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Latest Posts by rivermedici - Page 3
DOGE just froze funding to vital Federal and Indigenous conservation programs devoted to supporting the very delicate and tenuous existence of the black-footed ferret.
I fell in love with these animals as a kid traveling to our National Parks. Their rarity and ferocity made me sharply aware, even as a child, of just how much of a responsibility we have toward our environment. I can't bear the thought of them being a fucking casualty of Trump and Musk.
Look at them! They do war dances.
Tonight House Republicans voted 217 to 215 for a budget that'll take $1 TRILLION dollars from Medicaid, attack food benefits for kids, hurt seniors and vets.
but I don't want to talk about that, I want to talk about these two Democratic members of Congress you've never ever heard of.
Democrats, Congressman Kevin Mullin of California and Congresswoman Brittany Pettersen of Colorado.
Congressman Mullin had knee surgery that didn't go well, two surgeries, a life threatening blood clot and a week long stay in the hospital, and the moment he was discharged from the hospital he got on a five hour flight to DC to vote against the Republicans evil budget, using a walker to get to the floor of the House
Congresswoman Pettersen gave birth to her son Sam, in the picture, exactly one month ago on January 25th. They flew from Colorado to DC after Republicans refused to allow her to vote by proxy after having a baby. Congresswoman Pettersen took Sam onto the floor of the House to vote to protect the Health care of 400,000 Colorado kids.
why talk about this? because so much of the conversion is about telling people there's no one good, no one worthy, no one fighting. I promise you there are people undergoing personal hardship to do the right thing.
Whoever wrote this, slayed so hard with all these statements, truer words have never been spoken
Anti-Fascist Queer Book Recommendations
Find these books and more queer reads:
Nobody talks about how important the little actions are. The quiet resistance to everything going on in the world today… the middle school teachers working overtime to put on a production of newsies… they’re doing it on purpose. They’re here fighting. They’re quietly sharing the power of the people, showing what we can do if we work together. All the lessons from that show can be applied to today’s world.
They’re doing it on purpose. Little acts of resistance — putting that pin on your bag, connecting with your community. That’s what’s important right now, showing the people around us that we care. Even if we can’t go to rallies or protests for our safety, we can show each other we’re here and we’re fighting. There are still people who care that’s what’s important.
stay safe and connect. Show it in little ways. We matter not to them, so we must matter to each other.
My dear lgbt+ kids,
If you feel like „It gets better“ was all a lie, this letter is for you:
It’s understandable you feel that way. After all it felt like such an omnipresent promise for the young folks in lgbt+ spaces: hey, it gets better! The world is becoming a safer, more accepting place. Laws will change for the better and so will mindsets. We just need to wait it out while things move forward! …. But we just need to turn on the news and we see that promise not coming true.
We see things going backwards, laws changing for the worse, queerphobic mindsets becoming more normalized. Trump in the US, the Afd in Germany, the scary far-right surge in so many countries: it’s very easy to find reasons to feel hopeless.
I’m actually not going to tell you to stop feeling that way. These are frustrating, heartbreaking, scary times. Swallowing your pain and pretending it isn’t real, that would be horrible advice. You are allowed to feel disappointed or angry or even betrayed. In fact, you need to allow yourself to feel these feelings.
But, and this is an important but, I’m also not going to tell you that you are right. Valid, yes, but not completely right. I still believe in „It gets better“. I don’t think it’s a lie. Maybe it’s just a little bit too short.
It gets better - because we make it better.
It gets better - because we fight for that.
It gets better - and we need that hope to fuel the fight.
Things are not just naturally going forward. We can’t just wait it out until it all magically gets better. Homophobia and transphobia won’t just die out as the time passes by. And that’s painful to accept, especially if you really clung onto this idea for comfort. But that acceptance may also make room for its own (and maybe better?) kind of comfort: a hope that’s more active than passive.
No, that whole „getting better“ thing won’t happen magically and naturally. But we are doing our best to make it happen. More people are out and proud than ever before, and they are willing to fight back. There are still things changing for the better, small or big, because people fight for it. There are still communities and safe spaces because people are building them. There are still people that vow to uplift and protect each other - and we are not going away.
So, what can you do? You can feel that betrayal, you can feel your anger and pain. And take it as fuel. You can keep in mind that the progress we’ve made is not erased. We are still here. You are here, and you’re not alone. There are still so many of us fighting for us, loving each other and building a future where we can thrive.
It gets better. Not magically, but because of us.
With all my love,
Your Tumblr Dad
Despite every moment of life being indescribably precious and a wondrous mystery, I will spend it caring about dividends and how many rental properties I have.
Memento Mori
Social skills: noticing when repetition is communication
So there’s this dynamic:
Autistic person: The door is open!
Other person: I *know* that. It’s hot in here.
Autistic person: The door is open!
Other person: I already explained to you that it’s hot in here!
Autistic person: The door is open!
Other person: Why do you have to repeat things all the time?!
Often when this happens, what’s really going on is that the autistic person is trying to communicate something, and they’re not being understood. The other person things that they are understanding and responding, and that the autistic person is just repeating the same thing over and over either for no reason or because they are being stubborn and inflexible and obnoxious and pushy.
When what’s really happening is that the autistic person is not being understood, and they are communicating using the words they have. There’s a NT social expectation that if people aren’t being understood, they should change their words and explain things differently. Sometimes autistic people aren’t capable of doing this without help.
So, if this is happening, assume it’s communication and try to figure out what’s being communicated. If you’re the one with more words, and you want the communication to happen in words, then you have to provide words that make communication possible. For example:
Other person: Do you want the door to be closed, or are you saying something else?
Autistic person: Something else
Other person: Do you want to show me something outside, or something else?
Autistic person: Something else
Other person: Are you worried about something that might happen, or something else?
Autistic person: Worried
Other person: Are you worried that something will come in, or that something will go out?
Autistic person: Baby
Other person: She’s in her crib, and the baby gate is up. Is that ok, or is there still a problem?
Autistic person: ok
So, you know how certain Christian missionaries are trained to act in a very obnoxious way, so that most people they preach to will reject them outright, so they feel like the world hates them for being Christian and they can only be friends with fellow Christians? You know that thing?
I think as activists, we sometimes need to stop and ask ourselves whether we're acting like those missionaries. I think this type of behavior is a little more ingrained into our society than some of us realize, and some of us have internalized it without realizing what it's actually meant to do.
I think [friendships are becoming more transactional] for two reasons. The first is because few people have the skills to be supportive to each other. I don't mean the social skills but the literal skills. It used to be that some people could work on cars and get them going, and some people do simple house repairs like replacing panes of glass and patching plaster, and some people could do simple tailoring, like taking in a dress and shortening pants, and some people could do an at home perm, and some people could tell you which hobby store in town had the best supply of cotton yarn, and some people could tell you the process you needed to apply for community college and get in. Odds were you had the chance to be grateful because there were so many people who could do things for you that you couldn't reasonably to do for yourself. Most people belonged to a social group that had a range of useful skills and information. But now most people do not have a variety of life skills that they can share with other people. If you need cotton yarn, or application forms for the community college, you look it up on the internet. And if your toaster doesn't work, you throw it out because you don't have a friend who can replace the cord. You go to a hairdresser or a mechanic or pick a random contractor to call to fix the hole in the wall so you don't lose your damage deposit. This is not to say that people no skills they can share - you maybe have a go to person who will help you with your excel formulas, and one favourite friend who is the Tetris expert you call to help you when you need to load your car for a move. But there are far fewer ways we can do each other favours now. That means money may be the only thing we have to even the score.
Jane the Brown on Metafilter
You don't have to force yourself to bounce back so quickly. I read something recently that said "when you come in from a rainstorm, you don't expect yourself to be dry and warm right away", and it really resonated with me. It's okay to take time to dry off and warm up. Take the time you need to process what happened to you.
William Mason Brown (1828-1898) "Raspberries in a Wooded Landscape" Oil on canvas Located in the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, Arkansas
Source
instagram: smacmccreanor
tumblr users love reading. you literally stopped for this post just because it has words in it
"Firefox sucks" "firefox is clunky" "firefox doesn't work" with all due respect what the fuck are you talking about
Forgive me for asking this, I'm not sure if this is selfish, but I'm not sure who to reach out to anymore. How does one cope with the helplessness or despair that the news of all these places suffering bring? I have found myself again unable to eat, rest or enjoy any sort of activity. I am aware this state only brings us down and doesn't help the movement but its getting worse and I don't wish to disengage . But I'm not sure how to deal with it anymore in a "healthy" way. If you don't answer it's ok, but all I do is cry, I try to help as I can I really do but I'm guilt-ridden and i dont know what to do
honestly u gotta learn to compartmentalize somewhat. i think it is good to feel empathy and normal to feel weighed down by everything happening but if it's troubling you to this extent then you need to set better boundaries. you should acknowledge these feelings but you shouldn't let them lead you. its not compassion fatigue if its regular fatigue buddy
this might sound callous but sometimes i find comfort in knowing that nobody actually cares if you make yourself this miserable. do you help people by not eating or not resting? you don't. does it make you a better ally? does it save the world? it doesn't. and by that same logic nobody cares if you take care of yourself either.
i know it's not just about palestine right now, that this moment has been an awakening for a lot of injustices happening around the world, and has fractured a belief in human rights that many had, but i often think about this tweet from eman basher in gaza:
people around the world know that normal life goes on. they don't begrudge you that normal life. they just want your support.
you can disengage for yourself, take breaks for yourself. this is normal. you are your own responsibility and your own priority, and it does make you a better ally to yourself and to those you care about to be well-fed, well-rested and thinking clearly. at the same time, your actions can be considerate both to yourself and those around you. you don't have to demoralize everyone or make it about the movement at all. you don't have to announce or justify it. most people are doing this all the time. just do whatever you need to do, and come back whenever you can come back.
Not to go "if you have ADHD just go for a run" or anything, but I am so serious if you have ADHD you should regularly go outside, no headphones no phone no nothing and just stand and observe for a while until you've had enough. Not until you get bored, until you've had enough. Drink your coffee without watching tiktok. Have a bath without music. Turn down the volume in your headphones. I cannot overstate how much learning to be bored is cruicial with ADHD. Life is not just about pleasure, no matter what your dysregulated dopamine system thinks, and when you teach your brain to be okay with being bored, then boring tasks stop feeling like torture. By letting yourself be bored you are yoinking your system out of the high/low binary and allow for the highs to feel like actual highs and not just anything that isn't low. I am so serious go literally touch grass. Listen to the sounds in your flat. Stimulate your body the way it was designed. It lowers anxiety and makes you feel like you're real and best of all it's completely free
Checkpoint
Are you having fun? Do you want to keep scrolling or are you just on autopilot?
Have you eaten today?
Have you consumed water today?
Do you need to go to the bathroom?
Have you slept recently?
Do you have any chores in process that you've forgotten about or are putting off? (Laundry that needs taken out of the machine, a dishwasher full of dishes that need put away, etc.)
Have you taken all your meds?
If the answer is "All good," feel free to keep scrolling!
But if any of these reminded you of something you need to do, please take care of yourself. 💕
To all the trans people who see this tonight, no matter what happens, we will survive. Trans people will still be here 4 years from now and 10 years from now and 100 years from now and tomorrow. We have always existed and we always will. The world cannot unlearn about us; we are too public, too loud, too beloved, too present. Ill be here tomorrow. Please stay here with me.
Can we stop using "still lives with their parents" or "unemployed" or "doesn't have a drivers license" or "didn't graduate high school" as an insult or evidence that someone is a bad person? Struggling with independence or meeting milestones is not a moral failing.
Hey Gang
So here we are again. Welcome back. Please use the exit door on the left to scream into the void. Just to be clear, this is an anti-Trump, and pro-voting blog. I will mostly be posting polls, but I might also post more general politics stuff. The main action I will request of you is to join the Pact. The pact is simple: We will make it through the next four years. We bind ourselves into a community, joined by bravery in the face of disaster and spite in the face of our enemies. Some of us will make it out with scraped knees, others with blood on their chins.
It's easy to join the Pact. But remember that once you join, it is your responsibility to uphold the Pact and see the dawn of January 11, 2028. The Pact can be said in any language you'd like (or feel is the coolest to say). To join the Pact, simply say:
We enter together, we exit together.
Welcome.
How much longer until the utopic Solarpunk future where Capitalism is dead and we all live in ecologically sustainable high-tech forest cities? Asking for a friend.
For all of the northerners that stood up for Texas during our freeze and said, "Don't make fun of them, they've never dealt with this before. Their infrastructure isn't made for snow and freezing."
This one is for you.
Where I live 108°F with 80% humidity with no wind is normal.
Pacific North West is dealing historic best waves 35-40°C or 95-105°F.
First of all. Don't make fun of them for bitching about the heat. Just like Texas isn't built for a freeze and our pipes burst, Pacific North West isn't built for heat and a lot of their homes don't have AC.
If you live somewhere with a high humidity like 80+ HUMIDITY IS NOT YOUR FRIEND. The "humidity makes it feel cooler" is a lie once it gets beyond a point.
If you live somewhere with a lower humidity, misters are nice to cool off outside.
Once you get over 90°F (32°C) a fan will not help you. It's just pushing around hot air. (I mean if you can't afford a small AC unit because they're expensive as hell, by all means a fan is better than nothing).
If you have pets, those portable AC units aren't safe. If your pets destroy the outtake thing, it'll leak CO2. Window units are safer.
Window AC units will let mosquitoes or other small bugs in. Sucks, but that's life.
Now is not the time to me modest. If you have to cover for religious reasons, by all means. If you don't, I've seen people wear short shorts and a swim top. It's not trashy if it keeps you from getting heat stroke.
If you do have to cover up for religious reasons, look for elephant pants or something similar. They're made with a breathable material.
Shade is better than no shade, but that shit it just diet sun after some point. Don't think shade will save you from heat stroke.
I know the "drink your water" is a fun meme now, but if you're sweating excessively you need electrolytes. Drink Gatorade, Powerade, or Pedialite PLEASE. I don't care if you're fucking sitting in one spot all day. That shit WILL save you from heat stroke.
Most importantly. RESEARCH THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HEAT STROKE AND HEAT EXHAUSTION PLEASE!
If you're diabetic and can't drink Gatorade, mix water, fruit juice, and either lite salt or pink salt
If you can afford it, cover windows with thick curtains to insulate the house
If you have tile floors, lay on them with skin to tile contact. If you don't, laying your head on cool counters works too.
If the temperature where you're at is hotter than your body temperature, don't wear heat wicking clothing. Moisture wicking is safe though.
Check your medication labels. Many make you more susceptible to sun and heat
-Room temperature water will get into your body faster. This is something I learned doing marching band in high summer in Georgia, and it saved all of our asses. Sip it, don't gulp it, especially if you're getting into the red; same goes for whatever fluid you're drinking. And just in general drink during the day.
-If you are moving from an air conditioned space to an un-air conditioned space, if at all possible try to make the shift gradual. When my dad and I were working outside and in un-ac houses a few years ago, he'd turn the air down to low in the truck about ten-fifteen minutes before we got where we were going. This way your body doesn't go from low low temps to high temps. S'bad for you.
-If you can, keep your lights off during the day. Light bulbs may not generate a lot of heat, but the difference is noticeable when it gets hot enough. I literally only turn my bedroom light on in the evening when it gets too dark.
Don't be afraid to just like... pour water on yourself if you need to. The evaporation will cool you off.
Put your hand to the cement for 15 seconds. If you can't handle the heat, it'll burn your dog's paws. Don't let them walk on it.
Dogs with flat faces are more prone to heat stroke. Don't leave them out unsupervised.
Frozen fruit is delicious in water.
Wet/Cold hat/handkerchief on your head/neck will help you stay cool.
Pickle juice is great for electrolytes! You can even make pickle juice Popsicles!
Heat exhaustion is more, "drink water and get you cooled off." Heat stroke is more "Oh my god call 911."
Image Description provided by @loveize
[Image description: an infographic showing the difference between heat exhaustion and heat stroke. The graphic is labeled "Heat Dangers: First Warning." Signs of heat exhaustion: faint or dizzy, excessive sweating, cool, pale, clammy skin, rapid, weak pulse, muscle cramps. If you think you or someone else may be experiencing heat exhaustion, get to a cool, air-conditioned place, drink water if conscious, and take a cool shower or use cold compress. Signs of heat stroke: throbbing headache, no sweating, red, hot, dry skin, rapid, strong pulse, may lose consciousness. If you think you or someone else may be experiencing heat stroke, call 911. End description]
Be safe.
-fae
Please sign the petition!!!
I found an extremely dope disability survival guide for those who are homebound, bedbound, in need of disability accommodations, or would otherwise like resources for how to manage your life as a disabled person. (Link is safe)
It has some great articles and resources and while written by people with ME/CFS, it keeps all disabilities in mind. A lot of it is specific to the USA but even if you're from somewhere else, there are many guides that can still help you. Some really good ones are:
How to live a great disabled life- A guide full of resources to make your life easier and probably the best place to start (including links to some of the below resources). Everything from applying for good quality affordable housing to getting free transportation, affordable medication, how to get enough food stamps, how to get a free phone that doesn't suck, how to find housemates and caregivers, how to be homebound, support groups and Facebook pages (including for specific illnesses), how to help with social change from home, and so many more.
Turning a "no" into a "yes"- A guide on what to say when denied for disability aid/accommodations of many types, particularly over the phone. "Never take no for an answer over the phone. If you have not been turned down in writing, you have not been turned down. Period."
How to be poor in America- A very expansive and helpful guide including things from a directory to find your nearest food bank to resources for getting free home modifications, how to get cheap or free eye and dental care, extremely cheap internet, and financial assistance with vet bills
How to be homebound- This is pretty helpful even if you're not homebound. It includes guides on how to save spoons, getting free and low cost transportation, disability resources in your area, home meals, how to have fun/keep busy while in bed, and a severe bedbound activity master list which includes a link to an audio version of the list on Soundcloud
Master List of Disability Accommodation Letters For Housing- Guides on how to request accommodations and housing as well as your rights, laws, and prewritten sample letters to help you get whatever you need. Includes information on how to request additional bedrooms, stop evictions, request meetings via phone, mail, and email if you can't in person, what you can do if a request is denied, and many other helpful guides
Special Laws to Help Domestic Violence Survivors (Vouchers & Low Income Housing)- Protections, laws, and housing rights for survivors of DV (any gender), and how to get support and protection under the VAWA laws to help you and/or loved ones receive housing and assistance
Dealing With Debt & Disability- Information to assist with debt including student loans, medical debt, how to deal with debt collectors as well as an article with a step by step guide that helped the author cut her overwhelming medical bills by 80%!
There are so many more articles, guides, and tools here that have helped a lot of people. And there are a lot of rights, resources, and protections that people don't know they have and guides that can help you manage your life as a disabled person regardless of income, energy levels, and other factors.
Please boost!