#Qualify

[lulublack90]

Prompt 27 - Qualify

@wolfstarmicrofic August 27, word count 445

Remus had no idea why he agreed to follow James, Sirius and Peter down to the Quidditch pitch to watch Sirius attempt to qualify for a place on the Gryffindor team. James went to stand with the established team, Sirius with the other hopefuls, while Remus and Peter climbed the steps into the stands. 

Peter left Remus pretty quickly to go hang over the edge of the railing so he wouldn’t miss a thing. Remus relaxed back, casting a warming charm on himself as he guessed they were going to be there a while. 

The chasers went first. It was pretty boring to watch. James was so good, that they really didn’t need anyone but him on the team, but apparently, the rules said they had to have three chasers. It took a while but finally, the new chaser was picked and they moved on. 

Next up were the beater tryouts. Remus leaned forward with more interest as Sirius took to the skies.  

Sirius’s muscled arms rippled as he swung his bat at the oncoming bludger. Remus had never noticed just how big and strong those muscles had got. His mind was suddenly flooded by visions of Sirius throwing him bodily onto his bed. Of Sirius pushing him up against a wall and kissing him while those arms kept him aloft. Of Sirius grabbing his arm and tugging so hard, Remus twirled into his arms and gazed up into those stormy grey eyes. 

He was abruptly shaken from his daydreaming by yelling. 

“REMUS DUCK!!!!” Sirius screamed at him from the pitch. Remus had a split second to react as the bludger came hurtling towards him. He flung himself to the floor, landing flat on his stomach. He heard a whoosh and a crack above him. When he dared to look up, Sirius was hovering above him, his batting arm extended. 

“Oi, Aldersley, you nearly killed Moony!” He shouted angrily at the other boy who was trying out for beater as well. The captain blew her whistle and they all landed. “Are you okay Moony?” Sirius asked before he followed the rest to where the team was waiting. 

“Yeah, thanks,” Remus stammered as he got up off the floor. “Thanks for saving me,” He gave Sirius a weak smile. 

“Anytime, Moony,” Sirius winked at him and sped off towards the grass where he was welcomed to the team alongside Marlene. 

He really needed to stop fantasising about Padfoot. It was never going to happen anyway, and clearly, it was detrimental to his health. But as he looked down at Sirius in James's arms, he couldn't help but hope that one day those fantasies might come true.  

[makeagif]

The sticker war with Charles and Max!

[blueironywrites]

Title: Secret Sauce

Rating: PG

Prompt: Qualify from @wolfstarmicrofic

Word count: 298

Summary: Sirius and Remus watch Regulus in his post-race interview.

I am writing a fic for each of the prompts this month. You can read all of them here.

+ + +

Sirius craned his neck to watch the screen above him. His younger brother was standing trackside, hands on his hips, chest heaving, as he spoke to a reporter.

The interview had consisted of the usual questions so far, but Sirius was holding his breath, waiting for the inevitable question.

“Now, your older brother, Sirius...” began the reporter.

And there it was.

“...was the medal favourite for the eight hundred metre race. How does it feel to qualify, knowing he didn’t?”

Sirius’s boyfriend scoffed next to him. “She’s making it sound like he beat you, never mind the fact that he retired,” Remus said, raising his voice at the last few words as if the reporter could hear him.

Sirius reached over and squeezed Remus’s hand, torn between being amused and grateful for having such a supportive partner.

He turned to the screen, and saw Regulus laughing slightly after answering a question that Sirius had not heard. No matter, no doubt Remus would have downloaded the video by the time they got home.

“The secret sauce of the Black brothers?” said Regulus. “He does make a mean scone,” he said, laughing. As he spoke, he turned to where he knew Sirius and Remus would be sat and winked.

Sirius’s mouth fell open. He knew it was a touch embarrassing that the scones from the morning before had exploded in the oven, given it was his fourth attempt over the last few months. But having Regulus come live with them after years of not speaking to him had turned Sirius surprisingly domestic.

He turned to Remus, who was fighting a smile. “I take him in, I feed him and clothe him,” he said, ignoring Remus’s scoff at this, “And what do I get?”

“Burnt scones, apparently,” came Remus’s dry response.

[mafiatsunafish]

Max got pole 🎉✨

and I would be more surprised if he did not get it

[escinsight]

Defeating Finland's Fear Of Their Own Language At Eurovision

Defeating Finland's Fear Of Their Own Language At Eurovision

Many Finns grew up believing their country was the worst at the Eurovision Song Contest. Before Lordi’s victory in 2006 the most successful Finnish result at the Song Contest was a 6th place in 1973, and from 1990 to Lordi’s victory Finland’s highest placing was 15th out of 25 (it’s worth noting that Finland’s points score that year, 22, came mainly from 10 points from both Sweden and…

[asgardian--angels]

Planet's Fucked: What Can You Do To Help? (Long Post)

Since nobody is talking about the existential threat to the climate and the environment a second Trump term/Republican government control will cause, which to me supersedes literally every other issue, I wanted to just say my two cents, and some things you can do to help. I am a conservation biologist, whose field was hit substantially by the first Trump presidency. I study wild bees, birds, and plants.

In case anyone forgot what he did last time, he gagged scientists' ability to talk about climate change, he tried zeroing budgets for agencies like the NOAA, he attempted to gut protections in the Endangered Species Act (mainly by redefining 'take' in a way that would allow corporations to destroy habitat of imperiled species with no ramifications), he tried to do the same for the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (the law that offers official protection for native non-game birds), he sought to expand oil and coal extraction from federal protected lands, he shrunk the size of multiple national preserves, HE PULLED US OUT OF THE PARIS CLIMATE AGREEMENT, and more.

We are at a crucial tipping point in being able to slow the pace of climate change, where we decide what emissions scenario we will operate at, with existential consequences for both the environment and people. We are also in the middle of the Sixth Mass Extinction, with the rate of species extinctions far surpassing background rates due completely to human actions. What we do now will determine the fate of the environment for hundreds or thousands of years - from our ability to grow key food crops (goodbye corn belt! I hated you anyway but), to the pressure on coastal communities that will face the brunt of sea level rise and intensifying extreme weather events, to desertification, ocean acidification, wildfires, melting permafrost (yay, outbreaks of deadly frozen viruses!), and a breaking down of ecosystems and ecosystem services due to continued habitat loss and species declines, especially insect declines. The fact that the environment is clearly a low priority issue despite the very real existential threat to so many people, is beyond my ability to understand. I do partly blame the public education system for offering no mandatory environmental science curriculum or any at all in most places. What it means is that it will take the support of everyone who does care to make any amount of difference in this steeply uphill battle.

There are not enough environmental scientists to solve these issues, not if public support is not on our side and the majority of the general public is either uninformed or actively hostile towards climate science (or any conservation science).

So what can you, my fellow Americans, do to help mitigate and minimize the inevitable damage that lay ahead?

I'm not going to tell you to recycle more or take shorter showers. I'll be honest, that stuff is a drop in the bucket. What does matter on the individual level is restoring and protecting habitat, reducing threats to at-risk species, reducing pesticide use, improving agricultural practices, and pushing for policy changes. Restoring CONNECTIVITY to our landscape - corridors of contiguous habitat - will make all the difference for wildlife to be able to survive a changing climate and continued human population expansion.

**Caveat that I work in the northeast with pollinators and birds so I cannot provide specific organizations for some topics, including climate change focused NGOs. Scientists on tumblr who specialize in other fields, please add your own recommended resources. **

We need two things: FUNDING and MANPOWER.

You may surprised to find that an insane amount of conservation work is carried out by volunteers. We don't ever have the funds to pay most of the people who want to help. If you really really care, consider going into a conservation-related field as a career. It's rewarding, passionate work.

At the national level, please support:

The Nature Conservancy

Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation

Cornell Lab of Ornithology (including eBird)

National Audubon Society

Federal Duck Stamps (you don't need to be a hunter to buy one!)

These first four work to acquire and restore critical habitat, change environmental policy, and educate the public. There is almost certainly a Nature Conservancy-owned property within driving distance of you. Xerces plays a very large role in pollinator conservation, including sustainable agriculture, native bee monitoring programs, and the Bee City/Bee Campus USA programs. The Lab of O is one of the world's leaders in bird research and conservation. Audubon focuses on bird conservation. You can get annual memberships to these organizations and receive cool swag and/or a subscription to their publications which are well worth it. You can also volunteer your time; we need thousands of volunteers to do everything from conducting wildlife surveys, invasive species removal, providing outreach programming, managing habitat/clearing trails, planting trees, you name it. Federal Duck Stamps are the major revenue for wetland conservation; hunters need to buy them to hunt waterfowl but anyone can get them to collect!

THERE ARE DEFINITELY MORE, but these are a start.

Additionally, any federal or local organizations that seek to provide support and relief to those affected by hurricanes, sea level rise, any form of coastal climate change...

At the regional level:

These are a list of topics that affect major regions of the United States. Since I do not work in most of these areas I don't feel confident recommending specific organizations, but please seek resources relating to these as they are likely major conservation issues near you.

PRAIRIE CONSERVATION & PRAIRIE POTHOLE WETLANDS

DRYING OF THE COLORADO RIVER (good overview video linked)

PROTECTION OF ESTUARIES AND SALTMARSH, ESPECIALLY IN THE DELAWARE BAY AND LONG ISLAND (and mangroves further south, everglades etc; this includes restoring LIVING SHORELINES instead of concrete storm walls; also check out the likely-soon extinction of saltmarsh sparrows)

UNDAMMING MAJOR RIVERS (not just the Colorado; restoring salmon runs, restoring historic floodplains)

NATIVE POLLINATOR DECLINES (NOT honeybees. for fuck's sake. honeybees are non-native domesticated animals. don't you DARE get honeybee hives to 'save the bees')

WILDLIFE ALONG THE SOUTHERN BORDER (support the Mission Butterfly Center!)

INVASIVE PLANT AND ANIMAL SPECIES (this is everywhere but the specifics will differ regionally, dear lord please help Hawaii)

LOSS OF WETLANDS NATIONWIDE (some states have lost over 90% of their wetlands, I'm looking at you California, Ohio, Illinois)

INDUSTRIAL AGRICULTURE, esp in the CORN BELT and CALIFORNIA - this is an issue much bigger than each of us, but we can work incrementally to promote sustainable practices and create habitat in farmland-dominated areas. Support small, local farms, especially those that use soil regenerative practices, no-till agriculture, no pesticides/Integrated Pest Management/no neonicotinoids/at least non-persistent pesticides. We need more farmers enrolling in NRCS programs to put farmland in temporary or permanent wetland easements, or to rent the land for a 30-year solar farm cycle. We've lost over 99% of our prairies to corn and soybeans. Let's not make it 100%.

INDIGENOUS LAND-BACK EFFORTS/INDIGENOUS LAND MANAGEMENT/TEK (adding this because there have been increasing efforts not just for reparations but to also allow indigenous communities to steward and manage lands either fully independently or alongside western science, and it would have great benefits for both people and the land; I know others on here could speak much more on this. Please platform indigenous voices)

HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOMS (get your neighbors to stop dumping fertilizers on their lawn next to lakes, reduce agricultural runoff)

OCEAN PLASTIC (it's not straws, it's mostly commercial fishing line/trawling equipment and microplastics)

A lot of these are interconnected. And of course not a complete list.

At the state and local level:

You probably have the most power to make change at the local level!

Support or volunteer at your local nature centers, local/state land conservancy non-profits (find out who owns&manages the preserves you like to hike at!), state fish & game dept/non-game program, local Audubon chapters (they do a LOT). Participate in a Christmas Bird Count!

Join local garden clubs, which install and maintain town plantings - encourage them to use NATIVE plants. Join a community garden!

Get your college campus or city/town certified in the Bee Campus USA/Bee City USA programs from the Xerces Society

Check out your state's official plant nursery, forest society, natural heritage program, anything that you could become a member of, get plants from, or volunteer at.

Volunteer to be part of your town's conservation commission, which makes decisions about land management and funding

Attend classes or volunteer with your land grant university's cooperative extension (including master gardener programs)

Literally any volunteer effort aimed at improving the local environment, whether that's picking up litter, pulling invasive plants, installing a local garden, planting trees in a city park, ANYTHING. make a positive change in your own sphere. learn the local issues affecting your nearby ecosystems. I guarantee some lake or river nearby is polluted

MAKE HABITAT IN YOUR COMMUNITY. Biggest thing you can do. Use plants native to your area in your yard or garden. Ditch your lawn. Don't use pesticides (including mosquito spraying, tick spraying, Roundup, etc). Don't use fertilizers that will run off into drinking water. Leave the leaves in your yard. Get your school/college to plant native gardens. Plant native trees (most trees planted in yards are not native). Remove invasive plants in your yard.

On this last point, HERE ARE EASY ONLINE RESOURCES TO FIND NATIVE PLANTS and LEARN ABOUT NATIVE GARDENING:

Xerces Society Pollinator Conservation Resource Center

Pollinator Pathway

Audubon Native Plant Finder

Homegrown National Park (and Doug Tallamy's other books)

National Wildlife Federation Native Plant Finder (clunky but somewhat helpful)

Heather Holm (for prairie/midwest/northeast)

MonarchGard w/ Benjamin Vogt (for prairie/midwest)

Native Plant Trust (northeast & mid-atlantic)

Grow Native Massachusetts (northeast)

Habitat Gardening in Central New York (northeast)

There are many more - I'm not familiar with resources for western states. Print books are your biggest friend. Happy to provide a list of those.

Lastly, you can help scientists monitor species using citizen science. Contribute to iNaturalist, eBird, Bumblebee Watch, or any number of more geographically or taxonomically targeted programs (for instance, our state has a butterfly census carried out by citizen volunteers).

In short? Get curious, get educated, get involved. Notice your local nature, find out how it's threatened, and find out who's working to protect it that you can help with. The health of the planet, including our resilience to climate change, is determined by small local efforts to maintain and restore habitat. That is how we survive this. When government funding won't come, when we're beat back at every turn trying to get policy changed, it comes down to each individual person creating a safe refuge for nature.

Thanks for reading this far. Please feel free to add your own credible resources and organizations.

[donutdrawsthings]

People all over the world are thinking of you!

[amarisbella21]

What To Do If You Don’t Qualify For Medicare?

If you don’t qualify for Medicare based on age (65 or older) or disability, you have other options. You can purchase health insurance through the marketplace, explore Medicaid if your income is low, or consider employer-sponsored coverage. Eligibility for Medicare generally requires 10 years of work paying Medicare taxes, or qualifying through a spouse's work history. Some individuals may also qualify based on specific medical conditions like ESRD.

[a2zsportsnews]

IND vs BAN, Qualification Scenarios Explained: How can India qualify for WTC final if second Test ends in a draw?

The second Test between India and Bangladesh taking place at the Green Park Stadium in Kanpur has been interrupted by rain and a wet outfield. The first day’s play saw only 35 overs being bowled with Akash Deep picking up two wickets to restrict Bangladesh to 107 for the loss of three. ALSO READ | Richa Ghosh interview: A finisher’s unfinished business at the T20 World Cup The start of play on…

[albaalexa]

How To Qualify For Pennie Insurance?

To qualify for Pennie insurance, you must be a resident of Pennsylvania and meet specific income requirements. Generally, your household income should fall between 138% and 400% of the federal poverty level. Additionally, you should not be eligible for Medicaid or Medicare. During the open enrollment period, you can apply for coverage through the Pennie website, where you'll provide information about your income and household size.

[rightnewshindi]

अनंतजीत सिंह नरुका और माहेश्वरी चौहान ने पेरिस ओलंपिक 2024 में रचा रिकॉर्ड, कांस्य पदक के लिए किया क्वालीफाई

Paris Olympics 2024: भारत के लिए दिन की शुरुआत अच्छी रही क्योंकि अनंतजीत सिंह नरुका और माहेश्वरी चौहान की भारतीय स्कीट मिश्रित टीम ने पेरिस ओलंपिक 2024 में कांस्य पदक मैच के लिए क्वालीफाई कर लिया है. यह पहली बार है, जब स्कीट मिश्रित टीम ने शॉटगन स्पर्धा में ओलंपिक पदक मैच के लिए क्वालीफाई किया है. अनंतजीत सिंह नरुका और माहेश्वरी चौहान ने 146 के क्वालीफिकेशन स्कोर के साथ कांस्य पदक मैच के लिए…

[makeagif]

Charles Leclerc, Max Verstappen and George Russell during a press conference ahead the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. (26/11)

[spacespacespace]

Dick: so if it’s you or the laptop-

Tim: me. 100%.

Dick: …your not even gonna pretend to think?

Tim: about what? I can always just rise from the dead but my laptop-

Dick: what?

Tim: what?

Dick: what made u think you can rise from the dead?

Tim: well Jason did it so it’s obviously not difficult

——

Jason, in his safe house reading a book: I feel a chill or disrespectful in the air.

——

Dick: alr can you at least lie abt it

Tim: ughhhh

Dick: for me *flutters eyelashes*

Tim: Fine. *says in monotone voice* If it were either me or my laptop to be destroyed I would choose … the laptop.

Dick: thank you Timmy

Damian, walking past: Richard even you know that’s an outright lie.

[mafiatsunafish]

Alpine is living up to their Alpain name

[melvingaines]

Ministry Demystified - Video Message - July 14, 2024

Asst. Pastor Melvin Gaines Worship Service Message, Sunday, July 14, 2024 Everything about our relationship with Jesus centers on the love He has for us.  As we learn more about Him and what He did for us on the cross, my prayer is that it will help believers to grow even more in their relationship with Jesus.  It is this growth that will help them to express themselves more in sharing that love…