I know I am. So I looked into ways to back up my blog. Yeah, being deleted would still stink and I would lose my followers and probably forget all the people I am following, but my biggest concern is losing my timeline and memories.
This has given me a little peace of mind at least. I hope it helps other vultures, too!
Bringing this back around due to recent events.
If you’ve already imported your blog but want to update the import to add more posts, when in the Admin panel, go to the import Tumblr tool (like you’ve imported the first time) click Clear Account Information, then click Import This Blog again.
Hügelkultur (German, meaning “hill culture” or “mound culture”) is the garden concept of building raised beds over decaying wood piles. Decayed timbers become porous and retain moisture while releasing nutrients into the soil that, in turn, promote root growth in plant materials. As the logs decay, they expand and contract, creating air pockets that assist in aerating the soil, allowing roots to easily penetrate the soil. This decaying environment creates a beneficial home to earthworms. As the worms burrow into the soil, they loosen the soil and deposit nutrient-rich worm castings, beneficial to plants. An earthworm can produce its weight in castings on a daily basis.
The best decayed wood for a Hügelkultur, according to A Growing Culture, comes from alders, applewood, cottonwood, poplar, maple and birch. Use wood products that have been in the process of decay for about a year (using green, or fresh, wood products will rob the soil of necessary nitrogen). Some wood products, like cedar and black walnut, should be avoided because they produce organisms that negatively effect plant growth.
Never boil and never use bleach. I’m not sure how those methods keep getting passed around. Both can seriously damage bone.
Depending on the state of decay, it’ll be easier for you to just put it in a lidded tub of water with some dawn soap or biological washing powder and let it sit somewhere warm for a while. If most of the flesh is already gone it shouldn’t take more than a few weeks. Remember to keep track of the teeth because they’ll probably fall out at some point. This is going to smell, so make sure you’ve got it somewhere it won’t be bothered.
After the flesh is off, you have the option of degreasing and whitening if you want. To degrease, you can use ammonia or heated water with dawn. I use ammonia because I find it’s easier, but remember not to mix it with other chemicals and always work somewhere well-ventilated. Also, ammonia has to be recycled at a chemical recycling center, you can’t just dump it down the drain. If you use dawn, the water has to be heated constantly, so if you have a heated bucket or fish tank heater, that would be your best option. With either option, this step takes a few more weeks.
If you want it whitened, you can put it in a bath of hydrogen peroxide overnight. You won’t get a very bright white unless it’s been fully degreased, though. I do suggest degreasing, because it preserves the bone longer and removes any oils that might come to the surface over time.
If you have any more questions, let me know. Good luck!
Make changes in your life so that positive events will occur more often.
Build a “life worth living.”
Work towards goals: ACCUMULATE POSITIVES
Make a list of positive events you want
List small steps towards goals
Take the first step.
ATTEND TO RELATIONSHIPS Repair old relationships Reach out for new relationships Work on current relationships
AVOID AVOIDING Avoid giving up
BE MINDFUL OF POSITIVE EXPERIENCES FOCUS your attention on positive events that happen REFOCUS when your mind wanders to the negative Be UNMINDFUL of worries
DISTRACT from: Thinking about when the positive experience WILL END Thinking about whether you DESERVE this positive experience Thinking about how much more might be EXPECTED of you now
Well, I’m still learning myself, but here’s a few tips I usually keep in mind!
1.) “Fat” is not just a big belly!
Fat distributes everywhere, but not necessarily equally! Like at
any weight, every body is different and has an unique shape! Some keep a
hourglass shape, some become more pear-like, some are shaped like
teardrops or apples… but the basic thing is, fat doesn’t just choose
one place where it WON’T gather. It may not be as visible in some area
compared to another, but in real life, it’s reeeeaaaaalllllyyyy rare to
just find a person whose fat only stores in their bum, thighs and tits,
leaving their waist, arms, neck and etc slim. Keep the body pleasant and
thick all around, not just in the places where the weight-gain is the
most imminent!
Keep the round shapes in mind!
2.) Rolls! Folds! What are they?
What are they? Not something to be afraid of, that’s for sure!
Basically,
don’t hesitate to give your characters fat rolls. Skin folds, stretches
and moves along with the body, and so does the fat under it! However, a
lot of people who draw rolls tend to give the character many super
small ones — this is not how rolls work! Usually, the thicker the
person, the thicker the rolls — they increase in size, not necessarily
in number.
Rolls are the most preminent in places where the body moves the most, AKA the joints. Fat folds over itself and creates creases and ‘rolls’.
3.) HOWEVER….
(No references here, sorry!!!)
When we age, our skin loses its elasticity and it can’t keep the rolls and folds thick and perky. In our youth, our weight can be held up way better than in our elderly days due to the stength and adaptivity of our skin which disappears as we age. Thus, fat tends to droop lower with older people, and the rolls appear thinner. This can also happen if someone who has had a LOT of weight packed up suddenly losing a big chunk of it — the skin can’t adapt and will begin to “droop“ down and lower. Make sure to keep such factors in mind when drawing and planning how the weight of your characters should be carried!
And then, a lil tip that;
4.) Study references and real life!
If you yourself pack some weight or have access to internet, libraries or just life on the street, you will see how bodies at different weights and shapes work and move. Use references, see for yourself — try to find how fat distributes and especially, HOW IT FOLDS! Folds and rolls seem to be one of the biggest problems many have while drawing thicker characters, and that’s ok — we’re taught as a society that fatrolls are inherently bad and disgusting, therefore there are not many situations where we’d find ourselves just… staring and studying how the fat in our bodies works and moves. You’ll learn quickly, though!
I’m still learning myself, but especially since every body is different and the weight we pack acts in unique ways, it can be really challenging to find the ‘absolute’ right way to draw thicker characters. Don’t give up! You’ll get the hang of it eventually!!
lovingdread 