Barefoot Gen introduction by author Keiji Nakazawa, from the 2004 English edition.

Description under the cut.

““The Great Pacific Garbage Patch can now be cleaned,” announced Dutch entrepreneur Boyan Slat, the wonderkid inventor who’s spent a decade inventing systems for waterborne litter collection.

Recent tests on his Ocean Cleanup rig called System 002, invented to tackle the 1.8 trillion pieces of plastic pollution, were a success, leading Slat to predict that most of the oceanic garbage patches could be removed by 2040.

Intersections of ocean currents have created the massive floating islands of plastic trash—five slow-moving whirlpools that pull litter from thousands of miles away into a single radius.

The largest one sits between California and Hawaii, and 27-year-old Slat has been designing and testing his systems out there, launching from San Francisco since 2013.

GNN has reported on his original design for the floating device, but his engineering team improved upon it. System 002, nicknamed “Jenny,” successfully netted 9,000 kilograms, or around 20,000 pounds in its first trial.

It’s carbon-neutral, able to capture microplastics as small as 1 millimeter in diameter, and was designed to pose absolutely no threat to wildlife thanks to its wide capture area, slow motion, alerts, and camera monitors that allow operators to spy any overly-curious marine life…

Slat estimates ten Jennies could clean half the garbage patch in five years, and if 10 Jennies were deployed to the five major ocean gyres, then 90% of all floating plastic could be removed by 2040.” -via Good News Network, 10/19/21

How much you wanna bet the State of California will “prohibit” use of this system, because “reasons.”

If it’s in international waters they can’t do anything about it. And I’m pretty sure the federal government decides what can and can’t go on off our coasts too, not local or state.

Slat has been working on this since he was literally a child. I remember the first posts, articles, and I think there was even a fundraising campaign at one point.

I am so, so proud of him holy shit.

^^^ me too!! I remember the first news yeaaars ago that some kid had thought up a brilliantly simple method of cleaning up the oceans, and even that first prototype was amazingly efficient in solving a problem that the grownup world seemed to have given up on. It was so simple I couldn’t believe no scientist or engineer had thought of it before.

And he’s just been refining it and making it better and better? Amazing news!

Well done, sir, well done and thank you <3

My big memory of this is that every time he sent out a prototype, people would overwhelmingly go “AH HA! See? It didn’t work as advertised because a storm broke it/it didn’t filter as much as he predicted/etc.”

And every time, Boyan would analyse what went wrong, tinker with it, and send a stronger version back out.

There are still issues with it, like, but this guy isn’t some shitty billionaire - he’s a normal man walking the walk to clean up an international problem that everyone else is just wringing their hands over. I have no clue why everyone is desperately waiting for him to fail. He’s picked his hill, and he plods along, and if the latest design hasn’t met expectations, he creates a new one.

Their website is here, btw, in case anyone wants to have a look; they still accept donations

“City Slicker” — for my swap! taibani au <3

Back the “Aim For The Heart” Kickstarter Campaign!

What time is it? IT’S KICKSTARTER TIME!

You’ve heard “All For One!”; now get ready for “One For All!” Duck Prints Press is thrilled to bring a whole new meaning to the Musketeers’ famous slogan in one inclusive book with a little bit of something for everyone: Aim For The Heart: Queer Fanworks Inspired by Alexandre Dumas’s “The Three Musketeers.” For this collection, we recruited 20 authors and 16 artists who love Athos, Porthos, Aramis, d’Artagnan, Milady, Madame Bonacieux, and the whole gang from Dumas’s wonderful historical melodrama. These creators’ mission was simple: take this long-adored story and make it queer! The result is an amazing collection of works exploring the nuances of these characters, delving into issues of identity, gender, and sexuality—telling and retelling a story we all know and love. 

If you’ve ever looked at The Three Musketeers and thought, “huh, idk, that’s kinda gay…I wish it was more gay,” then you are NOT going to want to sleep on this anthology. We’ve been working on this amazing project since last fall, and we are over. the. moon. to finally be bringing it to y’all. Each story is up to 5,000 words, and each artwork is black-and-white/grayscale and full-page. There’s even a 12-page comic!

Follow our page on Kickstarter for teasers, reveals, and more, and make sure you join us on social media so you can learn about our other projects, too!

The Kickstarter to print these gorgeous A4 books and to make our awesome, campaign-exclusive merch (a bookmark, a magnet, an enamel key chain, and a die-cut sticker!) is running now through July 15th, 2023. There’s also a lot of add-ons, featuring once-it’s-sold-it’s-gone-forever books and merch from our past campaigns! Don’t miss out!

LEARN ALL ABOUT IT BY VISITING OUR KICKSTARTER CAMPAIGN NOW!

Also: did you know that some Patreon backers get exclusive extras? Learn all about this perk, and many others, by checking out our Patreon page!

Who We Are: Duck Prints Press LLC is an independent publisher based in New York State. We help fancreators publish their original (mostly queer) work! Want to always hear the latest? Sign up for our monthly newsletter!

AND HERE IT IS! For my own contribution to the anthology I have a story of romance, heartbreak, enduring friendship, and the hard decisions you need to make on the way to fame and success. 

It’s also a story about reggaeton. I used to be a casual fan but I dove into the world of urban music and discovered lots of amazing, talented artists. Some of their are queer as fuck and I’m happy I found them. 

This is the first of my character-based playlists, which I will release in time with the Kickstarter campaign. 

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0HysYqbWLWWfszUPBfS2XR?si=842a41c22f6340eb  

Samira is my version of Aramis, a girl who is both religious and rebellious, ambitious and uncompromising with her truth. I chose these songs to transmit her vibe, the kind of music I imagine her making, and finally because you should be listening to these artists! 

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7xHtUGNEB1nWIHHTcjgwE7?si=652cbee2cf784904 

Here is the second playlist! 

Porto is my version of Porthos, a good and steady friend with humble origins, the appearance of a gansta and a taste for the good life and older ladies. While my first playlist had similar styles, this one mixes the old and the new, trap and some romantic songs, and of course... “Mayor que yo”. ;) 

One week left on the Kickstarter and we’re 90% funded! To celebrate, I bring to you the third of my playlists-

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/39uE2ZwRlQ8yEZbWo0nRID?si=4cef5560dc794edc

This one is for Athos, the second most important character in my story. He’s an Afro-Caribbean gay guy, an activist and a classically-trained musician who makes music for fun and the pleasure of saying whatever he wants. More reggae than reggaetón, along with some hip-hop and salsa, this playlist is a quick walkthrough of some classics and some newer artists. 

I hope you like it! 

WE’RE ALMOST AT THE FINISH LINE! 

With 14 hours left on the Kickstarter, and our first goal reached, we’re going for the first stretch goal! I’ll get a raise if we do so of course I’m hoping for it hehe. 

Still, a reminder this might be your only chance to get a print copy of this anthology! 

Anyway, to celebrate the last day of the Kickstarter I bring you the last of my playlists, for the main character of my story, my version of the young upstart D’Artagnan. 

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/55f2bEGOqQL7pIVS4u5hBU?si=d8ad372a1ca7438c

This was possibly the hardest playlist to make. Mostly romantic songs, some more explicit than others (:P it is reggaeton, people) and all of them great favorites of mine. The final song on the playlist, Quevedo’s “Donde Quiero Estar”, is absolutely THE song for my story and it’s so good I wanted to use the lyrics as a title for the story. 

Give it a listen, and if you haven’t contributed to the Kickstarter yet, it’s your last chance!

Some of you might remember a couple of years ago when Scarlett Johansson sued Disney because she was making significantly less money for Black Widow than was guaranteed in her contract because so many more people watched it on streaming than in theaters, how there was a massive misinformation campaign from Disney that a ton of people on this website (and Twitter and other social media) bought into: That she was a greedy bitch who didn't respect people who needed to stay at home during the pandemic (I believe the word "ableist" was thrown around with aplomb) as opposed to someone who just wanted to be paid what she was owed. What was literally in her contract!!! And where everyone who took more than a couple minutes to actually look into and think about the situation could figure out that her issue wasn't with streaming itself, but with how little streaming was allowed to get away with paying her and other actors. But of course, a lot of people just saw the chance to dunk on a rich woman, and didn't think about it beyond readying some snarky tags and hit reblog. And in doing so, threw their support behind a much wealthier, greedier studio head who is already using similar language to describe the current strike.

Anyway we're going to see a lot of that from studios now, especially now that actors have joined the WGA and it's easier to sell them as rich and greedy than writers, because of this cultural stereotype we have of all Hollywood actors as celebrities. Don't fall for it. SAG-AFTRA represents people like Tom Cruise and ScarJo but it also represents the kind of people who played a Borg in two episodes of Star Trek: Voyager in 1997 or who had one line in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel as an enthusiastic audience member. Most actors are not crazy wealthy, and in fact, if you're a big TV fan (especially older TV and genre TV) that likely includes some actor names that you know, who played supporting roles in your fav shows, or who were even a star in something decades ago but haven't done anything major since. The AFTRA side also represents people like radio broadcasters. But even beside that, all workers deserve to be fairly compensated for the work they do, and the threat of replacing them with AI, or real actors being required to sign contracts to allow their likenesses to be used by AI forever without paying them, is an existential threat to acting as a profession in general. The actors are in the right. The writers are in the right. The studios are in the wrong. The studios have exploited new technology to get away with horrifying labor practices for years and their feet need to be put to the fire. Circulate the articles about how poorly the Orange is the New Black cast was compensated for making one of the defining shows of the early streaming boom, and of the studios saying they want to force writers to starve and lose their homes. Don't get distracted by propaganda aping progressive-sounding language about wealthy celebrities. Focus on the real enemy, the truly greedy fat cats who care more about money than people and art: the studios.

some older taibani sketches

FAMOUS AUTHORS

TEXTBOOKS

MATH AND SCIENCE

CHILDREN’S BOOKS

PHILOSOPHY AND RELIGION

PLAYS

MODERN FICTION, FANTASY AND ROMANCE

FOREIGN LANGUAGE

HISTORY AND CULTURE

RARE BOOKS

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

MYSTERY

POETRY

MISC

… and here is a gift for all of us.

So I can find this again! Great list!

Don’t lose this post

“Aim For The Heart” Creator Spotlight: D. A. Hernández

WE’RE FUNDED!

As of about 20 minutes ago, the campaign to crowdfund Aim For The Heart: Queer Fanworks Inspired by Alexandre Dumas’s “The Three Musketeers”has hit it’s funding goal, which means we are GO for publication and merch production and the whole ten yards. We’ll keep posting these updates and see if we can’t hit our first stretch goal – at $12,000, we’ll be able to give our contributors a raise, and all backers will receive the cover as a print-suitable image file!

We are so so excited that we’ll be able to bring this collection to print life, and we couldn’t have done it without y’all. Thank you backers, and thank you signal boosters!

The campaign has another week left, so it’s not too late to check it out and help us reach our stretch goal! Come on over and check it out!

The Inseparables by D. A. Hernández 

About the Author: AKA Mitch, an author who works as a teacher, reads fanfiction compulsively, tells anyone who will listen about their weird dreams, takes long naps, and once in a while manages to write a story or two. You can find another of their stories in the Duck Prints Press anthology She Wears the Midnight Crown.

Mitch’s playlist includes metal, pop, electronic, bluegrass, reggaeton, and cumbia.

Link: Twitter

Story Teaser:

Suddenly he heard his own voice singing a familiar melody.

The opening phrases of “Solo Dos Bros.” Alone in his bedroom, in the dark of night, he let himself listen to it like it was someone else’s song. A young man’s voice mixing with Athos’s deep timbre, slow, sexy, and nostalgic. It really was a very good song.

He couldn’t help the memory that came: Athos rolling a joint on his sofa, the faint glow of the streetlight illuminating his elegant profile, messy dreads, regal nose, and chiseled jaw. Despite his casual clothes, he had a classic look to him, like a painting in a museum.

As he watched Athos’s clever fingers rolling the joint, D. Art gave words to a melody he’d been rolling around in his head that night. Athos looked up, joint already on his lips, one of his rare, big smiles stretching them, radiating a joy that lit up the dark room.

a friend suggested 'sokka hair loopies' to me and my brain replied: 'everybody (except aang) hair loopies'

Back the “Aim For The Heart” Kickstarter Campaign!

What time is it? IT’S KICKSTARTER TIME!

You’ve heard “All For One!”; now get ready for “One For All!” Duck Prints Press is thrilled to bring a whole new meaning to the Musketeers’ famous slogan in one inclusive book with a little bit of something for everyone: Aim For The Heart: Queer Fanworks Inspired by Alexandre Dumas’s “The Three Musketeers.” For this collection, we recruited 20 authors and 16 artists who love Athos, Porthos, Aramis, d’Artagnan, Milady, Madame Bonacieux, and the whole gang from Dumas’s wonderful historical melodrama. These creators’ mission was simple: take this long-adored story and make it queer! The result is an amazing collection of works exploring the nuances of these characters, delving into issues of identity, gender, and sexuality—telling and retelling a story we all know and love. 

If you’ve ever looked at The Three Musketeers and thought, “huh, idk, that’s kinda gay…I wish it was more gay,” then you are NOT going to want to sleep on this anthology. We’ve been working on this amazing project since last fall, and we are over. the. moon. to finally be bringing it to y’all. Each story is up to 5,000 words, and each artwork is black-and-white/grayscale and full-page. There’s even a 12-page comic!

Follow our page on Kickstarter for teasers, reveals, and more, and make sure you join us on social media so you can learn about our other projects, too!

The Kickstarter to print these gorgeous A4 books and to make our awesome, campaign-exclusive merch (a bookmark, a magnet, an enamel key chain, and a die-cut sticker!) is running now through July 15th, 2023. There’s also a lot of add-ons, featuring once-it’s-sold-it’s-gone-forever books and merch from our past campaigns! Don’t miss out!

LEARN ALL ABOUT IT BY VISITING OUR KICKSTARTER CAMPAIGN NOW!

Also: did you know that some Patreon backers get exclusive extras? Learn all about this perk, and many others, by checking out our Patreon page!

Who We Are: Duck Prints Press LLC is an independent publisher based in New York State. We help fancreators publish their original (mostly queer) work! Want to always hear the latest? Sign up for our monthly newsletter!

AND HERE IT IS! For my own contribution to the anthology I have a story of romance, heartbreak, enduring friendship, and the hard decisions you need to make on the way to fame and success. 

It’s also a story about reggaeton. I used to be a casual fan but I dove into the world of urban music and discovered lots of amazing, talented artists. Some of their are queer as fuck and I’m happy I found them. 

This is the first of my character-based playlists, which I will release in time with the Kickstarter campaign. 

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0HysYqbWLWWfszUPBfS2XR?si=842a41c22f6340eb  

Samira is my version of Aramis, a girl who is both religious and rebellious, ambitious and uncompromising with her truth. I chose these songs to transmit her vibe, the kind of music I imagine her making, and finally because you should be listening to these artists! 

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7xHtUGNEB1nWIHHTcjgwE7?si=652cbee2cf784904 

Here is the second playlist! 

Porto is my version of Porthos, a good and steady friend with humble origins, the appearance of a gansta and a taste for the good life and older ladies. While my first playlist had similar styles, this one mixes the old and the new, trap and some romantic songs, and of course... “Mayor que yo”. ;) 

One week left on the Kickstarter and we’re 90% funded! To celebrate, I bring to you the third of my playlists-

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/39uE2ZwRlQ8yEZbWo0nRID?si=4cef5560dc794edc

This one is for Athos, the second most important character in my story. He’s an Afro-Caribbean gay guy, an activist and a classically-trained musician who makes music for fun and the pleasure of saying whatever he wants. More reggae than reggaetón, along with some hip-hop and salsa, this playlist is a quick walkthrough of some classics and some newer artists. 

I hope you like it! 

The Best News of Last Week - June 26, 2023

1. California's Lake Oroville now at 100% capacity following megadrought; 1st time since 2019

Once a stark example of the drastic effects of California's yearslong megadrought, Lake Oroville has rebounded and is once again filled to capacity, data from the state's Department of Water Resources shows.

Lake Oroville, the state's most beleaguered and second-largest reservoir, is at 100% of its total capacity and 127% of where it should be around this time of year - a huge boost after the climate-change-fueled megadrought sucked away nearly all its water supply.

2. Blue whales are thriving in California waters – the story of their amazing comeback

If you’ve recently taken a Southern California whale-watching tour, you may have been lucky enough to come across earth’s largest animal. Pacific blue whales grow up to 110 feet long and can reach a weight of 200 tons. Decades ago, blue whales were nearly hunted to extinction, and although still listed as protected under the Endangered Species Act, marine biologists and researchers are heralding a “conservation success story,” unlike any other.

According to a study published in 2014 by researchers at the University of Washington, the West Coast blue whale population has bounced back at tremendous levels, recouping 97% of its pre-whaling population

3. Newborn left in Florida Safe Haven Baby Box adopted by the firefighter who found her

Zoey is now 5 months old. Courtesy Zoey's family

A firefighter in Ocala, Florida, was pulling an overnight shift at the station in January when he was awakened at 2 a.m. by an alarm. He recognized the sound immediately. A newborn had been placed in the building’s Safe Haven Baby Box, a device that allows someone to safely and anonymously surrender a child — no questions asked.

“To be honest, I thought it was a false alarm,” said the firefighter, who wished to remain anonymous to protect his family’s privacy. But when he opened the box, he discovered a healthy infant wrapped in a pink blanket.

That baby would become his daughter, Zoey.

4. Iceland suspends whale hunt on animal welfare concerns

Iceland's government said Tuesday it was suspending this year's whale hunt until the end of August due to animal welfare concerns, likely bringing the controversial practice to a historic end.

"I have taken the decision to suspend whaling" until August 31, Food Minister Svandis Svavarsdottir said in a statement. The country's last remaining whaling company, Hvalur, had previously said this would be its final season as the hunt has become less profitable.

5. He wanted to pet dogs for his 100th birthday. Hundreds lined up.

Alison Moore had a unique idea to celebrate her father's 100th birthday: a pet parade filled with as many dogs as possible. Her father, Robert Moore, has always adored dogs and wanted to pet every one he saw. So, Alison took to social media and invited the community to join in the festivities. Little did she know that over 200 dogs and their owners would gather for the heartwarming event.

The parade brought immense joy not only to Robert but also to attendees like Rodger, who has Alzheimer's disease, and his daughter Denise, who hadn't seen her father smile so much in a long time. It was a day filled with wagging tails, smiling faces, and love that made Robert's milestone birthday an unforgettable celebration.

6. Historic decision: Estonia legalizes same-sex marriage

Tuesday, the Estonian government has survived a vote of no confidence in the Riigikogu tied to amendments to the Family Law Act and related legislation, which is granting same-sex couples the legal right to wed. 55 members of the Riigikogu voted in favor of the measure, while 34 voted against.

It is proposed that the institution of marriage, as defined by family law, be modified so that  any two natural persons of legal age, regardless of gender, may marry. The words "man and woman" will be replaced with the words "two natural persons."

7. US approves chicken made from cultivated cells, the nation's first 'lab-grown' meat

For the first time, U.S. regulators on Wednesday approved the sale of chicken made from animal cells, allowing two California companies to offer “lab-grown” meat to the nation’s restaurant tables and eventually, supermarket shelves.

The Agriculture Department gave the green light to Upside Foods and Good Meat, firms that had been racing to be the first in the U.S. to sell meat that doesn’t come from slaughtered animals — what’s now being referred to as “cell-cultivated” or “cultured” meat as it emerges from the laboratory and arrives on dinner plates.

----

That's it for this week :)

This newsletter will always be free. If you liked this post you can support me with a small kofi donation:

Support this newsletter ❤️

Also don’t forget to reblog.

BLs to Recommend to Your Queer Friend

I put these in each bracket in levels of accessibility, as in “how easy I think they are for a non-BLer to enter into” without explanations of genre needed. 

Bleeding Heart Romantics 

Earnest Queer

Drama Llama Indoor Kids

Repressed Arthouse Aesthetic 

Hot Mess Gay Babies

Hawt Mess Kinky Fuckers 

Bonus Round: 

Adventure bois with a side of queer

From @mestizashinrin who asked me: 

(source)

Yu Ziyuan and Madame Jin were "very good friends"

Back the “Aim For The Heart” Kickstarter Campaign!

What time is it? IT’S KICKSTARTER TIME!

You’ve heard “All For One!”; now get ready for “One For All!” Duck Prints Press is thrilled to bring a whole new meaning to the Musketeers’ famous slogan in one inclusive book with a little bit of something for everyone: Aim For The Heart: Queer Fanworks Inspired by Alexandre Dumas’s “The Three Musketeers.” For this collection, we recruited 20 authors and 16 artists who love Athos, Porthos, Aramis, d’Artagnan, Milady, Madame Bonacieux, and the whole gang from Dumas’s wonderful historical melodrama. These creators’ mission was simple: take this long-adored story and make it queer! The result is an amazing collection of works exploring the nuances of these characters, delving into issues of identity, gender, and sexuality—telling and retelling a story we all know and love. 

If you’ve ever looked at The Three Musketeers and thought, “huh, idk, that’s kinda gay…I wish it was more gay,” then you are NOT going to want to sleep on this anthology. We’ve been working on this amazing project since last fall, and we are over. the. moon. to finally be bringing it to y’all. Each story is up to 5,000 words, and each artwork is black-and-white/grayscale and full-page. There’s even a 12-page comic!

Follow our page on Kickstarter for teasers, reveals, and more, and make sure you join us on social media so you can learn about our other projects, too!

The Kickstarter to print these gorgeous A4 books and to make our awesome, campaign-exclusive merch (a bookmark, a magnet, an enamel key chain, and a die-cut sticker!) is running now through July 15th, 2023. There’s also a lot of add-ons, featuring once-it’s-sold-it’s-gone-forever books and merch from our past campaigns! Don’t miss out!

LEARN ALL ABOUT IT BY VISITING OUR KICKSTARTER CAMPAIGN NOW!

Also: did you know that some Patreon backers get exclusive extras? Learn all about this perk, and many others, by checking out our Patreon page!

Who We Are: Duck Prints Press LLC is an independent publisher based in New York State. We help fancreators publish their original (mostly queer) work! Want to always hear the latest? Sign up for our monthly newsletter!

AND HERE IT IS! For my own contribution to the anthology I have a story of romance, heartbreak, enduring friendship, and the hard decisions you need to make on the way to fame and success. 

It’s also a story about reggaeton. I used to be a casual fan but I dove into the world of urban music and discovered lots of amazing, talented artists. Some of their are queer as fuck and I’m happy I found them. 

This is the first of my character-based playlists, which I will release in time with the Kickstarter campaign. 

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0HysYqbWLWWfszUPBfS2XR?si=842a41c22f6340eb  

Samira is my version of Aramis, a girl who is both religious and rebellious, ambitious and uncompromising with her truth. I chose these songs to transmit her vibe, the kind of music I imagine her making, and finally because you should be listening to these artists! 

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7xHtUGNEB1nWIHHTcjgwE7?si=652cbee2cf784904 

Here is the second playlist! 

Porto is my version of Porthos, a good and steady friend with humble origins, the appearance of a gansta and a taste for the good life and older ladies. While my first playlist had similar styles, this one mixes the old and the new, trap and some romantic songs, and of course... “Mayor que yo”. ;)