#the southern river band

[musicmags]

[highways-are-liminal-spaces]

Sunrise along the Mississippi River in southern Illinois

Taken June 2024

[1976desire]

bob dylan (performing with the band), mississippi river festival, southern illinois university, edwardsville, illinois, 1969. photos courtesy of the southern illinois university archives

[thamsesidevibe]

Bangers and Stache...

[13thpythagoras]

free my boy, the atchafalaya river

[herpsandbirds]

Comeback Cuckoo: Baba Ghanoush Returns to Audubon Kern River Preserve in California

Experimenting with tracking birds at finer spatial scales to better understand their migration routes and habitat use.

At Audubon Kern River Preserve—managed by Audubon California's Reed Tollefson, dedicated Southern Sierra Research Station (SSRS) researchers are making significant strides in understanding the elusive Western Yellow-billed Cuckoo. The team’s recent discoveries, featuring two Motus-tagged birds from the Kern River Valley, Baba Ghanoush and Stroopwafel, have provided invaluable insights into the migration routes of these secretive birds.  Earlier this year, Baba Ghanoush (originally captured, banded, and Motus-tagged on the Kern River Preserve) was detected on their northward migration by a Motus tower at the Mad Island Marsh Preserve in coastal Texas. They eventually made their way to the Audubon Kern River Preserve, where they spent much of the summer. This detection was particularly remarkable as it occurred exactly a year and a day after Stroopwafel, another Motus-tagged cuckoo from the South Fork Wildlife Area (SFWA), a riparian forest adjoining the Kern River Preserve, was detected at the same tower. The timing of these detections is helping to fill in more data about the migration routes and critical stopover areas, underscoring the importance of conservation areas all along their journey...

Read more: https://ca.audubon.org/news/comeback-cuckoo-baba-ghanoush-returns-audubon-kern-river-preserve-california

[fishenjoyer1]

Fish of the Day

Today's fish of the day is the sand roller!

The sand roller, scientific name Percopsis transmontana, is a poorly understood freshwater fish in the Pacific Northwest. This fish is separate but related to the well known and widespread troutperch (Percopsis omiscomaycus) or sand minnow.commonly found in the Eastern United States. Little known thus far about the sand roller, due to their cryptic daytime behavior, and limited range. The sand roller has a geographic range including only the Columbia river and its tributaries, found in Idaho, Southern Washington, and Northern Oregon, mostly in the Columbia Basin, lower Snake River, and the mouth of the Columbia near and in the Willamette River. This fish prefers slow moving waters, and sandy bottomed streams with rich vegetation. It is believed they spend their days in deep waters, moving to shallow water in the night to hunt. These fish are light adverse, spending their time hiding under rock structures, possibly leading to the large lack of current information on this species.

Sand rollers throughout their life can get to a total size of around 4 inches, but most will only ever reach a size close to 2-3 inches. These fish can be translucent, green-blue, or various mottled browns, depending on their surroundings. Due to their light aversion, these fish primarily hunt at night. Juveniles tend to eat exclusively zooplankton, but once these fish reach 40mm they transition into eating invertebrates, such as crustaceans, and various flies and fly larvae. These fish swim incredibly strangely, swimming parallel to rock structure either horizontal, vertical, and even upside down along them. Specimens caught in the winter and colder months have been found with nothing in their gut, implying they may be able to survive weeks or even months without food.

Males are distinct from females by a black band found around fins, along with being smaller in size than female sand rollers. Their breeding season is in the Mid spring, around April or when the water reaches close to 60 degrees Fahrenheit, during which males black bands grow larger, and both male and female fish create territories under rocks. These territories are then harshly defended against any and all intruders, often leading to infighting among sand rollers settled close to another. Eggs, once laid on the gravel, are extremely sticky, hatching within a few weeks. Juvenile fish tend to spend their time in weed bays or still waterways off of main rivers. Whereas older fish hide under rocks. These fish become sexually mature around 2-3 years of age, and thought to go through a breeding season each year of life, with the oldest currently caught sand roller being around 6 years in age.

That's the sand roller, everyone! I hope you had a wonderful time learning about them, and I wish you a good day!

Sources:

Katula, R. (1992, April). The northwestern percopsis, the Sand Roller. North American Native Fish Association . https://www.nanfa.org/articles/acpercopsi.shtml

Percopsis transmontana summary page. FishBase. (n.d.-b). https://www.fishbase.se/summary/3066

Sandroller. Oregon Sea Grant. (2024b, August 16). https://seagrant.oregonstate.edu/WRF/native-fishes/sand-roller-family/sandroller

[whencyclopedia]

How Death Came into the World (Modoc Legend)

How Death Came into the World is a legend of the Modoc nation whose ancestral lands once covered the region of modern-day northeastern California and southern Oregon, USA. Their story of the origin of death shares many similarities with those of other Native peoples of North America as well as with the ancient Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice.

Pit River Valley, Modoc County, California

Robert F. Ettner (Public Domain)

The Modoc were 'discovered' by Euro-Americans c. 1820 in their ancestral lands of what is now southern Oregon and northern California. They are described by the American ethnographer James Mooney (l. 1861-1921) as a small band who were culturally isolated, which makes the similarities between How Death Came into the World and the Orpheus/Eurydice myth all the more interesting.

The Modoc had been living in the region for approximately 14,000 years before the arrival of the Euro-Americans but, by 1864, had been forcibly relocated to reservations, eventually two separate ones in the territories of modern Oklahoma and Oregon. They retained their stories, however, including How Death Came into the World, which is still told today.

The main character of the tale, Kumokums, is the Creator God of the Modoc (also known as Kemush, Kumokum, Kumush, Koomookumpts, Gmukamps) and his name is translated as "Old Man of the Ancients" or "Primeval Old Man", suggesting his existence from the beginning of time. In one version of the Modoc Creation Story, Kumokums travels to the Land of the Dead to select the spirits that would animate the people of four tribes of the region: the Shasta, the Warm Springs, the Klamath, and the Modoc. In How Death Came into the World, he again travels to the Land of the Dead but, this time, to bring back the spirit of his recently deceased daughter.

Native American Death Origin Myths

Native American origin myths concerning death are remarkably similar, even when the nations have had no known contact with each other prior to Euro-American contact and efforts to synthesize cultural beliefs as expressed in Native American literature. Scholar Larry J. Zimmerman writes:

Most accounts of the origin of death accept the logic that space is limited on Earth and room needs to be made for new life. On the whole, the afterlife is regarded as a place much like this one but with more game, corn, or whatever was prized…Almost all Indian peoples believed in some plane of existence beyond the realm of the living, but descriptions of the afterlife differed greatly, and the issue of what happens to the soul after death was a highly complex one for many tribes.

(246)

As Zimmerman notes, there was no doubt – for many, if not all Native American nations – that the soul survived physical death and went on to another realm, but that did very little to help a survivor deal with the grief of their loss. Native American origin myths concerning death tried to assist with that by explaining how death came to be and how even those responsible for the decision suffered the same grief at their loss.

The basic paradigm involves a figure of some degree of authority who makes a decision concerning mortality, then loses someone close to them, and wishes to reverse their earlier judgment – but, once the choice has been spoken into existence, it cannot be taken back.

Modoc Harvest Diorama

Michael Barera (CC BY-SA)

The Kiowa of the Plains Indians culture have a similar tale, sometimes given as How Death Came into the World and sometimes as Why the Ant is Almost Cut in Two, which follows this same model. In that story, the trickster figure Saynday (well-known from the Saynday tales) interacts with Red Ant as they discuss mortality and Saynday's concept of resurrecting the dead after four days. Red Ant rejects his proposal, claiming there are already too many living things on the earth and death is necessary to make room for those yet to be born or already living. Saynday agrees with her and decrees death as the final chapter of life on earth but, when Red Ant's son is killed, her grief is so intense she tries to kill herself, wishing she could have back what she had lost.

The Shoshone (Shoshoni) nation has a similar tale in which the central characters are Wolf and Coyote. Wolf suggests that death should be only a temporary state, which one could return from if the living enact a certain ritual that includes shooting an arrow beneath the deceased. Coyote rejects this plan, noting that there would then be too many of the living and resources would be spread too thinly. Wolf accepts Coyote's suggestion and decrees death as a permanent state, but when Coyote's son is killed, he comes to Wolf and asks that the decision be reversed. Wolf then reminds him that it was Coyote himself who insisted on death as a permanent state and that decision cannot now be altered.

Other Native American nations have similar origin stories for death, but the Modoc tale is unique in that it also provides an explanation of why the people had winter and summer camps, how their calendar was devised, and a detailed description of the Land of the Dead.

The story is also of interest to anthropologists, historians, and literary scholars for its similarity to the story of Orpheus and Eurydice from Greek mythology, which makes it stand out; as scholar Alice Marriott phrases it, "the Orpheus-Eurydice theme is unusual in North American Indian mythology" (190). There is no known record of interaction between the Modoc and anyone who would have known the Orpheus/Eurydice tale prior to contact between the Modoc nation and Euro-Americans, and How Death Came into the World is understood to pre-date that time as it seems to have already long been a part of the Modoc oral literary tradition.

Continue reading...

[best-bird-tournament]

Ceyx river kingfisher

[musicmags]

[heartilywrites]

Hey! I love your Korra x reader fanfics! I was wondering if you can do one about how Korra proposes to the reader with a betrothal necklace!

،، 𝓛over is a Day ; Korra

request guide | masterlist

resume: Korra thinks is time to make the big step in the relationship.

content warning: fluff, but like a LOT of fluff ; comfort ; Korra x fem!reader ; established relationship ; no nation nor bending status mention ! (but it is mention that r is not from the water tribe) ; kataang mention <3 ; no use of y/n

wc: 2.2k

a/n: + “Korra x reader reunited after 3 years”, I was so tempted to use Bruno Mars' "marry you" for the title–. Thank you for your words and the request 🥺 ENJOY, LOVE :D

“ The birds gonna make the wedding bed and the trees gonna lay the wedding table and the rivers gonna give us the wedding bands.

One might describe marriage as a way of making official a relationship in front of the law, for others it could mean an exchange of interest, but Korra has always had the idea of marrying for love.

Her parents had always said if it was on her plans to marry someone she needed to do it for love and not as an obligation and Korra was surrounded with true love stories her whole life so she wouldn't settle for less. And neither would you.

Meeting the avatar during her probending days could be the best thing to happen to you, in your words. You've been in the girl's life since then, in the bad such as in the good and great and she was forever grateful with you for your company; having you take the first step by asking Korra on a date after the championship and Amon's whole mess was cleared and after that it was all in color pink for you. She had this unique way of making you feel like she was your first love, always having butterflies in your stomach, giggling like a teenager, captivating every ounce of attention you had and making you deliver all the love you could ever produce in a silver tray just for her.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “This is my girlfriend!” Korra introduced you cheerfully to her parents. You could feel your face burn.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “It's so good to meet you finally, Korra has been telling us so much about you.” Senna walked to you, taking your hands in hers and giving you a comforting smile.

Tonraq looked at the interaction with a serious face, making you feel nervous from your toes to your crown, you offered him a crooked smile before doing a small bow.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “It's such an honor to meet you both,” you started taking a step back, your hands were behind your back while you moved them agitated. “Korra also told me about you and I'm so glad I get to meet the two people who raised such spectacular woman.”

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “What kind of intentions do you have with my daughter?” your girlfriend slapped her forehead and Senna shook her head.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “Just the purest, sir!” you were quick to respond before Korra could say anything. “I love your daughter, I wouldn't do anything to hurt her.”

The avatar looked at you astonished, neither of you had said 'I love you' to the other by that point and it made her blush how you were the first one to do so in front of her parents. The couple began to smile big and embrace you in a hug before welcoming you to the family, Korra joined later on.

If there was someone who could keep the avatar grounded was you. When things get tough and she needs someone for reassurance, Korra always looks for you first, it doesn't matter how the time is or if she has everyone on her shoulder asking for an answer. She was repeatedly at your door, wanting to spend time together either for you to give her advice or just looking for you to distract her from the outside world.

And you always followed her everywhere she wanted you to go, at least that was before she decided to return to the Southern Water Tribe alone after her last battle against Zaheer.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “I'm sure this will be for the best, love,” you whispered, kneeled in front of her, her eyes looked tired and dark circles surrounded them. They had lost that characteristic brightness you loved. “You will get better, I can go visit–.”

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “No, no,” she said hoarsely abruptly, taking you back. “I need to do this alone, I... I'll write to you.”

And that was the last time you talked to her face to face. The next months everything was purely written, you would try to not look desperate in your letters, but always remembered her how much you missed and loved her and how you were waiting for her.

And after the first year, the letters got fewer, Korra had written how powerless she felt and you would write her back to don't give up, how healing sometimes took more time than expected.

At her third year gone, six months in, she stopped writing. It took you by surprise, but you thought maybe the therapy was taking more from her day, you would reunite with your other friends as much as you could.

When the airbender kids got her back from the swamp, everyone was so secretive about her return to you, you didn't even know how Tenzin's kids went to look for her. That day Asami had ask you to meet for lunch, almost like everyday, and when you arrived you saw the girl, Mako and the one monarch that was supposed to be king, in front of them there was a silhouette you knew like the back of your hand.

Asami greeted you with an excited smile and the avatar turned, a little bit scared to see you. Her heartbeat went crazy when her eyes met yours; there you were, the woman she had on her mind ever since leaving the city, the only one who could make the avatar nervous to the point that she felt like she was dreaming once more about meet again with you. Slowly she stood up from her seat and walked up to you, you were teary-eyed at her sight.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “Darling, I–” she tried to talk, being interrupted by your arms around her in such an impatient hug which she reciprocated.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “You're okay, thanks the spirits,” your voice was trembling, her heart broke at that. “I got so scared when you didn't write back those six months, I thought something happened to you or maybe you didn't want nothing to do with me anymore.” you were talking so fast, but Korra was able to understand everything.

She embraced the hug and shook her head. “Never think that, I'm so sorry for leaving you in the dark so long, I needed to find myself again and... I'm just glad to be back here with you.”

You went to seat with the group to catch up, being met with interruptions at the kidnapping of the monarch. After that tiny reunion, everything felt back in place, you both felt as if a very important part of you was back even if you were in war with a crazy leader wanting to take Republic City by force, you were there and that was all that matter to Korra.

When everything was over, Korra had asked you on a date night before Varrick and Zhu Li's wedding that same day. Her hand was playing with the jewelry she had carved herself with such pride in her hand opposed to you while the two of you were walking.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “That's such a beautiful necklace.” Katara had said looking over Korra's shoulder, the avatar stopped and looked back at her with a smile, showing better the jewelry to her.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “You think so?” The older woman nodded with a smile back at her. “Do you think she would like it?”

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “I'm sure she will,” she answered. “And I'm also sure she will say yes.”

Korra blushed while smiling and nodded. “I hope she does...” her eyes wandered back to the necklace. “Maybe we are too young.”

The master waterbender giggled a little bit. “You know, Aang gave me a betrothal necklace too when we were around your age.” Korra's eyes shot surprised back at the woman who shrugged. “When you feel like the time is right everything comes easy after, the universe ends up working at your favor. If you're sure she is the one, take the step, you won't regret it.”

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “Honey, are you okay?” you asked pulling her out of her thoughts afterwards. You both were now sitting at the edge of the circle that surrounded the spirit portal, she looked at you.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “Yeah, sorry, I was just thinking.” she brushed it off, your gaze went back to the portal, your eyes shining with its light and Korras eyes were fixated on you.

She was sure of her next step, it was a big step for sure, but she wanted to do it with you. You had been by her side all this time despite anything, her parents loved you, her friends loved you, she loved you in such a way that felt crashing, but at the same time it felt like it was right. You'd never let her down and she tried to never do it to you either.

If anyone asked her at that moment how she saw herself in the next five years, Korra would say with such confidence how she saw her and you together. Waking up to you by her side, coming home to you, being able to introduce you around as her wife, the love of her life.

Your face turn her way when you heard her voice call your name. “I... I don't know how to begin this,” she confessed giggling nervous. “I guess I should first thank you for always staying by my side and never leaving me, even when I disappeared that long, you waited for me...”

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “I would always wait for you,” your hand took the one she wasn't hiding. “It doesn't matter how long it takes.”

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “And I love you for that, you have no idea how much.” even if you were confused about why she was saying all that now, you smiled to her. “I want to be with you every single day of my life, you're the love of my life, my light that guides me in the darkest of places, my rock were I can find rest when the tide is being harsh with me, the reason I keep going and want to be better for.”

You opened your mouth to ask why she was saying all that, but just as if she could read you, her other hand showed the betrothal necklace and your eyes widened. You knew what it was, even if you weren't from the water nation, you knew about it; back when Eska asked Bolin –or claimed him– in marriage you had asked Korra about it.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “A betrothal necklace,” she answered raising her eyebrows at the sight of her friend. “In my nation, when you want to ask someone in marriage you gift them a necklace for them to wear.”

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “I see,” you nodded looking at the earthbender and then back again at her. “Ours should be better.” you had said in a joking way.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “Way better, it will represent how I can't live without you.” the girl hugged you with a little of strength that made you laugh and start a new topic.

The necklace you were looking at was the most gorgeous one you have ever laid eyes on. Korra had carved the moon and ocean spirits in their fish form, your eyes started to tear at the memory and the significance of the jewelry in it.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “Marry me,” she blurted out, her hands were shaking a little bit, but with your blurry sight you couldn't see it. “Be my wife, I want you to be with me our whole lives, I want to tell everyone that you're my wife, I want you to be part of my family... Officially.” small sobbing sounds were heard from you. “Allow me to be the one to care for you in sickness and in health, until death do us apart.”

You needed to take a moment to breath in deep so your voice could be clear to her but your head nodding with excitement. “I do! I accept! Yes!” you said once you calmed and threw yourself to her give her such sweet and thirsty kiss almost as if you have never kissed her before.

It took feeling your lungs burning asking for air to separate you both. After straightening back up in your seats, Korra had put the necklace on you and when you turned around to show her she smiled big at the sight of you. It was way better than when she dreamed about her proposal, to her eyes you looked like a goddess under the moonlight that was beginning to shower around you both.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “Spirits, you look so gorgeous.” she said like she was out of breath. “I think we should go get ready for the wedding. I'm so going to presume our engagement to everyone.”

Your ears felt warm and you giggled while shaking your head. “I think I need to look in my wardrobe for a dress that would look good with the necklace, fiancee.”

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “Shit, that sounds like a dream,” Korra took your hand to start walking back to your apartment to get ready, you laughed. “Say it again.”

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “Fiancee?” you heard your girlfriend let out a tiny scream before holding you in a hug.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “Someone will have to kick me out from the wedding, I will never shut up about it, fiancee.” she said making you laugh harder. “Who do you think would be the most surprised one?”

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “Wu, probably.” you answered. You knew everyone was going to take the news with the same excitement, it was going to be a fun night.

[swiftviolets]

saints album commentary. whatever!

she’s the one

literally just this song. word for word

the rivers still callin’

its male angst shortened to under 3 mins. its still mostly upbeat but the lyrics are basically about being held back from your aspirations dreams etc and feeling like you’ll never break free from being stuck in a rut

gone gone

essentially a break up song from a male pov. girl has been unfaithful dancing with other guys and what not and breaks up with said guy and he’s upset and he misses her

hazy

song is about being unsure of where you are in life. like the world is going but you’re not going with it and like you’re stuck someplace and you can’t fully settle. it was written by dale so it definitely has personal aspects to it (i.e. him being from california and not fully integrating with southern culture). the song is loosely inspired by the beach boys song i just wasn’t made for these times

my obsession

cover of this rolling stones song. i think the band would do the cover justice and would tweak it so it would be more true to the their sound

your place or mine?

basically a song about a guy who just wants to smash. guy pines after a girl he see’s from ‘across the room’ and is just thinking with his peepee. probably the most suggestive song on the album.

tryin’ to mess my mind

literally this song. also by the same group that did she’s the one. i just think both of those songs are how i imagine the saints would sound <3

shot in the dark

just a song about some guy who is nervous about approaching some girl and asking her out. song is kind of about how when andy first saw lori he was scared to ask her on a date lol

whiskey eyes

this is THEE lori song. like it is a love song to her. called whiskey eyes cause of her eye colour and how it matches some colours of whiskey <3 andy actually wrote this like a year prior to the album releasing and he would only ever sing it if she was watching the band play lol. dale was soooo against this song being on the album lol

things i should have said

basically its a song about some guy who liked a girl but didn’t tell her he liked her and she leaves him before he does and now he’s wallowing about how he should’ve told her how much she meant to him. kind of angsty actually. also kind of a slow song

four to one

this could be the stories theme song if it was actually real<3 song pov is from a guy who found out his girl is seeing multiple men besides him (sound familiar😏) and he’s upset. definitely some lyrical world play on odds/betting/gambling etc

house of the rising sun

self-explanatory. probably follows the same sound as the animals version but a little more upbeat and also not 4 minutes long <3

[unnoticedunawarestillhere]

How Could You?

“Mister Lawrence?”

I turned around, only to be met with my apprentice. He shuffled awkwardly, half of him hiding beneath the door. I then stared hard at my desk, letting out a sigh. Without meaning to, I dropped my book, music sheets spilling onto the floor. The yellowing papers swept up dust on the floorboards, I only narrowed my eyes at this. “What do you want, Johnny?” I muttered, kicking off my chair to retrieve the papers. I heard him slowly cracking my office door wide open and taking a few steps in.  Bending down, my hands furiously grabbed the scattered papers. I didn’t look at him. “Sorry to interrupt, but the band is waiting for you.” He said meekly. His British accent caught me off guard. I stood up, carelessly plopping the bundle of papers on my desk. I turned to him, an eyebrow raised. Today, he was dressed in a pale blue vest, buttoned up white collar shirt and brown slacks. I groaned, “Can’t they just warm up right now?” He hesitated, before he spoke, “They’ve been doing that, but..they’re getting impatient.” He nervously blew his light chestnut hair out of his face. I gritted my teeth, resisting the urge to yell. “Then tell them to wait.” I growled. Johnny frowned, avoiding eye contact with me. In a small voice he responded, “You said that…two hours ago.” Silence. 

I stormed through the vacant hallways, not even waiting for Johnny. Posters were plastered every four feet it seemed. With their cartoonish style, they all stared at me and smiled. This only fed my annoyance. The lights above me flickered and buzzed, making my shadow grow long behind me.

 God, my head hurts. Even though my feet were slamming down on the creaky wooden boards, I could hear Johnny jogging after me. “Mister Lawrence, wait up! I’m sure we could make a compromise with the band, maybe even-” “ENOUGH.” I barked at him. Irritation makes a nest inside my brain. Though, deep down, I do feel a little guilty. Trying to simmer down, I cleared my throat. “Johnny, is your brother already in his booth?” I asked, making a sharp left turn.  He hurried after, finally keeping up with my pace. “Last time I checked, yeah. Though, he was pretty mad that you didn’t show up.” I scoffed, rolling my eyes. Honestly, it felt like without me, the whole god damn music department would explode. “Tch-well, he better be there.” I huffed. 

Before Johnny could answer, I halted only to be met with a chattering river of musicians flooding out of the music department. Baffled, I yelled at one of the passing tuba players, Rick. “Mister Hoffleman! Where the hell are you-” With dark glaring green eyes, the middle aged man snapped at me, “Shut yer yap, Lawrence! It’s been two months of the same shit ya make us go through. Well, we’re tired of it.” He growled at me, his southern accent lacing his words. I recoiled back, almost stumbling into Johnny! If Johnny apologized, I couldn’t hear it. Not when my blood was roaring in my ears. I watched Rick stomp away, his brown suit jacket hanging from his shoulder.  I didn’t even notice that my jaw was hanging wide open, until Johnny quietly mentioned it to me.  I couldn’t speak, I couldn’t command them to stay. I just stood there, and while I did, lots of folks hissed complaints and glares at me when they passed by. Is this what it feels like? To be powerless? I don’t know why I’m so surprised. I’ve felt this before. When he left.

Turns out, Norman was still in his booth, packing up his projector. Even though the booth was mostly consumed by lingering shadows, we could hear him shuffling around.  I stared up at him, only for him to swing around and glare from above.  “Oh great, the all mighty composer finally arrived.” He said flatly, his dark grey eyes narrowing. With a grunt, he placed the metal projector on a rusted steel cart. “Polk, what happened?” I yelled, still looking up at the booth.  The shadows answered with another grunt, “Whaddya mean what happened, Lawrence? They’re fed up.” A pause. When I didn’t answer, he continued, “Look, I dunno what you’ve been doin these past months, but Jesus, can’t ya just compose the band ON TIME??  Some days, the doors are locked and no one can get in. Why? ‘Cause ya keep forgettin to unlock ‘em. Meaning WE can’t do what we need to do.” I felt my stomach tightened while my fists were clenched. “Can’t you just get Franks to unlock the damn door?” I retorted hotly. “Kid keeps forgettin his keys.” He replied with a monotone voice. I let out an exasperated sigh, feeling my nerves being shot left and right. Norman said nothing else and with that I turned around. I  watched Johnny struggling to gather all the music stands. Taking a deep breath, I walked over to him and helped him put them away in the storage room.  I didn’t say anything. Despite how clumsy or frantic this kid is, I didn’t hate him. He’s a good apprentice.

 Well, decent anyway. 

After stacking up the chairs and cautiously putting instruments in their cases, we were done. During that whole time, I didn’t mutter a word. I was too absorbed in my thoughts.  Was working with Mister Drew on his project really making me digress  from what needs to be done? Surely, I could balance them both. Right? No. I couldn’t and today proved that. Bitter disappointment felt like a knife in my gut, wedging itself further and further in.  I felt something sting my eyes, rubbing them. Jesus, was I so powerless that I was having a stupid CRYING FIT?! I muttered something to myself, when suddenly, I felt a gentle hand clamped on my shoulder. “It’s okay to cry, Mister Lawrence! It’s..it’s been a tough day, but..there’s always tomorrow!” Johnny exclaimed, his eyes brightening.  I stared at him for a moment, actually looking at him. His face looked similar to Normans, same nose, and structure.  Light chestnut hair with streaks of dark brown while his eyes..well. One was dark grey, like Norman, but his other eye was a dark auburn.  Wasn’t that called.. Heterochromia? I think that's what it's called.

Anyhow, he just smiled at me sympathetically.  Without thinking, I smiled back at him.  “I..suppose you’re right.” I said, nodding curtly. He slipped his hand off my shoulder and walked over to the piano. “So, about that music sheet you sent me home with yesterday, I practiced it and I think I got it?” He smiled, sitting down on the chair and straightening his composure.  I was stunned. He practiced it? Hell, I didn’t even tell him to do that. Though, of course, I was skeptical.  I pulled up a stool and gestured for him to start. He cracked his fingers, staring down at the keys and gave it his all. There were a few slip ups, but I was impressed at how beautiful the melody was. And how Johnny was so focused on the piece. When he was done, he paused, before hesitantly turning his head to look at me.  I stood up from my wooden stool and placed my hand on his shoulder. “Good work.” I praised, smiling at him slightly. 

I swear his eyes lit like bright stars. I was proud of him. Even though I failed the band, I didn’t fail him.  Until…I did. 

It’s been a few months since that moment. 

I looked at my shaking right hand, a smoking pistol was tightly in my grasp. 

Oh Johnny. I’m so sorry.

I’m 

      So

               Sorry

[the-most-humble-blog]

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🎭 “THE DUDE PLAYIN’ THE DUDE DISGUISED AS ANOTHER DUDE” The Kirk Lazarus File — Brought to You by Method Acting, Delusion, and Blackface on Steroids

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Let’s just rip the band-aid off: Kirk Lazarus is the only man alive who did blackface, won two NAACP Image Awards, and delivered his acceptance speech like a plantation owner who discovered TikTok.

“Y’all don’t get comfortable now… I’m gonna be winning a lot more of these.”

He said that. On a mic. To a cheering crowd. In a tuxedo. With his soul still buffering.

🎬 This wasn’t acting. This was performance taxidermy.

Kirk Lazarus didn’t “prepare” for a role— he molested it with method. He skinned the character, stitched himself inside, and called it "representation" with a straight face.

This man went through surgical pigment alteration, studied 1970s Blaxploitation slang like scripture, and came out sounding like if Shaft and Frasier Crane had a baby on ketamine.

🧠 “I don’t break character ‘til I do the DVD commentary.”

Cool, bro.

Because nothing says respectful portrayal of generational Black pain like a white Australian dude quoting Dolemite while firing blanks in a jungle he thinks is a movie set.

The only “commentary” you need is a 5-hour intervention with Malcolm X, Maya Angelou, and whoever invented common sense.

🍆 This man went full soul drag. He didn’t just blackface. He Blacklived.

He walked around calling women "babe" and "queen" in a fake Southern drawl like his Tinder bio said “Oppression Empath | Part-Time DJ.”

Kirk Lazarus was one overheard N-word away from being buried face down in the Essence Festival parking lot.

And the best part? He thought he was doing it for the culture. 🤝

📉 Method acting? Nah. This was melanin LARP with a SAG card.

The man got a trophy for it. Twice.

He colonized identity, repackaged it with bullet casings, and called it Oscar buzz.

This man didn’t “lose himself in the role.” He threw his original self in a river, pissed on it, and gave a TED Talk in character.

🚁 Let’s not forget—this man went so method he tried to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere with a refrigerator.

Not metaphorically. Like, in real life.

Imagine your boy so deep in an astronaut role he tries to break through the stratosphere from a Best Buy parking lot in Burbank.

🧨 FINAL VERDICT:

Kirk Lazarus is what happens when white guilt, acting chops, and delusional confidence get left in the microwave for too long.

He’s the Joker for film students.

He’s Tropic Thunder’s Thanos— gathering the Infinity Stones of everyone else’s trauma and using them to win a damn movie award.

Was it satire? Sure.

Was it iconic?

Yes. Unfortunately.

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[scolopendramorsitans]

scolopendra morsitans infosheet

summary: scolopendra morsitans is a centipede with a well-established global distribution, but is native to africa, southeast asia, and australia specifically. scolopendra morsitans is also known as the tanzanian blue ringleg centipede or red-headed centipede (not to be confused with scolopendra subspinipes, which is also sometimes called the red-headed centipede). this species complex is known in the hobby for being pretty "jumpy" but is able to calm down with time.

species notes:

morsitans is sexually dimorphic and can be sexed visually. in adult males, the prefemora, femora and tibiae of the terminal legs are flattened dorsally and have a marginal ridge.

morsitans reaches sexual maturity between 6 months to 1 year old.

the name "morsitans" translates to "that bites" in latin.

morsitans is related to scolopendra laeta.

morsitans is related to scolopendra antananarivoensis.

morsitans in general is prone to mycosis infections in captivity, but those from drier habitats are the most susceptible.

morphology & diagnostics: it's likely that morsitans comprises a complex of species. some diagnostic criteria are inconsistent within morsitans populations - some colour forms have differing numbers of marginated tergites, tarsal spurs, and antennal articles. there should also be 1-19 legs with 1 tarsal spur, but in some asian/african populations there are 20 (+ sometimes dubbed scolopendra amazonica, considered a juniour synonym). as such, the reliability of using these characteristics to identify morsitans is not absolutely clear. however, consistent diagnostic criteria include: a smooth tergite surface, median furrow on tergite of ULBS, and incomplete paramedian sutures on sternites.

colour and size alone are not reliable taxonomic characters of a morsitans. but, generally, while these centipedes are typically on the smaller size compared to their relatives, their size appears to depend on their range. for example, in africa, morsitans found on saint helena island are noted to grow around 6cm, while the tanzanian morsitans can reach up to 13cm. this is still considerably smaller than other scolopendra species, which can reach an excess of 20cm+.

overall, the morsitans complex is extremely variable, coming in all colours and sizes. some named colour forms in the pet trade include:

"blood red" (south africa)

"dragon head" (south africa)

"cherry head" / "red flash" (south africa)

"green goblin" (south africa)

"disco" (south africa, limpopo river)

"half-banded" (northern territory)

"savanna red" (far north queensland)

"flame leg" (western australia)

"blue-tailed" (western australia)

"patternless" (australia)

habitats:

arid to semi-arid

tropical savanna

humid subtropical

coniferous forests

mixed woodlands

garrigue

mallee slopes

open coastal regions

morsitans is a habitat generalist, inhabiting many regions including those in arid, semi-arid, tropical savanna, humid subtropical, and tropical monsoon climates. however, it is absent from extremely dry regions as it requires humidity to survive. in nigeria, morsitans remains active in the dry season due to its ability to find humidity in cow dung. the species complex has also been recorded in coniferous forests, mixed woodlands, garrigue, and open coastal regions in tunisia, further displaying its ability to occupy a wide range of habitats. however, wherever it lives, morsitans prefers to hide under leaf litter, bark, ground substrate, bricks, or rocks when it is inactive.

diet:

as an opportunistic predator, morsitans feeds primarily on invertebrates. they have been observed feeding on spiders, mites, other centipedes, flies, carabid beetles, and ants. they may also feed on carrion in their natural range. in captivity, morsitans feeds readily on raw meats, roaches, mealworms, crickets, locusts, earthworms, and non-acidic fruits.

natural enemies:

black-headed snakes (specialist centipede-feeder of southern africa)

saw-scaled vipers

yellow-bellied house geckos

monitor lizards

scolopendra dehaani (in mainland asia it is the dominant scolopendra sp)

scolopendra subspinipes (in places where subspinipes is absent, morsitans may grow larger, such as recorded on offshore islets of the indian ocean.)

protozoa (grebnickiella pixellae specifically recorded in morsitans)

leeches (herpodella, specifically recorded in south india)

entomopathogenic fungi

venom composition & notes:

a mass spectrometry imaging study suggests that morsitans uses different venom compositions for predation vs defense

esterases: active enzymes that digest prey outside of the centipede's body

transferrin protein: antibacterial properties

serotonin: causes pain response

lipoproteins, phospholipids, cholesterol, triglycerides, cholesteryl esters, squalene, and free fatty acids.

bites may cause redness, swelling, and in some cases, severe pain.