#maps for sale online

[jerrysmith5439]

Antique world maps for sale online

The charm and historical significance of antique world maps for sale online captivate collectors and history enthusiasts alike. These maps are not merely representations of geographical knowledge but also artifacts that reflect the evolution of exploration, cartography, and the understanding of our world. Whether you are a seasoned collector or a novice eager to dive into the world of antique maps, this comprehensive guide will provide invaluable insights into acquiring these timeless pieces.

Understanding the Historical Value of Antique Maps

Antique maps offer a window into the past, showcasing how our ancestors perceived the world. From the medieval mappa mundi to the intricate 17th-century Dutch charts, each map is a testament to the cartographer's skill and the era's geographical knowledge. The historical context and artistic details make these maps highly sought after by collectors.

Early Cartography: The Dawn of World Mapping

The earliest world maps were often symbolic rather than accurate. Medieval maps like the Hereford Mappa Mundi illustrated a mix of geography, mythology, and religious beliefs. These early maps are rare and valuable, often commanding high prices at auctions.

The Age of Exploration: Expanding Horizons

The 15th and 16th centuries marked a significant shift with the Age of Exploration. Explorers like Christopher Columbus and Ferdinand Magellan contributed to the creation of more accurate maps. These maps charted new territories and sea routes, making them historical milestones and collector's treasures.

The Golden Age of Cartography: Precision and Artistry

The 17th century, often referred to as the Golden Age of Cartography, saw the production of highly detailed and decorative maps. Dutch cartographers like Willem Blaeu and Joan Blaeu produced maps that are celebrated for their accuracy and aesthetic appeal. These maps are highly prized for their beauty and historical importance.

Types of Antique World Maps

Antique maps come in various types, each with unique features and historical significance. Understanding these types can help collectors make informed decisions.

Ptolemaic Maps

Based on the works of Claudius Ptolemy, these maps were the standard for geographical knowledge during the Renaissance. Ptolemaic maps are known for their classical depiction of the world and are highly valued for their historical significance.

Portolan Charts

These nautical charts were used by sailors from the 13th to the 18th centuries. Known for their accuracy in coastal details, Portolan charts are essential for collectors interested in maritime history.

World Atlases

Published collections of maps, such as Abraham Ortelius's "Theatrum Orbis Terrarum," are considered some of the first modern atlases. These atlases offer a comprehensive view of the world during their time and are significant collector's items.

Evaluating the Condition and Authenticity

When purchasing antique maps, it is crucial to evaluate their condition and authenticity. Here are some key factors to consider:

Condition

Paper Quality: Antique maps were often printed on high-quality paper, but over time, paper can become brittle or discolored. Look for maps that have been well-preserved or professionally restored.

Coloring: Original coloring enhances a map's value, while later additions can detract from its authenticity. Examine the map for signs of original hand-coloring.

Damage and Repairs: Check for tears, stains, or repairs. While minor imperfections are expected, extensive damage can significantly reduce a map's value.

Authenticity

Provenance: A well-documented history adds to a map's value. Provenance can include previous ownership, sale records, and historical context.

Watermarks and Signatures: Authentic antique maps often have watermarks and cartographer signatures. These features can help verify the map's age and authenticity.

Expert Appraisal: Consult with experts or reputable dealers to ensure the map's authenticity. Professional appraisals can provide peace of mind and validate your investment.

Where to Buy Antique World Maps

There are several reputable sources for purchasing antique world maps for sale online. Each offers unique advantages for collectors.

Online Auctions and Marketplaces

Websites like eBay and LiveAuctioneers provide a vast selection of antique maps. These platforms allow buyers to bid on items and often feature detailed descriptions and images.

Specialized Dealers

Specialized antique map dealers offer curated selections and expert knowledge. These dealers often have physical galleries and online stores, providing personalized service and authentication.

Antique Shows and Fairs

Attending antique shows and fairs can be an excellent way to view maps in person and interact with sellers. These events often feature a wide range of maps, from affordable pieces to high-end rarities.

Auction Houses

Renowned auction houses like Sotheby's and Christie's frequently feature antique maps in their auctions. These maps often come with extensive provenance and expert authentication.

Caring for Your Antique Maps

Proper care and preservation are essential to maintain the value and beauty of antique maps. Here are some tips for caring for your collection:

Storage

Climate Control: Store maps in a climate-controlled environment to prevent damage from humidity and temperature fluctuations.

Protective Sleeves: Use archival-quality sleeves or folders to protect maps from dust and handling.

Flat Storage: Store maps flat rather than rolled to prevent creasing and deformation.

Display

Framing: Use UV-protective glass and acid-free materials when framing maps to prevent fading and deterioration.

Avoid Direct Sunlight: Display maps away from direct sunlight to prevent fading and discoloration.

Rotating Displays: Rotate displayed maps periodically to reduce prolonged exposure to light and environmental factors.

Investing in Antique Maps

Antique maps can be a valuable investment, with prices often appreciating over time. Here are some factors to consider when investing:

Rarity and Demand

Maps that are rare or in high demand can command premium prices. Consider maps that depict significant historical events or regions of interest to collectors.

Condition and Provenance

Well-preserved maps with documented provenance are more likely to appreciate in value. Invest in maps that have been properly cared for and come with a history of ownership.

Market Trends

Stay informed about market trends and auction results. Understanding the current market can help you make informed investment decisions and identify valuable opportunities.

Conclusion

Antique world maps for sale online are more than just decorative items; they are pieces of history that offer a glimpse into the past. Whether you are a seasoned collector or a newcomer, understanding the historical value, types, and care of these maps can enhance your appreciation and investment. By purchasing from reputable sources and properly caring for your maps, you can build a collection that is both beautiful and valuable.

For more Details - https://neatlinemaps.com/

[twistedkittyart]

Like a lot of small businesses I like to track where my sales are from, since the start of The Twisted Kitty in September 2019 I have been keeping a paper sales map but it's getting a little bit worn so I decided to make a digital version.

Here are my sales in the UK since 2019 till now (July 2024). Can't believe I've only got 6 more postcodes to go.

[mariacallous]

On Boxing Day pro-Palestine demonstrators met customers at the Zara sale in the Westfield shopping centre, in Stratford, east London. They were not there to wish them the compliments of the season.

‘Bombs are dropping while you’re shopping,’ they chanted, as police stood by to make sure the protests did not turn violent. ‘Zara is enabling genocide,’ their placards read.

Quite what they wanted bargain hunters to do about the Israeli forces bombing the Gaza Strip, they never said. Lobby their MPs? Politicians are on their Christmas holidays. Join the Palestinian armed struggle?  It was unclear whether the shopping centre had a Hamas recruitment office.

But on one point the demonstrators were certain: no one should be buying from Zara. Even though the fashion chain has not encouraged Israel’s war against Hamas, earned income from it, or supported Israel in any material way, it was nevertheless “exploiting a genocide and commodifying Palestine's pain for profit”.

Zara, in short, has become the object of a paranoid fantasy: a QAnon conspiracy theory for the postcolonial left.

The Zara conspiracy is an entirely modern phenomenon. It has no original author. Antisemitic Russians sat down and wrote the Protocols of the Elders of Zion in the early 20th century. There was an actual “Q” behind the QAnon conspiracy: a far-right activist who first appeared on 4chan message boards in 2017 to claim that a cabal of child abusers was conspiring against Donald Trump.

The Zara conspiracy was mass produced by social media users: an example of the madness of crowds rather than their supposed wisdom. The cause of the descent into hysteria was bizarre.

In early December Zara launched an advertising campaign featuring the model Kristen McMenamy wearing its latest collection in a sculptor’s studio. It clearly was a studio, by the way, and not a war zone in southern Israel or Gaza. McMenamy carried a mannequin wrapped in white fabric. The cry went up that the Spanish company was exploiting the suffering of Palestinians and that the mannequin was meant to represent a victim of Israeli aggression wrapped in a shroud.

The accusation was insane. No one in the photo shoot resembled a soldier or a casualty of war. Anyone who thought for 30 seconds before resorting to social media would have known that global brands plan their advertising campaigns months in advance.

Zara said the campaign presented “a series of images of unfinished sculptures in a sculptor’s studio and was created with the sole purpose of showcasing craft-made garments in an artistic context”. The idea for the studio setting was conceived in July. The photo shoot was in September, weeks before the Hamas assault on Israel on 7 October.

No one cared. Melanie Elturk, the CEO of fashion brand Haute Hijab, said of the campaign, ‘this is sick. What kind of sick, twisted, and sadistic images am I looking at?’ #BoycottZara trended on Twitter, as users said that Zara was ‘utterly shameful and disgraceful”’.

To justify their condemnations, activists developed ever-weirder theories. A piece of cardboard in the photoshoot was meant to be a map of Israel/Palestine turned upside down. Because a Zara executive had once invited an extreme right-wing Israeli politician to a meeting, the whole company was damned.

Astonishingly, or maybe not so astonishingly to anyone who follows online manias, the fake accusations worked. Zara stores in Glasgow, Toronto. Hanover, Melbourne and Amsterdam were targeted.

What on earth could Zara do? PR specialists normally say that the worst type of apology is the non-apology apology, when a public figure or institution shows no remorse, but instead says that they are sorry that people are offended. Yet Zara had not sought to trivialize or profit from the war so what else could it do but offer a non-apology apology? The company duly said it was sorry that people were upset.

“Unfortunately, some customers felt offended by these images, which have now been removed, and saw in them something far from what was intended when they were created,” it said on 13 December, and pulled the advertising campaign

That was two-weeks ago and yet still the protests in Zara stores continue. On 23 December activists targeted Zara on Oxford Street chanting , 'Zara, Zara, you can't hide, stop supporting genocide', even though Zara was not, in fact, ��supporting genocide. On Boxing Day, they were at the Stratford shopping centre.

Zara has apologised for an offence it did not commit. There is no way that any serious person can believe the charges against it. And yet believe them the protestors do. Or at the very least they pretend to believe for the sake of keeping in with their allies.

Maybe nothing will come of the protests. One could have argued in 2017, after all, that QAnon was essentially simple-minded people living out their fantasies online. Certainly, every sane American knew that there was no clique of paedophiles running the Democrat party, but where was the harm in the conspiracy theory?

Then QAnon supporters stormed the US capitol in January 2021. Will the same story play out from the Gaza protests? As far as I can tell, no one on the left is challenging the paranoia. I have yet to see the fact-checkers of the BBC and Channel 4 warning about the fake news on the left with anything like the gusto with which they treat its counterparts on the right.

To be fair, the scale of disinformation around the Gaza war is off the charts, and it is impossible to chase down every lie. But when fake news goes from online fantasies to real world protests, from 4chan to the Capitol, from Twitter to the Westfield shopping centre, it’s worth taking notice.

Sensible supporters of a Palestinian state ought to be the most concerned. No one apart from fascists, Islamists and far leftists believes that Israel should not defend itself. And yet the scale of its military action in Gaza is outraging world opinion. Mainstream politicians, who might one day put pressure on Israel, remain very wary about reflecting the anger on the streets.

They look at the insane conspiracy theories on the western left and see them as no different from the insane conspiracy theories that motivate Hamas, and they back away.

The Palestinians need many things: an end to the Netanyahu government, and an end to Hamas. But they could also use allies in the West who do not discredit their cause with dark, gibbering fantasies.

[iraprince]

hi, it's itchio creator day! this means itch doesn't take a cut of any sales today, which makes it a great time to support me if you've been thinking about picking up one of my games!

EYES ON THE PRIZE is a fake marriage comedy of errors for 2 or 4 players (1 or 2 pairs); think coppola marie antoinette meets austen meets the birdcage. it's pick up and play, and all you need is an 8-sided die per player + one standard pack of playing cards!

(and yes, it can be played online, with a few easy tweaks, and yes, it can be hacked for polyam play -- see some dev notes here!)

LAMPLIGHTER'S FESTIVAL is a worldbuilding/map-drawing game that can be played solo or collaboratively. it's fantastic for developing locations + then breathing life into its inhabitants, whether you're a DM or just fleshing out locations for other projects! (and you get to use your ENTIRE set of polyhedral dice all at once. look me in the eye and tell me you've never wanted to ball all 7 dice up in your fist and just chuck them.)

i also have two free games on my page: SMOKE WEED AND DO SOMETHING (YOU DON'T HAVE TO SMOKE WEED BUT YOU DO HAVE TO DO SOMETHING) and X-COURSE MEAL.

SWADS(YDHTSWBYDHTDS) is a zine/game???? about lowering the stakes until you can tackle your shit; X-COURSE MEAL is a horrible dinner party game inspired by human centipede, with rules so concise that they fit on the back of a business card.

as mentioned, these are both free, but if you've ever enjoyed my art and you'd like to throw me a tip, you can name your own price when you download these!

and if you already own + have enjoyed my games: thank you so much! leaving a 5-star review and/or comment on the game pages helps other people discover me, and it's another really appreciated form of support!

[podemechamardeeli]

Tiny Town Challenge Expanded - The Sims 3

The inspiration for this challenge came from Deligracy's Tiny Town challenge for The Sims 4 (Original rules HERE). I loved the idea of the challenge, but The Sims 3 has a huge advantage: it already has an open world, so the houses didn't need to be restricted to one lot, but instead, we could build a real community. That's why, in addition to translating, I took some time to adapt it in the best possible way to everything that TS3 offers us.

I kept the characteristics of the Sims from the original challenge as best as I could, but adapted them to keep them as "autonomous" as possible.

I have all the expansions and stuff packs, so feel free to do only what fits into what you already have in your game and/or adapt it as best you can.

When I saw the Stardew Valley map by @boringbones, I felt this would be a perfect match! You don't have to start on the same map as me, but I strongly suggest you start on a tiny or small mapto really have the proximity between the lots and, even better, if it's empty so you can populate it as you play with the Sims.

I'm just starting to play this challenge, so not all the rules have been tested. I will adapt as needed and welcome suggestions.

Tags: #TinyTownTS3 #tiny town challenge ts3 or tag my "@". I would love to know you're playing too. 😍

The Goal

The goal of this challenge is to build a town with tiny houses for up to 16 Sims (depending on whether you want to use mods or not or which packs you own) that match their desires and skills.

You can watch my gameplay of this challenge on my YouTube channel here. (link to be available soon)

The Stardew Valley map can be purchased here (link for download).

The Rundown

Each Sim has a set skill that you must utilize to fund the construction of their tiny home. For example, Frank Stem likes flower arranging, so you must sell flower arrangements to fund his Tiny House build.

You must also represent each Sim's favorite style and color in the build (see the Sim characters below). You can only work on one Sim's house at a time, moving each Sim in individually as you "unlock" them.

To "unlock" the next Sim, you must complete the previous Sim's home.

How to Play

Start by moving your first Sim into a lot of your choice.

To select your first Sim, you can use an online randomizer or simply choose your favorite.

After moving your first Sim in, use a money cheat to set the Sim's money to $0.

Each Sim should start on their lot with their skill item of choice and some useful items. They also start with a sleeping bag (requires Generations), a mini fridge, and an All-in-One Bathroom (requires Island Paradise, Into the Future, or Movie Stuff). Feel free to adjust these items if you don't have the necessary packs. After placing these items on the lot, set the money back to $0.

After finding your skill items, start earning Simoleons by selling your creations!

Use this money to build your Sim's tiny home!

Since we don't have a sales table in The Sims 3 like we do in The Sims 4, I suggest that all collectibles and creations be sold at the consignment store (requires: NRAAS Consigner - [link HERE]).

Extra Rules and Ideas

Your Sims can contribute to community areas to help other neighbors when they move in and to create a pleasant sense of community and lifestyle. Ideas could be a shared laundry, bathroom, BBQ area, garden, central square, pool, etc.

As you play, your town will grow and your community will become fuller. When you reach the last Sim, you can go back to playing with the first family, and here, my suggestion would be to put everyone in a rotational household using Story Progression and evolve with each family.

If you don't have all the necessary packs, feel free to alter the challenge to suit the packs you have, or use the base game features. There are many ways to make money, including tasks like collecting valuable objects or careers.

You can play on any lifespan, but I suggest playing on epic or disabling aging altogether to get the most out of your Sims.

According to the original rules, you can use cheats, rewards, and anything else to make it easier, but keep in mind that the easier you make it for yourself, the less challenging it will be!

The Tiny Town Sims

Azure Hue:

Skill - Painting (Base Game)

Decor Style - Contemporary/Boho

Color: Blue

Cyprus Handyman:

Skill - Sculpting (Ambitions)

Decor Style - Rustic/Farmhouse

Color: Orange

Frank Stem:

Skill - Flower Arranging/Gardening (Base Game)

Decor Style: Vintage/Garden/Farmhouse

Color: Green

Suggestion: If you want to go with Flower Arranging, I recommend this mod HERE.

Opal Gem:

Skill - Jewelry Making (Supernatural)

Decor Style: Victorian/Fairytale

Color: Purple

Annie Aperature:

Skill - Photography

Decor Style: Industrial/Minimalist

Color: Red

Beatrice Jam:

Skill - Cooking (Base Game)/Baking (Store Content)

Decor Style: Cozy

Color: Pink

Suggestions:

Cooking can be done through the Culinary career. Your world will need to have the Bistro lot or the Rabit Hole rug, which can be downloaded HERE.

Baking can be done with the Deliciously Indulgent Bakery. (requires: NRAAS Cupcake HERE)

Ziggy Yarn:

Skill - Knitting/Crocheting

Decor Style: Mid-Century Modern

Color: Yellow

Suggestion: If you want to make this Sim this way, you will need this mod HERE.

Pippin Playmaker:

Skill - Toy Making (Midnight Hollow)

Decor Style: Colorful and Eclectic. Think of a dream child's room, with furniture of different styles, vibrant colors, toys scattered on the floor, and walls decorated with drawings and posters of cartoon characters.

Color: Rainbow (use and abuse the color wheel)

Sophie Sauvignon:

Skill - Nectar Making (World Adventures)

Decor Style: Rustic and Provençal. Imagine a French country house, with worn wooden furniture, floral fabrics, soft pastel tones, and many elements that refer to nature, such as fresh flowers and wicker baskets.

Color: Burgundy

Morgana Spellbinder:

Skill - Alchemy (Supernatural)

Decor Style: Gothic and Mysterious. Think of an alchemy lab filled with old books, jars of colorful liquids, candles, mystical objects, and dark wood furniture with metal details.

Color: Dark Purple

Melody Harmony:

Skill: Music

Decor Style: Bohemian and Artistic. Think of a music studio with instruments, band posters, vinyl records, comfortable furniture, and vibrant colors.

Color: Sepia (Warm and soft brown)

Oliver Quill:

Skill - Writing

Decor Style: Dark Academia, Cozy. Imagine an office with a wooden desk, a bookshelf full of books, a comfortable armchair, a fireplace, and earthy tones.

Color: Coffee Brown

Newton Gears:

Skill - Inventor

Decor Style: Industrial and Technological. Think of a laboratory with tools, machine parts, wires, neon lights, computers, and metallic colors.

Color: Metallic Gray

Scarlett Zinger:

Skill - Fashion Stylist

Decor Style: Modern and Elegant. Imagine a fashion atelier with mannequins, fabrics, mirrors, designer furniture, and neutral colors with vibrant touches.

Color: Hot Pink

Ink Ryder:

Skill - Tattoo Artist

Decor Style: Urban and Alternative. Think of a tattoo studio with graffiti, urban art posters, metal furniture, dark colors, and neon lighting.

Color: Black. This color represents rebellion, individuality, and the art of tattooing.

Finn Fisherman:

Skill - Fisherman

Decor Style: Nautical and Cozy. Imagine a fisherman's cabin with nets, boats, shells, light wood furniture, shades of blue and white, and elements that refer to the sea.

Color: Ocean Blue. This color represents tranquility, serenity, and the beauty of the sea.

Final Note

Have fun! You can change and adapt the rules as needed. The goal here is to have a lot of fun with the best game ever! So feel free to explore everything a truly open world has to offer.

[hooved]

i was wondering when tower unite would go on sale again so i can convince more people to get it and play it with me and then a few minutes later i got a notification saying that it's currently part of a humble bundle! so if you've been interested in tower unite, you can get it (for a minimum of $16) and these 6 other games at a discount

also i should say for those who don't know, "multiple minigames supporting up to 16 players online" is only one of many features and a huge understatement of the amount of things you can do in it. it's a social, arcade, and sandbox game all in one, with tons of customization options for your condos (including the option to upload or use workshop furniture. you even get a nice free starter condo!), avatar (you can upload or use any model on the game's workshop and equip accessories to it), and even the ability to build custom maps for any of its game modes!

and speaking of accessories, the halloween event starts in just a few days and the accessories are my personal favorite part of that (tho there'll also be lots of activities and things to collect in the plaza), so if you like avatar customization, you won't wanna miss out on those anyway. get tower unite. i've been a regular player for years and i love it, and there's also no microtransactions, every item in it is bought with in-game currency you earn by just playing games, earning achievements, ranking up in games or hangout areas (which you can do even just by spending enough time in those, skill is not an issue), and some items are unlockable by meeting EXP milestones so come goof around and play minigames with me and i can give you a tour and maybe show you some stuff i made lmao

[angeldrawsstuffs]

Hi Angel back again to offer her unsolicited meta opinions about Lego themes (specifically Dreamzzz).

So, because of recent leaks, I’ve seen some speculation online Dreamzzz is going to come to an early end, possibly not making it past 2025. Now, before we go any further, let me make something extremely clear:

That is all rumors and speculation based on different rumors/alleged leaks about a canceled large set. To my knowledge, nobody who has actually worked on the theme in any capacity (show or sets) has said anything in relation to either of these. The information about the canceled big set came from leakers and the other speculation derived from that. This is ALL hearsay from the past 24-48 hours. Nothing is official, take it with a pinch of salt.

Ok now that we’re on the same page about the validity (or potentially lack thereof) of the claims/speculation, time to get into a mini rant/ramble I have so Buzzfeed-ishly titled:

Why Dreamzzz Being Cancelled Would NOT be a Good Thing AT ALL For Lego (and why even non-fans should care!)

So, you may ask: “Angel, why would you say this is a negative for Lego as a whole? Themes get canceled early all the time! In the hypothetical-and-currently-unsubstantiated-scenario Dreamzzz is canceled, it wouldn’t have that much of an impact!” well, nonexistent strawman I made up because I suck at making my point, it has to do with the way original Lego IPs are currently set up. Like it or hate it (or in between!), the beginning of Dreamzzz, even a before that, one could argue, was the start of a new era for how Lego handles their IPs. Gone are the days of getting multiple new themes a year, each lasting a planned 2-3 years, before entering a mapped out and anticipated retirement, maybe being cut short or extended a bit depending on sales. From what I’ve observed, it seems the priority is longevity of a theme over quantity of themes. Another factor is this is the ideas from those many themes over the past few decades have been slowly merged into other, larger themes like City, Friends, or even Ninjago. So, back in ye olden days of the 90s to the 2010s, a theme (specifically an original IP) being cut short was no big deal because there were like- 3-4 others running alongside it and several more in the foreseeable future. But, currently, that’s not the case because Dreamzzz is the only new IP to release and be running in the 2020s. Think about Lego’s currently running original IPs, not original themes as a whole (Icons, Creator, Ideas, etc.), but IPs (Ninjago, Power Miners, Atlantis, etc.). As of right now there’s really only four:

City, Friends, Ninjago, and Dreamzzz.

Take Dreamzzz out and you’re left with three. As much as it sucks, Dreamzzz being canceled won’t bring back the old format of IPs, in fact, I personally believe it would push back any return of that format or a similar one even further. Why do I believe this? Well, unfortunate as it may be, we’ve seen this song and dance before with plenty of other brands. New, original thing fails, executive people have to look at the “why”, and the conclusion is that people just don’t want new stuff and we should rehash the same stuff over and over and over again. Obviously that’s the very WRONG conclusion, but look at Disney and Pixar as a prime example of this. Of course I have a LOT (like- a lot a lot) more faith in Lego than I do the mouse, but do we really want to run that risk?

Also, circling back to my point about IPs being cut earlier than planned wasn’t as big a deal back then because there were a bunch of others already out and planned for release that could fill that void quick. But now? With the new formatting for IPs? As far as we know, there’s no new Lego IPs planned for the foreseeable future. Unless Lego’s somehow kept some new IP under such wraps that not a single person outside the company, not even online leakers, have found anything out about it, even its existence, (which very rarely happens to my own knowledge), there’s nothing currently planned. If Dreamzzz goes, there’s nothing to take its place or keep new IPs chugging along.

So then, hypothetically say Dreamzzz is canceled and doesn’t make it to 2026 (which, I am going to say I do not think will happen, I personally believe, if the big set being cancelled is true, it may be to make room for smaller, more affordable sets, since that’s the most consistent criticism of the theme as a whole). What then? Well, if the path most other companies have taken of “nobody wants new things” comes into effect, then that would probably mean not getting another new IP for a while. While Ninjago, City, and Friends all have a lot to offer, it’s clear people want something new. To be clear, it’s not the guaranteed path in this hypothetical-and-currently-unsubstantiated-scenario.

What’s my solution? Well, I’m a teenager on the internet with no business knowledge or expertise in any kind of related field so OBVIOUSLY I’m qualified to talk on this (/lh /s). But, in all seriousness, the best I can say is make criticisms known, but with the stipulation of that the theme should be able to continue and buff out the dents, as I would argue we’ve seen happening. I believe Dreamzzz has potential, a lot of it. But losing that potential to an early cancellation could possibly spell trouble down the road for Lego’s original IPs.

Once again, this is just a sleep deprived Angel spewing her opinions onto the internet. Hope I made my point clear enough and that this isn’t a totally incoherent mess of a post. Also, I’m personally not looking to debate/have to defend my thoughts here, as shallow as that may seem, so if you disagree vehemently with every word: that’s alright! I’m just not interested in an online back and forth about it (especially cuz I’m a terrible debater, lol-). Anyway, thanks for reading this long-ass post if you’re still here, have a wonderful rest of your day/night, and wear your seatbelt! /ref

[losech]

could you do a hunting gear haul of all the stuff you use for the dogs, like the reflective vests that you use and collars and such. I don't know what reflective vest I should buy for my dog and am wondering what a hunter uses.

The vests are old Ruffwear Track Jackets, they are not made anymore but you can still find them in ruffwear resale groups on facebook and sites like ebay. The newer version Ruffwear has is more bulky. A lot of hunters use vests made by a guy called Larry Riel, he does stuff the old fashioned way, you gotta call him and send a check.

The collars I have are 1.5" reflective biothane with name plates riveted on. I do not use dangly tags when hunting, they just get ripped off. I buy most of my hunting dog collars from Outdoor Dog Supply and Double U Supply.

You can use whatever leash, always have one with you.

My dogs also wear Garmin Alpha GPS collars. I have the Alpha 100 and TT15Mini collars. I like being able to use the tone when my dogs are out of sight or hearing for recall. If you want a Garmin GPS but don't want ecollar functions (which are customizable) you could get an Astro instead. I have birdseye, property types, terrain, trails, and road maps installed on my handheld. Be very careful buying these used, don't get them from some random guy on facebook as most of the time that is a scam. Buy from a Garmin authorized reseller for used and refurbished units. Most of them run black friday deals on Alpha and Astro units and collars.

GPS is not necessary to hunt with, I just strongly prefer to have it because I hunt on small tracts of land and like to know exactly where my dogs are.

You can use a cheap blaze orange shirt, hoodie, hat, or vest from walmart and as long as you've got the minimum required amount of blaze for your state you'll be good. You can carry squirrels in any kind of bag or pack, you do not need specialized equipment for that but it does make it easier.

The first vest I used was a Browning Upland vest I got for cheap on sale somewhere online. It's got pockets for carrying shells and game, but did not have a waist belt, was kinda bulky, and got warm quickly. This is a very common style of vest and you can find them for much cheaper than this one is new.

The vest I use currently is an older Orvis Pro Upland vest. I got this on sale too, I almost never pay full price for hunting stuff. They have a couple other models, and lots of other companies make these too. The problem I have with mine (and a few others I've tried) is they are too big even in the small size, and getting a vest that actually fits me from a company that makes products for smaller people and women is ridiculously expensive, so I just deal with it.

Most of my smaller hunting gear fits in this vest. Binoculars, leash, spare battery for the GPS, a headlamp, water bottle, multi-tool, snacks, and ammunition.

Boots, boots are very important. Wear something comfortable that is built for the terrain you'll be hunting in. During the earlier season or if it's not too cold and there's not a lot of water or snow, I wear my Merrell Moab hiking boots. I occasionally wear a pair of gaiters if I'm hunting a really brushy area, but only with the hiking boots. Once it's cold, snowy, or really wet, I wear muck boots, usually my Arctic Pros.

My favorite brand of socks are Darn Tough, I wear those for everything. They are worth what you pay for them and have a lifetime guarantee.

If you have to wear gloves, be sure you get something with good grip. A warm pair of gloves is useless if you can't hold anything. Since my shotgun is a pump I really need good grippy gloves to cycle a new round. I often just wear my mountain biking gloves from HandUp.

Since I hunt brushy and thorny areas, I wear brush pants. I have a fancy-ass pair from First Lite that are *extremely* comfortable, but they do not go over my mucks and are not good for very cold temperatures without a base layer or two. They are great for warm season hunting though. I recently got a pair of Duluth briar pants and they are my new favorite, but I cant find them on the website at the moment.

Brush pants are another very common item that you can get cheaply from other makers and are frequently on sale. You can also just use a thick pair of work pants, I hunted in double front carhartts for a couple years. Chaps are another option.

I use a Remington 870 Wingmaster 12 gauge fixed modified pump action shotgun and steel #6 small game shot. (A lot of words, I know.) You can use many different firearms, and some states allow you to use air rifles too. A friend I hunt with is a big fan of his Benjamin Marauder. I've seen people use slingshots, archery, and even hawks. Check your regulations to see what is legal and pick something you are comfortable with.

I accumulated my gear over time and either inherited it, bought used, or on sale. I've been hunting for 10 years now, when I first started all I had was my hiking stuff, shotgun, and a blaze hat. Hunting is only complicated and expensive if you make it.

[distinguisheddwarffriend]

Today on Hobbit-Headcanons:

What would the company of Thorin Oakenshield enjoy about the Modern World?

One of my WIP transports the company to our world shortly before they're supposed to reach Rivendell, and into the apartment of my OFC.

So here is a list of things I think each character would enjoy about the Modern World:

Thorin: Google Maps, Siri (will totally argue with her like she's real), Shows like The Crown, Game of Thrones, but also Bridgerton, Democracy (yes you read that correctly), Rock music

Fili: Birth Control (can finally fuck around without risking the royal lineage), Superhero Movies (has an huuuhe crush on Black Widow), Tinder, Martial Arts, Feminism, Henley shirts to show of his muscles, bars & clubs

Kili : TikTok (LOVES cat videos, Top Content Creator about Archery, 'deep thoughts'/rambling, 'prank my uncle/brother with me', does EVERY challenge, accidental thirsttraps & flustered by the comments), Parkour, Man Buns & (Hipster-) Fashion, LGBTQ+ - Community , karaoke bars, team sports, the zoo

Bofur: modern music (especially pop songs with dirty lyrics), Tumblr (is no. 1 shit-poster), music festivals, arts&crafts blogs, Christopher's Streets Day

Bifur: Google Translate, Modern Medicine, Pain Medication, ASL, RomComs (trust me), helps out in an animal shelter, country music

Bombur: Cooking Shows (has his own Online Show), Kindergarten (he had so many children, the reprieve would be SO appreciated), international foodstuff to try

Dwalin: Guns, MMF, store-bought cookies, sport shows (AGRESSIVE fan for whatever team he randomly picks), Barbecues

Balin: Twitter (the political possibilities!!!), mental healthcare (he's sending the whole line of Durin he had no time for their shit), Spa Days, public schools, classical music

Oin: Modern Medicine (Duh), hearing aids, physiotherapy

Gloin: bitcoins, the stock market, Facebook (posts daily about Gimli)

Dori: hair tutorials, fashion shows, tracking devices (has totally microchipped a drunk Nori at some point)

Nori: hacking, movies with the lovable rogue as the MC (Pirates of the Carribbean, Deadpool etc.), spy movies (duh), the mafia (yes, he becomes a boss within weeks)

Ori: Wikipedia, public libraries, tutorials for EVERYTHING (knitting, cutting your own hair, how to talk to royalty, fancy war cries, you name it), fantasy novels, public schools

Bilbo: Food blogs, the "ignore call"-button, Instagram, university (will mayor in at least three subjects), museums

Gandalf: the Internet as a whole, email/ instant messaging, yard sales, modern weed, museums (has a knack for finding cursed items), adventure movies (after watching Indiana Jones he seriously debated obtaining a whip)

[babygirlgiles]

I think my fic where Xander accidentally becomes a successful novelist (largely without realizing it) is the funniest idea I’ve ever had. This guy started writing little stories to remember their adventures in Sunnydale (his last line in Chosen about “how will anyone even know about this unless we tell them” burrowed itself into my little archivist brain and won’t let go) and posts them online. He unintentionally goes viral. He thinks someone named Simon N. Schuster is leaving him voicemails. He ends up on the New York Times bestseller list.

He doesn’t even realize that everyone else thinks the stories are fiction. Xander is out here writing autobiographical non-fiction but everyone else thinks he’s a weirdly dedicated author that’s really committed to maintaining a Lemony Snicket style pseudonym/persona for the narrator of his novel. There are “Who Is Xander Harris?” articles. No one can dig up much of anything on him because he lived his whole life in a town that got wiped off the map. He keeps rejecting requests for interviews because of his stage fright. At first this drives his publicist absolutely ballistic but it just adds the the air of mystery that’s drumming up book sales so she lets it go.

He only responds to questions over email and only ever responds “in character” as his “novel’s narrator” and this baffles everyone, only adding to the supposed mystery. It’s literally not even Xander actually writing the emails 95% of the time. It’s Dawn. She has appointed herself as “Xander’s representation” even though she doesn’t really know what being someone’s representation means. She printed business cards.

[twopoppies]

Last week, the Black Keys, a band best known for soundtracking car commercials and occasionally fistfighting fellow Nashville resident Jack White, canceled the entire North American leg of a scheduled arena tour without explanation. Why would a band without a major hit in years think it can sell out arenas in tertiary markets? No one can be sure, but the touring business is in trouble, and part of the reason is ego.

Going on tour used to be a non-negotiable part of a life in music—a way to interact with fans, make money, and see the world. But nowadays, artists either want to play arenas or stadiums or do a residency, playing multiple nights in one city at the same venue, à la Harry Styles and Adele. Every week, another artist goes viral on Twitter for low ticket sales, with a screengrab of a Ticketmaster seat map awash in blue.

[…]

So, who do we blame? Is this the fault of corporate mega-promoters like LiveNation (which produced the Black Keys’ tour) booking artists into the biggest venues possible, then jacking the price of everything from tickets to parking to concessions, all regardless of what the market will bear, while tightening their grip on the marketplace to the point that the Department of Justice is preparing to sue them in federal court for antitrust violations? Is it agents and managers gassing up the artist? Is it just the artist's desire to sell out these giant venues? Maybe all of the above.

If you’re going out on the road and you’re big enough to even consider booking an arena show, why not do three nights in a prestigious venue like Radio City Music Hall or the Beacon Theatre instead? It provides fans with a more intimate experience, and every night will feel full. The Black Keys eventually released a statement. They didn’t blame anyone. They didn’t whine about how hard touring is. They just said they were recalibrating after a successful European run playing venues like Brixton Academy in London and the Zenith in Paris. It was the right approach. We all know it was ticket sales, but no artist should be ashamed of taking your lumps, switching things up, and selling tickets.

Big streaming numbers look great online but don’t necessarily translate to ticket sales. A touring business has to be built, returning to the same cities every year. A career cannot rely solely on the algorithm. Being great live will get people through the door and keep them coming back. These offline collective experiences are few and far between these days; buying tickets and going to shows is essential and valuable. They just don’t all need to be in arenas.

Full article here

[catenary-chad]

Some sources I get my train info from (mostly US-focused)

-Wikipedia is a decent starting place and will have a list of sources for fact-checking and even more info

-Historical societies for specific regions/railroads can be GREAT for more specific info

-Train museums/tourist railroads usually have decent websites with historical info on their equipment and you find some… interesting things at them.  Not always the biggest and coolest, but lots of weird stuff even at smaller ones (Chinese steam engines built in the late 80s, the tiniest diesel switcher I’ve ever seen, and a wild array of redneck retrofits of old circus trains are things I’ve seen).  They’ll often have more info on niche local industries for fun freight characters.  

-You’ll probably have a LOT of success finding physical books about trains at libraries, The Internet Archive, and antique stores (or anywhere with used books). 

^this site has a TON of articles and photos of 30s-60s era high-end US trains, which most of the replica coaches are based on.  Absolute gem for finding historical context for them and refs/ideas for OCs.

The Railways Series and first few seasons of Thomas The Tank Engine are unironically good at explaining British steam train mechanics circa the early-mid 20th century in a more whimsical way.  They’re very specific to their time and place though.  

r/railroading on reddit is for actual railroad workers to discuss their jobs and problems. Here there be discussions about whose employer sucks the least and which lines/engines have the worst toilets. It’s an interesting look at a very different side of things…

Youtube channels:

Trek Trendy (very detailed reviews/vlogs of modern luxury trains)

Hyce777 (steam and diesel train mechanics, run by a guy who actually works on them) 

Train of Thought (mostly about US/UK steam engines and other similarly old trains, beginner friendly) 

IT’S HISTORY (history of a lot of random places/things in the US, including a lot of railroads/transit) 

Amtrakguy365 (aimed at railfans, histories of specific Amtrak equipment and lines)

Alan Fisher (focused on modern US transit/train issues, Philadelphia-focused and VERY leftist, aimed at non-railfans)

How We Get Around (even more Philadelphia focused but less political, lots of nitty gritty on the specific area’s network but also assumes you’re stupid and explains the basics very bluntly)

Banks Rail (Modern US train politics, some international issues. Very thorough and specific but beginner friendly.)

Well There’s Your Problem (podcast about engineering disasters that covers a lot of more modern train problems, absolutely NOT railfan oriented, rambly but some episodes go into a lot of details. The ones with Gareth are solid. Left-wing version of listening to your uncle rant about his job on the railroad.)

Electric traction books:

-if you are looking for info on pre-70s electric trains, trolleys, or interurbans in the US, physical books are your best source. They are generally a very “90+ year old grandpa” interest without a ton of online coverage but a lot of really good older books on them

-Central Electric Railfans Association has put out a lot of stuff mostly on Chicago-area lines

-The Wardmaps/MBTA store in Boston is an awesome spot for books on this topic (and old passenger rails schedules, maps, and tokens)

When the Steam Railroads Electrified- considered one of the definitive books on earlier US electric heavy rail, BEAUTIFUL photos

Specific references I use for Electra:

AEM-7 Manual (Dense and technical but very detailed. The Swedish Rc class locomotives, AEM-7s, and similar derivatives are a pretty popular fanon basis for Electra and relatively well documented in English due to being used by Amtrak for nearly 40 years and in Sweden from the 60s-80s to now. Those models are my main source of Electra Extended Lore.)

Head-End Power info (sales website with detailed technical info on modern US-style HEP)

[darlingillustrations]

I feel like I should be panicking more. My rent is due in one week, my landlord isn't friendly, and I have no one to ask for help. And yet? I have an eerie sense of calm about it.

I know the calm that happens when you are not actually calm but panicking and your body is helping you survive. This isn't that kind of fake calm. I am sleeping at night. I'm not snaping at my kids. I am *at peace.*

(Read more for musings about the economy, my spiritual mindset in the midst of it all, and some Mary Oliver poetry.)

Five years ago? I would be panicking and staying up late working long hours and burning myself out. But now? These days I'm working full days, then stepping back and cooking meals or working on projects for my kids. It feels more stable this time. I feel like I've matured.

I got a report in my email yesterday which showed that retail sales in January plunged 0.8% from December, far worse than the consensus forecast for a decline of just 0.2%, and the largest monthly loss since March 2023. On the one hand, it made me feel better that it's not just me. On the other hand, it sucks that lots of other people are struggling, as well.

Still, I make the time to meditate every morning. Still, I pull out my poetry books and take my life advice from Mary Oliver. In the poem One or Two Things she wrote:

One or two things are all you need to travel over the blue pond, over the deep roughage of trees and through the stiff flowers of lightning--some deep memory of pleasure, some cutting knowledge of pain.

You don't need to have all the answers. You just need to put one step in front of the other.

Last year when I launched my wholesale business, I drummed up over 1000 leads. I'd pick a city and use google maps or yelp to search for gift shops, stationary stores, coffee shops... anywhere that I thought might want my work... and I took the time to write a personal note to each and every one of these businesses. This month I decided to check back in with them again, and so many of the businesses are now closed or their email addresses no longer work.

Having exhausted these leads, I sat at my computer yesterday with the knowledge that I needed to wait on people to get back to me, that the wholesale leads were out of my hands. And that I still did not have money to pay my landlord. Not once did I fear I would join the list of closed businesses. I did not despair.

Instead, I turned to my first joy. I went back to the sales history on my website and found my very first customers from back in 2016 when I launched my web shop. I emailed them, each of those first customers, sending personal emails. I did not ask them to buy anything. That wasn't what I needed. I asked how they were, what they have been up to, where their lives have taken them.

I was searching for that deep memory of pleasure, that cutting knowledge of pain. One or two things is all we need, after all.

And I got one email back.

This woman was the first person to ever buy an art print in my online shop--a honeybee boy painting--and it is still hanging in her stepson's room, nearly 8 years later. She shared pictures of her new baby, and I shared the pictures with my kids. This woman had sent me many emails over the years, asking for life advice or encouraging me on a hard day. She shared that she didn't realize her emails had made such an impact on me.

Funny how none of us truly sees how impactful we are to those around us. Funny how life keeps going on, whether we worry about it or not.

In One or Two Things, Mary Oliver also wrote:

For years and years I struggled just to love my life. And then the butterfly rose, weightless, in the wind. "Don't love your life too much," it said, and vanished into the world.

I want my character to be defined not by what I do when things are easy but by how I carry myself when things are hard. And I do believe things happen for a reason. Maybe the line between delusion and faith is very thin, but the universe has shown me time and again that it's had my back. I've been in worse scrapes and still came out ok.

If you've read this far and you want to help me get through the next week, you can buy something from my shop or support me on Patreon.

And if you've read this far but you are in a similar boat, don't fret. We will find our way through the fires. one. step. at. a. time.

[roo-bastmoon]

Suspicious Treatment of Jimin: What am I forgetting?

I have serious medication-induced brain fog so my memory is swiss cheese these days. I am trying to map out something so I can understand what is happening with our Jimin....

So far:

Hanteo deleted hundreds of thousands in sales; company did not comment.

YouTube froze and deleted millions of streams every day; company did not comment.

Jimin's Spotify profile was not properly listed. It still has no description or link to merch.

Jimin's works are not added to the company's playlist for days and sometimes weeks while other members' works and collabs are added immediately.

Spotify froze and filtered millions of his streams; company did not comment.

His title track was deliberately split, despite qualifying to count as one unit.

His in-ear devices failed to work during a live performance.

He was allowed only 9 days of promotion.

He was denied when he requested more than 2 music videos.

His historic Hot 100 #1 was not acknowledged by the company except for one single retweet the day-of.

He had no celebrations, no formal acknowledgement by company leadership of his achievement or of the resulting huge increase in stock prices.

Billboard changed their charting rules in Week 2; company did not comment until it was time for a different album to sell.

His albums did not ship to China and have not been restocked on WeVerse for weeks (whereas other artists' albums have).

His instagram was shadow banned. His videos on TikTok are also soft-blocked from being boosted.

All other members' YouTube focused views for Take Two auto-generate a preview photo; his does not (this must be deliberately selected not to generate an image). *Apparently they have fixed this issue after enough fans called it out on Twitter.

Some have observed that since Hybe took over, Jimin has been given fewer lines in group songs and less time dancing center as well.

A recent WeVerse article about Morgan Wallen downplayed both Yoongi's tour and Jimin's album as achieving "some partial success in breaking up [Wallen's] domination of the Hot 100."

Add to this the company "omitting" his bills four times, which lead to late payments on insurance premiums, which led to his apartment being "seized," which led to a smear campaign in the press the very same day his OST With You dropped... followed by his personal address and national identity number being doxxed online... and this honestly looks suspicious as hell.

What am I forgetting?

I'm not a manti but if I don't get reasonable explanations I'm gonna become one.

How can it look like anything other that deliberate sabotage so that one member does not outshine the rest?

How is this good business sense?

Jimin is a humble, hardworking team-player with no ambitions to go solo and leave his members. Why would anyone have it out for him?

It's possible there's prejudice and bigotry at play, but deep enough to span multiple departments and cut into the company's bottom line?

And yet how can it not be deliberate? How can any company be THIS incompetent for just ONE member?

And yet if we raise hell, we look like victimizing solos. Yet look at this laundry list!! And it just keeps happening. What can be done??

Can we not organize a quiet mass-email campaign? Can someone not write up a well-researched UCC article to share in English and Korean and keep tagging Hybe? Would it not be possible to comment respectfully about this in WeVerse?

Or would acknowledging it at all make it worse for Jimin?

I don't understand all the politics at play here.

I have no real idea what is happening but part of me is quietly terrified they have it out for him during contract negotiations for some reason.

What is BTS without all our beloved seven?

I'm genuinely very deeply upset.

[randomfoggytiger]

I think that a new revamped Xfiles would be hard to pull off. The original Xfiles was a perfect mixture of happenstance. Right place right time right mix of personalities, talent, and a time of audience willingness to buy in. They were doing something that hadn't been done before.

The same happened with Married with Children, Cheers, and even 90210.

For the diverse version of a revamped XFiles, they need outstanding writers, creative people willing to take chances and think outside the box, and tap into what society is missing on TV. If they go with the same format and a slow burn relationship to copy the original format, it will be done before it even begins. One of the problems that this new version would face is an inundated market of streaming services with mediocre and predicable writing and acting. Stranger Things was unique and tapped into the 80s nostalgia and the supernatural from a kids perspective. Thinking outside the box.

Another problem is audience attentiveness. I call it ADD TV watchin. I look at many people around me and they struggle to stay focused for a prolong period of time. So many people are on their phones while they try to watch TV or they watch shows on their phones while texting and browsing online. To make this new version work, some amazing talent needs to be part of it. I think having big names would be a distraction so it would need to be like stranger things with fresh new faces so that the audience could come in with an empty slate.

Where would a new xfiles work best? Streaming service or regular broadcast tv? I like broadcast TV because it is free and would have less competition for quality programs. People can stream shows anytime but broadcast TV means sit down and watch at a certain time. Very nostalgic.

I think it could work, if the minds behind it are brilliant enough.

Like you said, the original can't be redone-- and it wouldn't be fair on the new actors/writers to expect it to be the same. Lean into a new angle, hire new actors accordingly, and play it straight. The ideology of the show is timeless, but the mytharc aspects won't map particularly well onto a world where everyone saw the same mysterious object above the US at basically the same time. Lean away from outright secrets and exposes and closer to suggestions, under-the-table dealings, and monsters.

Keep the optimism and hope, the warmth and humor.

People may have short attention spans, but even younger generations will sit down and watch something through, obsessively, if it's well-written. Bring back nuanced, snappy, intelligent writing.

Streaming services are the way to go in the modern market... BUT, and this is huge, keep it on a weekly model. Do not release three episodes, wait a few weeks/months, then release three more. That kills intrigue and engagement, particularly the kind that The X-Files built by capturing an audience week-after-week and leaving them with more questions.

I'm not interested thus far because so many remakes have been abject failures; but give me a good sales pitch and reel me in. Haven't heard hide nor hair of what the writers are trying to achieve, and don't know if the series has been stalled... has it been? The lack of announcements/press is really its Achilles Heel right now.

Wish them luck and success-- always interested in something good, and here's to hoping they achieve that! :DDDDDDDD

[friday-tea]

Hello, teahearts!

🍵 We are donating 10% of our total online and in-store sales this Friday, 2/7 to Northwest Immigration Rights Project to support their ongoing mission to serve our immigrant community!

💓 Over 100 food & beverage businesses in Seattle will offer a variety of contributions between 2/7 and 2/9.

🗺️ Check out this community-sourced map of participants and more details!