Are you still involved with Milo/the World of Gardian in any capacity?
if so, do you know what the deal with refunds is? I know Milo's working on it in his own time, but he at least owes it to his audience to explain why refunds haven't started yet.
Gotten a few asks (all anonymous) that basically ask this same question in varying forms. Let this serve as the answer to all of them:
As soon as I know when refunds will begin, you'll know. There will be an announcement on the Patreon & the mailing list. I'm hopeful it will be soon - as mentioned in the initial post, Milo has had to escape a difficult living situation and that plan is nearly complete at this point. So, I'm optimistic, but because the dust has not fully settled with his new situation, he doesn't have a firm date for anyone yet.
There was a period of time as the business declined in which Milo repeatedly promised to meet deadlines & failed. So he's being much more stingy with promising these days.
I understand this may be cold comfort to those who have been waiting for a very long time already, but that's the scoop on where we're at right now & why there's been no news.
adhd paralysis sucks bcuz im just sitting there and my brain is like
YOU ARE WASTING TIME YOU ARE WASTING TIME YOU ARE WASTING TIME YOU ARE WASTING TIME YOU ARE WASTING TIME YOU ARE WASTING TIME YOU ARE WASTING TIME YOU ARE WASTING TIME YOU ARE WASTING TIME YOU ARE WASTING TIME
no work done no rest gained. literally no point of this at all
The crux of the anti trans movement is a war on bodily autonomy. They don't want you to have any agency over what you look like, how you dress, who you date, whether to have kids, etc.
They want total control over you. Not just trans people. Not just queer people. You. Everyone.
Trans people are just a scapegoat. They want total control over everyone's self expression. They want the right to mold you into their perfect little cog in their dehumanizing machine.
Happy Trans Day of Visibility. Our rights are your rights. Our destruction is your destruction.
desegregate all sports now. no more gendered sports. its stupid
if you absolutely must, in primarily muscle force-based sports, create competitive classes like in boxing except separated by body comp, not just pure body weight. i mean, if you must. this will eliminate any tiny advantages in muscle mass. some will say basketball should have height classes but frankly some of the NBA's most impressive players were not tall so idk that this actually matters ever
the primary athletic impediment to all women is overwhelmingly cultural and psychological. i have won probably half the physical competitions with cis men that i have engaged in, friendly or otherwise. even without the benefit of a lifetime of people trying to make me throw or hit balls, i have won wrestling matches, sparring matches, funny backyard foam sword fights, video games, equestrian activities, dance, endurance tests of various kinds, etc. i'm small and weak. men think theyre stronger and more skilled than they are, women think the opposite about themselves
humans just arent that differently-sized or -shaped, as a species. we have almost no sexual dimorphism at all compared to the vast majority of other mammals.
animals that have similar levels of sexual dimorphism to humans, for example cats, dogs, and horses, do not generally have competitive events segregated by sex. the dog agility trials dont normally have separate leagues for male and female dogs (gendered competitions exist they're just unusual). because it doesnt matter. there is no kentucky derby 2 just for girl horses. thats not a thing
remove all gendered categories from online shopping websites and universalize clothing and shoe sizing. im sick of having to search two entirely different sections of ebay when im just trying to find a nice velvet loafer in size 39 EU. what the hell is "women's clothing"
The legends are true! I will be officially corporeal for the first time in 12 years April 17th at the Portland Liberation Center! If you can make it, RSVP at this link here. Also if you’d like to get a book or two to pick up at the party, you can do so in that same link!
Important information for anyone seeking to understand what is going on wrt the rolling back of trans rights in India:
Transgender law: Lok Sabha passes 2026 amendment narrowing definition, ending self-identification, mandating medical board certification and
The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Bill, 2026, was passed by the Lok Sabha on Tuesday (March 24, 2026). This bill introduces fundamental changes to how the state recognises and protects transgender individuals, moving away from the principle of "self-identification" that was a cornerstone of the original 2019 Act.
...
Here are the key changes the bill proposes.
The 2019 Act defined a transgender person broadly as someone whose gender does not match the gender assigned at birth. The 2026 amendment removes this broad definition.
The bill notes that over the course of time, during the implementation of transgender protection law, "certain doubts and difficulties have arisen and are likely to arise" regarding the "expanse of the definition" of transgender persons.
It now limits the term to specific socio-cultural groups such as 'kinner', 'hijra', 'aravani', and 'jogta', or eunuchs or a person with biological intersex variations or congenital differences.
"The intent, object and purpose of the Act is and was to protect a specified class of persons socially and culturally known as transgender people who face societal discrimination of an extreme and oppressive nature. The purpose was and is not to protect each and every class of persons with various gender identities, self-perceived sex/gender identities or gender fluidities," the bill says.
The proposed legislation seeks to give a precise definition of the term "transgender" and exclude "different sexual orientations and self-perceived sexual identities" from the ambit of the proposed law. It underlines that a transgender person "shall not include, nor shall ever have been so included, persons with different sexual orientations and self-perceived sexual identities".
Medical Certification
Under the 2019 law, individuals could apply for a certificate of identity based on their self-perceived gender. The amendment removes the right to self-identification Now, the district magistrate will only issue a certificate after examining a recommendation from a designated medical board, headed by a chief medical officer or a deputy chief medical officer appointed by the Central government, State government or a Union Territory administration.
Under the 2019 law, in line with the Supreme Court's judgment, individuals could declare their gender identity based on self-perception. The 2014 Supreme Court judgment in National Legal Services Authority vs Union of India recognised self- identified gender as a fundamental right. However, critics say the new bill has rolled back this principle.
Mandatory Reporting of SRS
According to the bill, if a person undergoes sex reassignment surgery (SRS), they are now mandated to obtain a revised certificate, and medical institutions must report SRS details to the district magistrate.
Increased penalties
The bill significantly ramps up punishments for offences against transgender persons. It has created a new criminal category for "coerced assumption of transgender identity", penalising those who force others (through drugs, surgery, or deceit) to present as transgender.
Kidnapping an adult to force a transgender identity carries 10 years to life imprisonment. Forcing a child into this car lead to life imprisonment and a Rs 5 lakh
fine.
Provision to Change Name
The bill has a provision allowing transgender persons to change their first name in birth certificates and other official documents based on their certificate of identity.
While the government has argued the amendments ensure welfare reaches those facing extreme social exclusion due to biological conditions. Conversely Opposition MPs and activists have claimed that the bill is a regressive step that violates the fundamental right to dignity and privacy by stripping away the right to self- identification.
Sorry to bug you, but do you know if Gardian is answering their emails? I only ask because you’re the last person to provide any sort of update on the project.
Yes! I handle all the comms right now (since the initial backlash, he finds being on social media / the public internet pretty tough) but due to the project's decline & cancellation, it's now a favor to a friend rather than a professional position.
Consequently, I have to fit it around work & family responsibilities. Had a health crisis this past weekend (everyone is okay now), which set me back from the time I usually check it, so it's been over a week. Apologies to those who had to wait!
I just caught up with the inbox before writing this post actually.
🏥✋ Today, I had surgery on my hand, and my condition is critical.
🩸⬇️ My blood level dropped to 6, and I am at risk of death ⚠️💀.
Please donate to me and help me. I am dying slowly. Save my life. Support me financially so I can buy medicine.
😔 I am weak, in pain, and exhausted.
💊❌ I have no money for treatment or medicine.
🍞❌ There is no food in my home.
👶🍼 I have an infant baby with no milk.
👨👩👧👦💔 I have 5 children with no food to eat.
🤕🚫 My husband is injured and unable to work.
🙏😭 Please, I am begging for help.
💵❤️ Any support, even a small amount, can save my life and my children.
We are a family of 7. Our home was completely destroyed 💥🏚️. There is no safety, no shelter, not even a tent 🏕️ to protect us from the cold ❄️ and rain 🌧️.
We are living on the streets 🏙️, without food 🍞, and our lives are in danger ⚠️.
Please, any help matters 🙏 — shelter, food, or urgent aid. Every moment counts
🤍🌍 Please don’t turn away.
🙏 Help us survive.
✅️Vetted by @gazavetters, my number verified on the list is ( #724 )✅️
Donation link
Hi my name is Mickey and I'm raising funds for:
Suheila, who is a m… Mickey Dee needs your support for Support Suhaila's family in
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💬 69 🔁 6415 ❤️ 1408 · My name is Suheila from Gaza 🇵🇸,
a mother of 5 children, living with my family in a tent after the war destroyed ou
What if the children go to schools unafraid of tear gas and bullets?
What if the birds come back, and the bees are healed, and every species moves from endangered, to threatened, to thriving?
What if the rainforest ADVANCES?
What if every parking lot had solar panels? What if every structure had solar panels? What if we built climbing gyms and terraced gardens in the skeletons of old coal power plants?
What if you baked your neighbor bread, and they shared their home-grown blackberries?
What if every person who needed a home, had one? What if every person who needed healing was healed?
What if every body was treasured for what it was, not what it should be?
What if every trans child's parents attended their graduation, their wedding, their new-name-day?
What if every warehouse became a closed-circle repair station? Goods flowing out, and back, and out again? What if landfills started to SHRINK?
What if the water and air were clean? What if there was enough public transit that the cars dwindled, leaving the streets safe for kids on bikes, evening deer, midnight cats and foxes?
The condors are back. The whales are saved. The sea turtles are no longer endangered. The cranes are back. The bees are recovering. The air in LA and Tokyo and London is clean again. The aquifers in the LA Basin are refilling.
Children are kinder than previous generations. Parents are stopping the abuse cycle. Being trans and queer is more acceptable than ever on a ground level.
It's hard to see if you're young, if you don't know how to step back from social media and the news. But remember--bad news sells, and the algorithm knows despair keeps you scrolling. It's a skewed lens.
We are fighting and we are winning against this adminstration's bullying. We are coming together against the bullies and they are running away scared because they don't understand that we will do that.
People are working hard every day to find ways to make sure fewer animals get hit by cars and planes and rockets.
Maker spaces are more common than ever. Solar and wind are more common than ever. Coal plants are shutting down every day.
Unprecedented numbers of acres are being bought back or given back to their rightful stewards, and the world heals because of it. People are working hard every day to learn how to help a forest recover faster.
We are not at zero. We are at decades of effort to heal the world. We've come SO far.
In 1982 there were only 22 California Condors left in the world. In 1992, when the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), with its public and private partners, began reintroducing captive-bred condors to the wild. In 2001 the first wild nesting occurred in Grand Canyon National Park since re-introduction. In 2002 there were only 8 pairs of wild nesting birds population-wide. In 2008, for the first time since the program began, more California condors were flying free in the wild than in captivity. Today there are nearly 500 – more than half of them flying free in Arizona, Utah, California, and Baja Mexico.
When I was born, there were no condors in the wild. I'm 37 now, and there are over 250 condors flying free.
When my mom was born in 1955, there were days when she wasn't allowed to go outside to play, because of the air pollution. When I was born, that never happened anymore.
When I was born, humpback whales were critically endangered, and people thought they were going to go extinct. Today, they've recovered to exceed their recorded numbers. Other whales too!
We fixed it.
We CAN fix it and we ARE fixing it and we DID fix it.
Believing that things can get better is not blind hope or optimism--it is based on hard data that many things have consistently gotten better over the arc of history.
In addition to all that was mentioned above:
The likelihood of dying in infancy or childhood--or losing a child--has plummeted just in my lifetime. The likelihood of dying in a natural disaster is the lowest in recorded human history. Yes, even with the uptick in natural disaster intensity from climate change!
Humans alive right now are more likely to have access to healthcare, electricity, education, birth control, clean water, and nutritious food than at any other point in human history. There are so many diseases we can treat now that were a death sentence for 90% of human history.
This is not by accident. This is because generations of humans put in work to make life better for their communities.
Some of our solutions had the side effect of creating other problems--better access to electricity that ultimately made people's lives easier and safer led to pollution and climate change, for example--but we are tackling those knock on problems too. Our generation's solutions to our current problems will probably create their own less-bad side effects for the humans after us to deal with.
Is it silly and naive to believe we might actually be able to make things better? Not at all. We have many times before. We are doing it right now.
One of the reasons this blog is called “Real Social Skills” is that the skills needed in order to listen to people with disabilities are not seen as “social skills”.
Disabled people who communicate in unusual ways are usually seen as having a social skills problem. People who don’t understand what disabled people are saying are *not* usually seen as having a social skills problem. The disabled person is almost always blamed. It doesn’t have to be like this; it’s a problem with our culture; this is something that we can change.
Listening to other people (disabled or not) involves a lot of skills. No one is born knowing how to understand what others are communicating — we all have to learn how to listen. And we’re never done — there is always more to learn about listening and understanding other people. We should all have an expectation that learning skills for listening to people who communicate atypically is part of that. No one is too young or too old to learn to listen.
For instance, all of these things are listening skills:
Understanding what someone who has a heavy CP accent is saying
Maintaining a conversational rhythm with someone who takes longer than most people to process or express themself
Having a conversation with someone who doesn’t make eye contact, and figuring out alternative ways to tell when they are and aren’t paying attention
Noticing when repetition is communication
Understanding the indirect communication of people who can only use the limited core vocabulary words available on their communication devices
Giving someone who has been through intense compliance training the space they need to express their own thoughts rather than yours
Paying attention to what someone who speaks oddly is saying rather than writing it off as rude or cute
Listening to someone who has both communicative and non-communicative speech, and figuring out which words are and aren’t intended as communication
Listening to someone who has both voluntary and involuntary motion, and figuring out which gestures are and aren’t communication
And so on.
No one is born with fully-developed listening skills. Learning to listen effectively is a lifelong process. Learning to listen to people with communication disabilities needs to be part of that.
Once again John Oliver proves that you can do anything with money and lawyers
Oliver then proceeded to detail how with $50 and knowledge of the law he was able to successfully apply online to create a debt buying company named “Central Asset Recovery Professionals,” or as Oliver put it, “CARP” named after “a bottom-feeding fish.”
After setting up a rudimentary website for CARP, the satirical, but still real company was offered a $15 million package of medical debt for $60,000.
Oliver explained that the debt was out of statute, which means it is the kind of debt that a collector can only continue to collect, but not sue the debtor for.
Then, instead of chasing down the 9,000 debtors in the debt package as a normal collection agency would, Oliver decided to stage the largest one-time giveaway in television history and work with the nonprofit RIP Medical Debt to forgive the $15 million with no consequences for the debtors.
You dont have to be rich to do a bit of this actually
RIP Medical Debt is a charity (and therefore takes donations). They buy the rights to medical debt and then forgive them. So far they’ve forgiven over 1B in medical debt.
So a little ray of hope for someone out there today.
I got a letter recently letting me know that a $3k medical bill from an emergency room visit in 2018 had been purchased by Undue Medical Debt and destroyed. Gone forever. They were very clear that I didn’t have to do anything, but they would appreciate it if I would talk to people about it to spread the word about what they were doing. Fucking phenomenal.
mutual aid means no hierarchy between givers and receivers
a new mutual aid org, Bridge of Solidarity, has been established in the gaza strip by 17 year old poet yazan mohammed in response to the exploitative practices conducted by some charities and encouraged by the existing charity-based model of fundraising for gaza. according to BoS: "the western attention economy and pity economy plays a large role in who lives or dies in gaza." essentially, people need to make themselves marketable in order to receive lifesaving aid; people who are not marketable die. yazan himself wrote about the damage this can do to one's self image, which you can read here.
after trying for a year to respect his own privacy, my friend siraj was also pressured into posting images of his son's emaciated body in order to gain sympathy from westerners.
we cannot keep forcing people to do this anymore.
here's a declaration of their values from bridge of solidarity's most recent post:
Our organization is against the Western gaze. We refuse to humiliate people. We refuse to force people to take photos. We refuse to force people to take photos with our flyer or logo. People will receive aid freely without being forced to pose. We will respect people's privacy completely. Our principles include autonomy, dignity, sovereignty, mutual respect, and mutual aid.
this org will prioritize giving aid to people without phones or social media, who do not speak english, and who do not have outside support or living parents. these are the people who are not palatable to westerners but who deserve to live with as much dignity as everyone else
as of five days ago, BoS are working on a water truck delivery
