and going back in time for just a short while, to heal and have fun and be a whole mess of emotions. I never got to say good bye to my Nana or Grandpa.

But I can say goodbye to them now, and say 'hello again, old friend' to the lake, and the new little house that sits before it.

That is why i am so excited about august. I know I don't share personal things on here a ton, but I wanted to share this. Thank you for reading this far if you have, I appreciate it.

I hope you have a wonderful day and remember how important you are <3 And as always stay hydrated! -Charlie

[bergdg]

Analyzing Invention: Some Data for the Inventor's Fair 2023

As a way of introduction, the Inventor's Fair is a Magic: the Gathering card design contest blog here on Tumblr. Each week, a contest is announced and members of the community submit designs throughout the week meeting the design specifications. At the end of the week, a few winners and runner-ups are selected, with commentary given by a series of judges. It's a fun exercise in creativity, one that I have participated since November 2022.

This past week, I decided to go back and compile some data about the blog, from January 1st, 2023 to Dec 2nd, 2023. I got some general data and then did a dive into data on the winners and runners-up. I would have loved to look at data for all of the entrants (on average, 23 each contest), but that was just a little too much for the time I have.

If this all sounds interesting to you, continue reading past the line.

To start, let's look at that general data:

Image: Line graph showing the weekly totals for entrants and a rolling 3-week average.

To start off, there have been 48 contests thus far during the year, with 4 more potentially planned (yes, Dec 31st would be the posting date for one of the contests, so it is technically a 2023 contest).

In the above graph, I included a 3-week rolling average as a trendline: basically the average shown for a week is the average of that week with the two weeks preceding).

The highest participation happened from February to mid-May, which corresponds to the Spring Semester in the US school system (my area of experience).

The contest with the greatest number of entrants: Teamwork Makes the Dream Work, which started on April 16 and had 36 entrants.

The contest with the lowest number of entrants: Re:Vision, which was the most recent contest and had only 8 entrants.

Now let's dive into some of the stats around the winners and runners-up:

Image: Bar graph showing the entry counts for winners and runners-up.

There have been 50 unique entrants who have been either a winner or a runner-up so far this year. Many entrants have been part of the contests since the beginning of the year. The most recent entrant to have their first win/runner-up was @aethernalstars, in the Nov 12th contest Lost Caverns of Ixalan's Lost Vault.

The entrants with the highest numbers of wins/runners-up so far:

@spooky-bard: 22 total, with 16 wins

@izzet-always-r-versus-u: 16 total, with 10 wins

@nine-effing-hells: 15 total, with 7 wins

@hypexion: 14 total, with 5 wins

(tie) @deg99 and @bread-into-toast: 13 total, with 8 and 7 wins

Congrats to these entrants for some spectacular submissions!

So what makes a winning entry? Mostly the awesome creativity of the entrants, but here are some stats about the cards themselves that I found interesting.

Image: Bar graph showing the card types of cards that were submitted and were selected as a winner or runner-up

By far the most popular card type was creature (and this includes Artifact Creature and Enchantment Creature submissions). Granted, there were several contests asking for creatures, like Rebels and Dragons. But it is such an overwhelming favorite that I just had to call it out.

As a note on other, I lumped things like planes and phenomenon into a single group, just to keep things simple (since there weren't that many)

Image: Pie (donut) chart showing the colors that were part of the color identity of cards submitted and selected as a winner or runner-up

Here, there has not been any contests for making cards in a specific color. However, red is a clear favorite among entrants. This is a mix of mono-red and multi-color including red cards. Black, white and blue are all closely tied for the 2nd most popular card, with green being fifth amongst the colors. I included colorless, but that being a low count is to be expected as I looked at color identity instead of cost, so many land submissions were pulled into one of the color categories.

Image: Table of the mana value of cards submitted submitted and selected as a winner or runner-up

Here, we see that the most common mana value of cards was 3 - 84 cards total! 4 (with 60) and 2 (with 41) came in 2nd and 3rd.

Image: Pie (donut) chart showing the rarities of cards submitted and selected as a winner or runner-up

Entrants seem to really like submitting Rares (114 total) and Uncommons (92 total), as they made up almost 75% of all entries. The number for commons will get a small bump from a recent contest that is currently being judged: One for the Money, but nowhere near enough to dethrone the other two.

SO, if you were to submit a card, it seems like the best chance for a winning submission is a red/partially red creature that is rare/uncommon and has a mana value of 3/4. Looks like a Santa Clause card is up for the next few weeks ;)

Anyways, I hope you've enjoyed this nerdy dive into some of the data behind the @inventors-fair of 2023. Looking forward to what y'all come up with in the next few weeks!

[astoundingbeyondbelief]

Kaiju Brooklyn 2

This year marked my first time attending a kaiju convention that wasn't G-Fest. In my defense, there were no real options besides G-Fest until very recently, and those options kept getting scheduled during my semester (All Monsters Attack) or had hefty travel costs attached (the cons in Texas, Arizona, and California). But Kaiju Brooklyn's sophomore outing caught my eye, not the least because it was being held in my home state.

Kaiju Brooklyn's existence is fairly serendipitous. Artist and set painter John Belotti Jr. scored the t-shirt rights to the Ultra Series in 2022, but Tsuburaya didn't approve his designs in time for him to sell them at any of the major New York City conventions. After learning that an event space had opened up in Brooklyn's Industry City, he hit upon the idea of a kaiju convention—and thanks to the twin WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, he had ample time to plan one.

Kaiju Brooklyn 2 expanded significantly on its predecessor, adding a full lineup of panels, a second film screening, a Friday night VIP party, and an Ultraman screening room. I sprung for the VIP package because I thought it would better justify the trip and I was originally supposed to go with my vastly more outgoing QPP. I ended up skittering around the outskirts of the party like the wallflower I am until some of the volunteers noticed my Wikizilla shirt and started gushing about the site/channel. (Keeping the site up to date has been seriously draining as of late, so that really meant a lot.) The swag bag consisted of a Kaiju Brooklyn-branded string backpack and lanyard, a sticker for the night's movie, and a Blu-ray of Superior 8 Ultra Brothers. At first I thought the Blu was the big prize, but the backpack ended up making my life a lot easier the next day. @mainblag (April) showed up for the outdoor Mega Monster Battle: Ultra Galaxy Legends the Movie screening. The crowd was enthusiastic and the venue terrific; unfortunately, the overhead lighting never dimmed, making the picture hard to see. I had seen the film enough times to be able to follow it regardless, but it was April's first viewing. Mill Creek Blu-ray, Japanese with English subtitles. (I hoped in vain for the dub.)

I arrived at the con early the next day to see how far I could stretch my limited funds in the dealers' room. There was a TV at the entrance to the hall playing Godzilla Minus One, serendipitously added to Netflix mid-con. (Enough of us stopped to watch the atomic breath scene in Ginza that we briefly blocked said entrance.) The dealers were splendid. I recognized a few from G-Fest; speaking of the Chicago con, it was refreshing to see so many kaiju artists in one room again. Amazingly, no Toho lawyers descended from the ceiling. My haul is here. Took me long enough to pick up a MinusGoji. Also, props to Tsuburaya for having a booth; the free Ultraman: Rising cards went quickly.

I went to three panels: Ultraman Goes West with Belotti Jr. and Ultraman Connection's EJ Couloucoundis; A Tale of 2 Godzillas with Shin Godzilla PA Yoko Higuchi, and Kevin Derendorf's incredible one-hour encapsulation of the Godzilla franchise right before the night's movie screening. The Ultraman panel was a real how-far-we've-come moment. Tsuburaya is doing far more to make their back catalogue and their ears available to U.S. fans than Toho at this point, and I was really impressed with how eloquently Couloucoundis spoke about the Ultra Series. The 2 Godzillas panel was hamstrung by the absence of Will Caban, who worked on TriStar's Godzilla, but Higuchi had more than enough stories about Shin and thoughts about kaiju to fill the hour. Great moderator too. There was also supposed to be a meet-and-greet with Monster Island Buddies; unfortunately, he had the flu.

The Cosplay Contest, held on the same rectangular turf lawn as the screenings, was great fun. Creative costumes; great performances for the crowd; a minimum of photographers lunging in front of everyone else for the perfect shot.

The outdoor showing of The Return of Godzilla was my first time seeing the film with a crowd, and I believe my first time revisiting it since my big Godzilla series rewatch in 2019. I took it in with the lovely group I had sort of glommed onto later in the day, along with April and the college friend who I was staying with. I much prefer the Kazuki Omori films that followed—the pacing here tends towards the sluggish—but it takes some big swings with the Cold War angle and, as one of only two Godzilla films made in the 80s, has a unique look. The crowd enthusiastically booed the American flag on the ambassador's car. The source was the Kraken Releasing Blu-ray, Japanese with English subtitles.

I want to end by talking a bit more about the venue, Industry City. This is a line of historical warehouses and factories now largely occupied by various small businesses, including The Shops at Japan Village. It's a vastly more engaging space than a hotel, at times even beautiful, and helped make up for the two-track nature of the con. If you weren't up for the current panel and had tapped out your Dealers' Room budget, there was still plenty to look at. The panels were held at various spaces throughout the venue, and getting to them was sometimes a bit of an adventure. The Higuchi panel was decidedly cramped. It seems inevitable that the con will keep growing, given Godzilla and Ultraman's ever-climbing popularity in the States, but I wonder how much physical room it has to do so in Industry City.

If you're on the East Coast, Kaiju Brooklyn's well worth the trip. For as much as kaiju fans bicker online, the ones who come to in-person meetups remain a blast to talk to, and they know how to put on a show.

[kingarthurtournament]

Quarter-Finals Side B Poll 2

Little Josh

"He has a pool noodle and that counts as a sword, the crown, the other contestants are his knights"

Larry the cat

"He has been the shining light in UK politics for the last 10 years. I say that is a sign that he is, indeed, the once and future king returned to England in its time of need."

"He has been at downing street longer than every 2022 Prime Minister and the current King put together so why not?"