Muddled. Just Muddled.

First of all... ❌👑 IT'S THE GULF OF MEXICO. Anyway, this is where I post about art, writing, movies, music... all the stuff I like... especially Steam Powered Giraffe, Buster Keaton, Thing Making and Steampunk

[luxus-aeterna]

Iridessence at Dandy Wellington’s Windy City Strut. Photo by Alaura Creative.

[bee-whistler]

I made eye contact today

I don’t say this as an achievement. I’m angry.

I heard a kid yelling at the grocery store. He was maybe 4. He was in the shopping cart and seemed to be crying as well. I couldn’t see him, just his mom’s back. He was clearly put out about something. But man, he’s maybe 4.

I wasn’t even looking directly at her. I was behind her. I just saw a light movement from her and the crying stopped short. Then it resumed at a level, wordless, that you only hear when a kid has been hurt. Maybe not seriously hurt. But it’s always serious to a kid. Sometimes the hurt is both inside and outside.

I felt a tension from people around us. Just a couple of folks looking awkwardly sidelong as they passed. I didn’t believe what my instincts told me. But I raised 3 kids, man. And I had to wonder if some of those people actually saw her hit that kid.

I passed them to get something and saw the kid holding his hand over his mouth while he cried. Kids that small don’t cover their mouths when they cry. They just let loose.

I picked up my item and turned to head the other way for the next one. She and her husband passed me as I waited. I looked her directly in the eyes as she passed.

I know how my face looks when I’m not angry. I’ve heard it’s far worse when I am. I wouldn’t know. I don’t do a lot of angry mirror staring. I just hope it sent a message my mouth wasn’t capable of expressing in real time.

The message is this: I know you smacked your kid and I have a problem with it. And I don’t know thing one I can do about it.

You wanna smack a mouthy kid to get him to stop? Congrats, he stopped. And now he knows to smack anyone whose words he doesn’t like. And if you’ve been using this method, he clearly isn’t afraid to mouth off again.

And if the only reason he ever learns for being respectful is that he’ll be hit for it by his. mother, then he won’t trust his mother and he’ll say whatever he wants when she’s not around. So what has he even learned? That the world is cruel… including his own mother.

Super job, mom. Just super.

[bee-whistler]

Saying way better than I ever could. And I have been trying!

[lazulisong]

it's that time of the year again kids!!!

32 oz of water

2 tablespoons of sugar

a quarter teaspoon of salt

Source: https://med.virginia.edu/ginutrition/wp-content/uploads/sites/199/2023/12/Homemade-Oral-Rehydration-Solutions-11-2023.pdf

[justalurkr]

Portland area is about to need the hell out of this

[bee-whistler]

“Don’t look at me while I make the biscuits. I can’t make them if you’re looking at me.”

[bee-whistler]

Hey, I just got tagged in a post by someone claiming to be Tumblr staff, trying to get me to click a link and “verify” certain info to get my account out of lurker mode. I reported and blocked it but just be watchful out there.

[sealdev]

Tell me: is he's allowed to say that?? If you turn on the volume, you will hear his words.

[cathartidae]

oooh okay a human claiming an entire group of animals is useless. how novel.. and you think killing them all would do barely anything? that's so interesting! and you believe you're stating truth right? you're not a biologist either? damn... this... this may be a stroke of genius... you're so right... wow...

[cathartidae]

TWENTY MINUTES BABEY CAN WE HEAR IT FOR TWENTY MINUTES!!

[hawkpartys]

[devinellekurtz]

My very first tiger drawing and my latest

[formaldehydedoesstuff]

Your skill level is unquestionable but listen.

I love him.

[toasthaste-art]

me also. as well.

[devinellekurtz]

This is the COOLEST thing I’ve seen in AGES. You both completely made my entire week.

[weloveshortvideos]

Guillotine vs a spray paint can.

[babyionian-deactivated20200611]

this caption is so deceptive, this video is so much more than that

[anxietyproblem]

[girlfleeshouse]

The girl cannot leave the house because she knows where the bodies are buried.

[dracula61]

[calebwittebane]

are we serious

[bee-whistler]

Just heard something I’ve been trying to put into words, phrased succinctly on a Youtube called Consequence Files.

“This is a man so hollow inside that the only thing he has left to feel good about is his race and nationality.”

👌👌👌

Just wanted to share.

[franziskavonkurma]

Look at them 🥺🥺🥺🥺

[bee-whistler]

So I’m finally making a big dent in my stack of piled up tailoring and other projects. This one has been sitting around for maybe two years. Mixie found this music box at a thrift shop but the little dancer figure needed work. I think. I stripped it down so long ago that I can’t remember why.

The idea was to make it some kind of clown, but first the paint wasn’t on well enough and then I got some clear D&D figurine top coat in hopes it would make a good primer for plastic, then I got caught up in a million other things. Finally I just shrugged, slapped on my “primer” and started painting. I figured I’d make some sort of harlequin that matched the inside colors of the box.

Only I realized quickly that those colors literally were making it look like Harley Quinn. Then I thought, she’s clown adjacent, maybe I’ll lean into that. But looking at classic comic book Harley Quinn revealed features I was unsure how to create. I had little confidence in gluing ponytails on.

I was at a crossroads. I didn’t wanna push this off again. What character wore red and black and didn’t have hair?

Hi, Binky.

Here’s some stills of it.