#natural methods

[the-prophesied-disco-gay]

"I'd love to have hobbies but I'm too broke"

"Yeah sounds fun, if you have that kind of money"

"Lol out of touch. Like people just have the money for craft supplies laying around"

My loves. My beautiful humans of all varieties. I am kissing you on the forehead so gently and begging you

Do. It. Poor.

Humanity has existed for around three hundred thousand years. Money as we know it has existed for about five thousand of those years. Humans have been doing stuff without money for most of our history as a species.

Find out what resources are available in your area and get your hands on some and create something with them.

This can include things like "buy nothing" groups and construction rubbish and lengths of carpet in the dumpster behind the local flooring place. Free pallets and broken tiles and scrap fabric on marketplace and craigslist.

It can also include natural clay deposits you teach yourself to refine for pottery, and plants that can be turned into fibers and spun and woven, and minerals and husks and berries and roots and a thousand other things that can be used to make natural dyes.

I have made paper from the wood of a neighbor's tree that they had to cut down. I collected a good bit of it for my mom to do woodturning with as well and she made wooden cooking spoons and spatulas, and wooden hair pins, and pens, and some chairs.

I have knit bags made from yarn I spun from local cottonwood fluff I collected off the ground.

I have dyed paper and fabric and soaps and wood and hair using dyes made from local plants and kitchen scraps and mineral pigments I collected and ground and mixed myself. I have made my own paints and inks and paintbrushes and canvasses as well.

I have made beautiful mosaic topped side/end/coffee/bedside tables with broken tile bits and scrap wood or sometimes scrap metal.

I taught myself how to make butter and jams and bread and jerky and a plethora of other things from scratch through mostly trial and error and bothering people's grandmothers

I taught myself how to make fishooks from a variety of materials

I've made cat trees from carpet scraps and junk wood, and cat toys from feathers and fabric scraps and sticks and string (I did sterilize the feathers to avoid illness and mites and such)

I have made soap from scratch using table scraps and lye I extracted from wood ash. I have similarly made lotions, salves, balms, and tinctures from scratch from collected materials. I have made candles from both tallow and beeswax acquired for free or very low cost, acquired from local apiaries and butchers.

I have made clothes for myself and others, as well as shawls, bags, scarves, quilts and whole host of other things from free sheets, blankets, clothes, and other "trash" fabric people were either giving or throwing away because of holes or rips or stains.

I taught myself leatherworking to make bracelets and bag straps and sandals and fetish gear from scrap bits of leather, usually sourced from ripped or otherwise damaged leather jackets that were being thrown out.

I taught myself to weave wreaths cause we have pine trees here and what the fuck do you mean eighty dollars for some pine boughs and ribbon???

I spent 6 months travelling without purchasing a single night in a hotel room or purchasing a single travel ticket of any kind, picking up odd jobs and selling things I crafted from materials found along the way and ride sharing and camping (yes there was an element of danger there, but travel is always dangerous. Being alive is dangerous. Being a fat neurodivergent disabled queer afab poor person is hella dangerous. I refuse to spend my precious life isolated and afraid)

Sand paintings can be done with pine resin, natural dyes, and sand.

Makeup can be made entirely from things you can find around you in most parts of the world.

Felting can be done with pet hair.

Carving

Whittling

Cooking

Metalworking/blacksmithing

Hunting and trapping

A canoe can be made from...a tree

Please, please look at the world you are part of and realize *it will not charge you money for joy*

Look at how the native peoples of your area did the thing you want to do. Look at how other cultures have historically accomplished that thing. Pretend civilization has fallen and there isn't anyone to pay for materials and supplies. Pretend plastic doesn't exist. You are so much freer than you realize. Do it poor. Live your life. Your desire is the only permission you need in order to create, in order to have hobbies (Victor Frankenstein and Hannibal Lector I am not talking to you).

And for those of you worried about whether this applies to you, I am both poor and heavily disabled. I cannot stand or walk for longer than ten or fifteen minutes. I cannot lift more than ten pounds without *fracturing my spine*. My glasses give people migraines. I am AuDHD. You learn to work around your limitations, and accomodate yourself. I learned how to make myself a folding stool with 3 decent sized branches and some strips of leather or canvass. It is lightweight but holds all my medically obese self without issue. I put a strap on that sucker and now I have place to sit whenever I need, even if it's every few steps. I'm not on anyone else's timeframe when I am doing this stuff, I'll sit when I please for as long as I need. I learned how to make a travois for dragging stuff I can't safely lift. I got a cheap immersion blender because my shoulders can't handle the level of stirring required for soap making and several other things. I do almost everything, including furniture making, sitting down, often in my wheelchair (which I got for free and made a seat for cause it didn't have one and I couldn't afford an intact, functional wheelchair). These things can be adjusted for disability, for neurotype, for location (including inner city), for limited available time (I was working 3 jobs and raising toddlers for a good portion of this time, before I became too disabled to work). Human creativity is near limitless. Use it!

If you don't know where to start or how to find the info you need or how to accomplish your hobby for free or low cost, ask! Ask me, ask other crafty people, ask people with an interest in anthropology, ask local groups of indigenous artisans, ask the internet. Don't expect folks to construct a detailed, start to finish set of instructions for you, but they can usually point you in the right direction in terms of finding the knowledge you need, or to get you past a point you're stuck at (an affectionately exasperated older lady once emailed back with just "you didn't add vinegar to fix the dye did you?" I....had not). Not every craft or hobby will be able to done low cost (I do not know how to make a telescope sorry) but many can, more than most people think.

Capitalism is a cage for the human spirit. Slip the bars baby.

[totesmag]

The Future of Sustainable Agriculture: Innovations and Best Practices

Agriculture is one of the largest industries in the world, providing food for billions of people. However, the current state of agriculture has a significant impact on the environment, from soil degradation to water pollution and loss of biodiversity. It is crucial for the future of our planet that we transition towards sustainable agriculture practices. we will explore the latest innovations…

[hyakunana]

A Wizard and a Rogue walk into the Archive

[staticymaticyyourlifeisatravesty]

*Sometime after 1475 in hell*

Satan: Yo, Luci, has Vlad Tepes showed up yet? He died like three months ago, and he's not heaven

Lucifer: What? No. He hasn't showed up at all, the fuck do you mean he isn't in heaven?

Satan: Yea, some angel was asking if we had him, because we didn't. There's also like an ungodly amount of souls missing aside from that one. I think there's like over four thousand souls that are also missing as well...

Lucifer: ....There's four thousand souls missing?

Satan: Yes.

Lucifer: Well, I guess we should see what's going down on the Mortal planes than....

_____

*Dracula doing as Dracula does and devouring his own people*

Lucifer: Ok, who the fuck allowed that to happen? Who the fuck green lit that? Who let Vlad Tepes turn into a goddamn Eldritch abomination??

Satan: I think the humans are calling it a vampire

Lucifer: A vampire? That's what that is? I'm sorry, that still doesn't answer my question of who in the seven layers of hell green lit that thing!!

Satan: We didn't. The blood choose for it happen.

Lucifer: The fuck do you mean the blood chose for it

Satan: Too many people died in one place, and Vlad was too angry to die.

Lucifer: .....God allowed this to happen didn't he? He fucking let this happen, didn't He, the fucking bastard

[alexhatessupermarketcola]

Chaotic Alex Rider is my favourite.

One of my most favourite scenes is where he gets mad that his old friend started taking, stalks the drug dealer by bike then decides, yes, a logical option here is to play hook a duck claw machine with the drug production boat (people and all) using a crane to drop it off gently in the police station car park like you do.

(which of course ends up meaning instead being dropped from height through the conference centre next door's roof)

It's remarkable that Alex is even somewhat surprised at what happens next 😂

Truly top tier chaos.

[blue-eli]

Ink October day 11: Firebreak

A strip of land that has been cleared, plowed, or planted with fire-resistant vegetation to prevent a fire from spreading.

[zytes]

black static, forbidden magic

[essektheylyss]

re: the fiction/nonfiction kinsey scale poll. just know that I am barely restraining myself from giving nonfiction book recs at all times. there is SO MUCH FUN NONFICTION THAT IS SUPER READABLE AND INTERESTING take my hand we can go pick out some books together

[rigelmejo]

Concept: Chinese by the Nature Method

Today I worked on seeing if a Chinese by the Nature Method type of textbook could be made, I used the English by the Nature Method textbook, and added Hanzi and pinyin. Ideally I would change names, add a younger brother too so that I could use didi, and I would to put a Chinese/English vocabulary list at the end of each chapter for reference. I think this kind of format would emulate The Nature Method textbooks best if: the first time a new word is shown, there is an English translation for the word in the sentence, but then afterward there is no English translation above the word for the rest of the book (you must go to the vocabulary list to check). However, for initial formatting, and to explain some grammar, I decided to just include the English translation for the whole sentence. Maybe I could make the exercise sections have no English translations...

Please tell me thoughts, if you're into the idea of a nature method type textbook for Chinese.

The First (1st) Chapter.

第一章

Dì yī zhāng

(THE) FAMILY

家庭。

Jiātíng.

Mr. Smith.

史密斯先生。

Shǐmìsī xiānshēng.

Mrs. Smith.

史密斯夫人。

Shǐmìsī fūrén.

John.

约翰。

Yuēhàn.

Helen.

海伦。

Hǎilún.

Baby.

婴儿。

Yīng'ér.

Mr. Smith is a man.

史密斯先生是一个男人。

Shǐmìsī xiānshēng shì yīgè nánrén.

Mrs. Smith is a woman.

史密斯夫人是一个女人。

Shǐmìsī fūrén shì yīgè nǚrén.

John is a boy.

约翰是一个男孩。

Yuēhàn shì yīgè nánhái.

Helen is a girl.

海伦是一个女孩。

Hǎilún shì yīgè nǚhái.

(The) Baby is a girl.

婴儿也是一个女孩。

Yīng'ér yě shì yīgè nǚhái.

Helen and (the) baby are girls.

海伦和婴儿是女孩。

Hǎilún hé yīng'ér shì nǚhái.

Mr. Smith is (a) father.

史密斯先生是父亲。

Shǐmìsī xiānshēng shì fùqīn.

Mrs. Smith is (a) mother.

史密斯夫人是母亲。

Shǐmìsī fūrén shì mǔqīn.

John is a child.

约翰是一个孩子。

Yuēhàn shì yīgè háizi.

Helen is a child.

海伦是一个孩子。

Hǎilún shì yīgè háizi.

Baby is a child.

婴儿是一个孩子。

Yīng'ér shì yīgè háizi.

John, Helen, and baby are children.

约翰、海伦和婴儿是孩子。

Yuēhàn, Hǎilún hé yīng'ér shì háizi.

John is a boy.

约翰是一个男孩。

Yuēhàn shì yīgè nánhái.

Helen and the baby are girls.

海伦和婴儿是女孩。

Hǎilún hé yīng'ér shì nǚhái.

Helen and (the) baby both are girls.

海伦和婴儿都是女孩。

Hǎilún hé yīng'ér dōu shì nǚhái.

是 shì is/are

和 hé and

dōu both/all

one (1) girl 一个女孩 yīgè nǚhái

two (2) girls 儿个女孩 érgè nǚhái

one (1) child 一个孩子 yīgè háizi

two (2) children 儿个孩子 érgè háizi

Helen is a girl.

海伦是女孩。

Hǎilún shì nǚhái.

Helen and the baby are girls.

海伦和婴儿是女孩。

Hǎilún hé yīng'ér shì nǚhái.

Helen and the baby are both girls.

海伦和婴儿都是女孩。

Hǎilún hé yīng'ér dōu shì nǚhái.

Mr. Smith is the father of John.

史密斯先生是约翰的父亲。

Shǐmìsī xiānshēng shì Yuēhàn de fùqīn.

Mr. Smith is the father of Helen.

史密斯先生是海伦的父亲。

Shǐmìsī xiānshēng shì Hǎilún de fùqīn.

Mr. Smith is the father of the baby.

史密斯先生是婴儿的父亲。

Shǐmìsī xiānshēng shì Yīng'ér de fùqīn.

Mr. Smith is the father of the children.

史密斯先生是孩子们的父亲。

Shǐmìsī xiānshēng shì háizimen de fùqīn.

Mrs. Smith is the mother of John, Helen, and the baby.

史密斯夫人是约翰、海伦和婴儿的母亲。

Shǐmìsī fūrén shì Yuēhàn, Hǎilún hé Yīng'ér de mǔqīn.

Mr. Smith and Mrs. Smith are the parents of the children.

史密斯先生和史密斯夫人是孩子们的父母。

Shǐmìsī xiānshēng hé Shǐmìsī fūrén shì háizimen de fùmǔ.

John is the son of Mr. Smith and Mrs. Smith.

约翰是史密斯先生和史密斯夫人的儿子。

Yuēhàn shì Shǐmìsī xiānshēng hé Shǐmìsī fūrén de érzi.

Mr. and Mrs. Smith are the parents of John.

史密斯先生和史密斯夫人是约翰的父母。

Shǐmìsī xiānshēng hé Shǐmìsī fūrén shì Yuēhàn de fùmǔ.

Helen is the daughter of Mr. Smith and Mrs. Smith.

海伦是史密斯先生和史密斯夫人的女儿。

Hǎilún shì Shǐmìsī xiānshēng hé Shǐmìsī fūrén de nǚ'ér.

Mr. and Mrs. Smith are the parents of Helen.

史密斯先生和史密斯夫人是海伦的父母。

Shǐmìsī xiānshēng hé Shǐmìsī fūrén shì Hǎilún de fùmǔ.

The baby is also the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Smith.

婴儿也是史密斯先生和史密斯夫人的女儿。

Yīng'ér yě shì Shǐmìsī xiānshēng hé Shǐmìsī fūrén de nǚ'ér.

Mr. and Mrs. Smith are the parents of the baby.

史密斯先生和史密斯夫人是婴儿的父母。

Shǐmìsī xiānshēng hé Shǐmìsī fūrén shì Yīng'ér de fùmǔ.

Mr. Smith, Mrs. Smith, John, Helen, and the baby are a family.

史密斯先生、史密斯夫人、约翰、海伦和婴儿是一家人。

Shǐmìsī xiānshēng, Shǐmìsī fūrén, Yuēhàn, Hǎilún hé Yīng'ér shì yī jiārén.

There are five (5) persons in the family.

家庭里有五个人。

Jiātíng lǐ yǒu wǔ gèrén.

"a" is not used - (one) (个)counter-word

一个

yīgè

this (个)counter-word

这个

zhège

these

这些

Zhèxiē

John is a boy.

约翰是一个男孩。

Yuēhàn shì yīgè nánhái.

The boy is John.

这个男孩是约翰。

Zhège nánhái shì Yuēhàn.

Helen and the baby are girls.

海伦和婴儿是女孩。

Hǎilún hé Yīng'ér shì nǚhái.

The girls are Helen and the baby.

这些女孩是海伦和婴儿。

Zhèxiē nǚhái shì Hǎilún hé Yīng'ér.

of

的

de

The father of the children.

孩子们的父亲。

Háizimen de fùqīn.

child

孩子

Háizi

children

孩子们

Háizimen

Mr. Smith is a person.

史密斯先生是一个人。

Shǐmìsī xiānshēng shì yīgè rén.

Mrs. Smith is a person.

史密斯夫人是一个人。

Shǐmìsī fūrén shì yīgè rén.

John is a person.

约翰是一个人。

Yuēhàn shì yīgè rén.

one (counter) person

一个人

yīgè rén

person/people

人

rén

five (counter) people.

五个人

wǔ gèrén

Helen is a person, and the baby is also a person.

海伦是一个人，婴儿也是一个人。

Hǎilún shì yīgè rén, Yīng'ér yě shì yīgè rén.

also

也

yě

How many persons are there in the family?

家庭里有多少个人？

Jiātíng lǐ yǒu duōshǎo gèrén?

There are five (5) persons in the family.

家庭里有五个人。

Jiātíng lǐ yǒu wǔ gèrén.

Who are the five (5) persons in the family?

家庭里有五个人，他们是谁？

Jiātíng lǐ yǒu wǔ gèrén, tāmen shì shéi?

They are the father, the mother, the son, the daughter, and the baby daughter.

他们是父亲、母亲、儿子、女儿和婴儿女儿。

Tāmen shì fùqīn, mǔqīn, érzi, nǚ'ér hé yīng'ér nǚ'ér.

How many children are there in the family?

家庭里有多少个孩子？

Jiātíng lǐ yǒu duōshǎo gè háizi?

There are three (3) children in the family.

家庭里有三个孩子。

Jiātíng lǐ yǒu sān gè háizi.

Who are the three (3) children in the family?

家庭里有三个孩子，他们是谁？

Jiātíng lǐ yǒu sān gè háizi, tāmen shì shéi?

They are the son, the daughter, and the baby daughter.

他们是儿子、女儿和婴儿女儿。

Tāmen shì érzi, nǚ'ér hé yīng'ér nǚ'ér.

How many girls are there in the family?

家庭里有多少个女孩？

Jiātíng lǐ yǒu duōshǎo gè nǚhái?

There are two (2) girls in the family.

家庭里有两个女孩。

Jiātíng lǐ yǒu liǎng gè nǚhái.

Who are the two (2) girls in the family?

家庭里有两个女孩，她们是谁？

Jiātíng lǐ yǒu liǎng gè nǚhái, tāmen shì shéi?

They are the daughter and the baby daughter.

她们是女儿和婴儿女儿。

Tāmen shì nǚ'ér hé yīng'ér nǚ'ér.

How many boys are there in the family? (Family inside has how many boy(s)?)

家庭里有多少个男孩？

Jiātíng lǐ yǒu duōshǎo gè nán hái?

have

有

yǒu

how many

有多

duōshǎo

in (within)

里

lǐ

There is one (1) boy in the family. (Family in has 1 (counter) boy).

家庭里有一个男孩。

Jiātíng lǐ yǒu yīgè nán hái.

How many?

多少？

Duōshǎo?

How many girls are there in the family?

家庭里有多少个女孩？

Jiātíng lǐ yǒu duōshǎo gè nǚhái?

There is

有一个

Yǒu yīgè

There are

有

Yǒu

There is one boy in the family.

家庭里有一个男孩。

Jiātíng lǐ yǒu yīgè nán hái.

There are two girls in the family.

家庭里有两个女孩。

Jiātíng lǐ yǒu liǎng gè nǚhái.

Who?

谁？

Shéi?

He

他

Tā

She

她

Tā

They

他们

Tāmen

Who is John?

他是儿子。

Tā shì érzi.

Who is Helen?

她是女儿。

Tā shì nǚ'ér.

Who are Helen and the baby?

她们是女儿们。

Tāmen shì nǚ'ér men.

they (girls/women)

她们

Tāmen

they (boys/men/multiple genders)

他们

Who is the boy? (Boy is who?)

Tāmen

男孩是谁？

Nánhái shì shéi?

who

谁

shéi

boy

男孩

Nánhái

(The) boy is Johhn, He is the son of Mr. Smith.

男孩是约翰；他是史密斯先生的儿子。

Nánhái shì Yuēhàn; tā shì Shǐmìsī xiānshēng de érzi.

Who is the girl?

女孩是谁？

Nǚhái shì shéi?

girl

女孩

Nǚhái

(The) girl is Helen; she is the daughter of Mr. Smith.

女孩是海伦；她是史密斯先生的女儿。

Nǚhái shì Hǎilún; tā shì Shǐmìsī xiānshēng de nǚ'ér.

That man is Mr. Smith; he is the father.

那位男士是史密斯先生；他是父亲。

Nà wèi nánshì shì Shǐmìsī xiānshēng; tā shì fùqīn.

that

那

Nà

counter for person

位

wèi

That woman is Mrs. Smith; she is the mother.

那位女士是史密斯夫人；她是母亲。

Nà wèi nǚshì shì Shǐmìsī fūrén; tā shì mǔqīn.

woman

女士

nǚshì

That man and the woman are Mr. and Mrs. Smith; they are the parents.

那位男士和女士是史密斯夫妇；他们是父母。

Nà wèi nánshì hé nǚshì shì Shǐmìsī fūfù; tāmen shì fùmǔ.

man

男士

nánshì

husband (and) wife

夫妇

fūfù

father (and) mother

父母

fùmǔ

John is the older brother of Helen.

约翰是海伦的哥哥。

Yuēhàn shì Hǎilún de gēge.

older brother

哥哥

gēge

Helen is the younger sister of John.

海伦是约翰的妹妹。

Hǎilún shì Yuēhàn de mèimei.

younger sister

妹妹

mèimei

The baby is the younger sister of John and Helen.

婴儿是约翰和海伦的妹妹。

Yīng'ér shì Yuēhàn hé Hǎilún de mèimei.

The baby and Helen are sisters.

婴儿和海伦是姐妹。

Yīng'ér hé Hǎilún shì jiěmèi.

sisters

姐妹

jiěmèi

John and Helen are brother and sister.

约翰和海伦是兄妹。

Yuēhàn hé Hǎilún shì xiōngmèi.

brother (and) sister

兄妹

xiōngmèi

Mr. Smith is the husband of Mrs. Smith.

史密斯先生是史密斯夫人的丈夫。

Shǐmìsī xiānshēng shì Shǐmìsī fūrén de zhàngfū.

husband

夫人

fūrén

Mrs. Smith is the wife of Mr. Smith.

史密斯夫人是史密斯先生的妻子。

Shǐmìsī fūrén shì Shǐmìsī xiānshēng de qīzi.

wife

妻子

qīzi

Who is Mr. Smith?

史密斯���生是谁？

Shǐmìsī xiānshēng shì shéi?

He is the husband of (his) wife and the father of three children. (He is wife's husband and (the) three (counter) children's father).

他是史密斯夫人的丈夫和三个孩子的父亲。

Tā shì Shǐmìsī fūrén de zhàngfū hé sān gè háizi de fùqīn.

of/'s

的

de

Who is Mrs. Smith? She is Mr. Smith's wife and (the) three (counter) children's mother).

史密斯夫人是谁？她是史密斯先生的妻子和三个孩子的母亲。

Shǐmìsī fūrén shì shéi? Tā shì Shǐmìsī xiānshēng de qīzi hé sān gè háizi de mǔqīn.

The three (3) children are Smith husband-wife's son, daughter, and little daughter.

三个孩子是史密斯夫妇的儿子、女儿和小女儿。

Sān gè háizi shì Shǐmìsī fūfù de érzi, nǚ'ér hé xiǎo nǚ'ér.

son

儿子

érzi

daughter

女儿

nǚ'ér

little/younger

小

xiǎo

The father, the mother, the son, the daughter, and the baby daughter are a family of five (5) persons.

父亲、母亲、儿子、女儿和小女儿是一家五口。

Fùqīn, mǔqīn, érzi, nǚ'ér hé xiǎo nǚ'ér shì yī jiā wǔ kǒu.

one family (a family)

一家

yī jiā

5 (persons) mouths

五口

wǔ kǒu

a family of 5.

一家五口

yī jiā wǔ kǒu

[wafflesrisa]

I think none of the F1 drivers should be allowed to cut their hair after the summer break actually

[handweavers]

my mother has asked me to ask “that weaver friend of yours” lol — do you have experience dyeing linen? what does the process look like for natural vs synthetic dyes?

happy to be that weaver friend of yours 🥰❤️ dyeing linen is basically the same as dyeing cotton or any other cellulose fiber, so any synthetic dye that works for cotton will also work for linen. a professional grade fiber reactive dye like procion mx or dharma's procion (here) dyes cellulose fiber without heat, and the process is quick and painless. it just involves a large bucket, water, the dye powder and the cloth you wish to dye. i have little experience with rit dye so i'm not sure if you'd need heat for that, but procion dye is higher quality, comes in a lot more colours than rit, and a 2oz container is like $2 usd and goes a long way

the natural dye process for linen takes a lot longer than the procion dye process and requires several steps. cellulose fibers really don't like to take dyes so you basically have to do a bunch of alchemy to convince it to do what you want (compared to protein fibers like wool and silk which love dyes and only need some gentle nudges)

naturally dyeing linen depends on the dye you'd wish to use, but the process is essentially: scouring, mordanting, and dyeing. it's really important that you scour linen especially because it contains a lot of pectins that prevent dye from penetrating the fiber, so a harsh scouring is best (ie. washing it with hot water and ph neutral soap, even to the point of boiling the cloth. linen can take a lot of heat and is better for it, cotton is more sensitive) you'll probably have to do this before dyeing it with the synthetic dye too for best results

most natural dyes require that you mordant the cloth before dyeing. some dyes don't require a mordant (indigo is the big one, but if you're working with onion skins or other materials that contain tannins this is also true. however mordanting the cloth before dyeing with tannins or even mordanting with tannins is still recommended for better colour performance long-term unless you're working with indigo in which case using a mordant can actually cause problems) but if you're unsure, assume that you need to apply a mordant. you essentially have to simmer the cloth in a hot pot with either a material that contains tannins (tannic acid), a natural bio-accumulator of aluminum (symplocos), or use a metal salt (alum acetate is best for cellulose, but iron and copper salts can also be used. the metal salts route requires more safety precautions esp if you use copper salt, you can't dump that down the drain) your choice of mordant impacts the final colour with different mordants shifting the chemical reaction that happens in the cloth when you dye it

with cotton and linen, after you use the mordant you need to use either a chalk or wheat bran bath to remove excess mordant from the cloth, esp if you use alum acetate, otherwise it can leave a whitish cast over the cloth and also impede dyeing lol. wheat bran baths tend to cause a warmer tone to the final dyed cloth, chalk baths cause a cooler tone. i only use wheat bran baths bc i prefer the warmth and i get the bran cheaply at my local punjabi grocer

only then can you dye the cloth, again unless you're working with a dye like coffee or tea or onion skins OR indigo. linen really doesn't like to take natural dyes unless you do all the above steps, it's stubborn. the dye process itself depends on what dye you use and you can do stuff like solar dyeing if you don't want to simmer it in a pot on a stove. if you plan to go the natural dye route lmk and i can send you some scans of a book i have that contains precise instructions for preparing linen for dyeing

[tomwambsganshater]

Vinland saga gets a lot of criticism for being unrealistic and too naive in its pacifism but I feel like that's a fundamental misunderstanding of thorfinn's character. His ideology isn't supposed to be universal, he develops it because of his circumstances, he's killed too many people and inflicted too much misery to be able to stomach any more of it, to the point that defending himself disgusts him. It's not a method to live your life or to change the world, it's his specific emotional reaction to his experiences. He's not even preachy about it either, when he meets Canute he admits that he knows he can't change the world that way, and that he can't judge whether Canute's way is right or wrong. His vinland plan is an attempt to create a society from scratch based on his radical pacifism in hopes that it'll meaningfully stick and become a value for the next generations, and thus create a society where it's the norm, but as we can see in the story and just history, it's going to fail. I don't know how exactly it's going to end, but I'm pretty sure it's not going to be by telling the reader that "You should be a pacifist all the time and violence is never justified". The story's always been nuanced, Thorfinn himself is just incapable of stomaching it.

[ultfan]

me when tumblr recommends me someone defending dr3 in the tags and i read through the entire thing and get mad bc they don't understand what brainwashing really is.

[gingermintpepper]

I was reading the Orphic Argonautica last night and the author has mentioned the various methods of divination Apollo knows and guess what? One of them is prophesying by studying the entrails of organisms. As soon as I read that I was reminded of your headcanon of Apollo being into hepatoscopy for divination and I giggled.

Awww 😳😳It's so nice of you to think of me!

Hehe, so fun fact, the overall practice of divination by studying the entrails of animals (including blood, lungs, intestines and so forth) is extispicy while hepatoscopy is specifically using the liver in prophecy and divination readings.

If, like magic in old text exactly like the sort Medea is described as using, the types of divination spoken about in the texts are reflections of the popular divination cultures of the time, I much rather prefer ascribing those to Apollo than I do some vague, somewhat mysterious power which he uses to see the will of the fates, especially since it's mentioned a few times that he'll teach his sons the language of the birds and how to read their signs and so on and so forth.

In short: HEPATOSCOPY APOLLO IS COOL!! HE'S SO NEAT!! Apollo at the altar who predicts the coming droughts and famines from the entrails of his flock!! It's just such a neat little image (to me)!

Also the Orphic Argonautica bangs, genuinely I hope you enjoy it! Orpheus is an insane man and I do not think him along with the collective subspecies of mythical man known as 'sons of Apollo' get enough credit for how truly unhinged they are at any given point in time.

[thejournallo]

Life Hack: Oil pulling

This is a life hack to take more proper care of our oral hygiene and is something that I am actually testing out, and I can actually see incredible results in only one week. 

What is oil pulling?

Oil pulling is an ancient Ayurvedic practice that involves swishing oil around in your mouth for several minutes to promote oral health. The process is believed to draw out toxins from the body and improve dental hygiene. The scientific community has mixed opinions on oil pulling. Some small studies have shown reductions in oral bacteria, plaque, and gingivitis, comparable to mouthwash. However, more extensive and rigorous studies are needed to confirm these benefits conclusively.

What are the benefits that oil pulling can have on you?

Improved Oral Hygiene: It is said to reduce plaque, gingivitis, and bad breath.

Whitening of Teeth: Regular practice is believed to help whiten teeth.

Detoxification: Proponents claim it helps detoxify the body, although scientific evidence supporting this is limited only to the part of the mouth.

Relief from Jaw Pain: Some report reduced jaw pain and improved jaw strength.

How do i do oil pulling?

Choose your oil: Coconut oil is a popular choice due to its antimicrobial properties. even though every vegetable oil can be good for this practice.

Measure a tablespoon: Use about a tablespoon or two of oil.

Swish the oil: Swish it around your mouth for 15-20 minutes. Make sure not to swallow it. and it is suggested to do this first thing in the morning to get rid of all the bacteria that accumulates throughout the night. (This is the part that makes your jaw pain go away because you actually exercise your mouth muscles while you do that.)

Spit it out: Spit the oil into a trash can (not the sink, as it can clog pipes).

Rinse and brush: Rinse your mouth with water and then brush your teeth as usual.

Oil pulling is generally considered safe, but it should not replace traditional oral care practices like brushing and flossing.

My thoughts and experiences:

I always had problems keeping my oral igine costant because of my adhd. Since I started oil pulling, not only did I see an improvement in my teeth, as they are more white, but I also saw an improvement in my routine because, in general, I see it as an easy way to clean my teeth, which includes actually brushing my teeth. i also have notice improvements with my jawline but that could be the gua sha too.

[typosandtea]

OC SPEECH MANNERISMS

Thanks for the tag @bokatan ^_^

I tag @charliesvarietyhour @fablewritesnonsense @sirmanmister @secondhand-lions @wasteland-wrecker (so many people have already been tagged lol)

-> Not including Nathan since he barely speaks now he’s mutated

Tango

NO. OF SPOKEN LANGUAGES: 1 / 2* / 3 (two if robot/binary counts)

TONE OF VOICE: high / average / deep (power armour modulated phill Coulson basically)

ACCENT: Yes* (notably electronic/robotic sounding, even with a massive range of tone etc)/ No

DEMEANOR: confident / shy / approachable / hostile / other

POSTURE: slumped / straight / stiff / relaxed

HABITS: head tilting / swaying / fidgeting / stuttering / gesturing (anyone who hangs out with them for any length of time quickly learns to be out of accidental slapping distance.. power armour accidental backhand hurts!) / arm crossing / strokes chin / er, um, or other interjections / plays with hair or clothing / hands at hips / inconsistent eye contact / maintains eye contact / frequent pausing / stands close / stands at a distance

COMPLEXITY

VOCABULARY: ⬤⬤⬤〇〇

EMOTION: ⬤⬤⬤〇〇

SENTENCE STRUCTURE: ⬤〇〇〇〇

PROFANITY

FREQUENCY: ⬤⬤⬤〇〇

CREATIVITY (in regards to profanity): ⬤〇〇〇〇

BOLD ALL THAT APPLY: arse. ass. asshole. bastard. (Don’t be a little)bitch. bloody. bugger. bollocks. chicken shit. crap. cunt. dick. frick. fuck. horseshit. motherfucker. piss. prick. screw. shit. shitass. son of a bitch. twat. wanker. pussy.

IMPORTANT QUESTIONS

DO PEOPLE HAVE A HARD TIME HEARING OR UNDERSTANDING YOUR CHARACTER? - almost always / frequently / rarely / never

DOES YOUR CHARACTER'S INTENDED POINT COME ACROSS EASILY WHEN THEY SPEAK? - almost always / frequently / sometimes / rarely / never.

WOULD YOUR CHARACTER INITIATE CONVERSATIONS? - almost always / frequently / sometimes / never.

WOULD YOUR CHARACTER BE THE ONE TO END CONVERSATIONS? - almost always (if Tangos not vibing time to hit da bricks)/ frequently / sometimes / rarely / never.

WOULD YOUR CHARACTER USE 'WHOM' IN A SENTENCE? - yes / no / only ironically

YOUR CHARACTER WANTS TO MAKE A COUNTERPOINT. WHAT WORD DO THEY USE? - but / though / although / however / perhaps / mayhaps.

HOW DOES YOUR CHARACTER END CONVERSATIONS? - walk away / ask if that's everything / say that's everything / give a proper goodbye (reserved for the few people Tango considered a friend) / tell their company they're done here / remain quiet / they don't.

WHAT SOCIAL CLASS WOULD OTHERS ASSUME YOUR CHARACTER BELONGS TO, HEARING THEM SPEAK? - upper / middle / lower. (Average tech-scavenging wastelander by voice alone)

IN WHAT WAYS DOES THE WAY YOUR CHARACTER SPEAK STAND OUT TO OTHERS? - accent / vocabulary / tone / level / politeness / brusqueness / it doesn't.

Murphy

NO. OF SPOKEN LANGUAGES: 1 / 2 / 3

TONE OF VOICE: high / average / deep (deeper than you expect for how short she is though)

ACCENT: Yes / No (strong Aussie)

DEMEANOR: confident / shy / approachable / hostile / other

POSTURE: slumped / straight / stiff / relaxed

HABITS: head tilting / swaying / fidgeting / stuttering / gesturing / arm crossing / strokes chin / er, um, or other interjections / plays with hair or clothing / hands at hips / inconsistent eye contact / maintains eye contact / frequent pausing / stands close / stands at a distance

COMPLEXITY

VOCABULARY: ⬤⬤⬤⬤〇

EMOTION: ⬤⬤⬤⬤⬤

SENTENCE STRUCTURE: ⬤⬤⬤〇〇

PROFANITY

FREQUENCY: ⬤⬤〇〇〇

CREATIVITY (in regards to profanity): ⬤⬤⬤⬤〇

BOLD ALL THAT APPLY: arse(move ur arse, well that bit me in arse). ass. asshole. bastard. bitch. bloody. bugger. bollocks. chicken shit. crap. cunt. dick. frick. fuck(fuckin, for fucks sake, fuckin hell). horseshit. motherfucker. piss(piss off). prick. screw. shit(shit a brick). shitass. son of a bitch. twat. wanker. pussy. (heck, oh heck)

IMPORTANT QUESTIONS

DO PEOPLE HAVE A HARD TIME HEARING OR UNDERSTANDING YOUR CHARACTER? - almost always / frequently / rarely / never (strong foreign accent + lots of slang + fast talker)

DOES YOUR CHARACTER'S INTENDED POINT COME ACROSS EASILY WHEN THEY SPEAK? - almost always / frequently / sometimes / rarely / never. (3 int 10 charisma)

WOULD YOUR CHARACTER INITIATE CONVERSATIONS? - almost always / frequently / sometimes / never.

WOULD YOUR CHARACTER BE THE ONE TO END CONVERSATIONS? - almost always / frequently / sometimes / rarely / never.

WOULD YOUR CHARACTER USE 'WHOM' IN A SENTENCE? - yes / no / only ironically

YOUR CHARACTER WANTS TO MAKE A COUNTERPOINT. WHAT WORD DO THEY USE? - but / though / although / however / perhaps / mayhaps.

HOW DOES YOUR CHARACTER END CONVERSATIONS? - walk away(or fly away, rude) / ask if that's everything / say that's everything / give a proper goodbye / tell their company they're done here(being rude) / remain quiet / they don't.

WHAT SOCIAL CLASS WOULD OTHERS ASSUME YOUR CHARACTER BELONGS TO, HEARING THEM SPEAK? - upper / middle / lower.

IN WHAT WAYS DOES THE WAY YOUR CHARACTER SPEAK STAND OUT TO OTHERS? - accent / vocabulary / tone / level / politeness / brusqueness / it doesn't.