#Sources linked

[officialish-cdc]

To whichever Republicans need to hear this:

THE DEMOCRATS ARE NOT FUCKING LYING OR SPREADING RUMORS.

sorry to burst your bubble, but the only misinformation being shared are people who are genuinely scared because of what Trump has ALREADY done to people and their rights.

YES, he is racist. His "they are eating the cats and dogs" comment was RACIST, and caused the Haitians in Springfield to get death threats, as well as getting rid of diversity

YES, he's transphobic, stating that the "only genders are male and female" excluding both intersex and people under the nonbinary umbrella.

YES, he's a liar and a hypocrite.

IT DOESN'T MATTER IF HE "PROBABLY WON'T GO THROUGH WITH IT", HE STILL SAID IT.

AND MORE! GET YOUR HEAD OUT OF THE SAND. IF YOU GENUINELY BELIEVE THAT THIS IS OKAY, REEVALUATE YOURSELF.

[saveahorserideaneddie]

americans saying that america isn’t capable of running concentration camps when the US government literally operated multiple in the 40s and 50s post-wwii because anti-japanese sentiment was so strong that the government were throwing japanese (and other asian) refugees into labor camps (alongside US citizens of asian descent who were also being sent to these camps)

tw: photos of these camps under the cut (and links to their sources)

[writefightandflightclub]

Oscar Isaac for Brioni SS24

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Oscar Isaac (@oscarisaachourly)

[anotherpapercut]

I don't really think it's fair to dismiss the idea that that guy might have been framed for killing the CEO as like an unfounded conspiracy theory when NYPD has a proven history of planting/fabricating evidence on people. in 2011 there was a massive investigation of the NYPD and hundreds of cases against people were dismissed after a former police officer testified that they literally have a name for planting evidence on people: flaking. you cannot be out here acting like considering the possibility that cops who do this shit under normal circumstances might possibly also do it when they're under intense global pressure and scrutiny is the same as republicans thinking democrats run a secret pedophile ring in the basement of a pizza restaurant

[nyancrimew]

entirely unrelated to the actual posts above, but, as you can see there is a tiny tiny banner at the bottom of the second posts image. when i first encountered this footer a while ago i got curious, what the fuck is americasbestpics.com? so i checked it out

it pretty much just looks like an ifunny clone, huh? specifically advertising to americans? looks interesting, i dug deeper, trying to figure out where their backend is, and how the fuck they have as many posts as they do if i've never heard of them

wait, huh? what's that? what? ifunny?

oh, so ABPV is run by Funtech Publishing, a company that runs a number of hyperspecific ifunny "clones". wait? funtech is the word funcorp (owner of ifunny) uses to describe their industry? huh? *digs a bit deeper* hm funtech publishing is headquartered in the same city in cyprus as funcorp! hmmmmmmm

oh huh, wow how curious! the main company officer registered for funtech publishing also just so happens to be the former ceo/director at ifunny (at the time of them being main officer at funtech), that surely doesn't mean anything ok so, wait, ifunny runs an ifunny clone, a shady meme/tiktok clone app where you ?? get paid ?? to use the app? (which curiously enough is listed under a different company name and corporate structure, while also being on the funtech website?), a whatsapp status saver letting u save other peoples statuses, some other rly cringily advertised meme focused tiktok clone and potentially some other apps.

this is not an uncommon practice for smaller advertising business focused mobile app dev studios, but i was really surprised to find ifunny doing this, and especially that they would compete with themselves.

[asgardian--angels]

Planet's Fucked: What Can You Do To Help? (Long Post)

Since nobody is talking about the existential threat to the climate and the environment a second Trump term/Republican government control will cause, which to me supersedes literally every other issue, I wanted to just say my two cents, and some things you can do to help. I am a conservation biologist, whose field was hit substantially by the first Trump presidency. I study wild bees, birds, and plants.

In case anyone forgot what he did last time, he gagged scientists' ability to talk about climate change, he tried zeroing budgets for agencies like the NOAA, he attempted to gut protections in the Endangered Species Act (mainly by redefining 'take' in a way that would allow corporations to destroy habitat of imperiled species with no ramifications), he tried to do the same for the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (the law that offers official protection for native non-game birds), he sought to expand oil and coal extraction from federal protected lands, he shrunk the size of multiple national preserves, HE PULLED US OUT OF THE PARIS CLIMATE AGREEMENT, and more.

We are at a crucial tipping point in being able to slow the pace of climate change, where we decide what emissions scenario we will operate at, with existential consequences for both the environment and people. We are also in the middle of the Sixth Mass Extinction, with the rate of species extinctions far surpassing background rates due completely to human actions. What we do now will determine the fate of the environment for hundreds or thousands of years - from our ability to grow key food crops (goodbye corn belt! I hated you anyway but), to the pressure on coastal communities that will face the brunt of sea level rise and intensifying extreme weather events, to desertification, ocean acidification, wildfires, melting permafrost (yay, outbreaks of deadly frozen viruses!), and a breaking down of ecosystems and ecosystem services due to continued habitat loss and species declines, especially insect declines. The fact that the environment is clearly a low priority issue despite the very real existential threat to so many people, is beyond my ability to understand. I do partly blame the public education system for offering no mandatory environmental science curriculum or any at all in most places. What it means is that it will take the support of everyone who does care to make any amount of difference in this steeply uphill battle.

There are not enough environmental scientists to solve these issues, not if public support is not on our side and the majority of the general public is either uninformed or actively hostile towards climate science (or any conservation science).

So what can you, my fellow Americans, do to help mitigate and minimize the inevitable damage that lay ahead?

I'm not going to tell you to recycle more or take shorter showers. I'll be honest, that stuff is a drop in the bucket. What does matter on the individual level is restoring and protecting habitat, reducing threats to at-risk species, reducing pesticide use, improving agricultural practices, and pushing for policy changes. Restoring CONNECTIVITY to our landscape - corridors of contiguous habitat - will make all the difference for wildlife to be able to survive a changing climate and continued human population expansion.

**Caveat that I work in the northeast with pollinators and birds so I cannot provide specific organizations for some topics, including climate change focused NGOs. Scientists on tumblr who specialize in other fields, please add your own recommended resources. **

We need two things: FUNDING and MANPOWER.

You may surprised to find that an insane amount of conservation work is carried out by volunteers. We don't ever have the funds to pay most of the people who want to help. If you really really care, consider going into a conservation-related field as a career. It's rewarding, passionate work.

At the national level, please support:

The Nature Conservancy

Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation

Cornell Lab of Ornithology (including eBird)

National Audubon Society

Federal Duck Stamps (you don't need to be a hunter to buy one!)

These first four work to acquire and restore critical habitat, change environmental policy, and educate the public. There is almost certainly a Nature Conservancy-owned property within driving distance of you. Xerces plays a very large role in pollinator conservation, including sustainable agriculture, native bee monitoring programs, and the Bee City/Bee Campus USA programs. The Lab of O is one of the world's leaders in bird research and conservation. Audubon focuses on bird conservation. You can get annual memberships to these organizations and receive cool swag and/or a subscription to their publications which are well worth it. You can also volunteer your time; we need thousands of volunteers to do everything from conducting wildlife surveys, invasive species removal, providing outreach programming, managing habitat/clearing trails, planting trees, you name it. Federal Duck Stamps are the major revenue for wetland conservation; hunters need to buy them to hunt waterfowl but anyone can get them to collect!

THERE ARE DEFINITELY MORE, but these are a start.

Additionally, any federal or local organizations that seek to provide support and relief to those affected by hurricanes, sea level rise, any form of coastal climate change...

At the regional level:

These are a list of topics that affect major regions of the United States. Since I do not work in most of these areas I don't feel confident recommending specific organizations, but please seek resources relating to these as they are likely major conservation issues near you.

PRAIRIE CONSERVATION & PRAIRIE POTHOLE WETLANDS

DRYING OF THE COLORADO RIVER (good overview video linked)

PROTECTION OF ESTUARIES AND SALTMARSH, ESPECIALLY IN THE DELAWARE BAY AND LONG ISLAND (and mangroves further south, everglades etc; this includes restoring LIVING SHORELINES instead of concrete storm walls; also check out the likely-soon extinction of saltmarsh sparrows)

UNDAMMING MAJOR RIVERS (not just the Colorado; restoring salmon runs, restoring historic floodplains)

NATIVE POLLINATOR DECLINES (NOT honeybees. for fuck's sake. honeybees are non-native domesticated animals. don't you DARE get honeybee hives to 'save the bees')

WILDLIFE ALONG THE SOUTHERN BORDER (support the Mission Butterfly Center!)

INVASIVE PLANT AND ANIMAL SPECIES (this is everywhere but the specifics will differ regionally, dear lord please help Hawaii)

LOSS OF WETLANDS NATIONWIDE (some states have lost over 90% of their wetlands, I'm looking at you California, Ohio, Illinois)

INDUSTRIAL AGRICULTURE, esp in the CORN BELT and CALIFORNIA - this is an issue much bigger than each of us, but we can work incrementally to promote sustainable practices and create habitat in farmland-dominated areas. Support small, local farms, especially those that use soil regenerative practices, no-till agriculture, no pesticides/Integrated Pest Management/no neonicotinoids/at least non-persistent pesticides. We need more farmers enrolling in NRCS programs to put farmland in temporary or permanent wetland easements, or to rent the land for a 30-year solar farm cycle. We've lost over 99% of our prairies to corn and soybeans. Let's not make it 100%.

INDIGENOUS LAND-BACK EFFORTS/INDIGENOUS LAND MANAGEMENT/TEK (adding this because there have been increasing efforts not just for reparations but to also allow indigenous communities to steward and manage lands either fully independently or alongside western science, and it would have great benefits for both people and the land; I know others on here could speak much more on this. Please platform indigenous voices)

HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOMS (get your neighbors to stop dumping fertilizers on their lawn next to lakes, reduce agricultural runoff)

OCEAN PLASTIC (it's not straws, it's mostly commercial fishing line/trawling equipment and microplastics)

A lot of these are interconnected. And of course not a complete list.

At the state and local level:

You probably have the most power to make change at the local level!

Support or volunteer at your local nature centers, local/state land conservancy non-profits (find out who owns&manages the preserves you like to hike at!), state fish & game dept/non-game program, local Audubon chapters (they do a LOT). Participate in a Christmas Bird Count!

Join local garden clubs, which install and maintain town plantings - encourage them to use NATIVE plants. Join a community garden!

Get your college campus or city/town certified in the Bee Campus USA/Bee City USA programs from the Xerces Society

Check out your state's official plant nursery, forest society, natural heritage program, anything that you could become a member of, get plants from, or volunteer at.

Volunteer to be part of your town's conservation commission, which makes decisions about land management and funding

Attend classes or volunteer with your land grant university's cooperative extension (including master gardener programs)

Literally any volunteer effort aimed at improving the local environment, whether that's picking up litter, pulling invasive plants, installing a local garden, planting trees in a city park, ANYTHING. make a positive change in your own sphere. learn the local issues affecting your nearby ecosystems. I guarantee some lake or river nearby is polluted

MAKE HABITAT IN YOUR COMMUNITY. Biggest thing you can do. Use plants native to your area in your yard or garden. Ditch your lawn. Don't use pesticides (including mosquito spraying, tick spraying, Roundup, etc). Don't use fertilizers that will run off into drinking water. Leave the leaves in your yard. Get your school/college to plant native gardens. Plant native trees (most trees planted in yards are not native). Remove invasive plants in your yard.

On this last point, HERE ARE EASY ONLINE RESOURCES TO FIND NATIVE PLANTS and LEARN ABOUT NATIVE GARDENING:

Xerces Society Pollinator Conservation Resource Center

Pollinator Pathway

Audubon Native Plant Finder

Homegrown National Park (and Doug Tallamy's other books)

National Wildlife Federation Native Plant Finder (clunky but somewhat helpful)

Heather Holm (for prairie/midwest/northeast)

MonarchGard w/ Benjamin Vogt (for prairie/midwest)

Native Plant Trust (northeast & mid-atlantic)

Grow Native Massachusetts (northeast)

Habitat Gardening in Central New York (northeast)

There are many more - I'm not familiar with resources for western states. Print books are your biggest friend. Happy to provide a list of those.

Lastly, you can help scientists monitor species using citizen science. Contribute to iNaturalist, eBird, Bumblebee Watch, or any number of more geographically or taxonomically targeted programs (for instance, our state has a butterfly census carried out by citizen volunteers).

In short? Get curious, get educated, get involved. Notice your local nature, find out how it's threatened, and find out who's working to protect it that you can help with. The health of the planet, including our resilience to climate change, is determined by small local efforts to maintain and restore habitat. That is how we survive this. When government funding won't come, when we're beat back at every turn trying to get policy changed, it comes down to each individual person creating a safe refuge for nature.

Thanks for reading this far. Please feel free to add your own credible resources and organizations.

[quixylvre]

Sticker Shock

[adobe-outdesign]

recently I discovered that Kawayoo, one of my all-time favorite Pokemon TCG artists, has some art of Loudred floating around and it's the best thing I've ever seen

[glossahistorica]

YELLOW.

YELLOW.—Fustic chips, weld or dyer's weed, tumeric, or Dutch pink. GREEN may be produced by mixing the requisite portion of blue with either of the preceding.

The Englishwoman’s Domestic Magazine, May 1855, Collected Vol. 4, p.63. [x]

Scientific American (1853) notes these dye receipts are largely cribbed from other publications, including the Baltimore Sun that year, and are incorrect, thus "will assuredly do evil". They correct thus:

GREEN.—The fustic and blue spoken of above, will dye silk and wool, the former hot, the latter by boiling, the blue must be the sulphate of indigo. Yellow on cotton is dyed with the bichromate of potash, and the acetate, or nitrate of lead; or with yellow oak bark, and the sulpho-chloride of tin.

“Receipts for Dyeing” in Scientific American Magazine Vol. 8 No. 48 (August 1853), p. 384 [x]

As a rule, I suggest you look for contemporary advice when attempting to recreate natural dyes from historical sources, and always utilise proper safety equipment and ventilation.

It is quite obviously not safe to handle lead and other chemical products.

[typicalsimswhore]

Studying Linguistics

Here's what I learned today:

🌿 Languages are made up of signs. Signs are the combination of letters and sounds that we give meaning to.

🌿 Modern Linguistics began in the 19th century

🌿 European colonialist linguistics used a classification and comparison method to understand language better, by compiling various word lists and grammars from other languages to break down their similarities and differences. William Jones is credited as the founder of comparative linguistics.

🌿 Despite being credited with this discovery, William Jones was in fact not the first to discover that the ancient Indian language of Sanskrit was related to European languages. That credit goes to Panini, who was a famous grammarian and way ahead of his time, surpassing European linguistic achievements.

🌿 Ferdinand de Saussure is said to be the "father of linguistics" with his groundbreaking contributions. His influence would not only influence linguistics as a whole, but anthropology and semiotics as well. After his death, a book was published titled "Course in General Linguistics" in 1916.

🌿 Early modern linguistics focused heavily on phonetics and phonology.

🌿 In 1886, the International Phonetic Association (IPA) was established by Europeans in Paris, and is still around to this day.

Important schools/branches of modern linguistics:

🇨🇿 The Prague School: focused on phonological theory and is remembered for their contributions to syntax.

🇬🇧 British Structuralism: J.R. Firth's theory of meaning, emphasizing context and is summarised as "meaning is use in context".

My sources 🩷💖🩷💖:

How Language Works by David Crystal

An Outline of the History of Linguistics, California State University (pdf)

[iamroyalgayness]

Just Realized I never put sources for pfp and header!

Header Source

Actual PFP Source

Not PFP Source

[nightmarereverie]

Circa 1900, Bat in Flight with the Man in the Moon brooch. Made by Unger Brothers, USA. ❤︎₊ ⊹

[savagegood]

his best running gag

[longingforspace]

Only Moze should drive. [x]

[v-confused-212]

[salarymanwaka]