#urban vs rural whites

[jazzypizzaz]

the only places I see political signs in my city neighborhoods are streets where there are several houses in a row with signs, almost half and half split Harris vs Trump. like it's only the friction that makes people engage

[violetsandshrikes]

I want to say sorry. I sent a nasty message after your tradwife post. I read it as you excusing rich white privileged women but after reading the tags and your replies I am starting to understand what you meant and I am seeing that the group is bigger than I thought. Sorry for being an asshole.

Tbh I have an inbox full of people pissed about that post, so it’s 50/50 whether I even saw/read/processed that message! Thank you for apologising, and thank you for being open to other points of view ❤️

I’m glad if I can make people expand their thought process about this group and how we perceive them. I really do think we need to talk more about the specifics, and how while trad influencer circles tend to be the group you mentioned, we also have women in that group we very specifically need to reach out to:

• Tradwives who aren’t white. I’ve met quite a few, and they suffer even more under that hierarchy. The “passport bro” phenomenon is also notable, and it isn’t new: I have met a number of “mail order brides” who are brought to Western countries at 18-20, married to men who are incredibly older and established, and expected to fulfil this role.

• Rural vs urban. I’ve met a lot less rural tradwives than urban, and there’s actually a reason for this: rural tradwives are expected to take on even more a workload, to the point you rarely see most of them outside their house/property. The effects of the additional free labour and the isolation are considerable.

• Disability. Many, many people forget this one. Pregnancy can be debilitating, and childbirth can very easy disable someone permanently. 18-24 months is considered the ideal standard between children - I’ve read studies that suggest that the body does not have the chance to fully recoup until at least 2.5 years post-partum. These women are encouraged to have children back to back, kept from birth control, and many, many I have talked to are pushed into sex before they’ve even healed from birth (which is a whole other topic to tackle about the level of consent and safety in these relationships). I don’t think it’s coincidental that many of these women overlap with the almond mom/wellness guru grift. I think it’s notable many of them quote exhaustion, pain, frequent illness, connective tissue issues…etc. Childbirth expectations + managing children and the household with low to no input from a partner + being part of a group that tends to shy from modern medicine? I very heavily suspect that if given correct care, a lot of these women would end up classified as disabled to some degree.

Honestly, I nearly turned the notes off that post because I didn’t want to deal with it. And then I saw people in the tag commenting how they have “tradwives” in their community that are often undernoticed/talked about (I specifically noticed people from latam talking about this). If I have to get annoyed every now and then to encourage + platform minority women to discuss how this affects them and their communities, then I’m happy to take that hit.

[passionfruitbowls]

“backgrounds are hard” is a pretty common sentiment among artists but tbh, even though i too am guilty of sometimes leaving my characters in a white void with nothing to entertain them, i’ve found that they can be quite fun as well!! i love blending different colours together to create a beautiful sunset, and thinking about what types of buildings would suit the environment (e.g. tall urban skyscrapers vs small rural cottages), and trying to depict all the seasons and the feelings that come with them.

plus, whether i’m creating my own background or examining what someone else has made, it helps me appreciate the things people tend to view as mundane; occasionally it gives me a better understanding of how something works! beauty and knowledge can be found anywhere within a piece of art, and i think that’s awesome :)

[joelpottermanipulatedimage]

Week 10 | SDL

The Urbanisation of Nature in New Zealand - Writing/Notes

New Zealand is experiencing urbanisation, with over 86% of all of the population now living in an urban area(Stats NZ, 2021). This fast growth, seen often in cities like Auckland, has led to extreme challenges, particularly for the natural landscapes.

Impact on Natural Landscapes Urbanisation creates massive problems for nature and especially to our wildlife and plants. Flora and fauna are even more under threat than before as urbanism continues to grow and destroy green spaces. E.G Auckland, (population of around 1.7m) has actually lost nearly 70% of its own vegetation in the past 100 years due to development (Auckland Council, 2020). This loss of habitat not only destryoes our wildlife but also the overall look of New Zealand's environment.

The Importance of Green Spaces Green spaces in urban environments are extremely important in these times. Research shows that access to simple things such as parks and nature can help with well-being, and can contribute to mental health (Hassall, 2020). Places like Christchurch and Wellington have changed in some ways, including some green spaces in their urbanism. For example, Wellington's "Greening the City" is trying to bring more urban nature while also improving quality of life. (Wellington City Council, 2021)

The pressures of urbanisation can also create extreme environmental challenges. Obviously, these include increased pollution and habitat destruction. Some studies show that urban areas are becoming 'hotter and harder,' pushed by climate change (University of Auckland, 2021). The urban heat effect can lead to higher temperatures in almost all cities compared to rural areas, which will in the end work against both human and ecological health.

Loss of Color and Freedom One of the main things that I found from my research as well was that there is a huge loss in "life" in urban locations. I really want to continue to push in my design with the black and white vs colour. I find it important to underscore the loss and sadness in an urban environment compared to the colour of nature.

References (to be used in 500-word statement)

Stats NZ. (2021). New Zealand's population: 2021 Census. Retrieved from Stats NZ

Auckland Council. (2020). Auckland's urban development report. Retrieved from Auckland Council

Hassall, T. (2020). The benefits of urban green spaces. Retrieved from Hassall

Wellington City Council. (2021). Greening the City Initiative. Retrieved from Wellington City Council

University of Auckland. (2021). Harder, Hotter Cities Report. Retrieved from University of Auckland

Idea for Context - Exhibition

I want this series to be shown as en exhibition that is placed inside of the city. This exhibition will start with more landscape than urbanism. Over the pieces, the colour will fade more and the urban ideas will be shown more. This loss of colour will continue until the end. Once it ends, the viewer will leave the exhibition and enter a cityscape with the same muted greys as they saw. Hopefully this idea will also bring more impact to the viewer and realise how sad where they are actually is.

[duncan543776]

Interior Design Bangladesh: Transforming Spaces with Local Charm

Interior design in Bangladesh is more than just arranging furniture; it’s about blending functionality with cultural aesthetics to create harmonious spaces. With its unique fusion of traditional and modern elements, interior design in this region reflects the country’s rich heritage and evolving tastes. Whether you're designing a home, office, or commercial space, understanding the key principles of interior design in Bangladesh can help you achieve the perfect balance between beauty and practicality.

Why Interior Design Matters in Bangladesh

Bangladesh is known for its vibrant culture, which is deeply embedded in its art, architecture, and interior design. As cities grow and lifestyles change, there's a growing need for spaces that are not only visually appealing but also functional and adaptable to modern life. Interior design plays a crucial role in improving the quality of life, optimizing space, and making a strong aesthetic statement.

The Evolution of Interior Design in Bangladesh

Interior design Bangladesh has come a long way from its traditional roots. While old Bengali homes were often characterized by wooden furniture, vibrant textiles, and intricate patterns, contemporary homes now embrace a minimalist approach with sleek designs and neutral tones. However, the charm of traditional motifs, local crafts, and natural materials is still prevalent.

1. Traditional vs. Modern Styles

In Bangladesh, interior design often merges the old with the new. Many homeowners opt for a contemporary look while incorporating traditional Bengali elements such as handwoven fabrics, brass artifacts, and wood carvings. The result is a beautiful blend that respects heritage while embracing modernity.

2. Sustainable and Eco-Friendly Designs

With increasing awareness of sustainability, more interior designers in Bangladesh are adopting eco-friendly practices. From using recycled materials to incorporating energy-efficient lighting and natural ventilation, sustainability is becoming a significant trend in the design world here. Bamboo, jute, and cane are popular materials used in eco-conscious design.

Key Elements of Interior Design in Bangladesh

1. Color Palette Choices

Colors play a pivotal role in setting the tone for any space. In Bangladesh, vibrant colors like red, green, and gold are often seen in traditional designs. However, modern homes may feature more muted tones like beige, white, and grey, creating a calm and serene environment.

2. Furniture Design and Placement

Furniture in Bangladesh is often crafted from locally sourced wood, such as mahogany and teak. Hand-carved furniture pieces are popular for their intricate details. Modern furniture tends to be simpler, with clean lines and functional designs that maximize space. Proper furniture placement is key to ensuring a room feels spacious and comfortable.

3. Textiles and Fabrics

Textiles are integral to interior design in Bangladesh. From silk cushions to cotton curtains, the use of local fabrics can add texture and depth to any room. Traditional Kantha quilts, for instance, are often used as bed covers or wall hangings to add a touch of history and artistry.

Popular Interior Design Styles in Bangladesh

1. Minimalist Interior Design

Minimalism is becoming a popular choice among urban dwellers in Bangladesh. The minimalist approach focuses on simplicity, functionality, and decluttered spaces. It often features neutral colors, sleek furniture, and minimal accessories.

2. Rustic Bengali Style

Rustic design celebrates the natural beauty of raw materials and earthy tones. In Bangladesh, this style often incorporates jute rugs, wooden furniture, and handcrafted décor items. This approach brings the essence of rural life into modern urban homes.

3. Contemporary Design

Contemporary design in Bangladesh combines clean lines with innovative materials. It emphasizes open spaces, large windows for natural light, and a neutral color scheme. Metal and glass are often used to give spaces a sleek and modern look.

Top Interior Design Trends in Bangladesh

1. Open Floor Plans

Open floor plans have become increasingly popular in Bangladesh, especially in apartment settings. By eliminating unnecessary walls, spaces feel more expansive and allow for better flow and communication between rooms.

2. Smart Home Integration

The rise of technology has brought smart home features into interior design. From automated lighting and temperature control to smart security systems, these tech-savvy solutions are becoming more accessible to homeowners in Bangladesh.

3. Use of Natural Materials

Natural materials like stone, wood, and clay are often incorporated into designs to bring warmth and authenticity to spaces. These materials are not only aesthetically pleasing but also environmentally sustainable.

Interior Design Tips for Different Spaces

1. Living Room Design

The living room is often the focal point of any home. In Bangladesh, it's common to have a mix of traditional and modern elements. To create a welcoming atmosphere, consider adding local artwork, comfortable seating, and proper lighting.

2. Bedroom Interior Design

A well-designed bedroom should be a sanctuary. In Bangladesh, many bedrooms feature hand-carved wooden beds, soft textiles, and ambient lighting to create a peaceful retreat. Incorporating personal touches like family photos or meaningful artifacts can make the space more intimate.

3. Kitchen and Dining Area

The kitchen and dining areas are often the heart of the home in Bangladesh. Open shelving, locally sourced wood, and vibrant tiles can give these spaces a rustic charm. Functional layout and ample storage are essential for a practical kitchen.

The Role of Interior Designers in Bangladesh

1. Hiring a Professional Interior Designer

An interior designer can help bring your vision to life while optimizing the functionality of your space. In Bangladesh, many designers are experienced in blending traditional elements with modern trends, making it easier to achieve a personalized and harmonious look.

Conclusion

Interior design in Bangladesh is a dynamic blend of tradition and modernity. Whether you're drawn to minimalist styles, rustic designs, or contemporary trends, there are endless possibilities for creating beautiful and functional spaces. By understanding local materials, design principles, and cultural influences, you can transform any room into a reflection of your personal style.

[sethshead]

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/31/opinion/sonya-massey.html

-- Sonya Massey’s Killing Is Black America’s Sorrow --

How horrifying is it that the police response to encountering mental illness is so often a bullet? Time and time again, people who needed medical assistance were murdered by cops who did not know how, or did not bother, to try to deescalate. This is pathological, infecting departments across the country, urban, rural, and suburban. Some officers truly do seem to be looking for an excuse to open fire, especially on nonwhite individuals.

A start would be to embed mental health professionals with the officers on mental health checks, with the officers following the expert's orders. No family should experience the tragedy of calling 9-1-1 for a loved on in crisis, only for the police to arrive and execute someone who needed help. But that would only be a start.

Passing the Justice in Policing Act (something only possible with a Democratic sweep in November) would also help: creating a national registry that makes the "bad apples" unhirable would prevent them from ruining more batches. But the biggest change has to come in training at academy: eliminate the "thin blue line", the confrontational us-vs.-them mentality that results in so many officers thinking of themselves more as an occupying army than as public servants - an attitude exacerbated when policing black and brown neighborhoods and people.

We have evidence that, per level of confrontation, there is no discrepancy between police-on-white and police-on-black shootings. This indicates that the problem is that cops more readily contribute to a cycle of escalation when interacting with black civilians when they could and should be calm and professional. Police then use their Tasers when they should use their words, and their guns when they should use their Tasers. The mindset behind this must change, which would mean nothing less than a nationwide purge of academy instructors and veterans, schooled in the bad old ways of policing and transmitting those abusive methods to the next generations of officers.

[ofthefog]

The link to the Barbara Bush foundation report is broken in the Forbes article, but a working one can be found here

https://www.barbarabush.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/BBFoundation_GainsFromEradicatingIlliteracy_9_8.pdf

this is a pdf file of 9 pages.

Speaking to other reblogs on this thread, I personally find the precise economic effect claim to be dubious, but in the OP I was more concerned about the research from the department of Education. Below is an excerpt from the aforementioned pdf file.

Eradicating illiteracy would have enormous economic benefits. This analysis finds that getting all U.S. adults to at least a Level 3 of literacy proficiency would generate an additional $2.2 trillion in annual income for the country. That is 10% of the gross domestic product.

There are several reasons why this could be considered a plausible but rough estimate of actual benefits. It is plausible because it scales up actual individual income differences between people with different levels of literacy, even after controlling for demographic characteristics. Thus, these estimated income gains from literacy hold demographic characteristics constant, including those of age, race, urbanicity and parental education, which can affect income regardless of literacy. This should, nonetheless, be considered a rough estimate because such a large-scale change would have many indirect consequences. On the negative side, a massive increase in literacy would create some downward wage pressure on jobs that require high levels of literacy by increasing the supply of workers, and would create upward pressure on wages at the lower end of the literacy distribution. On the plus side, these supply effects would reduce income inequality, and an increase in literacy would likely boost entrepreneurship, productivity and innovation in large but unpredictable ways that benefit of the economy.

I do believe that widespread literacy has a lot of positive benefits, but taking the gap between less and more literate peoples' incomes is just plain not enough information to account for all of these intangible externalities.

The study did attempt to control for variables like geographic differences ( urban vs rural ) and demographic ones ( like race and gender ) though.

Alternatively, if a young Black woman living in a central city increases her literacy score, it is unlikely that her labor market gains will be the same as an older White man living in the suburbs of a large city. Enhancing literacy does not change someone’s birthday, gender or race, and it will not necessarily change the city they live in. It will certainly not change that person’s early-life experiences and upbringing. PIAAC collects data on these characteristics, including how many books respondents had in their childhood home and the educational attainment of their parents. These things all predict differences in income, regardless of literacy, so it is appropriate to hold them constant in performing the simulation exercise of increasing literacy. Controlling for these factors, however, only explains some of the gains from literacy, as can be seen by comparing the first and second rows in Table 1. Table 1 also compares the raw differences in income by literacy group to the preferred demographically adjusted estimates, as well as the differences when adjusting for demographics and educational attainment. The last row is presented only as a comparison, however, because an individual’s educational attainment would likely increase if their literacy increased. The point is that much of the gains of literacy come through education, but education is an incomplete proxy for literacy. Even people with identical degrees earn substantially more if they have higher levels of literacy proficiency. The middle row (the demographically adjusted estimates) serves as the basis for the modelling work described above and form the baseline estimates for the income gains of each group

Given the caveats listed in the study itself, I think it the title of the Forbes article did not misrepresent these findings by using "could".

x

According to the U.S. Department of Education, 54% of U.S. adults 16-74 years old - about 130 million people - lack proficiency in literacy, reading below the equivalent of a sixth-grade level. That’s a shocking number for several reasons, and its dollars and cents implications are enormous because literacy is correlated with several important outcomes such as personal income, employment levels, health, and overall economic growth.

When speaking to an American online you must be cognisant that there is a 1 in 2 chance that they have the same level of reading comprehension as a 12 year old.

Glad that they made an audible version of the article!

[words-and-threads]

You know what? I'm actually fine with fish pictures. It shows you have a hobby, that you can take joy in your accomplishments, and that you probably have friends willing to spend hours with you on a boat.

I feel like we all decided those pictures were bad in the same way that enjoying pumpkin spice lattes is bad. It's basic and common and normal(derogatory) and like so fuckin what?

I guess it's also associated with blue collar men and rednecks, but that just makes it classism which is worse. The rural/poor/bigoted vs urban/cultured/rich story is encouraged by the right wing to separate people who actually have common political cause. That bigotry is often driven by cops, politicians, and business owners. Look at any right wing riot and you'll see people who could afford body armor and five guns and a nice truck and gas to drive all over the country. No, that isn't the whole movement. I'm still trying to figure out just how the numbers shake out (gee thanks study that classifies anyone without a degree as working class) but still. I am more afraid of white suburbanites with five guns than a rural person with a hunting rifle.

Ahem. Anyway. Men with fish.

I like fishing too. It's pleasant and contemplative. It allows you to build a skill and share social time. It gets you out in nature and like all examples of hunting or gathering your own food it counteracts the alienation of the massive industrialized production machine that gives us everything in plastic.

Look all I'm saying is the stereotypical trappings of a bad political ideology are not proof of that ideology. Fishing is good. Men sharing their hobbies is good. I'd rather date a simple, basic man than a man who's "not like other guys".

[mariacallous]

School libraries have become a key battleground in contemporary culture wars over public education. In the 2021-22 school year, PEN America reported a record-setting 2,532 book challenges affecting 1,648 different titles in 138 school districts. Many of the challenged titles contain content related to LGBTQ+ issues or race/racism, topics that have also been the concern of state legislative efforts.  

For a new study, I assembled data on hundreds of titles in public school libraries across the country. I collected this data by first curating book lists in several areas, including best-sellers, award-winners, and books that deal with controversial content including LGBTQ titles and books on race/racism or abortion, and then searching publicly accessible school library catalogs in the spring of 2022 for books on those lists. The list of titles across controversial topics includes both fictionalized stories and nonfiction titles. I also estimated the total number of books in the library and the library acquisitions rate (the share of books recently added to the library’s collection).  

My school library sample consists of 5,240 elementary/middle and 1,391 high schools in 48 states. This sample includes schools in rural and urban areas, schools in counties with conservative and liberal political leanings, and schools that serve students of very different backgrounds. I use these data to identify patterns in library resources and content, especially as they relate to political preferences, state laws, and book bans.  

Here, I describe some of the main findings from that work. 

Finding #1: Libraries in low-income areas have lower staffing levels and less up-to-date collections.  

First, I consider how library resources and collections quality vary for different types of schools. Schools with larger shares of white students, schools located in high-income areas, and schools in non-rural areas have better-resourced libraries and/or more up-to-date collections than their counterparts. The gaps are especially large between schools in low- and high-income communities (community income measured using the school neighborhood income-to-poverty ratio per the 2018-19 NCES EDGE school neighborhood poverty estimates). Compared to school libraries in low-income areas, school libraries in high-income areas have higher book acquisition rates (2.05 vs. 1.40) and employ more full-time equivalent librarians (1.12 vs. 0.80 per school). School libraries in high-income neighborhoods also have nearly twice as many recent best-sellers in their catalogues for young adults (18.58 vs. 9.44 titles) and middle grades (8.43 vs. 4.02 titles).  

Finding #2: Access to controversial content is related to local political environments. 

Next, I examine whether the prevalence of books with controversial content is related to local political environments and state laws. Figure 1 shows the number of books from each list of controversial titles in school libraries in more and less conservative communities, which I define based on the margin that voted for Donald Trump over Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election. School libraries in the most conservative areas have fewer LGBTQ+ titles and fewer books that deal with race/racism or abortion than libraries in the most liberal areas. Libraries in conservative areas also have more Christian fiction titles and more Dr. Seuss titles that were discontinued from publication in 2021 because of racist imagery. 

Similar patterns appear even after controlling for the number of books in the library, the acquisitions rate, and student enrollment at the school. These estimates indicate that a one standard deviation increase in community conservatism decreases the probability of finding a title from my list of books on race/racism by 3.2 percentage points (a 20% reduction relative to the sample mean of 16%) and decreases the probability of finding an LGBTQ+ title by 4.0 percentage points (12.9%) in high schools. In elementary/middle schools, a one standard deviation increase in local conservatism decreases the probability of finding an LGBTQ+ title by 1.9 percentage points (21%).  

Controversial content is also associated with state laws that restrict curricular content. Libraries in states with anti-CRT laws are 3.5 percentage points (46%) less likely to have The 1619 Project, a particularly contentious publication that reframes American history around slavery and its legacy. Elementary/middle school libraries in states that have recently passed laws to restrict how schools talk about gender/sexuality are 3.6 percentage points (40%) less likely to have an LGBTQ+ title. These relationships control for local political preferences.   

I note that despite these relationships, most schools in my sample have at least some controversial titles. Figure 2 presents the share of libraries that have at least one book from each list of controversial titles by quartile conservativism. At least 96% of libraries had at least one title from each of the LGBTQ+, race/racism, and abortion book lists. Even in the most conservative areas, the share of libraries with at least one book from each list of controversial titles was high (94%+). More than three quarters (78%) of elementary/middle schools in my sample had at least one title from the LGBTQ+ book list, including 70% of schools in the most conservative counties.  

Finding #3: Book challenges may have chilling effects on the acquisition of LGBTQ+ content. 

Finally, I consider whether the meteoric rise in book challenges in the 2021-22 school year has affected the type of content librarians are selecting for their collections. To do this, in October 2022 I searched high schools in my sample for 65 recently published LGBTQ+ young adult titles. I merged this to district-level data on book challenges from two datasets maintained by PEN America and the researcher Tasslyn Magnusson. My sample includes 82 schools in 43 school districts that were subject to book challenges in the past school year. I then estimated the relationship between being in a school district that was subject to a book challenge in 2021-22 and the probability of having one of these recently published LGBTQ+ titles. Importantly, I control in these estimates for the number of LGBTQ+ titles from the list of 100 older titles I searched for in the spring of 2022. Controlling for the number of titles found in the spring allows me to adjust for the library’s baseline preferences for LGBTQ+ content. 

I find that schools in districts that were subject to book challenges over the last school year were less likely to have added recently published LGBTQ+ titles this fall. Specifically, libraries in districts subject to challenges were 0.55 percentage points less likely to have a recent LGBTQ+ title, a 55% decrease relative to the sample mean. I interpret this as suggestive evidence that book challenges are having “chilling effects” on the acquisition of LGBTQ+ content, leading librarians to avoid purchasing content that parents or politicians could find objectionable.  

Conclusions

The recent flurry of political activity aimed at public school libraries has drawn attention to this relatively understudied school resource. My study points to reasons for concern, optimism, and continued attention on the state of school libraries.  

The gaps I find in library resources between schools in low- and high-income communities is one area of concern. While research on the causal relationship between library resources and student outcomes is limited, a number of studies suggest a link between school library programs and student achievement. Moreover, these gaps imply differences in access to reading materials that may affect students in ways not reflected in test scores, including by exposing children to stories that expand their horizons or affirm their lived experiences.  

I also find that access to books with controversial or ideological content differs for communities across the political spectrum. In the United States, local school districts exercise substantial autonomy over what students are taught and how. Given this, it is not surprising that school librarians tailor their selections to match the preferences, priorities, and (perhaps) biases of their local communities. More surprising is the finding that books with controversial content are still widely available on library shelves, at least to some extent. If one goal of school library programs is to facilitate access to diverse and challenging material, this finding suggests that many libraries are meeting that goal.  

Most relevant to policymakers are my findings on state laws that restrict curricular content and book challenges. Anti-CRT and anti-LGBTQ laws are negatively associated with the availability of certain kinds of race/racism and LGBTQ+ books even after controlling for local political preferences. While these findings express correlational (not causal) relationships, they are consistent with the interpretation that state laws shape school library selections above and beyond what local communities would prefer. More compelling is the evidence I present on the “chilling effects” of book challenges on the acquisition of new LGBTQ+ titles. While more research is needed to confirm these findings over time, these chilling effects may have much larger effects on the type of content available to students in public school libraries than the removal or imposition of additional restrictions on individual titles implicated in book challenges. 

School libraries have become contested spaces in public school buildings. Only time will tell whether the political battles that have erupted over the content that students encounter at school will have lasting impact on students or the types of ideas and stories they find on library shelves.  

[daisyskeates1]

A DIFFERENT POINT OF VIEW-development

As soon as i decided on my idea to do rural vs urban for this project, i thought about how the world almost has two different ends to it. The end which is more visible is the urban end, such as cities, buildings, pollution, population density. On the other end, more hidden is the rural end which includes forests, wild animals, fields etc.

To show this in my project i decided to take a simple photo of a hand. On one side of the hand i will be showing the urban side (city) as this has dominated our planet. On the other side growing from the hand will be the rural end as it is more hidden and there is less of it in the world.

I decided to make the hand black and white so it wouldn't get confused with the colour in the images i choose to rural and urban.

I started off by taking images of different buildings and piecing them together along with a smoke filter on photoshop.

I then took images of grass and tress and placed them upside down on the bottom of the hand to show how the rural end is more hidden.

As for the text, i thought up my own message 'pick a side', as this tells the audience to think about what is more important in this world, overpopulated cities and pollution or wildlife and the natural environment. I used a bold, upper case font for this message to make it eye catching and easy to read.

[mankillercalledbunny]

I saw a post a while ago expressing confusion about why some people consider owning a horse to be a marker of wealth and I wanted to explain that because the person who made the post was from a rural area and just did not understand where that perception came from.

The people who have a conception of "horse ownership = rich" are not rural, they are urbanites, and the reason is that there is a difference between horse ownership in rural areas vs cities. In rural areas the horse owner takes care of the horse. They are responsible for grooming and feeding it, they are responsible for looking after its veterinary upkeep, they are responsible for making sure that it has a clean safe healthy place to sleep, they are responsible for the day-to-day care and keeping of that horse and they do all that themselves. That horse also probably lives on or near the family's property, contributes to the family in some way in a working capacity, and is loved and well taken care of because it is a member of the family. That horse is essential.

For urban horse owners, that horse is a luxury item. Its purpose is to look pretty and to be ridden for leisure. That's it. Its day-to-day care and upkeep is done by someone else who is paid by the owner to do those things. The property that the horse lives on is some significant distance outside of the city, which the owner either owns or rents to keep their horse there. It is not used in a working capacity, and the owner is not the one responsible for actually taking care of it, they just pay for that. It is a ridiculous monetary investment, for the purpose of leisure activity that is not regularly used (weekends, maybe once or twice a month).

TL;DR: Rural horse ownership is a working part of everyday life that contributes to the family, who deal with its care and keeping. Urban horse ownership is a way for rich people to say "look, I can afford this massive financial commitment for a leisure activity and I don't even take care of it myself."

[firebirdtransam68]

It really is.  I really like nature and being outdoors, at times (as well as spatious areas), but I also like cityscapes and there are many stores and restaurants compared to being out in the wild, which has limited resources.  Also, living in rural areas can make us susceptible to rabies and other diseases that are not common in urban and suburban areas.

However, while many urban areas do have plants, big cities tend to have very few plants, if none at all (which would explain some higher pollution and lower oxygen levels); fortunately, as science and technology march on, more plants are being incorporated so we will not have to live in near-uninhabitable cities and towns.

Maybe there does not have to be any absolutes; maybe we can have a rural area with some urban elements like a few skyscrapers, stores and restaurants, a library, and advanced technology while having farms, grassy areas, and better views at the same time.  

I am certain there are areas like this; plenty of nature, while having plenty of buildings, as well.

[luckthebard]

A few reminders as we head into what was an inevitable “Long Election” of 2020:

It’s not over until all the votes are counted, and that might take days. Pennsylvania, for instance, has only reported 64% of the votes cast. Repeating Trump’s false rhetoric that it is, even in despair, is dangerous and enabling.

Just as in 2016, the majority of us voted against fascism. By several million votes. A republican president has only won the popular vote 2 times since 1988 (and one of those was George W., who’d lost the popular vote in his first election). The problem is that most of us are suppressed by a voting system designed over 200 years ago intended to give disproportionate weight to (white) rural voters.

And on that note: the political divide in the US is not easily regional and cannot be simply outlined on a map. It is rural vs urban. Georgia isn’t leaning Democrat right now because it suddenly “flipped” but because voters in cities like Atlanta pushed through voter suppression enough to battle the rest of the state. It’s not easy to geographically untangle the divide in American politics.

Related: “red” states are full of people opposed to those states’ policies. Look at Texas. Over 5 million people there voted against Trump, and he only leads by 700,000 votes. Condemning all of the people in whole states misses the real story.

Wait, be patient, continue to demand that all votes are counted. Trump’s coup/power grab strategy at this point will be to continue to claim that mail-in votes are somehow illegitimate. That’s the fight we’re facing.

Most of us Did. Not. Want. This. 

[van-goghs-smoking-skull]

Also, don't fall for what I call Blood and Soil Progressivism. Yes, cultural appropriation is a thing, but it's not what some people claim. You can be from one ethnic background and be part of the culture from a different group of people, because you lived with those other people. Example: I'm half Dutch, I've never been to the Netherlands, I know nothing about Dutch culture, and because of where I grew up, I am culturally Burqueno.

From Wikipedia: Blood and Soil is a nationalist slogan expressing Nazi Germany's ideal of a racially defined national body united with a settlement area. By it, rural and farm life forms are idealized as a counterweight to urban ones.

Maybe stop with the nonsense that to remain pure, people should go with the idea that ethnic background, culture, what you eat, and where you currently live ALL must be tied to the same place. People move - sometimes they take their ancestor's culture with them and sometimes they pick up the culture from where they live/lived.

And this doesn't just apply to cultures from different countries. This very much includes rural vs. urban culture, as part of that ideology stated that rural was better, cities were degeneracy, and it was all because 'the Jews control the cities'. We need rural area, because we need farms, we need food, but don't let that turn into 'small towns are superior' and 'small towns defend their own' (cue POC getting the shit beat out of them by rural white people when they 'took too long' docking a boat and the POC getting locked up for it).

hey if i make the funny garfield medic will you guys look at it

[phoenixyfriend]

SW Suddenly-Omegaverse AU: Country Dyke

Context: Original Post, Chrono

Things I'm unnecessarily invested in: The ways in which Omegas are expected to "conform" are different in the core and outer rim, but the core isn't actually as progressive as they like to claim they are, and the omega equivalent of a butch or dyke is going to be different in both areas. This is, in my mind, a reflection of IRL rural vs. city GNC folk.

The kind of butch dyke you can expect to run into at a Kansas truck stop vs the kind of butch dyke you can expect to run into at a gay bar in NYC. Both are gender non-conforming, and they have similarities, but there are major differences influenced by growing up, or at least existing, in a rural backwater vs a major urban center. Anakin doesn't act like a city dyke. He acts like a country dyke. People know he's Outer Rim because he acts that way, even though he doesn't realize he acts like an outer rim dynamic-non-conforming omega.

TBH I just keep thinking about how Coruscant prides itself on being Progressive but people still give Anakin 'advice' on how to comport himself, etc. It's very "upper-class rich white lady" sexism in vibe.

[glorianas]

if you buy into the idea of the wealthy urban elite vs the rural poverty you are a goddamn mark

like white rural wealth of this country is truly blind to these people they straight up pretend they can’t see it why ignoring the ruthless urban poverty that gives children life long respiratory issues in the bronx