Writing Hoard @cho1cewords - Tumblr Blog

On Monday I've got a home visit appointment for an initial mobility assessment. It might lead into further appointments regarding physio and rehabilitation options, I hope so because a lot of things are difficult.

I was wondering if anyone has any advice? Even things that seem little would be appreciated! I'm quite nervous and want it to go as well as it can :')

the-bi-writer-blog

hi hi, i'm also disabled and use a chair, and there are absolutely right and wrong ways to phrase things when you're getting evaluated. not to scare you, just to set you up for success to get the accommodations that you need :)

this blog, and specifically the idea of "The Magic Words" saved my goddamn life, and allowed me to actually get accommodations for the first time in my entire life, as someone who's been multiply disabled for years, but most of my conditions are variable:

Roselyn’s application got denied. A few months later she applied again and got approved. What changed?

The idea is that if they ask, "Can you do (X)," and your answer is any version of "Sometimes but it costs me," then your answer is actually no.

You have to reimagine the question the way that able bodied people actually mean it (even though they don't say this part): the question isn't just "can you literally physically do this thing even a single time, if the house was on fire and you would literally die if you didn't."

The question is actually, "Can you do this thing safely, sustainably, and consistently?"

For example, let's say your balance is poor and you struggle to navigate stairs safely. Even if you can technically physically climb a flight of stairs, if you're not stable enough to go up them alone with confidence, the right answer to, "Can you climb a flight of stairs?" is "Not safety if I'm alone, because of my balance issues."

Or, I have a friend with chronic fatigue who was talking to me about work, and he was like, "No, I can do it! I can take on that extra shift, as long as I don't plan anything for multiple days before and after."

And I'm like...friend. I love you. And also, the answer to "Can you handle an extra shift," needs to be "fuck NO."

Does that make sense? That if you can't Do The Thing without harm or risk to yourself, AND without needing to rest or compensate afterwards, AND without needing tools/help/strategies to do it, AND without having to plan your day around it, AND without having to give up other things to Do The Thing...then you Can't Actually Do The Thing. (for evaluation purposes, I mean.)

I apologize if you don't have a variable health condition since most of that won't apply. But I know with mobility aids, there tends to be a lot of grey area with how you get evaluated, so I just want everyone to have their best possible shot!

Here's an image from the blog post I linked that illustrates all of this well:

So yeah! If they ask you if you can do something, and you start your response with, "Yes, but -"

then the only thing they will hear is the "Yes." So you have to learn to start with, "No."

So you have to start saying, "No. Not without (condition worsening, symptoms flaring, etc.)"

Does that help at all?

My other advice is significantly less fun but definitely life-saving: spend some time tonight/ahead of time like journaling or reflecting, and specifically spend time getting honest with yourself about how bad things are for you.

I think when you're chronically ill or disabled, it's essential to basically Not Think About It the vast majority of the time, and I think that type of compartmentalization is super helpful. But you've got to be able to peel that back for health assessments, so now I take time to kind of connect with my limitations and journal and grieve ahead of time, so that I can be honest with both the assessor and myself about how bad things truly are.

Hope some of that is useful, and good luck! I wish you many useful and joyful mobility aids (my chair has changed my life!) 💜💜💜💜💜

m-e-isannoying

If you have ME/CFS (which I think I remembered): The stress from this kind of appointment is a lot and can cause PEM for people with ME/CFS. Try to set boundaries like you normally would in your day to day pacing (that way people can guess your baseline better, too) and tell them beforehand that you will do so in order not to worsen your entire state.

If they don't know your specific disabilities, tell them important facts (for example how PEM works). For me, it was always helpful to have supporters with me that remember what happened or write protocol about it and help me notice when I need a break.

Otherwise, the ideas from the person above are very very important. Good luck!

blog-from-bed

Thank you both so incredibly much!! Everything makes complete sense and has given me lots of important thoughts and considerations. I am going to sleep a lpt more at ease about tomorrow because of everyone's help :-)

tiktoksthataregood-ish

salamandorange

The most PATHETIC lil baby sounds...

whitebear-ofthe-watertribe

I love when little creatures who are entirely loved and well cared for have the BIGGEST baby reactions to normal things. Like yes sweet pea, you DO have the hardest life of anyone ever, for sure, and you’re SO BRAVE about this minor inconvenience of *checks notes* having some water touch you

cephalon-sancti

There is nothing sadder and more pathetic than a baby marine mammal having to get into the water. They are suffering the most out of any baby animal ever. How dare they be introduced to their natural environment.

augustdementhe

"I don't want you doing that, please. No, let's not. Let's no-I SAID STOP FUCKING TOUCHING ME, STEPHANIE."

vulturesouls

Photo of two Māori women standing outside shaking hands and pressing noses in a traditional greeting (hongi), Aotearoa (New Zealand), late 19th century.

British Museum

byjove

me if I was an archeologist working on the Tumulus of Bougon: we gotta get the hell out of here. yeah. I’m sorry. excavation canceled.

byjove

why are all the movies about cursed tombs about cursed tombs in Egypt (I know why, colonialism) when the shit they found in Western European tombs was profoundly more disturbing and inexplicable

byjove

sick as fuck to put that old woman in there with the skeletons

byjove

wait I think they meant the skeletal remains of an old woman and not an old woman and Neolithic skeletal remains

byjove

would hate to be the guy who has to excavate the 6,000 tomb of wrath

byjove

they visited their ancestors for 1,000 years and abruptly sealed the tomb shut. not a good sign.

chrromebrutus-deactivated202105

The Lord of the Rings: Loyal Steeds of Middle Earth

candlejack

EXCUSE ME EVERYONE. YOU MISSED ONE.

valtsv

i just know there was a weird little girl in the middle ages out there stealing snake's eggs and putting them in her family's chicken coop in the hope of hatching a basilisk

valtsv

god i love the internet because if i said shit like this to people irl they'd probably just stare at me blankly but when i post it online everyone in the notes reacts like this

metalheadsagainstfascism

Heat Intolerance

This disability pride month I'd like to talk about heat intolerance. Because honestly although it's not the first health issue that presented symptoms in my life. It was the first time I was like "I don't think my body works right".

And honestly given disability pride month is during one of the hottest months in the year. It seems fitting. Especially because there's a lot of disabilities and medications that cause it.

What is heat intolerance?

Simply speaking it's the inability for the body to regulate it's temperatures especially in hot settings to cool itself down.

Why is awareness important?

Because gaslighting people or worse not providing them a place to cool down just because you "feel fine" is extremely fucking dangerous.

What are the medicines that can cause heat intolerance?

Antihistamines (Allergy medications) . Decongestants (Sudafed or any medication that has the D at the end of it). Stimulants (ADHD medications. Steroids. Caffeine.) Beta-blockers (blood pressure medications). Overactive bladder treatment. Psychiatric medications (including but not limited to medications for depression and anxiety). Pain relievers. Antibiotics.

What medical conditions can cause heat intolerance?

EDS (Elhers-Danlos syndrome). Autism. ADHD. Migraines. Brain/spinal-cord injury. Sensory processing disorder. Chronic fatigue syndrome. Endocrin problems. POTS. Menopause. Hypothyroidism. Diabetes. Heart Disease. Multiple sclerosis. Mental health disorders.

What should I do if I suspect I have heat intolerance?

Reduce time outside during hot months. Keep your electrolytes up. Drink plenty of water. Stay out of the sun whenever possible if outside. Be aware of the symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

Clothes that are best worn for heat intolerance. Loose lightweight breathable fabrics. Natural fibers. Long sleeves that protect from sunburn as sunburns will increase your risk. Light clothes that reflect light. Wide brimmed hats that shade the face and neck.

Cool. So what are those symptoms I'm supposed you be looking for?

Headaches. Excessive fatigue. Mood changes. Muscle cramping or weakness. Nausea/ vomiting. Rapid heartbeat. Excessive sweating or not sweating at all.

When should I do to the doctor?

If you suspect you have heat intolerance you can go to your PCP to discuss what medications you may be on and what you can do about it. Otherwise, please go to the emergency room if you have symptoms of heat stroke.

This is good information and all but why are you making this post?

To raise awareness. Not just for the people that have it but weren't aware of what it was called. But for all of the idiots that tried to gaslight me when I was in school because I was like "I don't think this is normal. Every time we do our mile run outside I vomit all over the place but other kids aren't doing that."

Also because people always blame me for over heating if I wear long sleeves or pants. I always like to take notes from what people in the middle east wear because they literally live in the excessive heat and spend long hours in the excessive heat. Often in clothing that covers most of their body. They've gotta know what they're doing, right?

I have some type of xenophobic comment about why people from the middle east cover up

Shut the fuck up 😊

-fae

elodieunderglass

We stood in the Roman ruins that, like patchwork, stitch so remarkably through the village of Caer-went, and dutifully read the information boards. The Romans had forcibly built and established Venta Silurum with the intention of Pacifying the Silurians, the local tribe.

“I think I feel weird now, about the Doctor Who aliens being called Silurians,” I said, “it’s sort of uncomfortable having ‘lizard people from the dawn of time’ being named after Celts. Tips into that bad-faith lizard-person space.”

“The BBC would have only been thinking of the Silurian period,” Dr Glass said neutrally. “That’s a fair siting for a ‘dawn of time.’ The Cambrian would’ve been uncomfortable and impractical.”

“Was the geological period of Palaeozoic life named after the tribe?” I said. “Hey, given that the Cambrian period is the Cambrian period! It must’ve been.”

“Haha - wait - look - look at the north!!”

“Damn! The whole-ass Ordovician period?!”

“Over to England for the Devonian,” Dr Glass, who claims Devonshire heritage on one side, said thoughtfully. “Permian, that’s Perm - probably the mountain range.”

Anyway, this proceeded to amuse me for a few days, and will be required to enjoy these jokes

i-am-the-guarding-dark

i just think it really says something about Sir Terry's view of the world etc. that every time he puts a character in front of you and posits them as The Good One, it's never the character who always thinks good things. it's the one who has grit in their soul and thinks bad things but never lets the inner bastard win.

Carrot is a force for good without a doubt, but he is not the Good Man in Ankh-Morpork. Vimes is. Vimes who is deeply suspicious of just about every group in the city, Vimes who constantly has to reexamine his beliefs and prejudices, Vimes who really really wants to kick the shit out of the bad guys but never lets it happen. If you'd do it for a good reason, you'd do it for a bad one.

And it happens again with Granny Weatherwax - the one who wanted to be evil, who can feel the evil nagging at her every day, who nevertheless holds the line.

idk something about how being a good person doesn't mean being perfect or idealistic or even particularly nice. it's just about doing The Right Thing, over and over again. it's about who watches the watchmen? that would be me. ah, but who watches you? I do that, too.

notahorseindisguise

i been through the desert on a horse with a name it felt good that my horse had a name. i decided to call him blaine 'cause it sounded like a name for a horse to reclaim

s-h-hush-blog

Had to make it real

sandovers

“…George and I both know this, but why does it distress him? We know that we come from the winds, and that we shall return to them; that all life is perhaps a knot, a tangle, a blemish in the eternal smoothness. But why should this make us unhappy? Let us rather love one another, and work and rejoice. I don’t believe in this world-sorrow.”

Miss Honeychurch assented.

“Then make my boy think like us. Make him realize that by the side of the everlasting Why there is a Yes—a transitory Yes if you like, but a Yes.”

E.M. Forster, A Room With A View

feignedremote

I often think the writer she had the most in common with was Vladimir Nabokov, another notoriously difficult insider-outsider and artist-reader who now, in an unlikely turn, sits close to the center of the American canon. Each evinced a snobbery that wasn't defensive but inborn, and cut with a dry sense of humor. Morrison liked to say she grew up feeling superior, "like an aristocrat," and she read canonical literature for filth in her criticism and speeches. Nabokov was born a literal aristocrat and his interviews and lectures are spiked with acerbic dismissals of other writers.

Morrison's titles are softer—Beloved, Love, Paradise, A Mercy—but her novels. like Nabokov's, brim with cruelty. A father rapes his daughter. A mother lights her son on fire. A woman poisons her boss. Most people don't know that Toni Morrison wrote horror novels. But she was more invested in genre fiction than you might imagine. She and Nabokov were equally fascinated by Edgar Allan Poe, for example, and flirted with melodrama, the fantastic, the Gothic.

At the same time, both writers willfully sometimes irrepressibly, penned rather difficult prose. I'm a full professor of English with tenure at Harvard University, and I'm not ashamed to admit that it took me at least three readings to comprehend Beloved at even a basic level. There are passages in Morrison's works that no reader I've ever met understands on the first go. But this literary difficulty was neither aesthetically coy nor glibly aspirational. It was an ethos.

Morrison's insistence on making us puzzle things out was an attempt to effect, she said, an "egalitarianism that places us all (reader, the novel's population, the narrator's voice) on the same footing." This democratic orientation to the work doesn't pander. Morrison doesn't condescend to your level; she challenges you to rise to hers. "My writing expects, demands participatory reading," she said. "My language has to have holes and spaces so that the reader can come into it.'

In other words, this ambiguity has a purpose. The point is that we cannot know, we cannot judge—and sometimes the point is that there are ways of doing both that allow contradictions to coexist. Morrison believed that literary form could instantiate philosophical ideas of this kind. As she said of William Faulkner: "The structure is the argument." As she wrote of Mark Twain: "The brilliance of Huckleberry Finn is that it is the argument it raises."

I should note that Morrison may well have reiected these comparisons to white male writers, too: "I am not like James Joyce: I am not like Thomas Hardy: I am not like Faulkner," she insisted. "I am not like in that sense." She knew she was their equal, but she felt that this critical shortcut of analyzing her in relation to them relegated her to the minor (read: minority) status of the acolyte or the copycat.On one hand, she refused to be subsumed by and whitewashed into canonical neutrality. Or the other hand. she refused for her work to be reduced solely to her race and her gender, or to be forced to fit the expectations foisted upon it as a result. As she once lamented, "I'm already discredited, I'm already politicized, before I get out of the gate." This double bind proved both a crux and a crucible for Morrison's creative difficulty.

Namwali Serpell, On Morrison

hussyknee

How long have you been on Tumblr?

Over 16 years (before 2010) (toddlers in the dawn of the ant colony)

16 to 14 years (2010-2012) (livejournal and Myspace refugees)

13 to 11 years (2013-2015) (you used to follow thebootydiaries)

10 to 8 years (2016-2018) (era of Russian bot conspiracy)

7 to 3.5 years (2019-2022) (post sex ban to Goncharov)

3.5 years or less (2023–2026) (Twitter refugee)

Remaining time: 1 day 22 hours

Rebagel for science pls.

tobermoriansass

every single conversation abt ip on here devolves into a bunch of people being really anxious that someone is going to take away their hypothetical income from them for their creativity and like, that is already happening. that is literally happening. how do you think publishers like penguin, harper collins, macmillan et al got big and stay big? how do you think publishers like elsevier et al maintain such a stranglehold and charge such amounts? do you even know how individual IP rights operate these days, especially when you're licensing them to a company? have you read a contract ever in your life? have you had to work on preparing a contract ever in your life? do you think your much vaunted, precious authors have the rights to reprint their books whenever if they realise their publishers are fucking them over? don't make me fucking laugh. at the very least please pull your heads out of your asses and read helen dewitt's extensive chronicling of her run-ins with the publishing industry as is. god knows you can pick up the biography or collected/published letters of almost any author* across time and encounter a section with their run-ins and struggles with their publishers, either because they're not being given enough royalties, or because they're writing to contract and need to give their publishers a book by a specific deadline, or a specific kind of book, even when circumstances & health issues are conspiring against them. do you think copyright gives them any control over their lives, or any sort of creative control? don't be so naive - and nevermind the fact that it is basically impossible to have a career in writing these days and that the rare few who do are writing extremely formulaic genre fiction written to, again, insane deadlines that are punishing for any sort of creative work. stop being naive!!!! take an actual look and reckon at what the actual circumstances and conditions are for producing art! it is not good! copyright is not going to save you! it is panacea at best! you will literally do better campaigning for universal basic income over championing the cause of copyright!

*off the top of my head just based on the biographies & other primary sources i've read: agatha christie, aldous huxley, jrr tolkien, georgette heyer

hillbillyoracle

give me the beat boys and free your plums I wanna steal some of the icebox ones this is just to say

fulda-gap-express

If I'm elected as your president in 2028 I promise to bring back the Western Interior Seaway.

fulda-gap-express

North America peaked with this design and every change since has been worse.

luidilovins

grrrrrrrbarkbarkbark-deactivate

NONONONO NO. NO. DO YOU WANT ANY OF THIS FUCKING SHIT BACK?

prof-grace-aspen

Pretty babies come swim in w ater with big fish water is fine with big fish in come taste interior seaway with big fish

sweaterkittensahoy

I am still enjoying watching Europeans discovering American foods, and I am caught up again in being surprised that something very common here is not a thing in other places.

Deviled eggs! Much like biscuits and gravy, my brain goes, "Oh, it's just eggs, mustard, and paprika at its base (you can add more seasoning if you want); I'm sure there's something like it elsewhere!"

But no? At least not in the UK.

Deviled eggs are so ubiquitous here you can get adorable serving plates:

Like, that's just the first one that popped up. Go to etsy and there are loads of vintage ones. I had one I ended up donating before we moved because I loved it, but we don't make deviled eggs a lot, and also, I knew I could find another really easily.

Lemme go to etsy and put in 'deviled egg plate':

This is probably the most classic deviled egg plate. You can put veggies or whatever in the middle. But, yeah, the hobnail design is THE deviled egg plate to me.

Ooooh, carnival glass deviled egg plate. Yeeeeesssss.

Chicken-themed deviled eegg plate. Classic.

I look at this and think of deviled eggs at Thanksgiving because it's a pretty painted scene to further make the table look nice.

What I think of as the "potluck" deviled egg plate because of the handle so Mrs. So-and-So can put her deviled eggs exactly where she wants them and it won't be near that crock pot.

The 3-D chicken deviled egg plate. There's a few varieties of this one. Sometimes the chicken is just a handle/decorative. In this case, the chickens are the salt and pepper shakers so people can add either to their eggs if they like.

And finally, the ultimate classic, the deviled egg tray shaped like a chicken. Someone get me baby carrots and celery for that center dish.

If you don't know, deviled eggs are made by boiling eggs, then removing the shells, then cutting them down the middle lengthwise. You dump the yolks in the bowl and set the white aside, then mix mustard and whatever else you might want with the yolks. Some people use a hand mixer to whip the yolks. Others just use a spoon. I think we always did mustard, a little salt, and a little pepper.

Then, you scoop the yolk back into the egg whites and add a dash of paprika to each one. They slide into the slots on the dish, and boom. Appetizer. A very dangerous appetizer because they are delicious and you can end up eating three or four whole eggs by accident if you are not watching yourself.

Oooh! You can crumble bacon on top, too! Nearly forgot that.

cantotallyeven

We had these? Not sure if it was a Russian thing, a Ukrainian thing, or a Jewish thing but we had these in the old county

cantotallyeven

I have consulted the elders and they are Jewish. Although the Jewish version doesn't have mustard as a key ingredient, it's made differently. I guess that explains why Europe doesn't have them.

sweaterkittensahoy

Once again I thank Jews for contributing excellent food to my life.