#national polar bear day

[dailybehbeh]

Behbeh

[ami-ven]

Happy National Polar Bear Day!

[murderousink23]

02/27/2024 is World Spay Day 🌎, World NGO Day 🌎, National Kahlua Day 🇺🇸, National Polar Bear Day 🐻‍❄🇺🇸, National Strawberry Day 🍓🇺🇸, Pokémon Day 🇺🇸, National American Diabetes Association Alert Day 🇺🇸

[sitting-on-me-bum]

Cute, but keep your distance: On International Polar Bear Day, we present you this bear, shown in a 1996 archival photo from Canada. With its front paws placed against its nuzzle, this Ursus maritimus sleeps.

PHOTOGRAPH BY FLIP NICKLIN

[rabbitcruiser]

National Hug a Bear Day

Cuddle up with your favorite teddy, relive childhood memories and throw a picnic for the whole family and your stuffed companions on Hug A Bear Day. 

 Although it might be confusing, Hug a Bear Day isn’t about the big fuzzy beasts that roam the forests munching on nuts and berries and once a year or so busting out the fishing skills to scoop up salmon from the teeming rivers! Hugging one of those could, in fact, be very dangerous and lead to a very bad day.

This day is, instead, about our favorite fuzzy knights of Yore, sometimes called by the name “Teddy”. They are big and fuzzy and warm, they watch over children (and, perhaps, some adults) at night while keeping the monsters in the closet and under the bed at bay.

For many, a cuddly bear is often the first gift a child is ever given. Long afterward, many people tend to carry them forward into their adult lives as ‘memoirs’ of the past. But everyone knows the real reason people still have them is that their lives seem a little better, and a little saner, with those childhood protectors, still working on their behalf.

It’s time to enjoy Hug a Bear Day!

History of Hug a Bear Day

The history of stuffed animals goes back a long way. In fact, some archaeological evidence suggests that the tradition of having something soft to play with and hug goes as far as Ancient Egypt.

What is known for certain is that plush toys as they are now known, first started hitting the scene in the 1830s. Of course, the most iconic of all of them, the Teddy Bear, came about in 1902. The classic story goes that the American President at the time, Theodore (Teddy) Roosevelt, was hunting and refused to shoot a baby bear that he and his hunting companions came across. His companions thought him a bit “soft” and so the name of the Teddy Bear was coined.

Since that day, the Teddy Bear has stood as the childhood toy that, in many cultures, is given to almost every child. The term “Teddy” was even derived from the name of this self-same president. There are now millions of Teddy Bears produced every year, in a rainbow of styles and colors. No matter what the imagination may produce, there is likely to be a Teddy Bear that meets the idea of the perfect fuzzy protector!

How to Celebrate Hug a Bear Day

Hug A Bear!

Those who have a bear certainly know what to do. And those who don’t have a bear should probably run out right away and get a bear to hug! If absolutely necessary, borrow or bear nap a snuggly bear belonging to a friend (children are often a good source!) and give it a little cuddle.

Buy a Bear to Hug

Those who are in the market for a brand new bear will likely find an internet search offers a world of options. But the best possible option is to head out to a Build-A-Bear workshop and create your very own fuzzy defender. They even have clothes and accessories that will let children and adults bring out the very best friend the imagination can create. For even more fun, choose a sound box that goes inside, with an adorable recorded message.

Make Some Teddy Bear Treats

Hug a Bear Day can certainly be enjoyed by eating some bears too. Of course, not the stuffed ones, but the food-shaped ones. Whether purchasing Teddy Grahams, gummy bears, or other teddy bear-shaped snacks from the grocery store or making some at home, this is a fun day to get creative.

Try out these ideas for bear-themed recipes or get creative with what can be used in the kitchen to promote the Teddy Bear theme:

Teddy Bear Rice Krispie Treats. Make the normal recipe or Rice Krispie treats but shape them into bears using one large circle and three small ones. The large circle is the face and the small ones can be placed as ears and a snout. Add chocolate chips for the eyes and a nose.

Chocolate Bear Paws Candy. Melt chewy caramel candies with butter, whipping cream, and chopped cashews. Cool slightly and place on a pan in a “paw” shape. Freeze, then dip into melted chocolate, quickly adding three cashews on one side to create toes or claws.

Teddy Bear French Toast. Make normal pieces of french toast, then add banana slices for ears and a snout, topping it off with raisins for eyes and a nose. For an added touch, top with a bit of honey instead of using maple syrup!

Teddy Bear Sandwiches. Have a picnic and make it much more fun with these bear-shaped sandwiches. Simply cut sandwich bread into large circles (a normal glass or canning jar works), then use the scraps to cut three smaller circles. Spread hummus on the bread, then stick two small bread circles at the top for ears and top with a slice of cucumber. Add a top to the sandwich, then create the face with a bread circle, another cucumber slice and some black olives. Delicious and fun!

Host a Hug a Bear Party

You can also get together with your friends and bring out all your favorite old Teddy Bears. Admit what your favorite plush animal is and share it with those who still love theirs. Children would absolutely love to join in on a tea party with their friends, where the guests of honor are their favorite Teddy Bears!

Source

[subby-sab]

Today is 27th of February.

Today is International Polar Bear Day, National Protein Day, National Pokemon Day, National Strawberry Day.

[atlaculture]

Favorite Foods: Sokka

Since Sokka is almost always shown shoveling food down his gullet during meal scenes, I figured he prefers foods that he can stuff into his mouth quickly and in large quantities. Like Katara, I also feel his favorite foods would tie back to key memories in his life.

Sea Prunes (Row 1) - Sokka likes eating sea prunes even more than his sister does. Being Hakoda's favorite food, I think eating sea prunes allows Sokka to feel closer to his father. I think he prefers eating them either stewed in five-spice (five flavor soup) or just blanched and paired with a dipping sauce. Real-life sea prunes are small, leathery mollusks traditionally eaten by First Nation and Alaska Native groups along the west coast.

Muktuk - Muktuk is whale skin and whale blubber served raw, like sashimi. It's typically snacked on as the rest of the whale is being butchered for later consumption. Sokka has fond memories of his father's hunting crew bringing home a whale and his father offering him the first bite of muktuk.

Seal Jerky - Sokka's favorite portable snack. Seals are the largest animal that Sokka has ever successfully hunted on his own, so he feels a real sense of pride when he eats this jerky.

Polar Bear Stew - Stew made from polar bear meat. Polar bears are revered in Inuit culture as the greatest of all bears, so successfully hunting one is a considered an impressive feat. As such, polar bear stew is considered quite a delicacy in the SWT. Sokka has only had the dish once, thanks to the bravery and skill of his father's hunting team, and dreams of one day bringing home another polar bear for the whole village to enjoy.

Fermented Eider Egg - Eider is a species of arctic duck. Their eggs are buried underground and left to ferment. They're said to taste like a strong cheese. There's no deep reason why Sokka loves them, he just likes that he can stuff a bunch into his cheeks like a squirrel. ^_^

Green Kasha - Green Kasha refers to a mash of different tundra greens such as sourdock, rhodiola leaves, arctic willow, and mountain sorrel mixed with rendered blubber oil. The oil acts as an emulsifier as it slowly gets incorporated into the mash of greens. Green kasha is used as a dipping condiment for various types of arctic meat. Sokka likes it because it gives him a whole new way of enjoying his favorite foods.

Kumis - Kumis is a fermented dairy product traditionally made from mare’s milk. Sokka was introduced to the drink by Yue and the two often enjoyed the drink together--- the mild alcoholic content made them feel rather grown-up. The color of the drink also reminds Sokka of Yue's hair, so the drink is tied to Sokka's bittersweet memories of her.

Like what I’m doing? Tips always appreciated, never expected. ^_^

https://ko-fi.com/atlaculture

[wingsofmud]

The canonically rapid evolution of the dragons in WoF is really interesting to me, so I added some aspects of that to my rewrite.

The rankings system is also interesting, so I made that a nation-wide thing, instead of something just for the nobility. Circle 1 and the palace are located in the upper most part of the territory, with the other circles going in a line south of it.

I shifted the Great Ice Cliff to separate the 1-3 Circle from the 4-7 Circle and the rest of Pyrrhia.

Info Below (For present day Icewings):

Lower Circle Icewings

Lower Circle/Southern Icewings are vaguely based off of polar bears. They're shorter and brawnier than upper circle ones. While they do give off that signature Icewing chill, their scales are not as frigid as their northern counterparts. Their tails are like a spiked club.

They can come in white, but often come in light browns, grays, reds, and oranges. The closer the dragon is to the Great Ice Wall, the more whites, blues, and purples show up in their scales.

Southern Icewings are also more likely to have spots and/or stripes on their scales, all to blend in better in the ranging subarctic to temperate to desert climate they live in. They are more omnivorous, and many herd caribou as an occupation.

They make up the majority of the Icewing population and the backbone of the military. They wear clothing more often, which usually consists of fur, bone, or fish scales. Better off Icewings can also obtain cloth and jewelry from passing Sandwing nomads.

While all Icewings have a reputation for being frigid, pun intended, lower circle Icewings tend to be friendlier.

.

Upper Circle Icewings

Upper Circle/Northern Icewings are inspired off of arctic wolves. They often have small, pale irises and their scales feel like ice to the touch. Their tails are like spiked whips. They mostly come in white with some light blue or purple accents on them. Some dragons like Snowfall have red accents. Spots and stripes are rarer and usually much paler when they are present. They are much less tolerant of the heat.

Northern Icewings don't usually wear much jewelry. It's seen as garish to make such obvious displays of wealth, unless you're the Queen. They usually only dress up during special occasions and celebrations, and even then that's usually reserved for the one being celebrated.

The upper circle consists of all Icewing nobility along with the richest dragons. Most work in or around the palace grounds. Most of their diet consists of fish and seals which they eat raw.

.

History

I changed the Gift of Order to the Gift of Equality. In ancient Icewing society, the caste was absolute. You were born into and died in your circle. The Gift of Equality came with a system to introduce fairness by basing what circle a dragon ended up in on their merit rather than birth.

Of course the Queen at that time did not account for the fact that Upper Circle Icewings have far more resources at their disposal to ensure their dragonets remain in the upper circles than lower circle Icewings. A few dragons manage to climb a circle once in a while, which the upper circle dragons love to use to shut up complaints from the lower circles. It is incredibly difficult to end up in the top three circles if you were not born into them.

Lynx is an outlier. So much so that her family has been investigated several times by Icewing nobles for fraudulent scoring. Considering the punishment for that is death, it is not a light accusation. Nothing was ever found. Of course her problems aren't over, especially since Icewing nobles aren't exactly known for being accepting.

Lower circle Icewings are usually disregarded when it comes to decisions like war and lawmaking by the upper circles. In fact, the upper circles dragons very rarely directly interact with the lower circle ones, often giving news to the fourth circle for them to spread it to the rest themselves. Though each circle and town is different, there is a massive culture shock between the 4th and 3rd circle. Not to mention the literal wall between them.

Lower circle Icewings are vying for independence, a movement that grew rapidly during the War of SandWing Succession. A movement Queen Snowfall is now expected to do something about now that the war is over and Darkstalker has been dealt with.

[aphetaliamessages]

Worst Ways The Allies Have Died

England: Burnt at the stake

Ironically, it wasn't witchery that got him in trouble. His pork pie resembled a human sacrifice, and one would think this is incredibly hard to do, but not for him. With his feet on fire and his ego hurt, Arthur cursed at the townspeople for not appreciating fine dining

France: Decapitation by guillotine

Riding high after a successful revolution, Franny wasn't expecting to be betrayed by that bitch Robespierre. Artie had to help him sew his head back on his neck. The second those vocal cords connected— "ARTUR YOU WILL NEVER BELIEVE WHAT ZAT FUCKING BITCHBOY DID!" “Hush up, frog, I can feel your vocal cords vibrating! You'll make me do a shakey job.” Bonding by talking shit after an execution #JustNationThings

America: Mustard gas

This dumbass thought if he snorted mustard gas, he could taste mustard with his nose. Newsflash, this chemical weapon is not made from actual mustard. When his government found out, they started testing his brain because they thought, "There's no way he's this dumb." Yes way. But, to be fair, it could be all the head trauma. The injuries heal, but he never comes back the same 🤔

Canada: Mauled by a mama polar bear

Mattie went to the Arctic to show Kuma where he came from. It backfired, because a mama bear got really protective of Kuma. It's okay, Mattie understands. That was the day Kumajirou decided he preferred the land of chips and TV instead of raw fish and so much ice

Russia: Froze to death 

During the Victorian period, a certain Russian planned to meet with a certain American for a special private meeting to do some secret private business. In simple terms, it was a long-distance booty call. Ivan didn't want to leave any evidence of his whereabouts, so he traveled on foot. Big mistake. The man froze to death after swimming across the entire ocean for a piece of ass. Despite his death ruining the booty call, Alfred did think Ivan dying for him was incredibly romantic. SCORE!

China: Total organ failure from poisoning

An old fling poisoned his tea in a furious act of revenge. China didn't even flinch, even as his organs were shutting down. Not like MODERN nations, who cry at the slightest fatal wound! No, he finished the meeting, watching carefully, until he spotted that MANWHORE Luo with a face like he was nervously expecting something. He bided his time until the last moment, then pointed dramatically at the culprit just before collapsing, dead. That bitch got accused of being an evil spirit AND an assassin. HA! He was fucking terrible at sex, too...

[hanaeriin]

MELTiNG SNOW, UNCONDiTiONAL LOVE. kageyama tobio x fem!reader ノ winter holidays , fluff , sfw , established relationship , potential ooc. ノ WC. 1.2k

SYNOPSIS. the coldest season had arrived and the whole nation is on good spirits. On this rare occasion, a simple love story is told under the light snowfall; the heartwarming tale of you and your beloved spending the day away.

NOTE. my submission for @pixelcafe-network 's secret santa event !! a fluffy gift for my dearest little elf, @shouyuus da da dan, hii rain, I'm your secret santa !! surprise? I hope you are because the gift that I've prepared for you is finally here !! it's my first time writing for hq and I'm hoping I get his characteristics right cuz it's been so long since I last watched the anime...>~< also special thanks to my sis for proofreading!!

It was late in the evening in mid-December, one of those unusual days when your boyfriend had the day off. To maximize that precious time, you typically utilize it either by going on dates or relaxing at home based on your mood. At present, you were shopping for groceries when you noticed that it was snowing outside. 

“Oh, it's snowing!! The weather prediction was accurate this time!!” You shouted, nearly glowing with happiness at the sight of the winter paradise ahead of you, watching your breath create small clouds in front of you as you talked. The snowflakes danced down from the sky, forming a winter display of small butterflies that appeared truly enchanting. Your ears perked at the gentle crunch of the snow beneath your feet, while the biting cold caresses your cheeks, making them flush. 

“It's becoming chillier out here; are you okay with only that?” Your boyfriend, Tobio was strolling beside you, carrying plastic bags in one hand as you twirled around, arms wide open in an ecstatic stance, with snowflakes swirling around you. From the perspective of an outsider, it appears as if you were dancing with the snow, yet to him, your features in the cold could easily make you seem like a fairy. 

‘She looks great in white,’ he thought, gazing at you with eyes full of love, and then his face flushed pink as the realization hit him. What was going through his mind just now?!? In the meantime, you, oblivious to his flustered condition, eagerly moved forward to explore the shops, calling out, “Tobio! Check this out! It's a cupcake shop with a Christmas theme!” Your eyes shine like a child's eyes brighten when they encounter something extraordinary. 

You exclaimed, indicating another shop before darting away once more, “Whoa! Oh, oh, check that out over there! Isn't the window display in that store incredibly adorable? Oh my gosh, they even have polar bear ones?!” 

“Could you slow down a little...?” Tobio was following closely, ensuring he wouldn't lose you in the throngs of people. “If you don't pay attention to where you're headed... you'll find yourself face down on the ground.”

“I'll be fine! I'm not a child or anything—waah?!” After stubbing your toe on the bumpy platform, Tobio grabbed you before you could fall onto the floor. “Haaaaah, I’m fine!” You got up, completely unharmed as if you hadn't just been plummeting to your demise moments earlier... 

He exhaled deeply, shaking his head as you grinned, scratching the back of your head. “But Tobio, come and check this out—ACHOO!” You emit a loud sneeze, your nose reddening slightly as you cover it with your right hand. He exhaled deeply, setting the bags onto the snowy platform, gradually peeling off his scarf. “You gonna get catch a cold”

“B-But! You're going to catch a cold as well.” You looked at him with worried eyes. 

“It’s okay,” he mutters, his face tinged pink from the chill while you remained frozen in shock as he began to drape the lengthy scarf around your neck, when he finished, he took your free hand before lifting the bags from the icy platform. “Let’s head home.” 

You found it hard to look away from him, slowly blinking as a soft blush crept over your cheeks. “Y-Yeah...”

.

.

.

“We're home!” You call out into the vacant corridors, causing a faint echo to ripple across the apartment. It was completely dark when the two of you got back to your home, removing your shoes before heading to the living room to turn on the lights, but something drew your attention and you shouted as if recalling something crucial, “Oh wait, Tobio!! Come over here for a moment!”

“What is that?” You could hear his gentle footsteps nearing the living room, and before long, you could see his head peeking through the doorway. 

“Oh...you have one of those warm tables with a cover, a kotatsu?” He gazed at it with shining eyes, appearing as if he was about to plunge in and snuggle up inside; it made you smile softly. “Sure, I figured you would enjoy it since you mentioned staying home for a few days, so I went ahead and bought it at the mall.”

“Wasn't it.... overly priced for you to purchase them?” 

“Oh, it's okay... your needs matter more than my wallet, anyway.”

“What was that about?”

“N-Nothing at all...”

Feeling flustered, you attempt to shift the conversation to conceal your embarrassment, “Let's give the kotatsu a try!” You're still chilly from being outdoors for such a long time. You were so thrilled that you quickly sat down under the kotatsu. “Ah, it feels so cozy~” 

Tobio couldn't resist chuckling a bit as he watched you sink onto the heating table, settling down himself beneath the cozy blanket. “Would you like a mikan orange?” You take an orange from the little basket in front of you and gradually start peeling it. 

“Sure, I'll have one”

“I feel like taking a nap first...I'm feeling all snug and comfortable from this warm kotatsu...”

“Did you forget why we're doing today?”

“But it's so nice here, and I don't want to move yet...” You sulked, using your most sorrowful puppy dog eyes to appear as pitiful as you could. 

“Alright...” At that moment, he appears extremely forlorn, resembling a kicked puppy due to his downcast eyes as he gazes at the table before him, intermittently darting glances between you and the kitchen with a look of hope, nearly pleading for your attention. For a large man, his face really affects your poor heart. So unfair. You rose abruptly and moved toward the tall man with an expressionless face. 

“W-What is it?” Tobio glanced at you, puzzled by your abrupt shift in emotions, and you quickly kissed him on the lips, surprising him. “You know it's unfair of you to use that face against me”

“Whuh-?”

“Alright, let's head to the kitchen now! Time doesn't pause for anyone!!!”

He could only observe as you quickly dashed to the kitchen, loud sounds echoed from the spot where he was seated. 

“She's like a storm...” He couldn't resist smiling gently as he approached you while you scurried around gathering ingredients for a feast. The sound of bare feet echoed on the kitchen floor, darting around quickly as you began to open numerous...and numerous cabinets, trying to grab something concealed within it.

...hence the start of a journey filled with challenges and mistakes, concluding the day with laughter and happiness. The moments shared with cherished individuals embody the real essence of a winter miracle... 

© HANAERIIN. please do no repost, translate, copy or use any of my works on any platform/train ai.

[simlishaccent]

calendar ideas masterlist: video 🎬

mods: custom holiday icons:

300+ icons by littlemssam (personal favorite)

1500+ icons by zerbu 

custom holiday traditions:

traditions by kiarasims4mods

random holiday traditions by littlemssam

school holidays tradition by littlemssam

ding dong ditch holiday tadition

bonus:

more new year resolutions 

holiday ideas: summer:

summer splash 🍋 (traditions: water fun, drinking *obv lemonade lmao, bbq)

international sim day ��� (traditions: drinking, music, take photos, donate, fireworks)

fall:

spooky day 🎃 (traditions: decorate, carve pumpkin, wear costumes, trick or treat)

harvestfest 🍂 (traditions: decorate, invite guests, family dinner *or grand meal, thankful spirit)

winter:

polar bear plunge 🧊 (tradition: polar bear plunge)

winterfest eve 🎅 (traditions: decorate, volunteer, winter fun)

winterfest 🎄 (traditions: open presents, family dinner, festive spirit)

new year’s eve 🥂 (traditions: make resolutions, drinking, music, countdown to midnight)

spring:

pancake week 🥞 *marks the start of the celebration (tradition: grand breakfast *or make pancakes)

fresh friday 🧹 *or spotless sunday (traditions: cleaning, volunteer *or donate)

spring mischief 🤡 (traditions: ding dong ditch, streaking)

love day 💕 (traditions: romantic spirit, go on a date, give flowers)

ways to incorporate the lunar cycle & telescope:

biggest full moon 🌕 *meant to be put on one of the full moon days (traditions: use telescope, take pictures)

meteor shower 💫 (traditions: use telescope, stargaze, make resolutions) 

extra ideas:

simerica national holiday (lol) 🦅 *name ideas: unity day, independence day, constitution day (traditions: drinking, music, give speech, fireworks)

cheat day 🍕 (tradition: eat pizza *or any other food related tradition)

summer break 🌞 *meant for kids and teenagers (tradition: school holidays)

that’s it for now <3

[moltengoldveins]

so we can all agree that the newest 2WEI song (take the crown) is the trailer song for an Antarctic Empires Emerald Duo pg14 movie where Techno is a gladiator who earned his freedom and has vowed to destroy the government that enslaved him and Philza is an old demigod banished to a solitary plane of existence for five decades after attempting to run a coup against the ruling class.

They meet on a battlefield, Techno having joined up as brute muscle and Phil having used some minor illusions to pass as a quirky avian and join the bombardment team. Combining some similar plot beats as Oceans 11 and Atlantis: The Lost Empire, they gather a specialized team of insurrectionists, anarchists, battle mages, and warriors to take down the imperium from the inside, eventually planning on restoring the nation to the democracy it was in Phil’s earliest memories. But will they manage it, or will their bloody pasts and violent present seat Technoblade on the throne as the Antarctic Emperor, with Philza as his right hand, the Angel of Death? (Spoiler, the second option. It’s the most controversial film finale decision of the decade.)

The movie is filmed in a style somewhere between Dune 1, the Prince of Egypt, and Topgun. (denis villeneuve is too busy and too expensive, but it’s clear they’re taking inspiration. Bold colors and lighting and a lot of shots of the sky, wildlife, architecture, or of characters’ hands.) It’s scored by an up and coming indie musician, working under the consultation of Ludwig Gorannson in his spare time as a pet project, though his association with the film doesn’t really come out until it Smashes the expected theatre income in the first two days of release and critics start Raving about it. Techno’s actor is nominated for an Oscar for one of the most compelling intricate portrayals of ptsd and platonic devotion in modern cinema, but doesn’t actually get the Oscar.

Tumblr is flooded with gif sets of Techno in the Obligatory No Armor After Gladiator Fight Scene and the Late Night Vibing With Phil In A Loose Poet Shirt scene (firelit, lots of closeups of his eyes, the film is obviously attempting to express his complex emotional state and his deep relationship with Phil, and is failing miserably at doing Anything but making him hot. The internet is ✨gay✨ about it, because when is the internet not?) Also most of the simps are calling Phil a dilf.

Fit MC is the fan-favorite side character, his four scenes and nine lines of dialogue are clipped and edited and giffed and memed into the dirt. (His armor and prosthetic, the makeup and costuming department say, were the hardest thing to do in the entire film, which is why he isn’t in too many shots.) Though, a close second is Niki, who is played by a woman built like a brick house who doesn’t wear sleeves, so…. Yeah. We all know what the response is there. The effects, including Phil’s wings, are almost entirely practical and the only real places it gets iffy is Steve, the giant war polar bear that’s pretty clearly clipping through a few snowbanks here and there. Nobody can agree on which characters are morally reprehensible.

Within a few years, very few people outside a dedicated fan base have seen it and a few assume it’s made up like Goncharov. It’s also, for some ungodly reason, been labeled a Christmas film. (most of the plot happens in the ice and snow, hence ‘Antarctic Empire.’) I guess nothing says ‘Christmas spirit’ quite like ‘unmitigated violence, platonic yearning, and overthrowing oppressors.’

[murderousink23]

02/27/2023 is World NGO Day 🌏, Orthodox Lent 🌏, National Kahlua Day 🇺🇲, National Polar Bear Day 🇺🇲, National Strawberry Day 🍓🇺🇲, Pokémon Day 🇺🇲

[trashpandato]

Romance

Earth customs are weird. 

Kara knows this; has known it for many years. And sure, she’s spent all those years trying to learn, trying to understand what makes humans tick so she could mimic it successfully enough to not stand out. 

“Fake it til you make it”, Alex used to say, implying that if Kara spent enough time pretending, human behaviour would eventually become second nature to her.

And fake it she did. Some Earth customs were easy enough to adopt. Like wide smiles that cover up her pain, the concept of comfort foods or all-you-can-eat buffets, or even humans’ tendency to find excuses to turn any random day into some kind of celebration - Hump Day, Tax Deadline Day, Polar Bear Plunge Day, National Frozen Yogurt Day. (She’s half-convinced that most of these are inventions by Alex to confuse her, but she celebrates National Gummy Worm Day on July 15th anyway.)

But if she’s honest, a lot of the things that humans do, their customs, their rituals, still seem a little strange to Kara. Even after years of trying to understand.

Chatting up strangers, for example. On Krypton, interactions with someone not known to a person would have required some sort of intermediary, an introduction through a trusted person. If Kara had even dared to walk up to a stranger to talk to them, she would have faced discipline not just from her family but also from the broader community. When she first landed on Earth, she relied on Eliza or Alex to make introductions and felt intensely uncomfortable when kids at school would randomly talk to her. It took her a long time to believably mimic these kinds of human interactions, and if she’s honest, she still prefers an official introduction over just chatting up people out of the blue. (It’s why she was happy to tag along with Clark for her first encounter with Lena.)

Or there’s the act of blowing out candles on a birthday cake. Extinguishing light instead of keeping it burning as a means of celebration. The first time Eliza prompted Kara to blow out her candles, Kara was horrified and it took a lot of gentle reassurances from her adoptive mother to even consider partaking in this peculiar human tradition. To this day, Kara prefers her candles away from her cake and to leave them burning for as long as safely possible.

And then there are all the gestures associated with romance. With Krypton’s system of arranged pairings based on compatibility across a number of important factors, there was no need to wine and dine anyone. She could remember her parents showing affection for each other, but there was never any ritualized approach to romantic moments. Humans, on the other hand, humans have rules about dates, about which flowers are appropriate to give to someone and when, about who pays the bill at the fancy restaurant, about slow-dancing and little gifts and how many feelings to reveal and when. 

It’s a lot to keep track of and confusing, and all the romance movies in the world cannot prepare Kara for her first official date with Lena.

She shows up with plumerias, because she knows Lena likes those and she knows, knows, that she’s supposed to bring flowers. But then Lena has tears in her eyes as soon as Kara hands them over, and she’s also wearing this dress that hugs her body in ways that make Kara’s higher brain function fizzle out. So she doesn’t protest when Lena pulls her inside with her hands fisted into the lapels of Kara’s suit jacket, follows Lena’s lead when she pushes her against the kitchen island and kisses her senseless, and finds herself naked and sweaty in Lena’s bed not long after that.

When Kara’s stomach rumbles a couple of hours later and Lena calls to have some food delivered, Lena chuckles.

“We kind of did this all backwards.”

Kara frowns. “How so?”

“Well,” Lena leans in and presses her lips close to Kara’s ear, making her shiver, “usually, the clothes come off after the fancy dinner.”

“You humans have a lot of rules about romance,” Kara huffs, and Lena laughs.

“I suppose we do. But I’m happy to break every single one of them with you, Kara Zor-El.”

[vague-humanoid]

espite his towering influence, particularly on the academic left, Edward W. Said today seldom shows up on the list of dangerous thinkers loathed by conservatives or blamed for undermining the Western academy. Whether intentional or not, this conservative ambivalence about Said’s legacy is merited. While he is considered the godfather of postcolonialism, a theoretical approach toward accounting for the legacy of colonialism, Said’s personal life and intellectual output defy any simplifying labels that might be placed upon him �� whether by the left or the right. Rather than a mere critic of the Western canon, Said was a sophisticated thinker who saw both colonizers and the colonized as inheritors of a shared cultural patrimony.

Said’s universalism shone brightly in his passion for classical music, a conservative artistic milieu if there ever was one. In addition to his university responsibilities and political activism, Said was the classical music and opera critic for The Nation from 1986 until shortly before his death from leukemia in 2003. His writings on music are less widely known than his political and scholarly output, though Columbia University Press has dutifully collected and published them over the years, including in a collection released this year, titled “Said on Opera.”

Said’s love of classical music was not merely a pastime. Toward the end of his life, Said attempted to blend two of his worlds — politics and music — by co-founding the East-West Divan Orchestra, which sought to unite Israeli and Arab musicians within a shared cultural project. The decision to create such an organization, not without controversy, was a unique distillation of Said’s perspective on culture and politics. While he excoriated the injustices of Western imperialism, including the way that systems of knowledge were often deployed to crush the oppressed, he remained an ardent universalist. Said saw the cultural achievements of the West as part of a shared cultural heritage to be critiqued and grappled with, not an alien imposition to be rejected. It is that legacy, expressed in his love of opera, which makes revisiting Said as a scholar and humanist more necessary than ever in an era of political polarization and cultural turmoil.

Said was a talented pianist, having practiced as a child during his upbringing in Cairo and played to small audiences while an undergraduate at Princeton University. His rapid scholarly ascent in literary studies and his simultaneous work as a public spokesperson for Palestinians in the United States did not allow him to develop his musical abilities. Yet he remained an avid fan and critic throughout his life. In Said’s near-worship of Glenn Gould, the Bach performer extraordinaire, one could see the lingering allure of the piano virtuoso and even a potential alternative life path.

Though his appreciation for classical music and opera predated his academic interests and political concerns, Said brought his unique critical sensibility to bear in his essays on the subject. As the theater and opera director Peter Sellars writes in his preface to “Said on Opera,” “If you have spent the day, the week, the month, and the year opposing, with every cell in your body, the ratification of the Oslo Accords, which go through in spite of your opposition, and inaugurate an era of unprecedented Palestinian suffering and oppression, you come to Beethoven’s Opus 110 Sonata ready for the heights and the depths, the heartbreak, the despair, and the unfathomable consolations, generosity, and relief of this music.”

[rabbitcruiser]

American Zoo Day

Philadelphia has always been an important city in America. It is one of the top ten biggest cities in the country, and once was the second biggest. It is also home to important historical artifacts and buildings such as the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall, as well as the nation's first zoo, the Philadelphia Zoo, which opened on July 1, 1874. Today we celebrate this zoo, along with other American zoos!

A Zoo—short for a zoological park—is a place that contains animals and exists to entertain, educate, engage in scientific research, and focus on conservation. Early zoos, known as menageries, were private collections of animals held by the wealthy. They existed as early as 2,500 BCE, being found in Egypt and Mesopotamia. They were found soon afterward in ancient China, Greece, and Rome. Aztec Emperor Montezuma II had one of the first collections of animals in the Western Hemisphere.

Modern zoos came about during the age of Enlightenment. One of the focuses of the era was on science, and this extended to zoology. There was an increased interest to study animals, with the goal of better understanding their behavior and anatomy. In order to do this more accurately, animals needed to be observed in more natural habitats. This was a driving force behind the establishment of modern zoos.

One of the first modern zoos, Menagerie du Jardin des Plantes, opened in Paris, France, in 1793. This followed the French Revolution; the menageries of the aristocrats, including those of the king and queen, were used to start the zoo. This early zoo did not have much for natural habitat, though, and was set up more like a museum, having small display areas.

Shortly thereafter in America, in 1804, Thomas Jefferson sent Lewis and Clark on an expedition out West to find and document the animals living there. This demonstrated the new country's interest in animals, but the country was not quite ready for a zoo. When the London Zoo opened to the public in 1847, it influenced some in the United States to start thinking that it was time to open their own zoo.

A physician named William Camac spearheaded the cause for a zoo in Philadelphia. On March 21, 1859, the Pennsylvania State Legislature voted to establish the Philadelphia Zoological Society, and Camac became its president. The Society—the first of its kind in the United States—worked to raise public and private funds to build the zoo. With the start of the Civil War in 1861, the plans were put on hold, as money was not available to devote to the zoo until after the war.

Eventually, the Zoological Society was given 30 acres of land in Fairmount Park on the banks of the Schuylkill River. "The Solitude," a house built by John Penn, the grandson of William Penn—the founder of the province of Pennsylvania—was included on the land. The size of the zoo was later extended to 42 acres. The entryway included a wrought-iron gateway and gatehouses designed by Frank Furness, which are still in use today.

On opening day, 3,000 people visited the zoo and were welcomed by a brass band and flags. Adults were charged 25 cents for admission, while children were charged 10 cents—this was the cost of admission for the next half-century. Yearly memberships were available for 10 dollars, with lifetime memberships being 50 dollars. During its first year of operation, 228,000 people visited the zoo. Today it has 1.2 million visitors each year.

There originally were 616 animals (another account says 813) at the zoo, some of which were on loan from the Smithsonian Institution. The Smithsonian had collected them from Africa and Asia but did not yet have their own zoo in Washington D.C. to house them at. The zoo had 3,000 animals by 1976 but then began downsizing to the 1,300 it now has. Today we celebrate the animals at this zoo, the zoo itself, and those all across America.

How to Observe American Zoo Day

The best way to celebrate the day is to take a trip to the Philadelphia Zoo. If you can't make it to Philadelphia, perhaps you are nearby one of the best zoos in the country. Otherwise, find another nearby zoo to visit!

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