My Aesthetic

From one unprofessional adventurer to another. This is my dumping grounds for anything and everything I find that piques my interest.

[mountain-squatch]

[ozarkhealingtraditions]

Ozark ABC’s Explained - Part IV

M is for Moon, track it at night –

Keeping up with the phases of the moon is an essential part of Ozark folk healing and magic. Each stage has a different part to play in the work being done. A waxing moon is always used for when you want something to grow, take for instance making a good luck charm when the moon is waxing so that as the moon grows, so too will your luck. Likewise, a waning moon is for whenever you want something to diminish or rot away. Work for healing sickness and charming warts is almost always done during the waning moon. The new moon is for adding a little extra power to anything new that your starting and the full moon is for coming to fruition. The full moon is also especially useful for dream divination and working with the spirit world.

N is for Needle, a doll for your spite –

The Ozark spite doll was made famous by folklorist Vance Randolph who published a photo of an old “granny witch” and her spite doll in an article in Life magazine back in the Thirties. A spite doll is a physical representation of your enemy and can be made from almost anything. String, wax, cloth, cornhusks, apples, carrots, branching plants, and a lot more have all been used in making a spite doll. Most often, some of your enemy’s hair or nail clippings will be put somewhere into the doll, thereby connecting it sympathetically to the person themselves. Then the doll will be manipulated in some way. Unlike Hollywood depictions of the “voodoo doll,” needles aren’t usually used for poking a victim but instead for attaching other items like charms or curses to the body of the doll. Nails are also sometimes used for this same purpose. By connecting these items to the spite doll, you are magically connecting them to the person you’re working on.

O is for Oak, protected from thunder –

There’s a folk belief in the Ozarks that an oak tree is protected from lightning strikes. I can personally say that they aren’t, but this notion goes much deeper than just being an old anecdote. The mighty oak, because of its size and strength, has long been associated with the planetary sign of Jupiter. He is also called Zeus, king of the gods and master of lightning. Parts from the oak tree, especially the acorns, have been used in the Ozarks for bringing in that aspect of power and strength. Acorns can be added to charm bags for protection, tied around a patient’s neck to bring them strength, or carried in a pocket for good luck.

P is for Pawpaw, a witch-tree and wonder –

The pawpaw (Asimina triloba) is an amazing native fruit. It tastes like a cross between a banana and pineapple and has nourished the Ozark people for at least a couple centuries. Both pawpaw and sassafras are known as “witch trees” because they attract the swallowtail butterfly, whose caterpillars love munching on these specific leaves. During certain times of the year, you might see a tree full of these beautiful blue and yellow butterflies. In Ozark folklore, the butterfly is sometimes seen as the embodiment of a departed soul. So, a tree that attracts these spirits is naturally looked at with some suspicion. For the healer, though, these trees can be used to take sickness and evil off their patients, better perhaps than any other trees in the forest. For example, a healer might take their patient out to a pawpaw tree, put their back against the bark, then wrap some string three times loosely around their chest and the trunk of the tree. Then they lower their patient out of the loop of string and knot it tight against the trunk, thereby sealing the curse or sickness there on the spot. 

[everybidenjusthavegoodtime]

*releases pack of dads into home depot* go……be free

[hotcommunist-deactivated2019032]

invasive species encroach on lesbian territory

[dreaming-shark]

This is a common misconception because they’re such similar environments, but you should be aware that dads are native to Home Depot, while lesbians are actually native to Lowe’s. At this point, however, both dads and lesbians have made themselves at home in both Home Depot and Lowe’s to the point that trying to separate them back into their original ranges would probably do more harm than good to the delicate ecosystem of large chain hardware stores.

[ailithnight]

A properly raised and socialized Dad will be perfectly comfortable cohabiting with Lesbians. Its not really “encroaching on another’s territory”. You wouldn’t say that about foxes in a forest that also homes bobcats, would you? No. It’s just two different species that have both evolved to live in similar/the same environment. As long as they recognize each other as equals, Dads and Lesbians are more than capable of cohabitation.

Now, if you were to release a pack of Lumberjacks into a Lowes or Home Depot, that’s where chaos will reign. Being adapted to a far harsher and more demanding environment, the Lumberjacks would simply push Dads and Lesbians both out and also consume far more than a sustainable amount of resources. It would be like releasing bears at a country club.

[chequerootlurks]

As a former timber-harvester… I feel this is potentially accurate in theory. But highly improbable in actuality.

Lumberjacks, like most megafauna species generally require more space than the average hardware store, even a big box store could provide. The misconception is that Lumberjacks are a social species because of how they often work and live together.

This is a matter of necessity, not preference, and a survival technique for thriving under the LogBoss.

A “pack” of Lumberjacks, if not under the environmental pressure of a LogBoss will naturally disperse until they each have a wide territory.

Lumberjacks rarely fight for territory.

One on one, a Lumberjack could drive out a Dad or Lesbian, however the latter tend to travel in social packs.

Lumberjacks will passively retreat on the presence of large numbers of people. Kind of like Sasquatch.

Getting a “pack” of Lumberjacks assembled would be hard enough unless they were forced into a Hardware Store by a LogBoss. In that case, they would already be in a heightened and potentially agitated state far above their natural behavior. This artificial scenario can be likened to a circus animal running amok. If it had been in the wild, the incident would not have occurred.

Free-roaming Lumberjacks are the cryptids of the Hardware ecosystem. They are surprisingly quiet and unobtrusive.

Please stop labeling Lumberjacks as dangerous roving social predators. They are intermediate level omnivores and remarkably peaceful unless threatened.

[bard-owl]

I often wonder about the possibility of running an old school tavern is a post collapse world. Obviously in a rural area.

[bard-owl]

Autumn makes me think about this twice as much.

[ariesfire0704]

I wonder if people will argue as much this time around.  I still think it is a workable idea.

[bard-owl]

Don't know, don't care. I'm not planning to argue with people who just want their barren wasteland fantasy. They aren't happy unless you tell them they will be fighting over cans of beans in five years.

[michigander514]

I do wonder why people seem to crave the whole burning cities and zombie hordes and roaming bands of wasteland marauders when they fantasize about The End. I'd much rather just till my corn field which is now six lawns wide 'cause my pussy neighbors bowed out then go to my buddy's post apocalyptic tavern for a slightly radioactive brew. Have you thought of names for your end times bar?

[bard-owl]

Lol. Good visual. Nothing yet, I'll have to think on that.

[epitoma-rei-militaris-deactivat]

The Chortling Gator

[bard-owl]

Absolutely not.

[bard-owl]

I still don't have a name, but it turns out removing radiation from water isn't that difficult.

[michigander514]

I don't remember writing that, but I'm really glad I did. lol

[bard-owl]

"till my corn field which is now six lawns wide 'cause my pussy neighbors bowed out"

Imagine seeing a neighbor return after months to discover their house has been gutted and converted into a barn.

[michigander514]

They'd have a tough time seeing it over the ten foot fence I've put up to better secure MY property which they ABANDONED.

[bard-owl]

[michigander514]

Me, when my bitch ass former neighbor comes knocking on my stable door that was once allegedly once their home.

[bard-owl]

"Have you ever fought a rooster before?"

"No. Why?"

[screambirdscreaming]

So I just learned something that pisses me off. Y’know quinoa? The ~magical~ health food that has become so popular in the US that a centuries-long tradition of local, sustainable, multi-crop farming is being uprooted to mass-produce it for the global market? Potentially affecting food stability and definitely effecting environmental stability across the region?

Ok, cool.

Y’know Lamb’s Quarter? A common weed throughout the continental US, tolerant of a wide variety of soil conditions including the nutrient-poor and compacted soils common in cities, to the point where it thrives in empty lots? These plants are close relatives, and produce extremely similar seeds. Lamb’s quarter could easily be grown across the US, in people’s backyard and community gardens, as a low-cost and local alternative to quinoa with no sketchy geopolitical impacts. You literally don’t have to nurture it at all, it’s a goddamn weed, it’ll be fine. Put it where your lawn was, it’ll probably grow better than the grass did. AND you can eat the leaves - they taste almost exactly like spinach. 

This just… drives home, again, that a huge part of the appeal of “superfoods” is the sense of the exotic. For whatever nutritional benefits quinoa does have, the marketing strategy is still driven by an undercurrent of orientalism. You too could eat this food, grown laboriously by farmers in the remote Andes mountains! You too could grow strong on the staple crop that has sustained them for centuries! And, y’know, destroy that stable food system in the process. Or you could eat this near-identical plant you found in your backyard. 

[fluffmugger]

you can also eat the stems! they’re quite tender when small, but do not eat when larger or it’s like eating bark. Which you essentially are.

[morepopcornplease]

Link to learn more about planting, growing, and harvesting Lambs Quarter

[theartingace]

I LOVE lambs quarter, sauted it tastes even better than spinach in my opinion, the new tender leaves are covered in an extremely nutrient rich powder, and it grows well into south-midwestern summers(which is impossible with any other leafy green in my experience.

I had no idea you could eat the seeds too! You better believe I’m going to be growing the crap outa this stuff this year like I have every year!

[philosoverted-deactivated202006]

Do you ever lie awake wondering how the heck Gimli knows what a nervous system is

[systlin]

Clearly dwarves have medical knowledge far more advanced than that of the other races.

[gallusrostromegalus]

His Majesty Dr. Gimli, son of Gloin, Neurosurgeon, M.D.

[filthyprotozoan]

gimli trying to explain his studies to legolas, a flat-earther

[hubris-i]

#*scroll down* #*remember that middle earth is canonically flat for elves and round for everyone else* #*scroll back up & smash that reblog button"

[franzis-frantic-thoughts]

Yeah but what about Pippin’s inner monologue when he got captured by teh Uruk-Hai? “ ‘What good have I been? Just a nuisance: a passenger, a piece of luggage. And now I have been stolen and I am just a piece of luggage for the Orcs. I hope Strider or someone will come and claim us! “

How does a Hobbit know about luggage claim?

The official German translation even says “I hope Strider or someone will come pick us up from Lost and Found”

[brunhiddensmusings]

ive had long, very long, internal debates about how hobbits are only slightly behind dwarves as the most technologically advanced race of middle earth like dwarves have superior metallurgy and hobbits have superior textile/agricultural knowledge and beyond that they overlap severely with how literate and studied they are compared to almost everybody on middle earth including the elves in the hobbit we realize ‘thorin and company’ the ‘and company’ means more like ‘the hudson bay company’ rather then ‘my homeboys here’- they had extensive contract negotiation including death expenses, travel expenses, and so fourth so it stands to reason if they have lawyers a doctor would be reasonable, the low birthrate of dwarves necessitates lowering mortality rates from their combat losses and workplace injuries, dwarves might not have as many prosthetic limbs as orcs but the ones they do have probably work one hell of a lot better although most of middle earth seems to be high medieval while hobbits are late renaissance… although hobbit leonardo davinchi was likely designing wind powered butter churns rather then siege engines and hobbit michelangelo would be more concerned with brewing then painting- bilbo has brass buttons, teatime, pocket handkerchiefs, sophisticated cheese technology, detailed genealogy AND cartography on top of the reaction of hobbits to gandalfs fireworks implies they have their own fireworks but gandalfs are just better- its entirely possible hobbits are the only middle earth race packing heat

[radwolf76]

“Poor Bilbo couldn’t bear it any longer. At may never return he began to feel a shriek coming up inside, and very soon it burst out like the whistle of an engine coming out of a tunnel.”

Hobbits had TRAINS. And railroad tunnels.

[ninjathrowingstork]

The Hobbits were practically on the edge of their own industrial revolution (which happened when Saruman arrived and we all know what JRRT thought of mechanization) and less late renaissance than late Georgian/Regency England. Leaving the Shire is like walking out of a Jane Austen novel and realizing everywhere else is trapped in Beowulf.

[ozarkhealingtraditions]

Ozarks ABC’s Explained - Part III

I is for Ink, pokeberry is swell –

A common ink in the old Ozarks was made from the berries of pokeweed (Phytolacca americana), which makes a deep purple ink that fades brown over time. It’s said that Power Doctors and witches alike use pokeberry ink to write their charms and amulets, believing the plant imparts its own power of healing or harming to the work.

J is for Jaybird, servant of hell –

The Ozarks has many folk beliefs surrounding certain animals. One in particular says that the common Blue Jay, or jaybird, is a known servant of the Devil himself. It’s said that if you see a jaybird gathering sticks on a Friday, he’s helping to stoke the fires of Hell.

K is for Knife, to shave off a hex –

Folk healing in the Ozarks often repurposes common household objects to perform magical acts. A knife, for example, can be used to magical cut or shave off an illness or curse off the body of an afflicted individual. Axes are sometimes used in the same way, as are brooms, used not to cut but to sweep off sickness and evil.

L is for Luck, two nails in an X –

A simple good luck amulet can be made by tying two new nails into an X or a cross then wearing it on a string or carrying it in your pocket. Some claim a used coffin nail (that is, a nail that’s been used to seal a coffin shut, often very difficult to obtain) works better than a new nail.

[ozarkhealingtraditions]

Ozark ABC’s Explained - Part II

E is for Egg, to suck out the sick –

Common across folk traditions from several cultures, eggs are often used as a magical container for illness or evil. In the Ozarks, the idea is that as the egg is passed along a person’s body it will suck out anything that might be troubling the patient. The egg is then destroyed, usually by throwing it in a river or smashing it against a tree, thereby nullifying the evil forces contained inside. On rare occasions, as with curanderismo, the healer might crack the egg into a glass of water after passing it over their patient’s body. They will then look for certain signs about how serious the sickness might be or what witch might have sent it.

F is for Fever, cured with a stick –

An Ozark method for magically curing a fever involves a healer taking three sticks, usually from the spicebush (Lindera benzoin), common elm, or witch hazel (Hamamelis vernalis) and passing each stick across the forehead of the one with the fever with the words, “Spirit of the sick, pass into this stick!” After each stick has touched the forehead they are brought together and broken then sometimes tossed into a river so as to carry the fever away or put into a jug of cold spring water to sympathetically chill the fever.

G is for Granny, for praying and birth –

The Granny Woman was an important subclass of healer in the Ozarks. She was responsible for all things to do with “female complaints” as there was at one time a strict taboo against men healing women. Even today amongst old folks there’s still an uneasiness about a male healer doing any work for a woman, even if they’re family. The Granny Woman was a combination of herbalist, midwife, and magical healer. She not only knew what plants to use when a birthing is going wrong, but also the specialized prayers and rituals to help calm her patient down. The Granny Woman is almost always an older woman who has had children herself. Often it’s a widow who is guided toward the work.  

H is for Haint, a ghost from the earth –

The word “haint” has its origins with “haunt” and is another word for a ghost. Haints are almost always trickster spirits or poltergeists, who use their afterlife to annoy or harm the living. While kindly spirits are often the subject of Ozark folktales, they’re never called haints. This seems to only be used with those wandering or lingering sorts who are bent on causing trouble. 

[ozarkhealingtraditions]

Ozark ABC’s Explained - Part I

A is for Asafetida, hung in a sack –

Asafetida (Ferula assa-foetida) is a pungent plant known for its noxious odor that has been described as a mix of rotten garlic and onions. It’s used frequently in recipes throughout Southeast Asia where the aroma is nullified through cooking and leaves behind a very pleasant, savory taste. Because of it’s strong smell, asafetida, or asafetidy as it is sometimes called in the Ozarks, is said to be able to magically ward off evil by choking it. The same theory is used for other strong odors like onion and sulfur, both of which are also used in warding off illness and evil. In the Ozarks, asafetida root is hung in bags to ward of illness, especially with children. It’s also burned in a hot skillet then wafted through the house to drive away malign witchcraft and hexes.

B is for Booger, don’t turn your back –

The word booger comes from the same root as bogey, as in the bogeyman. A booger is a particular kind of Ozark cryptid. Generally speaking, a booger is described as an all-black animal with red eyes and unusually long life. They are also known for their violence towards the innocent. There are many types of boogers, depending on which animal is seen. For instance, there are commonly booger dogs, cats, owls, rabbits, wolves, coyotes, possums, and even turkeys, but in theory, a booger can take the form of any natural animal. There are several theories about where boogers come from. Some say they are a monstrosity of their own, others that they are really the animal form of a witch skilled in shapeshifting. Either way, the booger is terrifying to behold and nearly impossible to kill save for a silver bullet to the heart.

C is for Cross, sewn on a bag –

The cross is an important symbol of protection and healing in the Ozarks. Stemming from the hillfolk connection to Christianity, it’s still used amongst folk magicians and healers today, even those not affiliated with the religion. A quick protection bag can be made from a buckeye nut dropped into a white cloth bag tied closed with three knots, then a cross is sewn on the bag in blue thread and the whole thing is carried in the pocket.

D is for Dishtowel, milked by a hag –

There’s an old folk belief in the Ozarks, traced back to European sources, that when a witch needs milk they need only say a certain curse over their neighbor’s cow then go home, toss a dishtowel over a hook on the wall, and milk it like an udder. In no time milk will start to flow into a bowl or bucket. Most of the folktales relate that the neighbor will get wise to the witch’s curse when they see their cow’s udders shrinking fast but no milk is produced. It’s said you can break the witch’s connection by dropping a red-hot horseshoe into some of the milk, or taking a cupful into the house, heating it to boiling on the stove, then whipping it with a bundle of elm or witch hazel sticks. These days few people have cows anymore. I wonder if with the same technique you could drain the milk bottled in someone’s fridge? Or, more importantly, does the curse work on milk alternatives? An endless supply of almond milk is indeed a tempting thought.

[ozarkhealingtraditions]

Ozark ABC’s

Learn your Ozark folklore and magic with this simple Alphabet! Stumped over some of the letters? Don’t worry, commentary to come in a future article!

A is for Asafetida, hung in a sack B is for Booger, don’t turn your back C is for Cross, sewn on a bag D is for Dishtowel, milked by a hag E is for Egg, to suck out the sick F is for Fever, cured with a stick G is for Granny, for praying and birth H is for Haint, a ghost from the earth I is for Ink, pokeberry is swell J is for Jaybird, servant of hell K is for Knife, to shave off a hex L is for Luck, two nails in an X M is for Moon, track it at night N is for Needle, a doll for your spite O is for Oak, protected from thunder P is for Pawpaw, a witch-tree and wonder Q is for Quilting, magic that’s sewn R is for Rattlesnake, a king on his own S is for String, tie your ills to a tree T is for Tobacco, for a lock it’s a key U is for Urine, bottled then buried V is for Vetch, lucky when carried W is for Wraith, a ghost with your form X is for X, to ward off a storm Y is for Yarb, a cure from the wood Z is for Zodiac, for planting and good

[hometoursandotherstuff]

Love these fairy tale treehouses.

This one is called the “Higgeldy” by it’s owner. 

It was inspired by a bird’s nest. Look at the unusual lighting fixture.

Lovely corner kitchen with black counter & backsplash. Love the branch above. 

Cozy bed, perfect for reading. 

Relaxing nook overlooking the forest.

http://www.ellieandco.co.uk

[coveredsunshine-deactivated2020]

My heaven

[moreisneverenough-world-deactiv]

Those are SOOOOO Fun! 💚 We have not had a treehouse project in a very long time. Maybe we should just go build one for us.

🤔😉😋

[moreisneverenough-world-deactiv]

Good idea. We gotta find a good tree

[rajasconqueso-deactivated201508]

Repeat after me: - Veganism is not affordable - Veganism is not cruelty free - Veganism is not the best choice for everyone

[caged-freedom-deactivated201702]

Repeat after me -I’m an idiot and wrong. -Veganism can be made affordable. -Veganism is fucking cruelty free. That’s what it’s all about. - Veganism is the best choice for everyone, if everyone did it. -I’m a fucking asshole for making this completely wrong text post and should shut the hell up now.

[latinagabi]

Exploiting undocumented immigrants, and other workers is cruelty free? Nearly 500,000 children as young as six harvest 25 percent of US crops.

But I guess brown people don’t fucking matter. 

[sissikuk]

People are literally starving in South America because all the Quinoa crop is being exported mainly for white vegans who want to live “cruelty-free” but don’t care about brown people as much as they do about animals.

[thequantumqueer]

plus, 4 of the 8 most common food allergies (soy, wheat, peanuts, and tree nuts) are common vegan substitutes.

[hallofpenos-deactivated20181120]

o shit

[captainlordauditor]

i would literally starve to death if i couldn’t eat cheese or meats because my body cannot process nuts as they are too rough on my intestines and cause inflammation

[wildernesswitchery-deactivated2]

Veganism is incredibly expensive depending on where you live, mostly if there are no local farms near you. Plant food prices skyrocket, and food deserts exist. Veganism is not even close to cruelty free. You cannot be cruelty free in this country (USA) unless you 100% grow your own food because we use slave labor to pick it. Plus this doesn’t factor in all the harm being caused by the transport of your food, by the truck that carried it around. Veganism is not the best choice for everyone, because some people cannot survive off of a plant based diet. I had tried for a good while, and my chronic illnesses spiked from it. Plus the constant monitoring to make sure I was receiving adequate nutrients triggered my ED to hell and back. Veganism is a great way to start lowering your negative effect on the planet, but that is all it is, a starting place. Your work is not done just because you became vegan and you do not get to throw stones at others because you still live in a glass house. Furthermore - it is absolutely possible to lower your footprint while still consuming animal products - you just have to be selective about what kinds and where they are sourced from. I have a permaculture based garden planned out for when we get land that actually has a smaller footprint than the typical vegan who buys everything at a store does.

[cinensis-deactivated20171126]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

[jenniferrpovey]

Actually, none of us can survive on a plant-based diet. We cannot manufacture B12, and the so-called “plant-based” sources of B12, it turns out, don’t produce it in a form we can digest.

B12 is found in all animal products.

Additionally, although humans can manufacture taurine (only found in meat), not all of us can manufacture enough taurine. This is why some people get sick when they go vegetarian.

To survive on a vegan diet you need to artificially supplement B12 and possibly taurine. Period.

A diet that requires artificial supplementation is, by definition, unhealthy. And while the cost of vegan B12 supplements is low, when you’re already paying more for your food… Taurine supplementation, if you happen to be one of the people who needs it, is another added expense and hassle. A few vegans have also found it necessary to supplement carnitine, which is considerably more expensive. Oh, and most vegans don’t get enough calcium and end up with bone problems. Many are also Vitamin D deficient, especially if living at high latitudes, if dark skinned, or if religiously using sunscreen. And Vitamin D2 (plant derived) is not as easily absorbed as D3 (which ONLY comes from animals), so you need even more of it.

Then there’s protein.

I personally cannot properly digest nuts. I react the way lactose intolerant people do to milk if I consume pistachios, walnuts, or pecans. Almonds are actively toxic to me. Hazelnuts mess with my brain.

Because I am on thyroid medication, I am not supposed to consume large quantities of soy, as it can make my thyroid worse, throwing off my dosage. I can have some, but I cannot use it as a major protein source. This is also true for trans men (the phytoestrogens intefere with testosterone therapy), cis men with low testosterone (same reason) and women with a family history of breast cancer (elevates risk). Excessive soy consumption has also been linked to early puberty in girls (Again, phytoestrogens) and reproductive/sexual problems in both sexes. Eating a bit of soy is fine, but tofu should not be used as a meat substitute except for the occasional meal.

This limits my access to non-animal proteins to beans and grains. If I was gluten intolerant as well (I’m not, but it’s in my family), it would be a real problem. The only dairy substitute available to me is rice milk (and rice causes many of the same problems environmentally as raising beef).

Oh, but it’s better for the environment, right?

Nope.

In addition to the already-mentioned quinoa, we’re cutting down rain forest in Mexico to grow avocados. Rice production is almost as bad for the environment as factory-based beef production for similar reasons. Also, plant-based foods, esp. fruit and fresh vegetables, are more likely to end up being wasted.

Studies indicate that if we all gave up meat tomorrow, all 7 billion of us gave up animal products forever, the good side would be the reduction in antibiotic use and greenhouse gas emissions.

How about the bad side?

1.3 billion people would lose their jobs overnight. 1.3 billion. 987 of them are poor.

Another thing that Ban Eating Meat Tomorrow types forget is that veganism is not necessarily the most effective use of farmland.

Uh, what?

The statement that if everyone switched to a vegan diet we would need a fraction of our current farmland assumes all farmland is created equal.

It simply is not.

I suspect that a lot of this perspective either comes from city dwellers who have no clue about farming or from people in the US breadbasket where there is a lot of high quality farmland suitable for raising food for humans.

The last global census in 2008 said that at that time, if all 6 billion people went vegan, it would need 3,068,444,911 acres of arable land. At the time there was about 3,212,369,959 acres of arable land: That is to say land suitable for raising crops humans can eat.

However, we’re building on, or otherwise destroying, arable land at the rate of about 1% a year and the population has grown.

We literally do not have enough arable land to feed everyone a plant-based diet.

And there are parts of the world that have a worse proportion of arable land to land only suitable for pasture than the US. Scotland comes immediately to mind. People in these places would have to import most of their food. I’m not sure Iceland could survive without eating fish.

If we all gave up eating meat tomorrow many of us would starve. I’m not exaggerating or being alarmist.

I’m also not criticizing people who choose not to eat animal products (just please make sure you get the required nutrients).

I am criticizing the “I don’t eat animal products and nobody else should either” crowd. Because it’s not that simple.

Also, bluntly, vitamin B12 deficiency can cause mood disturbances and paranoia…

But again, if you have to consume artificial supplements for whatever reason (unless it’s a personal absorption issue) your diet is not healthy.

Sorry, it’s just not.

[ubifidesibiamor]

Reblogging again for added info

[autasticanna]

Vegan leather is plastic

Vegan fur is plastic

Vegan wool is polyester, which is plastic

Leather, wool and fur are biodegradable. Plastics are overall worse for the environment and don’t go away for hundreds of years.

[mountain-squatch]

Leather boots can last a lifetime depending on how the quality and how they're used, and can be repaired and resoled multiple times with good maintenance. PLASTIC synthetics last maybe a year or two and are pretty much destined for a landfill/the ocean.

Shearing sheep is pretty much necessary for the sheep's survival since we've bread them for this purpose for millenna and with good grazing practices can both feed from and nourish soils, while cotton created the Dust Bowl.

To this day we have yet to find materials as thermally efficient as down and fur to keep people warm in the coldest of climates, where coincidentally enough native populations eat almost entirely animal based diets and get 100% of their essential nutrients from animal products. Research has actually found that overall health has DECREASED in these groups of people when they abandoned more traditional food sources in favor of a more standard western diet.

[mountain-squatch]

7 roosters, 1 hen, and 2 beautiful working dogs

[wabisabimind]

Unique Old Maine Open Pack Basket

[orcinus-ocean]

Who loves animals more, a big-game hunter or a big-city dog lover? Inside ‘Trophy’ and its complex ideas

This is not exactly relevant to the article, but you have to see the scene late in the film where John Hume (the rhino breeder) is talking to Born Free Foundation about legalizing rhino horn trade.

It is hair-tearingly frustrating.

Animal rights activists - who I still like to call “anti-animal”, because they have only heart for animals, but they don’t want to do anything to actually help them.

They are against zoos, they are against breeding, they are against conservation-based legal hunting, they are against everything which involves the animals being touched or handled or “exploited” by humans in any way.

That is impossible. That is not the world we live in. In today’s modern world, the only way to solve an issue is to find a way for people to make big money on a solution. The only way.

They are even, as that meeting showed, against animals being kept in huge, open-range farms, to have the horn removed painlessly every two years, even if that will save the species.

It’s the “no, not that” meme.

Animal rights: We have to save the animals!

Zoos: We can breed them in zoological institutions to keep a gene pool for future release, and raise money through zoos to help wild populations.

AR: No, not that.

Hunters: We can let hunters spend insane amounts of money to hunt a select few animals that are no longer breeding, and let the money go back to buying more land for animals, and funding anti-poaching.

AR: No, not that.

Hume: We can mass-produce rhinos in vast, natural landscapes, harvest the horns painlessly and keep the animals alive, selling the horns for millions of dollars, which will keep the rhino alive.

AR: No, not that.

Zoos, hunters, and Hume: THEN WHAT DO YOU WANT?! Suggest SOMETHING that will actually make a difference!

AR: *Crickets*

They are all about feels, hugs and talk, and meanwhile, they will love these animals to extinction, by banning everything that has a snowball’s chance in hell at saving them.

This has been exhibit #35827754 on “Why Animal Rights Activists Must Never Be Allowed To Decide On Animal Welfare Or Conservation Matters, Like Ever”

[landrifter]

[bard-owl]

A disturbing amount of things have become single use in the camping community.

[epitoma-rei-militaris-deactivat]

What have you seen?

[bard-owl]

Ultralight/Minimalist types in particular seem to hate percolators and cooking pots or pans with a passion. You'll have a group of 4-5 but instead of breaking up the mess gear they just carry a bunch of freeze dried one serving meals and instant tea/coffee packs.

But even in the more casual circles there appears to be a lot of Mountain House and MRE type stuff with plastic bags full of plastic bags.

[bard-owl]

Also Coleman, MSR, and JetBoil canisters aren't meant to be refilled and manufacturers are against it, even if the tools and information is readily available.

[bard-owl]

The gas stoves and heaters definitely have a time and place, and I'm not telling people that they shouldn't use them. I just feel that in many cases they could be used more efficiently.

Before going any further, the photos, link, and text below is for purely information purposes only and any actions you undertake are 100% your own decisions that I am not in anyway responsible for.

This is a G-Works Gas Saver and allows the smaller mix fuel tanks to be refilled from larger ones. Not only is this economical, but the larger tanks use less material and thus there is less waste. The process is described in detail here:

Ever notice how expensive the small canisters of gas are?  But the big canisters are cheap by comparison (per gram).  Wouldn't it be nice t

This is an adapter that serves the same purpose for 1lb tanks refilling from a 20lb tank.

There are legal implications in this task as the refilled tanks/bottles cannot be transported across state lines and may not be sold. Local and state laws may be more restrictive. Please educate yourself as much as possible before engaging any such activity.