all this is not more than we can deal with

She/her. 32. Interested in Tolkien, Les Miserables, Ninety-Three, Nirvana in Fire, Don Carlos, and history. Views are mine, not my employer's.

[lifeisyetfair]

One year since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine

Recommending four groups to donate to: 1. https://www.comebackalive.in.ua/home Come Back Alive or Back and Alive, a well-known and reliable group providing equipment to soldiers. They have been working for many years, before the scale of the war increased and the international community started paying attention.

2. https://voices.org.ua/en/ Voices of Children provides psychological and other aid to children affected by war. They have likewise been working with kids from war-affected Donbas even before 2022. They have a Patreon if you'd like to set up a monthly donation.

3. https://u24.gov.ua/ United 24, the official government platform raising funds for specific projects around the categories of military, medical, and reconstruction. Currently raffling off five signed Star Wars posters by Mark Hamill to donors until March 24th, in case you needed more incentive.

4. https://kyivpride.org/en/ Kyiv Pride fights for the rights of Ukrainian LGBTQ+ people, and if there's anything that annoys Putin more than Ukrainians or LGBTQ+ people, it's Ukrainian LGBTQ+ people. Included on the basis of both queer solidarity and annoying the hell out of that homophobic warmonger.

[lifeisyetfair]

I am adding Save Ukraine which has run successful missions to rescue kidnapped children who were deported to Russia. Many remain in captivity and it is so important to bring these kids, many of whom have family searching for them, home.

US tax deductible donations here. I recommend using that tax deductible link as PayPal appears to be not working well on May 24, 2023.

[sadhoc]

hey if you're not a mobility aid user, and you want a simple way to make public spaces more accessible to those of us who are, i have a tip for you:

push in your chairs when you get up from tables.

when people don't push in their chairs, people with bulky aids like wheelchairs and rollators can't get through. also a lot of people who use canes have wider gaits than able bodied people, and having a chair in the middle of their walking path is a real obstruction. while some of us are able to push chairs out of our way, a lot of us are not, and wind up boxed in/out because somebody didn't push in their chair.

so if you want to do something simple that can make a big difference in terms of like. navigating an outdoor food court or a cafe or what have you. push in your chairs.

[the-puffinry]

shhh please move slowly, a little bird is trying to cross your dashboard.

[michaelnordeman]

Blackbird/koltrast. Värmland, Sweden (March 31, 2023).

[lifeisyetfair]

HIIII BEAUTIFUL im so sorry to bother you but as you're one of the first aurthariana accounts i just encountered, i feel like i should ask you!!! there was this Tumblr blog that had a whole website dedicated to pdfs about arthuriana and mythology and also recommended books routinely to asks so could you pls tell me the blog name bc it's was the biggest name in Tumblr blogs arthuriana so pls pls pls pls

Happy to help. Possibly it was @fuckyeaharthuriana? See the Arthurian list of everything here: https://fuckyeaharthuriana.tumblr.com/post/617369522455855104/arthurian-list-of-everything But please don't address me as "beautiful," anon, you're not my wife. Thank you.

[currentlycryingaboutlancelot]

lancelot yelp review for that castle he stays in during knight of the cart

[currentlycryingaboutlancelot]

[mephistopheles]

midsummer: if the feudal strictness of your home kingdom can’t give you what you want, try going on an adventure guided by magical supernatural beings

macbeth: but not like that

hamlet: if you’re in a duplicitous violent world, your king and your peers and your girlfriend may lie to you, so only follow the advice of your steadfast best friend

othello: but not like that

as you like it: if you undergo a misfortune that causes you to hate your life in your city, give yourself a makeover and run away to the woods

timon of athens: but not like that

two gents: if you’re in love in italy, you can quickly and easily communicate important information via the verona postal service

romeo and juliet: but not like that

[warrioreowynofrohan]

I was thinking about fanfic and fanart (I write fanfic, I can’t draw at all) and the differences in the skills involved, and here’s my analogy:

Fanfic is like running; fanart is like swimming.

Most of us probably write something – I’m not talking fiction, I mean literally any words, posts, emails, DMs, texts, whatever – most days. Writing is one of our principal forms of communication (even more so since the invention of texting). So the fundamental skills, the building blocks, necessary to writing a story – putting words in sentences, putting sentences in paragraphs, fitting ideas together in a sequence, using grammar – are ones that we already possess, and use on regular basis.

This is why I analogize it to running. In terms of technique, running is a small modification of walking, and walking is something most people do every day. Running is harder to do than walking, and takes more effort to do well and consistently, just like writing a story can be harder than texting with a friend or writing a post, but there’s a shared foundational skillset. I didn’t write a word of fiction for about 15 years between my teens and my 30s and then just started writing fanfic.

Swimming, on the other hand, is something that most people need to be specifically taught to do. Parents (in my area) send their kids to swimming lessons, not walking lessons. You’re trained in specific skills. Because swimming is (again, for most people) not something you do every day that uses everyday skills – it’s a new thing that involves new skills. This is comparable to what fanart feels like to me – it’s a specific new skill that I would need to learn the technique of from the ground up. Once you have those skills, being good at swimming involves a lot of effort, just like being good at running.

This doesn’t mean that one is intrinsically ‘easier’ or ‘harder’ than the other. I don’t like running and I do like swimming (though I only swim occasionally and don’t run at all). But the learning curve for them feels distinctly different, and it’s why I’m so impressed by so much fanart.

[mayasaura]

I'm doing my part!!

[mayasaura]

I feel like it really adds something to know that this coffee shop was right next to the state capitol building. There is a non-zero chance one of these lattes ended up in the senate chamber.

[mayasaura]

Congratulations, you've unlocked the secret nerd bonus! I actually ended up texting a friend who specializes in the early Roman empire for advice on designing this special.

Honey and almond are pretty self-explanatory, as honey and nuts both figured heavily in Roman desserts. Cinnamon, meanwhile, means dead rich guy. It was insanely expensive to obtain, and the wealthiest of Romans used it to scent funeral pyres, so that the smell of burning cinnamon would cover the scent of cremation.

[lifeisyetfair]

@garland-on-thy-brow

[noughticalcrossings]

Don Carlo as The Onion Headlines (1/2)

Wiener Staatsoper 2024

[lifeisyetfair]

I genuinely fear we're running out of time to remove Trump before he becomes a completely entrenched, long-term dictator. War is exactly what he needs to achieve this. We already literally have a concentration camp for pregnant children, far from medical care to prevent them from getting abortions (San Benito). The only good news is the pushback against DHS acquiring warehouses for more camps. Every bit of local friction preventing ICE from getting more infrastructure matters.

But war will absolutely be used to crush dissent further, in addition to the intrinsic horror of unnecessary deaths. We have a president who doesn't hesitate to bomb schoolgirls to distract from his crimes and further entrench himself. Some basic things you can do to build your capacity to resist:

1) Call your reps. This seems inadequate, but your reps actually have selfish reasons to be concerned about Trump launching a war without their approval. Make it clear that you not only want a vote in Congress, but you expect them to actually vote "No." 80% of the country is against this war. We can't let them wait till some temporary good news to claim it's the will of the people. Appeal to their self-interest ahead of midterms if nothing else works.

2) Protest. No Kings 3 is March 28th, but there are undoubtedly protests happening before that. If we let Trump get away with this, he will never stop. If you've already been to protests, step up your involvement--help paint signs, print and distribute zines and Know Your Rights cards, train as a street medic or a safety marshal. Make clear that you oppose our leaders' aggression internationally as well as their repression at home.

3) Prepare for what's coming domestically. If you are not involved with local resistance networks, Indivisible is a low-barrier entry point and once you know people from your local group, you will find yourself in the know about all sorts of ICE watch trainings and other local activism. Through local activism, I've met socialists and anarchists working against the crackdown on immigrants, queer activists from the ACT UP era teaching us all how to protest, people fighting the good fight inside their faith communities, mutual aid folks and door-to-door canvassers and much more. People in Ohio are creating safe houses for their Haitian neighbors. Your local trans rights groups are doing important work as things escalate against them like in Kansas just now. Find any entry point and you'll meet others. 4) Download Signal if you don't already have it. Turn off location data on your phone. Read up on what they did in Minneapolis with neighborhood chats. Carry a whistle. Organize your block--this can be as simple as inviting people over for an IRL pizza night to get to know who's who. Go to trainings and build your skills. Talk to people. Practice being brave.

These are small, small things, but we need to build our civic muscles fast. If you're already doing bigger things and this post is useless to you, take the next step from where you are. If we want to save ourselves and others, we must all step up. The networks we need exist, and where they don't, the first step to making them is finding the neighbors you will make them with.

As Eleanor Roosevelt said: You must do the thing you think you cannot do.

[garland-on-thy-brow]

Sky Defense: Donate to Protect Ukrainian Skies | UNITED24

Donate to air defenses: drones, electronic warfare devices, vehicles for mobile air defense units, and other equipment that can intercept ru

"We’re not planning to just sit and watch in silence as russian munitions try to level our cities. As always, Ukraine is going to fight and resist — hopefully, with your continuous support. To help with that, we are launching Sky Defense, a major campaign that will direct our efforts and the entire Defense program’s focus into one difficult, but essential goal: protecting Ukrainian skies and everything below them from russian drones and missiles.

For this, we’ll need everything that can help: drones, more drones, electronic warfare devices, transport for our air defense units, and advanced technology that our military and engineers invent. This will be procured with the funds raised via our updated (Sky) Defense program and eventually help build up an air shield, protecting Ukraine. We also hope that you’ll become a part of this ambitious project — right when it is as crucial as ever.

From now on, you can become a regular donor, supporting Ukraine’s defense efforts via UNITED24 monthly. For the first time since our launch, we’re making recurring donations to the armed forces an option. And we would really appreciate it if you try it and subscribe to Sky Defense — even if for a symbolic amount. As we have always said, there’s no such thing as a small donation; together, many small contributions can make a huge difference. And when these contributions come regularly — they become something Ukraine can rely on constantly."

[derring-do]

Opera Streams: Early-Mid March 2026

1st: [Previously postponed, not 100% confirmed but on the website] Verdi's Luisa Miller from Wiener Staatsoper. Featuring Nadine Sierra, Freddie De Tommaso, and Roberto Tagliavini. Free! Canceled alas

4th: Bizet's Carmen from Malmö Opera. Featuring Claudio Ribas, Matthew White, and Luthando Qave. Rental.

5th: Verdi's Nabucco from Wiener Staatsoper. Featuring Anna Netrebko, Amartuvshin Enkhbat, and Ivan Magrì. Free (with registration)!

6th: Dusapin's Antigone from the Paris Philharmonie. Featuring Christel Loetzsch, Anna Prohaska,and Tómas Tómasson. Free!

7th: Nicole Car Masterclass from Opera for Peace. Free!

8th: Ponchielli's La Gioconda from Gran Teatre del Liceu. Featuring Saioa Hernández, Michael Fabiano, John Relyea, and Violeta Urmana. Rental or season subscription.

8th: The Victoria de los Ángeles Centennial Gala from Gran Teatre del Liceu. Featuring a group of sopranos and mezzos, including Joyce DiDonato, Louise Alder, Marina Viotti, and Juliana Grigoryan, singing de los Ángeles's favorite arias and lieder. Free!

12th: Mozart's La Clemenza di Tito from Wiener Staatsoper. Featuring Emily D'Angelo, Hanna-Elisabeth Müller, and Katleho Mokhoabane. Free (with registration)!

[Technically, Midsummer at Teatro Real could show up during these two weeks but I guarantee it won't. Look for it in the next post - it's got a great cast]

Archive notes: Stage+ adds the 2022 Met Lucia di Lammermoor with Nadine Sierra on the 7th. Ooppera Baletti Finland recently added their 2021 La Traviata. Readers may also be interested in a concert-documentary from Bruno de Sá on the 8th.

[lifeisyetfair]

One year since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine

Recommending four groups to donate to: 1. https://www.comebackalive.in.ua/home Come Back Alive or Back and Alive, a well-known and reliable group providing equipment to soldiers. They have been working for many years, before the scale of the war increased and the international community started paying attention.

2. https://voices.org.ua/en/ Voices of Children provides psychological and other aid to children affected by war. They have likewise been working with kids from war-affected Donbas even before 2022. They have a Patreon if you'd like to set up a monthly donation.

3. https://u24.gov.ua/ United 24, the official government platform raising funds for specific projects around the categories of military, medical, and reconstruction. Currently raffling off five signed Star Wars posters by Mark Hamill to donors until March 24th, in case you needed more incentive.

4. https://kyivpride.org/en/ Kyiv Pride fights for the rights of Ukrainian LGBTQ+ people, and if there's anything that annoys Putin more than Ukrainians or LGBTQ+ people, it's Ukrainian LGBTQ+ people. Included on the basis of both queer solidarity and annoying the hell out of that homophobic warmonger.

[lifeisyetfair]

I am adding Save Ukraine which has run successful missions to rescue kidnapped children who were deported to Russia. Many remain in captivity and it is so important to bring these kids, many of whom have family searching for them, home.

US tax deductible donations here. I recommend using that tax deductible link as PayPal appears to be not working well on May 24, 2023.

[lifeisyetfair]

Four years since the full-scale invasion. Ukraine is still hanging in there, fighting to defend their independence against an imperialist attack, and still needs our support. Above are some donation opportunities. Some support civilians, some military, some help kidnapped or refugee children, some support queer community in the face of war. Please consider donating to one today.

[fullest-circlest]

If you're writing 18th century dialogue, this website lets you search words and phrases to double-check whether they were in use & meant what you intend. It doesn't include every period-accurate use of a word/phrase, but it certainly helped me separate genuine 18th century grammar from the vague tangle of 💬old-fashioned fancy-speak💬 I've internalized from TV and video games.

[my-deer-friend]

Other websites that let you do this:

Johnson's Dictionary Online (thanks @yellowbelliedtoad!) – 1755 and 1773

Green's Dictionary of Slang – 1300s to today

A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue – 1788

Feraud's Dictionaire critique de la langue française – 1778

[zisurru]

A dictionary of the English and Italian languages by Giuseppe Baretti is a bilingual dictionary from 1790!

[lifeisyetfair]

Tennyson on two items of news in 1870: the codification of papal infallibility by the incredibly fallible Pope Pius IX, and the conscription of the actor who played Jesus in the Oberammergau Passion Play into the Prussian army during the Franco-Prussian war.

THE CHRIST OF AMMERGAU They made the old Pope God - Which God, if He will, may pardon - And Christ stepped down from the cross, Christ came out of the garden. They made the old Pope God While God was rolling his thunder, And Christ came out from Ammergau To massacre, burn, and plunder. Christ came out from the Play- Children, love one another! - In bitter earnest out he came To mash the skull of his brother. Went to slay and be slain, Arm'd with his gun and his sabre, To show the world he loved himself No better than his neighbour. 'Lebe der Konig!' 'Vive la guerre!' Let the brother mangle his brother, For, O little children, we see by this What love ye bear one another.

[lifeisyetfair]

For those who were at @barricadescon and listened to my and @thearrogantemu's Ninety-Three panel and translation excerpt, I wanted to let you know that David Bellos, author of The Novel of the Century, finished a translation of Ninety-Three just before his death in November this year at age 80, and it will be published by Penguin Classics.

So far I only see UK preorders, but very excited to see a modern translation from one of the great French-English translators. Ninety-Three was also Hugo's last novel so that's fitting.

[lifeisyetfair]

UK cover! https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/468148/ninety-three-by-hugo-victor/9780241744055