[georgiebarker]

eclipse adventure

a hopeful tarot reading // beach finds (vertebrae? and ??, found by my friend, left there on the beach) // 3:12pm (totality) // 3:14pm (totality) // 3:15pm (just as totality was ending) // briefly off trail on our way out, followed the wrong path // the day warmed back up so much after, I got a little sun

[georgiebarker]

just dipping my toes in lake erie for a couple hours this afternoon (:

[bloglikeanegyptian]

The Times Quotes Israeli and American Sources More than Three Times as Often as Palestinians - The New York War Crimes (published March 2024)

best read in combination with:

Coverage of Gaza War in the New York Times and Other Major Newspapers Heavily Favored Israel, Analysis Shows - The Intercept (published January 2024)

[georgiebarker]

A friend said I hope your week gets better and I (having just gotten a very scary work-related phone call) deadass went, "it won't."

[effectiveresistance]

"Imagine that you have witnessed four months of unrelenting genocide.

Imagine that the government you live under and pay taxes to is sponsoring and encouraging that genocide.

Imagine that all over the country, for four months, people have been engaging in brave protest and resistance to that genocide—blocking bridges, freeways, train stations; disrupting meetings and political rallies of genocidaires; vandalizing the businesses of profiteers; getting arrested by the score; literally setting themselves on fire to make their protest seen, heard, and viscerally felt.

Imagine that, in that context, you organize a local protest against the genocide, and that it brings together hundreds—maybe even thousands— of people on a beautiful spring day in a public square next to one of the busiest intersections in the city.

Imagine that during that protest, you lead people in chants like “When people are occupied, resistance is justified!!” and “What do we want? Justice! And if we don’t get it? Shut it down! If we don’t get it? Shut it down!! If we don’t get it? SHUT! IT! DOWN!”

But imagine that the only thing you planned for that protest was to stand in a big circle outside an empty government building to chant and listen to speeches.

Imagine that when you’ve decided to end the protest, you just leave everyone hanging after spending an hour and half firing them up about the horrors of the genocide unfolding on your collective watch.

Imagine that these people are looking to you because you’ve assumed a position of leadership by calling the protest and providing the infrastructure for it; putting yourself up on the stage and controlling the microphone and leading the chants; organizing so-called “marshals” in yellow vests to police the protest.

Imagine that when all these people are looking to you, in this moment of anguish and outrage and movement and passion, you announce on your sound system that you “won’t be marching,” then shrug and tell everyone to “stay safe.”

And then imagine that you’ve named your organization the “solidarity” committee with the people being actively genocided.

But imagine that despite your best efforts, you are not actually in control.

Imagine that even though you’ve done nothing to create the space or invite the initiative and autonomy of other people, they start to find it in themselves and each other, organically and spontaneously—first just people grumbling privately, then people finding common desire with strangers, then people speaking up louder and louder.

Imagine that all those people compelled to action but abandoned by the supposed leaders of the protest start moving and chanting together anyway, on their own, with no one in charge.

Imagine that a few of them bravely take the first unpermitted steps into the street, in front of impatient traffic, and are soon followed by dozens of others, and then hundreds.

Imagine that all these hundreds of people quickly find their footing and collective confidence to march through the streets together with no permit except the strength of their numbers and the steadfast of their resolve; that without direction or orders, the bicyclists all start blocking traffic at every intersection in a coordinated manner; that the people at the front of the march remember to periodically pause to make sure everyone stays together and no one is left behind; that debates about routes happen in real time and get resolved imperfectly but quickly and organically; that the megaphone gets passed around; that new relationships and affinities are formed.

Imagine that for over an hour all these people finally get to taste a little bit of their own power—a sweet reminder that we do not have to obey and comply, we do not have to wait and follow; that people and movements against colonialism and for self-determination can and should self-determine their path forward to liberation; that people and movements for autonomy can and should organize and act autonomously.

Imagine that at the end of this march, some absolute clowns in yellow vests still have the fucking nerve to try to order people to get on the sidewalk.

Keep imagining.

Imagine next time.

Imagine that more people come to the protest with their own initiative and plans and courage and passion.

Imagine that people organize and strategize and coordinate and conspire with their friends and comrades and prepare to act strategically to actually disrupt the machinery of empire, capital, and genocide.

Imagine that people remember their experiences from the George Floyd uprisings, and that time when one of the other self-appointed “radical leaders” in the city decided to abandon the people they claim to lead by trying to cancel a Sunday rally at the last minute because they couldn’t control the rage and passion coursing through the streets, but the people turned out anyway, took over I-35, militantly defended that space and forced the police to retreat, and held the freeway until the police indiscriminately tear-gassed the entire protest.

Imagine that people study the many lessons from those George Floyd uprisings and the Ferguson/Baltimore uprisings, the movements against extraction and pipelines at places like Standing Rock, the antifascist mobilizations from Trump’s first term, the Occupy movement, the movement against the invasion of Iraq, and others, to help them create strategies that don’t repeat the mistakes and failures of the past.

Imagine a movement that is fierce and caring and diverse and horizontal and creative and combative and supportive and successful."

- Imagine a Free Palestine: A Thought Experiment About A Saturday March

[stuffifindonlinesometimes]

Half Wolf Sculpture

[georgiebarker]

oh and I got a haircut that changed my life this week

[georgiebarker]

my roommate's kitties are obsessed with me which is sometimes very sweet and often very annoying lol, but right now it means that I'm the middle spoon of a cat sandwich between Bailey and one of my roomie's cats Luna. it's like they're snuggling each other but through the transitive property of my body. extremely sweet; I will die if this becomes a demand from Luna nightly

[wifegideonnav]

the fact that op turned off rbs is very very funny to me. anyway i want this post on my blog too.

[absoluteconceptofbeauty]

:/

[homoidiotic]

FaT GiRL Zine 2 — February, 1995

[anthonyhurd]

The slow dance - 26x32” acrylic on canvas.

[georgiebarker]

the near-constant fear type of anxiety beat that I've been on for a few months is so deeply exhausting. there's not much left of me

[karnalesbian]

not only is my new thesaurus terrible, but it’s also terrible

[georgiebarker]

watched the wicked trailer and it looks so bad, worse than I expected actually 😬😥 I'm gonna beat up ben platt's dad for this one

[atomic-chronoscaph]

art by Eyvind Earle

[georgiebarker]

hard day and my effort barely feels worth it at this point. still have to pack.

[georgiebarker]

everything is extremely fucking hard, but some bright spots from the past few days

- found out a secret: getting a holiday bonus from work

- board pres (boss?) is the one advocating for this bonus and is a huge fan of me in a very sweet way. told her some of the stuff going on in my life and she was so deeply empathetic and caring in response. she checked in with me again today after our meeting and once again offered her spare room and couch to new roomie and I if we need it

- colleague/friend dropped off a big kroger cake box with a corner piece of cake and some assorted holiday cookies from a party at the cemetery office where he volunteers. left them on my stoop while I was in a meeting.

- new roomie remains such a delight and becoming closer to them is a bright spot of my days. I find myself opening up to them a lot. they're genuinely one of the best audiences and funniest people I've ever met (2 of the most important friend characteristics).

- maybe found a new friend?? working with her on a series of sex ed events that feel super exciting. she's the most normie presenting openly kinky/poly/weird person I've met in a way that I'm starting to find very charming? like when someone nails the sex positive schtick in a way that is genuinely not creepy or uncomfortable at all. she's also fat and fat-positive in a way that I fuck with. we clicked a lot last night and I was a bit vulnerable even. friendship seems on the horizon.. the universe is inherently funny though, so her one major flaw is having my deadname.

- roomie no longer has covid!!

- dropped off something for a friend yesterday and it was sweet to see him (and his roomies who I also really like). I keep meaning to reach out to him, but shit's been crazy, and it felt good to at least be able to say that to his face? and I did him a kinda big favor and he was super appreciative and idk, was just nice to be able to do something for a friend I'm not great at keeping up with

- bailey and luna are buddies and play daily at this point! cuddling seems nigh...

- feeling so loving towards my partner lately. it feels big, I think we've actually built something strong? incorporating intentional care lately in a way I've always dreamed of too.

I've had some other sweet or interesting conversations and moments lately (many over the past month). trying to lean into the moments that feel good and hold onto that. seems important.