I've watched the big shows it's more less obvious ones I'm after

Taken from Mastodon: https://mstdn.ca/@c_9/116908898247749444

https://youtu.be/a8gc294EfB4

James Talarico: "Ken Paxton just denied our public information request for the Hoffman Files. Adam Hoffman — an admitted child molester — should be in prison, but Ken Paxton let him off the hook. Texans deserve to know why. We don’t need any more pedophile protectors in our government."

https://cbsaustin.com/news/local/talarico-shares-update-on-hoffman-files-calls-on-paxton-to

He's so sweet tho. It's good there's still daylight 😊

BYD has secured a record-breaking 11.2 GWh battery energy storage contract, marking one of the largest battery deals ever announced. The agreement highlights the company's growing dominance in global energy storage and reinforces its position as a major player beyond electric vehicles.

https://carnewschina.com/2026/07/10/byd-lands-historic-11-2-gwh-grid-contract-equivalent-to-186000-electric-vehicle-packs/

mainly used for carrying around a pencil case, water, folders, laptop and odd bits. While I understand durability comes at a cost, I have a budget of £50. Thanks and I look foward to responding to your suggestions

cross-posted from: https://hexbear.net/post/8953267

Banner image: Lilac-breasted roller in Etosha National Park, Namibia. Image courtesy of Giles Laurent via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

How Namibia's bird conservation projects build community resilience (commentary)

• Droughts and land degradation often erode communities’ social bonds, but in the Karas region of Namibia, bird conservation initiatives have become a rallying point.
• Women and youth are at the forefront of these initiatives, which has inspired confidence among peers and shown that conservation is not the domain of scientists alone, but also a practice of everyday community resilience.
• “It is time for policymakers, NGOs, and donors to support these initiatives not just as biodiversity projects, but as investments in community well-being,” a new op-ed argues.
• This article is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the author, not necessarily of Mongabay.

In Namibia’s Karas Region, birds are more than symbols of freedom or beauty — they are teachers of resilience. Their survival in arid landscapes mirrors the endurance of the communities who live alongside them. Grassroots bird conservation projects here have revealed something profound: protecting birds can also strengthen families, nurture hope, and build social cohesion.

Across villages in Karas, parents and children tend habitats together, restoring nesting sites and planting native vegetation. These acts of care are not only ecological interventions; they are lessons in patience and problem solving. When a child sees a weaverbird return to a reed bed that the community has protected, it is a moment of triumph that teaches perseverance in the face of environmental challenges.

Women and youth are at the forefront of these initiatives. In one community, a group of young women organized bird walks for schoolchildren, teaching them to identify species like the sociable weaver and the pale chanting goshawk. Their leadership has inspired confidence among peers and shown that conservation is not the domain of scientists alone — it is a practice of everyday resilience.

Sociable weavers nesting in acacia trees, Karas Region, Namibia. Image courtesy of Martha Karas.

These projects also counter the isolation that environmental stress can bring. Droughts and land degradation often erode social bonds, but bird conservation has become a rallying point. Families gather to monitor nesting sites, share stories, and celebrate small victories. In doing so, they weave resilience into the social fabric. Conservation here is not only about biodiversity; it is about belonging.

The ecological benefits are clear. Protecting bird habitats safeguards pollination, seed dispersal, and pest control — services that sustain agriculture and livelihoods. But equally important is the emotional strength these projects cultivate. In Karas, conservation has become a human resilience strategy: a way to confront uncertainty with collective action and hope.

This perspective challenges the conventional view of conservation as a technical exercise. Too often, policies focus narrowly on species counts or protected areas. While these metrics matter, they overlook the lived experience of communities who find strength in caring for nature. By recognizing conservation as both ecological and social, we broaden its value and deepen its impact.

Lappet-faced vultures like this are native to the arid plains of the Karas Region, and organizations like Vultures Namibia ensure there’s awareness of them. Image courtesy of Martha Karas.

The lesson from Karas is urgent. As climate change intensifies, resilience will be as critical as resources. Grassroots bird projects show that resilience can be cultivated through simple, shared acts of care. They remind us that conservation is not only about saving species, but about sustaining the human spirit.

It is time for policymakers, NGOs, and donors to support these initiatives not just as biodiversity projects, but as investments in community well-being. Funding should prioritize programs that empower women and youth, foster intergenerational learning, and strengthen social bonds through conservation.

Birds in Namibia’s Karas Region are survivors of harsh landscapes. But they are also mentors of resilience, teaching us how to endure, adapt, and thrive together. By listening to the voices of those who lead grassroots efforts, we can reimagine conservation as a strategy for human strength as much as ecological survival.

Supporting these projects is not charity — it is foresight. In every nest protected, in every child inspired, we see the seeds of resilience that will carry communities through the challenges ahead.

Conservation, at its best, is a story of hope. And in Karas, that story is being written by birds and the people who care for them.

Martha Karas is a Namibian writer based in the Karas region.

cross-posted from: https://toast.ooo/post/15002894

Canvas 2026 is in one week!

Hello Fediverse! I've come bearing some great news, Canvas 2026 starts in one week!

What?

If you haven't heard, Canvas is a collaborative pixel event that runs yearly, exclusively for the Fediverse. You will have 48 hours to make your mark on an art piece, one pixel at a time. This year the pixel cooldown will be 30 seconds flat, but you can stack up 6 pixels at a time so you don't have to wait ages for pixels.

How do I login?

When you login to Canvas it'll prompt you to identify yourself using fediverse-auth, which involves sending a DM to your account to verify who you are (or logging in with your client of choice, if your app supports it)

Try it out on the Canvas homepage using the emojis

Changelog (compared to last week)

Contribute

• ✨ UI got a whole refresh (Ategon)
  • interface visibility toggle
  • settings/info keybinds
  • primary & secondary color selections
  • color pick keybind
  • mobile ui improvements (no longer crammed)
  • palette symbols, numbers being more readable
  • palette collapsing to avoid being covered by sidebar (can be disabled)
  • palette can now show pixels of certain color remaining in template (can be enabled)
  • palette can now hide colors not used in template (can be enabled)
  • buttons now follow sidebar (can be disabled)
  • accessibility settings: disable camera flash, keybinds, hide overlay card, compress buttons (icon only)
  • google maps-style overlay selection
  • long left click for whois instead of exclusively middle click
  • + many misc changes
• ✨ share urls (grant)
• ✨ heatmap works again (grant)
• ✨ new snapshot types (Ategon)
• added cotemplate link to sidebar (grant)
• fixed pixel stack weirdness (grant)
• fixed coords being incorrect upon zooming (grant)
• template source is no longer visible on toggle (grant)
• added initial FAQ for common problems (grant)
• and various minor changes

Socials

• !canvas@toast.ooo
• @canvas@fediverse.events
• #canvas:fediverse.ooo
• Discord (bridged)
• Appearance on FiresideFedi!

Why is it good that you exist and why should we care?

I ask this because I need to answer this question for myself and want to copy off your answers instead of actually introspecting.

[2026-07-12] TASS

NATO's Boeing E-3A Sentry early warning and control aircraft is circling off the Black Sea coast in Romania’s airspace, a source in the European Union’s air traffic control services has told TASS.

"A NATO plane, registered in Luxembourg, is now flying in circles in the Black Sea area, in Romania’s airspace," the source said.

In his words, the plane took off from Lithuania’s Siauliai and flew over central Romania, accompanied by Boeing KC-135T Stratotanker aerial refueling aircraft. After making several circles in the area, the plane flew to Romania’s Black Sea coast, where it continues its flight at the altitude of almost 9,000 meters.

The source did not specify the goal of the flight, saying only that the plane’s onboard equipment allows to detect and identify aerial targets at the distance of up to 400 km. "The previous similar mission by Boeing E-3A Sentry took place in late June," the source added.

Over the past few months, another NATO aircraft - a US-made Bombardier Challenger 650 Artemis II intelligence and reconnaissance plane - has often been spotted over the Black Sea’s neutral waters.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/49253586