#[happy spooky season folks i am so excited]

[chemicallywrit]

Happy Audio Drama Sunday! What a delightful and spooky Halloween week. As usual, this list is not comprehensive, but this is what stood out to me this week. Some spoilers ahead, in the shape of vibes~

🩸Hemophobia did NOT disappoint. My word. The strange disconnected way the story was told; the fact that the sermons were more coherent and clear than the action; the Extremely Teenage Teens. Man. I cannot wait to listen to this next episode.

🦀 THE SILT VERSES. Every day I think about Faulkner. The person he is. The apostle and the fool. Jeez louise. I can’t tell if he’ll save the faith or obliterate it and take everyone down with him. @thesiltverses

🌊 Modes of Thought In Anterran Literature - is that Felix Trench??? On the one hand, hearing a familiar voice does break the immersion a little, like the most unnerving part of this show is how real it feels; on the other hand, Felix did such a good job, the immersion break didn’t last long. This new character sucks, i love him.

👻 Palimpsest!!!! New palimpsest!!!! Easily one of my favorite single-narrator shows, and this one is set in the 1920s, which is one of my favorite historical periods. They’re also very good at a horrible subtle twist, so I can’t wait to hear more about this ghost.

😈 Kakos Industries is literally always good, but I really feel for Corin being like “PLEASE leave me alone on Halloween.” Man, this show is funny. Why isn’t it more popular. Please listen to Kakos Industries. They’re on hiatus, there’s no better time to catch up. @kakosindustries

🍔 Mayfair Watcher’s Society always knows how to get to me. It’s like, the absolute corruption of the Normal into something horrific and wretched is the point of the show, especially when it’s something you always suspected was messed up. Like a fast food job. I shudder.

🌲HALLOWOODS JEEZ. Mx Wellman did in fact try to kill me. I survived. I WISH SOME OTHER FOLKS HAD. @hellofromthehallowoods

❄️ Red Valley. Man alive. One of the things I love about this show is how there are no real heroes, but this season from the POV of the villains—the architects of the apocalypse, in a lot of ways. Creeps. It’s delicious. Today’s episode, watching Clive finally reaping what he sowed, was absolutely glorious. @redvalleypod

🦷 Welcome to Night Vale - HOBOY. Idk if the return of Kevin is going to be a plot point, but it’s the perfect idea for a Halloween ep. Chilling work as always, Kev! It’s also fun to listen to him seethe about his loss of power.

🅿️ Podcube is always a delightful treat, but this week had a fantastic little bit of sound design, which I’m told is this sound designer’s first attempt at such a thing. He did a great job! I love this show, everyone listen to PodCube. @podcube

👑 Malevolent: We’re Back To The Horrors. I’m honestly relieved. Arthur having friends and family is so scary, I keep waiting for something horrible to happen to them. And now something has! Which is not to say more terrible things won’t happen, but i feel like the other shoe has dropped. This is not a criticism at all, Harlan is so good at this.

🌞 I finished Fall of the House of Sunshine this week and…it made me cry? This goof goof show made me CRY? It really is just You Make Your Own Meaning The Musical, isn’t it? If this show had to have a moral, then “even if all you can do is something small, it matters” is a pretty good one. The fact that there was a moral at all is pretty miraculous. I’m going to go listen to the soundtrack a million times now.

🧛🏻‍♂️ Re: Dracula is coming to an end in just a few days and here is a secret: i haven’t heard these last few eps yet. Tal and Stephen finished working on them while I was in the thrall of New Job, so I get to hear their excellent sound work new with you. I am so excited for the final showdown, let’s GO. @re-dracula

🧟‍♀️ The Dead premiered this week! Go subscribe to it, it’s about to get REAL WEIRD. We did some table reads for the next story this weekend (and we have one more today!) and if you think zombies on a plane are scary…

Go check it out!

Now that all is well on the job front, I hope to get back to recording Inn Between soon, because I Want It To Exist. If you want to help us out or you just like what I got up to today, please drop by my ko-fi!

[perpetualyetmildcrisis]

Average Folks: Season 2 Premieres Thursday!

Oh, hi

I am so excited to announce that Season 2 of Average Folks releases THIS THURSDAY! 

You may be asking, “Hey (checks sender name) perpetualyetmildcrisis, what’s Average Folks?” 

Well let me tell you. Average Folks is a scripted, modern-fantasy podcast. Whether it’s accompanying you during your commute, desk job, self-care time, or your long, dramatic walks in the rain (I see you), Average Folks is a free audiobook for your earholes to enjoy. 

Season 1 is out now, and we are excited to announce that we will start releasing episodes weekly on Thursdays starting February 23rd (THIS Thursday)! 

Show Description: 

Average Folks is an audio dramedy where the grass is red, Prophetesses are government-sanctioned, and spookily colorful creatures lurk in the corner.

Join your friendly neighborhood Prophetess, Terra, and the dysfunctional Liath family as they navigate life, love, and spooky creatures of ~an unusual sort~ in the fantastical territory of Vallis. 

An aforementioned Spooky Creature:

"But perpetualyetmildcrisis," you press, "What are the vibes?"

Quoted, various listeners have likened Average Folks to: 

“Avatar The Last Airbender meets Owl House”

“A happy, cozy Stranger Things” 

“The Adventure Zone. Amnesty, if I had to be choosy”

So like, the good stuff. There's fantasy! There's silly times! There's feelz. There's lgbtq+ folx (a DAZZLING majority lmao)! There's introspection! There's exploration to new lands! There's EXCELLENT MUSIC COMPOSITION AND VOICE ACTING HOLY FUCK???

Episode 1 is linked here! For more release updates/shenanigans, follow us @averagefolksofficial on Instagram.

It would be so so so cool if this got more Intrigue, a lot of heart and soul lies within this, and we hope to continue making this Absolute Unit of a tale. We kinda need u (and want u)

[livingasaghost]

september was not great folks, but we're trying <3

in the saddest realization of the season i discovered that my favorite part of the day is my 40m drive to work because it's chilly and i can see a lot of trees and the morning light and i also am in the perfect headspace to listen to Good Music and it's like when i used to make my morning playlists for opening the coffeeshop except soooo much more enjoyable

been listening to lots of holly humberstone and NF's new album and justin vernon stuff (bon iver, BRM, etc) and unfortunately gracie abrams - there's just something about all these artists being like "I AM THE PROBLEM ITS ME IM SORRY" that just speaks to me! that's not concerning at all!

laura and i talked for like two hours last night and it was like old times and god i really do miss when we'd just ride the same bus home and i could walk to her house ):

i've been trying to make taylor's chai cookies for like a week and i realized i absolutely have time to make them today so i'm trying to buck up the energy to do that in the next two hours before i have to be a person and go to a photoshoot

"good day" by olivia barton

i'm trying to get back into crying in h mart because mom finished reading it and we're supposedly buddy reading it so we can discuss it but i haven't felt like reading all month because i've been depressed...but like damn cancer sucks guys

in other news, i think because i've had such a shitty brain month this september i've almost pushed myself so far that halloween season sounds really fun!!! i'm trying to work through my halloween hate bc i think it's kind of silly and all my friends love halloween so i should love it too! and like i wanna watch spooky movies and be chilly and have FUN! god!

i kinda forgot a vital piece of jennalore which is that when i was a kid my mom's college roommate used to send us frosted sugar cookies shaped like bats every halloween and it was actually kinda the best thing ever? so i'm trying to channel that energy this season

work is batshit insane and i'm so exhausted by it i literally slept for 11hrs on like wednesday night bc i was so tired but also......when we're busy i always feel like i'm actually Doing Something and my bosses are so happy with the work i do so like.....it's good even though it's bad!

therapy has actually been really really good? like it Sucks bc it's therapy and i hate talking about my feelings but my therapist is the sweetest NB person ever and they're always just like "uhhh that's emotional abuse my dude!" and i'm so fucking excited bc at the end of october they're gonna have saturday openings which means i can finally go talk to them in person and not on my lunch break in our tiny break room!!!! at this point i have to pretend like my coworker can't hear everything i say during therapy otherwise i'd go insane so i always leave my sessions being like ......did max hear that i'm aroace and i have depression and i might be neurodivergent??? idk!!!

which speaking of, even though max and i definitely aren't like friends by any sense of the word....we are also just like having a time together! it's wild i see him most out of all the people i know but i think we're both going a little insane from the workload and being Depressed so we just spend all day being kinda wacky and for whatever reason i've reached a point where i stopped having a filter with him so i just start talking about the most random shit and he's cool with it lol

i think i might maybe be a little lonely! idk! i've been struggling to figure out what i need or who to talk to and i generally just want to talk to like two or three of my friends or my gc and everyone's just busy ): but then when i have the chance to talk to anyone and i Sit Down to try to interact bc i know some people are probably around i just get a little overwhelmed idk make it make sense!!!

and i realized i don't have a lot of IRL friends anymore bc a lot of the ones i had from the coffeeshop are Not My Friend and the ones i met on instagram are also Not My Friend and the ones i used to live with are Not My Friend and so my list of people to hang with is teeny tiny and idek what i need or want anymore so it's just my brain screaming .

the most frustrating thing rn is that i know i'm in a bad mental place however i cannot distinguish what i need! but when someone asks me what i need i get this intense panic/dread and i spiral real bad and if anyone tries to be kind to me it makes me feel worse and so it's like....i'm stuck in this stand still where i can't get what i need but i don't know what i need so i just eat cereal, listen to music, and go to bed early!!!

i don't wanna watch anything, i still haven't finished this season of only murders, i need a DVD player bc i want to watch the director's commentary of hill house, there's a bunch of shows and movies coming out soon that i feel overwhelmed by at the moment and it's just like !!! this is all so unfair

and i need to make all these appointments like getting my oil changed and going to the doctor for my annual but i cannot bring myself to do those things but also like should i ask my doctor about medication for depression??? surely it isn't that serious but like maybe it is idk!!!!

the depression isn't as bad as it's been in the past (i think?) like i felt a lot more hopeless in 2017 and i think a lot of that is because i do have a support system and a therapist and a good paying job and things to look forward to but like i'm very aware that many days i do just feel that feeling of "everything is meaningless and nothing will bring me joy ever again" so it's like !!! idk!!!! maybe i'm gaslighting myself into thinking i'm not that bad when in actuality i am!!!

i've just been stuck in that space of middle limbo with all my "diagnoses" that i cannot rationally understand if i'm allowing myself to see myself the way i am? like i always felt like i wasn't depressed enough to be Depressed bc i'm not suicidal but like ??? that's silly !!! maybe i am Depressed!!!!! but i don't even know how to go about getting meds and what they would do and it's almost more overwhelming to think about that than to just be depressed ): bc i still am convinced a lot of it comes down to the heat and the lingering effects of summer

but now i'm thinking about 2021 when it was the bad times and i stopped working on creative stuff or literally any year from 2017-2020 when i just spent the early fall Not Creating and having a crisis that i'd never create again and it's like.............is that bc i'm always depressed around this time? it's comforting bc i know life is seasons and i will come back around to making things and doing my silly projects but it's just sort of making me wonder how it would be different if i tried to find a way to get meds ....like would that Fix Me....would that Solve the Problem....what if it doesn't! what if i'm not depressed enough for that!

(this is all just thoughts, i'm fine, etc, just haven't let myself fully think about the depression this month bc i don't think there's a solution rn i'm just trying to get through it)

anyway, "good day" by olivia barton

[shetheripper]

3 days, 2 nights and 34 miles solo on the Outer Mountain Loop plus the Northeast Rim in Big Bend National Park 1/10-1/12/23

As you might already know, I took a seasonal job as a waitress at the Chisos Mountain Lodge in Big Bend National Park to save money and create some beautiful experiences in the outdoors. It has been a blast! I’ve been able to hike so much and really knock out a lot of goals in solo and distance hiking. The outer mountain loop is a 31.6 mile backpacking route that takes you up from the basin, through the chisos mountains, out and around the range, through the desert, back up into the mountains, and back down into the basin. This is the hike I came here to do.

Photo from all trails.

After a couple months of getting my legs on the trails, as well as tackling more and more distance, I finally felt confident in my ability to complete the route alone.

Due to the distance of the route and the dry nature of the desert, staying hydrated was the biggest challenge to tackle. There are 2 water caches located on either end of the desert stretch, one at Homer Wilson Ranch, and the other off of the remote Juniper Canyon rd. I couldn’t get to this one before my hike because the road conditions require a high clearance vehicle, and y’all better believe I’m still rocking that busted Altima. “I been through the desert in a Nissan with no Bumper” (or whatever America said) So my only option was to pack the extra water, and cache at Homer Wilson, a good 24 miles from my starting point. I carried 7L of water and 2 coconut electroLit beverages. 2.5 lbs per liter. My pack was heavy! But I did what I had to do. Attaching soon a list of what I packed.

1/10/23 Day 1

I woke up around 5 am, without an alarm, and realized I had forgotten my headlamp at the hot springs the night before. This added 46 miles to my morning commute, some of which was on a rocky dirt road. I got the shit scared out of me by some horses that I actually spooked first. Lucky for me, my headlamp was there, right where I left it. I ran back to my car under the last of the moonlight and hauled 30 miles to the basin. I worked a breakfast shift at the lodge and got out around 10:30am. I had to leave this day because I only have 2 days off at a time. My first day of hiking was only 6 miles so I had a little time to kill. I decided to drive back to my trailer and look over all my camp stuff to see if there was anything else I should take. I ended up figuring out how to pack my tent, as I was originally planning not to. So glad I did!! Being solo can be spooky in the dark. It’s nice to have a little barrier. I meditated in my room for a bit after securing my final pack. I felt many things. Excited, nervous, happy, sad, lonely, empowered. I let every part of me be channeled into what I was about to do. Heading back up to the basin, I grabbed a Red Bull and some stoke from Sarah at the gas station. Shout out to the homie. I got back up in the mountains just before noon. I stretched, used the bathroom, and texted parents as well as some friends at the park about where I was going and when I should be back. The last thing I needed before heading out was a tool to loosen the bolt on my hiking pole, so I ran to the maintenance room and got what I needed. Finally, in all my nervous energy, I was ready to start!!! The basin was pretty slow and not many people were around, but still, I felt super awkward putting on my giant pack while a group of teenagers gaped at me from across the parking lot like, “what the hell is that chick about to go do?” I hurried off onto the trail.

Mile 1, 2 and 3 in order.

Like I said before, my pack was heavy, and the pinnacles trail is the steeper route to take up into the mountains. I had a good starting pace but I had to take many breaks. A pair of 2 other girls on the trail helped keep me going, we passed each other on alternating breaks. We agreed it was nice to share the suffering. Hiking isn’t easy for anyone, it’s always a challenge, and that’s why we do it.

I made it to pinnacles pass around 2pm and made a sandwich. I talked with some older folks about my route, different parks, hikes they’ve done, and other general oldhead hiker things. After lunch, they headed down, and I headed up to the Northeast rim. I filtered some water in boot canyon on the way.

I dropped my Patagonia fleece and backtracked a quarter mile to go get it. (This is the second time I’ve done this on trail, different occasions too, smdh. Feels like the universe is trying to teach me a lesson about attachment, I love that thing too damn much.) I got to my site, ER7, around 5pm and made dinner on the rim while bathing in the colorful sunset.

Back at my site, it was the moment I had looked forward to all day, Spliff:30. I enjoyed 1, did some writing and reading from Last of The Mohicans, smoked another, and pretty much passed out as soon as it was dark. The weather was very mild, I didn’t use any cold gear. I slept 12 hours on the hard ground with the wind and stars all around me.

Day 2

I woke with the rise of the sun and packed up in time to see it come up over the horizon, lighting up the desert and cliff walls below me. I started hiking from my campsite at 8:15am.

Tumblr won’t let me add anymore photos so continue on part 2 (next post)

[volucerrubidus]

The storybook goes like this: 

Little Timmy Drake went to the circus. And then Little Timmy Drake watched a pair of parents die. It made Timmy grateful for his parents.

But something overheard his gratitude. And that something didn’t like his gratitude. So that something took away his gratitude. That something took away Little Timmy Drake’s parents.

So Little Timmy Drake was sent to live with the other parentless kids. He was one of many parentless kids.

People didn’t really seem to care about parentless kids.

Little Timmy Drake learned how to walk silently, then. Little Timmy Drake learned what floorboards not to step on, so that he didn’t wake up the adults. Little Timmy Drake learned how to lie to adults, and Little Timmy Drake learned how to be in two places at once. Because Little Timmy Drake knew that adults couldn’t tell the difference between himself and a dolly, when the covers were pulled up.

So then Little Timmy Drake learned how to sneak out. And he learned how to move in the city. And he learned where to go in the city. And he learned where not to go in the city.

The one thing he never learned was when not to go in the city.

He was too young to listen to the news. And he was too young to be alone when he saw his worst nightmares come to life. He was too young to know why he could see them.

He was too young to know why a Scarecrow made them go away, too. He was too young to realize that the Scarecrow had made them real, first. But he was also too young to mind. Because the Scarecrow made them go away. And the Scarecrow talked to him like Little Timmy Drake’s answers mattered.

The Scarecrow took Little Timmy Drake back to the other kids, that night. But it was not the last time that Little Timmy Drake would see the Scarecrow.

It was not the last time that Timmy Drake would be listened to by the Scarecrow. It was not the last time that Timmy Drake would be spared by the Scarecrow.

It was not the last time that Timmy Drake would look up to the Scarecrow,

And smile.

Verse Unlocked: Rogue AU

Tag: {a dead crow calls out to his wing – rogue au}

Quick Facts:

Tim Drake is taken in by Scarecrow, instead of by the bat, from a young age

If any Jonathan Cranes want to interact, we can talk together about details and plot specifics! 

But by default, Tim will go by Crow, and he will be interested in chemistry, which he learns from Jon (who he calls “Jonny,” even when he grows up, because it became habit)

(Of course, I don’t want to force the AU or the mentor-mentee relationship on anyone, so we can absolutely plot something else if you’re interested but don’t want to play it quite like the default setting for this AU! I want my rp partners to feel comfortable around me, so we will only do what you feel comfortable with!)

As Tim gets older, he will eventually branch out of the fear-related chemistry and go more into explosives, knock-out gasses, poisons, and even some medicines

He remains firmly a rogue, however

He is morally bad in this AU, a total reversal of his canon self

That said, he tries not to kill unless he feels that it’s necessary for his own survival, or for the safety of those he cares about (which is admittedly a small list)

Speaking of which, in the past, I’ve written this AU with a Luthor’d Superboy who eventually switches sides, as well as a rogue Bart, so by default, he will mention these events/morality swaps, but if Barts or Kons would like this to change, we can plot together how we would like to play it instead!

Tim’s main motivations are scientific curiosity, a healthy dose of senseless sadism, and honestly? Sometimes just plain boredom

He asks a lot of questions, though, and he likes to learn about people and their minds

Similarly to Kon and Bart, this AU has also typically been written as if all of the bat children have been morality swapped, so if you’re a batfam member, we can absolutely plot out some ideas as well, if you want that to change, or if you want to pick which rogue your character was raised by, if you’d like to keep the morality swap aspect!

Tim’s Crow costume is black tactical pants, a plain black turtleneck, a pair of worn, black boots, a faux-crow-feather cape, black gloves, and a respirator over his mouth and nose, along with a pouch belt that’s derivative of Batman’s. Sometimes he also wears a black scarf and a beanie, on particularly cold days. In the default version of this AU, this is because Scarecrow makes him stay warm

Tim can be played at a multitude of ages in this AU, from 11 and new to being Crow, all the way up to his mid 20’s, where he is an established rogue on his own

A firm plot point is that his identity is secret until he is 19, because he is not ever caught and sent to jail until he is 19, due to Scarecrow usually taking the fall for him, so that Tim can act as a sidekick on the outside, to help get Jonny out of jail easier, and to keep his work preserved and safe until he is out again

Exceptions can be made, but we will need to discuss these beforehand! <3

That said, I promise I’m friendly and very chill, so if you’re interested in this AU, please hit me up! I love a good morality swap AU lol, and if you do, too, then let’s create something together!

[fitzrove]

author asks

Rules: answer these questions and tag five other fic writers to do the same.

I was tagged by @lieutenantmalcolmreed and @ladyaj-13, thank you both so much!! :D It’s always a joy to be Thought Of, especially by some of my favourite Endeavour fic authors, and I do love answering these even though I’m really slow with it lol

Author Name: Fitzrove

Fandoms You Write For: Just Endeavour, at the moment. I did translate one MCU fic into Finnish like two years ago and post it, but that’s not really a big hobby of mine lmao

Where You Post: Ao3, cos the Tag System and community are amazing

Most Popular One-Shot: Prelude, which is actually my second-ever Endeavour fic. I think it owes its fame to the fact that it’s some very good tension-laden jarse, and doesn’t have the baggage of layers upon layers of AU on top of it. XD So it’s easy to get into if you’re just getting into Endeavour fanfic! Not to toot my own horn, but I do like it myself as well!!

Most Popular Multi-Chapter Story: Paradise Lost, which I promise is GOING TO BE multi-chapter at some point, but I’ve taken forever to continue it because it’s Painful. I have lots of messy outlines and plans for it, and a general idea about where I want the story to go, but I just keep getting distracted by new ideas...

Favourite Story You Wrote: I think everybody who’s read my stuff and seen me gushing about my writing knows that it’s got to be Soft Like Summer Rain. It’s my novel-length baby that I spent most of Spring 2019 working on, and I’m really proud of it. It’s balm to my soul after s03e02 Arcadia lol

Story You Were Nervous to Post: Probably When I Look Into Your Eyes, It’s Over. It’s already pretty niche for being a part of an extensive AU, and it’s also my only explicit fic so far. I was (and AM) super super happy about the reception it got, though - even though it definitely isn’t one of my more popular fics, knowing that a dozen Human Persons read it and actually liked it was super reassuring. On Ao3, there’s really no need to lie about what you like and what you don’t - if you don’t really care for a particular fic, you skip it, and therefore every piece of positive feedback is genuine and feels Amazing. I still get super happy and excited whenever I get a kudos notification for any of my works... <3

How Do You Pick Your Titles: Song lyrics, and sometimes I’m super worried about them seeming lame. The title is always the last thing I think of - Soft Like Summer Rain had the working title of “western”, Are You Married, Mr Morse? was “rough him up” and Bad Ideas was just “shirley”. I’m pretty proud of the ones that aren’t straight-up song lyrics, though, especially Love Me, Love My Dog and Not Entirely Clueless. (puns are my standard for Best Title Ever ok that’s just how it is)

Do You Outline: About 95% of the time, yes!! If I come up with a super concise idea and write it down in one sitting, then maybe not, but I do have to write down reminders for myself if I want to not forget everything lmao. Soft Like Summer Rain had several docs, some with just the chapter text, but also several for outlining because I had so many things to think about. I also outline when thinking about sequels or putting off writing a story I really want to get on with but just keep Daydreaming instead of writing it... (*cough* Paradise Lost *cough*)

How Many Of Your Stories Are Complete: Fifteen, of varying lengths. I’m not currently hoarding any unposted gems, even though I do sometimes write things I never end up posting. A perk of that is that I get to reuse some good ideas later!

In-Progress: I’m not a big fan of posting unfinished stories, because it gives me Pressure to finish them, and I don’t like that feeling a lot. Currently, it’s only Paradise Lost.

Unpublished WIP’s, though... oh my. I think I have like 14 right now. Some highlights include genderbent lesbian jarse (I love the idea of a girl Jakes with outrageous lipstick cos who tf doesn’t, and messy-haired bookish girl Morse is just Precious ok), a gang/criminal au where the coppers we know and love are on the other side of the game, and, of course, a somewhat authorised sequel to @jasmiinitee‘s Jasper Nicholson/Morse masterpiece. And many others... ;)

Coming Soon: I’m trying to finish my... ahem... seasonally very fitting (spooky) October artwork as soon as possible, and then post it! I hope nobody gets traumatised lol. My IRL friends follow this Tumblr so imma not go into too much detail just in case...

(It’s not scary, it’s just horny.)

Do You Accept Prompts: YES! Please prompt me as much as you want to! I’m sometimes slow and sometimes super quick with writing, but I treasure new ideas <3

Upcoming Story You’re the Most Excited For: The sequel to Soft Like Summer Rain. I haven’t even started outlining it properly yet, but I desperately need it to exist, and I get all warm and fuzzy just thinking about it. It continues the fix-it sweetness of Soft Like Summer Rain, and in the beginning, I’m going to try my hand at actually writing some of the folks down at the station well. It’s Tough, but I do have to learn how to Fred Thursday and George Fancy eventually...

I’m tagging @jasmiinitee, @not-easy-being-green124, @california-112, @astridcontramundum and @hekate1308 cos y’all are some of my favourite Endeavour fandom writers!! And anyone else who wants to do this but hasn’t <3

[survivoraqualand]

EPISODE 1: An Incoming Signal

In the season premiere of Survivor: Aqualand, eighteen castaways were dropped off along the abandoned expanse of the Transcontinental Bridge - a place haunted by old legends, unsolved mysteries, and the treacherous power of the sea. 

After being divided into teams (Proteus and Ceto), the castaways were introduced to two main twists of the game. First, the Transatlantic Hotel, which they would be allowed to visit throughout the season in order to search for hidden immunity idols and other advantages. Each player was given a 15-minute Hotel trip for this first round of the game, with future opportunities to earn additional time to explore. Additionally, the castaways were told that at random times they could spot signals going out from the top of their watchtower (a page on the blog), and that the first person to catch such a signal would receive a clue to the hotel’s treasures.

The second twist introduced was the Monster in the Submeres, which each team would have to adapt and respond to throughout the game. Twice per round, this monster would become restless, and the teams would have to decide together whether to feed, punish, or ignore their monster, with each action having an unnamed consequence.

Once they settled into their watchtowers and gotten to know their monsters, Proteus and Ceto were given their first immunity challenge where they had to each come up with a bedtime story to be judged by a panel of listeners. Though both teams put in a huge effort and worked together well, they had vastly different aesthetic visions, and ultimately the listeners favored Proteus’ bone-chilling tale over Ceto’s cozy picture book.

At the first Sea Council, Daniel was voted out 6-2-1, becoming the first person eliminated from Survivor: Aqualand.

JESSICA

The game has not even started yet but I am already so excited. I hope Logan and MJ are in this cast so all 3 of us can cause problems together but also apart. I think this season will have very old-school vibes. Like a lot of people being very invested but also being very silly. I think I might try to be a mid-merge boot and play very aggressively the entire time and have a lot of fun. I am pretty sure Lydia is in this game and Ari is splitting us up....... very unfair and I would like to request this please not happen thank you.

ALEX

The people I've been talking to one-on-one seem really nice so far! We've only really talked about the cats I live with, but that's okay, because they're wonderful cats, and they're the only things I can talk about pretty much nonstop! :)

JESSICA

5 seconds into the game and I already have a f2 with Logan and Jessie. And Katie, but she doesn't know about that (yet at the same time.... she does). This will be the game where MJ and I, at long last, align. I know it and it will happen and it will be great.

KATIE

this challenge is going swimmingly... I made spooky boats

ALEX

I got an incoming signal! I'm hoping to explore the hotel soon, so that I can maybe go search for an idol :)

MARG

ok wow! i'm here! this is my first ever org ever!!! wooooo! i've spent the past couple of days getting to know everyone on my team and getting a feel for the game. i was pretty nervous going into the game because i figured that i would not know anyone. i was so happy when i saw that JD was also on my team because i actually know him through the Sequester world!! hopefully no one realizes that we know each other... i've spent some time messaging with other folks on my team too! So far i feel the best about Logan, Jessica, Linden and Jessie. they've been the easiest to talk to and I also feel like we were the ones working on the first immunity challenge the most. i really like Linden so far! this is both our first org and i think we're going to look out for each other. in general, i just like her vibe and i just want to work with her! i did have one prettyyyy awkward encounter with daniel in the group chat about connecticut facts. i think i stole his thunder because i shared a fun fact about ct??? and then i think he felt called out/put on the spot when i said he should share one too. idk that's the only awkward thing that has happened so far. hopefully we can patch up this one faux pas! ANYWAYS, this has been my first confessional. hopefully there are more to come!!! We're waiting for the results of the first immunity challenge right now! Let's go Ceto!!!! <3 

JENNA

I'm gonna write my first one just because I'm video-ed out after that challenge. But okay,  I’m super glad we won! I honestly didn’t mind doing a big part of it cause I had fun and I like doing that stuff. Only really Zoe, Alex, and Katie contributed on our team but there really wasn’t a whole lot people could have done. Though Katie was really helpful with finding sounds and videos which everyone could’ve done but they didn’t. 

 I’m glad we won though because MJ is nonexistent and I really want to play with him. He said he has a ton of finals, but I don’t think he’s written in the team chat once. So I think people would’ve wanted him gone possibly. I’m gonna do an overall view on the team tho first then talk a bit more on that. 

Alex: Alex stresses me out a little bit but he really is trying very hard which I do appreciate. Him and Zoe had an issue with the writing part of the challenge and he was being stubborn about it so initially, it rubbed me the wrong way and I know he was on Zoe’s list for this council if we had to go. But before I went into the hotel he told me he found something that combined could cause a curse. Which I didn’t think much of cause he could’ve easily told everyone this. BUT since I fed the stupid fish and got a disadvantage I figured I’d use his convo with me about the hotel to my advantage and talk a bit with him about the hotel. I immediately told him exactly where the koi fish pond was and what else was in the room because it didn’t seem super important to me and also it built some trust. He then told me at least some of the rooms he found and kind of what was in them. I know he’s leaving parts out but I also definitely left an entire room out of my review of the hotel so you know, if you don’t lie in survivor are you really even playing? Anyway, he then told me about the pearl he found and where. I didn’t mention the pearl I found, but I might tell him about it later cause I think we need 11 pearls anyway. I know Zoe wanted him out and maybe it’s stupid to try and work with him but he’s the only one really telling me anything and he’s online a lot which helps, so I don’t wanna count him out yet. Plus clearly, you need to work together to get anything done in that hotel, and if no one else is offering, I’ll happily side with Alex. 

 Allyn: Allyn is super sweet but also came out swinging a bit too hard I think. Almost after like 10 minutes of talking she was talking about alliances. And then like 5 minutes after Zoe came online she added me and Zoe to an alliance. I’m not upset at it cause... alliance, but I also don’t trust it. I can tell she didn’t like MJ tho cause she never mentioned liking him. Maybe MJ never talked to her though so who knows. I haven’t talked to her a ton since then, which worries me a little but I know she’s busy and I also don’t really want to be talking to everyone every day like I used to so it is what it is. 

 Katie: I was really nervous when I saw Katie was in this game. And then doubly when I saw we were on the same team. We did not end things on amazing terms in Lost City which was the last survivor game I played. I don’t actually know if she’s still holding that against me, and she very well could because I voted out her friend and basically went against her when we were aligned, but I haven’t brought it up and neither has she so I’m just gonna go with it. I really do wanna work with Katie. Actually, I really wanted to work with her in lost city as well but it all kinda got away from me a bit. She seems like she wants to work with me cause we’re talking and she was talking about the other people on the team and helping a lot with the challenge. I told her pretty much exactly what I did in the Hotel and she might have, might have not, but I didn’t mention the pearl. I hope she’ll stick with me a little bit, and then possibly if we both make it to merge and Jessica and Logan are there then we’ll both have super close people in the game so we can’t go against each other for fear of being targeted after. We’ll see though. Overall I’m gonna be most honest with her, but cautiously. Linus: Linus is sweet but I’ve barely talked to him. He seems to be busy with school as well and we’ve only had a few conversations. 

Rhea: I really liked Rhea when I first started talking to her. But after that first night, we haven’t really talked since. I can’t tell if everyone just isn’t talking to me, or no one’s super active. I’m gonna guess no one is super active, and also I’m not making too much of an effort because it’s kinda hard to talk to people every single day when nothing has changed. 

Rose: Rose always seems to be online but again, I have barely talked to her. The one convo we had was cool and she seems sweet, but not getting a whole lot from her. 

Zoe: I really like Zoe. She seems like a dangerous player, but at the same time, it’s nice cause I can tell she knows what she’s doing. We had a good conversation about how it was kinda crazy how fast Allyn added us to an alliance and that neither of us is used to being in one so fast, which was good to hear that she was okay with telling me that. The only thing that confuses me about Zoe is her first message to me was about me being in Colorado????? Which like???? I never said I was in Colorado. I told Katie about that and she was like okay well I won’t lie to Zoe she knows how to dig. Idk if was digging or just someone else telling her, but it confused me. I looked her up on the retirement wiki since Katie said she played and she got pretty far. Her profile said she wished she could know what everyone was like so she could match their personality, which makes me wonder how genuine she is being, but either way, she’s really fun. She kinda reminds me of Jess, so I know that maybe I shouldn’t trust her because she could do something chaotic for fun, but I definitely want to work with her. She also told me she wanted Alex out which is good that she told me that because 1. I don’t think anyone else wants him out because he was so helpful in the challenge and 2. hopefully that means she trusts me. 

Honestly, I’m hesitant about bringing up too much with anyone yet. I wanna ask about the Hotel, but I don’t want to be too much in the beginning. So I’m thinking since we won to just chill out and see what the next challenge brings. I don’t think anyone is gonna be too annoyed I got a decrease on a challenge, but you never know. It seems that the challenges can really change perception, so you never know where anyone is until then. I’m trying not to be too into it either because everyone is definitely super nice, but they’re not super active which I’m not used to so it’s definitely different from games I’ve played before. So I’m trying to take a hint from that and chill. Very hard to do I’m not gonna lie I thrive off of knowing everything I possibly can... but I gotta chill........... Overall... not really sure what to make of anyone yet tbh 

Also! Love the hotel game thing. Even tho I almost died I’m excited to see all the stuff in it.

MJ

stan jenna :)

JESSICA

I don't think I did a real confessional yet, so here it is! 

I am in an alliance with Logan, Linden, Marg, and Jessie. This is great and I'm happy we got something going. Linden WILL make the merge, I refuse for her not to get that far on her first ever game. 

My plan in this game is to cause as many problems as possible. I know Logan will do this too so hopefully we be very messy! I will be honest, I probably won't win with this strategy, but my goal is not so much winning as it is doing something iconic that people still remember long after this game is over. Like a 4-3-2-1 vote or like when Jenna sent someone home 0-0-1. Iconic! That's the only way to be. 

It is interesting to play a game with Katie starting on the other team as I don't think that's ever happened before. This might end up like Tom Hanks where we are technically an unbreakable f2 that will never vote each other however we then also never vote together either. 

I guess what I'm saying is you didn't cast Jessica, you cast Viktor whatever his last name was and you WILL get all the chaos that he brought to the mini!

MARG

Ok wow I just cast my first vote in the game so it felt like a good time to do a confessional! Since our team lost the first immunity challenge, the game has definitely changed and it feels like folks are starting to play the game. I have formed an alliance with Logan, Jessica, Jessie, and Linden, and within that alliance, I have a smaller alliance of Jessie and Linden. Out of everyone that I am aligned with, I think I have the best relationship with Logan? So I'm not feeling great that I didn't include him in my smaller alliance. I am wondering if I should form a second alliance with Logan and Jessica, but I'm worried about doing too much in the beginning of the game. But, I'm also worried about not doing enough! Since I am new to playing in orgs, I am still trying to find that balancing act of how much I should be doing in the game. I am definitely trying to get to know everyone and put in effort building relationships. I have also spent some time messaging Pat and Alyx, but to be honest, I am just not clicking with them in the same way as I am with other folks on the team. I'm going to continue putting in effort with everyone because I am all about that social game. I feel myself starting to get competitive and I am so pumped for this first vote! I can't wait to see what happens next in the game! tl;dr I am excited to start playing and i am ready to start putting in the effort for my social game.

JENNA

Me: Tells people about what rooms I found in the hotel, where I'll probably look next. In pretty decent detail. Them: Nice :) 

Like!!?? It's nice to offer something back, even if it's not true!!!!! I get it if they're not wanting to work with me but damn. Does not help me trust them at all. I guess they don't care though. I wish Logan and I were on the same team. I know we'd already have a system for this hotel where we mark where we've been and what we've seen and what people tell us. And maybe people would actually TELL Logan where they've been since no one seems inclined to share that information with me. (Except Katie maybe... and _sometimes_ Alex. When he feels like it)

JESSIE

I decided I have to play even harder then I usually play. I recognized with the amount of new people needing guidance I could get a pretty kickass alliance on the go . Hence my cute little trio chat with Marg and Linden. Love both of them got good vibes right off the bat. Will work with them for sure. 

 First challenge I thought we did great. We were so creative but nah the judges said lol you guys lose. So basically the five active people on our tribe got together. Me, Linden, Marg, Jessica and Logan. 

 We decided to vote out Danny Gluck. Which kind of sucked because I didn't know many people going into the game but I have trust in this five. I know eventually we will have to betray each other but for now we are solid. I value loyalty so I hope it works and gets us all far.

DANIEL’S FINAL WORDS

Never forget

[faramira-sg-blog]

Five Myths About Christmas Music... and the Realities

I'm going to play the Grinch this year - or, maybe Scrooge, if you prefer that. Only slightly, though. No, I'm not going to stalk a town and try to ruin their festivities all because I'm basically in exile. And I'm certainly not in a position to deprive workers of money or time off for celebrating with their loved ones. But as a bitter cynic, I am going to offer an unpopular, controversial, and potentially alienating opinion. Deep breath. Here goes: I don't care much for Christmas music. The entire holiday season could forgo it, and all our lives would be easier. At least mine. The following are a few myths about holiday music - and the realities, as well. Read Also: Ed Sheeran is The Worst Artist of the Decade Read Also: We Can All Be Better, No Matter Our Struggles.

Myth #1: Christmas music makes the holidays more festive.

Okay, I'm kind of stretching the definition of "myth" for this one. But hear me out! For many, Christmas music serves not much more of a purpose than background noise to get drunk to at holiday office parties and family gatherings. In this way, reruns of old sitcoms or an electronica playlist would serve the same purpose. Holiday music doesn't add anything at all if people aren't listening to it. I doubt anyone but kids would truly notice if you turned it off - and even then, would they care? I think the issue lies with traditions of really any holiday. Ultimately one part isn't going to change much, and the atmosphere is a sum of its parts. Halloween isn't spooky without cotton spider webs, plastic skeletons, and motion-sensing graveyards. St. Patrick's Day is a combination of overdoses of green and the stale vomit left on the sidewalk in front of your house or apartment complex by drunken frat boys. Take out one element and nothing really changes - but, ironically, things don't feel complete without all the elements. This in mind, can we at least do away with the idea that Christmas music is as necessary an ingredient as people think it is? We don't even listen to it, for the most part. At best, it doesn't add anything; at worst, it makes the time we have to spend awkwardly staring at people we "forgot" to stay in touch with that much more awkward.

Myth #2: Christmas music increases retail sales.

There have been various studies conducted on this one, and all of them point to Christmas music having a positive effect on retail sales. But this can't be true for all varieties of retail. What about Amazon, Etsy, Shein, and the myriad other online stores? To my knowledge, you won't here "Jingle Bell Rock" coming out of your phone speakers as you buy an HDTV or add a few sweaters to your cart. And hearing the same dozen songs we've been forced to swallow for decades has to be the dealbreaker that leads to at least a few people staying out of stores like Walmart, Target, and Best Buy, opting instead to visit their online sites, rather than suffering a trip to the brick-and-mortar locations. Who wants to endure another interpretation of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," while feeling obligated to purchase an expensive gift for someone you may not have seen in years? I doubt many would say "yes."

Myth #3: People enjoy listening to Christmas music.

Oh, don't think I'm crazy or an idiot with this one. I know for a fact that there are more than a few adults who enjoy holiday music (a couple of them are in my own family, I guarantee it) - or, rather, think they enjoy it. You see, folks, I don't think there's a soul on this Earth who genuinely likes Christmas songs. If that were the case, people would play them as much as they do The Rolling Stones, Taylor Swift, Led Zeppelin, or Madonna. Even among artists who have lent their talents to the subgenre (Paul McCartney, Tom Petty, and Bruce Springsteen, for example), no one puts these songs on randomly during, say, a family barbecue or a spring wedding. For good reason: there are only a few months we're willing to suffer through them.

Myth #4: Holiday music makes people happy.

No.

Myth #5: People are excited when their favourite artist releases a Christmas song or album

I think there was a time when this happened, and I think that time probably occurred between the late 1970s and early 1990s - when artists like McCartney, Petty, Springsteen, and even U2 got into the holiday spirit and released original works or cover versions of Christmas songs. And we wouldn't have perhaps the biggest pop songs of the season - Wham's "Last Christmas" and Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas Is You" - without this kind-of craving something from our favourite acts. Take that how you wish. But that's where it ends. We're sick of the endless versions of the same fifteen or so songs. By now it's just overkill. It's sadistic, and the whole concept of having to enjoy any new versions of "Last Christmas" or even act ecstatic about hearing Paul McCartney's "Wonderful Christmastime" and however many covers of that there may be (I didn't look at figures, but it's probably a lot). Don't take any of this to mean I hate Christmas, or that I don't want you to enjoy holiday music (assuming you do). You like what you like, and that's fine. That said, we shouldn't spread myths about the songs we will hear on a constant loop for an entire two to three months. That's unfair, too. This article first appeared on Faramira Read the full article

[vakariaan]

Thoughts on Power Rangers

I’m just home and I’m BUZZIN

My incoherent thoughts and many a spoiler below the cut ;)

OKAY SO FIRST OFF I was already spoiled for the credits scene and the JK kiss being edited out. Now, I’m not gonna lie, when I heard both of these things I could feel the excitement leech out of me. I was still looking forward to the film but I just wasn’t as buzzed to see it as I was.

The ‘Tommy’ thing bugged me but I wasn’t surprised *sigh* I just hope I don’t automatically hate the poor guy when he is introduced due to my pre-existing prejudice against Non-Dino Thunder Tommy and JDF....

The kiss being edited out pissed me off when I heard. If they had decided not to go down the romance route, why put it in the trailer in the first place? To generate buzz with absolutely NO pay off to the fans? (don’t worry I’ll discuss this more later, let’s just say I was more than pleasantly surprised)

SO INTO THE MOVIE WE GO

I was shook. Zordon was Red. Present day and we immediately get a joke about a guy jacking off a bull THIS IS NOT THE POWER RANGERS FOR KIDS WE KNOW. This is Power Rangers for a modern audience of teens and young adults and adults. This is an audience used to the humour of Marvel films (and as one of those suckers I loved every single ounce of humour) AND I LOVED IT.

My concerns of Jock Boy Douche Jason were extinguished almost immediately. He was still a total sweetheart (if a bit of an idiot but he’s a 17 year old boy so I can cut him some slack for trying to pull of the prank that we’ve seen in countless films and tv shows). My bb Jason is still my bb Jason so all is well. He wants to be a good leader and a good friend I just LOVE HIM.

LET’S TALK ABOUT BILLY FUCKING CRANSTON. Y’all know I love my Blues best. I adore Original Billy with all my heart. My smart smart boy. HE’S STILL MY SMART BOY WITH A HEART OF GOLD. Happy to finally have friends, figuring out where the crystal was, THE MOMENT WHEN THEY’RE GONNA DIE AND ALL HE CAN THINK ABOUT IS HOW HIS MUM WILL BE LEFT ALONE THEN HE SAYS SHE’LL BE FINE BECAUSE SHE’LL FIND SOMEONE MY HEART BROKE.

KIMBERLYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY. My darling girl. Mum friend always <3 I was always gonna be biased because I adore Original Kim and I am in love with Naomi Scott but she was so good. She isn’t a perfect ~~Mary Sue, she’s a flawed 17 year old girl who has made mistakes and is trying to do better.

ZAAAAAAACK. MY DAREDEVIL BOY WHO LOVES HIS MUM. Who needs armour to test drive a Zord when you’re mfking Zack Taylor?! WHO WANTS TO HAVE A SLEEPOVER IN THE QUARRY BECAUSE ZACK IS BUILDING A FIRE AND HE BROUGHT SNACKS. Zack made sure they bonded and became closer as a team I just <333

TRINI, MY QUIET GIRL. Not enough Trini by far, she hardly spoke for the majority of her scenes pre-ship discovery :/ It looks like they cut all of her school stuff out which is a pain. I LOVED THAT THEY SHOWED HER AND KIM’S DEVELOPING FRIENDSHIP - esp given it was Kim who spoke up about who she was when everyone was asking (she got it all wrong but that’s why it was so good to show how they had grown to be friends)

RITA GIVING ALL DEM SPOOKY BITCH VIBES I LOVED. I want to laugh in the face of the haters of her costume, DIS IS WHY YOU DON’T JUDGE BEFORE YOU SEE FOLKS. The details on her face and hair were fantastic. We've never seen someone be interupted mid morph and dang that shit is scaryyyy. 

THE SCORE WAS AMAZING. I was getting Tron Legacy vibes mixed with Avengers and LOVED IT.

There were so so many parts I loved. I laughed so much, got super emotional when they were carrying Billy back to the ship, proud of my bbs <3

There was so much focus on Red being the leader and I could just feel my rage at MMPR S2 & S3 bubbling up inside me and made me want to slap the smart phone out of JDFs hand uggggh (Amy on the other hand looked amazing as ever) I would have liked for all of the Originals to have had cameos a la Ghostbusters. Jason’s dad actually looked a hell of a lot like Austin WHY COULDN’T AUSTIN BE MR SCOTT THE FISHERMAN? David could have been the detention teacher and Walter could have been the cop investigating Rita’s body or smth?????

THE MARINER BAY AND REEFSIDE MENTIONS I WAS SO HAPPY TWO OF MY FAVE SEASONS GOT SHOUT OUTS. Also ‘Zeo’ crystal was a nice touch (not that Zeo is a fave of mine but u get me)

PILOTING THE MEGAZORD AND FALLING OVER OMG. Speaking of Zord piloting, I loved that they didn’t have their visors for it. In fact I’m glad the visors were only used for like 10 mins tops lol

Now...........................................LET’S TALK ABOUT JASON AND KIM. I already said I was going in to the film disappointed the kiss had been cut. HOWEVER, see if we hadn’t been shown the kiss and all I knew was that they’d look at/stand next to each other once or twice (per PR shipping standard) I would have died tonight. THERE WAS SOOOO MUCH JASON/KIM.

 Those longing looks Jason kept giving Kim before they even spoke. JASON UR A NERD WITH A CRUSH ON YOUR TEAM MATE’S GF (or ex GF as it seems to be).

BOY WAS GONNA JUMP IN A CREEK CAUSE HE THOUGHT SHE WAS DROWNING.

Legit gonna run away together when they’d never really spoken before

THE BEDROOM SCENE (sans kiss but still so very very important for their relationship)

They were just constantly supporting each other and I was so happy I could have burst tbh

All their shared looks THERE WERE SO MANY

AND SPEAKING OF SHARED LOOKS

THE FUCKING LOOK THEY GAVE EACH OTHER WHEN THEY WERE ABOUT TO FALL IN THE PIT

THEY HELD THEIR HANDS UP BECAUSE THEY COULDN’T REACH OUT

THEY WANTED TO HOLD ONTO EACH OTHER AS THEY DIED

LIKE WHEN WILL YOUR OTP????

Honestly, in a way I’m actually glad it was obvious but not explicit that they were the romantic interests for each other because this way they’ve built the foundation for a strong relationship and it won’t seem rushed (also a bonus of it not simply looking like the leader and the main female have been paired up for no reason). Plus if they do go they way of a love triangle (gross) it’s not like they have to break up because TECHNICALLY they haven’t showed them as a couple and since it never usually works out for the couple that is initially together before the third party comes in, it’s ALL GOOD. The T*m8erly fans got their couple as a cameo, we deserve our JK canon lmao.

WHOA BOY this ended up WAAAY longer than I intended and there’s still so much I wanna talk about but I gotta stop some time.

I’m just so very excited for all the new fans this is gonna bring in to the fandom ahhhhh <333

[ride-shotgun]

"I Put A Spell On You"

25 years ago, Hollywood gifted us with a silly, spooky, and slightly underrated film called Hocus Pocus. It’s a heartwarming tale of a virgin who lights a candle, the sister he would go to hell and back for, the girl whose “yabbos” he loves, and the witches that the trip challenge with the help of an undead cat. 

 Hocus Pocus was released in the summer of 1993. Yes, the summer. This may have been the reason behind its initial iffy reception. While respectable that Disney didn’t want an October release that would be easily trumped by Touchstone Pictures’ The Nightmare Before Christmas, it was still odd timing for such a specifically Halloween-themed movie. Disney was relying on the fame of its three stars, Sarah Jessica Parker, Bette Midler and Kathy Najimy, to catapult the film at the box office. It didn’t do so badly for a Halloween movie in the summertime, but it was old news within a few weeks. 

 Twenty-five years later, Hocus Pocus has become a cult classic! It turns out Disney just had to wait for the millennial generation to come along and appreciate it. Well Disney, we certainly do! Having grown up watch on ABC Family’s 13 Nights of Halloween, we have come to appreciate the true magic of this brilliant comedy.

 The film has become such a fad that its filming locations are now prime tourist destinations. Here in New England, we are able to fully appreciate the spooktacular authenticity of the setting in Salem, Massachusetts. Let’s take a road trip!

Salem is most obviously known for it’s famous witch trials. Between 1692 and 1693, more than 200 innocent folks were tried as witches in Salem Village, and 19 were hanged. That’s a lot of damage for two years.  

 Modern day Salem is a center of culture, shopping and everything Halloween. Driving into town, we were excited to pass a trio dressed perfectly as the Sanderson sisters. We were slightly more disturbed when a creepy clown approached our car window at a stoplight. The streets were packed with people in costume, celebrating the haunted happenings of the area and living in the culture of the town.

 Immersing first in this modern culture, we stopped first at O’Neill’s Pub & Restaurant for few drinks, bar food and (of course) the Patriot’s game. The pub had a great selection of seasonal and themed drinks and a wide food selection. The best part was that the wait was shorter than almost any other place we walked by.

 Fed and happy, we started on our magical journey. First stop on the journey was the Old Town Hall. Dating back to 1816, the building is currently used as a function hall and art space. In the world of Hocus Pocus, this was the building where Max and Dani’s parents go to the town Halloween Party and Bette Midler performs her epic and memorable rendition of “Put A Spell On You”. 

While we were in the area, we also checked out Count Orlok’s Nightmare Gallery. One of the cheaper attractions in town, the gallery features costumes and monster figures from dozens of classic horror and/or Halloween movies, including the iconic dress worn by Bette Midler throughout Hocus Pocus. While I’m not a huge horror movie fan, I am a fan of Hollywood and seeing the life-size designs that haunt so many moviegoers was interesting.

 The next stop on our tour was the Ropes Mansion, or as some might recognize it, Allison’s house. Behind the magic of the movie, Max and Dani walk into this big beautiful mansion and step straight into a sound stage. While the exterior made a statement in the film, the interior is much different. The mansion is staged in the original 18thand 19thcentury furnishings, reflecting the style and legacy of the Ropes family. Entry to the mansion is free, but be aware that they stop admitting visitors 15 minutes before closing.

The Salem Witch Trials Memorial stands near The Peabody Essex Museum (a trip for next time!). This area has been dedicated to remembering the trials and the lessons that were learned from them. Benches dedicated to the victims of the hangings line the walkway, bringing a bit of humanity back to these witches.

Max and Dani’s house at 3 Ocean Ave, is about an 8-minute drive from the center of the town. Sitting on the water in a once-quiet neighborhood, you can almost picture Mary Sanderson flying by on a vacuum cleaner. A word of warning about this stop: people actually live in this house! I repeat: the house is occupied! Please be respectful and avoid the urge to walk up on their front porch to take pictures.

 A short ride from the house is Pioneer Village, where a human pre-cat-curse Binx desperately searched for his missing sister. Unfortunately, the area was closed off for construction when we visited, but the historical exploration will be worth the return trip. Built in the 1930’s, the village is a reflection of the pioneer villages that once thrived across New England. 

Featuring Christina Ferragamo Photography

[gokinjeespot]

off the rack #1151

Monday, February 13, 2017

 Ottawa got about 20 centimetres of snow in the last 24 hours. I heard the grader go by at about 2 AM and I was out there before 5 AM clearing the near meter high snow bank plugging our driveway so that Penny could leave. I should have been more careful. Forgot that it's the thirteenth. Went to throw a big shovelful of snow and my back seized so bad the pain put me on my knees. I was a little over half done then. Did the rest very slowly in a lot of pain and managed to get it all cleared away. Stupid back.

 Kingpin #1 - Matthew Rosenberg (writer) Ben Torres (art) Jordan Boyd (colours) VC's Travis Lanham (letters). I almost didn't take this book off the rack to read because the Civil War II: Kingpin mini didn't thrill me. I'm glad I had a change of heart and read this. Here is a Wilson Fisk trying to change the public's perception of him as a brutal crime lord. Matthew makes him more like the sympathetic character that was on the first season of Netflix's Daredevil TV show. That portrayal by Vincent D'Onofrio was very convincing. There is a scene next to a town car in this issue that flashed me back to the show where the Kingpin kills someone with a car door. The other main character is a beautiful writer who Wilson wants to hire to write his biography. Ben's art is really good, and he drew Sarah in a red haute couture gown that made me weak in the knees. This is being added to my "must read" list.

 Justice League of America #1 - Steve Orlando (writer) Ivan Reis (pencils) Joe Prado & Oclair Albert (inks) Marcelo Maiolo (colours) Clayton Cowles (letters). I almost didn't take this book off the rack to read because Steve did not impress me with the Monsters story in Batman and Detective recently. I gave him another chance and I'm sorry I did. I don't like this team that Batman is putting together. His reason for gathering these characters is to show that a team of super humans can protect the Earth just as well as the other League that has a couple of gods on it. I get that but Steve belabours the point. Some fans might think it's cool to have Killer Frost, Black Canary, Lobo, the Asian Atom, the Ray and Vixen on a team but I think it's a stunt to create conflict within this team for drama. I'm taking a pass on this for now.

 Death Be Damned #1 - Ben Acker, Ben Blacker & Andrew Miller (writers) Hannah Christenson (art) Juan Useche (colours) Colin Bell (letters). The title should give you a clue to what this 4-issue mini is about. We're looking at some frontier folks what can't die. It's 1873 in Wyoming and a farmer's wife is looking for the men who killed her and her family. She doesn't realize that she can't be killed, but the undertaker finds out soon enough. This isn't simply a story of revenge however. There is some Native American Indian lore and rituals involved that makes for some spooky goings on. I found the art to be crude but serviceable so if you like old west ghost stories this may raise the hairs on your arms.

 Ms. Marvel #15 - G. Willow Wilson (writer) Takeshi Miyazawa (art) Ian Herring (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). This Troll villain just got a lot more interesting. Kamala thought she found the hacker that could expose her secret identity but she was wrong. I can't wait for the next issue.

 Wonder Woman #16 - Greg Rucka (writer) Bilquis Evely (pencils) Bilquis Evely, Mark Morales, Andrew Hennessy & Raul Fernandez (inks) Romulo Fajardo Jr. (colours) Jodi Wynne (letters). A new story starts this issue. "Godwatch" starts six months after Diana left Themyscira with a corporate C.E.O. being blackmailed by Gemini twins Phobos and Deimos. The C.E.O. Veronica Cale reminds me of the old Lex Luthor. Some high tech mind melding machine goes haywire and off we go.

 Moonshine #5 - Brian Azzarello (writer) Eduardo Risso (art & colours) Cristian Rossi (colour assistant) Jared K. Fletcher (letters). There's a full moon. Let the werewolves out.

 Black Widow # 11 - Chris Samnee & Mark Waid (writers) Chris Samnee (art) Matthew Wilson (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). A S.H.I.E.L.D. facility is under attack by the Red Room Runts and Natasha makes it her mission to stop them and try to save the girls at the same time. There are some cool fights scenes in here.

 Detective Comics #950 - James Tynion IV (writer) Marcio Takara (art) Dean White (colours) Marilyn Patrizio (letters). This giant sized anniversary issue starts off with the prologue to "League of Shadows" which features Cassandra Cain, my favourite Batgirl, who is now called Orphan. The last page made me happy we only have to wait two weeks before the next issue hits the racks. In "Higher Powers" by James Tynion IV (writer) Alvaro Martinez (pencils) Raul Fernandez (inks) Brad Anderson (colours) Marilyn Patrizio (letters), Azrael and Batwing have a discussion about the power of faith and Jean-Paul's connection to the Order of Dumas. It ends with the activation of Ascalon and I'm itching to find out more about this new character. The final short by James Tynion IV (writer) Eddy Barrows (pencils) Eber Ferreira (inks) Adriano Lucas (colours) Marilyn Patrizio (letters), flashes back a few months ago to show Red Robin asking Batman what he's gearing everyone up for. This ties into what Batman is up to with his Justice League of America as well as his Detective Comics team. The big DC event of 2017 will be "Dark Days" so don't miss it.

 Star Wars: Doctor Aphra #4 - Kieron Gillen (writer) Kev Walker (pencils) Marc Deering (inks) Antonio Fabela (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). That was a quick read. Lots of explosions and storm troopers shooting and missing.

 Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps #14 - Robert Venditti (writer) Rafa Sandoval (pencils) Jordi Tarragona (inks) Tomeu Morey (colours) Dave Sharpe (letters). This issue has one of my pet peeves about comic books. One of the covers has Hal yelling at a Blue Lantern "You crazy fool. Your abuse of blue power destroyed every person on Earth". So a fan would see that and think "I want to read that comic book", only to find that the story inside is totally different. I hate that. Plus it's Kevin Nowlan swiping a Gil Kane cover. It's not even original. This issue is still worth reading though. The Green Lantern Corps and the Sinestro Corps are joining forces so that's new. Kyle and Hal are sent on a mission by Ganthet and that's where the Blue Lantern comes in. Just ignore the hype.

 Totally Awesome Hulk #16 - Greg Pak (writer) Mahmud Asrar (art) Nolan Woodward (colours) Cory Petit (letters). I like this impromptu team that Amadeus has found himself in. The alien invasion takes a turn for the worse as they are whisked away into space along with some civilians. If you know what Soylent Green is you'll know what the threat is.

 Action Comics #973 - Dan Jurgens (writer) Patch Zircher & Stephen Segovia (pencils) Patch Zircher & Art Thibert (inks) Arif Prianto (colours) Rob Leigh (letters). I love a good mystery and now they are going to solve the one about the human Clark Kent. Part 1 of "Mild Mannered" has Lois Lane on the case. Meanwhile, Superman and Steel try to save Superwoman/Lana Lang's life. There's plenty going on to keep this book interesting.

 Jessica Jones #5 - Brian Michael Bendis (writer) Michael Gaydos (art) Matt Hollingsworth (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). Whoa, what an existential issue. I'm glad to see us getting back to the Alison Greene mystery woman storyline though.

 Guardians of the Galaxy #17 - Brian Michael Bendis (writer) Valerio Schiti (art) Richard Isanove (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). Gamora grounded is an opportunity to show what she's got. Here she tries to break into the Triskelion to get at Thanos. She's sort of successful. I love the way Valerio draws Sasquatch.

 Inhumans vs. X-Men #4 - Jeff Lemire & Charles Soule (writers) Javier Garron (art) David Curiel (colours) VC's Clayton Cowles (letters). So Gorgon isn't in a wheelchair anymore? One of the things I love about reading these massive crossover events is learning about characters that I don't read about all the time. This issue made me appreciate how Jeff and Charles take the time to use the names of each character and show their super powers. They also gave the unfamiliar characters (at least to me) personalities that made them more interesting. This came close to making me want to read Inhumans and X-Men comic books again. We know that both teams survive this was because they are already promoting new books for them so now I just want to find out how they all get along or don't.

 All New Wolverine #17 - Tom Taylor (writer) Djibril Morissette-Phan (art) Michael Garland (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). Did you see who's going to be in Hugh Jackman's last Wolverine movie? It's Laura Kinney/X-23, our girl right here. I'm actually excited right now. This issue tackles the problem of Laura's uncontrollable killing sprees brought on by a special pheromone. It's used when her enemies want her to eliminate their rivals. Kimura used it recently but Laura's friends arrived to save her from killing. I would have benched this book because of the art but Tom's writing made it possible for me to enjoy this issue anyways.

 Unworthy Thor #4 - Jason Aaron (writer) Olivier Coipel with Kim Jacinto (present day art) Frazer Irving (Young Thor art) Esad Ribic (Worthy Thor art) Russell Dauterman (Unworthy Thor art) Matthew Wilson, Matt Milla &  Frazer Irving (colours) VC's Joe Sabino (letters). I loved the flashbacks showing the Odinson's history with Mjolnir as he struggles to retrieve Jarnbjorn from the Collector's collection. I can't wait to see if Jason makes the Odinson worthy of wielding a hammer again.