#lifestyle resource magazine

[penamonperks]

While often used interchangeably, the key difference is that an "attorney" is a lawyer who has passed the bar exam and is legally licensed to practice law in court, representing clients in legal matters, while a "lawyer" is someone who has completed law school and may or may not be licensed to practice law, potentially working in advisory roles without appearing in court.

[doomsayersunited]

A Decade Of Doom!

I started this blog ten years ago to compile the growing evidence that our planet would not longer be able to sustain human life by 2050, thanks to our continued, capitalist-fueled efforts to destroy all the systems we rely upon to sustain life. The first thing I put up here was this essay, on February 20, 2014. Now, a decade later, I thought it might be "fun" to look at what's changed: 1) Earth Overshoot Day

In 2014, "Earth Overshoot Day" (the day that humanity collectively consumes more resources from nature than it can regenerate over a year) was August 19th. Now, in 2024, Earth Overshoot Day is August 1st, 2.5 weeks earlier. At this rate and assuming things don't accelerate (even though they are likely to), Earth Overshoot Day will be around June 17th by 2050. 2) Biocapacity Biocapacity is the amount of resources contained on the planet required available to sustain life, measured by area. In 2014, I calculated that the planet had a biocapacity of 1.7 hectares per person. By dividing the total available biocapacity today in 2024 with the current global population as I did then, it now appears that there are just 1.5 hectares of planetary resources left per person to extract all the materials needed to sustain life, as well as all the area available to dispose of waste. That's a 12% loss over ten years. At that rate, we can expect to lose another 30% of biocapacity by 2050, going down to just 1.05 hectares per person by then, and that's assuming that the rate of biocapacity loss does not accelerate further and that the global population suddenly stops increasing after a run of non-stop increases spanning five centuries. Oh, also a reminder that the average human requires 2.7 hectares of land to sustain its current consumption habits/levels. So. 3) Individual Conservation To illustrate the futility of individual conservation at this point in the apocalypse, let me give you an example: If you were: a fully-vegan localvore living in a one-bedroom apartment with nine other people and using 100% renewably-generated electricity; who did not ever use motorized transportation of any kind or buy new clothing, furnishings, electronics, books, magazines, or newspapers and recycled all the waste you generated that was recyclable, you'd only require 1.4 hectares of biocapacity to sustain yourself. That is close to the kind of lifestyle extremism it would take to live sustainably. Deviate from that level of stoicism even slightly (say by living in a two-bedroom apartment with three other people instead of a one-bedroom apartment with nine other people and taking a single, four-hour roundtrip flight, once a year) and you're now consuming 1.6 hectares of biocapacity, which means you're using more resources than the world has available for you if everything was divided evenly among everybody. Of course, biocapacity, like all resources, are not divvied up evenly among everybody, which is why there are currently 114 different armed conflicts happening worldwide - the highest number of armed conflicts since 1946. 2023 was the most violent year in the last three decades. 4) Other Signs Of The End Times In my 2014 essay, I referenced the work of geologist Dr. Evan Fraser, who studies civilization collapse. In his book Empires of Food, Dr. Fraser noted common signs of a civilization about to collapse, which began to appear about two decades before it all goes completely to hell. Those signs were: -a rapidly-increasing and rapidly-urbanizing population We've added 700 million people to the planet since I began this blog in 2014. And where is everyone moving to?

-farmers increasingly specializing in just a small number of crops " "As farm ecosystems have been simplified, so too are the organisms that populate the farm.  A farm that specializes in a limited number of crops in short rotations does not, for example, look for plant varieties that do well in more complex rotations with intercropping.  A beef feedlot operation wants breeds that gain weight quickly on grain diets and does not want cattle breeds that digest well pasture grasses and thrive in all year outdoor environments on the range." The result? Recent estimates put the loss of global food diversity over the last 100 years at 75%. Over the 300,000 species of edible plants that exist, humans only consume about 200 of them in notable quantities, with 90% of crop plants not being grown commercially. -endemic soil erosion Climate change and the need to raise more crops have combined to increase the rate of agricultural soil erosion globally. Back in 2014, when I started blogging about the end of everything, the UN had already determined that there was only enough fertile soil left to plant 60 more annual crops. So, by 2074, we won't be able to grow food, full stop. This of course comes at a time when the global population continues to increase, and with it the need to grow more food. If projections are accurate, we will need to increase food production by 50% over the next three decades to feed everyone. -a dramatic increase in the cost of food and raw materials When I started this blog in 2014, I noted that 2011-2013 had seen the highest food prices on record. So what's happened since then?

It's important to point out here that the current food price spike started in 2020, so if Dr. Fraser's calculations are correct, the food system will collapse sometime around 2034, taking civilization with it. I closed my debut essay on this blog with a quote from the (now deceased) climate scientist Dr. James Lovelock, who advised a Guardian journalist to "enjoy life while you can. Because if you're lucky it's going to be 20 years before it hits the fan." That interview was published in 2008. We have four years left to enjoy.

[richarlotte]

365 Days from Rot to Hot (Pt. 3).

Find your colors. You could use AI, take a trip to Lowe’s (this is one of the things I did), or actually use a service, but sorting out what colors suit you is essential. A major part of building my blend and creating my personal style was based around finding things that suited me, and I do believe that you shouldn’t start buying clothes or putting a look together unless you know your undertone, have a grasp of your colors and your body type, understand your seasons, and are prepared to experiment with what you’ve learned. Finding your colors should be the first step you take, as it will make the process of creating looks easier and give you a general idea of what things will look good on you.

Search for inspiration and don’t hold yourself back. It’s your life; it’s your fashion; it’s your style. You can be as basic or as eccentric as you want. If you think Kendall Jenner and Hailey Bieber are goddesses, then take inspiration from them. If you’re a budding Betsey Johnson or a Lisa Frank and want to design your own clothes and make them even brighter, then do that. If you’re obsessed with Bella Hadid’s western era and want to chase your own wild horses, then go ahead. I’d recommend doing what I did and creating a number of Pinterest boards and using Instagram to create polyvore-like style and vision boards.

Set a reasonable budget and stick with it. You cannot spend more than you have, and it’s not wise to get into debt pursuing a lifestyle that you know you can’t afford in the long run. Create a reasonable budget and work with it; don’t try to work around it. I found myself shopping from Walmart, Meijer, Gap, and J. Crew Factory and looking for sales before I bought anything. Don’t jump into the process and waste your money buying everything straight off the racks; utilize stores like TJ Maxx, look for sales, use what you already have, and really make an effort to make your dollar stretch. Another part of working with your budget is not blowing it by shopping at Shein; if you buy something and then have to throw it out and rebuy it after 5 wears, you’re not actually getting any bang for your buck.

Utilize Pinterest and social media to find women that look like you. An integral part of creating your own blend and finding what works for you is seeing it on other women. I followed a number of women that looked like me and didn’t look like me, lived in areas of the world I found fascinating, and had tastes that I wouldn’t describe as mainstream. I used a number of different languages to search for the trends that I liked; I used Twitter and Instagram to look at hashtags; and I took total advantage of the resources I was able to access. I used magazines, went through online archives, and spent time building my ideal image. Was it perfect? No, but as time passed, it became more and more helpful, and it eventually became the Pinterest board that I use now and my main vision board.

Tie it all together and see how things work. I had to experiment with so many different looks, delete and recreate so many vision boards, and try things for myself. Am I a hairstylist? No, but I’m also not a billionaire, so I had to learn how to style my wigs to see what suited me. I went to stores to try things on, experimented with IG to see if certain pieces of jewelry would suit me, and had the time of my life during my experimentation phase. Collecting online images isn’t enough, and it’s very hard to actually get a grasp of what you like if you’re doing everything online. Try your lookout, put things together, adjust it as you please, and tie your loose ends up.

Pt. 4 to come next.

[projectadulthood]

39 Best Websites to Find Free Textbooks, Research Papers, Study Guides, and Books

Whether you’ve just received a long list of textbooks you need for a specific uni class or are looking for a particular book/research paper for a high school project, books (and journal subscriptions) can be expensive.

The good news is that there are plenty of resources online where you can find free PDF versions of most written materials, starting with Atkinson & Hilgard’s Introduction to Psychology and ending with Shakespeare’s Macbeth.

Note that although some of the websites below provide access to copyright-free texts only, or texts that publishers/authors have agreed to share freely, others have been accused of internet privacy.

However, many people see open access practices as morally acceptable, especially considering the unsustainable prices of academic textbooks and papers.

To quote a recent paper on the topic:

"Since shadow libraries are a product of the cooperation between scholars, who contribute texts and other resources (such as donations, volunteer work, etc.), shadow libraries represent a ‘bottom-up’, radical approach to open access: a physical approximation of the Platonic ideal of knowledge sharing that would exist if there were no legal, economic, or institutional barriers to the circulation of scholarly knowledge."

Free Textbooks

Library Genesis

Library Genesis, or Libgen for short, is a shadow online library website where college students can find academic books (including those that are hard to find/very expensive) and scholarly journal articles.

The site also hosts general-interest books, audiobooks, comics, magazines, and images.

Z-Library

Z-Library is another shadow library website that hosts college textbooks, scholarly journal articles, and general-interest books. It calls itself “the world’s largest e-book library.” It mirrors Library Genesis.

The front page also features some of the most popular books at the time. When we viewed it, these included “Thinking Fast and Slow” by Daniel Kahneman, The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, and Harry Potter the Complete Collection by J. K. Rowling.

You can also use the right-hand navigation menu to see the books that have been added most recently, as well as sort through books based on category.

Use the Book Request option if you can’t find a book you’re looking for. There’s no guarantee your book will be added, but community members look at requests to see what books to upload (you can also upload books).

PDF Drive

PDF Drive is an online library with a ton of free ebooks and PDF textbooks in various categories, including academic & education (but also lifestyle, personal growth, art, linguistics, etc.)

ForCoder.su

Forcoder.su has lots of online textbooks on programming. It also provides free access to online courses, like Apache Kafka for beginners and object-oriented programming with Python. Currently, there are hundreds of free courses available.

Online Mathematics Textbooks

Online Mathematics Textbooks is your source for free digital textbooks on all things math. It’s just one page featuring 77 textbooks.

Tech Books for Free Download

Tech Books for Free Download is where you’ll find free science and engineering books on topics ranging from data mining to general relativity.

There’s no way to search for books easily. However, the site is divided into books on Linux, Java, Microsoft, C and C++, Perl/Python, Science, Networking, Database, Security, and Assembly.

Free Tech Books

Free Tech Books is an open textbook library. It provides access to free computer science books and textbooks, plus lecture notes. All the books and lecture notes listed on this site are freely available on authors’ and/or publishers’ sites.

You can browse books by category (computer science, mathematics, supporting fields, operating system, programming/scripting, miscellaneous), author, publisher, or license.

Directory of Open Access Books

Directory of Open Access Books (DOAB) is a website that indexes and provides access to academic, peer-reviewed open-access books. All disciplines are covered, but there’s a particular emphasis on humanities, social sciences, and law.

Ubiquity Press

Ubiquity Press has been an open-access publisher of academic, peer-reviewed books and journals since 2012. It was founded by University of College London (UCL) researchers.

Research Papers

Sci-Hub

Sci-hub has the most expansive collection of research papers. Its mission is to “remove all barriers in the way of science.”

Directory of Open Access Journals

Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) is an online directory of open-access, peer-reviewed research journals covering humanities, social sciences, technology, science, medicine, and art.

The directory indexes journals from different countries and languages. DOAJ is supported financially by publishers, libraries, and other organizations.

Wiley Open Access

Wiley Open Access provides peer-reviewed open-access journals across topics like biochemistry, economics, sociology, mathematics, and law.

SpringerOpen

SpringerOpen publishes open-access journals across a wide range of areas, mainly STEM.

Elsevier

Elsevier publishes open-access, peer-reviewed journals. You can search for journals by title, keyword, or subject (dentistry, nursing, decision sciences, etc.)

Springer Link

Springer Link provides access to ebooks, peer-reviewed journal articles, and other resources (mostly scientific).

BASE

BASE is a search engine for academic texts, including journals, digital collections, institutional repositories, etc. You can access about 60% of the indexed texts for free.

Study Guides

Bibliomania

Bibliomania has study guides to the most-read books, like “A Hero of Our Time,” “Animal Farm,” and even Irish politics. It also has over 2,000 classic texts, book summaries, author biographies, and more.

Books

Open Library

Open Library is an open library catalog of more than 3 million new and old books. The project was created by the nonprofit organization Internet Archive. It has also received partial funding from Kahle/Austin Foundation and the California State Library.

You can read old books without an account. However, for new books, you’ll need to set one up (it takes just a few minutes).

Internet Archive

Internet Archive is a digital library of ebooks. It also has free movies, music, and software.

Project Gutenberg

Project Gutenberg is a famous site where you can find lots of free books. There are more than 60,000 books in its collection.

Standard Ebooks

Standard Ebooks take public domain texts and make them as nice as new books. They fix typographical errors and typos, create cool cover art, and format the text for e-readers like Kindle and iPad.

Planet eBook

Planet eBook is where you can download free PDF copies of classics like Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis, Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s Crime and Punishment, and Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness.

What really makes Planet eBook stand out is its UX. It’s one of those rare sites that are super easy to navigate and actually look good (aesthetically speaking).

The Ultimate Book Search Engine

The Ultimate Book Search Engine is an ebook search engine that includes 350 open directory sites that relate to ebooks. It was created by the Reddit user u/NotoriousYEG.

Classic Bookshelf

The Classic Bookshelf is a site where you’ll find lots of classic novels, everything from Charles Dickens and Leo Tolstoy.

Literature.org

Literature.org features classic works of English literature, both fiction and non-fiction.

Bartleby

Bartleby is a site that features both fiction and nonfiction books.

Fiction.us

Fiction.us has a ton of books, including fiction, short stories, children's picture books, poetry, books on writing, and plays.

Classic Literature Library

As the name suggests, Classic Literature Library is where you’ll find classic literature works.

Ideology.us

Ideology.us is a site that has ebooks on philosophy, psychology, sociology, politics, and education.

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare is where you’ll find all of Shakespeare’s work. The site is run by The Tech, the largest and oldest newspaper by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge.

Read Books Online

Read Books Online has around 6,000 ebooks, including novels, short stories, poems, essays, plays, and non-fiction.

Public Bookshelf

Public Bookshelf is a site dedicated to romance novels.

Categories of ebooks here include contemporary romance, romantic suspense, historical romance, regency romance, inspirational romance, vampire romance, western romance, general romance, and fantasy and paranormal romance.

The Perseus Project

The Perseus Project is a digital library created by Tufts University with books from Ancient Rome and Greece, published in original languages and English.

Chest of Books

Chest of Books has books on a ton of different subjects, including animals, finance, real estate, science, and travel.

The Literature Network

The Literature Network has books by authors like Anne Bronte, Lewis Carroll, and Lord George Gordon Byron. It also features forums, literature summaries, and quizzes.

The Online Books Page

The Online Books Page is a site by the University of Pennsylvania that houses books in categories like philosophy, history, medicine, science, agriculture, music, anthropology, and more. The site also links to the following:

Banned Books Online: A directory of books that were once banned and links to places where you can read them in full.

A Celebration of Women Writers: A directory that lists online editions of literary works by women as well as resources about women writers.

Prize Winners Online: A directory of prize-winning books.

Many Books

Many Books is “your friendly neighborhood library.” It houses over 50,000 books in genres like romance, mystery, young adult, horror, and non-fiction. You can read books online or download them to your device.

Authorama

Authorama turns public domain books on sites like Google Books and Project Gutenberg into HTML format, making it easier to read them.

Audiobooks

Librivox

Librivox has free audiobooks that you can listen to from any device.

[beguines]

The twist that makes tradlife a phenomenon of our times is that it also includes earnest criticisms of life under capitalism. Many tradlifers are young women who hate work and celebrate arrangements where men rescue their wives from the professional realm: "When my friend's mom first started dating her husband," one viral tweet reads, "he said 'Stay with me, marry me, and you’ll never have to work again.'" Only tradition can salvage love from modern indignities and the early-morning commute. Like a trapdoor, the idea swings open to reveal a baby-pink fantasy too fragile and nostalgic to be taken in the open air. Regular people preoccupied with bills, healthcare premiums, and rising rents will find much of the tradlife lifestyle to be out of reach. That paradox is what makes it such potent social media fare: tradlife is, at bottom, perpetuated by "influencers" who know how to make others feel desirous and frustrated in equal measure. It is a menacing advertisement jingle, for a product people may not want or be certain exists.

By describing the misery of work, tradlife ennobles itself. But as an ethos it also maintains a willful stupidity about modern capitalism's historic dependence on the family, a constitutive structure of capitalism, through which property, debt, and economic interest are all consolidated (it was Milton Friedman, after all, who wrote that "the ultimate operative unit in our society is the family"). As a concept, "the family" has worked even harder than "the individual" to overshadow our ethical obligations to other people. But few have use for notions of society anymore, defined as it is by unpredictability and fear of rising crime. We want only securitized intimacy—the happy assurance of a shared mortgage.

[. . .]

On a macro and micro level, then, tradlife proffers a purportedly risk-averse solution to the political challenges that patriarchy and sexism present. It guards women from most men and from public life. Meanwhile, the ideology itself shies away from present-day discontent, further withdrawing from the world it purports to wish to change. The family has long been an exclusive realm, where people hoard both interpersonal and economic resources. Yet tradlife overlooks this contradiction of its own supposed anti-capitalism, supplanting it with the sharp and flawless grid of a pixelated image. Regardless of its nostalgic Americana, tradlife's vision owes less to Norman Rockwell than Thomas Kinkade: the glitter is cold, and the insistence on perfection almost hysterical. Rockwell, even at his most idealized, still populated his work with people and their hijinks; he was interested in the capacity of individuals to surprise each other. Meanwhile, in its videos and photos of well-lit, private spaces, tradlife makes property rather than humans its central object. As in Kinkade's paintings, the house appears as a refuge from others.

Perhaps all contemporary relationships are attended by hierarchy, and tradlife is just more honest about the power differentials of intimacy. But feminism, at its best, has always pointed to the possibility that love could one day be different. It has maintained that we do not currently know the full range of its possibilities, because love between men and women has so far only happened within a narrow patch of unjust conditions. Tradlife seeks the certainty of formulaic relationships, but it hides from its purveyors the prospect that a different kind of society may have better, different formulas, or no formulas at all. What might marriage look like without the imperative of property? How might love be lived without the dramas of jealousy, pain, and insecurity that crowd a world in which public space and dignity are never fully shared?

[hesitationss]

everyone in my zine resource tags like #i want to make one! or #maybe i should get into them or #thinking about hmm.. yes HA HA YES think harder and make one !! everyone should make one! make one with friends, make it about whatever you want... even the cringe anime one... this is how queer trekkies found eachother and disseminated fan content way back in the 60s... during the harlem renaissance, it was black lifestyle and literary indie newsletters and magazines, that was all the way back in the 20s and 30s y'all. i have a couple copies of this one poet chapbook that exclusively published poetry by bipoc canadian poets from the 90s-early 2000s that was gifted to me by an original contributor because NO ONE ELSE was publishing racialized poets... zines don't have to be political, but the cultural production aspect of it leans heavily into self production, resourcefulness, and economic/creative empowerment.

this bridge called my back: writings by radical women of color edited by cherríe moraga and THE gloria e. anzaldúa, was first published in 1981 by persephone press - a massachusetts lesbian and feminist publishing house. it would NOT have made it into anyone's hands without the power of small press. often times, BIPOC feminist pedagogy is not documented, and when it is, it is in zines and small press!

go make a zine!!! it can quite literally be about whatever you want! get familiar with your library, they can help you too 🌷

[lennonleigh]

character name: lennon leigh reid

birthday: september 19th, 1999

gender / pronouns: cis woman, she/her

hometown: central park south, new york city

sexual orientation: bisexual / biromantic

residential area: starlight cove

occupation: fashion designer, founder of lenlei

length of time in starlight oaks: two months

positive traits: ambitious, resourceful, hardworking

negative traits: restless, impatient, stubborn

faceclaim: kaia gerber

BIOGRAPHY —

lennon was brought into a life of privilege, born to actor robert reid and celebrity makeup artist alissa taylor. her parents never married and just a year after the birth of their daughter, they separated. the majority of her childhood was spent in new york city with her mother, while the other half she spent on movie sets with her father in los angeles. her bicoastal lifestyle was something she adjusted to fairly easily but she would always consider new york her home, no matter how much she loved the serenity of the beach and being close to the water.

it was during the long hours spent with her mother at photoshoots and fashion weeks, where lennon got to observe what would become her passion in life. watching models on the runway, on and off camera, actresses on the red carpet, adorned in the most beautiful and bizarre creations, she found herself immersed in the world of fashion. as a teenager, she began to sketch, creating a portfolio of different designs that would become the first of many. she also scrapbooked as part of her research, collecting magazines and journals, textiles, fabrics. on her sixteenth birthday, lennon only asked for one present: a sewing machine.

from sophomore year until senior year of high school, lennon designed every costume for the theatre club, as well as made custom home and away uniforms for the cheer squad. every second of her time that she wasn't studying, she was sewing, crafting, creating. although she had several opportunities to meet designers, fashion icons and moguls in the industry, lennon wanted to remain anonymous. her status as the daughter of robert reid was never the factor she wanted to be the reason for her success, no matter how easy it could have been for her. after high school, she applied to the fashion institute of technology, where she was accepted and welcomed instantly. she couldn't escape nepotism entirely, no matter how much she wished she could.

in those formative years, lennon learned so much, not just about the fashion industry but about herself. she fell in love with a girl, her newfound sexuality leading to a brand new burst of creative expression. the relationship was short-lived however, her lover leaving to study abroad and choosing to stay there. it was also her first taste of heartbreak which she soon learned had the ability to fuel a whole other kind of productivity and creativity. after graduating, lennon wanted to jump into the world of work and so, she acquired the help of her mom, the owner of her own cosmetic company, to help her launch her first business venture.

lennon worked quietly behind the scenes for a year after she graduated, bringing 'lenlei' to life on the pages of a new portfolio that she kept close to her heart, building her brand from the ground up. during this time, she also got the opportunity to shadow jacqueline durran on the set of barbie. it was a dream come true. one that she admittedly had her father to thank for. lennon rarely sought his help but there was no way she could pass up on the experience of a lifetime. while working with jacqueline, lennon kept a close eye on one of her other heroes in the industry, amara washington. a woman whose work she'd followed closely since she was fifteen years old.

she respected amara not just for her work ethic but for being one of the most impactful, influential female entrepreneurs of her generation. ororo was a brand that featured in her scrapbooks as a teenager and when amara made the move to new york city, lennon didn't ever miss a runway show. the young designer's self named brand lenlei was crafted with a similar vision to those who'd come before her, with an added twist and a slight risk --- she wanted it to be a success but for it to be inclusive and accessible to all. casual wear, androgynous fashion, for women, men and nonbinary individuals. lenlei represented originality, authenticity and comfort. launched online in 2023, her range sold out and lennon earned a spot in forbes' 30 under 30.

fast forward to the present day, lennon's move to starlight oaks, (amara washington's very own hometown) was led by the success of her growing company. signing a contract with an independent clothing store, above the clouds, proved to be a new and exciting step forward. with the presence of amara in town, she's also hoping for the opportunity to learn from her in a setting that's more relaxed, away from the bustling city lights that they're used to. securing a retail space to sell her clothing line while working behind the scenes to bring her own boutique to life, lennon is hopeful that the small town will unlock bigger dreams, new hopes and fresh beginnings.

POTENTIAL CONNECTIONS —

coming soon !

[harajukucorner]

From the 1970s-1990s

Japanese Street fashion, also known as Harajuku Street fashion refers to a number of styles of contemporary clothing in Japan. It can be considered a cultural revolution that discards the norms of the past and replaces them with modern trends and styles. As a lover of fashion that integrates culture, Harajuku Street fashion and its evolution has always been an interest of mine and here, I share this interest with you. 

In the 1970s, a sense of generational solidarity was felt amongst the young people which caused them to band together against the grownups. This decade appears to mark the beginning of Japanese street fashion. The later half of the 1970s featured the rejection of traditional principles in favor of new fashion patterns. Admiration of adult lifestyle came to fruition in the 1980s, preppy magazines such as JJ and POPEYE are examples of this. 

In the middle of the 1980s, youth and change stood out again, where the culture of the children, rather than the culture of the adults provided the essence of style. This started with the rise of the DC (meaning “designer” and “character”) trend which was the first trend to originate from Japan instead of mimicking overseas fashions. Again, the focus was switched and toward the end of the 1980s there was an interest in maturity and stability. The bodikon (body-conscious) and shibukaji (Shibuya Casual) trends appeared. Bodikon fashion symbolized an era of female ascendancy, an age where ‘Hanako-san’ (a woman like the women depicted in Hanako magazine) would extend her energy into both work and play on the equal level as men. Shibuya Casual symbolized the passing of the torch from the shinjinrui (new breed) generation to the dankai junior generation as the young people who drive street fashion.

 Around 1990, Shibuya Casual fell mainly into the interest of high school students in the Shibuya area whereas college students based their influence on the Yamanote fashion, which began as a Japanese interpretation of BCBG.

resources used!:

https://artsandculture.google.com/story/tokyo-street-fashion-and-culture-1980-2017-across/hQWBPmGdPtB7Iw?hl=en

https://janbox.com/blog/japanese-street-fashion/#:~:text=History%20of%20Japanese%20street%20fashion,local%20stores%20catering%20to%20Americans.

[algebraicvarietyshow]

Incorporating Pitchfork into a men’s magazine also cements perceptions that music is a male leisure pursuit, and undermines the fact that it was women and non-binary writers – Lindsay Zoladz, Jenn Pelly, Carrie Battan, Amanda Petrusich, Sasha Geffen, Jill Mapes, Doreen St Félix, Hazel Cills; the fearless editing of Jessica Hopper and then the most recent editor-in-chief Puja Patel, to name but a handful – who transformed the website in the 2010s. It also suggests that music is just another facet of a consumer lifestyle, not a distinct art form that connects niche communities worthy of close reading, documentation and, when warranted, investigation. It was Pitchfork’s Marc Hogan who reported that Win Butler of Arcade Fire – a band entwined with the site’s rise to relevance – had been accused of sexual misconduct by multiple women (extramarital relationships that Butler says were consensual); Pitchfork that published writer Amy Zimmerman’s report into 10 women accusing Sun Kil Moon songwriter Mark Kozelek of sexual misconduct (Kozelek denies the allegations). I wonder whether GQ will invest resources into reports like this, to sit alongside e-commerce pieces on how “The Best Cordless Stick Vacuum Will Turn You Into a Clean Freak”, to take one current example from their culture news feed.

[grotto-of-benedicaria]

Reading recommendations for someone looking to learn more about Benedicaria?

You have to be very careful. Under my Benedicaria tag, I mention that Vito Quattrocchi and his friend Fr Agostino Taumaturgo (aka, Jason Spadafore - he and Vito send their book drafts back and forth to one another, and are close friends) are like... beyond racist. They're openly-posting-swastika's racist, or at least Vito is. Gail Faith Edwards, while a separate vein of writing, is also racist, but even more strongly transphobic, though the bar is so low on resources that honestly the fact that she doesn't want back Mussolini and his friend the mustache man is an improvement over the first two.

Rue Roselli is friends with Fr Agostino but seems to not be racist, and tries to talk sense into the both of them on a variety of topics, including the lack of a sharp line between Strega and Benedicaria in practice, as opposed to in heart, so of the larger names Rue is who I would recommend. (Benedicaria being pretty solidly Catholic.)

As such...

Well, there's an adorable essay by someone who mostly writes what I'd call "pop witchcraft" (albeit with good messaging sometimes)- but this article shows something more of what she doesn't say in her books.

Mostly though, the answer is "find someone willing to teach you." And "read as many books on pre-Vatican II sacramentals as you can stand."

This website and book -

There's also some who are more Pagan / Strega leaning because of issues with Christianity, but mostly leave the practices and prayers and saints intact. Chaotic Witch Aunt falls under this category, including Diana as the main Pagan deity that shows up in their personal practice. (Note, they're non-binary, the "Aunt" title notwithstanding.)

[panelrank]

Jayda Jacobs: A Model and Social Media Personality Unveils Her Journey

Influencers on social media are the newest type of celebrities in the digital age. Their expertise is used to guide and shape the taste of their audience. Create regular content for a growing community. They often collaborate with brands in order to raise product awareness.

Jayda's Journey As a popular social media personality she personifies the trend to build an online presence by using authentic communication. In the influencer ecosystem, she exemplifies an ideal balance of creativity and business knowledge.

Early Career Pathways

Jayda Jacobs Early career path shows social media's democratization of the fashion modeling industry. Young models can use Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter to showcase their portfolios and personalities beyond the traditional approval process of agencies. JaydaShe defined her style to reflect her personality and aspirations. It set her apart. It was important for her to invest in high-quality visual content that showed off both her versatility and range. This helped attract attention on visually-driven platforms like Instagram. Jayda’s online presence is strengthened by Jayda’s consistency. Her social media accounts were updated on a regular basis.

Instagram Portfolio Her Instagram profile served as a portfolio that featured professional pictures and captions to showcase her modeling. Jayda increased her visibility by researching and using relevant hashtags. She looked for collaboration and networking opportunities among other makeup artists, models and photographers. It helped her to build relationships and open up doors for career opportunities in the future.

Jayda’s personality was an engaging way for her to showcase both creativity and personality. It helped Jayda make her mark in the world of fashion. Jayda was active in the fashion community, following fashion magazines, industry professionals and fashion publications. It helped Jayda establish herself as a knowledgeable and active member of the fashion community.

Jayda’s strategy helped build her loyal fan base, which led to career opportunities. It is important to have a social media presence in the model industry.

Build an Online Presence

Jayda Jacobs Her rise to influencer status on social media is a testament to her strategic use of Instagram. Jayda Jacobs recognized Instagram's mobile capabilities and visual storytelling abilities, so she utilized them to build a community-focused presence. Her Instagram profile was the virtual shopfront for many of her users. This reflects the importance of a homepage. Accepting user generated content: Jayda Encouraged her fans and created a culture for participation. She understood that user-generated content is a great resource but it requires a thoughtful approach to align with her narrative. It was clever to use hashtags strategically in order to market her brand without it being too obvious. Jayda's Instagram Storytelling enabled her to reach out and connect more personally with her fans. Her Instagram stories included behind-the-scenes glimpses, interactive polls and sneak peeks. It humanized the brand and increased engagement.

Jayda created a lifestyle brand for her target audience, selling experiences rather than products. She partnered with successful brands like Nike and Ban.do. She emphasized building an online presence that was multifaceted, so she could not only be visible but also create genuine connections and grow devoted fans. Jayda was vigilant in her efforts to grow her brand. In order to maintain her competitive edge, she analyzed the results and kept up with new platforms.

Create and Engage Content

Jayda JacobsContent Creation and Engagement is an efficient machine, driven by her understanding of who she serves and the platforms they prefer. Hootsuite, a scheduling tool that she utilizes to ensure her posts are consistent and timely, is used by Jayda. Jayda's content is deliberate. Every post is written with a specific purpose in mind, be it to educate, entertain, promote or inspire.

The Variety of Content JaydaShe engages her audience by using high-quality images and videos with interactive elements. Engaging Tactics To increase her visibility, she uses location tags and relevant hashtags. She also uses Instagram Stories and posts frequently on Instagram to maintain a dialogue with her audience. Jayda's community-building efforts are focused on transparency and interactivity. She wants to make her fans feel valued and heard.

Jayda’s content strategy is heavily influenced by analytics. By analyzing her best performing posts, she can create new content to share with her audience. She is able connect to the majority of her audience by tailoring content and matching interests and languages with their target audiences. Jayda also paid for promotional campaigns and partnered up with people who are influential in her industry to grow her audience.

Monetization Strategies

Jayda Jacobs Like many social media influencers, she's used different monetization methods to increase her online visibility. These include: Jayda works with brands and shares sponsored content to her audience. As a result, she earns hefty fees. One post can earn her up to $10,000. Jayda's blog can generate a steady income by integrating affiliate links or codes. The commissions can range from 5-30%. Jayda’s product line allows her to directly monetize and build both her brand and reputation.

Controversies and Challenges

Jayda JacobsLike other social media influencers, she has to navigate a complex landscape filled with challenges, issues and controversies. She has many challenges to face, including: Jayda has a difficult time keeping her personal and professional lives separate. Since her personal and professional identity are closely linked, blurred lines can lead to emotional stress.

Brand persona and. Jayda could feel limited by her need to keep a certain image to be able to partner with brands. This may hinder Jayda's personal development. For Jayda, having to keep a specific image to be able to partner with brands can cause stress. It could restrict her freedom to express herself.

Negativity online: As her following increases, so does the likelihood that she will be harassed on social media. Jayda must develop strategies to deal with the negative comments of trolls, and others. It can impact her mental health and passion.

Conclusion

It is a long journey. Jayda Jacobs Her journey as a social media influencer has been extensive. Authenticity and strategic partnerships are the key to influencer success. Our research revealed the strategies behind creating a strong identity online and engaging your audience. Our research revealed subtleties in monetizing the reach of social media. Jayda’s story is a great guide to anyone who wants to create a successful online presence through creativity, flexibility and dedication. Jayda’s resilience when faced with the volatility of her industry and complexity of personal brand, is an excellent example of what it takes to be successful today in this age of social media. Jayda's story teaches us about the importance of being authentic in spite of commercial goals, and how to grow both professionally and personally. Jayda explores the Internet world.

Let's Follow Jayda's Social Media!

[penamonperks]

Be Encouraged!

[uglytsumugi12]

shine▲polyhedric tri-lights 【ep 8】

♢ characters: natsume, sora, tsumugi, madara

♢ season: winter

― ☆ ―

Natsume: ......

Sora: Oh, Shisho~! Good morning!

Shisho...? Is something wrong? Your "color" feels a bit clouded...

.."Wheel of Fortune" card?

Ah, did you get another bad omen...?

Natsume: Not reaLLY, that's not iT. I was just deep in thouGHTS.

AnywAY, did you come here to make some research tOO?

Sora: Yes! Sora came to investigate!¹

Natsume: HeHE, what a coincidENCE. I've also been doing research concerning spoRTS.

Senpai was there for a biT, but he had to leave to get resources from the compaNY.

Sora: Sora will research on sports, too. Ah, by the way Shisho... Do you know what "the 'S' in Switch is the 'S' in 'Sports'" means?

Natsume: ...? I have no idea whY, that proposal was Senpai's doiNG.

I asked him about iT, he said it was some "youthful enthusiasm's result". He was embarrassed to admit iT, thouGH.

Surely that isn't so much of big of a deAL, is iT?

Sora: Senpai was embarrassed to answer..? Sora feels troubled...

Sora thought this matter was important for Switch's formation...

Natsume: What can I saY? It was Senpai who thoughtlessly mentioned how I felt about the Five Eccentrics accidENT.

Work is better done fast and finished than slow and meticulOUS. Senpai's mindset differs from that entireLY.

Sora: ..Not a big deal...

(...Actually, Shisho might be right.)

(A sporty theme might've just been one amongst many others during Switch's formation. It could have no deep meaning at all.)

(But doesn't this all feel strange~?²)

(Tsuka-chan seemed to tell the truth, too.)

(Senpai never does things randomly...³ It wouldn't be surprising if he was hiding something.)

(Is Sora overthinking? Is he making wrong assumptions? Either way, he'll have to hear the truth from Senpai.)

(And Sora has the perfect trick up his sleeve for that—)

Natsume: SoRA, don't just stand heRE. Sit next to mE.

The interviews I'm reading right now will surely help uS. Let's split up and read them togeTHER.

Sora: ...Oh-- Yes, that's a good idea!

Let's find answers quickly and make this job a success, shall we~?

(...Sora would also be happy to discover what your secret with Switch is, Senpai.)

〈 Two hours later 〉

Tsumugi: Natsume-kun, Sora-kun! I'm back~♪

I'm happy you guys were still in the office when I contacted you. That way I'll be able to add up the company's data to your research.

I'm sure we'll be able to understand what a "performance where you shine and improve yourself" means with it.

Sora: HaHa~ Thank you! Can we read it now?

Tsumugi: Of course. Let's read it together ♪

Natsume: Let's sEE... "Sparkling sweat, glistening on the forehead. A good day with your friends."

...That doesn't mention anything about outfiTS, righT?

Tsumugi: Correct. It represents lifestyles in similarly to fashion magazines.

The other projects are similar... Some young people smiling wide and enjoying street sports while wearing the company's outfits.

Problem is, isn't this exactly what we did yesterday? Or is ice skating a too classy sport..?

Natsume: A problem indEED. We're running out of tiME, and we still don't know what they exactly want from US.

I thought we'd find the answers to our questioNS, but this isn't helping one bIT.

What do you thinK, SoRA? Did you find anythiNG?

Sora: Ah, yes! Sora—

Madara: Hey there, enough chit-chat!

Tsumugi & Natsume: ....!?

Sora: Uwah-?! Why is Sora being tied up!?

Madara: Hahaha, sorry, Sora-san! I'll be carrying you for a bit, so please hang in there!

Natsume-san, Tsumugi-san. My apologies but, I'll be borrowing your precious junior for a bit!

Sora: Shisho, Senpai! Please help!!

Natsume: SoRA!!

Tsumugi: Hey, wait-! What'd you do that for--

Madara: Things never remain static, and life's always full of unexpected events!

If you want your Sora-san back, you'll have to catch me first...☆

Natsume: GH-- SenpAI, let's go after hIM!

Tsumugi: Y- Yes!!

But- Why did Mikejima-kun steal Sora-kun away, he was so cooperative yesterday—

Natsume: Now's not the time to think about thAT, idiOT! Let's get goING!

UgH, I knew asking this guy for help was a bad idEA. He'd expect something back for suRE.

For hell's saKE, why do I keep getting bad omeNS...!!?

— 1- that term used by sora is the same natsume used b4 but i think sora would use it more literally than the adaptation i did for natsume lmao) 2- more precisely, foggy, uncertain, sort of hazy feeling abt the situation 3- here its more "praying and being fond of lucky charms" because as u may know mugi always tries to avoid bad omens and carries lucky charms with him. a lot. so ig this adaptation is more of saying he wouldnt do things carelessly as hes very meticulous about his work & wants to prevent unlucky events from happening

― ☆ ― ♢ previous chapter ♢ next chapter

✦ masterlist

[catrocketship]

Jeanne Mammen 1890-1976

“I have always wanted to be just a pair of eyes, walking through the world unseen, only to see others.” Such was the desire of German artist Jeanne Mammen, an artist whose tumultuous life demands documentation. Born November 21, 1890 in Berlin, Mammen moved shortly thereafter to Paris. She was very much a product of the French culture, showing a strong affinity for Victor Hugo, Gustave Flaubert, and fin de siècle Symbolist art. In 1906, she began her artistic studies at the Académie Julian, one of the few academies that accepted women. In 1908, Mammen left Paris to study in Brussels and from then moved to Rome. After that, she spent some time moving between Paris, Brussels, Rome and Amsterdam. In 1912, Mammen received her first invitation to exhibit with the Indépendents in Brussels, her work of the period marked by the influence of Symbolism, Art Nouveau, and the Decadence Movement. At the onset of the First World War, Mammen’s cosmopolitan lifestyle was disrupted, as her German father was labelled as an enemy of the French. Instead of fleeing to Amsterdam, she and her sister Marie Louise returned to their native Berlin, where Mammen would live until her death. 

 Mammen’s most successful and acclaimed period began, ironically, with abject poverty. Without the resources of her family, she struggled to get by. However, by the early 1920s, Mammen had forged a commercial career for herself, illustrating film posters and satirical and fashion magazines. During this period, she depicted the hedonism of Interwar Germany in watercolour and pencil, imbuing the austere, cynical style of contemporaries Otto Dix and George Grosz, with the warmer style of Lautrec and a uniquely feminine perspective. Unlike her male contemporaries, Mammen depicted the liberated woman not as a sexual object but as an individual with capacity and agency. The women Mammen portrayed with the greatest favour were independent women who chose to live without men. She depicted a range of women; from the independent, erotic flapper to “butch” ones. These women often interacted with each other instead of men; pursuing exclusively female activities. This exclusive depiction of women and their interactions with others, coupled with her illustrations of Berlin’s lesbian bars, have led scholars to postulate that Mammen herself was a lesbian, a rumour never corroborated by the artist herself. 

Mammen’s work of this era is epitomised in her 1928 piece, She Represents, in which she depicts a liberated, androgynous woman enjoying a raucous party in a lesbian bar. She plays on the differences between the central figures; one distinctly butch and the other very feminine. Stylistically, She Represents is far more indebted to the French tradition than the German, especially regarding its gentleness and use of colour. During this period, Mammen was able to satisfy her desire to observe, documenting the reality of her chosen subjects with vitality and nuance. 

Mammen’s life and art were again fundamentally changed in 1933 when the Nazi party assumed power in Germany. The reality of Germany for Mammen was no longer beautiful, and she was repulsed by Nazi interest in realism; prompting her to practice an ‘inner emigration’ and experiment in abstract art. In an act of internal rebellion, Mammen adopted the very art dismissed by the Nazi party as degenerate. Her work during this period was heavily influenced by Picasso’s Guernica, which she saw in 1937. Her piece The Strangling Angel, painted between 1939 and 1942, is clearly influenced by Guernica, but uses an Expressionist palette and does not reference a specific event but rather a general feeling of violence. Although the painting is technically satisfactory; it is devoid of the personality and allure of her earlier pieces, existing in complete opposition to them. In the Post-War period, Mammen experimented with sculpture, reacting to the material insecurity of the period in her use of waste materials like wire, cardboard, and string from American care packages. The faces of her sculptures refer to African sculpture. She also experimented with collages that bore the influence of Miró and Pollock alike.

In the final period of her life (1960-1975), Mammen continued to experiment, her style of the period marked by a lack of commitment to a particular style. She withdrew from society again, sequestered in the same Berlin apartment that she bought with her sister decades earlier. During this period, Mammen frequently used mystical symbols and became obsessed with the colour white. Her work attracted the attention of art historians in the early 1970s, shortly before her death in 1975. Although perhaps not terribly well known, Mammen provides a unique perspective on war, gender, and sexuality, responding with a singular adeptness to an incredibly wide range of human experience. 

[basichaircoursetips]

How do I choose my haircut style?

Choosing a hair cutting style involves considering various factors, including your face shape, hair type, lifestyle, personal preferences, and current trends. Here's a step-by-step guide to help you choose a haircut style that suits you:

Assess Your Face Shape

Determine your face shape (round, oval, square, heart, long, diamond, triangular) to identify styles that are known to flatter your features.

Consider Hair Texture

Your hair's natural texture (straight, wavy, curly, coily) plays a role in how a haircut will look. Some styles work better with certain textures.

Think About Lifestyle

Consider how much time you're willing to spend styling your hair each day. Choose a style that aligns with your routine and preferences.

Research and Gather Inspiration

Look for inspiration from magazines, social media, and online resources. Save pictures of haircuts you like to show your stylist.

Consult with a Professional Stylist

A professional stylist can provide expert advice based on your face shape, hair texture, and lifestyle. They can also offer insights into how a certain style might look on you.

Consider Maintenance

Think about how often you're willing to visit the salon for trims and upkeep. Some styles require more frequent maintenance than others.

Think About Color

If you're considering a new hair color along with your haircut, ensure that the color complements your skin tone and overall style.

Try Virtual Makeover Tools

Some websites and apps offer virtual makeover tools that allow you to try on different haircuts virtually before making a decision.

[disabilityhorizons]

Disability Horizons Magazine is closing. DH Shop will continue, it's business as usual.

Martyn Sibley has just posted an article about the closure of DH magazine https://disabilityhorizons.com/2023/03/disability-horizons-set-to-close-after-12-wonderful-years/

DH shop will continue trading. It's business as usual, please be reassured that things will continue. The shop was a joint project with DH and my company Equip-Able Ltd. The shop has been run separately from the magazine, and we are not closing! We intend to move the shop to https://disabilityhealthshop.com/ later this year. This new domain will also host all the articles from the DH magazine and will be an ongoing resource for the disabled community.

It will continue to be a platform for quality suppliers of independence aids and help to launch new entrepreneurs and their designs. I intend to commission articles similar to those on the shop blog currently: reviews, lifestyle information, new products, gift suggestions and themed marketing around disability, new designs that make life easier and assist independent living.We still have a lot of people to reach and sales to make and I hope all my existing and new customers will stay for the ride (and the excellent customer service and new inventions!).