chipper-pessimist

[chipper-pessimist]

I try to be really polite on my social media, but today's post has me wanting to unleash a creative string of profanity.

Thanks to a citizen scientist using iNaturalist (and, by the way, all iNat users are by default citizen scientists), a spotted lanternfly (Lycorma deliculata) nymph was spotted in Portland, less than a mile from my apartment. It's the third verified sighting of this highly invasive species in Oregon, the first being in The Dalles in 2023, and one in Eugene last year. There's no telling how many there are across the region now, but given that these have primarily been a problem east of the Mississippi it's disheartening to see their spread here.

Spotted lanternflies are native to China and Japan, but have since become destructive invasive species in South Korea and North America. I wrote up a more detailed description of them here on my website. They attack a wide variety of plants, to include native species and agricultural crops.

Their preferred host tree is the tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima), which is itself also a pernicious invasive species here in North America. It can be very difficult to control, and is most effectively killed with herbicides applied to cuts in the bark--simply cutting it down won't help, because it just grows back, and it can be very difficult to dig up entirely once established. While lanternfly nymphs can survive on other plants, they are not as healthy as those on tree of heaven, and so taking away their host is a big step in slowing them down.

Speaking of big steps, if you see a lanternfly or its egg casings, stomp on it! It's an immediate death, and it removes it from the breeding pool. This is especially important in spring and summer when lanternflies are still in their nymph stages, because they aren't able to breed until they're adults in the fall.

Finally, this is a great example of how vital citizen science is in getting more observers out in the field, and also how we need professional scientists (like those at the Oregon Department of Agriculture) to get the word out to the general public with information about invasive species. The USDA also has valuable articles about lanternflies on their website and has been working on the spotted lanternfly problem since the insects first arrived here in 2014. The United States has been a leader in the sciences for decades, and it's important we keep it that way for so many reasons, to include protecting our food and our natural areas.

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Reblog if you remember this motherfucker:

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Because I didn't get to post it yesterday..

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new and magnificent beasts will arise from the muck. trust me on this one

[chipper-pessimist]

FOR PARENTS OF YOUNG KIDS IN THE US!

Someone over on bluesky posted this and I figured I'd better repost it here. It's the pre-RFK 2025 vaccination schedule for babies and young children, ya know, just in case it mysteriously disappears. Save this and give it to your child's pediatrician; tell them this is the schedule you want your child on.

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had a fascinating english class that resulted in the notes header “the forcefeminization of victor frankenstein”

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my favorite video of all time ever

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In a truck stop bathroom washing my hands today and 2 boys, looked about 5 and 9, came in with their little sister who looked maybe 2. The following whispered conversation made my entire day

"We have to wait, there's a lady in here!"

"That's not a lady, he has a mustache! We can be in here!"

"Some ladies have mustaches! And she has boobs!"

"Well some guys have boobs! Like Uncle Jake!"

"Uncle Jake is fat!"

At this point I could not contain a chuckle and both whirled around with identical looks of panic on their faces. I smiled and said "it's alright for you guys to be in here so your sister has help, don't worry. And I'm both! That's why I have boobs and a mustache. Some folks are just built that way"

(In unison) "Ooooooh!"

(older boy) "So do you use Sir or Ma'am or both?"

"Both, but I prefer Sir"

"Cool! Well thanks Sir! We have to help our sister now!"

This was in a small town country truck stop and both boys had "Murica" type stuff on and neither of them had any issue at all with these concepts. Their mom approached me while I was in line about 10 minutes later and apologized for them bothering me in the bathroom (they had told her about the interaction) and she and I had a lovely little chat too. I got to introduce her to the term "intersex" and her reply was "I think I've heard of that before! I didn't know that was the word for it. Amazing how many different ways God can make people!"

Sometimes the world is good. More often than you might think, if you give it a chance. It's not all bad loves <3

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I'm certain this is on Tumblr somewhere, but I haven't seen it around, so I'm sharing it myself

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Happy birthday Queen

[chipper-pessimist]

Daily "avoiding hopelessness" checklist

Hey, friends. I know I've been really struggling to look towards the future with any kind of hope, so here are some little things I've been trying to do every day that might help you, too.

Accept that your productivity might look weird right now. Don't expect yourself to act as if nothing is wrong.

Make art. I try to write something every day, even if I don't really feel like it, and I've found that once I get into it, I'm grateful I did.

Do something to plan for the future. Doesn't have to be big. Even getting some ice cream you know future you will thank you for counts.

Eat. Even if you're not hungry. I keep skipping meals because I don't feel like eating, and then I force myself to make something and realize I was absolutely starving.

Clean up one thing in your space. If doing all the dishes and sweeping the floors and putting away laundry all feel too overwhelming, try just doing one of those things.

Lean on your online and offline communities. I live in a county that voted trump by a margin of eighty percent. My world feels scary and hostile right now, and it's my communities that are helping me feel hopeful.

Try to find one thing that feels normal. One thing that feels safe and normal and helps you feel a bit more grounded. My local grocery store just got their shipment of chocolate oranges in for the season. That's my thing.

Try to find one thing to look forward to, no matter how small. My thing is checking my ao3 inbox for comments on my fics.

Love you all <3

[chipper-pessimist]

cruelty is so easy. youre not special for choosing it

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This morning there was a nation-wide text spam campaign targeting Black Americans (largely students) telling them that they’ve been selected to pick cotton and will be picked up to be sent to a plantation after Trump’s inauguration.

People online are making jokes about it, but it’s genuinely a disturbing sign. Someone was emboldened enough to intentionally run a background on thousands of young Black people and send them racist messages the day after a very exhausting and stressful election.

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i need everyone to know that community is what will save us all in every single way imaginable. you forming a bond with your neighbour or coworker might help them move house or feel less alone or have the courage to leave an unhealthy living environment. you helping a stranger might provide them with hope. in turn, being able to lean on your community in times of need will save you. your broader bonds with your community are the revolution we need. our society seeks to divide and separate us in so many ways but we are all so much more united in our struggles and joys than you are made to believe. we need to hold onto each other very tightly.