Network [damerell]

Boston locals! Blue Heron, an acapella early music ensemble, is throwing a three-day shindig to celebrate Guillaume de Machaut (died 1377), May 1-3, mostly involving talks about Machaut's works, talks about his lyrics, talks about the illuminations in the manuscripts his works come from, concerts of his music, and also a little ars subtilior tacked on the end just because.

More info https://www.blueheron.org/machaut-weekend/

Affordability note: They have a free ticket option as part of the "Card to Culture program" for people with EBT, WIC, and ConnectorCare(!) cards*, and a discounted "low cost" option.

Of note, the "Opening Festivities: Keynote, Performance & Sing-Along" on Friday night includes (emphasis mine):

a keynote talk by one of the world’s leading scholars of 14th-century music, Anne Stone (CUNY Graduate Center), performances of pieces in several of the genres represented in Machaut’s oeuvre, and a sing-along of the Kyrie from the Messe de Nostre Dame.

Which: huh. Huh. The Kyrie, huh? Wow. Now that is certainly a choice. I commend their bravery. Were I in better health, I would consider showing up just to be in on the shenanigans.

If you're curious what the Kyrie from Machaut's Messe de Nostre Dame sounds and looks like, here you go.

* There is no separate ConnectorCare card like there is for MassHealth. They mean your regular insurance card, which if it's a ConnectorCare plan should say so on it, or so the Mass Cultural Council, whose program it is, thinks.

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https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260322.html

What would it look like to leave planet Earth?

https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260322.html

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The YouTube algorithm pseudorandomly served me this, thereby answering the question I'd had on a distant back burner forever, "Hey, didn't I hear something about colored cotton cultivars once upon a time? Cotton that you didn't need to dye? Like back in the 90s?"

If you are a fellow fiber freak or interested in agriculture or organic crops or the underappreciated problem of sustainable clothing production, you may find this as fascinating as I did:

2026 Mar 7: Good Yarn Bad Knits [goodyarnbadknits YT]: "The Yarn That Almost Saved The World"

Watch on YouTube

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https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czex56kwxxzo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czex56kwxxzo#0

The International Energy Agency chief said the war could lead to the world's worst energy crisis in decades.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czex56kwxxzo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czex56kwxxzo#0

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https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c203rdxkezwo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c203rdxkezwo#0

The Earth's climate is further out of balance than at any time in recorded history, the UN's weather agency says.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c203rdxkezwo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c203rdxkezwo#0

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https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cj94jmj2p28o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cj94jmj2p28o#1

It is illegal for Kenyans to serve in foreign armies and can carry a sentence of up to 10 years in jail.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cj94jmj2p28o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cj94jmj2p28o#1

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https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9qdvnv13qdo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9qdvnv13qdo#1

Israel is investigating how ballistic missiles got through the country's sophisticated air defences.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9qdvnv13qdo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9qdvnv13qdo#1

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http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=5791

Emily is my wife's favourite character so this story is basically a little present for her (and possibly...for you???)

http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=5791

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https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3wlww83yv4o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3wlww83yv4o#2

The European nation, struggling to find skilled staff, is giving jobs to young people from India.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3wlww83yv4o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3wlww83yv4o#2

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https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c78j8vk3r50o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c78j8vk3r50o#2

Quebec's law to regulate religious symbols goes to the Supreme Court in a constitutional test case.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c78j8vk3r50o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c78j8vk3r50o#2

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https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crk14m7mjddo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crk14m7mjddo#0

Paris and Marseille are held by the Socialists in local elections which saw the nationalist right win in Nice and certain towns.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crk14m7mjddo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crk14m7mjddo#0

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https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cede0qyvqz3o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cede0qyvqz3o#1

Travellers have faced hours-long waits at airports around the country as a partial government shutdown has left TSA agents without pay.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cede0qyvqz3o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cede0qyvqz3o#1

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Challenge #6

Top 10 Challenge.

The category(ies) you choose are up to you. You can give top 10 Fics you read last year, the top 10 songs to create to, the top 10 guest stars on your favorite show, top 10 characters in your favorite book series, top 10... well, you get the idea.

I was very stuck on this for some time - hence the lack of updates since January - but then I remembered that last year I participated in the subreddit r/GraphicNovels's tournament of Top Twenty graphic novels (actually any form of sequential art even vaguely applicable, the guy running the Tournament joked that he was waiting for someone to send in a long tapestry as one of their faves)

My matchup - I was very soundly trounced in the first round by one of the most prolific posters there, and rightly so https://www.reddit.com/r/graphicnovels/comments/1o5ssuv/tournament_of_lists_2025_all_time_top_20_comics/

The eventual winner, it's a really interesting collection and I had a good time thinking of what to add- https://www.reddit.com/r/graphicnovels/comments/1omr7k3/congratulations_to_americantabloid3_for_winning/

The only work I regret not including is Calvin and Hobbes, which I read as an adult and have loved ever since.

location: bed

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There is Drama going around in the indie TTRPG community. Some people accuse a game designer of being a jerk, a cheat (someone who doesn't pay contractors, not someone involved in relationship shenanigans), a liar, and weaponizing their fame to harass other people in the community.

Others say the above comments are nothing but hate-speech aimed at a person of a marginalized identity, and this person has written great works and brings creativity and fresh insights to the community at large.

I'd love to figure out which is true, or if they both have elements of truth.

The details are apparently covered in a Rascal article, possibly some posts at Medium, and of course, in multiple Discords. If I joined the right ones, I might be able to find out who actually said what. (I will not be joining any Discords over this.)

I can confirm:
• Creator in question has written some amazing stuff, not only much-lauded but also unique improvements to the TTRPG-sphere
• People I respect (but do not know personally) are calling aforementioned creator a scoundrel and abuser

( My analysis )

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