#Solar Cairns

[alien-shmalien]

I think you should post more weird "these are the same species" comparisons show off some fun designs!!!

you are so right. heres a few

these two are actually brothers. isnt that fun

these two are the same species, which the above two are actually hybrids of!

(the purple one is also a hybrid, but she doesnt really look like it much)

these two are the same hybrids

old bastards. (second one is from @the-mossy-green-witch heehee)

and just for the fun of it. these two are the same person

[sunnygoldsolar]

Safety Measures To Take For Reducing Solar Panel Fire Risks

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In this blog, we will provide you with some key steps through which you can reduce your solar panel fire risks. So let’s cut to the chase. 

Hire Qualified Professionals 

In case you are embarking on a solar panel installation project in your house then it can be vital for you to enlist the services of certified and experienced professionals. In this case, a highly qualified team of installers can possess the expertise and necessary training they ensure that your system is installed correctly. The industry-leading team of installers providing solar panel installations in Cairns can offer you a reliable and cost-effective installation process as you can maximise the power energy output in your place. 

Use Quality Components

For long-lasting safety and performance of your solar system, you also need to invest in high-quality panels, inverters and other system components. In this case, you also need to size the conductors appropriately as well as install overcurrent projection devices to ensure safety. 

Proper Wiring And Electrical Design

The electrical wiring and design of the system can also play a crucial role in its safety and efficiency. So apart from adhering to the voltage requirements you should also use fire-resistant building materials and non-combustible roof mounting systems. 

Overall Thoughts

Solar panels can be a great source of clean and sustainable energy but ensuring their safe installation can also be paramount for you. By following these precautionary steps you can reduce the risks for solar panel fire hazards in your place. 

[notsuch]

Reading Junker lore as an Australian is like, hilarious because it's a wild ride of being so clearly not knowing what the frick it was saying THAT MADE IT CYCLE ALL THE WAY BACK INTO MAKING SENSE AGAIN. But also, that literally, whether it's Overwatch or Other Global Forces, is to blame for the Junkers being what they are, because wow.

But to start with, the problem is essentially this: Blizzard just don't know what the frick the Outback is.

SO BUCKLE UP KIDS THIS IS A LONG-ASS POST, I GOT SOME SHIT YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND ABOUT HOW THE JUNKERS CAME ABOUT. But there are pictures I promise. I also wanna say that I am not here to say that the Omnic war, the discussions of human-omnic relationships is like X real-world thing, I'm here to look at how the world is and how they've said it develops in Overwatch, and what that implies for the world development, that's all. I was just real excited at how averagely aussie Leah is in her portrayal of Junker Queen is and it made me want to ground it more in my home okok and I thought other people might want to understand that too.

CW: for talking about war tactics, statistics and wide-scale loss of life.

TL;DR for my post on Aussie Shit: the Outback is not a defined location. You will never be able to stick it into a GPS and find it. It is a conceptual area that can be defined as 'semi-rural to rural'. But also it's an almost folklorish concept of the Australian 'heart' that can extend over what can be seen in the below map. I will advise this is actually a map of bushland types, which is why it doesn't include Tasmania, but just to be clear, Tasmania AS WELL has Outback regions, and also, this can extend further East fairly comfortably depending on who you talk to. For instance, this map doesn't reach Tamworth OR Dubbo, buuuuuut most people would consider it as being on the edge of the Outback, for instance.

Oh, you might now be saying, that's most of the country, isn't it?

YEAH.

And as you'd expect for a piece of land THE SIZE OF FUCKING EUROPE, it's hugely broad in its landscape, too. You will find everything in the concept of the "Outback" depending, again, on who you talk to. From the Daintree Rainforest (left pic) (around Cairns to Cooktown) to the Great Australian Bite (middle pic) (the bottom C curve between Adelaide to Perth) to the central Australian town with a population of 26,000+ people, Alice Springs (right pic).

Yet the wiki lists it as "The Outback omnium and its Omnics were given the Australian omnium and its surrounding land after the Omnic Crisis."

UHM. BLIZZARD. 1) WHERE IS IT, AGAIN??? MEEKATHARRA IS A PRETTY DIFFERENT PLACE TO THE MOUNT ISA and 2) THAT'S A LOT OF "SURROUNDING LAND". THAT'S IN FACT, MOST OF THE COUNTRY, IF I WAS TO COUNT IT AS BROADLY AS YOU SEEM TO BE THROWING IT AROUND? IT'S A LOT OF LAND.

It takes 4 days of STRAIGHT DRIVING, NO BREAKS, to cross from Sydney to Perth. The entirety of Europe fits inside of Australia, the main block of the united states, bar Alaska, is basically comparable in scale from Washington to San Fransico. Or the furthest East Coast of Brazil to the West Coast of Peru. YOU GET IT.

This then leads to the second problem, Blizzard keeps saying that the only people out there were "a few solar farmers and people who wanted to be left alone".

WITH A POPULATION TOTAL OF 600,000 - 700,000 THOUSAND PEOPLE IN JUST REGIONAL TOWNS, NO, THE OUTBACK REGIONAL DISTRIBUTION IS NOT "JUST A FEW PEOPLE WHO WANT TO BE ALONE AND A COUPLE OF FARMERS IG".

NOT TO MENTION DARWIN. It's the little dot at the top of the Northern Territory and is a Capital City of the region. Sometimes called Australia's "Outback City", HAS A POPULATION OF 130,000 ALONE. Across it all, this map barely scratches the surface, there are over 60 Outback Towns or Settlements in total. We only have a total net population of 27 million. THAT'S ACTUALLY A WHOLE ASS 2-3% OF OUR WHOLE POPULATION.

This comes to the second point and often the hardest for people to get their heads around: whilst our population is not as high, THAT DOESN'T MEAN WE AREN'T USING THAT LAND AND IT'S NOT CULTURALLY AND ECONOMICALLY IMPORTANT TO US. No, we don't have massive inland lakes and rivers the way other places do, to have huge cities out there, but WE STILL HAVE TO SUPPORT OUR AGRICULTURAL AND MINING SECTOR THAT DOES USE THAT LAND. AND IT'S ACTUALLY. VERY. EXTENSIVE.

How extensive? Man, our largest by-land Cattle Station is Anna Creek Station, coming in at a cool 2 million acres (which is as big as the whole of Israel apparently???), or the most densely populated-by-cow one currently, Brunette Downs, which at present has 110,000 head of cattle. Don't care about cows? are you a monster cows are just slow puppos who want love omfrg WELL I BET YOU CARE ABOUT IRON, AND GUESS WHAT, WHATEVER IRON YOU HAVE IN YOUR HOUSE RN PROBABLY CAME FROM AUSTRALIA, GIVEN WE PROVIDE 90% OF THE WORLD'S IRON. Oh, also we have a shitton of uranium as well, btw. just. putting that out there.

Here is JUST PASTORAL STATIONS, you'll notice HOW MANY ARE ACTUALLY IN THE SAME AREA I JUST SHOWED:

AND HERE ARE OUR MINES, this is not just iron, we also dig many other minerals, and including the world's largest opal mine:

These cattle stations and mines stretch across the inland regions for miles upon miles, fuelling our jobs and our place in the world economy. Which I ask you this: If you're Cattle Hand Tinny Rogers from central Queensland who's gotta take care of Jenny the Cow whose due to give birth soon, you aren't driving 13 fucking hours to Brisbane City to get a pack of smokes, are you? No. Tinny Rogers just goes to the Longreach general store only 1-2 hours away, doesn't he? Then goes back to his property and tells Jenny it's going to be ok, sits his ass down with his smokes for the night, relieved he only had to go a little while.

And all those people were actually the first wiped out.

This is where this gets real freaking awful. AGAIN, CW: for talking about war tactics, statistics and wide-scale loss of life.

Now the only battle in Australia we are shown, is Sydney and that initially also made me go 'huh?' Because if the Omnic Core is in the Outback, wherever that might be, this is an overland invasion, internal to external, as opposed to an external invasion aka coming from the sea, why would you attack Sydney?

Don't get me wrong, Sydney is important. To our international position most especially. It's a financial centre, like New York is to America, it controls a great deal of our actual "economy" in the like, perception of 'if it falls, our economy tanks' kinda sense. It's also a manufacturing centre, meaning that raw goods from the rest of the country are turned into other goods there, and then shipping it out, Tactically, if you are trying to park ships, Darling Habour is ideal, as it's one of two 'natural' harbours in the world (the other being in Hong Kong), meaning its VERY DEEP even close to the land which makes it ideal for ships to come close. So someone attacking from the sea wants it. Lastly - probs why Blizzard picked it, is it is the identifiably 'Australian City'.

But it's not our capital city, that's Canberra, which is where our House of Parliament is. It's not where our military is, no, 40% of the Australian Army is based in Brisbane, and the largest naval base is in Perth. Darwin and Cairns are actually the biggest ports that are more directly connected to Asia in trade given it's a hop, skip and a jump from there to Papa New Guinea, which are actually our closest neighbour and with it, connects us to the whole of South East Asia. The very tip of QLD, to the bottom of PNG is more like the space of the English Channel, btw, for how close they are.

In the Omnic Crisis, the economy has ALREADY collapsed. It did the minute the Omnics attack, basically lmao. Then secondly, this ISN'T EXTERNAL, this is internal. Whether the Outback Omnium is in Kalgoorlie or Birdsville, it is in the middle of the country, and it is sending its forces from a regional location. They aren't attacking by sea, so they don't have to care about a landing bay.

AND HERE IS THE LAST IMPORTANT PART, OUR ARMY IS SMALL. It's only like 80,000 armed personnel, compared to the US and it's insanity of 1mill+, but we're bigger than uh,,, New Zealand I guess? Uh,,, yeah our numbers don't even rank in the big three armies of the world, or like, beyond our little bubble of Oceania. We also do have a pretty good navy but if you've been following along so far, uh, yeah, THAT'S going to do fuck all for Alice Springs, isn't it? Don't get me wrong, our forces are all well trained and highly specialised because of it but like, we don't have the numbers to be splitting up over many fronts, lmao.

By virtue of it all, they are in the middle of the country and will have STEAM ROLLED across these regional areas because some are big, sure but they are just towns with no defences against a rampaging robot army, are you kidding? Let alone if Anubis is suddenly using every robot, I can't imagine how many different kinds are incorporated in all the different mining regions and digging sights?! Some of them were clearly as big as the Titan Bots we see, judging by this shit still being left around years later -

Rolling into somewhere like poor fucking Meekatharra?!

also, seriously: what is the ever loving fuck is that thing on the left why are its arms made out of the BODIES OF OTHER OMNICS JFC WHO LET THE OMNICS PLAY BLOODBORNE OR SOMETHING, I S2G.

THESE POOR BASTARDS ALREADY HAVE TO LIVE IN MEEKATHARRA, THAT'S HARD ENOUGH, LET ALONE WHEN SKYSCRAPER-BOT THE MIGHTY ROLLED IN FROM THE DESERT.

This means that they now control all regional supplies anyway to go and target those places because they say one consistent thing about Anubis' attacks: they were efficient and direct.

"The Omnics Advance" is what they call this so from the wiki as to the state of places the Omnics leave behind, uh, yeah, BYE MEEKATHARRA, MY MUM'S STORIES ABOUT YOU WERE NICE IG?

o ok,,,,, sure, what does all this have to do with Sydney then? Where does it fit in?

I don't want you to think Sydney wouldn't be attacked. Of course it would be, eventually.

Because it's the last populated place in Australia. They can just leave Sydney because it is somewhat tactically the hardest to attack, overall, if it has support from the others, so you leave it till last where you've cut off the support, wiped out supply lines and it is now flooded with refugees from the rest of the country.

They call it the Battle of Sydney but that's not actually what you do to cities?? You siege them, because they take time, and they're certainly implying that yes, it would have taken time. Yeah no, I am not making that up, the Battle of Stalingrad for instance took five months. I make the distinction because sieges aren't about individual aspects in conflict, it's a game of chicken between the two sides of who can hold out longest. Who can sustain the constant chipping away? Sometimes it's a matter of just starving each other out, but in others, it's a constant bombardment.

With everything I just laid out, you can probably have worked it out: Australia can't sustain itself, at this point. We are cut off from our supplies, and we are unable to get actual international support because they're all, ALSO, dealing with this, and now are flooded with escaping refugees. Perth, Adelaide, Darwin, and Brisbane are gone. Which Australia's population of 27 million, is now down to, if I'm being kind, to 10-11 million (5 million in Sydney + then escapees from Melbourne, Canberra, and maybe some from Tasmania too if they could manage it, I can't say I would have much hope for those poor buggers in Perth). Sydney could not feed all the refugees because again, it does not produce raw supplies itself, and it now no longer has the numbers to keep up the fight.

It'd be incredible if they could keep it going for a month because by then, we're not facing 'this is war and people will die', Australia is now at 'we will be annihilated and there will BE no Australian people'. 60-70% of our population is dead to the war, and the rest are getting killed every day from THE TITANS LITERALLY JUST STOMPING THEIR WAY THROUGH, starving or getting sick from bad food and water.

And Australia never had a very big population, to begin with, our army isn't big if it even really exists anymore. We cannot sustain those losses. What the Omnics were hanging over Sydney at this moment is so much worse than just 'we screwed your economy for the foreseeable future'.

They are leveraging 'there will be no Australians left.' Whether the slow eradication from disease and hunger that a siege does, or in immediate and sudden violence?

So I have no doubt, even though Blizzard had no idea what they said, that it's actually entirely possible the Omnics said "idk we want the outback" and the Australian Government went YEAH, SURE, ANYTHING NOT TO GET OBLITERATED, IG?

And what's more, afterwards, whatever chance there might have been to take some of those places back - no one, NO ONE, was going to do more than rebuild the Sydney-Canberra-Melbourne strip on the outside to allow for better distribution. But who knows Anubis might have been a dick and said YOU ONLY GET SYDNEY. For one thing, taking back even something like Adelaide requires re-engaging, and on the other.......... they have this, now, that's alright, isn't it? It's the most modern part of Australia, it certainly seems like plenty, right? Other COUNTRIES exist with LESS and THRIVE!

I can't say I necessarily blame them, at that point it has to be a pure numbers game: Mexico City, which has also been destroyed, and it has almost as many people in JUST Mexico City as we have in total population. Sydney must have seemed, well, close enough. We're rebuilding this bit which will roughly sustain you (it won't, actually), but then we gotta take the resources to other devastated places that don't need FOUR CAPITAL CITIES, 10 OTHER IMPORTANT CITIES, A MINIMUM OF 30 REGIONAL TOWNS AND A FULL RECONSTRUCTION OF A INLAND NETWORK SPANNING THE ENTIRETY OF THE UNITED STATES IN SHEER SCALE. Things as they were, at the time, it must have seemed.... well yeah. Not worth it.

Which now - hey that's pretty intense, actually that's horrific for the sheer loss of life, how can you be sure the devastation is that severe? And that in turn everyone just did what SEEMED enough with little to no consideration of its long term impact and if it had any sustainability to us? That's extreme to insinuate?

Well if not the direct implication of '30 million orphans worldwide' that means for every orphan, there are two dead parents, and then the two families next door that DIDN'T survive, to tell you the average statistics of the war casualties......

The other is simple: Junkertown exists.

Junkertown cannot exist, if there was anything left of those cities or those 60+ regional towns, pre or post-explosion of the core. Because here is the thing, if there was a chance, a single chance, we could take back that important space of the Outback, we would. In a heartbeat. I think that's why the Australian Government allowed the ALF to exist in the first place and did not stop them when they most definitely could have.

I can explain the economics of what being an island nation at the ass end of the world means as to how we are so completely fucked economically at this point, but this part is more important, even if it's often the hardest for non-Australians to wrap their heads around because they squeal about 'how scary' it is all the time is this:

We love that land. That land is our home. Yes, even with its spiders and snakes, not in spite of, but all of it, good and bad. In one sense that yes, that literally hundreds of thousands of people lived dispersed across it, but culturally it goes beyond just that direct 'my house is there'. One of our most successful ad campaigns by a freaking flight company exists on a simple premise: 'no matter how far, and how wide I go, I still call Australia home'. (The first version of it aired in the 90s, for reference, also yes, Junkrat actually has a line that echos the sentiments of this song 'I've been all around the world, but there's nowhere that compares to home' Not sure if it was on purpose but I smiled a little to myself when I first heard it). Yeah. That's it. Not fighting or glory or power. The rest of the world is beautiful, but this one is ours, and we love it for what it is. Something that is personified in that image of red sand dunes and scrub, in the arid flatness, the wattle and the gum, even to the kid that grew up in the middle of the Sydney suburbs, as his childhood home, that tugs in his heart as much as his childhood toys.

Even though I know a bunch of Aussies just read this and were like GROAN, SHUT UP, WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO, QUOTE BANJO PATTERSON, CAN'T CATCH ME WITH THAT SHIT,,,,

I fucking see you, I fucking know you. I only gotta say one fucking thing to you pretending you're above it:

RED DOG JUST WANTS TO KNOW, HAVE YOU SEEN JOHN? HE'S LOOKING YOU IN THE EYES, HAVE YOU SEEN JOHN?

Yeah, that's what I goddamn thought.

That we'd lose all reason to do some stupid shit like the ALF attempted to recover it? Uh, yeah. We just lost most of our population, we can't bury them, and how quickly would that landscape of our home carry that memory of them, and yet, we are cut from even that.

But to reclaim all that land you need supply chains, rebuilding as you go, AN ARMY ABLE TO HOLDING THAT SPACE AGAINST WHATEVER THE FUCK A "FERAL OMNIC" IS??? SERIOUSLY, AGAIN, DID THEY DOWNLOAD THE 'FROM SOFTWARE CREATIVE SUITE' ON THAT OMNIC??? And with that in mind, and how everyone and everything is gone for us, that would require HUGE international backing.

And if they had all of that, with all that effort, like HELL are they letting a SEPERATE SOVERIGN NATION JUST SPRING UP IN THE MIDDLE OF IT, BEING A BUNCH OF VIOLENT ASSHOLES, MAKING IT HARDER by STEALING SHIT ALL THE TIME on top of BLOCKING ACCESS TOO SOME OF OUR MOST RESOURCE RICH LAND. I know this might be a struggle, but on top of loving that space, we also enjoy idk, stability? Not dying? Junkertown would compromise that, completely. Especially the dying bit, I feel. Speaking as an Aussie, I, like many Australians, do appreciate that they will in fact die one day, and hopefully, doing so by driving a ride-on mower around hills hoist chasing a goon sack as god intended for this beautiful country, but overall, just randomly dying in a Wolf Creek-like situation because you were trying to build a fuckin road, isn't how most of wanted it to go down. Some might, I will not shame my fantasy countrymen in the post-apocalypse world of Overwatch-Australia, times seem tough for Tinny Rogers and Jenny out there, and they have a right to pick how they get by.

SO YEAH, THE FUCK NOT, MY GUYS. THEY'D SQUISH THAT SHIT LIKE A BUG.

But if they are recovering from near annihilation, unsupported, told to just deal with it because they got what they got - Junkertown can do what we see, and in its strange way: flourish.

Then it comes to how it's being handled by the rest of the in-game world as to how it's just been allowed to let slide by everyone fucking else even if clearly every time one of these desert-fuckers gets out, it's a DAMN NIGHTMARE FOR WORLDWIDE SECURITY.

You hear Zarya call it "the mistakes of this country", which given how people treat the Junkers as a whole in game, seems to be a commonly held sentiment. A mistake. There is little to no comprehension of them, or what they have been victim to. Again probably because Blizzard itself has no idea what it just accidentally implied. We don't have enough lore to really say how many countries share this fate of losing 80% of their entire nation and people, and with it, almost their whole selves? Of them, how many got complete reconstruction? Given their common theme of corporate greed, developments in post-war society and their subsequent inequality, I'd say some people get reconstruction support and others don't (the interactions of Lucio and Symmetra for instance) based on convenience, and the sentiment from many powers in history has often been 'Australia is very far away, and I don't care'.

To call it 'a mistake' then, redirects blame from those inequalities and the present-day situation having beyond anyone's possible conception.

If it's 'a mistake', it's not a self-destructive spiral of suffering people who have been pushed beyond even common sense anymore. That lash out in desperation over a loss that cannot be quantified to any sum, yet were told that a price had actually been put on it, and no one was interested in paying it, and they had to live with what they got now. Then with no other output for the misery, in some desperate bid to reclaim even a SHRED of a memory, just vent their pain for a damn second, damned themselves and their home. Everyone who was in power and authority to have stepped in at any time to give the support needed and direct it more meaningfully before this, but never did, everyone who made those choices, is now complicit in the rise of Junkertown and the Junkers due to their basic lack or inability to understand what had been lost and have empathy, has led to a situation where now there is an entirely separate type of threat in 'feral omnics' and a bunch of insane radioactive people.

Or just say it was 'a mistake'. Then it's just their fault, isn't it? It's just a small, negligible little choice that WE won't make. We can all pat ourselves on the back and say that at least because Australia is so far away, whatever is happening there, is now just isolated to them, and you can't expect help NOW that the desert is irradiated, it was ALREADY unfeasible, it's SO expensive, WHOSE going to fund that, for what gain, especially now you made this silly little 'choice'.

Acknowledging, even to stop the Junkers, means bringing their own failings to the spotlight when rightfully it comes back to 'why the fuck did these bastards exist in the first place? What made them so fucking stupidly, mindlessly, suicidally angry as to lash out like this? Why weren't they thinking, then, and why do they stay, even now? .... and why do all of them appear to be goddamn giants?'

So easier to just... let the Junkers do their thing, out in the desert. Make them the scapegoat for the tensions, a fixing point for even the Omnics (rightfully, obviously in their case) to hate, blame and fear, over more active, influential systems that have far more ability to affect the world. Especially when compared too: the bunch of crazy people in the fucking desert, who probably all die at 50 from that ambient radiation everywhere, getting new types of diseases that no one has ever HEARD of before and are apparently are like barely connected on networks to the rest of the world. WHAT KIND OF POWER TO AFFECT WORLD CHANGE DO YOU THINK THEY ACTUALLY HAVE?

Rather than acknowledge that people like Odessa Stone got their hatred probably from watching half her under 12 siblings die to omnics, and the other half to the situation in the Wasteland created by others' indifference. (And the reminder that, Odessa's mum in the first shot, is holding an infant, and the second moment of her flashback, Odessa is still roughly the same but all the kids left are too big for a 1 to 2-year-old, and Mama Stone isn't holding an infant anymore.) They do what often happens and put all the responsibility of moving on, ON the people who are literally in the middle of dying in a now 30-year war, that everyone ELSE keeps trying to desperately pretend it's over and stick their head in the sand. Thus just invalidating their pain and making them even MORE resistant. Especially when you contrast the rest of the world is getting influential people like Mondatta and Zen making changes, real strides forward, and they get......... lbr, just more graves while they're just being called crazy.

Akande says 'the world is designed to be this way', and I think part of the reason Odessa doesn't mind him, is that yeah, yeah she probably knows after she's seen other parts of the world now and its reconstruction efforts, compared to theirs, found them pretty wanting, and it's nice to hear someone else say it for once.

No WONDER Roadie says 'this isn't a city' about Junkertown, when he remembers when Australia had more than three cities total, it must seem like a mockery. But why people like Junker Queen and Junkrat have pride in it, inversely. They were children when the apocalypse came to Australia or were born in Junkertown itself, they live in the memory that must now only feel dead and impossible to recapture the life of. In many ways, their bookends to Ramattra, their first moments were taken into a life of roaring violence the world wants to pretend isn't happening, but this is all they ARE now. So they have done their best with it, even if no one wants to be reminded of what their sheer existence represents.

Yeah. 'Mistake' is much easier to swallow, isn't it?

So yeah, given ODESSA STONE IS OUT THERE IN THE WASTELAND BECOMING FUCKING GENGHIS KHAN OR SOMETHING, UNITING ALL THE WASTELAND FACTIONS, AND NO ONE IS NOTICING OR EVEN SLIGHTLY TAKING IT SERIOUSLY, whenever that blows up in their face and they cry HOW DID THIS GET SO BAD, WHAT HAPPENED, AUSTRALIA?!

Yeah. Ain't that the fucking question.

Or maybe all of this is complete nonsense and everything I just said will one day be shown to be entirely wrong as often happens because ultimately again, I don't think they MEANT MOST OF THIS LMAO, BECAUSE ONE MORE TIME: STOP SAYING 'OUTBACK'.

[humblemooncat]

Who is Ki'to Vashai?

Now that it's Side B's turn to shine in the WoL Tourney, instead of just pretty pictures, I want to write up a whole post detailing Ki'to's backstory, relationships, thoughts through the main story, and any headcanons I have for him. I didn't want to go too into detail on the form since I didn't know how much we were allowed to write. But now that it's more than clear this is a chance to go feral about our WoLs, y'all gonna get the director's cut. xD

I will inevitably have a bunch of spoilers in here since he's finished up to 6.0 (Listen, I got caught up in island ranks), but everything will be in chronological order with a header, so you can skip anything you haven't completed yet! Unless you don't mind spoilers, in which case, read on!

Everything under the read more 'cause it's gonna be a long one. I meant what I said about the Director's Cut, man. I hope you brought snacks.

Ki'to was born to a clan of Keepers who roamed Coerthas' Highlands, just outside of Ishgard's walls. Back then, the land was verdant and able to provide for those who lived off the land.

Ki and Nhev'ra had 5 children in total, Ki'a, Khomi, Ki'to, Ki'li, and Ki'sae. The first two, the eldest, grew up being rather brash, loud individuals. Ki'to, the middle child, was neither confident, nor timid. Simply a curious child with a love for the world around him. The last two, the twins, grew to be gentle and timid in nature. Born mute, they found a gatherer's life suited them, as it allowed them to be in their own company.

The five kits were practically inseparable growing up, so Ki'to's individual story started much later in life.

After reaching his 30th Summer, having found an appreciation for the world around and beyond him through his father's tales, retired traveling bard that he was, he eventually found the resolve to leave his family home with his peoples' blessing, his father's old bow, and a well-loved map he'd soon fill in with travel dates.

These are headcanons/habits not influenced by the Main Story. Just little things I gave to him to help flesh him out.

He is a cuddly baby. You give him any indication that he can be physically affectionate with you and he will essentially be that one cat that weave-rubs through your legs while you're trying to walk. Physical touch is his love language, so he likes to be physically close to those he cares about.

Even though he's nocturnal, he's probably solar-powered tbh. The man loves loose-fitting clothes that show off skin. Makes him feel most comfortable honestly, certain types of cloth make him feel either itchy or restricted. Sometimes both.

This man had no practical fighting experience before ARR. I actually explained this story here.

He will never not have Menphina's Earring either equipped or glam'd. It was given to him by his mother, who crafted one for each of her children, and it is the one thing he holds dearest to him as far as personal belongings are concerned.

He and his family are rather good friends with House Haillenarte, as Menphina's stone cairns are close by the Steel Vigil, and they would pass by quite often to worship her and leave snacks and other provisions with those stationed there as they went. When news of the Vigil's fall reached the clan, they sent some of their own to offer their condolences.

As such, I imagine Ki'to already knew Francel and Stephanivien before he went to speak with them in HW.

Upon entering Gridania, Ki'to made for the Archer's Guild, determined to learn how to defend himself on his journey. However, he learned after his trip to Ul'dah much later that the bardic life didn't suit him as much as it did his father. No, he much preferred hand-to-hand combat. And thus he took up the mantle of pugilist, then monk. Yda probably had a small impact on that decision tbh. Watching her punch trees into submission was strangely inspiring. xD

Throughout ARR, Ki'to kept this fighting style, enjoying the thrill and adrenaline he got from his battles as he went.

It wasn't until his time in the Crystal Tower that he took up the bow again, wanting to stay far afield and keep his fellow miqo'te safe in the process.

Leaving G'raha behind in the Crystal Tower, and then the whole business with the bloody banquet left him unsure of his job choice though. 'Why couldn't I protect them? All I want is for those I care about to be safe...'

As a small treat off of Ki'to's playlist, have his inner dialogue w/ Hydaelyn at this point: Innocence And then immediately afterward, this song would be perfect to continue reading with: Beast

The beginning of Heavensward was a bit of a haze for Ki'to. Being thrown through the wringer back-to-back just before being dropped on the doorstep of Dragonhead, it was all he could do to keep himself upright, nevermind concerned with the goings-on around him.

When they were finally allowed into Ishgard, Ki'to wandered the city once the guided tour was over, and stumbled upon a rumor of a knight who fought the temple knights. Ever the curious soul, he went to investigate. And there in the Brume, he was met with a body clad in armor with a soulstone at his feet.

The stone awakened something within him, and as the body stood and introduced itself, "Fray" led him down a path from which he wouldn't return.

In that moment, Heavensward became a threefold conflict. Man vs. Dragon, Change vs. Tradition, and now a man vs. his own mind.

Before Ki'to met with the waves of conflict within the main story, he first needed to regain control of his mind. He thrashed about with the darkness, newly awakened and given shape, and once he'd felt he'd tamed it, he would meet with Fray to begin anew.

Thrashing, unraveling, feeling; So much resentment, so much grief, how had this darkness not blotted out the light within him? But then again, where was Hydaelyn's voice? He had not heard it in a while. He missed it. Needed it. Please tell me I'm not alone...

So much darkness, enough to take shape. His shape.

What happened in Whitebrim that day still haunts him. Though they eventually respected each others' presence and duty, the wounded around him and the look of murderous intent in his own eyes, looking back at him... he still dreams of it.

Once he had regained himself, Ki'to set upon his path in earnest. Aiding Ishgard in any way he could, though always remembering to take himself into consideration.

Little by little he saw progress. Little by little he found himself feeling lighter and more confident. Little by little he ended up falling in love.

Then The Vault happened...

Though the haze had settled in during part of their time together, it is not wrong to say that Haurchefant was Ki'to's first love. He loved Aymeric as well, and that love has persisted, but to say the events following The Vault devastated him would be an understatement.

As they took to the Sea of Clouds in pursuit, he slipped back into the darkness. Oftentimes, you don't get to choose when to grieve.

Everything up until his fight with Thordan was a blur, blinded more and more by rage as he continued his chase. And then Estinien was consumed by Nidhogg's influence...

'It never ends, does it?'

Something he'd repeat to himself often.

And once Nidhogg was slain, Estinien freed, and man and dragon could finally live in peace, he could finally rest a bit.

It was during this time that he cornered Aymeric and told him he loved him. With how the man was ready to charge headlong into danger, he didn't want to let another confession slip away from him before he could utter it.

Before he could settle in and really enjoy his new relationship, however, they had landed on a lead to finding those he cared for like family. And so he followed the threads to find and return them to their rightful place as Scions.

... Though not for long.

Ki'to felt Papalymo's sacrifice like a stone in his heart, and he could only imagine how much that was multiplied for Lyse.

Having spent a good chunk of his early adventuring days with the two, he wanted to do everything in his power to honor his lalafellin friend, and reclaim Lyse's home given the chance that fell into their lap.

And in so doing, his travels took him to the Far East, where he met some of his best friends. Hien, a man who sparked a joy and ambition within him he'd thought lost to him forever after losing it for so long. Gosetsu, who was full up with jokes, but also honor like he'd never seen (his past be damned). And even a newer appreciation for Yugiri and her loyalty to those she's sworn to protect.

Though this also led him to meet a man he despised more than anything ever before. He spoke of him as a "friend", but Ki'to saw him only as a leech whom would not leave well enough alone. One he would eventually grant his wish out of spite and desperation to return home. (Sorry, Zenos enjoyers. My boy does not find him the least bit likeable. xD)

And all the while, freeing not one but two lands from Garlean rule, he struggled with unraveling and feeling his own grief. With the help of Sidurgu and Rielle, as well as "Myste", who looked eerily like his deceased friends...

Though, not gonna lie, he did feel a bit of catharsis being able to beat the life out of that shade of Zephirin. (I'll admit to focusing him as soon as he hit the field. That's a grudge that goes deep)

Suffice it to say, he was tired when he finally started to hear The Call.

First Thancred, then Y'shtola and Urianger, Alphinaud, Alisaie; All that work to find them again seemingly undone in an instant and he found himself alone in a warzone.

He wondered what connection his old friend had to their comatose state, until he himself was finally taken to the First.

Ki'to clung to the Light like his life depended on it before, but to see and experience a world bathed in Light. Plagued by it... it caused a strange stir within him.

'Is... is this what I could have wrought?'

When he had learned more about the Flood of Light and the Lightwardens that now blighted the land, Ki'to reached inward to the darkness he now dubbed Devotion; resentment, grief, and scars caused by the love he bears for the world. And to that darkness he clung as he worked his way through to return night to the First. That they might yet experience his favorite view above all else. The vast night sky, littered with diamonds and a tapestry of darkest silk.

I'll admit, running DRK in ShB is THE experience. I'm glad I did it in my first run through.

Like he once struggled and danced with the darkness he harbored, he was now asked to struggle and choke back the Light. But this struggle was far worse. The darkness came from within, and only needed to be understood. The Light came from without and suffused his very aether, so much so that he was barely recognizable by the last of the Lightwardens. And with each suffusion of Light, it became harder and harder to hold back. Agony, pain, terror... 'what if I'm not enough?'

Defeating Hades was the first real breath of air he could take without laboring for it.

But again, 'It never ends, does it?'

One ascian falls, another rises in his place.

It was during this time that he really contemplated how he felt about the Blessing of Light. To know the Echo was inherent in everyone, to be attacked on all sides by Warriors of Light from other worlds, to remember how agonizing it was to hold all of that light within him. He didn't have much time to sort through his scattered doubts, but doubt he did.

And after Elidibus' defeat, to hear his voice so broken, so sad-

He wondered if they were truly the villains they were made out to be. Perhaps just misguided souls yearning for those they once called family, and a place they once called home.

Could he blame them? Would he not risk all for the promise of all he loved being returned to him? It would be tempting, that much is certain.

And then Hades' words reached his mind once more

"Remember us, remember that we once lived"

Though no unsundered remained, the Traveler will remember.

After sobbing at the feet of G'raha's crystalline form, to say that Ki'to did anything but sprint to the Crystal Tower once back in the Source would be a vast understatement.

As soon as the crystal's memories resonated with the G'raha of his time, confessions flowed like a river, hurried and practically unintelligible with how happy Ki'to was to see Raha was not lost to him. For he had only really realized as the crystal consumed him that he had fallen in love yet again (something he's discussed with Aymeric, don't worry. xD)

What's with this man and falling for men seemingly doomed by the narrative? If I only knew...

Once the decision was made to go to Sharlayan not long after Raha was brought in as a Scion, Ki'to could not contain his excitement. With most of his friends being from there in some way or another, it was a chance to learn more about them in his eyes.

And learn he did, about his friends, and m a n y other subjects...

This man was not cut out for study. He was glad at least Raha seemed to enjoy it. One of them would know what was going on.

Thus when the opportunity to high-tail it elsewhere presented itself, Aether sickness be damned, he was tagging along with the Lads.

Thus did he get his first taste of Thavnairian air, a place he would come to care a great deal for in the coming days. (As well as Estinien's terrible spending habits. Which he still teases him about even though he's paid really stupid prices on the MB before. But we won't talk about that...)

When their escapades there hit a wall, it was back to Sharlayan to study some more... Thankfully he and his daughter Alisaie think alike. Labyrinthos was much more interesting.

Also, can I just say how baffled this man was when Krile just... channeled god essentially? Wild.

Though the Tower of Zot was a pain, it wasn't until they got to Garlemald that Ki'to finally entered "Work Mode". That is to say, the sense of dread and impending doom returned and things went south real quick...

The further they traveled into the wastes of what was once a proud nation, the more he wanted to go home. The sisters, the collars, the Legatus... Clearly nothing was meant to work out for them. And when things seemed to be on an upswing, his body was taken from him in the midst of chaos...

If he hadn't hated Zenos before, he certainly did then.

Not only worried his likeness would be used to take those he held most dear from him, but to race against the clock in another's body while Fandaniel laughed in the background? He felt vile. Everything in that moment was wrong beyond compare. It took everything he had to power through and hurl something, anything in Zenos' direction before he could cause harm.

It was a while before he felt okay again.

And yet, 'It never ends, does it?'

No. It never seemed to.

Clear the Tower. Go to the Moon. Defeat what is seemingly the root of all evil. Which, by the way, merged with that one cockroach of an ascian...

By the time they reached the Loporrits, there was a fake smile and a pit in his stomach. Not even the fluffiest of bunnies could comfort him at that point. About the only real care and emotion that broke through was what he shared with Urianger. After following his friend and talking with him, he did all he could to comfort him. A hug and the simple truth that "Sometimes there is no right answer"

It took until his trip to the First to come off of autopilot. The familiar scenery, the faces he cared for, softened him somewhat.

And once he got to Elpis, it was like a balm on his heart to see Hythlodaeus again, as well as Emet-Selch's grumpy face. Something he didn't actually think he'd enjoy seeing again, but was welcome all the same.

And, goodness, when he met Meteion his heart melted immediately. She was the most endearing being he'd met in the longest time, and they became fast friends. A friendship that would endure even through grief and despair.

Though I think the biggest impact of Elpis's residents was Venat's. In the short time he knew her, Ki'to ended up loving that woman so much. Likely because he had already known her as Hydaelyn, but her whole vibe and passion resonated with him deeply. Thus, when he left Elpis and made his way through the Ataiascope to the Mothercrystal itself, it was through tear-filled eyes that he said his goodbyes.

And then there's Ultima Thule...

This post sums that up quite well.

Needless to say, the vacation he got soon after EW ended was M U C H N E E D E D

Thank you for coming to my TED Talk about my boy. I love him vry much and relish this time to yell about him.

If y'all needed a lore dump with everything in it (or linked), you finally got it.

And, whether you've been a follower or you're new and read all the way through, thank you for taking an interest in my boy. It means the world to me to know I'm not just yelling at a wall about him and that people genuinely want to hear about this character I've come to care about dearly.

Whether or not you vote for him in the @woltourney, I'm just happy to have had this chance to show him off. I hope you enjoy him even a fraction of how much I do. <3

Sending y'all off with a hearty "Lali ho!" and much love

[shravya96]

How does the atmosphere’s washing machine work

A German aircraft flying out of Cairns is measuring the chemistry of the clouds above Australia and the Pacific

FEBRUARY 23, 2024: This week, a German research aircraft is sampling air up to 15 km above Australia and the Pacific Ocean. The CAFE-Pacific Mission aims to better understand:how the tropical atmosphere deals with air pollution; how clouds form over oceans; how to refine weather and climate models, leading to better forecasts and projections; and, fundamentally to better understand the chemistry of climate.

Flying out of Cairns in the northeast of Australia, the Chemistry of the Atmosphere: Field Experiment (CAFE) team are tracking weather events and taking atmospheric measurements to better understand the atmospheric chemistry occurring above the clouds.

This is their third mission, using a highly modified Gulfstream G550 ultra long-range jet capable of exploring the full extent of the troposphere from the ground up to about 15 km above sea level.

Described by some researchers as the atmosphere’s washing machine, weather events in the tropics play a crucial role in clearing gases and particulates emitted from both natural and human-induced sources.

"In past missions, we have collected data under pristine conditions above the Amazon and in regions in Africa where biomass is burned, and where dust and pollutants are released into the atmosphere. We will compare these results with the data we now measure over the Pacific Ocean," explains Professor Jos Lelieveld, Director of the Atmospheric Chemistry Department at the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, and Principle Investigator of the CAFE-Pacific research project.

The area offshore from Australia’s northeast is of particular interest to the team as the high temperature of the ocean there causes the strongest high-reaching convection in the world. These columns of upward-rising warm air act as highways for heat, moisture, particulates, and gasses to be transported from the surface of the planet high into the atmosphere.

“The combination of intense solar radiation, mixing due to convection, large regional differences in lightning activity, and contrasting tropical waters and the Australian continent means there’s everything you need for a lot of interesting atmospheric chemistry to occur,” says Dr Clara Nussbaumer, a postdoctoral researcher working on the mission from the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry.

“It’s an exciting place to explore as an atmospheric scientist.”

Each flight lasts up to 9 hours, with four of the research team work monitoring and controlling the 15 different scientific instruments on board, maintaining contact with colleagues on the ground, and guiding the pilots to any last-minute opportunistic requests to change the flight plan.

“When we have a prediction that a weather event will happen, we can design a flight path to go check if what we expected actually occurs,” says Professor Joachim Curtius, Professor at the Institute for Atmosphere and Environment, Goethe University Frankfurt. Prof. Curtius is the co-Principal Investigator of the mission.

“Of course, it’s great when we find things where we expect them—it means our models are reliable—but it’s probably more exciting to find things that we don’t quite expect as it gives us the chance to further improve the forecasts and predictions under our changing climate.”

The unique research aircraft has been equipped with highly sensitive instruments normally only found in well-equipped chemistry labs. Like the aircraft itself, many of these instruments have been modified or even custom built to achieve the sensitivity, accuracy and reliability required to perform in the trying environment of an aircraft in the tropics.

“We are often measuring trace gases in the atmosphere at levels as low as one part per trillion. Imagine this as around one drop in twenty Olympic-sized swimming pools,” adds Dr Nussbaumer.

“And we have to do this extremely fast because we’re flying in an aircraft at around 250 metres per second. It is normal for the instrument I take care of to measure 10 data points in a single second.”

By the end of February, the science team will have completed a total of around 150 flight hours, collecting measurements in areas that have never before been sampled.

“All the CAFE measurements will help us improve the computer models of the chemical processes in the atmosphere. This will help us even more accurately predict future climate developments,” says Prof. Curtius.

The CAFE-Pacific mission is coordinated by the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry and Goethe University Frankfurt and will conclude at the end of February.

The research has captured the attention of Ms Rebecca Lee, Managing Director of Merck Life Science, Country Speaker Merck Group ANZ, and Chair of the Advisory Council of the German-Australian Chamber of Industry and Commerce. Merck ANZ facilitated the mission locally by providing the chemicals required for calibrating the instruments on the aircraft.

“This fundamental research being carried out by the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry with several scientific partners from Germany is essential to our understanding of atmospheric science,” she says.

“It is crucial for open international collaboration to continue for the good of our collective knowledge, environment, and humanity at large. Australia has much to share with the rest of the world, and there is also so much we can learn from our colleagues overseas.”

International Young Scientist Awards

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[smithysairelectrical]

Always remember that Smithy Air & Electrical is your knight in shining armor, offering professional Aircon Service In Cairns. This team of seasoned experts provides a comprehensive suite of services, effortlessly tackling installation, repair, and maintenance to ensure your cool haven is restored. With an intricate understanding of electrical systems, Smithys Air & Electrical doesn't just stop at aircon service. They also offer a range of other electrical services, from wiring and lighting to solar panel installation and everything in between. Their team of skilled electricians is equipped with the latest tools and technology. They ensure that your electrical needs are met with precision and expertise. To get the best electrical solution, schedule an appointment today!

[akagei]

This 3000-year-old gold sun pendant was discovered by a metal detectorist in Shropshire, England in 2018. The 1.4” by 1.8” inch object is decorated with semi-circles and geometric motifs, and one side bears a stylised solar design.

The Bronze Age is often misunderstood, associated with people living in huts or caves, but imagine crafting something like this without modern technology. Imagine what it took to move giant stones over distances in order to create circles, cairns, and long stone rows. These people were anything but stupid.

Photograph: British Museum

[tipsycad147]

A Might-do List for Midsummer

 Alexis J. Cunningfolk

Midsummer, also known as the Summer Solstice, Litha, and Alban Hefin, marks the longest days of the year. Many ancient megaliths were built to align with the movement of the sun on Midsummer, the longest day of the year. Midsummer celebrates the height of the sun's power as well as the still distant but ever growing turn towards the cooler months. The Summer Solstice is also a day long associated with the magick of the Good Folk who are said to be more present than ever across the land. At Midsummer we celebrate the brightness of living and so much abundance that we have plenty to give and receive in turn. Now is a time to celebrate the expansiveness of life and the unique ways we express ourselves as necessary and loved members of our wider community. Continuing a project started last Lughnasadh, here’s a list of nine things that you might-do (or not) for the long day festival and hot season of the Summer Solstice.

Rise with the Sun. A simple and very sweet ritual is to rise with the sun on Midsummer. Meditate in silence or celebrate in song as the Sun rises up into the day, shedding light across the land. Planning to have special foods ready for breakfast can be an extra bonus.

Build simple stone cairns with friends and family. Glennie Kindred has a lovely suggestion for creating a participatory and engaging ritual space in her book Earth Wisdom. As folks are gathering together in the ritual space have them look for or bring five stones - one for each of the five elements of Earth, Air, Fire, and Spirit. As part of the ritual, each of the elements are called in and one-by-one folks bring their stone for each element into the center while offering personal thanks and blessings at each turn. Slowly a cairn or mound of stones will be formed by all of the stones placed by those gathered. Cairns can be left up (if environmentally appropriate) and used as places to make offerings to the Good Folk, but at least for the rest of the ritual the community-created cairn serves as a focal point for chanting, dancing, and general merriment.

Harvest herbs. The Summer Solstice is a traditional time to harvest herbs and especially those herbs associated with the Good Folk, the energies of love, and the powers of protection. St. Joan's or John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum) is traditionally harvested at Midsummer and turns into a beautiful red oil symbolizing the regenerative lifeblood of the land. Be sure to harvest herbs in a way that respects the land and its inhabitants tending to the places where they grow with as much care as plants tend to our healing needs.

Create some beautiful solar themed decorations. Decorations that catch the light and are bright in color are all wonderful options for Midsummer. Make faux stained glass with crayons and wax paper or your own sun wheels out of thread and twigs. Sun-shaped salt dough ornaments, wreaths made of dried herbs, and wild grass crowns are all seasonally appropriate and easy to make. Sun catchers and crystals hung in windows can bring rainbow light into our homes as well as outdoor ritual spaces. Whenever making or purchasing items, consider their long term environmental impact and try to align your choices with your earth-centered and celebrating festivities.

Energize culture-changing movements. Midsummer is an excellent time to call in and store up energy for the coming months and into winter. You can be intentional with your energizing magick and help to direct it towards and store it up for culture-changing movements and protests. I like to turn protest signs into magickal objects, bless my street medic bag and supplies, as well as raise energy and store it into other charms and amulets that I use in my work for a more just and kind world. 

Practice the magick of generosity. At the longest day of the year, marking a season of abundance and the peak of growth before the First Harvest in a few weeks time, Midsummer is an opportunity to practice the magick of generosity. I love the sentiment expressed in Circle Round: Raising Children in Goddess Traditions: "The Goddess at Summer Solstice gives us not just what we need, but extra. We can feel close to her by being generous, giving more than we're asked to give, doing more than our fair share. That way we make abundance for all." Generosity comes in many forms, but consider the ways that it is built into your magickal and spiritual practice at Midsummer, vowing to continue to act in abundance in your life and the lives of others.

Built an altar to the Sacred Dreamer. There are different myths from around the world about the shift of power from the light to the dark. At Midsummer the light of the Sun is at its peak - but from here on out the dark and lunar energies begin to rise. Some folks work with the myth of the Oak and Holly Kings and their never ending battles (and if you have an opportunity to see a ritual battle it can be a lot of fun). My own traditions align with stories of holy isles and descents into the underworld, where we draw closer to the world of dreams. Again, quoting Circle Round, they speak of the transformation of the God, noting that "[e]verything and everyone who fulfills their purpose must change… Now he becomes the Dreamer, asleep in this world but awake in the world of dreams and visions, the seeds of what will come to be in this world. He becomes the Messenger, carrying our hopes and prayers to the spirit realms." The Sabbats are a time to remember that change is a holy and necessary thing, that we aren't always meant to be doing the same thing throughout the year, but growing and retreating, shifting and changing with the seasons. 

Cast spells with candles. An alternative - and much shorter - version of the might-do lists for the Sabbats would simply be "Every six weeks(ish), burn stuff." The tracking of light and dark along with the necessity of fire for warmth and in the preparation of food stuff shows up powerfully in different ways at each Sabbat. The two times of year that candles are especially essential to my magickal practice are at Imbolc and then again at Midsummer. Whether building a dream altar to light the way for the Sun to descend into the underworld, to more traditional pin and candle spells, using fire in our magick at Midsummer can be a powerful act of energetic alignment.

Create a beacon of light. Lighting bonfires on hilltops is an ancient tradition of Midsummer that is still carried on in some Celtic cultures. You can create your own beacon of light whether an actual candle burning in your window or a piece of art displayed in a way for others to see. Fires on the hill were/are a form of spiritual devotion but also connection and community-building. What sacred symbols do you want to see more of in the world around you? How do you move through the world as a person of sacredness? What are the beacons that you're wanting to see to help you know that you're not alone in the work of repairing the world? If you're looking for social justice and mutual aid oriented images, Just Seeds is always a great place to check out. You can charge up your beacon from sunrise to sunset on Midsummer day, infusing it with the holy constant of solar light.

Check out all of my might-do lists for the wheel of the year. Learn more about magickal practices for the season of summer or cast some cards for the Summer Solstice. Here’s a midsummer brew to try and you also might like the refreshing taste of swamp tea. Finally, here’s some more herbal lore on the magick of the Summer Solstice.

May your day be bright and abundant of blessings. May your heart shine like a bonfire guiding you from longest day to slow-growing night. May we all come together in the spirit of generosity, knowing that there is enough, committed to the change needed to create equitable and holy access, and dancing all the way home.

[clapstixelectrical]

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Clapstix Electrics stands as Cairns' premier choice for electrical solutions. Our seasoned team navigates the complexities of various sectors, offering tailored services from new builds and renovations to adept solar installations. Prioritising your unique needs, we blend high-grade materials with advanced methods, ensuring premium results. Whether enhancing homes, powering businesses, or advancing industrial setups, we guarantee efficiency, reliability, and excellence in every undertaking.

Name: Clapstix Electrics Pty Ltd Address: 116 Charringa Link, Smithfield QLD 4878 Phone: 0418243178 Website: https://clapstixelectrics.com/

[clapstixelectrics]

Clapstix Electrics Pty Ltd

Clapstix Electrics stands as Cairns' premier choice for electrical solutions. Our seasoned team navigates the complexities of various sectors, offering tailored services from new builds and renovations to adept solar installations. Prioritising your unique needs, we blend high-grade materials with advanced methods, ensuring premium results. Whether enhancing homes, powering businesses, or advancing industrial setups, we guarantee efficiency, reliability, and excellence in every undertaking.

Visit Our Website

[sleepinginahammock]

4 Cool Stacked Stone Water Features – Kits & DIY Ideas...

#stackedstonewaterfeatures

[sunnygoldsolar]

Should You Oversize Your Solar Panel System? 

If you’re calling the solar installers in Cairns to install a solar panel system for your home, one question that often arises is whether to oversize the system. Oversizing refers to installing more solar panels than you currently need to meet your electricity requirements. While oversizing may seem like a good idea to maximise energy production, there are several factors to consider before making this decision.

Pros of Oversizing

Increased Energy Production: Oversizing your solar panel units can result in higher energy production, especially during peak sunlight hours. This can potentially offset your electricity usage more effectively and even generate surplus energy to sell back to the grid.

Future-Proofing: Oversizing allows for future growth in energy usage, such as adding more appliances or electric vehicles to your home. It provides a buffer against increased energy demands over time, ensuring that your solar system remains sufficient for your needs in the long term.

Cons of Oversizing

Higher Upfront Costs: Cairns solar installers warn that considering more solar panels than necessary can increase the upfront costs. While oversizing may result in greater energy savings over time, it may take longer to recoup the initial investment compared to a smaller system.

Diminishing Returns: Beyond a certain point, adding more solar panels may not significantly increase energy production or savings. Oversizing beyond your actual energy needs may result in diminishing returns, as the additional energy generated may not be fully utilised.

The Final Showdown 

Ultimately, whether you should oversize your solar panel system depends on your specific energy requirements, budget, and long-term goals. It's essential to carefully evaluate your energy usage patterns, future needs, and financial considerations before deciding on the size of your solar panel system. 

Consulting with solar installers in Cairns can help you determine the optimal size for your system based on your individual requirements and objectives.

[cairnsmarineelectronics]

Cairns Marine Electronics

Cairns Marine Electronics is a mobile electronics business, specialising in marine equipment. Sales, Installations and repairs to the following equipement: GPS VHF and HF Radio VMS Chart plotters Radar Sonar Sounders Auto pilots Multifunction Devices AIS Marine solar Wind gererators Satellite communications NMEA General DC wiring We can repair to component level Rates: $110 per hour (Inc GST) during business hours. After hour call out rates will apply All call out inspections, repairs require an upfront minimum charge of $110.00 (Inc GST) We charge a minimum $50.00 Inc GST for diagosing any equipement dropped of or delivered. We guarantee our work Mobile servicing in the Cairns region

[thecolorfultravel]

Best Hotels in Cairns Australia

NOVOTEL CAIRNS OASIS RESORT

Location: 122 Lake Street, Cairns

Novotel Cairns Oasis Resort is located in the city's heart and close to the beach. However, the beautiful scenery gives it a laid-back resort feel. It features a lagoon-style swimming pool, tropical gardens, and bright, airy rooms in beach-themed tones. Moku Bar & Grill, located inside the hotel, has food to enjoy in the sun. There is also an overwater bar where you can sample handcrafted cocktails made by the bartenders.  

CRYSTALBROOK COLLECTION HOTEL

Location: 85 Esplanade, Cairns

Just steps from Cairns' sparkling shores, Flynn is made for those who want to stay in the heart of the action. Dip in the glass-enclosed pool or relax in our 311 vibrant guest rooms and suites. There are three levels of cuisine to choose from, and after a day of sun and swimming, you can relax in the Eléme Spa. Flynn is also built sustainably, using locally sourced produce, solar power, and environmentally friendly amenities throughout the property.

CRYSTALBROOK COLLECTION RESORT

Location: 131-141 Esplanade, Cairns

With views of Cairns' beautiful coastline, Riley, A Crystalbrook Collection Resort, offers waterfront luxury. This 5-star resort has everything you need for a superb getaway, from the Luxury Eléme Day Spa to the expansive lagoon pool. The resort has 311 rooms and suites, each decorated with contemporary design and amenities. Satisfy your palate at Paper Crane, a modern Asian fusion restaurant, or head to Rocco, a Mediterranean-inspired rooftop bar 12 stories above sea level. Guests may also have access to artificial beaches and secluded cabanas.

CRYSTALBROOK COLLECTION HOTEL

Location: 163 Abbott St, Cairns

Bailey, a Crystalbrook Collection Hotel, is not only full of character but also boasts the finest taste, modern furnishings, and spacious rooms. Works of art from across Australia are displayed in and around this sustainable five-star hotel, perfect for artists. Feed your soul and fill your belly at our on-site Restaurant. Try fusion Latin food at Pachamama or check out Bailey's signature restaurant, CC's Bar and Grill, featuring beef sourced straight from Crystalbrook Station.

PULLMAN REEF HOTEL CASINO

Location: 35-41 Wharf St, Cairns

You can easily find the Pullman Reef Hotel Casino near the cruise terminal facing Trinity Inlet. Look up and find the 'Wild Life Dome,' where you can see wildlife in a rainforest-style environment, and a unique 20-meter (66-foot) tall glass dome with a ropes course where birds can fly freely. You can also stay at the 128-room Pullman Reef Hotel and dine at the signature restaurant, Tamarind. Soak in a freestanding bathtub in a Pullman Suite.

SHANGRI-LA HOTEL

Location: Pierpoint Road, Cairns

The 255-room, triangular-shaped Shangri-La Hotel, The Marina Cairns, is at the southern end of the bustling Cairns Esplanade. Boasting an expansive guest lounge, this luxury hotel can enjoy views of the Coral Sea, yachts at Marlin Marina, overlooking Cairns city views, lush gardens, or a sparkling central swimming pool. Walk down the Marina Dining Promenade and dine at one of the numerous waterfront restaurants.

PULLMAN CAIRNS INTERNATIONAL HOTEL

Location: 17 Abbott Street, Cairns17 Abbott Street, Cairns

Across the street from the Pullman Reef Hotel Casino is another Pullman hotel. With 321 rooms, 

Pullman Cairns International is Cairns' largest five-star hotel. Coco's Restaurant, close to the lobby, is famous for its paddock-to-plate (locally delivered) fresh ingredients and seafood dishes. High tea is popular with add-ons like mini chocolate fondue with strawberries and marshmallows. The island, walkway, and swimming pool with whirlpool tub offer views of the adjacent mountains.

MANTRA TRILOGY CAIRNS

Location: 101-105 Esplanade, Cairns

The 230-room Mantra Trilogy Cairns offers traditional hotel rooms and apartments with a kitchen, laundry, and up to three bedrooms to make you feel at home. If you're not interested in cooking for yourself, dine at the Mediterranean-inspired Villa Romana. It also offers room service. Relax in the hotel's ocean-view lagoon pool or work out in the 25-meter (82-foot) lap pool. 

On a clear day, you can even see Green Island floating on the Great Barrier Reef. Boats depart regularly from the nearby Reef Fleet Terminal.

For More Information Please check the Blog

[godblackbones15]

When you begin to integrate the solar and the lunar energies that are naturally present within you, you embody both strength and compassion.

The moon reflects light of the sun, but that’s not how we were created in God’s eyes…to only reflect the masculine.

We were created as humans…equal in God’s eyes. Not one more powerful than the other, like I said last week. Both are needed

BUT the feminine has the capacity to not only reflect light, but also to embody it. It’s called…

Solar Feminine Energy (& Lunar Masculine Energy)

#47: What is Solar Feminine Energy and Why You Need to Know | Cairn Yoga & Wellness

[monriatitans]

Realism is Bad, Actually

Offset your carbon footprint on Wren: https://wren.co/start/zoebee The first 100 people who sign up will have 10 extra trees planted in their name!

* Description: * We say we love "realistic" fiction like Batman, Red Dead Redemption 2, and Horizon: Forbidden West. We say we love when our characters "act like real people" and "have realistic dialogue." But it's worth asking: Are these things ACTUALLY realistic? And if not, is realism even worth trying to capture?

* chapters: * 00:00:00 - Intro: Concrete Monsters 00:04:17 - Part 1: Using Realism 00:10:34 - Part 2: Investigating Realism 00:17:27 - Part 3: Criticizing Realism 00:40:32 - Intermission 00:43:17 - Part 4: Replacing Realism 00:59:16 - Conclusion: Sounds Good 01:08:39 - Outro & Poem

* Sources: * ---Books ------“Gamic Realism”: Player, Perception and Action in Video Game Play - Hanna Sommerseth ------Half-Real: Video Games between Real Rules and Fictional Worlds - Jesper Juul ------Hunting the Dark Knight - Will Brooker ------Imaginative Realism: How to Paint What Doesn't Exist - James Gurney ------Maps of the Imagination - Peter Turchi ------Method and Madness - Alice LaPlante ------reality tv: realism and revelation - Anita Biressi and Heather Nunn ------Rules of Play - Eric Zimmerman and Katie Salen ------The American Monomyth -  Robert Jewett and John Shelton Lawrence ------The Militarization of Childhood - ed. J. Marshall Beier ------The Rules of Play - Katie Salen and Eric Zimmerman ------What is Cinema? - Andre Bazin 

---Articles ------“A Grounded Investigation of Game Immersion” - Emily Brown and Paul Cairns ------“Foley Sounds vs Real Sounds” - Stefano Trento and Amalia De Götzen ------“Footsteps with character: the art and craft of Foley” - Benjamin Wright ------“Making fictions sound real – On film sound, perceptual realism and genre” - Birger Langkjær ------“Perceived realism and the CSI-effect” - Logan A. Ewanation, Susan Yamamoto, Jordan Monnink & Evelyn M. Maeder ------“Reading Realism: Audiences’ Evaluations fo the Reality of Media Texts” - Alice Hall ------“Realism in FIFA? How social realism enabled platformed racism in a video game” - Sam Srauy and John Cheney-Lippold ------“Selling Marvel's Cinematic Superheroes through Militarization” - Brett Pardy ------“Skeleton Keys: Teaching the Fiction of Narrative Truth” - Douglas P. Felter ------“Social Realism in Gaming” - Alexander R. Galloway ------“The One Measure of True Love Is: You Can Insult the Other” (Interview) - Sabine Reul and Thomas Deichman ------“The Perceived Realism of African American Portrayals on Television” - Narissra M. Punyanunt-Carter ------“Videogames of the oppressed: critical thinking, education, tolerance and other trivial issues” - Gonzalo Frasca 

---Videos ------"Reality Isn’t Always Right" - Solar Sands (   • Reality Isn't Alw...  )  ------"SHUT UP ABOUT PLOT HOLES" - Patrick (H) Willems (   • SHUT UP ABOUT PLO...  )  ------"What's the Point of R-Rated Superheroes?" - Patrick (H) Willems (   • What's the Point ...  ) ------"Why Do We Care if Movies Are "Realistic?" - Patrick (H) Willems (   • Why Do We Care if...  )  ------“MASSIVE sound design breakdown of The Lord of the Rings Trilogy” - INDEPTH Sound Design (   • MASSIVE sound des...  ) 

* Further Watching: * ---"How Animal Sounds Are Made For Movies And TV | Movies Insider" - Movie Insider (   • How Animal Sounds...  )  ---"Does Representation Matter?" - Legal Kimchi (   • Does Representati...  ) 

* quote reads (in order of appearance) * ---Caelan Conrad ------Twitter: https://twitter.com/CaelanConrad ------YouTube:   / caelanconrad   ---Mica (Ponderful) ------Twitter: https://twitter.com/PonderfulYT ------YouTube:   / @ponderfulyt   ---Little Hoot ------Twitter: https://twitter.com/hoot_little ------YouTube:   / littlehoot   ---Aranock ------Twitter: https://twitter.com/Aranock1 ------YouTube:   / @aranock   

* edited by Charlie Flowers * YouTube:   / @xxinrealtimexx   Twitter: https://twitter.com/xXinrealtimeXx 

* To Support Me: * ---Become a channel Member! ➤   / @zoe_bee   ---Join the Patreon! ➤ https://www.patreon.com/zoe_bee ---Make a one-time donation! ➤ https://ko-fi.com/zoebee ---Join the Discord! ➤ https://discord.gg/8GBmS9Qug9 ---Check out my second channel! ➤   / @zoecee   ---Watch my D&D game! ➤   / @thejaycorn   ---Watch my Blades in the Dark game! ➤ https://www.twitch.tv/itucrew 

(disclaimer: This video was sponsored by Wren.)