#Antarctic Activity Week

[tremaghi]

Quando non senti la mancanza di qualcosa é perché ha fatto il suo tempo - IZ2ELV QRT

Il 9 aprile 2024 sarà una data che ricorderò come il mio QRT definitivo. Senza provare alcuna nostalgia o emozione, abbiamo venduto il nostro Yaesu FT-450D. Sicuramente Fulvio IZ2EXA era dispiaciuto, invano ha cercato di convincermi a ripensarci.Era nell’aria già da tempo e non sarebbe onesto imputare questa mia scelta unicamente alla mia sordità, bensì negli ultimi anni l’interesse per il…

[dontforgetukraine]

Down in Antarctica, Ukrainian scientists and polar explorers have named this year's firstborn Weddell seal pup!

Meet "SeaBaby Svitozarovych". The name is in honor of Ukraine's marine drone. It was born on Winter Island near the Vernadskyi Research Base. Biologist Svitozar Davydenko was the first to find it and had the honor of naming it out of hundreds of suggestions.

"SeaBaby is already 10 days old. He is actively growing and will soon begin to get acquainted with the ocean. Weddell seals start living independently and feeding in the water after the weaning period is over, approximately seven weeks after birth." (September 26, 2024)

Sources: National Antarctic Scientific Center, Ukrainska Pravada

[bethanythebogwitch]

Wet Beast Wednesday: tardigrades

Last week on Wet Beast Wednesday I covered the largest animals to ever exist on our planet. This week I'm going to pull a full 180 and cover the smallest animals yet on this series. Meet the tardigrade, the internet's favorite micro-animal the is said to be basically immortal. How true is that? Let's see.

(Image: an electron microscope image of a tardigrade. It looks a lot like a potato with eight stubby legs tipped with long claws. At the front is a small, circular mouth. It has no other discernable features. In the background are bits of plant matter that look like seaweed at this scale. End ID)

The tardigrades are 1,300 known species (and probably a lot of unknown ones too) in the phylum Tardigrada. They are also part of the superphylum Ecdysozoa, which are animals that grow by molting their outer cuticles or exoskeletons. In particular, the tardigrades are believed to be a sister group of the arthropods, the group that contains crustaceans, insects, isopods, and a lot of other things. Tardigrades are truly tiny, the largest species reaching a whopping 1.5 millimeters in length, though most species reach no more than 0.5 mm. They have round, segmented bodies with four pairs of legs that end in either claws or suction discs. The body segments consist of a head, three body segments with a pair of legs each, and a caudal segment with the final pair of legs. The first three legs are used for movement while the final pair points backwards and is used for grabbing onto substrate. All of the body segments except for the final one correspond to segments found in the head section of insects. Tardigrades are missing many hox genes, genes that direct the body plan during development. Their ancestors may have had a body plan more similar to insects, but the loss of the hox genes has compressed them into walking heads with a bit of butt. The mouth is tubular and sucks in food. In the mouth are stylets, needle-like structures used to pierce food objects. Once food is drawn into the mouth, a structure called the buccopharyngeal apparatus activates. This is a combination of spines and muscle that acts like an inner jaw that pulls food into the digestive tract. The buccopharyngeal apparatus is distinct enough to be used as a major identifying feature between species. Tardigrades are translucent and many images you've seen of them have false color to show the details or are 3D models based on scanning electron microscope imagery of them. Tardigrades molt their exoskeletons multiple times (up to 12) during their lifecycle. Some species are unable to poop normally and instead all their waste is discarded during the molt. It was formerly believed that tardigrades could exchange genes with each other without mating, a process called horizontal gene transfer that is seen in bacteria, archaea, and other micro-organisms. It has since been discovered that while still capable of horizontal gene transfer, it is quite a bit rarer in tardigrades than we thought.

(Image: an electron microscope image of a tardigrade standing on a bit of plant matter. This one has a closed mouth with a ring of triangular tooth-like structures. It also has two simple eyes that look like black dots. End ID)

The name "tardigrade" means "slow walker", which is fitting as, despite their eight legs, tardigrades have a slow and awkward gait. This is the result of their legs being unjointed, only able to pivot at their connection to the body. Their gait has been compared to that of bears, hence why they are often called water bears and their discoverer, Johann August Ephraim Goeze, called them "kleiner wasserbär", meaning "little water bear". Tardigrades are found worldwide and have inhabited virtually every habitat, from the tops of mountains to the deep sea, from hot springs to the antarctic, from freshwater to saltwater. The one thing they have in common is a need to stay wet. Tardigrades can survive out of water as long as they can stay moist and are often found in mosses, hence another common name: moss piglets. The majority either eat plants or bacteria, but some will feed on smaller tardigrades or other micro-animals. Their famous survivability makes it easy for tardigrades or their eggs to be carried to new habitats by larger animals or other phenomena. Tardigrades are one of the first micro-animals to colonize a new habitat and they are a pioneer species, the first species to colonize a new environment and whose presence makes that environment fore suitable for other species to follow. Tardigrades are a major food source to other micro-animals and larger organisms. Most species have distinct males and females, though a few reproduce through parthenogenesis. In most cases, molting female will lay her eggs in her shed cuticle and males will them fertilize them. Other species have a form of internal reproduction. Males and females will court each other before mating and females will usually allow multiple males to fertilize her eggs. Female tardigrades are typically larger and more abundant than males. Eggs can take up to 14 days (species dependent) before hatching. All tardigrades of the same species have the exact same number of cells as each other. They are also born with the same number of cells they will have as an adult. Their growth is driven by enlargement of the existing cells rather than cellular reproduction making new cells. The lifespan ranges between a few months to a few years, depending on species.

(Image: a color photo of a tardigrade. It is a pale, translucent white, making it hard to make out details. Its body is curved, with the front end pointing at the camera. It has two simple eyes. End ID)

(Image: an electron microscope image of a tardigrade egg. It is round but covered in small pores and conical structures. End ID)

The most famous feature of tardigrades is their legendary durability. It is commonly said that tardigrades can survive just about anything (except for the things that are actually trying to kill them. They are prey to a lot of species after all). Among the things they can survive is extreme heat, extreme cold, dehydration, extremely high and low pressure, exposure to ionizing radiation (that's the scary kind), low oxygen environments, environmental toxins, heavy impacts, and the vacuum of fucking space. While the can survive in extreme conditions, tardigrades are not considered extremophiles. True extremophiles thrive in extreme environments and are negatively impacted by leaving them. Tardigrades can survive in extreme environments, but are negatively impacted and can't survive as well there as they can in less extreme places. The main trait that has allowed tardigrades to survive all five mass extinctions in history is cryptobiosis. Cryptobiosis is the rare ability for an animal to enter a state of dormancy where their metabolic processes come to an almost complete stop. While in cryptobiosis, metabolic activity drops to 0.01% normal and water content drops to 1% normal. In this state, the tardigrade is called a tun. Tardigrades usually enter cryptobiosis in response to arid conditions. One experiment showed that a species of tardigrade could last for at least 30 years in this state and return to normal lifestyle functions when exposed to water. Tardigrades will also enter cryptobiosis in response to low oxygen, toxic chemical exposure, increased or decreased temperature, and excessive salt content in the water. Tardigrades also show extreme resistance to both high and low pressure. They can live in 0 atmospheres of pressure and some species can survive up to 6,000 atmospheres, more than double the pressure at the bottom of the Marianas trench. More interesting is their ability to survive dangerous radiation. They can survive 1,000 times the dose of gamma radiation that humans can. Early tests focused on tardigrades in cryptobiosis and concluded that the extremely low water content of a cryptobiotic tardigrade doesn't leave much opportunity for the radiation to react with the animal. However it was later found that active and fully hydrated tardigrades are still considerably resistant to radiation. Studies into this resistance indicate that tardigrades can very efficiently repair damaged DNA and have unique proteins called Dsup that provides additional protection. Dsup introduced to human cells has provided additional protection against x-rays.

(Image: an electron microscope image of a tun - a tardigrade in cryptobiosis. It is smaller and very wrinkly, with the legs and mouth retracted into the body. End ID)

Tardigrades were the first animals to be exposed to the vacuum of space. They were exposed for 10 days, some in a state of cryptobiosis at the time of exposure and some still active. It was found that they were able to survive the vacuum when shielded from the sun's ultraviolet radiation, with those already in cryptobiosis doing better. Upon being rehydrated, many were able to resume normal life functions and successfully reproduce, though others died after being rehydrated. Those that were exposed to UV radiation fared much worse, with only a few hydrated individuals surviving. The individuals in cryptobiosis had a lower survival rate when exposed to UV than those not exposed to UV and were less successful at reproducing afterwards. Studies of tardigrade's space survival abilities and resistance to radiation could go a long way in helping human space travel. One of the largest dangers of space travel is that space is full of nasty radiation from the sun that Earth's magnetic field protects us from. Some scientists speculate about the possibility of accidentally seeding other planets or moons with tardigrades or other space-resistant organisms. This is a problem because introducing Earth life to other world has the potential to damage any native ecosystems and if we find life in space in the future we don't want to have to figure out if it's something we accidentally put there. While tardigrades could likely survive on other planets, they would eventually die without a food source. Some sources reported that tardigrades may have colonized the moon after an experiment with them crashed. Unfortunately, the moon is not crawling with tardigrades now. It's way too dry for them to exit cryptobiosis even if they survived the crash, which they probably didn't.

(Image: art of a tardigrade floating in the vacuum of space. End ID. Source: University of California - Santa Barbara)

[dahliadew]

The Haunting of the Fortress of Solitude (dp x dc fanfic prompt)

So it finally happened he's been kidded out, well it was bound to happen eventually, from missing class to coming home way past curfew; Danny knows he's been freaking his parents out a lot recently. But he never thought it would come to this point, and it's not like there's a lot he could do about it; if he tells his parents about his ghostly after-school activities, then he runs the risk of being dissected, and it's not like he can go to Jazz or Vlad. One, jazz is finally away at college, and it's not like she has the money or space to house him, and it's not like he'd want to put that responsibility onto her, and two, Vlad is crazy, so he's out the right way. The only remaining option is Aunt Alicia. But he hadn't spoken to her in years, so it was a roll of the dice as to whether or not she'd help him.

So he's on his own in the middle of a heat wave with a core that's mostly made up of pure ice, well sometimes the most straightforward option is the best one, and he, like the dumb ass he is, flies down to the Antarctic, looking for a place to hang out for like a mouth. Or, at the very least, as long as it took to figure something better out.

On his way down how, ever, he found something weird and marvelous. A large, jagged crystal building that sang to his core. Stardust was embedded in the walls of the building, and ice trailed across the floors; it's almost like this building was put here for him specifically. And everything would be perfect if it wasn't for Superman showing up and killing the vibe.

So Danny does what he does best and becomes the best darn ghost that he can be to get his so hideout back. Later, he learns that this is actually Superman's (sorta) house, but well, gosh darn it, he's got squatters' rights, so if Superman wants him gone, he's going to haft to evict him himself.

Superman, however, has been having a bad time lately. Things at the daily planet have been tuff with his boss getting on him for missing meetings, Louis going on a two-week trip to Gotham to do a profile of the hottest man of the year three years running Bruce "Brucie" Wayne and to top it all off there something in the fortress of solitude. At first, he was worried that some animal had somehow gotten into the building, but he knew he would have seen it already. He's already looked over the whole building with X-ray vision, and other than a few bears roaming around the building; he hasn't been able to find anything.

But regardless, so far, not only have four of his super and regular suits been accosted in fine-grade glitter, but his minimal furniture is also moved just slightly to the left (including the central console THAT IS BOLTED TO THE FLOOR). Black voids have even started to engulf his vision when he enters certain building parts, with his vision only clearing when he emerges in different parts of the building than where he was before.

What Clark doesn't know is that the fortress itself is somewhat sentient, and with the arrival of what it perceives as another lost son of Krypton, it is more than happy to play with what it sees as a young child. Plus, the fortes thinks Ka-EL needs to let loose more often and playing with this child will help both destress him and help train the baby that showed up on its literal doorstep.

As for Superman, Ok, maybe it's gone beyond the scope of what he can deal with, but he's having a bad day, and he refuses to lose to whatever the heck is in his house. And he would have continued to do this if not for the fact strange portals opened periodically with otherworldly eyes and limbs reaching out and brushing against him as he walked through the halls. Ok, maybe it's time to call Batman.

So he does. He calls him, and you know damn well that he is polite about it, so there is no reason for Batman to hang up before continuing the call. (he knows B is laughing at him, even if B never laughs, he KNOWS). When he gets a hold of Batman again, it takes less than three minutes for the two of them to decide they need to get Constantine.

Once they finally get him into the building itself, it takes Batman virtually breathing down John's neck to keep him from running out the door, which is odd because as soon as the other two show up, everything seems to return to normal. That is until John starts to draw some seals along the floor then a voice rings out, crying, demanding that they stop. And it's here that, for the first time, Clark comes face to face with what he thinks is the ghost of a Kryptioian child. And things get confused further when Danny, not understanding the conversation entirely, plays into the ghost angle, thinking it will make them leave. But instead, Clark is both horrified and delighted that there is a child's ghost in his home, someone with a direct connection to his home world. As for Batman and John, they both realize they need to do something quickly; otherwise, Superman may have a heart attack. They do not need another ghost on their hands.

As time passes, the two end up sorting things out, even with Batman's paranoia and John's skepticism and end up living together both in Antarctica and Metropolis, with Danny flying between the two at his leisure. But eventually, Danny knows he needs to transform back into his human form, and with Superman constantly hanging around him, finding time to do that becomes complicated. So when he eventually does transform back in the midst of a battle with a powerful magical enemy, Superman, in shock, thinks that Dan-El has somehow come back to life but in a hybrid Kryptonian/human form. And so he, as the resident alien on Earth, takes it upon himself to try to teach him how to be human on Earth. Now Danny, on top of everything, has to pretend to be both an alien from a species he knows little to nothing about and also now act like a human who isn't supposed to know anything about being human. Well, that's just great, but at least he doesn't need to worry about paying rent anymore.

[from-the-coffee-shop-in-edoras]

I just finished a re-read of Apsley Cherry-Garrard’s account of his time on the nightmarish Terra Nova Antarctic exploration, and it inspired me to look again at some helcaraxë art. I think Tolkien would have been aware of all of the most prominent Antarctic explorers, who were active when he was a young man and were very famous in their time, and I wonder how much he was thinking about their specific experiences as he worked on the story of the Noldor who were forced to cross the grinding ice.

Some of the real life accounts are truly horrifying and, of course, a bunch of them end with death. You’ve got people forced into unexpected terrain without access to proper supplies, trying to cross a hellish ice plain with a single axe, 15 meters of rope and boots with screws and nails pushed into the soles. 

You’ve got people trapped away from camp and racing against starvation to get back, starting out at full rations before cutting to half and then a quarter and eventually getting down to one biscuit per day per person, and even that is sometimes given up so that the weakest among them can have a little more and perhaps stave off disaster for a little bit longer.

You’ve got groups trudging across a mountainous ice field with snow blindness, hurricane force gales, every mile of forward progress requiring 3 miles of walking because they have to keep doubling back to help stragglers and retrieve supplies, but they’re still gamely trying to sing songs and hymns that can be heard above the screaming wind to remind themselves of better times and places.

You’ve got guys walking along one minute and the next they’ve vanished, swallowed up by a crevasse that didn’t even exist 10 seconds ago and now they’re broken and battered at the bottom of it.

You’ve got people having to hole up in tiny little snow caves to wait out storms that last for weeks on end, everyone so on top of each other that they all end up with dysentery and they can’t keep a fire going because the smoke chokes them, so they’re shivering so hard that their teeth break and every humid exhalation freezes immediately into a layer of rock hard ice on their clothes, gear, sleeping bags, skin.

You have injuries that no longer heal, frostbite that deprives people of the ability to walk, malnutrition that drains people of the energy to do anything at all, and so others are not just pushing forward with the weight of their own bodies and their own gear but the weight of the makeshift sledge that’s pulling their incapacitated friends because all the ponies and dogs have long since starved or been eaten.

You’ve got people who can see clearly that their dear friends’ refusal to abandon them despite their desperately poor condition is endangering the lives of others, and so one night they make their peace with death and quietly walk off into a blizzard on their own.

But despite all of that, some of them survived to tell the tales. They made discoveries. They pushed the limits of human knowledge and achievement. They went home to have families, or not. They became lifelong friends, or forever blamed each other for decisions that were made. They were endlessly proud of what they’d done, or regretted that they’d ever become involved. They went on to great historical acclaim or relative obscurity. They lived.

I don’t know. Feels relevant.  

[issybettyx]

TECHNOBLADE MAFIA BOSS AU

Did i say this was coming yesterday? Yes. Do i care? Not really, deal with it >:)

Tldr; Techno’s a feared mafia boss that even the government and police actively decide not to try intervene with, associates of his group (The Syndicate) being The Antarctic Empire (led by Philza), and L’Manberg (led by Wilbur Soot). No one interferes with any of them because of their relations to The Syndicate.

Everyone except a powered vigilante dubbed ‘Theseus’, better known as Tommy Innit, who people decide is either stupid or stronger than he looks. Little do they know, it’s a little bit of both.

Family ensues

Tw: cult (they call it a gang because they don’t know any better), mafia, weapons, manipulation, murder mention

Long one today boys, enjoy :D (i spent like three hours writing this it was so fun)

——

The first time Techno had heard the name ‘The Blood God’, he’d laughed so hard it was heard three levels below. It was spoken in such a shaky voice, sobs overtaking their body as they begged for forgiveness.

“Please, I have family, I never wanted to hurt any of your people, I promise.” They plead, and something about the way their hands shook and their head stayed bowed down told him they were scared. But he stayed deadly silent, keeping his eyes trained on them as they shook even more. “I’m sorry Blood God, I beg, I just-“

“What did you just call me?” He asked quickly, voice a little too quiet with shock, and they finally looked up, meeting his red eyes gaze for less than a second before looking away, taking a few steadying breaths.

“The Blood God, sir, that’s what they call you.”

Techno showed no emotion on his face for a solid five seconds, before he burst into laughter, wiping away the tears in his eyes as the victim stared up with wide eyes, not entirely sure what to do with themselves.

After a good two minutes of laughing, Techno managed out an order to kill them, and sent them off as he snickered.

Wilbur had understood him, sitting at their next meeting as he howled beside him. Phil didn’t quite understand the sentiment, finding it a little horrifying that the man had earned such a title, but laughed quietly along anyways. It’s not like he could say much, knowing he was nicknamed the ‘Angel of Death’, not that the other two would ever find out anyways.

The next time he’d heard the nickname, it was with more bitter context. He was on his way to do his shopping for the week, humming a tune as he flicked a penny in between his fingers. It so happened that when he walked past two teenagers on the side of the road, they were talking about him, not even noticing his presence as they snickered to themselves.

“I could take The Blood God, the police are such pussies, he’d be so easy.” The other nodded in agreement.

And maybe the first kid had collapsed as he rounded the corner, pretending not to hear pained screams from his friends as they called for help, humming a tune with a smile.

And from then on, most people didn’t know him as ‘Technoblade’, but rather ‘The Blood God’, and he found he wasn’t completely against it.

The Syndicate operated as always, but simply addressed him differently.

“Blood God, would you like us to add a Starbucks to floor 3?” He’d thought the idea was fantastic, coffee was extremely important for a working man.

“Blood God, what are your thoughts on hiring younger recruits?” No younger than 16, kids deserved to live happy lives before going into the world of crime.

“Blood God, why does Wilbur’s face look so funny?” It always had, most people were simply too afraid to admit it.

“Blood God, there’s this vigilante in the city, should we add him to the radar?” No it’s probably fine, vigilantes were as much as a threat to him as ants.

“Blood God, the same vigilante from a few weeks ago just took down Las Nevadas by himself, are you sure he’s not a threat?” Las Nevadas wasn’t built to survive, but to look pretty, anyone could take them down if they had the willpower to.

“Blood God, Philza’s defences were taken down last night by that vigilante.” Techno paused, staring at his employee - and maybe, possibly friend - Ranboo with his eyebrow raised.

“That same one you first told me about two months ago?” He asked cautiously, watching for any sign of amusement in the person’s heterochromatic eyes, but there was none.

“Yes Blood God.”

“Just call me Techno, that name is getting old.” Techno sighed out, pinching the bridge of his nose as Ranboo sighed. “What’s his name?”

“Theseus.”

He paused again, thinking it over.

Theseus was a Greek Legend. The story of Theseus was mainly about how he’d defeated the Minotaur. For years, the Minotaur had demanded seven kids and seven women every year, and no one was able to get through the maze and slay this beast.

That was until Theseus came along, and with the help of Ariadne (who gave him a ball of thread so he could find his way back out of the maze) was able to slay the Minotaur, and he became an Athenian hero.

However, Theseus was exiled, and found himself at an island named ‘Skyros’, where a man named Lycomedes threw him off the cliff, and he fell to his death.

The story of Theseus is tragic, and yet he showed strength when no one else could, he defeated the un-defeatable and saved Athens.

Everything about this vigilante, how he took down Las Nevadas single handedly, how he destroyed Philza’s defences (of which are some of the best in the country, despite his own), how his name perfectly correlated with the story of taking down something so massively feared by many.

Maybe it scared Techno a little.

And Techno was never scared.

“What’s his ability?” He asked, spinning in his chair as he chewed his nails, Ranboo looking unsure as they looked at the tablet in his hands.

“No one really knows, people only have theories.” Ranboo tried, but Techno’s silence was enough for him to continue. “Some people believe he can manipulate opinions, they say he can make them think he’s trust worthy and lure them into his trap.” Techno had never heard of anything like that before, but only furrowed his brows. “Some people think he can speak to people in their heads, convince them to turn themselves into the police.”

“So it’s some kind of controlling ability?” Techno asked cautiously, and Ranboo nodded, because what else could it possibly be? “Do we know why he broke down Philza’s defences?”

At this, Ranboo smiled, typing into their tablet before hopping to stand next to the boss, pressing play on the video and turning it to him.

There stood a kid, his face covered by a red mask shaped to cover his mouth, his hair covering the upper half of his face; blue eyes could be seen through the golden blonde, shimmering with a horrible amount of determination. His suit was red, that much was clear by the pant legs and red boots, but he wore a red hoodie over the top of the suit.

To the outside eye, he seemed harmless, almost as if he was asking someone to shoot him in the chest. However, the kid having been powerful to destroy a nation, Technoblade knew better.

He’d been underestimated once, and he wasn’t keen on following in the footsteps of those who doubted him in the first place.

“Why are you doing all of this, Theseus?” A reporter asked, holding out the mic to the vigilante who coughed almost as if to catch everyone’s attention.

“This country has been under The Syndicate’s control for too long, the FBI have given up taken them down, so I’ve decided to take matters into my own hands.” He explained, a grin clearly planted on his face despite the mask covering his mouth.

“What makes you think you can take them down when others couldn’t?” She asked, and Theseus scoffed, rolling his eyes under his mess of hair.

“Because, Linda-“

“My name isn’t-“

“I have something they don’t.” The vigilante stared directly into the camera, making eye contact with Techno. A part of him knew it was directed at him, another part wished it wasn’t. “I have something to prove.”

Techno held down his grimace.

It was all too familiar.

The video ended, and Ranboo pulled his tablet to his chest, a steady smile on their face as they studied Techno’s expression, of which the latter kept perfectly apathetic.

“Wishing he was on your radar when I first suggested it?” Ranboo teased, Techno finally groaning as he rolled his eyes, turning in his chair to look at the picture frame behind him. Some said it was stupid to find comfort in something so insignificant, some being his parents and the people from his gang when he was only eleven.

The picture was of him, Phil and Wilbur. Techno was hunched over, a controller in hand with his tongue stuck out. Wilbur’s face looked a lot more upset, brows furrowed as he glared at the screen Techno knew was there despite it not being in frame. Phil’s face was closest to the camera, a wide grin on his face as he took a selfie of them all.

So yeah, maybe he did keep a picture of his family in his office as a constant reminder to do what was best, who was anyone to judge?

“If Theseus has gone after Philza, he’s bound to go for L’Manberg next, correct?”

“Unless he’s stupid enough to approach The Syndicate, yes, however we aren’t sure when he’s planning to do so.” Ranboo returned, moving his tablet into only their right hand and holding it beside his leg. “The dude has no documents of anything, it’s almost as if he’s acting impulsively.” Techno frowned, mainly from the unsureness that came with impulsivity. Either it was someone’s downfall, or their greatest strength. For Techno, it had been both.

“Is he working alone?” Techno asked, leaning back and looking at the roof, hoping it would hold the answer to all his problems.

“Most people believe so, but we’ve got camera footage of some kind of earpiece being attached to his right ear.” He’s right-handed, he’s not working alone, he’s impulsive, no one knows his ability, he’s powerful. Yeah this wasn’t sounding great. “Would you like me to schedule a meeting with Philza and Wilbur?”

Techno could only manage a nod, pressing two fingers to his temples in an attempt to loosen in the incoming headache. Work wasn’t meant to be this difficult.

“Meeting is at 11pm tonight at The Syndicate’s main meeting room, they’ve both been notified.” Ranboo informed, and Techno managed a smile.

“Thanks Ran, can you send in the next deviant?” He asked, receiving a hum in return. But when Techno eventually opened his eyes, the other was still stood there, an unsure look on their face.

“Don’t stress too much over this, if worse comes to worse you need to be calm to do your best, alright?” Ranboo said eventually, and Techno couldn’t help the warm smile on his face, eyes softening at the person in front of him.

“I’ll try my best.” And with a nod and a reassuring smile, Ranboo left the room.

—

“So, let me get this straight.” Wilbur started, hands clasped in front of him. “A vigilante who first appeared three months ago, who took down Las Nevadas a month ago, has only just been noticed?” Wilbur asked, and Techno groaned.

“Yes, Wil! What’s so hard to understand?”

“Why wasn’t this kid on your radar before he took down Phil’s guards and his fucking lazars!” Wilbur yelled, and Phil winced slightly. “How did he even manage to take down those lazars?! Aren’t they deeply encrypted with code to make sure they can’t be turned off by outside sources?”

“That’s why I’m so concerned, Wil.” Phil managed out, somehow managing to have a smile on his face despite the terrible situation they’ve found themselves in. “He wasn’t on Techno’s radar because no one has ever been this big of a threat before, we didn’t expect a vigilante of all people to be able to do such things.”

“What’s this kid’s power anyway?” Wilbur spat, and Phil and Techno shared a knowing glance. “Oh my god, you don’t know.”

“Well, we know he can make people do certain things, like mind control but also… not.” Techno drifted off, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms over his chest.

“Apparently some of my people even saw him drive a car that didn’t have a wheel.” Phil explained, and that only puzzles them more. “So unless the car somehow had a form of autopilot, I think we have some strange ass power on our hands.”

“Not stranger than Wilbur’s.” Techno scoffed, and the man immediately started to defend himself, Phil hiding his laughs behind his hand.

Techno had never had a true family.

His parents never paid enough attention to him, they taught him to be emotionless and silent whenever guests were around, they taught him that learning a musical instrument was a waste of time and his time would be better spent studying. And then, aged 11 he joined a gang who named themselves ‘The Blades’.

That’s where he had gotten his name, ‘Technoblade’.

The names of his associates were long gone with the hazy memories, but he did remember one person teaching him how to accurately hold a gun, another teaching him not to shake whilst doing so.

One person had spent days going over Greek Mythology with him, making sure he knew every fact and every retelling.

Another had taught him that family should be left behind, family meant weakness and weakness meant death.

Aged 15, Techno realised that maybe they were wrong. Maybe he was capable of more than what The Blades had to offer. And that’s how The Syndicate was born.

When Techno was 17, he met Phil through official business, and the man had been shocked at how young he was. Phil was the first person to show that he cared, and it was because he was concerned that Techno was throwing himself into the business too soon. When he’d found out just how young Techno was thrown into it, the man had cried.

The Great Philza, a man who’d seen empires fall and strong men weep.

Philza had cried in front of him, purely because of Techno’s life.

And then, it was on Techno’s 19th birthday that he’d met Wilbur. It was at the latter’s 19th birthday party, at the dawn of L’Manberg when the group itself was only small. Wilbur had been shocked at first that they were born on the same day, but by the end of the night had his arm slung over Techno’s arm as he called them twins (Techno didn’t stop him, sipping Pepsi max through a straw. His indifference definitely wasn’t because of the warmth forming in his chest at the idea of having a brother.)

And that was how the Sleepy Boys Incorporated began.

Except it was a little more illegal than an incorporation, but who was going to tell them to change the name?

Plus, it’s not like the public knew their alliance was called that, more-so they knew it as the ‘SBI’, admittedly a lot more terrifying than what it stood for.

The SBI were rumoured to be family, some even said by blood. Techno wished that was true, that Phil was truly his Dad and that Wilbur wasn’t just his twin by coincidence. However, that didn’t take away from how he truly saw them.

Blood or not, they were his family. And Phil had taught him a valuable lesson once, and that was that family always stick together, and they protect each-other no matter the cost.

No matter how large Theseus’ determination was to take The Syndicate, and the SBI, down, Techno knew his will to keep his family safe was stronger.

No Theseus was going to kill him, no matter how much effort it took.

—

As it turned out, Theseus was stupid.

“Unless he’s stupid enough”, Ranboo had said, “He won’t come for The Syndicate” they said.

Techno was enjoying a moment of silence with his caramel macchiato when he got a notification from the entrance security cameras, and immediately checked them. The sight that met him was Theseus, eyes creased as if he was smiling, giving the guards a short wave.

“Go away kid, vigilantes aren’t welcome unless affiliated with The Blood God himself.” One of them, Hannah was her name, told him, her eyes sharp with something fierce that usually put people off. But Theseus just hummed, looking around them for a moment before moving his hands behind his back. If it wasn’t for the camera angle, Techno would’ve missed it.

The kid’s hands moved in such an elegant, calculated way, and as he did so that fierce look in Hannah’s eyes changed to something warm and almost endeared. “I think that The Blood God has made an exception for me, didn’t he tell you to let me in?”

The other guard must’ve noticed something was off, glaring at Theseus as he spoke. “What did you do to her?” Puffy spat, hands curling tighter around her sword as she held it up to Theseus’ neck. Surprisingly, Theseus simply smiled again, using his other hand and copying the same elegant movements as before.

“The Blood God ordered you to spar, and ordered that I meet with him, he told you this.”

And it was like a switch was flipped.

They both simultaneously smiled, moving to the side and motioning to the doorway. “Well,” Hannah started, chuckling to herself, “Who are we to disobey the boss’ orders?”

“Well, who knew the Technoblade hired such sweethearts.”

Hannah continued to smile, but Puffy’s smile turned back into that sharp powerful thing it usually was, bringing her sword down onto Theseus’ back without giving him a moment to block, yelping as he fell to the ground.

Kid. Fully dependant on ability. Overestimates his ability. Underestimates members of The Syndicate. Didn’t go for L’Manberg. Didn’t invade The Antarctic Empire after taking down their defences. Had head guard Puffy in a headlock-

Wait what?

“Ranboo.” Techno called, the person immediately appearing in front of him with a hum. “Teleport me to the front gates.”

Without a second question, Ranboo sent a puff of particles to Techno’s chest, and after a moment of pure terror, Techno appeared in front of Theseus, his own sword flicking beside him.

“Nice to meet you too.” Techno welcomed, the kid’s head shooting up immediately, a grin gracing his face as he held Puffy tight. Hannah still seemed to be in a trance.

“Ah, Technoblade.” No one calls him Technoblade but his family and his mortal enemies, but Theseus definitely wasn’t family. “Was expecting you to show up some time soon.”

“Please let my guard out of your grasp before I make you.” Techno commanded, and despite his kind words the tone it was spoken with was nothing but deadly.

It seemed Theseus heard the threat, releasing his arms and holding them by his head, keeping that same wicked grin on his face as Puffy huffed out as she hit the floor.

“Take Hannah out of that trance.”

Theseus clicked his fingers, and Hannah blinked, looking back with confusion. “What the-“

“Take me inside your institution, Blood God.” Theseus demanded, and Techno could only frown, raising an eyebrow at the other. “Let me see what I’m up against.”

“I mean, I was planning to invite you inside for a friendly cup of Starbucks coffee, but it’s quite rude to demand entrance in a place where you’re not welcome.” Techno spat back, and Theseus continued to smile.

“And what made me, of all people, exiled from The Syndicate?” Theseus asked, his amused tone only making that fire inside Techno grow. Oh how he wanted to slit this vigilante’s throat, but he wasn’t taught patience for nothing. But his patience was running incredibly thin.

“You messed with my family.” Finally, finally, Theseus faltered, and Techno took this moment of weakness to let the kid’s blood thrum under his own veins, tugging it towards him. “And people who mess with my family, mess with me, but you knew that didn’t you?”

“I knew Philza was part of the SBI alliance,” Theseus admitted, a dark glint to his eye that was much different to the amusement it once held. “But your family? If I knew he was family I would never had messed with him.”

Techno scoffed. “Please, I don’t believe that for a second.” He scowled as he rolled his eyes. “Ranboo.”

“Yes Techno?” Theseus’ eyes went wide as he looked at Ranboo.

“Take us to my office, please.” He asked with a small smile towards the man, and they were off in a puff of particles.

—

Being in an office alone with Theseus was unbearable. He’d taken the first chance to handcuff the kid to the chair across from his desk, but he didn’t stop talking.

“So one day, like, I woke up with this epiphany that I could be so poggers and just be epic.” He chattered on, and Techno was hardly listening as he messaged several help calls to the SBI group chat - they were mafia bosses, not weirdos, they have a group chat - who laughed but promised they were on their way.

“So is Wilbur Soot, like, your brother or something?” Theseus asked, spinning mindlessly as Techno hummed.

“Twin.”

“That’s poggers.”

“What does that even mean?”

Theseus said a lot of strange things in the time it took for Phil and Wilbur to arrive.

Something something kill something something control something something boring something something The Blades-

“The Blades?” Techno asked, his curiosity showing before he could mask it, and Theseus paused, giving him a strange look before slowly nodding.

“They found me when I was 9, taught me everything I know, and most specifically that you’re a massive dick!” Tommy expressed, and Techno simply stared, pinching his noses and rubbing his eyes.

Well that explained a lot.

“What did they tell you, Theseus?” Techno pressed, hearing a knock on the door that neither of them paid attention to.

“That you’re a traitor, that you abandoned them for your own selfishness- hell, you went against every rule they teach you in there!”

The knock came again. No one commented.

“I did what was best for me! What they teach is all a calculated lie, and you know it.”

“Techno?” Wilbur’s voice called from outside. No one opened the door for him.

“The Blades teach you how to control your abilities, you took their teachings and created a brutal empire with zero credit.”

“Credit? They want credit? They did nothing good for me, and I’m sure they never did anything good for you-“

“They saved me.”

“No, they saw a powerful ability and wanted it for themselves, you’re just a kid.”

The door was slammed open, and Philza stood on the other side, his dark black wings having been retracted likely for intimidation purposes. The man’s eyebrow was raised, blue eyes shimmering dangerous as they flickered between the two sat at the desk.

“I sure hope you’re insured on this building, Technoblade.” Philza scoffed, smiling before relaxing at the sight of the handcuffs, tugging Wilbur in by his upper arm. “Who’s this fantastic guest we have here?” He asked, but a type of anger coated his words that made Theseus sink in a little on himself, before immediately righting himself, likely smiling with pride.

“Theseus, pleased to meet your acquaintance Philza.” Theseus introduced, going to offer his hand before frowning, tugging at the cuffs before groaning. Philza smiled at this, Wilbur huffed at the kid’s annoyance. Techno saw through the facade.

“Phil, do you have any way to restrain his fingers, I have no doubt he can break out of these things if he tried.” There was a warning written between his words, as he stared at Theseus sat in front of him. A warning that said ‘if you even try I will make sure you don’t get out of this room alive’, and the kid seemed to understand, his smile dropping from his face.

“Uh, yeah, give me a sec.” Phil replied, shoving his hands deep in his pockets before pulling out two very strange metal contraptions, walking over and taking the boy’s hands carefully in his own.

“Who knew the Angel of Death was such a sweetheart?” Theseus scoffed, watching closely as the metal slotted onto his fingers. Wilbur’s face was full of confusion, Techno managed a smile, and Phil shot the kid the dirtiest look known to man.

The Angel of Death? Is that what they call Phil? That’s so much cooler than the Blood God.

No matter how much Theseus preached The Blades had saved him, they both knew better. Techno knew the look of longing in the kid’s eyes too well, as Phil’s warm hands held his own with unseen care. Techno had been there once, in a similar situation, and it made him question the authority in his life and how they’d never been so kind. It made him want a father, and he knew Theseus felt the same.

“There, he shouldn’t be able to move-“

“Do you have terrible parents or dead ones?” Techno asked before he could stop himself, Wilbur’s face going absolutely distraught as Phil’s went shocked. Surprisingly, Theseus gave him a small smile behind his mask.

“Died when I was nine, The Blades found me before the police arrived at the scene.” He returned, almost challenging.

“The Blades?” Phil asked quietly to himself, waiting for the shock on Techno’s face that never came.

“Right. And how long ago was that?”

The kid paused, a thoughtful glint in his eye as he stared Techno down, the man in turn returning it full force.

“Seven years ago.”

He leaned back in his chair, leaning his legs on the desk and crossing one leg over the other.

“And they prepared you to come after me? Didn’t they?” Techno asked, and Theseus for once stayed absolutely silent. “They saw your ability and knew you were their best chance at taking The Syndicate down, a small vulnerable boy with a manipulative ability.”

“They took me in because I needed help, I needed saving, this is just me repaying the debt-“

“Keep telling yourself that kiddo.”

The room was in silence for a moment, and it was Wilbur who eventually broke it.

“You think they raised him for the soul purpose of killing you?” Wilbur asked slowly, silence being enough confirmation. “What kind of sadists would do that?”

When Techno looked at Theseus, he saw exactly what he’d felt eight years ago. Worry, realisation, and yet resignation to the truth. Acceptance of the difficult, in simpler words.

“You can stay here, if you’d like.” Techno offered, and everyone in the room turned to him in shock, even Ranboo who stood with a tray of four Starbucks drinks in hand, jaw slightly ajar. Understandably, Theseus was wary.

“There’s a but.”

“But,” Techno continued, smiling when the kid sighed. “You have to tell me your name and tell me your ability.”

His quiet consideration was shocking enough.

His answer was even more so.

“My name is Tommy, and I know this will sound so dumb but I can rewire anything.”

“Like TV’s?” Phil asked, cocking his head as Tommy smiled, nodding.

“Oh! And, like, can you rewire lightbulbs to make them brighter?”

“Bit dumb but yes.”

“And brains.” Techno finished, looking at Tommy closely as he froze, looking back at Techno with a careful eye. “That’s how you control people, you rewire their brains with that weird finger motion.”

“The Blades taught you well, quite perceptive you are.” Tommy teased, and Techno would he lying if he said he didn’t feel a little pride from the statement.

After all, you can leave The Blades.

But The Blades never leave you.

“Welcome to The Syndicate, Tommy.” Techno said with a smile, walking over and tugging his mask down, a young but scarred face staring back at him with a hopeful smile.

Tommy was too young, taken too young, melded because of his own selfishness.

The least he could do was take him in and love him like a brother, because he knew Wilbur would grow a liking to him in the first few days, and Phil’s fatherly tendencies would forgive him even sooner.

“It’s a pleasure to be here, Blood God.”

“Call me Techno.”

Tommy’s smile was bright, and Techno was shocked to find his brighter.

—————

Sbi sbi sbi sbi

Fun facts about this au:

- Techno has a pig mask to cover his face, but instead of it being pink it’s black and has glitter because he’s fancy like that

- Tommy knew The Blades influence was bad, but never had anyone better to look up to - hence, Technoblade, which was why he accepted the help

- Phil had wanted to adopt Wilbur and Techno, but they were both too old by the time he’d even suggested it. He adopts Tommy before his 18th.

- The Blades get pissy that Tommy gave in so easily and literally fall out with each-other; Techno’s kindness was the fall of the organisation that had shaped him (and also traumatised him). In English teacher terms, this shows how they no longer have any power over him at all, going against their ideals and taking them down in the process

- Wilbur finds Tommy rewiring his own guard’s minds and tells him off, only to find he was sneaking in to hear him play his guitar because Techno said he could play

- Since Twinsduo’s first meeting, they used to go places and just preach how they were twins - more so Wilbur did and Techno went along with it. They did this so often that sometimes Techno forgot they weren’t actually related.

Hope you all enjoyed :D

[antaxzantax]

Umbrella Pharmaceuticals - Chapter 45

Summary:

Alexander Ashford and Alexia land at the Antarctic base.

I

Turbulence shook the plane as if it were going through a wormhole. One of the jolts spilled Alexander's unscrewed thermos. He and Jonathan scrambled to clean up the puddle of coffee on the floor and the droplets scattered on the wooden folding table. Alexia lulled herself sleepily into her thick, hooded fur coat, indifferent to the slip.

Stress had kept her from sleeping more than two consecutive hours for the past week, and the lack of sleep sharpened her irascibility. Five days before take-off, Elizabeth insisted that her granddaughter not go to Antarctica. Alexia replied so aggressively that her grandmother was struck dumb with surprise. Alexander sat down with her on the bed in her bedroom and asked her to explain what had happened. Alexia refused to answer. Surrendered, Alexander left for a moment. Alone, Alexia activated the mechanism of the music box and sat back down on the bed to listen to Berceuse.

After the incident with Elizabeth, Alexia met Dr. Sarah Charleigh, her new psychologist and specialist in gifted children. They only met twice. In the first session, Alexia filled out a personality questionnaire. In the second, Charleigh delved into her dreams and expectations. For the third, Charleigh would contact her by radio to start working on stress management and her newly acquired insomnia.

II

Alexander wiped his coffee with the handkerchief Jonathan passed him, chalking the slip up to fatigue. The last month's preparations had exhausted him.

He had to approve several lists of employees drawn up by the Institute. A research team of young, competent, ambitious and open-minded scientists. A trusted cleaning and maintenance staff. And a cadre of subordinates who were promised a higher base salary in exchange for their confinement at the South Pole. In terms of transporting personnel and materials, Alexander cut the lower quintile's allocation to tighten the budget. Harman turned to the Wilson brothers to scavenge Newcastle's municipal rubbish dump for bunk beds and lockers. For extra pay, the Wilsons took chairs, tables, desks and kitchen appliances. For a second allowance, the Wilsons collected food from local suppliers and soup kitchens.

Alexander reinvested the savings in one last decision. He ordered Martin to fly to Antarctica to dismantle and seal that site. Martin returned with the last report of the Code: Veronica project and photographs showing the lab's demise. He had destroyed the machines and sealed off the two entrances with a thick layer of reinforced concrete. Alexander glanced at the report.

“My children.”

He felt a sudden unease, similar to that of the Spencer mansion. The words he reread choked him.

He threw the report into the burning fireplace. The flames disintegrated the document.

He would die keeping the secret for the memory of his father and to protect his family.

III

The airplane landed on a makeshift runway cleared by snowplows. With the engines shut down, the five crew members descended the ramp in a line. The cold froze the ends of their hair and flushed their cheeks. Alexia, hood up, led the group to the entrance. Alexander set the two suitcases he was carrying on the ground and helped his daughter pull the frozen latch. The metal sheet gave way, and they stepped inside a half-buried building: first, Alexia, chief researcher; second, Alexander, director of the base; third, Martin, security chief and bodyguard; fourth, Jonathan, assistant butler, domestic assistant and cook; and fifth, Michael, pilot and staff supervisor.

It was hot inside. Alexia took off her hood. Alexander shook the ice from his beard and hair.

“Ready?” Martin nodded affirmatively. “Go.”

[bopinion]

2023 / 46

Aperçu of the Week:

"How do you get revenge for killing a child? By killing other people's children? Certainly not."

(Palestinian Bassam Aramin and Israeli Rami Elhanan. Both have lost a daughter in the Middle East conflict. And still strive for reconciliation).

Bad News of the Week:

I won't be alive in the year 2100. Maybe my children will. If they have children, they certainly will. And they will look back on their grandparents' generation. And probably curse them. Because they will have us to thank for the world they (have to) live in. It will be in a miserable state. And that is our fault.

My grandparents and parents created the German "economic miracle". Primarily with sweat, coal and steel. An industrialized nation like all developed (if you can call it that way) western countries. The environment was a resource and not a living habitat worth protecting. But these generations didn't know any better. At least not in society as a whole. That no longer applies to people my age. We know better. So we have no excuse for doing nothing.

In 2100, it will be almost 3 degrees warmer than it is today. That is the result of the so-called Emissions Gap Report presented by the UN Environment Program (UNEP). The world will look fundamentally different. Apart from a remnant of continental ice in the Antarctic, there can no longer be any glaciers at these temperatures. Ocean currents will be completely different due to the warming of the upper water layers. Or won't be at all. But with significantly less oxygen, i.e. with fewer sea creatures. Which will then not only be missing from the species balance, but also from the food chain. Etcetera.

The current German government with green participation has suffered a severe setback in its already modest plan to convert the economy to sustainability. This is because the Federal Constitutional Court has ruled that 60 billion from the "Transformation Fund" may not be used for this purpose. Because it is a reallocated budget that was actually intended to deal with the effects of the pandemic. Let's not misunderstand each other: the money is there, not some nebulous air booking in the future. It just unfortunately has the wrong label.

This frustrates me in many ways. Not that I want to question our supreme jurisdiction. But I do want to question the standards by which it is measured. Just as electric cars are given preference over petrol cars when it comes to parking spaces in the city, priority should be given to ecological and sustainable measures in budget planning. Quite simply because it must undoubtedly be the top priority. It is bad enough that the urgently needed reorientation of our society is being held back by laziness, convenience and ignorance. Then please don't add bureaucracy to the mix.

Good News of the Week:

The EU is finally getting serious about prosecuting environmental offenders. In future, serious crimes against the environment will be punishable by heavy prison sentences and fines. Representatives of the governments of the member states and the European Parliament agreed in Brussels on new rules to improve the prosecution of environmental crimes.

This includes a wide range of offenses, from illegal timber trading to violations of chemicals regulations. Environmental crime is one of the world's most profitable organized crime activities and has a considerable impact on the environment and human health, the Council of Member States said in response to the planned new directive.

The proposed penalties are severe. Individuals face up to 10 years in prison, companies at least 5% of their global turnover. Equally worth mentioning: offenders will be obliged to restore the environment to its previous state or provide compensation. A clear victory for the environment. Which ultimately belongs to all of us. Or actually to no one, because it is a greater good.

Personal happy moment of the week:

My work-life balance is currently very uneven. Because I'm extremely busy at work: several problematic and time-consuming projects are stupidly overlapping at the same time. That's why I'm almost exclusively in the office at the moment and not with my family. They are kind enough to understand that daddy and hubby have very little time - and are in a bad mood. Thank you very much for your understanding and patience!

I couldn't care less...

...that Vladimir Putin wants to take part in a virtual G20 summit. Sure, he can't be arrested there either - the International Criminal Court had issued an arrest warrant for war crimes against Ukraine. The worst joke, however, is his topic. According to Moscow's announcement, he wants to present "his view of a deeply unstable world situation". Suggestion: resign. That would make the world much more stable in one fell swoop.

As I write this...

...I discover the work of Karl Jenkins. The Welsh composer is responsible for countless contemporary hits in classical music, such as Adiamus and Palladio. I know his music - from advertising and from movies and television. But I never knew that it was one and the same mastermind who created it.

Post Scriptum

Anarchy reigns in Argentina. At least Javier Milei, the winner of Sunday's presidential election, calls himself an "anarcho-capitalist". The people's longing for change was extremely strong. After all, the record of the center-left alliances that have been in power for decades is anything but brilliant: over a third of the population officially falls below the poverty line, inflation recently reached 147% and any innovation is suffocating in an over-regulating state.

Many of Milei's plans sound very radical - at least by European standards: the introduction of the US dollar as the official national currency, the closure of public institutions such as the national broadcaster or the privatization of state-owned companies. However, the political novice has neither a majority in parliament, nor a functioning party apparatus or a solid network in the regions of his country. What he can actually implement is therefore more than questionable. But he is challenging the status quo and at least bringing a breath of fresh air. And that has never done any harm.

[lucysweatslove]

10.28.2023 // I’m not quite sure where I’m going with this journal, but it’s a weird mood re: body connectivity.

Maybe I’ve been having fever dreams lately, but honestly, this is the best I’ve felt physically in a while, so I don’t think it’s quite that. Emotionally though, I’m feeling… weird?

I took two naps today (is it technically Sunday? Yes. But it’s Saturday still in terms of my days). I think the sleeping all week has helped a ton. I don’t feel 100%, but I don’t remember the last time I felt 100%.

During the last nap, the one in which my entire dream was me blogging on Tumblr specifically, I was trying to think of a title for a journal post that I dated November 2019. I don’t remember the day of the month, just 11/__/2019. I want to say it was 13, 18 or 23. Not 28 though because the cream didn’t feel like a 28th.

I bring this up not because the exact date matters, but because November 2019 was the last time I felt decently well. Not perfect, mind you, but this was before I got that upper respiratory infection that kicked off the years of illnesses.

Friday night, I had a mini-meltdown or shutdown or something… I can’t think of the words right now. I had multiple hours of extreme body dysphoria. Not gender dysphoria- it’s not about gender or secondary sex characteristics and more about… just not wanting a body or feeling like I belong or am connected to this specific body. I joke about wishing I could just be a purple sentient mist, but it’s not entirely a joke. I still want to be. I want to be alive and sentient and learning and doing and experiencing. I’m not unhappy with life in general. I love spending time with my husband and my pug and all that. But every time I look at myself, it feels wrong somehow.

Initially last night I was thinking about how much I miss my “old” body. I don’t miss the eating disorder, not really. But I miss how I looked. I never got the chance to delve deep into the pathogenesis of my ED, and I don’t really remember much at all. I think, though, that I may never have felt super connected to my body except when I was making it smaller. There were only a few times in my life where I felt like my body matched me, and they were during that pseudo-recovery period. Where my body was at it’s smallest, or nearly at its smallest, but I wasn’t actively restricting. A “best of both worlds” moment that never could’ve lasted.

I’ve realized since actually starting recovery, with every small change, I’ve become more and more distant with my body. Even though I’ve reconnected with a lot of physical cues, my body doesn’t feel like ME. It feels like a physical meat sack I’m forced to occupy so I can do things that matter to me. Like if you were from the tropics but you are venturing to Antarctica because you were really excited to do some science down there. You are only excited and fulfilled by this topic and can only do the science and gather the data down there. But, because of the cold snow, you have to wear ridiculously restricting and hideous puffy snow clothes. You know there’s no other option- you can only tolerate the Antarctic cold in clothes that feel like “you” for so long before you risk severe damage, and if you left to go back to the tropics, you would be leaving your dream or giving up on your life’s work.

I think I’ve managed the body I’m in right now by this disconnect. I’m really not sure if I CAN safely reconnect as it is- like when I imagine what it looks like, I can see it, but it still doesn’t feel like ME. I can only reconcile my sense of self and my body when I look back in time. At least pre-Covid, but honestly even earlier than that is better. Aside from that, I can’t even connect with an idea of looking like anybody else or any way else- I just want to be a purple must.

So yeah, idk where I’m going with this because it’s impossible to go back in time or become a sentient mist and none of this makes sense anyway.

[illyaking]

I am curious to see how migrating everyone’s blogs from Tumblr to WordPress will go. I have accounts on both platforms. I’d hate to have duplicate accounts. I hope Automattic has a way to merge account otherwise this will be a slight task to tidy up my social accounts with WordPress. I’ve never been a Tumblr user. I appreciate their social environment. WordPress Reader has emulated Tumblr over the years with their reblogging function but it has never quite got that “je ne sais quoi” appeal that Tumblr has. So I am interested in the direction that Tumblr will go. Reblog via Jyolsna from WP Tavern Automattic announced last week its plan to migrate Tumblr to WordPress, a move described as “one of the largest technical migrations in internet history.” This move comes after Automattic acquired Tumblr in 2019, marking the company’s biggest acquisition at the time. During the acquisition, Matt Mullenweg had pointed out that “Tumblr and WordPress have always been very philosophically aligned.” An emerging Tumblr/WordPress plugin and theme ecosystem were on the cards, and Matt said that once Tumblr’s backend is on WordPress, the idea of plugins can be explored. After the acquisition, Tumblr faced tough times, with Matt revealing last year that it was spending about $30 million more than its annual earnings. The porn ban didn’t help matters, but the Twitter Exodus of early 2023 following Elon Musk’s acquisition of the social media site gave it a sudden boost.  The migration announcement post said, “We’re not talking about changing Tumblr. We’re not turning Tumblr into WordPress. That would defeat the purpose. We acquired Tumblr to benefit from its differences and strengths, not to water it down. We love Tumblr’s streamlined posting experience and its current product direction. We’re not changing that. We’re talking about running Tumblr’s backend on WordPress. You won’t even notice a difference from the outside.” Automattic reiterated that “The changes will be exclusively at the backend.” The migration though not easy – with Tumblr hosting over half a billion blogs – will be a win-win situation for both WordPress and Tumblr. Automattic believes that “Tumblr will benefit from the collective effort that goes into the open source WordPress project. And WordPress will benefit from the tools and creativity we invest into Tumblr and contribute back to WordPress.”  Men Wanted for Hazardous Journey Automattic is actively seeking experienced PHP programmers to undertake this migration project. Matt compared this to the famous British explorer Ernest Shackleton’s recruitment ad for his Antarctic expedition, which read, “Men wanted for hazardous journey. Small wages, bitter cold, long months of complete darkness, constant danger, safe return doubtful. Honour and recognition in case of success.” The advertisement continues, “If you’re an experienced programmer… if you’re a SQL‑slinger… if you’ve worked on other big audacious projects like this… if Gordian knots tremble in your presence, we want to work with you!” “We’re already seeing interesting candidates apply and resume review is underway for full-time roles. All relevant experience is welcome, particularly those who have worked on other large migrations or are just excited about working on a challenge of this size.” – Bob Ralian, Tumblr Migration Lead Interested candidates can apply through the website giving a brief introduction about themselves. The post does not give any details about the remuneration or the application deadline.  Community Response  Matt tweeted “I’m excited about this one.”, while Eric Karkovack of Speckyboy quipped “Will there be a project status blog? If so, I’d recommend calling it “Tumblng Into WordPress”.” Platform Lead Engineer at Pew Research Center Seth Rubenstein tweeted, “This is so exciting. I hope this means it becomes easier to create Tumblr themes in the future; especially, dare I say, if they’re just block themes…” Courtney Robe...

[swldx]

BBC 0409 4 Aug 2024

12095Khz 0358 4 AUG 2024 - BBC (UNITED KINGDOM) in ENGLISH from TALATA VOLONONDRY. SINPO = 55434. English, dead carrier s/on @0358z then ID@0359z pips and newsroom preview. @0401z World News anchored by Neil Nunes. Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado has addressed a mass rally in the capital Caracas, defying government calls for her arrest. Ms Machado went into hiding earlier this week after accusing President Nicolás Maduro of defrauding the opposition candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, of a clear victory in the presidential election. The president in turn has promised "maximum punishment" for anti-government demonstrators who say his re-election was rigged. More than 90 people were arrested after far-right demonstrations descended into riots in towns and cities across the UK on Saturday. Bottles were thrown, shops looted, and police officers attacked in areas including Hull, Liverpool, Bristol, Manchester, Blackpool and Belfast, but not all demonstrations turned violent. Hezbollah launched around 30 rockets from Lebanon into northern Israel late Saturday night, the Israel Defense Forces announced, after the terror group claimed responsibility for the barrage shortly after midnight. The Israeli military stated that air defense systems intercepted most of the rockets, though one struck near Beit Hillel and several landed in open areas. No injuries were reported. More violence in the Nigerian capital on Saturday as anger over the rising cost of living continues to grow. On Friday police fired tear-gas and live bullets to disperse protesters. More than a dozen people are reported to have been killed, in unrest during the past couple of days. M23 rebels Saturday took control of a large town in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo near the border with Uganda without fighting. Russia has pledged humanitarian assistance to North Korea after devastating floods damaged thousands of homes and caused an unknown number of casualties, with reports from South Korea that the number of dead or missing could be as high as 1,500. A23a, the world's biggest iceberg, far bigger than Greater London, has been captured in a vast pool of rotating water. It's a phenomenon oceanographers call a Taylor Column - and it's possible A23a might not escape its jailer for years. The berg's longevity is well documented. It broke free from the Antarctic coastline way back in 1986. Sports. @0406z "The Newsroom" begins. Backyard gutter antenna w/MFJ-1020C active antenna (used as a preamplifier/preselector), JRC NRD-535D, 250kW, beamAz 315°, bearing 63°. Received at Plymouth, MN, United States, 15359KM from transmitter at Talata Volonondry. Local time: 2258.

[mqsinfo]

Awesome Facts About Bird Migration :

MQSinfo.com

At least 4,000 species of bird are regular migrants, which is about 40 percent of the total number of birds in the world. (Although this number will likely increase as we learn more about the habits of birds in tropical regions.)

Top 10 Mysteries of the Universe — MQSinfo

2. Birds can reach great heights as they migrate. Bar-headed geese are the highest-flying migratory birds, regularly reaching altitudes of up to five and a half miles above sea level while flying over the Himalayas in India.

But the bird with the record for the highest altitude ever is the Ruppel’s griffon vulture, which collided with a plane at 37,000 feet (that’s seven miles!) in 1975 and was unfortunately sucked into its jet engine.

3. The Arctic tern has the longest migration of any bird in the world. These black-capped, red-billed birds can fly more than 49,700 miles in a year, making a round trip between their breeding grounds in the Arctic and the Antarctic, where they spend their winters.

The lucky bird gets to see two summers a year! And over its lifespan of more than 30 years, the flights can add up to the equivalent of three trips to the moon and back.

The tiny Northern wheatear flies thousands of miles as it migrates.

4. Speaking of long distances, the northern wheatear travels up to 9,000 miles each way between the Arctic and Africa, giving it one of the largest ranges of any songbird. What makes this an amazing feat is that the tiny bird weighs less than an ounce, on average.

5. The award for fastest bird goes to the great snipe: It flies around4,200 miles at speeds of up to 60mph! No other animal travels at such speeds for such long distances. Birds usually utilize tailwinds (winds blowing in the same direction they fly) to help them go faster, but the snipe’s speeds don’t seem to be a result of that.

Facts That Are Absolutely Mind Boggling

6. The bar-tailed godwit can fly for nearly 7,000 miles without stopping, making it the bird with the longest recorded non-stop flight. During the eight-day journey, the bird doesn’t stop for food or rest, demonstrating jaw-dropping endurance.

7. Migration can be extremely dangerous for birds, and many don’t often make it back to their starting point. Sometimes natural occurrences like harsh weather play a role, but many times, human activities are the cause of birds’ untimely demise.

In the United States alone, up to one billion birds die each year from window collisions. And approximately seven million die from striking TV and radio towers in North America annually, ABC News reports.

8. To prepare for the extremely taxing effort of migration, birds enter a state called hyperphagia, where they bulk up on food in the preceding weeks to store fat, which they’ll later use for energy on their long journeys. Some birds, like the blackpoll warbler, almost double their body weight before flying 2,300 miles non-stop for 86 hours.

Facts And Knowledge info

Quotes in urdu

Facts in urdu

Knowledge in urdu

Information in urdu

9. Even birds that don’t fly migrate. Emus, the large Australian birds, often travel for miles on foot to find food, and many populations of penguins migrate by swimming.

[unstoppable-wanderlust-blog]

Spirit of Shackleton - G Expedition - January 28, 2024 - Kayaking with whales

The morning started with calm waters and only very minor swells so I decided to be brave and jump into the kayaks for the morning paddle.  The bay was active with lots of humpbacks already so we were hoping to hang out with some.  As soon as we got on the water, we saw them in the distance and there was a pair just logging in the water so we floated along side them for 30-45 min.  It was truly magical - at one point we were only 40-50m away.  When the wind started to pick up, we paddled back to the boat - it was a wavy ride back with a bit of a workout and I think we were all thankful to be back on board without another polar dip.  

The afternoon we spent at Mikkelsen Harbour - by then the wind had picked up and we were in a bit of a snowstorm but it was our last outing in Antarctica so we had to go brave it and get out there.  Visiting the penguins and seals during a snowstorm was the perfect ending to this magical trip - thick snow falling around the wildlife - just so spectacular.  I think most of us cried a little bit on that outing - there is something about Antarctica that changes your inner soul and it is like leaving a beloved friend behind knowing you will likely never see them again.  

During our debrief they said we had set a record.  This is the first and only expedition where they have done all the landings that they had planned on!  And as we head into the Drake, well we are going to sneak in right between two storm systems and sailing most of the way through very mild waters!!!  Our luck is holding out!  We were told, however, that if we meet anyone coming on the ship in town (since we were giant red parkas that give us away), we need to tell them how horrible the drake was because the weather for these poor souls looks rough coming back down.  

We ended the night listening to the onboard musicians while watching the sunset (which we haven’t seen in 3 weeks!) and behind us the snow covered mountains glowing from the setting sun - our last views of Antarctica. 

Thanks for joining me on this journey!  It has been fun doing these updates and sharing all the experiences here and hopefully allowing others to experience a bit of this magical Antarctic and sub Antarctic world.  There will be lots more photos and videos when I am back, but for now I am signing off and setting sails across the Drake and just soaking in every last moment I can.

[streamingthruamerica]

The Best of Brown Bluff

After a week of island-hopping along the Antarctic Peninsula, Leah and finally set foot on the continent of Antarctica. And because this was Viking’s sole continental visit, the expedition team was particularly busy transporting the remaining 352 passengers to Brown Bluff while overseeing a range of other outdoor activities throughout the day. Our group was instructed to report to Deck 2 during…

[xtruss]

Deadly Floods, seen here, Struck Brazil in September. Natural Disasters Such as Extreme Heat, Wildfires, and Floods Were All Seen in 2023—Signs of a Hotter Planet. Photograph By Christian Rizzi, AFP/Getty Images

2023 Was Our Hottest Year Yet. What Other Milestones Did We Reach?

It was the hottest year on record, but signs we might avert climate disaster also emerged.

— By Kieran Mulvaney | January 9, 2024

Increasing temperatures, a melting Arctic, cataclysmic Canadian wildfires: in 2023, the effects of climate change and environmental threats to wildlife set records. Data from the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service indicates it was the hottest year since record keeping began in 1850. Temperatures were on average 1.48°C hotter than they were since before the Industrial Revolution began—a temperature increase dangerously close to a limit scientists say shouldn't be surpassed.

But not all the environmental milestones of 2023 were negative. Amid these causes for concern were signs of hope.

A trend away from fossil fuels and toward renewable energy continues apace, even if not at quite the rate of change that many would like to see. While some species were declared extinct, other showed themselves for the first time in decades. And the 50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act highlighted that some species that had seemed destined to disappear are now, relatively speaking, thriving.

Both the good and the bad, here are six environmental milestones from the past year.

Temperatures Kept Climbing

With just two weeks remaining, 2023 appears destined to be the warmest year on record, with average temperatures approximately 2.5°F higher than they were before the industrial revolution. This year, we saw the hottest July, August, September, and October on record. July was the hottest month ever recorded, and July 4 was the warmest single day ever documented—possibly one of the warmest days in the past 125,000 years.

Global carbon emissions from fossil fuels, the primary driver behind such temperature increases, also reached a new high in 2023, having increased by 1.1 percent since 2022.

This extreme heat has also been fueled by a strong El Niño event, which emerged this past spring in the Northern Hemisphere and developed rapidly during summer. According to the World Meteorological Organization, this weather pattern will likely lead to even higher temperatures in 2024.

Fire Damage Spreads

In a year that saw a succession of extreme weather events, few stood out more than the wildfires that swept across swaths of Canada and polluted the skies over much of the United States. A record 45.7 million acres burned across the country in 2023, almost three times the previous record amount and an area approximately twice as large as Portugal.

According to a study by the Copernicus Climate Change Service, Canada’s wildfires emitted 410 million metric tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, roughly the equivalent of Mexico’s emissions in 2021 and not far off the 546 million metric tons that Canada itself emitted as a result of human activity in 2022.

The Arctic and Antarctic Sweltered and Melted

Earth’s most northerly region continues to warm four times faster than the rest of the planet.

In December, NOAA published its annual Arctic Report Card, which found that 2023 was the warmest year ever recorded in the region.

In Greenland, temperatures at Summit Station, high on the ice sheet, temporarily nudged above freezing on June 26—temperatures only seen five times in the past 34 years.

At the other end of the Earth, sea ice dwindled to a record low.

For several years, Antarctic sea ice—which melts almost entirely each summer—had been stable, despite the warming ocean below it. Researchers have offered a number of explanations for this persistence but predicted that there would one day come a time when Antarctic sea ice would begin to retreat. That time is now.

The maximum extent of Antarctic sea ice for the year was the lowest ever recorded: 6.55 million square miles, almost 400,000 square miles below the previous low, and a cause for concern for the Antarctic wildlife such as penguins and seals, for which sea ice is a vital habitat.

Renewables are on the Rise

The COP28 climate change conference concluded in December with a pledge to triple renewable energy capacity by 2030.

That would almost certainly require more investment in the industry, but there’s reason to believe that investment is possible. The use of renewables has already reached new records in 2023.

The International Energy Authority stated in July that global renewable energy capacity will increase by 440 gigawatts over the course of 2023, 107 gigawatts greater than the growth in 2022. Two-thirds of that increase is driven by a growth in solar cell capacity, the IEA added.

According to a report published earlier this year by energy think tank Ember, wind and solar together provided 14.3 percent of global electricity in the first half of 2023, compared to 12.8 percent in 2022. Fifty countries set monthly records for solar generation in that same period, although energy generation from hydropower declined slightly, due largely to droughts in China.

Electric Vehicles are Gaining Traction

The clean energy revolution is spreading to personal transportation. While sales were lower than what automakers and the federal government had hoped for, the number of EVs on the road had a notable increase in the U.S. and abroad.

Global sales of common types of electric vehicles rose 20 percent this year, according to one study. Sales increased by 43 percent in the United States and Canada, and 25 percent in China.

According to the BloombergNEF Zero Emission Vehicles Handbook, forecasts for the number of battery electric vehicles on the road by 2030 have risen 26 percent compared to 2022, with all zero-emission vehicles combined estimated to account for as much as 75 percent of global passenger vehicle sales in 2040.

This increase is primarily driven by China, where more than 25 percent of new passenger vehicle sales are electric vehicles.

Species went Extinct While Others were Rediscovered

In May, a study of 71,000 animal species found that 48 percent are experiencing declines, 49 percent remain stable, and just three percent are seeing an increase in the size of their populations. That same study concluded that one-third of animal species that are not presently considered at-risk are nonetheless declining in numbers that threaten their long-term survival.

The U.S. government removed 21 species from the endangered species list because they are now considered extinct, including the Little Mariana fruit bat, the Bachman’s warbler, and several species of birds, mussels, and fish. However, as the Endangered Species Act reached its 50th anniversary, the continued survival of several species— including bald eagles, peregrine falcons, and American alligators— is testament to what can be achieved when conservation measures are taken.

And some species, previously considered extinct, were rediscovered in 2023, including a “golden mole that swims through sand,” last seen in 1937, and a species of echidna named after Sir David Attenborough and described as having “the spines of a hedgehog, the snout of an anteater and the feet of a mole.

It resurfaced in Indonesia after more than 60 years.

[fairfielduam]

Direct from the Director Late Fall 2023

It has been an exceptionally busy season at the Museum! It has been a privilege for us to present the landmark exhibition In Real Times. Arthur Szyk: Artist & Soldier for Human Rights this fall. Since the exhibition opened on September 28, we have:

Offered free admission to over 3,700 visitors

Hosted more than 70 free online and in-person Szyk-related events, including exhibition tours led by the Director, the Exhibition Coordinator, our Educators, and a fantastic corps of community volunteers, which have been attended by over 2,000 people;

Received 20,000+ YouTube views of the Szyk video tour and recorded programs.

The Season of Giving is upon us, and we need your support to continue this good work!

The Museum operates on a modest annual budget, and exhibitions like the Szyk show are very expensive to produce. We depend on the contributions of generous donors like you to keep our museum offerings free and accessible both in person and online, in both English and Spanish.

If you participated in one of our numerous events this fall, enjoyed our virtual programs, or simply believe in the power of the arts in our community, will you please make a gift today to help enhance our exhibitions, ensure our unwavering commitment to excellence, and continue to inspire young minds?

Please take a minute and DONATE now.

Museum Accreditation News: Last week we had the privilege of hosting John Wetenhall, Director of the George Washington University Museum of Art, and The Textile Museum and Megan McAdow, Director of the Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum at Saginaw Valley State University. They spent two days with us on campus as our Site Reviewers for the American Alliance of Museums Accreditation process. They met with University students, faculty, staff, alumni, members of our Collections Committee, and of the University Board of Trustees, as well as foundation funders, community collaborators, and other Fairfield County arts and culture professionals. Their primary role was to confirm that all of the information that we had shared in our Self-Study was correct. They will write a report based on their findings which will be submitted to the AAM Accreditation Committee at their February 2024 meeting where they will vote on whether to grant us accreditation. We will certainly let you know!

Upcoming Winter 2024 Exhibitions: We are very excited about the two exhibitions we are opening in late January/early February, both of which focus on environmental and climate-related themes. In the Walsh Gallery, we are presenting Streaming: Sculpture by Christy Rupp. Understood as one of the early pioneers in the field of ecological art activism, the artist, activist and thought-leader Christy Rupp has an international reputation. Streaming will feature a survey of Rupp’s wall installations and free-standing sculpture created with detritus gathered from the waste stream, which chronicle the ongoing tension between natural systems and the environment in transition, and call our attention to our interconnectedness with non-humans and habitat. Informed by science and the historical representation of natural history, the artwork in this exhibition examines the way we frame our opinions of nature, using irony and wit to represent the human impact on our natural habitat.

In the Bellarmine Hall Galleries, we will present Helen Glazer: Walking in Antarctica. This interdisciplinary exhibition includes photography and sculpture made from 3D scans of ice and rock formations, inspired and informed by Glazer’s experiences as a grantee of the National Science Foundation Antarctic Artists and Writers Program. It also includes an audio tour which takes the visitor on a series of “walks” through the Antarctic landscape, narrated by the artist.

Please come see the Szyk exhibition before it closes if you have not yet had a chance to see it – it truly is a remarkable and timely collection of works. It is only open through December 16th! Keep in mind that thanks to a recent generous grant from the Art Bridges Foundation, we are now open for extended hours on Thursdays until 8pm.

Wishing you and yours a very happy Holiday season.

Artfully yours, Carey

Captions: Christy Rupp, Petroplankton, 2019-2021. Collected single use plastics. Courtesy of the artist. Helen Glazer, Cloudburst, Erebus Ice Tongue Cave, Antarctica, 2015/2017; photograph. Courtesy of the artist.