Coming Soon: Up All Night 2024

[Altair]

Our annual tradition at The Cauldron is almost here: an all-night virtual party on the December solstice! Because it's the longest night of the year in the northern hemisphere, many of us celebrate by staying awake from dusk until dawn...but whether you're in the northern hemisphere or the southern, whether you plan to stay up all night or just pop in for a bit, and regardless of your spiritual leanings, EVERYONE is welcome to take part in the forum and in chat...and also on Zoom! (For the security of all, Zoom participation is limited to registered members of The Cauldron who have posted at least 2 messages.)

If you have ideas on what events/activities to include during Up All Night (UAN), please post you suggestions! (That's how the first ZoomMoot, our most popular event, came about.)

And another thing we need suggestions for:

What should be this year's non-theme for UAN?
...a "non-theme" being a broad idea or sentiment that folks can use as a springboard on the night of UAN for discussion, as inspiration for photos and artwork, links to music, etc....or that folks can totally ignore and go their own way with whatever they want to say (within Cauldron rules, of course), hence the "non" in "non-theme".

Last year's non-theme was "Leveling Up." Considering what we USians are experiencing, perhaps this year's should be "Dumbing Down." Or "Going Numb"..."Dumb and Numb"...?

[SunflowerP]

Last year's non-theme was "Leveling Up." Considering what we USians are experiencing, perhaps this year's should be "Dumbing Down." Or "Going Numb"..."Dumb and Numb"...?

That seems to me to reinforce the gloominess; UAN should be, at minimum, a break from that, or better, a challenge to it. I'm tempted to suggest a directly-challenging non-theme like 'Bread and Roses' or 'Resist!', but that might be a bit too partisan - one, I'd rather we still had an intact forum when the solstice sun comes up, rather than having it set on fire by anyone (left, right, or out in orbit); and two, TC is a place in which people of many political perspectives are welcome and I have no desire to change that. (And, three, I don't want to incur Athena's wrath.)

So something of a less politically partisan and more universal nature is a better choice. Hmm, how about 'Rise again', as in, the winter will pass, and the sun will rise again - not unlike the Mary Ellen Carter (people of all political stripes like Stan Rogers, right?):



Oh, and before I forget: what date were you figuring? The time of the solstice is 0920 hrs UT/0220 hrs MST on 21 Dec, which is a Saturday, so I'm guessing UAN starts on 20 Dec, but it seems more sensible to ask than guess.

Sunflower

[Altair]

I'd rather we still had an intact forum when the solstice sun comes up, rather than having it set on fire by anyone (left, right, or out in orbit)

Jewish space lasers!

But seriously, points well taken on the non-theme; I'll hold off on further comment until other folks have had a chance to chime in.

As for the date...interesting conundrum. My inclination is overnight Fri 12/20 - Sat 12/21, so that the actual moment of solstice is incorporated...except that for those in the Old World, depending on their location, that may put the moment of solstice outside the duration of the night. (For example, sunrise in London on December 21 is at 8:04, but the moment of solstice is a bit more than an hour after that.) Of course, there's no perfect night that meets the requirements of everyone everywhere, so let's have our UAN revels begin at sunset on Friday, 12/20.

[Sefiru]

So something of a less politically partisan and more universal nature is a better choice. Hmm, how about 'Rise again', as in, the winter will pass, and the sun will rise again - not unlike the Mary Ellen Carter (people of all political stripes like Stan Rogers, right?):

I've been thinking about this, and considering the more natural challenges we've had this year, I suggest "weathering the storm".

[Aisling]

I've been thinking about this, and considering the more natural challenges we've had this year, I suggest "weathering the storm".

I'll second this non-theme, having gone through the wraith and aftermath of Hurricane Helene.  Also, applies well to the non-natural challenges many of us are facing.

[Wanderer894]

I've been thinking about this, and considering the more natural challenges we've had this year, I suggest "weathering the storm".

Thirding this, because we're not done with storms of any kind yet.

Sent from my SM-G781U using Tapatalk

[SunflowerP]

I've been thinking about this, and considering the more natural challenges we've had this year, I suggest "weathering the storm".

This is much better than my suggestion, which I withdraw from consideration; I endorse Sefiru's candidate.

Sunflower

[Altair]

This is much better than my suggestion, which I withdraw from consideration; I endorse Sefiru's candidate.

Sunflower

So we seem to be settled on the night beginning at sunset on Friday, December 20, and ending at sunrise on Saturday, December 21...

...and our non-theme is "Weathering the Storm".

Now the hard part: What's the ideal timing for the ZoomMoot? Last year it was from 7 to 9 PM Eastern time; personally I'd prefer an 8 PM start, but I know that could be brutal on those on the opposite side of the Atlantic.

And Jenett, can you host the Zoom as you did last year?

[Jenett]

Now the hard part: What's the ideal timing for the ZoomMoot? Last year it was from 7 to 9 PM Eastern time; personally I'd prefer an 8 PM start, but I know that could be brutal on those on the opposite side of the Atlantic.

And Jenett, can you host the Zoom as you did last year?

I can indeed host it! Still got the Zoom account.

For timing on my end, I'd prefer that 7-9 slot, but I can do a little later if that works better for more people.

(I am a 'write every day' human, that includes solstice, and I normally start writing at 9pm.)

[Altair]

I can indeed host it! Still got the Zoom account.

For timing on my end, I'd prefer that 7-9 slot, but I can do a little later if that works better for more people.

(I am a 'write every day' human, that includes solstice, and I normally start writing at 9pm.)

Let's stick with 7-9 pm Eastern then, and I'll do like I did last year: duck out of the Zoom for about 15 minutes when the sun sets in my location on the West Coast (temp home for the winter), so that I can light my all-night candle, blast my winter solstice kickoff music, etc.

[MadZealot]

Let's stick with 7-9 pm Eastern then, and I'll do like I did last year: duck out of the Zoom for about 15 minutes when the sun sets in my location on the West Coast (temp home for the winter), so that I can light my all-night candle, blast my winter solstice kickoff music, etc.

That's about the time I'll be piling into the Forum with The Girl (and roughly 18000 other shrieking teens) for a Billie Eilish gig.

If 'weathering the storm' is the non-theme, please light a candle for my fucking ears.

I'll pop in when/if circumstances permit.