#in the United States . good for her …. good for her………

[red-phantom-0]

Part Three of Help Yourself

In the years 1947 - 1991 , The United States of America held a long , grueling political war with the Soviet Union, a war that caused massive propaganda to become widespread and ravaged the economic health of both countries. The American civilians of this era held great anxiety of the possible fear of America becoming a Communist state while America's government try to prepare themselves in facing a possible nuclear war. One of these preparations birthed project Widow.

Project Widow involved ten candidates at each succession , all from various ages , the oldest a child can be was eight years of age project started. All ten candidates were selected based on several profiling traits : having been orphaned , no genetic defaults , perfect health , good communications skills & the ability to adapt to a situation quickly.

The Widow program trained these ten candidates to the age of thirteen , candidates are drugged for the first years of the program- to remove any and all influence of the outside world and instructors were told to 'bond' with them . During this fragile time , candidate are taught to die serving the government is the best honor one could have - candidates are groomed to serve their government with outmost loyalty.

Their tween years are spent honing their skills - brutal training begins - and separates the weak from the strong . Candidates found failing more than three tests are disposed off immediately . Candidates are put in various simulated scenarios ranging from drowning in one's own blood to being beaten to death . Candidates are taught to be prepared for anything no matter what.

At ages thirteen comes the biggest test in every candidate's life - the test of choice . Each candidate is given a choice - save a child and kill their mother or kill the child and save their mother . In the event a candidate hesitates in this exam , they would be disposed off immediately , if the candidate chooses wrong , the candidate would have one of their eyes removed - a symbol of failure and would be shunned for the rest of their training . Only when the candidate makes the right choice - the candidate can finally graduate - becoming the symbol , a beacon of hope for their beloved country . Although the political war has ' long ended ' due to a 'peace treaty' , the government still funds this wonderful project in the hopes of creating strong soldiers .

Though over the years the graduating candidates has slimmed drastically , many successions leading often to zero graduating candidates . The government pushed harder - the desperate need for a Widow is even stronger as powerful parties such as , the Justice league , were becoming powerful and popular rapidly. Their control slipping . Thankfully , in 2015 , one successful candidate graduated with extraordinary results , earning them the title , ' Widow '

¢σηgяαтυℓαтισηѕ ηαмє ση вє¢σмιηg ωι∂σω , тнє gσνєяηмєηт ℓσσкѕ ƒσяωαя∂ тσ уσυя ѕєяνι¢є.

Choked sobs echo through the desolate alleyway , the man coughs and chokes on his own spit as he desperately cries out in anguish. The attacker is relentless as she presses her sword deeper into the man's back , his crimson blood spilling over himself and her black stilettoes.

"Spill " she demands him , eyes fixated on his anguished face - eagerly waiting for him to break - just like how a spider watches in careful , planned patience as the bug entangles himself in her web. " I-I don't know what you are talking about ! " The man pleads. She smiles as she pierces her sword right through him - the man screams loudly - his body immediately flails about in response , her sword lodges itself even deeper.

" If you speak I will help you " she offers readily , her helmet hides her greedy smile and eyes filled with promised death . " It's the Joker - he - he was the one that ordered me to take those files , I-I swear " the man manages to choke up. She only hums in response and crouches down to him , meeting him and eye level , " Thank you " she murmurs too softly . The man was taken aback but feels himself feeling at ease maybe she would help him after all - was his last and only though before she slices his head off his body in practiced poise.

She stands up to her full height and begins to sheathe her sword , " The government thanks you for your service " she murmurs like a practice prayer. Like the black widow , she too leaves her mangled prey on the web as a pretty display as disappears away into he bleak abyss of Gotham awaiting for her next prey.

-----------------------------------------

Tysm for the support

comments and likes are appreciated !!❤️

Taglist : @bat1212 @simpingpandas @welpthisisboring

HELP YOURSELF

summary : in a family filled with intriguing members of their own right , duke has a particular interest in a certain vigilante in the family that everyone seems to overlook . this interest leads to the family to spiral into obsession .

When he was first introduce to the Wayne family , Duke was overwhelmed , everyone was so talented , so special and unique and came from such - complex backgrounds , it was hard to ever find something or anyone dull in the family . Duke had his highs with the family - from patrol , to movie nights every Saturday , food fights on Monday mornings because of course Jason had to rile up Damian but he had his lows - particularly the fact that he was the only sole meta in the family .

Something so minute shouldn't affect him , I mean come on isn't badass that he's in a family that can accomplish so much with sheer willpower without powers ? Though , it hurts every time he sees Conner teach Jon how to use his super strength without hurting himself in the process . He seethes in envy every time he witnesses it because he swears it ensnares him in a painful grasp - reminding him that he's the bystander in this family and that he's the only odd one out.

He shakes away the chill that runs up his spine and returns his focus back to the scene in front of him , a young woman is desperately trying to yank her purse away from some lacky burglar. ' Easy' Duke thinks to himself as he effortlessly swoops down from the rooftop he is perched on and landed on the thug . " Leave this poor woman alone " Duke commands as he pressed his legs onto the burglar's back. The burglar growls and pushes himself off the floor - practically making the woman scream . Duke immediately goes to jump away and reassess the situation when the burglar spins around inhumanely fast mid air to face the vigilante .

Bewilderment and confusion was all Duke felt but regardless he goes to land a sucker punch to the burglar's mask face when suddenly the burglar takes out a bomb from his inner pocket and throws it at the woman behind them. The woman screams as the bomb makes a beeline towards her and Duke wants to scream in frustration at how utterly stupid she's being and the fact that the burglar has outplayed him.

Suddenly , a figure clad in black with red accents jumps in front of the lady and catches the bomb effortlessly and throws it aside like it was nothing. Duke takes this time to sucker punch the burglar into the floor while he was distracted with the bomb's dentation , causing the man to groan in pain . While Duke is handcuffing the burglar , he eyes the figure in the corner of his eye handing the woman her purse before approaching him.

" Thank you ..... " Duke trails off as he watches the figure properly . He notes that they adorn a black body suit but has a red spider symbol in front near their chest . They adorn black helmet that covers the entirety of their face , only showing the user's dark brown eyes.

"Widow "the figure answers before leaping away from Duke . " Wait ! Who are you , I've never met you before !" exclaims as he extends his hand in attempt to reach out to them . " Just stay safe kid you don't know what you're doing " the figure says , directing a glare at him before they vanish.

That afternoon , Duke returns back to the mansion , he slumps against the kitchen table , the weight of patrolling all day and the situation of meeting a strange entity named ' Widow'. Alfred gently pats him on the back and serves him a plate of snadwhiches.

" I take it that today's patrol was exhausting Master Duke" , Alfred asks him as he begins to wash up wares in the kitchen. " You have no idea , met some weirdo who called me a kid like what the hell " , Duke complains as he takes a bite of the sandwich . " Weirdo ?" Alfred questions as he dries a plate. " Yeah some named Widow " Duke replies . Alfred drops the plate.

He feels every muscle on his body tense at the mention of her name , a name that may have been a bygone memory to many but not to him never him . Duke scrambles out of his chair and approaches Alfred . " Hey are you okay ?" Duke asks as he holds the elderly man by the hands. Alfred tries - he tries to talk but is too shocked to say anything - he fears this is a dream , a cruel dream that god bestowed upon him as a punishment - a reminder of his failure .

"Widow - are you sure they said Widow ?" Alfred asks the boy frantically , panic old eyes watching Duke's intently. Duke stumbles back but answers , " Yeah that's what they said why does it matter ?" . Pin drop silence fills the manor as Alfred registers Duke's words. Alfred crouches to the ground , his hands run along the jargoned edges of the broken plate - the rough feeling grounds him , reminding him that all of this is real .

" It matters because that is your sister young master " Alfred forces out. Silence consumes them again . " What ?" Duke questions as he holds onto Alfred tighter. For the five years he has lived with the Waynes - no one never mentioned a Widow or a sister not ever so why is it now that he finds out that he has a sister and one that he has not heard or known about.

Alfred can feel warm hot tears running down his worn cheeks as nostalgic memories of him making a younger you a hot chocolate in the afternoon as you sit in the same chair as Duke had , coloring whilst simply blabbering about your day. He recalls how every night , he can feel your tiny figure sneaking into his bed to hug him with your stuffed bunny You were practically his daughter .

He also remembers that you weren't particularly liked by the Wayne family , at the time only consisted of himself and Bruce - a younger much fragile Bruce that had no idea how to raise a kid - a kid that was just put into his custody because their parents got too drugged up and k*lled themselves in the living room.

The situation wasn't ideal , Bruce was immature , till learning how to navigate his own feelings , his own anger , his own loss and so were you , a small , fragile thing that didn't quite yet understand why mommy and daddy were being put in a box .

He also remembers that tragic day - the day he lost you - . It was like any ordinary day , he dropped you off at kindergarten and watched you run to your teacher , excitedly showing her a drawing you made. He watches you smile and wave him goodbye as the teacher escorts you to your classroom. Alfred does what he usually does , returns back home and begin his preparations when he receives a call from your teacher . He remembers the dread , the sheer panic , the bone chilling anxiety that consumed him when he picked up that call to hear your teacher utter the words

" two government officials barged in class around recess and they took ( name ) I'm so sorry I tried to stop them - tried to grab the tiny thing but they had her really tight and - and they left "

[utilitycaster]

as someone who DMs in Exandria and tries to at least keep the happenings of the campaigns canon, i’ve been struggling to decide how i’m going to handle the ending of c3. if you had to decide what to scrap, what to keep, and what to change, what would you do?

Hi anon,

Honestly...at a macro level? In terms of Exandria (the worldstate, as a lot of us referred to it) I wouldn't change anything! If you're running a game during the 843 PD Apogee Solstice, have the characters be aware of its approach, and then have them notice the ley lines are weird and some magic isn't working and things have come unsealed or unenchanted. And then, eventually, have the gods become mortal, and really, you get to play the events of that as you want.

I think the parts I'd scrap, keep, or change are like...background lore that was inconsistent. For example: we do know from written works (Netherdeep, Tal'Dorei Reborn) that Ruidusborn experienced unfounded persecution...but as this doesn't square up with Fearne nor, frankly, Imogen's experience. Alyxian was taunted and threatened and people in rural Tal'Dorei would commit infanticide with full knowledge of what a Ruidusborn was, but Fearne and Imogen straight up were fine when wandering around Exandria and Imogen's experiences in Gelvaan were due to her powers, and neither of them even knew what Ruidusborn was. This isn't to be clear inconsistent - it could be that the rumors about Ruidusborn did not properly make it/survive in rural Marquet in the 800s PD the way they did in modern Tal'Dorei and Calamity-era Wildemount - but you should be cognizant of that difference across continents and take that in mind.

I also think, and this isn't Exandria lore nor specific to Exandria DM-ing but was a failure of this campaign, that this is a good opportunity to like, point out that when players riff and make things up about a fairly heavily built-out world that would conflict with your plans or just would be a weird fringe viewpoint, you should let them know. I've seen this done at tables I've been at - someone gave a very United States in the 21st century answer about their thoughts on the divine and the DM stopped and was like "so. we are in a world where gods are real and this would be a radical fringe view that people would, in this world, judge you for. Is that what your character thinks? because we can roll with that but people are going to think they're nuts." Like, the statements about oppressive religion in Exandria when none has ever been established and it's usually all been lone actors, fringe cults, or one-offs in C3 probably should have been either refuted or incorporated instead of just left to float there, unconfirmed and useless.

I think the shortest answer is "If your only source for information is out of the mouth of a Bells Hells character, try to find a different one and don't feel bad about scrapping it, but the overall state of the world should stand."

[girlactionfigure]

THURSDAY HERO: Elizabeth Hesselblad

Elizabeth Hesselblad was a Swedish nurse and nun who transformed her convent into a sanctuary for persecuted Jews during World War II, saving dozens of lives.

Born to a Lutheran family in Sweden in 1870, Elizabeth Hesselblad was the fifth of thirteen children. As a young woman, she moved to the United States for economic opportunity. Elizabeth trained as a nurse and served a population of poor immigrants, many of whom where Catholic. It was her first introduction to the Catholic faith, and she was deeply inspired. She converted to Catholicism, describing the experience as “In an instant the love of God was poured over me.” Elizabeth returned to her home country and became a nun. Inspired by the life of St. Bridget of Sweden, she established a new religious order known as the Bridgettine Sisters. Dedicated to caring for the sick, Elizabeth opened a Bridgettine convent where patients without money were treated with compassion and dignity. 

Charismatic and passionate, Elizabeth inspired many others with her faith and good works. She served as Mother Superior to many other nuns who joined her religious order, and affiliated convents were established in England, Italy and India. 

During World War II, Elizabeth was horrified at the persecution of European Jews, and resolved to do whatever she could to save them. All of the convents she’d created became sanctuaries for Jewish refugees. 

Elizabeth herself settled in Rome, where she served as Mother Superior at the convent there. She personally hid multiple Jewish families, including twelve members of the Piperno-Sed families whom she hid from Dec 1943 until the city’s liberation on June 4, 1944. Years later 87-year-old Piero Piperno remembered, “She saved our lives, but above all, in those dark times, she recognized the dignity of our religion.” It is estimated that at least sixty Jews, and other refugees from German racial oppression, were saved by Elizabeth and other nuns in the religious order she created.

After the war, Elizabeth continued her work helping the poor and sick. She was also known for promoting  interfaith dialogue and respect between Catholics and Protestants, and between Christians and non-Christians.

Elizabeth’s righteousness was recognized by Pope John Paul II, who proclaimed her to be a Venerable Servant of God in 1999. She was beatified the next year, and in 2015 Pope Francis canonized her as a saint. Elizabeth became the first Swede to be sainted since St. Bridget over 600 years earlier. She is known as St. Maria Elizabeth.

Israeli Holocaust Memorial Yad Vashem honored as Elizabeth Hesselblad as Righteous Among the Nations in 2004. She was praised for never trying to convert the Jews she rescued but, “rather insisting that they say their Hebrew prayers and fulfill other obligations of their religion.” In 2015 one of Elizabeth’s convents was declared a “House of Life” by the Raoul Wallenberg Foundation. 

Elizabeth died in Rome in 1957 at age 87. Her final words to her sister nuns were, “Go to Heaven with hands full of love and virtues.”

For her exceptional righteousness and bravery in saving Jews, we honor St. Maria Elizabeth Hesselblad as this week’s Thursday Hero.

[luuxxart]

leaks from the anime post bnha 430……. #REAL #NOTFAKE

[destielmemenews]

source 1

source 2

source 3

[outlying-hyppocrate]

the koivunen siblings ! ! !

[canichangemyblogname]

Y’all are so far removed from the reality of US politics on the ground, so stuck in your online echo chamber that you think the reason the American public will have an issue with Harris’ record as a prosecutor is because she wasn’t progressive enough??? Please. The main-stream conversation is about how Harris is “too far left” and “too progressive” for the average swing voter and that she’s going to have a hard time convincing the “American Public” that she’s going to be “effective” at “battling crime” in a country with RECORD LOW CRIME RATES.

I don’t think *you* understand the will and desire of the majority of the general public. Nor do I think you are aware of how the Overton window has shifted.

The majority of American voters are most concerned with 1.) inflation— despite the fact it’s gone from 9% to 3%, and 2.) border crossings and “immigrant crime”— despite the fact that immigrants commit crimes at far lower rates than citizens. They’re afraid of boogeymen.

Maybe talk to someone outside your internet circle, yeah?

[sci-fi-disney-prince]

Round Four of the Garrett Hedlund Tournament

Let me know who you chose by reblogging and writing your choice in the tags, or comment with your choice. Or if anything, you can keep it a mystery as you wait a week to see the results.

For context click on "Keep Reading"

He played Ron Weddington in the first four episodes of the audio drama, Supreme: The Battle for Roe.

Before this, he played Harry J. Anslinger in the movie, The United States vs. Billy Holiday.

I recommend using JustWatch.com to find where to watch and/or purchase the movie in your region. Below is the direct link for the page.

[nehswritesstuffs]

For the "500 words or less" director's cut prompt, which I missed because of the holiday: this 409-word bit of TTOU chapter 31 that surprisingly does not include Nicola, as much as I love her, but does include my favorite confused and well-meaning alien blorbo.

“Walsh’s sister is in government and her brother-in-law was private-sector for a long time,” Fajr explained from the front passenger seat. Gordon was driving, leaving her free to talk without the fear of distraction. “I don’t remember precisely what either did, since I’m not well-versed in those parts of Human society, but it’s been able to help them afford this neighborhood without an issue.” “No one needs to be that well-versed in Human society,” Malcolm assured her. “Her sister’s probably a high-ranked civil servant, impossible to get rid of no matter the government, and he’s probably some energy-sector or banking fuck. I met so many back in my former life that they all blended together after a while. You don’t need to worry about them.” “I might, but that would all depend on what happens during the debriefing.” The satnav instructed Gordon to turn and he did so, pulling into the drive of a house more grand than what was likely all four of their salaries put together. Once the car was parked, they got out and went to the front door as a group, where they were greeted by Walsh herself. “Thank you for coming on such short notice,” she said, ushering them in. Looking over her shoulder, she then shouted into the house, “They’re here, Nick! Four of them!” An unintelligible shout answered her and Walsh brought the guests into an elaborate sitting room, where tea was already laid out. “Sorry about the pretenses, Kate. Nick’s place isn’t exactly what most people would call humble.” “You’ve been able to recoup here—that’s what counts,” Kate replied. “Oh, you remember Fajr Bismuth? She’s now our Head of Security and Surveillance.” “I thought Frank still had a few years left on his contract,” Walsh said, pouring tea. “What’d you do to convince him to step down?” “He didn’t,” Fajr said. She tried to keep eye contact with Walsh, but couldn’t. “Frank Hughes was one of the first people the insurgents killed upon capturing Mainframe UK. I… I couldn’t save him.” “You saved others though, from what I’ve heard, and we can’t fault you for doing all you could,” Walsh said. “He’d be proud to know you’re his successor.” “You think so?” Gordon asked, relief in his voice. “There are some people who are upset that it’s not me.” “Do you want the position?” Walsh asked. “Not yet; eventually, but Fajr was next in line.” “Then let it be Ms. Bismuth.”

AAAHHHHH YEAH THIS BIT more about this bit under the cut.

Have a fic excerpt you want me to break down? Go ahead and let me know!

Okay, so, this bit! I wanted to keep the possibility of Nicola and Walsh being not-related while also teasing it for as long as possible, which brings us to Bismuth being the one who is giving the infodump. If Malcolm did any sort of looking-into Walsh's sister's background then he'd know instantly what was going on, but for now it's just this posh as fuck neighborhood with Walsh going "yeah sorry my sister's place is kinda extra".

'Cause here's the thing: Nicola Murray is rich. She and her husband both have high-paying jobs, can send multiple children to private school, and she seems to have just the right amount of reality disconnect in relation to others while still caring about people to insinuate that she's always been on the wealthier end of things. Shit, it's implied that her husband makes enough that she doesn't have to work, but does anyhow for both self-fulfillment and because she loves helping people. It also wouldn't surprise me if she and/or Mr. Nicola came from money to start, since this is also the UK we're talking about. So yeah. Posh as fuck.

And then Walsh is there! Doing some more misdirection bc Beck and Nick being nicknames for ladies in male-dominated jobs isn't anything, nooooo. I found it really important to me that we expressly lay out Walsh and Gordon's acceptance of Bismuth as the successor to the Security Head's role for a lot of reasons. Here's what we know of Fajr Bismuth thus far:

She is a Zygon.

Her grasp on Human culture is... strained at best.

They just are recovering from the Zygon Insurgency, where Bonnie and Company murdered a bunch of UNIT people including the man Fajr is replacing. The amount of symbolism there is intentional.

She is supposed to be the new Head of Security. So, being in charge of preventing something like that happening again. Everything depends on her loyalty to the Tripartite, which is not exactly something in good standing at that moment.

Her name is awesome but it's also very specifically non-English. It's a feminine Arabic name that means "dawn, beginning", and is a time for observant Muslims to pray during the morning twilight (fajr and four other daily prayers are part of the Five Pillars/Ten Practices of the Religion in Sunni/Shia Islam). Her having a name that can be a Briton's, but is not considered British is symbolic of her status as someone who is stuck between worlds and cultures as someone who might actually be named Fajr would. It is just as intentional. Bismuth just was also an element near [Themba] Astatine on the periodic table that I thought sounded cool with Fajr, since I like giving Zygons elemental names.

So now you've got all of that, and we're in this posh as fuck house, having a conversation with someone who very well could lobby to scuttle the concept of Bismuth having such an amount of power, especially with the resistance that has been seen within the other Departmental Heads. Like, if anyone can make or break this position for Bismuth from within Mainframe UK, it's Walsh. It was her command that was obliterated. She's the one with potentially the biggest stake in that game when it comes to whether another Human heads Security or a member of the extraterrestrial species that caused the entire mess to begin with... and... she... just... accepts once she has all the pieces she needs. You have to remember that Walsh is on a mental sabbatical--once things were over she had a fucking breakdown. Her approval means a lot.

...and Gordon's a good boy he's not gonna fuck this up for Bismuth he knows better than that.

[skippitydippity]

Omgomgomg I have enough for a CAR!!!!!!! There's a blue 2015 Mazda3 i SV literally One Thousand Miles Away From Me but I'll be in that area for a few days next week........................................ It's like 1.5k over budget so I shouldn't even be thinking about it but like. FUCK

[gu6chan]

i would kill for a cup of this right now

[mariocki]

New Scotland Yard: Nothing to Live For (2.1, LWT, 1972)

"Any sign of her in there?"

"No. Odds are against it, I suppose."

"What, being there?"

"Being alive."

[reasonsforhope]

"Once thought to be extinct, black-footed ferrets are the only ferret native to North America, and are making a comeback, thanks to the tireless efforts of conservationists.

Captive breeding, habitat restoration, and wildlife reintegration have all played a major role in bringing populations into the hundreds after near total extinction.

But one other key development has been genetic cloning.

In April [2024], the United States Fish and Wildlife Service announced the cloning of two black-footed ferrets from preserved tissue samples, the second and third ferret clones in history, following the birth of the first clone in December 2020. 

Cloning is a tactic to preserve the health of species, as all living black-footed ferrets come from just seven wild-caught descendants.  This means their genetic diversity is extremely limited and opens them up to greater risks of disease and genetic abnormalities. 

Now, a new breakthrough has been made.

Antonia, a black-footed ferret cloned from the DNA of a ferret that lived in the 1980s has successfully birthed two healthy kits of her own: Sibert and Red Cloud.

These babies mark the first successful live births from a cloned endangered species — and is a milestone for the country’s ferret recovery program.

The kits are now three months old, and mother Antonia is helping to raise them — and expand their gene pool.

In fact, Antonia’s offspring have three times the genetic diversity of any other living ferrets that have come from the original seven ancestors.

Researchers believe that expanded genetic diversity could help grow the ferrets’ population and help prime them to recover from ongoing diseases that have been massively detrimental to the species, including sylvatic plague and canine distemper. 

“The successful breeding and subsequent birth of Antonia's kits marks a major milestone in endangered species conservation,” said Paul Marinari, senior curator at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute. 

“The many partners in the Black-footed Ferret Recovery Program continue their innovative and inspirational efforts to save this species and be a model for other conservation programs across the globe.”

Antonia actually gave birth to three kits, after mating with Urchin, a 3-year-old male ferret. One of the three kits passed away shortly after birth, but one male and one female are in good health and meeting developmental milestones, according to the Smithsonian.

Mom and babies will remain at the facility for further research, with no plans to release them into the wild.

According to the Colorado Sun, another cloned ferret, Noreen, is also a potential mom in the cloning-breeding program. The original cloned ferret, Elizabeth Ann, is doing well at the recovery program in Colorado, but does not have the capabilities to breed. 

Antonia, who was cloned using the DNA of a black-footed ferret named Willa, has now solidified Willa’s place as the eighth founding ancestor of all current living ferrets.

“By doing this, we’ve actually added an eighth founder,” said Tina Jackson, black-footed ferret recovery coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, in an interview with the Colorado Sun. 

“And in some ways that may not sound like a lot, but in this genetic world, that is huge.”

Along with the USFWS and Smithsonian, conservation organization Revive & Restore has also enabled the use of biotechnologies in conservation practice. Co-founder and executive director Ryan Phelan is thrilled to welcome these two new kits to the black-footed ferret family.

“For the first time, we can definitively say that cloning contributed meaningful genetic variation back into a breeding population,” he said in a statement.

“As these kits move forward in the breeding program, the impact of this work will multiply, building a more robust and resilient population over time.”"

-via GoodGoodGood, November 4, 2024

[gonzodangerfeels]

Look everyone!

A host of mimes have arrived

*they turn red and become strategically placed for a chain EMP*

Ah, I wanted a balloon animal though

[goddamnshinyrock]

The scene: new year’s morning, 8am, my wife and I wake up at my parents’ house after a night of revelry (playing board games until 10pm).

There is one minor problem this morning: no running water. This is a mysterious state of affairs, as 1) the power is still on and 2) there was running water the previous night. We brush our teeth with emergency bottled water as my father, extremely disgruntled by the lack of his usual morning shower, goes out to tinker with the well pump.

Shortly, my father comes back in, triumphant: good news, he’s fixed it, there was a wire with worn insulation on the pump and he snipped the worn end and re-attached it. There is water! Peace is restored.

15 minutes later, as we’re eating breakfast: no more water.

No problem, my father has a fresh theory as to the culprit: the new water filter/softener. My mother suggests they call the guy* who replaced their filter unit only six months ago, and pulls out her massive binder of household records to look for his number. My father** insists that he wants to “just take a look at it” first, since he’s “pretty sure” he knows what might be wrong with it. He vanishes into the basement.

There are a few minutes of minor swearing and banging noises as the rest of us discuss the situation upstairs, but the conversation is interrupted by a sudden FWOOOOOOSH from below us, as if someone has just turned on a fire hose in the basement. We all leap up and clatter down the steps, to be met with the sight of my father, soaked and defeated, standing in the middle of the room and staring at the geyser issuing from the general vicinity of the hot water heater and holding a small metal pin.

After a about 20 seconds, the roar of the geyser began to taper off and my father was able to explain, damply, the events that had lead to ‘basement geyser’. First, he’d determined the problem was indeed the new filter, and had (logically) begun trying to engineer a temporary fix by re-routing the house water supply to bypass it. He had accordingly turned off the valve leading from the well pump into the filter, and then went to open the valve that exited the filter to drain the unit. The filter valve was held shut by a twist cap with a pin. He pulled the pin, but didn’t get so far as twisting open the cap, because it had already shot across the room under the pressure of all the water currently in the house draining at once. Into his face. And thence onto the basement floor.

But, on the bright side he did solve the new year’s day water mystery, and even got his morning shower after all.

—

*Their Filter Guy is not a plumber. He was described as “the water filter whisperer”, a title which, after this incident, I am extremely skeptical of.

**Also not a plumber.

[rebeccathenaturalist]

So--long story short, a FedEx driver killed a rattlesnake that happened to be on someone's porch, not causing any immediate problems. This is an all too common practice here in the United States, where a significant portion of the population has the backwards idea that "the only good snake is a dead snake" and that the only way to deal with a venomous snake in the proximity of a house, or people in general, is to kill it. Never mind that snakes tend to move on if left alone, and that there are numerous entities that can be contacted to move the snake safely to another place if so desired, and that most bites occur when someone is harassing, handling, or trying to kill the snake.

Dr. Emily Taylor of California Polytechnic State University (@snakeymama on Twitter) has requested that people contact FedEx about their recent commercial glorifying the killing of the snake, which you can view here. I've included both her and my letters to the appropriate folks at FedEx. There are options for both email and snail mail correspondence, and the more people FedEx hears from about this appalling matter, the better.

It's 2024, almost 2025. We have tons of information on rattlesnake behavior and best practices in coexisting with them (to include training your dogs in snake avoidance). We know plenty about the importance they have in local ecosystems, and the devastation that has been done through people slaughtering them, sometimes in the thousands (I wrote about the ongoing problem of rattlesnake roundups and their inherent cruelty here.) There are multiple rattlesnake species that are endangered or otherwise threatened with extinction.

The vast majority of encounters with venomous snakes are benign, and the vast majority of bites come from someone (person, dog, etc.) confronting the snake that was just trying to defend itself. We've spent a lot of time in this country defaulting to killing anything that inconveniences us, but there are better ways to live safely in proximity to wildlife that don't involve violence. It just takes a little more effort and awareness, and most importantly a significant attitude change that no longer vilifies native wildlife simply trying to live their lives.

As Dr. Taylor mentioned, if you want to contact FedEx, here are your options:

"You can help by reposting this or by emailing to express your concern about the commercial: mediarelations@fedex.com and to the CEO at FWSmith@fedex.com. Or send letters to: Fred Smith, CEO Brie Carere, Executive Vice President and Chief Customer Officer Ryan Kelly, Vice President of Marketing FedEx Corporation 942 South Shady Grove Road Memphis, TN 38120 USA"