This page is designed to help new members of the John/Andrew Bucket Brigade.  In its twenty plus year history, JABB has changed and grown.  So I hope this page will help our newer members to understand where we came from, what we do, and what we have to offer.  I've broken this page into four sections covering different parts of JABB: History/Administration, Newsletter Delivery, Web Site, and YahooGroup.  If anyone (newbie, veteran, or visitor) has any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me.

God bless,
Jenni
Co-founder, Head Writer, and Web-Mistress for JABB

History/Administration  Newsletter Delivery  Web Site  YahooGroup

History/Administration

JABB was founded on July 19th, 1998 by Touched by an Angel fans Audrey, Barbara, Jarrod, and myself.  TBAA had aired earlier that evening and, as was customary, we gathered in the TBAA AOL chat to discuss the show.  As the hours dragged on our fellow chatters left until there were only the four of us.  Unfortunately, my memory of that night is all ready a little foggy.  What I do know is that by the time we parted for the night we had written the 12 Steps for the John/Andrew Bucket Brigade.  We emailed that out to interested parties with in a couple of days.  People seemed to enjoy it and so we continued with biweekly "newsletters."  Of course, these newsletters weren't so much about news as a chance to show off our fannish creativity.  However, newsletter was the word we used then and still do to this day. 

Regretfully, Barbara was only with us for a short time but JABB continued on with Audrey and myself as the co-presidents and Jarrod assisting.  In June of 2004, Audrey stepped down as JABB co-president and was replaced by Doc.  Doc had a brief tenure as co-president with myself that extended from JABB 140 to JABB 143.  Longtime JABBer, Karen then stepped in as co-president starting in August of that year.  In July 2006, however, the entire co-president system was abolished and JABB was run by a group called the JABB Sisterhood.  The members were:

Jenni (Me)- Co-Founder, Head Writer, and Web Mistress of the John/Andrew Bucket Brigade
Jess- Homeworld Security, Director of Photography, and Creative Collaborator for JABB
Liz- Editor-in-Chief and Head Solutions Master for JABB
Karen- Consultant for JABB

However, in January 2007, it was decided the JABB Sisterhood should be abolished and the way made for a more inclusive way of running JABB.  So now I welcome help and support with JABB from whomever is willing to give it.  :-)  I'll even give ya a cute title and business e-card if ya want!  Thankfully, I am assisted by several JABB members at various times.  It's my hope that this current setup will allow JABB to continue to grow!

Newsletter Delivery

Though JABB has changed in some ways over the years, we still send our biweekly (or nearly so) newsletters.  As stated above, these often contain little actual news.  Were any actual news to become available, I would first post it on the JABB News and Reminders page.  So if the newsletter isn't news, what is it?

A JABB newsletter can contain any number of things ranging from top tens, short jokes, and poems about Andrew and other John Dye characters.  Dyeland also figures in quite a lot these days.  Occasionally (but increasingly more frequently), a newsletter may even feature a more lengthy, serious story about Andrew and Co.  Essentially, it's a very mixed bag.  We hope in this way to reach as wide an audience as possible.  If you don't like the current newsletter perhaps the next will be just what you're hoping for!

The newsletter is sent from the address newsletter @ onthisside.net by Jenni.  In the event I am unable to send JABB, well... you'll just have to wait because I no longer have a back-up plan.  Newsletters are always sent blind copied so the other members will NOT see your address.  I try to shoot for sending one every 14 days (only missed that once!) but sometimes as few as 10 days pass between newsletters or as many as 20.  Basically I try my best to get them out but I do have other commitments to maintain.

Just a brief note: As of October 2009, I am no longer sending the newsletters in text-only emails.  Instead, you'll be sent a link to a web-based (and decorated!) version.  Should you ever require a text only version, please ask.

I serve as head writer of the newsletters but if you'd like to see about submitting something you wrote, please contact me.  We do have a few stipulations relating to content and may not be able to accept all submissions but it never hurts to ask!  If you should need to leave JABB or need your email address changed, just send an email to the first email address listed here
.

Web Site

After a few years of putting up with various free web hosting services, I finally moved JABB to its own domain name and its own web
space in 2004.  So now every newsletter we ever sent (barring the most recent which take some time to add) and lots more are available at www.onthisside.net.  The domain name was suggested by a longtime former member, Sara.  It comes from my favorite TBAA quote: "I want you to know there's nothing... nothing to be afraid of. On one side, there's life. And on the other...there's life, too."  That was spoken by Andrew in the episode "Random Acts."  I like to think of it as our way of saying that while we're living our lives *on this side* of the Great Divide, Andrew has increased our hope for what is to come on the Other Side.  Additionally, that line took on even greater importance when we learned of Mr. Dye's own journey Home.
 
So what's on the web site?  Lots and lots of stuff!  The best way to get acquainted with it is to start with our Main TOC.  The top half of that page will lead you to our original 12 Steps, our guestbook, and all of our newsletters.  Please note the link above that which begins "First time visitor?"  If you read nothing else, please read that.  That tells you, briefly, what we can and cannot do for you or tell you.  Below the newsletter section, please note the flying dove.  Click on that and you'll be taken to the Contact Info page.  I keep that up-to-date with JABB's various email addresses.  Before we move on from this section I'd like to draw your attention to the rainbow logo on the upper left corner.  Click on that to reveal JABB's hate-free mission statement.  We feel it's very important.

We then move into the "Our Other Stuff" half of the page.  The first link will lead you to JABB's CafePress store.  There you can order T-shirts, mugs, pins, and more with various JABB, TBAA, and John Dye related designs on them.  Proceeds from the store go either to keeping the JABB site running or, on occasion, supporting various charities. 

Below the store is a box that enables you to join our YahooGroup.  I will discuss that in greater detail in the final section of this page.  Click on the graphic below that and you'll go to our Photo Gallery.  I add snapshots from various John Dye projects as the DVDs become available to me. 

Then we get into the various sub-categories!

The next section, I think, is potentially the best for new members.  The links listed in "Stuff that's Useful..." will hopefully give you a better sense of JABB's history and development.   Updates lists all the changes that have been made to JABB's web pages since March of 2000.  The JABB Self-Help Pages are largely about technical aspects of JABB.  The JABB Encyclopedia is a very lengthy page that lists all (or at least the majority of) references to various characters, themes, and objects in the newsletters.  It's also pretty well packed with graphics.  So if you're reading a newsletter and wondering who the heck Chiwawa is just check out his entry on the Encyclo.  Useful Links gives various online sources related to John Dye and TBAA.  Next, you'll find another link to our Contact Info page.  The JABB Calendar lists important dates: real and Dyeland.  Dictionary of JABBerisms teaches you our lingo.  Things You Should Know... tells you a bit about the widespread beliefs and sentiments of our membership. 

Next comes "Stuff We Wrote or Made."  The Easter Egg Cheat Sheet can help you get the most out of the web-version newsletters.  Poems and Stories gives you access to works created by your fellow JABBers.  Some of the other poems and stories are pre-existing ones that were submitted by JABBers because they reminded them of John, Andrew, TBAA, or the JABB group.  The "Author's Cut" is my answer to the director's commentaries and cut scenes available on DVDs.  There we give our thoughts on various issues and post the occasional cut or alternate scenes from stories or offer Dyeland stories that were not part of a newsletter.  JABB Member Links is your source for web pages created and maintained by members of JABB.  If you have your own web site you'd like added, just lemme know!  JABBers' Fiction Page is home to fiction written by JABB members which reflect some aspect of John Dye's filmography, generally TBAA.  Dyelander Info Database will help clue you in on our creations and also tell how TBAA and other existing characters fit in.  Then we come to JABB's TBAA Episode Guide where we give our views on the episodes.  Finally, we started Andrew's Historical Timeline wherein you can read about where all Andrew's been and when, from both TBAA and JABB material.

"Stuff About Stuff We've Done" is mostly informative.  The Green Pages are a sort of short resume for the group.  They're also the only professional looking pages on JABB!  Our FAQ answers some more common questions we get about our group.   JABB News and Reminders is a good page to keep on hand.  If we hear any news regarding DVD releases for John Dye projects or TBAA or related subjects (that we have good reason to believe), I will add it to that page just as soon as I can.  Disclaimers and Credits is where we stress (yet again) that we were never affiliated with Mr. Dye and also thank those who have helped us along the way.  That section finishes with the About Us pages where you can learn about various JABBers and some of the fictional characters that figure into JABB's Dyeland stories.

"Stuff You Can Do" is for those JABBers who wish to be more involved.  Contribute to JABB lists specific ways you can join in on the fun of writing newsletters.  Contest Rules and Information is a must-read page for anyone intending to participate in the JABB contests that occasionally occur.  JABB Contests and Games makes all former contests and Jeopardy games available to you.  While they are out-of-date and prizes are no longer awarded for completing them, they do make for some fun on a rainy day!  The Dye Scouts are JABBers who wish to make their love of Andrew/John even more blatant. You can earn virtual badges and a spot on JABB's web site by completing various tasks.  Finally, JABB's To-Do List contains time-sensitive deadlines for submissions requested for particular, imminent JABB newsletters along with general ideas.  Please note the deadlines as I cannot accept submissions past
the dates listed.  Again, this page is for members only.  You must be a member of JABB to make a submission to these newsletters.

And now for our final section...  "Stuff We'll Probly Get Committed For."  Here are what I think are JABB's craziest offerings.  The Dyeland Map and Info page hosts an ever-growing map of the world we wished we lived in as well as info about it.  Dyeland is populated by the fictional counterparts of many JABB members.  It's also a sort of second residence for some very special angels.  Dyeland is the setting for many newsletters.  There's also our Graffiti Wall.  There you can tag a brick wall with your most deeply felt Andrew-related sentiments!  Finally, you can get inside Andrew's (or Violeta's) head at AndrewBlog.

And that's it for our site!  If you're ever perusing the site and notice dead links or broken graphics please contact me, Jenni, so I can fix the problem.  Thanks!!!

ETA 3-2-21- The above was written some time ago and follows the order of the web site when you access it here: http://www.newsletters.onthisside.net/toc1.html

However, when I access the site, I tend to use the JABB Portal so the following was written in early 2021 from that perspective.  From JABB 589:


Firstly, there are three different ways to explore the site, one of which I find most useful:

1.  Via Frames- Personally, this is the one I use the least... as in basically never.  Way back when, I think someone said it might be helpful so I did it.  It's kind of nice if you're wanting to click quickly through various pages without repeatedly navigating back to the Table of Contents.  Other than that... not sure it's very useful.

2.  Via the Main TOC- For many years, this was the main way to navigate the JABB site and it's still not bad... except for the fact that, since I no longer use it, I sometimes forget to update it.  But most everything can be accessed from there and it's got a nostalgic look to it, IMO.

3.  Via the JABB Portal- This is the way I prefer to get around the web site.  It's got a cleaner and crisper look to it and the categories are most helpful to me when I try to focus on different updates.  So the remainder of this tour is going to follow the JABB Portal order.  So here goes!

After viewing the lovely photos of John and that beloved TBAA quote from which the site takes its name, we have the First Time Visitors link.  I created that web site back when it wasn't entirely uncommon for me to get emails from folks who assumed I knew John Dye or... stranger still... that I was John Dye.  (To date, I still really wonder what sort of person they thought John Dye was to create a goofy fan club containing top tens and such about himself but anyway...) 

After that come the links to all the newsletters.  One change I have made there is that I used to create a new TOC for every 30 newsletters.  I've decided to up that to every 50 newsletters.  And I'm about due for a new one.

Then there's an email link and a link to the classic TOC for anyone who wants to bail on the Portal.

The section that comes next is JABB Info.  There's the Updates page which is exactly what it sounds like.  The JABB Encyclopedia follows which is, I believe, the largest page on the whole web site.  If you're reading a Dyeland story and really like a particular character, you can go there and get a complete listing of which stories and newsletters they appear in.  Or maybe you want to see all the times Doc Hock comes up.  That works, too!  Next up comes the JABB Calendar which lists important dates.  It does have some Dyeland character birthdates and such but there's another page that's better for that which I'll get to later.  Welcome Newbies is a more practical guide for new members.  I am going to eventually replace the Web Site section with the contents of this newsletter.  JABB News and Reminders isn't a page I use much any more.  But if another John Dye series was ever released, I'd note it there... though perhaps at a delay as I realized only today that I never got the news about Promised Land added.  Oops.

One thing I've started to do is mark pages that are basically archival.  I don't delete them because I'm sentimental but they're also useless, out-dated, or not being updated for other reasons.  JABB Info has six such links: Things You Should Know About JABB, Our FAQ, JABB Member Links, About Us, The "Green Pages", and The JABB Self-Help Pages.  The first one is just plain hilarious to me because I mention how JABB isn't about angel/human romances.  Haha!  I would scandalize younger me...  Anyway, I basically only keep that page because it cracks me up.  The FAQ was a fine enough idea but is basically a rehash of Welcome Newbies.  I'm trying to cut down on having the same information on different pages or at least having to update the same information on different pages. Member Links is something I'd be happy to bring back.  There just hasn't been any interest.  But if you'd like to share your blog, fanfic site, etc., I'm happy to add it.  It doesn't have to be TBAA or John Dye related at all.  If you do submit a link, please also include a brief description.  About Us is the same sort of thing.  If someone would like to provide a bio or Q and A, I'm happy to add it.  But there's not been any recent interest so I archived it.  I'm not even keeping my page there updated.  And "The Green Pages"...  That was a case of me being like "Oooh!  New toy!" but without really having a reason to use the new toy so I just duplicated some stuff.  It used to have a cool Flash intro but, of course, Flash was retired so it no longer works.  I may eventually delete the whole thing but, for now, I sometimes look at it and appreciate the time a former member spent taking digital photos of her TV screen back before screen shots from DVDs were possible.  Kinda touching, to be honest.   The Self-Help page used to be useful because it contained a step-by-step guide to using YahooGroups... with screenshots!  But, of course, I deleted all of that since YG is no more.  But it was a pretty page so... I left a tiny bit.  But it could probably be deleted.  Just... again... sentimental.

The second section is TBAA and More.  I'm sure the most popular link there is the Photo Gallery featuring screenshots from many John Dye projects.  The TBAA Episode Guide follows and one thing I'll note there is if anyone would ever like to submit their own thoughts about an episode, please do!  Useful Links is probably not terribly useful but you can give it a shot.  If there is a link that you would find useful, please let me know and I'll consider including it.  I'm not sure if any station is playing TBAA any more but, if so, I'll add a link to their schedule.  Poems and Stories has some fanfic, thematically related poems, and more.  I should probably mark it as archived but, who knows, maybe I'll get back to writing poems as Ivy someday and put them there.  Andrew's Historical Timeline is badly in need of an update with Dyeland information but as far as TBAA info, it's pretty solid. 

And now we come to the section that I use the most: Dyeland Stories.  As you can see, it's divided into two sections: Stories and References.  In the first section, really only the JABB Story Index is routinely updated.  Every Dyeland story is documented there whether it first appeared in a newsletter or was stand-alone.  The Author's Cut is next.  Originally, all stories that were NOT from a newsletter were listed there.  But when I put together the Story Index, it became redundant to add a story there unless I had substantial author's notes.  And even when I have author's notes, I tend to add those to the individual story's page and not the Author's Cut.  That being said, I have no plans to ever delete the Author's Cut as it does have some good info about older stories.  And then there's the Friends of Joshua Forum which I think was a cute idea but, ultimately, just way too time-intensive.  The actual formatting took way too long and then there was the matter of having to keep a timeline straight.  It just wasn't sustainable.

The second section is Resources.  First we have the Dyeland Map.  Then there's the Timeline which gets updated with every story's information.  More recent stories have extremely detailed entries whereas older ones... not so much.  Then there's another link to the Encyclopedia because while it also has general JABB information, I tend to utilize it most often when working on Dyeland stories.  Each character has an entry listing which stories they appear in.  Cultural References lists all songs, books, etc. alluded to or mentioned in Dyeland stories.  This can be useful if you're looking for a story you remember reading but can only remember, say, that someone sang "Oo-De-Lally."  (That's "Triad," by the way.)  The Birthdates and More list is what I alluded to earlier.  It largely replaced the JABB Calendar for Dyeland stuff.  After that you can find a list of what characters' names mean.  Next up is Biblical Era Characters which gives each one's name in Aramaic which is what I tend to use in stories and then also lists the name as most commonly used in English.  There are three family trees for Joshua's family, JenniAnn's family, and the Chandler/Moretti/Wells/Reese grandparents situation.  Then we have the Official Flowers of Dyeland for any of you language of flowers fans.  Meanings Behind the Place Names explains where some of the castles, islands, etc. in Dyeland got their names.  Next are some Guidelines for Writing Dyeland Stories.  Even though it hasn't been updated in a good while, I did read it over and it holds up... unlike that "Things You Should Know" list from earlier. 

And then we come to the three archived links: Dyeland FAQ, Dyelander Info Database, and Laws of Dyeland.  I'm kind of ambivalent about the first.  It makes sense to have it in some ways.  In others, I'd rather people just ask me directly since things can always change.  But, hey, it's there if anyone needs it and is still legit.  The Dyelander Info Database was a nice idea but, again, too time-consuming.  I didn't want to constantly be updating it for dozens upon dozens of characters.  Finally, there are the Laws of Dyeland which are terribly old and out-of-date but we've gone this far without needing updated rules so I'll just leave it as is.

And now to the fourth button on the Portal which is Fun and Games!  First up, we have the Easter Egg Cheat Sheet.  For a good while, I hid some small, virtual prize in the newsletters.  I don't do that any more because, again, time constraints.  But you can look at that list and see what you can dig up.  If you want to Contribute to JABB, you can find out ways to do that there.  Contest Rules and Information is archived and, to be honest, could probably be deleted since we haven't done a contest in a good while and won't be until the pandemic is over since I don't want to be trekking to the post office.  But I have hope that we can do that sometime in the future so I'm keeping the page since it's easier to make updates than start from scratch.  I'm being optimistic!  JABB Contests and Games is also archived but if you're ever bored, you can play the games there just for fun.  Then there's Dye Scouts wherein you can earn virtual badges by completing assorted tasks.  It was popular in its day and not so much any more.  And some of those badges are real ugly...  I'd probably redo them if anyone ever was interested.  JABB's To-Do List follows.  It's not been updated in a good while but what's there still looks kinda interesting if there are any takes.  Finally, I added a link to all those Andrew, TBAA, Dyeland jigsaws I created during lockdown. 

Finally... the Best of the Rest which is the stuff I couldn't decide where else to put!  There's the Graffiti Wall.  I no longer have the program I used to use for that but I think a program I currently have would work so... there's that.  Then we have Andrew's Blog which was eventually taken over by Violeta only to be entirely abandoned because yours truly couldn't keep up with it.  Next up is the Dictionary and, gonna be honest, I don't remember the word "ungether" but kinda dig it.  Disclaimers and Credits is exactly what it sounds like and hasn't been touched in years.  To be honest, pretty much that entire Best of the Rest section is archived but I wouldn't mind updating it so I didn't mark it as such.  And, yes, the CafePress store is still around but I don't manage it much and I only get a small cut of the proceeds so if you see anything you like, definitely order it.  I have myself.  But don't think I'm relying on it for income or anything.  It's just for fun!

And that's the web site! 


YahooGroup

After dwindling and becoming less and less useful, YahooGroups finally closed in 2021.  Please note, ALL of YahooGroups closed.  This wasn't me deciding to nix the group.  Yahoo abandoned the entire thing.  Thankfully, we were able to move pretty seamlessly to Google Groups.  It's pretty quiet but if you're interested in getting a daily (except when I space it) TBAA quote, please get in touch and I'll get you added.  Discussion is always welcome!  I just want to temper any expectations that it's a really busy group because it's not. 




I hope this has helped to answer questions or concerns you may have.  If not, feel free to email me!

JABB Portal
JABB TOC

(Photo Credits: The photograph of John Dye in a black shirt is from "Journey to a Hate Free Millennium" photos and property of New Light Media.  The one where he has facial hair is from "Best of the Best" and property of Best of the Best Films, Kuys Entertainment, SVS Films, and The Movie Group Inc.  The second, fourth, and fifth photographs are from "Touched by an Angel" and owned by CBS Productions, Caroline Productions, and Moon Water Productions.  They are not being used to seek profit.)