Eh Seems Fun? Imma Try It Lol

Okay all -- few quick thoughts about the Elon Muskifying of the government, especially the takeover of the Treasury and associated financial data for every single US citizen and organization, that we are learning about in detail today.

Don't panic. This sounds bad, because it is bad. It's really, really bad. It's outrageously fascist bad. But we've still gotta take a deep breath and get through it.

This is the kind of shock-and-awe exercise of untrammeled fascist power where they are absolutely counting on gleefully terrorizing, paralyzing, and stunning you into mounting no resistance, or just giving up and giving in. They are literally live-tweeting it in real time and boasting about all the access and influence they have right now. They want you to know about it and feel like you can't do anything, so you might as well let it happen.

We have to show them that's not true.

TIME TO MAKE SOME NOISE. Because it's Sunday night, I've gone ahead and contacted my state Attorney General and both senators by email (but come Monday morning, we should all be calling). Here is the email that I wrote to my AG:

Dear Mr. [AG],

As you will be aware, today (February 2, 2025) the Trump administration has granted wide-ranging access to sensitive US Treasury data, including the personal and private information of [state] citizens, to Elon Musk's so-called "Department of Government Efficiency." Musk is an unelected private citizen who has no legal right to access this data, and is engaging in extensive intimidation and coercion to fulfill his personal and harmful ideological agenda. The present and material harm that this causes to US citizens, [state] residents, and basic laws of government, privacy, and financial security is direct, unconscionable, and actionable. I strongly urge you, in your capacity as [state] Attorney General, to file direct suit against the Trump administration, Elon Musk, the "DOGE" office, and any identifiable individuals who have taken part in this action, in order to protect consumer data, citizen privacy, and basic faith and trust in government.

All the best,

[Qqueenofhades]

Short! To the point! Doesn't waste time, tells him what I want him to do, how Elmo's nonsense directly harms the residents of my state, and why he should take action to stop it! And frankly, given how on-the-ball blue-state AGs have been thus far, they're probably already working on it. You are very welcome to copy-and-paste this message and fill in your AG's last name and your state as appropriate. Super easy to do. Takes five minutes. Call tomorrow.

If you are in a red state, your voice is particularly important right now. The Trumpsters are counting on and are even emboldened by blue state pushback, but you really need to make it start coming from Republican strongholds. Congressional Republicans will only feel the slightest amount of unease about docilely enabling this BS when it starts threatening their own personal power. Hit them where it hurts.

Other lawsuits are coming. Marc Elias, Democratic lawyer extraordinaire, is well aware of this situation and has noted on Bluesky that more lawsuits are in the works. He often wins his cases. This does not mean that you shouldn't loudly make noise elsewhere, but please remember that this is one of those 24-hour periods where, as noted, they are counting on demoralizing you with a nonstop blizzard of bullshit. It does not say anything about how this will play out long-term or the opposition that can and will be mobilized to stop it.

Once again: courage. Take the small steps that you can do today. Then take a breath and get off social media for a little while. Try to take the long view. One step at a time, we will get through this.

Courage.

PSA TO ANYONE WHO DOESNT EVEN MAKE ART, DISABLE AI DATA COLLECTION ON YOUR BLOG

ART REBLOGGED TO AN ACCOUNT WITH THIS ENABLED WILL ALLOW MIDJOURNEY TO USE THE ORIGINAL POSTERS WORKS WITHOUT THEIR CONSENT

Thinking about how my mom tried to “seduce” my dad when they were in college together by sneaking oranges into his backpack, because she grew up food insecure and feeding someone/sharing food was a big deal with her upbringing with a lot of emotional meaning–

and meanwhile my poor dad is just convinced that he’s been haunted by some citrus poltergeist because why the fuck are there always oranges in his bag he swears he did not put there???

Tumblr. I have a proposal for you.

If you vote on this poll, for ingredients for bread, I will make the bread and attempt to eat it.

[rough draft] Sympathy, Empathy, Compassion and Altruism

relatability 

the quality of being easy to understand or feel sympathy for

- from your own perspective

sympathy 

- removed from the experience another person has: 

 - currently not having the “same” experience as another person currently has or never having experienced something similar as the other person

 - always from your own perspective; doesn’t require imagination; ignorant of, or purposely distancing yourself from another person’s perspective

 -> suppressing the other person’s feelings (usually internally pushing their feelings aside) and at times also your own 

 -> can include overlooking subtle signs and only taking surface meanings

 -> act of commiseration - acknowledgment that you can not possibly feel the same way or truly share another’s grief, but that you can understand it (which may or may not be true) / feeling or expressing that you know what the other person is experiencing regardless whether you actually do (as in: no direct knowledge of how the other person actually feels)

 -> a lot of judgment; can lead to giving unasked advice

 -> often without actionable advice or additional input that may diminish the sufferer’s state of mind 

1. (a feeling or expression of) understanding and care, as well as maybe feeling sorry for another person who is suffering or has problems that have caused unhappiness (trouble, grief, misfortune, etc.)

2. (a feeling or expression of) agreement; inclination to think or feel alike: emotional or intellectual accord

3. (a feeling or expression of) support; feeling of loyalty: tendency to favor    

4. an affinity, association, or relationship between persons or things wherein whatever affects one similarly affects the other [includes 2. and 3.]

compassion 

awareness of and caring about another person’s distress together with a desire to alleviate it (/ to help them)  

three to five key elements of compassion:

Recognizing another’s suffering

Understanding that other people suffer

(Having feelings for another’s suffering)

(Dealing with uncomfortable feelings)

Feeling compelled to act or alleviate the suffering

- can be sympathetic or empathetic

empathy

- removed from the experience another person has:

 - currently not having the “same” experience as the other person currently has or never having experienced something similar as the other person

 - always at least partially from another person’s perspective; requires imagination

  -> acknowledging both your own and another person’s emotions

  -> can include being sensitive to all kinds of non-verbal cues

  -> (at least partial) sharing in what another person is experiencing

  -> no judgment; just listening to another person

  -> possibly actionable advice or additional input that may diminish the sufferer’s state of mind

general definition: understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another person of either the past or present without having the feelings, thoughts, and experience fully communicated in an objectively explicit manner

1. cognitive empathy: knowing how another person feels and what they might be thinking; also called perspective-taking

- concerned with: thought, understanding, intellect

- benefits: understanding diverse viewpoints, motivating other people, helps in negotiations

- pitfalls: can be disconnected from or ignore deep emotions; doesn’t put you in another person’s shoes in a felt sense

2. affective / emotional empathy: feeling physically along with another person, as though their emotions were contagious

- concerned with: feelings, physical sensation, mirror neurons in the brain

- benefits: first response with children and for our loved ones, close interpersonal relationships

- can be overwhelming or inappropriate in many circumstances

3. compassionate empathy: taking the “middle ground” between cognitive empathy and emotional empathy, and using emotional intelligence to effectively respond to the situation with loving detachment

-> taking the “middle ground” between cognitive empathy and emotional empathy thanks to the connection between thoughts and feelings:

 - considering both the felt senses and intellectual situation of another person without losing your center

-> balancing mindfulness with compassionate caring

- concerned with: intellect, emotion, action

- benefits: considers the whole person

- pitfalls: ? (maybe that it takes time and energy: both developing the necessary components and balancing act, as well as the actual act of compassionate empathy)

Important: 

Having low empathy doesn’t make anyone a bad person. This might be the case when there’s a severe lack of emotional empathy, which is true for psychopaths. However, they can still act kind, act responsible, etc.. So even that is disputable. Cognitive empathy is helpful in order to better understand someone, but if you can truly listen to them, then it isn’t the end of the world if your cognitive empathy isn’t that much developed though I recommend to work on it. Better understanding always helps.

Both sympathy and empathy are important in their own ways depending on situations. However, in the end it’s compassion that makes the difference.

altruism

unselfish regard for, or devotion to the welfare of others:

- the attitude of caring about others and doing acts that help them although you do not get anything by doing those acts

- willingness to do things that bring advantages to others, even if it results in disadvantage for yourself

"Elk Centaur" by Francois Lelong

Stevens Point Sculpture Park, Wisconsin, USA

Have a little thing I did :D

don’t!!! fake!!!! your!!!! interests!!!! to!!!! make!!!! someone!!!! like!!!!! you!!!!

How to Stop Procrastinating by Managing Your Emotions

Procrastination happens when we delay doing things, and it's often connected to our emotions. Feelings like being afraid to fail, feeling worried or stressed, getting bored, or lacking motivation can all contribute to procrastination. To stop procrastinating and get more things done, it's important to learn how to handle our emotions better.

Boredom:

Break the task into smaller, more engaging sub-tasks.

Find ways to make the task more interesting or challenging.

Set a timer and work on the task for a specific amount of time, followed by a short break doing something enjoyable.

Feeling Overwhelmed:

Prioritize tasks and focus on one thing at a time.

Break the task into smaller, more manageable steps.

Delegate some parts of the task if possible or seek help from others.

Use tools like to-do lists or task management apps to stay organized.

Anxiety:

Practice deep breathing or mindfulness techniques to calm yourself.

Challenge negative thoughts and replace them with more positive and realistic ones.

Start with the easier or less intimidating aspects of the task to build momentum.

Set realistic expectations and remind yourself that it's okay to make mistakes.

Self-Doubt:

Focus on past accomplishments and successes to boost your confidence.

Seek support or feedback from others to gain reassurance.

Remind yourself of your skills and capabilities to tackle the task.

Use positive affirmations to counteract negative self-talk.

Perfectionism:

Embrace the concept of "good enough" rather than seeking perfection.

Set realistic and achievable goals for each task.

Recognize that mistakes and imperfections are part of the learning process and growth.

Indecisiveness:

Break decisions into smaller steps and make one small decision at a time.

Set a time limit for making decisions to avoid overthinking.

Trust your instincts and make the best decision you can with the information available.

Apathy or Lack of Interest:

Find aspects of the task that align with your values or long-term goals.

Break the task into smaller, more manageable parts and focus on completing one at a time.

Reward yourself for completing the task to make it more appealing.

Stress or Burnout:

Practice stress-reduction techniques such as meditation, exercise, or spending time in nature.

Break tasks into smaller steps to reduce the feeling of overwhelm.

Prioritize self-care and take breaks to avoid burnout.

Feeling Uninspired or Creatively Blocked:

Engage in activities that stimulate creativity, such as brainstorming, mind mapping, or seeking inspiration from others' work.

Start with a simple and basic version of the task to get the creative juices flowing.

Collaborate with others or seek feedback to gain new perspectives.

Fear of Success:

Identify and challenge the negative beliefs or fears that may be holding you back.

Visualize the positive outcomes of completing the task successfully.

Focus on the benefits and personal growth that come with success.

Impatience:

Break long-term goals into smaller milestones to track progress.

Practice mindfulness to stay present and patient throughout the process.

Remind yourself that progress takes time and effort.

Lack of Confidence:

Celebrate your past accomplishments to boost your confidence.

Seek support and encouragement from friends, family, or mentors.

Focus on building specific skills related to the task to increase confidence.

Avoiding Discomfort:

Acknowledge that discomfort is a natural part of growth and improvement.

Break tasks into smaller steps and tackle the more challenging aspects gradually.

Remind yourself of the long-term benefits of facing discomfort.

Overestimating Future Motivation:

Practice discipline and commit to starting tasks even when motivation is low.

Set specific deadlines for tasks to create a sense of urgency.

Establish a routine that includes regular work on the task to build consistency.

learning that people want you in their lives is a skill you can develop if it does not come naturally