Please remind your representatives for all parties to do their jobs. Don't let them sleep because the rest of us can't either.
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.
How lovely to learn who this person is that we listen to and warned us to be safe on the subway. Voices that I hope we never let AI generation to replace.
HEY HEY LISTEN THE VOICE OF THE MTA TRANSIT SYSTEM, ALL THE ANNOUNCEMENTS ON THE NYC SUBWAY LINE??
SHE'S A TRANS WOMAN AND TRANSITIONED AT 66!!!!!! THE BACKGROUND HUM OF MY CHILDHOOD, AND SHE'S LIKE ME!!!! WHAT THE FUCK
So thankful for a fresh new story. This was great.
Beef (2023) + Ending Episode Needle Drop
Love to the mars rovers family!
Haven't seen anything about Ingenuity on tumblr yet, so I guess I'll make a post about it
Ingenuity (sometimes called Ginny) was an companion craft to Perseverance, one of the rovers currently on Mars. As opposed to any of the past rovers, however, Ingenuity was a rotorcraft intended to fly above Mars' surface.
After landing on Mars in February of 2021 and completing its first flight on April 19th, 2021, Ingenuity became the first aircraft to fly on another planet. Its original goal was only 5 flights, but it well surpassed that number, logging 72 flights with over two hours of in-air time.
On January 18th, 2024, Ingenuity lost contact with Perseverance midway through a flight, and a few days later, NASA had confirmation that the rotors were damaged, leaving Ingenuity incapable of flight.
So long, Ingenuity. You did so much <3
Source:
becoming a parent has made me think about these things. especially online presence stuff. definitely need to do some social media cleanup now vs later. less online store accounts. just less accounts as much as possible. there's just so much... digital trash out there now and i don't want my kid to have to worry about it.
Hey you know how I said I was going to make a workbook on the kind of bullshit you need to do when someone you love dies? I actually did that.
HERE IS THE VERSION WITH LOTS OF SWEARING AT THE USELESS, SHITTY SITUATION YOU’RE IN.
HERE IS THE VERSION WITH A FAIR AMOUNT OF BLACK HUMOR BUT NO CURSEWORDS.
Featuring Helpful Sections such as:
Death Certificates – What you need, why you need them, and how to get them
Prepare to spend a long and miserable time on the phone
What the Everloving Fuck is Probate
Some Simple Dos and Don’ts
Shitty Mad Libs – Templates for writing Obituaries and Memorials
How to plan a non-religious death party
So you suddenly have to become some sort of hacker or some shit
This is an eighteen page book that you can print out, download, share, and give away; it is meant to be used to collect information about funeral planning and account management after a death OR you can use it BEFORE you die and give people information so they’re not stuck playing Nancy Fucking Drew while trying to keep seventeen cousins who crawled out of the woodwork from gutting each other in front of the fucking casket as they argue about who’s inheriting grandma’s favorite dentures.
It’s not exactly cheerful and it’s full of things that are probably going to feel really fucking raw if you’re processing a fresh death.
I’m sorry! I love you! Death is shitty! I’m trying to laugh about it a little and I hope you can laugh a little too because otherwise we’re all just going to cry together.
Good luck!
(in memory of my weirdo mother and her weirdo siblings who all died too fucking young and left me holding this flaming bag of dogshit)
I've been going to Magfest since 2013 (even 2020). I was actually nervous to go because the mask requirement was removed. The tickets sold out, so way more people attending. But I wore the mask for myself, which was fine, and I was actually able to do things, like play games without waiting forever.
I learned vinyl and cassettes are back for new music! I didn't buy any because I didn't have a chance to sample the music before buying.
I've been to several cons, but this one by far is my favorite because of all the things you can do and enjoy in a weekend. Looking forward for next year.
Let's keep going.
Ben, think about your daughter.
Think about her as a teenager. And she comes to you. "Daddy, I need your help. I'm pregnant. And it was an adult you know."
Or think about her as woman, happily married and she tells you that you will be a grandfather. But several months in, the fetus isn’t viable. "Daddy, I need your help, the doctors won't do anything until I'm the one dying." As she's left in pain for hours or days as her body rejects the fetus without medical support.
And the only response you have is, "I did this to you too."
Or like a hypocritical coward you run her to a state that protected her body autonomy because you made yourself rich bamboozling people into your toxic rhetoric. At the end, your daughter still suffered your actions.
Hi. I found out that Automattic bought Tumblr from Verizon, so I figured it might be fun to come back. I actually self host a Wordpress as well and I was looking into Write Freely recently. No idea which one I’ll stick with in the end. At least it’s fun to see what’s happening here now.