#imagine if everyone had the same access to education and resources

[baby-girl-aaron-dessner]

[rollercoasterwords]

heyo! on your tags for the sports post i was curious if you could expand a little on getting rid of gender divided sports leagues?

i’ve never really considered the issue and my only frame of reference would be from my women friends who were undergrad athletes (mostly swimmers/ xc runners) that funded their education through sports and would not be performing at a collegiate level if there was no league for women.

i always love to learn more and while i’ve always been 100% in support of trans women competing in women’s sports, i have never thought about doing away with gendered sports completely so i was curious if there was any reading that shaped ur opinion on the topic!

i mean i think that post itself kinda sums up my own feelings on dividing sports leagues by gender--if the goal in such divisions is to 'even the playing field' by grouping competitors by equal skill or physical ability, then it makes more sense to just....do that. divide sports by weight class where weight would make a significant difference, or height class where height would make a significant difference, etc. or just....let everyone play together, because sports are never going to be perfectly 'fair' in the first place, bc everyone will have physical differences that lend themselves to different sports. again, based on my own personal experience playing in coed soccer leagues as a teen, it really just felt arbitrary to then go play in teams divided by gender; sure, sometimes the boys were better than the girls, but sometimes the girls were better than the boys. the park league i played in just randomized the teams so that there was a mix of skill level on every one, and you worked with what you had. granted, it was just something all of us were doing for fun or extra practice to complement more 'serious' teams we were also on, but still.

i think there's this conception that gendered sports leagues are like...the only thing that allows women to have careers in sports, but i honestly just think that's bullshit. if anything, gendered leagues relegate women to what is almost unilaterally considered a secondary or less important class of athletics--generally speaking women's teams receive less funding, less attention, less institutional support. maybe some sports would have a greater proportion of men playing at a professional level than women if we eradicated gendered divisions between teams, but others would likely have a higher proportion of women (there are already sports where women tend to make up a higher proportion of competitors, like gymnastics or cheer, but those sports are just undervalued because of our existing gendered dynamics in sports where boy sport = serious and girl sport = frivolous), and i also genuinely think there would be plenty of women who could compete on the same playing field as men in popular sports like soccer or baseball or basketball, etc. like. there a lot of professional women athletes who are really fucking good.

and the thing is, when i (and others) say "hey we should get rid of gendered sports leagues," none of us are envisioning this happening in a vaccuum; we're envisioning it happening as part of a wider project of fomenting gender equality (or, eventually, gender abolition)--working to change material conditions so that girls have equal resources to train and play sports if they want to, to make sure everyone has access to the sort of healthcare necessary to play sports, to food and clean water, etc. working to change sexist attitudes about what girls can or can't do or should or shouldn't do that lead people to devalue girls' athletics in the first place. i think part of the reason so many people balk at the idea of eradicating gendered sports leagues is that they imagine snapping their fingers and erasing women's leagues within the already-existing sexist system of current sports leagues, without contextualizing it as a wider project aimed at eradicating sexism throughout athletic culture, etc.

and like, with regard to your example of your friends who wouldn't be competing at the collegiate level without women's leagues. i guess my question there is like...why not? is it because they can't compete with the boys in those leagues? or is it simply because that's the existing structure, so their only option for competing is to compete in a women's league? obviously for people who depend on things like athletic scholarships this is a touchy subject, but again, for me it comes down to the fact that this whole issue doesn't exist in a vaccuum; in the first place, i think a college education should be free to anyone who wants it, and so the project of eradicating gendered sports leagues would ideally be happening in the context of a wider project of making education accessible, removing barriers to educational access, etc. like...these are all things we should be fighting for together.

at the end of the day, i see gendered sports leagues as a 'solution' to the issue of sexism in athletics that treat the symptom rather than the cause, and in doing so only reifies gender essentialism and this idea that women are 'biologically' inferior athletes (and also reifies 'women' and 'men' as two discrete prediscursive categories of being). eradicating gendered sports leagues while simultaneously working in other ways to eradicate sexism actually begins to address the underlying cause: gender essentialism. yes, any change would be slow, and there would certainly still be struggles w sexism in ungendered sports leagues. but just because change would be difficult doesn't mean it's a good reason to accept things the way they are, imo.

[ailins-almanacs]

Museums: To Pay or Not To Pay?

By Ailin Estrella

Imagine having access to infinite information about all the history, sciences, and art stories just by stepping onto a building. Would you think that access should cost a price or be cost-free? This debate on museum costs has been circling our English class, and it has sparked heated discussions among our Houston High Schoolers. Some of our friends argue about the inclusivity of knowledge through free access, while others highlight the financial sustainability of these museums. The question arises: should these museums charge admission fees, or should they be free for all to enjoy? Let’s dive deep into both sides of the argument to understand the complexity of this debate.

Unlocking the Gates: Free Admission

Knowledge for All

Who has not been to a museum? I believe everyone reading this has at least stepped into this magical trove of information. Museums are often filled with educational exhibitions at every edge of the building. These exhibitions range from history and art to science and technology. Museums serve the purpose of stewards of this educational information. When museums are free of charge, more people can have equal opportunity to this educational information regardless of their financial barriers. 

At school and in our homes, we are taught to be inclusive and not discriminate against anyone. Charging a fee to enter a museum can create a divide between people who are able to pay and who can not. There would be a lack of diversity of people coming to these museums. This looks like more people would be able to experience the surreal environment of the British Museum. More and more people from different demographics would get to have at least one opportunity in their lives to learn about the culture and ancient artefacts through the eyes of historians. There would be a greater appreciation for these historical pieces. Who wouldn’t love to give this chance to everyone?

Serving the Community

Museums stand with the responsibility to have the commitment of providing the public with physical and intellectual access to its resources. If museums are free, interested people, like you and I, are able to visit multiple times and spend more time appreciating the time to enrich ourselves with fascinating knowledge. Moreover, it’s not rare for museums to have community hubs and workshops. This free entrance means everyone gets to enjoy the experience of participating in these collaborative events, which strengthens the community’s community bonds. By being accessible, museums can play a pivotal role in the social and cultural life of the community. 

Securing the Vaults: Admission Fees

Financial Sustainability

Let’s face it, running a museum costs a lot. The operational cost for this type of building is no joke. Preserving ancient artefacts and historical paintings costs a lot of particular materials which are not accessible. Moreover, there are additional finances, such as staff salaries, development of new exhibits and expansion areas, etc. These admission fees are the main financial resources to keep museums on the ground. Without this income, museums would have a hard time managing their daily expenses and maintaining the quality of their exhibitions. 

Moreover, museums must keep up with the times. A lot more younger people seek leisure in museums. This looks like museums opening up cafes, photo booths, and other unique tourist attractions. Admission fees are a great way to support museums’ steps to improve their facilities and develop new programmes. At the very least, they could offer new monthly educational workshops, host exclusive exhibitions with professional lecturers, and many more. These enhancements will not only enrich the visitor experience but will provide more educational opportunities.

Value Perception

It is widely believed that a lot more people would have a greater appreciation for something if they had paid for it. The same idea goes for museums’ admission fees. Charging an admission fee would encourage visitors to maximise their money’s worth at the museum. On the other hand, free entry could lead to overcrowding and potentially a lack of awareness towards the exhibits and facilities from visitors. There might be disruptions, even trespassing from visitors which makes it very difficult for the staff to handle. 

The Best of Both Worlds: Compromise Solutions

Some people might agree with the idea of museums’ free admission fees, while others still stand with the idea of paid visits. However, museums nowadays have taken a hybrid approach. Many have free admissions on certain days, such as some museums in Chicago are free on Wednesdays. This opens up an opportunity for the underprivileged to have a visit. Moreover, other museums have a pay-what-you-wish compromise, where visitors are allowed to pay however much (or little) they’d like. This values the flexibility the visitors can have for the unique museum experience while still generating some revenue for the museum itself. 

On top of that, museums depend a lot on government funds, donations, sponsorships and partnerships. These funds could help with additional funds, that admission fees may not cover enough. This can also help museums to open more free or pay-as-you-wish days, without experiencing the big burden of covering all the costs alone. 

This debate on free or paid museums is a unique standpoint with valid arguments from both sides. However, the choice is still in the hands of the museums, whichever is best according to their location and visitors’ demographic. As long as each and every museum achieves its goals of creating a vibrant, open-minded, and educational space, it has won the debate. 

[daubigny-stan]

Intersections at an International Event, a Look at Class and Gender

Part 2 of my workshop aftermath essays

Being in a setting with people from all over the world makes you concious of all the various intersections in identity. Especially when there's no white people present, you see identities in a much more nuanced way. The workshop was mostly populated by Indonesian people (of course), but was primarily asian overall (save for one dude from Nigeria but he lives here so half points for him I guess). Mostly from South and Southeast Asia, but also from Central Asia. Surprisingly sparse from East Asia, but that's also very telling.

The first noticeable layer of identity was language. The workshop was delivered in English but did not require language certificates (thank God) so everybody communicated at various levels of proficiency. Most of the people at the workshop were people in their mid 20s to early 30s and already working with very impressive resumes, so for me, english was the great equalizer.

I say this fully understanding that speaking english fluent is a privilege. For people in non anglophone countries, speaking english well is a proxy for class. It means your family had enough money to put you in english lessons or have stable internet at home. Despite these participants being young experts in their respective fields, they did not have that privilege when they were younger. It restricts their access to so many things; scholarships, job opportunities, projects. It was actually pretty cool for the workshop to not require an english proficiency certificate. But still, I found it sad that everyone around was smarter and had so much knowledge to share about their fields but they couldn't share it very well.

I mean the fact that we all have to speak english in the first place, that's a rant about colonialism that needs adequate research and I cbf atm. But I will say this, there's a very clear divide, a clear gap in the access of resources even among "developing" nations. Back when I was in highschool there was this popular, well idiotic, but still popular notion that, "Oh, why were we colonized by the Dutch? We should've been colonized by the English instead so we could be like Malaysia and Singapore."* Although that notion is extremely misguided, colonialism was destructive no matter who did it and who experienced it, the English treated their colonies as poorly as the Dutch did, just the mere fact that Malaysia and Singapore had more english speakers becaude of their colonial history did grant them more access to resources compared to countries with less english speakers. The malay and filipino participants were better educated, they were at the same age but had fancy degrees in british schools. On the other side of that same coin, other participants had access to less because of colonialism. I can't imagine what tough times those two dudes from Afghanistan had to go through to be there. The lady from Kazakhstan could not do research that was as rigorous as say, the participants in China because of the political unrest in her country. I see those people and think about how I often take peace and stability in my country for granted. I say this as a queer person in a majority Muslim country, like, I'm already fucked six ways from Sunday.

The workshop had world cafe discussions almost every day, which are a type of FGD where a moderator provides a couple prompts and the group then submits ideas on the fly. It's called world cafe because the 100ish participants were divided into several groups of 7-8 and sat at a coffee table. For the first discussion, the theme was inequality. Inequality to information, to opportunities, to resources. But the moderator made it clear, we had to omit discussions of gender and race and religion. Now, I understand why. For simplicities' sake I guess. These are contentious topics and people from different cultures are going to have different views on it. But, when discussing vulnerability and resilience in climate change, well in any issue really, it's a travesty to leave these topics out. And as I tell you the next story, apparently these participants still need it.

The second day of discussions had us a bit more actively involved, we were given problems that we needed to answer through discussion. We also needed someone to take notes. And in this group of 9ish people with only 3 ladies, every man immediately turned to me and the two other women to take notes. I ended up doing it because my fellow girl (a girl my age that I actually became pretty friendly with) didn't speak english all that well, she was afraid she wouldn't be able to keep up. During that whole day we took turns and none of the men offered to carry notetaking duty. Maybe I should've said something, maybe I should've spoken up. But I feel like I shouldn't have to? I was thinking about this experience days later while watching Philosophy Tube's latest video on women and labor (go check it out btw, it's really good). These kinds of tasks (secretary, administrative duties) are supporting in nature in the workforce. And although they are indeed important, their value is often disregarded (read: paid less) and they are relegated to women. This in turn devalues the role that women have in the workplace and since it isn't, for lack of a better term, a "main character" role, it means that women don't get heard. They don't get an opportunity to actively contribute to the discussion at hand. Not to mention, considering the added vulnerabilities that female victims have in the face of climate change induced disasters, women must contribute to the discussion of what the future of climate change looks like. And if these white collar workers of the climate change sector can't give their female coworkers the opportunity to play a more active role, then how about the poor women of fishing communities hit by coastal flooding? Then how about female farmers hit by extended drought? This is really frustrating especially considering that the climate sector is actually 50/50 or even dominated by women.

*to avoid being smacked by a steel chair from by a certain plagiarism-hating youtuber, in order to support my personal anecdote, i believe Tim Hannigan in the opening parts of his book Raffles and The British Invasion of Java mentions this as well

[sapenvs3000f23]

Unit 02: Ideal Role of Environmental Interpreter 🦗

Describe your ideal role of environmental interpreter. What might it entail? Where might it be? What skills might you need? (Keep these all-in mind as you begin to work on your assignments – tailor these to that ideal job!)

Hello fellow interpreters! I hope everyone is doing well and enjoyed the course content this week. I found myself connecting to “Chapter 5: Guiding Principles of Interpretation” and “Chapter 6: How People Learn” from our Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage for a Better World textbook. Completing the “What’s Your Learning Style” quiz from Unit 02 was a nice reminder of the style that navigates my world: Auditory. However, I think a personal analysis of the multiple intelligences discussed in the textbook elevates this “Auditory, Visual, or Tactical” ideation. Personally, I connect most to the Musical, Linguistic, Intrapersonal, and Naturalistic intelligences. I’m sure many of you can also relate to naturalistic intelligence, where some interpretation applications include going on nature walks, planting a garden, nature journaling (kind of like our blogs!), and identifying flora & fauna. The chapters really helped me reevaluate my own interpretation techniques and reflect on my previous experiences as an interpreter!

Last weekend, the ongoing desire to explore Guelph brought me (and some friends!) to The Donkey Sanctuary of Canada, a centre dedicated to rescuing and rehabilitating donkeys, mules, and hinnies who have been neglected, abused, or otherwise need sanctuary. We spent a wonderful three (3) hours exploring, speaking with volunteers, and learning the backstories of many sweet equines. Throughout the property, they also had lots of opportunities to access resources and educational material on donkeys, donkey-hybrids, and Ontario wildlife— a hub of nature interpretation! If you have the opportunity, I definitely recommend going for a visit (check out some photos below). I bring up this experience because if you had asked me the same prompt in high school, I would have had a very clear answer: a similarly operated sanctuary. My ideal role of environmental interpreter was rooted in public education of animal rescue, based on my previous experiences with equine education for children, fostering/rehabilitating animals, and facilitating adoption events. Domesticated animal rescue and education surrounding it still hold a very special place in my heart, and I look forward to the day when I can foster and take on a similar interpretation role once more. 

However, my “environmental interpreter dream” has since shifted as I’ve reconnected with my childhood fascination for plants and insects. These days, I imagine myself with a plant and insect research position— a lovely balance of greenhouse, lab, and fieldwork to develop sustainable solutions and contribute to a circular economy for the horticulture/agriculture sector. Reusable greenhouse growing substrates? Low ecological impact frass fertilizer? Crops with higher protein level mutations? There are SO many sustainable options to explore in this industry, an industry that highly contributes to climate change. The role itself would involve lots of observational and experimental data collection/analysis, but sharing these findings is where interpretation skills are crucial! Along with scientific reports, consumer infographics, and concluding presentations for the companies that present these ideas, communication principles such as interactive websites, monthly newsletters, guided facility tours, audiovisual programs, and live demonstrations would be shared with the public. Developing engaging/inclusive programming that shows enthusiasm for the work and visitors while embracing the wonder and beauty of nature is key. In particular, I’m passionate about highlighting the importance of the relationship between plants and insects— understanding these so-called “pests” on a microscopic level can definitely change perspective!

Overall, to be effective in my ideal role of environmental interpreter, I’ll need a mixture of both soft (collaboration, public speaking, empathy, leadership) and hard (project management, data analysis, scientific writing) skills. That being said, I think the textbook established the overriding principle of interpretation best: love. By loving the thing you interpret and the people who come to enjoy it, you have the ability to feel the special beauty it holds in the general richness of life.

[tonalartmusic]

New and Attractive Way of Learning Music

We have experienced the worst that a pandemic can bring, and we know how to stop it. In addition to the damage, it has caused to people's health, I believe the virus has disrupted their ability to go about their daily lives. Living in isolation for nearly a year gave us the opportunity to learn how to make the most of our time and develop our imagination. One of the few acts that people have accomplished is to enroll in classes to learn new skills, or to let their children to do the same. The ability to play music has long attracted widespread curiosity. And why not? It is fun and a useful skill that everyone can benefit from. It is great for relieving tension, stimulating thought, and bringing people together. Because of the closure, we have had to rely more heavily on the internet than ever before as a means of gathering information and communicating with others. It is so ubiquitous that it is hard to imagine life without it. Few of you may have been studying music before the pandemic, but here we willtell you why taking Beginner Piano Lessons For Adults online is the most efficient way to learn today.

  There is no need to waste time traveling to and from your Clarinet Lessons Near Me, or to wait until you get home to put what you have learned into practice. Having to travel so far to go to your Guitar Classes Near Me might seriously dampen your excitement, leaving you uninspired and unmotivated to learn anything. You may now schedule Guitar Lessons For Beginners at your convenience and better prepare for it from the convenience of your own home. You can improve your retention by continuing the class's tasks and teachings outside of class time. You avoid mental exhaustion and financial costs associated with unnecessary travel.

    Find the right instructor: With the expansion of the educational resources available online, students like you now have access to instructors from all over the world. You can pick and choose among potential teachers until you find one with whom you click musically. You can also discover an instructor that specializes in the music genre of your choice and learn from them. So, tell me, how does a private instructor stack up against YouTube courses. Having a real-life instructor means you can ask questions and get answers whenever you need them, as well as stay on track with your studies. Having a private instructor ensures that you are learning the correct skills for your instrument and that you are grasping the fundamentals of music theory.

  Among the many advantages of online education is the availability of tools like recording the lesson, screen sharing, and file sharing through video conferencing programs like Zoom and Hangouts. You can review everything covered in each class and not have to worry about forgetting anything thanks to these. Sheet music and plan of Singing Classes Near Me can be rapidly distributed via these channels, allowing for greater efficiency in the classroom.

Read More:-Lessons For Beginners

[zahnya]

chapter 5 field work

Racism: Individuals' thoughts and actions and institutional patterns and policies that create or reproduce unequal access to power, privilege, resources, and opportunities based on imagined differences among groups. 

 The song is actually about the suffering caused by prejudice and hatred and serves as a means of bringing attention to social and political issues. It's about how the system can falsely accuse young people and the injustices they face. This song speaks out about how unnecessary discrimination is for everyone, including Michael himself. I love that he doesn't sing, "I am upset about this situation" which would be too obvious. Instead, he uses short, hard phrases that let you think about them on your own. A very well-thought-out set of MJ's lyrics. It highlights some obvious issues, such as segregation and "Throw the brother in jail" (if Martin Luther were still alive, he wouldn't let this happen). It also demonstrates his ire at people's judgmental attitudes. His skin color is always questioned as he addresses the issues that are clearly about him (Don't you Black or White Me). I'm sick and tired of being the target of hate) - if he has done anything that merits so much hatred from numerous individuals, fine, but he is a "victim." Everyone has their own little theory about Michael Jackson, but what did he do wrong? Nothing. Despite the fact that he is almost too good a person, there are always unfounded accusations and quick judgments.

Jim Crow: Laws implemented after the U.S. Civil War to enforce segregation legally, particularly in the South, after the end of slavery.

The Jim Crow laws kept whites and blacks apart by any means necessary while segregation was in place. For instance, the image below depicts how black people were disparaged for exercising their rights in comparison to whites. Black people were not treated the same as white people. They were separated, but they were not treated equally. Why do white people have access to a posh filtered water fountain while black people are forced to drink water from a small sink?

Miscegenation: A demeaning historical term for interracial marriage.

This couple exemplifies miscegenation, a term that refers to interracial marriage.  In the Netflix series "Love is blind," this married couple is featured. Before they were a part of the social experience, Lauren and Cameron never had a relationship outside of their race. They are deeply in love for the first time dating outside of their race now that they are married. A lot of people today believe that everyone should date people of their race, which is not true, and this couple is an illustration of why.

Hypodescent: Sometimes called the "one drop of blood rule"; the assignment of children of racially "mixed" unions to the subordinate group.

The children of Kim Kardashian and Kanye West exemplify hypodescent, also known as the "one drop rule." The mother is a white woman, while the father is an African American man. If they were alive during slavery or segregation, each of these children would be considered black, despite the fact that their mother was white. However, their father is black. If you had even a trace of black blood in you, you were treated like a black person, no matter how you looked or who your parents were.

Racial Ideology: A set of popular ideas about race that allows the discriminatory behaviors of individuals and institutions to seem reasonable, rational, and normal.

One manifestation of racial ideology is education. Because of their education, many people believe that white people are more knowledgeable than black people. Overcrowding, a lack of supplies, and underpaid teachers were all consequences of schools that served students of color receiving significantly less funding than schools that served students of white students. Due to these disparities, educational opportunities for black people differed from those for white people, leading many to believe that black people are not as intelligent and educated as white people. White people attend elite private or suburban schools, whereas black people attend city schools, which give the impression that they are less knowledgeable.

Microaggression- Common, everyday verbal or behavioral indignities and slights that communicate hostile, derogatory, and negative messages about someone's race, gender, sexual orientation or religion.

The following are some typical instances of microaggression that persist today. Because of their race, it is assumed that people of color are dangerous, criminal, or deviant. As a result, when a Black or Latino person approaches or passes, a White person clutches their purse or checks their wallet. A store owner follows a racial customer throughout the store assuming that they will steal. Black people are viewed as poor and of low class. They automatically make the assumption that you are a criminal, that you are going to steal, or even that you are dangerous and do not belong.

[antimonarchy]

How to Create Image Descriptions

So I’ve been creating image descriptions on tumblr for about a month, and I wanted to share some helpful guides I’ve found on how to create them as well as my own tips that I’ve picked up. Video descriptions and transcripts are also necessary, but since I mostly focus on image descriptions that’s what this guide is about. This might get a bit long, so fair warning. 

What are image descriptions?

Image descriptions are a textual depiction of what is going on in an image, as shown with the image below. 

[Image ID: A picture of a person with short black hair working on a computer. They are sitting at a wooden table with a large blue pot of pink flowers in front of a grey brick wall. A guitar is propped up against the wall in the background, and there is a string of lights near the ceiling. /.End ID]

Why create image descriptions?

The primary reason for creating image descriptions is to allow people who are blind/have limited vision to experience visual content. Many people who are blind/have low vision use screenreaders, which read text out loud when it is clicked or hovered over with a mouse. A large amount of online content, such as pictures, graphics, or drawings, is visual and so possibly cannot be experienced by someone with vision problems. As a general rule of thumb, anything that can be dragged or dropped most probably requires a description. In addition, if someone has partial vision and attempts to zoom in on an image, sometimes it can become pixelated and impossible to understand. 

Some neurodivergent people might need a description to understand the tone of an image, such as the meaning of facial expressions of a person to understand what emotion the artist is trying to depict

Some people might not have high speed internet or have low computer memory, meaning that they turn off images in order to save space. This means that they as well might require descriptions of visual content

Are image descriptions the same as alt text?

no, alt text and image descriptions serve the same purpose, but they are different in how they are presented. Alt text, short for alternative text, is included in the html of an image and can be read by a screen reader. However, there are many reasons why many prefer image descriptions over alt text. 

There is a limit of 200 words in alt text on tumblr specifically (and not in other contexts, which makes this information only applicable here), which means that detailed images or graphics are unable to be described fully without possibly cutting out important information. 

People who require descriptions, but who do not use a screenreader, must right-click and search through the html of an image in order to find alt text, but with an image description they are saved that work. 

Who should create image descriptions?

Everyone who is able to should create image descriptions. A content creator is best able to communicate the message of their work through text, as they are the one who created it and thus understand its message the best. While of course it takes practice when starting out, over time image descriptions become second nature when posting visual content. Always check the notes of a tumblr post for an ID rather than reblogging without one. 

What should be included in image descriptions?

There is no simple answer to this question, there are a variety of resources and guides on how to create one, and you should not accept my advice as the ultimate authority, as I am by no means a professional, and only create descriptions in my spare time as part of the effort to make Tumblr more accessible. However, here is my information for those starting out. 

First, consider what type of visual content it is. Is it fanart of a tv show, a screenshot of a tweet, or an informational graphic meant to educate people on a particular issue? 

Then, consider what information is most important in the image. If the visual content is an image of a famous building, then in writing the description the focus should be on the building, rather than describing for instance the color of the sky, surrounding buildings, or the clothing of the people walking by, as they are not the information that is being presented. 

Perkins ELearning has an excellent list of things that should generally be included, which I will include here. In my experience, these are the most important elements to describe

The people and animals in an image

The background or setting of an image

Elements that relate to the context specifically, so if it was an image of a congested highway on a news website, the description would mention the packed cars

The colors of an image (don’t overdo it however, a simple ‘light blue’ will suffice, no need to say something like ‘a color blue that is similar to the color of a robin’s egg’ unless it is crucial to the viewer’s comprehension of an image)

Context for an image. For instance, imagine if someone had drawn a version of the Bernie Sanders ‘I am once again asking’ meme, with Eleanor Shellstrop from the Good Place saying “I am once again asking for there to be a Medium Place.” Rather than provide a description to the example such as:                                          [Image ID: A drawing of Eleanor Shellstrop saying “I am once again asking for there to be a Medium Place.” /.End ID] you would instead say                                                                                                [Image ID: A redraw of the Bernie Sanders ‘I am once again asking’ meme with Eleanor Shellstrop from The Good Place saying “I am once again asking for there to be a Medium Place. /.End ID]

If the image is of a social media post, include the username/handle of the creator as well as the reactions (likes/reblogs) if they are visible in the image, as they may be cut off by the original screenshotter. 

If it is a drawing or piece of art, always look for the artist’s signature when writing a description

How do I write an image description?

To start off, here is an example description written for a piece of art I made myself. 

[Image ID: A digital drawing of Suki from Avatar: The Last Airbender over a gold background.  She is shown from the shoulders up facing the viewer, and has a neutral expression. She is wearing metal armor over a light green tunic, and is wearing her Kyoshi Warriors facepaint and headdress. The artist’s signature ‘Astra’ is written in the lower right of the image. /.End ID]

In this description:

I made clear where the description begins and ends, so that someone with a screenreader is not confused. I usually use brackets ([ ]), write the words ‘Image ID’ (or video/gif/other) and finish with a slash, period, and the words End ID. (/.End ID)

I emphasized the type of image, in this case a digital drawing

I said the character’s name (obviously this may not be known if describing a photo or something you are not familiar with)

I described the background and the character’s clothing

I described her expression

I included the description of my signature.

This is my basic process for writing a description

I first say what the content is, such as a drawing, photo, or screenshot of a tweet.

I then use what is called Object-Action-Context for the most part, which UXDesign has a long article on https://uxdesign.cc/how-to-write-an-image-description-2f30d3bf5546. For example, [Image ID: A photo of a person standing in a crowd waving to someone out of view in front of a river. /.End ID] While obviously I would usually provide more information than that, Person = object, standing + waving to someone out of view = action, and ‘in a crowd’ = context. 

I describe the clothing that might be worn

I talk about the position that people in an image might be in, such as leaning against one another on a couch, or standing with their fingers intertwined

I talk about the expressions on their faces, if shown

I talk about their general appearance (if important to the description) such as hair color/length

As said before, I talk about the context of an image if necessary

If the background is a simple color, I usually include it in the first sentence of the description. However if it is more complicated, such as a river winding through a dense forest, I include that at the end of the description after describing the important elements. 

Typically if I am reblogging an image, I do not add on any commentary after creating an image description, as this allows others to reblog my description without my personal reaction. If I want to add on to an image, I usually reblog my description post. 

In general, it is best to remain objective when writing a description, meaning not including your opinion of the content. However especially in an informal setting, say for instance you were describing an adorable cow, I would see it as fine to say [Image ID: A small drawing of an adorable cow. /.End ID] because the emphasis is on the appearance. There isn’t a clearcut answer, and it really depends on the context. 

What are some tips for writing descriptions/common pitfalls?

If there is an element of an image like a line that represents an emotion, or a sound effect like ‘clang’ if something falls, include that in the description. For instance, [Image ID: ...beside the mug that has fallen on the floor, there are the words ‘sploosh’ indicating the sound of the water that has spilled out. /.End ID]

Put image descriptions first. Don’t hide them under readmores or any other text. If you have something with multiple images and you are the creator, place the description under each image in succession rather than all at the end. Readmores are ableist, as they require someone who has vision problems/one of the conditions described above to do more work to access the message of visual content. 

If you are mentioning the skin color and/or race of someone in an image, make sure you describe it for anyone else who might be in an image. Don’t just describe the race of someone who appears to not be white. This doesn’t mean that you have to describe race, such as if the character is one whose race is commonly known, just that if you do, make sure you do it for all characters/people in an image. 

In order to write IDs effectively, I’ve found it useful to download a screen reader. I use NVDA, which is entirely free and easy to use and can be downloaded here: https://www.nvaccess.org/download/. 

Insert + Q turns it off

While my guide has focused mostly on image descriptions, video descriptions are also necessary. However they are not my area of expertise, and differ slightly, so I would recommend anyone interested in them to check out this website https://www.washington.edu/accessibility/videos/

Transcripts, for those who are d/Deaf/Hard of Hearing, are also necessary for making content accessible, and might be required for content that also has a visual format, such as a Tiktok. I would recommend this website https://www.w3.org/WAI/media/av/transcripts/ for anyone interested in writing transcripts

What are some more resources I can check out?

Here are a series of websites that I have found while researching how to write descriptions

UX Design -  I mentioned UX Design earlier when talking about Object - Action - Context, this article is very useful and examines how to structure a description and provides very useful examples for beginners

Perkins E-Learning - This article is very useful in helping someone what to include in a description, such as clothing or background information, as well as providing some additional information on alt text if you are interested

Meloukhianet - This blog post by s. e. smith goes into detail on the elements of an image to emphasize depending on its context, using the example of a picture of their cat sunning himself. 

SOAP - This article by the Stanford Online Accessibility Program (SOAP) provides a large amount of information on the purpose of image descriptions and what content requires them

HubPages - This article by SOTD and Zera discusses the difference between sparse, lush, and overdone descriptions, which is the amount of information included, and if/when each should be used. 

I hope you found this information helpful, I encourage everyone to check out these websites, and my inbox is always open for questions!

[just-someone-who-likes-to-write]

May I request Nuada with a human reader that is a new witch. Something fluffy maybe?

Again, no access to my laptop yet, but I will try my best to do the request through my phone, and again I am so sorry for the errors!

I was planning for this to be simple and fluffy story but my imagination went a but wild but it still has many fluffs!! Please enjoy!!

You closed as you held your hand forward to the fire bowl in front of you, clearing your senses you tried to connect with it but was unable to.

"Concentrate, (Y/n)." Said your teacher, and you tried but still felt no connection to the element. "Most witches can manipulate fire, you are just not trying enough."

Her words made you angry, which made your determination to proof her wrong rise. You took a few steps forward, believing that maybe the problem is with the distance, but you quickly stopped and pulled away when you got too close and almost burned your hands. Your teacher let out a disappointed sigh as you checked your hand for any injury.

"What am I going to do with you?" She said getting your attention. "You can't manipulate objects, or teleport, or control a simple human mind, and now not even control fire!"

You said nothing only held your hand in front of you and kept your head down in shame.

"You are a good Brewer, I admit that." She said. "But any other witch can be a Brewer, even humans even they had the ingredients!"

"I'm sorry... " was all you could say.

"Saying sorry without accomplishing anything doesn't make you any useful to the King!"

"What is the meaning of this?"

A familiar boming voice called making both you and your teacher tense as you turned to the double doors. Right there stood Prince nuada, his signature frown showed on his face and he made his way towards the two of you.

"Your royal highness!" Exclaimed your teacher who quickly bowed and you followed her action. You kept your head down until you saw his shoes standing in front of you.

"Raise your head." He ordered and you did. His golden eyes met yours fir a brief moment before looking to your teacher.

"What honor do we have that his highness decided to visit us?" Your teacher said with a smile, you'd have believed she was in a good mood if she didn't just yell at you a few moments ago.

"I came to see the progress of your students, but only could hear yelling from the end of the hall." He said in a very displeased manner making your teacher tense.

A few months ago the Elf King had extended a hand to the witches, asking for thier aid against the human and offering protection and ressources as an exchange. Your Cover was one of the few who agreed to stand by the King. However, unlike your sisters you weren't as talented as them, they could conjure spells to fight and defend against humans but you could do none of that. So your teacher had decided to use the King's ressources as a chance to give you better education, hoping your power would awake, but it didn't.

"My deepest apology your highness." She said bowing again. "It's just one of my student is being... Difficult."

"Difficult?" He repeated in question. "Elaborate."

She then went onto this rant of how you can't do anything, how you can't manifest one spell that could benefit the King or your self at that matter. The more she talked the more you wanted to dig a hole into the ground and hide yourself in it, you clenched your dress, fighting back tears of frustration. You were doing your best, and she doesn't even giving credit for that as she continued saying your were lazy. It only took for the Prince to lift his hand up for the elder witch to be silenced.

"I will be dealing with the young lady personally." He said but you kept your head down, missing how troubled your teacher looked.

"that's... That's very generous of you your highness, but I can't imagine letting you-"

"You said that this young witch is wasting resources, time, and refusing to learn. " he cut her off. "So I need to personal make her understand the wrongs of her actions."

It was a short while until your teacher finally walked away to leave the room. The Prince stood right in front of you but said and did nothing until both of you heard the double doors shut. It was silence between you two, only the cracking of wood in the fire behind you could be heard. Nuada reached forward, placed his hand under you chin and gently lifted your head so your sad eyes could meet his affectionate ones.

"My little witch, why do you look so sad?" He asked concerned. You pulled away from his hand.

"My teacher is right I can't do even one simple spell." You said. "But I swear it's not because I'm lazy!"

"I know my dear." He assured, and even though you are grateful to know that he was at your side, it still didn't make you feel any better.

You and Nuada had started this secret friendship of yours when he found you wondering around the royal library, which later you found out it was forbidden for anyone else but the royal family to enter, that day to apologized none stop, which amused the Prince. After that he kept finding you, always saying that he wants to make sure you won't be going to any forbidden areas, and from that some kind of a friendship blossomed between you two. But you wanted to keep it a secret, because if anyone found out of the kind of treatment he is giving you they'd think he is picking favorites.

"Let's go to the garden." He said pulling you out of your thoughts.

"But we can't be seen in public together. " you said. "Everyone would get ideas."

"What ideas?" He asked raising a brow.

"That there is something between us." You answered with a shrug.

"And what is wrong with that?"

his question made look up to him with confusion, but you couldn't see the look he had for he was already making his way to the double doors, obviously not taking a "No" for an answer and with a tired sigh you followed. As expected your teacher was right outside waiting, when she asked nuada simply answered that he needs to show you just how much they are giving hoping it would motivate you to work hard, which was an obvious lie but your teacher seems to believe him as she continued to thank him for his "merciful" choice of a lesson for you. You just repressed rolling your eyes as you followed nuada to the royal Garden.

When you first arrived to the Bethmoora clan palace, King Balor has welcomed you, as well as other covens with open arms and provided a tour in the palace so you may know where to go and where was what, and so far, Your favorite area was the garden. You walked side by side with Nuada in silence, he had his hands behind his back, his posture straight and head held high like a true Prince, while you wondered around at almost every touching it and smiling them, except for those, which were poisonous but admured from afar.

"You truly love nature don't you, little witch." Said Nuada breaking the silence.

"I do very much so." You confirmed. "I used to go on walks in the woods when I was younger, just find a beautiful tree with plenty of shade to set beneath and read... "

You paused as your smile slowly turned into a frown.

"It all changed when humans started hunting us down." You sighed. "We had to hide away, which means no going outside, I was very depressed being stuck in for walls with nothing else to do but practice, practice practice!"

Your last outburst made nuada chuckle.

"Glad to know my pain amuses you." You said with a pout.

"Never, my dear." He said with a smile. "You can simply be too adorable I can't help it."

His statement made you blush and your turned your head away pretending to inspect the flowers below. After knowing the Prince for a few weeks he started saying these complements that left you beaming red, you just assumed it was his nature to do so, but whenever he was with other people he'd be the scary intimidating Prince who's no-one dared to address him in less than his given title, but when the both of you alone, he insist on you calling him by his name.

"(Y/n), I have a question for you." He said having your full attention.

"Yes?" Whenever he called you by your name it's serious.

"Witches can have different powers an abilities, correct?"

"Yes, every Witches Coven is different than the other, for example I heard of those who can use dolls, which is strange yet intriguing."

"And you cannot do the same things your coven does, am I Correct?" He asked again.

"Yes... " Your shoulders slumped and as your brows furrowed in a sad manner.

"Then have you ever considered that maybe you do not share the same abilities as your sisters?" He finally asked and you gave him a look of bewilderment.

"What are you trying to say?"

"What I am trying to same my dear little witch, is that you cannot do the things your sister can do easily... " He said and you almost gonna retort angrily but he continued. "Because you do not carry the same ability as them."

"Are you saying that I carry different abilities?" You asked looking down at your hands.

Nuada started to lead you to another part of the garden a more private part near the palace walls where vines stretched high against the wall. And you would have questioned the location if you weren't already questioning yourself.

"Set down." Said nuada breaking out of your train of thoughts.

"Where are we?" You asked looking around confused as nuada lead you to set in a clear spot with no plants just grass.

"This is my secret place." He answered. " no-one knows of it except Nuala."

"Why did you bring me here?"

"To do this."

He said before pinning you against the wall. Your eyes were widened in shock, your (E/c) eyes met his golden once, he started to slowly lean down, and move brought his mouth closer to your ear.

"May I steal a kiss?" He asked almost timidly,and a blush crossed your face at the request.

You would be lying if you said you didn't dream about your relationship with Nuada to grow more of that of a friendship,but to happen so suddenly and finding out he to desired it, in such private place like this made your heart beat fast. You lowered your head and gave a timid nod giving your consent. The Prince delighted,he lifted your head up and chuckled probably by how tight you kept your eyes closed, but that didn't stop him as he leaned down and pressed his lips against your own. The kiss wasn't agressive or passionate, it was a simple chaste kiss that still made you feel as if your spirit has flown to the heavens and came back as he slowly pulled away. that was your first kis but it left you in such daze that you didn't hear what Nuada said.

"huh?.. What?" You asked quickly looking uo to him. He smirked at your reaction.

"I'm happy to see what kind of effect does my touch have on you.. "He said making you want to look away but he quickly stopped you and made you look above you. "However, you too seem to have a special touch of your own."

He was correct, because the simple green vine that was behind you has many white flowers blooming on it and you were speechless because they weren't there before. You pulled away to have a better look and the flowers seems to go as much as the vines, even the vines seem to have taken even larger parts of the palace.

"I... I did that?" You asked in wonder.

"You did, my little witch." He said with pride as he wrapoed his arms around you and hugged your from behind. "Yes you did my darling (Y/n)."

---

Nuada was waiting at the end of the hall where your teacher's chamber were, he could have waited right outside but he didn't want to draw attention. He heard the doors open and you bowing one last time to your teacher before closing the door and leaving. You had entered empty handed but got out with many different books in your arma that you struggled to lift. Nuada hurried by your side to carry them from you.

"What did she say?" He asked, and you gave him a big excited smile that brought his own.

"You are looking at the very first green witch in our coven!" You almost screamed.

"A green witch?" Nuada asked confused.

"Yes, I can't manipulate or create fire like my sisters." You started to explain. "But I can and will be able to manipulate plants, rocks, animals, the earth and weather!"

"And these books will help you?" He asked looking down at the books that talked about different plants, herba and history of green witches.

"Yes, and I can't wait to read them all." You gave a shy smile to nuada. "Thank you for helping me realize my true powers."

"Why are you thanking me?" He asked genuinely confused.

"You knew in was a green witch." You said. "You told me how I can be different kind of witch than my sisters and took me to... That place."

You blushed at the memory of that kiss.

"You are mistaken my dear, for I didn't know you were a witch of nature." He confessed.

"But... The kiss... " you trailed off.

"I kissed you because I wanted to do so for a long time now." He said with a mischievous grin. "And judging by the way you reacted you wanted the same thing."

Your face was pure red as you snatched the rest of the books from his hands and ran away to your room, being embarrassed made you forget how heavy the books were and hearing Nuada's amused laugh from behind didn't make it better, but for some reason you couldn't help the smile on your face for you just found out that Nuada returned your feelings.

---

Again sorry for any errors, or if it's too long and I hope you enjoyed it!

[nytech]

Building a Two-Sided Marketplace With Regina Gwynn …And uncovering the specificities of your target market.

TresseNoire’s Story

Regina: TresseNoire has been up and running since 2013, but this latest product is a pivot from our original premise, which was to create the first on-demand, on-location beauty booking app that would send a traveling textured hairstylist to your house, hotel, or office to do your hair. Our mission has always stayed the same: it is to give women back the most important resource on Earth, which is time. And we tried to think through multiple ways of doing that by allowing us to find out faster and easier ways to simplify the beautification process. For women of color with textured hair, there are lots of pain points. Everywhere from finding the right products to finding the right stylist, to maintaining the right hairstyles to finding the right long-term maintenance for your hair.

So we kicked off with this on-demand, on-location beauty booking app, which was very successful. We started off in Philadelphia, expanded to New York, and ended up with stylists in Philly, New York, Washington, DC, LA, Dallas, Texas, and Cincinnati. It was through that experience that I became, I guess, a tech founder, which is also a whole separate conversation. You know, I definitely was a non-technical founder, with a background in fashion and beauty prior to my entrepreneurship journey. But it also introduced a very large opportunity with taking the on-demand technologies that we had seen grow like Uber, FreshDirect, and all these other kinds of business models and apply them to the beauty industry.

We kept getting so many questions from our clients. “Okay, so now the stylist has left, I love my hairstyle. Now, what do I do? How do I maintain this hairstyle?” or “What products should I be getting in the beauty supply store?” And so I found myself doing so many additional phone calls, whether it was me advising the client, connecting them to our stylists either before, during, or after the hairstyles. We realized that there was an even bigger opportunity. Through the access to education and personalization, every single client was different, they had a different hair type a different hairstyle, they lived in a different location, they had different hair needs, whether it was fitting edges, or split ends, or dry hair or super curly hair.

So there were all these different variables that to my co-founder: “If we’re in this tech industry, and we have all these tech tools available to us, why aren’t we using all of these unique criteria to develop a more accurate system, a more accurate process?” That was the impetus behind pivoting to our virtual beauty coach app. Now, our clients can take a quiz. We gather 28 points of data to determine the kind of beauty regimen that works for them, and that education is delivered through a text message. So you interact with our beauty coach via phone, and you can actually change the algorithm based on the information you give us. So if it’s raining outside, then we’ll say hey, it’s raining, don’t forget your umbrella. And if you change your hairstyle, then we’ll change the education based on the data that the client provides.

We’re still in private beta, and we definitely have learned a ton this year, in a lot of the iterations that we’ve been working on. But I’m really excited about the long-term opportunities of providing this technology to additional beauty brands. The idea is to make sure that we’re getting education around our specific hair journey and making that type of information available to everyone.

Building a Two-Sided Marketplace

Andy: That’s really exciting because you went from being an entrepreneur that was using technology to build her product and her services to being a tech entrepreneur, and building a tech product. And I imagine that was a very different experience from both sides of the coin. I want to dive a little bit deeper into that, starting with the on-demand service platform that you provided, and the lessons that you learned while you were trying to scale that business into different markets.

Every market is a different market, and I’m sure you had to adapt to each market. What was it like to build an on-demand service?

Regina: Building marketplaces is really hard. Building two-sided marketplaces is even harder. Do you have to start building the offer or the demand?

In addition, understanding the nuances in the type of customer demand was essential to tailor our offer to each market. As we started to move forward, we realized that marketplaces are really hard.

When we look at Glamsquad and other beauty booking app type models, we see that they’ve been around since 2011, have raised over $30 million, and to date, are still in less than 10 markets. It’s become very clear that there was some very inherent kind of long-term challenges that we were going to face while identifying that there were other pain points.

Uncovering the Specificities of Your Target Market

Andy: How did you uncover the specificities of each market? What kind of data did you collect to inform your decisions?

Regina: Social media is really useful. We have a modest amount of followers, probably around 10,000 across Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. They actually were the main indicator. When we would look at our audience, scroll through the pictures and see what are women wearing in Dallas, New York, Austin, Texas, LA, etc. That way we could see a very different consumer, from market to market.

We took that information along with talking to our stylists. So we always had at least a few boots on the ground in any market that we went into, and between my co-founder and I, we have networks across the country. We always wanted to just pick up the phone and talk to a girlfriend and say: “Hey, what’s going on in that area? What are the hot spots? Who are the arbiters of culture in that area?” Then we would follow them and watch them in order to find out where the beauty trends are going.

[a-world-in-grey]

Galahd-Lucis Fealty and the Situation Post-Burning

@secret-engima more Lucis worldbuilding!

.

Alright, if you haven't read this post regarding oaths of fealty and the ones Galahd swears to Lucis, I recommend it, since I'll be jumping directly off those headcanons.

First however, establishing the situation of the Galahdians in current day Lucis.

Short version: Not great.

Long version: Little Galahd is very clearly not the wealthiest part of Insomnia. One could even call it the slums (though I'm sure in-verse it's merely referred to as 'the bad part of town,' no need to acknowledge why it's that way).

We also see significant anti-Galahdian sentiment in Insomnia, even in just the little bit in the Kingsglaive movie, which means there's probably a whole lot more off screen that we don't see.

So the Galahdians are likely living from paycheck to paycheck in substandard housing (barely up to safety code if at all), with difficulty getting jobs that pay enough, all the while enduring racism from the native Lucians.

We don't know how ugly that treatment gets - if the Galahdians have to deal with corrupt police, hate crimes, discrimination from vendors, educators, medical professionals, etc. That is entirely dependent on the author.

In the various SoHL-verses, two members of Lucis' ruling council actively discriminate against the Galahdians - the Lord of Housing/Urban Development and the Lord of Finance. You can probably imagine how that affects the Galahdians.

So where does Galahd's oaths of fealty come in?

Their treaty with Lucis when they submitted to the Lucian Empire and how it relates to the Great War and the Burning.

Specifically, it relates to the clause where the Galahdians promise to stay in Galahd. And Lucis promises to stay out of Galahd.

I don't doubt there was a very detailed clause that specified how much of the population had to remain in the Isles for it to count as Galahd staying in Galahd, and may have included a number of clauses defining exactly who counted as Galahdian, rather than Lucis assuming 'people from Galahd,' and Galahdians assuming 'One of the Clans.' (Then again, maybe the treaty didn't specify, which could lead to some spectacular misunderstandings. And by spectacular, I mean messy.)

I also expect there were specific clauses defining what it meant for Lucis to stay out of Galahd, or rather defining who was allowed in Galahd for certain purposes and just where they were permitted to go without explicit permission from the Clans. Which can basically be boiled down to 'merchants are allowed at these specific ports for the purpose of trade,' with more clauses in the event of a shipwreck.

Now, the important question is if the treaty included a clause detailing what would happen if one of Lucis' enemies invaded Galahd, or what would happen if Galahd became uninhabitable.

The former is very likely, especially given the clause that Galahd will only fight wars on Lucis' behalf, which makes them a military target even before one considers their strategic location.

The latter, on the other hand, I find far less likely to be included. If only because I doubt anyone would have thought Galahd would be razed to the ground or made otherwise uninhabitable. The Galahdians are no strangers to disaster, hurricane season is probably a nightmare for Clans, but there was probably the assumption that they'd be able to fall back on aid from other Clans, like they've always been able to do.

I doubt anyone thought something could happen to displace everyone.

So, Galahd promises to keep at least the majority of their population in the Isles. Lucis promises to stay out of Galahd, but also to aid Galahd if they are invaded by the enemy. For centuries, this works out (mostly) fine.

Then the Great War happens.

And Mors pulls the Wall.

Suddenly, Niflheim is occupying Galahd.

Now, there are a couple different paths to take with the occupation. It could be a full military occupation with the intent to bring Galahd into the Empire. Or, it could be Niflheim corporate interests moving in to exploit Galahd's natural resources, bringing along private mercenaries that are technically civilian.

(I suppose it depends how you want to define 'invade.' And if you would have Lucis count 'armed civilians' as an invasion.)

At this point, depending on the clauses in the treaty, Lucis breaks their fealty to Galahd if they fail to sufficiently aid them against enemy invasion.

(And even then, one could still argue that Mors broke fealty when he pulled the Wall, because he failed to defend Galahd after they swore loyalty even though he was capable of doing so. Because I fully hc the Mors did not have to pull the Wall all the way back to Insomnia.)

Which means Galahd is no longer required to hold to their oath of fealty to Lucis.

Then the Burning happens, and everyone in Galahd is displaced to Lucis. At which point Galahd breaks the treaty, and Lucis is no longer obligated to hold to their agreements.

Now, at this point in history, it has been centuries since Lucis and Galahd signed that treaty. How long has it been since anyone truly read the thing? Who has read it, both in Lucis and Galahd?

How many Galahdians who know the details survive the Burning?

How many of the Galahdian copies of the treaty survive?

Few, if any, surviving Galahdians know the specifics of the treaty their oaths of fealty are based on. The surviving Chiefs and Keepers will manage to keep their oaths yes, but those oaths are more along the lines of 'I the Chief swear fealty on behalf of me and my Clan to the King of Lucis, by the terms agreed to by our forefathers' than anything truly specific.

And in Lucis, it's likely equally few actually know the specifics, because it's been so long since anyone truly needed to consult the thing. Sure, the King and certain council members will have read it at some point during their schooling/training, but they won't have it memorized.

It could be that everyone's forgotten the whole 'Galahdians stay in Galahd, Lucians stay out' part anyways, because modern day trade between the two is fairly bustling, and there could be some tourism on both sides too. And I doubt they'll think to consult it when the Galahdians come to Lucis - after all, the Galahdians are technically Lucian.

Unless some skeevy corrupt politicians do look at the treaty, to see exactly what loopholes they can exploit.

So we've got two potential scenarios here.

One is that Lucis broke fealty first, and therefore no Galahdian is obligated to uphold their oath of fealty, which includes submitting to Lucian rule. (Those in the Kingsglaive would be different, because they are swearing themselves to service instead of fealty as well as swearing service after Lucis broke fealty.) This means that any further corrupt bullshit from Lucis is Lucis' fault and the Galahdians can rightfully demand reparation or legally revoke their oaths.

Which means if the Galahdians ever get access to the Lucian copies of the treaty, they could take the government and probably no few individuals to court and likely win.

The other is that Galahd is the ones who break fealty first when they violate their agreement to stay on the islands. Which, yeah, extenuating circumstances, but it still counts. Which means Lucis can legally disregard their agreements in the treaty, which could very well include the Galahdians' status as Lucian citizens.

(Because I hc that Iedolas was only able to spend so long trying to conquer Lucis because Niflheim holds a grudge from when Lucis conquered them, and likely kept them as second-class or noncitizens of the Lucian Empire. And by willingly submitting to Lucian rule, Galahd was able to avoid that.)

In this case, it means that any skeevy stuff certain corrupt politicians and other individuals get up to are completely legal, depending on what said skeevy stuff is.

At least until new laws are passed because I doubt Regis would stand for that if he knew about it, but any corrupt stuff before that wouldn't be able to be prosecuted.

Regardless of the political situation following the Burning, we eventually get to Regis' treaty with Niflheim. And despite both Regis and Niflheim knowing it to be little more than a sham, it still counts in regards to Galahd and their oaths of fealty.

Because one could argue that Regis broke fealty when he failed to defend Galahd, instead surrendering them to Niflheim. There is a little room for debate here, since you could also argue that Regis was not capable of defending Galahd when he surrendered the islands to Niflheim. But Galahd could argue that Regis did not try, and use that as justification to legally revoke their fealty to Lucis.

Which means that every Galahdian not under an oath of service to the Crown - such as the Kingsglaive or the Crownsguard - could not betray Lucis as they did not owe loyalty in the first place. This includes Libertus and any other Galahdians who left the Kingsglaive before the Fall. They were no longer part of the Kingsglaive, and as such their oaths of service no longer applied.

And unless Galahd renewed their oaths to Noctis, they would no longer have to bow to Lucian rule.

(Though the point sort of becomes moot when the Long Night happens.)

So, tl;dr, depending on the specifics of the treaty between Lucis and Galahd, either Lucis or Galahd broke fealty first. Depending on that, the treatment of the Galahdians in Insomnia could be legal to a certain point, or could justify the Galahdians revoking their loyalty to Lucis altogether. Regis' surrender of Galahd to Niflheim could possibly justify the same, leaving only the current Kingsglaives who owe loyalty to the Crown.

[missmentelle]

COVID-19, Inequality, and You

This pandemic has been a bad time in a lot of ways, but one of the most devastating impacts we’re going to see besides the death toll is the economic impact - the economic impact on real, working people, not on stock index numbers. Unemployment rates are skyrocketing, and people are being thrown into financial chaos as a result. 

But for all the talk we’ve heard during this pandemic of “we’re all in this together”, and “we’re all in the same boat”, it’s important to remember that, financially, we’re really, really not. Job losses, evictions and health crises are not equally distributed; if anything, this pandemic has been a stark reminder of inequality as the wealth gap grows wider and wider. 

My own life has been a weird cross-section of the ways that the pandemic has economically affected different people in very different ways - my mother has completely lost her job at a seasonal tourist restaurant that will likely go out of business, my brother’s hours at his campus security job have been cut as the school moves online, my boyfriend is seeing his savings rise as he goes out less but makes exactly the same salary at his financial tech job, and I’ve fielded multiple job offers through this pandemic as government grants for social services boom in my region in anticipation of a coming homelessness crisis.  

The news has been reporting on unemployment numbers and shuttered businesses, but there hasn’t been a lot of in-depth coverage about the ways that this is really going to affect people’s lives. There will be a lot of unexpected consequences to this pandemic if governments don’t step in to provide relief, including:

‘Eviction freezes’ are throwing tenants into debt without protecting their housing. Many places have put moratoriums on evictions during the pandemic, which is great. You don’t want a sudden surge in mass homelessness during a pandemic. But “no evictions” does not mean “no rent” - people who are currently being protected from eviction are still being charged rent, and their arrears are growing every month. As soon as eviction protections expire - which is set to happen very soon in many places - landlords can move forward with evicting tenants, going after their back rent, sending their debt to collection agencies and destroying their credit scores. 

A lot of people are about to lose most of their possessions. If you get evicted, your parents or friend might have room for you to move in with them for a while. They probably do not have room for your couch, dresser, bed, table, desk, bookshelves, TV and an entire apartment full of stuff. Putting your things in storage is an option, but you need to be able to pack and transport all of your things to the storage unit and pay for the unit every month. You could try selling the stuff you can’t take with you, but it may be difficult with so many other people also struggling financially, and you may have to leave on short notice. A lot of people who get evicted will end up abandoning a lot of their stuff, which they’ll have to re-purchase all over again to get back on their feet. 

People with low wages are disproportionately likely to lose their jobs. If you work as a software engineer, you’re probably still employed. If you work as a hotel maid, there’s a good chance you’ve lost your job or had your hours cut to nearly nothing. The jobs that are most impacted by shutdowns are jobs in the service and hospitality industry, and they tend to be low-wage, hourly jobs that cannot be done from home - bartenders, servers, hotel clerks, and dishwashers are way more likely to have lost their jobs than lawyers, accountants, engineers and college professors. In many ways, the people who are getting kicked the hardest right now are the ones who could least afford it. 

Not every university will survive this pandemic. With a lot of universities and colleges scrambling to figure out whether to have in-person fall semesters, the future of a lot of post-secondary institutions looks bleak. Many students are choosing to take a year off or defer their admission rather than deal with online courses that have been haphazardly thrown together. On top of that, it’s not clear if international students will be able to attend university abroad this year, or if they even want to take the risk. This adds up to a whole lot of lost tuition money, leaving some universities with no way to keep operating - at least one American university has already permanently closed its doors because of the pandemic. The big players - Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Columbia - will probably pull through, but smaller colleges are at serious risk of going under, leaving their students in limbo and at risk of not finishing their disrupted degrees. 

A lot of people are about to go from “poor” to “disabled”. The people most likely to contract coronavirus are the workers who have to interact with the public every day - not only nurses and doctors, but grocery store workers, delivery people, ride-sharing and taxi drivers, transit workers and janitorial staff. Those who survive are at risk of life-long complications of coronavirus, including permanently reduced lung capacity - that’s not great when you need to work a physically demanding job. A lot of people are about to find themselves in a situation where they are no longer able to do their jobs due to a virus that they contracted because of their jobs. 

Many women’s careers may never recover from this. Daycares and schools are closed, and women are bearing the brunt of it. In a world where women still tend to earn less than male partners, it’s women’s careers that have taken a backseat when things get rough. Even when both partners are working from home, women are the ones overwhelmingly taking on most of the domestic and child-rearing chores, which hurts their work performance and leaves them more vulnerable to layoffs. And that’s a relatively privileged position to be in - without childcare services available, many working moms and single moms have had to quit their jobs, whether they could afford it or not, because they have no other options for their children. This kind of career disruption is something that these women may never totally recover from, especially as they try to re-enter an increasingly hostile job market. 

Black and brown people are the most affected by rising unemployment. People of colour - especially immigrants and women of colour - are facing higher rates of unemployment than other groups. Hispanic and Latina women are in particularly dire circumstances, which is alarming, as they are also the most likely to be dealing with an uncertain immigration status. People of colour - particularly women - are disproportionately likely to work in industries that have been impacted by the pandemic, like the hospitality, food service, retail, child care, beauty and personal care industries, and they face systemic racism that makes it difficult for them to advocate for safe working conditions or access adequate medical care. 

College and tourist towns are at risk of complete economic meltdown. A lot of towns or small cities depend on their local university or annual tourism to survive. A huge crowd of strangers flocks to their town for a few months per year and gives local businesses the money they need to pay for necessities year-round. My hometown is one of these places - most businesses are only open from May - September, and they make enough money during that time for everyone to scrape by for the rest of the year. Those tourists aren’t coming this year, which is something that locals have only learned as they begin to run out of last year’s money. You don’t need to work for a university or a hotel to be impacted by school and tourism shutdowns - the ripple effects will be felt by entire communities. 

Escaping domestic violence will be difficult even after lockdown ends. It’s not exactly a secret that domestic violence has skyrocketed since the global pandemic began, a fact that many experts attribute to the fact that everyone is trapped indoors together and under a lot of stress. But even as lockdown regulations start to lift in areas that handled the pandemic responsibly, victims of domestic violence will face higher-than-usual barriers to escape - many victims may have lost their jobs and burned through their savings, and may have difficulty finding a new job that can finance their escape. Victims with health issues may also be wary about going to shelters for fear they will be further exposed to the virus. 

Poor children will fall even further behind their upper-middle-class peers. I come from a part of rural eastern Canada where reliable internet access is simply not available. So for young children in the region, school effectively ended in March - they do not have the resources needed to connect to online learning. And children from rural areas aren’t the only ones missing out - more than half of all students in the United States aren’t accessing their online classes regularly, and marginalized kids are especially likely to be absent. Poor kids are staring down the barrel of an enormous education gap; they are less likely to have a stable internet connection and a device for their online learning, they are less likely to have books at home, and their parents are more likely to be essential workers who still have to go to work right now and don’t have time to teach them. Middle-class and wealthy families can afford laptops, educational software, tutors, books and time at home to educate their children - when schools are eventually back in session, the gaps between children from different socioeconomic backgrounds will probably be the widest they’ve ever been. 

Don’t get me wrong - I am not arguing that we should end lockdowns prematurely to ease the economic impact. Public health measures exist for good reason, and I don’t think any of us want to even imagine, much less live through, the personal, physical and economic devastation of letting a pandemic rage out of control and melt down our healthcare systems. Despite what many people seem to believe, managing a global pandemic is not about “health vs. economy” - letting the virus rage out of control and kill millions would devastate every economic and social system we have. The preservation of human life has to come first.

What we need instead is comprehensive action to recognize and address the issues that come with long-term quarantines and economic shutdown - we need rent relief, social safety nets and basic assured income programs to get our most vulnerable friends and neighbors through this pandemic. The world will probably never return to the “normal” that we knew before the pandemic struck, and it shouldn’t - it’s time for a new, better normal that doesn’t leave our most marginalized people behind. 

[plannedparenthood]

Promotores de Salud: Working hand in hand with their community

At Planned Parenthood we often talk about the systemic barriers that Latinas face in order to access sexual and reproductive health care. We talk about their resilience, the effort they make to support their children, their families and their community — putting themselves last on their long list of priorities. For more than 30 years, Planned Parenthood’s Promotoras program has worked in Latino communities to bring education and sexual and reproductive health care access to women, men and LGBTQ+ people. They only have one goal in mind: keep their communities healthy, something that has become especially challenging during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This month, we want to celebrate the work of three people who are part of the Promotoras program: Liliana Dávalos, Promotoras program manager at Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains; Iliana Díaz, Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains health promoter, and Cristóbal Vadebenito, Promotores program coordinator of Tennessee and North Mississippi.

Liliana Davalos

Education program manager and manager of the Promotoras program at Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains

“I never spoke to my mom, my aunts, or my family about reproductive and sexual health. On  one hand they were ashamed to talk about this topic and on the other I did not know where to get good information. So once I learned  about it, I felt compelled to share with others what I had learned.

“The promotora keeps a close relationship with her community, she reaches out to people in a way that is convenient for them, so that she can share important information that is easy to understand. We understand Latinas well, because we know what it is like to live in the United States as Latinas and the shame that many people feel when talking about reproductive and sexual health. 

“So one of the issues that we address in our pláticas is the shame and stigma that exists around sex, and during this pandemic we have continued these conversations with our Spanish-speaking Latinas via video. For many of these women, this is the only space where they can talk about sex. They have many questions that they feel embarrassed to ask, but when they realize that there are other women who like them  want to talk about these topics, they start feeling the confidence to share their experiences and ask the questions that they never had the opportunity to ask. For instance one of the women told us that when she was younger she was told that a vinegar douche could prevent pregnancy and we told her: That’s not true!

“These myths are very popular in our culture. In fact, my mother had heard the same thing too. But these conversations give me the opportunity to learn more about these myths and correct them. Because there is a lot of misinformation about the health of women or people with vaginas. Wrong information that is passed from aunts and grandmothers, things that ‘they say’ but that are not correct. This is our opportunity to talk to them, about themselves and give them the information they need.

“Especially when it comes to birth control, there are people who don’t have enough information and don’t know how or where to obtain it. There are people who reach menopause without knowing what a condom is, but after they participate in these talks — whether they are virtual or not — they ask us to come back to educate their children, nephews and grandchildren who would benefit from learning about sexual health.

“Our work during this pandemic hasn’t stopped. We are learning to do shorter talks so our audience can keep the interest, we continue with our one-on-one calls, and I have even organized in-person meetings at my mom’s backyard — keeping a 6-foot distance — with some of her friends, and I loved doing it!

“I know that right now this is not an option, but I would like to see more promotoras de salud not only at Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains but also throughout the country, because the promotoras provide a valuable service to the Latino community and their effort is genuine. They love their communities and their people, and that cannot be taught. You have to be special to have that love and compassion, and that’s what you need to be a promotora: compassion and love for your work.”

Iliana Diaz

Promotora at Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains

“I started volunteering at Planned Parenthood when I was 18, primarily because I wanted to learn about sex and reproductive health care. I was afraid of having sex and being in  relationships, I didn't know how to take care of myself or how to protect myself, but I knew about the risks of having sex. I realized that I was not the only one who felt this way, and little by little, as I started to learn I also started to teach other people about STI tests and birth control. I started feeling more comfortable in my body and in the decisions that I was going to make regarding my sex life.

“Something that engaged me in the work was knowing that now I could help other people who felt exactly as I felt before. That they could call me and text me and that I was going to be able to help them, give them resources or point them in the right direction. I was happy to know that we could help not only with reproductive health services but with all the resources that the state of Nevada and Southern Nevada has to offer.

“One of the things I do in my community is helping many Mexican and Guatemalan folks to navigate Nevada's health care system, which is very complicated. I was born here and find it very difficult to navigate, so I cannot imagine how bad it must be for a person who has just moved here.

“Another of my responsibilities are the pláticas, which are discussions in which both of us — the promotora and the audience — participate. During these conversations we talk to people about reproductive justice and share relevant information to the community, and the audience share their experiences, their beliefs and myths.

“Recently, a Mexican woman who is undocumented and has lived here for three years contacted me because she needed services to end her pregnancy. Although she knew that abortion was her best option, she sometimes called me crying, so I asked her to reach out to me if she was too sad or felt depressed, so that I could get her in contact with an organization that could better help her. Since then, she has always called me to ask for resources. She has asked me to help her sister who is in a situation of domestic violence and has referred me to five people from her work who needed other resources. She feels that I impacted her life and knows that I will do the same for anyone else who needs help. That is what it means to be a promotora: to help everyone. People know that I am here for them, that I am not an expert in everything, but that I will go and find the answers to their questions or the resources that they need in order to move forward with their lives and solve their problems in the future. My work is not about giving, but about teaching them to be able to stand up for themselves.

“This woman may have not noticed it, but she is already acting as a promotora, because she is talking to the women in the community and sharing resources with other people. That is the importance of empowering people, now she feels confident about herself and able to share resources safely. That makes me feel like I'm doing my job a little more than 100%!

“I would like the Promotoras program to be part of the different areas of the health system (diabetes, cancer, etc.) and help in different fields like immigration, domestic violence, and other issues that the Las Vegas community needs. I don't know for how much longer I will be working at Planned Parenthood, but I know that I will always, always, always be a promotora, because I will always be willing to give answers and resources to the people of my community.”

Cristobal Valdebenito

Coordinator of the Outreach Promotoras Program for Planned Parenthood of Tennessee and North Mississippi 

“A promotor is an important part of the community, a person who has a genuine interest in helping their people and in providing them information on the topics of sexual and reproductive health care. As promotore we know the culture of our communities, we speak their language and use their same slang; we are close to them and thus we ensure that our messages are well received.

“Our help is not limited to handing out flyers in Spanish or handing out condoms. We work hand in hand with the community, meeting people where they are. For example, we organize “pláticas” at the Methodist church where people attend. The pastor of that church invited me to speak to her parishioners about sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and I asked the audience to think of me as a friend who has some information that he would like to share with them — but never from a position of superiority, but as an equal.

“We also go to the mobile units that the Guatemalan, Salvadoran and Mexican embassies make available to the people, to talk to them about STIs. Sometimes we find that some people cannot read, or they do not speak Spanish but Mam and Quiché. So our contribution in those moments is more on the side of helping them fill out forms, answer questions and even find translators; something we have done in the past.

“The men in my community are generally interested in knowing about STIs. They have many questions regarding the difference between HIV and AIDS because there is so much stigma and taboo around those diseases. Most think that they are the same thing and that it is a disease only for gay people; which for them represents a big problem. So you have to tell them a little about the history of these diseases so that they themselves realize that these diseases do not discriminate. I also find that they have a lot of resistance to getting medical checkups; in fact many men think that only women should get tested for STIs, and they must be made aware that if they do these tests they can stop the spread of infections. This is especially important in Shelby County, where we work, since it has one of the highest numbers of gonorrhea and chlamydia in the country.

“In recent years we have worked with institutions like Free Condoms Tennessee and our English counterpart, to begin to reduce those numbers. And I think that is our greatest contribution.”

[livingcorner]

12+ Ways to Make $1000 a Month from Your Garden (Year Round!)

They say when you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life.  Well, I love my garden and given a choice I’d be out there amongst my garden beds day and night.  There’s a big difference between gardening and farming though, and while I love my garden I’m not cut out for the life of a farmer. 

While bringing in a full-time gardening income is a bit tricky, making a side income from your garden is easier than you’d think.

You're reading: 12+ Ways to Make $1000 a Month from Your Garden (Year Round!)

Most people see gardening as a seasonal endeavor, that starts in the spring and ends in the fall, coming and going each year.  Up here in Vermont, our summer growing season is only a sad 100 days or so, and if I confined my efforts to those short months it wouldn’t make for much of a side hustle.  I think it’s important to find a way to earn a consistent side income, so I’m providing options for every month of the year (even in a cold climate like ours).

Beyond that, our land is mostly forested, which means the definition of “garden” is a bit loose.  We grow mushrooms in the shady spots and tap maple trees in season.  We also forage the wild bounty that nature’s garden has provided, meaning that we don’t have to limit our “gardening” to a small tilled section of the yard. 

Even if you’re lacking space in a small suburban lot, expanding outside of the traditional garden into local parks, or taking your garden indoors with salad sprouts, closet mushrooms, and seedling trays will allow you to make use of the space you have year-round.

Here are a few options to earn a substantial side income from your garden every season of the year, with ideas for both city and country folk. 

(Be sure to check local laws and restrictions before you start with anything, as those vary widely from place to place.)

Winter Garden Income

While you’d think winter would be the slow season for backyard garden income, believe it or not, it’s actually the best time for making money from your garden.  You’re generally less busy with planting and weeding, but everyone is stuck inside dreaming of the garden bounty to come.  

Indoor Salad Gardening

January is when everyone’s making new years resolutions to live healthier and eat more salads, but it’s a pretty rough time for gardening in most places.  If right around the end of the year you plan ahead with an indoor salad gardening setup, you’ll be in the perfect position to market microgreens and sprouts when they’re in high demand.

Local farms around here sell winter micro greens CSA’s and unlike summer shares where they net less than a dollar on a head of lettuce, winter greens command high prices.  A small bag of specialty microgreens runs $12 to 15 each.  And I really mean a small bag, maybe 3 cups of at most.

The trick is to grow high-quality, specialty greens that get people excited when the grocery store options are minimal.  The book Year Round Indoor Salad Gardening is a great resource to get started, and covers all you’d need to know to grow your own greens.  At that point, the problem is scaling up and marketing.  

Start a Small Backyard Seed Company

You may think you need to be some kind of multi-national to sell seeds, but in reality, customers are looking toward sustainably grown seed for specialty heirloom varieties these days.  It doesn’t get much more sustainable than a backyard garden, and buying seed locally ensures that you’ll get varieties perfectly suited to a particular growing region.

Choosing the right crops is key to generating a good income selling seeds.  Tomato seed, for example, is very easy to save and a single tomato often has enough seed to supply a dozen seed packets.  The flowers are self-contained, and it actually takes work for plant breeders to hybridize a variety, which means they’ll come true to variety even with many different types grown in the same garden. 

Most importantly, people get really excited about tomatoes.  Ever wonder why 1/3 of any seed catalog seems to be tomato seed?  With all that love for tomatoes, customers are liable to drop $5 for a locally grown packet of seeds for a really great variety.

While tomatoes are really easy, there are many varieties that aren’t much harder.  You need to know a bit about seed saving, not only harvesting and cleaning the seed, but about how pollination and selection works by variety.  Some varieties require a minimum population size to avoid inbreeding in the long term, and all that’s important to know before you get started. 

Seed to Seed is generally recognized as the most encyclopedic book on seed saving, covering just about every variety you can imagine.  It has great breadth to get you started, but not a whole lot of depth.

The Seed Garden is hands down my favorite seed saving book.  It’s well written and covers varieties in great depth.  It’s authored by The Seed Savers Exchange which does great work in the field of preserving heirloom varieties.

The Complete Guide to Seed Saving has a lot of stellar reviews, and it’s the next one I’m going to add to my gardening library.

Even in a small town environment here in Rural Vermont, there are about a dozen local seed companies.  High Mowing Seed started out really small just down the road from us, and now they’re a big national brand.  Milkweed Medicinals sells specialty seed that’s hard to find, and they now sell in all the local coops. 

Find your niche and there’s a great income to be made with homegrown seed.

Selling Cuttings

Even easier than saving seed, selling cuttings is an easy way to make a healthy income from your established plants in the winter months.  There are a number of varieties, like grapes for example, that need to be cut back or pruned in the winter.  Those cuttings are perfect for starting new plants and many gardeners are willing to pay good money for tiny pieces of your established crops.

I just bought 30 elderberry cuttings from Norms Farms at $4 each to propagate at home.  Elderberries grow readily from cuttings, and it’s an economical way for me to get a huge bed of them started.  Elderberry plants from a nursery cost about $30 each, so I’m happy with the transaction and the seller just made $120 off a tiny box of trimmings.

There are a number of plants that grow well from hardwood cuttings, some like black currants, are as simple as snipping off a tip and sticking it into the ground.  Others require a bit more attention and prep work to the cuttings, but they’re still beginner level.

Scion wood, or cuttings from apple trees to be grafted onto rootstock, is similarly lucrative.  All you need is a couple of established apple trees of known varieties and you can harvest cuttings for sale. 

Usually, each cutting is only a few inches long, so shipping them isn’t a big issue.  There’s a marketplace on the seed savers exchange website, and a scion wood cutting sells for about $4 each.

Start by learning a thing or two about plant propagation, first so that you can establish your own cutting beds, and then so you can educate customers on how easy it is to grow plants from cuttings.  Try reading Practical Woody Plant Propagation for Nursery Growers to get you started.

Read more: Why Does My Garden Hose Keep Bursting? | GardenAxis.com

A handful of elderberry cuttings that sell for $4 each.

Growing Mushrooms Indoors

Learning to grow mushrooms is a bit different than most standard garden crops, so this one will take some studying for even seasoned gardeners.  Still, there’s the potential to grow large crops from a small indoor space year-round.

The book Organic Mushroom Farming and Mycoremediation describes in detail how to set up a back closet, extra nook or spare bathroom to grow mushrooms with minimal time investment (2 hours a week). 

He has a great breakdown of costs, inputs, and yields…but in summary, you can make about $100 per week from a small setup that takes up a 4’x4′ footprint.  The system scales easily, with minimal extra time investment, meaning you only need slightly more space to increase that to a grand per month.

The best part, they can grow in recycled 5-gallon buckets picked up from restaurants, and they consume waste products like spent coffee grounds, that you can often pick up for free.

If you have access to outdoor space and hardwood logs, growing shiitake mushrooms is also a great place to start for beginners, but outdoors, harvests would be in the warmer months rather than winter.

I don’t know about you, but when I had an office job my co-workers would have loved to buy fresh mushrooms to take home for a fancy Friday night meal.

  Spring Garden Income

Spring is when everyone’s mind is dead set on their own gardens, and it’s a great time to capitalize on the surge in interest in all things green.

Selling Dandelions (and other wild weeds)

While countless suburbanites are spraying their lawns trying to eradicate the dandelions, more savvy gardeners are realizing that one person’s weed is another’s delicacy.  Dandelions are edible root to shoot, and better yet, they’re also highly medicinal. 

Dandelion root tincture sells for about $12 per ounce, and it only takes a root or two per ounce.  The spring greens are highly sought after by local food coops, where they sell for $4-5 per bundle.  Not bad for a pile of weeds.

Beyond dandelions, there’s all manner of early spring green “weeds” that can command high prices if you know how to identify, harvest and process them.  Chickweed is incredibly invasive, but also delicious, and chickweed tincture has plenty of medicinal uses too.  

There’s nothing like making a bit of side income from weeding your garden early in the spring.  You’ve got to do it anyway, might as well make it pay.

Dandelion roots harvested for homemade tincture.

Growing Spring Ephemerals

An ephemeral is a crop that has a very short season, and it may only be around for a few weeks before the plants go dormant (or unharvestable) for a full year.  Ramps, or wild leeks, are a slow-growing ephemeral that’s only around for a few weeks in the spring, but during that time they’re in high demand by both home cooks and fancy chefs.  Knowing where to find a good wild patch is hard, but they’re actually remarkably easy to naturalize in your own backyard.

Growing ramps from seeds just requires the right conditions.  Moist soil, under the shade of deciduous trees.  The more leaf cover the better. 

You’re not growing anything else in that much shade, so growing your own ramps is a great way to earn top dollar from an otherwise unproductive patch of land.  This is a long-term venture though, as leeks are slow-growing, and they’ll require about 5-7 years before your first harvest, but after that, a well-tended and sustainably harvested patch can last indefinitely.

Fiddleheads are another crop that’s generally wild foraged, but it’s remarkably easy to cultivate.  They can actually be pretty invasive, and I spent a long time weeding them out of my garden so I could grow anything else.  I just dug them up and tossed them into a heap, and they kept on growing and spreading from there as if nothing happened. 

Fiddleheads can be really productive, and they sell for about $20 a pound here in Vermont where they’re common.  You might get even better prices somewhere they’re more scarce.

Since they’re productive, fern heads can be pickled to extend their season, so you can market the bumper crop a bit longer.

My daughter holding a harvest of fiddleheads and ramps.

Selling Spring Seedlings

Selling spring veggie seedlings is an obvious choice.  Tomato seeds cost about a tenth of a cent each, but a healthy started plant can easily sell for $5.  Sure, there’s the cost for potting soil and pots, but the profit margin is still huge on seedling sales. 

The trick is, you’re investing your time and energy into starting plants off right, so others don’t have to.  This is one of the most lucrative ways to make money from your garden if you invest in the right equipment and can master the process. 

A greenhouse, even a small backyard model, is essential for producing seedlings early enough in the season.  As for resources to get you started, The New Seed Starter’s Handbook covers everything in detail, including troubleshooting guides if your plants aren’t performing.

Beyond the income from selling seedlings, you’ll also save a boatload by starting your own seeds instead of purchasing starts.  That’s one of those penny saved is a penny earned propositions, and any seedlings you don’t sell can just go right into your own garden.

Take a look at the local market this spring, and see if there are any gaps.  Do all the tomato seedlings sell out quickly, or is the market flooded?  If there’s plenty of other vendors, consider growing something niche like medicinal herbs.

Start a Backyard Nursery

Similar to growing out your own veggie seedlings, starting your own backyard nursery extends the income beyond the busy spring season.  If you’re growing perennials, you don’t have to worry about any unsold plants at the end of the year.  Just tuck them in for the winter and try to sell them next year.

Propagating plants from cuttings is remarkably easy, and all it takes is a bit of time and patience.  Those elderberry cuttings that sold for $4 each (above) as trimmings will sell for $25 to $30 as full-sized potted bushes in a few years.  Just the patience, time and space required to grow out the plants pays back in dividends later. 

This is actually a big part of our retirement plan, and we’re putting in perennials throughout our land to serve as cutting sources later when we open our nursery.  In the meantime, they’re beautiful, and most are edibles like elderberries, so we’re harvesting the fruit for our table while we patiently bide our time to retirement.

Backyard plant nurseries don’t require that much space, as potted plants can be stored fairly close together.

Summer Garden Income

Summer is peak growing season and it’s a great time to earn income from what you’re growing at home.  The big farms and CSA operations have the lettuce market cornered, but backyard gardeners can break into the market by offering really novel crops.  Start by focusing on high-dollar items and unique crops that get people’s attention.

High Dollar Specialty Crops

You’re never going to compete with the 100 acre organic CSA down the road on most generic crops, but those big operations cant grow everything.  They can grow a lot of the staples most families use every day, but backyard gardeners can grow small amounts of truly specialty crops that demand high prices.  Here are a few good options:

Husk Cherries – Also known as ground cherries, these plants produce huge crops of sweet pineapple/strawberry flavored fruit.  They grow on plants similar to tomatoes, and each bright orange fruit is wrapped in a papery husk.  Just one taste and you’ll want more. 

Before we were growing our own, I’d buy them for $5 a pint…now I know that each plant can produce more than a gallon of fruit even with neglect.  If you hand out samples, these will sell themselves.  It also helps if you give people creative ways to use them.

Cucamelons – Also known as mouse melons, these tiny little grape-sized cucumbers taste like a cross between a cucumber and lime.  They’re really wonderful fresh out of hand, and they make great pickles or mixed drinks.  The cuteness factor means that these sell for about $5 per half-pint.

Berry Pick Your Own

To complement our backyard nursery retirement plans, we’re also planning a pick your own operation.  This requires more space than most of the other ideas on this list, but after the initial setup, labor is pretty minimal. 

A while back I calculated the rate of return on a raspberry pick your own, and you’d need about 250-row feet to produce $1000 worth of raspberries.  For us on 30 acres, that’s a drop in the bucket, but that may be more space than you can devote to any one crop.

Strawberries are similar, in that a plant generally yields about a pound of fruit in a season, and requires 1-row foot.  At $4 per pound, you’d need the same amount of row feet as raspberries.  The benefit there is, strawberry rows are much more closely spaced so this may be more practical for some.

  Read more: 37 Garden Border Ideas To Dress Up Your Landscape Edging

Garden Tours, Tea Times & Classes

Though it’s not my cup of tea, garden tours and country tea times are a good option for flower gardeners.  A local nurseryman around here makes a good side income hosting tea time in his home garden, and runs an annual tour of his extensive plantings, along with specialty days for big blooms (like daffodils).  Our gardens are more down-to-earth and “homestead” than they are attractive, but many people’s are just the opposite.

All it takes is a few tables, a decent scone recipe, and a few good teapots, and you’re ready to run a weekly afternoon tea time in the garden.  Add in tours and maybe a few gardening classes and you’ve got yourself a ready source of income from your own beautiful backyard.

Medicinal Herbs

With the increasing demand for more alternative remedies, there’s never been a better time to grow medicine in your backyard.  Locally grown herbs are still hard to find in most areas, but plenty of people are looking for them.

Many medicinal herbs are perennials, which means you plant them once and you can harvest them for years.  And the same compounds that make the plants medicinal also make them resistant to deer and insects, which means less maintenance than garden veggies.  For the most part, they’re perennial, persistent and more importantly…profitable.

There’s a high demand for medicinal tinctures since they’re ready to use, and our local coop has half an aisle dedicated to them.  Tinctures sell for $8 to $12 an ounce, but they only cost about $1 to $2 an ounce, even if you’re buying in the herbs rather than growing them. 

Add in another $1 for the tincture bottle, and you’re still making a pretty sizable profit per bottle.  Choosing crops that are common and in high demand, like echinacea tincture can help you break into the market.

As you’re just getting started, I’d recommend Backyard Medicine as a way to dip your toe into harvesting and making your own herbal remedies, especially from wild crops.  If you’re considering growing herbs for profit I’d highly recommend The Organic Medicinal Herb Farmer: The Ultimate Guide to Producing High-Quality Herbs on a Market Scale.  It’s written by farmers that grow just a few towns over from us, and they’ve inspired a lot of people to take up growing medicine for the market.

The Herbal Academy of New England also has a course designed specifically for herbal entrepreneurs.  The course walks you through the basics of creating your own brand identity, marketing, sourcing herbal ingredients, manufacturing herbal remedies and creating a business plan around herbs and herbal remedies.

Fall Garden Income

The end of the garden season, fall is generally when the crops come in.  In my mind though, it’s one of the more challenging times to make income as a small producer. 

There are a lot of products on the market,  and it’s hard to stand out.  With the holidays right around the corner though, marketing yourself as a niche producer of really unique homegrown gifts can work to your advantage.

Honey & Bee Products

Gardeners need bees and bees need gardeners!  Raising honey bees is a great way to support pollinator communities, but with all the challenges that face hives these days, it’s best to be educated before you start.  There’s a really great book called Natural Beekeeping: Organic Approaches to Modern Apiculture that covers just about everything you need to know to keep your bees healthy naturally.

In a good year, with our short Vermont growing seasons, bees can produce as much as 100lbs of honey for harvest.  The current bulk price at our coop, meaning bring your own container nothing fancy…is $7 per pound.  Pre-packaged just in mason jars, honey goes for $10-12 per pound, and considerably more in specialty gift packaging.

Add in things like bee pollen or propolis for medicinal use, or comb honey, and you have yet more high-dollar items to market.

Honey, especially locally sustainably raised honey is in high demand just about everywhere.  People are realizing that bees are important to our environment, and many will be happy to pay for local honey just knowing that it means supporting someone who is stewarding such an important resource in their neighborhood.

Apples, Cider and Cider Press Rentals

My doctor has a small apple share side hustle that she runs with her sister, selling harvest shares to neighbors in her spare time.  They have a few full-sized apple trees, and each one produces around 100 to 120 pounds of apples per year.  These days, conventionally grown supermarket apples are about $3 per pound…and locally grown apples fetch a premium above that.

She sells shares ahead of time and then divides the harvest as each tree comes to bear.  Distributing them to shareholders every week or two as each variety ripens over the season.

We have other neighbors who sell fresh cider that they press from their trees, at $12 per gallon.  Last year we pressed nearly 80 gallons from our trees, most of which went into hard cider and homemade cider syrup (like maple syrup), but we easily could have sold it instead.  Instead of selling our cider, we have a different strategy for earning our income during apple season. 

We invested in an efficient double-barrel cider press, with the thought that we can rent it out to other small apple producers.  People with one or two trees in their backyard love the novelty of pressing their own cider, and around these parts a press rents for about $50 for the afternoon.  Over the course of the season that can really add up…

Year-Round Garden Income

Beyond different things you can do seasonally to earn a few thousand a couple of months a year, there are things you can do year-round to earn a steady income related to your garden.  

Garden Blogging

I know, making income from blogging seems too good to be true, but writing about diy, gardening, and self-sufficiency is now my full-time job. Within 6 months of starting this blog, I started making an extra $1000 a month.  After 9 months of writing, I was able to quit my day job, and now at 18 months in I bring in more each month than any job I’ve ever had.

The best part?  All I do is write about what we’re already doing here in our daily lives, and I spend my days playing in the garden and out foraging in the woods with my kids.

I was inspired to take the leap into blogging when I read the book Make Money Blogging at Any Level by my blogger friend, Victoria at A Modern Homestead.  She outlines in detail how to earn a substantial income, even from a very small blog.  

She was able to retire her husband and supports her family exclusively with her blog.  If you’re considering blogging as a source of income it’s worth the investment.  It’s $27 for the book, and I made that back in my first week with my blog following her tips.

She also has a much more comprehensive blogging e-course that takes you through everything you need to know to launch your own profitable blog.  It’s a bit more of an investment, but it’s the perfect way for a beginner to learn everything they need to know to launch their blog fast and start earning money.

Garden Micro-Influencer

Making money on Instagram is all the rage these days, and you’d be surprised how many companies are willing to send you free products just for a promise that you’ll post at least 1 picture of it to Instagram with honest feedback.  Once you have even a small following, companies will pay you for your time reviewing it (and you still get to keep it for free…)

Looking for a little inspiration?  You can always follow along on my Instagram for ideas…

Hopefully, this helps inspire you to turn your gardening passion into a meaningful side hustle.  If you have any other ideas, let me know in the comments below.

More Income Inspiration

How to Make a Full-Time Income Off-Grid

8 Ways to Make an Extra $1000 a Month on a Small Homestead

Making Money with Small Scale Maple Sugaring

Related

Source: https://livingcorner.com.au Category: Garden

source https://livingcorner.com.au/12-ways-to-make-1000-a-month-from-your-garden-year-round/

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Blog post three - Privilege

Although environmental interpretation is extremely important in sharing information, raising awareness on issues, sparking curiosity, and allowing folks to connect with nature, it is not something that is accessible to everybody. When I was in high school, there was a class I took called environment and resource management. We learned about food and resource distribution, farming methods around the world, and how to sustainably grow and harvest food. Surprisingly, a lot of discussions in this course were about the government. Government policies in certain countries prevented people from obtaining essential resources. Problems in developing countries that only target certain individuals are deemed as not important by their government leaders. The big takeaway from this class was “only the rich get to choose.” That was something my teacher drilled into our heads, and it is unfortunate but true. This is the same for environmental interpretation. Privilege, in terms of environmental interpretation, is obtaining knowledge that others may not have access to.

We are lucky to have so many different education programs in Canada which discuss the environment, but some countries do not have access to this education. In some countries, if the rich politicians don’t believe an issue is important enough, or if it interferes with their campaigns and beliefs, then the issue will not be resolved. This barrier is preventing essential information on nature and the environment from being shared globally. Considering some of these Canadian programs are inaccessible, I can’t even imagine the situation in other countries. Many ways the environment is interpreted in North America is through experiences (zoos, conservation areas, traveling, etc.) which need to be paid for. I am lucky enough to have experienced some of these paid programs, but these programs are not accessible to the entire population. Education should not have to be paid for. There are alternative interpretation methods (such as websites, social media pages, youtube, etc.), but even then, not everyone has access to a computer or smartphone to be able to access this information. “Only the rich get to choose.” People privileged enough to have access to these programs will have increased knowledge and understanding of the environment, which might enhance their relationship with nature and inspire them to surround their future around nature. 

This is a picture of me when I was about 8 years old after completing the junior naturalist program that Ontario Parks offers at their conservation areas and campsites. This was an extremely insightful program, but it was only accessible to people who had paid admission into the park. 

It is unfair that only certain people get to experience this enhanced relationship with nature through obtaining knowledge. It is also unfair that experiences such as connecting with nature require payment. Recently, I went to a small local conservation area with my boyfriend to go on a hike, and we were turned away at the gate for not having enough money to pay for a ticket to go on a 4km hike. Connecting with nature is an incredibly important part of building my relationship with the environment, and I felt like I was robbed of this connection. I am very privileged in that I have access to an endless supply of environmental information (which has been enhanced through attending university) and I think education, especially education on nature and the environment, should be accessible to everyone regardless of their background or income. What are some things you think could be done to improve accessibility among environmental interpretations?

I can’t wait to hear your thoughts and responses.

All the best, Ally 

[96thdayofrage]

1. Listen more; talk less. You don’t have to have something to say all of the time. You don’t have to post something on social media that points to how liberal/how aware/how cool/how good you are. You are lovely, human, and amazing. You have also had the microphone for most of the time, for a very long time, and it will be good to give the microphone to someone else who is living a different experience than your own.

2. For one out of every three opinions/insights shared by a person of color in your life, try to resist the need to respond with a better or different insight about something that you read or listened to as it relates to their shared opinion. Try just to listen and sit with someone else’s experience. When you do share in response to what someone has shared with you, it can sometimes (not always) feel like “whitesplaining” — meaning to explain or comment on something in an over-confident or condescending way. This adds to the silencing of the voices of people of color.

3. Being an ally is different than simply wanting not to be racist (thank you for that, by the way). Being an ally requires you to educate yourself about systemic racism in this country. Read Michelle Alexander’s The New Jim Crow and Ta-Nehisi Coates’ Between the World and Me and Claudia Rankine’s Citizen and so many other great books and articles that illuminate oppression and structures of white supremacy and white privilege. Use your voice and influence to direct the folks that walk alongside you in real life (or follow you on the internet), toward the voice of someone that is living a marginalized/disenfranchised experience.

BEING AN ALLY REQUIRES YOU TO EDUCATE YOURSELF ABOUT SYSTEMIC RACISM IN THIS COUNTRY.

4. Please try not to, “I can’t believe that something like this would happen in this day and age!” your way into being an ally when atrocities like the events in Charleston, S.C., and Charlottesville, Va., happen. People of color have been aware of this kind of hatred and violence in America for centuries, and it belittles our experience for you to show up 300 years late to the oppression-party suddenly caring about the world. Don’t get me wrong, I welcome you. I want for you to come into a place of awareness. However, your shock and outrage at the existence of racism in America echoes the fact that you have lived an entire life with the luxury of indifference about the lives of marginalized/disenfranchised folks. Please take several seats.

5. Ask when you don’t know — but do the work first. This is nuanced. Some marginalized/disenfranchised folks will tell you not to ask them anything; don’t be offended by that. Folks are tired, and that is understandable because it is exhausting to be a marginalized person in this world. However, there is something special that happens within human connections and relationships. In a nutshell, don’t expect for people to educate you. Do the work to educate yourself. Ask questions within relationships that feel safe, and do so respectfully.

6. And finally, stop talking about colorblindness. It’s not a thing. Colorblindness is totally impossible in a nation whose land was taken from the indigenous inhabitants through an attempt at genocide and horrific colonization. The same nation that enslaved humans and exploited them in every way imaginable built a nation on their backs, hung them, hunted them, and for centuries kept them from their basic inalienable rights and still does. The same nation that exploits and deports immigrants who were promised refuge within the American Constitution. The same nation that incarcerated Japanese Americans during World War II and continues to promote bigotry, exclusion, and violence against LGBTQ/gender non-identifying folks. This nation that allows swastika-wearing, Confederate-flag-toting, anti-Semitic racists to have a platform for their hate. The same nation that promised religious freedom, yet targets those who do not believe in a white, capitalist Jesus.

ASK WHEN YOU DON’T KNOW — BUT DO THE WORK FIRST.

I love Jesus. And promise, Jesus was not white (literally brown, and wonderfully Jewish) and would have never been a capitalist.

It will never be possible for us to be colorblind, and we shouldn’t ever want to be.

I heard a saying once at an Al-Anon meeting that offered me liberation: “We are only as sick as our secrets (and our shame).” Shame can only live in the darkness; it can live within the systems of denial and defensiveness that we use to cover it up. We have to name these things, acknowledge them, and begin to do the deep work of transformation, restoration — and reparation.

Yup, now I’m talking about reparations.

Privilege means that you owe a debt. You were born with it. You didn’t ask for it. And you didn’t pay for it either. No one is blaming you for having it. You are lovely, human, and amazing. Being a citizen of a society requires work from everyone within that society. It is up to you whether you choose to acknowledge the work that is yours to do. It is up to you whether you choose to pay this debt and how you choose to do so.

Sometimes living with privilege can disillusion us into thinking that being in community with other humans doesn’t require work. This is a lie; it requires a great deal of work. And all of that work requires being a human and trying to love other humans well.

YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE MISTAKES — EXPECT THIS. BUT KEEP SHOWING UP.

I believe that this is holy work, the work of justice, the pursuit of it. It doesn’t need an audience, and it will not always have one. It will happen most days in ways that are unseen. It might mean providing a meal or shelter, listening, using your particular area of expertise to help someone in need of that expertise who might not have access to it otherwise, bailing a protester out of jail, or paying a family’s rent one month (if you have the resources to do so), or marching at a rally with marginalized folks alongside other allies. There may not always be a practical, tangible way to pursue this work, but I believe you will know it when you meet it face-to-face.

However it looks, it will be something that you do without needing to be thanked or receive praise — you are not a savior. Marginalized/disenfranchised folks can and will survive without you — we are magic. However, I urge you to pursue this work, knowing that a system of white privilege afforded you access to opportunities while denying them to so many others.

Above all, I urge you keep trying. You're going to make mistakes; expect this. But keep showing up. Be compassionate. Lead with empathy, always. Keep learning and growing. If you do this, I truly believe you’ll be doing the work of an ally.