January London meetup

Jan. 15th, 2026 11:08 am
[syndicated profile] captainawkward_feed

Posted by katepreach

Announcement: the audience for these has changed, so I’m going to do them once every three or four months instead of monthly. So please come to this January one if you’re interested, there won’t be another until probably April.

24th January, 1pm, Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, SE1 8XX.

We will be on Level 5 blue side (the upper levels are no longer closed to non-ticket-holders), but I don’t know exactly where on the floor. It will depend on where we can find a table.

I have shoulder length brown hair, and will have my plush Chthulu which looks like this:

Please obey any rules posted in the venue.

The venue has lifts to all floors and accessible toilets. The accessibility map is here:

The food market outside (side away from the river) is pretty good for all sorts of requirements, and you can also bring food from home, or there are lots of cafes on the riverfront.

Other things to bear in mind:

1. Please make sure you respect people’s personal space and their choices about distancing.

2. We have all had a terrible time for the last four years. Sharing your struggles is okay and is part of what the group is for, but we need to be careful not to overwhelm each other or have the conversation be entirely negative. Where I usually draw the line here is that personal struggles are fine to talk about but political rants are discouraged, but I may have to move this line on the day when I see how things go. Don’t worry, I will tell you!

3. Probably lots of us have forgotten how to be around people (most likely me as well), so here is permission to walk away if you need space. Also a reminder that we will all react differently, so be careful to give others space if they need.

Please RSVP if you’re coming so I know whether or not we have enough people. If there’s no uptake I will cancel a couple of days before.

kate DOT towner AT gmail DOT com

Court Report for Twelfth Night

Jan. 15th, 2026 05:11 am
[syndicated profile] ekgazette_feed

Posted by EK Gazette

Being the Court of Donovan and Meghanta held on January 10, 2026 in the Barony of Smoking Rocks at Twelfth Night and Baronial Investiture

Court Heralds: Alys Mackyntoich, Kayleigh Mac Whyte, Muirenn ingen Ciric, Liadan ingen Chineada, Rodrigo Medina de la Mar, Iasynia Moskvina

Reporting Herald: Alys Mackyntoich

MORNING

•Baron Fergus Redmead: Thank You Scroll. I: Volva-Kaðlin knutr, W: Eleanor inghean Mhic Congaill

•Baroness Sabina Luttrell: Thank You Scroll. Scroll: Eleanor inghean Mhic Congaill

•Padraig MacEanruig & Tatiana Maria Consuelo Figueroa Di Vivar: Investiture as new Baron and Baroness of Smoking Rocks

•Simon Kerr: Award of Arms. C&I: Robert dwe Makminne, W: AEsa Feilinn Josursdottir

•Ludovic of Carolingia: Consort’s Award of Esteem. Token Only

AFTERNOON

•Ewan of the North: Order of Gawain. Token Only

•Jehan du Lac: Consort’s Order of Courtesy. Token Only

•Aria Ulman di Bardi: Award of Arms. Scroll: Basil Clarke

•Thrainn Steinsson: Writ for Order of the Mark. Scroll: Signet Offic

•Caoilfhionn inghean Fhaoláin: Order of the Silver Brooch. Scroll: Aoife Inghean Ui Briain

•Violante Valeriano: Order of the Silver Brooch. Scroll: Jan Janowicz Bogdanski

•Annika Ulf, formerly known as Aine O’Tuathail: Order of the Silver Brooch. C&I: Emma Makilmone, W: Nataliia Anastasiia Evgenova

•Tola Knityr: Order of the Pelican. Scroll: Edward MacGuyver dos Scorpus

•Basil Clarke: Award of Arms. Scroll: Anezka Liska z Kolina

•Jozef Ludwiczak: Order of the Sagittarius. Scroll: Guðrun Hafgrímsdottír

•Valbjørn an Lochlainn: Order of the Silver Tyger. I: Theo Holtz, C: Eva Vach Wyllt, W: John the Long

•Engracia de Madrigal: Order of the Laurel. W: Amarie de St Denis C&I: Katherine Barr

Catalina de Valencia: Writ for Order of the Pelican. Scroll: Signet Office

•Eleanor inghean Mhic Congaill: Order of the Silver Crescent. Scroll: Philippa Dyvill

•Igraine of Quintavia: Order of the Silver Rapier. C&I: Fayette Rothenburg, W: Meara MacNeil

•Ludovic of Carolingia: Order of Chivalry. C&I: Nataliia Anastasiia Evgenova, W: Matthias Grunewald

Other Business:
• Their Majesties exchanged gifts with the incoming and outgoing Barons and Baronesses of Smoking Rocks.

• Their Majesties gave gifts to the visiting Prince of the Mists.

• Their Majesties welcomed newcomers to the Society with the gift of cups.

• Master Robert Earlson was charged with the running of the Toybox to the great delight of the children of the East.

• Her Highness Ro Honig announced Mael Eoin mac Candelbain as the new Commander of the Unbelted Team.

Massachusetts is next [Ω, MA/US]

Jan. 13th, 2026 10:15 pm
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[personal profile] siderea
Heads up, locals! Observers report evidence of ICE/DHS activity preparing for an operation in MA, imminently.

2026 Jan 13 5pm: u/rarelighting in r/Boston: Boston quietly prepares for an ICE surge, points at:

2026 Jan 13: Axios: Boston quietly prepares for an ICE surge by Mike Deehan

Discussion at Reddit:
OP:

While listening to the Sam Seder podcast today, someone sent in a report about increased activity at the Burlington ICE facilities. Stay alert folks.


u/Neat-Beautiful-5505 • 4h ago

Another Reddit post showed three 18-wheel trucks hauling several new SUVs each to the Burlington ICE facility.


u/_still_truckin_ • 4h ago

Two dozen white Ford Explorers. They’re the same Interceptor models that real police departments use. You can spot them by the searchlight mounted to the driver side A-pillar and lack of tracks for roof racks. Saw them in the parking lot of the Burlington ICE building.


u/ThePirateKing01 • 4h ago

Shoutout to @BearingWitnessBurlington on YouTube and TikTok

To those who say protesting peacefully doesn’t amount to much, this person has been both protesting and monitoring the facility almost 24/7. Without people like this we wouldn’t have the heads up that we do now



u/minilip30  • 4h ago

“The bottom line: While no operation has been officially confirmed, Boston is not waiting to find out — it is mobilizing now.”

Good!

Remember, ICE needs a warrant to enter any private residence or business. Business that aren’t fascist supporting should have signs that they will not allow ICE entry without a warrant.


u/beanandcod • 4h ago

A judicial warrant, signed by a judge


u/Pnoman98 • 4h ago

A lot of police presence at Alewife& Gov Center


u/cccxxxzzzddd • 4h ago

The Rindge / fresh pond apartments at alewife are home to many immigrants, particularly Ethiopians

This is not good 

Edit: not good that ice is there


u/mysteriousfrittata • 4h ago

Saw a car full of them parked outside of MGH yesterday evening. All wearing DHS fatigues etc. Naturally the assholes were parked in an ambulance parking spot. I called to report a strange vehicle parked there.


u/HolyMoleyGuacamoly • 4h ago

they appear to be staying at that marriott right next door. was by there for a bit and saw a ton of activity in and out of there of single white men in suvs with beards


Happy_Literature9493 • 3h ago

Copied and pasted from Safari reader mode [the Axios article:]

“Boston quietly prepares for an ICE surge Mike Deehan Boston City Hall is privately getting ready for a potential spike in Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity.

Why it matters: Even without a confirmed federal operation, the city is "planning for the unthinkable," according to Mayor Michelle Wu.

Escalating tensions and violence in other cities are deepening anxieties within immigrant communities and worsening the friction between sanctuary communities and federal authorities. The latest: Wu confirmed on WBUR this week that she is discussing enforcement scenarios with Boston Police leadership.

Her goal is to establish clear protocols to ensure local police resources are not co-opted into federal immigration efforts. Wu maintains that Boston police will not leak information to ICE, a stance she views as crucial to maintaining community trust. The big picture: Boston isn't alone in bracing for federal action.

Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons has stated plans for a larger presence in Boston, promising more agents following disputes over sanctuary policies. Past initiatives mobilized large-scale enforcement across Massachusetts. Zoom in: Unverified but persistent reports from residents and activists note a delivery of SUVs to the Burlington ICE Field Office last week.

Advocates interpret the arrival of three car carriers hauling SUVs as a sign that the local ICE branch is staffing up. What we're watching: If federal enforcement accelerates, pressure will mount on public-facing institutions and communities with sanctuary policies.

Courthouses are typically a flashpoint for arrests. City community centers and schools will need to know how to respond if agents appear at their doors. ICE likely won't limit large-scale enforcement to Boston. Municipalities with large immigrant populations like Chelsea, Everett, Lawrence, Revere and Lynn could also be in the crosshairs. Threat level: Activists have staked out the Burlington ICE office for months and will likely be among the first to know of any major rollout.

Expect throngs of Massachusetts residents to demonstrate against ICE if a surge happens here. The bottom line: While no operation has been officially confirmed, Boston is not waiting to find out — it is mobilizing now.”

IYKYK [cur ev]

Jan. 12th, 2026 05:05 am
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[personal profile] siderea
"What I 'erd, this nobby, 'iz bird got fingered over a tin o'beans, only shot the poor cow, didn't they? So, like, everybody's tooled up, an'..."

One panel from "V for Vendetta" by Alan Moore & David Lloyd, 1988. Page 193, middle row, middle panel.

V for Vendetta, Alan Moore & David Lloyd, 1988



 

Distilling water

Jan. 10th, 2026 02:31 pm
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[personal profile] fitzw

Making a note to myself that I am running two cycles through the water distiller today, so that I have a better idea of how long the distilled water lasts.

Side note: two furry intruders were evicted with prejudice from the basement today.

Yaybahar III Nadiri [music]

Jan. 6th, 2026 07:27 pm
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[personal profile] siderea
2026 Jan 6: Görkem Şen (Yaybahar on YT): Yaybahar III Nadiri



The description text:
The essence of gold was rare, he conquered with his virtue, offered his gifts and fell behind the sun...

Dedicated to the soul of my dear friend's father, Nadir Oğuz...
I am surmising that "Nadiri" means "Of Nadir". Yaybahar is the instrument, the artist is its inventor:
The name yaybahar (pronounced /jajba'har/) has Turkish origin. It is a composite of two words: yay means a "string" or a "coiled string" and bahar means the season "spring." According to Gorkem Sen, the name is derived from the idea of a new life or a new beginning. [1]
I assume this is the third one of its kind the artist has made.

Artist's website: https://www.gorkemsen.com/

The Foreclosure of a Country

Jan. 5th, 2026 04:54 pm
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[personal profile] joshwriting
NOTE: I do not know that this analysis is accurate, for all that the Chevron Auction pieces are true. I am posting this to be able to share it with folks not on Facebook or Twitter. There is a claim that the invasion had nothing at all to do with oil, which I am less inclined to believe --> I think our president believes that the oil is worth chasing for the same reason he has required several coal plants to keep operating.
----------------

"There is a glitch in the Venezuela story that most people are missing. The official line is that we captured a dictator to "restore democracy" and "stop drugs." But those reasons don't explain the timing. There is a $13 billion transaction happening right now that does. It’s called the Citgo Auction.
Most people don’t realize that Venezuela’s "crown jewel"—the massive Citgo refinery network—is being sold off in a Delaware court this month. It’s a forced liquidation to pay creditors, but the auction had been frozen for years by political chaos. The capture of Maduro didn’t just change the regime. It cleared the title so the sale could close.

The winning bidder isn’t an oil major or a democracy activist. It’s Amber Energy, an affiliate of Elliott Management. That is Paul Singer’s fund, the most feared "vulture capitalist" in the world, famous for seizing sovereign ships to collect old debts. He isn’t betting on freedom. He’s closing a distressed asset deal.

The timeline tells you everything you need to know. The sale to Elliott was approved by the court late last year, but it needed a "change in political circumstances" to finally clear regulatory hurdles. Maduro was the obstacle blocking the transfer. His capture on January 3rd wasn’t a police action. It was the final signature on the closing documents.

This reframes the entire operation. We aren't watching an episode of Law & Order; we are watching a foreclosure. The legal doctrine allowing the capture turns a President into a defendant, but the economic doctrine is simpler. It's a distressed asset restructuring with a military escort.

The playbook is the same one private equity uses for a failing mall, just scaled up to a sovereign nation. You depress the asset value with sanctions, buy the debt for pennies on the dollar, and use the courts to force a liquidation. Then you send in the troops to evict the tenant so you can collect at face value. It’s a leveraged buyout with an air force.

If you look at who is getting paid, the "democracy" frame falls apart completely. It isn't voters waiting in line; it's a queue of corporate creditors like Crystallex, ConocoPhillips, and Siemens, with Elliott Management at the front. Marco Rubio isn't representing a constituency here. He's processing a payout.
That’s why the bonds rallied before the raid. The market wasn't guessing about justice; it had inside information about the closing date. Power is just physics with a spreadsheet, and the spreadsheet says the auction is finally closed."

C/O Sir_terrynce
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[personal profile] siderea
Interesting:

2025 Dec 31: DwarkeshPatel YT fea. Sarah Paine: Human Rights Killed Communism - Sarah Paine:



BTW, that's Sarah C. M. Paine, until very recently the William S. Sims University Professor of History and Grand Strategy and the Ernest J. King Professor of Maritime History, both, at the US Naval War College. She's an incredibly interesting speaker. Recommended.

(Dwarkesh Patel is this random dude who mistakenly thinks he's a podcaster and keeps trying to have other guests, but in actuality was put on Earth to bring Paine to the masses. He's got something like 14 hours of her up on his channel.)
[syndicated profile] ekgazette_feed

Posted by EK Gazette

Greetings East Kingdom,

Their Majesties Donovan and Meghanta are happy to announce that they have chosen Baroness Liadan Ingen Chineada as the next East Kingdom Minister of the Lists.

The Kingdom Minister of the Lists office maintains accurate records on the fighting activities and the fighters of the Kingdom, coordinates the Crown Lists, and works with the Earl Marshal and the Kingdom Marshal of Fence to maintain a list of authorized fighters.

Their Majesties thank Mistress Ellesbeth Donofrey for her years of service to the East Kingdom’s martial community.

The office changeover is scheduled for Friday night court at Birka.

https://dm.eastkingdom.org/2025/12/26/new-east-kingdom-minister-of-the-lists-chosen/

–Maréchal Remy Delamontagne de Gascogne (he/him)
Secretary of Royal Missives & Postings for Their Majesties