Pyroteknich's Corner

Who am I? Anthropologist, archaeologist,teacher, history buff, and SCUBA diver. Animal lover, and fond of the weird, wacky, and strange. Welcome to my little slice of the world.

[transmascmarypoppins]

why is this post completely broken in every way imaginable

[cecilsrandomeverything]

Broken notes… deactivated account… removed image….

Finally, we have them all.

[spacefinch]

In addition: OP’s name is just… gone. No “[insert username]-deactivated[insert a bunch of numbers]” as is the standard for deactivated blogs.

Just the world “deactivated.” Look upon their post, ye mighty, and despair.

[chatblancofficial]

It’ll be almost impossible to find this post unless it wanders across your dash.

[huewrite]

It wandered across mine. I shall help it travel forward.

[gossamermouse]

this is not a place of honor

[jackviator]

[dinosaurana]

Oh hey post of Ozymandius, good to see you again standing on your feet in a desert where no one remembers you

[obaewankenope]

I've given myself heat exhaustion AGAIN (heck, I hope it's only heat exhaustion, rip) and I am not here for it ffs so to make sure y'all know about it, imma share the signs of heat exhaustion!

Heat exhaustion is quite literally your body getting too hot and Exhausting itself to cope. Heatstroke is your body Failing To Cope.

Heat Exhaustion signs include:

You get a headache that Will Not Go Away

You feel confused and dizzy (balance who? Idk her)

You don't feel hungry but you feel sick as well (this sucks and happens a lot in high heat so try and snack regularly)

Sweating and clammy skin like the kind that has people go "you're freezing!" because you've sweated so much you literally end up with a chill on your skin

Cramps. Feckin cramps. Arms. Legs. Stomach. They suck ass.

You have a heckin fast pulse or you're hyperventilating like you've just had a Scare

Your body temp is over 38°c (because you're literally boiling like a lobster in a pot)

You are Beyond Thirsty and no matter what you drink it Does Not Abate

If you end up experiencing any of these symptoms, or multiple, and you're in a hot/warm environment, then sit your ass down in the shade, get something to drink, and get a damp cloth on your head or a change of clothes that are cool.

Basically, stop what you're doing and give your body a chance to Not Keep Boiling

Heat exhaustion is NOT THE SAME as a heatstroke.

Heatstroke is So Much Worse™.

Heatstroke signs include:

Still feeling like utter shite 30 minutes after you sat your ass down, rested in a cool place, and rehydrated

Not actually sweating even though you really do feel like a lobster in a pot that has the heat up High

Your body temp is 40°c+ (which is bad btw, that's temp for causing your to pass out etc)

Hyperventilating/fast breathing or actual shortness of breath (I struggle with this because asthma so I'm always like "idk if I got this oops)

Feeling confused but in a like "I don't know what's going on, I can't think, I have no idea about anything, someone help me please I'm crossing into traffic and don't even realise" way

Having a fit/seizure because your body temp is so high your brain is Actually Getting Boiled In Your Skull 🙃 [upside down smiley emoji]

Passing out and not actually responding or waking up from a brief fainting spell (this is the Serious™ kind of passing out that has doctors going "oh shit, we need an IV STAT!" or whatever it is they say when Shit Is Going Down)

Heatstroke can be really dangerous if it isn't treated quickly so please don't ignore these signs. Right now, I'm in a cool environs, with hydration, and am avoiding moving and am gonna have a nap because I'm going very dizzy, can't focus properly, have a headache, and am only coherent here because I'm HyperFocusing on this post. I can't even understand words being said to me right now hence nap, hydration, and cool environs.

So please, y'all, take care of yourselves. Seriously.

[hidesinthedark]

Very good advice

Some additional hot weather tips

If you have low blood sugar, but are having a hard time eating because you feel crappy from the heat, try sucking on some hard candy

If possible, after you get out of the sun/heat drink Gatorade or something similar to replenish what you've been loosing from sweating

When drinking water or Gatorade (no matter what you have it is important to stay hydrated!) it is important to drink slowly, even if you are very thirsty, because if you drink too fast the water might come back up

In hot weather, bandanas are very useful, even as a preventative measure, because you can pour some water from you bottle (or anything else) on them, and then put them on your head (as mentioned above) or neck. A few other areas help as well, like armpits, but I would personally recommend your neck.

It is not recommended to use a fan at or above 99°f or 35°c, because they can actually start to make the heat worse. (I know these are different temps, the recommendations come from different governments, 35°c is around 95°f, but this also depends on conditions like humidity, so just use your best judgement with this info)

Most importantly, if you think you are getting heat stroke call 911 or your equivalent, heat stroke kills several people each year, even in my area, where it normally only gets to 100°f for a few days each year

For fahrenheit users,

38°c = 100.4°f

40°c = 104°f

Remember to stay safe in warm weather

[artisanscribbles]

Well shit, I had most of those Sunday Morning, can heat exhaustion continue to hit even after you've moved into a cool environment, rehydrated, eaten, taken a long warmish-coolish shower and then slept for 7 hours?

Because those symptoms match the the symptoms I had last Sunday and made me feel like shit upon waking up.

[obaewankenope]

They can yes @artisanscribbles because heat exhaustion takes time to go away. You may well feel a bit under the weather for a few days after experiencing it, and any sort of exposure to heat without proper precautions can make it flare up again and worsen into heatstroke.

It's why it's so important to rest and keep hydrated when it's warm. I hope you eventually felt better and maintained your hydration levels with water and other fluids.

I had three days of feeling the after effects of heat exhaustion myself and felt like I had a cold, a constant headache, and random chills all at the same time as having a dry throat, not sweating properly, dizziness, and even muscle cramps from the rapid dehydration I experienced.

In general, to anyone who sees or reblogs this:

It's really important to take care of yourself, both immediately after you recognise you've got heat exhaustion, and in the long term. It can affect you for days after.

Please take care of yourselves aka TAKER:

Take breaks

Avoid too much sun

Keep hydrated

Eat regularly

Rest

[obaewankenope]

Reblogging this again because hello heat and fire and death, that's a bit not good.

Look after yourselves y'all

[obaewankenope]

Once again, in honour of 2024. Enjoy the advice on Heatstroke and Heat Exhaustion that I still have to remind myself of every darn year.

Stay hydrated folks!

[obaewankenope]

Annnd in honour of summer 2025!

Don't die y'all.

[obaewankenope]

BECAUSE THERE'S RIDICULOUS HEAT RIGHT NOW IN THE UK.

STAY IN SHADE.

HYDRATE.

EAT IN EARLY HOURS AND LATE EVENING.

NAP WHEN YOU GOTTA.

PUT. ON. SUN. SCREEN.

[pyroteknich]

I'm going to add a bit to this, because these are GREAT tips. I grew up in and live in a very hot climate (west Texas) where summers regularly hit 110 degrees F/ 43.33 degrees C and here are a few things I regularly experience, and what I do to combat them.

When it gets hot, food can look and feel gross. Even the idea of food can be disgusting. Here is where certain foods and drinks become your best friend. You HAVE to stay hydrated and you NEED the nutrition food gives you. Cold foods are your best bet when the heat rises. Frozen fruits like bananas and watermelons are great, and can be mushed up into a sorbet like texture. Watermelon is a super hydrator, along with being a good source of lycopene, which is a nutrient you need. Bananas are excellent sources of potassium, which you will sweat out, and the loss of this mineral can give you some SERIOUS leg cramps. Salads are always going to be great in hot weather, and if cooked meat makes you go "eww gross it's too HOT" like it does me sometimes, get some deli meat, or open a can of beans to add to your salad.

If eating sounds like a chore, blend your food! Yes, make smoothies. Exist on smoothies. Throw in your cabbage, your beets, your apples, oranges, mangos, watermelons, kale, what have you. Blast that thing on high, add some chocolate, some dates, some peanut butter, or even some beans for protein. Find beans that blend creamy, and have a very mild taste. I'm talking, it can be buried in a pineapple, type mild. Or don't! Make a veggie smoothie! Or take that smoothie and freeze it into popsicle molds. And if you are struggling with hydration, add a bit of sea salt or himalayan salt. That will help your body hold on to hydration again. Don't use idonized salt. Not for this particular thing. Don't forget you will also need more magnesium. For me, I like to snack on seaweed chips. They have just the right amount of salt, magnesium, and iodine to make me feel not so much like a shriveled pile of dead leaves.

On to non food things. Take cool showers or baths. Hot baths and showers are not your friends. Get some pure aloe vera gel and some apple cider vinegar. Also get some rubbing alcohol. When you get too much sun, you are going to want to cool off your skin. Aloe vera gel is a great way to do that, and beat sunburn. If you have a NASTY burn, make a compress of apple cider vinegar. It will take out the pain and the burn will go away faster. if you overheat, and water isn't doing the trick, put rubbing alcohol on your pulse points, as well as your arm pits and groin. Alcohol has a faster evaporation point than water, and will cool you down faster. Get or make reusable, flexible ice packs. The gel kind. You can do this using karo corn syrup, frozen ketchup packs, frozen sponges, or several other methods (Google it!).

But my AC went out/It's too hot in this room!

Get a fan (box fan is best, but use what you've got!), and a cookie sheet or flat tray. Fill the tray with ice and set it in front of the fan. Now turn the fan on HI.

You can also drape damp towels over a fan, but make sure they don't interfere with the fan blades or short out the fan.

Mister fans are GREAT. And the ones that go around your neck or hook to your pants are lifesavers.

If you go outside, wear a HAT, Sunscreen, and sunglasses. No, I DO NOT CARE how dark your skin is. And neither does melanoma. Unless you WANT to have a nose that looks like it's been chewed by termites? No? Then wear sunscreen!! And a HAT! ( That's the worst case of melanoma I have ever personally seen. Poor fellow. I never ever forgot sunscreen after that!)

Weather patterns are shifting all over the globe. Places that are normally dry are getting lots of rain, and places where they have mild summers are getting massive scorchers. This may be our new normal. I hope these tips and tricks have been of help to someone. And if you have others, pass them on!! Let's help each other out!

[shiropoint]

This is mesmerizing to watch.

[fuu-dog-treats]

actually physically painful to watch because you know months were spent masking all those frames for each of the kajillions of transitions in this

[ask-ickle-mod]

[thatsthat24]

Holy………..shmokes…….

[mozzarella-shenanigans]

Oh?? My god??

[pomrania]

I’ll try my best to describe this. It’s a video with a mash-up of a bunch of different Disney movies, set to a song that’s a mash-up of a bunch of other songs. That in and of itself wouldn’t make it praiseworthy, but this is DONE SO WELL that just, holy cow.

[drawnsnake]

HOLY SHIT

[cell113]

Every time I see this, I HAVE to watch.

It is Law.

[marlynnofmany]

The thumbnail doesn’t do it justice, but I don’t think one single image really could.

[evie-carnahan]

The Muppets 1.07 "Pigs in a Blackout"

[captainhaterade]

BREAKING: Trump Administration Orders Dismantling of the U.S. Forest Service

The headquarters is going to Utah. Every regional office is being shuttered. The research program is being destroyed.

“More than fifty research and development facilities across thirty-one states. Gone. Consolidated into a single location in Fort Collins, Colorado. And ‘consolidated’ is doing a lot of heavy lifting in that sentence, because what it actually means is that decades of place-based, long-term ecological research—the kind that literally cannot exist anywhere else because it depends on specific forests, specific watersheds, specific ecosystems studied over generations—will be snuffed out.

You cannot move a thirty-year watershed study. You cannot relocate a decades-long old-growth monitoring program. You cannot box up a forest and ship it to Colorado. When these facilities close, the experiments die. The datasets end. The partnerships with universities that took generations to build collapse. And the institutional knowledge of the scientists who ran those programs walks out the door, because the administration damn well knows most of them won’t follow a forced relocation to a single consolidated office that has nothing to do with the ecosystems they’ve spent their careers studying.”

[arianaderalte]

The U.S. Forest Service, Dismantled

Nine regional offices. 57 research labs. 193 million acres. An interactive map of what was lost.

[aetherograph]

Call your senators. Both of them. Tell them the Forest Service reorganization is proceeding without the congressional approval required by Section 716 of the Agriculture Appropriations Act and Section 421 of the Interior Appropriations Act. Use those numbers. Say them out loud. Staffers write down what they don’t recognize, and these are the provisions their bosses voted for.

If your senator is a Republican, the question is simple: you voted for a law that requires USDA to get committee approval before reorganizing or relocating any office. USDA didn’t get that approval. Their own lawyers declared your law unconstitutional. What are you going to do about it?

If your senator is a Democrat, the question is just as simple: the legal basis for stopping this already exists. Where are the subpoenas? Where are the hearings? Why is USDA’s general counsel allowed to declare a duly enacted law unconstitutional by internal memo and face no consequences?

Make them answer. Make their staff write it down. Call back next week and ask what happened.

(source)

5 Calls

[gayvampyr]

are you squeamish about needles?

yes

yes but only shots/injections (not IVs)

yes but only of IVs (not injections)

no

nuance

Voting ended onMay 23

[mikkeneko]

I used to be but after going through several years of Shenanigans I just don't even gaf any more. vaccines are barely noticeable. oh you're gonna stick me with that piddly little 25-gauge? barely thicker than a hair? yeah wake me up when we need to do an intramuscular.

[pyroteknich]

I'm not squeamish, but I do unconsciously tense (apparently trying to pop my veins to make them easier to see??) and that makes my veins roll. So I can't watch needles go in, so I don't tense and make my veins roll, because that hurts and makes the nurses miss the mark.

[penandinkprincess]

listen i'm not advocating for exotic animals as pets, but i really just feel like cheetahs are probably different

i feel like we need to give them another shot as housebeasts

[penandinkprincess]

this is a critter who wants greenies and then to take a nap on the couch next to me, and i KNOW it

[penandinkprincess]

cheetah in House perfec t size for put inside! inside very Soft and Comfort cheetah sleep soundly put cheetah in House. Put Cheetah In House. no problems ever in cheetah in ho use because good Happy and Satisfy for human where sleep. House yes a place for a cheetah put cheetah in house can trust cheetah for giveing good love to humans in house. friend cheetah

[justasmidgx]

I mean, as someone who as worked in a zoo, this is fairly true.

Obvious disclaimer that you shouldn't have wild animals as pets.

But like, cheetahs are the only large cats that keepers will do free contact with. Hell, even most small cats don't get free contact. (Because small cats can be VICIOUS. They'll have a baby pallas cat wearing thicker gloves than when handling an owl. Because small cats can just be vicious.)

Like I think the only other cat at our zoo where I've seen free contact with was servals? Because I know they've used servals in shows to demonstrate their natural jumping ability. But I know servals can sometimes have a mean temper as well. Meanwhile they'll do the cheetah run and afterwards put the mic by the cheetahs and it's just like an engine with them purring. It's fascinating to watch when the message in every other large animal is "no free contact because it's dangerous even when they're born in captivity".

Legit if any wild animal could be adapted to a pet it would be cheetahs lmao. Only problem is they can be skittish and very anxious and that's why they're often raised around dogs in zoos to gain confidence.

[penandinkprincess]

congrats, i award you funniest take on this post

[pyroteknich]

Both cheetahs and greyhounds needing the chillest cat/dog friends for their anxiety. And wanting to be the couch potatoes and snuggle bugs in sweaters. You need a king sized bed because you are not sleeping alone. EVER.

[sea-salted-wolverine]

Hey. Heyhey. Do me a favor real quick.

If you don't already know you have issues doing so, squat down real quick. Bend your knees all the way and touch the floor. Just make sure you can do it. Okay? For me? And then stand up all the way and make sure you can balance on one foot.

Like. You don't need to blow it into some huge thing. Just. Make sure all your bits and peices still work the way you think they do.

[sea-salted-wolverine]

Can you turn your head to look behind you without twisting your shoulders? What about standing on your toes? If you sit down on the floor can you get back up without using your hands?

If there was ever a tumblr post worth sending to your mom, it's this one.

Just saying, bodies are a use it or lose it kinda thing.

[sea-salted-wolverine]

okay so every time I see this post crop back up in queues and notifications I end up thinking about it. Because I made the post and even I'm still doing the thing where I read the post about maintaining range of motion in my delicate meatsuit and I nod and hmm and think yeah that's a good idea and then dont move from where I'm curled up shrimp style staring at the nightmare rectangle.

So like. Thinking real hard about moving doesn't count as moving. Major bummer. Anyways. Joints.

[muffinlance]

If your answer to any of those was "no", I cannot emphasize enough that this isn't just "bummer, guess it's give forever". You can get that mobility back, it is actually very achievable with the right modifications for your level!

This is the very simple "starting from zero muscles" program I followed, highly recommend it or something similar:

Hybrid Programs | Start Your Fitness Journey Today — Hybrid Calisthenics

Explore our hybrid calisthenics programs to build strength, muscle, and help lose fat with adaptable routines for all fitness levels. Achiev

@hybridcalisthenics

[pyroteknich]

This is super important guys! Especially if you are not a very mobile person (for whatever reason, I do NOT judge! Shit happens, people get old, life happens, and we are all one bad step away from being suddenly immobile), this is something you need to be doing DAILY. even if it is just as gentle as rotating wrists and ankles, turning your head. You have to move. If you don't move, you stiffen up, and the more you stiffen up, the less you want to move. It is a vicious cycle. Even just wiggling to music. It gets you started moving. But you have to START.

[thestuffedalligator]

I’m going to level with you. I have listened to The Devil Went Down to Georgia for most of my life. We were a country music household, this was a staple of my childhood along with Johnny Cash, Garth Brooks, and that one Chipmunks country album.

I have no idea what “Fire on the mountain run boys run/The Devil's in the house of the rising sun/Chicken in the bread pan picking out dough/Granny does your dog bite no child no” means and at this point I’m too scared to ask.

[dementian]

For once I can be of assistance.

Each of the lyrics comes from an old-time hickory song for fiddles, and is a lyric from that corresponding song.

"Fire on the Mountain" --> "Fire on the Mountain, run boys run"

Fire On The Mountain - Fiddle Player POV

"The House of the Rising Sun" --> "The Devil's in the house of the rising sun"

House of the Rising Sun

"Ida Red" --> "Chicken in the bread pan peckin' out dough"

Ida Red - Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys

"Granny Will Your Dog Bite" --> "Granny does your dog bite? 'No child, no'."

FTC #149 Granny Will Your Dog Bite

And for your furthered education, The Mountain Whipporwill.

Mountain Whippoorwill (aka How Hillbilly Jim Won the Great Fiddler's Prize)

[rosslynpaladin]

realizing just now that No most people have no idea those are excerpts from traditional folk tunes often played on the fiddle. I'm the geologists from the xkcd comic.

"Most people only know Oh Susanna."

"And Barbara Allen, of course-" "Of course!"

[solarpunk-nightbird]

Heads up from a Southern Californian that it is time to buy any fans and/or KN-95 masks for the summer NOW, before the start of summer and wildfire season!!!

If you wait until your AC goes out to make sure you have enough fans, there will not be fans available for you to buy. If you wait for a wildfire, no one will have KN-95s for you to buy. They will all be sold out, especially as climate change makes summers more and more severe, and fire season longer and longer.

Other tips for keeping cool in extreme heat:

Do not ever leave a child or a pet in the car while it is off. Ever. Not "just for a few minutes," nothing. Kids have died from being trapped in hot cars in temperatures as low as 70 degrees F (21 C)

Especially if you live somewhere that doesn't typically get hot, make sure you own at least 2 tank tops and 2 pairs of shorts if at all possible. Thrift them or search them on Buy Nothing/something similar if you don't have them already. You will want the option

Cotton fabric evaporates moisture quickly and sheds heat fast. Cotton clothes are great for the heat for that reason, and if you're really desperate for relief, get cotton shirts/towels/cloths wet and either wear them or hang them up in front of a fan. The fan will blow the cooler, moist air throughout the room, cooling things down

Open windows and doors on opposite sides of rooms to create airflow

Hydration tablets and electrolyte drinks are magic for dehydration. You need to replace the salts you're sweating out. Salty trail mix is also great for this (you eat it on hiking trails for a reason)

Make sure your pets stay cool! Cold packs inside fabric can be really good for this (and for you!)

Most efficient place for a cold, wet towel to cool you down is the sides of your neck, your hands, and the soles of your feet (but NEVER put ice against your bare skin!)

Don't really expect anything of yourself between 1pm and 4pm - that is the hottest part of the day, and so it's the time you need to be the most chill (ba-dum tss). Movement creates heat (hence why you shiver, hence why exercising warms you up), so try to do as little as possible, and especially try to save errands and exercise until dusk

Many places now have heat shelters. Look them up in your area. The public library is often a spot for these, and if not, still a really good and FREE place to stay all day with AC

Plants cool things down. Standing on the grass will leave you measurably cooler than standing on the asphalt two feet away. Stay on plants, stay in the shade, and do what you can to add plants and green spaces to your area, to help keep it cool

If you live in a wildfire hotspot, try your best to get an air filter or air purifier now, because there will be none left by the time you need one

If you do end up near a wildfire zone: any smoke you can smell is smoke that can affect your lungs. Leave the house as little as possible. Duct tape the seams around windows and exterior doors to help keep out the smoke. And pack a go bag (change of clothes, toiletries, important documents, medications, spare food and water, essentials for pets or kids)

My qualifications: Lived in California their whole life, most of it in Los Angeles, and half my adult life living in buildings without AC. One time I went to a baseball game in 117 degree weather (47 C) and genuinely had a good time. I know things about keeping cool

[asphodelimago]

Heatstroke makes you worse at handling heat. The cells that handle your thermoregulation are literally getting cooked. Do not tough it out. Every time you get heatstroke, it causes damage.

Know what heat exhaustion and heatstroke look like, and how quickly you are at risk. Particularly if you are chronically ill, have/had long covid, or are taking certain medications, you may get heat exhaustion really fast. (I've gotten it in literally 15 minutes flat. It does not need to take very long - if you're beet red and have a pounding headache, that may be heatstroke, take it fucking seriously.)

If you do have known issues with heat tolerance, consider carrying around a thermometer on hot days. Check your temperature if you start feeling "off", or routinely while in the heat. If you're running a fever, you're either sick or have heat illness, get the fuck out of the heat. (Be aware that for oral temperature, you need to have not eaten/drank anything in the last 15 minutes. Armpit will do in a pinch. I am not sure how well infrared works if you're in the "clammy" stage of heat exhaustion.)

If you already have heat exhaustion or heatstroke, fans and wet towels may not cool you down sufficiently. Cold drinks, icepacks, or a cold shower/bath are faster in an emergency - they cool you directly, rather than using sweat/evaporation to cool your skin. If you have limited resources to cool yourself, focusing on pulse points/big veins can help, like putting an ice pack on your neck or the inside of your wrist. Think like a vampire.

Cotton can be ok, but linen is better if you can get it. Polyester and other synthetics are typically fucking hot, avoid, avoid. Check your clothing labels - even "obviously" cotton things like t-shirts may actually be 50%+ polyester.

An adult human can only absorb about 1L of liquid per hour. Staying hydrated in extreme heat can be very difficult, because you may be losing more than 1L per hour. Using a timer to make sure you remember to drink can help.

If water suddenly tastes disgusting, check your electrolytes. Having emergency Gatorade (or similar) on hand can be helpful, because not only does it have electrolytes, but it tastes gross and sweet and chemical to most people who aren't low on electrolytes. No shade toward people who inexplicably like Gatorade on its own merits - but if it suddenly starts tasting way better than usual, take that as a sign. The rate at which people lose electrolytes through sweat varies wildly by person, even without chronic illness in the mix.

Know what discomfort and heat-related illness look like for your pets. Providing cool water and cool places to lay down is helpful. Panting is bad, but many animals are uncomfortable well before that point. (Mine usually start laying around on the coolest ground available and refusing to play around 80F. They are, however, extremely fluffy cats.)

Know what discomfort and heat-related illness look like for anyone you're responsible for, especially children and elderly people, who are more vulnerable.

Support and patronize your local libraries; they're an invaluable resource for anyone without A/C in this fucking world, in addition to all the other great work they do.

Oh, and if you happen to be in California specifically, there's a web tool to help tell you how worried to be, and lists some resources and local cool centers. Might be handy. https://calheatscore.calepa.ca.gov/

[bluebelly-sun-serpentine]

All signs are pointing to a pretty strong ENSO event this year, which, in combo with the low snowpack but decent amount of rain (so decent amount of growth) may make for a bad fire season. Be prepared. All the advice here seems fairly good to me, but I’m going to add that if you’re taping windows and exterior doors to keep out smoke you still need to be airing each room out occasionally if you don’t want to have issues with CO2 - the way we managed this in the 2020 fires was to periodically leave a window slightly open in one room (with the rest of the place sealed), then close it back down and turn an air purifier on in that room on the highest setting. If you’re really serious about air quality you ideally want to have more than one air purifier so that you can run stuff simultaneously (something outside the door to the room currently being ventilated, for instance). We also had to tape up our fireplace (we used plastic sheeting and masking tape) because like many fireplaces it was not sealed.

Plan and get your go bag together before the bad fires start - you can always add to it once things get more critical but there’s some basic shit you can put in there now so you don’t have to think about it when thinking is more stressful. I always have a go bag at least partly packed because we live in a high fire-risk area that’s basically right on top of a fault. If you have an extra supply of your necessary meds, put them in there too. My important docs, extra keys, some key mementos, and a first aid kit live in that fireproof, waterproof bag year round. During red flag warnings or actual nearby fires I put more in the bag or I put the bag in a bigger bag with other necessaries. I have family that lost their homes in previous fire seasons: make dupes of your favorite photos or copies of notes from loved ones now and put them in your bag. If you have one of a kind items you cherish but that aren’t in regular use - heirloom jewelry, handmade gifts, whatever - and they’re small enough, just store them there. If you have important digital files make a backup and put the drive in your bag. People often forget these things in the panic to save themselves, their pets, and the things they use in their day-to-day lives, but some things are not replaceable and you’d be surprised which losses cause the most pain long-term or inflame your grief.

Have an evacuation plan set up before fire season starts. I know exactly where and with whom we’re going to stay if we have to evacuate. If they also have to evacuate (in 2020 we were both under evac warnings because the lightning complex fires hit so many different places over a huge geographical area) we have a backup plan with someone else.

Re masking: not every mask is created equal. Wildfire smoke is really toxic - so is smoke from structure fires - and a surgical mask is not going to protect you. You want a well-fitted N95, and you want to wear it anytime you are outside or in a place without proper filtration. Ear loop masks/KN95s tend to be a lot less reliable/less likely to provide a good fit, but if that’s the only thing you can get it’s better than nothing. Do not exercise in wildfire smoke. You should be wearing a mask even if you’re just walking around the block. If the air in your home is appropriately filtered, exercise at home. Otherwise, just wait for the smoke to clear before restarting your routine. Even an AQI of 50-80 (a lot lower than you’d see with wildfires) is not something you should be exercising in without a mask. You do not need to go on that run. You DO need to check the AQI even if it doesn’t look particularly smoky - it can be quite bad even if it doesn’t look it. If you are directly in the path of a nearby plume and the AQI is in the 300-600 range just chill out. You shouldn’t really be going out even with a mask if you don’t have a really pressing reason. The ash is toxic and you don’t want that shit on your skin or clothes. I know we all need to get groceries and go to work but it’s all cumulative, so think about the ways you can minimize your exposure.

You may see firefighters going about without appropriate PPE but it’s not because they know something you don’t - they’re just embedded in a culture of terminal machismo and a lot of them die of lung and throat cancer because they don’t want to wear the equipment. My uncle spent just a few years as a volunteer firefighter working on wildfires in his early 20s and those couple of years bought him a lifetime of battling different cancers (starting in his mid-late 20s). A lot of people who stay longer don’t even get that lifetime - they die pretty young because putting the mask on felt to them like some “pussy shit” or an inconvenience on top of all the other gear weighing them down.

Mask up! I mean I’m gonna advise you do that well before fire season to protect yourself and the people around you from viral illness, but definitely mask up when the AQI is high.

[bluebelly-sun-serpentine]

Watch Duty absolutely does do more than just SoCal - they’re expanding coverage as fast as they can and trying to build relationships with as many orgs as possible to expand that coverage not just geographically but technically as well. You can use the app to track firefighting aircraft, get timely updates on evacuation warnings and orders, track wind direction and see updated fire perimeters, watch fire cams, check AQI, and set it to notify you of any new fire in your area. They have live humans working as reporters monitoring fire and police frequencies and often have more up-to-date info than local news stations, and are a better resource for updates on firefighting progress than twitter used to be (a lot of fire departments and cal fire units stupidly provide most of their online updates through walled sites like twitter and facebook, and WatchDuty is a much better - less dystopian - way of getting that vital info).

I’d also recommend Daniel Swain’s Weather West youtube channel and blog for context and updates on extreme weather events (both during fire season or big atmospheric river events). He’s both a meteorologist and a climate scientist and I will attest that on several occasions watching his live office hours during fires has allowed me to give advance warning and really useful info to family members in threatened areas. If there’s a big fire event going on in the USA’s west he will most likely be live doing explainers both through his youtube channel and to the many outlets channels that rely on his analysis.

[pyroteknich]

Friends, invest in linen gauze clothing. If you cannot get linen gauze, get cotton gauze. It is super duper breathable. Also, start making some very flexible ice packs. You can also buy them, but you can make them in different sizes (this is good if you have PETS!!!). You can make ice packs out of karo syrup (or other corn syrup) by simply pouring it into a ziploc bag. Same goes for dish soap. These two are non toxic and won't harm animals. You can also freeze the little ketchup containers. Perfect for kids or smaller pets that may get heat problems if the AC or power goes out (like hamsters or cats or small dogs. Put the frozen packs in the arm pits to quickly cool them down). They can also be used for babies or littles. Also take sponges, soak them in water or alcohol and freeze them. You can also use apple cider vinegar (or white vinegar, but acv is better for skin). Stock up on aloe vera gel. Stock up on bottled water and hydrator multiplyer. Adding a little salt to water can help if for whatever reason you just can't hydrate, so keep a bit of sea salt or himalayan salt (steer clear of iodinized salt to be on the safe side). Get some pedialyte frozen pop sticks (or make your own). This summer is supposed to be super hot, so be aware! Stay out of the heat of the day if you can.

[what-even-is-thiss]

Taking up Japanese as a side project for myself has reminded me of something.

So like a long time ago I had a professor that I absolutely adored. She happened to be Japanese American. She grew up speaking Japanese at home but never really spent a lot of time in Japan. She mostly spoke with other Japanese Americans and read books.

So one day early in her teaching career there’s an exchange student from Japan who’s having a hard time understanding a concept so she explained it to him in Japanese and then he looked absolutely rattled. Like in shock. Pale.

This is how she learned that the way she speaks Japanese makes her sound like a gang member.

Japanese doesn’t exactly have cuss words in the same way as English does but imagine that the nicest professor you’ve ever had pulls your paper over and says “Okay listen here you little piece of shit I’m gonna fucking explain this to you. Violently.”

[cloacatak]

This (studying in Chile for a year) is more or less how I realized my two PhD-having, tenured professor expat parents raised me to speak the most disrespectful and swearword-riddled version of Spanish possible (with plenty of ancient slang I didn't know was slang thrown in). It was like:

[pyroteknich]

LOOOOOLLLL. I grew up in west Texas. My second language was Spanish, but Spanish as spoken in my hometown by the native Spanish speakers here. Then I learned Castillan Spanish. Which....was different. My third language was German. Which was taught to us for free on Saturdays by a college professor who had escaped from Berlin. He was a very "absentminded professor" type of teacher, but we did learn. My fourth language was French. But it wasn't formally taught. I picked it up from my 4th grade teacher who grew up in Texarkana, and spoke Creole French. But TEXAS Creole French. Which I half remembered by the time I went to a friend's wedding in Canada, and actually used. All of one time. The looks made me stop IMMEDIATELY. I then attempted to learn Chinese when I lived in Taiwan, and the only way I could speak it was if I sang it, because otherwise I could not hear myself make the tonal shifts needed in the words (calling someone's mother a horse, you get the idea). Then I learned Italian, because my Grandmother was Italian and I went to Italy. Yeah. I tried. Then I "lo siento" ed and just stuck to Spanish, because my Italian SUCKED. One of these days I will be able to speak other languages without a Texas accent. It's a work in progress.

[fox-bright]

do not taste plants if you don't know what they are

do not identify a fruit as edible just because it tastes sweet

hope you didn't eat any fucking seeds, bro

[fox-bright]

And today, we have this winner:

I saw the photo in my feed and went ohh, dude, no, we do not handle yellow rocks with our bare hands until we know for sure what they are. And I know that orange...

In comments, they continue:

and that's where I started cussing at the computer monitor. But someone else had got there first:

So just as a reminder, folks. If you don't know what it is, don't put it in your fucking mouth!

[fox-bright]

YOU GODDAMN STUPID MOTHERFUCKER

[javaelemental]

Good fucking god, people, if you don't know what it is, DON'T PUT IT IN YOUR STUPID MOUTH.

Oh my god. Good lord. I learned that when I was TINY. I was the tiniest, dumbest baby child and I knew better than to do this. What is wrong with you.

[fox-bright]

At Halloween last year, the tiniest little girl dressed as one of the Folk came to my door. There's an increasingly magnificent native beautyberry to one side of my stoop, with its marvelous electric purple berries served up in great tumbles, and she was transfixed by it. She got her candy, I complimented her costume, she started down the stairs, and then stopped, and turned back around. Her: "Are those for-eating berries?" Me: "Oh, you are so smart and clever for asking first! That is such a good idea, I'm so impressed! These are Callicarpa, called beautyberry, and they are edible. Usually they are for cooking, though, to make syrup or jam, and they're not very nice right off the bush. But they are a food berry, and you're so smart to ask!" Her: "Can I...try one?" Me: "If your mother says you may." Her mother, from the walk: "Are you SURE, like, 100% sure. That those are food." Me: "A hundred percent sure, ma'am. I could show you a couple of websites on them, if you want." The Girl: *waits for her mother's nod, then gently reaches out and takes three very small berries and puts them into her mouth* The Girl: *makes an inquisitive face as she chews, walking down the path toward her mother* Me, turning back inside: "Husband, you should have seen this very smart little girl just now!"

[white-throated-packrat]

This is the reason I don't plant foxglove in my flowerbed, even though I love it -- I live right next to a playground.

[shadow-manor]

The ornamental bushes beside the main entrance to my elementary school were oleander.

[pyroteknich]

I went to a gem and mineral show with a friend, and saw the orpiment there. I had to tell them not to touch it because it was super toxic. But it used to be used to make a beautiful yellow paint and dye. And kill people dead. (Apothecary Diaries for the win!)

I love oleander. It's the best poison. My Grandmother used to tell me that it was used to get rid of inconvenient husbands. This was before there was divorce. In some places, it was a wedding gift. Just in case. Boil the leaves, flowers, roots, stems, any part. All of the plant is toxic. Then use the water to make coffee. At least, that was the story she told me, and she got her nursing degree in the 1930's. How accurate that story is? Well 🤷.

If you don't know what it is, don't put it in your mouth. Also, wash your hands before touching your face or open wounds. Try not to win the Darwin award.

[frost-flower-fractured-ice]

The thing about the dogs that baffles me so much is that Jiang Fengmian is a literal sect leader. He's not a two bedroom flat owner. He has a whole estate and neighbouring villages at his disposal but somehow the solution was to send away the dogs to a nebulous faraway place where Jiang Cheng could not meet them ever? How does this solve anything?? He's not emptying the world of dogs (because that's a cartoonishly stupid thing to do) but he's not helping Wei Wuxian overcome his legitimate fears either??? Was he planning to keep him captive or did he expect his kids to go around with sticks and drive dogs away???? (<- something they were doing btw) Like what is the logic here????

[tropesdespereratehousestudent]

I 100% agree, but the more I think about it, the more I feel Jiang Fengmian was completly incompetent - in general - and created more problem. Like okay Yu Ziyuan is pretty bad, even so she was "chill" for the time period.

But Jiang Fengmian ? There shouldn't even have been the destruction of the Jiang clan. Let's take a second : The Wens have destroyed Cloud Recesses some months ago (Big ass warning about them wanting to take down the great sects), THEN your kids get yeeted into endoctrination camp and a monster cave and their sword are stolen... The Wens are also said to have caused the last Nie sect leader death....

AND THERE WAS NO DEFENSE PLAN FOR LOTUS PIERS PUT IN USE BY THEN ?!?!?!

Lotus Piers is stuck between a Big ass town, tons of lakes and damn swamps ! That the best place to hide ! They had two to three escape routes !!! And still EVERY DISCIPLE AND ELDER DIED ?!?! No evacuation plan of the youngest and oldest that can't fight ? Why were they still there by the time the Wen's boats arrived ?!? No swamp's traps ? Why ?

They had TIME to prepare for a potential attack that was unavoidable. But no. Jiang Fengmian didn't want others to think he was encouraging war. And everyone died. Because he thought being the fucking Swiss would work. As if the Lans weren't the lest belliquous people around !

So yeah, Jiang Fengmian isn't really smart. And it makes him in fact a terrible father, annoying husband and bad sect leader

[pyroteknich]

I will be honest, I do not understand Jiang Fengmian. As in, I don't understand his motives, his personality, or the purpose in the way he is written. To me, he has all the personality traits of a wet, holey sock.

However, I have really gotten in to the Chinese short stories on YouTube. Since I have been listening to them as podcasts, I have come to observe certain tropes. So far, the tropes I've seen are as follows:

Wishy-washy father/male leader of clan/family/kingdom

Favored legitimate child/hated other child (second child, eldest child, illegitimate child)

lost child that is brought back and then instantly hated by true family/framed to bully replacement child

favored adopted child/hated true child

overbearing wife/manipulative mistress or concubine

neglected wife/favored mistress or concubine

overbearing wife/ neglected mistress or concubine and their child

switched bride/groom (for good and ill)

favored sibling/hated sibling/neglected sibling

There's more, but I can't remember them. I think MDZS has like 3 of these tropes just within the Jiang family dynamics. Now that I am learning of all the tropes that exist in Chinese Period Drama, it seems more and more as if the author of MDZS decided to see just how many they could cram into the story.

This isn't necessarily a criticism, but it is something I am finding very interesting. And kind of funny.

[bebx]

Reblog if you have contributed to the 17 million fanworks posted on Archive of Our Own ♡

[professionalchaoticdumbass]

If a trans girl tells you that she wants to start dressing more femme and your response is "but you're conforming to gender stereotypes" then she is entitled to punch you in the face as hard as she wants

[professionalchaoticdumbass]

Also, if a trans girl says she wants to go on hormones and your response is "but you're still valid if you don't get hrt" then she is also entitled to punch your face as hard as she wants

[pyroteknich]

My response to the latter is "check your family history for estrogen based medical issues (ie. cancer), and good luck!"

HRT can mess up your system something nasty, especially if you are sensitive to synthetic estrogen or progesterone. Make sure you and your doctor FULLY discuss ALL the medical issues that may crop up (cancers, prolactinomas, pituitary gland issues, skin issues, ADHD/ Autism issues). Hormones effect more than just if you have boobs and look female or male. They can mess with other medications you may be on. You may feel like you are going through puberty all over again. And, if you are over 45, in women who are not transitioned, this is about when perimenopause hits. So be aware of that, too.

Good luck!!

[roostercrowned]

DON’T become even a casual nerd about historical fashion because you’ll start looking at pseudo-medieval fantasy and going “that jacket and those breeches are 200 years apart and reflect extremely different social movements” and “oh no they were NOT making shirts like that prior to industrialization” and “a fly front? in MY ~1500s???”

[pyroteknich]

I'm just as bad, but like, about historical stupid things. Like horse tack. Oh you're doing a medieval piece? Oh they are riding horses. Bitch, that is a western saddle with the serial numbers filed off, wtf, no. And when I say this out loud, I get, "Shut up! We are in the theater! OMG no one cares!" I CARE! Fuckin' a, no WONDER shit's not laying right and that horse looks funky. If your medieval charge can't have costumes 1/8th as accurate as the scene in Bedknobs and Broomsticks, don't even look at me.

[avakining]

hey so Blender announced that AI company Anthropic is now their patron

Anthropic joins the Blender Development Fund as Corporate Patron — Blender

Anthropic is joining the Blender Development Fund as Corporate Patron.

good news tho: they might reconsider. especially if more 3D modellers and artists tell them to.

Here's the contact information to do so!

Additionally, here are some of Blender's social medias you can contact:

https://mastodon.social/@Blender

https://bsky.app/profile/blender.org

https://instagram.com/blender.official/

[mikahseacole]

Anthropic also works with Palantir, aka the "let's use AI to figure out which children to bomb" company.

[queenanthai]

Blender users, make some noise

[pyroteknich]

Y'know, you'd think companies with names like Blender and Palantir would kind of BE THEIR OWN WARNING? I mean it is NAMED PALANTIR. My dudes. It's like you don't buy the drink called Soylent Green (no, I've seen it in grocery stores, I make the "ick" face and keep walking). Also, don't buy any computers named "HAL". Or cars named "Christine". Like, common sense here, peeps. Get you some.