paolo roversi for w magazine's september 2013 issue

More from Iran:

Protest graffiti from around Iran.

Rebel from southern Algeria

French vintage postcard

all good novelists realize they’re nothing compared to musicians. and all good musicians realize they’re nothing compared to novelists

ALL good novelests and musicicans realize their nothing compared to porno Dvd's

do you jack off ?

Im not feeling good at all right now i need help badly

you will regret not buying pet insurance. heed my warning

enroll the animal when it is a baby/BEFORE it has a bunch of diagnoses. heed this warning too

ballerina margot fonteyn backstage during the roland petit ballet les demoiselles de la nuit

You ever see something innocuous, minding its own business on the clearance shelf at Michael’s and before you know it, it takes over your life for a few weeks?

So it was with this desktop greenhouse.

I took it home and after taking an appropriate time to “season” my idea in my mind (read: a month or two) I set to make my vision of a mini botanical garden a reality.

I started by removing the heavy glass panels and building a raised floor above the latch. I wanted to use the base as a foundation on the building.

I wrapped the foundation in plastic stone textured flooring (meant for Christmas villages) and built a pond at one end of the same. I then gave it a more realistic paint job and designed a rough layout for my plants and displays.

I also knew I wanted to make the ironwork significantly more intricate, but I wasn’t sure how just yet…

Up next - PLANTS! I went wild making all kinds of plants. Some were specific species and some were more conceptual.

I made several trees with polymer clay and moss, cacti out of beads and flocking, cattails out of raffia, hot glue and coffee grounds, and giant monstera leaves out of paper and wire.

This part should have taken me a long time, but it really came together fast. I loved finding ways to replicate natural shapes and patterns using bits of this and that.

I did make adjustments to my plans as I went like eliminating benches in favor of a simpler overall design.

Then I needed to fill my pond with water. For this I used resin. Lily pads were added to the top layer, and I wired in simple LED fairy lights. The batteries are kept in the box under the foundation.

In a weekend frenzy I added more plants, metal (paper) steps, new (plexi)glass windows, a roof, wrought-iron vines (paper again), doors that open, and a hose reel disguising the latch. Suddenly, a project I thought would take months was finished…

I love my desktop botanical garden. Right now it sits on a simple lazy Susan in my office. But I’d love to get it a proper display box to protect from dust.

Thank you for coming on this little journey with me. This piece packs a lot of joy into a tiny space. I always love building miniatures, and I’ll be doing more in the future I’m sure.

“The Crawford Silver Dragon”

A hand made silver Dragon made in solid sterling 925 silver. The head is detatchable to reveal the reservoir for the lamp fuel. The wick is formed as the Dragon’s tongue. The Dragon will burn for hours -source-

best animal names: unnecessarily judgemental edition

Btw, if you’re every really bored and want to do something nice, there’s a website that lists about twenty-ish elderly people, a small blurb about them, and an address that you can send cards to. It changes monthly and you can write whatever you want (even if it’s short or just drawings). Been doing it all month and it’s such small thing that makes me feel so good and I know is making others smile. Random ass post, but genuinely is making me so happy every time I do it.

I could burn your motherfuckin' village to the ground

I do not roll over like a motherfuckin' hound

I could crack your skull between these motherfuckin' thighs

I could doom your lineage with one look from these eyes

Salamandrina perspicillata, commonly known as the northern spectacled salamander or Savi's salamander, is a peculiar species that can be found only in Italy.

Above: the northern spectacled salamander in its defensive position

When the salamander feels threatened, it often displays a defense mechanism known as the unken reflex -- it curls its tail up over its body and arches its back, exposing the bright red markings that run along the underside of its tail, legs, and cloaca. These aposomatic markings serve as a warning to potential predators by signalling that the salamander is noxious or unpalatable.

Above: gaze upon the belly of the beast

When it curls itself into that defensive pose, the salamander's tail and body often form a complete loop, with the tail draping over its nose.

Above: this guy might be trying a little too hard

The males of this species have also been known to assume an upright position while searching for a mate, standing on their hind legs and using their tails to support themselves.

Above: the photo at the top shows a male northern spectacled salamander standing on his hind legs, while the photo at the bottom shows a female in a more typical pose

The northern spectacled salamander is a very small species, with a total length of just 80-90mm (about 3 to 3.5 inches) from the tip of its nose to the end of its tail. According to this article:

The adult males are completely terrestrial, dwelling only on land, but the females nest and lay their eggs underwater. The hatchlings then remain in the water for 2-4 months before emerging onto land.

Sources & More Info:

New bunny just dropped (prairie chicken)

i hit the blunt and immediately feel like a content aware scaled black cat

i do a weed and feel like this

get scrinkled idiot