#reduce mitigate reduce

[cryptic-rainfall]

so, it seems that january's "new years resolution" type goal has been to get off of the big social medias. I deleted the fb messenger app from my phone finally (after not even using it for idk nearly a year? there was something wrong with it). I will keep ig on my phone and my fb account existing for those in-person connections, but gonna try reducing how much I'm on them, and log off fb in-browser when I'm not using it. next it's archive and delete my twitter account. (which I haven't used in nearly 2 years. I don't even know if it's still there.)

I've been wondering if I should try some other social media. a lot of people seem to be using bluesky but I kindof don't care. I'm eyeing mastodon and pixelfed and other open-source, decentralized fediverse platforms. (if anyone has tips or suggestions regarding that, I'd love to hear!)

[taraxippos]

Whenever the concept of bad driving comes up on here sooooo many people out themselves as terrible drivers who are a danger to themselves and others because they consider themselves to be Phenomenal drivers to the point they want to be cops about it.

Like believe it or not people cause accidents by deciding it's their divine mandate to regulate other driver's speeds for them. Not even just in situations where other drivers respond aggressively and are more directly at fault, though even then it's especially important Not to actively go out of your way to impede the progress of an aggressive driver just to like, stick it to them because you're the worlds goodest specialest little traffic cop. If you get into a fiery wreck because you're trying to enrage the jacked up 1000000 megawatt LED headlights pickup truck tailgating you, frankly you both deserve it.

[aeide-thea]

(okay the crotch sashiko post is making me a little insane bc like. huge love and respect for visible mending but i gotta say i would Not personally wear a pair of pants out in public ft. a swathe of bright yellow Xs drawing onlookers' attention to my groin unless i really and truly had no other option????)

[asgardian--angels]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

We need two things: FUNDING and MANPOWER.

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

At the national level, please support:

The Nature Conservancy

Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation

Cornell Lab of Ornithology (including eBird)

National Audubon Society

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

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

THERE ARE DEFINITELY MORE, but these are a start.

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

At the regional level:

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

PRAIRIE CONSERVATION & PRAIRIE POTHOLE WETLANDS

DRYING OF THE COLORADO RIVER (good overview video linked)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

At the state and local level:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Xerces Society Pollinator Conservation Resource Center

Pollinator Pathway

Audubon Native Plant Finder

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

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

Heather Holm (for prairie/midwest/northeast)

MonarchGard w/ Benjamin Vogt (for prairie/midwest)

Native Plant Trust (northeast & mid-atlantic)

Grow Native Massachusetts (northeast)

Habitat Gardening in Central New York (northeast)

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

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

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

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

[ricky-croissant]

Lifegems are not the enemy!! Purposefully fractured and incoherent level connections are not the enemy!!! The Enemy is needing a stat to increase roll I frames and losing permanent health upon death

[pnwnativeplants]

Though there can be many negative impacts of honeybees on the landscape in North America: honeybees are not going anywhere and beekeepers are some of the most powerful allies in the fight against insecticides and herbicides. Right now we NEED honeybees to pollinate our crops. Eventually we should move towards requiring native hedgerows to reduce our reliance on honeybee shipments...not only will this be cheaper for farmers in the future, it will help reduce the amount of insect diseases that are spread by honeybees. (As the bees are shipped all over the continent) However, honey is always going to be something people want. The important thing for beekeepers to keep in mind, is making sure there are not too many hives per square mile! A single hive is 15,000-50,000 additional mouths to feed in an area that may already have limited pollen resources for native bees. (Who are often solitary) Responsible bee keepers can improve the impact their hives have by learning how many hives are in an area, planting abundant native flower resources on whatever land they manage, and taking feral hives out of the ecosystem rather than propagate new hives from scratch, or buying queens from retailers. People who keep honeybees are not bad people for loving honeybees! Honeybees are fascinating animals and often act as ambassadors to the beauty of the insect world. There are many ways we can and do work together to mitigate harm on all insects!

[xdivinedecay]

I decided to stop and look up if Wildberry incense is known to include formaldehyde in their incense since they're like, the most popular or commercially-accessible brand of incense in the USA. I can't find reference to use of formaldehyde (unfortunately there is nothing when you search "ingredients" on their main retail site...), but a reddit comment suggests that many of their scents are synthetic, which are usually made up of petroleum products.

I just urge for critical shopping and research if you're buying incense with pets in the space since they are so much more susceptible to these small airborne particles! I wonder if synthetic fragrances mean you can burn scents that are of plants/etc. known to be poisonous to common domestic pets, but I really wonder if it's best to just avoid those scent types all together...

[bogleech]

Science: "hey if we don't do something about climate change there's a POSSIBILITY of increasingly catastrophic weather phenomena within our lifetimes, as you know a projected worst case scenario we could mitigate, not saying it's happening on any particular schedule but the trends are alarming! Let's try and reduce those odds!" Media: "hear that??? All the scientists literally said global warming will obliterate swathes of civilization in like 10 years. New York City will be underwater just like in these dramatized movies about it" Conservatives: "ummm it's not happening exactly that way so obviously scientists were WRONG about what we falsely think they were saying and therefore climate change is not really anyone's fault and can't be averted and won't hurt us so let's do more fracking" Climate: *goes ahead and does that shit anyway but somehow that debate continues exactly fucking the same and probably will for the rest of our shittier and shittier lives*

[aishwaryyadav12]

Conserve Energy, Conserve the Planet: A Call to Action

In our everyday actions, we often overlook the impact they have on our planet. From the flick of a light switch to the turn of a key in an ignition, we consume energy derived from precious resources, which in turn contributes to climate change, dwindling ecosystems, and the loss of species. However, we have the power to change this narrative. By conserving energy, we can create a brighter, cleaner, and more sustainable future for ourselves and generations to come. Let's explore some simple yet effective ways to conserve energy and protect our planet.

Small Changes, Big Impact:

Conserving energy doesn't have to be complicated or burdensome. It starts with small changes in our daily lives. Turn off lights and appliances when not in use, opt for energy-efficient products, and consider alternative modes of transportation such as biking or public transit. These simple steps can make a significant difference in reducing our energy consumption and carbon footprint.

Embracing Renewable Energy:

Supporting renewable energy sources is another crucial aspect of conserving energy. By embracing solar and wind power, we can reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and contribute to a more sustainable energy future. Consider investing in solar panels for your home or advocating for renewable energy policies in your community. Together, we can create a greener and healthier planet.

Reducing Single-Use Products:

A lesser-known aspect of energy conservation is reducing our reliance on single-use products. Items like plastic bags and disposable utensils not only contribute to waste but also require a considerable amount of energy to produce and dispose of. By opting for reusable alternatives, we not only save energy but also help protect our natural resources and mitigate climate change.

Advocating for Change:

Energy conservation goes beyond our individual actions. It requires collective efforts and advocacy for change on a larger scale. Support political initiatives and policies that prioritize renewable energy sources. Encourage businesses and organizations to adopt sustainable practices. By raising our voices and working together, we can create a more sustainable future for ourselves and generations to come.

Testimonials from Youth Changemakers:

To inspire and motivate youth to save the environment and energy, let's hear from some young changemakers who have made a significant impact:

"I realized that every time I turned off unnecessary lights, I was not only saving energy but also contributing to a healthier planet. It's empowering to know that my small actions matter." - Greta Thunberg, 20, Sweden.

"By installing solar panels on our school rooftop, we not only reduced our energy costs but also taught the entire school community about the benefits of renewable energy. We are showing that sustainability is achievable." - Licypriya Kangujam, 11, India.

"Switching to a bike for my daily commute not only saves me money but also reduces my carbon footprint. It's amazing how a simple change can have such a positive impact on the environment." - Isra Hirsi, 20, United States.

"Through our environmental club, we organized a campaign to reduce single-use plastic on campus. Seeing the positive response from students and staff made me realize the power of collective action in conserving energy and protecting our planet." - Melati Wijsen, 22, Indonesia.

[fromjeevita]

Is Everyone a Climate Changer?

Introduction

Climate Change is a short term with a big impact. It refers to long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns. These shifts may be natural, but since the 1800s, human activities have been the main driver of climate change, primarily due to the burning of fossil fuels (like coal, oil, and gas), which produce heat-trapping gases like Carbon dioxide and methane. These gases are the cause of Global Warming. This further leads to the melting of glaciers which causes a rise in water level every year.

Where do we step in…...

Now, one might ask if he/she is connected to this. The answer is a big YES. Everyone from rich to poor, short to tall, fat to slim is responsible for the climate change happening around us. They are unknowingly a reason for climate change whether it is positive or negative. Yes, climate change can be both negative and positive]. For those of you wondering what positive climate change is, they are the impacts of climate change which are beneficial for us. 

A mind-boggling FACT.

Let’s talk about an average person’s morning routine. He/she wakes up, brushes their teeth, takes a bath, eats breakfast and gets on any means of transport to get to their work. Even in this short 3-4 hours of the time gap, the person has created an impact towards climate change. For example, when he/she brushes their teeth the amount of water they use is a key factor in CC because if they use a greater quantity of water, the purification company would have to use more of their factories to purify them. Now, some of you might think that if they waste just 20-30 ml of water it is not going to make a difference but wait let me show you how cool maths is. Let’s say each person wastes only 1ml of water every day (which is less and not true at all) and only 1 billion out of the 8 billion people on this planet waste it. So now each day 1,000,000,000 ml or 1 million litres of water is getting wasted. And again, this is not even the accurate results. So, you see how such a small thing created such a massive impact on climate. These small things when compiled make big impacts.

Similarly, if we put this vice-versa then if a person only saves 1 ml of water each day and only 1 billion out of 8 billion people on this planet do so, we all will be able to save about 1 million litres of water every day. This was only the start of your day. 

Conclusion

Let’s take one more example. Let's say you travel to your workplace or school in your car or scooter. We all know that burning fuel releases greenhouse gases into the environment. If one person goes in one car and the second one goes in another car to the same place. That is 2x emission of harmful gases. But let’s say they both go in one car; it will reduce the emission by half. These are just some short instances from our daily life which lead us as a changing factor in the climate change journey. So by just thinking about it for some time, we can give our efforts to the planet and climate itself

 BIBLIOGRAPHY

https://www.co2nsensus.com/blog/countries-generating-carbon-credits

[diehellasrache]

looks like this is in montpellier, france, if anyone's curious.

[envirocarefoundation]

Is Everyone a Climate Changer?

Introduction

Climate Change is a short term with a big impact. It refers to long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns. These shifts may be natural, but since the 1800s, human activities have been the main driver of climate change, primarily due to the burning of fossil fuels (like coal, oil, and gas), which produce heat-trapping gases like Carbon dioxide and methane. These gases are the cause of Global Warming. This further leads to the melting of glaciers which causes a rise in water level every year.

Where do we step in…...

Now, one might ask if he/she is connected to this. The answer is a big YES. Everyone from rich to poor, short to tall, fat to slim is responsible for the climate change happening around us. They are unknowingly a reason for climate change whether it is positive or negative. Yes, climate change can be both negative and positive]. For those of you wondering what positive climate change is, they are the impacts of climate change which are beneficial for us. 

A mind-boggling FACT.

Let’s talk about an average person’s morning routine. He/she wakes up, brushes their teeth, takes a bath, eats breakfast and gets on any means of transport to get to their work. Even in this short 3-4 hours of the time gap, the person has created an impact towards climate change. For example, when he/she brushes their teeth the amount of water they use is a key factor in CC because if they use a greater quantity of water, the purification company would have to use more of their factories to purify them. Now, some of you might think that if they waste just 20-30 ml of water it is not going to make a difference but wait let me show you how cool maths is. Let’s say each person wastes only 1ml of water every day (which is less and not true at all) and only 1 billion out of the 8 billion people on this planet waste it. So now each day 1,000,000,000 ml or 1 million litres of water is getting wasted. And again, this is not even the accurate results. So, you see how such a small thing created such a massive impact on climate. These small things when compiled make big impacts.

Similarly, if we put this vice-versa then if a person only saves 1 ml of water each day and only 1 billion out of 8 billion people on this planet do so, we all will be able to save about 1 million litres of water every day. This was only the start of your day. 

Conclusion

Let’s take one more example. Let's say you travel to your workplace or school in your car or scooter. We all know that burning fuel releases greenhouse gases into the environment. If one person goes in one car and the second one goes in another car to the same place. That is 2x emission of harmful gases. But let’s say they both go in one car; it will reduce the emission by half. These are just some short instances from our daily life which lead us as a changing factor in the climate change journey. So by just thinking about it for some time, we can give our efforts to the planet and climate itself

 BIBLIOGRAPHY

https://www.co2nsensus.com/blog/countries-generating-carbon-credits

[keferon]

Odds of Survival Part 3

Unstoppable forces meets immovable objects.

Or Prowl finds new reasons to be concerned.

———————————————————————

While Prowl had destroyed the bombers attacking their end of the bridge, the other side had no such saving grace.

The opposite end of the sky bridge had broken off from the Commerce Tower and was now swinging downwards, creating a miles long ramp to obliteration.

There was a 4% chance Prowl could technically survive the impact. However he’d almost certainly be reduced to a sputtering spark trapped in a compacted pile of scrap that had once been his frame. Without instantaneous medical intervention, he would most certainly perish even in the event of the 4% survival chance occurring.

4% halved to 2% when Tacnet registered Jazz magnetizing his hands to Prowls frame.

Tacnet spun wildly and without traction. Whatever actions Prowl could have taken to mitigate the incoming damage was removed by Jazz’s inescapable hold. Every possible strategy terminated instantly in a flurry of error messages as Tacnet tried to factor for the impossible.

Physically, Prowls servos moved on their own, driven by some core deep coding for self preservation that had him frantically clawing at Jazz’s back for either a hand hold or escape as Tacnet spat out a single coherent plan:

(Brace For Impact)

The Praxian briefly wondered if he’d crash before they crashed.

The mechs jolted as Jazz made contact with the bridge turned ramp. A fountain of sparks spraying from his pedes as Jazz hit the bridge upright and began skating down the buckling surface.

Jazz wasn’t just passively sliding along either. Prowl felt powerful legs tense and thrusters make quick adjustments to narrowly avoid lethal splinters of braking pipes and metal sheets.

Odds of Survival 5%

Odds of Survival 6%

Prowl watched the impossible as Tacnet slowly ticked upwards. Through some stroke of insanity, Jazz was controlling their descent. Analyzing the white mechs motions, Prowl concluded they were practiced. Unbelievably, Jazz somehow had previous experience with similar circumstances.

On what Fragging planet does somebody regularly go careening down incredibly steep slopes at high speeds with only their own athleticism to keep them alive?!

Skill alone wasn’t enough however, because Jazz was slowly loosing control. As the sky bridge swung inexorably downwards, their ramp was steadily becoming steeper. Prowl could feel one of Jazz’s legs beginning to involuntarily shudder under the continued strain. The obstacles kept coming faster and faster, the visored mech barely keeping pace.

If he dropped me, Jazz has a 23% chance at saving himself.

Prowl caught sight of a chunk of bridge breaking outwards that spanned the total width of it. No getting around it. The jagged edge lifted just high enough to bisect him just below the wings. Prowl turned away.

Jazz leapt.

The deafening vibrations of metal on metal grinding suddenly stopped. An instrumental segment filled the gap.

Gravity ended their short reprieve.

This time when they collided with bridge, Prowl felt Jazz land wrong and then suddenly the sky was whipping past his optics.

Stars, moon, bridge. Stars, moon, bridge. Stars, moon, bridge. Stars, moon, bridge.

Tacnet greedily took in their current velocity, rate of rotation, and angle of the sky bridges decent to inform Prowl that Jazz and his combined weight would land on his helm.

Thank you Tacnet, I hate you.

Jazz shifted and Prowls vision went white.

Despite Tacnets certainty to the contrary, Prowl was not unconscious or dead.

ERROR, moon, ERROR. Stars, moon, bridge. Stars, ERROR, bridge, rubble. Stars, moon, bridge, rubble.

They were flipping through the air again.

Jazz landed on his feet this time but couldn’t stop their rolling. Prowl felt fast painful scrapes against his servos and peds.

Stars, bridge, rubble. Stars, bridge, rubble.

Tacnet took in their velocity and rotation again. Calculating their distance to the wreckage at the end of their fall.

Impact Survival 74%

Impact location Doorwings 87%

At least his doorwings were already offlined.

By then, the two mechs were no longer bouncing, but rolling fully across the remains of the bridge. Prowl locked himself around Jazz and braced for impact.

Collision was instant and deafening.

Prowls sense of balance was rubber banding. The instant stop after what felt like vorns of spinning out of control was just as disorientating as the fall itself.

In a lapse of memory, he onlined his doorwings.

Prowl remembered why he left them offline a click too late and sucked in a vent.

Except. They were functioning. The edges stung and the tip’s were badly chipped but both sensors were fully operational.

Blunt helm trauma. He must be having a severe processor malfunction. Prowl unlocked protesting joints and looked over his shoulders at his doorwings.

They were only lightly damaged, fully functional, and only a servos width from the pile of rubble he was being held above.

A black and white arm extended past his wings, buried wrist deep in the wreckage.

Jazz still had a death grip around his waist, visor pressed into Prowls shoulder.

“Jazz?” Prowl tried. If he put his vocalizer against his audial, the sound should carry. The music played out its final notes, leaving the silence of the moon in its wake.

“Jazz?” Prowl tried a little harder, pulling at the servo still magnetized to his back, unhooking his peds to kneel on the rubble. They had fallen into the 90 degree crook of the second cylindrical extension. The bridge had come to rest at last, kicking up enough moon dust to obscure their survival from any searching quintessons. For now.

Jazz slurred something in his native language, before repeating in common, “Gimme a click. I’m gonna throw up real quick.”

Prowl flared his wings, scanning the area. It was a relatively short drop to the moons surface. Once there, Prowl could transform and carry the both of them at speed to the outpost. Clearly, Jazz had no trouble holding onto him.

Speaking of, Jazz finally, slowly began to uncurl from Prowls frame.

He looked terrible. His visor had splintered crack’s across one side, the isolated fragments independently flickering. One horn was stuck pinned against his helm, sparking where shrapnel was jammed into the gap. He was visibly wobbling, and even with an em field Prowl could tell he was badly disoriented.

Jazz stared at Prowl for a while, before looking to his hand still buried in rubble. He tried pulling it free gently and when that didn’t work, got a completely ruined and mostly toe-less ped braced next to it and yanked

Jazz’s hand came free. At the same time something important looking snapped and fell out of his shoulder. The limb going limp.

Prowl didn’t have the bandwidth to process that at the moment.

Instead, he plucked up the chunk of shoulder into sub space. Tacking that onto the growing list of injuries they’d both needed tending to.

Cautiously, Prowl reached up to gingerly touch the back of his helm, fully expecting to feel exposed and crushed circuitry. Instead, he felt several dents, aligned in parallel. Very tender, but most certainly not as damaged as it should have been.

How?

Tacnet answered by mapping the contours of the dents, drawing Prowls optics to the back of Jazz’s obliterated servo.

The remains of the sky bridge shuttered.

Odds of Survival 45%

Prowl got Jazz’s attention and began pulling him towards the ledge they’d need to descend. Effectively deaf, probably blind, down an arm and forced to walk on two severely injured peds, Prowl only felt some relief when he finally wrangled Jazz to rest on top of his alt form.

Watching him struggle down the ledge was utterly disturbing to watch. Jazz limped along as if he was completely desensitized to pain, behaving as if he was more annoyed by his injuries than agonized.

Package secured, Prowl gunned it for the outpost. Even injured, he trusted Jazz to stay magnetized to his frame with whatever he had left to hold on with.

Out of the dust cloud, Prowl was intimately aware of how exposed they’d be. Confident he wouldn’t loose Jazz, Prowl focused entirely on plotting the most efficient route to the outpost.

The moment it came into view, Prowl pushed his engine past the redline as he registered sniper shots firing just past and above them.

Pursuing quintesson wreckers 78%.

Sure enough, a dead wrecker crashed into the moon dirt a short distance to their left.

Prowl managed a drifting slide past the out post gates, losing exactly enough momentum to match the speed of a running mech, then transformed back to root mode in the same maneuver. An exceedingly useful technique when chasing criminals and a damn effective way to shoulder someone on your roof through a door in the most efficient manner possible.

[Bluestreak, I’ve made it inside the outpost. I have an injured mech with me.]

[Heya Prowl! I saw you tearing it up out there with your backpack buddy! I’ve got a few more stragglers to take care of but you’re welcome to use the medic case I’ve got with me in here. I’ll ping the door for you.]

The primary medkit should be in the outpost storage closet. That is unless Bluestreak pulled it into his snipers nest to tend to his own injuries (22%). Or because Bluestreak pulled it there to force Prowl to bring his “backpack buddy” within conversational distance (92%).

He felt a tap at his shoulder, “Are we safe here?” Jazz yelled in the thin atmosphere. Visor flickering worse than before and visibly making an effort to stay balanced upright on eviscerated peds.

Priorities.

Prowl ignored his annoyance. He hit the trigger to pressurize the airlock and pulled Jazz’s good arm over his shoulders to stabilize the other mech. He had easily a dozen lines of questioning queued up in the backlog of his processor, every single one tagged with Jazz as the subject line. As much as Prowl itched to piece together the puzzle of why he was “Like that.” It’d have to wait until they were both in more stable condition. At least now his vents could actually do something to start cooling his overstressed processor.

“For now. We are somewhat safe.”

Prowl muttered quietly in addition, “Against all odds.”

———————————————————————

Bluestreak, seeing Prowl with some very obvious hand prints and very specific paint scratches: “What in the pit did he do to you?”

Bluestreak, seeing Jazz walk in after him with a broken arm, busted horn and an utterly torn up paint job across his back: “What in the pit did YOU do to him?!”

Either one or two parts left, next up Jazz pov.

-SSTP

OH HELL SSTP LET ME HOLD YOUR HAND REALQUICK THIS IS A FIVE STAR MEAL FOR MY SOUL FKKDJFG I JUST. I NEVER FUCKING GET TIRED OF THE WAY YOU WRITE I know I'm probably repeating myself at this point BUT IT'S JUST WHAT MY TRUTH LOOKS LIKE OKAY. EVERY TIME I SEE AN ASK FROM YOU AND START READING IT I GO "Oh M A N the author cooked so hard they should've made Ratatouille 2 about this way of placing words."

[lululocomo]

Okay on the topic of Wukong trying to do top surgery himself and MK being instantly concerned over this development and the many, MANY blades sticking out of his papa, I have another idea:

He attempts to do the surgery himself. Somehow. He teams up with Red to do research on demon immortality and regeneration magic and what can be used to mitigate it, alongside trying to recall anything from the future developments that doctors used for surgeries from whatever source he can recall (this includes doctor drama TV shows, unfortunately).

What escalates is them attempting to BURN OFF THE TITS with the samadhi fire, then apply a homemade ointment to heal and also prevent the boobs from regenerating-

By some miracle it works... For about two days until the ointment dries up and they immediately regenerate again 😭

Good news is they progressed in surgery studies way earlier than normal???

I CACKLED SO HARD THIS IS SO DUMB BUT DAMN THEY WOULD DO THAT😭✋

Macaque is just so tired of their bullshit 😔

Perhaps it will only work partially, the boobs just reduced a tiny bit in size fgfdgfd

Redson agreed to do that only for research purpose (and because Xiaotian was begging him for help)

[batboyblog]

Things Biden and the Democrats did, this week #19

May 17-24 2024

President Biden wiped out the student loan debt of 160,000 more Americans. This debt cancellation of 7.7 billion dollars brings the total student loan debt relieved by the Biden Administration to $167 billion. The Administration has canceled student loan debt for 4.75 million Americans so far. The 160,000 borrowers forgiven this week owned an average of $35,000 each and are now debt free. The Administration announced plans last month to bring debt forgiveness to 30 million Americans with student loans coming this fall.

The Department of Justice announced it is suing Ticketmaster for being a monopoly. DoJ is suing Ticketmaster and its parent company Live Nation for monopolistic practices. Ticketmaster controls 70% of the live show ticket market leading to skyrocketing prices, hidden fees and last minute cancellation. The Justice Department is seeking to break up Live Nation and help bring competition back into the market. This is one of a number of monopoly law suits brought by the Biden administration against Apple in March and Amazon in September 2023.

The EPA announced $225 million in new funding to improve drinking and wastewater for tribal communities. The money will go to tribes in the mainland US as well as Alaska Native Villages. It'll help with testing for forever chemicals, and replacing of lead pipes as well as sustainability projects.

The EPA announced $300 million in grants to clean up former industrial sites. Known as "Brownfield" sites these former industrial sites are to be cleaned and redeveloped into community assets. The money will fund 200 projects across 178 communities. One such project will transform a former oil station in Philadelphia’s Kingsessing neighborhood, currently polluted with lead and other toxins into a waterfront bike trail.

The Department of Agriculture announced a historic expansion of its program to feed low income kids over the summer holidays. Since the 1960s the SUN Meals have served in person meals at schools and community centers during the summer holidays to low income children. This Year the Biden administration is rolling out SUN Bucks, a $120 per child grocery benefit. This benefit has been rejected by many Republican governors but in the states that will take part 21 million kids will benefit. Last year the Biden administration introduced SUN Meals To-Go, offering pick-up and delivery options expanding SUN's reach into rural communities. These expansions are part of the Biden administration's plan to end hunger and reduce diet-related disease by 2030.

Vice-President Harris builds on her work in Africa to announce a plan to give 80% of Africa internet access by 2030, up from just 40% today. This push builds off efforts Harris has spearheaded since her trip to Africa in 2023, including $7 billion in climate adaptation, resilience, and mitigation, and $1 billion to empower women. The public-private partnership between the African Development Bank Group and Mastercard plans to bring internet access to 3 million farmers in Kenya, Tanzania, and Nigeria, before expanding to Uganda, Ethiopia, and Ghana, and then the rest of the continent, bring internet to 100 million people and businesses over the next 10 years. This is together with the work of Partnership for Digital Access in Africa which is hoping to bring internet access to 80% of Africans by 2030, up from 40% now, and just 30% of women on the continent. The Vice-President also announced $1 billion for the Women in the Digital Economy Fund to assure women in Africa have meaningful access to the internet and its economic opportunities.

The Senate approved Seth Aframe to be a Judge on the US Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, it also approved Krissa Lanham, and Angela Martinez to district Judgeships in Arizona, as well as Dena Coggins to a district court seat in California. Bring the total number of judges appointed by President Biden to 201. Biden's Judges have been historically diverse. 64% of them are women and 62% of them are people of color. President Biden has appointed more black women to federal judgeships, more Hispanic judges and more Asian American judges and more LGBT judges than any other President, including Obama's full 8 years in office. President Biden has also focused on backgrounds appointing a record breaking number of former public defenders to judgeships, as well as labor and civil rights lawyers.

[nothorses]

my problem with how internet leftists talk about teachers is that they fall into the same trap that every shitty non-profit work environment does: the work Actually Matters, therefore worker's rights no longer apply.

"the customer is always wrong", but if you're a teacher, you can't have that mentality about your customers (your students and their parents), because that leads to abuse and trauma. which, to be clear, is literally true! teachers are responsible for the harm they cause, regardless of what leads to it!

but when teachers speak up and say that they need better pay, smaller classrooms, and better protections as workers in order to mitigate the burnout and trauma that leads to these problems, snarky internet leftists love to shit on them for asking for real help instead of bootstrapping their way out of mental health struggles caused by shitty, abusive working conditions.

it's okay for a barista to take their stress and frustration out on the next customer- regardless of the harm this causes or how undeserving the recipient of it may be- because they're abused and at the mercy of a system that overworks and underpays them. but if a teacher asks that we grapple with the complexity of:

real systemic problems that lead to individuals lashing out and causing harm,

that harm still not being acceptable or allowable on an individual level, and

those systemic issues still needing to be addressed in order to reduce said harm on a wider scale,

people start acting like every teacher who wants a raise is Count fucking Olaf.

yall don't want real solutions to the problems you bring up, you want to feel morally righteous.