#wait would there be conservation efforts for humans

[lazyneonrabbitt]

Rules of nature

Daryl Dixon x Reader

Daryl gets hurt on a simple hunting trip and reader patches him up.

You waved Daryl off with Hunter on your arm. You learned last time that having him stand next to you as his dad walked through the gate was a bad idea, having to pry him off Daryl's leg with way more effort thsn you both hoped. This time everything went way smoother and you were walking back home soon after the gate was closed.

Daryl walked until the gate was no longer visible, heading out to one of his personal stash boxes to hide his clothes in as he shifted for the hunt.

He made his rounds and quickly found a deer big enough to be his only catch and he'd be satisfied. He treaded lightly, staying low to the ground and making sure he stayed out of the deer's view. The greenery he stalked through was thick and his most of his figure well, he couldn't even see his own frontpaws.

He had the deer right where he wanted it and readied himself to jump. He lowered hhis body, legs positioned right, stepped in to jump and howled out in pain.

The second he put his front paw forward to jump he had hit something and was hit with a sharp pain through his whole jaw and muzzle.

He hit a porcupine. Daryl was so focused on the deer he hadn't sniffed out the creature hidden in the overgrown forest plants. As soon ashe ducked down and his paw hit the animal it jumped. The sharp quills on its back piercing akin and detaching from the smaller animal that now ran for its life as the large predator was distracted by the pain.

The deer was long forgotten as he tried to pull out the quills that got stuck in his face but his large paws couldn't get a grip. They were staying in.

With that came the problem of not being able to shift back into his human form, so whatever he hunted had to be dropped off near the gate in hopes someone would find it before it rotted, and a group was soon traveling so he could get help with his problem.

He shook out his fur, hoping hs'd dislodge some of the quills but only hurting himsslf more in the process. His loud whine surely scaring off any game nearby.

His best option now was to head off to a different location and try to catch something small for himeself to eat. Even a single fish would be enough for now but it was getting dark already and he mentally cursed at himself for being so careless and getting hurt. He'd prefer going home to you now with the disappointing news of having no food than wait, get help and shift back.

He'd risk it if he knew who was on the lookout shift right now, if he guessed wrong and an Alexandrian sas him come out of the treeline he'd be shot on sight.

His only option now was find food. He had go keep up his strength if he had to stay shifted, he needed to eat something.

Sticking to the lower greenery now he spotted a bird on a low branch. He could get it if he stayed low up til his jump point. He pounced and managed to catch it between his jaws, hurting himself so bad in thr process he ruined his landing and dropped hard on his side. The bird pressed into the spines that pierced through his lip and even the smallest bit of pressure hurt too much so chewing was out of the question.

He put up his best effort to pluck the bird clean in small bits, but he tore more to shreds then he left to eat. Werewolves and delicate handlings did not go hand in hand..

If he couldn't eat he'd have to sleep to conserve energy. He made his way up a sturdy tree, he'd stalk out to the main roads in the morning.

Sunrise woke him up, hopping out of the tree and slowly making his way to the roads. With his rumbling stomach he had no chance of finding and snacking on something in the meantime, but it made staying away from walkers a lot more difficult. On his way he had to fight some off, getting his hindleg caught on a vine in the process and having to limp the rest of the way after killing the walkers.

Now he was hungry and hurt even worse. He really needed someone to find him. His hid in the treeline, laying down and keeping his ears open for any sign of cars and horses, but when the sun was up at its highest he still hadn't seen anyone.

The sunlight was harsh, it warmed his fur but only made him more thirsty over time.

He waited and waited, nightfall coming and going. The sounds of crickets filled the air and he dreamed of snatching some off the greenery with how hungry he was.

Another morning came and he still hadn't seen anyone, growing desperate and worried about his family. He promised to be back soon as always but had been stuck out there for way longer than he had hoped. He needed to get home.

He'd have to hide as much as he could, but set out to the gate anyways. Staying low and out of sight was hard enough on his empty stomach, and the racing anxiety he had over who would be on watch made focusing even harder.

He made it to the abandoned houses undetected and got a glance at the watch.

Rosita.

A relieved huff left him as he stepped onto the road and kept his eyes on her, earning a shocked gasp before she disappeared. The sounds of her going down the stairs rung in his ears before the gate was shoved open and she came running to his aid. "Holy crap, Daryl! What happened to you?" He could only whine in response as she led him through the gate, for which she was met with quite the resistance from the original Alexandrians.

"This is outrageous!" Screamed onw woman, as a man followed up. "Anyone can just go around and break rules now?"

"I thought we made it clear we don't want that monster in here." The commotion had summoned Abraham, who easily shot down each and every comment as he helped Daryl home and up the porch steps.

There was a knock on the door just as you came downstairs. You weren't expecting anyone, but in this world that meant nothing anymore. You saw the blurred image of Abraham through the glass and opened the door for him.

"Hi, what bri-- Oh my god." You sank to your knees opun seeing your partner. Careful not to touch the spines stuck in his face you went to carress his fur, tears flowing freely without a care who saw them.

"Need anything from the doc? Gimme a list and I'm off." You thanked the man but shook your head no, having everything you needed in the house.

It was a sad scene, watching Daryl limp inside and lay down on the large rug in the middle of the living room.

He listened to your steps going into the kitchen and rummaginf through the cabinets. Then a metal object being filled with water, and then the clattering of tools.

"Relax, baby. I'm on my way." You held the bowl of water as steady aa possible, setting it down next to your injured partner. He looked horrible, so tired and weak.

You took some kichen towels, not wanting to waste time by running up to the bathroom. It was clear in his eyes how much he was hurting, if you didn't have to patxh him up yourself you'd probably cry your eyes out.

"I'm sorry, this is gonna hurt.." he watched as you picked up tongs and placed them around a single quill, close to Daryl's skin and pulled it out. He yelped in response and you apologised profusely, bending down to press a kiss to his forehead as you continued to pluck the quills from his chin. His soft whines continuing throughout the process. "I know, I know. But you'll be all good when it's over."

With all the quills removed from his lower jaw you moved on to his snout, carefully lifting his lip to see which ones had pierced all the way through.

"Alright, I'm gonna pull these ones out from the inside, it should hurt less." With one hand holding his lip up you pulled the quill through in one smooth motion, this time earning a less hurt reaction from Daryl. "See? That was a lot less bad!" Your little cheer only made him roll his eyes at you, but still moved his paw to squeeze your thigh in thanks.

You let out a soft laugh. "Don't thank me yet, we still got some left and those look deep." With a soft rub on his ear you continued, taking out the ones from the inside of his lip first before methodically moving from his nose towards the back of his jaw. There were some that got stuck crooked and dug deep, needing a strong pull and got a loud cry out of him each time. "Yeah, I'm not so nice anymore now huh." You frowned at his hurt expression, wanting nothing more than to cuddle him but his wounds were barely healing due to his malnutrition.

With a quick kiss to his forehead you got up and dug through the fridge for you dinner meats, handing them over. "Can you chew?"

He tried a piece and winced as he bit down, the pressure hurting the punctures.

So that was a no.

You went back to the kitchen and grabbed a knife and cutting board, chopping up the meat into small pieces Daryl could swallow whole. He instantly ate and hummed in satisfaction, slowly feeling the skin on his face knit back together and feel the muscle in his leg tingle as it healed.

Even after all the time you had spent with him, you still watched him heal in awe.

"Can you walk?" You watched Daryl as he slowly sat up, testing the strength of his legs and noddig as he kept up his weight. "You should go rest in bed while I go pick up Hunter from Rick's place and see if I can get some extra meat." You made sure he got up the stairs in one piece and rested in the bed before heading back downstairs and out.

Retrieving Hunter was an easy job, having him jump up in your arms as soon as he saw you at the door. You made sure to thank Rick and Michonne again for letting him sleep over and play with Judith.

Your trip to the pantry took a little longer than planned with Hunter insisting on paddin along with you on his little legs, but in the end you succeeded in getting an extra ration of meat for dinner.

Back home you dumped the meat in the fridge and wasted no time getting back up thr stairs with Hunter hot on your heels as he sniffed out his dad. He even made it past you and beat you to the bedroom, climbing onto the bed and crawling between Daryl's arms and nuzzled against his chest.

"Ahw, hey.. that's where I wanted to go." There was a soft murmur before Daryl moved and took Hunter in one arm, moving to make space for you.

With you against his chest and Hunter against yours it was clear you weren't going anywhere until dinnertime.

But that was fine. No matter who came fhrough that door, you were going to spend today in bed making sure your partner healed and rested enough to shift back.

#sometimes i write #daryl dixon #daryl dixon x reader #daryl dixon imagine #daryl dixon fanfiction #twd daryl #twd #the walking dead #twd au #werewolves #werewolf

[redshift-13]

An excellently written article. A few snippets:

President Milei began his assault on the Argentine state immediately upon taking office last December. Right before Christmas, he signed a “megadecree,” or omnibus executive order, that deregulated significant parts of the economy. It reduced severance compensations and transferred workers from union-assigned health care to a voluntary system; lifted ceilings on rent, credit card interests, land tenure, and private health insurance plans; pushed the privatization of state-owned companies (“All government companies should close down,” Milei has explained); paved the way for unregulated international fishing, indiscriminate mining, and unsupervised tactical burning of forests. On December 29 he sent Congress a sweeping “ley ómnibus” with 664 articles. One of them would grant him emergency executive powers, allowing him to unilaterally rule on fiscal and pension matters for up to two years, without Congressional approval. In some three months Milei has also closed or weakened the ministries of education, labor, human rights, women, and the environment.

...

Disinvestment in social support leads to a perverse populist conclusion: social spending itself is the problem, not that the spending isn't high enough.

It's a common criticism, justified in my view, that conservative voters often vote against their own self-interest. (I don't mean to imply by contrast that voting for the Dems is a panacea by any means.) In Strangers in Their Own Land - Anger and Mourning on the American Right, Arlie Russell Hochschild examines specific individual cases of working and middle class voters who, despite living in a polluted environment with high cancer rates, nevertheless arrive at the conclusion that we have to abolish the Environmental Protection Agency.

Through a combination of cynical intuition and programmatic dishonesty to hide their actual motives, Republicans routinely propose cuts to, among other things, Social Security and Medicare, in the hope that voters will blame these programs for being insufficient, forget that the insufficiency has actual perpetrators, and will then be amenable to free market "solutions."

A similar or identical logic seems to be at work in Argentina, and with predictable results:

Voters also became increasingly ambivalent about the benefits of the welfare state as its effectiveness dwindled. For most of the second half of the twentieth century, Argentina’s literacy rate was close to 95 percent, supported by a massive public education system. Today, for every hundred students who enter public primary school, only forty-six graduate passing the Pruebas Aprender—a standardized test in mathematics and Spanish. Just half make it to the end of high school, and a paltry sixteen pass the version of the test designed for that stage. Public hospitals were once the gems of the Argentine welfare state. As the middle and upper-middle classes absconded to the private system, however, the quality of care declined. Today half of lower-income patients have not visited a doctor in a year; those who do face waits two or three times longer than those in the private health care system. “Most of those funding public goods have abandoned them a long time ago,” the sociologists Javier Auyero and Sofia Servián have argued. “Those who use them feel them broken and shattered.”

...

The libertarian "free market" inevitably requires a great deal of coercion and the abrogation of basic rights. So, it's not surprising that a kind of moral inversion appears, a political transubstantiation where actual sources of oppression are transformed into victims, and the efforts to alleviate immiseration are vilified.

Even as he rails against the political caste, Milei has been careful to support the military. His vice president, Victoria Villarruel, is the granddaughter, daughter, and niece of members of the armed forces. Her uncle, the intelligence officer Ernesto Villarruel, worked at the clandestine detention center El Vesubio during the military dictatorship. Villarruel herself has set up the Center for Legal Studies on Terrorism and its Victims, which called for the release of many military figures imprisoned for torture, assassinations, and kidnappings. It’s an intervention that effectively redefines human rights. Villarruel presents “urban crime, state negligence or corruption, and traffic accidents” as human rights violations on par with the military’s crimes, Verónica Torras, executive director of the human rights organization Memoria Abierta, told me. “At the same time…[the government] moves towards an increasing criminalization of social and economic rights.”

Much more at the link (unfortunately behind a paywall).

#argentina #ernesto semán #javier milei #economics #political economy #libertarianism in practice

[mariacallous]

Hatred is stalking the women of Afghanistan, pushing them further into darkness as world leaders appear to be ignoring the terrible truth that the Taliban’s efforts to disappear half the population are central to their hold on power. Taliban leaders say their misogynistic policies are steeped in religion, tradition, and respect for women. They tell Western officials that the prison-like restrictions will soon be eased, only then to tighten them further. For women who are isolated, brutalized, and desperate, Afghanistan has become that place where nobody can hear them scream.

The U.N.’s special rapporteur on Afghanistan, Richard Bennett, issued another devastating report on Friday and again called on the Taliban to honor obligations to protect human rights, and for U.N. member states to ensure the “situation of human rights of women and girls in Afghanistan is central to all policy decisions and engagement” with the Taliban. Human rights organizations have reported extensively on Taliban atrocities, describing the anti-woman practices as “crimes against humanity,” “gender apartheid,” “a war on women,” and “femicide.”

Afghan women don’t use the jargon. They tell of gang rapes and being beaten on their breasts and genitals so they cannot display their injuries. They tell how their rapists urinated in their faces, and of much, much worse. They tell of relatives kidnapped into sex slavery to serve as Taliban “wives,” or murdered by the “vice and virtue police” for resisting, their bodies found by roadsides or hanging in trees. In interviews with Foreign Policy, women said that revealing their identities would be a death sentence.

Inequality and misogyny are hardly exclusive to Afghanistan, or to many fundamentalist religions more broadly, but the Taliban are plumbing depths few outside the country can comprehend. The question is why misogyny is so central to the Taliban worldview. The Taliban were already notoriously brutal toward women during their first rule, between 1996 and 2001. In their second incarnation, they’ve only gotten worse.

They seem to have deftly manipulated religious conservatism, which was consistent across most of Afghanistan’s ethnic and religious groups, into an elemental expression of what it means to be a “good” Muslim. The privations of war, beginning with the Soviet invasion in 1979, arguably led to the emasculation of Afghanistan’s men, who juxtaposed their masculinity against a weaker position for women. With the arrival in 2001 of the United States and billions of dollars in programs to educate and emancipate women, the notion of feminism could then be easily portrayed as another attack on the natural order of the country’s culture and religion, in which men were dominant.

Rights activists and academics said the Taliban have used their rhetorical and physical violence against women to secure support from conservative and religious communities. Those are mostly, though not exclusively, Sunni Pashtuns who predominate in southern Afghanistan and live according to a mythologized life code that extends warm hospitality, even to al Qaeda and other terrorists, and sequesters women from nearly all spheres of public life. The Taliban refined and intensified that ideology as they fought the so-called infidel U.S.-led forces and members of what they saw as a puppet government during their ultimately successful 20-year insurgency to win back control of the country.

“From 2001 to 2021, I think they evolved in a way that made their abusive views on women and girls even more central to their cause. So it makes sense that they won’t budge on those issues, after that ideology arguably led them to victory,” said Heather Barr, the associate women’s rights director at Human Rights Watch.

Part of the reason that misogyny became so central to the new Taliban was because of the way the group propagated itself, by brainwashing millions of boys in religious schools, or madrassas, in the mountainous border regions between Afghanistan and Pakistan. They were the Taliban’s future, then their cannon fodder, and now are their enforcers. The male-only madrassas that taught Taliban fighters Quran recitation and bomb-making—and where many were victims of sexual violence—also deprived them of family.

“They were always isolated from the other half of the population,” former Deputy Education Minister Marjan Mateen said. “If you have respectful relationships with the women in your family, you will have respect for women. The madrassa system deprived them of this.”

Keeping women uneducated was also a central plank of the Taliban’s construction of their new state, she said. The repression of women is “deeply rooted in traditional notions of patriarchy, but which they try to justify with recourse to Islam and culture,” she said, and an educated woman threatens that power base. “It is strategic to deprive women of education and agency, as this keeps the entire household ignorant,” she said.

Now back in charge, the Taliban cannot build an economy or create jobs. All they can offer to millions of young, uneducated, and unemployed men are women. “Being the king of their home and having total control of ‘their women’ may be all the power and recognition they get,” Barr said.

Afghan Witness, a British nongovernmental organization, has collected data on more than 140 reports of women being “individually killed, often in circumstances of extreme violence and brutality,” team leader David Osborn said. That is probably an undercount given the limits of open-source data, he noted. With laws of the previous government canceled in favor of an unspecified interpretation of Sharia law, “justice for the victims and families left behind has rarely resulted,” he said. “From our analysis, the picture is clear: There is a culture of impunity for femicide in the Taliban’s Afghanistan.”

Afghanistan was no paradise for women even before the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021, regularly rated the worst place in the world to be born as a woman. Their lack of rights under the Taliban’s first regime was used as one of the justifications for the 2001 U.S.-led invasion after the Sept. 11 terror attacks: In a radio address supporting the military retaliation against the Taliban for colluding with al Qaeda, then-first lady Laura Bush called out the Taliban’s “brutality against women and children.” With the removal of the Taliban “terrorists,” she said, “women are no longer imprisoned in their homes. They can listen to music and teach their daughters without fear of punishment.”

Soon after, a new constitution guaranteed women’s rights, and there was incremental, if slow, progress. The patriarchal culture that privileges men over women by social norms started to break down as the benefits of laws to protect women’s rights started to be felt beyond the cities. Women began to see education and development as pathways to peace. It was a multigenerational project, but with millions of girls going to school—up from nearly zero under the Taliban—and many getting degrees, working, running businesses, and traveling abroad, things were demonstrably better.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump’s exit deal with the Taliban in 2020 threw it all into reverse, and President Joe Biden’s decision to stick with the U.S. withdrawal has taken Afghanistan back to the dark ages of the Taliban 1.0. Women are again banned from school, university, most work, travel, going to parks and gyms, playing sports, and in most cases, leaving their homes alone. The Taliban have banned charities, including U.N. agencies, from employing women to deliver aid to women. This cuts them off from essentials such as food, medicine, and clothing, making them vulnerable to sexual exploitation and violence. Some non-U.N. organizations have found ways around the ban, though many believe the Taliban are moving toward strict enforcement.

At the highest levels of powerful world bodies, the reality of the Taliban is slow to sink in. Martin Griffiths, the U.N.’s undersecretary-general for humanitarian affairs, spoke for many when he met with Taliban leaders after they issued the charity ban in December and barred women from university. He emerged from meetings to say he had received “encouraging responses” from Taliban leaders that new “guidelines” on how women live and work would soon be issued, only to be humiliated within hours when the Taliban instead issued further restrictions. This month, senior Taliban figure Suhail Shaheen, in a clear reference to women’s rights, said the world is “slowly accepting the realities” that the “conditions of the international community are not acceptable” to the terrorist-led group.

The Taliban do not have formal recognition from any country, yet there is an insidious and subtle form of engagement nonetheless that is entrenching the Taliban’s worst behaviors. Some countries, such as China, Russia, Iran, and Turkey, maintain embassies in Kabul and accept Taliban figures in the former Republic of Afghanistan’s overseas embassies. This low-key engagement is undermining “shared values” such as rule of law, nondiscrimination, freedom of thought, and respect for both women’s rights and human rights more broadly, said former Afghan national security agency official Ahmad Shuja Jamal. “This creeping increase in diplomatic engagement short of recognition,” he said, enables the Taliban “to establish gender apartheid by completely banning women from public participation.”

Jamal said that the governments and multilateral organizations that deal with the Taliban—including the United States, Russia, China, and the U.N.—“are contributing to a breakdown of those values, which is currently harming the Afghan people most directly, but that degradation is going to affect every person all over the world in the long term.”

[marlenacantswim]

Benthan... "Fondly Familiar" 👀

picture benji and ethan as they are in this beautiful post.

Fondly Familiar

Ethan waits patiently by the air vent. Despite the overall quiet, he can feel his heartbeat threatening to rise. He takes a few controlled breaths in an effort to keep it on its current cusp: conserving energy, but ready to pump adrenaline in an instant should things go south. His ear flicks— a tell he's been trying to unlearn. He's about to pontificate to himself about it, when his ears hone in on muffled thumping about three feet into the vent. When he's not rambling himself into a knot of nerves, Benji's surprisingly good at being completely inaudible. Ethan digs his claws under the lip of the vent and pops it off. "How's it looking, Benji?"

From the vent, two little paws hold out a laptop perfectly sized to accommodate them. "Bad. Two guys— human, but large— making their way to our location right now."

"What?!" He quickly pockets the mini laptop, and crouches down to meet his teammate at eye-level. The lenses on his glasses are cracked, and a small line of blood is streaming down from his little nose. "Benji, are you hurt?"

"Couple of brutes entered the server room; one of the buggers walloped me with a briefcase." Breathing heavy, he gestures vaguely to the wolf in front of him. "Help me down, would you? Think he broke a rib."

Ethan holds out his hands, ready to lift his leporine partner. "There isn't another way out, is there?"

"Not unless you can fit through this vent." He limps forward, and huffs dramatically when Ethan lifts him into his incredibly strong (yet elegantly gentle) hands, hands that are now gingerly massage his ribcage, evidently searching for the fracture. He tries to hide how flustered he gets. The yelp of pain after Ethan finds it certainly helps.

"Sorry about that."

"No, no, far be it from me to complain about being felt up by Ethan Hunt." Why did he say that out loud? "Pretend that was the pain making me delirious."

"It's really bad, Benji."

"Yaaaaaay."

"And we'll need to fight our way through..." His pupils dart across the room— "Benji, I'm going to have to carry you out."

"Why am I not surprised?" His expression suddenly furrows— "Can you at least pretend like you're not enjoying this?"

"What do you mean?"

"I can see your tail wagging."

"It's the adrenaline."

"Sure."

#it's a little more than five lines #i really love writing back and forth dialog #anyways; whoop knew exactly what she was doing with this one #thanks again for satiating my deepest writing desires; love #running my mouth #made this with my hands #ask and you shall receive #benthan #sometimes i write

[rabbitcruiser]

World Lion Day

World  Lion Day on August 10 aims to raise awareness about the plight faced by  lions. Scientifically known as ‘Panthero Leo,’ lions are one of the  most well-known and popular animal species out there. They are called  the ‘Kings of the Jungle’ due to their arresting and fearsome  personalities created by their great bodies and heavy, shiny manes. A  lion’s powerful roar is second to none, and it can be heard even five  miles away. Owing to the pop culture icons like Simba from “The Lion  King”, lions are also loved by children. However, while lions existed in  large populations 100 years ago, today, their numbers are just below  50,000 worldwide as a result of poaching and hunting. World Lion Day,  therefore, brings attention to this endangered species by raising funds  and amping up protective measures.

History of World Lion Day

The  first World Lion Day came into being in 2013. It was headed by Dereck  and Beverly Joubert, a couple who are passionate about preservation and  wild cats. After realizing that lion populations have drastically  decreased worldwide, the Jouberts approached “National Geographic” for  the brand’s help. Forming a partnership with them, the couple came up  with the Big Cat Initiative (B.C.I.) in 2009. The B.C.I.’s main goal  would be to protect and preserve the remaining lion species in the  world. While aspects like deforestation, climate change, and human  intervention may have impacted lion populations, studies have shown that  their extremely low numbers may also have to do with ice ages and  natural environmental disasters that have led them to becoming secluded  in only a few countries of the world, namely India and South Africa. To  date, the B.C.I. has made substantial leaps, from getting 150+ grant  awards to reducing almost 3,000 threats to 3,000 wild cats to removing  13,000 life-threatening snares.

The lion comes from the ‘Felidae’  family of cats, and it is considered to be an apex predator. It is the  second-largest cat weighing around 300 to 600 pounds, with the first  being its cousin, the tiger. An average lion’s body is muscular with a  short round head and ears, and a tufty tail. Its sex can be identified  through its heavy and luscious mane, which are absent on lionesses.  Lions also happen to be the only cats who roam around in large groups  known as prides. Scientists believe that lions do so because it is  easier to catch prey in the wild. Their natural habitats are savannas  and grasslands. You will most likely find a pride of lions near water  bodies as they strategically wait for prey to come there for a drink and  then pounce on them.

World Lion Day timeline

1758 ‘Felis Leo’ is Coined

Carl Linnaeus, a Swedish zoologist and botanist, invents ‘Felis Leo’ as the scientific name of lions.

1996 Vulnerable Species

The  lion is placed on the Red List of the International Union for  Conservation of Nature due to its African population decreasing by 45%  since 1990.

2009 Big Cat Initiative is Formed

Dereck and Beverly Joubert, in partnership with “National Geographic”, start the Big Cat Initiative to save lions.

2013 The First World Lion Day

The B.C.I. announces the first World Lion Day in order to include the world in lion preservation efforts.

How to Observe World Lion Day

Vow to protect lions

Refuse to buy lion products

Donate your assets

No  matter how you choose to spend the day, make sure it is worthwhile by  vowing to protect lions. Lions are natural predators that are necessary  to keep prey populations in check. Apart from such environmental  benefits, lions are extremely beautiful and majestic animals that have  ruled the pop culture scene for a long time. So, let’s take a vow to be  there for them.

Whether  you are looking to buy a new bag or coat, or any other similar  paraphernalia, make sure you know where it is coming from. Refuse to buy  lion products (or other animal skin products) to reduce sales and  market value.

Time  and money are the most valuable assets you can give in today’s world.  Look out for national and international organizations that protect wild  cats, and invest in them by donating your money to the cause. If you  cannot donate, you can volunteer your time by either helping the  organizations with volunteer work or by promoting the organizations in  your circles.

5 Facts About Lions That Will Blow Your Mind

Younglings have spots on their skin

Manes change over time

Cubs are raised together

Females are mightier hunters

Heavy and long sleepers

Young lion cubs are born with spots on their coats, but these tend to fade away as they grow older.

A lion’s mane will change color, going from light to dark, as it grows older.

Lion cubs are generally brought up together by all the females in a pride.

Lionesses are better hunters than their male counterparts, and it is for this reason that they hunt 80% to 90% of the time.

Lions will sleep for at least 20 hours a day.

Why World Lion Day is Important

It’s a celebration of lions

It’s a reminder about the importance of preservation

It’s a celebration of the natural environment

For  most of us, “The Lion King” was a huge part of our childhood. We  rejoiced at the birth of Simba but also grieved with him over his  father’s death. Holding such sweet memories and images, we cannot let  the beloved animal go extinct. Let’s come together on August 10 to  protect lions from all dangers.

Preservation  has become a necessity, more now than ever. We cannot hope to live on a  peaceful and resourceful Earth if we keep depleting it of its natural  resources, be it water, fuel, or animals. We must preserve and protect  the Earth for ourselves as well as future generations.

The  natural environment has given us countless gifts. From food for taste  and survival to medicinal properties to inspiration for technological  inventions, nature has continued to reward us since time immemorial. We  must therefore honor, respect, and celebrate it.

Source

#Zoo Zürich #2017 #Bronx Zoo #my favorite zoo #New York City #summer 2019 #original photography #animal #flora #fauna #outdoors #USA #Schweiz #Switzerland #World Lion Day #10 August #WorldLionDay #landmark #tourist attraction #cityscape #nature #vacation #travel #international day

[ausetkmt]

As Republican-led states like Florida continue to target marginalized groups through legislation, a Black Florida state Senator is calling out his ultra-conservative colleagues. From limiting discussions of race in the classroom and launching a war on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), to silencing LGBTQ+ students, Sen. Shevrin Jones is sounding the alarm.

Speaking about bills that have passed in Florida following the nationwide uprising for racial justice in the wake of the police lynching of George Floyd, Sen. Jones, who is both Black and gay, didn’t mince words.

Seeing a multicultural effort to equitably transform the U.S. “moved many of our white brothers and sisters to make some of these changes with the elimination of diversity, equity and inclusion because now, who America really was and is was presented to them on live TV, so they couldn’t turn away from that,” Sen. Jones said.

Florida State Sen. Shevrin Jones is “Emotionally drained”

Florida has become center stage for Republican efforts to rollback voting rights, weaken, Black political representation and deny students from Kindergarten to college access to an authentic understanding of the role systemic racism plays in our nation’s history and present.

On top of targeting Black Floridians, Republican presidential hopeful Ron DeSantis and his supporters have targeted immigrant communities and continues to place ever-more stringent rules on trans Floridians seeking gender-affirming care.

“Anyone would feel drained when they feel that they are in constant defending of their existence,” state Sen. Jones told The Black Wall Street Times.

“Trying to fight as a Black man against the injustices in this country and state, then you have to convince people, ‘no I’m not a groomer I’m actually a human being’.”

“Parental rights cloaked in bigotry”

Like DeSantis, other Republican leaders have hid behind the banner of “parental rights” to pass legislation that many deem anti-Black.

In defending his stance against certain books and DEI initiatives, Oklahoma Republican State Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters has repeatedly claimed the actions were needed to protect parental rights. He’s even brought conservative activists from Moms for Liberty to stand behind him during state school board meetings as proof of support for his planned policies.

Ultimately, instead of controlling what and how students learn, Sen. Jones would like to see the party of “limited government” focus on moving people forward and elevating communities.

“What government was created to do. It was created to help people. It wasn’t created to put more distress in communities. That’s authoritarianism. That’s fascism,” he said.

“You belong here”

In recent years, the suicide rates for Black men and teens has increased, while the Trevor Project notes legislation targeting LGBTQ+ individuals also raises the risk of suicide attempts.

Despite the constant attacks, such as hate crimes inspired by right-wing rhetoric, state Sen. Jones wants young Black people and young queer people to know they belong.

“You belong here. You’re supposed to be here, and you matter.” He also hopes his message will inspire more young Black and queer people to seek political office.

“There’s a seat at the table that’s waiting for you. When you get it, don’t waste it.”

#Black Florida Sen. says GOP uses “parental rights” to cloak racism #racism #white supremacy #american hate #white supremacy in action #florida #gop

[nobuverse]

@midnightactual ll Plotted

It had been a routine mission at first, one Nobunaga and many other servants with the skill of Independent Action would often undertake. Davinci's sensors had located a holy grail replica, somewhere in the reaches of time. A singularity, as they called -it a breach so grand in the timeline of history that it threatened the very reality they were trying to restore.

Nobunaga's inherit powers as an archer allowed her to stay manifested for around two days without her master around, but they never dared send her out for more than a few hours to scout ahead without Ritsuka, and only when the threat to reality was considered rather minor - the type of thing that would barely require an effort to fix. As faint as the signal was that the staff achieved, they didn't disturb the young mage's sleep to mention the situation. They'd report to him in the morning, everyone figured, after Nobunaga's return report.

The coordinates are set for somewhere in Japan, sometime after 2016. Close to the time period they had wrongly labeled as "The final singularity". Simple. Easy, even.

But something goes wrong. Drastically so. The servant could knew it before she had even finished rayshifting to the coordinates. A blinding, searing pain shot across her nerves; like all her mana circuits had been fried at once. It ends as quickly as it starts. She stumbles out of the coffin with a gasp as the thing slowly dissolves from the world. She attempts to contact Davinci back on the ship, but gets nothing but static in her communicator. Useless.

Although she didn't feel any pain, it somehow felt as though she was missing a part of her- like a limb had detached itself without warning. Regardless, she figured the best thing she could do at the moment was simply get on with the mission that had been assigned to her, if for nothing else than a distraction.

She decides to begin in spirit form, walking in the space between the physical and ethereal planes. Though she can't interact with anything around her, she can at least take a good view of the city without drawing attention to herself. She finds nothing unusual, much to her dismay, but a thriving city. Certainly, one with its fair share of some less than appealing areas, but nothing that could explain what had peaked the interest of the radar. She would have usual taken the time to revel in the modern marvels far outside her time period, but she can't focus now. That uneasy feeling of anxiety was only growing stronger and stronger.

She materializes back into the physicals realm a few hours later. Thankfully, she was able to get a hold of Chaldea this time. But, as expected, the news isn't good. She's ended up no where near where she's supposed to- in another universe, entirely, even. It was one that ran parallel to that of their own - not interfering with their timeline at all. It means she can't simply rayshift back, it'll take a long time to get her back. Then, comes the worst news of all: her contract's been severed. She's lost her connection to her master- her source of mana. Though they'll try everything they can to save her, it's unlikely to happen within the span of two days. It's suggested she stay in spirit form to conserve the mana she has left.

-----

Two days come and pass, although it seems like an enteral wait. It's through either determination or sheer luck that she's managed to live this long, hoping to be reunited with her loved ones on board the ship: her wife. her brother. her best friend. her niece.

----

It's in a vain attempt to distract herself, spirit wandering from one rooftop to another, that she sees it for the first time. This shadow, a presence unlike any she's ever seen dragging its lumbering feet through the city gravel. It's half the size of an average house, figure both human and distinctly inhuman all at once. A large hole in its chest, gnashing teeth behind an ugly mask.

Nobunaga's first thought is how incredible it is that no one's reacting to its presence: only the destruction it accidently causes as it moves along. This beast was moving along unseen, overturning sidewalks and bending light posts.

She wants to reveal herself, but can't. She's been warned that if she manifests in her physical form again, there wouldn't be enough mana in her left to turn back - and she'd drain away her reserves before the end of the day.

Foolishly, she follows it. Even though she knows her time in Chaldea has made her soft, even though she knew she wouldn't be able to stand by if it went after a human life.

The result is predictable, in hindsight. When the mangy creature reaches for a teenage boy, sleeping on a bench in the middle of the summer afternoon, she breaks. Feet hit the roof tiles with a clatter as she manifests, a wave of her hand summons a matchlock rifle, and she fires. It roars as the bullet goes through its shoulder, the teenage boy awoken by the sound of the gunshot. Her rifle falls, sliding down the roof as it dissipates again. She focus on running now to lead it away, manifesting another between two houses, just enough to allow her to jump the gap. Her communicator has to be turned off, as it's already started annoying her ceaselessly. ( No doubt with Davinci and Sherlock screaming at her from the other side. )

She sprints as the beast runs after, leaving debris in its wake as it tries and fails to reach for her. Her only thought is getting it away from the general population, into an empty, open soccer field she had noted earlier.

Her landing is anything but graceful. She stumbles, almost falls. She decides to conjure one last loaded rifle, into her arms this time. She aims, and fires just in time as the white mask comes only a few meters from her. Blood splatters on her face as it falls, hopefully for good.

" Freak." She muttered, spitting at the ground. She had to get one last insult in before she collapses to her knees. Exhausted, but also not gone yet.

In a few hours time, though, that would change.

#this was like SO MUCH SET UP SO #Don't feel like you have to match length at all lol #as expected I got super carried away as usual #SO ANYWAS figured our main villian would probably manifest hollows as a distraction while he's working up his master plan #If Nobunaga was NOT super strong against demonic/ heavenly attributes she would not have been able to pull this off rn though #but i decided to leave it up to you if she'd actually killed it or not ^^ #midnightactual #the fool of owari [ nobunaga ] #v; Ally of Proper Human History #Servant Manifestations [ Threads ]

[xipiti]

Allies of former President Donald J. Trump and officials who served in his administration are planning ways to restrict abortion rights if he returns to power that would go far beyond proposals for a national ban or the laws enacted in conservative states across the country.

Behind the scenes, specific anti-abortion plans being proposed by Mr. Trump’s allies are sweeping and legally sophisticated. Some of their proposals would rely on enforcing the Comstock Act, a long-dormant law from 1873, to criminalize the shipping of any materials used in an abortion — including abortion pills, which account for the majority of abortions in America.

“We don’t need a federal ban when we have Comstock on the books,” said Jonathan F. Mitchell, the legal force behind a 2021 Texas law that found a way to effectively ban abortion in the state before Roe v. Wade was overturned. “There’s a smorgasbord of options.”

Mr. Mitchell, who represented Mr. Trump in arguments before the Supreme Court over whether the former president could appear on the ballot in Colorado, indicated that anti-abortion strategists had purposefully been quiet about their more advanced plans, given the political liability the issue has become for Republicans.

“I hope he doesn’t know about the existence of Comstock, because I just don’t want him to shoot off his mouth,” Mr. Mitchell said of Mr. Trump. “I think the pro-life groups should keep their mouths shut as much as possible until the election.”

The New York Times reported on Friday that Mr. Trump had told advisers and allies that he liked the idea of a 16-week national abortion ban but that he wanted to wait until the Republican primary contest was over to publicly discuss his views.

But among the people thinking most seriously about actual abortion policy should he win the election, very different plans are underway.

Mr. Trump’s idea is not yet a concrete proposal, and the anti-abortion lawyers and strategists within his own orbit already have plans in the works that toughen abortion policies using other avenues. They are not waiting for Mr. Trump to pursue turning his discussions about what he ultimately will say about abortion after the G.O.P. primary into reality, especially because they know a 16-week ban is all but certain to never pass Congress and become law. Instead, they are working much faster, and much more sharply, to exceed their anti-abortion successes in the Trump presidency.

In their view, their plans seem more achievable and more far-reaching than a ban like Mr. Trump floated, which might have a political impact but not as much of a material one. A 16-week ban would affect only a small fraction of abortions, given that nearly 94 percent happen in the first trimester, before 13 weeks of pregnancy.

It is easier to think of abortion restrictions in terms of a single ban, but the reality is more complex: Abortion policy is filled with intricate regulatory details and plays out in the far reaches of the federal bureaucracy, with a host of officials well beyond the president. Mr. Trump is personally disengaged from these efforts and considers any discussions of more hard-line policy to be politically inconvenient. Anti-abortion strategists are nevertheless putting themselves in position to steer actual abortion policy as they did in his first term.

In policy documents, private conversations and interviews, the plans described by former Trump administration officials, allies and supporters propose circumventing Congress and leveraging the regulatory powers of federal institutions, including the Department of Health and Human Services, the Food and Drug Administration, the Department of Justice and the National Institutes of Health.

The effect would be to create a second Trump administration that would attack abortion rights and abortion access from a variety of angles and could be stopped only by courts that the first Trump administration had already stacked with conservative judges.

“He had the most pro-life administration in history and adopted the most pro-life policies of any administration in history,” said Roger Severino, a leader of anti-abortion efforts in Health and Human Services during the Trump administration. “That track record is the best evidence, I think, you could have of what a second term might look like if Trump wins.”

#vote democrat #roe v wade

[blackbat05]

Sacrifices

Shang-Chi x Reader

A/N: I got greedy(?) and decided to participate in another piece for @wint3r-h3art celebration! I would also like to apologize in advance for me being annoying and doing another angst after my Steven one😛

Genre: PG-13, Undercover AU

Notes: Being a huge DC fan, I thought incorporating these characters would be great for this story😉 hope my lack of braincells did this fic justice.

‘Prepare for extraction.’

‘Copy.’ Shang-Chi signals to Marc, jet moving towards the drop-zone as agreed.

He couldn’t wait for this to be over, to finally have you by his side after a whole six months.

You were in deep cover at a meta human facility where runaways were kidnapped and experimented on to active their meta gene.

Retrieving enough evidence, Fury demanded that you were to be pulled out, not wanting one of his best agents to be at risk any further.

‘We don’t who else the League of Shadows are involved with.’ Fury tells you at a secret rendezvous point. ‘I’m sending a team to get you out.’

By team, you didn’t expect Shang-Chi running down the hallway to meet you and the other runaway kids.

‘Y/N!’ He crushes you in a massive hug. ‘I missed you.’

‘Missed you too.’ You couldn’t believe that this day would finally come. ‘We have to leave now. The league has probably been notified by the trigger alarm.’

He nods, leading the group down the same way he came. Only to be stopped by uniformed guards wielding ammunition.

‘Those weapons are alien tech.’ You whisper to Shang-Chi. ‘Ra’s Al Ghul is going to kill all of us if it means his secrets don’t get out.’ You refer to the immortal leader.

Maybe Shang-Chi can take the brunt of its power with his rings. But you couldn’t. And certainly not the kids.

‘I have an idea.’ You tell him. ‘Take the kids and move fast.’ The uneasy feeling in your stomach only grew bigger. You didn’t like it one bit.

Six painful months. You remembered at the end of each day where you crossed out the date on the calendar, awaiting your reunion.

But you saw what the immortal leader of the Shadows could do. If taking out one of his bases was a step in the right direction, you had to do it.

Slowly moving backwards as the tropes advanced in on the group, you find the red button that you were looking for.

Shang-Chi was going to hate you for this.

‘I’m sorry.’ You slammed your fist onto the button, activating the lockdown mode. A flicker of realisation passes by his face, and it is filled with pure terror at the thought of what you had thrown yourself into.

‘What are you doing?’ Shang-Chi denies reality, attempting to pry open the doors. ‘Hey, Y/N. If this is a joke, it’s not funny.’ He tries to reason with you as you watch his futile efforts.

‘Please, open the door and we can figure a way out of this.’ He begs. Perhaps he already knows your decision, as the scratches against the doors have turned into full-blown bangs.

‘Y/N YOU DON’T HAVE TO DO THIS! YOU’RE GOING TO GET YOURSELF KILLED!’

Shang-Chi doesn’t bother to hide his tears, screaming at you through the thick glass, as if it would break at his desperation.

‘Shang-Chi.’ You coaxed him to calm down. ‘I don’t have much time and you need to get out of here soon.’ Placing a hand on the window, Shang-Chi does the same.

‘There’s safe houses in Egypt and the outskirts of Mozambique. Marc and Nakia. They’ll know what to do. Tell Fury about Ra’s Al Ghul… he needs to know. The world must know about his evil deeds.’

As you instruct Shang-Chi on the intel you gathered, you could feel your heart rate slowing down. Like a fish out of water, you could only suck on the air.

The inhumane sounds were enough to make Shang-Chi loose his mind, but he needed to focus on you.

‘And…’ you had to choose your words wisely to conserve energy in your last moments.

‘I… will always… love… you… no matter… where… I am…’

Panting out the last few words, you smiled, not wanting Shang-Chi to see that your last few moments were excruciatingly painful. Your nerves started to shut down, allowing numbness to take over your body.

‘No… No please… don’t do this…’ Shang-Chi was crippled by the memories of his mother. No matter how hard he tries, he can’t seem to get out of the time loop.

‘Go.’ You weakly mouthed. ‘The kids.’ You were about to loose your grip on the timer that would set the radiation bomb off.

Marc runs into the crumbling building, spotting Shang-Chi from a distance. He doesn’t get why the two of you haven’t got out yet until he moves closer.

‘Marc… please we need help.’ Shang-Chi pleads with his team member. ‘We can get her out of here.’

A loyal comrade and a good friend, Marc Spector doesn’t want to leave you either. But he knows what you’re thinking. And he knows you’re right. You nod, as a favour to drag Shang-Chi out if he has to.

So he does. With miraculous strength, Marc pulls him back, not stopping despite the barrage of attacks on him. Marc knows that the rage isn’t directed towards him, but to himself.

The fact that he can’t do anything but just to stand by and watch you die.

Finally getting onto the jet, the aircraft speeds off, getting as far away as it can from the blast radius.

Thirty seconds later, orange flames burst into the skies.

Thirty seconds later, Shang-Chi’s world had ended.

***

The familiar sight greets Shang-Chi as he gets off the car together with his sister. Together, they walk towards their aunt Ying Nan who is solemnly dressed in black.

Ta Lo was more than beautiful. It was a part of Shang-Chi. He had always wanted to bring you here to escape the burdens of an Avenger.

How cruel fate was. Instead of holding your warm hands, he carries the frame of your photo. They couldn’t go back for your body.

The funeral went by in a haze. You were always a reserved person, only enjoying the company of those you truly cherished. It was only befitting to respect your wishes.

He feels a sympathetic pat from his sister and hears words of encouragement from his aunt. Shang-Chi waits until they leave, breaking down into choked sobs.

‘When I’m done with this mission. Promise you’ll take me to see Ta Lo.’

‘Alright, I promise.’ He offers a pinky swear. ‘No Avenger’s stuff. A whole week, you and me.’

‘Sounds like a plan.’

***

A week later, Lazarus Island

‘Haa!!!’ You jerk forward violently, head throbbing.

Your memories were in bits and pieces. The last thing you could remember was doing research at the Mongolia base.

The kids and you running down the hall… a man… and then… orange fireballs the size of a butterfly.

‘Sorry about that. The experience in the pit can make one quite disoriented. Believe me, I tried.’ A low voice rumbles in the darkness, stepping into the view.

You find yourself looking at the whites of a red helmet. The mystery man removes his helmet, the white streak of hair visibly noticeable.

‘My name is Jason Todd, and I need your help with bringing down the League of Shadows.’

#xu shangqi #shangqi x reader #shang chi x reader #simu liu #shang chi #xu shang chi x reader #shangqi x reader angst #shang chi x reader angst #shangqi angst #shang chi angst #xu shang chi #wint3r h3art #lindas1.2kcelebration #lindas1.2kchallenge

[dragynkeep]

So my post about my frustration over people being uneducated about zoos when I just wanted to watch videos about gorillas got me some lovely anons, and I decided to make this a post so I can answer them all together in one complete post rather than numerous asks.

Obviously these are all anons cause no one nowadays can put their face to their opinions like a grown up but whatever, the point is anon, you are conflating your own personal views with reality around zoos.

I didn’t know Calgary Zoo, turns out it’s in Canada and I’m in the UK, so I researched it thinking that there might have been controversy or it’s not a good zoo similar to some backyard zoos here in the UK. No, the only controversy I could find was someone accidentily leaving a knife in the Westland Gorilla enclosure.

In 2009.

Here’s a picture I found of the snow leopard enclosure.

Anon, this looks reasonably sized. Not only that, but I’ve seen plenty of ledges, trees, and places for enrichment so that the snow leopards don’t get bored. Plus, plenty of room so the two that I’ve seen living there can run and play with each other. This looks like a bog standard enclosure. 

Now for the spaces to hide, the size of a small living room is perfectly normal. You know why? Because that’s where they sleep. That’s where they go to relax and get away from the people, which zoos implement so that the animals aren’t constantly watched and have somewhere to feel safe and secure. That’s like crying that your bedroom isn’t the size of your whole house. That’s not what it’s there for. 

Because good zoos ultimately work to giving the best living conditions that they can to their animals. 

Also, shitty coolers? So you’re complaining about the leopards being given something to cool down, why do you think it’s shitty? Zoos often give common household things to their animals that we would also see, like boxes, coolers, ice lollies, anything that can be enriching, because that’s all you need. The leopards aren’t gonna care.

As for the shaving thing, you don’t shave snow leopards the same way you don’t shave your double coated dog. This just shows your ignorance, because you know WHY you typically don’t shave the animals? Because their coat helps in thermoregulation, because shaving their coat actually fucks it up and risks the animal actually getting sunburnt.

Can you really? Tell me, what’s the behavioural signs of stress in leopards? What’s the signs of them falling ill, or struggling with heat stroke like you’re suggesting?

Because humans who don’t go into zoology and animal behaviour are notorious for misreading animal behaviours. Prime example? Monkeys.

This cat is dead omg. Oh wait, it’s just relaxing. 

I agree. Fuck unethical zoos, which is what I was saying, but you’re conflating unethical zoos with all zoos, which isn’t the case. This is not the 19th century, zoos are no longer tiny prison cells with animals in for people to gawk at. 

But this last ask shows that you’re not interested in animal welfare or advoacting for higher standards so we avoid backytard zoos, you’re only interested in flaunting your anti humanity boner and acting like we’re scum, when this kind of extinctintion thinking is very fucking racist. Because before colonisation and industrialisation, many native groups lived with the nature around them. 

Because we needed it to thrive so we could thrive, and we understood how to live in it. Humanity isn’t an evil thing, we are capable of very beautiful things and we should be working towards building a life where we can work with nature. Get over your edgy mindset, you’re a grown ass person ffs.

And yes, I have seen zoos that haven’t done what they should’ve, and animals suffering because of it. But that’s why we advocate for stricter standards, and support the zoos that are doing it right, that are putting in so much effort for conservation and education. Because without those zoos, plenty of species would be dead. They would be dead.

Keep that in mind. Hate unethical zoos, fight for higher standards, support the zoos that are doing it right. Educate yourself and get out of my inbox, you ignorant tool.

#zoos #discourse #luke.txt #everyone who comes to me #im very pro zoo #i have worked very hard to get to this point so i can talk about these things #and im not in the mood for wannabe animal rights activist who don't know what a toad is from a frog coming in here and spouting shit #educate yourself ffs

[hangon-silvergirl]

Mermaid/men AU!!

I am going to first take this opportunity to recommend beyond the sea (waiting for me) by elanor_gamgee, which features selkie!Eddie.

While I really love the idea of Chrissy being a mermaid (I bet she loved Splash), I am also completely enamored with the idea of baby Chrissy and Eddie doing a project on MANATEES, so!

Here's my... probably somewhat off-the-wall, alternative take on this:

Chrissy Cunningham is a marine biologist studying manatees, in fact a leading name in marine mammal research and education. She participates in and leads year-round studies regarding the behavioral ecology of manatees, and population status. She is in Florida to support conservation efforts for the West Indian manatee subspecies, the Florida manatee, as they migrate back to warmer waters for the winter months.

She speaks passionately at a fundraising event and gets approached afterward by a mysterious old, eclectic soul who thanks her for her service to the manatees and tells her a detail-vague and very mythos-esque tale about the ~history~ of the Blue Spring Manatees, and the etymology of the sirenia, and makes an off-the-cuff remark about Columbus recording sightings of mermaids in 1492. They gift Chrissy an ancient looking necklace made of blown-glass beads, featuring a big, beautiful seashell pendent. Chrissy is very charmed and bemused by this person, and starts wearing the necklace everywhere.

Over the next week, observing the manatees and speaking with patrons and etc, Chrissy starts getting absorbed by this eerie feeling that the manatees are trying to communicate with her. She also keeps catching this shaggy-haired guy watching her, everywhere (in proximity to the manatees). He's really cute and everything--if you're into that old school metalhead aesthetic--but he's also unnerving the hell out of her, and seems to slip away every time she tries to approach him.

She's camping at the park, so eventually in the middle of the night she wanders down to the spring and is unsurprised to find him sitting near the water. She clamors down and approaches and they start chatting, having a mythic and cryptic and twinkling sort of conversation. He loves the manatees. The manatees all have names, and personalities, and he tells Chrissy all about them, and she's just delighted and obsessed and confused AF. This guy--and he introduces himself as Eddie--is disarming, but in a warm way, even if he genuinely makes no sense.

Chrissy goes back night after night, extends her stay to keep talking to Eddie, to keep learning more. After a few nights she realizes that he's wearing a bracelet that matches the necklace she was given. When she points that out, he gives her this knowing look, eyes sparkling, but all he says is, "So we do."

They would, surely but not-so-slowly, fall in love. He would come back to her cabin and they would have a Nice Night or three.

Eventually, through a series of sometimes heavy-handed clues, Chrissy would make the connection as to what he is, and to what the necklace is allowing him/her to do. Getting somewhat vague here, but some form of the Manatee Magic (maybe on a full moon or similar?) would allow them a chance to make him human forever, with a tough decision to be made. It would all circle back to the Mysterious Necklace giver, who had received it as a gift themselves, and married their manatee SO, and was passing on the magic; it will be Chrissy's job to pass on the magic to a deserving heart someday too.

Did you know that November is Manatee Awareness Month?

Thanks for the ask, anon! Request comes from this post: Send Me an AU & I'll Give You 5+ Headcanons About It.

#dash games #ask alie #hellcheer #hellcheer fanfic #hellcheer au #anonymous #fanfic rec #alie's hellcheer headcanons

[missspringthyme]

February 9th, 2024

My sister shares a room with another girl and so they're used to getting up without waking other people in the room. They kept the shades drawn and moved around silently in the dark. They didn't realize, but I was awake too. I have a lot of trouble getting up in the dark, but I will say when I finally did it was much better than the shock of a light switch 1 minute after waking up like I normally do.

My sister and her roommate both had classes so they left me alone in the room. I ate the last of the pastries I had brought with me as a snack for the bus for breakfast and worked on finishing my journal entry for yesterday.

When she came back from class I decided to head out and explore Utrecht. I walked into town instead of taking the tram like she suggested, the tram would have only saved me about 10 minutes and it was nice to take it in slowly.

I just wandered around a little aimlessly before heading to the dom. Originally I was considering heading up the tower but I decided I didn't want to spend the money when it was almost completely covered in scaffolding for renovations. Instead, I decided to just go inside the church and look around.

My view on religion has never been super straightforward. I was raised catholic, while in a multi-cultural environment. As a kid I remember telling my mom that I thought all gods were real. I think my mom thought she was teaching me to respect other cultures but instead she was making me view religion as all the same. When I eventually stopped being religious I went through a brief insufferable atheist phase, but not I've mellowed out to something more like I'm a little uncomfortable with organized religion, and I feel like sometimes people use religion as a crutch, but also that if a belief system gives someone meaning then that's worth something.

Additionally, I also really fucking love history and humans, and religion has played a large role in that, so I do know a little bit more than the average person. So being in the cathedral was pretty cool. Like most cathedrals in Europe it as a pretty crazy history spanning 100s of years. I particularly enjoyed that some of the artwork in the church was destroyed during the reformation. Smashing in a saints face feels a bit more sacrilegious than just taking down the art work, but I guess I wasn't alive back then. Taking 2nd place is that half of the dom was destroyed by a fucking tornado(?) And then just bricked over which is why the tower is now disconnected from the cathedral.

When I go inside churches I still always light a candle for my grandma. I may not be religious, but a tradition is a tradition and she would like it. It's also incredibly big and gorgeous, so I was happy to throw a couple of euros to helping with conservation efforts.

I then waited outside in a place with wifi for my sister to meet me after her class got out. A couple approached me and asked for help getting up the tower and I tried my best to help them despite also being a tourist. Guess I looked like a local. I bet it's my big scarf.

My sister came and we tried to find something to do that was still open and settled on a museum. Pretty much all of them closed in an hour but we decided an hour was better than nothing. Originally we were going to go to a different museum, but we passes one that she said that she had been told was a boring museum with a car on display. I was instantly curious so we changed plans.

It turned out to be a museum that held Dutch Christian artifacts dating back 100s of years, so I ended up having a very Christianity heavy day. The guy at the front let us go in for free because we only had an hour, but mostly he just seemed excited that 2 young people wanted to come in. No car in the museum though, although I kept saying I hoped they had a pope mobile.

Lots of stuff was very pretty and/or interesting, with my favorites being the fucked up medieval artwork. It's really interesting how much more present death used to be in artwork and everyday items. I remember watching an episode of a try guys baking show where they made skull cakes but then blurred the skulls. It made me more uncomfortable than if they had left it unblurred, but if I'm honest I think we've made a mistake by keeping death hidden. I say that as someone with a deep, crushing, existential fear of death. We have things to learn from the society that was produced by the plague years.

After the museum I tried riding facing backwards on the bike which sucked, but at least I know that side saddle is my better option. It was a lit easier without wearing a heavy backpack though. We stopped at the grocery store to get dinner and got tortellini and some pastries as snacks. I ate mine on the back of the bike.

That night the power went out in my sister's unit so it allowed us to go to bed a little early. Not that I'm complaining, I was exhausted. Overall good day.

#sister #febuary #travel

[cognition-and-the-workplace]

How to Turn From the Burn of Burnout

Where There’s Smoke, There’s a Fire!

Like a candle left unattended for too long, burnout is a hazard that can create extensive exhaustion and detachment if not attended to. If you're a manager smelling the smoke, fear not! This guide is your secret weapon to not only extinguish burnout and combat depersonalization, but to send them packing like disgraced party crashers.

Picture this: your team is a well-oiled machine, but suddenly, there's a creak in the gears. That's burnout – a chronic state of stress-induced exhaustion, often accompanied by depersonalization, where colleagues start looking like cardboard cutouts rather than fellow humans.

Research has well-documented data to support why you should be concerned about stress-induced exhaustion and depersonalization in your workforce. If you’ve experienced burnout, you would know how impactful it can be to the work-related domain and your personal life. It depletes your energy, diminishes work performance, and can ruin the quality of your relationships with others. That is NOT something you want to deal with.

Shedding Light on the Shadows: Operationalizing Burnout

Now, let's get practical. How do you manufacture a workplace without burnout and depersonalization? With the proper tools, of course! The Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) is your trusty temperature gauge that can check the wellness of your organization. It breaks down burnout into three parts: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment. This gauge helps identify where the heat is coming from.

To understand why your team is feeling the burn, the Conservation of Resources (COR) model can serve as your guide. It's like the GPS that tells you when your resources – like time, skills, and emotional support – are running on empty. Stress happens when there's a threat of resource loss or when your employees don’t have the mental, physical, and emotional resources needed to perform in the first place. Another way that burnout and depersonalization can occur is through the multidimensional appraisal of stressors and their subsequent responses to them. In this view, individuals go through an appraisal of their situation, and then go through an appraisal of their options in responding and coping with their stressors. At work, you can imagine how it may feel if you were to ask your subordinates to stay a couple of extra hours to finish up some work. Do they hesitate to agree? Are their kids waiting at home? Does this overtime help them pay for that new couch they bought? Do they feel a strong commitment to the project? These factors all contribute to how your workers appraise their situation. If they are feeling the burn in burnout because of the stress that this may induce, then these workers may not have the necessary resources or adaptive skills to handle what is being asked of them. Be mindful of this, and always ask questions! Once the symptoms of stress infect your crew, it can be troublesome to ameliorate these effects and get your plans back on track. So, what can you do about this?

Keep it a Fad: Burnout is out

Here are some mighty suggestions:

Walk the talk and lead by example. If you're on the brink of burnout, chances are your team isn't far behind. Show them it's okay to take breaks, set boundaries, and prioritize well-being. I promise this is a game-changer!

A pat on the back works wonders. Recognize efforts and celebrate wins – big or small. It's not just a morale boost; it's a resource refill.

Bottling up stress is so last season. Create an environment where your team feels comfy expressing concerns. It's like a pressure valve – release the steam before the pot boils over. You can spot the warning signs. I would keep an eye on changes in behavior, energy levels, and interpersonal dynamics. Addressing issues in their infancy is like catching a cold before it turns into the flu.

Life outside work is not just a rumor. Embrace flexible schedules and offer stress management programs. A balanced life is the antidote to burnout.

Finally, adopt a resilience mindset. I firmly believe that resilience doesn’t get the recognition it deserves, but the benefits of adapting to stress can be enormous. You can encourage a growth mindset, emphasizing that setbacks are opportunities to learn and bounce back stronger.

[rabbitcruiser]

World Lion Day

World Lion Day on August 10 aims to raise awareness about the plight faced by lions. Scientifically known as ‘Panthero Leo,’ lions are one of the most well-known and popular animal species out there. They are called the ‘Kings of the Jungle’ due to their arresting and fearsome personalities created by their great bodies and heavy, shiny manes. A lion’s powerful roar is second to none, and it can be heard even five miles away. Owing to the pop culture icons like Simba from “The Lion King”, lions are also loved by children. However, while lions existed in large populations 100 years ago, today, their numbers are just below 50,000 worldwide as a result of poaching and hunting. World Lion Day, therefore, brings attention to this endangered species by raising funds and amping up protective measures.

History of World Lion Day

The first World Lion Day came into being in 2013. It was headed by Dereck and Beverly Joubert, a couple who are passionate about preservation and wild cats. After realizing that lion populations have drastically decreased worldwide, the Jouberts approached “National Geographic” for the brand’s help. Forming a partnership with them, the couple came up with the Big Cat Initiative (B.C.I.) in 2009. The B.C.I.’s main goal would be to protect and preserve the remaining lion species in the world. While aspects like deforestation, climate change, and human intervention may have impacted lion populations, studies have shown that their extremely low numbers may also have to do with ice ages and natural environmental disasters that have led them to becoming secluded in only a few countries of the world, namely India and South Africa. To date, the B.C.I. has made substantial leaps, from getting 150+ grant awards to reducing almost 3,000 threats to 3,000 wild cats to removing 13,000 life-threatening snares.

The lion comes from the ‘Felidae’ family of cats, and it is considered to be an apex predator. It is the second-largest cat weighing around 300 to 600 pounds, with the first being its cousin, the tiger. An average lion’s body is muscular with a short round head and ears, and a tufty tail. Its sex can be identified through its heavy and luscious mane, which are absent on lionesses. Lions also happen to be the only cats who roam around in large groups known as prides. Scientists believe that lions do so because it is easier to catch prey in the wild. Their natural habitats are savannas and grasslands. You will most likely find a pride of lions near water bodies as they strategically wait for prey to come there for a drink and then pounce on them.

World Lion Day timeline

1758 ‘Felis Leo’ is Coined

Carl Linnaeus, a Swedish zoologist and botanist, invents ‘Felis Leo’ as the scientific name of lions.

1996 Vulnerable Species

The lion is placed on the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature due to its African population decreasing by 45% since 1990.

2009 Big Cat Initiative is Formed

Dereck and Beverly Joubert, in partnership with “National Geographic”, start the Big Cat Initiative to save lions.

2013 The First World Lion Day

The B.C.I. announces the first World Lion Day in order to include the world in lion preservation efforts.

How to Observe World Lion Day

Vow to protect lions

Refuse to buy lion products

Donate your assets

No matter how you choose to spend the day, make sure it is worthwhile by vowing to protect lions. Lions are natural predators that are necessary to keep prey populations in check. Apart from such environmental benefits, lions are extremely beautiful and majestic animals that have ruled the pop culture scene for a long time. So, let’s take a vow to be there for them.

Whether you are looking to buy a new bag or coat, or any other similar paraphernalia, make sure you know where it is coming from. Refuse to buy lion products (or other animal skin products) to reduce sales and market value.

Time and money are the most valuable assets you can give in today’s world. Look out for national and international organizations that protect wild cats, and invest in them by donating your money to the cause. If you cannot donate, you can volunteer your time by either helping the organizations with volunteer work or by promoting the organizations in your circles.

5 Facts About Lions That Will Blow Your Mind

Younglings have spots on their skin

Manes change over time

Cubs are raised together

Females are mightier hunters

Heavy and long sleepers

Young lion cubs are born with spots on their coats, but these tend to fade away as they grow older.

A lion’s mane will change color, going from light to dark, as it grows older.

Lion cubs are generally brought up together by all the females in a pride.

Lionesses are better hunters than their male counterparts, and it is for this reason that they hunt 80% to 90% of the time.

Lions will sleep for at least 20 hours a day.

Why World Lion Day is Important

It’s a celebration of lions

It’s a reminder about the importance of preservation

It’s a celebration of the natural environment

For most of us, “The Lion King” was a huge part of our childhood. We rejoiced at the birth of Simba but also grieved with him over his father’s death. Holding such sweet memories and images, we cannot let the beloved animal go extinct. Let’s come together on August 10 to protect lions from all dangers.

Preservation has become a necessity, more now than ever. We cannot hope to live on a peaceful and resourceful Earth if we keep depleting it of its natural resources, be it water, fuel, or animals. We must preserve and protect the Earth for ourselves as well as future generations.

The natural environment has given us countless gifts. From food for taste and survival to medicinal properties to inspiration for technological inventions, nature has continued to reward us since time immemorial. We must therefore honor, respect, and celebrate it.

Source

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[1nm2]

yes sah, no sah

Izzard was a big, tall senior. Would be the blondest on that ship had it not been for his short white hair speckled above a coarse neck. There would be too many battle scars on him to count. He was a military bird. A pilot in the USAF who rose to admiral over twenty years before being slotted as a cadet into the assault unit for space.  

There’d been whispers for months that the Second Lieutenant called Izzard ‘Pops’ because he was really her dad. But there were always rumours among traders, on Earth and up here. Even though she’d given up and done the thing everyone did at one point or another -- disappoint their loved ones. Last words could either help or hurt. Move someone along in a journey with peace or everlasting unease.

‘   How much gold did they give you?   ‘   Her mother had asked her. And when she told her, she placed both hands on her head and cried:

If you go into space, you’ll die there.

It’s been forty years since she’d touched light bulbs, and curtains, and furniture, and plates. Maruka rubbed where her chest felt sore and cold. Her mother could still be alive… But that was a long time ago. There was no better way to earn a living than up here. There was no other honest job. They were running out of decency back home. She didn’t do it for herself; she did it for something more.

Maruka had fifteen minutes to get clean and dressed. Izzard joins her in private quarters, lowering himself to the bench, a few feet from her.

‘  You know,  ‘  Izzard breaks the silence.  ‘ It isn’t everyday you see a daughter outranking you. ‘  He pauses, nodding. His voice lowers to a calming ease.  ‘ I want you to know that I’m very proud of you. ‘

‘  Yeah? ‘  Maruka says, raising her fingers to work out the sweaty tangles in her hair. But otherwise, remaining speechless.

Izzard nods.

The she leans forward and punches him hard in the shoulder, turning him into a cackling machine.

Outside, they stare down the monitors. 

‘  All of these are heat signatures, from Yautja tech we don’t know everything about.  ‘  Maruka says.  ‘ Separate images, all changing and overlapping onto one. You don’t know that for sure.  ‘  

Jordan points, their main engineer who had worked in all of the Kibou’s four docking bays with a mixture of distaste and boredom till she was moved to the front to service some of the electronics. Anything to do with sensors, navigation equipment, and beacons.

‘  I know when something’s too big to be human. Big things are objects. Machinery. They don’t move.  ‘   She pauses, looking down at the screens.

Yes, Izzard stares. But this was the holy fucking grail.

Maruka looks at him. She knows what he was thinking. He was obviously concerned about unsightly readings, but greedy, and for a long, silent moment she thought he should stay quiet because she was the SL and she could handle situations like this. That, and she was a badass. Everything was protocolled, even this. The use of Yautja tech was experimental, and records were sent back every now and then to headquarters. The Kibou was only a mining ship, intercepting lost ships for scarce material and sending it back to Yutani.

‘  We’ve been following the trends of the Auriga for the last six years. That ship, as well as two others manufactured by Weyland-Yutani before the split, is made out of artificial aluminum. The second strongest material known to man.  ‘

Earth no longer had natural ore. It was Yutani’s conservation efforts that either had material reused and salvaged in space sent back to home, or repurposed on a ring of subsidiary planets beginning from Jupiter.

They weren't a dying species. They’d found a way to thrive.

‘  It’s just the storms in our way. We’ll wait them out. Then get the team up and running. It’s heading to Earth. The only way to harvest precious metal before it burns up in the atmosphere’s to embark mid-point and reprogram the hub deck to stall.  ‘

#( voice ). aliens #just kidding since gold is a cartel right #someone should take this; rewrite everything and make it a book

[pestcontrolflow]

5 Reasons To Employ A Professional Pest Control Orlando Company

As a property owner, bugs consisting of mosquitoes, rodents, ants, bed bugs, roaches, and also termite colonies can be your largest problem. Many people are not aware of the fact that DIY pest control Orlando strategies are typically just half measures that can just bring short-lived remedy for insects.

DIY bug control approaches help you get rid of parasites easily therefore conserving you time and money, yet does it truly? Is it worth hiring an expert pest control expert? Working with an expert bug control service is often the last decision for most people. This article includes some reasons why hiring a pest control solution should be the smartest suggestion for recovering your home to its pristine pest-free state.

Secure your wellness

Insects, in the future, can trigger numerous health problems to the building occupants consisting of family pets. Usual household bugs such as rats as well as cockroaches lug salmonella and also thereby spread out transmittable choices. While mosquitoes can trigger dengue high temperature, bed bugs can cause serious skin allergic reactions. Most significantly, pest droppings and pee can dry to become airborne allergens with the ability of infiltrating human and pet respiratory systems to set off asthma assaults or other breathing illnesses.

An additional major health and wellness worry from bugs is that they can infect the food. Roaches and also rats can increase rapidly and also slide through the tiniest crack as well as gaps as well as are constantly brought in to food sources. The germs such as salmonella and E. coli are conveniently handed down to the food bits they call. Parasite food contamination is the quickest means of getting contaminated.

Without supervision use of chemicals can additionally set off wellness concerns, specifically to kids as well as pets.

Conserve effort and time

Many people wait until the last minute to work with an exterminator, on such situations, think of the time as well as initiative spent on the do it yourself pest control Orlando techniques. On the contrary, a professional pest control solution works by the clock and has a sure-fire, well-structured plan. Pest control operators that stay with a routine are commonly successful as they have the technical knowledge as well as know the procedure in and out.

Permitting insects to flourish at your residence or workplace demands extensive regular cleansing and evaluation. Visualize the time and effort that you can save if you get a qualified pest control man to get rid of the problem from the root?

Conserve cost

Weigh the expense of do it yourself pest control Orlando ideas against hiring a professional exterminator and also do it yourself arises the champion, right? As a matter of fact, it does not. If you break it down, do it yourself strategies have to be customized based on various factors such as

Pest type

Severity of contamination

Time of contamination

Area and duration of infestation

If you are experienced enough to comprehend the above provided, you should likewise be wise sufficient to comprehend that the pesticide, equipment, and also equipment called for may likewise alter as necessary. Take into consideration all these as well as additionally join in the amount of time as well as effort that you require to invest; the balance would certainly currently a little incline in the direction of working with an expert exterminator, does not it?

Eliminate issues of recontamination

There are a number of facets of bug infestation that need professional oversight and activity. You might get rid of pests entirely from your residence, yet what if you fail to evaluate, maintain or clean your swimming pool or backyard? What if you are not experienced about the insect obstacles? Each aspect of pest removal calls for experience and also it is so tough to achieve this unless and until you have actually invested years managing different pests under different problems. Until you earn the experience and the technological expertise re-infestation is constantly on the cards.

Stop property damages

Bugs are tough to detect and frequently individuals neglect the signs of insects infestation up until it's far too late. Did you understand that a typical termite colony can take in as much as 1/5 of an ounce of timber in someday? A termite swarm can trigger considerable problems to a residence in simply two years. Marry this with the fact that termites ants can lay up to 7000 eggs a day and you can repaint a clear picture. Comparable is the case with rats that can cause architectural damage to any type of residential property type by means of consistent gnawing, nest-building, and defecation. Considering exactly how quick pests can multiply and spread out within your residential or commercial property, it is ideal to eliminate them at the first sign of invasion.

Working with an expert pest control specialist is the most effective option especially if you are uninformed of the seriousness of bug invasion as well as lack the understanding on elimination. Selecting a pest control operator might cost you some dollars in advance, however it will certainly deserve it in the long run.

All American Pest Control

390 N Orange Ave Suite #2300

Orlando, FL 32801

[phone]

Orlando Pest Control

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