#hester fairfax

[curiousb]

The Brandon Family Album: Volume VII

Family man Christopher's concern extends just as much to his pets Pixie...

...and Weeble,...

...as to his grandchildren. He and Giles in particular have bonded over a shared love of music, and Christopher is more than happy to pass on his extensive knowledge of the topic.

He and Marianne are united in their determination to keep up their fitness levels, even in their elder years.

I think they need to be more conscious of not overdoing it though!

Youngest daughter Joanna is still at home with them, and has other plans for this hot, summer's afternoon.

Although in the past she and Hester were an item for a while, Louie seems to have finally captured her heart like no other.

She wastes no time in making her long-term intentions clear.

But Louie is left cold by the proposition of a more fixed commitment. What is it with everyone wanting to tie them down, just when life is beginning to open up for them?!

Joanna has little option but to divert her energies into her own career, with positive results!

As autumn draws in, it's time to say goodbye to Merybury's most preposterous pooch. For now, she's laid to rest in the peaceful back garden.

The Brandons can't bear to be without a dog for long though, and new friend Abbey is soon welcomed to the family!

She's friendly and affectionate...

...if a little high-spirited.

But they're all sure she will fit in just fine, with a little patience, and firm but kind training.

~ Aries

~ Genius / Friendly / Aggressive

[igotsnothing]

***A reminder that Vampiric Valentine's Day (aka Halloween)is coming soon…***

(Hester and Frederick)

Inspired by this, by Max Ernst.

⋆♱✮☽🦇☽✮♰⋆

[gossipgirl2019-blog]

A 'dark and angry' section of our media needs to be called out: Sarah Hanson-Young

New Post has been published on http://gr8gossip.xyz/a-dark-and-angry-section-of-our-media-needs-to-be-called-out-sarah-hanson-young/

A 'dark and angry' section of our media needs to be called out: Sarah Hanson-Young

Even now, as a 36-year-old federal senator with more than a decade’s experience in the parliament, there are still members of the media who would rather hurl insults at me than refer to me by my correct title. Paul Murray of Sky News, strangely, refers to me as “The Hyphen”, due to my double-barrelled surname, a name he took straight from the trolls on Twitter. Others simply call me a “silly girl” or, the Trump-devotee favourite, a “nasty woman”.

Rather sickeningly, Michael Smith at radio station 2UE once referred to me as the “small but perfectly formed Sarah Hanson-Young” before playing a “skit” featuring an actor who was supposed to be me, loudly orgasming.

Loading

There is a particularly dark and angry section of our national media that needs to be called out and held to account. Sky News, The Australian newspaper and the News Corp tabloids, all of which are owned by Rupert Murdoch, as well as the shock jocks on the Fairfax-owned 2GB and 2UE radio stations are regularly the worst offenders when it comes to attacking and belittling women in public life who they don’t agree with. There are, it must be said, others who work within those organisations who are fine, talented and fair journalists. But I’m talking about a very specific type of political and social commentator here. They wield enormous power in shaping our national discourse, and they almost exclusively represent an ageing, angry and overwhelmingly male audience.

Over the years, Daily Telegraph columnist and blogger Tim Blair alone has written dozens of articles and opinion pieces about all aspects of me and my work. Throughout these, he has referred to me, or highlighted other’s references to me, as “Sarah Hanson-Dumb”, the “Swamp Sow” and a “cry-girl”. He has insinuated that in the future I would be transgender, have no fixed sexual identity and would be too fat to walk down the aisle of a train.

Another man in the media who has an abiding fascination with me and everything I do is Ray Hadley, a shock jock from radio station 2GB. In one four-minute segment, he called me “a dingbat”, “as mad as a meat axe”, “as silly as a cut snake”, “a dolt”, “a silly, silly woman” and, for some reason, said that I wear “a cannabis frock with no stockings on”.

There are countless more examples of things of this nature: such as the time a national lads’ magazine photoshopped my head onto a bikini model’s body to try to bully me into posing semi-naked for them. I don’t mention these insults to elicit sympathy. Instead, I raise them to illustrate a broader social problem, of which these examples are just a symptom. The reality is that this is the sort of treatment you can expect if you’re an outspoken woman at the intersection of Australian media and politics in 2018 — and it’s a bloody shame.

These broadcasters and columnists to which I’ve been referring do, from time to time, attack men as well. They then use that fact to attempt somehow to prove that they aren’t sexist. The undeniable truth, though, is that they save their most personal, vicious and hateful treatment for women.

Senator Sarah Hanson-Young with then Greens leader Bob Brown in 2009.

Photo: Glen McCurtayne

‘There goes the Green Kardashian’

From Cleopatra to Mary Magdalene, Hester Prynne to Rachel Jackson, and Anne Boleyn to Monica Lewinsky, history and fiction are replete with women shamed, brought down and diminished because of a phenomenon we’ve only recently started to name, but with which women have been grappling for millennia: Slut-shaming.

Loading

Many women know what it is like to have nasty rumours and sexist gossip used against them, inside and outside of politics, but very few have been prepared to call it what it is. This is partly because the word itself is confronting and is routinely written off as resulting from feminist hysteria. Even within feminist discourse and among feminist activists it is a loaded phrase with complicated and contested meanings.

In its simplest form, it is the shaming of someone due to their sexual behaviour — real, imagined or made up. Whether it’s done via rumours, slurs or innuendo, and whether it’s whispered or shouted, the effect is the same. This kind of shaming is almost exclusively reserved for women and, like most forms of sexism, is about power and control. It keeps women in rigid behavioural controls, and can be deployed to bring us down for reasons that have nothing to do with sex.

The real reason, though, that women struggle to name what is happening to them is not because we don’t know what to call it but because the great power of slut-shaming as a weapon is that it is intrinsically self-concealing.

We don’t name it, because naming it makes the ‘slut’ part true in many people’s minds. This works both to bully and intimidate women to stop them from stepping out of line and to silence powerfully any complaint about its use. Slut-shaming works because admitting you are being smeared with sexual innuendo can be the greatest shame of all. And the consequence of speaking out is the spreading of more innuendo.

In my own experience, male colleagues have used it as a weapon to play with my head, put me off my game and shut me up. Other times, it’s been deployed to ridicule me in front of my peers, undermining my credibility while I do my job. One day, a government senator, well known for his sexist remarks, yelled out in the middle of question time, “There goes the Green Kardashian” as I walked over to greet members of the Afghan embassy who were visiting the parliament.

Kim Kardashian has been routinely slut-shamed, so much so that her name is now synonymous with the insult. There I was, paying my regards to our visitors and a fellow senator had effectively called me a cheap slut as I was shaking their hands. I felt humiliated.

Despite our reluctance to name it, slut-shaming happens so much that it is normalised to the point where, often, only the victim knows it has occurred. Others around them are seemingly unaware of the crippling effect of such comments, rumours and taunts on the woman’s confidence and ability to keep going, her head held high, pretending nothing has happened.

En Garde by Sarah-Hanson Young.

Photo: Supplied

Women know that to acknowledge they have been victims of sexual slurs and rumour is to bear the brunt of them. The consequence of speaking out is more shame and the spreading of more innuendo. It is a horrible dilemma.

Before my critics accuse me of being a “feminazi” or a wowser, let me be the first to say that slut-shaming and harassment are not the same as flirting with or showing a person affection. It is designed to hurt or punish, while flirting, on the other hand, is fun.

There’s a Coalition senator who calls me “babe”, and “Ser-bear”, a name friends at high school called me that was, and is, endearing. It’s friendly, it’s affectionate, and his use of it has never been demeaning or predatory.

Mature adults know the difference between being friendly and flirting, and the difference between flirting and sexist put-downs. This isn’t actually hard; it’s called civility. Women can instantly tell the difference between a sleaze and a gentleman. Decent men can too.

In the case of Cleopatra, and other historic figures, their power, intellect and political cunning are diminished as their legacies are reduced to speculation about their sexual relationships.

Diminishing these legacies adds to the normalisation of men being the only real leaders and erases women’s history. In the case of Mary Magdalene and Monica Lewinsky, we see clearly the different standards applied to men and women, where, for one gender, sexual relationships are viewed as heroic conquests or, at least, titillating, excusable foibles; and, for the other, they can be life destroying.

The power of slut-shaming has long been its ability to hide in plain sight while demanding the silence of its victims. When something doesn’t have a name, it’s very hard to talk about and to resist.

Calling out slut-shaming is still a momentous and perilous task, and not everyone who has experienced its chilling effect is able to speak up. Those of us in the privileged position to do so can and should. Naming it breaks the silence it creates and calling it out breaks its power.

Sarah Hanson-Young is the Australian Greens Senator for South Australia. This is an edited extract from En Garde by Sarah-Hanson Young, published by Melbourne University Press on October 1 (RRP $ 14.99; ebook $9.99)

[lucids]

#SayHerName

AAPF - African American Policy Forum

http://www.aapf.org/sayhername

AAPF launched the #SayHerName campaign for Black women and girls who were killed by police and other forms of violence.

Fill The Void. Lift Your Voice.

Say Her Name.

-

#SayHerName: How Transgender Women Are Memorialized Online

Centered on feminism & women of the African Diaspora

https://www.blackfeminisms.com/transgender

The Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) was started by transgender advocate Gwendolyn Ann Smith as a vigil to honor the memory of Rita Hester, a transgender woman who was killed in 1998. The vigil commemorated all the transgender people lost to violence that year and began an important memorial that has become the annual Transgender Day of Remembrance

“Citizen participation in the media, or contribution of user generated content or ‘citizen journalism’ as it’s commonly known is a growing phenomenon in some ways. Its benefits are that audiences witnessing incidents can post eyewitness accounts on the Internet as soon as they happen or send a report and photos to the media. Citizen journalism also dwells a lot on analysis and debate of issues and stories appearing in mainstream media. Unlike journalists in the mainstream media, citizen journalists can be anonymous contributors with no journalism training.”

-

Black Lives Matter | Say Her Name

http://sayhername.blacklivesmatter.com

Use #SayHerName to honor women and femmes who have been taken from us by state or intimate partner violence.

As part of the national #SayHerName day of action, we are asking folks to participate in lifting up women and femmes who are no longer with us, and/or those who inspire us in our everyday lives. Upload an image, graphic or photograph of someone you want to lift up, using either #SayHerName for those who have been taken from us and #InHerHonor for those who are still with us or passed from natural causes.

#SayHerName Use #SayHerName to honor women and femmes who have been taken from us by state or intimate partner violence

#InHerHonor Use #InHerHonor to lift up women and femmes in our everyday lives who are fighting and thriving in the face of adversity or who died from natural causes.

-

#SayHerName

AAPF - African American Policy Forum

It is for these Black women and girls that the African American Policy Forum launched the #SayHerName campaign. On May 20th, 2015, the African American Policy Forum, the Center for Intersectionality and Social Policy Studies at Columbia Law School, and over twenty local sponsoring organizations hosted #SayHerName: A Vigil in Memory of Black Women and Girls Killed by the Police at Union Square in New York City. Family members of Black women killed by police from across the country came together for the first time in a powerful vigil designed to uplift their loved ones' stories. The family members of Alberta Spruill, Rekia Boyd, Shantel Davis, Shelley Frey, Kayla Moore, Kyam Livingston, Miriam Carey, Michelle Cusseaux, and Tanisha Anderson were present and supported by hundreds of attendees, activists, and stakeholders.

-

The work of #SayHerName continues. Including Black women and girls in this discourse sends the powerful message that indeed all Black lives matter. If our collective outrage around cases of police violence is meant to serve as a warning to the state that its agents cannot kill without consequence, our silence around the cases of Black women and girls sends the message that certain deaths do not merit repercussions. Please join us in our efforts to advance a gender-inclusive narrative in the movement for Black lives.

-

In an effort to continue to call attention to violence against Black women in the U.S., the African American Policy Forum, the Center for Intersectionality and Social Policy Studies at Columbia Law School, and Andrea Ritchie, Soros Justice Fellow and expert on policing of women and LGBT people of color, issued in May 2015 a brief entitled “Say Her Name: Resisting Police Brutality Against Black Women.”

Say Her Name documents stories of Black women who have been killed by police, shining a spotlight on forms of police brutality often experienced disproportionately by women of color.  In addition to stories of Black women who have been killed by police and who have experienced gender-specific forms of police violence, Say Her Name provides some analytical frames for understanding their experiences and broadens dominant conceptions of who experiences state violence and what it looks like. The brief concludes with recommendations for engaging communities in conversation and advocacy around Black women’s experiences of police violence, considering race and gender in policy initiatives to combat state violence, and adopting policies to end sexual abuse and harassment by police officers.

-

Black women are outnumbered by White women 5:1 in the United States, yet are killed by police in nearly the same numbers.

On August 1st, Korryn Gaines became one of those women. Shot and killed after an hours long standoff with Baltimore County police, Gaines became the ninth Black woman killed by police in just the first eight months of 2016. Jessica Williams, whose death garnered little media attention despite forcing SFPD chief, Greg Suhr, to resign, was shot while driving a presumed stolen car. She was unarmed and seems to have been fleeing from the officer when she was killed, yet she was still declared a threat to the officer’s safety, legally justifying her death. Similarly, police killed Kisha Michael, “a great mother” of three, even though she posed no obvious threat. Michael was found sitting in a car unconscious at an intersection in Inglewood CA. After allegedly failing to revive her and finding a gun, the LAPD retreated behind cover and fired several rounds into the car, killing Michael and a man who was with her.

Gynnya McMillen died alone in a Kentucky detention center cell. Formally, declared a tragic accident resulting from a rare, and undiscovered, heart condition, McMillen, only 16, was found dead after just one night at the Lincoln Village Juvenile Detention Center. However, in that one night she was tackled and pinned for over four minutes after she refused to take off her sweatshirt during a search. She was also placed in a cell alone and then largely forgotten about despite being notably unresponsive, a strong warning sign that something was not right. In the morning, Gynnya McMillen lay dead. It is frighteningly unclear whether anyone will face charges for the deaths of these women and the five others killed, but what is clear is that, particularly when compared to their male counterparts, little is known or said about stories and lives of these women.

This is nothing new. In 2015 alone, at least six Black women were killed by or after encounters with police.

Just before Freddie Gray’s case grabbed national attention, police killed unarmed Mya Hall—a Black transgender woman—on the outskirts of Baltimore. Alleged to be driving a stolen car, Hall took a wrong turn onto NSA property and was shot to death by officers after the car crashed into the security gate and a police cruiser. No action has been taken to date with respect to the officers responsible for her death. In April, police fatally shot Alexia Christian while she was being handcuffed in the back of a police cruiser. And in March in Ventura, California, police officers shot and killed Meagan Hockaday—a young mother of three—within 20 seconds of entering her home in response to a domestic disturbance.

Sandra Bland, the 28-year old Black woman from Naperville, Illinois who was arrested for allegedly assaulting a police officer during a traffic stop in Waller County, Texas on July 10 and was found dead in a jail cell three days later, is yet another victim of police brutality against African American women. And the six officers who swarmed and tasered Natasha McKenna to death in a Fairfax County Jail will face no criminal charges for their actions.

-

#SayHerName: How Transgender Women Are Memorialized Online

Transgender people, in particular transgender women of color, become targets of violence due to stigma about non-binary gender identities.

Mainstream media generally fails to bring attention to this violence. Social media, however, has been a significant platform for uplifting and memorializing transgender people who lose their lives.

For instance, when I looked at hashtags associated with #SayHerName between late January and October, I found that at least 21 transgender women named in corresponding hashtags. The majority of these women were victims of homicide. One had died in police custody and another was missing.

Yet, when I went to correspond the name of victims with news accounts, I most often found that independent media or bloggers were the only ones to report on this violence. This suggests to me that citizen journalism2 is particularly significant in highlighting violence against transgender women of color.

Most of these independent media and bloggers were platforms meant to uplift women of color, Black women in particular. For instance, BlackGirlTragic.Com consistently provided information not only about Black women who lost their lives to violence but also girls and non-Black women of color. Furthermore, they bring attention to violence that women face throughout the Diaspora, rather than the United States alone.

BlackGirlTragic.com exemplifies these platforms in that they are intentional about their mission to uplift Black women:

This site arose from a need to disrupt the traditional 24/7 news cycle, which focuses on one crisis and moves to another. Our goal at Black Girl Tragic is to highlight the discrimination, abuse, mistreatment, unfairness and tragedy inflicted upon women of color throughout the diaspora. 3

Black women use social media to act as citizen journalists, subverting the barriers of traditional institutions of media and journalism through the use of digital technology. Transgender Black women, then, are memorialized as a labor of love by Black women who see themselves as capable of making change by taking their message to the digital sphere.

[curiousb]

The Mansfield House Yearbook: Volume IV

Back to school - or uni - today! And it's a bed-hopping bonanza, I warn you.

Let's start with a game of whose buttocks are these, shall we?

To put you out of your misery, they're Elliot's. And Olivia, I thought you were with James (as much as anyone is)?

Well, these two look quite cosy together, so I guess Olivia has moved on, not wanting to compete with three other girls for James's attention?

The next day, she decides it's time to put a ring on...

James! OK, well - I guess you know your own heart best. Perhaps Elliot was a just a rebound thing?

I think Elliot's expression says it all.

Martha is none too pleased either - she thought she had first dibs on James - but Olivia swiftly puts her in her place! Semi-resident Llama Guy thinks it's the perfect time to celebrate with a school cheer though.

But before I know it, Martha has already caused a rift between Olivia and her intended (I didn't see exactly what happened here), and seems rather delighted with herself as a result.

It's not all about romance - sometimes there's some studying too! Actually, I lie, it is.

When Eleanor drops round, Hester seems bent on creating domestic strife too.

And Eleanor looks like she could very well be tempted to stray from her long-term partner Esther. I guess Esther's persistence in trying to tie Eleanor down is perhaps having the opposite effect, and driving them apart.

Yup.

James doesn't seem too concerned about being estranged from new fiancée Olivia, and hooks up again with Henrietta at the first opportunity.

Disenchanted Olivia seeks solace with Elliot once again.

And I just have no idea who is with whom any more!

[curiousb]

The Kellynch Hall Yearbook: Volume XIV

We arrive just in time to join a meeting of the Kellynch Hall Hang-out Club - with Hester as a guest member - where everyone is nicely building their Charisma.

Outside, Joanna has dropped by, to leave a token of appreciation for her recent date with Louie.

Well, she is only a recent graduate herself, with not a lot of cash to spare I suppose!

Keziah and Marmaduke have finally stopped playing hard to get with each other.

James and Martha from Mansfield House have come over too, just to get engaged to each other it seems! This is the second time in four years that James has been affianced. Let's see if he can keep it in his pants this time...

It looks like Martha at least is intending to remain faithful - she lets a disappointed William know that any possible romance between them is now off-limits.

Meanwhile, there are fireworks for Keziah and Marmaduke.

And then it's back to the academic grind (in your underwear, if you're Erasmus).

[curiousb]

The Morland Family Album: Volume VIII

With her recent promotion, Hester is feeling extra motivated to work on that Body Skill.

She's a fine physical specimen, if a bit smelly.

There's just time to soothe her tired muscles in a bubble bath...

...before her girlfriend Gina comes over.

Not so long ago, Gina wasn't too keen on Hester being such a fast mover, but now she's the one making all the running - with a surprise proposal!

It was the last thing Hester - and I - were expecting, but it's a definite yes!

Well, Gina had better move in then! After a little de-Maxisifying, she starts building a relationship with her new family, by making herself useful in the kitchen.

~ Cancer 8 / 8 / 5 / 0 / 4

~ Loves the Cold / No Sense of Humour / Proper / Can't Stand Art / Schmoozer (she's a whole heap of fun, isn't she?!)

~ OTH: Sport

~ Favourite Colour(s): Purple

~ Aspiration: Family / Fortune

~ Turn-ons / -off: +Athletic / +Tidy / -Unique

~ LTW: Become Hall of Famer

It looks like she's already found some common ground with her money-oriented new sister-in-law-to-be, Sally. On another note, now that there are five adults in this household - including a Family Sim, who will surely want children at some point - I think I'm going to have to cave in and turn it into a two-storey house, rather than the cosy bungalow it started out as. Maybe when Gina gets a job and starts contributing to the family funds, it will be time to start work on the extension.

[curiousb]

The Morland Family Album: Volume VII

Entirely of her own volition, Hester has found herself a new love interest - meet Townie Gina Ingram! I genuinely don't know how they met, but hot on the heels of Eleanor's engagement, Hester decided to call up her new acquaintance (while in her nightwear) and ask her over, to get to know her better.

Well, that's a good start - Hester very much has an attitude of love me, love my dog. But that's actually where Gina's first visit ended, and Hester becomes a little distracted by other events over the next couple of days.

There's some good news...Thank goodness - hopefully she can get out of that sweaty, synthetic llama costume now!

But unfortunately some bad news too. Farewell, Penny! Sadly, there was no one around to see the last canine member of the family on her way, except a disinterested Random Townie. 😞

However, Hester is still keen to progress things with Gina, although it looks like she's moving a bit too fast.

Or maybe not. Sim logic eludes me at times!

Younger sister Sally's life is not taking off quite so well. But who cares about being demoted in your first job!

Well, actually Sally does, it turns out. Ultimately, she has dreams of establishing her own personal training enterprise, but in the meantime, she figured that getting some business experience couldn't hurt. It's all a lot harder than her Economics degree studies led her to believe though.

Anyway, she's really not in the mood to humour the annoying colleague who insisted on following her home from work.

And neither does she appreciate Hester's interference in her love life. Sally knows it's well meant, and coming from genuine sisterly concern, but whether or not she continues her association with the recently-engaged Louie is her decision to make, and no one else's.

[curiousb]

The Dashwood Family Album: Volume XXI

We're joining the Dashwoods on a quiet afternoon at home.

But there's a surprise in store for Edward!

In the end, he's quite philosophical about it, but it's nonetheless a huge blow for his family.

Elinor is of course the most deeply affected by his loss, after so many devoted years together.

Despite her best intentions, Esther simply cannot stay away from her ex, Eleanor. She knows that she's almost certainly making a fool of herself - after all, Eleanor has hardly been pining for her - but she's as much in love as ever.

But there's a very unexpected twist! Can this really be what it seems?

It is! Suddenly, she's being offered everything that she has been wanting for a very long time, and she grabs the opportunity with both hands! (I was genuinely really happy for Esther, when Eleanor spontaneously went down on one knee!)

For her part, Eleanor's fling with Hester has finally made her appreciate exactly who and what she really wants. Now they are both equally excited for their new life together to begin.

Since Edward's loss, Elinor has been throwing herself into her art more than ever. Lulu keeps a protective eye on her - when she's not having forty winks.

And perhaps it would console Elinor to know that he is missing her too, and the contentment they once had together.

[curiousb]

The DBU Alumni Newsletter: Volume II

In this issue, we're welcoming some more alumni back to Merybury, including Hester. While she's yet to make any headway in the world of sport, we're sure that she's destined for great things, once she finds her niche!

~ Pisces 7 / 7 / 9 / 6 / 8

~ Daredevil / Kind / Dog Person / Bookworm / Workaholic

~ OTH: Sport

~ Favourite Colour(s): Turquoise

~ Aspiration: Fortune / Popularity

~ Turn-ons / -off: +Athletic / +Well-liked / -Unique

~ Major: Economics (3.8)

~ LTW: Earn $100,000

In the meantime, she's still spending a lot of time with Eleanor.

Hester's younger sister Sally has also recently returned home.

~ Cancer 10 / 5 / 8 / 2 / 4

~ Athletic / Brave / Perfectionist / Avant Garde / Proper

~ OTH: Fitness

~ Favourite Colour: Magenta

~ Aspiration: Fortune / Knowledge

~ Turn-ons/off: +Fitness / +Cultured / -Laid Back

~ Major: Economics (3.6)

~ LTW: Become Personal Trainer

Although her family are concerned that her ongoing on-off romance with Louie might not be in her best interests.

Louie has already made their mark on the culinary landscape of Merybury, and reports that they have many ambitious plans for the future, including embarking on a gastronomic tour of the Sim East, publishing a series of best-selling cookbooks and establishing their own high-end restaurant franchise.

~ Aries 5 / 9 / 7 / 5 / 2

~ Diva / Hot-headed / Natural Cook / Workaholic / Schmoozer

~ OTH: Cuisine

~ Favourite Colour(s): Light Blue

~ Aspiration: Romance / Fortune

~ Turn-ons / -off: +Stylish / +Brown Hair / -Laid Back

~ Major: Philosophy (3.0)

~ LTW: Become Celebrity Chef

Perhaps Sally's family have cause for concern, as Louie has also regularly been spotted in the company of local healthcare professional Joanna.

Also flying high in his chosen career path - with his insider insight into alien culture - is Erasmus.

~ Aries 6 / 5 / 3 / 2 / 4

~ Brave / Cat Person / No Sense of Humour / Computer Whiz / Can’t Stand Art

~ OTH: Science

~ Favourite Colour(s): Lime Green

~ Aspiration: Knowledge / Family

~ Turn-ons / -off: +Alien / +Mechanical / -Daydreamer

~ Major: Mathematics (3.2)

~ LTW: Discover 10 Stars and 10 Planets

He also still finds time to conduct his own independent astronomical research.

And is settling well into the local community.

He and his fiancé Edward have moved into a small house in the centre of town.

Where Edward dreams of establishing his own pottery studio.

~ Libra 2 / 10 / 6 / 10 / 3

~ Artistic / Over-emotional / Good Sense of Humour / Hopeless Romantic / Workaholic

~ OTH: Arts & Crafts

~ Favourite Colour(s): Yellow / Red

~ Aspiration: Romance / Knowledge

~ Turn-ons / -off: +Artistic / +Alien / -Blonde Hair

~ Major: Art (3.3)

LTW: Sculpt 100 Pieces on Pottery Wheel

We finish with Nathan - another high achiever, who's making a big splash in the world of politics.

~ Libra 6 / 8 / 6 / 2 / 10

~ Friendly / Athletic / Neat / Can’t Stand Art / Schmoozer

~ OTH: Fitness

~ Favourite Colour(s): Red / Blue

~ Aspiration: Popularity / Romance

~ Turn-ons / -off: +Athletic / +Well-liked / -Occult

~ Major: Political Science (3.0)

~ LTW: ?

He and Lillian have enjoyed a whirlwind romance, since meeting in his final year at DBU.

And in fact, they are delighted to announce their recent engagement!

Welcome to Merybury, Lillian! (After a rather extensive makeover - I confess that her features were just a bit too Maxis for my liking, so they got a fairly major overhaul.)

~ Aquarius 2 / 6 / 10 / 2 / 5

~ Daredevil / Green Thumb / Loves To Swim / Social Butterfly / Mooch

~ OTH: Sport

~ Favourite Colour(s): Green

~ Aspiration: Family / Pleasure

~ Turn-ons / -off: +Athletic / +Blonde Hair / -Occult

~ LTW: Reach Top of Social Services Career

[curiousb]

The Mansfield House Yearbook: Volume VII

I only had COVID two months ago, and guess who now has flu? 😒

It's time for the last of my second generation to head off to uni. Alexander goes first, and his sweetheart Theophilus will be joining him later.

He's been allocated an empty room at Mansfield House, where he throws himself headlong into the pleasures of student life.

~ Sagittarius 0 / 9 / 7 / 4 / 8

~ Brave / Friendly / Loves the Outdoors / Eco-friendly / Young At Heart

~ OTH: Tinkering

~ Favourite colour(s): Black / White

~ Aspiration: Pleasure/ Family

~ Turn-ons/off: +Daydreamer / +Rebellious / -Occult

~ Major: Political Science

As always, romance is never far from his mind, and there's someone he very much wants to catch up with, now that they're both young adults...

Yes, Tosha Go is also part of this year's intake at DBU.

Well, they didn't waste any time!

Perhaps taking his cue from James (who despite recently becoming engaged for the second time, clearly hasn't learned his lesson about the dangers of infidelity)...

...Alexander also seems to fancy himself as a bit of a playboy, and can't resist literally throwing himself at old friend Edward, as soon as the opportunity arises.

I confess myself to be rather disappointed in Edward, and his penchant for Aliens - it seems that his fiancé Erasmus just isn't enough for him.

And now that Eleanor is truly a free agent - after her split with Esther - there are further developments between her and Hester. (I guess she likes her girlfriends to have rhyming names?)

[curiousb]

The Morland Family Album: Volume VI

As discovered previously, nothing disrupts Sally’s reading...

not even Penny bursting into elderhood right beside her.

Oh good, she’s getting a bit of vitamin D at last.

Ah! The pups’ father drops by for another visit - I still can’t remember his name though.

Sally does eventually put down her book long enough to blow out her birthday candles. Siblings Hester and James - back home from uni for a visit - just seem to be wondering what all the kerfuffle is about...

~ Cancer 10 / 5 / 8 / 2 / 4

~ Athletic / Brave / Perfectionist / Avant Garde

~ OTH: Fitness

~ Favourite Colour: Magenta

~ Aspiration: Fortune / Knowledge

~ Turn-ons / -off: +Fitness / +Cultured / -Laid Back

A new look for a new age.

Birthdays are no excuse for not washing the dog.

Sally is forging a friendship with Keziah, and they often get together for gaming and work-out sessions.

What, now? Really? Can’t you see that we’re trying to get fit here?

Oh well, if you must. Farewell, super-mum Penny!

Sally has also caught the eye of schoolmate Louisa. Too bad their attempts at flirting are so lame.

I don’t know though, perhaps Sally is starting to come around?

[curiousb]

The Brandon Family Album: Volume VI

Also back from uni, and moving in with her parents while she figures out her next steps, is Joanna. She’s getting reacquainted with the Sim world's most style-conscious dog Pixie.

And also catching up with her suspiciously long-lived womrat Weeble.

Joanna’s stats:

~ Sagittarius 8 / 2 / 6 / 3 / 6

~ Bookworm / Never Nude / Workaholic / Brooding / Unflirty

~ OTH: Film & Literature

~ Favourite Colour(s): Orange

~ Aspiration: Knowledge / Fortune

~ Turn-ons / -off: +Cultured / +Reserved / -Rebellious

~ Major: Mathematics (4.0) (well, all she did at uni was study...)

~ LTW: Raise a Wonder Child

Marianne could not be more proud of her three highly-educated daughters.

Christopher and Marianne host a little welcome-home family gathering for their youngest daughter, but introverted Joanna soon starts to feel rather overwhelmed...

so she slips away for a bit of quality time with girlfriend Hester.

Meanwhile, her sister Beth is not feeling too well. I wonder why? Surely it can’t be that her mum’s excellent cooking has disagreed with her!

The next morning, Joanna’s thoughts are full of Hester. It’s still quite early days for them, so who knows what the future might hold, but she’s enjoying the moment while it lasts.

[curiousb]

The Mansfield House Yearbook: Volume III

The Mansfield Crew are all diving into...

new relationships!

Hester and Joanna both finally get their first kiss, with each other.

Hester then can’t wait to tell her big brother James all about it (from an appropriately-shaped sofa).

And not long after, she has something else to tell him about too.

James meanwhile, is still enthusiastically pursuing a career as a ladies-man - despite not being a Romance Sim at all.

First with Martha...

then with Olivia.

I think the allure must lie in those blue, knee-length socks.

[curiousb]

The Mansfield House Yearbook: Volume I

Time to welcome some new students! The University has increased its intake this year, and has had to open a new hall of residence to accommodate the influx.

First to arrive is James.

~ Scorpio 6 / 3 / 7 / 6 / 7

~ Athletic / Brave / Loner / Night Owl / Frugal

~ OTH: Tinkering

~ Favourite Colour(s): Blue

~ Aspiration: Fortune / Knowledge

~ Turn-ons / -off: +Adventurous / +Reserved / -Daydreamer

~ Major: Economics

It’s a big moment for him!

Mum Catherine couldn’t be more proud.

There he goes, striding off into independence.

He’s joined by his sister Hester and Martha.

Hester would love to have her first kiss with the adorable Martha, but sadly her attentions prove to be unwelcome.

Musical prodigy Elliot knows exactly which room he wants to bag.

~ Pisces 8 / 5 / 10 / 6 / 3

~ Grumpy / Virtuoso / Born Performer / Workaholic / Anxious

~ OTH: Music & Dance

~ Favourite Colour(s): Black

~ Aspiration: Fortune / Knowledge

~ Turn-ons / -off: +Cultured / +Serious / -Daydreamer

~ Major: Economics

They’re playing Llama Guy’s favourite game - he couldn’t be more pleased!

Come on, Olivia, it’s only a first-year assignment, it can’t be that hard!

~ Scorpio 4 / 5 / 7 / 5 / 1

~ Ambitious / Vehicle Enthusiast / Handy / Mean-spirited / Workaholic

~ OTH: Tinkering

~ Favourite Colour(s): Burgundy

~ Aspiration: Fortune / Knowledge

~ Turn-ons / -off: +Occult / +Serious / -Daydreamer

~ Major: Biology

After her initial awkward moment with Martha, Hester is also knuckling down to some work, with her favourite cactus for company.

~ Pisces 7 / 7 / 9 / 6 / 8

~ Daredevil / Kind / Dog Person / Bookworm / Workaholic

~ OTH: Sport

~ Favourite Colour(s): Turquoise

~ Aspiration: Fortune / Popularity

~ Turn-ons / -off: +Athletic / +Well-liked / -Unique

~ Major: Economics

Martha in the meantime gains her first-ever Creativity skill point - go, Martha!

~ Scorpio  8 / 7 / 5 / 2 / 7

~ Animal Lover / Bookworm / Coward / Absent-minded / Vegetarian

~ OTH: Nature

~ Favourite colour(s): Turquoise / Orange

~ Aspiration: Knowledge / Family

~ Turn-ons / -off: +Animal Lover / +Mechanical / -Rebellious

~ Major: Mathematics

And since it’s such a beautiful late summer evening, treats herself to some star-gazing as a reward.