286 posts
“Do not waste your time looking for an obstacle - maybe there is none.”
— Franz Kafka
“Love is more than three words mumbled before bedtime. Love is sustained by action, a pattern of devotion in things we do for each other every day.”
— Nicholas Sparks
Shadow dancing
A baguette
“You must tell yourself, ‘No matter how hard it is, or how hard it gets, I’m going to make it.”
— Les Brown
Hi! I was on Instagram recently and stumbled upon Nisreen Shehada's account. Before October 7, Nisreen posted very aesthetic, well crafted baking TikToks/videos (which looked delicious!) Since October 7, she has been sharing her daily life in Gaza.
This is the first reel of hers I saw. It's so important that she is not only documenting her daily life right now (for public record, for memory, for history) but that she is doing it in a format that is so familiar to anyone online right now.
I think that even well intentioned people can sometimes unintentionally dehumanize groups fighting for justice amidst tragedy. It is vital that we view Palestinians not just as victims or impoverished or assume life has always been this non-stop nightmare. Literally, Nisreen is like so many people I know. Like so many people you know! Just a regular lady who loves baking! Just your friendly neighborhood dentist! Aperson who loves their families. A devoted cat mom. A very stylish dresser.
I love that her page shows how people are living day-to-day now. And I love that it shows her finding moments of joy even in the darkest of times. ❤️
Please give her account a follow.
Edit to add: I've made a separate account for archiving videos and posts from regular people in Palestine documenting daily life. You can follow it @watermelllonarchive
so many people do not understand that 1) animals are not people, and 2) they aren't teaching their animals what they THINK they are teaching them.
dog group on the book of faces, someone is asking for advice on how to get their dog to come to them after the dog is done relieving itself outside. The dog doesn't like coming to them an they spend ten or twenty minutes or more catching the dog each time to bring it in. Which reminded me of one of many attempts to talk a person through trying to fix exactly this same behavior in *many* other dogs over the years...
Me: So, a quick question for you... does the dog not coming to you and you having to chase them down frustrate you?
Them: Of course!
Me: So what do you do when you finally either catch the dog or get them to come to you?
Them: I give the dog a correction!
Me: So. You get hands on your dog and then you immediately punish them for allowing you to get hands on them. And you wonder why your dog has developed the habit of not coming to you?
Them: No, that's not... I'm punishing them for not coming when I call!
Me: Which was.... fifteen minutes ago, or so, you said?
Them: Yes, when I first called them!
Me: Dogs brains literally cannot link an abstract thought like that. A thought and a consequence MUST happen within 2.4 seconds of one another, or the consequence becomes linked to the most recent behavior, thought, or activity. So, tell me... how is your dog supposed to understand that you punishing them is for the event fifteen minutes ago when you have made such a concerted, if unintentional, effort to teach them that them getting close enough for you to lay hands on them in the yard means an immediate punishment?
Them: But that's not what I *meant*!
Me: Doesn't matter what YOU meant... what THEY learned is that they come to you, and they get punished. Stop punishing your dog for the behavior that you want to see more of.
Stop anthropomorphizing your animals, folks. They don't think like us. Stop setting them - and yourself - up for failure.
“I must learn to love the fool in me - the one who feels too much, talks too much, takes too many chances, wins sometimes and loses often, lacks self-control, loves and hates, hurts and gets hurt, promises and breaks promises, laughs and cries.”
— Theodore Isaac Rubin
Guard dog has a guard dog
Sound on
Abigail Chabitnoy, from "Quliyangua’uciikamken"
What are they saying?
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This is.....niche. Do period-appropriate chickens even still exist? Idk anything about chickens. I like the fancy ones.
Israel has killed more children in Gaza since October than in four years of worldwide conflict
In case you lost it - a link to the eSIM donation guide. Even if you feel sick and powerless, you can at least do this. And even if you really, really can't donate, you can always at least share this and remind others.
https://gazaesims.com/esim-purchase-tutorial/
I'm sorry for being so sappy, but I wanted to show you guys something.
When I first donated to PCRF in December 2023, it was barely 10% close to its goal. Now in March 2024, they're also 100%. Everyone of you has helped support a better future for Gaza.
They're so close to their goal. Please donate or share this post so that they can get to their goal🇵🇸
I don't think people truly understand the gravity of Rafah being bombed.
There is nowhere left to go.
The lowest cost is $5,000 USD to flee to Egypt. There has been people paying over $10,000 USD.
That is the only option
Pay or die.
Rafah was the only place in Palestine promised not to be bombed. That promise is broken.
1.5 million people have nowhere to go!
Reminder, if possible, please donate to the PCRF, ANERA, Islamic Relief, Palestine Red Crescent Society, Medical Aid for Palestinians, Defense for Children International - Palestine, Doctors Without Borders, and all other trusted organizations.
the big three and their mantras
grover i'll-be-here-when-you-get-back underwood
percy it's-okay-we're-okay jackson
annabeth you-can-do-this chase
something about fate taking the boy who has spent most of his life battling the lurking feeling that the people closest to him want to get rid of him, and giving him the most loyal and reassuring best friend who always tells him "I'll be here when you get back" giving him assurance that he's not going anywhere, especially not going anywhere from him.
something about fate making soulmates out of a girl who could only depend on herself from a very young age, who also had the responsibility of her brothers' and sisters' safety to think about, and a boy who takes care of her even at the risk of his own life, with the reassurance, that no one else has ever thought to offer "it's okay".
something about fate forcing together a boy who has been labelled a troubled kid, stupid, a failure, screw-up and a reject by almost every other person in his life, and a girl who never lets him doubt himself, his mind or his abilities, who constantly tells him "you can do this" with no misgivings about his greatness even when he doesn't see it.
something about fate connecting the souls of the boy who has never felt good enough, who has internalized guilt from an outcome he had little control over and carries it with him everywhere he goes, giving him feelings of worthlessness, and a boy who has never believed that faults or mistakes make you any less worthy of love or friendship, who has never hesitated to assure him that "it's okay, we're okay".
something about fate making lifelong ride-or-dies out of a girl who has been abandoned by everyone who should have protected her and a boy who always encourages her to go out into the world and make a difference with the constant reassurance "I'll be here when you get back".
something about fate linking a boy who always assumes that if something has gone wrong, it's his fault, who has zero confidence in himself not to ruin everything but still shoulders the weight of responsibility, and a girl who doesn't waver in her confidence in him, even when she's seen him fail and make mistakes she always tells him "you can do this" she knows he just needs a little faith.
Can we talk about Percy seeing his mom in the underworld?
Look at how horrified he is.
There isn’t even a sliver of relief at seeing his mom again. The only thing on his face is wide-eyed terror.
Now look at what Sally looked like:
Did anyone else think that it seemed kind of familiar?
Did anyone else think that it kind of looks like she’s frozen in gold?
Percy saw his mom and it instantly reminded him of being encased inside Hephaestus’s trap in Waterland. Paralyzed and awake while he suffocated slowly and painfully. He’s remembering the panic he felt when he thought he was going to die and how much it hurt when he was freed; Even though he was alive, his lungs burned with every inhale and his head spun from lack of oxygen.
Now he’s putting his mom in that position
They have accepted their fates
this ramadan we pray for peace and aid for the people of palestine. this ramadan we remember the previous ramadans, where thousands of palestinians were massacred. this ramadan we honour palestine, and may we see a free palestine next ramadan
Meep
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