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I've rarely seen a more validating sentence in my entire life.

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From Gem's stream on 15.04.24 'hermitcraft - let's get back to work :D' [1:31:40~].

#hermitcraft

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Apparently there was some kind of race scheduled at a local park or something so I've been trying to avoid the main trail but a little while ago when I had to cross near it I overheard the following shouted exchange

Higher feminine voice: woo, look at you go! You're jogging! Keep it up!

Lower masculine voice (panting): you know it! Last place is still a place, baby!

And goddamn if that didn't rewire my brain a little bit.

Last place is still a place, baby.

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My boyfriend just woke up, mostly still asleep and told me “don’t worry, it’s getting better” in a heavy, American accent, which is unusual for an Australian man.

“Why are you American?” I asked, to which I got:

“Sorry, it’s getting better” in a stereotypical posh English accent.

“Why are you English?” I asked, amused.

“What is he normally?” He managed to ask.

“He? You’re not anyone else, you’re you.”

“Ugh, me” was the last thing he said, in a right proper Aussie accent before he fell back into proper sleep.

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“Grian?” calls Mumbo, pushing the door to his friend’s precariously-perched cliffside home open. It hadn’t been an easy climb up, not without elytra, and now he’s up here he’s half-worried the whole thing might collapse underneath him. Not that elytra would really help with that if it did. “You in here, mate? Just, uh – friendly friend check-in! I mean, neighbour check-in! Friendly neighbour check-in! I mean– look, no one’s seen you for a couple of days, and I just wanted to make sure–”

Then Mumbo registers what he’s actually looking at. Or, rather, registers that he’s looking at something, anyway. It’s not entirely clear what the something is. 

“Grian. Mate. What on earth are you doing?”

Grian’s head perks up, from the middle of a truly bewildering pile of clothing, all bright and beady-eyed. His wings perk up too, an odd little raise so the elbow-joints are higher than his head, the wings themselves slightly flared. Mumbo’s never seen him make that gesture before.

“Mumbo!” Grian says, brightly – and then, blissful, says “Nest.”

“I can see that.” Mumbo can, indeed, see that. It’s definitely a nest, for a given definition (‘bunch of stuff piled up approximately in a circle’) of nest. It’s also technically an answer to his question, but it feels very much more letter of the law than the spirit. And not that it’s unknown for Grian to be an obstructive pain in the behind, or to be a rules lawyer, but this feels… different. “Why’re you in a nest, buddy?”

For a moment, Grian considers that, head cocked to one side. “Nest,” he concludes, eventually, conclusively, which– again, doesn’t really answer the question, but answers a few others. “Give me your jacket.”

Mumbo sighs, and starts shrugging off his jacket. He knows what happens if he tries to refuse; his moustache is only just recovering from the last time he attempted to preserve his clothing in the face of Grian’s nesting instincts. “That time of the year?” he asks, sympathetically. “Something made you broody? Based too high up and now you’re all bird-brained?”

“Jacket,” says Grian, holding out both hands expectantly, which is a firm yes on the bird-brained and a vague who knows on everything else.

Mumbo sighs, and hands the jacket over. He watches, pained, as it immediately gets shoved in amongst all the other clothing lining the nest. The fabric gets, undoubtedly, horribly creased by the inclusion. He just hopes he doesn’t lose a button again this time.

“Okay,” he says, as Grian chirps happily, arches his wings higher and starts fussing further at the clothing. “Okay, bird-brain. Fine. I’ll put out a call for clothing, see if Scar can run us across some golden–”

“Scar,” says Grian, suddenly, head turned in Mumbo’s direction and beady eyes locked on to Mumbo’s face.

“Uh. Yeah? What about him, buddy?”

Grian hums, and then holds out his hands, expectantly. “Scar,” he says, with a single-minded intensity. “Give me your Scar.”

#hermitcraft

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Heartbreaking: This person is making great points but they're being a huge fucking asshole about it so you can't reblog any of it

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Why the fuck would you taste it?!

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Is Israeli academia about to enter a whole new phase? All signs are that it already has. In the past few weeks, Haaretz spoke with more than 60 Israeli scholars from a wide range of disciplines and academic institutions, from young scientists and university presidents about their experiences with colleagues abroad since the war broke out in the Gaza Strip after Hamas' massacre on October 7.

They recounted dozens of incidents: cancellation of invitations to conferences, a freeze on their appointments in foreign institutions, rejection of scientific articles on political grounds, disruption of lectures abroad, cessation of collaborative efforts with colleagues abroad, refusal by such colleagues to take part in the promotion process their Israeli counterparts must undergo at local institutions, and even a sweeping boycott of local colleges and universities. The following examples, all from recent months and backed up by documents and emails, are being made public here for the first time. The plethora of events leaves no room for doubt: Israel is feeling the brunt of an unprecedented academic boycott, which is only gathering momentum.

…

It once seemed as if the social sciences and humanities are more vulnerable to political struggles. Indeed, such departments in Israel were familiar with the impact of the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement long before October 7. However, the cessation of collaboration – whether in conducting research, co-authoring articles or in other areas – is now being seen as a widespread phenomenon in all fields.

A few months ago, Nir Davidson, a physics professor at the Weizmann Institute of Science, suggested to an Italian colleague that they try together to request a grant from a competitive research foundation. "Because of the atrocities your country is perpetrating against innocent civilians, thousands of professors and researchers have signed a petition calling for all research collaboration to be blocked," the colleague replied, noting that he "fondly recalls" a visit he made to Israel in 2020, but adding, "I'm afraid that what your country has done and is continuing to do will never be forgotten or forgiven."

About a month ago, a scientist from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev was ejected from an international group that submits research proposals to the European Union in the realm of environmental studies. The explanation he was given by one of his colleagues was, "I'm really sorry, but I'm going to have to not select Israel as a partner for the project. In fact, some partners do not wish to be involved in the project if Israel is a partner, particularly given the current political context. I am truly sorry, and I hope that we will have the opportunity to work together on another research project. Thank you for your understanding and I wish you all the best for the future."

…

"I am writing to let you know that I have decided to step down from the Ph.D. committee [reviewing a student's thesis]," a foreign social sciences scholar wrote the Hebrew University recently. "Following the university's recent declaration of commitment to Zionism in the context of the war that is raging in Gaza, I feel I can no longer be associated with this institution. I have enjoyed working with you all and it is with a heavy heart that I am making this decision."

The "commitment to Zionism" the professor cited was part of the fierce public condemnation the university issued against sharp remarks by Israeli-Palestinian Prof. Shalhoub-Kevorkian, of its law faculty, against Israel's conduct in the war in Gaza. "As a proud Israeli, public, and Zionist institution," the university stated, it condemned her comments and suspended her, before reinstating her two weeks later.

The email from the foreign academic who asked to stop advising the Hebrew University doctoral student is only one example of an apparently growing phenomenon whereby scholars overseas no longer want to help prepare the next generation of lecturers and researchers at Israeli institutions: Sources at a few such institutions admit that they find it increasingly difficult to obtain the letters of evaluation from academics abroad that must be submitted in advance of discussions of staff promotions in Israel.

For the present, it looks as though the latter trend is particularly noticeable in the social sciences and the humanities: in sociology and anthropology, Middle Eastern studies and literature. But according to a source at one university, the field of law is also falling victim to such dwindling collaboration with foreign schools.

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"If the Israeli government commits irrevocably to either a two-state (within 1967 borders) or one-state solution in which all Palestinians in both Israel and the occupied territories have equal rights to Israelis – I will be happy to engage with Israeli institutions," a senior researcher at a prestigious institution in Europe wrote recently, in response to a request to write an evaluation for an Israeli academic. "Until that day, no." Another European academic wrote: "I do not believe that this suffering of civilians can be justified and I believe that Israel is not acting in accordance with international human rights law. In light of that, I feel I cannot collaborate with any Israeli institution at the moment."

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"The dam has burst," Drori declares now. "Talking about an academic boycott of scientists in Israel has become legitimate. It's a whole new world. We are in a very extreme situation, and I don't know whether and how it will be possible to reverse things. The boycott is severing our ability to be involved in the forefront of research. All scientific research that does not involve the international community is research that is less good. The severance from the world is suffocating us."

If the pool of international experts who are willing to cooperate with Israel does continue to shrink, Israeli academics will face discouraging alternatives: to approach less senior academics from less well-regarded universities (which, according to a knowledgeable source, is already happening in some cases), or to increase the proportion of assessments provided by local faculty – not a particularly palatable solution.

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A number of universities and academic organizations in Belgium, Spain, Italy and Norway recently announced full boycotts or a suspension of ties with Israeli institutions until they receive clarifications with regard to topics ranging from the state of academic freedom on their campuses, to their moral, financial and material support for Israel's defense forces. For one, Ghent University recently requested such information from its counterpart in Haifa.

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"The best-case scenario is that within a short time we will return to some sort of stability," says American studies professor Milette Shamir, vice president of Tel Aviv University and director of its international academic collaborations. "Our standing in the world will be rehabilitated and we will be able to return to the situation we were in, to very extensive international activity."

But Shamir acknowledges that she "doesn't know whether that scenario is realistic." Two weeks ago, she was in Australia to attend an academic fair at the University of Sydney. When she arrived, pro-Palestinian demonstrators shouted that Tel Aviv University shares in crimes against the Palestinians and that all collaborations with Israel should end.

"The worst-case scenario is that we are headed in the direction of South Africa [in the apartheid period]," she says, "with boycotts that keep mounting to the point of paralyzing the system. The result will be a mortal blow to Israeli academia. It will take on a provincial character and we will not be able to integrate into the forefront of the world's research."

— 'I Won't Work With You. You're Committing Genocide': Israeli Academia Faces an Unprecedented Global Boycott. Or Kashti, Haaretz, April 14 2024

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ijbol???

#hermitcraft #double life smp

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New Looney Tunes Crew done did it again

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I just gave a sermon at my church today about asexuality and how to be an ally. Not only did I get a lot of comments about how much people liked it (and how it was easy to understand for so many old folks), but one old lady came up to me afterwards with tears in her eyes and she said, "I'm 77 years old and I finally know what I am. Thank you." And that just made everything I've done worth it.

(also, thank you @onbearfeet for letting me use one of your blog posts. It resonated with a lot of people)

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part of being an ally to trans men is not being a dick to cis men for their appearance btw

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children existing in public spaces is genuinely like. necessary for the continuation of society. it doesnt have to be your kids you dont have to volunteer at a daycare or whatever but you need to be able to tolerate the presence of someone who is learning how to exist as a human and interact with people

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your art is so beautiful and cozy and i want to hug it rly badly in all the good ways

for a request may i have ur favorite hermit in their natural habitat

i have many favourite hermits but i ended up picking joel gkfjdkgjf so here he is in his natural habitat aka a nice boat ride with his biggest fan <3

#hermitcraft