20 Apr 2013
18 Apr 2013
16 Apr 2013
16 Apr 2013
15 Apr 2013
15 Apr 2013
15 Apr 2013
13 Apr 2013
11 Apr 2013

wherewevebeento:

farewell-kingdom:

Bottled History by Commoner

“Ray Gascoigne has spent a lifetime at sea as a shipwright and sea merchant. His memories and love for ships are made physical through miniatures he constructs with extreme care within old whisky bottles. Over the past 60 years he has built hundreds of replicas of ships from the past and present of maritime legend. Many were built at sea, in the lonely cabin hours of night, and Ray (now 85) continues his craft on land today” (watch video).

(via myhandmadehymnal)

Link to Source
Link to Source
6,712 notes
10 Apr 2013

todayinhistory:

April 9th 1865: The American Civil War ends

On this day in 1865, Confederate general Robert E Lee surrendered to Union general Ulysses S Grant at Appomattox Courthouse in Virginia, thus ending the war that had raged since 1861. The war broke out when the Southern states seceded from the United States and formed the Confederacy. After great defeats such as at Gettysburg and the destruction of Sherman’s march to the sea, the Confederacy realised they could not win. After Lee’s surrender, Grant defied tradition due to his respect for Lee and desire to restore peace, and allowed Lee to keep his sword and horse. Whilst more armies and generals had yet to surrender, Lee’s surrender essentially marked the end of the deadliest war in American history. The end of the war meant the abolition of slavery, preservation of the Union and began the era of Reconstruction.

Link to Source
Link to Source
270 notes
9 Apr 2013
rawlivingfoods: Seattle’s vision of an urban food oasis is going forward. A seven-acre plot of land in the city’s Beacon Hill neighborhood will be planted with hundreds of different kinds of edibles: walnut and chestnut trees; blueberry and raspberry bushes; fruit trees, including apples and pears; exotics like pineapple, yuzu citrus, guava, persimmons, honeyberries, and lingonberries; herbs; and more. All will be available for public plucking to anyone who wanders into the city’s first food forest. “This is totally innovative, and has never been done before in a public park,” Margarett Harrison, lead landscape architect for the Beacon Food Forest project, tells TakePart. Harrison is working on construction and permit drawings now and expects to break ground this summer. The concept of a food forest certainly pushes the envelope on urban agriculture and is grounded in the concept of permaculture, which means it will be perennial and self-sustaining, like a forest is in the wild. Not only is this forest Seattle’s first large-scale permaculture project, but it’s also believed to be the first of its kind in the nation. Read More

rawlivingfoods:

Seattle’s vision of an urban food oasis is going forward. A seven-acre plot of land in the city’s Beacon Hill neighborhood will be planted with hundreds of different kinds of edibles: walnut and chestnut trees; blueberry and raspberry bushes; fruit trees, including apples and pears; exotics like pineapple, yuzu citrus, guava, persimmons, honeyberries, and lingonberries; herbs; and more. All will be available for public plucking to anyone who wanders into the city’s first food forest.

“This is totally innovative, and has never been done before in a public park,” Margarett Harrison, lead landscape architect for the Beacon Food Forest project, tells TakePart. Harrison is working on construction and permit drawings now and expects to break ground this summer.

The concept of a food forest certainly pushes the envelope on urban agriculture and is grounded in the concept of permaculture, which means it will be perennial and self-sustaining, like a forest is in the wild. Not only is this forest Seattle’s first large-scale permaculture project, but it’s also believed to be the first of its kind in the nation.

Read More

(via beaversandcupcakes)

Link to Source
29,049 notes
8 Apr 2013
8 Apr 2013
eaglebadges: March 15, 2013 Mr. Wayne Brock and the BSA National Executive Board 1325 Walnut Hill Lane PO Box 152079 Irving, Texas 75015-2079 Dear Mr. Brock and Executive Board: Please find my BSA Eagle Scout medal enclosed. The decisions to return the medal is in response to the Executive Board to maintain its policy of discriminate against young men and adults solely based on their sexual orientation. This policy flies directly in the face of everything I learned from my time scouting and from my religious upbringing. I achieved the rank of Eagle Scout shortly before turning 18.  I joined the Boy Scouts when many people typically decide to leave the organization, during high school. My late arrival at scouting helped me to truly appreciate what scouting provided me as well as everyone I came in contact with during my career. During career I had numerous opportunities, including: a leader in Troop 222 (Montgomery, Alabama), Camp Counselor at Camp Tukabatchee, Order of the Arrow Trail Patrol at Philmont, International Camp Staff at Gilwell Park Scout Camp, and too many others to count.  During all of these opportunities I was always amazed at the diversity of the types of people.  I meet so many people from all over the country, with different religions, backgrounds, race, political views, etc.  To me, this was the greatest strength of the organization. The biggest lesson from these opportunities was, no matter who you were, how much money your family had in the bank, you could find a place in the scouts.  Later, when I learned I about the discrimination based on sexual orientation, I was very sadden and hoped that this would change and that the BSA would see the error and hypocrisy of this policy. I urge the Board to revisit its policy and to understand the error of this policy.  I truly hope this policy changes, but until that time I withdraw all my connections to the Boy Scouts of America. Sincerely, Matt  Thought it was about time to do this.  Despite all the work I put in and all the good times I had, not worth being associated with this organization anymore. 

eaglebadges:

March 15, 2013

Mr. Wayne Brock and the BSA National Executive Board

1325 Walnut Hill Lane

PO Box 152079

Irving, Texas 75015-2079

Dear Mr. Brock and Executive Board:

Please find my BSA Eagle Scout medal enclosed. The decisions to return the medal is in response to the Executive Board to maintain its policy of discriminate against young men and adults solely based on their sexual orientation. This policy flies directly in the face of everything I learned from my time scouting and from my religious upbringing.

I achieved the rank of Eagle Scout shortly before turning 18.  I joined the Boy Scouts when many people typically decide to leave the organization, during high school. My late arrival at scouting helped me to truly appreciate what scouting provided me as well as everyone I came in contact with during my career. During career I had numerous opportunities, including: a leader in Troop 222 (Montgomery, Alabama), Camp Counselor at Camp Tukabatchee, Order of the Arrow Trail Patrol at Philmont, International Camp Staff at Gilwell Park Scout Camp, and too many others to count.  During all of these opportunities I was always amazed at the diversity of the types of people.  I meet so many people from all over the country, with different religions, backgrounds, race, political views, etc.  To me, this was the greatest strength of the organization. The biggest lesson from these opportunities was, no matter who you were, how much money your family had in the bank, you could find a place in the scouts.  Later, when I learned I about the discrimination based on sexual orientation, I was very sadden and hoped that this would change and that the BSA would see the error and hypocrisy of this policy.

I urge the Board to revisit its policy and to understand the error of this policy.  I truly hope this policy changes, but until that time I withdraw all my connections to the Boy Scouts of America.

Sincerely,

Matt 

Thought it was about time to do this.  Despite all the work I put in and all the good times I had, not worth being associated with this organization anymore. 

Link to Source
64 notes
8 Apr 2013
Learned about this guy today.  Was checking out a new venture/farm/greenhouse/permaculture place today and one of my friends cut herself.  The folks running the place looked around and then found this guy, Common Plantain/White Man’s foot/Healing Herb.  Crush it or chew it a bit before putting on a wound or sting and it will help it heal.  Also lots of other good attributes.  Check out the link: http://www.woodrow.org/teachers/bi/2000/ethnobotany/common_plantain.html

Learned about this guy today.  Was checking out a new venture/farm/greenhouse/permaculture place today and one of my friends cut herself.  The folks running the place looked around and then found this guy, Common Plantain/White Man’s foot/Healing Herb.  Crush it or chew it a bit before putting on a wound or sting and it will help it heal.  Also lots of other good attributes.  Check out the link:

http://www.woodrow.org/teachers/bi/2000/ethnobotany/common_plantain.html

1 note
7 Apr 2013