#KWA

[my100sul]

[coolnardo]

Also I made cookies earlier so-

[Sets plate of cookies down]

You guys can snack while decorating :P

AWESOME WHAT KIND?!??!

[thingsdavidlikes]

Kowloon City Road, Hong Kong by mikemikecat https://flic.kr/p/2ov2G8q

[notoriouslydevious]

Briar by Purple Kwa

[faunandfloraas]

For posterity's sake

[santuri]

what's even crazier is armand tells louis he can leave and louis says no im staying here with u

[gennsoup]

"The cycle of life is not necessarily straightforward and predictable."

Lydia Kwa, Oracle Bone

[mimble-sparklepudding]

8. Highlight a FFXIV blog with a really original OC.

And~

34. Highlight a FFXIV blog that does something impressive or different with a popular trope or character.

A FFXIV blog with a really original OC would definitely be @peddlestox-shinyrocks. Kwas is a completely unique OC, in terms of her backstory, her character and her outlook on the world. I'm never anything other than delighted to see a post about Kwas, in part because I know that it will be completely different to anything else I will see on my dash. If you've never come across @peddlestox-shinyrocks then I really recommend you check it out.

Whilst I follow an awful lot of FFXIV blogs which do impressive and different things with various ideas and characters (all of which are fantastic) none have achieved as much as @meepsthemiqo.

Somehow this blog manages to take a Asahi - a character that I hate on a deep and visceral level - and make him part of a romantic relationship in which I can't help being invested. I mean seriously, I don't think you can get more impressive than that.

[uwmspeccoll]

Staff Pick of the Week!

Susan Estelle Kwas is a Milwaukee artist known for her vibrant illustrations and whimsical artist books. Her 2015 publication, A Collaborative Drawing Book is no exception as it invites readers into a visual conversation between Milwaukeean Fred Foss (1898) and Kwas (2015) over one hundred years in the making.

Kwas found Foss’ copy book in an antique shop and was so delighted by his graphite drawings that she decided to pair them with her own. Sometimes tucking characters into Foss’ scenery, other times superimposing them, Kwas’ colored pencil and watercolor contributions are nothing short of charming.  

Kwas rebound the book in montage sur onglets form (with pages sewn on stubs to release them from the confines of the gutter) in buffalo leather, preserving the original orientation of each page. The cover decoration was created by blind tooling inset leather strips and is complimented by marbled endpapers.  

View other staff picks here.

– Jenna, Special Collections Graduate Intern 

[inatungulates]

Southern white rhinoceros Ceratotherium simum simum

With red-billed oxpecker Buphagus erythrorhynchus

Observed by simben, CC BY-NC-ND

[buffetlicious]

There is no denying that Bak Kwa (肉干) is very popular during Lunar New Year. Even as the prices soared to over S$100 per kilogram for the premium bbq meats, long queues are forming among the popular brands’ outlets around Singapore.

Traditionally Bak Kwa are made from pork but to cater to different religious restriction and cultures, they are now also available in beef, chicken, mutton and vegan versions. The slices of thin meat are grilled over charcoal to impart a smoker flavour to the meat.  Singaporean and Malaysian versions of bak kwa are also sweeter than their mainland China counterparts with many different variations having developed to suit local palates, such as chili bak kwa.

Did you know that Bak kwa can also be made into cookies like this Vegan Bak Kwa Cookies? Depending on your diet restriction, you can substitute the real grilled meat rather than using plant-based protein in the biscuit.

Selected images courtesy of Bee Cheng Hiang.

[temnayajija]

kwas

kwas

[coolnardo]

"I'm the only one like me 😋 do any of the other Leos have a SUPER COOL breathing tube and tank bag? Look at it! It's got Sonic stickers."

YOOOOOOOOOO!! SONIC STICKERS :0

All I have is a wheelchair and two missing limbs

;(

AYYY lemme make your wheelchair as cool as you

[southeastasianists]

Established in 1905 by two brothers on Rochor Road, this shop holds the title of being the oldest establishment to sell bakkwa (rougan), a sweet-savory treat especially beloved in the Lion City. Over the course of a century, Mr.Lim and his brother developed a reputation for culinary craftsmanship. Today, the shop does a brisk business during the Lunar New Year festivities.

A preservation and preparation technique originating in ancient China, bakkwa is a Hokkien delicacy that made its way to countries in Southeast Asia, notably Malaysia and Singapore. Typically made from pork, the preservation process involves slicing it into thin sheets, then marinating it with sugar and spices. The sliced meat is then air-dried and cooked over a hot plate. The Malaysian and Singaporean versions of this delicacy carry a sweeter taste than its predecessor. After many centuries, one thing remains unchanged, once considered a luxury reserved for the lunar new year, its enduring popularity is evident as there are always long queues to buy this treat. 

Missing his hometown of Anxi, China; Lim Chwee Guan (林水源) started selling bakkwa as a way of assimilating his native culture into his new home, Singapore. With the help of his brother, he operated Kim Hock Guan, located in the Bugis Area. Today, this establishment remains as a family-owned business, with a history spanning five generations.

[foodcreation101]

Pork Jerky aka Bak Kwa Mini Burger 🍔🐻🍅🥬🧀

[wachinyeya]

https://ictnews.org/news/biden-designates-avi-kwa-ame-a-national-monument

Joe Biden designates Avi Kwa Ame a national monument

President Joe Biden announced on Tuesday Avi Kwa Ame as a national monument in Nevada, following up on a promise he made in late 2022.

Biden also declared a national monument in Texas and the creation of a marine sanctuary in U.S. waters near the Pacific Remote Islands southwest of Hawai'i.

Biden spoke at the White House Conservation in Action Summit at the Interior Department with Fort Mojave Indian Tribal Chairman Timothy Williams commending him during his introduction.

“Under his leadership we have a seat at the table and we are seeing an unprecedented era and opportunity for our tribal communities,” Williams said. “And we are all grateful to the president for taking historic action to combat the climate crisis and conserve and restore our nation’s land and waters.”

Williams was among the proponents to make Avi Kwa Ame, also known as Spirit Mountain, a national monument. It’s considered sacred to the Mojave people and for the nine other Yuman-speaking tribes along the Colorado River, as well as the Hopi and Chemehuevi Paiute tribes, Williams said.

The site in southern Nevada spans more than 500,000 acres near the Arizona and California state lines. It’s home to bighorn sheep, desert tortoises and a large concentration of Joshua trees, some of which are more than 900 years old. It’s also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

It took more than three months for Biden to make the announcement.

“It’s a place of reverence, it’s a place of spirituality, it’s a place of healing and now it will be recognized for its significance it holds and be preserved forever,” Biden said. “I look forward to visiting it myself.”

He thanked Williams and the legislative leaders who advocated for Avi Kwa Ame including Nevada Rep. Dina Titus, Democrat, who sponsored a bill to protect the rugged region near the Mojave National Preserve from development, including solar farms and a proposed wind farm.

“To the native people who point to Avi Kwa Ame as their spiritual birthplace, and every Nevadan who knows the value of our cherished public lands: Today is for you,″ Titus tweeted.

The Honor Avi Kwa Ame coalition, which includes tribes, local residents, state lawmakers and conservation groups, said its members were "overjoyed" to learn the site will be a new national monument.

"Together, we will honor Avi Kwa Ame today — from its rich Indigenous history, to its vast and diverse plant and wildlife, to the outdoor recreation opportunities created for local cities and towns in southern Nevada by a new gorgeous monument right in their backyard," the group said.

Interior Secretary Deb Haaland released a press release praising the announcement.

“I am grateful to President Biden for taking this important step in recognition of the decades of advocacy from tribes and the scientific community, who are eager to protect the objects within its boundaries,” Haaland stated.“Together with tribal leaders, outdoor enthusiasts, local elected officials, and other stakeholders, we will manage this new monument for the benefit of current and future generations.”

In Texas, Biden plans to create the Castner Range National Monument in El Paso. It’s the ancestral homeland of the Comanche and Apache people, and its cultural ecology is considered sacred to several Indigenous communities.

The designation will protect the cultural, scientific and historic objects found within the monument's boundaries, honor U.S. veterans, service members and tribal nations, and expand access to outdoor recreation on public lands, the White House said.

Located on Fort Bliss, Castner Range served as a training and testing site for the U.S. Army during World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. The Army ceased training at the site and closed Castner Range in 1966.

The Castner Range monument "will preserve fragile lands already surrounded on three sides by development,'' help ensure access to clean water and protect rare and endangered species, said Rep. Veronica Escobar, Democrat-Texas.

“The people of El Paso have fought to protect this for 50 years. Their work has finally paid off,” Biden said.

Biden designated his first national monument, in Colorado, last year. In 2021, he restored the boundaries for Bears Ears National Monument in Utah after they were significantly narrowed by President Donald Trump, a Republican.

In the Pacific, Biden will direct the Commerce Department to consider initiating a new national marine sanctuary designation within 30 days to protect all U.S. waters around the Pacific Remote Islands. If completed, the 777,000 square miles, southwest of Hawaii, will help ensure the U.S. reaches Biden's goal to conserve at least 30 percent of ocean waters under U.S. jurisdiction by 2030, the White House said.

Among Hawaiian state leaders, Biden thanked Native Hawaiian leaders who “worked tirelessly to protect our oceans. I want to thank you. I genuinely mean it, it wouldn't have happened without you.”

Biden also announced a series of steps to conserve, restore and expand access to public lands and waters across the country, the White House said.

The proposals seek to modernize management of America's public lands, harness the power of the ocean to help fight climate change, and better conserve wildlife corridors. Biden also will announce new spending to improve access to outdoor recreation, promote tribal conservation and reduce wildfire risk.

Bidden added he’s committed to working with tribal leaders and legislative leaders on bringing “healthy and abundant” salmon run back to the Colorado River system.

“There’s nothing beyond our capacity if we work together,” Biden said.