My sister had her head shaved today.
They never tell you that chemotherapy is slow. I thought she would have instant, constant aches and sickness, but that hasn’t been the case. She’s sick, yes, but she has good days where you might never know anything was happening to her body.
Except today.
Her hair has been falling out and she decided to just have it shaved off entirely, even bought herself a wig (to go along with her motley assortment of tammies). She came home wearing it, and flung it at me when she sat down. I had to look and admit I was surprised that her head wasn’t completely smooth. Not from the lack of hair, but all the little bumps and ridges around her skull. With the weight loss, it’s a bit easier to ‘see’ the cancer now and feel this bottomless helplessness. She’s fighting though, for every day of her life. She says shaving her head made her feel stronger, feel like she’s still in charge.
I think today I understand a little better what is meant by finding beauty and strength in sadness.
Wynne McLaughlin on Twitter
A STABLE GENIUS PRESIDENT
(With apologies to Gilbert & Sullivan)“I am the very model of a stable genius president
On Pennsylvania Ave you’ll find I’m not a frequent resident
The Legislative Branch is something I can always circumvent
Colluding with the Russians was most certainly a non-event…“I’m honored to reveal that I possess the greatest temperament
I didn’t drain the swamp I just replaced it with a circus tent
And as for gorgeous women I can grab them all with no consent
And still give lots of tax breaks to my cronies in the one percent…“I’m very good with signing things no one will ever implement
I have the best and biggest words but no clue what they represent
I’m going to build the biggest wall and make Mexico pay the rent
I am the very model of a stable genius president.”
Oprah Winfrey: one of the world’s best neoliberal capitalist thinkers
Friendly reminder that not a single rich celebrity is going to save us, no matter how ‘inspirational’ they are, no matter how ‘powerful’ their speeches are or how good their hashtags and not even if they’re honestly a ‘good person’.
(Which doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy any of the things they do, just don’t put your hopes on them and don’t pretend that their spectacle is ‘activism’.)
Read this.
Oprah Winfrey: one of the world’s best neoliberal capitalist thinkers
I feel like the reason certain dog-lovers insist cats are evil is because they read their body language as if they were dogs. So here’s a very basic guide to common “mean” things cats do that actually aren’t mean at all if you know what they’re thinking.
Rolling and exposing belly- attacks you when touched
Does not mean: Give belly rubs! – haha I tricked you!
Actually means: I’m playful! If you reach for my belly I’ll grab your arm and bite it because I think we’re playfighting!Lazily exposing belly – still attacks when touched
Does not mean: tricked you again!
Actually means: I’m showing you my belly because I trust you. Please don’t break that trust by invading my personal space. I might accept a belly rub if I’m not ticklish and I know you well.Snapping at you while being pet
Does not mean: I suddenly decided I dislike you!
Actually means: You’re petting me in a way that gives me too much restless energy. Please focus on petting my head and shoulders instead of stroking the full length of my back next time.Is in the same room but makes no attempt to interact
Does not mean: I’m ignoring you
Actually means: We’re hanging out! I’m being respectful by giving you space while still enjoying your company.Slapping/scratching your hand when you try to pet them
Does not mean: I hate you!
Actually means: You’ve failed to establish that we’re not playing, or the way you’re approaching me scares me. Be calmer, speak more gently, make eye-contact and blink slowly at me before you try again.I love this post omg, thank you so much. As a lifelong cat person, dogs perplex me because they’re so completely different behaviourally.
I love dogs too but, I’ve been trying to tell people, you canNOT treat cats like you treat dogs. They arent the same animals and have very different personalities
P.s.: people often pet cats way too hard. Dogs like a firm pet or a pat on the belly, cats dont have the same bone structure and are more flexible than dogs so what you’re doing probably hurts them
Sitting and staring
Does not mean: I am challenging you/plotting your demise/just generally evil and creepy.
Actually means: I am a desert-adapted species, so my natural tears are very thick and keep my eyes moist for a nice long time. I do find people interesting and enjoy watching them. I just don’t need to blink very often!Staring and blinking slowly
Does not mean: I’m smug and think I am smarter than you.
Actually means: I like you! But I don’t need to get up in your face to show it. I can just sit over here and blow kisses at you to show you I am glad you are around!It’s very frustrating for me when people expect cats to act like dogs, or act like they’re deceitful. They aren’t! They just AREN’T DOGS.
I grew up with both cats and dogs (cat at my house, dogs at my grandmas) and this just
yes
@ikkke95 xD probably you knew this already but this post is nice
As an autistic person, always related to my cats in a way I never did with my dogs (though I now am owned by two). This post’s description of cats is very familiar.
This Pricey ‘Raw Water’ Is a Total Scam—$64 Gets You Tap Water from Oregon
And so ends the saga of the “raw water.” Next up, “raw air,” bottled from the top of Mount Everest, where there is not enough air for humans to breathe anyway but whatever, sell pretty empty bottles to rich people for $99.95 a pop, they’ll buy it.
Why would anyone be outraged at this.
Let them have it.
This Pricey ‘Raw Water’ Is a Total Scam—$64 Gets You Tap Water from Oregon
who looked at Alycia and said “ah yes. bloodthirsty warrior. fearless queen of battle.”
Probably the same person who realised they were about to cast a rather fine young actor.
PS: just to take the piss, Lexa was never actually written or presented as a ‘bloodthirsty warrior.’ Fearless, queen-like, excellent in battle, yes.
Perhaps without meaning to, this post kind of reinforces a sexist norm that a (young) woman can’t be taken seriously in such a role. I think ADC (and many other women in similar roles) completely disproved it.
A guide for white people.
What. Racist no matter what?? ://///
Yes. Those of us who are white need to recognize that we always have more to learn, always have more to do to earn or retain the title of ally. We might think we’ve learned all there is to know – what racist behavior to avoid, what rallies to attend, how to call out other white people – but chances are we will still slip up sometimes, will realize something we’ve been saying was racist or will speak over POC when we should shut up or will fail to act when we should have acted to support POC.
And even if we were somehow to become The Perfect Ally, it is impossible not to benefit in some ways from our white privilege, from systemic racism. I am white, I am trying to learn and be anti-racist, but if I ever pretend I’m “free” from being racist or no longer benefit from racism then I’ve stopped learning, I’ve stopped listening, and I’ve made my allyship about me instead of about POC.
Racism, sexism, heteronormativity, cissexism, xenophobia…all sorts of prejudices are unfortunately in the air we breathe. I don’t think it makes us Bad Mean Bigots to have absorbed these prejudices – unless we refuse to acknowledge those prejudices. When white people pretend we’re not racist anymore, we’ve failed. For another example, when straight and/or cis people pretend they’re not homophobic or transphobic anymore, they’ve failed. When men pretend they don’t still hold some sexist beliefs deep down or benefit from sexism, they’ve failed. And so on.
Those of us who want to earn the title ally need to perpetually work for it, and we always need to be open to correction.
The Doctor Is Out 