#but unlike stripe it's available in my country

[arrgh-whatever]

there's a good chance that I won't be able to accept commissions since november. BMaC is no longer accepting ukrainian cards and since november payoneer withdrawal will also be unavailable. unless we find a different way to receive money that'll be it for commissions

[macroeconomicclassblog2023]

Chapter #2

Question #1: Pick your favorite (or least-favorite)  policy-maker and find an example of a positive statement and a normative statement made by this person. Why does it matter that the statements are either positive or normative?  Does identifying which category the statement falls into change the way you evaluate the statement? (This can be either local or national - politicians of all stripes are logical choices.)

During an event with the College of Criminal Justice, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a U.S. Representative for New York’s 14th congressional district, stated ”The United States incarcerated more people than any other country in the world” (A conversation). This is considered a positive statement because it is a fact about America. It matters that she made a positive statement because it set up the rest of her argument on current incarceration policies surrounding juveniles. By identifying her statement as a positive statement, the audience can use this information to back up her normative statement. 

Later in her speech, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez makes a normative statement on how to start getting rid of current incarceration policies surrounding juveniles. She states, “When it comes to juvenile detention, we have a school to prison pipeline. And I think that one of the main ways that we address juvenile detention is by stopping policies that treat schools like mini jails” (A conversation). It matters that this is a normative statement because she is saying what the government should do to keep juveniles out of jail. By viewing this as a normative statement, I can realize that people could argue with this statement unlike the positive statement. With the positive statement, she uses statistics that would be hard to argue against. But with the normative statement, people can argue with her solution to the problem. 

Positive and normative statements change the way you listen to the speaker. When you are listening to a positive statement you can listen to the facts. And while you are listening to a normative statement you can tell what the person believes in and sometimes their morals. Normative statements aren't always the correct way to approach a situation, but it is a possibility of how society can approach the situation. 

Question #2: Look at the table of propositions about which most economists agree (Table 1).  Do you agree with all of them or are there one or two about which you have disagreed in the past?  Why did/do you disagree? 

The table of propositions was filled with views that I agreed and disagreed with. Some of the ones that I disagreed with were primarily because it would have negative impacts on the lower class. And I agreed with some of the views because of my own beliefs. Most of the views on the proposition table are views that most economists agree with, but I would have also liked to see what kinds of topics economists could not agree on. But since this is mainly what they agree on, I will mention why I agree or disagree with their views. 

I agree with four of their main arguments in the proposition, but I will mention the main one I agree with. The main one I agree with is the first question, “A ceiling on rents reduces the quantity and quality of housing available.” I agree with this statement because if the government controlled how much apartments would cost, more people would be able to afford an apartment. For example, if the minimum wage went up, usually the price of rent would increase as well because the landlords would be able to gain more profit. So, if the government put a cap on how much landlords could price their apartments for, then the price of apartments would become less expensive as the minimum wage increases. Meaning more people would be able to afford an apartment, so there would be less quantity of apartments. Also, the quality would decrease because if an expensive apartment started to become the same price as a low income apartment, then the landlord of the expensive apartment would no longer have the money to make it an expensive apartment. It would no longer have nicer amenities because the landlord would be making less of a profit. 

I also disagree with four of the propositions that economists agree on. The main one I disagree with is that, “Government subsidies on ethanol in the United States should be reduced or eliminated.” My reasons for disagreeing with this are more about the present than the future. I can acknowledge that ethanol is worse for the environment than gasoline, but things need to be changed before subsidies for ethanol are eliminated. For example, if the price of ethanol no longer has subsidies, then gasoline will need more subsidies. Ethanol gas is cheaper than gasoline, so if you just take away the subsidies then there is no other option then to pay more for gas. Not everyone can afford the price of gasoline with no ethanol, so there would need to be subsidies on pure gasoline. Also, the farmers that grow corn for ethanol would have to change their source of income to more food related items. This would have a huge negative impact on these farmers and they would need to be supported during this like they are supported while making the corn for ethanol. 

Works Cited: A conversation with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. YouTube. (2019, April 24). Retrieved February 1, 2023, from https://youtu.be/NaOJORnWbVo

[weallpartyatybcpatricksfuneral]

I'll be making this into a long fic, but for now I chose to keep it short. Hermitcraft x Dream SMP crossover

Title: button

Grian sat down at the oak wood table, brow furrowed. Another day, another failed attempt to reconnect to Hermitcraft. The strange glitch that had caused the border to fall in the first place must have been repaired, for the world border was back up and running. His communicator didn’t work outside of his home server, and Phil’s crows (who insisted on following the man everywhere, and who Phil had put up to the task of flying between the severs, trying to gather intel on the border glitch and if people were trying to find him) haven’t delivered any news. 

    The builder glanced out the window as the sun set over the horizon. Past that was Hermitcraft. His home. What was Mumbo doing? Scar? Iskall? Xisuma? How was the war progressing without him? Did anyone notice his absence? No, Grian, don’t get sad. Happy thoughts only...Happy thoughts. 

    “Grain!” 

    Torn away from his thoughts, Grian looked up to see Philza, his dark grey wings fluffed up in distress. “Wil’s sent a letter.” The avian said, holding up a piece of paper. 

    “Well, that’s good!” Phil had been under extreme stress these past couple of days since Wilbur hadn’t sent a letter in weeks and the past few he had sent were...concerning, to say the least. “What’s it say?” 

    Another letter should have been a relief, but from the look on Phil’s face, Grian concluded that this letter was everything except relief.

    “It’s just a date, time, and coordinates. November 16th, noon, with a set of coords in L’Manberg…” Phil’s voice trailed off as his dark emerald eyes scanned the page, over and over, as if he were looking for more writing than just a simple date. 

    “That’s tomorrow, innit?” Grian questioned, trying to distract the man from his distress. That’s how Grian ignored his. Happy thoughts. Happy thoughts. Happy thoughts. “I mean, you’ll be able to see your sons, check up on Wil?” 

    “Something doesn’t feel right about this, Grain.” Even after all this time together, Phil still called him Grain. Grian stifled a laugh, as it wasn’t the appropriate time to giggle. “His last few letters concerned me. He mentioned something in his last one about 11 and a half stacks of TNT.” Phil looked Grian dead in the eye and whispered, “Grain, I think Wilbur is going to blow L’Manberg!” 

    “But why?” Grian attempted to rationalize with the distraught Phil, who was now pacing across the room making stressed-out bird noises. “He won the election, shouldn’t he be content with that?” This type of stuff never happened on Hermitcraft. There were never serious talks of blowing up anyone’s builds, much less an entire country! The only time TNT is used is in pranks, and they always helped clean up after. 

    “You clearly don’t know Wilbur...He’s a force of chaos, I’ll tell you that. A creative little shit who always comes up with new ways to get what he wants. If he wants L’Manberg gone, then he’ll go to crazy lengths to achieve that goal.”

    Silence fell. 

    “We need to get to L’Manberg. Now. It’s about a day’s flight from here, and we need to leave now if we want to get there as fast as fucking possible.” Phil tucked the letter into the pocket of his dark green kimono and flexed his wings. Unlike Grian, who used the sleek and slim elytra to fly about, Philza had a pair of actual feathery wings. Upon arrival, Phil explained that he was a bird hybrid, also known as an avian. He had feathers on the sides of his face and neck with elfish ears. Back on Hermitcraft, every member of the server was human. 

Grian and Phil started out on their journey north, towards the world border of Dream SMP. The sun had risen, and the world border was in sight. Phil stated that Dream, the apparent Admin of the server, had agreed to let up the border for a few seconds to let Phil and Grian inside. Phil took a rest on a tree, breathing heavily after hours of non-stop flight.  

“You alright, Big P?” If Phil could nickname him Grain, Grian would nickname him as well. A smile twinged across Phil’s face. 

“Ahh...You sound so much like my youngest, Tommy. He says that to people too. You remind me of him so much. Right down to your red shirt and the aura of pure, unbridled chaos you emit.” 

Both men laughed. Grian really enjoyed Phil’s laugh, and despite how giggly and giddy the avian usually was, it had been a few days since he had last heard him laugh. Wilbur’s lack of letters had really spooked him. 

“Will you stay?” 

“Hmm?” 

“In L’Manberg. I mean, it’s closer to your sons.” 

Phil shrugged and drank a potion of strength, and stood. 

“I might, depending on what happens. If my theory is correct, and Wilbur is going to blow the place up, then I’ll probably stay. Just to help him out and help clean up y’know? Maybe I’ll be able to convince him to come home. Before you got here, I was...really lonely.” 

“Well, you won’t be lonely anymore! Since I can’t return home yet, I’ll be your friend so you don’t have to be lonely!” 

“Thanks, Grain.” 

“You’re welcome, Big P!” 

The two rose and started to fly towards the world border. Maybe Grian could make a new home on Dream SMP. The builder already started making plans for an epic build, having a vague idea in his head. However, he would have to inspect the landscapes available to see what his block palette would be and what style his build would be. Grian thought of his mansion back home and wanted to build something similar to remember it. 

“Oi! Grain! You there mate?” 

Grian shook his head as he was, again, dragged from his daydreams by Phil. They had arrived at the world border. “I’ve sent word to Dream, he should be letting us in soon.” 

“Alrighty! What kind of base do you want to build if you stay?”

    Phil just shrugged. “Eh. Don’t know just yet. Don’t want to start anything too ambitious, like a Hardcore project.” 

Grian kept forgetting that this man held the world record for the longest Hardcore run. Phil was only 5”4 and didn’t look that intimidating. He looked loving and fatherly, and Grian considered Phil to be like a father to him. But the man was a dedicated Hardcore player, and could easily take Grian down in a fight. It scared him, sometimes, about how little he actually knew about Phil. 

“Alright, mate, let’s go.” The blue striped border had been removed by the mysterious admin, and the two flew into Dream SMP. Grian felt a buzz from his communicator and pulled it from his pocket. 

<Grian joined the game>  

<Ph1LzA joined the game> 

Unlike in Hermitcraft, when a member joins the server (especially a new member), the entire chat would be flooded with ‘hello!’ messages. However, on the Dream SMP, there were one or two directed at Phil. How peculiar. Phil went silent as they flew over the woods and forest. In the distance, Grian could see what appeared to be a city. That must be L’Manberg. It wasn’t as big or as grand as some builds on Hermitcraft, heck his own base would have taken up over half of the area if he lived there. On a tall pole lay what Grian assumed was the flag of L’Manberg, inky black, with a fiery red arch and X. Interesting design. Phil didn’t go into the city, however, he flew towards the coordinates that Wilbur had written in his letter, his brow furrowed. Fireworks crackled and popped throughout L’Manberg. 

Grian landed with Phil, in front of a small tunnel that bore deep into a hill that was just outside the country. 

“It’s now or never. Grain, stay behind me.” Phil tucked the letter away and led Grian through the tunnel, and into a compact stone room. Carved into the wall were words. No, not just words. Lyrics. 

I heard there was a special place, 

where men could go and emancipate. 

From the brutality and tyranny of their rulers. 

Well, this place was real, you needn’t fret, 

With Wilbur, Tommy, Tubbo, fuck Eret. 

It’s a very big place, not blown up L’Manberg. 

MY L’MANBERG

MY L’MANBERG

MY L’MANBERG…

Those lyrics were carved all over the stone walls, and in the middle, was a stone button. In front of that button, was Philza’s eldest son, Wilbur. 

Grian had never actually seen Wilbur before, only in an old picture of when Phil, Wilbur, and Phil’s other two sons, Tommy and Technoblade, won MCC 4. In that picture, Wilbur wore a cute yellow sweater with a brown beanie, with a shimmering smile on his face. 

The man that stood before them now was not that person. It couldn’t be. Wilbur stood, hunched over a stone button, whispering to himself. He donned a brown trenchcoat and ditched the beanie. 

“What are you doing?” Phil asked.

Wilbur turned to face them. His eyes had no emotion in them, his smile no longer shimmered. Standing before them was an insane man. 

“I will admit,” Wilbur said. His voice sent a chill down Grian’s spine, “Do you know what this is? What this button is?” Phil’s speculations appeared to be true. Wilbur was trying to destroy L’Manberg. 

“Uh huh. I do.” How, how could Phil be so calm? 

“Have you heard the song? The song on the walls?” Wilbur’s fingers gently ran over the words ‘MY L’MANBERG’. His eye twitched, “I was just making a big point you know? About how there was a special place, it was a special place. But that's not there anymore.” Wil’s voice lowered to a hush. 

“It is there, Wil, it's out there.” 

“PHIL I’M ALWAYS SO CLOSE TO PRESSING THIS BUTTON! I’VE BEEN HERE LIKE SEVEN OR EIGHT TIMES--” Voices from above cut Wilbur off. Grian could hear footsteps above them. Wilbur turned his eyes to the stone ceiling and lowered his voice. “Oh they're going to come…I need to block this off.” Wilbur hastily piled blackstone bricks in the doorway, which not only sealed whoever “they” were out, but also sealed Grian, Phil, and Wilbur in.

“Oh Phil...I’ve been here so many times.” 

Numerous fireworks exploded outside. 

<Tubbo_ went off with a bang due to a firework fired from [Rocket Launcher] by Technoblade> 

“Oh they’re fighting, they’re fighting…” WIlbur whispered, sounding tired. 

“And you just want to...to blow it all up? You fought so hard for this land, Wilbur, and you just want to...destroy it all?” Phil tried to reason.

“I don’t even know if the button works anymore, Phil, I could press it, and it might--”

“Do you want to risk it? There is a lot of TNT potentially connected to that button.” 

Wilbur seemed to hear him. His breathing got heavier as he returned to that hunched over position over the stone button. What was this place? Nothing serious ever happened on Hermitcraft. There were no seriously high stakes, there were no serious threats, no serious danger. It was all in good fun. 

“There...there was a saying, Phil...by, uh, by a traitor. Once part of L’Manberg, don’t know if you ever heard of Eret, but he had a saying.” 

Wilbur looked up at Phil. Grian could see the familiar resemblance between the two, they shared emerald green eyes. 

“It was never meant to be.” Wilbur whispered that phrase, and pressed the stone button. 

[surveys-at-your-service]

Survey #300

that’s a lot of time wasted, lmao

If you were a witch, which animal would be your familiar? Could I have like, a melanistic barn owl? That'd be dope. They're fuckin gorgeous. If there's a design on your shirt, what is it? Ha, speaking of owls... Would you ever visit a ghost town? MOTHERFUCKER would I. Bringing my camera, too. What would you do if you found out your life was only a simulation controlled by someone else? I have a very much Detroit: Become Human (phenomenal game, btw) outlook on this: I think, therefore I am. It honestly wouldn't affect me terribly. I sure would hate my creator though, jfc, lmao. What's the scariest thing you've accidentally found on the internet? Okay so there is this one video filmed by some guys who had this really strange, sulking guy in black stalking them, and it ends with the suspected murderer slinking over to the guys (who were by this point finding it almost funny, due to how the man was acting) and charging with a knife, I think, once he was very close. I believe the men were never found afterwards. It is SO goddamn unnerving. Is there anything bothering you right now? Not to be a Negative Nancy, but when isn't there lmao. Thinking of every Halloween costume you've had, which one was the most creative? I never had creative ones, really. What's the picture on your calendar for this month? I don't have a relevant calender, just old meerkat ones on a wall in my room. If you were a mythical creature, which would you be? As much as I love dragons, they're targeted too much in fantasy to kill, so let's not, haha. Being a dryad would be cool. Or druid. Either/or. If you were an animal, which would you be? A housecat, ig. Were you ever bullied when you were younger and how did you handle it? I consider myself very lucky to have not been. Have you ever thrown something away and then wanted it back? Okay so it's "deleted" versus "thrown away," technically, but there are two senior prom pictures in specific I desperately want back because fuck my low self-esteem, I look beautiful in them and so damn happy. I even tried Facebook restore programs that supposedly recovered all pictures you ever removed, but I couldn't salvage them. I'm still pissed about it, haha. What's one random city you want to visit? I don't have a specific city, per se. More so just countries in general. If you owned a store, what would you most likely sell? I think owning a pet supply store would be really cool, with some animals that are actually very well-cared for, unlike chain pet stores. I HATE those, vehemently. So unspeakably ignorant and neglectful. If you had a garden, what sort of plants would you grow? I don't want a garden, but hypothetically, I'd love orchids, dahlias, tiger lilies, a weeping willow tree, some strawberries... What's your favorite phase of the moon? Full, of course. What's the song for your life right now? I've felt extremely connected to Seether's "Weak" lately. Do you believe that when you die, you get to see all your loved ones again? I hope so... Who would you be the most excited to see? DO I ACTUALLY NEED TO ANSWER THIS QUESTION?????????? Do you enjoy reading National Geographic magazines? If I'm like, sitting in a waiting room and they're available, I'll go for them. Do you know anyone who's serving in the military right now? Welcome to the South, baby. The boys graduate, they're going straight for the military. I only have one real friend who was one but left tho because he fucking hated it. Does or did either of your parents serve in the military? No. Has anything in your house ever caught on fire? Not in this house, no. As a small child, did you ever feel as if you were different or weird? Absofuckinglutely. I have A LOT of bad memories of instances where I felt like "the weird kid." Can you say "happy birthday" in another language? Omg... I forgot the German phrase. Wow, I'm rusty. What subjects do you or did you get the worst grades in? Math. Do you have photos to go with all of the contacts in your phone? I don't have pictures that go with any. Who was the last person to comment on one of your photos on Facebook and how did you meet that person? I just checked, and it was my friend Summer. I met her because she was actually first friends with my younger sister in pre-k, but we grew closer than they did in our teen years. What career paths are you considering? I just want to be a photographer. So badly. But I've felt super, super discouraged lately. Do you watch music videos? I pretty much never do, but rather listen through the artists' Topic uploads or lyric videos. I don't generally like official music videos because they tend to have other sounds/parts/breaks/etc. in them that distract from the song. Have you ever clicked on those banner ads that promise a prize for clicking? Probably by accident at some point in time. What kind of computer are you using? Acer Nitro. What kind of computer do you wish you were using? I'm fine with what I have. Have you ever had a weight change so drastic you went to the doctor? .-. How cold does it have to be before you put on a sweater? Depends on how long I'll be outside, but in most situations, in the 50s. Do you eat things off the floor? Um, ew. Who do people say you look like? My sisters. Do you usually get your homework done on time? When I was in school, I was very serious about having my homework finished by the date it was due. Have you ever framed your old movie ticket stubs? I've kept some, but never framed any. Do you have a digital camera? A Canon, yeah. Have you ever stuck something inappropriate in an electrical outlet? Bitch I ain't tryna get electrocuted. How many days has it been since your last birthday? My b-day is actually coming up soon; the 5th of February. Do you want any more siblings than you have now? Well, considering both my parents (and stepmom) are in their 50s... How easily shocked are you? VERY. I am extremely jumpy and on edge at like all times. You like the color blue, don't you? I mean yeah. Particularly the lighter tints. Who was the last person who asked you something that made you think? My therapist REEEEAAAALLY makes me do this. She's an absolute pro at getting me to dig deep into myself. Ever fired a gun? No, and I don't want to. From 1-10, how would you rate your cooking skills? Is 0 an option? Do you notice the heat or the cold more? HEAT, JESUS FUCK. It can be one or two degrees above what I consider stable and I'll be sweating. I'm hypersensitive to it I know from being in such a consistent temperature in my room like 24/7. Do you believe in miracles? Probably no. What hurts more: scratches or bites? Bites, if you're talking serious ones. Do you prefer rabbits to mice? No, mice (and especially rats) are absolutely amazing, intelligent animals. Bonus points for being mega cute too, though I do find rabbits cuter. Who out of all the people you know reasonably well is the most "dark?" Sara, haha. Favorite chocolate-based candy? Reese's. Do you call anyone babe or baby? My pets sometimes. Name me a food you used to like that you now don't: Peas, olives. Name me a food you now like but never used to: Mashed potatoes, IF prepared very well (by my standards, obviously). Would you rather live in Europe, The US, or Australia? By this point, take me to Europe. If it wouldn't be such a huge life change and leaving so many people, I would 120% move to Canada, but out of these, Europe will do. Would you rather have a big house, a lot of kids, or a high flying job? Give me the high-flying job, 100%. I don't want kids, and I have no need for a large house. Is crime a big problem in your area? Oh yes. What’s your town/city most well-known for? By the locals, being the crime hub, actually, lol. Name 5 objects that you don’t have but would like right now: Hmmm... I want a 40g tank as an upgrade for Venus, a gaming chair for when I turn the extra room into my "office" so I don't destroy my back sitting there, new glasses and a driving permit, and don't forget a gd tattoo needle pounding my skin. :^) If you were given the choice to choose your child’s gender, would you? Yes, I would absolutely want a girl just because IF I wanted kids, I'd want a daughter named Alessandra. Do you get along well with your family doctor/your doctor? Yeah, she's nice. What types of soups do you like? None. If a color could reflect your current mood, which would it be? Grayish blue. The last time you saw fireworks? I really don't know; it's been years, at least. Have you ever gone to a movie premiere? Possibly for Silent Hill: Revelation, but I'm not certain. Who was the last person to make you laugh out loud? My mom, because she made me remember something funny. What was the last commercial you heard selling? *shrug* Do you prefer fairly common names or a bit out of the ordinary ones? Oh, definitely rare and unique ones. Would you rather have a pet cat, dog, horse or tortoise? At this current time, a dog for Mom, which we're actually probably getting. She misses having one super badly. Is your laugh loud, normal or very silent? My laugh is loud and obnoxious as fuck. What are you interested in that most people would be surprised to know? Tarantulas, probably. I love them, even though spiders kinda scare me. Last movie you watched the whole way through? Elf, I think, with Sara's fam. What's your favorite fruit? Strawberries are where it's at. Last time you drank coffee? I've only ever sipped coffee to try to see if I liked it. Never have. I THINK I last took a sip of Sara's when we went on a breakfast date? Has anyone ever called you rich? Calling me rich would be entirely ludicrous. What makes you feel beautiful? Nothing. How many bathrooms are in your house? Two. Last time you were on a plane and where did you go? A couple years ago, coming home from Illinois. Favorite flavor muffin? Uggghhhh chocolate. Do you prefer stripes or polka dots? Polka dots. I tend to find circles visually appealing. Did you take Music when you were in school? I think all the elementary school students did. I was also in band in middle and high school; I played the flute. Why did you last feel like crying? I'm just sick of how my life is going. Do you find being alone with strangers scary, interesting, or indifferent? I find it either awkward or terrifying, depending on the gender. It's not a willing thing or intended sexism whatsoever, I'm just naturally afraid of men. Do your initials spell a legitimate word? If so, what? No. Does someone’s background affect whether you'll be friends with them or not? Well, it depends on what they've done. How about their religious background? No. If someone admitted cheating in a past relationship of theirs, would you trust them? Nope, bye. Did you ever want to be a cook as a kid? No. How about a fashion designer? No. Do you prefer fire or ice? Fire aesthetically, but ice is certainly less intimidating. When happy, do you become more talkative? OH yes. Are you offended easily by non-politically correct language? No, really. I wouldn't say derogatory terms, but I really don't understand why most people put so much weight into a single made-up word. But again, you won't hear that language coming out of my mouth because I understand that it just does hurt some people, and I respect that. Do you think the censors/fcc go a bit too far or are just right? It's gone overboard, imo. What's your I.Q? I don't want to know, haha. Have you ever taken a martial art? Which one{s}? No. Do you know anyone who is scared of you? Um, no. What person who has died would you bring back and why? Probably Steve Irwin. His children have done FUCKING FANTASTIC at carrying on his legacy and purpose, but I feel he could've taught the world so much more than he had time to... Do you like watermelon? No. Too watery. Can you remember the month of your first kiss? Yes, actually. March. What do you think is the most interesting thing about you? I'm unsure, really. Do you like being complimented or does it make you uncomfortable? Both. What artist's paintings do you find the most beautiful? This is an impossible question. What about the most disturbing? Oh man, I watch this one person on deviantART that makes especially creepy artwork. I follow a loooot of dark artists, though, so it's difficult to pick. Have you ever gone to a camp or summer school? A church-related summer thing, yes, as a kid. What was your favorite cartoon as a child? Pokemon was/is where it's at. What was your biggest fear as a child? Thunderstorms, holy shit. Would you rather be able to fly or breathe underwater? Be able to breathe underwater. What about invisibility or mindreading? Definitely invisibility. Mindreading would just... suck. Hurt. Especially if you couldn't control it. Which stereotype do you dislike the most? Good question, considering I hate a shit ton. Can you remember all your past teachers names? No, not all of them. Do you like talent shows? Which ones? I don't mind watching 'em. I particularly used to love America's Got Talent. Have you ever failed an important exam? In what? Yes; I failed horribly at my final math exam the last time I was in school. Are you on any meds? Too many. Just way too many for someone my age. I'm really starting to think I'm over-medicated to where it's dulling my senses, feelings, and also destroying my memory. But I kinda need like... all of them. I'm talking to my psychiatrist in just a couple days though, actually, and I'm going to talk to him about maybe trying to wean me off my OCD med, since I haven't had big symptoms in a long time. I wanna see how I deal without it. What color is your razor? Black and orange. What is your fave frozen treat? Just the classic ice cream. Which supermarket do you like to shop at? We tend to get our groceries from Wal-Mart. Do you struggle to say ‘no’ to things you don’t want to do? YESSIREE. Are you friends with someone a lot of people dislike? I don't think there's anyone that is widely disliked, no. Have you ever had to deal with someone close to you going off to war? No, thankfully. Other than yourself, who did you last buy something for? Mom. What's something you complain about frequently? My legs hurting. It's hard to ignore when taking one step is painful. Have you ever talked about your period with a guy? Were they okay with it, or grossed out? I certainly haven't talked about it in-depth, but it's been mentioned in some way when I was with Jason. I mean we were together for three and a half years, sexually active (and I ain't doing jackshit if it's that time of the month), and I spent as much time with him as possible, so... it woulda came up. I'm sure he was indifferent about it, he was a mature guy. Have you ever been to an Asian (any type) market? If so, what is the closest one to you? No. I've never even heard of one around here. Have you ever slept with a member of the opposite sex without having sex? Back up two questions, haha. That was normal. How would you feel if your significant other had tattoos? Shit man, I love tattoos. I'd obviously not care. How have you been feeling today? Depressed. Where’s your phone right now? On my chest. I'm lying down. Is there a certain person that makes you feel safe? ugh When you drink alcohol with friends, do you play drinking games? I never have. What are the best kind of Girl Scout cookies? I don't remember their names, honestly... but the chocolate and peanut butter ones come to mind.

[encyclopika]

Animal Crossing Fish - Explained #17

Brought to you by a marine biologist who might be getting back on a boat soon?...

Fish I’ve Covered: Click Here

Every two weeks, my job keeps threatening to put us back on boats and that’s a little scary. Yeah, I miss going out, tbh, but I’m not willing to put my life on the line any more than I already do for that, smh. Humans aren’t the only ones that take pleasure cruises around the world, though. Believe it or not, fish do, too, and it’s actually a very important part of their population dynamics and life cycles! Most bony fish living out in the ocean do this, and today’s fish, the Barred Knifejaw, is one:

Available all day from March until November, the Barred Knifejaw is a generally uncommon catch in the ocean. But it’s so fun to get it! Love the black and white aesthetic, if I do say so myself. This fish was requested by my husband, and honestly, like the Killifish, I thought this was going to be a boring fish, but nay! We’ll actually get to cover something really neat about fish today - larvae dispersal!!! 

The Barred Knifejaw gets the honor of being named down to species in AC:NH, unlike unluckier fish, and I don’t know why. But here it is, the Barred Knifejaw, also called the Striped Beakfish (Oplegnathus fasciatus):

Knifejaws are so named for their fused teeth that look like beaks (kind of like parrotfish). They use these teeth to eat barnacles and other hard-shelled critters. They are native in the northwest Pacific, so near China and Japan, and they are often considered sport fish there. They’re also commercially important food fish, and like the manila clam we covered yesterday, they are farmed.  But uh, what else? Well, we started this off by talking about larvae dispersal and fish taking pleasure cruises. The vast majority of bony fish are “broadcast spawners”, meaning that they reproduce externally by releasing their sperm and eggs into the water to find each other out there. It’s a different type of UwU...

Once the eggs and sperm are out, they are taken by the current. All over the world, adult fish congregate to spawn in this manner, with the hopes that their babies are taken by the current and dropped off elsewhere. Once the larvae are old enough, they’ll settle into habitats miles away from where their parents live. This natural phenomenon is the basis for marine preserve/protected area conservation. Fish protected within marine preserves spawn within the preserve, but their young are carried out of the preserve to support fisheries elsewhere. It’s an incredible way to save the oceans. By this year, the world has vowed to protect 10% of the ocean by locking it into marine preserves all over the world. LOTS of countries, including the USA, the UK, and many many more, worked hard towards this goal, but I don’t think we reached it. Lots of studies by 2018 mentioned we weren’t even halfway there. 

For the barred knifejaw, this method of spread has extended the fish’s range from Asia all the way to Pacific islands like Hawaii. Recently, researchers have found the fish, as well as other Asian species, making it all the way to the western shores of North America, floating in on debris that was washed out to sea during the earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan in 2011. So yeah...baby fish taking a pleasure cruise on literal rafts of debris. Not as unlikely as you think.

And there you have it. Fascinating stuff, no? 

[douchebagbrainwaves]

WHY I'M SMARTER THAN FOUNDERS

If you ever got me, you wouldn't have a clue what to do: look at what happens to those who win lotteries or inherit money. Isn't the pointy-haired bosses. In OO languages, you can, even if you forget the experience or what you read, its effect on your model of the world. There is a very sharp dropoff in performance among VC firms, because in many cases the language layer won't have to change at all. Then I'm worried. VC firm will not screw you too outrageously, because other founders would avoid them if word got out. Large-scale investors tend to put startups in three categories: successes, failures, and the distinction between the spikes and the average becomes sharper, like a digital image rendered with more pixels. And the big hits often look risky at first. The problem is, for the company to have a low valuation. In fact, if you have a browser on your cell phone? N elements.

But as well as Lisp, so they get the pick of all the parts, as ITA presumably does, you can make the search results useless, because the first results could be dominated by lame sites that had bid the most. If you want to work on what you like, and let people design whatever object systems they want as libraries. Will there be a phone in your palm pilot?1 So the total number of new shares to the angel; if there were 1000 shares before the deal, the capitalization table looks like this: shareholder shares percent—VCs 650 33.2 My guess is that the concepts we use in everyday life that you don't have time for your ideas to evolve, and b you're often forced to take deals you don't like it. I suppose I should learn Lisp, but it is a byword for impossibility.3 Though the first philosophers in the western tradition lived about 2500 years ago, and even have bad service, and people will keep coming. 5 are now widespread. That idea is not exactly novel. If VCs got de facto control of the company 2/4 2. You can start by writing things that are useful but very specific, and then think about how to make money, but what you'd like to be able to avoid the usual chicken and egg problem new protocols face, because some of the most important things you can understand about startups.

The difference between then and now is that now I understand why Berkeley is probably not worth trying to understand.4 Neither Bill Gates nor Mark Zuckerberg knew at first how big their companies were going to spend the weekend at a friend's house for dinner. VCs also insist that prior to the deal the option pool is down to 13. We were compelled by circumstances to grow slowly, and in particular, Internet startups are still only a fraction of what the finished product will do, but that dramatic peaks can only be achieved by people with certain rare, innate qualities; nearly anyone can learn to be a complete picture. Could you describe the person as an animal? That scenario may seem unlikely now, but Fortran I didn't have them.5 The goal is the same as intelligence.6 All they need is a language that actually seems better than others that are available, there will be no more great new stuff beyond whatever's currently in the pipeline for several years after, and finally issued in 2003.7 Don't hire people to fill the gaps in some a priori org chart. That's what happened with domestic servants. Partly the reason deals seem to fall through so often is that you get less dilution.8

So someone investigated, and sure enough, that patent application had continued in the pipeline for several years after, and finally issued in 2003. And yet this guy will be almost entirely overlooked by the press. These heaps o' boilerplate are a problem for small startups, because it's always the oldest it's ever been.9 If you work hard at being a bond trader for ten years, thinking that you'll quit and write novels when you have enough money to pay a little more equity, but being slightly underfunded teaches them an important lesson. This is understandable with angels; they invest on a smaller scale and don't like to get across about startups, that's it. So when I ran into the Yahoo exec I knew from working there in the late 1950s. I know a lot of people wish that hacking was mathematics, or at least to know what they want from me. Probably because the product was a dog, or never seemed likely to be smarter. Barely usable, I admit, this is true.

We might have to give definite if implicit advice will keep us from straying beyond the resolution of the words we're using.10 Maybe mostly in one hub, and it seems to consume all your attention. But I have a hunch that the main branches of the evolutionary tree pass through the languages that have the right kind of place for developing software. They're not pretending; they want to believe you're a hot prospect, because it is the cool, new programming language. And this tradition had so long to develop that nontechnical people like managers and venture capitalists also learned it. Some languages are better than either of them?11 At the very least, you're supposed to be working on their company, not worrying about investors. They'd rather lose the deal than establish a precedent of VCs competitively bidding against one another. Wall Street's language. Since people interested in designing programming languages, a lot of good publicity for the VCs.

Notes

Kant.

Even the cheap kinds of startups will generally raise large amounts of money from it.

There's a good plan in which internal limits are expressed.

And the reason the US. Bankers continued to dress in jeans and t-shirt, they're probably a real partner. Record labels, for many Americans the decisive change in how Stripe felt. You have to do business with any firm employing anyone who had died decades ago.

I find hardest to get going, e. Economic inequality has been decreasing globally. Microsoft, incidentally, that all metaphysics between Aristotle and 1783 had been Boylston Professor of Rhetoric at Harvard Business School at the end of World War II had become so common that their system can't be buying users; that's the situation you find known boring ideas intolerable. This has, like arithmetic drills, instead of crawling back repentant at the network level, because the illiquidity of progress puts them at the lack of movement between companies combined with self-imposed.

The wave of hostile takeovers in the country. This seems unlikely at the end of economic inequality is not to pay employees this way, they'd be called acting Japanese. This sentence originally read GMail is painfully slow. Geshke and Warnock only founded Adobe because Xerox ignored them.

That's the difference between being judged as a type of product for it.

If you actually started acting like adults.

The existence of people. Why go to college, you'll be well on your own mind. All languages are equally powerful in the sort of wealth—that startups usually lose money at all.

This includes mere conventions, like the intrusive ads popular on Delicious, but trained on corpora of stupid and non-broken form, that it killed the best in the sense that if the present, and FreeBSD 1.

And while they may try allowing up to the principles they discovered. Xxvii. Wisdom is useful in solving problems too, but art is a big change in the cover story of creation in the US News list?

Thanks to Chad Fowler, Patrick Collison, Dan Giffin, Geoff Ralston, Trevor Blackwell, and Stan Reiss for the lulz.

[triaconta-en]

Triaconta Weekly #90 | 13-09-2019

The following topics will be addressed in this weekly.

Bundles performance

All coins great and small

Market overview

Bundles Performance

This week’s number one coin is without a doubt Cosmos (+53% and big volume) but nobody can figure out why an announced Binance.us listing creates such a buzz. Second place is also a double digit gainer EOS (+11%). But sadly we see some double digit losers as well. Ethereum Classic (-11%) lost a part of its previous gains in the final week before it’s 12 September hardfork and Lisk (-12%) performed disappointingly reaching its lowest price of 2019.

The net effect on the Bundles was a flat performance this week, but with large differences between the currencies. Big 3 (-2%) was slightly down because of Bitcoin (-5%) returning yet again to $10k and only compensated by Ethereum (+2%) which seems to have found its bottom price for now. In the Top 30 (-0.7%) only as little as eight coins performed positively. In Penny Stock (-1%) the BitTorrent token (+12%) stole the show and with Cardano (+2%) another big drop for this Bundle was prevented. There is a shift towards a few altcoins, but not yet a general change.

All in all the market responds very positively to news of adoption and actual use-cases and negatively to struggle and conflict in a project team which could cause delays in development. Keep an eye out for this type of news if you are investing in single cryptocurrencies.

All coins great and small

What exactly are cryptocurrencies for? Where is my money actually going? We think it’s a good idea for you as an investor to know a little bit more about the cryptocurrencies you can invest in with Triaconta.

Stellar (XLM)

Stellar was founded by Jed McCaleb, who also founded another popular currency, the Ripple. In the beginning, Stellar even used the same protocol as Ripple. Like Ripple, Stellar is also intended to be a cross-border transfer and payment system that connects everyone quickly to each other at very low transaction costs. The main difference is that Ripple Labs is a for-profit commercial company and the Stellar Foundation is a non-profit charity that seeks to promote global access, financial inclusion, and financial education. The Stellar protocol, unlike the Ripple code, is fully open source.

Developing countries

Stellar’s primary focus is on developing countries and on bringing remittances, bank loans and other financial services to those who are still excluded from the services of the banks. No fees are charged to individuals or institutions for using the Stellar network. Each transaction requires only a fee of 10 stroops or 0.00001 lumens, currently around 1 millionth of a dollar. This focus however does not prevent one of the world’s largest asset management funds, Franklin Templeton, to tokenize a new moneymark fund on the Stellar blockchain. Check out the full story in our news section.

Stellar token

Stellar received an initial $3M funding from payment processor Stripe (in exchange for 2 billion lumens) and donations from organizations like BlackRock, Google and FastForward.

The project covers the operational costs of further development of the protocol by accepting tax-deductible public donations, and by using the 5 billion lumens (5%) reserved for this purpose at the start of the currency.

Stellar wants to be the email of money, and of course with the exception of spam. A required minimum balance of 20 lumens in your account is meant to prevent spam accounts. This minimum does not apply if you hold lumens on your Triaconta account.

Stellar inflation

Stellar does not use Proof of Stake like other cryptocurrencies and also does not use Proof of Work like Bitcoin or a dividend system like Neo with Gas. Stellar has an inflation rate of 1% per year. This fixed nominal inflation is distributed in the form of new tokens to all Lumens holders with more than 0.05% of the votes of other accounts in the network. So there is no block reward, and most transaction processing nodes in the Stellar network will be active applications of the Stellar blockchain. They don’t run a node for any other reason than to maintain the network they use themselves.

Decentralized exchange

A very important part of the Stellar blockchain is the built-in decentralized exchange. Through the lumens token a user can send every coin (crypto and fiat) to someone else and they can receive the value in every coin (crypto and fiat). The network automatically finds the best exchange rate.

Stellar and IBM

World Wire is a global payment system that connects banks via the Stellar network. It is developed by IBM and six international banks. Currently, the network is limited to two currencies: Stellar Lumens (XLM) and Stronghold USD, a stablecoin with underlying value in US dollars. It replaces the usual SWIFT network in a way that makes the entire “crypto” part invisible to the banks. Invisible but capable of switching real-time between different (crypto) currencies. A large reliable party like IBM makes it a little less stressful for the conservative banks to step into such a new technology.

Stellar or Ripple?

World wire looks a lot like Ripple, and that’s not a problem. The more banks become convinced that they can save money for themselves and their customers by joining a digital crypto network, the better. Some will choose Ripple for this, others will choose IBM and Stellar. The fact that many banking systems are already running on IBM machines does of course give World Wire a unique entrance to these companies.

How can I buy Stellar?

Stellar (XLM) is currently only available in our Top 30 Bundle. It contains 30 of the most popular cryptocurrencies and spreads your investment risk across all cryptocurrency categories. We are working on making more coins available as single cryptocurrencies.

Market overview

Smart move by Dash to partner with Lighthouse Cinemas in Nigeria, and let people who pay with Dash purchase movie tickets at a discount. Dash is really active all over the world. Part of the deal is that Dash gets to show a Dash commercial before the movie starts. So, when at Pathé cinemas?

A Californian politician has become the first elected official to use cryptocurrency to purchase cannabis in the United States. The purchase used Bitcoin Cash (BCH) for the Cannabis and Universal Dollar (a stable coin on Ethereum) for sales and city tax. A special bill allowing cash-free cannabis tax remittance is welcomed by local governments and cannabis shops. With 70% of the cannabis industry in California still being denied access to banks, it is often difficult and dangerous for these companies to pay their taxes in large cash deposits.

Dutchman Wietse Wind officially registered his XRP Community Fund as a foundation. You can now donate, comment and vote for suggestions on improving the use of XRP for payments. The XRP Community Fund is a non-profit organisation to support the development of tools / apps / integrations / plugins that make it easier to use XRP for (consumer/small business) payments. Brad Garlinghouse (CEO of Ripple) was interviewed on CNN today but was (of course) only asked about the price. It would have been epic if he had mentioned this little initiative of enthusiastic XRP developers. Every cryptocurrency project, even Ripple, needs lots of developers to move forward.

Watford FC, a major English football club that plays in the Premier League puts the Bitcoin logo on their shirts. That is exposure of BTC to hundreds of millions watching the league worldwide. But who is paying for this, since there is no Bitcoin company? Sportsbet.io is the primary shirt sponsor and this is their way of giving back and supporting the crypto community, which according to the betting firm’s head of marketing has always been highly supportive of them.

European Central Bank president Mario Draghi announced this week to resume quantitative easing and cut the deposit rate for banks holding euros at the central bank further to minus 0.5%. Negative interest rates and depreciating value of the Euro make an excellent case for plan B, Bitcoin!

[happilyrainyinternet]

The Best Window Curtains, According to Interior Designers

You may not appreciate the importance of window dressings — which, in addition to looks, provide privacy and block light — until you move into a place with naked windows. Luckily, adding curtains is one of the easier — and less expensive — projects you can undertake to transform a room. To help you dress your windows with the least amount of headache, we turned to 10 interior designers for their favorite curtains, lots of which are surprisingly quite budget friendly. (If you’re shopping for curtains, you’re likely looking at rods, and this list has a bunch of expert-recommended options to choose from.)

Before we get to the blackout curtain— which include a range of ready-made styles in different opacities, colors, and patterns, as well as a couple of custom options — some quick guidelines for how to size the drapery you choose for your space. When it comes to measuring your windows, Megan Hersch, the owner of Studio MG Interiors and online interior-design service RoomLift, says you should measure 12 to 24 inches beyond the window on either side to determine how wide each curtain panel should be, so that you have some gather. In determining the length of your curtain, Hersch says it depends on how formal you want them to look — and how much cleaning you want to do. “I typically measure the drapery so that it just ‘kisses’ the floor,” she says. “This way, nothing is dragging and trapping dirt, but you are sure they don’t look too short.” For a more formal look, she suggests adding an extra 1.5 inches so the drape just “breaks” on the floor. The most dramatic look is to have the panels “puddle” on the floor, which means adding anywhere from 8 to 12 inches to the length of the curtain (the type of fabric, whether stiff like taffeta or soft like velvet, will also determine how naturally it gathers on the floor).

A sheer curtain is a great choice if you want a little bit of everything from your window treatments — privacy, light, and looks — without having to commit too heavily to any one of those needs. As Megan Huffman, a designer with the online interior-design service Modsy, puts it, sheer curtains “provide the ability to allow natural light into a space and help brighten up dark rooms while still allowing privacy,” adding that, “there’s nothing I love more than a crisp, white, sheer curtain.” She recommends this pair from West Elm, which features a subtle crosshatch pattern that adds a bit of texture. If you like the look of sheer curtains during the day but also want to keep light pollution from coming through at night, Huffman says these can easily be hung on a double curtain rod with a pair of thicker, more opaque blackout curtains.

Interior designer Nicole Fuller also loves the sheer look, noting that sheer curtains made with linen in particular allow for that “gauzy feel” as the sun shines through the fabric. Linen drapes in general, she adds, “are incredibly timeless.” Fuller told us her favorite linen curtains come from Restoration Hardware’s Perennials line. But Hersch did us one better: She pointed us to these less expensive Perennials dupes from Restoration Hardware’s teen line, which she says will often have “very affordable,” premade drapery panels. (Hersch says Pottery Barn’s teen line is another source of affordable but expensive-looking curtains.) The curtains shown are made from a linen-cotton blend and cost about a third of their counterparts from the Perennials line.

For something more opaque (and still less expensive than Restoration’s regular line), try this linen-cotton style, which has the same look as the curtains above, but with a blackout lining that offers full privacy and light control.

For basic, neutral curtain panels that are less than $20 apiece, Dani Mulhearn, a senior designer at online interior-design service Havenly, recommends these curtains she uses in her own home. She says they “add a bit of softness and dress up standard window treatments in a space.” While Mulhearn cautions they are not true blackout curtains — just “room-darkening” — they still work great for privacy. She likes the pearl color, calling it “a great neutral that goes with any cool or warm color schemes.” (If pearl’s not your thing, there are 16 other colors available.) Mulhearn also appreciates the fact that they have grommets, which are “a super-functional” detail that negates the need to buy curtain rings, and makes opening and closing them easy.

For faux linen blackout curtain, these are Mulhearn’s go-tos. She likes that they’re affordable, come in a variety of neutral colors, and are available in various lengths, from 63 inches to 108 inches. They also have a grommet top, which means you don’t need to get additional curtain rings to hang them from a rod.

If you’re looking for solid curtains with more drama, Huffman recommends using velvet ones — specifically, these light-blocking matte velvet curtains from Anthropologie that come in an array of jewel tones. The fabric’s piled texture and more substantial feel add heft to a space, not to mention color, making them a functional and stylish choice, she says. Each panel is made to order, which accounts for the price tag (velvet is also generally a more expensive material because of the way it is made).

If you want to stick to neutral colors but crave a bit more personality, consider these cotton-canvas patterned curtains from West Elm that also come recommended by Mulhearn. She told us they “have a little sheen to them,” with a “subtle enough pattern to give your windows that ‘dressed up’ feel without being super flashy,” noting that they also block most light and help insulate windows.

This curtain is Decorilla design expert Devin Shaffer’s choice. He says the panel’s raised pattern, which is made with metallic threads and kind of looks like tree bark, reminds him of the outdoors. While noticeable, the neutral-colored pattern is subtle enough that it won’t overwhelm a room, he adds.

Pinstripes add a “casual and coastal feel” to otherwise straightforward drapery, according to Modsy designer Katherine Tlapa, who says these curtains “add height and brighten a space with their simple vertical striping” while still being “clean and classic.” Interior designer Bachman Brown agrees that patterned curtains like this can do wonders for a room. “A large-scale pattern is one of the best drapery treatments you can do for a window,” he says. “It sets the tone for the room, and nothing draws your eye more than a grand-scaled fabric.”

Decorist designer Katy Byrne likes experimenting with boldly patterned curtains because “unlike paint, drapes can add a lot of color to a room while being much easier to swap out with changing trends.” She recommends these ikat panels that she says “would add a fun highlight to a playroom or kids’ space.”

If you want to splurge on custom drapery, interior designer Betsy Burnham, who also prefers “clean, unfussy treatments,” recommends the Shade Store. She likes its solid linens, opting for those with “inverted pleat drapery,” like this one, “for its tailored feel.” If you don’t like the linen fabric, Burnham says these curtains can be customized with a range of other materials.

For many of us, lockdown means looking: gazing at the views outside our windows, the traffic and the trees, with thoughts of post-pandemic life dancing through our heads. We ought to give some thoughts to those windows too, whether they are panes, sheets, or entire walls of glass. As my mother once said regarding domestic architecture, “A house without a porch is like a man without a country.” To my mind, a similar rule applies to windows—without blinds or shades or shutters or curtains, many windows are just featureless voids. I’m not the only one who thinks this: Scores of AD100 interior designers from Manhattan’s Jeffrey Bilhuber to Milan’s Studio Peregalli consider a window undressed to be a window unfinished.

Historically speaking, windows have typically had some sort of covering, to regulate sunlight, protect interiors from inclement weather, and to provide privacy for you and yours. In the ancient world, they were simple fabric panels that could be folded back or lifted up and then held in place, in one manner or another, for the duration.

Time-travel thousands of years later to the minimalist Bauhaus era, where rejection was the rule yet curtains were still considered essential decorative components. Le Corbusier specified curtains and shades for his projects, and Dutch architect Gerrit Rietveld’s houses possessed their own complement of window treatments, from full-length to café short. Alas, Rietveld’s marvelous little 1924 house for and in collaboration with the young widow Truus Schröder in Utrecht, his very first architectural commission and now a museum, possesses no shades or sheer window treatments anymore—a curatorial mistake, to my mind, because that decision deifies the architecture while ignoring the domesticity of Schröder and her children for which it was built. (Rietveld, though married, would become his client’s lover and live there too, returning to his family only at night.)

Luxurious floor-to-ceiling curtains outfitted the Czech Republic’s Villa Tugendhat, one of modernism’s most celebrated residences, a glass-walled villa designed by architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and decorated with designer Lilly Reich in the 1920s. Some of them were made of silver-gray shantung silk, while others were fashioned of black or white velvet, the uncomplicated lengths and plain colors framing a green landscape. The Frenchman Jean-Michel Frank may have been a pioneering reductivist, but even he understood the power of a pretty window. After all, he was the man who put dramatically ruffled curtains into Elsa Schiaparelli’s Place Vendôme fashion salon.

Concurrently, while the tastemakers of the 1920s and 1930s were paring back but not abandoning window treatments entirely, their traditionalist peers held faithful to layered looks that began in the 17th century, grew more complicated in the 18th century, and became suffocatingly elaborate in the 19th century. Sumptuous window dressings reached their 20th-century apotheosis in the work of the British tastemaker John Fowler, a cofounder of London’s Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler, as well as such disciples as America’s Mario Buatta.

Fowler’s curtains for aristocratic country houses and the apartments of international grandees remain a standard in the craft—lined, interlined, fringed, looped, swagged, tasseled, pinked, and otherwise elaborated in a manner that brings to mind the intricacies of haute couture as well as 18th-century France, one of the decorator’s passions. Among my favorites of the genre, though far simpler than Fowler’s swoony extravagances—such as the madly romantic cascades of silk taffeta in Evangeline and David Bruce’s famous London drawing room—are the ones that his colleague Tom Parr created in the 1980s for the Manhattan multipurpose living room of Grace, Countess of Dudley, and her longtime companion, Robert Silvers, editor in chief of the New York Review of Books. Great lengths of rose-splashed white chintz sluiced from ceiling to floor in the vast primary space—the 50-odd-foot sweep was divided into several areas for living and dining—emphasizing the height of the ceiling and parted to reveal views of Park Avenue.

Take note of the word parted. Beyond the myriad practical aspects, window treatments, from simple to elaborate, offer us moments of communion, as human hands—whether your own or those of Lady Dudley’s housekeeper—adjust them at will. There are aural pleasures too, from the clicking of curtain rings to the swish of fabric to the creak of shutters to the whir of roller blinds. Literally, the beauty of geometric blackout curtain is an open-and-shut case.

[colorfuljellyfishpirate]

The Best Window Curtains, According to Interior Designers

You may not appreciate the importance of window dressings — which, in addition to looks, provide privacy and block light — until you move into a place with naked windows. Luckily, adding curtains is one of the easier — and less expensive — projects you can undertake to transform a room. To help you dress your windows with the least amount of headache, we turned to 10 interior designers for their favorite curtains, lots of which are surprisingly quite budget friendly. (If you’re shopping for curtains, you’re likely looking at rods, and this list has a bunch of expert-recommended options to choose from.)

Before we get to the blackout curtain— which include a range of ready-made styles in different opacities, colors, and patterns, as well as a couple of custom options — some quick guidelines for how to size the drapery you choose for your space. When it comes to measuring your windows, Megan Hersch, the owner of Studio MG Interiors and online interior-design service RoomLift, says you should measure 12 to 24 inches beyond the window on either side to determine how wide each curtain panel should be, so that you have some gather. In determining the length of your curtain, Hersch says it depends on how formal you want them to look — and how much cleaning you want to do. “I typically measure the drapery so that it just ‘kisses’ the floor,” she says. “This way, nothing is dragging and trapping dirt, but you are sure they don’t look too short.” For a more formal look, she suggests adding an extra 1.5 inches so the drape just “breaks” on the floor. The most dramatic look is to have the panels “puddle” on the floor, which means adding anywhere from 8 to 12 inches to the length of the curtain (the type of fabric, whether stiff like taffeta or soft like velvet, will also determine how naturally it gathers on the floor).

A sheer curtain is a great choice if you want a little bit of everything from your window treatments — privacy, light, and looks — without having to commit too heavily to any one of those needs. As Megan Huffman, a designer with the online interior-design service Modsy, puts it, sheer curtains “provide the ability to allow natural light into a space and help brighten up dark rooms while still allowing privacy,” adding that, “there’s nothing I love more than a crisp, white, sheer curtain.” She recommends this pair from West Elm, which features a subtle crosshatch pattern that adds a bit of texture. If you like the look of sheer curtains during the day but also want to keep light pollution from coming through at night, Huffman says these can easily be hung on a double curtain rod with a pair of thicker, more opaque blackout curtains.

Interior designer Nicole Fuller also loves the sheer look, noting that sheer curtains made with linen in particular allow for that “gauzy feel” as the sun shines through the fabric. Linen drapes in general, she adds, “are incredibly timeless.” Fuller told us her favorite linen curtains come from Restoration Hardware’s Perennials line. But Hersch did us one better: She pointed us to these less expensive Perennials dupes from Restoration Hardware’s teen line, which she says will often have “very affordable,” premade drapery panels. (Hersch says Pottery Barn’s teen line is another source of affordable but expensive-looking curtains.) The curtains shown are made from a linen-cotton blend and cost about a third of their counterparts from the Perennials line.

For something more opaque (and still less expensive than Restoration’s regular line), try this linen-cotton style, which has the same look as the curtains above, but with a blackout lining that offers full privacy and light control.

For basic, neutral curtain panels that are less than $20 apiece, Dani Mulhearn, a senior designer at online interior-design service Havenly, recommends these curtains she uses in her own home. She says they “add a bit of softness and dress up standard window treatments in a space.” While Mulhearn cautions they are not true blackout curtains — just “room-darkening” — they still work great for privacy. She likes the pearl color, calling it “a great neutral that goes with any cool or warm color schemes.” (If pearl’s not your thing, there are 16 other colors available.) Mulhearn also appreciates the fact that they have grommets, which are “a super-functional” detail that negates the need to buy curtain rings, and makes opening and closing them easy.

For faux linen blackout curtain, these are Mulhearn’s go-tos. She likes that they’re affordable, come in a variety of neutral colors, and are available in various lengths, from 63 inches to 108 inches. They also have a grommet top, which means you don’t need to get additional curtain rings to hang them from a rod.

If you’re looking for solid curtains with more drama, Huffman recommends using velvet ones — specifically, these light-blocking matte velvet curtains from Anthropologie that come in an array of jewel tones. The fabric’s piled texture and more substantial feel add heft to a space, not to mention color, making them a functional and stylish choice, she says. Each panel is made to order, which accounts for the price tag (velvet is also generally a more expensive material because of the way it is made).

If you want to stick to neutral colors but crave a bit more personality, consider these cotton-canvas patterned curtains from West Elm that also come recommended by Mulhearn. She told us they “have a little sheen to them,” with a “subtle enough pattern to give your windows that ‘dressed up’ feel without being super flashy,” noting that they also block most light and help insulate windows.

This curtain is Decorilla design expert Devin Shaffer’s choice. He says the panel’s raised pattern, which is made with metallic threads and kind of looks like tree bark, reminds him of the outdoors. While noticeable, the neutral-colored pattern is subtle enough that it won’t overwhelm a room, he adds.

Pinstripes add a “casual and coastal feel” to otherwise straightforward drapery, according to Modsy designer Katherine Tlapa, who says these curtains “add height and brighten a space with their simple vertical striping” while still being “clean and classic.” Interior designer Bachman Brown agrees that patterned curtains like this can do wonders for a room. “A large-scale pattern is one of the best drapery treatments you can do for a window,” he says. “It sets the tone for the room, and nothing draws your eye more than a grand-scaled fabric.”

Decorist designer Katy Byrne likes experimenting with boldly patterned curtains because “unlike paint, drapes can add a lot of color to a room while being much easier to swap out with changing trends.” She recommends these ikat panels that she says “would add a fun highlight to a playroom or kids’ space.”

If you want to splurge on custom drapery, interior designer Betsy Burnham, who also prefers “clean, unfussy treatments,” recommends the Shade Store. She likes its solid linens, opting for those with “inverted pleat drapery,” like this one, “for its tailored feel.” If you don’t like the linen fabric, Burnham says these curtains can be customized with a range of other materials.

For many of us, lockdown means looking: gazing at the views outside our windows, the traffic and the trees, with thoughts of post-pandemic life dancing through our heads. We ought to give some thoughts to those windows too, whether they are panes, sheets, or entire walls of glass. As my mother once said regarding domestic architecture, “A house without a porch is like a man without a country.” To my mind, a similar rule applies to windows—without blinds or shades or shutters or curtains, many windows are just featureless voids. I’m not the only one who thinks this: Scores of AD100 interior designers from Manhattan’s Jeffrey Bilhuber to Milan’s Studio Peregalli consider a window undressed to be a window unfinished.

Historically speaking, windows have typically had some sort of covering, to regulate sunlight, protect interiors from inclement weather, and to provide privacy for you and yours. In the ancient world, they were simple fabric panels that could be folded back or lifted up and then held in place, in one manner or another, for the duration.

Time-travel thousands of years later to the minimalist Bauhaus era, where rejection was the rule yet curtains were still considered essential decorative components. Le Corbusier specified curtains and shades for his projects, and Dutch architect Gerrit Rietveld’s houses possessed their own complement of window treatments, from full-length to café short. Alas, Rietveld’s marvelous little 1924 house for and in collaboration with the young widow Truus Schröder in Utrecht, his very first architectural commission and now a museum, possesses no shades or sheer window treatments anymore—a curatorial mistake, to my mind, because that decision deifies the architecture while ignoring the domesticity of Schröder and her children for which it was built. (Rietveld, though married, would become his client’s lover and live there too, returning to his family only at night.)

Luxurious floor-to-ceiling curtains outfitted the Czech Republic’s Villa Tugendhat, one of modernism’s most celebrated residences, a glass-walled villa designed by architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and decorated with designer Lilly Reich in the 1920s. Some of them were made of silver-gray shantung silk, while others were fashioned of black or white velvet, the uncomplicated lengths and plain colors framing a green landscape. The Frenchman Jean-Michel Frank may have been a pioneering reductivist, but even he understood the power of a pretty window. After all, he was the man who put dramatically ruffled curtains into Elsa Schiaparelli’s Place Vendôme fashion salon.

Concurrently, while the tastemakers of the 1920s and 1930s were paring back but not abandoning window treatments entirely, their traditionalist peers held faithful to layered looks that began in the 17th century, grew more complicated in the 18th century, and became suffocatingly elaborate in the 19th century. Sumptuous window dressings reached their 20th-century apotheosis in the work of the British tastemaker John Fowler, a cofounder of London’s Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler, as well as such disciples as America’s Mario Buatta.

Fowler’s curtains for aristocratic country houses and the apartments of international grandees remain a standard in the craft—lined, interlined, fringed, looped, swagged, tasseled, pinked, and otherwise elaborated in a manner that brings to mind the intricacies of haute couture as well as 18th-century France, one of the decorator’s passions. Among my favorites of the genre, though far simpler than Fowler’s swoony extravagances—such as the madly romantic cascades of silk taffeta in Evangeline and David Bruce’s famous London drawing room—are the ones that his colleague Tom Parr created in the 1980s for the Manhattan multipurpose living room of Grace, Countess of Dudley, and her longtime companion, Robert Silvers, editor in chief of the New York Review of Books. Great lengths of rose-splashed white chintz sluiced from ceiling to floor in the vast primary space—the 50-odd-foot sweep was divided into several areas for living and dining—emphasizing the height of the ceiling and parted to reveal views of Park Avenue.

Take note of the word parted. Beyond the myriad practical aspects, window treatments, from simple to elaborate, offer us moments of communion, as human hands—whether your own or those of Lady Dudley’s housekeeper—adjust them at will. There are aural pleasures too, from the clicking of curtain rings to the swish of fabric to the creak of shutters to the whir of roller blinds. Literally, the beauty of geometric blackout curtain is an open-and-shut case.

[woollenhulls]

Review: H.N. White Summer Ties

Winter cloths are celebrated for their variety, texture and depth. Brushed flannels and rough tweeds, originally strictly country clothes, are now established parts of the menswear winter repetoire. Whether for suits or accessories, textured cloths have more personality than their smooth business counterparts. They provide interest while remaining subtle. And they more comfortably straddle the line between formal and casual in the ever-increasing number of suit-optional environments.

The summer wardrobe is doubly disadvantaged: heavy, textured cloths are discouraged by both the temperature and seasonal conventions. Cotton and linen suiting are decent alternatives to wool flannel, but neither offer the same slightly chaotic personality as tweed. One comparable material for ties is raw silk.

Silk contains two principal proteins, fibroin and sericin. The former forms the central bonds of the silk thread; the latter is a gummy wrapping around it. Typically sericin is removed by boiling the silk before spinning. When it’s left unprocessed, silk is considered to be  ‘raw’. Raw silk is harder to spin, and produces inconsistent, richly textured cloth, often termed shantung. Unlike woollens, raw silk is light and crisp, but it has the same erratic surface and rich tones.

Continuing his project of collecting and championing fabrics from around the British Isles, H.N. White has been working with a Suffolk mill to create an English version of the raw silk cloths typically woven in Como. You can see sample swatches of the Suffolk cloth above.

To my eye it’s a little neater than the Italian counterparts: the fabric is slubby and inconsistent, but there are no pills of silk actually hanging off, as you see with some Italian raw silks (which can occasionally look more like the work of an enraged cat than specialist milling).

I recently had the chance to try one of Harry’s ties, a blue and gold block stripe in the new cloth.

Ties are a deceptively simple product. They have few ingredients (being only fabric, interlining and thread). There are relatively few objective markers of quality: the fabric of course, the interlining (pure wool), the stitching (a single slip stitch down the back, to give some flex, and any elements of edge finishing), and the cutting of the cloth pattern from the roll.

Yet few ties are this polished in their execution: the hand-rolling is exceptionally neat and tight. I’ve tried doing this kind of stitching occasionally and it’s doubly difficult with a rough fabric. The tie gives a good knot and relaxes easily afterwards. The new presentation boxes are a nice touch: rigid enough to keep ties uncreased in transit, elegant enough to work as gift boxes if you’re buying for someone else.

Whether you like the raw silk effect will partly be a matter of taste: it’s certainly messier than your standard silk twill, and some won’t like that. But to my eye it’s a great variation on a classic design. The block stripe has its origins in military regimental ties, but the texture clearly differentiates this one.

If you’re in that space between consevative business uniform and a casual office, these ties are a fine summer alternative to a thick cashmere herringbone. Rather than resorting to an unusual colour or shape, it differentiates itself when viewed up close with an extra layer of surface interest.

Speaking of shape, this is the traditional 9cm width, but 8cm models are also available. There are five colourways of block stripes available, plus a solid blue. At £85, they’re also cheap for a made-in-England tie in an exclusive cloth. For summer texture, they’re strongly recommended.

H.N. White supplied the product without charge for this review. As always, the review is unsponsored and written without external editorial direction.

I discussed H.N. White woollen ties in a Parisian Gentleman article last year.

[entrepreneurnut]

Affiliate Programs That Pay Daily Or Weekly

New Post has been published on https://entrepreneurnut.com/affiliate-programs-that-pay-daily-weekly/

Affiliate Programs That Pay Daily Or Weekly

One of the reasons why so many people love affiliate marketing is because you can get paid regularly, sometimes even on a daily or weekly basis. But, to make this possible, we first need to find affiliate programs that pay daily or weekly.

The majority of affiliate programs that you will come across will only pay out once or twice per month.

But, don’t worry, I’ve got you covered.

In this article, I’m going to introduce you to some of the best programs for regular payments.

PayKickStart

PayKickStart is a popular shopping cart tool for online businesses to help them increase conversions. It also comes with various other tools such as affiliate management and subscription billing features.

However, the reason it’s on this list is because of its affiliate program, which pays out every single week.

It also offers 25% recurring commissions and the ability to promote affiliate-exclusive offers like their extended 14-day trial.

Being able to promote offers that are exclusive to affiliates is great, as it gives the user an additional incentive to click on your link, and activating your affiliate cookie. If you own an agency, there is also the option available to become a certified partner which has some nice additional benefits.

Overall, the PayKickStart affiliate program is pretty solid with recurring commissions and additional benefits for affiliates.

Payout frequency: Weekly

Payment method(s): Paypal, Pioneer, Check and WireTransfer

Commission % : 25%

JVZoo

JvZoo is an affiliate marketplace that allows vendors to list their products and affiliates to find them. For the most part, JvZoo specializes in digital products. The most popular niches on the platform are MMO, Internet Marketing, Weight Loss, and Self Improvement.

It’s also extremely popular with the digital product “launch” community since there are frequent launches. This also makes it a good platform for “launch-jacking”, which is where you create content around new products that are just about to launch, and scoop up some easy commissions since the competition is low.

JvZoo handles all of the payments which gives them the ability to control when affiliates are paid.

Affiliates are paid weekly, after the sales pass the initial refund period. They also have a range of payment methods available including JvZooPay, PayPal, Checks, and Manual Transfer.

The commission percentages vary as this is a marketplace, but most of the products do offer around 50-75% commissions as the products are digital.

Payout frequency: Weekly

Payment method(s): JvZooPay, PayPal, Checks, and Manual Transfer

Commission %: 40-90%

 WarriorPlus

WarriorPlus is another great affiliate marketplace similar to JvZoo. It has a similar style of products with most of them being digital, but it is a little more focused on the internet marketing niche.

WarriorPlus is a part of one of the most well-known internet marketing forums, the WarriorForum. This forum is very popular with affiliate marketers.

If you’re interested in launch-jacking then, similar to JvZoo, there are often frequent launches on WarriorPlus too.

Unlike JvZoo they have fewer payment options with the only methods available being Stripe and PayPal. The way it works is that your earned commissions go into your WarriorPlus wallet from which they can then be withdrawn every day.

If you’re looking for an affiliate marketplace with a wide range of products, frequent launches, a great forum, and daily payments, you should try WarriorPlus.

Payout frequency: Daily

Payment method(s): PayPal, Stripe

Commission %: 40% – 90%

GrooveFunnels

GrooveFunnels is one of my favorite affiliate programs because it’s a great offer, and also has high commissions.

The software is still in beta (although not for much longer), but already is one of the most popular funnel builders and all-in-one marketing tools on the internet.

If you’re looking to promote a great product with an amazing community, then GrooveFunnels could be a great fit for you. It also has a lot of tools inside of the affiliate program to help you earn more commissions.

I’ve been promoting this product successfully for a while now, so if you want some pointers on how to make this program work for you, you can read about how to promote GrooveFunnels here.

When you first make a sale with GrooveFunnels, there’s an initial 30 day grace period to allow for refunds. Then there is an additional 7 day buffer period. So you will typically receive your commissions automatically around 37 days after the initial sale. This is normal for any affiliate program.

However, if you’re making regular sales and they have passed through the grace period, GrooveFunnels will start to pay you out on a weekly basis, which is pretty sweet.

The commission percentages range from 20-40% depending on whether you are a paid or free member. But, because of the high-conversions that this program has, you can start as a free member, sell the software five times and then pay for your upgrade with your commissions.

Or, if you have upgraded to the lifetime membership yourself, you only need to sell three lifetime accounts to not only recoup your investment, but also be in profit. This is because if you upgrade, you earn 40% commissions on all sales you make, and an additional 10% on tier-2 commissions, which is pretty sweet.

To put this into perspective, if you’re a Groove affiliate on 40% and you sell a lifetime account for $1,397, you will receive a cool $558.80 per sale, so this is a high paying affiliate program.

Overall, it’s a great affiliate program that is worth promoting if you’re working in the internet marketing space.

To start promoting GrooveFunnels you only need a free account which is pretty cool too. Using the button below, you can sign up for the free version of GrooveFunnels. There is no credit card required for this.

Payout frequency: Weekly

Payment method(s): Paypal, GroovePay, Stripe

Commission %: 20-40%

Tier-2 commissions: 5-10%

Get a Free GrooveFunnels Account Here

CPA Lead

If you love promoting CPA offers and are looking for an affiliate network that pays daily, you’ll love CPA Lead.

Just like with all other CPA offers you are paid based on some type of action, for example when a lead submits their email or installs an app. What the action is varies from offer to offer. But this has the advantage that you don’t even have to make any sales to get paid, although the amount you are paid per action rather than a sale is, of course, less.

In terms of payment methods, CPA Lead does well with Bitcoin, PayPal, Payoneer, Wire Transfer, Check, and ACH. All of these are available for daily withdrawal.

As CPA Lead is a marketplace of affiliate programs, the commission range varies from anywhere from $0.10 to $100 CPA, depending on the action.

Payout frequency: Daily

Payment method(s): Bitcoin, PayPal, Payoneer, Wire Transfer, Check, and ACH.

Commission range: Varies, but rough estimate: $0.10 – $100 CPA

SEO Clerks

SEO Clerks is a freelance marketplace, which, as the name suggests, mainly focuses on SEO services. However, in recent years it has also branched out into pretty much any service you can think of ranging from programming to graphic design.

They also have an affiliate program where you will be paid 10% of what your referral spends for life. So, every time they go and purchase a service, you get paid 10% of the revenue.

Sellers can also choose to set this percentage higher, but 10% is the minimum.

This sum will then be paid into your wallet from which you can withdraw it daily.

SEO Clerks also has three payment methods available which are PayPal, Payoneer, and PayZa. On all of these, you can request payments daily.

Payout frequency: Daily

Payment method(s): PayPal, Payoneer, and PayZa

Commission %: 10%

ClickBank

ClickBank is one of the most popular affiliate marketplaces on the internet. Similar to JvZoo and WarriorPlus, it’s also tailored towards digital products.

The commission percentages will vary because it is a marketplace, but for the most part, they are also in the 50% to 75% range. But ClickBank doesn’t only have these awesome commission percentages, but also fast weekly payouts through Direct Deposit, Wiretransfer, or Check.

Usually speaking though, the Check will take a little longer, especially if you’re outside of the US. From what I know, most people usually go for Direct Deposit if it’s available in their country, as that’s quick and easy.

ClickBank is also extremely easy to sign up for and is beginner-friendly. If you sign up for it, you’ll find endless products in various niches that you can promote. For 99% of the marketplace, you don’t need to get approved first, so you have them available to you straight away.

Payout frequency: Weekly

Payment method(s): Direct Deposit, Wiretransfer, or Check.

Commission %: 40-90%

If you want an exact strategy to make good money on this platform then I recommend you read my article here on making money with ClickBank.

TerraLeads

Terra Leads is a CPA network similar to CPA Lead. It offers a wide range of CPA affiliate offers in various niches ranging from health to beauty. A lot of the offers on this network are supplements or similar medication-type products.

Sometimes, these niches can convert incredibly well, so this is definitely an affiliate program to check out.

Just like a lot of the other affiliate programs on this list, Terra Leads offers daily payments and a wide range of payment methods.

The available payment methods include PayPal, WebMoney, Wire, Paxum, E-payment, and Capitalist. For all of them, the payment threshold is $50.

Payout frequency:  Daily

Payment method(s): PayPal, WebMoney, Wire, Paxum, E-payment, and Capitalist.

Commission %: Varies

PeerFly

Last but not least we have PeerFly which is an award-winning CPA affiliate network.

It has over 2,000 live offers and guarantees top payouts, so it’s definitely an affiliate program to keep your eye out for.

As you’ll probably guess with this huge number of offers, it has affiliate programs in almost any niche ranging from mobile apps to beauty. The cool thing about PeerFly is that you also get a dedicated account manager who helps you find suitable offers and even give you some promotion strategies.

Peerfly also has a great number of payment methods available which are Payoneer, PayPal, Bitcoin, Amazon Gift Card (US Only), Postal Check (US Only), ACH (US Only), and Bank Wire. You can request to be paid every week, but it varies based on the offer you’re promoting and the payment method.

As this is an affiliate network, the commission percentages vary.

Payout frequency: Weekly

Payment method(s): Payoneer, PayPal, Bitcoin, Amazon Gift Card (US Only), Postal Check (US Only), ACH (US Only), and Bank Wire

Commission %: Varies

Final Thoughts

There you have it, my top list of affiliate programs that pay daily or weekly.

All of the programs on this list are pretty solid and have some great benefits for affiliates. If any of these are in your niche, I recommend adding them to the list of products that you are promoting, as it’s always nice to get paid frequently.

Disclaimer: Please be aware that I may receive commissions when you click some of the links in this article and then decide to make a purchase. If you do follow one of my links and purchase a product, thanks! It means a lot to me, and any commissions I do make from this blog enables me to continue to provide you with all this awesome, free content. However, any commissions I do receive does not affect my reviews and comparisons. If I think a product is sub-standard I will either say so in the article or I will not feature it on my blog. I try my best to keep things fair and balanced, in order to help you make the best choice for you.

[steves-on-a-plane]

Be My Royal Romance

Chapter One 

Words: 1319 Crossover Fic: Be My Princess (Voltage Games) & The Royal Romance/ The Royal Heir (Choices) Pairing: OC X King Liam  Summary: “Gwendolyn Graham is just like every other student at Charles University. Except that her best friends happen to all be crown princes from six neighboring kingdoms. It's not always easy being the grounding force between her friends but it is almost always interesting. One afternoon Princes Roberto & Edward approach Gwen asking her to act as a cultural liaison between the six union kingdoms and an outside kingdom, Cordonia. Would Gwen have agreed to attend the gala if she'd known she would fall in love with Cordonia's dashing and charming King Liam?”

 Twenty-five-year-old Gwendolyn Graham blinked several times as her eyes adjusted to the sunlight. She’d just stepped outside of her university’s history and social sciences building. It had been a long morning hopping from class to class and the glowing fluorescent lights inside were no match for the crisp natural sun streaming through the courtyard that afternoon. Gwen began walking towards the gates of the school grounds where she knew a car would be waiting to take her back home.

“Hey, Gwendolyn?” One of the guys from her last class tried to get her attention. Gwen turned to him, indicating she was listening. “Those guys over there are looking for you. Do you know them?” He pointed over to the school’s gates.

“Gwen! Hey Gwen!” Shouting her name and waving wildly was her friend Roberto. It looked like Roberto had brought along another of their friends, Edward. Edward and Rob stood out from the rest of the university crowd milling around the school grounds partially because they weren’t students at Gwendolyn’s school, but mostly because they were Crown Princes of their respective countries.

“Yeah.” Gwen adjusted her backpack on her shoulders uncomfortably. “That’s my housemate and his friend.” She answered vaguely before running off. It wasn’t exactly a lie, she was currently living at Villa Altaria, Prince Roberto’s palace.

“Roberto, you’re drawing quite a lot of attention.” Edward, the more dignified of the two, quietly commented. “That was not part of our plan.”

“Aw c’mon Ed!” Roberto chuckled loudly, even though he knew Edward was not a fan of nicknames. “I haven’t seen Gwen in forever! I’m just excited.” Edward didn’t ask how it was possible to live in the same palace as someone but never see them. He knew all too well how busy the life of a crown prince could be and he knew exactly how much preparation it required to clear even an hour or two out of ones schedule.

Trying to avoid drawing more unwanted attention Gwen quickly made her way over to her friends. She noticed even from a distance that they were both dressed as casually as princes could. For Edward that meant cool grey slacks, a white button up shirt and a navy and white striped a Cardigan. He stood straight and regal next to Roberto who’d taken to leaning on a nearby gate pole. Rob wore a pair of fitted dark blue trousers, a white t-shirt, a blue silk ascot tie, and a chocolate brown blazer that complimented his eyes. The pair of them were quite a sight.

She noticed even from a distance that they were both dressed as casually as princes could. For Edward that meant cool grey slacks, a white button up shirt and a navy and white striped a Cardigan. He stood straight and regal next to Roberto who’d taken to leaning on a nearby gate pole. Rob wore a pair of fitted dark blue trousers, a white t-shirt, a blue silk ascot tie, and a chocolate brown blazer that complimented his eyes. The pair of them were quite a sight.

“Prince Edward, Prince Roberto.” Gwen greeted each of them with a respectful nod in place of the traditional bow or curtsy. “What brings the two of you all the way out here?”

Gwen knew from their casual state of dress that the Princes weren’t at the school for official business, so she could only assume they were there to see her. She noted the careful expression on Edward’s face and the never wavering smile on Roberto’s as she waited for her friends to explain themselves.

“We wanted to extend you an invitation.” Roberto explained, seemingly unaware of the attention they’d gathered around.

“Perhaps we could discuss things over tea?” Edward suggested. Unlike Roberto he was very much aware of all the eyes on their small group and the hushed conversations happening around them. “That is if you’re free to travel with us Miss Gwendolyn?”

“I’ve already finished my classes for the day.” Gwen supplied. “Plus, I’ve made it a rule to never turn down tea at Edward’s secret garden.”

“Then our chariot awaits!” With a flourish of his hand Edward gestured towards a limousine on the other side of the university gates.

Gwen noticed the flags of Altaria, Roberto’s kingdom, posted at the front of the limo, so the car belonged to Roberto. Two figures stood by the car. Roberto’s Butler, Alberto, was waiting outside of the car impatiently. He stared at his watch painstaking visualizing the seconds tick by. Alberto was the type of person who appreciated efficiency and timeliness, neither was something that Roberto held much stake in. Edward’s Butler, Louis, was also standing outside of the car. He kept a watchful on their surroundings as two Princes and their friend walked towards the car.

“Miss Gwendolyn, lovely to see you again.” Louis commented when she was close enough to the car that he didn’t need to shout the friendly greeting. Alberto looked up from his watch at the mention of their newest guest.

“Yes, hello. Into to car if you wouldn’t mind, Miss Gwendolyn. We have a tight schedule to keep.” Alberto opened the back door of the limo and waited expectantly. Gwendolyn nodded to show that she understood. She quickly removed her backpack and climbed into the limo. Roberto and Edward soon slid in after her. Alberto got behind the steering wheel and Louis sat in the passenger’s seat beside him. One of the butlers pulled up the partition separating them from their passengers.

“As always, it’s nice to see both of you.” Gwen told her friends with a smile. “I’m sorry that I haven’t been available lately. School’s been a bit much.”

“It’s understandable.” Edward commented. “No one could fault you for valuing your education and our own schedules haven’t been easy to manage either, have they Roberto?”

“That’s right.” Rob nodded. “Ed and I have been busy with official Prince duties.” He frowned. “And the parties aren’t nearly as fun without you.”

“Well, the semester is nearly over. Maybe I can make time for a party or two soon.” Gwen propositioned hopefully. “Now are you really going to make me wait till we get to the palace before you tell me what’s going on? Like I said I’m thrilled to see you both but neither of you come to meet me at the school very often. Usually when that happens you’ve either got bad news or you’re planning a party. So, which is it?”

“We’re almost at the palace.” Edward announced. “I think it would be much better to discuss matters surrounded by the sweet delicate scent of flowers and the warmth of the sun on our faces.”

Edward was right, they were almost at his palace. Edward was the crowned Prince of Charles Kingdom, the very same Kingdom where Gwen was a student. So it was a very short car ride before the enchanting Charles Palace came into view from inside the limo. Of the castles that she’d been lucky enough to visit, Gwen thought that Charles Palace reminded her the most of a fairytale. With the exterior being constructed mostly of limestone, the palace featured several towers topped with twisted spires. Large banners bearing the Levaincois family crest were proudly displayed at the front gates of the castle.

Alberto drove the limo along a stonework driveway. An intricate zig-zag pattern of limestone that had been laid down centuries ago. The driveway was lined on both sides with rose bushes. Gwendolyn tried to name each variety as their vehicle cruised by. She inhaled deeply, believing she could smell the flowers despite all the windows on the limo being seated up tightly. The car came to a stop at the end of the driveway. Louis opened the door and the three friends piled out of the car. While Alberto drove the limo off, Louis guided the group to Edward’s secret garden.

[rlenvs3000-19]

Prompt 4: Captive Breeding, Selective Breeding, and De-extinction

Recently, I’ve been reading a lot about captive breeding, as it’s the main subject of my group’s podcast. For that, we’re speaking about the Eastern loggerhead shrike, a critically endangered songbird in Canada. I’ll leave the topic of shrikes for the podcast, but there are many other important species that have benefited from breeding programs.

Captive breeding can be incredibly effective in helping at-risk populations and can preserve species that have gone extinct in the wild. One of the first cases of successful reintroduction was the Arabian oryx. A captive breeding program was established in 1962, only a decade before the species would be hunted to extinction in the wild. From the nine initial individuals, over 200 young were bred and distributed to zoos around the world. The oryx were reintroduced to their native habitat in 1982, and, in the past several decades, their wild population has increased to around 1000 individuals.[1]

(source)

Once considered the rarest mammals in the world, black-footed ferrets are a keystone species, vital to preserving the prairie ecosystem. They were thought to be extinct by the late 1950s, but a small population was discovered in 1964, giving the species new hope at survival. Nine individuals were captured to create a captive breeding program, but unfortunately it was unsuccessful; the wild population died out in 1974, and the last captive ferret died in 1979. The species was once again considered extinct.[2]

In 1981, black-footed ferrets were rediscovered in Meeteetse, Wyoming, and the Black-Footed Ferret Recovery Program was established. Shortly after the population was discovered, the ferrets’ numbers once again began to drop, likely due to the spread of canine distemper and sylvatic plague. 24 ferrets were captured from the Meeteetse population to create a new breeding program. Shortly after their capture, six of the ferrets died of canine distemper, and, by 1987, the 18 remaining ferrets in the breeding program were the last ones known to exist. The new program consulted both domestic ferret breeders and reproductive experts from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, and, since the program was created, “over 8,500 kits have been produced at the captive breeding facilities.”[3] Reintroduction to the wild began in 1991 and includes 29 sites across eight states and three countries. Today, there are approximately 300 individuals living in the wild.[2]

(source)

Breeding programs don’t just exist for endangered species; they can also be used to attempt to resurrect an extinct animal, like the quagga. The quagga originally thought to be a unique species of zebra, but DNA analyses indicated that it was a subspecies of plains zebra (Equus quagga, formerly Equus burchellii). Current research suggests that it may have even been an ecotype of the plains zebra. An ecotype describes a population that is genetically or phenotypically distinct from the majority of the species, while not being so different that it would be classified as a subspecies. Quaggas were extinct in the wild by 1878, and the last captive individual died in 1883. Since it was a subspecies or ecotype of an extant zebra, the process for bringing it back is simpler than for other distinct species.

Quagga mare at London Zoo, 1870, the only one photographed alive. (source)

The Quagga Project, which was started in 1987, is a selective breeding program that is attempting to recreate the quagga’s phenotype. Unlike other zebras, the quagga’s stripe pattern was brown and white, rather than black and white. The stripes usually covered the head, neck, and shoulders, and the back, haunches, and legs were stripeless.[4] Since it is not possible to resurrect the extinct quagga, the selectively bred animals with the recovered phenotype are referred to as “Rau Quagga.” The project was created with 18 individuals and currently maintains a breeding stock of 50-100 animals.[5]

A Rau quagga and her foal. (source)

Jurassic Park may just be a movie, but the idea of bringing back extinct species could someday no longer be fiction. The concept of de-extinction is intriguing, and the resurrection of keystone species could “also restore the ecosystems from which they came, which would in turn help the extant species currently occupying those ecosystems.”[6] However, many question whether de-extinction is a useful or ethical subject to focus on:

“Paul R. Ehrlich, a professor of population studies at Stanford University, [...] states that it is a misallocation of effort and resources. All available resources, he claims, should be put into conservation and preventing extinctions of current species by halting their causes, such as habitat destruction, climate change, pollution, and over-harvesting. He argues that the reintroduction of a few long-gone species is of little use to us at this point.

Ehrlich also addresses the issue of ‘moral hazard.’ Coined by economists, this term refers to situations in which a person becomes more willing to take risks because the potential cost will be partly burdened by another party. In the case of de-extinction, the argument is that if people know we can resurrect species, then less will be done to stop mass extinction.”[6]

[stacylaughs]

August 12 - September 2, 2019

I flew from Athens to Cape Town, South Africa on Qatar Airlines (€633.30 roundtrip), which required an annoying but fast credit card verification at the airport. I heard that flying on your birthday might be worthwhile, but literally nothing happened.

I was really lucky to have a friend in town to drive me around this big, beautiful country, and also just be wonderful, smart company. 

Here are a few of the wonderful things to do:

Drink Steri Stumpie flavored milk and green creme soda!

Massage at Pure Day Spa.

Dress warmly for the winds at Big Bay Beach and then have a meal or drink nearby.

Go up the Table Mountain Cable Car (students for R150, regular R290). The views are the best I’ve ever seen and I love how the cable car spins around so you can see everything as you go up. 

Go up to Signal Hill and watch the paragliders jump off the mountain. 

Buy Nice Ice Cream and walk across the street with your ice cream cone for some perfect beach views. 

I really, really enjoyed wine tasting in Stellenbosch, with Delaire Graff Estate being my favorite place in South Africa. The mountain views and the wine are incredible and unlike any other place I’ve been.

Be sure to stop by Root 44 Market for lamb shank, bunny chow, or any other delicious local foods.

We stayed at Knysna Elephant Park for two nights ($180.40) to see elephants sleep and also to have a private moment with them in the morning. It includes breakfast, as many "Meet Our Herd" daily guided tours as you’d like, and an early morning experience with the elephants for about an hour. The morning experience is only available for lodge guests. 

Prices have recently increased drastically for tourists at Boulders Beach Penguin Colony, and you’ll see more penguins outside of the paid area, but I would pay if you’d like to be on the beach or in the water. 

It’s worth driving through Simon’s Town to check out the antique shops and also have breakfast in Kalk Bay. 

Cape Point is the south western most tip of Africa. It is R303 for international visitors, and R70 for locals. Cape of Good Hope has a wealth of small animals such as lizards, snakes, tortoises, and insects. Small mammals include rock hyrax (lassie), striped mouse, water mongoose, and Cape clawless otter. If you want whale viewing, the southern right whale is most likely to be seen in False Bay between June and November.

It was really amazing to disconnect for a week at Kagga Kamma, where we did a number of guided excursions. My favorites being the rock art tour (R385) to see cave art dating back approximately 6,000 years, stargazing (R90), sundowner picturesque viewing (R385), and quad bike safari (R300). 

On my next trip, I’d like to try: seal snorkeling, Franschhoek Wine Tasting Tram, Lions Head Hike (early morning or sunset), Houtbay lunch, Llundudno beach, Camps Bay cocktails and dinner, Bo-Kaap museum and neighborhood, Charly’s Bakery, Castle of Good Hope, The Ladbia Theatre, Whatiftheworld Gallery, Cape Town Red Bus City tour hop-on-hop-off, and shopping (Matsidiso shoes, Titch bags).

[adrenalineguide]

Kia Scores a Hat Trick with the Forte, Soul and Niro

Text and photos by Michael Hozjan

I’m often asked what my criteria are for a successful critique. Though there are many variables at play, I’ve narrowed it down to the three that are the most important to me and would play a crucial part not necessarily in your in your immediate buying decision, but your longtime ownership. Let’s face it you can’t evaluate a vehicle 100% driving it around the block. Even with my extended drives, I often only get the true feel of the vehicle in the last hours of possession.

First, comfort. Whether I’m visiting clients, chasing down new leads, scouting shooting    locations, traveling to car shows or stopping by at cruise nights to chat with the local enthusiasts or hand out copies of our pocket guides, I spend hours upon hours each day behind the wheel racking up hundreds and at times thousands of kilometers a week on the road. After a long day behind the wheel comfort is paramount not only to my physical well-being but also my mental state. And you would be surprised how often a vehicle flunks.

My second criteria has a bigger stake in my mental state, and that is, fun. If driving isn’t fun to me than I might as well take a bus or taxi, and nothing can make the day go by faster than if you’re enjoying yourself behind the wheel. The fun factor encompasses many things but mostly the vehicles performance, handling, and driving ease. This doesn’t necessarily mean a thousand horsepower with big fat tires and heart pounding, ear-popping noise. I fell in love with the first generation Mazda Miata within 50 feet of driving it. A car often criticized for not having enough power. To make matters even more interesting I had the rare opportunity to drive the miniscule Honda Beat, a pint-sized runabout powered by a 3-cylinder engine that had a top speed of around 80 kph. But you felt like you were doing a hundred miles an hour in it.

Lastly I want the controls to be user friendly. I don’t have time to read thirty pages of instructions in an owner’s manual the size of a medium city’s phone book on how to set up my cell phone or entertainment system. I’m here to go from point a to point b safely and don’t need to be reading texts or having to press buttons three times on the ahhem, infotainment system to switch radio stations.

Yes the Kias scored highly on these three main points, but even more importantly did so with finesse and then some. Read on.  

Forte5 SX T- GDI

Step aside Honda Civic, there’s a new kid in town and he’s about to have you for breakfast. While Honda’s been relaxing on its laurels, Kia has been slowly refining its compact hatchback, and for 2017 it’s loaded with even more goodies wrapped up in a contemporary design nicely accented with red pin striped grill reminiscent of VW’s GTi. It works on the Golf and it works here too, once you get past the slew of acronyms in the name (who is going to remember that mouthful of letters in two hours much less five years?)

Rather than go with the boy racer look, the Forte offers styling that any adult would not be ashamed to be seen behind the wheel of. And behind the wheel is where you want to be! Our SX came with the 1.6 L turbocharged four cylinder that dishes out 201 horses and an impressive 195 lb.ft. of torque at 1,500rpm to the front axle via a seven speed automatic (new for 2017) that owners can shift with steering wheel mounted paddles. Sadly there is no standard tyranny available in the SX.  There’s also a 164 horse (152 lb.ft.) 2.0L four in the four other trim lines. The automatic goes through its gears smoothly. Even at full throttle, the gear changes are seamless, attesting to Kia’s engineering. Getting this hot hatch to 100 kph takes a shade under 7.5 seconds.

Taking driving excitement a step further is Kia’s 3-step Drive Mode Select that alters the steering wheel feel, changes throttle response and shift points. Eco, as the name implies turns the SX into a miserly runabout with little or no feel on the steering. Normal brings it back to how the factory intended the car to respond, but set the switch on Sport and a whole new different beast awakens. I found myself leaving the car in Eco for my commutes up and down the highways but quickly opted for Sport when I spotted winding roads ahead. The Forte5 is a very capable handler that really likes to be tossed into a corner. Indeed if it was equipped with a manual tranny, I would compare it more to a German hatchback than anything the Japanese are throwing out there these days.

Like its exterior, the driving compartment is nicely thought out and designed to work. A concoction of textures and colors from satin to glossy to fake carbon fibre. Sounds like it would be gaudy but it works and looks fresh…go figure. The comfortable supportive leather front buckets aren’t only heated but cooled as well. As mentioned in my opening I love it when controls are well placed and easy to use and the Kia wins time and time again. The infotainment system is easy to set up and works off both Apple CarPlay and Android.

Rear seat passengers get pampered with heat and chill controls and will be happy to learn that there’s ample room for six footers back there. Fold the rear seat backs down and there’s enough cargo room to carry enough gear for two people to go on a cross-country road trip.

Yes you read that right heating and cooling for rear seat occupants.

One of the many virtues of Kia has always been getting the most bang for your buck and the Forte5 is no exception. Blind spot monitoring, lane departure warning with lane keep assist and rear cross traffic alert are all-standard. In fact the options list on the SX is almost non-existent save for exterior colour choices, and a few minor trinkets.

Price as tested: $31,770

Soul SX Turbo Tech

Kia may have targeted the Soul towards active, young buyers, but around here the Soul has been a big hit with senior citizens.  And who can blame them, the boxy design lets itself to easy step in, step out and the higher riding seating position gives a better view ahead than your typical sedan without the added costs of getting into an suv or minivan. The back hatch opens up to allow ample room for grocery bags, again, without the need to put your back out each and every time.

All’s fine but how do you get millenials to take notice and increase your market share? Turbocharge it! The Soul was never a performance vehicle and some might say, anemic, even when it came to your daily outings around town. Well all that has changed. Kia has pirated the 1.6-litre turbocharged four from the Forte (above) and transplanted it into the Soul.

The result is a wallop of fun with 201 horses and 195 lb.ft of torque propelling a pint sized grocery getter down the road. No the turbo doesn’t turn the Soul into a GTi beater. Its suspension layout and tall design couldn’t possibly lend itself to chasing down hot hatches on country roads, but makes passing semis on the highway a breeze, getting up to speed on highway on ramps a lot less risky and zipping through city traffic a joy. Aiding in bringing the car to a halt the Turbo gets larger front rotors. And it does have a nice rasp emanating from the twin exhaust pipes.

Like the Forte5 turbo, the Soul has a red chin stripe to differentiate it from the other trim lines, and like the Forte5, the Soul gives its driver a choice of driving modes, but unlike the Forte there are no paddle shifters, instead if you want to upshift or downshift on your own whim rather than relying on the smooth 7-seven speed automatic, you’ll have to do so with the console shifter. Still, it takes little away from the excitement offered by the new powerplant. I found myself starting off in Sport mode from red lights and for running around in bumper to bumper traffic and then set it in Normal for my highway cruise home. 

The Soul offers the same driving amenities as the Forte, in short, well placed and easy to use controls. Our tester came with the optional 8-inch screen for the infotainment system which also offers nav, unlike the seven-inch system in the Forte5, which requires you to wire up your cell for nav.

Prices start at $19,150 for the base model LX equipped with the 130 horsepower 1.6L engine and climb quickly through the eight trim levels to $31,850 for the SX Turbo Tech unit. Mid rang is the EX trim line powered by a 2.0L 161 horse mill with 149 lb.ft. of torque. There is a less pricey SX Turbo that offers all the peppiness of the turbo with fewer bells and whistles, like the premium Harmon/Kardon audio system and the aforementioned 8-inch screen for $27,850. The Turbo Tech buyer also gets the benefits of a large panoramic sunroof and Xenon HID headlights.

Oh, and when you spring for the Tech option you’ll also get speaker lights that will give you a light show.

By now you get the idea that the Soul’s cabin is a nice place to be. Like all Kia’s, the Soul comes with a lot more items to pamper you and your occupants than many similarly priced competitors.  Heated front and rear outer seats are an example.  A heated steering wheel is a very welcomed feature after scraping the snow and ice off the car.

Thirty grand and the passenger gets power a seat!

Cargo space is above average for similarly sized crossovers and lift over is easy with the rear hatch opening high. The only disappointment in an otherwise well thought out interior was that the rear seat does not fold flat.

It’s easy to see why the Soul has survived while other similarly designed boxes like the Honda Element and Nissan Cube have disappeared from the landscape. The Soul Turbo has all the elements to attract younger buyers but I get the feeling we’ll also see some seniors in their hot rod Souls.

Price as tested: $31,850

Niro Touring

Look closely and you won’t notice any red stripe on the Niro’s grille. There’s good reason for that, and it’s not just that there’s no turbo.  We’ve seen Kia declare war on Honda with the Forte, on Nissan with the Soul and just when you thought that Kia’s war on Japanese car makers was over, the South Koreans now clearly have their eyesight’s set on Toyota with the Niro, a dedicated hybrid wagon that doesn’t scream Look at Me I’m Driving a Hybrid, unlike Toyota’s Prius. Welcome news to those who want a handsome hybrid without the radical and dare I say, quirky, looks. 

This brings Kia’s hybrid line to two models counting the Optima sedan. But the Niro has its battle cut out, not only does it enter the most competitive market niche in Canada, the subcompact slot it’s also up against industry leaders Toyota and to a lesser extent Honda, who’ve been punching out and refining hybrids for decades.  Add Toyota’s ever expanding line of Priuses from the standard model to the plug-in variant as well as the compact Prius C and larger Prius V, and the Niro has the deck stacked against it… or does it?

Four trim lines are available starting with the entry level L priced at $26,850. But don’t think entry level means an empty chariot. On the contrary, in keeping with Kia’s modus operandi, the L features such upscale amenities including heated front seats and steering wheel, rearview camera and for those who can’t stay away from their techno gizmos, Android and Apple CarPlay connectivity. The EX ($29,350) ads smart key and push-button start, wireless phone charger and auto-dimming rear view mirror. If you want a power sunroof, 8-way power driver’s seat, blind spot detection (come on folks just adjust your mirrors properly) and rear cross traffic alert, then you may want the EX Premium at $30,950. Lastly the top-of-the-line SX Touring  ($34,850) ads you get leather seats, 8-inch multi-media screen with a premium Harmon/Kardon sound system and autonomous e-braking system.

There’s only one engine across the trim line, a 1.6 litre four-cylinder gasoline engine that produces 109 horses and is augmented by an electric motor that pumps up the ponies to a decent 139 horses. The all important torque figure is a respectable 195 lb.ft. What does this mean to the Niro buyer? The Niro feels slower than Ford’s C-Max but quicker than the Prius, probably in part to the six-speed dual-clutch automatic tranny versus Toyota’s CVT unit. Yes, red light acceleration will be a bit slow if you’re used to high horsepower cars, but once you reached the crosswalk at the other side of the street the torque kicks in and you’re off and continues through to highway passing speeds.  My non-track testing showed the Niro accelerate to 100 km/h from a standing start in 9 seconds, about a second faster than the Prius I had last year.   

Getting off the stoplights around town I found myself switching to Sport mode and than went back to the Eco setting once under way. The tranny I is seem less and like its ride, smooth

But hybrids are all about conserving our dependence on gasoline while we find alternative sources or until electric cars become able to travel long distances without emptying our wallets in the showroom. The Niro beat out the C-Max in fuel economy and the 5-door hatch Prius V in pricing, but the Prius’ fuel consumption remains paramount. Check with your local governments for incentives and rebates.

The Niro wins in interior appointments as evidenced by the base model and gives better than average value for your buying dollar. The cabin is spacious, and well designed both esthetically and intuitively. 

Yes, there’s room for a couple of six footers in the back seat. 

Kia may be marketing this hybrid as a crossover – the latest buzzword in marketing jargon. Apparently marketing departments STILL don’t see station wagons as being cool, even though the recent resurgence of classic wagons by thirty something’s points to the contrary. I like to think of it as a tall station wagon or a five-door hatchback. No matter what label you put on it the Niro is a winner.

Price as tested: $34,850

[healthmaria]

  The Freedom Trail in Boston

  Street decoration near the Old South Meeting House in Boston

The Freedom Trail and Black Heritage trail leading to King’s Chapel and Burying Grounds

Robert Gould Shaw Memorial at School Street Boston. A UnionArmy Civil War hero who died in battle leading his all-black regiment at Charleston, SC

Longfellow Bridge crossing Charles River in Boston

So much history is available in the city and given to you by posters, signs, buildings, monuments, old churchyards and live actors from the birth of America and the revolutionary days when ”taxation without representation” became unbearable for the colonists in North America.

You can walk along the Freedom Trail on your own or in a group with a guide in a historical costume. On summer evenings you can take part in haunting ghost walks with the perfect settings of the old churchyards where people were buried in many layers in the days of the colonial settlers.

The marked red trail highlights the American Revolution and ideals of freedom of speech at the 16 historical sites. I would like to mention a few of them in this post.

Boston Latin School Site and the Benjamin Franklin Statue

A statue of Benjamin Franklin where his old Latin School once was

At School Street a mosaic in the pavement and a sculpture of Benjamin Franklin mark where the oldest American Latin school used to be. Unlike four other founding fathers in the Latin school, Franklin didn’t complete his schooling. In spite of that, he was one of America’s brightest men and famous for inventing things, postal offices and his part of the founding of The United States. B. Franklin was born in Boston in 1702 and died in Philadelphia in 1790. He is the only signer who signed four of U.S.A.’s revolutionary documents. He actively spoke out against slavery and for protection of Native American rights.

Old South Meeting House

  Old South Meeting House, once the biggest building in Boston. Built 1729 by Puritans and saved from demolishing by activists 1877

Some of the prominent people who have spoken at the Meeting House

Voices of Protest at the Puritan House Old South Meeting place

Voices of Protest at the Puritan House Old South Meeting place

Dr Joseph Warren (1741-1775) died in the Bunker Hill Battle

Inside the Old South Meeting House

Inside the Old South Meeting House. Quote from George Washington

The Boston Tea Party met at the Old South Meeting House. 5000 colonists crowded on December 16, 1773, to decide what to do with the taxable tea at three ships in the harbour. At a given signal from Samuel Adams, men disguised as Mohawk Indians dumped the tea leaves of a value of $1 million in today’s value in the Boston Harbour. Martial laws were established, and English sailors and soldiers were sent to enforce a blockade of Boston.

Statue of Samuel Adams at Faneuil Hall

  A Statue of Samuel Adams, Merchant and brewer orator and Signer of the Declaration of Independence. Faneuil Hall used for trade and meetings up to the American Revolution

Samuel Adams 1722-1803, A patriot. He organised the revolution and signed the Declaration of Independence

The Bunker Hill Battle

At the Bunker Hill battle, a young doctor Joseph Warren died as a hero on June 17, 1775. A few months earlier he sent Paul Revere to warn fellow patriots about the arriving Englishmen at Lexington and Concord which was the start of the American Revolution.

I did not reach that historical sight this time, so here is a picture from a trip in 2009 where my interest in American history started.

Statue of Colonel William Prescott, The Bunker Hill Battle June 17, 1775, in front of the obelisk. “Don’t fire until you see the whites of their eyes.” (Unknown who really said that).

Granary Buring Ground, King’s Chapel’s Buring Ground

I am moved to see the many old gravestones, many with skull and bones as a symbol of the ever-present death at the time.

King’s Chapel Burying Ground with some of the graves of famous Bostonians from the time of the Mayflower Pilgrims and first settlers

The tomb of Founding father, Samuel Adams(1722-1803) at Granary Burying Ground near Boston Common

The grave of Founding father John Hancock (1737-1793) at Granary Burying Ground near Boston Common

Lawyer, political activist, pamphleteer “Taxation without Representation is tyranny”.

  Samuel Adams, famous for his part in starting the American Revolution is buried at the third oldest US graveyard, Granary Buring Ground as well as Another Founder John Hancock and James Otis.

At King’s Chapel Buring Ground Henry and I observed that Stars and Stripes flags on the graves were collected by an official at the place. We asked him if he could tell us where to buy such flags as we wanted to put some on the fallen WWII U.S. Airmen’s graves in Denmark. The man didn’t waver one second but gave us the whole bunch to bring home. Now we had to walk with a lot of graveyard flags through Boston without drawing too much attention to us. Henry wrapped them in a big plastic bag, and they continued with us the whole long trip. I later found out that Memorial Day or Decoration Day is a holiday in the United States for remembering the people who died while serving in the country’s armed forces. It is observed every year on the last Monday of May, and the flags are put on the graves on that occasion.

Old State House

The Declaration of Independence was first read to the people of Boston from the Old State House balcony on July 18, 1776. Now the building serves as Boston’s Revolutionary Museum.

  Old State House from a distance

Old State House with the balcony from where the Declaration of Liberty was read in 1776

Plaquette on the Old State House

Old State House inside

Boston Common and the Public Garden

  The common was purchased from the first settler by the Puritan colonists for them to graze their livestock. In the corner of Boston Common is the old Central Burying Ground. Just before leaving for the Amtrak train to Philadelphia, I got a few photos of little children’s gravestones. The loss of children was immense at the time.

  Central Burying Ground in Boston Common. A girl died three weeks old in 1790

Central Burying Ground in Boston Common. A small angel is carved above the gravestone of a four-month-old girl dead in 1792

The British “Redcoats” overflowed the Common on their way to the battlefields of Lexington and Concord in April 1775. Here I made that grave mistake to ask a “Blue Coat” if he was British!

“I am LaFayette” at Boston Common ready for a guided tour

No, Madam, I am LaFayette!

I had only just arrived, and the history was not present yet.

      Boston Public Garden

“Make way for ducklings” in Boston Public Garden by Robert Mc Closkey 1987

Give way for the ducklings in Boston Public Park

  Adjacent to The Common is the Public Garden where you can find the goose mother and her ducklings from famous children story from 1941 “Make Way for the Ducklings”. In addition to the bronze ducklings, the Public Garden is the first American botanic garden. I had to wait a long time to get a photo without a lot of children and adults wanting to sit on the ducks.

  USS Constitution

Across the Charles River is the visitor centre for the first Naval warship USS Constitution. George Washington ordered six of these battleships to be built as a navy was essential to the newly founded country.  You pass through security check before entering the “Old Ironsides” as it’s nicknamed. In 1812, she fought the British Frigate HMS Guerierre and cannonballs seemed to bounce off as if she was made of iron.

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Naval officers are actively serving at the ship which is still sailing out for events, and when we visited last summer, we were lucky to hear a live choir performance of Christian young people, on board in the Charlestown Naval Yard. I will show you more on this ship in a future post.

In Boston, you can find other walking trails like the Irish Heritage Trail and the Black Heritage Trail.

Historical Boston The Freedom Trail in Boston So much history is available in the city and given to you by posters, signs, buildings, monuments, old churchyards and live actors from the birth of America and the revolutionary days when ”taxation without representation” became unbearable for the colonists in North America.