Girl Genius (![[syndicated profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/feed.png)
girlgenius_main_feed) wrote2025-12-10 05:00 am
girlgenius_main_feed) wrote2025-12-10 05:00 am
Girl Genius for Wednesday, December 10, 2025
The Girl Genius comic for Wednesday, December 10, 2025 has been posted.
Streetsblog California (cal_streetsblog_feed) wrote2025-12-09 08:25 pm
cal_streetsblog_feed) wrote2025-12-09 08:25 pmReport: Speed Camera Programs Working in San Francisco, Floundering in Bureaucracy in L.A.
A new report released by Streets Are For Everyone (SAFE) highlights that speed safety cameras — authorized for a handful of cities Assembly Bill 645 in 2023 — are already producing big safety gains in Bay Area cities, while cities in Los Angeles County have yet to get a system up and running.
The report grades seven pilot cities as of October 2025, based on how far along they are in fully implementing their speed camera programs. Malibu was added to the pilot program late last year after a horrific crash in 2023 highlighted dangerous speeding along its part of Pacific Coast Highway.
To create a bias-free way of analyzing cities’ progress, and guide cities’ staff, SAFE created key documents outlining key details, an Implementation Checklist, and an Implementation Flowchart. Links in city names below direct to official project websites.
Success story: San Francisco
San Francisco earns the top mark — A+ — with all 33 cameras permitted by state law installed and actively issuing citations. Since launching warning tickets in March 2025 and full citations in August, the city reports a dramatic 72% average reduction in speeding at 15 key camera locations. In the first six months, over 400,000 warning notices were issued — and the number of violations has steadily dropped week over week, pointing to a swift change in driving behavior.
Officials and advocates agree that San Francisco’s quick action shows what’s possible when cities make safe speeds a priority. Supporters say the result is safer streets for motorists, pedestrians, and cyclists, especially in high injury neighborhoods.
Mixed Progress Elsewhere
Other cities participating in the pilot program vary widely in progress. Oakland is making progress, with 18 planned cameras and a B+ grade; the city expects to begin issuing warnings by the end of 2025.
San José follows with a B. The city has moved past the planning stage for its 33 cameras and is training staff on how to utilize the technology. Cameras should be activated early next year.
But in Southern California, progress is slower. Glendale has begun vendor selection for its 18 cameras planned, earning a B-. Malibu earns a B+. It is crafting the “Request for Proposals” to seek vendors for its project. As noted above, for Malibu the clock started a year later than the other cities.
Long Beach stands at D+. The details of its program should be approved by its City Council sometime this month, allowing it to move into the RFP process. Long Beach plans to have its program up and running next summer.
Disappointment and Delay in Los Angeles
Bringing up the rear is the City of Los Angeles with a grade of a D, and honestly even this seems high. Los Angeles has permission for 125 speed cameras, half of the total number of cameras permitted in the entire state. Yet, the City of Angels has only completed about a quarter of required steps before cameras can go live.
In Los Angeles, where speeding contributes to hundreds of serious injuries and deaths annually, the slow pace is especially concerning. City agencies are still drafting policies and completing procurement. Officials say the aim is to have the system live by the end of 2026 — but that seems unlikely unless the city can suddenly bring the same energy to this project that it does to harassing advocates and devising clever ways to avoid making streets safer.
Next Steps: Finish Implementation and Scale Up
SAFE’s report stresses that delays — especially in large cities like Los Angeles and Long Beach — come at a very real cost in lives and serious injuries. The group calls for elected officials and transportation agencies to accelerate deployment.
“While San Francisco residents are already benefiting from safer streets, millions in Los Angeles, Long Beach, and Malibu, cities with some of the highest crash rates in the state, remain exposed to preventable traffic violence,” writes SAFE.
Once all seven pilot cities are fully operational, SAFE hopes the data will support expanding speed safety systems statewide. The goal: reduce reckless driving, improve safety for all road users, and finally begin to shrink California’s staggering toll of speed-related traffic deaths and injuries.
The post Report: Speed Camera Programs Working in San Francisco, Floundering in Bureaucracy in L.A. appeared first on Streetsblog California.
Streetsblog California (cal_streetsblog_feed) wrote2025-12-09 04:01 pm
cal_streetsblog_feed) wrote2025-12-09 04:01 pmTuesday’s Headlines
- More on LA’s War on Street Safety (LAT, ABC7, Pride LA, CBS2)
- CAHSRA Looks Forward, Still Facing Challenges Today (Fox 40)
- Complete Streets Makeover on Huntington Drive (LAist)
- Bikeshare Booming at UCLA (Daily Bruin)
- Trump’s War on CA Economy Making Progress on Main Street (OC Register)
- You Can Report Crimes by Federal Agents (Berkeleyside)
- Race to Succeed Pelosi a “Proxy Housing Battle” (SF Chron)
- Dirty Cars Also More Expensive(Vox)
- Climate Change Causes Healthcare Costs to Go Up, Up, Up (Yale Climate Connections)
- Is NEPA Reform a Good or Bad Thing? (Heatmap)
- Blimps Are Back! (SF Gate)
Get the rest of the headlines at SBUSA, SBLA, and SBSF
The post Tuesday’s Headlines appeared first on Streetsblog California.
Streetsblog California (cal_streetsblog_feed) wrote2025-12-09 05:01 am
cal_streetsblog_feed) wrote2025-12-09 05:01 amOpinion: Sean Duffy’s ‘Golden Age’ of Dangerous Streets
Sean Duffy is calling for a "golden age" of civility in American travel. He should start by ending barbaric policies that get people killed on the ground and in the skies.
The post Opinion: Sean Duffy’s ‘Golden Age’ of Dangerous Streets appeared first on Streetsblog California.
Streetsblog California (cal_streetsblog_feed) wrote2025-12-09 12:48 am
cal_streetsblog_feed) wrote2025-12-09 12:48 amAdvocates Rally for Full and Fair Muni Funding
San Francisco transit advocate Chris Arvin led the chant “fund the bus” with over 100 advocates, politicians, union reps, and legislative staffers at a rally Monday afternoon on the steps of City Hall. The event was to raise support for a ballot measure next year to raise money for Muni operations. “Without this, we will face catastrophic cuts to service,” said Arvin, who sits on SFMTA’s Citizens’ Advisory Council.
The mayor’s office is already proposing an annual parcel tax that would raise $187 million. That would be coupled with the Connect Bay Area Act, a regional transit funding measure that would institute a 1/2-cent sales tax, which, if it passes, would provide $160 million per year to Muni. Together, they should close the existing budget deficit.
However, transit advocates want to see San Francisco’s measure raise $260 million in order to fill Muni’s growing $300 million-plus annual budget deficit but also allow significant service improvements. “Let’s offer voters a vision,” said Arvin.
That vision would include a 10 percent increase in service, including adding frequency, restoring truncated routes, and possibly bringing back pre-COVID and new express routes. It would also keep up with inflation, so advocates and riders won’t be saddled with yet another funding crisis in just a few years.
Monday’s coalition also wants guarantees that the costs of the tax are not passed on to renters and that big-tech, wealthy property owners don’t get any tax breaks in the deal. “We must make sure the largest corporations pay their fair share,” said District 11 Supervisor Chyanne Chen. Chen added that seniors on a fixed income should be exempted from the parcel tax.
For the advocates, transit issues and social justice are inextricably linked. “Sometimes getting on the Muni 49 or the 14 is physically impossible right now,” thanks to reduced service and overcrowding, explained Maya Scott with Senior & Disability Action, part of the Muni Now, Muni Forever coalition. For seniors and others, this becomes a safety issue when someone in a wheelchair is stuck waiting for a bus for hours. “Let’s pause for a moment and consider who depends on Muni.”
District 9 Supervisor Jackie Fielder, who also spoke at the event, praised the mayor for agreeing to a “progressive tax,” but stressed that his proposal doesn’t go far enough. “We need an explicit prohibition on a pass-through to renters,” she said.
All the speakers stressed that good Muni service underpins San Francisco’s ongoing recovery. Small businesses depend on good transit to get customers and employees into their shops, they said. Several of the transit advocates also pointed out that without a healthy transit system, drivers suffer too.
District 7 Supervisor Myrna Melgar, another speaker at the event, told Streetsblog that she considers transit so fundamental to San Francisco that ultimately she will vote “yes” with or without the progressive safeguards. “I want a zero-percent pass-through, but I’ll pass whatever is passable.”
For more, check out the San Francisco’s Chronicle‘s breakdown of the parcel tax on various property types. To get involved, check out the Muni Now, Muni Forever website.
The post Advocates Rally for Full and Fair Muni Funding appeared first on Streetsblog San Francisco.
The post Advocates Rally for Full and Fair Muni Funding appeared first on Streetsblog California.
Streetsblog California (cal_streetsblog_feed) wrote2025-12-08 11:04 pm
cal_streetsblog_feed) wrote2025-12-08 11:04 pmCity Mostly Rejects Another Round of HLA Appeals, Some After Deadline to Make Determination Had Pass
Disclosure: The appeals in this story were filed by Joe Linton outside of his capacity as an editor of Streetsblog Los Angeles. You can read Linton’s full preview, review, and social media of the meeting at his personal website and Bluesky. You can also listen to the hearing here.
Last Friday, December 5, the City of Los Angeles Board of Public Works heard, and mostly rejected, five appeals that claimed the City was not following the instruction of voters to make streets safer through the 2024 Ballot Measure HLA that voters passed overwhelmingly. The law requires the city to implement its own mobility plan, passed in 2015, as it makes improvements to city streets.
What is restriping?
In late November, the Board mostly-rejected the first batch of appeals made by Joe Linton. In those appeals, Linton argued that as the city was changing street parking allocations, removing peak hour lanes, or making other changes to the streets – so these projects should trigger HLA. City staff argued that these changes are exempt from HLA as they are just “restriping.”
The Board of Public Works, all of whom are appointed by the Mayor with the approval of the City Council, agreed with the city staff recommendation and fully denied all the appeals, except one (Whitsett) they mostly denied.
At the start of the December 5 meeting, Josh Vredevoogd with Streets for All, the non-profit that authored the HLA ballot measure and was the primary force behind its passage, spoke about their understanding of the measure and the law. He testified that the intent of the measure as authored and passed by voters would require that any projects that include changing road uses would trigger the HLA mandate.
“Our interpretation and our intention with writing the law is clear,” Vredevoogd testified. “Restriping is only an exemption from HLA when it is not paired with other improvements. As defined improvements mean any repaving project or other modification of at least 1/8 of a mile in length.”
The board voted unanimously several times to continue with the original interpretation made by city staff, that changing street usages (mainly adding parking) does not trigger HLA law unless there is repaving involved.
Board Acts After Legal Authorization Expired
In two cases, the Board considered and denied appeals nearly a week after the legal deadline to hear and decide them.
Linton broke down the Byzantine appeal timeline for the board. Stakeholders have thirty calendar days to file an appeal of a project on the city’s mobility plan dashboard. After that, the Board of Public Works has 60 calendar days to rule on the appeal and can continue the matter for another fifteen days for a total of 75 days.
In the case of two projects that Linton was appealing, the Roscoe Avenue Bus Lanes and Whitsett Avenue Resurfacing, the last day that appeals could be filed for those projects was September 17. Sixty days after that was November 16. Had the Board voted to continue these projects (which they had done for part of Roscoe but not for Whitsett) the deadline would have still passed on December 1, the Monday before the December 5 hearing took place.
Rather than admitting their error and moving forward with other pieces of business, the Board moved forward with the hearings after an impressive feat of Orwellian gaslighting from Assistant City Attorney Ted Jordan. Jordan stated that the Board was doing Linton a favor by illegally hearing his appeal of the Whitsett Avenue Resurfacing. The board later quickly heard and rejected the appeal of the Roscoe Boulevard Bus Lanes noting that it had already empowered itself to disregard the city’s ordinance on the HLA appeals process.
The following is a transcript of Jordan’s testimony that can also be heard beginning at the broadcast of the meeting at the 2:04:39 on YouTube.
“Mr. Linton indicates the measure HLA Implementation ordinance, does have a timeline for the board to decide the appeals. Because there was a glitch with when the mailed notice was sent to Mr. Linton…that’s why we’re having the hearing today, because we wanted to provide Mr. Linton the full amount of notice that the ordinance calls for, which has been done.
The going beyond the deadline of the ordinance doesn’t deprive the board the ability to consider Mr. Linton’s appeal, deny the appeal, grant the appeal. In this case, it’s being granted, in part. The ordinance does not have any… the implementation ordinance for Measure HLA doesn’t contain any provision that has the appeal being deemed approved or deemed denied if it goes beyond the date, so the board is not deprived of its jurisdiction.
The purpose of the appeal, the administrative appeal here, is to give any member of the public who feels the city has got it wrong on a project to come and bring that to the board in a rapid, informal process, without having to go to court, which could take years. And that’s why we’re here today. Every effort is made to bring these matters to the board and to provide the appellants the, I think it’s ten days, notice. In this case, we’re a few days beyond that; but the board is not deprived of its ability to have that review and consider the item on its merits.”
The “glitch” that Jordan references is that the Board attempted to hear Linton’s appeal of the Roscoe Boulevard Bus Lanes at the November 24 hearing. But after it was demonstrated they failed to properly notice the hearing they postponed the hearing until December 5. At the time Jordan was making his statement, the Board was debating whether or not to hear the appeal of the Whitsett Avenue Resurfacing project, which had neither been continued nor was there any confusion around a “glitch.”
The partial approval that Jordan mentions is that, for Whitsett, where the city acknowledges resurfacing triggered HLA, the city will study opportunities to fix a traffic signal pedestrian crossing button, known by detractors as the ped/beg button, and report back sometime in the next sixty days. Linton was asking for the city to install two crosswalks in his appeal.
The actual projects appealed
Here are the projects appealed at the December 5 hearing.
(1) Roscoe Boulevard bus lanes, appeal rejected – Previous Streetsblog coverage, staff report
(2) Oro Vista Avenue Local Flow Management Project, appeal rejected – Staff report
(3) Whitsett Avenue resurfacing, appeal partially upheld, see above – Previous Streetsblog coverage, staff report
(4) Melrose Avenue peak hour lane removal, appeal rejected – Previous Streetsblog coverage, staff report
(5) Pico Boulevard peak hour lane removal, appeal rejected – Previous Streetsblog coverage, staff report
The post City Mostly Rejects Another Round of HLA Appeals, Some After Deadline to Make Determination Had Passed appeared first on Streetsblog Los Angeles.
The post City Mostly Rejects Another Round of HLA Appeals, Some After Deadline to Make Determination Had Passed appeared first on Streetsblog California.
Streetsblog California (cal_streetsblog_feed) wrote2025-12-08 09:18 pm
cal_streetsblog_feed) wrote2025-12-08 09:18 pmPolice and Fire Departments Shut Down Volunteer Crosswalk Painting Event in Westwood
Yesterday, LAPD shut down a volunteer work party painting new crosswalks in Westwood. The crosswalk install was organized by Jonathan Hale, under the banner of People’s Vision Zero which is building on the work of do-it-yourself street safety installs pioneered by the L.A. Crosswalks Collective. Hale was one of the people behind guerilla crosswalks shaming the city into adding actual official crosswalks at West L.A.’s Stoner Park.
Yesterday’s community crosswalk install was located at the intersection of Kelton Avenue and Wilkins Avenue, near the Westwood V.A
Streetsblog interviewed Hale yesterday, who termed yesterday’s incident “a bummer.”
“It’s sad that it comes to this,” he said.
Hale related that volunteers had completed two of four crosswalks there and were starting the third when two LAPD cars and one LAFD ambulance arrived. Police arrived due to reports of vandalism and seemed somewhat confused when they found volunteers openly painting missing crosswalks.
As the organizer of the event, Hale came forward to speak with the LAPD and explained what was going on. Officers then cuffed Hale, patted him down, and threatened to “arrest everybody.”
Hale stated that he was cuffed for 15-30 minutes. LAPD cited Hale for misdemeanor “vandalism on city property,” a charge that he says typically means a $250 fine. No other volunteers were ticketed.
Hale says that the PD made the volunteers unblock the closed street, at which point people drove over wet paint, spreading it beyond the intersection. “It looks like crap” complained Hale.
For additional details, see Hale’s post at Reddit, and watch PeoplesVisionZero Instagram reel recapping yesterday’s LAPD action.
The post Police and Fire Departments Shut Down Volunteer Crosswalk Painting Event in Westwood appeared first on Streetsblog Los Angeles.
The post Police and Fire Departments Shut Down Volunteer Crosswalk Painting Event in Westwood appeared first on Streetsblog California.
Cake Wrecks (cakewrecks_feed) wrote2025-12-09 02:00 pm
cakewrecks_feed) wrote2025-12-09 02:00 pm'Scuse Me, I Think Your Fly Is Down...
"LEAPING LILY PADS!! Is...is that what I think it is? Phil, are you seeing this?!"
"...Phil?"
"...Will?"
"...Jill?
"You guys, snap out of it!"
"I'm...I'm scared, Gill."
"It's unnatural, I tell you - UNNATURAL!"
"Quiet, Bill! He's coming!"
"Hey guys! Wassup?
"They call me...TADPOLE."
Thanks to wreckporters Susan M., Abby G., Amber K., Becky L., Jesse D., Madi L., Sara M., and Tammy H. & Melanie D., who sent in separate reports of the same frog. I love it when that happens! My wrecky minions are everywhere - EVERYWHERE! Muah-ha-haaa!
*****
If you know someone who loves frogs, maybe skip the wreck and get them this instead:
Fanatical About Frogs
It's part of a cool animal series with incredible art. In fact I'm also eying Obsessive About Octopuses, just for the cover alone. Hnnng.
Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers (make_feed) wrote2025-12-09 01:23 am
make_feed) wrote2025-12-09 01:23 amJoin Us Our Fireside Chat With Paper Inventions Author Kathy Ceceri!
Join Dale Dougherty and Kathy Ceceri, author of Make: Paper Inventions, for a Fireside Chat exploring STEAM activities for young inventors.
The post Join Us Our Fireside Chat With Paper Inventions Author Kathy Ceceri! appeared first on Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers.
The Bloggess (thebloggess_feed) wrote2025-12-08 11:38 pm
thebloggess_feed) wrote2025-12-08 11:38 pmTHE 16TH ANNUAL JAMES GARFIELD CHRISTMAS MIRACLE!
Hello and welcome to the SIXTEENTH ANNUAL James Garfield Miracle! (HOW??) “What is the James Garfield Miracle?” you may be asking. You must be new here. HELLO AND WELCOME. 16 years ago I walked into an estate sale and fell in love with an ancient taxidermied boars head that seemed so damn happy to see me. I didContinue reading "THE 16TH ANNUAL JAMES GARFIELD CHRISTMAS MIRACLE!"
Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers (make_feed) wrote2025-12-08 05:00 pm
make_feed) wrote2025-12-08 05:00 pmGuide to Boards 2026: Super (Tiny) Computers
Arduino channels Xzibit, and Raspberry Pi reminds us why we love computers.
The post Guide to Boards 2026: Super (Tiny) Computers appeared first on Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers.
Streetsblog California (cal_streetsblog_feed) wrote2025-12-08 06:06 pm
cal_streetsblog_feed) wrote2025-12-08 06:06 pmMonday’s Headlines
- LAPD Cuffs and Tickets Guerilla Crosswalk Organizer (Biking in L.A. vis BSKY)
- More on CAHSR Planning to Anaheim (Urbanize, Progressive Railroading)
- What a Muni Parcel Tax Would Cost S.F. Homeowners (SFChron)
- Fixing First-Mile/Last-Mile with Public Rideshare (Union-Trib)
- Waymo’s Going Around Stopped School Buses (SFChron)
- Editorial: Stop Spying on American Highways (OC Register)
- Business, Labor, Governments: Congress, Protect Transit Funding (Bloomberg; paywall)
- Complete Lack of Political Will Is Killing Us (WaPo)
- E-Motos Way More Dangerous Than E-Bikes. Know the Difference! (Velo)
- Fire Destroys High-Speed Rail Mural in Fresno’s Chinatown (Fresno Bee)
Get the rest of the headlines at SBUSA, SBLA, and SBSF
The post Monday’s Headlines appeared first on Streetsblog California.
Streetsblog California (cal_streetsblog_feed) wrote2025-12-05 11:54 pm
cal_streetsblog_feed) wrote2025-12-05 11:54 pmWeekend Roundup: Caltrain Bike Advisors, Advocates Reach out to Supervisor Wong…
Here are three Streetsblog news nuggets to start your weekend.
Join the Caltrain Bicycle Advisory Committee
Are you a regular Caltrain commuter who also takes their bike or scooter on board? If so, Caltrain could use your help. From their statement:
Caltrain is seeking four Caltrain riders to apply for its Bicycle & Active Transportation Advisory Committee (BATAC), which serves as the primary venue to integrate the interests and perspectives of customers who primarily use active transportation – bicycling, scootering and other related modes of transportation – to access to the Caltrain system into the planning processes.
Caltrain needs the following:
- One representative of a public agency from San Franciso County
- One public agency representative from San Mateo County
- One bicycle advocacy group representative from San Mateo County
- One member of the general public from Santa Clara County.
Click here to apply. Or call 650.508.6391. Applications are due by Friday, January 2.
Advocates invite Supervisor Wong to hear directly from constituents
The Sunset District has endured two elections over the state of Sunset Dunes, both of which affirmed that San Francisco does not want cars anymore on the middle section of the asphalt previously called the Upper Great Highway. But then, of course, Supervisor Joel Engardio was recalled and Mayor Lurie selected Alan Wong to finish his term. The hard-working advocates at Friends of Sunset Dunes Park attended his swearing in ceremony on Monday, where he implied that he wants a third vote on the future of the park. Now they want to meet with him to discuss the success and popularity of Sunset Dunes and see if that’s really the case. From their email statement:
Friends of Sunset Dunes has invited Supervisor Wong to a town hall on a date of his choosing. We want him to hear directly from neighbors who use and love the park. We’ll let you know if he accepts and will share details as soon as we have them.
As the advocates pointed out in their email, Sunset Dunes is thriving. “More than a million people will enjoy the coast here this year. Local businesses are busier than ever, traffic is functioning as expected, and the city is saving money on maintenance that the old road required. A coastal park is simply a better fit for our coastline today.”
Streetsblog will of course continue to follow these developments.
City of Alameda wants to hear from you on the Pacific Ave. greenway
The first Neighborhood Greenway pilot segment in Alameda was installed on Pacific Avenue between Lafayette and Oak Streets in November. Now the city is collecting feedback on the design. From a city statement about wanting to hear from user to…
…inform the final designs for the Slow Street segments of San Jose Ave/Morton St, Versailles Ave and the remainder of Pacific Ave, to convert them to Neighborhood Greenways.
And:
Neighborhood Greenways are local, traffic-calmed streets designed to give priority to people walking and biking, where bicyclists and motorists can safely share the road and busy street crossings have been made safer.
People who bike, walk, and roll in Alameda should be sure to fill out the survey by 12/14 and/or join the Transportation Commission meeting on 12/17.
The post Weekend Roundup: Caltrain Bike Advisors, Advocates Reach out to Supervisor Wong… appeared first on Streetsblog San Francisco.
The post Weekend Roundup: Caltrain Bike Advisors, Advocates Reach out to Supervisor Wong… appeared first on Streetsblog California.
AO3 News (ao3_news_feed) wrote2025-12-08 03:34 pm
ao3_news_feed) wrote2025-12-08 03:34 pmNovember 2025 Newsletter, Volume 206
I. SPOTLIGHT ON FANLORE
In November, Fanlore ran the Fanlore No Fault November challenge: a catch-up event for earlier badges editors missed! The challenge ran from November 16 to 30, with many editors participating and earning badges from previous months.
Curious about editing Fanlore? Check out the New Visitor Portal and Tutorial for getting started!
II. ARCHIVE OF OUR OWN
On November 14, we celebrated AO3's 16th anniversary! \o/
Accessibility, Design & Technology continued to prepare emails for translation and improved how the download and chapter index menus behave with each other on smaller screens.
AO3 Documentation updated the Contacting the Staff FAQ.
Open Doors finished importing Oz Magi, an Oz annual gift exchange, and Stayka's Saint Seiya Archive, a Saint Seiya archive. They also shared an annual roundup of the fanzine collections created in the last year for fanworks imported through the Fanzine Scan Hosting Project (FSHP) and announced the upcoming import of a Harry Potter archive, PhoenixSong.
In October, Policy & Abuse received 5,061 tickets, setting a record high for the third month in a row. Support received 3,043 tickets. Tag Wrangling wrangled over 600,000 tags, or over 1,380 tags per wrangling volunteer.
Tag Wrangling also continues to create new "No Fandom" canonical tags and announced a new batch of tags for November.
III. ELSEWHERE AT THE OTW
TWC continues to prepare for the two upcoming 2026 special issues: "Disability and Fandom" and "Gaming Fandom". The submission deadline for the two 2027 special issues, "Music Fandom" and "Latin American Fandoms", is also quickly approaching on January 1.
In November, the OTW filed an Amicus brief in the United States Supreme Court, arguing that the Supreme Court should clarify the rules surrounding who can challenge a trademark registration application. In a case involving whether someone should own the trademark "Rapunzel" for dolls of the character Rapunzel, the OTW argued that the Trademark Office should consider the interests of the public—including fans—in deciding whether to award private ownership over a word or symbol that may be in the public domain.
Legal also worked with Communications on a news post about recent legislation and have responded to a number of comments and queries on this post and other issues.
IV. GOVERNANCE
Board continued work on annual turnover and meeting with all committees. They made progress on the OTW Procurement Policy and expected to get it finalized soon. They, along with the Board Assistants Team, also continued to work with Volunteers & Recruiting and Organizational Culture Roadmap on the ongoing Code of Conduct review.
Development & Membership has been catching up on post-Drive tasks.
V. OUR VOLUNTEERS
December 5 was International Volunteers Day! As a volunteer-run organization, the OTW would not be possible without the support and diligence of our volunteers. We thank all our volunteers, past and present, for the work they've contributed to the OTW.
If you're curious about volunteering for the OTW, we recruit for various positions on a regular basis, and recruitment will next open in January.
From October 25 to November 22, Volunteers & Recruiting received 287 new requests, and completed 270, leaving them with 63 open requests (including induction and removal tasks listed below). As of November 22, 2025, the OTW has 983 volunteers. \o/ Recent personnel movements are listed below.
New Fanlore Volunteers: Luana and 2 other Chair-Track Volunteers
New Policy & Abuse Volunteers: Anderson, Araxie, corr, Aspenfire, Klm, Mothmantic, Nova Deca, vanishinghorizons, and 1 other Volunteer
New Tag Wrangling Volunteers: 90Percent Human, Aeon, Alecander Seiler, ambystoma, Astrum, Atlas Oak, batoidea, Bette, Bottle, bowekatan, Bruno, Chaosxvi, Destiny, DogsAreTheBest312, Dream, elia faustus, Ellexamines, Elliott W, Gracey, jacksonwangparty, Jean W, Kalico, Keira Gong, Kiru, lamonnaie, Lavender, Loria, Lucia G, LWynn, Max, Nikki, Nioral, noctilucent, Our Hospitality, Primo, Rie, Salethia, Sapphira, sashene, Schnee, Scylle, sneakyowl, soymilk, Thaddeus, TheCrystalRing, thewritegrump, Water, Wintam, yucca, and 1 other Tag Wrangling Volunteer
New Translation Volunteers: 1 Translator
New TWC Volunteers: Lys Benson (Copyeditor)
New User Response Translation Volunteers: Cesium (Translator)
Departing AO3 Documentation Volunteers: 1 Editor
Departing Open Doors Volunteers: Irina, Paula, and 2 other Import Assistants; 1 Administrative Volunteer, and 1 Fan Culture Preservation Project Volunteer
Departing Policy & Abuse Volunteers: 1 Communications News Post Moderation Liaison
Departing Tag Wrangling Volunteers: Julia Santos (Tag Wrangling Supervisor); blackelement7, pan2fel, and 7 other Tag Wrangling Volunteers
Departing Translation Volunteers: weliuona and 2 other Translators
Departing Volunteers & Recruiting Volunteers: Alisande and 2 other Volunteers
For more information about our committees and their regular activities, you can refer to the committee pages on our website.
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.
Organization for Transformative Works (otw_news_feed) wrote2025-12-08 03:30 pm
otw_news_feed) wrote2025-12-08 03:30 pmNovember 2025 Newsletter, Volume 206
I. SPOTLIGHT ON FANLORE
In November, Fanlore ran the Fanlore No Fault November challenge: a catch-up event for earlier badges editors missed! The challenge ran from November 16 to 30, with many editors participating and earning badges from previous months.
Curious about editing Fanlore? Check out the New Visitor Portal and Tutorial for getting started!
II. ARCHIVE OF OUR OWN
On November 14, we celebrated AO3’s 16th anniversary! \o/
Accessibility, Design & Technology continued to prepare emails for translation and improved how the download and chapter index menus behave with each other on smaller screens.
AO3 Documentation updated the Contacting the Staff FAQ.
Open Doors finished importing Oz Magi, an Oz annual gift exchange, and Stayka’s Saint Seiya Archive, a Saint Seiya archive. They also shared an annual roundup of the fanzine collections created in the last year for fanworks imported through the Fanzine Scan Hosting Project (FSHP) and announced the upcoming import of a Harry Potter archive, PhoenixSong.
In October, Policy & Abuse received 5,061 tickets, setting a record high for the third month in a row. Support received 3,043 tickets. Tag Wrangling wrangled over 600,000 tags, or over 1,380 tags per wrangling volunteer.
Tag Wrangling also continues to create new “No Fandom” canonical tags and announced a new batch of tags for November.
III. ELSEWHERE AT THE OTW
TWC continues to prepare for the two upcoming 2026 special issues: “Disability and Fandom” and “Gaming Fandom”. The submission deadline for the two 2027 special issues, “Music Fandom” and “Latin American Fandoms”, is also quickly approaching on January 1.
In November, the OTW filed an Amicus brief in the United States Supreme Court, arguing that the Supreme Court should clarify the rules surrounding who can challenge a trademark registration application. In a case involving whether someone should own the trademark “Rapunzel” for dolls of the character Rapunzel, the OTW argued that the Trademark Office should consider the interests of the public—including fans—in deciding whether to award private ownership over a word or symbol that may be in the public domain.
Legal also worked with Communications on a news post about recent legislation and have responded to a number of comments and queries on this post and other issues.
IV. GOVERNANCE
Board continued work on annual turnover and meeting with all committees. They made progress on the OTW Procurement Policy and expected to get it finalized soon. They, along with the Board Assistants Team, also continued to work with Volunteers & Recruiting and Organizational Culture Roadmap on the ongoing Code of Conduct review.
Development & Membership has been catching up on post-Drive tasks.
V. OUR VOLUNTEERS
December 5 was International Volunteers Day! As a volunteer-run organization, the OTW would not be possible without the support and diligence of our volunteers. We thank all our volunteers, past and present, for the work they’ve contributed to the OTW.
If you’re curious about volunteering for the OTW, we recruit for various positions on a regular basis, and recruitment will next open in January.
From October 25 to November 22, Volunteers & Recruiting received 287 new requests, and completed 270, leaving them with 63 open requests (including induction and removal tasks listed below). As of November 22, 2025, the OTW has 983 volunteers. \o/ Recent personnel movements are listed below.
New Fanlore Volunteers: Luana and 2 other Chair-Track Volunteers
New Policy & Abuse Volunteers: Anderson, Araxie, corr, Aspenfire, Klm, Mothmantic, Nova Deca, vanishinghorizons, and 1 other Volunteer
New Tag Wrangling Volunteers: 90Percent Human, Aeon, Alecander Seiler, ambystoma, Astrum, Atlas Oak, batoidea, Bette, Bottle, bowekatan, Bruno, Chaosxvi, Destiny, DogsAreTheBest312, Dream, elia faustus, Ellexamines, Elliott W, Gracey, jacksonwangparty, Jean W, Kalico, Keira Gong, Kiru, lamonnaie, Lavender, Loria, Lucia G, LWynn, Max, Nikki, Nioral, noctilucent, Our Hospitality, Primo, Rie, Salethia, Sapphira, sashene, Schnee, Scylle, sneakyowl, soymilk, Thaddeus, TheCrystalRing, thewritegrump, Water, Wintam, yucca, and 1 other Tag Wrangling Volunteer
New Translation Volunteers: 1 Translator
New TWC Volunteers: Lys Benson (Copyeditor)
New User Response Translation Volunteers: Cesium (Translator)
Departing AO3 Documentation Volunteers: 1 Editor
Departing Open Doors Volunteers: Irina, Paula, and 2 other Import Assistants; 1 Administrative Volunteer, and 1 Fan Culture Preservation Project Volunteer
Departing Policy & Abuse Volunteers: 1 Communications News Post Moderation Liaison
Departing Tag Wrangling Volunteers: Julia Santos (Tag Wrangling Supervisor); blackelement7, pan2fel, and 7 other Tag Wrangling Volunteers
Departing Translation Volunteers: weliuona and 2 other Translators
Departing Volunteers & Recruiting Volunteers: Alisande and 2 other Volunteers
For more information about our committees and their regular activities, you can refer to the committee pages on our website.
Cake Wrecks (cakewrecks_feed) wrote2025-12-08 02:00 pm
cakewrecks_feed) wrote2025-12-08 02:00 pmLike A Bridge Over Troubled Icing
[A group of Wreckerators, some in frosting-smeared aprons, walk on stage and begin to sing...]
When they're leery
Feeling small...
When tears are in...
... their eyes,
Why not buy them all?
All on one side...
Ohhhhh
'cause spa- cing's tou- ou- ough...
[joining hands]
When friends just caaan't beee found!
[soprano solo]
I assure you, that's "Harry Potter!"
[chorus]
Why not pay me now?
I’ve a fridge full of stubbled otter:
[3-part harmony]
Why not pay me now?
A very happy birthday to Art Garfunkle - who we hope will forgive us - and many thanks to Liz K., Lynnette W., Paul A., Michelle S., Rachel H., Lexi, C.H., & Katie S. for helping us appreciate the sound of silence.
Girl Genius (girlgenius_main_feed) wrote2025-12-08 05:00 am
girlgenius_main_feed) wrote2025-12-08 05:00 amGirl Genius for Monday, December 08, 2025
The Girl Genius comic for Monday, December 08, 2025 has been posted.
Cake Wrecks (cakewrecks_feed) wrote2025-12-07 02:00 pm
cakewrecks_feed) wrote2025-12-07 02:00 pmTimey-Wimey Sweets
I grew up on old-school Doctor Who, back when it aired on PBS Friday nights. My first convention ever was a Doctor Who event - where John Pertwee patted my head - and just a few years ago I received a side-hug from my favorite Doctor, Peter Davison. [Still squeeing over that, btw.] So yeah, you could say the good Doctor and I go back a ways.
So today I thought we'd celebrate all things timey-wimey with the ultimate Best-Of cake mix sure to make your knees wibbly-wobbly. Ready? Allons-y!
(By Nerdache Cakes)
Much as I adore Tigger, I'm kinda bummed I can't make a "Doctor POOH" joke here. But that's ok; Piglet in a homemade Dalek costume MORE than makes up for it.
And speaking of Daleks:
(By Stacked Cakes)
WOW.
The 'net is full of so many fantastic TARDIS cakes, it's hard to narrow down the best ones.
Actually, I take that back; this one wasn't hard to narrow down at all:
(By Leigh Henderson of theyrecoming.com)
This cake (yes, it's cake!) is fitted with mirrors and lights to make it actually look bigger on the inside.
Here's a peek inside the window:
Time for a cookie break!
(By Cookie Cowgirl)
Daleks in party hats. YESSS.
And who's the cutest widdle alien fat particle of all time?
(Found here, baker unknown)
IT'S YOU!
(No, not YOU you. I mean the adipose. Um. Awkwarrrd.)
As a Classic Who girl, these guys were always my favorite villains:
(By Truly Scrumptious Designer Cakes)
Still can't get over how cute she managed to make a Cyberman look, though. I seriously want that cake in doll form!
And now for something a little steamy:
If you think about it, Steampunk and Doctor Who really are a match made in the heavens, am I right?
And while we're talking TARDISes TARDI TARDIS cakes, I love the galaxy airbrushing on this one:
(Made by Claudia's Cakery)
It takes a lot to fool me with cake these days, but this next one did. I *still* have a hard time believing it's not a wooden model:
(Found here)
Even if you've only watched Doctor Who since the reboot, I bet you still have a soft spot for Tom Baker:
(By Border City Cakes)
It's all about the scarf, right? And the crazy hair.
(I'm, uh, glad the baker went with the scarf, though. o.0)
And another excellent contribution from the original show:
(By Imaginative Icing)
K-9!
Sometimes you see a fan-built K-9 rolling around at conventions, and I so want one.
Even though I grew up on the show, I'm ashamed to admit I have a LOT of catching up to do with the new episodes. (Too many were making me cry!) I will catch up, though - I WILL.
Anyway, if you're in the same boat - or if you've never seen ANY episodes and just want to know what all the fuss is about, then at least watch the episode "Blink." It's quite possibly the best episode of any sci-fi show EVER, and stands alone just fine.
Plus, after you watch that, you'll know why everyone else is about to flinch away from their screens in terror:
(By the cake girl)
BOO!
Muahahahaha! :D
Ok, one more, just so we can end on a less petrifying [smirk] note:
(By Michelle Sugar Art)
Woohoo! It's a WHO-bilation!
(In my mind Doctor Seuss & the Doctor are friends, so that totally works.)
Happy Sunday, my fellow Whovians, and have a Sweet weekend!
*****
And from my other blog, Epbot:
