René Lalique, Diadem Of Pearls, Diamonds, Gold And Enamelwork, Ca. 1903 (Schmuckmuseum Pforzheim)

NBC News

The Onion wins Alex Jones' Infowars in bankruptcy auction

The satirical newspaper plans to shutter Jones’ InfoWars and rebuild the website featuring well-known internet humor writers and content cre

This is significant. The Onion, who hands down has been one of the best satires available making poignant articles even with humor bought out one of the worst propaganda machines out there. If you really don't know who Alex Jones is, he's the evil guy who tormented the families who lost little kids when they were murdered in their school in 2012. This vile human kept accusing these families of being actors and faking the whole thing to the extent that people who listened to his show, purposefully harassed these families. Even just thinking about this again has me sobbing.

Every time there is another mass shooting, The Onion also posts their now infamous article 'No Way to Prevent This,' Says Only Nation Where This Regularly Happens.

This guy and his "media empire" deserves to be torn apart. But it's not the end goal. It's just another battle against misinformation and violence in this country. But it's a win.

Losing the centricity of the main community sucks. But there are other groups starting something. I follow the reddit as the next big community and from there people post discords or other sites. I was actually hoping to find some community on Tumblr too.

I think after participating on and off every year since 2008, I'm OK growing out of it. Then getting into my daily word count year round phase to really embrace writing as a hobby.

This month has been a little weird, because in the past it's been the point of time where me and a few others ramp up for NaNoWriMo event planning.

I decided not to be an ML this year - I'm one of the many breakaway regions forging ahead with an independent event for our writers - but several people had been hoping to work with HQ again, and seeing the chatter around that is sad because it looks like NaNo isn't letting it happen.

Last year at this point, everyone who had volunteered to be an ML had been given instructions for this year, and links to order ML kits (usually the annual stickers). We'd get instructions in Aug on how to update digital spaces for the new year, and were encouraged to start scheduling events.

But it's Aug 1st and HQ has never even asked if anyone wants to volunteer this year. It's looking more and more likely that they have canned the entire Municipal Liason program, and if you don't have MLs what's the point of regions? If the community aspect of NaNo is going away, is it just a website now?

What made NaNo awesome was the other writers I'd hang out with on zoom or coffee shops.

I thought i had already grieved my time with NaNo, it had headed down a path I didn't want to follow and I had put so much energy into it. I'm building something new now even! But it's still so, so sad to think that it's just not my participation that has ended, but an entire program. And soon, I suspect, an entire organization.

NaNo is running on fumes, spiraling down and alienating so much of its old user base due to poor management and communication. Will it even run in November, I'm not entirely sure. I don't know if the donations they've received coverage servers fees.

Writers might have to do NaNo, or just write a draft in November, solo and that sounds so sad. I've only ever won because of my community (my region had at least 20 events scheduled in November).

I'd encourage people to reach out to old regions if you can - see if there's a grassroots community it morphed into. Or just any writing community - mine is hybrid now and all our writing events in November will have zoom options.

I hoped maybe the new HQ would build something that would work for someone, but i have a sneaking suspicion that it won't. NaNoWriMo might just become something like NoShaveNovember or Dry January. A thing you do, but no official community.

Feeling real bummed about this, because i volunteered with NaNo for 5 years and wrote for 12.

NaNoWriMo is coming. The holidays are a thing that I feel conflicted over. But a month long event that I can really make my own, is something I look forward to.

At the moment is my internal debate on starting a new story or picking up where I was last with a previous story. I really want to finish one of my stories and I'm not feeling so inspired with something new.

This is around the time I dig into my hard drive and rediscover my work. It's a bit of inspiration for myself. I don't really edit but I reflect on who I was then and think if it inspires me again today.

NaNoWriMo 2023

Made it past 3k at least...

Fred Rogers Acceptance Speech - 1997