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dianasson · 5 years ago

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The Uses of Blood

by Zeph Craven @dianaandpansson

A dear friend of mine, Marz (@HillbillyOracle on Tumblr) asked me about how blood has been used traditionally in witchcraft and magic and I decided to go all out with my response! Naturally, the traditions I’ll talk about here are from around Europe and European-derived cultures in the Americas, as these are the areas with which I have the most experience and feel qualified to speak about. Even this is limited by what has been written in English or Italian, which means I’m missing a lot of material! Of course, some of the following will be gory, bloody, or violent so please read with discretion (and TW: blood, animal abuse, violence). Many traditional uses of blood are inherently related to animal sacrifice or drawing blood from animals – I am not suggesting or condoning violence towards animals or people, only presenting the history and traditions as they have survived and as I best understand them.

The manners in which blood has been used in religion and mythology, or for magic and power, are both varied and continuous throughout European cultures. Some of these traditions have carried on, even if secluded to remote regions of Europe’s mountains, while others have truly fallen into obscurity. Witches, magicians, folklorists, classicists, and anyone who has seen a violent movie about cults will be familiar with a few topics covered here – if not in detail, then at least in dramatic atmosphere.

Sacrificial Blood The most common and widespread use of blood is as an offering to a spirit or deity. A simple and broad-sweeping discussion is best applied here; but I promise to not speak so generally in the following sections. Sacrificial blood is most often spilled from the neck of an animal – which is usually raised, treated, or traded in a sacred or special way. The animal might also be adorned with special ritual garbs, garlands, or ointments for the slaughter. While it is common in domestic and in secretive ceremony to offer up your own animal, in public or temple ritual the process of bringing the animal to the spirits and collecting its blood is almost always officiated by a priest or high-level initiate of some kind. This is a difficult and powerful act that must be overseen by someone trained in sacrifice, which is definitely practical to an extent – you have to know how to cut a throat – but I think the status of the officiant is mostly indicative of the intimacy and sanctity of such an offering. The moment of death is often celebrated by onlookers or participants, or else mourned as if their beloved were being slain. The blood may be spilled onto or into an altar or sacrificial pyre, or let flow into the water or soil at a sacred site such as a bog, hill, or field of repute. Frequently, the blood is collected instead. In many traditions, the blood of a sacrificed animal is sacred in itself – and the sacred is useful.

Sacrificial blood, being inherently hallowed, is an ancient and widespread tool for blessing. In fact, the English word “blessing” likely traces back to the word bledsian or ‘blood-sain’ (i.e. to hallow with blood). The blood gathered from a living sacrifice might be poured or sprinkled onto statues, walls, animals, or people. The sprinkling might be executed with a branch, rod, or sprig of a sacred herb. In chapter four of The Eyrbyggja Saga, the description of the temple notes that the bowl and rod used for sprinkling blood were kept on the altar-like stall in the center of all the god representations. Clearly, these tools were integral to the regular ceremonies of the temple.

Blood from a sacrificed animal is also a powerful, though complex, agent of purification. In ancient Greece, it was used to purify a shrine or temple 1 - frequently pig’s blood was applied as in Apollo’s case, while doves were common for Aphrodite, who abhorred swine. Purification with sacrificial blood would be accompanied by many rituals: supplications, prayers, offerings, and a disposal of the polluted remnants or lumata. It is important to note that not all blood was considered holy or ‘pure.’ In fact, the prime example of this kind of purification in Greece was almost a balancing of bloods: the sacrificial blood washed away the miasma or “pollution” of immoral bloodshed, such as murder. A murderer might suck out the blood of their victim and spit it forth repetitively to expiate the corruption of their crime. It wasn’t the physical blood of violence that needed cleansing, so much as the foul vengeful spirit of the person and the event, what we might now call ghosts and trauma. The animal’s lifeblood was sprinkled on the hands of the murderer where impure blood had shed, and then washed away. Some length of time (inconsistent through history and region) had to pass between the crime and the cleansing, and during that time the killer was somehow excluded from society. Though it is not difficult to make sense of this paradox, cleaning blood with blood was criticized even in the times of its practice. 2 In the previous example, the mechanics are only paradoxical if read hyper-literally. It is not as though any two insignificant bloods cancel each other out by contact; instead, it is something holy and potent that overpowers something wicked and polluted. Just as household cleaning agents must be engineered to bind to the dirt or oil they cleanse, there may also be some link between sacred blood attaching to dirty blood: the ‘like-affects-like’ principle making sacrifice a potent solution for this particular kind of miasma. There were epithets of deities that presided specifically over this ritual of purification and reintegration, called catharsis or κόθᾰρσῐς (kótharsis). According to Oxford Reference:

“The god who presided over purification from blood‐guilt was Zeus Katharsios, ‘Of purification’; this role derived from his general concern for the reintegration into society of displaced persons (cp. Zeus ‘Of suppliants’ and ‘Of strangers’). Apollo too could be seen as a ‘purifier of men's houses’ because his oracle at Delphi regularly gave advice on such matters.”

Violent bloodshed, childbirth, death, and corpses could all pollute a person or place with miasma, and sacrificial blood was only one tool of many for cleaning it away. Interestingly, the violent bloodshed of battle was less important and could simply be washed off. 3 With no greater significance is the trauma and poison of war-blood treated now. Later, on the outskirts of Greek cult-influences, menstrual blood was considered a pollutant that must be purified before entering temples – along with many other bodily fluids such as semen – yet menstrual fluids were rarely written of at all. 4 Some ‘scientific’ texts from this period suggest that menstruation is a form of purification itself, which could indicate why some might have considered the expulsed fluids impure. There are ancient Roman writers that speak of menstrual blood as a destructive force, in many ways that actually sound quite useful. However these are not the documentations of practices – rather products of solitary musings on agricultural metaphysics. These writers weren’t documenting, they were thinking ‘out-loud.’ Yet, it is not a far stretch to suppose that menstrual blood may have been considered a form of miasma in later Mediterranean sacred structures, especially looking at the modern practices of purification by sacrificial blood in some mountain communities of Georgia (Pshavi, Xevsuri, and Svaneti), which have strict taboos around menstruation in ritual structure, village composition, and social functions such as hunting. 5 These areas of Georgia were not once so distant from the cultures of the Greek empire, Colchis being a notable region of these mountains where the story of Jason and the Golden Fleece took place. In this story, Colchis is the kingdom of the infamous sorcerer Aeëtes and his daughter Medea, the witch, for whom Circe herself performed a purification of miasma by pig’s blood with prayers to Zeus of Suppliants. 6 The Kartvelian societies, in modern-day Georgia, were conquered in succession by Persia, Greece, and Rome. Where these rituals have survived (though some have supposed they were reinvented) in Georgia, the ganatvla sacrifice is carried out by a priest in a space kept pure and guarded with taboo, in the presence of St. George, his female partner, and/or other “children of God” (xvtisšvilni). Healing and benediction are prayed for as the bovid’s life spills over the supplicant’s arms, and this good blood is thought to drive out bad blood and impurities. One of the primary impurities is menstrual blood, and menstruating people are made to leave the general border of the village and pass their cycle in designated huts on the outskirts of the community.

In Xevsureti, the purification of religious spaces with sacrificial blood is so vital that they have creatively managed to introduce blood on structures restricted to humans. There are certain buildings so pure that even the highest priests cannot go near them, yet they soak snowballs in blood from the sacrifice and launch them at the walls from afar in blessing. 7 However, impure blood, such as the blood of a cat, might be spilled to sever the link between community and divinity, as seen in the ballads of the Zurab Cycle.

Well into the 20th century, rural Ireland would have been familiar with the bleeding of geese, cockerels and hens, pigs, or goats (though geese were most popular) on the eve of Martinmas (Nov. 11th). The animal would be offered to St. Martin and its blood spilled and sprinkled around the household, with some variation county to county. It was almost always spilled at the doorstep or on the doorposts, but often sprinkled in the corners of the house or kitchen as well, and this pattern was mimicked in the stables. Crosses were sometimes made with the blood on the floor and on the foreheads of the family members. Once, it would have been common in some counties to soak up the blood with cotton. This object was then hung up in the rafters, or else pressed against the body to relieve pains. The whole ritual kept out sickness and danger for the year. The reasoning behind the sacrifice, as well as the choice in animal, shifted frequently – usually having some connection to how the saint was killed, or else being a specific sickly animal promised earlier to St. Martin in exchange for its continued health until Martin’s Eve. Though blood-pudding was a relatively common dish, there were frequently taboos about using this sacrificed blood for consumption. Many good examples of this celebration can be found in the Duchas National Folklore Archive. Dr. Billy Mag Fhloinn has argued that this Martinmas blood-sacrifice is a remnant of older Samhain traditions – as the shift to Gregorian calendar would put November 11th (modern) around October 30th in the Julian calendar. I hesitate to indulge this theory, as I do not see all pivotal rituals, games, and social functions transferring dates to match the contemporary calendric year except this singular rite, but Mag Fhloinn himself is hesitant and cautious enough. I think it highly plausible that this is a purely Irish-Catholic ceremony, incorporating rituals that inherently reveal the functions of the natural world according to older Irish world-views: in other words, that blood sacrifice as a means of purification and protection was not in contradiction with the sanctity of God and the Church. It just worked, so it kept on.

This is actually amazing, considering the contradiction of blood as a purifying agent (mentioned previously) was such a severe point for philosophers and theologians over a thousand years prior, though that ilk is by definition less concerned with what is practical. Blood sacrifice is inherently dramatic. Like orgies, infanticide, and cannibalism, Greeks and Romans eventually used the image of blood sacrifice as a polemic tool for propaganda against Pagans, Jewish communities, and more distant cultures. Most especially utilized was the image of far-off ‘barbarians’ sacrificing humans, a point that some Roman historians used to criticize their own history [read: chart their sophistication.] By the 3rd Century CE – things are getting a little Christian now – even animal blood sacrifice was brought into suspicion in the high seats of Roman imperial religion, scholarship, and governance. Pythagoreans and Platonists moved away from the older practical applications of purification as a directly effective ritual, bringing catharsis to a metaphysical, philosophical, and eventually psychological light. 8

Initiation by Blood Unspecific to tradition, there are some initiatory rituals that call on blood (be it from sacrificed animals, the initiate, or even divine blood) to be reborn. A striking example of this is the taurobolium: an initiation of priests into the cult of the goddess Cybele, who came from Asia Minor where she was worshiped for millennia under unknown names. Her oldest appearance is from around 6,000 BC in Phrygia, though the detailed descriptions of this ritual come from later Roman writers after her cult had travelled to that peninsula, where she was called Ma’tris Magnae (Great Mother) or Ma’tris Deum (Mother of Gods). 9 In English, she is often referred to as Magna Mater but I’ve always found that bothersome; I think if you’re going to use a Latinate name then use the real Latin name! If that’s too hard, just translate it and call her Great Mother. Her cult was perhaps most infamous for its priesthood of male eunuchs and its castrated-animal sacrifices – very threatening concepts to the imperial patriarchy.

The initiate would stand in a pit that had been covered by planks of wood, in which holes had been made, and a sacrificial bull would be lowered onto the planks. As the initiate covered his ribbon-crowned head with his toga, the bull was killed and its blood released by spear thrusts and tugs that widened the wounds. The initiate would emerge from the pit, unrecognizably drenched in hot, smelly blood. According to Prudentius, the blood was even expected to be let into the mouth, which strikes me as indicative that you are not only purging outside influences with the holiness of the sacrifice but also inner impurities and insufficiencies, making your whole self ready for service to the Great Goddess. Some accounts say a goat or ram might be killed in conjunction with the bull as a sacrifice to Ma’tris Magnae’s lover, Attis. Both animals would be castrated. 10

One brief example from the Greek Magical Papyri (Papyri Gracae Magicae, or PGM) describes a ritual of initiation into the mysteries of magic by drinking the blood of a white cockerel (or rooster) before jumping into the Nile. 11 Submersion into natural, especially sacred, bodies of water is common in initiation rituals throughout Europe and the Mediterranean, but this is a pretty unique application of cockerel blood. White and black cockerels are common fauna in Euro-centric magical recipes along with cats, goats and rams, owls, lapwings, and doves or pigeons. A white cockerel has the properties of a high masculine divinity, of an upper-worldly or celestial persuasion, and might therefore be used in magic for success, love, conquering, protection, or appealing to that same divinity. In this initiation ceremony, we might understand the consumption of its blood as integrating these properties to the self, alongside a purification and rebirth in the sacred river.

Jumping forward about 1,200 years, we see a very different use of blood in a very different kind of initiation. Isobel Gowdie gave a confession in 1662 to crimes of witchcraft near Auldearn, Scotland. She gave many vivid accounts of her illicit outings with the Devil, the fairies, and her coven. The following scene describes the renunciation of her baptism and the ritual of being re-baptized by the Devil:

“Margaret Brodie, in Aulderne, held me up to the Divell, until he re-baptised me, and marked me in the shoulder, and with his mouth sucked out my blood at that place, and spouted it in his hand, and sprinkling it upon my head and face, he said, ‘I baptize ye, Janet, to my self, in my own name!’”

Janet is the new name bestowed upon Isobel by the Devil here, her un-Christian name you could say. Her own blood is applied, in place of the baptismal water or oil. It is noteworthy that the blood is sucked into the Devil’s mouth before being used to anoint her, perhaps cycling it through his divinity and imbuing it with ‘unholiness.’ This initiation might be seen as necessary for a witch to work with the Devil. Since the Catholic ritual of baptism is a cleansing of sins and an exorcism of the Devil in its own right, it might prevent such ungodly powers working within a person. In this light, the consumption and sprinkling of Isobel’s blood may function as a re-administration of sin into her soul, thus severing her connection with God.

Another 277 years later, and an ocean away, we find a new kind of blood in the initiation of witches and magicians. There is blood to be found in folk stories of witches sacrificing animals (black cats and black cockerels) to the Devil for initiation and ensuing magic throughout the Appalachian and Ozark Mountains, yet the most fascinating example is neither a direct sacrifice nor an ingredient. A story from Wise County, Virginia recounts how a young man gained his powers. After eight mornings of rigorous ritual process:

“On the ninth morning, he took his gun and the silver bullet with him. He shot the bullet toward the sun as it came up over the ridge. They had told him that if the sun looked as if it were dripping blood as it came up, then he would be a witch.”

The ninth morning didn’t present him with all the required signs of confirmation, and it took him two full years to complete his initiation as a ‘conjure man.’ Shooting the sun follows many clearly chthonic and sacrilegious rituals, which might indicate that this is a metaphor of wounding God and denouncing him. The dripping blood is confirmation of the initiate’s power to stand against the Christian God, who was once frequently associated with solar imagery. This is truly speculative, yet if the symbolism holds in context, this would be an example of divine blood within initiatory divination. 12

Bloody Witchcraft Now that we’ve dipped our toes into early modern witchcraft, let’s go in deeper. When the image of the early modern witch is merged with the image of blood, one might first jump to the scenes of paranoia previously listed: orgies, infanticide, and cannibalism. Thanks to twelfth century theologians and sixteenth century Protestants, we can now add dramatic demonic sacrifice to that list. Despite the excitable and repetitive fanfare of the Witch Craze, there are many intriguing elements of blood-work in witchcraft to be examined besides the initiations discussed previously.

In late 1500s England, it was common knowledge that familiar spirits (i.e. beings provided to a witch or magician by the Devil, God, its previous owner, or the monarchy of Fairy to help with magic and mischief) might be fed with blood from the witch’s body. While milk, bread, or butter was the most common offering, blood remained a more fanatical portrayal for the popular culture of the courts and taverns. It was common knowledge that a witch might feed their familiar spirit with blood let from the mark left on them by the Devil, perhaps at initiation. 13

In continental Europe, examples abound of witches that feed on blood from quite ancient to very modern folklore. The definition of “witch” is blurred in this context: they might be incorporeal beings that can afflict, abduct, and loot not unlike the fairies, sucking the blood from men and babes in the night. 14 The witch may instead be your very tangible neighbor: unlikeable and affronting, who frequents Sabbats and wets their gullet with blood while feasting on infant corpses before dancing erotically for the Adversary. There is an association with witches and the creature strix (screecher), as blood-sucking entities 15 that find victims in the night. Through evolution or syncretism the strix became strigoi, and was related with vampyr, and vrykolakas: creatures of a sorcerous nature that thrive on human blood and remains. Incorporeal, animal, or humanoid witches might feed on blood for power and longevity. The latter might use it to attain those non-human shapes. Witches in the Balkans were said to use children’s blood as an ingredient in their transformative ointments and unguents 16 – though infant fat was far more common elsewhere on the continent, I doubt much effort would have been made to wash clean their diabolical cooking lard so we can bet on some blood in there too. In Scandinavian witch trials, there is an example of the blood and pelt of a cat being adorned to take on its very form. 17 For witches, blood is sustenance and life or it is a gory detail in scenes of taboo ceremony. If the story of any particular witch’s ritual incorporates elements of more Abrahamic magic, then its use of blood will align better with those covered in the grimoire section below. As Matteo Duni discusses throughout his book Under the Devil’s Spell, the intersection of witches and literate magicians in early modern Europe was broader than many suppose, and these folks talked and traded secrets quite a lot.

Blood as Medicine Blood has medicinal functions as well as diabolical. In older Euro-centric medical thought, our blood might carry forces within it that induce illness. The spiritual and the scientific were not so juxtaposed once, and it may have been a build-up of that hot, red humor or a malefic presence in the blood that caused a fever, high blood pressure, apoplexy, and/or headaches. The persistent cure was letting that excessive/bad blood out of the body: i.e. bloodletting.

Some cures prescribe blood as a magico-medical ingredient. In County Kerry, Ireland a swelling or injury in the leg could be cured by taking the blood from a cat’s ear and drawing a ring with it around the affected area. There was also a belief in some areas of the country that the blood of people in certain families could cure specific diseases, for example folks with the last name of Cahill could make symbols with the blood of their little finger and speak a prayer to cure someone of “wild-fire” disease. The blood of a black cat could cure the same affliction. In the Pennsylvania-Dutch magico-medical text Long Lost Friend, we find a cure for epilepsy in drinking the blood of a dove.

Blood in Divination A common form of divination in North and Central America is divination by egg, or oomancy. The egg is passed ritualistically over the patient’s body before being cracked into water. The signs that the floating whites and yolk make can be read to tell fortunes or diagnose problems. Any spots or streaks of blood in the mixture are considered an incredibly bad omen.

The shades of the dead around the ancient Mediterranean would feast on spilled blood, and the blood of all-black animals was an efficacious offering to them. In the Odyssey, most-likely written down in the 8th century BC, Circe gives Odysseus advice for consulting with the dead: in a particular cave, a trench was to be dug (a proper altar for underworldly spirits) into which libations of milk, honey, sweet wine, water and barley grain were made. Finally, sheep were led to the edge of the pit where Odysseus cut their throats and let the dark blood spill in, all the while making prayers to dwellers in the house of Hades. He stands with his sword between the pit of blood and the shades when they come, postponing their desire to feast on it and tantalizing them until he receives his intended counsel. Over 2,000 years later, this ritual of consorting with the dead has survived in the grimoire of Arthur Gauntlet, though understandably changed and with a subtly different interpretation on the means of summoning:

“Now these souls…are easily allured by the [body-] like vapours, liquors and savours. From hence it is that the souls of the dead are not called forth, without blood, or the putting of some part of the forsaken body & we perfume with fresh blood in the calling forth of Shadows, with the bones of the dead, and flesh, with Eggs, Milk, honey, Oil and the like which attribute a fit means for the souls to assume their bodies.” 18

Around the 1st century BC, Varro also mentions the pouring of blood into a divination bowl to draw the spirits of the deceased – who see much more than we – to the diviner. 19 Blood in Magic In magic, the main uses of blood draw on its continued association with its original host. An animal’s blood may be included in a spell because of that animal’s magical properties and associations. A person’s blood contains their essence and maintains a link with the target or the spell-caster respectively, which is manipulated through ritual. The connection with the source of blood, or perhaps the implied sacrifice, also gives power to writing magical words and symbols.

Personal effects are bodily fluids or trimmings that are included in spells to increase the power of the ritual. For example, a figure of a person made in wax or clay would have some power over the target just by being shaped and named for them. However, the inclusion of blood, hair, or nail clippings dramatically increases the efficacy of the magic. Even personal items, such as bits of clothing, are useful, though much more so if they’ve soaked up some of the target’s sweat. The blood of the spell-caster might be administered to their victim, disguised in food or drink, as a consistent method of forcing love and seduction. Sometimes the type of blood fed to a victim is unspecific: sometimes it is menstrual, and other times it is even an animal’s. Usually, the latter would be a dove or pigeon, which are associated with Venus.

Blood could also be used in undoing magic and breaking spells. In Hungary, 1730, a Mrs. Mihály Jóna presented a cure for the evil eye to her patient: the mother was to procure three drops of blood from the little finger of the person who “saw” her daughter (gave her the evil eye) and to drip it into her daughter’s eyes. This would relieve her of the illness that the evil eye caused. 20 In early modern England there was a rather specific belief that a witch sighting their own blood would have all their spells broken. This obviously led to some relatively violent attacks on suspected witches. Perhaps a callback to the previously discussed purification by sacrificial blood, a Devon cunning-woman named Agnes Hill performed this ritual to cure a woman of sickness by witchcraft:

“Hill then said we must kill the cock, and desired her mother to cut its throat, which she did with a razor. The cock was held over the new earthen pan, holding the fasting water [her mother’s urine] and the blood, which was mingled together, and then put over the fire to boil. Hill then cut open the cock, and took out its heart, and told her mother to stick seven new pins into it, likewise seven new needles, and nine blackthorn prickles. The ash wood was put on the fire under the pan, the heart was hung up to roast before the fire, and it was afterwards thrown into the fire, pins, needles, and all.” 21

Here the cockerel’s older associations with the sun, success, and conquering might be invoked to drive away the malefic influences of the witch. Perhaps the celestial masculine divinities of which it was once symbolic were even replaced by or subtly aligned with the Christian god of Agnes’ time in 19th century Devonshire.

The weightiest source of blood-use in magic comes from the grimoires of continental Europe, Iceland, and England. Sometimes, the application of specific animals’ blood seems to break from the overall patterns, and the text itself can seem to be sewn together from opposite ends of missing sentences. The way these tomes were passed on was often by hand-copying each word, and the transference of some very ancient rituals over the span of many hundreds of years has surely let some material and context fall into the cracks of history. Due to the overwhelming and obscure specificities of the material, these examples will be found predominantly in the post-script notes.

Properties of animals in folk magic and grimoire traditions directly correlate to the applications of their blood. To quote Agrippa, in a hyper-literal example, “It is also believed that the blood of a bear, if it be sucked out of her wound, doth increase strength of body, because that animal is the strongest creature.” 22 Every animal has some magical properties, but these associations definitely change over time and by location. There are very common animals, and persistent patterns, that allow parallels and conclusions to be drawn. In continental European and American folk magic for example a cat might represent a woman and a dog might stand for a man. Bits of those animals are used to affect their respective genders and provide a symbolic link to the magical targets. In the Balkans, blood of a dog and cat were sprinkled on the path between wandering husband and his paramour to cause dislike between them, which could be read differently as the essence of two animals that like to fight being used to cause discord. The color of the animals would have likely been relevant, but this is not included in the account. 23 In the continental and English grimoires there is usually an implied proper procedure for procuring blood from an animal – not just where to cut, but when, and accompanied by which exorcisms, etc. That blood was used in the consecration of sorcerous ritual tools; as an ingredient in or as itself a magical ink; combined into a perfume with herbs and other fleshy or mineral bits; mixed into oil to make a lamp; or anointed as a refreshing face-mask!

If the blood must come from the magician, it is almost always drawn from the little finger, or else it does not specify. The magician’s own blood is used for writing sacred words and incantations, mostly in love spells and cures – though in at least one instance for the conjuration of spirits with a more arcane intention. In Long Lost Friend there is a different sort of love administered, with the magician feeding a dog their blood to create an instant bond between the two.

However, Icelandic magic uses the magician’s blood drawn from specific and varied areas of the body such as certain toes or fingers, or the thigh. Blood would be traced into carved symbols and words on wood, bone, skin, or stone. One example is how the witch Þuríðr uses magic to defeat a great Icelandic hero, rubbing her blood into runes on a beached log while speaking a charm, and walking around it counter-clockwise. 24

Bloodstains Blood leaves a mark: that has always been said. Places of great bloodshed are sacred to the spirits of Mars in grimoire magic. They are also very feasible settings for raising the dead. However, the most famous and infamous bloodstains are a break from the previous sections; 25 they are not made from animals or mortals. When the blood of gods is spilled, there is a creation to it and a power to it. Jesus, Chronos, and Prometheus all had blood spill from them in torture or death. Whatever this blood touched was changed; adding colors to animals, plants, and minerals, or else creating powerful new flora that have great use to any magician. The spilling of the blood of Jesus is a pervasive and consistent image in magical charms and prayers of all sorts. It is his blood that is consumed in the wine of every communion ritual. In the Prose Edda, the gods of the Æsir and Vanir formed a peace treaty, and from the spittle of their treaty they created a man of pure wisdom named Kvasir, who entertains them and travels the world answering many riddles and questions. The dwarves, Fjalar and Galarr, who value little above what they can create and forge, pulled Kvasir aside, slitting his throat and draining his blood into vats of honey for making mead. This mead carried his wisdom, scholarliness, and poesy forever through his blood. It was once said that whoever had a genius for poetry had drunk from this mead. In 20th century Irish manuscripts from the Duchas archive, there are many entries about bloodstains from violent deaths where the ugliness of the crime was so wicked the blood refuses to be cleaned. There are also many stains on stones and churches from martyred priests that likewise never fade, in which we see a touch of the divine. The blood of the otherworld neighbors, the fairies, has also stained many a stone throughout Ireland’s counties, said to be the sign of a battle between the Good Neighbors. Whether it’s godhood, otherworldliness, or extreme violence, some blood doesn’t wash away – my sympathies to Lady Macbeth.

The way we look at blood in ritual has undergone many cycles of change and of repetition, traces of which can be seen in our current cultures. From practical applications, and cosmological ramifications, to a prop on a stage of fear, there are examples from literal thousands of years ago through to this past Sunday. Sacrifices and stains surround us, and we walk around with this potent fluid sloshing through our bodies, invisibly waiting to be tapped and put to use in casting enchantments or feeding our secret spirits. I hope this has been illuminating to you, in some degree, and I beg forgiveness for any major oversights or misinterpretations in this text. Be nice to your pets please. See post-script for endnotes, and for examples of blood in grimoire texts.

Examples from the Grimoires:

In no particular order, here are examples of blood in grimoire texts. Where unspecified, assume the blood is applied as ink. Enjoy.

From the Greater Key of Solomon: Book II – Many sorcerous tools are dipped in various bloods as part of their preparation. A ceremonial white-handled dagger is sanctified in blood of a gosling bird and the juice of a pimpernel and engraved before being wrapped in white silk. The famous black-handled knife used to strike fear in the heart of spirits should be dipped in blood of a black cat with juice of hemlock and engraved before being wrapped in black silk. The ritual sickle is dipped in blood of magpie and juice of mercury-herb. This text also has a procedure on the proper purifications, rituals, and prayers needed to take blood from a bat and other animals for use in magic. There are instructions for general animal sacrifice and it does specify that the animals should be virgins (yes in the sexual sense), and it includes words that should be said later when spilling the blood in Chapter XXII. Book I – The blood of a black hen is used on hare skin to prevent a hunter from his bounty. Blood and fat of a dead man are used in an oil lamp to reveal hidden treasure. For spells of trickery and deceit the ‘pen of art’ should be dipped in the blood of a bat previously procured in the correct manner for use. Pentacles – Blood of a screech owl in conjunction with a swallow pen is to be used for the Second Pentacle of Jupiter, and the blood of a bat in the Seventh Pentacle of Mars.

From the Black Pullet: The magician’s wand is stained with lamb’s blood in its creation and sanctification.

From Agrippa: Perfumes – Blood of a white cockerel for Sun perfume, goose blood for Moon, bat for Saturn, stork or swallow for Jupiter, blood of a man and of a black cat for Mars, pigeon (or dove) for Venus (boar’s blood in Arthur Gauntlet), and magpie for Mercury.

From the Sword of Moses: No.55 Uses your own blood as ink on an egg for a love spell and No.64 Uses your own blood as ink on both your doors for the same. How embarrassing!

From the 6th and 7th Books of Moses: Writing magical circles with the blood of young white doves for the inquisition and enslaving of spirits, and the blood of butterflies for writing the seals of the Seven Great Princes who are nature and treasure spirits.

8th Book of Moses: Baboons blood is used in a spell to send dreams to your target.

From the Lemegeton I: Goetia: Writing another seal for binding spirits with the blood of a black cockerel that has never mated with a hen.

From the Grimoirum Verum: Your own blood from your little (Mercurial) finger for writing the conjurations of spirits, the use of white pigeon (dove) blood to inscribe names of the Hebrew God on a mirror for divination, and To Make a Girl Dance in the Nude, which involves the blood of a bat on a blessed stone over which mass has been said. It is a very unpleasant spell: “She will undress and be completely naked, and will dance increasingly until death, if one does not remove the character; with grimaces and contortions which will cause more pity than desire.” Quite disturbing!

From Grimoire of Honorius: While creating a sacred lambskin to avoid perversion and corruption from the demons the magician will engage upon, the lamb is sacrificed, but the magician must make an effort not to spill the blood of the sacrificial lamb onto the earth. Perhaps this is an avoidance of old-pagan blood-sacrificial dirtiness, or avoidance of telluric impurity?

From SLOANE MS 3824 (called the Book of Treasure Spirits by Rankine): The invocation symbol for the spirit Mamon is drawn in lapwing or black cat blood, and in discovering a treasure trove the blood of a black cockerel is used variously as ink.

From the Book of Gold: Psalm 43 can be written in bird’s blood to destroy an enemy, Psalm 59 in billy goat’s blood for releasing the bonds of your own actions, Psalm 60 in white cockerel blood to bring back your wife, Psalm 90 in dove blood to protect and embolden fearful children, and Psalm 103 is written in bat or black hen blood for a love spell. Psalm 136 should be drawn in menstrual blood to stop blood – the phrasing in the text implies this may be a charm to staunch menstrual bleeding specifically.

From the Grimoire of Arthur Gauntlet: Bat blood to make spent money return; dove blood in a protection spell; blood from the finger of the magician in a cure for the falling sickness; ant eggs and blood of a white hen anointed on face let you see wonders; blood of a lapwing, white owl, raven, mole, hen etc. (super-bloody-murder-bath) for finding and conversing with familiar spirits; bat’s blood onto an apple before it falls, given to eat as a love spell; cockerel and sparrow blood written on a candle to summon a woman to it; white pigeon blood on green silk to attain the love of all people; bleed a bat with glass or flint and write “J” and touch to target who shall follow you, this can be tested first on a dog; and the blood of a turtledove written as a charm on virgin parchment and sewn into a pouch to be worn for success in playing dice.

Book of Oberon: This is really drawn from many older texts, but just to give this book some light – the blood of a lapwing may be suffumigated with lignum aloes to produce visions of spirits. For shooting competitions there is a ritual that includes dipping the arrows in the blood of your left finger.

From Papyri Graecae Magicae: # IV 1928-2005 – Serpent blood ink for binding a restless dead spirit with Helios for love magic, the following entry uses blood of an ass, eel, and falcon similarly. #IV 2145-2240 – Uses the blood of someone who died violently mixed with myrrh resin on bay leaf for an oracular divination.

From the Galdrabók: No. 34 Is a love spell placing worm or serpent blood where the target will walk over it along with other charms. No.45 Requires blood drawn from the big toe and right hand of the magician, which should be smeared on the yarrow herb as well as the required staves, in a spell to uncover a thief. No. 46 Is the famous fart rune, for which blood should be drawn from the thigh. 47 Also requires blood from the big toe to create the Helm of Hiding.

From Kreddur: No.15 Discover a thief using blood from under the left-hand middle finger to draw the appropriate staves.

Endnotes: 1 Parker, Robert. Miasma: Pollution and Purification in Early Greek Religion. Oxford, Clarendon Press/Oxford University Press, 1986, pp. 27-30. 2 Ibid, p. 372. 3 Ibid, p. 114 4 Ibid, p. 101. 5 Tuite, Kevin. “Highland Georgian Paganism – Archaism or Innovation?” Annual for the Society of the Study of the Caucuses, Université de Montréal, 1996, pp. 284. Parker, Robert. Miasma: Pollution and Purification in Early Greek Religion. Oxford, Clarendon Press/Oxford University Press, 1986, p. 370 6 Tuite, Kevin. “Highland Georgian Paganism – Archaism or Innovation?” Annual for the Society of the Study of the Caucuses, Université de Montréal, 1996, p.6 7 Fraser, Kyle. “Roman Antiquity: the Imperial Period.” Cambridge History of Magic and Witchcraft in the West, edited by David J. Collins, S.J., Cambridge University Press, p.133. 8 The distinction between Pythagorean pagans and sorcerous polytheists is mentioned by Porphyry, in an analysis of blood/flesh sacrifice vs. ascetic and moral acts of devotion. 9 Turcan, Robert. The Cults of the Roman Empire. Oxford, Blackwell Publishers Ltd., 1996, p.28. 10 Ibid, p. 52. 11 The Greek Magical Papyri: In Translation. Edited by Hans Dieter Betz. University of Chicago Press, 1986, PGM IV. 26-51, pp. 37-38. 12 Combs, Josiah Henry. “Sympathetic Magic in the Kentucky Mountains: Some Curious Folk-Survivals.” The Journal of American Folklore, vol. 27, no. 105, 1914, p. 329. 13 Wilby, Emma. Cunning Folk and Familiar Spirits. Chicago, Sussex Academic Press, 2013, pp. 82 & 109. Along with milk and bread by around In 1566, Joan Prentice let her familiar, Bid, suck blood from her cheek before bed. In 1582, Margery Sammon’s mother told her that the familiar the latter passed on must be given milk, if not they would suck her blood instead. 14 Scottish and Manx fairies, if not appeased by offerings of fresh water and bread, might drink your blood instead. 15 Perhaps screech owls or bats. 16 Vukanović, T.P. “Witchcraft in the Central Balkans I: Characteristics of Witches. Folklore, Vol.100, 1989, p. 12. 17 Willumsen, Liv Helene. “Children Accused of Witchcraft in 17th-Century Finnmark.” Scandinavian Journal of History, vol. 38, 2013, p. 27. 18 The Grimoire of Arthur Gauntlet, edited by David Rankine. Avalonia, 2011, p. 208. 19 Gordon, Richard. “Good to Think: Wolves and Wolf-Men in the Graeco-Roman World.” Werewolf Histories, edited by Willem de Blécourt, Palgrave Macmillan, 2015, p. 45. 20 Kristóf, Ildikó Sz. “The Social Background of Witchcraft Accusations in Early Modern Debrecen and Bihar County.” Witchcraft and Demonology in Hungary and Transylvania, edited by Transylvania Gábor Klaniczay and Éva Pócs, Palgrave Macmillan, 2017, p. 35. 21 Davies, Owen and Easton, Timothy. “Cunning Folk and the Production of Magical Artefacts.” Physical Evidence for Ritual Acts, Sorcery and Witchcraft in Christian Britain, edited by Ronald Hutton, Palgrave Macmillan, 2015, p. 214. 22 Agrippa, Henry Cornelius. Three Books of Occult Philosophy or Magic, edited by Willis F. Whitehead, Hahn & Whitehead, 1898, p. 73. 23 Vukanović, T.P. “Witchcraft in the Central Balkans I: Characteristics of Witches. Folklore, Vol.100, 1989, p. 15. 24 Mitchell, Stephen A. Witchcraft and Magic in the Nordic Middle Ages. Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania Press, 2011, p. 94. 25 Perhaps excepting the Appalachian witch’s ritual evidence discussed in the Initiation section. Image Credits (in order): Blood in water. source unknown (anyone know it?), accessed via google images Feb. 3rd 2020. Blood saining, from Beowulf and Grendell (2005), dir. Sturla Gunnarsson. accessed via Facebook, Feb. 1st 2020. Bainbridge, Alexander, 2015. Mindia toasts the memory of Iakshar after the sheep sacrifice, Beer and blood sacrifices: meet the Caucus pagans who worship ancient deities, Indipendent.co UK, accessed Feb. 1st 2020. Bleeding for St. Martin, posted in 2005 on Sligo Heritage, original source unknown, accessed Feb. 1st 2020. Taurobolium, or Consecration of the Priests of Cybele under Antoninus Pius (Detail).Engraving by Bernhard Rode (undated, ca. 1780). Accessed via Wikipedia Feb 3rd. 2020. Witches being baptized by the Devil, or Tiercement le confirme en cette opinion luy grauant de ses ongles le front pour d'illec tollir le Chresme & signe baptismal. (Fig. 5.). Woodcut. Accessed via Project Gutenberg Feb. 3rd 2020. Blood in wine glass, source unknown (again, anyone?), accessed via google images Feb. 1st 2020. Blood on hand, source unknown (again?), accessed via Giphy Feb. 3rd 2020. Crown of thorns, (possibly) @Doug21, 2007, on Flickr, accessed via Flickr Feb. 3rd 2020.

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silverxcristal · 5 years ago

Photo

EDIT: Hello there! This is an outdated commission sheet, if you want to commission me please read the —>new one <—

SilverxCristal Commission Info - 2020

Hello there! I’m SilverxCristal and this is my Commission chart.

I’m a Illustrator who recently finish her studies, im in the process to get my diploma and begin the transition to full time freelancer.

I have a Patreon page where people can support my work in exchange to see exclusive things, along with that I work on commissions!

If you need more examples feel free to check my artblog or ask me directly

Whats new?:

Chart with new art (made in 2019)

Icon commissions [$15] can be required by patrons during all year as long theyre patrons, plus a discount if they bought more than one on the same purchase

Added Instagram as a way to communication

There are 50% discounts on Flat color and Full color commissions time to time

If you are interested:

Contact me via tumblr, twitter or instagram @silverxcristal .You can also write to my email; [email protected]

I will need a visual reference of what you want [character design and colors]. If you have a pose or situation in mind please tell me so I can work with that.

You have to pay me before I get started. No refunds!

Payment will be done through Paypal, I will send you the link once the commission is set and I'll notify you when the deposit is done.

I will show you the sketch before I proceed to clean it up, see what you think about if and if you need any changes before the lineart process.

I’ll try to finish your commission in a week [7 days]. You can ask about how is the process doing and I will give you updates. Comunication will be fluid.

I will give you the finished commission before I post it on my social media to check that everything is okay

If something goes wrong on the process, I will edit your image up to a max of 3 times.

If you want your commission to be private (not post it) or prefeer to remain anonymous (not @ you or name you) I will respect that.

You are free to post the commission whenever you want! Use it as icon, background etc. Just remember to credit me.

Please dont use my art for comercial purposes. If that is your intention fell me beforehand!

I will draw:

OCs

Fanart

Shipping (canon, ocs, ocxcanon)

Humans

Cartoon characters

Anime characters

Videogame characters

F//urries/Anthro

Gijinkas

Mechas [Not too detailed]

As long there is a reference I can draw that

I won’t draw:

Super detailed mechas

Realistic people or realistic animals

I//nce//st and all variations

P//edo//filia and all variations

G//or//e

Offensive content

N//SF//W [P//orn]*

S//elf//cest**

If you can’t commission me but want to help, I would apreciate if you share this information so more people can see it.

Thank you!

*N//SF//W: I can draw n//sf///w, however prices are a little different. Contact me if you’re interested in a commission of this kind. I will require you to be 18+ (and prove it) to proceed.

**S//elf//cest: I refeer as the same character x same character. I won’t draw direct selfcest, but variations of the same character can be conversable.

#commissions #artist on tumblr #open for commissions #illustration #i always feel ashamed to tag fandoms so like- good luck lil commission sheet #silverxcristal #i pray for tumblr to not shadowban the post pleaSE i need to work jkashd

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zuzuma-katpaws · 5 years ago

Text

The Day That Christmas was Not Ruined

Link to AO3 version: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21958318

AU - Dreamswap (Belongs to @onebizarrekai )

Words - Around 5,200

Summary - Dream has been trying hard to help the orphans this Christmas, but it looks like he is going to need a lot more help than he planned.

“A Visit from St. Nicholas” is credited to Clement Clarke Moore

“Twas the night before Christmas,

When all through the house not a creature was stirring,

Not even a little mouse.”

The little toddler in Dream’s arms squirmed just a little bit before, his full attention once more to the story.

“The children were nestled all snug in their beds,

While visions of sugar plums danced in their head.”

The other children in the orphanage were sitting down on the rug in front of Dream as he comfortably leaned back in the lounge chair, reading the poem that was printed in his hands. They were focused on Dream as he read the poem, however this didn’t bother Dream. He loved reading to the children, especially around the holidays. It gave the little ones a sense of wonder and happiness, which warmed his soul.

“Now Dasher! Now Dancer!

Now, Prancer and Vixen!

On, Comet! On, Cupid!

On, Donner and Blitzen!”

Dream looked up from the words to see Ink messing with the Christmas tree, rearranging the ornaments into something that met his standards…which were not high. The two met eye contact briefly but long enough for Dream to give a glare as to warning Ink of the consequences of burning another tree down. Quickly, Ink left the tree and stood elsewhere, fidgeting because of his boredom. Satisfied, Dream continued on with the poem.

“His eyes-how they twinkled! His dimples, how merry!

His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!

His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow!”

The children, who most didn’t understand the words that Dream was saying, were smiling with glee. Their imagination was indeed working to picture the poem in their head with Dream’s voice being the narrator in this fantasy world. A world that was much better than the one they lived in every single day.

“He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle.

And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.

But I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sight.

‘Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!’”

Once he finished, the children clapped along with the caretakers at the orphanage. “Boys and girls, what do we say to Lord Dream?” one of the caretakers asked.

“Thank you Lord Dream” all children said in unison. Dream smiled at this, a small joy filling his soul to the brim. He gently placed the small boy off his lap while saying, “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I must talk to the adults for a little bit.” The children were slightly disappointed, giving out pouts and whines but one of the Papyrus’ stepped around and said, “Now everyone please! Lord Dream is a very busy person. Go on and play while the bigger people talk.” The children begrudging agreed, and they scatter off to designated play areas in which the scene look rather chaotic at first. Dream got up from the chair he was reading from and readjusted his coat before approaching the workers.

“Thank you for coming and reading to the children today”, a Toriel said, one of the three working there, while shaking his hand in gratitude.

“It means so much to them whenever you come by a visit” another worker, an unnamed rabbit, said as her cheerful smile spread across her face.

“It’s the least I can do. These children have been through so much. They deserve a good Christmas after everything that’s happened to them.” Dream looked around the rather small building to see the children playing with well-worn out toys. For many of them, it will be their first Christmas in a safe environment while for the rest it will be the mark of another year of abandonment, rejection, and disappointment. None of them had many possessions such as their own toys or clothing, but thankfully the ‘Justice Reigns Orphan Rescue and Protection Program’ had enough donations, whether in the form of money or items, to help each child enough to get by. However, it was running low because of so many children in need and high-dollar contributors couldn’t see much of a point in it. Dream frowned just a little at this thought, which caught the attention of the Papyrus from earlier.

“Sir? If you don’t mind me asking, what’s wrong?”

“Oh! It’s something…that has been a bit disappointing as of late.”

“…Does it concern the children?” the young rabbit asked, a little worried about the change in the Dreams’ mood. Dream sighed, trying to push away the concern for now. “It’s fine. Nothing for any of you or the children to worry about.”

“Speaking of the children, when are we expecting…um…the delivery?” Toriel asked. Dream knew immediately of what she was speaking of. Every year, Justice Reigns had a fancy Christmas-themed fundraiser in an effort to provide toys to every orphan in the Multiverse. Then the presents were going to be delivered to every orphanage around. Even the orphanages outside of Justice Reign’s protection would receive a delivery (whether or not those places was willing to give the children the presents rather than selling the toys around JR’s back made things slightly more difficult on Dream’s part).

However, this year ended up in disaster. It started near Halloween when someone acquired a photo of Dream at run-down bar, getting drunk and being forced to leave. That someone ended up sending the photo to many paparazzi agencies whom did everything in their power to make Dream look like a relapsed alcoholic; the real truth was that the photo was taken long before Dream even met Ani not to mention that he hadn’t touch the stuff for more than a decade now, despite his cravings. Still, nobody would listen and rather believe a lie, thus tarnishing his name enough to cause problems. When the fundraiser finally came around, nobody wanted to help because it would only support Dream’s supposedly relapsed drinking. As such…they didn’t get far out of the starting gate when donations opened. The fundraiser itself didn’t make enough for one orphanage to receive presents, much less all the ones under Justice Reigns�� domain. They couldn’t deviate any of the funds from other programs because of the tight budget from the previous year. This upset Dream greatly, causing most of his depression, stress, and insomnia as of late.

Now, how was he going to explain this to these orphanage caretakers? Those working at Justice Reigns knew better than to believe such things, as this was not the first time paparazzi caused problems and they knew it would not be the last. They remained loyal to Dream, to which he was grateful. Most volunteers who worked in the programs provided by Justice Reigns knew that he wasn’t some drunk sycophant, because he would visit often, be friendly towards everyone, and smelling clean and being presentable, not like an ungrateful creature covering the stench of rotten alcohol and making a fool of himself. He hoped that they would understand as he explained in full detail of what was going on and why there wasn’t anything to delivery.

“That’s…horrible” Toriel said, in such a soft whisper as if she didn’t believe the words herself.

“No…” the bunny said, tears threatening to fall from her eyes.

“There…isn’t…the children need something for Christmas! There is something we have to do!” Papyrus exclaimed. Dream agreed, however it was so close to Christmas already – only a week away really. But what could they do? He had been trying to figure out a situation since the fundraiser. Dream had even resorted to pleading with many of his past contributors, however they would not budge. He talked to many toy makers in an effort to donate some of the older toys they had failed to sell, but they were more concerned about their profits. It pained Dream to see how truly selfish and cold-hearted people were becoming this Christmas. It was a time of giving to those who are in need…and these children needed something good to happen in their lives!

“I will find a way. I will.” Dream said these words to the caretakers and he was determined to resolve this problem. He was. But after he left that day…things happened. Many of these problems were the ones that forced Dream’s attention away from this predicament, which would sometimes take an entire day. Sometimes it felt that the entire Multiverse was against him. Despite being able to make some progress, Dream ran out of time.

He was lying down on the floor in his office once Christmas Eve came, disappointed and depressed. The lights were out, leaving the office dark and hard to see if it were not for Dream’s wings glowing; however the wings were also dim from their usual brightness. The office slightly trashed due to Dream’s temper, however nothing valuable broken. Facing the ceiling with blank stare, he knew that he failed. The happy and proud atmosphere that once filled the castle called Justice Reigns was nothing but bitter moods and terrible attitudes. For once, Dream didn’t care. He was more worried about the children. He put so much effort into their well-being that…it hurt knowing they were going to wake without anything for them underneath the tree, thinking that they not good enough for Santa’s Nice List. His hand had grabbed the necklace softly, wondering what Ani would think of this. He concluded that they would be disappointed in him for not doing better.

The door cracked open, revealing Ink. His blank stare reached Dream’s eyes, but nothing was said. Instead, Ink huffed and went to sit on the desk, as it seemed that every chair and the couch were destroyed. “Things not going as planned?”

“Things didn’t go as planned” Dream replied dryly, his teeth clenched in anger as he scowled. Ink looked around the room a little bit but finding difficulty in seeing in the darkness. Ink looked up, seeing the remains of the fan still spinning.

“You killed the fan?”

“Yeah”

“…It was ugly. It needed to go.”

“Yeah”

They sat in complete silence for many minutes after that. Ink started up another conversation, perhaps out of boredom. “I don’t see what the big deal is. After all, isn’t this whole Christmas thing like a competition?” Dream sighed a little at this, understanding where Ink was going with this. “It does seem like it sometimes. Who can get the best gifts? Who can be the nicest?” Dream shut his eyes, feeling a headache coming on. “Christmas isn’t supposed to be like that though. It’s supposed to be a time where you help each other, despite what bad times might come through the winter.”

“…What were your Christmases like?”

Dream smiled a little. “You mean before Justice Reigns happened, correct?” He could tell that Ink shrugged, even though his eyes were still shut. Memories flooded back to Dream, most of them good this time but it still felt like his soul wanted to tear apart. “Nightmare and I would get each other presents. It was so hard to hide his because he was so damn nosy. But every Christmas, we managed to surprise each other every time. We even had a Christmas tree, but no matter how hard I tried to prevent it or redecorate, Nightmare would always botch up the appearance of the tree. He always claimed that it gave the tree ‘character’ though honestly it looked like a mess. I remember one year he managed to set it on fire. It didn’t burn down all the way though and we didn’t feeling like getting another one so it just stood there. I don’t even know how we managed to get the smell of smoke out of the house.”

Dream opened his eyes, done with reminiscing. He turned his head to Ink and asked, “What were yours like?”

“Never celebrated it.”

Dream’s stern gaze faltered for a second. “Never? Why?”

“Like I said, seems like a competition more than anything else. Besides, if I want anything then I just buy it or something like that.” Dream sighed, however it was a fair point. Nobody but Dream ever got Ink any presents and Ink never bothered to give any. However the thought itself was disheartening. The phone rang on Dream’s desk, to which Ink grabbed in quickly to answer it.

“Ello’? Who’s this?” Dream rolled his eyes, but in all honesty he didn’t feel like talking to anybody. He would rather let Ink mess this up than get up from the floor that he found comfort in. Ink listened to the phone call and finally answered, “Ok” before hanging up. “Someone just broke into one of the orphanages. Wanna come or just leave me to do it?”

“I don’t ca- WHAT?!”

“Yeah, someone broke into one of the orphanages. The worker said it was probably a thief. They’re still there.”

“GET OFF MY DESK AND LET’S GO!”

It was official. Dream was pissed. Who would rob an orphanage on Christmas Eve? Assholes, that’s who. Since the children didn’t even have presents in the first place, the only thing left to steal was the children’s belongings! That was not going to happen on Dreams’ watch! It didn’t even take them an hour to reach their destination. There they noticed that the door was ajar, the lock broken and everything.

Dream motioned Ink to stay behind him, than quietly snuck through the door without making a sound. He noticed dirt and snow tracks leading into the foyer, so he crouched down and sneaked along, following the path. The tracks then lead to the chimney area which was big and mostly bare except for the Christmas tree, which gave enough light to see the bare minimum. There was shuffling sounds nearby so they huddled the corners where there was no light to avoid detection. Dream saw someone messing around the Christmas tree before going to the chimney itself. Dream could tell that this person was wearing a red and green outfit but he couldn’t clearly see. Seeing as though there was only one person there though, Dream jumped out of his hiding spot and drew out his sword, yelling, “This is JR! Freeze and put your hands up now!”

The figure froze in their spot, hands automatically shooting upward in the air.

“Turn around slowly and do not try anything, or I will kill you”

“…I don’t think that’s a good idea, Dream” the stranger said, with a familiar voice that Dream knew all too well. Dream was shocked as the figure turned around. It was Nightmare, in a rather ornate red and green outfit that was similar to his normal one, only the moon symbol was replaced with snowflakes. His purple eyes show their usual mischievous look and his black messy hair was mostly covered with an elf-hat while his circlet was probably in his inventory. Nightmare smiled a cocky smile, which told Dream he was up to something.

“What are you doing here Nightmare?” Dream demanded in a strict tone, not backing down. Nightmare lowered his hands and started speaking, but a large paintbrush swung out of nowhere and struck him down onto the floor. Ink looked so please with himself as he kneeled down and handcuffed Nightmare behind his back. “DUDE WAIT YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND! WE’RE ONLY HELPING OUT!” Dream motioned Ink to stop for a moment, and looked at Nightmare for an explanation.

“Okay so we heard about how bad the whole fundraiser thing went and we got to thinking about the kids at the orphanages and Error started panicking about the whole thing and went into a rant about ‘Kids need something for Christmas Nightmare!’ and so we decided do something about it” Nightmare explained quickly, not making full coherent sentences. Dream, however, quickly pieced together what Nightmare said. “You…you’re helping? How exactly? By stealing from them?”

Nightmare looked insulted from this statement. “No! What do you take me for? Sure I can be an asshole sometimes but I’m not soulless.” Ink narrowed his gaze at Nightmare, to which Nightmare turned his head slightly to face him and said, “You know what I mean.”

Dream had to think about what Nightmare said, which did make sense. Nightmare and his gang still had standards and if they stole anything it was for a decent reason or pure survival. They weren’t the type to hurt a little kid on purpose, unless it was an evil ‘Frisk’ or ‘Chara’ but that situation would fall under self defense. There was a problem with Nightmare’s story though. Nightmare had no toys on him nor was there any present nearby. “Pray tell how were you going to help then?”

“Well…here’s the thing…the presents that we brought are in the chimney…with…‘Santa’.”

Dream paused when he heard this before he directed his attention to the chimney. He approached it slowly and looked up, noticing someone stuck up there as evident by the casual swinging of his black boots. “…Who is up there, exactly?” Dream asked as he stared back at Nightmare; however he got his answer quickly as a person hollered out, “Nightmare! Nightmare, what are you doing!? Help me down already!” It was Cross’ voice.

“Yeah, ‘Santa’ had too much chocolate this year. Will you let me go now?” Dream was exasperated to say in the least, but he did motion for Ink to get up. Ink obeyed, but did not uncuff Nightmare. “Dude!” Nightmare hollered out as he got up from ground and glared at Ink. “Do it yourself.” “You have the keys!” “Why should I? I’m soulless after all”

“Boys, stop” Dream said in a low growl, not wanting to deal with this right now.

“Fine Boss”

“Fine Bossy”

Dream had to bite back a remark before returning to the task at hand. “Uncuff him, Ink, and help us pull Cross down.” Ink reluctantly done as he was told before Ink and Dream huddled in the chimney, each one grabbing a foot that was swinging and started pulling; Nightmare decided to go outside and investigate the top of the chimney to see if there was anything he could from there. Dream and Ink pulled as hard as they could but Cross only slightly moved downward.

“Stop Nightmare! That hurts!”

“Not Nightmare!” Ink hollered back in frustration.

“…INK? What are you doing here!?” Cross cried out in shock, clearly unaware of what was going on.

“Getting your fat butt out of there!”

“I’m not fat! My muscles are too big!”

“Yeah, your ‘table muscles’!” said Nightmare in a loud voice as he ran back inside and headed for the kitchen. Dream barely saw him go by, only to notice that they were not alone anymore. The children were all gathered downstairs along with the caretakers, watching the commotion with confusion and nervousness. “It’s all right everyone! Santa is just stuck right now but JR is working very hard to set him free” Dream explained nervously.

“Is Santa gonna live?” asked a small little monster child, who wasn’t but a foot tall and probably only two years old.

“YES! He will live!” Dream exclaimed, only to notice Nightmare running out of the kitchen with a few gallons of something and bolting straight outside before he could say anything else. “What’s going on?” Cross asked, to which Dream could tell he was panicking slightly.

“Don’t worry ‘Santa’! It’s just the ‘children’! They’re worried about you!”

“…Children? …OH! HO HO HO! I’m fine kiddos!” Cross hollered out; however it was clear that he was using a deeper voice than normal to fit the persona he took on. Dream groaned, knowing that he was only one right now realizing how terribly this was all going. Soon enough Cross cried out, “What are you doing Nightmare!? What is this stuff?!”

“Just pretend its chocolate!” Nightmare cried out, which was fainter and clearly farther above Cross. Dream didn’t understand what was going on until he saw cooking oil dripping down the sides of the chimney. Both Ink and Dream continue pulling on Cross’ legs, despite the complaints that the other was giving. They tried to be careful but the oil started getting all over Cross and themselves as well. Unfortunately, Cross had only moved a few inches. “Now what?” Ink asked Dream directly, however Dream had no time to think of another solution before chaos happened.

“SORRY NOT SORRY!”

“HOLY-!”

Cross was forced out of the chimney finally, colliding with Dream and Ink underneath him with full force. All in all, everyone could see the three dirty, oily men in a defeated pile with Nightmare casually sitting on top of them, saying, “I call that a ten out of ten.”

“I am personally adding ‘physical assault’ to your criminal records when this is all done” Dream growled on his back while Ink was squirming to get out from underneath.

“Hah. Bold of you to assume that those charges weren’t already in there!”

They all managed to get up, but they looked awful. Their clothes were practically ruined with the debris and cooking oil sticking to their coats and jeans, their hair sticking out in different positions, Cross’ beard was practically black at this point, the Santa suit that Cross wearing ruined-WAIT.

Dream stared at Cross’ face in disbelief, surprised at the foreign hair that was attached to it. It was awful looking, being untamed and un-kept. It wasn’t even that thick too, making it harder to look at. He even had side-burns and a moustache to go with it, being whiter than what his beard is now currently. All-in-all, Cross appeared like a sixty year old hobo instead of his normal age. Cross narrowed his eyes back at Dream, agitated at the fact that Dream was even staring at him. Ink merely looked at beard and decided to yank it to test if it was real.

“OUCH!”

“Huh. It is real. Go figure” Ink thought out loud while Cross tried to rub the discomfort out of his face.

“…Why?” Dream asked, slightly disturbed by this new look. Nightmare shrugged as he replied, “He wanted to look the part. Error and I wanted him to wear a fake one but he absolutely refused.”

“…Santa?”

All the men froze in their spot and looked down at the little human girl who walked up to them and spoke in such a soft voice. Cross, immediately in character, kneeled before the little girl and asked in a deep jolly voice, “Ho ho ho! Yes, little one?” The little girl looked up in awe, her eyes bright as she saw the nice man that she heard so many stories about. “Did…did you come to bring presents for us?”

“I sure did! Ho Ho Ho! Little elf, bring the presents!”

“You might not want to call me little, ‘Santa’” Nightmare said in a cheery tone however his eyes were definitely twitching from the insult. The bag of presents that was trapped in the chimney with Cross, which wasn’t fancy to begin with, made it safely down surprisingly without breaking anything. Nightmare had begun passing out presents while Dream, Ink, and Cross needed to wash up and get changed out of their clothes before helping out. The caretakers and other workers at the orphanage managed to find some extra clothes that fit Dream and Ink while Cross ended up with the spare Santa suit that was two sizes too big. At this point, it was evidently clear that Cross looked ridiculous however at this point he didn’t care as he was too busy having fun and being ‘Santa’ to the little ones.

After many of the presents were given out, Dream noticed a few things that were…off with them…so to speak. One, all of them was unwrapped so either Nightmare’s gang ran out of time or didn’t bother to do it. Two, some were crotchet stuff toys in a familiar blue string, being strong, sturdy, and soft as well. They were friendly looking and the smaller children took to the dolls extremely well. Three, the rest of the toys were like Frankenstein abominations, such as a walking doll with duck feet while wearing a rain coat, toy pirate ships with monster truck wheels, and a lot of stuff ostrich toys that had a horse for a head and reptile feet that actually wiggled; Dream showed this particular one to Nightmare and asked for an explanation. “Oh! That one there is what we call, ‘Harry the Horsetrichsauras’. We’re pretty sure it’ll be in popular demand before long.”

“Why is there mutant atrocities disguised as toys coming out of that bag?”

“Well, we knew that Error couldn’t make enough toys for all the kiddos, so Cross and I broke into this warehouse full of broken or poorly made toys that were going to be discarded. We decided to make actual suitable toys out of them. It was hard but looking at this scene…it was so worth it.” Nightmare looked at the kids playing with their toys with an endearing smile on his face, something that was very rare for him. To Dream’s astonishment, Nightmare and Cross did a good job on the variety and quality on the toys as the children play with toys ecstatically. It made Dream smile as well.

Nightmare’s phone rang, which interrupted the scene and getting everyone’s attention. Nightmare answered it without hesitation. “Error! What’s up?”

“Where are you? I just got the last of the toys finished!”

“Uhh…the first stop…”

Nightmare flinched as Error practically hollered through the speakers of the phone. “ARE YOU CRAZY? You can’t there any longer or Dream will find out!”

“Already did” Dream answered, a little startled as well after the screaming. There was a pause before Error said, “You have got to be kidding me…”

“Listen Error, it’s a long story but we finished delivering the presents for here, so we’re going on!”

“Nightmare, you don’t have enough time! You’ve been there for more than two hours and at this rate you won’t even get half done when Christmas is over!” This caused Nightmare to wince, and when the duo looked over they saw Cross staring back at them with a worried look on his face. Dream straightened up when he realized what he needed to do. “I can help, and I can get Ink to help whether he wants to or not.” Ink groaned when he heard this while Nightmare looked at Dream with surprise, but Dream continued talking. “I can get these presents delivered to these orphanages faster than any of you can, and I can do it legally for that matter. The caretakers or workers won’t hesitate to let me inside and I don’t need to slide down tiny chimneys like an idiot.”

“Hey! It was a accident!”

“Let me help…I failed these kids once so let me redeem myself.”

Dream was dead serious…and Nightmare knew it. Nightmare smirked and said, “On one condition; you don’t arrest us right after this.” Dream smirked as well and remarked, “Only if Cross shaves that rat off his face.”

“Now you guys are just being mean…”

‘Operation Save Christmas’ was a go. The plan was relatively simple. Nightmare and the now beardless Cross would bring all the presents to Justice Reigns where Dream and the other employees (who agreed on the truce just for tonight) would deliver the presents to each orphanage quickly and silently. They, along with the orphanage workers (who were informed by the sudden news) quickly got the presents inside and under the tree before any other children woke up.

It was a race against the clock…and they were a few bumps in the plan that caused Dream to personally intervene…

…but they did it.

Every orphan got a present for Christmas. Everyone in Justice Reigns celebrated and before long a party broke out in the entire castle with booze and quickly made hand-size food. Dream was swept up in the thrill of it all and celebrated as well. Nightmare and Cross attended too as well as Error, who was so happy about the results that he could barely stand it. It was a blast as everyone celebrated Christmas Eve with each other, deciding to ignore past the hardships of the year and be thankful for the upcoming new year. The party itself lasted even after every orphan woke up and opened their gifts, which they all loved their toys dearly.

Eventually Dream was forced to retire from the party, leaving the employees still giddy in their celebrations. Even though Dream did not touch any form of alcohol, he still felt light-headed and emotional from the whole experience. He walked into his office, since it was closer than his bedroom, only to be reminded and disappointed by all the broken furniture that he cannot sleep on. He did see Nightmare though, lying down on the floor and curl away from Dream. He was so sure that his twin was asleep until Nightmare turn to him and simply said, “Hey.”

“…You too. Tired?”

“You have no idea. I can’t remember the last time I slept…maybe before this whole Christmas ruckus started.”

“Seriously?”

“Yeah…I was so sure that if I slept then there wouldn’t be enough toys and everything would fail. I was starting to have nightmares from the whole thing.”

“…Same here.”

They looked at each other for what seemed like several minutes in awkward silence before Dream asked, “You’re just going to sleep here?” Nightmare laughed before dryly commenting, “I was going to use the couch for a little bit but someone decided it shouldn’t exist anymore.” Dream smiled and shook his head, a little embarrassed. “It was not my finest moment.”

“Obviously. This whole thing must have made you upset and for good reason.”

“Yeah…were you the one who…you know…?”

“I didn’t get that picture or use it against you if that’s what you’re asking. You know that I will never stoop that low when it comes to embarrassing you.”

“I see…”

“Whoever that guy was must be pretty vindictive though. Or he could be just a general everyday asshole. Either or.”

“…Thank you.”

These words took Nightmare off guard for a moment. He studied his twin’s face, perhaps wondering if Dream really meant it. Dream swallowed his pride for a moment before saying, “Thank you for doing this. I couldn’t give those kids their Christmas this year and I was ready to give up. Then, out of nowhere, you swooped in and fixed it like some kind of superhero. While I was pitying them and just becoming more stress over the while situation, you and the others basically did the hard work for no reward whatsoever. So I want to say thank you.”

“…Uh…I really don’t know what to say”

Dream only sighed and decided to lie down beside Nightmare on the floor. This caused Nightmare to physically flinch but he did not move away from Dream. “Dude, your bedroom isn’t that far away.” “I know” Dream said, turning his gaze toward Nightmare after he got comfortable. To his surprise, Nightmare’s face started to heat up as he appeared flustered. Nightmare lightly punched Dream in the shoulders before curling up to him, slowly closing his eyes to rest. Dream smiled at this, closing his eyes and listen to the other one breathe in and out peacefully for what seemed like forever. Nightmare did wake up sometime later and grabbed Error and Cross before heading back to their hideout, just in case somebody got the bright idea of breaking the truce. However, Dream didn’t mind. Deep down, he was happy about the entire outcome.

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alkcomics · 5 years ago

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I've been re-reading Full Spectrum Therapy and I'm once again blown away by your bg work. Can i ask if you have any advice on filling in scenes/making backgrounds realistic?

Oh man, thank you! That’s super kind. I hope some of my advice will be useful to you. I learned a lot and changed how I think about backgrounds during my work on F-ST, and much of the following I’m still trying to apply.

Backgrounds can be an important part of layout and visual storytelling decisions. Think of them as another tool to use to manipulate mood and create meaning alongside the characters and dialogue. Design them with intention. Perspective grids and rulers are your friends.

A very dated book on layout I found at a junk store contained this gem of advice to designers for choosing whether a photograph or a drawing would be better for their layout:

“A great artist once said that drawing means leaving out, and this is an essential truth about advertising art too. … [Drawings] exaggerate and omit. They must…make a direct appeal to the feelings, while the photograph mercilessly presents to the eye all the small flaws and shortcomings that are impossible to eliminate entirely. Drawings appeal to the imagination; photographs convey facts.”

Backgrounds can FEEL realistic even if they are rendered very simply, or stylistically. Designing backgrounds and compositions for realistic feeling can be done myriad ways, but the context of this question is F-ST and in that comic I took a cinematic approach. So compositionally, I used principles/techniques in storyboard layout for film when constructing scenes and “shooting” them. Stylistically, I learned to push toward simple, readable shapes, peppered with world-building “personality” details. If a scene needs to feel OPPRESSIVE, the angle of the objects in it, the lighting, the framing, the contrast of scale, etc. can all be used to add realism to the FEELING of oppression, even if your style doesn’t render “realistically.”

If it helps, I broke down background composition for the designers at my day job into these topics:

1. Thinking in Shapes2. Focal Points (designating visual hierarchy)3. Framing4. Foreground, Midground, & Background (creating depth and directing the eye with values)5. Mood Manipulation6. Rendering

There’s a lot to say about each topic and I’d recommend researching them further if you’re interested! “Framed Ink” by Marcos Mateu-Mestre is a solid book on composing shots and backgrounds for storyboarding that I’ve drawn much from. Generally, approach any of this study asking “WHY” shots are framed a certain way, or lit a certain way; “WHY” characters are staged as they are, “WHY” the background is blurred (or more likely in comics, entirely omitted) or in full detail. The answers might prove useful and help you creatively solve the problem for your own narrative use.

in “Framed Ink,” Mateu-Mestre writes this:

“Obviously we aim to produce to best quality art, but we should prioritize the following:

1. What are we trying to say in our narration as a whole?2. What mood do we want our audience to be in throughout the story and at any given time within a specific sequence or shot?3. What is the function of this moment within the story?4. How are we going to take our audience there?5. What in our drawing is contributing to the general statement? What can we leave out without changing what we are trying to say?”

I like asking myself those questions when deciding where a scene should be set and how to frame the beats within that scene, etc.

I linked some resources and blabbed more about some aspects of this in this past ask.

As a final note, I’ll say that part of my decision to set F-ST where and when I set it is because I took no pleasure drawing clean lines and environments (like in my other comic, Water). It’s hard for me. I’m not saying to not push yourself or grow, but that by working within your limitations you can often exceed them. Wobbly lines help work with run-down and messy locations as opposed to working against them. Plus I love coming up with fake band names and that sort of stuff, so I designed a setting where the things I ENJOYED in backgrounds could help add realism and meaning to the story.

I’m always down to chat more about this. And if you’d like a powerpoint of that workshop, e-mail me. It’s got exercises, haha.

alkcomics at gmail dot com

#do any of you work differently? let me know! I'm a hungry nerd for this stuff #asks #anon #words words words #fst asks

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cool-portland-or · 5 years ago

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City

I love the endless activities in Portland, OR. The Pacific Northwest is really an adventurer’s wonderland. There are so many great things to see and enjoy. It is known for the beautiful sports teams, even the Blazers basketball at the Moda Center and the Providence Parks stadium, which has expanded recently. The stadium hosts two incredible soccer teams – the Timbers and Thorns. Portland is divided into distinct neighborhoods with its own flavor of activities, breweries, shops, and restaurants to explore. If you roam around, you should not worry because aside from the stable infrastructure, I love the effective public transportation options. There are buses and light rail systems – an easy way to get to downtown.

Now, Basically All of Oregon Has Been Cleared to Begin Reopening — Except the Portland Area

As the COVID-19 outbreak in Oregon continues to impact the local restaurant market, stories are popping up across the city, from food cart owners giving away free meals to chefs starting Instagram cooking classes. In this new version of AM Intel, we dive into different ways the state’s food service industry has been responding to the global pandemic. For more COVID-19 stories, check out our larger story stream. Read more here..

From pdx.com, Eater Portland, OR, I read that Oregon has been cleared for reopening except the Portland area. Two more counties will open, and these are Marion and Polk. It’s been approved to open bars and restaurants, so they will start serving their onsite customers but with restrictions such as six feet spacing between tables, 10:00 p.m. curfew, and others. There are only three counties in Portland that are yet to open, and these are Multnomah, Clackamas, and Washington. Clackamas is under review, Washington is planning to file an application, while the Multnomah County officials are still hesitant to set a timeline for the reopening. As a resident, let’s wait, and let’s hope for the best time to open back up for safety.

Lan Su Chinese Garden in Portland, OR

Lan Su Chinese Garden in Portland, OR, is such a great treasure. It was built by the Chinese artisans from Suzhou – the home of ancient Chinese gardens. The Lan Su Chinese Garden is such an authentic Chinese garden outside China. It is full of creative wonder and powerfully inspiring. It is based on the Chinese tradition that melds arts, design, architecture, and perfect harmony with nature. It’s been a 2000-year-old tradition. I like the feeling when you are inside the garden walls because it’s as if you have traveled through time in another era far from the world now. It is something different; it’s a wonder.

Oregon Chimney Repair & Cleaning is the number one trusted full-service company that provides super-quality work for chimney repair. Chimney wears out as time goes by. Chimneys may need repair for several damages brought by age and weather. Repairs include mortar joints/tuckpointing, tear down or rebuilding, leak repair, etc. The common masonry chimney leak fixes may consist of the cover, crown coat, waterproofing, flash seal, and others. Oregon Chimney Repair & Cleaning is available from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m Monday to Friday. Send an inquiry via the website at orechimney.com or contact +1 503 -850-0814.

Link to maps

Lan Su Chinese Garden 239 NW Everett St, Portland, OR 97209, United States

Get on OR-99E S/SE Martin Luther King Jr Blvd from Pacific Hwy W and SE Morrison Bridge 5 min (1.4 mi) Follow OR-99E S to SE Holgate Blvd 3 min (1.7 mi) Turn right onto SE Holgate Blvd Destination will be on the right 2 min (0.3 mi)

Oregon Chimney Repair & Cleaning, Inc. 1534 SE Holgate Blvd, Portland, OR 97202, United States

#chimney sweep #portland chimney

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chat-grain-de-folie · 5 years ago

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Types of Pork Ribs – How to Prepare and Cook Barbecue Pork Ribs?

Something is bewitching about ribs, which makes people devote their entire lives to optimizing their recipe.

There are plenty of fantastic rib recipes on the market (like own manual to contest style straps ), but I believe learning about the advantages and disadvantages of every cooking methods will help you perfect your rib recipe.

Kinds of Pork Ribs

I will be truthful.

It was when I started purchasing meat from appropriate butchers I understood the number of choices was out there to get a rib fiend.

Learning about the four hot cuts of pork ribs and also the way they butchered and trimmed is a fantastic shortcut for dominating barbecue ribs.

The four primary sorts of Pork Ribs Explained.

We can not speak about the various cuts of pork ribs without even looking at the body of the pig.

Every pig contains 14 rib bones that are connected to the backbone and split to the four most well-known cuts.

The kind of rib depends on trim. And also the part of the rib cage where it's been cut.

Every kind of rib has its different characteristics and approaches to prepare.

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1. Baby back ribs

Baby back ribs are out of the maximum aspect of their pigs back and are directly linked to the back of this creature. The term"infant" describes the fact they're smaller than bare ribs. "Back" describes the fact they are connected to the back of this pig.

Distinctive Characteristics:

Baby back ribs are usually thinner than bones. All decent recipes include the same necessary measures:

Search for ribs which are approximately 1 inch thick with loads of beef

Reduce any meat dangling out of the bone

twist the tip of a knife below the membrane and above the bone

employing a paper towel pick up the border of the membrane and peel off it

Season both sides with your favorite barbecue rub

To get more detailed cooking instructions, I highly recommend this manual to cook barbecue ribs.

2. Spare Ribs

Spare ribs are from farther down the face of the pig and then hit right down beneath the breastbone of this creature.

These are possibly the most popular kind of rib, also if folks refer to"ribs" without specifying what kind, there's a high chance they're speaking about spare bones.

Distinctive Characteristics:

Spare ribs are somewhat shinier and shinier than baby back ribs. The opposite end is the point where the ribs taper away in the chest of the creature. But if not the meat is exceptional or not is an issue of your taste. While infant backs can be completed in 3 to 4 hours with spare ribs, let 5 hours.

3. St Louis cut ribs

St Louis cut ribs are necessarily spare ribs, trimmed a bit more. This trimming of the rib is favored on the contest circuit since it's neat and clean for demonstration.

The beef is pretty much precisely the same as that you'd find on spare ribs, minus the ribs and gristle you see in the base of the spares.

The title came around from the mid 20th century when beef packers out of St Louis began to cut their meat this way.

Distinctive Characteristics:

St Louis cut ribs are somewhat more than infant's backs and briefer than complete spare ribs. You probably won't encounter these in the grocery store; they're a typically more of a"specialty" item. While the form of the bone is fundamentally the same since the rib, the simple fact that they're trimmed up more makes them appear more regular in shape than other kinds of rib.

The best way to prepare St. Louis ribs

Obtaining St Louis cut into the regional grocery store might not potential. However, you can cut some spare ribs if you prefer St Louis cut ribs.

This movie has a fantastic rundown of the way to do. We also have broken down it steps by step for you.

However, before you begin, be sure to get a sharp knife this can make the entire job a lot simpler. This usually means cutting the looking finish of the ribs to create the stand rectangular in form. Turn the ribs, so the bone is facing upward. You'll become aware of a flap of beef. This is known as the skirt. Reduce off this. Take a search for any additional fatty bumps which may be trimmed up. Take the membrane, as explained in the section above. A sense of purpose, which bones finish inside the meat. Cut along this line to earn the stand pretty nicely rectangular, in accord with the ends of these bones. The meaty bit you have removed is occasionally known as the brisket of this pork. Sometimes it's known as rib tips. In any event, it may be cooked and eaten too, so don't throw it off!

What you have today, that a St Louis design cut! Congratulations, it's neatly trimmed and prepared for the smoker.

After the cut you can cook them however you'd like, I enjoy this recipe.

4. Rib hints

Rib hints refer to the tiny bones and cartilage that connects the ribs into the breast.

They're cut out of the ends of bones when butchering St. Louis cut ribs. Do not confuse barbell tips with riblets that are not ribs in any way!

Rib tricks were lost as waste, but have begun to create a significant comeback.

Distinctive Characteristics:

Rib hints are generally 8 -- 12″ lengthy and 1 -- 3″ broad. Due to the cartilage, they're extra chewy and are frequently served chopped into balls

The best way to prepare rib tips

in case you don't need to purchase the complete spare rib and then trim your rib suggestions, you need to be able to buy them from a fantastic butcher.

Smoked rib tricks make tasty beers, and may cook 2-3 hours. They may also be utilized for Asian design recipes such as these yummy Chinese rib tips.

Do not be duped. These are not ribs.

They're in the front of the baby backs, close to the shoulder. They're chops, and that is how they ought to be handled.

Distinctive Characteristics:

In comparison to ribs, there'll be a great deal of meat around the bones of country bones. This cut will typically arrive with a couple of bones from the meat. Country-style ribs include more meat and less bone compared to"actual" rods. This cut may go well brined and subsequently cooked low and slow, or undo osmosis.

Additional kinds of pork ribs

While the United States Department of Agriculture has given some cuts of beef, a great deal of the various titles and cuts that you hear are composed with the years and vary by location.

Listed below are a few of the common names you will notice:

Back ribs/loin ribs-- both refer to baby back ribs

Kansas town style ribs- Much like St. Louis style although not trimmed as tightly Riblets- Produced by carrying a complete slab of ribs and clipping them so that the bones are just half as long. Thin strips of bone and meat are cut out of the face of the beans spine.

Organizing Ribs

Before you may begin considering applying your rub, you want to acquire your ribs prepared.

If you are uncertain which sort of rib to utilize, we've got a thorough guide to the various kinds of pork ribs.

Taking away the membrane

Irrespective of how you intend to nourish your ribs, then you ought to take some opportunity to take out the membrane. It seems somewhat like latex.

Removing the membrane helps your rub hit on the meat.

When cooked sexy and quickly, it will become hard and chewy. Furthermore, if it's not removed before cooking, then the fat under it can't drain away.

Happily, it's not challenging to eliminate. All you have to do is slide the tip of a knife or at the end of a spoon below the edge of the membrane to find some grip, and pull it up.

If you're blessed (or have completed it a couple of times previously ), you may have the ability to get off it in 1 piece, but do not be shocked if you want to take it off in a few strips.

A fantastic suggestion is to use a paper towel to have a tremendous grip on your membrane.

Trimming ribs

Usually trimming entails carrying off any stray flaps of beef which you find dangling from your ribs.

They'll only burnoff, and will not taste great.

You may also search for overly fatty components on the ribs and then slit off them too. If you're cooking for friends, you do not need to be too fussy when trimming your ribs.

Naturally, it's a different story if you're getting ready ribs for a contest.

In this guide, we are focusing on the best ways to prepare ribs to get low and slow cooking.

Let us have a peek at some popular strategies to cook ribs slow and low. The best way to smoke pork ribs utilizing the 3-2-1 Strategy

The title 3-2-1 is a description of those cooking times needed for every phase of the cook.

Once we state wrapped, we imply we wrap the ribs in aluminum foil. This way is also occasionally known as the texas crutch', a means to tenderize and boost cooking rate.

The 3-2-1 method is a favorite way to cook ribs since it makes it almost impossible for them to wash out, and it creates a fashion which most folks will adore.

Provided that you adhere to the technique, the ribs won't be dry or tight, but instead fall-off-the-bone tender and delicious.

While competition judges and a few pitmasters aren't as keen to fall off the bone ribs, so your sole judges will be your family and friends.

And many backyard food critics enjoy their ribs to drop off the bone. From there, you can alter your method to fit your unique preferences.

When employing the 3-2-1 method, it is still possible to add taste as you enjoy it.

The essential thing is that the wrap. At this phase of the cook, then you can add whatever flavor you prefer. Your ribs will subsequently have a few hours to sit down in these tastes and boil up them. Season each side of the ribs using a bang of your choice. If you're after a fantastic beverage recipe, then take a peek. Establish up your grill for indirect smoking. Place the ribs at the smoker, place on the lid, and then allow them to smoke for 3 hours. After 3 hours, then take your ribs and set them onto a sheet of foil large enough to wrap the ribs firmly. Ensure that you sit ribs meat side down, so the bones do not rip the foil. Here is the stage at which you can add a little excess taste based on what you would like.

If you're a lover of fatty, sweet ribs, then you can check out the video below in Malcolm Reed of all howtobbqright.com.

As an alternative, you can replace the honey Apple Cider to get a reach of tartness.

Once you've added your sauce, then the time to throw them back to the heat.

Seal up the transparency, so It's airtight. Set the wrapped up ribs back from the smoker, together with the temperature at about 225°F. Permit the ribs to cook just like this for a further 2 hours. Open the transparency up to assess whether the ribs are finished. You can achieve that by wiggling bones. They ought to feel as though they may be pulled from their meat without a lot of resistance. Take care not to get burnt from the vapor that escapes because you unwrap the ribs.

That is another point at which you may stamp your identity on the ribs. Brush them with your favorite barbecue sauce before the last step of this journey.

After cleansing the ribs with sauce, then sit back to the grill, bone side down, and then finish the cooking off at 225°F to get 30 minutes -- an hour.

Alternatives into the 3-2-1 method

As we said, not all of the pitmasters are lovers of the 3-2-1 method.

The essential difficulty people have is that wrap ribs in impact boil down them. This will produce the bark tender and the meat rather than tender, and also the flavor a bit washed out

We ought to point out that the massive majority of people may love the tenderness and taste, and will not care about this situation.

The difficulties using the 3-2-1 system comes to the quantity of time which the meat spends from the foil. He indicates a 3-1-1 method may be a much better strategy.

As its name implies, the ribs are cooked at the foil for 1 hour as opposed to two.

Apart from this small adjustment, the technique is just like this 3-2-1 approach.

Many people like the noise of ribs slathered in sauce. And we are not saying that this is incorrect in any way. Nonetheless, it might be well worth considering your alternatives when it comes to finishing your ribs off. Sounds sketchy, but it means is that you do not taste your ribs with whatever allows the taste of the meat and also the smoke glow.

To achieve this, follow the measures we've discussed, but have a pass onto the rubs, mustards, and sauces.

Many pitmasters will still utilize some pepper and salt. But how nude you enjoy your ribs is a choice only you can make.

Saucy ribs

If you're still eager to use some sauce, then rather than slathering it on belief, why don't you attempt sizzling the sauce?

This is undoubtedly an excellent method of earning sure that you don't shed any part of your favorite sauce.

Though it can be easy to fall into the trap of presuming is more in regards to taste in barbecue, a small quantity of nicely adhesive, the caramelized sauce is guaranteed to bring something unique to some barbecue.

Spritzed or Basted

Do not let yourself be duped into spritzing your ribs simply because you believe that's what you need to do.

There's a situation both for spritzing rather than spritzing. And whether it's best for you comes down to the way you enjoy your barbecue.

Should you want your ribs with a crispy, hot crust using more of a punch, then forget the spritzing and also cleaning.

Should you prefer your ribs a little plumper using a more subtle taste, then maybe spritzing or mopping is something that you may want to enhance your rib smoking regular.

We've covered a great deal of ground so much, and there's a great deal of information to consume. But a number of you might nevertheless have a query hanging around in the recesses of your minds.

The most important thing is that. In a similar vein, the wrap can create your crust rubberily -- along with a rubbery coating isn't yummy in any way.

In case you don't wrap directly, soggy meat along with a rubbery crusta are a real chance.

While it will have its place in contests, maybe you would be wise to bypass the 3-2-1 method occasionally and find out how you proceed without the wrap, you could be amazed by the results.

There all sorts of calculations which we can enter here which take into consideration temperature, time, and elevation over sea level.

But understanding if your ribs have been done is actually quite simple.

When you believe that your ribs may be achieved, pick up them with your tongs at the center of the stand. They ought to bow. In the point at which they bend, take a look at the meat. There ought to be noticeable cracks in the bark.

A little crack means you might let them cook a bit longer. However, a big, deep crack signifies that they are finished.

Do not be worried if your ribs are done at various times. This is very normal. If a single stand is completed before others, wrap it in some foil, then wrap a towel around it and then stick it into a cooler (minus the ice( of course ).

This ought to maintain your ribs at the ideal temperature before the remainder are prepared to go.

Wrapping it up

There is no one ideal method to prepare barbecue ribs. In our experience, if you're cooking for a typical crowed, then the 3-2-1 method will provide you the best results.

However, you're free to experiment, attempt to tweak the occasions and everything you place in the transparency when you wrap.

#Types of Pork Ribs #types of ribs #How to Prepare Pork Ribs #How to Cook Barbecue Pork Ribs #pork ribs #ribs #bbq #barbecue #grilling

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sithlordintraining · 6 years ago

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Can’t Be Friends

Summary: Of course, Kylo has heard about you. You’re Hux’s famous, and if not only, friend. But seeing in the flesh is different; now he understands why Hux always keeps you away. Or does he?

Masterlist

The Love Pizza

Kylo and Hux didn’t really talk much, to begin with, but after that horrible meeting with Y/N, they definitely didn’t talk. Kylo ignored Hux as much as possible, yet felt guilty because this was sort of his fault. What made it worse was that he couldn’t get you out of his mind. You were so beautiful and such a bitch, but he deserved it. He also began looking into the mirror more often; he could afford to hit the gym more and clean up a little more. It had been under a week and you’ve impacted him in such a way that almost every decision was answered with: Would Y/N Approve? Kylo didn’t have work today so he decided to gut his whole room. Hux walked in to hear the loud sound of Frank Oceans ‘Blond’ blasted from the speakers. Hux face twisted as he made his way down the hall to the bedrooms, only to stop when the tip of his shoe hit a pile of faded black clothing. “What is this?” Hux asked; Kylo turned around revealing his glistening bare chest. Hux locked his jaw as the heat began to rise up his cheeks. “WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?!” Hux yelled loudly over the music. Kylo smirked as he turned off the music. “You’re home early.” Kylo crossed his arms leaning on the wall. Blue eyes rolled to stop from falling under his spell. “Yes, and why are you here? You told me you were going in to finish up work.” Hux said. “I went in earlier so I could have an early start to the weekend.” Kylo shrugged walking pass Hux. Hux turned to see Kylo’s jeans hanging low on his hips showing the top of his Calvin Klein briefs. His eyes dilated as he began to follow him.

Kylo walked into the kitchen drinking a glass of water. “Why? Wanted me gone so you could bring home a date?” Kylo wore a smug smirk as he propped himself on his forearms across from Hux on the island. Hux let out a breath as his long fingers tapped away at his iPhone. There was silence before Hux placed his phone down and exited the room. Kylo just watched him confused; maybe he was trying to bring some girl here. He jumped as the vibration from the cellphone against the island top, he perked up when he saw your name and smiling face on the screen. Kylo would never answer Hux’s phone, he’d probably kill him and vice versa. But you were worth death. His large thumb pressed the answer button as he quickly ran into the coat closet. As soon as he pressed the device to his ear, he heard your beautiful voice. “Hux!” You said. “Yeah,’’ Kylo said quickly so you couldn’t tell, but who was he kidding. “Who is this?” You asked. “I-It’s Kylo.” Internally he cursed himself. “Why are you answering his phone? Hux is going to KILL you!” You said and he smiled. “I know, I know...I just wanted to apologize for how I acted and talking to you like that.” Kylo’s eyes roamed the dark closet until he found the string for the light turning it on and playing with the string. “Thank you,” Y/N said. “And I apologize for being a bitch. I can get a little protective of Armitage.” Kylo laughed. “A little?” This gained a laugh from you and it made his heart flutter. “Okay, okay, a lot but-” “But, I deserved it,” Kylo said.

“Well, now that you know this, may I please speak to him now?” You asked nicely. A mischievous smile graced his face. “Wait, now hold on, I think we are beginning to have a lovely conversation,” Kylo told you. “Oh my gosh,” You scoffed. “If we are, why are you whispering?” You asked. Kylo looked around the closet. “I’m in the closet.” “Well, get out the closet and tell Hux!” You laughed and Kylo rolled his eyes. Before he could comment on your joke before the door swung open. “Is that my phone?” Hux accent clipped as he stared angrily at his half naked roommate. Hux stepped in pulling at the phone, fighting with Kylo. “Give me!” Hux said through gritted teeth. His kept hair fell from its place as he finally pulled out his grip. “Hello?” Hux said, icy eyes still on Kylo. “Y/N, I-” Hux opened his mouth. “But, we-” He locked his jaw. “Please, no you-” Kylo and Hux stood in the coat closet; Kylo didn’t know why he was still in there but he didn’t want to leave until you were off the phone. “Why are you in here?” Hux whispered to Kylo. “Because I was talking to her!” Kylo whined gaining another eye roll. “Fine, Y/N.” Hux said turning his attention back to his roommate. “Would you like to go to dinner with Y/N and I?” Hux asked. Kylo’s hazel eyes lit up like a puppy; another chance with Y/N? Of course! “Yes!” Kylo said running out the closet.

Out of place was an understatement. Even at the apartment, when Kylo watched Hux change into something more comfortable, he felt out of place. “Are you ready?” Hux asked Kylo, standing there in his white band-collar button down, gray wool peacoat, black slacks, and black Gucci Brixton soft leather loafers. Kylo looked down, he had gone shopping this week investing in not a lot of designer things, but more practical pieces. He was just wearing a brown sports coat, dark blue jeans, a tee and some black sneakers. He wanted to impress you, but also not make it obvious that your comment caused this. Plus, knowing Hux, he would be taking you to another restaurant that would, sure enough, embarrass him, again. But, to Hux’s horror and Kylo’s relief, you were much more casual than expected. Your black Fiorucci bomber jacket covered your red-floral wrap midi dress. “Y/N?” Hux said breathlessly. You turned around with a bright smile as your (y/h/c) curls framed your face. “Teej!” They friends hugged and Hux looked her over. “You’re dressed so casually, I don’t know if the restaurant will accept this.” He said. “Good, because I want pizza. Real New York Pizza. Pizza in Italy SUCKS. I need at least three slices, we can either go to John’s or Patsy’s or the place in St. Marks, I don’t care. I just need it; hi, Kylo!” She waved at the tall man whose face was now red as he awkwardly waved back.

He did his best to keep it together, but he was just staring at a wide-eyed you and annoyed Hux. “Did you hear what she said?” Hux broke him out of his daze. “What?” Kylo shook his head turning his attention back to you. “Where do you want to go?” She asked. “I guess St. Marks since it is walkable.” Kylo shrugged. “Then lead the way!” You smiled. Kylo did lead the way, but not by choice. The sidewalks were too narrow for all three of them to walk side by side. Instead, He stayed in front grumbling as Hux and Y/N chatted away with linked arms. The walk seemed forever and every once in awhile he turned to see your sparkling eyes and beautiful smile. Turning onto the crowded street, Kylo stopped and peered over the sea of people before pushing past them and trudging into the small pizzeria. The others joined a few minutes later laughing. Kylo stared at the array of pizza to hide his annoyance. The click of heels caused him to look up to see you looking at him. “Are you okay?” You asked. Kylo nodded and looked behind you to see Hux on the phone outside. “He had a call from the office.” You shrugged and looked back at the pizza. Y/N ordered her slices, Kylo followed behind and quickly put a $20 bill on the counter. “Oh no,” You shook your head pulling out your wallet. “Oh yes,” Kylo’s long arm blocked you. Hux walked in with a pout. “What’s wrong Teej?” You asked. “I have to go into the office, someone copied the wrong papers and we have to revise everything now.” He told you. Happiness glinted in Kylo’s eyes at the thought of possibly being alone with you.

“Oh, Teej no, can you stay to eat something?” You asked like a worried mother. He shook his head. “It’s ok, they’re ordering in. Well, I guess…” Sad blue eyes looked at Kylo before looking back at you. “I hope you guys have fun.” He said and you tightly hugged him. “Text me when you’re there!” You said and he rolled his eyes as an embarrassing blush fell on his face. Turning, you saw Kylo with a devious smirk. “I guess it’s a date.” You shook your head and took your tray of pizza. “This is not a date.” You walked to the seats and Kylo followed suit. “Uh huh, it’s you and me, I paid, you look nice, I look nice.” Kylo tried to reason, but you rolled your eyes. “Nope, just two mutuals abandoned by our friend.” Y/N replied. “More like the third wheel,” Kylo said. Shaking your head, you picked up your slice. “Look, we are like this pizza. Hux is the tip and we are each end of the crust. We are all connected and all affect each other.” You said. “But, if you did this.” Kylo bit into his pizza. “Then it will be just us.” You sighed. “Why are you so difficult?” You asked. “I-I just don’t understand why you won’t give me a chance? Is it because of Hux?” Kylo asked. “Yes! What don’t you understand?” He groaned at your answer, not liking it one bit. “Why?” His full lips fell into a pout and your eyes glanced down, quickly scolding yourself for looking. “He’s my friend.” You sighed. “So...doesn’t that mean we can be friends, too?” His soft brown eyes poured into yours making you suck in a breath. This wasn’t going to end well.

The whole night was filled with laughter. Kylo’s cheeks hurt from being stuck in a wide smile from all your stories. Not to mention, making you laugh; he loved seeing your curls dance around. It was getting late and it was best to start heading back to your hotel. Shoulder to shoulder, Y/N and Kylo walked the empty streets of NYC. A few blocks in, his large hand engulfed yours causing you to stop. “What?” Kylo tried to hide his smile. “I just want to help you, your shoes look broken.” You looked down at your black mules. “They’re not.” You replied. His face twisted up making him look like a confused child. “There’s space and a nail.” He said. “That’s the style, sweetie.” You teased him. The nickname caused the blush to cover his neck up to his ears. “Who would do that?” He shook his head. “Alexander Wang, that’s who.” Your hand still in his, you continued to walk to your hotel. Kylo was on cloud nine at the fact you haven’t pulled away. “How do you know so much about fashion?” Kylo asked. You shrugged. “I just like it and I don’t know.” His brown eyes looked over at you with a sly smile. “I bet you can’t tell me where my jacket is from?” He said. “Ralph Lauren?” Your voice and inflected and Kylo began to laugh. “No way! How’d you do that?” “Really?” You asked surprised. He shook his head. “You’re like a fashion medium,” Kylo said and it made you giggle.

“You’re amazing, I just don’t know how I’m just meeting you, I mean I know, but,” Kylo took a deep breath. You looked down to hold your blushing smile. “Listen, I understand you don’t want to date me because of Hux, I’m very respectable. I don’t take any girls home, I might flirt, but I’m honestly looking for the right one.” Your heart beat faster at his words. He could be an asshole, but he was sweet. But, you couldn’t do that to Hux or yourself. “Listen, Kylo that’s very sweet but I can’t date a bisexual.” You said and Kylo was confused. “What?!” He asked. “N-nothing is wrong with bisexuals, I just dated one before, for months, and I had a b-” Before you could finish he was cutting you off. “You think I’m bisexual?!” He asked with wide eyes. “Yeah, Hux told me about college.” He ripped his hand from yours and pressed the heel of his hands into his eyes. “Urgh! No, it wasn’t like that. I worked for an escort service and occasionally I went with men. I was nothing more than arm candy. SHIT!” Kylo’s yell caused you to jump. “I just needed a little extra money and it worked with my class schedule,” Kylo said. “So you aren’t bisexual?” You asked. “No,” He shook his head. “You don’t like guys?” He shook his head again. “You like girls?” “Yes. More specifically you.” He replied. You shook your head. All along Hux thought Kylo liked guys and now here he is professing his feelings to you. You gulped: “This is not good.”

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best-westfargo-nd · 2 years ago

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Skooter's Plumbing in West Fargo, ND

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televisedbirdwatching · 6 years ago

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Avoiding the Corbusian Hellscape

The first few nights in my new Portland house, I hadn’t unpacked much of my kitchen stuff, let alone most of my clothes. Needing a fast and cheap dinner option, I asked my new roommates. As it turns out, walking just a few blocks in either direction gets you to your choice of food truck. I chose Korean, a place called Kim Jong Grillin, and walked down the street.

Kim Jong Grillin consists of a semi permanent trailer and a tuff shed for seating.

Portland seems to have too many food trucks. The “Food Truck Scene” in Portland took off in the early 2010’s, as food trucks captured the food zeitgeist of small-scale, farm-to-table, obsessive newness, and cultural fusion in a way brick and mortar restaurants didn’t. But since that time, food trucks have come into their own in a different way. There’s research to show that food trucks bring street-level vitality to neighborhoods across a variety of densities, and can help revitalize urban brownfields. Food trucks also provide a relatively easy avenue for people trying to own their own business.

For the past week I’ve been reading Radical Cities by Justin McGuirk, a book about a new group of activist architects in Latin American cities. In the 1960’s, socialist regimes sought to solve the emerging urban housing crisis through the construction of megastructures, like Nonoalco-Tlatelolco in Mexico City, which was designed to house 100,000 people. It was also designed as the first of four or five other Tlatelolco’s.

Mexico City’s Nonoalco-Tlatelolco, designed by Mario Pani, completed 1964.

We now know that social housing megastructures are terrible ideas. The motivating ideology at the time was an excitement to implement the ideals of early urban planners like Ebenezer Howard and Le Corbusier, who believed that you could plan and design your way to utopian societies.

Le Corbusier designed some great chairs and houses. As an urban planner, however, his designs feel more like “brutalist hellscape” than utopia

In actuality, we know that social housing constructions like Chicago’s Cabrini-Green, St. Louis’ Pruitt-Igoe, and, of course, Nonoalco-Tlatelolco were far from utopias. The psychological effects of living in superblock housing have been well documented elsewhere: Jane Jacobs writes about how in Brooklyn, playgrounds ostensibly meant for children became dangerous and lawless places. In the early 80’s, Chicago mayor Jane Byrd and her husband moved into a unit in Cabrini-Green as a publicity stunt. They only lasted three weeks despite being surrounded by armed bodyguards at all times.

Chicago’s Cabrini-Green. The dark black part of the facade was chain link fence. Whoever thought chain link would be an appropriate facade shouldn’t have been allowed to design anything, ever.

Justin McGuirk’s book focuses on a new school of activist architects who are delivering solutions that bring real change to their cities. These architects are obsessively pragmatic. They employ a DIY, ground-up spirit, simultaneously taking advantage of and working in spite of their governments. What’s also impressive is their ability to implement ideas that change lives now- not waiting until some ideal condition can be brought about.

Quinta Monroy, designed by ELEMENTAL (A.Aravena), photos Archdaily.

For example, in Chile, architect Alejandro Aravena built 93 half-houses. Aravena’s team came across a challenge with some seemingly unworkable math: they had just $7,500 per family to buy land and build homes in the town of Iquique. So, they built each family “half of a good house, the half they wouldn’t be able to do on their own: namely, the concrete structure, the roof, and the kitchen and bathroom.” Over time, families would fill the gaps between the concrete pods, organizing the rooms as needed for the size of their families.

In Venezuela, architects at Urban-Think Tank (UTT) wanted to deliver sanitation improvements to the barrios of Caracas. In 2003 they began installing composting toilets, since the slums are self-constructed and without sewage systems. McGuirk notes that the ideal scenario, of course, would have been to lobby for the installation of proper infrastructure- but according to UTT, “considering ideal conditions is a waste of time- the point is to avoid catastrophe.”

In many places, urban renewal money is used for more conspicuous projects like aerial tramways, instead of clean water and sewer retrofits.

Architecture projects like these ask us some tough philosophical questions, but at the same time, clear answers emerge when we bring them to the ground level. Is it OK to build people half-houses, where an entire extended family has only 30 square meters within a concrete cube? Probably not, but the reality of the situation is that the alternatives are slum-clearance evictions at gunpoint versus years of lobbying for more money, with no change on the ground.

In America, I think we are easily hung up at the philosophical level. It took us a long time and a sort of cultural perfect storm to accept restaurants that operate out of vehicles. When I grew up in California, they were known as “Roach Coaches,” a far cry from artisanal PB&J sandwiches (you can’t make this stuff up, folks). As it turns out, not only do we accept food trucks, we have learned to embrace it; and in doing so have seen how food trucks can perform a sort of “urban acupuncture” and revitalize dead spaces like parking lots (to borrow McGuirk’s phrase).

DPZ coDesign’s plan to house their “Bento Cabins” in a parking lot.

I wonder what the housing equivalent of food trucks will look like. Would we be OK with temporary mobile home parks in the parking lots of closed-down big box stores? I’d argue this isn’t a distant future for the Wal-Mart parking lot in Boulder, which I wrote about a few months ago. In McGuirk’s book, he has another example where architects were able to revolutionize a favela in Brazil just by using marking paint to mark out city blocks among the sprawl (the re-introduction of streets created visible, safer public spaces). What if we do the same to the parking lot in Boulder- mark out plots of land and give people living in their vehicles some (admittedly bare-bones,) structure?

In the past, the city of Seattle experimented with regulating tent cities. Photo Seattle Times.

I know, because I have the same gut reaction: this is America. Living in a DIY-trailer park in an abandoned mega parking lot shouldn’t be the reality of life for a family. And yet, it’s probably better than living in one of the underpass tent cities all too common in Portland. It’s also probably better than living in the parking lot where doing so is illegal. In 10 minutes I found a 5th wheel trailer on Craigslist for $8000: this is housing a family could rent-to-own instead of trying to win the nightly homeless shelter lottery. What are we going to tell the 12,500 houseless people currently building their own tent cities in Seattle, that we should wait until we can provide them with higher-quality housing? At some point, isn’t something better than nothing? Is it more disrespectful to provide someone with sub-standard housing, or to continue to allow them to exist without any housing at all?

#writing

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yourboatholiday · 3 years ago

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Lagoon 77 for charter in the British Virgin Islands, Caribbean

Live an exclusive experience, without compromise, in the British Virgin Islands archipelago, aboard the Lagoon 77!

Among the possible Caribbean tourist destinations, the BVI’s are among the most coveted thanks to their multiculturalism linked to a colonial past made up of different domination over the centuries that have left them with different souls gathered in a handful of islands all different from each other. Today they are part of the British overseas territories while retaining their own government and their own capital, Road Town.

What better way to visit them all (or most of them) with a single trip? Precisely for this purpose, the catamaran Lagoon 77 line was born.

LAGOON 77 IN THE BVI CHARTER ENQUIRY

The 77 yacht, built in 2019, is finally available for charter. It is the latest model from the manufacturer Lagoon and offers the perfect elegance and design for luxury sea voyages thanks to its optimized layout, personalized features, and space designed for the guest’s comfort

Interior designed of the Lagoon 77 not to compromise

Entertainment with style is the winning formula of this catamaran: the saloon has a large living room, built-in sofas on each side, and an area dedicated to movie nights using the Ultra High Definition retractable TV. The coffee tables perform a double function and are transformed, when needed, into a dining table to accommodate 20 people for dinner or lunch. This is not the only boudoir for large groups because there is an outdoor seating area for 6 people at the bow, while there is a dining area for 10 people at the stern of the large lounge.

The flybridge, on the other hand, is designed to become the perfect place for family and friends to chat, read and take a nap. Flybridge enhances the view of the Caribbean Sea and allows you to directly admire all the charm of the Caribbean Islands.

An original double opening is present on the aft and bow cockpit guides guests to the large and bright saloon.

The sleeping area designed for great comfort

Your journey aboard the Lagoon 77 will also become memorable thanks to the sumptuous accommodations dedicated to 8 guests: an owner’s suite with a large walk-in closet, a large bathroom, a full-size desk, and a sofa to relax in and 3 large double cabins, elegantly furnished with private bathroom and with the opportunity to obtain 2 single beds from a double bed.

LAGOON 77 TELLSTAR – GUESTS COMMENTS

Strengths of the Lagoon 77 in the Caribbean

The 36-foot radius is a real asset for this massive 77-foot catamaran where the interior saloon and exterior areas offer the amplitudes of a motor yacht twice as large. The custom retractable Bimini, installed by the Lagoon factory in France, is the first of its kind and it becomes the ideal location for a dinner under the stars.

If you are looking for crystal clear waters with a lively seabed and coasts full of bays and inlets, the British Virgin Islands are a favorite destination thanks to the fine sandy beaches where you can experience a large number of adventures!

Do not hesitate and contact Your Boat Holiday for all your rental needs!

MYBA Terms for charter in the British Virgin Islands aboard the Lagoon 77

What services does the rental include?

The agreements provide that the price paid to the lessor includes the boat rental with its equipment in order, therefore equipment, galley, cleaning material and basic consumables necessary for the engine room, decks, and cabins, etc. . Also included are the crew salary and the employer’s civil liability insurance, the crew food, yacht insurance for maritime risks, third party and crew accidents.

What, on the other hand, will be charged to the renter?

All running costs will be charged separately at the expense of the lessee. In particular: fuel for the yacht and other vehicles on board, food, wines, beers, spirits, soft drinks, and all kinds of food consumption. Also not included in the price are mooring fees and other port charges outside the yacht’s mooring, including piloting charges and charges for water and/or electricity taken from land, costs for laundry, telephone, fax or telex via Satcom, Radiotelephone or telex, onboard special equipment rental costs requested by the lessee and tips given to the crew.

All prices are exclusive of VAT (if and where applicable). The calculation of VAT depends on the port of embarkation country and the area where the cruise takes place.

Finally, charters of less than one week are also available but this varies from the chosen rental period aboard the Lagoon 77 in the Caribbean.

Contact now YBH Charter Brokers:

You can contact us by sending an email at [email protected] or by phone, calling +39 33436 00997, available also on WhatsApp for both calls and texting.

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royallypsychotic · 4 years ago

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Christian Dior Purse Photographs And Premium High Res Footage

Apparently, in 1995, France’s then First Lady Bernadette Chirac, gifted Lady Diana with the latest creation from the House of Dior. The Lady Dior was first introduced in 1994 beneath the inventive course of Christian Dior’s successor, Gianfranco Ferré. Initially, the bag was nicknamed Chouchou – French for “the favourite” – and was only renamed a yr after its first launch. wikipedia Harry Archer is an editorial assistant at Editorialist engaged on trend, beauty, and every thing in between. A recent graduate from The London College of Fashion, he has interned at Esquire, the Gay Times, and Attitude magazine. When he is not invested in pop culture, you'll discover him engrossed in a book, working from natural choice, or doing a red wine rendition of Can't Fight the Moonlight from the critically acclaimed movie Coyote Ugly. The bag was first launched in 1994 by then-creative director Gianfranco Ferré, and the style was famously beloved by Princess Diana, who was gifted the accessory by France’s First Lady, Bernadette Chirac, in 1995. Ferraro has posted tons of photographs prior to now few weeks with Dior luggage, backstage, and in full make-up and clothes from the brand, and nearly every time has captioned the picture with #ad, and even credited the photographer. In any case, the folks chosen to promote the Saddle Bag 2.zero all have one thing in common. The reimagined version of the classic Lady Dior purse was the second collaboration between Chicago and Dior Creative Director Maria Grazia Chiuri. Another one of Maria Grazia Chiuri’s creations for Dior, the Dioevolution Bag proved that trend is all concerning the revolution. First launched in Dior’s Spring/Summer 2017 collection and discontinued by 2020, the Dior Dioevolution Bag was created to make a daring trend statement. The Caro flap bag additionally features the brand’s “CD” emblem with a twist clasp while Dior’s tackle “30 Montaigne” is embossed on the again. A detachable chain-link strap enhances the handbag that is out there in two sizes and multiple shades such as mint green, rose, and black. Although the basic hobo silhouette bag was initially created in the Nineteen Fifties, the bag's declare to fame skyrocketed when Kennedy touted the bag around. Clean lines and a classic shape are delivered to the fore and the reversible flap lends it a bold character that appeals to Dior’s trendy feminine viewers. Available in three sizes and various colourways, there's a Diorever bag to go well with to each mood and magnificence. He has now been replaced by Belgian designer Raf Simons, former inventive director with the Jil Sander trend house, who's honoured to be responsible for probably the most elegant and famous French brand on the planet. On the contrary, with greater than 230 outlets worldwide, it is doubtless considered one of the main manufacturers in the luxurious market. Dior Couture posted half-yearly turnover of 632 million euros on 31 October 2012, up 26% compared with the identical period in 2011. Dior’s Maria Grazia Chiuri, as an example, has been mining the legacy of not solely Monsieur Christian Dior himself, but additionally his successors, among them John Galliano, whose saddlebag debuted in 2000 to instant success. Of course, Kardashian West is not one to let her possessions collect mud. Given her love of wearable art—remember that George Condo–painted Haut à Courroies she wore back in 2013? — it was only a matter of time earlier than she paired her saddlebag with a coordinated outfit. Today, the Birkin bag is stored at a high stage of exclusivity by the model. Due to their low production quantity, the Birkin is considered an funding piece, increasing in value round 14.2 percent every year from 1980 to 2015. The bag is remodeled a number of days using the corporate's signature saddle sew in different hardware finishes and skins from numerous tanneries. One reviewer describes this Marc Jacobs bag as “attractive, elegant and sophisticated” for its vibrant colors and enjoyable strap that will get you plenty of compliments for certain. This would be an excellent option for somebody who has never had a designer bag before or doesn’t need to drop too many cash. CNN Underscored is your guide to the everyday services and products that allow you to live a better, simpler and more fulfilling life. Referencing brand muses, the brand new assortment is all about Versace necessities for the women and men of today. Get the most effective offers on dior bucket bags and save as a lot as 70% off at Poshmark now! Buy second-hand classic Dior Clutch bags for Women on Vestiaire Collective. There are at all times more decadent versions available out there; the Christian Dior 2017 John Giorno Lady Dior Medium Handbag went upto US$4500 (Rs 3.5 lakhs). As a half of Art Basel Miami, Dior collaborates with a quantity of artists from everywhere in the globe and unveils a line of artistic Lady Dior bags with the starting price of US$5000 , going up to US$14,000 . Ultra chic and with beautifulcraftsmanship, the bag has survived an evolving market for almost 25 years and grown beneath six inventive directors. Forged with craftsmanship, expertise, and technical innovation, this special edition assortment includes a recent take on a handful of a few of the most sought after RIMOWA designs. Do you realize if the miss dior promenade clutch pouch is discontinued? I can't find it on the Dior website and I would like to buy it whereas in paris at one of many boutiques. One of Dior’s most popular purses so far, the Dior Miss Dior has been discontinued in 2016. First released in 2011, the Miss Dior Bag featured the signature Dior Cannage quilting on the outside, together with a press lock closure and a series hyperlink shoulder strap. In reality, over the years, Dior has released and discontinued many luggage. And that’s a disgrace, because some of those kinds had been really lovely. Today, I want to make a journey into the Dior archives and remember a variety of the recently discontinued Dior handbags. For followers of the chic Lady Dior bag and the traditional St Honoré tote – two quintessential Dior high deal with types – should contemplate this new boxy companion with discreet gold hardware a more bookish addition to the household. When Tom Ford was appointed director of Gucci in 1994, Ford positioned the label on the forefront of style, fully reviving the model with a sense of modern glamour. 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