#except its me

[chase-solidago]

Invasive Species and Xenophobia

Invasive species are complicated! People have a lot of feelings about them, positive and negative. Are plants that move "invaders" "colonizing", "immigrants", "citizens"? What does it mean to kill species that are from somewhere else? What if that species legitimately makes a poor neighbor and causes extinctions in other, native species? This complex, culturally-loaded issue is a foundational issue behind a lot of plant conservation and restoration.

This is a juicy and still actively disputed topic! The Guardian recently had a big article on colonialism in Botany, (tbh her views are dated and reductive, imo) and it’s come up again this week, to much hostility (cw: reddit). Yes, my region's native plant restoration came from literal nazis, but also, the impacts of some invasive species are real, not figments of a racist imagination. How do we balance these issues? What does ethical invasive management look like?

Since it’s such a juicy topic, I wanted to offer a few fun readings to share:

The Native Plant Enthusiasm: Ecological Panacea or Xenophobia?, Gert Gröning and Joachim Wolschke-Bulmahn, 2004, Arnoldia.

THE CLASSIC 20th century German nazis and native plants paper. Made a huge splash when it came out, and you will still encounter people who paint all native plant stuff with this brush. Summary: yeah the nazis loved their native plants and used them as part of their conquering process. Also, the first prairie plantings ever, located in Chicago, were done by a racist probable-nazi for racist reasons, full stop. I’ll let him speak for himself: “The gardens that I created myself shall… be in harmony with their landscape environment and the racial characteristics of its inhabitants. They shall express the spirit of America and therefore shall be free of foreign character as far as possible… the Latin and the Oriental crept and creeps more and more over our land, coming from the South, which is settled by Latin people, and also from other centers of mixed masses of immigrants. The Germanic character of our race, of our cities and settlements was overgrown by foreign character. The Latin spirit has spoiled a lot and still spoils things every day.” - Jens Jensen

Botanical decolonization: rethinking native plants, Tomaz Mastnak, 2014, Environment and Planning D: Society and Space

Rather than viewing native plant plantings as an act of racially-pure occupation, Mastnak positions native plants in California as a decolonization of the sub/urban lawn. Uses a lot of quotations from 16th century English philosopher Francis Bacon, and is heavy on the philosophical musings.

From killing lists to healthy country: Aboriginal approaches to weed control in the Kimberley, Western Australia by Bach et al., 2019, Journal of Environmental Management.

This paper talks through some of the native vs invasive debate, and offers a different perspective on how to approach to plant invasive management based on cultural relations, rather than country of origin or behavior.

Beyond ‘Native V. Alien’: Critiques of the Native/alien Paradigm in the Anthropocene, and Their Implications, Charles R. Warren, 2021, Ethics, Policy, & Environment

DENSE but thorough, if you want to follow the entire history of the native/invasive debate, this has you covered. The most interesting stuff, in my opinion, is the discussion of invasive denialism, IE: the impasse of “You’re just being racist!” Vs “You know nothing about ecology!” I recommend the Discussion, which starts on page 13.

[seeminglydark]

its a 'be a pancake and lay flat on the floor while listening to linkin park's hybrid theory' kinda day except im over 40 and idk how im gonna get back up

[someexistite]

MUTCD Compliance in Need For Speed Rivals

Released in 2013, Need For Speed Rivals is one of the Need For Speed games of all time. Being a racing game, the roads are a big part of the game. But, how well do those roads hold up to the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD)?

I decided to answer this question because no one else cares enough to. This long, grueling process took over two weeks because I didn't feel like writing this Tumblr post for two weeks.

Let's start where I began.

Why is "valley" not capitalized? How did no one catch this mistake at the sign making shop?

Also, that I-4 sign is so very wrong. That is not how you inform someone which highway they are currently on. Below is a much better option.

Just slap one of these on the roadside and you're saving money on overhead signs.

Why is there an arrow? The exit isn't there. It's way up the road. Why is the arrow there?

It's up ahead as well. With enough stupidity, someone could sue the Redview County DOT over this.

So close.

For the most part, I love the sign. While having more than one arrow is not advised, I can ignore that for getting the rest of the sign correct. They even got the exit number sign on the right, like it should be (because the exit is on the right)! However, why is it an exit only? There is no lane that must exit. In fact, there's barely a lane. The exit lane lines just kind of end at the concrete and don't go to the actual highway lanes, so there's no obvious way to get to the exit.

Also what is that physical gore sign up there? Where did they get it? Did they make it themselves? It is so very incorrect. I don't even know where to begin, so I won't.

I'm not even going to question this.

The local DOT must be sponsored by an overhead sign company because there are so many overhead road signs that really don't need to be overhead.

Not only is this a blatant waste of metal, but who the fuck is this sign pointing to? There is no lane there. Why does this sign exist?

Also why does every sign have its own illumination? I know California is like that, but still.

You know what, I'll accept this.

It's a bit close to the road, but I'll let it slide.

This sign is fairly small and low.

Difficult to see at 70 MPH.

Why is "STOPPING STANDING ANYTIME" both smaller than "NO PARKING" and not the correct font?

Also, the "EXPECT DELAYS" electronic sign is very dusty and hard to see.

The lane does not end.

This same sign is down the road again.

There are black and yellow striped pylons separating one of the lanes for some reason.

Redview County is in ruins.

There we go! A Correct sign!

"EXIT RIGHT" is unnecessary, but other than that, it's pretty good! This is what that Kingfisher Road sign should've looked like. The Exit sign is even in the correct place! Very good.

Why does one sign say "Drive" but the other only says "Dr"?

Also, how does it go from West I-4 to East US-24/SR-12? Also also, the Interstate just kind of ends with no signs to state so.

Nonstandard sign, as per usual.

ok im bored now

i have like 40 more screenshots to go through

[some-siren]

David Tennant as Crowley gives me so much gender envy it’s unreal

I wanna be him so bad

[y4k4mi]

i had a cool outfit so i drew it and i like the drawing more than the clothes now haidgjdvdkbgk

[itsgrimeytime]

girl, I'm rereading Magnolia in May bc I do that some times and I literally wrote:

"You're a wonderful man, but you're not mine."

(Chapter 6, if anyone's wondering.)

There's so many bangers in here like-

Where does this come from in my brain?

[thescaredsapphic]

u know ur a loser when someone says something irl and you pull out ur phone like

"I have the perfect meme for this situation!"

[acvdemias]

dark academia vibes 🍂☕🕰

[pi22aboy]

jamming out so hard my cup of koolaid is vibrating at a frequency unknown to man

[greenkween99]

self love is an incredibly powerful tool to have and realizing the lack of being the root of most of my problems genuinely changed the way I thought about myself. I highly encourage anyone with a lack of it to practice it because baby it'll make your life so much better

[limbcom]

"Holding your hand doesn't have to mean that I accept your friendship," the liar said to the truthful, trying to lie in front of the only person who understands his intentions.

He knows, of course, that the liar did not lie. For the liar is also the truthful.

[starry-bi-sky]

I am loudly pushing the batdad agenda i am loudly pushing the— DPxDC Prompt

“Woah. You look like shit."

Granted, that’s probably not the first thing Danny should be saying to the guy that just bit the curb, but in his defense; he’s not running on 100% right now either.

The man -- tall, towering, and broader than Danny is tall -- whips around on his heel, black frayed cape flaring out impressively. Danny would've whistled in appreciation, but he takes the time instead to wipe the back of his hand across his mouth, smearing the blood running from his nose across his cheek.

"Sorry." He blinks widely, not even flinching as the man with the horns zeroes in on him. "That was rude of me. I have a really bad brain-to-mouth filter; Sam says its what always gets me into trouble."

And she's not wrong either, per say. His smart mouth is what landed him in this situation -- with blood blossom extract running through his veins and cannibalizing the ectoplasm in his bloodstream. Thanks Vlad.

The man grunts at him; a short, curt "hm" that shouldn't make Danny smile, but he does because he's somewhat delirious and probably concussed. The man keeps some kind of distance, sinking towards the shadows of Gotham's alleyway like he dares to melt right into it.

If it's supposed to scare Danny, it doesn't work. Danny's never been afraid of the dark; he's always been able to hide himself in it. He blinks slowly at the mass of shadows.

"You look hurt." The shadows says, blurring together around the edges. Danny squints, and licks his lips to get the blood dripping down his chin off. Ugh, he hates the taste of blood.

"I am." He says, "My godfather poisoned me. M'dying." The agony of the blood blossom eating him from the inside out looped back around to numbing a while ago, so all he feels is half-awake and dazed.

"Hey," Danny stumbles forward towards the man, a bloodied hand reaching out to him. "You-- you're a hero, right? You're not attacking me; which is more than I can say for most costumed people I've met." Maybe it's a poor bar to judge someone at, but he's already established that Danny's not in his right mind.

The man makes no change in expression, but Danny realizes blearily that it's hard to tell with the shadows on his face. He stays still long enough for Danny to latch onto the cape -- stretchy, but almost soft under his fingers.

He looks up blearily into the whites of the man's eyes. "Can you help me? I don't-- I don't wanna die." Again. He doesn't wanna die again. He blinks slow and lizard-like. "I mean- I'll probably get to see mom and dad again, but I told them I'd at least try and make it to adulthood."

There's a clatter down the street, and Danny's ghost sense chills up his spine and leaves a bitter, ashy taste in his mouth. He immediately knows who it belongs to even before the deceptively gentle; "Daniel?" echoes down the way.

"Daniel? Quit your games, badger, Gotham is dangerous for children."

Danny's mouth pulls back, and blood spills against his tongue. "Please." He rasps, and grabs onto the shadow's cape with both hands. "Please. He's going to kill me. Please--"

"Daniel? Is that you?"

His lips part, dragging in air to plead with the darkness again. He doesn't need to, the whites of his eyes narrow, and the cape whirls around him before Danny can blink. Soon swaddled in shadows, the Night lifts him up, and steals him away.

[ninja-knox-ur-sox-off]

Okay 3 things

1. I was thinking about an aroace Sonic who says things that can be taken as wildly flirty/romantic but he just means them genuinely. “You have beautiful eyes, I keep getting distracted while looking at them,” not cause he’s interested romantically in them but because eyes can be really cool and pretty man I dunno what to tell you he likes looking at cool things and he thinks his friends are neat. “You’re the most beautiful person here,” because he really thinks that, he loves his friends

2. Sonic randomly dropping heartfelt genuine comments on his friends out of the blue completely blindsiding them and then moves on like nothing happened while they’re left going ?????? Bonus points if he does something immensely stupid or jerkish just before or immediately afterwards and they can’t tell if he was serious or not with the compliment (yes he was)

3. Sonic usually being so allergic to truly vulnerable moments that when he expresses something heartfelt randomly Tails thinks he’s been stabbed or something and does not believe him when he reassures him that he’s fine he’s fine he’s not dying yeesh

[redpapercraness]

what it feels like to be mind crushed

[aroaceleovaldez]

i have suddenly become obsessed with a theme that HoO established but never proceeded to extrapolate on, which is:

You are Percy Jackson, and you have been swapped with a boy who was allegedly everyone's favorite person, but they have decided to replace him with you. They just met you. You stand next to his best friend and the people he's known his entire life. In his home. In his cloak. In his place. They stopped looking for him.

You are Jason Grace, and you have just found out you have a long lost sister who completely replaced you in her life with this girl you just met. Your lives and personalities are mirrors. She is you, living the life you were robbed of.

You are Annabeth Chase, and you have just become starkly aware that you have been inhabiting the void left behind by your best friend's long lost brother. You and Luke were just replacements for him. Now you have to look him in the eyes when he has nothing and know you took that life from him.

You are Piper McLean, and you have just found out your relationship is fake and built entirely on the memories of Annabeth Chase. You have been given a boyfriend when hers has been taken away. You have no idea how much of it is real or not but regardless you feel like if your relationship isn't exactly in their image that you have failed.

You are Leo Valdez, and you have just learned that you are the echo of your great-grandfather. You are not your own person. You just exist to be a mirror of him. A doppelganger. An actor and stunt double facing all the danger he never had to but wearing his face. To be there for his best friend decades later simply because he couldn't. You are playing a role. A seventh wheel and a pawn for a goddess who carefully sculpted your entire life for her own purposes.

You are Hazel Levesque, and the only reason you are alive is because your brother couldn't save your his sister. You are a consolation prize. An apology. Your existence here is misplaced in every way but you inhabit it anyways.

You are Frank Zhang, and you are a shapeshifter. Inhabiting your own body feels strange and clumsy when you could be literally anything at any time. You are anything and everything and live your life with the simple certainty of knowing exactly how you will die.

[kobrafangs]

in season three they will kiss and make up and jay will get all his memories back This is real and canon by the way .