It’s Penguin Day!
No we don’t mean these guys. Though they would like appreciate a day just for them.
Also it’s not the NHL team.
It’s these little (okay some are not that little) guys.
For more information: Penguins
Sylum Charity: New Adventures
New Adventures is an iconic and ground-breaking British dance-theatre company, famous for telling stories with a unique theatrical twist. For over 30 years Matthew Bourne and New Adventures have delighted, inspired and nurtured people of all ages and backgrounds: audiences, artists and the next generation. We create world class productions and engaging projects, reaching thousands worldwide every year.
Sir Matthew Bourne OBE is widely hailed as the UK’s most popular and successful choreographer and director.
For over 30 years he has been creating and directing dance for musicals, theatre, film as well as his own highly successful, award-winning companies.
Matthew is the creator of the world’s longest running ballet production, and has been recognised by numerous international awards. He was knighted in the Queen’s New Year Honours 2016 for services to dance, and awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Award – one of the most coveted honours in the world of dance – in recognition of his outstanding services to the art of ballet.
On a personal level – Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake has been a major inspiration. Just recently had the honor to watch Car Man and was blown away.
The theatre, actors/dancers, and New Adventures productions has been hit hard during the Pandemic, as have many theatres and museums.
I’ve personally donated to their Dance School to help these ‘kids’ be able to keep learning dance. Also because it’s fun they call their Dance School – Swan School!
For more information and how to donate: New Adventures
Sylum Inspiration: John McClane
Tallikut: Head of Security
John grew up in New York, and the moment he graduated high school he joined the police academy. While on a patrol he met Holly Gennaro, who had witnessed a crime at her college. The two started dating, and soon were married.
Two years later they had a son, then two years after that a daughter.
John figured they were pretty settled until Holly informed him that she got a job offer in Los Angeles.
He stated he couldn’t just leave, due to the fact he had cases pending. She informed him, they needed some time apart, that she was having a difficult time with him being a cop, especially one who ended up always in the middle of any dangerous situation.
John let her go, banking that she would change her mind. Weeks turned to Months until it was almost a year. Wanting to see his wife and kids for Christmas, John traveled out to Los Angeles.
It all went to shit.
Hanz Gruber had taken the building hostage, including John’s wife. McClane refused to play ball and set out to take down the terrorist, only to find that they weren’t simple thieves. In the end he saved his wife, and watched in shock and triumph as Hanz fell to his death.
(Dilios Note: You might have seen the movie? Bruce Wayne made franchise series a while back much to McLane’s dismay)
Afterwards John moved to Los Angeles, joining the LAPD, settling back with his family.
Until he started seeing Hanz where ever he went. Holly worried about his eradicate behavior left him, and took the kids. He ended up suspended from the force. It was then he was at his lowest that Hanz confronted him and Turned him.
Sylum Wiki: To Tab or Not To Tab
The Wiki.
How I despise thee.
Some of you may recall a few months back I made an announcement that due to updates from wordpress, the tabs weren’t working on the theme we had. We ended up changing themes, only to discover tabs worked on Pages not Posts.
Noticing that the plug in hadn’t been update in a while, we figured best to change the format of the posts, taking away the tabs.
Guess what’s working.
Come on guess!
Yep the tabs.
*sighs along with rolling my eyes*
So here’s the question we have for you. Keep the new format? Or go back to tabs?
New Format: James Malone
Tab Format: Timothy Quinn
Please vote below …
Sylum Trivia: January 2021
Question: What kind of car does Michael Westen Drive?
Reminder: You can find info in stories and the wiki.
Please answer below:
Sylum Top Ten: 15th Anniversary Edition (Reminder & Friendly Poke)
Okay guys, to get a good set of statistics, we need answers from more than just one or two of you!!
I’m going to list below the Sylum Top Ten: 15th Anniversary Edition Questions … please click the links and answer as many of them as you can.
We’re looking for your top ten answers. If you have ten you can list that’s great! If you can only answer with a few that’s also great!
The more answers we get the better!
If you’ve answered these earlier great! If not – NOW is the TIME!!!
I’ll be sending out these reminders a few more times. We’ll be closing the polls in March. That means you got three months to answer!
Question 1: Name your top ten favorite characters. (Originally this was top ten new characters from the past 5 years, but as this led to some confusion of who was considered new characters – we’ve changed it.) So yes – Name your Top Ten Favorite Characters! The only thing I would ask … please don’t list out the Fab 6 – we all know everyone loves Nico, Warrick, Speed, Horatio, Tony and Jethro.
If you’ve answered this and would like to adjust it, go ahead. We have the ability to track and change answers.
Question 2: What are your Top Ten favorite stories? Those go to stories you read over and over again?
Question 3: Top Ten Clans you would like to visit?
Question 4: Who are your Top Ten Favorite Pairings?
Question 5: Name your Top Ten Favorite Bad Guys!
Question 6: Top Ten favorite Quotes from any story.
Question 7: Top Ten favorite Assassins?
Question 8: Top Ten favorite Sire/Childe pairings?
Question 10: Top ten favorite characters that have died?
Question 11: Top Ten Non-Vampires? (This could be Chosen Ones, those not of this world, not yet Vampires, side characters … basically anyone who doesn’t have fangs!)
Question 12: Top Ten Favorite Pets?
Question 13: Top Ten favorite ‘Yet To Come’ Characters (Those characters we’ve teased about but aren’t in the wiki yet)
Question 14: Top Ten favorite Odd Friendships (Those characters who you would never think to be friends … Dean/Charlie or Paul/Hannibal – those type of friendships)
Question 15: Top Ten Snippets that were posted would you like to see more of? (There was a few added over Advent!)
Bonus Question: Top Ten Questions you want to ask me?
Sylum Inspiration: Aragorn
Medjai: Head of Security
Aragorn was raised with the Medjai, trained to be a warrior since he was born. He was exceptionally good even from a young age. He rose up the ranks to Captain, and when the time came he was assigned as Head Medjai Guard to the young Pharaoh Tutankhamen.
He was by the boy’s side when he took over the throne when he was ten. He treated him like a younger brother, giving him space to be a child yet push for him to learn how to lead. He always made sure Tut heard every view point, and took time to think about everything before making judgement. Helping him despite the pressure at a young age, how to be a good pharaoh. And when the young man’s temper flared he had no problem smacking him across the back of the head.
Tutankhamen had known about the Medjai and some of their eternal members. He had asked many times about what it was like to be immortal, but Aragorn couldn’t answer as he was just a warrior.
He was the one who wrote Malik and Ahkmenrah, asking them to visit, thinking the young pharaoh would enjoy talking to the once pharaoh. While the two talked, Aragorn pulled Malik aside to let him know of his fears that there was a plot against the young king. Though he had married, both children had died in infancy, giving him no heirs and he had made many enemies while changing the Egyptian religious and physical landscape.
His main concern was General Horemheb.
When Ahkmenrah informed the guards that Tut’s chariot had crashed, Aragorn got to Tut’s chambers, just as the doctor set his leg. He didn’t like the way his charge looked or the high fever.
He looked over at the two Vampires, no words needed to be spoken.
Malik took him out of the room, for Ahkmenrah could do what needed to be done.
Aragorn demanded he be Turned.
Sylum Trivia 2020 Recap
We all know 2020 wasn’t the greatest and I can honestly say got a bit behind on the snippets – especially with moving in the middle of all of this. I’ve pulled together who won, what they requested to see what needs to be done *eyes list* so need to get cracking on those snippets!
So here’s the update:
January: Winner – Norma … Requested Dean (Snippet Finished)
February: Winner – Tenadian … Requested Sam/Dean (Snippet Finished)
March: Winner – Kerrilane … Requested Bartlet meeting Lincoln (This actually inspired a story! So that one will take a bit to be done)
April: Winner – K. Baxter … Requested Ernesto (I swear I did this one, someone please let me know if I did … yeah it’s been that year)
May: No one answered the trivia
June: Winner – Susan … Requested Sam/Dean (Snippet Finished)
July: Winner – Cat … Requested Riddick/Eric (Still needs to be done)
August: Winner – Connie/Bauer … Requested Jeremiah/Ray K (Okay technically Paula wrote the snippet – it was the first part of the Advent story. The way things played out the snippet never got published … so the Advent story was for you)
September: Winner – Paula … Requested Nathan/Katsumoto (Still needs to be done)
October: Winner – Sarina … Requested Dwight Hendricks/Jim Longworth (Just finished will show up soon!)
November: Winner – Sheri … Requested Jane/Maura/Joe (Still needs to be done)
December: Winner – Cheryl … Requested Leo/Langdon (Still needs to be done)
I still owe 5 snippets (well 4 and 1 story).
We’re still going to do Sylum Trivia this year, with the winner getting a snippet! These will get done – just may take some time.
*starts researching National Days that will work*
Updates: A little bit of this … a little bit of that
Just a few updates/reminders!
Sylum Security: Yahoo shut down Yahoo Groups last month. If you have not moved to the new group – do so now. Just because you have the password now, doesn’t mean the password will not change. You will have to make a groups.io account though you can use Facebook or Google to sign in.
Sylum Blog: We’re working on a new theme for the main blog. This will take some time, but if you there are moments you can’t access the site, it’s likely us fiddling with things or wordpress is being a pain.
Discord: Wait we have a Discord? Yes we do – it was set up a while back for a chat program for the group. Last I looked no one really hasn’t posted on it. Is people still interested? I’ve set up a poll – please take the time to answer. I really need feedback on this, and not just a shrug.
Read more“Updates: A little bit of this … a little bit of that”
Coffee House Friday
Any New Year goals? I really don’t do Resolutions …
I’m working on learning a new language skill and make sure to drink more water!
It’s the simple things.
