just for me

jesus fucking christ almighty (Platythomisus octomaculatus - "Pikachu Spider")

Suction cup boi

The bumpy jelly stings with their whole body, no tentacles necessary 🪼✨

This jelly launched decades of discovery at MBARI. Researchers first encountered the bumpy jelly (Stellamedusa ventana) in 1990 while exploring Monterey Bay with the remotely operated vehicle Ventana.

The lack of tentacles immediately caught our attention. Most jellies trail long, fine tentacles to stun prey, but the bumpy jelly is covered in tiny bumps loaded with stinging cells. Stellamedusa can capture prey across their entire surface. As they swim, those stinging cells immobilize plankton in their path. Four lacy mouth-arms then sweep the bell's edge to collect the catch—a hunting strategy known in only a small number of deep-sea jellies.

MBARI's growing fleet of autonomous robots, equipped with advanced imaging systems, gives us a persistent presence in the twilight waters Stellamedusa calls home. Long-term studies have revealed that the bumpy jelly is far more common than we first thought, sometimes appearing in blooms deep underwater. Instead of sporadic snapshots, we now have a fuller picture of life in the twilight zone, a reminder of how much more there is to learn as ocean exploration technology advances.

a) may 12 1991 was a mothers day and thus a SUNDAY while this is obviously a weekday strip

b) bill watterson went on sabbatical from may 4th 1991 until february 1992

c) the pictured strip is march 11th 1992’s strip according to the dates in the complete calvin and hobbes

Now, bear in mind that I’m struggling to put into the words many of the concepts discussed here. So sorry in advance if some parts feel nonsensical...! And as a disclaimer: my knowledge is mainly acquired as an interest and hobby – it does not hold water as actual, completely accurate information of a historical period. It’s my interpretation, my fantasy of sorts. First things first, song inspiration: Vilma Jää – Manalan mailla  (if you know Finnish and like to read these, you might see the connection  lol) Kauno’s story in nutshell: Kauno is a nobleman knight, who suffered a mortal wound to his neck when he was pinned in combat and stabbed between his armour plates. By all logic he should’ve succumbed to such a wound, but he was rescued and nursed back to health. The nuns who took care of him did not have high hopes for the feverish nobleman to make it through, and yet eventually he woke up in perfect health and spirit. Kauno remembers little of the time from sickbed but has clear memory of vivid dreams of birds… Visually Kauno’s pose is heavy nod towards Botticelli’s painting ‘Birth of Venus’. I’ve always associated this piece with rebirth and beauty, both which are at the heart of Kauno’s character. His name quite literally means ‘beauty’ and rest we’ll get to…! So now, the most complex part is to acknowledge the co-existence of Christianity and folk religion in Finland during Middle ages. While it’s hard to point out how folk religion exactly died (I’m not read enough on the topic), there are still letters to be found from church officials pointing out that some of the folk religion or the traditions persisted even till late medieval period and to renaissance. This period of time where beliefs melded and changed is something I’m extremely interested to depict. Now, religion facts: There are quite a few nods towards Christianity here, the number seven motif with the birds, rebirth etc. However, the story revolves even further to folk religion’s concept of lintukoto (birds’ home). It was believed to be a physical place just outside the edge of the world, where birds went during winter. Everything was small in lintukoto to accommodate birds and sometimes souls could wander there. Notable is that lintukoto is _not_ heaven/afterlife in folk religion, but rather it seems one might get lost there by accident? Terns: I thought terns are great way of marrying both religious imageries together. They dive almost completely into the water and rise anew, signifying Kauno’s almost rebirth-like experience. There also rather many hymns describing angels and dead loved ones visiting earth as birds! And lastly, they are also bird that are more typically seen in southern Finland, as a reference towards lintukoto being to the south of the world’s edge. Armour: Yep, that’s Kauno himself! Kauno is showing his neck, which has only the scar left from the combat, but he’s also gripping at the sinking armour at the same spot.

This week’s Featured Article is about Charity Zines!

These fan-created publications turn fandom creativity into a way to support charitable causes, with proceeds from sales donated to nonprofits, relief efforts, and other causes. The earliest documented examples date back to the 1980s, with projects like Zine Aid raising money for charitable campaigns.

From early print zines sold through the mail and at conventions to modern digital PDFs, charity zines have evolved alongside fandom technology. They can be focused on a single fandom, or bring multiple together, and online organization has made it easier for fans to collaborate and choose causes together. But charity zines are also part of the complicated history of fandom and profit. Questions about expenses, contributor copies, taxes, legal issues, transparency, and donation receipts have all shaped how these projects are organized. Since charity zines can have short availability windows, documenting their history is important for preserving these ephemeral pieces of fandom culture. Want to learn more? Check out its Fanlore page!

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