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xtruss · 7 months

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These Orcas Have Mastered Wave Washing. It's spine-tingling to watch. Speeding toward a Seal, Orcas rotate to their sides in unison. The momentum will create a large wave that may be powerful enough to wash the Seal off the Ice Floe.

These Orcas Control The Waves To Hunt. It’s Spine-Tingling To Watch.

Using a Technique Passed Down Through Generations, these Orcas have Mastered Hunting—On Ice.

— By Natasha Daly | Photographs By Bertie Gregory | September 13, 2023

The first time the Weddell seal notices the orcas, it’s already surrounded. Until moments before, it had been resting on an ice floe deep in an Antarctic channel. Then three killer whales’ heads appear, bobbing up and down. The orcas are hunting.

On this sheet of sea ice, the nearly thousand-pound seal would be unreachable for most marine predators. But these orcas—a matriarch with her daughter and granddaughter—are three of about a hundred known to have mastered a hunting technique called wave washing. The secret: working together to turn water into a weapon.

An orca bites a crabeater seal. Unlike large, docile Weddell seals, crabeaters are aggressive and can be difficult to wave wash. As melting ice keeps more seals on land, these killer whales must hunt what they can find.

The orcas, having identified their target, form a battle line and start charging toward the floe. Just before reaching it, they rotate to their sides in a single, synchronized motion and plunge underwater. The momentum creates a wave so powerful that it floods the ice sheet, cracking the surface and whipping the flailing seal around. Slowly and methodically, they repeat the charge. The ice fractures more. On the third charge, the wave sends the seal flying into the sea. It scrambles to climb onto a piece of ice, then disappears from view, grabbed from below by a killer whale.

Killer whales spy-hop around a group of crabeater seals lying on an ice floe. The surfacing technique of spy-hopping allows an orca to survey its surroundings by holding its head out of the water, sometimes for several minutes, using its pectoral fins to stay afloat. Photograph By LeighHickmott

A Weddell seal reclines as a killer whale spy-hops behind it. Later, a pod of orcas successfully wave washed it into the sea. Photograph By Tom Walker

Multiple family groups of wave-washing killer whales get together to socialize. This gathering of about 20 orcas represents one-fifth of the entire known B1 global population in the western Antarctic Peninsula.

“It’s completely sinister to watch,” says wildlife filmmaker Bertie Gregory, who’s spent a decade tracking the orcas, known as B1, a population of pack ice killer whales. The level of intelligence that goes into making each wave “is staggering,” he says. “This isn’t subtle. They are problem solving using very complex teamwork. They’re using water as a tool.” Sometimes it’ll take one wave, about five minutes, before a seal is flung into the sea. Other times a pod can wave wash up to 30 times, about two to three hours, before getting the prey. Scientists rarely see failed hunts. “This behavior is not innate; it’s learned and mastered over decades,” says Gregory. “Every time they make waves, it almost feels like more of a teaching experience than hunting.”

A pod of B1 orcas floats in front of a glacier, in a behavior known as logging. Orcas, like all cetaceans, must consciously open their blowholes to breathe. While logging, cetaceans are able to sleep by shutting down half their brain at a time while the other half stays alert.

A crabeater seal and an Adélie penguin rest on an ice floe while a male killer whale spy-hops near them. The orca attempted to hunt the seal, but after several wave washes and an in-water chase, the seal escaped. Photograph By LeighHickmott

A mixture of sea and glacial ice floats in an Antarctic channel as an orca searches for seals to hunt. In previous years this area would have had much more ice cover. Last February, Antarctic sea ice hit a record low.

But as Antarctica warms and sea ice vanishes, Weddell seals are increasingly staying on land, out of orcas’ reach. To track how the B1 orcas cope with a warming habitat, scientists have identified all hundred or so individuals. They’ve found B1s are losing about 5 percent of their population every year. Whether this subgroup “will go extinct or just adapt their behavior, we don’t know,” says Gregory. But with fewer opportunities for the orcas to wave wash, “we’re seeing an extinction of a culture.”

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don-lichterman · 2 years

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Inside the Dark World of Captive Wildlife Tourism | National Geographic

Cages, speed-breeding, fear-based training. Blatant animal abuse is hiding just below the surface of the wildlife tourism industry. ➡ Subscribe: http://bit.ly/NatGeoSubscribe #NationalGeographic #WildlifeTourism #Animals About National Geographic: National Geographic is the world’s premium destination for science, exploration, and adventure. Through their world-class scientists, photographers,…

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broadwaydivastournament · 21 days

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Broadway Divas Tournament: Round 2B

The thrilling conclusion to Round 2 will start tonight, Wednesday, April 10nd, 2024 at 6:00 p.m. EST. Once again, look forward to all new propaganda propagated by yours truly. Send me more to add to the garden.

Polls will also feature all-new bios taken from the modest collection of vintage playbills, and extensive collection of personal playbills I've amassed over my short life. It's going to be a fun mix of early-career bios, shows from the last few years, and anything in between.

Round 2B: ALL POLLS HERE Bebe Neuwirth vs. Charlotte d'Amboise Betty Buckley vs. Joanna Gleason Anika Noni Rose vs. Tyne Daly Linda Emond vs. LaChanze Bernadette Peters vs. Victoria Clark Lillias White vs. Andrea Martin Annette Bening vs. Kelli O'Hara Lea Salonga vs. NaTasha Yvette Williams

Rules and Guidelines

Round 2A Winners |

Round 1D Winners | Round 1C Winners | Round 1B Winners | Round 1A Winners

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aftermidnightfmk · 3 months

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Bonus Screencaps

Thursday, January 25, 2024

Jon Daly, Natasha Leggero, Moche Kasher

Does Anyone Have A Phone Charger?

#after midnight #bonus screencaps #does anyone have a phone charger?#jon daly #natasha leggero #moshe kasher

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sitting-on-me-bum · 1 year

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Friends: Everyone needs them. That’s a key finding of a study of orphaned elephants in the wild. Young elephants who live among same-aged peers have lower stress levels than elephants who don’t, Natasha Daly reports. Photographer and Nat Geo Explorer Ami Vitale found these orphaned elephants (above) gathered at a watering hole at a sanctuary in northern Kenya.

PHOTOGRAPH BY AMI VITALE, NAT GEO IMAGE COLLECTION

#ami vitale #photographer #national geographic #elephants #animal #mammal #wildlife #kenya #watering hole #nature

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historyhermann · 7 months

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Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake Spoiler-Filled Review

Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake is a mature animated series developed by Adam Muto. It is a spinoff of the well-known Adventure Time series. Unlike the original, it is aimed at a young adult audience. Muto, Fred Seibert, and Sam Register are executive producers. Debora Arroyo is another producer. Frederator Studios and Cartoon Network Studios produced the series. This piece was written during the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. Without labor of the actors currently on strike, Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake, being reviewed here, wouldn't exist.

Reprinted from Pop Culture Maniacs and Wayback Machine. This was the fifty-second article I wrote for Pop Culture Maniacs. This post was originally published on October 9, 2023.

Unlike the original series or the Adventure Time: Distant Lands specials, this series focuses on alternate versions of Finn the Human and Jake the Dog: Fionna Campbell (voiced by Madeleine Martin) and Cake (voiced by Roz Ryan). Character designer Natasha Allegri created them years ago. These characters debuted in the season 3 Adventure Time episode "Fionna and Cake." They made additional appearances in Seasons 5, 6, 8, and 9 of that series. In that series, they are part of Ice King's Finn and Jake fan fiction. Also, the characters appeared in comic books which Allegri co-created with other comic book artists.

This series brings Fionna and Cake beyond their depictions in Adventure Time. In this series, Fionna works as bus tour guide, but struggles to find her place. The fact that her apartment is a mess, with uncleanliness and dirty dishes, is symbolic. It shows that her life is disorderly. In many ways, her character is relatable. She stands up for herself and is on the edge between having work (and not). The latter is not unique. Protagonists of Magical Girl Friendship Squad, The Great Jahy, and The Devil is a Part-Timer! are impoverished and live in similar circumstances. The difference is that Fionna actively does not want to go to work. Instead, she likes to hang out with street musicians like Marshall Lee (voiced by Donald Glover).

Everything goes off the rails when Cake runs away, through a portal, and ends up in the land of Ooo. This terrifies Fionna, who desperately looks for Cake. In her search, she meets Hunter (voiced by Vico Ortiz), a woman who is planting weeds rather than picking them up, Ellis P (voiced by Pendleton Ward), who is her world's version of Lumpy Space Princess, and owner of a bakery where her friend Gary (voiced by Andrew Rannells) works: BB. The latter is her world's version of Princess Bubblegum. Gary is called Prince Gumball in Adventure Time.

As you can tell, there is a barrier to entry when watching this series. This series is made for Adventure Time fans. Those who aren't fans of that series can watch this series. However, they may miss something. Savvy fans may see comparisons to series such as The Legend of Korra, Bee and Puppycat, and Steven Universe Future. Others may recognize the anime references, either to Sailor Moon or My Neighbor Totoro, in the first episode.

This series may excite those who enjoy multiverses and alternate realities. In the first episode, Fionna believes she is chasing a rat bus which somewhat resembles the cat bus from My Neighbor Totoro, while wearing a Sailor Scout costume. At the last second, the mysterious Ice Prince saves her. Her alarm clock wakes her before she can learn more. This dream's importance is clear later in the series. Also, the fact that everything on TV is Cheers is significant not only because it was Simon Petrikov's favorite shows, but the show's tagline: "filmed in front of a live studio audience." It implies that Fionna's world is manufactured.

In Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake, Donald Glover, Tom Kenny, Sean Rohani, Roz Ryan, Madeleine Martin, James Kyson, Andy Daly, and Pendleton Ward reprise their roles as Marshall Lee, Simon Petrikov, Prismo, Cake, Fionna, Big Destiny, Wyatt, and Lumpy Space Princess (in the form of Ellis P.). Jeremy Shada, Hynden Walch, Olivia Olson, Ron Perlman, and Felicia Day voice the supporting characters Finn the Human, Princess Bubblegum, Marceline the Vampire Queen, The Litch, and Betty Grof, as they do in the original series. Kayleigh McKee, Cree Summer, Jinkx Monsoon, Andrey Bennett, and Brian David Gilbert join these voice actors.

These voice actors lend their voices as the Scarab, the Lemoncarbs, Astrid, and the Winter King. Summer and Monsoon are known for their voice and live-action roles. This series is McKee's first lead role. This is significant because McKee is a trans woman and due to the fact that her only voice roles before there were anime dubs for series such as Kageki Shojo!!, Sasaki and Miyano, and Lycoris Recoil. As for Bennett, this is one of her first voice roles, apart from work on Not Quite Narwhal, Ada Twist, Scientist, and City of Ghosts. This series is also the first major voice role for Gilbert as well.

Like Bennett and Gilbert, Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake is one of the first voice roles for Vico Ortiz. He voices Fern in this series. Previously, Ortiz voiced Tefé Holland in Harley Quinn. Ortiz is non-binary and genderfluid, and a Puerto Rican actor, activist, and drag king. Andrew Rannells, another voice actor for this series, is a White gay man. He voiced gay characters like King Barton in Princess Power, Matthew MacDell in Big Mouth, and William Clockwell in Invincible.

The wonderful thing about this series is how easily it meshes with the existing Adventure Time universe. There is little retroactive continuity. Extraordinarily little of previously established narratives are changed. Unpopular elements don't return nor are dead characters revived or reality disregarded. The series plotlines easily fit with plots in the original show. It is set after Adventure Time and Adventure Time: Distant Lands.

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The second episode of Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake makes this clearer. There is an interesting contrast between Simon's messy problems, which he hides away, and his attempt to keep his 20th-century antiquarian house clean, as an exhibit. It is revealed that Cake and Fionna were his creations. He dismisses them as "old stuff." This comes to a head when he talks to Finn in a bar, saying he can't relate to this alternate world, the Land of Ooo anymore, and admits he missed Ice King.

He goes on a quest led by Finn to an ancient part of Ooo. Simon reminisces about his "good memories" with Betty. However, so much is going through his head that he's unsure what to do. A song by non-binary screenwriter Rebecca Sugar, best known as the creator of Steven Universe, clearly and eloquently explains to the viewer what he is going through. Sugar has an upcoming personal album Spiral Bound released in November.

This comes with a fun moment between two queer characters known by Adventure Time and Adventure Time: Distant Lands fans: Princess Bubblegum (PB) and Marceline. Simon tries to talk about his struggles, after he admits that he made a little girl cry. Unfortunately, Marceline can't hear him since she, and her girlfriend, PB, are trying to get matching tattoos, but the artist is having trouble. On the one hand, this scene shows how Simon is holding back his true feelings by claiming "everything's fine" and there are no issues. On the other, it is a representation of queer representation in the series. Those who like the Bubbline pairing of Marceline and PB may be overjoyed by this short funny scene.

That scene is one example of representation in Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake. The series intercuts the growing relationship between Marshall Lee and Gary to that of Marceline and PB. This includes a world where PB and Star (a version of Marceline) are locked in combat. This could be an indication that PB and Marceline, in whatever form they take, have intertwined romantic destinies. Such storylines gave this queer couple "multiversal staying power."

The queerness of Gary and Marshall is shown unabashedly and openly, without anyone bating an eye. This contrasts the heterosexual themes in Adventure Time and previous fights by the crew of that series to have queer inclusion. Series creator Adam Muto said that LGBTQ+ representation in this series came from show writers and artists, who wanted their identities portrayed and expressed. Hopefully, other shows follow suit, even as animation industry is in crisis. As Raye Rodriguez, showrunner of High Guardian Spice, recently put it, "there are some companies that...have decided that they are like protectors of the gays...but that’s only as long as those companies decide to be that kind of brand." This was the case for The Owl House. Disney cancelled the series, and gave it a shortened third season, after executives declared that the show didn't fit the company's brand.

The second episode hints at what is to come: inter-dimensional travel of Cake and Fionna to the Land of Ooo. Simon uses an evil Choose Goose (voiced by Jeff Bennett), that taunts him, to open such a passage. Cake comes through, surprising Simon. To make matters worse, Prismo ignores a blinking light on his universal remote-control, indicating a new portal. In the third episode, Fionna follows a sparkly blue light and appears in Ooo. Simon determines that she isn't "real" and blames the goose. Thanks to help from a big Fionna and Cake fan, Astrid (voiced by Andrey Bennett), she saves Cake after she is kidnapped following an encounter with a talking squirrel. Soon enough, Prismo realizes this is a major issue which could get him in trouble. It would reveal his unauthorized world, where Fionna and Cake live. So, he teleports Cake, Fionna, and Simon to his headquarters-of-sorts.

The stakes of Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake are raised when Scarab (voiced by Kayleigh McKee) enters the scene. They are an auditor tasked with tracking down violators. They set their sights on Prismo for letting an item on his remote-control blink for too long. It is possible that Scarab may have had a previous bone to pick with Prismo and is using this as an excuse to get back at him. The entire universe of Fionna and Cake's universe (called "Fionna World" for short) is at stake. Prismo made it in an unauthorized fashion and stored it within Simon's head. The world changed after Simon was no longer Ice King. Prismo warns that the fact that the universe exists at all could result in unintended consequences for other realities.

Before Scarab catches them, Simon, Fionna, and Cake escape the Time Room and appear in another world. Thus begins their trip through the multiverse to find a crown. The plan is for Simon to become Ice King again and bring back magic to Fionna World. They first arrive in Farmworld. Simon hopes they can get clues about the crown's location in the library, but this is soon dashed. Library books are stolen so they can be burned and used for a funeral. In the process, they meet Jay Mertens (voiced by Tiffany Wu). He has a crush on Little Destiny (voiced by Mickey Zacchilli) of the Destiny Gang. Fionna is scammed by the world's version of the Choose Goose, who gives them a fake crown. In response, Cake beats them up.

This world involves Finn leading a family with several children and a traitorous Choose Goose. Scarab follows them, thinking he can chase them down. Unfortunately, they can't find a magic crown, as it was annihilated. Furthermore, a version of PB tattles about where Jay, Simon, Fionna, and Cake went. Scarab, after capturing Prismo, catches up with them, following them to the next world: the Winter Kingdom. In that world, Fionna develops a crush on the Winter King.

The Winter King acts suave, which pulls in Fionna. He claims that he created his own winter wonderland by sheer "force of will." He also declares that he is making Simon a duplicate crown. In some ways, he resembles the Diamonds in Steven Universe. He has servants called ice scouts, which somewhat resembles pearls, and he sings a song to explain his story. Fionna even slays citizens of the Candy Kingdom to rescue Simon and Winter King from Candy Queen. She is a version of PB, a cross between Spinel and Harley Quinn. As it turns out, the world falls apart when Fionna kisses the Winter King. PB reforms into her usual form. She kisses Fionna on the cheek as a thank you. Fionna lifted the "curse": negative energy from the crown changed the Candy Kingdom's citizens into monsters.

In Fionna World, the romance between Gary and Marshall, as mentioned earlier, develops. Gary is worried about Fionna's whereabouts. He plans to start his own business. He even goes to a local fair with Marshall. Later, in an attempt to help Gary's recipes gain traction, Marshall brings in the Lemon Carbs. In their typical fashion, the Lemon Carbs, which have a sour personality by their very nature, hate the snacks. Even so, Marshall and Gary get closer. They go to a gothic-style church where Marshall's parents live, where Gary pitches his pastry idea. He ends up calling out Marshall's mom. Although hesitant at first, Marshall ends up leaving with him. Both kiss in an elevator as they leave the building, infuriating everyone, especially Marshall's mom.

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Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake has a serialized storyline. This is clear from the fact that Fionna reflects on her actions, like hurting innocent candy people in the sixth episode to make her "dream" true. Although Simon claims that the next world will have a Simon cursed in the "right way," she isn't sure. Her suspicion is correct. In the next world, a non-magical Simon was killed. Then, the Vampire King adopted Marceline (called Star in this world). As a result, she became a vampire princess.

This world is one of the more interesting. Bonnie heads up a tank, with Martin Mertens and Huntress, to settle a score with Star. However, Star messes with/flirts with Bonnie, saying she will "have her heart." Although Simon says that in his world Marcy and Bonnie fell in love, the Bonnie of this world pushes this idea away. The attack on the "hive" of vampires seems to be successful. Star ensures that the battle is far from over. She and Bonnie fight, with queer tension between them, as much is present in the fights between Catra and Adora throughout all five seasons of She-Ra and the Princesses of Power.

Fionna cares about Cake, and Cake cares for Fionna. This dynamic is fraught with tension. For one, Cake is angry that she was pulled to a terrible wasteland world since their dimensional remote control is malfunctioning. She was prevented from grabbing the Vampire King's magic crown. Fionna and Cake seem at odds with one another. After watching disturbing videotapes from Ice King, thanks to BMO, both realize that the crown caused Simon to lose his mind, and this tension ends.

All of this happens while Simon is struggling to realize what his identity is in the world, and what Betty means to him. He often reminisces about his "fond memories" of Betty, including how they met and went on adventures together. Fionna and Cake return to their world. He is forced to confront this when he meets Golb. The Lich, which destroyed everything in an entire world, is a being which now feels empty and worthless. Golb easily turns the Lich into a block without much effort.

This results in a journey in the last two episodes. Simon attempts to look, in the form of Shermy, for a book about a magic crown. He wants to return magic to Fionna World. He follows the story of Nova and Casper, which parallels his relationship with Betty. As a result, he comes to realization that he caused Betty to subordinate her desires to his. At the same time, Fionna and Cake come back to their world and fight off the Scarabs with help from Gary and Marshall. This is unsuccessful. Scarab reforms, due to Ellis P.'s cluelessness.

The final episode of Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake ends with a bang. Simon realizes that he doesn't need to be Ice King. He only wanted that so his life would matter. As a result, he gives Fionna control of her world. She brings it back into existence while Scarab is trying to destroy everything. Scarab remains determined to destroy it piece by piece, even after it becomes a canonized universe. Prismo deems Scarab "not cool" for their destructive actions. Fionna ends up winning the battle against Scarab, who is now weaker. In a huge form, she crushes him, thanks to Cake becoming a hammer. This allows him to be captured.

The series finale implies that it will be self-contained and not have a season 2. The world continues to be rebuilt. Gary's business is booming. Marshall protests his mom. Gary and Marshall remain a couple. In addition, Simon enjoys himself, even talking to Finn's mom about the experience of Fionna and Cake on his life. Prismo collaborates with Scarab, who can't harm anyone anymore. They create a medieval mystery drama world together.

Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake could be an effective way to wrap up the Adventure Time franchise, which began in 2007 with a pilot for Nicktoons. Later, that pilot was adapted into an animated series. It premiered in April 2010 on Cartoon Network. As noted before, this series includes more queerness than before. Fionna might be queer. She is attracted to Winter King, and likes being around Hunter, as shown in a final scene.

Additionally, this series has racial diversity. It is the first time that Marshall Lee is a visibly Black character. Muto said that “it would have felt harder to rationalize not showing [Marshall Lee] that way.” Some fans have questioned whether Marshall's more well-known female version, Marceline, was Black, even though she was an established character of color with a Black or Brown mother. It ignores the fact that Olson, who voices Marceline, is of Afro-Jamaican descent. Muto added that they tried to make sure that the show's cast had "representation that better reflects the world we live in." Show writer Kate Tsang helped them in this task.

Whether Marshall or Marceline, there are Black vampires across media. This includes characters in a mature action and dark fantasy series, Castlevania: Nocturne, like Drolta Tzuentes. This representation comes at a time that the number of Black animated series are increasing. This year, alone, there have been series such as My Dad the Bounty Hunter, Supa Team 4, Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire, Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur, and The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder. A recent addition, Young Love, joined this list, based on Matthew Cherry's 2019 short animated film, Hair Love. It is also airing on Max. However, it aired four episodes a week rather than two episodes a week for some reason.

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There are other praiseworthy elements in Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake. Melissa Villaseñor, Cristina Valenzuela (also known as Cristina Vee), Phil LaMarr, Chelsea Peretti, Robbie Daymond, and Ellie Newlands guest voice characters. These people are known for their voice work on Amphibia, Primos (upcoming), RWBY, Helluva Boss, Futurama, Samurai Jack, Static Shock, My Dad the Bounty Hunter, The Legend of Vox Machina, and Unicorn: Warriors Eternal.

There are six people who wrote on, or storyboarded five or more episodes of this series: Hanna K. Nyström, Anna Syvertsson, Jacob Winkler, Iggy Craig, Graham Falk, and Jim Campbell. Most of them had previously worked on Adventure Time: Distant Lands, and four of them worked on Adventure Time. Also, Winkler storyboarded for Infinity Train. Craig wrote and did prop design on the same series. Falk, Nyström, and Campbell storyboarded on Summer Camp Island. Adding to this, Craig was a character designer for Craig of the Creek. Campbell storyboarded and wrote episodes of Over the Garden Wall.

Other storyboarders and writers worked on two or more episodes. They include Lucyola Langi, Sonja von Marensdorff, Nicole Rodriguez, Haewon Lee, and Jackie Files. Two worked on the aforementioned Distant Lands. Others worked on Summer Camp Island, Infinity Train, or OK K.O.: Let's Be Heroes!. Langi and Rodriguez worked on series within the Steven Universe franchise. Langi designed characters for Steven Universe. Rodriguez storyboarded on Steven Universe Future and Steven Universe: The Movie.

Langi storyboarded for We Bare Bears. Rodriguez storyboarded on The Owl House, Central Park, The Great North, Hazbin Hotel, and Helluva Boss. She also animated Obituary: A Grave Beginning, later turned into a webcomic. von Marensdorff previously storyboarded episodes of The Jellies. She also animated the animated short, entitled Crow. The supervising directors for this series, Ryann Shannon and Steve Wolfhard, are well-known for their work in the animation industry. This includes OK K.O.!, for Shannon, and Bravest Warriors, Amphibia, and Big City Greens, among others, for Wolfhard.

Overall, this series avoids inconsistencies and focus on all-ages in Adventure Time. It is more of a united story than Adventure Time: Distant Lands, a limited series with four loosely connected vignettes. Furthermore, there is no wasted space in this series. No part feels like "filler." Instead, everything fits well together. The characters, animation, and voice acting mix with a strong story. With the animation industry in turmoil at the moment, and Warner Bros. Discovery purging Max of animated series deemed as "low rated," a second season seems unlikely. If so, this season easily wraps up the plot, like My Dad the Bounty Hunter does in its second season. An additional season could be weaker than the first one.

Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake can be streamed on Max. In Australia, it can be watched on Binge and Fox8.

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unhonestlymirror · 8 months

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It's a shame that I, as a Ukrainian, never wrote what I think about russia's name in hetalia.

Because it's so damn lifeless. XD I see plenty of people referring to Ukraine as Katyusha (nickname made from russian Yekaterina, has nothing to do with Ukraine) and to Belarus as Natasha (russified nickname, which appeared, according to russian sources, in the 18th century, and according to American sources, in 1965, has nothing to do with Belarus) - but, for some reason, Great Russia doesn't want to have 100% russian name:

Ivan is the name of ancient Hebrew origin, which translates as "Mercy of God." It is formed from the ancient form of Ioann. This name is definitely older than russia itself. This name is commonly used in Ukrainian and Belaruthian folk songs, this name is used to refer to Ivana Kupala celebration: the name arose at a time when the Christian church wanted to replace a pagan holiday with a new religion.

Not even England has such an average name: it's like if they used John Brown instead of Arthur Kirkland.

Now about the surname: and I will use quotes from russian(!) sources:

The surname Braginsky belongs to a common type of Jewish surnames.

The Jews of the Russian Empire began to be given surnames at the end of the 18th century, after the western regions of Belarus, Ukraine and the Baltic states were annexed to the Russian Empire - after the partition of Poland.

Then Catherine II "acquired" along with the western regions a huge number of Jews who historically did not have surnames, but only a first name and patronymic, for example, "Moishe, son of Shmelke."

And my favourite:

"So, the surname Braginsky owes its origin to the urban settlement of Bragin - at present, it is the regional centre of the Gomel region of the Republic of Belarus. The settlement was founded in the 16th century."

Gomel region? The region from which locals like to joke that they use Ukrainian with Belaruthian letters? (Lots of my relatives are from there, and some of them even identify themselves as Ukrainians).

What an interesting name for personification of russia to have. Especially considering how much russia hates both Jews, Ukrainians, and Belaruthians. This name literally screams: "Look, I am not a nazi." And I really doubt Hidekaz Himaruya, who clearly isn't versed in never-soviet countries' culture, would choose this name without influence from his sponsors.

If russia loves its culture so much, why did they choose what they chose? Why doesn't its personification have a perfectly russian name? I will even translate some of the greatest examples for you:

Dalis - Да здравствуют Ленин и Сталин!Long live Lenin and Stalin!

Delezh — Дело Ленина живёт! The deed of Lenin lives!

Deleor — Дело Ленина — Октябрьская революция! The deed of Lenin -- October Revolution!

Dazdrasen — Да здравствует Седьмое ноября! Long live November 7th!

Avtodor -- Общество содействия развитию автомобилизма и улучшению дорог. Society for the Promotion of Motoring and Road Improvement

Agitprop -- Отдел агитации и пропаганды при ЦК ВКП (б). Department of Agitation and Propaganda under the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks

Glasp -- гласность печати. Publicity of the press.

Karmiy -- Красная Армия. Red Army.

Kid -- коммунистический идеал. Communist ideal.

Kravasil -- Красная армия всех сильней!The Red Army is the strongest of all!

Kukutsapol -- "Кукуруза — царица полей!" Corn - the queen of the fields!

Piachegod -- "Пятилетку — в четыре года!" "Five-Year Plan - in four years!"

Revvol — революционная воля - revolutionary will

Revdar — революционный дар revolutionary gift

Yurgoz -- Юрий Гагарин облетел Землю -- Yuri Gagarin circled the Earth

Zamvil — заместитель В. И. Ленина -- Deputy of V. I. Lenin

Idlen -- Ideas of Lenin

Vidlen - Great ideas of Lenin

Vinun — "Владимир Ильич не умрёт никогда" -- "Vladimir Ilyich (Lenin) will never die"

Lunio – "Ленин умер, но идеи остались" - Lenin died, but the ideas remained!"

Lelud — Ленин любит детей -- Lenin loves children

Lengenmir -- "Ленин - гений мира!" -- "Lenin - the genius of the world!"

Lestak - Lenin, Stalin, communism!

Pofistal – Победитель фашизма Иосиф Сталин -- "The winner of fascism, Joseph Stalin."

Yausyaukh – "Я устал, я ухожу" - "I'm tired, I'm leaving."

Porof - Позор российскому футболу - Shame on Russian football.

Motevsor - мочить террористов в сортире - kill terrorists in the toilet.

Dogzeb -- "Догзеб – Доллар – грязная зеленая бумажка" - "Dollar is a dirty green paper"

And it's only a little part of what exists. If there are so many great, purely russian names, why to name russia after "stupid khokhols" (russian slur about Ukrainians) or "bulbashi" (russian slur about Belaruthians) or "zhydy"(russian slur about Jewish)?

#hetalia #tw: hws aph russia #hws ukraine #aph ukraine #hws belarus #aph belarus

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rjzimmerman · 2 years

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From National Geographic:

#elephants #orphaned elephants #Kenya

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leanstooneside · 2 months

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FASHION FORWARD & BACKWARD (WATERWITCH)

• Jay Leno's north chin

• Bob Harper's exorbitant neck

• Sean Lennon's treated finger

• Kathy Ireland's slapstick forehead

• Chris Hemsworth's unreasonable arm

• Hailey Glassman's strengthened calf

• Dr. Phil McGraw's existent nostril

• Cheryl Cole's grudging neck

• Tony Parker's dulled arm

• Ashley Benson's mind-boggling thumb

• LuAnn De Lesseps's contraceptive forearm

• Swizz Beatz's dissident wrist

• Martha Stewart's high-performance foot

• Faith Hill's rapid-fire shoulder

• Neymar's synonymous fist

• Mindy Kaling's honorable belly

• Amber Portwood's partisan cheek

• Rob Kardashian's eaten head

• Elisabeth Moss's prolific cheek

• Carson Daly's echoing lower leg

• Eva Mendes's insane chin

• Amber Rose's long-held breast

• Will Arnett's monarch knee

• Liam Hemsworth's salient nose

• Colton Haynes's addicting wrist

• Kirstie Alley's sticky ear

• Chrissy Teigen's bounded waist

• Matthew McConaughey's blackened head

• John Krasinski's eaten breast

• Javier Bardem's panting thumb

• Gerard Butler's revolving cheek

• Ryan Dunn's altruistic shoulder

• Rebel Wilson's encrusted back

• Jamie-Lynn Sigler's swooning tongue

• Edward Norton's blue-collar wrist

• Natasha Bedingfield's blue-collar waist

• Gwyneth Paltrow's reflecting hip

• Darren Criss's valid bottom

• Jake Gyllenhaal's perky nostril

• Cheryl Burke's wetting bottom

• Jennifer Grey's ambivalent bottom

• Aubrey O'Day's smokeless bottom

• Amy Winehouse's uncooperative elbow

• Paula Abdul's awake ankle

• Chris Brown's devilish arm

• Prince Harry's readable tooth

• Kanye West's woodland head

• Mo'Nique's snuff forehead

• Stephen Colletti's combat lower leg

• Jesse Williams's long-held shoulder

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brookstonalmanac · 1 year

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Birthdays 5.11

Beer Birthdays

John Moffat (1766)

Gilbert Greenall (1806)

Stephen Weber (1822)

Christian Weyland (1826)

Dietrich Knabe (1842)

John Rowling (1940)

Jack McAuliffe (1945)

Derek Smith (1975)

Five Favorite Birthdays

Eric Burdon; rock singer (1941)

Salvador Dali; artist (1904)

Richard Feynman; physicist (1918)

Martha Quinn; V.J. (1959)

Baron von Munchausen; storyteller, soldier (1720)

Famous Birthdays

Anawrahta; king of Burma and founder of the Pagan Empire (1014)

Anne of Bohemia (1366)

Rose Ausländer; Ukrainian-English poet (1901)

Irving Berlin; composer (1888)

Tim Blake-Nelson; actor (1964)

Carla Bley; pianist (1936)

Foster Brooks; comedian (1912)

Chang and Eng Bunker, Thai-American conjoined twins (1811)

Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux; French artist (1827)

Laetitia Casta; model (1978)

Gladys Rockmore Davis; painter (1901)

Edsger W. Dijkstra; Dutch computer scientist (1930)

Stanley Elkin; writer (1930)

Charles W. Fairbanks; journalist and politician (1852)

Louis Farrakhan; Islamic leader (1933)

Bernard Fox; British actor (1927)

Jean-Léon Gérôme; French artist (1824)

Walter Goodman; English artist (1838)

Martha Graham; dancer, choreographer (1894)

Antony Hewish; English astronomer (1924)

Robert Jarvik; artificial heart inventor (1946)

John Lowell, Jr.; businessman and philanthropist (1799)

Doug McClure; actor (1935)

Paul Nash; British painter (1889)

Cam Newton; football player (1989)

Peter North; porn actor (1957)

King Oliver; jazz trumpeter, bandleader (1885)

Denver Pyle; actor (1920)

Harriet Quimby; pilot and screenwriter (1875)

Natasha Richardson; actor (1963)

Margaret Rutherford; actor (1892)

Mort Sahl; comedian (1927)

Frank Schlesinger; astronomer (1871)

Phil Silvers; comedian, actor (1911)

Holly Valance; Australian actor (1983)

Doodles Weaver; actor (1911)

#Birthdays

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scoopearth · 1 year

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Are Plants Emotional? New Study Reveals They Cry Under Pressure

The Sound of Stress: Study Shows Plants Can Cry" by Natasha Daly, published on National Geographic in September 2019. This article explores the study from the University of Tel Aviv that found that plants emit high-pitched sounds when they are under stress, which the researchers interpreted as a form of crying. The article delves into the implications of this discovery, including the possibility that plants have a more complex and dynamic relationship with their environment than previously thought. The article also highlights some of the debates and controversies surrounding the idea of plants having emotions and consciousness.

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xtruss · 7 months

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Trapped at eight meters (26 feet) above the ground, this yet-to-be-named phorid fly species is a “parasitoid death-dealing machine” that jabs its eggs into other insects, says entomologist Brian Brown. Brown, the curator of entomology at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, photographed the insects in this article using a camera-and-microscope setup that was originally developed to examine flaws in computer chips. Photograph By Brian Brown, Natural History Museum of Los Aangele County

For Insects, The Amazon’s Canopy Contains A Dazzling Multiverse

A new study finds that high in rainforest trees, insects live in ecosystems that vary wildly from the forest floor on up.

— By Natasha Daly | Published March 2, 2022 | Saturday October 7, 2023

“I thought, my God, this is like someone’s discovered another continent!” says Brian Brown, an Entomology Curator at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. He was talking about insects.

When studying insects in the Amazon, most entomologists cast their eyes down, to the intricate pathways of moss and underbrush that make up the rainforest floor. But José Albertino Rafael wanted to look up. Really far up—to more than 105 feet in the canopy.

Two hours northwest of Manaus, Brazil, a 131-foot steel tower rises from a pristine area of the rainforest. Built in 1979, the tower had long been used to track the exchange of carbon dioxide between the trees and the atmosphere, but more recently it has been used for pioneering entomology research. Photograph By Craig Cutler

During two weeks in 2017, Rafael, an Entomologist at Brazil’s National Institute of Amazonian Research, and colleagues trapped insects at various heights, starting at ground level, from a 131-foot tower erected in the middle of the Amazon, just outside Manaus.

The findings were staggering, says Brown, who was part of a team that examined and recorded all 37,000 insects that were collected. Nearly half of them were flies. “There were weird and different things. I didn’t even know what genus these were, let alone species.”

Ground Level: Tumbling flower beetles have a triangular body that helps them escape predators. Photograph By Brian Brown, Natural History Museum of Los Aangele County

The results of their analysis, published in Nature on February 2, point to a distinct and previously unexamined network of ecosystems in rainforest trees. More than 60 percent of the 857 species of flies collected, for example, were found above ground level. Many, if not most, likely are new species, Brown says.

Previous studies have compared insects on the ground with those in the canopy, but this is one of the first efforts to understand insect diversity at smaller vertical intervals.

8 Meters (26 Feet): The mantis wasp uses its ovipositor—a needlelike organ for laying eggs—to pierce the egg cases of mantises. When the wasp’s larvae hatch, they feed on the mantis’s eggs. Photograph By Brian Brown, Natural History Museum of Los Aangele County

The findings underscore how much of the insect world still remains undiscovered, says Floyd Shockley, the collections manager of the entomology department at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History, who was not involved in the study.

“Millions of things that live in the tropical canopy never come to ground,” he says, adding that these kinds of vertical studies “are incredibly important because [without them], we’re missing out on a tremendous amount of biodiversity.”

Sorting Insects

To collect the insects, Rafael set five large, tent-like netted traps off the tower at 26-foot intervals, starting at ground level and reaching up to 105 feet.

16 Meters (52 Feet): Both the forest canopy and the undergrowth are patrolled by parasitoid wasps seeking their prey—mostly caterpillars. Photograph By Brian Brown, Natural History Museum of Los Aangele County

Brown and Dalton de Souza Amorim, an entomologist at the University of Sao Paolo, and the rest of their team first sorted the insects by order (flies, beetles, bugs, and more). They focused on Diptera—flies—sorting more than 16,000 specimens into 56 families, then into 857 species. It’s unclear how many of those species are new to science. “It would take years and a ton of research to find out,” Brown says, but he guesses that many or most are undescribed.

Some families of flies were most abundant and diverse on the ground. Others were concentrated in the canopy. Still others peaked at the middle levels. Notably, between 90 and 100 percent of specimens of some families of flies were found in the four highest traps.

24 Meters (79 Feet): The watchful jewel beetle's massive eyes allow it to flee from predators—and researchers—quickly, making the beetles difficult to collect for study. Photograph By Brian Brown, Natural History Museum of Los Aangele County

What’s the Bigger Picture?

So much remains unknown about insects. “We’re still finding fish and amphibians, but we’re getting pretty close on birds and mammals to having a complete picture on their diversity,” Shockley says. But scientific models estimate the number of undiscovered insect species at between five and 30 million. “Every time we get one of these studies, it helps us improve the model so we can see how much we haven’t discovered.”

There are many reasons why knowledge of so many insect species remains elusive. “They’re small, they’re fast, they’re highly diverse, and they can occupy almost any niche,” he says.

So “we have to understand how they interact with each other, us, and crops,” Shockley says. “And we can’t talk about what they’re doing until we put a name on what they are.”

32 Meters (105 Feet): Iridescent orchid bees, tropical cousins of bumblebees and honeybees, are among the multitude of insects that entomologists have collected at the observation tower. Photograph By Brian Brown, Natural History Museum of Los Aangele County

Most insect sampling has been done based on latitude and longitude and sometimes altitude—up a mountain, for example, where habitats can change dramatically. But by collecting insects vertically in forest habitats, which is hard to do, Shockley says, “we’re adding an additional dimension to our understanding of diversity in three-dimensional space.”

Flies get a bad rap—it can be hard for people to understand why we should care about them. “But organisms [like insects] are arguably way more important than mammals or birds for the structure of the forest,” Brown says. “They’re important for pollination, energy, recycling, and more. What would happen if there were no insects feeding on decaying bodies? The ecosystem services they provide are so vital—but almost invisible.”

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garotadoinverno · 1 year

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Go Fuck Yourself - Orlov

Obs 1: Primeiro de tudo, por mim tinha feito nada dessa porra, porque era para ter morrido lá em Ilvermony. Mas já que sobreviveu, me vi na obrigação de explicar a família Orlov. Heo, favor não tumultuar minha vida, foi só um desabafo.

Obs 2: As outras duas são extremamente ficcionais porque graças a deus não tem professor nas outras escolas. Mad City e Roaring’s, favor não tumultuar também.

A família Orlov é uma família composta basicamente por mulheres ocultistas. Todas elas cheias de tatuagens, era quase uma marca registrada da família. Os homens nascidos da família costumam ser muito bons com poções, e por isso são alunos muito reconhecidos e prestigiados em Koldovstoretz. As opções para qualquer um deles são sempre a escola russa, onde 99% dos familiares e descendentes estudam e alguns casos, vão para Durmstrang. Exceto Natasha, devido a seu pai ser americano, mesmo com descendência russa, teve aval para receber uma carta de Ilvermony e seguir seus estudos por lá, o que não foi muito bem visto pelo restante dos familiares. Ela quebrava uma tradição.

Após os acontecimentos em Ilvermony, Natasha pediu para retornar a Rússia, e prontamente concordaram com seu retorno. Isso foi quase um sinal de que os Orlov deveriam sempre permanecer prestando seus serviços ao país, independente do que acontecesse. Svetlana, como professora em Koldovstoretz, ajudou com a vaga da caçula, após o diretor aceitar o retorno dela para a Rússia. Toda a expectativa que Natasha tinha ao estudar nos Estados Unidos havia sido frustrada. Com exceção das amigas feitas, existia apenas trauma em cima de trauma. Deram todo o suporte necessário, até o momento em que o Ministério lhe deu a oportunidade de se formar antecipadamente como um título de honra por ter enfrentado uma guerra e sobrevivido.

– Você pretende dar aula, Natasha? – Svetlana questiona, sentando ao lado da irmã caçula, passando os dedos entre os fios negros do cabelo, em um gesto carinhoso.

– Eu não sei, Lana… Você sabe, eu não sou boa com poções, nem com feitiços… Mas é isso o que a família toda faz, não é? – Ela murmurava.

– Sempre pode vir para Durmstrang, os alunos estão ocupados demais aprendendo magia das trevas para se preocupar se você não sabe usar uma varinha – Natalya, a Orlov do meio se juntava a elas, para uma reunião não tão convencional assim.

– Eu vou pensar, prometo.

A realidade é que mais uma vez, Natasha quebrava todos os padrões quando ficou sabendo de uma vaga em Maejig Senteo e aceitou. Obviamente, a notícia não havia sido recepcionada de maneira amigável por nenhum membro da família.

– Você só pode estar de brincadeira com a nossa cara, Natasha – Svetlana esbravejava, batendo as palmas das mãos contra a mesa.

– Não aprendeu nada da primeira vez? Quantas vezes precisa tomar na cabeça para saber que seu lugar é na Rússia? – Natalya reclamava, colocando as mãos para o alto em indignação.

– Eu adoro a história da nossa família, vocês sabem, mas eu não quero ficar aqui! – Natasha tentava argumentar.

– Você quer ir? Vai. Mas saiba que vai ter que reembolsar todo o gasto que tivemos em te trazer para cá às pressas – Svetlana ficava de costas, pegando uma caixa, onde mostrava todos os gastos com o retorno da caçula. O que eram muitos, considerando que apesar de terem uma vida confortável, dinheiro não era o forte deles.

– E tem mais, de qual forma você vai pisar naquela ilha, é um problema seu. Siga seus sonhos, mas não vou perder parte do meu salário novamente para isso. – Natalya cruzou os braços em frente ao corpo, sentada na cadeira, completamente irritada.

– Eu vou dar um jeito. Vou pagar cada uma de vocês, eu prometo – Era a única coisa que Natasha poderia falar ao sair dali, sem qualquer tipo das irmãs mais velhas.

Só não contava que parte da ajuda viria justamente dos ex- amigos e colegas de Ilvemorny. Talvez, apesar das brigas e problemas, todos entendiam as dificuldades que era ter passado e sobrevivido a tudo aquilo. Cada um ficou marcado de uma forma.

A notícia da nova guerra em ilhas asiáticas, foi um novo sinal para os Orlov.

– Eu não aguento mais ver isso se repetir. Quantas vezes vou precisar ver Natasha em meio a guerra, simplesmente porque não aceita que o lugar dela é na Rússia? – Svetlana lia as notícias sobre o assassino, junto com as cartas enviadas da caçula.

– Eu não sei. O pior de tudo é que agora sabemos que ela não volta mais para casa – Natalya murmurava, enquanto a palma da mão permanecia aberta e via faíscas de fogo saindo da ponta dos dedos, como uma criança entretida brincando com fogo, até fechar a palma da mão e ver o fogo se apagar, como se nada tivesse acontecido.

– Ela não volta? – As sobrancelhas se arquearam em um susto – Por acaso algum vidente viu alguma coisa? – A mais velha perguntou nervosamente.

– Não. Se você não estivesse tão focada em assimilar o nome dela a uma guerra, teria percebido que aqui ela avisou que estava namorando com um coreano – Respondeu sem nenhuma preocupação, jogando o pedaço de pergaminho em direção a outra – Quanto ao futuro dela, só Jesus sabe.

O argumento e o sinônimo de Natasha praticamente ser um mau agouro, caiu por terra no momento em que mais de um país estava passando por problemas com as novas lideranças do Ministério. A verdade é que sabiam que cedo ou tarde aquilo recairia sobre os russos. De qual forma? Era o verdadeiro mistério.

#natasha orlov #natalya orlov #svetlana orlov

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