#they are coloured like puffins

[ruderubicante]

I've been banned from healing in any and all circumstances.

[oneatlatime]

The Headband

I don't care how dormant a volcano supposedly is. Living in the maw of one would absolutely freak me out.

Zuko out for his nightly constitutional lurking practice.

I want this snuggy cape.

No better disguise than a cloud 1.2 metres from the ground. That's where all clouds hand out. Cool puffins though.

Enemy puffins approve of new fluffy Sokka.

Did Sokka just dive headfirst into rock?

I do not like this angle. Looks like his head's on backwards.

This episode is three minutes in and already I'm loving the comic tone.

Wow Katara, with the enthusiasm you're showing for stealing those clothes, they must belong to pirates.

These are some top tier nonsense sound effects. Far too few of those in recent episodes.

Beat up Sokka quota fulfilled!

Toph has by far the best outfit. Love the gold accents.

We've had two seasons of blatantly blue Katara not being identified by the Fire Nation as a Water Tribe person. I think the necklace can stay.

His headband is an airbender arrow. So much for disguising himself.

I would love it if linguistic drift meant that Aang was going around tossing out slurs completely unaware.

WHAT is this face

"Just slob is fine." I ADORE characters that are so secure in themselves and in their belief in the decency of others that all attempts at ridicule slide off like water off a duck's back.

He does it again! "Wow. Are you a bully? This is so exciting! I've always wanted to meet a bully!"

Onji - get better taste in men. Why are you even dating this prick? Did you have any say in becoming his girlfriend? Blink twice if you need help.

These Fire Nation kids are all so mild. Contrast them with Zuko and they might as well be a different species.

What is Hide and Explode?

Sokka is showing a mastery of slapstick that I haven't seen since The Fortune Teller. Glad to have it back.

Is this the first time someone has recognised Zuko by his scar? About time.

Was it really necessary to beat up the guard? Seems a bit much. Zuko could have just asked nicely. That usually works for Iroh.

Speaking of: Iroh! Hi Iroh! Didn't think you'd still be alive.

Noodle Ozai. Did Aang get put in preschool by accident?

Those hippies should do a song about Secret Rivers.

Tired of spending three years talking to Zuko without making any progress, Iroh decides to attempt a new technique and deploys the silent treatment. It works just as well as three years of talking.

Colour me completely unsurprised that the Fire Nation has a pledge of Allegiance.

This school must have some gnarly punishments if questioning the teacher garners this reaction.

This man's head is alarming.

This man is also surprisingly nice for a fascist agent of the state bent on suppressing personal expression.

Movements? Aang you were showing her MOVEMENTS! GASP! FILTHY!

I love this fight. It's been a while (maybe back to season 1) since Aang's preferred fighting style was 'Nope'.

They haven't committed to the bit this hard since Bonzu Pippinpadalopsicopoulous, the Third!

It's funny how we spent two whole seasons haunted by nothing but threatening shadows of the Fire Lord, and then an episode after his face is finally revealed they turn him into part of the decor. He even gets a noodle version.

Play Spot the Firelord with this episode. I count four.

Sokka is having way too much fun with this.

Just going to sneak a reference to child labour in there. Gnarly punishments indeed.

Local Emos Experience Happiness for the First Time; Immediately Implode.

I'm sorry but Mai's cloak has such Santa vibes.

That is some serious side eye.

"You get to be normal all the time." Aang is pulling no punches today.

Where did they get this many candles? Actually, where did they get that many matches? They don't even have a Firebender on staff.

Poor kid is objectively correct. I guarantee your parents don't want you dancing in a cave. It will be good for you though! just don't lick the walls.

No wonder the Fire Nation got rid of dancing. Those moves are awful.

Zuko! "I brought you this food that I know you don't like because I need your help." Buddy. Why.

I could do without the heavy-handed Katara and Aang romance. Also, when exactly did Katara learn advanced gymnastics and choreograph a whole routine with Aang?

I hate this twerp so much!

That song the band is playing right as the adults bust in is better than the songs featured earlier in the dance montage.

I love this guy.

i know that the soundtrack probably went from diegetic to non-diegetic as soon as the chase started, but I love the idea that the school band provided theme music for searching for Aang.

Delightfully eerie. and also very Spartacus.

Actually with the guards starting to dance, it WAS the school band providing a soundtrack for the Aang hunt.

Is Momo at the reins?

How is this assassin good at keeping secrets and not being followed? He creaks and clanks.

Final Thoughts

I loved this. This type of episode is when Avatar is at its best: heaps of goof, a side helping of heart, subtle and not-so-subtle critiques organically incorporated, tonally contrasting storylines that combine to form a whole greater than its parts, and even one-note characters who are given depth.

Aang was in his element as a normal kid; Sokka was having a great time being super agent / team dad; poor Katara and Toph got like two lines each but still had fun with what they did get. Even Momo got some sight gags.

Aang is so personable. I think it's the combination of great social skills from a good peripatetic upbringing and being a peacetime child.

I think Zuko experienced every possible human emotion this episode. I loved seeing him snark with Mai (those two are way too good together), but his scenes with/revolving around Iroh were confusing and intense. Which is probably how Zuko would describe them too. Seems he's speedrunning his season 1 bad decisions arc.

I'm not fond of this new silent treatment approach from Iroh, but I have to admit that talking to Zuko didn't work for years, so what else is there to try?

I wasn't expecting a Footloose homage and a Spartacus reference in Avatar of all places. But it works. And it works if you don't catch the references too.

I am severely disappointed in Fire Nation fashion. I was expecting gloriously eye-searing red/gold/yellow outfits. I got black/tan/brown with dull red edging. It's probably a visual commentary on what imperialism does to its own people. And the price of dyes. But I was really looking forward to reds and golds! At least I have Toph's outfit.

I loved the liberal use of sound effects in the Gaang's plot. I love comic sound effects on their own, but they really enhanced the contast between Zuko and the Gaang's plots.

There was lots of heavy stuff under the surface this episode, what with the squashing of the self and the discrimination against colonials and the propaganda and the revisionist history and the assassin. But I feel like being silly today, so I'm not going to dig into it. That's one of the great things about this show. Not all, but many episodes are structured so that you can choose your level of engagement and consequent angst.

This episode was funny, and fun. A much-needed palette cleanser after the drudge of the season opener. The last time there was an episode this unapologetically silly was probably Avatar Day. In other words, it's been far too long. Definitely going on my rewatch list.

I really want Zuko's snuggy cape.

[wild-pixel]

The Sims 4 Winter High Hair Kit by Wild-Pixel

A little hair kit for your teen sims so they can take on the school year in style! I have been working on for too long since the new High School Expansion came out. I hope you all like them!

All the info for them will be under the cut!

DOWNLOAD [SIMFILESHARE]

*PATREON COMING SOON*

TWITTER *THIS IS WHERE I POST WIPS*

This pack includes the following:

ALENA HAIR - I hated the bangs that come with this hair so I changed them...

BGC

Female Teen to elder

24 EA colours

Custom Thumbnail

Hat Compatible

CONNOR HAIR - I was finally able to create my hairstyle...

BGC

Male Teen to elder

24 EA colours

Custom Thumbnail

Hat Compatible

@marsosims new EA swatch action was amazing for this hair!!

EKA HAIR - I added bangs to the nice new plat/pony hair...

BGC

Female Teen to elder

24 EA colours

Custom Thumbnail

Hat Compatible

FARRAH HAIR - A longer version of the very cute curly bob...

BGC

Female Teen to elder

24 EA colours

Custom Thumbnail

Hat compatible

Comparison:

LIAM HAIR - I was also able to create my bf's hair...

BGC

Male Teen to elder

24 EA colours

Custom Thumbnail

Hat Compatible

RIHANNA HAIR - A shorter version of this beauty of a pony...

BGC

Female Teen to elder

24 EA colours. SOLID & OMBRE

Custom Thumbnail

Hat Compatible

Comparison

EA for the meshes and textures

@maxismatchccworld @mmoutfitters @itselliandra @aharris00finds @oakiyocc @sssvitlanz @s4hairs

@pepperoni-puffin for the stunning preview!

Enjoy!

[plutobutartsy]

here's a page of fun asher doodles i did for tea's birthday :3 in my mind he has a shitty mullet that he insists on cutting and dying himself but he makes it work anyway. his nose is a bit bumpy because he broke it god knows how many times as a kid/teen lol

ID in alt and below cut

[ID:

A page of digital sketches of my design for Asher. He's portrayed as a lanky dude with light brown skin and a bleached blond mullet, the dark roots are still showing. He has a crooked asymmetrical nose, nice lips that expose one fang and messy eyebrows. He has heterochromia, making his left eye a light brown and his right one green. He has a jagged scar reaching from his right jaw halfway up his cheek and over his left eye he has an eyebrow piercing. He is also wearing silver earrings and a spiked choker.

Top left: A headshot drawing of Asher from the front. He's smiling brightly, his teeth exposed and winking. The sketch isn't coloured. Text above it reads, "HAPPY B-DAY TEA!!".

Top middle: A simplified full body doodle of Asher wearing a cropped shirt with the My Chemical Romance lettering on it, a fishnet shirt underneath, skinny ripped jeans and boots. He's smiling with his eyes scrunched shut and a cat-like grin. In his left habd he's holding a bouquet of flowers. The drawing isn't couloured but filled out with white. Next to the drawing there's text clarifying that he's picking Babe up from work.

Top right: A simplified doodle of Asher's side profile as he's kissing tea's profile picture in a very cartoonish way, not coloured. There's text saying "cutest couple fr!!".

Bottom left: A headshot of Asher from a 3/4 view. His expression looks annoyed abd serious. Yet again the drawing isn't coloured abd only filled in with white. There's more text bext to it that reads "thinking very hard about how to best annoy David at the next pack meeting".

Bottom right: Asher from the waist up and bending slightly over while looking at the viewer and grinning. He is wearing a dark blue baseball cap abd a long sleeve shirt in the same colour underneath a white v-neck t-shirt with pinstripes on it. His left habd is thrown up in apeace sign. This sketch is the only one that is fully coloured.

End ID]

taglist: @sharksung @febreze-bottle-without-febreze @teaseat @swanconcerto @beemybella @soup-scope @celestecreateschaos @puffin-smoke @xanyiaz

[jbbartram-illu]

Uh… hi! It’s uh… me again.

Sorry for popping into your inbox so much. It’s just that I’m a beginner ceramicist and I’m fascinated and awed by your work. (It also doesn’t help that my irl teacher doesn’t know what she’s doing). I’ve got some questions about the way that you bring your adorable creechurs to life.

What is the method of layering clay and then carving out designs in the different coloured clay? I find it really interesting, tbh

Where does the process start? Do you like, start with a sketch? Or with like an “I want to make a cute creature.” Sorta vibe?

And uh, what kinds of glaze do you use? Any tips?

Sorryagainforaskingsomanyquestionsitsjustthatiloveyourworksomuch!

Have a nice day!

Hey, @drgalacticcandy! This ask (which please, never apologize for sending an ask! I love them!! Also thank you for your kind words about my work!) came at a perfect time because your first Q is answered by another ask I just responded to in great depth!

The technique where I carve out designs is called sgraffito & I just wrote a small novella about the technique here!

In terms of the creative process, it depends on the creature! Almost all of them need some sort of photo-reference at some point, especially the ones I want to look more like an actual creature that exists (eg. my bird ladies, the pod guys).

For things like the sphinxes and the ungulates, I did peek at some photo reference at the very start (looked at some cats for sphinx anatomy & lots of musk oxen & goats for the ungulates), but am now just going off of what's goopin' around in my brain. I do sometimes still do sketches for the designs I make a lot, especially when I want to do a new body shape, eg. this flying guy.

I did quite a few sketches for the Puffin BirdLady because I'd hardly even drawn puffins before, let alone sculpted one, but other birds I'm more familiar with (loons, ravens/crows) I just keep some photo ref up on my laptop in case I need to check a detail & go straight to sculpting.

Some of the simpler beasts I just go ahead and sculpt without any drawings, eg. the snats/slats (snailcats/slugcats) & the owlbears (tho I did look at a bunch of owl-face photo ref to inspire their patterns!):

I do find sketching especially useful for creatures that require some new engineering, eg. the sphinx dishes or fishbutts in new positions, as doing the drawings helps me work out how the various bits will attach together or what issues I might come up against while trying to sculpt a new pose.

And glazes...whew! I'm still SUCH a glaze newbie & really don't know anything about them yet. My usual tendency when encountering a new art adventure is to just dive in headfirst with minimal research and GO, which is mayyyyybe not the best with glazes??

And yet I still just see a pretty glaze and go OH HI I AM BUYING U NOW (with one caveat -- I always read the description and if it's described as a runny/difficult to use glaze I drop it and run because my sculptures are wee and I don't want any glaze floods in the kiln!).

I'm also lucky to have a really great kiln tech in my friend who fires my stuff who does actually know more about the chemistry of glazes, so sometimes I pass my flights of fancy by her to make sure I'm not doing anything silly. In terms of glaze brands, I love Amaco & Coyote, both of whom make plenty of beautiful glazes that are also easy to use.

For my sgraffito work, when I'm not glazing with clear glaze I put a variety of colours of celadon glaze overtop (most of mine are Coytoe brand). Celadons are translucent, so patterns will show through them - you can also do designs in underglaze and put a celadon glaze overtop & get some neat effects - below are some examples of celadons over sgraffito...

...and celadons over underglaze designs...

I know the glaze portion of this answer wasn't the most helpful, but there are definitely lots of forums & websites that contain loads of great info about all the alchemical intricacies of glazes! If you can befriend some potters IRL, that can also be an amazing resource for learning.

Phew. Why do my answers always end up so long?? I hope this was helpful & please don't hesitate to ask if you have more Qs!

[swanmaids]

ulmo grants his favourite couple a gift on the day of the birth of their first grandchild. written for the @yearoftheotpevent april prompt ‘peace’.

It was sometimes said by the Men of Númenor that in the early days of the reign of Elros Tar-Minyatur, the Star of High Hope was four times seen to shine in place from morning till night, never moving nor fading, and this tale was indeed the truth.

~

Elwing, albatross, soared with the rising dawn to greet Eärendil her beloved aboard Vingilot as he drew in towards her tower. She landed on the deck barefoot in her woman-shape, nude, and wound her arms around his shoulders.

This was how Elwing began each day in Aman, yet this morning was different. For instead of preparing to land as always, as she released him Eärendil raced to the wheel at the bow and turned, so that the great sail billowed across the other side of the wind, and Vingilot turned.

“We haven’t time to spare!” he cried, “Ulmo came before me as I sailed tonight, and he spoke to me of one blessing he has granted us; but only for today- we must make for Númenor with haste!”

~

Elwing dressed herself in Eärendil’s spare tunic (too wide in the shoulders) and trousers (which barely grazed her ankles), and returned to Eärendil’s side on the deck. He wrapped an arm around her waist, and pressed his face into her neck, breathing her in, the light of the silmaril bound to his brow glowing in the blue-black of her hair.

“It’s beautiful in the dawn,” she said, meaning the ocean, and it was. The coral-pink sky sparkled with Arien’s light and the light of the silmaril on the water, and off the coast of Aman it was so clear that flying low as they were, they could see shining pearls tossed about on the sea-floor, and fish like many-coloured jewels.

As they crossed the Enchanted Isles, and over the wider sea, many among the great and small creatures of Ulmo appeared to the flying ship. There was the mighty whale Uin, shooting a jet of water up onto the deck in greeting as he swum among the islands; and as they came closer Elwing and Eärendil saw that one rock was no island at all, but the dread turtle Fastitocalon, yet he did them no harm. Swimming among a school of porpoise were a dozen mermaids with hair and scales of many colours, who rose to the surface and sung in a tongue unintelligable to see Vingilot; and following them was Uinen their queen, unmistakable in her beauty and fierceness.

After Uinen had passed, Eärendil raised the ship higher in the sky and Elwing armed herself with a boathook; for where Uinen went Ossë was sure to be close. Yet when they did encounter him, he simply skated over the waves and raised a hand to the mariners.

Eärendil smiled, and said that all the spirits of the sea must have come out to see his fair wife, and she laughed. And at last when they reached the star-shaped island of Númenor, Salmar appeared before them and he played the great horn of Ulmo, and the song awoke in the hearts of many mariners across the land.

High above the island they soared, and each looked down through a spyglass. As they flew, the seabirds of Númenor flew to join them, the sea-mews and the puffins and the gannets, and they spoke to Elwing and told her to sail as far as the Palace of the King in golden Armenelos.

~

Elros Tar-Minyatur, Elrond his twin, and his wife Gennoril and their newborn child, yet to be named, had waited since the coming of dawn under the tree of Nimloth for their miracle, and late that morning, it came. The star of Elros’ father shone upon his grandchild beneath the tree, and the boy smiled. And though they could not see nor speak to their parents, Elros and Elrond knew that they were with them then, and had never truly left their sides, and they smiled and wept.

That day, the Star of High Hope looked down on the royal family of Númenor until Arien journeyed out of sight, and Gennoril looked upon her child and said, “Vardamir”.

~

Elsewhere in the ocean, fishes darted through the wreckage of Sirion and mussels and limpets clung to the sunken skeleton of Ancalagon. The remains of Turgon’s ships continued to rot and crumble under the water, the bones of their sailors laid in the sand while their bodies reborn walked in Aman. And above it all, the Blessed Mariner and his wife winged with feathers looked down together as they sailed; and while they knew that the gift of today could not make up for their many losses, they held each other in gladness that it had been granted them all the same.

[donniesexceptionalmind]

bro what is your...

Bro what is your favorite animal ? Please dude it's for science and WHY

My favourite animal?

That's a though one.

If you're talking about science, I'll have to say axolotl.

Name lore (aztec mythology):

Axolotl comes from the Nahuatl word 'axolotl', which translates to 'water monster'.

It's a reference to the god Xólotl, who mutated into an amphibian to save himself from death.

Some nice facts:

1. Axolotls stay looking like a baby for their whole life:

Axolotls are 'neotenic' creatures, meaning they achieve sexual maturity without losing any of their larval features. So while many amphibians, like the salamander, will eventually develop lungs & live on land, axolotls keep their trademark feathery external gills & remain aquatic. This also means that their teeth never develop & that they must rely on a suction method to consume food.

2. They're only native to ONE (1) place in the world: Mexico City

The axolotl's native habitat is in dire straits. Axolotls are only found in the wild in one location: Lake Xochimilco in southern Mexico City. Their former home, Lake Chalco, in central Mexico City, was drained to avoid flooding. Xochimilco has been reduced to a series of canals & axolotls are scarce due to the loss of its habitat as well as the introduction of predatory carp & tilapia.

3. They're colourful creatures:

The colour pigmentation & patterns of axolotls are the result of four different genes. In the wild, axolotls are most commonly brown or black with specks of gold or olive. Like other salamanders, they can also adjust their colour to better camouflage with their surroundings.

4. They can REGENERATE body parts:

Quite the number of amphibians & fish are capable of regenerating tails & limbs, but axolotls take this ability up a notch by regenerating jaws, spinal cords, skin, ovary & lung tissue & even portions of their hearts & brains! What's more, an axolotl can continue to regenerate throughout its life.

The regenerative abilities of this animal's cells are of significant interest to researchers hoping to translate this ability to humans. This is a remarkable capability: If an axolotl loses a limb, the appendage will grow back at just the right size and orientation. Within weeks, the seam between old and new disappears completely!

5. They have a large genome:

With 32 billion DNA bases & a genome 10 times the size of a human’s, sequencing the DNA of axolotls is a challenge for scientists. But it's an important one, as it will help researchers discover how the axolotl uses stem cells to regenerate tissue. Scientists have already identified two genes used in regeneration in axolotls. Because the regenerative abilities of axolotls are so impressive, scientists continue to expand their research to include other internal organs & retina regeneration.

6. Courtship rituals involve DANCING:

When axolotls reach six months of age, it’s time for them to mate. The process begins with the adult animals rubbing each other's cloacal region & continues with them moving together in a circular, dance-like fashion.

Axolotl are the finest creatures & I'd love to own one.

If you're talking about visual appealing in terms of favourite animals, I'd have to say puffins.

Have some nice pictures I got from pinterest:

Also, puffins:

[blubushie]

The Spanish Dancer sea slug, native to Indo-Pacific Ocean and the Red Sea. It can grow up to 25cm, though some reports from the Dead Sea clock it in at 40cm. It is a luxuriant red colour with an orange-yellow underbelly and a splotchy red line cutting across it. A specimen measuring ~90cm in width was found on Australia's west coast (Hey, that's where you live!). 'Pangolin' originates from the Malay word for 'roller', which is 'penggulung'; this is because it curls up into a ball and uses its hard scales as a shield when threatened. All eight species of pangolin are under some kind of threat and are protected under national and international laws, two of the eight are critically endangered (do NOT try to make these the centrepiece of your project, they're elusive and endangered). Puffins can flap their wings ~400 times a minute and can fly 88km an hour (!?). Their beaks also change seasonally-- they are a dull grey in the winter and become their more iconic orange in spring, most likely to attract mates. Black-footed cats are considered the most deadly species of wild cat with (a cute little face to die for) a hunting success rate of 60%, compared to a lion's rate of 25%, which is lower than that of a domestic cat's, 32%. The black-footed cat's rate is second only to African wild dogs at 85%. The plant genus Rafflesia, known as the Corpse Flower is capable of Horizontal Gene Transfer, a behaviour documented in bacteria that has only recently been discovered in plants. Rafflesia is a parasitic plant that steals genetic material from its host and nearby plants, merging it into its own genetic code and using its proteins to sustain itself. Once it is grown, the flower continues its parasitic behaviour and emits a foul stench likened to corpses, used to attract pollinators like carrion flies. Humans have been unable to cultivate Rafflesia because the method with which its seeds germinate, let alone infect a host is still unclear. Ant-mimicking spiders have evolved to resembles ants, complete with their extra set of legs disguised as antennae. Most ant-mimicking spiders have unique abdomen and body structures that resemble an ant without any closer inspection, but many have more nuanced methods of deception. Some species can even mimick ant pheromones and behaviour, a huge crux in how ants identify each other, making it easier to invade ants and prey upon them. The Hercules Beetle is one of the largest flying insects measuring up to 7 inches long, when including their horn, and almost 2 inches wide. The horsehair worm is a parasite that preys on grasshoppers, crickets, and some beetles and are found in water or wet areas. They are, simply, a worm capable of squirming in and out of intricate knots and formations, a capability which makes multiple worms of great lengths capable of taking over one host (there's videos out there of researchers tying them into knots of increasing complexity and tightness, fascinating stuff!). After the laid eggs have hatched, the worm forms a protective cyst around itself and waits to be consumed by a suitable host. The cyst them dissolves and allows the worm to eat itself out of the digestive system and feast on its host's innards (I love parasites...). Once it has taken its fill, it has matured and it exits the host to lay its eggs and repeat the process. Horsehair worms pose no threat to humans or animals outside of its host pool, so their presence simply indicates and abundance of or dead crickets in the area.

The oarfish is also nicknamed the 'Doomsday Fish' due to its presence being a sign of destruction to come-- 20 oarfish allegedly washed up on Japan's shores just before the Japan 2011 earthquake. Whatever the case, oarfish reside deep underwater, in the Twilight Zone, so seeing them at all is strange. They are long, ribbon-like fish with bulging eyes and red spines that swim vertically through the waters, using its shimmering skin to camoflague itself by blending into the dark and the rare patch of light. Sand vipers have their located located on top of their heads to better see out of the sand they bury themselves in for hunting purposes. This is also why a suitable substrate is important if you want to care for them. They also require more open space than hiding spots in their enclosure, unike other species of snake. Sand vipers also prefer higher temperatures and require basking in temperatures of around or even greater than 40 degrees Celsius (I've always wanted a pet snake). Peregrine falcons can dive down towards their prey at a speed of 320km/h and quickly strike their neck with their talons, killing their prey in the fraction of a second. This has been caught on video, and in many of them there is only a quick, black blur before the prey drops like a stone onto the ground, suddenly lifeless (eerie and impressive!). Ragdoll cats were first bred by Ann Baker in the 1960s. They have a large, weighty build with long, think fur. They often have blue eyes though they are born mostly white, their unique markings darken over time to a deep brown. The horror game Outlast was modelled after the Richardson Hotel in Buffalo, New York, which had previously been an insane asylum. You'd go into an insane asylum if you weren't a coward (joking). Axolotls (like from Minecraft) are salamanders that, unlike most salamander species, never transition to land. They remain aquatic into adulthood. They are native to only one area, Lake Xochimilco, Lake Chalco, and its surrounding smaller bodies, located in the Valley of Mexico (it also has a relative that resembles a wyrm dragon, very similar sans legs and larger, but I couldn't remember the name <\3). The Megasoma elephas (Elephant Beetle) has been used in a Pentagon-sponsored university program where electrodes were inserted into elephant beetle pupae, allowing for some remote control of the adult beetle's flying behaviour (developing technology, I guess...). Habitat destruction and the use of the male adult's head as jewelery charms have contributed to its decreasing population, though they are not considered endangered. The emerald cockroach wasp paralyzes cockroaches using its venom then drags the body to its burrow. There, while the cockroach is still living, the wasp lays its eggs directly under the cockroach. The entrance will be blocked off to prevent early escape. Once the eggs hatch, the larvae feast on the cockroach's bodily fluids, then its non-vital organs, keeping the still-alive bug kicking it for as long as possible, then, the growing wasps eat the rest of the cockroach, thus putting an end to its miserable life, and emerge through the cockroach's chest, splitting it in half, then dig out of the burrow to repeat the cycle (I love parasites...).

[Animal Fact Anon. Uh, are you a hunter trying to starve me out into the open? Because you're driving me wild! Happy Valentines day, xoxo, I'm not actually hitting on you.]

1. Horsehair worms freak me out

2. I've seen an oarfish when I was at sea! It was dead though :(

3. On the topic of the relative to axolotls "sans legs", were you maybe thinking of caecilians?

4. Oml I love parasitic wasps!! My favourites are spider wasps :]

Thank you for the facts animal anon!! Happy Valentine's Day!!! <3

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

By: Ewan Somerville

Published: Feb 19, 2023

Sir Salman Rushdie has attacked the rewriting of Roald Dahl books as "absurd censorship" at the hands of “bowdlerising sensitivity police”.

In new editions of Roald Dahl’s beloved stories, Augustus Gloop is no longer fat, Mrs Twit is no longer fearfully ugly, and the Oompa-Loompas have gone gender-neutral.

The publisher, Puffin, has made hundreds of changes to the original text, removing many of Dahl’s classic, timeless and colourful descriptions and making his characters less grotesque.

Sensitivity readers were brought in to review Dahl’s language so the books “can continue to be enjoyed by all today”, Puffin said.

Sir Salman, who as author of The Satanic Verses has been a pioneer of free enquiry and lived under constant threats to his life, became the most high-profile person in the literary world to condemn the decision on Sunday.

He wrote on Twitter: "Roald Dahl was no angel but this is absurd censorship. Puffin Books and the Dahl estate should be ashamed."

He wrote on Twitter:

Roald Dahl was no angel but this is absurd censorship. Puffin Books and the Dahl estate should be ashamed. https://t.co/sdjMfBr7WW— Salman Rushdie (@SalmanRushdie) February 18, 2023

Sir Salman later tweeted in response to a critic: "He was a self confessed antisemite, with pronounced racist leanings, and he joined in the attack on me back in 1989… but thanks for telling me off for defending his work from the bowdlerizing Sensitivity Police."

Sir Salman, was stabbed more than a dozen times on stage last August at a literary festival at the Chautauqua Institution in New York state, leaving him blind in one eye. After writing The Satanic Verses, Iran issued a fatwa death sentence for "blasphemy" and his book was banned in 45 Islamic countries.

Other literary figures also rounded on the changes.

Comedian David Baddiel posted a screenshot of one of the changes to a passage in The Twits that removes the words "double chin", adding: "The problem with the Dahl bowdlerisation is it has no logical consistency.

"Here, double chin has been cut, presumably to avoid fat shaming. But what about wonky nose or crooked teeth shaming? Once you start on this path you can end up with blank pages."

Meanwhile, Suzanne Nossel, the CEO of literature and human rights organisation PEN America, said she was "alarmed" at the changes, which "could represent a dangerous new weapon".

“The problem with taking license to re-edit classic works is that there is no limiting principle," she tweeted.

“You start out wanting to replace a word here and a word there, and end up inserting entirely new ideas (as has been done to Dahl’s work).

"Literature is meant to be surprising and provocative. That's part of its potency. By setting out to remove any reference that might cause offense you dilute the power of storytelling."

Katharine Birbalsingh, a headteacher and Britain's former social mobility commissioner, added of the changes: "How is this even legal?"

The Telegraph revealed last week how hundreds of changes have been made to updated prints of Dahl's stories, bringing them into line with contemporary sensitivities, with words and phrases on weight, mental health, violence, gender and race expunged.

The word “fat” has been removed from every book - Augustus Gloop in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory may still look like a ball of dough, but can now only be described as “enormous”.

In the same story, the Oompa-Loompas are no longer “tiny”, “titchy” or “no higher than my knee” but merely small. And where once they were “small men”, they are now “small people”.

The words “black” and “white” have been removed: characters no longer turn “white with fear” and the Big Friendly Giant in The BFG cannot wear a black cloak.

In previous editions of James and the Giant Peach, the Centipede sings: “Aunt Sponge was terrifically fat/And tremendously flabby at that,” and, “Aunt Spiker was thin as a wire/And dry as a bone, only drier.”

Both verses have been removed, and in their place are the underwhelming rhymes: “Aunt Sponge was a nasty old brute/And deserved to be squashed by the fruit,” and, “Aunt Spiker was much of the same/And deserves half of the blame.”

In a section of The Witches, another reference to a "double chin" has been removed.

Prof Frank Furedi, an expert in the sociology of fear at the University of Kent, told The Telegraph: "What we have here is a knee-jerk cleansing of the literature of the past and they are turning works of literature into recipe books for their own wokeish values.

"This is only the beginning because the role of sensitivity readers is expanding all the time.

"Whereas they were initially hired to read new books submitted to them, now they're going back through the literature of the past almost as grievance archaeologists, trying to unearth words that might offend them."

Dahl died in 1990 and his family subsequently apologised for anti-Semitic remarks during his lifetime, but he is still regarded as one of the world's best storytellers.

==

"Every record has been destroyed or falsified, every book rewritten, every picture has been repainted, every statue and street building has been renamed, every date has been altered. And the process is continuing day by day and minute by minute. History has stopped. Nothing exists except an endless present in which the Party is always right."

-- George Orwell, "Nineteen Eighty- Four"

"Grievance archaeology" is an oustanding turn of phrase. They're literally digging back through the past to find something to concoct offense about.

--

By: AP News

Published: Feb 24, 2023

LONDON (AP) — Publisher Penguin Random House announced Friday it will publish “classic” unexpurgated versions of Roald Dahl’s children’s novels after it received criticism for cuts and rewrites that were intended to make the books suitable for modern readers.

Along with the new editions, the company said 17 of Dahl’s books would be published in their original form later this year as “The Roald Dahl Classic Collection” so “readers will be free to choose which version of Dahl’s stories they prefer.”

The move comes after criticism of scores of changes made to “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” and other much-loved classics for recent editions published under the company’s Puffin children’s label, in which passages relating to weight, mental health, gender and race were altered.

Augustus Gloop, Charlie’s gluttonous antagonist in “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” — originally published in 1964 — became “enormous” rather than “enormously fat.” In “Witches,” an “old hag” became an “old crow,” and a supernatural female posing as an ordinary woman may be a “top scientist or running a business” instead of a “cashier in a supermarket or typing letters for a businessman.”

In “Fantastic Mr. Fox,” the word “black” was removed from a description of the “murderous, brutal-looking” tractors.

The Roald Dahl Story Company, which controls the rights to the books, said it had worked with Puffin to review and revise the texts because it wanted to ensure that “Dahl’s wonderful stories and characters continue to be enjoyed by all children today.”

While tweaking old books for modern sensibilities is not a new phenomenon in publishing, the scale of the edits drew strong criticism from free-speech groups such as writers’ organization PEN America, and from authors including Salman Rushdie.

Rushdie, who lived under threat of death from Iran’s Islamic regime for years because of the alleged blasphemy of his novel “The Satanic Verses,” called the revisions “absurd censorship.”

Rushdie, who was attacked and seriously injured last year at an event in New York state, tweeted news of Penguin’s change of heart on Friday with the words “Penguin Books back down after Roald Dahl backlash!”

PEN America chief executive Suzanne Nossel wrote on Twitter: “I applaud Penguin for hearing out critics, taking the time to rethink this, and coming to the right place.”

Camilla, Britain’s queen consort, appeared to offer her view at a literary reception on Thursday. She urged writers to “remain true to your calling, unimpeded by those who may wish to curb the freedom of your expression or impose limits on your imagination.”

Dahl’s books, with their mischievous children, strange beasts and often beastly adults, have sold more than 300 million copies and continue to be read by children around the world. Their multiple stage and screen adaptations include “Matilda the Musical” and two “Willy Wonka” films based on “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” with a third in the works.

But Dahl, who died in 1990, is also a controversial figure because of antisemitic comments made throughout his life. His family apologized in 2020.

In 2021, Dahl’s estate sold the rights to the books to Netflix, which plans to produce a new generation of films based on the stories.

Francesca Dow, managing director of Penguin Random House Children’s, said the publisher had “listened to the debate over the past week which has reaffirmed the extraordinary power of Roald Dahl’s books and the very real questions around how stories from another era can be kept relevant for each new generation.”

“Roald Dahl’s fantastic books are often the first stories young children will read independently, and taking care for the imaginations and fast-developing minds of young readers is both a privilege and a responsibility,” she said.

“We also recognize the importance of keeping Dahl’s classic texts in print,” Dow said. “By making both Puffin and Penguin versions available, we are offering readers the choice to decide how they experience Roald Dahl’s magical, marvelous stories.”

==

There's a couple of lessons here.

Firstly, if you're a creator, stay true to your vision. While certainly there's such a thing as valid criticism and feedback, it is clear that there are people whose main objective and complaint is that you should be reproducing their vision, and are more than willing to pretend it's a moral failing on your behalf not to do so.

It's also true that humans are more likely to voice their complaint or opposition than to voice their approval or agreement. But the shrill moralizing, tut-tutting puritans while loud, are not the majority. Time and again we find that any significant pushback results in a backdown from the ruling class who have made the mistake of taking the counsel of the puritans.

[horrorgirlreads]

10 mutuals I'd like to get to know better

Thanks for the tag @luciferbecons

Last song that I listened to: Vermilion by Slipknot

Favourite content to watch: horror movies, horror movie reviews, movie reaction videos, movie behind the scenes documentaries, YouTube videos on autistic headcanons for fictional characters, alternative fashion diy hacks, clothing hauls, fashion brand reviews

Favourite games: Spyro OG trilogy, Peggle

Favourite colour: pale blue and dark red

Favourite animals: owls, puffins, otters, foxes, dolphins, cats & dogs in an equal amount

Favourite food: pizza, ice cream, watermelon

Sweet, spicy or savory: savory, then sweet, then spicy

Current Obsessions: horror movies, vinted (r.i.p. my bank account), my wips

Last book I read: Magic Study by Maria V Snyder (for the 4th time)

Last thing I googled: UK autism charities for something I'm doing for work

Relationship: 11 years and counting. We live together.

Fun fact: I collect sea glass

I tag: @sleepyphilia @joy-4-joy @littlegeekchick @battywitch @cre8iveovadose @meg-pond @howlsmovinglibrary @thereadingtimelady @rivermp3 @nerdishfeels

As always, no pressure to do this

[aorticsims]

People you'd like to get to know better

@alltimefail-sims, thanks for the tag!

Last Song: The Ballad of Jane Doe from Ride the Cyclone

Favourite Colour: Blue, black and purple.

Currently Watching: whole lotta youtube

Sweet/Spicy/Savoury: Savoury, since it's the closest to salty.

Relationship: single, i think.

Current Obsession: i still cannot figure out how to split creativity and grilled cheese into a subjectively good and subjectively bad subtype (à la sophie the puffin's aspiration calculator) and i really need suggestions because call me patrick from fall out boy, i am stumped.

Last thing I googled: "pimples under hair" my hygiene is not the best lol

i'll tag @w-sims, @gladyssite, @kezzplayssims, @plumbtales, @ceechalla, @systsim

[dansnaturepictures]

14th April 2023: Aberdeenshire 

Photos taken in this set: 1. Razorbills, Guillemots and Kittiwake in a wonderful seabird nesting colony fix right at the end of the Heatherlea Spring Into Scotland tour at Troup Head one of favourite places to be with some of the species I love best and captivate me the most. 2. Konik ponies I enjoyed seeing at RSPB Loch of Strathbeg I’ve heard a lot about them before. 3. View from Cairnbulg. 4. A Corn Bunting we saw extremely well including singing nicely at Banff, one of the revelations of the trip for me seen on the last day of it and a bird I love seeing. 5 and 6. Gorse dominated coastal scenes at Troup Head I did love the bright gorse of Scotland last week it was so good to take in. 7, 8 and 9. Fulmars, Gannets and Puffins respectively the other half of my super six seabirds alongside Guillemot, Razorbill and Kittiwake the birds that first inspired me and I first really took to my heart in my early birding days that it was a pleasure to see last Friday really heartfelt experiences seeing them and nice to see them at a colony further north than I ever had. The Fulmars were elegant wonders dominating those last two days of the tour, the Gannets were heartening to see and be immersed in after their struggles generally last year and the Puffin a bird I have such a strong connection to and love for was the surprise but perfect ending to our trip such charismatic and colourful birds to observe always. 10. View from Kinnaird Head on a great sunny visit there. 

That day I also enjoyed seeing Sandwich Tern, Pink-footed Geese, Marsh Harrier, passerine birds like Yellowhammer and Tree Sparrow seen well at Loch of Strathbeg and Skylark that day too, Hooded Crow, Common Seal, Roe Deer seen from my hotel room in the morning at Nethy Bridge, scurvygrass and lesser celandine. 

[polteagueist]

The Aster puffin! I had to make it for their birthday. I went a smidge OTT with the decorations as usual. Coloured & swirled pomeg flavour bun, buttercream flower with pomeg seeds on top, more cream in the middle. Ashole liked it like that.

I don’t know if I’ll eat it, I don’t like pomeg, it’s way too bitter and sharp for me. I considered offering it to the Bakewells but I don’t know if it’ll come across poorly if it’s just one. It’s under a bell jar for now. I really should’ve seen this coming.

[i-am-worm]

Inktober 52 2023 - Week 17 - ‘Melt’ BELATED BONUS

(Late because my traditional picture smudged badly so had to redraw most of it digitally again)

Started out having a go at remaking Eiscue because whilst it’s a nifty design, the version with no cube head left a bit to be desired (Both Eiscue and Stonjourner felt somewhat lacking as version exclusives in my opinion).

My redesign sort of looked like a puffin, so i made a new Pokémon based on the same gimmick as Eiscue, but with different species and form of ice. Puffins have famous colourful beaks, but they supposedly shed them and appear quite dull outside the breeding season. So I took that idea and the ice theme I based on an ice lolly most UK people will recognize as a ‘rocket’

Shiny form is based on the iconic red, white and blue Ice lollies you usually find in America which seem to have the same shape.

[wicked-cauldron]

I’ve been getting time to work on the creature it’s design.

These are concepts for the male it’s head, I want it to have an impressive head crest to attract females.

It’s not very practical for hunting trough. Like peacocks males have pretty feathers, it makes them less agile flyers. In this creatures case it could give away the male it’s position during hunts.

The colourations are based of an artist I got inspired by and real birds :3 (I think puffin, blue Jay and crane are the most obvious haha)

[wa-kaizen]

past life love story written | PAC

I understand this title might be confusing, so let me explain!

After you pick a pile, I will be channeling you and your future spouse in your past life, but instead of telling you I will be writing it in a fanfiction format! I am doing this to see how many people are interested in it!

If you are curious of more, you can try looking at this page.

→ 1 , 2

sections ༉˚

- Description of you and your spouse in your past lives

- The vision it's based on

- The fanfiction/story

- Additional notes

— welcome, have fun! ༉‧₊˚.

꒰ pile one ꒱

soft digital aesthetic edit

cards the magician, four of pentacles, wheel of fortune, owl, ladybird, grey squirrel, archangel lavender, archangel mariel, seraphim seraphisa

↳ ❝ [ description ] ¡! ❞

You were a royalty, possibly a young princess, while they worked for your palace, they were in no ways related to the royal family and weren't even noble. They were rather poor, so they took their chance when they were able to work for the palace. For some of you, they were born to work for you from a young age. They could have been a jester, tailor or even a chef!

↳ ❝ [ visions ] ¡! ❞

I will be basing this off of multiple visions, the first one being a jester rolling a coin between his fingers, smiling as he is pleased people can't figure out his trickery. The second being a princess in light blue dress watching from her balcony as a young man shows tricks to children, jokes around them and makes them laugh. Third one being the princess running to the garden, between high trimmed bushes searching for said young man.

↳ ❝ [ story ] ¡! ❞

The moon illuminated the princess' gentle hand as she moved the tree branches to make space for herself. Allowing herself to move forward.

With hopeful eyes, she kept turning her head, not caring of the heaviness of her dress that she had to carry. She had been searching, but not just for anyone.

" 《Name》! 《Name》, where are you my love? " She had fallen in love with not a prince, but someone her family would shun her for.

Aware of the consequences of her actions, she kept searching for her darling.. or so she hoped he is accepting of her heart.

She had not known his purpose in the palace, let alone his heart!

He was shy yet full of confidence, a joyful person who brightened her days so much, the princess has fallen through thousands of clouds into his arms.

He has just yet to know what's to come.

It couldn't be helped though, the princess had watched her love everyday. A secret that only she knew, one that only her heart new.

Every day, she would see him pass by the garden, play with kids, make them laugh, pet the royal dog...

There was something so bright about him that lit up the whole palace, the gloomy grey days became bright with yellows, an addicting aura surrounded him.

She was happy for the first time in forever.

However, nothing comes priceless. There they were again, the guards were searching for her like some kind of mad men.

She had saw shadows, and they kept creeping up to her. She was filled with anxiety, being caught was not considered.

And so it happened, she was grabbed. She fell right onto the bushes, to her surprise in the arms of her loved one.

He held his hand on her lips, making the air quite, and so their love story started.

↳ ❝ [ notes ] ¡! ❞

For some the love interest is called Sabestian and the royal dog is called Puffin. Tangled could also be relevant, I can see some of you may be reminded of Eugene and Rapunzel.

Thank you for reading.

꒰ pile two ꒱

person standing on sand in white crocs

cards three of pentacles, queen of swords, the tower, dove, dog, lord wywysil, archangel sandalphon, archangel charity

↳ ❝ [ description ] ¡! ❞

Not a lot comes through, but this happened in your 30s, you were from a small village. You were a women and betrayed by your lover over fake accusations. You were a person of colour, but I am not sure of your race.

↳ ❝ [ visions ] ¡! ❞

Only two visions, you walking in a dessert and fainting and you sitting on a ground after being tossed, looking up in anger at someone holding a weapon at you.

↳ ❝ [ story ] ¡! ❞

She, no longer knew what is worse, the knowledge that she is slowly dying in the dessert she was sent to in order to see her end, or that the betrayal that caused this was done by her husband whom she once loved so much.

Not aware of her time alone any longer, she started to wonder about the past.

Why? Why was it her that had to take the blame for the crimes of a man, and why was it that her husband chose to believe his words over hers?

The fruitful love he once claimed to have has no longer existed as he held a sword in front of his wife.. or so, what she remembers to be a sword.

She does not remember, not the weapon or the face of her husband. The only thing that have crept into her memories is the lingering feeling of anger and betrayal.

Those were the last thought before her body gave up, her mouth was dry and she lost a couple of pounds.

Her life was hanging on a thread which had weakened upon the hot sun piercing through her skin.

↳ ❝ [ notes ] ¡! ❞

You did not die, a group of travelling family and their three dogs found you laying on the ground unconscious. The names Anastasia or Antonia might be relevant here.

Thank you for reading.