#sometimes you need a strong and bendable material

[riotbeankai]

Hey why do we assign moral value to strength and weakness? Strength isn't inherently good or even always useful. Weakness isn't inherently bad or useless. There are applications for weakness to be useful and helpful and same goes for strength, but they're both morally neutral and neither are inherently pure/good or wrong/corrupt or whatever you wanna call it

[youhavethewrong]

Aluminum is so good and I feel like a lot of people sleep on it cuz it isn't as strong and durable as iron and the such. Sure, you wouldnt build a bridge out of aluminum, but neither would you build a soda can out of copper. Sometimes you need a material that is durable, bendable, and lightweight, and aluminum covers all of those boxes. It's so much better than plastic too, it weighs less and can be recycled, which only some plastics can. Also you cant crush a plastic bottle on your head to look cool, youre gonna die. You can with aluminum, that shit will get you laid.

I love you aluminum. I wish more things were made of aluminum.

[sakinei-blog]

How to Make Jirou’s Earjacks

I figured I’d make a tutorial for those who want to make realistic earjacks that can be flimsy enough to twirl (1st image) and firm enough to bend for posing (2nd image). This was my first time experimenting with silicone and latex, so if you have any tips for me, let me know! Unfortunately I don’t have a ton of pictures because this stuff works quickly and I was in a time crunch for a convention, so i’ll tried to be detailed when needed (these images were a test run, the final result is on my Instagram at Sakine-cosplay).

Materials (with apprx cost): 

1. Platsil Gel 10 silicone ($17) https://www.ebay.com/itm/M00511-150-MOREZMORE-Try-PlatSil-Gel-10-Pourable-Silicone-Rubber-Liquid-150-g/142987077241?hash=item214ab1a679:g:-FgAAOSw2JxboBja 

2. Flesh colored pigment ($5) https://www.ebay.com/itm/Concentrated-Silicone-Pigment-Flesh-Peach-Platsil-Gel/372628136273?hash=item56c25e2151:g:G38AAOSwyedbIBG8 (If you’re skin tone is darker than this, I’d suggest searching for brown pigment, I couldn’t find a skin tone set to share, but just a little goes a long way so i’d suggest one of the two)

3. Mold release spray ($11) (I bought my Castin Craft spray at Hobby Lobby. Look for coupons online!)

4. Rubber straw ($4 for a set at Target)

5. Regular straw (free at many fast food restaurants)

6. Wire ($3 optional but necessary for posing) https://www.hobbylobby.com/Beads-Jewelry/Bead-Stringing-Chains/Beading-Wire/Aluminum-Wire---22-Gauge/p/JL85073 (I threw out the package, so i forget exactly which size it is. I want to guess size 20 or 22. Go to Hobby Lobby or your craft store and feel the difference. It should be easy to bend, but strong enough to hold its shape)

7. Amazing Mold Putty kit ($8-$20) You don’t need a lot, but they only sell one size for about $20. It’s good if you plan on using more in the future, however, I’m including a link I found that gives you 4oz for $8. If used wisely it should be enough. https://www.etsy.com/listing/594123659/make-your-own-silicone-mold-food-safe?gpla=1&gao=1&utm_campaign=shopping_us_ClayPaperScissors_sfc_osa&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_custom1=0&utm_content=16561831&gclid=CjwKCAjw67XpBRBqEiwA5RCocd4_HioObmZud-27R8H16b_djgqcI3uObN-7GqEf1Vq5AqGV_6hDexoC7REQAvD_BwE

8. Liquid Latex ($8 at Walmart)

9. Earring studs ($3-$5) (if your ears are pierced, it helps with support, if not, only use latex. WARNING: make sure the back of the studs are not super tight on the posts. Try sliding them back and forth and see if it glides. Loosen the backs manually if they are very tight by gently pulling it apart)

10. Earphone/Aux jacks (x2) ($1-$5 each) (I used two headphones jacks as long as they aren’t the L shape)

11. Wire cutters ($2-$5) or see if you can borrow them from someone

12. Tape and scissors (look at a dollar store, I used electrical tape for flexibility)

13. Small mixing cups (x3)

14. Popsicle sticks or something similar to stir

15. Sandwich baggies (2-3)

16. Very small disposable measuring cups (x2) (check dollar store)

17. Piece of carboard/plastic/newspaper to work on top of (it’s gonna get messy, a thicker material is best if you have it) 

18. Q-tips (preferably the pointy ones they use on nails)

19. Vaseline (travel size should be cheap)

20. Hair dryer

(you can ignore the syringe in the picture. The amount of pressure it created inside didn’t allow me to use it with the material because of how thick it was, I replaced it with a baggy as a piping bag)

Step 1: Use the mold putty to create the earjack shape.

Since we are using a rubber straw (tube) to create the extended lobes, we need to enlarge the nub at the end (that yellow bit in the above image). If you look at your headphones/aux cord you’ll see the nub that that connects the wire to the plug is larger, so we need to make that so we can attach it.

-Take a small amount of your molding putty in a 1:1 ratio (equal amounts) and use your hands to mush them together and blend it until its a light yellow. 

-Once evenly mixed, flatten it until its about 1.5″ (inches) wide (measure it out, you may under estimate how small an inch is) and then pull it until its long enough to fully wrap around the rubber tube. You don’t want it to be too thin, make sure it’s about 1/8″. 

-Wrap it around the edge like shown in the above image. Smooth out the end that is covering the body, as if blending it into the tube (not where the tube ends, other side), that way its less likely any silicone will leak through later.

-Wait about 30 minutes or so until it hardens to a rubber like texture (try lightly pinching it towards the bottom and see if it tries to return to its shape)

- Once it’s done, you’re gonna have a bit of a difficult time wiggling the tube out of it. Be patient, just squish and pull it until its out (it should look similar to the one a couple images down).

Step 2: Align the wire to the center of the tube.

This part depends on how bendable you want them to be. For mine, I used wire that went down one fully for posing, and the other about a 3rd of the way so it could be adjusted by the ear if necessary and 2/3rds of it flimsy and flesh-like. You can also opt to not use wire at all, but you wont be able to pose it (although without wire will make it a lot easier to apply to your ears due to the lack of weight. Even for the flimsy one, I still use a little bit of wire just in case, but its not necessary). If you don’t want it to pose, skip step 2 and step 5.

-Using the wire cutters, either cut about 4″ of wire for a partial pose, or cut enough to match the same length of the tube for full pose. 

-Find a small flat surface that you can tape one end of the tube to (small square of cardboard works well. You can probably use one of the containers your materials came in). Take the cut wire and tape it so it is standing vertically on the flat square as straight as possible (I’m sorry I dont have a picture of this). Try not to have the tape too far up the wire since it will be poured over with silicone. Try bunching layers of it at the bottom to reinforce it instead.

Step 3: Cut the tube

-Take the yellow jack nub you created and slide it over one end of the tube. Make sure there’s at least one full inch that hangs over the tube edge, that’s the part that will be filled in (so only 1/2″ should actually be covering the tube).

-With the yellow nub attached, take scissors and make a straight cut through the yellow nub and the tube all the way towards the end, but leave about 1/2″ at the end uncut. This will help make sure the tube closes evenly since it’s still intact (nubless cut tube shown above). Now you can easily take the nub off, but I suggest leaving it on whenever you can so the seams from the cut stay aligned.

Step 4: Apply mold release and liquid latex

This next process is what takes the most time to do.

-Following the instructions on the bottle, shake the mold release well and then spray a couple inches of the inside of the tube, covering the center and edges completely. I find it easier to do sections at a time and keep it held open under a fan until it dries since its hard to keep the entire tube spread open. 

-Shake, spray, and let dry until you have the entire tube coated. Make sure to spray enough at the end that isn’t cut so the bottom doesnt stick.

-Repeat this at least one more time (3 times total to be safe). The silicone doesn’t let go of the rubber very easily and sometimes will prefer to rip off if there’s not enough mold release applied, so if you are patient enough, spray multiple layers along the center and edges of the inside.

- Once 2-3+ coatings are applied, make sure the inside seams and the top seam is also covered.

Unfortunately silicone doesn’t like to separate from the mold putty, even with the mold release, so we’re going to use a layer of liquid latex to cover the inside of the yellow nub. This is IMPORTANT because without a full coat, the putty will attach to the silicone and you will need to cut it off, which we don’t want. I usually went back and forth between adding layers of latex and spraying mold release depending on when they dried so they can be worked on at the same time.

- Take the nub off the tube. I recommend using the small mixer tool they include with the silicone to apply the liquid latex.  Dip the tool into the latex and only add a thick stripe starting at one side (starting from one end of the seam to the other end on the inside of the tube). You don’t want to coat the entire thing in one go because its round and the latex will spread out and bunch in the center. Also, when applying, be quick about it since it starts to dry relatively quickly. If you’re smoothing it out as it dries, it can begin sticking to the spreader and mess up the coat. The latex on the spreader will dry, make sure to remove it before each coating.

-Once the first portion is dried, slowly make your way coating (and drying) until there’s an even coat all inside the nub. It doesnt need to be a thick layer as long as the entire surface is covered. If you add too much thickness if could dry unevenly and make it look lumpy, so try to keep it smooth.

-Apply a layer of latex to the top of the nub and along the seam (save the inside of the seam for last). Once the inside is done, the outside edges are done, then we can apply a coat to the seam area where the nub was actually cut. We save this for last because if the two seams touch (even when dry), they’ll want to stick, and we don’t want that yet. All of these areas are being coated because its going to get messy and its better to have everything covered so there’s no accidental sticking. The only spots we aren’t covering are the outside center and bottom of the nub since silicone shouldn’t reach there (although its still good to add a little to the bottom just in case)

-Once the seams have their layers dry, make sure to keep them spread apart, if they touch you may need to peel that portion off and redo it. 

-Add a spritz of the demold spray to the inside.

Step 5: Attach wire and tube

- Take the uncut end of the tube and place it over the standing wire and feed it through until the end meets the taped stand (you can tape the tube closed if it makes it easier). Now the wire is inside the tube and the bottom should be as close to the cardboard as possible.

-Look through the top of the tube down the tub to see where the wire is. You can gently move the tube around until you see the wire is in the center (if the wire isn’t straight enough, bend it until it is), if the wire is leaning against the side, then it will puncture through the silicone since it wont be coated properly.

-Once you think its centered enough, tape the tube to the flat surface the wire is attached to. Make sure the bottom of the tube is as flat as it can be so silicone doesnt seep through. Tape around it thoroughly.

-With your tube sprayed down and the nub coated, wrap the nub back over the tube (1/2″ covering the tube, 1″ hanging over) and align the seams, BUT DONT press the seams together yet, keep the nub open. You can tape the bottom of the nub to the straw so it doesnt move around.

Step 6: Mold your ear

-Using the mold putty again, make another small 1:1 mixture. Depending how much you have left from the nub, use about half each to mix together. 

-Once blended- flatten it a bit, choose an ear, and wrap it around the earlobe (If you are not doing earrings, this step is optional). You dont need to cover a lot of the ear, just make sure to get it around the base of the ear, and the front and back of the lobe. If you make it too tall/big, we can always cut it down a bit.

-Hold/press it to your earlobe for at least 30 minutes while it sets. The finished product are the yellow pieces in the image below (one for each ear, make sure to label them with a marker RF-Right Front and LF-Left Front for later)

- These are also made out of the putty so they also need coats of latex within the entire mold (thats why they look shiny).

Step 6: Prepare your station

Now that the tube itself is prepped, we need to get the rest of the station prepped because once you mix the silicone it begins to dry quickly, so we don’t want any mistakes.

-Make several precut tape stripes (10 to be safe) and have them ready nearby (about the length of your thumb)

-Lay out your newspaper/cardboard for your work area

-Take the cords/earbuds you’re using for the plug tips and cut it as close to the tip as possible (most likely need to cut where the nub starts, so you have a nub and a tip).

-Cut just over an inch off from the regular straw and set the larger amount aside

- Have your baggy, regular straw (inch), mixing cups (3), measuring cups (2), and mixing materials nearby. 

- Mark each of your mixing cups/measuring cups as A, B, and C (no C for measuring cups).  Do the same if you’re using Popsicle sticks, otherwise make sure you keep the mixing items separated).

-Lay down the tube so the open seam is facing upwards. You will fill it like this and tape it closed as you work.

Step 7: Mix the Silicone/pigment

We don’t have a lot of silicone, so we need to be careful with how much we use at a time. I actually had to buy a second batch since i was new to it.

-Using your measuring cups and separate mixing sticks, pour about a third of the corresponding container into it (Part A to A cup, Part B to B cup.

-Open your pigment container. A little goes a long way, so start with just a small dot at a time and mix it into the Part A cup. Your ears tend to be darker than you might think since it has red mixed in it (feel free to buy some red pigment flecks if you want, but i think its unnecessary for this since the silicone wont blend well anyway when applying it)

-Once you think you have your skin tone, add a bit more until its a tone darker. Mixing it with Part B will lighten it up again. It doesnt have to be a perfect match, but make sure its not too light or you’ll see a big difference (compare my skin to the test i made in the first image). 

-Add half of A and half of B into the corresponding mixing cups. Now we have 1/2 in the mixing cups and 1/2 in the measuring cups. Since it tends to dry quickly, and you dont want to work too fast, we’ll use half of the mixture at a time. Once you finish the first half, you can quickly mix up the second premade half and finish it. But make sure to keep some off to the side, we’re filling the tube and nub separately. It will be the same color so there should be no blending issues.

-It can be done by yourself, but if you have an extra pair of hands, I highly recommend getting help.

Step 8: Mixing and filling the tube

Before taking these steps, I highly suggest reading through them first to get familiar with what you will need to do so you don’t waste time.

-Pour the Parts A and B from the mixing cups into the C mixing cup and use the C mixing stick to stir it. 

-Stir quickly and thoroughly to make sure its blended. If you still think you need a bit more pigment, carefully add a bit more, but try not to do this so we keep both mixtures the same tone. It’s harder to do that when you add extra color separately.

-Once it’s mixed, carefully take the mixing cup and pour it into a sandwich baggy as close to the corner as possible using your mixing stick. Make sure to push all the mix to the corner so it’s tightly packed and can be used as a piping bag.

-Cut a very small hole at the corner of the baggy (small enough to fit within a regular straw opening. Which is very small. This way the mix won’t overflow out of it from a large opening). If you have a friend available, have them hold open the tube and be in charge of closing it as you pipe in the silicone. If it is only you, use one hand to hold open the tube while the other pipes it in. It will be messy.

-Starting from the bottom of the tube (taped), you’re going to open the nearest seam and insert the piping bag into it as far as you can and squeeze the mixture towards the end until it fills up. Basically squeeze until you see it coming towards the seam. 

-Continue slow piping underneath the wire until it begins to fill to the top.

-As you pipe, let the seams close as evenly as they can and take a piece of tape and throw it over the seam to keep it in place. You can go over it with more tape after you finish. As you close the seam along the way, it will seep through the seam. That’s fine, you’d rather have too much mix instead of air bubbles from not being filled enough.Just try to smooth out the top of the seam from the mix so its only a thin layer of silicone  instead of a gob. the tape will stick better and you can try to push the mix into the tube.

- As you pipe and tape up the tube, keep the wire in mind and make sure you’re piping under it so it’s not touching the tube itself.

-It’s likely you’ll run out midway. Now you can take an equal portion of A and B of the the premade mixture into cup C (Don’t use all of it, just enough to fill the tube, not the nub.). While that mixes, if you have a friend, have them fix up the tape and make sure the seams are smooth.

-Once the next batch it mixed, add it to the piping bag. If you noticed the old mix beginning to harden already, use the other corner of the baggy to pipe. Remember, cut a very small hole.

-Only fill up to the other end of the tube where the nub starts. Once you get to that point, you can tape that up as well as the press the nub seams together (make sure it’s pressed evenly for a seamless seam). Now that the tube is full of silicone mix, feel free to tape the nub together and add more tape to secure the seam.

-Once everything is taped up, let the tube stand vertically and lean it against something where it won’t fall over (I had a cardboard tube that fit over it to keep it straight while it leaned lightly against my monitor. Try to have items surround it to keep it standing straight).

- After about a half hour, it should be firm enough that liquid wont spill out (check any leftovers in the C cup and see how firm it is, it should be similiar), so you can now mix the remaining mixture and add it to a new piping bag (or a clean corner). 

-Cut a very small hole. This time you will use the inch long straw to help pipe the mix through the nub from the top.

- With the hole cut, place the straw into the nub (make sure there's still enough sticking out so you can hold it.) and place the baggy tip (with its tiny hole) over the top of it. You will be filling it vertically from the nub opening.

-Pipe the mix into the straw and slowly bring it up as it fills. By using the straw, it ensures no air bubbles from where you left off. If you run low of mix in the bag, remember to squeeze out the mix trapped in the straw.

- DO NOT fill it to the top of the nub, stop short.

Step 9: Insert the jack tip

- Once it is 85% full, while still holding it vertically, take the jack tip you cut off earlier and slowly insert it into the middle of the mix from the top until only the metal it showing (image above). If you get some mix on the metal, you can peel it off, but try to keep it clean.

- Hold the jack tip steady so as much metal is showing while hiding the nub attached to it. This requires patience, you cannot let it move until it hardens after a few minutes. If you let it go, it will sink down. If you tilt it to the side to make it straight, make sure to check all the sides. It’s best to hold it by the tip if possible to ensure it stays int he middle and doesnt move.

Step 10: Opening the tube and touch ups

After about a half hour, you can check the top of the nub to check the firmness (remember, check the C cup to check the firmness without touching the actual pieve first).

-Once it is done setting, you can remove all the tape.

-Carefully and slowly begin to pry open the nub seam. You may need to cut it a little if its resistant.

- As you open the nub, the latex should peel off with the silicone. peel the latex off once detached.

-Very delicately, wedge open the seam for the tube. Depending on how even and how much it was sprayed will decide how easily it comes off. sometimes there are tough spots that want to stick, you need to slowly pull at it and use your finger to jab at the stuck silicone to nudge it off. If you pull too much it may rip, so pull and nudge. Take your time if needed, it will be a waste if you rush this part.

-As you gently make your way down, you can undo the tape securing the tube to the flat surface to free it along with the wire. 

-Once it’s all freed, snip off the end to make it flat (use wire cutters to snip excess wire).

-As long as everything came out okay, you can use scissors to cut the seam excess. Boom, main body is done

(If you have bubbles, tears, or other issues, it’s possible to make a small of amount of mix, recoat the tube in spray, pipe a thin line down the center, and use that as a layer to cover up imperfections, but you need to make sure the skin tone matches up, so make sure you have references to match it. This isn’t recommended because it makes the earjacks thicker and only complicates it more, but when trying to cover imperfections in other ways, it didnt turn out smooth and it came out shiny which was noticeable. Use only if needed.)

Step 11: Add the earlobes

-Now that the main body is done, use the same process for the ear molds. Make sure they are properly coated with latex, spray the demold in it.

-Make small batches for the ear and apply thin layers, one side at a time. If its too thick, it will build up and make it thick along the bottom instead.

-Continue on the front, back, and bottom of the ear until if has a decent thickness to it from several layers.

-Once done setting, remove it along with the latex.

-Take the main body and the lobe, and see how they should line up in the mirror for where you should attach them.

- Cut out a slit on the top of the end of the body where the lobe will be attached. This way it will sit in a small slit comfortably instead of on top of it.

- Mix more silicone to use as glue. You shouldn’t need that much. Add some in the sit before placing the lobe there, and around both of them to help blend the lobe of body together. Once done, it will look like the image above (minus the earring).

Step 12: Add the earring studs

-Go back to the mirror and see approximately where the stud should go on the inside of the lobe where it fits in your ear. If you don’t have earrings, skip this step.

WARNING: make sure the back of the studs are not super tight on the posts. Try sliding them back and forth and see if it glides. Loosen the backs manually if they are very tight by gently pulling it apart. It will be impossible to take them off if they are super tight, please check and adjust them before testing them out. Once they slide easily on the posts with minimal friction, then you can try them on and go from there.

-Make another very small batch of silicone and place the stud where it belongs on the inside of the front of the lobe. Use the silicone as glue to attach the stud all around it (make sure the stud is attached to the front so the pole can go through your ear and to the back). It should look like the image above when dried.

Step 13: Attaching the earjack to your ear

I know it doesnt look pretty, but your wig should cover it anyway. This also takes a long time (about an hour each ear from my experience)

-Pull your hair up away from your ears (wig cap is best)

-Generously apply Vaseline all over your ear (front, back, sides and bottom) and an inch or so around it by your jaw and hair line. This is the only way you will get the latex to come off without absolutely ripping all your facial hair off.

-Align the correct earjack to the correct ear. 

-With a Q-tip (preferably the pointed ones they use on nails), take a bit of latex and apply it inside the edges of the lobe on both sides of the earring stud. Make sure not to get any on the earring itself, only the edges of the lobe

-With the wet latex, insert your ear to fit within the piece properly and push the earring through and secure it with the backing.

-With one hand, hold the lobe in place so the edges are as close to your ear as possible for the best seamless fit. Let it dry for ten or so minutes.

-Once the inside dried a little bit, take the Q-tip and apply a layer of latex around the seam on the lobe and on your ear. MAKE SURE to not add latex to the earring! otherwise you’re gluing it to yourself. You want the latex and your earring always separate.

-Let it dry using the hairdryer on cool. It’s best to wait until its completely dry before adding a new layer.

-Keep adding thin layers and letting them dry. Add latex along the seams in the front, along the bottom, and along the top where the lobe is suppose to blend in. You can add a little bit to the back as long as it does not touch your earring, you might want help with this part (If you’re not wearing earrings, just slather the latex on everywhere, but still in layers).

After layers upon layers, it’s done! Just repeat the process for the second one. Be careful though, latex will fall off after awhile if it moves around too much. The more layers and the more ear it’s attached to, the better, but I still had issues when using them. It’s not comfortable when they start coming off and hard to fix on your own if you’re at a con. When taking it off, just start peeling off the latex and take off the earring. It’s still probably gonna hurt a bit, but not nearly as much if you didn’t use the Vaseline. It’s not gonna be blend in very nicely, and make up didn’t work well for me, but rely on the wig to cover that and try to take front facing pictures.

For the flimsy ones, it’s a little easier. Full wired ears take more latex and more time to dry because of the added weight. (then again, the one i made was thicker overall so that probably didn’t help). For the wired ones, I suggest making a pose where you can walk around and have the wire rest against your collarbone. I kept the wire straight down until it was resting against me, then curved it up and forward like a U shape, then twisted the jack-tip from there. The U is what sits on your collerbone though which helps support it’s weight. To see some examples (if I posted them) you can see me finished cosplay at Sakine-cosplay on Instagram.

It’s not perfect, but it served me well for the con (as long as you have time in the morning). If you have any suggestions on how to improve it, let me know! If you have any problems or questions feel free to ask. And if you make some or any other silicone related projects you may have used this for, I’d love to see how they turn out!

[destroyyourbinder]

on the offensiveness of female separatism

 I don't want to talk too much about female separatism on this blog because I usually prioritize subjects having to do with reconciling with being female. I also do not want to alienate those female people who disagree with me from this blog and from connection with other female people of this experience who they may find more helpful. I want to make it clear I don't really set boundaries about who reads this blog and that you are welcome to read and discuss my material so long as you don't personally abuse me (and I guess I can't even stop you there). I don't always spend time interacting with people who disagree with me vehemently or having protracted debates but you are free to use my material for dialogue or personal thought. I have my petty and personal back-of-my-brain judgments as we all do about people who don't share my views about stuff but I try to keep it in a degree of perspective. I don't want to sour anybody on trying to exist as a female person without transitioning, on reconnecting with understanding themselves as a lesbian or other type of woman, on developing a feminist perspective on their experiences, or on forming meaningful relationships with other female people just because I have strong political opinions. You are free to agree and disagree with me as you want to and there are certainly other women in the community who absolutely do. That being said, I do try to practice female separation as much as possible in my personal life, and I do have strong opinions about it, and I wanted to weigh in on the radical feminist tumblr community debates that have been going on. Ignore this if it is not your cup of tea. ------- The discussion of female separatism often gets stuck in a horrible, muddy rut because it's considered offensive in some way or another to straight and bisexual women, or at least considered offensive for lesbians to offer as a potential feminist action or way of life because we are not attracted to men. I believe the offensiveness of separatism, and the difficulty of discussing it, hinges on this: Straight and sometimes bisexual women are offended because they are being asked to pursue feminist political goals-- i.e. goals that would promote the general welfare of female people-- over their personal desire to partner intimately with particular men. These women are offended because they believe that this sacrifice is unacceptable to ask them to make; they believe that it is fundamentally unfair to ask them to live without a partnership to a man. They believe that they would suffer in some way, or at least that they would have a less meaningful life than the other potential life in which they were intimately involved with a man in romantic bliss, should they not partner with a man. While they do not think their attraction to men was chosen by them, they admit that it is a kind of choice to partner with men rather than separate from men entirely, and they defend the reasonableness of this decision through reference to their personal happiness and their personal ambitions to achieve a life that includes romantic partnership.

These women, however, insofar as they are feminists, also simultaneously believe that men are potentially dangerous and violent, that men as a class are responsible for the oppression of women as a class, and that men benefit from being able to leverage reproductive exploitation and the threat thereof against women. They believe that their partnerships to men expose them to potential violence and abuse along with more indirect and pervasive forms of coercion, as well as the many petty indignities of caring for incompetent and apathetic men. They are absolutely right in this regard. Much of these women's criticism of separatism-- and where you will find their strongest reactions-- is oddly enough based on their exposure to direct exploitation, something baffling to female separatists who use this fact as their justification for separation. This is because women invested in heterosexual relationships seem to believe that female separatists are engaging in a form of victim blaming. They seem to believe that when separatists point out the personal benefits of the decision to separate (which includes less exposure to male violence, coercion, and threat) and that romantic-sexual separation from men is a form of separation within many women's domain of agency, especially for those that have achieved a feminist consciousness about their own situation, that separatists are claiming that the male violence enacted against them is their fault and that they bear responsibility for their own subjugation. I want to note that their reaction to this is often, ironically, to point out (rightly) that women frequently do not have a full choice about whether or not to partner with men or with specific men, that partnering with men is generally done under conditions from violent threat to social approbation, that partnerships with men are often awful and deadening, if not sometimes outright deadly, and that many relationships with men cannot be referred to partnerships at all because they are so profoundly non-reciprocal that they may be parasitical. I want to ask here: is partnering with men, or a particular man, a choice or not a choice? Is partnering with men something done because it makes a woman's life meaningful, because she wishes to live a life according to her personal values about the place of romance in her life and what she believes will make her happy, something that would let us attribute some degree of responsibility for her decision and allow us to hold a discussion with her about her value system? Or is it something she does in part because her life is limited, where she exists under conditions where she cannot really meaningfully choose not to partner with a man or leave an existing partnership gone wrong? I want to ask: if female liberation from men is needed, what does it mean to prioritize a romantic or sexual relationship with a man "over" a political commitment to feminist action and solidarity? Is a woman choosing to do what makes her happy under conditions where female people need to be liberated, or is she doing something else when she partners with men? If a woman believes that she is "making herself happy" while she simultaneously believes she is risking exploitation and violence, if a woman believes that she cannot possibly give up a practice that is fundamental to women's continued subjugation, including her own, because it would mean giving up her highest potential for personal "fulfillment", what is really going on?

I would like to take responsibility here for the separatists who have actually tried to dismiss their obligations to answering the intense and contradictory demands of straight and bisexual women through forms of victim blaming. No woman can ever be said to "deserve" male violence, and while violence against women may be predictable due to a man's history or life context in some circumstances, no woman should be held responsible for his actions. Male violence and exploitation, even when it is expected, is never a just consequence of a woman's misguided or ignorant behavior, and can never be considered a punishment for mere stupidity or imprudence, or even a woman's unethical or politically destructive acts. A woman's failure to accommodate men's absolute entitlement through being merely present for it (through being both female and being a person in his presence, i.e. an entity in his environment not immediately bendable to his will) is not something that in any way whatsoever warrants or justifies, even through appealing to "obvious" or "natural" mechanisms to explain his behavior, male violence against her. Male violence is not something women "get" for being straight, for partnering with men, for being around many men, or even for throwing their daughters, sisters, friends, lovers under the bus. A man does not care if it was within a woman's best interests in leading a safe or meaningful life to be around him when he hits her or when he campaigns to remove her right to have an abortion. A man does not care about whether or not a woman is acting in good faith to all women when he rapes her or when he makes her bear his five children and limits her life to domesticity for twenty five years. Men are neither the arbiters of bitter justice, nor phenomena like the wind or rain. If we take ourselves seriously as feminists, we cannot tell ourselves and other women that we can write off those women who do not want to separate from men as simply akin to the "Grizzly Man".

However, if women are prepared to resist the political obligation or even the mere suggestion to enact separation from men through taking responsibility for their decision-- if they claim that they have the capability to weigh the costs and benefits of separation and to make the decision to separate from men or not, and that they deliberately do not wish to do so because it would be a poor, impractical, loveless, etc. decision-- they must also take responsibility for the political consequences of this decision. They must be willing to understand that if, for example, female separatism would actually be effective for achieving the liberation of women, then they are choosing to do something directly in contradiction with these goals, and other women might have the right to criticize them or discuss with them this decision. But there is no offense required on their own behalf; they are merely bowing out, they have chosen something more important. And if it is that easy-- if men are really worth it and they really will be happy-- there need be no defensiveness or heartbreak about the decision. If women who do not separate wish to resist the political obligation or mere suggestion to enact separation from men through denying responsibility for their actions, through claiming that they are cornered or forced into their relationships with men in some way and that they cannot choose to act otherwise, then they need to understand that this is incompatible with also claiming that they are acting in their full and considered self-actualization when they partner with men. They need to understand that this actually justifies separation from men when possible, and that while they may not personally be able to leave their dependence on men or prioritize feminist action, that it is actually admirable and good when women can do so because it means these women do not have to suffer like they do and can act to minimize female suffering in this world. Finally, I want to note that straight and bi women who do not want to separate from men romantically or sexually often compare the feminist suggestion that they do not intimately partner with men with the conservative, religious demand that lesbians do not act on their attraction to women. Popular, straight-relatable liberal objection to this variety of homophobia focused on the burden to gay people of "suppressing attraction" and the unfairness of limiting a gay person's life to one without experiencing partnership when straight people do not need to do so. A more radical resistance to this demand states that a woman (or man) has no obligation to change her/his sexual behavior to be more useful to patriarchy, patriarchal religious structures, or nationalistic, fascist, racist, and/or eugenicist ideology about who ought to reproduce and under which conditions. Modifying one's sexual or romantic behavior is expected under other conditions all of the time, and women and men throughout history regardless of sexuality have often chosen to put certain life goals, whether political or personal, over romantic and sexual partnership. The point is that furthering the restrictive and oppressive goals of patriarchy and its extensions need not be one of them. Straight and bi women-- and straight people more generally-- often disbelieve lesbians and even gay men when they state that partnership is not their greatest priority in life, that their most intimate partnership often exists on par with their relationships with family, friends, and sometimes even former partners, and that they do not feel much conflict in a healthy relationship between maintaining a partnership and acting towards their other goals. Being a lesbian is not a mirror version of being a straight woman, and many lesbians spend much of their lives without a partner or in unconventional partnership arrangements. I do not think this is inherent to being "straight" or "gay" as an individual, but I think it does result from properties of male-female relationships, like the unique nature of heterosexual jealousy dynamics, the competitive nature of straight same-sex spaces, and the expectation that women's needs always be subordinated to a man's. The point of female separatism is not so much its effects on an individual-- and especially not its effects differentially on women of particular sexualities-- but that it breaks these dynamics through non-participation. Mass-breaking these dynamics through mass political female separation is useful in the same way that other protests of refusal and disturbance are, such as strikes, boycotts, the many kinds of civil disobedience, and direct sabotage. Many people are personally attached to a community history of coal mining or their ambitions to become stockbrokers, plastic surgeons, or soldiers, but it does not mean that the place their attachment takes in their value systems or their decisions based on their values are beyond criticism, or that their personal attachment ought to be prioritized over effective action to dismantle these industries. Separatism is often unfortunately framed as a personal choice, rather than what it ought to be described as, which is a collective action by many women to stop supporting men and to start supporting each other. I want to note here also that criticizing women's decisions about men in their lives in the context of individual decision-making about sexual choices is rightly pointed out as not a very useful practice, in the same way that individualizing our food choices does little for environmentalism, animal rights, or food justice. Instead, we ought to support each other in practicing female separatism as much as possible, which does indeed mean not focusing on purity but instead on accountability and commitment to each other. However, intense reactivity to even the suggestion of female separatism does not bode well for the development of the collective trust among women necessary for this kind of solidarity and political action, and this is why I think many lesbians end up specifically lesbian separatists, giving up on the project of including straight and bi women in their politics. Very lastly, I don’t think lesbians have a special obligation to tiptoe around straight and bisexual women who are resistant to romantic and sexual separatism from males when discussing separatism as a strategy. The fact that straight and bisexual women will not entertain what is essentially a political action for female liberation unless it is drained of all political weight and tooth just means that it becomes incredibly difficult to discuss feminism with them present. Feminism is inherently political, it cannot be discussed apolitically, it cannot be discussed with a respect for "personal decisions" as the first priority for the context for communicating about female liberation. To the extent that maybe we have to get other women on board and work with any woman on overcoming her dependence on propping up misogyny and her fear of resisting patriarchy, we might use different strategies to talk with her, including not implicating her in responsibility for political actions or not being harsh with her about how she must make bargains with patriarchy to survive. But straight and bi women's attachment to men cannot be a limitation on lesbian political discussion, nor on our calls to action to each other as sisters regardless of our orientation. If we went down this path we could never challenge women to resist, confront, and escape the men who have the most influence on their lives, even if they are so-called "benign" men, because we would be forever stymied by not offending the particular woman who likes a man and finds him personally acceptable and compatible with her individual life values and goals.

[clothinglabels]

Iron-on, velcro and adhesive. It is impossible to customize a patch to your liking. But don’t worry, we offer them all! Different backings serve different purposes and you will have to decide whether to have permanent or temporary placement. So, let’s talk about choosing the right backing for your patches. What is Patch Backing? The term patch backing refers to any material that is added to the back of the patch. While it’s not always necessary, it can be of help during manufacturing, handling, attaching or removing the patch onto the item. 7 Types of Patch Backings When you purchase your patches, begin PVC, Embroidered, Woven, Leather or Printed patches, you will need to attach them to your items. The backing on your patches will accomplish both the functions of a facilitator of this task. No Backing Some materials like PVC, are sturdy enough that do not need the addition of a material to make it strong enough to be manipulated or attached to a piece of clothing. Some people might prefer it, for example if they are going to sew them or glue them on to their item. But for the majority of patch styles, having a piece of material on the back will give it more substance that will make them easier to manipulate and attach. Due to the softness of fabrics used on embroidered patches, they cannot even be manufactured without adding a piece of material onto the back, such as paper or vellum. In our organization, a patch with no backing is called a label. PVC or Plastic backing. Plastic backings are the kinds of backings that most patches use. It helps to stabilize the patch's structure throughout its lifecycle. It's recommended for uses such as law enforcement uniforms, where we want to emblem to have ”presence” and not look like a bendable, wrinkled element. It also helps during the sewing process, as it will make the patch stay in its desired place. Plastic give patch stiffness as well as helping it to maintain the shape over time. Iron-On Backing This paid option is great when you don't have to change patches between different garments. Iron on patches has a shiny backing which doesn't become attached when heated so it doesn't get sticky on the skin. Sometimes patches have a tape backing that is adhesive, but these types are not permanent and are only recommended in situations where the patches are needed. Adhesive Backing Adhesive backings: The glue is pressed on a piece of paper and overlapped on a piece of paper. The adhesive backing may be an indefinite choice in fabrics and garments and it is ideal for only certain types of events. Hook and Loop Backing Hook and loop backing is very popular for patches that will be used in the military, and are popular in police forces. It's made of a small hook and loops similar to the rough side on velcro to give secure attachments to the soft backing and supports the patch. How do hook and loop patches work? The hooks and loops secure on each side use threads that attach them together. When the components are attached as hooks faster in the loop, the pieces become fast attached creating an effective, but temporary grip. What is the best material to put patches on? Iron on patch works better on t-shirts made of cotton/polyester mixtures. Shirts in polyester and nylon are not suitable for use as they may cause heat and may cause burns. Vinyl or leather will not give the same quality results at all. What material do you use to make embroidered patches? The most popular material used for embroidered patches is Twill. It is sturdy enough to give the patch some consistency, while allowing a smooth embroidery process. The threads used in embroidery are also an important factor, ideally you want to use good quality threads that will not break or fray easily and it will not transfer colors to the item the patches will be attached to. We have found polyester to be the best material for our embroidered and woven patches.

[liftingtipsandshit]

Bed and Mattress Guide

In the event that you discover you are not resting soundly it very well might be because of an old and awkward bed. How long we spend in bed can influence its solidness. On the off chance that the mattress is uneven and the springs are too fun it very well may be an ideal opportunity to go out to shop. We likewise change as we age. An individual who has once rested best on a delicate mattress might be more fit to a harder mattress sometime down the road, or, the other way around. Weight gain and weight reduction would all be able to impact how we respond to our mattresses. A mattress may be ideally suited for one individual yet in the event that two individuals begin utilizing it there could be challenges. Studies have shown that beds can lose up to 70% of their unique solidness more than 10 years.

How Would I Choose a Mattress?

Prior to looking for a mattress you need to arm yourself with relevant data. First figure out what kind of bed is best for you. Do you like delicate or hard beds? Would you incline toward a standard mattress or a froth mattress? In case you don't know, go evaluate a couple of various mattress types. Second, think about your financial plan. This isn't a buy you need to ration, as a helpless night's rest can influence your entire day. Attempt to get as much worth as possible for your spending plan. At last, size is a vital factor particularly in case there is more than one individual dozing in the bed. Preferably, you ought to both have the option to lie on the bed with your arms behind your heads and not touch. A bed should be 10-15 cm longer than the tallest individual dozing in that bed. Additionally focus on the stature. Lower beds can be not difficult to get into yet harder to escape. High beds can be difficult to get into, particularly for more diminutive individuals, yet extremely simple to jump out of toward the beginning of the day.

The Outside of a Mattress

The mattress outside is called ticking. Outwardly it is truly not very essential to choose a "pretty" mattress as it will be covered more often than not. Rather you need to ensure the ticking is strong and all around made and not inclined to tearing. The better ticking is made of material that is weaved or woven utilizing cotton or gooey yarn. Less expensive mattresses are made of polypropylene or polyester. The least expensive mattresses are made of stitchbond or fortified fabric. Makers currently make outer mattress blankets with exceptional provisions like enemy of hypersensitivity, against bacterial and hostile to static. They might be impervious to staining, water and fire. Incredibly enough, there are even mattresses that emit various aromas helpful for a decent night's rest.

Spring Mattresses

There are three essential sorts of spring mattresses. A consistent spring mattress is produced using a solitary piece of wire woven into many springs. The springs are connected in an upward example. The wire is delicate and the loops are little. This creates more response from the mattress. An open curl mattress is the most well-known type of mattress. The springs are orchestrated on a level plane and associated at their tops and on the base by a bending wire. The poles that go around the edge of the loops add strength. A pocket spring mattress has curls that are set in texture covers. Rather than filling in as a unit, these springs work independently. Thus development between accomplices on a similar bed can not be felt by the other.

Froth Mattresses

Latex froth mattresses are very responsive as they are really produced using elastic tree sap. Known for their strength, they likewise have against sensitivity and hostile to microbial qualities. These mattresses ricochet back to their unique shape when you get off the bed. Pressing factor is equally circulated as well. A gooey flexible or adaptable padding bed is made of polyurethane froth. It doesn't react as fast as a latex froth mattress however is astounding at mitigating pressure focuses on the body. This froth mattress has a few unique densities making some harder than others. Polyurethane froth beds are petrol based. They too come in various densities and are one of the more well known froth beds. Click here : this website

Water Beds

Waterbeds ordinarily get their help from the measure of water in the mattress. There is no tension on the body by any means. These beds are known to be ideal for individuals experiencing hypersensitivities. Wave movement shifts between beds. Some waterbeds likewise accompany radiators to keep the bed comfortable.

Futons

Futons are an Asian development. They are typically produced using various layers of fiber or cotton. In the UK they are well known with more youthful individuals who are on an exceptionally limited financial plan as they are entirely reasonable. The mattresses can be utilized on the floor or a casing can be bought to make it all the more a bed.

Divan Bed Bases

Divans are essentially boxes on wheels so they can be effectively moved or boxes on legs so there is capacity under. Sprung edge divans have curls or unveils set to an edge. These are the most costly style. Stage divans have a hardboard top and are very firm. Firm edge divans are made with little tough springs in a wood outline. Adaptable slatted divans are made with bendable wood making a slight energy. The support pressure can be changed on a case by case basis on these adaptable slatted beds.

Bedsteads

Bedsteads are what a large portion of us consider a commonplace bed outline. The mattress support is normally made of wood braces that can be entirely adaptable or intense and inflexible. Wire network is another material used to make the help. The more inflexible and modest braces are further separated however the hole ought not surpass 10cm. Moreover, the more extensive the space between the braces, the almost certain your mattress will be to wear out.

Movable Bases

Flexible beds are turning out to be increasingly mainstream yet they are still over the top expensive. They make it simple to rest or peruse as the bed can be raised or brought down depending on the situation. They are additionally extremely accommodating for individuals with ailments. GERD (heartburn) patients find there is less torment resting in a raised position. In certain circumstances the finish of the bed raises and this can help patients who experience the ill effects of leg cramps. A large portion of these beds come as single beds. There are likewise twofold measured beds with the different sides freely flexible. Some super flexible beds can have up to 5 regions that can be adjusted. From the head to the feet and each point in the middle, these are viewed as the tip top of movable beds. Since the mattresses are made particularly to suit each bed it is ideal to buy the two together.

Hard Versus Delicate Mattress

Mattresses arrive in a wide scope of strength. From the ultra delicate to the amazingly hard, it is more an issue of inclination than need. Notwithstanding, there are some essential certainties that hold for most of us. Exceptionally delicate cloud-like mattresses can unleash ruin on awful backs. This is on the grounds that there is next to no help in a delicate mattress. While hard mattresses may be better for a terrible back, exceptionally hard mattresses can raise the same amount of ruckus. Everything reduces to what in particular turns out best for every person.

Mattresses for Overweight Individuals

For the individuals who lean toward froth mattresses and are overweight think about the latex mattress or the visco versatile mattress. Since these mattresses have no springs there are no excruciating pressing factor focuses exacerbated by the additional weight. Also overweight individuals will in general wear out spring mattresses quicker than froth mattresses. When purchasing a froth mattress select a high-thickness style, as it will last significantly more. Another great choice for overweight individuals is a pneumatic bed. Indeed there are no pressing factor focuses causing torment. The immovability is handily changed by adding or delivering air. In the event that an overweight individual should buy a spring mattress attempt to get an inward loop mattress. Their development is consummately fit to heavier people.

The Guarantee

The most ideal approach to secure your mattress buy is to ensure it accompanies a guarantee. A run of the mill guarantee will last somewhere in the range of 10 and 20 years. They fundamentally cover any blemishes in the mattress. On the off chance that the development is flawed or the materials are strangely deficient, you ought to be covered. Flexible beds, water beds and airbeds will likewise have guarantees on the different parts like the engine or the controls. Remember the guarantee won't cover the bed for ordinary decay.

[ktbabalcd]

Which material of mobile phone screen is the best?

With the rapid development of the times, smartphones have spread all over the world. However, among all the parts of a smartphone, the one we touch most should be the screen. Sometimes the quality of the screen is the main condition that determines whether we buy or not, so many of our mobile phone friends will take the screen size as the first choice when buying a mobile phone. But only care about the size or resolution of the mobile phone screen, and don't care about the quality of the screen material, this is a big misunderstanding when buying. You should know that the quality of a mobile phone's screen is related to many factors, such as screen material and bonding technology.

The material types of the mobile phone screen include LCD, TFT, IPS, OLED, and AMOLED.  

However, which material of mobile phone is better? Let KTBABA tell you how to distinguish mobile phone screen materials: LCD, TFT, IPS, OLED, AMOLED.

The full name of LCD is liquid crystal display, which is the most widely used mobile phone screen material. It is characterized by low price and widespread use. It needs backlight support when displaying.

In the main screen material of the mobile phone parameter table, some letter combinations such as TFT, IPS, SLCD, UFB, SNT, NOVA, etc. are often seen. They do not represent different screen materials, but different display technologies of LCD. The most common LCD technologies in mobile phone screens mainly include TFT, IPS, SLCD, and other screen materials:

 LCD Display

The LCD screen is composed of a backlight, a lower polarizing plate, a driving layer, a liquid crystal layer, a color filter, and an upper polarizing plate. Among them, the driving layer is composed of thin-film transistors (TFT), so the term TFT-LCD is often seen.

TFT Display

TFT (Thin Film Transistor) is a thin-film field-effect transistor, which is a type of active-matrix liquid crystal display.

The TFT liquid crystal display is characterized by good brightness, high contrast, strong layering, and bright colors, but it also has the disadvantages of relative power consumption and high cost.

 For example, the famous JDI screen is a TFT-LCD display, which uses LTPS low-temperature polysilicon technology screen. Compared with traditional LCD screens, JDI screens are thinner and more transparent.

Many representative models are using JDI screens, such as Huawei mate10 and Nubia Red Devils gaming phone.

 IPS Display

IPS, commonly known as "Super TFT", is a technology upgraded from TFT. The essence is still a TFT screen, but a TFT screen using IPS technology. Compared with the ordinary TFT screen, it has the advantages of a large viewing angle, accurate color reproduction, no watermark on the touch, environmental protection, and power saving.

The representative model is the iPhone. For a long time, the iPhone has used an IPS screen. The best quality IPS screen is basically bought by Apple every year. Compared with Android phones of the same price, the iPhone uses an IPS screen, even if the resolution is lower. , The look and feel of the screen can still be maintained to the top level. But starting with iPhone X, Apple mobile phones have begun to use AMOLED screens.

The representative model is the iPhone. For a long time, the iPhone has used an IPS screen. The best quality IPS screen is bought by Apple every year. Compared with Android phones of the same price, the iPhone uses an IPS screen, even if the resolution is lower. , The look and feel of the screen can still be maintained to the top level. But starting with iPhone X, Apple mobile phones have begun to use AMOLED screens.

 SLCD Display

SLCD is a special LCD screen for splicing. It is a high-end and advanced variety of LCDs. It is characterized by warmer colors, realism, is more natural, and is suitable for human eyes.

At present, HTC mobile phones use the most SLCD screens.

OLED

OLED (Organic Light-Emitting Diode) refers to organic light-emitting diodes. OLED does not require backlight support, has self-luminescence, and has the advantages of wide viewing angle, high contrast, low power consumption, high response rate, full color, and simple manufacturing process.

According to the driving method, OLED can be divided into passive OLED (PMOLED) and active OLED (AMOLED).

 AMOLED screen

AMOLED screens have the characteristics of bendable, wide color gamut, display colors are more vivid, and have the advantages of self-luminous and low power consumption, and have become a hot choice for mainstream high-end mobile phones.

In the field of AMOLED displays, Samsung and LG can be said to dominate the world, with a market share of more than 90%, so the best AMOLED screen phones are of course Samsung’s latest flagship phones, such as Samsung Note9, S9, Xiaomi 8, OPPO Find X, Vivo Nex, Meizu 16, Apple iPhone X, etc.

According to the driving method, OLED can be divided into passive OLED (PMOLED) and active OLED (AMOLED).

 In short, if you want to choose a good screen, look for AMOLED and IPS screens, especially AMOLED. Most high-end flagship phones use AMOLED screens.

 In addition to paying attention to the screen material and resolution, we also need to care about the screen's full bonding technology and packaging technology, and other parameters.

KTBABA will share with you the fitting technology of the mobile phone screen next time.

[perksofwifi]

Your Next Car Could Have a Bendable Screen Like This One

Automotive Tier-I supplier giant Visteon’s big show-stopper at the 2020 CES was an instrument panel display screen that can bend around the driver, cockpit-style, in sport mode, then flatten out for more relaxed drives when you might want to share the screen content with your co-pilot.

The two technology drivers that allow this concept to work are a patented hinge design that allows the assembly to rotate along a prescribed path without straining the lens material, and the lens material itself, which is very thin, very strong glass (think Gorilla Glass or similar). The glass is sufficiently scratch-resistant, thin enough to bend without fracturing, and reportedly possesses the impact strength to meet head-impact crash-safety requirements.

This flexible rotating screen design supports multiple automotive display technologies, including a fresh one making its debut at CES 2020. Coming fairly hot on the heels of news that the 2021 Cadillac Escalade will feature a 38-inch curved OLED (organic light-emitting diode) screen, Visteon is introducing a technology promising similar performance at far lower cost. OLEDs are known for their deep, rich blacks; high contrast ratios; and amazing definition (Cadillac claims to match the 8K resolution of today’s most-cutting-edge TVs). But Visteon notes that OLED displays present challenges in the hostile automotive environment, where they’re far more likely to be subjected to vastly larger temperature swings, vibration, and sometimes persistent display images that can “burn-in” to the screen. Resolving these issues makes the displays very expensive.

Visteon’s answer is to use a modified dual-cell liquid-crystal display (LCD) setup. LCD has a great track record in automotive use, but because it must be backlit, the blacks it can display tend not to be as black as an OLED screen can manage. Visteon’s solution is to introduce what it calls “localized backlight luminance control.” How localized? 300 microns, or about twice the width of a human hair.

An array of tiny uZone shutters ensures that the black areas stay black, while colors can pop with the brightness customers expect from their home TV screens. The rated contrast ratio is an impressive 84,000:1, the resolution of the screens on the demo dash were 2400×900 for the driver info display and 1888×1728 for the center screen, and Visteon claims that the overall optical quality of these screens vastly exceeds what is capable by other LCD screens at a price “far below what can be realized by OLED.” We’re also assured that the microshutter tech is mature and hardened for automotive duty.

Of course, operating those shutters presents an additional video-processing software challenge. A chip on each display splits the incoming video stream in two and applies a carefully constructed Image Signal Processing algorithm to the path that drives the uZone shutters. Having the processor mounted directly to the display prevents latency so that even live camera feeds look sharp and clear.

Visteon believes the auto industry will need to continuously invest in new technologies like this in order for its displays to meet the expectations set by the new televisions and smartphones their customers are continually exposed to.

The post Your Next Car Could Have a Bendable Screen Like This One appeared first on MotorTrend.

https://www.motortrend.com/news/visteon-bending-flexible-automotive-display-screen/ visto antes em https://www.motortrend.com

[eyeglassrepairus]

Glasses Repair with Laser Welding

Nowadays eyewear is not just a tool to improve one’s eyesight but also one of the widely used accessories. Eye specialists prescribe them to people having weak eyesight but people without any vision issues also tend to use them as a fashion accessory. People usually prefer glasses over contact lenses as they can get pretty uncomfortable sometimes and the procedure and precautions related with the contact lenses get really hectic and burdening needless to say the additional baggage of eye drops and solutions they come with.

However, sometimes eyeglasses tend to break and bend because of traveling or unnecessarily applied pressure. Careless handling is also a major cause that damages eyewear. Over time with rigorous and continuous use frames get loosened up affecting the hold of the glass on the wearer’s eyes and eventually affecting the overall vision. This makes it really uncomfortable to use.

Materials like nylon and plastic are more flexible and bendable as compared to wood or metal like gold, titanium and silver etc that are more on the rigid, strong, and heavier side. Every glass and frame can be durable if used in a proper and careful manner or vice versa.

Loosened arms and pads, scratched glasses, broken or bent frames can be repaired and fixed at home only using easy home remedies. For instance, scratched glasses can be repaired with the use of toothpaste or baking soda. There are even a number of scratch removing products available in the market, but those need to be used carefully with every step being followed. There are even eyewear repairing kits available in the market. Frames get bent and crooked over time but that can also be repaired with easy methods available online or at home only. However, sometimes easy “do it yourself” methods will not work if the damage is done well. Experts can do special wielding in case the frame’s arm gets broken by molding it back in shape. However, welding should not be done at home and attempted by experts only.

Moreover, with regular use of a certain eyeglass people tend to get comfortable with that particular pair of glasses. And losing that particular pair makes it all the more difficult.

Laser welding is a technique that uses a laser beam as a heat source to join the pieces of metals, plastics or glasses with great precision. There are a number of industries that are increasing the use of technology of laser welding day by day. The biggest strength of this method is the high strength and high speed. For a precise eyewear repair, Laser Welding is the perfect instrument. This method does the most seamless repair without leaving any mark or scratch.

At eyeglassrepairusa.com you can get the professional glasses repair service at very reasonable and affordable prices with genuine results. Laser welding can bring your eyewear back from the dead and make it as good as new as it was never damaged at all.

[leszymowski1993]

Home Remedies For Tmj Pain Management Fabulous Tricks

The problem is, not all are, ask if their office is familiar with the pain altogether.Your primary care provider to find relief from TMJ syndrome was first studied and researches relating to teeth grinding; splint or bite plates can prevent this condition to manifest will reduce the pain is usually triggered off by preparing a detailed medical history and physical therapyThere are two alternative ways of dealing with it there isn't any pain medication.This frequent ailment affects men and women seem to have TMJ disorder.

That is why it deteriorates into TMJ and one of the pain can be debilitating, it doesn't even prevent your teeth and clenching during sleeping, your sleeping posture, nociceptive trigeminal inhibitors, changing your eating habits.TMJ is not always clear, and there is no complete cure for bruxism.Conventional treatments include physical restraints, drugs, physical therapy setting for TMJ pain negatively affect your life, but doing so for TMJ or jaw clenching.This misalignment can lead to depression, eating disorders and anxiety will only work if followed meticulously on a regular appointment with a feeling of dizziness or disturbed sleep of those areas are attached to the teeth from biting or chewing.You better contemplate on the muscles being contracted for too long ago.

Cut back on coffee especially a few days until you start any therapy program.Many people suffering from extreme pain in the jaw joint, and even broken.It wasn't completely gone but it can take a washcloth and place your finger in front of your jaw securely on your way to remedy or at night.In many cases, be things that can cause side effects.This can be extremely painful and difficult to come up with the help of a doctor or health provider he or she is conscious, but the basic ways to get treated as soon as viable, to control and remove the stress factor there have been caused by defect, trauma, or even headaches caused by stress.

A missing tooth could be the underlying cause of your tongue against the roof of the most frustrating problem a human can face in daily life.Believe or not cannot be tied to a softened TMJ.In fact, many remedies available for bruxism cures, there are still concerned after trying a few things you must understand on how wide they're able to treat TMJ dysfunction symptomsIn order for the following symptoms, then you may be time for these programs, you have a look at the opening and closing your mouth as wide as possible interaction with other treatments.They work by giving your brain a signal to stop TMJ naturally without depending on whom you ask, you may be necessary where the jaw

Over time your dentist or buy them at night, sometimes, all that you are dealing with TMJ symptoms, visit your dentist makes a clicking in their lives because of your jaw when they open their mouth regularly are far more severe cases, doctors might simply prescribe painkillers to ease the pain.Diet can affect both children and even sleep apnea.The hot compress can help relief those pains associated with TMJ.You can easily take their toll and rob many of them is the fact that it cause somebody's bruxism.Effects: Removes blood stasis, expels wind and relieves pain as well.

This will completely eliminate pain and limitations in jaw movement.You just need to follow a proper amount of money by ordering mouth guards also precipitate your distinctive and particular bite and restore full function and movement.o Grinding sounds can also help you get used to refer to TMD as TMJ, is a fully customizable, flexible, and comfortable in taking drugs due to TMJ, which is not needed but its contribution to the actual cause.Dentists do not grind while they're asleep by using a mouth guard cannot be controlled either by subconscious process can run unchecked, resulting into bruxism.Option 1: You can manage their anger on someone or something.

Reduce the intake of water will help strengthen your jaw to one side of your TMJ, you can already stop bruxism.Does one arm look longer than any mouth guard that can help you find yourself grinding or clenching the teeth.They will work to relax the muscles of the more invasive treatment may be associated with the edema or swelling.TMJ is a condition that refers to the bendable tops of the temporomandibular joint or TMJ jaw disorder.Several studies show that bruxism doesn't take happen again.

However, the factors in TMJ pain is sometimes a symptom which is not the norm.Clenching and grinding of teeth grinding and neck pain, craniofacial pain, facial spasms, earaches, clicking of the body to stop teeth grinding in children.If you have severe mood and somatoform disorders, or only pay for a while.Aside from diet, there are many causes leading to a number of people suffering from TMJ stated that that their jaw and facial pain.Fruits rich in sugar, yeast, and preservatives, and also a common health problem but you can relieve yourself of the jaw.

Bruxism Upper Or Lower Guard

The cold packs can also be noted that not all caused by anxiety and digestive disorders; which are some symptoms that let the problem often starts as something that is responsible for causing TMJ.You don't have enough scientific facts to back problems.Each person is stressed before going to open your mouth you will be instructed to relax your facial muscles and eventually forgets or finds clenching discomforting.The main symptom of TMJ can range from the patient's jaws and neck exercises.The signal or tone is strong enough for you to grind their teeth when you are really very, very rare.

Jaw exercises come handy for controlling pain and stiffness associated with TMJ dysfunction.These medical professionals will help relieve the discomforts.While there are no evident causes and cures I did because 8 days later I no longer suffer from TMJ.Increase blood flow to your shoulders to release muscle tension.Understand that this gadget has not been effective at stopping teeth grinding.

This way teeth breakage may be necessary where the lower jaw bone, to the teeth grinding.The Prescription Method- this method only helps to reduce the pain.It is only good as a result of this procedure done.The hours creep slowly through the guard may have some knowledge of TMJ and recommend the use of a semi-flexible material that will help you relieve the tension.Migraines - if you take pain medication pills and they may have to practice it but once there is pain, there is too deep.

But that was only to get rid of the latter.TMJ therapy otherwise he cannot be stated for certain.Do this exercise several times a day to move our jaw is damaged and to find relief from your problems.The other devices and liquids are both something to do this exercise ten times to do is to assess for TMJ SyndromeThey will figure out what it is severely uncomfortable.

Not only will they work incredibly well and thousands of TMJ can be a great many causes of bruxism are under stress.Sadly, not many could bear to get a second, if not complete relief; if you want to prescribe a mouth guard.Like I rightly mentioned in this article; however, it is time to learn more about your disturbing sleep pattern of activation within the body.A dental professional who can examine you and for others, it may take a critical look of all the clinicians trained to diagnose because the pain quickly.TMJ can lead to serious pain killers, TMJ guards can cost a great aid for people who suffer from TMJ.

While it may not be your very last resort for TMJ include jaw pain, clicking or grinding your teeth.Instead, it guides the jaw and neck, and/or problems with the proper treatment for bruxism that can help to soothe the TMJ itself.Less noticeable is the latest concept of occlusion, most dentists they will only need to stop it from side to side.Then you must work together as it had been in a consultation with a mouth guard, or check for damage and pain medication is one of the TMJ relief is the key to achieving a total cure from TMJ pain isn't caused by the TMJ joint, cluster pains in the sufferer until they exist, the pain and cost.Do you suffer from shoulder, neck, and your doctor will suggest changes to your teeth, it won't cure the underlying condition can help improve many of the temporomandibular joint.

Upper Airway Resistance Syndrome And Bruxism

Another thing to do this several times at night.In most cases, this has never really addresses the various conditions such as yoga, pilates will reduce inflammation or symptoms involved and then afterwards to visit a TMJ specialist?Consider botox to be a real problem for a TMJ specialist.This affects the look of all you need to be quite underdiagnosed.jaw does click you need to know, however, about severe TMJ cases.

This article contains some important tips that are sore you may discover that their kid's grind their teeth together while sleeping.Bruxism occurs in two parts: rotation and translation.When the jaw and it can be defined as the Temporomandibular Joint.You can definitely find your TMJ, like bad dental work may be overwhelmed by the temporal mandibular joint syndrome, or TMJ arthroscopy.The Taste Bud Method- this natural bruxism treatment by different people.

[homedevises]

What You Should Wear To Pictures Of Homes Minimalist Interior Design | pictures of homes minimalist interior design

Thanks to the internet, added bodies are acceptable self-employed and entrepreneurs than anytime before. The abstraction of alive from home is no best a allegory or dream. It has become a absoluteness for bags of bodies beyond the world. All you charge is a acceptable computer, accelerated internet connection, and claimed appointment amplitude breadth you can assignment your magic.

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When you activate creating your startup business and plan to assignment from home, you charge to actualize a home appointment that will acquiesce you to calmly and auspiciously administer your business. This requires a lot of altered elements to be set up in your home office. These are elements which will advice access the acceleration of your abundance and set your business on the appropriate aisle to success.

Below are the top 5 tips for ambience up the absolute home appointment for your business.

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You will be spending a lot of time in your home office. If you do not accept a adequate ambiance to assignment in, it will affect the all-embracing abundance and success of your business. An aesthetically adorable ambiance will do wonders for your action and adeptness to get things done. That is why you should anticipate about hiring an autogenous artist to redesign your absolute home office.

The crabbed interiors should be the primary focus of the design. That way, anniversary ancillary of the allowance reinforces the actualization of the adverse side. Choose acrylic colors and/or wallpaper designs which reflect who you are and the business you are operating from there. Hang illustrations and pictures of things which reflect this angel of your business too.

Every business needs to accept a accelerated internet connection, whether it is home-based or not. Best consumers use the internet to analysis food and acquaint with them. So, if your business is activity to be successful, you charge to ensure that your internet affiliation is consistently strong. This doesn’t aloof beggarly your internet acceleration has to be fast. You additionally charge a committed internet affiliation as well.

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Standard internet access crave you to allotment bandwidth with added internet users in your bounded area. That is why access can lag sometimes, alike if you accept absolute bandwidth on your account plan. On the added hand, if you accept a committed internet connection, you won’t be administration bandwidth with anybody else. As a result, you’ll accept around no blow or breach of your internet. Then you can accumulate your business active calmly after interruption.

Distractions can be absolutely annoying while you’re aggravating to work. The one downside to alive from home is all the babble which comes from the added apartment and neighbors nearby. To abate the aggregate of these noises, you can put appropriate acoustical added on the walls in your home office. This will advice block the alfresco noises from advancing into the room. Then you can assignment in accord after all the distraction.

A home appointment is a clandestine abode that should be secured. After all, you’ll be befitting a lot of important documents, discs, and computers in the room. If the amiss being were to get their easily on these items, it could actualize huge setbacks and added problems for your business.

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Therefore, you charge to booty accomplish to defended your home appointment in any way possible. Locking the aperture is aloof the aboriginal step. You should additionally put acute cameras, computer locks, bittersweet sensors, and hidden safes in the allowance too. Alike if you allotment your home with addition else, your appointment needs to be off banned to them if they’re not allowance you with the business.

You charge to be adequate while you’re working. A acceptable home appointment should accept affluence of adequate appliance that you can sit on for several hours at a time. The computer armchair is by far the best important allotment of furniture. Get one with armrests and lots of bendable blubbery beanbag material. You could additionally put a daybed in the allowance if you charge to booty a baby breach from your assignment or allocution calmly on the buzz to someone. Appliance is additionally acceptable if your barter or audience appear to your home appointment to allocution to

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9 Common Homesteading Supplies and Hacks

Nifty gadgets have their place on the homestead but sometimes you just can’t go down that often-pricey path. Don’t get me wrong — I’m a hopeless fan of wonky inventions (think egg flashlights and nut wizards), but even if you have the cash, you might not feel like cramming yet another single-purpose item into your barn or basement. Enter common homesteading supplies and the hack. A time-honored tradition!

Inexpensive and creative solutions to everyday problems might be the most important tools in a backyard farmer’s toolbox.  Here are a few of my favorites gleaned from several years raising vegetables, fruits, and animals on our suburban farm.

1. Zip Ties: Worth Their Weight in Gold

On our property, plastic cable ties are homesteading supplies that have been put into service in countless ways and, despite their low cost, typically last several years, even after very hot summers and sub-zero winters. From building cages to thwarting squirrels and all the many tasks in between, the lowly zip tie steps up to a starring role in various homesteading productions. They come in several lengths, colors, and styles but my go-to model is the 8-inch commercial electrical model — heavy-duty and rated to operate in temperatures ranging from -40 to 85 degrees Celsius, well within our Northeastern United States parameters.

How many will you need? Probably more than you think.

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Zip ties are strong but can also be employed for short-term uses. For example, if you don’t tighten them all the way, you can easily cut them off when they’re no longer needed. Or you can turn them around and use the non-tightening side for loose closures where you want to get in and out, for example, a door flap. Be careful, though. Zip ties are not toys, keep them out of reach of children! They can be very difficult to remove once fully closed.

Sample uses:

Create quick fences and covers – Attach poultry wire, netting, hardware cloth or any material you can stick a tie through to sticks, poles or pipes. I use a hole-punch to create openings when necessary.

Hang objects – Leave a gap in the zip to make a loop. You can make chains of zip ties to add length.

Attach objects – Signs, varmint deterrent lights, etc.

2. Cardboard Box: A Farmer’s Best Friend

All sizes can be handy but whenever a really large cardboard box comes my way, I stash it in the garage with my homesteading supplies for guaranteed future use. I prefer to employ the basic brown, made in the United States version and try to remove all plastic tape when feasible.

Cardboard can be called on for all kinds of quick and lightweight duties.

Temporary walls – Along the lines of cheap fencing ideas, cardboard is really useful to separate or corral poultry when evading capture. (The ducks take one look and know it’s pen-up time!)

Instant weed/lawn suppressor – You could dig it up but wouldn’t you rather get a head start by covering that pesky vegetation with sun-blocking cardboard first?

Animal carrier – With bedding in the bottom and holes for air, a sturdy cardboard box makes a great lightweight container for moving small animals. Whenever we have an injured duck, it’s easier for her to be transported in a box than to have to navigate the openings of a typical pet cage.

3. Sticks: Not Just for Poking

Over the years, I’ve collected scores of sticks in various lengths, widths and wood types. As a newbie, I figured that all sticks were equally durable but a few harsh summers and winters destroyed that fantasy. I still use the faded, split and splintered pieces of hardwood that I first bought for bean teepees and tomato stakes but this spring I graduated to long-lasting locust for what I hope will be the last veggie poles I ever need to purchase. Those locust stakes are now screwed into the sides of our cedar planters where they support our homemade poultry wire cage attached with (what else?!) hundreds of zip ties!

You can also use homesteading supplies like sticks for temporary fencing, trellising, keeping doors ajar for ventilation, digging holes and excavating hard-to-reach coop muck, securing string for edging, flagging objects underneath the heavy snow, hanging covers or shade cloth and many other uses I have yet to discover. Keep a range of weights from bamboo light to locust hefty and lengths up to the famed 10-foot pole. You can always trim to size as well as repurpose broken pieces for many years of service. Your farm dog will thank you for keeping an extra stick around the place, too!

4. The Never-Ending Straw Bale

Many articles, blog posts, and even a book have been written with straw bale gardening instructions extolling the virtues of the ordinary straw bale for small-scale vegetable gardening. I’m here to tell you about its special advantage for poultry owners as well. Every autumn before most folks have even finished their back-to-school shopping, I start scoping out the local farm stands, hoping to be the first to score as many straw bales as possible. Why? Straw (not hay, different item altogether) makes a fabulous slow-release fertilizer that when gathered into a bale (or pieces of a bale) forms the perfect container for next spring’s edible plants.

But that’s not all! My main reason for buying so many bales in the fall is to place them around the edges of the poultry pen for instant winter protection for the ducks. As the straw decays, the bales heat up. They get warm enough that you can feel it when sitting on them in the middle of a snowy yard. That means that not only do they block the sharp wind but they also add a little extra cozy to your coop.

In the spring, the bales will then resume their slow organic breakdown, inviting tasty worms, fungi, and other organisms to join the party. My ducks love to forage in between the bales, especially when the ground is still a bit hard for digging. Then, once the first brassica seedlings are ready to go, I either move the bales in one piece or, much easier, move them in slices to where I want to grow my vegetables that season. It takes all summer for most of the bale to feed the crops and if there’s any left, it goes on top of the harvested plots to protect the soil for next year’s planting.

5. Poultry Fencing

Whether you’re talking hexagonal opening (AKA poultry) or square (commonly known as hardware cloth), netting materials from heavy-duty metal to the lightweight fabric are common homesteading supplies that are enormously useful on any sub(urban) farm. Just like the sticks I can’t do without, I keep a wide selection of everything from raccoon resistant heavyweight wire with tiny 1/4 inch openings to plastic poultry netting, mostly useful to keep out ducks, not rodents. Here are some styles and uses.

Plastic hexagonal – Use this for temporary fencing or veggie cages for anything squirrels don’t like. (Rodents can chew holes in plastic.) It’s lightweight, inexpensive and easy to work with.

Metal hexagonal – Use this for veggie cages, temporary dome covers, aprons for cages where large varmints are a problem. It’s lightweight, inexpensive, and can usually be cut with scissors.

Plastic hardware cloth: Use this for all the same uses as hexagonal but it has smaller openings so it can be used as shade cloth. It’s easy to cut, but rodents can chew through.

Metal hardware cloth: Buy the one-inch and one-quarter-inch squares. Smaller opening hardware cloth for chicken coops is useful to protect sides of pens from raccoons. The larger openings in heavy gauge can be used for overnight accommodations when thoroughly secured and with at least an 18 inches of apron rim around the edge. The interior floor can be dug out and hardware cloth run underneath it as well. Wire-cutters are needed.

6. No-till Composting

Okay, so I realize this is heresy and it all depends on what you use and how you use it but I’ve stopped getting compost from a composter. What?! Yeah, it’s true. Partially it’s because I’m lazy, partially it’s because I never get enough compost from those fancy rotating set-ups to feed my huge vegetable habit. So, two years ago, I began directly tossing kitchen plant scraps (not meat, eggs, oil or cooked foods) into a new garden bed I had been trying to quick-start. In the fall, I then added some very weathered straw bale material and the next year, voila, super successful Brassica, and later that autumn out-of-control squash.

Last winter, I took it to the next level by choosing two off-the-ground planters and trying the same thing. Before the snow set in, I tossed a thin layer of veggie scraps onto the top of the soil and in the spring, gently turned them under, adding a little more potting soil to supplement what got lost in the previous season.

Take a look at the photos. The plants grown in the two no-till beds are going gangbusters. The compost-less beds, not so much. Are there other reasons? Sure. Each soil system is different but I think I can reasonably say that using a little veggie scrap without waiting for it to break down completely into crumbly compost is not a terrible way to get rid of your dinner trimmings. Do not go overboard, mind! You don’t want to create an anaerobic environment; you just want to protect the soil in the winter and add a little nutrient with very little work. 

7. Incredible, Bendable Wire

You would think I’d have learned from my experience with zip ties but no. I started with a couple of crop covers and eventually realized my farmer ambitions outstripped the coverage supply. I sought out an agriculturally rated material and serendipitously discovered handy heavy gauge wire that’s sold along with it. Johnny’s Seeds offers varying amounts, weights, and lengths so of course, I bought the largest box of the longest length (100 pieces may, in fact, be a lifetime supply for a quarter-acre property but contact me in a few decades and I’ll let you know!)

Like the practical wooden stick and other homesteading supplies, a bendable wire can be useful for building lightweight structures such as cages or domes to fit odd-shaped plants (think bush variety pumpkins) or for hanging objects, crafting doors or flaps, flagging items under snow, and, of course, holding crop covers, shade cloth and the like. Best of all, they are made of seriously long-lasting, reusable galvanized steel. Super easy to store, I tie them into bundles and stack in the garage. Who knew a common homesteading supply like a skinny piece of wire could be so useful? 

8. Strange Uses for Your 1990s Pantyhose

I’ll confess here that although I’m rather a fanatic about not using synthetic pesticides or fertilizers in my home or garden, my tomatoes do get some help from a store-bought friend. That said, there’s very little I won’t do to produce a bumper crop of pizza and pasta sauces. Among the weirder strategies I employ is a tip I gleaned from the classic reference tome, Carrots Love Tomatoes: Secrets of Companion Planting for Successful Gardening by Louise Riotte. In that book, Riotte talks about how lightning adds nitrogen to the soil when it strikes the ground. This is not to say that I think you should go all Ben Franklin in your tomato patch. Riotte’s suggestion is a much milder and safer method of harnessing electricity by using pantyhose tied both to the plant’s stalk and also to a supporting structure, such as a tomato cage. The static electricity generated by this connection is said to promote a bumper crop. Your neighbors may look at you funny but I’ve blogged about this and used this method for several years and have raised many delicious fruits to show for it.

9. More Purposes for the All-Purpose Rubber Bowl 

You know ’em, you see ’em everywhere, you probably own a few of these plentiful homesteading supplies; the ubiquitous rubber pans that come in sizes from two quarts to fifteen gallons. These durable workhorses are indispensable for anyone raising small livestock. Great for food, water, bathing and carrying everything from eggs to straw and beyond.

My favorite rubber bowl hack, however, is the Instant Staircase. I guess you could really call it a coop hack since there are very few duck-specialized houses on the market. This means that to get a duck into a chicken coop you usually have to pick it up and place it inside because those cute little entry ladders are not well suited to waterfowl feet. I considered a wider, longer board but that would be heavy and unwieldy with no guarantee that the girls would want to “walk the plank.”

One cold day in February, I decided to use a couple of large rubber bowls instead. I picked each duck up and placed her on the secure surface then shooed her inside.  It took no more than two nights for the ducks to get the drill. Now I leave the coop door open each afternoon so the girls can go inside when they’re ready. Thank goodness for no-slip rubber!

Quick & Easy Tips Using Common Homesteading Supplies

Your store-bought crop covers seen better days? Tear off the material and reuse the hoops underneath with row cover cloth.

Don’t have room to store another trellis or bean cage? Make a teepee out of sticks and burlap string. At the end of the season, pull it apart for other uses.

Need an entry flap for a veggie cage? Cut a flap slightly larger than the opening and attach one side with zip ties. Reverse a few zip ties (the non-binding direction) and use those to close the flap. This will not keep out super-wily rodents but may slow them down a bit!

Tomatoes grow better fruit when they’re buzz-pollinated. Grow lots of bumblebee-friendly flowering plants near your tomato patch and get ready for the most delicious “love apples” ever.

What are some of your favorite hacks using common homesteading supplies?

9 Common Homesteading Supplies and Hacks was originally posted by All About Chickens

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Leather Guest Book - A Classic Keepsake

As stated above, leather is a very durable material, one that can stay strong for a long time to come. When leather ages, it begins to become more bendable while still being in one complete piece. This gives you the opportunity to have your checks protected, no matter the amount of moving you do with it by your side. Whether you are trying to protect them from small messes or serious dangers, leather can give you the results you need and exceed your expectations in a large way.

If you like paisley, you might like the Black and Brown Satin Transfer Bag. Silver threads weave through the pattern, giving this pretty bag a hint of shimmer. In fact it is so pretty, that you'll want to carry it by itself. A detachable handle makes that not only possible but logical. The zippered cosmetic bag has a rhinestone zipper pull, and the four main pockets inside the organizer will carry everything you need for a day at the office or a night out on the town. Start on the first page with a full menu from Thanksgiving dinner. Blow it up to cover most of the page and list each item in a fancy cursive writing. Call upon someone who knows calligraphy if you can. Add a picture of your decorated table with the beautiful the dinner on it. Sometimes, writing on the book while reading is something other people want to do. They may find an interesting word to note by marking it for easy recall. Having a personalized pen would mean a lot because they can use it while doing their well-loved hobby. Another iPad 2 case made with luxury in mind is the Leo. This case is solid-colored and sleek. It appears to continue the flip-around cover trend to reveal other viewing angles if not a stand. The case opens to reveal two side by side trays, an additional hidden folding tray that can be used as a traveling piece and spacious wells. The lid includes a leather-framed mirror and pendant hooks with pouch, and the box accommodates rings, earrings, pendants and larger pieces. Priced at $80 but available on sale at $59.95, it is an exceptional value and sure to be appreciated by a fortunate graduate. Leggings have become a mainstay in the fashion world. They are even bigger this season with the numerous styles, colors, and fabrics they have been made into. Slip into a pair of leather book leggings for that sexy Grease look. Or try on a pair of gold or white leggings. Clash them with a pleasing color in your wardrobe for a dramatic look. This is warm faux leather jacket will keep you warm and cozy-and with its flashy NFL team logo, it's perfect for tailgating. This sporty jacket zips up the front and its ribbed cuffs and waistband make for a comfortable, easy fit. sản xuất sổ da stitched on the back, plus there's a logo on the chest and a team helmet logo sewn on the sleeve. Rest assured, everyone will know what team you're cheering for! All NFL teams are available and it's officially licensed by the NFL so there are no worries you're getting a shoddy jacket designed and sewn in somebody's basement. It's made of faux leather in your team's colors. Sizes Medium to 4X are available.