Follow Friday 6-13-24: Hetalia

Today's theme is Hetalia. Initially a webcomic, Hetalia was later adapted as a serialized manga and an anime series. The series personifies the nations of the world into immortal anthropomorphic characters and presents an allegorical (and often satirical) interpretation of political, historical, and cultural events throughout history and the present day. This riff is a personal favorite.

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Politics

Governor JB Pritzker (Dem IL) to Rep. Mary Miller: "I refuse to be lectured to by somebody who extols the virtue of Hitler."

I can't remember the last time I felt so represented by one of my actual representatives. \o/

Sometimes, you just gotta call a spade a spade.

Birdfeeding

Today is cloudy and steamy.  It rained last night.

I fed the birds.  I've seen a few sparrows and house finches.

I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 6/13/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

It started mizzling.

New Crowdfunding Project: "Take Us North"

A friend tipped me to this campaign: Take Us North is a video game about migrants trying to cross the border into the United States of America. If you're interested and jump fast, you may be able to catch the Early Bird reward in the first 24 hours at $25, after that it jumps to $35 minimum. I backed it because I want to project to exist -- tell ALL the stories, and poke a bigot in the eye!

Take Us North description
A narrative adventure/survival game that follows the journeys of migrants and asylum seekers on their way to cross the US-Mexico border

$6,056 pledged of $30,000 goal
95 backers
29 days to go

🎮 [Early Bird] Take Us North!
$25
Backers 52
Estimated delivery Dec 2026
🚨FIRST 24 HOURS DISCOUNT!🚨 Receive a digital copy of Take Us North (PC/Steam) and digital wallpapers!
3 items included
Digital Copy of the Game Quantity: 1
High-Resolution Digital Wallpapers Quantity: 1
Invitation to Virtual Community Launch Party Quantity: 1

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Poetry Fishbowl Themes for Late 2025

This poll covers the ideas proposed in the recent call for themes. Everyone is eligible to vote in this poll. I will keep it open until at least Saturday night. If there are clear answers then, I'll close it. Otherwise I may leave it open a little longer. If you don't have a Dreamwidth account, you can vote in an anonymous comment or email to me, but include some kind of handle to distinguish yourself.

For this poll, you can vote for as many themes as you find appealing. I recommend that you don't vote for all of them, since that makes it harder to whittle down the list. The themes are arranged in alphabetical order.

Here are your options ...

Poll #33248 Poetry Fishbowl Themes for Late 2025

This poll is closed.
Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 19

View Respondents

Which of these themes do you want featured in future fishbowls?

View Answers

Angels and Demons
5 (26.3%)

Apocalyptic Visions
3 (15.8%)

Books and Learning
11 (57.9%)

Building Mental Linkages
2 (10.5%)

Changing Personality One Habit at a Time
8 (42.1%)

Communication Styles
10 (52.6%)

Dealing with Frustration
7 (36.8%)

Emotional Regulation
9 (47.4%)

Empathy and Understanding
3 (15.8%)

Empowering Language
6 (31.6%)

Ergonomics
1 (5.3%)

Exercise and Stretching
2 (10.5%)

Faeries and Fey
9 (47.4%)

False Economy
4 (21.1%)

Fixing Loneliness or Overwhelm
8 (42.1%)

Fixit
6 (31.6%)

Goddesses and Divas
7 (36.8%)

Immigrants and Refugees
8 (42.1%)

"Knowledge is power. Power corrupts. Study hard. Be evil."
8 (42.1%)

Knowledge Webs
3 (15.8%)

Language as Power and Power as a Language
7 (36.8%)

Leadership in Unusual Situations
6 (31.6%)

Managing Change and Disruption
2 (10.5%)

Non-Book Learning and Knowledge
8 (42.1%)

Ordinary Characters in Epic Stories
8 (42.1%)

Overlooked Key Moments
2 (10.5%)

Patterns and Patterning
9 (47.4%)

Personhood
5 (26.3%)

Pirates, Rascals, and Rogues
3 (15.8%)

Putting Traumatic Memories in Context
4 (21.1%)

Recognition and Recollection
3 (15.8%)

Sentient and Self-Aware Machines
9 (47.4%)

Strength in Numbers or Alone
4 (21.1%)

Time Travel Twists
9 (47.4%)

Unexpected Leadership
8 (42.1%)

Unlikely or Unwieldy Weapons
6 (31.6%)

Weaponized Incompetence and Malicious Compliance
11 (57.9%)

Westerns
2 (10.5%)

Work, Leisure, and Hobbies
6 (31.6%)

Russian Losses

This cartoon is true, as far as it goes.

But if you think Russia is likely to blink at those losses, think again.

New Communities

musicianships 
We Are The Scene.
This Community is for everyone who is involved in music in any way.
[Found via gothfvck]

Today's Adventures

Today we went to the Marshall Farmer's Market. It's an evening market from 6-8 PM, followed by a band concert, which is way better than a morning one.

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