From Messy To Tidy: Before + After

From Messy To Tidy 

 Since I was a kid, my parents use to constantly tell me how messy, or slobby I was... and that they expected me to grow-up & mature like all the other kids.... I also get something similar from my spouse whom swears I'm SO MESSY!

Well... yeah, this is messy... but, I've had worse... but, if you EVER met ANY of my friends from NEW JERSEY, and even about half from PA, this is NOTHING.... My worst day is better than THEIRS'! Yeah! I'm lookin' at YOU NJ! They also tend to say: "Don't mind the mess." probably, because, like me they just sort-of mentally tune-out the mess, since they have a ton of stuff to do, or on their mind...

However, I've found my biological family members are quite clean, or at least mostly tidy, in general. Even my step-mother is rather tidy, usually.

OK, lemme show you my whole untidy private bedroom "powder room"/"wet closet".

The Sink BEFORE:

I have A.D.D. or A.A.D.D., so I easily get distracted. EASILY. But, since I'm much older now, I know several tips & tricks to compensate for it, and can CHOOSE to focus when I want to. (My daughter has A.D.H.D. so she needs a supervisor, or coach.)

Know your flaws or limits, and work from their....

*Tip #1: STRONG CAFFEINE Alkaloid Substances in liquid beverage form
      *Coffee, Macha (Green Tea Powder) x3 scoops with milk or some kind of drink, hot or cold.
           DON'T do this at night, or you won't be able to sleep.And, don;t do this after 5PM either unless you don't mind insomnia... because I HATE IT.

*Tip #2: GET YOUR DOCTOR TO PRESCRIBE YOU RITALIN or ADDERALL!
      *WHOAH! I'll bet you're focused NOW! WOO-HOO!
         Don't DO THIS AT NIGHT, NOR anytime after 1PM... otherwise you won't sleep.

*Tip #3: Write a To-Do List, Agenda, Outline, or Plan 
* THEN check off each thing as you do it, so you don't get all scattered, and go all over the place, especially if you are cleaning while ALONE, or without a supervisor...
It really works. Get a note-book. It helps you to feel organized, even if you're a big ol' mess. It's a trick to psych yourself into being tidy or organized without really trying. ;) Probably 1 o' THE oldest tricks in the book, pun intended.

*Tip #4: MUSIC!!!!!! Especially Upbeat Music.
* OK, this is SOOOOOO IMPORTANT! If u can't get any stimulants, or meds, you WILL need your music!
Stereo, Hi-Fi, boom-box, Walkman, Diskman, iPod, Mp3 Player, computer, smartphone on full blast, or a radio. SOMETHING! ANYTHING!!!!! 

And, if you CAN'T get ANY access to music, sing, hum, or whistle something! Stamp your feet, or run some kind of rhythmic machine like a dishwasher, air conditioner, engine, or whatever... Open a window and listen to birds, rain, storm, crickets, cicadas, treefrogs...  if you get bored easily, the silence will make you crazy, and drive u OUT OF YOUR MIND, and you'll be a scatter-brain all over again.
The human brain responds to patterns such as rhythms quite easily, and if you are especially playing music you like. Then, you start to synch with the music, unconsciously, and it's no-longer like conscious work... you just FEEL your way through the chores/labor.

DON'T play music that will make you sleepy, too slow, nor too relaxing, because you will fall asleep, slack-off, or get distracted... Even if you have a head ache (at least find something that's somewhat upbeat and melodic is not much percussion).

*Tip #5: If All Else Fails Get a Coach or Supervisor:
If you're a more severe, or somewhat feeling like a hopeless case, get some kind of over-seer to help you stay focused. I'm sure EVERYONE has some annoying or overbearing relative or neighbor around that loves to tell people what to do... some folks actually work better when observed. Whether you prefer positive or more tough-love is up to you... but, usually when you tell your annoying person to supervise you, they are such suckers and will supervise you for free... because the egotistical satisfaction of telling someone what to do is somehow fulfilling... so, keep that secretly in mind while they're sneering at you unwittingly doing work for you for free...


*Tip #6: Give Yourself Some Kind of Reward When You're Done
*DON'T MAKE YOUR REWARD FOODS! That will encourage or reinforce bad stress eating habits, and you could gain weight. But, a tea is fine.
*Suggestions: Relaxing bath, Hot Water Foot Soak and/or pedicure, Watch that movie you've been wanting to watch, take a drive somewhere. Start that project you've been putting aside now that everything's clean & tidy.... Go swimming, go shopping, take a stroll, or do something positive that makes you feel good: Candles, incense, aroma therapy, spa, yoga, meditation, healthy nap, or play with your children and/or pets.

90s Underground Hi-NRG Eurodance Techno Mix 01 from BlackUniGryphon on 8tracks Radio.

When I clean-up or tidy-up I pretty much ALWAYS listen to Techno, or some kind of dance music, especially electronic types.

Here's pretty much what the stuffs I was playing today.

But, play what you like....
I LOVE Hi-NRG Eurodance 90s Techno!


The Sink AFTER:

 Still a lil' bit wet... but, organized, and nice n tidy!

Now, onto my Computer Desk:

BEFORE:

This actually isn't that bad... but, it's bothering me... and also my spouse. :-/ 

It's NOTHING like what it looked like in the winter. That was like a large pile of stuff!




























After:

Well, that was easy! It's easier, when you at least try to keep up with it, otherwise you'll have a huge pile... been there, done that... and NO I don't have self loathing for being messy... there's so many OTHER things of greater importance going on within my mind frequently to care about perfectly tidy X,Y, and Z...

*Yes: I used my mouse with my LEFT HAND.
Unless I need to use precision, like with art, I use the mouse right-handed. (It also helps you to use more of your brain, and think clearly.)
*I'm Actually MOSTLY Right-Handed
*Yes, I'm somewhat semi ambidextrous depending on what I'm doing. I write with my right hand, and am generally right hand dominant. Example: I ONLY play billiards/Pool left-handed. And, sometimes I eat left-handed (and YES with chopsticks as well as a fork or spoon. Why? Because laziness... my right hand is more comfortable to prop-up my head. ;P )


Now, contrary to ALL of those over-baring neat-freaks that SWEAR up & down that "If you keep tidy, and organized you feel better, and have sense of accomplishment & fulfillment once your finished.", you know those ones, especially the "clutter-clearing consumerism-brainwashed "throw it all away & buy more", or non-Chinese religiously Feng Shui wannabes.... well, lemme tell you:

I HAVE NEVER FELT THAT WAY!
I HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED SAID EMOTIONAL EUPHORIA.
TIDINESS & RITUALIZED CLEANING HAS NEVER EVER DONE ANYTHING TO IMPROVE MY MENTAL STATE, HEALTH, NOR WELL-BEING, LET ALONE MY SELF ESTEEM.
My sense of self worth is NOT dependent upon my ability to be tidy, nor to even get things done.

However, organization DOES HELP.

To all of those folks that swear by insisting everything must be absolutely tidy, neat, clean, organized, etc. the rest of us that have our minds on other things would like to point out to YOU that you have some kind of powerlessness self-esteem issue, and it would seem to us that you are trying to assert control over yourself outside of you by structurizing everything to try and compensate for feeling so unorganized or powerless inside of you. It's even worse when you try and FORCE your ideas ONTO us in ANOTHER layer of imaginary control within your mind....

I used to have a friend (no longer friends with) that I found was often clueless, bewildered, lost & confused and constantly came to me for attention, advice, suggestions, encouragement, etc... when you're friends with someone, true friendship doesn't really judge. You just accept a person for who they are, and if that person is actively asking for help, or encouragement, a true friend WILL acquiesce. This person told me that I was admired by that person, and that I inspired that person.I helped out that person quite a lot, and NEVER asked for anything in return... that what a true friend does...

However, once the tides turned a bit and my former friend was in a position to help me out in return, and insisted that person would... well, that person was less than equal, and often half-hearted in returning the friendship... this person also acted as tho' the friendship was burdensome, and was often resentful in private, but would show-off that this person was my friend in public, and frequently leveraged my weaknesses or times of need against me, or any action/gesture/favor was also another source of leverage...

This same individual also was one of those clean-freaks. This person was a mess inside.... and compensated outwardly.

This is kind of my big Flipping the bird to that person.... 
Tho' I'm SURE that person will NEVER read this. ;)
Even if that individual DID: Both of my middle fingers are erect at YOU! YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE!
Oh, and THANK YOU for READING MY BLOG! :D Google thanks you too! 
Cha-ching, sucker!

Doesn't that just burn you up? 


Final Notes:

I, of course, realize that was snarky and spiteful... ;P but, neat-freaks like that pick on messy people so harshly for being mentally unorganized, or a wreck, or whatever other kinds of nasty, word-shaming they can think of...

Actually, it goes both ways... some folks, like me, have medical issues or problems like ADD. Does that mean that CAN'T be neat, clean, tidy, or that they're horrible persons?
Of course not! 

Then, like much of the folks I grew up with, went to school with, etc. had stressful childhoods, drug addict parents, neglectful or abusive parents, or they had overbearing parents...
If you're parents were overly strict and then you become an adult and are on your own, you might end up becoming messy... or, if your parents were slobs, you might go off on your own as an adult and become a tidy person, because you consciously decided you don't approve of your parents' lifestyle...

Neat-freaks can have just as many mental & emotional issues as messy folks, they just coped with it the opposite way.

Sure, overly messy folks need help, but so do tidy-centric folks.
You don't REALLY know what they've been through, how they feel on the inside.... but, start by TRYING to understand THE PERSON ON THE INSIDE, NOT just what you see on the outside.
Don't FORCE "help" (as control) if a person doesn't want it... maybe that's your cue to be a listener instead.

And, to both sides... try to self reflect about HOW other people view you... but, TRY to understand that. Is it healthy, unhealthy, helpful, harmful...

Sometimes displays of concern CAN be a good thing... within reason...

Know yourself, know your flaws...
-and, if you're NOT SURE, take some time to self reflect upon yourself.
Who are you really?
Who would you LIKE to be?
Can you do, or become better?

And, even if you're broke or out of most options at the moment, what can you do in this moment?

Sometimes, when you get judgmental of others, it's because you subconsciously recognize something within yourself that you don't like about yourself within that other person...

To my friends whom, like me, have had trouble organizing, those were just my tricks & suggestions...
Am I telling you WHAT TO DO?: No.
That's just what I've stumbled upon in my own life... you can take it, or leave it. Either way, it doesn't bother me.

To the neat-freaks I personally.... well.... I already figured that no amount of suggesting you "get help" would ever do a lick of good... but, I know of several that have crashed & burned this year, including recently, in a variety of ways... I would hope these high-strung individuals, whom I know are at least somewhat smart if not very smart, and hope it doesn't come to an extreme before those individuals address whatever it is that's suppressed or bugging you on the inside.

Ironically, being nice to them, supportive and present didn't go over well with them... and they enjoy pretending they are the calm cool-headed folks outwardly... I prologize for coming off as dismissive, but you only seem to notice when I'm "negative".

I'd like someone to explain to me, how that's somehow MY fault...


Here's an idea: 

Something bugging you? 
Blog or journal about it! 

You'll feel MUCH BETTER! 

In fact, I feel GREAT right now!

Exercises This Summer

Exercises This Summer

Yeah... I see it, I hear it, and I've been reading it all over social media & blogs... u guys r stresses, depressed, nervous breakdowns, etc... it's kinda going around... the news is insane, and so on...

I'm all too familiar with the proverb: "No good deed goes unpunished."

So much work this year, so much hell, most of which I can't even discuss for a list of reasons, including legal ones. battles with getting stuff that's ur right, or stuff that u deserve, and so on... or even for others, and not even myself... stress... stress... and more stress. Lack of nutrition, and medical problems like psoriasis, and thinning hair, digestive problems, blood issues, and not just me...

So, at times, trying to do something "normal" for myself like take care of my health, or basic exercising would cause me more stress, because of bad weather, or the moment I'd go outside, I'd get accosted by annoying folks wanting something from, me, or the screw with me... and calling up my phone, or finding new sleezy ways to fuck with me.

And, as bad as I'd LOVE to get 'em back... there's a point where it's ILLEGAL, and I REFUSE to stoop as low as them, especially when their half-whits that don't even understand that they're being evil. Then, I'd have to go to court, and all that bullshit... Näh... fuck that!

So..... by May, after a long list of stressful bullshit, there were days when i just didn't want to get out of bed... I had pain in various parts & places on my body, including my scalp which would bleed, ooze, and shed scaly bits of skin, or the subluxations all along my spine, and my government insurance which was constantly being screwed with, and can;t go to a chiropractor, and still in limbo about this, this, and that... Other days I'd puff up like a balloon, because of the additives in the foods i got from the foodbank... but, hey hen u got nothing to eat, weird shit ends up in ur mouth... and next thing ya know...... ur sick again... like I was saying, by May, I started to take walks, on days when it wasn't either raining or bitterly cold. At least my asthma isn't AS BAD now that i had the nasal & throat surgeries, so I'm LESS prone to infections than before.
But, now, I get ear infections because I have to wash my sinuses... and I had ear infections like crazy that wouldn't go away... (long long long story, including doctors... and if I write about it, I'll be irate for days, so, let's not go there.)

Walks got longer, and longer... and also even tho' i was grateful to FINALLY be able to go outside, and have to figure out routs to walk so as NOT to be annoyed by folks I DID NOT WANT TO TALK TO, LET ALONE EVEN LOOK AT NOR BE SEEN BY (long story), I started getting bored with it...

And, of course, my spouse would tell me to exorcize... so, I said: Well, I walk every day at least twice for about 20-45 min each time... and it's NOT like I have any diet food. Also, when it rains, I have a lot of pain, and stiffen-up, which sets me back all over again... and, I kept running out of aspirin.

Long story short... I decided to get back into yoga again.

I LOVE yoga! Just not the weird shit kind, with idol worshiping Hinduism... Or chanting magical words or names of the gods... whatever... That shit can take a flying leap. I couldn't care less about the god of chaos, and it's insatiable petty needs of being worshiped or praised, or grotesque images of creepy monster gods where dead human body parts, and fucked up weird shit like that. it's bad enough that I have relationships with Christians that aren't supposed to worship idols but have hideous images & statues of a man being tortured & murdered to death bleeding from thorns stuck in his head, and nails in his limbs writhing in pain.... That's not only disgusting, but it's disturbing.

But, I DO like meditations, of all kind, including breath-work (like ujai), imagery, trance meditations, vocal meditations like "om", and Joppa meditation ("Ah"), and moving meditations, like Qi-Gong, Taiji Chuan, Vinyassa yoga, and even knitting. Yes, knitting is meditative. But, I don't do these things for ego-based motives like because I think it'll give me magical powers or anything. been there, done that... u can hav it. that shit fucks up ur life. I just do it for mental, physical, and emotional health & well being... hey, if u wanna argue that's an ego based motive... fine whatever... but, from a logical standpoint, if it makes me feel good, better, and improves my health, & brain functions & reduces stress, that LOGICALLY i AM GONNA DO THAT.

A number of my progressive friends, or groups frown on stuff like that sometimes... but, it doesn't bother me if people that teach yoga or qigong talk about 'third eye', or 'chakras'... I know u can;t prove it, and it's often over-done, and everyone has a different opinion of what that means, etc... and, whether u want to argue about whether it's science vs. superstition, I've been on both perspectives... because I've seen quite a bit debunked on the western end... and YET, I ALSO lived in far east Asia, specifically China, and I've personally witnessed Gungfu masters do incredible things EVERY SINGLE TIME. That PROVES there's a a science there... even if YOU don;t understand it, or can;t even quantify it, let alone qualify it yet...


Anyways....

Once it was warm enough to go swimming, I would swim almost every day... unless it rained, or was cold... it's been a cold summer again this year too up here.

So, If went from walking + yoga, to walking + yoga + swimming. pretty much every day.

Yeah... when u first start out doing stuff, u get sore... then it sets u back 1-3 weeks, but i just do what i can...

But, then, that  gets boring.... can;t break a sweat really... and I'm exercising the heck outta myself! WTF?


So.... I remembered my old routines and stuff... I got loads of DVDs & videos on my hard drive, and there's also youtube...

So, i started doing Dolphina & Neena & Veena....

I started doing those by mid-late June, adn OMFG I was soooooo friggin' sore!
So, I only did what i could... then, I would rotate between Dophina (which is sometimes kinda drunk, stoned, or whatever on some videos) to Veena & Neena, to Rachel Brice yoga, doing more & more until I could do everything... and I can do quite a bit of Rachel Brice's Serpentine drills now... still working on it, but I'm better at it than ever now.

Then, I started doing more stuff with yoga on youtube. haven't done this much before. Solar Salutations, Lunar Salutations, (Vinyassas) and I even found the more rare Earth Salutations...
I'm not the best at it, but some things i'm more advanced than I thought, and I didn't even know it... *scratches head* I found a video that said it was about opening & stretching the shoulders and so on... but, i was disappointed, because even tho' the teacher of the video was struggling I was confused because I thought I was doing it wrong because I couldn't feel the stretching... dumb-ass me! No... I could stretch further because i'd been practicing Tribal bellydance muscular isolations + stretches since 2008.  took me a a week & a half to realize that. each day, I'm trying to figure out why i can;t feel the stretches... Duh! I'm stretched out there, just need to find a deeper stretch by twisting...

Then, I decided to go back into Qigong sine the end of last month... I was expecting it to be hard, and that I'd be sore, but since I'd been keeping up with yoga, and my bellydance isolations + my swimming routines, I found I could ACTUALLY keep a wide stance without any trouble. I'd NEVER been able to do that in my life!

But, I'm in no way shape or form super great at it. I'm still wobbly & awkward, and same thing in yoga still.

I also found out there were different versions of "8 duan jin" (AKA Ba Duan Jin) or as my old shifu called it "ba/8 ge duan". 8 duan jin is from Qigong, but qigong is often utilized in not just Taiji but also in Gungfu martial arts. (No I'm NOT a martial artist) So, I found a Shaolin version of 8 duan... and, so i tried it. I thought I wouldn't be able to do it, but I did it just fine. ^_^ ...well, it could be better... but, I didn't get tired, didn't fall over, and no pain. ^_^ So, that's doing pretty well in my point of view. Now, I do both variations of 8 duan.

Altho' I could REALLY use a spinal adjustment or 2, or 3... it's all crooked again. :-/


I don't look any different tho'... But I exercise MORE this summer than any other summer in my entire life, including when i was a teenager, and I worked out A LOT back then.

Working out, doesn't really make ya loose weight when ya get older.... but, it SURE makes u feel better.

The one workout I do the most is Veena & Neena's "Slim Down". 
you will sweat like crazy. but, it REALLY does something to adjust my mood, and it's VERY noticeable. It's also easier than it looks at first. You can find a cut-up version YouTube, and the DVDs on Amazon.

You can find Dolphina on Hulu for FREE. 
I actually like Dolphina, despite the obvious blunders in SOME of her videos. But, her heart is in the right place. I also LOVE the music in the Dolphina videos.

Rachel Brice's Serpentine Double DVD set is available like everywhere.

Keep in mind, that even tho' it says beginners can use it... it's NOT for beginners. it's ADVANCED, but an intermediate can benefit from quite a bit of it. Tribal bellydance utilizes MUSCULAR movements. So, it's way more hard-core than just ur basic Raqs Sharqi cabaret stuff, which is more joint movement isolations, and has more shimmy movements or sweeping movements. Raqs can have its challenges too, but doesn't have the disciplines that tribal does. I like both, but I never stop learning... and I'm glad i got back into it, and that I'm not sick like before.

If you want to find other stuffs I mentioned, just type in the keywords on youTube or google: qigong, ba duan jin, yoga vinyassa, etc...

anyways...... I'm still learning... just do what i can, and just continue, and then try something more...
I didn't expect to be doing qigong again, nor all the stuff I'm doing now back in May 7 June, but it's early August now.... baby steps, ya know?

The other videos I was doing were in the winter which were by my teacher Zoe Jakes: 

The Drill video: Killer Drillz

and her Encyclopedia of STUFF 4 DVD box set: From A-Zoe


And, Sadie's drill video: Thrillin' Drillin'




I'll probably get back into those again, by winter... but, it's a different direction than I'm at currently.

I think I REALLY wanna stick with the Neena & Veena and Rachel Brice (and some Dolphina rotated in there) for now, with the other Yoga & Qigong supplementing it. I also still swim pretty much every day, and walk to South Field.


Well.... Rome wasn't built in a day....
At least I don't have the stress sicknesses like before, and I feel better...
Ya can't be beautiful forever... but, at least i don;t feel sick & tired. :)

Permaculture: A Winning Solution

Permaculture: A Winning Solution

I have spoken so often of Permaculture, not just orally from my mouth, but frequently on social media. Sure, I often feel "cold & alone in the wilderness" here, but people REALLY don't want to hear about Peak Oil Energy Crisis, and a few other things... but, at least Permaculture is actually catching on, whether people realize how beneficial it is or not yet.

Permaculture, like a handful of my other interests, are not something one can simply understand in a blurb, or a graphic, it takes a while to really "get it".

Think of it this way:
Can you simply become a lawyer by just reading a blurb, article, stack of articles, or a book?
No. It takes a while to read, contemplate, process, and learn it. Right?

Well, Permaculture (and Peak Oil, and a list of other things) takes a while to process. I figure it takes about at least 2 weeks to really "get it" and at least a few hours worth of watching & listening to the information, because reading about it, isn't quite enough. You NEED TO SEE IT demonstrated, and explained. NOT JUST READ ABOUT IT.

But, like most people in this new century, people have become so conditioned by Consumerism, and smartphone technology, TV commercials, billboards, and website ads, that if it doesn't "reach you" in a split moment in a graphic to jazz up your impulses, you will give up and your attention will go elsewhere, unless something else catches your attention...(conditioning emotion impulsive responses of the amygdala part of the brain which is more instinct and primitive)

NO, this might take ACTUALLY WHOLE MINUTES of your attention to start to "get it", and you WILL require HOURS of interest. (frontal lobe part of the brain which requires the conscious filtering, weighing, contemplating, and understanding, using & applying knowledge, and more rational & cognitive thoughts & critical thinking skills, which take more time, and have higher capacities to create better choices in a human being's life)

BUT, believe me YOU WANT TO KNOW THIS!

Because once you 'get it" it's THE BEST FEELING YOU CAN EVER HAVE! Especially if you understand the dire situation of Peak Oil & the Energy Crisis, which is even more dire than Global Warming & Climate Change... but, I'm more than sure you are all at least somewhat aware of what that is.

When the reality of Peak Oil really hit me last year, I was TRULY in a panic. And, I was searching for solutions for our next generations. But, I hadn't realized there were several of them. All kinds!

One of THE BEST, if not THE BEST, solution is Permaculture!

Even if the lights go out, the electricity goes out (which so many idiotic Libertarians freak out about), you, myself, us, we, can all survive and have a VERY high standard of living! WITH PERMACULTURE!

Agriculture & Monoculture are over, and done. They are no longer sustainable, and are about to keel over.... That may sound like "bad news" to you, but it really isn't... sure, you will most likely need to say good-bye to your grains, and breads, and many of the crap u currently eat (especially in the USA) but that's the best part! Because you WILL have plenty of other things to ea! It will be MUCH BETTER! you will be much happier, and you won;t have the healthy problems caused by the over eating of processed grains & overly processed and artificial foods!

With Permaculture, you will NEVER have to PLOW ever again, you won't EVER need to go to a groceries store for basics, and you'll be living in a food forest with Permaculture design, if you r lucky enough to have that option to begin NOW. It does ALL THE WORK ON ITS OWN after it's all set up. No pest! No pesticides! No artificial fertilizers! U will NEVER need a tractor either!

After the first 3 years, it pretty much starts doing all it's own maintenance, and after about 5 years, you NEVER NEED TO DO ANY WORK... UNLESS YOU WANT TO.

In most cases Permaculture "food forests" create SO MUCH FOOD, that even on a tiny piece of property, like a town house of just a few square yards, you can have SO MUCH FOOD u can't even eat it all! So, you can just give it away, and you can eat ALL YEAR LONG even in cold climates if you understand the principles & utilize it correctly.

Deserts? Swamps? Mountains? Saline soil? Dead soil? Doubt? Overly rainy? Not a problem! With Permaculture we can either fix it, or work around it, or even with it! It's literally a DESIGNED FUNCTIONING ECOSYSTEM! Biodiversity and all!

Permaculture is SO AMAZING that it can work in ANY CLIMATE, and ANY SEASON. People also incorporate Hügelkultur, Aquaponics, and Greenhouses! It can work in a city, ghetto, rural, mountain, marsh, and can even RE-GREEN THE DESERT! You can even use it to create natural water springs, wells, canals, swails, and more.

You could have it be ornamental like horticulture, or literally look like a big forest, that once you pay attention is all fruits, tress, nuts, greens, and incoprotae all kinds of domesticated like, like fowl, fish, and other things.

Also, there's an amazing aspect of the established food forests of Permaculture! Once it's begun self regulating its self, there is something known as "the edge effect". It's a scientific result of Permaculture in which the natural properties of the ecosystem you've designed in place will start to "spill out" and it begins to fix the land properties next to it. Places that were previously dead, dead soil, nothing would grow also begin to have new life because the micro-organisms begin to fix everything. You will also find that the area will seem to have a self awareness within that self regulating system that will seem to seed & plant just the right types of  plants or fungi to fix the soil on it's own.

So, I put together a list of all the best video footage, doing all the work for you, to make it EASY for you to understand.

Just spent the next few days & weeks, and grab your popcorn, and your notebook & pen and START LEARNING. It's FREE!

Not only is this information FREE, it's incredibly valuable!





I've filtered out quite a bit of the Hippie-ish "New Age", cult-like, weirdo neo-religions, and crazy folks that think that aliens talk to them, or add weird nonsense like so-called "sacred geometry" which TURNS EVERYBODY OFF, and makes people think ur insane n won't take you seriously, let alone give you the time of day... So, there's no people with nappy unkempt hair, mud romping Hippies, or freakish odd-balls here. Just sensible, practice, down-to-earth, SANE persons.
















UMASS:











Design Specific Stuff:

Thanx for coming to my blog.

Hopefully, if you are TOTALLY NEW to the concept of Permaculture, Peak Oil, and sustainability, I would like to suggest you to go to YouTube and search 'Permaculture' for the next few months and at LEAST watch a video or 2 each day, as well as follow-up and learn some things by searching Google, and find people in your local area to help you. There's most likely several already.

But, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE be kind to your neighbors and DO NOT use this as some kind of new stint on proselytizing or soliciting people, or sucking people, into some cult, or political parties...

Diversity I key to maintaining a better future, as well as the present. So, PLEASE be respectful of others, other cultures, subcultures, ethnic groups, various religions, and TRY NOT to become a cult or uppity clique yourself, because it never ends well. I recommend people to stay secular in these endeavors, and keep your personal preferences of beliefs to yourself if different than secular Common Law.

I have also found that Permaculture is better executed on the private level/sector as small groups of individuals, even when involving communities BEFORE ever trying to take it to municipal levels because they won't believe you. municipalities require the burden of proof on a larger scale. I do think it's an EXCELLENT idea to participate in your local district meetings, etc. However, don't act like a crazy fringe idiot, or start spouting off nonsense about aliens, Illuminati, conspiracy stuff (whether factual or theoretical) , religious terminology, or sectarian themes. If you do that, people will NOT take you seriously, you might get kicked out, and in some cases if you start talking about crazy stuff like Feng Shui, "sacred geometry" or 'the aliens are here to help us" you will most likely get put in a strait jacket and medicated for schizophrenia, as well as embarrass everyone involved, smearing everyone else involved, and ruin any chances of success...

Just be a moderately sensible human being. Be kind, friendly, responsible, helpful if you feel motivated to do so, accept help when it's truly needed and BE GRATEFUL when it's given, and be open to creativity, innovation, and new ideas. Be open to ideas from the elderly, and don't treat them as obsolete like a machine, and also try to be open to our young people whom often have great new ideas as well. Be open & respectful of mothers with children, and understand that most human beings aren't perfect...

I have been doing this research for nearly a full year now, often all day, for days, sometimes weeks in a row, and often on all of my free time. So, please take this information and use it responsibly. 

2014 Sign of The Times Music Video Art Oddity Motifs

2014 Sign of The Times Music Video Art Oddity Motifs

In case you haven't noticed by now (those whom know me, or know of me) I love Techno & dance music! LOVE IT! I also love VIDEO & FILM.

This year, I've noticed a major trend in the styles of music video art being produced. I'm more than sure you are familiar with the strange meme style copy-cats of videos like "Harlem Shake", and dance music videos by Psy like "Gangnam Style" & "Gentleman"  in which the viewer is drawn into a video eddited world of strange visuals, and strange yet catchy beats...

Well, this year, music video directors take their music video art/craft through this very strange direction, with often times gritty visuals, to the very pretty yet raw scenes, incorporating slow motion (high speed cameras) photography with creative video editing or sped-up video, in which it's like you're inside of a very strange dream, when suddenly any number of strange things happen, that range from the very weird, to the awkward, uncomfortable, and inappropriate -making you experience an emotional shock of: OH MY GOD! WHAT JUST HAPPENED??? DID I JUST SEE THAT???? And, then it gets stranger & stranger from there! And it hits you with some more!

You will notice unusual usage of body parts, body part close-up scenes, creative unusual angled shots, body parts, gestures, or postures uncommon to the norm enhancing the "shock" experience of the viewer, as well as a very House & Hip-Hop flavor to the music, including dubbing, looping, sampling, and creatively edited to synch with the music. It's quite reminiscent of Stephen Chow HK films, but on steroid, and then on acid to boot.

Don't believe me????

Well, here they come! And, they get stranger, and weirder as they go down the page!

But... a word of CAUTION: These may be SO NSFW!

#CostOfCarbon 10/21/2013

I'm divided about the #CostOfCarbon Google hang out I just had, with AL Gore.

Sure, there WERE some fringey, annoying, Libertarians poking in sometimes in the chat... saying uneducated stuff from there Lobbyist think tanks...

and, I DO think Gore is a descent guy... I like the guy. I ought to. ;)

But NO ONE wanted to mention peak Oil.

Not a single person!

The idea of new technologies is still a good one, and renewable energy, etc.

But, they JUST don't "get it" yet!

Not a SINGLE person was willing to acknowledge peak oil.

THEN, I kept getting locked from chat, while other could text at a rappid rate.

petroleum is RUNNING OUT! FAST!

That means you WON'T have electric cars either, because the tires are MADE from petrol! EACH tire is 7-9 gallons of petrol!

Hydrocarbons in general are running out!

the electricity you are using RIGHT NOW is most likely from Coal, and they are leveling WHOLE MOUNTAINS EACH DAY for YOUR mass consumption of energy!

The ONLY energy left will be renewable, which will mean you must ALL SLOW DOWN!

Out entire way of life is on a time limit! It's DONE! Over! Finished!

Folks my age and younger will see this, and it is already starting!

Your children and grandchildren WILL NOT HAVE CARS!

and, at the rate we are going, food and clean water & air will be scarce.

You MUST wrap your mind around it!

The Climate Change IS something to be alarmed about, FOR SURE!

BUT, the most alarming thing when it finally hits you is the dilemma of peak Oil!

There WON'T be more jobs, the mass consumption way of life is ticking on a timeline, and we're at the end right now. It's playing out RIGHT NOW.

It doesn't need to be DOOMS DAY either. It COULD be a transition... a pleasant one... OR, it will be nearly hellish....

The Dilemma of Peak Oil (Documentaries)

The Dilemma of Peak Oil.

I've already gone through a ton of research this year. On everything. It's funny how when I do it, folks think I'm nuts, then they all start to follow suit afterwards.

When I talked about Monsanto, Drone Strikes, topics about 9/11, Big Banks, The Bailouts, the revolving back doors of Washington, the corruption in the system, many folks flat out stopped talking to me... And, when I tried to tell folks about the government spying before the leaks happened, they thought I was nuts. Now, they are in the know about it....

I've known about Global Warming, which has NOW become Climate Change and could have been preventable and was heading in that direction until brought to a halt by the G W Bush administration, and there's a long list of stories about that.

I traced back several of my steps, and I began uncovering stuff I'd forgotten, and new information. Everything from Libertarians, to Tea party fake grass roots, to The Koch Brothers. And, there's SO much to say about ALL of those. It's frightening, revolting, disheartening, etc. And, I don't even need some article or video to tell me what to think or be afraid of, I can look at the data & evidence on my own, independently on my own searching will, and see what articles & video makers missed.

Then, there was the whole government shutdown which siphoned away my attention....

But, back to Global Warming... it's NOT as tho' everyone didn't know about it. We did.

The "think tanks" by specifically The Koch Brothers, and other dirty energy profiteers, and those benefiting in "The Free Market" (so-called) got together to make-up disinformation propaganda, and other things to distract you, and lull you back into the endlessness of Consumption...

Global Warming it's self is SOMETHING to be rather unnerved, frightened, and panicked over...

It bothers me, and has bothered me ever since I'd not only learn about it, but consciously understood it. You see, I have a diploma in Environmental Sciences from the State of New Jersey.

I'm NOT pushing any religions here. I'm no Gaiya worship pusher, no Hinduism pusher, no Communist, no Soviet. But, I understand a number of LARGE chunks fitting together, overlapping, and more.

But, I must tell you that this idea of "The Free Market" fixing everything, or "shouldn't be questioned", the idea of unending growth, and endless consumption and disposal of natural resources is just that: a religion.

Think about it! What does religion mean?
It means "a system of belief". For some, it's very much a cult.

It's VERY complicated too!

If you're NOT terrified of Climate Change by now, then it hasn't actually "hit you" yet. In States like North Carolina, they passed a LAW that makes it illegal to prepare for the coming changes & effects of Climate Change, such as those on the shoreline.

As jarring as Climate Change is... if ur still nonchalant about it.... wait until you find out about peak oil.

Peak Oil


The trouble with mentioning peak oil, is that it just seems to be a word that floats around in the air, and no one understands it unless you explain it to them, and it takes a while to sink in... it might fly in 1 ear and out the other... or, maybe if you see 1 film or video you might go: Hmmmmm.... but, then you're back into the Mass Consumption debt wheel again, turning off ur brain and acting like a herd animal again, in an insane system...

If you're NOT really bothered by it at all. or maybe you've heard about it before... but you still carry on in life without any care of it... that it REALLY hasn't hit you yet... BECAUSE when it does, EVERYTHING you know, everything you think, everything you believed WILL bother you!
Every time you go shopping, drive your car, use transportation, electricity, food, water, commercials on TV, billboards on the street that you see, WILL ALL BOTHER YOU!

You will SEE the lies in the system, the systemic problems for what they are...and you will see The Future for WHAT it really WILL BE.

It's because of that reason, that it might scare you away, and you might start to vent your fear as HATE at me. It may be the reason WHY you might enjoy calling me crazy... because valuing rational thought that conflicts with illusions and lies is likely to cause that. It's called denial.

Lets face it....

Natural resources are FINITE. They are running out... not because they necessarily need to, but because of the mass consumption system is... ALL of those resources will be spent, and most of them are already in landfills as ur mass consumption technology becomes obsolete.


Let me trace you back through my steps.

I'm going to omit all the work I did when I researched the Koch Brothers (even tho' it's important) because once I rediscovered the dilemma of peak oil... I find it's less important in the scope than the actual crisis of Peak Oil. 

First, I went back and watched a few films I'd seen a number of years back, of which their were updates to. Ever heard of the Zeitgeist Movement?

The Zeitgeist films are very thought provoking... but, back when the 2nd & 3rd came out, I was bothered because some of the ideas reminded me of the typical Communism or Soviet stuff... and, that's their most common criticism...

But, when I went back to rewatch them.... I thought to myself... when they claimed they were against Communism, Soviet Socialism, Capitalism, and the Monetary System, what did that all mean?

What did they know, that I didn't know?

It became apparent when I found an interview of peter Joseph on TYT. If felt like he KNEW a ton of things, but there just wasn't time to explain it, and even Cenk seemed interested, but scared, yet very curious, because he kept saying he was trying to wrap his mind around it...

I do very much like the ideas of The Venus project, and The Zeitgeist movement... but, peter Joseph would try to make his points about a "transition" and a number of solutions, etc...

This entirely boggled me.

How do we transition? How do we get out of the debt based monetary system?
There were many great aspects about the Venus project... but, I don't understand how humans could function with out at least some form of an exchange system that's at least SOMETHING like monetary system. They say it's a "Resource based economy".

I don't know... I'm curious to see this work on a small scale, because for a few years now, I've often thought of what it might be like if I had my own sustainable community connected to other ones...


But, this nagging idea of: What is it that they know, that I don't?

Well....


If you've followed me along this far.... then, I will lead you through to my own path.

I won't lead any further tho'....

I will just point you their, this Odyssey is your own. Sacajawea might have pointed the way but she also went with on the Trek.

I will recommend only this:

Grab yourself a notebook, and a pen or pencil. jot down whatever you think sounds crazy, interesting, or weird, or frightening. Include names, numbers, facts, and figures.
You can use Google, government websites, and more to check and cross reference...

If you've never learned how to do critical thinking, then I suggest you learn. Every human brain has the ability to do so... but, it's a skill like reading & writing.

You may also need a calculator. 

But, I will say this:

A I began to look into peak oil.... my views entirely shifted... and I find myself shifting. All the things that occurred in Occupy Wall Street, in which folks came together which resonated with me came back again... and I find myself swaying towards The Zeitgeist Movement & Venus project...

The reason is, even if you fix all the problems with government corruption, you still have the problem of peak oil. And, the Earth's Natural Resources being depleted.

They way of life you live, is at it's end. Not some Dooms Day Armageddon in the sky with a vacuum from the sky God.

The doom is yourself. You are your own doom, or your own solution, collectively.

But, you won't understand that yet.

Grab your popcorn...

Because, you will be here for a while:

















Expect more, because I'm still going through the materials...

Sarah's Mint Green Ren Faire Gown From The Labyrinth

Sarah's Mint Green Ren' Fair Gown from The Labyrinth

Give me the child. 
Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered, I have fought my way here to the castle beyond the Goblin City to take back the child that you have stolen, for my will is as strong as yours, and my kingdom as great ... 
You have no power over me! 

 Of all the gorgeous costumes & gowns that cosplay makers create based on oodles of classic films or even animated movies, the 1 that baffles me the most about is the gown the the character Sarah wore at the beginning of the 1980s Jim Hensen Film "The Labyrinth". 

First of all... Why hasn't anyone ever done a replica of this gown??? EVER???

I've been using the internet since 1994, and since way back then I would search through gads of homepages of all kinds of things, but no one ever did this particular gown... how odd!

Everyone seems utterly obsessed with the goblin masquerade ball gown that took place in the crystal ball. But, after hundred of reinterpretations of that ball gown, why is this one so neglected?

Everyone does the gown from Ridley Scott's 1980s classic "Legend"!

So... what gives???


To start off with... -and I HATE to be the one to break it to ya...

...but... are you sitting down????

It's NOT a white gown.... not off white.... and NOT gray either...

Take a deep breath...

OK?

Yeah.... it's mint green.

For real.... MINT GREEN. 



Not only that... but, the dress is lined with pale yellow, and has double sleeves.


It seems like every so-called cosplay photo you find on either Deviant Art, or fandom hot spots on the net, IF they are reenacting the intro scene (WITH THE BOOK replica) it's a chick in some white gown...

*face-palm*

and, coming from folks that go ultra detail galore... that's pretty sad...

Altho... I did see some dolls that got it right! :D


Sarah From Labyrinth View 2 by ~Arianne023 on deviantART


Sarah From Labyrinth by ~Arianne023 on deviantART

But, by now, even the fan art drawings are white or gray gowns...

*face-palm*

So... um.... did you guys mix up the colors of the ball gown with the intro Ren Fair type gown, or something???

Cross Referencing The Gown 

Anyways, I'm guessing everyone is shying away from the gown, because no one is really writing much about it...

So, hopefully... if you're 1 of those folks looking to do a cosplay gown, or go to a Ren Faire, maybe you'll find this blog post...

To start off with... the story is about a character named Sarah, in the setting of in the 1980s, who's mother is passed away, and was some kind of great actress... (You can see the evidence of that in Sarah's bedroom.)

Those are context clues there, kids... ;)

So, one would speculate that the gown she's wearing might be her mother's (in the story context).

If you look at the gown, it really doesn't look anything like something you'd see ion the 1980s (I'd know I grew up in the 80s) and it looks more 1970s looking... it even looks old, and worn a bit...

(That's how you do some due diligence, kids...) So, logically, that would make sence, and fit in line with the time period, the plot, the characters, etc...

( By the way, the park where the opening scene was shot in in London called West Wycombe Park You can find a really great blog post of someone whom went out and found it here. Other locations from the film include New York State and England)

The Gown Construction

The gown has a zipper in the back, and it's form-fitting.



The seems appear to use some kind of advanced Chinese binding in the sewing.
(Now, I'm not an expert in sewing... but, you can look up binding if you don't know it... Google is your friend. But, this type of binding is different than anything I know how to do... I've seen this kind of sewing often in older vintage clothes from the 70s, 80s, 90s, but I generally never seen it now-a-days. I don't even know how to explain it because I don't even understand how it's done. The only thing I have to reference it from is Chinese binding sewing, like on a qipao. )

The torso portion of the gown reminds me of the more rare styles of qipao gowns/dresses that have a slit in the front, and don't use a side flap.

So, if you're looking for a reference on how to construct the gown, I think that might be a good start.

This was a good video for references on Qipao making:




The Sleeves: Mint Green & Yellow

There are 2 sleeves. There's a yellow sleeve that has a rounded pointed end past the wrist. Over that is the long flowing, billowing mint green sleeve, with the yellow inner lining. It also has golden pins the pin up the seem to reveal the inner lining.

 Definatly green!

The upper part of the sleeves where they meet the shoulder are decorated with either flowers or puffed fabric balloons, which are then woven or braided with some golden chords that dangle, front & back, with golden tear shaped beads or bells at the ends.

If you look closely in the film you can see that the golden chords really do wra, weave, or braids through those flower/balloon thingies on the shoulder. It's not just dangling golden strings there, hanging for no reason.

The Belt & Headdress

The belt appears to be a separate piece that is pinned on.
It's braided with what looks like the same materials as Sarah's floral circlet diadem head dress.

So, you can see a thicker more rougher textured chord, and some golden chord. Those are braided, then braided together, and sewn onto the belt.

The golden chord is also used on the shoulders, and the head dress, and the rougher chord is also used on the floral circlet diadem headdress.

Now, I'm not sure, but the floral shoulder thingies might also be the same materials as the flowers in the headdress also... 

And, some extra screen captures: