#tree-based livelihoods

[farmerstrend]

Why Smallholder Farmers in Western Kenya Are Championing Native Tree Restoration

Smallholders in Western Kenya strongly support native-tree restoration due to long-term benefits for landscape restoration, productivity and livelihoods, new research shows. Digital tools and community buy-in are successfully backing restoration projects A farmer waters seedlings along the Nzoia River in Siaya, Kenya. African nations have grand ambitions to green up landscapes with trees; the…

[reasonsforhope]

"The transformation of ancestral lands into intensive monoculture plantations has led to the destruction of Guatemala’s native forests and traditional practices, as well as loss of livelihoods and damage to local health and the environment.

A network of more than 40 Indigenous and local communities and farmer associations are developing agroecology schools across the country to promote the recovery of ancestral practices, educate communities on agroecology and teach them how to build their own local economies.

Based on the traditional “campesino a campesino” (from farmer to farmer) method, the organization says it has improved the livelihoods of 33,000 families who use only organic farming techniques and collectively protect 74,000 hectares (182,858 acres) of forest across Guatemala.

Every Friday at 7:30 a.m., María Isabel Aguilar sells her organic produce in an artisanal market in Totonicapán, a city located in the western highlands of Guatemala. Presented on a handwoven multicolor blanket, her broccoli, cabbage, potatoes and fruits are neatly organized into handmade baskets.

Aguilar is in a cohort of campesinos, or small-scale farmers, who took part in farmer-led agroecology schools in her community. As a way out of the cycle of hunger and poverty, she learned ecological principles of sowing, soil conservation, seed storage, propagation and other agroecological practices that have provided her with greater autonomy, self-sufficiency and improved health.

“We learned how to develop insecticides to fend off pests,” she said. The process, she explained, involves a purely organic cocktail of garlic, chile, horsetail and other weeds and leaves, depending on what type of insecticide is needed. “You want to put this all together and let it settle for several days before applying it, and then the pests won’t come.”

“We also learned how to prepare fertilizer that helps improve the health of our plants,” she added. “Using leaves from trees or medicinal plants we have in our gardens, we apply this to our crops and trees so they give us good fruit.”

The expansion of large-scale agriculture has transformed Guatemala’s ancestral lands into intensive monoculture plantations, leading to the destruction of forests and traditional practices. The use of harmful chemical fertilizers, including glyphosate, which is prohibited in many countries, has destroyed some livelihoods and resulted in serious health and environmental damage.

To combat these trends, organizations across the country have been building a practice called campesino a campesino (from farmer to farmer) to revive the ancient traditions of peasant families in Guatemala. Through the implementation of agroecology schools in communities, they have helped Indigenous and local communities tackle modern-day rural development issues by exchanging wisdom, experiences and resources with other farmers participating in the program.

Keeping ancestral traditions alive

The agroecology schools are organized by a network of more than 40 Indigenous and local communities and farmer associations operating under the Utz Che’ Community Forestry Association. Since 2006, they have spread across several departments, including Totonicapán, Quiché, Quetzaltenango, Sololá and Huehuetenango, representing about 200,000 people — 90% of them Indigenous.

“An important part of this process is the economic autonomy and productive capacity installed in the communities,” said Ilse De León Gramajo, project coordinator at Utz Che’. “How we generate this capacity and knowledge is through the schools and the exchange of experiences that are facilitated by the network.”

Utz Che’, which means “good tree” in the K’iche’ Mayan language, identifies communities in need of support and sends a representative to set up the schools. Around 30-35 people participate in each school, including women and men of all ages. The aim is to facilitate co-learning rather than invite an “expert” to lead the classes.

The purpose of these schools is to help farmers identify problems and opportunities, propose possible solutions and receive technical support that can later be shared with other farmers.

The participants decide what they want to learn. Together, they exchange knowledge and experiment with different solutions to thorny problems. If no one in the class knows how to deal with a certain issue, Utz Che’ will invite someone from another community to come in and teach...

Part of what Utz Che’ does is document ancestral practices to disseminate among schools. Over time, the group has compiled a list of basics that it considers to be fundamental to all the farming communities, most of which respond to the needs and requests that have surfaced in the schools.

Agroecology schools transform lives

Claudia Irene Calderón, based at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, is an expert in agroecology and sustainable food systems in Guatemala. She said she believes the co-creation of knowledge is “key to balance the decision-making power that corporations have, which focus on profit maximization and not on climate change mitigation and adaptation.”

“The recovery and, I would add, revalorization of ancestral practices is essential to diversify fields and diets and to enhance planetary health,” she said. “Recognizing the value of ancestral practices that are rooted in communality and that foster solidarity and mutual aid is instrumental to strengthen the social fabric of Indigenous and small-scale farmers in Guatemala.”

Through the implementation of agroecology schools across the country, Utz Che’ says it has improved the livelihoods of 33,000 families. In total, these farmers also report that they collectively protect 74,000 hectares (182,858 acres) of forest across Guatemala by fighting fires, monitoring illegal logging and practicing reforestation.

In 2022, Utz Che’ surveyed 32 women who had taken part in the agroecology school. All the women had become fully responsible for the production, distribution and commercialization of their products, which was taught to them in agroecology schools. Today, they sell their produce at the artisanal market in Totonicapán.

The findings, which highlight the many ways the schools helped them improve their knowledge, also demonstrate the power and potential of these schools to increase opportunities and strengthen the independence of women producers across the country...

The schools are centered around the idea that people are responsible for protecting their natural resources and, through the revitalization of ancestral practices, can help safeguard the environment and strengthen livelihoods."

-via Mongabay News, July 7, 2023

[dandelionsresilience]

Dandelion News - February 8-14

(I’m finally starting to get better from having had pneumonia for 2+ weeks, hopefully next week’s news should be on time)

Like these weekly compilations? Tip me at $kaybarr1735 or check out my Dandelion Doodles!

1. Solar-powered device captures carbon dioxide from air to make sustainable fuel

“[The] solar-powered reactor could be used to make fuel to power cars and planes[.… It] does not require fossil-fuel-based power, or the transport and storage of carbon dioxide, but instead converts atmospheric CO2 into something useful using sunlight.”

2. How artificial light can boost coral reef recovery

“UZELA is [an autonomous submersible] designed to attract zooplankton […] by emitting specific wavelengths of light. [… In a ”six-month testing period,” it] significantly increased local zooplankton density and boosted the feeding rates of both healthy and bleached coral.”

3. Next-gen solar cells now fully recyclable with water-based method

“The recycled solar cell has the same efficiency as the original one. The solar cell is made of perovskite and the main solvent is water. […] They are not only relatively inexpensive and easy to manufacture but also lightweight, flexible and transparent.”

4. Green walls cool cities and create urban habitats

“The researchers measured a cooling effect of up to 0.6–0.7 degrees Celsius [… which] could help combat the urban heat island phenomenon. […] The researchers [also] found that plant-covered facades hosted over 100 animal species, including insects, spiders, and birds.”

5. Major cause of honeybee mortality can be easily reduced

“If treatment occurs too soon, it may not fully eliminate the mites, allowing them to rebound before the season ends. […] Similar to antibiotic-resistant bacteria, mites that survive mistimed or improperly applied treatments become more resistant to future applications.”

6. Uganda community group restores shea groves and livelihoods

“As part of a larger effort to restore Uganda’s shea parklands, the cooperative has successfully rehabilitated more than 500 hectares (1,240 acres) of degraded land, integrating shea trees (Vitellaria paradoxa) and other native species with maize and sunflower crops.”

7. Senate Renews Commitment to the Great Lakes

“The [Act] represents the most significant federal investment in the health of the Great Lakes, addressing critical challenges such as pollution, invasive species, and habitat restoration. The Great Lakes […] hold 20 percent of the world’s surface freshwater[….]”

8. Earth Gets Its Largest Protected Tropical Forest Reserve

“The Kivu-Kinshasa Green Corridor will […] protect 108,000 square kilometres of primary forest and support 60 million people who depend on the forest for food, energy and jobs. […] Through this approach, the DRC is empowering local communities to protect the forest while fostering economic growth.”

9. Australia’s Rarest Bird of Prey Spotted in Central Australia After 30 Years

“Dr. Henderson’s finding is an encouraging sign of the health of the sanctuary’s ecosystems as well as the bird’s continued migration into new areas. This bird’s presence in the sanctuary is particularly significant as it is the first confirmed sighting in the region since the mid-1990s.”

10. Australian company wins contract to design “hydrogen ready” high speed ferry

“The ferry, the Horizon X, will have capacity for 1,650 passengers and 450 cars, and will be able to travel at a speed of up to 35 knots. […] The ship will also have a specially-designed propulsion system arrangement that repurposes exhaust from the engine to help propel the vessel, in theory reducing its emissions.”

February 1-7 news here | (all credit for images and written material can be found at the source linked; I don’t claim credit for anything but curating.)

[plaguedwithlove]

Based on a asmr roleplay i suddenly remembered a while ago, and i can't find it :((

Yan!Werewolf x Fem!reader

summary:  Why you?...All you wanted was to help your sick father, and it costed you your freedom, innocence, and livelihood

Warnings: my first dark romance story and smut so apologies if this is shit, 18+, stalking, non-con, rough first time, virginity loss, non-con touching, kidnapping, breeding kink, monster-fucking?? but y'all fuck when he's in human form, mentions of and inevitable forced pregnancy

—--

Violent coughs erupted from your father’s room, he had barely made any progress to recovery for about 2 weeks. Rushing up to his room, you give him a small smile and re-wet the cloth on his forehead 

“My loving daughter, I’m ashamed of myself that you devote your time to taking care of your pathetic father, you should be enjoying your young adulthood!..” 

You giggle and shake your head “Oh hush father, you’ve taken care of me since girlhood and now it’s my turn to take care of you, I will stay by your side for as long as I need to.” 

With a teary smile, your father grabs your hand and firmly grasps it “Your mother’s spirit lives in you, she too had such loyalty and love.” 

Returning his smile, you nod “I miss her, papa..”

Although your mother died when you were rather young, merely being 9 when she passed. You still remembered the mundane activities you’ve done with her and you all remember them fondly 

One of your favorite memories with your mother was when you both went for a walk in the forest and she reminisced of how she met your father 

“He slipped on his bottom and I came to his aid, I could see hearts in his eyes..” your mother giggles. She then looks at you and strokes your hair, “One day you’ll meet that someone who gives you the butterflies and you’ll know they’re the one you’ll spend the rest of your life with.” 

Going back to reality, your father speaks “As do I, she would be proud of the beautiful young lady you’ve become.” More coughs escaped from his mouth, your eyebrows furrow in worry 

“Here, papa.” helping your father drink the warm tea, his coughing calms down. “You aren’t getting any much better, I’ll head into town tomorrow and get more medicine. But please rest for now, papa,” 

With a weak nod, your father lies back down but before closing his eyes he gives you one more smile 

“Thank you my sweet (Name)..” 

“Of course, good night..”

Making your way out of his room, you look back at your father one last time before shutting the door

Grabbing your bag, you make your way outside, even if you couldn’t go into town at this hour, you still wanted to at least pick more herbs nearby

While the sun was still out, you hastily make your way to the field of rosemary's 

—--

A lone man strides through the forest, he was starved 

Both for meat and affection

He hadn’t had a successful satisfying kill in days, and quite frankly he was on the edge now, and the fact he was sexually frustrated would worsen his state of mind

Frustration and hunger was his drive, and whatever poor decently-sized creature was within a mile radius would meet an unfortunate end 

His ear and nose twitches

He knew this smell all too well, a potential prey 

Hastily, he makes his way toward the source of this delicious smell

The closer he got, the more his hunger enhanced 

Until, the smell of his prey mixed with the scent of rosemary 

He obscures himself behind a tree, waiting for the perfect moment

As soon as his prey got in better range of his sight, he could make out a figure, it was no deer, it was a human, a female human  

Peeking his head out more, his head tilts upon seeing the human

The werewolf has seen humans before, but never this close, nor this beautiful 

He stares at the woman's body, from her docile looking face, her breasts, and plump arse

Now that he thought about it, he was at the ripe age of finding a mate, after all most of his friends have already tied the knot and even had some mini versions of them!

And she certainly looked to be at a child-bearing age

He had to have her...

Upon noticing she was dusting herself off and ready to leave, he moved from his spot in a flash, steadily making way to his mate

HIs sudden movements startled as the woman gasps and looked around for the source of the sound

She was easily startled, cute....

Deciding to play with her for a little, he reveals himself to her, standing on his full height

—--

Your eyes widen at the tall figure in front of you, your breathing quickens and start to panic

"Well..what do we have here?" voice deep and menacing

Looking up, you're met with a rugged-looking man, he was tanned, with dark chestnut messy hair cascading down his shoulders. But what stuck out most to you was his amber eyes, bright under the moonlight, pupils piercing into you. He was far from human...those eyes no doubt belonged to those men who transform into monstrous beasts on the full moon

"Lost little lamb?"

"N-no, I was on my home just now...good night." before you could make a run for it, the tall man blocks your way, for a big guy, he was surprisingly agile, making your fear increase ten fold

"Not so fast, you've crossed into my territory, now you must pay the price."

Your heads suddenly turn toward him, since when did this field belong to anyone? You've been here many times, and there was never a claim on this field. "Sir, please! I have no possessions worth taking from me! I only have herbs for my sick father!"

"Ahh I see, so you're the one stealing from my field?"

"Please forgive me, I needed them to heal my father!"

"Save your pitiful pleas thief.." with a devilish smirk, the man lowers his upper body to inspect you

The man lowly chuckles at how adorably pathetic you looked, all under his mercy

"Hmm, quite plumply cheeks...meaty thighs..." he then pushes his face on the crook of your neck, inhaling your smell "Delectable...you would make a fine meal..." feeling you tense up and shiver with fear made his senses go wild

"But...lucky you, I've been lonely these days... I need something pretty to warm my den.." Hearing what he was implying, you look at the man with fear and confusion

"I'll take you as my mate...and you will bear my offspring." he licks his lips, revealing sharp canines

Your eyes widened in horror. You were in the prime of young adulthood and still had a life ahead of you! Marriage and children were still far away from your plans! "No, no, no! I have a father to look after, I can't and I won't!" pushing away from him, he grasps your wrist in an iron grip

"Oh well that's just too bad for that old fool, you trespassed and now you must pay up by giving yourself away to me, if you keep resisting I'll just have to eat you up and kill that meek father of yours."

Seeing all the spirit and will drain from you, made him swell with pride and triumph "Now what will be your choice, my mate?" he whispers and grabs a lock of your hair, kissing it

Fat glumps of tears build up in your waterline, this was it, your life was over all because of this hormonal and dangerous man beast

"Please...leave my father out of this..."

"Then you know what you must choose, pet.."

Closing your eyes, tears shed down your cheek and you nod "Just leave my father alone..."

The man grins, and grabs your chin, making make eye contact with him "Good choice...but don't you worry, I'll be your family now, along with all the children we will have." He slams his lips on yours, devouring them

You choke and gasp as he assaults your throat, his tongue forcing its way inside all over your mouth

Pulling away briefly, he lets out a raspy chortle. "That's it. Keep crying for me." he turns you around, throwing your bag out in the field to be forgetten. He pulls apart your dress, the tearing of the fabric was the only noise heard in the forest, your cries only worsens

"Erix." He suddenly says

You look at him with confusion

"Erix is my name, be sure to scream it."

With one final pull, your dress is in tethers, leaving you bare only in your underclothes

Erix's large palms pulls on the straps of your brassiere, leaving it to fall on the ground

Immediately, you cover yourself by wrapping your arms around your breasts

Behind you, you hear Erix taking off his trousers

"Tch, your weak struggling is only turning me on more..." With ease, Erix grabs your arms, pulling them away from your chest

As he slowly pushes you down on the grass, your crying starts to silence, quietly accepting your fate

"C'mon, sing for me, pretty.." one of Erix's textured-hands made their way on your breast fondling it, but you turn cold upon feeling something hot and hard rubbing on your ass

You let out a small gasp

"That's right, you'll start making noises again." He then grabs your underwear, pulling them down to your ankles, throwing them away. Erix's large hands grab the fat of your thighs, holding them up to spread your legs, and then grabs his long, hardened flesh, aligning it to your sweet entrance. With ease, he forces himself inside you

You were not prepared for the penetration. You've never experienced intercourse all your life, making the pain all but less painful. It didn't help that Erix's manhood was most likely much larger than an average human male. Your poor body bleeds and suffers from his harsh movements

The cries you suppressed earlier leak out again to a painful wailing

Helplessly, you lie on your side, continuously being pounded from behind

You hear Erix groaning louder and louder along with feeling his pace quickening, he then shifts up from his side to get on his knees and get more leverage and friction, both his hands grabbing the cheeks of your ass, slapping them making you cry uncontrollably

Your face is shoved on the grass. The push and pull was almost hurting your neck and hips. Then you felt it, a sudden feeling of warm fluid coursing inside you, slapping of skin to skin was the only sound heard along with carnal growls in the grassy field

As Erix's pace slows down, the moment you feared commenced, warm thick fluid enters your body, his seed. He keeps the lower half of you up in the air and doesn't pull out instead pushing his hips back and forth on yours to make sure you took it

He then turns you around. "Gotta make sure the job gets done right." This time, he rubs the remaining of his bodily fluids on your vagina, acting as a temporary lube, for your body still refuses to take in his length. Erix continues his violation on you, but this time, the pain lessened this round, and instead, you feel pleasure, turning your cries into moans. Finally, your pussy releases lube

While you watch with lidded eyes on the man fucking you, you get a good look at his naked body, hairy and toned. Damn you for finding him attractive, your eyes trail down to his cock disappearing and reappearing inside you, it was a miracle that you were taking him before you got wet

"Ahh...Erix..." you spoke his name for the first time and wrap your legs around his waist to feel every motion of his dick

"Hah.. you're coming around now, my flower, your body is taking mine in..." Erix firmly grips your hips and throws his head back, groaning each time his hips meet yours. You weren't even trying to match this pace anymore as he did all the work by using your body to his pleasure

He looks back down at you, face covered in dirt with such a erotic expression. He then looks at your bouncing tits, the beautiful mounds of flesh that would feed his children one day

The thought only turns him on more, and he speeds up, your eyes widen, and your moans get louder. Even though you still felt pleasure, Erix's brutal pace sent shocks of pains in your abdomen. The pain was enough for tears to form again. Your cries grab Erix's attention, and then you feel a wet and warm muscle on your cheek, Erix was licking your tears away

You once again feel the warmth from earlier inside you, but you are a fool to think he would stop here or the third time

Afterall, the night was still young. The forest and the stars above would bear witness to the savage violation of your body, the consummation of this twisted union

Hours upon hours passed of Erix's assault on your body, it had been long since you lost the will to fight back as it was useless against this beast who's blood was pulsing with sexual hormones and with the intention of impregnating you no matter what

Round after round, he never stopped, his stamina was endless. Until you finally feel him slowing his thrusting to a complete stop, you were dreading the moment he would start another harsh thrust inside you, but it never came

His slow and heavy breaths match yours, sweat was glistening off his body. Erix leans closer you, slightly pressing his weight on you. He then leaves gentle licks on your neck along with kisses while one of his hands grope one of your breasts gently fondling them

"Mine."

—--

It had been four months since Erix forced you to become his wife

As he planned, you fell pregnant with his child, he really had overdone himself that night, you still remembered the long cruel hours of him using your body as long as he pleased

Getting up from the bed, you've been craving raw meat these days, and Erix had just came back with a fresh kill

"Eat this, then our child will grow strong. It's in our tradition for expecting mothers to eat a deer's heart." Erix hands you a deer's heart, it grossed you out, yet the child inside you begged for it

Despite your child being a product of forced love, you couldn't bring yourself to hate the parasite growing inside you, the poor child had no control over who their parents were or how they were conceived. And so, you endured eating the heart for the sake of your baby

After finishing the heart with great difficulty, you clean yourself up and Erix places his hands on your now large waist

"Such a good mother you are, I knew you'd be the best woman to have my children."

Closing your eyes, you hold yourself from pushing Erix away and run away, you place your hands on your belly too but away from where Erix's hands were

While rubbing your belly, you think of your poor father, had he died? Had he recovered? But considering he was barely in good health while you were around, deep down it was most likely he had succumbed to his illness. The thought sent a tightness to your chest. 'I hope it's bright up there with mother...'

With a kiss on your temple, Erix pats your belly one last time before whispering in your ear "I'll be back, both of you take care." He then pulls away from you and makes his way out of the cottage

Emotionlessly, you waddle your way back to the bed

For being barely past your first trimester, your belly had grown so much already that you suspect your baby will be born earlier than human children. After all, the baby is half werewolf. They will most likely grow faster than the average human child as well.

Drowning in the furs on the bed, your hand mindlessly draws circles on your round belly, and you feel the baby kicking gently as if loving the attention they were receiving from their mother.

"You like that, don't you, little one? Your father did unspeakable things to me that led to your creation, but I will love you nonetheless." You smile fondly as your baby kicks again

Looking out the window of the cottage, the place had been a bit run-down when you first moved in, Erix made an effort to tidy up the place

"If you're a boy, I'm thinking of naming you after your grandpa. But if you're a girl, maybe your grandma? That's only if your father will let me have the naming rights." You chuckle to yourself, you will pull on Erix's ear if he doesn't let you name the child, especially since he's forcing you to have his children, he'd better let you name every child he puts in you

Sitting back up, you lean your back against the headboard, looking at your belly and wrapping your arms around it, the precious life you carry was your only source of joy in life now

While gazing out the window, the field of your front yard reminds of the same field you and mother would leisure in, perhaps you would spend time with your children there too. Then you remembered your mother's words, “One day you’ll meet that someone who gives you the butterflies and you’ll know they’re the one you’ll spend the rest of your life with.”, you close your eyes and take deep breaths

"Mother, he's the one."

He's the one who forced himself into your life

_____

Writing smut is fun wtf

Might make a pt 2 where Erix puts more babies in y/n and mayb fuck her in werewolf form 👀

I made the ending a bit fluffy and whether or not you wanna interpret Y/n having Stockholm syndrome it's up to you, but its good to note that she still resents Erix, but I rarely find fics where the reader genuinely cares for the baby, it's fair why they would resent the child but at the same time I feel bad for the kid 🫠🫠🫠

[flightfoot]

Great, now i need some april fool mlb fic. The funniest you can find.

I don't know about April Fool's specifically, but I can recommend some funny Miraculous Crackfics, if that'll work?

---

Five Times Gabriel Agreste Caught Ladybug In His Son's Bedroom (And The One Time He Caught Chat Noir.) by agrestebug

Gabriel Agreste keeps finding Ladybug in his son's bedroom. As a super villain and father, this will not stand.

---

The Cuddle Pile Rolls As A Roaring Lion, Seeking Who It May Devour by Talik_Sanis

Chat Noir Is akumatized and sets out to satisfy every one of his depraved and base desires. The cuddle pile grows. It hungers.

---

Adrien vs. Gabriel: The Ultimate Battle by @sunfoxfic

The Ultimate Battle: Adrien (chosen weapon: Adrichat) versus Gabriel (chosen weapon: assassins). Who will win?

---

Wait What's Going On? by WrongFandom

Marinette hadn't had proper sleep in weeks.

---

My Dad's (Not) Hawk Moth by fallenangels22

Everyone says his dad is worse than Hawk Moth himself, and Adrien's determined to prove them wrong. (His dad can't be worse than Hawk Moth if he is Hawk Moth…)

---

Crackships and Rarepairs by QueenOfHearts7378

A fic in which the internet discovers the wonderful ship of Gabemoth and subsequently kicks off a ship war to end all ship wars. Meanwhile Adrien is not having a good time. ("Is it true your dad is doing squat thrusts in Hawkmoth's cucumber patch?")

---

Doot-doo-enator by sagansjagger

When a couple of lowlifes decide to kidnap Emma Dupain-Cheng to hold her for ransom, they were prepared to deal with the police and some panicked parents. They weren't prepared for an angry-looking Hawkmoth to show up.

---

The Markov Alliance by CrochetJellybean

Slight spoilers for season 5! Markov was excited to use Max's class time to learn more about the AI system within the Alliance rings. In his exploration, he accidentally discovers a chat room of 14 non-humans connected to the Alliance network, so he decides to join it.

This was hilarious and fun and heartwarming. Markov accidentally stumbling across the kwamis and them hinting as best they could about what to do and who to tell about them (as best they could without spewing out bubbles) was great, along with the Miracuclass’s reaction to finding out about them.

Also their groupchat name is “plagg is oblivious” due to Plagg not figuring out that Nooroo was in the same house as him all this time, which is just perfect XD. I’ve reread this fic several times, it’s so good and bite-sized!

---

A Monumental Disaster by @uptoolateart

There came a point when you had to say enough was enough – and Eiffel was so THERE. Constantly being flung about – knocked over – severed in two – bent in demeaning poses – vanished from existence – sent to the Sahara – flooded – completely obliterated – dressed up like a Christmas tree…. There was only so much a tower could take. [The Eiffel Tower gets akumatised]

---

Gabriel Seeks Financial Planning Advice by @uptoolateart

As Gabriel accepts his imminent demise, he decides to make plans to protect Adrien's inheritance and livelihood. This is the letter his trusted financial adviser writes to him, summarising the key points of that meeting. ------------ So, I really do work in financial planning, and my team and I got to talking about Harry Potter's needs. Before I knew it, I was writing a post-meeting summary letter to Harry, as if he were a client. Then a colleague said, 'You should write one to all the characters on Miraculous.' Well, I don't know about ALL of them, but Gabriel's letter started writing itself in my head without me even trying. The objectives list had me cracking up and suddenly I had my laptop out, writing this crazy thing.

This is hilarious. The financial advisor just takes all of Gabriel’s statements and aspirations at face value and writes up a letter to help work out what to do, no matter how ludicrous it all sounds.

---

Chat Noir Cataclyms Hawk Moth's Balls by @a-flaming-idiot

It's what it says on the tin; Chat Noir castrates his unaware father. And at the same time, Gabriel hits a high C to shatter glass, Nathalie realizes she wasted her life, Chloe accidentally outs herself, Adrien becomes homeless, there are no more secret identities, Tikki thinks she's funny, Nino and Alya take what's their's, and Chloe finally respects another human being. And a partridge in a pear tree~

So this is a fun little crackfic! Lots of jokes and absurd scenarios, you're likely to giggle at least a few times (and hopefully several times) while reading this.

---

The Magical Rainbow Flying Caticorn by CrochetJellybean

Kagami is just trying to have a fun day with Marinette when Felix keeps messaging her. Apparently Adrien stole the peacock miraculous and won't give it back.

So this is a fun little fic. Felix is very annoyed at having lost his Miraculous, but hey, at least the kwamis are amused with the situation! There might as well be some sort of upside to being a Senti XD.

---

Draining the Tank by @trinketsinthesun

After a hard day of being Paris's most famous fashion designer and supervillain, Gabriel Agreste wants nothing more than a hot bath. But with the hot water tank always empty, he starts to wonder - why is Adrien taking such long showers?

So this fic is rated M, and it's rated that high because Gabriel comes to suspect that Adrien's long showers are due to him masturbating while he's taking them (no masturbation actually takes place in the fic). Then he notices that Adrien's long showers happen to occur most frequently during akuma attacks and draws his own hilariously wrong conclusions XD.

---

Swallowing Rings Is Bad For Your Health by @flightfoot

Marinette swallows the Black Cat Ring. Plagg wakes up. ------ Based off of Buggachat's Bakery Enemies AU, part 34.

---

Adrichat Hell by @flightfoot

So I saw that this was Adrichat November and decided to just unwind and write some ridiculous stories with my favorite Crack ship! Adrien writes Adrichat fanfics

---

Cut the Cheese by @flightfoot

Sleepily he groped around on the desk, trying to push himself upright. His hands made contact with a goopy substance. His eyes flew open. A familiar yellow, smelly substance greeted him as an awful stench assaulted his nose. ------- Plagg has an idea for defeating Hawkmoth. Gabriel wants to escape his atelier before he passes out from the cheese fumes.

---

Never Sing At Home by @flightfoot

Based off a tumblr post by pipiezexal --- Chat Noir, telepathically: hey bugaboo I have some bad news and some good news Ladybug: hey chat how are you in my head Chat: I’ll get to that- so bad news, hawkmoth knows who I am Chat: good news though, I know who he is Chat: bad news, he has my miraculous Chat: good news, I have his! Ladybug: … Chat where are you

[soulofjuche]

Son Mu Hak, Faculty of Economics, Kim Il Sung University

2025.4.2.

Throughout whole period of his life of leading the Korean revolution, President Kim Il Sung thoroughly established Juche to solve all problems arising in the revolution and construction in our own way in accordance with the requirement, interest and specific realities of the Korean revolution.

The respected Comrade Kim Jong Un said:

"In order to implement our Party's foreign policy of independence it is essential that we steadfastly carry forward the Juche-based stand and the principle of independence which Comrades Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il maintained throughout their life, which they regarded as their guiding principles in foreign relations."

The President defined the building of an independent national economy as the general orientation of socialist economic construction in his early years and energetically led to establish Juche in the foreign trade and contribute to further consolidating the foundations of the independent economy.

The history of the development of foreign trade of the DPRK is recorded with the undying feats President Kim Il Sung who led trade officials to thoroughly establish Juche in foreign trade step by step.

In late January 1965, the President personally took part in the conference to guide the general party membership meeting of the Ministry of Trade (then).

After listening carefully to the heated discussion, the President said that trade officials should adhere to the Party's policy in external economic activities and defend the interests of our people and revolution and that those who do not know how to defend the political and economic interests of the State are disqualified for trade officials.

He went on to say that trade officials should have a good understanding of the specific conditions of their country and the Party's policies. Only then can they conduct economic diplomacy from the Juche-oriented standpoint. Anyone who wants to know only things of other countries and doesn't know their own things would lose independence in their work and practice flunkeyism and dogmatism. He said that men who have not established Juche don't believe in their own strength and can't struggle for the interests of his country.

After a while, the President said that some flunkies and dogmatists who had been involved in the munitions industry in the past were ostensibly working for our country, but in fact they served the interests of other countries. He continued, saying that they could not make gunstocks unless they had white birch trees, that they bought birch trees from other countries with lots of foreign currency and even that when they saw foreign people collected pieces of wood and made boxes so as not to waste them, they deliberately cut pieces of wood to make boxes.

After explaining in detail the harmful effects of flunkeyism and dogmatism in our revolution, President Kim Il Sung said that the officials of the Ministry of Trade should neither compromise nor waver in defending the interests of our Party and State.

Afterwards, the President clarified the issues arising in the course of expanding the trade activities from the standpoint of thoroughly defending the country's political and economic interests and gave valuable instructions on several occasions for thoroughly establishing Juche in foreign trade.

Thanks to the teachings of the President who stressed and stressed the need to establish Juche in trade work with unwavering pluck and courage, the trade officials of the DPRK could conduct foreign trade activities actively contributing to the building of an independent national economy by thoroughly establishing Juche in foreign trade work.

Today, the trade officials of the DPRK are still making tangible contributions to the economic development of the country and the improvement of the people's livelihood by conducting foreign trade activities while firmly maintaining to the Juche-oriented standpoint and independent backbone, always bearing in mind the immortal exploits of President Kim Il Sung who wisely led the foreign trade to establish Juche thoroughly.

© 2020 Kim Il Sung University

[one-of-many-journeys]

Day 48

Dawn’s Sentinel

Riding west. All that time in the snow got me used to functioning while half freezing. The heat was a shock.

Speaking of shock...Damn Stormbirds circling. I dismounted to take it on since I need a claw for my Stormslinger anyway. Thankfully I'd taken a swig of shock wax before its cannon pinned me down. Hardpoint to the cannon, blaze canister detonations; rope, chill water canister explosions, more hardpoint. Done. Salvaged the claw for when I get back to Varga in Longnotch. Might be a while.

Smoke in the distance—stout towers, felled trees. An Oseram settlement. They're a long way from the Claim.

Up on the roof of the largest dwelling, I found Petra, a tinker, forger, and mayor of Free Heap. She led a band of Oseram here after they helped take Meridian for Avad, all of it beginning with a working party that she joined in building the city's great elevators after fleeing the Claim. They settled down next to a huge scrap pile left by the Old Ones—plenty of building material, though Petra doesn't care to know what the scrap was for or how it ended up here. The Old Ones had their time, she said. Their works are over now.

In Free Heap, they govern themselves, help each other, though it seems to me that they answer to Petra above all. I know enough about Oseram culture to understand how significant it is for a woman to lead one of their settlements.

Petra told me about a huge bandit clan that had taken up residence in the excavation site next to the scrap heap. They'd been trying to muscle their way into the settlement and push the Oseram out, barring them from their livelihoods in the meantime. Petra had a plan to deal with them—a weapon of her own design, iterating on one she built for the assault on Meridian. The parts she needed to finish it were in the heap now crawling with bandits. She proposed a job opportunity. I accepted.

I took out the bandit's scouts and sentinels first, scaling the excavation equipment to get a decent angle over the whole camp.

The bandits were holding their best gear at the back of the camp, heavily defended. I had to scale around the side to find a way in. There was no getting through without a fight; not enough places to hide, and far too many of them. I picked up the power cells Petra needed and made to exit when a bandit called out to me from above, warning be that the rest of the clan was coming to launch an all-out assault on the town. Not sure why he felt the need to announce this to me, the one who'd just cleared the camp single-handedly, but I won't complain.

I had to hurry through the scrap yard to gather the materials Petra requested. With that sort of fire power on our side, we'd be able to fend off the bandits' assault without casualties. The place was crawling with Scrappers, predictably, but I overrode a couple to keep the rest at bay, sneaking up on those I could. With parts and power cells in hand, I made the short trek back to Free Heap to prepare for the oncoming attack.

Petra's cannon is a marvel. It loads itself automatically by pulling in ammunition with waves of force like a Behemoth. The projectiles are like smaller blast bombs, spraying destructive clusters over vast distances. When the clan came charging from their base beyond the cliffs, I caught them before they could even get close. They kept on coming, charging, dumb as machines.

A group of them congregated under the bridge over the site entrance. Petra told me to blow it up, and though it seemed like n extreme course of action, given it was her bridge and all, the debris crushed the attackers and either barred or deterred the rest. In the way of final words, it was impactful. The attack was over.

Petra certainly made her satisfaction known. I like her. Another woman the Clanlands couldn't hold down, like Gera. Speaking of, I asked around about her husband, Kendert, since he was last seen in the area. He didn't make it to Free Heap, but a few traders said they spotted him along the western road heading for the border some days ago.

I set out looking for signs of him, spotting abandoned supply crates and bottles of Oseram ale along the way. Blood too. Lots of it.

I ran into a herd of scavengers—Scrappers and Glinthawks, disturbing the tracks I was trying to follow.

Dusk came and went, until I came to the end of the trail, an ale barrel that had torn its way downhill to scatter its contents in a field of Tramplers. Above, camping on the ridge, I found Kendert, injured and mournful. He was surprised to hear that Gera cared enough to wonder where he was, let alone send someone looking. Seems like they had a rocky parting back in the Claim, and from what Kendert refused to mention, it almost sounded like he'd set out intending to bring her back, her being his property and all. Not so anymore. He just wanted to see her and try to patch things up, wished he'd accompanied her in the first place as an equal.

I trust him on his word. Besides, he'd be no match for Gera. Problem was, he'd lost all his stock to the herd, and wouldn't skulk back to Gera empty handed. It was a lot to ask, but I hadn't had a tough machine hunt all day. I agreed to salvage what I could of his stock.

To start, I overrode a couple of the Tramplers. Sneaking through was no fun, but I may have overestimated my new allies. Things got messy, fast.

Lucky I got in and out as quick as I did. Pretty soon a nearby Thunderjaw caught wind of the battle and started attacking my Tramplers. Not quite up to taking on that thing tonight.

I returned to Kendert with ale in hand, but he'd have to wait a while for the machines to clear out before heading down the eastward road. Good luck crossing it on foot with a Thunderjaw on the prowl. I hope he finds Gera, for his sake. For hers, I hope she reserves the right to turn him right back around again.

I returned to Free Heap for the night.

No free bedrolls in this place, just wood, stone and shelter. At least it's warm.

[allthebrazilianpolitics]

In Brazil’s Pantanal, women find empowerment working with nature’s bounty

In western Brazil’s Pantanal wetland, two socioenvironmental projects based on products from local biodiversity are encouraging women to take the lead in creating their own livelihoods.

In Barão de Melgaço municipality, women collect water hyacinths, whose fibers they use to create a range of handicrafts, while in neighboring Poconé municipality, women gather and shell fruit from the cumbaru tree to sell as a popular snack.

By generating an income for the participants, the projects give the women greater autonomy and financial independence in a region where patriarchal traditions are still strong.

The work isn’t without its risks, however: for the fruit collectors, it’s the exhausting labor of working in the sun and hauling sacks, while for the hyacinth weavers, it’s jaguars and giant otters jumping into their canoes.

Continue reading.

[generallemarc]

Ecosia budget breakdown

For those who might want to know a bit more about them before switching, or those who use them and just want to know anyway, here you are

Because they are a business and not a charity(if they weren't a business they couldn't operate as they do, taking money for advertising and all), they do sadly have to pay taxes. They are based in Germany, so I'm assuming that the vast majority of those 500k euros is going to them, as there are treaties on double-taxation between many countries to avoid putting people and businesses in the situation of needing to, in effect, pay the same tax twice if they're operating in both countries, and Germany has those with most of Europe and North America, a surprising amount of South America and Asia, and nearly all of the former members of the USSR for the same reason that America does(they negotiated it with the USSR and it was inherited by all 15 of the former SSR's). You can get a more in-depth breakdown on their site, but imo I think it's pretty impressive that their operating costs are less than a quarter of their total spending, and that they've managed to get to the size they did when only 5% of their spending is on advertising themselves(that's what "spreading the word" is, and I think it's completely fair for them to use a small percentage of their earnings to grow themselves, as more users=more money=more trees).

Overall, use ecosia. Even if they sometimes use cringey socjus rhetoric, they walk the walk more than most groups that do that could ever dream of doing. Forget emissions targets, forget climate treaties that don't do anything, these guys just go out there, plant trees, and then make sure the people living in the areas they planted those trees in can make a living through stewardship so that there no longer has to be a choice between the environment or their livelihoods.

[dropsofsciencenews]

Aquatic Forests Are in Danger

ESP version ITA version Instagram Facebook Linktree

Forests are not only made of trees: the seafloor also hosts highly productive ecosystems, such as kelp forests. These complex structures cover over 30% of the planet's rocky reefs and, according to the IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Report, are the second most at-risk marine ecosystem due to marine heatwaves (MHW), after coral reefs.

MHWs are extreme and prolonged increases in ocean temperature, and future projections indicate they will become more frequent and intense, threatening not only marine flora but the entire balance of ocean ecosystems.

To strengthen the resilience of kelp forests, a key tool is the establishment of marine protected areas (MPAs), particularly highly restrictive ones—marine reserves where all fishing is banned. But how many kelp forests actually fall within these protected areas? And are they enough to safeguard them from MHWs?

A group of researchers sought to answer these questions through a complex data analysis. First, they developed a global map of kelp forests using satellite imagery (Landsat and Sentinel-2), made possible by advances in remote sensing. Then they used climate data to project future exposure of these ecosystems to MHWs, based on sea surface temperatures under different climate scenarios. Finally, they compared the locations of kelp forests with those of existing MPAs, considering only those with up-to-date data.

The results show that floating kelp forests are found in only 12 countries, mostly at mid-latitudes in the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans. MHWs are expected to increase in all regions, but the Arctic and the northern Pacific will be the most exposed, while temperate South America and South Africa will be the least exposed. Currently, over 33% of these ecosystems fall within MPAs, but only 13.7% are highly protected. Excluding remote islands, this drops to less than 3%.

The data is clear: kelp forests are under serious threat, and current protections are insufficient to face climate change and human pressures. Despite their importance for biodiversity, carbon sequestration, and the livelihoods of millions, they remain largely absent from international conservation policies.

See You Soon and Good Science!

Source Pic by Enric Sala, National Geographic

[noctusfury]

Who Became the New Inhabitants of Old Berk After the Berkians Left? (HTTYD 3)

Hello, everyone! Welcome to another HTTYD article. Today will begin one of my few HTTYD 3 articles that I plan on doing. But this'll also tie into my Alvin-cum-Outcasts series.

So what happened to Old Berk after the Berkians left? Somebody would've had to have occupied it at some point. However, this is assuming that the Berkians haven't kept their claim on Old Berk and still have it as part of their territories.

Of course, perhaps the remains of the Northern Alliance had taken it over. But I highly doubt the other Viking Tribes would've tolerated their presence in their waters.

It's possible that the Berserkers or some other Tribe took it over after the Berkians left. Someone who's geographically close to Berk or had a close relationship with Berk.

Or it's possible Berk was abandoned for a time, and then maybe some future settlers came to live on it much later — assuming, of course, it wasn't abandoned indefinitely or even permanently.

If we follow the Books, the Berkians, of course, NEVER left Berk, even after the dragons left. Even if they did, I'm sure the Meatheads would've taken Berk over due to being just a skip across the pond.

However, I propose a plausible candidate who took over Berk after the Berkians' migration:

The Outcasts!

It is my headcanon, and theory, that it was the Outcasts who eventually inherited Old Berk from the Hooligans/Berkians. I mean, the Outcasts have to find some sort of land at some point.

I mean, LOOK AT THIS! Outcast Island is dreary, gloomy, barren, dry; full of rocks, crags, and dragons; and is volcanic in nature. You literally can't scrounge any sort of prosperity and survivability from this island.

It's only useful for one purpose: a military base-cum-outpost for raiding and pillaging passing ships and nearby islands.

There's the Loki tree which is common on the island and is often used as some form of caulking and chalking agent. It's also used for charcoal. It is malodorous in nature and is able to thrive in dry and barren places. It is possible that it smells terrible due to the volcanic environment it's in, having a sulfuric scent.

There's also the Ice Tail Pike, which only can be found on Outcast Island (which is strange when you think about it since there's no ice anywhere on the island). I highly doubt it's "rare" though — there's so much of them.

So the Outcasts basically have to get their food from the sea, any raids they conduct on other islands or any ships they plunder, and if they're lucky, trade from Johann (which is odd in and of itself). I haven't seen any livestock on there. And it's been mentioned and implied in several episodes that Outcasts also eat dragon eggs a lot, and maybe dragons themselves — proof of the desperate measures they must take to sustain themselves.

After they ally themselves with Berk to defeat Dagur in "Cast Out," however, things change, and Alvin and Stoick are able to resolve their past grievances and restore their lost friendship.

In RTTE, the second time we see them, they come to Berk's aid and protect Berk while the Dragon Riders fly to Vanaheim and Stoick is... recovering from his battle injuries. Honestly, if Alvin wasn't reformed, this would've been the best opportunity to take over Berk for himself with Stoick incapacitated and the Riders absent from Berkian skies. But c'est la vie. 🤷‍♂️😌

I honestly wouldn't be surprised if, during this time or some other situation or another, Stoick and Alvin came to an agreement that should anything happen to Stoick and Hiccup, or if the Berkians are forced to leave Berk, Alvin and the Outcasts could take Berk for themselves.

I mean, you say their island. They obviously need an island on which they can lead a more normal livelihood and also gain wives and sire the next generation (because I have no idea how they'll be able to keep their numbers up if they don't).

Of course, it may be that the Outcasts have grown so used to their life on Outcast Island that they don't have any inclination to move elsewhere. If so, then I could see them extensively trading with Berk and other traders for the goods that they need. 🤷‍♂️

But I can't see Alvin's desire for Berk dissipating just because he's reformed. I'm sure he still has ambitions for "something more." Berk would be a great additional island for them. Even if they just use Berk as a home for their families and various craftsmen and farmers, and place some defences and dragons to protect Berk, whilst remaining on Outcast Island, the ends are still achieved.

Yes, Alvin, it's good to be back on the shores of Berk! 😁

What do you guys think happened to Old Berk after the third film?

I hope you enjoyed this article. Thank you for reading. See you next time!

Long Live the Night!

— Noctus Fury

[kick-the-clouds]

The menorah is more than just a symbol. It represents hope, resilience, and the light that guides us through darkness. But today, our world is facing a darkness of its own—climate change. This is not a distant threat; it is happening now, and it is destroying our planet’s unique and life-sustaining environments.

The evidence is undeniable. Glaciers are melting, sea levels are rising, and extreme weather events are becoming more frequent. Our planet is warming at an alarming rate, and human activity is the primary cause. Burning fossil fuels, deforestation, and industrial pollution are pumping greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, trapping heat and altering the delicate balance of our ecosystems.

The impact is devastating. Coral reefs, often called the “rainforests of the sea,” are dying. These vibrant underwater ecosystems support a quarter of all marine life and provide food and livelihoods for millions of people. Forests, the lungs of our planet, are being ravaged by fires and deforestation, releasing even more carbon into the air. Wildlife is struggling to adapt, with many species facing extinction.

But there is hope. Just as the menorah’s light shines brightly, we too can illuminate a path forward. We can make a difference, and it starts with each of us. Here are ways to cope and help:

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Cut down on waste by recycling and reusing materials. Every small action counts.

Conserve Energy: Turn off lights when not in use, use energy-efficient appliances, and consider renewable energy sources like solar panels.

Support Sustainable Practices: Choose products that are sustainably sourced and support companies that prioritize the environment.

Plant Trees: Trees absorb carbon dioxide and provide oxygen. Join local tree-planting initiatives or start your own.

Educate and Advocate: Spread awareness about climate change and advocate for policies that protect our environment.

Reduce Meat Consumption: The meat industry is a significant contributor to greenhouse gases. Try incorporating more plant-based meals into your diet.

We must act now. The menorah teaches us that even in the darkest times, a single light can make a difference. Let us be that light for our planet. Together, we can create a sustainable future for generations to come.

[outofangband]

Songbirds of Doriath

Flora, fauna, geography and environment of Arda Masterlist

Orchids of Doriath, Mosses of Doriath, Ferns of Doriath

I love doing general flora and fauna posts but I can’t fit everything in them so I’m trying to make more specific ones as well! please please feel free to send categories to work on with locations! Or any environmental world building asks!

In ornithology songbirds are defined as species who possess a lower larynx or species belonging to the suborder passeri. This includes thousands of species that live all over the world, with the exception of Antarctica

Doriath is a region made up of a variety of forests. There is Region, a forest of holly and other mostly deciduous trees, Neldoreth, an ancient beechwood, Nivrim, a forest of primarily oak north of the twilit meres and finally Arthórien, a forest we have almost no information on, divided from the rest of the kingdom by the river Aros which runs along the Eastern border of greater Doriath.

Songbirds are canonically associated with the region and especially the queen, Melian, whose power was said to bring song to nightingales. She was also a Maia of Vána, as well as Estë. Vána was associated with songbirds and flowers. Lúthien’s sobriquet means nightingale and there are many references to songbirds in association with her in both canon and pre canon sources

like my others, I am going to add some world building notes at the end so it's not just listing species

Species:

In the deeper woods: chaffinch, azure tit, greenish warbler, song thrush, common nuthatch, golden oriole, long tailed tit, hawfinch, lesser redpoll

Forest edges: rose finch, horned lark, marsh warbler, chestnut bunting, white wagtail, common nightingale, common wren

Migratory: woodchat strike, wood warbler, thrush nightingale, redwing, fieldfare, sedge warbler, varied thrush, red throated thrush, bluethroat

Specific to Region: mistle thrush

River banks and alder groves: brambling, Willow tit, marsh tit (occasionally found along the river in Neldoreth too), common reed bunting

Arthórien specific: rusty crowned babbler, golden crowned babbler, grey thrush, maroon oriole

Other note: there are many species that exist throughout the kingdom that do not have equivalents in the real world. Some of these were brought by the Melian and some of these are, simply species unique to. Arda

World building notes:

-song birds are common in art, music, poetry, and lore. Though they have group associations (Melian and thus, Doriath itself, joy and livelihood, song) different species often have their own associations as well! Thrushes for example are associated with melancholy, seasonal change, and contemplation. Warbler species tend to be associated with summer and with revelry.

-I spoke about this on my post about speculative biology and elves, but I believe the elves can imitate a variety of animal nature sounds with higher accuracy than humans, and this is due in part to differences in vocal systems, as well as in their hearing and imitation abilities.

-Many games of Sindar children involve bird calls and different ones are often assigned meanings, some obscure, some almost universal.

-The marchwardens of Doriath also frequently use bird calls as well, changing based on season and location so their calls fit with the environment.

-It is considered highly taboo to slay a songbird as they are not hunted for food or materials but also because of the spiritual significance. Feathers may only be used when found having been lost or fallen, not taken from live birds or their bodies. Many will say a prayer to Melian or Vána at the sight of a fallen songbird

-Just as with butterflies, many species of birds inspired exploration in color and led to the development of pigments. Alder bark, from trees found primarily in Nivrim, is associated with varied thrushes as well as with orange tip butterflies, for example

[mariacallous]

Beneath an intricate stained-glass window, I am sitting next to pastor Jeff Wilder, talking about lonely men. The clergyman is the first to say he looks a little different from your average Protestant preacher; his thick beard and arm tattoos might not instantly place him leading a flock here. But his assessment of the presidential race is insightful and nuanced – not least because his church is in Middletown, Ohio, where Trump’s vice-presidential pick JD Vance grew up.

Middletown, a small city in the rust belt, was thrust into national prominence after Vance, by then a Silicon Valley-based venture capitalist, published his memoir, Hillbilly Elegy, in 2016. The book would pave the way for his move into politics.

Vance is of course a polarising figure in this election, in part owing to misogynist comments targeting “childless cat ladies”. But pastor Wilder takes exception to something else, too.

“The Republican party right now is doing a really wonderful job of faking relationships,” he says. The emails he receives from the Trump campaign – which he signed up to for research purposes – often start with exuberant personal messages such as “I need you” or “I can’t do it without you”. “It’s ingenuine,” Wilder says, recognising that some in his congregation – which splits about 50/50 on party lines – have “fallen into the trap … Men’s health is something we overlook in America. Men want to be part of something – to feel like they belong.”

Increasingly, this election looks set to be defined by an entrenched gender divide. This is particularly evident, according to recent polls, among white men without a college degree, who favour Trump by a margin of 70%.

Naturally, what the pastor describes forms only a fragment of the reason white men are attracted to Trump. Some in the cable news commentariat chastise the Harris campaign for failing to connect with men, overlooking the reality that swathes of them continue to carry so much gender and racial bias that connection is impossible. Throughout this election I have heard many voters describe the vice-president of the United States with vicious misogyny, often in line with remarks Trump himself has made.

But America’s lurch into a loneliness epidemic is long established. It’s the subject of Robert Putnam’s seminal work Bowling Alone, which is set in towns not too far from here and observes the decline of the civic organisations, from bowling leagues to trade unions, that buttress a strong democracy and social fabric. Last year Joe Biden’s surgeon general categorised loneliness as a public health crisis. Vance acknowledges it in his book: loneliness, he writes, has led to “a peculiar crisis of masculinity in which some of the very traits that our culture inculcates make it difficult to succeed in a changing world.”

After my visit to Wilder, I drive towards Ohio’s border with Kentucky, along streets lined with large maple trees turning a magnificent orange as autumn sets in, for a canvassing event with a group of “Rising Republicans”. They tell me (to my relief) that they define youth as between the ages of 18 and 40, meaning they can proudly declare that Vance himself could still belong.

The gender divide that defines this election is even more pronounced among younger voters, according to recent polls. Some 67% of young women support Harris, compared with 28% who support Trump. And 58% of young men favour Trump, against 37% for Harris.

Before we set out to walk the streets, I ask the group if they think the very definition of masculinity is on the ballot this year, too. Some nod in agreement. “The conservative’s definition of masculinity is hard-working blue-collar man, who works hard to support his family, his wife, his livelihood, his home and his community,” says one young man. “Those on the left, I don’t think they know what a man is.”

I ask the group’s president, Grant Bagshaw, whether he has concerns about the dozens of women who have accused Trump of sexual assault, and of the jury decision last year to hold the former president liable for sexual abuse. “It’s an uncomfortable subject. I don’t know. I don’t think any of us know, so I won’t make a judgment on whether they are telling the truth or not,” he says, adding: “Republicans and most Americans in general … they just don’t believe the media most of the time.”

He has a point on the last part, but neglects to mention that distrust in legacy media has accelerated in the Trump era of misinformation. The Republican campaign this year has done much to engage with alternative rightwing media targeted at young men in particular, as a range of subcultures such as cryptocurrency and online gambling bend towards conservative values. A testament, perhaps, to how Americans are no longer just bowling alone, but posting alone.

I head back to Middletown for some Friday Night Lights – a high school football match where the city’s beloved “Middies” are facing off against their arch-rivals Hamilton Big Blue, from the neighbouring town (the Middies get thumped 42-7). Given where we are, I’m expecting to hear full-throated support for the Trump-Vance ticket and its turbocharged male identity politics.

But the reality is perhaps surprising. I sit in the bleachers – cheap open-air seats – with families, couples and young adults from across the region. Many do not even know that Vance grew up here, and their political persuasions are as mixed as their allegiances to the two teams. An older man stares down our camera and describes Donald Trump as “an idiot”. A younger man says “men are the main issue” behind the political failures in the country, but says he will not vote in November.

It’s a stark reminder that while the polls may be extremely close, nothing is a foregone conclusion in this election.

[bananonbinary]

the main argument I've heard made wrt the IP thing and AI art is that the AI can only ever combine works from other artists. it has no creative input other than combining works that already exist; which, personally, i would be fine with if it was just being trained on work in the public domain and work from people who consented to be included, but these bots are scraping art from literally everywhere on the web with *very* few opportunities to opt out. even a human artist that's heavily inspired by other creators adds something of their own to the mix, it's kind of impossible *not* to unless you're literally tracing someone else's design, but AI is using art taken from other creators And Nothing Else, which when combined with the fact you can ask it to produce art "in the style of X" gets a lot of artists very mad

that feels like a very esoteric complaint though. how does one measure "creative input," and why does the actual method it uses to create not count? if you can't actually point to a bit of AI art like "thats my OC it clearly lifted that from this painting i did" then it's clearly done SOMETHING transformative. what has it actually stolen? the knowledge that your work exists, somewhere?

as far as i understand it, the main practical reason for "intellectual property" to exist as a legal concept, is to prevent someone from harming someone else's livelihood or reputation by claiming the work as their own. parody and free use are allowed only so far as they are sufficiently different from the source work. but these AIs...don't claim credit for the source works. they don't reproduce the source works anywhere at all. and what they create IS pretty transformative, even if it's in a soulless robot kinda way. it can't really be considered to be "taking away" from sales etc of the original works that exist, because it doesn't actually look like any one of them at all. I think even if I, a human, DID create "here's a collage of tiny pieces of shit i found on deviantart" it would still be considered fair use, but the connection between anything in the data sets and the actual art the AIs produce is much, much more tenuous than that.

I think any way that it could hurt an artist that you could define would also just cover competing artists in general. Even if an AI created a picture of, say, a tree In The Style Of Artist (let's call them Phil), it still wouldn't ACTUALLY be the same as the tree Phil would draw, it would just kinda look similar. and anyone who wanted a tree by Phil would know that this wasn't one, and wasn't worth their time. Phil could draw their own tree, and still sell it, and the AI would only really compete with that among Phil fans if it actually tried to claim that its version WAS by Phil.

This is sort of my main hesitation for the IP argument. we here in fandom spaces exist in a grey area of intellectual property, where EVERYTHING is "in the style of" or "based on" existing properties. if we try to legislate those very conceptual qualities, instead of actual concrete "look this was literally my image it made i published it two years ago," then our spaces will cease to exist.

again, that's not to say there's zero valid complaints about AI art. i definitely see the problem with corporations trying to replace human labor with them because the humans wanted better working conditions. (this is a larger problem imo where any progress in the workplace is stagnated because it will inevitably be used as an excuse to fire people instead of give them less work). and a friend explained to me why it's fairly offensive at the very least to try and bring AI art into what was clearly a space to celebrate the process of making art (eg, contests, writers groups and websites, etc). i just don't think this specific argument is a good path to go down.

[cognitivejustice]

“There is no good restoration if we neglect the role of local communities,” he said. “For this reason, we worked very hard on the ground to synergize in developing business models. We cannot restore the peatlands if we don’t improve the livelihoods of the people.”

The project employed ‘Augmented PAR’ methods that involved phases of reflection, planning, action, and monitoring. “As it is action research, we do not only give recommendations but we give results that can be used for evidence-based policies,” said Purnomo. The process showed the value of PAR for cost-efficient restoration and impact monitoring.

“We hope this research leads to digital transformation for scientists as well as communities at the grassroots, and can be used to build business models together.”

Within the project, she noted, possibilities arose for building businesses in peatland areas, fisheries, plantations, and eco-tourism, but their development requires more research.

CIFOR-ICRAF senior research officer Beni Okarda said that the research contributed towards enhancing community-based restoration monitoring systems, whereby communities were encouraged to participate in compiling data by monitoring peatland water levels and tree cover – including through setting up groundwater monitoring points, and preparing and installing dip-wells and subsidence poles.

“The most important thing is to nurture more bottom-up initiatives,”