Jill's Ramblings

My name is Jill Johansen, I am an artist living in Canada. I enjoy fantasy and sci-fi in general, comics, computer games, (especially RPG's and adventure games) metal music, and I'll ramble about those at absurd length to anyone who cares, especially if it is my favorite fandom of the moment (currently Thor related stuff). Also reblogs of random stuff i find interesting or funny. No, I do not maintain separate blogs for my different interests, you will get a hodgepodge of different things. But mostly it'll just be pretty pictures I like, because I like reminding myself and others the world is beautiful. 

[rayegunn]

One downside of making your own jewelry is figuring out how to store your creations. I think i need to sort this mess but I am not sure what I could do to make it better. Not ALL of this is made by me, but probably about 75% is.

[rayegunn]

Been resining again, and made myself a new necklace I love, as well as some Ukraine sunflower magnets and pins! finally did the painting on layers for the koi, whale shark and sunflowers, so it took for freaking ever, but looks nice. Cool 3d effect, though it may not be terribly apparent in photos. I just liked them so thought I would share

[rayegunn]

Ukrainian Metal

Sorry I haven't been posting much here, been spending more time on Reddit and Twitter armchair general-ing and just... supporting Ukraine. One way I've been doing that is supporting Ukrainian bands, by finding them on Bandcamp and buying their albums, and throwing in a bit extra. Bands like Kalush Orchestra got a ton of attention at Eurovision, Chico & Quatoshi gets a lot of mileage in footage of stuff blowing up, and who doesn't love the Bayraktar song, and they are cool and all... But what is there for those of us who like things on the heavier/darker side?

I'm going to share here some Ukrainian metal, with links to their Bandcamp. While you can just stream them or buy elsewhere, Bandcamp is great for this, because you can pay more than the asking price, and it all goes to the bands. Tumblr allows 5 videos, so we'll start with that. Please check them out and buy from them and toss in a few extra dollars if you can. If you'd just like a sampler, you can get this collection, with all proceeds going to the Come Back Alive charity, which provides life saving equipment to Ukrainian soldiers:

Jinjer - I was a big fan of Jinjer even before all this went down, and they are probably the most well known, so we will start there. Jinjer have recently been made ambassadors of Ukraine, for a European tour, and they are awesome. They are originally from Donetsk, and had to flee their homes in 2014, so Russia's war has been directly affecting them for a long time.

https://jinjer-jinjer.bandcamp.com/

2. Motanka - Folk Metal act named after a traditional Ukrainian doll. They are a relatively new band who made a big splash a few years ago on the festival circuit, and also appear to be touring again.

https://motanka.bandcamp.com/

3. Hell:On - Probably the most fringe of the bunch, but very good metal from Zaporizhia, definitely worth checking out, they could use some more attention.

https://hellonband.bandcamp.com/

4. Ignea - Symphonic/gothic metal from Kyiv, and another woman who can do the beauty and the beast all by herself. :)

https://ignea.bandcamp.com/

5. White Ward - Interesting band from Odesa, black metal with... jazz influences, but it works.

https://whiteward.bandcamp.com/

And I am going to give an honorary mention to Operator Starsky. Starsky is a member of the Ukrainian army, who participated in the battle for Hostomel in the opening days of the war, and now serves as the Press Officer for his unit, and does updates on Youtube for how things are going: https://www.youtube.com/c/StarskyUA

He also happens to make metal music, and does in fact have a Bandcamp page, even though there is only one song there right now (though he's been saying he has a new one coming soon!). https://starsky.bandcamp.com/

And there are many more who maybe don't have a Bandcamp page, and I may share some of those later, with links to their Patreon or something

[rayegunn]

Hi Jill, I’m getting a tattoo & would love to have your permission to use your koi mermaid piece please? I don’t know if it will look exactly like it but it certainly would be inspired by it. NZ fan.

Sure, go for it. :) I don't mind people using my art for tattoos, as long as it's just personal use. sorry if this is a bit late, haven't been checking tumbler lately.

[rayegunn]

Russia right now be like....

So past couple days, hundreds of Russians were pulled out of northern Ukraine with acute radiation poisoning, because they had been DIGGING DITCHES at the CHERNOBYL exclusion zone, even within the Red Forest, the most irradiated part of the exclusion zone. They are dead men walking. I knew Russia was in the Exclusion Zone, but I had assumed they AT LEAST had sense to pass through as quickly as they could and not dig around in the dirt, but nope. Fuck Russia and all, but that's no way to go, it's an absolutely horrible fate. And they were misled by their commanders, a lot of them had no idea they were in the exclusion zone until the plant workers told them, and they started getting sick. This appears to be the real reason for Russia "withdrawing" troops from Kyiv and Chernhiv. Attacks continued on those cities, even as Russia withdrew their sick and probably dying men. But Ukrainian forces continued to reclaim territory around the cities. Word's just come in they have reclaimed Hostomel Airport (again) and it appears some Russian forces to the west have been routed. Yes, these areas have been pretty much destroyed, which is horrible, but still. The reclaimed areas are... something.

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/unprotected-russian-soldiers-disturbed-radioactive-dust-chernobyls-red-forest-2022-03-28/

https://twitter.com/UAWeapons/status/1509651274811252736

Forces at Mykolaiv continue to kick ass, and have reclaimed a ton of small towns in the area, despite missiles flung their way, and appear to be amassing troops to retake Kherson. They also continue to repeatedly strike the Kherson airport, I have no idea how many helicopters they've destroyed there, since the Russians, for some unfathomable reason, keep putting copters (and one general, who was killed) there and somehow have not managed to stop the shelling.

Also, Ukrainian forces have fought the Russians back to the Russian border south of Sumy. And it involved defeating pretty much the only regiment in Russia's army NOT gutted by corruption. Massive victory.

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2022/3/29/2088757/-Ukraine-update-The-story-of-Russia-s-4th-Armored-division-and-Ukraine-s-biggest-victory-to-date

https://militaryland.net/ukraine/invasion-day-36-summary/

300 South Ossetian soldiers have deserted. they have returned back to South Ossetia, after their (Russian) commander was using them as cannon fodder, and they finally refused, and left after they were forbidden from retrieving their dead. They started out as 1000.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/deserting-south-ossetian-troops-hitchhike-home-in-mass-mutiny-7vrncmxdc

Ukraine has struck within Russia's borders TWICE in the past couple days, once at an ammo depot and once at an oil depot:

https://twitter.com/Osinttechnical/status/1509746023861825544

https://twitter.com/Militarylandnet/status/1508882468895707144

(at valid military targets, not the barbarism targeting civilians Russia has been using)

Some news agencies took the Russians word (??? who does this?) that the first one was an 'accident' but then an oil depot in the SAME CITY blows up the NEXT DAY? come on. It's either a missile or a Ukrainian saboteur.

*edit - it was a Ukrainian helicopter! oh my god, give those guys a medal! I thought missile because getting an aircraft into Russian airspace was surely too risky... surely Russia has air superiority OVER RUSSIA? but no, some Helicopter pilots with balls of steel.

https://twitter.com/ELINTNews/status/1509751440079736832

I do still think Ukraine needs more help to be able to fully stomp the Russians, most of all I would love to see them get those planes. But all this is very encouraging. I do think the tide has turned in the Ukrainian's favour now. Russia's only tank factory shut down like a week ago, it has no parts thanks to sanctions, there are reports they are running low on aviation fuel, which may explain how they still have not managed to achieve air superiority. Russia has been begging China for rations to feed it's soldiers. It can throw conscripts at mercenaries at Ukraine in great numbers, but they will be poorly equipped because of this.

additional edit - Russia is fleeing from Kyiv for realsies this time. Or trying to, anyway. Ukraine has them surrounded, which may be the reason they broke.

https://twitter.com/Nrg8000/status/1509862876433235972

so yeah. BAD day for Russia today. Extremely bad.

[rayegunn]

It appears i posted a bit too soon, Russia NOW be like:

https://twitter.com/Nrg8000/status/1509862876433235972

Yeah. Russia had a BAAAAAAD night.

[rayegunn]

Russia right now be like....

So past couple days, hundreds of Russians were pulled out of northern Ukraine with acute radiation poisoning, because they had been DIGGING DITCHES at the CHERNOBYL exclusion zone, even within the Red Forest, the most irradiated part of the exclusion zone. They are dead men walking. I knew Russia was in the Exclusion Zone, but I had assumed they AT LEAST had sense to pass through as quickly as they could and not dig around in the dirt, but nope. Fuck Russia and all, but that's no way to go, it's an absolutely horrible fate. And they were misled by their commanders, a lot of them had no idea they were in the exclusion zone until the plant workers told them, and they started getting sick. This appears to be the real reason for Russia "withdrawing" troops from Kyiv and Chernhiv. Attacks continued on those cities, even as Russia withdrew their sick and probably dying men. But Ukrainian forces continued to reclaim territory around the cities. Word's just come in they have reclaimed Hostomel Airport (again) and it appears some Russian forces to the west have been routed. Yes, these areas have been pretty much destroyed, which is horrible, but still. The reclaimed areas are... something.

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/unprotected-russian-soldiers-disturbed-radioactive-dust-chernobyls-red-forest-2022-03-28/

https://twitter.com/UAWeapons/status/1509651274811252736

Forces at Mykolaiv continue to kick ass, and have reclaimed a ton of small towns in the area, despite missiles flung their way, and appear to be amassing troops to retake Kherson. They also continue to repeatedly strike the Kherson airport, I have no idea how many helicopters they've destroyed there, since the Russians, for some unfathomable reason, keep putting copters (and one general, who was killed) there and somehow have not managed to stop the shelling.

Also, Ukrainian forces have fought the Russians back to the Russian border south of Sumy. And it involved defeating pretty much the only regiment in Russia's army NOT gutted by corruption. Massive victory.

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2022/3/29/2088757/-Ukraine-update-The-story-of-Russia-s-4th-Armored-division-and-Ukraine-s-biggest-victory-to-date

https://militaryland.net/ukraine/invasion-day-36-summary/

300 South Ossetian soldiers have deserted. they have returned back to South Ossetia, after their (Russian) commander was using them as cannon fodder, and they finally refused, and left after they were forbidden from retrieving their dead. They started out as 1000.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/deserting-south-ossetian-troops-hitchhike-home-in-mass-mutiny-7vrncmxdc

Ukraine has struck within Russia's borders TWICE in the past couple days, once at an ammo depot and once at an oil depot:

https://twitter.com/Osinttechnical/status/1509746023861825544

https://twitter.com/Militarylandnet/status/1508882468895707144

(at valid military targets, not the barbarism targeting civilians Russia has been using)

Some news agencies took the Russians word (??? who does this?) that the first one was an 'accident' but then an oil depot in the SAME CITY blows up the NEXT DAY? come on. It's either a missile or a Ukrainian saboteur.

*edit - it was a Ukrainian helicopter! oh my god, give those guys a medal! I thought missile because getting an aircraft into Russian airspace was surely too risky... surely Russia has air superiority OVER RUSSIA? but no, some Helicopter pilots with balls of steel.

https://twitter.com/ELINTNews/status/1509751440079736832

I do still think Ukraine needs more help to be able to fully stomp the Russians, most of all I would love to see them get those planes. But all this is very encouraging. I do think the tide has turned in the Ukrainian's favour now. Russia's only tank factory shut down like a week ago, it has no parts thanks to sanctions, there are reports they are running low on aviation fuel, which may explain how they still have not managed to achieve air superiority. Russia has been begging China for rations to feed it's soldiers. It can throw conscripts at mercenaries at Ukraine in great numbers, but they will be poorly equipped because of this.

[everythingfox]

Have you ever asked yourself: “What does the skunk say?” unmute to find out

[maureen2musings]

…

albertdrosphotography

[everythingfox]

Freeloading bear taking a bath in someone’s backyard jacuzzi

(via)

[smbc-comics]

[everythingfox]

Living his best life

(via)

[earthporn]

Ghosts on the Shore - Olympic Peninsula, WA, USA [OC] [2000x851] by: JustinGriggsPhoto

[catchymemes]

[rayegunn]

Slava Ukraini

Just wanted to save some of the songs i had found related to the war in Ukraine, decided to add some more general inspirational songs as wel

I made a playlist of some songs I had found related to Ukraine, just wanted to kinda keep them around. Decided today to flesh it out into a full playlist, added in some more general thematically appropriate songs, as well as a whole lot of Jinjer, trying to pick some especially appropriate songs from them, since they are from Ukraine, and are still there, and they did some songs already about events when they were driven from their home town, when fighting broke out in the east years ago.

So yeah, it is not finished, i will continue adding to it, as i find things, and am open to suggestions. The beginning is more classical/folk oriented, then it gets more meme and rock oriented later on.

[everythingfox]

I see uber has upped their game

[earthporn]

Last light in Big Cottonwood Canyon (5500x3667) [OC] by: deadace76

[rayegunn]

Best clip I've seen of the Russian landing ship Orsk being sunk, in Ukraine today. Most places just reporting the Orsk, but from this video, you can also see another ship on fire, another one smoking, as they sail away, and a fuel and ammo depot in the dock area catching fire. In other clips, you can also hear a lot of munitions cooking off in the fire, so that's a lot less missiles and artillery shells that the Russians can use. MASSIVE win for the Ukrainians with this. And they apparently targeted it with Russian propaganda videos made yesterday, which makes it all the sweeter.