#climate friendly travel

[familythings]

Discover Copenhagen: The Summer Destination with a Green Twist (and a Dash of Humor!)

This summer, trade in your usual vacation spots for something greener, quirkier, and a whole lot cooler: Copenhagen! The Danish capital is not just another city on the map; it’s a trailblazer in sustainable tourism. And with the launch of their new green experience economy initiative, CopenPay, Copenhagen is turning eco-friendly actions into the ultimate vacation currency. Yes, you heard that…

[techdriveplay]

Sustainable Driving: Tips for Reducing Your Carbon Footprint

In the quest for a greener planet, sustainable driving stands out as a practical and impactful approach for individuals aiming to reduce their carbon footprint. With environmental concerns at an all-time high, adopting eco-friendly driving habits is more crucial than ever. This article delves into actionable tips that not only contribute to a healthier environment but also enhance the efficiency…

[queenoftreasures]

Easy Eco-Friendly Hacks for a Greener Lifestyle

In 2021, I was approached by the Anatomy of Action, a United Nation Environment Programme initiative, to be a part of the challenge that promotes the well-being of this planet we call home. I am sharing all that I learned during this challenge and two years later, these lessons are habits The Anatomy of Action (AoA) activates people to contribute to Sustainable Development Goal 12 (SDG 12) on…

[jamieadstories]

Warmer Weather - What’s Not To Like?

A Climate Change Collective Blog Post Most people look forward to hotter days in summer. Some people even sun seek all year round. Many of my friends love to fly off to hotter parts of the world for winter holidays. Everyone loves warm weather – right? So why we are we making such a big deal out of world temperatures rising? That is exactly what I want to explore in this Climate Change…

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

I've been dreaming of the Plotting Serpent.

A Sorcerer in the Sands seeks something far bigger than himself. Freedom, sweet freedom.

How does a moment last forever? How can a story never die?

Bundled up in several layers, Jamil makes his way down a twisting path and into an open market.

The ground crunches softly under his boots. His breath is chilled, turning into a fleeting fog as he exhales. He retreats to the comfort and safety that his bulky coat provides, watching bales of white lazily drift down around him.

Snow instead of sand—imagine that.

The market operates straight out of the town square. From a vantage point--his temporary housing upon a hill--he can see the entirety of it, all the stalls forming a circle. The market is, by no means, large—but it has the spirit of something grander. The banter, the bartering.

Not so different from the bazaars at home.

Jamil ducks in, taking his time to pace around to each vendor. He’s agile and bright, like a child first viewing the moon and rushing to catch it in his palms.

Most sellers—and most customers—are elderly, gnarled like the roots of a tree. The cold colors their rounded cheeks the same red as many of the apples on display.

There’s pink and yellow and green too, and other fresh produce. The majority of it, he is told, is grown in Harveston. Others are foraged from Mt. Moln—nuts, plants, berries, and mushrooms.

Other stalls offer already manufactured goods. Scarves and gloves to protect against the winter, steaming apple drinks and sweetly spiced snacks, toiletries lovingly handcrafted with botanical oils.

His eyes light up with interest. He stops to inspect a row of shampoo and conditioner bars.

Feel free to touch and smell! says a sign at the stall.

He does, testing the weight of a bar in his hand. It is light and has an easy slip to it, and gives off the faint aroma of apples. Slightly tart and juicy.

It'll be good to have on hand, especially when it weighs less than liquid variants. The sign says these bars are made with apple seed oil, an ingredient that treats split ends and dryness while restoring a shine...

He absentmindedly feels the ends of his hair. The locks are normally dark and glossy, but the cold has not treated them well, leaving them slightly dry and brittle.

That's the cost of travel. It can be difficult to predict how my skin and hair react to different climates.

“Excuse me,” Jamil calls out to the stall owner, “I’d like to buy one of these shampoo bars, please. One in the conditioner bars as well."

“Sure thing!!” The owner wraps up the bars and slides them over. As Jamil hands him a few bills, he pipes up. “Say, yer not from ‘round here, are ya, sonny?”

“Yes. I am but a traveler.”

“Traveler!” The owner’s eyebrows shoot up. “Real fancy livin’ ya must have."

“No, not at all. I try to live humbly and travel light.” Jamil indicates his backpack, the one piece of luggage that follows him wherever he goes.

"That so? Not many young folk visit these parts." The owner strokes his rounded chin in contemplation. "I figured ya must be on yer way to the city. A lot more for youngins to see 'n do there."

“I beg to differ. The village has shown me incredible hospitality during my stay. Delicious foods, friendliness... I can enjoy Harveston's natural sights without worry. I'm content with just that."

With each word that leaves his lips, he feels the weight that has been on his shoulders lifting.

Jamil, you're free, the wind seems to whisper. The realization is intoxicatingly sweet and crisp, the first bite taken from a forbidden fruit.

"Aww, that warms mah heart ta hear ya say," the owner beams. "Yer a good kid, yer parents would be proud of ya."

"My... parents?" Jamil falters at the mention of them.

His parents are back home. His sister, too. Najma had texted not long ago, pestering him about bringing her a souvenir and asking when he’d be back.

His family is waiting for him. And... who else is there?

Jamil's brows furrow. Suddenly, he feels as though someone should be beside him, and he, trailing after them. A hopeless person buying up all the stalls, shoveling new dish after new dish at him.

"Here, try this, Jamil! Oooh, and this! That looks super tasty, have some too! And this cracker!"

"Where did you get all this food from?! There's no way we'll be able to feasibly finish this before it goes bad. Why do you never listen to me, Ka..."

A growl rips from his stomach. Jamil's eyes widen, and his face heats.

The stall owner's laugh cuts through his confusion. "Gahahah! Ya hungry there, son? Here, lemme grab ya somethin' on the house."

"Oh no, sir, I can't accept that."

"I insist!! Won't be long 'fore ya mosey on outta here and move on ta the next place. Eat yer fill while yer here, there ain't nothin' like a homegrown Harveston meal or snack anywhere else in Twisted Wonderland!"

The owner rustles with utensils behind the stall, He fills a container with a generous slice of pie--oozing with apple filling--and fluffy pancakes, plus a few potstickers. Then he pours hot tea, apple cubes bobbing in the spiced brown liquid, into a paper cup.

Jamil gets a whiff of it from where he stands and--against his better judgment, his mouth waters. When the owner hands him the container, cup, and a wooden fork, he doesn't refuse them.

"Remember us ‘n all the fun times ya spent here."

"Thank you, sir." Jamil bows his head. "I will. I'll never forget your kindness."

"Don't 'cha mention it. Go on 'n git now, ya got plenty more of the village to visit!""

Jamil departs with his purchase and his gifts, which he immediately settles into.

Lifting the paper cup to his lips, he sips his tea. It's deep and tangy from the cinnamon and apples it has been brewed with. He pleasantly warms from head to toe.

It isn't long before he downs the rest of the drink, apple cubes and all. They're not fresh, but dried--so when his teeth slices them into halves, they're springy and chewy, with a strong flavor.

Jamil lowers the cup, dragging out a satisfied sigh.

It's then that he realizes he's walking directly into a black wall. He veers sharply to the right, but still brushes his arm against that of the incoming person.

“Pardon me. I wasn't watching where I was going...” Jamil looks back, but is startled to find no one where his shoulder has made contact.

Hm? Was I imagining things?

Jamil glances around the marketplace. The crowd is too sparse for him to miss anyone. There are grandmothers and grandfathers, mothers and fathers, each dressed in thick coats and boots, some wrapped in scarves and others sporting fuzzy hats or earmuffs.

But no one is wearing all black.

He shakes his head.

It was probably nothing then.

Jamil returns to browsing the square, his every stride as light as a feather. He feels as though he is dancing atop the snow.

The cold no longer bothers him.

The wind, carrying a new message that resonates with his heart. It seems stronger now, rumbling like a deadly avalanche.

"Be free, Viper. Be free."

[greek-mythology-utmv]

Swap

Species/figure: Dryad (Nature spirit)

Pronouns: he/it

Danger: Decent (2/6)

Power: Strong (3/6)

Magic: Strong (3/6)

Height: 5'2"/157 cm

Abilities: Communication with plants and wildlife, accelerated plant growth, control of plants

Diet: Absorbs energy from host forest as well as sunlight and water. Health is directly related to health of surrounding woods.

Personally: Upbeat, energetic, and overconfident to a fault. Tends to have a black-and-white view of the world that often leads to difficulties in relationships but is still determined to make friends everywhere he goes.

Story: Swap considers himself to be the leader of the other dryad and woodfolk, and most are too charmed or too tired of it to argue. Views the woodland as the best possible climate for all creatures and wants to spread it across the world, seemingly unaware of how this might negatively impact others. When he's not training or attempting to expand the forest, Swap's usually hanging around Ccino's cafe to meet everyone new who comes to town. When it does make a friend, that person is often plagued by bountiful gifts of fruit and flowers.

Stretch

Species/figure: Naiad (water spirit)

Pronouns: he/it

Danger: Decent (2/6)

Power: Weak (1/6)

Magic: Formidable (4/6)

Height: 6'5"/195 cm

Abilities: Communication with marine life, control of water

Diet: None; health related to state of the river (pollution, water levels, etc)

Personally: Fairly friendly and laid back, prefers to watch his brother's antics from afar but will step in if needed. Happy to help out any travelers, especially if he doesn't have to get up from his chair or actually, y'know, do anything. Master of puns.

Story: Looks after the lesser water spirits and marine life in the area...or is supposed to, anyway. Mostly just relaxes at Ccino's cafe, entertaining everyone with terrible jokes. Protective of his brother.

[partywithponies]

I watched @quinton-reviews 's new video and I wanted to do my set homework and come up with my own dream Nicktoons Unite team, except I never had any of the american channels growing up and I'm not familiar with a lot of these shows.

But nevermind, I came up with a compromise. Here's my concept for if they did a Nicktoon Unite style game but with CBBC and CBeebies characters:

1) Danger Mouse: reboot DM in particular is the obvious pick to replace Jimmy Neutron in this lineup. He's already dealt with cross-universe travel and portals in canon, and he has Professor Squawkencluck, who already just invents whatever device the plot requires. He's both practised enough at saving the world to be believable in these situations, while still being incompetent enough to need help from the others. Plus it'd be fun to see how his massive ego would react to these other guys.

2) Victor from The Secret Show: the most niche pick here, but come on. He's literally a secret agent. I'm not going to leave him out. (I dithered over whether to include Victor or Anita since I could only pick one. I chose Victor not because I'm sexist but because I just really want to hear Danger Mouse deliver the "Victor! Are you still alive?" line.)

3) Postman Pat: Now I know this looks like an insane choice. I know that making a postman fight baddies in life or death situations is ludicrous. But listen. Postman Pat: The Movie did it first. Blame them, not me.

4) Dennis The Menace: People who've never read The Beano might think that an un-superpowered 10 year old boy would be way out of his depth on a team with three adult men, two of whom literally fight evil for their job. But people who have read The Beano know that in canon Dennis has already thwarted alien invasions, travelled through time many times and dealth with the ramifications of changing the past AND avoided being beheaded, fought killer robots and man eating plants and sea monsters, toppled multiple dictatorships, got the British prime minister arrested, and fought climate change by going directly to the source and tearing down the factories. Whatever these games could possibly throw at him would be just another tuesday for Dennis.

5) Tiny Clanger: she's kind of the Spongebob of the group, both in the sense that high stakes situations and saving the world are really not what she usually does, but she would if she had to, and in the sense that she'd be the heart of the group. DM, Victor, and Dennis are all kind of self-centred assholes at heart who only save the world because no-one else will, and Pat is a middle aged British man (and therefore emotionally repressed), while Tiny Clanger is unfailingly loving, and kind, and friendly, and empathetic. Also her best friend in the world is a large metal bird, and I think Tiny suddenly riding around on the Iron Chicken would be a really cool power up for her.

[triysn]

Thinking about celebrity trio again.

Random thoughts about how different Rex’s world is from the others, bc while both Zak and Ben’s world is fairly ‘normal’ in that attacks and disasters are still considered a break from the norm (at least in the earlier series for Ben), Rex’s world is in it. They are actively having the worst half-decade in human history, apocalypse and all. Plus, while the others’ threats are external (ie aliens and cryptids, mostly), Rex’s world’s fire is coming from inside the house.

That really affects the tone of each show, obviously, but i was thinking about how this would appear in each protagonist.

For example, I think that Rex would be really good at crowd control and comforting civilians. He's used to living in a climate of fear and suspicion, and he usually has an active hand in resolving whatever EVO-related disaster is going on. We've already seen a little of this in the show, but it would really show as Rex matures and slows down a little, rather than just focusing on the action and curing part of it. People in his world are terrified, and the EVOs he cures are someone's family or friends, if not just a living, breathing, feeling person/animal. With how much he cares about people in general, I think he'd be naturally given to try and comfort them in any sort of crisis. Plus, he's pretty dependable when he isn't goofing off. People in his world already know him as the Cure, so that helps.

Ben, on the other hand, is flashier and more defeat-the-villain kinda guy, which makes sense because his villain attacks don't directly involve civilians unless they're being actively targeted (if that makes sense). He clearly has a name for property damage etc., even if he does get the job done in the end. I think people in his world would see him more as a celebrity-type hero that's better to look at from afar. He would find it easier to make friends with civilians, or give out autographs, than comfort them probably.

Zak is a whole other story because he doesn't even interact with civilians most of the time lol. It's in his job description to avoid them. But if they get involved in some cryptid-related stuff, like that one episode with the eye-stealing monkey, he'd be able to manage if he focused on the cryptid aspect of it and probably come off as someone who knows what they were doing and still put people at ease. He's pretty good at being friendly in general because of the variety of people he meets while travelling, but in terms of civilian crisis management, he doesn't have much experience.

[cirilla-fiona-riannon]

Galileo Galilei Birthday Story

Translations may not always capture the exact nuances or tone of the original text. Expect grammatical errors and inaccuracies.

Not proofread. Rush translation.

Mitsuki: "So, Galileo."

Mitsuki: "Do you have a favorite food? It could be a dish or an ingredient."

Galileo paused from eating and turned toward me with a slightly puzzled expression.

Galileo: "Why are you suddenly asking me that?"

Mitsuki: "Well, your birthday is coming up, right? I thought I'd make something you really enjoy."

Galileo: "Birthday."

Galileo: "I see, from this year on, you'll be here with me."

Mitsuki: "Yep."

It will be the first birthday we spend together since our feelings became mutual.

That's why I'm eager to make it special.

Mitsuki: "Actually, I wanted to surprise you by making something, but then I realized I still don't know much about you."

Galileo: ".........."

Even though my feelings for him kept getting stronger, I still didn't know much about him.

As I lowered my gaze in frustration, a cool hand touched my cheek.

Galileo: "Don't make that face. From now on, we'll get to know each other little by little."

(Little by little, huh? He's right.)

Even that gentle smile of his was something I couldn't have seen not too long ago.

Mitsuki: "Okay, thanks."

Returning his smile, he nodded and neatly placed his cutlery on the plate.

Galileo: "Oh, right. For my birthday, could you prepare schiacciata with grapes?"

Mitsuki: "Schiacciata?"

Galileo: "Yeah. In some regions, it's also called focaccia."

Mitsuki: "Ah, I know focaccia, but I've never had one made with grapes."

Galileo: "It's a traditional pastry from my hometown. You won't really find it around here."

Mitsuki: "I see. That makes sense."

(Wait, but how am I supposed to make it?)

(Maybe I should check the bookstore or the library.)

Then, as if sensing my little dilemma, Galileo spoke up.

Galileo: "Don't worry. There should be a recipe in the local history book in my room."

Mitsuki: "That's great! Thank you."

I sighed in relief at his words.

Galileo: "To put it simply, it's made by layering dough with grapes and baking it."

Galileo: "However, you should use grapes meant for winemaking, not the kind for eating raw."

Galileo: "My hometown is known for its grape cultivation. My family often made it."

Mitsuki: "So, it's a taste filled with memories of your family."

Galileo: "Yeah."

(I'm so happy that he requested a dessert with such sentimental value.)

I learned one more thing about him.

Mitsuki: "Got it."

Mitsuki: "I'll start practicing tomorrow, and on the day of your birthday, I'll treat you to a delicious schiacciata!"

Galileo: "I'm looking forward to it."

(If I'm going to do this, I want to be particular about the grapes. But fresh grapes for winemaking might not be available at the market. Oh, I know!)

I made a suggestion as an idea struck me.

And so, the day of his birthday arrived.

Mitsuki: "Wow, the air smells nice!"

We'd escaped the bustle of Paris and traveled to a vineyard in the countryside.

Galileo: "The grapes are in good condition. It looks like this year's harvest will be a good one."

Vineyard Owner: "Yes. The weather's been kind to us this year, and I'm confident it'll be a remarkable vintage."

This little trip was the very suggestion I'd made to him that evening.

He agreed and even rescheduled his university lectures.

(I'm so glad I was bold enough to invite him. Galileo looks like he's enjoying himself.)

On top of that, we were able to get fresh grapes, and I got to spend the entire day with him.

Galileo: "The vineyard on the other side of the river looks like it has lower hedges."

Vineyard Owner: "That's because they're a different variety. The soil on the other side of the river is completely different from here."

The friendly vineyard owner led the way, explaining as we followed him through the fields.

Vineyard Owner: "But even with the same climate, the grapes here achieve a perfect balance of sweetness and acidity, just like on the other side."

Galileo: "The soil, huh?"

Suddenly, he stopped walking and crouched, running his hand through the soil to feel its texture.

Galileo: "This side seems to be a clay-rich soil, retaining just the right amount of moisture."

Vineyard owner: "Yes, thanks to that, the wine we make here has a smoother, fruitier flavor and is easier to drink."

Galileo: "I see."

He stood up again, gazing back across the river.

Galileo: "Judging by the terrain, the other side is probably gravelly soil. If that characteristic is a product of the soil's water retention ability, then the wines produced on the well-drained opposite bank would likely be rich and deep-flavored."

Vineyard Owner: "----!"

Galileo: "You're utilizing the unique characteristics of each soil type in your cultivation."

(Wow. He can even predict how the wine will taste just by looking at the soil.)

Vineyard owner: "I'm impressed! You've got quite an eye, sir. I'd hire you at our château if you ever wanted a job."

Galileo: "I'll pass, but I'll gladly take some wine as a souvenir."

Watching him enjoying himself made me smile.

Vineyard Owner: "Take your time and enjoy yourselves!"

Mitsuki: "Thank you."

We parted ways with the owner after he taught us how to choose the best grapes.

Mitsuki: "Shall we start picking?"

Galileo: "Yeah."

(I want to choose the very best-looking grapes from this vineyard.)

(The ones that are deep in color, uniform, and plump.)

As I walked, carefully examining each bunch of grapes一

Galileo: "Mitsuki."

He suddenly called my name and pulled me close, wrapping his arm around my shoulder.

Part 1 ╎ Part 2 ╎ Premium ╎ Epilogue

[jedi-enthusiast]

If anyone's curious about how plan "Get Me The Fuck Out Of Here" is going: I've narrowed the possible countries down to Ireland, Australia, Switzerland, or Norway.

All of them are pretty LGBTQ friendly, from what I can tell, and have protections in place for women's rights; they're all very beautiful places to live, and they'd each give me an opportunity to travel more; I like that Ireland, Switzerland, and Norway have cooler climates, but Australia's beaches make up for the heat; housing prices are definitely more reasonable in these countries than in the US; The houses are also a more reasonable size than in the US, since I don't want a gigantic house; there'd be plenty of places to walk any dogs I adopt, since I plan on having pets, and I think my cat would adjust well; and more.

Best of all, none of these countries are the US <3

I'm mainly just looking at the type of visa I'd need, what I'd need to qualify for citizenship, how to get a mortgage for a home overseas, what homes are up for sale and how much they are, remote accounting jobs that'd work for my situation, and other things. So, if anyone has ever moved to another country before and advice for me, I'd be grateful for it. I still have a couple years before I finish my degree and am able to move, but it's important for me to have a plan so that I can prepare and save accordingly.

I'm just so frustrated that I have to move to another country just to feel safe, though. It's not like I never wanted to travel the world or move abroad, I did, but this isn't how I wanted it to go. I wanted to graduate, get a job, settle down for a few years in the US, save up the money little by little while I live my life, and eventually move to another country once I'm comfortable with living on my own.

It was supposed to be a happy, exciting, experience.

Now, though, I just feel sad and scared because I don't feel safe in what's supposed to be my home! I want to be proud of my country, I want to be able to live here for a few years in peace while I figure my life out, I want to be able to move abroad and not be embarrassed to say that I'm from the US---but I just can't!

I'm just so tired of having to prove my humanity to people, having to worry about having my rights stripped from me, having to deal with so many ignorant morons 24/7; I just want to be able to live my life in peace, without having to constantly be on guard or hide who I am because it's not safe for me to be myself. It just sucks that this is what my home has become, because people would rather be bigoted and hateful than focus on their own lives and be kind. I hate it.

On the bright side, though, I might actually be able to own a nice home abroad---and I think I'd have fun exploring whatever city or town I end up in, getting to know the people and the culture and all that. Plus, hopefully I'll have better luck making friends somewhere else, since it's pretty hard to here.

Wish me luck friends, I'm working on it <3

[evermore-grimoire]

The Evermore Grimoire: Mermaids of the Seven Seas

The Baltic Mermaids are a pod of mermaids who can change their world beneath the surface of the Baltic Sea. They have beautiful tails in shades of green and purple which reflects their enriched life under the sea alongside their love of adorning themselves in jewellery made of shells. Their true power though comes from their ability to reshape their underwater world however they see fit by reforming the minerals and rocks that lie on the sea bed (Geokinesis). This has made these mermaids the most prosperous of all the mermaids pods within the Seven Seas as it’s believed that their world is actually a reflection of the infamous lost city of Atlantis. After the war between Merman and Mermaids, the Baltic Mermaids used their magic to create water portals that allows them to travel to different oceans in an instant. Thus allowing them to stay connected to other mermaid pods around the world, should another war ever arise in the near future. In recent years these mermaids have also welcomed the Arctic Mermaids into their pod after their home slowly began to change thanks to climate change, showing that they are incredibly friendly and welcoming. They are also really curious about the surface world which can be both a blessing and a curse to them. It’s even believed that ‘Once Upon a Time’ a mermaid from this pod became the inspiration for a well-known story that since echoed throughout the ages. This included a statue being erected in her honour that now sits proudly in the city of Copenhagen which just so happens to overlook the Baltic Sea.

original artwork by Vlad Stankovic

[pokemonranch]

Hey! My moms finally letting me get a pokemon of my own, so i was wondering what the best dark or ice type would be for someone new to taking care of one? Battle potential doesn’t particularly matter to me, i just want a friend :3

Im also concerned about size, because we dotn have a huge house and me and my sister share a room, so i cant have a big pokemon

Well, congratulations on gettin' for first 'mon! Dark and Ice types can be a bit tricky to work with, but despite the rumors goin' around about Dark types, some of 'em can be very beginner-friendly!

For Dark Types, there are a few that are small and tame 'nough to be pets. Alolan Meowths and Rattatas are an option, but you need to have a strong personality to keep 'em in check or else they can become a bit spoiled or destructive. If you're lookin' for something a bit more chill, I'd say you should learn about Inkays! They are small, not really conflictive and can be pretty social if you end up with more 'mons in the future.

As for the Ice Types, they are a bit more needy in terms of the environment and husbandry they need. Some of 'em, like Smoochum and Sneasel can live in warmer climates, but most of 'em don't; and that's something to keep in mind if you live in places like Hoenn or plan to travel 'round. Spheals are great buddies, very cuddly and social (and, bit loud), and Alolan Vulpies are very popular for a reason!

And lastly, this is very common, but there's also Eevee! They're picked very frequently as a first-time 'mon, and you can evolve it into Umbreon or Glaceon eventually once you get to know it better!

[eugenedebs1920]

We do have an immigration crisis happening in America. When foreign agents come to our country, with the sole intention of enriching themselves through exploiting our system of capital, it is problematic.

Peter Theil. Openly anti-democracy, yet somehow pro freedom. Wants to circumvent taxation by building man made islands off the mainland. Attempted to purchase two senate seats. Succeeded in purchasing one, a senate seat from Ohio (an astronaut, fighter pilot defeated his other pick in AZ) for the now republican Vice Presidential candidate JD Vance. Theil praises Hitler and believes rape is an “inconvenience” for the victim. HE is a dangerous immigrant.

Elon Musk. The once awkward, seemingly climate friendly entrepreneur, has become a pro-fascist, free speech for him and his views only, vote buying, misinformation spreading, sycophant, cartoon villain oligarch. A vast majority of Elon’s wealth came from government subsidies regarding climate friendly proposals/grants. He later repurchases twitter under the guise of free speech, turning the platform in to an extreme far right mis ans dis information superhighway, while at the same time altering the algorithm to suppress anti Trump posts. His deep involvement in military and government activities amplifies the threat he poses. HE is a dangerous immigrant.

Rupert Murdoch. What can’t be said about the harm he, Rodger Ailes, and his army of dishonest employees around him, have inflicted on the Republican Party and American in general. He has turned the GOP from a respectable, conservative, family values, balanced budget platform into a conspiracy theory driven, fact denying, tinfoil hat wearing, group of racists. His Fox News channel is an affront on the concept of journalism. The constant spread of lies, division and fear is a major element in the potential downfall of our democracy. HE is a dangerous immigrant.

The danger doesn’t come from the willing to work and hard working Latin fellow outside the Home Depot. The threat is not from a brown skinned family, traveling thousands of miles on foot looking for a better life. No! The real danger is the foreign oligarch and their agenda of chaos and self enrichment. Jose, who’s willing to be the general labor guy on your jobsite is no threat. Maria who’s cleaning the hotel rooms one stays at is not a danger. Juan who’s tending to the produce we consume isn’t trying to undermine our institutions. It’s these white, entitled pricks (there’s others) who pose the greatest risk to Americas security.

I’m gunna sound like MAGA here but. If you come to this country with the intentions of slowly destroying it, don’t come at all.

In the immortal words of the movie Forrest Gump. Seats taken!

[aerbiscuit]

So, this may be a super silly idea, but bear with me.

Giants are intriguing fantasy creatures. Depending on how big they are, their existence has massive implications for wherever they live. What do they eat, and how much/often do they have to do so? What is their population size? Where do they live that has enough room for them all? How does their waste not make large stretches of land filthy?

And, most importantly… do they fart?

No, for real, I’ve often thought about this. As a kid, I was taught that cow burps and farts contain huge amounts of methane that could threaten the atmosphere. Now, of course, I know that there are a ton of factors at play in this claim, all of which turn this glimmer of a fact into a misleading claim. (While cow farts, and especially burps, do contain a large amount of methane, the largest contributions to climate change are still human pollution and fossil fuel usage. Cow gas is remarkably small in comparison and we can change their diets to decrease their methane production anyway.)

Still, this has always made me wonder about the gas output of giants. How would their flatulence affect smaller creatures and the world around them?

… well, I now have a gassy mythology about giants. Read on for a peculiar fairy tale.

In my fantasy AU, giants exist. However, they all live on a small continent (which to them is a large island) far in the middle of a distant sea. This land is perfectly suited for their needs. A few large races of animals exist for them to eat meat from time to time, and certain quickly-growing species of fauna provide them with continuous sources of vegetation. They also eat bugs by breeding, collecting, and chowing down on them at once, kinda like how whales can subsist off large amounts of krill. The land is also large enough for them to handle the subject of their waste, which they’ve developed systems to dispose, reuse, and/or filter. They’re a smart race of beings and can live sustainably in their home country. However, they largely stay where they are, and any giant who attempts to travel to the smaller lands is seen as foolhardy and asking for trouble.

Legends say that the reason for the giants' isolation (stories which both the giants and the smaller folk tell) come from a time when lots of giants travelled around the world. Giants were friendly, and even set up homes in smaller lands to learn from the tiny races. There are still a few stories of friendly giants, and the good that they can do.

Unfortunately, many of the smaller races saw the giants as a threat. If a giant didn’t have the time or resources to set up food sources (bug farming, bringing livestock, etc.), they’d need to eat from the small folks’ land, which the small folk saw as decimating their resources. Giants also had to do a LOT of research into where they could piss or shit, unless they didn’t mind accidentally flooding or burying valuable land. As thoughtful as most giants are, you couldn’t help the occasional emergency, or just the handful of people who weren’t as considerate as the others.

And of course, there was the gas. Giants need to break wind too. It’s hard to stay around someone when one of their farts sounds like a thunderclap and produces clouds of smog that take up to an hour or so to fully dissipate. And if a giant strayed too far from a majority bug-based diet, those farts could get numerous and gnarly.

Finally, one cruel and bigoted wizard devised a plan to make enough small folk hate the giants to banish them. He used the entire freshwater lake that a group of traveling giants had claimed for their water supply to make an eternal potion of flatulence, one that was so strong, it altered your very biology into making you sensitive to most food sources. Any meal of standard meat or veggies would turn into a night full of farts, and that’s not counting eating the standard fart fare like beans, broccoli, sprouts, dairy, etc. He cast the spell, complicating it so that only he could possibly undo it, and waited.

Soon, the damage was done, and all the giants in the area turned into giant gasbags. Even if they stayed near their camps, neighboring villages could hear choruses of belching in the distance, or smell the results of dinner on the wind. Finally, enough people got so fed up that they passed official mandates of banishment. All giants, even the ones who didn’t drink from the lake, were sent away, and threatened with war if they returned.

The giants, who are peaceful folk and newly embarrassed by their tremendous eruptions of gas, didn’t put up a fight. They all packed their bags and sailed home.

Upon their return, the giant’s cycle of reproduction showed that the spell was more permanent than expected. Any offspring of a newly gassy giant with an unmodified person became half as gassy. If two gassy giants mated, then the offspring had full fart power. After enough generations of mating, all giants became gasbags to some extent. While the giants grew used to, and even happy with, their new powers, they knew this was the last nail in the coffin of their diplomacy. Now, no giant could try to live peacefully with the smaller races. Barely any giants visit the small lands even now.

The end.

… but, of course, the world goes on after “The End,” doesn’t it?

First, there were the unintentional side effects of the lake. After the expulsion of the giants, the wizard quickly used the last of his remaining power to neutralize the water. However, some damage was already done. While humans were the majority of the small races to hold issue with giants, most of the demi-humans (goat-mans, centaurs, satyrs, etc.) had no issue with giants and were happy to hang out with them, share meals with them…. and drink with them. This is the theory of why these races are flatulent even beyond their animal counterparts’ abilities. Their guts have been forever tainted by the same brew that doomed the giants.

Some of the demi-humans who liked the permanent changes to their digestive tracts acted quickly, bottling some of the water before the wizard neutralized his work. These potions of flatulence are incredibly rare, and possibly no more than legends, but people search for them to this day.

Then there are the members of the small races who don’t mind venturing out to visit the giants. After all, no rule was set up that they couldn’t visit, although some years had to pass before the giants were in a good enough mood to be visited. This is how the small amount of giant-to-small-person communication and research still persists.

And who knows? Maybe in enough time, relations will improve enough to reach the level that they used to be.

Until then, most giants will stay at home, entertaining only the most friendly (or peculiarly inclined) members of the races who banished them.

[writefantasyworlds]

World Building Advice Series: Step Three

Creating your Lands

After you have your list of inspirations, and you have a purpose for your world, you are ready to create the land.

I’d start with the size you want your world to be. Are there countries your characters will be traveling to or will have mentioned? Or is it a smaller scope focused on one area of a single country, maybe just a city, and the rest matters less to your story. (Think Night City from Cyberpunk. Vs a world like Lord of the Rings or Chronicles of Narnia.)

Whether it’s a big or small scope, you can still think of just as many details to fill your world with.

I’ll refer back to my example story I mentioned in previous steps. A steampunk magical world that is somewhat based on New York in the Second Industrial Revolution. It focuses heavily on my main character; who like me is an immigrant to a new country and struggling to adjust to the culture. He also meets a lot of other immigrants from different countries in my story.

This is important to me and my story that we see how different the cultures are from the new country they are adjusting to, and from each other.

To show these differences in the countries compared to the one my story takes place in, I chose to fully world build an entire world map with cultures and concepts for each of the countries in the world. I added the most details to the ones more prominent in my story, but chose a small history, backstory, climate and a bit of culture for each of them.

You can at this stage in your building decide to build more than is relevant if you’d like. This is the fun bit for most that want to get into heavy world building. This is where you can decide religions, animals, magic systems, and all the tiny details that make your world unique. That doesn’t mean each bit will be including into your story though, so don’t be too attached to each concept getting explored by your characters. But, we will talk more about that in another part.

For example during this stage I created twelve countries and chose some of these things for them.

1) Names.

2) People characteristics. (Are they known for being friendly? Reserved? Studious and Hardworking?)

3) History (How did they form? Are they a new country or an established world power?)

4) Unique exports (Mining? Fishing? Clothing and Dyes? Spices?)

5) Unique landscapes and climate.

6) Allies and Enemies (where they stand with the other countries)

Just to name a few!

Mostly this is the ‘free for all’ section of your building. Have fun and let your mind expand as far as you want, and trim down what’s relevant later.

Happy building!

[unsweetenedlettucewrap]

now that the drivers are talking about the strain that travel put on them and especially their teams this year, it would be a good idea to look at the 2024 f1 calendar

above is the 2024 schedule with an accompanying flight map i drew. there are so many races, too many to be honest, and the flight map is insane. there is so much backtracking over continents and the constant time changes is sure to take a toll on everyone who is travelling.

considering that the fia is not very likely to cut down on the number of races, i have proposed a hypothetical calendar for next year that is more eco friendly and more travel friendly for the drivers at their teams

there are a few things i considered

1. climate

the climate in some races means you can't just move them anywhere, but im pretty sure that this accommodates for all the climates that would effect f1

2. location & travel

obviously this takes into account travel by grouping similar locations together. this reduces the environmental impact of so much travel as much as possible, and is easier on people's bodies especially for those team members who aren't drivers travelling in private jets or first class. another reason i like this is that it means that they are in the middle east for the first two months of the season, and then they are in europe until the last full weekend in august. this allows them to spend more time with their families from march until august as they are close to where most drivers live with their families in central or western europe.

3. equipment

not to get into specifics but i was looking into how they transport the spare car parts and the pits themselves, and how it works right now is usually there's an asia/australia cargo ship, an americas cargo ship, and a middle east cargo ship for out of europe races. the way this schedule works out is the ships can move back and forth between places without sticking to this schedule but still getting there in time (i have more thoughts on this i can elaborate if necessary)

things i consider to be hinderances:

1. start/end races

obviously it's still starting in the same place in bahrain but i didn't end it in abu dhabi. of course this is easily fixed by just putting abu dhabi after suzuka, although that's a rough journey

2. brazil to australia

the other thing is that there is a double header that ends up being brazil to australia, but this can be fixed again by moving mexico city and brazil back by two weeks so the break in the fall happens between brazil and australia instead of vegas and mexico on the adjusted calendar

this will never happen, the fia doesn't care about it's drivers and their teams, but i can dream right?