#Budget-friendly sites

[maduraimart]

Unleashing the Power of Free Web Hosting

Your Gateway to Online Presence In the ever-evolving landscape of the internet, establishing an online presence is crucial for individuals and businesses alike. Whether you’re a budding entrepreneur, a passionate blogger, or someone looking to showcase their portfolio, the first step is securing a reliable web hosting service. While many options exist, the allure of free web hosting is…

[seohabibi]

https://digitalhabibi.com/the-role-of-technical-seo-in-improving-user-experience-and-search-rankings/

This comprehensive guide delves into the nuances of SEO and PPC strategies, helping businesses in Dubai navigate the dynamic digital landscape and choose the optimal approach for their marketing success.

[vecationist]

Discovering the Best Free Things to Do in Chattanooga, TN: A Comprehensive Guide

Chattanooga, Tennessee is a vibrant city full of history, culture, and entertainment. Whether you’re a local looking for something new to do or a visitor on a budget, there are plenty of free things to do in Chattanooga. From exploring scenic parks to learning about the city’s rich history, here are some of the best free activities in Chattanooga. Walk across the Walnut Street Bridge: The Walnut…

[betterlifeinoverall-rethabilep]

Indian Railway Stations That Are UNESCO World Heritage Sites

[ad_1] Indian railways hold a rich heritage and history that dates back to British colonial rule in the country. Founded over 170 years ago in 1845, the railways have become one of the busiest and budget-friendly travel modes for passengers in the country. As an effort to showcase its long heritage, the Indian railways has […] Indian Railway Stations That Are UNESCO World Heritage Sites Like,…

[reasonsforhope]

By the time Sue Shusterman turns away from the bench at the overlook and back toward the trailhead, she knows the paddleboarders are out in force 300 yards away on the gleaming blue surface of Chatfield Reservoir.  

She knows the high runoff waters have flooded the roots of Chatfield’s willows and cottonwoods, and that the first spring-green layers of the foothills rise to the west like soft fabric. 

How she acquired these life-affirming memories is at first a mystery, since Shusterman is blind and is heading back toward the parking lot making her usual sweep of the path in front with her ever-present white cane.  

But then a friendly voice emerges from the phone that Shusterman is pointing toward the path from her other hand.

A little to the left to stay on the paved path. Looks like there’s a trail all the way down to the beach, about 75 yards, if you wanted to go. I’ll just be here watching, let me know if you need anything. 

The voice is from a live, trained human guide FaceTiming through Shusterman’s phone camera on the Aira ability-assist app. Sight-impaired people have been using Aira’s guides to make it easier to do anything from navigating an airport to filling out an online job form. Now, all 42 Colorado state parks like Chatfield are geofenced to allow any visitor to use Aira for free to stroll the trails with a helpful set of eyes. 

The Aira guides seemingly effortlessly offer what a blind hiker either needs, or wants. If there’s a dangerous steep drop-off on the right, they warn. If the hiker would rather know if the sneezeweed is in bloom or the sailboats are luffing through a turn, Aira offers that instead.

For Shusterman, trying Aira as an outdoors adventure for the first time, the allure was simple: “Independence.” 

“So she’s doing, I think, a phenomenal job of including the necessary safety things, but the perks of the scenery, too,” Shusterman said, as she paused during a conversation with an Aira guide based in Tulsa, Oklahoma. “She’s doing great.”

State accessibility officials recently announced the expansion of Aira to state parks grounds, after previously providing Aira free for other state-related functions such as navigating a government building or getting help on an online site or filling out forms. Colorado cannot control the cellphone signal, though, so parks officials encourage visitors to try Aira at a familiar or close-in park space before ranging farther afield with it. Popular parks like Staunton or Golden Gate contain pockets where signals are not strong. 

For consumers buying access on their own, Aira costs about $50 for 30 minutes of assistance a month. Private employers and governments often buy package access to Aira and other accessibility apps for all employees to use. State accessibility coordinator Theresa Montano, who is blind and accompanied Shusterman on her Chatfield walk, said Amazon buys access so that sight-impaired shipping center employees can navigate steps to pack orders.

Montano uses Aira at her state job, saying the guides on the app can share her computer screen and help her get through an online task in 30 minutes that might take her four hours without help or through older accessibility tools. 

Adding Aira for state-owned lands was wrapped into the overall $250,000 budget for free Aira use on state property and with state websites. The additional utility is an obvious plus, Montano said. 

“This gives blind people the same opportunity to come and enjoy it by themselves or with their family if they want to, and be independent,” she said...

Shusterman walked away taking more from the big picture experience, rather than any particular scenic detail. 

“For me, it was, you know what, I could go for a walk on this path, and I could feel completely safe, and I would enjoy a nice walk and get some exercise, in an unfamiliar area,” Shusterman said. “It’s definitely a real confidence boost for me.”  

-via The Colorado Sun, June 11, 2024

[phantomonabudget]

Phantom on a Budget Website Redesign!

I am excited to announce that the Phantom on a Budget website has been completely rebuilt and relaunched! It features a more modern, streamlined, and mobile friendly design. I added more reference materials for cosplayers, costume planning resources, Maria Bjornson sketches, mask paint instructions, and more.

I hope this new site will continue to serve the Phantom cosplay community for another 20 years! Please do check it out as it is a phenomenal resource for new and experienced Phantom cosplayers alike.

If you have used the site in the past, please comment below and let me know! ❤️

[cacodaemonia]

Heeeeeey artists who post work on AO3! I know this is an absolute shot in the dark, but since the OTW says they're purchasing new servers and doing server upgrades, maybe we could all leave supportive and respectful requests for image hosting on the post I linked to above?

I know that image hosting is much more expensive than hosting text, and I'm sure the servers they've allocated funds for will be put to good use regardless. But with more and more image hosting sites purging/banning anything remotely nsfw, we have fewer and fewer places to host our work (and no, Discord links will not work long-term, as they can change over time and that will break the links).

Back in 2013, AO3 updated their roadmap to include (emphasis mine):

[for version 0.9] The refactoring of the work model is an essential part of one of our major priorities: moving towards true support for visual art as well as fannish audio and video on the Archive. Hosting different media types (e.g. enabling image or audio file uploads to our servers) is still some way in the future, but version 0.9 will include a number of enhancements aimed at making the site more suitable for diverse types of fanworks, including better search and posting tools for non text-based media.

Our goal for Release 1.0 is to have a stable package with all core features working well, and a full testing suite. This will provide a good foundation for the move to hosting fanwork files on our own servers, which will be a core goal for our post 1.0 development.

AO3 (which is currently in version 0.9.366.2 afaik) is intended to eventually be a fan works archive, not just a fan fiction archive. As long as fan artists have to rely on outside, for-profit companies to maintain the integrity of our image links, then none of our images are truly archived, and huge swathes of fandom history can be wiped out any time—as they have been before.

I know AO3 and OTW volunteers always have a lot on their hands, and image hosting is already part of their long-term plans, but maybe some friendly reminders from those of us who post our images on the archive could help nudge things along.

@transformativeworks <3

[secretdestinypainter]

Traveling the most beautiful places this 2024:

“Visit to Europe (Vienna)"

In my opinion, traveling is the most interesting thing that is liked by almost half of the people on Earth. Traveling is an adventure that broadens horizons, opens minds and enriches lives. It makes the person happy and fresh of any age, whether it’s about exploring exotic destinations, immersing oneself in different countries and cultures, or simply seeking relaxation in nature and embrace.

Traveling to different countries in a very short time is very difficult to memorize, and making all the events perfectly fully organized or managed is a big task, but having something that makes us memorize about our events in advance is a big support, like tinyti.me website makes this problem easier in today's world by making their website available for us to create events which help in perfect management.

I think Vienna is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. The historic core of the city is a massive UNESCO Heritage Site brimming with incredible museums, beautiful galleries, and sprawling Baroque palaces.

The city is a history buff’s dream. There’s an incredible café culture, a nearby wine region, tons of amazing eateries, awesome live music (including world-class opera), and much more.

I’ve been coming here for years and I never get tired of visiting. Technically speaking I love the city so much that I used to run tours here!

Naturally, I’ve stayed at countless hotels during my visits. Here’s my list of the best hotels in Vienna:

1. Hotel-Pension Wild

This two-star hotel is one of the few affordable lodgings in the city center. It has simple but bright rooms that feature comfortable beds, plenty of space, and large windows that let in a lot of natural light. The design is a bit dated (the carpeted rooms don’t look particularly stylish) but everything is clean and functional. Rooms include basic amenities like a flatscreen TV, desk, and free Wi-Fi. The bathrooms are pretty small, but they’re clean and the showers have good water pressure. The hotel offers a hearty continental breakfast and the owner is friendly and welcoming. If you’re on a tight budget, there are small, no-frills single rooms with a shared bathroom available as well.

2. Hotel Domizil

This boutique four-star hotel has small, clean rooms with décor that makes you feel like you’re back in Vienna’s imperial past. The rooms have plenty of light and lots of antique touches, such as wooden desks and tables, and upholstered armchairs. Rooms also have free Wi-Fi, a flatscreen TV, and a coffee/tea maker. The bathrooms, while not particularly fashionable (the tiles are kind of ugly), are very spacious and the showers have excellent water pressure. The breakfast, which can be included in the price, has tons of variety, including lots of different fresh breads and cheeses.

Located in the city center, I think this is one of the best value places to stay if you want to be in the center of it all.

3. Hotel Mozart

One of the few hotels in the Rossau neighborhood (just northwest of the city center), this budget-friendly three-star hotel boasts large rooms with lots of natural light. Rooms are spacious and decorated in light colors and feature hardwood or parquet floors. There are lots of other wooden touches too, such as desks/tables, and large wooden headboards. Free Wi-Fi is included, as is a flatscreen TV and AC (a must if you’re visiting in the summer). Some rooms include coffee machines. The hotel boasts a filling breakfast spread each morning with lots of fresh fruit and pastries. There’s also a bar on-site and the staff are always happy to share their tips and advice too.

4. Hotel Johann Strauss

Located in the Wieden neighborhood, this stylish four-star hotel is named after the eponymous 19th-century Austrian composer. The hotel is set in a historic Art Nouveau building that’s been entirely renovated, with rooms that have lots of natural light and a soft, welcoming color palette. Rooms include a flatscreen TV, minibar, coffee/tea maker, desk, and sofa. I really like that there’s a lot of art around the property, including in the rooms (naturally, much of the art is music centered). The tiled bathrooms are huge, with lots of light and great water pressure. I especially like that the breakfast buffet is enormous and features a lot of variety. The staff is exceptionally friendly too and happy to help you make the most of your stay.

5. Hotel Am Konzerthaus Vienna

Located in Landstrasse near the iconic Belvedere Palace, this luxe four-star hotel feels more like a five-star property. It has a chic lobby and large, bright rooms with super comfy beds. Everything is fashionable and trendy, with lots of rich colors from a darker palette. The large bathrooms are bedecked with dark tiles and are well lit, featuring plush bathrobes and relaxing rain showers. Rooms also include a flatscreen TV, desk, and coffee/tea maker. The breakfast buffet is huge and has a lot of options, but I especially love that the on-site restaurant has a Michelin star (it does amazing modern takes on traditional Austrian dishes).

The hotel is a perfect choice for travelers who want some luxury without breaking the bank.

6. The Ritz-Carlton Vienna

This is arguably the fanciest hotel in town. A five-star property right in the heart of the city, this hotel is spread across four historic palaces (yes, actual palaces). While the hotel feels palatial, it has understated décor with a chic minimalist design (think lots of white space with touches of color or artwork). The marble bathrooms are huge and the showers have perfect water pressure. The rooms are also massive and have big, comfy beds (as well as desks, AC, sofas, and electric kettles).

There’s also a gigantic breakfast buffet offered each morning and a free glass of champagne when you check in. The hotel also has a pool that plays music underwater, a fitness center, sauna, steam room, and three different spas on-site. In short, it’s the pinnacle of luxury in the city and the best choice for travelers looking to splurge on an elegant stay.

I hope this blog helps you a lot when traveling next time to Europe (Vienna), So, whether you're embarking on a solo adventure, a family vacation, or a romantic getaway, This spirit of travel guides you on a journey of exploration, discovery, and adventure.

[potatowilde]

JAKE LOCKLEY/MOON KNIGHT COSPLAY RESOURCE:

🌙Ya know, I never thought to do this but I think it would be a wonderful tool for Cosplayers out there! I'm a Jake Lockley Cosplayer, and have done a wealth of research about his wardrobe from the series. I know as much about is as a fan could possibly know. I'll add to this thread fun trivia as I go I think… If you had any inkling of a desire to cosplay Jake here's some of my finds!! READ MORE UNDER THE CUT!

HAT - The most important piece. From my research it appears to be a Göttmann brand "Jackson Linen Driving Cap" Charcoal (https://www.goettmann.de/en/ ) You can cross reference with the metallic pin on the lefthand side of his cap.

The main site will offer vendors in various areas so check it out! Shop I used: https://scotlandhouseltd.com/collections/mens-summer-hats-caps/products/jackson-linen-flatcap-desert-color

GLOVES - The second big one. So these are not driving gloves, I learned, but interestingly enough shooting gloves. Note the armored knuckles, and the character's role in the show as a gunman. Now, I couldn't find the exact match but an awesome alternative is to purchase motorcycle riding gloves. I found a cheap pair on Amazon, because the next step after the gloves are obtained is to paint them. A talented artist on the MK Costuming team was the brilliant hand painter behind Taweret's ornamental pieces, Layla's armor, and these moon crescents. To paint the moons I simply masked the shapes with painter's tape and used silver acrylic from my local art supply store. It will take several coats.

Here's the glove alternative via Amazon "Harssiney Leather Motorcycle Gloves for Men,Touchscreen Riding Driving Biker Glove with Hard Knuckle Protection,Motorcycle Accessories for Man" :

JACKET - The third most important piece because it is also the most difficult to achieve. This was a custom made raw denim jacket by the MK team, with a 3D printed collar featuring a very unique design. Should you have the funds to pattern this and make to screen accuracy I'd love to see what you came up with! I took the budget friendly route, as it was more suitable for my purposes! For folks who end up making the jacket - Note that the lining is perhaps the same base material as the collar. It's a lighter color on the inside.

In interviews, MK costume designer Meghan Kasperlik has shared that the material is a raw denim, so it's helpful to start there as a base. For my purposes I found a raw denim jacket that was close ish to achieve the shape I wanted via Banana Republic Denim Jacket Dark Rinse. I opted out of the collar just due to budget and time restraints but I hope you can find creative solutions for it!

FINAL DETAILS AKA THE SHOES, THE TIE, THE SOCKS, THE PANTS, AND SHIRT - These will all be personal preference. I think they're readily available just about anywhere. I made a small Amazon stop for the Tie, Socks, and Shirt. AMAZON - Tie AMAZON - White Dress Shirt AMAZON - Rebok Classic Grey Socks JCPENNY - Dockers Gorden Mens Cap-Toe Oxford Shoes Black Already owned - Black slacks FINAL RESULT! Happy Cosplaying!!

[sergle]

speaking of yarn ive been meaning to ask since ive heard of it elsewhere, is the general quality of yarn you can get going down? ive been looking into fibercraft but ive been told its getting harder and harder to find actual good thread without some sort of plastic in it, especially for a good price. so ive been wondering is this true or was it made out to be a much larger problem than it really is (in your experience)?

i've only been into crochet for a couple of years, so i'm not a Fiber Arts Veteran who can tell you the difference between shopping for supplies now vs 30 years ago! i don't really have anything to compare Current Yarns to. in my experience, the only thing i can speak on is cost, and it seems like the cost for yarn has probably been going up. animal fibers are certainly more expensive, acrylic yarns are budget-friendly but are synthetic, if that's something you're worried abt.

so i don't think that stuff is Untrue, but i also don't think it's any reason at all to avoid getting into fiber arts, and you can absolutely find yarns made from cotton / wool / bamboo fiber and stuff like that for good prices! it would probably be harder in-person, like in the aisles of a hobby lobby. but i think lion brand and lovecrafts are good sites to browse for yarn/supplies. it's really not a small-scale problem, someone like moi who's recently gotten into crochet and does it for funsies based on my whims/needs isn't going to really notice, i don't think. as an aside, if we're talking about crochet specifically, you can really crochet with anything at all- i've been making a tote bag out of plastic grocery bags, lmao. reduce reuse recycle or whatever. people will also use strips of fabric instead of yarn, and that's good for stuff like rugs / bags / baskets, chunkier projects. (though ig you could probably make some clothing if you cut the strips of fabric thin enough.) so as far as accessibility to the craft, there is that!

[silvermoon424]

Hello! I really want to get into collecting sailor moon merch but I was wondering if you had any tips? you've been doing this for a long time so I was hoping you could share your wisdom lol

You came to the right person! I've been collecting anime merch since 2011 and have a lot of experience with collecting in general. Some tips I have are:

It's better to buy one big/expensive thing you really like rather than a few smaller/less expensive things you only kinda like.

Prioritize shopping at Japanese sites (especially for vintage things) or direct suppliers like BigBadToyStore rather than buying from English-based sites like eBay and (US) Mercari. There are a lot of great deals on eBay, but you can often find things for cheaper on sites like Yahoo Auctions Japan, Surugaya, and Mandarake.

If you really, really want something that's being released now or in the near future, do your best to buy it right away. Once the official supplier's stash is gone, you'll be at the mercy of the reseller's market and their prices are often way more than sticker price.

Try to map out where you're going to display everything once you get it. My collection grew slowly over time, and I only just recently bought actual display cabinets. I would definitely suggest investing in display cabinets from the start (I got some good ones from IKEA, which is by far the best budget-friendly option)

Just collect what you want! Who cares if you have 20 figures of Sailor Jupiter and nothing else. It's your collection and your money.

I personally unbox everything I buy, but I do collapse and save the boxes just in case I need to resell the item down the line. Having the box will increase the figure's value, but that doesn't mean you can't display it.

That's all I could really think of off the top of my head!

EDIT: @desperatecheesecubes mentioned MyFigureCollection, to which I have to say: YES omg, I can't believe I forgot to shout out MFC! Not only is the site great for tracking your own collection, you can search for merch of individual characters (including alternate forms) to see what you'd like to track down. Also, oftentimes people will advertise that they're selling a figure/plushie/etc on the product page, so it's great to watch pages for rarer items to see if a seller will pop up.

[witchysilver]

📓Rating bos/grimoire methods📜

Before we start: If you like my info I am a teacher in the server Cult of Beast, you should go check it out (Server invite is inlined on the name, just click it)

Physical books

Super nice, love this so much

I love the idea of aesthetic grimoires and using stickers or illustrations and make each page unique and interesting

It takes a while if you want it to look very pretty, and writing in general might take a while

The biggest downside is that you cannot sort the pages, when it's written it's written

Can be organized in multiple books or binders to make it easier to find

Discord server grimoire

Not bad at all, easy to organize

You can have a #search channel to quickly find what you need

If you're looking for one specific word you can use discords in-server search bar

Can be organized in categories, channels, forums, threads, etc

There is lots of deco options on channels with emoji sites

You can add 50 custom emojis to use in texts

Good for closet witches

Notion

Absolutely adore this one

Made a Disney themed grimoire there :3

Can decorate with gifs and page icons

Can be well organized

You can also use toggle and section dividers

Can get help from AI to form words

Also works for closeted witches

OneNote

I find this one difficult to use

You can still organize and decorate

Made for note taking, so I will still say it works well

Should be a good option for closeted witches too

If I remember right you gotta pay for it

Pinterest board

There is actually not as much misinformation as it's said, but still be careful and don't trust everything blindly

Can be organized in multiple boards, or undercategory in one

Can look pretty nice and aesthetic

Amazing to use as e-offerings to deities as well

Often very simplified language, can be for the better or worse

Tumblr

Same as pinterest on the info, quite alot of good info but take everything with a grain of salt

Not organized

Great to both post and reblog

Can be aesthetic

Love the e-offerings on here smm

Amino

The archive part can be well organized

Somewhat easy to write in and perfect to if you have ever wanted to share your notes

Can be decorated and aesthetic but also simple

Can of course be closet friendly and budget friendly, like most apps here tbh

Wattpad

I like this one a lot

Can look pretty or just simple

You can make multiple books and just never post them or post them eventually

Chapters can be changed on

You can go back and edit whenever

Pretty good option if you wanna share your knowledge imo

Closet friendly

[anipgarden]

The Secret Other Thing: KILL

This is my eighth post in a series I’ll be making on how to increase biodiversity on a budget! I’m not an expert--just an enthusiast--but I hope something you find here helps! 

KILL, TEAR, RIP, MAIM. 

You may have seen this sentiment a few times on gardening and wildlife blogs and been incredibly confused. Isn’t killing things the opposite of what you should be doing to protect habitats? In some cases, it really is necessary!

Invasive Plants

Invasive plants can do more harm than good, taking up space and nutrients and providing little in return to local wildlife--while spreading and choking out the native plants that would provide the most to our native fauna. Learn how to identify invasive species in your area and how to properly dispose of them, and do so whenever you have the opportunity! You may even be able to find volunteer groups/events where you can join up with like-minded people to remove a specific plant from an area.

(This image refers to the United States specifically--these plants aren't invasive or native everywhere!)

Pro tip, though; if you take out an invasive species and leave empty soil where it was, it’s likely another quick-growing invasive species will just move in. We don’t want that! Try to plant something in its place! If you’re going out on a mission to take out invasive plants, try to keep some native flower seeds or seedlings on your person while you do this work.

Different plants are invasive in different places, so be sure that the plant you're targeting is actually invasive to where you are. You don’t want to rip out a beneficial plant because it’s invasive somewhere else! Social media sites like Instagram and Tumblr are great for spreading information about invasive plants, but they can often be a bit… US-centric. Even I'm guilty of this, plenty of times! Plants like garlic mustard, kudzu, butterfly bush, Amur honeysuckle, wild radish, and Japanese knotweed are high-profile invasive plants that I hear about all the time here in America--but they came from somewhere, and are a part of the environment in these places! Likewise, many plants that are branded as pollinator-friendly and biodiversity boosters here in the states can be awful invasive species elsewhere. Even plants and animals that aren’t invasive in one part of a country or continent can be detrimental in another--Canadian waterweed is native to North America, but it’s actually invasive in Alaska.

(Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica) vs Coral honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens) vs the yellow variety of Coral honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens))

Be sure you’re taking out the right plant--be very confident in your ID before you take any action! Amur honeysuckle and Japanese honeysuckle, for example, may be invasive in the US--but coral and northern bush honeysuckles are native and key species in their environments. You don’t want to do harm while trying to do good--double check your IDs. Being certain with your IDs can also prevent you from doing harm to yourself and others--some plants produce toxic smoke when burned. Stay well-read on how to dispose of the invasive plants you’re targeting. 

(Garlic mustard pesto! Can't say I've ever had it, but I've heard good things about it online!)

With that being said! Some invasive species can be eaten. It’s free food! And you’re helping the environment? Win-win! Try looking up recipes that use these plants, or see how you can substitute something else for them! Foraging guides and blogs would likely be extremely helpful for this.

A super easy way to help curb the spread of invasive plants is to not grow them yourself! Double check any plant you’re considering buying or growing from seed--some sold in stores like butterfly bush are often touted as great plants to add to a pollinator garden, but in reality are an invasive species that eagerly displaces native shrubs here in the states.

POV: you're working the garden center at the Blue Big Box Store, you care about the environment, and every day you watch people buy Butterfly Bush and can do jack shit about it asides from try to gently steer them towards something else (but the other next best option was also Invasive Tropical Milkweed because its easier for Big Box Store to sell) I have a personal vendetta against people who grow Butterfly Bush (I live in The States) (If you didn't know Butterfly Bush was invasive in the US before now you're valid but also please god consider replacing it with an alternative ASAP)

Invasive Animals

POV 30 to 50 feral hogs are running into your yard within 3-5 minutes while your small children play

Invasive animals and insects compete for resources, take over habitat, and can even spread disease--all while pushing native species out or dwindling their numbers. Keep track of invasive animals you see and report them. Depending on the severity of the situation, killing them can be necessary and even encouraged. Do be sure it’s an invasive species and not a look-alike. If you’re unsure, take pictures, do research, and take action the next time.

Some high-profile invasive species in the US are spotted lanternflies, cuban tree frogs, hammerhead worms, feral swine, zebra mussels, lionfish, asian carp, burmese python, and others. Again, do make sure you’re targeting species that are invasive in your area; I doubt Asian carp are considered invasive in Asia, for example. Similarly, the American bullfrog is native to the eastern US and Canada, but is quickly becoming an invasive species around the rest of the world. Not to mention, the racoon problem in Japan… 

Some invasive species can be eaten as well! Some of them taste awful, and some can even be dangerous to eat or handle without caution. I would do a good amount of research online before trying to cook up just anything.

Doing it Right

If you’re trying to handle invasive species, you do have to ensure you’re doing it properly. As you do your research, you’ll likely see if the species should be photographed and reported and to what channels. Also in some cases, going about destroying them incorrectly could unintentionally help them spread--some plants spread quickly through rhizomes into disturbed soil, and hammerhead worms can actually regenerate from pieces into fully-developed new worms when you try to cut them up. Some invasive species are even actively harmful to humans, so I cannot emphasize enough that you need to be sure about what you’re dealing with and be careful about it. Giant Hogweed, for example, has toxic sap that’ll cause severe skin inflammation and painful blisters if it contacts skin and is exposed to sunlight. The blisters last for months, and the skin may develop long-term sensitivity for sunlight. 

If you’re unsure about how to handle an invasive plant, or are unsure of it’s identity, try contacting your local university co-op extension service if you’re in the states. They can tell you how to remove it safely and effectively. I can't say for sure what other channels would be the best option for someone living outside the states, so if anyone knows, feel free to chime in!

Pets

POV: ur little outdoor kitty Firestar is destroying the balance of your local ecosystem plz keep him INSIDE

Please keep your pets inside, or at least on a leash. An outdoor cat can do a lot more damage than one might imagine, as well as unrestrained dogs.

That’s the end of this post! And... technically, the last post in the series! My next and final final post is gonna be basically a giant list of all my sources that I used to make this post! I hope this post series was informative, helpful, interesting--anything of value, really! Feel free to reply with any questions, your success stories, or anything you think I may have forgotten to add in!

[windovvaving]

who: aileen aodh with: anyone ( @chqstarter ) no longer accepting replies. where: the green ( downtown )

sitting underneath one of the many trees in the green, aileen was browsing home decor sites. they were moving onto remodeling the guest bedroom and needed some ideas. and budget-friendly ideas at that, having spent far too much on the main bedroom. "hey, you," she kicked out at the passer-by. "what makes a good guest bedroom? like, what makes it less like a hotel room and more like a place you could feel at home. but not too at home! you still have to leave at some point."

[racefortheironthrone]

Why is that every Mayor of NYC, regardless of party, becomes some variety of a--hole? Are there examples of non-a--hole NYC mayors?

This seems a bit facile to me, and overlooks the nuances of a lot of NYC history. So let's look through the last fifty years of mayors and see whether it's actually true that they all become an asshole.

John Lindsay (1966-1973):

Like a lot of mayors in this period, Lindsay's main problem was NYC's long-term economic and demographic decline and the knock-on effects on the city's finances and resulting conflicts over public spending. To give him credit, while Lindsay did start the process of borrowing from Peter (the capital budget) to pay Paul (current expenses) and taking on debt to cover the hole in the capital budget, he also tried to deal with the problem by lobbying the state legislature to let him raise taxes and thus increase revenues.

That being said, the hate that Lindsay got as mayor, and he got a lot, didn't come from balanced-budget advocates. It came from white people in the outer boroughs who hated the fact that Lindsay tried to desegregate the city by pushing scatter-site public housing, that he backed a civilian complaint review board, and was otherwise viewed as being too sympathetic to black people, Latinos, and hippies.

Verdict: not an asshole. Fuck the haters.

Abe Beame (1974-1977):

The first (observant) Jewish mayor of NYC, Beame was a man tortured by the contradictions between his desire to maintain NYC's social democratic traditions and the awful economic situation he inherited. Beame became mayor during the 1973-1975 recession, which was at the time the worst since the Great Depression, and pretty much immediately had to deal with the NYC Fiscal Crisis, and was also mayor during the 1977 Blackout because clearly the Fates just fucking hated this guy.

If Lindsay was hated by white people for being too friendly with black people, Beame brought white people and black people together in their hatred of him for his public sector layoffs, his wage freezes, and his cuts to public spending. And while it's true that Beame absolutey adopted the logic of austerity and should be criticized for that, it should also be remembered that he was dealing with a well-organized and highly politicized capital strike that was backed up at the Federal level by the Ford Administration.

Verdict: kind of an asshole, but largely because he got mugged by Wall Street and the White House.

Ed Koch (1978-1989):

I think Ed Koch is the first person so far on this list that I'd call a genuine asshole (albeit a popular asshole for much of his career, hence his three terms). Starting with the fact that he got his start as a crusading left-wing politician in the Village and then abandoned his principles to run as a "law and order" candidate in the 1977 mayoral election, Koch had a long track record of running to the right whenever it benefited him personally, no matter who it hurt.

So what's on Koch's list? Well, we've got more budgetary austerity for working people while hiring thousands of more cops, starting the process of handing over the city to the developers, his opportunistic support for the death penalty, the massive corruption scandals in the Transportation and Parking departments, ettc.

However, I think the single biggest black mark on Koch's record is his abysmal handling of the AIDS crisis. Despite being a (closeted) member of the LGBT+ community, or perhaps because of it, Koch was both inactive and silent on the epidemic for years. Not only did the city spend almost no resources to deal with AIDS in the crucial early years, but a lot of ugly shit happened in NYC public hospitals that mayoral intervention could have put a stop to - but Koch did nothing.

There is a good reason why, if you talk to surviving ACT-UP members today about Ed Koch, they will spit at the mention of his name.

Verdict: asshole.

David Dinkins (1990-1993):

New York City's first black mayor, Dinkins reminds me a lot of John Lindsay, in the sense that his detractors were overwhelmingly motivated by racial animus refracted through the lens of policing. The fact that crime rates in NYC began to drop significantly during his tenure as mayor (well before Guiliani), or that he massively expanded the police force - none of that matters because he tried to make the Civilian Compliant Review Board legitimately civilian and independent of the NYPD.

That was enough to touch off a massive, and openly racist, police riot at City Hall, which Guiliani happily attended to stoke the flames of resentment against a black mayor who dared to tell the NYPD what to do.

Verdict: not an asshole. Fuck the haters.

Rudy Guiliani (1994-2001):

In the wake of the 2020 election, a lot of columnists wrote breast-pounding op-eds, asking themselves what went wrong that America's Mayor had seemingly lost his mind in service to the Trump campaign.

As someone who grew up in Guiliani's New York, let me state with confidence: he was always a fascist loon, he just used to be better at it. Having ridden a wave of racist law-and-order politics to victory, Guiliani took personal credit for the decline in crime rates that was taking place nationally - to the point where he actually fired Bill Bratton for being more popular than him - and established the "Broken Windows" policy that would give rise to "Stop and Frisk."

Guiliani's alliance with the NYPD was based on the understanding that he would vocally take the NYPD's side in any police shooting or brutality case no matter how blatantly unjustified and depraved it might have been, whether that was the shootings of Amadou Diallo or Patrick Dorismond or Gidone Busch, the torture of Abner Louima, the racial profiling of the plainsclothes Street Crime Unit, and on and on.

And then there's the fact that, having made the frankly insane decision to place the Office of Emergency Management headquarters at the World Trade Center (this after the 1993 bombing), Guiliani took a frankly unwarranted level of press adulation at a time of national trauma and used it to try to illegally install himself as the unelected mayor of New York City.

Verdict: fascist asshole.

Michael Bloomberg (2002-2013):

More genteel and a better administrator than his predecessor, Bloomberg nevertheless pursued a raft of policies that were largely harmful to NYC. His housing and economic development strategies were designed to market NYC as a "luxury good" to the world's economic elite - seriously, read up on the history of the Hudson Yards development - to the detriment of affordability, beginning the process of gentrification that has left much of this city unaffordable to the majority of residents.

The main thing that makes Michael Bloomberg an asshole is his record on policing, where he doubled down on the "stop and frisk" strategies of Rudy Guiliani, going to the absolute wall in defense of them even when the courts began to knock them down as blatantly racially discriminatory. Then add to that his creation of a massive surveillance state aimed at NYC's Muslim population.

He routinely used his wealth to bribe would-be critics into silence, and then strong-armed the City Council into letting him run for a third term.

And there's the fact that he still owes me $200.

Verdict: plutocrat asshole. Where's my money, Michael? Where's my fucking money?

Bill De Blasio (2014-2021):

I've gone on record as saying that Bill De Blasio's first term was actually remarkable for progressive policy accomplishments, from establishing universal pre-K to raising the city's minimum wage to capping rents to ending stop-and-frisk, and so on and so forth.

That being said, there were two forces in New York politics that he was never able to deal with: the first was the rampant hostility of the NYPD (I was never much impressed by De Blasio's failure to stand up to the NYPD; say whatever else you will about David Dinkins, but he didn't mince words when thousands of drunk cops screaming the N-word invaded City Hall), and the second was the constant and malicious obstruction of supposedly Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo on every single conceivable political and policy issue.

However, at some point very soon after his re-election in 2017, he just lost interest in being mayor of New York City. He still turned up for work, but even his political allies could tell that he had mentally checked out. If you're going to seek the job, you gotta do the job.

Verdict: not an asshole for four years, then an asshole for four years.

Eric Adams (2021-now):

Terrible on every conceivable aspect of public policy, but especially policing (because he's an ex-cop who ran on law-and-order politics and then found that didn't stop people carrying out random shootings) and housing (because he's an absentee slumlord who keeps getting fined for rats in his buildings).

Believes in crystal magic.

Verdict: asshole, possibly crazy?

[lovecraftian-lolita]

Do you have any recommendations for plus size lolita cardigans? I can’t really find any that are not for super sweet styles

Good question! I’m trying to figure that out too…

Little Dipper is a brand I swear by, they have more than just that bolero everyone wears and the cardigans are usually pretty plus size and stretchy too. The second hand market is pretty dry rn but I’d check back in a few weeks…

Here’s a link to the listing as well as the Taobao shop it comes from: Click me

They have a pretty wide range of colors with plain designs that are versatile for pretty much everything. Budget friendly too, even on reseller sites like 42lolita.

Honestly I’m struggling to find stuff too. The more expensive option would be Metamorphose which has nice cardigans but none have really stuck out to me lately. The couple I’ve seen aren’t even plus size friendly but I’d check them out anyway.

Honestly it’s bare right now. So if any indie brands wanna get on that and fill in that niche- 👀

Sorry anon, I’m struggling with you but I hope Little Dipper can help slightly. You might have to buy from target or somethin-

If anyone wants to help anon out with finding cardigans please do in the comments.