danu_mustelidae

Finally got to uploading my website. Some of you reading this will probably know I've had it finished for eons - in fact, it seems ancient already, even without truly having been used. (C'est la vie, fellow web spinners/coders.)

It took me a long time to recuperate and muster enough mastery of the recording process to get something to a state where I could say, 'Okay, that's enough stuff that didn't require me to do any actual hard work'. It's some sort of audio sketchbook, and if you like this pretend-single you can download it off the site. Yay for you!

It feels good to get past what feels like a big first step, and get to prepare my studio (err.. apartment) for the upcoming ideas that I'm all jazzed about. I'm looking into native american flutes and banjos, to combine with a good snare drum and my electric guitar. Going to be pretty folksy rock and roll, I imagine.

Please buy my minks, I need the money XD 

£15/$30 for the normal ones £20/$40 for the one with the stuffed head. They are all case skinned and have masks, tails and back legs with paws included. Minks are the classic dark brown in colour.

Also a starling wing £3/$6

Also a rabbit mask £2.50/$5

Phesant feathers from last years shooting season 50p/$1 each buy as few or many as you like. I have about 10 in total.

Please pay by cheque, if your British, as the money will go straight in my bank account. With Paypal it has to sit in the Paypal account till it makes £50 which sucks XD So yeah Americans your fine to pay by Paypal as you have no other way, but Brits by cheque please. :)

Any questions or if you want pics email me: blackmane@tesco.net :-) :-)

Interestingly enough, I find myself in the Netherlands again for a couple of days of work and research. Luckily the work part has been done, with the monster fox and the buzzard now being finished. Tonight or tomorrow I'll take their photo's for the archive.

I'm hoping to make a trip down to the museum in Leiden where I hope to see the 'altar of Exomna';



A simple limestone altar, dredged up in 1960. Inscribed with the usual altar type text; "To the goddess Exomna Aunius Vitalis has fulfilled his promise, gladly and with reason". Before this inscription was found this possibly Romanized Celtic goddess was unheard of within the region. With it was found a statue of the Roman god Mercury, leading archaeologists to believe this tablet was in a place where many gods and goddess were worshiped.

Her name means 'without fear', and I've found myself craving more information once more.

Plus, I want to make some sketches of design-work in coins and jewelery. I'm feeling inspired


EDIT:
INGRID BETANCOURT HAS BEEN FREED!!

After 6 years in the Columbian jungle she, along with 14 others, have been rescued!

Hello,

Someone referred me this group at  the cat_lovers community, He said you might help with the following inquiry.

We are putting down my cat, Lucy, this afternoon (she is very sick with Feline Leukaemia) and we intend to bury her remains in our garden. However, the hole is not that deep (approximately 50 centimeters/1.31 feet), since a further nterred plaque prevents so. We cannot afford cremation at this moment.

My mother is worried about possible odors/health hazards coming off the burial site. I think this could be prevented by adding some lime (calcium oxide) to the bag that will keep Lucy (one made of fabric, we are not using plastic), just like the one that is used for open graves.

If you have managed this kind of burial, do you think this could be a feasible solution?

Thanks in advance.

I just wanted to share the coyote skull that I've just gotten finished cleaning. I haven't decided if she'll be up for sale or not, but I am pleased with the cleaning job. Usually, I rush through them...this one, I spent some time on, and she sure does look pretty decent. :)

( 2 pics )

Thanks for looking. :)

Hey everyone I just started volunteering at a museum preparing specimens for research and I thought I would share some of the things I've done.

My friend found a bird that we'd like to keep parts of. It's already dried out and kind of mummified. We'd like to keep the skull,wings and feet of the bird,but we're not sure how to go about doing it. Any tips on what to do, and where to start? How do you clean the feathers? Is there any way to put the wings into a different position after they have pretty much dried out?How do you use Borax? If you could kind of go into depth on the process,it would be really helpful.:)  Thank you!

Boy, have I been spending the last few hours tallying, ranking and randomly catagorizing the results. It's been a tough job but somehow we here at Me Studios have managed to pull it off in the end. I'd like to thank everyone, that is, me, for making it all possible. Couldn't have done it without you!

Anyway, anclore got the most answers right, and he even got the bonus questions, which I've just decided were to be used as an unused tie-breaker.. even though he forgot the name of Papillion. And the other quote was from the Sopranos. Congratulations to EVERYONE who got that right! (To claim your prize, just state your wish in the comments field and I'll decide if I want to grant it.)

The random anecdotes that flared up when I was going through the 'questions' will replace the obligatory bloopers extra. So enjoy while I start off with the 7th list. You know, when I thought about lying about my age, it occured to me that I might be one of the few people that have only ever lied about my age to make me seem younger. And I don't mean that in the 'trying to be hip' sort of way, but to get cheaper train tickets. I'll admit, I have no shame on the matter. I've also caught fire, or to put it more apt, been set on fire. With a lighter no less. The perpertrator had previously confessed that he'd been dropped on his head a few times when he grew up. (And he wasn't quite through with that when it happened either - perhaps it won't ever happen!)

Having been called a bad influence a fair number of times, I'm pretty knowledgeable on the matter of the perception of good and bad influence.. and I've never ever seen it being viewed a bad influence to have been in an accident, having been herassed, fainted or renting an apartment(!). What's wrong with this list?! I speculate it transformed into the 'cool and vague meme guessing game' two minutes down the line.

You know, that doesn't really remind me of this local chinese restaurant that I like. They had their cooks brought into a SWAT cab by smug immigration police and an entourage of 9 (!) paperworkers and armed officers at lunchtime a few days ago. They put on a nice show of authority and all wanted to stand inside the 1.5 by 2 meters of kitchen. They thought this was a great display of executing the current centrist politics. It's hard for me to imagine being nothing more than the uniform you wear, but I guess quoting Fight Club might not work on some people. The people who are destined to remain, in semi-D&D terminology, Lawful Yes-Sir.

And on other news, being off topic on your own sensationalist quiz result is a bad show altogether. Fortunatly I don't really care!

Today we hiked around the Minnowburn area, and the Giant's Ring again. Something about that place just draws me there, if not just the sheer size of it. Plus, I think it's a glorious small distance walk, and I need all the small bits to kick Gareth into gear for some proper hiking.

The weather was incredible today. With a pressing sky and a strong wind gust every now and then, we set out towards the natural amphitheater. To get there you have to cross a field of cows...which was... well, lacking cows in general.

We crossed into the natural amphitheater to find it full of cows instead, and made our way across the field. What follows from there is a short hike up the road leading towards the Giant's Ring. Since the sky was about to fall down upon us we made our way forward, and before heading along side the barley fields we crossed the wishing/penny tree. A ever imposing dead tree, which has cracked like a miniature jig-saw all over. And into each available space locals leave coins offerings. We leave an offering every time we pass it as well, it just feels right to do so.



Trailing along side the fields of young barley, we passed some field workers along the way. They were tending the trail, and although their sound obviously sounded of electrical trimmers Gareth thought they were mini-bikes ;) We were coming close the second road, the one closest to the Minnowburn park. At the crossing of the fields and the road, a small black dog waddled towards us... and our hearts just dropped.

It was an elderly dog that approached us, and the side of his lip was bleeding. Upon closer inspection, half of his lower jaw just hung there, seemingly unattached. It looked like it was hit by a car. We held it, stroked it, and the dog sat down aside me. I stroke his neck, and felt two tags dangling. His name was Shubi. The second tag contained two phone numbers, a mobile and a home phone.

Neither of us brought our mobiles, and Gareth set out up the road towards the first house. I sat with Shubi at the edge of the field, and not long after Gareth came back from the house... no-one answered. Just at that moment a bus pulled up, which Gareth stopped to ask for a mobile. No such luck yet again. And then the field workers came down, and they luckily had a phone with them.

We phoned the house, and it turns out the owner was just up the road and she was coming down to get him. After some time, I left the dog with Gareth and walked up the road to meet the owner along the way. Turns out she did live in the first house. I called in, and the owner confirmed Shubi was hers.

As we were walking out, I asked her if his jaw had always been 'wonky'. She answered yes. I have to admit I felt a little stupid for calling in, when in fact it had always been this way. She then told me Shubi was 13 years old and had cancer. He was suffering too much, and she was waiting for her kids to come back home to say their goodbyes. He was going to be put down this friday. At that moment I just felt like crying, but the woman was obviously suffering from great grief herself so I held it in.

It felt oh so bittersweet taking this dog from along side the road, only for it to be put down in days. I'm glad he wasn't hit by a car, but I can't close the event as him being 'okay'.

I just pray to the gods to make his passing swift and easy.

So, since I'm pretty good at hyping my own nonsense, I have to say it people. It's your last chance to win a chance to win! Today's the deadline. Tomorrow's past the deadline, and at that time the winner of the me-quiz takes "it all" (all of, 100% of, aforementioned chance to win).

Just had to say that. And because that's great enough by itself, I'll breach with the conduct of continuity and just end this one with an embedded video of George Carlin without any explained rhyme or reason.

Granted, it's jewelry singular--technically, just a pin, and the pictures didn't turn out all that great. Even so, I think that it's a nifty piece, and I'm proud of it. It was a birthday present for my friend Gwen.

( steampunk pin )

Siobhan from DA made a little image, dedicated to Duncan. She's carving her first Tagua nut, and requested from reference images of curled up sleeping ferrets. I provided her with a sheet of sleeping Duncan pictures, and she was all inspired by his 'Celtic Knot' pose in the middle.

So much so, that she made a 'Sleeping Duncan' knot. How awesome is that? :D


Sleeping Duncan by ~Siobhan68

Hey all! Got this pile of pelt faces I don't know what to do with, and can't tell what they are. I was wondering if you guys would be able to help me identify what they are.

( Faces )

I know the one in the middle is an otter, any idea about the others? I'm guessing the little brown ones at the bottom might be mink.

Also, is anyone interested in buying these? I'm selling them for $10 each, no shipping if you're in the USA. I can barter with you for other items, like feathers, tails, bones, claws, crystals, fossils etc.

I know this is weird, but if anyone out there has some marvel comics in the compilation/graphic novel form they don't want anymore, I might be willing to barter for those too!

So what do you say guys... Whose faces are these!

Recent information packages from the Language Center at Queens University (AKA Hogwarths), has led me to Ulster Gaelic studies as well. In September I hope to be continuing language studies, but now I'm torn between Ulster Gaelic and Irish Gaelic both modern and ancient. The Ulster one is sounds so very nice, but behaves more like Scottish Gaelic.

I have until September, so it gives me plenty of time to investigate further. I do believe that taking on both will only damage the other as I'll start confusing things I'm sure.

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For the past couple of days I've been struggling with my website; http://www.graywolf-crafts.com

Don't get me wrong, it's by far the best web-design I've ever had, and I still get jitters looking at it.. but it's proving to be too much of a pain in the ass to upload and takes up too much time.

The website is under-going a re-haul. To make things simpler to navigate and update for me, and for the visitor to make it easier to purchase things and see what's available (hey.. trying to make a living here).

With a re-coding I figured it would be nice to present the public with a whole new website as well, but design after design hasn't given me that spark back. It seems that everything created in the lines of design work just doesn't cut it.

I'm at loss. I've drawn 4 different designs so far, spends days on knotworking banners and page headers and NOTHING is of my liking once integrated in the website.

Is there anyone out there with some nice pointers? Creative ideas? Input? Help?

plenty of taxidermy bits to look at, amazing museums (zoology and natural history)

Port Lymph:

monkey taxidermy in the endangered wildlife section before you go into the animal park:





London Zoo

They had an indoor bird santuary where they just flew around you, on the little picture box which you can usually use to view images, a bird had made its nest on the top, so we couldn't use it..



Horniman Museum: More under cut. Only a fraction of what was there, so much stuff.



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Hunterian Museum, thousands of specimens in jars, wasn't allowed to take photos so they are a bit naff as I had to do the sneaky sneaky. More under cut.



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Ipswich Museum, again only a fraction of the stuff there, more under cut:



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Okay, 2 Chinooks and a squadron of Apaches just passed over my house...

Is Al Quaida invading us or something ?

Yesterday I failed.
I had to wait at Leiden Centraal for my next train, and decided to check out de FRS. About a year ago on a similar journey I bought "The Librarian II". This time I stumbled upon part 1 of that same title. I never watched part 2 because I prefer to watch these things is sequential order. I'm funny like that.
So I bought part 1, feeling quite smug that I completed the sequence, and had 2 more DVD's to go see.

Just watched part 1. I now open my shiny "Librarian II" steel-case, 2 disc edition.
Any guesses what's on the bonus disc ?

Are there any other places aside from skullsunlimited that offer life size replica skeletons and skulls? Ebay's kind of a bust in that department that skullsunlimited is pricey like whoa... especially for some of those replicas, aka things-that-can-easily-be-reproduced-again-and-again.

Also seeking a posable, life size human skeleton replica. This place sold out. Any idea where else I could find one?

Hi guys!

I found some kangaroo claws (the bone and the... casing? what IS the nail called anyway? lol) and I was wondering what the best way of preserving the casing (without it flaking.) Would just clear nailpolish do the trick?

Also, what'd be the best way of cleaning them?

Thankies!