Anonymous Crow

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Trump hijacked US’s 250 anniversary to serve ‘political ideology and pet projects’, congressional report says

Ageless Linux intends to force the issue before the California state supreme court, then ultimately (probably) the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS). It's a stupid, dangerous law, voted into place by legislators who either don't understand the core issue OR knowingly voted for it because they're assholes.

California is an influential state in the US. Many laws & regulations passed there eventually trickle out to most states. That's why it's worrisome to see this kind of thing rammed through, and why it's important to fight it.

If you like these weekly compilations, please consider tipping me at $kaybarr1735 or check out my Dandelion Doodles!

1. Can globally essential mangroves bounce back from deforestation? New study gives hope

“[The study] found that unexpected expansion and regrowth across the world began counterbalancing mangrove forest loss around 2010. The rate of gain has nearly outpaced losses, resulting in about a cumulative 1% global decline since the 1980s. […] The study also found that mangroves are becoming less degraded […] which means they are denser, retain more carbon and help secure shorelines.”

2. Peptide alternative to antibiotics could combat antimicrobial resistance crisis

“The peptide is stable and nontoxic to humans and is synthesized to attack the surfaces of bacterial or fungal cells that create biofilms, a sticky matrix that is often impenetrable to antibiotic treatments. […] “Our peptide shredded bacterial biofilms, which cause up to 75% of life-threatening infections," Neelakantan explains. [… It] “not only rescues from devastating bacterial infections, but also reduces inflammation and promotes wound healing."”

3. Norwegian startup raises $6M to fix this sneaky source of energy waste

“[The new] software-enabled devices can dial down the use and temperatures of existing heating cables to reduce electricity demand [using precise sensors….] Nordic Pharma said it has seen a 20% drop in the cables’ energy consumption since installing Eqon’s devices, which have also helped to alert the manufacturer to potential problems, such as frozen pipes and over- or underheated oil, that can disrupt production.”

4. How a tiny blue gecko became a conservation comeback story

“The gecko (Lygodactylus williamsi) lives in only two small forest reserves […] and depends almost entirely on screwpines for shelter, food, basking and breeding. […] Since 2016, they have cut down nearly 100,000 [invasive] cedar trees, reduced forest fires by around 80%, and planted about 5,000 native trees a year. Those efforts are helping the gecko’s population return toward earlier levels [as well as] improving habitat for other wildlife[….]”

5. Amazon floodplains cocoa offers a climate-resilient and sustainable chocolate

“Protected and irrigated by the forest canopy of the floodplains, Elene’s cocoa is more resistant to […] a fungus that devastated Brazilian crops in the 1980s, as well as climate change impacts like droughts and heavy rains. [… The presence of] “abundant and diverse local pollinators […] improves reproduction and results in better-quality fruit, more resistant to disease, higher in quantity and superior in flavor.” [… Between 2000 and 2024] reforested cocoa areas expanded more than fourfold[….]”

At long last, I am no longer without technology and I was able to finish @sabrecmc‘s commission for this fanfiction over here. 

-ancient roman posca: water, red or white wine vinegar, honey, salt, herbs (coriander, mint, thyme)

-switchel: water, ginger, vinegar, sweetener, lemon, salt

-ayran: yogurt, water, salt, mint

-sees the reports of the heatwave in Europe-

A gray afternoon on the ferry to Swartz Bay, Victoria, BC

It's very good, and was prescient for a lot of the early days of the covid pandemic. I found myself returning to it often in the first couple of years because of how steadfast it was in its hopefulness.

Last year she wrote a novelette, "The Year Without Sunshine," which attacks a similar problem in a similar way; instead of pandemic, this one is about the aftereffects of a distant nuke or a massive volcano explosion (it doesn't say), which has churned a great deal of dust into the air, causing massive damage to society and agriculture. The story covers one neighborhood, pulling together to keep each other alive--not through violence, but through lawn potatoes and message pinboards and bicycle-powered oxygen concentrators.

Day 7: Battered & Bound

this was a delicious unsettling treat to watch, and the fact that this was written and animated by a single person? im awestruck tbh. i had to paise several times to catch some of the smaller details that are littered throughout this animation.

if any of you are looking for a festive eldritch horror watch, this may scratch that itch, but definitely leaves you wanting more too.

I suppose it would help to know what the drawing would be FOR, as there's a big difference between drawing stuff for memes, drawing stuff to sell, drawing cute stuff, drawing elegant stuff, drawing unique stuff, funny stuff, etc. And which bird, since I've taken (at this point) probably tens of thousands of photos of the birds XD It's also my general impression regarding artwork is that it comes out at its best when the artist likes what they're drawing and/or is inspired to put pen to paper (so to speak) upon seeing something they like, and those tend to be my favorite pieces.

I can show you some recent photos I like better than others, but I can't really say they're good ART photos.

If I were going to actually, like, do a commission for something I would would want drawn, I would probably use this one:

And make a little "Longfeather Lane Maple Mead" bottle label from it. I HAVE one that my sister in law made from the photo, and it's very cute, BUT speaking in "what would I love to see drawn" I think this is one of my favorite pics of Bug in general AND I would have a use for it, so it's near the top of the list for her.

But I also really liked this photo, it cracks me up EVERY TIME I see it, I would write some variation of "what have i done" or "experiencing the consequences of my own actions" on this so fast

There's also, like, memorial artwork I would consider having done, particularly for Joslin or Aurora or Artemis or Stan or Osiris or Beep, but I don't necessarily know that I'd want a photo replicated for something like that. I could probably dig up photos for all of them, but I know exactly which two I'd probably start with for Joslin

Longfeather Lane's patron saint of adopted children, Joslin never had any babies from eggs she'd laid, she only ever fostered chicks, but she was amazing at it.