#the rainforest shipping company

[seattlefactsijustmadeup]

Jeff Bezos is currently in a submersible made of tin cans and a Sega Dreamcast controller for a steering mechanism, searching the bottom of the Puget Sound for esoteric gods whose names melt the brain when pronounced out loud.

[physalian]

11 Underexplored settings of post-apocalyptic worlds

Inspired once again by my recent binge of abandoned explorations.

The greatest hits of the sprawling city scapes and farmland that feature in everything from post-alien invasions to zombie takeovers to just worlds gone by in a not-so-distant future tend to be:

Generic office buildings

Churches

Schools

Water parks

Suburbs

Famous monuments

Cruise ships

It’s come to my attention though just how many architectural abnormalities there are, in their own current post-apocalyptic states, that would absolutely befuddle archaeologists centuries from now trying to figure out their purposes.

So whether you want to go hard into “this new world has completely forgotten what came before it” or your very own and unique road trip through desolation, here’s some suggestions for cool and/or practical settings!

1. Disney/Iconic Theme Parks

2000 years from now after X disaster strikes, survivors completely removed from historical context stumble upon…. Disney World. They presume Mickey really was a giant mutant mouse, or a mouse-shaped deity worshiped by the local populace (and I mean… are they wrong?). People who might have never left the local area without planes and feasible transport, or knowledge that land across the ocean even exists, might be astounded by the buildings of Epcot’s World Showcase, or any of Disney’s themed resorts.

Water parks are done to death, but not enough emphasis is put onto how bizarre these places would look without context, even to a younger generation that has no idea what it used to be.

Orlando has a hotel with its own rainforest in a massive atrium, with ponds and boats and boardwalks inside. But, you know, I guess strolling through Chicago or New York City is cooler. It may be unfilmable, but it’s not unwritable.

2. The foundations of unfinished construction projects

The remains of an office building that never was, a veritable modern Stonehenge with how little would survive an apocalypse. Inexplicable areas of land with massive pits for unbuilt parking garages, or sprawling swimming pools and lazy rivers.

Or massive, skeletal towers that would have been the monument to a much larger estate that just lost funding. Buildings still surrounded by scaffolding, only half-complete with their windows.

3. Survivor’s encampment landmarked by a monument/hotel/theme park that was never built

In one of those abandoned videos, a company in China was trying to build a discount Disneyland and all that remains is an unfinished Cinderella Castle with steel shells of the gables… behind a modern shopping mall.

Any structure that would have been deeply out of place either in the country it’s built in, or the newer buildings that surround it, immediately looks more creative than just ‘generic strip mall’ or ‘generic high school’. And it’s also realistic, as projects like this fall through constantly, as a unique piece of your worldbuilding. Or, it did have its run as whatever the strange building was part of, and through bankruptcy and selling the land around it, it ends up being the only structure that remains.

4. Hotels that are made up as if the staff vanished instantaneously

Or, many, many Covid victims. Having your characters scrounge for resources through a hotel with beds still made, coffee cups on the breakfast tables, serving spoons and plates ready to go by the buffet. Halloween, Christmas, or Valentine’s decorations still on display.

The schedules for the final week of business still hanging in the offices, unopened mail, packages for guests still in the mail room, pallets of new soaps and supplies still in the delivery bay from the distribution center, linens still in the industrial dryers. I worked in a hotel scheduled for eventual demolition and the disrepair the interior fell into because, what’s the point of managing mold and bed bugs when it’s all getting gutted anyway, makes it super creepy knowing guests are completely clueless on the other side.

Places that have been completely ransacked and destroyed are creepy, sure, but places that are almost frozen in time despite the decay around them are both eerie, and rather dark. Cruise ships/confined spaces like ships tend to be used more for horror, but these, too, as if they’re frozen in time.

5. Cargo ships/shipping yards

An easy-ish one to film in. Looters breaking open shipping containers, or building entire communities and homes out of those containers either on land, or on the barges and ships. A community that can weigh anchor and move once resources and scavenging dries up, or another violent group moves in on the land.

Or, in the case of a viral apocalypse, a community relatively spared from the violence out on the open ocean.

6. IKEA/Furniture Warehouses and DC’s

Warehouses especially have few entries and fewer windows to secure, but as their contents (except the showroom floor) are in mint condition at the time of the world ending and probably stored in plastic and crates, they’d be relatively spared from the elements as a good base camp.

Furniture is also too heavy to loot in a panic and absconding with a brand new mattress probably wouldn’t be at the top of people’s minds as doomsday approaches.

Your little community each having their own lavish living spaces with whatever eclectic furniture they either liked or could now get their hands on for free would just be cool to read about.

7. Penthouse suites

Climbing those stairs would suck and depending on the build quality, the safety of the structure over time would degrade, but maybe your community has manual cranks for the elevators. There might be one way down, but there’s also only one way up, and you can see invaders and catastrophe coming for miles.

These places tend to be dripping in luxury your characters might otherwise have never experienced and they could either make a base there, or have a grand old time trashing the place up because the rich are dead and gone.

8. Historical forts

They lasted this long, why not a few centuries more? The fort that comes to mind is the Castillo de San Marcos in St. Augustine, Florida, right on the beach with a built-in defense wall and a huge courtyard for your community of plucky survivors.

Castles, too, though they’d likely be prime real estate for all manner of interested parties. Aging, famous forts are just never in these types of stories, unless it’s a picture of where the military used to be, now overrun or destroyed.

9. Ski resorts

Similar to the made-up hotels and theme parks, this one comes with presumably multiple buildings, potential use of the slopes and ski transports, isolation via elevation and remoteness from major cities, and the threat of bitter winters and blizzards.

Never been to one myself in winter, but remote locations for a post-apocalypse story tends to just be shorthand for “generic farm or small town,” which isn’t super immersive.

10. Luxury malls

Seen in The Last of US, it gives you a microcosm of so many different environments all slapped together and there’s no limit on what kinds of stores you could include, or all the kiosks, all the mini attractions like trampolines, kiddie parks, massage tables, and even VR flight simulators.

Maybe it has a theater tacked onto it, or a double-story book store, one of those rental spaces dedicated to fancy cars or candy stores. Great for the main setting or even just passing through, especially as they’re already a dying breed you can go ham with. ‘Luxury’ and designer items collecting dust right across from the discount store with everything for under &14.99 could strike a powerful message about social constructs.

11. Science museums

Sure you can make some poignant message about priceless artwork being left to rot, or. When I was a kid, I went to a science center with natural disaster simulators like house fires and tornadoes and a whole-ass IMAX theater where I saw Night at the Museum, the only movie I’ve ever seen in a proper IMAX dome.

There was a whole kids section with a ropes course, area for exploring the human body, a NASA-sponsored mock up space module, mock up grocery store, and little exhibits here and there about optical illusions and the physics behind laying on a bed of nails and how it doesn’t kill you. It’s just something unique and fun that your characters can interact with and gives them plenty to play off and give little anecdotes to make them feel more human.

—

Point is, your post-apocalypse doesn’t have to be limited to the usual suspects. We’ve all seen the strip malls and Walmarts and suburban homes and farms. There is no special effects budget or filming restraint in a book and I’d love to read more stories set in unique and descriptive places, or just fresh takes on your standard survival camp that isn’t just “build a wall around a section of neighborhood”.

It’s the apocalypse. All real estate becomes free real estate.

[happynowyo]

The deal

Fandom: Six of Crows

Pairing: Kaz Brekker x fem!Reader

Summary: You work in a brothel and all of the sudden Kaz Brekker becomes a frequent visitor who prefers to stay in the shadows until you come up to him first.

Warnings: soft Kaz, mentions of touch aversion

Word count: 2,7k

— Let me guess. Are you going to use an excuse that you're looking for something again?

— No, this time I'm only looking for you.

Your mother once warned you about how cruel the world was and how important it was to be careful. Young girls often caught the attention of slavers and it would probably break your parents' hearts if they knew exactly how your life had turned out after their death. Your aunt was supposed to take you from Fjerda to Ravka, but your ship was attacked by pirates and instead you ended up in Ketterdam when you were fifteen.

In some way you were lucky. You got a place at the Rainforest, an extremely posh and expensive place. The guests were usually wealthy travelers, diplomats, or members of the Merchant Council, so you didn't have to worry about your safety. The girls had to keep the good mood of the clients, but everyone put a different meaning to the words. Some wanted only sex, some wanted company to talk to. They were all escaping loneliness, and you couldn't blame them for that.

But among the row of all the others, only one guest was special. The tapping of his cane on the wooden parquet was unmistakable. You had to have lived in Ketterdam as a complete hermit, blind and deaf, if you didn't know who Kaz Brekker was. Rumors about him flooded the streets, intimidating and exaggerating every little thing about him. But there was no doubt that this guy was very dangerous indeed. His cane broke a lot of bones, and his brilliant mind ruined a lot of lives.

It was not for you to judge how people preferred to rest in their spare time. Sometimes you spotted Jesper in his another funny hat at the playhouse across the street from your second-floor window. You two even talked a couple of times when you ran into each other on the street after the establishments were closed. But seeing Kaz Brekker at the Rainforest required a special occasion.

He seemed like a complete stranger in the place. His eyes were constantly scanning the room, his whole body was tense and looked more like a wax statue than a living person. He was clearly uncomfortable in the brothel, even if he tried to hide it, and his face remained a perfect blank sheet that could easily be given a slight interest. You might have believed it, but a few years at the Rainforest had taught you much better insight into men. Being able to read the slightest visible reaction was part of your job.

Anyone else came to a brothel for entertainment. People wanted to get some female attention and flirtation, to drink and spend a huge amount of money so they could leave at dawn with a smile and a sense of having had a good time. They came "from somewhere." But Kaz Brekker came "to somewhere." He was cautious, but at the same time quite determined, and he clearly had a purpose of some kind. You had seen him at the bar a few times, but then he disappeared faster than you could figure out what kind of drink he had in his glass.

It took a whole week before you realized exactly what was going on. Kaz carefully looked around the main hall, but never went any farther. You had to be a guest accompanied with a girl to go up to the second and third floor, where the girls' rooms for work and the office of the accountant and the club owner were located. You wondered what Kaz wanted to find that was so important that he didn't entrust the job to Jesper, who could pretend to be a client and sniff it out. From what you had heard, Kaz Brekker was probably the only man in Ketterdam who didn't use brothels for their intended purpose.

— Do you need any help or are you going to keep looking around every corner and memorizing what time the guards at the entrance change?

You walked up to him first, leaning innocently beside him on the bar, and glanced curiously at his glass. Vodka and ice? The club's shelves were stocked with liquor, but Kaz Brekker certainly had to stand out in this one, too. The simpler, the better, that's for sure.

— What makes you think I'm interested in security? — Kaz's husky voice carefully concealed his surprise, as if he'd been so caught up in his own thoughts that he hadn't noticed you approaching. And it was further confirmation of how different he was from the people around him. People didn't come to brothels to drink in silence and think about personal things.

— Well, I have eyes, and I can use my mouth to find out that you haven't been with any of the girls, even though it's the fourth time you've been here in a week, — you chirped, giving one of the clients a smile before you turned your attention back to Kaz, your tone changing to more businesslike. — The cane and gloves. This black suit. If you want to go somewhere incognito, I suggest you use a disguise in the future, Kaz Brekker. Everyone is capable of recognizing you in this town, as well as exactly what you're known for. Are you planning another heist here?

Kaz was ready to curse himself for how obvious it was. A foolish scheme had turned out to be an even more foolish finale. He had originally wanted to dig into the situation himself, after Inej had given him the details of the owner, the number of girls and the size of the rooms. But one look at the crowd was enough for him to spot you and that dark blue dress with the veil you wore that first night. Like the sky in the middle of the night. A mystery lying in plain sight. It wasn't until his third night that he was able to find you among the other girls in the hall, guided by the shade of hair he remembered, when he could finally see your face.

Perhaps all these years the Saints had shielded him from unnecessary sympathy and feelings for someone just to give him the illusion of invincibility. He loved nothing and nothing could be taken from him. Kaz believed this as if he really didn't have the ability to feel anything. And that's why he was so shaken by how much he remembered that image of you with the veil and how much he wanted to know more about you. He was so unrestrainedly crushing on you that he still hadn't moved forward with the plan. He needed the access to the second floor, but he didn't have the courage to come up to you and pretend to be your client. Kaz shook at the thought of touching you and the anxiety came along with nausea almost instantly.

— There will be no heist. I just need to look at a couple of documents. I won't even take them with me, — Kaz replied discreetly, forcing his appraising gaze to stop on your face. Too beautiful. Too distracting. He shouldn't have told you anything but he hoped his honesty would buy him a way out.

— I can help. In exchange for a favor, of course.

You leaned closer to him in a trusting manner, and your fingers gently touched Kaz's shoulder. Just for a second, so lightly that the touch seemed phantom and unreal. Whatever past Kaz held, it made him keep his distance from people in a literal sense. Your observation of the previous nights was enough to realize that Kaz was not a fan of touches, even casual ones. The gloves clearly served him as an extra layer of protection, though you were curious about what had happened to him that caused such a reaction. Many girls in brothels reacted similarly negatively to touching after a while, but Kaz didn't seem like the kind of person who would work in such an establishment.

— Okay, let's say I would agree to your terms. Hypothetically. What would you ask for? — it was hard for Kaz to imagine what a girl like you might need. Money? Freedom from your indenture? Or someone else's death? He knew how much brothels disfigured and perverted the psyche, no one remained a saint there.

— You will take your gloves off next to me. No touching. But you will take them off so we are equal.

You were absolutely unwavering in what you said. Some tension thickened between you, and the air seemed almost electrified. Kaz Brekker was a threat to everyone in Ketterdam, but something told you that he could show an unusual softness around you. You'd met guys like that before. They built themselves up to be important and confident, they controlled other people's lives, but when they were alone, they all wanted to give up some of their control. To give it to someone else, to breathe easier. You wondered if Kaz was really the same.

He threw a quick glance toward the exit, as if miscalculating his escape route, but finally nodded in silent agreement. A smile bloomed on your lips, and you wrapped your fingers lightly around Kaz's wrist over his jacket to lead him up the stairs. The guards let you through without any questions, and you wondered if they knew who the dark-haired guy with the cane next to you was. If they did, they would have preferred to kick him out in fear that he would pick all the locks and stashes in the brothel.

You led Kaz to the very last door and carefully looked around before nodding approvingly. Time was short, but you had no doubt that Kaz would manage to find what he needed.

— All of the owner's papers are here, so as all the accountant's reports. He'll be back in half an hour, after lunch, but if I were you, I'd hurry, — you warned him with a charming smile, without any guilt for taking a criminal to the brothel's main office. — Be a good boy and come see me afterwards. Second door on the left. I've heard you always stick to your part of the deal.

You didn't wait for his answer and went to your room. You had time to open a window and fix your hair before a polite knock reached your ears, and then Kaz came inside. Quite pleased, judging by the look on his face. Whatever he was looking for, he found it. The door closed behind him with a quiet click, though you knew no one would dare disturb you anyway.

— You could have told me. I wouldn't have wasted my time, — Kaz's voice, despite the accusation in his words, was filled with real amusement. His blue eyes twinkled with surprise, though he quickly returned to his usual reserved look.

— I wanted to watch you at work. How fast you can do it. Your fame runs far ahead of you.

You shrugged innocently, smiled softly, and then stepped back, resting your back against the windowsill. The light breeze from the open window played mischievously with your hair, and you threw your head back for a moment, closing your eyes to relax. When you looked up again, Kaz was already in front of you. His cane had been left next to a nearby chair, and his last step toward you was extremely neat, since Kaz was trying not to put pressure on his bad leg.

— I know a couple of Healers. They could have helped you with your leg. Your life would have been a lot easier, but I guess you thought about it and gave up that option. Do you use this pain to punish yourself? — you spoke more quietly, and everything inside you froze with a strange anticipation.

Tension rang in the air and only got stronger as Kaz slowly began to remove his gloves. When was the last time he'd done this in front of someone? Had it even happened once? He looked so vulnerable, so collected and soft at the same time, that you immediately wanted to praise him. It was clearly a huge step for him, and you were about to ask why he decided to do it after all, but Kaz beat you to it, breaking the long pause.

— To remember. Pain reminds me that I am alive. That I have some weaknesses. Given what I do, it's easy to believe in my own invincibility. I've seen it bring people down, — Kaz's voice lowered and literally vibrated.

What was happening seemed like a real obsession to him, but he was already here and this was his chance, so he cautiously took another step, standing quite close so that your chests almost touched. The stale smell of water crept up his nose as the first sign of future panic, but Kaz did his best to get rid of it. Some things have to be done the other way around, so even though all his instincts were screaming for him to step back, he shortened the distance between you and touched your hair unabashedly, tucking the strand behind your ear.

— It's a good strategy, but I feel sorry that you have to use it, always feeling pain with every move, — you didn't try to move away, nor did you comment on Kaz's actions. The attraction between you could be felt under your skin. Kaz was handsome as hell, and part of you wished he could have been a mere client. So you could flirt and touch him without any consequences, without making him uncomfortable.

— Your strategy is pretty good, too. In a few years you've made a great career move, from a usual servant to an accountant of one of the top brothels. Do you still work with clients?

— I'm a fast learner. And yes, I don't have to sleep with anyone anymore, but sometimes I still spend time around big clients to make sure there aren't any problems.

Kaz nodded, not really paying attention. He could hardly think about anything right now while his whole body was in a state of peak tension. For the first time in his life he was so attracted to someone, and it shook him to his core. Kaz wanted to go further, but his mind was frantically trying to figure out exactly what was going to happen. Was your attraction mutual? If he risked touching you for real, how quickly would panic overshadow desire? If you knew about who he was, did you realize the danger he brought with him?

It was literally written all over his face, all those difficult choices that plagued him so much that you made the decision for him, gently reaching forward with your palm. He could touch it or he could step back. During the healing process even the tiniest step was important. You kept your eyes on Kaz, studying his graceful facial features with pleasure, and you couldn't ignore how handsome he was. Kaz could have had any girl or guy at the snap of his fingers, but he was so uptight and so caught up in his work that he didn't notice anyone around him. Or he didn't want to notice because of his obvious problem with touching.

— What were you looking for in the papers?

You tried to distract him, continuing to watch as his fingers slowly came close to yours. There was barely a millimeter of space between you, but even that sent a wave of heat through your body. You could feel the touch even so, though it never really happened.

— The list of investors. And the guest list at the anniversary party. I was asked to find some compromising information on an official from the Merchant Council, — Kaz looked embarrassed and twitched his lips guiltily, taking a step back as panic reached his lungs and cut off his oxygen.

— I can get you an invitation. If you agree to visit me again. There's an old hotel in the west side of the town. I rent a room under its green roof, the biggest one. If you crack the lock before I get there, after midnight, I'll be especially pleased. Do you want me to be pleased, Kaz?

You returned the previous minimal distance between you and leaned into Kaz's ear with a charming whisper, casually running your palm along his shoulder and chest, leaving tiny millimeters to the actual touch. You wanted to test your guess and see if he wanted you the same way, or if you just made up the fact that there was a spark between you.

You got the best answer when Kaz nodded and briefly touched your palm with a light kiss, like a true gentleman.

[altschmerzes]

so, ferngully the last rainforest, right. insane movie about how deforestation is bad and we gotta protect the environment and all living things matter and should be valued. great message. insane film. also a movie i autism-imprinted on as a child with no access to a tv aside from a portable dvd player and a dvd case. anyways so i haven't seen this movie in a really long time and i just watched it again and i have some observations.

nobody in this movie has nipples. it is incredibly distracting. they got all these little fairies in the woods and none of the boy fairies have shirts and they also don't have nipples. they got the pecs like a dolphin's belly. i found this SO DISTRACTING.

yes he was voicing the personification of pollution and deforestation but also tim curry. listen. i have never been inclined to use this phrase before i don't like it very much i just think it sounds bad but i do have to say there is no other way to put it but tim curry put his whole pussy into voicing hexxus and the result is that the personification of pollution and deforestation in this film can absolutely get it because he DID put that tim curry steez into the role.

hey remember that time that robin williams voiced a cartoon bat who did a whole song and dance number about the evils of animal testing. and it kind of ruled?

there's a biker gang who rides flying beetles. they're not fairies bc they don't have wings. what are they? don't worry about it.

there's a song where the personification of pollution and deforestation sings about how much he loves clearcutting machinery while he puffing on diesel smoke and gasoline and oil and it is literally two minutes of pure sex appeal. i can't explain it. tim curry did not have to go that hard but he did and the result is like. listen. i can't explain it.

this makes the fact that nobody in this film has nipples even weirder. like no we can't have nips on these little shirtless fairy men because that's too horny for our young audience. meanwhile tim curry just poured raw sex appeal into the villain song. the ship has sailed.

remember the time that bigol lizard chases this little man who's been shrunk to fairy size around and sings a song about how he's gonna eat him.

why is his name 'zak.' why did they spell it that way.

robin williams also did the absolute most in his role in this film. like. batty's lines are so... some of them had me in hysterics.

i am obsessed with the ending shot where my man zak here has just had a life-altering experience with the forest fairies and understands that all living things have value including the trees and has vowed to remember this lesson. he walks off with his logging company buddies and is like come on guys. things have gotta change. this is a great ending for this kids' film and i do gotta admire this dumbass's dedication to single-handedly dismantling the logging industry, i, uh, i do also think there are gonna be some, uh, hurdles along the way.

[blueiscoool]

The Hunt: El Dorado, Fabled City of Gold, Remains Hidden in the Amazon

Centuries have seen countless explorers brave hardships to find the fabled city.

An ancient city of gold somewhere in South America is rumored to have been so fabulously opulent that it has become an expression for any place where people can amass great fortunes. But it has been so elusive that it has become synonymous, like the Holy Grail, with a prized object long sought but never found. Countless men have given their lives in the search for its riches as they ran out of supplies and food, were felled by disease, or encountered violent resistance along the way.

The goal of numerous explorers over centuries, from crews with wooden ships and horses to teams with drones and radar, El Dorado is a lost city, reportedly stretching over great distances in the Amazon rainforest and hidden from prying eyes by its remoteness and the warlike peoples in the forest around it. (The region got its name, in fact, from Spanish explorer Francisco Orellana, who compared the fighting women he encountered during his own search with the Amazons of ancient Greece.)

Tales of El Dorado, its name Spanish for “the golden,” began with the Muisca peoples’ perhaps-mythical account of a tribal chief who, in an initiation rite, coated himself in gold. He then went onto Lake Guatavita, near present-day Bogotá, threw a pile of gold objects into the water, and washed the gold off himself as his attendants also threw an abundance of gold objects into the lake. The 16th-century Spanish referred to him as the Golden Man or the Golden King.

“This is the ceremony that became the famous El Dorado, which has taken so many lives and fortunes,” according to a 1638 letter from writer Juan Rodríguez Freyle. That pile of loot was soon fused in the lore with an account of an entire city made of gold. Others posited that the city was called Manoa and was situated on the shores of a legendary Lake Parima, which has also never been found.

Supposedly one of the first to claim he visited it was the Spanish explorer Juan Martinez, who reported that the locals had brought him there blindfolded in 1531 and allowed him to witness it, and that he traveled an entire day through its streets before reaching the emperor’s palace.

When Francisco Pizarro conquered the gold-rich Inca civilization in Peru in 1532, Spaniards believed all the more firmly in the fabled El Dorado. Francisco de Orellana, a relative of Pizarro, unwittingly traveled the entire length of the Amazon, the world’s longest river, in his search for it.

Some gold did turn up in a lake, seeming to justify the continued search. After he found Guatavita, a sacred lake in the Andes, in 1537, conquistador Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada partly emptied it using a bucket chain. From its depths emerged a few thousand pesos of gold.

Bogotá entrepreneur Antonio de Sepúlveda, for his part, cut an enormous notch in the bank of the lake in 1580, removing a great deal of water before the notch collapsed and killed many of the workers. For his trouble, he uncovered three times as much gold as Quesada had, and sent it to King Philip II of Spain. Alexander von Humboldt, the 19th-century German explorer, would calculate that there could be as much as $300 million in gold in the lake.

English explorer Sir Walter Raleigh went looking for El Dorado in 1594, followed by the Spanish conquistadores, who scoured modern-day Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana and Brazil in the search. Less well-known expeditions continued over the 17th and 18th centuries, bodies piling up but ultimately turning up nothing.

In findings from a major scientific investigation, Von Humboldt would claim, ca. 1800, to have disproven the existence of the lake El Dorado is meant to have flanked. In the following decades, two other researchers came to the same conclusion.

But the legend did not die. The search was revived a century later, when an English company drained the lake almost entirely. Despite their efforts, they extracted artifacts worth only about £500, some of which went to the British Museum, some of which sold at Sotheby’s London. In 1965, the Colombian government designated the lake as off-limits to further attempts.

The quest continues with the help of modern technology. A team led by Venezuelan archaeologist-explorer Jose Miguel Perez-Gomez went looking, employing aerial and satellite remote sensing surveys obtained from NASA’s Shuttle Radar Topography Missions (SRTM), the Landsat Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) instrument, and TanDEM-X synthetic aperture radar (SAR) sensors from the German Aeropsace Center’s Microwave and Radar Institute, according to a 2019 paper. Of all the unlikely results, their findings strongly resembled the outlines of a lake in a map drawn by none other than Sir Walter Raleigh.

The area is not without rich natural resources, so dreams of a city of gold can perhaps be forgiven. Illegal extraction operations are underway to this day, in fact, in what the Venezuelan government in 2016 designated the Orinoco Mining Arc, which covers 12 percent of the country’s territory and is rich not only in gold but also bauxite, coltan, and diamonds, possibly totaling some $2 trillion in value. You can literally see the modern gold mining from space: in 2021, an astronaut passing over eastern Peru in the International Space Station used a Nikon camera to snap a photo that reveals numerous gold prospecting pits.

Over the years, El Dorado has shown up in popular culture countless times, from a 1989 Neil Young record to video games, a board game, and the Cadillac Eldorado. So even as the city has remained stubbornly hidden over centuries, it is, in its way, all around us.

By Brian Boucher.

[keithpoenewt]

5 Times Montague and Silas Fought + 1 Time They Didn't - Part 1

A friend put this idea in my head. I ran with it. Does anybody even ship this? Who knows. It ain't my fault Montague canonically asked Silas to join the Society multiple times. WHY IS THAT HUH???

Masterlist

1. the boy is mine / when the party's over - Mega City

Word count: 2,806

“I’m usually so unproblematic So independent, tell me why”

If there’s one thing Montague cares about, it’s power (and Fizz, but that’s a discussion for a different day). He likes knowing the chain of command, who to stay away from, and who can be extorted or bribed. Montague prefers to be higher up on the food chain otherwise he’ll remain off people’s radars. He’s not here to piss anyone important off (unless it will turn into a profit for himself). Power is what he wants, but he can’t quite have it just yet. The Seven failed to stop The Herald from chromifying all realities, thus causing the universe to explode. The Rift Warden couldn’t repair the damage, allowing other realities to seep into this one, one of them being a place called Mega City. Honestly, Montague didn’t mind it there much. He met some potential allies who he may decide to contact later when the right moment arises. Though, one he couldn’t get out of his head: Silas Hesk. He liked the mysterious aura Silas gave off (that and having a pet snake as an accessory is pretty badass). Montague decided to keep meeting up with him since he enjoyed his company the most out of everyone he met.

Even with the world on the brink of another explosion and a new rainforest (a place Montague will NOT be setting foot in because he doesn’t want to have some unknown bug bite him and kill him), he still seeks out Silas’s company. After months, Montague still can’t figure out why he feels so drawn to him.

“‘Cause that boy is mine, mine Something about him is made for somebody like me”

“So, what’s with the snake?” Montague asks before downing the rest of his cocktail. He knows Silas usually doesn’t care when people ask him personal questions because he just won’t answer the questions but anything on the snake? Well, that always sets him off. If Montague’s being serious…he kind of likes it when Silas loses his cool.

Silas turns and gives him a small glare. “For your ssssake, that better be a joke. I could just walk out of here.”

“Don’t you know too much already? I’ll only hurt you if you let me”

“You could, yes, but you would have done it the moment I asked about it.” Montague grins, signaling the bartender for another drink. “But you didn’t.”

“I sssstill could.”

“What’s stopping you?”

Silas leans in, glasses slipping down his nose. If this is his attempt at intimidation, it almost works…if not for his snake, Frank, moving to lick Montague’s cheek. Montague’s smile widens when Silas pulls Frank back. “Hey!” he scolds. “Not cool!”

“I don’t mind.”

“I know you don’t mind. I mind esssspecially when I’m trying to prove a point!” Silas exclaims. He takes a deep breath and pushes his glasses back up the bridge of his nose. “How about thissss—I’ll tell you the sssstory when you’ve earned it, deal?”

“And how will I know I have earned it?” Montague wonders.

Silas grins and removes his glasses. He wipes them on his sleeve then places them on Montague. “Telling you would ruin the fun. It’ssss a game. Unlessss you want to divulge the secret of that amulet of yourssss.”

Montague places a hand on his blue amulet instinctively. As far as everyone is concerned, it’s just a statement piece to make him appear as a bigger asshole than he is. When in reality, it’s how he’s able to manipulate diamonds to fight and get what he wants. Montague does trust Silas, but if he won’t talk about the snake, then he won’t talk about the amulet.

“I will tell you about the necklace when you tell me about the snake…how about that?”

Silas nods. “You’ve got a deal.” He turns away and sips his drink. Montague admires his side profile, gaze moving to his Adam’s apple when he swallows. There are many words Montague could use to describe Silas, but right now, he can only think of calling him pretty. His sharp jaw contrasted by his soft skin (not that Montague would know what it feels like…he just imagines Silas has a great skincare routine—is that glitter on his cheek or a trick of the light?)

“Baby, come over, come over And God knows I’m trying, but there’s just no use in denying”

The bartender brings Montague’s drink, but for once in a long time, alcohol isn’t at the center of his attention. He thought Silas’s eyes looked purple because of the tint of his glasses he always wears, but they’re blue. Not like the sky in the daytime, but the kind of blue you’d only see at the top of a mountain when the sun is slipping below the horizon. The flashing lights make it look like stars twinkling in vast violet galaxies encompassing his eyes, waiting to be discovered. Montague would spend millennia exploring them if the opportunity presented itself.

He shakes his head and turns back to his drink. Crazy talk. It’s a miracle Silas even agreed to keep meeting. He can’t ruin it by making things weird between them. Although, he could blame it on the alcohol and deny everything if it all blew up in his face, but by now both men are familiar with each other’s limits. Silas would call Montague’s bluff almost immediately.

“It looked like you wanted to ssssay something,” Silas comments. “You were sssstaring at me pretty intently.”

“You, um, your eyes have a little purple to them.” Montague swirls his drink. “I thought it was just your glasses.”

“Mm, yes, they are dark blue. Although, not quite as impressssive as yours.” Silas takes a sip of his whiskey. “I would desssscribe them as disssstractingly alluring.”

“Is that why you gave me your glasses? My eyes are distracting you?”

Silas shakes his head. “I didn’t mean it as an inssssult. Both colors ssssuit you quite well.”

Frank hisses.

“I am not ssssaying that,” Silas snaps. “Hush.”

Montague resists the urge to comment on that, knowing Silas won’t like it. As much as he likes to rile Silas up, this would go too far. He just makes a mental note that Silas can communicate with the snake telepathically in some way.

Frank hisses again, causing Silas’s cheeks to flush. He quickly finishes his drink then stands.

“I’m ssssorry, but I have to go.” He glances at Montague. “Thissss was nice. I will get the glasssses from you next time we meet.”

Montague nods. “Is everything okay?”

“Call me a friend but keep me closer And I’ll call you when the party’s over”

Silas looks like he wants to say more, but he simply nods. “Yessss, don’t worry. Good night, Montague. Thank you for thissss. I do alwayssss enjoy our time together.” He leaves some money on the counter and leaves the club.

Montague watches him go. If he had more liquid courage in him, he’d follow Silas out. But he doesn’t…yet. Montague downs the rest of his drink. There’s a numbness blooming in his chest, but he’s not going to pluck that tonight. He signals the bartender for a set of shots.

“The boy is mine I can’t wait to try him”

Silas has his secrets, and that’s what makes the little back and forth they’ve got so invigorating. Montague loves the chase. And if getting shitfaced means he doesn’t make a poor decision and chase after the snake…well…it’ll be worth the hangover in the morning.

When the world exploded yet again, Montague worried he’d never see Silas again. Who knows how many people got lost, but honestly, he didn’t care about the rest of the world. He sought out Silas’s last known location, thankfully finding him alive and well.

Knowing his friend was okay, Montague could see an opportunity presenting itself—the very opportunity he’d been waiting for since having to deal with chrome staining his clothes every other day. During a walk to survey the area around his soon to be Grand Glacier Hotel, he stumbled upon something glowing from underneath a pile of snow. Montague brushes the snow out of the way with his foot, kneeling down when he spots five golden medallions peeking out. He lifts up one to examine it further and it begins to transform, morphing into a copy of his amulet. It glows briefly before settling in his hand.

“Oh…this changes things,” he mutters to himself.

Montague digs out the other four medallions and hurries back to the hotel. He has no idea the full power of these medallions, but he does know he needs allies. The first few people who come to mind are Oscar, the owner of Lavish Lair, Nisha, owner of Fencing Fields and the largest FlowBerry farm on Helios, Valeria, a mysterious woman who could control fire, and lastly, Silas Hesk. Well, Silas was the first person he invited over, but he wanted to wait to tell him in person what the plan was. Montague told everyone else over the phone since he didn’t think they’d want to make the trek to his hotel without good reason (they all had busy schedules afterall).

Oscar and Nisha arrive first. Oscar heads straight for the bar while Nisha hands Montague his favorite bottle of wine as a gift before joining Oscar. Nisha was quiet when they first met, but Montague could tell she cared more than she let on. She did remember him mentioning her family made his favorite wine. Valeria arrives shortly after, greeting Montague with a hug that lasts a bit longer than expected.

“I am very much looking forward to our alliance, Montague,” she whispers, tracing his jawline. “I think we’re going to accomplish a lot together.”

Montague gives her a polite smile. “As am I, Valeria.”

She rubs her thumb on his chin. “Call me Val. I think you’ve earned it.”

A blush creeps onto Montague’s cheeks. Oh, she was good. Her smile seems genuine, but there’s something in her eyes that he can’t quite place. Montague doesn’t know if she’s being serious in her advances, but there’s only one person he really wants to work with here.

“Ssssorry I’m late.” Silas stops when he sees Valeria with her hand cupping Montague’s chin. “Am I interrupting?”

Valeria smiles and removes her hand. “No. We were just chatting.”

Silas says nothing, but Frank hisses at her. This further confirms Montague’s theory that Frank just puts Silas’s inner thoughts on blast.

“Silas!” Montague exclaims, stepping away from Valeria. “No, you’re not late. You’re never late.” He grins, hoping to improve Silas’s mood.

Silas’s expression never changes, but Frank moves to get closer to Montague. Silas gently grabs him to stop him. “Sssso, why are we here?”

Montague claps. “Yes! Right! Okay!” He leads Valeria and Silas over to where Oscar and Nisha are. Montague pulls out the medallions and passes each of them one. “These are what I found the other day during a walk. I am not sure where they came from, but they are extremely powerful. They give us near indestructible shields. And I’m thinking we take this opportunity to take some control over this place, yeah? There’s a power vacancy, and I think we have waited long enough for our turn on top. We will call ourselves the Society.”

Oscar, Nisha, and Valeria all nod in agreement, each of their medallions transforming. Oscar and Valeria’s turn into a sort of self-portrait of themselves while Nisha’s takes the form of her fencing school’s emblem. Montague looks to Silas, waiting for his medallion to transform but nothing happens.

“Silas?” Montague asks. “Is something wrong?”

“I’m not ssssure about this,” he responds, rubbing the medallion with his thumb. “Why didn’t you mention thissss to me on the phone?”

Montague grins “I wanted it to be a surprise!”

“Or did you think he would say no and hang up?” Valeria wonders, putting her medallion around her neck. “Really, we don’t need someone who’s not willing to commit to our plans. If he’s not an immediate yes, find someone else.”

Montague rubs his temples. “Guys, give us a moment in private please?” He waits for the other three to walk away before continuing. “What’s wrong? Is this because I didn’t tell you over the phone like everyone else?”

“No! I’m used to your theatricssss. I’ve known you long enough to expect the unexpected, but I didn’t think you’d go thissss far!” Silas hisses.

“I am not sure what you mean. I thought I have been pretty transparent with my ambitions in life.”

Silas groans. “Not what I’m referring to. I know that you’re power hungry. It’s one of your more endearing traitssss.”

Montague blinks, cheeks flushing briefly. “Okay, well, you have lost me now.”

“Do you even know who you’re working with? Or what their intentions are? In all thissss time we’ve known each other, you’ve mentioned each of them maybe twice. I only recognized Nisha because sssshe’s the only one you ever introduced me to—and I think that’ssss because she gets you Fizz.”

Montague scoffs. He’s capable of finding someone’s company pleasant without the idea of alcohol in mind. Nisha is nice and funny when you get her talking. Montague is starting to wish he was talking with her right now instead of Silas.

“Plussss, something’s…off about Valeria. I don’t know what it issss but I think there’s more to it…more to why she’ssss here,” Silas continues. “You need to—”

“Is this because she had her hand on my face when you walked in?” Montague winces at the bluntness. He didn’t mean to sound so accusatory…it just kind of came out. “Wait—”

Silas’s expression hardens and Frank curls under Silas’s shirt. “Oh, sssso you’re going there? Really? After everything?!”

“Silas, I didn’t—”

“I don’t want to fucking hear it, alright? You know what?” Silas shoves the medallion into Montague’s arms. “Enjoy your Ssssociety life with people who’d gladly sssstab you in the back, Montague. Call me when you get your head out of your assss.”

“Silas—”

“And don’t even think about asking me to join your little Ssssociety ever again because if you do, we’re done, got it?”

Montague deflates and nods. He watches Silas storm out of the hotel, slamming the door shut behind him. A moment passes before the others walk over to him. Nisha places a hand on his shoulder to offer some reassurance.

“Good riddance I say,” Valeria says. “I don’t trust a guy who has a pet snake. Anyway, we’re gonna need someone to fill the fifth spot. Anyone have any ideas?”

“There was this guy I met at Fencing Fields when I was visiting,” Oscar shares. “I think his name was Pedro? Peter? I dunno. He seemed…interesting. A little weird…kept asking about somebody named Lois?” He shrugs. “We could try him?”

“Whatever. Fine. I want to get started on building our empire as soon as possible,” Valeria says. “Montague…are you focused?”

Montague simply nods at her, still staring at the door.

“Great. We’ll meet again tomorrow at my place. Can’t risk any reptiles getting in.” She motions for Oscar to follow her. “Come, tiger. We have a lot to discuss.”

The two leave and Nisha steps in front of Montague, removing her mask. “Are you okay?” she asks. “Because you look like you’re about to go finish that entire bottle I gave you in one sitting.”

“Would that be so bad?”

Nisha crosses her arms. “Listen, if you want things to work out with Silas—”

“We’re not—”

Nisha waves her hand dismissively. “Sure you’re not. Regardless, you can’t push him like that, alright? I’ve only met him a handful of times, but you and I both know he doesn’t appreciate being cornered. Give him some time to cool off and then have a conversation. You two clearly care a great deal for one another—don’t let this destroy what you’ve built together.”

Montague nods. “Thank you, Nisha. I knew asking you to join me was the right move.”

“Usually I aim for first place, but I can settle for second this one time.”

“Who said you were second?”

“I don’t think anyone could beat Silas.”

Montague’s cheeks heat up. “Whatever…have a good night, Nisha.”

She waves and heads out.

When she’s gone, Montague does exactly what Nisha predicted—he pops open the wine bottle she gave him and takes a swig out of it. It burns going down, but he doesn’t give a shit. Did he have to fuck things up so bad to send Silas storming out? Why did he ask that? Was he wanting Silas to admit he was jealous? Why should he care about whether or not Silas is jealous?

He takes another swig.

No. Montague is not in love with Silas Hesk.

He just doesn’t want to lose the only person he’s ever cared about.

Part 2

[charlesandmartine]

Saturday 21st December 2024

The alarm clock agitated at 6.15 and we were instantly awake for today's adventure. We had to present ourselves at the tourist information place in Urangan to be herded by bus to River Heads port to catch the early morning ferry to K'gari, the K being silent, leaving gari pronounced Gaary. (Fraser Island is a lot easier to articulate) Due to little research on my part, I was surprised at how large an island this was. In length, it is 123 km, 15 km wide, 22 km at its widest part; 1840 square kilometers in all. We were informed it was different from any island we are likely to have visited before because K'gari is made entirely of sand. Because of this, we were half expecting to pull alongside a giant sandcastle with a couple of paper flags at each end! Our tour guide put us right on this fallacy. I prefer, he said, to think of K'gari as a sand bank, not an island. If you imagine the last ice age, when sea levels were much lower, K'gari would merely have been a great big pile of sand attached to the rest of Australia, and the continental shelf would also be visible. The notion of how the sand was built up in the first place was put forward. It all began a long way away to the south of us here, in the Blue Mountains, to the west of Sydney. The wind blew, eroding and separating tiny particles of sand, depositing them into creeks, carried by rivers into the Pacific, where the longshore drift carried these sand particles north of Brisbane, forming this chain of islands. Today, K'gari is seen as the largest sand island in the world.

Now, some important advice from information gleaned from our last excursion experience that included a paid for lunch. 4 rules that you break at your peril and put you at risk of going hungry. 1. Assess the competition and position yourself at the front of the queue. There will be plenty of food. 2. Carry out a size assessment of the fellow eaters. Be sure to be in front of the people who appear to be the most familiar with large portions of food. Ergo, there will be more food available. 3. Take high value items; New Zealand green mussels, fish fillet (any sort), large lumps of chicken. (forget the legs), 4. Follow these rules, and you will be well placed for seconds.

Our tour firstly took us to McKensie Lake, which was indeed a curiosity because it was one of three lakes sat in pure sand! Afterall, sand doesn't usually hold water! This was an opportunity to lay on the sand by the lake before setting off for a boardwalk through rainforest. Between the years 1886 and 1991, loggers worked these forests on the island for their timbers: Hoop Pine, Kauri Pine, Turpentine, Blood Wood were some. This was big business, shipping timbers across to the mainland and processing them in Maryborough, yes of Mary Poppins fame. One large logging company was Mckensie and Sons, which dominated operations, even building railways to move these huge logs across difficult terrain. Then, in 1991, the federal government put a stop to the whole thing. They wanted UNESCO status as a world heritage site, and the price for this was to stop the logging. In 1992, UNESCO agreed and K'gari was granted what it wanted.

The east side of the island remarkably has approximately 80 km of flat tidal beach that our bus could drive along! Today, we probably covered 20 km of it, but often at speed. Our destination was the wreck of the SS Maheno, a steam packet that used to ply these waters and across to New Zealand in the early 20th century. 1935 came, and it was no longer cost-effective to run a steam ship, and our vessel was sold for scrap to a Japanese company who came and collected her. Deciding to tow her to the scrap yard rather than sail under power, both ships got into difficulties in a cyclone, resulting in the Maheno drifting and running ashore in the sand, where her hulk remains to this day. Now, a protected shipwreck, she will always be there rusting away. Great photography, though. We made our way back along the sands passing Coffee Rocks; ancient deposits of tree formations which break down leaving a coffeestain in the water, seeing the coloured sand cliffs and then to Eli Creek, a bit of a magnet for kids to play in the fresh waters flowing into the sea. Also, a magnet to the local population of dingoes keenly looking for a crafty meal either left by humans or foraged.

Then, it was back to the ferry and setting sail for Urangan and home. Fully fed, but weighing up whether a fish and chip supper might be required as a top-up. Another great day, tomorrow promises to be somewhat quieter.

We don't really like organised trips; being organised, conforming to a demanding itinerary, shuffling along with a whole load of other people, not being able to spend time on the parts that interest us, and not being able to skip or move on from areas that do not. It was a very long day, but we went places and saw things that we would not otherwise have had access to by our own resources. Therefore, it was well worth it, and the advice given was correct. This island, although by topography, was not remarkable, it was instead quite amazing and unique.

ps. We did stop off in Hervey Bay to get snapper and chips, but it was the third fish and chip we had tried before finding one that was open on a Saturday night beyond 7pm! What is the matter with these people? The one we did find open managed to stay open till eight! The rest of the Esplanade, the main entertainment area, was in darkness by then!

pps. We passed the Botanical Gardens at about 7pm, and we were somewhat surprised at the crowds queuing to get in. Then we remembered the Christmas lights display. And then we recalled it was nearly Christmas! A fact that to date that had escaped us!

[newstfionline]

Monday, October 21, 2024

Billions in election bets raise the stakes of the presidential race (Washington Post) Scott Owens, an amateur watchmaker in Madison, Wis., waited years for a chance to legally bet money on U.S. politics. Earlier this month a federal court opened the way, by ruling that federal financial regulators could not block New York start-up Kalshi from accepting such wagers. A few days later, Owens put down about $100 on several potential outcomes in the popular vote and electoral college from the presidential ballot on Election Day. Tarek Mansour, CEO of Kalshi, said in an interview this week that the site’s user base has been “doubling day over day” since the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia early this month ruled against a Commodity Futures Trading Commission order banning bets on politics. Around $2 billion in cryptocurrency has been wagered on predicting the next president on Polymarket as of Friday. As of Friday, pricing on Polymarket suggested former president Donald Trump had a 60 percent chance of winning the presidency and Kamala Harris had a 40 percent chance. On Kalshi, Trump was trading at 56 percent and Harris at 44 percent.

Halloween: Retail Monstrosity (NYT) On Nov. 1, 1876, The New York Times declared Halloween “departed,” destined for the grave. In 2024, consumers are expected to spend $11.6 billion celebrating the holiday, up from $3.3 billion in 2005. Halloween has transformed from a pagan feast to a celebration with lovingly homemade costumes and treats to one of the largest consumer spending holidays in the United States. Every October—or even earlier—millions of Americans are spending on costumes, decorating their homes and lawns with garish skeletons and spiders and doling out candy bars to little superheroes and witches. Halloween is a marketer’s dream, said Tom Arnold, a finance professor and retail expert at the University of Richmond. It falls on the same day every year, Halloween items are largely consumable (candy needs to be replenished every year and kids outgrow costumes), and pop culture trends can help predict which costumes will be the must-haves each season.

Cuba Suffers Second Power Outage in 24 Hours, Realizing Years of Warnings (NYT) The experts had warned for years: Cuba’s power grid was on the verge of collapse, relying on plants nearly a half-century old and importing fuel that the strapped Communist government could barely afford. On Friday morning their dire predictions came true, as the entire island plunged into the most prolonged blackout it has suffered in the three decades since its former benefactor and steady fuel supplier, the Soviet Union, collapsed. Cuban energy officials managed to get power back up briefly to some parts of the island on Friday night. But early Saturday the state’s utility company reported another “total disconnection” of the system, the second in less than 24 hours.

Historic Droughts in South America (NYT) Electricity cuts across an entire nation. A capital rationing water. A mayor encouraging people to shower together to save precious drops. The world’s largest river system, the Amazon, which sustains some 30 million people across eight countries, is drying up. A record-breaking drought that is well into its second year is punishing much of South America, including the Amazon rainforest, upending lives and local economies and providing an alarming glimpse into the future as the effects of climate change become more apparent. In Brazil, wildfires fueled by searing heat and prolonged dry conditions have consumed vast swaths of forest, wetlands and pastures, with smoke spreading to 80 percent of the country. It has led to canceled classes, hospitalizations and a black dust coating the inside of homes. To the south, in Paraguay, the Paraguay River has hit new lows. Ships are stranded and fishermen say their most valuable quarry—including the enormous surubí catfish—have all but disappeared, forcing many people to look for work elsewhere to feed their families. With much of South America dependent on hydropower, electricity production has plunged. In Ecuador, people are enduring energy cuts of up to 14 hours per day, knocking out the internet and sapping the country’s economy.

Kyiv launches more than 100 drones over Russia as a missile strike on Ukraine injures 17 (AP) Russian air defenses shot down more than 100 Ukrainian drones Sunday over Russia’s western regions, Moscow officials said, while 17 people were injured in the Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih in a ballistic missile attack. The Russian Defense Ministry said 110 drones were destroyed in the overnight barrage against seven Russian regions. Many targeted Russia’s border region of Kursk, where 43 drones were reportedly shot down. Social media footage appeared to show air defenses at work over the city of Dzerzhinsk in the Nizhny Novgorod region, close to a factory producing explosives.

Moldova votes in election, EU referendum in shadow of alleged Russian meddling (Reuters) Moldovans cast their ballots on Sunday in a presidential election and EU referendum at a pivotal moment that could bolster the small agricultural economy’s drive to join the European Union, after allegations of Russian election meddling. As the war in Ukraine rages to the east and turns the political and diplomatic spotlight on the former Soviet republic, it has accelerated its push to escape Moscow’s orbit and embarked on the long process of EU accession talks. Polls show pro-Western incumbent Maia Sandu has a comfortable lead over her 10 rivals on the ballot, though the race will go to a Nov. 3 run-off if she fails to reach the 50% threshold to win outright. The campaign has been overshadowed by election-meddling allegations. The police have accused Ilan Shor, a fugitive tycoon who lives in Russia, of trying to pay off a network of at least 130,000 voters to vote “No”. And law-enforcement agencies said they had uncovered a programme in which hundreds of people were taken to Russia to undergo training to stage riots and civil unrest.

Japan’s beloved former Empress Michiko marks her 90th birthday as she recovers from a broken leg (AP) Japan’s beloved former Empress Michiko received greetings from her relatives and palace officials to celebrate her 90th birthday Sunday as she steadily recovers from a broken leg, officials said. Michiko is the first commoner to become empress in modern Japanese history. Catholic-educated Michiko Shoda and then-Crown Prince Akihito married on April 10, 1959. The couple retired after Akihito abdicated in 2019 as their son, Emperor Naruhito, ascended the Chrysanthemum Throne and his wife, Masako, became empress. Since then, Akihito and Michiko have largely withdrawn from public appearance to enjoy their quiet life together, taking daily walks inside the palace gardens or occasionally taking private trips, hosting small gatherings for book reading and music. The couple broke with traditions and brought many changes to the monarchy: They chose to raise their three children themselves, spoke more often to the public, and made amends for war victims in and outside Japan. Their close interactions have won them deep affection among Japanese.

Indonesia swears in Prabowo Subianto as the country’s eighth president (AP) Prabowo Subianto was inaugurated Sunday as the eighth president of the world’s most populous Muslim-majority nation, completing his journey from an ex-general accused of rights abuses during the dark days of Indonesia’s military dictatorship to the presidential palace. The former defense minister, who turned 73 on Thursday, was cheered through the streets by thousands of waving supporters after taking his oath on the Quran, the Muslim holy book, in front of lawmakers and foreign dignitaries. Banners and billboards to welcome the new president filled the streets of the capital, Jakarta, where tens of thousands gathered for festivities including speeches and musical performances along the city’s major throughfare.

Lebanese Christians caught in crossfire (Washington Post) While much of southern Lebanon falls under the de facto control of Hezbollah, the ancient valleys here hold a scattering of towns and villages that are predominantly Christian, Druze or Sunni Muslim. None of them have rallied to support Hezbollah. Their neutrality largely protected them during the first 11 months of the conflict, but now the war is creeping quickly toward them. While most residents have evacuated, people in some Christian towns—and their priests—are refusing to leave their homes again. Their reasons are a kaleidoscope of defiance, resolve and generational trauma. Some say they can’t afford to relocate. Some believe their presence deters attacks on their lands. Some fear they won’t be able to return. For many across the country, this war in particular has brought feelings of complete helplessness: Lebanon’s five-year-long economic crisis has left them unable to escape the danger zone of a war they do not even support.

Fighting Rages in Gaza and Lebanon, Despite Killing of Hamas Leader (NYT) Israeli forces pounded targets in the northern Gaza town of Jabaliya on Saturday, killing at least 33 people and injuring dozens of others in the bombardment, a Palestinian emergency services group said. Israel has surrounded Jabaliya for a week as it seeks to root out Hamas fighters who it says have reorganized in the area. Since Friday, approximately 20,000 Palestinians have fled the neighborhood, according to UNRWA, the main United Nations agency aiding Palestinians in Gaza, amid Israel’s bombardment. Fighting also escalated in Lebanon on Saturday, as the Israeli military targeted several areas outside of Beirut in airstrikes that covered the area in clouds of dust. The resurgence in attacks, after several days of relative calm, came after Hezbollah warned of “a new and escalating phase” in the conflict with Israel. In Gaza, the Gazan Health Ministry reported that Israeli forces had targeted the entrance of the laboratory at Kamal Adwan Hospital, a major facility near Jabaliya, killing one person and injuring several others. The ministry has warned of a crisis in Gaza’s hospitals, citing fuel shortages and a lack of essential medicines and medical supplies.

Dog spotted atop ancient Egyptian pyramid delights paragliders (Washington Post) An Egyptian dog found viral fame after it was filmed frolicking atop one of the pyramids at Giza, spotted by a group of paragliders. Marshall Mosher, one of the paragliders, said he had flown over the pyramids several times but it was his first sighting of a dog at the summit, hundreds of feet from the ground. “We really didn’t know what it was at first—this thing running back and forth along the top,” he told The Post. “So, that was hilarious and unexpected.” Social media users fell in love with the adventurous animal, as videos taken by the event participants accumulated more than a million views.

[scotianostra]

On May 10th 1850 Thomas Lipton, founder of the Lipton's grocery chain was born in Glasgow.

Before the big supermarkets took over we lhad ots of wee ones, every street had a Liptons, or a Galbraith even a Templetons!

Liptons was one of the originals started by a guy from Glasgow who built an empire and the tea brand still bares his name.

Born in a tenement flat in Crown Street, the Gorbals, Liptons parents were Irish and had left the Emerald Isle during the potato famine, the smallholding their family had farmed on for generations no longer viable they settled in Glasgow. 'Tommy' Lipton was educated at St. Andrew's Parish School close to Glasgow Green and by the time Tommy was 12 his parents had a shop in the street they lived selling ham, butter, and eggs. It was with the aim of supplementing his parents' limited income that Thomas Lipton left school at the age of thirteen and found employment as a printer's errand boy, and later as a shirtcutter. He also enrolled at a night school, the Gorbals Youth's School, during this period. He then found work as a cabin boy a steamer running between Glasgow and Belfast and was captivated by life aboard the ship and the stories told by sailors who had traveled to the US After being let go by the steamer company, Lipton quickly used the wages he had saved to purchase passage on a ship bound for the U.S., where he would spend five years working and traveling all over the country.

Back in Scotland on his 21st birthday, In 1871 Lipton opened his firstown shop at 101 Stobcross Street in Glasgow. In the heart of industrial Glasgow, full of smoke and fog, the shop was said to be so brightly lit that at night it became a beacon in the street. Goods were stacked in the American fashion, not for the convenience of the proprietors, but with the purpose of catching the customers’ attention. Lipton used another selling technique learned from his time in the States and from his Mother's shop.

When his parents had opened their small shop, Mrs. Lipton, rather than deal with middlemen at the markets, dealt directly with the farmers of her homeland. Lipton followed this example. He bought his bacon, eggs, butter and other produce directly from Irish farmers. The firm traded as a supermarket until 1982 when another group bought the shops that were to become Presto’s, the decision was made as they wanted to solely concentrate on the Tea business which it does to this day, in 2009 Lipton received a Corporate Green Globe Award for its work with the Rainforest Alliance.

As well as the tea and the shops but Lipton was also a keen sailor, he holds a place in the America’s Cup heart as being the most reliably consistent and deftly congenial loser. Five times he challenged for the Cup, five times being defeated. Despite his best laid plans and momentous effort to win the cup, the tea magnate simply didn’t cut the mustard. Nonetheless, he did have a penchant for beautiful boats. His last challenger, Shamrock V, never really stood a chance of winning the race but it did win marks for pure beauty. His well-publicised efforts to win the cup, which earned him a specially designed cup for “the best of all losers”, and also made his tea famous in the United States.

During the first world war Thomas Lipton helped organisations of medical volunteers. He placed his yachts at the disposal of the Red Cross, the Scottish Women's Hospitals Committee of Dr. Elsie Inglis, the Serbian Supporting Fund, etc., for the transport of medical volunteers (doctors and nurses) and medical supplies. Not content with just allowing his boats to be used he also took a keen interest in the work of Elsie Inglis and the womans hospital, visiting Serbia, where he insisted on humble lodgings and was renowned for his humility and modesty. .In addition to visiting many hospitals, where he encouraged doctors, nurses and soldiers, he found time to attend traditional fairs and to take a part in blackberry gathering and fishing. Sir Thomas Lipton was proclaimed an honorary citizen of the city of Niš.

Lipton even made the cover of Time magazine during 1924. He was knighted in 1901. Sir Thomas Lipton passed away on 2nd October 1931 in London and is buried alongside his parents and siblings in Glasgow's Southern Necropolis, his grave, like the man himself, a humble, simple understated affair, he bequeathed the majority of his fortune to his native city of Glasgow, including his yachting trophies, which are now on display at the Kelvingrove Gallery.

[viatrixtravels-a]

XiaoLumi, Dilumi, Cynarlumi

Send me a ship with my muse and I'll describe their dynamic

// *cracks knuckles* Let's do thisー

Xiaolumi

The ship which takes a decade to get together because both of them are as dense as a rock. They are also preoccupied with a lot of other things and suffer from the emotional trauma of losing someone dear to them (with the key difference being that Lumine's brother is still alive, of course).

They feel comfortable in each other's company, but they wouldn't link it to romantic feelings right off the bat. Instead this would be something which evolves gradually over time, as they start to notice how their heart starts beating just a little faster when they see the other, or how their face suddenly feels hot when their hands accidentally touch. uwu

Then once they do get together, they're like the most sappy couple ever. They'd constantly want to be in each other's company (especially Xiao is very protective so he'd always be keeping an eye on Lumine to make sure she doesn't do something reckless and gets herself hurt).

My personal headcanon is also that in the long run, Lumine's company would help severly decrease Xiao's suffering from his karmic debt, based on how the Traveller is semi-hinted to have some kind of purifying/cleansing powers.

Plots I want for these two:

a) Amnesia!au (cliched but I'm a sucker for it): Lumine gets badly wounded when protecting Xiao in battle. With the help of Baizhu, her life is saved, but she would be in a comatose state for a while. When she awakens, her memories of her time in Teyvat appear to be temporarily suppressed so Xiao has to help make her remember everything - him included.

b) I know Xiao is canonically bound to Liyue but I really want these two to explore another region together. ;w; Top choices would be Sumeru's rainforest or Fontaine's underwater areas.

Dilumi

At first I think Diluc would be more of an older brother or mentor figure to Lumine. She is rather hotheaded and reckless, so having someone like Diluc around who can keep his head cool (ironic since he's the one with the Pyro vision) is very useful.

Once romance blossoms between the two of them, they wouldn't be the 'in your face' kind of couple who go around holding hands all the time or being super lovey-dovey. They would keep it fairly professional in the public sphere, but at home there would be a lot of cuddling and smooching. uwu I think Diluc would be a very doting boyfriend but not in an overbearing way. He would still give Lumine the freedom to travel, while also keeping in touch with her frequently enough.

Plots I want for these two:

a) Since Mondstadt is based on Germany and winter markets/holiday themed events are super popular in Germany, I think it would be cute for them to go there together. ;w; Just doing cute stuff together like iceskating, trying some of the regional foods from the food vendors, buying each other cute little gifts, etc. Even better if it starts snowing at some point and they watch it together while sitting on a bench, all huddled up.

b) For something a little more serious, I could see them teaming up to investigate the Abyss Order. We have already seen that Diluc is involved in this in-game and Lumine would obviously be interested in knowing more about them as well - seeing as her own brother is most likely with them too.

Cynarlumi

I don't have a lot of experience writing poly ships but this is definitely one I can see work! Tighnari is the serious one of the trio while Cyno is the jokester and Lumine is somewhat in the middle. She does have her goofy/silly moments, but she will side with Tighnari when Cyno's puns flurry out of control lol.

Since Cyno and Tighnari have known each other the longest, I think their relationship would establish first with both of them developing feelings for Lumine afterwards. I think it might lead to a lot of internal conflict at first until they kind of realize 'Wait, all of us have two hands!'.

Once they've established a proper poly relationship, I don't think there would be a lot of jealousy or tension. They spend a lot of time with all three of them, but sometimes it'll just be Tighnari and Cyno or either of the boys with Lumi and they're totally chill with that.

Plots I want for these three (I haven't played Sumeru AQ so my knowledge on the boys is a bit more limited, hence why these are more lighthearted and not directly linked to the game's plot:

a) Tighnari falls ill from overworking himself, so Cyno and Lumine have to take care of him while also doing his forest watcher work while he is out of commission. Of course, this does not always go so smoothly.

b) The three of them go to the Lantern Rite in Liyue together. They want to wear traditional Liyue-style clothes for the occassion, but both Tighnari and Cyno want to choose Lumine's outfit - unfortunately, both of them have a completely different concept in mind so they have a little 'showdown' to convince Lumine that their choice is the best.

[taybatwo2]

The Creature From the Black Lagoon Skullector Review Part 1 of 2

I was very excited when I saw her leaked head sculpt. I love new monster-y head sculpts!!

Here’s her box! Despite not being an in box collector, I like the new design of being able to pull both sides apart. Review under the cut!

Here’s the side of her box (notice the little skullets in the bubbles??).

And a very cool graphic for the back of her box. It even looks like water damage from rain dripping down from the top of the box.

The inside back of the box. The “Date 2/12 Time: 19:54” is when The Creature From the Black Lagoon’s film was originally released. The location is located in the Amazon Rainforest.

The background of her box is very pretty. It has brain coral, a couple of divers, more skullet bubbles, depth measures (I think that’s what those are) with “30” on it (2024 is its 30th anniversary), with Kay’s legs dangling in the water.

And the fossilized hand that brought humans to her lagoon.

The certification slip. It’s on thicker card stock again (I don’t know why Lenore’s was so thin).

The Creature in her box (I really do like how she’s posed in here, reaching for swimmer above her).

And here she is with her hair combed and out of the box (her hair is pretty soft and I’m going to assume it’s Saran). I was a little low-key disappointed when I first saw that she didn’t have a new body sculpt to match the creature’s, but I do appreciate how the adapted the Creature’s naked body into a fairly cohesive outfit that works for her environment (it’s giving me some DC’s Aquaman design vibes -photo credit from HipComics)

…but could you imagine if they gave her those webbed feet and gave her some heeled sandals…and they gave her scales closer to what her arm bracers/shoes have (that the Creature showcased)…..it’s not like this is a seventy dollar (including shipping) Skullector doll….oh wait!

Now, her BEAUTIFUL head mold!! Look at all those new details! I love it so much!! And her face up is just gorgeous!!!

Side view of her head mold. Again, those gils are so lovely.

The back of her head and upper neck (I wasn’t expecting it to be so open, but it looks nice). Her head is stamped with 2024, I’m surprised it’s dated with this year and not 2023.

Now to the part I was secondarily most excited for! Her hands!!!! Look.

at..

these details!!!! They also pop off REALLY easy on my doll….

Well, right out of the box and she already has white stress lines in her arms and they will not snap into her socket any deeper than this (gives me G2 flashbacks).

Even the back of her leg joints have a bit of white stress lines where they rub against her calves. Those are all really disappointing….

Here she is in the nude. Again, I kinda wish she would have had the same new details on her body that her new hands and head have. I know it would be more expensive BUT Mattel is a big company and did brand new bodies for one-off characters in the hay-day of G1.

And her back.

I wanted to compare her to other scaled G1 female dolls.

CAM Dragon had the original scaled body…err legs and arms that are used as the template for the rest of her scaly brethren. She has the best mobility in her shoulders too. Lorna was the only little sister body to have scales and is a one of a kind body with detail that would have never been seen if she was never re-dressed.

Proof that Mattel can do detailed, specific body sculpting (on PLAYLINE DOLLS). CAM Gorgon was the original (I’m pretty sure). And looks to be a modified version of CAM Dragon. Then Jinafire was released (notice the scalloped belly scales and the border around them). Lastly, Viperine was released and she just has such a beautiful body mold. Her belly scales are not only raised, with a different design, but she has a completely different scaling pattern on the rest of her body (they are sharper in shape, go down farther in her feet and have the same “belly scale” pattern continues on her inner thighs and arms)!!!

Jinafire and Lagoonafire share the same body mold (minus the hands/head), but modified it so she has fins on her forearms and legs.

Then they modified it again (got rid of the tail hole) and reused the exact same body for Greta and Creature. EXCEPT it’s worse!!!! This is the closest they can put down their arms and they both have loose fore-arm joints (like MH’s G2 dolls). Should I be surprised at Mattel’s cheapness…no, but then again, these two bodies are the more expensive Skullector editions. :/

Her clothing/accessory review along with a few other doll comparisons will be in Part 2.

[seattlefactsijustmadeup]

Seattle Fact #2,022:

Jeff Bezos is organizing a tournament to benefit Seattlites living below the poverty line. This "Cuttlefish Contest" as he calls it will have contestants play pickleball to the death (among other fun local passtimes) in exchange for millions of dollars in Amazon gift cards

[knarme-art]

Public note to self about ALL my Avatar OCs and fanclans...

So one day I might remember to make proper infoshits on them lmao.

Recoms

Esko Ilves - ...Medic and a kind of a badly turned out specimen whose life starts as being locked-up in a confused identity state. Currently a complete mess with the lore. Despite stereotypical masc Finnish old dude name has fat boobs and kinda destroys gender by existing.

Vilhelmi - Finnish-American army grunt who worships and respects nothing else than power. Sour-faced joyless bitch who's a bully whenever he can. Hates happy people. Straight. Simps for scary people. The kind of person whose insecurity is taken on absolutely everyone around him in the most destructive ways possible if he's given authority to do so.

Metkayina

Currently unnamed massive dude - Is actually a masc agender fella who uses masc terms etc. but doesn't actually "feel male" (let alone anything else..). He's gigantic and... Hear me out... He literally kins water, like he doesn't identify with na'vi shape or physique at all. If he was on Tumblr he'd say he's xenogender with an ocean-adjacent gender and that he's... Water but in human form. He's truly an odd one, has a rep as a mighty strong warrior but kind of... Likes to stick to his own company. I think he grew up orphaned and severely neglected, or maybe he's just born that way...? I can't be sure! He hunts RDA as almost like a sport and he's feared like an akula!!

Arctic Na'vi

Arctic Ocean People

These are chunky fellas that are even more extremely aquatic-adapted than Reef Na'vi are. There is mostly just barren tundra or ice for land near them so most of their materials are harvested from their oceanic prey.

One of my fanclans is of these Ocean people...

Ice Pirate - (waiting for proper naming) He is literally a pirate because land dwellers with their ships rob his waters of prey and kill his people too.. So he rides Space!Orcas with his chums to go rob those ships back!

Arctic Land People

Short subspecies of Na'vi who are fuzzier relatives of the rainforest Na'vi. They're very widespread in arctic and subarctic lands of Pandora, and many regional variants have a lot of different colorations going on etc.

I have like three different fanclans of these I've thought about.

The Ship Clan - These are the nemesis of Ice Pirate and his people. This clan is unusually dystopian by na'vi standards, since they're sort of colonizers. They have ships. They sail them ships to places and take stuff.

-> I've got one OC draft who's basically a captain of one of these thieving ships and a personal old nemesis of Ice Pirate

The Silver Fur Clan - These are based on a single painting of mine and an associated headcanon. So far I only know a lot of them became refugees because of something that is going on with their home. They have black and silver or gray hair.

The Ochre Fur Clan - Arctic land dwellers who live someplace remote and isolated. Also based on my headcanon of those same paintings I did. They have curly light-brownish-gray hair.

A little storylet with the two previous clans...

Two women from both of these clans get to know each other due to the displacement of the Silver Furs. The Ochre one comes to love and care for the Silver one deeply, but feels like she can't quite reach her the way she'd like to, - due to the events affecting the Silver one having changed her life in ways the Ochre one has never had to navigate. A gap in being able to relate. My headcanons of these two are very... Slice of life. Displaced person adjusts to new life. Another person learns to know her, but learns on the way that there are nightmares bigger than she can ever do anything about. Two people learning to live in an unpredictable world but also with their own differences. Etc. Especially Ochre one is a chronic "fixer", unknowingly ignoring her own obvious problems to be "helpful" and a lot of the time the result is... All but helpful. In this story everyone's mental health is in shambles. Road to shittyplace (since Na'vi don't know Hell) is paved with Good Intentions, right?

....

Now that's all about the Arctic. Moving on!

....

Subarctic Lake Dwellers!

A. k. a. my self-insert pseudo-ancient-Baltic-Finnic-influenced Na'vi. These are actually a hybrid population between Arctic Ocean and Arctic Land Na'vi (mirroring the Finno-Ugrian North Asian and Nortwestern European mixed ancestry). They live in a boreal taiga style forested biome with a gigantic fuckton of lakes. Oh no, I wonder if a Finn made this... THERE ARE SO MANY LAKES.

I only have like one OC draft for these guys and he's just... Well.. Basically my fursona Kalamit in Na'vi form. Pompous hedonistic but generous fisherman (*in transmasc butch lesbian sense) who takes great pride in all he can do for ya babeyy. His magnificent bastard energy is unmatched because he's like pure life energy kinda like Kalamit, my sona, thematically is.

No story going on in here. Na'vi!Kalamit is possibly meant to be simply an RP character to craft stories with...

....

Kxayltirey Nation

...A. k. a. my most ambitious fanclan and the only one I've properly named so far. This is the one with a fuckton of historical and societal worldbuilding attached. Dystopian situation where a past occupation materially vanished, yet stayed in the minds and ways of the people, severing their connection to Eywa.

Class & ecology issues and dystopian angst of people who are born not knowing why their society teaches self-hate and acceptance of authority figures that have the most impressive gaslighting game ever.

Kxayltirey lore is so expansive that it'll need its own posts. Gonna go over some Kxayl OCs of mine...

Kxasi - Young hunter from Kxaylian outskirts. Everyone is disappearing from his village to pursue a life in the central plateau, - the hegemonious hub of the Kxayl society, so Kxasi follows the path of what makes one a well-accomplished one. Kxasi's whole identity revolves around succeeding in the hierarchy, and he is churned into a full existential crisis when gaining a disability that makes flying an ikran impossible. MORE STORY IS OUT THERE BUT IT'S VERY LONG, SORRY CHUMS. <\3

Commander - Trust me bro, he has an actual name too. One of those "air force commanders" of the Kxayl, but reduced to a humiliating job of training n00bs. Takes a mutual curiosity in Kxasi, who is also from the Outskirts. Both had to fight hard for their position, and neither is well-versed in Plateau social etiquette, and they share old cultural practices that still thrive in the Outskirts, and that have become taboo and disappeared in the central plateau. Commander/Kxasi is a canon ship and they are Toxic Yuri. <3 (how toxic, depends on the verse... )

Kxasi's little bro - Tallest person in his family. Really genuine and nice fella but also will hold his ground. Kxasi is reminded of the goodness of people by his brother.

Kxasi's father - Very knowledgeable hunter of the foresty lower plateau cliffs. Has his ancestry in the now-secluded Gorge Forest part of Kxayl society, so he is a knower of ancient ways. He's plural. Generational trauma because of past conflicts is strong here. Him and Kxasi resemble one another deeply.

Kxasi's mother - ...Is from the Plateau. Knows Kxasi's weaker side and feels protective of it.

Kxasi has two uncles and two aunts. But I'm tired of typing.

......

(REMINDER TO WRITE ABOUT THOSE "MISSING LINK SPECIES" THAT ARE TO NA'VI WHAT OTHER HOMININS ARE TO HUMANS, BUT WEIRDER AND MORE EXPANSIVE)

[allthebrazilianpolitics]

In Visit With Brazil's Lula, France's Macron Announces Amazon Investment Fund

It was the head-of-state photo session seen round the internet. On Tuesday, the official social media accounts for Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and French President Emmanuel Macron shared images of the two leaders together on a trip through the Amazon. In one photo, Lula and Macron grasped hands, smiling and peering out over the bow of a ship; in another, they bounded through the sun-dappled rainforest.

The subtext was clear: The trade agreement between South American customs union Mercosur and the European Union may be on life support, but Brazil and France are still doing big things together. That day, the two leaders announced a bilateral plan to invest $1.1 billion over four years in conservation and sustainable agriculture in the Amazon rainforest in Brazil and French Guiana, the latter a French overseas territory.

Macron’s visit to Brazil lasted until Thursday, when the French leader and Lula held an official meeting at Brazil’s presidential palace and signed a series of cooperation agreements.

“We are living in a Franco-Brazilian moment,” Macron’s office said. His delegation included officials from some of France’s biggest companies, including Carrefour and Airbus. Their meetings in Brazil intended to back up Macron’s assertion that the two countries can still grow their bilateral business in the absence of a new trade deal.

Whether they will be successful remains to be seen. Regardless, business is not the only reason Macron and Lula have sought closer ties. “Today, France is one of the developed countries that is most open and sensitive to certain demands of the global south,” said Maiara Folly, the executive director of Plataforma CIPÓ, a Brazilian think tank.

Continue reading.

[dysrope]

Sticks and Stones...

[turn 12: 4+3+1(prodigies)+(1+5)=14, command order, command avatar->11]

When we last left Syfos, it rose from the waves onto the verdant shores of Haebrach. This land was very very different from its native Baled, and so the little stone set out to explore it.

Where Syfos went ashore, the mermaids long circled, singing their songs, at first in vain hope that it would return to them, then simply because that was what they had always been doing. But while Syfos never did turn back, a great Titan by the name Mariam was drawn to the chorus, and there she raised a vast tower of stone, its fiery crown sticking up high above the tallest of the jungle's trees. They call it the Tower of Boldness, for only the most bold seafarers dare brave these waters, infested as they are with singing mermaids. But Mariam has some company and entertainment still, for the mermaids loved her lighthouse, and a permanent community formed in and around her bay. And when a particularly brave captain safely steers his ship to her shores, she welcomes them all as a good host should, and eagerly listens to their tales of the seas, and the lands beyond.

It went through the vast rainforest, humming in time with the sounds of buzzing insects and growing trees. It sang with the streams as it passed along the rivers and wetlands. And when it reached the mountains that cut through that land from north to south, it rolled onto their tops and sang beautiful serenades into the wind like it had so long ago at home. The montains were a place that could awaken homesickness even in an adventurous little stone, for while the stone was wrong, and the Stones were wrong, and the creatures were wrong, and the plants were wrong, the winds were somewhat right, and so Syfos rolled along the mountaintops, singing all the way.

Meanwhile, the winds carried its beautiful melodies far and wide, and so the great Räintosälto came to hear it, and he knew he needed to possess whatever created such wonderful music, and have it play for him alone.

The Eppethikuja had grown ever more greedy and capricious in the centuries since fire was brought to the Tarbra. Most of his former subjects had long ago defected south, where fire and safety reigned, but he still had a few clans of his most adherents, who brought what sacrifices they could. Some bands of Ohmlings too, had joined them in their servitude, for they are always eager to follow the greatest and strongest around, and fight for their scraps. So Räintosälto was not entirely impoverished. In fact, his hoard of riches had grown immensely, as had his body, and his ego.

With this in mind, is it any wonder he wished to acquire the musician for himself? So Räintosälto flew up to the mountains in search for the wonderful artist. It was a difficult task, spotting a small stone amongst many, but the dragon had sharp eyes, and sharper ears, and eventually found the little rock. He tried to lift it with the wind, but the air could not take hold of Sifos. He swooped down to grab it himself, but again, the stone was to slippery, and slid away. Enraged, Räintosälto bit down on the mountaintop around Sifos, and swallowed it along with the rest of the rocks and dirt.

Satisfied at thus having captured the little stone, Räintosälto returned to his lair, but Sifos was not so easily defeated. The stone sang a discordant song of affrontation, and Erland's promise gave it strength beyond ever before. So, just as Räintosälto attempted to settle down, the horrible melodies grew stronger and stronger. At first it was simply annoying and distracting, then it grew intrusive and disturbing, and the into an excruciating, disabling, all-consuming agony. The dragon attempted to wait and to work, and to worm and to wind, and to fly and to fold, and to command and to coax, but whatever he did, the stone would not stop singing. At last, he commanded his servants to cut it out, and so they did - and in a flood of Räintosälto's blood and guts, Syfos returned to the light of the world. Pained, but relieved, Räintosälto immediately took to air, and flew off, never to be seen in these lands again.

Now, Ohmlings are not particularly quick learners, especially from the mistakes of others, so they all fell upon Syfos, and the one who was fastest among them promptly swallowed the stone again, hoping to gain its awesome powers of song. Regrettably (fortunately?), Ohmlings are not made of quite as stern stuff as Eppethikuja, and it promptly exploded. In credit to the rest of the gathered band, they did learn from this and did not attempt it again.

One enterprising young Ohmling, however, took the opportunity, and consumed the blood and innards that Räintosälto had spilled, and it was much much luckier. It gained some mastery over the wind, and proclaimed itself Ohm the Graceful, the new ruler of these lands (and all other lands). Its companions quickly fought for the rest of the scraps, but Ohm the Graceful got the lions share of the viscera, and of the power, and so got to be in charge. As soon as it was clear Räintosälto would in fact not return, Ohm the Graceful claimed his lair, and his hoard, and from there planned and plotted world conquest. It never quite got that far, but most of the Tarbra and Ohmlings of the north were subjugated, and those further south again grew fearful of the reinvigorated and increasingly reckless raids. Ohm the Graceful lived a very long time for an Ohmling, and had a very succesful reign. But even after its death, and the loss of wind magic, Dragonshoard continued growing into a large and important settlement, ruled primarily by Ohmlings.

Meanwhile, Syfos had had enough of all this, and turned its journey eastward again - rolling tirelessly and relentlessly forward, across mountains and deserts, until it reached the sea again.

[vispypanthaki]

Scaling Sustainability: Eco-Friendly Practices for Tea and Coffee Imports with Import-Export Professionals including Vispy Panthaki

Vispy Panthaki

In the global tea and coffee industry, sustainability has become a critical concern for importers, consumers, and producers alike. As environmental awareness grows, companies involved in importing these popular commodities into the United States are increasingly seeking ways to reduce their environmental impact. The demand for eco-friendly practices is driven by a combination of consumer preference, regulatory pressure, and the ethical imperative to protect the planet. By adopting sustainable practices, tea and coffee importers can not only contribute to environmental preservation but also differentiate themselves in a competitive market.

Sourcing Ethically and Sustainably Produced Tea and Coffee

Sustainability in the tea and coffee import business begins with ethical sourcing. Importers should prioritize suppliers who adhere to sustainable farming practices that minimize environmental impact. This includes choosing products that are certified organic, Fair Trade, Rainforest Alliance, or similar certifications that ensure responsible farming methods. Organic farming, for example, avoids the use of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, which helps protect biodiversity and soil health.

In addition to environmental sustainability, ethical sourcing also encompasses social responsibility. Fair Trade certification ensures that farmers and workers receive fair wages and work under safe conditions. By sourcing from Fair Trade-certified producers, importers can support communities and contribute to better living standards for farmers in tea and coffee-producing regions. Establishing long-term relationships with these suppliers not only guarantees a steady supply of high-quality products but also strengthens the sustainability of the entire supply chain as highlighted by industry professionals like Vispy Panthaki. Read more about Vispy here.

Reducing Carbon Footprint in Transportation

Transportation is a significant contributor to the carbon footprint in the import/export business, particularly when dealing with global commodities like tea and coffee. Importers can adopt several strategies to minimize the environmental impact of transporting these goods. One effective approach is to choose shipping methods that are more environmentally friendly, such as sea freight over air freight. Although sea freight takes longer, it is generally less carbon-intensive and more cost-effective for bulk shipments.

Another way to reduce the carbon footprint is by optimizing logistics and supply chain management. Importers can consolidate shipments to reduce the number of trips required, select shipping routes that minimize fuel consumption, and partner with carriers that are committed to sustainable practices. Industry leaders such as Vispy Panthaki mention that investing in carbon offset programs can help neutralize the emissions associated with transportation. By implementing these strategies, importers can significantly reduce the environmental impact of their operations while maintaining efficiency and cost-effectiveness.

Implementing Eco-Friendly Packaging Solutions

Packaging is another area where tea and coffee importers can make significant strides toward sustainability. Traditional packaging materials like plastic and non-recyclable composites contribute to environmental pollution and waste. To address this, importers should explore eco-friendly packaging alternatives that are biodegradable, recyclable, or made from renewable resources. For instance, using paper-based packaging or compostable materials can significantly reduce the environmental footprint of the products.

In addition to selecting sustainable materials, import-export professionals including Vispy Panthaki consider the design and size of their packaging. Reducing the amount of packaging material used not only lessens environmental impact but also decreases costs. Moreover, packaging that is designed to be reusable or has secondary uses can add value for consumers and further reduce waste. Importers who prioritize eco-friendly packaging can appeal to environmentally conscious consumers and align their business practices with broader sustainability goals.

Ensuring Sustainable Supply Chain Practices

Sustainability in the tea and coffee import business extends beyond sourcing and packaging; it also involves ensuring that the entire supply chain operates with minimal environmental impact. Importers should work closely with their suppliers to promote sustainable practices at every stage of production, from cultivation to processing. This might include encouraging the use of renewable energy sources, water conservation techniques, and waste reduction methods in tea and coffee production.

Furthermore, transparency in the supply chain is crucial for verifying that sustainable practices are being followed. Importers can implement traceability systems that track the journey of their products from farm to consumer. This not only helps ensure compliance with sustainability standards but also builds trust with consumers who are increasingly demanding transparency in the products they purchase. By fostering a sustainable supply chain, industry professionals like Vispy Panthaki create a positive ripple effect that benefits the environment and strengthens their brand reputation.

Building Partnerships with Eco-Conscious Brands

Collaboration with eco-conscious brands and organizations can amplify the impact of sustainability efforts in the tea and coffee import business. Importers should seek partnerships with brands that share their commitment to environmental responsibility. These collaborations can take various forms, such as co-branded products, joint marketing campaigns, or shared sustainability initiatives. Partnering with established eco-friendly brands can enhance an importer’s credibility and visibility in the market.

Additionally, working with non-profit organizations or participating in industry-wide sustainability programs can further demonstrate a commitment to eco-friendly practices. For example, joining initiatives like the Sustainable Coffee Challenge or participating in carbon reduction programs shows a proactive approach to environmental stewardship.

Educating Consumers and Promoting Sustainable Choices

Educating consumers about the importance of sustainability in the tea and coffee industry is a key component of scaling eco-friendly practices. Importers can play an active role in promoting sustainable choices by providing clear information about the environmental and social impacts of their products. This can be done through labeling, marketing materials, and online content that highlight certifications, sustainable sourcing practices, and the benefits of eco-friendly packaging.

Scaling sustainability in the tea and coffee import business is not only an ethical imperative but also a strategic advantage in today’s market as pointed out by industry leaders such as Vispy Panthaki. By adopting eco-friendly practices in sourcing, transportation, packaging, supply chain management, and consumer education, importers can significantly reduce their environmental impact while meeting the growing demand for sustainable products. Building partnerships with eco-conscious brands and organizations further enhances these efforts and positions importers as leaders in sustainability within the industry. As consumers become increasingly aware of the environmental and social implications of their purchasing decisions, importers who prioritize sustainability will be well-positioned to thrive in the evolving marketplace. By embracing these practices, businesses can contribute to the preservation of our planet while ensuring long-term success in the competitive tea and coffee industry.