biochem-grrl

[biochem-grrl]

Interesting case of barbering was found in one of our mice. One of her cage mates decided to give her the full friar tuck hair cut

[biochem-grrl]

this is absolutely not a "go vote or you're evil!" post BUT you should know that if you're registered to vote in Oregon, Alabama, Louisiana, Tennessee, or Vermont you have the opportunity to vote to abolish prison slavery this year, and i think you should strongly consider it.

from the washington post:

"The 13th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution bans slavery or involuntary servitude, except when it is used as punishment for a crime.

If passed, the proposals would wholly abolish slavery in those states, though they would not automatically change protocols on prison labor or inmate pay.

[...] the bills could give lawyers more license to pursue greater rights and higher pay for U.S. prisoners; Dolovich said that paying inmates below the minimum-wage protections set by each state is arguably 'a species of slavery.'

'It’ll be a fight in court. This question will be manifested by lawyers bringing cases on behalf of incarcerated workers,' she said. 'It’s a hopeful sign for me.'"

(Source; warning for more detailed discussion of prison slavery and related cruelty in the article)

so again, if you're able to vote and live in Oregon, Alabama, Louisiana, Tennessee, or Vermont, please consider it. prison abolition will not happen solely via voting it away but if these pass it will certainly be a victory and hopefully a stepping stone for other victories.

[biochem-grrl]

man this sucks, being trans should have been an anthropological curiosity, not a political movement, it should have been a quirk of humanity, not a fight for survival, it should have been like being colorblind, or having six fingers, it should have been something science teachers taught their students excitedly because it was this interesting bit of trivia, it should have been no more exciting than being a furry or being born with edietic memory. it should have been this little vibrant community whose only care in the world was to share tips about how to customize your presentation it should have been an off hand remark while hanging at a bar to the tune of “hey, isnt joan of accounting trans? crazy stuff my cousin tom changed too and now is nora”

i look back at all those old news papers from like the 30′s and 40′s and the way they seemed to talk about the subject and is like fuck, how can we get that back

[biochem-grrl]

After 6 phone calls, three messages to my doctor, and two trips to the pharmacy I have finally gotten my insurance to cover my hrt. It should not be this hard for trans people to access affordable healthcare.

[biochem-grrl]

One of the obese rats I worked with at my old research lab. This fella weighed in at 1107 grams!

[biochem-grrl]

Support for women in STEM is a lie until every single babygirl can buy Easy-Bake Ovens that gestate mouse embryos

[biochem-grrl]

I was browsing your work tag & as an ex-animal technician I think I would have been much less likely to leave the profession if my team had been like yours (from what I've seen). My 1st place - a university unit, small team, & I felt like I was actually doing good for the animals & the research. 2nd place - large commercial operation & it felt utterly soulless. Multiple people told me to leave before I got stuck there. I hope your team and job continue to be rewarding! it's important work!

Don't get me wrong there's a ton of drama (that I pay zero attention to beyond knowing it exists), and some people that suck, and we all help new folks learn about the bullshit side of things as far as management goes, but overall I've been here going on 12 years now and they'll have to pry me out of this position if they want me gone. Everyone here, even the people I don't like for personal reasons, cares deeply about animals and is devoted to the use animals under their care, and I respect that. Whatever else goes on in the petty human world of interpersonal relationships and paperwork, the animals get our best, and we're here to make sure they get the best from the researchers as well.

[biochem-grrl]

Pigeon Lab Living Improvements

Hello birdblr!

I’m looking for input on a welfare upgrade project. My university has a pigeon lab for the psychology students to conduct behavior research in. The research itself gives me no welfare concerns, it’s just clicker training and reinforcement schedules in operant chambers. No use of aversives that I’ve seen and everything is overseen by the IACUC (Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee).

Unfortunately however, the living conditions for the birds leaves a lot to be desired (see photo above) They are housed in 24 individual cages, each of which is a 1sqft cube. Wire floor, no perches, no platforms.

In a perfect world, I’d love to build these birds an open-air communal aviary with all the enrichment in the world, but there are obviously constraints. Also I am a student, not faculty, so my power to enact change may be limited in ways I do not anticipate.

Constraints:

Birds must still be useful for behavior research (standardization)

Funding

New enclosures must be low-maintenance

Species/breed appropriate improvements for White Carneau Pigeons

Time (one year)

Space inside the room

COVID19

Resources:

My club, who is already onboard with this idea

A few select faculty members’ support

One intensely passionate ethology major (me)

I will fund this project myself if I have to.

I will not let the perfect be the enemy of the good. I want these birds to have tangibly better lives before I graduate. Here’s my first draft of ideas for new cages.

Ideally I only want to make changes that are species-appropriate, so any advice or design feedback is appreciated!

[biochem-grrl]

I would add animal researcher too this list too!

All my homies hate PETA.

[biochem-grrl]

I think Hunter is very gender no matter how you look at him. He’s transmasc, she’s transfem, they’re agender, he’s bigender, xe’s genderfluid

[biochem-grrl]

any d20 season be like:

zac: just so so stupid

murph: absolute loser

lou: some dude whos gotta be humbled

emily: FURIOUS bisexual

siobhan: holding the brain cell

ally: the most chaotic gay person youve ever seen in your life

[biochem-grrl]