#generated on 22 April 2022

[allthecanadianpolitics]

The new Canada Disability Benefit will lift about 25,000 adults out of poverty, according to new numbers released by the federal government — a figure well short of the hundreds of thousands the government said the benefit would help when it introduced the legislation in 2022. "We have an opportunity in the House to bring about a once-in-a-generation change and lift hundreds of thousands of working-age Canadians with disabilities out of poverty," Carla Qualtrough, then the minister of employment, workforce development and disability inclusion, told the House of Commons on September 21, 2022. The Liberals passed Bill C-22 in June 2023, creating a new federal benefits program to lift people out of poverty by topping up provincial supports. Payments will begin rolling out in July 2025. The maximum benefit for low-income Canadians with disabilities will be $200 monthly. While 1.6 million Canadians with disabilities live below the poverty line, April's federal budget indicated only 600,000 would be eligible for the new benefit.

Continue Reading.

Tagging: @newsfromstolenland

[dotzines]

Calling all Madoka Magica creators!!!

Earth Love 2024 is a collaborative zine that celebrate Earth Day with our favourite goddess: Ultimate Madoka.

Check our past volumes:

🌍 Earth Love 2023 🌏 Earth Love 2022 🌏 Earth Love 2021 🌏 Earth Love 2020 🌏 Earth Love 2019

Like the past years it’s going to be PDF only, and completely free. Artists/Writers of all skill-levels are welcome, all entries that follow submission guidelines will be accepted and included in the zine!

If you want to be part of our discord server follow this link: (https://discord.gg/nGMhkUq) Be sure to write you’re part of the Madoka zine in your intro or you won’t be able to see the zine channels.

We want to accept the hard work of EVERYONE who submits to us, so please make sure to follow the guidelines below:

GENERAL GUIDELINES

Please refer to “what to draw/write about”.

Only one submission per person!

ALL SUBMISSIONS WILL BE DUE BY 11:00pm CET ON APRIL 8! Every piece we receive after that time will not be included.

The Earth (It’s going to be something for Earth Day after all).

Ultimate Madoka.

A background of your choice. Simple, complex… is up to you. Please NO BLANK/TRANSPARENT backgrounds.

(OPTIONAL) You can include other Madoka Magica characters (OCs are not allowed) but please mantain the focus on Ultimate Madoka and the Earth.

WHAT TO WRITE ABOUT

The Earth (It’s going to be something for Earth Day after all).

Ultimate Madoka.

(OPTIONAL) You can include other Madoka Magica characters (OCs are not allowed) but please mantain the focus on Ultimate Madoka and the Earth.

You can write about the reason why Madoka love the Earth so much, if she does something particular on Earth Day, her job as Earth protector, or if she looks for puppies or cute things on Earth when she doesn’t save magical girl… the possibilities are endless. Remember you can draw/write about other characters, but the focus of your piece must be on the Earth and Ultimate Madoka.

ARTISTS GUIDELINES

Refer to “what to draw” and “general guidelines”.

A4 (2480 × 3508 pixels @ 300dpi), RBG, PNG, portrait orientation. Make sure your canvas is this size.

Traditional art will be accepted, but please scan it cleanly!

Only complete drawings. Sketches will not be included.

WRITERS GUIDELINES

Refer to “what to write about” and “general guidelines”.

All writings must not exceed 1k/1.2k words!

Before submit triple check your piece for grammar/spelling errors. Keep in mind that mods aren’t english native speakers so we might let some errors slip our eyes when we read it. So please get someone that can proofread your work before send it to us.

Please use a google doc link to submit your work.

HOW TO SUBMIT

When your piece is ready send it to dotzines@gmail.com with:

Nickname: (The name we’ll use to credit you. Be sure to check everything for letter case to be as you want -all uppercase, all lower, mixed up-)

Social media: (Up to 2. Please complete url)

Message: A little message for Earth Day ♥ (Please limit yourself to 1 or 2 short sentences)

We’ll send you a confirmation email (so you know we received your piece) as soon as we can. If we don’t after 48 hours please contact us and re-send your email.

You can post cropped wips of your piece (@ our socials so we can reblog/retweet them ♥), but please keep the final thing secret until zine release.

The goal is to have this PDF released on April 22: Earth Day.

Feel free to contact us if you have any questions or check the FAQ page! Please share this post to spread the word so even more people can join in! (.❛ ᴗ ❛.)

[starcrossed591]

CDrama Year in Review 2023

I'm still very much a CDrama beginner--I just started watching them in the summer of 2022--but since this is the first year I got into them in earnest, I figured I might as well do a year in review a la @dangermousie (whose lists I have found incredibly helpful in deciding which CDramas I really, really need to go back and watch as part of my CDrama education--so thank you!). So, without further adieu, here is my ranking of 2023 CDramas, in order of least enjoyed to most enjoyed*.

(See also: KDrama Year in Review 2023)

*Disclaimer: *not* a measure of objective quality

10. Royal Rumours: This drama was not great? Meng Zi Yi and Jeremy Tsui were fun, but the story started out messy and got messier. For some reason I still finished it, I think because I had a lingering cold and it was all my brain could handle at the time *shrug*

9. Gone with the Rain: I actually really enjoyed this one! The pacing was inconsistent, but Zhang Nan was fun as the irreverent Mo Xi, and we love a grizzled general. Special shout to the teacher who was not actually evil, just a sad lesbian whose gf disappeared on her

8. Love You Seven Times: Intriguing concept, not a strong enough FL to carry it through. The reincarnation stuff really worked for me at first, especially in their first mortal tribulation (as people, not CGI animals), but I got tired of it pretty quickly. I admit, the gifs of Ding Yu Xi as a sexy cat demon *did* pull me back in, but not enough for me to actually finish the thing, alas

7. Destined/Chang Feng Du: Started out really strong, and then stalled out on me. I think I only got up to about episode 22 or so, after their epic desert crossing and new start in a new state--they lost all narrative momentum for me there. I stopped watching and then just...didn't start again. I do, however, remain a big Bai Jing Ting fan, and will be keeping on eye out for whatever he does next

6. Hidden Love: (Contemporary) Age gap romances are hit or miss for me, but Zhao Lu Si absolutely stole/carried the show for me in this one. Although more fun imo when the main couple are in the the will-they-won't-they phase than in the family melodrama after they get together, still the only contemporary CDrama to get me to give it a go this year--and I'm glad I did

5. My Journey to You: Featuring my favorite murder girlies Esther Yu as Yun Wei Shan and Lu Yu Xiao as Shanguan Qian! Gorgeous costumes and sets, sweeping cinematography, and plot that kept me on the edge of my seat. Full disclosure, I have not actually watched the last two episodes because I got busy and then saw weird chatter about them, so I have no comment on the allegedly weird ending

4. Till the End of the Moon: Look, I know the ending wasn't ideal, but for the majority of its run, this drama owned my entire soul. It also introduced me to Bai Lu as Li Su Su, who inspired my first actual tumblr post (that wasn't a reblog) because I was so obsessed with her. And everyone knows that Tantai Jin is the CDrama ML of the year. 10/10, no regrets at letting it take over my life (and the OST my Spotify) from April to May of this year

3. The Story of Kunning Palace: More Bai Lu is always a good thing, and she's extra fun here as the transmigrated former evil empress and totally-over-your-nonsense Xiang Xue Ning here. The reverse haremness of it all totally shows why Bai Lu is the chemistry queen, especially with the princess (Liu Xie Ning) and cranky, morally grey, would-fail-gym-class strategist Xie Wie (Zhang Ling He). So glad this drama made it out of the CDrama vault and didn't languish indefinitely in censorship hell

2. A Journey to Love: Finished this one two days ago as of this writing and am still not normal about it. Ren Ruyi (Liu Shi Shi) and Ning Yuan Zhou (Liu Yu Ning) lead an exceptionally strong ensemble cast in this wuxia that explores the complicated relationships between love, duty, loyalty, loneliness, and companionship. Ruyi and Yuan Zhou are far and away one of my fave OTPs of the year, but just as compelling are the relationships between friends/brothers/fellow assassins Yu Shisan, Yuan Lu (ugh my heart), Qian Zhou, and Sun Lang. This drama definitely has one of the strongest ensemble casts of the year. And the character growth of Yang Ying from little princess abandoned in the cold palace to who she becomes by the end will stick with me for a long time. Plus another 10/10 OST!

1. Lost You Forever S1: I'm not normally a reverse harem girl, but the longing, loss, and hard resolve portrayed to perfection by Yang Zi as Xiao Yao really did it for me here. This whole drama struck an emotional chord for me, and where TTEOTM consumed my soul, LYF took over my heart. Xiao Yao's relationships with her power hungry, overprotective cousin Cang Xuan; hot snake demon Xiang Liu/playboy archery shufu Feng Feng Bei; and perfectly devoted Tushan Jing are all equally compelling to me, and while I may know who she ends up with in the end, who I *think* she should be with changes based on who's on screen at any given time. And A'Nian, my favorite bratty princess who really just needs some strong parenting, holds a special place in my heart. I know we may never get S2, and even if we do, censorship means it probably won't be what the drama makers are capable of, but I'm so glad for this little piece of absolute perfection. And, again, a top notch OST!

Fave Drama: Lost You Forever, by just a hair over A Journey to Love. See above.

Least Fave Drama: Royal Rumours--truly why did I finish this, what was past me thinking

Biggest Disappointment: 2023 is also the year I read Dreamer in the Spring Boudoir, my very first CNovel! But then I didn't even bother checking out its adaptation, Romance of a Twin Flower, because it got rid of everything that made the novel such an addicting read, including a brilliant, strategic, ice cold FL and an ML who actually kind of sucked at the beginning, only to grow on you very, very slowly over time. I'm grateful that the chatter around the drama is what brought the novel to my attention, but other than that, hard pass.

Favorite Male Character: Lots of good ones this year, but I'm gonna go with Cang Xuan (Zhang Wan Yi) from Lost You Forever. The conflict he faces between getting enough power to protect the people he loves the most and that power making him incompatible with those loved ones is so compelling, and his yearning for Xiao Yao even when she's right in front of him is wrenching. Full disclosure, I also just really love the sound of his voice

Favorite Female Character: This could easily have gone to Li Susu (TTEOTM), Xiao Yao (LYF), or Ren Ruyi (AJTL), but I'm gonna go with Bai Lu's Xiang Xue Ning in The Story of Kunning Palace. Something I really loved about this character was just how jaded Xue Ning really was, even in her second go round at life. Yeah, she wants to make amends for the harm done in her previous rise to power, but that has hardly turned her into a good--or even pleasant--person. Instead, she's incredibly skeptical and still plays most things ice cold, especially with her family. As a bonus, we got plenty of Bai Lu's fantastic side eye as she basically had to do high school all over again when she gets called into the palace despite her very best efforts not to be.

Favorite Ship: Ren Ruyi and Yuan Zhao from A Journey to Love have got to be it. They balance each other out so well, and over the course of the drama, learn to communicate effectively with each other whenever they have a problem. They also recognize that not all problems can be solved by ~love~, which makes their relationship even more compelling when they decide to prioritize each other in a way that respects what the other wants from life.

Favorite Secondary Ship: Little princess Yang Ying and Yuan Lu absolutely broke stole my heart in A Journey to Love. Doomed love even more than the main OTP, these two's youthful romance was such much fun to watch, especially as they egged their respective mentors on in their own romance. Yang Ying's recognition that her first love did not have to be her only love is also something I always love to see, even as it broke my heart that (spoiler) she and Yuan Lu never really had a chance at an HEA. Their relationship really exemplified a key theme of this drama: that you should love the people you love while they're still with you because tomorrow is never promised.

Non-2023 Dramas that I Watched: Two non-2023 dramas I watched that deserve a special shout out are Love and Redemption and The Sword and the Brocade. Love and Redemption prepared me to really appreciate the big swings that Till the End of the Moon took, and The Sword and the Brocade went a little way to filling the Story of Ming Lan shaped hole in my heart. The Sword and the Brocade also had absolutely searing critique of the concubine system, even as it featured one of the most genuinely good-hearted FLs I've seen. Would recommend both!

Most Looking Forward To: Yes, I'm a sucker and the censors (not to mention the characters) will probably break my heart, but I'm still crossing my fingers that Lost You Forever S2 will live up to the promise of part one. See above: still a CDrama beginner, have not yet had all the optimism knocked out of me. Sue me.

[1moremilgram-enjoyer]

Oh my God hold on just learnt something. You remember that one interrogation question that came out recently? The one I've been rotating in my mind non-stop?

(T2) Q8: If you had to make one of the prisoners part of your family, who would you choose?

Amane: Mahiru Shiina. Her innate goodness might have brought the two of us closer, maybe.

I was researching Stuff for a Thing, and I noticed something in the Timelines. Back before her verdict from Trial 1, Amane referred to everyone by first name. Check the dates carefully (I'll note them the Japanese way, translations here)

20/08/01 Amane: You’re a really strange person, Haruka-san.

21/06/27  Amane: Shidou-san, I can’t say I’m especially fond of the way you assume that all children will love frivolous things like this.

22/04/19 Amane: Oh, were you talking to yourself, Fuuta-san? Or maybe there’s something there you’re able to see?

And more examples further back. Yes, even Shidou. That last one from April 2022 is the last time that happened, because she later switched to calling everyone ever by last name and first name, which is a lot more formal and generally doesn't sound so friendly.

23/6/27 Amane: What is it…… Kashiki Yuno.

23/4/19 Amane: No. I just came to observe. To see what people are thinking. To see who is being corrupted. What about you, Kajiyama Fuuta? [...] Kajiyama Fuuta, by coincidence today happens to be your birthday, correct?

22/10/24 Amane: ……Kirisaki Shidou. How long do you plan on continuing this foolish behaviour?

Except in one case. After the first time in that last one (22/10/24), and just three months before the Fuuta one (23/4/19).

23/01/17 Amane: Happy birthday. Mahiru-san.

Your honor, they're besties. 0608 my beloved.

[lurksunderthebed]

Ghoap Analysis/Meta (1?)

The Evolution of GhostSoap Redux

Continuing thoughts on how Ghost and Soap's relationship has changed over the course of mw(19), mwii(22) and mwiii(23)

Spread out amongst several posts. This will be long 😅

(Part 1)

BEWARE SPOILERS TO MWIII(23) !

I've had time to settle my thoughts on Ghostsoap in mwiii (23) and this will go more into depth of the re-contextualising of Ghost and Soap's relationship in mwii (22) from the verdansk mission: "Flashpoint".

Flashpoint is set 4 years to mwiii(23). The game places it as April 6, 2019. This is important to us because it sets a different potential first mission (meet cute lmao) between the two and thus changes the tone of their interactions in mwii (22)

So let's set up a timeline with the available dates. Thankfully, the game sets some very concrete dates for us. Not all missions are included.*

2019

Flashpoint - April 06, 2019

First canonical appearance of SAS Ghost and Soap

Ghost provides sniper cover for Soap

Price/Soap capture Makarov and transport him to a helo with Ghost and Shepherd

There's a failed interrogation by Ghost and Soap.

Makarov implies he has met Ghost before and thought him dead at an airport

2019 Mw(19)

Piccadilly - Oct 25, 2019

First canonical appearance of SAS Gaz

Gaz is attached to Met Counter Terrorist Police. This implies he has worked largely in his career in conjunction to the Police. It's unknown whether he met Soap or Ghost before.

First meet of Gaz and Price to combat terrorists in London

Old Comrades - Oct 31, 2019

Gaz meets Nikolai

Interrogation scene. Arguably strengthens Gaz and Price's relationship

Into the Furnace - Nov 03, 2019

Last mission, they kill general barkov

Credit Scene - Nov 03-04, 2019* (hypothetical)

Laswell and Price form task force 141

Price seconds Ghost, Soap, Gaz. This implies that Price has worked with Soap and Ghost on missions for x amount of years. It's Gaz who was the surprise recruit.

2020 Cod Warzone

Season 2 - Mar 2020

First appearance of 141 Ghost

Unknown amount of 141 stationed in Verdansk. Ghost asks for backup.

Season 3 - Apr 2020

Armistice dissolved

Price and Gaz show up to help Ghost

Implied- unknown amount of 141 to Verdansk (possible meeting of Soap and Ghost)

Season ? - Dec 2020

Price kills Zakaev

First appearance (via call) of 141 Soap asking for backup in Verdansk

Price, Ghost, Gaz, Farah etc backup Soap who is somewhere else in Verdansk getting pinned down by enemies

2022 Mwii(22)

Strike - July 15, 2022

Ghost calls an airstrike on Ghorbrani with the aid of Shadow Company

Hindsight - Aug 12, 2022

Shepherd/Shadow Company loses American missiles to terroists

Kill or Capture - Oct 28, 2022

Ghost gets assigned Soap as his sergeant for Al Mazhrah mission to kill or capture Hassan

They find American missiles instead

Cartel Protection - Oct 30, 2022

Ghost/Soap meet Ale/Rudy in Las Almas

They fight the Mexican army under control of the cartels

RV with Graves/Shadow Comp.

El Sin Nombre - Nov 01, 2022

Soap infils cartel mansion

Valeria is revealed as El Sin Nombre

They take her into custody

Dark Water - Nov 02, 2022

Boat/oil rig mission with Shadow company

Missile launch averted by Ghost, Soap and Graves

Alone - Nov 03, 2022

Graves and Shepherd betray 141/mexi bros

Ghost and Soap get out of Las Almas

RV at ale's hideout with Rudy

Prison Break - Nov 03, 2022

Ghost, Soap, Rudy break out ale from prison

Meet up with Price/Gaz

Ghost Team - Nov 03, 2022

141 with mexi bros take back mexi bros base

Soap and Rudy "kill" Graves

Countdown - Nov 04, 2022

Stop missile launch in Chicago

Ghost and Soap kill Hassan

2023 Mwiii (23)

Operation 627 - Oct 13, 2023

Makarov breaks out of prison

Reactor - Nov 10, 2023

141 find out that Makarov escaped

141 assaults konni base

Price finds chemical weapons (almost died)

Payload - Nov 11, 2023

141 split up to stop missile launch of chemical weapons

They fail to stop 2 missiles to Russia

Oligarch - Nov 12, 2023

Ghost/Soap island mission to find Makarov's financier

Interrogation of Milena for Makarov's location

Frozen Tundra - Nov 14, 2023

141 ambush konni convoy

Find Shepherd was Makarov's prisoner

Interrogate him on Makarov's location

Gora Dam - Nov 16, 2023

Ghost/Soap split up to stop chemical weapons in Verdansk

Trojan Horse - Nov 21, 2023

141 split up in London tunnels to stop Makarov from using chemical weapons in subway system

So now that's done. I've mostly ignored Farah and Alex and focused on Price, Ghost, Gaz, Soap and Nikolai as it pertains to relationships within the core group of Price/Ghost/Gaz/Soap.

What can we make of this ?

Well, a couple things.

We can now say that from 2019 to the events of "Kill or Capture" in 2022, Ghost and Soap have most likely worked together on missions before. The timeline shows that they at least had to have met in Dec 2020 in Verdansk as Soap had called for backup to Price and group.

That makes it actually at least 3 years of knowledge of each other prior to mwii(22). So a total of 4 years + potentially at the start of mwiii(23).

It also shows us how quickly their relationship changed from the Alone mission in '22 despite the 3 years of prior knowledge they had since '19.

Let it be said that it took 1 week, ONLY 7 DAYS!! to change Ghost and Soap's relationship. 7 days out of a total at least 3 years total.

Ghost started at not even bothering to name Soap in 2019, to presumably basic Soap/Mactavish/sergeant for the next 3 years.

Cut to the events in mwii(22). Lets say beginning at "Kill or Capture" and finishing at "Alone" and suddenly Ghost ends up having made up his own personal nickname that no one else can use for Soap in just those 7 days.

I posit that this was in part due to "Kill or Capture" in '22 being the first mission that Soap has directly worked under Ghost's command.

This is all hypotheticals and guesswork so take it as you may.

Assuming Ghost was mainly a solo mission sort of guy, let's also assume he mostly helped as sniper overwatch if he ever had team missions (like in Flashpoint). Most 141 missions have him taking that position as well, so it's safe to say he is support most of the time.

Given that assumption, it's also likely that Soap and Ghost had to have interacted mainly on comms and any physical meeting would be restricted to transport via heli or otherwise.

It's possible Soap and Ghost have worked together on a more physical basis (aka Ghost leading Soap on a squad), but given how much Ghost seemed to be testing Soap in "Kill or Capture" I find that somewhat unlikely.

In 2019 we see how brusque Ghost is with Soap. It's very likely that Ghost was largely monosyllabic with Soap pre or post missions to Flashpoint.

Considering Soap's propensity to chatter in 2022 and 2023, it's also very likely Soap annoyed the hell out of Ghost on comms. Lol.

This could explain why Ghost was so dismissive of having Soap as his sergeant in "Kill or Capture", despite working together 3 years ago.

I, and arguably most of fandom had theorised that "Kill or Capture" was the first mission that Soap and Ghost ever had together. And we weren't quite right, but we weren't completely wrong either.

With Flashpoint, it's obvious now that was not quite true. It even suggests in it that Ghost and Soap had worked together prior to even that, as there was no formal introduction between the two.

This dramatically changes how Ghost's dialogue and Soap's to a lesser degree can be read in mwii(22) and implies much much more if you consider how they interact with each other in '23.

So why does it matter when Ghost and Soap's relationship started?

With mwiii(23) we can now definitively tell when Ghost and Soap's relationship changed. We now have a rough basis of a timeline and we can track down the differences between '19 -'22 and then '22- '23. Its important because we can see how their relationship deepens and how it changed within a span of 3 years, 7 compelling days and 1 heartwrenching year later.

For all that mwiii(23) was lax with explicit Ghostsoap moments, it's rich in how much context we gain to their relationship. We see how Ghost changes and how his relationships differ between 141. It's an interesting and compelling look at both Ghost and Soap's characters.

In this discussion I separate this analysis into 3 parts. Part 2 will cover the implications of "Flashpoint" on mwii (22), with discussion line by line. Part 3 will most likely go over comparisons a year makes from the events in '22 to '23. (This might be subject to change as I get further into the analysis)

Onto Part 2.

+

[thelibraryghost]

A Young Person's Introduction to Early 20th-Century Western Fashion

am i hip with the kids yet

General information Dotschkal, Janna. "1920's." FOUND. October 21, 2016. English Heritage. "Fashion Through History: Episode 3 – 1930s." YouTube. April 16, 2023. Rudolph, Nicole. "The History of Standardized Sizes in Womens Fashion and Why They FAILED." YouTube. May 16, 2021. Vintagebursche. "100 Years of Classic Menswear - and what we can learn from each decade." YouTube. February 29, 2020. Zebrowska, Karolina. "1920s Fashion Is Not What You Think It Is." YouTube. May 20, 2018.

Accessories Cox, Abby. "Flappers, Y2K, & Capitalism are Why Women "Don't" Have Pockets." YouTube. January 12, 2023. Cox, Abby. "The Disappointing Truth On Why We Don't Wear Hats Anymore..." YouTube. December 18, 2022. Rudolph, Nicole. "The History of the Iconic Cloche Hat: Making 1920s Fashion." YouTube. September 18, 2022. Rudolph, Nicole. "When Hats were Illegal: Sewing a Goth Edwardian Hat." YouTube. February 21, 2021. Sheehan, Sarah. "Neo-Egyptomania." PatternVault. December 31, 2022. Zebrowska, Karolina. "Why Did We Stop Wearing Hats?" YouTube. April 28, 2020.

Cosmetics Banner, Bernadette. "Making and Testing a Victorian Skincare Routine." YouTube. April 8, 2023. English Heritage. "1930s Makeup Tutorial | History Inspired | Feat. Amber Butchart and Rebecca Butterworth." YouTube. December 18, 2018. Holland, Evangeline. "On How to Be Lovely." Edwardian Promenade. April 15, 2010. Rudolph, Nicole. "The Controversial History of Color Season Analysis." YouTube. November 4, 2023.

Fabrics Rudolph, Nicole. "The History of Elastic." YouTube. July 4, 2021. Rudolph, Nicole. "Wearing Overalls to Boycott Fashion Greedflation? Weird History of 1920." YouTube. March 16, 2024.

Gowns and formal wear Banner, Bernadette. "I Redesigned Mary Poppins' Jolly Holiday Dress Based on REAL Edwardian Lingerie Gowns." YouTube. February 20, 2021. Banner, Bernadette. "I Remade Mary Poppins’ Dress to be Actually Edwardian." YouTube. July 9, 2022. Cox, Abby. "Alexander McQueen & the Patriarchy Problem in Modern Fashion." YouTube. October 20, 2023. Cox, Abby. "What Makes a Gown Haute Couture (like House of Worth) in Victorian and Edwardian Eras?" YouTube. September 19, 2021. Lady Rebecca Fashions. "An Edwardian Woman's Fashion Evolution." YouTube. June 4, 2022. Oakes, Leimomi. "Terminology: what is a lingerie dress or lingerie frock? (and blouse, and skirt)." The Dreamstress. July 21, 2018. Rudolph, Nicole. "Stop Idolizing Coco Chanel: a shocking history of theft." YouTube. January 13, 2024. Rudolph, Nicole. "The Truth about the Fringed Flapper: Making 1920s Evening Dresses." YouTube. November 6, 2022. Vintagebursche. "1920s Theme Party - How to dress." YouTube. December 9, 2023. Zebrowska, Karolina. "1920s Fashion Encyclopedia, Pt 1: Daywear." YouTube. November 27, 2019.

Hair care and styling Banner, Bernadette. "I Tried Following a Real Edwardian Hair Care Routine." YouTube. May 12, 2020. Lady Rebecca Fashions. "Getting Dressed in the Edwardian Era / Gibson Girl Hairstyle Tutorial." YouTube. June 12, 2020. Lady Rebecca Fashions. "Titanic-era Hair Tutorial // Getting Dressed in the 1910's." YouTube.September 4, 2020. SnappyDragon. "Historical hair myths debunked : How often should you wash your hair—daily shampoo or no shampoo?" YouTube. August 12, 2022. Zebrowska, Karolina. "Weird Edwardian Beauty Tips." YouTube. February 11, 2017.

Laundry and starching Banner, Bernadette. "Ok but how did the Edwardians WASH these dresses?" YouTube. August 3, 2022.

Outerwear Cox, Abby. "Athleisure: Destroying Fashion & the Environment." YouTube. January 18, 2024. Rudolph, Nicole. "150 years of Masc Women causing a Moral Panic." YouTube. June 17, 2023. Rudolph, Nicole. "The History of Jeans, T-shirts, and Hoodies: Time Travel 101." YouTube. March 20, 2022. Zebrowska, Karolina. "SPRING/SUMMER FASHION TRENDS REVIEW but it's 1936 (ft. original fabric samples!)." YouTube. April 22, 2022.

Shoes Rudolph, Nicole. "I Made Witchy Edwardian Shoes by Hand!" YouTube. March 14, 2021. Rudolph, Nicole. "Making 100 year old Comfy Slippers: Free Pattern!" YouTube. December 30, 2023. Rudolph, Nicole. "The Myth of Tiny Feet "Back Then"." YouTube. September 26, 2021. Rudolph, Nicole. "The True History of Stiletto Heels : the battle between Ferragamo and Dior." YouTube. August 26, 2023. Zebrowska, Karolina. "Why Is No One Talking About 1930s Shoes?" YouTube. September 15, 2020.

Undergarments Banner, Bernadette. "1903 Patented Bustle Pad Reconstruction." YouTube. June 8, 2019. Banner, Bernadette. "Achieving That Classic Edwardian Shape: Reconstructing a 1902 Bust Bodice." YouTube. April 16, 2020. Lady Rebecca Fashions. "So What are Guimpes Anyway? // Examining Antique Edwardian Guimpes." YouTube. August 21, 2020. Lady Rebecca Fashions. "They Wore Corsets in the 1920's?!" YouTube. January 29, 2022. Rudolph, Nicole. "Did Brassieres End the Corset?" YouTube. February 28, 2021. Rudolph, Nicole. "Dressing in Edwardian Clothing: Undergarments and Layers of 1907." YouTube. November 1, 2020. Rudolph, Nicole. "How Flappers got their Figure: the 1920s Silhouette." YouTube. July 10, 2022. SnappyDragon. "How pin-up photos fooled dress history : the making and marketing of lingerie pictures." YouTube. April 1, 2023.

[bcacstuff]

So, I know you don’t think there was much to Sam and Monika Clarke after those photos showed up in March of 2022. This ask isn’t about them,btw. Whatever those photos were it was 18+ months ago. Since you usually try to be as logical as you can, have you seen any evidence that you think is credible of anyone he has actually dated since then? Like more than one date here or there. It’s like those photos dropped, then supposedly the photographer said around Easter of ‘22 that they “ broke up so he could go back to an ex.” But we haven’t seen any ex that he’s actually dated. Have we?

Since those photos there’s been innuendo about Katrina K, Karina E, Chloe M, Georgia E, Susie E and probably a couple names I forgot . Have you seen any logical proof that makes you think he ACTUALLY dated any of them?

I’m starting to think he’s pretty happy on his own and very tired himself of all the innuendo. Most of us settle a little more as we get into our 40’s- whether that means a relationship or just being content on our own. Maybe he’s decided that he won’t seriously try to date again unless it’s someone he really wants to be with. It’s got to be difficult to get someone to date him if she knows about this fandom and honestly, about his dating record of the past 10 years. (We don’t know much about what he was like before OL.) I kind of hope he’s doing some serious reflection on where he wants to be professionally and personally post Outlander and whether that includes a relationship or not. I also hope he’s getting some counseling, if he wants it, to help him figure out who he wants to be in the next phase of his life and to help him with his own self-proclaimed personal issues.

Just wondering if you have seen signs of real dates, or if these patterns of assuming he is dating any woman even thought to be connected to him are just the same old stuff that’s been happening for years in this fandom.

Ugh... where to start...

In general, I can only say, a pattern of speculations and innuendos about rumors/dating/affairs connecting women to him are most of the time kept alive by the fandom, or should I say certain parts of the fandom itself that thrive by it, or desperately wants to connect him with a woman.

After the MC pics, which actually ended the speculation about AM, with whom he was seen a number of times. A video in London as well as pics and videos in Paris. Especially the Paris videos surely implied an affair with AM. Shortly after the Paris trip (and rumored skitrip after Paris) he went to LA and NZ. People tried to keep the affair alive, telling he would be in SA with her, and she would come with him to NZ. They certainly would be together for Valentine's Day. Needless to say, nothing of the kind happened and AM became old news when the MC pics surfaced beginning of March 2022.

Beyond the infamous cafe kiss nothing ever could connect her in anyway to him. Nevertheless, innuendo was created on the fly by the usual ones. Even when he was spotted in a YT video with KK end of April 2022. The vibe wasn't one of a date or affair though, and couldn't stop the MC speculations.

Summer came with the usual flood of names sent to inboxes. KE was one of them, and became a bit more interesting when he appeared to be on a roadtrip. Even after he posted some pics from it by himself, and after posting the video of his 48 hours in LV, speculation about MC was still kept alive. All the pics that could be found from the John L concert in LV were analyzed and yes, he was spotted in some with 'a woman'. Though that far away that it was merely impossible to positively identify the woman. The queen of innuendo even identified her as MC in the beginning. Until someone spotted the infamous dog in the cowboy pics of his roadtrip... that's when KE became speculation number one so to say.

A pic with her has never been seen, never was there anything else than the rumored dog. Despite many attempts to connect her or even put her in the same place as him, all proof of that is circumstantial and most of it even far fetched. So much that up to today she hasn't been out of the speculations and innuendo.

Do you see the pattern, and how it is created by certain parts of this fandom? I bet, with an open mind, you can all confirm we've seen exactly the same the past months.

GE, nothing else but spotted at the athletic games in Ratingen, Germany on a Sunday. Based on some history, someone kept sending the most fantastic innuendo to my inbox all summer. Cinderella and Kristina S, Emily S, nothing but innuendo, not even the slightest shred of suspicion.

Susie E. People take it for granted she's the woman on the booze boat, I'm sorry, I'm waiting patiently for the white Prada sunnies or the blue bikini on her IG. A video in the suite at Shutters where he recorded an interview is somewhat questionable, but doesn't make an affair nor a romantic weekend. Telling me she was not posting on IG isn't evidence she was on a romantic trip to Nevis with him. All innuendo created by the fandom.

I'm pretty much with you Anon 1, about the last part of your message and your conclusions. We know some of his dating life before OL, he was described being a flirt in a very old article. He mentioned about dating an actress he worked with during his theater days during Waypoints interviews as well as mentioning some other stories about dating. Nothing new, he said himself he had dates, he's not living the life of a monk. Being single doesn't mean you have all kind of issues, though he mentioned some things from his youth.

Anyway, more and more people live a single life or only find their partner later on in life. We all make our own choices based on our own priorities, opportunities and challenges we see before us.

[bananaofswifts]

The numbers grow ever larger for Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department, according to initial reports to data tracking firm Luminate. (Luminate’s sales, streaming and airplay data powers Billboard’s charts. All numbers in this story reflect U.S. consumption only.)

In the album’s first four days of release (April 19-22), the set’s collected 31 songs (on its deluxe edition) generated 602.3 million on-demand official streams in the U.S. – breaking Swift’s own record for the largest streaming week for an album by a woman. She previously held the record with the opening frame of her last studio album, Midnights, which collected 549.3 million on-demand official streams for its 20 tracks (in the week ending Oct. 27, 2022).

The Tortured Poets Department also claims the third-largest streaming week overall, surpassing Midnights, and only trailing the opening frames of Drake’s Scorpion (745.92 million for its 25 songs in 2018) and Certified Lover Boy (743.67 million for its 21 songs in 2021).

Equivalent Album Units & Sales So Far: In the album’s first four days of release, The Tortured Poets Department has earned 2.1 million equivalent album units, with traditional album sales (purchases of digital downloads, CDs, vinyl LPs and cassettes) accounting for 1.6 million of that sum.

[nightmareinfloral]

Mercury- Where to Read?

Cessily Kincaid, also known as Mercury, is an Irish-American mutant whose entire body is composed of a non-toxic metallic substance. She can alter her shape according to her will and often uses it to create different weapons or “melt” into a liquid form. Below the cut is a list of Cessily’s appearances updated as of April 2024.

New Mutants (2003) 2, 7, 9-10, 13

New X-Men (2004) 2-6, 14

New X-Men: Hellions (2005) 1

New X-Men (2004) 15-19

New X-Men: Hellions (2005) 2-4

New X-Men: Academy X Yearbook Special (2005) 1

New X-Men (2004) 20-21

X-Men: The 198 Files (2006) 1

New X-Men (2004) 22

Astonishing X-Men (2004) 13

New X-Men (2004) 23-29

X-Men (1991) 190

Civil War Files (2006) 1

New X-Men (2004) 30-31

X-Men (1991) 192

New X-Men (2004) 32-39

X-Men: Endangered Species (2007) 1

World War Hulk: X-Men (2007) 1-2

New X-Men (2004) 40

X-Men (1991) 201

New X-Men (2004) 41

X-Men (1991) 202

World War Hulk: X-Men (2007) 3

X-Factor (2005) 23

New X-Men (2004) 42

X-Men: Messiah Complex (2007) 1

New X-Men (2004) 43

X-Factor (2005) 25

New X-Men (2004) 44

X-Men (1991) 205

Uncanny X-Men (1981) 493

X-Factor (2005) 26

New X-Men (2004) 45

X-Men (1991) 206

X-Factor (2005) 27

New X-Men (2004) 46

X-Men (1991) 207

X-Men: Divided We Stand (2008) 1-2

Secret Invasion: X-Men (2009) 1-2

X-Men: Manifest Destiny (2009) 2, 4

Marvel Digital Holiday Special (2009) 1

Secret Invasion: X-Men (2009) 4

X-Infernus (2008) 1-4

New Mutants (2009) 1

Runaways (2008) 10

Dark Avengers/Uncanny X-Men: Utopia (2009) 1

Uncanny X-Men (1981) 513

Dark Avengers/Uncanny X-Men: Exodus (2009) 1

X-Men: Legacy (2008) Annual 1, 228

Deadpool (2008) 16

Psylocke (2009) 1

Deadpool (2008) 17

Uncanny X-Men (1981) 517

Nation X (2009) 1

X-Men: Legacy (2008) 230

X-Force (2008) 22-23

X-Men: Pixie Strikes Back (2010) 1

Psylocke (2009) 4

Nation X (2009) 3

X-Men: Pixie Strikes Back (2010) 2-3

X-Men: Legacy (2008) 234

New Mutants (2009) 13

X-Men: Pixie Strikes Back (2010) 4

X-Men: Hellbound (2010) 2

X-Men (1997) 162

X-Men (2010) 5, 11

X-Men: Giant-Size (2011) 1

Uncanny X-Men (1981) 541-542

X-Men: Schism (2011) 5

X-Men: Regenesis (2011) 1

Wolverine and the X-Men (2011) 4

Wolverine and the X-Men: Alpha & Omega (2012) 1-3

X-Men: Legacy (2008) 261

Wolverine (2010) 305-306, 308

Wolverine and the X-Men (2011) 5, 15, 17

Uncanny Avengers (2012) 1

Wolverine and the X-Men (2011) 18, 21

All-New X-Men (2012) 10

Wolverine and the X-Men (2011) 29

Scarlet Spider (2012) 17

X-Men (2013) 1

Uncanny Avengers (2012) 11

Young Avengers (2013) 11

X-Men: Battle of the Atom (2013) 2

Young Avengers (2013) 12-13

X-Men (2013) 7-8

Young Avengers (2013) 14

X-Men (2013) 10-12

Nightcrawler (2014) 1, 3-4

X-Men: No More Humans (2014) 1

X-Men (2013) 16

Nightcrawler (2014) 5, 8

Storm (2014) 1, 10

Uncanny X-Men (2013) 600

Star-Lord (2016) 1

Generation X (2017) 8-9, 87

Uncanny X-Men (2018) 9-10

Age of X-Man: The Amazing Nightcrawler (2019) 2, 4-5

New Mutants (2019) 1

Fallen Angels (2019) 1

X-Force (2019) 9

X-Factor (2020) 5

Hellfire Gala Guide (2021) 1

Way of X (2021) 2

X-Force (2019) 20

Wolverine (2020) 13

Way of X (2021) 3

Marvel’s Voices: Pride (2021) 1

X-Men: The Onslaught Revelation (2021) 1

Free Comic Book Day 2022: Marvel’s Voices (2022) 1

Legion of X (2022) 1

Marvel’s Voices Infinity Comic (2022) 1

Love Unlimited Infinity Comic (2022) 43

Marvel’s Voices: X-Men (2023) 1

[toasttt11]

future generation

name: Charlotte EJ Lucia Jacklyn Hughes

parents: Quinn Hughes and Frances Gomez

birthday: April 3, 2020

First overall pick of the 2038 NHL draft to the Vancouver Canucks, plays as forward with the number 86.

name: Callum Mason Zegras

parents: Trevor Zegras and Chloe Rue

birthday: May 11, 2021

Second pick of the first round of the 2039 NHL draft to Seattle Krakens, plays as a defenseman and is number 11.

name: Clara Jamie Zegras

parents: Trevor Zegras and Chloe Rue

birthday: May 11, 2021

Youngest announcer for the NHL, joined the Vancouver Canucks as their announcer in 2039.

name: Easton Matt Tkachuck

parents: Brady and Emma

birthday: June 9, 2022

Professional Soccer player for the United States men National team.

name: Elizabeth Tate Tkachuck

parents: Brady and Emma Tkachuk

birthday: December 7, 2023

Fashion designer and went to school for it in New York, started her own high end fashion line.

name: Bennett Boeser

parents: Brock and Bella Boeser

birthday: October 27, 2022

Third pick in the first round of the 2039 NHL draft, to the Vancouver Canucks, plays as a defenseman and is number 21.

name: Dawson Demko

parents: Thatcher and Lexi Demko

born: August 5, 2023

Sixth pick of the first round in the 2042 NHL draft, plays as goalie and he is number 23.

name: Kaspian Quinn Petterson

parents: Elias Petterson and Daniella Lorenzo

birthday: August 26, 2020

Seventh pick in the first round of the 2038 NHL draft to the Vancouver Canucks, plays as right wing and is number 4.

name: Ezra Alex Caufield

parents: Cole and Abigail Caufield

birthday: February 22, 2023

Formula one driver for Red bull racing, number 22.

[drakonfire12]

How to help the Ukrainian Book Industry

As per usual, I forget to post on Tumblr now a days. Let's talk Faktor Druk.

What happened?

Russia launched 15 missiles at Kharkiv. Faktor Druk, a printing house was hit twice (in total 3 strikes in the general area). Last I heard, 7 are dead. 22 are wounded. (During the strike, 50 employees were in the building.)

Why it matters? Most Ukrainian publishers had books printed there. Every 3rd Ukrainian book was printed there [Source]. You may think "it's only 50 000 fiction books", but no, it includes textbooks. As in, kids might not get any textbooks, because who else will print them when most books are printed in Kharkiv?

"The printing house Faktor-Druk is part of the Faktor company group, which also includes the renowned Ukrainian publishing house and bookstore Vivat. Faktor-Druk has the capacity to produce approximately 50 million hardcover and paperback books, 100 million magazines, and 300 million newspapers annually. The facility employs 400 people and encompasses 15,822 square meters of production space. According to Forbes Ukraine, Faktor-Druk is one of only two factories in Ukraine that can print products for Disney and Marvel, having successfully passed a rigorous multi-level audit." [Source]

Now how to help? Countries are trying to help with rebuilding, but here are some things you can do.

Vivat posted about a fundraiser for Faktor Druk. Originally posted here by CEO Yuliya Orlova. Reposted to Vivat website here.

Based on my own experience, I believe it is crucial to channel our grief and anger into action. How can you do that?

Ways to support: Donate to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, they are our heroes! Keep buying Ukrainian books! Factor-Druk is one of the largest printing houses in Ukraine, where not only Vivat books are printed, but also many books from other publishers, as well as newspapers, magazines, calendars, school notebooks for your children and grandchildren.⠀ How to help: The Factor company has initiated a fundraiser. All donations will be used to support those affected and to restore the printing industry. Details can be found at the following link: https://vivat.com.ua/blog/udar-po-drukarni-faktor-druk-yak-dopomohty/ [Source]

Vally_v on Instagram is doing a fundraiser raffle below for the chance to win this edition of Ivan Franko's “Manipuliantka”.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Val Voshchevska 🇺🇦 (@vally_v)

You can support the publishers by buying Ukrainian books and ebooks (most print their books through Faktor).

On the whole, this destruction is part of the larger war where Russians have been destroying Ukraine.

Some more background

The first year of the full-scale invasion led to a 50% decrease in demand [Source]. Shelling in Kharkiv has led to a backlog due to limited electricity and a shortage of qualified personnel [Source].

In terms of operations, within 2022:

From the start of the full scale invasion to April 25th of 2024, the Russians have damaged 1062 cultural heritage sites [Source]:

Specifically, architectural and urban planning sites comprise 316 objects, architecture – 307, historical– 226, architecture and urban planning, historical – 61, archaeology – 56, architecture, historical – 39, monumental art – 21, urban planning and monumental-decorative art – 19, architecture, monumental art – 7, urban planning – 5, science and technology, architecture – 2, architecture and monumental art – 1, architecture, garden and park art – 1; architecture and garden and park art – 1.

From that same period of time, Russians damaged 1987 cultural institutions (324 destroyed) [Source].

"In total, the following have been affected: – Creative hubs: 958 – Libraries: 708 – Art education institutions: 153 – Museums and galleries: 114 – Theaters, cinemas, and philharmonic halls: 36 – Parks, zoos, reserves: 15 – Circuses: 3"

There is also this interactive map of the book ecosystem in Ukraine:

Links:

Oleksiy Hrushevsky. Ukrain's printing companies suffer 40% capacity cuts after Russian attack on Kharkiv printing house. Online.ua.

Russian army attacks printing house in Kharkiv causing injury and death – UPDATED. Chytomo.

Porter Anderson. Russian Attack Hits Ukraine’s Factor-Druk Printing House. Publishing Perspective.

Porter Anderson. Europe’s Publishers: Anger, Solidarity After Kharkiv Attack. Publishing Perspective.

Олеся Дерзська. Як ракетний удар по «Фактор-Друк» вдарить по книгоіндустрії? Speka.

Factor Group of companies on Facebook.

Yuliya Orlova on Facebook. [Vivat CEO]

Vivat on Facebook. Книгарка Vivat on Telegram.

Sergey Polituchiy on Facebook.

Over 50,000 books destroyed and three publishers affected in Russian strike on Kharkiv printing house. Ukrains'ka Pravda.

Тетяна Леонова. «Українці — не варвари, ми не палимо книжки»: Олена Рибка, шеф-редакторка видавництва Vivat автор. Nakypilo.

Анна М’ясникова. Харківська друкарня після обстрілу. Фоторепортаж. Nakypilo.

On the Ukrainian publishing industry:

[Dec. 2022] The State of the Ukrainian Book Publishing Sector During Wartime. Ukraine World.

[23.12.2022] Anastasia Zagorui & Oksana Khmeliovska. 9 months of invasion: how Ukrainian publishers work in times of war. Chytomo.

[12.08.2022] Anastasia Zagorui. How Ukrainian publishers work during the war. Chytomo.

[12.02.2024] Iryna Baturevych. The Ukrainian Publishing Market 2023: “Competition has reached unprecedented levels”. Chytomo. (old poll, but gives some perspective).

[06.05.2024] Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine. Due to russian aggression in Ukraine, 1062 cultural heritage sites have been affected.

[02.05.2024] Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine. 1987 cultural infrastructure objects have been damaged or destroyed due to russian aggression.

[April 2023] A Brief Overview of the Ukrainian Publishing Sector : Supporting Ukrainian Publishing Resilience and Recovery (SUPRR).

[Oct 2023] Ukraine’s book business during war: Ukrainians want to read their own, but Russia may enter the market again. Rubryka.

[April 2024] Against all odds: How Ukrainian book publishing navigates challenges of war. Rubryka.

[04.04.2024] The constant shelling of Kharkiv leads to major backlog for Ukrainian books-in-print. Chytomo.

Interactive map:

Interactive map of the Ukrainian book ecosystem. Ukrainian Book Institute.

Thanks for reading, this turned out to be a super long post.

[mayadoesfandomstuff]

Considering the psychic damage my previous post on the protags' ages are, I've decided to compile ALL persona users' birthdays and list them according to date from earliest or oldest to latest or youngest. Enjoy!

Teddie (P4) - unknown, shadow so could be as old as time, maybe as teddy bears existed in humanity's collective unconscious memory, could be a month before he met the team, could be a week, could be last Thursday idk

Zenkichi Hasegawa (P5S) - unknown, in his 40s, probably late 1960s to mid 1970s

Baofu (P2:EP) - June 13, 1967

Tatsuya Sudou (P2:EP) - 1971

Katsuya Suou (P2:EP) - December 30, 1973

Ulala Serizawa (P2:EP) - November 30, 1974

Maya Amano (P2:IS) - July 4, 1976

Yukino Mayuzumi (P1) - April 9, 1979

Maki Sonomura (P1) - June 4, 1979

Masao Inaba (P1) - July 11, 1979

Reiji Kido (P1) - August 18, 1979

Eriko Kirishima (P1) - September 21, 1979

Kei Nanjo (P1) - October 2, 1979

Naoya Toudou (P1) - December 24, 1979

Hidehiko Uesagi (P1) - January 1, 1980

Yuka Ayase (P1) - March 3, 1980

Tatsuya Suou (P2:IS) - July 27, 1981 (EP), August 21, 1981 (IS)

Jun Kurosu (P2:IS) - February 14, 1982

Lisa Silverman (P2:IS) - May 4, 1982

Eikichi Mishina (P2:IS) - November 15, 1982

Tohru Adachi (P4) - February 1, 1984

Takuto Maruki (P5R) - unknown, possibly in his late 20s to mid 30s, probably mid-1980s to mid-1990s

Strega: Chidori Yoshino, Jin Shirato, Takaya Sakaki (P3) - unknown, late 80s - early 90s

Mitsuru Kirijo (P3) - May 8, 1991

Shinjiro Aragaki (P3) - August 11, 1991

Akihiko Sanada (P3) - September 22, 1991

Minato Arisato/Makoto Yuki (P3); Minako Arisato/Hamuko Arisato/Kotone Shiomi (P3P) - 1992/1993

Yukari Takeba (P3) - October 19, 1992

Fuuka Yamagishi (P3) - December 22, 1992

Junpei Iori (P3) - January 16, 1993

Koromaru (P3) - unknown, likely mid 1990s to early 2000s

Souji Seta/Yu Narukami (P4) - 1994/1995

Sho Minazuki (P4A) - unknown, possibly the same as P4 Protagonist, 1994/1995

Yosuke Hanamura (P4) - June 22, 1994

Chie Satonaka (P4) - July 30, 1994

Yukiko Amagi (P4) - December 8, 1994

Naoto Shirogane (P4) - April 27, 1995

Rise Kujikawa (P4) - June 1, 1995

Kanji Tatsumi (P4) - January 19, 1996

Makoto Nijima (P5) - April 23, 1998

Goro Akechi (P5) - June 2, 1998

Ken Amada (P3) - June 24, 1998

Haru Okumura (P5) - December 5, 1998

Akira Kurusu/Ren Amamiya (P5) - 1999/2000

Labrys (P4A) - April 20, 1999 (activation date)

Ryuji Sakamoto (P5) - July 3, 1999

Ann Takamaki (P5) - November 12, 1999

Yusuke Kitagawa (P5) - January 28, 2000

Aigis (P3) - February 2000 (manufacturing date), September 10, 2000 (activation date), May 1999 (Aigis First Mission),

Futaba Sakura (P5) - February 19, 2001

Sumire Yoshizawa (P5R) - March 25, 2001

Morgana (P5) - unknown, between Persona 4 Dancing All Night and Persona 5, 2010s

To give you some more perspective:

The oldest confirmed Persona user (Boafu) is 33 years and 9 months older than the youngest (Sumi).

Tohru Adachi is just two years the Persona 2: Innocent Sin cast's junior.

Katsuya Suou is turning 50 next year (2023).

The only confirmed S.E.E.S. members that are not yet in their 30s (this 2022) is Junpei, Ken, and maybe Koromaru [if he's still around which I hope so].

Sojiro Sakura might be the same generation as the Persona 2: Eternal Punishment cast.

Ryotaro Dojima (1970) is the same generation as the P2:EP cast and is three years younger than Boafu, and three years older than Katsuya.

Reiji Kido's child is probably the same age as Ken Amada and the Phantom Thieves.

Please send in any additions or corrections! I'll edit this the list if necessary.

[peregrination-studies]

24 books in 2024

It is 2024, and I am here yet again with my bookish hopes and dreams!

I did this challenge last year (available here), and in 2022 (available here), and I'm STOKED to do it again this year! As is my way, I have been planning and revising this list for some time. My Goodreads overfloweth with ideas.

As always, if you have book recs, please send them my way! And, if you're participating in the challenge this year, I'd love to see your lists!

Without further ado, I gladly present to you my 24 in '24 book list:

Sci-Fi and Just for Fun :)

1) Randomize by Andy Weir (read April 2024)

2) Next by Michael Crichton (read May 2024)

3) Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick (read April 2024)

4) With a Little Luck by Marissa Meyer (read February 2024)

Environmental Science/Ecology/Books Relevant to my Studies

5) Operating Manual for Spaceship Earth by Buckminster Fuller (read April 2024)

6) Must Love Trees: An Unconventional Guide by Tobin Mitnick

7) Scientifically Historica: How the World’s Great Science Books Chart the History of Knowledge by Brian Clegg

8) Letters to a Young Scientist by Edward O. Wilson

Reading Around the World

9) The Eighth Continent: Life, Death and Discovery in the Lost World of Madagascar by Peter Tyson (Madagascar)

10) Everything is Wonderful: Memories of a Collective Farm in Estonia by Sigrid Rausing (Estonia)

11) Willoughbyland: England’s Lost Colony by Matthew Parker (Suriname)

12) A General Theory of Oblivion by José Eduardo Agualusa and Daniel Hahn (Translator) (Angola)

Rory Gilmore Reading Challenge/Classics

13) The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde (read April 2024)

14) The Second Sex by Simone De Beauvoir, H.M. Parables (Translator and Editor), and Deirdre Bair (Introduction)

15) Gidget by Frederick Kohner

16) Bel Canto by Ann Patchett

Recommended by Friends

17) Meditations by Marcus Aurelius (recommended by @hedonism-tattoo and many, many others)

18) Howl’s Moving Castle by Diane Wynne Jones (also recommended by many people now. @permanentreverie posted about it recently tho, and that was what really made me decide to include it on this list!) (read April 2024)

19) Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson (recommended by @daydreaming-optimist ) (read April 2024)

20) The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux (recommended by @kaillakit) (read May 2024)

Eco-Psychology

21) Ecopsychology by Lester R. Brown

22) Against Purity: Living Ethically in Compromised Times by Alexis Shotwell (read April 2024)

23) Radical Ecopsychology: Psychology in the Service of Life by Andy Fisher and David Abram (foreword)

24) Sight and Sensibility: the Ecopsychology of Perception by Laura Sewall

Bonus

25) Bride by Ali Hazelwood (read February 2024)

26) Open Heart Surgery by Johanna Leo (read March 2024)

27) A Short History of the World in 50 Books by Daniel Smith

28) Candy Hearts by Tommy Siegel (read February 2024)

No pressure tagging: @daydreaming-optimist @kaillakit @permanentreverie @noa-the-physicist @silhouette-of-sarah @captaindelilahbard @senatorhotcheeto @the-bibliophiles-bookshelf @skyekg @of-the-elves @obesecamels @courageisneverforgotten @willowstea @its-me-satine @deirdrerose @notetaeker @theskittlemuffin and anyone else who wants to do this!

[namnjj]

24 de Marzo de 1976

Today is an important day for my country and I wanted to talk here about it so more people know what happened and i'm gonna use the translator for this.

Argentina, on March 24, 1976 it suffered a civil-military coup d'état that lasted until 1983. Jorge Rafael Videla, Emilio Eduardo Massera, Orlando Ramón Agosti, Roberto Eduardo Viola, Leopoldo Galtieri and more kidnapped, tortured and killed more than 30 thousand people, they raped women and after they gave birth they took their children and gave them to other families.

On April 22, 1985, the trial against the Military Junta was held, by order of President Raúl Alfonsin a few days after recovering democracy. Only nine of the ten members of the first three Military Juntas were prosecuted: Jorge Rafael Videla, Orlando Ramón Agosti, Emilio Eduardo Massera, Roberto Eduardo Viola, Omar Graffigna, Armando Lambruschini, Leopoldo Fortunato Galtieri, Basilio Lami Dozo and Jorge Anaya. Despite being a member of the third board, Alfonsín excluded General Cristino Nicolaides from the accusation.

The court that prosecuted the boards was the National Chamber of Federal Criminal and Correctional Appeals of the Federal Capital, made up of judges Jorge Torlasco, Ricardo Gil Lavedra, León Carlos Arslanián, Jorge Valerga Araoz, Guillermo Ledesma and Andrés J. D. 'Alessio. The prosecutor was Julio César Strassera with whom the deputy prosecutor Luis Gabriel Moreno Ocampo collaborated.

The sentence handed down on December 9, 1985 convicted five of the accused soldiers and acquitted four. Videla and Massera were sentenced to life imprisonment with dismissal. Viola, to 17 years in prison, Lambruschini to 8 years in prison, and Agosti to 4 years and 6 months in prison; all with dismissal. Graffigna, Galtieri, Lami Dozo and Anaya were acquitted.

Maybe you know the movie called "Argentina 1985" (2022) that deals precisely with this trial and that won several awards and had an Oscar nomination for "International Feature Film" if you want to see it, it is on Prime Video.

I would like to end this post with a phrase that Attorney General Julio Strassera said at the trial, on June 9, 1985, in Spanish obviously.

"Quiero utilizar una frase que no me pertenece, porque pertenece ya a todo el pueblo Argentino. Señores jueces: 'Nunca Más'"

[bergdg]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

@spooky-bard: 22 total, with 16 wins

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

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

@hypexion: 14 total, with 5 wins

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

Congrats to these entrants for some spectacular submissions!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[tomorrowxtogether]

Tomorrow X Together Announce 2024 U.S. Tour

Act: Promise will span 11 shows across eight cities including New York, Los Angeles, Houston, and Washington

K-pop band Tomorrow X Together announced on Tuesday that they’ll be embarking on the U.S. leg of their Act: Promise tour this spring. 

The trek, which launches in South Korea’s capital, Seoul, on May 3, promises to be “grander” than its 2023 predecessor Act: Sweet Mirage. The U.S. portion of their world tour kicks off May 14 in Tacoma, Washington, and features 11 total shows across eight cities including Oakland, Los Angeles, Houston, and New York.

According to a press release, Act: Promise “embodies the commitment to move forward together towards a hopeful future.” The concert is billed as an example of a “cohesive narrative, seamlessly weaving together captivating music, performances, VCRs, and set designs.” 

Tickets for the tour will go on sale to the general public on March 24 via Ticketmaster.

Earlier this month, the quintet —  Yeonjun, Soobin, Beomgyu, Taehyun, and HueningKai — announced their upcoming sixth mini album, Minisode 3: Tomorrow, due April 1, while also unveiling a new logo and color scheme for their upcoming era. The group previously dropped Minisode 1, featuring their massive hit “Blue Hour,” in 2020. Minisode 2, which included “Good Boy Gone Bad,” released in 2022.

Last summer, Tomorrow X Together performed at Lollapalooza in Chicago, stacking their set list with tracks like “Farewell, Neverland,” “Lonely Boy,” and “Anti-Romantic.” The group invited Coi Leray onstage for a surprise cameo during “Happy Fools,” sealing their set as one of the most memorable of the fest.

Tomorrow X Together 2024 U.S. Tour Dates

May 14 – Tacoma, WA @ Tacoma Dome May, 18 – Oakland, CA @ Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum May, 21 – Los Angeles, CA @ Crypto.com Arena May, 22 – Los Angeles, CA @ Crypto.com Arena May, 26 – Houston, TX @ Minute Maid Park May, 29 – Atlanta, GA @ State Farm Arena June, 1 – New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden June, 2 – New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden June, 5 – Rosemont, IL @ Allstate Arena June, 6 – Rosemont, IL @ Allstate Arena June, 8 – Washington, DC @ Capitol One Arena