#Was on par with october 4th for me

[digital-dulci]

Currently shedding real tears (again) over jundori persona 3 is amazing

[skyriderwednesday]

Not to be like 'Chronology final FINAL (2)', but hear me out-- (Comments and feedback are much appreciated, see the notes at the bottom. Titles in italics have been moved/updated since last time.)

The ‘Gloria Scott’ - Summer 1875 [1] (Framing: Winter 1882-3?)

The maths as stated don’t work, as 1855 + 30 = 1885, and these events can’t occur after A Study In Scarlet. 1875 would have to be Holmes’s second year of college. 

The Musgrave Ritual - Spring 1879 (Framing: Winter 1882-3?)

It is stated to have been four years since Holmes last saw Musgrave. Holmes mentions telling Watson about the events of ‘Gloria Scott’. Watson must be living at 221b at the time, as his intro describes Holmes’s extremely messy habits in terms of lodging with him.

A Study In Scarlet - January to March 1881

Watson states the date he discovered Holmes’s profession explicitly as the 4th of March, which was several weeks after they moved in together. I find it likely that it was at most mid-January when they met, and that Watson spent February observing Holmes’s habits and trying to figure him out.

The Shoscombe Old Place - May 1881

It is directly stated to be May. Watson mentions his wound pension, meaning this case must be placed during the nine months he was set to receive it, as referenced in STUD (which would be from October or November 1880 to July or August 1881). 

The Resident Patient - October 1881

Watson describes these events as being ‘towards the end of the first year during which Holmes and I shared chambers’, and then specifies that it was October.

The Valley Of Fear - January 1882 [2]

It is stated to be ‘in the late eighties’, but Holmes appears to still be getting used to Watson’s sense of humour, which he claims is ‘developing’, which points to it being earlier while Watson is still recovering from his illness. Any later and Holmes would already be very familiar with his closest companion’s personality.

The Yellow Face - Early Spring 1882

(I base this placement on character dynamics.)

The Speckled Band - April 1883

It is directly stated to be early April 1883.

The Beryl Coronet - February 1884

Watson is living at Baker St. It is stated to be February.

The Copper Beeches - Early Spring 1884

Watson is living at Baker St and appears to be unmarried. I will take it that references to SCAN, IDEN, TWIS, NOBL, and BLUE are self-promotion on Watson’s part due to publication order.

Charles Augustus Milverton - Winter 1884

I get the feeling this is an earlier case, as Watson’s attitude is oddly naïve when it comes to morality and the ability of the law to handle Milverton. I cannot see him behaving like this/holding these beliefs if he has already experienced Moriarty with Holmes for instance. He is also very jumpy while he and Holmes are performing their burglary.

The Hound Of The Baskervilles - October 1885 [3]

Mortimer’s stick is dated 1884, and Holmes notes this was five years ago (making it 1889), but Watson neither appears to be married nor in medical practice, and since this story was explicitly written as to have occurred before Holmes’s ‘death’, this precludes it being set after 1888. 

The Greek Interpreter - Summer 1886?

I feel like these events are happening a decent number of years after Holmes and Watson met each other, as Watson refers to his relationship with Holmes as a ‘long and intimate acquaintance’, during which up to this point Holmes had ‘never’ referred to his family.

The Reigate Squires - April 1887

It is directly stated to be April 1887.

The Sign Of Four - July 1887 [4]

It is stated to be July (later mistakenly stated as September) 1888, but this contradicts both SCAN (March 1888) and FIVE (September 1887). There may also be a pearl missing as Mary describes their delivery?

The Cardboard Box - August 1887

Holmes mentions both A Study In Scarlet and The Sign Of Four by name -- which implies that Watson is a very speedy writer, as this would be only a few weeks later. However, this may be taken as self promotion on Watson’s part.

The Noble Bachelor - Autumn 1887

This story is dated to 1887 via Lord St. Simon’s age, and also by Watson calling the events a ‘four year old drama’ at the time he is writing (presumably 1891), but Watson is soon to be married -- which is not possible if he has not yet met his fiancée. Dating SIGN to July 1887 fixes this discrepancy.

A Scandal In Bohemia - March 1888

Watson explicitly dates the start of this case to the 20th of March 1888, and states that he hasn’t seen Holmes for several months after his marriage (which would be in the late autumn to winter of 1887 - possibly extending into Jan/Feb 1888)

The Stockbroker’s Clerk - June 1888

Watson states that he acquired his practice ‘shortly after’ his marriage, and that he was too busy to visit Holmes at Baker Street for three months. Counting most of March as the first month (per SCAN), that takes us to the June he states, which is the first time Holmes has visited Watson at his practice. 

The Naval Treaty - July 1888

Watson describes these events as occurring in ‘the July which immediately succeeded’ his marriage, which is the July of 1888.

[The Second Stain - July 1888**]

Due to it heavily contradicting the events referenced as ‘The Adventure of the Second Stain’ in NAVA, I take it that the story of this name is heavily if not entirely fictionalised. This is when the real events that inspired it occurred.

The Crooked Man - August 1888

Watson states that these events began ‘one summer night, a few months after’ his marriage, which would make it 1888. It cannot be July, since Watson states in NAVA that the July following his marriage featured ‘three cases of interest’, and I doubt Holmes would be showing up at Watson’s home near midnight so early in their re-established partnership for it to be June, so I suggest it to be August.

The Five Orange Pips - September 1888 [5]

It is stated to be September 1887, but even if SIGN occurred in July of that year, Watson and Mary have not married yet for him to be ‘staying at Baker Street’ while she is away visiting her (dead) mother.

The Boscombe Valley Mystery - Spring 1889

(I put this story here as Watson has to be persuaded to go on the case with Holmes by his wife, and he shows more reluctance to do so than he will later)

The Man With The Twisted Lip - June 1889

I place this after BOSC, as Holmes takes it as a given that Watson’s wife will not object to him sending a note and running off on a case in the middle of the night. (I suspect he’s wrong and will be due a bollocking after breakfast)

The Engineer’s Thumb - Summer 1889

It is directly stated to be summer 1889.

The Dying Detective - November 1889

Watson describes this as happening in his ‘second year of marriage’, which, 1888 being his first, works out as 1889.

A Case Of Identity - September 1890

Holmes comments in REDH that the case of Mary Sutherland occurred ‘the other day’. Assuming he isn’t the type to use ‘the other day’ to mean several months ago, etc, this would put it within the last few weeks. 

The Red-Headed League - October 1890

It is directly stated to be October 9th 1890

The Blue Carbuncle - December 1890

Watson states it to be ‘the second morning after Christmas’, making it the 27th of December. When discussing cases that didn’t involve a crime, Holmes cites the events of SCAN, IDEN, and TWIS. This also lines up with the publication order, BLUE being the seventh short story, and Watson states that of the ‘last six cases’ he has written up, three of them were legally free of crime (morally however…)

The Final Problem - April to May 1891

Holmes has apparently been working in France since ‘the winter of 1890’ when he suddenly shows up in Watson’s consulting room on the 24th of April. His ‘death’ occurs on the 4th of May.

~~ THE GREAT HIATUS: MAY 1891 TO APRIL 1894 ~~

The Empty House - April 1894

The date Ronald Adair was murdered is stated to have been March 30th 1894. Taking into account the time required for the inquest - which has just concluded- I estimate it to be the first week of April, which lines up with Watson's description of it being an 'April evening'. Additionally, March 30th 1894 was a Friday, which would likely have delayed the start of the inquest to Monday, April 2nd.

The Norwood Builder - Summer 1894

Stated to take place ‘several months’ after Holmes’s return. Watson has moved back to Baker Street and sold his practice.

Silver Blaze - Late Summer 1894 

(I would like to set Silver Blaze to be after NORW, since I think Holmes and Watson deserve a fun case after that one. I believe it to be post-hiatus since Watson is evidently resident in Baker Street and does not appear to be in practice at this time.)

The Golden Pince-Nez - November 1894

It is directly stated to be November 1894.

The Red Circle - Winter 1894

Watson is living at Baker Street, and Holmes refers to his medical practice in the past tense. Though there are no other suggestions as to the time period, I feel safe putting it in 1894 as the year is said to have been particularly busy. (Taking up three volumes of Watson’s yearbooks!)

The Solitary Cyclist - April 1895

It is directly stated to be April 23rd 1895.

The Three Students - May 1895?

It is directly stated to be 1895, though Watson declines to give any more information than that. I suppose it to be around May, since the case involves university exams.

Black Peter - July 1895

It is directly stated to be ‘the first week of July’ 1895.

The Bruce-Partington Plans - November 1895

It is directly stated to be ‘the third week of November, in the year 1895’.

The Veiled Lodger - Early 1896

It is directly stated to be ‘early in 1896’

The Missing Three-Quarter - February 1896-7

Described as occurring ‘seven or eight years ago’ from the time of writing, presumably 1904. (I don’t see the point of ascribing it to one or the other currently, as it doesn’t make much difference to the order of surrounding stories.)

The Devil’s Foot - March 1897

It is directly stated to be March 1897

The Abbey Grange - Winter 1897

It is directly stated to be ‘towards the end of the winter of’ 1897.

Wisteria Lodge - March 1898 [6]

It is stated to be March 1892, but this is impossible as Holmes is presumed dead at that time. It also can’t be March ‘91 as Holmes is too busy at that time, and referencing REDH eliminates March ‘90 or any year earlier. Further, Holmes complains of boredom due to a lack of cases, which eliminates 1894 due to a very high number of cases in that year (he also won’t be back for a few weeks yet). Holmes is also busy in March ‘95, ‘96, and ‘97. It is not until 1898 that there may be time for him to be bored by March.

The Six Napoleons - Late May/Early June 1898

It must be the end of May or the start of June, as Beppo was arrested and sentenced to a year in prison in late May of the previous year. (I’d like to set this one near DANC, since Holmes deserves the praise.)

The Dancing Men - July 1898

Mr Cubitt says that he met his wife while in London ‘for the jubilee last year’, which would be Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee, and that Elsie received a letter from America ‘about a month ago, at the end of June’, making it July.

The Sussex Vampire - November 1898

I date this story to after 1897, as that is the year vampires rose significantly in the public consciousness.

The Retired Colourman - Summer 1899

Amberley married his wife in 1897, and Holmes comments that the events that have resulted in their contact with him have occurred ‘within two years’.

The Priory School - May 1901?

Years listed with regard to Lord Holdernesse date the story post 1900, and wording makes it seem that that is not the present year.

The Disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax - Spring/Summer 1901?

Watson complains about feeling 'old', which suggests this story takes place later in the canon. However, there is no indication of him being married.

The Problem Of Thor Bridge - October 1901

It is directly stated to be October. Watson is living at Baker Street.

The Three Garridebs - June 1902

It is directly stated to be June 1902

The Illustrious Client - September 1902

It is directly stated to be September 1902. Watson has moved out of Baker Street, and is living in Queen Anne Street.

The Blanched Soldier - January 1903

It is directly stated to be January 1903. Holmes claims that Watson has ‘deserted [him] for a wife’.

The Mazarin Stone - Summer 1903

Watson is visiting Baker Street, and comments that nothing has changed in his absence, which infers this to occur after his second marriage. He also comments that a dummy of Holmes has been ‘used before’, referencing the events of EMPT. 

The Three Gables - 1903?

Watson has not seen Holmes ‘in some days’. It appears that he is visiting Baker Street at the time.

The Creeping Man - September 1903

As originally published, the date is stated as September 1902, but when collected in Case-Book, this changes to 1903. I place it in 1903 as otherwise it would be extremely occurring extremely close to ILLU.

The Lion’s Mane - July 1907

It is directly stated to be ‘towards the end of July 1907’. Holmes is retired.

His Last Bow: The War Service Of Sherlock Holmes - August 1914

It is directly stated to be August 2nd 1914. Holmes has been undercover for the past two years. He is described as a ‘man of sixty’, but I’ll take that as artistic license since sixty is a reasonable estimate for someone in their late 50’s.

Notes:

This chronology was started in direct opposition to and due to frustration with Baring-Gould's chronology. Any comments or suggestions based on it will be disregarded.

For convenience's sake, I largely disregard publication dates except for when they provide vital context for when a story occurred. Unless stated otherwise, it will be assumed that Watson is writing the stories roughly in real time. This also saves me the headache of trying to account for Holmes referencing stories that Watson wrote while he was 'dead' (i.e. basically everything between SCAN and EMPT)

It is my aim with this chronology to take into account all stated dates, and take them as correct except for where they blatantly contradict others. (e.g. SIGN being dated to either July or September 1888, when FIVE references Watson's wife in September 1887 and SCAN refers to his marriage in March 1888; Wisteria Lodge being dated to March 1892 when Holmes is 'dead' at this time)

It is also my intention that Watson is only married twice, the first time to Mary Morstan in late 1887 and the second to an unknown Mrs Watson in late 1902/early 1903 (being strictly canonical, my own headcanons of him retiring to Sussex with Holmes aside)

I estimate that Holmes was born January 6th 1857, making him 18 at the time of GLOR and 24 at the time of STUD. Also by this estimate he would be 57 at the time of His Last Bow.

I estimate that Watson was born 23rd May 1853, making him 27 at the time of STUD. This would make him 61 at the time of His Last Bow.

[colourful-jack]

Paper Talk Special: YOSHIHARA Rieko's interview (1989)

“Riki is an almost full-grown black panther”

YOSHIHARA Rieko has written in a wide variety of genres, from high-school stories to fantasy and science fiction. If there is one thing her characters, like Aki and Kacchan or Iason and Riki, have in common, it’s their impressive charisma. We had the opportunity to ask her more about Ai no kusabi in this interview.

Profile

Pen name’s origin: My birth name. My family name changed when I got married, so I thought “nobody would know it’s me!”.

Date of birth: October 4th, 1954

Blood type: B

Place of birth and residence: born in Fukuoka Prefecture, living in Kumamoto Prefecture

What made you send your manuscript to the magazine: It had been a long night…

1. What made you start writing Ai no kusabi?

I didn’t really… want to write about “pure love” in a science fiction setting (ah ah ah), because I wanted to write about an “encounter” than would not just be casual, the bonds it would create and the various feelings they would draw along.

2. Which character can you empathize with the most?

Probably Riki, as one could expect. Because, even though he has a sharp tongue and is quite mature, his way of thinking is fundamentally straight. Him running around struggling yet unable to act, because he’s caught between two feelings of different natures, makes him seductive, I like it.

3. What is your favourite scene? And what is a line you like?

My favourite, hmm… It would have to be the scene where Katze cries while stifling his voice. But I also cannot put aside the scene where Riki is kept waiting in vain in the rain by Guy… As for the lines, those would be “there’s no way I’m letting him die alone” or “you may be able to look the other way despite everything, but I… wouldn’t be worth more than trash if I did. I couldn’t go on living.”

4. Could you tell us about the creation process of the characters, like Riki and Iason? (size, weight, blood type, date of birth, etc.)

I had their personality roughly figured out, so I didn’t think about their finer characteristics, but…

Riki: Because he’s a slum mongrel, I pictured him as an almost full-grown black panther. Not frail, but slender and lithe. As for his appearance, his intelligence shines through the strength of his obstinate spirit, that’s all.

Iason: Since he’s an absolutely perfect member of the elite and the Black Market’s king, he should definitely be like the God of the Sun Apollo, but raised in the depths of the sea (or something). He’s shrewd and good-looking, incredibly proud, and wouldn’t collapse under any circumstances. Regarding his height, all things considered, he’s a head taller that Riki.

Guy: In my first draft, he was a tolerant and broad-minded herbivorous felid… that was my intention, but I wonder where and how things went wrong.

Raoul: His looks, intellect and handsomeness are on par with Iason’s. He has a sense of humour and, even more than Iason, nerves of steel.

Katze: Went from being raised in the slums to being a Furniture in Eos to being a broker on the black market. Putting aside the protagonists, he’s the one with the most dramatic life, so that’s probably why I gave him a tragic handicap, like being a scarface or being a man without manhood…

Kirie: Representing slum dwellers in their late teens, he’s overconfident and reckless. He has a very limited worldview, so he’s the most fragile yet also the most dangerous character.

5. Concerning the way you chose the characters’ names, you previously said you were “drawn to the “dragon” kanji”, were you fixated on something like that for Ai no kusabi?

This time I wanted to give them names that would fit their character, so… I gave Riki a name conveying “power” (riki is one of the few ways to read the kanji meaning “power”), I named Iason after a hero from Greek mythology, and Guy after the goddess of the Earth, Gaia, for his ability to embrace everything. But when you list them, they’re not consistent. All things considered, you could say they’re just far-fetched choices, ah ah ah…

6. Writing Ai no kusabi, what did you enjoy? What did you find difficult?

For the most of it, the story was ever changing with the characters’ feelings, so until I had reached the ending, I had fun worrying (somehow) while writing. Difficult things that would bring wrinkles to my forehead, I tend not to think too much about them.

7. A number of different types of Pet Rings appear in readers’ four-case mangas, but how do you picture them yourself?

No, well, when it comes to Riki’s, its basic image was something like Sun Wukong’s circlet. Looking at it like this makes Journey to the West quite salacious too… don’t you think?

8. Could you tell us your thoughts about the cassette adaptation?

I thought “Are you sure we can really do that?”… but when it became real, well, I mean, ah ah ah, what could I say? As you know, this work involves many human relationships, some violent lines, and it’s quite heavy on that. “How can we make all that fit in 60 minutes?” I wondered… When I heard the tape for the first time, it dawned on me that letters and voices are truly two completely different things, obviously. I wrote it, so it’s weird for me to say that, but I thought “can I really make Mr SEKI and Mr SHIOZAWA say those things?”… on the other hand, when I wondered what faces they made then, Tokyo felt so far away… So those were my thoughts. But everyone used their beautiful voice to give impassioned performances, so I’m very happy!

9. And lastly, what is June to you?

A breather between child rearing and house chores, a teatime friend… or something like that. (October 1989)

[bourbon-ontherocks]

LES PILES DE COURRIER LILLOIS, what in the apollo dodgeball was that?? the PI bit + starry ceiling + emergency lights at the end (😭) made up for the horrid lighting in this ep. RIP émilie, I’d hoped she’d make it :(((( (par contre j’ai cru pdt 80 % de l’épi que son mari était allé au cap-vert, ptdr). when adam’s the last to leave the office and the cleaning cart comes into frame, ARGH, we know how bad he wanted it to be morgane because so did we 😥

The Courrier Lillois part got me screaming anon, I wasn't joking when I said I'd manifested too much canon stuff into existence with my fic lol, was almost expecting to read Sandra's initials down the article 😅

ALSO, this might be an unintended mishap, but did you pick up on the first wife's date of death? October the 4th??? Now why does this sound so familiar? 🤔🥹

I found the PI/film noir bit hilarious and extremely well done with Théa's interruptions, not such a big fan of the starry ceiling stuff though, for me it was too reminiscent of the projector effect in 202 which I hated.

Obviously the emergency lights in the end 🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹 Such an amazing callback, also did you notice that the moment Adam catches Morgane's eyes, the music/sounds surrounding them abruptly stop, leaving only room for a high-pitched note that sounds like tinnitus? 😱 The rest of the world stops existing the moment they see each other again, and that's my cue to die in the middle of the pieces of my shattered heart 😭😭😭

What do you mean the lighting was horrid this ep? Please enlighten me (pun awfully intended) 😆😆

"par contre j’ai cru pdt 80 % de l’épi que son mari était allé au cap-vert, ptdr" well I can't blame you, this Cap thing is a whole rollercoster lol, but you'll see 😉

The cleaning cart scene... 😭😭 their theme... 😭😭😭 Adam keeping his eyes on the cleaning lady as if she'd suddenly morph into Morgane... 😭😭😭 him taking off his tie before leaving like in that scene in season 1 😭😭😭 (also someone please explain to me how Adam can take off his tie and put it in his desk drawer in the evening, but come into the office in the morning with a tie on? The man must have dozens of worn ties in that drawer LOL). I particularly enjoyed this scene because we got very few insights into Adam's POV since the beginning of the show but in particular in latest episodes where it's kind of getting crucial to know his side of things, so witnessing the way he thinks of her just from seeing a cleaning cart felt so earned and rewarding 🥹🥹🥹

[gunsatthaphan]

~ Monthly BL Breakdown: October 2022 ~  

☔️ Happy November!!! ☔️

Disclaimer: ALL shows can be streamed here or here, as well as on Dailymotion and Youtube. For more info on where to watch what, check out this post! 

New breakdowns coming at the end of every month - feel free to add stuff! (previous breakdowns)

What came out this month? (green tick = seen or currently watching)

🌟 To Sir, With Love - October 3rd (Thailand)

🌟 Kabe Koji - October 3rd (Japan)

🌟 Kabe Sa Doujin Sakka no Neko Yashiki-kun wa Shouninyokkyou wo Kojiraseteiru  - October 4th (Japan)

🌟 Ghost Host, Ghost House - October 5th (Thailand)

🌟 Two and One - October 5th (Philippines)

🌟 Catch Me Baby - October 6th (Thailand)

🌟 Big Dragon - October 8th (Thailand) 

🌟 My Roommate - October 8th (Thailand) 

🌟 Paradise - October 8th (Philippines) 

🌟 Remember Me - October 9th (Thailand) ✅

🌟 2 Moons 3: The Ambassador - October 10th (Thailand)

🌟 Self - September 13th (Thailand)

🌟 Roommates of Poongduck 304 - October 13th (South Korea) ✅

🌟 My Tooth Your Love - October 14th (Taiwan)

🌟 Hard Love Mission - October 15th (Thailand)

🌟 Love is Right - October 17th (South Korea) 

🌟 Why You… Y Me? - October 19th (Thailand) 

🌟 Eternal Yesterday - October 21st (Japan)

🌟 Choco Milk Shake - October 25th (South Korea)

🌟 My Friendship 2: Before the Rainbow - October 28th (Thailand)

🌟 Grand Guignol (Horror Movie) - October 28th (Japan)

🌟 Till the World Ends - October 29th (Thailand)

🌟 Love Bill - October 29th (Vietnam)

Monthly likes/dislikes

❣️ The Eclipse - Gonna put this on here for one last time because how can I not lmao. It wasn’t perfect and there were some bumps in the road but it was still a masterpiece to me. It was obvious that everything about it came from a place of sincerity and passion from everyone involved and the characters, as well as the stories they told, meant so much to me. Idk if others feel that way but yeah. It’s hard to top for sure.  

❣️ Roommates of Poongduck 304 - YO this show is amazing. I havent seen anyone talk about it so yeah definitely criminally underrated. The writing is genius, the dialogues are witty and the acting is amazing. Truly a top-notch production in every possible way with all the kdrama feels but yknow... gay lmao. Highly recommend!!!!! 

👎🏻  Oh My Sunshine Night - I don’t know where this show went wrong but it was a disaster. It’s been slow from the get go but it was nearly unbearable towards the end. The second half was just a loop of the same scenes and the same lines over and over again which is a shame because I know OhmFluke can do better. 18 episodes wasted. What a flop. 

New series & movie announcements

🎥 HIStory 5: Love in the Future - Date TBA (Taiwan) 

🎥 Individual Circumstances - Date TBA (South Korea) 

🎥 Takumi-kun Series 6 - Coming 2023 (Japan)

🎥 Paano Kaya Kung Tayo (movie) - Date TBA (Philippines) 

🎥 Star Struck - Date TBA (South Korea) 

🎥 A Story to Remember - Date TBA (Philippines) 

🎥 Home Par - Date TBA (Singapore) 

🎥 Liquor - Coming late 2022 (South Korea)

🎥 Unintentional Love Story (starring Woo Taemin and others) - Date TBA (South Korea) 

🎥 Future - Date TBA (Thailand) 

🎥 Jump - Coming January 2023 (Thailand) 

🎥 My Beautiful Man: The Movie - Date TBA (Japan) 

🎥 Marry My Dead Body (movie) - Coming February 10th 2023 (Taiwan)

🎥 Fueang Nakorn (City of Stars) (produced by StarHunter) - Date TBA (Thailand) 

🎥 House of Stars - Date TBA (Thailand) 

🎥 La Pluie - Date TBA (Thailand) 

🎥 For Him - Date TBA (Thailand) 

🎥 Sukisuki Wanwan - Date TBA (Japan) 

🎥 Moments of Love - Date TBA (Thailand) 

Other news from the BL world

❗️ The upcoming Thai BL Midnight Fortune has been cancelled. It’s unclear whether or not a different company will pick it up. 

❗️The upcoming Korean remake of the Thai BL “Why R U” has finished filming and is now in postproduction. The air date has yet to be announced. 

❗️The upcoming Thai BL Make a Wish has wrapped filming. The pilot trailer was released on October 28th. The air date has yet to be announced. 

❗️The Thai BL Unforgotten Night will have a special episode. There are no further details yet. 

❗️A special episode for Love in the Air has been announced for November 26th, which will be released on Vimeo. 

❗️Actor Ahn Jihoo (All of us are Dead) as well as actress and singer Kim Doyeon have joined the cast for the upcoming Korean BL Heesu in Class 2.

❗️A movie version for the Japanese BL “My Beautiful Man” has been announced. Filming started in mid October. A release date hasn’t been announced yet. 

❗️The upcoming Thai BL Wish Me Luck released its first teaser. The show will air in 2023. 

❗️The Thai BL “A Tale of Thousand Stars” won the Special Award For Foreign Drama at the The Tokyo Drama Awards 2022. 

❗️The upcoming Korean BL Starstruck has started filming. The series will consist of 8 episodes. 

❗️The upcoming GMMTV BL Be My Favorite will commence shooting in November. 

Upcoming series & movies for November

☝🏻 Love of Secret - November 5th (Thailand) 

☝🏻 Between Us - November 6th (Thailand) 

☝🏻 Semantic Error: The Movie (digital release) - November 11th (South Korea)

☝🏻 I Will Knock You - November 18th (Thailand) 

☝🏻 GAP (GL) - November 19th (Thailand) 

☝🏻 609 Bedtime Story - November 26th (Thailand) 

☝🏻 My School President - November TBA (Thailand) 

☝🏻 Happy Ending Outside the Fence - November TBA (South Korea)

☝🏻 Young Hoon - November TBA (South Korea)

[josefavomjaaga]

Hey Josefa,

May I ask what Soult's relationship with Davout was like, if you were able to find any information on it?

I know that Aimee Davout was friends with Louise Soult but the only thing I can find regarding their husbands' relationship is in 1815 when Napoleon made Soult his chief-of-staff and Davout was incredibly exasperated with Soult's conflicting messages to the point where he threatened to resign as Minister of War multiple times.

Thanks in advance! ☺️

First of all: Thank you, both for your patience and for the question! That's a very interesting one!

I have wondered about it myself, especially when I read sources about the time in Prussia, where these two men are often described as acting in a similar way: Rough, severe, but fair, and holding up strict discipline among their troops. It seems the two had a similar, very methodical approach to their job. Another thing they had in common was the fact they both did not belong to Napoleon’s inner circle and were not as personally close to the emperor and general-in-chief as other marshals (Murat, Lannes, Bessières etc.). Possibly a basis for a bond.

I am unaware (but would love to be corrected on this!) that the two of them ever met before Soult returned from Naples and both he and Davout were nominated colonel général of a branch of the Imperial Guard – another bond they shared. That being said, I have in biographies never come across any mention about a particular friendship between Soult and Davout, so I can only list some correspondence that – for me – could point to those two getting along rather well. Which already says much, as getting along with Soult was not particularly easy.

1.) Soult’s letter of congratulation to Davout, when both of them became marshals in 1804 (already posted here):

Soult to Davout 3 prairial year XII (23 May 1804)

You do not like compliments, and I do not like to make them; thus, my dear Marshal, do not expect any from me; but I will tell you with all the warmth of the friendship I have devoted to you that no one applauded your nomination with more joy than the friend writing to you. I congratulate myself with all my heart to find on the new rank to which His Imperial Majesty has deigned to elevate me, a colleague whom I love and whom I esteem, in short, to find Davout...

That does sound a lot like: Thank god you’re with us, that’s at least one guy who knows his shit… - but mostly, it seems to be a very personal letter, directed at somebody whom the writer knows well.

2.) In »Le Maréchal Soult, prince d’Eckmühl, raconté par les siens«, Soult’s name is mentioned quite a bit for the time of the camp de Boulogne and the first months of the empire. Both Soult’s and Davout’s wife were in the service of Letizia Bonaparte, even if Aimée soon quit. It still seems as if Madame Soult had taken a liking to Aimée and visited rather often with her and that Davout, trying to get Aimée out of her depressive moods, encouraged these visits. Davout, Mortier, Bessières and Soult apparently also were contacting each other about some details of their new imperial duties, and by the end of 1805, after the battle of Austerlitz, Davout wrote to Aimée and asked her to let the wives of Soult and Bessières know that their husbands were unharmed and had contributed quite a bit to the victory.

3.) A letter from Soult to Davout, 12 October 1808, quoted in N. Gotteri, »Soult. Maréchal d’Emoire et homme d’état«. On this day, Soult has to hand command of »his« 4th corps in Prussia, that he had led ever since the camp de Saint-Omer, over to Davout, as Napoleon had called Soult to Spain. - Make no mistake, Soult had almost begged for this in a letter that qualifies as virtual cul-kissing, assuring »the greatest of all men« how much he would love to give up his life for him. But when he as a consequence has to part ways with his old army corps, it still seems to not be so easy for him. You know, emotionally and stuff. Not that Soult would ever publicly admit to having emotions, of course.

[…] I do not conceal from you that I am leaving the troops of this army corps with inexpressible regret; a long habit of living with them, their devotion to the service of His Majesty, their military virtues, I would even say the signs of attachment that they have given me in the most difficult circumstances, all contributes to making this separation painful for me; however, the one feeling which can soften the rigour of it is that of being replaced by you and the persuasion that you will not delay in judging them worthy of your benevolence. […]

And then he recommends them all to Davout, in particular chief-of-staff Compans.

I love this letter, especially the part about the »signs of attachment« (»You know, Davout, sometimes it almost looked as if they kinda liked me. Strange, isn’t it?«). But other than that, I think it’s also a nice praise for Davout, and an expression of trust. In any case, it does not feel like a mere business letter to me.

-

And then I feel like there is a long drought. Davout is in Poland, Soult is in Andalusia, both are confronted with similar rumours about wanting to become king, though a lot more serious in Soult’s case. But there seems to be little contact between them. The first time when they find themselves on similar ground again, is during the First Restauration – and it is to be assumed that the years between 1808 and 1814 have changed both men quite a bit. Davout is in semi-disgrace because of Hamburg, and I have read on the internet that he asked both Oudinot and Soult to intervene on his behalf. Both failed, however.

But according to this sale of letters, on 9 January 1815 Soult informed Davout that the king had allowed him to return to Paris – Soult at this point of course having become minister of war, a couple of weeks earlier. This may however only be a coincidence and does not necessarily mean that Soult had anything to do with Davout’s return.

During the Hundred Days, we do have a rather harsh letter from Davout to Soult, reprimanding him for having disrespected Davout’s authority. And an interesting exchange between Davout and Napoleon about how much money Soult would receive in his function as major-general, that remined me a lot about a similar exchange between Napoleon and Clarke about the same subject when Soult had to return to Spain after the battle of Vittoria. As a professional soldier, Soult of course had always placed great value on the most professional question: How much will I earn? (Likely answer from Clarke/Davout: »Eternal glory and the gratitude of the fatherland!« - Soult: »How much is that in Francs?«)

I imagine that at this point, the two of them did not have all that much in common anymore. Davout was Napoleon’s man through and through, whereas Soult had only joined him reluctantly, at the very last minute, immediately before war broke out. And instead of sending Soult back into the place he had occupied before, the ministry of war, Napoleon had chosen Soult over Davout to accompany him into battle, and had left Davout with the pesky administrative tasks.

After the battle of Waterloo, Davout famously appealed on behalf of those Louis XVIII had condemned. It’s usually seen as him standing up for Ney but it may have been meant as a protest on behalf of all the exiled as well, which would include Soult. Davout himself was in disgrace (and without treatment) for years, until from 1818/1819 on regulations gradually loosened, and the exiled were allowed home one by one. According to newspaper articles, in 1820 both Davout and Soult had an audience with the king, together or at least on the same day.

But it seems that Soult was not invited to the marriage of Josephine Davout, nor was he later at Davout’s funeral. However, again according to this sale, there is a letter of condolence when young Josephine died, so maybe there still was some personal contact between them.

That’s all I have found so far. As both men were not exactly forthcoming as far as their emotional life is concerned, I assume that their reationship will always be very much up to interpretation. But if anybody has something more to add, please do so!

Thanks again for the Ask, and as usual, apologies for not being able to answer any better.

[trashtellar]

Sofocantes Mentiras

“Hiro Hamada no llegó a ser el héroe que debió haber sido, y Miguel Rivera no volvió a casa antes del amanecer. Un par de muchachos que no se conocieron en vida, se encuentran devastados por su pasado y para dejar de ahogarse en esas memorias tendrán que firmar un trato con su propia sangre.”

[Casi todas las ilustraciones que usé en Sofocantes Mentiras, y un poco de historia detrás de esto que nadie me pregunto]

Eng:

“Hiro Hamada didn’t become the hero he was meant to be, and Miguel Rivera couldn’t get back home before the sunrise. Two boys that never met in life are devastated for their past, and to not drown in those memories they’ll have to sing a contract with their own blood”

[Almost every illustration I used in “Sofocantes Mentiras” (Suffocating Lies), and some story behind it’s progress nobody asked for]

Es el primer fanfic que he escrito. En 2018, tenía pensado contar esta historia en base a mini comics, pero quise darle la oportunidad a la escritura, ya que, jamás había intentado escribir una historia antes.

- - -

This is the first fanfic I have ever wrote. Back in 2018, I thought of telling this story through mini comics, but I wanted to give a try on writing, ´cause I have never wrote a story before.

El Juego / The Game (this is just the name of the chapters these images are from)

“Kokkuri-San, Kokkuri-San, if you are here, please move this coin”

Diseño de Kokkuri / Kokkuri’s design

Me tomé mi tiempo para retomar este proyecto, ya que en 2019 tenía trabajo y luego empecé a estudiar, pero en verano del 2020, en plena cuarentena y sin lugar a donde ir, me puse a desarrollar la historia que ya tenía pensada y hasta añadir otros personajes que no había tomado en cuenta. 

- - -

I took my time to retake this project, ´cause in 2019 I had a job and started to study, but in summer of 2020, in the middle of the quarantine and had nowhere to go, I begin to develop the story I had in mind and even add other characters I didn’t consider.

El Cuento Del Niño Músico / The Tale Of The Musician Child

El 24 de septiembre  del 2020 publiqué el prólogo en Wattpad, era corto y estaba ilustrado en dibujos de papel y lápiz. Hasta el 4 de Octubre fue que subí el primer capitulo, ilustrado con los dibujos en digital que hice en 2018.

- - -

On September 24th, 2020 i uploaded the Prologue in Wattpad, it was short and illustrated with traditional art. Until October 4th I uploaded the first chapter, illustrated with digital art I made back in 2018.

21 Minutos / 21 Minutes

Y así, (casi) cada jueves y domingo de cada semana desde Octubre hasta Diciembre, subía nuevos capítulos, algunos ilustrados, otro no… pero procuré que no faltaran capítulos.

- - -

And then, (almost) every Thursday and Sunday, every week from October to December, there was a new chapter, some illustrated, some wasn’t… but I always get to deliver every episode.

Charlas / Talks

Cómo pueden ver, en algunos capítulos no tenía algo preparado y hacía bocetos rápidos, mientras que en otros había algo como esto....

- - -

As you can see, in some chapters didn’t I had something prepared so I made quick sketches, while in others there was something like this....

Armario / Closet

Miguel está muerto y Hiro lo ve mayormente en sus sueños (al menos al principio). Este comic corto es uno de los sueños.

- - -

Miguel is dead and Hiro sees him mostly in dreams (at least at the beginning). This short comic is one of those dreams.

Como mencioné, hubieron muchos cambios en la historia que tenía pensada, y uno de esos cambios fue Megan Cruz, personaje de Grandes Héroes: La Serie. Por su apariencia semejante a Miguel, actitud amistosa y sus habilidades de detective, fue tanto un nuevo obstáculo como un nuevo aliado para Hiro en la historia. 

- - -

As I mentioned, there was a lot of changes in the story I already had, and one of those changes was Megan Cruz, character from Big Hero Six: The Series. For her similar appearance to Miguel, friendly attitude and detective skills, she become a new obstacles and as well, a new ally to Hiro in the story.

8:30 AM

The whole story is only in Spanish, so I’ll tell a “short version” of it in English… 

So, this is a “Bad En Au” where Miguel died and couldn’t save Héctor’s memory, meanwhile Hiro lost his friends and killed Callaghan. Both of them want to compensate their mistakes.

Residuos / Leftovers

Miguel’s body basically disappeared, so his family doesn’t know he’s dead and think he just escape to become a musician (just like Héctor). And Miguel is trying to get to the land of the living just to let them know he died and say “goodbye”, with the help of La Catrina (the Death) who feels remorse for his destiny.

Cita / Date

A 14 year old Hiro accidentally killed his own friends, he was so into murdering Callaghan that he didn’t notice Baymax “took care” of them, violently. Now, a 19 year old Hiro, is filled with regret and sorrow for what he did. He didn’t went to college, he doesn’t have big goals, he just wants to get out of his aunt’s home.

¿De Qué Me Perdí? / What Did I Miss?

One day, in act of boredom, Hiro plays “Kokkuri-San”, he didn’t know it’ll work but in the moment the spirit talked back to him, he knew he could communicate again with his late brother. So Kokkuri made a deal with him, “he would get to say goodbye to his brother only if he helps another lost soul to do the same” (of course Miguel)

Viejos Amigos / Old Friends

So, now Hiro’s soul is chained to some dead kid’s soul, and he mostly sees Miguel in his dreams and hears his voice when he’s awake, but as much time it takes and how emotionally close they get to each other, Miguel became more present, and this takes a lot of Hiro’s energy and sanity, to the point he decides to ends his own life. 

Sad, but, that’s the point of the story, it’s sad. Well, bittersweet because they became friends in the afterlife, so, “yay” I guess.

Nostalgia Ajena / Unaffiliated Nostalgia

Hiro (when he was alive) did help Miguel with his final purpose, he went to Santa Cecilia and found Miguel’s actual body, so his family get to know what actually happened to him. It was devastating, but it brought some peace to the Rivera family. 

Boda / Wedding

But it wasn’t the only thing Hiro did for Miguel. With the help of Megan and Marco’s support, they get to reveal that Ernesto stole Héctor’s songs and even murder him, with new evidence and the message that Miguel Rivera disappeared trying to reveal this.

8:30 PM

And THAT WASN’T THE LAST THING HE DID.

Hiro did not only ended his life because of him, but for Miguel. Miguel wouldn’t be free if he was still alive. 

He also made a deal with Kokkuri, that if he gets to make Hiro kill himself, Miguel could posses his corpse to say goodbye to his family. Miguel get to know Hiro and refuse to accomplish his part of the deal, but Hiro did it anyways.

Hiro did for Miguel what he couldn’t do for his old friends. And he KNOWS that won’t change or erase what he did in the past, but it gave him some peace at least.

23 capítulos programados para fechas especificas, para que la historia terminase el 31 de diciembre de ese mismo año. Pero no fue hasta hace unos meses (08 de Noviembre del 2022) que finalmente publiqué el epilogo, cerrando con un final un tanto agridulce pero más completo para mis perturbados niños.

- - -

23 chapters scheduled to specific dates, so the story ends in the very December 31th of that same year. But it wasn’t till some mouths ago (November 8th, 2022) that I posted the Epilogue, closing the story with a bittersweet but complete final for my unsettled bois.

Los Promos del Epilogo / The Promos for the Epilogue

Y he de admitir que no es mi mejor historia, es la primera que he escrito, cuenta con un montón de errores gramáticos, a veces cambiaba el rumbo de la historia cuando NO DEBÍA y tiene uno que otro agujero narrativo por eso, pero a pesar de ello, me enorgullece, le puse mucho esfuerzo a cada capitulo, tanto escribiéndolo como ilustrándolo.

Gracias por leer toda esta madresota.

- - -

And I have to admit that this isn’t my best story, it was the first one, filled with a ton of gramatical mistakes, sometimes I changed the way of the story even If I SHOULDN’T and it has some plot holes for it, but still, I’m proud of this, I put so much effort in every chapter, writing it and illustrating it.

Thank you for reading all this stuff.

[fdelopera]

Welcome to the 22nd installment of 15 Weeks of Phantom, where I post all 68 sections of Le Fantôme de l’Opéra, as they were first printed in Le Gaulois newspaper 114 yeas ago.

In today’s installment, we have Part I of Chapter 9, “Le mystérieux coupé” (“The Mysterious Carriage”).

This section was first printed on Wednesday, 27 October, 1909.

For anyone following along in David Coward’s translation (the link is to the Kindle edition on Amazon US), the text starts at the beginning of Chapter 9, “That fatal night turned out badly for all concerned,” and goes to, “But now he suddenly understood the mind of a young woman raised by a superstitious fiddler and this lady who believed in mumbo-jumbo. He shuddered to think of the consequences."

There are some differences between the standard 1st Edition text and the Gaulois text. In this section, these include (highlighted in red above):

1) Chapter IX was misprinted as Chapter X. This numbering error was made in Chapter VII, and was not corrected, so it was propagated throughout the Gaulois publication.

2) Compare the Gaulois text:

Quant à Christine Daaé, elle avait disparu. (As for Christine Daaé, she had disappeared.)

To the 1st Edition (indicated by the 1st Red Arrow above):

Quant à Christine Daaé, elle avait disparu après la représantation. (As for Christine Daaé, she had disappeared after the performance.)

3) This section was added to the 1st Edition, and does not appear in the Gaulois (indicated by the 2nd Red Arrow above):

Il ne faut pas confondre cette première disparition, qui se passa sans scandale, avec le fameux enlèvement qui, à quelque temps de là, devait se produire dans des conditions si inexplicables et si tragiques.

Raoul fut le premier, naturellement, à ne rien comprendre à l’absence de la diva.

Translation:

One must not confuse this first disappearance, which went by without scandal, with the well-known abduction which, only a short while later, would occur under such inexplicable and tragic circumstances.

Naturally, Raoul was the first to find the diva's absence baffling.

4) This section was added to the 1st Edition, and does not appear in the Gaulois (indicated by the 3rd Red Arrow above):

Leurs amis eux-mêmes ne les reconnaissaient plus : ils avaient perdu toute joie et tout entrain. On les voyait traverser le théâtre, tête basse, le front soucieux, et les joues pâles comme s’ils étaient poursuivis par quelque abominable pensée, ou en proie à quelque malice du destin qui vous prend son homme et ne le lâche plus.

La chute du lustre avait entraîné bien des responsabilités, mais il était difficile de faire s’expliquer MM. les directeurs à ce sujet.

Translation:

Even their friends no longer recognized them; they had lost all their enthusiasm and good cheer. They could be seen crisscrossing the theatre, heads bowed, brows furrowed, and faces pale, as if they were pursued by some horrible thought, or prey to some evil trick of fate which takes hold of a man and never lets him go.

The chandelier's fall had incurred them numerous liabilities, but it was difficult to get the Managers to discuss the subject.

In the Gaulois, the text reads:

Il trouva des directeurs fort préoccupés, sans doute à cause des responsabilités qu'avait entraînées pour eux la chute de la lustre.

Translation:

He found the Managers quite distressed, no doubt because of the liabilities that they had incurred due to the chandelier's fall.

5) This section was added to the 1st Edition, and does not appear in the Gaulois (indicated by the 4th Red Arrow above):

Et il me faut bien dire que MM. Richard et Moncharmin apparurent à cette époque si changés, si lointains… si mystérieux… si incompréhensibles, qu’il y eut beaucoup d’abonnés pour imaginer que quelque événement plus affreux encore que la chute du lustre, avait modifié l’état d’âme de MM. les directeurs.

Dans leurs relations quotidiennes, ils se montraient fort impatients, excepté cependant avec Mme Giry qui avait été réintégrée dans ses fonctions. On se doute de la façon dont ils reçurent le vicomte de Chagny quand celui-ci vint leur demander des nouvelles de Christine.

Translation:

And I must say that at that time, MM. Richard and Moncharmin seemed so changed, so remote ... so mysterious ... so unfathomable, that many of the subscribers imagined that some event even more horrible than the fall of the chandelier had altered the Managers' state of mind.

In their daily interactions, they seemed to be exceedingly impatient, except with Mme Giry, who had been reinstated in her duties. One can guess the manner in which they received the Vicomte de Chagny when he came to ask them for news of Christine.

In the Gaulois, the text reads:

Ils firent à Raoul mauvaise mine quand il leur parla de Christine Daaé...

Translation:

They gave Raoul an unpleasant look when he spoke to them of Christine Daaé...

6) Compare the Gaulois text (highlighted in red above):

Il en tremblait en sonnant à sa porte, la porte d’un petit appartement de la rue Notre-Dame-des-Victoires. (He was trembling as he rang at her door, the door of a small flat on the Rue Notre-Dame-des-Victoires.)

To the 1st Edition:

Il en tremblait en sonnant à la porte d’un petit appartement de la rue Notre-Dame-des-Victoires. (He was trembling as he rang at the door of a small flat on the Rue Notre-Dame-des-Victoires.)

7) Here in the Gaulois text, Mme Valérius refers to Erik as the "génie de la musique" (the "Spirit of Music") instead of the "Ange de la musique" (the "Angel of Music"), as in the 1st Edition. (I have highlighted both instances in red above.)

Note that in French, "génie" means both "spirit" and "genius"; however, in this context, it refers to a spirit and not to someone of great intellectual prowess. Mistranslating “génie” as “genius” instead of “spirit” was one of Alexander Teixeira de Mattos' favorite errors in his 1911 translation. Thus Erik's statement to Christine in Apollo's Lyre should read, "It is true, Christine!… I am neither angel, nor spirit, nor phantom… I am Erik!" (Though I'm pretty sure that Erik would approve of de Mattos’ mistranslation in this case. ;-P)

8) Minor differences in punctuation and capitalization.

Click here to see the entire edition of Le Gaulois from 27 October, 1909. This link brings you to page 3 of the newspaper — Le Fantôme is at the bottom of the page in the feuilleton section. Click on the arrow buttons at the bottom of the screen to turn the pages of the newspaper, and click on the Zoom button at the bottom left to magnify the text.

[raayllum]

Do you really think the next season will release much sooner than we'd expect?

I think so! Originally the Puzzle House and Book Three: Sun novelization were set to come out June 6th and then 26th 2023 and July 4th, 2023, respectively. Now they’ve both been pushed back somewhat significantly and multiple times. This is very par the course for supplementary material, but Puzzle House has been pushed back to August 1st and Book 3: Sun to October 1st, 2023. 

This makes me think a S5 release date in April to June is more likely, since it’s right in between con season and 6-8 months away, which is akin to what previous hiatuses were like. It’s hard to gauge supplementary material coming out in correspondence with season releases, since we were in hiatus for such a long time in between S3 and S4, but it would make sense to be to still space stuff out. So putting S5 during July-September would be tighter and leave a longer hiatus in between S4 and the next release of anything.

So that is my current hope, although I’m pumped we will be, at absolute most, waiting less than a year for S5. I think my brain has yet to adjust to even the thought of a 9 month hiatus happening, let alone less after all this time lol

[wadbot]

PIMP.WAD: PIMP.WAD MAP24 (-368, 976, 180) Author: All the various WAD authors Jeremy Sammons Date: 1994-11-22 Description: This is a collection of 27 Doom1 wads which have been converted to Doom2 format usind WadCat and Wad1to2. They are deathmatch wads specifically designed for 2-player DMing. They are, in my opinion, the very best doom1 wads, both in terms of playability and design. The conversion process changed some things that could not be helped, and the various doom2 editors out do not seem to let me correct the problems with ease, so some levels, such as ledgesi, may be a little different than you may remember. Nevertheless, these wads are the very best out there. When I converted them I changed all the shotguns to super-shotguns. Make sure when you play them to use the -timer option; otherwise you will not be able to exit some levels. They are, in order: madmax bigempty jhldth1 par-002c pueblo house myhouse tnplhome usqe1m1 kill church tourney hitmeinf ledgesi subway11 area8 joi-cm1 blob slapme butt trideath peace markroom phucked ledges4i markrm3 october These wads look excellent as well as play well. Manyof the top ranked wads on the DM Wads ranking sheet play well but are designed poorly; not so with these wads. I have played hundreds of different wads, and when these wads were converted to Doom2, a very important and beautiful change took place on many. You first see it in the 4th wad, but you get the full extent of it in Pueblo wad. Im sure the author had this in mind when he made it. Some notes on each wad: Madmax: this is a new wad, but an excellent start- ing wad. The music is fitting; it is a pleasant surprise, seeing as how the sounds and music come from blob.wad. You will see what I mean. Bigempty:I made some minor changes to this, but it still remains an excellent shotguns-only wad. Jhldth1: This is my all time favorite wad. Its fun to play in, fun to wander around in, and any style of fighting can be used. Par-002c: I think this was named something else originally but Im not sure what. I got it out of another wad collection as I could not find it on the various sites. The background fits the theme well, but not as well as in... Pueblo: absolutely beautiful. Well designed, originally made for a pro tourney, but never used. Unfortunately the oven texture gets pasted onto the wall of the BFG secret room in ledgesi for some reason during conversion, and other places too, but its no big problem. House: A classic wad. Nothing but fun. Well made, with weapons placed strategically. myhouse: A very recent wad, but lots of fun. Goes after house perfectly. tnplhome: Another home, wad, I made minor changes to it to make more weapons. Check out the toilet and the stove. usqe1m1: This is a college Student Union I think, and its a lot of fun to run around in, although not quite in the same vein as with myhouse. kill: Another college building wad. church: I tried to add a missle launcher to this, but for some reason the editing program wouldnt let me. But I did add deathmatch starts (which it did not previously have) and some shotguns and other weapons. Remember, God does not like BFGs on Holy Ground. Tourney: A wad created for a tournament. hitmeinf: a good arena wad, lots of fun. ledgesi: The conversion process made minor changes to make this wad not as fun (it removed the missle launcher for some reason) but it is still the all- time classic wad. subway11:Like church, this wad was not originally for deathmatch play, but the minor changes I made make it a lot of fun. You will see why when you meet up with a guy in a tunnel. area8: This wad looks neat, and is fun to play, although the strategy level is not quite to the level its design would lead you to believe. joi-cm1: Oh Joi! A small castle wad blob: This wad is the largest in the collection, but you can still find frags pretty easily. Its a good hunting wad. This is where the funky sounds come from. slapme: Another tournament wad. butt: This one has lots of secrets, another classic wad. Trideath: a good set of arenas. The dark is fun. Peace: another classic. There is a secret here which will hand you the match if you find it. Watch the lmp for clues. markroom: the classic arena wad phucked: an interestingly designed wad, annoyingly fun to play in. ledges4i: ledges's big brother. markrm3: transporters can be annoying but also fun. October: another small castle wad, well designed. When you play this wad, I suggest you put in a -timer 5 or 3 or 7 limit in it so you can go through all of them. Our floor will be using this for a tournament. Thanks to all the guys on my floor who helped with the selection process; you don't know how long it took me to weed through all the wads out there and combine them in the proper way.

[stellato-17]

🫐❄ EXTRA 5 - October 4th, 2022 ❄🫐

Being in my house past 5, I got cold while playing the same game and thought: "I better finish the 2nd world, at least 4 days left" and so I did.

I lost like a couple of times in the last level, but I was able to ascend to the 3rd world to take him there. 😆

🫐❄ EXTRA 5 - 4 de Octubre del 2022 ❄🫐

Estando en mi casa pasando de las 5, me enfrié mientras jugaba el mismísmo juego y pensé: "mejor acabo el 2do mundo, al menos faltan 4 días" y así lo hice.

Perdí como un par de veces en el último nivel, pero pude ascender al 3er mundo para dejarle hasta ahí. 😆

Facebook (Spanish version + All photos!)

[girlmeetsliv3]

Chrysanthemum re-release

I’ve been working over it in my head for quite a while and figure the best thing for me to do is edit the story. It won’t be removed and I should have the edited version up every Friday, but as of today, Chrysanthemum won’t be updated until October 4th. By then the story will have been completely edited and there won’t be any more tonal issues or inconsistencies that the fic seems to be facing. I ask that all of you please be patient and know how much I appreciate all of your support. I do apologize for creating a sub-par story and assure you that when Chrysanthemum does return it will be better and more exciting than ever. Thank you. 

[featuristicfilm]

Movies of Fall/Winter 2019 (and 2020) that I’m really excited to see

With awards season kicking in, the movie release slate is about to bring us some incredible pieces of cinema. There are many films this year that sound fun, interesting, profound and promising so here is a shortened list of the ones that get me giddy with most anticipation. TOP 5 let’s go! (and a few honourable mentions)

5. Lucy in the Sky (Noah Hawley, December 6th, 2019, UK)

Randomly stumbling upon its trailer on Youtube, I was surprised as to why I haven’t heard anything about this film at all because it actually looks super intriguing. Even though the notion of a space movie can feel fairly worn-out, and there is only so much originality you can bring to that kind of concept, Lucy in the Sky looks like it’s going to be a completely shifted take on space dynamics and exploration. In fact, it seems it’s going to be a story fully centred around one character’s individual, self-reflective, very personal journey, with space acting only as a narrative device that creates the background, rather than it being at the forefront of the film’s events. Natalie Portman seems completely in her shoes in this trope of a study of a character who’s deeply damaged and emotionally transformed by whatever trials she undergoes. The trailer is put together so perfectly as well. It tells just enough information for us to understand what is the movie’s premise while also creating a dramatic and suspenseful energy. Also, to me the imagery feels very grounded and serious but also kind of weird, daring and eccentric in some shots, so if the creators managed to balance a kind of art-house approach with some epic, grandiose visual elements it is going to be one hell of a film. To be fair, I was kind of excited just ‘cause it’s Natalie Portman but the more I think about the story the more interesting and promising it sounds. Unfortunately, it comes out October 4th which means its going to have a biiiiit of a competitor in the box-office in the form of Joker.

4. Jojo Rabbit (Taika Waititi, January 3rd, 2020, UK)

This one exhibits several traits that make the film very enticing. First of all, of course, the subject matter. I think it’s fair to say that a little boy interacting with Adolf Hitler in the shape of an imaginary friend is as crazy and amusing an idea as it gets. And, of course, many of us have our understanding and reaction towards the people and events of the WW2 era but to have that portrayed in a comedy genre is definitely going to cast a whole new light on the subject, at least as seen on the big screen. This will most likely be a story exploring harsh realism through imagination and fantasy but also through the earnest and innocent eyes of a child and it will likely be a surprising take and not what anyone expects it to be. Due to many reasons, it is, obviously, going to be a widespread conversation piece and for that alone I have to see it. The other thing that perfectly complements the idea of this project, is the man himself, Taika Waititi. I don’t think a better combination between the material and the creator can emerge because it is hard to imagine someone else taking on such a bold proposition. He’s just the type of writer and director that is so unique in style and taste that you just believe anything he makes is going to turn out special in one way or another, and having creative will and freedom and integrity might be exactly what made this whole thing possible in the first place. Plus Waititi himself is playing Hitler which, I’d imagine, just raises the scale of humour and energy and dynamics of the whole piece. 

3. Jumanji: The Next Level (Jake Kasden, December 13th, 2019, UK)

I know, a not so popular of a choice. Compared to the way every other film is awaited based on their technical and creative merits, with this one I am so genuinely eager to experience the fun. After all the amusement Jumanji: Into the Jungle brought to the franchise, I don’t see why anybody wouldn’t be excited about this next instalment. I absolutely loved that film, it was so so so funny and entertaining! The story was really great because not only did it bring that fantasy and adventure aspect once again but also the way the avatar/game player narrative approach was incorporated was so unique. So, after seeing the trailers for this sequel, it sparked even more excitement to see how else can they possibly spin that concept. With that in mind, bringing in Danny DeVito and Danny Glover, well regarded comedic figures and over all talents, to the mix is genius. Them trapped in the bodies of Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart is, honestly, a hilarious thought and having old guys interact with the other teenage friends and deal with challenges in the desert, jungle, mountain tops will be no less than a thrilling journey. I think this is going to be just the right film to kind of step back from all the serious and deep dramas that will be in full motion for Oscar season at the time, and switch to some good-old light-hearted cinema. With holidays coming up during its release (December 13th) - nothing better than to go see a fun family movie. And if the playfulness and humour combined with the fond spirit of the story lands at least the same way as it did with the previous film, it’s going to win over people’s hearts and probably the box-office. Can’t wait to just fully enjoy the action and immerse myself in the wonder of this adventure all over again!

2. Joker (Todd Philips, October 4th, 2019, UK)

I have to admit, while initially I was very interested in this new iteration of Joker purely on a general movie-goer level, it was maintained and gradually piqued as time went on largely due to everyone talking about it so much. The sheer amount of hype and anticipation this announcement has managed to create is baffling. Every film coverage outlet, magazine, blog was discussing it. And maybe it’s just that I follow a lot of superhero genre loving people and maybe the idea of this film, in fact, doesn’t concern the general viewer as much, still it has kept many eagerly waiting. The thing that gives it an edge, though, is the fact that this is not simply going to be your general superhero action blockbuster but rather an intense psychological drama reflecting on certain societal issues applied to a familiar mythology. The character everyone knows as a rival to Batman here seems to be a troubled man, beaten down literally, as well as emotionally due to social injustice and his own mental complications. Therefore, this film will probably not rely on epic showdowns and comic tropes as much but actually will give the concept of an ‘origin story’ a different meaning. It’s exciting that DC took it upon themselves to make a bold and creatively charged version of their beloved character, and with Joaquin Phoenix as the lead and Todd Philips as director I think they can be confident about their vision. Whether it is going to be received well or not, that’s the question. While it did already receive heaps of acclaim, including the Golden Lion in the Venice Film Festival, the early audience reviews are quite widely mixed. Nonetheless, it is very intriguing. I have to say, it’s shaping out to be one of those films, and performances, in particular, that have the ability to stay in the minds of the viewers long after. Not long to wait now and we’ll finally see if it lives up to what it set out for. ‘Cause let me tell you, the standard’s high, for sure.

Knives Out (Rian Johnson, November 29th, 2019, UK)

For the longest, this film and Joker were up to par for the number one place on my list of the most awaited movies of the rest of year. Every trailer amped up the excitement so much more and, ultimately, when I felt that I could’t stop thinking about Knives Out, counting days ‘till it’s release, I knew which one has won me over. No surprise, though. I absolutely love whodunnits!!! There’s just a certain thrill to a mystery or a detective style film that cannot be found anywhere else. There’s always so much room for exploration of characters and narratives and the story can take so many directions. If a screenplay for a murder mystery is done right, and all the twists and turns are unexpected and smartly placed, it’s just the best. I also love the interactive aspect of it. Even though I know I can’t change the way it all plays out, I have the ability to have my own reasoning and conclusions that I can apply in my head as the events role out. So with this film I was instantly hooked. Chris Evans’ attachment to the project definitely helped me discover it, though. I’m a huge fan of his and I was curious already to see what kind of role he is about to take on next after the culmination of his journey as Captain America in the MCU. Since I find him to be a very intelligent actor, I think I can trust his judgement on what kind of material is interesting to explore and what kind of people are worth collaborating with. That in mind, this cast looks absolutely incredible! Some really experienced ‘veterans’ in Toni College, Jamie Lee Curtis, Christopher Plummer, a big big star Daniel Craig, as well as some less known but promising names such as Ana de Armas and Katherine Langford, for example. And that’s just to name a few… Wow. With the nature and genre of the story, given it’s a suspenseful mystery but with a comedic flare, a good ensemble of performers is crucial, as is their dynamic. Hopefully, writer/director Rian Johnson has managed to create a rich, powerful and unique film that will entertain and won’t disappoint. I do believe that will be the case, as that much talent on screen and behind the camera is usually a recipe for success.

If not for the short list… I have so many other films that have caught my attention and that will absolutely have me in the cinema seat on opening night. These include Bombshell whose team is worth an applause for that amazingly well put teaser trailer; Just Mercy, for a true story that will no doubt have an impact on me and for what seem to be astounding performances by the lead cast; and Marriage Story because it will make me cry… Stories about family, love and relationships always hit close home, this one might break my heart but there’s pain and joy in life all the time, I look forward to seeing the often difficult reality reflected on screen.

[cindylouwho-2]

RECENT NEWS, RESOURCES & STUDIES, early October 2019

Welcome to my latest summary of recent news, resources & studies including search, analytics, content marketing, social media & ecommerce! This covers articles I came across in the first part of October, although some may be older than that.

[I am out of town for nearly a week in late October, so don’t expect another update until the end of the month at the earliest.]

Just a reminder - you don’t need to read everything here! I try to organize the material by topic and provide a brief summary so that you can easily skip things you don’t need to read. 

I’ve tried to improve the layout for better readability, by bolding key words in each paragraph - do you find that helpful, or too hard on the eyes?  Leave a comment below, email me through my website, or send me a message on Twitter.

TOP NEWS & ARTICLES 

14 elements that will help your product pages get sales. Trust badges & reviews can really make a difference. Also, here’s a really simple explanation of how your descriptions should try to sell the product: “Bridge the gap between features and benefits: A feature is essentially a fact about your product or offer. The benefit mainly answers how a feature is useful for your customer. Tell them exactly “how” a particular feature is useful for them, and “why” they should make this purchase. Product descriptions that bridge the gap between features and benefits can lessen buyer’s guilt and ease the buying decision.” 

It’s time for holiday season forecasts! Halloween spending is expected to be steady. While some are predicting up to a 4-5% increase in US November-December retail spending this year, others are worried about consumer debt. There is still “a stubborn wealth gap in the United States that appears to be once again worsening and in fact is "the biggest it’s ever been." The Gini index, a standard economic measure of income inequality, for the U.S. in 2018 was "significantly higher" than 2017, after widening steadily for the last 50 years, according to a Sept. 26 report from the U.S. Census Bureau.” Note that online retailers are finding that the holiday season is less crucial than it used to be, since people shop online all year now. “...the holiday season accounted for almost 24% of all retailers’ sales in the late 1990s, but is closer to 21% today.” Finally, “A late Thanksgiving this year, falling on Nov. 28, means there are six fewer days between Thanksgiving and Christmas than in 2018. In fact, 2019 is the shortest possible holiday calendar scenario”.[emphasis added by me]

Kansas state tax collection on online sales is in question after the lack of a minimum on revenue or orders is criticized. The dictate kicked in October 1st, requiring any business selling anything in the state to register, which didn’t exempt small businesses as other states have done. This is important - if they manage to apply this tax to even the smallest businesses, and win any court challenges, other states are likely to follow suit. 

ETSY NEWS 

Etsy released a new stats page last week, which like most things they do these days, isn’t finished yet. You can read the announcement here, and a more detailed explanation here, including a discussion of the conversion rate numbers now provided. [I don’t find those very useful on Etsy, as I find I get a lot of visits that are not from buyers, such as people checking out my SEO.] Also note that there will be a Q & A thread this week in the forum, starting October 14th at 10 am EDT. 

When a listing is clicked from any search, there is now a link at the top saying “Back to search results” which only goes to page one of the search on Etsy, not the page you were on. It even does this when someone clicks on your item from a search of your shop. 

They made some recent improvements to the buyer app, including integrating shop names into the regular search. No need to tag with your exact shop name! (Mobile & desktop search also work the same way; the app was the last hold out.)

More holiday marketing tips continue to roll out, including this one on merchandising. It includes a list of holidays at the end (although Canadian Thanksgiving was just 5 days away on the date of publication, so that seems to have been a waste of space). Potentially more useful to some of us is the transcript of the podcast on shopper behaviour during the holidays. [includes links to the podcast if you would rather listen] “9% of our buyers do the bulk of their shopping in late December right before the holidays” and “On Etsy specifically, searches around the holidays spike for gifts in conjunction with a descriptor of the recipient. We see searches like “gifts for grandma,” “gifts for boyfriend,” and “unique gift for a friend” spike.” Finally, “In terms of uniqueness, 90% of Etsy buyers would rather give a unique or one-of-a-kind gift.” They also cover some specific research on holiday shopping patterns in the UK & Germany, compared to the US. 

There is a new help file on search called Beginner’s Guide to Etsy Search, and while it is up to date, I am not sure why it is needed, when they already have a page (they even link to it) called “How Etsy Search Works”, which isn’t as up to date. If they are planning on releasing new instructions, as they told me months ago, they are going about it really, really slowly. 

Etsy Ireland lost money last year, apparently due to the DaWanda deal. “Etsy, whose mission is to “keep commerce human”, faced a wave of criticism from users after designating its business in Ireland as an unlimited liability company in 2015 so that it didn’t have to publicly disclose financial information about the unit. The company has, however, published annual accounts for the subsidiary for both 2017 and last year.”

Meanwhile, free shipping & Etsy Ads have produced quite a stock boost for the main company. “KeyBanc’s comments were echoed by Canaccord Genuity, which earlier this week wrote that the company’s initiatives were driving “robust growth and improving profitability.” Analyst Maria Ripps called free shipping “an important step in bringing Etsy’s platform closer to par” with other e-commerce leaders like Amazon.com Not only will free shipping improve “consumer perception around the platform,” but she estimated that it could add upside of 3%-5% upside to 2020 estimates for both revenue and adjusted Ebitda. The company’s Etsy Ads initiative, she added, “should ultimately attract high affinity customers with strong repeat purchase behavior.”  Also, they noted that no major analysts no recommend selling the stock - most say “buy”, with a few saying “hold”. 

Etsy partnered with Blackrock Emergency Savings Initiative to help US sellers deal with the financial pressures of self-employment. 

SEO: GOOGLE & OTHER SEARCH ENGINES 

Google’s advice on how to get your category pages to rank well is worth reading: among other things, you shouldn’t keyword stuff. 

If you want your content to get the featured “0” position at the top of Google search, you should check out this article on featured snippets, or this Whiteboard Friday from Moz. [video & transcript]

More analysis of Google’s September core update shows that it may not have been as dramatic as the June update, but “your money, your life” (YMYL) sites still seem the most affected. SEMRush said the biggest winners were “DailyMail, eBackPage.com, lasd.org and marionschool.net. The biggest losers were TheFourMusic.com, Monks.org, BraidingClub.com, PascoLibraries.org and RoyalCaribbean.com.au.” Other case studies saw a lot of change in health and medical sites. 

Another study states that websites still get most of their traffic from organic search. 

If your own website isn’t ranking on Google, there are numerous fixable reasons, although some are more difficult than others. 

Google says that HTML sitemaps aren’t necessary to good SEO. 

If you are getting less organic traffic to your Patreon page recently, that could be because their SEO team accidentally de-indexed the entire site. It’s been fixed, but it could affect some pages for the next few weeks, if Google doesn’t recrawl you right away. 

YouTube is the 4th most visited website, so improving your YouTube SEO can provide a huge boost in traffic. 

CONTENT MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA (includes blogging & emails) 

Facebook’s experiment on hiding like counts has rolled out in Australia. (Articles looks at the sociological studies behind this)

Instagram launched an account posting tips for “creators”, which the author notes does not focus on making money off of that content. 

They have also expanded their Shopping part of the app, however, which is about making money. 

And IG has released a Snapchat challenger called Threads, a standalone app run by Facebook. Techcrunch did a more detailed review & analysis. Right now, it doesn’t have any ads & they say they have no plans to add them. 

Hubspot uses their own Snapchat account experience as a case study in how to make Snap work for business. (includes video & step-by-step instructions, if you are new to Snapchat.)

Twitter and Tweetdeck had a bad outage for several hours October 1-2, and it still isn't clear what happened. 

If you use Twitter for your business, you should also be using Twitter lists. (I use Tweetdeck to organize mine.)

Now that it is working again, here are the best-performing hashtags on Twitter over the past few years. 

ONLINE ADVERTISING (SEARCH ENGINES, SOCIAL MEDIA, & OTHERS) 

Hubspot’s comprehensive guide to Google Ads is completely up to date for all new developments, and covers search ads as well as ads across Google’s network. [video and text]

They also put out a Facebook ad checklist, with video, text & screenshots. 

And they also did a guide to YouTube advertising. [video and text]

Research and ad placement are key to getting better conversion from Facebook ads. 

Gen Z (younger than millennials) don’t yet have full purchase strength as a cohort, but they influence buying in their households after seeing ads on Snapchat. Since Gen Z shows the least brand loyalty of any generation, it's necessary to reach them in new ways.

Shopify now has an integration with Microsoft Ads, which include all Verizon properties (Yahoo, AOL). More than 116 million Americans use Bing searches each month in some way. 

LinkedIn has improved its ad tools, including audience forecasting. 

Quora has improved ad targeting; they say they have over 300 million monthly users. 

STATS, DATA, OTHER TRACKING 

Advanced tips for site search in Google Analytics can get more out of the data than you thought was there.  

Facebook will likely be paying out $40 million to settle a lawsuit for grossly overreporting video watching stats, including video ads. 

Google Search Console is now reporting a lot fewer links for websites than in the past; it’s not clear if this is a bug or not. 

The Console is now reporting on your videos.

Everything you need to know about Pinterest Analytics. 

ECOMMERCE NEWS, IDEAS, TRENDS 

If you use abandoned cart emails on your website, make sure they are optimized for conversions. 

Ecommerce fraud rates are definitely increasing. “... digital goods have seen such an increase in fraud because they often have a streamlined purchase process that requires less information than other items.”

Google launched its new Shopping pages, which is not the same as Google Shopping but is connected to it, and allows buyers to check out on Google rather than retailer websites. 

Amazon apparently surveyed Handmade sellers recently asking how they felt about Amazon Handmade.

Will Amazon face consequences in the US for its competitive activities? It’s looking more likely now. “Bloomberg reported in August that Amazon was dropping sellers' products in searches on its site if they priced a product cheaper on rival sites, behavior the news service noted could draw antitrust scrutiny.”

BUSINESS & CONSUMER STUDIES, STATS & REPORTS; SOCIOLOGY & PSYCHOLOGY, CUSTOMER SERVICE 

We all have difficult customers occasionally - here are 9 tips on how to deal with them. 

While most web browsing happens on mobile, desktop users are still way more likely to buy. They also spend more than mobile buyers. 

Gen Z members plan on doing most of their holiday shopping in physical shops this year (just like baby boomers), but many will do research online first. Also, “Forty-two percent of shoppers said that low prices are the top motivator for making purchases and 31% said free shipping was also a shopping incentive.”

Offering fewer options can lead to more sales. (The article has great suggestions on different ways to use this info.)

MISCELLANEOUS 

Vimeo app Magisto is facing a class-action lawsuit over holding biometric data without the owners’ permission.

Haven’t heard much about the EU privacy law lately? It turns out that businesses that are GDPR-compliant are more successful than those that are not. The shocker is that only 28% of the companies surveyed were actually completely compliant, so this may be correlation and not causation. Also, the results were self-reported, so maybe not that accurate. 

Here’s a decent list of free website builders, but I strongly suggest doing your own research on any that sound good, as the writeup isn’t very detailed. (The Etsy forum is a very good place for some of this research, as you can ask very specific questions of people who probably have similar needs to yours.)

Chrome is going to block embedded content that isn’t from an https site, beginning in December. [if your website isn’t yet https, get on that right away - it is going to become more & more crucial for being seen.]

[go2harsha-blog]

Celebrating Woodstock - Part 1

With the 50th anniversary of the Woodstock festival round the corner, Harsha Prabhu looks back to visiting the US  for the 40th anniversary

A Fairy Tale of New York

Parrots for Peace, Ecofest, Central Park, NYC, Oct 2009. Pic: Hans Lovejoy

Blog 1 on the Rainbow Dreaming US tour, covering NYC and Ecofest.  Rainbow Dreaming is a photodocumentary on the alternative culture of the rainbow region of NSW, Australia. The curators were invited to set up the exhibit for the Woodstock 40th. See more at http://www.rainbowdreaming.org

Which Woodstock?

“Don’t even bother about coming to Woodstock for the festival in August,” said Nathan Koening, our host at the Woodstock Museum. “It’s mostly expensive hype. Come in October, when the weather is better and there will be more Woodstock-related events to celebrate the Woodstock legacy. And you can set up the Rainbow Dreaming exhibit.”

Woodstock Museum, Saugerties, NY, October 2009. Pic: Emi Iizuka

The Woodstock Museum were partners in setting up the historic Nimbin-Woodstock Connection in the mid-nineties, a rainbow bridge linking the alternative communities of Nimbin in north eastern New South Wales, Australia, with the whole hippie tradition of Woodstock. We had sealed the relationship by sending the Woodstock Museum an earlier exhibit from Nimbin, called Some Children of the Dream.

It’s now some fifteen years down the track. Walking down the main strip in Byron Bay I spy Hans Lovejoy sitting in a cafe, sipping on a latte. Hans, musician and journalist for the Byron Shire Echo, was in-between assignments.

“Fancy a trip to Woodstock?” I asked him.

“Which Woodstock?” he asked, undoubtedly knowing there were many: Woodstock, the town; the original Woodstock festival in 1969, which was held some 100 kms away; and the many, commemorative events down the years, held wherever the required permits could be obtained and the producers and sponsors lined up with the dollars.

“Not the festival,” I replied, “It’s a celebration of the Woodstock legacy.”

“Why not,” he said.

Lords of the Material Universe

The first signs were auspicious.

At Brisbane airport, waiting to catch the flight out to LA, we bumped into Elizabeth Thorpe and Debbie Lee. Elizabeth and her partner Ray, proprietors of Happy High Herbs, were the principal sponsors of Rainbow Dreaming and Lee, artist and designer, is an old connection from Nimbin. Elizabeth and Lee were headed for USA to open Happy High’s first US store, in Arizona. And Hans and myself were headed for New York, bringing with us the stories and pictures of life in the rainbow region.

From the plane, the New York nightscape glowed and flickered like some gigantic circuit board. “The lords of the material universe have nice real estate here”, said Hans. Towers of ivory, streets of gold. Would the lords be kind to us? Would they let me in, with my Indian passport?

At immigration, there was a blip: Had my passport ever been stolen? Why was it registered as Australian? The question in my head went something like: So this is what it feels to be at the mercy of dodgy databanks and the mood of the assessment officer. But it turned out ok. After a few questions, Officer Pena waived me through.

Did I have anything to declare, the customs man asked? Don’t touch my bag if you please, I have a haversack full of rainbow dreams, I mused to myself.

At the airport, the smiling face of Benny Zable, waiving a rainbow flag, greeted us. Benny, Nimbin’s ambassador to Woodstock, was the kingpin in the rainbow bridge to Woodstock and beyond. Benny had arranged for us to stay in Brooklyn, at the studio of Traci Mann, a New York tap dancer.

Disoriented by jet lag, Hans had left his laptop on the airport bus. That first night, with the El roaring past our window, we fell into a troubled sleep, woken by the clatter of the El and the cries of children at the daycare centre below.

Through a Glass

Our first pilgrimage in New York was to the Yippie Museum in Greenwich Village. The Village was the bohemian hangout par excellence in the sixties. It still has a funky, if gentrified, look. Jazz bars and restaurants dot the streets.

The Yippie Museum resembles the Nimbin Museum, with a stage for performances. One night, we caught some fine performance poetry. It’s the headquarters of New York’s hemp legalization campaign. They knew about Nimbin. They were also involved with a global linkup of cities for 2010.

1st Oct saw the launch of Mark Roselle’s book “Tree Spiker”. Mark Roselle is the founder of Rainforest Action Network. He’s also the man who infiltrated a Nevada test site. The day was also Benny’s birthday, Benny, an agent provocateur with his rainbow flags. The Yippie Museum was a happening place, true to its name of promoting green(sic) issues through direct action.

It took us a while to work out what ‘uptown’ and ‘downtown’ meant in the subway, but we had worked it out by the time we left New York!

Hans slipped out one night for a dose of jazz; the girls went on a harbour cruise; Benny was beavering away at the Ecofest office. My jet lag meant that I saw the city as if through a glass darkly. One image remains: a black, immaculately dressed saxplayer, doing “In a Sentimantl Mood” in the subway at 50th St.

Ecofest

Ecofest, Central Park, NYC, Oct 2009. Pic: Harsha Prabhu

The Ecofest office, off Broadway, was a hive of activity, presided over by Nanci Callahan, queen bee and director/producer of New York’s signature ecological fair, now in it’s 21st year.

We walked to Central Park to check out the site for this year’s Ecofest, passing Strawberry Fields and ‘Imagine’, the mosaic tribute to John Lennon. On park benches huddled New York’s homeless, shrouded in grey, under the shadows of the tall towers ringing the park. The Dakota apartments where Lennon had been shot were across the street. “Yoko Ono pays for the maintenance of this section of the park and the homeless are permitted to sleep here,” Benny explained. I thought of our homeless in Byron, chased from bus shelters, their beach humpies a mark for rangers. In this instance, New York seemed to have a heart.

Sunday 4th Oct was a fine day. The Ecofest site began to fill up with vedors and exhibitors, including the latest hybrid cars from Toyota and Ford.

Rainbow Dreaming at Ecofest, Central Park, NYC, Oct 2009. Pic: Harsha Prabhu

We had been assigned the outer wall of the conference tent to set up the Rainbow Dreaming exhibit. Space restrictions meant only half the exhibit could be accommodated. We punched holes into the exhibition panels and strung them out on twine like washing on a line. It worked! Sayaka Nakao, Rina Terasaki and Saya Minami, our Japanese friends from Byron Bay, who had flown in the previous day via Tokyo to help with the exhibition tour, assisted us in this improvisatory task. Ever enthusiastic, our petite helpers were worth their weight in gold. Hans and I would have struggled to manage the show on our own.

Over 25,000 visitors streamed through Ecofest that day and, as we were positioned at the entrance, many of these stopped by to check the exhibit. Among these was Nirmala, Gina Lakosta’s daughter, who was in New York to perform a burlesque show, under the stage name La Viola Vixen. Another was a couple from Goonengerry, amazed to stumble upon a slice of life from the rainbow region in the heart of New York.

Tap dancers, including the amazing Mabel Lee, Traci Manns’s former teacher, all of 80; soul singers; stiletto heeled models strutting eco fashions; Rick Ulfik from We the World, the global peace network; Parrots for Peace from the Amazon rainforest; ending with a sing along with the legendary Pete Seeger, 90 years old and still singing his peace and environmental anthems.

Jam session, Central Park, NYC, Oct 2009. Pic: Harsha Prabhu

The sun shone down on Benny Zable’s rainbow flags; children fed ducks in the pond; whole families happily picnicked under the trees; frisbees flew in the air. Catching the last of the sunset, the tall towers seemed to shower us with riches and green fields became fields of gold.

The evening ended with drumming. Three drum circles – Cuban, Haitian and African – rang out in the Park. The moon was full and so were our hearts.

Postscript: Hans’ laptop, lost on our first night, was returned to him by the New York City Transport Authority on our last morning in New York, in a fairy tale ending to our stay in the Big Apple!

Van Gets Ripped, or The Long Sleep of Unreason

Blog 2 on the Rainbow Dreaming US tour, taking in New York’s 13th Harvest Festival & Freedom Rally, Hancock, NY; and Woodstock Museum, Saugerties, NY.

Ma & Pa Woodstock, NY Harvest Fest & Freedom Rally, Camp Minglewood, Hancock, October 2009. Pic: Harsha Prabhu

New York Harvest Fest & Freedom Rally

Marijuana legalisation activists and their supporters on the East coast were to meet at Camp Minglewood in the Catskills, a couple of hours north of New York, for the Harvest Festival & Freedom Rally, on 9 Oct.

Rainbow Dreaming crew at New York Harvest Fest & Freedom Rally, October 2009

It was an opportunity too good to be missed. Our hosts from the Woodstock Museum, Shelli Lipton and Nathan Koenig, had booked us a spot at the Festival. They had also booked us into a bunkhouse, with 10 bunk beds. By now we had mushroomed to a party of 10.

It wasn’t pot, but potties that preoccupied us the three days we were there. The toilets were blocked. Much time and energy was spent agonizing over the situation and negotiating the portaloos well before the happy horde that had descended on the Camp trashed them every morning.

Harvest Fest, the child of Hemp activist and performance poet Rob Robinson, was now in its thirteenth year. The legal situation with pot in the US is complex and confusing. Some states (California) allow the medical use of marijuana. Others will bust you for possessing rolling papers. The talk at the Camp was all about the bust of a long-time hemp activist, who had been caught with a whole lot of pot that he was bringing to the festival. Regardless, the pot was plentiful.

Camp Minglewood, Hancock, October 2009. Pic: Harsha Prabhu

From pot to politics. I met Kurt Shotko, a member of the Greens party. Kurt was of the opinion that the Republicans and Democrats were cut from the same cloth, manufactured by big business. “Look at what Obama’s doing in Afghanistan. He’s sending more Americans to die there. We need an alternative to the main players. We’ve got to wake up to the reality that the American dream has been a nightmare for a lot of Americans and for the rest of the world, especially in Iraq and Afghanistan. We have been asleep for too long. We need a revival of common sense. Only a massive program of self education is going to do it.”

Then he quoted from the Populist Program, published in 1892: “They propose to sacrifice our homes, lives and children on the altar of mammon; to destroy the multitude in order to secure corruption funds for the millionaires.”

1892! The sleep of unreason had been a long one.

But Kurt was hopeful of the next generation. That’s why he set up camp at festivals across the US. And that’s partly why we were there too.

Benny Zable in front of archival pic from Rainbow Dreaming, NY Harvest Fest & Freedom Rally, Camp Minglewood, Hancock, October 2009. Pic: Harsha Prabhu

The Rainbow Dreaming exhibit was attached to a wall in the main music hall. Thus many, mostly young, punters got to see the exhibit. This was where The Wailers played on Saturday. I caught the Wailers when they played in Byron and I’m happy to report that they are still wailing away.

But what struck me most about the music at Harvest Fest was the pervasive influence of the Grateful Dead, the legendary sixties psychedelic band from San Francisco. From Cabinet, an established US indi band that played the main stage, to camp fire songs at 4 am, the Dead were everywhere, on so many t shirts and stickers, in so many riffs and improvisatory moments, as a psychedelic glint in so many eyes.

George Clinton & Funkedelic, NY Harvest Fest & Freedom Rally, Camp Minglewood, Hancock, October 2009. Pic: Harsha Prabhu

I spoke with Jane, an artist from New York, who had a stall selling Dead memorabilia. She had grown up in San Francisco and was still a Deadhead. Her eyes misted when she spoke of Jerry Garcia: “You could see so much love pouring out of him. It was a love affair that lasted and lasted and it’s still going strong even when he’s gone.”

Minglewood Moment: across from the festival site, two lovers sit on the steps of a boat ramp. The dying sun paints purple tints on the tops of the maple and elm; waterfowl break the surface of the lake. A band is playing the Dead’s “China Cat Sunflower.”

Woodstock: The Town that Time Forgot

In Rip Van Winkle, Washington Irving’s story, a man who wanders off into the Catskill Mountains, meets some rather strange companions who serve up a suspiciously heady brew, and falls asleep under a tree. When he wakes up, he finds that some 20 years have gone by and his world has changed.

Woodstoock, October 2009. Pic: Harsha Prabhu

The town of Catskill is 30 minutes away from Woodstock. Some 40 years have gone by after the infamous Woodstock festival of 1969. And the world has changed since those heady days. But walking around Woodstock, the town that gave a name to the festival, (which happened in the neighbouring town of Bethel, some 100 kms away), you could be forgiven for believing that it’s still in the thrall of those halcyon days of hippiedom.

Woodstoock, October 2009. Pic: Emi iizuka

Our first port of call was the Woodstock Town Board meeting that night. Benny Zable, Nimbin’s ambassador to Woodstock, presented letters from Nimbin and the crew made a presentation on the Rainbow Dreaming exhibit and its relevance to the whole Woodstock legacy.

The meet was dominated by a spirited discussion over rezoning issues, something very familiar to us on the north coast. Would Woodstock go the way of other small towns and be besieged by rampant development, or would it stay true to its alternative legacy?

That night we also visited the Bearsville Cultural Centre (set up by Albert Grossman, one-time manager of Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin and The Band) and Alchemia Café to catch some live music, including a spirited set by Adam, a young musician we had met at the Byron market drum circle!

Guided around by Benny, on our very first day in Woodstock, we met some representatives of Woodstock’s hippie past: Jogger John, the local village savant, who used to jog everywhere, but, due to his advanced age is now is on a bike; Day A, the village barber, who runs a soup kitchen for the Rainbow Family in town; Grandpa and Grandma Woodstock, an elderly couple, dressed the part, almost town mascots. Woodstock itself is full of funky cafes and art galleries. Turn a corner and spy a Zen garden, complete with waterfall and pergola.

Peace Pole, Woodstock, October 2009. Pic: Emi Iizuka

In the centre of Woodstock town is the village green and the peace pole, with peace messages in several languages. We bumped into Fr John, a priest and peace activist. When he heard that two of our crew, Sayaka Nakao and Rina Terasaki, were from Tokyo, he beamed at them and said: “ Let’s set up a peace link between Woodstock and Tokyo. All it takes is five people. Five is the magic number. Can you find five friends in Tokyo who may be interested?”

Hippie Church, Woodstock, October 2009. Pic: Harsha Prabhu

Fr John also runs the Hippie Church, on the hill overlooking Woodstock. This was the very church where Bob Dylan was rumoured to have married the love of his life, Sarah, his sad eyed lady of the lowlands. The church wears the patina of age, its icons fading in the dim, dank light streaming through stained glass windows.

Path to Buddhist monastery, Woodstock, October 2009. Pic: Harsha Prabhu

In stark contrast is the Buddhist monastery next door. Set up in 1975, the monastery is linked to the 10th century Tibetan Kagyu lineage. Its halls are huge and lushly decorated with tankas, its massive Buddha is gold-painted, its prayer lamps cast a beatific glow on meditating monks and visitors; its gift shop bulges with merchandise, all a tribute to Buddhism’s growing influence in the new world.

Prophesy

The next morning, my very first snowflakes, fine and feathery.

It was too cold to venture out. Emi Iizuka and Simeon Michaels, both from Byron, had joined us in Woodstock. We were toasty warm at the Woodstock Museum, hosted by Shelli and Nathan.

Under the tutelage of Shelli, the sacred Indian corn was brought out and inspected. Purple, yellow, orange, red and black, this was authentic Hopi corn. The girls played with the corn silk, good for medicinal tea and dress ups, fake moustaches and beards. They were transformed into imaginary characters, magical beings, the warrior princesses of Genghis Khan, dressed as men to pass unnoticed amidst the ripening corn. Shelli makes beautiful corn necklaces, a craft she learnt from Rainbow Weaver, a Mohawk Clan Mother.

Padmasambhava, Buddhist monastery, Woodstock, October 2009. Pic: Emi Iizuka

Nathan spoke about the connection between the Hopi and the Tibetans. “Padmasambhava, the founder of Tibetan Buddhism, said: When the iron bird flies and the horses run on wheels the Tibetans will be scattered over the face of the earth and the dharma will come to the land of the red man.”

Nathan went on: “The Hopi’s felt that this might have something to do with the dharma coming to the US. They have prophesies too. After the swastika and the sun, there would be another force, symbolized by the colour red. This force will wear a red cloak or red cap. Spiritual wisdom will come from the East. This spirituality must spread. If that does not take root, others with the red symbol will invade from the West and crawl over the land in one day. The Hopis think this could be the ‘red’ Chinese.”


“When the Tibetan Karmapa visited Hopiland in 1974, he said: We must have know each other before; your features, ceremonies and way of life are similar to our own. When we bought Hopis to the monastery in Woodstock in 1979, the two cultures again recognized each other, and the Hopis said that the Tibetans may very well be the long lost brother who left them at the beginning of time and went to the other side of the earth to balance the earth spiritually.” Said Shelli: “When the shit hits the fan, we won’t survive unless we cooperate with each other. That’s also what the Hopi prophecies speak of. The Hopis are known as the ‘peaceful ones’.”

While we spoke of prophecies, outside, in the gathering gloom, Tiago Guimaraes, a Brazilian artist, was busy carving out a statue of a man with a guitar, the quintessential hippie hitchhiker, his hand raised, his fingers flashing the peace sign.

Elliot Landy’s book on Woodstock

The Rainbow Dreaming opening at the Woodstock Museum on Sat 17 Oct was a modest yet sweet affair: local musos were in attendance and we joined the members of the Woodstock drum circle in a bongothon.

Rainbow Dreaming crew with Elliot Landy, Woodstock Museum, October 2009. Pic: Hans Lovejoy

The highlight of the evening was meeting Elliot Landy, the famous Woodstock photographer. Elliot was all praise for the exhibit, gave away signed copies of his book to all the crew and offered to help us find a publisher for a book on the exhibition. (Sadly, I was to leave my copy on the street in San Francisco while moving house.)

The Last Hippie, Woodstock Museum, October 2009. Pic: Harsha Prabhu

The last act of the day was raising the sculpture of the hippie hitchhiker and placing him on his pedestal: a symbol of Woodstock’s hippie past and a pointer to its uncertain future as a cultural pilgrimage centre.

Woodstock Earth, after the drum circle, October, 2009. Pic: Simeon Michaels

On our last evening in Woodstock, we participated in the Woodstock Earth drum circle. Some 30 drummers were gathered in the backyard at Day A’s house. In summer, the drummers gather at the village green and spill out onto the road. As the sound of the drums rose over the autumn dusk, we were again reminded of how lucky we were with our vibrant culture of communal drumming and dancing in the rainbow region.

Last days in New York: the Bangladeshi cigarette sellers; the African rickshaw pullers in Central Park; the old men and women carting large bundles of recyclable cans and bottles; the man in Times Square offering to sell me a 15 carat gold ring or Obama condoms.

While the crew went shopping and sightseeing I wandered back to Central Park. More than the statue of Liberty, than Ground Zero, than the suicide gulches and canyons of Wall Street, I was drawn to the spot with the Imagine mosaic and tribute to John Lennon. Park benches line the walkway, each with its dedication. I sat there, amidst the touros and derros, as the shadows lengthened.

Then I saw these lines from Dylan Thomas, carved on a park bench: “Though lovers be lost love shall not; And death shall have no dominion.”

Celebrating Woodstock - Part 2 on San Francisco’s Westfest and the Beats to follow. Please check my blog...

by Harsha Prabhu

Rainbow Dreaming crew at Magic Mountain, Woodstock, October 2009

NOTE: An edited version of A Fairy Tale of New York was published in the Byron Shire Echo, October 2009. While the words and sentiments in the blogs are my own, this project has been a community cultural initiative, helped along by many hands, hearts and minds. Many thanks are due.

First up, Benny Zable, Shelli Lipton & Nathan Koening for setting up the Nimbin Woodstock Connection and the sister village link between the two communities. I would like to acknowledge the help and guidance offered by the Rainbow Dreaming crew – Benny Zable, Hans Lovejoy, Saya Minami, Sayaka Nakao, Rina Terasaki, Emi Iizuka & Simeon Michaels – on this amazing journey to the US. Thanks to our hosts in the US, including Traci Mann & Nanci Callahan in NYC; Rob Robinson at Harvestfest; Shelli Lipton & Nathan Koenig at Woodstock Museum; and Douglas Kolberg & Boots Hughston at Westfest. Thanks to our principal sponsor Happy High Herbs and our media sponsors Byron Shire Echo & Bay FM. Thanks to all those who donated to the community chest to make this project possible, including all the artist and performers from the rainbow region who helped raise funds for the US tour. And a big thank you to all the freaky people of the rainbow region, who are the inspiration for this project. And the writers and photographers who so generously donated their work. This project was auspiced by Byron Community & Cultural Centre, assisted by Lismore Regional Gallery and supported by Byron Neighbourhood Resource Centre and Mullumbimby & District Neighbourhood Centre. Rainbow Dreaming was curated & produced by Harsha Prabhu & Graeme Batterbury for the Rainbow Collective. More on Rainbow Dreaming, including how to get a copy of the book, at: www.rainbowdreaming.org

[architectnews]

OBEL AWARD 2021: 15-minute city

OBEL AWARD 2021, 15-minute city by Professor Carlos Moreno, Germany Design Show News

OBEL AWARD 2021: 15-minute city by Professor Carlos Moreno

4 Oct 2021

photo : Søren Bang Clemmesen

15-minute city Wins OBEL AWARD 2021

The 15-minute City Is Winner Of €100,000 Obel Award For Architecture

Carlos Moreno. Credits Mathieu Delmestre

Monday 4th of October 2021 – Urban theory and global movement the 15-minute city as defined by Professor Carlos Moreno is the third winner of young, ambitious architecture award.

A truly liveable and sustainable urban future that places each global citizen at the heart of their own city. This is the goal of the 15-minute city, an urban model, which was chosen by the jury to win the third ever OBEL AWARD.

image : Søren Bang Clemmesen

The idea behind the 15-minute city is that cities should be (re)designed, so that all residents are able to access their daily needs (housing, work, food, health, education, and culture and leisure) within the distance of a 15-minute walk or bike ride. This greatly reduces car traffic and CO2 emissions and increases the health and well-being of residents.

The model, which can be adjusted to local culture, conditions, and needs, has already been implemented with great success in cities like Paris, Chengdu, and Melbourne, generating a global movement.

According to the jury, the 15-minute city is a beautiful and intuitive vision that has the potential to vastly improve the lives of hundreds of millions of people worldwide and to help create a healthier planet.

Martha Schwartz, Chair of the Jury, says:

“Like the two previous OBEL AWARD winners, this year’s winner is about protecting the environment and making life better for people. We are living in a time of urgency to make a change and live more efficiently. The 15-minute city addresses the need for us to rethink how our cities can be reimagined, redesigned, and regenerated for the primary benefit of people and the environment. The 15-minute city is a real step towards the future – a bold and needed perspective.”

photograph : Søren Bang Clemmesen

On receiving the award, Carlos Moreno says:

“I want to thank the jury for giving me this award. In my opinion, it is in fact a triple recognition: On the one hand, it is a recognition of my academic work, but secondly, it is a recognition of the international movement generated by the 15-minute city. And thirdly, it is a recognition of the commitment by different mayors around the world in embracing the 15-minute city.”

The award ceremony will take place on 21 October in Paris at the Salle des Fêtes of the Hôtel de Ville of Paris.

15-minute city by Professor Carlos Moreno: photograph : Mathieu Delmestre

OBEL AWARD

About the OBEL AWARD

The OBEL AWARD is a new, international prize for architectural achievement presented annually by the Henrik Frode Obel Foundation, founded by Henrik Frode Obel (1942-2014). The prize is 100,000 Euros and a unique artwork by leading artist Tomás Saraceno.

The aim of the award is to honour recent and outstanding architectural contributions to human development all over the world – architectural contributions considered broadly as any contribution that helps change our physical, designed environment for the common good. The award is given to works or projects from the past five years. It can be given to an individual or a team, and the award-winning project can range from a manifesto to a masterplan and include buildings, landscape projects, and exhibitions.

City life – Copenhagen commuters: photograph : Emilie Koefoed for the OBEL AWARD

Each year, the jury will set a special focus for the OBEL AWARD. In 2021, the special focus is: seminal solutions to the challenges facing cities.

The 2021 OBEL AWARD jury consists of: Martha Schwartz, Chair (founder, Martha Schwartz Partners, USA), Kjetil Trædal Thorsen (co-founder, Snöhetta, Norway), Louis Becker (design principal and partner, Henning Larsen, Denmark), Dr Wilhelm Vossenkuhl (professor emeritus of philosophy, Germany), and XU Tiantian (founding principal, DnA, Beijing, China).

Copenhagen commuter: photo : Emilie Koefoed for the OBEL AWARD

Carlos Moreno

Carlos Moreno is French of Colombian origin. He is a Senior University Professor, a driving force behind Paris’s 15-minute city plan, and a Knight of the French Legion of Honour.

The outstanding career of Carlos Moreno is marked by an interest in people and a passion for cities and their complexity. Deeply committed to science, progress and creativity, Carlos Moreno embraces new technology for the common good, promotes cross-disciplinary collaboration between scientific disciplines and professionals in the innovation ecosystem, and participates in debates, working groups, and media interviews to discuss and disseminate new knowledge.

The 15-minute city Paris, France: photo : Micael

Carlos Moreno started his career with an interest in robotics. In 1983, he became a researcher and lecturer at the IUT in Cachan at the Université de Paris Sud, working in the computer science and robotics laboratory (LIMRO). In 1990, he began working at the Université d’Evry, where he became a Senior Professor, and in 1998, he created his own start-up, Sinovia, which centred on the intelligent control of complex systems with an emphasis on infrastructure. In 2006, Moreno turned his attention to cities – a complex system par excellence – and developed the concept of the ‘sustainable digital city’ as a viable platform from which to provide the services needed to ensure the well-being of a city’s inhabitants. In 2019, Carlos Moreno received the Foresight Medal by the French Academy of Architecture. In 2020, he was a scientific advisor to the Mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, during her re-election campaign. He also authored the book “Urban life and proximity at the time of Covid-19,” published by Editions de l’Observatoire, July 2020.

OBEL AWARD 2021 images / information received 041021

Previously on e-architect:

Past OBEL AWARD Winner

Water Garden at Aedes Architecture Forum Curated by Junya Ishigami & Associates photo © Courtesy of nikissimo Inc. OBEL AWARD 2019: Water Garden at Aedes

Further information: OBEL Award

Aedes Architecture Forum Exhibitions

Aedes Architecture Forum Exhibitions

Archi-Tectonics – Winka Dubbeldam & Justin Korhammer, New York Flat Lands & Massive Things – From NL to NYC & Beyond picture © Archi-Tectonics Archi-Tectonics Architecture Event

Active Buildings – Innovation for Architecture in Motion Aedes Architecture Forum Exhibition by falkeis²architects photo : Filmfabrik Active energy building in Vaduz, Liechtenstein

Woodland Sweden – Contemporary Timber Construction Härbret Summer House in Nannberga by General Architecture/Stockholm: picture © Åke E:son Lindman

Berlin Architecture

German Buildings

Architecture Exhibitions Europe

AEDES Network Campus Berlin Event

Architecture Whispers Paris

Danish Architecture Centre Events

MAXXI Rome Exhibition

Netherlands Architecture Institute Events

Tallinn Architecture Biennale

Comments / photos for the OBEL AWARD 2021: 15-minute city page welcome

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