Just watched Adam Conover (of Adam Ruins Everything) make such a solid point that I think we should spread far and wide. Yes, having AI write your emails is lazy, sure, but people love being lazy. We need to really emphasize that sending AI emails (or using AI responses on social media, or publishing AI flyers, or or or) is rude.
It's rude. You're making someone take their time to read something you couldn't bother to write. You're telling them they were so unimportant you couldn't be bothered to actually take the time to say something yourself. And frankly, you're lying about it while you're at it.
The raptors one is the most painful one for me they literally had a dinosaur playing basketball in their logo maybe the coolest thing in the fucking world and they were like let's get rid of him
The Pistons one is also very bad because its giving absolutely nothing. The new Raptors logo at least still has a claw on it. The new Pistons logo is as bland as could be.
Yeah, it's a wonderful peice of art because rather that just going with a crude, industrial piston they represented "horsepower" as a fire-maned black horse which is peak 80s-90s HellYeahcore.
All these industries with shortages of workers and they can’t figure out why.
Im proposing the hypothesis that the reason we don’t have enough doctors/pilots/bus drivers/etc is that maybe, just maybe, having your entire industry function as a lifelong hazing ritual isn’t the best recruiting strategy.
Doctors are subject to 8 years of post-secondary education and are forced to work 48 hour shifts.
Pilots and other transportation workers have absurd hours of service requirements that start your rest period as “the moment you shut the vehicle down” and can be as short as 9 hours in some cases.
Railroad workers have to be available on-call 6 days a week and be ready within two hours notice. They don’t get sick time.
Retail workers have to keep a veneer of politeness against any and all abuse or they can be fired.
Truck drivers get paid by mileage and rarely see pay for shipper or receiver delays.
Work should not be designed to make you a miserable burnout and yet here we are.
this stupid shit has been around for so long and it’s crazy to me there are still people with enough rocks in their brain to believe it. “Oughhhhh if you aren’t nice to you oppressors they’ll become bigots instead of allies” if someone’s support for marginalized groups hinges entirely on whether or not that group is niceys, they’re by definition not effective or useful allies and, by admission of this argument, an active danger to the communities theyre supposed to be allied with because they can Enter Bigot Mode the second they become displease
Times That Copyright Expansion Has Historically Fucked Over Artists On An Institutional Level:
Sampling rights becoming prohibitively expensive to use by small artists
Musicians being forced to sign over sampling rights to their record company, making any benefits they would hypothetically gain moot.
The Digital Milennium Copyright Act leading to the vidmaker-stomping nightmare that is ContentID
The DMCA leading to making it harder than ever to preserve media due to the way it prohibits tinkering with any locks the megacorps put on it, meaning it's way easier for artists' hard work to end up vaulted and lost.
The way basic chord progressions and musical styles have become copyrightable thanks to various lawsuits by the Marvin Gaye estate
The fact that the artists of the past used to be able to remix; adapt and iterate on art made within 56 years of them, likely created in their lifetimes, and now artists can only do those things with art produced nearly a century ago by people long dead.
New and independent artists being crowded out of the market by megacorp-owned IPs that would be public domain (and thusly convey less of an overwhelming advantage-via-marquee-value to megacorps) if the US had its pre-1976 copyright laws.
Times That Copyright Expansion Has Actually Materially Helped Artists On An Institutional Level:
Rules: Make a poll with seven of your all-time favorite characters from seven different fandoms, and then tag seven people to do the same. See which character is everyone’s favorite.
Which of these seven fictional characters is your favorite?
Hermann Gottlieb (Pacific Rim - and Newton Geiszler; they come as a set!!!!)
Lady Danbury (Bridgerton)
Egon Spengler (Ghostbusters)
Han Solo (Star Wars)
Spock (Star Trek)
Cat Woman/Selina Kyle (Batman/DC Universe)
Sakura Kinomoto (Cardcaptor Sakura)
Voting ended onMay 11
A lot of my fave characters aren't in a fandom as such, so I just let the 7 fandoms guide me.
Which of these fictional characters is your favourite?
Romana (Classic Who, Gallifrey Audios)
Yasmin Khan (NuWho)
Jessica Jones (Marvel Comics)
Alison Cooper (Ghosts)
Lyra Silvertongue (Northern Lights etc.)
Buffy Summers (BtVS)
Mabel Mora (OMITB)
Voting ended onMay 11
tagging @measured-robshearfan @daughterofheartshaven @acertainmoshke @magiefish @benjacksonstanaccount @gracefelldownaflightofstairs and anyone else who wants to do it!
Which of these fictional characters is your favourite
Mayday Parker/Spider-Girl (Marvel Comics 2)
Evelyn Smythe (Doctor Who)
Jessica Cruz/Green Lantern (DC Comics)
Teal'c (Stargate)
Rugal (Star Trek)
Kalinda Sharma (The Good Wife)
0-0-0 (Star Wars)
Voting ended onMay 18
tagging @kiwimintlime @countnora @salt413 @rihagoesrawr @frogayyyy @i-would-like-a-jelly-baby @madamfred and anyone else who sees this and wants to do it :)
Thanks for the tag @kiwimintlime these are always fun
which of these characters is you favorite
Jack Kelly (newsies)
Daryl Dixon (the walking dead)
Mina Harker (Dracula)
Elphaba Thropp (wicked)
Kaneki Ken (Tokyo ghoul)
Claudia (interview with the vampire)
L Lawliet (death note)
Voting ended onMay 18
I’m gonna tag @prismatica-the-strange @daincrediblegg @francisofthespook @blu-razz-roses @canigetanuwu @furiririna and @minervadashwood if y’all would like to participate
No pressure tags: @your-mighty-words-astound-me @justarandomhumanhere @octobermp-3 @justarandomgirly @spockvarietyhour and anyone else who wants to join!
Ignoring how long it took me to 1) get around to doing this and 2) to remember all of my favourite characters...
Choose YOUR favourite character:
Hirugami Sachirō (Haikyuu!!)
'Hikaru' (The Summer Hikaru Died)
Nakajima Atsushi (Bungo Stray Dogs)
Yona (Yona of the Dawn)
Arita Kazuomi (Kemutai Hanashi)
Okumura Eiji (Banana Fish)
Kamado Tanjiro (Demon Slayer)
Remaining time: 1 day 11 hours
No pressure tags: @igrab @popcornkwantum @pumpkaboochucker @malin-la @jpg-of-dorian-slay @indigogrimreader @littlestlake and anyone else who wants to do this :)
@theao3addict @ikebanaka @katbat2017 @0wliee @i-write-shakespeare-not-disney @itsgarbageboy @tsillyy + any and all other moots and friends who see this
Hey if you have chronic pain, you gotta remember that the cognitive load of dealing with that is exhausting. Just that alone. Never mind what else you've got going on.
You're not lazy or being dramatic; you're overloaded.
With all the talk about telling people to start planting and growing crops to feed themselves and their communities during this time of crisis, I’m surprised I haven’t seen much about HOW MUCH to plant to feed people. Here’s a good article to serve as a jumping-off point, to give people an idea of when to plant and how much to plant to keep people fed. Keep in mind that unless you live on a fairly sizeable plot of land that has ideal growing conditions, you probably won’t be able to completely feed a family of four, at least with traditional gardening methods. However, you can still heavily supplement your diet with homegrown food if you plot your garden carefully.
It's time to plan the vegetable garden, but how much should you plant per person to feed your family?
Some things you can do to save space include growing plants in stackable towers rather than flat rows. Not everything can grow this way, but growing herbs or even strawberries or some kinds of tomatoes in them can save a lot of space. Bonus points if you can get some vertical vining plants like beans or tomatoes to grow up the sides of them to maximize the space used.
Hanging planters can also be used for things like tomatoes, herbs, some berries, etc. The people who grew up watching TV in the 2000s may remember ads for the topsy-turvy tomato planter. I can’t vouch for the effectiveness of them, but it may be good inspiration for creative DIY hanging planters.
Many people don’t seem to know this (to be fair, it’s not very intuitive), but small melons and gourds can be grown vertically on a trellis. You will need pantyhose or something else that can act like a sling for when the fruit gets large enough, and you’ll also want to make sure the trellis is very sturdy. Here is an example of a watermelon growing on a trellis, with squash growing in the background:
Other good options that require a bit more DIY are hydroponics towers and walls. It’s basically just a series of pipes with holes for plants to grow out of. The only downside is they will require very regular fertilization and supplementation with other micronutrients that are essential for plant growth, because the plants are typically grown in either a non-nutritious medium like coconut coir or nothing at all.
Planter walls are the next step down, basically just building shelves with pots in them to fill with soil. Put these on a wall that gets good morning sun and some afternoon sunlight for best results. These and hydroponics both also have the advantage of being able to hook up to your gutters so that rainwater will go towards watering your plants rather than just being wasted.
If you want to get really fancy, aquaponics is the next step up. With aquaponics, you create a system that circulates water between plants and a tank full of fish. The fish waste provides fertilizer for the plants, and the plants help filter out the waste so the water stays cleaner. I’ve heard they’re a bit tricky to establish, but once you find the right balance, all you’ll need to do is feed the fish. This has the added bonus of providing a source of fish for people who can’t eat things like nuts and legumes but need protein. Here is a link to an article explaining what aquaponics is, how it works, and how it differs from hydroponics.
WHAT IS AQUAPONICS? What is Aquaponics? Many definitions of aquaponics recognize the ‘ponics’ part of this word for hydroponics which is gro
I also want to add that if you don’t have the space or ability to maintain a large garden, there are other options. Find or create a group with access to enough food to supplement or completely fulfill your diet, and offer another service. If you have space for a vermicompost bin or tower, that can still help contribute to the garden. Learning other skills like soap making, cooking, sewing/knitting/crocheting, electrical skills like wiring and soldering, welding, woodworking/carpentry, etc. means you will still have valuable skills to contribute towards the group, and this will set up the basis for a larger mutual aid network within your community.
Unless you have a huge amount of land, resources, a shitload of free time and a lot of gardening skills, trying to live completely off your own garden within a year is a ridiculous idea.
Most of us can’t do it ever even if we use all our space perfectly. Some of us can do it after years of building those skills, and we might still have bad years. And in the end, what does it get us? Self-reliance is a right-wing preppers dream but it isn’t what we should be aiming for.
If we’re thinking about collective survival and we’re looking at food as part of that survival, there’s two things that work:
Start a community garden. Bring together the resources, time and skills by getting together in a big group.
Or learn to grow a few crops really well and share them with all your friends.
The last one is what I’m going for and it works great. You can chose a few crops that are perfect for your soil, shade/sun conditions, skill level, amount of time, etc. Perfect those crops so you’ll have a huge harvest, and share share share. With a couple of friends doing the same, it’s much easier to get to a point where you’re no longer relying on stores for your fruit and veg.
If you have permanent long term space but limited time? Fruit trees and berry bushes.
If you have a lot of nice soil and can do physically exhausting work? Potatoes, pumpkins, zucchini.
If you have a green house? SOOOO many tomatoes. Fruits that require warmth. etc.
Are you a gardening nerd with time and an interest in learning complicated plants? Take on the challenges like broccoli, cauliflower and depending on your needs, location and options, maybe cannabis? Or build a permaculture garden if that’s your thing.
If you have a balcony or window sill or prefer to do light work in high mobile planters due to limited space or mobility? Leafy greens, herbs, radishes, carrots, maybe a small tomato plant.
Together, we have complementary needs and abilities.
I was talking to a friend last night about how he’s closing down his garden for the winter, what worked this year and what he wants to repeat and try new next. He said squash, cucumber and beans have always worked from seed, they’re easy and good producers if you’re in a 5-8 climate.
Peppers are perennials and we talked about bucket planting for those so you can bring them inside if your winters get cold to overwinter and bring them back out in the spring.
In learning how to garden and grow produce it helps to start small and scale up year to year. Try new varieties and planters and spots in the garden, find ways to allow things to volunteer in the spring (leaving peppers, basil and other plants to cast seeds directly). You’ll learn and grow so much, even if much of it isn’t edible.
Remember to grow flowers too - not just because they are pretty but they will attract pollinators who will help your produce grow too! Sunflowers grow great in the US so don’t sleep on those babes.
I live in a city where we can’t grow produce in the ground due to industrial contamination but we’re experimenting with raised beds. This year’s attempt was a 3 sister mound and we only got a couple handfuls of green beans out of the effort but we learned SO MUCH and those green beans tasted all the sweeter because we watched them grow.
Transphobia is about to be signed into law in the UK. We can fight this.
I am begging the UK trans community and its allies to attend the Mass Lobby at Parliament on June 25th, 11am-4pm, organised by Trans Solidarity Alliance.
Last year we broke the record for an LGBT+ mass lobby of Parliament. Will you help us break it again? Join us on 25th June 2026 to demand be
The new EHRC Code of Practice pushes trans people out of toilets, hospital wards, and community spaces. It normalises gender policing based on appearance and stereotypes. It becomes statutory guidance in the UK by the end of June.
Trans people are now legally their assigned gender at birth and must join gendered spaces accordingly, but if they are perceived as their lived gender, they can also be ejected from those spaces. The guidance says: either break the law, or don’t pass too well.
A mass lobby is where you invite your MP to discuss your concerns with you in-person. Ask your MP to:
Demand full parliamentary scrutiny, debate, and use their free vote on the EHRC Code of Practice.
Support any motions rejecting the EHRC guidance. As of June 4th, Labour MP Nadia Whittome has submitted a prayer motion - Early Day Motion 240.
Write to Bridget Phillipson, the Minister for Women and Equalities about our concerns
Your MP does not have to be an ally, they do not have to respond to your email for you to show up and greencard them (details below the cut.) What matters is that as many people as possible show up.
I cannot stress this enough: Showing up in person matters. It is much more effective than petitions, emails, and letters.
It is a horrible, stressful time, and I am so sorry if you're trans and live in the UK. But I was at last year's mass lobby and the line for greencarding alone stretched around the back gates. It was a record breaking mass lobby and made us impossible to ignore. Let's do even better this time. Details under the cut:
Worried about what to say?
Bring your personal worries about transphobia being signed into law, and trans friends being excluded from public spaces. You are a living person who deserves dignity. Remind your MP of that. You will also get guidance and brochures from Trans Solidarity Alliance that outlines our demands. This is mine from last year.
Money issues?
Trans Solidarity Alliance provides a travel bursary that you can sign up for via the link.
Got a refusal or no response from your MP?
Come anyway! You can request a same-day appointment with your MP through a process called greencarding. They will come and see you if they’re already in Parliament. Even if they don’t, they’re made acutely aware of your cause because you showed up in person. This is my greencard from last year.
Here is the EHRC Code of Practice in full. It's a tough read, but some highlights are:
Organisations can’t provide trans-inclusive, single-sex services, or they risk being sued for discrimination.
e.g. domestic violence support for women including trans women, men’s rugby group including trans men (12.68).
Trans people will have nowhere safe to pee.
If you’re a trans man, businesses can't allow you to pee in the men's, and you can also be ejected from women’s bathrooms if you’re perceived as a man. Vice versa for trans women. EHRC suggests a ‘third space’ bathroom, which is discriminatory and unworkable for most businesses. (13.130-133)
Sports organisations must exclude trans people from single-sex competitions (13.73).
A women’s only sports competition must exclude trans women because of their biological advantage or face potential lawsuits (13.74), but a trans man who has undergone testosterone treatment can also be excluded based on fairness rules (13.81).
Trans women are stripped of the legal definition of ‘lesbian’, and therefore no longer have legal protections if they’re discriminated against on the basis of sexual orientation. (2.50, 2.92).
Here is the Good Law Project's better explanation of the EHRC Code.
I have also made a PDF printout of QR codes for the government petition, email your MP tool, and mass lobby link to pass around your communities. DM me and I'll send it to you.
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