Freij

Freije Known for their fringed ears, thick dark hair, and natural resistance the frigid temperatures of the north. Freije seals take on a white or pale-blue hue, contrasting against their dark skin. Typically asymmetrical and unique to each individual, they have been widely (and fittingly) remarked as resembling snowflakes and frost, consisting of radial pattern of crystal-like markings.

Matriar The military and naval prowess of Freij is recognized across Elothia, and its Matriar reflects that. As Leader and Admiral, She dons the military vestments of the region, although ornamented and embroidered to indicated Her regal station. She also carries on Her person, just as the officers under Her, a dagger and sabre. Typically these would be highly decorated commissioned works, much like Her chokha and kalpak. However the current Matriar has forgone the tradition, preferring to don and wield the standard arms of her men. As Impero recently saw a Patris leave the throne, Freij is likely to see one on theirs in the coming centuries as the current Matriar has only one son and seemingly no interest in bearing another child.

Czars State officials and Generals to Her Majesty. Much like the Matriar, Czars are outfitted in military garb and keep a dagger and sabre on their person. While still decorated to denote them as officers of import, it is not to the level of the Matriar.

Citizens Despite the high tolerance to the northern climate that they have become known for, Freije are born incredibly susceptible to the cold. Newborns are heavily swaddled in thick furs and kept indoors for the most of their first year. Even when younglings are finally able to be brought outdoors, they do so thoroughly bundled up, almost comically, in several layers of thick clothing and furs.

It's not until adolescense that the Freije's cold tolerance truly begin to build up. They begin to strip away their heavy coats, scarves and furs, and many, many, layers as the years proceed, and by their first century the typical Freije can brush off the low temperatures with far lighter apparel. To the outsider experiencing the bite of Freij's Spring chill for the first time, they may even look underdressed.

In opposition to this are the region's wealthier merchants, barons, and city officials. Setting themselves up at higher altitudes, far above the crowded docks and fish markets, even their natural resistance isn't quite enough to keep out the colder mountain winds. As a result, upper class Draken remain relatively bundled up well after maturing - a fact that's earned the ridicule of many common folk, thinking it make them look childish.

Bible Plants and Animals: vol. 1. Mammals. Written and illustrated by Harry Baerg. 1989.

Harry Baerg

Ayimach ᐊᔨᒪ, 2022.

ᓀᔭᐤ/Neyaw is Cree for: A Point of Land Jutting onto the Water and is an Indigenous fashion assertion presented as a ready-to-wear capsule collection.

Designer Jason Baerg is an Metis curator, educator, and visual artist. Dedicated to community development, Baerg founded and incorporated the Metis Artist Collective and has served as volunteer Chair for such organizations as the Aboriginal Curatorial Collective and the National Indigenous Media Arts Coalition. Creatively, as a visual artist, he pushes new boundaries in digital interventions in drawing, painting and new media installation.

Major Arcana: Temperance, Reversed

Written by @oftachancer and I for the @30daysofdorian event!

Masterpost | First | Previous | Next

CW: conversion therapy (aftermath); successful blood magic ritual; recovering from trauma; adopted children; attempted assassination

Rilienus’ tongue felt like a lemon peel, sour and oddly rippled and too thick for his mouth. Breathing hurt. He flexed his hands and found they tingled delicately in response, tiny needles gouging his fingertips. 

“There you are.” Baergeson, the Nevarran who had been helping with Felix’s potions and various ministrations, peered down at him through his thick lenses. “That was a nasty bit of work you had coursing through your system.”

“Rilienus?” Dorian roused from the chair next to the bed, his hair flat against the side of his head as though he’d been sleeping there. “Thank the Maker.” In a rush, he was kneeling at Rilienus’ side. “Your father woke up earlier this morning.”

“Hm.” Rilienus coughed weakly, easing up onto his elbows. “You- You’re okay?”

“I’m fine. Just worried.” He brushed sweat-damp curls back from Rilienus’ forehead. “Marius said you found him at the Senate? What were you doing in Minrathous?”

“Brought… evidence to Radonis.” He stretched his jaw tentatively. “Plini? Bella? Mada?”

“All safe. All well.” Dorian kissed his chin. “You both tumbled out of a correspondence portal in the study. Radonis. So you found what you needed?”

He nodded hesitantly. “I… It was important that it- He shouldn’t be on the council, with what- I had to bring it to the Archon. Can you understand?”

“You nearly died.” Dorian frowned, studying him. “In and out, you said. Nobody would know, you said.”

“Yes. Well.” He grimaced. “I saw your father.”

“You-“ Dorian hissed. “So that’s what happened.”

“I asked him to go peacefully. He was, as evidenced, disinterested.” He stretched his jaw again. “I should have waited. I- I was so- I wasn’t thinking.”

“You both could have died, Ril.” Dorian grimaced. “You’d have left Plini and Bella without a father. You’d have left me- I don’t know what to do without you. Do you understand?”

“I wasn’t thinking,” he repeated grimly. “I’m sorry. What do you want me to say? I saw him and it was all red and burning.”

“What did he say? What did you say to him?”

Rilienus closed his eyes. “He said you were missing. He said there were rumors I’d attacked you and then you’d gone missing.” How to tell this man that his father hadn’t seemed the least bit guilty nor regretful? How to tell him- “He said I didn’t understand sacrifice. I told him what I knew of sacrifice. I told him he could come with me to the Archon and seek mercy.”

“…and he did not.” Dorian dipped his chin. “A Pavus never fails.”

“He did.” Rilienus grasped Dorian’s chin, lifting it. “He did. I’m alive. You’re breaking free of his chains. He failed his plots. He failed you. Fuck him.”

“I wish he’d have gone with you,” Dorian admitted softly.

That. That goddamned heart. Too soft, Halward had said. Maybe it was. Too soft. Too full. Too strong. But that was part of him. That was part of what made Dorian quintessentially Dorian. Part of what made him think the way he did. Made him brilliant. Made him daring and impulsive. Made him powerful. “It would have been much less painful,” Rilienus agreed, bowing his head to rest on Dorian’s shoulder. “I want to see the kids.”

“I thought you would.” Dorian hugged him, rising to his feet. “I’ll go fetch them, shall I?”

Rilienus nodded slowly. “Pater- He’s… You said he was awake.”

“Yes. With a headache, but awake. Your mother made him eat a salad.”

“Salads heal everything.” Rilienus pinched the bridge of his nose. “Was it- Was it the same poison? Did we get- a sample? I need to add it to the evidence-“

“Ril. I don’t care about evidence.” He cupped Rilienus’ cheeks. “I care about you.”

“And I care about you. Which means I care about evidence. To keep you safe. To keep us all safe.” He brushed his lips against Dorian’s. “I need to write to Radonis. I need- Baergeson?”

“There may be some left from mixing the antitoxin. I’ll cork it for you.”

“Thank you.”

Dorian quirked his finger and parchment flew through the air, a quill and ink floating to rest on the side table next to him. “I’ll bring Plini and Bella. Do you need anything else, love?”

“You and a thousand gallons of apricot wine.” He caught Dorian’s hand and squeezed it. “You are exquisite and extraordinary. And mine. You’re very much mine.”

“I am,” Dorian agreed softly, a smile blooming across his face. “I’ll be back shortly.”

He took advantage of the time and silence to scratch out a weary note explaining his absence to Radonis: the timing and reasoning and perpetrator. It had to be done. He rolled the letter carefully and slipped it into the pocket that connected directly to Radonis’ vault. Just in case.

Plini launched himself across the room as soon as they returned, cuddling up against Rilienus’ side. “Papa. We went to see the honeybees today.”

“Did you?” Rilienus gathered him into his arms, resting his chin on the boy’s head. “I take it you enjoyed yourself. Did your pater show you the combs?” 

“He did! He showed us all inside the bee houses! There were so many! And Pater said that we call the main bee the Archon even though she’s a lady.”

“We do, indeed.” Rilienus kissed the top of his head. Light and wonder. Shy and sturdy. His son. The thought that he could ever look at Plini and want him to be anything other than the fantastical creature that he was, that he was becoming, was anathema. “Did your pater tell you that the first time he told me he loved me was over honeycomb?”

“Really?” Plini poked his cheeks, as though he were examining him. Bella stood with Dorian in the doorway, her hair in a messy braid, a leaf stuck to her cheek.  

“Really, really.” He held out a hand. “Bella? Did you have fun with the bees?”

“They have fuzzy, round bums.” She giggled, crossing over to him and joining her brother on the bed, her sticky fingers leaving stains on the sheets. 

“They do.” He squeezed her to his side. His. Two years ago, they’d been strangers. Now he couldn’t imagine a world without them. They were his. It didn’t matter a whit that they didn’t share his blood. What was blood in the face of love? Rilienus carefully plucked the leaf from her cheek. “You’re turning into a tree.”

“Like a dryad from the stories?” Her dark eyes lit with excitement. “Plin can already play the pipes like a goat-man.”

“Mmhmm.” Rilienus looked over her head at Dorian. His home. His family. “A dryad, a satyr, and a will’o’the’wisp. My triumvirate of forest sprites.”

“I’ll be back with your wine,” Dorian winked, as handsome as ever. He’d shaven away the beard in Rilienus’ absence, returning to his familiar curved mustache. “And some cinnamon cookies.”

“You spoil me.” He paused. “…you didn’t bake them, did you?”

Dorian rolled his eyes. “Your mother did.”

“Oh.” Relief. He met Dorian’s gaze with a little half smile, pillowing his cheek atop Isobel’s head. “Extraordinary,” he repeated. “Exhilarating.”

“I wouldn’t dare feed you anything I attempted to cook. I do like to have some self-esteem.”

“You made a wonderful salad,” Rilienus assured him with a little wink. “You can slice an apricot like no one else.”

“You don’t even like eating them sliced,” Dorian sniffed. “You like to eat them, skin and all, like a heathen.”

“Pater, can we have cookies, too?” Plini asked hopefully.

“One each, I think,” Dorian hummed thoughtfully. “You’ve both already had more than enough sugar, but I do think your papa’s return deserves a celebration.”

“Maybe you’ll sing for us?” Rilienus wondered, watching him. “Since it’s a celebration.” A celebration. Dorian’s father had tried to destroy Dorian, had tried to have Rilienus murdered, was still at large- but they were alive, they had each other. “What do you think?”

“Only if I’ve company.” Dorian crossed to him, pressing a kiss to his temple. “Welcome home, darling. We’ve missed you something fierce.”

Listen to the Land - Aylan Couchie Cut from Aylan Couchie on Vimeo.

Video documentation of Nuit Blanche 2019 site-specific video and audio installation created by Placeholders Collective (This cut shows components of Aylan Couchie's vignettes).

Placeholders Collective is: Ryan Rice (Founder/Curator), Jason Baerg, Logan MacDonald, Vanessa Dion Fletcher, Aylan Couchie

Filmed on October 5, 2019 at Fort York National Historic Site. Tkaronto, Ontario

Audio: Aylan Couchie and Blair Beaucage (copyright 2019) Recorded at Nipissing First Nation.

Lavender and Lace: Mother’s Tree stitched by Caitlin Baerg. Pattern designed by Marilyn Leavitt-Imblum.

“I stitched this chart from my greatx12 grandmother down to my grandmother (who I gifted it to). It is definitely a labor of love, that tree is huge! I chose to do birth names instead of married names to maintain consistency and those names will never/did never change.”

Somewhere Between a Forest and a Star, 2019

Jason Baerg (Cree, Métis)

Acrylic on Laser Cut Canvas

90 x 42″ (228.6 x 106.7 cm)

Those brief periods in time when the Carlotta and Christine Elissa skirts were made to match eachother...

...which is hard to maintain, as it’s not often they make new Carlotta skirts, while the Christine ones are replaced more frequently. If they change the design of the Christine ones slightly, you’ll soon have two different styles.

Also, many productions now get costumes from different sources, leading to two completely different styles for the leading ladies. So the matching skirts are usually seen in either brand new productions, or productions where both skirts were made at the same time. Or as in the US and Australia/World Tour: they keep making all skirts in the same style, with minimal changes.

Las Vegas 2006 (Geena Jeffries Mattox / Elizabeth Loyacano)

Royal Albert Hall 2011 (Wendy Ferguson / Sierra Boggess)

Hamburg ca. 1991 (Rebecca Spencer / Renée Knapp)

Toronto ca. 1990 (Irena Welhasch Baerg / Rebecca Caine)

World Tour ca. 2013 (Andrea Creighton / Claire Lyon)

Harry Baerg, 1989. https://www.instagram.com/p/Cc9aRQ_Msqx/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Sustainable Fashion and the case for Made-To-Order, customizable items

Googling “Sustainable fashion” yields 8.5 million results. So quite a relevant topic today. And it touches on both environmental and ethical labor considerations.

Environmental and labor practices considerations in the fashion industry

The fashion industry is considered as one of the most environmentally challenging ones. If either the 2nd most polluting industry in the world [1,2] after oil or the fourth-worst in terms of environmental impacts after housing, mobility, and food [3], it does not really matter much. 

When nearly 20% of global wastewater is produced by the fashion industry [5] and 20,000 liters is the amount of water needed to produce one kilogram of cotton, equivalent to a single t-shirt and pair of jeans [6] the environmental case is hard to miss. 

Every year more than 150 billion (and rising) garments are produced, equivalent to 20 new items per person [2]. 

With fast fashion clothes worn on average 5 times and kept for only 35 days (vs. 10 times for the average garment [7]) and, as an example, the average American disposing on average of 35kg of clothing per year [2], it is no surprise that about half of the purchased items are thrown away within one year only [7]. 

Also, some high-end brands send unsold items directly to incineration for fear of brand equity dilution.

On top of it, additional waste comes from transforming raw materials into fabrics, with cotton alone being the world’s single largest pesticide-consuming crop, using 24% of all insecticides and 11% of all pesticides globally [5], while another 15% of waste is left on the factory floor at the time of cutting [8].

As for labor conditions of those involved in the manufacturing of apparel and shoes, it would simply suffice to recall the tragedy of Rana Plaza [10] and how far we still are from equitable and fair labor practices even ten years later.

A more sustainable way forward, 

Fortunately, positive initiatives toward more sustainable fashion have been blossoming.

On the environmental side, recycling, rental clothes, pre-owned are words becoming increasingly common. However, all of this is no easy solution. Recycling is easier said than done; only 1% of items are actually recycled into new garments. Renting garments can apply to a few items but not to every-day basics. Buying pre-owned ones can marginally extend the lifetime of only durable enough garments and do not appeal to the vast majority of consumers.

On the labor side, despite the many initiatives announced to provide better working conditions in developing countries, the incentives to cut corners are still high as labor is a major cost item in the fashion industry.

An even better model: Made-To-Order + Customization 

Think of the following: a garment or a pair of shoes made-to-order, based on customer’s specs and crafted by workers being fairly paid to create long-lasting items in a country with solid labor laws. In one shot, no more overproduction and the pollution that goes with it (only what is ordered is actually produced), no more mass-produced items not matching market demand ending up in incineration facilities or landfills, no more waste associated with items not being worn or worn only a few times, no more labor exploitation, no more items that fall apart after being worn only a few times.

Matteo Altobelli, MBA INSEAD 98D Co-founder & Partner, Tilden

Article initially published here: https://www.jclutz.com/en/jc-lutz-world/2019/3/15/a-quick-guide-to-choosing-a-new-pair-of-sneakers-ak2cl-m2sc8-baerg

Sources:

[1] The Economist https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ko_BZhIpI1Q 

[2] Forbes https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesconca/2015/12/03/making-climate-change-fashionable-the-garment-industry-takes-on-global-warming/#78e7f25279e4 

[3] WRAP, 2017, Banbury, Mapping clothing impacts in Europe: the environmental cost, prepared by Sarah Gray http://www.ecap.eu.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Mapping- clothing-impacts-in-Europe.pdf 

[4] Permanent Style https://www.permanentstyle.com/2019/05/how-sustainable-is-luxury-bespoke-clothing.html?mc_cid=f646c6eb5a&mc_eid=b7989a9f72  

[5] UN [United Nations Partnership on Sustainable Fashion and the SDG’s]

[6] WWF https://www.worldwildlife.org/industries/cotton 

[7] GFA https://globalfashionagenda.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/GFA17_Call-to-action_Poluc-brief_FINAL_9May.pdf   

[8] EDGE https://edgexpo.com/fashion-industry-waste-statistics/# 

[9] European Parliament  https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/BRIE/2019/633143/EPRS_BRI(2019)633143_EN.pdf 

[10] Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2013_Dhaka_garment_factory_collapse  

[11] GFA https://globalfashionagenda.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Pulse-of-the-Fashion-Industry_2017.pdf 

[12] Traid.org https://traid.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/impacts_of_clothing_factsheet_23percent.pdf

Bible Plants and Animals: vol. 1. Mammals. Written and illustrated by Harry Baerg. 1989.

Challenge Day 204, Year 5 Baerg had been spacewalking for about as long as he’d been walking. There wasn’t much he didn’t know about zero-g movement in or out of a suit. On the ship, or stations , or planet side though he tended to being a little more clumsy. What I used: Muji Light Blue 0.38mm nib pen on Muji Sketchbook. What this is: Daily Character Design Challenge, 2019-12-15 Year 5 - No204a, by Jeff Stewart

Jason Baerg’s “Nomadic Bounce” — acrylic on laser cut wood. Sense of balancing weight with each piece of wood. The fragments forming a thunderbird, I’d say. Playful and powerful. • • @jasonbaerg #canadianart #indigenousart #contemporarypainting (at Idea Exchange - Queen's Square) https://www.instagram.com/p/B4pwdocA2UN/?igshid=r7xks2lkm2sm

The Importance of Record Keeping

The saskatoon accountant of any corporation tell the story of the company itself, both the good and bad, and where changes could be made to make things better. Revenue statements reveal the company’s current status, while the balance sheet creates a historical picture of the company's assets, liabilities, and equity over time. On the other hand, recordkeeping is critical for building a complete image and letting owners know exactly where they stand. Business owners may choose whatever recording method is appropriate for their business as long as it accurately displays income and expenses. Unless there are a few exceptions, the law does not require any particular form of recordkeeping. It really is about recording as much as possible, as accurately as possible. Continue reading to find out why record keeping is critical to your business's success! Accurate record-keeping will allow business owners to: 1. Properly Prepare Tax Filings and Returns: Accurate records are a must when sitting down to prepare tax returns. The records kept must substantiate the income, spending, and credits represented in the tax return. The records must be available for review by the IRS at all times. If the IRS examines a business’ returns, they may request any documentation for the items declared on the statement. The examination will be sped up if all documentation is present and accurate. 2. Manage Cash Flow: Cash flow is critical when it comes to the business valuation Saskatoon of any growing business. If the company expects to last long, it must have a robust cash flow that can withstand pandemics and other unanticipated occurrences. Accurate records help identify where money is coming in and going out and provide an exact forecast of the company's financial health. 3. Reduces The Chance of Fraudulent Or Inaccurate Transactions: A company must also keep track of incoming and outgoing transactions to pay invoices correctly and on time. This will assist in lowering the danger of fraudulent, inaccurate, or late transactions. Due to inadequate record-keeping, fraudulent or inaccurate transactions can go unreported for years, costing a company valuable resources and time. 4. Monitor Business Success: Records can show if a business is growing or shrinking, whether one product is selling better than another, which expenses can be eliminated or reduced, and how profits can be raised. Keeping proper records can also help answer profit-related questions and improve the business’ chances of running a profitable firm. Maintaining correct and up-to-date data is critical to any company's success. Many business owners put a lot of time and attention into their company's operations but sometimes overlook the necessity of proper documentation. A business owner who wants to get the most out of their investment will be keeping solid, accurate records throughout every year of their operation. Are you looking for a skilled personal chartered accountants saskatoon? Let Buckberger Baerg be that partner! Our unique blend of education, background, and experience means our team is constantly meeting the needs of those seeking attentive and personalized tax and accounting services.

Original Source: https://bityl.co/B4FG