Michael Pratt - GentleMaple

Photograph of a young male Gang-gang Cockatoo lit by the sun, portrait from the breast up. It is a grey cockatoo with splashes of yellow, white, and orange. Its head and crest still have only some of its mature red feathers, showing that it's a young male.

Same species, different individual. Full-body photo of the cockatoo on a powerline, legs gripping it awkwardly as it tries to balance. This one has even less red on its head, and looks a little scruffier overall. Its head is turned to the same as it looks at the viewer.

The Gang-gang gang returned!
#birds

How to Help Save Endangered Parrot Species Animals Around The Globe is a travel platform focused on wildlife and unique destinations, where you can discover all your favourite animal encounters.

www.animalsaroundtheglobe.com/how-to-help-...

I see pieces like this a lot, often w/ a spin of lamenting cultural degeneration, but reading is a LABOR issue, it’s declined because so many people are working overtime or two jobs & employers expect after hours work. France has Earth’s highest reading rate b/c long lunch breaks & labor protections

A little message from our CEO and founder @andyhunter777.bsky.social ahead of Anti-Prime:

Two black vultures sitting side by side. One of them is laying down, relaxed into a flat pancake shape.

Nearly 90 degrees in Minnesota in October is crazy. Even the vultures have melted spectacularly in this weather. 🪶

A graphic for the ADHD awareness month bundle, featuring 22 books on an orange background. Text reads: ADHD awareness month fiction by mostly ADHD authors. Most with 1+ significant ADHD character(s)

It's ADHD awareness month, and The Erstwhile Tyler Kyle features my ADHD chatterbox of a protagonist!

If I had a dollar for the number of times while querying that agents called him "a lot" or "too much" (whether praising or complaining about the voice) 🤣😅

itch.io/b/3300/adhd-...

Aloy from Horizon Zero Dawn 🏹
My newest Aloy sprite is based on the official artwork by
@guerrilla.bsky.social

#pixelart #pixelartist #BeyondTheHorizon #HorizonZeroDawn #aloy

An image showing six versions of the starship Enterprise models from the game Star Trek Online. The NX-01, NCC-1701, and NCC-1701-A were modeled by Thomas Marrone. The NCC-1701-B was modeled by Tobias Richter. The NCC-1701-C and 1701-D were modeled by Donnie Versiga.

"In a way, the Enterprise and the optimistic future in which it exists might be thought of as a reminder of what we can achieve when we really try." - Gene Roddenberry

Happy future launch day to the U.S.S. Enterprise, NCC-1701-D. Model credits in the alt text of the image.

Illustration I did of a roaring and/or yawning T. rex with a judgmental rex onlooker in the background. (done for Beasts of the Mesozoic T. rex figure)

T. rex was formally named 120 years ago today. Hell yeah king happy birthday!

#art

Director Ridley Scott’s sci-fi drama ‘The Martian’ starring Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Jeff Daniels, Sebastian Stan, Sean Bean, Donald Glover, Kate Mara, and Benedict Wong landed in theaters ten years ago this week. 🥔 🧑🏻‍🚀 🚀 #OTD

Weather's changing

📷 Virtual photography by rastishkin_33

#HorizonForbiddenWest #BeyondTheHorizon

$1.5k or even $3k per book is laughable, considering Anthropic's market value of $180B+. That said, I don't think authors with more sales should get more, not the least because authors with smaller sales probably could use that money more. The settlement's nice for me but a genuine boon for others.

Top panel: Quark and Rom are standing in a habitat ring corridor talking. Quark says to Rom, "NOTHING is more important than profit." Bottom panel: Rom looks imploringly back at his brother and says, "What about cuddles? I like cuddles."

What's important to YOU on this #FerengiFriday?
#StarTrek #StarTrekMemes #StarTrekDS9

YouTube video by halonoir0 Munchkin Cat Pops Water Balloons

Cat vs. water balloons

youtu.be/MSkDGa9Ei4U?...

Elon Musk Leads Campaign To Force Netflix To Remove Shows With Trans Characters Musk's posts have been seen by tens of millions of users, and many conservatives are now attempting to force Netflix into a removal of LGBTQ+ content.

1. Led by Elon Musk, the far-right has exploded in a campaign to get Netflix to remove shows with queer and trans characters.

If Netflix capitulates to their demands, an already strained market for LGBTQ+ animators might become even more dire.

Subscribe to support our journalism.

Iridescent black bird perched on the edge of a concrete bird bath with beak pointed up and bright yellow eyes glowing beneath. Background is green bokeh.

Weirdo
#birds

this game just had IT

and someone should study what 'IT' was bc I swear it has yet to be replicated

Comic. PERSON 1 to person with white hat: I finished all the gen-ed back in 2010, and I’m up to the 400-level courses in most departments. But now one of my advisors is saying I “can’t have more than 20 majors” and “need to graduate next year.” It’s outrageous! [caption] My university is making it really hard to finish a 100% all achievements speedrun.

100% All Achievements

xkcd.com/3148/

Today is our first day without federal funding. Our commitment to providing trusted, objective journalism hasn't wavered.

For 50 years, PBS News has helped you understand the world and make informed decisions. This mission drives our work every day, and your support of PBS News makes it possible.

The 2017 documentary JANE has stayed in my heart since I first watched it. Streaming on Hulu - give it your time.

an illustration of a woman holding a chimpanzee with the words " least i can do is speak out " ALT: an illustration of a woman holding a chimpanzee with the words " least i can do is speak out "

RIP Jane Goodall

Jane Goodall, the conservationist renowned for her groundbreaking chimpanzee field research and globe-spanning environmental advocacy, has died. She was 91.

More on her life and legacy here: bit.ly/46SkOkF

Jane Goodall Recalls Chicago's Role In Her Life Of Activism The renowned ethologist said she switched from "scientist" to "activist" after a 1986 visit to the Lincoln Park Zoo. She returned to the zoo for some special appearances over the weekend.

Rest in Peace, Jane. I’m so grateful we got to meet and report on you in Chicago last month.

Jane Goodall Recalls Chicago's Role In Her Life Of Activism blockclubchicago.org/2025/09/15/j...

Bradbury Stories: 100 of His Most Celebrated Tales 100 of His Most Celebrated Tales

bookshop.org/p/books/brad...

Ebook for 'Bradbury Stories - 100 of His Most Celebrated Tales ' going for $2 on bookshop.org

Children must NEVER choose between EDUCATION and LIVES.

Both are human rights.

#EducationANDlives

Platform Decay, next Murderbot

Aww yes @marthawells.com !

www.usatoday.com/story/entert...

Down the street, there is a bird feeder that the owner fills every morning, and every morning a crow sits on top of it and throws seeds down to a bunch of assembled pigeons who kind of dance like he’s making it rain.

I absolutely love this symbiotic dance party.

David Tennant and Billie Piper on the stage at "FanX" in Salt Lake City, September 2025.

#DoctorWho

I’m joining the war on Autism, on the side of Autism.

Newspaper advertisement for the U.S. premiere of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Specifically, this ad was for its broadcast on the New York station WPIX on the week of its debut. The headline, "TONIGHT, THE 24TH CENTURY BEGINS WITH A SPECTACULAR TWO-HOUR MOVIE," refers to the series' double-length pilot episode, "Encounter at Farpoint."

Star Trek: The Next Generation started 38 years ago today.

The future began again at this (Encounter at Far)point.