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rabbitcruiser · 1 month

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World Frog Day

World Frog Day is an annual celebration celebrated on March 20. Unlike other animals, not all of us love frogs for their looks, appearance, and most importantly, their croak. Most often they are tiny creatures, small in body, and will make us scrunch up our faces. Frogs are amphibians that can be found both on land and in water. They are considered to be predators and play an important role in preserving the environment throughout their lives. In recent years, however, frogs have been critically endangered for several reasons. World Frog Day is an awareness day celebrated to save these living beings and provide them with a safer environment to survive.

History of World Frog Day

World Frog Day has been celebrated since 2014. There is no precise mention of the person or organization that started this awareness day; it was created to save the different frog species from extinction. Frogs are tailless amphibians with origins dating back nearly 256 million years. They were valued as food by the people and also have many cultural roles including literature, symbolism, and religion. Approximately 6,000 known frog species have been found, of which 4,800 recorded frog species have been found around the world except for Antarctica. But around 170 species of frogs have become extinct in the past decade. The reason for their population decline is different, as they are disappearing due to both human activity and fungal infections.

Frog populations have declined significantly since the 1950s and around a third of the world’s species are critically endangered, while more than 120 species are believed to have been extinct since the 1980s. The extinction of certain frogs has been traced back to emerging fungal diseases, habitat destruction and alteration, pollution, climate change, pesticide use, and more. All of this led to an increase in malformations in frogs in particular.

Many conservation biologists around the world are actively working to find and understand the causes of these problems and ways to solve them. Frogs are tailless amphibians of the order. Anura. They are widespread from the tropics to the subarctic regions, but the highest concentration of biodiversity is found in tropical rainforests. The oldest fossil of the “Protofrog” appeared in the early Triassic of Madagascar. However, the dating of the molecular clock suggests that the origin of the frog could stretch further back into the Permian, approximately 265 million years ago.

World Frog Day timeline

265 Million Years Ago Frogs are Discovered

The first species of frogs are discovered.

2014 The First Year of the Celebrations

World Frog Day is first observed.

2016 Frog Numbers have Boomed

Local volunteers help to increase conservation work in Scotland.

2020 The Work in Scotland

A becoming population of common frogs is discovered.

World Frog Day FAQs

Why is World Frog Day celebrated?

It is celebrated to mark the existence of frogs, to create awareness of the different species, and to advocate for their protection.

What is the biggest frog in the world?

The Goliath frog is the largest in the world.

What country has the most frogs?

Brazil has the most frogs with a total Amphibian species count of 1,022.

World Frog Day Activities

Get to know more about frogs

Help raise awareness

Start practicing some new environmental-friendly habits

Get to know about the frogs, their habitats, types, and their ecological roles in detail. It’s sure to be interesting!

Help to raise awareness of the decline in the frog population and the importance of saving them in the community. Instead of killing them, ask them to protect this incredible creature.

Help create some environmental changes such as reducing pollution and pesticide usage to prevent them from being killed. What are you waiting for?

5 Facts About Frogs That Will Leave You Baffled

6,000 species of frogs across the world

Frogs can drink water through their skin

Jump 20 times their body length

Some of them are poisonous

They display vibrant colors

Frogs are among the most diverse animals on land, with more than 6,000 species distributed across various parts of the globe.

Frogs drink water through their skin by absorbing it and have a drinking patch located on their belly and the underside of their thighs via which they absorb water.

One trait that stands out among frogs is their ability to jump and can reach heights of 20 times their body length.

Poison dart frogs have highly toxic skin and one species known as the golden poison frog perfects the ability to kill 10 adult males.

Frogs are not just green or yellow — which are commonly seen during the monsoon months — but display a range of colors from vibrant red to dark blue.

Why We Love World Frog Day

It's aimed to raise awareness

It celebrates these diverse and valuable treasures of the ecosystem

It improves people's overall knowledge about frogs

The primary aim of this day is to raise awareness of the different species of frogs and to protect them further. See what you can do on this day to contribute.

Frogs play a central role in many ecosystems. They control the insect population, and they're a food source for many larger animals. Frogs can also secrete substances through their skin. Some secretions are beneficial and researchers have used some of them to create new antibiotics and painkillers.

Aside from the celebration of the tailless amphibians, it's a day also set aside to help educate the general populace on the different species of frogs that exist, their habitats, how they feed, what is causing their ecological decline, and how we can better protect and save these awesome creatures.

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paper-mario-wiki · 8 months

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Wierd question but were you at Anime Boston 2018?

nope, never been to a con before

#anon

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officialinuyasha · 8 months

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Canon - Cultural Differences

What is Canon? "a collection or list of sacred books accepted as genuine." Originated from religious texts then it was used in Fiction which became more known especially as a Western concept. "The Politics of Film Canon" by Janet Staiger in 1985 https://www.jstor.org/stable/1225428

Canon in Western VS Japanese Media Mod Esther Esther Xiao Jia Jia: “There is no such thing as canon in Japan, so anything that approved by Rumiko is considered as official. Japanese and other non Anglospheric fans take something with huge similarities as a part of a group, rather than separating it because of differences. Canon is merely a term that created by Anglospheric fans”

Well-known Naruto translator OrganicDinosaur speaks about the subject of "Canon" https://twitter.com/OrganicDinosaur/status/1101961667397763074 They said: "A lot of people ask me about distinguishing what’s considered ‘canon’ or not, but honestly it’s a Western concept. I rarely encounter media disclaimers that say 公式設定 (Official Setting) or 二時創作 (Derivative Work) when it comes to delineating products/anime/manga/novels.

Certainly, I haven’t seen a staff interview where they explicitly use these terms when it comes to Boruto. In general, I tend to notice that JP fans accept all mediums as part of the real timeline. Contradictory events are basically still accepted that it “happened”… Somehow.

I spent two hours today talking to some of my JP friends and they were completely surprised about how much Western fans nitpick individual anime episodes and novels for how ‘canon’ they are. They never realized fans could “reject” particular parts of a franchise. 😂"

What Sunrise thinks is Official https://otakurevolution.com/content/gundam-what-sunrise-thinks-is-official “Watanabe: Regardless of whether it’s part of the formal mythology or something that Sunrise oversaw, the basis of what counts as “official” is whatever is in the footage. “

InuYasha Yashahime Translator Ayuuria speaks on the subject https://ayuuria.tumblr.com/post/640974253932560384/is-it-true-that-yashahime-isnt-canon-because "Rumiko-sensei is actually more involved in the series than we realized. I’m currently translating the Livedoor News Interview and it gives a lot of insight on the writing and creation process of the anime. I should have that done next week. Canon is more of a Western term. I personally consider it canon but to each their own. From what I’ve seen, the JP fandom has been mostly supportive."

I asked Ayuuria what word Hideyuki Tomioka used for "canon" at Anime Boston 2018 for the InuYasha Panel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acn1q9X30qs "He didn't really use a word for canon so to speak. He said Gensaku which means the original/source work (aka the work the anime is based off of)"

What the word “canon” actually means (Japan vs The West) https://fuck-yeah-gruvia.tumblr.com/post/622928679634386944/what-the-word-canon-actually-means-japan-vs-the "There is not a one-to-one translation for “canon” in the Japanese language, as it is a very western concept. However, they do have their own word for it, which is the actual definition of canon. In Japan, the word for canon is 公式 (kōshiki/official). But their perception of what constitutes official is different than that of the west."

The Story in Which Doosh Taught Hiro Mashima the Word, “Canon" https://koori-mizu.tumblr.com/post/167038684341 dooshiedoosh: "The Japanese Kodansha staff asked what we called it in America, so I flipped over the sign and showed them “Gruvia is canon.” What followed, is Mashima asking the translator what the word “canon” meant. I ended up replying, “official, together, real couple in the story.”"

Masahiro Ito dislikes Westerners always pushing the idea of "Canon" https://twitter.com/adsk4/status/1263288565980475392 "I hate the word "canon" they use frequently. :-] I really really really hate the people who always push his idea on other people." He also explains the four endings of Silent Hill are all "canon" the official endings or else they would not have made them. https://twitter.com/adsk4/status/1653201608556306433

Maromi Ika talks about the drama of Antis VS Proshippers https://twitter.com/maromi_ika/status/1626242873715998723 "I hate to have to tell you this story, but I have decided that I need to explain it in English because some people keep harassing me and my followers It is very long and in English using a translator, so some of the intent may not be understood, but please be sure to read it all First of all, I am Japanese and live in Japan. The idea or concept of Propshipper does not exist in Japan. All that is required to publish a work in Japan is zoning, and in fiction, all depictions are allowed, and It is considered an ugly act to speak ill of someone's work, no matter what their taste is. Some people advise me to block the person you are following because he/she is a proshipper. I do not discriminate against them as long as they are properly zoned. That is the rule in Japan"

Westerners and Easterners see the world differently

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Chinese and American people see the world differently – literally. While Americans focus on the central objects of photographs, Chinese individuals pay more attention to the image as a whole, according to psychologists at the University of Michigan, in Ann Arbor, US.

“There is plenty of anecdotal evidence suggesting that Western and East Asian people have contrasting world-views,” explains Richard Nisbett, who carried out the study. “Americans break things down analytically, focusing on putting objects into categories and working out what rules they should obey,” he says.

By contrast, East Asians have a more holistic philosophy, looking at objects in relation to the whole. “Figuratively, Americans see things in black and white, while East Asians see more shades of grey,” says Nisbett. “We wanted to devise an experiment to see if that translated to a literal difference in what they actually see.”

The researchers tracked the eye-movements of two groups of students while they looked at photographs. One group contained American-born graduates of European descent and the other was comprised of Chinese-born graduate students who came to the US after their undergraduate degrees.

Each picture showed a striking central image placed in a realistic background, such as a tiger in a jungle. They found that the American students spent longer looking at the central object, while the Chinese students’ eyes tended to dart around, taking in the context.

Harmony versus goals

Nisbett and his colleagues believe that this distinctive pattern has developed because of the philosophies of these two cultures. “Harmony is a central idea in East Asian philosophy, and so there is more emphasis on how things relate to the whole,” says Nisbett. “In the West, by contrast, life is about achieving goals.”

Psychologists watching American and Japanese families playing with toys have also noted this difference. “An American mother will say: Look Billy, a truck. It’s shiny and has wheels.’ The focus is on the object,” explains Nisbett. By contrast, Japanese mothers stress context saying things like, “I push the truck to you and you push it to me. When you throw it at the wall, the wall says ouch’.”

Nisbett also cites language development in the cultures. “To Westerners it seems obvious that babies learn nouns more easily. But while this is the case in the West, studies show that Korean and Chinese children pick up verbs – which relate objects to each other – more easily.

“Nisbett’s work is interesting and suggestive,” says John Findlay, a psychologist specialising in human visual attention at Durham University, UK. “It’s always difficult to put an objective measure on cultural differences, but this group have made a step towards that.”

Nisbett hopes that his work will change the way the cultures view each other. “Understanding that there is a real difference in the way people think should form the basis of respect.”

#inuyasha #犬夜叉 #yashahime #inulysis #japan #anime #manga #canon #cultural differences #culture

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april-is · 1 year

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April 7, 2023: Insha’Allah, Danusha Laméris

Insha’Allah Danusha Laméris I don’t know when it slipped into my speech that soft word meaning, “if God wills it.” Insha’Allah I will see you next summer. The baby will come in spring, insha’Allah. Insha’Allah this year we will have enough rain.

So many plans I’ve laid have unraveled easily as braids beneath my mother’s quick fingers.

Every language must have a word for this. A word our grandmothers uttered under their breath as they pinned the whites, soaked in lemon, hung them to dry in the sun, or peeled potatoes, dropping the discarded skins into a bowl.

Our sons will return next month, insha’Allah. Insha’Allah this war will end, soon. Insha’Allah the rice will be enough to last through winter.

How lightly we learn to hold hope, as if it were an animal that could turn around and bite your hand. And still we carry it the way a mother would, carefully, from one day to the next.

More like this: Kul, Fatimah Asghar

Today in:

2022: To the Woman Crying Uncontrollably in the Next Stall, Kim Addonizio 2021: You Mean You Don’t Weep at the Nail Salon?, Elizabeth Acevedo 2020: Let Me Begin Again, Philip Levine 2019: Hammond B3 Organ Cistern, Gabrielle Calvocoressi 2018: Siren Song, Margaret Atwood 2017: A Sunset, Ari Banias 2016: Coming, Philip Larkin 2015: The Taxi, Amy Lowell 2014: Winter Sunrise Outside a Café Near Butte, Montana, Joe Hutchison 2013: The Last Night in Mithymna, Linda Gregg 2012: America [Try saying wren], Joseph Lease 2011: Boston, Aaron Smith 2010: How Simile Works, Albert Goldbarth 2009: Crossing Over, William Meredith 2008: The World Wakes Up, Andrew Michael Roberts 2007: Hour, Christian Hawkey 2006: For the Anniversary of My Death, W.S. Merwin 2005: The Last Poem About the Snow Queen, Sandra M. Gilbert

#hope #language #danusha laméris

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strangebiology · 1 year

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10 Years on Tumblr!

This is the 10th anniversary of this blog. I've got a count of 65,000 followers, but I'm sure much fewer people are actually here. Still, I'm happy to get some engagement!

I started this blog because I had applied to an internship with Huffington Post's Crime and Weird News, and the interviewer asked if I had a blog. I figured, why don't I have one if I'm supposed to be a professional journalist, and lots of people have blogs?

I had a lot of fun writing about what I wanted to write about, having been trained with a degree in journalism that focused a lot on stuff I wasn't interested in ("Community Meeting About Pothole on Third Avenue," etc). But man, did it ever start flowing when I could focus on animals and bones and stuff!

So I got a master's in Science Journalism at Boston University, then interned at National Geographic, then freelanced for them, did a fellowship at PBS Newshour, took a job at Newsweek, then a bunch of other little things, then Bay Nature Magazine. You can see some of my writing here.

Social media has always been part of my career. I think that this blog helped me stand out on my application to Nat Geo and launched me into that. Then at PBS Newshour I was a Science and Social Media News Assistant, then at both Newsweek and Bay Nature, I really improved the social media presence of our content. (Among other things, I did @newsweekscience 's Tumblr and Bay Nature's TikTok). I have a list of my social media accounts in this pinned post.

In 2018 I pitched a book called Carcass to MIT Press, and they were interested, but that kind of went to the back burner in the craziness of that time. In 2020 I started a Tiktok (RollBones) which now has more than 190,000 followers. Then in 2022 I revisited the book, got an agent, and now I have a $50k advance book deal with MIT Press. Carcass (@carcassafterlives) should be out in the spring of 2025.

Thanks for sticking around!

#tumblr milestone #tumblr anniversary #10 year tumblrversary #social media #Journalism career

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yelyahnaloj · 19 days

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Elected Animals according to Wikipedia:

Ioiô Goat: Elected councilor of Fortaleza, Brazil (1922), rumor has it he either was poisoned by a jealous husband or "had cirrhosis, due to drinking too much." when he died in 1931.

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Unless of course, this was also a hoax....

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Not an animal, but there is an unprovable legend that foot powder once won the election in Picoazà, Ecuador.

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Apparently, Jajitas, Texas has had a tradition since the 80's of electing "beer drinking" goats as mayor. "This time the roster was heated with Tommy Steele running for re-election against the Trading Post wooden Indian, a local ranch dog named “Buster,” and Clay Henry the goat. Clay Henry won this election by a landslide…and the tradition continues today with Clay Henry III." One person got charged with animal cruelty after castrating the mayor.

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Bosco the dog won the election for mayor of Sunol, California from 1981 and was in office until 1994.

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"Rabbit Hash is an unincorporated community, but the Historical Society held a mayoral "election" in 1998 to raise funds to help restore an historic church. Votes cost a dollar, and the "election" resulted in thousands of dollars for the rehabilitation project and the choice of a dog as the community's unofficial mayor."

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Mayor Stubbs of Talkeetna, Alaska, who likes to drink catnip water out of wine glasses.

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Idyllwild had its first mayoral election to raise funds for Idyllwild's Animal Rescue Friends (ARF) in 2012, Max the dog won and there has been Max II and Max III as successors.

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youtube

Duke became the mayor of Cormorant, Minnesota in 2014, however a dog isn't the only odd mayors this town has had. Preceding Duke was a 16-year-old human teen, and before that a 3-year-old toddler.

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Mayor Sweet Tart was elected in Omena, Michigan in 2018. "One TV reporter shoved a microphone in her face and asked what changes she planned to make around the town. Sweet Tart just stared with no-comment eyes." She won the election against 13 dogs, a goat, a peacock, a chicken and another cat.

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Mayor Lincoln, elected 2019 of New Haven, Vermont.

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Parker the Snow Dog, elected mayor of Georgetown Colorado in 2020

#animals as mayors #wikipedia surfing #small towns #pets as political leaders

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justforbooks · 1 year

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The actor Lance Reddick, who has died suddenly aged 60, played figures of authority with such panache that no matter how many times he was handed such roles, he never seemed typecast. He is best known on film for his part as Charon, the all-seeing fixer in the John Wick movie franchise, but his image was forged playing two ambitious high-level cops on television, Cedric Daniels in The Wire (2002-08) and Irvin Irving in Bosch (2014-21).

In each case he was contrasted with a main character: his anguish at the plight of Baltimore as portrayed in The Wire was expressed with internal restraint, opposed to the knee-jerk reactions of Dominic West’s chronic screw-up, McNulty. In Bosch, he was the politician tormented by Titus Welliver’s relentlessly uncompromising Harry Bosch.

Bosch author Michael Connelly said Reddick “took a character who was paper-thin in the books and made Irvin Irving”. He used his tall, angular frame to express authority; moving his body precisely, deliberately stiff and controlled, his face echoing that pose, covering up the machinations inside his head. Audiences watched as he took in, contemplated, and finally reacted, in a voice pitched with the deep tone of authority. His work in Bosch’s second season, where the death of his undercover cop son opens huge cracks in his closely controlled persona and makes him the centre of the show, is a lesson in transcending ensemble play.

Reddick’s highlights in variations of authority-figure themes came in the TV series Fringe (2008-13), running a unit of Homeland Security; Corporate (2018-20), as a CEO; and Intelligence (2014), where he was head of the CIA. On film he was head of the secret service in Angel Has Fallen (2019), and he played Albert Wesker, boss of the Raccoon Police special tactics unit, in the Netflix TV adaptation of the zombie video game Resident Evil (2022).

He was so good that the star of Wick, Keanu Reeves, given a day off from shooting for his birthday, told his girlfriend he wanted to visit the set, just to watch Reddick in action. Reeves then handed him a note thanking him for “what he brought to the character of Charon”.

Bosch also afforded Reddick the chance to play the piano, thoughtfully improvising at home as if to sort out his thoughts; this might be seen to reflect his own hard path to acting success. Reddick was born in Baltimore to Solomon, a lawyer, and Dorothy (nee Gee), a teacher. His musical talent was apparent at Friends School of Baltimore, and he went on to study at the city’s Peabody Institute, a secondary school specialising in the performing arts. He took a degree in composition at the University of Rochester’s Eastman School of Music and moved to Boston, intending, in his words, to become a rock star.

But his style of music, influenced by Miles Davis and Sting, never fitted a rock star template, and having married his college sweetheart, Suzanne Louis, in 1986, and had two children, he found himself working odd jobs, including as a singing waiter on a riverboat. Crucially, on a night shift at a newspaper delivery depot, he injured his back shifting bundles of papers. Forced to lie in bed, he contemplated how he could support his family, and decided to turn to acting, where he noticed there were more auditions available.

He wound up gaining a master of fine arts degree at Yale Drama School in 1994, and two years later landed his first television role, on New York Undercover; he debuted on-screen in 1998’s ill-judged modern-set Great Expectations.

In 2000 he was cast in David Simon’s The Corner, which led to his part on The Wire, while he also attracted attention with a memorable role as an undercover police officer gone bad in the prison drama Oz (2000-01). Recurring parts in CSI:Miami (2005-06) and Lost (2008-09) followed, and he played James Baldwin in the 2004 movie Brother to Brother. He was the voice of the Falcon in the animated Avengers (2012), and of the villain Ras Al Ghul in Beware the Batman (2013), as well as voicing Commander Zavala in the Destiny video game series, and Sylens in Horizon Zero Dawn (2017) and Horizon Forbidden West (2022).

Along the way he finally got to be a rock star, playing a cop in the music video of Jay-Z and Beyoncé’s ’03 Bonnie & Clyde. In 2007 he released an album of his own music, Contemplations and Remembrances.

John Wick 4 has just been released, and he also leaves behind a store of work that has yet to be seen. Reddick will appear in a remake of White Men Can’t Jump; as Charon in a Wick spin-off, Ballerina; in the Shirley Chisholm biopic, Shirley, and as Capt Blakely in The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial. He also voiced the ultimate authority figure, Zeus, in Percy Jackson and the Olympians for Disney+.

Reddick is survived by his second wife, Stephanie (nee Day), whom he married in 2011, and the two children, Yvonne and Christopher, from his first marriage, which ended in divorce.

🔔 Lance Solomon Reddick, actor, born 7 June 1962; died 17 March 2023

Daily inspiration. Discover more photos at http://justforbooks.tumblr.com

#JUST FOR BOOKS #Lance Solomon Reddick #in memoriam

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steampaul · 4 months

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i've started a little series of weekly posts documenting every MoC i made (digitally) over the last few years:

Week 6: the first half of 2020 (and a bonus)

some Cyberpunk-y stuff, more youtubers, revisiting that robot dog, a really cool movie, some contest and some of my first digital MoCs rendered

i made these hover-vehicles IRL building with my little Sister and her LEGO. I don't like LEGO friends because i hate how minidolls look like polly pockets, but i think the more patel colours of those sets are really pleasant

"der Weltall. UnENTliche weiten..."

there's a german Youtuber called "Coldmirror". she was one of the first youtubers in germany and she made some pretty funny animations, including StarStarSpace, a kind of parody of Star Trek, Star Wars and some other sci-fi stuff.

Adam Savage made a Rickshaw to be pulled by boston dynamics' Spot. I saw that build, remembered the minifigure scale Spot i built in the year before and added his rickshaw. i made two versions. the simpler one i made after seeing the teaser on twitter and the more complex one i made after watching the build-video.

i posted the simpler version on reddit, which got the attention of Adam savage's team and later of adam savage. they contacted me and i mailed them the instructions of the simpler version, felt bad for the inaccuracies of the build, built the more complex version and also mailed them its instructions.

Adam later build the simpler version on a stream that i sadly missed, but i was really happy that a maker i admire liked my MoC.

Fanart for TomSka and Friends' CONTENT table. i still kinda like it, even though i thought it would be hilarious to make their legs skin-coloured.

this was actually featured in the "trial by trolley" video they made in feburary 2020.

Newelementary did a contest featuring the then new Green Lantern Part from the first series the DC collectible minifigures.

i built these two ships with the part as engine details, the W45-P Stinger and the 0G-L13 Leapfrog. i submitted them both and for some reason the people from Newelementary switched up the names of the works.

anyway, i did not win.

just a digital version of the Old Factory i posted back in week 2.

i tried imitating some more logo-like stuff.

i don't think arstotzkan Flag turned out really good, but i really like the way the Blood Machines Title looks.

speaking of Blood Machines, i had recently watched this really cool movie and had to make some sort of MoC inspired by the really cool ship designs found in that movie. i first tried to make something more Minifigure scale, got overwhelmed, and just made the mIcro scale

the Star Wars Helmet series also started that year. i rebuild the Boba Fett helemt and modified it it to represent Jango Fett and the Mandalorians found in the Mandalorian battle pack that also came out that year.

i don't really remember why, but i tried remaking set 7310 Mono-jet from Life on Mars as a more modern set. i made a colour-accurate version and a version that actually can be built IRL.

i had the fun idea to remake some Lego city-style Vehicles as cyberpunk-y hovercars. i tried making some different styles of 0-G-generators/repulsor lifts to make the vehicles feel like they've been built by different manufacturers.

also, Stud.io had a weird bug/feature where you had a coloured gradiend as a background if you put a part on the ground that is out of frame and have the rest of the build "hover" over the ground.

another Contest, this time for Lego Ideas. they had a Star Wars x Christmas thing, so i had the (kind of uncreative) idea to make a gingerbread TIE fighter, based off the Imperial TIE fighter set from 2018 and the little polybag from the same year.

this also did not win.

Bonus: some of my first digital MoCs i made.

i found them again.

the Dalek Emperor from NewWho. this was basically the first MoC i ever made on a PC, back when LDD still worked on my laptop.

i had to tweak the colours a lot when i rendered this one, because the way they were represented in LDD was very different to the way they look in stud.io or even real life.

i struggled quite a bit with redoing this one in stud.io because it handles flexible a lot different than LDD. that is also one of the reasons why i never finished this MoC.

i think i'll have to split this year again, but hopefully only in two parts. i dislike that 30 image limit for tumblr Posts.

first week last week next week

#lego #lego moc #doctor who #tomska #coldmirror #starstarspace #undertale #omega flowey #boston dynamics #adam savage #blood machines

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rhapsodynew · 9 days

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UCR News has published all the albums that will be released in May and later!

Stay with us and you won't miss these new items! 🤘

See below 👇

🔥MAY

3 .05

• Indigo Girls, Glitter & Doom – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

• Maurice White [Earth Wind and Fire] – Manifestation: Deluxe Edition

• Melanie – Central Park 1974 (2CD set)

• The Yardbirds – The Ultimate Live at the BBC (4CD box)

• Various artists – Holland-Dozier-Holland: Detroit 1969-1977 (4CD box)

10.05

• John Entwistle [The Who], John Entwistle – The Ox Box Set (6CD box)

• Kings of Leon – Can We Please Have Fun

Peter Gabriel, Back to Front – Live in London (Blu-ray)

• Queen – Queen Rock Montreal (2CD/3LP)

• Sebastian Bach [Skid Row], Child Within the Man – The Staple Singers, Africa ’80

17 .05

• Collective Soul, Here to Eternity

Don McLean, American Boys

Joe Bonamassa – Live at the Hollywood Bowl With Orchestra (CD/DVD set)

• John Oates, Reunion

Kerry King [Slayer], From Hell I Rise

Little Feat, Sam's Place

Oliver Wakeman [Yes], Anam Cara

Pink Floyd – Animals 2018 Remix: Dolby Atmos (Blu-ray/digital)

• Robin Trower – Bridge of Sighs (4CD 50th anniversary edition)

• Slash – Orgy of the Damned

• Various artists – Long Distance Love: A Sweet Relief Tribute to Lowell George (Elvis Costello, Ben Harper, Dave Alvin, others)

24.05

• Lenny Kravitz, Blue Electric Light

Paul Weller, 66

Michael Shrieve [Santana] – Drums of Compassion

• Rainbow – Boston 1981

• Yes – Talk (expanded 4CD anniversary reissue)

31.05

• Anthony Phillips [Genesis] – The Golden Hour: Private Parts and Pieces XII

• Black Sabbath – Anno Domini 1989-1995 (4CD box)

• Crowded House – Gravity Stairs

• Enuff Z'nuff, The 1987 Demos

Howard Jones – Human's Lib; Dream Into Action (CD and Blu-ray reissues)

• Iron Butterfly – Live at the Galaxy 1967

• The Rascals – It's Wonderful: The Atlantic Studio Recordings (7CD box)

• Ratt – Rarities

• R.E.M. – Fables of the Reconstruction (vinyl reissue)

• Richard Thompson, Ship to Shore

Ringo Starr – Crooked Boy (black vinyl/compact disc EP release)

• Squackett [Chris Squire and Steve Hackett] – A Life Within a Day (CD and Blu-ray reissue)

• Various artists – No Songs Tomorrow: Darkwave, Ethereal Rock and Cold Wave 1981-1990 (4CD box with the Cure, Dead Can Dance, Cocteau Twins, Soft Cell, others)

JUNE AND LATER 🔥

• Bon Jovi – Forever

• Loverboy – Live in ’82 (CD/Blu-ray)

• Robert Hunter [Grateful Dead] – "Tales of the Great Rum Lovers" (2 CD deluxe edition)

• Black Country Communion – V

• David Bowie – Rock and Roll Star (5CD/Blu-ray box)

• Grateful Dead – Mars Hotel: a gift edition dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the band.

• Jethro Tull – Bursting Out: The Inflated Edition (extended 3CD/3DVD reissue)

• Phish – Evolve

• Jackson Browne – For Everyman (reissue on vinyl)

#new music #rock music #rock #my spotify #spotify #musica #music love #music #my music #history music #rock photography

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hauntnowpod · 2 months

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Hey ghouls,

It's Monday again, which means it's time for our 4th and final cast announcement for season three.

May we present...

The inimitable Marnie Warner, who is back as Eulalie's sister, Parker. What would this haunting even be without the sibling drama?!! Marnie Warner is a Chicago based theater and voice actor. You can hear her in podcasts across all genres, including Hit the Bricks, H.G. Wells Has His Regrets, Morland P.I, Where the Stars Fell, and Two Flat Earthers Kidnap a Freemanson. When not doing theater-type things, she’s probably reading, going out for breakfast, or looking at cats on the internet. For more information, visit her website at marniewarner.carrd.co/

Mihai Matei joins us this season as Cemetery Ghost and Poltergeist 4. Mihai is a London based VA whose hobbies include DnD, games and cycling. Find Mihai on Twitter @MihaiMateiVA

Natalie Hunter, returns as one of the voices of The Apartment! Natalie Hunter is a voice actor, singer, and screenwriter, and works as a research administrator by day. She is passionate about storytelling, the ocean, her cat Luna, and coffee. Find Natalie online at nataliehunter.carrd.co

Nick Mercer joins the haunting as FF House Ghost 1 and FF House. Nick Mercer is a voice actor and audiobook narrator with an incredibly versatile narration style, ranging from “friendly, positive guy next door” and “intelligent, articulate professional.” His background prior to voiceover includes Theatrical Performance, Music Production, Sales, and Education. Nick lives in North DFW with his beautiful – and genius – wife Corrie , their daughter Zoey, and their two dogs, Maisie and Loki. When he’s not firefighting or performing voiceovers, Nick loves watching anime, playing D&D, and platinuming FromSoft titles. Find Nick online at NickMercerVO.com

Paul H. Rollins is back as Nick, the gruff brute-squad member of You Haint Seen Nothin' Yet. Paul is a musician, aerosol artist, and cat caretaker with a M.S. in Microbiology.

Ray O'Hare joins us this season as Bill, McMansion, and Longfellow's ghost. (Oooh, there's that morbid Victorian poetry, huh?) Ray has over 20 years of professional stage experience, and as a voice actor has appeared in video games, animation and audio drama. He lives in the Boston area with his wife and daughter, and past jobs include toy demonstrator for FAO Schwarz, historical reenactor, and graveyard tour guide.

Roanna Cruz joins us this season as Poltergeist 5! Roanna is a bilingual Filipino American voice actor based in Los Angeles. Whether it's a commercial, animation, game, or audio drama, she just loves collaborating on productions and having fun in the recording booth! To learn more about her, visit RCruzVO.com.

Sian Luxford joins us this season as Professor 1! Sian Luxford is an actor based in Sydney, Australia. After working in screen acting for over two decades, Sian decided to take the leap into voice acting in 2023, and quickly fell in love with it. Sian is thrilled to be joining the amazing cast of The Way We Haunt Now. Find Sian online at sianluxford.com

Sneha Kumar joins us as E. Drawing Ghost 3 and the Airport Gate Attendant. Sneha Kumar is a voice actor who has been in the field since 2018. She mostly focuses on character work, but is always interested in diving into other areas of voiceover work. Along with being a voice actor, she is also a singer, self-taught dancer, a cosplayer, and currently attends Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) for sound design. She is very excited to be a part of the cast and deliver a wonderful performance! Find Sneha online at https://skumarvoice30.wixsite.com/sneha-kumar

We're so delighted Tal Minear is returning as Myrtle, who's GOING to make the rest of You Haint Seen Nothin' Yet think about the consequences of their actions, dammit! Tal is a SoCal based voice actor, sound designer, and fiction podcast producer. They're the creator of Re: Dracula, Sidequesting, What Will Be Here?, and several other productions that can be found hiding under rugs and around corners. Tal can be heard in audio fiction shows such as Tales of the Echowood, Mayfair Watcher's Society, Deconstructive Criticism, and more. Find them online at talminear.com

Tarek Esaw joins the haunting this season as Poltergeist 3! Tarek Esaw is an Arkansas-based voice actor with a background in theatre. When they are not drowning in schoolwork or struggling at their 9-5, you can catch them at a D&D session or binging horror movies. Their voice can now be heard in the audiodramas Among the Stars and Bones as Hudson Desha, Tales From the Fringes of Reality as Sparrow, and the upcoming animated pilot Myths in Manhattan as both Julius and Pour. Find them on Twitter: @TarekEsawVO

Tim Lowe is back as our weird and wonderful radio host, Jon Harker, who, hmmm.... no.... spoilers. You'll just have to listen to find out. Tim is a podcaster and voice actor who has appeared in numerous shows. He regularly hosts Minds at Yeerk and has made several guest appearances on shows such as Judging Book Covers and Panelology. He has appeared in a variety of shows such as The Lafresian Chronicles, Tunnels, and Haunted Hell House of Horrors. He can be found on Twitter @Remobware which he will be more than happy to explain if you tweet at him.

Trenton Butt joins us this season as E. Drawing Ghost 1. Trenton Butt is a twenty-one year old voice actor, finishing their final year of college while also pursuing voiceover at the same time. They have been featured in various award-winning video games, indie animations, and trending podcasts, as well as being a published author. When not in the booth, they can be found either bothering their dog Letty, or playing video games. Find Trenton online at trentonbuttvoices.com

And that's it, folks. That's our slate of ghosts, ghouls, haunted humans, and show-within-a-show characters for season three.

I'm pretty sure this cast is the best one there is to be found in the void, and I can't wait to show you what we've created... sometime this month.

Yours ghoulishly,

Courtney

#audio drama #audio fiction #crowdfunding #fiction podcast #podcasters of tumblr #horror #the way we haunt now #ghost story #haunted

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rabbitcruiser · 1 year

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World Frog Day

History of World Frog Day

World Frog Day timeline

265 Million Years Ago Frogs are Discovered

The first species of frogs are discovered.

2014 The First Year of the Celebrations

World Frog Day is first observed.

2016 Frog Numbers have Boomed

Local volunteers help to increase conservation work in Scotland.

2020 The Work in Scotland

A becoming population of common frogs is discovered.

World Frog Day FAQs

Why is World Frog Day celebrated?

It is celebrated to mark the existence of frogs, to create awareness of the different species, and to advocate for their protection.

What is the biggest frog in the world?

The Goliath frog is the largest in the world.

What country has the most frogs?

Brazil has the most frogs with a total Amphibian species count of 1,022.

World Frog Day Activities

Get to know more about frogs

Help raise awareness

Start practicing some new environmental-friendly habits

Get to know about the frogs, their habitats, types, and their ecological roles in detail. It’s sure to be interesting!

Help to raise awareness of the decline in the frog population and the importance of saving them in the community. Instead of killing them, ask them to protect this incredible creature.

Help create some environmental changes such as reducing pollution and pesticide usage to prevent them from being killed. What are you waiting for?

5 Facts About Frogs That Will Leave You Baffled

6,000 species of frogs across the world

Frogs can drink water through their skin

Jump 20 times their body length

Some of them are poisonous

They display vibrant colors

Frogs are among the most diverse animals on land, with more than 6,000 species distributed across various parts of the globe.

Frogs drink water through their skin by absorbing it and have a drinking patch located on their belly and the underside of their thighs via which they absorb water.

One trait that stands out among frogs is their ability to jump and can reach heights of 20 times their body length.

Poison dart frogs have highly toxic skin and one species known as the golden poison frog perfects the ability to kill 10 adult males.

Frogs are not just green or yellow — which are commonly seen during the monsoon months — but display a range of colors from vibrant red to dark blue.

Why We Love World Frog Day

It's aimed to raise awareness

It celebrates these diverse and valuable treasures of the ecosystem

It improves people's overall knowledge about frogs

The primary aim of this day is to raise awareness of the different species of frogs and to protect them further. See what you can do on this day to contribute.

Source

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blue-ravens · 2 years

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David Ogden Stiers, Major Winchester on ‘M*A*S*H,’ Dies at 75

David Ogden Stiers, left, with Harry Morgan and William Christopher in a scene from “M*A*S*H.

By Anita Gates (04 March 2018)

David Ogden Stiers, the tall, balding, baritone-voiced actor who brought articulate, somewhat snobbish comic dignity to six seasons of the acclaimed television series “M*A*S*H,” died on Saturday at his home in Newport, Ore., a small coastal city southwest of Salem. He was 75.

His death was announced on Twitter by his agent, Mitchell K. Stubbs, who said the cause was bladder cancer.

Mr. Stiers joined the cast of “M*A*S*H” in 1977, when Larry Linville, who had played the pompous and inept Maj. Frank Burns, left the show. The series, a comedy-drama set in a Mobile Army Surgical Hospital during the Korean War, required a foil for its raucous, irreverent, martini-guzzling leads, Hawkeye Pierce (Alan Alda) and B.J. Hunnicutt (Mike Farrell), and Mr. Stiers’s imperious Maj. Charles Emerson Winchester III seemed to fit the bill.

Winchester’s upper-class Boston priggishness, however, turned out to be balanced by impressive medical skills, a heartfelt appreciation of the arts, real wit and a surprising level of compassionate humanity. Winchester was, unlike Frank Burns, a worthy adversary.

From the beginning, Mr. Stiers said, he felt confident about playing Winchester. “It’s just a matter of isolating the traits” from others in his own personality, he told The Salt Lake Tribune in 1977. But he confessed to one definite difference between himself and his aristocratic character. “Where he wears a smoking jacket to bed,” he suggested, “I often wear nothing but socks.”

The role earned Mr. Stiers two Emmy nominations (in 1981 and 1982). He was nominated a third time, in 1984, for his lead role in “The First Olympics: Athens in 1896,” a dramatic mini-series.

In a statement after his death, Loretta Swit, who played Maj. Margaret (Hot Lips) Houlihan on “M*A*S*H,” called Mr. Stiers “my sweet, dear shy friend,” adding, “Working with him was an adventure.”

Mr. Stiers, right, with Mike Farrell and Alan Alda on the set of “M*A*S*H” in 1980.

David Allen Ogden Stiers was born on Oct. 31, 1942, in Peoria, Ill., the son of Kenneth Stiers and the former Margaret Elizabeth Ogden. The family later moved to Eugene, Ore., where David graduated from high school.

After briefly attending the University of Oregon, he headed to California to pursue an acting career and worked with the Santa Clara Shakespeare Festival in California for seven years. In the late 1960s, he moved to New York to study drama at Juilliard.

There he became a member of John Houseman’s City Center Acting Company, making his Broadway debut with the company in 1973. He appeared in “The Three Sisters,” “The Beggar’s Opera” and three other plays, which ran in repertory.

He continued to appear on the New York stage in the 1970s and returned to Broadway later in his career, playing a beloved wartime general in the 2009-10 holiday run of “Irving Berlin’s White Christmas.”

Mr. Stiers as Reverend Brock in the musical “Tenderloin” at City Center in 2000.

Mr. Stiers had made his film debut with a small role in Jack Nicholson’s counterculture classic “Drive, He Said” (1971). That year, his voice was heard as the announcer in George Lucas’s debut feature film, the dystopian sci-fi drama “THX 1138.”

Voice roles went on to become an important part of Mr. Stiers’s career. He was in the cast of about two dozen Disney animated films, including “Lilo & Stitch” (2002), as the villain Jumba Jookiba, and “Beauty and the Beast” (1991), in which he was the voice of Cogsworth, a strong-willed pendulum clock. That character, often described as “tightly wound” and “ticked off,” suggests to the Beast at one point that he woo his love with “flowers, chocolates, promises you don’t intend to keep.”

Other movie work included roles in “Oh, God!” (1977), “The Man With One Red Shoe” (1985), “The Accidental Tourist” (1988) and four Woody Allen films. (He was a peculiar hypnotist in Mr. Allen’s “The Curse of the Jade Scorpion.”) His last screen appearance was in “The Joneses Unplugged,” a 2017 television movie about technology overload.

Like his “M*A*S*H” character, Mr. Stiers was a devoted fan of classical music. He conducted frequently and was the resident conductor of the Newport Symphony Orchestra (formerly the Yaquina Chamber Orchestra) in Oregon.

He never married. Some reports have suggested that he is survived by a son from an early relationship.

In early 2009, at 66, Mr. Stiers announced that he was gay and “very proud to be so” in a blog interview that was reported by ABC News. His secrecy, he said, had been strictly about the fear that openness about his sexuality might affect his livelihood. Now he regretted that.

“I wish to spend my life’s twilight being just who I am,” he said.

#i've not been able to read it since 2018 and i kinda needed to cry over it again #and sorry to kick off october on a sad note but i wanted this preserved somewhere that wasn't behind a fucking nyt paywall #shoutout to 15ft who always has my back <3 #also thanks to finding this again i found a copy of 'tenderloin' cast recording on ebay so maybe i'll upload that later #i mean i'd like to unpack literally everything in this but tbh i just want to present this without comment and just let it be #david ogden stiers #mash #blue's post

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theblurbwitchproject · 5 months

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Circe by Madeline Miller

Published: April 10, 2018 Publisher: Little, Brown and Company

The Author

Madeline Miller was born in Boston and grew up in New York City and Philadelphia. She attended Brown University, where she earned her BA and MA in Classics. She has been teaching and tutoring Latin, Greek and Shakespeare to high school students for over fifteen years. The Song of Achilles was her first novel and was a New York Times bestseller. Her second novel, Circe, was an instant #1 New York Times bestseller and won multiple awards.

˗ˏˋ ´ˎ˗

The Story

In the house of Helios, god of the sun and mightiest of the Titans, a daughter is born. Circe is a strange child - not powerful and terrible, like her father, nor gorgeous and mercenary like her mother. Scorned and rejected, Circe grows up in the shadows, at home in neither the world of gods or mortals. But Circe has a dark power of her own: witchcraft. When her gift threatens the gods, she is banished to the island of Aiaia where she hones her occult craft, casting spells, gathering strange herbs and taming wild beasts. Yet a woman who stands alone will never be left in peace for long - and among her island's guests is an unexpected visitor: the mortal Odysseus, for whom Circe will risk everything.

˗ˏˋ ´ˎ˗

The Vibe: feminine empowerment, self-discovery, natural magic, epic story on personal level

The Style: retelling, greek mythology, character driven, standalone, single pov, immortal protagonist

Trigger Warnings: rape, torture, incest, arranged marriage, body horror, childbirth, graphic caesarean, violence, multiple character deaths, animal death, shipwreck

˗ˏˋ ´ˎ˗

The Review

One resolution I made for 2023 was to try out the mythical retelling genre that has exploded in popularity in recent years. Until now I hadn’t dipped my toe into the waters of ancient myths told in a modern format, and it has been a fun experience. I started my journey with Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes, which is a retelling of Medusa’s story. Then I picked up Ariadne by Jennifer Saint which explores the life of the titular Ariadne, her relationship with Theseus and the tale of the Minotaur. I purposely left Circe for last, as it is the highest rated of the three novels, and it’s about a witch. Yes please.

Circe takes the reader on an extraordinary journey through the mythical world of ancient Greece, all through the eyes of one of the most compelling and formidable characters in Greek mythology; Circe the witch of Aiaia. Madeline Miller's ability to breathe life into ancient stories is really very impressive. Circe felt so real, I truly enjoyed the time I spent with her on her journey of self discovery.

"No wonder I have been so slow, I thought. All this while I have been a weaver without wool, a ship without the sea. Yet now look where I sail."

Being honest, Circe doesn't really need my endorsement; it's already an award winning novel with 90k+ reviews on Goodreads, but I'll add my two cents anyway as it is a tale about a classic witch. Being super honest, before reading Stone Blind, Ariadne and Circe I had a shockingly basic knowledge of Greek mythology (although I've been to Ithaca and was already familiar with Odysseus, and who doesn't know Medusa's story?) I had a great time experiencing all these tales in retelling form, but Miller's prose and pacing was by far my favourite. I feel like I came away from the story with a perfectly developed image of Circe's character, and a strong idea of why she is perceived the way she is by different types of people.

One of the my favourite aspects of Circe is how the story celebrates the strength of femininity. Circe's journey is one of self-discovery and empowerment, breaking free from the confines of the traditional roles assigned to women in ancient times. From the meek young Naead she was at the beginning, Circe evolves into a strong and resilient woman, shaping her destiny with courage and determination (and some super badass magical skills). She steps into her own power in such an organic way; her slow growth from downtrodden girl to powerful sorceress makes it all the more rewarding when she finally begins to shape her magical abilities and claim her space in the world. I particularly liked the representation of her magic in the story; it's innate but also requires a lot of work, trial and error. It's exactly the sort of natural magic I enjoy reading about. Plus, she has a lioness familiar which is just insanely badass.

“Let me say what sorcery is not: it is not divine power, which comes with a thought and a blink. It must be made and worked, planned and searched out, dug up, dried, chopped and ground, cooked, spoken over, and sung. Even after all that, it can fail, as gods do not.”

The various relationships between Circe and other iconic figures from mythology, such as Hermes, Odysseus, and Athena are all rich and dynamic, driving the narrative with drama and intrigue. Athena's lurking presence in the second half of the story was a definite highlight; she's just so scary. Some of the relationships Circe formed, especially her bond with Daedalus, were heartbreaking and lovely all at once thanks to the humans' mortality paired with Circe's immortality. (I was so concerned that the loom Daedalus gifted to her would be damaged at some point, it was honestly a little silly!) Miller has great skill in drawing characters as rounded beings rather than one dimensional caricatures which I have seen in other retellings. The number of famous characters presented does not feel forced; each slots perfectly into the narrative at the right moment and creates a rich tapestry of Circe's life in exile.

While Circe becomes a powerful witch, using the craft of Pharmakeia to turn aggressive men to swine and to protect her child from the malice of Athena, she is still unable to prevent the loss of those mortals she loves to the infinite time she inhabits as an immortal. On the winding path to the novels' end we witness as Circe grows from a nymph who longs for acceptance into a powerful goddess who is hardened to the deceptions and politics of ancient life. We understand her. We feel bittersweet vindication at her actions as she finally lives life in a way that makes sense to her. She is flawed, she is strong and we completely understand how she came to be this way.

"It is a common saying that women are delicate creatures, flowers, eggs, anything that may be crushed in a moment's carelessness. If I had ever believed it, I no longer did."

Ultimately, Circe is a testament to the enduring power of myth and the timeless nature of human emotion. It's a story about love, loss, resilience, and the beauty of embracing one's true identity. It was an endeavour to read; a story that covers generations as if they were weeks, portraying immortals and mortals with skill and precision. If you want to dip your toe into mythical retellings, this is certainly one to try. It's worth it, believe me.

Rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌗

[Goodreads]

#book review #bookblr #reading #books #witch fiction #fiction #witches #witchy #witchblr #Circe #Madeline Miller #witchy books #witchcore #witchy vibes #witch #witch books

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mostlysignssomeportents · 1 year

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This day in history

#20yrsago Weezer’s symbolic value https://web.archive.org/web/20190519021721/https://sites.fas.harvard.edu/~mustaste/weezerthesis.htm

#15yrsago Griefers deface epilepsy message-board with seizure-inducing animations https://www.wired.com/2008/03/hackers-assault-epilepsy-patients-via-computer/

#15yrsago London’s Spitalfields market: shoot the architecture, we take away your camera https://memex.craphound.com/2008/03/30/remixed-generic-thrift-store-clothes/

#15yrsago Remixed generic thrift-store clothes https://memex.craphound.com/2008/03/30/remixed-generic-thrift-store-clothes/

#10yrsago Embarrassingly obvious undercover cops take to Twitter looking for house shows https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2013/03/boston-police-catfishing-indie-rockers-cops-pose-as-punks-on-the-internet.html

#10yrsago Mr Unpronounceable Adventures, spectacularly weird graphic novel in a Lovecraftian/Burroughsian vein https://memex.craphound.com/2013/03/30/mr-unpronounceable-adventures-spectacularly-weird-graphic-novel-in-a-lovecraftian-burroughsian-vein/

#10yrsago Group whose Wikipedia entry was deleted for non-notability threatens lawsuit against Wikipedian who participated in the discussion https://mako.cc/copyrighteous/the-institute-for-cultural-diplomacy-and-wikipedia

#5yrsago Georgia criminalizes routine security research https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2018/03/georgia-passes-anti-infosec-legislation

#5yrsago Trump administration will require every visitor to the USA to divulge all social media identities https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-03-29/us-to-seek-social-media-details-from-all-visa-applicants

#5yrsago Facebook deathwatch: a decade ago, it was impossible to imagine the fall of Myspace https://memex.craphound.com/2018/03/30/facebook-deathwatch-a-decade-ago-it-was-impossible-to-imagine-the-fall-of-myspace/

#5yrsago Oklahoma teachers walk out, sensing weakness from GOP legislators who caved on taxing the oil industry https://jacobin.com/2018/03/oklahoma-teachers-strike-west-virginia/

#5yrsago Referendums and low-engagement voters produce catastrophic outcomes (but what about corruption?) https://timharford.com/2018/03/how-referendums-break-democracies/

#5yrsago Five years after Google conquered and abandoned RSS, the news-reader ecosystem is showing green shoots https://www.wired.com/story/rss-readers-feedly-inoreader-old-reader/

#5yrsago “Kingpin: The Hunt for El Chapo”: Game designers review the CIA’s declassified tabletop training game https://www.vice.com/en/article/3kjkx8/cia-el-chapo-kingpin-board-game-review

#1yrago Hackers’ code-free exploit: pretend to be cops https://pluralistic.net/2022/03/30/lawful-interception/#edrs

#pluralistic

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dragonomatopoeia · 2 years

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Working Bibliography

This is a (currently incomplete) inventory of the sources I'm pulling from when researching material for Counter/Feint. It will be divided into three sections: General References (for things like sewage treatment, state laws, tax codes, white collar crime, etc), Original Media (for comics, episodes, movies etc), and In-Line References/Allusions (for when a character's narration makes a literary allusion, uses jargon, or directly quotes a line from part of the source material)

some of them will be in MLA format and some won't because i am prone to arbitrary whims

General References

“A Fix for Combined Sewers — The Cost of Cleanliness.” PBS, 8 June 2022, https://www.pbs.org/show/a-fix-for-combined-sewers-the-cost-of-cleanliness/. Accessed 5 Sept. 2022.

Collins, Chuck. The Wealth Hoarders: How Billionaires Pay Millions to Hide Trillions. Polity, 2021.

Delaware's Regulatory Provisions Concerning Public Health

Delaware Solid Waste Auth. v. News-Journal Co., 480 A.2d 628 (Del. 1984)

Hanley, Tim. Investigating Lois Lane: The Turbulent History of the Daily Planet's Ace Reporter. Chicago Review Press, 2016.

Houston, Brant, et al. The Investigative Reporter's Handbook: A Guide to Documents, Databases and Techniques. Bedford/St. Martin's, 2002.

Kurkjian, Stephen A. Master Thieves: The Boston Gangsters Who Pulled off the World's Greatest Art Heist. Public Affairs, 2016.

Kent County, Delaware's Sewer Regulations

Michel, Casey. American Kleptocracy: How the U.S. Created the Greatest Money-Laundering Scheme in History. Scribe, 2021.

Murphy, Jarrett. “Through Illegal Pipes and Improper Dumping, Homes and Businesses Pollute NYC Waterways.” City Limits, 17 Jan. 2018, https://citylimits.org/2018/01/16/in-unknown-numbers-and-often-unwittingly-homes-and-businesses-pollute-city-waterways/.

Planet Princeton's award-winning series of investigative pieces on the Princeton Sewer Operating Plant bribery case, including this piece: https://planetprinceton.com/2020/03/08/state-fined-municipality-of-princeton-35000-for-operating-illegal-dump-at-sewer-facility/

Ritter, Roy H. “The Wilmington, Delaware Sewerage System.” Sewage and Industrial Wastes, vol. 28, no. 5, 1956, pp. 644–50. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/25033068. Accessed 5 Aug. 2022.

Original Media

Superman: The Animated Series- "World's Finest" - This one started the whole exercise because I thought it was hysterical that Lois had dated Bruce/ found out he was Batman WAY before she learnt anything about Superman's identity. Hilarious.

Superman: TAS- "The Late Mr. Kent"- This one's important to me and my characterization of Clark for about one million separate reasons

Batman: TAS- All of it

Batman #177- notable for Bruce Wayne's love of cubist expressionism and also the character of Roy Rennie who shows up here and never again. He wants to be the Alfred Foundation's publicist so, so, so bad. I have realized his dream

chapter 2 edit: this is also where the Lathrop Gallery comes from! In the comics, the Lathrop Gallery received an endowment from the Alfred foundation

Fraction, Matt, et al. Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen: Who Killed Jimmy Olsen? DC Comics, 2020.- This is in MLA again because it's physically in front of me. It has a profound impact on my characterization, especially Lois's. Her disdain for conspiracy theories and insistence on using the term 'sociogram' over 'conspiracy board' comes from this. It's also the origin of Janie Olsen

Superboy (1949)- I think it's funny to pick and choose elements from this and incorporate it into Clark's backstory arbitrarily. I also think it's funny that I first wrote the line about Clark wanting to kiss Superman if he hadn't BEEN superman before i started reading Superboy because guess what. He forgets he's superboy constantly. and what does he immediately do. Start sighing over superboy. I am SO good at comics

Superboy #85- Especially notable for the appearance of Mightyboy! "Who is Mightyboy?" you might ask. As well you should, since he appeared once in 1960 and never again. However!!!! This is a surprise tool which will help us later because he lives in my brain and also Clark's backstory

World's Finest #285-288- There's just. A lot to unpack here. But I sure have incorporated it into characterization and quirks! Still undecided on if I want Clark to have super hypnosis or not because I think it would be characterful for him to have it and not use it. and also it's extremely stupid as a concept and i love stupid. but also i hate hypnosis

World's Finest #84- Spoiler for the fic, but this premise was so hilarious to me that I immediately decided to replicate it, but with a twist that is typical of my ethos: making bruce step directly onto a rake

Ironically enough, a similar story was presented in Adventure Comics #275, but again. It does not make Bruce step on enough rakes for my taste. Still works as inspiration though!

Superman Annual #11- For the man who has everything. I love this one so so so so much. It greatly informs my understanding and portrayal of Superman, but also it's just a really tight narrative. Also!!! Jason Robin is there!!! Every day I regret placing this fic on a timeline that doesn't align with Jason making an appearance. Lad of all time.

Also important from Superman Annual #11 is the imagery of Batman pathetically presenting a designer rose he had commissioned special for his boy bestie, only for it to be crushed underfoot in the wake of a battle. now there's some symbolism. there's some pathos. there's some grade a pathetic bruce-isms.

Yang, Gene Luen, and Janice Chiang. Superman Smashes the Klan: The Graphic Novel. DC Comics, 2020. - Absolutely phenomenal work that digs into the diaspora elements of Superman's narrative and grapples with The American Ideal, racism, and what it means to stand for your community against violent bigotry. Also the art is soooo charming. I reference this one a bunch because I love it. It's got everything I love about Superman

There's way more to add but I'm tired and this is a working bibliography. I promise more will come

In-Line References/Allusions

Because comics are the way they are, I wanted to make this fic feel like it existed in a bunch of overlapping time periods all at once.

This means that instead of refraining from making references to broader pop culture like I do with other fics, I'm leaning into them instead. Therefore, some of these are going to be deliberate references that I thought would be characterful. Especially since Lois and Clark are reporters, and Jimmy and Bruce went to fancy schools for fancy little lads

"You're killing me, Smalls"- A famous line from The Sandlot (1993). I am unable to resist the pull of low-hanging fruit

"he could always depend on the kindness of strangers"- semi-ironic deployment of a line from A Streetcar Named Desire. on one hand, Clark genuinely trusts in and relies on mankind's desire to do right by each other. on the other, he thinks bruce wayne is a complete and utter tool here. he's being a bit tongue in cheek about how he's relying on a jackass to help him out

"the pale blue light of a sympathetic moon" is from The Drowsy Chaperone. It's such an evocative phrase. I think Clark would enjoy musicals

"Saint Laurent"- Listen. I read fashion blogs for this. I asked my friends who lose their minds over fashion on the regular. I looked through ready to wear collections and slide shows. And while I want to have faith in the Bruce Wayne that lives in my head and nowhere else, I understand that the search for an ethical designer label is a fruitless one. All I can do is say "in this universe, YSL was never acquired by Gucci, and yet it still, inexpicably, has the insufferable ready to wear collection that includes the ugly fucking gentrified rodeo wear."

also a lot of the outfits look like they're designed for haunted little victorian boys. which. [gestures at him]

"Dorothy [...] you're not in Kansas anymore"- I think this one's obvious, but it's a Wizard of Oz reference

“Is there a ‘c’ in ‘absence’?”- Lois's habit of frequently misspelling words comes up in a lot of adaptations and runs, and I think it's incredibly charming

"There better be a thirty on your buyback piece!"- Traditionally, -30- marks the end of copy that's been submitted for editing

Backfielding- Another term for conducting line edits

Ron Troupe- Political analyst for the daily planet. In comics, he was introduced RIGHT before Superman died but I'm playing calvinball here and I like him :) so

Adam Grant- Cat's son! I'm not killing him off, unlike the comics. There's a lot re: The Toyman where i'm just. y'know. i'm just not gonna. look. at whatever's going on there. So it goes with comics

"the gentle way the strongman had spoken to him, telling him about the disarming power of a silly costume, the way performance became its own kind of strength"- referencing a sequence from Superman Smashes the Klan. This will not be the last time

Lan-Shin Lee- For instance, Lan-Shin is from Superman Smashes the Klan! At the end of the original work, she becomes a cub reporter

Carmine Falcone- I still have never read a frank miller comic and you can't make me. but i will steal the occasional character. for flavor. anyway he's either one of the biggest or the biggest ringleader of organized crime in Gotham, depending on the run and adaptation

“While discontinuous in action, perceived surveillance—”- Bruce is paraphrasing a bit of Discipline & Punish here, specifically the part about panopticism

“Have you tried committing a felony?”- This line comes directly from the World's Finest episodes of Superman: the animated series that first inspired this fic

Superman Signal Watch- this one's a classic. As seen in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen, the watch works just as the fic describes

#there was a sewer man #air's dabbles

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gridbug · 10 months

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April/May reading roundup

Since I have been stalling on writing the April roundup for so long I have decided to merge the April and may roundups together so I can push them all out at once. I also didn't bother finding and downloading the covers for the books this time and adding them in, I'm on my laziness arc. I took an even longer break before picking this up again, I'm on a vacation, and finally getting some (but not enough) quiet.

The Dream of Reason by Jenny George

This is the debut collection from Jenny George is from 2018, and she has published poems in a whole bunch of places (Poetry, Granta, Kenyon Review, Ploughshares, New York Times Magazine) and it's easy to see why. The Dream of Reason is full of beautiful, short lyric poetry, and engages in a very compelling way with the relationship between humans and the animal world and the violence that people do to eachother.

Glitch Feminism: A Manifesto by Legacy Russell

Of these books I have to admit that I found this the most underwhelming, perhaps due to my high expectations. Glitch Feminism offers a Black, queer, feminist analysis of being online that rejects the sort of tech dystopia and silicon valley fueled optimism, arguing that even under systems of homophobic and transphobic

There's a lot of ideas and concepts here, and I wish the book was longer or had comitted to a more focused. As a manifesto, I understand it wants to be more invested in smashing idols than developing theories, but with a few exceptions (the opening chapter, some moments of lyrical passion) the book doesn't speak with the force or energy to justify being so thin on content. There is a great alternative analysis to and critique of tech skepticism in here, but it also has to share space with a work of art criticism, and a Black queer cyberfeminist theory of embodiment, and personal memoir, and it just is too much. Still, since it is such a short book (about 150 small pages) you can breeze through it in a day, even though by the end you'll be left wanting.

Elite Capture: How the Powerful Took Over Identity Politics (and everything else) by Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò

This book is in part an expansion of an essay that Táíwò published in the Boston Review, a critique of how identity politics have been weaponized by elites. Rather than kicking the race/class ball back and forth like so many commentators do, Táíwò offers an analysis of how claims of authority and legitimacy based on identity within the room (in academia and activist spaces) serves to perpetuate the interests of a privileged few and undermine activism that reaches out to people outside the room (those outside of academia and the non profit world that would benefit the most from actually engaging with these issues). Critiques of "identity politics" from the left are nothing new (most of them are quite boring imo), what makes this book special is how his analysis of the dynamics of elite capture breaks through the noise to offer something original and explanatorily useful. Táíwò is a philosopher by background, and his analysis draws on concepts from political philosophy and the philosophy of language to great effect, his critique of so-called deference politics, something which you see all the time online, where people will defer to the lived experience of others. In theory this is a noble and important strategy, it serves to "decenter" the voices who already are the loudest and give neglected ones a voice. But who's voice, under what circumstances, to what end? Táíwò interrogates these sorts of questions, showing that beneath these and other common lines of analysis in contemporary liberal identity politics is a whole nest of contradictions and false starts. In listening to the most marginalzied "in the room" we are not engaging directly with the people who are most marginalized, but are instead expecting people perceived as the most "marginalized" to offer "The Black TM" perspective or whatever else. Here's a great example:

The politics of deference focuses on the consequences that are likeliest to show up in the rooms where elites do most of their interacting: classrooms, boardrooms, political parties. As a result, we seem to end up with far more, and more specific, practical advice about how to, say, allocate tasks at a committee meeting than how to keep people alive.

I found myself nodding along vigorously the whole time to this book, it just cuts through so much dead air and nonsense.

I'm hoping this book gets a sequel or second edition of some sort, because there is so much here and it's already stirred a lot of good conversation on how to get out of these defeatist, never ending games. Of course implicit in the book's analysis is the idea that activism and left wing politics is actually about helping the most affected and disenfranchised, rather than, for example stroking the egos of pseudo radical academics or

Leon Trotsky: A Revolutionary's Life by Joshua Ruebstein

This book is part of a series of short (around 200 page) biographies called Jewish Lives, some of the figure are more obvious, like Theodore Hertzel, but other biographies take Jewish people from history who are often not thought of as part of Jewish history, like Karl Marx or Rosa Luxeburg, and places them within their Jewish context. Leon Trotsky is a divisive figure, often for bad reasons. For liberals he was a radical extremist, for Marxists he is either a subject of obscene veneration or scorn.

I wanted to pregame reading Isaac Deutscher's The Prophet and read something that would give me a sense of what Trotsky did. Deutscher's biography, at well over one thousand pages (I think the verso paperback is 1600 pages for the single volume) was too big to just dive in, but what I read from Rubenstein left me wanting more. I agree with some of his conclusions about Trotsky, and disagree with others. In particular his bemoaning of Trotsky's willingness to use violence in the revolutionary cause, or bemoaning. While it is interesting to a certain extent to speculate on what might have been if the Bolsheviks had been more willing to indulge Martov's "loyal opposition" and a greater spectrum of political opinion, ironically it was precisely the Bolshevik's ruthlessness that allowed them to see that the February revolution provisional government was held together with chewing gum, and could be smashed apart. For the liberals who see the October revolution as the bad revolution where things went south, there's no reason to believe that the provisional government would have survived, and wouldn't have been replaced by a just as brutal counterrevolutionary government, if not a more extreme one. Trotsky's decision not to fight more seriously for a leading position in the party after Lenin's death until it was too late (either through ignorance, hubris, or stupidity) is one of the more vexing episodes in Soviet history.

The book also includes a few anecdotes and bits of color, but for want of space mainly focuses on Trotsky's political career and his relationship with Judaism and Jewishness. Trotsky understood more quickly than most how disastrous fascism would be for European Jews, even beginning with Mussolini. Obviously with someone as prolific as Trotsky, a 200 page biography can only scratch the surface of many of these accomplishments, so it is as good as it could be expected to be given the limits of space and I would recommend it.

The Crisis of Democratic Capitalism by Martin Wolf

I like to take a gander at what the liberal and centrist commentariat is talking about, by reading publications like the Atlantic and the opinion pages of major newspapers. Martin Wolf is the main economics commentator for the Financial Times, an English business and finance broadsheet which is, with some caveats, the best newspaper in the world. While most papers have genuinely awful opinion pages (see the execrable New York Times) the FT's columnists are a cut above the rest, offering incisive analysis of current economic trends and new political developments, albeit from a centrist, center right, or at its most adventurous, center left, position. Martin Wolf's latest book draws on his own wealth of expertise in recent economic history and monetary and fiscal policy to sketch out an account of how we got to the current crisis, and how we might get out of it.

As a work on economics, there is a lot of great work here to admire. Wolf is willing, unlike so many of his fellow travelers, to correctly point out poor economic performance is fundamental in understanding the sources of discontent across the world and the global rage towards elites. A lot of the policies he promotes and suggests, universal healthcare in the US, expanding the social safety net, are great policies. His analysis of where

But the suggestions on how to get out of the rut through reform. What is really striking is reading this guy who has, since the 90s, been on the right side of history, the winning side of globalization and neoliberalism and global capitalism, and just how scared he is of where capitalism is headed. Reading this you get a real sense of how fucked we are, and even this maximalist liberalism, which allows for serious interventions in the economy, seems unfit for the challenges facing us today.

On Browsing by Jason Guriel

This short book by Canadian poet-critic Jason Guriel is an extension of an essay he wrote for the Walrus, titled "Life in the Stacks: A Love Letter to Browsing" which forms the first chapter of this book. If you've ever gotten lost for an afternoon in a bookstore, or a DVD rental store, or a mall for that matter, this is a great read.

A Stranger in Your Own City by Ghaith Abdul-Ahad

This is a memoir by journalist Ghaith Abdul-Ahad, who was born in Baghdad in 1975, and grew up amidst the Iran-Iraq war, the pious 90s, and the immediate aftermath of the U.S. invasion itself. The prose throughout sparkles, and offers an excellent tour through the last twenty or so years as Iraq has been beset by corruption, the rise of ISIS, internal tragedy and disappointment. All of this is written from Abdul-Ahad's perspective, as an Iraqi, born in Baghdad, and doesn't pretend to be any comprehensive history of whole conflict, he recommends several other books that cover this ground from a more academic lens in the beginning, but what it offers instead is arguably even more valuable for genuine understanding: a personal human story. His critique of the racism and condescension of so much first world media, its inability to recognize how America's intervention was destroying a community and group of people who actually lived there. The book stands on its own, however, so even if you are not as familiar with the recent history of Iraq, this will still make for a compelling read.

#reading roundup

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