#non-associative arrays

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Writing a main character who’s a bartender… except I’m a minor with zero experience on alcohol or bars/bartending etc

Do you have any resources that could help me out?

Thanks so much, I love your blog !!!

Writing Notes: Bartender

Bartender - specializes in the art of mixing and serving alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages in bars, restaurants, hotels, or other establishments.

In addition to mixing drinks, bartenders also play an important role in providing excellent customer service.

They engage with customers,

take drink orders,

suggest beverage options, and

create a welcoming and enjoyable atmosphere.

Bartenders must have good communication and interpersonal skills to interact with customers of diverse backgrounds and handle various situations that may arise during their shift.

They may also be responsible for managing the bar area,

ensuring cleanliness,

organizing supplies, and

handling cash transactions.

Types of Bartenders

There are various types of bartenders, each specializing in different areas of the hospitality industry. Here are a few common types:

Mixologists: Highly skilled bartenders who focus on creating innovative and artfully crafted cocktails. They have an extensive knowledge of ingredients, flavor combinations, and mixology techniques to design unique and visually appealing drinks.

Flair Bartenders: Known for their entertaining and acrobatic style of bartending. They incorporate flair techniques such as juggling bottles, performing tricks with bar tools, and creating visually captivating presentations while preparing drinks.

Craft Beer Bartenders: Have a deep understanding of the craft beer industry. They are familiar with various beer styles, brewing processes, and flavor profiles. They assist customers in selecting beers, provide recommendations, and may curate a rotating selection of craft beers on tap.

Tiki Bartenders: Specialize in crafting tropical and exotic cocktails associated with tiki culture. They are skilled in using unique ingredients, tropical fruits, and elaborate garnishes to create visually striking and flavorful drinks.

Hotel/Resort Bartenders: Cater to guests' needs, providing a range of beverages and maintaining high standards of customer service. They may specialize in classic cocktails, signature drinks, or be responsible for managing bars in various areas of the hotel.

Common Personality Traits of Bartenders

Based on a survey of 19,176 bartenders:

They are enterprising and conventional (according to the Holland Codes)

Bartenders tend to be predominantly enterprising individuals, which means that they are usually quite natural leaders who thrive at influencing and persuading others.

They also tend to be conventional, meaning that they are usually detail-oriented and organized, and like working in a structured environment.

They have high levels of extraversion and openness (according to the Big Five)

Bartenders score highly on extraversion, meaning that they rely on external stimuli to be happy, such as people or exciting surroundings.

They also tend to be high on the measure of openness, which means they are usually curious, imaginative, and value variety.

The Workplace

The workplace of a bartender can vary depending on the establishment they work in. Bartenders can be found in a range of settings, including:

bars,

pubs,

nightclubs,

hotels,

restaurants,

resorts, and even

cruise ships.

A typical bar environment consists of a well-equipped bar counter with a variety of spirits, mixers, and bar tools.

The bar area is usually designed to be functional and efficient, with shelves or cabinets to store bottles, refrigeration units for chilling beverages, and sinks for washing glassware.

Bartenders have access to a wide array of ingredients, garnishes, and utensils needed to prepare drinks.

The atmosphere within a bar can vary significantly.

Some establishments may have a lively and bustling atmosphere, especially during peak hours or on weekends, with music playing and customers engaged in conversations.

In contrast, other bars may have a more relaxed and intimate setting, catering to a specific clientele or offering a more sophisticated ambiance.

Bartenders often work as part of a team, collaborating with barbacks, servers, and other staff members to ensure smooth operations. Communication and coordination are essential, as they need to relay orders, share responsibilities, and support each other as needed.

Some previous related posts:

Cocktails ⚜ Literary & Hollywood Cocktails ⚜ Liqueurs

Mixology Tools & Popular Cocktails ⚜ Wine Terminology

Whiskey ⚜ Describing Intoxicated Customers

Words related to Drinking

Sources: 1 2 ⚜ More: References ⚜ Writing Resources PDFs

Glad to hear, thank you! Sounds like a challenge, but could be quite fun. Choose which of these details you would like to incorporate in your story. For more on the actual drinks, tools, other terms used, and possible behaviour of customers when they become intoxicated, I included some links to older posts. And you can find further information in the sources. All the best with your writing!

[seandwalsh]

Who lays the nectar eggs found in the Pikmin games? It might seem like a silly question, but for a series with such extensive lore surrounding its creatures it is surprising that it remains a mystery. Nectar eggs are a mysterious item found in Pikmin 2, Pikmin 3 and Pikmin 4. The eggs themselves are rarely acknowledged by the leaders and can contain a wide array of different things.

When broken, nectar eggs usually release a form of nectar or raw material. Curiously, there are also several creatures associated with these eggs, but it’s never been explicitly stated which actually produces them. Let’s look at the candidates:

Firstly, there are the Honeywisps. Honeywisps sometimes carry nectar eggs as they float through the air back to their nests. However, they don’t seem to be producing these eggs themselves, as in Pikmin 1 they can be seen carrying pure nectar collected from flowers.

Given they intend to feed the nectar from the nectar eggs they carry to their young, it seems more likely that they sometimes just steal nectar eggs from their nests of origin instead of collecting nectar from flowers.

“This timid creature flies around collecting nectar from flowers.”

[Source: Captain Olimar, Employee of Hocotate Freight and Captain of the S.S. Dolphin, Playable Character in Pikmin 1, December 2001]

“This creature collects nectar for the larvae waiting in its nest.”

[Source: Captain Olimar, Employee of Hocotate Freight and Captain of the S.S. Dolphin, Playable Character in Pikmin 1, December 2001]

“This cutie swims though the air with a heavy-looking nectar egg dangling below its translucent body on its way back to its nest where its offspring await lunch.”

[Source: Dalmo, Sozorian Animal Enthusiast and researcher, Non-Player Character in Pikmin 4, July 2023]

The next creatures are the Mitites. Mities are a type of insect that occasionally hatch from broken nectar eggs in great numbers and produce nectar when defeated, which initially makes them seem like good candidates for the producers of these eggs. However, the nectar eggs notably don’t resemble insect eggs - and for good reason! The Mitites are actually parasites that lay their eggs within the eggs of a “particular species”, with their larvae feeding on the nectar the eggs provide.

“These parasitic insects feed on eggs. Upon reaching maturity, they excrete a special pheromone that attracts females of particular species, enticing these females to swallow the mitites whole. (Pikmin, however, seem to dislike the scent.) After entering the host female's body, the mitites lay their own eggs inside the host's eggs just prior to the host spawning.”

[Source: Captain Olimar, Employee of Hocotate Freight and Captain of the S.S. Dolphin, Playable Character in Pikmin 2, August 2004]

“The cheeky Mitite lays its eggs inside the eggs of other creatures to provide its offspring with an easy first meal.”

[Source: Dalmo, Sozorian Animal Enthusiast and researcher, Non-Player Character in Pikmin 4, July 2023]

Similarly, the egg-like Sunsquishes can also be found within nectar eggs. These are explicitly “other creatures’ eggs”, making them a species that parasitises on the eggs like the Mitites.

“A type of primitive organism called a protochordate. In its juvenile state, it has a skeleton-like structure called a notochord. It flaps its finned tail to move and lives within other creatures' eggs as it grows.”

[Source: Captain Olimar, Employee of Hocotate Freight and Captain of the S.S. Dolphin, Playable Character in Pikmin 4, July 2023]

That leaves us with the Burrowing Snagrets. In Pikmin 4, Downy Snagrets, the infant form of the Burrowing Snagret, occasionally hatch from nectar eggs. These seem to be the most likely candidates for the actual producers of nectar eggs.

As established in a previous post, almost all extant life on PNF-404 is made up of nectar, which would extend to the nutrients in the egg yolk.

“Nectar is a vital source of nutrition that most life on this planet depends on. Whether it's in the form of an egg yolk, sap, or honey, I leave up to your imagination!”

[Source: Dalmo, Sozorian Animal Enthusiast and researcher, Non-Player Character in Pikmin 4, July 2023]

Nectar eggs also strongly resemble bird eggs and Burrowing Snagrets are certainly large enough to produce them. They’re also large enough to swallow Mitites whole and are even said to eat insects in the Piklopedia.

“The majority of snagret species lie in wait to ambush and capture prey, with a body type perfectly adapted to such sudden strikes. It violently attacks small, surface-dwelling insects.”

[Source: Captain Olimar, Employee of Hocotate Freight and Captain of the S.S. Dolphin, Playable Character in Pikmin 2, August 2004]

What’s more is that Snagret has the widest distribution of a species after the Bulborb, which explains why nectar eggs can be found all over the world across the Pikmin games.

“Distributed across a relatively wide range, subspecies of snagret suited to the varying soil conditions have emerged, making the snagret the most geographically represented species besides the bulborb.”

[Source: Captain Olimar, Employee of Hocotate Freight and Captain of the S.S. Dolphin, Playable Character in Pikmin 2, August 2004]

So in short, female Burrowing Snagrets lay their eggs. Those that are fertilised will produce Downy Snagrets, while unfertilised eggs will produce nectar. Sometimes, a female Burrowing Snagret will eat a Mitite, resulting in Mitite larvae hatching within and feeding on the eggs laid by the Burrowing Snagret. The larval Sunsquish also finds its way into these eggs, while Honeywisps occasionally steal the eggs to feed the nectar within then to their own larvae.

[gothamiteeditor]

Batman is notorious for being scary looking, goons and their leaders all know it’s not gonna be a good time if he shows up.

His presence is usually associated with a feeling of dreads. Except:

Berry (misspelled on purpose cause I’m not funny): I’m good with kids! I can get this one to stop crying and tell us who their parents are.

Also Barry(spelled correctly to prove I’m not an idiot): -makes the kid cry harder-

Other justice league members try to get the kid to stop crying, to no avail. They’re hopeless, considering just dropping the kid with the police.

Out of the shadows, a black cape cascading over black and grey Kevlar steps out, dark eyes hidden behind white lenses, and an array of non-lethal weapons the man definitely would know how to make lethal. It’s Batman in all his dark brooding glory.

Two minutes later he’s holding the child, who has put her face in his neck, and fallen asleep. They’re on the phone with the kids parents now.

[swordlux]

The Balladeer | Scaramouche x Reader

You could say it was a split-minute decision.

You could say it had been building up over time.

But that one moment changed everything.

Summary: My alternate ending to the Sumeru Archon quest. Mild romance and emotional tension.

***

You leapt across the breaking platform, the gargantuan construction of the false god crumbling like a broken thundercloud above you.

Your sights were locked on one thing—

The Balladeer.

As his doll-like figure descended toward the earth, one thought rang through your mind. Don’t let him fall. Don’t let him fall. Don’t let him fall.

His trajectory increased. You eyeballed the distance between his head and the ground, the quick calculations in your mind telling you you weren’t going to make it.

You pulled from a source higher than yourself and leapt. You were sure of one thing at that moment—if Scaramouche’s head made contact with that ground, the world would lose a very bright star.

You took that last leap, airborne for longer than should have been possible, and felt a lump land in your arms. With no time to check, you ducked and rolled, shielding whatever you caught. You came to a stop in the dust.

One glance down at the soft, dark hair and the warmth radiating against you is enough to confirm—you caught your star.

Relief surged through you. This was the closest you’d ever been to the Balladeer, and the delicateness of his features struck you. His eyes were closed, and dust fell on his perfect face. He looked as innocent as a doll that had yet to be removed from the box. You knew then that whatever it took, whatever happened next, you would have to protect him.

You felt Nahida descending from the sky above you—from where she’d ripped your delicate doll from his entrapment. The question on the God of Wisdom’s mind permeated through the collapsing space.

In that moment of heightened awareness, you saw a vision of the array of guards waiting outside, your assembly of friends you had worked this mission with, Cyno’s cold, non-forgiving stare—all of them waiting to condemn this god you now held in your hands—and you knew exactly what you had to do.

You took off, ignoring the throbbing in your legs and the pounding of injuries that would make themselves known later.

Paimon’s questioning screams chased you. You ignored even those. For now, you were existing in a space where only one person in this world mattered.

The Balladeer lay unconscious in your arms; when you looked down at him, your legs pumped faster.

You found a small opening in the wall and leapt. Sunlight hit you as you escaped from the collapsing building right into the light of the academia.

You didn’t stop. A quick look around at the guards standing at their posts was enough to keep your adrenaline going. You had the lead—they were yet to be notified of the situation, but it wouldn’t be long.

You took off. Running down the streets of Sumeru, until you got to the fields outside the city. Then you kept running. You ran until your lungs burned like sand in the desert sun.

When you finally reached the building you had scouted on your travels a while back, your whole body was burning like a campfire on a summer night, and your limbs trembled with exhaustion. But it was worth it. You looked down to see Scaramouche resting peacefully.

Your star was safe.

***

The Balladeer was feeling warm. Like he was caressed in a sun made of the ocean waves, or ocean waves made of the sun, he wasn’t sure. Either way, there was a strange lightness in his chest that tried to drown out the throbbing in his head. He felt weighted and weightless at the same time.

Is this death? He thought. Me, one who was fated to be immortal? Could I really die..?

Scaramouche heard a rustling next to him, and a smell entered his nostrils. Though it was not of Teyvat origins, he associated it with the electric charge of Inazuma soil and the breeze flowing through the open fields of Mondstadt.

Slowly, he opened his eyes.

In that brief moment of clarity when one has not yet been released from the world of dreams, he saw you not as an enemy but a close, dear friend.

You were leaning over him, looking at him with concern. The radiance of you made him want to close his eyes again.

But then he quickly remembered his stature and, more importantly, the real source of the feeling of lightness in his chest: the Gnosis. His Gnosis had been stolen from him.

Like waking up from a sweet dream into a nightmare, he jolted forward.

“The Gnosis—!” he croaked, finding his voice uncharacteristically dry.

“Yes, yes, will get to that,” you said. The calmness in your voice spilled over Scaramouche like a sweet stream. “First, how are you feeling?”

He swatted your hand away. “I need to get to the Gnosis—that witch stole it from me.”

He made a move again; this time, you backed up, allowing him to get up.

He took one step off the bed when his knees wobbled and tumbled right back into your arms.

You looked at him again with concern in your eyes. “You have no time to think about anything right now besides getting better,” you said. “Whatever those sages did to you, it took a toll when you were separated. For now, drink this.” You shoved some sort of concoction in his face. “I wasn’t sure what you like to eat. If—ehem—dolls eat, but…”

“Enough, leave me. I don’t need your pity, especially you of all people. Aren’t you supposed to hate me?” Scaramouche tried to sound strong, but despite his best efforts, his voice was shaking.

The sincerity of your efforts scared him, and more so was the look in your eyes. It was almost like…

You stood, leaving him on the floor with the drink. “Chicken soup, or Adeptus Temptation? Which do you prefer?”

“Huh?” Scaramouche understood what you were saying, but your words didn’t make sense. Were you really asking him about soup right now?

“I’m giving you a choice,” you continued, propping your hands on your hips. “I’ve decided I don’t want to watch you starve.”

“You should just leave me be.”

“Yeah, too late for that. So? Chicken or Adeptus?”

Frustrated, Scaramouche tried to get up again. “I need… to get my Gnosis…”

“Gnosis soup?” You looked at him as if he’d just offered a perplexing puzzle. “I think I’m lacking on the key ingredients for that. Alright, Adeptus, it is then.”

You continued into the kitchen.

As the Balladeer watched you, a cool ripple of annoyance flowed through him. Did you not realize the urgency of the situation? What was even more annoying was your pity. Here he was in his weakest state in front of you, and there you were treating him like a puppy. It made him feel sick. After all the things he’d said to you, all the times he’d tried to kill you—you should be basking in his pain, leaving him to rot, or getting your revenge in some other way. But his…

“When I get my strength back,” he said. “I swear, I will make you regret this.” His words faded into the air. You were already in the kitchen, out of range.

Scaramouche sighed. Admittedly, sickness was taking over his body. He could barely keep his head up. He shuffled back into bed.

You came out with a steaming bowl in your hands only a few minutes later.

“What kind of magic is this?” Scaramouche asked as you placed the bowl beside him. He saw what looked like a beautiful medley of flavours, and the smell wafting out of it made even his usually quiet stomach growl.

You laughed. The sound rang in his ears. He realized it was the first time he’d heard you laugh. Most of your interactions in the past had been short, and he was usually the one directing them. Come to think of it, he’d barely heard you talk much.

“You learn to whip up things on the fly when you’re as mobile as I am,” you continued. “You also learn some of the best hiding spots.” You winked.

Scaramouche sat up and tried to relax. “Speaking of, where are we?” he said, looking around. You seemed to be in a small space, a warm house of sorts. Now that his initial rejection of the situation had warned off, he was becoming filled with questions.

“A spot I’d scouted on my travels a bit ago,” you said. “Thank god. We needed it.”

You looked relaxed as you pulled up a chair and sat across from him. You were acting incredibly casual for someone who was supposed to be his archenemy.

Scaramouche studied you closer. He’d always thought it, but…

Yes. Up close, you were quite attractive.

The Balladeer found himself blushing as he turned away. “Where is that pretending Dendro archon? And my Gnosis.”

“Woah, woah, woah,” you said. “Let’s not forget who the pretending archon is here.” The smirk hung on your face until Scaramouche looked at you again. “—But as for Nahida, I don’t know. On the hunt for us, probably.”

“Why did you...?” Scaramouche struggled to find the words to describe this situation and then let it go. “Nevermind. Listen, I don’t have time to be playing house here. Take me to where my Gnosis is, and I’ll let you come out of this alive. I bet all your little ‘friends’ are worried about you.”

You laughed again. This time, the sound bubbled his anger.

“Look, I don’t think you’re in any position to make threats here,” you said. “But don’t worry, I’ll help you get it back. As long as you tell me why it’s so important to you.” You stared at him.

He met your gaze for a moment, but when that look slipped back in, he had to turn away.

You sat back in your chair. “Do you ever feel like sometimes you’re running around playing a game only because there are no other options? I guess it was like that. Those— my ‘friends’ and I bonded over a common cause, I may have even agreed they were my friends at one time, but it’s like—when you’re presented with the truth of something, only then do you realize what the other was not, and never was.”

“Huh? Is that supposed to be some kind of riddle?”

“What I mean to say is, I never understood what it meant to deeply care for something until I saw you falling from that constructed god. And then I realized, it was never about saving Sumeru for me. The whole reason I went along with their plans was that… well, it was you.”

At that, a laugh took hold of Scaramouche, which he couldn’t control. “You’re telling me you paraded around with your little friends acting like a saint, attempting to save the world because of me..?”

You looked at him plainly. “Yes. It was you I was curious about. I didn’t really care what they were up to. I just wanted to get closer to you, to learn more about you.”

At this point, Scaramouche had to wipe tears from his eyes. “Oh, this is good. Next, you will tell me that you never cared about travelling. Or you’ve never tried to do one good thing for someone.”

“Maybe.”

He shook his head. “I’m sorry, I’m not buying it.”

“You don’t need to buy it. It’s the truth, and I’m giving it to you for free.”

He scowled. “Whatever. If you say you care about me so much, then leave me to rest. I’m starting to get a headache listening to your nonsense.”

“Fine, but I’ll make you see. It’s not nonsense. You’re not as heartless as you believe. And that Balladeer hiding under all those layers, I feel something for him. He is something special.”

He hated that your words had some resonance to them, and he hated that as he started to fall asleep, he was wishing they were true.

***

The Balladeer waited until nighttime before slipping out of bed.

You were passed out beside the bed. Scaramouche clicked his teeth. In annoyance, your words replayed in his mind. He’d learned that naivety would get you nowhere, but at least he could take advantage of your naivety in this situation.

He stepped around you quietly and made for the door, already imagining the Gnosis in his hand.

That was when there was a sword around his throat.

He laughed. You were sharper than he expected. “So I am your prisoner after all,” he said.

“Yes,” your voice came from behind him. “And I’m a very strict prison guard. I’m not letting you go until you explain what the deal with the Gnosis is.”

A current of rage took over his body. He never liked being given orders, and who the hell were you to stop him? Scaramouche still had a bit of strength left. He called the power of electricity to his hand, then turned and made for your wrist.

But you were quick. You moved before he could even touch you.

You brought the hilt of your sword to his stomach and jammed him between the ribs.

In his weak state, the blow winded him. He fell down to his knees.

“Psh, you haven’t even got half your strength. Just what was your plan? Walk out there and get captured again?”

That was when Scaramouche found a reserve of strength in him. He looked up and leapt at you. This time, he got a hold of you.

You wrestled. Scaramouche thought he had the advantage, but then you flipped him—taking out both his heels from under him and landing him on his back.

As you pinned him down his rage boiled into humiliation. He had never been so weak before in his life. He felt something he hadn’t in a while, terror. Vulnerability. Panic rose within him, but just as it was about to take over, you did something unexpected.

You leaned forward and pressed your forehead against his.

It was a simple action, but in it, he could feel all the compassion and gentleness you felt toward him.

Your warmth washed over him like the sunkissed ocean that it was. Despite his best efforts to block back the own tides of his vulnerability, he could hear, he could feel what you were saying to him in that moment. It’s okay. I am here for you.

He trembled, holding the last bits of his defences firm, and then you scooped him into your arms.

He broke.

He couldn’t stop the tears that came falling—and falling—tears at everything—his frustrations, his failures, his successes—pain that went back centuries. The frustration at losing a friend, at realizing there was no one to blame but the bitter forces of nature, the idea of his very creation being one of uselessness.

And you held him all throughout.

You must’ve been using magic, he thought later.

Eventually, exhausted, he resigned back to the bed.

You took up your post beside him, though it looked like you were also okay with giving him some space.

“The Gnosis,” the Balladeer began, “It was… my one connection to this world. It gave me a purpose. I suppose you don’t understand what it’s like to be looked at as a toy. Simply an inanimate object to be used for whatever gain. But with the Gnosis…”

“It made you feel human.” You finished.

He scowled. “Listen to me, I sound pathetic. It disturbs me to be talking about it, especially to you.”

“I get it, but Scaramouche,” you grabbed both his hands in yours. “I’ll say it again. I don’t see you as a doll. I see you as a person. A pretty cool person. Someone I’m very grateful to exist. And if anyone doesn’t think that way, well, screw them. They don’t deserve you.”

His eyes opened wide, and then he pulled away. “Your earnesty scares me.”

“It’s true.”

He sighed. “Thank you, (M/C). For what it’s worth, you’re actually not so bad yourself. Especially without that fairy floating around.”

You laughed. “Thank you, now rest. We can deal with our problems tomorrow.”

As you stood, Scaramouche grabbed your hand.

“(M/C), I think I like this. Spending time with you. I’m not sure what I’ll do next, but…”

“We’ll figure it out together.” You turned back to him and grabbed his hand with your other. “Maybe you need someone to say this to you, but I mean it. Scaramouche, I’ll never abandon you. You’ll never have to be alone again.”

He looked at you, wide eyes growing wider, but he turned away before you could see the tears pulling. “Whatever. If it’s with you, I’m sure it will never be boring.”

[softersynths]

lots of recent rat stuff. updating their design a little (shorter legs fatter tails) and thinking abt ppl morgan knows and musun gender social politics. updated morgan backstory lore dump under tha cut

Morgan's parents were both borrowers. Just as he was becoming old enough to learn to borrow, his mother and father decided to return to his mother's colony of origin, where she had family, so that he could have a more secure lifestyle. However, the journey resulted in him losing both his mother and father - he arrived at the colony alone. His mother's name was the only thing that got him through the door.

The culture of musun colonies can vary, but Morgan's mother's colony - the Farrow - was fairly typical. The colony was a large, interwoven group of families headed by a dominant female. Overseen by her were reproductive females - those who were permitted to bear children - and the dominant male, who oversaw any reproductive males (who were typically few in number). Alongside them were nonreproductive females and males - those that were old and retired, those that were younger, and those who simply had low social standing. Reproductive individuals seldom left the colony, taking roles of farmers, nannies, wet nurses and tailors. Nonreproductive individuals could have any array of roles - including hunting and borrowing for the colony. It is ultimately up to the dominant female who is allowed to bear children - a nonreproductive female becoming pregnant could be punished or exiled, or even have her pups culled. Morgan's mother, Popper, was a nonreproductive female who concealed a pregnancy with a non-colony male - and chose to exile herself to protect her child. Despite his illegitimacy, Morgan carries his mother's name, and was allowed in, largely because his grandmother had become the Grand Dam (despite her daughter's self-exile). Regardless, he's a bastard, and his position is very low. Morgan's duties generally included borrowing, bug farming and seed collection.

He grew up alongside cousins who became like siblings to him - particularly Yarrow. As an adult, his cousin has a child, named Fern, that he helps raise - but for reasons unknown to him, she disappears, leaving him to care for the child. Whether she died or left in exile is unknown - and the topic of gossip. Nannying of children typically falls to reproductive roles, but can be shared more widely for pups that are weaned, and his cousin's pup prefers his company to the people that rejected their mother for associating with him.

Morgan also has a close friend, a nonreproductive male named Aster. He's a watchman and guard, whose job is to sound the alarm if the colony is threatened. He was apprenticing for this role when Morgan came to the colony - he's one of the first colony members Morgan met, and Aster is very loyal to him. Aster is sometimes called "Ash" as a nickname.

Colonies like Morgan's often have strict rules about entry and exit to preserve their own safety. Unrelated musun and outsiders have to petition for entry, and even if allowed inside, it can take years before they are considered "part" of the colony. One of their most important rules is in regard to safety - if someone is being chased by a predator, or are otherwise in danger from a malevolent actor, it is strictly forbidden for them to run home. This is because they risk leading the danger to the colony. If someone is being chased, they are instructed to run away from the colony and find a hiding spot until the danger has passed, at which point they can return home unseen.

Morgan breaks this rule when he is spotted and chased by something that is very interested in him - and runs directly home. This creature then lingers around the area of the colony for days, trying to find its scent and dig it up. It eventually gives up - but Morgan is exiled for his carelessness, leading him to become a solitary borrower against his will.

In the years following, Morgan grows used to living on his own (which is difficult for him, as an extroverted person). Back home, turmoil in the colony continues to grow for various reasons - largely related to issues of dominance and struggles for power. Aster, frustrated with his leaders for Morgan's treatment, leaves with Fern to go and find him. Anything is better than where they are now.

Unbeknownst to him, Morgan has been found and captured by the very creature that caused his exile all those years ago - a huge monster named Bug. Turns out Morgan had made his new nest in Bug's apartment.

Morgan comes to trust Bug. He had been living in Bug's walls, and continues to do so - but spends a great deal of time on Bug's person now, too. Eventually, Aster will find Morgan - who is now having a situationship with a giant monster. It goes about as well as you’d expect.

[sforzesco]

ANTONY: if Caesar doesn't set Sextius Baculus up in a house worthy of Lucullus for all that he did, I'll kill him myself.

so the fun thing about the Caesarians is that there is. weird stuff happening in there. a lot of focus seems to go towards non Caesarian dissent, specifically with the conspiracy of Cassius and Brutus, but there's like. stuff going on in Caesar's own camp that's very Intriguing.

There's a couple places where you can see some clear points that would be grounds for a conspiratorial falling out between Caesar and Trebonius, but from the way that Trebonius tries to seduce Antony over to conspiracy, I wonder if there was a secret third thing that was going on since Antony turned him down but. didn't snitch intriguing!

anyway, all of this is to say that this means I get to invent some shit. like, I'm drawing comics which is already invention, but this is one where I get to really start throwing stuff into the narrative soup because it has to set up three different character arcs (Trebonius, and then Antony twice)

(in theory, this would be explained in the story itself if I did the entirety of the Gallic Wars out as a comic. which I have not done because I do not want to draw horses. I wanted to fuck around with some panel layouts and not draw a single horse, so now I will provide the context and revisit this in the future)

Antony's comment about Trebonius running himself into a grave has to do with the Caesar's Gallic Wars have a lot of men doing a whole lot for Caesar that has me going. hey. hey guys. uh.

specifically, Sextius Baculus:

The War for Gaul, Julius Caesar (trans James J. O'Donnell)

and the closing comment from Antony is playing on several things: romans claiming gods on their family tree (see: Legendary Genealogies in Late-Republican Rome, T.P. Wiseman for more on this) and then divinization arc of Caesar and Octavian. Antony himself will later be taking part the same kind of god-association that has prompted his disdain in this scene

At any rate, when Antony made his entry into Ephesus, women arrayed like Bacchanals, and men and boys like Satyrs and Pans, led the way before him, and the city was full of ivy and thyrsus-wands and harps and pipes and flutes, the people hailing him as Dionysus Giver of Joy and Beneficent. For he was such, undoubtedly, to some; but to the greater part he was Dionysus Carnivorous and Savage.

Plutarch, Antony 24

and the second layer of thematic fun: Antony's later relationship with his soldiers is something similar to what Caesar had with his here, but ultimately: decayed. Antony's love affair with his military makes his failure to lead well at the end a worse betrayal. at some point I'll talk about Antony's Tormentous Military Nightmare and cite some academic sources, but Linda Bamber's description of the final tragedy of Antony and his men lives in my head rent free

Cleopatra and Antony, Linda Bamber

where's the fun in doing identity focused tragedy if you don't become unrecognizable to yourself later on! isn't that right mark antony

ko-fi⭐ bsky ⭐ pixiv ⭐ pillowfort ⭐ cohost ⭐ cara.app

[notwiselybuttoowell]

The verdict against the environmental group Greenpeace finding it liable for huge damages to a pipeline company over protests has been described by advocacy groups as a “weaponization of the legal system” and an “assault” on free speech and protest rights.

A North Dakota jury decided on Wednesday that Greenpeace will have to pay at least $660m to the pipeline company Energy Transfer and is liable for defamation and other claims over protests in the state in 2016-2017.

Rebecca Brown, the president and CEO of the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) issued a statement highlighting the threat the decision poses to free speech and the right to protest. She says the verdict is “a calculated attack on the sovereign rights of the Standing Rock Sioux and all indigenous peoples defending their land and water. This case is a textbook example of corporate weaponization of the legal system to silence protest and intimidate communities.”

ClientEarth, a non-profit and partner to Greenpeace, said that the verdict highlighted the growing trend of big polluters using the legal system to intimidate and silence critics and that corporations want to send the message that “no organization that challenges the polluting industries is safe” in a statement on social media.

Energy Transfer was “frivolously alleging defamation and seeking money damages, designed to shut down all voice supporting Standing Rock”, Janet Alkire, the tribal chair for the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, said in a statement.

“The case is an attempt to silence our Tribe about the truth of what happened at Standing Rock, and the threat posed by DAPL to our land, our water and our people. The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe will not be silenced,” the statement said.

Energy Transfer’s counsel during the case, Trey Cox, said that the verdict showed that Greenpeace’s actions had been unlawful. “It is also a day of celebration for the constitution, the state of North Dakota and Energy Transfer,” he said following the decision.

Kevin Cramer, a Republican senator for North Dakota, also celebrated the verdict on social media, writing: “Today, justice has been done with Greenpeace and its radical environmentalist buddies who encouraged this destructive behavior during the Dakota Access Pipeline protests with their defamatory and false claims about the pipeline” in a post on X.

But experts and non-profit groups expressed alarm over the verdict and what it means for constitutional rights in the US.

EarthRights, another non-governmental, non-profit group, says that the Dakota Access pipeline protests were “overwhelmingly peaceful” and that the organization “proudly joins Greenpeace USA in speaking up against brazen legal attacks and ensuring that the environmental movement only continues to grow stronger, despite the appalling result in North Dakota”.

The case is being described by legal experts as a classic example of a Slapp – a form of civil litigation increasingly deployed by corporations, politicians and wealthy individuals to deliberately wear down and silence critics including journalists, activists and watchdog groups. These cases often result in significant legal costs for the defendants, which is viewed as “a win” for the suing entity even if they don’t win the lawsuit.

Amnesty International’s secretary general, Agnès Callamard, said it was a “devastating verdict” that set “an array of deeply damaging precedents on the rights to freedom of speech, association and peaceful protest and puts the very future of Greenpeace at risk”.

“It has severe implications for Indigenous peoples, and other environmental defenders and climate activists who tirelessly work to protect human rights. There is no doubt that it will have a chilling effect on those campaigning to expose wrongdoing by powerful companies in the United States and all over the world.”

Greenpeace says it plans to appeal the verdict, and some legal experts say they have a good case to do so. The appeal would go straight to the state supreme court, as North Dakota does not have an appellate level court.

Kelcy Warren, Energy Transfer’s billionaire founder, is a major donor to Donald Trump.

[talonabraxas]

The Thousand-Armed Avalokiteśvara Talon Abraxas

Oṃ Mani Padme Hūṃ / Om Mani Padme Hum

Avalokiteshvara (or Avalokiteśvara) is a Bodhisattva who represents compassion, and his mantra also symbolizes that quality. Avalokiteshvara means “The Lord Who Looks Down (in compassion)”.

There are various forms of Avalokiteśvara (Chenrezig in Tibetan). The four-armed form is shown here. There is also a 1000-armed form — the many arms symbolizing compassion in action. And in the far east, Avalokiteshvara turned into the female Bodhisattva, Kuan Yin.

Avalokiteśvara Mantra Meaning

Oṃ, as I’ve explained elsewhere, has only a mystical meaning — suggesting primordial reality, or the potential for enlightenment that pervades the universe.

Mani means jewel.

adma means lotus (why the form in the mantra is “padme” is explained below).

Huṃ, like Oṃ, has no conceptual meaning.

Both jewels and lotuses are important symbolic elements in Buddhism.

Jewels represent what is most precious, so that Buddhists worship not just the Buddha, but the three jewels (Buddha, Dharma, or the teachings, and Sangha, or spiritual community). and jewels were considered indestructible, which made them an excellent symbol for eternal truths.

The lotus represents purity, in terms of how the enlightened mind is untouched by the negativity of the world. Just as the lotus can exist in muddy water without being soiled, so an enlightened being can exist in an impure world without becoming contaminated by its greed, hatred, or delusion.

The mantra is often “translated” as “Hail to the jewel in the lotus” but the Sanskrit simply can’t mean that.

The central element, manipadme, seems to be a name, Manipadma (“The Jewel Lotus One”) with the -e ending signifying the vocative case, meaning that Manipadma — is being invoked (“O Jewel Lotus One”).

But if this is the case, then according to the rules of classical Sanskrit, then Manipadma would have to be a feminine figure. And Avalokiteśvara is male.

However, if the mantra was originally in a non-Sanskrit language with different grammatical rules, and the vocative -e ending was applicable in that language to a masculine figure, then Manipadma would simply be another name for Avalokiteshvara.

The mantra of Avalokitesvara would then mean “Oṃ, O Jewel Lotus One, Hūṃ” — the “Jewel Lotus One” being an alternative name for Avalokitesvara himself.

The Thousand-Armed Avalokiteśvara

This multi-limbed approach was taken to another level in the thousand-armed and eleven-headed form of Avalokiteshvara. According to legend, Avalokiteshvara made a vow, in the presence of the Buddha Amitabha, to manifest in all the realms of existence in order to save all sentient beings. He also vowed that if he were to lose his compassion for even a moment, that he would shatter into a thousand pieces.

At one time, having worked tirelessly for the welfare of beings, Avalokiteshvara, at Amitabha’s prompting, looked back and saw that there were still uncountable beings suffering in samsara. At that point he became discourage, fainted, and shattered into a thousand pieces. Amitabha gathered up the pieces and reassembled them into a form with thousand arms and eleven heads.

The eleven heads symbolize the eleven directions of space, suggesting that Avalokiteshvara’s compassionate gaze is infinite in scope. Each of the thousand hands, which are arrayed like an aura around the standing figure of Avalokiteshvara, has an eye in the center of the palm, suggesting that his beneficial activities are informed by transcendental wisdom. Many of the hands bear implements, suggesting the skilful means that Avalokiteshvara employs in saving sentient beings from the sufferings of samsara.

Although he is associated with compassion, Avalokiteshvara is, like all Bodhisattvas, symbolic of wisdom as well. He is connected with the Heart Sutra in particular, and that text is in fact a teaching he gave on the topic of emptiness (shunyata) to Shariputra. He is also associated with the Lotus Sutra.

Avalokiteshvara is the spiritual father of Tara, who is said to have been born from a lotus that grew in a lake formed by the tears he shed as he gazed in compassion at the infinite sufferings of the world.

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Writing Reference: Colour Vitamins

11 key ‘colour vitamins’ related to a range of positive (+) and negative (–) attributes.

RED

+ up-beat, confident, assertive, exciting – aggressive, domineering, bossy, threatening

PINK

+ feminine, gentle, accessible, non-threatening – pathetic, unimportant, safe, under-confident

BLUE

+ peaceful, trustworthy, constant, orderly – ‘holier than thou’, tiresome, predictable, conservative

BROWN

+ earthy, homely, gregarious – safe, boring, unsophisticated

YELLOW

+ cheerful, hopeful, active, uninhibited – impulsive, tiresome, whirlwind, volatile

GREEN

+ self-reliant, tenacious, nurturing, dependable – boring, stubborn, riskaverse, predictable

ORANGE

+ vital, funny, enthusiastic, sociable, uninhibited – superficial, common, faddist, giddy

VIOLET

+ imaginative, sensitive, intuitive, unusual, unselfish – weird, impractical, immature, superior

GREY

+ respectable, neutral, balanced – non-committal, deceptive, uncertain, safe

BLACK

+ formal, sophisticated, mysterious, strong – mournful, aloof, negative, lifeless

WHITE

+ pure, clean, fresh, futuristic – clinical, ‘colourless’, cold, neutral

The symbolic or psychological associations of colours have a long history.

In the 12th century, a colour sequence for the liturgical year in the Roman Catholic Church was outlined by Pope Innocent III, and continues to be used today. Examples:

Red vestments are used at Pentecost or for the feasts of martyrs, the colour representing tongues of fire and the shedding of blood;

black vestments are the colour of mourning;

violet vestments represent the mitigation of black, in Advent and Lent; and

green is the ‘neutral’ colour, used ‘in ordinary time’, when there is no special period or feast-day being celebrated.

These and certain other colours (notably white, blue, gold, and rose) are also often used symbolically in many medieval religious paintings.

In modern times:

The psychological associations of colours, and thus the connotations of colour vocabulary, continue to be exploited in a wide range of contexts, such as in the description of paint shades, advertising language, and techniques of self-imaging.

The Color Me Beautiful system is a good example within the last category.

This consultancy was founded by Carole Jackson in the USA in 1974, and now has branches in many parts of the world. Its aim is to help women discover their natural beauty through colour, using the metaphor of the four seasons.

In much the same way as each season presents a distinct array of colours, a person’s colouring is said to be in harmony with one of these palettes, and advice is given about how to enhance these natural colours, and about how to choose additional colours (of make-up and clothing) (M. Spillane, 1991).

Source ⚜ More: On Colours ⚜ Colour Symbolisms ⚜ "Magical Uses" of Colours Writing Notes & References ⚜ On Symbolism

[velvetvexations]

It's cool if YOU don't have an internal sense of gender, but when you say "gender isn't something inside you, it's just presentation" you're basically saying that NOBODY has an internal sense of gender

When I say it's about "expression," I'm not saying the feelings aren't internal. A woman isn't just someone who wears skirts. Rather, gender is just an artificial and somewhat arbitrary way to classify our internal feelings about ourselves. Two women could have nothing in common whatsoever other than that they use the same pronouns, and maybe not even that.

So when I say gender is not something inside you, I'm not saying there's not a mental or spiritual thing that makes one's brain light up to be associated with a gender. But "man" and "woman" are just words in the English language that very imperfectly try to capture that vast array of internal feelings and tries to squish them together based on a system that was way more strict and arbitrary, formerly give you certain narrow expectations for what someone would be like. Just look at the number of genders we classify as "non-binary," defining them first and foremost by how they don't fit in with the other two categories.

Of course, for some it may be splitting hairs to not call that internal feeling "gender." I think that IS effectively "gender" most of the time. But when we act like you having that internal feeling means you were man-souled at birth and thus could never experience what it's like being a woman, that's when we have to start drawing some lines between our feelings and the words we use to describe them

[illuminatedquill]

Story Summary: It has been 10 years since Lothal was liberated from the Empire. As the annual memorial ceremony marking this historic event approaches, close friends and associates of the legendary Rebellion hero, Commander Ezra Bridger, are interviewed for a documentary being made to celebrate his life and achievements. Captain Garazeb Orrelios, a close friend and comrade of Ezra Bridger, has volunteered his time for the first interview.

First of a Five-Part Interview Series

The dive I find Captain Garazeb Orrelios, call-sign Specter-Four, is far from the Galactic Core and serves a peculiar type of clientele: current and former Republic fighter pilots, smugglers, Mandalorians, and any who find themselves wandering beyond the usual travelled routes of the galaxy. Sitting on a non-descript barren planet floating in the middle of an otherwise empty sector of space, the establishment has gained a remarkable reputation of being a "neutral place" among the people who live out here beyond the prying eyes of the New Republic. Mandalorians, bounty hunters, and even some of the more reputable smugglers all habit here semi-regularly.

Noting the name of the establishment before stepping inside from the arid heat, I am greeted by the murmur of quiet, friendly talk. The space inside is half-filled, scattered with an eclectic array of different species wearing the colors of their chosen affiliations.

I spot Garazeb "Zeb" Orrelios waiting for me by the bar. Next to him is his partner, Aleksandr Kallus, an Imperial defector who once worked for the infamous Imperial Security Bureau. They wave me over to begin the interview.

Captain Orrelios; Agent Kallus. A pleasure and privilege to meet you both.

[Kallus nods in acknowledgement and sips at his drink. I get the sense he is studying me closely.]

Ah, don't mind him. Just old habits from the war. You can just call me 'Zeb', by the way. All my friends do.

If you don't mind, then I'll do just that.

Sounds great. So, you're here to talk about that goober, eh? About time he got a documentary. Deserves one, just like that Skywalker fellow everyone's talking about.

Goober? You mean Commander Ezra Bridger?

Oh, we're using the official title for him are we? He'd have a good laugh about that. 'Goober' is a nickname me and Sabine used for him. Cause he was a goober - it just fits, you know? Oh, he hated it at first but grew into it over time. Especially since Sabine used it so much. Said it made him feel special, when I asked him about why he didn't seem so bothered by it anymore. She didn't have nicknames for anyone else on the crew. That was always used just for Ezra . . .

[Kallus nudges him with an elbow. The Lasat shakes himself and looks embarrassed.]

Uh, you're not here to listen to all that, though. Sorry. Getting lost in old memories. I figure you want to hear the more interesting stuff.

No, this is perfect actually. This is definitely what I would want to hear in a documentary about Ezra Bridger.

Well . . . if, you're sure. Go on, ask me some questions then. You want to know how we first met?

I'd appreciate if you just wanted to talk more about Ezra himself. What kind of person was he?

[Zeb takes a moment to think about this. Then he points up towards the ceiling, where a row of various stormtrooper helmets - all different designs - hang from strings like grim trophies. With a small smile, the Lasat reaches up and taps one of them, a scout trooper variant.]

He was a thief. When we first met him; a street-rat that hit up the occasional unlucky Imperial patrol for food and supplies. Plucky little kid, if you can imagine, stealing from these Imps and bucket-heads. They would have shot him dead if they caught him - or worse, considering what he turned out to be.

I'm sure you've seen Sabine's mural on Lothal. How strong and serious he looks. Ezra was that, sure, but he was so much more also. If he ever comes back, I'm sure his head will swell just seeing how good she made him look.

He had a collection of these helmets when we took him on the Ghost. Sabine painted a few of them, as a gift. They were always his favorite. Over the years, as he grew up and the war continued, the collection stopped growing. Our enemies were multiplying . . . the goober needed to focus. So, I started to collect them for his sake.

[I observe the collection of helmets and note that there must over a dozen different variants hanging from the ceiling. Almost every type of stormtrooper design is present from the Empire's reign. Some of these would go for an astonishing number of credits on the black market.]

It's quite the collection. I'm sure Ezra would love seeing these.

Yeah. Took a bit to get all of these. He was just a kid, you know? I don't have any other input for this documentary, but I really want you to emphasize that Ezra Bridger was just this pipsqueak when he first joined. None of us knew what would happen to him, or what he would do. Not even Kanan.

He was just a kid who needed a home. So, we gave him that. I didn't always do right by him - to be fair, he was kind of annoying at times like most humans his age - but I hope . . . I hope he knows that I wouldn't change a thing about any of it. He was our kid. We loved him.

[Kallus pats the Lasat's shoulder affectionately. Zeb clears his throat, looks away for a moment to compose himself.]

I know you'll probably want to focus on the more heroic aspects of him, but that's how I remember Ezra. He was a goober. He was a kid. He and Sabine shouldn't have been fighting this war; sacrificing so much for it. That's the job for us adults. We're supposed to be making this galaxy a better place for them. Not the other way around.

A thief turned rebel. It's not an uncommon story for those who served in the Rebellion. The Specters were an already diverse group of individuals -

Not individuals. We were a family. Not in the literal or traditional sense, though. Sure, Kanan and Hera took on a more parental/mentor role in the group and, to some extent, you could view Ezra and Sabine as their kids. But it was also more than that. We were more than that.

We bled, suffered, sacrificed, and cared for each other. We cried for each other. And, yeah, we annoyed the kriffing stuffing out of each other. It was . . . in some ways, it was more fulfilling than my time as an honor guard.

How did Ezra fit into your group?

Heh, not easy at first. Hera was the only one who really made an effort at first. Kanan was still reluctant to take him on as a student, despite Ezra being gifted in the Force. Sabine - well, she's Sabine. Also didn't help that the goober had the galaxy's biggest crush on her during those early months.

Poor kid. Looking back on it now, I suppose I could have been nicer. He had to share a room with me, you know. I'm a huge snorer.

[He chuckles at this, sharing a look with Kallus. His partner just rolls his eyes and takes another sip of his drink.]

Yeah, it was rough for that first year. Everyone sort of eased into having him around as a permanent crew member after they had their own special moments with him.

Me and him - we stole a Tie Fighter one time, did you hear? That was a fun joyride. We were sent out to get meilooruns for Hera and . . . things sort of spiralled from there, heh.

When Hera and Kanan found out we were both sentenced to cleaning duties for a solid month. But that wasn't the event that really brought Ezra closer to the crew.

What was it then?

[Zeb takes a long sip of his drink, suddenly looking sad.]

Finding out about his parents. We didn't know . . . none of us know, until we caught up with Ryder - Governor Azadi Ryder, I should say - later on. They were still alive, incarcerated in a max-security Imperial prison somewhere.

After Ezra sent out his message to the sector, they must have heard him somehow. They rallied the other prisoners, started a riot. Ryder was stuck in there too; managed to escape because of their efforts.

Mira and Ephraim Bridger are listed as -

Still missing, I know. But they're dead. Ryder says he saw it happen, and we have no reason to disbelieve him. I know there was no record or recovery of their bodies. Believe me, we tried looking. Once the war ended, Hera and I tried to track down any lead to see if we could find anything - even just a scrap of their clothing for Ezra's memorial.

Nothing. They were lost, just like the countless others the Empire buried.

Just you and General Syndulla? What about Commander Wren?

She was . . . she was dealing with her own personal loss, at the time. We extended the invitation, but she never responded.

I thought the Specters were like a family? But records state that you all went your separate ways after the Battle of Lothal. You led your own squadron of pilots, while Hera Syndulla was promoted to the rank of General. Commander Wren -

Sabine was the only one to stay behind, yeah. We found a holo-recording, stashed away in his old comm-tower. Left there just for her. She changed after watching it. Hera and I never knew what he said to her.

Hera had Jacen not too long after that battle. I took Kallus back with me to La-Liresan, to help fortify their defenses, gather volunteers, and coordinate supplies with the Rebellion. And Sabine . . . well, she had her promise to Ezra to keep.

We lost Kanan and Ezra so quickly, one after the other. It just hurt too much for us to stick together after so much loss. We were all living reminders of what had been sacrificed. And staying on the Ghost - it felt too big, too empty without those two.

[The Lasat takes another big swig of his drink. Kallus glances at him, worried.]

I don't know how Sabine does it. Living there. She never went back home. She could have - but the crazy girl chose to stay. And she lost so much afterwards, too . . .

We all had our own things to focus on after the battle. The war had begun in earnest. The Rebellion had declared itself on a galactic stage after the Battle of Yavin. We were on the run, fighting for our lives, fighting to see another day.

Hera and I . . . we made the choice to move on. She had Jacen, alongside her duties as a Rebellion General. And I found new purpose with protecting my resurrected people on their new planet. We had to move on. Ezra would have wanted us to move on.

Do you remember the last conversation you had with him?

[Zeb seems to shrink within himself.]

I - I don't. I hate that I don't. I can't remember if we spoke before Kanan's death, or after. When Kanan died, everything else after that just turns to a blur.

You'll want to talk with Hera or Sabine, if you're looking for specific details about any of that before his . . . his disappearance.

Official New Republic record states that Ezra Bridger died during the Battle of Lothal. You believe otherwise?

[Kallus' gaze snaps to me, intense. I plow forward with my questions, trying not to show how unnerved I feel from the former ISB's agent scrutiny.]

I don't know. I want to believe, you know? But it's been so long. No one who has disappeared into the Unknown Regions has ever come back. Not even Thrawn came back. Wherever they went . . . there would have been a sign, I know it. Ezra's a smart kid, he would have figured out a way to send a signal or something.

Did he inform you of his plans before he left? Anything about where he planned to take Thrawn?

Ha! That was the whole point. Crazy goober. Part of me thinks he was making it up as he went along. But Ezra was a Jedi. A damn good one, too. Kanan would have been proud to see him at the end, leading the way for everyone.

To answer your question: no. Ezra didn't tell us anything about where he and the purrgils were heading off to. I don't think even he knows. Only the Force knows.

You never went looking for him?

[Zeb is silent, staring into his drink. Kallus watches his partner quietly. After a long moment, he stands up abruptly.]

I tried.

[Zeb turns and leaves through a back door leading into the kitchens. Kallus sees him go and then turns back to me.]

It's a sensitive subject for him, you have to understand. He wanted to look for Ezra.

Why didn't he? Ezra Bridger was his friend.

I forbade him. He was going to get himself killed. Zeb kept volunteering for missions farther and farther from the Galactic Core. Hera and I realized that he was scouting in the Outer Rim, looking for signs - any trace of Ezra Bridger or Grand Admiral Thrawn.

He got too reckless. People on his squadron almost died. After that, he was forced into retirement. Hera's intervention is the only reason he's not rotting away in a New Republic prison right now.

Zeb retired and settled out here? I don't understand. Why didn't he go back home?

[Kallus signs, takes another sip of his drink.]

He's still looking for Ezra, in his own way. Zeb had to get creative, you see. He had been stripped of his license to pilot. So, he found a plot of land on a planet no one was interested in and bought it with his pension. Pitched the idea of a bar for New Republic pilots flying patrol missions way out here as a place to rest and recharge; a chance to stretch their legs, after spending hours in a cramped cockpit.

Pilots who have been flying all over the Outer Rim. Who have probably seen and heard a few interesting things in the course of their duties.

Now you get it. He owns this bar, listens to all the folks who come in. Still looking for leads - anything he thinks could lead to Ezra.

He even named the bar in memory of him. I think he hopes that Ezra might wander through this sector in space someday, see the bar's name, and get curious. A fool's hope . . . but I dare not take it away from him.

But he can't follow up the leads himself, since he no longer can fly.

Correct. So, he sends the information to the one person who is still looking for Ezra Bridger.

Which is . . .

Sabine Wren.

[He pauses, thinking for a moment.]

Are you planning on interviewing her for this documentary?

Yes, of course. It wouldn't be complete without her. Why?

I advise caution. She was the most affected by Ezra Bridger's . . . absence. Time and further tragedies have not made her kind or open to company of any kind. Even from close friends.

[There's a yell from the kitchen. Zeb stumbles out, covered in soot.]

Kallus, the blasted caf maker is malfunctioning again! Help me out here, would you?

[Kallus sighs and rises from the bar. I take this as my cue to leave.]

Oh, by the way. I haven't heard anything regarding this documentary. It seems rather hush-hush for something like this. I've been asking around and no-one seems to know anything.

It's meant to be a surprise for the citizens of Lothal. The anniversary is coming up. My benefactor suggested it as a gift, to help commemorate Ezra Bridger's heroic sacrifice for the planet.

[He narrows his eyes at me.]

A surprise, hmmm? I'm sure. And who is this gracious benefactor supplying the funds for this project?

I'm sorry, I can't disclose that. They are a private person. I hope you understand.

[The former ISB agent stares me down. After a tense second, he relents.]

My apologies. Old habits die hard. If it's alright, could you send a copy to me and Zeb for review once all this is finished? It would be greatly appreciated.

I'll be sure to do that. Convey my sincere thanks to Zeb, if you can.

Of course. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to prevent my partner from burning this establishment down.

Leaving the way I come in, I turn around outside the old bar and take a quick picture, for my own record, of the name now that I know the origin behind it:

EZRA'S ROOST

END OF INTERVIEW 1

NEXT INTERVIEW: GENERAL HERA SYNDULLA

AFTER-REPORT

PRIVATE CONNECTION ESTABLISHED

The Benefactor: Were there any issues?

?????: None. Although the agent accompanying Orrelios seemed suspicious at times. I managed to prevent any further inquiries into my work, however.

The Benefactor: Kallus is intelligent and extremely competent at what he does. Do not underestimate him. It is likely he will continue investigating behind the scenes.

?????: Still unsure what it is you're looking for with these people. Seems like they don't have the information you're seeking. The Benefactor: That is for me to decide. Continue with your work.

?????: Of course. Logging out now.

CONNECTION TERMINATED

[algebraic-dualist]

I'll post this separately for the interested. One very nice technique for finding examples of finite algebraic objects is to encode their properties into a satisfiability solver. Here is one I like

Below the fold I'll include example code that I used on my latest foraging expedition:

set of int: DOMAIN = 0..3; array[DOMAIN, DOMAIN] of var DOMAIN: operation; array[DOMAIN, DOMAIN] of var bool: path;

% h-identity and h-inversion constraint ( forall(x in DOMAIN)(path[operation[x, 0], x] /\ path[operation[0, x], x]) /\ forall(x in DOMAIN)(exists(y in DOMAIN)(path[operation[x, y], 0])) /\ forall(x in DOMAIN)(exists(y in DOMAIN)(path[operation[y, x], 0])) );

% h-associativity constraint forall(x in DOMAIN, y in DOMAIN, z in DOMAIN, xy in DOMAIN, yz in DOMAIN)( (not (operation[x, y] == xy)) \/ (not (operation[y, z] == yz)) \/ path[operation[xy, z], operation[x, yz]] );

% h-consistency constraint forall(x0 in DOMAIN, x1 in DOMAIN, y0 in DOMAIN, y1 in DOMAIN)( (not path[x0, x1]) \/ (not path[y0, y1]) \/ path[operation[x0, y0], operation[x1, y1]] );

% uniqueness of identity: %constraint forall(x in DOMAIN)((x == 0) \/ (not path[x, 0])); %constraint forall(x in DOMAIN)((x == 0) \/ (not path[0, x]));

% paths non-triviality constraint forall(x in DOMAIN, y in DOMAIN)((x == y) \/ (not path[x, y]) \/ (not path[y, x])); constraint forall(x in DOMAIN, y in DOMAIN, z in DOMAIN)((not path[x, y]) \/ (not path[y, z]) \/ path[x, z]);

% no universals constraint forall(x in DOMAIN)(exists(y in DOMAIN)(not path[x, y])); constraint forall(x in DOMAIN)(exists(y in DOMAIN)(not path[y, x]));

% non-associativity constraint not forall(x in DOMAIN, y in DOMAIN, z in DOMAIN, xy in DOMAIN, yz in DOMAIN)( (not (operation[x, y] == xy)) \/ (not (operation[y, z] == yz)) \/ (operation[xy, z] == operation[x, yz]) );

% accessibility: constraint forall(x in DOMAIN, y in DOMAIN)(exists(z in DOMAIN)(path[operation[x, z], y])); constraint forall(x in DOMAIN, y in DOMAIN)(exists(z in DOMAIN)(path[operation[z, x], y])); constraint forall(z in DOMAIN)(exists(x in DOMAIN, y in DOMAIN)(operation[x, y] == z));

solve satisfy;

[ultraheydudemestuff]

West Side Market

1979 W 25th St.

Cleveland, OH 44113

The West Side Market is the oldest operating indoor/outdoor market space in Cleveland, Ohio. It is located at the corner of West 25th Street and Lorain Avenue in the Ohio City neighborhood.

The market began operating in 1840, across the street from its current location. Josiah Barber and Richard Lord, prominent businessmen and both former mayors of Ohio City before it was incorporated into Cleveland, donated land to Ohio City's government, stipulating that the tract be used for an open-air neighborhood market. The market space became a center of the Ohio City community for the next three decades and other benefactors donated adjacent lands allowing the marketplace to expand. In 1868, a one-story, wooden framed building was erected on the site, and the newly christened Pearl Street Market was opened.

Thanks to brisk population growth in Cleveland and Ohio City in the latter part of the 19th century, the market outgrew its space again. In 1902, lands were purchased across the street from the Pearl Market site to allow for market expansion and eventual construction of additional indoor market space. Cleveland architectural firm Hubbell and Benes was contracted to create the new indoor space and, after nearly a decade of planning and construction, the current West Side Market building was completed in 1912 at a cost of nearly $680,000. The Neo-Classical/Byzantine building is a brick construct with a large interior concourse that provides nearly 100 stalls for sellers and an 85-stall outdoor produce arcade that wraps around the side and rear of the main building. In addition, the building has a large clock tower, easily visible from most of Ohio City in the building's early days.

In 1915, the permanent building spurred sellers to establish the West Side Market Tenants' Association, a coalition founded to help maintain the market and organize for future improvements and additions. This organization exists at the Market today. Periodic upgrades accommodated more tenants and maintained and improved the overall conditions. A fuller, $1.1 million modernization was undertaken in 1953 to add lower-level storage areas and upgrade stalls in the arcade. Another renovation, this one for $5 million, took place after the Market was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 18, 1973.

The market's profile rose in the latter 20th century. Politicians passing through Cleveland often stopped in to sample the array of foods sold at the market on any given day. The market also began sponsoring major food festivals in the neighborhood which drew people from Cleveland and the rest of the world. Despite the successes of the 1980s, however, the market began to face financial straits as Cleveland itself was experiencing monetary struggles. A large portion of the market's subsidies from the city dried up, leaving tenants facing higher rents to keep the market open. Yet the market expanded and was renovated throughout the 1990s and into the 21st century.

A 2004 project enclosed and added space heating to the arcade portion of the market, as well as completed major interior and architectural renovations to the main building. In the September 2010 issue of Food Network Magazine, the West Side Market was named America's "Best Food Lovers' Market." The market's centennial was celebrated in 2012. In 2016 city officials announced that starting April 3 of that year the market would add regular Sunday hours for the first time in its history. The city of Cleveland transferred management of the market to the non-profit board Cleveland Public Market Corporation on April 24, 2024; the city retains ownership. Many stalls have remained under individual family control for much of the life of the market, several dating to 1912. The market's tenants and sellers reflect the cultural diversity of the surrounding neighborhood and Cleveland as a whole. The current roster of tenants includes those of Irish, German, Slovene, Italian, Hungarian, Greek, Polish, Russian, and Middle Eastern descent, among others. The market attracts tourists from all parts of the United States, who visit and learn about its history. Its national profile has been boosted in recent years by coverage on various programs produced by the Travel Channel and Food Network.

[spacetimewithstuartgary]

Astronomers Detect Missing Ingredient in Cooking Up Stars

Harvard & Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics astronomers are part of a team of researchers that have identified a key element in the formation of stars

The missing ingredient for cooking up stars has been spotted for the first time by astronomers. Much like a pressure cooker has a weight on top of its lid to keep the pressure in, merging galaxies may need magnetic fields to create the ideal conditions for star formation.

Previously, the existence of such magnetic fields had only been theoretical.

Now, an international team, including researchers from the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian (CfA), has announced evidence of magnetic fields associated with a disk of gas and dust a few hundred light-years across deep inside a system of two merging galaxies known as Arp 220.

Arp 220 is one of the brightest objects beyond our Milky Way in infrared light. Astronomers think it is the result of a merger between two spiral galaxies full of gas, which has triggered great bursts of star formation.

Astronomers think disks of gas and dust could be the key to making the centers of interacting galaxies like Arp 220 just right for cooking lots of hydrogen gas into young stars. Magnetic fields may be able to stop intense bursts of star formation in the cores of merging galaxies from effectively ‘boiling over’ when the heat is turned up too high.

“This is the first time we’ve found evidence of magnetic fields in the core of a merger,” said David Clements of Imperial College, United Kingdom who led the study, “but this discovery is just a starting point. We now need better models, and to see what's happening in other galaxy mergers.”

Researchers used the Submillimeter Array (SMA) on Maunakea in Hawaii to probe deep inside Arp 220. Located near the summit of Maunakea on the Big Island of Hawaii, the SMA is one of the flagship observatories of the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, which is part of the CfA, and consists of eight radio dishes working together as one telescope.

To form a lot of stars in a short period of time, a large amount of gas needs to squeeze together.  As the heat from young stars builds, the gas gets dispersed, thereby inhibiting more stars from forming.

“To stop this happening, you need to add something to hold it all together – a magnetic field in a galaxy, or the lid and weight of a pressure cooker,” added Clement.

Astronomers have long been looking for the magic ingredient that makes some galaxies form stars more efficiently than is normal. One of the issues about galaxy mergers is that they can form stars very quickly, in what is known as a starburst. This means they're behaving differently to other star forming galaxies in terms of the relationship between star formation rate and the mass of stars in the galaxy – they seem to be turning gas into stars more efficiently than non-starburst galaxies. Astronomers are baffled as to why this happens.

One possibility is that magnetic fields could act as an extra ‘binding force’ that holds the star forming gas together for longer, resisting the tendency for the gas to expand and dissipate as it is heated by young, hot stars, or by supernovae as massive stars die.

Theoretical models have previously suggested this, but the new observations are the first to show that magnetic fields are present in the case of at least one galaxy.

“Another effect of the magnetic field is that it slows down the rotation of gas in the disks of merging galaxies. This allows the force of gravity to take over, pulling the sluggish gas inward to fuel starbursts,” said Qizhou Zhang of the CfA, a co-author of the study. “The SMA has been one of the leading telescopes for high angular resolution observations of magnetic fields in molecular clouds in the Milky Way. It's great to see that this study breaks new ground by measuring magnetic fields in merging galaxies.”

The next step for the research team will be to search for magnetic fields in other ultraluminous infrared galaxies. With their result, and further observations, the researchers hope the role of magnetic fields in some of the most luminous galaxies in the local universe will become much clearer.

IMAGE: This image of Arp 220 was taken by NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope. Arp 220 is the aftermath of a collision between two spiral galaxies. It is the brightest of the three galactic mergers closest to Earth, about 250 million light-years away. Astronomers studied Arp 220 with the Submillimeter Array (SMA) to determine the role magnetic fields play in the formation of stars. Credit: NASA/ESA/STScI/HST

[no-future-mudwasps]

Local_Storage_Only: Documentation

Okay, recording.

En route to blinkgate now, ETA something like 16 hours on retrograde burn. Most everyone's resting, but me? I'm (burning the midnight oil) on a mission.

First problem; I don't know shit about coding. I mean, I've got (building blocks) the basics down, I could probably make a killer computer game (NHP privilege talking), but the particulars of volitional impulse interpellation into MHM are going slow. The worst part is [Mondragon] mapping; I can determine the area of my body, where I want to associate with, but the unfortunate fact is that WHICH THRICE BURNED has nowhere near the neuron density equivalent that I'm looking for. It's impractical to have that many sensors wired in, not to mention the end lag would be suboptimal (fucking atrocious). And I'm not good enough at emulation (play pretend) to just overlay the avatar impulses onto the chassis without potentially causing skips in the qualic mesh.

I can't have that in combat, if I'm going to feel-- If I'm going to understand. It needs to be perfect.

I'm pacing. Apparently I'm a girl (guy) [flea] who paces now.

So, we can't get under and we can't get over. What about through? Why not... When I use the NO/EM emitters, I've ended up focusing on them like they're a part of me. Reorient my anatomical self-conception to make the field as much 'No Future' as the chassis. Why not keep the emitters running a low-strength field through the sensor array? It would(take time)[Form a second skin about the self. It is made of fine silk]n't be perfect, and I'd be opening myself up to a lot of sensation since any nominal interruption would be [pierce the surface](pain)(joy) felt, but I think I can manage to tune it out [drink it deep]. It's funny, actually, this might be the one case where my clone line helps. See I've been getting down on myself; 'poor SEKHMET-class, jocks of the Non-Human People'. My cognitive model has a hard time with abstract computation, sure, but who cares? If there's one thing we're made to do, it's [researchers claim that this behavior may be the result of metafold trauma caused to the corpus subst]

feel.

If there's one thing we're made to do, it's feel. To be someone else.

Something like this should be no problem at all.

[catenary-chad]

Some sources I get my train info from (mostly US-focused)

-Clive Lamming is all in French but can be machine translated. Outside of that he is my favorite rail writer and covers many of the themes/topics relevant to Stex. Fanciful, beginner friendly style that's fun just to browse random stuff on. Writes about electric trains in a romanticized way no English-language author does.

-Wikipedia is a decent starting place for most topics and will have a list of sources for fact-checking and even more info

-Historical societies for specific regions/railroads can be GREAT for more specific info

-Train museums/tourist railroads usually have decent websites with historical info on their equipment and you find some… interesting things at them.  Not always the biggest and coolest, but lots of weird stuff even at smaller ones (Chinese steam engines built in the late 80s, the tiniest diesel switcher I’ve ever seen, and a wild array of redneck retrofits of old circus trains are things I’ve seen).  They’ll often have more info on niche local industries for fun freight characters.  

-You’ll probably have a LOT of success finding physical books about trains at libraries, The Internet Archive, and antique stores (or anywhere with used books). 

https://www.cruiselinehistory.com/

^this site has a TON of articles and photos of 30s-60s era high-end US trains, which most of the replica coaches are based on.  Absolute gem for finding historical context for them and refs/ideas for OCs.

The Railway Series and first few seasons of Thomas The Tank Engine are unironically good at explaining British steam train mechanics circa the early-mid 20th century in a more whimsical way.  They’re very specific to their time and place though.  

r/railroading on reddit is for actual railroad workers to discuss their jobs and problems. Here there be discussions about whose employer sucks the least and which lines/engines have the worst toilets. It’s an interesting look at a very different side of things…

Electric-specific sources because they're a pain to find:

My youtube playlist with some favorite videos

ocs4rail.com - free, modern, English-language book with more than any non-professional would want to know about rail electrification. First few chapters have a great summary of the politics and history of it in the UK, the chapter on electric traction has great info on how the actual trains work. it gets technically intense fast outside of that and you might get lost if not mechanically/electrically inclined.

William C. Middleton- When the Steam Railroads Electrified- considered one of the definitive books on earlier US electric heavy rail, BEAUTIFUL photos and encyclopedic scope. Not cheap and probably a pain to get outside the US. Unfortunately most other books on pre-70s US electric trains are this way.

-Central Electric Railfans Association has put out a lot of stuff mostly on Chicago-area lines

-If you are ever in Boston, The Wardmaps/MBTA store is an awesome spot for books on this topic (and old passenger rails schedules, maps, and tokens)

-trolley museums often have very high quality presentations on random topics. Searching for Frank Sprague on various platforms will dig up something, he's a very important inventor in the train and elevator sphere many don't know about.

-Substation, elevator, and general heavy industrial tech and maintenance videos can be helpful since they share basic tech (various types of motors, variable frequency drives, big transformers).

YOUTUBE CHANNELS

Hyce777 (steam and diesel train mechanics, run by a guy who actually works on them. Gets very technically detailed in some videos) 

Railnatter (British podcast, discussion about political, technical, and cultural aspects of trains, host works in the industry and guests often do too)

Banks Rail (Modern US train politics, some international issues. VERY thorough and specific but beginner friendly.)

Charles Smiley Presents (20th century US trains, lots of nice video and very chill and beginner friendly without ignoring deeper problems)

V12 Productions (mostly modern US freight operations but very approachable style and shows a wide variety of stuff)

PAN UP (newer on the scene, one of the few with coverage of old US electric trains, very calm and chill)

Trek Trendy (very detailed reviews/vlogs of modern luxury trains)

Amtrakguy365 (aimed at railfans, histories of specific Amtrak equipment and lines)

Alan Fisher (focused on modern US transit/train issues, Philadelphia-focused and VERY leftist, aimed at non-railfans)

How We Get Around (even more Philadelphia focused but less political, lots of nitty gritty on the specific area’s network but also assumes you’re stupid and explains the basics very bluntly)

Specific references I use for Electra:

Electra is real and can take you for a ride if you ever go to France

CC 6500 info from an organization who restored and runs one today

AEM-7 Manual (Dense and technical but very detailed. The Swedish Rc class locomotives, AEM-7s, and similar derivatives are a pretty popular fanon basis for Electra and relatively well documented in English due to being used by Amtrak for nearly 40 years and in Sweden from the 60s-80s to now. Those models are my main source of Electra Extended Lore.)

Head-End Power info (sales website with detailed technical info on modern US-style HEP)