But still, like dust, I'll rise.

healthcare worker, feminist, ailurophile, artist, musician and woman.

[drunkenbard]

When we did the Aristocrats which is the movie I did with Paul Provenza, Provenza directed it, a movie about the dirtiest joke ever. Trying to be as transgressive and as shocking as possible. And for those of you who saw the movie you know that Bob Saget takes it way out. He goes way, way out in violent, sexual, scatological, horrific imagery. Horrible. He’s fabulous in it. We did a press day in New York. One of the press people came up and sat down with Saget and said “I was abused as a child by my family. I was abused as a child. I was raped as a child and watching you do that brought that all back to me and it was horrible. What gives you the right to do that?” And she was on camera. I was watching off-camera. Saget looked like he was about to cry. He had nothing to say, he was completely trapped. I ran over and had them turn the camera off and took her aside and said “You bully. You have no right to treat someone like that. He did not attack you in any way, shape, or form. You KNEW when that movie started it was gonna be transgressive. You could have VERY easily asked someone else in your staff to take that over. You PURPOSELY put yourself in that position so that you could be offended and make him feel terrible. The fact is that Bob Saget was doing an artistic thing on that subject and if that theme happens to bother you, you can avoid it or you can confront it but that is your decision. That’s the decision you make.” And I said “In this particular situation the guy that was telling the incest jokes is the guy who is completely innocent and the one who is the victim is the one who is the bully. You leave him alone and get out of the room now.” It was just completely and utterly unfair. And Saget couldn’t finish the rest of the day. Saget was completely shook up and kept saying to me “I didn’t intend to hurt anybody” Of course he didn’t intend to and of course she’s gonna make him feel really really shitty. The point is NEVER “Hey, I think that adults should rape children.” That’s NEVER the point. I don’t know any joke that that’s the point of it. I don’t know one joke like that. I don’t know that “9 out of 10” is an aggressive rape joke. It’s not. It’s a joke about statistics and it’s a joke that’s about always thinking in terms of the aggregate and in instead thinking about things in terms of the specific. If you describe that joke it’s that we always think of the aggregate and sometimes it’s a specific. It’s a very important joke that way. And the Kennedy joke is “we should not use tragedy as ice breakers”. Gilbert Gottfried is on the SIDE of fucking Jacky Onassis. He is NOT on the side of Lee Harvey Oswald. End of story. And if you cannot separate theme from thesis in art SHUT THE FUCK UP.

Penn Jillette (Penn’s Sunday School Dec. 1 2013 talking about the backlash from jokes after Gilbert Gottfried was harassed for making a JFK joke on Twitter)

[atheismwethinkmore]

[micdotcom]

Here are the biggest lies, mistruths and “alternative facts” from Trump’s joint address

9:11 p.m.: “A new surge of optimism is placing impossible dreams firmly in our grasp.”

Polls show Americans are broadly anxious about the future of the U.S. under Trump.

9:16 p.m.: Trump name-checks companies he says have kept jobs in the U.S. under his presidency

According to the New York Times, several companies which the president is taking credit for personally convincing to keep or create jobs in the U.S. were actually just following through on previously announced plans, including Sprint (owned by Softbank) and Chrysler.

Trump has cited misleading numbers of jobs he supposedly saved at Carrier, an air conditioning manufacturer.

9:22 p.m.: Trump claims enforcing immigration laws will make Americans safer

“By finally enforcing our immigration laws, we will raise wages, help the unemployed, save billions of dollars, and make our communities safer for everyone,” Trump said.

On the last point, multiple studies have concluded immigrants commit less crime than U.S. citizens, according to the New York Times. According to the Times, census data shows immigrant men aged 18-49 are one-fifth to one-half as likely to face incarceration as natural-born citizens, while non-citizens (comprising 7% of the population) are only 5% of the state and federal prison population.

9:25 p.m.: Trump misleads on his role in saving money on the F-35 program

While Trump has touted his supposed role in saving $700 million on the much-criticized, $1 trillion-plus F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program, according to Politifact, program costs have been coming down for years.

9:27 p.m.: Trump defends his de facto Muslim ban, saying U.S. cannot afford a “beachhead of terrorists” or “sanctuary for extremists”

No nationals from the seven countries specifically named in Trump’s executive order have committed terror attacks resulting in U.S. fatalities since 1975 and his plan would do little to prevent terrorism, which is mostly homegrown.

9:29 p.m.: Trump cites highly misleading figures on the labor force

As Politico’s Michael Grunwald noted, the vast majority of those in the 94 million figure are not typically considered working constituencies.

9:55 p.m.: “According to the National Academy of Sciences, our current immigration system costs America’s taxpayers many billions of dollars a year.”

According to the New York Times, the study in question actually concluded immigration results in “positive net benefits to the U.S. economy during the last two decades of the 20th century,” and “the infusion of human capital by high-skilled immigrants has boosted the nation’s capacity for innovation, entrepreneurship and technological change.”

It also concluded that while first-generation immigrants create a net government cost of $57.4 billion, second and third-generation adults “create a benefit of $30.5 billion and $223.8 billion, respectively.”

10:00 p.m.: Trump says Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines will create tens of thousands of jobs

As the Washington Post noted, while Montana, South Dakota and Nebraska would each hire between 2,700 and 4,000 construction workers to complete the pipelines, and Kansas would hire 200, the average length of those jobs would be just 19.5 weeks. According to Politifact, the Keystone XL pipeline would only create 35 permanent jobs.

10:04 p.m.: Trump says the Yemen raid produced actionable intelligence

Trump claimed a recent Yemen raid which resulted in the death of a U.S. Navy SEAL and 30 civilians, including children, claimed “large amounts of vital intelligence.” One report citing senior officials, however, contested that account and said no significant information was recovered. The target of the raid, Qassim al-Rimi, escaped the assassination attempt and reportedly recorded an audio message mocking Trump as the “fool of the White House.”

Read more (2/28/17 10:20 PM)

[marisatomay]

I’m very pro-rereading books you loved as a child at different stages in your life

[dartmvthensis]

HOW TO STUDY/LEARN ANY LANGUAGE

Being a polyglot, I decided to make a post about how to study any language, Without further ado, here it is:

1) TRY TO STAY AWAY FROM ENGLISH

This is the most crucial step to studying/learning a new language. In order for your brain to pick up the new words and ideas, it needs to be more immersed in the language you’re learning. Now for most of us who are learning languages in school, that’s kind of hard, especially since most language classes do most of the work in English until you build a level of fluency. This is the primary reason why immersion programs or immersion schools are so much more successful in teaching a language: you’re forced to talk, write, speak, and think in the language you’re learning. Your brain makes connections faster and thus learns faster to understand and process the language. I would suggest that when you’re learning the language, whether it’s in class time or homework, try to work only in that language. Don’t automatically translate things into English because that’s only going to inhibit your process. Even if your knowledge of the language is limited, practicing thinking in the language, reading the language without translating, and speaking will greatly improve your progress. You’ll find yourself become more fluent and the language will flow rather than be halting because your brain is trying to translate things instead of thinking fluently.

2) LEARN AS MUCH VOCABULARY AS YOU CAN

Vocab is one of, if not the, most important aspect of learning a language. I would even go as far as saying it’s about 70-80% of effectively knowing a language. Think about it this way, if you’re at a restaurant and you’re asked to read the menu or if you’re out and you’re reading signs and advertisements, will knowing hundreds of verbs and their conjugations help you get by? Most likely not. Vocab on the other hand will make the difference between understanding and being totally clueless. If that example didn’t do it for you here’s another one: when you’re speaking to someone how can you express yourself if you don’t know the words? Chances are even if you know no grammar but know key words in the language someone will understand you. Most people don’t pay that much attention to grammar anyway when you’re speaking. As long as you have a basic understanding of it, you’ll be understood. I’m not saying that grammar isn’t important, far from it, but so many people underestimate vocab and focus on grammar and that hinders your learning. Try to learn as much vocab as you can because it will bring you one more step to being fluent. The key to knowing a language is to understand it to a high degree. You can’t understand if you don’t know the words. Find a list with the most common words in the language you’re learning and try to learn them all. Have a goal to learn 10-20 new words per day and you’ll go a long way. If you’re trying to learn vocab I would recommend to have a sheet with all the words you’re trying to learn and their definitions. Hide the words and try to write the vocab by seeing only the definitions. Writing down helps you remember and this method is foolproof. I’ve used it for 6+ years in French and it’s never failed me.

3) LEARN BASIC GRAMMAR

When I say basic grammar, I mean the typical verb tenses and some basic structures. This doesn’t mean learning every single verb conjugated in every single tense, but rather learning the patterns of grammar and how to apply them. Work smarter not harder. Learning the patterns makes it easier to recognize them when you’re reading and remember them when you’re writing. In my opinion, one fault with the way languages are taught in school is the way they teach grammar and how much time they spend on it. Most native speakers don’t worry as much about grammar as non-native speakers do. Again, I’m not saying grammar isn’t important because it is and  you have to know it, but the way it’s taught ruins it. Try to make a chart with all the verb tenses and the patterns that go with the different types of verbs and then a list with the irregular verbs/exceptions. This should be enough to help you gain a basic mastery of grammar. If you know the basic rules, it will become second nature as you speak, write, and read more.

4) READ, LISTEN, AND SPEAK

The language you learn at school is very very different from the language actually spoken in its native country. Most of the language you learn is very formal while in real life, formality is disregarded to a degree and slang is prevalent. In order to build a fluency, you need to read and listen to the language in its natural form to pick up the slang and words that are actually used and not the archaic words that nobody ever says. Listen to music from that language, watch the news in that language, read a book or magazine in that language etc. This will again help your brain learn and process the language better. It will also help with vocabulary and general understanding. Children’s books are the best when you’re starting out. The language is simple and the grammar isn’t to complicated. Start with children’s books and then work your way up to novels and other forms of literature. Listening to the language is also crucial. Try to find mediums where the language is spoken and just listen. Don’t translate or stress yourself out trying to understand it all because you won’t the first couple of times. Just let it sink in. Gradually, you’ll find yourself understanding more and more and you’ll improve. With the speaking aspect, speak as much as you can. Don’t be embarrassed if you stumble, can’t express yourself as much as you would like, or have an accent. I also find that watching/reading/listening to translated works is helpful. Find your favorite book and read it in the language you’re learning, it will help you understand and learn more because you already know what’s going on and can focus on the vocab and grammar. Find your favorite movie and watch it in the language you’re learning. Again, it will help you learn more vocab. The more you practice the better it will get. If you distance yourself from speaking you’ll never improve. Balancing reading, listening, and speaking is the key to being successful.

5) DON’T BE AFRAID TO MESS UP

Nobody becomes fluent over night. Cliche but true. Don’t expect to instantly know everything. It’s normal to struggle and have trouble. Failing is part of the learning process and if you stop practicing because you’re afraid, you’re never going to learn anything. Let go of your fears and insecurities and go for it. If you fall down, pick yourself up and start again. Don’t be embarrassed if you mess up but rather learn from your mistakes and grow. The things we remember most are usually the things where we’ve messed up or had a negative experience with. So use the hiccups as a learning experience and your language skills will improve. 

If you follow these steps, I’m confided that you’ll be better in no time :) The key is to enjoy what you do and have fun! Good luck!

[cruvcio]

Oh my god, the amount of positive feedback I would get from looking pretty and putting on a nice dress and smiling nicely and doing all of that was enormous versus the affirmation I would get for studying for months and reading something interesting and talking about it. That would barely get a side glance.

[diycraftsnmore]

[lazyyogi]

Nobody is superior, nobody is inferior, but nobody is equal either. People are simply unique, incomparable. You are you, I am I. I have to contribute my potential to life; you have to contribute your potential to life. I have to discover my own being; you have to discover your own being.

Osho (via lazyyogi)

Hey fuck Osho. He tried to murder 751 people in Oregon in 1984 in a bioterror attack. His real name is Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and he was fucking deported and denied entry in 21 different countries.

[sandandglass]

Morning Joe covers the statements of White House advisor, Stephen Miller.

[fattyatomicmutant-deactivated20]

Here you go.

The nazis you elected is outright stating their power is absolute.

[klinkitty]

Not quite. They’re stating they want their power to be absolute, and throwing a hissy fit that it isn’t.

Let’s keep up the pressure, so it doesn’t BECOME absolute.

[fattyatomicmutant-deactivated20]

Amen

[rolling-for-charisma]

RESIST  https://www.indivisibleguide.com/

[futureblackwakandan-deactivated]

I can’t believe this is 2017

[angel-of-death-2015]

This is what people actually put in office and are suddenly “shocked” about it

[princesconsuela]

[virgoassbitch]

Why do men always have to act like they gotta teach you shit… like?? I don’t know who fuckin asked you but it sure wasn’t me so keep your motivation speeches to yourself

[seulmates]

every interaction with a man is a combination TED Talk, valedictorian speech, personal training session, and getting grounded by your dad 

[randompalegirl]

[desisatrangi]

Sex Before Kissing: How 15-Year-Old Girls Are Dealing With Porn-Addicted Boys

When asked, "How do you know a guy likes you?," an 8th grade girl replied: "He still wants to talk to you after you [give him oral sex]."

““[I want] better education regarding sex for both boys and girls [and] information about pornography, and the way it influences harmful sexual practices.”These are the words of Lucy, aged 15, one of 600 young Australian women and girls who took part in a just-released survey commissioned by Plan Australia and Our Watch. The survey, conducted by Ipsos, gathered responses from the girls and young women aged 15-19 in all states and territories.In the survey report, entitled Don’t send me that pic, participants reported that online sexual abuse and harassment were becoming a normal part of their everyday interactions. And while the behavior seemed so common, more than 80% said it was unacceptable for boyfriends to request naked images.”

“Some see sex only in terms of performance, where what counts most is the boy enjoying it. I asked a 15-year-old about her first sexual experience. She replied: “I think my body looked OK. He seemed to enjoy it.” Many girls seem cut off from their own sense of pleasure or intimacy. The main marker of a “good” sexual encounter is only if he enjoyed it. Girls and young women are under a lot of pressure to give boys and men what they want, to become a real life embodiment of what the boys have watched in porn, adopting exaggerated roles and behaviors and providing their bodies as mere sex aids. Growing up in today’s porn culture, girls quickly learn that they are service stations for male gratification and pleasure.When asked, “How do you know a guy likes you?,” an 8th grade girl replied: “He still wants to talk to you after you [give him oral sex].” A male high school student said to a girl: “If you [give me oral sex] I’ll give you a kiss.” Girls are expected to provide sex acts for tokens of affection, and are coached through it by porn-taught boys. A 15-year-old girl said she didn’t enjoy sex at all, but that getting it out of the way quickly was the only way her boyfriend would stop pressuring her and watch a movie. 7th grade girls are increasingly seeking help on what to do about requests for naked images. Receiving texts like “send me a picture of your tits” is an almost daily occurrence for many young girls. The girl asks: “How do I say no without hurting his feelings?”” 

WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK? You know what is sad? I am not surprised. We are raised to think of the guy’s feelings before thinking of our own boundaries and personhood. UGH UGH.

[tastefullyoffensive]

Love this. (via Brovegna)

[arbormistress]

Pure

[stealing-vengence]

[refinery29]

This is what a real, qualified OBGYN will tell you about what women feel when they get an abortion

Dr. Willie Parker, who is trained as a gynecologist and OBGYN, is a hero for the pro-choice movement because he’s honest about the undiscussed aspects of getting (or not getting) an abortion. Watch how he gives a consultation.

[ithelpstodream]

More of this! ✊