Hellsite Sparks Joy

37 | she/her | KS, US | Formerly thedoctorsfez

[anxietyproblem]

[desertaurarage]

I made an email account over 20 years ago, but it was one letter off from another email address, so once in a while I'd get an email intended for a property owner/manager guy in New York (and vice versa, but less common).

It got to the point we'd just forward each other's emails. Those were interesting days.

[desertaurarage]

On March 23rd of this year (2025), the bulls broke the fence between them and the cows. We pushed them back where they were supposed to be and patched up the fence. They were loose for probably a few hours.

Goddammit.

It's a girl and we got her tagged, though.

[desertaurarage]

Another consequence of fencegate has hit the dance floor.

[desertaurarage]

On March 23rd of this year (2025), the bulls broke the fence between them and the cows. We pushed them back where they were supposed to be and patched up the fence. They were loose for probably a few hours.

Goddammit.

It's a girl and we got her tagged, though.

[dreamsy990]

i saw someone say nobody needs to know what a .txt file is anymore. what the fuck is the world coming to

[dreamsy990]

unironically i think we need to bring back computer labs because APPARENTLY some people WERENT taught basic computer literacy and internet safety in school

[dreamsy990]

things about computers/the internet i think kids should be formally taught in schools because theyre important to know and the amount of soon to be grown adults i know who know NOTHING about any of these is quite frankly almost all of them (and resources to learn if you dont know these things, because its never to late to get better with computers)

how to troubleshoot by yourself when you have a technical problem

what common file types are

some very basics on how to use ""developer tools"" on your computer (because i cant think of a better way to refer to them) like task manager and command prompt (and their mac equivalents, terminal and activity monitor ofc)

how to read and understand a privacy policy and what your personal data is, as well as what it being collected actually means and steps you can take to keep it private

how to understand terms of service (hey. if you have trouble with reading legalese and worry about being able to understand these policies anyways, here's a site that gives basic summaries of privacy policies and ToS)

what a cookie actually is

internet privacy and your digital footprint!! seriously i dont know why we stopped teaching people that they shouldnt be putting their entire real identity online in a world where your online actions can ruin you irl

basic safety measures like antivirus software (and why you should use it or if the built in one on windows or mac is enough for you) and backing up your computer (also a mac guide)

common keyboard shortcuts (and on mac)

as an additional note: things i think everyone should know on computers and the internet but schools may bit hesitant to teach about for whatever moral/legal standards schools pretend to operate on

vpns and adblockers! (btw for most of these where you can pay for things im purposefully not recommending any specific software but seriously just use ublock origin for an adblocker)

how to not get a virus while pirating something

what a temporary email is and when to use one

red flags that you shouldn't trust a website (and how to quickly check the security of a site)

what javascript on a website does and how to disable it to get around paywalls

[dreamsy990]

ok one last addition! if you want to take it one level higher, i think learning the very basics of at least one programming language is good for people. it makes computers less scary and it makes you feel very cool, and a lot of people get discouraged about it because it seems overly complicated and hard to learn outside a formal classroom setting, so heres some resources for learning the very basics of python (because i consider it the easiest language to learn and knowing one language will make it easier to learn others)

an online compiler so you dont need to download anything or worry about running code directly on your computer if that makes you nervous

a basic video guide to introduce you to python and walk you through beginner steps

a guide to some syntax and commands you should know (this was literally my lifeline in my first CS class)

some performance tasks to give you things to code to practice and assess yourself

[batmanshole]

crisp glass of water moodboard

[sweetfirebird]

Hey the US government is proposing to get rid of the Endangered Species Act. Please go comment.

(yes this entirely for corporate profit)

Cut and paste the docket number to put in your response if you remember. You can comment anonymously if you want.

The Oregon Zoo has some sample arguments you can make.

We have until December 22nd!

[simpledontmeanpeachy]

I would also like to remind you that you can simply say ‘I am opposed to these changes.’

And that ‘No.’ is a complete sentence.

Numbers matter in situations like these. Please make your opinion known. You can comment anonymously.

@markscherz, is this something you would be interested in reblogging? (Apologies if you have and I’ve not seen it.)

[shewillfeatdrake]

[tombomp]

Sex Fail

[desertaurarage]

I HAD to look this up (not the exact article, but same guy):

Grandpa didn't get laid. Howard Stern contest winner, 86, died before claiming prize

The man who won a contest on the Howard Stern Show died before claiming prize at Bunny Ranch.

Happy (belated) 12th deathiversary, Johnny? 🪦

[incognitopolls]

Do you have any pets with human names?

Yes (NOT named after a fictional character)

Yes, named after a fictional character

My pet's name CAN be a human name but it's not usually, these days (e.g. Elmo)

No, my pet has a classic pet name (e.g. Rover, Luna, Spot)

No, my pet has a noun or adjective name (e.g. Pumpkin)

My pet's name doesn't fit any of these

Multiple pets, different answers

No pets

Voting ended onDec 10, 2025

Share your pets' names in the tags!

–

We ask your questions anonymously so you don’t have to! Submissions are open on the 1st and 15th of the month.

[desertaurarage]

Dad (70) got on the FLOOR to BRUSH my CAT.

This is not typical behavior.

Sonboy enjoyed it, though. Plus! Old man got up by himself!

[bovineblogger]

From Think-and-Do Book to Accompany Friends and Neighbours by Gray & Monroe, 1940

[desertaurarage]

[mikeepoo]

[uncivilliberties]

So much work went into this visual joke. So much extra effort that did not need to happen at all. Incredible.

[princessvictory]

I don't post my cosplay stuff here normally (except Tails since he fits this Tumblr's scope of interest) but I was looking through my compilation of cosplays and felt...shocked and proud of how much I've done in 4 years?

So yeah, have some spins and tell me your favorite if you want 💙

[desertaurarage]

So, it's been A Week. Like, very Not Great levels.

Mostly writing to process and remember.

Monday. I take the dog with me to the pasture on my netwrap chore. She's just over 10 years old and jumping in the back of the pickup is no longer an option, so I let her in the cab as passenger princess. I start home, making one last pick up and the dog (Abby) jumps out because she loves to run. Alright, have fun. In her younger days, she could run all the way home, but I stop after about half mile to let her back in the cab. I think nothing further of it until the next day.

Tuesday. Abby shows signs of being sore, as she occasionally does after much exercise. The folks leave on a trip for niece's middle school promotion, leaving me to look after Abby. She spends most of the day laying down, not eating, but I note her back legs going outward at concerning angles. Hip dysplasia comes to mind. That evening, she throws up some bile and goes outside. I leave a plate of food out just in case her appetite returns. (It didn't, at least for dry food).

Wednesday. In the morning, I find she's moved around to the back door, but not getting up easily. I let her in, but I was surprised and distraught to see that her back legs were giving out and she half crawled just enough to get inside. I alerted the folks who called the vet for an appointment. She required assistance to sit up for water and she tried moving further inside the house, only making it about 20 feet. I fed her a couple tubes of dry food topping paste with success and moved her on to her bed before the folks got home. They borrowed a dog ramp from my sister. We find ways to hydrate her and feed her anything she can lick.

Thursday. She's starting to show incontinence and almost full paralysis. We move the bed with her on it onto the ramp as a stretcher and bring her to the vet. The x-rays show a couple of pinched vertebrae causing dysfunction in all legs, so with surgery off the table due to costs, she suggested a week on steroids to see if there would be any improvement. If not, Abby would likely not recover.

Friday. Picked up a 50 pack of pee pads, since the urine of incontinence is a constant stream. It's easily a 2-person job to lift her back end to replace the pads. She knows when she's wet and whines to let us know.

Saturday. So many pee pads. I don't recall much, but more care.

Sunday. It is evident that she's not getting any better and will not, even with the rest of the steroid pills. The discussion is had that she is suffering and we need to resort to plan B sooner than planned.

Monday again. The appointment is made for 3:30 tomorrow afternoon. Dad takes the tractor to dig a grave near the other lost pets. I take a final selfie with her and tell her that her pain will end soon.

Tuesday again (technically yesterday). She has stopped leaking urine, which we expect indicates that her kidneys are shutting down. In the afternoon, we make it to the vet (me, folks, sis 2). As we wait, sis and I sit with her, trying to provide comfort and grieve. When the vet comes out to our vehicle, she is given a shot to put her under before the lethal injection. I'm crying but trying to be subtle about it, at least. When her death is declared, she is placed in a bag for us to take home and bury. She is gone now.

I hope she knew how loved she was and that she can forgive us for missing the signs. I hope she is at peace and will greet us on the other side. I hope I can soon remember her fondly without being in pain that she's not here.

More posts to come, perhaps.

[boomer-mythology-destroyer]

[cazort]

Piece of financial advice, because I've seen too many people make this mistake: never pay off medical debt on a credit card unless you are 100% sure you will be able to pay the credit card balance off in full as soon as you get the first bill. Why? It is ALWAYS better to have medical debt than credit card debt. There is a long list of reasons why.

State and federal laws severely restrict medical debt in ways that credit card debt is not restricted.

Credit card debt can charge much higher interest rates, and in general it IS much higher in rate. Medical debt sometimes charges no interest, at least for a certain period of time. When it does charge interest, the rate is lower, and in some states it is capped as low as 5%, always at 20% or lower. Credit card interest rates are almost never below 15% and are sometimes MUCH higher than 20%.

Medical debt is less damaging to your credit history than credit card debt. And it is easier to eliminate in bankruptcy.

Medical debt also does not affect your spending limits on a credit card. If you use a credit card for monthly expenses, adding medical debt to it can bring you closer to your credit limit which might make you unable to use the card for expenses (even ones you could afford to pay off immediately.) This negatively affects your credit rating through increasing your credit utilization, it can reduce your potential to earn rewards, and it can reduce your spending power in an emergency.

Also, the penalties and fees for deliquency on medical debt are much milder and those for credit card debt are more severe. Again, laws are more restrictive on medical debt. You will have far fewer fees or penalties going delinquent on medical debt.

Also it is often easier to get medical debt forgiven or negotiated down, than credit card debt,

If you ever end up with medical debt, keep it as medical debt and keep paying it as medical debt. Go delinquent on your medical debt before switching it to a credit card. Once you put it on a credit card, you can't go back.

By keeping your medical debt as medical debt, you save money, protect your credit history, and increase your chances of having the debt forgiven, negotiated down, or eliminated through bankruptcy.

NEVER CONVERT MEDICAL DEBT TO CREDIT CARD DEBT.

[rabbitindisguise]

Also:

Check their charity care policy. Triple check the income limits. Apply anyways. It's usually just a paper packet or online pdf you can fax (you can usually fax through the library or online for free).

Ask how much it would cost if you paid it all off at once.

Ask for minimum monthly payment options.

Before you pay anything, verify the debt. Make sure it matches the bill.

Ask the hospital for an itemized bill for the charges.

Look for medical debt relief options through 211 resources, your insurance, geographically local programs (check state, county, and city), and federal government programs.

[zetabrarian]

Trying a new and to me very convoluted teeth brushing routine based on advice from the dentist which is like

1. Rinse your mouth out with water.

2. Floss and get all the gunk out of there.

3. Rinse again.

4. Massage the bad tooth areas all over in circles with Synsodyne like buffing a surface.

5. Brush rest of teeth as normal (what is normal, you ask? Beats me!).

6. Spit out toothpaste but do not rinse out mouth with water.

I can understand how this is more effective but it's also ass-backwards from how I was taught to brush my teeth.

[zetabrarian]

Also somehow the brush is to be held at a 45 degree angle with your teeth. By the way.

[desertaurarage]

I just had half my gums lasered today and have had to be militant in dental routine.

I find "45 degrees" basically just tilted into the gums (electric brush makes it easy). Instead of rinsing out the toothpaste, I wipe/scrape my tongue of excess to reduce swallowing too much.

(I've also been sentenced to expensive custom gel trays)

Why are teeth so needy?

[northern-punk-lad]

10 pounds says terfs start arguing men have an unfair advantage in knitting next

[wildhaunt]

I know im being "that guy" but he's crocheting. He is not knitting. He is holding a hook and crocheting. Look at the fabric. He is not knitting. Wtf has he got in his mouth tho...

[lisavilisa]

I think it's a tapestry needle? Mother fucker might be that one person that sews in ends in as he goes.

[wildhaunt]

That would make sense. Good for him!

[northern-punk-lad]

The fact that a terf said “taking women jobs in the home” proves my point terfs are just the political branch of the trad wife movement

[blueteehood]

People who actually love crafts: how could the headline confuse knitting with crocheting? Uh, oh, whats he doing with that other needle? What's he crocheting? Do you think he sews in ends as he goes??? Wish I could crochet during an Olympic event

Terfs: men are occupying our SACRED knitting spaces inside our HOMES