Tag: folk music

Song of the Week

Kíla & OKI, “Topattumi”

Good morning!

Here is something I didn’t know existed: a collaboration between Celtic pop group Kíla and Ainu musician Oki. The language you hear is Ainu, pronounced very carefully by the Irish gentlemen. There are only around 300 native speakers left, if memory serves.

I got my meds and am feeling much better! I just have to finish this course of antibiotics. I’ll have new pages of Last Watch Before Dawn tomorrow and Friday.

My next market will be Slay the Lake’s Pride Book Fest on Saturday, June 27: Noon to 5 at Soundgrowler Brewing, 8201 183rd St, Tinley Park, IL. More on that as we get closer!

Some petitions for today:

Via Block the Bombs: Block the bombs

Via USCPR Action: No War on Iran, No Weapons for Israel, No ICE in Our Communities

Via Save the Children: Unlock lifesaving aid for families

That’s all for today. Stop by again soon!

Song of the Week

Nadiiife, “Winter Child”

Good morning!

Spooky Frog was a fantastic event, as always, and now I’m looking forward to a nice break from markets until Slay the Lake in Chicago at the end of June.

Two pages of Last Watch Before Dawn this week, so be sure to stop by again!

A couple of petitions:

Via Win Without War: Pass a War Powers Resolution

Via Amnesty International: Block the bombs and Free Andrea and get her medical attention

Thanks for being here, and have an excellent week.

Song of the Week

Heidi Talbot, “Bedlam Boys” (traditional)

This song originates from when Bedlam House (and its counterpart, Maudlin House, for women patients) was a thing, and it serves as a reminder that 1) the Renaissance was really, really weird and 2) mental healthcare has come so far!

I had a lovely time at the Kenosha Book Festival yesterday! It was a bit chilly, but the rain stayed away, and lots of people came out. I learned my lesson to dress in layers at the very first one I attended in April of 2024. If you missed it, there will be more–one a month from now through September, plus Bookoween in October–but I will be elsewhere.

Speaking of, I’ll be at What the Hex: The Magician this Sunday! 11-5 at Dresden Castle on Underwood, Cudahy, WI. I’m excited to rejoin Brooke and all the other magical artists and vendors. Here’s the Facebook event, if that’s helpful.

I’ll have a new page of Last Watch Before Dawn for you tomorrow. Friday is May Day, and it’ll be quiet around here in solidarity with various May Day actions taking place across the country. After that, we should be back on our regular schedule for the foreseeable future (which, to be fair, is not all that far these days).

Also, newsletter this week! It’ll be out on Thursday. If you want updates delivered to your inbox along with pictures of my cats, you can put your email into the box at this link. Be sure to check for a confirmation email afterward.

A couple of petitions:

Via Oxfam: Prioritize Gaza’s recovery

Via Kids In Need of Defense: Investigate indefinite detention of unaccompanied minors

Via Just Foreign Policy: Support the Lebanon war powers resolution

That’s what I’ve got for today. More soon! Take care of yourselves this week.

Song of the Week

Otyken, “Tundra”

Good morning!

It’s very rare that I listen to (and therefore feature) music released this year, much less this week, so enjoy.

New pages of Last Watch Before Dawn this week, and don’t forget about the Kenosha Book Festival on Sunday! I’ll have new bookmarks and plenty of books to sign for you (or you can bring me a copy you already have, and I’d be happy to sign it and write you a note). Here’s the Facebook event, if that helps. In addition to all the local and indie authors, there will be a huge used book sale, story time with Belle from Beauty & the Beast, and a food truck bringing something called “pizza cones.” I’m not sure what this means, but pizza is pretty good no matter what shape it comes in.

In May, I’ll be at What the Hex: The Magician (Sunday, May 3) and another Spooky Frog Horrifying Book Fair (Saturday, May 16).

A couple of petitions:

Via Demand Progress: No war on Cuba

Via USCPR Action: No war on Iran, no weapons for Israel, no ICE in our communities

Via Save the Children: Send lifesaving aid to Afghanistan

I think that’s all I have for today. Stop by again soon, and I hope to see you in Kenosha on Sunday!

Song of the Week

Shawn James, “Burn the Witch”

Some disturbing imagery in the video, just so you know.

Hi. It’s Monday again.

If you’re in Wisconsin, please turn out tomorrow for the Supreme Court election! myvote.wi.gov has all the information you need about your registration, polling place, and ballot.

The new chapter of Last Watch Before Dawn began last week, so we’ll be continuing with that this week. I usually draw when my baby naps–on my chest, which is good for her getting a nice long nap in, but not great for my posture. I’m teaching her to nap on her own this week, so I hope you’ll be patient if comic pages are a little delayed. Right now she’s sleeping soundly, so we’re off to a good start.

At the end of the month, I’ll be going to the Kenosha Book Festival again! Sunday, April 26, from 10 until 3, at the parking lot outside of Studio Moonfall, 5031 7th Ave., Kenosha, WI. See you there!

Some petitions for today:

Via Civic Shout: Pass a federal ban on conversion therapy

Via Demand Progress: Block 20,000 bombs

Via Win Without War: No more money for war

A note: I always try to remove UTM tracking tags from any links I post. If I’ve missed some, please let me know. I think we don’t need to be tracked everywhere we go online.

That’s all for now. Stop by again soon! And don’t forget to vote!

Song of the Week

Haunted Like Human, “Growing Pains”

Hi. It’s Monday again.

I did manage to get the newsletter out yesterday, and everything seems to have worked properly. Thanks for your patience!

Not much else to report for this week. I’m working on some new pages of Last Watch Before Dawn, and they’ll be up Tuesday and Friday, as per usual.

Some petitions for today, because ye gods:

Via the Friends Committee on National Legislation: Pass the Iran War Powers Resolution

Via Jewish Voice for Peace: No war on Iran

Via Win Without War: Stop war on Iran

That’s what I’ve got. Take care and stop by again soon.

Song of the Week

Mediaeval Baebes, “Adam Lay Ibounden” (traditional)

Good morning!

I wanted to warn you that the newsletter will be going out on Saturday, so if that’s something you’re interested in (it does include pictures of my cats), put your email in the box at this link. Be sure to then check your inbox for a confirmation.

New pages of Last Watch Before Dawn will be up Tuesday and Friday! This chapter is going to be pretty dark, but I promise the following one will be much more hopeful. Things have to get worse before they can get better.

I hope that in the real world, we’re also in the part where things have to get worse before they get better. Unlike fiction, we don’t wait for the writer to get to it; we have to make it better ourselves.

So, here’s some petitions, as a small effort you and I can make:

Via the National Campaign for Justice: Keep ICE out of public schools and publicly commit to vote against funding DHS

Via CodePink: Tell the British Embassy to take action on the hunger strikers

Via Win Without War: Stop a new nuclear arms race

Take care of yourselves, and stop by again soon.

Song of the Week

Wickerbird, “Riverborn”

Good morning. I hope you’re safe and warm today, and that the arc of the universe will bend toward justice, as the saying goes.

We’re starting a new chapter of Last Watch Before Dawn this week! New pages will go up Tuesday and Friday.

Petitions for this week:

Via Daily Kos: Pass the Dream Act

Via UNICEF USA: Support funding for UNICEF

Via The Swarm: Stop funding ICE

Via Rep. Abdelnasser Rashid: Report on what is really happening in Gaza and the West Bank

That’s all I’ve got for you today. Thanks for being here.

Song of the Week

Blanco White, “Samara”

Good morning!

I’ll use this song to remind you of a little Star Wars story I wrote about a character named Samara.

I’ll have another page of Last Watch Before Dawn for you tomorrow. This will conclude the second chapter, so on Friday, I’ll have some bonus art on Patreon. The next chapter will commence the following Tuesday.

Some petitions:

Via Just Foreign Policy: No war with Iran

Via AFT Activist: Keep ICE out of schools

Via the Friends Committee on National Legislation: No war on Venezuela

The eight-month sleep regression has hit the household (and me in particular), so my brain is currently made of pudding, but I love you and appreciate you. Take care of yourselves, and stop by again soon.

Song of the Week

Loreena McKennitt, “The English Ladye and the Knight”

It’s the first weekly song of the new year! Welcome back!

I’m still trucking along on Last Watch Before Dawn, so I’ll have another page up tomorrow and one more on Friday. We’re three pages away from the end of this chapter. This volume will have five chapters (we’re coming up on the end of the second one) and a total of about ninety pages.

A couple of petitions for today, because yelling at the people who do have the power to make the world marginally better is sometimes all we can do:

Via Civic Shout: Stop illegal war in Venezuela

Via Win Without War: Stop another forever war

Via the Friends Committee on National Legislation: No war with Venezuela

Okay. Thanks for reading, and take care of yourselves this week.