#the tumblr ecosystem is so diverse and beautiful

[shapeofshifter]

did my therian post about being caninekin just get reblogged by adult roman history fans using said post to say nsfw things about historical figures

[three-maddys-in-a-trenchcoat]

if you told me that r/egg_irl was a project by antitrans groups to convince trans people to never transition and spiral further into depression, i would not be surprised in the slightest. at the very least i know it must be run by transmedicalists (read: antitrans trans people) because of the top-down usage of transmed + NB-exclusionary terms like FTM/MTF and the cumulative rhetoric of the meme ecosystem they've fostered.

nothing about that community fosters transpositive thinking, hope, or self-esteem. it's a masterclass in transmed thought. doomer memes about transitioning being terrible, transphobic self-fetishization via trans hypno kink shit and forced feminization porn, reinforcing toxic gender roles, reinforcing internalized transmisogyny via hyperfemininty + impossible beauty standards being pushed as the norm, turning the complex and diverse experiences of self-discovery into a fucking checklist of canon "egg behaviors," constant memes about dysphoria that imply that feeling soul-crushing levels of dysphoria is the only trans experience, "haha cut the dysphoria noodle" memes implying that bottom dysphoria is required to be trans, full blast suicidal ideation memes, and so on.

all of this culminates in that characteristic reddit groupthink where if you feel like you don't fit in or relate to the memes, then you're not really trans, and that dynamic can get people killed.

and please don't come at me with shit like "oh it's gotten much better since 2017, you wouldn't know," because every time some stupid fucking drama breaches containment or i hear about the most toxic trans people peddling transmed garbage being avid egg_irl meme posters, i'm comfortable in saying that nothing has changed. you cannot rehabilitate egg culture. egg culture is transmed culture. it must be nuked from orbit.

(if you couldn't tell, i was a victim of egg_irl. i delayed my transition and delayed admitting to myself that i was trans. this is the second time this happened to me, after tumblr transmeds did the same damage to me in 2009. i didn't transition until i was 30. fuck all of these people.)

[foggybagelwolfzine]

The Rise, Fall, and Lasting Impact of Tumblr: Several Insights for Community Development on Digital Platforms.

Week 3 Submission for MDA20009 Class - Hanoi Campus

Social Media platforms have undoubtedly revolutionized the way we communicate, share information, and build communities in the digital age. Among these platforms, Tumblr emerged as a unique and innovative space that fostered the growth of diverse digital communities, providing a nurturing ecosystem for internet users from various backgrounds, including those from marginalized groups within society. However, due to its ineffective decision-making and policy management (Collins, 2022), Tumblr has lost popularity to other well-known platforms like X (formerly Twitter) and TikTok, making it less attractive to new users today. Hence, this post aims to explore how Tumblr amplified marginalized voices and examine how it lost relevance to other platforms due to ineffective policies and privacy concerns, thus giving insights for sustainable community development on digital platforms.

A brief history of Tumblr: From Microblogging Phenomenon to a Hub for Community Engagement

Launched in 2007 by David Karp, Tumblr rapidly ascended to prominence as an innovative microblogging platform that blended elements of social networking and content creation. Its distinctive features, such as reblogging and tagging, played a pivotal role in facilitating the rapid dissemination of ideas and the organic formation of niche communities (Sybert 2022).

Furthermore, the tagging system namely hashtags allowed users to categorize their content and discover like-minded individuals, effectively creating a self-organizing ecosystem of interests and subcultures (Highfield & Leaver 2016). These tools not only enhanced user engagement but also contributed significantly to Tumblr's unique identity in the social media landscape, hence making it a popular site during early 2010s.

Communities on Tumblr

The platform's unique structure and features enabled the formation of various niche communities, namely:

Feminism: Hannel (2024) stated that Tumblr once became a hub for feminist discourse, allowing for the exploration of intersectionality and the amplification of marginalized voices within the social public sphere. Furthermore, Reif et al. (2022) demonstrated the feminist communities on Tumblr as inclusive and open to diverse representations of women’s beauty, thus, making it a safe space for women with different body types.

LGBTQ+: The platform provided a safe space for LGBTQ+ scholars and enthusiasts to engage in discussions about queer theory, representation in digital media, and the intersection of sexuality and technology in humanities (Pain 2022)

African American communities: Hoch et al. (2020) indicated that the platform’s tagging and reblogging features have allowed for the rapid dissemination of content related to Black culture, history, and social justice, thus forming a community for racial movement and political change (i.e. #BlackLivesMatter and #BlackHistoryMonth)

How did Tumblr lose their users?

However, Tumblr has lost its relevancy to other popular media platforms, namely Tiktok and Instagram (Vogels et al., 2022). So, what incidents led to Tumblr's decline in popularity? Tumblr’s downfall began with Yahoo’s acquisition in 2013, which led to intrusive advertising and changes that alienated its core user base (Baker 2024). The final blow came in 2018 when Tumblr banned adult content, causing a significant drop in user engagement and traffic, making Tumblr’s popularity ranked behind Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter and Reddit in the US as of March 2019 (Dixon 2024). Additionally, increased competition from other social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok further accelerated its decline, as changes in user behavior are contributed by the fact that Tumblr seems to be outdated in comparison to the more streamlined and visually-oriented formats of the aforementioned newer platforms (Hawthorne, 2024).

In final words

What I want to deliver after the discussion is that sustainable community development can be significantly enhanced by drawing insights from Tumblr’s approach, thus both of its pros and cons. Firstly, it is crucial to design an inclusive platform with features that foster diverse communities and amplify marginalized voices, akin to Tumblr’s tagging system, which has been practiced in many platforms, namely Instagram and Twitter. Additionally, implementing adaptable policies that evolve with user needs and societal changes would ensure continued relevance and user engagement among the communities of their own. Lastly, prioritizing the creation of safe spaces where marginalized groups can express themselves and engage in meaningful discussions, as Tumblr did for the LGBTQ+ community, is essential for fostering a supportive and dynamic online environment. Hence, even being active on other platforms such as Twitter or Tiktok other than Tumblr, online communities can be engaged in a sustainable way, making a safe environment for internet users, especially for the marginalised.

Reference list

Baker, K. (2024) What happened to tumblr? how the Social Giant died | enterprise tech news em360tech. Available at: https://em360tech.com/tech-article/what-happened-to-tumblr.

Hannell, B. (2024) How Tumblr raised a generation of feminists, The Conversation. Available at: https://theconversation.com/how-tumblr-raised-a-generation-of-feminists-223483.

Hawthorne, L. (2024) The rise and fall of tumblr: Is the platform losing its luster?, HouseToolKit. Available at: https://housetoolkit.com/is-tumblr-losing-popularity/.

Highfield, T. and Leaver, T. (2016) Instagrammatics and digital methods: Studying visual social media, from selfies and GIFs to memes and emoji. Communication research and practice, 2(1), pp.47-62.

Hoch, I.N., Stein, L., Cho, A. and McCracken, A. (2020) Blackout, black excellence, black power: strategies of everyday online activism on black tumblr. In a tumblr book: platform and cultures. University of Michigan Press.

Pain, P. ed. (2022) LGBTQ digital cultures: A global perspective. Routledge.

Reif, A., Miller, I. and Taddicken, M. (2022) ‘“Love the Skin You‘re In”: An Analysis of Women’s Self-Presentation and User Reactions to Selfies Using the Tumblr Hashtag #bodypositive’, Mass Communication and Society, 26(6), pp. 1038–1061. doi: 10.1080/15205436.2022.2138442.

Sybert, J. (2022) Tumblr’s enduring appeal reveals the potency of the web’s cultural memory, The Conversation. Available at: https://theconversation.com/tumblrs-enduring-appeal-reveals-the-potency-of-the-webs-cultural-memory-183788.

Vogels, E.A., Gelles-Watnick, R. and Massarat, N. (2022) Teens, social media and technology 2022, Pew Research Center. Available at: https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2022/08/10/teens-social-media-and-technology-2022/.

[ghanatrails]

Shai Hills Resource Reserve.

Nestled just 50 kilometers northeast of Accra, Ghana's bustling capital, lies a natural wonder that often goes unnoticed by tourists and locals alike: the Shai Hills Resource Reserve. This hidden gem offers a perfect escape from the city's hustle and bustle, providing visitors with a unique blend of wildlife, history, and stunning landscapes.

A Diverse Ecosystem

Spanning approximately 51 square kilometers, Shai Hills is home to a diverse array of flora and fauna. The reserve's savannah woodland ecosystem supports various wildlife species, including baboons, kob antelopes, and over 170 bird species. Lucky visitors might even spot some of the reserve's rarer inhabitants, such as the green monkey or the white-crowned cliff chat.

Rich Cultural Heritage

Beyond its natural beauty, Shai Hills holds significant cultural importance. The area was once home to the Shai people, and evidence of their presence can still be seen today. Ancient cave systems scattered throughout the reserve contain rock paintings and other archaeological artifacts, offering a glimpse into the region's rich history.

Activities for Every Explorer

Whether you're an adventure enthusiast or a nature lover, Shai Hills has something for everyone:

1. Hiking trails that wind through the rocky terrain, offering breathtaking views

2. Rock climbing opportunities for the more adventurous

3. Guided safari tours to observe wildlife in their natural habitat

4. Bird watching excursions for avian enthusiasts

Conservation Efforts

The Ghana Wildlife Division manages Shai Hills as a resource reserve, focusing on conservation while allowing sustainable use of the area's natural resources. This approach helps protect the unique ecosystem while providing economic benefits to local communities.

Plan Your Visit

Shai Hills Resource Reserve is easily accessible from Accra, making it perfect for a day trip or a weekend getaway. As you explore this underappreciated treasure, you'll discover why it's truly one of Ghana's best-kept secrets.

So, next time you find yourself in Ghana, take a detour from the usual tourist spots and immerse yourself in the natural beauty and rich history of Shai Hills. It's an experience you won't soon forget!

#landsccape #paradise #nature #adventure #explore #travel #travelling #inspiration #motivation #flowers #flowercore #photography #aesthetic #cottagecore #naturecore #mountains #cottage garden #cottage witch #farmcore #curators on tumblr #photographers on tumblr #dark academia aesthetic #goblincore #design #fashion #scenery #alternative

#fall aesthetic #artwork #landscape

[fishyfishyfishtimes]

Allow me to add some things! Annelids, the segmented worms, are woefully underappreciated for all they do. Estimates for segmented worm species range from over 9 000 to over 22 000! That's 1.4 - 3.4 times the amount of mammal species, and so very diverse, you'll find!

(Old annelid collage I made for my fish masterpost)

Tumblr user rosybetta already shows many a beautiful poluchaete worm, but I want to show some more!

Sea mouse!

This luminous polychaete worm lives several thousand meters deep on the ocean floor, and sports these extremely light-reflecting scales! Each one is hollow and lined inside with hexagonal cylinders which reflect nearly 100% of the light that hits them. The sea mouse's quill-scales create the only documented case of a "complete spectrum photonic crystal" in an organism, that is, a nanostructure that alters the light entering them and can create the whole spectrum of light. It is thought that the quill-scales are so light reflective as to deter predators or to make the sea mouse's silhouette harder to see.

Bone-eating worms!

Come on tumblr, you love whalefalls, right? These worms are an important part of the whalefall ecosystem, boring into the bones with acid to feed on them! These peculiar animals lack a stomach and a mouth, instead relying on symbiotic bacteria that break down the bone material, after which they suck up the nutrients with "roots"! The red things you see above are the female worms' gills, as the males are in fact microscopic and live inside the females. These worms are valuable in returning every bit of nutrients back into the biochemical cycle!

Giant tube worms!

Another denizen of the deep that enjoys a diet cooked by symbiotic bacteria. Giant tube worms live near hydrothermal vents, in very hostile conditions with very high sulfur levels! They're one of the fastest growing marine animals, reaching a size of almost a meter (or nearly three feet) in a year and a half!

Pompeii worm!

This deep sea worm is an extremophile if you've ever seen one, it also inhabits hydrothermal vents. They build a tube around themselves and seemingly shield themselves from the elements inside the tube with the help of a "fluffy" coat of sulfur-eating bacteria. What makes them especially fascinating is that their tail end comes to contact with temperatures of up to 80 ��C (176°F) while their gills collect oxygen from the outside water that's only 22 °C (72°F)! 60 degrees Celsius of temperature difference to an animal only 13 cm in length, that's bonkers!

Gossamer worms!

These free-swimming polychaetes produce a yellow bioluminescent glow from the appendages at the sides of their body, which is unusual among animals! Gossamer worms have a unique style of swimming from other polychaetes, as they lack many bristles at the ends of their appendages and also the mesenteries in between each body segment. Still they swim, with great flexibility, speed, and maneuverability! It turns out that they retract and extend each appendage to cause differences in drag, causing a wave to undulate through the whole body, which in turn makes their thrust power even stronger. They might serve as inspiration for aquatic robots in the future!

Spoon worms!

Yeah.

Moving on.

Leeches!

I acknowledge that they are a bit gnarly, with their reputation as bloodsucking parasites! To some, this only makes them cooler. To others, this makes them horrible. But, just so you know, leech saliva contains an anesthetic, which makes their bites painless! Medical leeches have been used in the past and are still sometimes used in a medical context, for example if blood pools in a certain area of the body after a surgery, leeches can be used to prevent tissue death. Leech saliva also prevents blood clots, which helps to keep blood flowing! Leeches are, at the end of the day, a diverse group in and of themselves, inhabiting freshwater, marine and even terrestrial habitats, and some partaking in predatory hunting behaviour instead of parasitism!

Earthworms!

I think a lot of people truly underestimate the humble earthworms and what they give us. But, to be fair, it is kind of hard to truly comprehend the title of "(one of the) most important terrestrial detrivore(s)". Their squirming movement aerates the soil and their feeding breaks down organic matter so that they can return back into the biochemical cycle! Various earthworms can create different microhabitats, and they often have a positive impact on plants and fungi! That is already a very important job to do.

I feel like there's this idea of earthworms as mindless animals that kind of do whatever based on instinct, but like every other animal each species behaves uniquely. Take Lumbricus terrestris, the common earthworm! One of my professors is head over heels in love with earthworms and he really opened my eyes to how exciting they are. In the case of the common earthworm, this species digs deep vertical burrows that can descend up to two meters deep! It covers its little burrow in leaf litter, which it also eats. The head of the common earthworm is often darker than the rest of the body, which is an adaptation to camouflage it against the soil so predators will have a harder time noticing it! They enjoy hanging out in their burrows the most and change their position in it depending on external conditions. When they mate, common earthworms first visit a potential partner's home burrow first, likely to tell if their partner-to-be can keep their burrow clean and free of parasites. After both parties making a visit, they embrace each other while mating and both parties become pregnant, as common earthworms are simultaneous hermaphrodites.

Hearing about the life that common earthworms live, well... I really realised that every animal lives a life that is full of purpose and choices. Earthworms were anything but lowly creatures! I knew this about fish and insects already, but never before had I stopped to think about earthworms in the same way. Let alone all other segmented worms! These are animals that hardly live a life of nonexistence and I am a bit sad that I never saw them as anything to think much about before. But... now I do. Now I see them.

And it would be really sweet if you could appreciate them a bit more too, now.

Phylum Round 3

Annelida: Segmented Worms. This group includes earthworms, leeches, and many classes under the umbrella of “polychaete”. This diverse phylum encompasses deposit feeders (eating dirt), detritivores, scavengers, deadly ambush predators, filter feeders, parasites, herbivores, and more. They are broadly defined by their repeating body segments and parapodia, which are nubby appendages used for both movement and breathing. Some have curved jaws for catching prey or scraping detritus off of rocks, while others have wide, elaborate, brightly colored feather-like fans for filter feeding. While able to crawl freely, a majority of marine Annelids spend most of their time in self-built tubes or burrows. Among their many important functions, they play a key role in mixing soil/sediment, breaking down decaying organic matter, and providing a key food source to countless other animals.

Cnidaria: Jellyfish, anemones, corals, box jellies, and hydroids. They have a gelatinous body with radial symmetry, a decentralized nervous system, and tentacles surrounding a simple mouth. The defining feature of this phylum are their cnidocytes, or stinging cells. There are two different body plans of the Cnidaria; an immobile “polyp” attached to a surface, or a free-living “medusa” which can swim or drift in the water column. Many polyp Cnidarians, such as corals, live in colonies. Some corals build reefs which serve as habitat for other animals. Free-living medusa Cnidarians must return to the seafloor in a polyp-like stage as a part of their life cycle.

[vergess]

(reposted because??? tumblr ate or deleted the first post???)

So. Lots of pain meds at the moment, so this is a little bit nonsensical, but, I have been playing the newly released video game I was a teenage exocolonist (available on steam, not linked because tag visibility) while I am laid up in bed.

Lots of opinions, basically all positive. There’s a specific thing I want to talk about in more detail, but this post got too long so I will just link a future post on the gender politics of nature, nurture, and future as presented by the twins Dys and Tang.

So instead here’s my Most Recommendable Qualities (mostly free of spoilers):

Native linux compatibility:

you know how I am about that. I cannot believe I’ve become the very linux guy I so hated when I was working retail…

Upsettingly beautiful art

2D gaming is my first love but man the medium has come a long way since needing a flashlight to play pokemon. Sometimes I forget how far, and then games like this pop up with the gorgeous art and expressive characters, and I inevitably find myself wondering why the “”“"mainstream”“”“ video game market (in as much as such exists these days) focused so obsessively on photo realistic 3D when inevitably a well directed art style is what matters most.

The backgrounds and environments in the game are all extremely lush, with a gorgeous, colorful style that if I had become an art critic instead of a writing critic I would probably have better terminology to describe. Like, uh. Water colors or some shit. Stained glass. It’s all very luminous fuck dude I don’t know, the closest I’m going to get here is to write a poem and I’m not going to write a poem where the fuckign developers might see it. I need to be sober for that.

Characters:

I’m a character driven asshole, we all know this. It’s why I read so much fanfiction and play so much melodramatic fantasy and spend several hours of my life openly sobbing about a single fucking issue of Sandman. So, you’ll understand when I say, "people keep recommending me dating sims and I keep bouncing off of them because the characters never Do A Thing,” what my major criticism of a lot of Large Cast Of Dateable Character games is.

None of those issues arise here. I’ve played a few runs now, making a conscious decision on each to focus on a specific character. One. SIngular. Except, the thing is, you can’t do that. Not in the sense that the game won’t “let” you. You could certainly just dump all of your time into skills and one character. And the timeline of the game would change to reflect your isolationism.

Characters you don’t interact with during runs have their own “autonomous” storylines written, and each divergence your player character makes has its impacts meticulous tracked to create different character experiences every time, even as each character holds very tight to a narrow set of repeating traits. This only further emphasizes the fundamental strangeness of the player character, as the only one capable of being fundamentally different across timelines.

Also all the dateables are just, oh god, SO cute. And, by the time they are capable of fucking, very fuckable. Extremely attractive designs. Honestly everyone is super cute. The whole cast is magnificently designed. And that includes…

Monsters & World Building:

First of all, let’s get the important personal opinions out of the way. I think I would fuck the antagonist….uh….commander, whatever his title is. He looks like a fucked up centaur and I’m into that. There are also Adequate Amounts Of Tentacles. If you’ve known me long, you know that is a high bar, but the game clears it admirably and with diversity!

The alien fauna are all very FUCKING COOL. There’s a bit of throwaway dialogue from An Adult (your dad?) that talks about expecting the planet’s ecosystem to be ‘more alien’ than it is, and I respect the space program’s attempt a tpreparedness but for me, the whole uhhhhhh. Situation. With regards to the alien animals is PLENTY alien, and SO satisfying.

If you’ve ever been like, “god, I wish someone who wasn’t orson scott card would do all the cool shit they did in fucking speaker for the dead” then by GOD is this the game for you.

Accessibility:

The content warnings are extremely detailed. I reviewed them all, and having seen several of the ones I was most worried about, I feel they accurately described the situations without spoiling them. I did end up upsetting myself rather badly with one thing which happened, but it is hardly the developer’s fault that I misunderstood the context in which the “teenage pregnancy” CW would apply. I personally want to specify that (IN THE ROUTES I HAVE SO FAR PLAYED) the pregnancy is a very wanted, safe, and cherished.

The game players very well on controller, which is a must for me. There are a handful of UI elements that I have not yet been able to access by controller, but I think this is more a factor of my being bad at remembering buttons than the game’s design. If you have a mouse, that will solve the issue entirely. My GF speaks highly of the keyboard and mouse gameplay.

Turning off screen distortions and weather effects generally made the game very visually understandable for me, with large, clear iconography. If you have significant visual impairments, I don’t know if this is a good game to play. Picking up items on the ground can be tricky in some cases and there’s nothing for eg a high contrast or greyscale mode if you need that kind of thing.

Stability.

It’s easy to forget that near-launch properties are supposed to be complete games that function well. This game is very complete (VERY, INTRICATELY, COMPLETE) and very stable. With as complicated as the sets of cause-effect-timelines are, I expected it to be much easier to create minor paradoxes in dialogue.

So far, the only time events have seemed to happen slightly out of sequence due to relationship progression or what ever else, was when I made a conscious effort to be as obnoxious as possible at one point just to see if I could make it misbehave.

I haven’t been able to make it crash from within the game so far. I’m hardly a Q.A. tester anymore, but I do tend to be pretty aggressive to my games, so I feel confident in saying it’ll run steady for you if you get it.

Politics etc:

The queerness is all very excellent, super queer in very believable ways, especially given the cultural aspects of the worldbuilding. Characters behave queerly outside of just all being bi-for-the-player. The trans characters were all extremely appealing to me with strong characterization that included but did not obsess over their genders. There are at least 2 trans teens in the player character’s peer group and 2 trans adults of very different ages and character types, and there’s even a cute little intergenerational trans solidarity bit you can get sometimes. In addition, of course, to the ridiculously complete gender personalization.

You would not believe how many games forget that “bro” and “cowgirl” are gendered terms, but this one remembers.

The racial politics are, from my perspective, adequate to not interfere with my gameplay experience. The human characters do consistently refer to the environment and native animals in very colonialist terms but they’re literally colonizing the planet so…. The point is, there is not a native people being eradicated, though there are… territory wars(? I guess.) with both wild animals and antagonist peoples.

If you’re particularly sensitive to colonial narratives, handle with care, but I felt the writing in the routes I’ve seen so far handled most of the issues well. Plus I mean. THe title. Is “teenage exocolonist” like. I think the whole “colonialism is a major narrative theme” ituation should be made clear by that.

In terms of the human diversity it’s pleasingly broad. There are characters of all ages, builds, complexions, races, personality types. There’s a massive range of disabilities both physical and mental, as well as plenty of fun sci fi accomodations.

I mean just among the dateables I can remember top of the head, theres:

ambiguously asian twins who really said Autism Has Two Genders,

ambiguously brown fat girl with developmental disability,

ambiguously brown Gym Bro (derogatory) who is, and this is true, literally named 'ambiguously brown

ambiguously white farmboy who has clearly been eating his space wheaties and also helps invent space cannabis with your dad

unambiguously black girl who looks the autism twins dead in the eye and said 'no autism has one gender and is me’

unambiguously white tomboy who goes full samus

A dog (human)

Hatsune Miku (gender neutral)

Venom (twink)

There’s something here for everyone, all of these characters are super fascinating concepts honestly. I know I keep harping on that but it’s true so there.

Scenario writing:

It’s a bit difficult to separate the player character writing from the scenario writing for reasons that rapidly become clear in the game. Both are very good, though, so that’s fine. The writing is just really very good.

The variations on the timeline that you are able to uncover through repeated play are fascinatingly diverse even as certain events remain immutable, and the whole thing really plays with the concept of time travel and the other-self so beautifully. Really one of my very favourite explorations of the topic already, and I’ve only seen… IDK 4 endings along 2 routes? And there’s 29 endings???

It’s very good. The point is that it’s very good you should go play it.

It’s on steam. It’s app 1148760 on steam and it’s very good, it’s definitely worth more than what they’re charging. I mean have you seen what a $60 console game looks like these days, and then this is like. $25 and SO very much.

[dimonds456]

Michigan is weird and I love it.

Hi, hello, I am from Michigan. Or, as we tend to call it, I am a Michigander. And, I've realized that we're very, very weird compared to other states. So, here's a guide on how to blend in and pretend like you've lived here your whole life while visiting to see pretty lakes <3

We have weird slang. You'll see us using words like

Youper / Yooper

Noseeums (No/see/'ems)

The thumb

Traverse / Cherry City / Cherry Capital

Good gravy

Allow me to explain. Michigan is split into two parts; the Lower Peninsula and the Upper Peninsula. The LP is shaped like an oven mitten, and the UP is shaped like a sideways hand. This will be important later.

Up north, in the UP (pronounced "yoopee"), we have different accents, beliefs, and ways of living from the rest of us! I'm down in the LP, though, so I am not what we call a Yooper. Yoopers are the people living in the UP, who tend to rough it more, use less, and have their own accent, too! They're mostly known for their accent and how batshit insane they are /aff.

In the summer, we have loooots of bugs. Filmmakers love coming here, since we have so many "biomes" here. Beautiful and gross lakes, thick forests and barren sandscapes, stuff of the like. This means we have a very diverse ecosystem, including noseeums. Noseeums are tiny bugs you cannot see until they are right in front of you (~6 inches), or they buzz in your ear. They're actually called Fruit Flies, but you can't see them, so we usually call them Noseeums. Yoopers do this more than us down south.

Since Michigan looks like an oven mit, we tend to point at our hands to indicate where we are. The peninsula that sticks out if the LP we tend to call "the thumb," since, y'know, it looks like a thumb. The LP is the right hand, the UP is the left! Pinky and thumb sticking out, anyway.

Hey, if you wanna come visit us, I would highly recommend you go see Cherry Capital! It's a beautiful town with lots of resources, tourist-y things, and a great place to live. Oh, is it not appearing in Google Maps? Sorry, I meant Traverse City. We call it Cherry Capital since, according to Michigan rumor, it's the place that grows and sells the most cherries. Don't know how true that is, but y'know.

Good gravy, that's a lot of stuff. Oh yeah, we've got those too. Lick a tree for maple syrup, don't jump the salmon, lots of weird phrases. I can't remember all of them nor can I really explain them, except the two here. "Lick a tree for maple syrup" is a newer one (that I think was inspired by Tumblr, actually) that basically means that you're not putting in enough effort to get something. "Don't jump the salmon" is a variant on "look before you leap," because if you jump over the salmon swimming upstream, the bear will getcha.

oh yeah hug a moose is another one, too

We also have weird behavior. Like I said, you can use your hands like a map here. I keep forgetting that other people don't know this, and once I tried showing someone next to me n a plane while we were in Chicago, and she had no clue wtf I was doing. But, it's common practice here.

There's waaaaaay too many campsites, a ton of people go ice fishing (AND DRIVE TRUCKS ON THE LAKE AND DON'T FALL IN), lots of deer hunting, lots of deer signs. You have to know a lot of about wildlife here, like being aware of deer trails. If you don't know what those are, then you may be wondering why there are so many caution signs with deer on them.

oh yeah and all of it is "northern Michigan." no one says "Southern Michigan." I have no idea why.

Anyway. Fellow Michiganders, feel free to add to this. And other states that have weird traditions, too, I'd love to hear them.

[jackassgardener]

I’m a little tired of posting CONTENT like we are all the social media managers of our interests. BUT yesterday my birthday present from Aly was to go hiking by myself (can’t tell you how great a present that is). I stopped by two prairie remnants in the region. This one is James Woodworth Prairie in Glenview. It’s only 5 acres and it’s sandwiched between a McDonald’s and a residential area. It was locked up but I got to skulk around the perimeter and look inside. Prairie remnants are often called the most endangered ecosystem in North America. A remnant means that it was never developed for agriculture or buildings or whatever. We have less than 0.01% remnants left in the Prairie State and they are scattered across it in these little lumps. They’re so important because they have the original soil content and structure that developed over 10,000 years since the last ice age which allows for a unique and diverse blend of life to flourish. Prairie restorations can often be very high quality and diverse as well but it takes a lot of work to get them to that point and keep them there and they still won’t be like a remnant. The remnants must be protected and managed as a top priority. There’s no giant sequoia to chain ourselves to in order to save these spaces but that’s what I’d do if any of these were threatened by, say, a McDonald’s. No offense to McDonald’s but if it wasn’t there and this remnant was extended into its land it would be 25% larger. Did we need that particular spot to be developed so badly? Did that McDonald’s have to be there? Do the people going through the drive through see these beautiful groundnut flowers on the fence facing them as they exit? Can people develop a relationship with the prairie if they can’t even see what’s left of it? Before I left I picked a plastic bag off the top of the fence and pulled some invasive plant species along the buffer zone. Happy birthday to me! (at James Woodworth Prairie) https://www.instagram.com/p/CTxAgWArW-7/?utm_medium=tumblr

[tiny--spock]

21 questions

Thank you @theflamehallow for tagging me!

1 Nickname?

tiny spock

2 Name?

Victoria

3 Zodiac?

Sagittarius, and my chinese zodiac is the rabbit.

4 Favorite musician or group?

I'll listen to almost any type of music, but Queen, Led Zeppelin, Celtic Women, and Pentatonix hold a special place in my heart!

5. Favorite Sports teams?

Uhhhh.... Does Ravenclaw Quiddich count?? For every real life sport I'm more like: Go sports, do the thing, win the points!!

6. Other blogs

None!

7. Do you get asks

I haven't for a while!

8 How many blogs do you follow

76 blogs

9. Tumblr crushes

I am madly in love with all of my mutuals! But you know, in a platonic way.

10. Lucky numbers

7, 12

11. What are you wearing right now?

An avengers t-shirt with khaki shorts.

12. Dream vacation?

A cruise through the English channel or the Mediterranean sea.

13. Dream car?

A tardis-blue convertible Volkswagen. There are two reason why it's great: I can say that my car is bigger on the inside, and people can punch each other as they see me drive by in my Slug Bug.

14. Favorite food?

Any Italian pasta dish is perfection! Also gyros, butter chicken (the curry dish), and vegetarian sushi are among my favorites as well.

15. Drink of choice?

It varies by time of year. Always coffee in the morning. The rest of the time this summer is green tea of any variety, as long as it's cold.

16. Instruments?

The clarient, although I haven't played in a while. If I took it out right now, I'd probably sound like Squidward!

17: Languages?

Only English. I want to try learning German or French.

18. Celebrity crushes?

Jack Davenport, Damian O'hare, David Tennant, and Jason Isaacs are my most recent ones. Of course Sierra Boggess, America Ferrera, Karen Gillian, and Katie McGrath are also on the list. I guess I'm not straight after all.

19. Favorite ecosystem?

The coral reefs! They are beautiful, diverse, and among the oldest ecosystems to date.

20. Favorite cat species?

My favorite cat species is the Fishing cat. They are the size of domestic cats, but they are wild cats that have evolved to hunt for whatever they can in the wetlands of South and Southeast Asia. Which, as their namesake suggests, includes a lot of fishing!

21: This part is the one that I am always the worst at, because either the user's already been tagged to do this post or I feel like I'm bugging them. So, I tag anyone who wants to participate!

[the-circles-of-life]

Chrotopterus auritus Woolly false vampire bat

ft. Lydia West / @koryos​

“‘Obsessed' is kind of a strong way to put it... but yeah, I'm obsessed. Bumper-sticker-on-my-car-that-says-"I Love Bats"-obsessed,” biologist Lydia West opens.

Lydia’s scientist side loves how many secrets they have, from why they live up to 40 years, how they became such a diverse group of flying mammals, to where exactly they fit into the mammalian family tree. “The storyteller part of me loves that character, that emotion you see in them when you come to know them. Obviously, I can't gush enough about them,” they added.

During a study tour in Belize, Lydia was enchanted by their attitude when caught, “They'd be screaming their heads off and all wriggly when enclosed in someone's hand. As soon as the biologist would open his fingers, the bat would be like, "Oh, ok," and sit there on the person's palm, looking back at us curiously. I've never seen other animals act that way when captured.”

That encounter was with a female woolly false vampire bat, which was so “ugly-beautiful,” according to Lydia. This was the beginning of an obsession.

Afterwards, Lydia went to work with bats for an environmental consulting company. Their task was to make sure no endangered species were living in an area before people started building on it. “This was where I also first learned about white-nose syndrome and how it's affecting the North American bat populations.”

Despite sounding so harmless, this fungus-caused disease has devastated bat populations in North America. The death toll is at over six million so far, an incredible number for animals that only give birth to one pup each year.

“If songbirds or butterflies stopped showing up in peoples' backyards, they'd probably notice the absence,” Lydia laments. But given how rarely bats and humans meet, it's hard for the average person to notice one of the worst animal die-offs America has ever seen.

“The changes in our night skies and our native ecosystems are staggering — akin to when settlers wiped out the buffalo from the American prairies. They're probably never going to fully recover to their previous numbers, even if we manage to halt the spread of the disease.”

—

Lydia West is a science writer currently finishing their master's degree at Johns Hopkins University. They also write science fiction and fantasy novels. Get to know Lydia and their passion for all things biology and behavior (and D&D and video games).

Twitter · Tumblr · Website

—

My main blog · Ko-fi · Patreon

[frolicingintheforest]

I   NEED  YOUR  HELP  !

I've spent the last 10 years of my life exploring the wilderness of Appalachia. I've dedicated my life to seeking what few eyes have seen, and bringing these hidden wonders to the light, so others can appreciate the diversity and beauty of our forests!

There is one forest that stands out from all the others. It's the most special place in the world to me. My heart was captured the very first time I wandered into those evergreens. It was a whole new world,  unlike anywhere I'd ever been. Huge stands of hemlocks cover the hillsides of coves that loggers couldn't reach. Some of these old trees reach high above the cliffs! A forest of evergreens, lush and thriving, even in the coldest of winter months. Waterfalls flow from the cliffs, and into the valley, joining together into a gorgeous maze of streams.

Untouched by the hands of man for many many years, it is a complex ecosystem, tucked away and forgotten. Many animals depend on the safe sanctuary that this wilderness offers, as well as many species of strange and rare plants. When you step foot in this forest, you can feel the seclusion, it feels so raw, and so wild. Other than us, no one has ventured in this wilderness for decades. I've spent years exploring this land, and there is still SO MUCH to discover!

So far, we've found six waterfalls, each nearly 100ft tall! I'm guessing there are many more, we're still exploring, with exciting new finds each time we venture deeper!

Living in Appalachia, I know all too well how rare places like this are. SO much of our land has been destroyed or contaminated, due to fossil fuel extraction. It's literally everywhere you look, and it's absolutely heartbreaking. Entire mountain ranges have been flattened, our streams polluted with poisons. I've fought for years to raise awareness and end mountaintop removal. Our land is being destroyed, stolen right out from under our feet. Stolen from future generations, blasted off the face of the earth.  

Since a very very young age, and I've felt in my heart, that I was born to protect. Nothing flows through my veins with a stronger force. Nothing floods my mind and heart with greater passion. For years, I've had dreams of buying this property, saving it from loggers, oil, or anything else that seeks to harm its pristine beauty, and undisturbed habitat.

Over the years, I've realized it's nearly impossible for me to save enough money to buy this land.  Realization that my dream may never become a reality has caused me so much heartache. The fact that at any moment, someone COULD go in and log it, drill for oil, extract other fuels... taking away everything I love, and everything these creatures and plants depend on... has absolutely left me feeling helpless. I've cried, I've brainstormed, laid awake at night,  'there has to be a way'.

Often, I'm too stubborn to ask for help, even when I really need it. But as time goes on, I get more uneasy, and I feel like something needs to be done SOON! I can't sit back and wait to get rich, because that's simply not going to happen!

It dawned on me that I have a huge web of support through Tumblr! You all are amazing, and have shown me so much love over the years.  I've shared my adventures with you all, to give you a peek into my life, and into the forest I call home. I do it all, in hopes that you all will see what beauty Appalachia holds.... and want to protect it as much as I do!  If each of my followers gave $1.00 to my cause, I would have enough to buy the land! It is my DREAM to turn this place into a nature preserve!   If you have extra money to spare, consider a donation!  This place is beyond amazing, and it deserves to remain that way! All I want is to protect it, keep it whole, keep it thriving. I'm asking from the bottom of my heart , for your help in protecting this wilderness!

Please SHARE, and spread this to as many people as possible! Thank you all for all the love and support you've shown me already, you all are great!

“The human spirit needs places where nature has not been re-arranged by the hand of man.”

Donate through paypal: ccnaturepreserve@gmail.com Donate through Ko-Fi:  ko-fi.com/ccnaturepreserve

[junghye-yun]

My Second Annotation (2019)

My Second Annotation (2019)

1. Evaluation about last project & Second project

2. Mind Extension

3. Themes and Reference artist

4. Theatrical approach 

My direction for this project

- Recycling Plastic bag, Reforming waste things, Inviting the viewer

My exploration area

- Installation, Collecting unusual art materials, Replication to society and nature through the artwork. 

1. Evaluation

 Look in my previous artwork has involved unconventional artistic material, which is the light, shadow. The material I found was the things that could almost trash or a throw-away society. On the other hand, I tried to make them be beautiful and look like real leaves and flowers. Hence, for creating my first-semester installation, I collected relevant dates and then I experimented several times. Those processes promoted my ability to not only how to express and but also how I can approach using new materials.

At first glance, people see the shadow in the room, it evoked one part of nature. And they wondered how I made these and what was the material from. While my critique was going on, I convinced that my project did it well and also, I could accept a lot of precious ideas and opinions from people, and I was sure that it would help my artwork for next my project. And the few things I have an unsatisfied feeling about the previous project because I was not fully ready to handle the new objects that is why It took so much time to find a way. Add, some of the participations recommended me to use more lights and would set lights up at different angles.

In my second project, I focused on different shapes of my installation than pre-work. I thought that it would be more symbolized and meaningful than the pre-project, so I decided to make a primary style triangle. And I put my situation as if other artists did, for instance, Da-Da artists refused to other cities and Eva-Hesse also settled down in New York.

My black triangle installation depicts darkness in my society or others and all making procedure was made by hands. I moved to Australia since I wanted to be free of my artistic expression. In Korea, there are many politics corruption, public eyes, and social pressure. Many people are suffering from their social. I was sure that it was a social disaster in Korea, and I show it is still the existence of hierarchy in society. Besides, I tried to new experiment with the viewer to see what happens there because I think that I want my installation to be connected with people. Hence, I asked people to turn on their light by using their smartphone and then they put them anywhere inside the triangle bottom. But at first, I expected that the light would shadow reflecting on each wall in the studio however, the condition of daytime's sunlight and the dimension of studio caused the failure of what I intend. But luckily, from the other's opinion were different. According to collecting their phone to contribute to my project, people thought this event made them nervous and anxiety because they wanted to take a photo or do something deep inside, but they could not do it. After finishing my critique, I figured out more something which I want to make my artwork should be interacting with people and make more sympathize with social problems.

2. Mind Extension

 According to my previous artwork, I realized that I had to start writing on my note or somewhere such as my social media for reminding of my memory in detail in terms of my artwork processing.

I think that my themes are not only involved in Korean problems, but many counties are also suffering from a similar problem even though they are different environments and cultures. Thus, I plan to collect the reality of worry from other national people by doing busking.

3. Theme & Reference Artist

 The main theme is simply similar to the last one due to the fact that I am obsessed with this, for example, I am thinking of the way how I recreate recycle things, and I found how I can extend my skills to show them later. For exploring my art concept after the first critique, I researched some of the artists who are people mentioned, or I found online. So, I started to collect the artist's works on Tumblr relying on how their practice reflects on their background and how they have diverse experimental results and the relationship with the environment. The artworks make me confirm my artwork, purpose, and plan at this time.

The first artist is Ham-Jin from South Korea. He used various materials to make his practice even though they were dust from a vacuum. Besides, the installation is like micro-size. When people see his artwork, people have to close and also bend their knees to see clear them. I was interested in his works because he used materials which are ignored in people life that had never used before. I have never thought the materials such as dust, debris or something like that. And that strangeness has a strong power to attract people. his working will help mine in terms of discovering new materials. (Expand methodology)

Next, Wolfgang Laib is a German Conceptual artist. The distinguishing character of his works is the colour and shape. To make the work, he has to collect pollen from all around the world. The special thing he is doing is his concept to show his works. It made me rethink of the way how I look at my work shape. And then, Ken and Julia Yonetani created many installations over a decade. Their main idea is coming from their base related environmental damage, the death of ecosystems, increasing salinity levels and environmental toxins and how they impact people's life. Through his project, I think that I want to create my artwork to become the medium between Korea and Australia countries. (Extend my Concept)

Lastly, Wim Delvoye is a Belgian neo-conceptual artist known for his inventive and often shocking projects. Most of his artworks are focused on people since his working is utterly stand out. He is experimental and challenging when it comes to creating an art project. According to the critic Robert Enright "He knows how to make art that reorients people's understanding of how beauty can be created". He treats a range of themes, but I want to see more one of his works it is tyre series. He allows the products which are people who do not think that it is an art piece. However, his passionate processing could relive again to artistic and esthetic creation(condition). I feel like I am appreciated about his attitude toward the diverse talent of artists working. (Extend Estheticism and reinterpretation)

4. Theatrical approach

 Through the final project in my first semester, I got to know the way where I am going for my artwork better. While researching some theories, I found some of the art theories below the title. Firstly, my object is accepted as an unnormal material and it has manifested in one part of capitalism and materialism in our society. And my condition living in Melbourne is also a new life for me to develop and reform in terms of my country's chronic problems. So, I can link between my background and Dadaism history. Next, one of my purpose in my project is that the viewer should belong to my artwork. Because, my artwork topic is related to social and environmental problems, so I want to invite people and discuss together what they think with my project. It is similar to Postmodernism in my concept. When looking at my material, it is a specific thing as a substitute for my thinking. To make my material, I have to learn new skills and study the character of the material because it is delicate and unusual materials. I concentrate on how can I get closer to my concept or how can I demonstrate deeper to achieve my intention. This notion is affected by Post-Minimalism thinking. In addition, I prefer to perform and communicate my work with people. it can be a bigger and valuable meaning as my intention. So, I want to do interactive art further via my installation art.

Overall, I say and evaluate myself, I am getting growth up as much as I expected in many ways. Studying this course impacted greatly on embodying my art theory and studying research by myself. For preparing next semester, I am thinking of active artwork in my break time for example, from children to adults, they give interviews on a social issue. I believe that the more information I have, the more I can show a strong message with my artwork in the futhermore.

[nico-in-space]

Sunny/Bright/Winter/Night

This is an original story of mine that I’m working on. I figured I could post the rough drafts online so I could get probable feedback on them! :) They’ll just escape into the void of Tumblr, so it’s not like it really matters, but I’m putting myself out there anyway, just for the hell of it.

Summary: For each situation, there are at least a hundred different perspectives. Naturally, when the aliens invade Earth, there are a few different perspectives on that event.  One is in favor of the operation. It will, in the end, benefit Earth's prosperity, and add more diversity to the already incredibly advanced ecosystem.  Another couldn't care less if aliens are invading. She's currently in the process of writing her application for MIT. It's not going so great. Also, she just had a MASSIVE fight with her best friend, who's been unusually grouchy lately. What's up with that? Not that it really matters, at this point. Now, what to study next...  One wishes that the aliens would beam her up, as she's feeling lost, alone, and depressed for many, many current reasons. But maybe she's been feeling like that for longer.  Another has been trying, fruitlessly, to defend Earth from the eventual capture of its people, but really wishes she had a helping hand in her project. Her co-workers don't seem to understand that a battle cannot be won with only force. You need knowledge, too, which is something she has quite enough of, thank you. How do their stories intertwine? Find out in Sunny/Bright/Winter/Night.

Also cross-posted on Wattpad here! I update there more regularly. :)

CODENAME: AGENT S1143

I sigh, leaning back in my chair. It protests at the action, squeaking unpleasantly, the sound reverberating in the large domed room that my cubicle, along with many others, is situated. I'm done working for the day, finally. It always feels like my work is never-ending, but my job is important, at least in the eyes of the Overseer. 

I flex my feet, hearing the joints crack. Us menial workers "run the show," according to the many posters hung up around the satellite base. We are the backbone that run the hypothetical "body" of the Earth Mission #024. At least, that's what the Overseer tells us to make us feel better.

 My work consists of an infinite amount of paperwork. Well, fairly recently in terms of history we've gone digital, so it's all computerized work. My older co-workers often complain about the supposed "laziness" of folk my age because we never had to sort physical paperwork like they did. It's really fucking annoying, to be honest. But I digress. My job is basically to scan over the documents which detail, in exactness, the birth of a Human, and all their medical "traits." I run the document through diagnostics to make sure there are no glitches. It's just some debug program, one that I could probably program myself if I had the desire,  but I'd probably get in trouble with my Local Leader. As much as I don't give a literal fuck what my Local Leader thinks, I don't feel like being electrocuted to death anytime soon. After the document goes through diagnostics, I click the confirm button, and the next document pops up. It's all I live for, basically.

It's menial; almost an insult to my intellect. I pride myself on being a fairly smart Ki'golian these days, though I was fairly rebellious in my youth, and didn't spend much time at the Academy. I preferred to spend my time in more...lucrative ways.

I get up, rubbing my shoulders. Terror above, they're sore... What I wouldn't give for a sauna in this damn place. Not like I'd ever be able to use something like that, as a folk of my status.

Feeling rather sour, I leave the Dome to head to my apartment. I swipe my card, entering my apartment Block, then find my room number and swipe to enter that. Alone at last. I recline on my bed, looking out the small window to the view of Earth. The planet is large, and I am currently viewing the Pacific Ocean. It's the largest one, which is the only way I can remember it. It's incredibly blue, even covered with clouds, and I find that I can't look away. The sun's light reflects on it even from my vantage point, though the clouds cover most of it, swirling gently, circularly. Actually seeing it in person is kind of a shock to me still. I've done boring work before, in boring places, so I figured the Earth Mission, when they reached out to me, would be no different. But the scenery, at least, is incredibly extravagant, even if the pay isn't.

 ...it really is a beautiful planet. I suppose there are things that don't have a monetary value. Scenery like this, I suppose, can be counted as one of them.

-----

GAMER-ID: BETATESTER 112

"Dammit!" Tasha exclaimed, slamming her controller on the ground. Next to her, her friend Leila yelled in success, punching the air with fervor. She was at Leila's house, playing video games with her together after school. The room was brightly lit, and Leila's screen was massive. It was a video gamer's heaven.

"Fuck, Leila, you're way too good at games. Seriously," Tasha groaned, rubbing her temples. She continued, "you'd be real good in the robotics club. I could use a friend there."

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Leila reiterated, setting down her controller and pulling a hair tie off her wrist, using it to pull up her hair. Tasha couldn't help but watch the motion, watched Leila's tan, toned arms as she fixed her hair. "You hate that the guys there think your sexuality's a challenge." Tasha blinked, focusing back on Leila's face.

"You think the teacher's wishy-washy for letting that shit happen. But you want to go to college for Rocket Science, so you're sticking with it anyway." Leila scoffed. "If I were you, I would'a quit the moment one of 'em started hitting on me."

"Not all of us have a career in lucrative hobbies, Leila. I gotta work for that future degree, y'know?" Tasha grumbled, annoyed. "Which means I have to be in a shit ton of clubs, even ones I'm...less fond of, and I've gotta do well in my classes, so that MIT might even consider me. I just wanted a little more support, that's all I was asking. It's not that hard to join a-"

"Stop." Leila's voice was tight. Her shoulders had tensed up. Tense herself, Tasha leveled her gaze at Leila, not about to back down now.

Outside, a bird trilled. Leila's robotic butler rolled to its charging dock and hooked itself on, shutting down for a quick nap, it seemed.

Leila scoffed.

 Tasha blinked.

 "Video gaming is hard work, okay! It's an actual skill."

Tasha glared at Leila. Leila was changing the topic again, like she always did when Tasha brought up her tendency to slack off. 

"No, it's not," she responded, annoyed with herself for encouraging this particularly irksome behavior of Leila's.

"Fuck you. It is," Leila growled, giving Tasha the respective finger.

Tasha groaned, frustrated, throwing her hands up in the air. This is how their conversations have been going lately, and Tasha can pinpoint it starting during the week that Tasha and their mutual friend Akane began casually dating, three months ago. Ever since then, for whatever reason, Leila has been really tough to be around, especially with applications for college starting up this month.

Tasha knew Leila was sensitive about her grades in school. No matter how much Tasha tried to reassure her it was just a letter, it didn't mean anything towards her intellect, it was still a touchy subject with her, for whatever reason. Leila wasn't planning on going to college, and college was all Tasha could think about. It was, in hindsight, a recipe for disaster. 

"You know what," she began, getting up from her seat. "I'm getting a little tired of your attitude, Leila."

Tasha grimaced, before flicking her off. She hated to do it, but Leila seriously needed a taste of her own medicine."Wait, Tasha," Leila whined, but it was too late.

Tasha had walked out of the door.

 Tasha strode purposefully to her car, parked in front of the Horton's mansion. Leila was just another nobody who spent all their time gaming. A nobody who had once been special to Tasha, but not anymore. Tasha had bigger things on her plate, and that plate didn't have room for Leila's rich girl problems.

Tasha gunned the engine, tasting the delicious feeling of knowing that Leila, right now, had heard that, and was probably upset.

It was almost like freedom.

-----

LEILA

She yearned after those Saturday nights spent drinking strawberry lemonade and watching the clouds, sun bright, in her eyes, in Tasha's eyes, the bright summer sky turning everything a shade of gold. Flittering, fluttering, old dandelion fluff from spring still in the air, making her nose itch.

She loved to watch as the white puffs blew in the slight breeze. She wished, oh God, did she wish, that she could fly like them, free, warmed by the sun, dancing against the wind.

And when she looked into Tasha's warm hazel eyes, she was part of the way there.

.

.

.

But all she felt now was the deepest chill, winter's chill creeping up her bones and settling in her spine. It froze her. She couldn't move, as her dearest friend and one-sided lover walked away, for what looked like the last time.

-----

DIARY LOG 10/10/40

Today's mission went pretty rough. Those damned beasts keep making the chase harder. I keep hacking into their mainframe to try and disable their cloaking device, but they change the security every time. And it's always so God...damned convoluted. Ugh, I have the worst fucking headache right now. Boss keeps telling me I need lasik, or contacts, or even old-fashioned glasses, but there's no time for that. Not when I'm the only hacker on the Resistance team. We really need to get someone else who can program. Jesus. 

End log.

[tropicbeverleykaye]

Today is World Reef Day 🌎🐠 It’s a reminder of just how important it is to conserve the integrity and diversity of our reefs and the marine life that lives in them. It’s also a striking call to action for all of us in the beauty industry. We need to ensure that our principles, our practices and our products take into account, and are held accountable for, the protection of reefs. Sun care is one of the biggest culprits when it comes to reef pollution, commonly known to contain chemicals like oxybenzone which are harmful to aquatic life. Here at Tropic, we’re proud to be the first beauty brand in the UK and Europe to gain ‘Protect Land + Sea’ approval on our entire sun protection range, so while the products are keeping your skin healthy, they’re also protecting the health of our marine ecosystems. 💚 They also smell really sweet and yummy too! 😆 Chat to me today - ask anything you need about any of the Sun care, or other gorgeous, clean and green products in my range. 📞 07909 606491 I can help find your perfect Skincare! 🙌🌴😃 Message me for info, advice or more details. @tropicbeverleykaye *** Facebook ~ Instagram ~ Twitter *** 🌴💚🌺 SHOP www.tropicskincare.com/beverleykaye Help us #TeachtheUnreached through our #partnership with #United #World #Schools 💰EVERY £50 purchase pays for 1 school day for underprivileged children in remote parts of the world 💚👫👭👬🌍 #LoveTropic #vegan #green #natural #fresh #cleanbeauty #crueltyfree #naturalbeauty #glutenfree #tropic #toxicfreebeauty #pamperparty #treatyourself #consultation #skincare #suncare #bodycare #haircare #babycare #Tropicskincare (at Northampton, Northamptonshire) https://www.instagram.com/p/CPnChovpvkj/?utm_medium=tumblr

[mikemortgage]

Halifax becoming a big fish in the ocean startup ecosystem, and it doesn’t stop there

One of the biggest commitments on the Halifax mayor’s plate these days is ribbon cutting. In the past 12 months alone, the city has been going through a flurry of infrastructure activity, including an expanding and thriving Innovation District.

Today that District is home to seven post-secondary institutions, hospitals and research labs, and thousands of tech, financial and life sciences firms. It’s where Creative Destruction Lab launched CDL Atlantic in 2017, based in Dalhousie University’s Rowe School of Business. Its main focus there is on blue-green ventures combining agritech and biotech.

Another new resident is the Centre for Ocean Ventures and Entrepreneurship (COVE), a provincially funded initiative that brings together ocean-economy innovators and entrepreneurs to share resources and tools to enable commercialization and growth.

It’s also the base for Volta Labs, a tech hub modelled after Ontario’s Communitech, that is said to rank as the largest innovation hub in Canada outside of the Kitchener-Waterloo-Toronto corridor. Since opening four years ago it has expanded from 10,000 square feet to a much grander 60,000 sq. ft. of prime real estate space. Plans are to take it to 150,000 sq. ft. over the next five years, according to CEO Jesse Rodgers.

Boomtown in the making: 'The timing is now for Halifax'

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Trailer Park boys add landmark Halifax eatery, bars to growing business empire

In building Volta, Rodgers knew what it takes to create a strong early-stage funding community. He was a founding director of Creative Destruction Lab in Toronto and Velocity in Waterloo.

“Five years ago, we were trying to get people out to see what kind of ecosystem we had in Halifax,” he says. “Since then Volta has grown with that ecosystem. Now we are closing in on 30 companies in our space and host 200 events a year.”

In keeping with the Communitech model, Volta recently announced a Corporate Innovation Outpost for corporate and small investment partners, and has already welcomed  Atlantic Lottery Corp. as its first partner, with more in the works.

One resident of Volta Labs is Swept, developers of a software as a service app specifically designed for the cleaning and janitorial services trade. Serial entrepreneur Michael Brown, who previously owned a residential and commercial cleaning services company, founded the company with Volta in 2015.

In fact, he discovered Volta when his company was asked to provide a quote for cleaning services. “I didn’t know Volta existed. I didn’t even know what a tech incubator was,” he says.

When he mentioned he was working on a new app, the interest was enough to convince him to sell his cleaning company and focus solely on the technology. “Once we joined Volta, we really took off,” he says. The company grew from three to 25 people.

Brown now serves as a mentor to new companies joining the fold. As part of that, he has also spent time in Silicon Valley with accelerators, startups and tech industry leaders, driving the Halifax innovation ecosystem message home. “We’ve been able to build up a beautiful network for other founders. If anyone here is facing a challenge, we can tie them into different ecosystems.”

Rodgers says the real strength of the startup community in Halifax is its diversity, particularly in the B2B space, from machinery to services. “That’s a real strength that people are just starting to realize. For example, we’ve also got the Ocean Supercluster. That’s a really big deal in terms of the calibre of baseline technology and research here.”

The federal government chose Atlantic Canada as Canada’s Ocean Supercluster, a knowledge-based ocean-economy project that brings together private and public investment. It will see $250 million dollars in investment for hundreds of small and medium-size companies.

It comes as no surprise that the ocean economy looms large on the Halifax innovation horizon. At an Economic Club of Canada presentation, Mayor Mike Savage noted that Atlantic Canada has 75 per cent of Canada’s ocean economy, providing plenty of opportunity. “Norway, for example, has a population that’s one-seventh that of Canada but boasts an ocean economy that is seven times more valuable than ours. The potential here is staggering.”

COVE, for its part, is providing an all-important foundation that will open the doors to innovators in the field, says Jennifer Angel, acting president and CEO.

A key pillar to a successful innovation district is creating the conditions needed for people to collaborate, she explains. “It’s not enough to create companies, but to create spaces to share ideas. Infrastructure is especially important to ocean-related ventures, because access to the ocean and tools can be prohibitively expensive.”

COVE is enabling some very small companies with very big ideas the access to infrastructure and the water’s edge to accelerate their ability to test ideas and help bring them to market, she adds. “It’s all about commercialization of technologies and project collaboration across ocean sectors.”

Aleksandr Stabenow, co-founder and chief technology officer of Sedna, a fisheries tech company and one of the first six startups to join COVE, says the ecosystem played an important role in bringing him back from Western Canada to his native Nova Scotia. “COVE was a big factor in our decision to start Sedna in Halifax. It’s pretty amazing that there are so many people here to help. The network here is very tight knit, and there’s a lot coming through the pipeline. One of the unique things about the startup community here is the support and resources that are available now.”

With all this activity, Halifax is also convincing larger enterprises to commit to the innovation ecosystem in a bigger way. EY Canada for example, recently announced the launch of a new Global Centre of Excellence focusing on robotic process automation technologies. The mayor also announced an IBM/Maersk join venture that will bring blockchain to digitizing Halifax’s port.

Rodgers says that while Halifax has been through boom-and-bust cycles in the past, today’s momentum is building confidence in what the city has to offer. “Investment is piling in and people are getting excited. We’re more ambitious now, because the economy is in a good place and people are feeling more positive. And we are bringing in brand new stuff. It changes people’s mindsets when they see that.”

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[callmoiwhatuwant]

1-100

I hope you know you’re the best and this kept me entertained for a while 100 questions1. Is a kiss considered cheating?On the lips 100% yes. On the cheek in a familial way, no. 2. Have you ever faked orgasm?Nope I’m very straight forward and if I’m not enjoying it then I’m not gonna fake it to save someone’s feelings 3. If you could have one superpower, what would it be?Time travel! 4. Do you think you are going to be rich in 7-8-9 years?Hahahahahaha probably not. I’m already drowning in debt probably will be drowning in more student debt by then 5. Tell us some funny drunk story.I swear I have good ones but like I can’t think of any6. Why are you no longer together with your ex?He dumped me 🤷🏼‍♀️ His loss 7. If you had to choose one way to die, what would it be? Gun shot to the head. Instant. Painless. 8. What are your current goals?I’m actually going back on my whole30 diet again so weight loss and I really want to get back to school at some point. Happiness is a goal too. 9. Do you like someone?I love someone if that counts 10. Who was the last person to disappoint you?Myself 11. Do you like your body?It’s a love hate relationship, some days it’s good some days it’s bad12. Can you keep a diet?I’ve had really good luck with whole30 so yes! 13. If the whole world listened to you right now, what would you say?Stop. Just stop. Listen to what you are saying to each other, look at the way we are treating our underprivileged brothers and sisters. How can we not decide to work collaboratively? We would all benefit if there was equal give and take and the world would be more peaceful. Stop trying to be the strongest, stop trying to out do another country. We need peace more than we need nukes. 14. Do you work?Don’t think that’s even a question anymore 15. If you could choose only one food to eat to the rest of your life, what would it be?Probs salad cause it’s really diverse or maybe pizza 16. Would you get a tattoo?I already have 3 and I’m dyin for more 17. Something you don’t mind spending all your money on?Tattoos 😂18. Can you drive?Yes and no. My license is expired right now19. When was the last time someone told you you were beautiful?Uhhh I honestly can’t recall 20. What was the last thing you cried for?Something dumb on tv tbh 21. Do you keep a journal?I try to actually! 22. Is life fun?Debatable.....23. Is farting in front of people irrelevant?Older you get the less you care 24. What’s your dream car?Something from the 50s or 60s muscle car25. Are grades in school important?In college and uni absolutely 26. Describe your crush.Tattoo artist. He’s a cutie. But I’m committed. He’ll tattoo me though! 27. What was the last book/movie that really impressed you?WONDER WOMANNNNNNNN28. What was your last lie?That I was okay 29. Dumbest lie you ever told? I don’t really lie a lot so I don’t really know honestly 30. Is crying in front of people embarrassing?To me it’s become a weekly ritual soooooo31. Something you did and you are proud of?I’m proud of graduating and moving somewhere I knew no one and still being okay on my own. 32. What’s your favourite cocktail?Don’t really drink em to be honest 33. Something you are good at?Weird knowledge on an assortment of topics 34. Do you like small kids?I think they are the most adorable creatures till they can talk then they are devils 35. How are you feeling right now?Tired, sad, frustrated, anxious 36. What would you name your daughter/son?Son: JamesDaughter: haven’t put much thought honestly, always thought I’d have a boy first 37. What do you need to be happy?Comfort, attention, love, food38. Is there some you want to punch in the face right now?Yeah most definitely 39. What was the last gift you received?My mom bought me a bunch of stuff lol 40. What was the last gift you gave?Probably Christmas and an A7X mug and slippers and something else to my partner 41. What was the last concert you went to?Sawyer Brown but before that it’d be Slipknot 42. Favourite place to shop at?Walmart as weird as that sounds 43. Who inspires you?My dad actually 44. How old were you when you first got drunk?Like 14 45. How old were you when you first got high?14 46. How old were you when you first had sex?1547. When was your first kiss?When I was like 12 48. Something you want to do until the end of this year?Keep my damn diet 49. Is there something in the past you wish you hadn’t done?self harmed.... tried to kill myself... 50. Post a selfie.51. Who are you most comfortable around?My best friends 52. Name one thing that terrifies you.Being cheated on again53. What kind of books do you read?Anything from classics to erotic lol 54. What would you tell your 12 year old self?Its gonna get worse but don’t be afraid to get help55. What is your favourite flower?Roses and orchids 56. Any bad habits you have?I overthink a lot 57. What kind of people are you attracted to?Girls who can dominate preferably alternative and burly tattooed guys. All have to be animal lovers and like to be fit. 58. What was the last thing you cried for?A movie on tv 59. Is there something you don’t eat? Some food that truly disgust you?I love all food honestly 60. Are you in love?Yes, I think so still anyways, I just don’t know if he feels the same anymore 61. Something you find romantic?Genuine interest and eye contact 62. How long was your longest relationship? Almost 3 years 63. What are 3 things that irritate you about the same sex?How bitchy and catty girls can be, periods and girls who pretend to be ditzy to get men’s attention64. What are 3 things that irritate you about the opposite sex? Men who think they need to prove their manliness, overtly sexual and can’t keep conversations normal (maybe just my age range though) guys who think being jerks is the way to girls pants. 65. What are you saving money for?Tattoos, paying people back. Traveling. School. 66. How would you describe your bad side?A raging psychotic bitch67. Are you actually a good person? Why?Debatable lmao 68. What are you living for?I don’t really know anymore, for myself and my cat I think69. Have you ever done anything illegal?Definitely.... 70. Do you like your body?Most definitely love and hate 71. Have you ever made someone feel bad about themselves intentionally?Yes but they deserved it72. Ever sent nudes?So many omg 73. Have you ever cheated on someone?Nope and never will74. Favourite candy?I love twizzlers and kit kats 75. Is there a blog you visit every day, or almost every day? Tag it!No not really... 76. Do you play any computer games? What is your favourite game?I play sudoku but that’s it lol77. Favourite TV series?Ayuh that’s really hard to pick.... right now it’s greys anatomy 78. Are you religious? Does God exist?Spiritual. I put myself under the pagan category. A single god in my eyes does not exist but many gods and goddesses do 79. What was the last book you read? Did it impress you and why?The secret garden. It was a reread but it’s always good 80. What do you think about vegetarianism/veganism?Great for you if you can do it but I definitely can’t 81. How long have you been on Tumblr?I believe my blog turned 4 or 5 this year 82. Do you like Chineese food?Love it. I grew up in a predominantly Asian city and region and it was a way of life lol83. McDonalds or Subway?Depends if I’m drunk or not or on my period. But usually McDonald’s 84. Vodka or whiskey?Why not both? But I prefer whisky for its flavour 85. Alcohol or drugs?Drugs. Weed is a drug right? 86. Ever been out of your province/state/country?Numerous times87. Meaning behind your blog name?I was like 14 at the time and edgy but the moi part is for my francophone early life 88. What are you scared of?Change. Lots of change89. Last time you were insulted?I don’t get insulted very easily so probably a while ago cause I don’t remember 90. Most traumatic experience ?Having someone die under my hands as they bled out as I was performing CPR after a horrendous car accident that my dad and I were the first responders for. We helped as the ambulances were on their way. Unfortunately the deceased lost too much blood to be revived. 91. Perfect date idea?Nice dinner, walks and long talks. Or getting tattooed and making out. 92. Favourite app on your phone?Probably Facebook. I use it a lot 93. What colour are the walls in your room?At my moms they were white and gray, here they are off white which I hate. 94. Do you watch Youtube? Who is your favourite youtuber?A little. I love Joe Santagato and The Try Guys and Ladylike 95. Share your favourite quote.“You are my sunshine my only sunshine, you make me happy when skies are gray, you’ll never know dear how much I love you, please don’t take my sunshine away” 96. What is the meaning of life?In biological terms it’s to reproduce and balance ecosystems, in bigger terms.... I’ll let you know when I figure it out 97. Do you like horror movies?Love them! 98. Have you ever made your mum cry? What happened?Yes, when I left to Alberta99. Do you feel lucky or special in a way?Not really. I feel pretty ordinary to be honest 100. Can you keep a secret?Yes I definitely can. I am a hella reliable friend.