#is there a community of french aesthetic blogs on this site?

[freeengineer]

Ameba pico virtual world games

In March 2009 Ameba launched Ameba Pico, a Facebook app for the English market based on the virtual community Ameba Pigg. In December 2009, Ameba launched Ameba Now, a micro-blogging platform competing with Twitter.

Are there any virtual worlds like Ameba Pigg?Īmeba (Japanese pronunciation: アメーバ, Amēba) is a Japanese blogging and social networking website.

Are there any games like Ameba Pico fiction Earth?.

What can you do In Ameba Pico virtual world?.

Is there a game like Roblox for adults?.

The stand alone Ameba Pico site allows you to check your avatar from anywhere. If you aren’t anywhere near your Facebook, you don’t have to ignore your Ameba Pico! You can use to check on your Pico. If you give them out, you will be more likely to be given them from the players you meet online! Use the Stand Alone Ameba Pico Site That’s why, when you have the chance, you should give avatars that you like Pico Props. By completing it, you will earn 5 Tokens! Use Pico Props in Ameba Pico!īy getting Pico Props from other Picos in the virtual world, you can earn Gummies and Tokens. That’s why when you start the game, make sure to take the tutorial. Although the concept is confusing, the point is that you want to earn as many Tokens as you can in Ameba Pico. Tokens are harder to get and can mainly only be won in a game called Gacha (which you pay for with Gummies). Since the in game currency, Ameba Coins, can only be bought it’s important to stock up on the free currency called Tokens. Use our Ameba Pico tips to start your game today! Ameba Pico Tips Take the Ameba Pico Tutorial This truly is a global game you can talk and play with Picos from around the globe. Because the game is using this site, you can come in contact with English, Japanese, and French players. The game is global and the Facebook version is linked to the site itself using Facebook Connect. The last, and best, part that stands out about Ameba Pico is the stand-alone site connected to the game. This seems to be a fairly convoluted way to earn extra cash in a social game, but it does keep things fresh. You can play the game for 300 Gummies and you will be awarded with a random prize. You can win more Tokens in the virtual game called Gacha. When you go through the tutorial at the beginning of the game, you are given 5 Tokens. Token, this third currency, are used to buy anything within the game. This may seem harsh, but to even out the balance between Gummies and Ameba Coins, there is a third currency. Purchases can only be done with the virtual currency that you can buy, called Ameba Coins. The earnable in-game currency is called Gummies the unique thing about Gummies is that it is not used for purchases. The only part of Ameba Pico that may be confusing is the currency situation. This alone gives players a chance to truly immerse themselves in the game as a Pico, since it feels like they are traveling around a REAL city. This includes decorations for your room and also different clothes and accessories for your Pico. The stores in each area have items that are specific to that area.

They are not simply visual changes to where your Pico is hanging out, but they also host different stores that you can shop at. What is nice about traveling around the Pico virtual world is that you can interact differently in each area. Your Pico avatar can visit an area in downtown NYC, the island around the Statue of Liberty, different parts of Central Park, the New York Academy, and more. Each area has a different theme to it, but all of the themes are parts of New York City. These areas are basically chat rooms that have limits on how many users can be in them. He world that your Pico will live in is divided into different areas that you can travel to.

All of the options are aesthetically pleasing and bright. You can customize the hair (both front and back), the face, the makeup, the outfits and the room for your Pico. This isn’t a bad thing though, it’s a vast improvement over YoVille. The customization is very advanced, even though the animations are strictly 2D and cartoonish. Each gamer creates a completely customizable avatar in which they use to interact with other Picos from around the world in a virtual city. Other virtual world games, like YoVille by Zynga, have the same goal as Ameba Pico. The game, by the internet company CyberAgent America, Inc., called Ameba Pico. Ameba Pigg, a popular Japanese social networking game, is finally coming to the U.S.

#Ameba pico virtual world games

[bumblin-bees]

J'aimerais posséder une petite boulangerie dans un village côtier. Il sentira toujours le pain et un gros chat sera assis à la fenêtre. Ma porte sera toujours ouverte avec beaucoup de thé. 💛🧁🥖🥧🥐☕️🍶🍽

#je ne parle pas bien 😪 #désolé #it speaks #cottagecore #cabincore #warmcore #bakery #boulangerie #epicerie #grandmacore #lovecore #mori kei #francais #is there a community of french aesthetic blogs on this site? #who knows man #romanticism #slow living #mindful #my grammar is atrocious please don’t burn me at the stake #grandparentcore #softcore

[uwumessenger]

random headcanons i have for each om! character teehee

hi it's been a while since ive posted some hcs bc uni has been kicking my a$$! luckily i only have a few papers to tidy up and im done. here r some hcs for each obey me character that ive accumulated over the past few months wink wonk

most are random but some constants you'll find are what i think they smell like, languages they can speak (other than their native (demon/angel) and eng/jp), and music tastes !

lucifer

i have a strong feeling that he showers twice a day: in the morning after waking up and at night before going to bed

his cologne is probably the type that will last in an elevator for like a week after he uses it once. i dont think this mf ever smells like anything other than his cologne

has a secret folder on his phone of semi-nudes and other scandalous pics from when he felt sexy at the time omg

aside from demon language/eng/jp he can speak french and knows latin

listens to classical stuff yea but he also listens to diavolos mixtapes (re: diavolo's section)

not a fan of sweets but will eat sweet things when craving

really bland sense of humor...borderline cringey 😭✋🏻

mammon

has gone to google images and searched for "inspirational quotes tumblr" "gold aesthetic tumblr" & "relatable crush post tumblr" then reposts it onto his socials or just taps thru them and giggles bc he relates

his cologne doesnt last as long as lucifers and probably smells common. he has to reapply a lot but it's a people pleasing smell. it's cheaper hence the constant reapplying

he probably does have an expensive bottle but is the type to totally overspray...eek

he is canonically a car guy 🥲 and probably tells the one in his room good morning & good night + kisses the hood every once in a while. has tons of car magazines

he doesnt really speak other languages but has attempted to learn spanish before

listens to whatever is on the radio. doesnt rly stan anyone but he eventually will listen to mc's playlist and mc's playlist ONLY

levi

lurks on mc's socials ALL THE TIMEEEE like he will rewatch ur stories and scroll thru ur feed and overanalyze ur tweets/rts or blog posts. if ur mc isnt the type to use sns much he still googles ur name all the damn time just to find any sites u might be on fjdjdjdjskks

probably streams on whatever youtube or twitch devildom site equivalent there is, but only has like 40 or so followers. which he is okay with!

until he sees someone else who gets more attention than him. then the envy starts kicking in bad. especially if they suck 🧍🏻‍♀️

classic gamer boy smell. you know, sweat, tears, must, and (sometimes) axe deodorant. lucifer has to do a scent check before he goes out to any event & lets him use his cologne. how sweet!

kpop stan!! more girl groups than anything and his ults are probably GIRLS GENERATION, wonder girls, twice, loona, & red velvet

cried when ioi disbanded and refused to leave his room. the only thing u could hear was downpour on loop at full blast

can also speak korean & communicate in echolocation like dolphins 😏

satan

listens to country music you cant change my mind

smells like whatever environment he is in. he doesnt really have a designated smell just throws some deodorant on and goes about his day.

he's sooooo bad at driving...gets road rage way too often so his license has been REVOKED

but hes totally a backseat driver. needs to be sedated on long trips

do not let him watch finding nemo when luke asks to watch it. it's not worth it. he will cause mass destruction.

if he was a human or lived long term in the human world he totally has the ability to be a doctor

is studying as many languages as possible, but he mostly knows latin & french & german etc etc. wants to learn all the dead languages out of curiousity

asmo

dont think this mf has ever held down a relationship. ever

he doesnt compromise much & is not willing to change his lifestyle to fit an s/o into it. you keep up with how he lives or it just isnt meant to be (but dont worry! he'll eventually learn...maybe,,,,)

has the hardest time out of everyone when it comes to breaking bad habits

his smell varies bc he uses a variety of perfumes (whatever is the most popular at the time) but he probably sticks to floral and fresh scents. he never uses generic people pleaser scents like mammon

listens to electropop, mainstream pop, & some alternative rock

as for languages he too knows french, spanish, italian, etc. in general, if it's a romance language he knows it!

opposite of lucifer in the sense where he loves sweets and will refrain from eating too many bitter things

i think we all know that asmo is the biggest rockstar of the group! he's probably been in a boy band at least once, but now he makes his own music

has tried to teach mammon how to sing once. ended up in a broken piano and bleeding ears...

beel

i feel like he is SO SHY

like unless ur close to him he will not start conversations or anything

i think he listens to r&b a lot ! and jazz 😎 maybe rock as well

smells like ur typical athlete with undertones of wet wipes. he carries them around bc he likes to clean his hands before he eats & is prepared for when theres no sink nearby

he can drive and he drives really well. no rough turns, parallel parks perfectly, and never has problems with merging

driving with beel is probably really soothing. left hand is steering the other is gripping ur thigh 😫

dont think hes really fluent in any other language but hes probably semi fluent in korean because levi wanted beel to help him out

definitely know how to order food in practically every language tho HAHAHA

belphie

he reminds me of randall from monsters inc

smells kinda musty IM SORRY but not the way levi does hes more like the kind of musty u feel or smell when it's a shitty morning

but that's only because hes so lazy, when he cleans up hes like satan

has definitely murdered multiple people before. mc is not the first 😐✋🏻

with that being said belphie has been put into prison at least twice when visiting the human world, the mf had such a strong hatred for humans theres no way he never got into trouble before

lucifer probably broke him out and they used the pen thingies from men in black to erase everyones memory of that 🙄

dont think he listens to anything other than music that'll put him to sleep. really likes lazy song by bruno mars but thinks that bruno mars put too much effort into the song. should have been one acapella verse and then finish

similar to beel hes only semi fluent in one language, probably french bc of lucifer. doesnt remember much but knows a couple of lullabies and bedtime stories

the sandman used to be his bff until they drifted. they do, however, like and comment on each other's sns posts.

diavolo

once he found out who nicki minaj was he became her #1 stan

def an ariana grande stan too 😌

choreographs dances when hes stressed...idk just seems like a diavolo thing to do

also makes rly bad soundcloud rap music sometimes. turns to poetry when hes feeling emo but only lucifer knows this. barbatos is suspicious of him but doesnt have enough evidence to confirm.

his dad is like hudson abadeer from adventure time aka marceline's dad? something must have influenced him to want to unite the 3 realms + he would need the approval to do so, so his dad must be more chill than all the others before him 🧍🏻‍♀️ IDK ok anyway

currently going through his hamilton phase bc of mc. whether mc's intent was to get him hooked onto it or just to explain it bc of something he saw online, he tells everyone that he found out abt it bc of mc!

this man cannot drive his skills are only second to jumin han

not too fond of many languages but knows the widely spoken ones like spanish, mandarin, etc. if it's taught in high school he knows it

smells like a las vegas casino. not sure why but i feel like he does. but there's also an interesting & nice smell to him if he embraces you. it's a smell you cant quite identify. but it smells nostalgic, it's mysterious, and it's tempting.

barbatos

very calm demeanor but underneath hes WILD hes probably done everything at least once oof

he just has a lot of control and stability over himself (must be nice!)

on a more angsty note i feel like he might have had his heartbroken sO BAD IDK he is hurting and maybe that's why hes so willing to obey diavolo and not abuse his time lord power thingies bc he learned his lesson the hard way

mans is so smart he knows every language you could switch languages mid conversation with him and he wouldnt be thrown off. he'd probably start speaking it too.

BUT HE SPEAKS VIET P E R F E C T L Y

listens to the same stuff as lucifer but also likes eminem. likes the movie 8 mile but criticized it heavily

have you ever been to a chinese herb shop? naturally, he smells like that. his room probably smells like it too. he doesnt really have a significant smell like some of the others

when he bakes he smells like whatever hes baking tho

one of the few out of everyone listed to have been able to travel to literally everywhere

solomon

was probably on kitchen nightmares once, but only to get feedback from chef gordon ramsay. then he used his magic to prevent the episode from airing...

was in an orchestra, one of the best times of his life. played the violin. asmo watched him in the audience once, but didnt approach him until well after that performance.

he CANNOT sing. he can, however, rap.

doesnt listen to music. he listens to podcasts! but every now and then he turns on background music, but prefers it to be instrumental stuff

never wears sunglasses. also does not have a driver's license. cannot drive a regular car. could maybe fly an airplane.

due to his immortality he has learned almost every language to exist, but finds himself speaking mandarin the most. knows most dialects too

similar smell to barbatos but u can also smell some sunscreen on him too. like, generic beach day suncreen

he has a lot of pact marks, so he once had the idea to match foundation to his skin. it took him two weeks but he eventually perfected a combination. yes he will help u find ur perfect shade if u ask him to

simeon

another country music man. has also made a tiktok or two to that one song that goes "he cant even bait a hook." they are private tho

angel country music exists and simeon invented it

if he visits the human world and wears more causal clothing he probably tucks his shirt into his pants

wears a speedo at the beach i tell u, speedo at the beach

he can speak german...i can feel it

uses his pointer finger to type and holds the phone like 2 inches away from his face so sometimes his nose will push a key hence all his typos

has no signature smell. he simply smells like your favorite scent all the time. if multiple people are around him at once, everyone smells a different smell. it's pretty rad

"what does he smell like to himself?" u may be asking. hmm...a church? 💀

luke

his first pet was a goldfish and a few months before the exchange program happened, he was given a koi pond!

secretly likes hanging out with levi sometimes just to play with henry. makes him miss his pet fish back home

so his favorite movie is probably finding nemo and he threw a fit when nemo touched the butt

luke is probably learning german bc of simeon, though he'd like to learn more of the dead languages just for fun

i dont think he listens to music often or has any preferences, he just listens to whatever is playing on the radio

but he finds himself listening to the music mc listens to

smells like freshly baked goods all the time. or fresh laundry. but like, not combined. just depends on the day

#i cant wait for finals to be over #HASHTAG TIME HCNDNDNSN SO MANY #obey me tingz #obey me #obey me! #obey me lucifer #obey me mammon #obey me leviathan #obey me levi #obey me satan #obey me asmodeus #obey me asmo #obey me beelzebub #obey me beel #obey me belphegor #obey me belphie #obey me diavolo #obey me barbatos #obey me solomon #obey me simeon #obey me luke #obey me headcanons #obey me! headcanons #om! headcanons #omswd #obey me imagines

[smilystudies-blog]

About Me Tag

I was tagged by the wonderful @alinaetude. Go check out her blog! 

Name: Ari 

Nickname: Actually the nickname is Ari but let’s just stick with that for this site

Gender: Female

Star sign: Sagittarius ♐️

Height: 162 cm (5′4″)

Time: 7:19 pm 

Favourite Musicians: I listen to a mix of different musicians so here goes: Ariana Grande, Ed Sheeran, Panic! at the Disco, One Direction (mostly older songs), Niall Horan, The Weeknd, Michael Buble 

Song stuck in my head: La Festine by Camille (I can’t actually sing French but I’ve been humming the tune all day!) 

Last thing I googled: the historical controversy of OxyContin (for my project in science communication)

Last movie I saw: Inferno 

Last Song I listened to: Without Me by Halsey 

Other blogs: I actually used to have a fashion and beauty aesthetics blog that was really big with lots of posts and everything (url: bellanottae) but I deleted that 2 years ago. I also have a blog about plus size women in the modelling industry which I made for a project last year and that is lost somewhere in the tumblr universe, I don’t even remember the url. 

Do I get asks: not really but I would like more, tell me what’s on your mind! 

Why did I choose my username: Because alliteration makes everything sound better and I like to smile and be optimistic so there ya go smilystudies 

Following: 334 (and I love each and every one of you ❤️) 

Lucky Numbers: don’t believe in any 

What I’m wearing: leggings, a university sweatshirt, and fuzzy socks (that look like a cute reindeer face) 

Dream jobs: Pharmacist 👩🏻‍🔬💊🧪

Dream trips: Oh so many places - Italy, Russia, Greece, Netherlands, Germany, France ✈️

Favourite food: spaghetti and meatballs 🍝, Persian foods, anything chocolate 🍫 , and coffee ☕️ (I know this is not a food but I had to include it)

Instruments: no musical talent whatsoever 😪

Favourite songs: Perfect by Ed Sheeran, Night Changes by One Direction, Can’t Help Falling in Love by Elvis Presley, La vie en rose by Edith Piaf, Hallelujah by Rufus Wainwright, Someone Like You by Adele 

Relationship status: single (lowkey want a boyfriend but also kinda like being single ya feel me?)

Three books: The Great Gatsby by F.Scott Fitzgerald, Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes, The Catcher in the Rye by J.D.Salinger 

Three TV Shows: New Girl, Friends, Brooklyn Nine Nine 

Book I’m reading now: Essential Anthropology 4th Edition, Petrucci General Chemistry 10th Edition (yes they are all textbooks and yes it is a tragedy)

How many blankets I sleep with: one big duvet 

Anything I want: strong ambition, success, happiness

I tag @breathleven @mayfoir @tommywulfiger @lazyspaceengineer @wildsakura @chaithetea @humanespressostudies

#tag #about me #personal #text #study #studyblr #new studyblr #studyspo #motivation

[aphroditestummyrolls]

Rules: Answer 21 questions and then tag 21 people who you want to get to know better.

Nickname: Lemon, Lem, Honey Lemon, Snow, Merma, Erma, Em, Emmie

Zodiac: Capricorn

Height: 5′ 8″

Last movie I saw: ummm I don’t watch a lot of movies. I think Thor: Ragnorak was the last movie I watched. In theaters, the last movie I saw was the new Halloween! Hahaha it’s been so LONG. 

Last thing googled: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Act 

Favorite musician: AS IF I COULD CHOOSE! Top Five: Lizzo, Janelle Monae, Childish Gambino, Panic! at the Disco, and Ariana Grande (Honorable mentions: Glass Animals and Post Animal)

Song stuck in my head: Put on Your Sunday Clothes from Hello Dolly 

Other blogs: I’m on Pillowfort! But other then that, nah. 

Do I get asks: Sometimes! Not too often, though.

How many followers?: 589 and grateful for every single one of yooooooou!

Amount of sleep: between 5 and 7

Lucky Number: umm I don’t know. 

What I’m wearing: maroon vneck long sleeve, lavender sports bra, and soft gray joggers 

Dream job: I want to be a museum curator/ liaison between museums and cultural groups to ensure ethical procurement and treatment of artifacts and ESPECIALLY human remains.  

Dream Trip: AUSTRALIA! I want to meet the people, experience the cultures, see the wildlife, hike all the trails (look at apartments.... and schools... and live there...) 

Favorite food: Spicy crunchy tuna roll from Wasabi in Williamsville NY! 

Play an instrument: I used to sing and play the cello

Languages: Pretty much English, but I’m getting there with my German, and I can remember some French from my high school days.  

Random Fact: Ordering food is one of the most anxiety inducing things in my life. I hate it. I hate chewing, too, it freaks me out. Bottom line: if I’m dating you, DON’T ASK ME OUT FOR FOOD. If I’m eating in front of you, I’m comfortable in a way that rarely am. 

Describe yourself as aesthetic things: Tarot cards, Himalayan Salt Lamps, candles, satin, lacy lingerie, empty museums, shafts of sunlight through sheer curtains, fresh notebooks, storyboards, bubble baths, velvet, Snow White, Pothos plants, foggy castles, ancient ruins, hiking boots, steaming mugs of matcha, oil paints mixed on a palette, cats.

I’m bad at tagging! But I’m gonna tag as many people that immediately come to mind haha <3 If I didn’t mention you, but you want to try this, consider this your invite! @oh-goodness-loki @flippyspoon @letshargroovetonight @uncle-keery @imneithernor @ohmybgosh @moderateslytherin @lemonlovely @pretendimstraight @women-seem-wicked @holymookmook @lymricks @wasting-time-again @highon85 

Thank you so much for tagging me @ihni @missroserose and @hoppnhorn! It’s so validating to have friendships and people on this site and in the harringrove community that I can always come back to, and want to know me even when I’m not as active here as I would like to be <3 

#personal #tag game #lemon #thats me!

[fieri-sentio-et-excrucior]

Tagging Game

Thanks to @arthur-of-the-pendragons for tagging me!

Rules: answer 21 questions and then tag 21 people who you want to get to know better.

Nicknames: not so much a nickname but my penname is lionfish13

Zodiac: Gemini

Height: 5ft 5in (yes imperial!)

Last movie I saw: cinema: Fantastic Beasts 2, tv: Stepford Wives

Last thing I googled: Spa days :D

Favorite Musician: Muse, Within Temptation, Lana Del Rey... I like lots of different genres and musicians, very difficult to choose just one!

Song stuck in my head: Crimson Underground by Lera Lynn

Other blogs: none, this is my one and only! :D

Do I get asks: No, I run a small blog!! I sit quietly in the corner ;)

Following: 112

Amount of sleep: about 7 hours. Want more though, need to get to bed earlier - and get off my phone earlier!

Lucky Number: 4

What I’m wearing: fleecy pjs!

Dream job: probably what I'm currently doing, though I wouldn't say no to doing it part time if I could afford it so I'd have more time for hobbies/seeing people/trying to keep fitter! Though I'd also love to be part of a team who get to discover ancient artefacts/texts and decipher what they say! Or help on environmental protection/conservation projects.

Dream trip: Round the world trip? Exploring ancient sites around the Mediterranean and Middle East, the US national parks, seeing the Aurora Borealis.

Favorite Food: cheese

Do you play any instruments?: used to play violin, guitar and piano

Languages: native English. Can get by in French, German and Japanese. Know a bit of Greek. Studied Latin for years and loved it.

Favourite songs: Hysteria & The Handler (Muse)

Random Fact: I relate a lot to the Sarah's Scribbles comics! Also read www.postsecret.com every Sunday - a community art blog where people anonymously share a personal secret on a postcard, I recommend taking a look if you've not heard of it, it's very moving sometimes.

Describe yourself as aesthetic things: blue and green, with a dash of red and purple - not pastels though. Jeans and comfy jumpers, a cup of tea, a book or a boxset. Landscapes, not portraits or abstract - sunsets, seascapes or forests and mountains are the best.

I know I'm supposed to tag people but I'm just going to throw this out to all my followers, I'm interested to hear from you if you want to have a go!

#Tagging Game #Just for fun #Have a go if you want to!

[piper-aileen-lenox]

— answer these questions then tag 20 blogs you’d like to know better!

tagged by: @vaguerdoubts

tagging: i’m so sleepy??? go nuts????

nicknames:   Hannah

zodiac:   Virgo.

height:   5′5”

time:   7:54 a.m.

favourite band / artist:   Uh...I don’t often just listen to a lot from one artist/band, but I guess The Beatles, The Ramones, The Four Seasons, Regina Specktor. idk. I listen to a large variety of stuff.

song stuck in my head:  Death in June / Hail! The White Grain.  

last movie i saw:   I watched part of a movie called Badlands with my parents

last thing i googled:   .

other blogs:   @patiencetaught.

do i get asks:   Occasionally.

why did i choose this username:   It’s her full name.

following:   174.

average amount of sleep:   lmao. Bold of you to assume that I have an average amount of sleep. Lately, it’s probably creeping up to around ten hours.

what i’m wearing:   A tee shirt and pajama pants with Chewbacca on them.

dream job:   Like, a museum curator of sorts? Or a director of a National Historical Site? Something with history, ideally.

dream trip:   Cross-country road trip to visit all of the Presidential Libraries/Presidential graves 

favourite food:   Cheese quesadilla.

play any instruments:   I did play French horn and mellophone. I haven’t in years, though.

eye colour:   My sister describes them as hazel, if you replaced the brown with blue?

hair colour:   Currently, a very light blue.

languages you speak:   English and the saddest bit of Spanish you’ve ever heard.

most iconic song:    La Vie Boheme from Rent. It’s a banger.

random fact:   I’m planning to spend the mini Winter semester my university has to do some research into a man who was lynched in our town and try and get a commemorative plaque put in place to honor his life and remind our community of his absolutely heinous death and how racism was not and is not a South only problem.

describe yourself as aesthetic things:   A teenage girl wearing a “world’s best grandpa” shirt, second-hand books, cartoon drawings of mothman dabbing, non-threatening Doc Martians (think floral or think ribbons for laces), volunteering at a library on a Sunday morning with a bunch of little old ladies, poorly described vines, flea markets and antique sales.

#hate crime tw #racism tw #lynching tw #racial violence tw #{ a loveable droll geek | OOC }

[caesarsme]

Ysl Bag

Nav Gill is a Senior Editor at Editorialist overlaying trend, features and news. A Fashion Communication graduate, she was beforehand an Editor at HYPEBAE and has a powerful curiosity in luxurious style, rising manufacturers, streetwear and footwear. When she’s not on the street masking European style weeks, you’ll find her scouring the Internet for the most recent sneaker drops. The Sac du Jour sees colorful releases nearly every season, however we love it most in traditional black and gray. We’re nonetheless not over the minibag development, so this 12 months you’ll catch us sporting this sensible bag within the cute nano size. While the bag has no pockets or compartments, the larger iterations of it include an identical pockets. The Sunset YSL bag is another beautiful, structured fold-over bag possibility. It was first launched in 2016, so it has a really modern aesthetic and a sure seriousness about it. It’d be a great purse for professional settings, though it may additionally transition to night time. This design oozes quality, made of extraordinarily durable leather-based and put collectively expertly. wikipedia That brings us to the end of our actual vs fake Yves Saint Laurent Niki bag legit verify information. Vocal legend Celine Dion, high profile mannequin Gigi Hadid, goddess Jessica Alba, pop star Kylie Minogue and America’s sweetheart Reese Witherspoon all personal a minimal of one YSL handbag with them. Yves Saint-Laurent remains to be well-known for his invention of beatnik style, the originality of his inspirations that included the Mondrian assortment, a Moroccan inspired assortment and a Russian inspired collection. Above all he shall be remembered for designing the classics of the emancipated lady together with the ‘Smoking' tuxedo swimsuit in 1966, the trouser go well with in 1967 and the Saharienne in 1968. After completing his army service in 1962, Yves Saint-Laurent, now supported by Pierre Bergé – a business man who would turn out to be his lifelong associate – decided to handle his own couture home. Yves Saint-Laurent was a designer who preferred to please ladies with garments adapted to their actions and their new obligations somewhat than dazzle with the extravagance of an selfish type. He additionally surrounded himself with dwelling fashions who grew to become icons and rejected wood mannequins. Additionally, proceed reading and get to know more about clutch bags in our Ask Mytheresa article. Shop a traditional Saint Laurent Monogram handbag with an ideal juxtaposition of gold or silver letters or an earth-hued YSL tassel bag, fringed like a cowboy’s jacket. Saint Laurent purses are remarkable style treasures; heirlooms to move down from generation to era. Saint Laurent are excessive style handbag innovators, accessorizing girls the world over with collections of ultra-glamorous totes, clutches, wallets and shoulder bags. Renowned for lavish colored leathers and conversation-starting elaborations, you’ll need emerald-hued suede, flamingo pink croc pores and skin and fabulous Wild West-inspired fringing. The interlocked ‘YSL’ monogram lol appears on the entrance of the bag in matching hardware to the strap and tassel. This bag options three card slots, which means you can simply downsize and carry your essential cards without needing a wallet. The Rive Gauche tote bag is the ultimate work bag that is inspired by the heritage of this iconic French fashion home. Featuring the brand’s unique name, the guide tote has leather flat handles and closes with three logo-engraved snap buttons. Saint Laurent is one of France’s premium luxury style houses and commenced in 1951 underneath the tenure of Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé. The brand began as an haute couture label before expanding into accessories, leather-based goods, and shoes. Saint Laurent Bag with a flap, adorned with YSL initials in oxidized nickel, and featuring a leather-reinforced shoulder strap chain. The bag of one hundred pc calfskin leather is in Blanc Vintage shade, excellent to wear through the day in work or faculty with a pair of denims and a pleasant T-shirt. The shoulder straps can be shortened or worn on the shoulder, you can use them as you want. The quilted matelassé leather version of the digicam bag is a more moderen addition to the YSL Lou collection. This sort of leather just isn't new to Saint Laurent luggage and has been used on other well-liked kinds together with the YSL LouLou. Saint Laurent merchandise similar to purses, tote bags, fashion clothes, equipment, and even footwear could be bought at Saint Laurent retail shops situated in malls like Pavillion, KLCC, and The Gardens. Alternatively, you can even buy Saint Laurent products on-line by way of Saint Laurent's official online retailer. From there, you'll have the ability to view a great multitude of collections of trend equipment, style clothing, fashion goods, and so forth. Saint Laurent Shoulder Bag — this Saint Laurent Monogram Mini Shoulder Bag with the retro-iconic YSL emblem is the perfect after Friday work bag to the club. The Snake-Effect Monogram is by far probably the most detailed one, manufactured from snakeskin , the detailed entwined steel serpent design of the YSL brand just takes a shoulder bag up by so many notches. We’ve introduced together the top ten most popular styles that can assist you determine which one is finest suited to match your style and to add to your bag assortment. While many trend tendencies come and go, there are some items that remain timeless regardless of the season. If there could really be one closet staple that trend editors and stylists would recommend investing in, it would be a very great handbag—a YSL bag to be precise. The sleek bucket is a little sporty, which isn't what we normally count on out of a YSL purse. The Teddy bucket luggage could be carried both as handbags and as backpacks, thanks to a mixture of adjustable straps. A YSL duffle bag was a star favorite within the early and mid-2010s. It was the first bag Hedi Slimane introduced to the Yves Saint Laurent range, and it’s simple to see how it grew to become such a crowd-pleaser. This was before the tri-letter emblem was introduced, so whereas the bag is archival, it’s not too obvious or conspicuous. Otherwise generally known as the Chanel Classic Flap Bag, Chanel's eleven.2 bag (created in 1982 on Karl Lagerfeld's arrival) is truly a classic. Now rent or buy as many gadgets as you wish - and only pay one flat fee to ship everything. This is available in Y-quilted leather and is on the market in three sizes – small, medium and large. That being mentioned, the massive model of the backpack may be quite onerous to get ahold of and sells out really quickly on the YSL web site and in addition from different stockists. The LouLou backpack normally retails between €1,350 – €2,000 relying on the stockist and dimension. The YSL LouLou is available in an array of colours and steel finishes, and a list can be discovered within the table under. Top Quality Replica Luggage Their prime promoting product is a Gucci replica purse that is tremendous well-liked and has a 4.5 ranking. The store has a 97% rating and has been around for greater than 4 years. If you're on the lookout for replica handbags on-line, this retailer ought to be one of the websites you visit. As is so usually the case, the brand is a characteristic that you must finest take a closer take a glance at if you want to spot a pretend vs genuine YSL bag. Generally talking, since 2012 the label has now not appeared under the name Yves Saint Laurent, however has been renamed Saint Laurent. So it is fairly possible that the design of older fashions differs from that of the newer fashions. The worth of Yves Saint Laurent luggage might well have been hindering you in opposition to treating your self to 1 but together with the model new vary of Yves Saint Laurent replica purses one can ultimately fulfill their ones. I picked up this in New York once I had been buzzing around the store buying everything by way of delight of solely being in Sephora based on, once I found the Louboutin countertops. It after all was in all probability costlier in America, however I had been in New York so it went instantly in my very own basket. I chose the colour Akenana, which is a light-weight nude pink and also a unbelievable casual color. I imagine that it’s super stylish and exceptionally modern trying. It isn't any secret that Hedi Slimane’s very first collection for Celine wasn’t nicely received amongst trend fans. Perhaps it’s because, like many people, vogue folk aren't eager on giant shift, or maybe it’s as a result of the impact that Phoebe Philo left Celine and the style enterprise as a whole was nothing in need of legendary. Irrespective of the motive, in a immunity not like another, Celine followers began a boycott of varieties, and likewise the #OldCeline hashtag took on a life of its own. Lately I had been making my regular web rounds because it dawned on me that I had not perused the Celine site in quite a while. long-time want.Can possess a Yves Saint Laurent handbags are all girls dream about points. We do not indorse or promote replica baggage or bag replicas. The Purse Queen was began in August of of 2010 by me, Angie , as a blog that reviews authentic & replica purses I have purchased all through the years, and replica web sites as well. If you want the best cushioning on a sports activities shoe, then the Nike Vapormax replica ought to be your go-to choice. The Nike Flyknit has some of the finest shoe design on the planet. Flywire technology has robust and lightweight cables that assist with the secureness of the sneakers. Honoring heritage brands and increasing the lifecycle of luxurious objects. metallic clasp, or a leather-based clasp with two peg-in-hole closures that safe the strap underneath the flap. Many YSL logo baggage will also include four mock nail heads on the outlying corners. Faux Louis Vuitton Replica Bags The “V” logo is re-interpreted and replaced with a new bronze polished surface, which conveys the spirit of the brand whereas exhibiting its distinctive fashion, giving Replica Valentino Handbags Garavani a brand new trend label for VRING handbags. THE POUCH clutch, another design by Daniel Lee, model design director for this season is this Pouch clutch. This outsized clutch has a singular leather drape design. The relatively large-capacity backpack fashions also appear in the series. The iconic “D” form of the saddle bag is designed on the front of the bag body, which makes folks know that they are a household. It appears that the brand new series of saddle baggage, on the premise of pursuing independent and uninhibited personality, has broadened the scope of use of the baggage, which is sufficient to make Replica Dior Handbag followers cheer. Replica Dior Bags HOMME SOFT sequence briefcase has delicate traces and easy fashion. The general strains of the briefcase and the flat facet pockets are both sensible and traditional. The calfskin of the briefcase is tanned by expert craftsmen. Christian Louboutin lately launched, Men’s Tote Bag, Cabado, which is targeted at guys who are multi-taskers and constantly on the go. Basically, it changes its shape as per the requirement. The tote can be remodeled into a backback with a simple slide down of the straps.A typical Christian Louboutin merchandise, it's produced from lush black leather. Another particulars are a substantial hand-finished ultra-black ecusson that is embellished and embroidered with steel studs and emblem details.Cabado’s camouflage appearance is deceptive. It has two storage chambers which are deliberately designed for the Louboutin Homme to remain organized even on the move. It could seem that vinyl just isn't one thing you have to placed on if you're out of your own home lead to don't need to be confused for the ladies who do dirty products to earn their food, however trust me this replica bag is far to turn into disgraceful. It's chic and great that's difficult for people to strive the fit. Aside from these Replica Bags Review there's a YSL jeans handbags. They confirmed up on this space 4 or five prior to now plus they were an genuine success. Nice simple to use and accessorize, very practical and spacious the YSL Replica luggage really skilled consideration. There's merely nothing worse than a bag you purchased for Fall arriving when Fall's almost over! That's why we provide Express Shipping around the globe on all orders. Replica Miu Miu Handbags MIU LADY Sheepskin Crystal Bead Ring Flap Chain Bag The soft leather has been crafted with a three-dimensional pleated texture, which is full of rebellious atmosphere. The colourful colours make her beauty so embarrassing, it seems not tight. Compared with Prada, Miumiu’s reputation is not excessive in China. Replica designer objects allow us to cut the sky-high value it entails for style and self-indulgence. Get to enjoy the vanity of owning the newest in the style world sans the cost. It is uncommon to see such a small dimension tote bag, which has wonderful practicality and matching effect! The minimalism of Replica Valentino Handbags Garavani V Ring Small Leather Tote is also mirrored in the three-dimensional, neat and daring design, which symbolizes the standard value of Valentino. The design of the “V” letter within the middle of the ellipse evolved with the passage of time and have become a fashion mark nearer to the contemporary. Miuccia Prada’s distinctive talent lies in the relentless pursuit of latest ideas, the fusion of curiosity for data and cultural curiosity, thus opening up the pioneer street. Not only can she predict style developments, she will also lead style trends. The immense portion of a replica is it goes to appear and be the identical as the real handbag indoors and outdoors with the exclusion of the purchase worth. As is so typically the case, the logo is a characteristic that you must finest take a closer have a glance at whenever you need to spot a pretend vs real YSL bag. Generally speaking, since 2012 the label has now not appeared under the name Yves Saint Laurent, however has been renamed Saint Laurent. So it's fairly attainable that the design of older models differs from that of the newer models. Although it was born at a brief while, it has turn out to be the leader of the new era It Bag. However, I really have planted grass many instances in Saint Laurent niki. Today I wish to plant another chain bag for Replica Saint Laurent Handbags. https://depurses.ru/ysl.html I heard that Prada is of uncompromising quality and wants to experience it for yourself. In addition, this killer bag looks really cool, I like this fashion very much, and LD likes the formed bag. Prada provides men’s and women’s ready-to-wear, leather items, footwear, glasses and fragrance, and supplies tailor-made providers. Honoring heritage brands and extending the lifecycle of luxurious items. Many YSL emblem luggage may also embrace four mock nail heads on the outlying corners. Saint Laurent Bags For Ladies In particular, the shoulder strap of this bag is a skinny chain, which could be simply stowed and put into the bag with out revealing it. It becomes a small purse, which is particularly delicate. The Replica Givenchy Handbags has a buckle design worthy of fun. In the detailed design of the Replica Givenchy Bags GV3 Small Shoulder Bag Tote, creative director Clare Waight Keller also upholds the design spirit of contrasting beauty. In terms of body structure design, the GV3 uses an exquisite three-chamber accordion structure, which can give the purse ample capacity while maintaining its exquisite appearance. From beautiful Yves Saint Laurent Replica Bags to Hermes Matte Replica Crocodile Birkin Bag to the shockingly amiable teenage dream LV replica Urban Satchel Bag and so much extra, there's really one ready for you on-line. Matching will make you the brightest and most shining one within the crowd. The bag was acquired, and on the eve of the birthday, I felt that it was a fantastic birthday reward for myself, which eased the stress of the super work in recent days! A good replica bag tote can help you enhance your fuel area. It has a sensible giant capacity that women want most, and a neutral design that can be elegant and cool. At that time, there was a small permanent calendar within the commerce period . Competition “jumps” for boys to encourage their dancing to construct a younger dance. Fashionista has carried out a measured on the Sunset, the physical self-importance is much heavier than the High college, ladies like light handbags could really feel a little heavier. Sunset’s chain bag liberation of his hands, shoulder or diagonal can be. Compared to the charming and stylish impression, this little persona, type of revolt Replica Saint Laurent Sunset Handbags, however in lots of autumn and winter baggage, get the public’s attention, the inflow of additionally the first to use! Especially in such an industry, a duplicate bag tote isn't necessarily an phantasm. As a reward, I hope that my future will get higher and better. In today’s economic dilemma, being practical is a key to satiate your thirst for fashion and magnificence.

#saint laurent replica #replica saint laurent bags #saint laurent replica bags #replica saint laurent #fake saint laurent

[oddnerdum]

Rules: answer 30 questions and tag 20 blogs you would like to get to know better (lmao I will not tag 20 blogs tf)

Tagged by: @tom-kitt (I’m surprised and flattered honestly. Thank you!)

Nicknames: Crissy or Cristine

Sex: Female

Zodiac: Sagittarius

Height: 164cm 

Time: 6:46pm AEST

Fav band(s): I like listening to San Cisco, Sticky Fingers, Neighbourhood, Tender and occasionally Panic! At the Disco. 

Fav solo artist(s): There’s a long list for this. I like: Kehlani, H.E.R, SZA, Willow Smith, Jaden Smith, Galimatias, Russ, Sevdaliza, Blackbear, a bit of Hoodie Allen, Khai Dreams, Tinashe and Alex Young.  

Song stuck in my head: I have three stuck in my head. They’re Bluecid by Sevdaliza, Show Me Who You Are by Jesse Boykins III and Uno Dos by Teo ft. Jaden Smith. 

Last movie I saw: I think it was The Darkest Hour. That was a while ago, I hardly watch movies anymore. 

Last show I watched: RuPaul Drag’s Race Season 10 Episode 8. I was so happy because my fave Queen won. 

When did I create my blog: Sometime in 2012 or 2013? I don’t have my first post though, I did mass editing for my blog last year. 

What do I post: I reblog a lot of radical feminist/gender critical posts, as well as memes, videos, aesthetics and thing I enjoy. Fandom things are reserved for another blog. I also repost some stuff relating to languages, writing and kind of self-care stuff. 

Last thing I googled: Financial Independence and women. 

Do I have any other blogs: I have a French Blog (It’s a failure), a Fandom Blog and an old blog from my edgy days.  

Do I get asks: Last ask I received was in like, 2016, and it was a joke from my friend. 

Why did I choose my url: Originally I was outofcontrolfangirlingotaku (R.I.P) and then I decided to change it to the one I have now. The reason I did was because my mum really loved Odd Nerdrum, and so I thought I’d steal his name, but I then dropped the second ‘r’ by accident. I liked how it sounds like “odd nerd, um” so I kept it. 

Following: 296

Followed by: 193.

Average hours of sleep: I’d say 8 hours. 

Lucky number: I think either 9 or 11. 

Instruments: I play the clarinet and have been for 7 years, but I’m awful. 

What i’m wearing: Black track pants and a grey hoodie with the RAAF (Royal Australian Air Force) logo, which I stole from my Step-dad. He’s fascinated by aircraft. 

Dream job: Something to do with linguistics, but I don’t know what I would want to do specifically. Maybe teaching because I love the idea of passing down knowledge. A tourist guide would be fun, but I don’t think they make much? All I know is that I’d love to work in a friendly environment, travel and use my skills in languages. 

Dream trip: I know I will probably visit France and Japan in my lifetime, probably other places, but I would love to visit Russia safely, if it either is stable and safe. It’s the country where my family is from and the culture I grew up in, so I would love to go and experience it! But at the moment, I wouldn’t. I would also love to visit the Middle-Eastern countries to see they’re architecture, they’re food and other sites, because it is honestly so beautiful from the images I have seen. Right now though, again, I don’t think I’d feel very safe there. Maybe even a tour around Australia and learning about various Aboriginal clans and tribes. I enjoy those talks so much, and the sense of community is great. It would be an honour if I could join them in some ceremonies even.

Fav food: Chicken Katsu Don and Pilmeni.

Nationality:  Australian Born but my background is Russian and Italian. 

Fav song: These Girls by Sticky Fingers and Love Galore by SZA

Last book I read:  The last book I officially finished was Room but I’m currently reading about 5 different books.  

Top 3 fictional universes I wanna join: I think I would like to join Skyrim, because I have had an obsession with archery for a really long time (I even did it for a bit, before it became costly) and there’s so much to do in the game (crafting and improving and spells and travelling), plus the design is awesome. Maybe Harry Potter - but that flame has kind of died down. The fictional world in Never Let Me Go would be really interesting to live in, but also be extremely conflicting as it deals with many ethical issues. 

Tagging: @iloveanimesoshutup @womyn-are-rad @clitorisallydepressed @punkfem @technically-not-a-terf @machiavellian-molly-cat (feel free not to do this and sorry if this has bothered you! i hope you all have a nice day)

[heathertalks]

Audience Studies Blog Entry #3: Public Opinion and Audience Participation

We all have opinions. Some we share with others, others we keep to ourselves. We may have the same opinions as our peers, others we know are not the most popular. Our opinions could be formed in several ways, through personal experience or our everyday uses of media. Sometimes, we use our opinion to help shape our world. For example, in two weeks, the people of the United States will determine who should run their country the next four years. Now, before people get their feathers ruffled, this is not a political blog. This blog is meant to explain the concept of public opinions and how as an audience we use it to shape our world.

For us to understand public opinion in today’s world, it is important to learn about the ways this concept underwent changes. When we think of public opinion, we think of polls that are conducted in newspapers and online. Public opinion is referred to as a “group consensus about matters of public concern which has developed in the wake of informed discussion.” (Sullivan, pp 69) Public opinion is used to communicate with the general public on what they desire on the basis of sentiment and policy preferences for the government. A participatory democracy is demonstrated through citizens voicing their thoughts and concerns to authority figures, such as government officials.

One concept that I would like to discuss is the public sphere, as there are two types: the representative and the bourgeois. The representative public sphere was formed in the Middle Ages when kings and feudal lords were only part of the public. Jurgen Habermas, author of The Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere, explained that individual citizens did not have the power to select others as their leader. The king would conduct elaborate rituals and ceremonies on a stage before the people. Habermas states that the publicness of representation was not seen as a public sphere, but a status attribute. (Sullivan, pp 71) The king was the single epitome of society as he is a representation of the body politics. The people played the role as spectators as their purpose was to portray the monarch’s glory and honour in bolstering the ruler’s divine right.

In the bourgeois public sphere, citizens broke free from the feudal lord to create their own group that would make their own public decisions. In this social organization, citizens were able to make business and form politics with one another without depending on the state. The public was utilized as a social process that was developed through the conversation among individuals. (Sullivan, pp 72) Conversations would take place at English coffeehouses or French salons. The later would enable men and women for a meeting that the state did not sponsor. Salons would not only enable individuals to talk politics but one of the first places that people’s opinions would be shared.

In the 1930s, a popular research approach in analyzing public opinion was the survey. A survey’s purpose is to count and describe a population’s characteristics. In opinion surveys, the public is seen as a numerical aggregate in counting the private responses of individuals about certain topics like politics. The design of the surveys were meant to analyze a population of individuals who might have an opinion that concerns the survey’s subject. Due to the possibility of a huge amount of people in the survey, a sample would be utilized for completion. One setback in survey research is how people who get selected to take part would choose not to. The problem with this is that the general findings would be inaccurate, especially when individuals who choose not to participate differentiate from willing survey participants. What would further complicate things in the future is how more people are ditching their landline phones for mobile phones that are not listed in telephone directories. (Sullivan, pp 78) In addition, some of those individuals who have mobile phones are much younger, non-white, not married and / or not homeowners.

Another issue on public opinion that would be worth to touch down on is the news. The last few years, there has been an on-going debate on which news sites are telling stories properly and which are not. One method that some journalists and / or media companies would use is framing. Framing happens when aesthetics of a perceived reality are selected and made to look more salient in a communicating text. This approach is used to “promote a particular problem definition, casual interpretation, moral evaluation and / or treatment recommendation.” (Sullivan, pp 87) Studies in the 1980s and 1990s show the affect media frames have in how people interpret the news and how they make judgements. One book by Iyengar and Kinder explained that individuals’ awareness of public issues were developed by the news as well as be given framework in how these stories would be acknowledged.

One concern with the news and why there is a debate about what news sites put out the better information is the concept of fake news. As we use social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc, we start to become aware of what news is accurate and what is not. Some of us could be gullible enough to believe false information. During the 2016 US Presidential election, Republican candidate Donald Trump would criticize mainstream news sites like CNN, calling it ‘fake news’ when it ran stories that he did not agree with. The term was used so often that it lost its meaning, causing problems, such as extreme violent behaviour among readers. Fake news would be referred to as articles that would be false by intention and result in misleading readers. (Sullivan, pp 89)

Public opinion can also be shared through online forums as individuals can communicate with others around the world and post anonymously about their thoughts, beliefs and views. People utilize online forums from the comfort of their own home or anywhere while being anonymous. As people write in forums, they expect other users to read and respond to their posts. When it comes to online communication, people have little to no knowledge about their targeted audience as they utilize imagination in planning a model. This mental representation in guide online interaction is ‘imagined audiences.’ (Kornfield, pp 280)

There are two things in online forums that are considered in developing a user’s imagined audience: 1) The extent of which forums can have people come together who share similar interests. 2) The feedback mechanisms that enable audiences to join forums, create threads and respond to posts.

This blog was meant to educate readers of how far we have come as an audience in forming and developing opinions. As we look at the world around us, we become aware of what goes on, how it affects us and what can we do to change it. The past few years saw us become more aware of what we see in the news through social media as we read several news sources while others new into alternative media to get their news fix. This can be problematic because people have different opinions of what sources they trust. In addition, we tend to learn and debate a little bit more about the stories we read through online forums. As we read more about it, our opinions are shaped to determine how we live our lives, how we vote and even what media we consume.

With opinions and news, I would take part in online discussions, whether it is with friends or with news sites. I would try to stay away from politics unless I am conversing with people who have similar views. I have a hard time conversing with people who have different views because sometimes, it is not worth it. I would go out and vote in elections but I prefer to keep my views to myself in case problems set in. I would use social media to read the news of what goes on in the world, in fact, I follow ABC, CBS, NBC, NPR and CNN. I try to avoid the comments section in certain topics because you would always get this one poster that feels the need to get a rise out of others. The biggest issue I have when it comes to reading the news on social media, people complain about certain stories being dubbed as ‘fake news.’ It bothers me because no one is forcing people to read from these sites. If there is a site that I do not like or news I can not stand, I do not touch it. I do not complain, I just move along.

#audiences opinions news

[wallpaperpainting]

The 11 Secrets About Big Wall Art Ideas Only A Handful Of People Know | big wall art ideas

From Harper’s BAZAAR

A aphotic billow has loomed over New York’s Chelsea neighborhood. It’s a Sunday afternoon, and the condensate and desultory gusts of wind accept fabricated the ambiance cold, damp, and eerie. There’s hardly anyone in sight, save for two badge admiral at the bend of 22nd Street amidst 10th and 11th Avenues, a man clutching his anorak shakily while walking his dog, and an acquisitive commitment man pedaling feverishly on his bicycle. All are cutting face masks; all are aggravating their best to accord with the circumstances.

It’s a austere amphitheatre that concisely depicts the accompaniment of the beside art industry, which takes up a lot of aboveboard footage in Chelsea. Here, some of the bigger galleries in the apple accept shut their doors, afterward federal and bounded mandates to padlock nonessential businesses and amusing ambit as a aftereffect of the coronavirus outbreak. The large, bright windows that let admirers associate into their all-embracing spaces—normally lined with active bank paintings or arty installations, admiring passersby—are now boarded or covered by metal gates. And there are signs alfresco the entrances that accurate how they are, for the accountable future, closed, emphasizing their acquiescence with guidelines so as to abrade the ambit of the spread.

New York—with added than 300,000 cases and added than 19,000 accepted deaths—is the hardest-hit accompaniment in the nation. And this is not counting the amazing unemployment rates, abbreviating accumulation of claimed careful accessories (PPE), and all-embracing banking and brainy adherence of citizens. Abounding galleries and art organizations that are based in the burghal and above had to bound appraise how best to cross this aggravating time, addition out a appropriate advance of activity that will account both their firms and the artists they represent. Because about abundant art is an announcement of creativity, an aesthetic appearance of absoluteness through an abandoned standpoint, it is actually a business that has actively been afflicted by COVID-19.

Story continues

The role of an artisan is to accurate themselves and, in turn, a assertive accuracy about their association in their work. The beside art industry is, in ample part, congenital on affairs this ideology: that art is not decoration, but a basal abysm that needs to be entered and explored. But with a lockdown in place, the accepted activity of communicating an artist’s eyes and adorable collectors, institutions, and gallery-goers to buy into it—both figuratively and literally—has been finer stunted.

“Art does, and consistently will, activity insights into who we are and what we are experiencing, as individuals and as a association as a whole,” says Maureen Bray, controlling administrator of the Art Dealers Association of America, which represents added than 180 galleries in the

The 11 Secrets About Big Wall Art Ideas Only A Handful Of People Know | big wall art ideas – big wall art ideas | Encouraged in order to my personal blog, in this time We’ll teach you with regards to keyword. And today, this can be the initial image:

The Latest Décor Trend: 31 Large Scale Wall Art Ideas .. | big wall art ideas

What about picture preceding? is usually in which amazing???. if you think consequently, I’l d provide you with a few photograph yet again below:

So, if you wish to acquire these great graphics regarding (The 11 Secrets About Big Wall Art Ideas Only A Handful Of People Know | big wall art ideas), press save icon to save the graphics to your computer. They are prepared for download, if you want and wish to get it, just click save symbol in the article, and it’ll be directly saved in your desktop computer.} Lastly in order to grab unique and latest picture related to (The 11 Secrets About Big Wall Art Ideas Only A Handful Of People Know | big wall art ideas), please follow us on google plus or bookmark this website, we attempt our best to give you regular up-date with fresh and new shots. We do hope you enjoy staying here. For many upgrades and latest news about (The 11 Secrets About Big Wall Art Ideas Only A Handful Of People Know | big wall art ideas) pictures, please kindly follow us on twitter, path, Instagram and google plus, or you mark this page on bookmark section, We try to give you up-date periodically with fresh and new photos, love your surfing, and find the best for you.

Here you are at our site, articleabove (The 11 Secrets About Big Wall Art Ideas Only A Handful Of People Know | big wall art ideas) published .  Today we are delighted to declare we have discovered an extremelyinteresting nicheto be reviewed, that is (The 11 Secrets About Big Wall Art Ideas Only A Handful Of People Know | big wall art ideas) Lots of people trying to find information about(The 11 Secrets About Big Wall Art Ideas Only A Handful Of People Know | big wall art ideas) and certainly one of these is you, is not it?

taxi in rockefeller plaza, scott richard – big wall art ideas | big wall art ideas

Série sobre Milão, Itália – Séries about Milan, Italy – 11-01-2009 – IMG_20090111_9999_122 – big wall art ideas | big wall art ideas

Grey And White Painting Minimal Wall Art Abstract Wall Art : Home .. | big wall art ideas

Remodelaholic | 60 Budget-Friendly DIY Large Wall Decor Ideas – big wall art ideas | big wall art ideas

FRENCH ESCAPISM & LIQUID PAINTING, by scott richard – big wall art ideas | big wall art ideas

Remodelaholic | 60 Budget-Friendly DIY Large Wall Decor Ideas – big wall art ideas | big wall art ideas

DIY Foam-Fitting Wall Decor : Foam Wall Art – big wall art ideas | big wall art ideas

Big wall decorating ideas – big wall art ideas | big wall art ideas

living room artwork ideas – fortshelbymotorcycle | big wall art ideas

Large Wall Art For Living Rooms: Ideas & Inspiration – big wall art ideas | big wall art ideas

The post The 11 Secrets About Big Wall Art Ideas Only A Handful Of People Know | big wall art ideas appeared first on Wallpaper Painting.

from Wallpaper Painting https://www.bleumultimedia.com/the-11-secrets-about-big-wall-art-ideas-only-a-handful-of-people-know-big-wall-art-ideas/

#Painting Ideas #big wall art ideas

[lettersfromtaiwan]

Escape To Warmth - Moon World, Meinong, & Kaohsiung

Apologies for the long delay in posting. I’ve been working on a number of personal projects recently, one of which is my new archive site at bgoren.com which is now live. As I mentioned earlier, this blog is going to ease up on the politics and mostly feature travel posts from now on. With a firm date set for our return to the UK (and my employer already notified), we’re looking to visit as many places as possible in Taiwan and the region since it will be prohibitively expensive to do so once we’ve moved.  And what a time to move! By the time I am to repatriate it is likely that Brexit will be completed, with all the attendant economic and political problems that’s going to cause. That’s a way off yet (3.5 yrs) though so let’s get back to Taiwan ...

At the end of February, still ‘hungover’ from the Taiwan New Year break and with temperatures hovering annoyingly just over double digits, EVA and I looked at the weather and saw that the minimum temperature down south was higher than the maximum temperature in humid, cold Neihu. No brainer, we booked a place to stay, made a hasty plan for a quick tour, and got on the HSR.

Arriving at Zuoying HSR station, we hired a scooter and set off roughly north-east for Moon World Landscape Park 月世界地景公園, about an hour from the HSR, as seen on the map below ...

Two things struck me immediately about Moon World. Firstly, the scale, it’s larger than I thought it would be although much of it is off limits to visitors. Secondly, it was an actual tourist site complete with walkways, wooden stairs, and plenty of snacks from vendors to eat. For some reason I had imagined it was a small wild area next to the main road.  And, being a holiday, it was busy with tourists such as ourselves enjoying the lovely weather.  (Heads up: I was trying a new photo app on my phone but only later realised I had a major problem with the resolution and light settings so all of the pictures of my trip have a strange ‘filter’ on them ...)

Let’s quickly review how this ‘Moon World’ came to exist and the local communities that thrive in and around it. From Kaohsiung City Government ...

Tianliao District covers just under 93 square kilometres and is dominated by undulating hills. Of this hill country, around four fifths is badlands, hence the region's nickname, "Moon World."

Many people wonder how the Moon World badlands came into existence, so we put the question to Professor Chyi Shyh-jeng of the Department of Geography, National Kaohsiung Normal University. Professor Chyi says the area's distinctive mudstone is ocean-floor sediment that was raised by tectonic uplift. Following years of erosion by the area's waterways, such as the Erren River, the mudstone landscape took on its current appearance. Moon World is a result of the mudstone features being weakly lithfied aquitards. Each time it rains, the surface absorbs most of the moisture and expands as a result. Then, when the sun comes out, the surface cracks up because of its dryness. Repeated wetting and drying compromises the surface integrity of the mudstone. Downpours cause landslides, thus forming exposed ridges and gullies that support vegetation only sporadically.

Tianliao's landscape is varied and inspiring. More than 20 movies have been shot hereabouts. In addition to feasting their eyes on this geological and topographical wonder, tourists should know about the local businesses that make the most of the unique landscape, and which make visits to Tianliao even more interesting. The abundance of natural ponds has helped create a thriving aquaculture industry. As you walk past exposed mudstone ridges, you can see their reflections on the surfaces of the fish ponds. The badlands' other unique products include local specialty dishes, such as the much sought after "mud baked chicken." These are locally raised free-range chickens, each one baked in a mud cast. The badlands seem lifeless, yet in fact are a significant source of income for Tianliao residents.

At the entrance to the park ... a family of goats (perhaps left over from a previous Taiwan New Year of the Goat celebration?) welcomed us ...

Our plan was to ride on to Chishan and then Meinong to visit the Hakka cultural museum. Chishan is a very pleasant small town with Chishan Old Street that draws tourists for its Japanese era architecture and snacks. It also has a now retired railway station turned into a museum of rail history in the area which, as a fan of trains and history, is like having those extra pennies to buy a 99 Flake ...   

After sampling some pizza (made by Italians who all spoke perfect Mandarin and even some Hoklo) we walked up to the Elementary School that is one of the most aesthetically pleasing I’ve seen in Taiwan.  The school’s history begins in the Japanese Colonial Era, which accounts for the splendidly preserved and actively used buildings in the first three pictures below ... 

Across the road from the school is a standard park / running track which at the time was host to a local agriculture promoting concert / fair.  The park contains a Japanese building (旗山武德殿) and is across from the huge Confucius Temple of Kaohsiung City 旗山孔廟.  We waked up the steps for the view. Perhaps another day we’ll return to visit the Temple.

Heading on, we passed over the river into the Meinong valley, and then up Shuren (Zhongshan 2nd Rd.) Road to Meinong Town, finding the Meinong Folk Village (美濃民俗村客家擂茶館) along the way ...

Shielded by mountains to the north and west and with plenty of water flowing through and around the valley, Meinong remains one of Taiwan’s most productive and distinctive agricultural districts.  Since I had been to Meinong before I didn’t take any pictures of the town and the Hakka Cultural Museum (Mandarin site, english site here) but I highly recommend going as it is one of the best examples of a Hakka ‘fireline’ town in Taiwan.

Moving on, we drove across the expansive Gaomei Bridge to Gaosu and then took the 27 down to Pingdong City, where we had dinner before crossing the equally impressive and very elevated Gaoping Bridge across and into Kaohsiung City for the night. 

The next day we we headed over to Dashu District to visit the Old Iron Bridge Wetland Park, accessible by the TRA’s Jiuqutang Station (九曲堂車站) ...  

The old railway bridge has quite a history, originally called the Fresh Water Creek Iron Bridge, it was built in early 1913 by the Japanese engineer Yukatani (Toyoji?) Lida. It was at one point the longest span iron bridge in all of Asia ...

... the Bridge is 1,526 meters long and was the most far-stretched iron bridge in Taiwan as well as Asia’s longest bridge at the time. Despite its great contribution to the transportation between Kaohsiung and Pingtung, the bridge gradually worn down with its exposed foundation as a result of river bed erosion, damage brought by the typhoons and expired duration of usage. 

The Bridge is an iron-grey steel arc structure with a total of 24 piers built with brick-stones mixed with granite. Most constructions at the time relied heavily on manpower, and KaoPing width and rapid water flow further increased the difficulties in bridge construction. After 8 years, the Bridge was finally accessible.[sic]

... and a tragic history (from Constructing the Colonized Land: Entwined Perspectives of East Asia around WWII, edited by Izumi Kuroishi)

Standing on the bridge is a good place to watch the trains on the newer stronger concrete bridge pass by ...

Next to the bridge is not only the wetlands park (a lack of tree cover means it’s probably best to visit in the early morning or late afternoon), but also the Sanhe Tile Kiln complete with a brick/tile gift shop ... 

... with a flower bed across the stream ...

Then it was off to walk around Chengcing Lake 高雄市澄清湖, situated north east of Kaohsiung City in the Niaosong District.

Chengcing Lake, originally called Dabei, a tributary of Tsao Kung River, regulates the irrigation of the surrounding land. In 1952 the Government rebuilt the lake in order to supply water for industrial use. Meanwhile, the Government named it “The Dabei lake”.  In 1963, when late President Chiang Kai-shek visited the lake, he changed its name into “Chengcing Lake”.

Apologies again for the poor quality and light in the photos below. The weather wasn’t that dark and cloudy and the lake is pretty although it will undoubtedly be more aesthetically pleasing, as almost every place is, on a bright sunny day ...  

There’s a bell in this tower below that Chiang Kai-shek apparently rang on his visit there, which apparently is significant for some reason other than he liked the sound he made when he rang the bell ...

The bell was constructed in 1969. It’s three floors high with a copper bell hanging on the top floor. The bell used to be struck 105 times specially for the late President Chiang.

However, after President Chiang passed away in 1975 the bell is not struck anymore. In the Buddhism religion, the bell represents peace and dignity. The view looking down from the tower is magnificent and the surroundings are beautiful and and quiet.

It was when we were walking around the lake that I accidentally dropped my phone off the side of the path down about 10 foot to the water’s edge.  Here I am below tentatively collecting it, with guidance and help from a group of other tourists, from amongst the waste leaves and rotten branches thrown over the side following the last typhoon ...

In the evening we stayed at the pleasant and not expensive 停駁 Hostel (No. 9, Lane 7, Gunagrong Street) in Yancheng District, an area of the city which in my opinion is the best place to visit in Kaohsiung in terms of density and variety of attractions. It also easy to access via scooter or MRT ...

On our final morning we drove up north to the Shoushan National Nature Park and specifically Mount Banpingshan (behind from Zuoying HSR Station) where I got to test out a new app Maps.me which was recommended to us by our French scientist couchsurfing guests as a great alternative to Google Maps (because a) you only GPS to use it so no need for an internet signal and b) it shows most of the hiking routes nearly everywhere around the world.) Some background ...

Banpingshan is situated across the Zuoying and Nanzi Districts of Kaohsiung City. Its name is derived from its screen-like appearance. The terrain of Banpingshan is almost spindle shaped; the longitudinal axis is in a northeastern – southwestern direction. The mountain is an independent, single face slanted configuration, with a height of 223 meters. After natural erosion and mining operations, the current height of the mountain is 170m. In the early years during the economical growth periods, Banpingshan was an important mining area for lime, and was excavated by cement factories such as Chientai, Southeast Cement, and Jheng Tai. The natural ecology of the mountain was severely damaged by the long-term mining operations, and the mountain lost its distinctive shape as a result of the excavation. The mining rights at Banpingshan were terminated in 1997, and immediately the mountain underwent a vegetation restoration process. The northwestern part of Banpingshan was designated as a natural park by the Kaohsiung City Government, while the southeastern part was afforested to restore vegetation, and cement industries excavated flood detention sand basins to ensure soil and water retention.

It was a bit hazy but we could still make out the trains, ships, and planes operating nearby. We then descended on the other side of the mountain and walked all the way around Lotus Pond, which features a total of no less than 13 temples and pavilions including one of the largest Confucius Temples in Taiwan. Again, apologies for grainy dark photos ...  

Finally, with feet sore from about five hours constant walking, we headed back to the HSR station for the train home. Of course being the last day of a national holiday the HSR trains were all fully booked leaving only non-reserved seats available. Here’s a tip. When in that situation buy your non-reserved ticket and go down to the platform.  Don’t line up for the train already at the platform as you most likely won’t get a seat. Instead, line up for a later train at the adjacent platform, whose queue line will be much shorter, thereby all but guaranteeing you a seat. Yes, you may have to stand in line for about twenty minutes but it beats standing on a train for about ninety, especially after a long day of hiking!

If you have a convenient mode of transport and have planned how to get around well enough, there’s a huge amount you can see in three days and two nights in Taiwan and there’s always somewhere great to hike and eat. Speaking of eating, for our last night we met up with some friends at E95餐酒館 East Ninty Five Bistro (No. 195, Minsheng 1st Rd, Xinxing District, Kaohsiung City, [phone]) which served absolutely delicious food. (Note: the bar on the ground floor allows patrons to smoke).  Looking forward to visiting Kaohsiung again, next time to visit the lighthouse on Cijin island and more of the city’s less well known or visited attractions.

#kaohsiung #meinong #taiwan

[gplusbfics]

Real Life update from Wendy, aka @gplusbfics.

I'm the kind of person who always has a LOT going on, but since the inauguration of Führer Trump, things have been especially overwhelming. Not only have had all my simultaneous creative, personal endeavors, plus adult responsibilities like a demanding job and serving on a homeowners association, but then there's a rising tide of fascism and horrible news every day, and activities to counter that.

So, in I confess random order, here are a "few" things I've been doing lately, including fun stuff because ugh, more than ever, I need it!

Just booked a trip to Berlin for late May - early June. Going for 10 days with my best friend. I’ve been to Germany probably a dozen times, every major city I think, but never Berlin. My Berlin friends say I probably won’t want to leave. Anyway, looking forward to thank.

Currently reading the early Feb. issue of Der Spiegel -- the one with the illustration of Trump having decapitated the Statue of Liberty. In addition to reading excellent reporting, much better than the American, because it’s not pussyfooting around, I’m boning up on my German. (I was a German minor, speak it, and read all Harry Potter exclusively in German.)

I have a domestic trip coming up in May when my mom comes down to Georgia from Massachusetts. Yay! She’ll be in Atlanta for a few days but we’re also going up to Asheville for 3-4. Biltmore Estate and driving around in the mountains are on the agenda.

I’ve been involved in multiple anti-fascist, Trump-resistance and civil rights advocacy efforts. Some are social media, some are volunteering my time (doing social media for an anti-fascist org), and soon I’ll be volunteering for the ACLU to be a “neutral observer” at public protests. I attended “Freedom School” workshop a week or so ago and run by ACLU Georgia and basically they are building a state-wide, grassroots, ground-level army of people to step up and demand things be done to protect established civil liberties and rights. This is ACLU’s national strategy -- people power!

I’ve also been reading some books on fascism and first-person accounts of people who lived in Germany in the 30s and 40s and saw it building, then piece by piece coming into place, then going into full force.

This past weekend, it was my best friend’s husband’s birthday and there was a party. Chocolate cake, chocolate ice cream, and amaro. Then Caleb (the best friend) brought out absinthe, this really lovely French sort he’s had for years, and offered it around. The 2-3 people who tried didn’t like it, so I drank theirs. I got pretty loopy for a while (absinthe is my favorite, but does strange things) and everyone laughed.

I’m still writing my Garashir fic “Outside Chance” and just posted Chapter 10 a few days ago. The whole fic is over 30,000 words now. Yesterday I updated my outline and decided I needed another chapter, so there are four more to go. I probably won’t finish until sometime in April.

I’m thinking of doing a podfic for “Exile for Two,” if I grab a couple of hours. Maybe soon!

I have a job, I work at Emory University, and it’s really busy. It’s basically digital communications for health sciences, dominated by medical research. So I manage web sites, blogs, social media, posting of academic news releases, online magazines, YouTube, etc. about medicine, public health, nursing, all kinds of research. A couple of weeks ago I hit my 10 year anniversary. I’ve never stayed anywhere that long but my job is awesome.

I live in a 104-year old neo-Gothic skyscraper, called The Healey, and it’s absolutely gorgeous, lobby like a European church. Next week I’ll be leading to tours of the building and block as part of a city-wide event called Phoenix Flies run by the Atlanta Preservation Center. It’s two weeks of free historic preservation events, like tours, lectures, etc. This is the fourth time I’ve led the tours. I start with a lecture, then do a tour, answer lots of questions. I’ve lived in my building 16 years and love it. (I’m a historic preservation nut and an aesthete.)

My cats are both wonderful and crazy, as cats are. My Maine Coon Harry’s favorite things are cuddling, eating, and having me comb out his (ridiculously long) fur. Also, for the past three weeks, playing with a big heart-shaped Mylar “I Love You” balloon I bought and weighted down with a piece of cardboard. He chases it all around. As for my shorthaired tabby Luckie, very different personality, her favorite things are lying right next to me on the bed for pets and security, hiding in the closet for hours, and catching sunbeams.

There’s more, I’m sure there is, but that’s enough.

Wendy

#mod post #my life #burning the candle at both ends #manic #yes i'm bipolar

[globaldecline]

Trump Hates The Military

https://www.reddit.com/r/bestof/comments/hx6xgo/uinb4_found_the_vegan_provides_a_comprehensive/fz4va1z/

•  The Pentagon is apparently attempting to dissolve "Stars and Stripes," a popular military newspaper that has been published using taxpayer dollars since the Civil War. The House is working to counteract the memo and associated budgetary change that would shutter the paper, but the Senate has not yet taken action. September, 2020. [[USA Today]](https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2020/09/04/trump-and-stars-and-stripes-attacking-american-icon-column/5706859002/)

•  The president reportedly called John McCain and George H. W. Bush "losers" when addressing his staff due to McCain being a POW and Bush getting shot down during WWII. Additionally, sources claim he was absent from a ceremony in a French military cemetery in 2018 because "he did not believe it important to honor American war dead," and separately referred to 1800 Marine war casualties as "suckers" for getting killed. Reported September, 2020. [[The Atlantic]](https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2020/09/trump-americans-who-died-at-war-are-losers-and-suckers/615997/)

• After [staffing the VA with campaign doners](https://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/us_5d699d5ce4b01108044f28c5), VA officials removed the 48-hour review of changes to veterans' claims which veterans' groups and 42 Attorneys General argue is critical to ensuring accuracy of the claims process. July, 2020. [[Stripes]](https://www.stripes.com/news/veterans/va-opposes-efforts-to-reinstate-48-hour-review-process-for-claims-1.637829)

• Trump promised to veto Defense Spending Bill, suspending military pay, if Congress introduces amendment to change names of military bases. The amendment passed both houses of Congress intact. July, 2020. [[Reuters]](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-defense-senate-idUSKBN23W38I)

• Intelligence was incorporated into the PDB around March 2020 that Russia paid bounties to kill American troops. Since then, Trump has petitioned world leaders to bring Russia back into the G8, and has dismissed the intelligence reports as non-credible. June, 2020. [[Reuters]](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-afghanistan-russia-idUSKBN23Z0HX)

• The White House attempted to end National Guard deployments one day before they could claim benefits. May, 2020. [[Politico]](https://www.politico.com/news/2020/05/19/national-guard-coronavirus-267514) The deployments were extended after the story broke, but it's unclear if it was because of the story, since some of those deployments were later extended again. [[The Hill]](https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/499937-trump-to-extend-national-guard-deployments-through-mid-august)

• The Trump adminstration seized 5 million masks intended for VA hospitals. April, 2020. [[Huffpost]](https://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/us_5ea4c72dc5b6805f9ece2bc3) Jared Kushner allegedly created a middleman between government agencies and the National Stockpile by distributing equipment to private companies for a fee, and contacting those companies to sell the equipment to various agencies, states, and localities. [[Politico]](https://www.politico.com/news/2020/03/27/republican-fundraiser-company-coronavirus-152184)

• Brett Crozier, the captain of the USS Theodore Roosevelt, was relieved of command by the acting Secretary of the Navy after warning superiors that a COVID19 outbreak would likely sideline the aircraft carrier. The virus subsequently spread amongst the crew. March, 2020. [[USNI Timeline]](https://news.usni.org/2020/06/23/timeline-theodore-roosevelt-covid-19-outbreak-investigation) Historically, COs have been relieved of command by the Commodore of their squadron, the Chief of Naval Personnel, or the Chief of Naval Operations. This relief was conducted by the Secretary, who is appointed by the President, meaning it is highly likely that the President had a hand in making the decision. [[Business Insider]](https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-wanted-to-fired-the-us-navy-captain-brett-crozier-2020-4?op=1)

• The Trump adminstration suddenly removed 9,500 servicemembers from Germany, purportedly without consulting the German Foreign Ministry or NATO. March, 2020 [[Reuters]](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-germany-military-criticism-idUSKBN23D0JN)

• After Iran's retaliatory strike, 109 US troops suffered brain injuries. Trump dismissed these as "headaches." February, 2020. [[Reuters]](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-pentagon-tbi-exclusive/more-than-100-u-s-troops-diagnosed-with-brain-injuries-from-iran-attack-idUSKBN2041ZK)

• Trump has pardoned multiple war criminals, despite recommendations from military officials. He also intervened often on the Eddie Gallagher case, getting him removed from solitary confinement, stopping an internal community review that would have stripped Gallagher of his warfare device, demanding on Twitter that he not lose rank, and firing then SecNav Richard Spencer when Spencer pushed back. November, 2019. [[AP Gallagher Timeline]](https://apnews.com/097da598195d42b08a9271e3c82b05b5) [[Spencer WashPo OpEd]](https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/richard-spencer-i-was-fired-as-navy-secretary-heres-what-ive-learned-because-of-it/2019/11/27/9c2e58bc-1092-11ea-bf62-eadd5d11f559_story.html) [[Politico]](https://www.politico.com/news/2019/11/15/trump-pardon-war-crimes-071244)

• Trump removed Lt. Col. Vindman and his brother from their positions in the White House when Vindman agreed to testify as part of the Ukraine debacle. Trump also criticized Vindman for asserting his rank and wearing his uniform while giving testimony. Vindman's promotion to O-6 was reportedly contested by the President, and Vindman opted to retire shortly thereafter. November, 2019, June, 2020. [[Reuters]](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-impeachment-vindman/an-officer-and-an-impeachment-witness-he-draws-ire-of-trump-allies-idUSKBN1XT2WP) [[Military Times]](https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2020/07/08/lt-col-alexander-vindman-who-testified-against-trump-announces-retirement-from-the-army/)

• Trump abruptly withdrew support from America's allies in Syria after a phone call with Turkey's president. October, 2019. [[Reuters]](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-syria-security-usa/trump-tells-pentagon-to-begin-withdrawing-remaining-troops-from-northern-syria-idUSKBN1WS0GH)

• The Trump administration sent American troops to defend the oil assets of the country that perpetrated 9/11. September, 2019. [[Reuters]](https://www.reuters.com/article/saudi-aramco-usa-pentagon/pentagon-to-send-troops-to-bolster-saudi-defenses-after-attack-idUSL2N26B1V0)

•  Trump tweeted a photo of an Iranian launch site from a potentially classified source. August, 2019. [[NPR]](https://www.npr.org/2019/08/30/755994591/president-trump-tweets-sensitive-surveillance-image-of-iran)

• Trump illegally diverted approved funding for schools on military bases, military housing, and daycare facilities to help pay for the border wall. August, 2019. [[NPR $3.6B, 2019]](https://www.npr.org/2019/09/04/757463817/these-are-the-11-border-projects-getting-funds-intended-for-military-constructio) [[NPR, $3.8B, 2020]](https://www.npr.org/2020/02/13/805796618/trump-administration-diverts-3-8-billion-in-pentagon-funding-to-border-wall)

• Trump appointed three of his Mar-a-Lago pals to run the VA. They were later accused of "meddling" by other VA staff. August, 2019. [[Huffpost]](https://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/us_5d699d5ce4b01108044f28c5)

• Veterans graves may be displaced due to border wall construction. August, 2019. [[Video from local NBC affiliate]](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8gHGBUj1i2M)

• Trump ordered the Navy rescind medals given to Eddie Gallagher's prosecution team. July, 2019. [[Reuters]](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-navyseal-warcrimes-trump-idUSKCN1UQ2SC)

• Trump sent troops to the border to assist with logistics, provide security, and paint the fence for a better "aesthetic appearance." June, 2019. [[Military Times]](https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2019/06/06/some-troops-to-spend-the-next-month-painting-border-fence-with-mexico/)

• Trump made his 2nd wife, Marla Maples, sign a prenup that would have cut off all child support if Tiffany joined the military, got a full time job, or joined the Peace Corps. Reported June, 2019. [[Vanity Fair]](https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2019/06/marla-maple-prenup-donald-trump-marriage)

• Trump turned away US servicemembers from his Memorial Day speech because they were from the destroyer USS John S. McCain. May, 2019. [[Business Insider]](https://www.businessinsider.com/uss-john-mccain-sailors-were-turned-away-from-trump-speech-2019-5?op=1)

• White House staffers reportedly discussed moving or covering the USS John McCain during the president's visit to Japan. A [later report](https://www.cnn.com/2019/05/30/politics/uss-john-mccain-japan-white-house-navy-trump/index.html) explains that the ship's name was covered by a tarp for topside preservation, but the tarp was removed while the president was still in Japan. May, 2019. [[Navy Times]](https://www.navytimes.com/news/your-navy/2019/05/30/white-house-tells-navy-to-keep-destroyer-mccain-out-of-sight-during-trump-visit-to-japan-report-says/)

• The Trump adminstration purged 200,000 healthcare applications submitted to the VA. Reported May, 2019. [[Military.com Blog]](https://www.military.com/daily-news/2019/07/16/report-va-abandoned-more-200000-incomplete-vets-health-care-applications.html)

#Trump #trump 2020 #fuck trump #traitor #failure #fascist #white nationalist #kkk #pantsshitter

[agilenano]

Agilenano - News: Looking Forward in 20/20: Meet the Milk Stand at IDS Toronto

One of the things were excited about in the new year is our Milk Stand pop-up shop at IDS Toronto in January! This will be the 20th edition of the show and the theme of IDS20/20 will focus on changing the world through design. We believe our group of 14 independent designers + makers are doing just that now and we hope youll grab tickets to the show so you can meet them, check out their latest collections, and learn more about what theyre doing to make the world a better place, whether thats sourcing local materials, committing to sustainable practices, or just making the world look better + feel good through modern design. Heres who will be at our pop-up shop:

AOKO SU

AOKO SU is a modern, minimalist jewelry and accessories brand for women and men thats made-by-hand in Hudson, NY. Their designs are a marriage of personal and statement, meant to be worn every day.

AOKO SU

Atelier Non Useless

Atelier Non Useless makes surprising, useful, multifunctional & multi-form contemporary pieces of furniture and objects. Functions inspire them and they often create objects to maximize their usefulness, hence their name: NON USELESS.

Atelier Non Useless

beroep | tech

beroep | tech is a jewelry design studio in Red Hook, Brooklyn creating everyday jewelry inspired by everyday objects. Designer Akiko Kato makes gender neutral jewelry which is highly conscious of design and materials. Her pieces feature thoughtful attractive minimalist design and are handmade with the finest materials.

beroep | tech

Bton Brut Design

Bton Brut Design is a Canadian concrete jewelry company utilizing handmade and industrial design processes. French for raw concrete, their name speaks to the inherent beauty and honesty of the supplies they use. They believe in keeping materials simple and sincere, relying on the integrity of their workmanship to uncover the richness and splendor that is already there.

Bton Brut Design

Caveman Factory, LLC

Caveman Factory, LLC has a mission to create contemporary kitchenware that reduces the use of water and helps the environment, make cooking from scratch agreeable and easy, and design products that are beautiful and functional at the same time.

Caveman Factory, LLC

COUPLE dIDES

COUPLE dIDES designed an inspiring stationery collection titled Notebooks for active and creative minds printed on 100% recycled post-consumer paper. Their bags, made from a paper-like material, are lightweight, water resistant, foldable, washable, non-toxic, acid free (pH neutral), and stylish.

COUPLE dIDES

dconstruct

dconstruct is inspired by nature and minimalist design. Their jewelry + homewares are handmade from leading architectural materials and their organics + textiles are sourced from artisan communities in developing countries around the world which helps boost their local economies.

dconstruct

Moop

Moop specializes in waxed canvas and leather bags, designed and hand manufactured, start to finish, in their downtown Pittsburgh studio. The brand is committed to sustainable practices, creating only small batch collections and manufacturing in the USA.

Moop

Seymour + Smith

Seymour + Smith designs elegant and attractive readers with a simple chic West Coast aesthetic. Her recent collections now have blue light blocking technology to protect your eyes and vision.

Seymour + Smith

Shelbey Dodds Jewelry Design + Metalsmithing

Shelbey Dodds Jewelry Design + Metalsmithing creates contemporary jewelry utilizing traditional fabrication techniques in combination with powder-coating an industrial coloring method. Her current collection is composed of a variety of objects, i.e. earrings, brooches, pendants, and bracelets, titled industrial camp. This collection focuses on the relationship between human and object namely objects of utility, ultimately enhancing the fantasy of a utilitarian world made beautiful.

Shelbey Dodds Jewelry Design + Metalsmithing

Tat Chao

Tat Chao designs everyday objects for the home, the body, and the soul. From glass to silver sterling, from woodworking to 3D printing; no material nor process limit his field of interest. His objects spark questioning, curiosity, amazement.

Tat Chao

WAIWAI

WAIWAI is a thoughtful jewelry line that uses discarded and scrap leathers to create modern leather accessories and wall-hangings. Her designs are influenced by a combination of strong and linear structures found in architecture, urban environments, and delicate textures and patterns of Mother Nature.

WAIWAI

Zimarty

Zimarty is a Los Angeles-based experimental design studio focused on materials and small-scale architectural design wearables. They are fascinated by the symbolic value of jewelry and look upon their design as a creative exploration of pieces rather than decorative accessories.

Zimarty

Were also excited to share a sneak peek of the Milk Stand booth design by Rollout! Rollouts concept for our pop-up retail shop goes back to basics. Imagine grassroots artist markets or nostalgic discount department stores modular structures, low-cost materials, and hand-drawn graphics elevated to Design Milks curatorial standards. Thats whats inspiring boutique wallcovering provider Rollouts concept for this years Milk Stand, in partnership with multidisciplinary design firm FormNation. Rollouts goal is to create a fluid, welcoming space that mixes high design with DIY pride in which you can relax, browse, and pick up your own one-of-a-kind item. Ordinary is just not an option.

Agilenano - News from Agilenano from shopsnetwork (4 sites) https://agilenano.com/blogs/news/looking-forward-in-20-20-meet-the-milk-stand-at-ids-toronto

[livingcorner]

Raised Bed Garden from A – Z | What to Know | joe gardener®

The raised beds at the Garden Farm

.

Are you building a raised bed garden, or are you looking to improve your raised bed crops? You have come to the right place.

You're reading: Raised Bed Garden from A – Z | What to Know | joe gardener®

Earlier this year, I invited my email group to send me any questions they would like me to answer on the topic of raised bed gardening. Little did I expect the flood of responses I received.

As a long-time raised bed gardener, I am thrilled to see how many of you are looking to start your raised beds for the very first time – and want to make sure you get off on the right foot. So many of you, too, have experience with raised bed gardening but have questions on how to improve your results. One thing is certain, the information available on the internet regarding materials, methods, risks, etc. – well, let’s just say it’s conflicting at best.

Joe Lamp’l is enjoying time (and a comfortable raised bed perch) on his GardenFarm.

My hope with this raised bed gardening series (and yes, so many questions to answer it’s morphed from one podcast to a series!) is to put that conflicting information, well, to bed for you. It’s my goal to answer all your questions from A to Z, planning to harvest and maintenance, starting with this first episode in this raised bed gardening series.

If you would like to join the conversation and contribute to future topics, click the red “Get Free Updates” button at the top of this page.

My Raised Bed Gardening Background

You might be feeling intimidated by the idea of building a raised bed garden. Believe me, I understand. I had been gardening all my life when, several years ago, I was selected to host the DIY Network television series, Fresh from the Garden.

Joe Lamp’l on the set of Fresh from the Garden in 2005.

The focus of the show was backyard food production in raised beds from seed to harvest. I was given free range on design, gardening methods – the whole deal. The only catch? Failure was not an option. Three years, two different locations, 52 episodes, and zero failures later, I attribute my gardening success in large part to all the practices that I will share with you in this series.

About 14 years have passed since Fresh from the Garden. Since then, I’ve designed and overseen many raised bed installations. My Growing a Greener World team and I have traveled all over the country and seen many raised bed garden setups. We’ve seen beds over concrete, lots of community gardens, just about everything. We’ve seen what works and what didn’t.

As part of the Growing a Greener World series, I built my GardenFarm and turned what was five acres of overgrown brush into a large, productive raised bed garden and developing landscape. Six seasons ago, I built the raised beds I now see from my office window. If you’re interested, I invite you to watch the episode on construction and see details of the design instructions I used for building raised beds at my GardenFarm, plus the raised bed diagram.

My garden area is above a septic drainage field. That’s one of the reasons I chose to use a raised bed approach and decided on an 18” height. Six seasons later, the gardens are beautiful, incredibly productive and a little easier to keep in “television-ready” shape.

Layout sketch of the GardenFarm raised bed set up during early planning.

The truth is, I feel that all these years televising my gardening techniques – regardless of the location – my garden has been … everybody’s garden. I’ve just been in charge of building and maintaining it. I’ve made plenty of mistakes and, like you, I never stop learning. I hope this series helps you get a head start.

Why Use Raised Garden Beds?

Raised beds provide you control over the health of the soil in which you are growing your plants. A raised garden bed is simply mounded soil or a contained bed of soil above the surrounding grade. The goal is to create a deep, wide growing area that encourages plant roots to grow down and outward.

Challenging native soil conditions can be overcome through the use of raised bed gardens.

Raised beds can put plants at eye level for better observation of pest issues. When the bed is contained in a structure, you are better able to really get in there and work your bed without impacting the overall shape.

I also prefer not having to bend over to maintain the beds. Just that little bit of added convenience makes it easier to work in the garden, even on those days where I might be tempted to just kick back with a cold beverage. Believe me; I have those days too.

Do you live in an area with hardpack dirt, heavy clay (like my red Atlanta clay), fine-grained sand, or maybe your home is surrounded by concrete? Perhaps, you’ve done a soil test and discovered lead or some other contaminants in your native soil?

Raising the garden surface raises your plants above problem soil and can prevent plant roots from reaching those contaminants. By using raised beds, there really aren’t any surface issues that should hold you back from gardening.

When your soil bed is elevated above the surrounding terrain, you control its health and drainage. So, no matter how bad the ground you’re starting with, anyone anywhere can grow a productive raised bed garden.

Frankly, I also just love the look of raised beds. I find their aesthetic value to be a great benefit to my property. Given the options, I can’t imagine not gardening in raised beds.

Do the Benefits of Raised Beds Outweigh the Costs?

There are lots of variables to determine if raised beds are your best garden option. Some great gardeners prefer in-ground gardening. A frequent guest of these podcasts gardens in-ground with mounded beds, and he wouldn’t have it any other way.

Mounded, in-bed garden rows thrive at the Lee Reich gardens.

Building raised beds can be expensive. It doesn’t need to be, but it can be. In 2009, I was challenged to build an entire garden (including plants) for $25 or less and was fortunate to find 110-year-old barn wood to use for my raised bed structure. It may be worth checking sites like Freecycle.org or Craigslist.org for materials you can repurpose.

Some other potential downsides to raised beds:

Their permanence. For most, this is a benefit, but if there’s a possibility you will need to relocate your garden in coming years, a permanent raised bed structure will need to be deconstructed.

The raised soil is more exposed to heat and cold than surface soil. If the sidewalls of your bed aren’t very thick, the bordering soil and plants could be impacted by extreme conditions.

Raised soil can dry out more quickly than surface soil. During this series, I’ll cover some ways to significantly reduce this downside, but the fact remains.

Raised beds require space between the beds for movement, pathways through the garden. If you have a very limited real estate, losing some of it to walking space might be a dealbreaker for you.

Garden Area Planning

There is a myriad of raised bed designs and variations out there. We’ll get to that more next week, but first, consider your space. Bear in mind that these guidelines and principles apply most to an edible garden – growing fruits and vegetables.

You don’t need to have a lot of space to build a raised bed garden. What you do need is a spot that receives full sun for most of the day – at least 6 hours. Those edible plants require lots of sun to mature fully and set fruit for your harvest. So, the sunniest area on your property will be the best garden spot.

If your property is shaded by lots of trees, you may want to consider some selective pruning to allow the sun to reach your garden spot. Be sure to check out the Growing a Greener World blog on that topic and the considerations on this.

The GardenFarm raised beds during harvest time. Their 18″ height makes for easy picking!

It’s best if the garden area is relatively level. Many of you are starting with hilly terrain, so I recommend digging into the hill, if possible. Get that area as level as you can before you build.

If your spot isn’t level, and you don’t have the ability to level the ground, just bear in mind that your raised bed surfaces will need to be level once complete. So, starting with an uneven surface will need to be taken into account in your overall design.

Be sure the raised bed area will have easy access to water. Is there a spigot nearby? If not, will it be practical to lay a garden hose from the spigot to the garden area?

It’s easy to forget that a strung-out garden hose will need to be pulled back in regularly (if not daily) to mow, use the hose elsewhere, prevent it from being chewed up by the dog, etc. Water is key to gardening success, so you want to be sure your method will be practical for you.

Consider proximity to your home too. I am a strong advocate for getting out into the garden every day. Take at least a few moments to enjoy the beauty of what you’ve built. Spending some time each day also helps you catch pests and disease in early stages.

Let’s be realistic. If your garden is tucked away on the other end of your yard, and that distance feels like a trek after a long day; you might be inclined to have a seat on your favorite chair instead. And don’t forget, you want those garden edibles to be as close to the kitchen as possible for a quick dinner. Why grow it if you’re too busy to harvest and eat it?

A spot located too far away from your home may be inconvenient and impractical.

Read more: Organic Gargening – Learn About What Makes An Organic Garden

What are your environmental conditions? Is there anything else which might impact your finished beds? For example, is the selected spot in an area that receives some runoff in heavy rain? Take into consideration how the runoff will impact your bed structure, or incorporate a way (like a French drain) for that runoff to go around the garden area.

If at all possible, don’t site your garden in an area where water tends to pool on your property. Even though the beds will be raised up, pooled water can still wick up into the beds and drown your plants over time.

Will you be battling predators? If you are in a rural area and subject to visitation by frequent furry nibblers, like deer or raccoons; incorporate fence planning into your overall design. Keeping the garden nearer to your home may also help to discourage predators from visiting your garden in the first place. No sense taking the trouble to grow all that produce, only to lose it to your wildlife neighbors.

While you’re planning, know that how you orient your raised beds just doesn’t matter. It won’t matter if their length runs north-to-south or east-to-west. What will matter is the placement of your plants, and I’ll cover that further later in the series.

Orient your tall plants on the north side of your raised bed gardens. Planting them on the north or west side prevents their shading smaller plants from the sun.

Raised Bed Size Considerations

No doubt you’ve already been looking at dozens, if not hundreds, of images of other gardens. So, you know that bed sizes and shapes vary widely. I’ve seen just about everything too – even plants inserted directly into bags of garden soil (not something I recommend). Here are the guidelines I do recommend:

1. Height:  12-18” is ideal, however even as low as 6” can work and be productive. Most feeder roots are in the first 6”, but the deeper the roots, the taller the shoots. Going higher than 18” can potentially cause more structural issues down the road – due to the weight and pressure of all that soil.

Think about what types of crops you want to grow (root vegetables which require more space, herbs which require less, etc.). Think too about the foundation on which you will be building. Will the surface allow the soil to erode out the bottom (go higher), or might it be impacted by the weight of the bed (don’t go too high)?

Provide as much room as possible – and practical – for your plant roots to grow. (If you checked out last week’s podcast, you’d know that an 18” depth is also the perfect seating height.)

The GardenFarm raised beds, ready for planting.  Built of 6″x6″ cedar beam, each bed is 18″ tall, 3′ or 4′ wide, and 12′ long.

2. Width:   Four feet is perfect, but three feet can also work. Four feet allows more flexibility for spacing rows, but more importantly, not building beyond that width will allow you to easily reach the center from either side of the bed. It’s important that you don’t have to step into the bed to weed, plant, etc., as that will compact the soil and affect drainage and overall health.

3. Length:  Whatever fits your needs. You could build 4’x4’ squares. You could build 4’x20’ rows. As long as you stick within a four-foot maximum width, your length is only limited by your space and budget.

4. Shape:  As mentioned, you can build squares, rectangles, T’s, circles, ovals, etc. As long as you can reach all areas of the bed from the edge (staying within that four-foot width), you’re all set.

Preparing the Garden Bed Area

Maybe you are truly blessed and have bare, level, beautiful earth just waiting for you to come along and plunk some beds down. No? Then, you are like the rest of us who have (or had) to put a little blood, sweat, and tears into claiming our garden spot from turf or shrub or weeds.

If your Space is Currently Lawn:

Rent a sod cutter to remove that turf pretty quickly and easily – but be forewarned, this will involve a hit to your budget.

Dig up the sod the old-fashioned way. Hello, shovel, my old friend.

Smother and compost that high-maintenance grass away. If you are willing to wait a little while, (a few months) this method will provide a nutrient-plentiful base for your garden bed. I have listed the steps for this “no-till method” in my no-till gardening video blog

If your Space is Currently Weed-Infested:

Solarize the area. Solarizing will take some time (4-8 weeks), but it is a great way to kill much of the weed growth and seeds for 2-3” below the soil surface. Solarization utilizes trapped moisture and heat and is best done in the hottest months of the summer.

To solarize, mow the area as low to the ground as possible, then thoroughly wet it down – really soak it well. Then, cover the area with clear plastic sheeting (clear plastic allows more heat from the sun to penetrate to the soil surface than black or cloudy plastic).

The key to solarization is ensuring a tight seal of the plastic edges. Your goal is to trap all that moisture underneath and not provide pockets for heat to escape. It’s best to bury the edges of the plastic under an inch or so of dirt.

Periodically, check over the area throughout the summer to be sure the plastic is still well-sealed. If any holes are poked into the plastic at any point during the solarization process, cover them with duct tape.

Don’t leave the plastic on for longer than eight weeks, at most. Solarization will kill some of the beneficial microorganisms in your soil, but they will quickly repopulate the area. Remember that this process kills the weeds down to about 3” of soil, so if you dig after solarization, you’ll be bringing those deeper weed seeds back to the surface to cause you more grief.

One drawback to solarization is the ultimate disposal of the plastic sheeting. Recycle that plastic, if at all possible.

How you orient your raised beds isn’t important. What does matter is how you orient your plants.

Bermuda grass. If you are contending with this adversary, solarization is your best weapon. Bermuda grass is grown intentionally in some areas, but it can also become a very persistent, invasive weed. It grows above ground – using runners – and below ground – using rhizomes.

The good news is that solarization can kill Bermuda grass runners as well as some of the rhizomes. However, those rhizomes can run very deep (six inches or more), beyond the reach of the heat of solarization. So while solarization can be effective against Bermuda grass, be prepared to continue this battle for many years to come.

Bermuda grass is so persistent; it is the only time I might consider placing a layer of landscape cloth under my raised bed structures. Alternatively, I might lay down several layers of cardboard.

I strongly encourage you to build some sort of border around the edge of your bed to prevent Bermuda grass creeping in from the perimeter. Bermuda grass needs plenty of sunlight, so when buried under layers of soil, it’s not as likely to sprout up from underneath. More likely, any sprouts in your garden will be due to seeds blown in.

If your Space is Currently Shrubbed:

In some cases, it might be necessary to grind out or dig out a stump or two. Fortunately though, raised beds prevent the necessity to remove most of the stumps and roots left behind. Much of the remaining woody material will be buried in your garden beds and will break down over time, adding a few nutrients to the soil.

You may also opt to till the garden area to tear up existing roots, weeds, etc. and as a means to level the spot. There is some drawback to tilling your soil that I discuss at length in the video blog mentioned earlier.

Tilling can save time and create a surface that is easier to level. Just understand the drawbacks to tilling before you take that step. There are important soil structure elements which can be lost due to tilling. As with all these decisions, once you are educated on the benefits and risks, you can take the direction that best suits you.

The GardenFarm raised beds provide structure, beauty, and a healthy growing environment.

Notice that I did not recommend the use of any topical lawn or weed killing products – either commercial or home-made. If you use a topical product, that product will remain in the soil and will affect your garden bed. It doesn’t take much to kill a season or more of garden crop, so think twice before deciding to take this particular shortcut.

If your Location is Hardscape:

I’ve received lots of questions about building raised beds on this. I have seen many home and community gardens built on parking lots, sidewalks, etc. If this is what you have to work with, then go for it! These can be productive garden locations too.

The key to building on hardscape would also be drainage ability. Water should be able to flow out of the bottom of your raised bed onto the concrete. Some people layer cardboard beneath the bed structure to help with water retention, but that cardboard will break down so quickly, it’s not a worthwhile step.

If your only area is gravel, know that gravel might impede drainage. Studies have shown that water doesn’t move as freely from a dense to a less-dense layer. You can check out a video demonstration to get a better understanding. The deeper you build your beds, the less likely this will be a problem, and again if this is the best area you have to work with, don’t let that hold you back!

The GardenFarm raised bed height of 18″ allows Joe Lamp’l to better observe growth and early problem warning signs.

Which Materials are Safe for Containing your Beds?

Size and shape will likely also be dependent on your materials. More importantly, many of you expressed concerns and had questions about which materials are safe. Here’s where things can really go sideways. There are so much conflicting information and surprisingly few studies on the various materials available for use.

Why do materials matter? First of all, the materials you use will be in close quarters to your food crop. In all likelihood, the roots and foliage will be regularly making contact with your material surface.

Secondly, the soil you place in your bed will need to remain fairly moist, and the exterior surfaces of your bed will be spending a lot of time in the hot sun. Most materials degrade when exposed to constant moisture and sunlight.

I used 16’ lengths of 6”x6” untreated cedar at the GardenFarm but living in the heavily-populated Atlanta area offers me a better supply of wood materials than will be available for many of you.

Regardless, here are pros and cons to the materials you may be considering:

Raw Wood:  

The best types of untreated wood are black walnut, cypress, cedar, redwood, oak, black locust, or osage orange. These are known for their rot-resistant properties and last for many years, even under moist conditions.

These woods can be difficult to find available for purchase in some areas. They are also expensive. Untreated pine is a less expensive untreated option, but it will also have a shorter lifespan.

Another consideration:  Aside from pine, these woods are not as sustainable as other materials. Often, these woods are harvested from old-growth forest. If you choose to use one of these woods, check that it is coming from a sustainable source. Look for the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification on any wood you buy. The FSC is an international organization that has developed standards for responsible forest management.

All types untreated wood will need to be replaced at some point. The lifespan of your wood will depend on wood type and your environment. If you live in an arid climate, untreated wood can last for several years. If you live in a hot and muggy area, untreated wood may only see you through a couple of years.

A robust raised bed garden form built with wooden structures.

Replacing your wood does not signify failure. The untreated wood is decomposing and even adding some nutrients to your garden bed in the process. It’s more a matter of maintenance and realistically assessing what will work best for you and your family.

Wood Stains & Paint:

You may opt to extend the life of your untreated wood by staining or painting it. I recommend using a natural treatment like raw linseed oil or raw tung oil.

It’s important to look for the raw form of these, as those not marked “raw” will likely include other chemicals. The chemicals are added to speed up the oil drying process, so by using the raw versions, allow for additional drying time.

Another thing to bear in mind is that linseed oil is a food source for mildew, so if mildew is a problem in your area, that may not be a good choice for you.

There haven’t been many studies on the impact of using paints or stains for garden bed structure. Paint and stain ingredients vary, and overall, the impact is relatively unknown. But common sense should remind you that these all include chemicals of some nature, and those chemicals may impact your crop.

I recommend against painting the exterior only of your raised bed structure. The wood exposed to the moist soil will wick up moisture, but the exterior paint won’t allow the wood to fully “breathe.” So by painting the exterior only, you will be trapping the moisture inside and shortening the lifespan of your wood.

Treated Wood:  

Treated wood has been infused with chemical elements to preserve the wood. CCA (Chromated Copper Arsenate) wood used to be the most commonly available. The primary concern with treated wood is that those infused elements leach out of the wood. The arsenic in CCA led manufacturers of CCA-treated wood to discontinue its availability for residential applications in 2003.

Although you may find older CCA-treated wood, today’s retail options will more likely be ACQ (Ammoniacal Copper Quat) or MCA (Micronized Copper Azole). They have a higher concentration of copper but don’t have the arsenic.

Leaching occurs at the highest levels under the following conditions:

Smaller surfaces – i.e., the ends and – especially, the sawdust

More recently treated (although CCA-treated wood is shown to retain uniformly-high levels of CCA)

Moist conditions – i.e., after rain or in a muggy environment

In unhealthy soil

Raised bed garden structures being built of treated wood and ready to be filled.

So to put this into an interesting perspective, studies exploring the impact of treated wood when used for raised beds have shown that the greatest risk is actually in touching the exterior of the bed. When you (or especially, your kids) sit on or lean on treated wood, your skin or clothing is most likely to absorb the copper or arsenic leaching out of the wood to remain on the surface.

If you currently have beds made of the older CCA-treated wood, don’t be alarmed. If you’re using lots of compost, you should be fine, since plants don’t even take up arsenic unless the soil is deficient in phosphorus. And that’s likely not the case since phosphorus tends to be immobile and ongoing amendments of compost just add to the overall volume.

In other words, really healthy soil with lots of organic matter does not take up arsenic by plant roots. Yet the more acidic or alkaline your soil, the more likelihood of those elements being taken up by your plants. So, just another reason for getting a soil test to get your soil closer to a neutral pH (6.5-7.0 – also the ideal range for vegetable growth). Ditto for soil with a low amount of organic matter, so make sure your soil analysis tests for organic matter percentage as well.

As for the newer ACQ and MCA treated wood (which have higher copper levels), plants in your food garden won’t be able to tolerate high levels of copper, and studies show that healthy soil also prevents uptake of copper.

Even if copper levels are high and being taken up, the plants will die before you ever have a chance to think about eating them. At any rate, that would be a good indicator of a potential problem – in which case you might want to think about having your soil tested for metal concentrations.

While we’re on the subject, root vegetables are at greatest risk of being impacted by leaching, as most metals (when taken up) remain in plant roots. Studies further show that those root vegetables are impacted most on their surface. So by thoroughly washing all the impacted soil off and peeling the skin off your potatoes, beets, etc.; you will be eliminating potential contamination.

Your tomatoes and your eggplant could absorb copper or arsenic into their roots, but it is generally not shown to affect the fruit. Leafy greens are an exception and can take up arsenic in their leaves.

In short:  Keep your soil near neutral and add lots of compost (more on both of these later), thoroughly wash off the soil and peel the skin from your root vegetables, and avoid contact with the exterior surface of the treated wood. As an extra precaution, grow leafy greens and root vegetables more toward the center of your bed (12” from the perimeter if possible), furthest from the treated wood.

A final note: When building treated wood beds, make your cuts somewhere that allows you to contain the sawdust. Wear a dust mask and gloves, and remove and dispose of the sawdust promptly. Don’t add it to your compost.

Cinder or Concrete Blocks:

The truth is, these days the terms are used interchangeably. If your “cinder” blocks are decades old, they may actually be cinder blocks, but only concrete blocks have been in production for the past 50+ years.

What are your concrete blocks made from? That depends somewhat on your area, but there are consistencies. Virtually all concrete blocks are made of what’s called Portland cement as well as aggregate, like sand or gravel.

One of the ingredients of Portland cement is fly ash (ranging from 15% to 25%). It’s used to make concrete blocks lighter yet stronger. Fly ash is a fine powder byproduct of coal burning, so In other words, it’s a petroleum byproduct.

And here’s the real rub: fly ash contains various amounts of toxic metals; including arsenic, lead, and mercury. So, yes, those metals are in the concrete blocks that line your vegetable garden too.

A concrete block raised garden bed under construction. (photo: Joan DiSante)

While that might sound scary, the risk of those metals becoming available in the soil only happens if part of the concrete block is pulverized. Then, it’s a matter of several factors that determine the potential risk to what you are growing.

Read more: Everything you need to know about vertical gardens | Garden Benches Blog

First, the proximity of plant roots to the damaged area. Next, soils higher in organic matter are always beneficial but especially in this case, because they help chemically bind the metals – making them unavailable for absorption into the plant. Just as with CCA-treated wood, root crops and leafy greens are most susceptible when exposed to higher concentrations.

So, how much fly ash is absorbed by soil held within a concrete block structure? Well, if the block is intact, little to none. But not much research has been done on this specific subject.

If you have beds made from concrete blocks, just avoid anything that would cause them to break to the point that the dust from pulverized pieces can come in contact with plant roots.

And if you really want to “do something,” seal the interior lining with a polymer paint (the most practical option), or line the interior side with PE plastic. It’s up to you to decide if it’s really worth the trouble.

If building raised beds over a concrete surface, the same risks and preventions would apply.

A raised bed garden built on a concrete area.

The bottom line:  It’s not a huge risk, and there are many other ways you are likely taking unintended and harmful materials into your body, far beyond the risk posed by these blocks. That’s my opinion, but I do encourage you to do your own research on this if you’d like to learn more. There is so much information out there on the subject, and it will quickly take you in many directions. So, just be mindful of the reliability of the sources of these articles.

Composite Wood:

Composite wood is made of recycled materials and can last for years. Some composite material, when used in long side walls can buckle a bit. Here again, there hasn’t been much research on the use of composite wood in proximity to edibles.

Are there any chemicals or elements released by the composite material? It appears to be a benign product for garden use, but there isn’t much information out there to make a solid determination.

Railroad Ties:  

Railroad ties are made with creosote, an oil distilled from coal tar. Creosote is used as a wood preservative for industrial use and is the black, oily stuff you see oozing from the sides of the ties.

The heft of railroad ties has made them a popular choice for raised beds and garden retaining walls. While there have been few studies on the impact of using them to contain edible plants, I’ll take the advice provided directly from the EPA on creosote:

“…Creosote is not approved to treat wood for residential use, including landscaping timbers or garden borders…. Creosote is a possible human carcinogen and has no registered residential use.”

Galvanized Metal:

There’s little scientific information available examining the effect of galvanized metal in the use of raised beds. What I can tell you is that the galvanization process typically involves dipping the metal in molten zinc or zinc-based coating.

While dangerous if consumed in large quantities, zinc is a micronutrient that plants and humans actually need in small quantities. If too much zinc were leached into the soil, it would probably reflect in dying plants, before it would ever pose a health risk.

Also, galvanized metal has been used to hold or transport water for humans and livestock for many years. All that to say: I can’t guarantee there’s not a negative health impact, but the risk is certainly low.

A galvanized tub raised bed garden provides a home for herbs and vegetables. (photo: Dennis Huckabay)

One thing you should bear in mind, however, is heat and drainage. Livestock troughs are a popular option, but it’s critical to provide lots of drainage holes in the bottom of the trough. That moisture will need a place to escape, so you don’t inadvertently drown your plant roots.

Whether you use metal sheeting or a trough, that metal will absorb and reflect heat from the sun – more than other materials. As a result, your soil will tend to dry out more quickly, and foliage in the line of that reflective power might suffer. The soil nearest to the sun-facing metal will also warm up more than the rest of the bed.

It might be wise to plant those tender vegetables – like lettuce – toward the center of the bed where soil temperature will remain most constant.

Tires:  

Just don’t. Don’t do it. If you must do it, do it only for a season or two at most. Tires are a petroleum-based product. Their rubber degrades in the heat and moisture, and the chemicals incorporate into your soil. They may be convenient or look kitschy and fun. It may keep a tire out of the landfill, sure. But there are more drawbacks to using tires than there are benefits.

There’s a reason that most landfills prohibit tires. If garbage shouldn’t be subjected to decomposing tire rubber, neither should your family’s food.

Most landfills prohibit tires. If garbage shouldn’t be subjected to decomposing tire rubber, neither should your family’s food.

Pre-Made Kits:

It doesn’t get much easier than one of the many raised bed kits available for purchase today. These can be used with composite wood and can be cut to varying lengths. Some can be expensive, and the material with which they are made can vary widely. I recently built raised beds on an episode of Growing a Greener World, so check that out.

Liners:  

If you use any of the above materials with the potential of leaching, you might be inclined to line the bed with plastic. Yes, this will provide a barrier between the bed material and your soil. But don’t lose sight of the plastic material itself.

There are so many plastics out there, and they are of widely-diverse safety grades. If you use plastic, look for food-grade polyethylene. This is considered one of the most food-safe plastics. Line only the outer perimeter of the bed – not the bottom surface. Don’t block drainage with plastic.

With all of these products, I recommend you do your own research to feel comfortable in your choice. There are many reputable and not-so-reputable resources out there, so always be mindful of your information resource.

Raised bed kits, similar to the parts being used here, make it easy to build a bed at any size and in any location.  Seen here are widely-available builder blocks with composite wood, which can be cut to any size.

Be sure to watch for next week’s podcast when I’ll continue the raised bed journey, discussing two of the raised bed topics that generated the most questions – structure material and soil. There is a lot to cover there, so I encourage you to listen in and read up.

Speaking of listening in, if you haven’t already done so, I recommend listening to this podcast recording (linked at the top of the page).  I include a few anecdotes and other tidbits that I think you will find enlightening and entertaining.

Links & Resources

Podcast Episode 006: Weedless Gardening with Lee Reich

Episode 041: Small Space Garden Design   joegardener Blog: No-Till Gardening: If You Love Your Soil, Ditch the Tiller

Episode 043: Raised Bed Gardening, Pt. 2: Perfect Soil Recipe

Episode 044: Raised Bed Gardening, Pt. 3: Animal Control & More

joegardenerTV: How to Get the Best Drainage for Your Container – Why What You’ve Been Taught Is All Wrong

Growing a Greener World

GGW Blog: Limbing up Trees   

GGW Blog: Salvaging 110-year old wood – My Quest for a Twenty-five Dollar Organic Victory Garden

GGW: GardenFarm Raised Bed Instructions

GGW: GardenFarm Raised Bed Garden Diagram

GGW Episode 406: Setting Up a Garden

GGW: Episode 804  Gardening for Butterflies & Other Beneficial Insects

EPA: Creosote

PennState Extension: Environmental Soil Issues: Garden Use of Treated

Craigslist.org

Freecycle.org

Milorganite® – Our podcast episode sponsor and Brand Partner of joegardener.com

About Joe Lamp’l

Joe Lamp’l is the creator and “joe” behind joe gardener®. His lifetime passion and devotion to all things horticulture has led him to a long-time career as one of the country’s most recognized and trusted personalities in organic gardening and sustainability. That is most evident in his role as host and creator of Growing a Greener World®, a national green-living lifestyle series on PBS currently in production of its ninth season. When he’s not working in his large, raised bed vegetable garden, he’s likely planting or digging something up, or spending time with his family on their organic farm, just north of Atlanta, GA.

Source: https://livingcorner.com.au Category: Garden

source https://livingcorner.com.au/raised-bed-garden-from-a-z-what-to-know-joe-gardener/

#livingcornernews