#Dive Unit

[hinamie]

long way home

[blondebrainpowered]

Woman in Vultee-Nashville, Tennessee operating an air drill for a A-31 Vengence dive bomber, February 1943. Not colorized, Kodachrome.

Photographer: Alfred T. Palmer.

Although built in the US, the A-31 was used by primarily British and Australian forces during the war.

[wachinyeya]

Ghost fishing gear – meaning abandoned, lost or discarded nets, pots or lines – is particularly problematic because it continues to catch marine life. Crabs, rays, fish and even birds or larger mammals such as seals and dolphins get trapped in the gear, where they inevitably die and become bait for more marine life. And so the cycle continues.

According to a 2016 United Nations report, each fishing vessel is likely to lose 1% of its fishing gear per year. More staggering still is the stat that for in every square kilometre of fishing ground there are likely to be 4.4km of ghost nets.

Ghost Fishing UK was set up in 2015 by Dr Richard Walker, a scientist and technical dive instructor. Walker was inspired by his time joining Dutch divers from the now defunct Ghost Fishing Foundation, to clean up ghost nets in the North Sea, in Croatia and from first world war wrecks in Scapa Flow, Orkney.

--

It currently has more volunteers than vacancies. [Ghost Fishing UK] estimates there are 300 on the waiting list, drawn to the charity through word of mouth among the dive community. The selection process is rigorous, with technical dive skills prioritised. Divers tend to self-fund their trips, though the organisation also receives support from private donations and from conservation organisations including the Sussex Wildlife Trust, World Animal Protection and the Sea LifeTrust. People can help by donating to support the charity’s work, and by reporting ghost gear via a form on its website.

--

Tom Collinson is senior advocacy manager at Blue Ventures, a charity that seeks to restore the world’s oceans and improve the livelihoods of fishing communities. He is enthusiastically supportive of the work done by Ghost Fishing UK and other likeminded organisations, such as the Scottish Creel Fishermen’s Federation and the Global Ghost Gear Initiative. “Ghost fishing gear presents a unique and complex challenge and if it weren’t for these dedicated groups, our reefs and wrecks would be festering under blankets of nylon and dead marine life,” he says.

But he also cautions that benefits these groups bring are tiny relative to “industrial destructive fishing practices and particularly bottom trawling”. Critics liken the latter to using a bulldozer and then a vacuum cleaner on the ocean floor.

[ocean-liners]

So yeah. The big news pulled me out of hiatus. If you haven't heard, the SS United States was on the move. After 30 years of sitting in limbo in Philadelphia, the plug has finally been pulled on the old liner. She will be sunk 30 miles offshore of Okaloosa Island in Florida to create an artificial reef for diving.

Under tow, the SS United States left Philly on Feb. 19 and traveled down the east coast of America, around the Florida coast, and then, keeping in tradition with being the fastest liner ever built, docked in Mobile, Alabama a few days ahead of schedule on March 3.

Over the following year, she will have her masts and cranes removed, all the paint will be sand blasted off, the boilers and engines will probably have to come out, her aluminum funnels and possibly parts of her superstructure will be saved for a future museum, but all other aluminum will have to be removed, and holes will have to be cut into her watertight compartments to ensure she sinks on an even keel.

It's a sad end, but at least it's better than being scrapped.

Source: (x)

[mister-warmth]

[basil-the-scorned]

[megamindsupremacy]

Stewjon is Space Scotland: Names and Naming Conventions

For context, I designed an entire naming system for my Stewjon is Space Scotland AU. I'm still trying to work out the cultural logistics of it, but the actual practical logistics I have down.

To break everything down:

Stewjon is a clan-centric society, with clans and clan names having a hugely important role in the culture. I therefore had clan names feature in both the first and last name of Stewjonis.

-The last name (Kenobi) is the family/clan name, and is passed down the family paternally. This is both because I'm from a western culture with a paternal naming tradition, and also because I liked how his parents names sounded when the last names transferred paternally but not maternally. "Ken" would translate to "Clan" (I don't know if this is accurate to Scots English or Scots Gaelic, but I'm working from canon Star Wars names and trying to worldbuild from nothing so work with me here), and then the clan name "Obi" is attached, so "Kenobi" translates to "Clan Obi" or "of Clan Obi"

-The given name (-Wan, but we'll get to "Wan" in a second) is one to two syllables. All of these names are (according to Wikipedia) actual Scottish names, which I picked from the list mostly based on how well they'd sound next to the clan name.

-The prefix clan name (Obi-) is the interesting part. All children are given the father's clan name as both their first and last clan name. Therefore, Obi-Wan Kenobi, son of Ito-Benneit Kenobi, has "Obi" in both his first and last name. However, upon marriage, the couple swaps their prefix clan names to signify the tie between their clans. Therefore his mother Ito-Ceit Kenito and his father Obi-Benneit Kenobi became Obi-Ceit Kenito and Ito-Benneit Kenobi upon their marriage.

-Originally I was going to do something with the fact that "Obi" means belt in Japanese, such as making the clan names signify professions in the same way "Miller" or "Smith" would in English surnames, but I gave up because Japanese is so different of a language from what I understand that I would have just made myself very confused and everyone who understands Japanese language and culture very mad. So I just went with a vowel-consonant-vowel pattern for all the clan names and called it a day.

-Remember how I said we would come back to "Wan"? Obi-Wan wasn't born Obi-Wan Kenobi. He was born Obi-Owen (Owen is a whole 'nother thing and I decided to just give myself a freebie on it), and his name was anglicized (basic-icized?) upon being brought to the Jedi temple. Not on purpose, but it did happen. So technically the chart above should have him listed as Obi-Owen Kenobi, but I already took the screenshot so this is what we're working with.

-Culturally, it's respectful to refer to someone by their full name (Obi-Owen Kenobi). The full name stands until two people are fairly close to each other, platonically or romantically. The informal, friendly version would be their full first name (Obi-Owen). So you wouldn't call your new friend "Obi-Owen" until you're quite close, even if you're social equals. Technically you could refer to someone by their given name only (Owen), but it's awkward and Stewjonis don't really see a reason for it. All of this highlights the cultural emphasis placed on clans and clan ties in Stewjoni society.

The Family Tree

THE KIDS

Starting from the bottom, we have the four Kenobi siblings. Obi-Conn is the oldest, and he marries Yana-Eóin Kenyana, becoming Yana-Conn Kenobi. None of this happens in the story but I wrote it in the chart anyways. Obi-Eóin is nonbinary, which is why their square is white instead of blue or pink.

Obi-Mór and Obi-Pál are twins and approximately four years younger than Yana-Conn. Obi-Mór is ambiguously disabled (she has some form of muscular disability, but the specifics weren't relevant to the story). Obi-Pál is just some guy and I love him for that.

Obi-Owen is the baby of the family. He's twelve years younger than the twins (16 years younger than Yana-Conn) and was definitely an oopsie-baby. I don't need to say anything else because he is also one of the major characters of the Star Wars franchise. You know him.

THE PARENTS

Obi-Ceit Kenito and Ito-Benneit Kenobi are the Kenobi siblings' parents. I don't have much to say here other than that Ito-Benneit shortens his name to Ito-Ben, to avoid the repeated "eet" sound in his full first name. I'm sure that doesn't affect Obi-Owen's future nicknames in any way!

It is Ito-Benneit fault, by the way, that I made clan prefixes instead of surnames to be switched upon marriage. Culturally, it would have made more sense for the more commonly used first name to hold your birth clan and your less commonly used surname to indicate your linked-by-marriage clan, but I needed Obi-Benneit to marry into the name Ito-Benneit so that I could shorten it to Ben. Goddammit.

THE GRANDPARENTS

Ito-Ben's parents are entirely irrelevant so they don't exist. Sad!

Technically I didn't have to name Ito-Lili Kenuna, but I felt bad having her up there as an unnamed person. Una-Owen Kenito, as you may suspect, is where Obi-Wan's name comes from. I really wanted to highlight his Stewjoni heritage in this fic, so giving him family ties through his whole name was important to me. Obi-Ceit names Obi-Owen for her father because Una-Owen was a strong fighter, and she wants to pass that resilience to her son. Which, uh. Well he sure is resilient to things trying to kill him!

Feel free to come yell at me in the askbox about Stewjon's worldbuilding!

[lonestarbattleship]

Loading drop tanks on Curtiss SB2C Helldivers aboard USS LEXINGTON (CV-16) before a search mission.

Photographed on October 25, 1944.

U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command: 80-G-284381

[deepdishplaylist]

I wrote a deep dive on Star Trek: The Original Series, but it got wayyyy too long, so here’s part one.

keep in mind it’s still a 21 minute read according to substack

[xfulmen]

Friendly reminder that Laxus' strength is considered to be on the same level as a Wizard Saint yet the reason he isn't one is because of his boorish behaviour. ( despite the fact that currently this title doesn't have as much significance as it used to, unfortunately ) And when he was heavily poisoned to the point of being on the brink of death he was still able to summon nuclear explosions causing catastrophies with a snap of fingers. And that's not because of the lacrima that was implanted on him, that's his own raw strength. His lacrima served as the key to unlock the massive amount of magic he possesses.

[fog-n-dance]

« STAR WARS REPUBLIC COMMANDO : HARD CONTACT » IS FINALLY MINE !!

Boy I can’t wait to read it and the entire Republic Commando series !! From Karen Traviss, I have only "read" « The Clone Wars », quote-unquote as it was an audiobook, but I enjoyed her writing style. I’m excited to give it a visual try, although I have a feeling I’m gonna enjoy it a lot !

[blondebrainpowered]

1940s Navy diver

[tanjaded]

I don't know what limbus company is but giving one of your summer (?) units a wetsuit and working gear and exhaustion, instead of the generic bikini skirt combo that is so favored in gacha games... this is true genius at work

[fieriframes]

[It's something you can't get in the United States]

[basil-the-scorned]

[sonic-elements]

The Diving Belles

The Diving Belles. The group name for the illustrious Diving Bell Spider Sisters. originally three of the best synchronized swimmers that could be found traveling fresh water areas to perform they're water web dances. however then war broke out and during a bombing, one of they're own was lost. leaving the trio into a duo. while Foam fought to avenge they're sister, Seethe would retire and spend her days incognito.

Foam The Diving Bell Spider: Eldest of The Sisters, Member of Team Wisp, Embodiment of The Azure Wisps. Champion Diver and Explorer By Hobby. originally Vengeance and Hatred of Eggman drove her to Join Team Wisp, her anger was diminished after her actions nearly killed one of her team mates. she would return to her calm and more elegant self to honer her departed sister.

Seethe The Diving Belle Spider: The middle of the Sisters, she was considered a tremendous water dancer, crafting such beautiful and elaborate webs and second only to Foam. when Froth met her end however she would devote her life to sabotaging any of Eggman's attacks, working as a spy for G.U.N. while still keeping in touch with Foam and monitoring her and Team Wisps Exploits.

Froth: The Diving Belle Spider: (Deceased) The Youngest of the Sisters. a young but talented Spider, whenever she dove into the water along with her elder sisters she would be lost in the rhythm of they're own tune. a sweet water angel with a mastery of Water Webs like no other. however her time would come untimely during a Eggman Empire bombing, resulting in her two elder sisters longing to avenge her and not allow her death to go in vain.