ive found that probably the cheapest land in the world is in brazil's cerrado region with $500 per acre. this is frontier country and the government is selling it cheap to encourage agriculture. one day i might settle down there. saving up money for a short time would give me more than enough to buy a sizable amount of propierty and i could have my own person farm like i've always wanted in open unspoiled county where i will have all the peace and solitude i could ever want. i could engage in all the projects that i dream about. i'd loving to play around with breeding cattle. there are several beautiful breeds out there that i would love to collect and selectively interbreed to get cattle with an interesting combination of traits. with several acres of land i could have several small herds and i could selectively cross different breeds for more aesthitically pleasing cattle.

now this is an absolutely beautiful brahma bull from india. look how massive and beastly this animal is. look how well muscled and proportioned he is. the hump is massive the dewlap is long and frilled. this is a powerful and regal animal. i could probably find brahmas in brazil, zebu cattle are common there. i wonder if i could have animals like this imported to my farm in brazil. that is a big damn bull, but not neccessarily a block like beef cube in some of the overbred cattle. i think its a beautiful animal and i would like breed brahmas to look like that.

http://www.travelpod.com/travel-photo/amanda_india1/1/1268071500/brahma-bull-surveys-his-ghat.jpg/tpod.html

heres a link to another massive and very impressive brahma bull in america. i love the horns on this bull, you normally dont see horns that big on a brahma i would like to have stock like him in my cattle herd but i'd like to improve the color and surface texture of the horns. it'd be nice if they were clean and shiny looking with deep black tips like some other cattle breeds. i love the coat color. i really like speckled cattle, a trait i would definitely like to breed for and increase in attractiveness if i can. i've got to say i'm impressed with the bone structure of the head, its massive and it has a lot of character, ths looks like a powerful self possessed animal almost wild in that it looks like domestication hasn't weakened the power and nobility of the animal at all.  http://www.flickr.com/photos/unhandledexception/2914396198/

heres a brazilian brahma. these are very lean graceful boned animals not like to bulls mentioned above at all. i found this body type interesting also. they look elegant with the pure whiteness and the long graceful legs and necks. i'd like to breed these cattle to increase these features. it may be interesting the cross the large heavy brahmas with the lean slender ones. i wonder if i could breed the females to only take the lean graceful from and the males all big and beasty.


http://organizacionrichard.com.mx/

i definetly want to add long horn cattle to my breeding stock. these cattle often have beautiful speckled and brindled coats and long gracefully cruved shiny horns. i'd like to have a small herd of them that have bred to show these features to the best effect. i'd breed the most speckled the most gracefully curved horned cattle i could. this one has long nicely curved horns and a beautifully speckled coat but i dont like the how low set the horns are, this cull should be bred with a cow that will raise the angle of the horns just a little.


http://www.stottshideawayranch.com/Default.aspx?ID=12158&Title=ScientificBreedingProgram

salvinia is a floating water plant with very small lily pad like leaves. it would be perfect for my vivarium or for a miniature pond bonsai type thing. i found some for sale on ebay and apparently several species are invasive species throughout the southern u.s. so i should keep a look out but i cant recall ever seeing this plant growing anywhere i've been.

the african pygmy dormouse would be perfect for my bonsai island project. they would look just like little squirrels. but i dont think i could get them here in the u.s.

i want a light and stylish but not too showy jacket to wear in the summer that will give me comfortable pockets to keep my hands in.
heres a jacket from http://www.jpeterman.com/Mens-Jackets-Vests/Victoria-Falls-Jacket for $149.00



the pockets arent the kind i can keep my hands in but its a nice cut the labels arent too long. it doesnt look too formal. it looks like a jacket i can go around in on a daily basis without getting too many stares.
now heres just about what im looking for. single layer of fabric not insulation not dressy something that i could wear like a longsleeved shirt in hot weather. and has bottom pockets. though still these arn't the kind i can keep my hands in. from http://www.sierratradingpost.com/p/,2266K_Powder-River-Cotton-Canvas-Jacket-For-Men.html $49.95.


the bomber style i close to what i want. ive seen several of these on google made from lightwieght not thermal fabric. and they have the nifty pockets. i should shop around agriculture supply stores and men's clothing stores like eddie bower for the working style lightweight jackets. the more casual stylish jackets i may be able to find at buckle in fayetteville.

velvet worms have be kept moist and like temperatures around 64-74 F. i wonder if i could keep one in a refrigerated glass case like they use for food displays in grocery stores. that way i could control the temperature and humidity and still be able to see the velvet worms and there habitat. i'd like to make a planted natural scene covering the bottom of the display case to give the velvet worms a more natural environment to live and breed in. i could find cool weather plants and lots of mosses to grow in the cooler. i might be able to rig up a waterfall and pump feature to provide a water source. these things normally have drainage grills to collect condensation. i'll probably have to set some kind of liner to keep the moisture and water from constantly flowing throught the grill or i could incorporate that into the water fall feature if the grill isnt big enough for the velvet worms to escape through. i could affix fine wire mesh on the bottom side of the grill some nothing as big as even a baby velvet worm can get washed down it. i'd have to rig up some kind of guttering system so that the water collects and flows to an aquarium hidden behind or in the base of the display case. i could put a pump in the aquarium and run a hose to whatever water feature i built in the display case. water fill flow from the hose hidden by a piece of wood or rock and flow down a little artificial stream and disappear down the grill in the front of the display. i'd have the perfect little natural scene. heres one from http://www.housewaresonly.com/omcan-food-machinery-bakery-deli-refrigerated-glass-food-showcase.html?productid=omcan-food-machinery-bakery-deli-refrigerated-glass-food-showcase&channelid=NEXTA for $2,000.00



if im lucky i will find an old one that still works at some antique or thrift shop for alot cheaper.

bonsai island pets

birds:
asian blue quail (coturnix chinensis) 12.5-14 cm
canary (serinus canaria) 12-20 cm
zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata castanotis) 10 cm
as far as my research can tell me zebra finches are the smallest bird i am likely to find in captivity and be able to afford. it also happens to be sold in every pet shop ever. its not a bad choise. it has colorful plumage and the beaks in robust and impresive. they kinda of make me think of little dinosaurs.

lizards:
reef geckos only get about 2-3'' long
yellow headed gecko 4" long
the mediterranian house gecko 4-5" long
dwarf sand gecko 3.5-4" long
viper geckos 3-4" long
mourning gecko 3-4" long $30 + shipping $50 = $80 each at http://www.chaoticnightsreptile.com/forsalenow.php
dwarf chameleon (Rieppeleon brevicaudatus)  2.5-3" long $18 each at http://market.kingsnake.com/detail.php?cat=52&de=765879
viper geckos are my favorite miniature gecko, i'll try to get a pair of those. if pet shops cant get me one and ordering online is too expensive then i'll try to get a reef gecko, dwarf chameleon, or mourning gecko. but the more i look at the pictures for miniature fauna for a miniature island it will have to be between the mourning gecko or the pygmy chameleon. i'll choose which ever is cheapest and easiest to aquire.

nothing says miniature dinosaur like a pygmy chameleon (Rieppeleon brevicaudatus) $25 + shipping $50 = $75 each at http://www.flchams.com/inventory_all.asp?id=1027

a mourning gecko would make an interesting monitor lizard or crocodile looking animal


now if only i could find a 3" deer for them to prey on them it would be perfect.

mammals
african pygmy mouse 1-3" long

i daydream alot about one day owning my own island. it would be my retreat from the rest of the world it would be my own little world. i could fill it with all kinds of exotic plants and animals so that the entire island is a fantastical garden. since i'm just a poor college student who daydreams instead of doing his work i have decided to make a bonsai island. a miniature of my wildest dreams. i probably wont be able to do it while i live here in this appartment. where-ever i move to once my lease is up i will be able to start on this project. i'll have to buy a large low table especiall for this purpose and position it in front of a window. i can go to any second hand shop and get a cheap table. it should be rectangular so that it will sit close against the window to take advantage of all the availible light. i can make a large shallow dish like the one above out of concrete. it will be deep enough only to hold half and inch of water. the island will also be made of concrete with large rocks inserted in it to make natural looking topography. instead of a group like the picture above i will make one central island and i will design and plant it to be what i've always wanted. i can sprinkle sand on the wet concrete to make the beaches. i can plant my leptinella, irish moss, ficus and other miniature plants to make it look like a natural miniature landscape. if i have to money i may even try to keep small animals on the island. there is a miniature chaemelion and miniature gecko. what would be really cool. if i keep animals in it would be to have a giant glass dome to cover the island. that would be awsome.
something like this would be ideal. its an antique lighted case that sold at an auction for $150. http://www.antiquehelper.com/item/314572


if i could just find a cheaper large display case like the kind you find in grocery and department stores that would be ideal.


i found a new wood case for about $1200 on http://www.fixturesgroup.com/content.php?parent=wood_cases&type=products&parent_menu_name=Fine Hardwood Display Cases&title=Full/Half  Vision Showcases&product_id=381
heres one from http://www.storesupply.com/pc-12894-751-6-metal-framed-full-vision-display-case-65562.aspx for only $364

man i want a velvet worm. i found a breeder online selling them for $60 each. but apparently you have to keep them at a temperatue of aroung 50-60 degrees. i could probably do that with my minifridge. i'm not using it anyway. but that kinda ruins it. i cant keep them were i can see them whenever i want to just peer in the cage. i enjoy keeping natural looking enclosures complete with plants and natural materials. expensive too. maybe one day i'll be able to afford a giant glass enclosure with a cooling system, plants, a moss carpet, a waterfall and my own population of velvet worms. i should go ahead and do my soon to be late assignment so that one day i will be able to afford it and that day might come sooner.

next time i get a chance i should have the petshop in fayettville order me some cherry shrimp

for primitive plants i should get some trees from the family araucariaceae.
here is araucaria heterophylla or norfolk island pine


araucaria araucana




araucaria augustofolia


heres an interesting araucaria hetereophylla, norfolk island pine, bonsai

norfolk island pines are the easiest plant in this group to obtain

i want more primitive and otherworldly plants. i need a cycad nothing is as distinct and ancient looking as a cycad. cycas sexseminifera is one of the smallest commercially availible species.

it would look really cool to have a little cycad about this size with a little trunk. without the truck cycads just look like palms. its the scaly squat trunk that makes them look good and ancient.
i could get seven cardboard cycads for $11.35 on ebay. but i could more easily pick one up from walmart.
i've always been interested in the north american native coontie zamia floridana. there is a seedling for sale on ebay for $3.75.

here is a very very nice coontie as a bonsai specimen. theres no telling how old this plant is but the trunk is beautifully scaled and the leaves are so numerous thickly packed on the stems. i love the anciest look of this plant it has so much character. i may have to get a cootie then.

this is a canary island date palm. this is beautiful and very distincitive. i want one.

my utricularia sandersonii is growing well. its not growing terribly fast but its started to put our the first new stems since i've gotten it. i wonder if something is wrong with the soil. i woul have thought it would have grown alot more than it has. it doesnt seem to want to colonise the soil i planted it in. its sending shoot up itstead of out. there may be too many nutrients. it is a standard potting mix. the acidity may also be too high. most people grow it in peat moss which is low in nutrients and very acidic. maybe i could just squeeze the juice from old coffee grounds on it to give it an acidity boost.

the plants in my vivarium arn't growing. i suspect the humidity isn't high enough. most of the plants are in a epiphyte type situation with the plants mounted on pieces of wood. they dont have much soil to hold moisture. and the water at the bottom of the tank has no way of getting to the plants above it. the easiest thing to do would be to get the cheapest pump i can find and run a tube behind the background and let the water from the tube trickle down the wall. where can i get the cheapest pump. ebay, lowes, and walmart seem like my best bet. ive found a fountain/aquarium pump with a current bid of .99. i wont bet that at lowes or walmart assumeig no one else bids.

i wouldn't mind useing stones like these. i could probably find them at walmart or most craft supply stores.
i also i like the green of these stones

i could also use broken china. i've entertained thoughts of stone masonry for a long time. i've been very interested beautiful old buildings and the designs of the carved and cast stone ornamentation. buildings used to be so stylish. i should study some of the decorative accents i find most attractive, i should take pictures of buildings i see and post pictures of buildings i find online. then i should try to recreate the decorations on the planters with concrete, tiles, and stone. i've have a strong attraction to blue grey stones masoned together to form a wall. i'd like to make a planter with the outside decorated with small round bluish-grey stones set into the concrete to look like they were masoned together. i could coat each of the stones with epoxy so that the stones alwasy look wet and glossy which will bring out the color.

the habitat for humanity store in goldsboro has tonnes of decorative tiles lying around, i could get a bunch of them for a project like this.

cement tile planter

i found instructions for making a cement planter with tiles set into it at http://www.thegardenartforum.com/sb/index.php?mod=content&id=89&hid=30&itemid=
this is beautiful and i tried something similar last night but this method is much better. i have alot of random rocks that i have habitually collected over the years. it would be a great way to find a use for them to set them into a concrete planter. i have many ideas for bonsai projects and i just cant find the right pots but i could make my own decorative pots with concrete and all the rocks i have laying around. i need long low planters that will fit on the window sill. i'd like to do some landscape type bonsai plant displays. i have tonnes of petrified alligator scutes that i get from a place on the river. it would look awsome to have a planter completely covered with the black dimpled scutes.

bonsai

i'd really like to make a mountain landscape style bonsai. the king with a large interesting craggy rock placed in a shallow tray of water with small bonsai plants growing in the crevices. like the picture below.

i have'nt seen any interesting rocks around lately but there is a lot of interesting pieces of wood laying around. i could substitute a piece of driftwood and have small trees and other miniature plants growing in the crevices. use driftwood with bonsai is usually used for a different style where you train the living bonsai tree around a piece of driftwood to make it look older and more narled. heres a beautiful example.

that would be interesting it self to grow a bonsia on driftwood. i have a bonsai ficus. i dont like the shape of the truck maybe growing in or on an interesting piece of driftwood would give it a more appealing shape. i could start it out as growing in a crevis like the mountain bonsai, eventually (after a very long time) it will grow into the driftwood and may turn out looking like the bonsai above. though depending on what i can find laying around the bonsai might end up with a more gnarled interesting base instead of a gnarled trunk like the tree above, if i let it grow out of the piece of wood instead of training it to grow along it.

now this is an interesting one i wonder if i could do something like this with an interesting piece of wood. if it looked as good as this one i dont think it will matter if the landscape appears to be a giant piece of wood instead of a rocky cliffs. wood would probably be easier to grow moss on and it would hold more moisture.

i have an unused rectangular cocofiber planter.

i'd like to use it to grow plants in my vivarium. i'd like to build a light framework hidden inside and place it along to one side against the side wall in the aquarium. i could affix the framework to the the false background that covers the back side of the aquarium with screws. the frame work will help to keep the cocofiber mat's shape so i can put soil in it without it going limp. i have a couple of inches of water in the aquarium. i dont want the planter to sit in the water. the soil would get too wet to grow the plants i want in. so i'll attach it to the back wall so that it sits just on the water's surface. i'll have to give it little legs to help support the opposite end. by sitting the planter just on top of the water the soil won't get too wet for the plants but they will be able to suck up what they need. this would be ideal to grow a young miniature tree fern in and give my aquarium a natural tropical appearance. at least i hope i will be able to make it look natural. it would be more natural for the top edge of the planter to slope from the aquarium side wall down to the water line. like a stream edge. i could construct the inner framework to make it slope with just an inch of lip along the water's edge to keep the soil and the water seperate. some of the frame will have to be natural wood so that it looks natural. where the end of the planter meets the front panel of the aquarium i will have to attach pieces of natural wood to the bottom along the front edge. these pieces of wood will look like roots growing down into the water as from a river bank.

similar to the picture above but on a much smaller scale and just a couple of sticks hanging down from the front bottom edge of the cocofiber planter. this make it looks more natural and not like its just floating mysteriously on top of the water

“Life in this world,” he said, “is, as it were, a sojourn in a cave. What can we know of reality? For all we see of the true nature of existence is, shall we say, no more than bewildering and amusing shadows cast upon the inner wall of the cave by the unseen blinding light of absolute truth, from which we may or may not deduce some glimmer of veracity, and we as troglodyte seekers of wisdom can only lift our voices to the unseen and say, humbly, ‘Go on, do Deformed Rabbit . . . it’s my favorite.’ ”
from Small Gods by Terry Pratchett.

this is a parody of Plato's Republic, Book VII.

wow i have a really fat face. he looks nothing like me. the bone structure is very different his face is very flat. the top half of my face has a strong slope away from the tip of my nose. his face just apears flat, especially how his forehead is so tall and flat. i look very young and boyish by comparison. his eyes are small but not the same shape as mine and his eyebrows arnt as wide and arched. man my forehead looks round by comparison. i look very infatile, small fat face, big round forehead.

heres a good close up of a fat tom hanks and me.

the more i look at my face and compare it to the other pictures i've posted the more i percieve a slight negroid look to my face. the little eyes and the large visible nostrils as seen from the front reminds me of people who look mostly causcasian but who have a little african american ancestory. also i have a relitively fleshy upturned nose and the botton half of my face receedes towards my neck giving me a very short compact jaw and very little chin. the way my face projects forward at the middle around the base of my nose looks very odd to me. especially how far forward my upper lip projects while the rest of my face slopes away. this reminds me of the faces of australian aboriginals. if it wasn't for my intense keen eyes i'd say the projection of the middle of my face and the weakness of my chin makes me look like a caricture of a fat, stupid slob. like that guy from futurama.

compared to tom hanks i look like a small scared furry animal. i do look pretty asian by comparison. but in my opinion my picture also reminds me of the large bearded woodsman or trapper types, like haggard from harry potter. or this picture below. or atleast what i wish i looks like. by comparisson to this photo though, i just look fat and slightly crossed eyed.

heres a picture of a young tom hanks and the pictures i posted on anthroscape.

looks

i wonder how native american i look. i've been looking at the pictures i posted on anthroscape and been reading the responses. every one that posted has commented on my asian looks and how that could be attributed to native american ancestory. i go to school in pembroke, nc. this is the home of the lumbee tribe. most of the people here have mixed ancestory and claim to be native american. i wonder i come off as white or as a little native american. in my opinon i dont look anything like the pictures i've seen of pure native americans taken from one hundred years ago. but none of the lumbee looks native american to either aside from dark skin. i must admit that there is something about my face thats a little odd but i cant really place it. its my face im used to i dont know how i am perceived from anothers perspective. i am struck by my impressive eyebrows their very board and curved. i bet gives me a very intelligent appearance. i wonder if i look part asian to most people. that maybe why people keep commenting on the way i talk. it may seem odd for me to have a southern accent. but i dont know i've always thought i just look caucasian. but its seems hard for me to group my looks with traditional caucasian faces. i don't look particularily none caucasian but even for me my looks are hard to read. when i look at my self im struck by my small almost slit like eyes mounted by my expansive eyebrows and my huge forehead. i dont have a long face and thin nose or a long chin. realizing this i'm really starting to think i dont look caucasian, atleast my traditional concept of caucasian looks, except for my complexion. my small eyes and the way my eyebrows curve up make me look like a tiger. i could be a fat faced tom hanks.