The Reason I Get Nothing Done

bi&demi // femme on a spectrum of "switchblade" to "crowbar" // the angry one // asd&mdd&ptsd o mi // once threatened to fight the tide // dragon

[findingfeather]

This is a general gentle note and or reminder that when it comes to me, all political and ideological affiliation is descriptive, not prescriptive, and I don’t care very much (that is, at all) about ideological purity or judging things I believe or consider wise on whether they align with a given ideology or political philosophy. I do care a lot about ethical considerations of various things, but I do not consider any currently named political philosophy or ideology to be the decisive source of ethical guidance.

If you’re the kind of person who for instance needs everyone you follow to be A Leftist, or A Progressive (for which you will, of course, have VERY specific definitions and anyone outside of them is a Fake), or any of those things, I’m just about as bad a follow as if you need everyone to be a centrist, or a Christian, or anything else.

There will come a point where I disappoint or infuriate you on that axis, and worse, when called out on those terms, I probably won’t care. I do not aspire to meet the brief of a specific alignment, ideology or platform. As far as I'm concerned that's bullshit.

Broadly speaking my aims and what I think is important and the best route available to the world not being shit line up with what can be described as “secular humanist democratic socialism with a strong regulatory framework and significant freedom of information within a sound structure of human rights.”

This is descriptive, not prescriptive. In detail some of my positions would indeed be much less radical than many would prefer; others, rather more. I do not believe that any philosophy is a divine scripture that must be followed in order to achieve the pure world. I am concerned with whether a thing I'm doing, or believing, or espousing, or whatever, makes shit better than it was yesterday; I don't care if it demonstrates me being a good [whatever].

If this is an unwelcome surprise, you are of course welcome to unfollow, and save yourself profound disappointment later.

[midnightssea]

I think a lot of people would benefit from unlearning the idea that casual sex is inherently disgusting, harmful, or immoral just because they personally don’t want to partake in it. You can stand up for sexual safety and consent without acting like people who enjoy fucking strangers are degenerates. I take no issue with anyone asserting boundaries or stating that they’re not interested in certain kinds of sex or even sex as a whole. But when you condemn or express disgust at others for engaging in consensual sex, that’s when you start to sound like a puritan.

[midnightssea]

Btw, this includes self-proclaimed “feminists” who shame and lecture women for giving men “access” to their bodies. Bodies are not commodities and sex is not inherently transactional. You don’t lose anything by having sex on purpose with a person you find attractive. Sex is not some metaphysically transformative thing that bonds you to the other person forever. It is literally not that deep.

[findingfeather]

Even if you truly believe that society makes it so that no woman can be said to truly consent to sex (which is a pretty fuckin' dire view, tbh, and not one I espouse at all, but okay sure for the sake of argument we'll allow it as a possibility), you don't increase agency by restricting what people are allowed to do.

You don't improve flawed agency by removing more of it. You don't combat a flawed amount of control over one's own body by removing more of it, or simply by replacing the overlord calling the shots with . . . you, calling the shots.

You increase it by enabling. You increase it by going ok, you're gonna have sex with someone - here are the tools to make sure it's something you enjoy (because you should have enjoyment if you're gonna have sex); and here's the tools to communicate with the other person about you two having fun and enjoying this activity together; and here's the tools to make sure you're both (or hell, even all!) as safe as possible as you do it. And one of those tools is knowing you get to call halt at any time. That it's not actually a huge metaphysical obligation, that there's no actual point of no return (and if someone pushes you beyond your point that's violence), that deciding to have sex doesn't mean you are now for sex, that deciding to have sex today doesn't mean you can't decide not to tomorrow, and that you can decide to nope out today and still totally and without any contradiction decide that tomorrow it sounds like fun.

That being happy with x set of sexual activities has nothing to do with y set and there is no "level" that you cross or increase, there are no "tiers" where if you're fine with this activity that society thinks is outre, you must obviously be up for everything that society considers more "vanilla", and that literally none of this is a package deal.

That you get to say no or yes to each part of it as you like, and so does your partner, and if your expectations don't meet welp that's just a thing that happens sometimes, I guess you're not having sex tonight after all! That your desire to have and openness to having some kind of sex tonight does not mean you're up for this specific sex with this specific or these specific people and that's fine, this is not a switch where you either Must Be Chaste or Must Be Sexual.

You cannot give people the real ability to say no without also giving them the real right to say yes. You cannot restore agency by giving less of it.

You do help restore it by helping to make sure that people know all the options that are available including the ones you'd never take yourself, and by opening the doors to them that way. And then backing them up on their right to make the choice.

[oneheadtoanother]

idk anything about this but I love it

[lynati]

If any competition needed to be on Tumblr, it's this one.

[findingfeather]

Every time you think it's a given, that there's NO WAY that Red or Yellow could catch up to the other one given the lead, you are wrong. Right down to the wire.

[niuserre]

Brutha thought: the worst thing about Vorbis isn’t that he’s evil, but that he makes good people do evil. He turns people into things like himself. You can’t help it. You catch it off him.

...

‘You know,’ [Urn] said, turning to Simony. ‘Now I know Vorbis is evil. He burned my city. Well, the Tsorteans do it sometimes, and we burn theirs. It’s just war. It’s all part of history. And he lies and cheats and claws power for himself, and lots of people do that, too. But do you know what’s special? Do you know what it is?’

‘Of course,’ said Simony. ‘It’s what he’s doing to—’

‘It’s what he’s done to you.’

‘What?’

‘He turns other people into copies of himself.’

...

The black-on-black eyes stared imploringly at Brutha, who reached out automatically, without thinking … and then hesitated.

HE WAS A MURDERER, said Death. AND A CREATOR OF MURDERERS. A TORTURER. WITHOUT PASSION. CRUEL. CALLOUS. COMPASSIONLESS.

‘Yes. I know. He’s Vorbis,’ said Brutha. Vorbis changed people. Sometimes he changed them into dead people. But he always changed them. That was his triumph.

He sighed.

‘But I’m me,’ he said.

Terry Pratchett Small Gods (1992)

Bonus: Urn selected a short crowbar from his belt and inserted it between the grille and the stonework. Give me a foot of good steel and a wall to brace … my … foot … against – the grille ground forward and then popped out with a leaden sound – and I can change the world …

[mythopoetry]

this is my cat Thanatos. He is 16 years old and Sunday is his last day on earth. I have had him since I was 17, half my life, and all of his. He's very large and very cuddly and he hates when people wear shoes in the house. I can't begin to tell you the adventures we've gone on, or the reasons this last year has been the best in his life (and mine). All I can say is I wish I had more time,. 20 years wouldn't be enough with this cat; his massive claws are dug into my heart permanently. I think I have to believe in an afterlife, at least for cats, at least for this one, to think he gets an infinity of treats and pets and toys. I'll add more photos to this post as I think of them. I just wanted someone else to see him, and know that he is the best cat I could've dreamt of.

[mythopoetry]

[kawuli]

this is how he wakes me up in the morning

this is his favorite Large Paper

this is him protecting Rika after endometriosis surgery

cuddles

hello. it is time for I, Thanatos, to be fed. (it is not)

He even forgave me for putting all his stuff in a box, putting *him* in a box, and driving him to a brand new place 2 days away.

twice.

I love you, buddy. I'll take good care of your girl for you.

[mythopoetry]

this is my cat Thanatos. He is 16 years old and Sunday is his last day on earth. I have had him since I was 17, half my life, and all of his. He's very large and very cuddly and he hates when people wear shoes in the house. I can't begin to tell you the adventures we've gone on, or the reasons this last year has been the best in his life (and mine). All I can say is I wish I had more time,. 20 years wouldn't be enough with this cat; his massive claws are dug into my heart permanently. I think I have to believe in an afterlife, at least for cats, at least for this one, to think he gets an infinity of treats and pets and toys. I'll add more photos to this post as I think of them. I just wanted someone else to see him, and know that he is the best cat I could've dreamt of.

[mythopoetry]

[beyondthisdarkhouse]

Vet fees fundraiser: $230 of $800 raised

Tl;dr: My mom's cat needs veterinary care while she's on a limited income.

I got a video that shows some of the gait issues we're concerned about. We're taking him to the vet this afternoon to get him looked at. Thank you so much to everyone who's supported us so far, whether by donation or signalboost.

Gofundme here.

[beyondthisdarkhouse]

We've reached $600 of $800! Thank you guys so much.

[twostepsfromtemerant]

For all the many flaws of the tagging system on this hellsite, it is so perfect for Sending Home. A man's not dead while his name is still spoken, and what are the tags but the Overhead of tumblr? They aren't the posts themselves, but they are metacommentary on posts, notes to friends, info to be passed on. The message has been logged and is continuing to be sent on. GNU

[mariana-oconnor]

[stivaktis]

An oldie, but a favourite.

Happy Glorious 25th of May.

[despazito]

I don't have time for tumblr discourse they're calling the very hungry caterpillar degenerate art over on twitter

[despazito]

good art is when something looks like real life, the more real it looks the more better the art. abstracted figures give my trad children nightmares, one time they were exposed to cubism and couldn't go outside for a week

[beyondthisdarkhouse]

So what if it's a distinctive technique that's fun to do that will make my child want to experiment with different art media and styles? Children's early artistic exploration should be stifled as quickly as possible unless they're incredibly good the first time they do something.

[findingfeather]

I hope she had fun being the main character of the internet for a bit.

[beyondthisdarkhouse]

My mom is a huge support to me; she's usually at my apartment twice a week, helping pack orders for the Etsy store or scanning business receipts or doing my dishes. That's really invaluable help for me.

So now that her cat Gallagher is having health problems in his old age, I absolutely offered to help her crowdfund to get the vet care he needs. He's struggling to walk normally, especially in his back legs, so she's taking him to the vet this week to get him looked at and see what's up.

An exam and diagnosis alone will probably cost at least $800 CAD, and she's on a limited income as-is, so we're fundraising to get him looked at.

If anyone's able to contribute or give this a signal boost, it would be greatly appreciated. 💕

[jessaerys]

how do i say "horror novels these days are too woke" without sounding like a right winger. what i mean is: this one is about a woman serial killer who kills Bad Men, that one is about ~anticapitalist activists~, this one is ~queer~, that one is about *spins wheel* someone dealing with the ghosts of their immigrant roots, all of them are about intergenerational traumaaaaa. okay. cool. but is it good though. is it fucking scary

[jessaerys]

something something, losing the ability to convey horror through abstraction, through metaphor, through symbolism, through allegory, through raw unexamined un-psychiatrized feeling. if the real horror is.... dun dun dun! the patriarchy then i just feel preached to. don't use fiction as a vehicle for Saying Something About Society. write with total vulnerability and then see what it says. it will be probably be far more interesting and horrifying than what if the monster was uhh my mom's abuse or whatever. this brand of new horror writers are all so terrified of actually disclosing anything about themselves. it's like if an instagram infographic performance was a mediocre contemporary novel

[some-stars]

YOU ARE MAKING THE TEXT DO THE WORK OF ANALYSIS!!!!!!!

[squareallworthy]

Everyone will not just

If your solution to some problem relies on “If everyone would just…” then you do not have a solution. Everyone is not going to just. At not time in the history of the universe has everyone just, and they’re not going to start now.

[ultrafacts]

According to the CDC, in 10 percent of those drownings, the adult will actually watch the child do it, having no idea it is happening. Drowning does not look like drowning—Dr. Pia, in an article in the Coast Guard’s On Scene magazine, described the Instinctive Drowning Response like this:

“Except in rare circumstances, drowning people are physiologically unable to call out for help. The respiratory system was designed for breathing. Speech is the secondary or overlaid function. Breathing must be fulfilled before speech occurs.

Drowning people’s mouths alternately sink below and reappear above the surface of the water. The mouths of drowning people are not above the surface of the water long enough for them to exhale, inhale, and call out for help. When the drowning people’s mouths are above the surface, they exhale and inhale quickly as their mouths start to sink below the surface of the water.

Drowning people cannot wave for help. Nature instinctively forces them to extend their arms laterally and press down on the water’s surface. Pressing down on the surface of the water permits drowning people to leverage their bodies so they can lift their mouths out of the water to breathe.

Throughout the Instinctive Drowning Response, drowning people cannot voluntarily control their arm movements. Physiologically, drowning people who are struggling on the surface of the water cannot stop drowning and perform voluntary movements such as waving for help, moving toward a rescuer, or reaching out for a piece of rescue equipment.

From beginning to end of the Instinctive Drowning Response people’s bodies remain upright in the water, with no evidence of a supporting kick. Unless rescued by a trained lifeguard, these drowning people can only struggle on the surface of the water from 20 to 60 seconds before submersion occurs.”

This doesn’t mean that a person that is yelling for help and thrashing isn’t in real trouble—they are experiencing aquatic distress. Not always present before the Instinctive Drowning Response, aquatic distress doesn’t last long—but unlike true drowning, these victims can still assist in their own rescue. They can grab lifelines, throw rings, etc.

Look for these other signs of drowning when persons are in the water:

Head low in the water, mouth at water level

Head tilted back with mouth open

Eyes glassy and empty, unable to focus

Eyes closed

Hair over forehead or eyes

Not using legs—vertical

Hyperventilating or gasping

Trying to swim in a particular direction but not making headway

Trying to roll over on the back

Appear to be climbing an invisible ladder

So if a crew member falls overboard and everything looks OK—don’t be too sure. Sometimes the most common indication that someone is drowning is that they don’t look like they’re drowning. They may just look like they are treading water and looking up at the deck. One way to be sure? Ask them, “Are you all right?” If they can answer at all—they probably are. If they return a blank stare, you may have less than 30 seconds to get to them. And parents—children playing in the water make noise. When they get quiet, you get to them and find out why.

Source/article: [x]

Follow Ultrafacts for more facts!

[mermaibee]

BOOST FOR THE SUMMER. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE.

[1q8njk-deactivated20221112]

Can I just say thank you to OP for putting such a detailed description on this?

I’ve been a lifeguard for 6 years now and of all the saves I’ve done, maybe two or three had people drowning in the stereotypical thrashing style. And even those, like the save I made last weekend, it was exactly like OP describes where the person’s head is going in and out of the water but it isn’t long enough to get any air. Mostly you recognize drowning by the look on someone’s face. If someone looks wide eyed and terrified or confused, chances are they’re drowning. That look of “oh shit” is pretty easily recognizable. And even if you can’t tell for sure: GO AFTER THEM ANYWAY. I’ve done “saves” where a kid was pretending to drown and I mistook it for real drowning, but that’s preferable to a kid ACTUALLY drowning.

Also please remember that even strong swimmers can drown if they have a medical emergency, get cramps, or get too tired. If your friend knows how to swim but they’re acting funny get them to land. And even if someone can respond when you ask them if they need help, if they say they do need help? GO HELP THEM.

However . If the victim is a stranger, I can’t recommend trying to get them. Lifeguards literally train to escape “attacks,” because people who are drowning can freak the fuck out and grab you and make YOU drown as well. If you do go in after someone, take hold of them from the back and talk to them the whole time. IF YOU ARE GRABBED: duck down into the water as low as you can get. The person is panicking and won’t want to go under water and should release you. Shove up at their hands and push them away from you as you duck under. Don’t die trying to save someone else.

Please guys, read and memorize this post. Not all places have lifeguards. Being able to recognize drowning is such an important skill to have and you can save someone’s life.

[inspector-loki]

Just incase!

[witchofobsession-deactivated202]

In a water park once, I was suddenly grabbed by a child and he dragged me under the water without warning. I was going to get angry with him when I resurfaced because I thought he was being an ass, until I looked at him go back in and out hyperventilating the entire time. I grabbed him under his arms and began trying to drag him out while screaming for the lifeguard.

When the lifeguard got us both out, a woman came running down and accused me of harming him and said he had been completely fine in the water. That there was no reason to drag him out of there. The lifeguard had to explain to her that her son had been drowning, to which her response was to say that she didn’t hear him call for help.

People seriously need to learn the signs.

[princedrewwrites]

http://spotthedrowningchild.com/ really demonstrates how easy it is to miss drowning 

[abandoned-as-mustard]

When lifeguards tell you not to go beyond waist-depth, it’s a good idea to listen to them. Especially if you’re in australia. And especially if you’re one of the countless tourists who underestimate the ocean.

[lookninjas]

Also, please be careful in the Great Lakes, especially in the early part of the season when the waters are cold as fuck. Our water temps are still running around 30 to 40 fahrenheit on most of the shoreline (so around zero for the celsius folks). Combine fatigue from hypothermia with the dangers of rip tides or even just choppy waters, and you can and will drown. And honestly, we’d prefer you didn’t!

[gremlininho]

then & now ♡

[ilovecoelacanths]

went to a new optometrist today wearing my squid facts ‘save our freaks’ shirt from @sarahmackattack that has a strawberry squid on it. and i wasn’t even thinking about it but the optometrist walked in and he was like ‘oh what does your shirt say’ so i showed him and he was like ‘oh that’s neat!’ and then i thought he might like to know about strawberry squid eyes since they have weird eyes and he is an optometrist and all. so i was like ‘yeah it’s actually a real kind of squid called a strawberry squid, their eyes are really cool because they have one big yellow-green one and one small blue one’ and he kind of gasped and went ‘oh my god that’s so interesting i wonder why they have that. do you know what their retina composition is like?’ and i watched as he minimized my chart on the computer and started looking up images of strawberry squid and then he googled ‘strawberry squid retina composition’ and he was like ‘sorry we’ll get to your eye exam in a moment i just really want to find out’ LMAO 10/10 optometrist experience will be returning

[sarahmackattack]

Hell yeah

[soychronicprocrastinator]

He’s in the right for that this is so cool