queenofbraces

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Two job-hunting resources that changed my life:

This cover letter post on askamanger.com. A job interview guide written by Alison Green, who runs askamanager.

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a whole bunch of gazan mutual aid projects and nonprofits. if the decision of which individual fundraiser to give to feels too daunting, or if you just want to help as many people as possible in one go, these are great initiatives to support.

care for gaza - focuses on providing food and essential supplies. donate here or here.

connecting humanity - securing internet access via donations of virtual sim cards (esims). if you can't afford a whole plan yourself, crips for esims is a communal pool that will use your donation to purchase and maintain esims

gaza soup kitchen - provides food, medical care, and classes for children. also has a gofundme

glia gaza medical support initiative - provides medical care through field clinics and tents at hospitals. donations can also be sent through their website.

ele elna elak - provides clean water, food, clothing, and shelter. they also have a gofundme

life for gaza - raising money for the gaza municipality to repair water and waste management infrastructure

taawon - partners with local civil organizations to provide food, water, medical care, shelter, and basic supplies

the sameer project - running various initiatives providing tents, medical care, and necessities. they have their own encampment project focused on sheltering families with children, sick and disabled members, or members in need of perinatal care

islamic relief worldwide's gaza emergency appeal - provides food, water, hygiene kits, medical supplies, and psychological support

baitulmaal - provides a variety of necessities, including food, water, shelter, and medical supplies

gaza mutual aid fund - distributes food, hygiene products, water, and other essential supplies, including financial support. run by @/el-shab-hussein's amazing friend Mona. updates can be found on her instagram.

hygiene kits for gaza - provides hygiene supplies including menstrual products, wipes, and toothbrushes/toothpaste

anera - provides a variety of necessities, including food, water, hygiene supplies, medicine, blankets and mattresses, and psychological care

palestine children's relief fund - provides supplies and support with a focus on children. also has an initiative for lebanon

dahnoun mutual aid - provides water, food, tents, baby supplies, financial support, and other necessities. updates can be found through their instagram

certainly this is not an exhaustive list, so please feel free to add on other projects or organizations that i didn't include. and as always, please take the time to donate if you can and share. it truly makes all the difference.

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Long COVID and ME/CFS folks, and disability allies:

I have something you can do in 15 minutes that will be very helpful to those of us with these disabilities!

The Canadian working group putting together recommendations for Post-COVID Condition (PCC) have released some bad recommendations regarding exercise as a treatment for Long COVID and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) to treat Post-Exertional Malaise (PEM).

The UK just recently managed to get these recommendations out of the NICE guidelines for ME/CFS, and we should try to prevent them from getting embedded in the Canadian ones for Long COVID.

They have a survey out until Nov. 27 at 11:45pm EST asking for public input. If you can manage it, please fill out the survey explaining why these are both bad recommendations. The survey is open to people internationally, and anyone interested in the topic. Please mark #2 and #8 as "Major Concerns" and provide a sentence or two explaining why (in your own words).

Draft Recommendation #2 - recommends exercise as a treatment for Long COVID, and only briefly mentions the existance of post-exertional malaise (PEM). Given how many people with long COVID meet the diagnostic criteria for ME/CFS, this is entirely backwards. PEM should be evaluated first and regularly thereafter and exercise should only be suggested once everyone is confident that PEM isn't present.

Draft Recommendation #8 - Recommends CBT as a treatment for PEM. This is recommending a psychological treatment for a physical issue, which is inappropriate. It also contributes to the long history of treating the fatigue in ME/CFS as self-inflicted. And is an activity that can also worsen or cause PEM.

The recommendations and links to their evidence charts are inside the survey itself, or you can open the PDF link on the first page and write your answers before copying them into the survey.

Survey:

https://www.research.net/r/CAN-PCCRecommendationCommentPublic

Here's a blog post explaining one person's responses to the survey:

https://thesciencebit.net/2024/11/21/my-submission-on-the-new-canadian-draft-recommendations-for-long-covid/

And here's one on the history of these "treatments" for ME/CFS and why they're based on bad science.

https://mecfsresearchreview.me/2021/01/12/the-expert-testimony-to-nice-that-took-apart-the-case-for-cbt-and-graded-exercise-for-me-cfs/

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I kinda wish migraines were contagious so I could bite people I don't like and give it to them

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Senators are going to vote on whether or not we should continue to send aid to Israel on Wednesday, November 13th. Call them, bombard their phone lines with calls. Every fucking day. We have a chance of doing something about this.

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Hey, the ACLU is getting people to send letters to your Reps to have Congress pass the No Kings Act.

This act would make constitutional amendments to ensure that even sitting presidents are held liable for their actions. That NOBODY is above the law.

Their goal is 150k messages sent and at the time of writing this they're about 2.1k off from that goal!

ACLU gives you a prefilled message that you can edit to send to make the process easier, and will send it out for you.

This only takes a few minutes!

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refraining from a lot of election joke posting and instead I just donated $55 USD to gaza soup kitchen and i encourage anyone else to consider donating even a couple of dollars to the people who will be affected the most from whatever outcome happens

you can also donate to care for gaza here

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VETTED CAMPAIGNS LOW ON FUNDS

all of these campaigns have been vetted by mohammed ayesh, who helps run @gaza-evacuation-funds. all of these campaigns are in dire need of our support; please consider donating to even one of them!

mohammed zaatar was severely injured by shrapnel last year, and is now displaced with his family and in need of our help to afford basic necessities. €458 / €30,000 GOFUNDME HERE * mohammed mabruk is in europe, separated from his family who are trapped in gaza and unable to reach them. he is trying to raise the funds necessary to evacuate them, but in the meantime your donation will allow them to buy daily necessities. €350 / €35,000 GOFUNDME HERE * reema and her husband ragheb and five year old son taim have been displaced more than six times and are struggling to provide themselves with their daily needs. your donation will help them as winter approaches, please consider contributing. €2,071 / €50,000 GOFUNDME HERE * eman has helped mohammed ayesh, who helps run gaza-evacuation-funds, by translating many posts into english for our benefit. she does this despite being displaced and living in unimaginably difficult conditions. please consider helping her and her family, as she does so much to help others. $6,700 CAD / $50,000 CAD GOFUNDME HERE * imad is raising funds for his family, who are displaced in gaza and living in woefully inadequate shelter. your donation will help them afford food, water, medicine and winter clothes and shelter. €1,319 / €30,000 GOFUNDME HERE * qusai atef and his family have been displaced from their home in northern gaza, and are now completely lacking in basic necessities. they need to purchase winter clothes and other supplies. please consider helping them. NO DONATIONS YET! GOFUNDME HERE * rania is a talented artist and a geographic information systems graduate. she is raising funds to support her and her family. because they are in northern gaza, they are in particular need of your donations to afford food and water, as we know supplies have been cut off for a long time, and people are facing starvation. please consider donating to rania's paypal, as this will allow her to access the funds she and her family needs more easily. €3,508 / €60,000 PAYPAL HERE GOFUNDME HERE please, please consider donating to at least one of these campaigns! it is important that we get momentum going, so please share and reblog. i hope we can all work together to help these families as much as we can!

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Hey, also, all the anarchist shit aside, tomorrow I want you to make something.

I forced myself to draw something after the 2016 election. I forced myself to draw something when my mother died in 2018. I forced myself to draw something when my spouse was hospitalized for multiple organ failure in 2021.

When you are miserable, make something. Add a row to your project, bake a box cake, draw on a sheet of lined paper, write a poem on a napkin, fold an origami shirt out of a dollar bill, make your favorite recipe for dinner, but make something with your hands, something that you can hold and look at engage your senses in.

It won't fix the world, but it will change the world. You will have made something that didn't exist before. You will have impacted your reality, even in a very small way. And it is going to be something you made *after.* Something bad happened, something shook you, and you made something after, in spite of it.

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reblog if you need a hug

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🚨 !! DONT SKIP !! donations urgently needed 🚨

✅ Verified campaign – please check the end of the story 🔍📌

I'm Anas Basil, a recent high school graduate with dreams of pursuing a degree in e-business management and building a career. However, due to my family's financial hardships, I enrolled at Khan Younis Training College (KYTC), affiliated with UNRWA. Sadly, the war has turned the college, once a beacon of hope and education, into a shelter for displaced families, stripping it of its educational purpose.

I completed high school with a 93% average, filled with excitement about continuing my education and securing a job to support my family. But like so many others, the war has shattered those dreams.

My younger brother, Ahmad, is 14 years old and currently in the third grade of preparatory school. We’ve always called him "Doctor of the Future" because of his intelligence and natural talent in mathematics. Unfortunately, due to the ongoing war, he has been deprived of schooling for the second consecutive year. In addition to his academic abilities, Ahmad has a passion for football and used to win tournaments.

Our Life in Displacement: The war forced our family to flee to Rafah, where we lived in a tent for several months. Each day, my brother and I would wake up to fetch water, gather wood, and light a fire to prepare food. Survival became our daily task, but we never gave up hope. The conflict affected us deeply, but it did not extinguish our dreams of education and a better future.

🚀 How Your Donation will Help us:

We are seeking €29,000 to help Ahmed and me leave Gaza, continue our education. More importantly, it will allow us to support our family, who have been deeply affected by the harsh conditions and skyrocketing costs of living due to the ongoing war in Gaza.

We've outlined how your donations will make this possible. You can find all the details in the campaign link below.

👉 Donation link: 🔗https://gofund.me/32e5e95e

Your contribution will not only help us escape the war-torn reality we live in but also give us the opportunity to rebuild our futures.

Every donation, no matter the amount, brings us one step closer to our goal.

With deepest gratitude, Anas & Ahmed

✅ Our Fundraiser✅ 🔍Vetted by @gazavetters, official (list at #83) 🔍Vetted by @90-ghost here 🔍Vetted by association in this post

tagging for reach:

@90-ghost @heritageposts @gazavetters @neechees @butchniqabi @fluoresensitive @khanger @autisticmudkip @beserkerjewel @furiousfinnstan @xinakwans @batekush @appsa @nerdyqueerr @butchsunsetshimmer @biconicfinn @stopmotionguy @willgrahamscock @strangeauthor @bryoria @shesnake @legallybrunettedotcom @lautakwah @sovietunion @evillesbianvillain @antibioware @akajustmerry @dizzymoods @ree-duh @neptunerings @explosionshark @dlxxv-vetted-donations @vague-humanoid @buttercuparry @sayruq @malcriada @sar-soor @northgazaupdates2 @feluka @dirhwangdaseul @jdon @ibtisams @sawasawako @memingursa @schoolhater @toesuckingoctober @waskuyecaozu @a-shade-of-blue @c-u-c-koo-4-40k

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Hey, friends, there's a BIG recall going on in the US of ready-to-eat meat and poultry products that are potentially contaimated with Listeria. The products in question were sold to restaurants and other commercial institutions, but a lot of them were used in products like ready-to-eat salads or freezer meals — HEB, Trader Joes, and Fresh Express are just some of the companies that have been identified so far.

FSIS, the branch of the USDA that regulates these items, has a list of products that would have been sold in groceries and convenience stores, though I recommend checking back since it looks like the list is a work in progress. https://www.fsis.usda.gov/recalls-alerts/brucepac-recalls-ready-eat-meat-and-poultry-products-due-possible-listeria.

Look for "51025" or "P-51025" on the USDA inspection stamp that should be on the packaging.

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Things are happening and I have the mental bandwidth for none of it

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i’m so glad earth only has one moon, if there were more i’d have to pick a favorite and that sounds too emotionally taxing to even fathom

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feeling very frustrated about the ways people are talking about hurricane Milton. lots of needless, borderline fear mongering language with very little actual helpful information.

information about Milton that might ACTUALLY be helpful:

Hurricane Milton is shaping up to be the third strongest hurricane ever recorded.

Make sure you have an evacuation plan if the order is given or if you've already been told to leave.

there is also a code for free Ubers to evacuate effected counties, as well as shuttles from evacuating counties to nearby storm shelters

Prepare/secure your home

Find your nearest shelter and be prepared to leave

If you want to stay in the loop about the hurricane, WESH 2 News has ongoing coverage ad-free on YouTube.

General resources/information:

Please for the love of God stop preying on people's fears and causing panic. Know what resources are available to you and how to access them. If you approach this hurricane carefully YOU WILL BE OKAY!!!!! YOUR LIFE DOES NOT HAVE TO BE RUINED!!!

Please link other resources you find or think other people might find useful!

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‼️boosting for any folks in hurricane milton’s path who have limited access to transport for evacuation:

Uber is offering free transport to shelters using the promo code ‘MILTONRELIEF’

To get a ride:

Open the Uber app

Tap Account on the bottom right and tap Wallet

Add promo code MILTONRELIEF

—

if i were living down there, i would be 100% reliant on a ride share service, so hoping this is helpful!

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Hurricane Helene Relief Funds

Brother Wolf Animal Rescue operates out of Asheville, which has been hit aggressively by storm and flood damage

The Asheville Survival Program is reaching out. They appear to actually be the ones who use the Cashapp $Streets1de, and they just got put with Appalachian Med for convenience.

Beloved Asheville is reaching out. www.PayPal.me/belovedasheville and venmo.com/beloved-asheville

Homeward Bound helps the homeless in the Asheville/Buncombe area

Theres a fund for smaller rural communities around Asheville. It's close to its goal, but I really wish they'd set it higher considering what people are gonna need. Someone make sure they surpass it!

Charlotte NC is reaching out. Charlotte Mutual Aid: Helene Disaster Relief. CashApp: MutualAid704. Venmo: MutualAid704. Open Collective: Helene.cltfnb.com

Olive Branch Ministry is reaching out from West NC

Josh Griffith is fundraising for his efforts to deliver food in WNC

Breathitt County in Kentucky is fundraising to help NC through the Rousseau Volunteer Fire Department, as well as asking for physical supply donations. Their paypal is jrousseauvfd, put "for NC flood". Jaxon Flower shop in Jackson KY will also take physical donations. They aren't looking for clothes, moreso cleaning supplies and other items.

North Durham Mutual Aid is reaching out.

Eastern Kentucky Mutual Aid is also reaching out for funds. There looks like there might be two orgs with similar names, but if so both are helping. There's PayPal.me/ekymutualaid, Venmo - @ekymutualaid, or Cashapp - $ekymutualaid. There's also a Facebook group where individuals are posting requests for aid.

There's a fund for relief in Erwin, Tennessee

Helbender Harm Reduction is collecting physical supplies in Knoxville alongside First Aid Collective Knoxille, whose Cashapp/Venmo is: $firstaidcollectknox. If you're nearby they're looking for clothes, blankets, shelf stable food, rain gear, flashlights, and batteries, which is what most other groups asking for supplies are looking at too.

The TriCities Mutual Aid group is mostly asking for volunteers and supplies in the Tennessee/Virginia area. However, they may shift to donations, and you can reach out to them to see if they would be welcome either way.

Food Not Bombs Tallahassee has a cashapp: $fnbtally2022. They and Mutual Aid Athens are also boosting any community calls for funds, labor, or supplies in various states on their Instagram pages

Taylor County FL is reaching out. Paypal: Mskatonic138@gmail.com and Venmo @Mskatonic138

The Footprint project's Florida team is asking for people to support their response by texting HELENE to 44-321

Since I don't know if the post I made late last night will get traction I'll reiterate that Mutual Aid Disaster Relief is a trusted org. You can send funds at the linked site, or via Paypal: MutualAidDisasterRelief@gmail.com Or Venmo: @MutualAidDisasterRelief

Appalachian Med is another trusted org I shared last night. They have Venmo: @AppMedSolid. Put Flood Support in the description

Animal Disaster Relief Coalition is helping people make sure their animals are fed.

A list of Mutual Aid groups can be found here

A friend of mine, Vyn, is asking for help since he'll be out of power for around a week in Southeast GA

Other physical supplies people will be looking for in flood impacted areas include:

bottled water, potentially water filters

personal hygiene items: wipes, camping showers, tampons/pads/other menstrual products, handsanitizer, mosquito spray, laundry detergent, washboards, toilet paper, diapers, and especially any products safe for sensitive skin

medications- ibuprofen, monistat and other meds for yeast infections, cold and cough meds, any diabetic meds that can be safely shared, etc

individually wrapped low or no prep food items, baby formula, and Gatorade

duffel bags, backpacks, heavy duty storage totes and trash bags, 5 gallon buckets, coolers

Fans, dehumidifiers, moisture sensors, generators, gas and gas cans, solar charging items and battery banks, first aid kits

chainsaws, crowbars, hammers, air filters, respirators, 2×4 planks, bleach, roofing nails, heavy duty gloves, and potentially waders.

and board games or other non electric activities for children

Double check if you can before you donate these items to make sure whatever local drive you're headed to wants them and can distribute the more specialized ones where they're needed

And please! Add any funds you know of, especially for South Carolina and North Georgia since I wasn't seeing many funds for those areas! I know South Carolina is in desperate need and there's definitely parts of North Georgia in need too. Atlanta saw some bad flooding so keep an eye for them too!