#posting here to share but also to preserve a copy on my blog to enjoy later | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

taekooktimeline · 9 months ago

Text

Hello 👋🏽

I’ve completed uploading episodes 1-4 of “are you sure” 🥳It goes without saying, but this is a Taekook focused blog so all of these posts, just like all my other posts, highlight Taekook and their bond (or in some instances, my posts archive important pieces of information so others can’t distort facts).

I wanted to upload episode 3 as one post, and episode 4 as one post, but Tumblr wouldn’t let that happen due to their sizes. When I shrank photos to make each episode one post, text and images became blurred and my OCD couldn’t stand it. I hate that they each have 2 posts, but I preferred it to the alternative of unreadable pieces.

I’m not sure if I’ve ever gone in depth about the uploading process? It’s quite an undertaking for long pieces. I first draft the posts in Google docs. This can take days as I rewatch things, chat with friends and gather what people have noticed from my timeline. One episode can take 3-4 hours to watch, as I draft as I go and then go back through and fill in further, then tighten it all up.

After this, I upload the draft into Word Press. It’s not straightforward anymore. When I copy and paste the draft into WP, only the text follows. I have to then go back to Google docs and copy / paste the pictures one by one, and then add the timestamps and hyperlinks under these pictures.

Once that’s done, I convert the post into HTML code. I can’t simply hit “select all.” I have to drag my finger down the entire post and carefully hit copy, or else I erase the whole post (which has happened). I then copy / paste the HTML code into my email and email it to myself.

From there, I copy / paste the code and upload it into Tumblr. Tumblr won’t let me post more than 30 photos a post now, sadly, which means splitting posts up. I have to read the HTML code and decide where to break things up.

I upload the post, then reblog it to its respective year, so you can read the post in the “main” timeline, but also in chronological order in the year it happened. When it’s reblogged to its year of occurrence, I have to scroll to events that happened around that date to determine what backdate to make that piece, so it lands in the correct spot of the timeline.

Uploading these posts took me all morning. Factoring in drafting, I spent at least 2-2.5 days on these episodes.

I’m not sure why I felt like sharing that today, except that I wanted to really take a moment and sincerely thank anyone who stops by to read my blog and let you know it’s so appreciated. Even if no one read this blog, I archive Taekook’s moments as one way of supporting them. I really enjoy preserving their moments - we have so many! - and looking back fondly.

So I’d do it no matter if no one read this, but knowing people do read this blog and treasure it as much as I do means so much to me. I’m thankful for the friendships formed, the people I’ve been able to talk to and some I’ve been fortunate to meet in real life, and it’s all thanks to this blog.

Not only that, my anxiety gets the best of me. I greatly admire those who tweet on Twitter, or post on Instagram, without giving much thought. I can’t do it. I wish I could. I will sit on posts, get anxious, bail out of posting, or post then mute because I’m so tense. I’m not sure why that is. Sometimes I wish my accounts were smaller so I could maybe feel more comfortable freely speaking my mind. But I also think I’d be anxious no matter what because social media is so toxic and dark and my energy can’t stand it. It doesn’t help I’m still trying to figure out my medical mysteries, and that’s been such a drain on my energy. I can’t find it in me to do much more than lurk on Twitter and IG right now.

Here on tumblr, I feel like I’m in my little safe space. It’s quiet here, I post my pieces and show my support, and my support is measured in a more meaningful way for who I am as a person (in addition to streaming, buying their merch etc). I really am so grateful for this space. We all support in our ways and though I wish I was bolder on TW and IG, I appreciate those who are and I also appreciate that we are all here to equally love and support Tae and Jk. That’s what matters.

So if you’re reading this, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for being here and reading this blog💜💚

#taekook #taekooktimeline #asks #discussions

80 notes · View notes

jackiefour · 1 year ago

Text

💟 Liking things on Tumblr 💜

Do people actually think that the only reason to hit the like heart is to trigger an algorithm? Am I just too literal in my use of it? Do others really not look at a post and think, "Oh I like this..." give it a like. Or, "Oh I want op to know that I saw this..." give it a like. I never once hit that heart with the thought of it being used to serve me up more posts (although it does do that too).

The like button is a little heart because it's a little love.

It also is a great way to leave breadcrumbs for yourself to mark where you've been. And let me tell you, after spending a decade (plus) on this site, there will be many, many times when you see a post and think to yourself, oh that looks familiar, have I seen this before? And that little heart will be the only way to tell.

But also, all those posts that say that there's no algorithm are kind of lying because the For You is looking at your likes and will make suggestions of other posts based off of them, along with other data related to how you interact with and search for posts on the site, to serve you up even more posts and blogs that you may want to follow.

So liking posts is not pointless and I really wish people would stop saying that it is.

What they should be doing instead is playing up all the benefits of reblogging posts (of which there are many) and encouraging people to add reblogging to their list of interactions here.

Reblogging is amazing and awesome!

Reblogging shares posts so that even more people can see them. If you enjoyed it then other people will too, share it.

It keeps a copy of the post on your blog so it's there forever (or until you delete it). Even if the OP deletes their post or even their entire blog, your reblog will live on long after they've gone, preserving great posts for posterity.

Reblogging leads to World Heritage Posts. You know all those posts that you've only ever seen screenshots of? Well, they're all still kicking around here somewhere and someday may cross your dash, when they do, slam that reblog button and not only help it continue to live and grow, but then you'll become part of that heritage, and that's a pretty cool feeling.

If you're new here, or still getting your sea legs, and you haven't dug into your settings yet, we all highly recommend that you give it a try. There are lots of ways to control and cultivate your own experience here, this is a place that is all about you, for you. So dig in, rearrange the furniture, put up some posters and pictures, and get comfy, you're probably going to be here for a while.

#how to tumblr #tumblr things

2 notes · View notes

rabiid-bunny · 4 years ago

Note

Before you knew Sebaciel was a popular ship, what made you ship them in the first place?

[Hello! I actually went into detail about this on my last blog so I'm going to copy and paste my answer. I also wrote a post adjacent to why I ship them about the way they need each other and that is linked below]

As far as ship popularity goes, I cannot speak for everyone. I can, however, explain why I ship Sebaciel.

It is very simple, really. The connection the two have between each other, their dynamics, it has completely drawn me in.

The more I read the manga, the more I fell in love with the concept of a weak, broken and angelically beautiful being chaining down a dark, mysterious devil that would do any and everything for him. And no, I am not talking about the contract, the whole ‘I’ll save your life to preserve my meal’ thing.

I mean the emotions. The fury in Sebastian’s eyes when Ciel’s well-being is threatened, when Ciel says something he finds amusing, when Ciel proves he is way more evil than his all powerful demon butler. Sebastian has stated over and over again that he does not have “human emotions” yet when it comes to Ciel, they are clearly displayed across his face and through his body language. The two of them share a very sacred bond, where Ciel has entrusted almost all of himself to Sebastian, everything except for the display/vocalization of his true feelings at certain times.

The irony between the two is almost as suffocating as it is intriguing. A weak, small child, at the helms of death, being saved, getting his life extended by none other than.. a demon. A menacing devil, come to save the day, only to be practically worshiping the ground this young human walks on.

It is very interesting to think deeper into what happens behind closed doors between them in the Phantomhive manor with all of this irony, is it not? Conversations, games, exchange of power, etc.

There isn’t any black or white reason as to why I ship them, why I believe they are so shippable. But I will say this; it has nothing to do with any new age romanticized bonding. Not the “They look good together” or even “they look like they love each other.”

Because they don’t.

Love each other, that is.

There is an emotion that is deeper than love there, something sinister that has its claws wrapped around everyone that supports the Sebaciel ship. I drown in their relationship because I have dared to dig deeper, to penetrate the thin surface of the façade they both put on for everyone and I have discovered something.

They need each other.

Think of it this way. There is a difference between saying “I love (want) you” and “I cannot possibly exist without you.”

You can love someone all you want from a distance and not have two thoughts about them.

But what if the other is the very air you breathe?

In order to be the lovable characters that everyone adores, be exactly who they are at this point in time (Sebastian admitting this is exactly what he enjoys doing [being Ciel’s butler]), the other has to exist. For the other one, they both need to exist.

And not only exist but exist together.

[original post here]

#ask #sebaciel

91 notes · View notes

bradypnoea · 3 years ago

Note

Why do you repost fanfics? Why don't you just reblog them? I saw that you tag them, but do you at least ask the author, or notify them?

Hello, I apologise for the delay on this response; recently many Real Life things have happened in quick succession, I'm sure you understand.

My answer for this has a few pieces: first being, I never considered keeping this blog to be a form of re-posting. I certainly don't think I've ever claimed these works as my own, though I'm happy to make that more obvious in the future if so needed. Along with that I rarely include a full work on this page, only a few introductory paragraphs before a redirect link (off the top of my head I do think I have just-the-fics-maam's one-shot "Welcome Home" posted on the old blog, which I'll come back to).

Second, I have in the past made efforts to contact authors prior to posting a story here. I will admit I have not done so with EVERY work and I will make that a more routine practice. But what course should I take if I never receive a response? Many of the works I include (and plan to include) here are at least five years old. Some authors are no longer active on Tumblr, and I try to notate and link accurately as possible for whoever might visit this page. Additionally, there are works hosted on AO3 (or elsewhere) that may not have a corresponding post on Tumblr to reblog, or may not be linked to a Tumblr at all.

Third, and I want to be clear that I don't mean to sound combative, but I don't have much time to spend scrolling blogs anymore and I may just be old and out of touch and unaware of Best Practices at this point? I have been happy to see the increase in authors posting full works and chapters to Tumblr, which had fallen out of fashion in years past, and I’d agree that it’s vital that recognition for an author’s work should be funnelled to the author. However, If an author no longer wishes to be associated with a past work, would it be disrespectful for readers to share it around with the author’s info redacted? If a work is posted exclusively on Tumblr, do readers have a right to copy the text into their own word processors, for their personal reading, for easier reading or in anticipation of the blog being abruptly deleted? I’ve been around long enough to see such things happen.

Honestly, there are a few works that have been lost to deletion that I almost wish I WOULD have somehow archived in full - If anyone has a copy of "I Love To Hate You" or "Within the Walls of Westminster" by wildlubricatedrobot or the 'Bluebirds' one-shot "Reconciled" by sweetoceancloud PLEASE let me know - and for that reason I did on one occasion put the entire "Welcome Home" text on my blog, so I would continue to have access to that work.

I regret leaving my theme to languish, I think my Intro/Info post (link here), where I try to make plain my intentions, may have been made inaccessible by my inaction and for that I apologise. I started this as a makeshift repository for works I personally enjoyed reading, with the understood possibility that other people might also enjoy them or had been trying to find old favourites. I know searching for a work via tags or body text on AO3 can be incredibly difficult especially if the work is behind the consent checkpoint.

I want to be on the right side of this, even if it means adjusting my practices, I want to act responsibly within the ethics of creative ownership of fanworks. I'm very familiar with the incidents of malicious re-posting, and I've personally removed access to works at authors' request while acting as an admin on the THF blog. At the same time I want to sincerely engage with the idea of appropriate preservation and documentation, especially for private/non-commercial enjoyment.

If you are (or know) an author that would rather I not direct readers to a work in my current method please let me know and I will rectify that quickly. On the other hand, this question has raised many questions of my own and I wonder what, if any, general standards exist at this point or if it would vary by author. I'd love to hear perspectives on this if anyone feels comfortable offering theirs. I can't spend more time on this ask currently, but I appreciate hearing from you. b|x

#b|anons #b|asks #The Rest #long post

4 notes · View notes

putschki1969 · 4 years ago

Photo

2021/06/13 Blog post by Wakana あの瞬間をぎゅっと！！〜保存の仕方教えてください〜

Embracing that moment tightly!! ~ Please tell me the best preservation methods ~

❗This is Fan Club EXCLUSIVE content❗ ❗PERSONAL USE ONLY❗ Do ❗NOT SHARE❗ on other sites ❗ Join her FAN CLUB! Check out my detailed TUTORIAL ❗

We have prepared a question for everyone as we are working on the next fan club newsletter!!! This time’s topic is "Please recommend some easily preserved dishes and tell me the best preservation methods!!” This is something we always have to worry about, isn’t it? During the rainy season and in summer, I feel like I'm thinking about it every single day (.-_-.) *laughs* In winter, when you make a big pot you don't even have to put it in the refrigerator, you can just put the whole thing in a cool area and it will stay fresh for a long time. But in the summer time, if you don't put it in the fridge, everything will go bad immediately! I can't just leave my miso soup standing somewhere! Moreover, even IF you put it in the refrigerator, it will still turn bad quickly! I am not the only one worrying about stuff like that constantly, or am I ...??? *laughs* Therefore, if you try to prepare simple dishes that are easy to preserve, you will naturally end up with a lot of traditional Japanese dishes. Boiled veggies, veggies pickled in vinegar, stir-fried ginger, stir-fried miso, etc. Ah, namul is also super delicious ~ (* ´ω` *) I really like Korean food!

Please share your secrets and wisdom with me! !! !! How are you guys doing it?? What are the best ways to store vegetables for example?!! I want to know everything!! Some surprsing and overlooked methods maybe? Something other than just storing it in the fridge. I’m looking forward to your contributions! !! !! !! ･: * +. \ ((° ω °)) /.:+ https://wakana-fc.jp/contents/432895

Hello, this is Wakana (0￣ ▽ ￣0) /

my mind is always focused on food, so please help me out~ ♪

By the way, as I mentioned on Instagram the other day, I watched an edit of the video footage of my "Wakana Spring Live ~ magic moment ~ 2021" Blu-ray which is set to be released on August 11th!!! My long over-due “magic moment” concert, performing with my band for the first time in about two years, it was truly a special moment beyond my imagination. I'm really happy to see all the band members coming together to create music in such a hapy manner in the video. Everyone seems to be having a lot of fun, Tsuruya-san on his drums always has a big smile on his face when he plays and it seems like his physical strength really comes across so well on screen. Hamasaki-san on bass was quietly playing a refined sound and just looking super cool, Ueda-san on guitar is clearly enjoying himself and the music with a great look on his face whenever he got to really lean into a solo, Takebe-san on keyboard always has a serious look on his face but that’s just how he is I want all of you to see these small movements and expressions of the band members in the video...! Because this way, you can experience "the feeling of actually being at the venue"! This time, the performance itself and the documentary were produced by director Ayumi Sakamoto, who also filmed the MV of "Toki ni wa Mukashi no Hanashi wo". Director Ayumi-san did an amazing job filming wonderful footage that firmly captures the audience's desire of wanting to see specific scenes during a live. The video editing staff also poured all of their love into the Blu-ray, the video really conveys the passionate feelings of everyone involved in the making of this concert. It it not just a mere live put onto a blu-ray disc, it is so much more. The unique sounds and the heat of the moment are also captured within that small blu-ray package. The passion and effort of every single staff member who contributed to this live is also packed into the blu-ray. And then we have the documentary which is super interesting too! I feel like at this point it's okay to show a lot of myself in footage like that \\\\ ٩ ('ω') و //// *laughs* I also talk a lot about various things, so please be sure to check it out once you have received your copy!!! We also recorded a lot of the rehearsals! However, personally, I think the actual backstage footage made me laugh the most. You honestly have to watch it! *laughs*

Well then, I will leave it at that. Last but not least, here’s a picture of the japchae I made yesterday. I have been growing my own green peppers. I love japchae!!!

Until next time~ ☆ (*'▽' *) /

*** Wakana ***

Wakana Instagram post

#kalafina #wakana #wakana bog #botanical land #fan club exclusive content #I cannot wait for the bluray

14 notes · View notes

poop4u · 5 years ago

Text

Hiking With Dogs: A Guide to Safely Taking a Hike With Your Dog

#Poop4U

The post Hiking With Dogs: A Guide to Safely Taking a Hike With Your Dog by Paul J. Kearney appeared first on Dogster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren't considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Dogster.com.

Going on a hike with your dog and sharing the beauty of nature can be one of the greatest ways of making memories, getting exercise and having adventures. That is, if you and your dog are capable and prepared — if not, things can go horribly wrong. Don’t be scared off by that last part; things are less likely to go wrong when we are prepared with proper gear, physical conditioning and knowledge.

Get in shape

Conditioning and your pup’s age are two of the most vital aspects of hiking with dogs. Start off on short hikes with a forgiving terrain and easier trails, and work your way up to longer hikes over time. If you are planning on a 5-mile hike, your dog should be able to walk 10 miles, and the same goes for you.

If you are new to hiking, take it slow, and take easy trails. If you are experienced, still go slow and take easy trails for your dog. (Note: Brachycephalic dog breeds — smoosh-faced — don’t make the best hiking partners, as they are prone to breathing issues.)

Watch the weather

The next important aspects are the weather and knowing the trail conditions. Checking the weather and planning for it is of utmost importance. Respect the weather. Heat exhaustion happens too often on hikes. Hike with your dog when the weather is cool enough to avoid any possible heat exhaustion. During the hottest part of the day, be done with your hike and off trail, or stop at a planned scenic spot for a snack, some water and some playtime, too. For cold weather hikes, dress accordingly and also have a jacket for your dog if needed.

Choose the best trail

Choose trails with even terrain and ones with trail signs, blazes and markers, like the well-maintained trails found at state parks, nature preserves and green belt systems. (Reminder: Not many national parks allow dogs on the trails, but on the ones that do, dogs always need to be leashed.) Hike only on established trails with even ground that is not too rocky. Most hiking trails are packed dirt with sure footing and are the best option for hiking with your dog. Don’t get lost in the woods Learn how to read a trail map, and always stay on the marked trails. Print out a trail map or get one from the park office. If there is a sign-in sheet for the trail you’ve chosen to hike on, sign in, say hello, and be memorable in a good way at trailheads.

$129. Pack-a-Paw Rescue Harness; mountaindogware.com

Use the right gear

Choose a comfortable harness that works with your dog’s physiology, not against it, and one that helps you lift your dog, like the Ruffwear Flagline Harness. My other No. 1 piece of gear on a hike is my hydration pack that holds up to 3 liters of water, plus first-aid supplies and snacks. Nothing is more important beyond health than having water on a hike.

If you choose to use a backpack with your dog, your dog needs to get used to the backpack slowly over time before your first real hike. Help him work his way up in carrying up to the maximum 15% of his body weight. Dog backpacks also need to be packed properly, with even distribution of weight on each side. If your dog is going to carry his own water, the water should be drunk first (before the extra water you are carrying for the dog), so the weight he is carrying decreases as the water is used. Sixteen ounces of water weighs roughly 1 pound — keep this in mind when packing your dog’s backpack.

Dog booties are also important. Get your dog used to wearing them for hiking. He may not need them on the hikes, but in case of a paw injury, it is super handy to have booties on hand. I’ve had to carry out a dog from a hike for about 3 miles. So I’m really happy that a few years ago a very experienced hiker with a great love of dogs invented the Pack-a-Paw Rescue Harness by Mountain Dogware. This rescue harness is a must-have for anyone who goes hiking with their dogs, especially those who do it regularly.

$69.95. Ruffwear Flagline Harness; ruffwear.com

Train your dog for a hike

Having your dog already good with loose-leash walking makes hiking all the more enjoyable. Training your dog to “check in” with you is one of the biggest advantages, beyond recall. One of the most respectful things to do as far as sharing the trails, is being able to ask your dog to come check in to you whenever you see someone else enjoying nature just like you are.

If the trail you choose to hike on lets dogs be off leash (note: most require your dog to be on leash), it does not mean your dog is welcome to run up to anyone else on the trail. So instead of running your dog off leash, use a long line safely. Long lines are amazing for hikes. They are a great way to improve the recall cue as you go, plus long lines are a very respectful way to ensure your dog doesn’t interrupt anybody else’s adventure on the trails. Long lines also allow you to manage your dog’s ability to chase after wildlife.

Follow trail etiquette

Technically, as you and your dog are walking, you have the right of way to bicycles and/or horses (although avoid hiking trails that allow horses). People going uphill on a trail system also have the right of way. Move to the side of the trail and let people pass you easily; sharing mixed-use trails goes a long way for having a good day.

Also, a very important and helpful courtesy for your fellow hikers is to announce your presence. I also announce the presence of my dogs if coming up on someone from behind. Let other hikers know you are there by saying, “Hello.” If you can’t see around the corner and are concerned that someone might be coming from the other direction, call out “On trail.” Don’t let someone surprise you or be surprised by you or your dog.

A few last tips for hiking with your dog

Expect the unexpected. If things go wrong, don’t sit around and complain. Assess your options, act accordingly and move forward. Here are a few final must-know tips:

Having a first-aid kit with you is better than not having one when needed. Thankfully there are plenty of dog first-aid kids available for purchase that are already assembled.

Read up on canine CPR before going on a hike with your dog. One early sign that a dog is getting tired and possibly overheated is that his tongue will loll out of his mouth, hanging lower than normal. Know your individual dog.

Ensure your phone is fully charged in case of emergencies on the trail. Always bring a portable battery pack for your phone.

Dogs should also be up-to-date on shots and vaccinations and cleared by your veterinarian to go on extended hikes. Most of all — be prepared, have fun, get outside and have adventures with your dog.

Top photograph: tommasolizzul | Getty Images

Read Next: Have a New Puppy? Here’s how to Socialize Your Dog While Social Distancing

Poop4U Blog via www.Poop4U.com Paul J. Kearney, Khareem Sudlow

1 note · View note

jancisstuff · 6 years ago

Text

Jancis’ Stuff Status

Lali-ho!

I have not posted since mid-April and the last few were reblogs of beautiful art from some friends.

I’m very touched by the inquiries that have come in to here on my behalf as well as those who reach out to me via another medium.

Thank you!

I’m at a place where I can do some more posts and enjoy my hobby once more.

There’s many reasons for the cutoff here in Spring. Real life takes priority over any hobby, be it online or not. Also online changes have to be taken seriously. Any social media platform needs to be used with awareness to the pros and cons and the ability to recognize those cons and keep it in context.

With the change in some of Tumblr’s content and corporate policies, a vast life-changing event for the FFXIV character the blog is based on (a time to let the character Jancis sit aside), and from spending years on this platform - it was a healthy choice to let it breathe and step away.

Look into other hobbies and interests.

And also, to review other potential blogs and what I was really enjoying, what I was really looking for.

That’s a healthy habit for any aspect of life is to review it, make changes, or make a conscious decision to remain with what is already there.

When I started using this webpage, I thought it could be a small blog I could use for referencing information Jancis’ wiki page couldn’t hold. RP Logs, information on other characters Jancis knew (as she’s suppose to have an excellent memory whereas I do not), and details of NPCs and tools Jancis had access to. I had no idea the ability to reblog or connect with others at first, and then found myself caught up in creating superficial content to entertain others shortly. And keeping up with the ambiance and other contents many others share.

While I found I do enjoy that aspect, it morphed to become the priority of my Tumblr page, overall time, and that was a mistake.

What I like about Tumblr: - The community prompts: These are fun and silly and I enjoy creating my own as much as seeing the others people complete and share. This is fun interaction. - Ease of adding images: I’ve tried out other blogs and having an nearly unlimited space to upload absurd screenshots and terrible gifs is pretty generous!

What I dislike about Tumblr: - Being unable to reply privately to an anonymous person. Even if I do not know who I am speaking to, not all well-intention-ed conversations need to be on the dash. - A lack of confidence my content will be preserved, like writings and role play logs. And how they get lost in the clutter of silly posts. - The overwhelming amount of reblogs that I filter out. - The like and reblog counter. It sometimes even gets to me.

Going Forward:

- Continuing with silly screenshots and terrible gifs. - Answering prompts and exploring wild ideas with my writing and characters. - Copying writings and logs via link or snippets from another platform suited to my goals better, keeping it simple here. - Enjoying original content friends and acquaintances share.

I’ve deleted all my saved prompts, tag lists, and asks to be ‘caught up’ with current times.

If you “kept reading” and went through all this explanation, then I’m humbled. (though I’m sure some friends read this and already are privy to all that’s here and more)

Overall, I decided to continue here because I enjoy the community. I hope you all find the same enjoyment and expect a good quality of your time in kind. Thank you for keeping me in you thoughts.

All the best,

DLLF - FFXIV Player

11 notes · View notes

thegreenwolf · 6 years ago

Text

Bella Morte

Note: This was first published on No Unsacred Place around 2011-ish, which went defunct a few years ago (RIP–it was a good site). Then it was on Paths Through the Forests, but I split from Patheos a couple of years ago due to philosophical differences with their new ownership. As they have not honored my request to have my writing taken down, and I don’t want to direct more traffic to them, I am slowly reproducing my work from there here. That way if I want to share this post with someone it will come from my site and not theirs. Please help me by sharing this link around–thank you!

************************************

The beauty of the wild is the long gesture of life in time. The beauty of skin and fur and feathers, the beauty of blood, the beauty of bones sinking into grass.

–John Daniel, from The Soul Unearthed

That is the quote I painted on a recent creation of mine, shown in the picture above. My canvas was a piece of rawhide left over from a drum kit. The visual punctuation of the entire piece included an eclectic mix: a rooster feather; a coyote toe bone; a sea urchin spine; and two pieces of deer hide, fur and leather.

I chose the quote deliberately for that piece. There is a certain ambiguity to the words, flowing from one end of the life-death cycle to the other. “Life in time” breathes and pounds its heart, while the “bones sinking into grass” create a vivid image of the core structure of the animal, all the rest borne away, disintegrating into nourishment for the flora. In between, the hides and the blood are left open; they may be alive and running yet, but the blood may also be sluiced upon the ground, and the skin stripped from muscle and tendon and prepared for preservation.

In much of the United States, people have a poor relationship with death, to include that of nonhuman animals. The idea of the “poor, dead animals” (particularly those that aren’t carved up on a dinner plate) is often enough of a shock that no one wants to think, let alone talk, about it. We eat beef and pork, not cow and pig, and very few of us ever eat anything that’s looking back at us; even the shrimp are conveniently decapitated for our culinary comfort. The most common discourse about dead animals seems to come from some animal rights activists who quite often use guilt, shame, and shock to try to convince unsuspecting leather-clad omnivores into changing their ways. When the choices are either silence or stigma, there doesn’t seem to be much room in between for more moderate discussions.

I choose what I perceive as one potential moderate path, tempered with much awareness. For over a decade I have been an artist of animal remains, part aesthetics and part spiritual work. On the one hand, I very much appreciate the lovely curve of bone and the lush texture of deerskin, the intricately veined colors of feathers, and the varied structures of the hairs of all sorts of furs. Beyond animal parts as an artistic medium, though, the core of my work is funereal. From the beginning my art has been about reclaiming these remains from being trophies or status symbols, and a significant portion of my “supplies” is made of old fur and leather coats, reclaimed taxidermy, and the like.(1) I guide these remains to a better “afterlife” with others, as has always been my role with them, and everything I make with animal parts gets a full ritual purification as part of my pagan practice.

Over the years I’ve gotten a wide variety of reactions to my work, from awe to indifference to outright hostility. Thankfully the responses have canted toward the more receptive, whether in person or online. I get the distinct feeling, though, that most people, regardless of their views, are highlighting certain individual facets of the work that, together, I tend to take as a whole.Most of the people who favor my work seem to primarily connect with it on an aesthetic level. They like having something pretty, whether as something to wear, or as a “powerful” ritual tool. They appreciate it as art, which is perfectly fine. At the other end of the spectrum are the occasional activists who come in swinging; they see the death and the remains, to the exclusion of anything else.

On some occasions, though, I will meet people who bring my art home both as art, and as sacred remains. They haven’t glossed over the fact that what they hold was once living, often combining the parts of animals that never would have met in life (such as the cow and the sea urchin in my wall hanging above). But they still see the beauty in those remains, and in the fact of their death. They can appreciate the loveliness of a long-dead deer’s ribcage seated in a field, and the arrangement of those same ribs into a totemic shrine. They know they carry lives in their hands.

I have not lost sight of the living end of the cycle, either. I have always donated a portion of the funds I make from selling my art to nonprofit groups that work to preserve both animals and their habitat, as well as informal donations to friends and acquaintances in need of help with emergency vet bills and the like. I think my partner, S., put it best when he told me that my most powerful alchemy was taking the remains of animals that had often died cruel and inhumane deaths, and turning them into funds to help those creatures still living and the environs that support them.

And I do my best to educate people about the sources of the remains; I maintain a database of international, federal and state laws on possessing and selling animals parts in the US to help them make educated decisions. Nor do I lie about those of my “materials” that are byproducts of the fur industry; I do not claim they’re roadkilled or “natural deaths”, or wild instead of farmed, to try to assuage people’s guilt or to make me look more ethical in their eyes. To do so would be an insult both to the people I speak with, and the animals themselves, never mind my artistic and spiritual work.

This work with the remains is another foundational part of my nature-based path, and as I write in this place over time, you may see me refer to the “skin spirits” as a collective term for the spirits of all the animals whose remains I work with, skin, bone and otherwise. My nature-based paganism is rooted in all of the life-death cycle, and this is how I seek the beauty in that which is all too often ignored, or so symbolized as to be almost entirely removed from the gritty reality.

(1) I have become so known for collecting dead critters in certain circles, in fact, that I have been over time gifted with a number of antiques that were inherited by people who had no idea what to do with them, and so decided I was a good next stop for Grandma’s fur coat, or Uncle Doug’s deer heads.

Did you enjoy this blog post? Consider picking up a copy of my book Skin Spirits: The Spiritual and Magical Use of Animal Parts, or The Tarot of Bones, or my other books (some of which also have dead things in them!) Or you can check out my artwork made with hides, bones and other natural and found items. And I have a forthcoming book about Vulture Culture, the subculture that has formed in recent years around the appreciation of taxidermy and other dead things.

#vulture culture #pagan #dead things #nature spirituality #paganism #mine

17 notes · View notes

raspberryrose6 · 8 years ago

Photo

Absolutely 😃

I’m passionate about my work and enjoy it immensely. It is incredible to work hands-on with original documents day to day, ensuring their survival into the future and communing with the hands and minds that created those documents and held them before yours. You find the doodles of a bored young scribe in the margins of an illuminated Medieval Psalter…pocket diaries kept by soldiers in the trenches of WW1…letters from scorned lovers…thumb prints on seals. Your heart beats just a little faster at those moments.

The other aspect of the job that delights me is that, as an Archivist, I work to Make Things Neat. That is very satisfying to me. You really need to be a tidy person, in both your physical surroundings and in your own mind, to be an Archivist, as you need to run a tight ship and keep everything in order. It’s not always easy when you’re dealing with huge volumes of material, but it’s a beautiful thing to make order out of chaos. Quite often people deposit large quantities of documents in a right old mess. It also helps if you love stationary and enjoy packaging things nicely! Brass paperclips, acid-free boxes and unbleached cotton tape are the tools of the trade, and there’s a purity to that aesthetic that calms my soul.

To get a place on one of the Masters courses in Archiving, you need an undergraduate degree (mine was in Ancient and Medieval History, but other subjects are acceptable so long as you can prove you genuinely love History) and some work experience in the sector to prove your commitment. Back when I was applying for the Masters, they required a year of experience, paid or unpaid, but I think they’re less strict on that now. I literally wrote to all the Archives I could physically get to and asked for experience, and went to a variety of placements through the year, some paid and some unpaid.

The Archives Masters are available at a handful of universities across the U.K., and I went to UCL. I’d definitely recommend it. My qualification was in Archives and Records Management which means I’m also qualified as a Records Manager, but the title and content of the Masters courses vary. After you complete the course and qualify, you can apply for professional level positions.

I now work in a Local Government (County) Archive which means I curate the historical records of a specific geographical area. Day to day, my work is very varied and involves a range of activities. Typical tasks are:

-taking in records from members of the public who wish to deposit them with us -accessioning those records which means assigning reference codes, packaging and quick-listing them -cataloguing them which means a more in-depth study of their origin, context and content -publishing catalogues in hard copy and online via our electronic software -contributing articles/blog posts/preparing catalogues for our website -I do a lot of the social media work for my workplace so I organise content for that to go up on a daily basis. I’ve set up Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube and it’s good to see our following grow on our various channels. -Ingesting catalogues and scanned images of the documents in them, into our digital preservation software. Archivists also need to be technologically savvy these days; I have a digital strongroom that mirrors my physical one. Digital archives are archives too! #equality 😉 -managing volunteers, which means organising projects for them and supervising/assisting with those. Plus baking them cake at least twice a year to say thank you! -dealing with enquiries from the public via telephone, face to face, letter and email, which requires research skills -trouble-shooting! For example, inevitably, with miles and miles and miles of archives, occasionally a sheet of paper here or there is misplaced and finding it is A Thing! -copyright enquiries. If people want to publish images from our archives, we have to research ownership of both the documents and their copyright. It’s complicated! Copyright is something we’re trained on whilst qualifying. -work experience students come and go throughout the year, as-like you-they want to know more about what I do and need pre-course experience. -preservation work. I work with a conservator but I’m in charge of the preservation of our archives. It’s like this: the conservator is the surgeon and I’m the GP. He does the surgery where needed but I ensure the daily comfort of my ‘patients’! -exhibitions. These are always going on in branch as well as for special events, to which we bring travelling exhibitions with us. -outreach, which can mean many things but a key example would be giving talks to groups who want to learn more about the Archive or about a specific element of local history. Can be scary but it’s also fun to share your passion and tell people all about the Precious Things you look after.

I could go on but this is already way too long and I think this is enough detail to give you a taster! Good luck if you decide to go into Archives as a career, it’s fab 💕

#careers #career advice #archivist #archives #archive #history #history lovers #love history #heritage #love my job #my job #my job is awesome #my career #my work #work experience #historical documents #precious things

188 notes · View notes

cloakedmonk · 6 years ago

Text

“…we continue to encourage and support participation in the 100TPC global event, with the hopes that we can encourage poets, musicians and artists to stay vocal and engaged in these difficult times. It is so easy to feel hopeless and lose heart when it seems the world is coming apart around us. 100TPC hopes to counter despair and disillusionment, encourage and support celebration through the arts of peace, justice and sustainability. This is the good fight for us and we will continue to provide a global platform and venue.” 100TPC Cofounder Michael Rothenberg in a recent email to me.

There’s a lot going on around Global 100,000 Poets and Others for Change (100TPC.org) and this is the point each year when I like to share special updates along with a sampling of the posters for the event.

Yesterday Michael Rothenberg announced that there were 500 events registered for Global 100TPC (September 28) and Read a Poem To A Child Week (September 23-28). Yes! We’re jazzed about that news.

At The BeZine Michael Dickel and I are collaborating on the September 15 issue, themed social justice in honor of 100TPC. 100TPC concerns itself with Peace (our March issue theme), SustainABILITY (our June issue theme), and Social Justice (our September issue theme).

Over the past year and especially the past month or so, we’ve had some changes to The BeZine activities and publishing policy. Modified guidelines will be available soon … would have been sooner if I hadn’t been in-and-out of the hospital so much. Our Mission remains the same and you can see from it why we are so partial to 100TPC. Please always read our Mission Statement, an issue of the Zine, and the guidelines before submitting work to [email protected]

Meanwhile, my feature How 100,000 Poets Are Fostering Peace, Justice and Sustainability was shared today by Kella Hanna-Wayne on her social justice site: YoppVoice!

Meanwhile …

The BeZine blog is hosting a month long series in solidarity with the climate action events that are taking place around the world, These events include Greta Thunberg’s and also the U.N. Climate Change Summit 2019.

(Please note the first post on the Zine blog is always a copy of the front page of the most recent published issue of the Zine. If you scroll down, you’ll access the rest of the blog posts.)

And …

The BeZine 100,000 Poets and Others Banner, 2019 is by our resident artist, Corina Ravenscraft

On September 28, we’ll host our annual 24 hour Virtual The BeZine 100TPC. Everyone is invited to come read, listen, and contribute. If you want to contribute work the post that day will provide instruction for doing so. It’s easy. We encourage the sharing of art, photography, poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, and music videos. Michael Dickel will moderate and I’ll be present for back-up.

Here’s a sample of the banners from events around the world. Enjoy!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

BECOME INVOLVED

100,000 Poets for Change Facebook CommunicationHub

The BeZine

The BeZine 100TPC Facebook Discussion Group

READ A POEM TO A CHILD WEEK

September 23rd – September 28th 2019

Download the Poetry Compilation for Readers.pdf

Download the curriculum Simple ways to make poetry engaging 2.0 and the poetry workbook.

Freely accessible Sound Cloud playlist of 100TPC Read a Poem to a Child Initiative

– Jamie Dedes, Managing Editor The BeZine

ABOUT

The Bardo Group Beguines are pleased to present THE BEZINE, an eZine published each quarter. The people who visit here to read, “Like,” and comment are as integral to this community as are the contributors. Visitors lend their energy, support, imagination and insights to this evolving effort. Comments are open and kindly expressed perspectives and suggestions are welcome.

The team is comprised of Naomi Baltuck, cloakedmonk (Terri Stewart), James R. Cowles, Jamie Dedes, Michael Dickel, Priscilla Galasso, Christy Darby Hendrick, Joseph Hesch, Lana Phillips, PoetJanstie (John Anstie), Ruth Jewel, dragonkatet (Corina Ravenscraft, , Charles W. Martin, Michael Watson,

The goal of this collaborative is to foster proximity and understanding through our shared love of the arts and humanities and all things spirited and to make – however modest – a contribution toward personal healing and deference for the diverse ways people try to make moral, spiritual and intellectual sense of a world in which illness, violence, despair, loneliness and death are as prevalent as hope, friendship, reason and birth.

We share work here that is representative of universal human values however differently they might be expressed in our varied religions and cultures. We feel that our art and our Internet-facilitated social connection offer a means to see one another in our simple humanity, as brothers and sisters, and not as “other.”

We acknowledge that there are enormous theological differences and historical resentments that carve wedges among and within the traditions and ethnic or national groups, but we believe that ultimately self-preservation, common sense, and human solidarity will empower connections and collaboration and overcome division and disorder.

We ply our art, meditations, and prayer toward that tipping point when compromise – an admittedly imperfect peace – will overcome war and respect for life will topple resentment. That may not happen in our time, but it has to start somewhere and sometime and this is our modest contribution toward an end for which diverse people the world over are working and praying.

Follow to enjoy every issue of The BeZine. The BeZine is a volunteer effort, a gift of love.

Global 100,000 Poets and Friends for Change: Get Ready, Get Set … "...we continue to encourage and support participation in the 100TPC global event, with the hopes that we can encourage poets, musicians and artists to stay vocal and engaged in these difficult times.

#100 000 Poets (et al) for Change #About #Global 100TPC 2019 #Global Action Month #September 2019 issue #The BeZine #The BeZine Virtual 100TPC

0 notes

mcmansionhell · 8 years ago

Text

The McMansion Hell Big List of Books, Websites, and Films about Architecture

SURPRISE!!!!

Edit: I had to take out the “Read More” tab because it killed all of my links, so Sorry for the long post!

Hello Friends! I feel as if I haven’t really been giving back to the community as much I should be in these last few weeks, and that while my latest Sunday posts have been mildly amusing, nobody is really learning anything from them.

I shared some recommended reading on my Facebook page a week or so ago, and want to expand on that list here. Architecture is a wonderfully rich field with a plethora of resources. This post is a master-list of the architecture books, blogs, websites and films I have accumulated since my early teens.

While extensive, this is in no way a definitive list, and I’m sure many others will have quite a bit to add on in the comments. I hope you enjoy!

Books

Links are to Amazon. A ** next to the title indicates the link is to an open-source copy of the book, or that it is easily available online.

General Architecture (non-academic, general interest)

Paul Goldberger, Why Architecture Matters

Alain de Botton, The Architecture of Happiness

Witold Rybczynski:

Looking Around

How Architecture Works

Home

Matthys Levy/Mario Salvadori, Why Buildings Fall Down**

Mario Salvadori, Why Buildings Stand Up**

Stewart Brand, How Buildings Learn

Tom Wolfe, From Bauhaus to Our House**

Christopher Alexander, A Pattern Language**

Bill Bryson, At Home

Matthew Frederick - 101 Things I Learned in Architecture School

Architectural Style (Field Guides)

Virginia McAlester, A Field Guide to American Houses

If you want to buy one book on this list, I highly recommend this one. It’s the best book out there about American residential architecture. If you’re curious about houses, it’ll sate your curiosity.

Carol Davidson Cragoe, How to Read Buildings: A Crash Course in Architectural Styles (this one is neat for traveling about because it’s small)

John J. G. Blumenson, Identifying American Architecture: A Pictorial Guide to Styles and Terms, 1600-1945 (an old but good small guide)

Nikolaus Pevsner, An Outline of European Architecture**

Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions [Houses • Churches]

Richard Apperly, A Pictorial Guide to Identifying Australian Architecture: Styles and Terms from 1788 to the Present

Cities, Suburbs, and Housing (of course not a complete list)

Jane Jacobs:

The Death and Life of Great American Cities

The Economy of Cities

Cities and the Wealth of Nations

Vital Little Plans: The Short Writings of Jane Jacobs

Kevin Lynch, The Image of the City **

Lewis Mumford: The City in History

Aldo Rossi: The Architecture of the City**

Ebenezer Howard, Garden Cities of Tomorrow

Witold Rybczynski:

Mysteries of the Mall

City Life

Makeshift Metropolis: Ideas About Cities

Kenneth T Jackson, Crabgrass Frontier: The Suburbanization of the United States

Joel Garreau, Edge City: Life on the New Frontier

James Howard Kunstler:

The Geography of Nowhere

Home from Nowhere

Dolores Hayden, PhD:

Redesigning the American Dream: The Future of Housing, Work and Family Life

A Field Guide to Sprawl

Building Suburbia

Andres Duany, Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk, Jeff Speck: Suburban Nation

It’s only fair to put the New Urbanists in here.

John Archer, Architecture and Suburbia (a favorite reference of mine)

Tracy Kidder, House

Sarah Susanka, The Not So Big House

Peter Marcuse & David Madden, In Defense of Housing

Matthew Desmond, Evicted

Alex F. Schwartz: Housing Policy in the United States

Architectural History:

Spiro Kostof, A History of Architecture: Settings and Rituals (personal favorite)

Francis Ching, et. al. A Global History of Architecture (a standard college textbook)

Carol Strickland, The Annotated Arch: A Crash Course in Architectural History (a lot of fun!)

Daniel Borden, et al. Architecture: A World History

Leland M. Roth & Amanda C. Clark, American Architecture: A History

William J. R. Curtis: Modern Architecture Since 1900 (a classic)

Edward R. Ford, The Details of Modern Architecture

Kenneth Frampton, Modern Architecture: A Critical History**

Heinrich Klotz, The History of Postmodern Architecture

Charles Jencks, The Story of Postmodernism

Architectural Theory & Criticism Essentials

General Architectural Theory:

Leland Roth, et al. Understanding Architecture: Its Elements, History, and Meaning

Francis Ching, Architecture: Form, Space, and Order** (AKA freshman year of architecture school)

Siegfried Gideon, Space, Time, & Architecture

Gaston Bachelard, The Poetics of Space **

Roger H Clark & Michael Pause, Precedents in Architecture**

Mark Foster Gage, Aesthetic Theory: Essential Texts for Architecture & Design

Geoffrey Scott: The Architecture of Humanism: A Study in the History of Taste **

M. Fil Hearn, Ideas that Shaped Buildings** (a great handbook of architectural theory through history - always by my side.)

Lewis Tsurmaki Lewis, Manual of Section (not quite architectural theory, but a super cool book)

Alexandra Lange, Writing About Architecture - not quite theory but a v good and useful book.

Kate’s Top 4 Very Old Dead Guys (all public domain)

Vitruvius, The Ten Books of Architecture

Andrea Palladio, The Four Books of Architecture

Leon Battista Alberti, The Ten Books of Architecture

John Ruskin, The Seven Lamps of Architecture

Modern Architecture

Adolf Loos, Ornament & Crime **(fake summary below):

Le Corbusier, Towards a New Architecture**

Henry Russell Hitchcock & Philip Johnson, The International Style **

Reyner Banham, Theory and Design in the First Machine Age**

Ulrich Conrads, Programs and Manifestos on 20th Century Architecture**

Kenneth Frampton, A Genealogy of Modern Architecture

Ada Louise Huxtable, On Architecture: Reflections on a Century of Change

Current Architectural Theory / Contemporary Classics

Vincent Scully

Architecture: The Natural and the Manmade

American Architecture and Urbanism

Modern Architecture

The Shingle Style Today (this book completely blew my mind in high school, and remains one of my favorite books about architecture to this day.)

Robert Venturi + Denise Scott Brown

Complexity and Contradiction in Architecture**

Learning from Las Vegas**

Rem Koolhaas:

S,M,L,XL

Delirious New York**

Peter Zumthor:

Atmospheres

Thinking Architecture

Bernard Tschumi, Architecture & Disjunction**

Junichiro Tanizaki, In Praise of Shadows **

Films

Most of these films have the full version online for free. I won’t link directly to them because I don’t want to get yelled at.

Films About Architects:

My Architect [film about Louis Kahn]

Regular or Super: Views on Mies van der Rohe

Rem Koolhaas: A Kind of Architect

Sketches of Frank Gehry

Frank Lloyd Wright (Ken Burns)

First Person Singular: I.M. Pei

Eames: The Architect & The Painter

Louis Sullivan: The Struggle for American Architecture

Infinite Space: The Architecture of John Lautner

How Much Does Your Building Weigh, Mr. Foster?

Loos Ornamental

Films about Architecture:

Kochuu [film about contemporary Japanese architecture]

The Pruitt-Igoe Myth [about the Pruitt-Igoe housing complex in St. Louis]

Unfinished Spaces [About Cuba’s National Art Schools Project]

Urbanized [about the design of cities]

Visual Acoustics [about the photographer Julius Shulman]

Great Expectations [general architecture]

I’d like to make a shoutout to my colleague Thomas Bena, whose film about McMansions, One Big Home, is making the film circuit now. I’ve seen the movie and will be writing a review on this blog in the coming weeks. In short: go see it if you can!!!

Websites

Architecture News / Popular Websites:

Curbed

Dwell

Dezeen

ArchDaily

Architizer

Wallpaper*

FastCo Design

CityLab

Architonic

Domus

Archinect

Inhabitat

Blogs:

Life of an Architect

Life of an Architecture Student

Build Blog

Soapbox Architect

My Favorite Websites:

99 Percent Invisible (disclaimer: I write for them)

Archinform - an online encyclopedia of architecture

Monoskop - a huge database of amazing archival resources for architecture and design.

Arts & Architecture database

US Modernist Magazine Library - incredible collection of primary sources from modernism

Docomomo (preservation of modernist architecture)

Failed Architecture (analyzing failure in architecture)

Places Journal (my favorite online journal)

Emporis (it has every tall building!)

On Tumblr

Tumblr seems to have killed my links. This is devastating.

Like McMansion Hell:

@uglybelgianhouses - the best, really the best. @terriblerealestateagentphotos

General Architecture: @architecture-drawings @archidrawings @archatlas @archidose @archimaps @archiclassic @architecturalmodels @an-architectural-statement @conceptarchitect @rationalistarchitecture @wherearchitectureisfun @archivemodernarchitecture @luciotuzza @drawingarchitecture @dailybungalow @victorianhouses @ofhouses @architorturedsouls

Modern Architecture: @20cmodern @fuckyeahbrutalism @architectureofdoom @modernism-in-metroland @theimportanceofbeingmodernist @modernistestates @germanpostwarmodern @decoarchitecture @englishmodernism @midcenturymodernhomes @bauhaus-movement @artfuckingdeco @iheartnouveau @sosbrutalism @americanmodern

Postmodernism: @aqqindex @palmandlaser (these two blogs were why I got a tumblr) @memphis-milano @80sdeco @blockygraphics @thetriumphofpostmodernism

Vintage Stuff: @midcenturymoderndesign - mid century modernism @scanzen - an assortment of cool stuff @midcenturyblog - mid century stuff @superseventies - 70s @cardboardamerica -vintage postcards @theswinginsixties - 60s @70sscifiart - 70s Sci Fi Art @driveintheaterofthemind - great vintage blog @80stechnology - 80s tech @imperialgoogie - the 50s @ephemera-phile - old print stuff from various eras @heck-yeah-old-tech - old technology @quadrafonica - vintage hifi @homophoni - also vintage hifi @holespoles - all kinds of stuff @system32dreams - 80s/90s tech @monochrome-monitor - 80s/90s tech @beautifulcentury - 1890s-1910s @oldadvertising - vintage ads @back-then - amazing photographs from history @fifties-sixties-everyday-life - 50s/60s @y2kaestheticinstitute - turn of the 21st century @lpcoverlover - record covers @classical-vinyl - my first tumblr (I comment as classical-vinyl, fyi)

Favorite Architecture Photographers:

@phdonohue @archivemodernarchitecture @archivemoderninteriors @veronicadelica @new-brutalism @wmud

Design/Art/People Who Consistently Post Awesome Things: @archiveofaffinities @zeroing @design-is-fine (one of my favs ever) @c86 @norequeststaken @scavengedluxury (another fav) @99percentinvisible @magictransistor @transistoradio @klappersacks @designstroy @ffactory @instereo007 @contac @publicdomainreview @detailsofpaintings @modernizor @nemfrog @bluecote @graphicgraphic

Visual Artists I Like: @sunday-thought @jimharrisart @jacobvanloon @michaelwardartist

Also shoutout to @maverick-ornithography who is not only hilarious, but who was also my first ever follower, so now I’m returning the favor.

I hope you all enjoyed this post! Next up is Florida on Wednesday, so stay tuned! I’ll finish up Great Britain after that; I’m currently reading books on British vernacular architecture and its history so I’m more informed. I barely dodged some bullets in that last post and had to go back and correct a lot…

Have a great week!

If you like this post, and want to see more like it, consider supporting me on Patreon! Tonight, I’m doing a live Discord chat with my $5+ Patrons at 8:30PM EST!

Not into recurring donations? Check out the McMansion Hell Store - 30% goes to charity.

#architecture #design #films #websites #books #further reading #tumblr blogs #art #list

2K notes · View notes

virginieboesus · 6 years ago

Text

Why I Prefer Owning Physical Copies of Games

As of yesterday, there has a been a lot of coverages around the interwebs of Google’s latest project, Stadia; a streaming service for games that is comparable to the likes of Netflix. However, what I’m not going to do is rehash the same old article that you’ve probably read over a hundred times already. I’m not here to pass judgement on Google Stadia, especially as it’s only just been announced.

Instead, what I wanted to do was talk about the gaming industry’s move away from physical discs to digital downloads and, now, streaming of games. I wanted to talk about my opinions on this move, and why I still prefer to own physical copies of games rather than digital versions.

Potential Loss of Access

The first thing that we’re going to talk about is the fact that, with a physical copy of the game, no-one can take it away from you (except by breaking into your house and stealing it). Once you’ve paid for that game, you have it on disc for as long as you look after the disc. Naturally, there are certain types of games where you’ll still lose access to them eventually, such as MMORPGs when their servers are turned off. However, that’s the minority – for the large majority of games, we will be able to keep them and play them whenever we want.

However, when it comes to digital games, there is something that happened in the past that we all need to keep in mind. How many of you remember P.T? Judging be the playable teaser of Silent Hills’ popularity, I would guess that a lot of you do. Well, if you take P.T as a case study, it paints a potentially scary side to digital games. When you have “bought” a demo, even though it is free, you download it to the hard drive of your PS4 and added to your PSN account. From there, you should have access to it for as long as you have that PSN account. However, after the Silent Hills project was shelved, the demo was entirely removed from the PSN and you could no longer redownload it, even if you had already added it your PSN account.

The reason I want to bring this to light is that, if that could happen with a demo, it could potentially happen with a full release game as well. So, in my head, there is always going to be a concern in my head about whether the digital games that I purchase will just be removed one day. On top of this, with Google Stadia being compared to Netflix and other streaming services, it also brings is a similar issue.

There have been many shows and movies on Netflix, Amazon Prime and NowTV that my wife and I enjoyed. However, they all had a limited lifespan of availability on their specific streaming service and are now no longer available. If the gaming industry is moving towards a similar setup, then I must admit, I have concerns that we will have incidents where we will be enjoying a game and then it will be removed from the streaming service. And when that happens, we won’t have a leg to stand on, because we won’t actually own the game.

Ownership of a physical copy of a game means that you are able to ensure you continue to have access to it whenever you want to play it. That game can’t be suddenly taken away from you.

Games As A Service

Now, this one is a bit more controversial, potentially. Gaming as a service isn’t a new thing at all. I mean, MMORPGs have been charging subscription costs for years. However, until recent years, this mentality of monetisation was largely limited to the MMORPG genre. That was fine. The issue comes with the prominence of gaming as a service in other types of games now. For example, there are a huge amount of Freemium games out there now, where you can get the game and play it for free, but to get the most out of it you need to pay a recurring fee or buy in-game “coins” of some sort.

Again, this used to be limited to the likes of Free-To-Play MMORPGs or Mobile games, but has now flooded the PC and Console market as well.

The reason why it is possibly a controversial subject is that, for some games, it is a legitimate business model. For example, MMORPGs like World of Warcraft and Final Fantasy XIV use that money to help fuel development of high quality content that is added to the game (in the case of FFXIV, that includes free content every few months). So, gaming as a service can be a good thing. The issue arises when this mentality becomes the most prevelant thought in developers or publishers’ minds – when a game is built and developed purely with the intent of making it an ongoing subscription service, the gamers are the ones who lose out.

But that’s not really fixed by having physical copies of games, so you’re probably wondering why I’m even talking about it, right?

Well, it comes back to the Google Stadia again. You see, a single game that is pushed out with the sole intention of driving a subscription fee is bad (in my opinion) so an entire gaming library could be horrendous. At the moment, we don’t really know much about the games that are going to be on the Stadia. In fact, we only have a few named so far;

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey

Doom Eternal

An unnamed title from Q Games

So, as it stands, it’s unclear how many AAA titles are going to be ported across. There is a high possibility that we’ll end up having a lot of games added to it that are lower quality games with excessively long game time – this would purely be to ensure that you keep paying your subscription fee.

I am hoping that won’t be the case and that the Stadia will offer top quality games, but the cynic in me doesn’t think that will be the case. I do, however, really want to be proven wrong. If gaming as a service can be made into a positive for both the industry and the gamers, then that would be great. It is, however, still a concern for me.

Especially when I think back over all of the games I have played across the last 25 years of gaming, and realise that my favourites were all disc-based games before the internet was really a thing. Those games offered me hundreds of hours of enjoyment, without the need to pay money for them every month…

Preservation Of Games

The third part of this little look into my head and why I prefer physical copies of games comes down to the preservation of the medium. Relatively near where I live, there is a Video Game Museum, which is amazing. On top of that, collectors such as myself and those much bigger than me are storing and protecting the games that they love. This care and storage help to preserve the creativity and brilliance of these games that would otherwise be lost to time.

Now, I know full well that digital games can be made available at any time through online stores, or the files can be stored on the cloud for safekeeping. But, let’s take a step back and look at some recent news; specifically, let’s look at a MySpace. Now, this is a bit different, yes, but think about it – 12 years ago you added photos or music files to your MySpace. They should have stayed there forever, until you decided to remove them. However, due to an error in server migration (which happens far more often than you would think), all data from those 12 years is gone. It’s lost, forever – you are never getting those photos or music files back.

Next, imagine that those files had been your games that you had lovingly been collecting on your favourite Digital Store. All of a sudden, every game you have owned and collected over the past 12 years just disappear. Oh, and it’s not just your copies of those games, but every copy of every game from the last 12 years. All of a sudden, that’s 12 years of the gaming industry that basically no longer exists.

Yes, this is an unlikely thing to happen, but when you consider the fact that MySpace lost photos and music (which take up a lot less server storage space than games), there is the possibility. On top of this, even the likes of the PlayStation Network were hacked into, and there are numerous reports of Xbox Live accounts being accessed remotely as well. Hackers are always finding new ways to access digital data and networks, becoming more and more aggressive in their actions once they have access. With the way the internet landscape is now, there is an ever growing chance that someone will one day find a way to access and format the servers that hold your games. And that’s not me trying to scaremonger.

I work in the Digital industry for my day job, and we are also having to find new ways to secure servers. The problem is, these security “holes” can only be fixed when they have been discovered and it is usually hackers who discover them.

With physical copies of games, it doesn’t actually matter if those servers are compromised. You will still be able to play the games that you love, because you have the disc version of it.

Cases On The Shelves

The last aspect of owning physical copies of games is really a personal aesthetic choice. As many of you know, my blogging office also doubles as a game room and streaming area. In this room, I have bookcases and shelves that are filled with games. They are all sorted alphabetically by platform, and look beautiful! That’s something that you just don’t get with digital copies of games.

Yes, your PSN account or Steam library may look nice with a long list of games, but it really isn’t the same. I mean, think about how amazing a room full of old books looks. It’s an outstanding sight! That’s also true for games, with their cases and box art creating wonderful collages of colour and style.

That’s completely missing if you purchase the games digitally. Instead, you have a single console in the room, with all of the games just floating in the digital cloud. You don’t get to marvel at the beauty of those CD or DVD cases on the bookshelf. Yes, it’s not exactly a big thing at all. But for me, I would much rather have a book case full of games to look at then just the one console.

And That’s All Folks

That was a very long post, wasn’t it? I apologise if it ended up being more of a rant, but I really wanted to share my opinion on digital versus physical games. Naturally, I don’t expect everyone to agree with me. I mean, life would be boring if we all agreed on everything. But I hope that I have at least managed to explain the mess of thoughts in my head in a coherent manner.

What are your opinions on digital games versus physical games? What do you think of the Google Stadia? Let me know in the comments below!

from More Design Curation https://www.16bitdad.com/blog/why-i-prefer-owning-physical-copies-of-games/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=why-i-prefer-owning-physical-copies-of-games source https://smartstartblogging.tumblr.com/post/183598845365

0 notes

smartstartblogging · 6 years ago

Text

Why I Prefer Owning Physical Copies of Games

Potential Loss of Access

Ownership of a physical copy of a game means that you are able to ensure you continue to have access to it whenever you want to play it. That game can’t be suddenly taken away from you.

Games As A Service

Again, this used to be limited to the likes of Free-To-Play MMORPGs or Mobile games, but has now flooded the PC and Console market as well.

But that’s not really fixed by having physical copies of games, so you’re probably wondering why I’m even talking about it, right?

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey

Doom Eternal

An unnamed title from Q Games

Preservation Of Games

With physical copies of games, it doesn’t actually matter if those servers are compromised. You will still be able to play the games that you love, because you have the disc version of it.

Cases On The Shelves

And That’s All Folks

What are your opinions on digital games versus physical games? What do you think of the Google Stadia? Let me know in the comments below!

from More Design Curation https://www.16bitdad.com/blog/why-i-prefer-owning-physical-copies-of-games/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=why-i-prefer-owning-physical-copies-of-games

#More Design Curation

0 notes

ssteezyy · 6 years ago

Text

10th Anniversary Celebration and BIG Giveaway

This giveaway is sponsored by participating brands and contains affiliate links*

Today is our 10th anniversary! I can’t believe it’s been ten years since I started this blog, inspired by Amber, the original Conscious Cat. And while this is a huge milestone for Allegra, Ruby and me, this day really belongs to you, our readers. Without you, we wouldn’t be here, and we appreciate you so much for reading, commenting, and sharing every day.

10 years – 3,654 posts – 88,000 comments 15 million page views

Since March 1, 2009, we have brought you 3,654 new posts. 88,000 comments are a testament to the strength of our Conscious Cat community. And with more than 15 million page views, our site is reaching an ever growing audience of cat lovers who want the best for their feline family members.

The Conscious Cat has become the “go to” site for cat parents looking for reliable information about cat health, behavior and nutrition, as well as new cat products, book reviews, and more.

225,000+ social media followers

Our community extends to our Facebook page, and Instagram. Both attract cat lovers who enjoy sharing their love for cats with a group of like minded people every day. It’s truly a joy to curate both. We post unique content and lots and lots of cat photos and videos several times each day. We’re also represented on Twitter and Pinterest. The internet is truly a wonderful place when it creates thriving communities like ours.

Happy, Healthy Cats and Humans

But the numbers don’t tell the whole story. Behind these numbers are countless cats who live happier and healthier lives thanks to the information presented on this site. There’s nothing that makes me happier than receiving messages from readers whose cats have been helped by the information found here.

To celebrate these last ten years, and to thank all of you for making it all possibly by reading, commenting and sharing, we have a BIG giveaway for you!

10th Anniversary Giveaway: 10 Grand Prizes, 10 Winners

We’re giving away a a Sleepypod Mobile Pet Bed, a $100 gift certificate from Triple T Studios, a MaxScratch Oversized Scratching Post and Perch from Hauspanther, an Assisi Loop, a Jackson Galaxy prize package, a Meowfia felted wool cat cave, a 3-month supply of 1TDC® 4-in-1 Wellness Solution, a custom portrait by Jessica Lindell, a custom cat flower pot by KittyCat Studio, and a package of all of my books, personalized and autographed.

For instructions on how to enter to win, see the Rafflecopter widget at the bottom of this post.

Sleepypod Mobile Pet Bed

The Sleepypod mobile pet bed helps make travel with your cat easier because it is packed with features to make travel a breeze. It transitions from a pet bed to a carrier, thereby helping to alleviate travel stress and anxiety because your at is always traveling in his or her everyday pet bed. The Sleepypod mobile pet bed even converts into a crash tested car seat. Other features include durable, non-abrasive mesh panels that enable air to circulate on three sides, machine-washable Ultra Plush bedding, water repellent liner for easy cleanups, and a padded shoulder strap. The Sleepypod mobile pet bed is available in Medium (MSRP $189.99) and Mini (MSRP $169.99) sizes.

For more information and to purchase, visit Sleepypod.com.

$100 Gift Certificate from Triple T Studios

Triple T Studios creates and curates uniquely designed handbags and accessories with feline finesse. Shop their cat inspired handbags, jewelry, scarves, and cat toys. Triple T Studios donates to global conservation projects including Lion Guardians Project, The Cheetah Conservation Fund, Panthera, and select domestic cat non-profit organizations. Triple T Studios motto is Fashion with a Passion™.

Exclusive 20% discount for Conscious Cat readers: use code ConsciousCat20. Code never expires.

For more information and to purchase, visit http://www.triple-t-studios.com.

Hauspanther MaxScratch Oversized Scratching Post and Perch

The Hauspanther MaxScratch is big enough not just for scratching, but also for climbing and perching. This oversized cat scatcher is wrapped with natural jute rope, creating a durable and attractive scratching surface. A sturdy base keeps the post from tipping over. The built-in perch on top gives kitty a perfect lookout spot. Allegra and Ruby not included.

The MaxScratch Oversized Cat Scratching Post and Perch is available from Wayfair.

Assisi Loop

The Assisi Loop provides safe and effective pain relief without adverse effects. The Assisi Loop features targeted pulsed electromagnetic field therapy (tPEMF™). This modality was first studied in the 1970s and is FDA-cleared for use in humans. It uses low-level pulses of electromagnetic energy to stimulate the body’s own healing mechanisms to help relieve pain, inflammation and swelling. You can find multiple accounts of how the Assisi Loop helped cats with varying conditions ranging from arthritis to post surgical pain to lymphoma here. Please note that the Assisi Loop requires a prescription from a veterinarian. Winner will need to provide a prescription in order to claim their prize.

For more information about how the Loop could help your cat, visit http://www.assisianimalhealth.com or contact Assisi Animal Health at [email protected], 866-830-7342.

Jackson Galaxy Prize Pack

This prize pack contains an assortment of toys and supplies from the Jackson Galaxy Collection by Petmate. All of the items are designed by the Cat Daddy himself, so you know your kitties will love everything in this prize pack. Actual prize pack may vary from the image shown above.

For more information about all of Jackson’s fantastic products for happier, healthier cats, visit JacksonGalaxy.com.

Meowfia Felted Wool Cat Cave

Meowfia Felted Wool Cat Caves are handmade from 100% Merino wool, a soft, lightweight natural fiber. Merino wool is breathable, keeping your cat warm in the winter or cool in warmer weather. The beds are safe and eco-friendly. There are no plastic or other man-made materials used. Merino wool naturally repels odor, dirt and stains. The caves can be hand washed in cold water with a mild detergent designed for wool, and should be air dried. Machine washing is not recommended.

Meowfia Felted Wool Cat Caves are available from Amazon in a variety of colors.

3-month Supply of 1TDC™ 4-in-1 Wellness Solution

1TDC™ (which stands for 1-TetraDecanol Complex) is a revolutionary natural solution that keeps joints, muscles and gums healthy at a cellular level. This product goes beyond supplements containing glucosamine and fish oil. It works systemically as a catalyst to allow the body to improve joint and oral health.

For more information about 1TDC™ and to purchase, please visit 1TDC.com.

Exclusive 10% discount for Conscious Cat Readers: use code CONSCIOUSCAT10 at checkout. Discount never expires.

Custom Water Color Portrait by Jessica Lindell

Custom portraits are a wonderful way to celebrate a special cat, or preserve the memory of a cat no longer with you. Jessica Lindell’s water color portraits capture emotion and personality in vibrant colors. This giveaway will be for an 8×8 custom portrait on a 2 inch cradled hardboard panel (value: $297).

For more information, and to order your custom portrait, visit https://www.aquilawatercolor.com/p/custom-pet-portraits

Exclusive 10% discount off any custom portrait for Conscious Cat readers: use code CATLOVE10 at checkout.

Custom Flower Pot Cat Sign from KittyCat Art Studio

Laura Anglemoyer, the artist behind KittyCat Art Studio, creates beautiful and unique handmade cat items ranging from ornaments to picture frames to food bowls and much, much more. Laurel can even create custom made items from photos of your cats. These adorable kitty signs are made of a thin gauge metal, cut to shape and hand painted. They are sealed in a weather resistant coating so you may hang indoors or out. Hangs by a removable wire hanger. Measures: 14 inch tall by 9 inch wide.

To see more and to purchase, please visit KittyCat Art Studio’s Etsy Shop.

Exclusive 10% discount off any product from KittyCat Art Studio for Conscious Cat readers: use code CATSTUDIO at checkout.

A Complete Set of Autographed Copies of My Books

This set will include one copy each of Buckley’s Story: Lessons from a Feline Master Teacher, Purrs of Wisdom: Conscious Living, Feline Style, The BIG Book of Cats With a BIG Attitude, and Purrs of Wisdom: Conscious Living, Feline Style. I will also include a Kindle copy of Adventures in Veterinary Medicine: What Working in Veterinary Hospitals taught me about Life, Love and Myself.

All of my books are available on Amazon and everywhere books are sold.

Enter to win one of 10 Grand Prizes – 10 Winners

For up to 13 ways to enter, see the Rafflecopter widget below. This giveaway is open to readers in the United States only, and ends Friday, March 31. Winners and prize will be chosen by random drawing.**

For up to four ways to enter, see the Rafflecopter widget below. This giveaway is open to readers in the United States only, and ends Sunday, March 31. Winners and prize will be chosen by random drawing.**

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*FTC Disclosure: This giveaway is sponsored by the brands providing the prizes, which means that I was paid to feature this content. Regardless of payment received, you will only see products featured on this site that I believe are of interest to my readers. The Conscious Cat is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to products on Amazon and affiliated sites. The Conscious Cat is an affiliate partner of Jackson Galaxy and Triple T Studios. This means that if you decide to purchase through any of our links, we get a small commission.

**No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited. This giveaway is in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with Facebook. By entering this giveaway, you understand that you are providing your information to The Conscious Cat, and not to Facebook. We will never sell, rent or share your information with third parties. Winners will be notified via e-mail. Prize winner must provide The Conscious Cat with a physical address to which the prize will be mailed within 72 hours. If this information is not received, an alternate winner will be chosen by random drawing. Winners will be announced in a separate post following the drawing.

The post 10th Anniversary Celebration and BIG Giveaway appeared first on The Conscious Cat.

0 notes

thegreenwolf · 8 years ago

Link

Note: This post was originally published at my old Patheos blog. It is unfortunately still there despite my resignation and request that they delete all my content. I had a request from another writer to link to this post, though they didn’t want to use the Patheos link (thank you!) So I am republishing the content here, and will likely do that with a selection of my other Patheos posts. Enjoy!

*******************************

When someone gives something to us, it’s natural for us to want to return the favor. Reciprocity is part of being a complex social creature and part of the underpinnings of successful civilization. It’s no different in our spiritual paths. When the spirits, gods, nature gift us with knowledge, empowerment or even a good meal, we want to be able to say thank you in a formal manner.

This balance more important now than ever. For centuries we have done a lot of taking from nature and relatively little giving back. Of course, some things are hard to replace. We can’t exactly put oil back in the ground or easily remove the pollutants caused by its processing and burning. But it’s only been recently that we’ve made conscious efforts to replace at least some of what we take. In Oregon, for example, it’s been a law since 1972 that any landowner who cuts down trees for timber must plant more to replace them.

Still, the balance is far from equal. We still take far more than we give back, and what we do give is often tainted. Take food offerings, for example. It may seem pretty innocuous to make an extra plate of food after a ritual and leave it out “for the wildlife”. Some of what we eat is very bad for other species, though, and it doesn’t have to be the hyper-processed snack foods we favor. Onions are toxic for dogs and cats, and so any wandering domestic or feral animal would get sick if the dish you prepared contains even cooked onion. (Coyotes might also not fare so well.) Moreover, leaving food out teaches wild mammals to stop fearing humans and to become more aggressive in trying to get food from us. Predictably this leads to more animals having to be killed as nuisances or dangerous.

The source of the offering may also be suspect. Let’s say you want to leave a small quartz crystal next to a plant that you harvested leaves from for medicine. Where did the crystal come from, and how was it mined? What quality of life did the miner have and how much did they make for it? How many thousands of miles was the crystal shipped using fossil fuels? What offering did you make to the land the crystal was torn out of to say “thanks for the shiny rock”? And, finally, how exactly is the plant supposed to use a piece of quartz crystal when what it really needs is water and healthy soil?

We need to rethink the concept of offerings, and what we’re actually giving versus receiving. Are we giving back anything of actual value, or just contributing to more problems at home and abroad?

I’d like to offer some potential alternatives for those of us on a nature-based path. These are offerings that are more conscious of environmental impact and have a real, measurable effect on the land. (In my experience they also make the spirits of the land happier!)

–Take the time to really get to know the land you live on: How much do you know about your bioregion? What’s the geology that forms its foundation, and how does it affect the climate and weather? What animals, plants, fungi and other living beings share space with you there? What did it look like before large numbers of humans arrived? What did it look like 10,000 years ago? 100,000? 100 million?

Knowing these things helps you understand the intricacies of your bioregion and what it needs in order to be healthy. You may think that your area has a diversity of wildlife because you know a few species of bird in the area, but it may lack the necessary habitat to support more elusive animals. What happened to drive these other species away?

You may not be able to do anything about these bigger situations, but just being aware of and sensitive to them can be a great offering in and of itself. It shows you respect the land and the beings you share it with, and it helps push you out of the heavily anthropocentric mindset most humans have been running around with for too long.

–Offer your time: If you have the time and physical ability to do so, spend some time trying to improve the land around you. If there are local environmental or conservation groups working to remove invasive species and replace them with native ones, or monitor water and air quality, or other efforts toward habitat restoration and preservation, see what sorts of volunteer opportunities they have. Check the Citizen Science Alliance website to see if there are any nearby nature research projects you can help with. You can even do some self-directed projects, like keeping a particular park or stretch of stream litter-free.

Even if you don’t have the ability to do that sort of intensive outdoor work, consider contacting your elected officials about environmental issues in your area. The more you educate yourself about these issues, the more effective you can make your letters. You can even extend this communication to local business owners, encouraging them to implement sustainability efforts or transparency about pollutants in manufacturing activities.

Some of you may even have the opportunity to make your career more centered on nature. Degree programs in biology and other natural sciences offer the ability to do field research (though there can be competition for jobs and research opportunities!) Should you happen to be interested in law school, environmental law is a great way to utilize the legal system to hold polluters and other problematic entities accountable.

–Offer your money: You don’t have to tithe 10% of your income to your spiritual path, but even if you have just a few dollars extra, consider donating the funds to an environmental nonprofit that you trust. Local organizations are always looking for ways to pay for their projects, and this may be the best option if you’re trying to help your immediate bioregion. On the other hand, bigger organizations do a lot of valuable work ranging from buying up and protecting fragile ecosystems, to lobbying elected officials and convincing them to vote in favor of the environment.

Some utility companies are beginning to offer clean energy buy-in options to their customers, albeit at a little higher monthly rate. Instead of getting your electricity from coal, for example, you might be able to switch some or all of your electricity to wind or hydroelectric power. While these are not without their own problems, they’re an attempt to try to cut down on the reliance on fossil fuels. And the more people who demand cleaner energy, the more incentive there will be for companies to work out the flaws with wind, hydro, and other energy alternatives.

–Teach others: Social media has become a pretty significant powerhouse for activists of all sorts. You don’t have to be organizing marches against pollution, but you can use your social media network to share links about environmental issues. Don’t worry about making your contributions all news all the time, either. Even just passing on a few links in the middle of your usual roster of cat pictures, gripes about work, or “What I did this weekend” posts can make a big difference.

Looking back at the volunteering option for a moment, you might see if local organizations or national/state parks have opportunities for volunteer interpreters. These help visitors to parks and other wild places to learn more about the flora, fauna and other features of the land, and it’s a great way to inspire others to fall in love with your bioregion!

–Live more lightly on the planet: Look at your everyday life and see if there are ways you can live a greener life. This might involve spending a little more money to buy a couple of extra organic or pasture-raised food items, or toilet paper and paper towels made from recycled paper. Or it may mean switching over to public transit for your commute (which, by the way, makes for great reading time!) When you take a shower, catch the “warm-up” water in a bucket, and then use that to refill the toilet tank next time you flush. Use a 50-50 vinegar-water solution and some Bon Ami for house cleaning instead of harmful chemicals like bleach. Really, it all depends on what your financial and schedule situations are like, what resources are available to you, and what you can afford to change. Even if you just make one change a month, over time that all adds up.

And these offering ideas are just a few potential options. What else might you do to make effective offerings in a nature-based path?

Did you enjoy this post? Consider buying a copy of my book, Nature Spirituality From the Ground Up, which has more ideas and practices for getting closer to nature through your spiritual path!

#pagan #nature #spirituality #offerings #environment #mine

95 notes · View notes