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Reblog for Boops

and to help an indie press spread the word about our Kickstarter, ending on April 2nd, offering up the sweetest lil mythical creatures in pride colors you ever did see!

We're close to our SECOND stretch goal, and have already unlocked one more design!

Is this a boops for reblogs scheme? Yes.

Will it work? Idk, up to you I guess!

Come check out our Kickstarter and help us unlock more lovely creatures!

#duck prints press

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🍉🇵🇸 eSims for Gaza masterpost 🇵🇸🍉

Which eSims are currently being called for?

As of February 6th:

Nomad (regional Middle East plan): code NOMADCNG

Holafly (Israel and Egypt plans): code HOLACNG

Simly (Palestine and Middle East plans)

If you sent an eSim over 3 weeks ago and it hasn’t yet been activated, reply to the email you initially sent the team.

Be sure you're looking at the original post, as this will be continually updated. Any new instructions about replying to emails for specific types of unactivated plans will also appear here.

Check the notes of blackpearlblasts's eSim post, as well as fairuzfan's 'esim' tag, for referral and discount codes.

How do I purchase an eSim?

If you cannot download an app or manage an eSim yourself, send funds to Crips for eSims for Gaza (Visa; Mastercard; Paypal; AmEx; Canadian e-transfer), or to me (venmo @gothhabiba; paypal.me/Najia; cash app $NajiaK, with note “esims” or similar; check the notes of this post for updates on what I've purchased.)

You can purchase an eSim yourself using a mobile phone app, or on a desktop computer (with the exception of Simly, which does not have a desktop site). See this screenreader-accessible guide to purchasing an eSim through each of the five services that the Connecting Humanity team is calling for (Simly, Nomad, Mogo, Holafly, and Airalo).

Send a screenshot of the plan's QR code to [email protected]. Be sure to include the app used, the word "esim," the type of plan (when an app has more than one, aka "regional Middle East" versus "Palestine"), and the amount of data or time on the plan, in the subject line or body of your email.

Message me if you have any questions or if you need help purchasing an eSim through one of these apps.

If you’re going to be purchasing many eSims at once, see Jane Shi’s list of tips.

Which app should I use?

Try to buy an eSim from one of the apps that the team is currently calling for (see above).

If the team is calling for multiple apps:

Nomad is best in terms of data price, app navigability, and ability to top up when they are near expiry; but eSims must be stayed on top of, as you cannot top them up once the data has completely run out. Go into the app settings and make sure your "data usage" notifcations are turned on.

Simly Middle East plans cannot be topped up; Simly Palestine ones can. Unlike with Nomad, data can be topped up once it has completely run out.

Holafly has the most expensive data, and top-ups don't seem to work.

Mogo has the worst user interface in my opinion. It is difficult or impossible to see plan activation and usage.

How much data should I purchase?

Mirna el-Helbawi has been told that large families may all rely on the same plan for data (by setting up a hotspot). Some recipients of eSim plans may also be using them to upload video.

For those reasons I would recommend getting the largest plan you can afford for plans which cannot be topped up: namely, Simly "Middle East" plans, and Holafly plans (they say you can top them up, but I haven't heard of anyone who has gotten it to work yet).

For all other plans, get a relatively small amount of data (1-3 GB, a 3-day plan, etc.), and top up the plan with more data once it is activated.

Is there anything else I need to do?

Check back regularly to see if the plan has been activated. Once it's been activated, check once a day to see if data is still being used, and how close the eSim is to running out of data or to expiring; make sure your notifications are on.

If the eSim hasn't been activated after three weeks or so, reply to the original email that you sent to Gaza eSims containing the QR code for that plan.

If you purchased the eSim through an app which has a policy of starting the countdown to auto-expiry a certain amount of time after the purchase of the eSim, rather than only upon activation (Nomad does this), then also reply to your original e-mail once you're within a few days of this date. If you're within 12 hours of that date, contact customer service and ask for a credit (not a refund) and use it to purchase and send another eSim.

How do I top up a plan?

See this guide on how to tell if your plan has been activated, how to top up plans, and (for Nomad) how to tell when the auto-expiry will start. Keep topping up the eSim for as long as the data usage keeps ticking up. This keeps a person or family connected for longer, without the Connecting Humanity team having to go through another process of installing a new eSim.

If the data usage hasn't changed in a week or so, allow the plan to expire and purchase another one.

What if I can't afford a larger plan, or don't have time or money to keep topping up an eSim?

I have set up a pool of funds out of which to buy and top up eSims, which you can contribute to by sending funds to my venmo (@gothhabiba), PayPal (paypal.me/Najia), or cash app ($NajiaK) (with note “esims” or similar). Check the notes of this post for updates on what I've purchased, which plans are active, and how much data they've used.

Crips for eSims for Gaza also has a donation pool to purchase esims, but I don't know about their practices regarding topping them up.

What if my eSim has not been activated, even after I replied to my email?

Make sure that the QR code you sent was a clear screenshot, and not a photo of a screen; and that you didn’t install the eSim on your own phone by scanning the QR code or clicking “install automatically."

Possible reasons for an eSim not having been activated include: it was given to a journalist as a back-up in case the plan they had activated expired or ran out of data; there was an error during installation or activation and the eSim could no longer be used; the eSim was installed, but not activated, and then Israeli bombings destroyed the phone, or forced someone to leave it behind.

An eSim that was sent but couldn’t be used is still part of an important effort and learning curve. Errors in installation, for example, are happening less often than they were in the beginning of the project.

Why should I purchase an eSim? Is there any proof that they work?

Israel is imposing near-constant communications blackouts on Gaza. The majority of the news that you are seeing come from Gaza is coming from people who are connected via eSim.

eSims also connect people to news. People are able to videochat with their family for the first time in months, to learn that their family members are still alive, to see their newborn children for the first time, and more, thanks to eSims.

Some of this sharing of news saves lives, as people have been able to flee or avoid areas under bombardment, or learn that they are on evacuation lists.

Why are different plans called for at different times?

Different eSims work in different areas of the Gaza Strip (and Egypt, where many refugees currently are). The team tries to keep a stockpile of each type of sim on hand.

#mutual aid #about palestine

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SPREADSHEET OF PALESTINIAN ESCAPE FUNDS‼️TIME SENSITIVE

Operation Olive Branch is a continuously updating spreadsheet of Palestinian escape funds where progress towards their goals is being tracked. As of right now, there are over 100 funds listed there.

Any amount of money can make a difference. With their recent decision to bomb Rafah, the only remaining “safe” territory in Gaza, Israel has forced Palestinians into a corner by giving them nowhere else to go. The international community has given Israel the ability to act with impunity - it is long past the point in time to rely on those in power to hold Israel to any standard of compassion.

Today, I want you to look at this document, choose a fund, contribute to it, and share it. The people in Rafah are living on borrowed time. Free Palestine.

#mutual aid #about palestine

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why is my friend so pretty

#ombre talks

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I'm tagging @morning-softness, @rosy-cheekx, @maliciously-delicious, @twisted-pride, and @wernnaa! However, please feel free to do it regardless of whether you're tagged or not!

Alright, now for something completely different. Today is National Handwriting Day! So we thought it'd be fun to do a classic handwriting meme, you know - the style where the meme asks a series of questions and you're supposed to answer them by hand-writing the replies.

A Very Duck Prints Press Handwriting Meme

Rules: answer the following questions by handwriting your replies then posting a picture to Tumblr (or the platform of your choice). Then, tag five friends to do the same!

Questions:

Write your url.

Write the name you write under.

Write "The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog."

Copy out a favorite book quote.

Write anything you want using your non-dominant hand.

Draw a duck!

Tag five friends.

GO!

#this was fun :D #duck prints press #ombre talks

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Back the Aether Beyond the Binary Kickstarter Campaign!

Duck Prints Press is thrilled to announce that the crowdfunding campaign for science-fantasy gender-diverse sixth anthology Aether Beyond the Binary is now live on Kickstarter!

The core concept of Aether Beyond the Binary is simple and compelling: create intriguing main characters outside the gender binary and set them loose to explore the modern world twisted or barely changed, enhanced or destroyed by magical aether. This power source may replace technology, supplement it, or oppose it. These characters may be agender, genderfluid, bigender, or any other non-binary identity. The thread that these tales share is exploration: of the world around them and of the self. We propose no conclusions; instead, we demonstrate how far-reaching the questions are and how expansive the range of possible answers can be, thereby broadening the discussion about the nature of gender and the place of genderqueer characters in science-fantasy fiction. We hope you’ll join us to explore the endless possibilities of these magical worlds.

This anthology includes 17 stories, each up to 7,500 words, by our diverse fancreators-turned-original-fiction-authors, gorgeous artwork by Mar Spragge, Pippin Peacock, Alessa Riel, and Atomic Pixies, amazing merchandise, and awesome add-on extras.

Looking for the perfect post-holiday purchase? Look no further! Get awesome, gorgeous stuff, a fantastic, erudite book, and support queer indie publishing – become a backer of the Aether Beyond the Binary crowdfunding campaign TODAY!

Campaign ends January 25th, 2024.

Patreon backers who support the crowdfunding campaign can also get an excellent extra: the adorable plant-watering backer as a key chain! So there’s no time like the present to back us on Patreon, too!

#duck prints press #i've had the pleasure of editing for this anthology #and the stories are SO GOOD

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Back the Aether Beyond the Binary Kickstarter Campaign!

Duck Prints Press is thrilled to announce that the crowdfunding campaign for science-fantasy gender-diverse sixth anthology Aether Beyond the Binary is now live on Kickstarter!

The core concept of Aether Beyond the Binary is simple and compelling: create intriguing main characters outside the gender binary and set them loose to explore the modern world twisted or barely changed, enhanced or destroyed by magical aether. This power source may replace technology, supplement it, or oppose it. These characters may be agender, genderfluid, bigender, or any other non-binary identity. The thread that these tales share is exploration: of the world around them and of the self. We propose no conclusions; instead, we demonstrate how far-reaching the questions are and how expansive the range of possible answers can be, thereby broadening the discussion about the nature of gender and the place of genderqueer characters in science-fantasy fiction. We hope you’ll join us to explore the endless possibilities of these magical worlds.

This anthology includes 17 stories, each up to 7,500 words, by our diverse fancreators-turned-original-fiction-authors, gorgeous artwork by Mar Spragge, Pippin Peacock, Alessa Riel, and Atomic Pixies, amazing merchandise, and awesome add-on extras.

Looking for the perfect post-holiday purchase? Look no further! Get awesome, gorgeous stuff, a fantastic, erudite book, and support queer indie publishing – become a backer of the Aether Beyond the Binary crowdfunding campaign TODAY!

Campaign ends January 25th, 2024.

Patreon backers who support the crowdfunding campaign can also get an excellent extra: the adorable plant-watering backer as a key chain! So there’s no time like the present to back us on Patreon, too!

#duck prints press

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Back the Aether Beyond the Binary Kickstarter Campaign!

Duck Prints Press is thrilled to announce that the crowdfunding campaign for science-fantasy gender-diverse sixth anthology Aether Beyond the Binary is now live on Kickstarter!

The core concept of Aether Beyond the Binary is simple and compelling: create intriguing main characters outside the gender binary and set them loose to explore the modern world twisted or barely changed, enhanced or destroyed by magical aether. This power source may replace technology, supplement it, or oppose it. These characters may be agender, genderfluid, bigender, or any other non-binary identity. The thread that these tales share is exploration: of the world around them and of the self. We propose no conclusions; instead, we demonstrate how far-reaching the questions are and how expansive the range of possible answers can be, thereby broadening the discussion about the nature of gender and the place of genderqueer characters in science-fantasy fiction. We hope you’ll join us to explore the endless possibilities of these magical worlds.

This anthology includes 17 stories, each up to 7,500 words, by our diverse fancreators-turned-original-fiction-authors, gorgeous artwork by Mar Spragge, Pippin Peacock, Alessa Riel, and Atomic Pixies, amazing merchandise, and awesome add-on extras.

Looking for the perfect post-holiday purchase? Look no further! Get awesome, gorgeous stuff, a fantastic, erudite book, and support queer indie publishing – become a backer of the Aether Beyond the Binary crowdfunding campaign TODAY!

Campaign ends January 25th, 2024.

Patreon backers who support the crowdfunding campaign can also get an excellent extra: the adorable plant-watering backer as a key chain! So there’s no time like the present to back us on Patreon, too!

#duck prints press #i've got a story in here!!

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Gorgeous Merchandise to Accompany an Awesome Anthology!

It wouldn’t be a Duck Prints Press crowdfunding campaign if we didn’t have super cool merchandise to accompany our spectacular anthology of outside-the-binary characters exploring aetherpunk worlds, Aether Beyond the Binary. We worked with some really awesome creators this time, and we’re so excited to share the art they’ve done and the merch we’ll be making with it!

Hologram Plant-Loving Robot Sticker: this adorable plant-watering bot graces the back cover of the wrap-around cover by Mar Spragge, and they and the plants they’re watering will sparkle and shine on this rectangular, shimmery, holographic sticker. 4 in x 4 in/10.25 cm x 10.25 cm. (Printed by Vograce)

Aether Music Magic Bookmark: this lovely glossy bookmark features artwork by Pippin Peacock on the front and the signatures of the contributors to Aether Beyond the Binary on the back. 2 in x 7 in/5 cm x 17.75 cm. (Printed by UPrinting)

Aether Dux Die-Cut Sticker: it wouldn’t be a Duck Prints Press anthology without a custom Dux designed by Alessa Riel. Dux is our non-binary company mascot, and for this campaign they’re decked out with crystals and machinery and ready for aether flight. 3 in x 3 in/7.5 cm x 7.5 cm. (Printed by Vograce)

Non-Binary Sky Whale Enamel Pin: this lovely pin depicts a celestial whale moving through a starscape, with the non-binary gender sign dangling by a chain from they’re mouth. The artwork for this pin is by Atomic Pixies. 2 in x 2 in/5 cm x 5 cm. (Manufactured by Alchemy)

BONUS MERCHANDISE! That adorable plant-loving robot? We’ll be making it into a key chain as our Patron-exclusive extra! All $10/month and $25/month patrons who also back the campaign will get this cutie to hang from their keys!

Our campaign, which launches on December 26th 2023 (four days from when this post goes up – soooooon!) will include backer levels with all this merch, and also pick-and-choose add-on options. We’re also offering a trade paperback AND a premium hardcover edition of this book – our first anthology published as a hardcover! There’s loads of other add-ons too – our past anthologies (as e-books or in print!), a short story bundle of works by Aether Beyond the Binary contributors, 5 (FIVE!!!) of the adorable dux plushies by EmpowerFantasy Plush, one-of-a-kind wands by Alessa Riel, and more.

We’re days away from launch – follow our pre-launch page and get notified when the campaign goes live!

#duck prints press

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Some snippets from my fic for the Martin-centric TMA fanzine My Cup of Tea! @mycupofteafanzine

In “Sick Day,” Martin falls ill while living in the Archives during Season 1, and Jon awkwardly attempts to help out. At around 2,500 words, it’s a bit shorter than my usual pieces, but it still features a mixture of angst, fluff, and my trademark brand of humor.

You can preorder the Zine here! (Preorders are open through December 15th)

#srb

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Some snippets from my fic for the Martin-centric TMA fanzine My Cup of Tea! @mycupofteafanzine

In “Sick Day,” Martin falls ill while living in the Archives during Season 1, and Jon awkwardly attempts to help out. At around 2,500 words, it’s a bit shorter than my usual pieces, but it still features a mixture of angst, fluff, and my trademark brand of humor.

You can preorder the Zine here! (Preorders are open through December 15th)

#srb

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Some snippets from my fic for the Martin-centric TMA fanzine My Cup of Tea! @mycupofteafanzine

In “Sick Day,” Martin falls ill while living in the Archives during Season 1, and Jon awkwardly attempts to help out. At around 2,500 words, it’s a bit shorter than my usual pieces, but it still features a mixture of angst, fluff, and my trademark brand of humor.

You can preorder the Zine here! (Preorders are open through December 15th)

#srb

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Pre-Order Hockey Bois by A. L. Heard!

Pre-orders for A. L. Heard’s modern beer-league hockey m/m romance are now open!

Nick Porter has always loved hockey. Ever since he can remember, it’s been his favorite thing in the world. It’s too bad he never learned to play, he’d tell himself, but it was too late to do it now. Adults don’t just magically learn to skate and join a hockey team. That’d be ridiculous.

Except maybe they do? On a whim, he decides to sign up for an adult beginner’s class. He learns to skate, joins a team, and meets a really hot teammate… and it’s pretty much a disaster from there on out.

Almost three years after the debut of Hockey Bois, A. L. Heard returns with a new edition of this much-loved book! The text has been revised and streamlined, the interior appearance re-done, and we’ll be offering an e-book edition, trade paperback, AND hard cover! If your preferred flavor of m/m story is slow burn, mutual pining, and romance-with-plot, you won’t want to miss this, and the hockey hunks are just a lovely, delicious, not-to-be-missed bonus!

What can you get?

Hockey Bois e-book (ePub and PDF formats included in one purchase!)

Hockey Bois Trade Paperback Book

Hockey Bois Hardcover Book

STICKERS! We have five stickers on offer – the front cover art, the main character Nick skating, love interest Brady skating, Nick and Brady holding hands, and Nick and Brady sharing a hug and beer.

a two-sided bookmark featuring Nick on one side and Brady on the other

chibi magnets of Nick skating and Brady skating

Patreon Extra: all Duck Prints Press Patreon backers at the $10/month and $25/month level who also participate in this pre-order campaign will get an acrylic standee of the adorable chibi art of Nick and Brady holding hands!

Can’t decide what to get? We have bundles for that…

Hockey Bois e-book + trade paperback book

Hockey Bois e-book + hardcover book

Hockey Bois e-book + trade paperback book + merch

Hockey Bois e-book + hardcover book + merch

Visit our pre-order campaign page to read all the details, access the shop listings, and get your books and swag NOW!

#!!!!! #hockey bois #duck prints press

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After the initial attacks from Hamas on October 7th, thousands of Palestinian labourers permitted to work in Israel unlawfully had their permits taken away, and were then held hostage, tortured and killed in Israeli detention facilities for 25 days.

They were denied food, water, all necessities and access to any legal representation. They endured some of the most horrific forms of torture and abuse, one man says that they were stripped naked and then urinated by children. One man was asked if he was thirsty and then had boiling water thrown on him. Israel did not allow any humanitarian aid to enter the facilities, so the abuse and torture was allowed to continue without intervention.

Hundreds were “released” by Israel and forced to walk 6km back to Gaza while it was actively being bombed and undergoing a ground invasion. The actual number of people held/released/killed is still unclear and the workers have said that they feel failed by the world.

What those labourers have undergone is the complete opposite to the testimonial of the hostage Hamas had released, who said she was treated fairly and received food, shelter and medical attention and was told that she would not be harmed.

To read those labourers stories and still call any of this Israel’s right to defend itself from Hamas is genuinely horrifying and truly ignorant.

#about palestine #about genocide

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A nice bit of Jon&Tim pre-Unknowing angst to start your work-week off right:

Can’t Have You, Even As An Enemy

Summary:

Tim wonders if Jon feels it too, that there’s no coming back from this. That tomorrow, whether they fail or succeed, it will be the end for both of them. He’s watched enough films to know that this should be the moment for a heart-to-heart between them. Sharing secrets. An admission of long hidden romantic feelings. Desperate sex. Something. Anything more than recycled blame and apologies. He should say something, maybe, but the words are all choked up inside him.

The night before the Unknowing, Tim and Jon share a hotel room and regret the past. They talk, but it doesn’t change anything.

Words: 5,471

Many thanks to @crit20lesbian for Beta-ing. Your comments were really helpful and encouraging as I dug a bit into some of TMA’s thorny themes with this fic.

#new anna fic just dropped!! #anna isn't afraid to dive into the difficult relationships present in tma #i haven't read this yet #but i have no doubt that they continue to do the same here #tma #morning softness #fanfic #my friends

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I accidentally deleted my main blog 😔

#i had that happen to me #and it sucks so much #10+ years of history gone #psa #passionpeachy #hope you can recover as much of your old blog as possible #about tumblr

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there are three types of pigeon breeds: "just your average french fry thief," "a little weird but nothing to write home about," and "what the fuck"

#about animals #cuties #love purple pidgeon