For many of us, writing is catharsis: a way to process and release difficult emotions. Few things are as emotional as the loss of a friend, family member, personal hero, or pet so it’s no surprise that we read a lot of posts paying tribute to lost loved ones and trying to make sense of […]
GR: Destroying a nature refuge to satisfy a campaign promise is probably more than Trump’s fellow phobes wanted. But there is no limit to the damage Trump will do to get some approval. This isn’t the first time we’ve heard about the harm from such a wall. Perhaps we can help some of Trump’s supporters […]
The War on the Wild: Alaska at the Forefront 21 September 2017 Posted by: Mary Price | The administration’s war on the wild zeroes in on Alaska There has been a steady drumbeat from the Trump administration and many like-minded members of Congress who are pushing to wring every last available resource out of America’s […]
via The War on the Wild: Alaska at the Forefront – Defenders of Wildlife Blog — “OUR WORLD”
The remote and vast habitat serves as the main calving ground for one of North America’s last large caribou herds and a stop for migrating birds from six continents
Different art mediums open up a host of possibilities. Beyond classical painting and sculpture, today’s avant-garde artists often experiment with unexpected materials and unconventional methods of creating. In fact, across all genres of art, you will find artists who are able to transform ordinary works into pieces that are unbelievably extraordinary. Here, we showcase the unusual mediums used by some of today’s top creatives.
From Yuken Teruya—who delicately carves commercial paper bags and transforms them into magnificent miniature trees—to Maurizio Savini, who turns Hubba Bubba into high art, these selected artists are the ones who remind us that the best kind of art isn’t always the most complicated; it’s the kind that leaves us with an experience.
Photo: Tom Deininger
Photo: iri5
Photo: Giulia Bernardelli
Photo: The Eden Project
Photo: Jennifer Maestre
Photo: Liu Jianhua
Photo: Liz Hickok
Photo: Anastassia Elias’
Photo: Hazel Zakariya
Photo: ih8gates
Photo: Pink Tentacle
Photo: Maurizio Savini
The post 25+ Works of Art Made Using Unusually Awesome Mediums appeared first on My Modern Met.
Photo: Jimmy Nelson
On the grounds of Segera—an award-winning, 50,000 acre wildlife eco-safari retreat in Kenya, East Africa—sits the NAY PALAD Bird Nest Villa. Made in collaboration with NAY PALAD and architect Daniel Pouzet, this exclusive destination offers a unique place to stay in the heart of the African bush. Crowned by branches and resembling a gigantic bird nest, the villa offers a 360-degree bird’s-eye view of the surrounding African wilderness—above the treetops, the nearby river, and the wildlife below.
Following an adventurous approach by foot or by car, guests can come upon the two-floor structure towering up, out of the plains. Under the setting sun, scattered lantern-light welcomes them up into the retreat to discover an assortment of goodies, including champagne to toast the night ahead.
While it’s designed for two, the nest can sleep more. There’s a cozy first-floor bedroom, supplied with crisp, luxury linens and toasty hot water bottles; however, there’s always the option of a night beneath the stars on the open-air top deck. Despite its remote location, the villa offers full luxury service, and is also equipped with solar-heated running water in the bathroom.
As a new day dawns, guests awaken to the sounds of the savanna and are able to enjoy a picnic breakfast as elephants and giraffes gather on the neighboring riverbanks.
Photo: Jimmy Nelson
Photo: Jimmy Nelson
Photo: Jimmy Nelson
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Segera: Website | Instagram
h/t: [Contemporist]
“Treehotel” Cabins Offer One-Of-A-Kind Lodging in a Bird’s Nest and UFO
Playful Furniture Design Looks Like a Giant Comfortable Birdsnest
Cleveland Library’s Massive Reading Nest Made of Pallet Boards
Solar-Powered Safari Lodge Provides the Perfect African Escape in Nature
The post You Can Stay Overnight in This Bird Nest Villa Built Above the African Wilderness appeared first on My Modern Met.
Portrait of the night owl.
No, an illuminated manuscript is not a book that lights up, but rather a visual way of articulating letters and inserting imagery into text. Especially popular during the medieval period, religious texts were the primary recipients of decorative borders and letters tinged with gold and silver. However, increasingly over time, secular texts were also illuminated and now one of the most intriguing illuminated manuscripts, The Aberdeen Bestiary, has been digitized for close examination.
Created around 1200—and once owned by Henry VIII—The Aberdeen Bestiary is one of many of its genre, which was especially popular during the Middle Ages. Given how closely man worked in conjunction with animals, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that such a text would exist. Bestiaries, which originated in the Ancient World, are manuscripts that contain flora and fauna, typically giving a moral tale next to each entry.
Often used as a teaching tool, bestiaries reflected the Christian belief that the everything in the world is touched by God and has its own special meaning. So what makes The Aberdeen Bestiary so particular? For one, its lavish illuminations in gold are extraordinary, as most bestiaries were not illuminated. It begins with the creation story from the book of Genesis and then moves into descriptions of animals such as a lion, panther, and elephant. Not the typical animals an average medieval citizen living in Europe would encounter, but describing local species was not the aim of this manuscript, which was used for moral teaching.
The Creation of Birds and Fishes.
Everything from dogs and eagles to trees and humans are described among the pages of The Aberdeen Bestiary, which for all its lavishness, was never finished. In fact, the new high-resolution images taken by the University of Aberdeen show that the manuscript is most likely the work of many scribes, who wrote annotations and corrections in the margins. It’s thought that the manuscript was meant for a wide audience, but was picked up by the king’s scouts as they rummaged through a dissolved monastic library for treasures.
Now, The Aberdeen Bestiary has returned to its original intent, with the university releasing incredibly detailed scans online. Each page is accompanied by a transcription and translation from the original Latin, as well as commentary from researchers. A fascinating glimpse at the artistry of these craftsmen and the belief system of medieval Europe, it’s well worth flipping through the manuscript’s pages.
Eagles fishing and plunging into the rejuvenating spring.
The leopard
The dragon strangles an elephant.
Dog dropping his meat after seeing his reflection and dogs licking their wounds with their healing tongues.
h/t: [Open Culture, Hyperallergic]
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World’s Oldest Multicolor Book, a Chinese Calligraphy & Painting Manual, Now Available Online
The post Medieval Illuminated Manuscript Exploring the Majesty of Animals Digitized and Placed Online appeared first on My Modern Met.
Below is my column in the Washington Post on the movement to remove President Donald Trump through Section 4 of the 25th Amendment. Richard Painter, the chief White House ethics lawyer under George W. Bush recently declared the “answer” to Trump suggestion of a Democrat and Russian collusion in the election is “Amendment 25.” Previously, Painter […]
via Unfit or Unpopular? Trump Critics Turn To The 25th Amendment To End His Presidency — JONATHAN TURLEY
Knowing how to live a balanced life is a great thing for your mental health. It’s not a matter of having complete control over your life, but about finding what works best for you. It means not feeling like you’re being pulled in several directions all at once.
A balanced life can make you feel more content and calm. You’ll have more motivation and ability to move forward with your plans. You don’t feel so down about everything all the time.
So, read on below and find out how to start balancing your life today. Hopefully, these tips can help you be more grounded and better-rounded individual.
There are two kinds of elements you need to balance if you want to start your new life. These are inner and outer elements. When one focuses more on one kind of element, an imbalance happens. And of course, you wouldn’t want that to happen.
External elements are your social circle, including family and other relationships. The list also includes your work, hobbies, and your activities. On the other hand, internal elements refer to your inner self. The thoughts in your mind and the workings of your heart are what comprise your internal elements.
Obviously, focusing on just work, relationships, and external activities would leave you with a massive spiritual gap. On the same note, it is also simply not practical to have your mind and heart reflecting on themselves all the time. After all, you have to experience life.
With that, you should strive to focus on both your internal and external elements. This can involve challenging your mind with intellectual pursuits or satisfying your tummy with delicious and healthy foods. As for your heart, it is best if you open yourself up to love, hope and joy. Exposing yourself to bitterness and hatred would soon starve your heart and it can affect you physically, too.
If you are lagging behind in your work, seek to motivate yourself. Don’t settle for less. Know when and how to give yourself the respect that you deserve. Give time to your family as well and remember these connections are for life. In the same way, you also need to pull back from those relationships and seek to foster bonds with those who are worth it.
See Also: 3 Simple Steps to Balance Your Emotional State
It’s essential that you look at your present life in order to work out its kinks. This can help you discern the amount of imbalance you’re currently experiencing. What are you neglecting and what could you make better?
Taking proper stock of your life would help you see which way you’re leaning. Are you listening too much to your heart and not enough to the practical aspects of things? This could make you a very shabby decision-maker.
Are you following every rule to the letter? It’s probably the reason why you’re not giving yourself a break every now and then.
Once you know where you need to improve, write out your goals. What tasks do you need to accomplish every week, month or year? What worked for you before? Do you think that would work again?
Planning all of these things out will help you create a proper and an effective plan of action.
Think about your achievements up until now. Focus on your mood and your motivation, which led to your success. Once you’ve gotten hold of that feeling, don’t let it go.
You must have dealt with some fear and doubts back then, too. If you were able to handle them then, you can handle them now. Get some real motivation and some valuable lessons from your past self.
See Also: Time to Break the Cocoon! 5 Great Tips For Finding Motivation
When you look at achieving balance, anticipate the obstacles. Expect some negative feelings, doubts, and second-guessing. Once you know all your inner tricks that throw you off balance, prepare for a counter-attack. This way, you would be more kind to yourself in your balancing process.
When searching for balance, have a supportive person nearby. This could be your closest friend, a relative or your spouse. See which person provides the healthiest support and stick with him/her.
When you have a companion, the journey becomes easier. It will help you become more aware of your process and make more sense of it.
Once you finish instilling the above tips in your life, you’re on your way to becoming more balanced and grounded. You would hopefully soon notice your productivity going up and your frustration coming down. This is an excellent exercise if you are consistently finding life slipping away from you.
The post 7 Ways On How To Live A Balanced Life appeared first on Dumb Little Man.
With snow already accumulating on the Sangre de Cristo mountains, fall is coming to an end at Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve in Colorado. The cottonwoods along Medano Creek are losing their golden leaves and frost greets the morning. Soon, the tan dunes will put on their blanket of winter white. Photo by Patrick Myers, National Park Service.
Sig Nordal 