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A short explanation of my layer by layer drawing of Central/Eastern Ukrainian folk attire, for anyone who might be interested.

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Kissinger had an assistant named Lawrence Eagleburger, which is possibly the most American name conceivable.

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they should invent a brain that doesn’t tell you mean things at night time

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it's healthy for academics to have professional feuds. enrichment activity

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homeschooling in the US needs to be regulated but this is one of those conversations that immediately gets crushed by extremist conservatives and even well-meaning liberals will pipe up to be like "well some homeschooling is good!" when that's absolutely not relevant. regulation will not change anything for the homeschooling families who are serious about their children's education. the people who need to be regulated are the fringe extremists

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"why do I feel so terrible?"

-person who forgot to take their not-feeling-terrible medication

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My 4 homophobic uncles when I show up to Easter dinner on shrooms

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It’s sad how much of what is taught in school is useless to over 99% of the population.

There are literally math concepts taught in high school and middle school that are only used in extremely specialized fields or that are even so outdated they aren’t used anymore!

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Brazil's Supreme Court strengthens control over gold trade and takes a crucial step towards Amazon conservation

Justices overturn the presumption of good faith in the purchase and sale of gold in Brazil

In a landmark decision, the majority of the justices of the Brazilian Supreme Court ruled the presumption of good faith in the purchase and sale of gold in Brazil unconstitutional. This decision marks a crucial step forward in curbing illegal mining, especially in the Amazon, where the activity has caused devastating environmental impacts and violated the rights of indigenous and riverside communities, even reaching cities through the contamination of fish that spread across the region.

The court's decision rectifies a serious distortion in current legislation, which allowed buyers of the metal, such as Securities and Exchange Commissions, to accept only the miner's self-declaration regarding the origin of the gold, absolving them of any liability if the extraction was illegal. The presumption of good faith in the gold chain had been used as a legal loophole to legitimise the sale of gold extracted through criminal means, including gold taken from Indigenous Lands and Protected Areas. The ruling’s unconstitutionality and the subsequent ban on using this loophole strengthens oversight, protects communities affected by illegal mining, and reduces the funding of criminal networks exploiting this market.

The presumption of good faith had already been suspended by an injunction issued by Justice Gilmar Mendes in April 2023. Now, with the final decision, Brazil is taking a decisive step forward in combating environmental degradation caused by illegal mining, while also preventing criminal organisations from continuing to profit from the unlawful exploitation of these areas.

Continue reading.

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On April 16th 2025 the US federal government has proposed to change the interpretation of the endangered species act so that it no longer protects habitat.

This is open for public comment until the end of May 19th. Please comment and make your voice heard.

Wildlife need their habitat. If the ESA redefines harm so that habitat is no longer protected, the implications for wildlife would be catastrophic.

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As a former librarian I'm actually required to remind you that many libraries that subscribe to Libby are opted into a program that lets you subscribe and access magazines for free with no wait

And that this is actually a really fun, low cost way to not only access news and larger cultural magazines, but also to get free patterns for many different crafts that you can screenshot if need be and that lower the financial barriers to entry for trying new things

From my experience working in both academic and public libraries, many libraries are use it or lose it funding-- I have to say this because a lot of patrons feel guilty for how much they use the library and how often they're using it funny enough, but the worst thing you can do for libraries is not try out new features and not use what's already given to you as much as possible.

The numbers that come as a result of your patronage are how most libraries justify their continued existence in times of financial hardship, which sucks but, go check out some magazines on Libby!

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lol someone commissioned me to design a death counter for their dnd stuff.

i feel like this would be a particularly good candidate not for a print, but for a downloadable pay-what-you-like on the ko-fi

thoughts?

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When I was in the hospital, they gave me a big bracelet that said ALLERGY, but like. I'm allergic to bees. Were they going to prescribe me bees in there.

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you ever have situations that make you want to take people by the shoulders and go "you are not 15 any longer. this behavior is no longer quirky and cute. it is exhausting for you and everyone else to act like a teenager you haven't been in a decade or longer. knock it the fuck off"

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One of my favorite approaches to painting is to select a 'domestic' scene, many times hinted at within a narrative but not directly described by an author. This is one such example with Bilbo writing his will for Frodo and contemplating keeping the One Ring. Frodo's Inheritance 11" x 14" Oil on panel private collection