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Spraying rice with sunscreen particles during heatwaves boosts growth

Zinc nanoparticles, a common sunscreen ingredient, can make plants more resilient to climate change – in a surprising way




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Migratory birds can use Earth's magnetic field like a GPS

Eurasian reed warblers don’t just get a sense of direction from Earth’s magnetic field – they can also calculate their coordinates on a mental map




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26 Particularly Pawsitive Purr-Powered Posts to Put You in a Pawsitive Place

After a chaotic Caturday it is time for us weary hoomans to harness the pawsitive power that cats have within them. After all, if you are a feline pawrent, you spent most of your day yesterday cleaning, feeding, playing and pampering your at home purr machine to no end. But in the case that your cats have decided to keep the Caturday celebrations going all weekend long, or you simply do not have a cute cat at home, we made this list of particularly pawsitive purr-powered posts to put you in a pawsitive place.

From the fat and friendly feline who loves people but loves food even more, to the cute catto who does not believe in having a closed door policy at home and will reach its little paws under any closed door until it is opened once more, to the smiling feline sweetheart who might not understand what is being said to it, but it sure can pull off a coy smile, to the confused cat who has lost its operating manual and is working on how to move its body.




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Heartwarming Hooman Spends Big to Get Their Cute Cat Life-Saving Surgery, Now He Looks Like a Derpy Cartoon Character

Hey, feline fam. If you're lucky enough as a cat pawrent, you'll never have to take your precious pets in for some sort of medical procedure in their lifetime. However, accidents happen, cats get older, and all sorts of complications can arise when you least expect them to. But, like the pawsitive people we are, we always try to find a silver lining in the bad, and that's exactly what this heartwarming hooman did when they found out their awwdorable feline needed surgery on their lower jaw.

The surgery was a success (hooray!), and now the cute cat has an awwdorable overbite that makes hoomans everywhere smile. Seriously, it's absolutely silly and we dare you to try and not smile at it. If you've ever seen the Simpsons, he's the spitting image of Snowball, the cat. It's just the boost of smiley serotonin we needed to get through the rest of the workday, so get your derp on and scroll down to see more pictures of this kitty cutie below. Have a great day!




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20 Comfy Cozy Cats Because We Could All Use a Heartwarming Pick-Me-up Right Meow

It has finally gotten colder outside, and we don't know about you guys, but our introverted hearts are thriving in this cold weather. Finally, coats are out, warm blankets are appropriate, hot cocoas are a daily thing… it's the best. But that doesn't mean that we do not feel the cold. It doesn't mean that we do not struggle to get out of bed to go to work in the morning. It doesn't mean that we don't need a heartwarming pick-me-up in the form of some awwdorable cat pictures right meow. 

Although, we would not say no to a bunch of cute cat pics any day, if we have to be honest. But there is something extra special about seeing pictures of cozy cute cats enjoying the cold weather as much as we do on chill days like these. And we know that you guys get it, because the sheer quantity of pics that you sent us when we asked you for the coziest pics of your cats was amazingly overwhelming. 




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Black Cat Starts Mysteriously Losing Its Color, Other Vexed Void Owners Question When Their Cute Cats Go From Midnight to Moonlight

We may or may not be a helicopter cat pawrent - meaning that we may or may not go to Google for every pawssible thing that might be wrong with our cats. Their meow sounds a little different than normal? Google. They all of a sudden start sleeping in a random spot we've never seen them sleep in before? Google. They didn't eat the food that they normally love? Google. Most of the things we google end up being purrfectly fine (we are not prone to overreaction, not one bit). But if our black cat started losing its beautiful black color, now that would be a thing to google!

There are a few pawssible explanations for this: the first is a meowgnificent genetic trait called "vitiligo" - which causes cats to lose pigment in their fur, giving them unique and rare fur patterns. Another option is called a "fever coat", which is a temporary change in a cat's fur pigment due to illness or stress. The last, and final option that we know of, is that this black beauty is just getting old. Either way, you'd be surprised how many vexed void owners chimed in with their black cats that went from midnight to moonlight. Scroll down to see all these fading felines below!




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Heartless Owner Returns Cat to Shelter Because She ‘Wanted to Cuddle Them at Night’, Then Her New Hooman Un-Breaks Our Hearts and Shows She’s Living Her Snuggliest Life Now

Look, we have heard stories of cats being returned to shelters. We have heard people say that they felt like they had no choice. The couldn't afford taking care of a cat anymore, they found out they were allergic… there are all kinds of reasons. At least everyone who returns a cat is a heartbroken, at least that's what we thought. We never imagined that someone would do it because the cat they adopted wanted to cuddle with them at nighttime. 

Everyone wants a velcro cat, right? Cuddly cats are the best! Cuddling with your cat is one of the best feelings in the world. The trust they show you, the love, the calmness that being so close to them gives you… there is nothing quite like it. To complain about a cat being too cuddly is like complaining about something being too tasty. It's silly. And ridiculous. And thank goodness that this sweet girl is now in the hands of someone who actually deserves her. 




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Aquaplus Unveils To Heart Remake's Spring 2025 Launch, Project Kizuna RPG

To Heart remake slated for Switch, PC with full-3D graphics




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I Left My A-Rank Party Anime's Promo Video Reveals More Cast & Staff, January 11 Debut

Yoshiki Nakajima, M.A.O, Yoshino Nanjō, more join cast




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Orb: On the Movements of the Earth Anime Casts Daisuke Namikawa

Namikawa appears as young Count Piast in 8th episode on Saturday




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Sakamoto Days Anime's Video Unveils Opening Song, January 11 Debut, 2-Part Run

Anime's 2nd half premieres in July 2025




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“Tarot for Creativity” helps writers and artists get through creative blocks

“My very first experience was in asking the cards about a novel I was writing at the time and it wasn’t going anywhere," says Chelsey Pippin Mizzi in an interview with Lauren Parker. “Up until that point, so much of my writing had been informed by visuals. And then suddenly there were these three pocket-sized pictures that were inviting me to consider creative ideas.” 

Continue reading “Tarot for Creativity” helps writers and artists get through creative blocks at The Wild Hunt.




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Amelia Earhart

"Courage is the price that Life exacts for granting peace."




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On Art and Commerce and Pseudo-Activism

Let’s talk about art and commerce. To get the obvious stuff out of the way, first, I am using here a very broad definition of art, so we can simply skip the arguments about what is and isn’t art. Second, those of you who want to make Garfunkle jokes, or any of the other oh-so-original … Continue reading On Art and Commerce and Pseudo-Activism




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Rant [1104] "old webcomic artist yells at cloud"

One thing ive found myself doing lately now that im sorta 'well fuck that twitter shit' is i am rambling on a LOT more when i type stuff. This can be viewed as a good or bad thing. Maybe for me it's not a bad thing. It's a bit like working in a 4 panel comic format. You can do a lot with a four panel setup, almost the first entire chapter of MT is all 4 panel. It has its own kinda pacing, setup, delivery, variables, etc. But there are things i can...

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Sunday Sweets For Kids & Kids At Heart

Confession Time: as much as I love all the Sweets I feature, it's the kids' cakes that thrill me the most.

From classic childhood characters:

(By Alana Lily Chocolates & Cakes)

 

...to more modern favorites:

(By Sugar Top Cakes)

 

...to squee-inducing cuteness I just want to snuggle:

(By Bake-A-Boo)

MUST. RESIST. SNUGGLE URGE!

 

Then there are colorful, guitar-rockin' monsters:

(By Phoenix Cake Company)

 

Dapper little owls:

(By Eunice Cake Designs)

 

...and the sweetest bees you ever did see:

(By Frosted Indulgence)

Just looking at this makes me happy. :)

 

When I was very young my parents let me buy a Little Twin Stars stationary set from Epcot, and even though I had no idea who they were, I've loved the pastel pair ever since.

And this is the best Little Twin Stars cake I've ever seen:

(By The Bunny Baker)

Kids' cakes, schmids' cakes. I'll take this one for my next birthday, thx.

 

Or how about this drop dead gorgeous Tangled tower?

(By Sabz Cakes)

 

Oooh! Or this little yellow submarine?

(By Über Angel Cakes)

Complete with a cutie-patootie pink seahorse!

 

And finally, since you all know I have a soft spot for adorable robots:

(By Isabella's Sweet Tooth)

D'awwww.

Yep, this grown-up just wants kids' cakes from now on, guys. And I bet I'm not the only one, right?

 

Happy Sunday!

*****

And now that I’ve got Gonzo on the brain, OH MY GOSH LOOK HOW COOL!!!

The Great Gonzo Christmas Ornament

*****

And from my other blog, Epbot:




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Smart Bitches After Dark is Open for Registration!

It’s time! Smart Bitches After Dark is open to everyone for registration! You can register now! Come on in, the mayhem is delightful! You might have seen our first After Dark posts go up the past two Sundays, with a link to register, but this is the Official Announcement. Mostly because I used Capital Letters. We already have over 100 members of the community registered, and it’s going to be a LOT of fun. You can … Continue reading Smart Bitches After Dark is Open for Registration!




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638. Smart Bitches After Dark – Tara interviews Sarah & Amanda

Tara Scott, staff writer at SBTB and co-host of the Queerly Recommended podcast, is in the interviewer’s chair, asking Amanda and me questions about Smart Bitches After Dark, our new community support wing. We talk about what After Dark is, and also about the larger enshittification of different parts of the internet, and how we navigate that as a 20 year old blog. Yay blogs! I was really nervous about being interviewed, and I hope … Continue reading 638. Smart Bitches After Dark – Tara interviews Sarah & Amanda




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Whatcha Reading? October 2024, Part Two

Happy Saturday and welcome back to Whatcha Reading! Here’s how we’re wrapping up October: Lara: To quote my psychiatrist, ‘pregnancy is a potent and unique stressor’ so I’ve temporarily abandoned my ARCs and I’ve started a reread of Murderbot. Ten out of ten! Shana: There’s no better comfort than a Murderbot reread. I just finished a m/m Beauty and the Beast retelling, Briarley by Aster Glenn Gray, where the father who finds the cursed castle … Continue reading Whatcha Reading? October 2024, Part Two




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Sign Up for Quarterly Book Recommendations!

This piece of literary mayhem is exclusive to Smart Bitches After Dark, but fret not. If you'd like to join, we'd love to have you! Have a look at our membership options, and come join the fun! If you want to have a little extra fun, be a little more yourself, and be part of keeping the site open for everyone in the future, we can’t wait to see you in our new subscription-based section … Continue reading Sign Up for Quarterly Book Recommendations!



  • Smart Bitches After Dark

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Whatcha Reading? November 2024, Part One

Welcome back to Whatcha Reading! This is where we talk about what we’ve been reading, if you couldn’t have guessed. Lara: Still Murderbot and I could not be more happy about it! May it last forever! Sarah: I mentioned this in the post for Election Day but I saved three Richard Osman books and didn’t know what I was saving them for. Now I know! I think I’m starting with the new one We Solve … Continue reading Whatcha Reading? November 2024, Part One




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A Little Piece Of My Heart

She's just got a chunk of her butt missing now




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Marten Explains It All

PICKLED





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#1551; Spring Forth, My Creation (Part 3)

This storyline began with Part 1.




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'My dad’s beautiful brain started thinking': Karen neighbor insists HOA remove neighbor's boat from view, neighbor maliciously complies with her demands

Minding your business? This woman has never heard of such a thing. She's being a rather nosy neighbor, as u/Ok-One-3240 shared in their family's story of malicious compliance

Some people just can't help being busybodies. They have too much time on their hands, and they're going to make it everyone else's problem, too. This person shares that their family enjoyed living in a gated community, and they spent a good amount of time using their boat. Each weekend, they'd take the boat out for a few days, then store it again for the rest of the week. As long as the boat wasn't within view of the street, their local HOA had no problem with it. That's a common issue that people seem to have with their HOAs… who cares if you can see someone's boat? It's a pretty frivolous rule in the first place, and this person mentions that their HOA didn't really enforce the rule too strongly.

Then along comes this busybody neighbor who decides to make it her mission to bug the boat family. Read the whole dramatic story below. 

Up next, read about what happened when this 17-year-old babysat her aunt's kids and helped herself to a piece of cake… from a dessert that cost $90! 




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Stepmother admonishes 16-year-old for taking her necklace away from 1-year-old sister, leading to public meltdown: 'She started lecturing me'

Learning boundaries is important, even if it means being disappointed—not everything is always going to go your way. Sure, when you're one year old, something you were interested in suddenly disappearing might be the worst thing that's ever happened to you, but it's important to learn that lesson now because once you're older, learning that same lesson gets a lot more inappropriate and embarrassing. There's a big difference between a 12-year-old throwing a public tantrum because they didn't get what they wanted and a one-year-old crying for the same reason.

With parenting, there's a delicate balance to be struck between giving kids the best childhood possible and making sure they learn the right lessons. One day, that kid is going to be an adult. Never being disappointed by anything during their development as a kid is going to lead to them becoming a spoilt teen and then a full-grown, entitled person. And at some point, it's going to be too late to set them on the right path without serious self-evaluation. 

As commenters have noted here, the teen is the real parent in this situation… and the stepmother's response hints at a possibly unnecessarily hostile attitude toward her stepdaughter.




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‘I’m not giving you my cat’: Entitled mom asks cat owner to ‘loan’ her their cat for her daughter's birthday party, owner refuses but mom shows up on their doorstep the day of the party

First and foremost, pet owners are very protective of their animals. Rightfully so, as you never know what kind of crazy is lurking around the corner. It's in the owner and their pet's best interest that they don't let just anybody hang around their animals or watch them unsupervised. 

If someone wants to be in an animal's company, they better go adopt their own! It's not up to pet owners to fulfill an entitled person's pet fantasy for a day, especially after they refused to do so on multiple occasions. The pet parent in this story experienced this first-hand.

An entitled neighborhood mom asked the original poster (OP) if they could lend her family their cat for her daughter's upcoming birthday party. Cats are not similar to dogs in the way they interact with humans, and the pet owner politely refused. They didn't want to put their cat in an uncomfortable position. The entitled mother doubles down and exclaims that the pet owner "owes it to the community" to have their cat, Mochi, attend her daughter's birthday party. 

The pet owner thought she got it through the mother's head that no means no, but the mother shows up at their doorstep with her daughter in an attempt to guilt-trip them. Scroll to read.




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rest in peace, bob newhart

When I worked on Big Bang Theory, each episode involved a few days of rehearsal before we did camera blocking and the actual taping in front of the audience. Most […]




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Cartoons from the June 26, 2023, Issue


Cartoons from the June 26, 2023, Issue




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Cartoons from the July 3, 2023, Issue


Cartoons from the July 3, 2023, Issue




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Cartoons from the July 24, 2023, Issue


Cartoons from the July 24, 2023, Issue




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Cartoons from the July 31, 2023, Issue


Cartoons from the July 31, 2023, Issue




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Cartoons from the August 7, 2023, Issue


Cartoons from the August 7, 2023, Issue




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Cartoons from the August 14, 2023, Issue


Cartoons from the August 14, 2023, Issue




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Cartoons from the August 21, 2023, Issue


Cartoons from the August 21, 2023, Issue




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Cartoons from the August 28, 2023, Issue


Cartoons from the August 28, 2023, Issue




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Cartoons from the September 4, 2023, Issue


Cartoons from the September 4, 2023, Issue




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I Remember, Part 1

Her voice, when she spoke to us from the doorway, was strange. I was in 3rd Grade. Our teacher went away for a few minutes, then came back, crying. She was a tough public school teacher of the old school, the kind my father’s friends would have called “an old bat.” She was not like […]

The post I Remember, Part 1 appeared first on Zeldman on Web and Interaction Design.





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I Have a Feeling You're Part of the Green Circle




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School calls time on pupils' smart devices

A Sheffield school bans pupils from using smartphones and watches on its premises.




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Meet the AI robot whose artwork sold for over $1m

A portrait of mathematician Alan Turing is thought to be the first artwork by a humanoid robot to be sold at auction.




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Rare footage of a cartel gun battle near US-Mexico border

Texas law enforcement said the shootout was between factions of the Gulf Cartel.




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India Nature Watch - Smart or foolish? Stink bug eggs laid on Giant wood spider web

Left me pondering




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India Nature Watch - The Rusty Dart.

Rusty marsh dart (Ceriagrion olivaceum) (Female here) is a species of damselfly found in south and southeast Asia. Two subspecies are mentioned. Ceriagrion olivaceum olivaceum and Ceriagrion olivaceum aurantiacum.C. o. olivaceum is widespread in India and Southeast Asia and probably the one here C. o. aurantiacum is only known from southwest India. It is a medium-sized damselfly with olivaceous brown capped greenish eyes. Its thorax is olive green, paler on the sides. Female is similar to the male. Male @ http://www.indianaturewatch.net/displayimage.php?id=663008




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India Nature Watch - The Rusty Darter.

Rusty marsh dart (Ceriagrion olivaceum) (Male here) is a species of damselfly found in south and southeast Asia. Two subspecies are mentioned. Ceriagrion olivaceum olivaceum and Ceriagrion olivaceum aurantiacum.C. o. olivaceum is widespread in India and Southeast Asia and probably the one here C. o. aurantiacum is only known from southwest India. It is a medium-sized damselfly with olivaceous brown capped greenish eyes. Its thorax is olive green, paler on the sides. Female is similar to the male. Female @ http://www.indianaturewatch.net/displayimage.php?id=662987




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Tax-News.com: Singapore Adds To Guidance On ICAP Participation

The Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS) has issued guidance for taxpayers on accessing the International Compliance Assurance Programme, a voluntary risk assessment and assurance program.




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Tax-News.com: EU Eyeing 2023 Start Date For DAC7

The EU has agreed new rules that will see member states automatically exchange information on income earned by sellers on digital platforms from 2023.




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Tax-News.com: France Hikes VAT Due On Yacht Charters

The French tax authority has confirmed new rules regarding the calculation of VAT on pleasure yacht charters.