GlennMagusHarvey

Found this on Mastodon. A "Christmas tree" of flasks with differently colored liquids.

cross-posted from: https://mander.xyz/post/3314637

...yeah. This is a thing. Both of these are things.

In short: due to mishandling at the Port of Tampa Bay, some gasoline has been contaminated with diesel, and this gas was distributed to various gas stations -- mainly along the Gulf Coast of Florida (particularly unfortunate due to Idalia) but also elsewhere.

Story: https://www.tampabay.com/hurricane/2023/08/27/florida-gas-contamination-idalia/

updated list: https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida/2023/08/29/citgo-fuel-contamination-list-gas-stations-updated/ (linked above)

cross-posted from: https://mander.xyz/post/2859577

Edit: Added the city of Plantation.

A "BioBlitz" is an event where you go around and make observations of wildlife all around you using the citizen science app/website iNaturalist. The National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) runs the "Parks for Pollinators" BioBlitz every September, across the United States, lasting the whole month, and focusing mainly on plants and the animals that pollinate them (mainly insects and birds) in local parks. But you can record observations of any sort of living thing you want, anywhere, as much as you want, anytime.

Here's their homepage for it: https://www.nrpa.org/BioBlitz/ ...but probbaly more relevant is the iNaturalist project for it (click here, or the link at the top). You can use the map to see the various BioBlitzes going on all over the country as part of NRPA's umbrella event. Hopefully, there's one near you!

If there is, be sure to check your local events calendars, because there might be special events on specific days. For example, here in Florida, there are the following BioBlitz events (and some have special events on specific days - I'm not sure about the last three, but you can check yourself):

• Markham Park (special event: September 2, 10am ~ 12noon) (observations also count for City of Sunrise)
• City of Plantation (in Plantation Preserve Linear Trail and Golf Course) (special event: September 9, 9am ~ 11am)
• Quiet Waters Park (special event: September 9, 9am ~ 11am)
• City of Sunrise (special event: September 9, 10am ~ 1pm, at Sawgrass Sanctuary)
• Miramar Pineland (special event: September 13, 9am ~ 12noon)
• Central Broward Regional Park (special event: September 23: 9am ~ 11am)
• Delray Beach (in Old School Square Park)
• Palm Beach County
• Pinellas County

But, of course, you can go to these places anytime in September to participate -- you don't need a special event.

If you want to participate, you'll need an iNaturalist account, and any relevant observations you make in participating locations will automatically be counted in applicable projects. If you join the project, you'll also get the project's badge displayed on your observation!

(cross-posted from: https://mander.xyz/post/2859577)

Edit: Added the city of Plantation.

There's the following BioBlitz events in state of Florida next month: (links go to their iNaturalist projects)

• Markham Park (special event: September 2, 10am ~ 12noon) (observations also count for City of Sunrise)
• City of Plantation (in Plantation Preserve Linear Trail and Golf Course) (special event: September 9, 9am ~ 11am)
• Quiet Waters Park (special event: September 9, 9am ~ 11am)
• City of Sunrise (special event: September 9, 10am ~ 1pm, at Sawgrass Sanctuary)
• Miramar Pineland (special event: September 13, 9am ~ 12noon)
• Central Broward Regional Park (special event: September 23: 9am ~ 11am)
• Delray Beach (in Old School Square Park)
• Palm Beach County
• Pinellas County

I don't know when the last three are having their special events (if any); check with their parks or local government calendars. But the BioBlitz events last the whole month so you can still participate even if there aren't special events!

Not sure what this is all about?

A "BioBlitz" is an event where you go around and make observations of wildlife all around you using the citizen science app/website iNaturalist.

Every September, the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) runs the "Parks for Pollinators" BioBlitz, which involves a bunch of such events across the US, lasting the whole month, and focusing mainly on plants and the animals that pollinate them (mainly insects and birds) in local parks. But, with an iNaturalist account, you can record observations of any sort of living thing you want, anywhere, as much as you want, anytime.

The umbrella project page on iNaturalist for NRPA's BioBlitz events is linked at the top. I looked on its map and found all the projects for BioBlitz events in Florida. Hopefully, there's one near you!

They all last the whole month, but some of them have special events on specific days. I've listed the ones I know of. But, of course, you can go to these places anytime in September to participate. (Or just make observations on iNat anytime, anywhere.)

If you want to participate, you'll need an iNaturalist account, and any relevant observations you make in participating locations will automatically be counted in applicable projects. If you join the project, its badge will also appear on your observations that are part of the project! (Feel free to ask questions about how to join/use iNaturalist.)

Edit: Added the city of Plantation.

A "BioBlitz" is an event where you go around and make observations of wildlife all around you using the citizen science app/website iNaturalist. The National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) runs the "Parks for Pollinators" BioBlitz every September, across the United States, lasting the whole month, and focusing mainly on plants and the animals that pollinate them (mainly insects and birds) in local parks. But you can record observations of any sort of living thing you want, anywhere, as much as you want, anytime.

Here's their homepage for it: https://www.nrpa.org/BioBlitz/ ...but probbaly more relevant is the iNaturalist project for it (click here, or the link at the top). You can use the map to see the various BioBlitzes going on all over the country as part of NRPA's umbrella event. Hopefully, there's one near you!

If there is, be sure to check your local events calendars, because there might be special events on specific days. For example, here in Florida, there are the following BioBlitz events (and some have special events on specific days - I'm not sure about the last three, but you can check yourself):

• Markham Park (special event: September 2, 10am ~ 12noon) (observations also count for City of Sunrise)
• City of Plantation (in Plantation Preserve Linear Trail and Golf Course) (special event: September 9, 9am ~ 11am)
• Quiet Waters Park (special event: September 9, 9am ~ 11am)
• City of Sunrise (special event: September 9, 10am ~ 1pm, at Sawgrass Sanctuary)
• Miramar Pineland (special event: September 13, 9am ~ 12noon)
• Central Broward Regional Park (special event: September 23: 9am ~ 11am)
• Delray Beach (in Old School Square Park)
• Palm Beach County
• Pinellas County

But, of course, you can go to these places anytime in September to participate -- you don't need a special event.

If you want to participate, you'll need an iNaturalist account, and any relevant observations you make in participating locations will automatically be counted in applicable projects. If you join the project, you'll also get the project's badge displayed on your observation!

GOG is having a "Pixel Worlds" sale, with deals on games (DRM-free as usual, of course) that use pixel graphics. It will continue for two more days and change.

https://www.gog.com/en/promo/2023_pixel_worlds

My personal highlights include the following three metroidvania titles:
Chasm -75%
Phoenotopia Awakening -60%
Timespinner -50%

There are several pages of games on sale; others famous ones include Stardew Valley, the Contra Anniversary Collection, two of the Shantae games, and One Step From Eden (i'm gonna pick up that last one).

So this thing is happening: https://canvas.toast.ooo/

It's hosted by the good folks at toast.ooo and here's a link to the community for this: !canvas@toast.ooo

I was thinking we can get a GOG logo onto here. I've drawn up the attached image as the template I'm using. And I've started painting this with my top left corner being 98,208.

Come join in!

Edit: Modified the image. The exact pixel art is at the top left but I've provided a blown-up version that's probably easier to see. Though you can always just download the image, open it up in MS Paint or something, and blow it up yourself.

I left her a little platform to sit on. And I had to give her a 1-pixel aura because her shirt is white lol.

Anyway you can find her to the left of Hollow Knight.

What details should I add? Or anything else any of y'all would like help on? The platform is exactly seven pixels higher than the pixel beneath Hollow Knight's feet, for what it's worth.

It was already bad when the sea surface temperature was well over 90 degrees Fahrenheit last week, but...over 100?

https://nbc-2.com/weather/weather-blog/2023/07/25/buoy-in-florida-keys-measures-101-1-degree-water-temperature/ (this is the article linked above)

FYI that's hot tub hot, as this other article notes: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/weather/hot-tub-water-temperatures-florida-soar-100-degrees-stunning-experts-rcna96163

This might be record-breaking. In the worst sense possible.

(this is a repost of my own toot, with additional elaboration and minus hashtags)

Once upon a time, this piece of wood was posted somewhere.

Note that I'm wearing gloves when presenting this to you. I highly advise against touching it with your bare hands. The last person who did...well, here's photographic evidence that they lost their mind.

cross-posted from: https://aussie.zone/post/528234

A major study in Southeast Queensland is testing how quickly biodegradable plastics break down in waterways, as researchers search for solutions to the world's growing plastics problem.

The project is underway at the $13 million Australian Research Council Training Centre for Bioplastics and Biocomposites at The University of Queensland, which has been officially opened by the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Research Council, Dr Richard Johnson.

"There is a lot of research on what happens to biodegradable plastic in soil, compost, on land, and in landfills, but we actually don't know what happens when these materials enter the marine environment."

Early results have found PHA plastics which are bioderived, degraded completely in water after 7 months but other bioplastics degraded by a little as one per cent in a year.