#europe is now a part of africa.

[captain-hollis]

I love the maps of the future earth you get in these shows

[entropyvoid]

Golden Hour (+ lineart below cut)

I took a picture of the lines for once and did some basic crappy photo editing on my phone, so you could probably print this out and use it as a coloring page or something if you so wish lol. Do with it what you will.

[crimeronan]

hi friends, i am back for now! mainly because i am Sick As Hell with some respiratory thing that hopefully isn't COVID and therefore can't do much besides lay in bed + hang with people online. is anyone up on this fine saturday morning and if so, would you join me if i streamed the owl house??

[canwediscuss]

When Christianity is gone, nature will heal. Honestly though, the cognitive dissonance required to be devoted to a slave religion death cult really makes me understand why every historical society had some kind of class/ caste system. These people are incapable of critical thought and only survive because the billionaire oligarchs want them to

[itsalwaysdark]

the world if sims 4 had more lots per world

[meshiinuma]

read interview with the vampire ,,, having Thoughts

[roach-works]

if you are anti-zionist the most effective work you can do is to ensure your community--politically and geographically-- is safe for jews to exist in. im serious. is your community safe for jews to be in? do you know any jews? if you do, are they scared of you? if you don't, if they are, why?

zionism is the premise that jews need to take exclusive control of our own homeland by force because there is nowhere else in the world for us to belong. that's it, that's the heart of it. if you disagree with the premise, you need to be part of the counter argument: that the jews of the diaspora are valued by their fellow citizens in countries around the world. that the jews of europe and asia and africa and the americas belong where they were born, that the jewish people deserve to belong wherever we live, that we are not invaders or parasites or unwanted guests living on the sufferance of christians and muslims who have a natural right to expell us when we've outstayed our welcome.

i'm not israeli. that land is the home of those who were born there, and i was born in california. i know a lot of my fellow americans right now that say they're anti-zionist but what they mean is they want israel gone and me along with it. and that is, ironically, why there's zionism in the first place.

are you anti-zionist or anti-jew? are we your neighbors or not? if you really want decolonization, get your own community in order. if you want all the jews to just fucking shut up already, you can join a six thousand year tradition of not actually ever managing that no matter how many genocides get done.

[madewithangst]

svt + soft italicized 'oh' moment

PAIRING: seventeen (ot13) x gn!reader FORMAT: drabble/headcanon WARNINGS: a few swear words and cheesy terms of endearment NOTES:

🍒Seungcheol

It isn't a secret to everyone that Choi Seungcheol is an alpha. Along with being an alpha comes the excessive spoiling to his S/O. Sometimes his own band members would get a little concerned about the amount of love aggression he's been giving you. One day, probably just a few weeks of you dating, they were locked in the studio to finish an album that was on a deadline. You surprised him with his favourite food and flowers. FLOWERS. This man has never felt butterflies in his stomach until that day. Basically, he just wanted to be babygirl-ed too, despite his strong demeanor.

😇Jeonghan

Yoon Jeonghan wanted to come home. He hadn't seen the sun all day, and now it had already set. They had been doing a photoshoot for a PR campaign since 2am that it had gotten to a point where smiling was now painful and he's pretty sure his face was bruised up from all the makeup touch-ups. The sun has hidden away from the world again and all he's been thinking about was his shared bed with you. Your limbs all tangled in the warmest and coziest sheet. Just thinking about you helped him relax. Oh.

🦌Joshua

Joshua and you have a shared passion for travelling. He'd shown you LA, Italy, Australia, Africa, and basically the whole of Southeast Asia. So when you got sick on your birthday, he was so devastated not only because you're actually sick, but also the fact that your travel plans had to be postponed. You were lying on the couch wrapped in a thick comforter like a burrito (Joshua's idea) while he made you soup. When he finished, he sat in front of you on the floor and replaced the wet cloth on your forehead. You managed to free your hand from the tightly secured comforter and opened the TV. Despite Joshua's protests, you were able to show him a video. You know those youtube LIVE videos where it's CCTV footage or a person walking around touring the place? That's it. And Joshua realizes now what you're doing. He can't help but think 'I'm so going to marry you.'

😺Jun

He hates when this happens. There are days when a recording of his part wasn't "perfect," to say the least. There would be days when he was sleeping and a phone call would wake him up in the middle of the night to record his part again. Days when he's in the middle of finishing his favorite Netflix series. Or days like when he’s in the middle of a date. He hates when it happens, but when it does, he falls deeper in love with you. You’re so selfless in his eyes that even when you’re about to watch a movie you both have been waiting to see together, you’re still there for him. Waiting and watching as he perfects his solo part of that one song. As he sings, he can't tear his eyes away from you, you were looking back at him with equal amount of adoration.

🐯Hoshi

Kwon Soonyoung, now this man couldn't leave without you by his side. Call him clingy, call him a slug, call him a koala, he doesn't mind all that as long as he's holding you, especially your hands. So on every tour, as long as you're free, he manages to bring you everywhere he go. So one day, while you were touring Europe, your company called you to let you know about a disaster that was going on in the office. Of course, Soonyoung was devastated but understood the situation right away. As he was walking the streets with seokmin and mingyu, he couldn't imagine that he'd feel a physical itch to hold your hand. He almost grabbed Seokmin's while walking. It dawned on him. Oh.

🐈‍⬛Wonwoo

This might sound cheesy, but what better scenario to give to Wonwoo than him gaming? But seriously, you have zero knowledge of what game he's playing right now. You don't even know who the characters are, the mechanics of the game, or how it's even played. And yes, Wonwoo is aware of that all too well. And he knows another thing too: that in the middle of him ranting to you about another player who, quote and quote, "is a fucking menace to society! I would be ashamed if I was their mother. Such a disgrace child," he couldn't help but feel so supported and understood because you were there. Eagerly listening to him. Your evident expressions changed depending on Wonwoo's story. With that, he felt it.

🍚Woozi

It's no secret that Jihoon is a great music prod. It's also no secret that he basically lives in his studio now. Having a S/O was even a fantasy to think about but here you are. They thought that Woozi found a low-maintenance partner, but deep down, you just truly love and support him in whatever he does. That's why you were there for him on the night he was locked in to finish a song that was due the next day. Jihoon was basically done with all his to-do list, but something just wasn't sitting right for him. So, when he played you the songs while you both ate your Chinese takeaway, you suggested a lyric change. He thought his love for you was at its peak already, but being able to help him and achieve the satisfaction he's been longing for in the song, he's even more deeply in love with you (and also the other members because you helped make the song sound so much better).

⚔️Dokyeom

Lee Seokmin is an angel. Everyone knows that. This man always has surprises up his sleeve. He thinks you might get tired of his gestures with how long you two have been together. He just loves love-bombing you all the time, and he shows you that by surprising you. Surprising you with flowers, showing up at your office at random times, food deliveries at ungodly hours, surprise trips—anything you could think of, Seokmin has already given you. But every time he’s running out of ideas, he falls even deeper in love. Because with the effort he puts into his surprises, your reactions are always worth it. You would practically jump into his arms, cry out loud, take a picture of it, and hang it on your wall. So every time he looks at your “wall of Seokmin’s gifts,” he’s reminded that someone loves him just as much as he loves them. And that warms his heart.

🐶Mingyu

He's a photographer, director, filmmaker, and video editor. His favorite subject? You. As he was looking through his files one night, he couldn't help but notice (I mean it wasn't hard to notice at all) that every clip and every photo he had was mostly of you. Of course, some of them were of the boys, but they were either casual shots or social media posts. But yours? He couldn't help but look at his shots as masterpieces. His creativity soared through the roof. Kim Mingyu thinks he should he should be working a different career because of how great these are. There was one shot where he was the focus. You were in the background, watching him with a look that made his heart skip a beat. It was a look he knew well, one he often gave you.

🐸The8

Between you and Xu Minghao, let's admit it: He's the better cook. Not a single dish gets repeated in the household because of his culinary knowledge. So obviously, the way to his heart is a good meal. They just came back from tour. He chose to go straight home instead of attending the after-party, knowing you weren't there. He chose to be hidden in your arms and order some Chinese takeout instead. But that wasn't what surprised him when he arrived home. Instead, there was a full meal on the table, candlelit and mood lights, the finest china and tablecloth in sight. But something was missing, you. He saw you sleeping on your arm in the bar stool, your arm was probably numb by now. But you did all this for him. You'd gone to so much trouble for him, and it meant the world. Oh.

🍊Seungkwan

Everyone knows Boo Seungkwan's insecurities. Immature people would criticize him for this and that (but we all know it's not just Seungkwan who suffers from this). Even his members understand him. They would support and defend him in any way they can. But you, you were gentle and kind, and you know the truth. But once a comment really presses on an "issue" that isn't really in there, you would defend the fuck out of Seungkwan. And that's what he loves you the most. He would bet his life when someone dear to him was hurt, but when he's hurting, he forgets to fight back. "You don't need to change your nose, your laugh, your teeth. You don't need to change a thing, Boo," you'd assure him, your voice a soothing balm for him. "You're enough, just the way you are." And in that moment, he felt it.

🐼Vernon

Vernon is a simple man. Mans just want his sleep and jam. (Un)fortunately for him, you weren't simple. The way you would take care of him and make him feel loved was always extravagant. I think his "Oh" moment was seeing you asleep on his side of the bed. Coming home earlier than expected was supposed to be a surprise. He was probably the one caught off guard now. Not only were you sleeping on his side, but you were also wearing his favorite basketball shorts and sweatshirt. He was a simple man, and a simple gesture like that melted his heart.

🦦Dino

Lee Chan has maknae privileges in Seventeen. But when he’s home with you, he’s back to being the mature, caring, and fatherly (to your cat and dog) Lee Chan. He loves wrapping you in his arms, tangling you in his legs. His best days are just cuddling on the couch all day. You were both watching a drama on TV, lying on the couch in Chan’s arms. You were drifting in and out of sleep but really trying to stay awake because you knew how much Dino had been waiting for this episode to come out and he liked to watch it with you. He looked down at you, a soft smile playing on his lips. Your effort, though small, meant the world to him. Oh.

[o-craven-canto]

Euphorbia euphoria

Was sent this by a friend:

which is a reference to this:

namely, the fact that the wild mustard Brassica oleracea, once domesticated, produced a bewildering variety of vegetables by selecting each cultivar for a different part (cabbages from terminal buds, Brussels ssprouts from lateral buds, broccoli and cauliflower from flower buds, kale from leaves, and so on), all of them still being technically part of the same species, Brassica oleracea var. whatever.

Now, as far as I know, nobody has bred B. oleracea into a tree. But there is, not quite a single species, but a genus, that has gotten pretty close to that kind of internal morphological diversity:

Behold Euphorbia, the genus of spurges, counting over 2000 species (that nevertheless are often capable of interbreeding) scattered throughout all continents:

Euphorbia dendroides (Mediterranean)

The poinsettia, Euphorbia pulcherrima (Central America)

Euphorbia actinoclada (East Africa)|, one of the many cactus-like species (cacti proper are all American species except one, so if you see a cactus-like plant in an African or Asian deserts, odds are it's actually a kind of euphorbia)

Euphorbia trigona (Central Africa)

Euphorbia myrsinites (Southeast Europe)

Euphorbia obesa (South Africa)

Euphorbia ferox (South Africa)

Euphorbia ampliphylla (East Africa) (source)

Euphorbia aphylla (Canary Islands)

Euphorbia helioscopia (Eurasia and Africa)

And so on, and so on...

[matan4il]

I just opened the news and read that the Holocaust is being referred to by a European Union official as "a dark spot in European history."

No.

His intention was good, but I have to correct him. The Holocaust was the natural conclusion of close to 2,000 years of European antisemitism. It wasn't one dark spot, it was the direct offspring of a long, dark history of countless antisemitic events, including persecution, discrimination often coded into law, forced conversions, killing Jews who didn't and who did agree to said forced conversions, repeated expulsions, attacks, pogroms, massacres, and always shifting the narrative regarding who and what are the Jews, with only one element remaining constant: that the Jews or the Jewish collective (the Jewish religion, the Jewish race, now the Jewish state) are the worst.

Such a history and perception of Jews could only lead to a genocide eventually. If it hadn't been Hitler, it would have been someone else exploiting the antisemitic fertile ground of European history. That's supported by how many local collaborators he had in his pursuit to kill all Jews, across Europe, northern Africa and certain parts of Asia.

Until Europe - and the world (! We tend to focus on Europe, because that's where the Holocaust was at its most brutal effectiveness, but neither the Holocaust, nor Jew hatred itself were ever limited to that one continent) - will finally face the full history of its own antisemitism, until it stops treating the Holocaust like it was a 12 years long anomaly, blamed on and confined to the Nazis, we are all doomed to the repetition of antisemitism rearing its ugly, violent, dangerous head whenever it can.

(for more of my posts regarding antisemitism and Israel, click here)

[reasonsforhope]

Article

"2023 was a banner year for the Galapagos Islands: that wondrous archipelago so famous for its giant tortoises and other endemic species.

The long-serving conservation organization the Galapagos Conservancy, also endemic to the islands, recently published its annual report featuring standout figures like over 500 giant tortoises of 5 different species reintroduced to their natural habitat.

Additionally, a critically endangered species of albatross was identified to use giant tortoise feeding sites as take-off and landing areas. This key insight into co-dependency has given the Conservancy confidence that they can restore the populations of both animals to stable, flourishing numbers.

It underscores how far a donation to these endemic wildlife organizations really does go, and these two highlights of a successful year were only possible by the over $6 million in charitable contributions from supporters.

30 Chelonoidis chatamensis tortoises endemic to the smaller island of San Cristobal were repatriated to their natural habitat from the stock of a captive breeding program, while 97 native tortoises were returned to the second-largest island of Santa Cruz.

On the largest island of Isabella, 350 tortoises (214 C. guntheri and 136 C. vicina) were successfully reintroduced to their natural habitat after a survey found their numbers were not rising substantially on their own.

In March, the repatriation of 86 juvenile Chelonoidis hoodensis tortoises significantly contributed to enhancing the species’ distribution across their native habitat. They currently number 3,000 today on Española or Hood Island, a miraculous recovery from the 14 found there in the 1960s.

Also on Española, the endemic waved albatross was found to be taking off and landing on 50 additional parts of the island. These large birds, boasting an 8-foot wingspan, need ample space to get a running start before taking off, and this same principle applies when applying the brakes coming down from the sky.

In the survey, the biologists observed that concentrations of giant tortoises were linked with the usage of areas as runways for the albatross. Because the tortoises are the largest herbivores in the ecosystem, they perform the same acts as bison do in North America and Europe, and elephants in Africa—clear space.

With their herbivorous diet and large bulk, the tortoise’s feeding habits produce cleared areas ideal for albatross use.

“This discovery underscores the interconnectedness of the Galápagos ecosystem,” the authors of the report write. “This newly acquired knowledge allows us to strengthen the synergies between our conservation strategies.”

Of the $6.1 million received from donations and through other activities, the Conservancy was able to spend 77% of that on conservation programs, and that included some ambitious plans for this year—now already half done—which included drafting plans for restoration of the Pinta tortoise to the island of the same name, preparing tortoises for imminent reintroduction to the smaller Floreana island, and completely restoring the habitat for the Galapagos petrels on Santa Cruz.

Operating since 1985, the Galapagos Conservancy has a long track record of restoring these islands to their pre-Colombian glory. Let’s hope 2024 is as successful."

-via Good News Network, July 19, 2024

[bgwlsmahf25]

If She Could, She Would

natasha romanoff x reader

warnings: none?

genre: fluff

a/n: tried to stick to canon for this one! hopefully I got it right, just after winter soldier and the beginnings of age of ultron :) let me know if you want part 2!

It was extremely early, far too early to be getting out of bed. Wearily, you stumbled around your room, pulling on your uniform and finding your boots as the alarm kept blaring. Somewhere in the world, the Avengers were wanted in assistance and you were being pulled from sleep to monitor them.

Once you arrived in the corridors outside the science laboratories, you realised how big the situation was. It was chaos, people charging everywhere. Maria stood calmly directing people, a clipboard under one arm and a tablet balanced in her hand. She made eye contact and waved you over. Her hair was in a slicked back bun, yet strands of it were already falling out, framing her face. “Agent y/l/n.”

“Maria. What can I do?” You took a tablet from a passing agent and began swiping through the briefs as they appeared on your screen. Some were already assigned to other SHIELD agents, but most were blank. You watched your colleagues fill in their names on various briefs, taking them as they were directed by Maria and other SHIELD executives.

“For now, traffic monitoring. This place has been chaotic since the helicarriers went down. Romanoff’s been speaking to the Senate, they’re not convinced but we have them where we want them at the moment - in our eyesight. Fury’s dead, Rogers and Wilson are in Europe currently but just informed me they might need to head to Africa on a lead, not sure what is going on there.” You waited patiently, knowing Maria was speaking aloud to sort her thoughts out. “Stand here or go somewhere else with Internet reach, I don’t care where, and continue sending these briefs out. Chase anyone who isn’t assigned to something and give them something to do.”

“What will you do?” you said, already typing.

“I need to find Romanoff. If you see her, send her to me.” You nodded, but Maria was already walking off, speaking to agents as she went.

***

“I left for five minutes,” a strong voice said behind you. You looked around to see Natasha surveying the agents rushing about and the general chaos. “What happened?”

“I…” Then you realised she was teasing. After all, she had been present when Rogers and Wilson departed. “I thought you’d left?”

“I’m not that easy to get rid of.” She nodded at an agent walking by and then looked at you with a firm, level gaze. “Besides, I need to talk to Maria before I disappear.”

“She went that way,” you pointed. “So the rumours are true.”

“What rumours would those be?” Natasha’s expression was unreadable, but you detected a flicker of sadness - no, wistfulness in her gaze.

“That you’re disappearing. Leaving SHIELD as it’s sinking.”

She didn’t reply, just kept on staring at you, and you realised she wasn’t going to answer. Natasha’s non-answers were answers in themselves. She rarely said more than she needed to, but you’d become accustomed to interpreting her body language. “Is that really how you see me?”

“No,” you replied, perhaps too quickly. “I see a woman who needs to step away from the spotlight.”

“Was I ever in it?” The question was more for her benefit rather than yours and you were left pondering your answer as Natasha walked off down the corridor, in search of Maria. You found yourself wondering about the redhead. Where would she go? What would be her mission now, or was she a free agent, able to choose her work as it suited her?

***

“...and I’m telling you, they’re valuable here. I need them where the action is, Natasha, surely you can appreciate the importance of that.”

“I could use their skills and knowledge in the field.” Natasha paused and sucked in a breath. “It would be helpful to have someone with decency towards SHIELD.”

“They have no heart towards SHIELD, they answer to me.”

“And what are you now, Maria? Nick’s gone, Steve and Sam are too, James Barnes is out there somewhere… HYDRA didn’t pack their bags once SHIELD collapsed. You know it and I know it. They’re the real enemy and right now, we’re at our weakest and they’re just gathering strength.”

“And how do you know that?” Maria sighed in frustration. “I don’t doubt your sources, Romanoff, you’ve got a good many of them out there. I just need to know that you’re not retreating forever. We might need your assistance very soon.”

“Then I’ll just have to be quick, won’t I?”

You stepped aside as Natasha left the room. She glanced at you, opened her mouth to say something, then closed it and carried on walking down the corridor, head bowed and obviously deep in thought.

“Agent y/l/n, I know you’re there. Come on in.”

You took a deep breath and stepped into Maria’s office. Well, it used to be her office but as you glanced around, you realised that she was packing her things. “You’re leaving too?” The surprise in your tone was evident.

“Until we find somewhere better to be. I’m not leaving, y/n, I’m just leaving this room.” She pinched the bridge of her nose and typed something out on her tablet. You could see a string of messages coming in and realised that Maria had a life outside SHIELD too. “How much did you hear?”

“Nearly all of it,” you admitted. “Why does Romanoff need me?” You hesitated. “...It was me she talked about, wasn’t it?”

“And this is exactly why I need you here! You’re too damn useful, y/n.” Maria sighed. “SHIELD’s gone and it’s a free world, so I’ll give you the choice. Assist me in relocating and rebuilding SHIELD to a better standard and try not to get further mired down in the political devastation of this whole calamity. Or assist Romanoff with god knows what, though it’s likely to be dangerous and highly secretive, capering about over Europe and Africa and I think she mentioned something about Florida, though I can’t think why.”

“Dangerous and highly secretive sounds interesting and exciting but I’m more concerned with SHIELD rebuilding itself and going after HYDRA,” you admitted. “I’m an agent, but I wouldn’t consider myself a spy quite yet.”

“So you’ll stay?” Maria sounded surprised. “I thought you’d pick Natasha.”

“I’m not one to take sides, but I’m not someone who’ll abandon a sinking ship that easily.”

***

“You’re not who I thought you were.” Natasha eyed you shrewdly. “Staying to support Maria… are you sure you won’t change your mind?”

“I - I need to be here. It feels right,” you said awkwardly. “Maria’s given me control of your incoming traffic though, for decryption.”

“Hmm.” Natasha watched the constant movement of agents and goods around you. She obviously wanted to say more, but instead closed her mouth and shook her head. “Well… I’ll be in touch.”

“I know,” you replied simply. “And if you ever feel like taking a break, I hear Times Square is very nice. I go there on weekends.” You weren’t sure why you were telling Natasha about your favourite spot in the city, but you didn’t regret it.

“Interesting.” She smiled briefly then nodded. “Alright. Time Square. I’ll… consider it.

***

Time passed quickly. SHIELD was rebuilding and HYDRA was coming down, but it was all taking far longer than you or Maria had realised it would. Maria was now concerned with the ever-increasing workload that the SHIELD directorship generated and repeatedly found herself in executive board meetings and exasperating talks with Tony Stark.

The Avengers facility, or the compound as it was more familiarly known, was still under development yet already recognised as the new birthplace of SHIELD. You were slowly training yourself in espionage, still recording and monitoring Natasha’s traffic from her various exotic locales, and always taking a weekend trip to Times Square. A part of you deep down wanted her to show up, to tell you that she needed a break, but you knew she wouldn’t stop until HYDRA was eliminated.

Natasha was working on another mission and any correspondence addressed to ‘My dear friend Andre’ was being immediately sent to Maria without you decrypting it first. You had strong suspicions that before his death, Fury had given further orders to Natasha, and she was carrying them out posthumously according to his instructions.

Bruce Banner the scientist was showing up more and more often now, often deep in conversation with Tony Stark, and also often in the science laboratories at the compound, running various chemical substances and long lines of code, neither of which made any sense to you. Tony was often found talking to Maria as well, broadcasting the value of the Avengers Initiative to anyone who’d listen and slowly increasing his hold in the corporate aspects of SHIELD.

***

Natasha, I wish you were here. Tony is an insufferable bore, constantly talking about his own ideas and plans for SHIELD, and Maria is reaching the end of her tether. I don’t know why I’m talking about him anyway. I miss you

You crossed it out and sighed, crumpling the piece of paper and shredding it into smaller and smaller pieces before depositing them into separate litter bins as you walked through Times Square.

Even at the early hour, the square was busy, filled with tourists chattering and watching the ever-changing displays. You watched a fashion advert about a model you vaguely recognised, your mind a million miles from New York. You were imagining Natasha, crouched in a dark alleyway somewhere in Europe, hot on the heels of a shadowy assassin…

“It’s smaller than I imagined.”

You jumped out of your skin and looked around frantically, only calming down when you spotted the object of your thoughts watching you with an amused expression. Natasha looked healthy but you could see the worry lines on her face and the tiredness in her eyes. Her red hair was short and wavy, tied back in a ponytail and she looked casual in a pair of suit trousers and a leather jacket. You could see the faded red Converse you’d given her several Christmases ago, peeking out from the flared edge of the trousers.

“Your letter was nice,” she continued. “Maybe don’t call Stark a bore, you clearly haven’t talked to him.”

“He called me ‘somewhat pretty,’” you groaned. “The man’s on my blacklist whether he wants to be or not.” You stared at Natasha. “Why are you here? I mean, why now? I’ve been coming for weeks.”

“I know.”

“You know?” You stared at Natasha, realisation flooding your mind. “So you have been here before?! And I got led on a wild goose chase. Gee, thanks,” you muttered bitterly, turning and walking away across the square.

“Y/n, wait.” You stopped but didn’t turn around. “Please don’t leave. I - I needed to see you.”

“Me?” Her words had got your attention, just as she predicted. “Why?”

“You know why.” The fact you knew and she didn’t have to say it sent shivers down your spine. “You never left my thoughts. I kept wondering.”

“You did?” You smiled. Natasha cared for you and you cared for her. Did anything more need to be said?

***

You’d parted easily, and the spy had informed you that she would be back soon, once she’d finished a meeting.

Meanwhile you headed home, immediately suspicious once you found your front door opened far too easily. Had HYDRA found you?

On the table was a book with a red cover and black lettering: As If You Were Beside Me.

Don’t destroy this, I can’t make another. N

You smiled, recognising Natasha’s handwriting and opened the book. “Oh Nat…” She’d made you an album, a rare gesture and sign of weakness from the redhead, filled with plane tickets, movie stubs and photos.

You sat cross legged on your kitchen floor, the book balanced across your lap, and examined each page carefully and for increasing periods of time.

Natasha had documented some of her travels, as if you were there beside her. There were many slightly blurry photos, her camera held at arm’s length, her smile forced in some (she’d taken some pretty bad injuries and beatings and it made you wince).

There were receipts from places she’d eaten, decorated with little smiley faces and other curious doodles.

Finally, at the back of the book, Nat had written a longer message:

You have to know that you mean something to me. If you are half the person I know you to be, then you’ll have already figured that out. I don’t do a lot of things but I would with you. N

You wiped tears from your eyes, a strange deep ache tugging at your heart. Oh how you wished she was beside you right now! But you knew she had to announce her return to Maria and Tony, and she’d join you as soon as she could.

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Milestones in Human Evolutionary History

TIME — EVENT

15 billion years ago (bya) — The Big Bang (origin of universe)

4.7 bya — Earth forms

3.7 bya — First life emerges

1.2 bya — Sexual reproduction evolves

500–450 million years ago (mya) — First vertebrates

365 mya — Fish evolve lungs and walk on land

248–208 mya — First small mammals and dinosaurs evolve

208–65 mya — Large dinosaurs flourish

114 mya — Placental mammals evolve

85 mya — First primates evolve

65 mya — Dinosaurs go extinct; mammals then increase in size and diversity

35 mya — First apes evolve

6–8 mya — Common ancestor of humans and African apes evolves

4.4 mya — First primate with bipedal locomotion (Ardipithecus ramidus)

3.0 mya — The australopithecines evolve in savannas of Africa

2.5 mya — Earliest stone tools develop—Oldowan (found in Ethiopia and Kenya, Africa); used to butcher carcasses for meat and to extract marrow from bones; linked with Homo habilis

1.8 mya — Hominids (Homo erectus) spread beyond Africa to Asia—first major migration

1.6 mya — Fire evidence; likely hearths; linked with African Homo erectus

1.5 mya — Invention of Acheulean hand axe; linked with Homo ergaster (tall stature, long limbs)

1.2 mya — Brain expansion in Homo line begins

1.0 mya — Hominids spread to Europe

800 thousand years ago (kya) — Crude stone tool kit used���found in Spain, linked with Homo antecessor

600–400 kya — Long, crafted wooden spears made and used; linked with Homo heidelbergensis found in Germany

500–100 kya — Period of most rapid brain expansion in Homo line

200–30 kya — Neanderthals flourish in Europe and western Asia

150–120 kya — Common ancestor for all modern humans (Africa) evolves

100–50 kya — Exodus from Africa—second major migration [“Out of Africa”]

50–35 kya — Explosion of diverse stone tools, bone tools, blade tools, well-designed fireplaces, elaborate art; found mainly among Homo sapiens, rarely among Neanderthals

40–35 kya — Homo sapiens (Cro-Magnons) arrive in Europe

30 kya — Neanderthals go extinct

27 kya–present — Homo sapiens colonize entire planet; all other hominid species are now extinct

Note: These dates are based in part on information from a variety of sources, including Johanson and Edgar (1996), Klein (2000), Lewin (1993), Tattersall (2000), Wrangham, Jones, Laden, Pilbeam, and Conklin-Brittain (1999), Galway-Witham, Cole, and Stringer (2019), and the references contained therein.

Source ⚜ More: Writing Notes & References

[noneorother]

Anthony Jay Crowley, I see what you did there.

Forgive me if anyone has pointed this out before but I think Crowley's chosen middle name from S1 *might* actually be J as in, just a Jay. You see, the Eurasian Jay is a fairly common and cute as heck bird common in most of Europe, Asia and Northern Africa that's part of the Corvidae family (same as crows and ravens). Not only are they crow-family birds, they're also great at adapting to their environments, and are superior mimics, and just like crows, often pretend to be other birds (see constantly changing snazzy clothes).

Eurasian Jays have two other very distinct characteristics: 1) They are extremely smart, and plan for the future. And 2) The males of the species FUCKING LOVE BRINGING AND FEEDING THEIR MATE SPECIAL FOODS THE MATE LOVES AS A PART OF COURTSHIP.

I mean, we knew about the cake and... whatever this was from S1.

But now we *know* know from the ox rib scene.

That Crowley loves not just watching Aziraphale eat and enjoy eating, but offering him special and delicious treats. For courtship reasons. It makes him happy. Do know what they call the Eurasian Jay in the UK?

[ljsbugblog]

a new Argiope species for me, but one that may be familiar to folks in the Americas. the Banded Garden Spider is native to North and South America, but is now also found in parts of Africa, Europe, and Australasia.

Banded Garden Spider, female (Argiope trifasciata).

[alphynix]

For a long time there were no hadrosaurid fossils known from Africa.

This seemed to mainly be due to the limits of the geography of their time. Hadrosaurs evolved and flourished during the late Cretaceous, when Africa was isolated from all the other continents, and they didn't seem to have ever found their way across the oceanic barriers.

…Until in 2021 a small hadrosaur was discovered in Morocco, a close relative of several European species, showing that some of these dinosaurs did reach northwest Africa just before the end of the Cretaceous - and with no land bridges or nearby island chains to hop along, they must have arrived from Europe via swimming, floating, or rafting directly across several hundred kilometers of deep water.

And now another hadrosaur has just been described from the same time and place.

Minqaria bata lived in Morocco at the very end of the Cretaceous, about 67 million years ago. Only known from a partial skull, its full appearance and body size is unknown, but it probably measured around 3.5m long (~11'6") – slightly larger than its previously discovered relative, but still very small for a hadrosaur. It might represent a case of insular dwarfism, since at the time Morocco may have been an island isolated from the rest of northwest Africa.

Along with its close relative Ajnabia, and at least one other currently-unnamed larger hadrosaur species, Minqaria seems to be part of a rapid diversification of hadrosaurs following their arrival in Morocco, adapting into new ecological niches in their new habitat where the only other herbivorous dinosaur competition was titanosaurian sauropods, and the only large predators were abelisaurs.

If the K-Pg mass extinction hadn't happened just a million years later, who knows what sort of weird African hadrosaurs we could have ended up with?

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