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dine) wrote2025-11-05 11:25 pm
dine) wrote2025-11-05 11:25 pm
courtney (sonofgodzilla) wrote2025-11-06 05:35 am
sonofgodzilla) wrote2025-11-06 05:35 am
Entry tags:
Nogizaka Neighbourhood Notice #11: Yumiki Nao
Blink and you will have missed her, but in episode #6 of Kamen Rider Zeztz, Yumiki Nao made a small appearance.
Like Hayashi Runa, Naochan is a member of Nogizaka46's fourth generation, dropping out of university so she could attend the 2018 auditions and debuting as a member of the kenshusei in September 2019, the same year that Hiragana Keyakizaka was split form Nogizaka's original sister group. By February the following year, two weeks or so after her birthday, Naochan was promoted to the group's regular members along with her other fourth generation peers. Perhaps, though, 2022 was the real moment that a wider audience began to take notice of Naochan as Nogizaka's thirtieth single, Suki to Iu no wa Rock daze! arrived, with Naochan in the senbatsu—although she didn't quite make it to the jyuuichi fukujin. What's the jyuuichi fukujin, Courtney, I hear you ask and the answer to that is simple; like AKB's "media senbatsu" during the height of the group's popularity, the jyuuichi fukujin is a senbatsu within the senbatsu, the absolute eleven most popular members, membership of which is outshone only by the position of centre, which in this case was occupied by Kaki Haruka, also of the fourth generation. The more and more popular a 48/46 group is, the more the senbatsu will subdivide for singles, and I'm convinced that if Nogizaka had not peaked and then began a slow decline as it began to be passed over in affections for its sister groups around this time, we would eventually have seen singles with the senbatsu divided into smaller and smaller and more elite groups until we ended up with ni fukujin.
This subdivision has been around in Nogizaka since shortly after the group's debut, making it arguably harder to make a name for yourself in despite the increased popularity of the group. The smallest subdivision we have had thus for was the go fukujin, the five "lucky gods," on Kizuitara Kataomoi.
I digress.
From the thirtieth single onwards, Naochan was in the senbatsu, making it as far as the jyuuichi fukujin for 2024's Chance wa Byoudou, and since then she has become a regular face in Nogizaka's line up, something that has enabled her to build her own career on stage and on television with moments like this little cameo in Zeztz and in music videos for bands like Kuroneko Chelsea—who I once saw play in Tower Records in Shibuya.
It feels strange to talk about being in the senbatsu as not the huge thing that AKB has educated me to feel that it is, but I really believe we will see Naochan amongst the fukujin more and more as she continues to build upon her established success. Being the second eldest of seven children, I feel that Naochan knows something about both staying the distance and making the most of opportunities to stand out.
A former classmate of Arai Hitomi from TOKYO GIRLS' STYLE, Naochan has been actively making her mark since high school. We're definitely going to see more of her soon!
Like Hayashi Runa, Naochan is a member of Nogizaka46's fourth generation, dropping out of university so she could attend the 2018 auditions and debuting as a member of the kenshusei in September 2019, the same year that Hiragana Keyakizaka was split form Nogizaka's original sister group. By February the following year, two weeks or so after her birthday, Naochan was promoted to the group's regular members along with her other fourth generation peers. Perhaps, though, 2022 was the real moment that a wider audience began to take notice of Naochan as Nogizaka's thirtieth single, Suki to Iu no wa Rock daze! arrived, with Naochan in the senbatsu—although she didn't quite make it to the jyuuichi fukujin. What's the jyuuichi fukujin, Courtney, I hear you ask and the answer to that is simple; like AKB's "media senbatsu" during the height of the group's popularity, the jyuuichi fukujin is a senbatsu within the senbatsu, the absolute eleven most popular members, membership of which is outshone only by the position of centre, which in this case was occupied by Kaki Haruka, also of the fourth generation. The more and more popular a 48/46 group is, the more the senbatsu will subdivide for singles, and I'm convinced that if Nogizaka had not peaked and then began a slow decline as it began to be passed over in affections for its sister groups around this time, we would eventually have seen singles with the senbatsu divided into smaller and smaller and more elite groups until we ended up with ni fukujin.
This subdivision has been around in Nogizaka since shortly after the group's debut, making it arguably harder to make a name for yourself in despite the increased popularity of the group. The smallest subdivision we have had thus for was the go fukujin, the five "lucky gods," on Kizuitara Kataomoi.
I digress.
From the thirtieth single onwards, Naochan was in the senbatsu, making it as far as the jyuuichi fukujin for 2024's Chance wa Byoudou, and since then she has become a regular face in Nogizaka's line up, something that has enabled her to build her own career on stage and on television with moments like this little cameo in Zeztz and in music videos for bands like Kuroneko Chelsea—who I once saw play in Tower Records in Shibuya.
It feels strange to talk about being in the senbatsu as not the huge thing that AKB has educated me to feel that it is, but I really believe we will see Naochan amongst the fukujin more and more as she continues to build upon her established success. Being the second eldest of seven children, I feel that Naochan knows something about both staying the distance and making the most of opportunities to stand out.
A former classmate of Arai Hitomi from TOKYO GIRLS' STYLE, Naochan has been actively making her mark since high school. We're definitely going to see more of her soon!
chomiji (chomiji) wrote2025-11-06 12:12 am
chomiji) wrote2025-11-06 12:12 am
Drive-By Wednesday Reading: The Rose Field ~and~ Dead Hand Rule
Wow, there have been a lot of fantasy sequels/series volumes out these past few weeks.
The Rose Field, the final installment of the second trilogy (called The Book of Dust) of Philip Pullman's series about Lyra Belacqua, was a compelling read, a frequently violent road trip that has side quests into fantastic set pieces, but it was ultimately pretty dissatisfying for me. The ending didn't stick the landing: I kept thinking, "But what about Plot Point X? And Plot Point Y?" etc. And these aren't trivial issues, either.
I'm currently reading Dead Hand Rule, the latest volume of Max Gladstone's Craft Wars series. So far it's mostly about the heroes of the first series coming together in the city of Alt Coulomb to gather allies for a push again the current Big Bad, whose rise to power was told in the first two books. It's good to see Tara Abernathy, Kai Pohala, Caleb Altemoc, Abelard (yay!), and Cat Elle (yay!) again. Mostly everyone is having regrets about their actions thus far and dealing with difficult potential allies, including some previous foes. I'm waiting for the storyline to start hitting on all cylinders, and hopeful that it will eventually do so.
Next up will be the latest Penric and Desdemona novella by Lois McMaster Bujold, "Testimony of Mute Things," which I understand will be a dive backward into Penric and Des' shared past.
Travis (torachan) wrote2025-11-05 08:21 pm
torachan) wrote2025-11-05 08:21 pmEntry tags:
Daily Happiness
1. Prop 50 passed! Apparently it was so overwhelming they basically announced it as soon as the polls closed lol. I kept seeing other various wins in other states throughout the day, too. It's been so nice to have a day that's just good political news rather than crushing despair, you know?
2. I have now been tasked with helping our transition to a new warehouse management software as well as our inventory management software, though I am just an advisor for the former, rather than project manager, so I won't have a whole lot of work to do with it, but they've just started initial meetings, so my involvement now is high. Today was an all-day meeting at the warehouse itself, so that was fun. Tomorrow is all day, too, but I'm joining from home, so at least I won't need to leave the house by 8am like I did today. I'm getting up a lot earlier these days (I think I woke up at 6:15 today), so it's still plenty of time to do my morning routine (chores, breakfast, take a walk, use the exercise machine), but definitely feels a bit more rushed than I'd prefer.
3. They posted the holiday foodie guides for Disneyland & DCA and Festival of Holidays. I'm kind of disappointed with the Festival of Holidays offerings this year as it's mostly repeats, though there's definitely stuff we're looking forward to. Lots of good stuff in the main menus, though.
4. My Jasper guy!
2. I have now been tasked with helping our transition to a new warehouse management software as well as our inventory management software, though I am just an advisor for the former, rather than project manager, so I won't have a whole lot of work to do with it, but they've just started initial meetings, so my involvement now is high. Today was an all-day meeting at the warehouse itself, so that was fun. Tomorrow is all day, too, but I'm joining from home, so at least I won't need to leave the house by 8am like I did today. I'm getting up a lot earlier these days (I think I woke up at 6:15 today), so it's still plenty of time to do my morning routine (chores, breakfast, take a walk, use the exercise machine), but definitely feels a bit more rushed than I'd prefer.
3. They posted the holiday foodie guides for Disneyland & DCA and Festival of Holidays. I'm kind of disappointed with the Festival of Holidays offerings this year as it's mostly repeats, though there's definitely stuff we're looking forward to. Lots of good stuff in the main menus, though.
4. My Jasper guy!
cofax7 (cofax7) wrote2025-11-05 08:11 pm
cofax7) wrote2025-11-05 08:11 pmWednesday Reading
Just finished: Emily of New Moon, on audiobook from Librivox. Dean Priest is sketchy as shit from Day One. Teddy is white-bread. Ilse and Perry at least have personalities. And Jimmy is darling.
Currently reading: Number 5 of the Dungeon Crawler Carl (slowly), and I'm partway through the audiobook of Jamaica Inn by Daphne duMaurier, which is hella gothic and really well-written. I'm mildly entertained by DCC but I cannot keep all the fancy spells in my brain and the body count is pretty excessive (especially once you know that all the NPCs are real people!)
Up Next: The Nameless Land by Kate Elliott, sequel to The Witch Roads. Happily it's available on Bookshop.org DRM-free, so I could download it and sideload it onto my Kindle.
*+*+*
In other news, work is insane and and and. But at least Prop 50 passed, and at least some of the Dems are figuring out that we need them to FIGHT BACK. But this shutdown sucks. I can't be more specific than that.
Bah.
Currently reading: Number 5 of the Dungeon Crawler Carl (slowly), and I'm partway through the audiobook of Jamaica Inn by Daphne duMaurier, which is hella gothic and really well-written. I'm mildly entertained by DCC but I cannot keep all the fancy spells in my brain and the body count is pretty excessive (especially once you know that all the NPCs are real people!)
Up Next: The Nameless Land by Kate Elliott, sequel to The Witch Roads. Happily it's available on Bookshop.org DRM-free, so I could download it and sideload it onto my Kindle.
*+*+*
In other news, work is insane and and and. But at least Prop 50 passed, and at least some of the Dems are figuring out that we need them to FIGHT BACK. But this shutdown sucks. I can't be more specific than that.
Bah.
dialecticdreamer (dialecticdreamer) wrote2025-11-05 11:09 pm
dialecticdreamer) wrote2025-11-05 11:09 pm
Entry tags:
#39 Ed’s Worries (part 1 of 1, complete)
Ed’s Worries
By Dialecticdreamer/Sarah Williams
Part 1 of 1, complete
Word count (story only): 1174
[Sunday, May 10, 2020, midafternoon]
:: On the walk home, Ed’s worries spill out. Part of the Edison’s Mirror universe. ::
Back to Warnings and Weirdness, part 2
To the Edison's Mirror Index
On to
The grass crunched as the trio walked single file along the narrow, almost shoulderless ribbon of black tarmac. None carried plants, nor a pack of seeds. Ed, walking behind Vic and ahead of Aidan, coughed to clear his throat. “I don’t know if I like this place anymore,” he began. His voice shook. “Vic… do you still have the energy to get us out of here?”
Vic rubbed the back of his neck. “Once. Definitely not twice. But Ed, we could end up somewhere much, much worse.”
“They’re not targeting you,” the preteen snapped. “You met Laina more properly than I did. I saw her at the same time that you did, but you talked to her, alone.” Ed threw his hands up. “People keep threatening us, and I’m fed up with it!”
( Read more... )
By Dialecticdreamer/Sarah Williams
Part 1 of 1, complete
Word count (story only): 1174
[Sunday, May 10, 2020, midafternoon]
:: On the walk home, Ed’s worries spill out. Part of the Edison’s Mirror universe. ::
Back to Warnings and Weirdness, part 2
To the Edison's Mirror Index
On to
The grass crunched as the trio walked single file along the narrow, almost shoulderless ribbon of black tarmac. None carried plants, nor a pack of seeds. Ed, walking behind Vic and ahead of Aidan, coughed to clear his throat. “I don’t know if I like this place anymore,” he began. His voice shook. “Vic… do you still have the energy to get us out of here?”
Vic rubbed the back of his neck. “Once. Definitely not twice. But Ed, we could end up somewhere much, much worse.”
“They’re not targeting you,” the preteen snapped. “You met Laina more properly than I did. I saw her at the same time that you did, but you talked to her, alone.” Ed threw his hands up. “People keep threatening us, and I’m fed up with it!”
( Read more... )
FandomWeekly Mod (fanweeklymod) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
fandomweekly2025-11-05 10:27 pm
fanweeklymod) wrote in fandomweekly2025-11-05 10:27 pmEntry tags:
[Amnesty #028] Kickoff Post
| AMNESTY WEEK #028 Challenges # 001-280 |
Amnesty Weeks are a chance to post any stories you've written that, for whatever reason, weren't submitted during that week's challenge. And if you can't get the entries you want in during this Amnesty, never fear! The next one will include challenges 001-290, so you'll never miss out. There's no voting for amnesty entries, and there's no limit on how many you can post, so long as each entry meets the usual community requirements (less than 1000 words, not NC-17, etc.) If, however, you manage to end up with 30 of the things you want to post, try to spread them out through the week for the sake of people's reading pages. These entries may also be crossposted and previewed anywhere you like, since there’s no voting to skew. At the end of this two-week window, a post will be made collecting all the links of the posted entries, which will also signal the end of the posting period, and a new regular challenge will go up. Entries are titled the same way as normal: [#] Story Title (Fandom) |
| Amnesty posting ends Wednesday, November 19 at 9:00PM EST • Post your submission as a new entry using the template in the profile • Tag these entries as: amnesty 028, plus the challenge's theme tag • For questions about Amnesty Week entries, please ask them here |
FandomWeekly Mod (fanweeklymod) wrote in fandomweekly2025-11-05 10:25 pm
fanweeklymod) wrote in fandomweekly2025-11-05 10:25 pmEntry tags:
[#280 | Trick or Treat] Results Post
Here are this week's votes tallied, and below the cut are our winners for Challenge #280 – Trick or Treat!
( This week's finalists are... )
Total Challenge Words Written: 2933
Congratulations to both of you, and thank you to everyone who took the time to cast their votes!autobotscoutriella will be making this week’s banners, so keep an eye out for those next week.
You may now post your Challenge 280 entries to any additional communities, blogs, archives or sites as you'd like! We also have a FandomWeekly AO3 Collection if you'd like to add your stories there!
( This week's finalists are... )
Total Challenge Words Written: 2933
Congratulations to both of you, and thank you to everyone who took the time to cast their votes!
autobotscoutriella will be making this week’s banners, so keep an eye out for those next week.You may now post your Challenge 280 entries to any additional communities, blogs, archives or sites as you'd like! We also have a FandomWeekly AO3 Collection if you'd like to add your stories there!
Socchan (soc_puppet) wrote2025-11-05 08:54 pm
soc_puppet) wrote2025-11-05 08:54 pm
Phew!
I just sat down and scheduled posts-by-email for moodthemeinayear for almost the rest of the year; I haven't done the final wrap-up post, but that's still a good six more weeks I won't have to worry about manually updating there! Er, provided I did everything right, at any rate 😅 I guess I'll find out next week!
moodthemeinayear for almost the rest of the year; I haven't done the final wrap-up post, but that's still a good six more weeks I won't have to worry about manually updating there! Er, provided I did everything right, at any rate 😅 I guess I'll find out next week!
hannah (hannah) wrote2025-11-05 09:35 pm
hannah) wrote2025-11-05 09:35 pm
Kitchen work.
Having now made soufflés, I can't see what the big deal and the fuss is all about with them. They're difficult the way risotto and yeast-based breads are difficult: it's all in the technical details. Once you've mastered those, you're fine. I was fine even whipping the egg whites with only one whisk on the electric mixer because I couldn't find the other one, even when I had to leave them for a few minutes while I got the simmering water ready, even when the oven somehow turned off and I had to leave them sitting in the water bath an extra half-hour while it heated back up. They didn't puff up as much the picture promised, and they were astonishingly fragrant. Cakes on top and custards in the middle as they're supposed to be.
It's not something I'll make all that often - I made them today as recipe testing for one of my clients - and it's something I'm not going to be scared of, if I'm ever called on to do so.
It's not something I'll make all that often - I made them today as recipe testing for one of my clients - and it's something I'm not going to be scared of, if I'm ever called on to do so.
StarWatcher (starwatcher) wrote in fandom_checkin2025-11-05 06:05 pm
starwatcher) wrote in fandom_checkin2025-11-05 06:05 pmEntry tags:
Daily Check-in
This is your check-in post for today. The poll will be open from midnight Universal or Zulu Time (8pm Eastern Time) on Wednesday, November 05, to midnight on Thursday, November 06. (8pm Eastern Time).
Poll #33803 Daily Check-in
Open to: Access List, detailed results viewable to: Access List, participants: 15
How are you doing?
I am OK.
9 (64.3%)
I am not OK, but don't need help right now.
5 (35.7%)
I could use some help.
0 (0.0%)
How many other humans live with you?
I am living single.
5 (33.3%)
One other person.
7 (46.7%)
More than one other person.
3 (20.0%)
Please, talk about how things are going for you in the comments, ask for advice or help if you need it, or just discuss whatever you feel like.
Isis (isis) wrote2025-11-05 05:52 pm
isis) wrote2025-11-05 05:52 pmwednesday reads and things
What I've recently finished reading:
Europe at Dawn by Dave Hutchinson, and thus finishes the Fractured Europe Sequence. I enjoyed it a lot, though sometimes it made me feel as though I just wasn't smart enough for it; there are a lot of chapters which begin so completely in medias res that you just have to soldier on until you hit the background/flashback that explains what is going on. Although the last book ties up some of the loose ends, they are only loosely tied, so to speak, and it feels very open-ended. (To be fair, there was no overarching action plot here, just generally tying up ends and solving mysteries. Also I didn't realize for far too long that some of the POV chapters were actually in the past relative to present action (or rather, took place at the same time that some of the events in other books took place; time has passed.)
What I've recently finished listening to:
The Strange Case of Starship Iris wrapped up its final season a few weeks ago. I liked it overall, though I definitely preferred the political action/adventure parts more than the personal relationships parts, other than the general bonding of the crew as a unit. I also found it rather on the nose with respect to Current Political Events, but hey, it's not Jessica Best's fault that she wrote an SF podcast about freedom-fighting rebels up against a juggernaut of an iron-fisted government just when, you know. waves hand around helplessly
What I've recently finished playing:
Dragon Age: The Veilguard! I enjoyed playing but I was ready for it to be over. I (female Qunari mage) romanced Harding, but the romance content is -->.<-- (Though admittedly there was some nice emotional content relative to the romance near the end.) On the one hand, the fact that most of the decisions about what to do and say don't seem to have much effect on things made it feel less fraught and scary, like - I often look up spoilers for major decisions because I don't replay games and so I want to make sure I don't end up with some horrible ending. On the other hand, it probably contributed to me feeling less involved with the game on an emotional level.
I didn't like that the choice of race and faction didn't have a whole lot to do with anything. I mean, I had extra Shadow Dragons dialogue, but mostly I didn't know anything extra about Minrathous. And I was Qunari - but an adopted war orphan with zero connection to anything remotely Qun, so I felt really dumb talking to Taash (and especially Shathann) about Qunari customs.
I did really love the graphics, and all the very interesting landscapes, the different cities and landscapes (the Ossuary!!!) and especially the Crossroads. The companion banter is super fun and I sort of wanted to set them all up with each other! I especially loved Taash and Lucanis talking about capes, hee. I did everybody's quests, of course, and got everyone to Hero status, and all my factions to three stars.
I did the Regrets of the Dread Wolf questline and met Mythal, and...I really tried to give good answers, but every time I failed, to the point where I figured there was no way of avoiding the fight. So I ended up having to fight her and hoo boy that was tough. And then! I looked at an "endings" walkthrough and it said I had to have resolved the quest peacefully to get the best ending, so I resigned myself to having screwed up, but haha it turns out they recommended that only because that is such a tough fight, yay, I got the best ending.
(I did not look up spoilers for the rest of the endgame, but fortunately I managed to not get my sweetheart killed.)
Anyway, it was fun, but when I finished I didn't want to jump into another epic right away, so I started playing Monument Valley, which several of you had recommended to me - and that was delightful! It's like, what if M. C. Escher had designed a puzzle game? I finished the first game and am now doing the "appendices". I also have the second game, so that's probably next.
B is playing Horizon Forbidden West, and I can't resist looking over his shoulder every once in a while. The Horizon games are still my favorites! (He's still in early days, not yet to the Embassy, just doing stuff in Chainscrape.)
Europe at Dawn by Dave Hutchinson, and thus finishes the Fractured Europe Sequence. I enjoyed it a lot, though sometimes it made me feel as though I just wasn't smart enough for it; there are a lot of chapters which begin so completely in medias res that you just have to soldier on until you hit the background/flashback that explains what is going on. Although the last book ties up some of the loose ends, they are only loosely tied, so to speak, and it feels very open-ended. (To be fair, there was no overarching action plot here, just generally tying up ends and solving mysteries. Also I didn't realize for far too long that some of the POV chapters were actually in the past relative to present action (or rather, took place at the same time that some of the events in other books took place; time has passed.)
What I've recently finished listening to:
The Strange Case of Starship Iris wrapped up its final season a few weeks ago. I liked it overall, though I definitely preferred the political action/adventure parts more than the personal relationships parts, other than the general bonding of the crew as a unit. I also found it rather on the nose with respect to Current Political Events, but hey, it's not Jessica Best's fault that she wrote an SF podcast about freedom-fighting rebels up against a juggernaut of an iron-fisted government just when, you know. waves hand around helplessly
What I've recently finished playing:
Dragon Age: The Veilguard! I enjoyed playing but I was ready for it to be over. I (female Qunari mage) romanced Harding, but the romance content is -->.<-- (Though admittedly there was some nice emotional content relative to the romance near the end.) On the one hand, the fact that most of the decisions about what to do and say don't seem to have much effect on things made it feel less fraught and scary, like - I often look up spoilers for major decisions because I don't replay games and so I want to make sure I don't end up with some horrible ending. On the other hand, it probably contributed to me feeling less involved with the game on an emotional level.
I didn't like that the choice of race and faction didn't have a whole lot to do with anything. I mean, I had extra Shadow Dragons dialogue, but mostly I didn't know anything extra about Minrathous. And I was Qunari - but an adopted war orphan with zero connection to anything remotely Qun, so I felt really dumb talking to Taash (and especially Shathann) about Qunari customs.
I did really love the graphics, and all the very interesting landscapes, the different cities and landscapes (the Ossuary!!!) and especially the Crossroads. The companion banter is super fun and I sort of wanted to set them all up with each other! I especially loved Taash and Lucanis talking about capes, hee. I did everybody's quests, of course, and got everyone to Hero status, and all my factions to three stars.
I did the Regrets of the Dread Wolf questline and met Mythal, and...I really tried to give good answers, but every time I failed, to the point where I figured there was no way of avoiding the fight. So I ended up having to fight her and hoo boy that was tough. And then! I looked at an "endings" walkthrough and it said I had to have resolved the quest peacefully to get the best ending, so I resigned myself to having screwed up, but haha it turns out they recommended that only because that is such a tough fight, yay, I got the best ending.
(I did not look up spoilers for the rest of the endgame, but fortunately I managed to not get my sweetheart killed.)
Anyway, it was fun, but when I finished I didn't want to jump into another epic right away, so I started playing Monument Valley, which several of you had recommended to me - and that was delightful! It's like, what if M. C. Escher had designed a puzzle game? I finished the first game and am now doing the "appendices". I also have the second game, so that's probably next.
B is playing Horizon Forbidden West, and I can't resist looking over his shoulder every once in a while. The Horizon games are still my favorites! (He's still in early days, not yet to the Embassy, just doing stuff in Chainscrape.)
What The Fuck Just Happened Today? (![[syndicated profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/feed.png)
wtfjht_feed) wrote2025-11-05 03:33 pm
wtfjht_feed) wrote2025-11-05 03:33 pmDay 1751: "Good luck, losers."
Today in one sentence: Democrats won elections across several states Tuesday, taking governorships, legislative chambers, and ballot measures in a rejection of Trump’s second-term agenda; California Republicans sued to block the state’s new congressional maps hours after voters approved Proposition 50, a measure allowing the Legislature to redraw districts that could give Democrats up to five more House seats; Steve Bannon warned Republicans that Democrats’ wins in New Jersey, Virginia, and New York City showed “there should be flashing red lights all over” before the 2026 midterms; Trump blamed Republicans’ election losses on the record 36-day shutdown and urged Republican senators to kill the filibuster to reopen the government and advance his agenda; the FAA said it would cut scheduled air traffic by 10% across 40 high-volume markets to maintain safety during the government shutdown; the Supreme Court appeared skeptical that Trump had legal authority to impose his sweeping global tariffs under the 1977 emergency powers law; and a federal magistrate judge criticized the Justice Department’s handling of former FBI director James Comey’s prosecution, calling it an “indict first and investigate second” case.
1/ Democrats won elections across several states Tuesday, taking governorships, legislative chambers, and ballot measures in a rejection of Trump’s second-term agenda. In Virginia, Abigail Spanberger won the governor’s race by about 15 points and led Democrats to expand their House of Delegates majority by six seats, giving the party unified control of state government. In New York City, 34-year-old democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani defeated former Gov. Andrew Cuomo by nearly 20 points, becoming the city’s first Muslim mayor and drawing heavy turnout among voters under 45. In California, Proposition 50 passed with about 64% support, allowing Democrats to redraw five new congressional districts expected to shift from Republican control to directly counter the redistricting effort in Texas and other Republican-led states. In Mississippi, Democrats gained four state House seats, breaking the Republican supermajority for the first time since 2011, while in Texas, two Democrats advanced to a runoff in a special election for a deep-blue House district, blocking a Republican gain there. Exit polls showed about four in ten voters in Virginia and New Jersey said they cast ballots specifically to oppose Trump, while roughly two-thirds of voters in California and New York City disapproved of his performance. Most cited the economy and cost of living as their top concerns. (NBC News / New York Times / Wall Street Journal / Washington Post / NPR / Bloomberg / Axios / Reuters / CNN / CNBC / Politico / Associated Press)
2/ California Republicans sued to block the state’s new congressional maps hours after voters approved Proposition 50, a measure allowing the Legislature to redraw districts that could give Democrats up to five more House seats. The move follows Republican-led states, including Texas and North Carolina, that have redrawn maps to boost their party’s representation at Trump’s urging. The federal lawsuit claims California violated the 14th and 15th Amendments by using race “to favor Hispanic voters.” The case, brought by the California Republican Party and 19 voters, seeks to block the maps before the 2026 elections. Gov. Gavin Newsom, meanwhile, dismissed the challenge, saying, “Good luck, losers.” (Democracy Docket / CalMatters / New York Times / Politico / PBS News / The Guardian / NBC News / Bloomberg)
3/ Steve Bannon warned Republicans that Democrats’ wins in New Jersey, Virginia, and New York City showed “there should be flashing red lights all over” before the 2026 midterms. He called Zohran Mamdani’s victory “a wake-up call to the populist nationalist movement under President Trump,” saying the win proved that the left could match Trump’s appeal. Bannon said Republicans must “double and triple down with Trump” or “get smoked.” (Politico / The Hill)
4/ Trump blamed Republicans’ election losses on the record 36-day shutdown and urged Republican senators to kill the filibuster to reopen the government and advance his agenda. “I don’t think it was good for Republicans,” Trump said, adding, “We have to get the country open,” and “the way we’re going to do it this afternoon is to terminate the filibuster,” warning, “If you don’t terminate the filibuster, you’ll be in bad shape.” Trump also suggested that Republicans lost because “I wasn’t on the ballot,” arguing that ending the 60-vote rule would let them “pass legislation […] and it will be impossible to beat us.” Most Senate Republicans, however, rejected Trump’s proposal, with Majority Leader John Thune saying “it’s just not happening” because “the votes aren’t there.” (Axios / Politico / HuffPost / Washington Post / Politico / New York Times / Axios / Wall Street Journal / NBC News / Politico / New York Times)
5/ The FAA said it would cut scheduled air traffic by 10% across 40 high-volume markets to maintain safety during the government shutdown. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the list of affected markets would be released Thursday and the changes would take effect on Friday. The shutdown, now in its 36th day, has left air traffic controllers working without pay and led to widespread staffing shortages. FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said, “We can’t ignore it,” adding that the cuts aim to reduce pressure on controllers as fatigue and absences rise. (Associated Press / NPR / Reuters / Politico / Bloomberg)
- The government shutdown is costing the U.S. economy about $15 billion each week, with analysts warning that as much as $14 billion may never be recovered if it continues through Thanksgiving. (Bloomberg)
6/ The Supreme Court appeared skeptical that Trump had legal authority to impose his sweeping global tariffs under the 1977 emergency powers law. Chief Justice John Roberts called the duties “the imposition of taxes on Americans,” saying taxation is “the core power of Congress,” while Justices Neil Gorsuch and Amy Coney Barrett questioned whether the International Emergency Economic Powers Act could become a “one-way ratchet” handing tariff power to the executive. The court’s three liberals voiced similar skepticism, while Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Samuel Alito were more receptive to the administration’s foreign-affairs arguments. A ruling against Trump could force tens of billions in refunds, limit presidential emergency powers, and dismantle his global tariff program that effectively taxes Americans by trillions. (Bloomberg / CNBC / New York Times / Wall Street Journal / Washington Post / Axios / Reuters / CNN / Associated Press / Politico)
7/ A federal magistrate judge criticized the Justice Department’s handling of former FBI director James Comey’s prosecution, calling it an “indict first and investigate second” case. “This is not a typical case,” Judge William Fitzpatrick said, calling the department’s approach “highly unusual.” He ordered prosecutors to turn over grand jury transcripts and evidence seized from Comey associate Daniel Richman. Prosecutors said they had obtained Richman’s communications years ago, but hadn’t reviewed them pending court approval because they may contain attorney-client material. Comey, meanwhile, has pleaded not guilty to charges that he lied to Congress in 2020 and is seeking to dismiss what his lawyers call a politically driven indictment secured under pressure from Trump. (Associated Press / CNN / Politico / The Hill / Washington Post)
⏭️ Notably Next: Your government has been shut down for 36 days; the 2026 midterms are in 363 days.
- Today last year: Day 1386: "America is ready for a fresh start."
- Four years ago today: Day 290: “We’ll see, won’t we?”
- Five years ago today: Day 1386: "Democracy is sometimes messy."
- Six years ago today: Day 1020: Orchestrated efforts.
- Seven years ago today: Day 655: Political stunt.
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AO3 News (ao3_news_feed) wrote2025-11-05 11:02 pm
ao3_news_feed) wrote2025-11-05 11:02 pmSpotlight on Recent Legislation, November 2025
We’ve heard from users concerned about many recent laws and their potential to impact AO3. We want to reassure you that while this continues to be a challenging time with a number of troubling laws under consideration around the world, AO3 is not currently affected. AO3 is run by a noncommercial, nonprofit organization, and it does not implement infinite scroll, offer recommendations to users, or use other techniques with which many regulators are concerned.
While these bills should not directly impact AO3, they are a reminder to stay alert for potential legal issues affecting fans in your area. Where applicable, the OTW encourages people to contact their local representatives and voice their concerns. You can read more about the OTW's Legal Advocacy work on our website.
Chinese Obscenity Laws and Danmei Authors
We have received a number of inquiries from concerned users regarding the arrests of dozens of danmei writers in China. As an organization, the OTW wholeheartedly shares these concerns. We stand firmly in support of free expression and we are closely monitoring the situation.
Age Verification Laws
Age verification laws have been proposed in multiple states and countries around the world. These laws create barriers that prevent open access to information, hamper the right to freedom of speech, and threaten users’ privacy. The OTW continues to strongly oppose these laws and we want to assure you that we do not intend to introduce age verification on our projects. We continue to monitor for opportunities to make our voice heard and encourage fans to do so as well. Local voices are often the most important for policymakers to hear from.
We've filed two amicus briefs on age verification laws already this year. One, filed with Wikimedia (who runs Wikipedia) and other organizations, in Netchoice v. Brown, urged the appellate court to uphold a block on the Utah Minor Protection in Social Media Act which requires online platforms to verify users' ages before allowing access, restrict certain content for minors through strict controls, and actively monitor and edit content in order to remain compliant with these restrictions.
In a second amicus brief filed with Wikimedia in Netchoice v. Fitch, we expressed concerns with Mississippi House Bill 1126, which threatens platforms’ ability to distribute free knowledge by imposing broad, sweeping restrictions that encroach on free speech rights.
Copyright
We also filed another amicus brief with other organizations in Cox Communications, Inc. v. Sony Music Entertainment, where we discussed the importance of internet access as a practical necessity of daily life, and argued that holding service providers liable for users’ copyright infringement based only on accusations of infringement, rather than actual proof of infringement, would threaten innovation and creativity by creating an incentive for service providers to deny service to creators without requiring evidence or providing due process.
UK’s Online Safety Act
We are monitoring how the Online Safety Act is being interpreted and enforced by the authorities.
Russia’s LGBT Ban
Russia’s restrictions on LGBT-themed content have escalated from a 2013 law aimed at protecting minors to a sweeping ban on all positive depictions of LGBT relationships. In 2023, the Russian Supreme Court labeled the "international LGBT movement" as extremist, effectively criminalizing LGBT advocacy. We strongly condemn this and continue to monitor the situation.
Game Storefronts Delisting NSFW Content
Recently, gaming storefronts Itch.io, Steam, and Valve have begun removing or restricting adult content, citing pressure from payment processors like Visa and Mastercard. These moves are obviously concerning for freedom of expression. The OTW remains committed to both fans' privacy and freedom of imagination. We will not change our policies on explicit or queer media.
KOSA
We continue to monitor the progression of KOSA, which has been reintroduced in the United States Congress. Although AO3 is not a covered platform under this bill, the legislation, if passed, is likely to have serious freedom of speech and privacy implications for all internet users. OTW Legal has already communicated its opposition to this bill to Congress and continues to encourage U.S. users to voice their opposition to it.
Australian Online Safety Act
While we do not believe that this law as-is applies to AO3 or any of our other projects, this is a developing situation that we will continue to monitor. Read more about this in our earlier post: Social Media Bans and AO3.
With regard to all the above legislation as well as any in the future, AO3 and the OTW will do whatever we can to preserve access to AO3 and inform users if anything changes. We remain committed to freedom of expression and will defend it as necessary to ensure that AO3 remains a safe, open space for creative expression.
Is there a new law that might affect fans or fannish activities in your country or region? Send us a message about legislation you think we should know about. (Submitting a concern doesn’t guarantee that it will be included in a future Spotlight on Legal Issues post.)
The Organization for Transformative Works is the non-profit parent organization of multiple projects including Archive of Our Own, Fanlore, Open Doors, Transformative Works and Cultures, and OTW Legal Advocacy. We are a fan-run, entirely donor-supported organization staffed by volunteers. Find out more about us on our website.
scrubjayspeaks (scrubjayspeaks) wrote2025-11-05 03:29 pm
scrubjayspeaks) wrote2025-11-05 03:29 pmEntry tags:
Lake Lewisia #1326
The blender promised it could blend anything, but the instruction manual showed him only mundane suggestions for smoothies and milkshakes and, in what it considered a really exotic expansion, pureed soups. Thinking he would either succeed or rely upon the warranty, he tried blending up flowers and crystals and books. He spent the summer sipping on shakes that tasted of sunlight and escapism, then he started eyeing the growing pumpkins and Halloween decorations hungrily.
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LL#1326
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LL#1326