How victimhood became America's new most valuable currency

'Everything is just about the economy'

The U.K. Conservative Party claimed May 14 that the U.K. Labour Party does not have a defense plan. We’re increasing defence spending to 2.5% by 2030 securing Britain’s place as the biggest defence power in Europe and second only to the US in NATO. Labour can’t say what they’ll do because they have no plan […]

Spiders use their webs as giant microphones reveals new research that shows how the arachnids weave webs to do more than just trap their insect prey. Scientists at Binghamton University, New York, found that spiderweb silk moves at the velocity of particles in a sound field for highly sensitive, long-distance noise detection. Unlike human eardrums […] The post Spiders Use Their Webs as Giant Microphones to Hear What’s Going on Around Them, Says New Research appeared first on Good News Network.

The post One Man’s Trash is Another Cat’s Treasure by Dr. Karyn Kanowski BVSc MRCVS (Veterinarian) appeared first on Catster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren't considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Catster.com. Hi, I’m Dr. Karyn! Read my introduction to learn more about me and meet my five hilarious cats: Clutch, Cyril, Alex, Zelda, and Zazzles. There are certain sounds that cats cannot resist – peeling back the lid of a can, the shake of the kibble box, or the opening of a refrigerator door – for Alex, it’s the rustle of paper being screwed up into a ball. I can be anywhere in the house, at any time of the day, and as soon as my hand starts to close around that piece of paper…Boom! The ginger ninja is there, long whiskers twitching, eyes wide, waiting to pounce. You might recall that I recently talked about indoor cats and whether they should be allowed to hunt. When I watch the waves of anticipation ripple over Alex’s back as he readies himself to pounce on the unsuspecting ball of paper that has been so carelessly (strategically) tossed aside, I can see that he is able to flex his predatory instincts in a way that is safe for him, and seems to provide him with plenty of satisfaction. Alex keeps his eyes on the prize. Fresh is Best Alex is quite particular about the quality of his crinkly quarry – evidently this type of game only stays fresh for a short time, and he’s soon back on the prowl. You might think that events like Christmas would be Alex’s idea of heaven, but not so. Apparently, the attraction of the paper prey is significantly reduced when available in large numbers – sort of like ‘shooting fish in a barrel’. It’s only fun if he needs to hone his instincts and strike with the precision of his wild ancestors, and evidently, being surrounded by a flurry of discarded wrapping paper and ribbon doesn’t have the same appeal! Do the other cats get in on the action? Strangely, no; this is just Alex’s arena. Cyril occasionally looks on curiously, his fuzzy little brow furrowed in concentration, trying to work out the game, losing interest when he realizes there is no food reward. Hunting, indoor cat style. When the hilarious duo, Ned & Fred, joined our household, there was suddenly competition. The tiny Chihuahuas are equally enamored of rustling wrappers, though they are usually motivated by the hope that there is something delicious contained within. Alex was initially put off by the Chihuahua’s energetic interference, but he now seems to enjoy the added difficulty level. Zelda’s Stretch Appeal Zelda is another of our hunters, but rather than engage in something as crass as chasing paper balls, her target requires something of a more stealthy approach. Hair ties and rubber bands are her quarry of choice, and she has a remarkable ability to sniff them out. Being that we would very much like to avoid these items lodging themselves in her intestines, this is something we try to prevent, but the fact that we actively deter and intercept her hunt seems to make it all the more satisfying for her. Spoils of the Hunt On more than one occasion I have walked into the ensuite in the middle of the night to find Zelda precariously balanced on the shower door, trying to reach the hair tie I carelessly left hanging from the shower caddy. Just last night, she darted through the cat door that leads  to the catio outside, with a large rubber band clamped firmly between her tiny white teeth. Realizing she had been spotted, she moved like black lightning across the room, equal parts determined and gleeful, knowing I was close behind, wondering how on earth a large rubber band found its way into the catio in the first place. These springy objects are the only toys she has ever shown any interest in – unless you count the kitchen sponges she liked to shred into confetti as a kitten – and when I hear her jumping and galloping around upstairs, I know exactly what I will find. Fortunately, Zelda has not suffered any gastrointestinal consequences from her choice of prey, and seems to lose interest as soon as she has succeeded in breaking through the band – evidently an elastic string lacks the appeal of the stretchy ring. But I am not willing to take my chances, and so we will continue our little ritual: Zelda, lurking in wait for the opportunity to sniff out an errant elastic band, me, ever alert to her strange little game. Zelda awaiting the next elastic band… My cats, just like yours, help us find joy in the simplest of things. Their affinity for discarded objects and trash often leaves me wondering how the cat toy industry stays afloat when most moggies are determined to make their own fun. The post One Man’s Trash is Another Cat’s Treasure by Dr. Karyn Kanowski BVSc MRCVS (Veterinarian) appeared first on Catster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren't considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Catster.com.

Poetry Poetry Twelve Mermaid Poems to Celebrate MerMay Follow the siren song of shimmering scales and hidden depths in these twelve mermaid-inspired poems. By Holly Kybett Smith | Published on May 17, 2024 Comment 0 Share New Share It’s May, which means that all across the internet, artists of all kinds are participating in MerMay—a contest and celebration of all things mermaid-related, hosted by Whitney Pollett and Lauren Barger. The challenge offers an open-ended prompt for each day of the month, encouraging participants to draw (or paint, or craft, or animate) thirty-one pieces of art, stretching their creative muscles and getting in a lot of excellent practice along the way! MerMay began in 2016 with former Disney illustrator Tom Bancroft, who decided to challenge himself just for fun, inviting other creators to join in. The trend went viral and MerMay has continued, now celebrating its eighth year. The result? An outpouring of gorgeous, unusual and visually-striking mermaid-themed artwork (which you can find on various social media platforms under the hashtag #MerMay). While I’m not participating in this year’s MerMay, I do like mermaids, and poetry is an under-celebrated art form of its own. So this month, I’ve compiled twelve poems which draw on mermaid imagery and themes. If you’re an artist taking on the MerMay challenge, you may find inspiration here that will inform your art. (Reverse ekphrasis! Yay!) But even if you aren’t participating in MerMay, these poems are worth a read all on their own… “Nuestra Señora de las Maravillas Lost at Sea, 1527” by Lisa M. Bradley Nobody needs your damn armada.Come hear the truth from me.I’ll tie you to the mast, Capitán,kelp-tickle your beardas you sink into the sea… To start us off, a visceral and utterly compelling tale of the sinking of a ship, based on a real-life event. Bradley packs each verse with fierce, emotive imagery that drags you into the scene, close enough to the action to taste salt on your lips. “II. The Mermaid (from The Sea Cabinet)” by Caitríona O’Reilly Between the imaginary iceberg and the skeletal whaleis the stuffed and mounted mermaid in her case,the crudely-stitched seam between skin and scaleso unlike Herbert Draper’s siren dreams… We come now to dry land, to bear witness to the desiccated body of a mermaid on display in a museum. This poem is dark, dusted all over with the sense that we’re too late—but nonetheless it’s an absorbing read. “The Little Mermaid” by Daisy Aldan My tail transmuted to legs, my voiceUsurped; the icy winds, the thousand foot waves; and IWith my liver gnawed by mice, danced on daggers on the path… A poetic retelling now of Hans Christian Andersen’s 1837 fairy tale of the same name. Perhaps the best-known story of a mermaid, this tale balances hope on a knife’s edge, doom on either side. That same fraught balance is struck in Aldan’s verse. “Sawa” by Karolina Fedyk “They mustn’t see you.”Your hand pushes me back into the cold.For a second, I don’t know how to breathe underwater.Then I remember again. Riverbed is home.Tides fold over me, smooth and sweet, asking:what could be worth burning your voice out, up there?… This third poem tells a subversive love story, in verse that will wash over you as gently as a lapping wave. In their author’s note, Fedyk explains: “One of the origin stories in Polish folklore is the legend of a fisherman, Wars, falling in love with a mermaid named Sawa. However, Sawa is a traditional male name; and while calling Wars’ lover by it might be a quirk of folk tradition, I believe it points to an entirely different story.” “Beachcomber Nocturne” by Lupita Eyde-Tucker Pink seafoam leaves odd gifts for me to find:a puffed-up man-o-war, a mermaid’s purse,empty lady slippers, Sargasso weed,as if these things could fill my human needs… “Beachcomber Nocturne” doesn’t deal with mermaids directly, but the relationship it crafts between its narrator and the sea is one which feels almost symbiotic. Read and imagine the soft shushing of waves upon the shore. “The Toll of the Sea” by Sally Wen Mao GREEN means go, so run — now — GREEN the color of the siren sea, whose favors are a mortgage upon the soulRED means stop, before the cliffs jag downwardRED the color of the shore that welcomes… Another poem which does not speak explicitly of mermaids—but which utilises mermaid imagery in the telling of its story—is “The Toll of the Sea,” named for the first film in which Chinese American actress Anna May Wong starred in a leading role. “The Dark at the End of the Tunnel” by Rosie Garland A woman walks upon the ocean floor.Her skirt balloons around her legswith the slow grace of a manta ray… The mermaid of Garland’s dark and melancholy poem is not a literal one, but nonetheless she is ensconced in vivid oceanic imagery. Hold your breath and follow her as she drifts to the end of the tunnel. “The Fantasy of Hans Christian Andersen” by KH van Berkum Ariel, belle of the sea, drunk on a bar stool next to me. She grieves,says she feels suckered, did not sprout the legsshe was promised… Like Aldan’s “The Little Mermaid,” this poem plays with Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale—although its use of the name Ariel calls to mind the beloved Disney adaptation. This version of events is darker, more dismal, and surprisingly gruesome. “Railroad del Mar” by Lysz Flo My fin cuts through the bioluminescentmemories as I bring the mortal freedom seekers to a place of refuge.My eyes black, pupilless, & full like our skinThe humans hesitant at a Siren surfacing (they have learned well)… “Railroad del Mar,”by Afrolatine Caribbean poet Lysz Flo, is about more than mermaids, though Flo’s use of mermaid-like imagery lends the tale it weaves—of battles, vengeance and the quest for freedom—a fantasy cast. “The Sea Shell” by Marin Sorescu (trans. Michael Hamburger) I have hidden inside a sea shellbut forgotten in which.Now daily I dive,filtering the sea through my fingers,to find myself… In this short and introspective poem, the narrator dives for shells, hoping to find their true self tucked inside one like a pearl. Their quest is edged with despair, as so many shells look—from the surface—almost exactly alike. “The Sea Singer” by Alfred Perceval Graves Sweet pain, pleasure sharp,She poured from her harp; Around her we listened in wonder,The wave warbled under… Penned in 1913, this lyrical poem tells the timeworn tale of a maiden luring sailors out to their deaths. Its rhyme scheme carries the story onward like a raft on the waves. “Rich & Strange” by Ann K. Schwader Dark seas have washed their faces clean of loveOr loss or fear, past earthly comprehension.Their bones are coldsleep coral now, erodedBy slowly dreaming centuries… This final, profound and powerful poem puts a though-provoking sci-fi twist on mermaids, blurring the bounds of night sky and sea, dying stars and deep oceans. Which of these poems is your favourite—and do you know of any mermaid poetry that you’d add to this list? Let us know in the comments below…[end-mark] The post Twelve Mermaid Poems to Celebrate MerMay appeared first on Reactor.

You know what livens up any event, be it a funeral or an 8-year-old birthday party? A slinky. That’s why you need to know where to find and how to use the Slink tool in Animal Well so that you, too, can be welcome anywhere. Where to find the Slink This is one of the earlier tools you can get your hands on in Animal Well, and you’ll be using it constantly. I often got stuck in the game, forgetting I had it, only to remember its versatility and immense fun. Head to this point on the Animal Well map to find the Slink. It isn’t hard to get and only requires you to reach the location. Screenshot: PC Invasion As soon as you grab the Slink in Animal Well, you will be required to use it. You may notice you’re on top of a large, stepped pyramid. Use your creative juices to figure out how you can press both buttons on either side at the same time. How to use the Slink in Animal Well The slink has one primary purpose in Animal Well, and that’s to be...

Author of The Blackout Book and the online course Bloom Where You’re Planted There are many lessons from other walks of life that can relate to survival and preparedness, such as business. The lessons I want to share today are those about travel to countries that may be less developed than ours, from my friend Greg Ellifritz’s book, Choose Adventure: Safe Travel in Dangerous Places. Greg is another person in this industry, who, like me, enjoys putting himself in new and unusual positions because of the sheer joy of it. He is a retired police officer who travels to third world countries on a regular basis just for the adventure. Greg has spent nearly two months of each year vacationing in all those places that people warn you never to go. He’s been to more than 50 countries and territories and all seven continents. (I’m green with envy and striving to catch up!) What’s in this book for preppers and survivalists? Greg has learned many lessons in his life of travel and he put them all together in his travel guide. But even if you aren’t a world traveler, there are many things you can learn from this book that apply greatly to survival scenarios. And what’s more, the advice Greg has given is the real deal. He’s either put it into action or made the plan in a situation that came close to needing it. For example, where else can you learn how to properly give a bribe to an official for safe passage? Or how to manage to survive, bowels intact, in places with unsafe water and entirely different food safety standards? The book is filled with advice on the following, all of which would be potential concerns in a post-SHTF world: What to bring to non-permissive environments Navigating day-to-day life in unfamiliar circumstances Personal hygiene in places with poor sanitation Recognizing and treating health issues that result from poor sanitation and other 3rd world factors Improvising weapons Treating wounds with limited first aid gear Surviving kidnapping attempts, bombings, natural disasters, riots, and terrorist attacks when far from home Identifying potential criminals Bribery and Corruption Honestly, it’s a Mad Max 101 guide that every prepper should read. More about Choose Adventure The book is eminently readable. Greg has an accessible writing style and the book is filled with stories from his adventures that highlights the advice he’s giving. He’s actually been pulled over and whacked in the face with an AK-47-wielding guy who wanted to extort money. He’s witnessed crimes far and near and had to make decisions in a split second that potentially saved his life.  You’ll be on the edge of your seat hearing about the criminals, the buses, the foreign cabs, and the interactions he’s experienced. He shares stories of common scams in foreign places undertaken by people who are in desperate circumstances, too. These are things we could easily witness if we had our own SHTF event that left people destitute. Greg’s recommendations are practical and focused on surviving the incident. They aren’t written with Rambo in mind, but the average traveler. This makes them very applicable to all of us. On adaptability I’ve written before how travel has made me a more resilient and adaptable person, so it should be no surprise that one of my favorite parts of the book is this segment on adaptability. “Guns, clubs, and knives may well be material weapons, but abstract weapons like wits, demeanor, and attitude are just as important, if not more so.” – Louis Awerbuck I enjoy third world travel because it provides challenges that I don’t normally get to experience. Solving the problems you encounter in a third world country will quickly make you a very adaptable person, more so than any other educational opportunity I’ve encountered. One of the more difficult problems to solve is deciding what weapons you should carry and what your self-protection plans might entail. You obviously think the same way if you have made it this far in the “weapons” chapter. Let me give you some other things to think about: I once spent some time on a small island off the coast of Nicaragua. It was a peaceful place but I still wanted to have adequate self-protections measures. Thinking through potential defensive scenarios on the island, I recognized that I was in a truly unique environment that required some adaptation from my normal plans… …That posed quite a problem on my little island trip. There were literally only about 20 gringos on the whole island. There were two local flights off the island and two ferry departures every day. Everyone knows everyone else and most folks are related. Escape options are few. If I stab a local in self-defense, how quickly do you think the world would spread around the island that the cutting was done by “the big gringo dude?” How do you think the locals would respond? Besides dealing with the initial problem that caused me to use my blade, I would have the additional unpleasant difficulty escaping the rope of the lynch mob that would be waiting for me at my hotel. Have you ever considered something like that? …Just like I teach my students here, one has to solve not only the problem of surviving the initial violent encounter, but the secondary problem with the police and the criminal justice system as well. In other countries, the “secondary problem” won’t likely be a fair trial by a jury of your peers; it might be an angry lynch mob. You aren’t prepared to defend yourself unless you can handle that issue as well. Walter Mitty-like fantasies of cutting throats and throwing knives in the gutter to make a stealthy escape aren’t very productive. Don’t delude yourself. You aren’t Jason Bourne and you won’t get away with it. Make a realistic assessment of your environment and your abilities and plan accordingly. (source) Selco has written about the same concern when discussing the use of violence. There’s almost always an aftermath of people who want vengeance for the person you just used the violence upon, and they won’t care that you were just defending yourself. Why listen to Greg? Greg authors one of my favorite blogs, Active Response Training, where he writes about real-life scenarios and your best-chance options for surviving such an event. He has been a police officer for 24 years. He is a firearms, self-defense, counter-kidnapping, and wilderness medicine instructor. In fact, I’ve taken one of the most life-changing classes ever from him – I wrote about the defensive knife class I took with Greg here. If you ever get the opportunity to take one of his in-person courses, I heartily recommend them. And your next best bet is to grab a copy of Choose Adventure: Safe Travel in Dangerous Places. It’s the only physical book I carry with me when I travel, and I wholeheartedly recommend it, even if you have no intention of heading to third-world countries. About Daisy Daisy Luther is a coffee-swigging, adventure-seeking, globe-trotting blogger. She is the founder and publisher of three websites.  1) The Organic Prepper, which is about current events, preparedness, self-reliance, and the pursuit of liberty; 2)  The Frugalite, a website with thrifty tips and solutions to help people get a handle on their personal finances without feeling deprived; and 3) PreppersDailyNews.com, an aggregate site where you can find links to all the most important news for those who wish to be prepared. Her work is widely republished across alternative media and she has appeared in many interviews. Daisy is the best-selling author of 5 traditionally published books, 12 self-published books, and runs a small digital publishing company with PDF guides, printables, and courses at SelfRelianceand Survival.com You can find her on Facebook, Pinterest, Gab, MeWe, Parler, Instagram, and Twitter. The post CHOOSE ADVENTURE: This Travel Guide Provides a Practical Education in Modern SHTF Survival appeared first on The Organic Prepper.

Shocker: Reuters Discovers Trump's Super-Secret Plan to 'Control the Department of Justice'