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rjzimmerman · 9 days

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Excerpt from this Op-Ed from the New York Times:

At first glance, Xi Jinping seems to have lost the plot.

China’s president appears to be smothering the entrepreneurial dynamism that allowed his country to crawl out of poverty and become the factory of the world. He has brushed aside Deng Xiaoping’s maxim “To get rich is glorious” in favor of centralized planning and Communist-sounding slogans like “ecological civilization” and “new, quality productive forces,” which have prompted predictions of the end of China’s economic miracle.

But Mr. Xi is, in fact, making a decades-long bet that China can dominate the global transition to green energy, with his one-party state acting as the driving force in a way that free markets cannot or will not. His ultimate goal is not just to address one of humanity’s most urgent problems — climate change — but also to position China as the global savior in the process.

It has already begun. In recent years, the transition away from fossil fuels has become Mr. Xi’s mantra and the common thread in China’s industrial policies. It’s yielding results: China is now the world’s leading manufacturer of climate-friendly technologies, such as solar panels, batteries and electric vehicles. Last year the energy transition was China’s single biggest driver of overall investment and economic growth, making it the first large economy to achieve that.

This raises an important question for the United States and all of humanity: Is Mr. Xi right? Is a state-directed system like China’s better positioned to solve a generational crisis like climate change, or is a decentralized market approach — i.e., the American way — the answer?

How this plays out could have serious implications for American power and influence.

Look at what happened in the early 20th century, when fascism posed a global threat. America entered the fight late, but with its industrial power — the arsenal of democracy — it emerged on top. Whoever unlocks the door inherits the kingdom, and the United States set about building a new architecture of trade and international relations. The era of American dominance began.

Climate change is, similarly, a global problem, one that threatens our species and the world’s biodiversity. Where do Brazil, Pakistan, Indonesia and other large developing nations that are already grappling with the effects of climate change find their solutions? It will be in technologies that offer an affordable path to decarbonization, and so far, it’s China that is providing most of the solar panels, electric cars and more. China’s exports, increasingly led by green technology, are booming, and much of the growth involves exports to developing countries.

From the American neoliberal economic viewpoint, a state-led push like this might seem illegitimate or even unfair. The state, with its subsidies and political directives, is making decisions that are better left to the markets, the thinking goes.

But China’s leaders have their own calculations, which prioritize stability decades from now over shareholder returns today. Chinese history is littered with dynasties that fell because of famines, floods or failures to adapt to new realities. The Chinese Communist Party’s centrally planned system values constant struggle for its own sake, and today’s struggle is against climate change. China received a frightening reminder of this in 2022, when vast areas of the country baked for weeks under a record heat wave that dried up rivers, withered crops and was blamed for several heatstroke deaths.

#China #climate change #renewable energy

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bonny-kookoo · 7 months

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Jungkook

𝐔𝐍𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐁𝐋𝐄 | Helping Hand

Jungkook isn't kind, or at least he doesn't seem to be. But one look beyond the surface reveals that he's a lot warmer than one might think.

Tags/Warnings: Alien!Jungkook, Human!Reader, dystopian AU, space/Sci-fi/cyberpunk-esque, Enemies to lovers, Angst, Violence, Drama, romance, adult, angst, potentially triggering content, mentions of prostitution, fluff??

Length: 2k words

There is no taglist.

-> Masterlist

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You're sitting in the command center where Jungkook is busy steering the ship and putting in coordinates, while you're busy staring out the giant rounded window, watching planets in the distance and meteorites pass by, as well as the occasional star flutter around.

Jungkook had offered you to spend time at the command central outside of your room for once- though he made sure to emphasize that 'one wrong move' and he'd put you right back in there for sure. It's a little odd, how contradictive he sometimes is- but you believe it might just be what his kind usually behaves like. You're not sure- you've never even asked which species he belongs to, down the line. He looks like he might be a Bolku, with his color changing eyes and tall build- but he's missing the distinctive pale skin and horns on his head, so you're not sure. Maybe he's of a different kind?

"Do you.." He starts, not looking up from the control panel as he looks at something on the display down at his hands, "..have any hobbies?" He asks, a little awkwardly, but you welcome the attempt at a conversation.

"No." You shake your head. He frowns a little to himself, taps around on the screen.

"No?" He wonders. "Then what did you do all day back on earth?" He wants to know, and you shrug, before looking outside again, watching a large meteorite slowly moving past the large ship.

"Sleep, if there was no work." You answer. "But sleeping a lot can make your head hurt." You giggle. He doesn't seem like he finds it funny, though, as he sighs, sitting down on the actually pretty worn down chair.

"But if there.." he begins, watching something load on the screens in front of him, a soft, gentle pinging sound signaling something in progress as the system scans the ships's surroundings, "..if there was something you could do, to pass time and.. amuse yourself I guess, what would it be?" He wonders, eyes slowly moving up without his head turning at all, greenish blue gaze watching you from his spot at the control panel.

"..I guess, maybe crocheting?" You wonder, thinking to yourself. "Yeah. I saw older people sell those.. small crochet animals on the side of the street sometimes. I think.. I'd like to know how to make them." You say. He scoffs, clearly not impressed.

"That's nothing practical at all." He says. "What about productive things?" He wonders, arms crossed as he keeps looking at you from beneath his lashes, light sometimes catching on the two silver balls from his pierced brow.

"Well I mean- I'd produce those tiny animals?" You try and joke-

and as he scoffs at that, there's the hint of a smile, his head shaking as he returns his attention to the screens in front of him, scan now complete.

You're about to ask him if he himself has any hobbies, when something similar to an alarm sounds, red Warning label pulsating on the large windows to indicate something dangerous. Jungkook is instantly alert, eyes flashing a sharp yellow before they turn red, while he assesses whatever is going on on his control screens. And then, a loud bang and whaling noise can be heard, before the ship moves suddenly, as if pushed side to side by giant waves of water. It makes you fall from the ledge near the window you were sitting on, tumbling down the floor before you hit the wall on one side, shoulder harshly crashing against the edge of a metal console.

And then, it's quiet, only a slight small pinging sound again, while the system checks for any damage.

"Fuck.." Jungkook curses, before he walks over to where you're sitting up now, ship having stabilized again. "You okay?" he wonders, squatting down near you to watch you roll your shoulder before you nod.

"Yeah- just fell. What happened?" You wonder, looking at him, and he sighs, before he picks you up like a ragdoll with his hands under your arms to stand you up again.

"Scanner's got an issue." He shrugs, arms crossed as he walks back to the control panels. "Probably nothing too bad, but we can't fly like this." He grumbles to himself, while playing with the piercings of his bottom lip, eyes an icy and stressed color of turquoise, signaling his inner emotions. "We'll have to stop at the next Ship station to get it fixed." He informs you, and you nod.

"How long until the next planet?" You wonder, now a little worried about the safety of not only you, but the entire ship with the scanner not working properly.

"Not long. Crion is pretty much only a few hours away- I can get it fixed there." He says, and you nod.

It's quiet, except for the low rumbling of the ship and some beeps here and there, before he talks again, awfully soft.

"Don't worry." He says, sitting down in the chair again. "It'll be fine."

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Crion is a pretty, but very, very crowded planet. It's a sanctuary for many different species all across the universe, and it shows in the absolute variety of languages, foods and other items sold on the streets.

"Here." Jungkook tells you, before his hands come into view from behind you, clicking the tracking collar back around your neck. "I really don't want to have to search for you just because you strayed around- so please just try and stay within my sight." He says, clearly stressed about the whole situation.

The ship has a very obvious dent in one of the sides, damage that needs to be repaired before the scanner could even be talked about. You're not quite sure why, to you the dent isn't actually that bad and just.. aesthetically maybe a bit ugly, but you don't question it. Jungkook is the pilot after all- he'll know what's best.

While Jungkook walks over to talk to a greenish humanoid with multiple arms about his ship, you stay close, just like he told you to- though you can't help but look around here and there, loud metal noises and large bird like creatures in the skies making you a little anxious. "My people already looked at damage-" The humanoid alien says, a tablet in one if his four hands, as he taps with one finger. "Scanner B3 and E2 software. Scanner A1 and A2 fluid damage. And big case damage!" He argues, making Jungkook roll his eyes.

"Yeah I already figured that out myself- can you fix it?" He asks, a greenish yellow that underlines his clear suspicion of the person in front of him.

"Fix it I can-" The man says, three eyes suddenly watching Jungkook with challenge. "You can pay?" He asks.

Jungkook grows tense. "How much?" He wonders, and the man uses one of his three fingers to tap away, quickly calculating something in a program.

"Sixteen-" The alien starts, before his eyes move back to look at Jungkook. "-hundred."

Jungkook takes a deep breath, clearly not able to just say yes to that price.

"Is there any way we can push that down?" He asks, and the alien shrugs, putting the tablet away, before he looks at you.

"You can pay with slave." The alien person offers, leaning forward a bit to sniff with his cat-shaped nose. "Very young. I like- can work for us." He begins.

"Okay-" You start without thinking, when Jungkook's head snaps towards you, eyes an angry red.

"Excuse us for a second-" He offers the man, before he grabs you by the back of your collar, pulling you to the side and out of hearing range for the man. "-have you hit your head on the ship?!" He hisses at you, frown on his face as he talks down towards you due to the height difference.

"What? No." You shake your head. "You just- need to get your ship fixed and if he wants me instead of sixteen hundred that's a great deal-"

"I'm not selling you into prostitution just to get my fucking ship fixed, you lunatic!" He growls again, breaking eye contact as he looks around, taking a deep breath. "There has to be a different planet where we can get it fixed-"

"Jungkook it's fine-" You start, but he turns around and stares at you with a gaze so unfocused in it's emotions that it almost looks like his eyes portray every color they can at once.

"No!." He says, pupils flicking from one of your eyes to the other rapidly. "… I don't care. Anything but that. There has to be a different way." He decides, and maybe from sheer shock over his outburst alone, you don't question him any further. "Come." He instead tells you, and you follow obediently, no longer really feeling like going against his word.

"Have decided?" The man says, and Jungkook crosses his arms.

"I'll pay 850 up front." He says. "The rest after you're finished." He offers, and the man laughs.

"You crazy!" He says. "900 up front."

"Okay." Jungkook agrees, before he pulls out a small, phone-like device to transfer the money to the alien mechanic.

"You really not want sell slave?" The man tries again.

"No." Jungkook denies, finishing up the transfer before he puts his device away, and grabs your hand rather roughly, pulling you away from him after making sure to turn around one last time.

"And she's not a fucking slave."

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"I can't believe this is the third time I'm asking you.." Jungkook sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. "What. Do. You. Want. To. Eat." He tries once more, because true to his word, he's been trying for the past hour or so to get you something to eat.

"Nothing." You say, yet again, almost a little amused by the game you're playing.

Jungkook clenches his jaw, clearly looking like he's either praying to gods above- or like he's really trying hard to contain himself.

"Jungkook you need the money to pay off the ship's repairs-" You start, but he simply tugs you by your hand again to a small, open food stall. "Jungkook-"

"Can I have something to eat for this thing?" Jungkook asks the short man grilling the battered.. fish? You're not sure what it is, but it smells pretty good.

"Hey!" You argue at his choice of words for you, and the man chuckles a little.

"Sure. That'll be five." He mumbles, and Jungkook pays before you can even argue- steaming fried pieces of.. whatever placed in a Styrofoam container that Jungkook puts into your hands.

"Eat." He demands, sitting down on a bench under a small roof with you.

You simply do as he tells you to, biting into the still steaming food, really pretty uncaring as to what it might be. It tastes sort of like fish- a little spicy, but very pleasant. He's simply sitting next to you with his back curved and his elbows resting on his knees, eyes constantly roaming around like he's some guard dog ready to defend at any given point.

He's probably still thinking about how to get the money for the repairs- and you still don't understand why he was so.. aggressively against the idea of just selling you. It almost felt like there was an emotional response to it rather than just regular sympathy for you. But it doesn't matter- because you want to help as well, considering he's been somewhat taking care of you for a little while now.

You poke his biceps before holding out your box with one piece of fish eaten, and the other just having been bitten once. "What?" He asks.

"I'm full." You say. He rolls his eyes, sighs, but takes your scraps anyways, eating them while swing your legs on the bench next to him. You're yawning, clearly tired- and he finishes your food next to you, before he leans back on the bench, and rather clumsily pushes you by your shoulder to lay over his lap, thighs surprisingly comfortably and warm. And after a moment of surprise, you finally put your legs up and use your hands to support your head a bit more-

his own resting on your shoulder, as if to make sure you know he's still there.

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#bts imagine #bts fanfic #bts fic #jungkook imagine #jeon jungkook x reader #jeon jungkook imagine #bts jungkook imagine #jeon jungkook imagines #jungkook x you #jungkook fanfic #jungkook drabble #jungkook fluff #bts jeon jungkook imagine #alien jungkook #alien!jungkook

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disease · 17 days

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LIST: iOS SHORTCUTS

• Spotify to MP3 | "Download Spotify tracks to MP3." • All Media Downloader | "This shortcut helps you download content from social media apps." • Web Services | "Customise the internet for you." • Better GIF Maker | "Convert videos and live photos to GIFs at highest quality using ffmpeg" • Water Eject | "Powerful water ejection system." • Paywall and Cookie Bypass | "Bypass website paywalls and cookies." • iUtilities | "The only shortcut you’ll need" • Reverse Image Search | "Search by image instead of keywords" • Google Translate | "Quickly translate using the Google Translate API" • iTweak Final Version | "A Jailbreak Alternative With Multiple Features!"

...WHAT ARE SHORTCUTS?

for those unaware: the pre-installed Shortcuts app on iOS/macOS/iPadOS can potentially be a life-changing application in regards to digital productivity.

it's utilized as a hub for your collection of shortcuts and automations. shortcuts allow for just a single click—which many times is conveniently incorporated onto your "share" sheet option panel—to execute one or multiple actions; automations are chosen commands that run at specific/relative times of day without prompt.

people tend to overlook the Shortcuts app due to its available "gallery" of shortcuts being rather limited... with the only other option provided being to build these desired actions yourself, which requires the skill of digital coding. however! that's where RoutineHub comes in: it's a website allowing users to share their own complex shortcuts, free of charge, and has a large selection to choose from.

RoutineHub: Shortcuts {by Popularity}

#smart technology #digital productivity #life hacks #productivity #shortcuts #smart living #automations #iOS #macOS #iPadOS #technology #routinehub #g #link #text #ref

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neversetyoufree · 3 months

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[Image Description: a panel from the Case Study of Vanitas manga. The Marquis Machina, in her Lady Archiviste form, looks up in surprise just as she's finished building a large house of cards. End Description].

I do think it's very funny and on the nose that Machina is building a house of cards when Teacher drops the line about dhams trafficking drugs.

Machina has carefully created a situation where she has a network of dhampirs bringing her information in exchange for granting them a degree of societal protection. I'm guessing neither the church, the racist vampire aristocracy, nor the dhampirs kept subservient to her are particularly thrilled about this arrangement.

Surely the literal house of cards she's just finished building when we first hear about a chaotic unknown element in her delicate dhampir system doesn't mean anything.

#baby that house of cards is coming DOWN #vnc #vanitas no carte #the case study of vanitas #marquis machina #francis varney #english major hours #theory #vnc spoilers #vnc 62.5

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keepingitneutral · 5 months

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Digital House, Wismar, Germany,

the “Digital House” is a prototypical building entirely digitally designed, fabricated, and assembled without the need for tools. Julian Krüger (Munich University of Applied Sciences) and Benjamin Kemper (Wismar University of Applied Sciences) developed a sustainable, cost-effective building system based on innovative plug-in construction methods.

In a grove not far from the Faculty of Architecture and Design at Wismar University, a small house with a shiny, silvery facade and a steep, west-facing mono-pitch roof stands 6.5 m high on a footprint of 3.3 × 4.9 m. Light enters the spacious interior through a continuous window ribbon and four large windows cutting through the facade made from recycled aluminum sheets.

The house features an inventive wood construction system CNC-milled from 24mm plywood, allowing two people to assemble it quickly without any tools or hardware, such as screws or nails. This flexible system, which allows for disassembly and reuse, strengthens the project's approach to sustainability.

The wooden structure is clad with plywood panels inside and a vapor-permeable wood fibreboard on the outside and insulated with eco-friendly wood fiber.

The "Digital House" rests on six ground screws, enabling quick and traceless disassembly and eliminating the need for concrete or groundwork.

Julian Krüger + Benjamin Kemper

#art #design #architecture #minimal #nature #interior design #retreat #cabin #digital #digital architecture #prototype #sustainability #sustainable architecture #recycling

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rascal-xo · 9 months

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Ooh!

What if you did one with a reader who is all sunshine and rainbows usually and just the most positive person, until her S.O gets hurt/taken captive (I’m thinking Ghost or Soap with this one)

Once they’re gone, she turns into an absolute beast trying to get her person back. (And it’s lowkey scary and hot?)

Flipping The Switch - Simon ‘Ghost’ Riley x Female Reader

Chapter Summary: Ghost has gone off the grid after Grave’s betrayal and that leaves you to track him down.

Warnings: Violence, language, weapons, injuries, angst, fluff

Tags: @pukbadger @fiveshelmet @myguiltypleasures21 @madamemelaninn @emmaadlerrichtofen1 @swissy23 @thatchickwiththecamera @glitterypirateduck @glitteryeggalmondherring @allaboutirem0

A/N: Ty for the request, I hope you enjoy!

As you stand alone in the aftermath of Grave’s betrayal to the 141, worry gnaws at your heart like a relentless predator. Thoughts of Soap and Ghost flood your mind, the fear of losing them both unbearable.

When not even Ghost is responding to comms, the thought that anything could’ve happened to him begins to creep into your mind. Imagining a life without the man that gives you your own sends shivers down your spine.

When you finally get back up on your feet, you only have one thing on your mind…

As you approach the taken HQ in Las Alma’s, adrenaline courses through your veins. The building looms before you, ominous and foreboding. You’re alone this time, your team split up in unknown places.

With carefully honed skills, you stealthily maneuver past guards and surveillance systems, each step bringing you closer to your goal.

The echoes of your footsteps resonate in the dimly lit corridors as you move deeper into the enemy territory. Anger fuels your determination to find Simon

You round a corner, you catch a glimpse of a familiar insignia on a soldier’s uniform, and your heart races.

They are the same soldiers who once fought alongside you, but now they serve a different master. Suppressing the urge to strike, you slip by them, trying not to alert any unwanted attention.

The sound of voices leads you to a control room, where you spot the towering figure of Graves. His once-trusted face now bears the mark of betrayal, and your anger reaches its peak.

You finally come out of the shadows making yourself seen. Taking a step forward, you raise your sidearm at him.

The two Shadow soldiers raise their weapons at you but stop in their movements when Graves lifts a hand. “Excuse us, gentleman.” He says, motioning them away.

“It was about time you found your way here, Sergeant.” He smirks, setting down his gun. You lower your sidearm, but keeping it handy. “We could use your wisdom.”

“I’m not here to play nice with you, Graves.” You answer, finally taking a better look around the control room. The large window at the control panel overlooks the a pier with heavy standing machinery. Missiles.

You know if he’s smart enough he won’t kill you. You finally walk over to the controls, hovering your fingers along the buttons. “You had a good thing going Commander. You’ve forgotten what you’re fighting for.”

Graves steps closer, and you take a step back, maintaining your distance. “You wouldn’t understand,” he replies dismissively. “The world is changin, and I’m simply aligning myself with the winning side.”

“You’re not fooling anyone,” you retort, unable to fathom how the man you once respected could become so twisted. “Shepard bought you out.”

His smile widens, revealing a cold and calculating demeanor. “And yet, you’re standing here, alone,” he taunts. “Your precious team is scattered, and your beloved Simon is… well, let’s just say he’s not in any position to help you.”

His words hit you like a physical blow, but you refuse to let consume you.

“You think you have the power right in your hands commander but the only thing you have is the nerve.” you declare, your voice steady despite the storm of emotions raging within.

Graves laughs, the sound echoing in the room. “You’re a patriot fighting for her country. That’s what I always liked about you, Y/N That you’re not afraid to do it.”

“You’re a dog with a bone Graves.” You retort, your voice low and menacing. “And i’m gonna make sure you know what it’s like to have that taken from you.”

His eyebrows drop and you barge out of the room, he watches you walk out with a slanted expression.

As you leave the control room, you make your way through the labyrinth of corridors, determination burning in your veins. Your mind is set on finding Alejandro and putting an end to Graves’ sinister plans.

After what seems like an eternity, you finally reach a heavily guarded cell block. Your heart races as you spot Alejandro inside, weakened but alive. With swift and precise movements, you manage to disable the guards and free him from his restraints.

“Sergeant, you made it.” Alejandro says, his voice filled with gratitude and relief. You give him a reassuring smile, helping him to his feet.

“I have a plan but I need your help.” You explain, clocking back your gun.

He nods his head, “Hacemos esto juntos, camarada.” (We do this together.)

With a knowing smile, you leave the cell behind and make your exit long enough for the guard to stay unconscious.

As you both sneak through the HQ, avoiding patrols and surveillance, you fill Alejandro in on everything that has happened since he was captured.

The weight of the situation is heavy on both of your shoulders, but you know you must stay vigilant.

Eventually, you make it to one of the Vaqueros’s safe houses with a map of the facility. With Alejandro and Rudy’s knowledge and your expertise, you devise a plan to navigate through the complex stabilize the guidance systems now that you’ve seen them first hand.

Time is of the essence, so you move with swift precision.

Suddenly, there’s a faint sound coming from the back entry door. Your reflexes kick in, and without hesitation, you throw one of Ghost’s knives towards the source of the movement.

But as the knife makes its way through the air and into the door frame with a thud, you realize it’s not an enemy. The door swings open, and there stands Soap, both looking surprised but unharmed.

“Steamin bloody jesus!” Soap calls out, holding up his hands in a mock surrender at the near miss.

“Christ Soap.” You let out a breath you don’t know you were holding, feeling relieved beyond words. “Comms are still out i haven’t been able to reach-“

You stop mid sentence as the air suddenly leaves your lungs. Simon suddenly appears through the door behind Johnny pulling the knife out of the doorframe. “I believe this belongs to me.”

Without a second thought, you rush towards him, closing the distance between you in an instant.

As Simon steps out from behind Johnny, you throw your arms around him, pulling him into a tight embrace. You can feel his warmth through the fabric of his balaclava, and it only makes the moment feel more intimate.

“Son of a bitch, I thought I lost you.” you whisper, your voice trembling with emotion. You hear Johnny and Alejandro gasp in shock behind you two, only now finding out about your clandestine affair.

Simon’s arms wrap around you, holding you close. “I’m here, Y/N. I’m right here,” he says softly, his words muffled by the balaclava.

You lean back slightly, wanting to see his face, to look into his eyes and reassure yourself that he’s real. But the balaclava remains in place, concealing his features.

Unable to hold back any longer, you lean in and press your lips against the fabric of the balaclava. It’s not the same as a direct kiss, and you feel him relax under you.

“How did you guys find us?”

l “I’ll explain everything later, but right now, we need to focus on the mission.” He says. turning to face everyone now.

You nod, understanding the urgency of the situation. You pull away slightly but keep your hands on his shoulders, cherishing the closeness between you.

“We have a plan, and with you guys here, we have more bodies. I know we can make it work,” you say with determination, meeting eyes with alejandro.

“Los Vaqueros and 141 come together on this one.” Rudy says, putting down the blueprint to the HQ.

“What’s the plan?” Soap speaks up, crossing his arms over his chest.

“We’re killing Commander Graves.”

A/N: Ahhh what did y’all think???

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hometoursandotherstuff · 5 months

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This is quite a beautiful church conversion. It was built in 1889 in White Bear Lake, Minnesota, and is now a lovely 3bd, 4ba home. $3.450M. This particular home was built for a musician and has state-of-the-art sound and lighting systems.

The entrance foyer appears to follow the same footprint as the original. There is a guest bath off the hall.

It's an amazing space.

A very modern kitchen is on the right as you enter and it is equipped with hi-end appliances.

As you can see, all of the original stained glass windows are intact. A dining table is next to the kitchen and across from it is a sitting area.

What was once the altar is now filled with orchestra music instruments. Seating surrounds the area and on the left is a magnificent bar.

It's also got a great lighting system.

Isn't this a party set-up?

Ceiling details.

Upstairs in the loft is the primary bedroom.

In an open area off to the side is a bathroom sink and a matching dresser.

On the other side is a large closet and dressing area, plus laundry.

A TV room is on the lower level.

The other bedrooms are also down here.

They each have their own closets and dressing room areas.

This would be a good home for adults to share.

Technically, it could be rented out b/c there's a full kitchen down here.

And this is a shared bath.

In the back of the building is a lovely porch.

Plus what looks like a resistance pool with a lovely garden.

And a small pond, too.

The building is fitted with a lot of solar panels and has a nice fence around the .32 acre property.

It looks lovely lit up at night.

#church conversion #houses #house tours #home tour

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anonymouspuzzler · 9 months

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thank you friend of frankenstein for really good Buck and Davey inspo

[Image 1 ID: Panel one of a black-and-white, digital ink comic featuring Puzz's OCs Buck and Davey. Buck is a middle-aged white-man with a barrel chested build, balding hair and bushy mustache, wearing a t-shirt with cuffed sleeves and dark pants. Davey is a middle-aged black man with an amputated right arm, diagonal scar across his face, large ears, long eyelashes and long curly hair in a ponytail, wearing a baggy tank top and shorts.

Both are sitting on a bed, Buck kneeling and folding laundry, Davey next to him leaning back propped up by his left arm. Davey, grinning cheekily, says "Lemme guess. You have trouble with socks." Buck, glaring down at the shirt he's folding, replies "No. I have a system." End ID.]

[Image 2 ID: Panel two of a black-and-white, digital ink comic featuring Puzz's OCs Buck and Davey, both drawn from roughly bust-up. Davey is leaning forward and gently tilting up Buck's chin to give him a kiss on the cheek, saying, "That's still having a problem with socks." Buck looks lightly flustered in response. End ID.]

#anonymous puzzler art #anonymous puzzler originals #friendlyfrankenstein #Villain Coded comic

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sigalrm · 1 year

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flickr

Nach dem Regen ist vor dem Regen by Pascal Volk

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villainsimpqueen · 7 months

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Below it Glows

Miles Quaritch X Cave dweller Na'vi Reader.

Chapter One

Art made by @nin3kyuu

He had served his country, going to wars, doing operations others wouldn't dare do nor have the guts to do so. He lost many men, brothers and sisters due to the earth wars fighting over limited resources as their home planet continued to die more and more.

A planet that once was rumored to be filled with vast forests and clean waters and where humans could once live on Earth's lands without eco packs and masks glued to their face to filter clean air.

Despite the Earth dying quickly, humans like a disease, cockroaches found a way to prolong their lives. Building even more cities but ones entirely of walls and filtration systems to pump filtered clean air into its halls and giant rooms. Levels were made with the rich being at the top and the poor to the bottom.

And still they all fought, they always were fighting and He was thrown into the fighting, a soldier, a commander, a colonel. Fighting for his country of endless mazes of filtration walls with small homes in them. All to be barely considered middle class.

He fucking hated it all.

Quaritch breathed the filtered air from his mask as he stood outside the large doors of the city of walls he lived in. His shift was nearly over. He just had to carry on for another half hour and then he could go home, shower, put on clothes that weren't covered in toxic dust and ash and sit down with his fiancé.

He huffed out the carbon from his lungs exhaling it out of the mask as he watched the wind pick up slinging dust and ash over the dead landscape. He could not fathom an Earth that was covered in plants and forests and even clean water, because even now as he walked the city's borders taking in the barren lands of dust and ash and the rivers of tar and slog it was an unbelievable thought.

Paz liked keeping hologram screens around their unit playing simulations of what such a landscape would look like, having them even over their two windows that look out to the dead landscape to make it look like there was a vast forest with clean waterfalls instead.

He wondered if she would even be home before him, her work was endless being an engineer she was always on call to fix some fucking thing. He admired her handiwork, she was one of the important workers in the cities, making sure the filtration system and environmental systems stayed on top notch standing at all times. Any time a filter leak happened she was called immediately, no matter the time of day or night. He sighed wondering what they had in storage to make a meal with, for if she wasnt there when he got home he would then shower and make them dinner.

The thought of powdered meat and sustainable greens didn't appeal to his stomach not one bit, it brought back more anger. The upper classes actually enjoy the real shit.

Real meat, real fresh greens and fruit. They got to eat meals he couldn't even imagine and it pissed him off.

He should be able to buy real fucking food for himself and his fiancé. He should be able to enjoy basic fucking needs, why did those pansy bastards get too? He would love to see one of them suited up in protective suits, a mask glued to their face and trudge around in the hot dusty atmosphere their ancestors caused by sweating their balls off and coming home to eat powdered sustainable food.

His ecopack beeped its warnings of needing cleaning and he forced a low growl before turning and walking back to the large doors slamming his keycard against its security panel allowing him into the sanitary station. He stood still as it sprayed off the toxic ash and dust from his body and vacuumed it out by exit shoots before allowing him to the next room where he could strip off the protective suit and gear. Sweat sheened on his skin as it was exposed to the cool filtered oxygen of the city. He breathed, feeling his lungs greedily accept the cooler 'cleaner' air as he watched his recruited replacements take their shifts leaving through the doors to the shitty atmosphere outside. He watched the doors open and close a dust storm brewing behind them.

poor bastards.

He thought before he moved heading to the holo computer to clock his times file paperwork and then headed to the lift that raised him to his living level. Walking through the vast halls of the city and past the stores he watched bots move doing delivery services and the other humans of this city move around doing shopping.

Parents walking around with their kids buying them pointless shit that will end up outside of the city walls once the brat gets tired of it, making the outside even worse than before.

He walked past simulations of decorated trees that hurt his eyes along with the florescent lights of the city.

Finally arriving at his and Paz's unit he walked inside seeing all the lights off.

He let out a sigh trudging through the living room and towards the bathroom flicking on the light as he stripped his clothes and climbed into the shower having its hot sanitation water pour over him and his skin. His skin prickled under it slightly stinging as he stared at the showers tiles avoiding the sanitation water to burn his eyes.

Grime and dust that made under his suit washed down his body and into the drain with its murky color.

I gotta get us the fuck outta here.

Gritting his teeth as he glared at the tiles.

There were rumors, rumores that the top level had real fucking plants as decoration.

They didn't have as many filtration systems because of real plants producing real oxygen. They had clean water, drinkable water.

not packed water, or water cleaner packets to mix into the sanitation water to make it safe for consumption. But real fresh clean water.

Real food, They had an environment system that was supposedly like how the Earth was supposed to be hundreds of years ago before great wars fucked everything up.

He wanted that.

God, he wanted that so badly.

Dinner was nothing but slop in a bowl and he glared down at it as his spoon scooped it up and brought its dull color to his lips.

"I got a raise today." Paz's voice called to him and he glanced up at her from his bowl. Her brunette hair thrown into a messy bun and her dull green eyes surrounded by dark circles much like his own, her skin not pale but gray like his own it looked as lifeless as the ash and dust outside in her bright clothes she wore.

"Yea?" He asked her, forcing a smile on his lips.

lifeless, they looked so lifeless in here..

Paz smiled back at him and nodded.

"I was thinking…maybe we could look at some of the units on the south side of the city..something bigger." She told him.

He moved his eyes back to the slop in his bowl.

"Paz." He warned.

"You gotten a raise last month and now i have one, maybe a few more months and we could find a really nice unit and start thinking about ki-"

"Paz enough." He snapped, glaring up at her to pause, her dull green eyes dulling even more.

fuck.

He didn't mean to snap, he really didn't. His anger was misguided and he let it focus on her like he always seemed to do in these past few months.

He only sat in silence as she moved from their shared table with that bowl of slop of hers and took it to the kitchen leaving it and heading to their room. the slide of doors ringing in his ears as he was left alone. He slammed his hand on the table gritting his teeth, feeling his rage build through his body, tensing his muscles, flexing them before he let out a sigh and dragging his hands up his face into his hair pulling on it.

"Fuck.." He grumbled letting his head fall back and his hands falling to his lap he stared at the ceiling for a while until he forced himself up to gather his bowl and take it to the kitchen washing his and Paz's dishes before cleaning the kitchen.

He went ahead and packed his and Paz's lunch pouches for the next day before he headed to the bedroom and met with the lights turned off and Paz already in bed. He stared at her back as he moved under the covers. He stared at it for a few moments watching her steady breathing before reaching out and pulling her towards him. Wrapping his arm around her, He held her close burying his face into the back of her neck.

"I'm sorry.." He whispered, only met with her breathing steady and soft, his apology fell on sleeping ears.

He moved his hand to hers where the simple plain engagement hand rested, he dragged his fingers over it before clasping her hand in his.

"I want more for us Paz…Ya get that right? I don't want another shit hole of a unit with the slop they feed us with..I want more. I want us up there with the other rich bastards. " He whispered to her as he kissed her shoulder blade.

"I want ya to have real plants hanging around the unit, not some screen…I want us to eat real food Paz, us and any little tikes we have..not that gritty ass shit we ate tonight…" He let out a shaky breath and pressed another kiss to her shoulder before settling his head on the pillow staring at the back of her head, rubbing his thumb over hers.

"Ima get us out of this shitty level..Just be patient with me Sweetheart." He whispered out the promise he always whispered to her each night.

She had to understand, she had to feel the urge to want more too, right? She must know how much she deserved then the shitty hole in a wall unit they had.

He just needed her to stay patient with him, he will give her so much more than this, his secret promise to her the day he got on his knee.

A better life, one where she didn't have to work if she didn't wish it, where his pay would be plentiful to carry them and their children. They live in some nice unit up on the upper levels and he could surprise her with a new plant to add to her collection. Their kids would never have to breathe in contaminated air due to a filtration leak and get sick stuck in medical units for months or years because the outsides dust and ash had radiation infecting their lungs. They wouldn't be so…lifeless.

"I promise." He whispered holding his fiancé so tightly to his chest afraid that if he let go she too would fade away into the dust like so many of his past friends did in the war zones he had been in.

The dust he was going to vanish in as well had she not met him the day they met.

He had stared at the exit doors, sweat dripping from his brow as he moved his hand towards the keypad. The protective suit and ecopack in the other clearance room. His hand didn't tremble as he was about to tap the keypad with his keycard.

They were always told that being out in the outside atmosphere without protection suits and gear, without their eco packs and masks that they'd be dead by suffocation within minutes.

He had felt so numb, that the thought of dying so painfully by suffocation didn't scare him. If anything it had excited him, he had felt nothing since his last mission, where he had lost his best friend by a gunshot in the head, lost all his teammates and was the only one who arrived at the checkpoint alive but wounded. He had wanted the lung infection he got from his suit and ecopack being damaged to take him out as well…It didn't, he survived while his team all died.

He licked his lips, as he pressed the keycard to the panel hearing the loud beeps it made and the door starting to open breaking its seals as it heavily gilded open.

Dust flying into the room, some of it hitting his face and burying into his hair as he squinted his eyes, lashes protecting his pupils as the doors slowly exposed him to the dead earth's atmosphere.

"HEY WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!?" a voice screamed at him and he had turned surprised that someone was even up at this hour. But there she was, a woman shorter than him storming over to a computer panel viciously typing away at the holo screen forcing the door to beep and glide shut.

"ARE YOU FUCKING CRAZY!?" she yelled at him as the sanitation began spraying him down with chemicals and what not before deeming him clean. She had stormed in snatching him out of the room, easy with the daze he was in and she ripped him a new one all while he stared at her like she was a lunatic.

"Whats your fucking name?" She demanded of him.

He had licked his lips staring at her, taking in her bright furious green eyes.

"Miles…Miles Quaritch." He told her.

"Well Miles Quaritch..Yoru a fucking dumbass!"

And he laughed, he laughed harder than he ever believed he had in his life as she stared at him like he was a madman.

"Ya have no clue sweetheart." He had crackled out and she had huffed running a hand in her hair before sitting beside him.

"I'll make ya a deal, you meet me at the dindime dinner for lunch everyday and i won't report you." She told him.

He raised a brow at her.

"It's not a choice so you know." She clarified before getting up and leaving before he could answer.

The next day, she was waiting for him outside of the dinners unit.

The days drooled on, everything was the same.

Wake up.

Get dressed.

Have breakfast with Paz if she was there, by himself if she wasn't.

Go to work.

Do the routine routes around the city borders.

Paper work.

Clock out.

Home.

shower.

make dinner or occasionally go out to eat.

sleep.

repeat.

So when his presence was demanded to the job distribution area, it had taken him by surprise. Paz had been excited, hoping it was him getting a promotion; he had worried about it being a demotion due to a shortage of workers in other areas of the imprison walls they lived in.

When he entered the private office he was met by several officials who made him sit down. They had panels open displaying some kind of planet, ships and what not, and his records.

His eyes shrunk at his records, all his military files, his ranks, his specialities.

His eyes moved towards them sharply.

"The hell is this?" He questioned feeling his body start to stim ready to defend himself, ready for attacks his brain logically knew wouldn't happen.

"How'd you like to be head of security on a base we're setting on this planet?"

He froze, eyes landing on the hologram of that planet.

The recruiters of the organization that was setting this all up information drop not landing to him as he saw the screens flash other images of the planet.

great vast forests, real forests, real trees, bright vibrate plants. Real greenery.

Crystal clear oceans and rivers, clean drinkable water that reflected the sun on it.

Real sunlight, one that could clearly be seen through a living breathing planet than hidden by dust and ash storms.

Paz would love it there…

He moved his attention back realizing they were waiting for him to answer, he had missed everything they had said.

He made them repeat it and he listened to every single word.

"I ain't leaving without my fiancé." He started sternly as he leaned back into the chair.

it was too good to be true, and it was, they only wanted him and him alone.

He wouldn't leave her, he wouldn't leave Paz behind.

"...We can make sure your fiancé will have a spot on the ship." the head RDA recruiter spoke as She slid a holotablet over to him.

"All we need is you to confirm the job." She had told him.

He signed, not reading over the contract of the job. What he would be putting himself through, he didn't care.

He would be able to get him and Paz out of that shitty unit they lived in. They would be somewhere even fucking better than the upper levels. A new planet, a new Earth and he would be able to see the woman he loves surrounded by vast forests and clean waters.

He would do whatever the hell the RDA wanted him to do, without hesitation.

He was ecstatic as they told him when they were to leave. He had rushed home making sure to page Paz to be home. He had practically ripped the sliding doors apart as he entered their unit seeing her stand from their couch confusion in her eyes as she looked up at him.

"Quaritch?" she questioned as he rushed towards her hands going to his waist as he picked her up spinning them around grinning widely his cheeks hurt. She squealed , clinging to him and laughed.

"What is going on? good news?" She asked excitedly as he was.

"Good news? Baby girl i got fucking fantastic news ." He told her before pulling her into a deep kiss, when he pulled away he explained everything and he laughed as she squealed telling him to stop wasting time and to help her pack their things.

By the end of the week they were boarding a ship, being put into cryo chambers.

He stared at Paz across from him watching her settle in place and look at him for assurance. He smiled at her as the chambers turned on.

"I love ya." He told her, watching how she smiled.

"I love you too, Quaritch." She answered.

"I can't wait to see you on that planet." He told her feeling his eyelids grow heavy, if she had said anything he didn't hear her as his body shut down in a deep comatose sleep, frozen in time and place as the ship took its human passages light years away from earth to this bizarre resource full, living planet.

Pandora

They named it Pandora.

Chp 2

#avatar way of water #fanfic #miles quaritch x reader #Miles Quaritch x Na'vi reader #na'vi reader #recom miles quaritch

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eccentric-nucleus · 4 months

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actually if i'm gonna make a games rec post.

here are some games i have enjoyed recent-ish.

kenshi. an open-world squad-based rpg with base-building elements. get stronger by getting beaten up. lose a fight and get knocked out, have your weapons and food taken by the bandits that mugged you and left you bleeding to death. get rescued by some slavers that capture you and sell you into slavery. free yourself from slavery and limp away until you roll in hours later with a whole squad of overpowered fighters. then head a little bit too far south and get murdered by skin bandits. they take your skin. this is a completely self-directed game; there's no "main plot", although arguably "figure out the history of the world" is kind of the main 'story' mystery. there's also a bunch of unique recruitable characters with custom-written interactions. i usually recruit exclusively from freeing slaves but you can do w/e.

wildmender. a survival gardening game. this one came out recently and the devs are still releasing bugfixes; it's unclear if they'll make large content patches in the future. apparently multiplayer can still be pretty glitchy, and there's a water flow bug that i've been finding very frustrating. the way biomes work is kind of unsatisfying. kind of slim content-wise, but still, i really enjoyed what's there. out of all of the climate change terraforming anxiety games i've seen, this has been the one i've most enjoyed.

hellpoint. a scifi soulslike made by a team of like 12 people. previously i had thought things like "it would be neat if dark souls was less linear". hellpoint is a great example of why that might be a nightmare. the areas are connected in such a complex way, with one-way routes and branching unlock keys and secret paths and hidden doors behind hidden doors that it gets profoundly disorienting. a hint: almost every single hidden door in the game (there are a lot) is the middle panel of the same exact three-paneled-wall geometry. once you notice what it is you will see it everywhere. also, the enemy designs are hot.

crystal project. remember playing fan translations of final fantasy v? remember wandering around in old mmos? crystal project is kind of a... turn-based rpg mmo-influenced platformer. with a job system. you can sequence break the game from the tutorial level and also at basically every other point in the game too, although until you know what to look for it might seem like there's a linear critical path. but there's a lot out there. hint: play on easy mode. the combat gets tough later on and the game absolutely expects you to be finding and exploiting some class combinations.

astlibra: revision. a sidescrolling rpg. it must have been released episodically originally or some of the chapter pacing makes no sense. also it was originally released with a mess of art sourced from all sorts of places; 'revision' is a re-release with a more unified art style. it gets extremely anime all the time. there's a whole obligatory section where you have to ask all the women in a town about what kind of panties they're wearing. it's rough. i enjoyed how chaotic the systems are and how much Stuff there is to pick up and upgrade and unlock. the plot goes some unexpected places though it doesn't quite stick the landing, i still enjoyed what it did. also karon should be the love interest instead.

silicon zeroes. a cpu-building puzzle game. this straddles the line between the tech/code games that are literally just "learn a new language and code in it" and ones that are more structure-themed like, idk, spacechem. connect modules to assemble solutions to problems. it takes too long to get to chapter 3, which is where they start asking you to make entire cpus.

ashen. another souls-like. i just really like the environments in this one. the initial area looks gorgeous and the way it changes through the game is really neat to see happen. the seat of the matriarch is wonderfully awful to traverse and i wish there had been two or three more dungeons like it in the game. you can't level up; you gain stats mostly by progressing sidequests and the name quest. i eventually ran out of things to spend money on AND inventory space to store items. the late-game tuning is a little rough but until then it's great. a hint: there are three weapon types and within that type nearly all the weapons are identical. you get thrown so many weapons that don't matter; don't worry about collecting all of them. see above re: running out of space and things to use money for.

i guess it would be cheating to recommend minecraft regrowth or morrowind but i have also been playing those.

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alpaca-clouds · 9 months

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Solarpunk by the sea

Let me continue this little series on Solarpunk in different kinds of biomes and let me talk about the one biome that probably has the most people living by it: The ocean.

The ocean is a weird thing for us. While we cannot survive in it, we thrive if we have it close by. We cannot consume the salt water, of course, but we were always drawn to the ocean and fish, of course, have for many civilization been one of the biggest sources of food. Most people on this planet currently live somewhat close to a coastline of some sort.

While civilization might have started in those dank river valleys, many of the big civilization at some point needed access to the ocean. For the fish, but also to further advance. As the ocean allowed to move a lot of stuff rather quickly.

But... currently we are not doing well with the ocean, do we? There is a reason the whales are rebelling and shit.

We are currently overfishing the ocean, with the garbage from industrial fishing (like fishing nets) being a large part of the macroplastic in the oceans.

Meanwhile, the ocean like everything else, is also filled with microplastics - a bit part of which come from wheel abrasions from cars and the like.

And, of course, with the ocean warming, it can no longer hold oxygen and basically fishes die of in mass.

So, let's talk about it. How do we live with the ocean? How do humans best thrive near the ocean? And how do we protect this biome?

First of all: Industrial fishing has to go. People catching their own fish are fine. Even like Joe and his family catching fish for their little local fishmonger is fine. But industrial fishing that catches fish for this big international company that makes sure that everyone - no matter how far away from the coast they are living - has fish in their freezer... Yeah, we cannot have that. Not only because we overfish certain species of fish and endanger the whales, but also because through this we completely mess with food chains and eco systems, because - for example - the fish shitting is actually kinda important for the ocean.

So, yeah. No big fishing. If you live not close by an ocean, you will not get any ocean fish. Sorry.

Now, people living close to the ocean obviously face one big challenge: The ocean will often bring some sort of storm in relatively regular intervals. I will not go into the reasons of this (if you wanna see me geek out over meteorology, just say - I can do that). But of course everyone knows about all those Hurricanes that will strike the coastlines every year.

Different human cultures have adjusted differently to this. Basically there are two ways to go about it: Either you just accept that your house will be destroyed and build it in a way, that it will be easy to rebuild... Or you try to build a house that will wistand most storms with only minor damage.

This could be done by using sturdy materials - or by doing the other thing: Put your house on stilts. Which can be surprisingly effective, which is why we see it around the world.

Ideally you will not build the houses directly at the edge of the water. While it is fancy, duh, it also removes the saving land between you and the ocean.

Which also brings me to the sponge biomes, that often get ignored too often. Modern civilization often has destroyed those sponge areas, that usually would help take the swell of a storm surge. Those areas need to be recultured. Both to save them as biomes, as well as helping keeping us save from the floods.

When it comes to energy and renewables... Well, great news. The coastlines give us an endless amount of possibilities. Off-shore wind turbines work great. We probably will have soon enough proper tidal turbines, too. Maybe we will even figure out wave energy. And yes, you can put up photovoltaic panels.

Humans fear the ocean. Humans cannot survive in the ocean. But at the same time, we love the ocean and it has helped us to survive for so long.

#solarpunk #solarpunk fiction #solarpunk worldbuilding #ocean #oceans #shoreline #sustainability #renewable energy #save the oceans #save the whales #fishing

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