#don't waste food commercial

[viralbeyinspector]

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Throwing away or Wasting food? Think twice! This video "Why You Should Not Waste Food?" shows how it hurts our planet & hungry bellies. Easy tips to be a food hero! . Follow, let's make a difference!✨ #viralbeyinspector #stopfoodwaste #bethechange #quickvideo #food #foodie #shorts #shortsvideo #short #shortvideo #trending #viral #explore #reels #reel

[elljayvee]

today's topic: that fucker RoundUp

It's time for more Don't Believe Everything You Read with me, elljayvee!

A friend encountered this the other day: 

This contains a lot of false information and should not be spread around as true. It's scaremongering in the first half and almost entirely wrong in the second half.

I will state my credentials and biases up front: I am an inactive Penn State Master Gardener (which means I have all the education and credentials, but am not currently an active volunteer), I have a permaculture design certificate and an active permaculture garden on my property, and I'm an agriculture & food systems researcher. I also fucking hate RoundUp (aka glyphosate), which I think is very bad, especially at industrial scales. I pretty much think all agricultural inputs have serious problems at industrial scales; RoundUp isn't special. In general, and particularly for home-scale or small-scale ag use, I prefer non-chemical controls; in my own garden I use manual control for all weeds except for poison ivy and tree of heaven, for which I use 2,4-D foliar herbicide. 2,4-D is also pretty nasty stuff, but I use it because unlike RoundUp it's very widespread in my environment already -- some of my neighbors have their lawns sprayed and that's what the lawn companies use. Me spraying a stray tree of heaven once a year isn't even a drop in the 2,4-D bucket of the block. 

Let us take these pieces of Wrong Information from back to front!

Dish soap: people love dish soap in the garden. Just love it. There's mixed evidence on what it can do in the garden but it's completely ineffective against weeds -- the reason it's so popular in garden applications is that it doesn't harm plants. How is something that doesn't harm plants going to be good weed control? Answer: it isn't. It does nothing against weeds. The one thing dish soap is proven to be good at is assisting with aphid control -- the best aphid control is manual/physical control, like blasting aphids off plants with water, and dish soap assists with that and also seems to do some damage to the aphid. Any other pest control involving "soap" almost certainly means "insecticidal soap", not dish soap. 

Takeaway: Unless you're trying to control aphids, don't use dish soap in the garden. (And make sure it's dish SOAP, not a detergeant. In the US, original Dawn is the go-to.) For anything but aphid control, you're just wasting soap.

Salt: No. This is bad. It will definitely help kill some weeds, but it's a bad idea. Don't put extra salt into soil. It's bad for the soil and for the inhabitants of soil; it's bad for water. One cup of salt isn't going to kill a river or a stream or whatever but if you're worried about killing animals, let's just say that poor innocent things like amphibians and worms do not do well in hypersaline environments. Do not use table salt like this. 

Takeaway: Leave table salt out of your garden altogether. You're just wasting salt, messing up soil, and hurting animals.

Vinegar: This is completely fine. Depending on the species of weed you have, it may work very well indeed. However, household white vinegar is only about 5% acetic acid, while horticultural vinegar -- which is sold as a weed killer commercially -- is 20% acetic acid, and works MUCH better on a MUCH wider variety of weeds. It also seems to work best when it is mixed with canola oil. Horticultural vinegar is not as safe for your skin/eyes/etc. and you should follow the safety instructions on the bottle when you use it. If you would like some more information on how well vinegar works to control weeds, you may enjoy reading "Impact of Acetic Acid Concentration, Application Volume, and Adjuvants on Weed Control Efficacy" (Webber et al. 2018). 

Takeaway: Household vinegar in the garden is fine and may work for some species of weeds. Horticultural vinegar works better. Follow safety information when using it. 

Now for RoundUp (aka glyphosate). 

RoundUp will kill pollinators, bees, hives: I will include all invertebrates that seem affected by RoundUp spray in this category. There is good evidence that AT INDUSTRIAL SCALE, RoundUp negatively affects pollinators and other beneficial invertebrates, such as pest-controlling spiders. When applied to a broad area in heavy concentrations, it seems to have lethal effects (particularly in bees who ingest it or come into physical contact with it), and it also seems interfere with reproduction in some bees, wasps, and spiders.

"Is glyphosate toxic to bees? A meta-analytical review" (Battisti et al 2021) is a good meta-analysis about toxicity to various bee species. (It is paywalled, sorry -- but some of its sources are not.) This analysis found that it's easy for bees to get a fatal dose from pollen from sprayed flowers, physical contact with sprayed flowers, or ingestion of nectar from sprayed flowers. At individual garden scale, you are extremely unlikely to harm more than a few individual insects unless you're doing something very weird, like, I don't know, pouring a whole bottle of RoundUp over your patio, or specifically filling flowers with drops of RoundUp. 

Takeaway: In general, I recommend not using RoundUp in your garden. If you do use RoundUp, snip off flowers from the weeds or do not spray the flowers, to avoid pollen contamination and lower the likelihood of bees touching the RoundUp. I strongly suggest instead using manual controls, which is what I do -- I weedwhack and hand-pull weeds (again, with the exception of poison ivy and tree of heaven). 

RoundUp will kill your pets and kids and you: In general, not unless your pets, your kids, or you drink it. This is how it kills mammals: a mammal drinks it. There is some evidence of toxicity to amphibians, but again, this is at industrial scale and high concentrations, not a household preparation used on like 5 weeds in your patio. There is conflicting evidence on whether or not glyphosate is carcinogenic in humans, but the risk -- if it exists -- seems at this point to be low and probably mainly affects agricultural workers who are regularly exposed to a LOT of the stuff.

Takeaway: Secure RoundUp from pets and children. I personally keep garden chemicals in a padlocked plastic box in the garage. If you are suicidal and may drink RoundUp, call your area's suicide prevention hotline or ask someone for help. If you are an agricultural worker regularly in contact with glyphosate in the environment your best resource is probably United Farm Workers (in the US), your local farm workers' org, or La Via Campesina (which is an international farm workers' organization that has taken a stand against the widespread industrial use of glyphosate). 

If you would like to read more about RoundUp toxicity, try: "Glyphosate Poisoning" (Bradberry, Proudfoot, and Vale 2004) and "Glyphosate: A review of its global use, environmental impact, and potential health effects on humans and other species" (Richmond 2018) -- this one is particularly useful because it collates a LOT of research together in one place, so you can get to many, many other articles from it. 

General takeaways: You should take precautions if you use RoundUp not to hurt bees in your garden, but you are unlikely to hurt anything larger than invertebrates if you do use it. Do not use random weedkilling formulas involving random household items in your garden. In particular, dish soap and salt have almost no good garden uses at all and if someone tells you to use them, they are probably misinformed at best. There is a lot of complete bullcrap out there on the internet.

If you want to use organic controls for stuff in your garden, which lots of people do, a good place to start is the OMRI lists. Items on these lists are approved for organic use in the US or Canada and free to download. You can also look for information from Extension in the US about organic controls and home gardening advice; county extension is government-funded and provides a wide variety of free educational material about gardening, forestry, agriculture, etc.

[gabrielsbubblegumbitch]

got any silly voxval headcannons? (Maybe velvette too idk)

like for example who cooks out of the three of them

Of course you can <3 I'm a really angsty girlie so I don't know how silly they actually are but there you go:

None of them can cook, but that's not really a problem for Vox and Velvette. Vox could survive on plain bread and black coffee for eternity, while Velvette could eat only candies. Val, on the other hand, is the ultimate hedonist. He's all about the tasty, full-fat fast food or gourmet stuff, and he's always pushing for takeout. Come on, guys, we're fucking rich, let's order something. Sure, they could hire someone to cook for them, but Vox is too paranoid to let an outsider near their food. He's still on the hunt for a chef who can match Val's extravagant tastes and is willing to sign off soul. If they had to pick someone to cook, Vox would probably be the best bet since he's the only one who can actually follow a recipe.

Velvette is the smartest when it comes to managing finances. Vox technically doesn't like to waste money but he has a taste for luxurious stuff, he can't resist an expensive car, fucking show-off. Valentino basically burns money on every useless shit he likes, I bet those crystals he badazzled his gun with were real diamons.

Velvette helps Val maintain his fluff, and he styles her hair. It's a cute little trade-off they've got going on.

Valentino has a habit of breaking electronic devices and downloading malware. Vox hates him for it.

Vox can easily go 72h without sleep, fueled by coke and rage. Valentino occasionally drugs his coffee to put him down to sleep, because after 68th hour all electronics in the tower starts malfunctioning.

Val used to be a full-time performer, but now he's more like a RuPaul—lending his face to the brand and only occasionally gracing the stage. But every time he does perform, Vox makes sure to be there front and center.

Their schedules are very incompatible and they have to spend a lot of time managing their businesses but they have weekly appointments to do catch up and discuss strategy. Those are usually very unserious, they end up hitting the bong and playing Mario Cart.

There was this one time Vox tried hitting on Velvette because she's totally his type. It was awkward as hell, and they both agreed to never speak of it again. Valentino has no idea about it.

Valentino would really want to have a dog but Vox really likes dogs so he doesn't allow him to get one by imposing strict anti-pet policy in the tower.

Val knows all of Vox's and Velvette's kinks and sometimes produces custom porn for them as gifts.

As much as they love spending time together, Val and Velvette can't stand watching TV with Vox because he gets overly emotional and doesn't allow to skip commercials because he enjoys them

Vox occasionally invites Val to be a guest judge on reality shows, which always skyrockets ratings but sometimes ends nasty for the contestants.

Val's obsessed with textures, especially nice fabrics. Give him a nice fluffy blanket and he will shut up for 15 minutes fixated on touching it.

Vox, with his business and strategic management degree, sometimes tries to pitch these ideas to Velvette and Valentino, he's like Guys, have you considered using the BCG matrix? Ever heard of SWOT analysis? We should discuss KPIs. They mock him relentlessly for it.

Val once tried putting drag makeup on Vox's face, and let's just say the result was... less than glamorous.

During their honeymoon phase, Vox and Val fucked everywhere. At first, Velvette found it amusing, but eventually, she grew to hate it. She finally snapped when she found out they'd fucked on the dinner table and she set it on fire.

Val "secretly" ghostwrote some trashy smut novels (they are absolutely horrible, worst Wattpad shit you could dig out). Vox secretly bought and read every single one, finding plenty of references to himself along the way.

Vox loves it when Val wears stripper platforms, even though it makes their height difference even more ridiculous.

Valentino's wardrobe takes two entire rooms and still expands. Vox doesn't know how to stop it.

Vox owns a few lingerie sets, only because Val loses his fucking mind whenever he wears them. Velvette designed them herself and keeps photos of Vox wearing them as blackmail material, just in case.

[dragontamer05]

So beyond her just being picky- or seemingly so- What if Izutsumi isn't actually simply just ' a picky eater' and just appears so on the outside.

Consider what if the reason she doesn't like/won't eat Mushrooms for example is because she CAN'T. After all she is a CAT Chimera, and cat's don't eat, and outside of like extremely controlled small amounts of like commercially grown Mushrooms, can't and shouldn't eat them anyway.

So sure maybe taste/texture wise they're off putting but on a deeper level, perhaps that not even Izutsumi understands it's the feline side of her body basically telling her "No, DO NOT EAT"

Like don't get me wrong I love me a picky eater character. Picky eater rep goo, But also given the series it is I think it' would have made for an interesting challenge for Senshi himself to be faced with a situation where sure ordinarily beggars can't be choosers about their food, but instead of just him simply making a lecture on not wasting foods- which you could still have- but then him also having to come to understand Izutsumi's side of things of sometimes there are people who literally CAN NOT eat certain things having to adapt and accommodate for it.

Maybe even learning the hard way of feeding her something but she ends up sick while everyone else feels fine.izu

Easily being in Laios' vast knowledge of monsters/animals he could bring up the suggestion that since she is a Chimera and has the partial body of a Cat what if that means it reflects in her diet as well (Meaning she likely needs a high protein/animal based diet)

[sidewalkchemistry]

simple skincare tips!

🌼eat the foods that love you back. your skin is a direct mirror of your internal situation. if your digestive system is being bombarded often by foods that create a lot of wastes and residues, that does more harm than good. and so, the struggle to eliminate them will be reflected in your skin. your diet constitutes the vast majority of your skin health. change your meals to be whole food plant based (still delicious, satisfying, and exciting) & watch your skin glow and your skincare routine simplify.

🌼be conscious of what's going on your skin. the skin layers can be over-cleansed, imbalanced, and aggravated when the skin microbiome and pH are disrupted. if you wipe out the beneficial bacterial populations with harshly formulated products, you may find that you break out (i.e. harmful bacterial populations begin to thrive). use gentle, simple skin formulas such as castile soaps, natural oils & butters (i recommend jojoba oil for mostly everyone), natural soap bars, and clays. most commercial skin care products disturb the skin cells (introduce too much foreign material to the body, unsuitable pH ranges, imbalance the microbiome, etc). they sell because it's convention to buy them, the brands are well-known, and their sales pitches are enticing. but really, no cream or serum will ever be the magic potion your skin was asking for. it will only be a band-aid, at best. truly healthy skin comes from diet, and the products are just for any other necessary maintenance. if you get a pimple, you should look first to why the pimple emerged, not what treatment will remove it.

🌼keep your lymph flowing. simple ways to do this are through good lifestyle habits. things like doing exercise & sports you find fun, breathwork, dry brushing, eating lots of fruit, avoiding wearing bras & other tight clothing items, lymphatic massage/gua sha can all be helpful.

🌼focus on hydration via fresh fruits and veggies. the water within plant foods is more useable to your cells, and your skin will cease being overly oily or dry overtime (especially if you reduce/eliminate your salt & oil intake). it will also help to encourage lymphatic flow, so you can see problems like blemishes, cellulite, old scars diminish after great consistency.

🌼allow your skin to breathe. this is especially good if you spend time in stuffy (poorly ventilated) indoor environments, like offices, hospitals, planes, etc. one great way is via herbal facial steaming (i recommend it 3x a week or so). make a hot infusion of an aromatic tea, cover it and allow it to cool a few minutes, and, with closed eyes, allow the pores to open and receive the herbal medicine (this is a great time to meditate, manifest, and just feel pampered). getting more fresh air, working up a sweat, and going to a sauna are also ways to allow your skin to breathe.

🌼avoid steroid prescriptions creams at all costs. they are very deleterious to health in the long term, and they can be very painful to come off of. it's not a real fix. it's not worth hurting your kidneys & adrenals for. evaluate your diet instead. do you eat dairy? choose plant-based dairy options instead (they're simple to make yourself too). do you eat a lot of fats? try oil-free cooking methods instead (opt for sautéing with a bit of water, baking, steaming, air frying, etc). avoiding eating out as much.

🌼be aware of what you're putting in your hair as well. your shampoos, conditioner, leave-ins, gels, moisturizers, oils, serums, etc all tend to touch your face too, when your hair touches your face. if they wouldn't be good enough to put on your face, don't put them in your hair. a lot of the best skin cleansers are also suitable as shampoos. a lot of oils and butters can be used for both. plant-based gels like aloe vera or flax seed are simple to DIY, and are dual-use once again. basically, this will simplify your life.

🌼understand the water that runs through your pipes. if your shower and tap water are like most people's around the world, they aren't optimal for our skin. for example, they contain added chemicals to sanitize the water but that can prevent the proper microbiomes from developing on your skin. a weak skin microbiome is prone to skin issues. so, try to use distilled water on your face (if you're not able to get a water filter, a gallon jug at a store is affordable. they're about $1.30 USD in my area).

[ur-local-bisexual]

HEARTSTOPPER INCORRECT QUOTES

Tao: Sir, can I listen to music?

Mr. Farouk: No Tao, you could be cheating!

Tao: Oh ya! Because Ed Sheeran gonna sing to me isn’t he! *eye roll*

Mr. Farouk: Tao, are you mocking me!?

Tao: Yes! That’s what I do when someone says something stupid!

Mr. Farouk: Also, Darcy! Why do you have your feet up on the desk?! Would you do that at home!?!???!

Darcy: Would I put my feet up at home? Yes you moron!

Mr. Farouk: Apologize for that right now!

Darcy: But whyyyyyyyy?!?!

Mr. Farouk: Until you apologize, you’re not going to lunch

Darcy: I don’t care! The food here tastes worse than your nans feet!

Mr. Farouk: It’s your time you’re wasting!

Darcy: It’s not though is it.

Aled: Sir, don’t act like you don’t want to go see Mr. Ajiei after class!

Mr. Farouk: How the fuck do you know about that!!!????!!!!

Class: *Histarical laughter*

Nick: *Talking to Charlie* Ok, so, you make 10 meals you’re not a chief, you make 20 paintings you’re not an artist!

Charlie: *See’s Ben lying on the floor*

Nick: BUT YOU KILL ONE PERSON!!!!

Charlie: I’m going to a party

Tori: Are you going to get drunk?

Charlie: No

Tori: Are you gonna get in fight?

Charlie: No

Tori: Are you gonna get dick?

Charlie: No

Tori: Then why the fuck do you wanna go to a party?!

Tori: Some people have a boyfriend

Charlie: *blinks*

Tori: Some people have a girlfriend

Charlie: *blinks*

Tori: But IM stuck with DEPRESSION!!!???

Charlie: You wanna know how I’m like a bicycle?

Nick: Because when people learn how to ride you, they never forget. *smirks*

Charlie: *blushes* I..I was gonna say because I was 2 tired 😳

Charlie: My boyfriend is too tall for me to kiss him on the lips. What should I do?

Tori: Punch him in the gut and when he doubles over in pain, kiss him.

Elle: Tackle him!

Tao: Dump him!

Darcy: KICK HIM IN THE SHIN!!!

Nick: NO! TO ALL OF THOSE! Just ask me to lean over!

Imogen: *About Ben*Look at that face! How can anyone spend all day with that face and not fall in love?

Nick: Well, at some point that face starts talking.

Charlie: Tell me something I don't know.

Tori: Without mucus, your stomach would digest itself.

Charlie: Tell me something else. Something less disturbing.

Charlie: Quick, take my hand!

Nick: *Takes it* Now what?

Charlie: Oh nothing, I just wanted to hold hands.

Tori: I was just having a bad day.

Charlie: You threatened to decapitate a man over a parking space.

Tori: A very bad day.

Darcy: You can de-escalate any tense situation by saying 'Are we about to kiss?'

Darcy: It doesn't work on cops though.

Darcy: I’m invoking the “no judgments” clause of our relationship.

Tara: Oh God, what did you do this time?

Harry: So Nick, are you hanging out with us tonight?

Nick: Sorry guys, I can't. Charlie and I have plans.

Harry: Oh come on! Bros before ho-

Nick: *Glares*

Harry: ...Your boyfriend.

Tao: There's nothing sadder that cold hot chocolate.

Aled: Sure there is! What about cold hot chocolate with ketchup in it?

Tao: ...I'm going to pretend you didn't say that.

Charlie: How many times have I told you not to bring wild animals into our apartment?!

Nick: ...None?

Charlie: I shouldn't have to tell you!

Elle: You can't rush perfection.

Tao: I'm not rushing perfection, I'm rushing you.

Darcy: I have good news and bad news.

Tara: What's the bad news?

Darcy: The kangaroo pooped in the shower.

Tara: We don't have a kangaroo.

Darcy: Well, that takes me to the good news.

Nick: I wasn't that drunk last night.

Charlie: You kept flirting with me.

Nick: So?

Charlie: You asked if I was single. And cried when I said no.

Charlie: Hey sweetie, why are you crying?

Nick: It's just so beautiful how much they love each other!

Charlie: ...This is a commercial.

Charlie: For detergent.

Darcy: Do you think if skeletons were real boner would be a slur for them?

Elle: ....skeletons are real.

Darcy: That's the spirit, Elle. They're real for me too.

Elle: You're the most jealous guy I know!

Tao: You know other guys? Who are they?

Nick: I know I've been talking about him all morning, but another thing that I love about Charlie is that he just gets me.

Tao: Can he come get you right now?

[powderblueblood]

The level of detail and thought you've put into hai is incredible!

I have a question. I love how you've described Eddie as a rizzless loverboy (my favorrite kind) so I need to know how he managed to get with an ice queen like Nicole. Not to mention some stuff with Chrissy later and even Cass but I'm most curious about Nicole, especially since she's a former friend of lacy's and he describes her as the one person who's meaner than lacy. I need details. How did it all go down? i like to imagine that she approached him. What makes me sad is that I think she probably did it just to say she lost her virginity but I also like to think that they all find him hot but they just wont say it because he's the town freak

NONNY COME THROUGH I LOVE THIS QUESTION!!!!!! hard agree on nicole approaching him because she's nasty as fuck in all the wrong era-typical ways and he's scared as hell of her (like, she really could bite and not in a cute way). but i also agree about these girls secretly being endeared to him. i mean, we saw it with chrissy-- he has a knack for making people feel safe in vulnerable little moments. but unfortunately, people (teenagers) are also diiiiiiicks

so fuck it, let's blurb it out! or

EDDIE MUNSON STAMPS NICOLE SUMMERS' V-CARD (NOT A BOARD WAXER, NOT IN MAUI)

content warning: swearing, wildly unsexy implication of sex, nicole summers sucks dude, teenagers scare the living shit out of me, me attempting to incorporate dnd terminology, GRANNY ECKER KLAXON, there's also an easter egg in this for the rest of the story if you know where to look word count: 2.6k (lol what)

part of the hellfire & ice universe (duh!)

FOREST HILLS TRAILER PARK, 1982-ISH

She's gotta be doing community service.

It's Easter, right, so this has gotta be like... a Jesus thing. But she doesn't seem like a Jesus person.

It's the only precedent that would explain what Nicole Summers, jaw jutting out in an exaggerated scowl, is doing serving Meals on Wheels to the less fortunate dwellers of Hawkins' favorite trailer park. Her red hair blazes in the sunlight, searing into his retinas--

But that could also be the weed talking.

"Ma'am, like, I don't know what to tell you, you're signed up to receive these."

"And I don't know what to tell you, little girl," Veronica Ecker Sr., affectionately and fearsomely known as Granny to him, grits from the doorway, "but I'm perfectly capable of cooking my own darn food."

Eddie's been lingering around the Ecker trailer, see, waiting for Ronnie to be freed from yet another M*A*S*H appointment with her grandmother ("Ever since she stopped going to church, it's like, all Alan Alda all the time," quoth Ronnie) and run through his latest Hellfire campaign.

"I'm not saying that you don't, I'm just saying that--"

"You're making me miss my program."

"I'll eat it." Eddie doesn't know who said that or why it sounds like his voice, until he figures out that he said it, which is why it sounds like his voice. Jesus, that shit he lifted from his dad was strong.

Granny Ecker and Nicole Summers elicit almost identical reactions of annoyance once they clock that he's there, lingering in the outfield.

"Junior, if you don't--"

"Oh my God. Ew."

Eddie plants his hands on his hips, half in the hopes that this might look authoritative, half mirroring Granny. "Well, y'know. Waste not want not."

Granny considers him, then apparently considers that this might not be such a terrible idea. Her laser focus directs back to Nicole.

"I don't give a shit. I'm not eating that tripe."

"I'm not just-- authorized to pass off meals like that. There's a system."

"Wait, you need clearance for stuff like that? In Meals on Wheels?" That'd be Ronnie's voice, head popping over her grandmother's shoulder. "Oh, hey, Eddie."

"Hey, Ron. You ready to--"

"Veronica, get back inside. I need you to hit that thing back to record when M*A*S*H comes back on. I don't want any commercials on my darn tapes."

"Oh my God, forget it!" Nicole breaks, stalking towards him with a foil-wrapped tray. She stays a safe distance away and thrusts it towards them-- something something freak cooties, some new line of bullshit that her and her dumb little clique had come up with in middle school. "Here. I don't need the whole freak council weighing in on this."

Eddie takes the tray and considers the shiny foil wrapping. His reflection is all distorted in there, a funhouse mirror but way, way worse. This makes him compelled to be unwisely honest to Nicole, who's already making tracks away from him. He jogs to catch up, foil crinkling as he moves. "Well, now I feel bad."

"Don't."

"It's like robbing from old people. Maybe you should give this to another old person. Like a super skinny one. Who might need two."

"Fuck 'em."

"Gee, Nicole, you're really buildin' that stairway to heaven, huh?"

"Ugh. What?"

"The meals-- the Meals on Wheels. It's a nice thing to... do. Fuckin'... forget it." Eddie stops dead; he might be loaded right now, but he knows which side his bread is buttered on. And he hasn't got any bread. He thinks it might be mashed potatoes, green beans and some rubbery chicken. Anyway, he turns heel-- this conversation isn't going anywhere.

"Hey, freak." The derisive nickname comes calling from Nicole's end. Ring-ring. "Are you stoned right now?"

"De-pendsssss," Eddie murmurs, the 's' sound going on for like five minutes, "Are you... a cop right now?"

Nicole busts out a giggle. It's kind of a pretty noise, if a little grating. She's kind of pretty. Eddie remembers when she had braces in middle school and whenever she'd pick on him, she'd kind of spit on him too. Gross. But still kind of pretty.

"I know how you can make it up to me."

Jump-freaking-cut and Nicole Summers is sitting with Eddie in that creepy wooded area near Forest Hills, making a miserable job of rolling a joint out of a dusting of his dad's weed and a torn-open Pall Mall. His buzz has kind of come and gone, and in its wake the knotted, deadened trees are looking extra gnarly.

"God, I suck at this."

You don't suck. You just need practice, is what Eddie would say if it were anybody else sitting with him, but all he manages is, "Eugh."

Because she does suck. And he's too nervous to further verbalize himself. He holds his hand out and she drops the comically conical attempt at a joint into it.

Deftly, Eddie re-rolls it just like that. "Practice, baby. Only way to Carnegie Hall."

"Wait, what?" Nicole murmurs, brow furrowed.

Eddie wishes he didn't phrase it like that either. "Um. Nothing. How come you're doing Meals on Wheels?"

A guttural sigh comes right from the center of her chest, which Eddie can almost see, thanks to her super low-cut tank top. Her cleavage is all freckled and hiked up, thanks to the Wonderbra that he's been painstakingly avoiding tracing the outline of with his eyes. "My fucking aunt. She's like some do-gooder Christian nutso, she runs the whole thing."

"Oh--" but Nicole's not done. She kicks a toeful of dirt up just as Eddie ignites the end of the joint and takes a harsh pull.

"I'm stuck with her this whole break because my grades were shit. I'm supposed to be in Maui, y'know."

Eddie wordlessly passes the joint on. Knew it was a Jesus thing. And like, boo-hoo, he guesses? He doesn't have any real pity for Nicole Summers right now, because overall she fucking blows. She's mean as hell, for no good reason.

Ronnie came up with a good analogy for it one time; like, put up against that chick Lacy that she hangs out with, Nicole is mean like a bad dog. She just keeps barking and barking and barking and barking and it is relentless and it's busting open your eardrums and she's snarling and you're too scared to get in her way so you just tolerate it. Even if it fucks up your whole day.

That Lacy girl, though, she's mean like a guillotine. One sharp drop and you're done. Dead. Headless horseman.

"I know which one is worse-- Nicole, obviously, because it chips away at you and it's so freakin' loud. But I know which one I'd prefer," Ronnie had said, "I feel like if Lacy comes for you, you've really earned it. Like, you possibly deserve to perish."

But ultimately, curiosity will be the death of Eddie Munson. And so will girls. And so will boring Spring break Sundays.

Nicole half-chokes on a lungful of smoke and Eddie's got to pat her on the back so he doesn't get nailed for her murder or whatever.

"God. Gross," Nicole gripes on recovery. "Ugh. My whole family is in Maui, but I'm stuck here and like-- I even told people I was going to Maui and it's like-- so fucked."

"Totally." Eddie makes pincer fingers towards the joint. "Don't bogart that."

But Nicole is holding it aloft, totally off on her own journey, and Eddie wonders if the weed has hit her that fast or if she's just completely self-involved.

"I even sent postcards to people, pretending I was in Maui. If you wanna know something really pathetic."

It takes a second for Eddie to decipher it, but it seems like she's saying that she's been sneaking around Hawkins incognito all break because she told all of her sucker friends she was in the Central Pacific.

"You completely said that sentence backwards."

He notes that down to tell Ronnie about later.

"Shuddup, freak."

"Man, it is so completely uncool of you to keep calling me a freak when you're literally smoking my weed."

"You took my Meal on Wheel."

"Meal on Wheel for a well-rolled joint does not an even trade make, Summers!"

"So why did you say okay?!" Nicole barks, and Eddie finally gets a grasp of that joint. He's up, he's off the log they were occupying. There is a buzz to be had here, a good time rolled tight up in these flammable papers and he is not about to waste it by letting Nicole Summers verbally wail on him.

"Because I am obviously a veritable moron of the highest knight's order and I had time to kill before M*A*S*H was over!"

That rhymed.

Nicole looks up at him with her green eyes narrowed, this horrible, puggy grimace wrinkling her face. And then she says something so beyond the realm of Eddie's comprehension that he's sure the weed is turning on him.

"Do you wanna, like, hook up?" Nicole says-- scratch that, Nicole snarls.

"What?!" So this level of fuckery doesn't make sense to Eddie because nobody's around. Like, if Nicole takes a shot at the freak and Hagan and Carol and Tina and Lacy and Cass aren't around to hear it, did it even happen?

"I'm serious," Nicole deadpans. "I kind of... look, so I kind of wrote to some people that I hooked up with someone on vacation and, like... I could make that not a whole lie."

"Nicole," Eddie says, in a tone about as measured as he can manage, which is not very because his balls seem to have vacuumed themselves back into his body, "Are you asking me to aid and abet your elaborate scam in which you're currently pretending you're in Maui getting, what... railed by like, a surfer?"

"Wow. That's actually kinda close to what I've been telling people."

He would later find out that she said her premiere paramour was a board waxer.

Eddie inhales a lungful of smoke so deep and so urgent that it makes him feel like Hunter S Thompson-- that is, to say, certifiably insane. Because Eddie's never been... Like, he's made out, or whatever, and grazed a boob like once, but...

In an ideal world, he would not be in the woods. In an ideal world, there might be some perfect declaration beforehand, and he might be indoors, and he might be wearing cleaner underwear. In an ideal world, it would not be Nicole Summers.

Roll Perception. Is this really how it happens? Maybe she secretly... likes me?

The D20 in his brain lands a nat one.

Yeah, maybe. But you've been wrong about that before.

Nicole gets up, and he can just about see the cogs turning in her head, trying to intimate an expression of sultriness. It's such a thin mask that he can basically see her rolling her eyes behind it.

"C'mon. You can't tell me you haven't... thought about it," she tries, dropping her voice in volume and pouting her lips.

And Christ, Eddie hates to be such a guy about it, but... you hate to look a gift horse in the formerly-braces-clad mouth.

I haven't thought about it. I think you suck. But I also think this might be my one shot at something for a long, long, long, long, long--

"God, quit thinking about it and kiss me, freak."

It's almost hot, it's like lukewarm at the very best, which is good enough for Eddie so he goes for it. Lips on lips, but Nicole apparently doesn't follow rhythm very well. There's a lot of dry macking, not a lot of... sensual action. He's almost starting to feel sorry for her.

But then-- well, let's just cut to the chase since that's the flavor du jour, then her hand is on his dick. Through the jeans, obviously, she's not a belt ninja but it's very much there. Flesh and tendons, palming at him.

In this situation, Eddie's not a hard sell. Badum-tsssss.

He uses one hand to hook around the back of her neck, tilting her head toward him-- using this opportunity to kiss her right, or what he assumes is right, while she's distracted. Nicole cannot focus on two things-bad kissing and dick handling-at once, unlike Eddie, who uses his free hand to feel her boobs.

"Siddown on the log," she breathes. Just what you want to hear in the heat of passion.

"Uh-- okay," and he does what he is told. Because she's still a pitbull, at the end of the day.

"Do you, like, have anything?"

"Like... the clap?" Eddie sorta-squeaks as Nicole positions herself over him, one knee either side of his thighs. She's got good balance. Is she in cheerleading? Or is that the other mean one?

"No, you fuckin'-- like a condom."

"Oh." His heart sinks. There's a box of Trojans that Ronnie jokingly bought him after he tried to lay a smacker on her-majorly misguided move, by the way!-but he doesn't--

Wait, shut up. They were literally having this argument the other day, he and Ronnie, about that tiny pocket on pairs of jeans. You know the one. Ronnie was trying to explain that it was for cowboys to keep their watches in, whereas Eddie was arguing that there's no way that cowboys need a watch, dude. They go by the sun in the sky. Like men, so the pocket obviously had to be for emergency prophylactics.

He'd even demonstrated, slipping a good ol' Troj into the tiny fold!

Eddie, in his over-excited state, almost knocks Nicole off the log trying to dig the rubber out. "Voilà."

"Whut," Nicole mumbles.

"Do you take Spanish?"

"No, French."

"... okay."

Here it is. This is it. He's about to get his dick out in the scary wooded part by the trailer park where he once tried to dig a hole to China. Fuck.

But all of a sudden, Nicole is fumbling. Her movements are suddenly weird and unsure and reserved and tight. Badum-- fuck off.

"Hey, y--y'alright?" Eddie murmurs, almost brushing her hair off her face. But that feels too intimate. Even considering the circumstances.

"Have you... done this before?" she says, lips pursed and small as she fiddles with his belt.

"Um." To truth, or not to truth? That is to lose any and all hope of losing one's virginity. "I--"

"I haven't."

A little moment of silence hangs between them. That's not a bark. That's a real girl in there.

Eddie swallows, despite the precipice of opportunity. He finds his throat is very dry, sandpaper going down. That feeling-- it's a distinct sensory recall. A favor someone once did him at a birthday party.

Because Nicole's a dick, but she's still a person.

Not that she'd give him the same grace.

Oh well. Building his stairway to heaven, and all that shit.

"We don't... have to." He nods, resolutely. Partially for himself. He even puts a hand over Nicole's, where it lingers on his undone fly. "Seriously."

Nicole's eyelashes flicker and she stares at him for a drawn out beat. As if she's considering him. Really considering him. Outside of the bullshit dichotomy in which they live. A crease eventually settles in her brow, looking at him like, are you serious, loser?

"No, I obviously want to."

Want to with me? he nearly chances.

"Just don't be, like... weird about this after," she instructs. "It never happened."

"I'm not gonna. It didn't." That sounds too soft, so he snorts a little at the end.

Eddie barely has time to ask her if she's okay before it's lights out for him.

The most unforgettable thirty seconds of Eddie Munson's pubescent life up to that point begins with a scoff (his) and ends in a scoff (hers).

But that dog ceases barking for at least three weeks following. No biting in the hallway, no harassment in the parking lot. Even when Hagan sniffs around him, Nicole doesn't jeer on. She averts her eyes.

It's no declaration of love, but at least he got a free dinner out of it.

[florencetypemaniacs]

What type of gift would the Ro's give to Mc on there birthday? (Dating stage)

It would honestly depend on the MC and their interests, but this is just a general response and a few headcanons that I thought of in my head. 

💛 Marcel

Marcel would pick the product that you have mentioned wanting, or maybe something nostalgic from your childhood, asking your aunt Z what your favorite thing is to do. 

He is the best gift giver, and he outdoes himself every year, and he will get his lover the perfect gift if his life depends on it. Lol. 

🧡 Margaret

Margaret grew up getting really expensive presents, and she always found them so impersonal, so she would try to make something homemade, like a scarf or a photo book. Something that she could work really hard on to show how much she cares about you. 

❤️ Owen

Owen finds most holidays a waste of time, but since it is you and he loves you, he would try his best to get you a good gift. 

Although he would just straight up ask you what you wanted, whatever you said, that is what he would give you. If you were to tell him "nothing," he would roll his eyes and ask the other retainers if they had any ideas, Camila, and, as a last resort, your aunt. 

💙 Rosemary

Mmmmm, of course she would want to give you something that you wanted, but if there wasn't anything specific, I could see her making a day all about you. 

Wherever you wanted to go alone or with her, she would pay for it and make it all about you, however you wanted to spend it. A picnic in the park. A night spent watching a movie. Or just a day in bed. She would try to plan something like your favorite activity. 

🩵 Tai

Something practical, especially if it has anything to do with your health, like a wellness kit, a healthy snack box, cleaning out your closet, or really anything that would focus on your well-being. 

However, he would still try to make the day special, planning a five-course meal of your favorite foods and maybe slipping a few veggies and fruits in there, but you wouldn't even taste it. 

💚 Zane

Zane has never celebrated his birthday, so it is difficult to figure out the perfect gift for you. Honestly, he would be too proud to ask your Aunt Z or Camila for help. He was YOUR boyfriend after all. 

I think he would settle for something expensive, like a golden watch or a nice pair of diamond earrings. Thats what people usually get on movies and TV, and the people in the commercials for the products looked really happy. So yeah, he'll get that for you.  Just don't ask him where he got it from. Lol. 

[zooophagous]

Hi! I'm here from a popular post of yours about humanity's love for sheep and saw you were a sheep caretaker. This is a job i really want to do. That said i am extremely frail (i have no disability that i know of, but it still sucks) and fear that the job might be too physical for me. I cant find any resource detailing the average day of a sheep caretaker in my native language except for websites trying to hire. So i guess my question is... what does your day look like (or can you get accomodations of sorts, like focusing on milking the sheep idk)! I am really motivated and ready to accept a part time job but if i knew i could manage with a full time contract i would love to get that extra money lmfao

Hi friend. I'm glad the post inspired you to love sheep as much as I do.

I will preface this with a very important distinction: my sheep were petting zoo sheep. It was a very small managed herd in a relatively small area that was kept immaculately clean.

These sheep had lots of 1 on 1 time with humans and saw caretakers as a source of food and safety. A commercial sheep operation has the potential to be VERY different.

Range sheep are often barely handled except to be given vetting on a tight schedule, and otherwise live in large flocks outside where they don't directly interact with people on a daily basis. These range sheep can be semi feral and not at ALL cooperative like a small herd of sheep managed by a hands on shepherd like what you might see on, say, a smaller farm or just for fun operation.

So suffice to say, if you're working with a very large herd of range sheep, your experience will differ from my experience with my Jacob's sheep pals who saw me every day and got hands on messing with several times a day.

I know exactly how you feel with being frail. I've never been a strong person and I have a low heat tolerance. Farm work, even on a petting zoo setting, is always going to be very hard work.

My day consisted of raking out the sheep pens daily, including sweeping out any old hay or straw and replacing as needed. The entire pen, even the outdoor areas, was cleaned. I would then feed the sheep (a hay bag with approximately 5 pounds of hay per sheep) and water the sheep (five gallon bucket which had to be dumped and refilled and carried back to the pen by hand)

I also gave the sheep enrichment items such as branches or small pieces of fruit. Old enrichment items had to be removed and reusable items like balls or toys had to be cleaned. Reusable items would be taken back to the dish station far away from the pens, scrubbed, and returned.

In addition, I would also take the sheep waste in a large trash bin to the compost heap with the help of a small tractor. The waste bin containing the droppings and old hay could weigh anywhere between 15 to 40 pounds depending on how much water waste got into the hay that day. This bucket had to be loaded by hand into the back of the compost tractor.

These tasks would continue every day no matter what weather. Our weather here is highly variable and can range from 100F in summer to -50F in winter.

It is a very physically demanding job to care for a petting zoo, and while I was often physically exhausted, I did also gain quite a bit of muscle from the experience and by the end of my time there I had more strength and endurance than when I had started.

Keep in mind, if you were to get a position similar to mine, you would be dealing with more than just sheep. I was also personally responsible for horses, cattle, goats, chickens, rabbits, alpacas and a giant sulcata tortoise. So you will be doing all of the same stuff you did for those sheep for the other animals in your care, and if you get big ones like cows, the weight limit goes up. I often had fifty pounds or more of cow waste alone. And that too was loaded by hand.

My animals were friendly and a joy to take care of, but the level of cleanliness demanded by the facility meant that the work done was very messy and had lots of lifting.

If you work with range sheep, you probably won't be scooping poop with a rake while a friendly lamb bothers you for attention. You may be physically pinning an angry ewe nearly as big as you are in a pen to force feed her an antibiotic while she tries to smash you. You may be herding sheep on a four wheeler. You may be assisting with births and expected to perform procedures such as banding, docking or mulesing.

If that level of activity is off putting, you may be able to find some fulfillment in volunteering for a livestock rescue or even working part time at a livestock auction house. If you're strong enough to manhandle a sheep you could even learn to shear. But regrettably there isn't any physically easy way to care for sheep that I am aware of.

I hope this helps you get a feel for the level of activity you'd expect in a similar role. Livestock animals are very fun and rewarding despite the effort they take. I hope to own my own small herd of Jacob's sheep as pets and pasture ornaments some day.

[dapperbasil]

Fangfest Day 14

Well, I didn't intend to do anything for the vtm tarot because of burnout but since @anarchswild did the lovely Thomas Slater for the Death arcana, it's only fitting to post a snippet from his final nights. Yes a few of you might be familiar with this.

Presenting, the inner thoughts of a Malkavian proxy Prince, to whom the world is a show and he is the star. Sparkle on, you funky little Malk.

My eyes open as day turns to dusk and finally to night, and there’s no time to waste. The next episode of “The Thomas Slater Show” is due to air in two hours, as much as I would like to get back in bed and sleep. The cameras aren’t rolling yet, a blessing in disguise. I love the attention, the applause, the ratings. But I’m so tired of it, all of it. My eyes take extra long to adjust, take in the room around me. That was one of the things the producers couldn’t fix, that and the damnable leg injury I took as a stupid teenager. I was dumb then, thinking I could be an athlete, a star. I guess I got that wish in a different sense, but you can only take stardom for so long.

This new haven is cold and foreboding, unlike my home in NYC. The city is quiet and calm, and it would be a relief if I wasn't in charge of the whole damn thing. This season's ratings have been low overall, and it does wear down on me. My heart's not in it and I think the producers are starting to notice. They sent down a rep, my sheriff. He says he's just here to keep an eye on me, to make sure the producers see what they want to see. Am I supposed to feel safe with that?

What am I even the prince of anyway? They said they're doing a trial run, and didn't want to send too many actors to the new stage, but there's so few of us. I don't think we stand a chance so close to the border. These thoughts begin to fade from my mind as I pull on a purple and red tie-dye blazer and head downstairs to start a pot of coffee. I can't drink the stuff anymore but Alex… it's the only way he'll feed.

For now, he's all that I live for. I messed up and I keep messing up. I messed up with Apollo and now I've messed up with Alex. I shouldn't have embraced even one, but now I've got two childer. Apollo hates me, that much is clear to me, given how our last few chats went. Maybe I won't make the same mistakes with Alex. Call me an empty nester if you must, when I was a kine I wanted to have a family and I guess I never grew out of it.

Alex knocks on the door frame when he comes into the kitchen, his way of getting my attention. I haven't heard him speak once since his embrace, I can only assume it must be part of his derangement. From what I can tell of his derangement, he takes after me in the worst of ways. Well, maybe not the worst. He's still bright and cheerful, smiling as wide as the day I offered a bright young film student an internship. He doesn't even seem to mind not understanding a word I say. We do talk of course, in different ways. Sign language wasn't too difficult for me to pick up, and the critics loved it. He can read lips well enough, and even though I can't, we still communicate fine.

I pour him a cup of coffee as he goes over what's scheduled for tonight. We look over the itinerary together as he sips the coffee deliberately spiked with blood. He still doesn't quite get it, even after all these months. He doesn't understand why he gets so angry once in a while, doesn't understand that he's not keeping food down because his body can't anymore. Blood is all that nourishes him, and I have to slip it into him where I can. Even when the lights overtake me and I have to put on a show, during commercials I make sure he's taken care of.

I'm careful with how much I tell him. I don't want him to grow like Apollo, to hate me yet. Not until he can stand on his own, or has friends to help him like I do. Maybe I'll get him a ghoul, someone who can help him when I'm not there any longer to do so. I don't have much longer.

Those golden eyes haunt me, the eyes of my own childe. Was embracing him a mistake? Perhaps but I was foolish thinking I could change things, I’m not even sure why I did it anymore. If anything I brought my doom closer at hand. I don't really even mind anymore, as I've grown tired from my years of performing. The nightmares have become more frequent as of late, being forced to my knees as an ominous voice speaks over me and Apollo looks down at me with hatred dripping from his eyes. The golden sparkle in his eyes is gone, dimmed and tired. I don't know what he's been through, but I know this is the face of the man who's going to be my death one day.

Hurry Apollo, but don't come too quickly. Not until Alex can stand on his own. For now we exit the haven as the stage lights begin to shine. The curtain will soon rise and all that will matter is the audience. Another night I hope to not see a golden sparkle staring back at me and I face it not with anticipation, but with a tired sigh. The producers will have their show, and soon, maybe not soon enough, their series finale.

[nichestartrekkie0-0]

How do Aenar respond to normal human food? (Spicy wings, bubbly soda, etc etc etc)

Yes!! I love this question!!! Thank you!

None of this is canon at all btw- more under the cut!

Ok, so it's canon that salt tastes spicy to Andorians. (Or, at least I think it is?) I thought it'd be funny for it to be the opposite for Aenar aka hot sauce tastes like salt, and salt tastes like nothing.

So Hemmer/Aenar can chow down on ghost pepper sauce and handle it just fine. Ghost peppers would just be really salty- and kinda gross.

As for sugar and soda, they love both. However, they're hard to find in the Northern Wastes. I headcanon that there's no commercial imports into the Aenar capitol (I have an economy set up that relies on exports (Specifically of minerals) to fund any international ventures, (Aka separation of internal and external economy) so the Aenar don't use money really, neither Federation credits or otherwise) So, soda is totally contraband, as are cigarettes and coffee. (Which is like gold there)

side note: bubbly soda is crazy to them. Hemmer spat it out the first time he had it at the academy he was so surprised. Sugary drinks are common, but drinks with bubbles are still a little out there.

Hemmer is the plug for his family when it comes to sour belts and melon soda! He really likes human food (esp. candy). (although getting him to admit that is nigh impossible)

Mint though, they hate it. Mint tastes like soap to them, the same as how cilantro tastes like soap to some humans.

Oh, and Andorian soda uses a botanical the Aenar hate as it tastes like bleach- it's a headcanon that the Speaker spit it out the first time she had it at a political dinner and almost had to fight an Ushaan.

However, as for meat (Wings), the Aenar have a religious thing around men touching meat. Blood is considered unclean (religiously and morally) so anyone touching blood is a big no-no... save for fish. Somehow, fish blood is just fine- for both men and others. Killing animals also has to be done in a humane way (Or I guess 'Aenaran way' haha) So, technically Hemmer would be a pescatarian off-world.

Not that he follows that all the time lol- I mean, KFC has to exist in 2240-50's right?

The Aenar usually grill/roast their food, so anything fried wouldn't really catch their fancy. They'd get sick of it pretty quick. They stick with the classics- (meat, fish, veggies, fruit, rice,) pretty consistently. Most dishes are pretty simple. The only thing they really splurge on is sugar.

I mean, cotton candy, right?

As for spicy stuff, it tastes like salt to them...which means if you're ever invited to an Aenar's house...bring tissues and a gallon of milk. Godspeed if you have a low spice tolerance.

Thankfully, most Aenar desserts and drinks don't have capsaicin/ spices in it.

Most. RIP.

[garaksapprentice]

In search of compostable clothing closures

Making clothes that are 97% biodegradable is surprisingly easy. Pick a natural fibre fabric, buy some 100% cotton or linen thread, and you're there. (You can even get 100% cotton overlocker thread - though you have to go searching for it.)

Those last few percent, though? That can be tough. One of the biggest offenders is closures. While there are plenty of clothes that don't need something to hold them shut, I confess I like having the option. Below is a round-up of various closures, and their compostability.

Note: for the purpose of this article, I'm treating metal closures as "compostable", in the sense that they're 1) easy to remove before you compost the rest of the object, and 2) infinitely reusable on other things, unless they break - at which point they're usually recyclable using our current commercial systems. And remember, re-using things that already exist is always preferable to buying new, "better" items.

Buckles/Rings

While less common than other closure methods, I find buckles, D-rings and O-rings are great when used in the right context. They're usually metal or plastic, neither of which are compostable - but metal will last practically forever, if it's good quality. Plastic tends to degrade over time, especially if exposed to the sun.

I find rings especially quick and easy to use, and a set of D-rings can give a very fine-tuned amount of tightening. My favourite belt uses two square D-rings instead of a buckle closure.

Buttons

The humble button, while ubiquitous now, took a while to catch on. Buttons as a common method of closure didn't become popular in Europe* until about the early 1300s, around the same time that the tailoring revolution[^] happened.

Nowadays, plastic is by far the most common material that buttons are made from. It's cheap and sturdy, but obviously it doesn't compost. So what are some alternatives?

Liz Haywood, a pattern maker who focuses on zero-waste designs, has thought a bit about this conundrum here. There's photos of several different DIY compostable and recycled buttons in her post.

For a completely compostable garment, wood, leather, horn, fabric, and thread buttons are your best bet. If, like most sensible people, you remove the buttons from something that's about to be worm food before you ditch it, the options expand considerably - metal, clay, recycled bottle caps, even glass buttons are all possible. You can have a lot of fun with making your own buttons - to match an outfit, or contrast with it, or maybe you'd like a different button for every buttonhole...

Another, related option is cufflinks - 18th century shirts often used cufflinks on the sleeves and one or two small thread buttons on the collar. That way one set of cufflinks could be used on multiple shirts, showing off a bit of wealth, while saving them from the (admittedly harsh) laundry practices of the day.

[*]: I have no doubt that buttons became popular in other parts of the world, too, but unfortunately I don't know much about it. Europe in the 14-15th century is my main area of study, mostly due to the fact that the historical re-enactment group that I'm a part of operates in that time period.

[^]: The tailoring revolution refers to the period where garments for the higher classes underwent a dramatic change in the way they were cut out. The very short version is, fashion garments shifted from primarily rectangular construction to more form-fitting, using the precursors of many standard cutting practices used today.

Elastic

While elastic isn't technically a closure, it's used that way in many different objects. Most elastic nowadays is made from polyester and synthetic rubber. No composting there.

But, all is not lost! You can now find elastics made of natural rubber and cotton! (I was quite impressed by this, to be honest. I thought I'd have to give up elastic for good.)

The downside, as is usual when you actually give a crap about the planet, is cost. You'll mostly only find it for sale online (Etsy has several options), and it can be more expensive (especially factoring in shipping). Prices on the compostable elastics I found were comparable to a mid-range polyester elastic at Spotlight (before shipping). I think that's actually pretty good, all things considered. (I don't trust the cheapest elastic, it loses its stretch ridiculously fast. A fact I discovered to my sorrow only after buying a 20m roll of it.)

As a bonus, supposedly natural rubber elastic lasts longer than synthetic elastics - this has been my experience with many natural vs synthetic things, but I haven't tested natural elastic specifically to know for sure.

The biggest downside here is the rubber - if you're dealing with a latex allergy, this is not the solution for you.

Hooks and Eyes

While these have fallen out of favour over the years, they do have their uses in a compostable closet. They're easy to buy, and easy to make if you can get hold of the wire - all you need is a set of needle-nose pliers.

Being metal, the hook/eye can be re-used until it breaks - which takes a while. Like buttons, they're easy to take off a garment and move to another one. Unlike buttons, they don't need a buttonhole - you can move both the hook and eye almost anywhere on a garment, really refining the fit of an item.

They are, however, somewhat limited in that application - hooks and eyes work best if they're under a small but constant amount of tension, pulling in opposite directions. I once tried to use hooks and eyes on a loose-fitting medieval tunic, and it just didn't work.

Laces and Ties

Before buttons became The Big Thing in medieval Europe (and for quite a few centuries after), laces and ties were the closure method du jour. Why did they stick around so long? The same reason pyjama pants often have a drawstring in them - they add adjustability to garments in a simple and easy to use (and create!) way. Stays and corsets are one of the most recognisable examples of this concept in action.

Lacing does work better on some things than others, but just about anywhere that you'd put elastic nowadays can likely use a drawstring instead. And there are some patterns (YouTube link) for adjustable garments that use lacing as an integral part of the design.

The main downside for me? They can be slow to use, and awkward, if you have difficulty with fine motor control. Mine is variable enough that I'll usually opt for a different closure, unless lacing or ties really is the best or only option.

Snaps

Confession: I adore snaps. They're fast and easy to use when my hands don't want to co-operate, and they can be wonderfully decorative as well as functional.

There are two general types - those you sew into place like you sew on hooks and eyes, and ones that are applied to the fabric using a press. The former takes more time to install, but can be replaced relatively easily if they stop working. The latter can technically be replaced, but it's a LOT harder and you risk damaging the fabric behind it while you try. They're also more likely to rip out of the fabric in the first place.

As for material, it's pretty much just metal and plastic (sometimes a combination). From a sustainability standpoint, metal is the better option - as long as you recycle it at the end of its life.

Zips

Zips are everywhere nowadays. They're easy to use, but can be hard to replace when they break. Putting them in correctly isn't always a cake-walk either. And in terms of compostability, the answer is definitely "no".

The vast majority of zippers on the market use a polyester or poly-cotton tape, with plastic or metal teeth set into it, and plastic or metal tabs and pulls. Because of the mix of materials, and the size of a typical zip, most municipal waste streams can't take them for recycling. However, textile recyclers` such as Upparel usually take zips (and the things they're attached to!).

I also found a couple of different manufacturers creating zips out of post-consumer recycled materials - a pleasant surprise, and a strong move towards closing waste streams. 

[`]: Clothing retailers are increasingly taking responsibility for their part in reducing waste by offering recycling programs through their stores. Recycling Near You and Frankie list some of the major programs in Australia, though it's worth noting that most of those listed only want whole textiles or large pieces - to my knowledge, Upparel is the only place that will take scraps, broken textiles, and related.

If I've missed a closure type, or you know of places selling compostable or truly recyclable versions of any of the above, I would love to hear about it. While I'm (currently) a far less prolific sewist than the blog name implies, I want to be deliberate and thoughtful in my sewing choices going forward. 

Also, as a last random thought, I wonder if anyone has started making bioplastic versions of any of the above? *Wanders off to do some research...*

Originally published at my blog: https://garaksapprentice.blogspot.com/2023/09/in-search-of-compostable-closures.html

[hazbinned]

@angie-long-legs - FOUR DAYS POST-EXORCISM.

'CONGRATS, ANGEL!'

That's what all the banners said. And the balloons. And the little silver foil sign that stuck out of the cake at a lopsided angle. The streamers didn't say anything, but they were pink and black and white and gold, just like the rest of the decorations that cluttered the parlor.

They had polka-dots. So did the balloons.

Just like Angel.

Most of the residents were in the other room, trying to prep the food and figure out how to get the buffet table assembled. Everything smelled lovely. There was even soft, upbeat, poppy music coming from their general vicinity, but it was muffled by the presence of the walls, and so were their voices.

Angel Dust was on the sofa, watching TV. It seemed like he hadn't moved from the spot for days, although he must have.

Vox was tasked with putting up the streamers.

What a wasteful thing, streamers; rolls upon rolls of thinly-cut, brightly colored paper, created with the sole purpose of being strung across the ceiling (for a few days at best), and then torn down and tossed in the garbage.

Rinse and repeat, per every celebration!

Why, Vox wondered, should anyone have to go through the trouble of climbing so high and risking injury... just to take it all down when everything was said and done? Nobody looked at streamers when partying, after all. They didn't look at balloons, either. Nor did they pay attention to the little silver foil sign that stuck out of the cake at a lopsided angle...

Those things were all just objects. Meaningless, worthless objects— not even reusable! What mattered most about parties were the people who attended, and the memories they shared!

Vox came to stand behind the sofa, empty red eyes flicking twice over the outdated television that Angel seemed so glued to. He glanced down at the cardboard box of decorations that he held close to his chest, and then up at the back of Angel's fluffy head, and again at the TV.

Then, he turned his back to it all, and started to sift through the various items. Charlie had said she wanted a balanced mix of pink, black, and white- alternating.

A simple instruction to follow. Vox could start on this end of the room with the pink, and just keep switching them out until he hit the opposite side.

His thoughts were cut short by the spike in volume of the TV-- a commercial break!

"'Ey, you! Yeah, YOU! Bloke with the crummy haircut!" "Me?" "What'd I just say? ... All alone, too. That chick just rejected you, didn't she? You don't 'ave much game, you poor thing!"

It was a woman with a thick British accent and some... generic-sounding guy, but Vox wasn't entirely zeroed in on the script and hadn't bothered to look up. The woman sounded familiar enough, though. Hell, the entire thing sounded familiar. Almost like Vox knew it by the back of his hand.

His mind was still a bit spacy, so he omitted pieces of the ad here and there, tiredly breaking open the plastic seal around the pink streamers as he continued listening.

"Wow, I'm cured! Now I'm getting every lady I want, and I didn't even have to shower!" "And the men, too!" "Thanks, Velvette!" "Eh, no biggie. But don't forget to thank Valentino. HE'S the secret ingredient!" A new voice entered the scene. "... ¡Ay! Come onnnnnnn, now it's not a SECRET anymore!"

Vox stopped dead at the sound of Val's whining, and looked up, sparks flying.

His eyes, jolting round his head, snapped onto the screen.

"Love Potion by Velvette!" Vel and Val giggled in unison.

That could make a grown man cry.

Vox dropped the container of supplies and vaulted over the couch, landing on the cushion beside Angel so heavily that he might have launched the spider into the air.

"Turn the fucking TV off. This show is shit and all the ads are, too." He grappled the remote out of Angel's unsuspecting hands and then began flipping through the stations at such a breakneck speed that the poor thing's speakers started getting all garbled. The entire time, he wore the most furious grin fathomable. "Everything on here is garbage. Trash. Hate it all. It rots your mind. I'm sooo SICK and TIRED of hearing this phony TV mediocrity while I'm trying to WORK..."

[bensonsballerz]

draft for a valentines day fic i never finished

"God fucking dammit" Jean swore, once again tripping over the same array of red and pink garland that had fallen to the floor yesterday.

PERCEPTION: A lonely strand of painters tape hangs from the low hanging ceiling. It's lover is attached to one end of the garland, now at the mercy of Satellite-Officer Jean Vicquemare. He's now angrily kicking the colorful garland like it just insulted his mother.

- Did it?

LOGIC: Of course not; cheap decorations don't talk.

INLAND EMPIRE: How would you know?

- Where did these decorations even come from?

LOGIC: Obviously, they were put up yesterday. You weren't here, remember?

ESPIRIT DE CORPS: You should have been here, pansy.

PAIN THRESHOLD: Yes, because having food poisoning makes you a pansy.

Red and pink decorations ranging from paper hearts to plastic cutouts of infant's with wings hang from the ceiling and from various desks. The bright colors are a stark contrast from the musty walls of the old saw mill.

- Right, ok, but why are they up? Is it someone's birthday?

SUGGESTION: These are not decorations typical of a birthday party. Why not ask somebody?

AUTHORITY: Absolutely not. We cannot look stupid.

ESPIRIT DE CORPS: I agree. Plus, these decorations are a waste of police finances and are distracting from our duties. Just ignore them.

CONCEPTUALIZATION: Don't listen to them, this place was getting depressing. If the walls could talk, they'd be writing suicide notes.

ENCYCLOPEDIA: The decorations are for Journée de Amoureux, or "The Day of the Lovers" or "Lovers Day."

- That's a lot of names for one holiday.

ENCYCLOPEDIA: It's a yearly holiday originating centuries ago via the martyr Pietist Lover as well as the Dolorian celebration of Caliluper. Over time it has been largely commercialized, however, with a major association being focused on the sale of chocolates, flowers, and expensive dinners.

EMPATHY: The day is pleasant for some, depressing for others.

SHIVERS: A woman sobs as she grips the ring on her finger, a symbol of her devotion to her fiancee whom she just found sleeping with a mistress. This is the second time she has found him doing this in their bed. Despite the pain, she can't bear to toss the ring out, her heart still devoted to him and waiting to be walked down the aisle. Most marriages do not last in Revachol; she was hoping they would be different.

In another part of town, a teenage boy lingers in front of a flower shop, rocking back and forth on his heels as a bead of sweat trickles down his pimpled face. Clutched in his hand is his allowance money, which he wants to use to buy a bouquet for a girl in his class. She will say yes.

In a Fritte shop, an employee groans as they stock another shelf of overpriced chocolate, checking their watch for the 5th time that minute.

[starrystrawb]

Our next Mother Nature is Swamp! Also known as Wetlands. While she is closely related to Water, they're very different. Water ebbs, flows, and changes as her environment needs her to. Wetlands however, is unforgiving and unyielding to the outside perspective.

Recent events have made Wetlands wild, chaotic, and feral. She is over run with invasive species, illegal hunting, and pollution. While her waters used to glow turquoise, they now seem brown. But she's ready for the fight!

Our eco-tips!

There are things called Eco-Bricks, or Plastic Bricks. They're plastic bottled stuffed with other plastic waste. You pack the inside as tightly and densely as you can, and then send the "brick" to one of several companies using those bricks to build! It's fun, relatively easy, and free! Don't feel bad that you have waste, we all do! Just use it for good!

It's time to stock up on that vitamin D! Not to sound like a 2008 "Nicks Day of Outside Play" commercial but go outside! Vitamin D has been proven many times in many studies to improve mental health! And while you're out there, soaking up the sun and getting all those good brain chemicals, think about picking up some trash! Yeah, yeah. I know, you've heard it all before. But seriously. Just go to your back yard or your front yard or in front of your building or behind your building or to a park or wherever! Go to a parking lot! And pick up the trash you see on the ground. One piece, four bags, an entire dumpster full! It all helps.

I know the time has long since passed, but if you are considering putting lights or decorations on the outside of your home, be sure to secure them so they are wild-life safe! Deer, elk, and moose can get their horns tangled in string lights. Birds and bats can confuse blinking lights with prey. Secure your outside decor properly! Keep yourself, and your wild friends safe!

Speaking of securing things! If you live in an area that has bears, mountain lions, or any dumpster-enjoying predators, bear-proof your trash cans! You can use attachable mechanisms, locking trash cans, ratchet straps, or even try securing the trashcan to a tree or a post of some kind! Do your best to make sure the little critters cant get into the garbage. Not only are these animals not built for human food, prolonged exposure to human interaction can cause massive problems. Animals that attack or harm people run the risk of being put down. Keep everyone safe and secure your trash! At home and in the wilderness.

Shop carefully! I know we all try our best to buy cruelty free, reed labels, and do our research. In my personal opinion, I don't think I should have to google for 45 minutes to find out if a brand is greenwashing or if they're really cruelty free. So here are some things I've found! If a company imports to china, they are not cruelty free. China has animal testing laws in place for all imported cosmetics. If you want to buy things like Grove, those reusable spray bottles and soap bottles, but find the glass containers a little expensive, just buy the refill packs. Pop those bad boys into a bottle you already have, like a reused windex bottle, and it's the same. Just remember to label it properly! I love buying from companies like Sand Cloud, 4Ocean, Pela, and similar brands that are certified B-Corp and have clear and PROVABLE missions.

Base

[thegreataxolotlblog]

Axolotl's as pets

Despite being endangered, Axolotls are gaining a quick market as pets. whether or not this is good will be covered in a later post but for now we're talking about Axolotl's as pets,

Axolotl Behaviour and Temperament

While axolotls are relatively hardy to slight fluctuations in their environment, they also have delicate, soft bodies with permeable skin. In fact, most of their body is made of cartilage rather than bone. That means they should not be handled unless absolutely necessary. And if you do have to move them out of their tank, do so with a fine mesh net that won't entangle any of their body parts.

Once you have their housing setup correct, you generally only have to spend a few hours per week on feeding and cleaning. The rest is simply enjoying them as a quiet, aquatic companion. Axolotls tend to be fairly bold and are perfectly content to move about their tank as they're being watched by their humans. Some will come up to the side of their tank when a person is there observing them.

However, they aren’t particularly social animals and don’t require any tank companions. They should not be kept with other species as axolotls might try to eat pet fish, and the fish sometimes nip at them, as well. You even should be cautious about housing them with other axolotls. Juvenile axolotls can be cannibalistic toward one another, so they are best raised in separate enclosures. Adults can potentially be housed together, but still, watch out for cannibalistic tendencies. If a body part gets bitten off by a tank mate, an axolotl actually can regenerate it over time. However, it's still best to avoid this situation altogether.

Housing the Axolotl

At least a 15- to 20-gallon fish tank is recommended for axolotls. Make sure the tank has a secure lid, as it's not uncommon for these animals to try to jump out of their enclosure. A land area is unnecessary in the tank for these fully aquatic animals. At a minimum, the water depth should be slightly more than the length of your axolotl. But adding extra depth will help with water quality and give your animal more room to move.

Keep the tank in a cool room away from bright sunlight with the water temperature between 57 and 68 degrees Fahrenheit (14 and 20 degrees Celsius); don't allow it to get above 75 degrees Fahrenheit (24 degrees Celsius). No special lighting is required for axolotls (unlike many reptiles). In fact, a dark hiding spot, such as a flower pot laid on its side or an aquarium castle, is often appreciated.

Some owners opt to leave the bottom of the tank bare, though others believe this might stress the axolotl if it can't get a foothold on the smooth bottom. If gravel is used on the bottom, it must be coarse gravel that's bigger than the axolotl's head. Fine gravel might be ingested and cause an obstruction.

Tap water treated with an aquarium water conditioner that removes chlorine and chloramines is fine for axolotls. Never use distilled water, and make sure the pH of the water remains between 6.5 and 7.5. (You can find a water test kit to check at most pet stores.) Most owners find a filtered aquarium is easier to maintain because unfiltered water needs frequent changing to remove waste. However, if you choose to have a filter on the tank, the filtration rate should be slow. Powerful filters that create strong currents can stress an axolotl.

For a filtered tank, cleaning typically consists of a 20% water change each week, as well as siphoning waste from the bottom of the tank. If you're not using a filter, you likely will have to do a 20% water change daily or every other day. Never do a full water change, as this can alter the water chemistry too drastically and stress your Axolotl.

Food and Water

In the wild, axolotls feed on snails, worms, crustaceans, small fish, and small amphibians. In captivity, they can be fed a variety of brine shrimp, small strips of beef or liver, earthworms, bloodworms, tubifex worms, other frozen fish foods, and commercial fish pellets. Do not feed any worms or fish you caught yourself, as they can carry parasites. In general, no vitamin or mineral supplements are necessary.

Consult your veterinarian regarding the amount of food to offer, as well as how often to feed your axolotl, as this varies depending on age and size. In general, many adults take two to three feedings per week. One of the best methods to feed is by holding the food in round-nosed forceps in the tank near the animal. You also can simply drop the food in the water as close to the axolotl as possible. If your axolotl isn't interested in eating much during the day, try feeding it in the evening when it's typically more active. Remove any uneaten food from the tank every day to keep the water clean.

Common Health Problems

A notable characteristic of axolotls is their regenerative powers. In the case of injuries that aren’t life-threatening, they’re able to regrow their limbs, tail, and even other body parts, such as heart and eye tissue.

But this remarkable ability doesn't protect them from all health issues. Unsanitary tank conditions can lead to viral or bacterial infections, the signs of which include lethargy and a lack of appetite. Plus, ammonia build-up from waste in the tank can be toxic. If this occurs, it can interfere with the respiratory process causing damage to the gills as well as result in neurological damage.

Moreover, axolotls with gravel in their tank that's small enough to eat are prone to gastrointestinal obstructions. If your axolotl experiences an obstruction, it will likely be sluggish and not want to eat. And if it's not promptly treated, death can occur quickly.

Furthermore, axolotls rarely do undergo metamorphosis into a terrestrial form. The reasons for this are poorly understood, though it might have to do with hormones or water characteristics. The metamorphosis can be extremely stressful for an axolotl, and it can significantly shorten its lifespan. If you notice abnormal changes to your animal's body, such as it starting to grow larger, have a veterinarian who specializes in exotic pets examine it as soon as possible.

(Photo of unhealthy Axolotl)

Purchasing Your Axolotl

Always acquire an animal from a reputable breeder or rescue group. It's best not to buy an axolotl through the internet or a classified ad unless you've spoken directly with the seller, and they're able to provide you with adequate information on the animal. If they can't give you thorough documentation on its origin and health history, that's a red flag. It's also ideal to speak with people who have acquired animals from that seller to uncover any concerns. Plus, a local exotic veterinarian often can direct you to a good breeder or rescue.

Expect to pay between $20 and $70 on average. Animals with more rare coloring, such as copper, tend to cost more. A healthy axolotl will be active, and it might accept food if you offer it. Its skin shouldn't be flaky, and its body should be somewhat plump (as opposed to underweight), though it shouldn't have any abnormal swelling.

All information above was sourced from The Spruce Pets