This too shall pass

@valriden

21 , confused autistic bisexual i made this bitch over 8 years ago to look at a specific photo of Gerard way. so how the wheel of time spins

I can’t stop getting emotional about how tenderly a shepherd caresses his dog’s face on this marble sarcophagus from the third century

The dog’s face is just so lovingly crafted and it’s much more finely detailed than some of the other animals in the piece. The expression is pure contentment and devotion. This scene is a tiny portion of a huge elaborate sculpture but I really feel like the artist was trying to capture a specific emotion with these two. The way that you feel when you look at your dog is thousands of years old.

An extract from Cynegeticus [On Hunting (with Dogs)], by the Greek writer Arrian (86-160 CE), about his dog, Horme [Dash]:

While I am at home she remains by my side, and accompanies me when I go out, following me to the gymnasium, and, while I am exercising, sits by me. On my return home, she runs in front of me, often looking to see whether I had turned off the road; and as soon as she catches sight of me, shows symptoms of joy, and again, turns and trots in front of me. If I am going out on any government business, she remains with my friend, and treats him exactly the same. If she has not seen either of us for a short time, she jumps up repeatedly by way of greeting, and barks with joy. At meals she pats us, with one foot and the other, to remind us to feed fer. Having been beaten with a whip as a puppy, if anyone, even to this day, mentions a whip, she will come up to the speaker cowering and begging, and will jump up and hang on their neck, applying her mouth to theirs as if to kiss them, and will not let go until she is appeased. Now really I do not think that I should be ashamed to write the name of this dog; so that it may be left to posterity. [I] had a greyhound named Horme, who was of the greatest speed and intelligence and, was altogether excellent.

like there comes a point where you think something is fundamentally wrong with you. and then it turns out it’s just Friday and you haven’t washed your hair in three days and maybe you’re also just a little lonely and the combination of all three of those things is whittling a hole into your chest every time you breathe. but also the sun’s up. and you’ve survived everything so far, so you’ll survive this too, even if it hurts, even if you have to survive it many times.

hello I've just discovered Second Movement, which was an exhibition at the Barbican by Ragnar Kjartansso, and I'm obsessed

they did this for four hours every weekend during the exhibition

Screenprints by David Shrigley currently on auction

David Shrigley is a contemporary British artist known for his flat compositions that address the inconsequential and somewhat bizarre elements of everyday life. Finding meaning in snippets of text and overheard conversations, his cartoonish prints and drawings recall pages from the sketch book of a cheeky adolescent or an innocent child.

Give credit to the 30-year-old who worked on this for free and offers this service for free!

WHAT?!

I study graphic design and my tutor recommended and used this in his classes at art college last year, it’s so good it has SO many features for free, I really recommend it, even if you’re just trying to learn the basics of PS, such a wonderful thing <3

It makes me sad to see how common the hate for zoos is in leftist circles. To me, zoos are so symbolic of the determination and optimism in leftist thought that I often use these facilities as an example to keep me going. So when I hear fellow leftists wanting to abolish zoos it makes breaks my spirit a bit. Especially considering how necessary zoos are in the fight against the current environmental crisis.

I am the first to admit that no zoo is perfect. I have worked at a world class, accredited, non-profit zoo and it was FAR from perfect. The institution treated me and the other workers like shit. Burnout, lean staffing, and poor adherence to safety protocols resulted in poorer animal welfare outcomes for the animals. And this is a world class facility. There are many facilities out there that shouldn't exist at all that are hardly better than the menageries of feudal kings.

BUT

Zoos are vital if we want our ecosystems to survive the current mass extinction event.

No other type of institution on earth has saved as many species as zoos. From tiny snails to 1-ton bison, entire species have been returned to the wild thanks to their preservation in zoos.

There are approximately 40 animal species listed as Extinct in the Wild by the IUCN, most of which ONLY exist in zoos and aquariums. Many of these animals are only able to be taken care of because of the decades of animal husbandry science and institutional knowledge built up by our zoos and aquaria by working with other species.

There are many extinctions I cry for, but the ones that hurt the most are the ones happening in front of our eyes. The Javan rhino is all but gone. It's estimated that there would need to be about 100 rhinos for the species to survive genetically intact. There are now less than that, and none in human care. All it would take is a single tsunami or volcanic eruption and the entire population could be wiped out.

But if there were some in human care, if we had acted sooner and established a breeding population based on the centuries of knowledge we have of caring for their closest relative, the Indian rhino, we could have saved them.

So, when I see leftists talking about how all zoos are inherently destructive, I ask you to think ahead. To when polar bears, chimpanzees, or elephants go extinct in their natural homes, don't you want a place where we can save them? Where experienced animal care professionals can foster a population in human care so that one day these creatures can return to their homes? A global system of world class facilities dedicated to the survival of wildlife? So even more creatures don't end up like the Javan rhino; a species we could've saved if we'd had the will and the space to do so? If there had more zoos instead of less?

I'm not asking you to love zoos, I'm just asking that you recognize the practical necessity of their existence in the modern age. We won't survive the coming crises without other species. And they won't survive without us.

i mean this in the nicest way possible but some of you have too much pent up energy and use it to be rude online. go jack off or something, itll do you good. maybe exercise a bit if jacking off isnt your thing. clean your room, even.