Mitchell Mayhew's Blog

Aspiring Writer 35+. He/Him & It/Its.

[cerceos-deactivated20160308]

Calvin and Hobbes - It’s July Already

[mulchmouth]

Im going to hold your hand when I say this. It is not realistic to expect yourself or your family to be able to survive solely off of food you have foraged or grown in a garden. People with more knowledge and experience have tried and failed. What do you think happened to all of those communes in the 60s? Most of them failed. Famine and malnutrition have been constant companions to humanity until industrialized farming and food supply lines came along.

It feels like a uniquely American capitalist take to assume these traditions will make you completely self sufficient. You need a lot of people, a lot of time, a lot of knowledge across a lot of subjects, and a lot of luck to provide for everyone's nutritional needs.

So should you even bother trying to be more self sufficient with your food? I argue yes. Foraging and gardening are fun and will teach you so much about many things. They are deeply rewarding activities that can supplement your diet. There are herbs I haven't bought in years because I grow my own. There are dishes I can only make with foraged ingredients because I can't get them in stores.

You may not have the power to do everything, but that doesn't mean your efforts are wasted. Getting 5% of your nutritional needs from food you have grown or foraged, even for a season, is a massive accomplishment.

[rosstmcd]

It takes approximately 2,000 calories a day to fuel the average human. A family of four needs roughly three million calories in a year. You're not going to get that from a backyard truck garden and a couple of chickens.

But you can get variety, flavor, and vitamins even if the bulk of your calories are coming from somewhere else. And if you grow more of something than you need, it gives you something to trade or gift to other people.

[bitchesgetriches]

I have chickens, bees, fruit trees, and an absolutely massive garden... all in a major American city. My spouse also hunts and fishes regularly.

In a good year, these efforts account for maaaaaaybe 15% of our food intake.

We still rely on grocery stores for the majority of our calories and nutrition and that's ok. It doesn't mean the garden is a waste of time or that hunting is a waste of effort.

The first eggs all of my niblings ate as children were from MY chickens, that I lovingly raise in a healthy, humane environment. I start every morning with a mug of black tea sweetened with honey from the bees that industriously pollinate my garden. I can't remember the last time I bought salsa, marinara, or bone broth, but I had to build new shelves to store my abundance of canned food only last week!

Growing or foraging your own food is not a wasted effort even if it only replaces a tiny percentage of your grocery store haul. It's an enriching (and time consuming and difficult) hobby that's good for you and good for your community.

[uncahier]

[thehalcyoneffect]

BTW if you call yourself a transfeminist you HAVE to get educated on racial intersectionality. It is not optional. The fact that the transfeminist movement is largely on Tumblr, a site that continues to delete every single Black user it possibly can, has made it so that this site is overrun with white transfems who fall into the exact same trap as the tme transmisogynists we speak out on.

NEVER let yourself think that you are immune to bigotry. NEVER. Just because the movement as a whole pledges racial justice, doesn't mean that you aren't actively harming Black people, both in our community and outside of it.

[creatingblackcharacters]

#Make Racists Scared Again 2026

[creatingblackcharacters]

Share if you want people to know they should be scared to be racist around you 👊🏾

[witchynek0]

I scare my grandma enough by being trans. Don't need to beat her up for being a racist too.

[creatingblackcharacters]

I mean it would also be the pot calling the kettle black, based off this response.

[wizard-laundry]

The KIDS act (which contains KOSA) passed the US house, so I would recommend calling your senators and telling them to vote in opposition. I don't think I need to stress the importance of being able to use the internet freely and without privacy barriers being breached.

There are many scripts online you can follow, many ways to tweak your message to fit your senator (ESPECIALLY if they are up for reelection this year). Whether it's a recording you reach or a real person, be straightforward, don't argue, just let your rep know that you are a constituent and you oppose the KIDS act, etc.

Here is where you can search for your senator... call, email, fax, bring them physical letters, show up in person to their offices if you are able.

[gauntletknight]

All computer safety ever for the past 30 odd years: "if you go on the internet — especially if you're under 18 — lie about everything. Lie about your name. Lie about your age. Give as little information away about yourself as you possibly can. Obfuscate, falsify, and omit anything and everything as otherwise They Will Get Your Ass. Actually, avoid it in the first place if you can altogether."

All computer safety(?) since like 2020: "it's imperative we make every 8 year old scan a passport before letting them use their LeapFrog™️. Always-on connectivity required."

[power-handmaiden]

when I was in high school I had a literature teacher who had a policy of unlimited extra credit. All you had to do was read a book by a notable author (his discretion) and have a little chat with him after school to prove that you read it. No limits, no need for variety (one month I decided I really loved Kurt Vonnegut and just read everything of his I could get my hands on).

Yes, I was tearing through books constantly, and talking to this teacher at least weekly. Because even though I always loved reading as a kid, literature was always a very weak subject for me in terms of a teaching-to-standardized-test school setting (I just do awful on "what color were the curtains" type multiple choice questions. Those details don't stick in my memory THEY JUST DON'T). But that didn't matter for this class. I could just read my way out of any bad test score. I have always had fond memories of how I "fudged" my way through that class and "abused' the extra credit policy.

I was thinking about it again today, and only just now realized that he absolutely tricked me into being well-read, while my teenage self thought I was totally getting away with something. THAT MOTHERFUCKER. I hope he's doing well.

[tuesday-is-a-good-day]

“there’s no platonic explanation for this”

Well there is actually, they’re friends. They’re friends and they love each other and it doesn’t mean any less than if they were dating and they loved each other. They’re friends and that means devotion and affection and loyalty and love, and there is no point in which that love reaches a level that immediately indicates that their relationship must be romantic.

[liberalsarecool]

Zohran Mamdani is using New York City to show the world how progressive policies work for everyone. #DemocraticSocialist

[queerliblib]

it’s a beautiful day to check out a book from the library

[meeliesaysno]

its a beautiful day to return a book to the library unread after it auto renews 3 times

[ksfoxwald]

The library says thank you for boosting our circulation stats and the book will still be here later if you want it another time <3

[wetheurban]

Sending love to anyone who is just… tired.

Of the bills. The responsibility. The emotional labor. The constant pressure of trying to make life work for themselves and the people they love.

Be gentle with yourself. The caregiver deserves care, too.

[biocrafthero]

perceived skill

[m3djed]

"he would not fucking say that" but you ever be looking at fanart and suddenly its "he would not fucking have abs"

[allthingswhumpyandangsty]

[mitchellmayhew]

The change is official! That which was once Sebastian Fowler is now Mitchell Mayhew! New writeblr re-re-re-re-intro to come!

[insert-meaningful-username]

Stop Killing the Internet

Governments are walling off the open internet. We are a global movement opposing restrictions, and building a better internet.