#Site Planning Survey

[prototechsolutionsblog]

How CAD Technology Transforms Accuracy and Efficiency in Land Surveying

Land surveying is a critical process in the fields of construction, engineering, and land development. It involves measuring and mapping the terrestrial or three-dimensional space to determine boundaries, land features, and property lines. Traditionally, land surveying relied heavily on manual techniques and rudimentary tools, leading to time-consuming and often error-prone results. However, with the advent of Computer-Aided Design (CAD) technology, the landscape of land surveying has transformed dramatically. CAD has brought about significant improvements in accuracy and efficiency, revolutionizing the industry. In this blog post, we will delve into the various ways CAD enhances land surveying and explore its benefits in detail.

The Role of CAD in Land Surveying

CAD, or Computer-Aided Design, is a technology used for creating, modifying, analyzing, and optimizing designs. In the context of land surveying, CAD software helps surveyors create detailed and precise maps and plans of land areas. The integration of CAD in land surveying involves the use of specialized software that allows surveyors to input data, process measurements, and generate accurate digital representations of physical spaces.

Enhanced Accuracy

One of the most significant advantages of CAD in land surveying is the enhanced accuracy it provides. Traditional surveying methods often involved manual calculations and hand-drawn maps, which were susceptible to human error. In contrast, CAD software offers tools that automate many of these processes, reducing the likelihood of mistakes. Here are some ways CAD improves accuracy:

1. Precision in Measurements: CAD software can handle and process complex mathematical calculations with precision. Surveyors can input raw data collected from the field directly into the software, which then accurately converts these measurements into detailed maps and models. This eliminates errors associated with manual data entry and calculation.

2. Detailed and Scalable Maps: CAD allows for the creation of highly detailed and scalable maps. Surveyors can zoom in and out without losing accuracy, enabling them to examine specific areas closely and ensure every detail is accounted for. This level of detail is crucial for identifying potential issues and making informed decisions.

3. Real-Time Data Processing: Modern CAD software can process data in real time, providing surveyors with immediate feedback. This capability allows for quick adjustments and corrections in the field, ensuring that the final survey is as accurate as possible.

4. Integration with GPS and GIS: CAD software often integrates seamlessly with Global Positioning System (GPS) and Geographic Information System (GIS) technology. This integration allows surveyors to import precise location data directly into their CAD models, further enhancing accuracy and providing a comprehensive view of the surveyed area.

Increased Efficiency

Efficiency is another key area where CAD excels in land surveying. The traditional surveying process was labor-intensive and time-consuming, often requiring surveyors to spend days or even weeks in the field. CAD technology streamlines many aspects of this process, leading to significant time savings and increased productivity. Here’s how CAD boosts efficiency in land surveying:

1. Automated Data Processing: CAD software can automate many of the repetitive and time-consuming tasks involved in land surveying. For example, it can automatically generate contour lines, calculate areas and volumes, and create cross-sections. This automation reduces the workload on surveyors and speeds up the overall process.

2. Simplified Data Management: Managing large amounts of data can be challenging, especially in large-scale land surveying projects. CAD software offers robust data management tools that allow surveyors to organize, store, and retrieve data easily. This simplifies the workflow and ensures that all information is readily accessible when needed.

3. Collaborative Capabilities: CAD software often includes collaborative features that enable multiple team members to work on the same project simultaneously. This collaborative approach enhances communication and coordination, leading to faster completion times and fewer misunderstandings.

4. Efficient Fieldwork: With CAD, surveyors can use mobile devices and specialized equipment to collect data in the field more efficiently. This data can be uploaded to the CAD software on the go, reducing the need for repeated site visits and minimizing downtime.

Visualization and Analysis

Visualization and analysis are critical components of land surveying, and CAD technology excels in these areas as well. The ability to create detailed visual representations of surveyed areas and perform in-depth analyses is invaluable for surveyors, engineers, and developers. Here are some ways CAD enhances visualization and analysis:

1. 3D Modeling: CAD software enables surveyors to create three-dimensional models of land areas. These 3D models provide a realistic representation of the terrain, allowing for better analysis and planning. Stakeholders can visualize the land’s topography, identify potential challenges, and make informed decisions based on accurate data.

2. Overlaying Data: CAD allows for the overlaying of different types of data on a single map. For example, surveyors can combine topographical data with utility lines, property boundaries, and environmental features. This comprehensive view helps in identifying potential conflicts and planning accordingly.

3. Simulation and Scenario Planning: CAD software can simulate various scenarios and predict their outcomes. For instance, surveyors can model the impact of construction on a particular area, assess potential drainage issues, or analyze the effects of environmental changes. This capability aids in proactive planning and risk management.

4. Detailed Reports and Documentation: CAD software can generate detailed reports and documentation based on the surveyed data. These reports can include measurements, calculations, maps, and 3D models, providing a comprehensive overview of the surveyed area. Such documentation is essential for legal, regulatory, and planning purposes.

Cost Savings

The improvements in accuracy, efficiency, and visualization brought about by CAD also translate into significant cost savings. By reducing errors and streamlining processes, CAD helps surveyors and their clients save money in various ways:

1. Reduced Rework: Accurate surveys mean fewer mistakes and less rework. Errors in traditional surveys often led to costly revisions and delays. CAD minimizes these errors, ensuring that the project stays on schedule and within budget.

2. Optimized Resource Allocation: Efficient data processing and management allow surveyors to optimize the use of resources, including time, labor, and equipment. This optimization leads to cost savings and better project management.

3. Minimized Site Visits: With the ability to process and analyze data remotely, CAD reduces the need for multiple site visits. This not only saves time but also reduces travel and labor costs.

4. Improved Decision-Making: Accurate and detailed surveys provide valuable insights that aid in decision-making. This leads to better project planning, fewer unforeseen issues, and more efficient use of resources, all of which contribute to cost savings.

Future Prospects of CAD in Land Surveying

As technology continues to advance, the role of CAD in land surveying is expected to grow even more significant. Emerging technologies such as Building Information Modeling (BIM), drones, and LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) are being integrated with CAD software, further enhancing its capabilities. Here are some future prospects for CAD in land surveying:

1. Integration with Drones: Drones equipped with high-resolution cameras and LiDAR sensors can capture detailed aerial imagery and topographical data. This data can be imported into CAD software for precise mapping and analysis. The use of drones reduces the time and effort required for fieldwork and provides access to hard-to-reach areas.

2. Building Information Modeling (BIM): BIM is a digital representation of the physical and functional characteristics of a building. Integrating BIM with CAD allows for a seamless transition from land surveying to construction planning and management. This integration improves collaboration between surveyors, architects, and engineers, leading to more efficient project execution.

3. Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR): AR and VR technologies can enhance the visualization capabilities of CAD software. Surveyors and stakeholders can use AR and VR to explore 3D models in an immersive environment, gaining a better understanding of the terrain and potential challenges. This immersive experience aids in decision-making and improves communication.

4. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning: AI and machine learning algorithms can analyze large datasets quickly and accurately. When integrated with CAD, these technologies can automate complex analyses, identify patterns, and predict potential issues. This capability enhances the efficiency and accuracy of land surveying.

Conclusion

CAD has revolutionized the field of land surveying by improving accuracy, efficiency, and visualization capabilities. The precision and automation offered by CAD software reduce errors and streamline processes, leading to significant time and cost savings. As technology continues to evolve, the integration of CAD with emerging technologies such as drones, BIM, AR, VR, and AI will further enhance its capabilities, making land surveying even more efficient and accurate. For surveyors, engineers, and developers, embracing CAD technology is not just an option but a necessity for staying competitive and delivering high-quality results in today's fast-paced and demanding environment.

[indovance]

How Modern Technology is Revolutionizing Contemporary Land Surveying Methods?

For the longest time, land surveyors resorted to traditional methods for land surveying, be it topographical, construction, or boundary surveying. While these methods accomplished the data collection goal, the entire process was sluggish, resource-intensive, and prone to errors. It was also impossible to use these in adverse weather conditions.

Today, LiDAR, GPS, mobile mapping, and other modern technologies have revolutionized the way surveys are conducted. Surveyors are now able to remotely operate UAVs and access difficult terrains in the most hostile weather conditions.

In this article, we will talk about how technological disruptions have paved way for efficient and accurate land surveying. But first, we need to understand why surveying should be done.

Read the full article here:

[izzy-b-hands]

A few more job applications out today too. Fly little birds and pls bring an offer for something with even a dollar or two higher paycheck, like even more would be best but I know how the market is so. I'm not gonna be picky on that

[furrywolfsublime]

DCMS Network

DCMS Network is a reliable and experienced provider of as-built services for residential, commercial, and industrial properties. Our team utilizes 3D scanning technology to create accurate floor plans, building surveys, site plans, BIM models, architectural models, construction models, and interior/ exterior elevation plans. We understand the importance of efficient service from the start, so our solutions are tailored to meet all materials and labor costs without sacrificing quality or detail.

[shrikeseams]

I don't think any of my follows are Florida residents, but just in case:

DeSantis's admin is currently (Aug 13, 2024) pushing to add pickleball courts, golf courses, and huge glamping lodges to some of Florida's state parks. The parks in question are nature and wildlife sites, and as anyone in Florida could tell you, we are not hurting for golf courses.

So! If this passes you off like it does me, you can fill out a survey about the proposal here: https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/7983173/Great-Outdoors-Initiative

There's also going to be local hearings in the counties of the affected parks, but they're rescheduling them because so many people are mad and intend to show up, so I cannot give dates or locations at this time.

This article has some details and shouldn't be paywalled: https://www.wfla.com/news/florida/floridians-balk-at-desantis-administration-plan-to-build-golf-courses-at-state-parks

[reasonsforhope]

Article

"2023 was a banner year for the Galapagos Islands: that wondrous archipelago so famous for its giant tortoises and other endemic species.

The long-serving conservation organization the Galapagos Conservancy, also endemic to the islands, recently published its annual report featuring standout figures like over 500 giant tortoises of 5 different species reintroduced to their natural habitat.

Additionally, a critically endangered species of albatross was identified to use giant tortoise feeding sites as take-off and landing areas. This key insight into co-dependency has given the Conservancy confidence that they can restore the populations of both animals to stable, flourishing numbers.

It underscores how far a donation to these endemic wildlife organizations really does go, and these two highlights of a successful year were only possible by the over $6 million in charitable contributions from supporters.

30 Chelonoidis chatamensis tortoises endemic to the smaller island of San Cristobal were repatriated to their natural habitat from the stock of a captive breeding program, while 97 native tortoises were returned to the second-largest island of Santa Cruz.

On the largest island of Isabella, 350 tortoises (214 C. guntheri and 136 C. vicina) were successfully reintroduced to their natural habitat after a survey found their numbers were not rising substantially on their own.

In March, the repatriation of 86 juvenile Chelonoidis hoodensis tortoises significantly contributed to enhancing the species’ distribution across their native habitat. They currently number 3,000 today on Española or Hood Island, a miraculous recovery from the 14 found there in the 1960s.

Also on Española, the endemic waved albatross was found to be taking off and landing on 50 additional parts of the island. These large birds, boasting an 8-foot wingspan, need ample space to get a running start before taking off, and this same principle applies when applying the brakes coming down from the sky.

In the survey, the biologists observed that concentrations of giant tortoises were linked with the usage of areas as runways for the albatross. Because the tortoises are the largest herbivores in the ecosystem, they perform the same acts as bison do in North America and Europe, and elephants in Africa—clear space.

With their herbivorous diet and large bulk, the tortoise’s feeding habits produce cleared areas ideal for albatross use.

“This discovery underscores the interconnectedness of the Galápagos ecosystem,” the authors of the report write. “This newly acquired knowledge allows us to strengthen the synergies between our conservation strategies.”

Of the $6.1 million received from donations and through other activities, the Conservancy was able to spend 77% of that on conservation programs, and that included some ambitious plans for this year—now already half done—which included drafting plans for restoration of the Pinta tortoise to the island of the same name, preparing tortoises for imminent reintroduction to the smaller Floreana island, and completely restoring the habitat for the Galapagos petrels on Santa Cruz.

Operating since 1985, the Galapagos Conservancy has a long track record of restoring these islands to their pre-Colombian glory. Let’s hope 2024 is as successful."

-via Good News Network, July 19, 2024

[becausegoodheroesdeservekidneys]

if it makes you feel better, a mature student on my course (history) used chatgpt to write an essay (on a real historical event) and handed it in (to a history professor who specialises in the real historical event) and chatgpt got the event entirely wrong. the student went to every lecture and seminar. i don't really know what the thought process was. they showed me their exact work process though (closed wikipedia next to me, put the essay q into chatgpt, and handed it in).

yay university!

Yeah, the very first student I ever caught doing this was last year. He was supposed to write a management plan for a site of his choosing, and went for the site of the old Dunvant Brickworks, now a flourishing reclaimed nature reserve with a brick dust problem.

And his Site Background section was entirely made up. Just fully fictionalised. It claimed there was now a museum and visitor centre onsite (there is not), that the brickworks were named after the family that founded them (they were named after the nearby village which comes from the Welsh Dwfn + Nant), and that the site has won awards for conservation (it has not) and now runs classes on heritage brickmaking (it does not.) Oh, and that the original brickworks had pioneered a brand new brickmaking techniques and was known during the Industrial Revolution for it's progressive workers' rights. Lol.

Anyway the first marker used to be a taxi driver in Swansea, and went "Hang on, there's no museum and visitor's centre -" and then passed it to me. Three hours later, we had proven that six of the fifteen references (already, far too few references for a MASTERS STUDENT) were fake. Two of those fake ones were then heavily used throughout the whole piece to prove everything from the history of the site (lies) to the hydrologic grid (fake) and the presence of signal crayfish in the streams (no).

It was, as they say, a shit show. And again, before I got involved and hit the ChatGPT alarm, the original second marker had looked it over and failed it - not because she knew it was AI, but because it was an utterly shit piece of work.

(That particularly story ended, btw, with that student being given leniency on mental health grounds, so he was allowed to try to resubmit with a new attempt. He was advised to return to the site, reassess it properly, then write up a new piece.

The day before his new submission date, his study support called me and asked for a meeting between the three of us, because the study support is from an IT background and so didn't have the subject knowledge to support him. We had a three way Teams call. During that call, me and the study support - hereafter referred to as Gareth to spare me typing that - both had microphones on, cameras on, and were freely talking. Student had his camera and microphone off.

First question from Gareth: "So, we have the site's real management plan, but it's 20 years out of date. Is this going to be a problem?"

Me: "No, not at all. In the industry, management plans are often out of date. Just factor that into yours - if it was written 20 years ago, you'll probably need to update the surveys to re-establish the current baseline, so what are you going to say needs to be surveyed and when. Does that make sense, Student?"

And there was, I shit you not, a SEVEN SECOND PAUSE, and then he unmuted himself and went "Sorry, what was that? I was sending a text."

And that happened a further three times over the course of that 40-minute meeting. A meeting he had requested the eve of his second chance because he still hadn't done it. A meeting he visibly did not think he had to listen in, or participate in, and thought he could get Gareth to listen to instead.

And then he submitted the new piece, and the only changes were:

He had entirely removed the site background section. It had not been replaced.

He had added in approximately twelve new in-text citations, none of which he'd added to the reference list for us to actually trace.

Which meant he was still heavily relying on the two fake references, and elsewhere in the piece, still had a paragraph that mentioned the museum and visitors centre; and THAT meant that he submitted, for a second time, work containing AI-generated content.

He was withdrawn from the course.)

[mossmittens]

Post-canon Labru where they actually get together pretty quickly except they don't

Laios and Kabru have been working together so closely for months in the castle and become best friends. About 6 months post-canon, they wind up going on a month-long survey expedition with Marcille, Falin, and some scientists. (The survey team is evaluating soil quality and attempting to identify the best sites for settlements.)

The group winds up sitting around the campfire most nights, drinking and singing and telling stories. One night, Laios and Kabru are the last ones out there and they get solidly drunk. Kabru kisses Laios. Laios kisses him back. Nothing else happens that night. But the next? They talk about it in Laios' tent and decide to give it a try. We're already best friends, right? Might as well give it a shot! So the rest of the trip, they spend the whole time flirting and giggling and making out at the fire and fucking in their tents. It's not a secret at all. Marcille is deeply annoyed. Falin is happy for Laios. The scientists are like, "wow, this gossip is gonna make me so popular at home." It's literally so great.

Except when they get back to Melini, it's harder than they expected. The survey was kind of a vacation for them. At home, there's paperwork and appearances and forming alliances and making sure their people are eating and security and it's just so much. The time they had to become best friends was not time that could really be filled with romance. If anything, romance adds to their pile of things they have to deal with: planning time together that isn't filled with work, managing the expectations of their citizens, heirs and weddings and what if some entity offers Laios a marriage that will benefit the kingdom, will he say no, how will this work how will it work how will it work

So they break it off. They love like each other so much and this could be something great, but they just can't do it right now. It's too much. They both put on brave faces but are obviously devastated. It hurts their friendship for months and months, but eventually they get close again.

For years, they stay friends. They both remember how awful that first break up was. Even when things slow down, they're both so cautious because who knows if this time things will break horribly and they won't be able to stay friends.

Kabru dates around a little. Laios seriously considers a few marriage alliances. It all falls through, but they do try to give other people a shot. They're in love with each other but they're still practical.

That's not to say they don't hook up occasionally. Maybe once a year they both get so overwhelmed with work that they have a little decompression fuck. Or they both get drunk at a ball and make out in a closet. It doesn't mean anything, so no big deal.

Then, twelve or so years down the line, they're both working in Laios' study. The kingdom is in such a good place. They've figured out succession, the economy is stable, their relationships with foreign powers are good, citizens are being taken care of. They're in the maintenance phase of everything and planning for a bright future. Maybe it's Laios, who has come into his own and feels a confidence that he never had at 26, who sits back and looks at Kabru and just says, "Kabru."

Kabru responds with a casual, "Your Highness?"

And Laios just throws it out there: "I love you. And I want to be with you, whatever that means for us."

Kabru is taken aback because to be fair to him it is quite random. He can't help but respond honestly, though. He loves Laios, too.

They'd probably spend a moment reveling in it. They've spent years in one state of being, thinking "maybe later, maybe soon" but never really believing the time would come.

Once they sit with it, the workday is over. They're giggling and making out and flirting in the study. It's just like that survey trip all those years ago, except this time they're used to the weight of the kingdom.

They probably move pretty fast. They've been enmeshed in each other's lives for more than a decade, so very little is actually changing on their end. They try to give it a few months before they lock in and get married/legally committed/whatever, if just for the sake of propriety and making sure the country is confident in their relationship. But it's obvious from that first day that this is it for both of them. Of course it is.

[snaileer]

Dare to Live (Part 1/2)

DPxDC

The first they see of the mysterious figure is barely a flicker above the battle. Only a few of them really spot it and the rest only see it due to footage from the bat plane.

Any other footage after it is the equivalent of child’s colorful finger-painting regarding the figure.

Superman doesn’t even pause to evaluate the flicker in his peripheral before he goes back to trying to push the newest alien ship away from Metropolis.

Why was it always Metropolis?

Why not St. Louis? Or, or Fountain, Mississippi? Or literally anywhere in Canada! He has nothing against Canada, he would just like to go farther than his city borders to stop an alien invasion, just once. For some variety, you know?

Just as Batman’s plan starts working, and they’ve finally got the mothership on the edge of Metropolis, Clark’s grip goes light.

For a moment, he panics, worried they have kryptonite or some shield or repelling ray, but when he’s still able to fly backwards he realizes that’s not possible.

Instead, he stares in awe at the figure stationed above them, above the heroes, the ship, all of it.

The man is large, at least as big as Clark, with one hand stretched out to the ship, and there’s just enough time for Clark to see a large skulled ring on the man’s hand before he swipes downwards and Clark watches as the entire mothership crashes downwards with it. Hull crushing inwards as if gravity itself has increased upon it.

Clark looks back up at the man, taking note of the large glowing green crown above his head, and the starry black cape that sways gently behind him despite the winds that sheer against Clark’s face. His hair flows gently as well, giving off the same glow as the crown, even though it shouldn’t be visible in the midday sun.

In fact, the man’s entire figure seems to glow, only getting brighter as he holds his arms out and streams of sickly green light seem to stream towards him from around the city, around the battle site, all absorbing into the man with a green flash.

Clark only spares a glance to Batman to get an affirming nod to check it out before he’s flying up to him, hesitance growing as he watches the figure survey the damage with eyes of pupiless green.

The figure smirkes as he approached, meeting him in the middle but saying nothing, only serving to increase the tension in the air around them.

When they were even, Clark chose to take the first step of diplomacy, “I am Superman, Protecter of Earth. Thank you for helping us, But..Who are you?”

The figure stared at him for a long time, eyes boring into his skull with an intensity not unlike Batman’s. The feeling of judgement being passed weighed down on his shoulders before, finally, they spoke,

“I am High King Phantom of the Infinite Realms of the Eighth Dimension,” Power radiated through his voice, “The Great One, Feller of the Tyrant Pariah Dark, Tamer of Vortex, Conquerer of My Future Now Past, Keeper of Death and Life, Wielder of the Ring of Rage, Bearer of the Crown of Fire and The One True Balance.”

Superman felt an icy grip around his heart as he took in everything those titles could mean. And if his experience with extra dimensional beings was anything to go by…

“You are well met, Superman, Protector of… Earth.”

The king seemed to hesitate on the planet, indicating maybe an unfamiliarity with it, but then why would he be here?

Superman composed himself, remembering the diplomatic training of the league, “And.. Your Majesty is here because…?” Words seemed to escape him as he stared into those eyes.

Silence reigned between them again, tense and still, not even the king’s cape seemed to move anymore until the his voice broke it.

“You will find out all in due time, Superman of Earth,” He paused and glanced around them, eyes suddenly clarifying to just two Lazarus green irises, “But for now, I am here simply to observe.”

Without pausing, the king began to fly down to where Clark could see the other heroes congregating.

Superman followed just in time for Batman to step forward and ask him for an introduction and more importantly, information.

Clark jumped in to avoid the amalgam of ominous titles, simply saying, “Batman, this is King Phantom of the Eighth Dimension. He’s.. visiting?”

Batman raised a patented bat glare at him, “Eighth dimension, is that at all related to your troubles with a certain fifth dimensional imp?”

That’s exactly what he’d thought but by Rao he hoped not. Just as he was about to reply though, King Phantom cut in with a flare of his glow.

“Watch your tongue, Man of Bats, accuse me of being a fifth dimensional pest again and we shall see how long you last in no dimensions at all,” the king paused to look down at him, “Mortal.”

[anto-pops]

The Serpent's Paramour - Sebastian Sallow x Female!Reader

Summary: For the past five years, you've been traversing the Highlands in pursuit of ancient magic sites to master the all-consuming power from the repository. In the midst of your travels, you find yourself forced into an uneasy alliance with none other than Sebastian Sallow. He wants your help, but you want absolutely nothing to do with him.

At first, that is.

While the two of you learn to coexist in the same space again, you’re left wondering if you truly will be able to aid one another, or if your past mistakes will finally come to head after all these years and ultimately lead to your long awaited downfall.

Word Count: 3k

Warnings: 18+. aged up characters, canon-typical violence, kidnapping

Chapter 1 can also be found here on Ao3

You were getting really tired of running for your life. 

During your fifth-year turning tail and booking it was often heavily warranted, especially because it was usually being done as a result of you waking up hordes of Inferi, or stealing important artifacts from dark wizards that would then be out for blood. You liked to think you had grown out of that habit, but tonight was proving to be something of a trip down memory lane. 

You were being chased. Again. 

Tucking your knees to your chest, you ducked down and rolled through mud at the same time a Bombarda curse blew up a chunk of the tree ahead of you. It was a close call, but you could hardly stop to survey the extent of the damage when you could still hear the thugs behind you giving chase. 

“You daft idiots, grab her!” 

Another spell struck the ground where you’d landed moments before, but you were already on the move– dipping and weaving in a bid to dodge the attacks that were fired blindly at your back. It made no sense; you had never been intercepted at an ancient magic site before, and as far as you were concerned, there was no reason for anyone to take interest in a dilapidated ruin. Aside from using the crumbling fortress as a makeshift base, no Ashwinders or poachers had ever been lying in wait in what was otherwise deemed an unremarkable location. 

They had been this time, though. To make matters worse, they were looking for you specifically. 

Your name had been like a battle cry from their lips as you’d exited the rundown site, and you hadn’t bothered to stick around to find out whatever the hell it was they wanted with you. If you weren’t so tired and weary, you would have apparated yourself to safety in a heartbeat, but splinching yourself as a result of your carelessness wasn’t exactly at the top of your to-do list. So, you had bolted straight for the edge of the forest, doing your best to avoid colliding with the low hanging branches that scratched at your cheeks and ripped at your cloak. 

There was more yelling from behind you, only this time it sounded distinctly farther away. Chancing a look over your shoulder, you discovered that there was now ample distance between you and the goons chasing you, and you pivoted on your heels to head north for the river that separated the Clagmar Coast from Cragcroftshire. If you could reach the water, you would have a better chance of getting away and concealing your tracks in the process. 

At least, you hoped you would.

Lungs aching, you pushed yourself harder, your arms pumping at your sides as you lept over a fallen log in your path, and though you stumbled a bit upon landing, you remained upright and pressed on. Another spell whizzed past your head– the heat from the Confringo curse nearly singing your matted hair– but you ignored it and focused wholly on running. It felt like an eternity had passed when you finally reached the colossal ravine, immediately trying to formulate a plan that would result in you on the other side with your pursuers left behind. There was no bridge to repair, no loose boulders to form into a levitating staircase, nothing. Panic began to fester in your mind for a heartbeat before you steeled your nerves and banished the feeling entirely. Hysteria wouldn’t help you right now– it never had. 

“There– up ahead! Move your asses, dammit,” came the same voice from before. You turned to watch as a handful of masked assailants slid down the muddy embankment roughly fifty feet from you, and that sight alone spurred you into action. 

Your wand was ripped from the holster on your thigh, and you channeled every bit of magic in your body into it as you aimed for the largest tree across the daunting trench in front of you. The Accio charm wrapped around the top of the monstrous trunk, and with every ounce of strength you possessed, you pulled. It seemed impossible at first, but desperate times called for desperate measures, and the foreign power from the repository surged to life to give you the assistance you gravely needed. There was a deafening crack as the wood began to splinter and give way under your ministrations, muting the onslaught of footsteps that grew nearer and nearer. With one final pull your efforts were rewarded, and the massive evergreen tipped towards you slowly before gravity caught up to it, sending it plummeting towards where you stood. 

If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? It was a philosophical question– one that you had never thought about much before– but you had always assumed that with no one around, there would never be any way to know. Presently there were multiple people around, and as it turned out, a falling tree did make a sound. 

As you dove out of the way, the pine covered top of the tree arched past where you had been standing, stretching over the shrinking space between you and the encroaching strangers behind you. Most of them saw the gargantuan tree heading straight for them and jumped out of the way, their shrill screams echoing throughout the forest and bringing a small smile to your face. A few others weren’t so lucky, and you watched as the peaked top of the tree swallowed them whole and buried them beneath a heavy thicket of pine needles. 

Seizing your opportunity, you ran for the makeshift bridge and hauled yourself on top of the rough trunk, shoving and kicking at the spindly branches that stood in your way as you practically clawed your way through to the other side of the ravine. You didn’t dare look back, keeping your eyes trained ahead as you focused on maintaining your footing and not getting thrown off balance by your satchel. 

It looked like a hurricane had torn through the earth when you finally emerged at the base of the tree. You hopped down and landed in the deep, root-riddled crater that had previously held the evergreen upright before running to the side to gauge where your attackers were. Most were still gathering their bearings while others attempted to drag their comrades out from under the suffocating weight of the branches. You hardly spared their survival a second thought as you pointed your wand at the center of the tree and cast, “Confringo!” 

The flames grew rapidly and without mercy, frantic calls of “hurry” and “get them out of there” reaching your ears as you spun towards the forest and disappeared into the treeline. There was no knowing how much time you had bought yourself, but you weren’t about to squander any of it for a second. 

You ran, and you did not look back. 

***

One would assume that after two years of living in abandoned hovels and scrounging up scraps to eat with your bare hands, you’d be used to being cold, wet, and miserable. Hell, you had learned more about yourself since leaving Hogwarts than you’d ever thought possible, including just how resilient and resourceful you could be. Rain storms, stale bread, and a lack of clean water had never deterred you for long, and through all the trials and tribulations you found yourself facing, you always managed to pull through. 

Tonight, however, you allowed yourself to be sullen. 

The torrential downpour you’d been caught up in somehow managed to slip through the canopy of trees overhead, and as a result, you were encased in a cold, wet, dreary darkness. It had been two hours of trudging through mud and frigid temperatures, and by now you were caked in a thick layer of grime that you desperately wanted to rid yourself of. Charming away the mess was pointless– it wouldn’t be long before you were covered in muck once again– and you’d learned long ago that using magic while in the middle of a void forest was a bad idea, especially when you were trying to remain undetected. 

After the events from earlier in the day, you had decided to head straight for the next site marked on your map to make camp and settle down for the night. However, you were still a day away from reaching the location, no thanks to the dark wizards that had chased you in the opposite direction. Your stubbornness and desire to reach your destination is why you currently found yourself on the outskirts of civilization, trying and failing to fend off the elements to get the journey over with, but the bone-deep chill that wracked your body was beginning to weaken your resolve. 

You were exhausted. 

Thunder rumbled overhead, long and loud amidst the sound of raindrops pelting against the dirt, and with a disappointed sigh, you made up your mind. If memory served you correctly, the town of Bainburgh was roughly a two mile walk west of the forest. Your paranoia told you it was too risky to set foot in a legitimate establishment, but your numb limbs and wet boots squashed your fears before they could come to head. Staying outside for the entire night would likely leave you dead, and there were few other options to choose from. 

So, you marched. It took roughly forty minutes to traverse the jagged, rocky landscape in the dark, slowed down by the stray roots that stuck out of the ground and worked to trip you in your haste. By the time you made it into town, you were soaked to the bone and shivering violently enough that you were certain passersby could hear. The tavern was helpfully the largest building at the end of the road, and you headed straight for it without sparing any of the town’s denizens a second glance. 

The warmth that greeted you as soon as you entered was beyond welcoming, and you tugged the door shut behind you before beelining straight for the firepit in the middle of the room. Your hands were so numb that you practically had to submerge them in the flames to feel any semblance of reprieve, and a few onlookers cast wary glances your way. Between the mud that coated your lower half and the water that dripped from every fiber of your clothing, you realized you had to look like a walking disaster, and that sobering thought had you tucking your hands under your armpits as you hurried to the bar at the back of the room. 

The older gentleman wiping down the counter turned to face you, his aged face showing obvious alarm and concern when he caught sight of you. “Merlin’s beard girl, you look like you’ve been dragged straight through hell.” 

You flashed him a bashful smile, though you were certain it looked like more of a grimace. “You could say that. You wouldn’t happen to have any rooms available for the night, would you?” 

With practiced efficiency, he tossed the rag he’d been holding over his shoulder and shuffled over to the cabinet at the edge of the bar, opening the squeaky glass panel that housed the keys for the rentable rooms. “Ordinarily the answer would be no, but that damned storm blowing through has business movin’ slow. I’ve got two rooms left, one with a bath and the other without.” 

Your heart soared as you hastily replied, “The one with the bath, please.” Without missing a beat, you snatched your weighty coin purse from your belt and dropped it on the wooden surface. The barkeeper raised his white, bushy brows in silent surprise as he tentatively picked up the drawstring sac, plucking ten gold pieces from within before handing it back to you. The bronze key he deposited in front of you had a wooden tag dangling from the end that read ‘13’, and for the first time in nearly two weeks you found yourself genuinely smiling as your fist closed around the cool metal. 

“Up the stairs and on your left,” he instructed you. “Kitchen is open for another hour if you’re tryin’ to grab a bite before bed, but I’d wager you’re more interested in the runnin’ water.” The way his eyes fell to your soiled clothing didn’t escape you. You almost felt bad for tracking all the mud and water through the lobby.

Twenty minutes later, you had a warm loaf of bread and a small wedge of cheese tucked away in your bag as you ascended the rickety staircase. The decor within the aged tavern was modest, save for the silver plaques that adorned each door with their respective room numbers. Finding your own was a non-issue, and as soon as you were inside the sanctity of the rented space, you let loose a breath that you’d seemingly been holding since setting foot into town. Now wasn’t the time to let your guard down, but you weren’t about to turn your nose up at clean linens and running water. 

Moving quietly, you stripped down to your undergarments and tossed your ruined clothing in the corner of the bathroom, then cranked the tub’s faucet to the highest setting and left it to fill. The bread from the kitchen had cooled some, but it hardly made a difference to you as you ripped off a piece and ate it with the cheese you’d purchased. Fresh food was a rarity for you these days, and you savored every bite as you paced the length of the room. With your hunger sated and your looming bath just around the corner, you allowed yourself to think back to the last few weeks, and you pondered just why dark wizards were looking for you.

Understandably, the whole situation reminded you of your fifth-year. Suddenly you were fifteen again, being hounded and hunted by Ranrok and Rookwood alike for simply existing. At that time they had wanted something from you; your abilities, your information, and most prudent of all, your silence. You’d known too much back then, but those times had passed, and both Ranrok and Rookwood were now dead– at your hands, no less. 

So why would anyone be looking for you? Who were they to you? What did they want? 

It wouldn’t surprise you in the slightest to discover that you had more enemies lurking in the shadows. The stunts you’d pulled and the things you’d gotten away with back then were bound to catch up with you, but you hated not knowing. The whole reason you’d left Hogwarts after graduation without so much as a word to anyone was precisely because you didn’t want your whereabouts known. The line between friend and foe had started to blur towards the end, though you acknowledged that it was mostly your fault.

You hadn’t turned Sebastian in, but you also hadn’t moved to stop Ominis from doing so. 

With him imprisoned in Azkaban and Ominis reeling from the decision, it was no wonder the two of you had drifted apart in the years that followed. Anne’s curse worsening had only exacerbated Ominis’ feelings, and you’d graciously stayed out of his way anytime you saw him around school. Natty had never fully recovered from Harlow’s use of the Cruciatus curse on her, and your guilt had in turn driven you further away from her. Poppy was the only person you’d stayed in touch with for the remainder of your academic life, but she was too good a person to drag down with your… issues. You’d ultimately been the one to cut contact with her following your seventh-year, and while you’d felt bad about it at first, you knew it was for the best. 

After tonight, that decision had proven to be the right one. If you really were being tracked, were any of your former friends targets for information? Did this impromptu, wild goose chase have anything to do with your volatile abilities from the repository? Had you unwittingly put them in harm's way simply because they knew you? 

The bread in your mouth had gone soft, and you shook the pointless thoughts from your mind as you finished off your mediocre dinner and made for the bathroom. The warmth from the water was divine and single-handedly chased away any lingering doubts about holing up in a public place for the night. For just this once, you would gladly trade sleeping in the cold, wet dirt for the pending restlessness and paranoia that was bound to greet you, and greet you it did. 

After climbing under the itchy but clean blankets, you stared wide eyed up at the ceiling for what felt like hours. Every squeak of a floorboard, every booming laugh that echoed up the stairs, every shadow that darted past your window, all had your heart racing. Even after checking twice that the two points of entry were indeed firmly locked, your nerves wouldn’t steady. Your skin crawled with unease at the prospect of being blindsided in an unfamiliar place, and at one point you even began pacing the length of the tiny room just to tire yourself out. 

Eventually, you came to a grinding halt at the foot of the bed, your hands curling into fists as you sucked down a slow, deep breath. “You’re fine,” you murmured to yourself. “You’re fine. It’s okay, you’re safe, you’re fine.” 

Maybe if you repeated it enough times you would start to believe it. 

The second time you crawled beneath the prickly sheets your brain was still running in overdrive, but you were far less fidgety than before. You had no clue how you managed it, but eventually your eyes drifted shut– and even if it ended up being a fitful bout of sleep, you would be grateful for the few hours of shut eye you managed to acquire. 

Gratitude went right out the window, however, when you were startled awake by a whispered, “Petrificus totalus.” 

Your body locked up– stiff and unable to move an inch below the scratchy covers– and before you even had the chance to glance in the direction of the disembodied voice, they whispered a different sort of charm. 

One that made your world go dark.

[rebeccathenaturalist]

Help Stop a Clearcut - Deadline May 17, 2024! Reblogs appreciated!

Hey, folks, got a time-sensitive request for y'all--even if you aren't a PNW resident, can you please put in a word to save the legacy/mature forest on Mothball Hill just outside Astoria, OR? Comments to NOT clearcut the forest on Mothball Hill can be sent to odf.sfcomments@odf.oregon.gov and need to be received by 5pm Pacific Standard Time on May 17. Reblogs ALSO help!

As per this article:

"North Coast Communities for Watershed Protection requests your consideration and immediate action to help safeguard drinking water and residents’ health in rural neighborhoods east of Astoria. Written comments are needed by Friday, May 17, regarding ongoing and upcoming Oregon Department of Forestry timber harvests in Clatsop County. Anybody may submit a comment to ODF; you do not need to be a resident of Clatsop County. Please see below for more details.

Currently, the NCCWP Astoria Chapter is working to notify residents whose property is in close proximity to proposed 2025 ODF timber harvests in Clatsop County. On May 5, we surveyed Unit 2 of the Mothball Hill Harvest and met some of the concerned residents whose property is immediately adjacent to the timber sale. We are working with them closely.

Leading up to the May 17 deadline for comments about the ODF Annual Operations Plan (AOP), we are hoping to visit as many of these sites as possible — knocking on people’s doors directly adjacent to these potential timber harvests. Many people who live in these houses may not be aware that the forestland near their homes is scheduled to be clearcut and sprayed with a “cocktail” of pesticides. Our goal is to notify these homeowners and provide them with appropriate resources and support so that they can get involved and comment on the AOP before the opportunity ends. These clearcuts and pesticide applications may directly affect people’s health, livelihoods, recreational activities, and property values. Ultimately, they will adversely affect the quality and quantity of coastal drinking water by exacerbating the climate crisis, perpetuating drought, and increasing the risk of wildfires, landslides, and the runoff of sediment and pesticides into waterways.

Here’s a letter sent to community members, ODF, BoF, and Clatsop Co. officials from Darren Orange, a resident neighboring the Mothball Hill Harvest: 

A request for your consideration and action,

The Oregon Department Of Forestry released their 2024 Annual Operations Plan and has selected a previously unmanaged, non-intentionally planted, natural “Legacy Forest” for CLEARCUT AND AERIAL SPRAY. The location is in Clatsop Forest Astoria District on “Mothball Hill” east of Astoria in the John Day estuary. This proposed clearcut will impact a previously unmanaged biodiverse forest with trees, and mycorrhizal networks well over 100 years old. The geographical location is extremely steep and the boundaries for cutting would push into the Columbia River at its northernmost point. Slide potential is high, threatening the railroad, and homes both on private drive Phil Rd., Highway 30, and Deer Valley Rd. 

Located between Astoria, (2 miles to the west) and the Twilight Eagle Sanctuary (2 miles to the east) this rich habitat and watershed is home for bald eagles, beaver, blue heron, cougar, bobcat, coyotes, and waterways for native salmon.  The year-round streams run directly into the John Day and Columbia Rivers. The location will be seen on Highway 30, and visible from both rivers as a monstrous scab. 

The home and hobby garden I share with my wife borders 300′ of Clatsop Forest. Neon survey markers now weigh heavily, glaring at us 20′ from our kitchen window. Trees marked for cut purposely planted by homeowners over 50 years ago as property lines now marked for harvest. We watch: protected migratory birds, marine birds, bald eagles, blue heron, osprey, and others. We’ve listened to the call of bobcats and coyotes from their resting and breeding dens. We’ve seen beavers in the estuary. Salmon and crayfish are commercially harvested here. The rich native flora and mycelium network show the health of the forest and offer many plant medicines. This is just a window of the species we see everyday. 

The impact and damage on this ecosystem is vast. The unintended consequences of aerial spray, blowdown due to compromised forest integrity, slides, and aesthetic harm to private property value, boating/kayaking and tourism, commercial and recreational fishing are all part of the cost vs minimal $1.1 million dollar profit.

PUBLIC COMMENTS ARE ENCOURAGED, AND CLOSE VERY SOON ON MAY 17TH!

I’m asking the greater community to please write and pass along your concerns to the Oregon Department of Forestry about this clearcut timber sale in one of the oldest stands in the area. This stand has not been managed or replanted so it represents a key forest in its health and history. I ask that ODF look into alternative locations such as managed/planted forests with less impactful methods that follow the soon to be Federal Habitat Conservation Act that would preserve older stands. I ask that ODF follow their own Key Performance Measures of complex layered forest structure. I ask ODF NOT TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS TIMBER SALE.

Sincerely, 

Darren Orange

local resident of 25 years

business owner

property owner

Email – odf.sfcomments@odf.oregon.gov

interactive map

[uwmspeccoll]

Athenian Architecture

The Antiquities of Athens by Scottish archaeologist James "Athenian" Stuart (1713-1788) and British architect Nicholas Revett (1720-1804), originally published 1762-1830, contains five volumes. Printed in London by German-born John Haberkorn, this was to be his best-known work.

James Stuart and his friend Nicholas Revett embarked on a journey to Greece in 1751. Their mission was to record and measure antiquities, a task no one had accurately accomplished before. Despite facing numerous challenges, including threats from Turkish gangs, their unwavering dedication led to the first accurate survey of ancient Greek architecture completed between 1751 and 1754. 

The illustrations in the volumes are not merely decorative; they consist of meticulously etched and engraved plates featuring buildings, maps, plans, and friezes. These illustrations are instrumental in providing a comprehensive visual survey of ancient Greek architecture, allowing readers to appreciate the precision and scale of the antiquities documented.

The particular building featured here is the Choragic Monument of Lysicrates, commonly called the Lanthorn of Demosthenes. It was built around 334 BCE and is the only surviving example of a choragic monument. This monument is situated near the eastern end of the Acropolis, one of Athens's most significant archaeological sites. In ancient Greece, a choragus was a wealthy citizen who financed a production at one of the city's festivals. The monument was originally surmounted by a bronze tripod commemorating Lysicrates’ sponsorship of the chorus that had won first prize at the City Dionysia festival.

Stuart and Revett were the first to recognize the story depicted on the frieze. It is the story of Dionysus, the god of wine and revelry, and the Tyrrhenian pirates. In the Hymn to Dionysus in the Homeric Hymns, the god is kidnapped by pirates who fail to recognize him as a god. The pirates attempt to bind him but are unsuccessful. Instead, Dionysus drives them to jump overboard. Once they’re in the water, he uses his divine gifts to turn them into dolphins, as illustrated here in the depictions of the monument's friezes.

View another post from The Antiquities of Athens.

View other Classics posts.

-- Melissa, Special Collections Undergraduate Classics Intern

[imyourbratzdoll]

𝒃𝒍𝒖𝒆𝒃𝒆𝒓𝒓𝒚 𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒎𝒑𝒊𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒖𝒏𝒌𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒉𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓

🍓the strawberry shack masterlist🍓

summary - after a hunt, dean decides to go and relieve some stress with one of the sweet girls at the strawberry shack.

warning - smut, oral sex, gloryhole, swearing.

18+ only please, the gif and headers I use aren't mine.

Warnings and Reminders - Please do not plagiarise, copy, repost/republish, adapt, or translate any of my work on any social media platforms, apps, or third-party sites. The only platforms I post my work on are: Tumblr and Wattpad. I do not own any character of any franchise (Marvel etc.) All my works are fiction and may be dark or triggering content: READ ALL WARNINGS BEFORE PROCEEDING.

The sound of Dean’s Impala can be heard as he drives up and parks, turning off his car and getting out. Dean grunts, looking around before heading to the pretty coloured building. He smirks at the woman sitting at the front desk, handing over some cash before heading to the room he needs to go into. He looks around, surveying each female before he heads over to you and begins to undo his jeans, groaning as he wraps his large hand around his thick member. 

“Hey, sweetheart.” He grumbles, pushing his cock through the hole. His head falls back as you lean forward and begin to lick his swollen tip, humming around him as your mouth opens wider, swallowing him deeper into your awaiting mouth. “Your mouth is like heaven, sweets.” He rests his hand and forehead on the wall as you take him into your throat. Your tongue swirls around his swollen tip and throbbing base, tracing the prominent veins before flicking the slit where his pre-cum drips out. 

You begin to focus on his tip, swirling your tongue around it before you wrap your lips around the large mushroom tip, sucking hard and slow. Taking your time with the big thing, savouring his musky taste, your hands move up and down his thick base, squeezing and twisting your wrist. You feel yourself dampen at the moans that pass his lips, wondering if he is as sexy as he sounds. You moan around his cock, sending vibrations through him, causing Dean to let out a series of swear words. You slowly take him deeper, sucking and gagging as his tip hits the back of your throat.

“Son of a bitch! Shit, sweetheart! Sucking me so fucking good!” Dean groans, and his head falls back as he pants. His eyes roll to the back of his head, and his cock twitches as his end approaches. “Shit, shit! Sweetheart, if you keep sucking me like that, I’ll cum!” He groans, pathetic whines escaping him as you continue to take him deeper, swallowing around him and sucking harder. You want to taste him. “Fuck!” Dean huffs, his balls tighten, and his cock throbs before thick amounts of cum shoot out of his swollen tip and into the back of your throat. You swallow, humming in joy at the taste of his saltiness before you lick his cock clean and slowly pull away after there’s no more cum. Dean pulls himself out of the hole and tucks his softening cock back into his jeans. “Thanks, sweetheart. You are heavenly.” He taps the wall twice before heading out and back into his car, driving off with a plan to return soon.

thank you for reading!

feedback and reblogs are greatly appreciated.

[fatehbaz]

[In] the making and unmaking of amphibious urban modernity in Recife in the Northeast of Brazil [...] the transformation of the city was predicated on [...] [a] notion of whiteness that required the enclosure of wet, amphibious space to make dry land. [...] Racialised groups – of black, indigenous, and mixed heritages – and the houses, marshlands, and mangroves where they lived, were subject to eradication [...]. [F]rom the 1920s to 1950s, during the rise to hegemony in Brazil of [a form of nationalism,] [...] [the] idea's heartland [was] the Northeast. This period gave birth to Brazilian urban modernity [...]. [F]orests, wetness, and the spectre of commonly held land were understood as threats to whiteness and its self-association with order, purity [...]. To answer the question of why the racial division of nature was so important, [...] turn to the hygienic, boundary-making practices of the Brazilian Estado Novo [...] [and its] eugenic visions [...].

Nature is deeply imbricated in the processes of white supremacy [...]. Recife is one of the largest cities in Brazil, and one of the oldest. [...] Recife is also a centre of Brazilian black culture [...]. One of the key sites in Brazil's slave and sugar trades [...], the city was [...] [a] hub. Many of these people lived in what came to be called mocambos, a word that designated an informal dwelling, but came to mean much more. The population of the mocambos included not only black Brazilians, but sertanejos from the backlands, black and indigenous caboclos, and others [...]. Enclosure was the crucial mechanism of this division.

---

The Recifense geographer Josué de Castro contended that the mangroves were a kind of commons [...]. Zélia de Oliveira Gominho (2012) characterises the city's transformation [from 1920 to 1950] through the oscillation between its twin faces of “mucambópolis” and Veneza Americana (the Venice of the Americas). [...]

Mocambos were seen as [...] the place where exploited labour was kept out of sight. [...] They were also [...] the inheritance [...] of the quilombo - the community of escaped slaves. [...]

Gilberto Freyre was perhaps the single most influential figure in producing this defining national myth in Brazil. In 1936, he wrote a book on the Mucambos do Nordeste [...]. Josué de Castro wrote very differently about the mangroves and mocambos. [...] He analysed Recife as “amphibious”: built half in and half out of the water [...]. When Josué de Castro [...] [wrote] in the early 1930s, the city was in the midst of political turbulence. As land values increased, the city expanded, and [...] [oppressive] politics intensified [...].

---

With the installment of the [...] [oppressive] Estado Novo regime in 1937, and its project of creating a “new man,” hygienist modernisation gathered speed. In July 1939, the proto-fascist administration [...] of Agamenon Magalhães, put in place by Getúlio Vargas' repressive Estado Novo, launched the Liga Social Contra o Mocambo (Social League Against the Mocambo, LSCM). The League emerged out of a tellingly named “Crusade” against the mocambos. [...]

Mocambos were characterised as repellent, unhygienic, and dangerous: “the mocambo which repels. The mocambo which is the tomb of a race … a sombre landscape of human misery … which mutilates human energy and annuls work [...].

The LSCM couched its civilisational, modernising mission in the conjuncture of techno-scientific discourses of medicine and planning with clear eugenic tones [...]. [T]he LSCM commissioned a fresh census of the 45,000 mocambos in the city. They brought the mocambos/mangroves into being as objects of knowledge on behalf of the economic elite and local, national, and international capital. In the 1923 census in Recife, “of 39,026 dwellings surveyed, 51.1% were considered ‘deficient’ mocambos.” [...]

---

These were the decades of the embranquecimento of the Brazilian population through public policies of immigration, miscegenation, and sterilisation [...]. This white supremacist ideology was inseparably a politics of nature. Magalhães wrote:

The idle life, the life that the income of the mocambos provides, is a life without restlessness and without greatness. It is a life of stagnant water. … [that] generates in its breast the venom of larvae, which are the enemies of life. Enemies of life, as are the mocambos and the sub-soil of cities, where the polluted waters contaminate pure waters, which come from the deepest layers of the earth. (Magalhães, 1939c, n.p.)

---

Attempts to “cleanse” the city functioned through a distinct process: aterramento, the making of land. [...]

Or as 1990s mangue beat [mangrove beat] musicians [...] put it, “the fastest way also to obstruct and evacuate the soul of a city like Recife is to kill its rivers and fill up its estuaries” [...]. This racial division of nature - in alliance with, bound up with, a racial division of space - facilitated the production of spacialised white supremacy.

---

All above text by: Archie Davies. "The racial division of nature: Making land in Recife". Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers Volume 46, Issue 2, pp. 270-283. First published 29 November 2020. [Bold emphasis and paragraph breaks/contractions added by me. Presented here for teaching, commentary, criticism purposes.]

[radiostaticzine]

FAQ

What is a digital zine?

Just a zine in digital format :) This means there is no limit on length and will be distributed for free as a PDF. It gives more freedom in terms of content and allows many more people to participate both in production and reception!

Why is it free/will participants be paid?

It’s free because fandom is fundamentally about community and shared appreciation of a show/ship. The original property doesn’t belong to us, and I want this to be an endeavour done purely out of love. It’s entirely for fun, and no one involved will receive any monetary compensation.

Will there be print copies and/or merch?

No. Of course, you’ll be free to print the PDF file for yourself.

What SocMed do you have?

A tumblr, a twitter account, and a discord. If possible, please do join the discord as it will be most convenient for announcements, immediate questions/feedback, and also should be a nice place to interact with other radiostatic fans. :)

Discord: https://discord.gg/uwFz8NjjGG

Twt: https://x.com/RadiostaticZine

What dates will it run?

The plan is for sign-ups to begin July 28th and end August 18th, with final submissions by December 15th with check ins along the way. Release will be planned for mid-late January depending upon staff’s availability and workload.

Is there a limit on the number of participants?

Nope! No one will be judged on whether their work is “good” enough to be included. All works are welcomed.

Can I participate if I’m under 18?

Sorry, no. All participants must be over 18. If you sign up and are later found to be (or heavily suspected to be) under 18, you will be removed from the project.

Will I be able to post my fic/art to other sites?

Yes, although we ask that you wait at least one week after the zine’s release :)

Is there a length requirement for fics?

Please aim for anywhere between 1-5k. It’s not a hard and fast rule, but we’d like to keep each fic a manageable length for practicality.

Will the zine have a theme?

Given survey feedback and my own initial feelings, not this time! If this general zine goes well, perhaps subsequent zines might explore different themes. If you would like to participate but want specific inspiration, feel free to sign up and then chat with others in the discord to discuss fun prompts or ideas.

What kind of content is allowed?

Pretty much anything as long as it's about Vox and Alastor’s relationship! All fics and art will be required to submit a rating and appropriate tags/warnings. If you have any particular concerns or questions about something you might want to write/draw, please shoot me a message. But rest assured darker themes like unhealthy relationships, gore, vore, dub/noncon etc are all fine as long as appropriately and fully warned for. Of course, cute fluff is wonderful too! The zine will most likely be divided into sfw and nsfw sections.

Is one-sided/complicated/requited radiostatic okay? What about Alastor’s asexuality?

All forms of radiostatic are welcome! One of the best things about this ship is how much variation there is in the portrayals of their relationship, and you’re welcome to explore it as you like. Similarly, asexuality is a wide spectrum and I don’t feel that it’s our place to dictate how anyone explores that with Alastor in their own work. Aroace Alastor is also loved and welcomed :)

What about sideships and VoxVal?

Sideships are fine mentioned in passing, but please remember that the focus is radiostatic. This goes for VoxVal too - as they are canonically involved at least to some degree, it’s understandable if it is relevant in fic or affects the narrative. But again, the overwhelming focus should be the radiostatic interaction and relationship.

Can I contribute both art and fic?

Yes! However, each participant will be limited to one piece per medium.

Can I help out as a mod/staff?

Yes, we will be looking for volunteers to help out! Particularly for formatting, proofreading, and cover graphics/art. Please let us know if you’re interested in your submission form :)

If you have any other questions, please reach out at any time!

Thanks for your interest <3

[lautski-week]

HELLO LAUTSKI NATION

I would like to welcome you all to the second Lautski week!

Here are the prompts, but all future plans for the event, FAQ, and notes on the survey from last week will be under the cut!

SO! First off! Thank you to everyone who responded! To the people who suggested future prompts, they’re all in consideration for future events. Except one of the alternates. I replaced one of the original alternates with “Fairy Tale” for my own sake, I salute whoever suggested that.

Surveys came pretty overwhelmingly in favor of making Lautski week a semi-annual event, with one week in the summer and one in the winter. So don’t be too surprised if this account is revived again in April/May. As long as people are interested, I’ll keep running it!

And now, some general Q&A stuff!

Q: What are alternates?

A: Alternates are two extra prompts in case one of them leaves you stumped! They can be used any day, or they can not be used at all! It’s up to each individual participant!

Q: Do I have to do all seven days?

A: You’re free to do as many as you want! You can do all seven, you can do just a few, hell, you could do all nine in you wanted! This isn’t a challenge, it’s an event. The main goal is to make some posts about this ship we’re all brainrotting for and having fun.

Q: What can I make?

A: Anything you want! Art, fics, edits, memes, etc. Nothing’s off the table.

Q: How do I post?

A: I’ll reblog anything made for the event to this blog and my main. If you’d like to be featured, please @ THIS blog. Additionally, I’d recommend tagging works with #lautski week so everyone’s works can all be found in the same place.

Q: I was late! Can I still post?

A: Of course! I’ll keep reblogging new posts tagged #lautski week and/or mention this blog through December 13!

Q: Can I post to AO3, then link it back here?

A: Absolutely! Also, I recently found out “Lautski week” was wrangled into its own tag on AO3, so I guess it’s officially recognized now 😭 Granted, it mentions my old URL and assumed it would be an annual event. Either way, Lautski Nation has truly made it I guess. But point being, yes, that’s fine!

Q: Can I post to (insert any other fanfic site here) then link it back here?

A: Same as AO3. Go ahead!

Q: One of my wips fits *insert prompt here!* Can I post it for that day?

A: You can, but please don’t post before the event begins!

That’s it. I’m pretty sure. If there are any other questions/concerns, feel free to DM or send an ask! I’ll rb this both here and on main periodically until the event begins, but until then, I can’t wait to see everyone’s works! See y’all soon and have fun! 💛💚💜