#fifty states

[500seawormideas]

album covers for our fifty states project

[liyahmackenzie]

Indivisible

Fifty states.

One united flag.

One bombastic fiery anthem.

America.

[fictionadventurer]

The more I learn about Civil War politics, the more I'm convinced that Lincoln's most impressive and useful leadership trait was that he never let his pride get in the way of doing his job.

Other people in Lincoln's position would have come to Washington with something to prove. They'd have resented the insults and tried to disprove them. They'd have tried to seize power and credit, rejected help, spent a lot of time trying to reach a certain level of respect.

Lincoln's response to, "You're just a backwoods lawyer with no executive experience who makes too many dumb jokes," was pretty much always, "Yeah. And?" He had no interest in petty personal power plays. He had a country to run. There was a war on. It didn't matter what people thought of him so long as the job got done.

He was aware of his personal shortcomings and was always willing to accept advice and help from people who had more knowledge and experience in certain areas. He presided over a chaotic Cabinet full of abrasive personalities who thought they were better and smarter than him, but he kept working with them because they could get the job done. For example: Stanton was absolutely horrible to him when they were both working as lawyers. Just incredibly mean on a personal level. But when Lincoln needed someone to replace Cameron, he swallowed his pride and appointed Stanton as Secretary of War, where Stanton proceeded to be mean to everyone in the world, but he whipped that department into shape and kept it running efficiently through a very chaotic war. Pretty much no one except Lincoln would have been able to put up with that. He could put up with people who were personally difficult if they could do the job he needed them to do--which he was only able to do because his own ego didn't get in the way.

Lincoln's example is a prime demonstration of how humility isn't underrating yourself--it's being so secure in your own abilities and identity that you don't need to attack anyone or defend yourself to prove your worth. He knew his shortcomings, but he also knew his strengths. He was willing to give other people credit for successes and take blame upon himself for failures if it kept things running smoothly. He was secure enough in his own power that he could deal generously--but firmly--with people who tried to undermine him. In a city full of huge egos, in a profession that rewards puffed-up pride, that levelheaded humility is an extremely rare trait--which is what made it so impressive and effective.

[thomaswaynewolf]

[solradguy]

Xrd Sol statue announced. Anyone got $450usd they don't want lol

Approx. 10.24 inches (26cm)

1/7 Scale

Made of polystone

Concept by Adeeb Md and sculpted by Caludio Saavedra Iriate

Pre-order: https://www.bigbadtoystore.com/Product/VariationDetails/244019

More details:

[theultimatecruiseship]

Milk baths and bad smells

[lonelywretchjervistetch]

The State Bird Initiative: New Jersey (#3) - Results

Another week, another poll! And this one...this one had the results in super fast. So, we're gonna get right into it, as well as the personal choices by the SBI. But OK, which species does Tumblr think should be the State Bird of New Jersey?

Which of the following should be the state bird of New Jersey, the Garden State?

Look...I'd be lying if I said I didn't vote for that one, too.

SBI Elected State Bird of New Jersey: Laughing Gull (Leucophaeus atricilla)

The American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis) has been replaced by popular vote by the Laughing Gull (Leucophaeus atricilla) in the latest polls! And there's a part of me that wonders if this is for the meme...and there's a part of me that thinks this actually makes sense.

Read the original post here if you want my rationale, but...yeah, I stand by this being a good choice. NJ is a coastal state with a long coastline and a strong beach culture, to the point where "the Shore" is a recognized area in the state with an international reputation. And yes, while other shorebirds could be associated with the state, the Laughing Gull is essentially the only one whose breeding population heavily depends on its Jersey population. Plus, it's a recognizable and iconic bird with a known presence, and could easily be associated with the state it's been selected for. I can dig it. Just sayin'. And yeah, this is the bird chosen as a personal choice by the SBI as well. If you'd like to see the other personal choices from the SBI, stick around after the jump! And if this is all you were waiting for, then no worries! Check out Georgia's entry and give it a vote while you can!

The State Birds Initiative Personal Pick - New Jersey (#3)

State Game Bird of New Jersey (SBI): Brant (Branta bernicla)

Wait...WHAT THE HELL IS THAT? I never brought this bird up as a contender for State Bird? So, what is it doing here? Well, I never brought this guy up for State Bird because they don't breed in New Jersey, and honestly couldn't come up with a solid argument for it to be in that position. However, it was always a contender for State Game Bird, because New Jersey is home to the largest population of this goose, the Brant (Branta bernicla), on the eastern coast, with other concentrations being in Virginia and Rhode Island. But they'll get different birds for this category.

Now, time to talk further about what a State Game Bird is. Game birds are not a single taxonomic classification; rather, they're a sociological one. These are birds prioritized for hunting, usually for culinary purposes, if not just for sport. While they come from a few taxa, the vast majority of game birds belong to orders Galliformes (chickens, pheasants, quail, etc.) and Anseriformes (ducks and geese). The Brant represents our first member of the latter in this category! New jersey is known for its Brant hunting, and the state has major regulations during its Brant hunting season for conservation purposes. I could've put the Snow Goose (Cher caerulenscens) here as well, since New Jersey actually prioritizes hunting of this overpopulated bird...but the purpose of this is to promote birds of conservation interest that have a significant role in the state, and the Brant fits this a lot better than the Snow Goose. With that, let's move on!

State Raptor of New Jersey (SBI): Northern Harrier (Circus hudsonicus)

The Gray Ghost wins the category of State Raptor of New Jersey! This one, of course, I put in the original post and poll, and it unfortunately didn't get far at all. Not sure why, since it's the logo for the New Jersey Audubon Society, it represents a major ecosystem in the state, and it's generally a pretty cool bird. But, hey, that's the price of democracy. Either way, the Northern Harrier (Circus hudsonicus) is a charismatic raptor of conservation concern, and a generally pretty neat bird all around. Check out the original post for more details on this guy, but for now, we'll move on!

SBI's Big Fifty - New Jersey: Saltmarsh Sparrow (Ammospiza caudacuta)

So, in my original post, I mentioned that the Saltmarsh Sparrow (Ammospiza caudacuta) wasn't a great fit for State Bird due to its similarity to other sparrows, and that would be difficult for the average citizen to parse out. A sparrow is a sparrow is a sparrow, right? Well, not to birders it ain't! This is a pretty big bird for any birder's life list, mine included, making it an important focus for that community. So, in order to give the sparrow its day in court, the Saltmarsh Sparrow wins the prize for New Jersey's representative in SBI's Big Fifty, adding it to the countrywide scavenger hunt that this list represents. Sorry, Massachusetts, I know you could've had this one, too. I'll give you a neat one, I promise.

State Conservation Focus of New Jersey (SBI): Pine Warbler (Setophaga pinus)

OK, so, the Conservation Focus of New Jersey is sort of disingenuous in this entry, since the bird is far less of a focus than its habitat, but I'll use it as the symbol of the habitat. The Pine Warbler (Setophaga pinus) is an accessible symbol for the average person to see when going to the ecologically significant (and always in danger) New Jersey Pine Barrens, also representing a larger community of birds with which it tends to be geographically associated. But more than that, the real symbol of the Pine Barrens isn't quite as accessible. For that reason, there really should be two focuses for the Pine Barrens, one for bird people, and one for ecologists. And if you know anything about the New Jersey Pine Barrens, I think you know what the other symbol is.

Now, to be fair, the Pine Barrens Tree Frog (Dryophytes andersonii) is, despite the name, not endemic to the New Jersey Pine Barrens. Instead, it can be found in the Carolinas and the Florida Panhandle, all in isolated areas and...well, pine barrens. But, its populations are decreasing in size, with the Georgia population already extirpated, and is a species of conservation concern. Frogs are, of course, less easy to spot than birds, especially nocturnal ones like the tree frog. So, it's not a great public symbol of the forests as a result, but is still an important inhabitant of the New Jersey Pine Barrens. So, consider this another conservation focus endorsed by SBI. And for the record, it's actually the state frog of North Carolina, so it hasn't been completely shafted!

And with that, we've reached the end of the personal choices by the SBI for ornithological state representatives! Be sure to check out the Georgia poll currently running; still a day or two for votes to be counted!

See you next time, and happy birding!

[2sgf]

i can't spell massachusetts i thought there was an e at the start girl help

[queen-scribbles]

.

[pfannkuchendammerung]

Not to be horny on main, but...

... I could really go for some tiramisu or chocolate tres leches right now.

[uncanny-tranny]

"Stop transing kids" as though you can, ultimately, convince kids that they're cis when they're simply not.

I was a trans kid.

I'm now a trans adult.

My goal is to make sure trans kids lead a better childhood than what I got stuck with. Children are people. A trans child is a trans person. They deserve just as much to be themselves as a cis kid does.

[whatareyoudoingwithamaserati]

Watched the month old Mapicc Fortnite stream vod tonight. This is what I got out of it

[oddphotos362]

[thesaddestjoysandthesmallestlies]

My mom told me we’re not going to the beach anymore and we’re going to visit extended family instead-

[moonamite]

Ava and the Dealer

[potatoesandsunshine]

sometimes ppl post about stuff as if it's a grievous moral failing to participate in when the reality is like... it doesn't mean you're evil it just means you're a sucker. this is about video game preorders and special editions. if you are paying a hundred and fifty bucks to not even get the game you're not evil but you are an idiot.