#unity days 2017

[somebozoontheinternet]

THE REMOVAL OF HIS SIGIL DURING THE DAY OF UNITY

"さようなら、ベロス..."

("Goodbye, Belos...")

[candypalace]

Translation: Heterodoxy Pamphlet. Music Writers Reflect on 20 Years of the GazettE, Part 1/6 (2002-2004)

Hello friends! As promised long long ago, I'm starting the Heterodoxy series where music writers reflect on their work with the band in the last 20 years. This might take some time since not all the texts are ready just yet, but I will do my best to finish them as quickly as I can. This is Part 1/6, hope you enjoy it!

scan credit: @rad-is-more

Text by Hiroko Yamamoto [1]

the GazettE was born in March 2002. The band was formed by Uruha and Reita, who were dear friends from elementary school, Ruki, who they crossed in the previous band (back when he was a drummer) and who later changed to vocals, and their first drummer, Yune, who also invited his buddy from a previous band, Aoi. Two months later, they played their first show at Meguro Rokumeikan, a live venue that can be described as a gateway to success for visual kei bands. Their first maxi single "Wakaremichi" has a melancholic, catchy melody and an impressive fast-paced sound. During the encore of their 20th anniversary live at Yoyogi National Gymnasium in March this year, Ruki looked back on the beginning of the band: "We are the GazettE, and 20 years ago we got together thinking this would be the last band of our lifetimes”. It was during those young days when the band was standing on the stage with recklessness and foolhardiness when such strong headbanging songs as “Kantou Dogeza Kumiai” and “Waifu” were created, yet they continue to stay popular to this day. The band's forward momentum is best represented by the time when they had to play “Kantou Dogeza Kumiai” over and over again because they didn’t have many original songs yet. While they were firing the audience up with their so-called "violent songs", they also had an amazing ability to write emotionally rich compositions with Showa-inspired melodies, such as "Juunanasai" (later included in the pamphlet with CD for their first Nippon Budokan concert). Everything in the GazettE of those early days, up to their make-up and costumes, was elusive and funny in a good way, as conveyed by "Sentimental na Onigokko", a song about bullying, which presents the listeners with a droll world view of a locked room.

The band’s first turning point came the following year. In 2003, when their first drummer left the band, Kai, with whom they had played together in session shows, quickly took his place. This made the current five members, and the band moved to a new office. It was Ruki who made a last-minute call to Kai, and the drummer had to join in right from the next day's show. From this point on the band’s rapid progress officially began. the GazettE of those times actively participated in organized taiban [2] events. They were even nicknamed “taiban killers”, as their heat-packed shows helped them steal away fans who had come to see other bands. In the next three months they released three consecutive four-track mini-albums, "COCKAYNE SOUP", "Akuyuukai" and "Spermargarita", which increased the number of their fans in geometrical progression. Incidentally, at the time they called themselves "Dai Nippon Itan Geisha Gazetto" [3]. The name derived from the thought of what the word “Visual Kei” would sound like if it was a Japanese word [4]. On their 15th anniversary in 2017, the band held a concept show at the Yoyogi National Stadium. On that stage today's the GazettE performed songs from the Dainippon Itan Geisha era, so hopefully fans who didn’t know their early days got to know them. The sense of unity between band and fans that rose steam from the live house, the "Jump to us!" screams, and the band's stage presence all developed during that exact period. Back in September of 2003, the band sold out a two-day one-man show at Takadanobaba AREA, and only four months later, in January 2004, their one-man show "JUDGMENT DAY" at SHIBUYA-AX was sold out. On the day of the show, the venue was overflowing with fans, and the venue’s doors were barely closing. The band was not informed that the tickets had been sold out until the day of the show, and how they were surprised by the scenery in front of them and the crowd’s enthusiasm almost seems funny today.

Particular about every aspect of their performances, videos, sets, playing their music live, even coming up with their own ideas for photoshoots and never stopping the work until they are satisfied – this is the GazettE. When I was covering them in a magazine for the first time, I felt that a band of an entirely new generation that took over from the royalty of Visual Kei (although there was no such term back in the day) had entered the scene. I remembered their down-to-earth attitude, in which the live show and the fans who attend it are the most important thing. I also remembered that young the GazettE had a simple goal of keeping the band going, rather than becoming a band that was listened to by a certain number of people. Come to think of it, that hasn’t changed a bit. Truly an ironclad band.

[1] Hiroko Yamamoto / Born in Tokyo. Impacted by glam and punk rock as well as blues in her college days, she started a band and spent her life immersed in music. After working for an entertainment editorial production, she became a freelance writer. She covered the GazettE for the free papers and visual-kei specific magazines like Neo Genesis. She was particularly impressed by the band’s stance with its emphasis on live performances and believing in their music and their fans without being influenced by trends or critical opinions. Currently writes columns on music, as well as films and doramas. (From the pamphlet’s credits)

[2] 対バン (taiban) - A live with several bands performing. Usually those are beginner bands that split the venue and equipment rent as well as other costs.

[3] 大日本異端芸者 (Dai Nippon Itan Geisha) can be translated as “Heretic people of art (professional performers) of the Great Japan”. We know Ruki never chooses names for anything without putting a lot of meaning into it, and I’d say there are many layers to this title as well. 

大日本 (Dai Nippon) initially referrs to the Japanese Empire (大日本帝國 Dai Nippon Teikoku, 1868–1947), which embraced the Meiji, Taishō and Shōwa eras in Japanese history, though nowadays it is considered a nationalistic way of referring to Japan. Dai Nippon expressed the overall aesthetics that the GazettE (then - Gazetto) was working with at the time: Japanese flags on the Wakaremichi cover, the silhouettes of children wearing Imperial Japan school uniforms on the COCKAYNE SOUP cover, lyrics (Oni no men) and the use of traditional melodies (Back Drop Junkie [Nancy]), their iconic indie photoshoots with lots of elements clearly inspired by Japanese culture and so on.

異端 (itan) means heresy. This word is also clearly important for the GazettE’s vision and positioning since we see it literally everywhere: in the fanclub name, 20th anniversary live name, merch etc. If we look up the meaning of the word “heresy”, we’ll see the following: “an opinion profoundly at odds with what is generally accepted”. Not only “being profoundly different” is a key principle of Visual Kei, it is also one of the grounds the GazettE exists and continues to work on.

Finally, 芸者 (geisha, “a person of art”) is a pretty well-known word internationally. While most people associate geisha with professional female performers, the Japanese word itself doesn’t have any gender markers, and the first geisha, which appeared around the first half of the 18th century, were actually male. At the same time, it might refer to the androgynous nature of Visual Kei.

[4] “Visual Kei”‎ is partially a gairaigo — a word that came from a foreign language. The question they asked themselves was “if the concept of v-kei had to be translated through the prism of Japanese culture and values, what would a Japanese word describing it sound like?” And the answer is, apparently, “heretic people of art”.

[new-holocene]

ode to abandoned projects

normally i dedicate my public facing social media accounts solely to sharing my finished artwork, but I figure some reflection on the past few years of my development as an artist would be worthwhile. I was initially trying to find an old gmod map I made (I didn't find it), and in the process I found a number of screenshots of WIPs spanning the past 7 years. for many of these projects, they were abandoned because I got too busy with school/university.

from march 2017. made in unity. I don't remember the specifics of this project. I think I was trying to make a short narrative walking sim.

from december 2017. I wanted to make a short smw romhack. I remember drawing level designs on a spare piece of paper after finishing a secondary school exam early. one day I'll make a romhack, one day...

from may 2018. I had just replayed marble blast ultra after finding it had a PC port. shortly after I found all the textures were just in the game files and could be modified easily. myself and an old friend wanted to make a 'games repainted'-esque mod. I claim full credit for every marble game since that's included a 🤔marble skin.

from march 2020. a mockup of a piece I was calling 'alignment chart' for the first time I had ever applied for a bursary. this used a mixture of generative art pieces i made in processing and graphic design. this piece is interesting to look back on because it marked the development of my art style for the first time, and the psuedo-cuneiform generator ended up being a recurring feature of my art. my application was rejected because i did not read the terms and conditions to realise it wasn't open to university students - and I was still studying computer science at the time.

from may 2020. I was aiming to participate in the low res game jam but never got to finish due to university work taking up my time. I never fleshed out the mechanics of the game, but the goal was to take care of the tree in the center of the map. it doesn't look like much, but I really pushed myself (or rather, tortured myself) by not using a game engine and writing this in C++ with raylib instead.

from april 2020. this was going to be a browser based demake of five nights at freddy's (a game I've never played and have no interest in) titled "five years at yanderedev's". I figured that it felt too close to participating in lolcowing someone and that it was in bad spirits, so I scrapped it.

from september 2020. a mockup of my homepage sharpfourth.net. I kept the logo and general layout for whats on the site currently, but didn't include the scanner warped images.

from october 2020. I wanted to make a walking sim in the quake engine, but once again, university work got in the way. however, this got me familiar with the basics of using trenchbroom (a map editor for quake), which came in very, very handy for later projects.

from october 2021. myself and some close friends had planned to make a zine detailing how to do DIY feminising HRT in Ireland (and maybe the UK). we never got around to writing it (partly because we feared potential legal repercussions for disseminating medical advice lol), but this marked a further development of my art style.

from october 2021. I had hoped to make a first person RPG in godot. once again scrapped because I got too busy with uni. I spent ages trying to implement a wonky movement system that could be exploited, being inspired by bhopping from source or strafe jumping from quake. the dialogue system was the last thing I worked on. I used trenchbroom again - this time with qodot - for making the prototype map. while making this demo, I realised the potential use of godot and trenchbroom in visual art, something i would revisit during my first gallery residency.

from march 2022. this might be the most unassuming piece in this collection, but it marks a significant turning point in my life. I was tasked with making diagrams for a group project in uni, but given that I was facing extreme burnout and apathy towards the course, I instead "doodled" with the elements of the diagram. this spiraled into me writing my zine/short-story EATARTHU, which I then used to apply for a gallery residency. I was fortunate enough to get the residency, and I dropped out of college to pursue art.

as discouraging as it might be to constantly start and abandon projects, it's important to stop and remember that ever single abandoned game or drawing or album or whatever marked a chance for you to learn and develop as an artist. one day you might very well finish a project, and it'll reflect a bit of every single abandoned one of its precursors.

[lizzybeth1986]

Rose Gold

Book: The Royal Romance

Pairing: Hana Lee x Kiara Theron

Rating: PG

Word Count: 4, 304 words

Content Warning: Mention of Gun Violence, Character Injury.

Summary: Six months after King Liam and Queen Esther's wedding, Hana and Kiara take their next big step as a couple.

A/N: Set in the P&Tverse. Since P&T spans the timelines of Books 2 and 3 (the Engagement Tour and the Unity Tour + Liam & Esther's wedding), most of this fic takes place after the series is meant to end, and there are references to things that happen there that aren't canon.

The first half of the fic, however, takes place just before the group reunites with the MC and Drake at the safe house (TRR3, Ch 1).

I've borrowed a few elements from Hana's own engagement to the MC in the books: the rose gold ring, the coin throwing ritual at the foundation and the proposal at the lake.

Tagging @hanaleeappreciationweek for Day 5: Romance, @choicesficwriterscreations for FoTW and LGBTQ Archive, and @choicesmaychallenge24 for Hera: Marriage

October 14th, 2017. Half past Midnight.

Foolishness. Sheer foolishness.

The voice inwardly chiding her right now sounded suspiciously like her mother; for that reason alone she was desperate to ignore it.

But what else would one call an impulse to jump out of a car that could take her in complete secrecy to the city's best safe house, only to race to Argyros and Sons - Cordonia's premier jewellery store - for a gift she wasn't even sure would be accepted...a promise she wasn't even sure its intended recipient would want?

"Looking for something specific, Your Grace?"

Surprised, Hana looked up from the case displaying an assortment of glittering diamond rings. The eyes that met hers in a speculative survey were ocean-blue, marked by wizened crow's feet. It was at the tip of her tongue to correct him (Lady Hana, sir!) when she spotted the Twitter feed on the iPhone in his hand.

News sure does travel fast around the Capitol!

But no sooner had that thought left her head, than the riptide of memories began to flood her.

The Homecoming Ball. Hors d'oeuvres. Speeches. Fireworks. Announcements. Please welcome Esther DuPont, Duchess of Valtoria, and Hana Lee, Duchess of Krysanthe. Cheers. Expectant Gazes. And then...

Darkness. Gunshots. The acrid taste of fear.

Hana bit back a grimace. How long would memories of tonight haunt her? How long would it be before she heard people address her by her new title, without memories of the violence that followed?

She held her handbag with a sudden death-grip, forcing herself to breathe. To push forth happier, sweeter memories.

Unbidden, comes the one memory that had managed to keep her sane this night.

Her laughter.

Sharp. Raucous. Loud. Jarring against the tinkling sounds of cutlery and glassware, as far away as one could get from the soft, windchime quality of delicate laughter, that every female courtier was taught to emulate.

She thought she'd known love until that moment, fool that she was. Thought that no matter who she dated, no matter how distant she'd be from those memories of the social season - Esther would somehow remain her first and forever love.

Until she had taken that one fateful look at Kiara's wildly joyous face, heard her cackle - the kind one would never normally dare to do at court - and realized with piercing clarity that if she were to compare her feelings for these two women, they would be nowhere close.

Her love for Esther had all the subdued warmth of a crackling bonfire. But these newfound feelings for Kiara?? They made her feel like she was plunging herself headfirst into a raging volcano.

Something within Hana had trembled violently in that moment; some premonition that felt searing in its finality.

Kiara was the one. She was all Hana had ever wanted, without knowing it; all that Hana would ever want, from now till eternity. The one in whose arms she would want to stir awake, every day for the rest of her life.

Kiara Thorne, or no one. Kiara Thorne, or lifelong loneliness.

The phrase rang in her ears like a verdict: final, eternal, unchangeable.

When Hana opened her eyes, she found to her consternation that they were blurry from unshed tears. Quickly blinking them away, she noted dully how different the rings on the display now looked.

Certainly she must have moved to another part of the store without knowing. Where before she'd seen glittering, brilliant, ostentatious diamonds, set in white gold and platinum...now she saw stones nestled in the embrace of a warmer, almost blush-toned metal.

Rose gold.

The metal that was all the rage in her mother's birthplace Bethulia, for its delicate shimmer and soft pink hue. Mama had told her often enough in her childhood that their barony's love for it went far beyond just the colour...that her mother - Hana's Nanimaa - loved it for being such a perfect union of gold, silver and copper...

A whisper of a memory of Nanimaa, the one time she'd ever seen her. At a fountain, glowing from the glimmer of abandoned coins.

It took her less than a minute to find exactly what she didn't know she'd been looking for. Had you asked the jeweller about her, he would have told you that the newly appointed Duchess of Krysanthe had chosen her ring with the greatest confidence. The confidence of a woman who had probably wooed her beloved, confessed her love, basked in the joy of being loved back.

A confidence Hana didn't feel.

When she returned to the limo, she was greeted with the sight of a pensive Liam, rubbing the frown between his brows absently with his fingers. A telltale muscle jumped inside his jaw.

"Any news?" Hana whispered, almost dreading the answer.

"Yes," his voice was grainy from exhaustion and guilt. "Three people injured. Bastien, Esther's press secretary, and...."

"And?" Her voice had gone small and high, that a fearful child's.

"And Lady Kiara. She was..."

Hana blinked once, then blinked again. Liam's mouth was moving, yet no sound seemed to come out. All that she could hear was a low, keening noise, like a muffled siren...or like the moan of a woman in terrible pain.

Kiara. Kiara. Kiara.

--

May 12th, 2018. Afternoon.

"How far from the palace are you taking us?" Kiara asks, her voice alight with laughter.

"Not even outside its gates," Hana replies, grinning. Kiara looks down at their fingers laced together, palms almost touching.

They've been together for just six months, and still somehow, the lines on Hana's palm feel as familiar to her now as her own. Without even looking she can conjure up the memory of the heartline on Hana's left palm at a moment's notice - long and deep, starting from her index finger, suggesting she would be a wonderful lover with a very fruitful love experience - and her marriage line, stretching from one end of her palm all the way to her ring finger...suggesting friendly in-laws.

(The thought of luring Hana to marry her under the premise of palmistry is sounding more and more tempting by the minute)

Involuntarily - perhaps to stop herself from checking her trouser pockets once again for that tiny box she took from her vault today - Kiara's hand tightens around Hana's.

Can she dare to hope that fortunate beloved could be her?

She steals a glance in Hana's direction, noting with alarm that her fingers are trembling in Kiara's hand.

"We're here," she says, her voice suddenly small and quivering against the gurgle of water in the courtyard fountain. It's been a palace fixture for several decades now - ornate and imposing - a legacy from King Liam's formidable grandmother, the late Queen Mother Cassandra. According to Kiara's father, the woman had married into the family as a young princess from Monterisso, and for her foreignness alone was expected to be crushed by the strictures of the palace and the expectations of her people - yet in a decade's time she had somehow became the most imposing figure there! There was very little in the palace that didn't have her stamp of approval first.

As they come closer, Kiara sees the one thing Queen Mother Cassandra may not have predicted when this fountain was built - the glimmer of coins, all gleaming in the sunlight like they were minted just yesterday.

Her own smile begins to tremble on her lips, even as she notices Hana swallow a telltale nervous lump in her throat. For the first time since they have gotten here, Kiara notices that Hana's other hand is fisted around something. Something that could very likely be the same coins they just saw in the fountain.

She takes that hand gently in hers, knowing now how nervous Hana must feel; knowing that if they complete the ancient lover's ritual that she so hoped to do today, there will be no going back. She uncoils Hana's fisted hand, finger by quivering finger, watching her face as her breathing quickens. She smiles again - a smile more aimed at reassurance than amusement.

"Are we going to do what I think we're going to do today, ma moité?"

For several seconds, Hana doesn't respond. The three coins in her hand (Heavy. Ornate. Engraved with apples. Ancient) are proof enough. The answer, when it finally comes - almost like it is torn out of her throat for fear that Kiara's feelings may not match her own - is barely audible.

"Only if this is what you want too."

Gold. Silver. Copper. Tossed in one after the other in an ancient lover's ritual - one that Kiara knows only because she'd learned about it from her mother, who'd had friends in Bethulia where this ritual was most popular. Maman and Baba themselves had done it on a trip there when she was a teenager, still squirming over her parents' ability to still act like swoony romantics in their (and this would be said well out of their earshot) "fucking forties!".

Wiser now, Kiara feels the same anticipatory tingles that her parents must have felt back then.

This ritual wasn't for the faint of heart in ancient days. You did it only when you were certain. When you looked at your lover and knew that a life without them wasn't a life worth living.

Well, Kiara muses as she watches a hundred emotions flit in a second over Hana's face, I think I've known that long enough. I've known ever since I saw you fight your father in Shanghai, even when you knew it would cost you everything. Since that one moment, I've been yours.

Planting a tender kiss on the corner of Hana's mouth, she takes the coins. "Ready when you are," she whispers softly.

Hana swallows again, her eyes glistening and moist and relieved all at once. In a silk pouch that dangles from her wrist, she fishes for three coins identical to the ones on Kiara's palm. She breathes deep once, twice, three times.

Kiara links their free hands, grips them tight as they turn their backs to the fountain. Hana looks up, a question in her eyes.

"For friendship!" Kiara says, tossing the copper coin into the fountain. Faint memories of something that almost feels like another lifetime glimmer and fade in her memory. Applewood, sipping water, giggling over their favourite fruits and flowers. The Beaumont Bash. Watching from the sidelines as Hana did the verbel equivalent of ripping out Olivia Nevrakis' spine at the Coronation Ball.

Hana takes out the silver coin, and waits for Kiara to holds up hers'. "For love?"

Engagement tour. Fearing Hana would hate her in Fydelia, but never understanding why that should suddenly matter. Standing with her against a bridge in Paris, each mourning their lost loves.

Finally learning what love really was, when she opened her eyes and truly saw Hana for the very first time.

Kiara nods, touching her forehead to Hana's. "Par amour." Their coins splash in unison in the water.

Her girlfriend lets out a watery giggle as she takes out the final coin, glittering and golden on her palm. Her voice breaks a little as she tosses it behind her. "For...bel- belonging".

Kiara's own sigh releases in a shudder as she lets the final pledge sink in.

There were very few places in the world that truly felt like home to Hana. Not the place where she was born, not the barony that could have been her legacy. It took her months to even find comfort or security in her future in Cordonia - much less belonging.

Without a moment's thought, and without releasing the golden coin in her hand, she cups Hana's face and kisses her. Hana shudders and buries her hands in Kiara's hair, her lips trembling against the unspoken promises in her lover's.

"For belonging," Kiara says it like it is a vow. "And I don't care how long it takes - I give my word right now. I'll never let you feel like you have lost your home. Ever." Another kiss - this time on Hana's temple. "I hope you will always find one. In me."

Hana's smile is warm and dreamlike, her eyes closed as if to savour this moment, her fingers playing with Kiara's curls. She barely notices the sound of Kiara's gold coin landing in the fountain. "I love you, Kiki."

Kiara chuckles at her teasing use of the nickname, brushing Hana's nose with her own. "Together forever?"

Their hands, now free, close around each other. "Together forever."

It's quiet now, except for the sound of collard doves, the rustle of leaves and branches in a light breeze, and their breathing. The air smells of wildflowers, citrus and a subtle floral scent that Kiara knows to be the perfume Hana has been using for months. Orange Blossom. She grins as she remembers. It's a scent Hana has often loved to wear, just for her.

Hana's thumb feathers lightly over the ring finger on Kiara's left hand, almost as if to commit the bare space on it to her memory. Kiara doesn't miss that gaze - bright-eyed and soaked in longing - and how it mirrors a need she has felt ever since they landed at the Capitol last week.

Kiara swallows. She had wanted to take things slow, she really did. Woo her, bathe her in every luxury possible, make this trip even more unforgettable than Hana could ever imagine, and then spring this surprise on her - like a kirsch-soaked cherry topping on an already very tempting Black Forest Cake.

But...but that gaze of Hana's has always been Kiara's undoing.

Simply, she says, "come with me."

Puzzled, Hana looks up. "Where?"

"To Lake Sôse," Kiara whispers, wasting not one more moment and grabbing her hand. Hana lets out a nervous, slightly incredulous laugh as she allows herself to be pulled along.

Kiara isn't sure why she's suddenly rushing this. When she thinks of the elaborate plans she'd been constructing all week - chocolate-dipped strawberries and champagne at one of the Capital's premier restaurants, flowers everywhere, a proposal at the hedge maze with a picture together by the swing to commemorate the occasion - she wants to laugh. She isn't even sure why Lake Sôse was the first place she'd thought of just now.

She takes a deep breath, and grounds herself. Uncommonly impulsive though it may be, her decision has been made. There is even a part of her that seems to prefer it to happen this way!Kiara has never been one for last minute changes of plan...but ever since she fell in love with Hana, she's learned to expect - and enjoy - the unexpected.

It's only when she sees the shine in Hana's eyes that she realises why her mind took the turn it did.

Lake Sôse. The one place Hana Lee has always chosen for solace and comfort. The one place in the Capitol where she felt the most at home. It had been here, Hana told Kiara once, that King Liam had told her his plans to appoint her Duchess of Krysanthe. It was here, hours later, that she'd shared that momentous news with her best friend Esther; where Esther - herself aglow with love and a newfound purpose - hugged Hana and told her that the world would now be Hana's oyster.

She'd brought Kiara to this lake for the first time the day after King Liam and Queen Esther's wedding, following a night when the queen herself had been kidnapped, and Hana had joined the king's entourage to rescue her.

A night that Kiara - in constant fear of losing her forever - had recklessly kissed Hana. In public. In front of the entire court. Braving gazes of teasing approval from Kiara's parents, and near-murderous glares from Hana's. The night everyone outside of Hana's friend circle finally realized the two were a couple.

Kiara remembers the day after that like it was yesterday. Something must have changed fundamentally in Hana that night, because the fear seemed to have gone, and with it the compulsive need for hiding and subterfuge and constantly looking over her shoulder. It was as if Hana had faced what she'd thought was the worst thing that could happen to her, and realized she really was strong enough to face that fear.

You're my safe place among people, Hana told her that morning, her fingers lacing through Kiara's. The one I feel most at home with. I want to bring my safe space..to the place in Cordonia I've always felt safest in.

It is afternoon, and the yellow crocuses behind them exude a warm, buttery golden glow in the sunlight. Hana lets out a breathless, incredulous laugh. "You seem like a woman in a very huge rush today, Lady Thorne."

Kiara's own laughter in response is high-pitched and halting. She tries to hide the moistness of her palms as she makes a blind grab for the small velvet box in her purse. "Believe me, this wasn't the way I'd planned this to go at all."

Intrigued, Hana's eyes follow Kiara's hands, and her eyes widen as she recognises the familiar deep blue velvet, the embossed silver lettering on top. Argyros and Sons.

"Is that --"

"Yes," Kiara says, clearing her throat, "I'd been planning this. All week. It was going to be romantic, elaborate, I was going to sweep you off your feet. Just like I'd planned to ask you out seven months ago."

Hana lets out a watery giggle. We all know how that turned out, don't we, qīn'ài de? Kiara can almost hear her saying.

But the humour stops almost immediately when she looks at the box again, and suddenly Hana seems too still, too shocked...too far off from how Kiara hoped she would react.

Kiara lets out a deep breath, then lets the words gush out of her. She's too scared to stop, too terrified to think - the fear that she may be doing too much too soon is so overwhelming that she knows if she stops she won't be able to bring herself to do this for a long, long time to come. The humiliation would be too strong.

"I'm not one for impulse. I never have been. I've never felt comfortable with anything if I didn't have a plan for it first."

Kiara gives herself a moment to half-smile at the irony of it all. Approaching Hana Lee with a smile and a bottle of water, after that first eventful bite of a Cordonian Ruby was definitely an impulse. So were half the things she had done with Hana since. So will many, many, many of the things they may wind up doing together, if (if!) this leap of faith works in her favour.

She looks up at Hana to see if she's laughing at the memory too. She isn't. In fact, Kiara isn't even sure Hana's reacting yet to what she's saying. Perfectly still, her eyes never moving from the box, so wide that they would go bloodshot if they were widened any further. Kiara swallows, and finds that her throat feels suddenly, inexplicably sore.

"I could never tell what it was about you that changed all that. I still don't. All I know is that...around you, Hana, I feel so much more brave. To let go of the need to plan and organize. To not be too afraid of what will follow - whether it goes in my favour or not. I find myself not just willing, but eager, to trust my gut."

Kiara's eyes search every inch of Hana's face as she opens the box, revealing the ring inside. It's a gorgeous piece, all platinum and sparkling diamonds. The smaller stones form a cluster around a massive one, leading the viewer to believe they are seeing a glittering snowflake, fallen fresh from the heavens.

Kiara had known the minute she saw the ring that it was the one. That it would remind them of the first time they confessed their love. Of their very first date, of the first time they shared Hana's cup of homemade hot chocolate. Of why the two of them will always love winters.

Hana's fingers move, trembling, towards her mouth, her face suddenly flushed. She remembers it too.

"Hana Lee," A frisson of fear slithers down Kiara's spine. "Will you marry me?"

When Hana finally opens her mouth, several seconds later, Kiara has to strain to hear her voice.

"I - I -" her eyes dart away from Kiara as if she's just remembered something important - her beautiful bronzed skin suddenly a little drained of colour. The next few words, she says in a "I.... I'll be back. Give me five minutes? I...just remembered something."

She leaves without waiting for an answer.

Kiara sinks into the grass, covering her face in her hands.

What have I just done?

--

All the way back from her room in the palace to the lake, the pouch hanging from her wrist feeling only a slight bit heavier, Hana cannot stop mentally kicking herself.

"You fool! You imbecile! Bèn dàn!!" Hana curses herself as she speeds up her sprint into a run, "What happened to your tongue? What kind of reaction was that?? What will Kiara think?"

Her mind now sprints miles ahead of her feet, racing in panicked ferocity over the possibilities.

With any luck, Kiara could still be waiting - puzzled and perhaps a little worried. Or she could be actively panicking, the way she does (on very rare occasions) when a plan goes terribly wrong.

Or...or...

Hana holds the silk pouch from her wrist in a deathlike grip as she speeds up towards Lake Sôse. Or.

The thought of that lovely, open space completely devoid of Kiara, of that beguiling combination of rose and jasmine emanating from her favourite Dior J'adore perfume, makes Hana's stomach drop to her feet.

It isn't until she sees that that heartbreakingly familiar figure of Kiara's, hunched over the grass, that Hana allows herself to breathe.

Kiara is there. Shoulders bent, head buried in her hands, almost stumbling as she tries to get up when she sees Hana.

Morose. Defeated. But still there.

Without another thought, Hana rushes into Kiara's arms, almost knocking her off her feet.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," Hana whispers against her hair. "I wasn't trying to run away. I really had to get something. For you."

Kiara pulls back to look into her eyes, and when she does Hana's heart twists at the sight of unshed tears. "I thought I'd scared you off."

Hana's own laughter quavers, pitched high in disbelief. "I've just pledged myself to you this afternoon, body and soul, at the palace fountain. This -" she lifts Kiara's left hand to her chest, her thumb caressing the empty space on her beloved's ring finger " - just makes it so much more real."

Kiara's arms wrap around her, pulling Hana flush to her. Hana can feel Kiara shake as she giggles in response. "...you mean to say that I'd have saved myself so much stress if I'd just remembered those coins."

"Yes, qīn'ài de, a thousand times yes." She cups Kiara's face, pressing their foreheads together. "Place that ring where it belongs, Kiki. I can't wait to see it on my finger."

Hana holds her tight until Kiara's breathing becomes slower, calmer. She raises her newly-adorned hand for Kiara to see - marvelling at how the ring really mimics the glow of a snow crystal in the winter sun.

When they part, shyly, reluctantly, Hana begins to fiddle with the silk pouch.

"Here's what I'd gone to bring."

Kiara's eyes brighten at the sight of the box in her hand; a wave of warmth floods through Hana in anticipation of her response. Kiara gasps the minute she opens the box, revealing a delicate, intricately carved rose gold ring, flanked by small diamonds on all four corners, cradling a bigger one at the center.

"Rose gold," Kiara murmurs in wonder.

"Yes," Hana brushes her fingers over Kiara's knuckles. She'd told her once, long ago, how revered that metal was in her home province Bethulia. How Bethulian jewellers and goldsmiths and young women swore by the rosy hue it exuded. How it was a perfect amalgamation of three precious metals - all highly valued in the province. How tied it was to their folktales and bridal rituals.

"Copper..silver...gold." Kiara's tears glitter like diamonds before she lets them fall. "For friendship. For love. For belonging."

Hana smiles, her hand still stroking Kiara's cheek. "You remembered."

Kiara rolls her still-moist eyes, trying hard not to sniff - it would take out all the humour in this situation. "It's hard to forget a ritual we'd performed just ten minutes ago, ma moité."

"I'd planned to give you this ring a week from now," Hana says, shaking her head at her own impulsiveness as the ring she'd chosen on a fanciful whim so long ago, now finds its home. "I've been holding onto it for far too long."

Kiara caresses the stone on her own finger lovingly, admiring the way the rose gold glows on her skin. When she speaks, her voice is breathless in anticipation. "How long?"

For several minutes, Hana's only response is to pull Kiara back in her arms again. Her hand slides slowly, almost with a tinge of regret, down the dip of Kiara's waist on her left side. The wound that had once served as a constant, searing reminder of so much (of her vulnerability, of her inability to run from pain, of what she'd once considered her failures), has healed in more ways than one - only a faded scar that Hana never fails to kiss, now remains.

"For seven months," Hana's voice shakes at the memory, "Since the night after Homecoming Ball."

With a choked sob, Kiara enfolds Hana into her arms, almost as if she'd want to absorb her into every cell of her body. Fervently, reverently, she presses her lips all over Hana's face - her eyelids, her cheeks, the bridge of her nose, all the little-known, barely-noticed parts of her. It takes her a while - perhaps too long, in Hana's opinion - for Kiara's lips to meet hers, but she welcomes the sweet torture of waiting.

"Mon cœur," Kiara says between kisses, "ma raison de vivre."

When they part, the two women keep each other's hands interlinked, one left hand over the other. Neither of them will remember how long they stay at the lake; only that they never want this joy, this warm afterglow of seeing their dreams come true...to end.

The empty spaces on their ring fingers, over which they'd each stolen such secret, hungry glances today, now bear the mark of their lovers. Now bear the most tangible signs of their love, their memories, their promises, their commitment.

Together forever.

--

Translation:

Ma moité - a romantic endearment in French, meaning "my other half"

Qīn'ài de - Mandarin Chinese for "my dear"/"darling"

Bèn dàn - Mandarin Chinese cuss word that means "stupid egg!"

Mon cœur - French endearment, meaning "my heart"

Ma raison de vivre - French for "my reason to live"

--

References for Hana and Kiara's engagement rings:

Kiara:

(Source: Maxine Jewellery)

Hana:

(Source: This article on engagement rings, but the actual pic itself came from Blue Rose Photography)

[lattes-and-kpop]

SKZ appreciation post!

I discovered Stray Kids back in 2017 when the survival show was airing, during that point of my life I was dealing with a lot of personal issues that I won't go into detail, but things weren't going good for me and I felt so alone.

Anyways, at the time I knew of K-pop but wasn't really a fan of it, but one fateful day I happened to stumble upon a post on twitter talking about a new survival show. I got curious and decided to check it out and was hooked ever sense.

I looked forward to watching the show every week, I liked seeing how dedicated and passionate everyone was. As the years passed, their music has been a source of motivation and strength for me. Their passion, dedication and energy has always been so inspiring and has bought so much comfort and joy into my life. Every performance is filled with such talent and emotion, and they never fail to brighten my day.

If I'm being honest, when I first discovered Stray Kids, it felt like I finally found someone who understood me. They're the group that offered comfort through my struggles, they always made me feel worth it and accepted no matter what. Stray Kids always let me, and all of their other fans know that it's okay to be different and that we aren't alone. They made me feel like I didn't need to act like someone else to be valued or loved. I can't even describe in words how much this group means to me; I just love them so much. I would go as far to say that Stray Kids quite literally saved my life. Sometimes I like to think that me discovering Stray Kids was fate, I discovered them when I needed them the most. They changed my life for better and for that I will always be grateful.

While thanking SKZ, I can't forget to thank stay too! You guys are always so sweet and welcoming. Every edit, every gif set, every fan art, etc, never fails to put a smile on my face :)

Anyways, I could go on and on forever, but this is getting a bit too long! I just want to give thanks to SKZ and Stays <3 I love Stray Kids, and I love our fandom. Thank you all for creating a sense of belonging and unity.

[spoodlebat]

DAY 12 - FUTURE

A fresh start. A chance to right our wrongs. Oh, what beauty lays in the eyes of a child; one that looks to the skies of a world ahead, unburdened by the ruins that for eons I have called my own future.

Ramblings and timelapse below the cut <3

Alright, this is the last of these I'll be doing in order this year; from here out I'm just going to do the non optional prompts ^^ It turns out doing a piece a day (or more to try and catch up) is not something I can do reliably, and that's fine. I just wanna get to some of the later prompts before the end of the month, and to make it past my old record for one of these things.

----------

An Astral's existance begets first the creation of dual tragedies. The forces of mind and heart must be tempered; changed and made ready to accept their chimeric union. Raw wounds in the weave of the world, woven one apiece to weft and warp of a material unwanted. The combining of these opposing forces, a break in the flow of all that is; the very fabric of reality itself is rent at their creation. The birth of such a creature demands respect, awe, reverence, and, above all else, pity. For what caring god would blot its work so?

Eldest daughter of Lord Volston and the zyrunite creation 653. First protégé taken by Morraestus of Unity. Eighth of the Seven Perpetual. Elizabeth Volston-Martirine, perview as of yet unknown.

But please, for brevity's sake; just call her Liz ^^

Studious, stubborn, and strongwilled, the newest in the family of eternal outcasts revives old hopes and carries on old flames. But she brings light all her own; one that, as much infinities tend towards, may just last forever.

----------

A redesign of an old oc, one I last tried to pen in about 2017 ;-; whoof. This is technically an older version of her; the prompt IS future, after all. But she represents also the future for a group of people that, until recently, were very much stuck in the past. It does help that she's basically immortal, also; lot of time ahead of her ^^

Here's her old design sketch; there are others I have lying around on paper somewhere, but unfortunately I don't seem to have pictures of them lying around ^^ Maybe I'll find em somewhere.

Honestly I really liked the ideas here, so I kept most of it; the majority of the work for today's piece was finally finishing the damn thing, plus some work on the outfit since I was never happy with it. I might also find a way to work some more infinities into her design, since that's kind of her 'thing'.

Aaaand timelapse~

[sagehaubitze]

All them f(l)ags, Pride unity day 2017.

[bracketsoffear]

I hope I'm not late to the fan statement thing but either way I wanted to try making some-

"Old Unknown Friend" - statement of Madoka Kaname about her classmate's strange behavior (PMMM ; Stranger/Spiral?)

"It's Okay To Run Away" - statement of Mafuyu Asahina about her relationship with her mother (Project Sekai ; Desolation/Lonely)

"Zero" - statement of Suzaku Kururugi regarding events of years 2017-2018 a.t.b. (Code Geass ; Eye/Web/Slaughter)

"Frozen Solid" - statement of Noelle Holiday about getting stronger (Deltarune ; Web/Desolation?)

"Bomb Rush Blush" - statement of Callie Cuttlefish about mind control (Splatoon ; Web)

"Hand of Galochio" - statement of Razputin Aquato about his fear of water (Psychonauts ; Vast)

"There's Nothing There" - statement of Dr. Harold Pontiff Coomer regarding his realisation (HLVRAI ; Vast)

"The Loser Looks In The Eyes Of The Monster" - statement of Yuri Beletski about a friend he made at a party (PAFL ; Flesh)

"Day of Unity" - statement of Luz Noceda about a nearly realized extinction event (TOH ; Extinction)

"Attached At The Hip" - statement of Looks To The Moon about her and her brother's deterioration (Rain World ; Vast/End)

"Sins of The Mother" - statement of Steven Universe about his life (SU ; Vast/Slaughter/Desolation)

"Just Shapes" - statement of Mae Borowski regarding her dreams (NITW ; Vast/Spiral)

"Completing the Mission" - statement of Henry Stickmin regarding different timelines (THSC ; End/Spiral)

"Disease and Cure" - statement of Clara [surname unknown] about a plague caused by her supposed twin (Pathologic ; Corruption/Stranger)

"Let's All Quit The Internet" - statement of Ame [surname redacted] about her failed streamer career (Needy Streamer Overload ; Spiral)

"We're Not Done Playing Yet" - statement of Wendy [surname redacted] about the death of her twin (Don't Starve ; End)

"Potato Battery" - statement of Chell [surname redacted] regarding her participation in the Aperture Science Testing Initiative (Portal ; Buried)

"Formerly The Last One Standing" - statement of Natsuki [surname redacted] about deja vu (DDLC ; Spiral/End)

"The End Is Never The End" - statement of Stanley [surname redacted] regarding the voice narrating his life (Stanley Parable ; Web/Spiral)

"Exit Door" - statement of [redacted] about being stuck in a video game (TADC ; Spiral/Buried)

"Taste of Failure" - statement of [redacted] about an island expedition gone wrong (Bugsnax ; Corruption/Buried)

"Floor After Floor" - statement of [redacted] about a long elevator ride with a coworker (Elevator Hitch ; ...every entity)

.

[southeastasianists]

In the days since Hamas launched a deadly attack on southern Israel on 7 October, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations has not made a formal statement about the crisis. This is not surprising, given that each ASEAN member sees the conflict differently. The language adopted and positions taken by individual ASEAN members reflect the interplay of historical or domestic dynamics in their foreign policy. ASEAN is a grouping – but on this issue, not a bloc.

Let’s look at the diverse response from the ASEAN members – where at one end of the spectrum, Brunei, Malaysia and Indonesia have expressed unity with the Palestinians. None of them has diplomatic relations with Israel and all have remained steadfast in their criticism of Israel despite Western pressure. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim spoke to Ismail Haniyeh, the political bureau chief of Hamas, and expressed support for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

In each of Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia, religion is significant in domestic politics. With Muslim majority populations, there is widespread public solidarity with the Palestinian struggles.

The significance of religion in Indonesian domestic politics was compelling enough for Ganjar Pranowo, one of the candidates for next year’s presidential election, to appear during an Islamic prayer call on a private TV station as part of his campaign. Furthermore, recent public demonstrations in Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur against Israel and the United States reflect sentiment on the street about the latest fighting, which governments cannot ignore.

Conversely, Singapore took a firm position against Hamas and strongly condemned the “terror attacks”. The small island-state has close defence relations with Israel, with Israeli military advisers assisting the Singapore Armed Forces since Singapore’s independence in 1965. Defence relations remain strong, as reflected in the joint development and production of surface-to-surface Blue Spear missiles.

Singapore’s strong stance against Hamas leaves it out of step with its larger Muslim-majority neighbours. Bilahari Kausikan, an influential former Singaporean diplomat, made clear the difference by frankly labelling as “bullshit” a view he attributed to a Malaysian ex-diplomat for the “root cause of the current violence” to be addressed, instead supporting a robust Israeli military response against Hamas.

Nevertheless, Singapore is concerned the crisis could lead to domestic division along religious lines as there is a sizable Muslim minority in the island-state. The government has banned events and public assemblies concerning the current Israel-Hamas conflict, citing rising tension as a reason. And to avoid a view that the Singapore position was one-sided, a government minister later said it was possible to be concerned regarding the Palestinian plights while condemning Hamas’ action. The Singaporean President and Prime Minister sent letters to Palestinian leaders, expressing condolences for the mounting casualties in the Gaza Strip, and pledging a $300,000 donation in humanitarian aid.  

Two other ASEAN members, the Philippines and Thailand, have large numbers of nationals working in Israel and have suffered casualties in the current crisis. Yet each responded differently. The Philippines condemned Hamas’ actions, while Thailand initially expressed neutrality, stating that “we do not know the truth about the political climate between the two nations [Palestine and Israel].” Manila’s response could be attributed to its experience battling militant groups in the southern Philippines over decades. As recently as 2017, militant groups professing alignment with the Islamic State seized control of Marawi, a city in the south of the Philippines, which led to a months-long campaign by the Philippines military with regional support to drive the militants out.

Across mainland Southeast Asia, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam issued softer statements, expressing concern about the crisis without assigning blame to any party. The military junta in Myanmar is more focused on regime survival, launching an air strike against domestic insurgents, killing 29 people a few days after the Hamas attack on Israel.

These historical and domestic dynamics inform the policy of individual ASEAN states and provide some perspective in their reading of and response to the current crisis in the Middle East. It demonstrates a lack of unity among the Southeast Asian grouping that some observers argue dilutes its relevance. Yet despite the diverse responses by individual ASEAN members, there has been no official criticism by one member against another. This is consistent with ASEAN’s norms of non-interference in each other’s affairs, which aims to ensure the stability of Southeast Asia, a region that is still experiencing the threat of terrorism, internal rebellions, and inter-state territorial disputes.

Perhaps the silent acceptance of diverse positions is a strategy for ASEAN to cope in the more volatile world that we live in today.

[apenitentialprayer]

May 11, 2023

Earlier today, Pope Francis declared that 21 Coptic Orthodox Christians, who were beheaded by Islamic militants in Libya in 2015, would be added to the Roman Martyrology. Francis made the announcement during an audience with Pope Tawadros II, the leader of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria. The “21 Coptic New Martyrs of Libya,” as they are called, were martyred on February 15, 2015. Less than a week later, they were declared saints in the Coptic Orthodox Church by Pope Tawadros. The Copts celebrate their feast on the anniversary of their death, February 15, and it appears that this will also be their feast day on the Roman calendar.

The world was shocked in February 2015, when a 5-minute video was uploaded to the internet by ISIS militants. The video showed the 21 kidnapped men in orange jumpsuits being beheaded on a beach near the Libyan city of Sirte. 20 of these martyrs were Egyptian Copts who had gone to Libya to do construction work. The last member of the group, Matthew Ayariga, was a fellow worker from Ghana. It is said that he told the executioners, “Their God is my God. I will go with them.” There has been some question over whether he was already Christian or whether the witness of his 20 coworkers led to his conversion, but nevertheless, his Christian witness and solidarity are inspiring. It was reported that as they died, they chanted hymns and prayed aloud.

The deaths of these men as Christian martyrs is undeniable. The extraordinary photos of Blessed Miguel Pro, a Catholic priest who was executed by the Mexican government in 1927 during the Cristero War — taken just moments before the he was shot by the firing squad — are perhaps the only other photographic images recording a Christian martyrdom as it happened. And yet the recognition of the 21 martyrs as Catholic saints is unprecedented for several reasons.

The primary reason, of course, is that the Coptic Orthodox Church is not in full communion with Rome. The Copts are Oriental Orthodox (as opposed to Eastern Orthodox), because they split from the other Christian churches in the year 451 at the Council of Chalcedon due to differences over the nature of Christ. They are also referred to as “Non-Chalcedonian Orthodox Churches.” This means that they recognize the first three ecumenical councils, whereas the Eastern Orthodox recognize seven, and the Catholic Church recognizes 21 ecumenical councils.

After more than 15 centuries, our hope of reunion may seem remote. After all these years, the two Churches have independently developed their own traditions, theologies, forms of worship, and prayers. Yet some things have remained the same. Both Churches have maintained apostolic succession and the sacraments: Pope Francis is the successor of St. Peter and Pope Tawadros is the successor of St. Mark. In recent decades, the relationship between the Catholic Church and the Coptic Orthodox Church has become closer. For example, in 2017, Popes Francis and Tawadros made a joint statement indicating mutual acceptance of the validity of baptism in both Churches.

Pope Francis has praised the Martyrs of Libya many times, and today he recalled our shared baptism, as well as the blood of martyrs that enriches the Church. He said, “These martyrs were baptized not only in the water and Spirit, but also in blood, a blood that is the seed of unity for all of Christ’s followers.” In the past, the pope has discussed how we must realize that we, the baptized, have much more in common than what divides us. This shared recognition of sainthood between the two Churches is a significant step towards Christian unity.

This sets a new precedent. In 1964, when the Ugandan Martyrs were canonized by Pope Paul VI, St. Charles Lwanga and the other 21 Catholics among his companions were declared saints. The 23 Anglicans who were martyred alongside them were mentioned briefly in the pope’s homily, when he said, “And we do not wish to forget, the others who, belonging to the Anglican confession, met death for the name of Christ.”

Another reason why today’s announcement is unique was that Pope Francis did this by an official act. The Roman Martyrology is the official list of saints officially recognized by the Latin Church. Many Eastern Catholic Churches have their own processes for canonizing saints according to their traditions. Historically, when groups of Eastern Catholics have come into full communion with Rome, they will bring along their saints and prayers and traditions. Many of these saints aren’t officially canonized by Rome, and they are usually only venerated in their own tradition. By inscribing the names of these martyrs in the Roman Martyrology, Pope Francis has made it clear that these martyrs are to be venerated by Roman Catholics as saints.

Finally, in declaring them saints today, Pope Francis sidestepped the typical canonization process. They are saints, without having passed through the usual stages of Servant of God, Venerable, and Blessed. This “skipping” of steps is commonly referred to as “equipollent canonization.” Essentially, when a pope declares someone a saint by an official act, that person is recognized as a saint in the Church. This is not the first time Francis has moved a case along in this way. For example, when he canonized Popes John XXIII and John Paul II in 2014, he waived the requirement of a second miracle for John XXIII so that the two popes would be canonized on the same day. In 2013, he elevated the Jesuit Peter Faber, whose status had lingered at “Blessed” since 1872.

Perhaps the most interesting case is that of St. Gregory of Narek, an Armenian monk venerated as a saint in the Armenian Catholic Church and the Armenian Apostolic Church. Unexpectedly, Pope Francis named him the 36th Doctor of the Church in 2015. Living from in the mid-10th century through the early 11th, St. Gregory lived at a time when the Armenian Church was not in communion with Rome. After several failed attempts at reunion, the Armenian Catholic Church was officially recognized as an Eastern Catholic Church in 1742. Interestingly, the Armenian Catholic eparchy of Buenos Aires (established in 1989 by Pope John Paul II) is called the Eparchy of Saint Gregory of Narek. Perhaps this is how Pope Francis became familiar with the saint.

We Christians are blessed with a wide variety of saints from all sorts of backgrounds. They help make up the beautiful tapestry of the people of God — praying for us, interceding for us, and inspiring us. This is something worth celebrating.

21 Coptic New Martyrs of Libya, Pray for Us!

Mike Lewis. Bolded emphases added.

[polyamorouspunk]

Bomb City: The Case of Brian Deneke

The Movie:

“Bomb City is a 2017 American crime film… based on the death of Brian Deneke, the homicide that revealed the cultural clash between the local jocks and the punk community in Amarillo, Texas, and the result from the subsequent court case sparked debate over injustice in the American judicial system.

On December 12, 1997, 19-year-old American punk musician musician Brian Theodore Deneke (March 9, 1978 – December 12, 1997) was killed in a deliberate hit and run attack in Amarillo, Texas, by 17-year-old Dustin Camp. Camp was later found guilty of voluntary vehicular manslaughter and sentenced to ten years' probation and a $10,000 fine, which was later dropped. In 2001, he was sentenced to eight years' imprisonment for a variety of parole violations. He was paroled under supervision on July 31, 2006. The homicide and the outcome of the trial against Camp galvanized the punk community and raised accusations about the social tolerance of the Texan city. This film is about the events of that night and some of what led up to it, as well as the way the police, the adults and the community re - murdered Brian Deneke, victim blaming and police terrorizing one group of children whilst looking the other way of another group of children for the same actions.

Brian Deneke is a 19 year old from Amarillo, Texas, who is into punk and the punk rock subculture. He is a local DIY promoter who books touring punk rock bands at a small run down venue. In this conservative town, there are many teenagers who actively follow punk and they routinely clashed with the jocks from one of the local high school's football team: The Tascosa Rebels.”

[Source]

History:

“Deneke was remembered by his friends as being friendly, charismatic and seen as a leader in local punk circles, helping to organize many local musical events. Nicknamed "Sunshine", Deneke had a spiked mohawk hairstyle and often wore a black leather jacket with a studded leather collar and sported homemade tattoos. He was also an enthusiastic skateboarder, and it was this interest which drew him into the punk subculture.

Like other punks in Amarillo, Deneke had suffered frequent harassment and bullying, and acquired nicknames such as "Punch" and "Fist Magnet" by tormentors. His parents were against their son's lifestyle, and warned him of possible prejudice from people in Amarillo.

Deneke was an artist for Stanley Marsh 3's art project, Dynamite Museum, which consisted of handmade mock road signs scattered across Amarillo city streets. Deneke was also the vocalist of punk rock group The White Slave Traders, and aspired to become a famous punk rock musician.

On December 12, 1997, 19-year-old American punk musician Brian Theodore Deneke (March 9, 1978 – December 12, 1997) was killed in a deliberate hit and run attack in Amarillo, Texas, by 17-year-old Dustin Camp… Camp was later found guilty of voluntary vehicular manslaughter and sentenced to ten years' probation and a $10,000 fine, which was later dropped. In 2001, he was sentenced to eight years' imprisonment for a variety of parole violations. He was paroled under supervision on July 31, 2006.

The homicide and the outcome of the trial against Camp galvanized the punk community and raised accusations about the social tolerance of the Texan city.

Pop Culture:

Numerous tribute gigs and concerts have been made for Deneke since his death. In 2000, The Unity Through Diversity festival was held in Amarillo featuring The Undead and Mike Watt, amongst other bands. The tenth anniversary of his death demonstrated the ongoing significance of his death to the punk community with 25 concerts being held on December 8, 2007 across the United States and Canada, including concerts in New York City, Chicago, Seattle and five concerts across Texas including a two-day event in Amarillo. Half of the money raised by these events went to National Organization for Parents of Murdered Children, the other half to various anti prejudice causes.

Deneke's death has been the subject of a number of songs, including:

“Brian’s Song” by Fifteen

“Brain’s Song” by The Code

“Tears on a Pillow (in Amarillo)” by The Undead

“Fortunes of War” by Dropkick Murphys

“Sunshine Fist Magnet” by Against All Authorities

“A Punk Killed” and “Murdered” by Total Chaos

“American Justice Is All A Lie” by Career Soldiers

“Sunshine” by The Swellers

“Hail” by Hammell on Trial

“Punk Song” by LambBed TW FOR FLASHING LIGHTS!!!”

[Source]

Marilyn Manson has also discussed this case before.

Case Coverage:

Skate Park:

Originally, a petition to rename a local skatepark in Amarillo was passed around. Today, the person has changed to build a new skate park and name it after Brian.

[Article 1]

[Article 2]

[Article 3]

[News Clip]

[day6source]

DAY6 Open Up About Their Long-Awaited Comeback and What Fourever Means to Them: 'It's Our Time' (Exclusive)

"I think the last three years was a period of self-care and self-love," SUNGJIN says of the 4-piece band's hiatus by Jenna Wang

After a long break, returning to the stage again might feel a little intimidating. Just like with any activity, time spent away might make anyone feel hesitant — like trying to re-learn how to bike, or going through the motions of swimming again.  However, when the K-pop boy band DAY6 pulls back the curtain with a flourish, it’s clear that their three-year-long hiatus hasn’t stopped them in their tracks. For the boys — SUNGJIN, 31, Young K, 30, WONPIL, 29, and DOWOON, 28 — the stage is their natural element.  From the way they passionately sing as the spotlights fall on their faces, they couldn’t be happier to be together again. And as the chorus of their latest album’s first track builds up, they have one message for those who have anticipated their comeback: “Welcome to the Show.” 

Their eighth mini-album name, Fourever, hits the nail on the head with its overall theme, composed of seven tracks about love, nostalgia and what happiness really is. As the boys gather one late evening to talk about the comeback, they can’t help but reflect on their pop rock journey together since their debut back in 2015. While dressed warmly in long sleeves and quarter zips, the energy they exude together is just as heartwarmingly bright.  “It’s our time,” Young K says to PEOPLE. “Being able to put out this album would be our biggest joy, really coming back altogether and being able to present ourselves in front of My Days because they have been waiting for this moment as much as us, hopefully.”  Indeed, being together in front of their fans, dubbed “My Days,” has been a long time coming. Through all the trials and tribulations, their unity is what stands out as they speak, and especially in their lyrics.  “I’m so moved by the stage / That I won’t be alone any longer,” Young K sings in the first track, surrounded by his fellow bandmates. 

However, with any comeback from a break, a bundle of mixed emotions is to be expected.  “If you listen to our song, ‘I Smile,’ there’s a lyric that says ‘half-nervous and half-excited,’” DOWOON says of the track, released in 2017. “That’s exactly how I feel.”  For the past three years, the DAY6 members completed their required military enlistment in South Korea. While they underwent basic training, they also could reflect on what meant most to them.  “I think the last three years was a period of self-care and self-love,” SUNGJIN says. “I have come to realize that in order for this band to exist, I have to exist first, so I really try to teach myself how to take care of myself well.” 

For SUNGJIN, self-care might be as simple as buying a small gift for himself, or meeting with loved ones. And even though all the boys were completing their service, that didn’t mean they were restricted from seeing one another. In fact, DOWOON recalls a humorous moment when he was in a TV program, and WONPIL and Young K joined him to perform.  “They insisted that they come into my room and share my bed while we were training, while we were practicing together — so that’s one memory that I have,” DOWOON shares.  “That’s how glad we were to see him,” Young K adds with a laugh.  When asked how large the bed was, WONPIL doesn’t beat around the bush with his response: “Yeah, it was very small.”  The boys also had ample free time outside of training to engage in hobbies, and DOWOON’s was especially productive. The drummer, and the band’s youngest member, says he taught himself how to play the bass drums and pushed himself to continually “relearn.” Mastering the instrument became the challenge he set out to accomplish for the album. DOWOON is far from the only member who plays an instrument. In fact, what makes the boy band especially unique is how every member excels at their own instrument. While SUNGJIN rocks it as the rhythm guitarist, WONPIL effortlessly works the keyboard and synthesizer. Young K has always been the bassist of the group, but surprisingly, has never played a bass instrument before becoming a trainee. However, you wouldn’t be able to tell because of how much he practices for upcoming albums. “That becomes the best way of practice for me,” he says of his practicing regimen. “Of course, doing the chromatics, slowing down and then going at the right pace — that would be a great practice session.” “That’s why I don’t call myself the best bassist, but that’s what I do,” he simply adds.

Regardless of how they practice, their instrumental mastery shines through in each of the tracks. They serve to highlight the deep meanings associated with each song, like SUNGJIN’s favorite — “HAPPY.” The second track revolves around one question: “Why am I gradually sinking when I want to be happy?” For SUNGJIN, the melancholic song is one that he can especially relate to. “I empathize with it the most because it talks about the question that I had for myself for a long time, which is how I had this obscure thought that happiness will come along one day,” he says. As the boys begin to contemplate about what the songs mean, it’s apparent that they draw on a lot of memories and feelings from the past. Indeed, nostalgia ( a feeling “relatable to everyone,” says SUNGJIN) is a core tenant in tracks such as “Get the Hell Out,” which address lingering, and often tormenting memories. 

Embarrassing memories might often fall under the same vein, and Young K can recall an especially funny memory. When he was still a trainee, he appeared on a TV show and said he was “from Toronto.” However, he chose not to say the Canadian city’s name in a Korean accent, and that’s what people will “still make fun” of him for to the present day.  “I don’t even have to think back on it — people make me think back on it,” he says of the inescapable memory. “People bring it up, and I’m still that guy from Toronto.”  As the boys begin to contemplate about what the songs mean, it’s apparent that they draw on a lot of memories and feelings from the past. Indeed, nostalgia ( a feeling “relatable to everyone,” says SUNGJIN) is a core tenant in tracks such as “Get the Hell Out,” which address lingering, and often tormenting memories.  Embarrassing memories might often fall under the same vein, and Young K can recall an especially funny memory. When he was still a trainee, he appeared on a TV show and said he was “from Toronto.” However, he chose not to say the Canadian city’s name in a Korean accent, and that’s what people will “still make fun” of him for to the present day.  “I don’t even have to think back on it — people make me think back on it,” he says of the inescapable memory. “People bring it up, and I’m still that guy from Toronto.” 

Perhaps just as recurring in all the boys’ lives is the motif of love, which many of their tracks explore. Yet, even with tracks like “The Power of Love” and “Let Me Love You,” the boys still agree that much is still unknown about the power of the emotion.  “I’m not 100% certain if I know what love is, but I think for now, sacrifice takes a big part of it,” WONPIL says.  “And consideration,” SUNGJIN chimes in, before diving deeper. 

“The definition of love is still unclear to me, but I feel it,” he continues. “I really feel from my parents what real love is, and it’s something that I didn’t realize before. Now, I really realize what my parents gave me was real love.”  DOWOON says he can feel a special kind of love between him and the fans.  “When I look into the eyes of My Days, I can feel their love for us,” he says. “I learned a lot about love from My Days, and I constantly think about how we can return that love and I think I’m still in the learning process of the definition of love. But for now, I can say that the love that My Days gives us — we feel that a lot.”  Young K, too, also has much to contemplate about when thinking about love. For him, the idea of love is “very interesting” in many ways. 

“Love has been existing ever since human beings existed, or ever since language existed, and people are still asking what the definition of love is,” he explains. “It still hasn’t been defined. I can say whatever we say is not the definition for everyone, but I feel like I can certainly say love exists everywhere.”  Later on, the group also demonstrates how love isn’t only between them or their fans, but even for their past selves. That’s something they don’t forget to mention as they grow into their late twenties and early thirties, as DOWOON proves with a message to his younger self.  “Just be there and stay there, and it will brighten up one day,” he says after a thoughtful moment. “Learn to love yourself as soon as possible in order to help others.”  Despite their more mature outlook on things, it’s clear that the DAY6 members haven’t lost their charismatic and youthful energy. Since they’ve united together again, the band has shared countless memories, full of ab-forming laughs.  “When we were practicing, I asked WONPIL: ‘How much longer are you going to practice?’”DOWOON recalls. “He said, ‘I can practice as long as I want, what’s wrong with it?’” As the members begin to smile, DOWOON adds: “And he shouted, ‘Just leave me alone, let me practice in peace!’” WONPIL also adds his two cents as well about what, or in this case, who, makes him laugh the most.

“I always get a laugh from Young K,” he says. “He always makes me laugh. I can’t exactly point out what it was recently, but I remember laughing really, really hard because of Young K.” In response, Young K shrugs humorously in confusion, just as DOWOON brings up his Toronto motif again. Now, with their comeback, the DAY6 members are ready for what’s ahead, no matter how rocky, smooth or unpredictable the waves may be. In fact, unpredictability is already something that they’re used to, Young K says.  “When we first came out, there were no numbers, or very small numbers compared to now,” he reflects. “For example, ‘You Were Beautiful’ went in the charts years later after it was released. So, you never know what’s going to happen in the future. All we got to do is just make good music and work hard.”  As for any upcoming plans? Besides a concert in mid-April, they can’t make any guarantees about anything else. However, they have their hopes set in stone.  “I don’t know if anything is set yet, but we’re hoping to go around the world,” Young K teases. “I promise you, and this is a promise — nothing is set yet.” 

[milflewis]

uhhh sorry hi ummm please say more about a valewis sex tape? (⓿_⓿) if you feel so inclined?

v v unfleshed out thoughts but !!! i was talking with ag one day and this was spawned into being. so. mb they do one every year??? after nico and the whole brocedes drama the sponsors are concerned about Team Unity and Keeping the Team Whole and so . what shows that two ppl like each other more than them having sex and it being filmed?? rock solid logic

the one in 2017 is v stilted and polite. it is. essentially. two colleagues having sex which. fair. that is what it is. but lewis is also unfairly beautiful and valtteri is only human and valtteri has the prettiest eyes lewis has ever seen and the way he blushes —

it’s not a Disaster is what i’m saying. so they do it again. and again.

and mb it become more and more marketable as ppl love the passion, makes it feel real and intimate. like theyre intruding on something that the drivers havent shown the rest of the world yet unlike everything else.

and then! it’s 2018 and valtteri’s worst year yet and lewis is so. he’s so gentle. does it so he covers valtteri’s face. this is the year val fucks him and not the other way around and lewis pulls him in so val’s face is pressed against his neck and the camera is on lewis’s and and and

(that being one of val’s worst times in his life and he’s so scared of getting fired and hes still on one year contracts. and he has to film this. its so fucked up. and lewis understanding and trying to make it up in the only way he feels he can.)

lewis who has spent his entire career exposed but is secure in this team in a way that val has never been and probably will never be but this. this is smth he can give him.

and then valtteri leaves the team and sponsors get pissed.

(the tape from 2021 was smth else. the adoration. the hot tenderness. the desperate need on the screen bc even tho neither of them had said it they knew this was their last year together and they had never talked about these. never done it outside of this room in hq. wanting to crawl into each other’s skin so they never have to let go and the viewer can Feel this)

and 2022 is just. lewis thinking valtteri is so much happier without these weird fucking obligations with merc ... maybe he’s too embarrassed about wanting him still to approach him past a shoulder pat in the pitlane.

until toto says 'hey i told valtteri we’d let him hitch a ride on the jet' and lewis spending half of it on his phone ignoring valtteri. who has NO clue about lewis' inner turmoil, thinks merc is better off without him even if they seem to have such a weird run of bad luck now and is content to stay in peaceful quiet sitting beside lewis on the jet until he can’t bear it and casually makes a weak joke about lewis and george's tape.

now! it could go two ways. either lewis put a stop to the tapes after valtteri left or he made one with george.

cause you could have lewis and george make a tape and valtteri is jealous and hating that he’s jealous bc it’s such a fucked up thing that they had to do and it’s bad enough that he Misses it and now he’s hating lewis for doing it with someone else when he knows lewis doesn’t have a choice. and then lewis feels guilty and he’s upset about That bc it’s not like he CHOSE george. it’s not like he wanted this but it took way more effort that it should’ve to not call out val’s name during the tape and george is fine. he’s funny and has good takes on the car and he’s Fine. but he’s not val and lewis doesn’t even want val back bc he’s finally happy and he looks so good in alfa and they treat him so well but he also does kinda want him back bc he misses him and it’s a Mess

OR . lewis puts a stop to the tapes and toto isn’t stupid. he sees lewis after valtteri leaves. sees him after the shitshow that was abu dhabi. sees the look in his eyes. and does not push. and then valtteri is left to wondering why now did the tapes stop. what does that mean. does it mean anything???? and suddenly noticing that lewis isn’t really looking at him that much.

(george in the bg like. you guys made sex tapes ?????????)

or or. what if they started making the tape and lewis couldn’t do it.

he couldn’t walk into that room that they only went in to make these. this room that he hates but it’s the only place in the whole world where he got valtteri like this and mb that makes him a terrible person for missing it. for wanting it back. but he can’t go in when he’s not there.

and mb lewis manages to get through it anyway and IS into banging george in a purely physical way and he feels guilty for liking it because its not valtteri, but they have to please sponsors SOMEHOW. and then he sees valtteri in bahrain and is like. toto PLEASE delete that fucking tape.

and valtteri just seems. like. normal?? lewis gets mad at him deep down like, how the fuck can you be all chill and cool about this. how dare you move on while i'm a mess!!!

he doesnt realize how carefully valtteri is sidestepping discussion of the tape when theyre hanging out. valtteri does NOT want to talk about it. he stuffs it down and turns into a fake australian. cycling with the kiwis. sampling wines with daniel. practising denial like the good homosexual that he is!

and seb says that he looks like a pornstar which lewis does NOT know how to deal with bc ???? what does that mean ???? is val making these tapes with other ppl ?????

so things go from valtteri always coming up to lewis on a race weekend to just. lewis CANNOT find him no matter how hard he tries. sidles up to daniel like hey have you seen-?

daniel, eyes shifting: euueueoohhhhhh ... no

lewis mb getting the message that val doesn’t want to see him and that’s. that’s Fine. lewis is so Fine. the car is shit and it’s kind of killing him and the media are dicks and valtteri doesn’t want to talk to him and seb is retiring and lewis is so Fine :( :) :( :)

[gamerdog1]

Captain Laserhawk: A Blood Dragon Remix Review

Its time to talk about crossovers. It seems that everywhere you look these days, big media conglomerates have been rushing out crossovers left and right, hoping to make a quick buck off of the nostalgic masses. To them, its easy money: put two or more popular things together, and people will come with wallets in hand. It doesn't even have to make sense; Fortnite gets away with slapping whatever popular characters they want in the game, because they know kids all across the world will steal their mommies' credit cards to get them.

But why all the crossover hate? Some of the most exciting and beloved pieces of media in recent decades have been crossovers, in one way or another. Wreck-It Ralph (2012) had Zangief from Street Fighter, Pac-Man, Bowser, and Doctor Eggman, along with dozens of other video-game characters, and none of it felt forced or contrived. Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) was the first time Bugs Bunny and Mickey Mouse appeared in the same scene, and it too, doesn't feel forced. Super Smash Bros., a game series which, under any other circumstances, would be seen as pandering, is one of the highest selling Nintendo franchises of all times, and continues to be an important part of the fighting game community.

Perhaps, then, what makes a crossover film, show, or game, high quality is what it does with itself. Anyone can put a bunch of famous characters in a scene, but what comes next? You've got a bunch of household names in a room together, so what? Pulling off a successful crossover isn't easy, but one thing's for sure: you better sell it quick, and sell it well.

Netflix, for all its ups and downs, sure knows how to sell a crossover. Last year, they lovingly gave us Captain Laserhawk: A Blood Dragon Remix, an animated series that features famous Ubisoft game characters in a dystopian cyberpunk future. Most people, like, me, got excited at hear the premise alone. A crossover with all our favorite game characters, helmed by showrunner behind Castlevania (2017) and the upcoming Devil May Cry series, seemed like a sure bet for some fast animation and punchy violence. Little did we know that behind the neon lights and blood splatters, was an important discussion about media's role in a oligarchic society.

CL:BDR follows Dolph Laserhawk, an ex-military cyborg who fights the governing technocracy with his boyfriend, Alex. Betrayed and left for dead, Laserhawk is enlisted in a covert team designed to take down the government through espionage. Along the way, Laserhawk grapples with his own conflicting feelings, as we learn more about how terrible life has become for everyone.

In the show, the United States has been taken over by a company called Eden, which rules through propaganda and heavy policing. Beneath the shiny veneer of peace and unity that peppy TV show hosts provide, lies a city where poverty is rampant, and anthropomorphic animals are treated as sub-human. Its a harsh reality, contrasted wonderfully by the cutesy, childish propaganda was seen on TVs throughout the show. We see a cute character sing about how we should thank all the 'hybrids' in our neighborhood for all the work they do, then smash-cut to a factory where those same 'hybrids' are forced to produce snake venom for hours without rest.

Eden is run through propaganda, which bleeds into every aspect of life for it's people. Buildings all across cities are branded with the company's name and logo, as blimps displaying the news hover above. Popular television star Rayman (from the self-titled games) gives both the nightly news, but runs the children's network too, ensuring that there's no escape from the government mouthpiece. In a world where major brands have begun to dominate the market more and more, its stuff like this that seems less fictional, and more like a warning.

In that regard, CL:BDR is an excellent piece of cyberpunk. After the Netflix anime, and recent game (of dubious quality), it feels as though most people see cyberpunk simply as another aesthetic. A flashy, edgy coat of paint to throw on when the sci-fi story need a little oomph. It saddens me to see that we're losing sight of the important of cyberpunk, but at least with this show, I can rest easy knowing they got the memo.

Still, for what its worth, the aesthetics are on point too. The show is full of lots of sharp, jagged lines, and angular shading, complimenting its fast action sequences and sometimes complex character designs. Night shots are dense, full of geometric buildings with lights littered like smaller suns, casting colored shadows. Its everything you'd expect out of an anime (or anime inspired) cyberpunk show.

What makes CL:BDR more than just a run-of-the-mill gritty animated series is how it leans into its video game-ness. Like Bocchi the Rock (2022), CL:BDR experiments with different animation styles, playing around with its visuals to achieve different effects. One episode has Laserhawk and his mysterious boss wandering through a virtual world, created by one of the last survivors of the wasteland beyond the city. Inside, both characters appear as their voice actors, pixelated like an old FMV game, yet the world around them is animated like normal. When under stress, the characters flip back and forth between pixilation and chunky polygons, as if going through the eras of gaming technology before our eyes.

Unlike early video game adaptations, CL:BDR is unafraid to be based on video games, celebrating past games instead of trying to 'class' them up for a wider audience. Nearly the entire main cast are taken from video games, and tweaked slightly to fit the story in ways that feel normal for them. Older gamers will get a kick out of seeing familiar faces, but for younger folks like me, the characters are written in a way that doesn't rely on viewers to have prior knowledge of them. You could watch this show without having played any Ubisoft games and still enjoy it.

If not for the game references, watch this show for the characters. Laserhawk himself is a deeply fascinating character, who struggles between his sense of justice, a drive for revenge, and feelings for someone he knows he can't trust. In any other show he'd be another gun-waving edgelord, but CL:BDR clearly cares about him, and works hard to get you to care about him too.

Bullfrog is another good character, who, if not for Laserhawk, I'd call my favorite. There's just something comedic about having a trained assassin from an ancient brotherhood be a chipper, cute anthropomorphic frog. In a show where everyone is gritty and serious, Bullfrog keeps scenes from getting too dark, drops a few jokes here and there, and is one of the nicest ones there.

Out of all the characters in this show, though, none are more surprising than Rayman. After years without a new game, and being ignored by Ubisoft in favor of the Rabbids, Rayman finally has his time to shine here, but in the most horrible, wonderful kind of way. Rayman's arc, going from corporate shill to full-blown terrorist, is given a surprising amount of time and focus, and by the end of the show, you really feel bad for him.

CL:BDR, at the end of the day, is a cyberpunk series for gamers, sci-fi fans, animation fans, or really any adults with access to it. Watching this show, I hadn't been this excited to see what comes next in a while, especially given Netflix's feast-or-famine adult animation library. I doubt it'll get a second season, but if it does, I'll be watching it the day it comes out, excited to see what this studio has cooking up next. If it has as much queer rep. as this show does, we're in for a treat.

[brookstonalmanac]

Holidays 9.1

Holidays

American Chess Day

Arbor Day (Peru)

Arts Day (Bardo)

Asbestos Awareness Day (UK)

Back to Hogwarts Day

Bahti Meskerem (Eritrea)

Building and Code Staff Appreciation Day

Carrington Event Day

Chicken Boy Day

Childhood Cancer Awareness Day (Tennessee)

Constitution Day (Slovakia)

Creation Day (According to Julius Africanus; 5,508 yrs, 3 months, 25 days BC)

Daffodil Day (New Zealand)

Day of Belarusian Written Language (Belarus)

Day of Knowledge (Estonia, Russia)

Disaster Prevention Day (Japan)

Draft Horse Day

Emma M. Nutt Day (a.k.a. Nutt Day)

Entrepreneur’s Day (Ukraine)

Euphrosyne Asteroid Day

Flag Day (Honduras)

Footy Colors Day (Australia)

Ginger Cat Appreciation Day

Global Talent Acquisition Day [1st Wednesday]

Human Resources Professional Day (South Dakota)

International Day of Awareness of the Dolphins of Taiji

International Naalbinding Day

International Neil Diamond Day

International Primate Day

International Trade Union Action Day for Peace

International Women in Cyber Day

Journalist Day (Taiwan)

Juno Steroid Day

Kama Sutra Day

Kanto Earthquake Memorial Day (Japan)

Knowledge Day (Armenia, Estonia, Russia, Ukraine)

Lake Baikal Day (Russia)

Letter Appreciation Day

Lose Your Virginity Day

Mary Had a Little Lamb Day

Meteorological Autumn begins (Northern Hemisphere)

Meteorological Spring begins (Southern Hemisphere)

National Acne Positivity Day

National Boykin Spaniel Day

National Child Identity Theft Awareness Day

National Disaster Prevention Day (Japan)

National Forgiveness Day

National Homecare Day of Action

National Hotel Employee Day

National Little Black Dress Day

National Marmoset Day

National No Rhyme (Nor Reason) Day

National Police K-9 Day

901 Day (Tennessee)

No Music Day (Nigeria)

Onam (Hindu harvest festival; India)

Partridge Day (UK)

Pink Cadillac Day

Presidential Message Day (Mexico)

Random Acts of Kindness Day (NZ)

Respect the Drive Day

Rites of Moawita (Elder Scrolls)

Save Japan’s Dolphins Day

Sing A Silly Song In Bed Day

Teacher’s Day (Singapore)

Tourist Day

Toy Tips Executive Toy Test Day

Trade Union Action for Peace Day (Tajikistan)

Trout Day (French Republic)

Veteran’s Day (Poland)

Wattle Day (Australia)

White Rabbit Day

World CLL Day

World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation

World Day of the Fingerprint

World Emotional Trauma Awareness Day

World Freestyle Football Day

World Letter Writing Day

World PCOS Day of Unity

World War Two Anniversary Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

Cherry Popover Day

Chop Suey Day

International Cap Classique Day (South Africa)

National Burnt Ends Day

National Gyro Day

National Oatloaf Day

National Tofu Day (UK)

Oyster Season begins

Rosolio Day (Italy)

Independence & Related Days

Alberta Province Day (Canada; 1905)

Baguio City Day (Philippines)

Baltia (Declared; 2014) [unrecognized]

Chrisland (Declared; 2015) [unrecognized]

Communist North China People’s Republic (Founded; 1948)

Gymnasium State (Declared; 2017) [unrecognized]

Jasaan Day (Philippines)

Qatar (from UK; 1971)

Revolution Day (Libya; 1969)

Saskatchewan Province Day (Canada; 1905)

Slovak Constitution Day (Slovakia)

Uzbekistan (a.k.a. Mustaqillik Kuni); from USSR, 1991)

New Year’s Days

New Year’s Day (Greek or Byzantine (Constantinople) Indication)

1st Sunday in September

Bowling League Day (a.k.a. U.S. Bowling League Day) [1st Sunday]

European Day of Jewish Culture [1st Sunday]

Father's Day (Australia, New Zealand) [1st Sunday]

Harvest Wine Celebration (Livermore, California) [1st Sunday]

Joust of the Saracen (Italy) [1st Sunday]

Mushroom Day (Denmark, Norway, Sweden) [1st Sunday]

National Commemoration Day (South Africa) [1st Sunday]

National Pastor’s Spouses Day [1st Sunday]

National Prayer Day for the Deaf (South Africa) [1st Sunday]

Pet Rock Day [1st Sunday]

Pffiferdaj (Day of the Strolling Fiddlers, or Fiddlers' Festival; Alsace, France) [1st Sunday]

Running of the Sheep (Montana) [Sunday of Labor Day Weekend]

Seven For Sunday [Every Sunday]

Snack Sunday [1st Sunday of Each Month]

Spiritual Sunday [1st Sunday of Each Month]

Start Over Sunday [1st Sunday of Each Month]

Sundae Sunday [Every Sunday]

Sunday Funday [Every Sunday]

Tales and Tallows (Elder Scrolls)

Wakes Sunday [Sunday after September 4]

Working Mother's Day [1st Sunday]

World Goddess Day [1st Sunday]

World Koesister Day [1st Sunday]

World Meditation Day [1st Sunday of Every Month]

Weekly Holidays beginning September 1 (1st Full Week of September)

International Enthusiasm Week (thru 9.7)

Legacy Week (Australia)

National Childhood Injury Prevention Week (thru 9.7)

National Nutrition Week (thru 9.7)

National Payroll Week (thru 9.7). [Week of Labor Day]

National Waffle Week (thru 9.7) [1st Week]

Self-University Week (thru 9.7)

Sobriety Checkpoint Week (thru 9.7) [1st Full Week]

Substitute Teacher Appreciation Week (thru 9.7) [1st Full Week]

Festivals Beginning September 1, 2024

Alaskan Grown Cheesecake Contest (Palmer, Alaska)

Atlanta Caribbean Jerk Festival (Lithonia, Georgia)

Bloemencorso Sint-Gillis-bij-Dendermonde (Sint-Gillis-bij-Dendermonde, Belgium)

Bloemencorso Zundert (Zundert, Netherlands) [thru 9.2]

California Wine Month (Statewide, California) [thru 9.30]

Flavor Palm Beach (Palm Beach, Florida) [thru 9.30]

Sydney Fringe Festival (Sydney, Australia) [thru 9.30]

Feast Days

Constantius (Costanzo) of Aquino (Christian; Saint)

Dalton (Positivist; Saint)

David Pendleton Oakerhater (Anglican Communion)

Drittel of Northumbria (Christian; Saint)

Ecclesiastical New Year (Orthodox Christian)

Edgar Rice Burroughs (Writerism)

Feast of Adjutor (Christian)

Feast of Macuilxochitl (5 Flower God; Mexico)

Festival of the Grapevines I: Ariadne (Pagan)

Felix, Donatus, Arontius, Honoratus, Fortunatus, Sabinianus, Septimus, Januarius, Vitalis, Satyrus, abd Repostius, 12 brothers (Christian; Martyrs)

Festival of Juno Regina and Jupiter Liber (Ancient Rome)

Fiacre (France, Ireland; Christian; Saint) [also 8.30]

Firminus II (Christian; Saint)

Gene Colan (Artology)

Gideon the Judge (Christian; Saint)

Giles (Christian; Saint)

Hilda Rix Nicholas (Artology)

Hobbit Remembrance Day (Pastafarian)

Jhonen Vasquez (Artology)

Loup (a.k.a. Lupus or Lew) of Sens (Christian; Saint)

Ludwig Merwart (Artology)

Nativity of Zoroaster (Starza Pagan Book of Days)

Nivard (a.k.a. Nivo; Christian; Saint)

Per Kirkeby (Artology)

Ramalamadingdong begins (Church of the SubGenius)

Sain (Celtic Book of Days)

Simeon Stylite (Eastern Orthodox)

Sixtus of Reims (Christian; Saint)

Sneeze-Wobbling Festival (Shamanism)

Soshana Afroyim (Artology)

Sweet Tater Festival (Cullman, Alabama) [thru 9.2]

Taddeo Zuccari (Artology)

Terentian (a.k.a. Terrence; Christian; Saint)

Timothy Zahn (Writerism)

The Twelve Brothers (Christian; Martyrs)

Uncle Ermisimo (Muppetism)

Verena (Christian; Saint)

Vibiana (Christian; Saint)

Yasuo Kuniyoshi (Artology)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Historically Bad Day (Germany invaded Poland, earthquakes in Iran & Japan & 8 other tragedies) [7of 11]

Taian (大安 Japan) [Lucky all day.]

Premieres

The Abominable Mountaineers, featuring Sad Cat (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1968)

Address Unknown, by Kathrine Kressmann Taylor (Novel; 1938)

The Aleph, by Jorge Luis Borges (Short Story; 1945)

Arsenic and Old Lace (Film; 1943)

The Autograph Hound (Disney Cartoon; 1939)

The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer (Film; 1947)

Balloon Snatcher, featuring Astronut (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1969)

The Big Clean-Up (Hector Heathcote Cartoon; 1963)

Bye, Bye, Blackboard (Woody Woodpecker Cartoon; 1972)

Catching Fire, by Suzanne Collins (Novel; 2009) [#2]

Cat Happy (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1950)

The Cat’s Revenge (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1954)

The Charm Bracelet (Phantasies Cartoon; 1939)

Chocolates for Breakfast, by Pamela Moore (Novel; 1956)

Confessions of an English Opium-Eater, by Thomas De Quincey (Autobiography; 1821)

The Corrections, by Jonathan Franzen (Novel; 2001)

The Covered Pushcart (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1949)

Crank (Film; 2006)

Dames (Film; 1934)

The Discontented Canary (Happy Harmonies Cartoon; 1934)

Disguise the Limit (Modern Madcaps Cartoon; 1960)

Dr. Feelgood, by Mötley Crüe (Album; 1989)

Dug Days (Animated TV Series; 2021)

The English Patient, by Michael Ondaatje (Novel; 1992)

Ethan Frome, by Edith Wharton (Novel; 1911)

A Farewell to Arms, by Ernest Hemingway (Novel; 1929)

A Farewell to Kings, by Rush (Album; 1977)

The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins, by Dr. Seuss (Children’s Books; 1938)

Fine Feathered Friend (Noveltoons Cartoon; 1960)

The First Telephone (Hector Heathcote Cartoon; 1963)

Foxed by a Fox (Hector Heathcote Cartoon; 1963)

Git That Guitar (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1964)

The Good Scout, featuring Willie Whopper (Ub Iwerks Cartoon; 1934)

Gramps to the Rescue (Noveltoons Cartoon; 1963)

Happy Valley (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1952)

Harry Happy (Modern Madcaps Cartoon; 1963)

Hats Off to Hector (Hector Heathcote Cartoon; 1963)

Haydn String Quartets, Opus 10, by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Quartets; 1785)

High Flyer (Hector Heathcote Cartoon; 1963)

Hobo’s Holiday (Noveltoons Cartoon; 1963)

Hold the Fort! (Hector Heathcote Cartoon; 1963)

Honorable Paint in the Neck, featuring Hashimoto (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1962)

Hook, Lion and Sinker (Disney Cartoon; 1950)

Honey’s Money (WB MM Cartoon; 1962)

Idiocracy (Film; 2006)

Julius Caesar, by William Shakespeare (Play; 1599)

Lady and His Lamp (Noveltoons Cartoon; 1964)

Little Problems (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1951)

Lolita, by Vladimir Nabokov (Novel; 1955)

Love’s Labor Won (Mighty Mouse Cartoon; 1948)

The Mass Psychology of Fascism, by Wilhelm Reich (Political Book; 1933)

Messy Messenger (Hector Heathcote Cartoon; 1963)

Middlemarch, by George Eliot (Novel; 1871)

The Mighty Hercules (Animated TV Series; 1963)

Mouse Menace (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1953)

The Mysterious Cowboy (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1952)

The Old Man and the Sea (Short Story; 1952)

Old Mother Clobber (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1958)

Outer Galaxy Gazette, featuring Astronaut (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1964)

Outside Providence (Film; 1999)

Peculiar Penguins (Silly Symphonies Disney Cartoon; 1934)

Pitchin’ Woo at the Zoo (Fleischer/Famous Popeye Cartoon; 1944)

The Plastics Inventor (Disney Cartoon; 1944)

Prehistoric Super Salesman (Woody Woodpecker Cartoon; 1969)

Private Eyes, by Hall & Oates (Album; 1981)

The Prophet, by Kahlil Gibran (Poems; 1923)

The Proton Pulsator, featuring Astronut (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1970)

The Rain Drain, featuring James Hound (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1966)

Really Big Act, featuring Sidney (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1961)

Rear Window (Film; 1954)

Robot Rival (Modern Madcaps Cartoon; 1964)

A Room of One’s Own, by Virginia Woolf (Novel; 1929)

Search for a Symbol (Hector Heathcote Cartoon; 1963)

The Slap-Happy Mouse (WB MM Cartoon; 1956)

Solitary Refinement (Modern Madcaps Cartoon; 1965)

The Spy Who Came in From the Cold, by John le Carré (Novel; 1963)

Square Shooting’ Square (Woody Woodpecker Cartoon; 1955)

Steeple Jacks (Heckle & Jeckle Cartoon; 1951)

The Stepford Wives, by Ira Levin (Novel; 1972)

Swordfishtrombones, by Tom Waits (Album; 1983)

TikTok (Social Media App; 2016)

Trois Morceaux en Forme de Poire (Three Pieces in the Shape of a Pear), Erik Satie (Suite for Piano Four Hands; 1903)

Tropic of Cancer, by Henry Miller (Novel; 1934)

The Two Barbers (Mighty Mouse Cartoon; 1944)

The Two Ton Baby Sitter, featuring Sidney (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1960)

What a Wonderful World, by Louis Armstrong (Song; 1967)

When Worlds Collide, by Philip Wylie (Novel; 1932)

Which is Witch, featuring James Hound (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1967)

Wild Life (Heckle & Jeckle Cartoon; 1959)

The Women (Film; 1939)

Worth Dying For, 15th Jack Reacher book, by Lee Child (Novel; 2010)

You Can’t Take It with You (Film; 1938)

Today’s Name Days

Ägidius, Ruth, Verena (Austria)

Damyan, Damyana, Kozma, Kuzman, Simeon, Simona (Bulgaria)

Aron, Egidije, Estera, Jošua, Oliver, Predrag, Šimun, Tamara, Viktor (Croatia)

Jaroslava, Linda, Samuel (Czech Republic)

Ægidius, Theobaldus (Denmark)

Eha, Ehala, Hämarik, Ülar, Ülari, Ülev, Üllar, Üllart, Üllas, Üllo, Ülo (Estonia)

Aaro, Aaron, Pirkka (Finland)

Aaron, Esther, Giles, Goulwen, Jossué, Thierry (France)

Ägidius, Ruth, Verena (Germany)

Anargyros, Argyris, Antigone, Antigoni, Athena, Athina, Damianos, Kosmas, Margarita, Polynike, Polyniki, Symeon (Greece)

Annamária, Egon, Egyed, Tihamér (Hungary)

Caio, Cono, Costanzo, Egidio (Italy)

Austrums, Ilmārs, Iluta, Irisa, Imants, Ingars, Intars, Teobalds, Verena (Latvia)

Burvilė, Egidijus, Gytautas, Gytis, Julijus, Liepa, Tautrimas, Tautrimė (Lithuania)

Ask, Embla, Solveig, Solvor (Norway)

Aaron, Bogusław, Bronisław, Bronisława, Bronisz, Halina, Idzi, Klarysa, Marian, Niegosława, Teobald (Poland)

Dionisie (Romania)

Diana, Drahoslava (Slovakia)

Aarón, Arturo, Ester, Esther, Gil, Josué, Leonor, Oliverio, Simeón, Sixto (Spain)

Aron, Mirjam, Sam, Samuel (Sweden)

Debbie, Deborah, Debra, Edgar, Edgardo, Giles, Josh, Joshua, Josue, Ruth (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 245 of 2024; 121 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 7 of Week 35 of 2024

Celtic Tree Calendar: Muin (Vine) [Day 2 of 28]

Chinese: Month 7 (Ren-Shen), Day 29 (Wu-Chen)

Chinese Year of the: Dragon 4722 (until January 29, 2025) [Wu-Chen]

Hebrew: 28 Av 5784

Islamic: 26 Safar 1446

J Cal: 5 Gold; Fryday [5 of 30]

Julian: 19 August 2024

Moon: 2%: Waning Crescent

Positivist: 21 Gutenberg (9th Month) [Watt]

Runic Half Month: Rad (Motion) [Day 10 of 15]

Season: Summer (Day 74 of 94)

Week: 1st Full Week of September

Zodiac: Virgo (Day 11 of 32)

Calendar Changes

September (Gregorian Calendar) [Month 9 of 12]

[kyakykreativitylover]

I don't usually post, I'm more a reblogger, but as a Unity 3D developer the recent news has made me feel..... everything????

I started learning this engine in 2017 when my free trial of GameMaker expired and I couldn't afford to pay for it as a game dev hobbyist with no intention of getting too embroiled with game development as a full time job. Now, 6 years later, I use unity as my primary game development engine working at an agency (I know, life comes at you fast😅).

This new announcement is incredibly upsetting because the one thing I loved about unity (it's pricing) is being hacked away at by business men in suits who don't care about games or game developers, all they want is money and..... that was the very reason that I ran away from all the other platforms in 2017.

It's been 6 years of up-skilling in this engine and "getting good" and now I'm looking at learning another engine. Not because I hate Unity, but because I'm fearful of the CEO making more decisions like this that will leave me outside. I still don't make a lot of money and the money I do make doesn't allow me to pay for a game engine, so........

I'm sad, and I'm tired and the one thing I've grown to love has been mangled by "the powers that be" (Unity's shitty, shitty CEO) all for the sake of...... I don't even know what? Stock market value, pure profit, share holder concerns... like I genuinely don't know why. All I know is I'm mourning an engine that gave me a playground to go to when my mind was turning on me, for free, and I'm mourning the community that formed around it and I'm mourning all the broken dreams and I'm mourning all the games we might lose and I know mourning is a strong word and the world is going through a lot, from war and colonization to increased bigotry, racism, LGBTQ+ phobia to the climate crisis. I guess this news was the straw that broke my back.

I hate capitalism. Always have... but today the hatred is pointed at the Unity 3D CEO and all his cronies.

I'm tired of moving forward when it always feels so futile. I feel like I only go forward to go back.

Anyway, since I promised myself I'd practice gratitude daily.....

I'm grateful to have learnt Unity 3D. I'm grateful for all the games it helped make. I'm grateful to the Unity developer community for welcoming me with open arms and kind hearts. I'm grateful to all the Unity tutorials that I followed and even the ones I haven't seen. I'm grateful to all the PEOPLE that made Unity my playground, with their passion for the engine and what it could create, for the last 6 years, from my teachers and mentors (both IRL and online), to my friends and even classmates as we all went on this journey of up-skilling together for a myriad of reasons.

I hope that all YOUR dreams in particular come true whatever Unity does and I hope that you touch the sky and live your happiest and best days moving forward.

And finally, even after this long ass rant... I'm grateful to Unity for being there when I needed it.

Onwards.