#for the record someday I will and then I will spend a year and change crying ring lace is ridiculous

[holdinbacksecrets]

Hi! Can you please write BTS version of the voicemails they will send hinting their feelings? Thank you 😊

thank you for requesting 🖤

voicemails from bts, hinting feelings

namjoon: “i was in a bookstore the other day and started to imagine a book you wrote being on the shelves someday. everything you do, down to the indentation of your steps, leaves behind a story. do you remember your birthday two years ago? you drank one glass too many, and it’s like the fiction unleashed. i recorded a voice memo, but i never played it for you. i want to.”

jin: “are you scared? this morning you sounded really scared on the phone. i’m sorry i didn’t say more or say enough. i was caught off guard because you’ve never showed me scared before, not like that. i’ve seen your apprehension. i’ve seen your insecure. i’ve seen your anxiety, but this was consuming fear. i’m making dinner, and i feel like you probably haven’t eaten today… if your anxiety gives anything away about your scared. come over when you’re off. i’ll greet you with a hug and bowl of soup. or two bowls. i have cheese and bread too. the good bread. the loaf you turned me on to.”

yoongi: “you used the notes app on my phone to write out your grocery list, and i’m amused. it sounds like you’re having a conversation with yourself: right now, i want rice crispies, but i’ll probably change my mind once i’m in the cereal aisle. trust your gut, or get two boxes. you’re 26. no one is stopping you. oh! get some apple juice too. i keep having dreams about twelve year old me at a friend’s house. we’d sit at the kitchen island after school with graham crackers and apple juice, and i miss her. i miss those simple conversations. you’re so pure and magnetic. sometimes i wonder where you came from, but then i’m just glad you made it here—tumbled into my life because you did tumble. you’ve always made the story sound too elegant. the tumble was charming, i promise.”

hoseok: “you’ve been sharing recipes with me, or i guess i should say the final product of your recipes has been shared with me, repeatedly, and now i’m starting to wait for the knock on my door or the ring of a text. is that bad? i wouldn’t want you to ever think i’m demanding treats, but i love… i love the time we spend together when you bring them over, and your eyes sparkle when my expression changes because of how good everything always tastes… i love that too.”

jimin: “did you say everything you needed to yesterday? i swear your lips parted and you leaned in so many times to never say anything. i know it was a busy place, and it’s not that fun sitting at a table for twelve. but i was ready to listen. i’ll be ready at 2 am too. whatever you need. there’s something to this, right? to the ease of our conversations. you trust me?”

taehyung: “do you want to sculpt clay with me? i bought a whole bag and a bunch of tools. i thought about booking a private lesson, but i wanted my record player and access to a kitchen and the ability to get my hands dirty whenever i want to—need it. do you need it too? if not, keep me company while i try to make something?”

jungkook: “can i pick you up today? this is going to sound ridiculous, but your smell used to linger in my car, and i can’t quite make out the notes of your perfume anymore. i can imagine them, but they don’t meet me when i open the door… i can’t leave this as a voicemail on your phone. can i leave this as a voicemail on your phone? i sound insane.”

bonus: “i’m calling to tell you i’m proud of you. sometimes when we were kids, i used to think our dreams wouldn’t make it higher than the trees. i thought they’d get caught in the leaves, die on branches come winter, but look at us. look at you. you’re incredible. we did it.”

[sam-loves-seb]

thinking about eddie, a decade later, maybe two, and corroded coffin has gone on to be a world famous metal band and eddie gets recognized as their front man everywhere he goes. he loves it, for a time, creating joy with his music, having fun on tour with his friends, listening to entire stadiums sing his words back to him. it's the life he always wanted, and he's grateful.

but it's not 1986 anymore, he's not some twenty year old kid with energy to burn. none of them are. jeff has two kids at home that miss him terribly when the band's on tour, and gareth is married now with a baby of his own on the way. they all still love the band that changed their lives, and the shitty lyrics from their first album they wrote in gareth's mom's garage back in hawkins, and all the music that came after. but now--it might be time for a break.

"We're not breaking up," Eddie announces at their last show. "Far from it. We just--we need a little time to be normal again. To enjoy this part of our life before it's gone. We'll be back, someday, I know we will," he says, and the band nods along with him, their hands held over their hearts as the stadium cheers around them. "Consider it a hiatus. And don't even think about forgetting us while we're gone."

So, Jeff flies home and gets to go to his son's first t-ball game, and Gareth heads back to LA to finish setting up the nursery before his wife goes into labor. And Eddie?

Well, Eddie goes home.

To a little house just outside of Indianapolis, bought in 1989 after they signed their first record deal. Three bedrooms, two car garage, one husband waiting in the driveway when his car pulls up.

(That last one didn't come with the house, but it is what makes this place a home. Eddie's home.)

It's not until Eddie collapses in Steve's arms does he realize how much he needs this. That he realizes how tired he is, and just how homesick he's become.

"I missed you," Steve murmurs into his hair, arms wrapped tight around his waist.

"I'm never leaving home again," Eddie whispers back, clutching onto Steve's polo shirt and letting the tears start to pool in his eyes.

"We both know that's not true," Steve teases, pressing a kiss to Eddie's temple.

"Not for a long while, then," Eddie tells him, lifting his head and cupping his husband's face.

Steve tilts his head, his brows furrowing a bit in confusion, a single crease forming between them. It's deeper than it was when they first got together, back when they were all still kids. His hair is different too, still floppy and styled and perfect, but shorter, only a little bit, and just starting to salt and pepper near his temples. It's barely noticeable, unless you're Eddie Munson and you spend every moment you can studying the planes of Steve Harrington's face.

"I'm retired," Eddie tells him, only half joking.

"You're thirty-nine."

"Semi-retired," he rolls his eyes, takes his husband's hand, and leads him into their house where their two cats are waiting for them. "And making the most of it. Starting now."

[elderberries-and-honey]

There wasn't much left to cover for the 1890's and I have decided to go ahead and say goodbye to the decade by wrapping things up in one swoop instead of a bunch of individual posts. Also, I apologise for how crappy some of these photos look on mobile so viewing from a desktop is probably best.

And with that, we are officially heading into the 1900's!

next / previous / first

Transcript Below The Cut!

Dear Diary, It has been too long since I’ve written, I know, even if it’s only for my eyes. The last six years have passed me by and I have no record of my life to show for it. So, I will vow it on this New Years Day to be better at it starting right now! And I will begin by recounting the last few years with the hope that someday, I can look back on these times with fondness. So much has happened, some splendid, some grim, but that’s the way life always goes, isn’t it? A constant upheaval, tossing you around from one thing to the next so abruptly; even the good changes can feel violent sometimes. And yet, I endure it; maybe I have even taken to embracing it. Life is funny that way, hm? Now, the last six years, well, where do I begin?

In 1894, Lawrence opened the funeral home. It was a little ironic, considering Valerie passed away that same year. She had been hiding her failing liver before we moved out to Windenburg, and passed on with her brother at her side. Beth and Oisin traveled to Wales together to attend the funeral; Lawrence, however, could not come away from work.

1895 was a much better year for our family We began it with Beth & Oisin's wedding! But little did we know, the best was yet to come...the birth of our Alison Aurora! Our family has never felt more complete but they could not be more different from each other; each of them unique in their own way. Oscar is our wild child, always in search of some sort of adventure. It’s as though he lives for being outdoors and running around; playing in mud and splashing in puddles. I believe he is the most like his father out of the three, a social butterfly with an inability to sit still. Our sweetheart, Atticus, is curious like his brother but reclusive like his mother. He is often shy and timid, but seems to have taken a real interest in nature, and I find him off in the garden often, studying the flowers and admiring their colours. We are alike in many ways, and spend the most time together; he was also to hardest to wean from my breast. Alison, or Rory as I call her, or ‘goofy girl’ as Lawrence calls her, has her father wrapped around her little finger. She like to keep us on our toes with her silliness; she loves to do funny dances when we play music on the phonograph. And, she has no problems keeping up with her brothers!

As for myself, well, my dearest diary, I am happy to say that I am now a working woman! I am a secretary for a local newspaper started by an Irishman.

all in all, i think we are very happy

[rainbow-nerdss]

Definition

Written for @augustwritingchallenge day 25 (Joker Prompt): Role Reversal Buddie, 2.8k Read on AO3

or: 5 times people get Buck's role in Chris's life wrong, and 1 time they set the record straight

1: 

It starts on a night in December, after Buck tagged along with Eddie when he was bringing Chris to see Santa Claus. 

“You two have an adorable son,” the elf says to Buck, after Chris is done, refusing to say what he wished for but laughing when Eddie picks him up and carries him off.

Buck doesn’t correct her. She’s doing her job, and she’s being nice, and there’s no point in making the situation awkward by pointing out the mistake. 

He can’t blame her for making the assumption, either — they’re two adults, together. taking a kid out to see Santa. They’d been sitting pretty close together by the fountain, and Buck knows he’s been looking at Chris like a proud parent even though he’s not one.

It’s like a whiplash, though, going from talking to Eddie about Shannon’s place as Chris’s parent, her place in both of their lives, to someone assuming Buck is the one in that place. It makes him uncomfortable, but at the same time… there’s a longing there, for that to be true someday. Not with Eddie and Chris, but with someone.

He rejoins Eddie and Chris, and he doesn’t tell them, either. But he keeps that little mistake, and the warmth it sparked in his chest, and he holds onto it. 

He doesn’t know why, not for a long time, but that one little sentence sticks with him.

2: 

It’s years later, and Maddie’s just announced her pregnancy to the whole team. Eddie already knows, Buck’s excitement at the news making it impossible for him not to spill. They’re at a barbecue in Bobby and Athena’s back yard, and everyone toasts the happy couple.

Bobby turns to Buck, once the initial round of cheers and congratulations for the parents-to-be. “So you’re gonna be an uncle, huh? How’s it feeling?”

Eddie sips his beer, smiling to himself. Buck’s spoken about anything else since he heard the news, so Eddie’s pretty sure he knows the answer.

“Well, he’s already an uncle, right?” Ravi interrupts. Eddie frowns at him, and Buck looks as confused as he feels. 

“What do you mean?” he asks.

Ravi looks between the two of them. “I mean, not by blood, sure, but like…” He gestures over to Christopher, playing with Denny on the ipad.

Eddie feels himself grimace. Something about it strikes him as wrong. Buck’s an important part of Chris’s life, but uncle? He thinks of his own tíos, how they’d come to visit every now and again, spend most of the time talking to his parents and talking to him just long enough to establish how he was doing in school, and whether or not he had a girlfriend. 

He knows Buck won’t be like that with Maddie’s kid, but it still feels…. different.

Eddie doesn’t know how to respond to it, honestly. "Buck isn’t—that's not..." But what can he say? That's not how it is. That’s not enough to describe Buck’s importance in Chris’s life.

Eddie looks back at Buck, and sees matching confusion on his face. “Chris doesn’t call me his uncle,” he says, as though the idea has never even occurred to him. Eddie smiles at him, and Buck smiles back, and there’s a mutual understanding there.

Buck’s not Chris’s uncle. He’s… Well, he’s something else — something Eddie’s not quite ready to name yet, but there’s a piece of paper in a lawyer’s office to attest to it.

3: 

Chris is not feeling good. His head is spinning, his stomach churning, and he feels both hot and cold at the same time. 

“Your dad will be here soon, okay, honey?” Nurse Rodriguez tells him, after hanging up the phone. “You just sit tight and let me know if anything changes.”

He’s in the nurse’s office, staring bleary-eyed at the linoleum floor. The pattern swims around as his vision blurs, and he hugs the little basin Nurse Rodriguez had given him close, feeling more like he was gonna need it with every passing second.

“I’m here for Christopher Diaz?” 

He hears a familiar voice outside the room, and it makes him relax, just knowing he’ll be home soon, able to curl up in bed or on the couch, watch TV and be taken care of.

“Mr. Diaz!” Nurse Rodriguez says, in her overly-friendly voice, and Chris laughs, lurching his stomach and making him feel so much worse.

“Uh, I’m not… I’m Buck—Evan Buckley, I mean, I should be…?”

Nurse Rodriguez backtracks, apologizing. “Oh! I am so sorry, Mr. Buckley, I see you on the emergency contact list. If you’d just sign here?”

Chris loses track of the conversation outside, focusing instead on his breathing until Nurse Rodriguez comes back in and escorts him out to Buck. Buck wraps an arm around him and helps him out to the car, then sets him up with blankets and a bucket on the couch, and serves up chicken noodle soup when Chris is able to stomach food.

He lets Chris curl into his side to take a nap, warm and comfortable, like he’s a little kid again, and he stays there even after Chris goes to bed, even after his dad gets home and comes in to check on him.

4:

Buck knocks on Hen's door, and is immediately met with an armful of sleepy infant as she passes the baby over to him. He takes it in stride, adjusting her in his arms so she's comfortable and following Hen inside. 

"Everything okay?" He asks, once they're in the kitchen, surrounded by dirty mixing bowls and flour dusting every surface.

"There's a bake sale at the school tomorrow, and someone forgot to mention it until about an hour ago." She raises her voice on the word someone, pointedly glaring out to where Denny is doing his homework in the next room.

"I said I was sorry!" Denny calls back, and Hen grumbles but Buck can see there's no real resentment there.

"That's rough," Buck commiserates. "I take it we're not going to see that movie tonight, then?"

Hen shakes her head. "Sorry, man. I gotta take care of this. I do not trust Karen with baking supplies." Hen makes a face. "Granted, I'm also not spectacular at it but…"

Buck laughs. "I can help out," he offers. "I've got a great recipe for cupcakes?"

Hen makes a face. "Are you sure? You wouldn't know it, Buck, but those PTA moms are so picky about what you bring and whether it's good enough for their precious little babies—"

Buck snorts, gently settling the baby in her rocker. She fusses a little, but calms down after a moment or two. He gets the recipe up on his phone. "Oh, trust me—I know."

Hen looks confused, so he elaborates with an amused smile. "What, you think Eddie Diaz does all that stuff? I'll never forget the look on Carter's mom's face when my cookies outsold hers at the last bake sale at Chris's school." Buck chuckles to himself, then starts gathering ingredients. 

"Huh, I'm sorry. I guess I just assumed—I mean, he's got his aunt, and Carla…" Hen trails off with a shrug and falls into place next to Buck, reading the recipe and pointing him to the right cupboards to find what he needs.

"They do some, when we've got work or something, but…" Buck falters. He wants to say something like "That's different," or "They're not his parents," but... neither is Buck, is he? He remembers the elf from all those years ago, how he hadn't corrected her. The feeling of wanting that. 

At the time, he’d thought the want was just for a family of his own, a partner, a kid. Now, though… those lines aren’t as clear anymore.

"I like to help out," is all he says, and then switches on the mixer, effectively shutting off conversation.

5: 

Eddie's had a few drinks. Buck's at work, and Chris has been coerced into going with Pepa to visit Eddie's parents for the weekend. Eddie had been supposed to go too, but he doesn't feel too guilty about playing up his injuries as an excuse not to join them. He did feel slightly bad that his parents hadn't let them off the hook entirely, insisting on taking Chris off his hands.

Chris had dragged his feet about it, but Eddie knows he's stubborn enough to stay behind if he really wants to — he likes getting to see his older cousins, and while he doesn’t want to live with them, he does like visiting his grandparents, too — if only because they spoil him rotten.

Buck hadn't wanted to leave Eddie alone tonight, not after he'd been injured on the bridge — no more than a dislocated shoulder and a few bruised ribs in the end, nothing compared to Chimney, to Bobby even Hen, but it was enough to get him signed off work for a fortnight. Things had been sketchy for a few minutes there, and for a moment, Eddie had feared… but then there was Buck, opening the doors, pulling him out by one arm.

It hurts like a bitch, but he's fine. Still, when Buck insisted on calling in Carla to keep him company tonight, Eddie didn't point out that was exactly what Buck had been so against Maddie doing for him after the lightning. He doesn't mind the company, especially since he hates being home alone at night.

Besides, Carla doesn't treat him like an invalid. She brings a bottle of some fruity gin, and Eddie orders from the nice Thai place, and they just hang out, catching up on all of the grown-up stuff they rarely get to talk about when they’re busy discussing Chris.

Still, they're halfway through the gin when Carla brings it up. "Buck said he was scared he lost you for a second there."

Eddie shrugs, then winces. He's not sure how much of the wince is because it tugged at his shoulder, and how much is the reminder. "Honestly, for a second, I was worried too. But Buck got me out." Like he always does, Eddie doesn't say. He'd come so close to telling Buck, then. Telling him everything, how he felt for him.

"You know, this house is weird without Chris in it," Carla slurs her words, just as tipsy as he is.. For a moment, Eddie thinks the subject has been changed, until she continues. "If anything does happen to you, there's no way in hell I'm letting your parents drag Chris to Texas for good. I'm gonna fight to keep that boy here, and I know Buck'll do the same."

Eddie laughs, realizing that he hadn't told her about his will. He hadn't told anyone, really, other than Pepa, Abuela and Buck. He'd known at the time it was a big deal, that people might get the wrong impression if he told them.

Turns out, it would have been the right impression after all.

"That won't be necessary," he tells her, after draining his glass.

"I know, I know — you're fine, you aren't going anywhere anytime soon."

"No, that's —well, yes, that too, but also—" Eddie gets up, gestures for her glass too, then pours them both a fresh drink. "My folks wouldn't get Chris, if anything happens. I have a will, so…" he shrugs, sitting back down and sliding Carla's glass over. "Buck's gonna look after him. If I can't anymore. Prob'ly still have to fight, but it's on paper, it's… official."

Carla hums, watching him carefully. "And Buck knows this?" she asks.

Eddie nods. "Told him after… after the shooting."

The last time Buck took Eddie’s hand, pulling him from danger, dragging him to safety.

Carla sighs, shaking her head. She looks at him like she's seeing something new, like this is the last piece in a puzzle she's been working on for years. "Why haven't either of you made a move yet?"

Eddie chokes on his drink, and she pushes a dishcloth across the table for him to mop himself up. Once he's composed himself, he meets her eye.

"Honestly?" He asks. "I can't speak for Buck, but… I'm sort of starting to wonder the same thing."

+1:

Chris is honestly tired of everyone making assumptions about Buck's place in his life. It's been clear to Chris himself for a long time—probably longer than Buck himself has known. The problem is, they've never said it out loud.

That's going to change today.

A month ago, Chris got home from Texas to find his dad and Buck making out in the kitchen.

He'd run to wash out his eyes, but then they say him down,  and the three of them had talked it out together, and he's happy for them. Happy they’ve finally started being honest with themselves, with him, and with each other.

And now, it's Christopher's turn to do the same.

He's not as good as Buck at making pancakes, but he can do French toast pretty well, so he makes enough for the three of them and sets it on the table. It's a little overcooked, but he doesn't think they'll mind. 

Then he knocks on their bedroom door—because Buck may still be paying rent on his apartment for now, but he basically lives with them already. Chris likes that, likes having Buck around even more than before.

He disappears back to the kitchen before they can get to the door, calling them down when he hears Buck ask after him in a sleepy voice.

"Oh my god," his dad says, taking in the sight of the food on the table when both of them shuffle in. "This is… you made this yourself?"

"It's Father's Day, dad. I wanted to treat you."

Chris accepts the tearful hug with only minimal complaints, part of the gift.

Once they're both seated, he goes back to his room, returning with the real present.

"Carla helped with these," he explains, suddenly nervous. "I designed them, and then she sent them off to be made with the money from my allowance, um…"

Chris hands over the one on top first, putting it in front of his dad. Buck chews on his French toast, eyeing the package curiously while Eddie opens it.

Inside is a plaque, printed to look like a dictionary entry. It's cheesy as hell, but if Chris knows his dad, he'll eat it up. 

It reads:

Dad (n): a firefighter with a terrible sense of humor, someone who drinks too much coffee and spends too much time on his hair. See also: Father

Just as Chris predicted, Eddie's eyes grow wet, and he reaches out for another hug, which Chris indulges again.

"What's the other one?" Buck asks.

Chris takes a deep breath. This is it, he tells himself, and he hands the second package to Buck.

Buck looks at it, then up at Chris in confusion, waiting for him to nod before opening it with slow, careful movements — it's so unlike Buck, who always tears into the wrapping paper on his birthday presents, that Chris almost wants to laugh. He doesn't, though. This is serious, after all.

Buck stares down at the plaque, the same style as the first, with a different message.

This one reads:

Buck (n): A firefighter with a terrible sense of humor, the maker of the best pancakes, someone who knows way too many random facts. See also: Father.

"Chris…" Buck's voice is soft, and he looks to be at a loss for words, so Chris speaks instead. He practiced what he’s going to say here, to make his meaning absolutely clear.

"I know I only ever call you Buck," he says, "but that's just because calling both of you dad would be confusing, and pops is Bobby." Chris laughs, thinking of the time he'd spent on his own in his room, thinking of different words for dad he could call Buck, none of them fitting until he realized why. "But… Buck means the same thing as those other names to me, and it has ever since the pier. Since you saved me. You're my Buck. And I'm your son."

Chris is bright red by the end of his speech, he doesn't think he's said that much uninterrupted to his parents in a long time, and they're both just… staring at him.

Chris initiates the hug this time, throwing himself into Buck's arms. Later, he'll claim it was just so he didn't have to see the sappy looks on their faces, but he buries his face in Buck's shoulder, feels Buck's arms around his back, and he knows without a doubt that he's safe there.

His dad joins the hug too after a moment, sandwiching Chris in the middle in a way that should be uncomfortable, but Chris smiles to himself anyway.

The two plaques hang side by side on the wall of the living room, for everyone who visits to see, clearing up any and all confusion in the matter.

Buck is Christopher's dad, nothing more, and nothing less.

[mostlysignssomeportents]

The Foilies

I'm on tour with my new, nationally bestselling novel The Bezzle! Catch me WEDNESDAY (Mar 13) in SAN FRANCISCO with ROBIN SLOAN, then Anaheim, and more!

This marks the 10th anniversary of the Foilies – awards given to the public agencies responsible for the most egregious, absurd and outrageous defiance of freedom of information requests:

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2024/03/foilies-2024

The Foilies are awarded by EFF and Muckrock. This year's honorees are an entire Coen Brothers movie's worth of bizarre excuses and shenanigans. Top honors (the "Not-So-Magic-Word" award) goes to Augusta County, VA:

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2024/03/foilies-2024#augusta

The staff at the Augusta County Sheriff's office somehow got the impression that if they wants to make an official communique immune to a public records request, all they had to do was add the words "NO FOIA" to the memo.

Needless to say, the law doesn't work this way. When a county employee anonymously tipped Breaking the News off to this practice, the organization quite naturally filed a request for every county document containing the phrase "NO FOIA." Given that the county's employees had thoughtfully tagged every document they suspected would get them into trouble with these words, it's no wonder that the request delivered a bumper-crop of news stories of incompetence and corruption:

https://www.breakingthrough.tv/post/augusta-foia-nightmares-sheriff-slams-county-growth-amidst-challenges-managing-department-s-payroll

These scandals come from just 140 of the 1,212 "NO FOIA" emails the county admits it has on hand – the remainder have been illegally withheld. Breaking Through News and The Augusta Press sued the county for the remaining emails and won – though the county has indicated that it might waste public funds appealing the decision:

https://www.newsbreak.com/@breaking-through-news-1615604/3304349127261-augusta-county-weighs-options-after-foia-defeat-mulls-appeal-reporter-demands-production?s=mp_1615604

There are so many great – by which I mean terrible – stories in this year's Foilies that it's hard to pick just a few to highlight, but boy oh boy, does the Chesterfield, Virginia Police have a doozy this year:

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2024/03/foilies-2024#lapd

The police of Chesterfield County, VA claim that the names of every police officer on the force should be kept secret, because one or more of those cops might someday work undercover. As EFF writes, "It’s not at all dystopian to claim that a public law enforcement agency needs to have secret police!"

Now, I don't want to give you the impression that all this nonsense stems from small-town-Deputy-Dawg-Barney-Fife-type dimwits with harebrained schemes. Big, important statewide offices are also in the mix. Take Arkansas governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who spends millions in public funds for her family to travel around America accompanied by an Arkansas State Police detail:

https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2024/jan/12/six-months-of-protecting-sanders-family-costs/

Governor Huckabee Sanders's relentless waste of public funds generated a steady, humiliating drumbeat of news coverage. This made the governor both sad and angry, prompting her to attempt to block FOIA requests for her travel spending, and when that failed, to call a special session of the legislature to enact sweeping limitations on Arkansas's sunshine law:

https://www.ualrpublicradio.org/local-regional-news/2023-09-08/sanders-calls-special-legislative-session-on-tax-cuts-foia-changes

The governor's farcical wish-list of anti-transparency measures didn't just put severe limits on the disclosure of her use of public funds. It also contained a raft of administrative changes, like an end to the practice of FOIA plaintiffs being able to recover their legal fees if they successfully sued the government for illegally suppressing disclosures.

In the end, Governor Huckabee Sanders was defeated – a torrent of opposition to the bill removed its most odious clauses, though, as EFF notes, it's a near-certainty that Huckabee Sanders will try again in the next legislative session.

The military got in on the act this year, too: the USAF's FOIA portal was altered so that filers had to swear that their request pertained to "clearly releasable" records – then failed to define "clearly releasable." After a PR fiasco, they walked the changes back:

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2024/03/foilies-2024#usaf

Now for the Mississippi goddamn moment: the Mississippi Justice Courts obstruct access to two thirds of the public records on search warrants:

https://www.propublica.org/article/no-knock-warrants-missing-mississippi

A lawsuit by the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal is seeking to force the state's courts to obey the law:

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2024/03/foilies-2024#blindfold

Now: on to Wyoming! Wye not? Democracy may "die in darkness," but culture war bullshit thrives in the absence of sunshine. When (former) Wyoming Superintendent of Public Instruction Brian Schroeder and Wyoming Department of Education Chief Communications Officer Linda Finnerty decided to waste public money on an private "Stop the Sexualization of Our Children" event, they correctly judged that secrecy would be key to pulling off the scam:

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2024/03/foilies-2024#wyoming

When Wyomingans sought details about the pro-censorship event, Schroeder and Finnerty manufactured "misleading statements" about the event and its funding:

https://trib.com/news/state-regional/education/wyoming-department-of-education-lawsuit/article_0d87ae52-1c18-11ee-b541-b75142a9d1d5.html

Schroeder also illegally withheld his text messages from a public records request, ignoring state's attorneys' advice (instead, Schroeder took bad legal advice from his friend, a private attorney named Drake Hill, who told him he didn't have to follow the law):

https://cowboystatedaily.com/2023/09/14/under-oath-former-wyoming-education-chief-admits-lying-about-political-event/

The resulting lawsuit turned up 1,500+ texts and emails – enough damning evidence to discredit Schroeder and Finnerty, and to set important new precedent for sunshine laws in the cowboy state:

https://cowboystatedaily.com/2023/11/02/texts-show-schroeder-made-wyoming-dept-of-education-staff-feel-icky/

When you can't dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with bills. That's the strategy of both the Baltimore Police Department and the Richmond, Virginia Police Department. Baltimore's cops told Open Justice Baltimore that they would need to hand over one miiiiilion dollars if they wanted to see the department's use-of-force records. The Baltimore PD argued that the public interest fee waiver didn't apply to use-of-force records, because there was no public interest in knowing about how the only people in the state legally allowed to hit, kick, choke and shoot other people used force:

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2024/03/foilies-2024#baltimore

Baltimore police eventually dropped the ask to a mere $245k, which a court totally rejected, saying it contributed to the impression that the BPD had "something to hide":

https://law.justia.com/cases/maryland/court-of-appeals/2023/20-22.html

Meanwhile, back in Virginia, the Richmond police told Open Oversight VA that they would have to pay $7,873.14 for a copy of the police's 151-item list of procedures – $52.14/hour for a pre-release review of each of those procedures (most police departments just post their procedures to their websites):

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2024/03/foilies-2024#richmond

I opened this highlight reel in Virginia, and that's a good place to stop it. I hope you'll go read the rest, I've barely scratched the surface. And once you've read these all, I hope you'll try it for yourself!

As EFF and Muckrock say:

It's easy to feel powerless in these times, as local newsrooms close, and elected officials embrace disinformation as a standard political tool. But here's what you can do, and we promise it'll make you feel better: Pick a local agency—it could be a city council, a sheriff's office or state department of natural resources—and send them an email demanding their public record-request log, or any other record showing what requests they receive, how long it took them to respond, whether they turned over records, and how much they charged the requester for copies.

Name your price for 18 of my DRM-free ebooks and support the Electronic Frontier Foundation with the Humble Cory Doctorow Bundle.

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/03/11/no-foia/#id-tell-you-but-then-id-have-to-kill-you

Image: EFF https://www.eff.org/files/banner_library/foilies24_webbanner-b.png

CC BY 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us/

[diskmess]

ABOUT THESE EXPLORATIONS

(This is already posted on the 'about' page, but no one's gonna see that so I'm making it a normal post as well)

I listened to music differently in middle school. My relationship with music was different.

For an amount of reasons, LimeWiring songs had become a sort of non-possibility. This left me at the mercy of whatever I could find on YouTube (circa 2008) and whatever CDs I could get my grubby, nasty little hands on. Single pieces of music meant a lot more to me. Just one entire album of songs would suffice for at least a month’s entertainment. 

In the eighth grade I remember getting a teenage-sized lecture on monthly budgeting. As a basic exercise, we were individually given a monthly budget and several necessities we had to spend that money on. Each necessity had tiers from least to most expensive. For entertainment expenses, the cheapest option was one $10 CD every month. After that, the options got significantly more expensive. Of course, I chose the humble Compact Disk.

The teacher chuckled. “Really? Just one CD a month? No movies or anything?” 

Really. 

Some guy my mom was seeing at the time gave us a portable CD player. I used it almost every night alongside some cheap sound-canceling cans that were originally a gift for my dad, but he never used them. I’d blast the air conditioning, flip on the noise cancellation, push the “2x Bass” button on the CD player and just lay in bed with my eyes closed, listening as the disk spun.  

Which brings me to Now:

I recently threw my Spotify subscription in the Kill Pile. I have been discovering (and rediscovering) other ways to Love music. The first of these discoveries (and rediscoveries) was The Joy of Catching the Radio. Maybe someday I will write about The Joy of Catching the Radio. I will not write about it now.

The second of these discoveries (and rediscoveries) was The Joy of the Compact Disk. 

I like writing it with a K. It feels tougher and chunkier. Maybe calling a smooth, glossy little disk “tough” and “chunky” sounds incorrect. Maybe writing it this way comes across as teaboo posturing. That’s fine. I understand that CDs were once the sleeker and sexier Music Circle, killing vinyl dead. 

Why buy a big, fat, clumsy, skippy-crackly record when you could buy this ultra-convenient little disk that you can even play in your car? 

Some years pass, and it changes: 

Why buy an easily scratch n’ scritchable rotting disc when you could just stream it? 

And the tables turn: 

Why even buy a CD when you could buy a huge record that loudly displays your Deep Love for the music in all of its crackly, analog charm?

The Compact Disk is no longer sleek and sexy. These things hog up valuable real-estate in record stores. One of my local record stores even has a ‘buy three, get one free’ deal for CDs. They line the walls of that store, becoming one with the border that separates the Out There from the In Here. They sit in cardboard trays underneath the neat rows of vinyl and assimilate into the furniture’s sturdy legs.

HENCE:

I insist on using the equally correct, chunkier spelling of the word ‘disc.’ These things, in their pointy-cornered little plastic cases, are proper disks. 

Last month, newly free from the SHACKLES of Spotify, I popped into a record store on a whim. Underneath the shelves of vinyl records, there were boxes full of CDs. I got down on my hands and knees and carefully dug around each and every box, my fingers getting dust-crusted in the process. These things were dirt cheap. I bought about five of ‘em for a piddling fifteen American dollars. I bought some albums I know and Love, some albums I kinda know, and some stuff I’d never heard of in my life. 

The Joy of the Compact Disk turned my blood into gasoline fire. My heart exploded into larger versions of itself.

Finding music this way elicits a sense of exploration and discovery that I never got from just browsing related artists on Spotify. It’s impossible to describe. Even so, I’d like to try, if I can, to share a small morsel of the fruits of these explorations with Whoever Feels Like Reading All This.

Here is the CD player I will be using. It’s actually very similar to the one I had in middle school, although it lacked the swanky Walkman branding. It even has a bass boosting button, cutely labeled “SOUND.” This thing delights me. Beyond the joyful color and wonderfully bubblous design, it also reminds me of a Walkman MP3 player I used to hog from my older brother. I think I hogged it so much that it eventually became mine. I also happen to be borrowing this particular device from my younger sibling. It feels like the most appropriate machine to use on my voyage of music discovery (and rediscovery).

With all that said, I’d like to have these Online Postings be brief, for the most part. I’d like to share the experience of my DISCOVERY, followed by a description of my own EXPLORATION of the disk’s contents. As always and forever: you can read it or don’t. I dare not hang such annoyances upon anyone who doesn’t Want to be annoyed. There is no expectation. I only want to extend an invitation.

I intend to listen to these disks while laying in bed, distraction-free. I intend to become a vessel. I will go wherever I am led. Whatever I find upon arrival, I will describe to the best of my ability.

Thank you.

(I posted the first of these Reports a short while ago. You can read it here if you'd like — and only if you'd like.)

[dk-thrive]

We cannot stop all the destruction, but we can light candles for one another.

The mornings are dark, the late afternoons are dusky, and before we finish making dinner, the daylight is gone. As we approach the darkest days of the year, we’re confronted with the darkness of wars, a dysfunctional government, fentanyl deaths, mass shootings and reports of refugees crawling through the Darién Gap or floundering in small boats in the Mediterranean. And we cannot avoid the tragedy of climate change with its droughts, floods, fires and hurricanes. Indeed, the world is pummeled with misfortune.

We can count ourselves lucky if we do not live in a war zone or a place without food or drinking water, but we read the news. We see the disasters on our screens. Ukraine, Israel and Gaza are all inside us. If we are empathic and awake, we share the pain of all the world’s tragedies in our bodies and in our souls. We cannot and should not try to block out those feelings of pain. When we try, we are kept from feeling much of anything, even love and joy. We cannot deny reality, but we can control how much we take in.

I am in the last decades of life and sometimes I feel that my country and our species are also nearing end times. The despair I feel about the world would ruin me if I did not know how to find light. Whatever is happening in the world, whatever is happening in our personal lives, we can find light.

This time of year, we must look for it. I am up for sunrise and outside for sunset. I watch the moon rise and traverse the sky. I light candles early in the evening and sit by the fire to read. And I walk outside under the blue-silver sky of the Nebraska winter. If there is snow, it sparkles, sometimes like a blanket of diamonds, other times reflecting the orange and lavender glow of a winter sunset.

We can watch the birds. Recently it was the two flickers at my suet feeder with the yellow undersides of their wings flashing, the male so redheaded and protective, the female so hungry. Today it may be the juncos, hopping about our driveway, looking for seeds. The birds are always nearby. Their calls are temple bells reminding me to be grateful.

For other kinds of light, we can turn to our friends and family. Nothing feels more like sunlight than walking into a room full of people who are happy to see me. I think of my son and daughter-in-law on my birthday, Zeke making homemade ravioli and Jamie baking an apple cake, their shining eyes radiating love. Or of my friends, sitting outdoors around a campfire in our coats and hats, reciting poetry and singing songs.

We also have the light of young children. My own grandchildren are far away, but I spend time with 9-year-old Kadija. My husband and I are sponsoring her family; they arrived here from Afghanistan, with only the father speaking English, only a few months ago. Already, she can bring me a picture book and read “whale,” “porpoise” and “squid” in a voice that reminds me of sleigh bells. I know someday she will be a surgeon, or perhaps a poet.

In our darkest moments, art creates a shaft of light. There is light in a poetry book by Joy Harjo, a recording by Yo-Yo Ma and in a collection of Monet’s paintings of snow.

The rituals of spiritual life will also illuminate our days. In my case, it is sun salutations, morning prayers, meditation and readings from Thich Nhat Hanh, the Vietnamese Buddhist monk and influential Zen master. Also, it’s the saying of grace and the moments when I slow down and am present. Whatever our rituals, they allow us to hold on through the darkness until the light returns.

Finally, we will always have the light of memory. When I recall my grandmother’s face as she read to me from “Black Beauty” or held my hand in church, I can calm down and feel happy. I feel the light on my skin when I remember my mother at the wheel of her Oldsmobile, her black doctor’s bag beside her. Driving home from a house call, she would tell me stories from her life on a ranch in the Great Depression and during the Dust Bowl.

Deep inside us are the memories of all the people we’ve ever loved. A favorite teacher, a first boyfriend, a best friend from high school or a kind aunt or uncle. And when I think of my people, I’m suffused with light that reminds me that I have had such fine people in my life and that they are still with me now and coming back to help me through hard times.

Every day I remind myself that all over the world most people want peace. They want a safe place for their families, and they want to be good and do good. The world is filled with helpers. It is only the great darkness of this moment that can make it hard to see them.

No matter how dark the days, we can find light in our own hearts, and we can be one another’s light. We can beam light out to everyone we meet. We can let others know we are present for them, that we will try to understand. We cannot stop all the destruction, but we can light candles for one another.

— Dr. Mary Pipher, from “Finding Light in Winter” (NY Times, December 11, 2023). Dr. is a clinical psychologist and writer in Lincoln, Neb., and the author, most recently, of “A Life in Light: Meditations on Impermanence.”

[gardengobbo]

I want to keep this blog garden/wildlife focused but I wanted to explain my absence. I know it really isn't needed for a garden blog, but something I want to do is include talks about mental health if/when I do someday make content.

TW for mental health nonsense below the cut.

Without going into everything, I've been getting completely destroyed by my depression this year. To be honest, the last couple of years have been extreamly hard. But this year with the help of my doctor I'd applied for disability assistance to help cover the costs of my medication and bills. I've been waiting for any sort of response since I submitted my applications in March. I finally heard back only for the province to determine I don't qualify because my disability doesnt create enough of an impairment, and on the federal side they wanted more information because it had been so long since my application was submitted. ...? Because they took so long? It's frustrating. But that discussion is a whole other bag of worms I'm not wanting to go into.

The garden is supposed to make me relaxed and feel peaceful. I think I'm just so exhausted all the time that I can't enjoy it much anymore. When I do go out to do stuff I feel like I'm just doing it because if I don't, I know that it just makes me feel worse to see everything in disarray.

When I am doing stuff that I enjoy though, I really like recording the work I do on it and I want to share it! But editing takes so long, it ends up being months behind by the time I get the clips put together how I want and then I feel stupid posting it. I've given up on most of it now, despite spending more than 28hrs total editing a days worth of footage. The files take up too much room on my phone so screw it. I kept some of it and maybe the smaller ones will get made into an actual video. All I'm really doing is adding autocaptions and editing my mannerisms and pacing so it's frustrating to me that it takes so long to do so little.

With everything else going on right now I think I also feel like it's a waste of a day to just edit something so simple, when there are so many other things I feel like I need to be doing, or should be doing.

I'm just overall so exhausted I can't even do things I enjoy anymore, which is very frustrating when you know you need to take time and relax and care for yourself.

If anyone takes anything away from my complaining here, remember you're allowed to make time for yourself. I know it's super easy to say that and to hear "self-care is a necessity." But for me I understand that and believe it wholeheartedly, but for whatever reason I can't change the feeling that it doesn't apply to me. I have to keep pushing my self. And so far I've not really been able to figure out how to change that feeling. I don't know if that's something anyone else deals with but it's such a hard thing for me I want to say if it's like that for anyone else too, you're not alone in that.

Depression is a bitch, and our brains are dicks.

That's all I've got about this for now. Some pretty photos are coming up after this post though.

Much love

[noffy96]

Kustard mer au -  the Swap brothers 

Okay everyone remembers the random kustard mer Au idea I had? 

No, doesn’t matter, you can read up on it here,  and see one fic here,  and some art here

But I was thinking about this Au, 

Because in my mind this au contains at least, the Undertale brothers, the Underfell brothers, and the Underswap brothers

The undertale and underfell brothers are both still secret mer.  ( the undertale brothers living at sea most their live, while the fell brothers live of land because of (mostly Red’s)  Trauma ) 

But i wanted to do something special with the swap brothers. 

It came to this because i wanted, Papyrus to meet someone on his travels around the world. In the year Sans is spending on the surface.  And just the Idea of Blue And Papyrus exploring together teaching each other new stuff. And then falling in love gradually was really sweet. At sea and on land 

But i am also a fan of Spicyhoney. And I really liked the idea of Edge actually Falling in love with a human (unlike his brother who only thought he had)  And that beeing stretch

So, I imagen the swap brothers parents being like, a mer and a normal monster Giving birth to two children 1 a mee (blue) and 1 regular monster (Stretch) But then why would blue be exploring? 

And now i decided to be a bit angsty 

Blue And Stretch got separated quite young.  Blue and his mother ( the mer of the parents)  got one day captured by poachers/collectores/bad people ( subject to change in future)  

Eventually Blue they try and make a escape, Blue gets out, but his mom dies in the process.  

He doesn’t know where he is, where is taken, and spends most of his live searching for his brother and Father.  Using the sea, to travel from costal town, to costal town, cause he doesn’t rember much of where he lived.

Meanwhile Stretch and his Dad had been searching for the other two. Until one day they came across the layer/dealt with the people that had captured Blue and his mom in the first place. A couple of years after they escaped. 

There they find stuff that makes them both think that Blue and his mom are both dead. ( records that list them as deciesed cause they wanted to cover up the escape for example?)  

This hits them both very hard. They move to a different town trying to get away from it all, but it doesn’t fix things . The brothers dad gets super depressed, And Stretch hit’s a major slum as well, Somehow in all of it, they open this stand on the beach. It made the dad feel close to his love, And Stretch was glad that it helped him, it made him wanna do better. 

Wanna try better for the older brother he had lost, who had always had so much energy and love to give. The dad also passes away. And Strech keeps this little shop/stall thing open. Works near the beach.

Where he will meet a edgy very tall skeleton. A bit of a hardass prick, but he loves aruging with him. He has a blast anytime this guy comes by. 

Over time he gets the curage to ask him on a date. And he accepts! It’s amazing 

They even start dating…Edge is opfront about something. That his family has a big secret, something he thinks he will never be able to share. Edge is afraid that speaking of it will hurt his brother, and he doesn’t wanna risk it. 

Stretch understands. It sometimes causes them to argue, but they manage. 

Little do they know tho. That a change meeting, Of Edge’s brother, and Papyrus’s brother. Would lead to the two lost brothers reuniting someday 

So yeah…i somehow fleshed out the world…like a ton? 

Got some more ideas for the fells and tale backstory, let me know if you guys wanna hear more 

[diamondtaem6v6]

✨ 160907 - Taemin’s interview with “COMO” magazine

This summer, Taemin started his first solo career in Japan. He usually works with the reliable members as a member of SHINee, so he thought that his solo work would be a good thing, but he seems to be unexpectedly popular?

Taemin: No, it would be lonely. When I’m in the dressing room, I sometimes wonder “Why isn't everyone here?”. However, I want to get along with the staff around me and spend a lot of time chatting with them, so it’s ok. I think I can do it. (laughs)

The staff burst out laughing at Taemin’s words. The members aren’t here, but the bond with the staff seems to support Taemin. In fact, during the interview, the staff quickly took notes of Japanese words that Taemin couldn’t catch, and later gave feedback to him.

Taemin: I don’t have much confidence in my Japanese, but I’ll do my best to improve through my activities. Actually, even in Korea, I tend not to talk in interviews, but thanks to this activity, I have more opportunities to talk alone, and I’m able to talk more and more. If I don’t speak, no one will speak for me (laughs).

Taemin: That’s about the only thing that has changed from normal, but I don’t think there are many things that are different. Whether it’s with the members or working alone, I work hard just as much. However, I still feel the pressure of being a soloist. SHINee has 5 people, so I wondered how I could fill the same amount of energy as just 1 person. I haven’t solved it yet, but I’m looking for a way. SHINee is my greatest pride.

Taemin: When I was preparing this album (Sayonara Hitori), I didn’t have many chances to meet the members, so I didn’t receive any advice from them. But we’ve been together for about 10 years now, so I don’t think we need more words. Even if we don’t talk about it, we know each other. Each one goes their own way, and that’s fine.

This album also has the charm of a Taemin that couldn’t yet be seen in SHINee. In particular, the title track ‘Sayonara Hitori’ is a song that Taemin fell in love with when he asked for it.

Taemin: The moment I heard the melody of ‘Sayonara Hitori’, I felt like I wanted to sing that song. I liked it so much that I talked with the producer about it. The Asian style melody lines are impressive, but I’ve always wondered how I can express myself in the world.

Taemin: I think the dance also expressed the world of the lyrics well. Although it’s an intense dance, it has a choreography that delicately incorporates emotions. For example, in the case of a song like ‘Everybody’, I put more emphasis on strong dance than lyrics, but for ‘Sayonara Hitori’, there was a strong sense of swaying, and I thought it wouldn’t fit just for me. I wanted to dance while cherishing the songs. Koharu Sugawara, who choreographed this song, had the same idea as me, and she thought about how to express the world view of the song through dance, and I really liked it.

Taemin: This mini-album contains a total of 5 songs, but I’m sure that even small children will like ‘Final Dragon’. I myself was embarrassed about the first part, and I was worried whether I could do well during the recording (laughs).

Taemin: Someday, when I can do a concert on my own, I want to create a stage where I can sympathize with everyone. Where we can sing and have fun together. But when I want to concentrate and sing, I want everyone to listen carefully (laughs).

— What were you like when you were a child?

Taemin: I was the kind of kid who would go out to play and wouldn’t come home until my mom came to call me. And I was mischievous. For example, flushing the water while my brother was in the bathroom (laughs). I didn’t get yelled at so much because I was quick to escape. It was like that until I was about 7 years old. But even now, I secretly hide behind doors and surprise the members. I’ve always had good motor skills, and I was the kind of kid who could climb anywhere. Also, because of my popularity among girls... When I was walking with my mother, I was always surrounded by older girls I didn’t know. But for me, it was natural, and I never felt that I was particularly popular (laughs). I was an introvert, so I always hid behind my mom.

— What kind of dad do you think you will be in the future?

Taemin: If I had a son, I would like to be an exemplary dad who would be a good role model for him. I want to be and inspiration for them as they grow up. But rather than strictly disciplining them, I want to raise my child so that they can always feel happy. That’s why I want to leave the scolding part to the mom (laughs). What an unfair dad (laughs). If it’s a girl, I think it’s going to take more time than a son, and I think there’s a delicate side, so I’m going to be very careful. Whether it’s a boy or a girl, I want to be the kind of parent that when my kids are asked: “Do you like mom or dad the most?” they’ll answer “I like dad the most!”. Although I can’t choose between my parents, I like both of them (laughs).

— What would your ideal family be like?

Taemin: I think there will be fights sometimes, but I want to have a family where the happiness that each person envisions is pointing in one direction, and we can walk together toward happiness, and we can think of each other as our greatest ally. My family isn’t that clingy, and I started out in society early on, so it’s more like a group of people who go their own way. I also want my child to do the work they want to do. Even if they choose the same path as me, I would like to support them if they seem to become something from my point of view. I want to teach them everything I know, and I want to do my best to support them in what they want to do.

— How would you like your child to dress/look like?

Taemin: If it’s a boy, I would like him to dress neatly, someting like an English-style set-up suit. Like a British child model (laughs). Trying on jeans, sunglasses, hair styles and makeup. I’d also like to try matching outfits. If it’s a girl, I would like her to be dressed like a doll. Can I take a look at this? (He looks at the samples in a magazine carefully, but it seems that it’s difficult to find it) Would it be a bit exaggerated if it’s a dress? But I really would like to raise her with femininity. On the other hand, what if she grows up a tomboy? I think I will look back on my childhood and reflect on it. Even my parents had such a hard time raising their children (laughs).

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Credits: “COMO” Magazine (2016)

Scans: @supernoona_TM

JPN - ENG translation: @DiamondTaem

[garbagefarm]

Mutucule Farm #16

2023-04-24, Session #16 of Mutucule Farm! Ranging from Summer 4—11, Year 2!

Cast:

me (@mothmute)

Belle (@snacco)

Cam (@amanitaspore)

Erin (@salamand3rin)

Highlights include, but are not limited to:

pre-game discussions—

Cam’s gotta leave early tonight ... but he’s about ready to put a pendant on Emily, what happens if he proposes and leaves?

doing a little ASMR

Erin said she’d be late and to start without her, “which is fine ‘cause she has no real responsibilities anyway” (this is not true)

oh right, I’m married to Penny!

Belle changes out of her wedding outfit

Cam embezzles some money. Cambezzling, if you will

definitely making Potato Juice for Pam, not hard liquor

Caroline wishes Pierre would make dinner. girl, leave him!!

Pig #8! Suggested name was “Chinley”, which is quite good, but this is Constable

(Belle gets a steel watering can)

why are there so many broken glasses around Pelican Town??

we later speculate maybe there was a manufacturer around here that shut down

Belle gives Jas some ice cream, which was definitely for her birthday and not just good timing......

Cam claims to be capable of focusing and organizing??

after a side-by-side price test, raw iridium truffles are the way to go, at least ‘til somebody gets Artisan and boosts the oil’s value

Found a super meal in a crate! It did not come with a baja blast.

Cam successfully answers the ghost’s riddles and gets a mermaid’s pendant!

oh right, summer means luau, luau means sturgeon!

Belle struggles in the grub hub

this crab doesn’t want Belle to kill it. which is fair, really,

Erin is planning on rooming with Krobus someday

is not trying to get “Krobussy” (to quote Belle)

Impromptu fish-off with Cam!! (I lose)

A train is passing through stardew valley??

oh. all passengers. disappointing.

wait, how late are sturgeon open? ‘til 7? okay I’ll come back tomorrow

Erin can’t be seen with me, my not-hat is too ugly

We’re unable to process enough “Potato Juice” for Pam. MISSION FAILED oh no!

There was a quest to catch a bunch of Rainbow Trout and we come up one short, alas, MISSION FAILED again (Rainbow Trout are also only open ‘til 7)

Erin finds a dino egg!!

Cam caught their own Sturgeon, but says having one from me would be more meaningful, so alright, back to the fish-mines for graded fish

Trufflebucks making real money. Cheese money? Not real anymore, the money goalposts have been moved.

... items have been placed in the town lost and found??? what?

finding a diamond in the trash can near Joja??

Belle steps away, and we absolutely did not talk about imprisoning her somehow

Cam has to say goodnight early :(

The worst thing about dust sprites is when they run away, ‘cause then I feel bad about killing them. They’re afraid!

Wizard wants ectoplasm!

Stardrop from Krobus! It reminds me of Synthesizers...

Sebastian tells Belle about how welcome he feels here! ... as he stands in the corner, in the dark

Krobus said something about the conditions in the sewers being just perfect, I wonder if they’re related?

(nobody checked the lost and found......)

I continue to fund the pigs, the corruption goes all the way to the top

while Erin still lives in squalor!

time to do some ghost-hunting!!

less like those TV shows where they try to get recordings, and more like hunting

“gotta hunt ghosts to feed my family” “have you heard of this show called Supernatural?”

non-canon shirt?

TO-DO:

Luau!

Currently at 8/12 hogs...

House upgrades! Tool upgrades! Coop upgrades!

“Better fences, better pastures” is still on the list, oops

Still gotta do some bundles!!

Cam needs to propose to Emily!

also I still need 1 cloth so I can make the non-canon shirt, canon

(more Krobus stardrops for everybody, we’ve got spending money)

[rhys-ravenfeather]

As I've stated, I know I'm in the minority, but I really do, genuinely, want to have kids some day (albeit through adoption and/or fostering rather than the 'old-fashioned' way). And for the record, this isn't meant to call out or otherwise shame anyone who doesn't want kids--you don't need kids to have a full, happy life, and you guys are valid.

But I know for a fact that I have at least one close friend who doesn't want kids, and one thing I don't think the 'I don't want kids' crowd understands is just how frustrating it is to WANT kids, and WANT to be a parent at some point, but feel like you're a million years from that.

I've always, always, loved kids (don't take that the wrong way). Even when I was a kid myself, I sometimes helped looked after younger kids at school, and knew for a FACT that I wanted to be a mother someday. While the way in which I wanted to have kids and start a family changed over the years as I got older and discovered that I'm asexual, as well as aromantic, my desire to be a mom never changed.

But I'm just not at a place right now where I can care for children. I can barely take care of myself, let alone a kid, or even a pet--the rent for my current apartment is about $700 a month. My credit card bill is a constant source of stress and worry for me. Not to mention all the other bills I need to spend a good portion of my paycheck on. And, while I'm usually pretty good with money, I will admit to still making irresponsible financial decisions at times.

And I know that a good deal of that isn't actually my fault--the economy is making life hard for EVERYONE right now, regardless of whether they do or don't have kids or families, or even want them. It definitely helps to think about that post I reblogged some time back pointing out that basically 20-30 somethings have been trapped in a perpetual teenagerhood as things that were once considered milestones of adulthood just keep getting more and more out of reach--if nothing else, that gives me some catharsis.

But at the age and stage I am at, and especially after recently being reminded that basically all the cousins I grew up with now have kids and families of their own--it does, honestly, sting, just a little, knowing that, as much as I want to have kids to love and look after, I am nowhere near ready, in ANY way, shape, or form, and the closest I, personally probably get for a good while is looking after the babies at my church nursery.

[hissweatyarmpits]

the whole “block all celebrities” thing is kinda goofy. i understand what y’all are trying to do 100%, but remember if only a quarter of the population is blocking all these celebrities not much is going to happen. if you’re so serious about it you have to end all subscription’s to pretty much everything. including amazon, hulu, disney, netflix, spotify, apple music, hbo, etc. everytime you stream a movie or song money is being sent to most likely sex trafficking & celebrities, and their record companies. block all ads, businesses, etc. just blocking celebrities ain’t gonna do much. i also think it’s funny how now everyone is being “woke” about what really goes on in hollywood, and the elites. we ain’t the first generation to notice & find these things out yall. i am happy that some people are trying to actually change things though. i hope someday we can ruin the elites. it’s also not just celebrities, it’s also politicians and the government. the politicians probably have more power than the celebrities. so instead of voting for one party every 4 years, how bout we actually make a change. you can’t be saying all this shit about boycotting celebrities and then still dick ride politics & vote. don’t add up lol. we had all the proof years ago with epstein, but y’all js chose to be like “wtf that’s so wrong!” and then do absolutely nothing about it. y’all saw all the people on the list, and the literal proof and still chose to support and stream those people. the celebrities you love are all in on it. atleast the ones that are signed with companies. nobody is safe, everyone around you is not trustworthy. perfect example: drake. he been fucking minors, and literally running a sex ring. proof been all right there, and y’all still chose to ignore it or “don’t believe it” because it’s a celebrity like????? r y’all slow??? the government is literally trying to take away birth control from women because apparently it’s “unnatural”. apparently girls can be ready to have sex at age 3, and be pregnant. wtf? y’all see this shit and don’t even say anything or try to really change anything. don’t get me wrong… the people who protest and risk their lives daily to try and make a change for women are fucking amazing. love y’all for that. y’all can act “woke” but at the end of the day we all know you’re just following the trend, and don’t actually care nor act on it. there’s billions of proof, and fucked things that have happened and everyone chooses to ignore it. while over 80% of americans are starving and struggling to pay for basic needs, elites are out there spending $75,000 for a met gala ticket. a fucking fashion show that probably sells little kids inside. don’t forget about bohemian grove. absolutely sick. ryan garcia spoke out about it, said all these things he saw n heard, and had proof and you all still ignore it and think he’s crazy. it’s giving insane hypocrisy from all of y’all. you cannot be posting and saying all these things about boycotting celebrities & the elites while not doing anything about it and continuing to ride their dick. just remember every-time you stream a song, watch a movie, and give them views you’re contributing to a young child getting sold off into sex trafficking. stay safe, don’t get kidnapped by drake❤️

[timeoverload]

I'm finally home so I can write now. I needed time to think about what I want to say anyway.

I think that we need to stop worrying about the past. We need to focus on the present moment and the future. There's no point in dwelling on things we can't change. I am not going to go through life feeling angry and resentful. It's important for us to learn from our mistakes and grow.

I know you have been sad but I couldn't figure out why. I know that you are upset about having to leave your old life behind. I know you had plans for the future with your ex that fell through. I can imagine that it's also more difficult when there is a child involved. I know you have been feeling lost and alone. I know that I can't replace her. I am afraid that I wouldn't be able to make you as happy as she did but I would try my best.

I can empathize with you because I know how much it sucks to have to start over. For a while, I thought I had everything figured out. My relationship with my ex wasn't always bad. I was happy in the beginning and it progressively got worse over time. I ignored a lot of red flags. I remember looking for a house with him and planning to get married. We had talked about having a family someday. I just knew that I couldn't spend the rest of my life with someone who hurt me in every way possible. He used to be my best friend and now I have no one around. It just wasn't meant to be. I don't miss him at all and most of the time I forget that he even exists. Hopefully he is doing well wherever he is. I am still glad that I left but I have been very lonely for years now.

I know that our previous relationships didn't work out for a reason. I think that may have happened so that we could discover true happiness. I think that we could find that together.

I also think you are too hard on yourself. I've always felt like you are too cool for me and I'm boring. I didn't realize that you felt ashamed about anything. I think that's what you are trying to tell me anyway. I don't want you to feel that way. I'm not going to be judgemental and I appreciate your honesty.

I know you feel guilty for a lot of things that have happened. I know there were a lot of things that you didn't understand until later and that's ok. I can't be mad at you for responding the way you did.

It's ok if you don't make a lot of money because I don't care about that. I have been poor most of my life so I'm used to it. I'm not very materialistic. I don't want your money, I want you.

I know you can't support me and that's part of the reason I have been wanting to apply for disability. I don't want to rely on someone else for everything because I would feel guilty. I could possibly work part-time but I don't know what I would do. I really don't want to stay where I'm at because it's going to kill me. I know I will figure it out eventually.

It's also ok if you don't have a car. I understand how that would make your life more difficult. There have been many times in my life when I have been without one and I know it sucks. I am kind of wondering if the reason you don't have a car is because you got in trouble in the past a couple times.

Please don't be mad at me but I got a background check on you last year because I wanted to know what I was getting myself into. I didn't know that much about you at the time. You were so secretive so I felt like I needed to for some peace of mind. Most of the information I got from it was very vague so I don't know any details about anything. I am sorry for violating your privacy.

It doesn't bother me that you have things on your record. It's nothing too serious from what I could tell. I just hope that you make better choices in the future. We all make mistakes and it's ok.

You said something about your music taste lacking which I doubt is true. I already know you and I like a lot of the same music. I remember getting made fun of for a lot of the music I liked and it made me hesitant to share what I like to listen to. That also made me feel like my taste in music was lacking so I understand how you feel.

You also said that you aren't good looking. I strongly disagree with that statement because you are extremely attractive. You are very handsome. Your hair always looks good regardless of what length it is. I like the way you dress and you always look nice. I wish you could see yourself through my eyes. I think you are very smart and talented. You know how to make me laugh. I think you are a wonderful person and I adore you.

Anyway, if you want to hang out sometime, I could drive to your house or pick you up. I am not a great driver but I would try not to scare you too much. We could go for a walk somewhere or something. I know you have Sundays off most of the time and I usually don't have plans on the weekends so we could do that if you want. I don't have your phone number or address so you would have to send me a message. You have always had my permission to message me any time. I am afraid to message you again because of the response I got last time. I don't want to scare you or make you uncomfortable. I'm ready whenever you are. It's up to you.

I'm not trying to put pressure on you. I am being as patient as I possibly can. I'm not sure how to make this situation less stressful for you. We could make this as casual as you want. I could show up in my natural state if that would be less intimidating. I don't always like to wear make-up and usually I'm a mess. I don't know how to make myself less scary. I would appreciate it if you could let me know what I need to do whenever your ready. I guess if you really want to wait until July then I will just have to deal with it I suppose. I don't want to wait that long but I also don't want to push you to do anything you aren't ready for.

I do think we need each other and our lives would improve a lot if we were together. We can help each other. I hope we can figure stuff out sometime soon. Maxwell, I love you with all my heart!💖💖💖

Anyway, it was a pretty easy day for me. This whole week is going to be easy except for Thursday. 2 of the doctors are gone so I don't have any cases in the morning until Thursday. I sat down for more than an hour this morning while I waited for sets to come through the washer. I am enjoying the break from all of the walking. I only had 9 cases this afternoon and they weren't going very fast. It was nice to be able to relax and take my time. I wish it was always like that.

I am worried about my mom still. She has been blowing up my phone all day. I have her muted because she sends hundreds of messages sometimes but I still check them from time to time. I don't know what she is doing right now. She was talking about hanging out by some train tracks so that's concerning. She is very depressed. She was telling me about how she has problems with her legs and I think her back is probably more messed up than mine. She is very unhealthy. I keep telling her to come home and maybe it will sink in eventually. She seemed to have a moment of clarity when I briefly explained some of the health problems that I was dealing with. She actually gave me logical advice so that was surprising. She told me her battery was dying and that's the last thing I heard from her. There's nothing I can do and it sucks.

I am going to try not to worry about stuff too much and relax while I can. I have been writing for hours and I still have things I need to do tonight. I think that tomorrow should be a good day.

I hope everyone else has a great day tomorrow! Thanks for listening to me ramble. 💖💖💖

[briamichellewrites]

27

2002. Two years. That was how long Phoenix and Jason had been together. Their relationship started as friends with benefits before they both had to admit they were falling in love with each other. Mike teased him for dating his little brother. For the first time, he was truly and genuinely happy. He was sober and in a very healthy relationship. They were taking their relationship seriously and were spending almost all of their free time together.

Jason understood the commitment he had with the band. He wasn’t jealous about him being gone. When they argued, they came together and talked things through. A year ago, his therapist adjusted his antidepressants to a lower dose because he was doing so well. He officially moved out of Brad’s apartment and into his own house.

Everyone was so extremely proud of him for maintaining his sobriety, though they still understood that he would someday slip up again. It was part of his addiction. Brad and Rob were talking about getting engaged. Rob, as much as he didn’t plan on ever having children, was willing to reconsider. He could sacrifice his free time to change diapers, lose sleep, and everything else that came with being a father. It was what Brad wanted. They talked about having three children.

That was their compromise. Mike and Bria had decided not to ruin things by dating. They still hooked up every once in a while. She was extremely beautiful at twenty-one years old. He took her out to dinner for her birthday. Even though she didn’t plan on drinking, she did it just because it was her twenty-first birthday. They continued drinking when they got back to his house.

He then helped her through her hangover the following day. He and Joe had moved out into separate houses. They still included him in what they were doing. He truly appreciated that even though he lost video game time. The band was working on their second album. It would be like Hybrid Theory, but better! Bria had released her first single, Coming Together about the attacks of September eleventh. She wanted an anthem for the country to hear.

During an interview, she was asked about her experience with the tragedy. She had been in New York when it happened.

“I don’t have hatred towards anyone. Right now, we as a country are scared but we can’t let our fears turn into hate. Muslims and people of Middle Eastern descent were not part of the attacks. I was talking to a couple of my friends whose grandparents were forced to relocate after Pearl Harbor. Just because they were Japanese Americans. We can’t let that happen again. We can’t fight fear with violence. That’s what my song is about. We’re all Americans and we’re all going through this together.”

Mike and Jason agreed. Their father’s family had gone through a lot of racism and they could only imagine what people of Middle Eastern descent were experiencing. She was right. They couldn’t let fear justify violence. Her song was very well received by critics and the media. They couldn’t wait to hear her second album.

It followed the same formula as before. She worked with Robert ‘Mutt’ Lange as a producer after he was recommended by Céline. They kept in contact. Whenever she and Rene were in town, she invited them over. It took two years before she could move into her dream house. Jason helped her go through what she wanted. Every little detail was meticulously planned. He also helped her hire building contractors. They picked a spot of land near the beach.

It was also far enough away that they didn’t have to worry about mudslides. She also had a heated barn that she was using for storage. The house was amazing! It had four bedrooms and two bathrooms; an indoor heated saltwater swimming pool, a recording studio, a theater room, a dog wash room, intercoms in every room, and a showroom walk-in closet in the master bedroom.

She even had his and her closets; and a jacuzzi-style bathtub. The detached heated garage was big enough for four cars and a two-bedroom, one-bathroom guest house. She also had coyote-proof fencing around her house, so she could let her dogs out by themselves. It cost millions of dollars but it was worth it! She loved coming home to it! Rosita had come to her house with the news that she and her husband were going back to Mexico.

They had a sick family member they needed to care for. She understood and thanked her for being part of her life. Could she do anything for her family? No, thank you. She would send her a letter in the mail, so she could write to her. I would love that. Before they left, she treated them and their children by taking them out to dinner.

She refused to let them pay because she wanted to spoil them. Gracias. It was hard to have them leave because they had been a part of her family since she was a child. Yes, Rob made the joke about her having to do housework herself. Fuck you. He and the band laughed. They had been to her house several times. She added twelve month old ruby colored Cavalier King Charles Spaniel named, Missy. Buddy took to her like an older brother. They and Woody did almost everything together.

That included going outside for exercise and to use the bathroom; playing, sleeping, and eating. It was hard to keep track of how old everyone was, so she wrote down their ages on a whiteboard.

“Woody is four, Buddy is two and Missy is twelve months.”

“But do they all get along”, Rob asked.

“Surprisingly, yes. They have the occasional moment where they annoy each other but that’s to be expected.”

Buddy and Missy followed them into the studio because they were curious about what they were doing. Bark! Brad picked them up and put them on the swivel chair. There. Now they can see everything! They looked at the humans with their tongues out in happiness. Where was the cat? They had no idea. He was likely taking a nap. They didn’t understand the cat. He was a different animal than them. They didn’t go to the bathroom in a box or clean themselves with their tongues.

Woody came in looking for them. There you are! I’ve been looking all over for you! Bark! Missy said hello to him. Brad picked him up. Meow. He put him with his brother and sister. There. Now they were back together. Bria looked over at them. They were her four-legged children. Woody used her paw to wash her face. There. Now he was nice and clean.

Bria played the song she worked on with Jon and David Bryan. It was called Secrets, though it could always be changed. They listened to it. It was a soft rock song that told the story of her finding out who she was as a woman. He and David wrote the lyrics while she recorded the guitar and piano. The song was great! She moved it into the file of songs to be considered for her next album. Since her album was already mixed and ready to be released, it was too late to include it.

That was fine. They could include it next time. Missy whined because she had to go to the bathroom. Bria excused them. She hopped down. Did Buddy have to go potty? No, he didn’t. Missy ran to the door and pawed at it until she opened it. She looked out to make sure she came back. After finding a spot in the yard, she did her business before coming back in. Good girl! She smiled with her tongue out.

@zoeykaytesmom @feelingsofaithless @alina-dixon

[stylishanachronism]

Things I did this week instead of working on my shawl (which for the record is 60 rows in so I’m making good time don’t judge me):

-Got into two separate new podcasts, one of which I dropped for being not spooky and then sort of dumb, and the other of which is excellent (and ominous) but comes in very very short bites

-Wrote a lot about Eder knitting a shawl (and separately and not as much, a sock), because that’s a whole thing, and I’d say I’m going to convert the fandom but tbh I’d have to... interact with more of y’all and I’m shy as shit so tough luck me I guess

-Refrained from leaping over the counter and murdering any of my customers, which I feel was very magnanimous of me, and also something of a miracle, please do not lie about my service to my face, I am in fact the same person who’s been here all morning.

-Played Return of the Obra Dinn, which is in a word perfect, and if you haven’t played it yet you should drop everything and do so, holy shit

-Worked so much overtime, my manager is going to be so pissed, but he can’t do shit because he was the one who scheduled me this way