#interest check feb 2021

[getvalentined]

Not to dwell on this too much longer but I cannot fucking believe that we conceptualized, organized, created, presold, produced, shipped, ran leftovers and shipped leftovers on a whole fanthology during the layout arrangement period of a different fanthology that I was assured would go to print in spring of last year. Holy shit.

[febuwhump]

febuwhump 2024 survey results

has it been six months since febuwhump? yes. yes it has. nevertheless, here's the cold hard data (analysis) of the survey from febuwhump 2024: feb five.

firstly, this year was our most popular yet! with 1417 works in the official collection across 329 fandoms, we made (and shared) 103 fics more than 2023, and 770 more than my first year running febuwhump in 2021! this isnt even including all the art and fics posted to tumblr, or wasn't shared during the event, which would put our total so much higher!

the prompt list had 4000+ notes and i received 115 responses to the survey.

there were 62 people in the hall of fame, up from 51 in 2023.

the blog hit 2,683 followers, up from 1,946 at the end of the 2023 event.

across two independant check, based on the average word count of 2,000 words per fic in the 2024 collection, and aware of the multi-chapter fics (some of which were finished after the event), it is estimated that 2.8 million words were written for febuwhump 2024. which is just. fucking insane.

now, onto the survey results!

firstly: in what way did you participate in Febuwhump this year?

with extra write-ins not pictured, fanfiction was the overwhelming winner with 92 responses (82.6%), followed by original fiction (22.6%) and artwork (11.3%). interesting to me personally is the 4 responses who wrote poetry and the not-pictured 1 response who created web-weaving! which is very cool and i would like to see it.

fandoms

according to the survey:

the most popular fandoms written for were the star wars universe and legend of zelda universe (8/115 responses)

21 responses included original fiction

the majority of responses also referenced more than one fandom, meaning less people stuck to a single fandom or topic the entire time.

according to the collection:

21 anime/manga fandoms were represented

51 books/literature fandoms were represented, 12 being specific star wars subseries

24 RPF fandoms were represented, including bands and minecraft servers

the most popular fandoms written about in the collection were:

star wars (all media types) - 253 works

star wars: the bad batch - 80 works

torchwood - 66 works

original work - 56 works

my hero academia - 54 works

why and how

next, there were a lot of really lovely responses about why participants took part in febuwhump, a few favourite and repeated responses being that it seemed fun, they'd done it before and so wanted to do it again, and they liked to write about their favourite characters suffering. also, multiple people have been doing it for three of the four years i've been running it (of five total), and several were encouraged by friends!

the majority of participants discovered febuwhump through tumblr, the admin's tumblr, ao3 fics and discord servers. a handful said there's apparently a google doc floating around that houses a whump event calendar. i would be interested in seeing that if anyone's got it.

did you participate in Febuwhump 2020, 21, 22 or 23?

the majorty of respondants were new comers to febuwhump at 66.1% "no" to 33.9% "yes". the majority of comparisons to previous years referenced a noticably bigger community, more interaction on the blog, and the admin being more "confident" (oh, you guys), however several noted that the prompts felt more repetitive or samey this year than they did previously.

are you a Febuwhump completionist or participant?

a fairly even split, 51.3% of participants didn't finish compared to the 48.7% who did. however, only 88.1% of those completionists submitted to the hall of fame.

for those who didn't complete, the most common amount of prompts completed was 2 (13.6%), 3 (11.9%) and 12 or 6 (6.8%).

the most common place to share prompt fills was tumblr (74.8%), ao3 (72.2%), or choosing not to share at all (7%). several write-in responses said that they were planning to share in the future but hadn't yet. and while 76.4% of people submitted to the ao3 collection, those who didn't claimed it to be because the fics weren't ready to be shared on time, they weren't following the rules so didn't add to the collection, an inability to find the collection on ao3 (i swear i'm working on it) or shyness/fear.

what went well/even better if:

the only actual criticsm of the event received was that the blog was posting in a "spam"-like way, to the point that the participant almost unfollowed (and another suggested a reblog tag so it could be ignored easier if people didn't want to see the works throughout the month).

several comments asked for a later deadline for submission to the collection/hall of fame, which is going under advisement, but the current position is that by doing so, it makes the event a different event. there are no stakes to actually create once a day if, at the end of it, you actually get 2 weeks of extra time.

another couple mentioned there being too many dialogue prompts and vague prompts. this will be considered during the next voting period and prompt collation - potentially, if i allowed less dialogue prompts into the final 100 vote, less would make it through to the official 28, however the voting itself is out of my hands (unless voter fraud occurs once again).

the main suggestion for improvement (8 times out of 44 suggestions) was for an additional mod to help with reblogging more. (which imo flies in the face of the "spamming" from earlier, but there is surely a middle ground). this is likely to not happen, because i like running the event alone, despite the major burnout i receive every single year without fail. but thanks for your concern lol.

on discord:

31.3% of participants were in the discord server (which, this year, ignored the first year's 100 user cap and had 172 total users).

43.6% of people who didn't join the server did so because they hadn't heard of it, while the majority didn't join because they were either shy (the minorty) or don't use/like discord (the vast majority). i don't know if tumblr still does groupchats and if that would be a viable alternative, or if there is another forum/chat location that would work better (or to have in tandem), but i am open to suggestions.

of the people who were in the channel, most (33.3%) used it "rarely", followed by "most days" (25%) and "for half the month" (22.2%)

febuwhump 2025

the majority of responses wanted next year's colour scheme to either be red or green, but shout out to everyone who wanted orange, the person who said "children's hospital" and the other person who gave me this specific hex code: #4BEC13

which is vile, but also another vote for green.

finally, here are my favourite suggestions for febuwhump 2025's colloquial name. previously, we have endured febuwhump 2: electric boogaloo, febuwhump 3: tokyo drift, fourbuwhump and feb five.

febuwhump 6 suggestions:

fe6uwhump (which, i'll be honest, is a real contender)

"I don't know"

febuwhump 666

febuwhump: revenge of the sixth

"I don't know, sorry"

"febuwhump sex and make all the prompts kinky"

"??? i have been thinking about this for 10 mins"

febuwhump 6(9)

feBEEwhump

"i am bad at this"

"could not care less"

febuwhump feb five 2: electric boogaloo

apparently, i accidently made this a mandatory question and that made some of you mad :(

and that's the wrap up survey, six months late! any questions/queries/want to see some of that cold hard data? send me an ask. i'll actually respond to it i swear! (probably!)

[narutoevents]

2023 EVENTS!

Open Interest Checks

SasoDei Week 2024

Neji Week 2024

MadaObi Mondays

List of Character Birthdays

Monthly Events

Multifandom - Year of the OTP

November 2023

MadaTobi Big Bang - Artist signups - all Nov

Sakura Zine Preorders - Nov 10th - Dec 10th

Founders Week - Nov 20th - 26th

Rock Lee Week - Nov 21st - 27th

December 2023

NaruHina Month - All Dec

Naruto Vacation Week - Dec 26th - Jan 2nd

Akatsuki Gift Exchange - Gifts Posted ???

2024

January 2024

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TobiIzu Week - Jan 1st - 7th

ButsuTaji Week - Jan 9th - 16th

ShikaNeji Week 2024 - Jan 15th - 21st

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Aburame Shino Week - Jan 22nd - 26th

February 2024

Izuna Week - Feb 4th - 10th

KakaIru Valentines - Feb 8th - 14th

SasoDei Week - Feb 22nd - 28th

March - May 2024

TBA

June 2024

SasuKarin Month - all June

Potential Events????

Gaara Week 2024

Aburame Week 2024

ABOUT | GUIDELINES | FAQS

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Semi-Public Discord Servers

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SasoDei

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Past Events

January 2023

Gaara Week - Jan 12th - 19th

February 2023

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August 2023

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Founders Tarot Zine - Preorders - close Sept 7th

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October 2023

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MadaTobi Big Bang - Artist Signups - all Oct

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KakaGai Halloween - Oct 28th - 31st

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KakuHida Week - Oct 30th - Nov 6th

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Founders Week - Nov 20th - 26th

Rock Lee Week - Nov 21st - 27th

2021 Archived

2022 TBA?

2024 >>

[tandaforever]

Here is where I ramble a bit.

I looked at posts from the other side (no, not the dark side). I don't do it often and I have most of them blocked that I don't see any of their posts on my dash, so it was a deliberate decision. I don't hate them, trust me, I don't think their opinions are necessarily wrong either but purely for my own sanity I've blocked all of them long ago. But I got curious and so I checked.

It's interesting to read how differently this article was received, even on this side of the fence. An eye-opener. And I get where almost everyone is coming from, I do, even if I don't agree with some of it.

Emotions also tend to run very high in our small corner of the internet. But I've always said there's space enough for everyone here and wherever you land on the scale is your business.

But I DO see that in the end, they also want what's best for our boys, or our boy in question. Sometimes it's disguised in a roundabout way, sometimes it's not expressed so kindly, but I do believe that part to be true. Or else why would they still be here? Firmly on the good side?

But being kind and respectful to one another is KEY. It's probably what I value most in a fandom and I've made really good friends who feel the same.

We're all entitled to our opinions and those opinions can certainly change over time too, don't forget. But what I don't like seeing, are those opinions being pushed down the wrong throats (both ways here, I see you anons).

Read the room, people. Trying to convince people or attack people is a waste of time and energy imo.

Find YOUR people, and stick to them. Trust me when I say, it will make fandom life a haven, not a school playground.

My two cents though?

I've been here long enough to know when truths and half-truths are being presented.

I'm not involved in their lives in any way and so I don't feel like I am owed anything. I don't feel relieved, not really, as I recognize the long road ahead nor do I feel cheated.

He said what he wanted to say, and that's enough for me.

If anything, what he said might have been too much, too vulnerable and I hate that I can't shield him from further public scrutiny, further lynching. But that's a me-thing.

Do I believe everything that was said? No.

That person at work I had a talk with a few months ago? I sent them the article, and their mind was changed.

But what was said can be enough to change minds, so it's a start.

The truth, for those who have half a brain, that he's guilty of no crime, IS out there. And that's enough.

That's enough for me.

But more importantly, the amount of respect I feel for this man hasn't changed. If anything, it's skyrocketed.

His strength inspires me.

His goodness still inspires me.

(And yes, even though he's said himself that he was guilty of being an asshole, I don't actually believe all of that. Hell, I'm probably a bigger asshole than he is. There's a bit of an asshole inside all of us lbr.)

He is good.

And I still support him and love him as much as I did before 2021 and even before midnight on Feb 4, 2023.

And I wish him all the best.

I wish him all the peace he deserves. May he find what makes him happy and revel in it.

I'll still be here. Gushing over two men who has always had an undeniable, life long, soul binding connection, since the very moment they met.

Cuz yeah, I'm still a Charmie too. 😘

[archivyrep]

Creating Your Own History: Archival Themes in "The Watermelon Woman" [Part 1]

An archivist speaks to the film’s protagonist about having a “great system” to organize archival records within the community archive.

The Core Values Statement of the Society of American Archivists says that archivists should expand access, respect diversity found in humanity, and advocate for archival collections that reflect humanity’s complexity. [1] The reality is often different from that ideal in a field that is overwhelmingly White, as a recent article about Black archives pointed out. [2] This is evident in Cheryl Dunye’s 1996 romantic comedy-drama film, The Watermelon Woman, which the Library of Congress added to the National Film Registry in December 2021 for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.” [3] The film follows the story of one Black woman’s determined effort to create her own history and connect with the past. Although this eighty-six-minute mockumentary is over twenty-six years old, its themes of archival limits, power, silences, erasure, and fabrication continue to resonate today.

Reprinted from The American Archivist Reviews Portal. Thanks to Rose and Stephanie for their editing of this article! It was also posted on my Wading Through the Cultural Stacks WordPress blog on Jul. 5, 2022. This review contains some spoilers for the film The Watermelon Woman.

In the film, Cheryl Dunye plays a videographer (also named Cheryl Dunye) who works at a video rental store in Philadelphia with her friend Tamara (played by Valarie Walker). Cheryl watches a videocassette of an old 1930s film, Plantation Memories, and becomes interested in the character Elsie, a stereotypical ‘mammy’ character credited as “The Watermelon Woman.” She then strives to learn more about the actress who played Elsie. One of the first places Cheryl looks is in the basement of her mother’s house. Cheryl tells the audience that her mother, played by Irene Dunye, who is Cheryl’s mother in real life, throws nothing away. She says that Irene’s filing system needs updating. Her mother tells her about the films she watched growing up in the 1930s and notes that she saw “Elsie” singing in some clubs.

Cheryl continues her dogged search by talking to a person with a collection of old Black films and then traveling to the local public library, likely the Free Library of Philadelphia. After perusing the stacks, she checks out as many books as she can and talks to the reference librarian, a White man who is played by David Rakoff. Wanting information about the Watermelon Woman, she encounters her first archival limit, which scholars Sue McKemmish, Michael Piggott, Barbara Reed, Frank Upward, Jocelyn Fenton Stitt, and Sarah Tyson define as barriers created when documents pass into the hands of archival institutions from those who created them, inhibiting attempts to use records to tell family stories and circumscribing efforts to reclaim records about enslaved people. [4]

The librarian dismissively tells Cheryl to check the “Black,” “film,” and “women” sections of reference books for information about the Watermelon Woman. With much prodding, he eventually searches his computer and identifies Martha Page as the film’s director, telling Cheryl that information about Page is on a reserve desk on another floor. Although reserve desks serve students and faculty with materials typically meant for university courses, Cheryl is given an exception and is able to access the relevant information for her research. Yet, she is still unsuccessful because the materials she looks at don’t have exactly what she is looking for.

© 2022 Burkely Hermann. All rights reserved.

Notes

[1] “SAA Core Values Statement and Code of Ethics,” Society of American Archivists, accessed February 20, 2022, https://www2.archivists.org/statements/saa-core-values-statement-and-code-of-ethics.

[2] Harmeet Kaur, “How Black Archives Are Highlighting Overlooked Parts of History and Culture,” CNN, February 19, 2022, https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/19/us/black-archivists-history-culture-cec/index.html.

[3] Nancy Tartaglione, “National Film Registry Adds ‘Return Of The Jedi’, ‘Fellowship Of The Ring’, ‘Strangers On A Train’, ’Sounder’, ‘WALL-E’ & More,” Deadline Hollywood, December 21, 2021, https://deadline.com/2021/12/national-film-registry-2021-list-star-wars-return-of-the-jedi-fellowship-of-the-ring-sounder-nightmare-on-elm-street-wall-e-1234890666/. The film is available for rent on platforms such as Vimeo, Hulu, Apple TV, Prime Video, and BFI. I watched it, using my library card, on Kanopy. It can be watched free of charge on the Internet Archive.

[4] Sue McKemmish, Michael Piggott, Barbara Reed, and Frank Upward, Archives: Recordkeeping in Society (Amsterdam, Netherlands: Elsevier, 2005), 205; Jocelyn Fenton Stitt, Dreams of Archives Unfolded: Absence and Caribbean Life Writing (New York: Rutgers University Press, 2021), 42; Sarah Tyson, Where Are the Women?: Why Expanding the Archive Makes Philosophy Better (New York, Columbia University Press, 2018), 148.

[elizabethplaid]

a drafted note - April 7, 2021

I've now had 3 former romantic-interests reach out and check on me in the past 6 months. Maybe I'm too entrenched my own bubble-world, but I don't understand why they're reaching out. We weren't that close; we drifted apart, sometimes even by my choice. I kinda understand the ex from 15 years ago, but not the other 2.

Is this part of growing older, the passage of time? People stop and reflect, then want to reach out before it's too late. No, because we don't say anything, don't solve anything. Anything of substance. There’s a status update, the mention of “I’ll message again later, take care”, and then no follow-up.

I have this figurine with an electric eye, and it plays music when it “sees” light. So anytime you pick it up, the music starts and won’t stop before the end of the song. These check-ins from lost contacts feel like someone has dug out the figurine, and I’m suddenly reminded of how startling that song-feature is. It was packed away, safe from light, with me happily forgetting it. Not a big deal in the long-run that it came back. But the silence was disturbed and the emotions, memories, and lack thereof came rushing back. Just a rock thrown in my pond.

Whenever someone has done this sort of check-in in the past, I’ve hated how I can’t trust them to stick around and keep talking. Now, I purposely don’t want to talk to them; those chapters of my life are closed to me and carry no interest. There’s no appeal to reconnecting.

My ex probably does care about my well-being, as he saw me through some of my worst anxiety attacks and mental health stuff. But it was short-lived puppy love of a 19-year-old girl. And neither of us were good for the other.

I don’t know what’s expected of me. Should I just say, “I’m dense/confused enough that I don’t know what you want of me. Please give me the parameters of this interaction, so I know how to navigate. What’s the goal? Why now? Why me?”

--------------- Finally posting in Feb 2024: Nothing much came of these interactions. I told one guy to not bother messaging me, as he had been doing it once a year with the same results.

For the record, we were still in quarantine and under masking mandates per covid at the time.

[skippyv20]

Hi Skippy & Friends-Pilgrim here discussing EARS again. I have not wanted to stray into this quagmire for a while but this photo made me sit up and question again if they have used Eugenie’s son as a stand in for Archie. They needed a younger actor while filming…hmmm.Check out the photos at Getty Images- type in her name and get to page 5…after the funeral photos. The ears on her son are like this…low on his head. Also, the ears on the child they use for Lilibet are also very low on the side of his/her head. The color of the hair is similar…reddish brown with grey blue eyes. August was born Feb 2021. The cousins were seen a year later at the Feb 2022 Superbowl in CA when she, Jack and I think they said August went to L. A.  

I checked the other images of boys the Harkle’s have presented and their ears are not this low. The boy sitting in his diaper when she rushed though reading the book for older kids…his ears are above this line as are those on the child with Rev. Tutu. The little boy at the 4th of July parade last year has much higher ear placement. So, perhaps this was a moment when Uncle Harold was keeping his guest’s child happy as they packed, explaining bags at the door and it was “conveniently” presented otherwise in the Netflix series. Just a thought…have a great day.

Over and out from a lovely Cape Cod.

Very interesting…great catch in suitcase….thank you😂😂😂😂😂

[mcalhenwrites]

I was trying to figure out which music I wanted to listen to while editing Geckos. Something light that goes well with its haunting story and automatons. I never really figured out what to listen to while writing Geckos, and it ended up being whatever. I wrote the first draft in a month (Feb 2021!), and I don't recall doing much else besides thinking about that story nonstop. Anyway, I thought about the alarm music I use on my phone. My alarm clock (for waking up and reminders about appointments and cat meds) is "She's Coming Back" from Xenosaga Ep III (Yuki Kajiura). Which is a fantastic soundtrack too, but my alarm for timers (for cooking times) plays "Requiem to a Predicament" from Valykrie Profile (Motoi Sakuraba). I try to play tolerable music on my alarms and ring tones, otherwise it just causes me anxiety and is especially bad if I happen to have sensory overload. Though for strangers calling, I play Tales of Symphonia battle music (currently "Fatalize" but I might switch back to "Fighting of the Spirit" as a preference). Which I somehow slept through when the gynecologist called yesterday, which did not give me much faith since I slept with my phone at my pillow in case of a tornado warning. ;A; That said, I'm going with VP soundtrack for now, might play Xenosaga Ep 3 too. Will be editing Geckos long enough to play both, I'm sure, and then some. XD; Though I should check out some other soundtracks, newer ones, for games I haven't played but am interested in. Hmmm. Something that would meet the tone of the story. Y'all ready for Geckos to be published? :D (I know I am!)

[raitrolling]

2023 is another year in my decline of not being able to dedicate as much time as id like to art thanks to working full time, but hey at least i drew one thing a month

check out my 2023 writing summary instead its way more interesting lmao

jan | feb | mar | apr

may | jun | jul | aug

sept | oct | nov | dec

2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016

[proudfreakmetarusonikku]

so, i have this. interesting Exile kin memory, that's really funny if you think about it.

so, for one thing, i was in Exile for A Few Months (Late Nov. 2020-Early Feb. 2021), and Dream, upon getting thrown in jail, sent Punz messages basically going "Hey, uh, Tommy's still in Exile, do you think you could go check up on them? Maybe keep her in the Lab 'til I get back?" and Punz went "Uh...sure, man." now, you see, the thing about Punz is that they had Limits.

one of those Limits was child abuse!

so i want you to imagine for a moment: he shows up to Logstedshire, looking for me, only to find me nearly half-dead in the woods, delirious from sickness, and very clearly injured.

...yeah, they chose to take me back to the main area, despite my protests (because, keep in mind: Exile).

but, now imagine this with me, if you will:

you are a person on the server. specifically, you are Jack Manifold. things have been much more calm since Dream was put in jail. people can finally start to Do Shit without being constantly worried about The Green Bitch lurking in the shadows.

out of nowhere, you see Punz, the local mercenary, carrying this almost unconscious kid, who you've all believed has been dead since Christmas, and tells you "Hey, I found Tommy in the woods." they do not elaborate much from here, despite your questioning. they pretty much dump this, and i cannot stress this enough, half-dead, like we're talking On Death's Doorstep, kid who's delirious from pain and some sort of sickness, who is rambling on about how "Dream's gonna be so pissed when he gets back" on you before leaving. you still don't understand why he couldn't have just taken this kid over to someone like Tubbo, Ranboo, fuck, even Quackity, y'know, people who were actually close to them instead of you.

this kid threw you into lava and, from your perspective, didn't even try to help.

but...she's shivering. he can hardly even tell where he is, who you are. they're covered in bruises, cuts, scars, and she's got the worst black eye you think you've ever seen.

he doesn't look like he'll live long enough for you to get him over to Snowchester.

so...what else can you do? time to break out some blankets, Strong regen potions, and some soup. you also need to inform Tubbo of the...surprising news.

this'll be a Long couple of weeks.

(like, if you think about this, this is all rather sad and almost disturbing realistically speaking. but like. it's also really fucking funny if you think about it. like, Punz found me Practically Dying in the woods and instead of, y'know, Actually Helping with my injuries (they knew how potions and shit worked, i know that for a fact, as well as some basic first aid), they take me to Jack Fucking Manifold of all people and say "Alright here ya go your problem now." like. he cared about me, don't get me wrong, but like. That was Punz's first plan, apparently!)

Jack manifold be like “I said I’d be worse but Holy Shit”

[gerec]

Do you think any art or writing events are still happening in the Cherik fandom that might come up this year?

Hi Anon,

Last year, we had the following events happening in the X-Men fandom:

X-Men Rare Pairs 2022 - Feb/Mar X-Men Remix Madness 2022 - June X-Men Kink Meme 2022 - Sep/Oct Secret Mutant Madness 2022 - Nov/Dec

(This list doesn't include pan-fandom writing events like AU-gust or Whumptober etc.)

All of the above are both art and writing events; I run Rare Pairs and Remix and @jackyjango is the Mod for Kink Meme and Secret Mutant. In the past few years we've had interest spike up and down pretty dramatically:

Rare Pairs - 41 works (2020), 87 works (2021), 17 works (2022) Remix - 51 (2020), 21 (2021), 16 (2022) Kink Meme - 23 (2020), 39 (2021), 8 (2022) Secret Mutant - 25 (2020), 36 (2021), 7 (2022)

As you can see, we've had a big decrease in participation this past year, which leads me to believe that interest in fandom wide events continues to wane (this has been happening on average yr over yr). Speaking only for myself - it's unlikely I'll run Rare Pairs again (that's a fest for all pairings except the Cherik juggernaut, started so people could have a place to write for other faves besides the main ship). Remix...I'll wait and see and do an interest check later in the year. Will let Jacky speak to the other two events :D

(There used to be an X-Men Big Bang too but that hasn't happened in oh...more than 5 years at least I think.)

[up2123753]

Baroque Architecture

Peterhof Palace, Petergof

(the spruce) Definition:

“Baroque architecture is a highly opulent style of building, design and art.”

The Baroque style originated in the 17th century in Italy, before it spread throughout Europe and to the USA. According to thespruce.com, “Baroque architecture evolved in response to a tumultuous period that began in the 16th century”. After the chaos of the 16th century, leaders wanted to use buildings as a show of their power and wealth – they wanted to show off! The leaders’ desire was mainly prominent in the design of the Catholic churches. This style of architecture was inspired by the Romans, except they added modern aspects to create a “new fashion with an aim to show the might of the Catholic church” (world atlas).

“The emergence of Baroque architecture coincided with European colonialism” (world atlas), which works perfectly with the style’s specific aims. During this time lots of wealth was brought into art and design industries in order to help fund the development of the artistic styles and to help move forward towards a new era. These new funds helped to industrialize the economy and further support society.

The architects of the Baroque era were, as described by thespruce.com, “more theatrical” than those of the Renaissance.

(archute) Characteristics:

"Grandeur

Vivid ceilings with illusion effects

Contrast in design

Gilded statues

Pear-shaped domes

Irregular Shapes”

Diverse and complex

According to the Spruce the Baroque style had “subtle differences” within separate countries. Baroque was a popular style therefore, “locations altered the basic characteristics to suit their agenda and lifestyle” (thespruce). One of the particularly interesting characteristics of Baroque architecture is the deliberate unfinished look. This created confusion and question within viewers/ visitors’ minds – which leads further towards one of the aims of the Baroque style which was to “stimulate emotions and senses” (the collector) through its many designs.

For some more insight into the characteristics of Baroque architecture, check out this video: Baroque Architecture / Characteristics – famous buildings.

References:

“BAROQUE ARCHITECTURE / Characteristics - Famous Buildings.” Www.youtube.com, Apr. 2022, www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWd3d3SZQn0. Accessed 18 Mar. 2023.

Gilbert, Kimutai. “Petergof Palace, Petergof - an Excellent Example of Baroque Architecture.,” WorldAtlas, 13 June 2019, www.worldatlas.com/articles/what-is-baroque-architecture.html.

Iacob, Anisia. “9 Characteristics of Baroque Architecture (16th-18th Century).” TheCollector, 10 Aug. 2021, www.thecollector.com/baroque-architecture-characteristics/.

Mutuli, Ian. “Remarkable Baroque Buildings in Baroque Architecture.” Archute, 12 Apr. 2021, www.archute.com/baroque-architecture/#:~:text=Other%20notable%20features%20of%20Baroque%20architecture%20include%3A%201. Accessed 10 May 2023.

Thomann, Lauren. “What Is Baroque Architecture?” The Spruce, 2 Feb. 2022, www.thespruce.com/baroque-architecture-4797911.

WorldAtlas. “Characteristics of Baroque Architecture.” WorldAtlas, 3 Apr. 2017, www.worldatlas.com/articles/what-is-baroque-architecture.html.

---. “Characteristics of Baroque Architecture.” WorldAtlas, 3 Apr. 2017, www.worldatlas.com/articles/what-is-baroque-architecture.html.

[danicollinsauthor]

Hot Gossip!

Read | Buy I have some super spicy gossip about a pair of books you may or may not have heard or read about. I wrote them . Back in 2019, I was working with an agent who brought me an interesting opportunity. Entangled Publishing was looking for short, erotic, regency romances for an anthology. She asked me if I wanted to contribute something. I wrote a very racy story about a woman who spends a night with a duke to settle her husband’s debts. I was quickly told the publisher liked it and wanted to chat. Both my agent and I thought this was a multi-author project. To my shock, they were looking for one author to write all twelve stories. “Something for everyone,” they said. They didn’t all have to be romance, but they had to be super-spicy. The suggestion was made to publish it under ‘Anonymous.’ Since this project was a departure for me, writing historical, short stories, and very explicit, I embraced the disguise. I stepped out of my usual lane and wrote same-sex, thruples, menage, and nonbinary characters. It was titled Aphrodite in Bloom and came out in 2021. I waited with nail-biting suspense for the reviews. “All of the praise for this historical & erotic read! It came highly recommended to me, & for very good reason.” ~ 5 stars, Hannah on Goodreads Read | Buy By this time, they had asked for a second collection, which they wanted to call Fetish . Guess why? This project really stretched my wings. Instead of the Regency period, I went Victorian. Instead of staying in the UK, I set the stories around the globe. I had to restrict these stories to couples, though. Some are same-sex, but I found that the fetish itself became a third in every relationship. If these were novels, I would have had more room to explore those dynamics, but it wasn’t possible in a short story. The reviews were also very positive when that collection came out in 2022. “I thought Aphrodite in Bloom was full of sensual surprises, well folks… This is not the Victorian romance you’re used too. At all.” ~ 5 stars, Permanently Booked on Goodreads Why am I revealing now that I’m the author? A few reasons. First, I want you, my loyal reader, to know I have books out there that you might not have seen. If erotic romance with menage and fetishes is not your cup of tea, no problem! Give it a pass. But if you enjoy diverse, explicit historical romance, please check these out. My second reason for telling you is that the foreign rights for Aphrodite in Bloom were returned to me, so I’m self-publishing those stories in German. (The first one releases on Feb 6th!) Those covers have my name on them so it seemed silly to hide my identity from my English readers. Mostly, however, I wanted you to know about these collections because I’m really proud of these stories. I hope you’ll check them out and love them as much as I do.

[pghbabesonbikes]

2024 Frigid Bitch Training Rides

Tryin to prep for FBXI? Need to bone up on your cuts around the city? Gotta practice layering up in various weather conditions? Hopin’ to meet some FB vets race crews you might be able to slide into?

Every Sunday til race day we’ll be holding training rides around the city. Each week will ride the route of a previous Frigid Bitch. Full routes will likely feature stairs, cobbles, long flats, and a few steep hills. We will have multiple groups:

- A pace: fast drop ride with longer mileage and more elevation. Will regroup at the tops of long/steep hills but generally will not wait long for stragglers. ~16+ mph avg - B pace: ‘fit commuter’ pace, semi-drop, mid-level mileage and elevation. Will regroup at various points but may not wait for extended times. ~12-15 mpg avg - C pace: conversational social pace, no-drop, shorter routes, relatively few big hills. ~10-12 mph avg

If you are interested in leading or sweeping a pace group, please check out the 2024 Training Ride spreadsheet (includes route links!) and drop your name/email on the slot you wanna nab!

Routes are posted below - cue sheets are set up for most rides to make almost any/all of the features skippable if you’re not feeling it. Choose a route and pace that is challenging to you, and have fun bopping around the city seeing who you catch & who catches you!

All routes will also be posted as events on our Ride w GPS Club & Strava Club page

Two Frays Brewing will have space for bikes on their patio, outside heaters, indoor bathrooms, and hot drinks for sale. They’ll also have a couple new non-alcoholic beers (including a FRIGID BITCH SPECIFIC collab fundraiser NA!) on tap as well as their regular rotation. Stick around after the ride to hang out and compare ride recaps!

BEWARE: These rides are run in full Pgh Winter, so weather may mean routes take us over ice and snow. We may need to re-route mid ride depending on the conditions! Be ready for an adventure.

Start/finish: Two Frays Brewing - 5113 Penn Ave in Garfield

ROLLING TIMES (please arrive at least 15 min early!) B-pace: 12:30pm A-pace: 1:00 pm C-pace: 1:30 pm

Sunday Feb 4th - Frigid Bitch 2021

Full A-pace route: Takes us into the North Hills, from the Highland Park Br over to the Millvale softball fields. A steep climb up Geyer Rd takes us across mainly rolling roads to the observatory, where we’ll drop back down Perrysville punctuated with a short climb up (and then very much down) Federal. A climb to Polish Hill is next, topped by a city step loop and the beloved blast down Gold Way into Oakland to the bullet descent down Fifth. Birmingham, then Hot Metal, then the Greenfield Ave climb into Schenley Park. The finish is a residential roll through the East End.

B-pace route: Cuts out the trek across the HP Br and the roady north hills chunk, but tacks on some mileage (and a staircase!) heading up into Riverview. This B route is similar mileage to the full route, but with slightly less climbing. 

C-pace route: Piling on the mileage for C-pace this week but keeping the elevation down, the ride will head thru tried and true East End roads, a mild uphill pump on Wilkins/Beechwood, a lovely roll  through Schenley Park before one of the best winding downhills around. Sneak through Oakland and onto the cyclists’ best friend back alley (Gold Way) to pop out at the Melwood staircase, before dropping down into the Strip and practicing your stop and starts along Spring Way. The 16th St Bridge takes you over the river to the North Shore trail where you can relax until the one final uphill along the bike lane on 40th. Finish @ Two Frays and catch B&A group rolling in behind you!

A-pace route here

B-pace route here

C-pace route here

Sunday Feb 11th - Frigid Bitch 2022

Full A-pace route: We'll head down the cemetery drop to the trail, roll some gravel and hike over some train tracks, take railroad to the strip before crossing the 16th St Bridge into the North Shore and up some gorgeous steps (feat a fancy wheel rail!). From there it's a back-street shimmy to the penitentiary trail, a double-bridge cross over the Point, another trail! before we start climbing up into the south slopes. Get ready because this climb gets harder as you go, and ends on cobbles. Naturally we'll bomb back down to the Hot Metal Bridge, get on yet another trail up the hollow, hit the Joncaire cobbles and a staircase, and take the golf course up through Squirrel Hill. The fancy new Fern Hollow Bridge pops us out on Braddock Ave where we'll roll some gravel through Frick Park before shooting back to the start via Shadyside.

B-pace route: Identical to the A-pace route, except it cuts out the killer climb into the South Side Slopes! B-pace will keep on the trail instead, straight from Station Square to Hot Metal.

C-pace route: Almost all trail (Strip District, Station Square, South Side, Panther Hollow) until the Joncaire staircase into Squirrel Hill, Shadyside and back!

A-pace route here

B-pace route here

C-pace route here

Previous weeks:

Sunday Jan 7th - Frigid Bitch 2017

Full A-pace route: 2017 was the only year that the FB featured split timed checkpoints, reflected on this route by the double loop we make around the East End. Start with a quick up-and-down to the Bud Harris Cycling track (we’ll do a lap cuz why not), then a relatively flat long rev-up on our first hit of the East End before dropping down 31st St Br for the first real challenge: Rialto St (the easiest of the Dirty Dozen hills!). Take a breather thru the North Side til a nice steady climb up Brighton, a fun descent down Woods Run where we’ll take the Penitentiary Trail over the Duq Br to the Point. Back on that inescapable Eliza Furnace Trail to hit Phipps, then one last swing out to the East End to the Highland Park Reservoir.

B-pace route: Cuts out the steady climb up Brighton and the long way back on the Penitentiary Trail, heading thru downtown instead to catch the Eliza Furnace. Optional end of ride cut: anyone done before the HP Res can swing left on Coral from Negley and head straight back to Two Frays.

C-pace route: 10-mile no-drop loop through the East End, featuring 2 mild hills - short and punchy up Bunker Hill to the Highland Park Reservoir and a longer steady climb up Wilkins into Oakland.

A-pace route here

B-pace route here

C-pace route here

Full route cue sheet here

Sunday Jan 14th - Frigid Bitch 2018

Full A-pace route: Starts with some easy rolling hills through the East End before climbing up Stanton and descending to Butler St, where we’ll do a little back-roading before popping over to the rt 28 side of the Allegheny River and hoisting our bikes up the Troy Hill steps. Why stop there? More steps!: The West End Br pedestrian tunnel is next, taking us to the Station Square trail, to the South Side trail, across the Birmingham Br and up to the Hill District Water Tower. A final winding descent down Herron drops us at a final climb up Liberty and back to Two Frays.

B-pace route: Cuts out the West End Br and entire South Side chunk of the route. Instead, riders will take the 16th St Br and climb the backside of Polish Hill to the Water Tower. From there, the route drops down Blessing St to the Bloomfield Br - at the bottom of Blessing, hike your bike up the steps to the pedestrian over pass to access the Bloomfield Br sidewalk!  

C-pace route: From Two Frays to the Wheel Mill via the Neighborway, Negley and the East Liberty Ave bike lanes. Swing back around for a steady climb up and then down Stanton Ave to the Button, then back up to Two Frays via the Allegheny Cemetery.

A-pace route here

B-pace route here

C-pace route here

Full route cue sheet here

Sunday Jan 21th - Frigid Bitch 2019

Full A-pace route: Features some fun winding roady sections and some long climbs to city overlooks with glorious downhills. Start with a secret cut thru the Allegheny Cemetery, to a short steep cobbled hill on the outskirts of Chatham University, a quick offroad dip into Frick Park and a long time trial down Beechwood Blvd. A super fun fast windy downhill thru Schenley takes us back to Oakland, where a super fun straight blast down Fifth Ave stops on a dime to hike up the Mohawk St steps, turn around and cross the Birmingham Br. The South Side trail pops us out at a sidewalk slog up PJ McArdle to the most famous overlook, then drop down one of the nicest Dirty Dozen hills (Sycamore) to cut through downtown and back up to another overlook. Oops we’re going down a Dirty Dozen hill again! Suffolk takes us to East St, the trail, a really lovely pedestrian bridge to Herrs Island where we’ll off-road a little bit to the park at the point (not The Point). Once more over 31st but instead of Liberty-ing it back just yet, we’ve got some back roads (pothole alert) swooping us under the Bloomfield Br before we cut across Bloomfield back to Two Frays.

B-pace route: Cuts out the cemetery jaunt, the off-roading in Frick Park, replaces the bomb down Fifth Ave with a less dramatic but still fun bomb down Swineburn, keeps the Grandview Overlook climb but cuts out the Fineview Overlook climb.

C-pace route: Hit 5 checkpoints this week by sneaking down the Neighborway and Negley Ave to a cobbled climb up Murray Hill, then a quick out-and-back for a Frick Park choose-your-own-adventure (on/off bike) on the trail. Cut through Shadyside and swoop under the Bloomfield Bridge for a backroad pothole wonderland, then a one-two punch of bridges (30th&31st). A nice interim of flat trail before oh, it’s another bridge (40th) and a zig zag cut up Lawrenceville takes us back towards Two Frays. Optional cemetery add-on to hit the Boob Tomb for the  voyeuristic.

A-pace route here

B-pace route here

C-pace route here

Full route cue sheet here

Sunday Jan 28th - Frigid Bitch 2020

Full A-pace route: First, a descent - towards downtown, under the convention center, via the rainbow waterfall underpass. Then, a flat - to Bicycle Heaven, home of the Peewee Herman bike. Next, a climb - up the South Side slopes, to the St Michael’s Cemetery. From there, another descent! This time through a backway down to the park and back into the SS Flats. Hot Metal takes us back up thru the Hallow, clear across the East End, across the Highland Park bridge and up to the Aspinwall Firestation, at the foothills of another DD hill. Back across the river, a short steep climb to some city steps, then a long steady climb thru the cemetery brings us back to Two Frays.

B-pace route: Cuts out the Aspinwall Fire Station. Opts to climb Stanton instead, and drops down the hill to the take the Duncan St steps in reverse.

C-pace route: Dirty Jones returns for a short jaunt around the East End. Optional addition of the Highland Park loop.

A-pace route here

B-pace route here

C-pace route here

Full route cue sheet here

[recentlyheardcom]

DECATUR, Ga. (AP) — A suburban Atlanta woman has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for the 2021 murder of a 4-month-old who died after she placed him to sleep on his abdomen in the child care center she operated out of her basement.A judge sentenced Amanda Hickey, 48, on Friday after families of children she was accused of abusing gave emotional testimony against her.”I know that there is nothing I can say in words to take away their pain, except take responsibility and express extreme sorrow for what I’ve done,” Hickey told DeKalb County Superior Court Chief Judge LaTisha Dear Jackson, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “This is my legacy now.”Charlie Cronmiller was being cared for in Hickey's Little Lovey child care center when he died on Feb. 3, 2021. Hickey didn't check on him for more than two hours before finding him covered in vomit and not breathing. The infant was pronounced dead at a hospital.Hickey operated the child care center from the basement of her Dunwoody home. She initially told investigators that she put the baby down on his back, in line with state regulations, but that the child rolled over onto his abdomen. Security video, however, showed Hickey actually placed the infant facedown.Video showed her swinging other babies by their feet, slamming them into the ground, pulling their hair, pushing and tripping toddlers, and placing others in unsafe positions for sleep, prosecutors said. The victims ranged in age from 6 to 18 months.Hickey was licensed to care for six children, but prosecutors said 10 were inside her home the day Charlie died.She pleaded guilty Sept. 22 to seven counts of first-degree child cruelty, seven counts of reckless conduct, one count of second-degree child cruelty and three counts of battery. Hickey entered an Alford plea, which allows a person to maintain her innocence while acknowledging that it is in her best interest to plead guilty to charges of second-degree murder and second-degree child cruelty related to Cronmiller's death.“There is no remorse,” the baby's mother, Stephanie Cronmiller, told the court Friday. “The only thing she’s sorry about is that she got caught. I focus on forgiving myself because I chose her. How could I not think this was my fault?”Hickey was taken into custody immediately after the hearing. Jackson ordered that once Hickey is released from prison, she can’t have contact with the victims or any children younger than 13, and can’t gain financially from the case.

[tallmantall]

#JamesDonaldson On #MentalHealth – #Senior #Adults Suffer Greatest Increase As #U.S. #Suicides Near 50,000

By Diana Chandler,   ATLANTA (BP) — #Senior #adults suffered the largest increase in #suicides as nearly 50,000 #Americans killed themselves in 2022, the #CentersforDiseaseControlandPrevention (#CDC) said in its latest report. The 8 percent rise in #suicides among #adults 65 and older was the highest driver in #suicide deaths, the #CDC said, with 10,433 deaths in that age group alone. That’s compared to 9,652 #adults over 65 who killed themselves the previous year. #Suicide declined 8.4 percent among the youngest #Americans the #CDC tracks – ages 10-24 – falling from 7,126 to 6,529. The number counters recent reports of an increase in #mentalhealthstruggles among young #adults, and a concurrent call for ministry to address #mentalhealthconcerns among millennials and Gen Z. #James Donaldson notes:Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes.Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use.Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space.  #http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticleFind out more about the work I do on my 501c3 non-profit foundationwebsite www.yourgiftoflife.org Order your copy of James Donaldson's latest book,#CelebratingYourGiftofLife: From The Verge of Suicide to a Life of Purpose and Joy www.celebratingyourgiftoflife.com #Senior #adults, one of several Southern Baptist ministry specialties along with #youth ministry, have needed #mentalhealth assistance especially after the #COVID-19 #pandemic, the #AmericanAssociationofRetiredPersons (#AARP) reported. More than 45 percent of #adults 50 and older suffered from #anxiety, 34 percent lost interest in activities, and 31 percent suffered #depression or #hopelessness, the #AARP said in a study of 2,000 older #adults conducted Feb. 24 – March 1 of 2022. Overall, the #CDC tracked 49,449 #suicides among #Americans ages 10 and older in the numbers released August 10, a 2.6 percent increase from the 48,183 deaths in 2021. #Suicides briefly declined in 2019 and 2020 after consistently rising since 2000, but began rising again in 2021, the #CDC said. The increase underscores a “devastating #mentalhealthcrisis in #America,” U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murphy said upon the release of the latest numbers, which are provisional. “#Mentalhealth has become the defining public health and societal challenge of our time. Far too many people and their families are suffering and feeling alone,” Murphy said. “These numbers are a sobering reminder of how urgent it is that we further expand access to #mentalhealthcare, address the root causes of #mentalhealthstruggles, and recognize the importance of checking on and supporting one another.” Among other #CDC #suicide numbers: - #Suicide rose 6.6 percent among 45- to 64-year-olds, rising to 15,632 from the previous 14,668. - #Males outnumbered #females in #suicide deaths, 39,255 compared to 10,194. - #Whites, who accounted for 37,459 suicides, far outnumbered other #ethnic groups including #Blacks and #AfricanAmericans, 3,825; #Hispanics and #Latinos, 5,120; #Asians, 1,458, and #AmericanIndian or Alaska Natives, 650. Help for anyone suffering thoughts of #suicide is available through the #988Suicide&CrisisLifeline. Connect with a trained crisis #counselor by texting or calling #988, or connecting online at 988lifeline.org. Read the full article