Grackle Gets Personal

Dakota/Grackle | He/They | Transmasc | 27 LunarGrackle's side blog where he reblogs and talks about things. Expect anarchism, communism, punk culture, being an ex-mormon, having chronic pain, being transgender, etc. Art blog/main is @lunargrackle, though I use that blog exclusively for liking posts and posting art.

[27-moons]

Arabic calligraphy of the Communist Manifesto + Karl Marx

By Hasan Musa

[anarchblr]

Do you think there is a space in anarchism for prayer? If so, what might that look like?

for prayer? like, religiously so, you mean?

yeah, sure. wherever.

you might want to ask religious Anarchists as to what it might look like, my guess is much the same that it does now, but I'm so not an authority on this at all.

[lunargracklepersonal]

My thoughts on this as an ex-religious anarchist are that I believe organized religion to be too inextricably linked to hierarchical power structures to be salvageable, but personal and smaller scale community spiritual and religious expression without hierarchy can be done in a liberative way imo. So yeah, I think prayer is compatible with anarchism, taken on face value.

That said, prayer is probably going to be largely a private event given its personal nature. Everyone prays differently and what is natural to one is chaos to another if you catch my meaning. Like minded people are free to organize group prayer ofc but you aren't going to see mass prayer like in a christian society the way I see mass prayer in the US.

This is just my take on the issue of course so other perspectives and opinions are welcome!

[pikestaff]

"Stop saying 15 year olds with weird interests are cringe, they're 15" this is true however you should also stop saying adults with weird interests are cringe because who gives a shit

[themythicalcodfish]

To wit:

[switchelsweets]

I want to share some wisdom from my high school art teacher.

In my AP Art class, there was a girl who was just starting to experiment with mixed media. At this point she was still playing around, trying to decide what direction she wanted to go with her portfolio. So one critique day, she brought in an abstract canvas with some rhinestone highlights and painted and real peacock feathers. She loved sparkles and peacock feathers so she thought she’d try introducing them a *little*. And after everyone had given some input, the teacher gave her his advice, VERY roughly paraphrased here:

“So here’s the thing… I do not like this style. These are just elements that do not speak to me personally, but I see that you like them, and you’re doing interesting things with them.

“My biggest critique is, I only merely *dislike* this piece. I want you to make me HATE it. Go crazy with the things that you like. Don’t hold back trying to make it palatable to people like me. Because I am NEVER going to like it. And if the audience does not like it, it should drive them crazy seeing how much YOU love it.”

Her portfolio was chock full of neon colors and glitter and rhinestones and splashes of peacock feathers and it was a delight. Our teacher despised every piece lol, but she got great marks and I think even won some awards. And more importantly, she was happy and proud of the results. Because she didn’t limit herself by trying to appeal to people who were never going to enjoy what she enjoyed.

Takeaway here: be as cringe as you want. Don’t limit yourself based on other ppl’s tastes. They’re not you, and you are incredible 💕

[lunargracklepersonal]

Hey genuine question for any pharmacists out there if I'm allergic to both acetaminophen and ibuprofen what would be the most effective otc painkiller that's also the least likely to give me an ulcer or should I just tough shit out from now on since i got an ulcer last year?

For context I have chronic pain in my feet. Also nothing seems to work anymore, including aspirin and naproxen. Have been just... Taking nothing, for months now and it's actually been less terrible than it sounds. Advice is welcome just don't tell me to take shit I just said I'm allergic to. It will make me not be able to breathe.

[lunargracklepersonal]

Asked my pharmacy tech half sibling for advice and she said naproxen is probably my best bet despite it being an nsaid, just to take it with food and water. She did warn me it could make my blood pressure rise. If it doesn't work she said I'm in the realm of prescription medicine and to talk up a pharmacist first if possible cuz they know most about drug interactions (I'm on a lot of medications as it is).

Further advice from a pharmacist would be welcome :)

[lunargracklepersonal]

Hey genuine question for any pharmacists out there if I'm allergic to both acetaminophen and ibuprofen what would be the most effective otc painkiller that's also the least likely to give me an ulcer or should I just tough shit out from now on since i got an ulcer last year?

For context I have chronic pain in my feet. Also nothing seems to work anymore, including aspirin and naproxen. Have been just... Taking nothing, for months now and it's actually been less terrible than it sounds. Advice is welcome just don't tell me to take shit I just said I'm allergic to. It will make me not be able to breathe.

[lunargracklepersonal]

I made a neat apron!

Here's the finished product after going over the overflow with a marker.

The design is meant to be a joke on burning down fascism and using the fire to barbecue something over the flames.

Process with photos below the cut!

I went to my local Makerspace and they used their vinyl cutter to print out a design I made on sticky stencil vinyl. I stuck it to a plain black apron I got and dabbed paint through it with a sponge brush. There was a little overflow since my lines were pretty thin. Next time I'd use thicker lines. Alas, the leader of the makerspace was on her last day. I signed her going-away card. Hopefully she's on to bigger and better things. The staff is always super cheerful and helpful, so she must've been doing something right. They'll hire someone else to lead the space I'm sure, but. Well, there's no replacing her really. We'll all miss her dearly.

Here's what it looked like before going over it in marker. You can see where the paint overflowed the stencil. It lifted up a little bit, I think a stronger adhesive may have been helpful but it was a little difficult to get up from the fabric as it is so that's probably not a good idea. Stencil vinyl worked really well overall, it just needs thicker lines I think.

And finally, here's my original file I used to run through the vinyl cutting machine:

The black spaces worked really well to cut out, the machine cut nicely along the edges. You can see where the white is a little thin, that's what got me into trouble. The thicker lines came out more cleanly and didn't lift up from the fabric.

That's my process! I'm super grateful to have access to such a cool space with free materials. The makerspace is an awesome resource for projects like this, so I hope it continues to run next year with a new leader.

[linecoveredinjellyfish]

inside you, young transmasculine person, is a voice that will tell you not to like certain things because they're For Girls. that is the voice of the devil, and you must never listen to it.

[catgirlfunctor]

for those that need it:

inside you, young transfeminine person, is a voice that will tell you not to like certain things because they're Too Manly. that is the voice of the devil, and you must never listen to it.

[ghostofapineapple]

Inside you, person, is a voice that will tell you not to like certain things because other people might give a fuck. That's the voice of the devil and you should turn around and slap him in the face.

[mioxenoblade]

“are you really going to tear a friendship apart over different opinions??”

listen, I got tons of friends who like pineapple on their pizza, but once you reach that “you, your community, or other marginalized communities don’t deserve basic human rights or even perhaps the right to live” level, you should just accept that it’s your fault no one wants to be your friend. 

[rubychan228]

More accurately, no one really breaks up friendships (or families) over differences of “opinion”, but they will do so over differences of fundamental issues of morality.

The fact that large numbers of people think that “moral positions, often about issues that are literally life and death” and “personal opinions” are interchangeable concepts is a large part of what’s wrong with society.

[belf-on-the-shelf]

this really put into words something i’ve always struggled to articulate, especially the last paragraph. 

[lunargracklepersonal]

Hot take: one person is everything. Every collective is made up of one-persons who decided "no, what I do does matter". You matter. You showing up matters. To a meeting, to a protest, to that planning commission, to the country dance. You speaking up matters. Others like you may see you speak up and get less scared to add their own voice too, but always remember each is their own One Person.

A movement is made of One Persons. A community is made of One Persons. I'm tired of people being simultaneously told the individual is all that matters and that they, specifically, do not matter. I am here today to tell you that both community is important and you, specifically, matter.

[lunargracklepersonal]

One thing I'm slowly learning as I start to navigate male spaces as a near-passing trans man is how much of mainstream/macho male culture is driven by fear. Big fuck-off car? Fear of car accident. Desire to survive/come out on top. Male-branded soap, razors, personal care items? Fear of being misperceived, fear of the feminine. It all comes back to fear. Men, macho cis men, are so afraid on the inside. Machismo is reassurance that yes, yes I am a big man I can do big things I can Win.

I want to clarify that I don't mean this to make fun. I have experienced this fear too. I just channel it differently and encourage you to channel it differently. If you, dear reader, are a macho guy and somehow stumbled across the ramblings of a trans anarchist on tumblr today I encourage you to pick one thing you like to act macho about and just... Try something with me. Try looking at it from another angle. It can be a manly angle, just consider a different kind of manliness. The caring father archetype or the brother standing in solidarity.

Anyway. Navigating male spaces as a trans man is a unique experience I'm glad I've had the chance to have.

[vitariesocks]

On COVID, propaganda, and the normalization of mass death and disability by themme_fatale

[lunargracklepersonal]

Hey just thinking maybe if you're trying to fight the patriarchy, and you're going about it by putting down men, you're probably missing the point and probably digging yourself a hole. Patriarchy is structural. Consider the mechanisms behind the power you're mad about and what you can do and organize to do about those mechanisms.

[lunargracklepersonal]

Let's add a concrete example. Let's get mad about sterilization practices in the US. Two separate and infuriating things are happening: afab people of color are and have been forcibly sterilized and sterilized without their knowledge or consent; and it is highly difficult for white afab people to get sterilized on purpose. These things are related: patriarchy and white supremacy are to blame - something something "supply of white infants".

Getting mad at men, as a group or as individuals, is not going to solve this problem.

Organizing and forcing the American healthcare system to move to an informed consent model (with full accurate information provided in the patient's native language and no pressure to consent and no time constraints or time limits to consent etc etc we could go on about the necessary terms for a long time), now that would make a real difference.

It would only target one issue, yes. But that's just the start - you begin at the beginning. Start with one and then move on to the next.

[lunargracklepersonal]

Hey just thinking maybe if you're trying to fight the patriarchy, and you're going about it by putting down men, you're probably missing the point and probably digging yourself a hole. Patriarchy is structural. Consider the mechanisms behind the power you're mad about and what you can do and organize to do about those mechanisms.

[luckyladylily]

Transmisogyny is not the intersection of transphobia and misogyny. Y'all got it backwards. Transmisogyny is the unique oppression experienced by those with intersecting identities of trans and woman.

This is a core part of what intersectionality theory is about. The discrimination faced by black women is not just anti black discrimination + anti woman discrimination. The whole point is to get the full picture you have to account for additional discrimination outside of those two types of discriminations - anti black woman discrimination.

Transmisogyny is not the intersection of transphobia and misogyny, and it isn't transphobia + misogyny. Its additional discrimination outside of the scope of transphobia and misogyny.

Identities intersect while discrimination compounds based on the intersection of identities. It seems like a small distinction but it is important.

Which is a lot of words to explain that the argument that transandrophobia cannot exist because androphobia don't exist is misguided and fundamentally ignorant. Your logic fails on the face of it because you don't understand intersectionality.

[tamamita]

I'm honestly surprised people are still going with the "Hamas kidnapped hostages, that's bad!" rhetoric. Yes, they did. Why wouldn't they? you kidnapped up to a thousand of their women and children and incarcerated them under a military court with the worst conviction rate, not to mention the history of sexual violence, and you expect the resistance group to sit there and say "oh okay, I guess that's fine". lol

[phaeton-flier]

It is actually way better for 100 addicts to get their fix on pain pills than a single person in pain go without. I call this the "Torture is bad" principle. You should be able to get the good stuff forever after a single doctor's visit. If you're worried about addicts fund rehab centers and needle exchanges instead of torturing people.

[morlock-holmes]

Among other things if you can't use the legit market you turn to the black market anyway.

[kelpforestdwellers]

if you're worried about addiction, build a society where people get their basic needs met, including pain management.

[missmarthanightingale]

#i also would prefer addicts be on prescription drugs that are exactly what they say they are#rathet than unregulated drugs which are full of who the fuck knows (tags via @shanastoryteller)

[tlirsgender]

I feel like people don't understand what fetishization really means & it has a lot of well intentioned lefty types like afraid of being attracted to people

[tlirsgender]

Like you're allowed to be attracted to marginalized people lol ... you're allowed actively think certain traits they have are beautiful. You can even think they're hot. This isn't inherently objectifying. As long as you're treating them like people it's fine. You don't have to like, pretend you don't know what somebody looks like lest your attraction be Problematic

[tlirsgender]

Remember: sexual attraction in itself is morally neutral. And my crazy take is that if you're respectful about it it's actually cool and good to find beauty in different kinds of people & being horny about it doesn't negate that. Peace and love on planet earth