#community documentation workshop

[garadinervi]

Fishmerchant's Daughter. Yuri Kochiyama: An Oral History, Vol. 2, Edited by Arthur Tobier, Cover design by Kim Fisher / Miriam Berman Graphic Design, Community Documentation Workshop, New York, NY, 1982

Cover Photograph: 7th Avenue in Harlem, looking north from 126th St., on V-J Day 1945 (courtesy Schomberg Center for Research in Black Culture)

↗ Yuri Kochiyama Solidarity Project (YKSP)

[transcriptioncity]

Professional Note Taking Services for Accessibility

Enhancing Communication with Professional Recording and Note Taking Services Note taking has revolutionised the way we capture and retain information. It offers a seamless method to document conversations, lectures, meetings, and more. From ancient scribes inscribing thoughts on clay tablets to modern-day digital recordings, the evolution is impressive. The advent of recording technologies has…

[thewriteadviceforwriters]

The Telling Truth: When 'Show, Don't Tell' Doesn't Apply (You Don't Always Have To Show, Don't Tell.)

Hey there, fellow writers and beloved members of the writeblr community! 📝✨

Today, I want to talk about something that's been on my mind lately, and I have a feeling it might resonate with many of you too. It's about that age-old writing advice we've all heard a million times: "Show, don't tell." Now, don't get me wrong – it's great advice, and it has its place in our writing toolbox. But here's the thing: it's not the be-all and end-all of good writing. In fact, I'd argue that sometimes, it's perfectly okay – even necessary – to tell rather than show.

First things first, let's address the elephant in the room. The "show, don't tell" rule has been drilled into our heads since we first picked up a pen (or opened a Word document) with the intention of writing creatively. It's been repeated in writing workshops, creative writing classes, and countless craft books. And for good reason! Showing can create vivid, immersive experiences for readers, allowing them to feel like they're right there in the story.

But here's where things get a bit tricky: like any rule in writing (or in life, for that matter), it's not absolute. There are times when telling is not just acceptable, but actually preferable. And that's what you all will explore today in this hopefully understandable blog post.

Let's start by breaking down why "show, don't tell" is so popular. When we show instead of tell, we're engaging the reader's senses and emotions. We're painting a picture with words, allowing the reader to draw their own conclusions based on the details we provide. It's a powerful technique that can make our writing more engaging and memorable.

For example, instead of saying "Sarah was angry," we might write, "Sarah's fists clenched at her sides, her jaw tight as she glared at the broken vase." This gives the reader a clearer image and allows them to infer Sarah's emotional state.

But here's the thing: sometimes, we don't need or want that level of detail. Sometimes, efficiency in storytelling is more important than painting an elaborate picture. And that's where telling comes in handy.

Imagine if every single emotion, action, or piece of information in your story was shown rather than told. Your novel would probably be thousands of pages long, and your readers might get lost in the sea of details, losing sight of the main plot or character arcs.

So, when might telling be more appropriate? Let's explore some scenarios:

Summarizing less important events: If you're writing a story that spans a long period, you don't need to show every single day or event. Telling can help you summarize periods of time or less crucial events quickly, allowing you to focus on the more important parts of your story.

For instance: "The next few weeks passed in a blur of exams and late-night study sessions." This sentence tells us what happened without going into unnecessary detail about each day.

Providing necessary background information: Sometimes, you need to give your readers some context or backstory. While you can certainly weave this information into scenes, there are times when a straightforward telling of facts is more efficient.

Example: "The war had been raging for three years before Sarah's village was attacked." This quickly gives us important context without needing to show the entire history of the war.

Establishing pace and rhythm: Alternating between showing and telling can help you control the pace of your story. Showing tends to slow things down, allowing readers to immerse themselves in a moment. Telling can speed things up, moving the story along more quickly when needed.

Clarifying complex ideas or emotions: Some concepts or feelings are abstract or complex enough that showing alone might not suffice. In these cases, a bit of telling can help ensure your readers understand what's happening.

For example: "The quantum entanglement theory had always fascinated John, but explaining it to others often left him feeling frustrated and misunderstood." Here, we're telling the reader about John's relationship with this complex scientific concept, which might be difficult to show effectively.

Maintaining your narrative voice: Sometimes, telling is simply more in line with your narrative voice or the tone of your story. This is especially true if you're writing in a more direct or conversational style.

Now, I can almost hear some of you saying, "But wait! I've always been told that showing is always better!" And I completely get it. I'm a writer myself and prioritize "Show, Don't tell." in my writing all the time. We've been conditioned to believe that showing is superior in all cases. But we can take a moment to challenge that notion.

Think about some of your favorite books. Chances are, they use a mix of showing and telling. Even the most critically acclaimed authors don't adhere strictly to "show, don't tell" all the time. They understand that good writing is about balance and knowing when to use each technique effectively.

Take, for instance, the opening line of George Orwell's "1984": "It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen." This is a perfect blend of showing and telling. Orwell shows us it's a bright, cold day (we can imagine the crisp air and clear sky), but he tells us about the clocks striking thirteen. This immediate telling gives us crucial information about the world we're entering – it's not quite like our own.

Or consider this passage from Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice": "Mr. Bennet was so odd a mixture of quick parts, sarcastic humour, reserve, and caprice, that the experience of three-and-twenty years had been insufficient to make his wife understand his character." Here, Austen is clearly telling us about Mr. Bennet's character rather than showing it through his actions. And yet, it works beautifully, giving us a quick, clear insight into both Mr. Bennet and his wife.

The key is to use both techniques strategically. So, how can you decide when to show and when to tell? Here are some tips:

Consider the importance of the information: Is this a crucial moment in your story, a pivotal emotion, or a key piece of character development? If so, it might be worth showing. If it's more of a transitional moment or background information, telling might be more appropriate.

Think about pacing: If you want to slow down and really immerse your reader in a moment, show it. If you need to move things along more quickly, tell it.

Evaluate the complexity: If you're dealing with a complex emotion or concept, consider whether showing alone will be enough to convey it clearly. Sometimes, a combination of showing and telling works best for complex ideas.

Consider your word count: If you're working with strict word count limitations (like in short stories or flash fiction), telling can help you convey necessary information more concisely.

Trust your instincts (Important): As you write more, you'll develop a feel for when showing or telling works better. Trust your gut, and don't be afraid to experiment.

Now, let's talk about how to tell effectively when you do choose to use it. Because here's the thing: telling doesn't have to be boring or flat. It can be just as engaging and stylish as showing when done well. Here are some tips for effective telling:

Use strong, specific language: Instead of using vague or generic words, opt for more specific, evocative language. For example, instead of "She was sad," you might write, "A profound melancholy settled over her."

Incorporate sensory details: Even when telling, you can include sensory information to make it more vivid. "The room was cold" becomes more engaging as "A bone-chilling cold permeated the room."

Use metaphors and similes: These can help make your telling more colorful and memorable. "His anger was like a volcano ready to erupt" paints a vivid picture without showing the anger in action.

Keep it concise: One of the advantages of telling is its efficiency. Don't negate that by being overly wordy. Get to the point, but do it with style.

Vary your sentence structure: Mix short, punchy sentences with longer, more flowing ones to create rhythm and maintain interest.

Remember, the goal is to create a seamless narrative that engages your reader. Sometimes that means showing, sometimes it means telling, and often it means a artful blend of both.

It's also worth noting that different genres and styles of writing may lean more heavily on one technique or the other. Literary fiction often employs more showing, delving deep into characters' psyches and painting elaborate scenes. Genre fiction, on the other hand, might use more telling to keep the plot moving at a brisker pace. Neither approach is inherently better – it all depends on what works best for your story and your style.

Now, I want to address something that I think many of us struggle with: the guilt or anxiety we might feel when we catch ourselves telling instead of showing. It's easy to fall into the trap of second-guessing every sentence, wondering if we should be showing more. But here's the truth: that kind of constant self-doubt can be paralyzing and ultimately detrimental to your writing process.

So, I want you to understand and think: It's okay to tell sometimes. You're not a bad writer for using telling in your work. In fact, knowing when and how to use telling effectively is a sign of a skilled writer.

Here's some practical ways to incorporate this mindset into your writing process:

First Draft Freedom: When you're writing your first draft, give yourself permission to write however it comes out. If that means more telling than showing, that's absolutely fine. The important thing is to get the story down. You can always revise and add more "showing" elements later if needed.

Revision with Purpose: When you're revising, don't automatically change every instance of telling to showing. Instead, ask yourself: Does this serve the story better as telling or showing? Consider the pacing, the importance of the information, and how it fits into the overall narrative.

Beta Readers and Feedback: When you're getting feedback on your work, pay attention to how readers respond to different sections. If they're engaged and understanding the story, then your balance of showing and telling is probably working well, regardless of which technique you're using more.

Study Your Favorite Authors: Take some time to analyze how your favorite writers use showing and telling. You might be surprised to find more instances of effective telling than you expected.

Practice Both Techniques (Important): Set aside some time to practice both showing and telling. Write the same scene twice, once focusing on showing and once on telling. This can help you develop a feel for when each technique is most effective.

Now, let's address another important point: the evolution of writing styles and reader preferences. The "show, don't tell" rule gained popularity in the early 20th century with the rise of modernist literature. But writing styles and reader tastes have continued to evolve since then.

In our current fast-paced world, where people are often reading on devices and in shorter bursts, there's sometimes a preference for more direct, efficient storytelling. This doesn't mean that showing is out of style, but it does mean that there's often room for more telling than strict adherence to "show, don't tell" would allow.

Moreover, diverse voices in literature are challenging traditional Western writing norms, including the emphasis on showing over telling. Some cultures have strong storytelling traditions that lean more heavily on telling, and as the literary world becomes more inclusive, we're seeing a beautiful variety of styles that blend showing and telling in new and exciting ways.

This brings me to an important point: your voice matters. Your unique way of telling stories is valuable. Don't let rigid adherence to any writing rule, including "show, don't tell," stifle your natural voice or the story you want to tell.

Remember, rules in writing are more like guidelines. They're tools to help us improve our craft, not unbreakable laws. The most important rule is to engage your reader and tell your story effectively. If that means more telling than the conventional wisdom suggests, then so be it.

As I wrap up this discussion, I want to leave you with a challenge: In your next writing session, consciously use both showing and telling. Pay attention to how each technique feels, how it serves your story, and how it affects the rhythm of your writing. You might discover new ways to blend these techniques that work perfectly for your unique style.

Writing is an art, not a science. There's no perfect formula, no one-size-fits-all approach. It's about finding what works for you, your story, and your readers. So embrace both showing and telling. Use them as the powerful tools they are, and don't be afraid to break the "rules" when your instincts tell you to.

Remember, every great writer started where you are now, learning the rules and then figuring out when and how to break them effectively. You're part of a long, proud tradition of storytellers, each finding their own path through the winding forest of words.

Keep writing, keep growing, and keep believing in yourself. You've got this!

Happy writing! 💖✍️ - Rin T.

Before you go, why not join us at The Write Right Society? We're a supportive Tumblr community where writers lift each other up. Whether you're a newbie or a pro, we'd love to have you! Share your work, get feedback, and connect with fellow wordsmiths, writers and aspiring authors. 

[alienara-simblr]

🏜️ 200 Followers Gift : The StrangerTown neighborhood ! 🛸

🛰️ So many of you loved the photos of this neighborhood that I decided to share it with you. I called it the Aurora Military Base (in reference of the incident in 1897 that took place in Aurora, Texas)

This map is decorated but emptied of lots, in fact many of the houses used are not my own creations and the amount of custom content required to display my redecoration of them is far too large. However, I'll give you the links to the base lots that I used 🏠

CUSTOM CONTENT REQUIRED TNW Crop Circles recolored by me Seasonal Fields by @greatcheesecakepersona Lot View Farm Fields by @pixeldolly Giants FS13 smuggled sawmill by @criquette-was-here Smugled Decos part 1 by @criquette-was-here (scrapped harvester + recycling container clothes + clotheslines) Smugled Decos part 2 by @criquette-was-here (Hangar 1 + Gran Mill) Bus Transit Set Extended by @criquette-was-here Busy Road Set @criquette-was-here especially garland vehicles (2 fuel tankers + milk/water tanker + dustcart) Rural Lanes Set by @criquette-was-here Simpecker by @criquette-was-here Telegraph Poles by @criquette-was-here Individual Garages by @criquette-was-here (part of Feverfew download files) Brittany garage workshop by @criquette-was-here Zagoskin Parish Church by @criquette-was-here and @lowedeus Shukov Radio Tower by @lowedeus Old Cemetary Deco set by @lowedeus The Breath of Soviet Russia by @lowedeus (kharkiv hotels litup + zoo) Sky Effect neighborhood deco (stars) by @lowedeus Strangerville skyline by @tony-veis Whispies skyline by @dramallamadingdang Fixed Castaway Stories Neighborhood Deco by @dramallamadingdang The Blue Water Tower by @funphumph Smallest Maxis Watertank by Psychosims Warehouse 1 and 2 by @ethanmcgregor 4t2 Hood Decos by @nuttydazesublime (water towers + control center + communication center) Alien Crash site UFO by @madraynesims Butterfly Pavillon by @zeussims shared by @yandereplumsim Scrub Oaks recolored by @shastakiss Old West Farm hood Deco by @leoz94 Ts4 Palm Trees by @leoz94 TS4 Stones by @leoz94 sheep flocks by @curiousb

Just for info : if for some reason, you don't wish to install some items, it won't make the neighborhood bug. The missing item just won't appear in your neighborhood.

💾 DOWNLOADS

🏜️ MAINHOOD Aurora Military Base : SFS - Mediafire 🌄 SUBHOOD Aurora Military Base : SFS - Mediafire

To install the MAIN HOOD, you have to put the neighborhood folder in your TS2 document folder : …/My Documents/(Your Sims 2 folder)/Neighborhoods/ To Install the SUB HOOD, you have to put the neighborhood folder in your TS2 “Open for Business” installation folder : (Your TS2 Installation repertory)…/EP3/TSData/Res/Neighborhood Templates/

An exemple of what you could do with this empty neighborhood

BASE LOTS

🏘️ These are the lots I used, or get ideas from, in my own game and that you can see in my neighborhood screenshots. They are a good way to start... when you don't want to build an entire neighborhood from scratch.

REMADE PREMADES by @plumbtales 🌵 101 Road to Nowhere 🪖 51 Road to Nowhere 🌵 73 Road to Nowhere 🌵 Woodland Trailers

BESPOKE HOUSE SET by @honeywell-mts 🏚️ Broke Bespoke 🏡 Dutch Colonial 🏠Grey Ellis 🏠 Maple Ranch 🏡 Midnight Blue Charm 🏡 Peace Yellow Mtnside

INSPIRED by @jodeliejodelie's REMADE PREMADES 🔬 1 Tesla Court 📡 2 Cover-Up Road 🪦 13 Dead End Lane 🪖 51 Road to Nowhere 🪖 57 Road to Nowhere 🌴 30 Lakeside Drive 🌴 50 Middle Lane 🌴 70 Middle Lane 🌴 150 Main Street 🌴 170 Main Street 🌴 190 Main Street 🌵 267 Avon Avenue 🌻 Lot bin : Family House

[healpimp]

#FixTF2 Masterpost: Important Information Regarding the Movement

As promised, here is a comprehensive post about the #FixTF2 movement, the issues it tries to bring up and where to find more information and follow developments.

It is now day 7 of the protest with no response form Valve. Either this is them trying to wait for this to blow over or waiting for the signatures of the petition to be printed out and brought to their office, or they are still preparing a proper response to the movement. Regardless, this protest is still ongoing.

❓What's going on with TF2?❓

I'm sure everyone and their grandma knows by now, but TF2's most popular game mode, Casual, has been plagued by bots for several years by now. This is in fact not the first attempted protest and you may have heard of the one conducted two years ago named #SaveTF2. The movement wrested a response from Valve, which since the first protest has earned infamy and a status as a blatant lie among the game's players.

However, this task has seemingly been abandoned entirely. The last time in recent memory with no bots was when the game upgraded from 32-bit to 64-bit, which seemed to break the bots for a while. This was something the bothosters remedied a few days later, and no steps to remove them from the game has been made ever since.

It is worth mentioning that TF2 has had updates to battle the bot issue many times after #SaveTF2. They did indeed move to make TF2 a bot-free game for a while.

❓Why is this even bad?❓

Now, this might seem like a non-problem; TF2 is a video game and no more than that. People could simply move on and play similar games, like Overwatch, Paladins, Splatoon, etc. This would certainly be an easy solution but this has roots much deeper than simply playing a game.

For one, this game has been around for about 17 years by now. Ancient by FPS standards, but that the game is still played and talked about to this day stands as a testament to the love and passion the playerbase and general fandom has for it. The playerbase is loyal, the potential for content is seemingly endless and many are willing to pay money for the game. And therein lies some issues.

TF2 has millions of dollars invested in it by the playerbase. Loot boxes, MvM tickets and any sale made in the community market all gives Valve a steady and reliable revenue stream. This is significant, because you will have to make the assumption that this money will come back to sustain the game from imploding in on itself and remain functional. In the case with MvM, the PvE mode (that has not been updated in QUITE a while), the chances of receiving valuable loot from the missions is actually so small that there is no way to feasibly make any of your money back.

Additionally, any content updates added to the game every event (Summer Update, Scream Fortress and Smissmass) is community made. This means Valve picks and chooses cosmetics, emotes, unusual effects, warpaints and maps made by fans in the workshop.

While the creators of these items are compensated for their work, Valve naturally profits from these content updates.

In shorter terms: Valve profits off a game that has been in a near-unplayable state for more than 5 years by doing next to nothing.

And that isn't even the end of it. This is just the general negligence of Valve. It gets a lot uglier when delving into the punishable crimes conducted by the bothosters.

This video by TheWhat Show talks about this in depth, focusing on a particularly important case that involves MegaScatterBomb, who was harassed, doxxed, impersonated and swatted for trying to develop a working anti-cheat for casual.

This video is also in a document form for those who would rather read.

A more recent development with the bots has been their blatant advertising and promotion of CSAM, which you may better know as CP.

After #FixTF2 started, bots have been found spamming links in text chat that they claim is CSAM, while micspamming disturbing audio into the voice chat that is either edited to sound like or is legitimately CSAM. Valve has yet to respond to these reports, but good amount of players on Twitter/X have already started notifying FBI about this situation.

Another thing worth noting is that the bothosters have actively attempted to take down the petition website by DDoSing it and by filing a fake DMCA claim, both which are punishable crimes.

So to summarize:

It is wholly unsafe to play the game due to the bothosters and their willingness to commit crimes in the name of ruining the game experience.

Valve is profiting from keeping this broken product running, yet refuses to put any meaningful effort into fixing the bot problem.

The community actively contributes to the game by designing cosmetics and maps, and while they are compensated for their work, Valve are the ones who profit the most from their contributions.

Real people have been and are being harmed by the bot problem, and as far as we are aware, no one has been held accountable.

This is wholly unacceptable, both from a professional and unprofessional standpoint. If Valve fancies themselves a corporation worth using money on, their choice to simply ignore the problem speaks volumes of their priorities.

As Valve is releasing their new game Deadlock, there are serious concerns about the security of this game. TF2 is far from the only game that has bot/cheater problems. CS2 has had a similar problem for a long while as well and there is a clip of a Chinese bot farm that has been going around and which has even breached into the #FixTF2 movement.

❓What should we do?❓

Sign the petition while it is still up. At the time of this post, the petition has reached 270k+ signatures. The website has more general information as well.

Add to the #FixTF2 tag on mainly Twitter/X. Tag your posts with it, retweet and like posts in the tag and put the focus on the bots and ONLY the bots. One of the issues of the last movement, #SaveTF2, was that it wasn't focused enough on any particular problem and Valve could get away with making no promises. So, post clips, fanart and rants to your heart's content, so long it is specifically about the bots.

Watch youtube videos with #FixTF2 as the subject. Here are some good places to start:

4. Boycott any transactions in TF2. While Weezy was against this method in his video above, he has since changed his opinion. It has been established that Valve is very unlikely to shut down TF2, since the TF2 community market has millions of dollars invested in it and shutting down TF2 would render all items useless, thereby fully taking away any and all investments any players have put into the game. This would not just be devastating to the general economy of Valve's marketplaces, but a huge blow to their reputation if they want to remain reliable in the eyes of consumers.

5. Don't interact directly with bothosters. This includes harassment and any attempts at doxxing/swatting. These individuals are bigoted and some are even criminals. They have no remorse for their actions and talking to them would be a fruitless endeavor. Refrain from mentioning their names/aliases, as they are fond of attention and are getting just about enough of it since #FixTF2 started.

6. Don't give up.

❓Where can I keep up with any news?❓

Here are accounts to start with if you want to follow any important proceedings regarding #FixTF2:

Weezy (One of the biggest voices for #FixTF2 and spearhead of the protest):

Weezy's Youtube Channel

Weezy's Twitter

TheWhat Show (Similar to Weezy, outspoken supporter and spearhead):

TheWhat's Youtube Channel

TheWhat's Twitter

Shork (Outspoken supporter and generally active in the fandom)

Shork's Twitter

MegaScatterBomb (Creator of the TF2 cheater database and attempting to make a working anti-cheat for casual)

Mega's Youtube

If you discover new information, inconsistencies, broken/repeated/wrong links, etc., please speak up! Use the comments section, reblog with a comment or DM me!

[hashiruchan]

Headcanon: What subjects would Primarchs teach in high school?

(Based on subjects I had in high school or am familiar with)

This is my first Warhammer 40k headcanon, I hope you like it :'3 It comes with some quick sketches

✦•┈๑⋅⋯ ⋯⋅๑┈•✦

Roboute Guilliman – Economics/Business Administration He is usually strict because it is his duty but he helps his students from time to time, everyone loves him

Vulkan – Civics and Ethics His class focuses on kindness, responsibility, and community service. Everyone gets an A, but he expects you to do your best.

Konrad Curze – Student Supervisor (Hall Supervisor/Dean of Students) No one dares break the rules when he is around. His office is dimly lit and no one knows how he always catches the students before they even think about misbehaving. What could you expect from the Night Haunter?

Corvus Corax – Physics He would make any class interesting, he is sad to fail students and he loves them like they are his children

Lorgar – Religious Studies Somehow, every lesson becomes a sermon and 20 ways to pray to the Emperor

Mortarion – Chemistry The lab always smells funny. An expert in handling toxic gases, the students suspect he is immune to all dangerous substances. Strict

Leman Russ – Physical Education "You're not tired! You're just weak! Keep running!" Gym class is less about fitness and more about survival.

Fulgrim – Philosophy Every discussion ends with an impassioned monologue and the students leave questioning their entire existence thinking what perfection really is. Typical handsome but ruthless teacher

Perturabo – Workshop The assignments are almost impossible. If your project isn't reinforced with adamantium and designed to withstand artillery fire, it's not good enough.

Jaghatai Khan – Biology He loves explaining evolution and animal physiology, he likes to talk about horses a lot, he would be a very funny teacher.

Rogal Dorn – Law/Government Studies He follows everything to the letter, very calculating and always remembers everything he and his students say in every class. Every assignment must be structured like a legal document.

Ferrus Manus – Engineering Very practical. "If you can't build it with your own hands, you don't deserve to use it." Students who present blueprints without actual prototypes are judged harshly.

Angron – Math No one understands why he is so angry when explaining basic algebra, He throws chalk at students who can't solve equations fast enough, don't blame him deep down he is good.

Magnus the Red – Psychology He knows what you are thinking before you say it. "I understand your trauma better than you do" he says. There are very intense debates in class and to calm them down the students leave with mild headaches.

Horus – Language and Literature (English/Literature) Charismatic, good, helps his students and motivates them to be better every day, everyone's favorite without a doubt.

Alpharius – Substitute teacher for any subject "Wait, weren't you teaching biology yesterday?" No one knows how many of them actually exist, I'm actually Alpharius

Lion El'Jonson – History Classes about wars always have a suspicious lack of details about his own past. "We don't talk about certain events. Let's move on…" he doesn't stop talking.

Sanguinius – Fine Arts Every class feels like a divine experience. Students often leave inspired… or in tears. No one wants to disappoint him, he always strives to make his classes relaxing, stimulating and creative for them, he would spend all night cutting out paper flowers to hand out the next day.

[reasonsforhope]

"The first and only fungus on a global conservation outfit’s ’25 Most Wanted List’ has been found in the rain-soaked mountains of Chile, almost 40 years after it was first documented.

The big puma fungus is actually quite small, and despite being on the ’25 Most Wanted List’ it’s also rather unremarkable, being slightly greyish brown, and no bigger than a shitake.

GNN is always abreast of updates to the brilliant conservation initiative Search for Lost Species which has rediscovered several wondrous species of plants and animals through collaborative scientific expeditions to look for forms of life not seen in over ten years.

The big puma fungus (Austroomphaliaster nahuelbutensis), an enigmatic species of fungi that lives underground in Chile’s Nahuelbuta Mountains had only ever been found in the wild once.

An expedition team from the Fungi Foundation in Chile set out for the temperate forests of the Nahuelbutas in May 2023 to retrace the footsteps of Chilean mycologist Norberto Garrido, who discovered the big puma fungus and described it to Western science in 1988.

They timed the expedition to coincide with the exact dates in May that Garrido had hiked the mountains more than 40 years earlier.

“It’s possible that the reproductive parts of the big puma fungus—the mushroom—are only fleetingly visible above the soil on the same few days each year, which made the timing of the expedition a crucial factor,” said Claudia Bustamante, a mycologist, and member of the expedition team.

The expedition was captured in a documentary called In Search of a Lost Fungus, in which viewers can see how a last-minute day hike organized near a local Nahuelbutas community led to the big puma fungus’ eventual discovery.

On the last day of the expedition, the Fungi Foundation led a workshop and a community hike to look for fungi in a nearby forest. During that hike, two of the local participants found a group of about four mushrooms that all matched the description of the big puma fungus.

The expedition team carefully collected the mushrooms, leaving the mycelium in the ground, and took the mushrooms to the Fungi Foundation’s fungarium (FFCL). Although the mushrooms matched the physical and microscopical description of the big puma fungus, it was a DNA analysis that eventually confirmed the team had found the correct species.

“We knew it was going to be hard to find the big puma fungus and that the chances of finding the mushrooms were low, considering their colors and how they blend with the fallen leaves,” said Daniela Torres, programs lead at the Fungi Foundation and leader of the expedition.

“It was truly a unique moment when we managed to be in the right place at the right time to see the mushrooms. Understanding the biodiversity that exists and interacts within a specific area helps us comprehend its behavior and its potential to adapt to ongoing changes and underlying threats.”

Since 2017, the Search for Lost Species has rediscovered 13 of the world’s most wanted lost species. In addition to the big puma fungus, Re:wild, working with partners across the world, has confirmed the rediscovery of Jackson’s climbing salamander in Guatemala, both Wallace’s giant bee and the velvet pitcher plant in Indonesia, the silver-backed chevrotain in Vietnam, the Somali sengi in Djibouti, the Voeltzkow’s chameleon in Madagascar, Fernandina giant tortoise in the Galápagos, Sierra Leone crab in Sierra Leone, the Pernambuco holly tree in Brazil, Attenborough’s echidna in Indonesia, De Winton’s golden mole in South Africa and Fagilde’s trapdoor spider in Portugal."

-via Good News Network, September 13, 2024

[panstarry]

🇵🇸 CALL FOR ART!

Baltimore Artists Against Apartheid is looking for entries to create a community art book that documents and extends the vision of the We Will Be What We Want to Be exhibition. Create art that responds to the pieces in this project in support of the people of Palestine and submit it to bit.ly/communityartbook for curation by September 22, 2024! Submissions will be curated for a hand-stitching workshop on Sunday, October 6th at NoMüNoMü art gallery.

You do not have to be based in Baltimore to enter — any works inspired by or related to the above visual art and poetry are welcome. Submission details are located on the last slide.

[breelandwalker]

Witchy Workshops

If any witchcraft-oriented businesses or community groups in the Richmond / Norfolk VA (USA) area happen to be interested in holding nondenominational skill-building workshops this summer, I’d love to hear from you!

My name is Bree and I’m a podcaster, published author, and cottage witch with two decades of experience in practical witchcraft. My workshops focus on a grounded approach to magic, with an emphasis on ongoing education, creative and critical thinking, and making good use of one’s available resources.

Here are some examples of the topics I cover:

Exploring personal beliefs about magic and progress with the craft through journaling exercises and periodic review

Connecting with your local biome through identification and creation of correspondences for wild plants

How to write your own spells, including tips for casting and documentation of your work

Creating personalized methodology within one’s craft for warding, cleansing, divination, etc.

Rediscovering your motivational spark for the craft after a creative slump or a break in your practice

Workshops are largely presentation-based with time built in for discussion and Q&A. Sessions generally run 45-60min and include take-home worksheets and informational packets (where applicable). Attendees are encouraged to bring note-taking materials. Rates are negotiable, weekend timeslots preferred. Additional accommodations can be made for online sessions if need be.

For more information or to schedule a workshop, please contact me at BreeNicGarran@gmail.com. I look forward to hearing from you!

Stay safe and Happy Witching!

Photo Credit – Shaiith

[garadinervi]

Fishmerchant's Daughter. Yuri Kochiyama: An Oral History, Vol. 1, Edited by Arthur Tobier, Book design by Miriam Berman, Community Documentation Workshop, New York, NY, 1981

↗ Yuri Kochiyama Solidarity Project (YKSP)

[wing-ed-thing]

Honey Cakes (Shino x Reader) Chapter VI

Synopsis: You were stupid. You made a stupid choice; it left you with the first real heartache of your life, and you could safely admit that you deserved it. But then the war came. And as quickly as it came, it was over. So what about you and Shino? Sequel to Honey Stand.

Chapter I Chapter II Chapter III Chapter IV Chapter V Chapter VI

Word Count: 3.9k

Warnings/Tags: No Reader Pronouns, Post War, Slow Burn, Slight Canon Divergence, Aged Up Characters, Angst, Language

Notes: uh... meow?

When you got home, the first thing you did was take a long, hot shower. Only when you changed into a fresh set of loungewear—reinvigorated by the clean clothes and the steam wafting out of your bathroom—did you turn your sights to unpacking your mission pack. 

It sat on a tattered mat by your door. The dye on the thick, hardy fabric had faded early in your career, and the dense threads were caked with dirt and other stains that would never come out. Sweat had probably penetrated every stitch. You hauled it by the top strap into your workshop, and from there, you began unpacking. 

The dirty clothes were tossed into your laundry basket. Your unused kunai and shuriken were placed in a pile on your workbench to be repacked into your smaller bag for patrols. You’d inspect them later. 

With you and Shino home again, you knew it would take no time for the both of you to be incorporated back into the schedule for patrols, guard duty, and other routine responsibilities for experienced shinobi. The leftover equipment and tools used for your installation went back into their proper places in your organization system (or at least what you called “organized”). 

Tap. Tap. Tap.

You perked up at the sound, instinctively turning in the direction of the window between your lounge area and your kitchen. You padded out of your workshop, and before you sat a messenger hawk on its outside perch. It pecked again, although gently, at the glass. The surface was still scratched and weathered. A neat little card sat in its beak.

You unlatched the window, sliding it open to take your message from the bird. You took the card from the messenger hawk, which let out a delighted shriek, flaring its wings. It motioned with its head, and upon further inspection, it appeared that the hawk carried several messages. All of them were crammed into the message canister so tightly that you thought you would have to take the whole harness off, but with a bit of effort, you managed to retrieve your cylinder of communications. You sent the bird off with a small treat before closing the window again. 

You read the first of the bird’s communications. You started with a lilac-colored note as you rinsed your hand off in the sink. The square-shaped envelope carried a letter written on quality, heavy-duty paper. You studied your name written at the top in neat penmanship. 

“We would like to formally extend an invitation to our wedding rehearsal…” the first line read. You skimmed the rest, quickly absorbing the time and location details before flipping the card over in acute confusion. 

You didn’t think people usually sent out invitations to wedding rehearsals, but you had, after all, been unreachable as of late. You had also never planned a wedding before, so you decided that perhaps you weren’t one to judge a couple’s abundance of communication with their wedding guests. 

You flipped past a few bills and other documents you deemed ignorable for the time being. You were late on a few annual trainings and had to renew some certification or another. Deadlines for various menial tasks were approaching somewhere off in the near-distant future, although it wasn’t something you were remotely worried about. 

The documents were so crammed together that they were hard to separate. But amongst the curled notices, you instantly recognized a formal insignia. Your fingers fumbled, quickly separating it from the rest, only to find that there were two official messages. Your name was printed sternly at the top of both, and together they read,

“I am pleased to offer you the position of Senior Commanding Jōnin at…”

— “Fort Azuma, the eastern base affiliated with Konohagakure…”

— “Fort Nantou, the southeastern base affiliated with Konohagakure…”

That was… horribly fast. However, you weren’t too surprised that the satellite bases were hurting to acquire some experienced leadership. So much had changed after the war, including the mass of shinobi who decided to retire and those lost on the field. 

It was a good thing. It was what you wanted. And yet, you couldn’t help the beat of hesitancy that wracked your body. 

You stood, holding both offers in your hands. You traced the letters with your eyes; their shape served as an oddly harsh and surreal reminder of reality. You had taken the steps to transfer out of the central village. You dreamed about the opportunity to escape your routine, to become someone new somewhere else. And yet… perhaps you didn’t consider you’d get this far.

A single, curled note floated to the floor from somewhere behind your offer notices. It was printed on intricately official paper directly from the Hokage’s office. Only one word was printed on it.

“Drinks?” It read. 

You let out a heavy sigh.

“Fuck yes,” you breathed.

***

 Shikamaru had a usual place that he liked to escape to both after and during hours when it came to lulls on busy afternoons. It allowed for smoking and wasn’t too far from the Hokage building. You arrived shortly after receiving his note, knowing that it was more likely than not that he was still there. If Shikamaru wasn’t at work, he was at home with Temari; if he wasn’t at home with Temari, he was here. 

The sun still shone light in the sky, but its orientation was slowly sinking as if trying to slink off behind the horizon without anyone noticing. It wasn’t too dissimilar to the way Shikamaru had slinked off to his corner bar seat. 

The bar sat half inside and half outside, with the outside part coiling around an unfortunately placed pillar near one of the outer walls of the building. But the awkward orientation made for a quiet, out-of-sight nook for Shikamaru, his drink, and his ashtray.

“You’re hiding,” you frowned, sliding onto the seat next to him. You plucked a little rectangular menu out from under Shikamaru’s ashtray.  

His back pressed against the wall behind him as he sat sideways on his chair, lounging laxly with a cigarette between his fingers. He took a drag on it with a shrug.

“You found me anyway,” he hummed. You didn’t humor his sarcastic reply; you already engaged with the bartender who took your drink order. Shikamaru couldn’t be bothered to pay attention to what you asked for. He slumped a little farther down against the wall, letting his knees spread on his seat. His free hand rested on the back of his chair. 

You turned to Shikamaru, “Food and drinks are on you, right?”

Shikamaru exhaled a puff of smoke, brow cocked. 

“Who said anything about food?” he huffed, but you were already handing your little menu off, and the bartender went on his way. After eating nothing but boring base food and field snacks, you were itching for something with a little flavor. A little something that would surely clog your arteries didn’t sound too bad, either. 

Shikamaru sighed, extinguishing the butt of his cigarette in his ashtray. He was planning on charging the tab to Old Man Kakashi anyway…

“How was the install?” he asked. You didn’t notice the delayed drag of his words as Shikamaru tried a little too hard to remain casual. His eyes flickered toward you, then down as he brought his drink to his lips. 

You didn’t say a word. Instead, you pulled the offer letters out of your pocket and gently threw them on the table. They fell perfectly, the pages sailing to a spot on the counter between you, where they sat overlayed with each other. 

Shikamaru nearly choked, taking little more than a second to recover as he stared at you with wide eyes.

“Oh shit,” he coughed, “You really went through with it.”

In his state of shock, neither you nor Shikamaru knew if his words were a question or a flabbergasted statement. The bottom of his glass was quickly placed back on the countertop. It hit the surface with a tiny splatter, his cup sweating far too much condensation from the time he’d been sitting there and nursing it. 

Shikamaru tugged the top letter down just enough to see the contents of the paper underneath, even though he already knew what it said. 

“I mean…” he trailed. Fuck, he needed another cigarette for this. Shikamaru dug around in his pockets. “Congrats.” 

He took his pack from his pocket, summoning a cigarette upward with a sharp flick of his wrist. Immediately, he took it into his mouth, lighting the end with an acute sigh of relief. 

Shikamaru had an inkling this would happen. You mentioned a transfer in passing a few times, and no matter how often he made grunts to the contrary, you seemed to always have it in your mind that condemning yourself to a satellite base would make you feel accomplished. 

Kiba also did a stint at the southern base when he was having a quarter-life crisis. He called it a tour of the boonies before he came back to the village with his tail between his legs to finally buck up and settle down with Tamaki. 

You frowned, quickly shuffling the offer letters away. 

“I wasn’t expecting a big reaction out of you, but jeez,” you huffed. You waved your hand in the air to try to dissipate the smoke that seemed to pour from Shikamaru. 

“What?” he said with crinkled brows. “I said congrats.”

“Uh-huh,” you hummed. Try to be less excited. Please, Shikamaru, this is embarrassing.” Your drink was delivered sometime between mockeries, and you wasted no time bringing it to your lips. The appetizer you ordered followed closely behind. 

Shikamaru rolled his eyes.

“No one’s gonna jizz their pants because you got a position you’re overqualified for.”

“Thanks for that.”

While the satellite bases were nothing to look down upon, they hardly got much action after the war. Armed with skilled shinobi as they already were, having you there would be like fortifying an anthill with a bazooka. 

The generation most responsible for the Leaf’s successes during the war was the most accomplished class in a long while, with each and every one of you being a powerhouse in your own right.

Shikamaru shook his head, putting the butt of his cigarette out with a bit more force than necessary. It wasn’t an angry action but one of laziness as he let his wrist almost drop down amongst the ashes.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

“You don’t gotta prove shit,” he muttered, but not lowly enough for you to be able to ignore him. You frowned, crossing your legs as you continued to nurse your drink. He reached for a bite of your food with a shadow he didn’t think you’d notice, slowly inching the basket closer. 

“You don’t get restless?” You glanced at him out of the corner of your eye. Shikamaru shrugged.

“Only the ambitious get restless,” he sighed, pressing his cheek into the palm of his hand. “I’m gonna live here, die here, and that’s plenty for me.” 

“You’re in a mood today.”

“You’re starting to sound like my wife,” Shikamaru mused with a grumble before letting silence wash over the two of you. Idle chatter from around you melded together into white noise along with the low music that played from somewhere. He took a shallow breath in.

”Stop that.” 

“Stop what?” 

“Breathing like that.” You swiveled slightly on your seat to face him. Your eyes narrowed. “I know what you’re thinking. Don’t even ask.” 

Shikamaru’s eyebrows bounced as he dug a bit deeper into the food. The basket appeared to have grown just slightly closer to him. You didn’t like the self-assured dip of his lip. 

“So it’s about him after all,” Shikamaru sighed, reaching for another bite. You pulled the basket away before he could, much to Shikamaru’s visible dismay.

“Don’t even go there,” you warned, glaring. “It’s not.”

“But it’s at least a part of it.” He appeared otherwise unbothered. “Can’t you two just kiss and make up already? This has been going on long enough—”

—“I’m not the one who brought it up—”

“Talk about emotionally constipated…” 

“I’m not talking about this because there’s nothing to talk about. It’s not about him, okay? It would be stupid if it was.” You slapped his hand away from the last bite of your food, meeting his gaze as you shoved the last of it into your mouth. Shikamaru’s posture visibly deflated. 

“Now that’s just uncalled for.”

“Get your own.” You swiveled back around to face the counter, still guarding the now-empty snack basket. You slumped back against the back of your seat, arms crossed. “Besides… We talked about it plenty. Probably too much. It’s just…” Shikamaru’s intent stare made it easy for him to catch your eye. It made it even easier to see through the slight smile you tried to offer him. “… time to move on, isn’t it?”

Shikamaru tore his gaze away from yours, already digging for another cigarette. 

“It seems like you’ve already got your mind made up…”

***

“Is everything… okay?” Kakashi’s eyes narrowed. He clasped his hands together, leaning the tip of his chin on his folded fingers. 

A vein in Shino’s forehead twitched in confusion.

“Yes…?” He spoke slowly, thrown off by the intense stare that bore into him. Kakashi sat unmoving despite Shino’s answer. He gazed straight ahead, almost as if he were expecting more. “Why?”

“I thought I’d have better luck getting an answer out of you than—” Kakashi motioned to the empty space next to Shino where you had just been standing. You dashed out of his office after delivering your report quickly. It would be a few more hours until you met Shikamaru for drinks. —“That one. Nearly ripped my doors off the hinges coming in and out of here.”

“I can’t say I have anything else to report,” Shino said, the corner of his lips pulling slightly downward. He buried his hands in his pockets. “If you don’t need any other information about the installation, I’ll be going—”

Kakashi waved his hand in the air with a sigh.

“I’ve heard all I need to about that,” he said with another huff. “I wanted to know what was going on with that weird chakra between you two.” Kakashi raised a lazy finger, gesturing between Shino and the empty space again. 

Shino’s frown only deepened. 

“You can’t possibly be this bored.”

“It’s not like you to be getting into fistfights.” Kakashi shrugged, sitting back in his chair with his arms coiled over his chest. His words weren't scolding as much as they almost sounded mocking. He was getting at something; if Shino was good at anything, it was picking up on subtleties. 

“Fair enough, you’ve made your point,” Shino was quick to speak, his words spitting out with more force than he intended. 

It caused Kakashi a slight pause, not so much taken aback as silently self-satisfied in an unspoken hunch. Perhaps he was bored after all. He sat up just a bit taller. Kakashi’s arms remained crossed over his chest, his elbows now resting on his desk as he leaned forward. 

He didn’t say anything else, simply staring at Shino with an unsettlingly unreadable expression under his mask. And then, without warning, he rose, slapping his fingers on the surface of his desk.

“A personal matter then… None of my business.”

“Am I dismissed then?” 

Kakashi hummed affirmatively, and Shino paid little mind as Kakashi slowly meandered around to the front of his desk. Rather, Shino turned quickly, eager to get home and shed his gear. 

“But if I could give you one piece of advice before you go…” Shino had just reached the door, his hand hovering over the handle as Kakashi spoke. He cringed, eyes pinching closed just slightly as his head ticked to the side. 

He ironed his expression back out before he turned around, eyeing Kakashi with a little less restraint for his annoyance. Although, his demeanor wasn’t too far from his regular appearance. 

Kakashi leaned his hip against the front of his desk, a few papers in his hand. He didn’t look at Shino when he spoke, shuffling through the same three pages.

“If you’re going to make a decision, I would do it sooner rather than later,” he said. Shino didn’t have time to respond. Kakashi lowered the pages, finally making lazy eye contact. “I’ve been getting quite a few base transfer requests lately. I suppose a change of scenery is in high demand right now.” 

Shino eyed him warily from behind his darkened shades. 

“I suppose it is.”

***

Kiba was apparently looking for him. He had been banging at Shino’s door a few times a day, much to the dismay of Shino’s neighbors and the rest of the Aburames at the family compound. But if Kiba was anything more than a nuisance, he was thorough. Several different people reported Kiba’s ruckus to Shino but also carried a message: Kiba wanted to meet and soon.

Even so, Shino took his sweet time meeting his fellow squad member. The whole change of scenery thing stuck with Shino more than he would’ve liked, but he thought that with all the bustle about the wedding, there would be plenty to distract himself with. Konohamaru had apparently been working on some grand video in Shino’s absence, and everyone in their class was brainstorming creative ideas and gifts to bring to the celebration. At least, that’s what his beetles were reporting back to him.

“Ew! A bug!”

“Catch it! Catch it!”

Shino’s head snapped to the side just in time to catch a small group of children rapidly closing in on one of his beetles. Shino lunged forward with a yell, with a bit more urgency than was necessary if he were actually thinking, startling the group as the beetle swiftly escaped to its host. But with his bug safe and his 194cm form now hovering menacingly over a group of small children, Shino considered damage control.

“That bug’s my… friend.” He cringed as the words spilled off his lips. The sheepish crinkle of his brows was well hidden behind his hood and dark shades. To Shino, the statement made sense. Still, he was aware enough to understand how his words could potentially come off as absolutely insane. 

“You’re a bug summoner!” one of the kids exclaimed in recognition. Shino let out a subtle breath that he didn’t realize he had been holding. Great, he couldn’t even talk to Genin in a coherent way without help.

“Yeah,” Shino affirmed, and what little control he had over the interaction vanished as the group of kids swarmed him. And being the sucker he was (Mirai’s made him soft in recent years), Shino was commanding his beetles to do tricks before he knew it. He contorted them into different shapes, answering questions and entertaining chatter about the children’s various shinobi ambitions. 

“I’ve never seen a bug-user in person before!” Well, now you have.

“Do you have to summon them one at a time?” No.

“Are you popular at parties?” No.

“Do you want to become an insect summoner?” Shino asked a boy whose hands were just about saturated with beetles. The boy glinted up at him with wild eyes, hands poised up in the air like a surgeon ready for a procedure. 

“No way!” he exclaimed with certainty. A thick layer of bugs crawled over his palms and fingers. “I’m gonna become Hokage one day and surpass Naruto Uzumaki as a ninja.” 

“The Hokage, huh?” Shino hummed with seriousness. (He could ignore the implication that an insect summoner can’t be Hokage.) “Well, if you want to surpass Naruto, you’ll have to become Hokage, right?”

“You get it!” One of the other children chirped. 

Shino nodded, memories of Kiba and his bragging prevalent in his mind. It almost made Shino crack a smile. A group of two boys and one girl… They even looked a little like Team 8. 

“Yeah, I know someone else who wants to be Hokage. And if you ask me, you’ve got him beat already.”

The boy’s eyes glittered. 

“Really?”

Shino didn’t have it in him to stifle the way the corners of his mouth turned upward. 

“Really,” he said, “I can’t say I know anyone who says they want to become Hokage as an afterthought. You’ve got a serious dream, alright.”

“Was your dream to become an insect user?” The little girl asked. 

Shino faltered. His logical side wanted to say no, that the Aburame clan established their hives at very young ages as part of a long-held tradition. However, he was reluctant to say that what amounted to upholding his birthright wasn’t his dream. But no one had asked him outright what he wanted out of life before…

Once again, Shino didn’t get the opportunity to speak. 

“Oh,” one of the little boys asked, seeming to sense Shino’s hesitation, “Are you one of those shinobi that just want a wife and kids?”

The other little boy smacked the back of the boy’s head. 

“Not everyone wants a wife, stupid.” He turned to Shino. “He can have a husband,” he said with assertive certainty. He nodded profusely. “Or like, I dunno, something like my parents!”

“I really have to be going,” Shino cleared his throat. Judging by the sun’s position in the sky, he was already late for his meeting with Kiba, and his conversation with this genin group was beginning to sound like an Aburame family gathering.

So, when Shino and Kiba gathered to discuss wedding presents, Shino thought that the lightness of the topic could keep him well-distracted. 

He thought wrong.

“It’s our final mission as Team 8,” Kiba said, glancing over his shoulder at Shino with a wide grin. “Once Hinata gets married, we won’t get to work together the way we used to, right?” He was too lost in his grand proclamations to see the visible tension in Shino’s figure.

“Yeah…” Shino muttered. “That’s true.” 

Shino knew— yes, the thought had crossed his mind— that Hinata getting married would mean the end of Team 8. Hinata was hardly enthusiastic about mission work anyway. Despite all she did to do her part in stepping up during reconstruction, the donations of her time and efforts were more out of the goodness of her heart rather than a passion for late-night patrols. 

Her wedding would mark a perfect opportunity for her to retire. Shino knew Hinata had always wanted to be a mother, so retiring and having a baby or two would be a well-deserved dream realized. Shino was more than happy for her, but it was another thing he had never heard spoken out loud before. 

Kiba had even said it lightly. We won’t get to work together the way we used to, as opposed to Team 8 will never fight together again. (Unless Hinata grew restless for a bit of field action, Shino couldn’t recount the last time he witnessed Hinata restless.)

And so, despite Kiba’s abundance of excitement to set out on a quest, Shino quickly took the lead. They both set off quickly, searching for the perfect gift for Naruto and Hinata.

Thank you to all who liked, reblogged, followed, and supported. Your support means so much and is greatly appreciated.

Notes: Hi hi hi I'm sorry for the... 2 year delay 🥲 I finally figured out what I want to do with this story and I guess it took this long. No timeline at the moment, sorry!

Chapter I Chapter II Chapter III Chapter IV Chapter V Chapter VI

[krissiefox]

image source

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[blueiscoool]

“House of Life” Among New Discoveries at the Ramesseum Temple in Luxor

An Egyptian-French archaeological mission has made a series of highly significant discoveries at the Ramesseum temple (commissioned by Ramses II), located on the western bank of Luxor, Egypt. The discoveries, the result of cooperation between the Conservation and Documentation Sector of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, the French National Center for Research, and the Sorbonne University, have brought to light new elements that allow for a deeper understanding of the history and function of this iconic temple.

Among the main findings are a series of tombs from the Third Intermediate Period, storerooms for olive oil, honey, and fats, as well as wine cellars. Additionally, textile and stone workshops have been identified, along with kitchens and bakeries. These elements point to a much more complex economic and administrative activity than previously documented.

One of the most remarkable discoveries has been that of the so-called House of Life, an educational institution attached to the temple. This find is exceptional not only for providing the architectural layout of this teaching center, but also for yielding a collection of archaeological objects related to educational activity, such as remains of drawings and school games. This is the first physical evidence of the existence of a school within the Ramesseum, also known as the Temple of Millions of Years.

In the eastern sector of the temple, structures were found that, according to archaeologists, would have functioned as administrative offices. Meanwhile, studies carried out on the buildings and storerooms in the northern part indicate that olive oil, honey, and fats were stored there. A large number of wine jar labels were also found, confirming the use of the area as a wine cellar.

In the northeastern area of the temple, numerous tombs from the Third Intermediate Period were discovered. These contain funerary chambers, burial shafts with canopic jars, well-preserved funerary objects, nested sarcophagi, and a total of 401 ushabti figurines carved in ceramic. Human bones were also found scattered in the area.

The Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Sharif Fathi, praised the mission’s efforts to reveal new aspects of the religious and social role of the Ramesseum in ancient Egypt. For his part, the secretary general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, Mohamed Ismail, emphasized the importance of these discoveries, as they provide key information about the temple’s complex history, founded during the New Kingdom, under the reign of the Ramesside pharaohs.

Ismail explained that the temple not only served as a place of worship, where rituals in honor of the pharaoh were carried out even during his lifetime, but also fulfilled administrative and economic functions. The new evidence points to the existence of a complete hierarchy of civil officials who managed the redistribution of stored or manufactured goods, which benefited the local community, including the artisans of Deir el-Medina under the control of royal authority.

The studies also confirm that the site was already occupied before Ramses II built the temple, and that it was later reused as a large priestly necropolis after being looted. In later periods, during the Ptolemaic and Roman periods, it was used by stonecutters.

The head of the mission on the Egyptian side, Hisham El-Leithy, announced the re-exploration of the tomb of “Sehetep-ib-Re,” located in the northwestern sector of the temple. This tomb, originally discovered in 1896 by British archaeologist Quibell, dates from the Middle Kingdom and preserves funerary depictions of the owner on its walls.

The team has also completed the full restoration of the southern sector of the temple, from the hypostyle hall to the sanctuary, including the first courtyard. In this area, the pieces of the colossus of Tuya, mother of Ramses II, were reassembled and placed in their original location. Similarly, parts of the colossus of Ramses II himself were reconstructed and restored.

On the French side of the mission, archaeologist Christian Leblanc detailed that restoration work was also carried out on the royal palace adjacent to the temple’s first courtyard. Thanks to this work, the original layout of the building was recovered, which included a reception hall and a throne room. The king used this space to hold audiences during his stay at the temple.

In the area of the second monumental gate, part of the granite lintel was discovered, depicting a deified Ramses II before the god Amun-Ra, as well as remains of the decorative frieze that originally rested on a cornice with monkey figures.

The mission also cleared the northern and southern processional paths, where several findings from the Third Intermediate Period appeared. It was identified that this part of the temple was flanked by statues of Anubis reclining over small chapels. Many of these sculptures have been recovered and restored.

By Guillermo Carvajal.

[classycoffeecat]

If You Can’t Go to the Protest, Here's What You Do Instead

rethinking visibility, labor, and contribution in movement work

Not everyone can, or should, be in the streets. The assumption that physical presence at a protest is the only valid form of political participation flattens both access and impact. It erases the people sustaining movements from behind the scenes: caregivers, immunocompromised comrades, undocumented organizers, disabled activists, low-wage workers, trauma survivors, and those navigating complex material realities. Movements require more than just bodies in public space; they require infrastructure, strategy, and support.

Here are ten ways to contribute meaningfully when you can’t physically attend a demonstration:

1. Redistribute Wealth: Movements need money to function. Bail funds, mutual aid projects, and grassroots organizers often operate without institutional backing. Even small contributions help build capacity. Prioritize local and BIPOC-led initiatives.

2. Amplify Strategically: Digital platforms are both battlegrounds and broadcast systems. Share protest updates, livestreams, donation links, and safety information. Algorithms tend to suppress radical content; your engagement helps visibility. Center and amplify marginalized voices, especially those organizing on the ground.

3. Offer Practical Support: Protests are logistically complex. Offer rides, prep protest kits, provide meals, babysit, or create respite spaces for frontline activists. Material forms of care are often undervalued but essential to sustaining resistance.

4. Participate in Jail and Court Support: Those arrested need people waiting when they are released. Bring water, warm clothing, food, and emotional care. Court support is equally critical; showing up at arraignments demonstrates communal solidarity and discourages punitive overreach.

5. Coordinate Communications and Safety: Monitor police scanners, livestreams, and protester reports. Help disseminate accurate, real-time updates. Signal-boost urgent calls for help. Digital vigilance can reduce harm and increase coordination.

6. Engage in Direct Political Pressure: Organize phone zaps, email campaigns, and petitions targeting elected officials, agencies, or institutions involved in the harm being protested. Targeted pressure campaigns have measurable impact when executed collectively.

7. Host Educational Spaces: Facilitate teach-ins, reading groups, or workshops to build shared understanding of the issue at hand. Education creates informed solidarity. Frame your efforts as political education; not charity, not “awareness,” but power-building.

8. Create Cultural Interventions: Art is not a luxury; it’s strategy. Design flyers, zines, posters, or projection campaigns. Use visual media to mobilize, memorialize, and provoke. Culture work shifts narratives and creates shared language for resistance.

9. Write and Document: Narrative control is part of the struggle. Write public reflections, op-eds, social media threads, or personal essays that contextualize and support the protest’s demands. Archive movement histories as they unfold; documentation is defense.

10. Sustain the Long-Term Struggle: Protest is a flashpoint, not an endpoint. Long-term commitment involves joining organizations, redistributing resources, building community safety networks, and practicing political care in your daily life. Movements need consistency more than spectacle.

Protest is a collective ecosystem.

There is no single “right” way to contribute. If you are not able to show up in one way, show up in another. What matters is that we remain connected to each other, materially and politically; and that we resist the idea that visibility is the only form of value.

(Note: This is not mine- I do not have the source. Please let me know if you know the source, so I can give them credit) ✊️💗✨️

[yharnamesque]

Bloodborne Observation Notes

Back in 2018 I had a very stupid idea: what if I went through my favourite game, Bloodborne (2015) by Fromsoft, and noted down every single thing I could see? Well that’s what I started doing. Did the main game, took a several year break, came back and did the chalices. I mean it when I say this is my favourite game, it is so stupidly important to me, and I wouldn’t have done this if it wasn’t

So I present to you, broken down into territories, all of my notes looking into every single detail I could come across in every single area of the game. I made these to be shared, for everyone to see and to use how they want. The only thing I ask for in return is you share them about, and give credit plus a link back if they end up influencing your own work. This is my contribution, my gift, to the community, and I hope it serves you well

The links below will go straight to the folders themselves rather than all the individual documents, but they’ll still be listed out here for easy reference as to what is where

-

Progression + Foreword

Yharnam

Iosefka’s Clinic

Central Yharnam

Old Yharnam

The Hunter’s Dreams

The Hunter’s Dream

The Hunter’s Nightmare

The Cathedral Ward

The Tomb of Oedon / Oedon Chapel

The Cathedral Ward / The Grand Cathedral

The Upper Cathedral Ward

Healing Church Workshop

The Abandoned Workshop

The Altar of Despair

The Forbidden Woods

Forbidden Woods

Byrgenwerth

Cainhurst

Hemwick Forest

Hemwick Charnel Lane

Castle Cainhurst

The Unseen Village

Hypogean Gaol

Yahar’Gul

The Graveyard of the Darkbeast

The Nightmares of Yharnam

The Lecture Hall

The Nightmare Frontier

The Nightmare of Mensis / Mergo’s Loft

Pthumeru

Pthumeru

Central Pthumeru

Lower Pthumeru

Cursed and Defiled

Great Pthumeru Ihyll

Hintertomb

Hintertomb

Lower Hintertomb

Loran

Ailing Loran

Lower Loran

Isz

Great Isz

Cut Chalices

Great One Beast

Alternate Moon Presence

[mynametido]

My Complete High School Transcript

This was for a new reality I created a bit ago that was sort of going to be "revenge", as I put it, before I finally permashift to my desired reality. But now that I'm not feral anymore, I thought it'd be best to not let the reality go completely to waste. A homage if you will. Context: I used to be a gifted child with "so much potential". Therefore, in honor of this deep-seated desire for academic validation here were going to be my unofficial overqualified high school years in a nutshell.

As @hrrtshape said it best, "I'll permashift when it stops feeling like a betrayal," but, in retrospect, shifting here would have felt more like living long enough to see myself become the villain.

[Random Acting Stuff]

>>-----☆------->

Played Jazmine Dubois from Boondocks (2007 - 2016)

Season 4 of Stranger Things is released - (I play Eleven) (2022)

Last of Us Show - (I play Ellie) (2023)

Jurassic World: Dominion - (I play young Charlotte Lockwood) (2023)

Spiderman: Across the Spiderverse is released - (I play Gwen Stacy) (2024)

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is released - (I play Mae) (2024)

(2021) [ Summer Before]

01. Founder of non-profit volunteering organization: with 15,000+ hours of volunteer work before highschool graduation

02. Successful etsy business (I sell crochet/sewing patterns)

03. Started 3 Youtube channels

☆ Food

☆ Comprehensive Input for English Learners

☆ Book Club

| Year 1 (2021 - 2022)

01. Founder of multimedia club (club for people with multiple interests)

02. Co-host of school podcast

03. President of Book Club

04. Monthly Fundraising Livestreams: minimum of $120,000 a year collected in total

05. Gold medal at 2021 Winter Olympics (figure skating) + world record for highest score

06. Successful online vegan meal kit service (Started)

☆ Online cookbook & vegan news blog // political art (Year 1)

☆ Vegan snack box (so people can try new vegan snacks) (Year 1)

+ Vegan meal kit (like BlueApron, HomeChef, etc.) (Year 2)

☆ An barcode scanner app (“is this vegan” type deal) (Year 2)

☆ Getting Plants Subsidized (Year 3)

☆ Vegan grocery stores (Year 4)

☆ Vegan Vending machine (Year 4)

07. Started and am the head of Youtube channel for my highschool

| Year 2 (2022 - 2023)

01. CPR & First Aid Certification

02. Ham Radio License

03. FEMA (crisis management) Cert

04.Proficient in ASL

05. Screenwriting club

06. Editor of school paper

07. Won New York Marathon

08. Co-chair of the vegan extension of the “meals on wheels” organization (I organize everything; the dates, recipes, etc, and my partner makes them happen)

09. Founder of Community Cabinet (a local organization that handles stuff like)

☆ Organizing a local cleanup or sustainability campaign.

☆ Advocating for a cause (e.g., write op-eds, attend town halls).

☆ Starting a community garden or environmental initiative.

☆ Hosting workshops or awareness events (e.g., mental health, STEM for girls).

☆ Creating care packages for underserved communities.

☆ Helping seniors with tech or digital literacy.

☆ Translating documents or volunteering with immigrant services.

☆ Joining or starting a peer mediation/conflict resolution group.

☆ Participating in civic engagement (e.g., work with local government or campaigns).

☆ Launch a global initiative with chapters in multiple schools or countries.

☆ A multilingual journal publication highlighting global teen voices (I’ve written a couple for our organization)

☆ Informational adulting course (how to file taxes, how to apostille/notarize, how to reconcile a checking account, etc.)

(and more…)

| Year 3 (2023 - 2024)

01. Perfect SAT

02. Perfect Toefl (English), Topik (Korean), Dele (Spanish), Torfl (Russian), and Delf (French) scores

03. Ted x leadership workshop for kids

04. Presidential Scholar

05. 6-week New York Times Editor Assistant Internship

06. Huge Summer Book Tour

07. NHS

08. 8-week Head of Student Research Project at Nasa

09. Won the John Locke Essay Competition

| Year 4 (2024 - 2025)

01. 4.0 gpa (not including the weighted stuff the school throws in)

02. Varsity & Team Captain of: [ in school extracurriculars ]

☆ Basketball team (4 years)

☆ Swim team (3 years)

☆ Track and Field (4 years)

|| Extra sports: [ in and out of school ecs ]

☆ Football (1 year)

☆ Golf (1 year)

☆ Figure skating (5 years)

☆ Rock Climbing (6 years)

☆ Ballet (8 years; varsity)

03. Student Council - Class President

04. Valedictorian

05. Successful publishing company: With 44 books self-published by yours truly before graduation

06. Accelerated Reader Award (450+ books read; all time most books read in my state)

07. A Wikipedia page was made of me by an established user

I was starting to get to the "single-handedly curing cancer," part, but then I realized that just putting down everything on paper was cathartic enough. I'll get my Rory Gilmore moment rest assured, it just won't be a desperate attempt to mourn the teenage dream I never had, when I do...

Though since I'm 18, college is FULLY on the table AHAJSVSSVAVHASVH. Y'all thought this was a letter of resignation or something. I'm just getting started.