#3r's

Turning waste into an art is like magic.

So we went to a local thrift store today, and I saw this sign that you can hang on the wall. I wanted to get it, and while we were in the store I looked at the back of it. 

Apparently, it was made around 2008 by Target Corporation. As you can already see, it says the three R’s of minimalism.

I find this hilarious coming from Target, as they themselves do exactly the opposite of making efforts to “preserve the environment”- the thing that this slogan stands for. They encourage fast-paced consumerism like fast fashion, sell food that is packaged in utterly needless amounts of plastic, and worst of all, is still using single use checkout bags IN 2020. 

This phrase means, first of all, “reduce the amount that you buy”. Which, hands down, is not the intention of producing and selling this new sign, because it takes resources to constantly produce new stuff and this is, among many things, one of those cheap home decor items that are only designed to last or be used or enjoyed for so long. Target is also an example of fast fashion. Those types of garments and accessories are designed cheaply instead of durably, which means more resources have to be used to replace them more frequently.

The second R is “reuse what you have whenever possible”. Target has not implemented reuse systems for food like bulk bins. And going back to fast fashion, advertisements are used to frequently phase out certain styles of products even if they are perfectly usable, by selling stuff of a new style and advertising that everyone will be wearing/using it, it’s in trend. A trend that they change frequently. Both of these things lead to microfiber pollution, as many clothes are made of polyester, which is plastic fabric that releases tiny plastic fibers when washed. AND they are cheaply made. AND they are thrown out in situations where it is totally needless and some end up in the ocean to keep releasing more and more microfibers.

The third R is “recycle”. Now the order of these R’s is for a reason. You reduce consumption, so don’t buy way more stuff than you need, THEN reuse what you have, THEN recycle what you can’t reuse if possible. Not only do Target’s stores not have reuse systems and hinge on recycling the packaging they use, but also, only 1% of plastic packages are actually recycled. They do this to spur more plastic production, which serves solely to grind more profit. Recycling bins are generally only a tiny bit better than straight trash bins. Recycling rates do need to improve, but Target could do way more by implementing common-sense minimalism.

So this sign is clearly a throwaway home decor item that you buy to make your house look nice, and to make people feel better about the earth.

Gibside Walled Garden “Seed Pavilion” opening event

IS THERE ANY CURE?

GLOBAL WARMING is rapidly going very fast.

As a result, melting of iceberg in both poles are also melting very fast. in this case, as it melts, the water in the ocean is going up and up and up...  Now, what can we do to resolve this scenario?

One solution is to find Queen Elsa to freeze again the melted ices in both poles. But of course, fantasy do not really exist in this kind of scenario.

People might think to invent a humungous fridge so that they will put all the water so that it will be frozen in a blink of an eye. But of course we are not that stupid to assume that there is such kind of humungous fridge that can freeze melted icebergs.

Over New Years I was able to enjoy some awesome games of MTG: Commander (Also known to old school players as Elder Dragon Highlander) with friends and family. I thought I would take some time and share part of my own personal philosophy for building an interesting EDH Deck, plus shed some light on staples you may not be aware of.

Once again I'm going to assume you are familiar with the basic rules of MTG Commander, if you are not I recommend you take a look at the Official Rules before you read the rest of this article.

Anyone who knows the format is familiar with the intense power level that Commander brings to the proverbial table, Commanders themselves are generally fearsome beaters, capable of massive card advantage or provide utility that is rarely seen in constructed. Games last longer, and priority is given to both a sturdy mana base and generation of card advantage. I call my approach the 3R Principle: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. I'll dive into that today because although it seems small, without it your deck will run out of steam while others maintain their beatdown.

Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.

Card advantage is essential in Commander, woe is the player without cards in his hand and abilities to trigger when the game enters the home stretch. Card advantage itself is large enough to be a topic, but its important enough that I will touch upon the basics here. Each card you have in play and in your hand (in theory) represents a threat, either it's damage in the form of a creature or burn spell, counter-magic designed to lock-down an enemies threats or some other form of utility that helps you win. If you can use one spell to remove two of an enemies creatures, you gain a slight card advantage as your enemy used two cards and you destroyed them with one card. If you play a card that allows you to draw four cards for the price of one card, you have given yourself an additional three card advantage over your enemy.

Creatures that have come into play effects are particularly good at generating card advantage, usually you get a spell and a good chump blocker (or combo piece, or re-animator bait) for the price of one. Good examples include:

Acidic Slime is perfect for Commander, when you play it you get the immediate value of destroying an artifact, enchantment or land; plus you get a 2/2 Deathtouch that is capable of taking down even the largest of enemy beaters when they come knocking.

Karmic guide is my personal VIP for creatures with come into play utility. She's pro-black, flying and brings a creature directly from the graveyard to play! I don't think I have ever regretted drawing a Karmic Guide. She is also the perfect segue to the reuse topic. Being able to bring back a key card reliably is very important, that is where being able to reuse comes in. I will go into two types of reuse here, the first is reoccurring cards and the second is graveyard recovery. The first card I will show is a prime example of both.

Disturbed Burial is without a doubt one of the most efficient cards you could possibly put into a Commander deck, once you reach the requisite 5 mana to play it without losing it, you have a reliable method of fishing your dead creatures out of the graveyard and eventually back into play. The only real downsides are the high mana cost and the creatures still need to be recast from the hand. Buyback itself is a very powerful mechanic in Commander, and other notable cards include Whispers of the Muse (Which builds card advantage), Allay, Corpse Dance and my personal favorite:

Artifacts are a popular source of mana fixing, if your enemy lacks a beefy Artifact Creature feel free to dismantle his mana base every turn. Anything that can be used over and over again can turn the tide of battle in a long game. The next two examples are buffs that have a considerable amount of potential replay.

Excellent reusable tutoring meets

Cheap and efficient beatdown.

Both of these cards are excellent examples of cards that can be used over and over again. Unless your enemy happens to be packing a source of exile you are free to buff your creatures and search for spells over and over again. Other fine examples include all the recursion enchantments (Cessation, Sleepers Guile, Slow Motion, Sluggishness, Spirit Loop, Glistening Oil, etc.) and equipment such as Mask of Avacyn, Whispersilk Cloak and Champions Helm. Being able to reuse a card will generate a huge amount of card advantage over the long run, and it puts you into a stronger position as your enemies waste cards.

The final aspect of the 3R principle is to recycle your resources. Find ways to squeeze the smallest amount of use out of your cards before they are destroyed, if you have a Mogg Fanatic sacrifice it for one damage when your opposition sweeps the board with a Wrath of God. Hold useless extra lands in your hand, it pads your hand against random discard and keeps your enemy guessing what you might be saving. Plus it gives you some leeway if the board is reset. Add cards to your deck that can allow your cards to have one final chance at being useful... Fecundity, Grave Pact, Krark-clan Ironworks, Karmic Justice, Attrition and my new favorite: Martyr's Bond.