♡ Definite Hiatus ♡

The Department of Awesome Automata seldom gets an opportunity to show off, but today they’re pulling out all the stops with this breathtaking Silver Swan automaton. Housed at the Bowes Museum in North East England, this exquisite 18th century clockwork bird was designed by designed and built by John Joseph Merlin along with London inventor James Cox.

The life-size swan automaton swims in a stream made of moving glass rods along with small silver fish. When it’s clockwork is wound up, a music box plays as the swan turns its head from side to side, preening her silver feathers, eventually spotting a fish in the water and then bending down to catch it.

In effort to preserve this extraordinary creation, the Silver Swan is only operated once each day. But we can watch it as many times as we like thanks to this video:

Top photo by Ryan Gangan

weavemama:

Here are some tips on how to further use your voices about the election results and hopefully make a change. 

read the caption, hits the nail on the head

and the protest i was at the day before there was a VERY BRIEF chant of “black lives matter” that a group of white women, around my age (20), interrupted and turned into “all lives matter!” and were aggressively shouting that 

oh yeah at that same protest the police were threatening to arrest any protesters that were walking on the street and me being black i had to fucking abide bc i didnt wanna end up dead and this white woman pulled me back into the street and told me “dont let them win” like….girl….im trying not to die like…

I haven’t been there yet…but just talking to their HRT [hormone replacement therapy] line on the phone…

They used my respected name right off the bat. Called me Riley all the way through. Used he/him pronouns. Didn’t slip up once.

Asked me and “What’s your legal name? I’m sorry I have to ask that.”

Then asked me “Now is it okay if I send things with Riley Roswell to your home?” not wanting to out me accidentally

and then “Is it okay if I send stuff with planned parenthood labels on them or do you want me to be discreet about it?”

knowing there are people who could get in trouble with family or partners or others for going there.

oh my god i’m going to cry and they didn’t judge me at all

they were totally accepting and answered all my stupid fucking basic questions about hrt about what the appt was gonna be like

and she was so kind and so understanding

and she respected me so much and i was so happy

i can’t believe people like that exist in our world.

oh my god.