#Depends on if the website survives the year

[dandelionsresilience]

Just in case Trump wins:

right after Trump was elected in 2016, suicidality skyrocketed. If you’re considering suicide in the wake of the election this year, at least wait until after it’s absolutely certain that he’s won - after every vote has been counted, every state certified, and maybe even after he’s been sworn in (IF he wins), just to make sure he doesn’t go to prison instead. Watch the results come in live here, but don’t obsess or let them sway your vote. (To be clear, I don’t want a single person to commit suicide over the election results, no matter what. But I know from experience that “don’t do it” is thoroughly unhelpful, so instead I’m saying at least wait.)

if you’re considering suicide because you fear worsening material conditions, you might think a hotline can’t help with that. and it’s true that they can’t change legislation or promise you’ll be safe. but it’s worth double checking whether what you’re actually hurting from is in fact unfixable. right now, just getting through the emotions can help you regain a more objective view of the situation, and then you can work on surviving it. plus, when something bad happens, we tend to vastly overestimate how bad it will seem in the future, no matter how bad it actually is.

In my experience, it might take a few tries before you find a hotline that picks up, either because they’re so busy, or they’re closed at that time, or they simply don’t serve your location or demographic, so under the thingy I’ve listed more than just the same handful that tend to show up on other websites. Even if you’re not actively suicidal, you can talk to them about your hard feelings, ask for material resources, or just vent to a compassionate listener.

FIND HELP

HopeLine - call/text: 877-235-4525

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline - call/text: 988 | chat

Crisis Text Line - text HOME to 741741 | chat

help getting out of the military

for underrepresented adults:

Thrive Lifeline - text THRIVE to 313-662-8209

for pre-teens, teens, and young adults:

Your Life Your Voice - call: 800-488-3000 | text VOICE to 20121 | email

for teens (limited hours):

Teen Line - call: 800-852-8336 | text TEEN to 839863 | email

for trans and questioning people:

Trans Lifeline - call: 1-877-565-8860

for people with substance dependency:

Never Use Alone Overdose Prevention Hotline - call: 877-696-1996

for BIPOC (“with an LGBTQ+ Black Femme Lens”):

BlackLine - call: 1-800-604-5841

for college students of colour:

The Steve Fund Crisis Text Line - text STEVE to 741741

for LGBTQ+ young people:

The Trevor Project - call: 1-866-488-7386 | text START to 678678 | chat

for homeless or runaway youth:

National Runaway Safeline - call/text: 1-800-786-2929 | (has chat and email, but I think the link includes tracking)

for Muslim youth (limited hours):

Naseeha Youth Hotline - call: 1-866-627-3342

Amala Hopeline - call: 1-855-952-6252

for Jewish queer youth (warmline, may take up to 24 hours to reply):

JQY Warmline - call/text: 551-579-4673

for veterans:

Veterans Crisis Line - call: 988, option 1 | text: 838255 | chat

for veterans and their families:

Lifeline for Vets - call: 888-777-4443

for pregnant people:

Crisis Pregnancy Hotline - call: 888-628-3353 | text: 714-448-8323

for parents unsure of their ability to care for a newborn:

National Safe Haven Alliance - call: 888-510-2229 | text SAFEHAVEN to 313131

International Council for Helplines Member Organisations

Warmlines - for emotional support, if you just need to talk; a lower level of support than crisis hotlines

NAMI Helpline directory

Key warmline directory (unclear if 317-550-0060 might also be a warmline, I haven’t tried it)

Wildflower Alliance Peer Support Line (limited hours) - call: 888-407-4515

[moongothic]

The idea of my work getting scraped for AI garbage is nasty but I do have to remind myself that my work is mediocre anime shit at best that nobody in their right mind would want to recreate/copy so that's slightly comforting lmao

And Glazing the shit out of my work to poison those data sets would be quite fun too ngl

(But yeah the most frustrating part would be knowing that even if I started Glazing anything new I posted, even if I deleted all my old work, every single reblog would still exist and be out of my control)

[abuadam86]

Emergency: Help save my children's lives

Dear humanity,

I am Habib from Gaza. I am married and have four children: Menna, 12 years old, Adam, 10 years old (suffering from quadriplegia), Maria, 6 years old, and Ezz, one year old. Although they are young, they have survived previous wars, but this current war is the most difficult of all. This is a war of genocide, and the difficulty of the war lies in the inability to meet the needs of my son Adam, who needs special care.

Over the past ten months, we have been caught in the crossfire of the ongoing conflict in Gaza. Our once peaceful home in Khan Yunis has been reduced to rubble, and now we find ourselves displaced in Deir al-Balah, living in squalid conditions in a makeshift tent on the streets. The devastation not only deprived us of our physical shelter, but also destroyed my livelihood - the once thriving business that supported our family's well-being, is now in ruins. The daily struggle for survival is exacerbated by the scarcity of basic necessities such as clean water, adequate sanitation and basic medical supplies

Our home was the place where we found hope and safety, and where we made precious memories. Losing him was like losing years of our lives.

Not only that, they destroyed my source of livelihood, burned it, and demolished it with bulldozers, and today I am without a home and without a job. I was working in a store I owned that met the needs and expenses of my family

Living in tents is miserable. There is a lack of drinking water, hot sun rays, and strange insects that have terrified my children. What hurts me most is my young son Ezz, who I see growing up in an unclean environment and with no healthy food for him. I believe he has not received his right to life.

At this stage, my husband and I decided to go to you and create an account on the Go Fund Me website and ask you to help us in these difficult times until we get out of Gaza, from the land of war to the land of peace. All we need from you is to support us and help us to get out of the war, even if you cannot help. You should spread the word. This campaign is everywhere and among your friends. We thank you for your stance and support for us. Thank you, my friends

The amount that will be collected from this campaign :

We will spend it by paying the amount to coordinate entry through the Rafah land crossing, which connects Gaza to the State of Egypt, since, as I mentioned, they charge an adult $5,000, but depending on the pressures, crises, and waiting, the amount may reach $7,000 per person, and children $2,500 to $4,000.

We will also use it for the rest of the travel and safe transportation expenses to provide for all family members.

A picture of my children's life before the war

A video of my children's lives living the war

May God reward you with all the best and may God bless you

Best wishes with sincere gratitude,

Habib's family

My Instagram account link

My account vetted by:

@dlxxv-vetted-donations

(vetted)

@gazavetters , my number verified on the list is ( #187 )

[rainbowpopeworld]

(So you don’t have to deal with all the annoying ads on The Mirror’s website, here’s the whole article interview)

EXCLUSIVE: David Tennant reveals his wife Georgia's role) in his 'huge' Rivals series decision

By Nicola Methven

“David Tennant says he jumped at the chance to star in Jilly Cooper’s 1980s bonkbuster Rivals - because his wife said it would be “sensational”.

The former Doctor Who star said she was thrilled when the first script arrived. “I told Georgia and she was convinced that this was something I had to be involved with,” he explains. “She said, ‘This series is going to be huge. This is going to be exactly what the country needs, exactly what the world needs.’

"She knew the books from her teenage years, as I understand, and knew that this was going to make sensational television.”

He duly accepted the role of Lord Tony Baddingham, one of the show’s main villains and was delighted when Georgia eventually got to watch the episodes, and loved them.

"Her reaction was so positive and so joyous," he says. "I know when she's being genuine."

Tony is a grammar school boy with a chip on his shoulder about not being a proper toff. His character runs a regional TV station facing franchise renewal and has a dependable upper-crust wife, played by Sherwood's Claire Rushbrook, but is also having a very steamy affair with the new TV executive he's lured over from New York (Nafessa Williams).

The actor, 53, argues that poor old Tony is just horribly misunderstood. "From the inside, no character believes they're a villain, do they? I think Tony's motivations are very clear. He's very easy to understand in many ways. Tony sees himself as hard done by and someone who's just struggling to survive and to win."

While he can remember the 80s quite clearly, Tenant says that filming Rivals felt very much like being on a period drama. "It's almost like being on the set of a Dickens novel," he muses.

"The 80s seems quite recent history to me, but once you start recreating that world, you realise it's actually very different. That's wonderful fun to film - to be on a time capsule of a set is glorious."

As the Doctor he got to time-travel all over the place in the TARDIS but Tenant says he loved spending time in the 80s, not least because of the music. When you're a teenager at the time, a lot of it, however good it is, is uncool, and therefore you're not really allowed to like it," he says. "Whereas now, as a jaded 53-year-old, I can just go, 'Oh, do you know what I loved? A-ha'."

And what else did he love? "I didn't have to ride a horse, which was a mercy, because I'm a little bit allergic."

Tenant admits that filming the incredibly saucy bedroom scenes was a bit awkward but he felt there was safety in numbers thanks to the huge number of them. Barely any of the cast don't end up getting involved in one way or another.

"| mean, sex scenes are never comfortable, you know? But again, because everyone was in the same boat, there was a lot of discussion about, 'When are you doing that scene?' and 'Have vou done that yet?'

He believes it's fine for Rivals to be labelled a “bonkbuster" - it's full of sex at the end of the day - but only if it's said with due respect for what Dame Jilly achieved with the Rutshire Chronicles. "There are a generation of readers who were so influenced by her, and for whom these novels meant so much, it means that that writing is obviously better than some would have you believe," he says. "The way she writes character is timeless, and people having sex is pretty timeless. So these books have been tenacious for a reason." The actor says an early scene where the pathologically competitive Tony leaps from his helicopter onto the croquet lawn is his favourite career moment so far.

"That hole-in-one, I would like you to know, was probably the greatest day of my professional life," he laughs. Instructed by the director to "whack it" from 30 feet away he was told the cameras would keep running until he managed it. "I thought the crew are gonna hate me by take 402," he remembers. "And I nailed it on take four. I've never felt more pleased with myself than that moment. I felt like a sporting God."”

[ladyyatexel]

Friends, Romans, Tumblrites, lend me your reblogs.

I'm Xel and I live in a society! I think there's a solid chance you do also! So you may relate to the profoundly crappy thing that happened to me and that I once again need a community assist.

I lost a temporary job that was supposed to turn into a permanent job in June because no one there felt safe enough to retire. Only two of us in the apartment were under 50. One of the crew was over 70. Three were chronically ill/disabled. No one felt safe enough to leave in order for me to stay, so I was trained for basically 6 months for nothing.

I have survived on savings from that job until this point, but I'm at the point where I cannot pay rent. I'm looking into getting help from sources more local to me but the internet has always felt like people who cared about me more than the people I share DNA with, really.

Many of the social services that I was signed up for expired the day that I was supposed to be told that I would be a permanent hire, and since that didn't go down, now I have to start it all again from the beginning, and there are gaps in my security net.

I tell you all of that just to say that I am actually trying to do things, I'm not here to just beg and coast along on some sort of lavish lifestyle where I, uh. Keep living in this dodgy apartment with my cat.

I don't want to bore you with an itemized list, but like 2,000 US dollars would get me through September and October without being worried about it like every 3 minutes. My rent is 700 and change, if you would like to know that. So I'm looking for like September and October rent and money to renew my driver's license, pay a few utility bills, buy a bag of cat food, and refill my medications.

If you have the notion to toss help at an internet pal or the extended reblogged acquaintance of an Internet pal, as is more likely the case, probably, that would be super rad of you.

I'm an artist! You could get things with images on them from me! I sell buttons, prints, and commissioned illustrations if that's your thing. My commissions are going a bit slow as of late - I only recovered from being not really able to walk like 2 months ago, and so I'm doing a lot of catch up like everywhere else in my whole life and trying not to spend too much time at a desk since it aggravates the spine thing that was the problem in the first place.

To be honest, it would be a greater help to me to just receive some Aid rather than full-on commissions, but I completely understand feeling fishy about people getting something for nothing and also feeling bad for being a charity case on the internet, so I'm not opposed! If you want to chat about that, I have a commissions post on the side or top of my blog depending on where you're looking at this!

Ko-fi contains my buttons and is a good place to toss digital dead American presidents if that suits you. I will get hit by some PayPal fees in this process but, I'm willing to call that a call for help on the internet tax.

I promise I'm a real person and not a bot who has made up a cat and is pretending to have interests. My blog has been here since 2010! I've met people on this website in person and everything. I've had embarrassing obsessions no bot would bother coming up with. Speaking of:

Similarly to times before, I would like to be able to do something in order to feel like I have earned some kind of support, and as of my birthday last week I have resolved to try very hard in the next year to conquer my fear and absolute mortification about many of the things I make, so I will once again go digging into my archives for things I can post for you to enjoy as thanks and tribute! I also have a poll running right now to see what kind of buttons people want!

Thanks for taking a look! Be nice out there, take care of your spines!

[theresattrpgforthat]

hello! I've played the fallout ttrpg (the one they had to pull the rights from when it was pretty much done so they called it Exodus instead), I wish it didn't suck so bad! Is there any system I could borrow that would fit with Fallout's setting? I love the world in itself, but Exodus was rushed and published half-baked

THEME: Fallout

Hello friend, I have quite a few games for you to check out today! Some of them are direct homages, while others simply just have elements that might remind you of the video game.

Rebels of the Outlaw Wastes, by Nerdy Pup Games.

Play misfit outlaws fighting against the authoritarian Powers That Be in a hyper-saturated, film-grained, retro dystopia. Save the future with the power of friendship, whoopass, and explosions! Features sticker-based character advancement, effortless cinematic vehicle action, and player-driven Ride-or-Die system usings d4s, d6s, d8s, d10s, and d12s.

This game is a bit more colourful and punk-rock, and a little less morally grey than some of the more popular Fallout games. The designer cites some pretty colourful inspirations, such as FLCL and Six-String Samurai, but also concedes that you can make the tone fit that of Borderlands, Fallout, and Mad Max. It depends on how you build your world - what tech was there before? What kinds of weirdness persists? What beliefs have survived?

You’ll make skill rolls that can be boosted by gear or your personal style, with anything above a 4 granting you a success, with bonuses for rolling even higher at an 8 or a 12. Badges are the representations of character growth, tied to the skills that you choose to improve, somewhat like how concentrating on certain skills in Fallout gives you access to perks. If you want a stripped-down basic idea of the rules for this game, the designer has a Pay-what-you-want playtest that you can download for free, just to dip your toes in the water.

Earth: After Death, by Hammer City Games.

Boasting deep and crunchy mechanics reminiscent of the golden age of 90s TTRPGs, Earth, After Death focuses on OSR-style gaming, dungeon and hex crawling, fast-paced combat, high lethality, and a unique and fascinating setting to explore.

There’s plenty to do: kill mutants, explore ancient ruins, get lethal radiation poisoning, find a gun that has infinite ammunition, use psionic powers to blow up peoples heads, replace your legs with tank treads, and more!

This is a chunky, old-school style game that takes care to mention that your level-up system is just like the advancement system in Fallout games. You’ll be dealing with mutations, ghost machines, bartering for gear, and hex-crawling through dangerous wastelands. The character sheets point to a lot of moving pieces, so if you like wrangling together a character that does exactly what you want them to do, you’re going to have a lot to play with here. It looks like mutation is also a pretty big deal in this game, with over 100 different kinds advertised on the game’s store page.

Right now just the Wasteland’s Handbook is available to purchase, but the kickstarter for this game will be taking off later this year. If this sounds like your kind of game, then maybe hop over to the website to get in on the first full edition as it releases!

Fallout: The Roleplaying Game, by Modiphius.

In 2077, the storm of nuclear war reduced most of the planet to cinders. From the ashes of nuclear devastation, a new civilization will struggle to arise. A civilization you will shape. How will you re-shape the world? Will you join with a plucky band of survivors to fight off all-comers and carve out your own settlement? Will you team up with pre-existing factions like the Brotherhood of Steel or Super Mutants to enforce your own ideals on the Wasteland? Ghoul or robot, paladin or raider, it’s your choice - and the consequences are yours. Welcome to the Wasteland. Welcome to the world of Fallout.

Utilizing Modiphius’ celebrated 2d20 cinematic role-playing system, the Fallout RPG will take players on an exciting journey into the post-apocalypse! Create your own survivors, super mutants, ghouls, and even Mister Handy robots. Immerse yourselves in the iconic post-nuclear apocalyptic world of Fallout, while gamemasters guide their group through unique stories and encounters. The 2d20 edition of Fallout is as close to the bottlecap bartering, wasteland wandering, Brotherhood battling excitement as you can get.

Modiphius gets the license to make a lot of games for different properties, so a Fallout game fits in alongside other big titles like Dune, John Carter of Mars, and Alien. This company uses their own 2d20 system, with a focus on inventory and Perks in an effort to make the game recognizable to any typical Fallout fan.

That being said, the game has come under fire for being poorly edited and inconsistent when it comes to finding the right rule. The company updated the game last year and released a Settler’s Guide book, so this might be something that’s a bit more read-able now. But if you want something set directly in the Fallout universe, this is your game.

WASTELAND, by MaelikGames.

WASTELAND is a simple tabletop RPG about adventurers in the world that has only recently became hospitable after a War that might not end all wars, but almost ended the world. You and your friends decide whether this world is bleak and hopeless, like the one in Metro, or somewhat whimsical, as in Fallout. 

Much of the inspiration from Fallout appears in the character options of this game. Arkanites are homages to Vault-Dwellers, Radkin are inspired by Ghouls, and robots are, well, robots. The talents also look like they are directly inspired by Fallout perks, such as Animal Friend, which allows you to turn hostile animals into allies. Gear and inventory are both very important in this game, which is something that I never find surprising in post-apocalyptic games, since having to track inventory feels like a pretty important thing in a game about scarcity. Your skills are also based on a percentage of success, because you’re rolling a d100, with the goal of rolling under your target number. If you’re looking for a game that can mechanically reflect much of what’s available in the Fallout video games, this might be for you!

Dystopia Rising: Evolution, by Onyx Path.

No one knows how long it’s been since the world was blasted with nuclear radiation and became infested with the undead. The survivors of the Fall were the first strain of deviation of the human condition and were able to make it through the rapidly spreading epidemic. Finding a community of decent size in this world is rare; finding one that has any concept of equality or morality is rarer still.

Oh, and people have the unnerving ability to come back from the dead, regrown from the very virus that destroyed the world.

This is a completely different world from Fallout and yet I think it might still be worth talking about in this rec post. Dystopia Rising has a rich, detailed world, with various factions and faiths, and your characters are differentiated by the Strains that have helped them survive. There are plenty of conflicting beliefs that can be the seeds for unlimited conflict, including various faiths in things like evolution or the preservation of humanity, strains that give you psychic powers, and a universal ability to come back to the dead so many times before you’re turned into a mindless zombie.

There’s plenty of opportunity to fight things hand-to-hand, but there’s just as many possibilities to politic your way out of tough scenarios, which is a hallmark of Fallout New Vegas. Not only that, there's no clear "good guys": this is a complicated world with complicated people. If you want a game that carries a lot of similar themes of Fallout but puts you in a new setting, maybe check out this game.

Games I’ve Recommended in the Past

Extinction Punk, by Extinction Punk.

Wastoid, by Jason Tocci.

[thorraborinn]

Hello! I feel like this is a question that I swear I’ve seen you answer before a while back, but I can’t remember what you might have said and searching your blog isn’t pulling up what I thought I remembered or much information. But my question is, what examples might there be of prayers from Old Norse times (or something that could be passed off as a prayer, with a bit of creativity)? I feel like the answer was “not much of anything like that survives to the present day”, but I can’t remember if/what you’ve answered before. Thank you and sorry for the repeat question if you’ve answered something similar!

Some years ago, Ross Downing put together a book of heathen prayers compiling everything he could find from pre-modern sources. His website has been down for a while and I can't seem to find a way to access the book as a PDF, but there's a reel of maybe the whole thing on his instagram. I think it's a stretch to call some of what's included "prayer" (and he fudges some translation like on the Sparlösa runestone) but that does still seem to fit your criteria.

Interesting article by John Lindow about prayers to Thor (generally in the form of recounting times when he kicked ass): https://www.jstor.org/stable/40918940

I think some of Freyja's opening stanzas in Hyndluljóð are arguably prayers or at least prayer-like, as well as the final line of the poem: Bið ek Óttari öll goð duga 'I ask that all the gods aid Óttarr' (biðja is actually also the word used for 'pray' though in other contexts it just means 'ask' or 'request').

I don't know if this is the sort of thing you're looking for but there are examples of poems and formulae in later folklore that you might be able to frame as prayers depending on how you define it, though they were not likely conceived as such in their own time. An example that comes to mind is Galdra-Brandur's invocation of Gylfi (here, presumably a being related to cold like a hrímþurs, rather than a human king) to wipe out swarms of biting flies:

Gylfi hæða galhvassan gefi vind á landnorðan með óveðri magnaðan mývarginn svo drepi hann.

(roughly) 'May Gylfi give harsh highland wind in the north with magnified storm-weather so may he kill the mývargar (biting flies).'

But that's way later than Old Norse times and not a reliable witness to a person actually speaking (Galdra-Brandur was a real guy but known mostly through tall tales).

[Edit] I didn't specifically mention because it's so well-known already and because it's included in Ross's book, but on second thought the Heilir æsir/hailar ásynjur part of Sigrdrífumál is probably too important not to at least mention it.

[starrmarr]

Was talking to my dad, formerly incarcerated and now free to talk for hours with me, about how where he lives in the Caribbean was originally a maroon settlement and how his grandmother made sure to share that history. She was born sometime in the early 1900s and we don’t know anything about her parents. She never had a birth certificate, never learned to read or write, never even knew her birth date— the same goes for her husband. I think a lot about how my African ethnic identity was erased, and how much survived despite everything. I think a lot about how I don’t know who came before my great-grandmother who is a mystery I see in my dreams, walking me through the Haitian wilderness, and then taking me to the other side. I saw a picture of her last year and she’s the same woman I see when I sleep. I don’t know where I came from, all we have is oral history to depend on, so powerful on its own, folkloric and beautiful, fantastical and familiar, and yet so incomplete. We have to trust it. The purpose of the slaver was to erase: to make our accounts seem less than real, illogical, ignorant. If my grand-mère says she saw a dead man walk amongst the living after going to his funeral, I believe her. I see it in my eye. Finding out about us is not as simple as sending a saliva sample, to be compared to and by random people, for $130. I don’t really approve of that anyway, something in me tells me it’s twisted— “let’s sell them an idea of the story they cannot confirm because of us in the first place”. It’s not as simple as typing in my last name into an ancestry website and getting no real matches— this isn’t my real name, anyway.

I have a deep sense of longing but I remember, I remember, I remember.

[essqnn]

Here's an actionable step by step guide, THAT ACTUALLY WORKS, on how to set goals and create to do lists that don't make us want to give up the very first week.

I hope it helps!

Step 1:

I need you to start fresh. If you already have a to do list, delete everything on it. If you have many goals or unclear goals with no real plan, also forget about them. Start fresh. It's time fo let go of what is not serving you and try something new. "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results" - Albert Einstein

Step 2

Get a pen and a notebook, or open your notes app, and sit alone in a quite place. Cancel your plans for the following 2 hours, and allow yourself to prioritise YOU

Step 3:

On the notebook or notes app, begin by writing down rhe things that are sitting in the back of your mind, bugging you. The things that you need to change or do immediately for survival purposes. Those are the things that are very necessary, immediate, and important for survival. For example, if you need money for rent in a couple of months, if you're not getting enough sleep, if you feel sluggish and unhealthy, if you have a health problem that's immediate, if there's an assignment or deadline that you're procrastinating on, if you're dealing with a huge mental health issue that's preventing you from everyday life, if you're dealing with grief or withdrawls, etc. Those things are usually not many. I would say, not more than 3 immediate survival problems.

Step 4:

The 11 categories of life are:

physical health

mental health

fitness and appearance

connections and friends

intimate relationship

money and finances

focus and brain health

skills and personal growth

spirituality

reputation or personal brand

purpose.

I need you to write down the following 11 titles and highlight them, then, under each one of these titles, write no more than 3 problesm. Basically, no more than 3 things you'd like to change about each one of the 11 categories. Get specific. Remember that the key is to prioritise.

Step 5:

On a separate paper, write down your biggest fears in each of the 11 categories. What are the things that you're very scared would happen in the future? Are you scared of a specific health issue? A specific reputation? Being broke and depending on a man who makes it feel like he's doing you a favour for buying food? Get specific. Write down your deepest, darkest fear in each of the 11 categories. The fears will be your anti-visions. The fears will motivate and inspire your goals.

Step 6:

Now on a separate piece of paper, I want you to write down your 3-year goals for each of the 11 categories, which are the opposites of your biggest fears. The goals should be yours. Don't write random things. Don't write things you see other people online go after. Choose goals that really resonate with you as a person. For each one, ask yourself "is this goal really mine"? And "why do i want it?". For example, what's something you'd really like to do for money if it was possible, in order to avoid your biggest fear around money? How would you like to work in order to avoid having to slave around for others? How would you like to look and present yourself? Healthy? Feminine? Effortless? Sharp? How would you like to be known? What type of partner would you like to have? What kind of relationship would you like to be in?

Step 7:

Now, getting to the to do list, I want you to start with the survival list because it is the most important. Let's say you got 3 immediate survival problems on the list. I want you to get a piece of paper, and brain storm then write down EXACTLY what you know that you need to do in order to fix them. The steps should not be general like "get a job", but specific like "use X skill to get X amount of money by applying X amount of times a day, at X time, on X website" get VERY SPECIFIC. decide on the time and place. Lay down the steps. And write down the date by which you have to finish.

The survival goals should be the ones you work on early in the morning or late before bed, for optimal focus. They should have the biggest priority, and they're the ONLY goals that you must work on for extended periods of time. If there are quick things you can do like "take a pill" or "apply for a specific job", then you should do that first thing and quickly.

Step 8:

Now for the 3 problems under each of the 11 categories, I want you to create a basic to-do list for this month, and include 1 problem from each category. Only 1. The 2nd and 3rd problems will be dealt with in the coming months. Choose 11 problems in total, and for each one, set 1 specific daily actionable step that:

Is clear and unambiguous (for example, "read 5 pages from - insert specific business book-" instead of just "read for 15 mins")

Has a clear place and time (on my bed, after dinner)

Has a clear purpose (to develop my business skills and fix -insert problem-)

Is easy and doesn't feel like too much (5 pages instead of 15)

Step 9:

Finally, create a daily checklist. Go to your notes app, or use a notebook, and create a page for each day of the month, with each task on it. Don't enter the tasks manually every day, just write them down once, for the entire month. This creates less resistance. You can also add the checklist as a widget on your home screen, or hand the papers, each day at a time, on your wall.

[notvv0ltz]

Elaborating On Main Characters More

Copied from this blog post on my site

Finally going to elaborate a bit. I'm kinda feeling art-blocky so decided I to go more for the text today. Of course the project will have it's own dedicated site one day but for now there will just this blog post.

The story focuses on Ben Cox and Martha Stein's job as journalists that both got employed at Unbelievable! News on the same day.

Unbelievable! News is a small company that specializes in yellow journalism. Their main focus is physical medium (newspaper) that is sold at very cheap price in stores, but they also have a website. The news they're mostly focusing on are light-hearted personal stories (like the guy who catches the biggest fish in the city, that type of stories), scandals surrounding local celebrities and rich people. Often times facts are exaggerated or not even true.

And now for the main duo

Ben Cox

Age: 33 years

Species: Anthro wolf

Gender: Cis man

Orientation: Bisexual

Pronouns: He/she

Height: 183 cm

Hobby: Cooking

Role: Reporter for fake news company

Yes, he painted work dictaphone with nail polish. He doesn't even own it.

Ben Cox is a nice fellow in his 30s who just started his career at Unbelievable! News as a reporter. Though he might be a little strange he seems to be genuinely chill and willing to cooperate.

Ben is very tender, expressive and a little chaotic. He is blatantly honest and overshares some bits of his personal life which may lead him into a trouble later on. He is also very proactive to his own fault, he may renovate an entire room without asking anyone beforehand. Despite his attempts to connect with his coworkers he remains alienated due to his behavior.

Martha Stein

Age: 25 years

Species: Anthro house cat

Gender: Trans woman

Orientation: Straight

Pronouns: She/her

Height: 130 cm

Hobby: Questioning

Role: Photographer for fake news company

Compared to Ben, she's just trying to survive.

Martha is a photographer at Unbelievable! News, who is not that much enthusiastic about her job as Ben Cox but has more knowledge about journalism than he does. She has spent time at the university studying journalism and has bachelor degree. Though she likes the idea of working in journalism sphere, It becomes very clear that it's not that she joined Unbelievable! News out of passion, but more so out of necessity to not remain jobless and get less financially dependent on her parents. She dislikes the company, especially the fact that she has to work for a company responsible for more exaggerated, sensationalist and sometimes not even true articles. She respects journalist ethics and is very stressful when her needs don't meet.

[libraford]

I would love to be a full time artist, I mostly do portrait work and have for over 10 years now but no one ever wants to pay me. They always ask for work for free cause they are friends or family. So I am stuck working an IT job that I don't hate but I mostly do the bare minimum to not get fired while I work on my art and try to keep my website going.

See, its hard. I've been in that life for like 20 years. Art comes easy, but making a living off of it is difficult because that's SALES, which is a different skillset and it's why for a very long time artists had sponsors, regular patrons, and advocates. The focus has shifted when it comes to what's important.

I've had some success by doing art shows, I've had some success trying to get into galleries, I've had some success doing art events.

The upkeep of it is the hard part. And there's no single answer on how to sell your art because it really depends on what kind of art it is and what your art scene looks like locally, who you're selling to.

But in the meantime, you have to eat. You have to pay bills. You have to pay rent. You have to nod and pretend to listen to the people telling you to just learn how to code so you can make the big bucks. Or why don't you go into nursing and give up all of your free time? You know, they're always hiring at that call center, etc.

I love being an artist. I love making art. I love doing stuff.

But surviving as an artist is hard, especially now when money is tight. I wish it wasn't.

Like I said, though- I like what I'm doing. I like my part time seasonal jobs. I like my side projects. It all has a flow to it and I think its going somewhere. I hope you get into the flow, too.

[fooltemps]

Leukemia and Lymphoma Awareness Flags!!

This flag was designed by us, as we currently have a family member with Leukemia and wish to bring awareness to this kind of cancer.

color meaning:

#FF2D34: Myeloma

#00DC0E: Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma

#FF8C2E: Leukemia

#D12DFF: Hodgkin Lymphoma

Below is information all about Leukemia and Lymphoma Cancers.

Leukemia and Lymphoma are both cancers that are not associated with a tumor. Lymphomas are cancers that affect the lymph system and start in cells called lymphocytes. Leukemia is a cancer of the early blood-forming tissues, including your bone marrow and lymph system.

There are many types of lymphoma. Some grow and spread slowly and some are more aggressive. There are two main types of Lymphoma:

1. Hodgkin Lymphoma is cancer that starts in the B lymphocytes (B cells) of the lymph system. Your lymph system helps you fight infection and control the fluids in your body.

2. Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL) is cancer that starts in the lymphocytes anywhere lymph tissue is found:

Lymph nodes

Spleen

Bone marrow

Thymus

Adenoids and tonsils, or

The digestive track.

Leukemia typically involves white blood cells, the cells that are your infection fighters. Leukemia can be divided into categories: fast growing (acute) and slow growing (chronic); and by which white blood cells are affected:

Acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL)

Acute myelogenous leukemia (AML)

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL

Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML)

A screening test is used to detect cancers in people who may be at higher risk for developing the disease. With leukemia and lymphoma, there are no early detection tests. The best way to find them is to be aware of the symptoms:

Swollen lymph nodes which can appear as a lump in the neck, armpit or groin;

Fever

Night sweats

Weight loss without trying, and

Fatigue.

Leukemia can have similar symptoms but also can include:

Easy bleeding or bruising;

Recurring nosebleeds; and

Bone pain or tenderness

Myeloma is cancer of the plasma cells. Plasma cells are white blood cells that produce disease- and infection-fighting antibodies in your body. Myeloma cells prevent the normal production of antibodies, leaving your body's immune system weakened and susceptible to infection. The multiplication of myeloma cells also interferes with the normal production and function of red and white blood cells. An abnormally high amount of these dysfunctional antibodies in the bloodstream can cause kidney damage. Additionally, the myeloma cells commonly produce substances that cause bone destruction, leading to bone pain and/or fractures.

Myeloma cells are produced in the bone marrow, the soft tissue inside your bones. Sometimes myeloma cells will travel through your blood stream and collect in other bones in your body. Because myeloma frequently occurs at many sites in the bone marrow, it is often referred to as multiple myeloma.

Signs and symptoms of myeloma include the following:

Hypercalcemia (excessive calcium in the blood)

Anemia (shortage or reduced function of red blood cells)

Renal damage (kidney failure)

Susceptibility to infection

Osteoporosis, bone pain, bone swelling, or fracture

High protein levels in the blood and/or urine

Weight loss

In 2022, more than 62,650 people are expected to be diagnosed with leukemia. In addition:

Leukemia accounts for 3.6% of all new cancer cases.

The overall 5-year survival rate for leukemia has more than quadrupled since 1960.

62.7% of leukemia patients survive 5 years or more.

The diagnosis of leukemia requires specific blood tests, including an examination of cells in the blood and marrow.

Treatment and prognosis depend on the type of blood cell affected and whether the leukemia is acute or chronic. Chemotherapy and blood and marrow transplant are often used to treat leukemia.

If you wish to read more about Leukemia and Lymphoma cancer, please visit this website!

[life-in-the-garden]

A Spell for the Honey Eaters

Introduction

In a lot of Slavic languages we see the word for “bear” (the animal) being formed from epithets. In Russian, the modern word for “bear” is transliterated as “medved.” That, along with the Polish “niedzwiedz” both translate roughly to “honey eater.” This same use of epithets is demonstrated in a lot of Germanic and Scandinavian languages—the Old Norse “bjorn,” the less-common English word “bruin,” and even the German “baer” all ultimately refer to the animal’s color: brown. Indeed, this use of epithets for the animal was so widespread in the ancient north that, according to The Linguistics Encyclopedia (2002) we now have no record of what the actual name for the winter sleeper was in any northern Indo-European dialect.

But why did this taboo exist against saying the name of the honey eater? Until effective post-mortem communication is established everything is speculation, of course, but the most common consensus on this issue among paleo-linguists is that the people of the ancient north were very… let us say respectful of honey eaters. Nobody wanted the winter sleepers to steal their kills, raid their camps, or—worst of all—actively hunt them. Bears (let us be brave with this name) have power; they are massive, strong, and deadly apex predators.

Who are also very cute!

photo by Mark Basarab on Unsplash

Bears also get very fat every autumn and then sleep through the winter in order to avoid the problem of otherwise not having enough food available through the lean months of the year. Smart! But also fat. Very, very fat. So fat, in fact, that the United States National Park Service hosts an annual contest called Fat Bear Week where people can vote on their favorite bear every autumn. The linked website says it best:

“For bears, fat equals survival. Each winter, bears enter the den where they will not eat or drink until they emerge in spring. During this time, they may lose up to 1/3 of their body weight as they rely solely on their fat reserves. Survival depends on eating a year's worth of food in six months.”

So what does this mean for us humans? It means… stop hating yourself and/or others for being fat. This spell uses the spirit of the bear as an animal ally (if you are white like I am, please do not use the term “totem” or “spirit animal” due to those terms being cultural appropriation) to inspire yourself towards a better sense of self-love when it comes to your weight. And if you really struggle with internalized fatphobia, then you can at least use this spell to see yourself in a more neutral way that doesn’t reflect negatively on your self-worth.

Method

When pondering the nature of the primordial winter sleeper, I was initially drawn to food-focused witchery—because is it really a spell channeling the power of bears if you don’t eat at least one salmon? (this is a joke)—but this isn’t always an accessible option for people who struggle to cook and/or have a history with eating disorders. Therefore, the goal with the honey eaters’ spell is to nourish your body—but not necessarily with food if that doesn’t work for you. Therefore, more specifically for this spell you need to give your body what it needs to not just survive, but thrive.

And you know your own body infinitely better than I (a rando on the Internet) certainly do, so you get to decide what exactly your body needs to thrive. It could be 8+ hours of sleep, a solid meal, and/or an extra bottle’s worth of of water throughout the day… but these are just the basics. Maybe you need something more complex than that. Maybe you need a lot more than that. That’s okay. It’s okay to need things, and also okay to want things that aren’t necessities. It’s okay to pursue the things you want and/or need, like a bear tearing through a blackberry patch in search of the ripe, tart fruit. If you feel like you need permission to go after what you want, this is your sign to give chase with all of your power.

Please keep in mind that this spell lasts 24 hours once begun.

You will need:

Writing supplies OR a method by which to digitally store an image and quickly/frequently refer back to it

Accouterments for self care (your choice & discretion)

Instructions, such as they are:

First, draw a picture of a bear with your writing supplies. It doesn’t need to be fancy! Arguably one of the most famous pictures of a bear ever made was created more than 30,000 years ago in a cave called Chauvet in France. It looks like this:

photo by Jean Clottes, retrieved from Smithsonian Magazine

(If you want to learn more about the cave paintings of Chauvet, you can do so here).

If you don’t have the spoons to draw, lack confidence as an artist, or otherwise just don’t want to draw a picture, you can find a picture of a bear online and save it to your phone or another device for quick/frequent reference. Remember the power of the honey eater as you do so, and know that you are keeping that power close to you throughout the day that this spell will last. The attention of the winter sleeper is upon you, and though not cruel the honey eater will ask that you be kind to yourself; winter is never too far away, and you need your strength to survive the cold.

Once your image of a bear has been created or saved, the spell is begun. For the next 24 hours, your mission as a magical practitioner is to ensure that your body thrives. Take care of yourself as much as you are able; live lavishly, indulgently, and without regret. If you ever find yourself caught in a sudden trap of shame or doubt, think of the honey eater—refer back to your image if necessary—and say an epithet or name for "bear" that feels comforting to you (some examples: Arktos, Ursus, Medved). You can say the name aloud or just think it really hard; the point of doing this is to interrupt the shame/doubt and not allow it to take root and fester in your mind and heart. Keep doing this until the 24 hours are finished. Repeat as you see fit.

The purpose of this spell is to help your body and mind escape negative patterns of behavior and thought through the power of the winter sleeper. Remember that bears are fat, and that bears were some of the most awe-inspiring and terrifying animals ever encountered by ancient humans. There is nothing wrong with being fat, and fat is often necessary for survival through the long, hard months of winter. Unlike bears, we can’t sleep away months of darkness and cold—whether that darkness and cold be mental illness, abuse, or something else entirely—but we can bring the strength of the honey eater into ourselves for the eternal quest to continue living until the next spring.

If you liked this spell or even just found it intriguing, please consider checking out my ko-fi where I share spells and witchcraft-focused zines. As a struggling college student in an abusive home, it means a lot when someone is able to toss some spare change my way!

[safety-pin-punk]

Hi!

I’m sort of still getting into punk and learning about everything. You’re blog has been really helpful with resources and everything. Plus your cool.

Okayyy, now my question. I’m a junior in high school and I want to go to college. Pursue further education and all of that stuff. Learn more about the world and critical thinking. But I don’t want to pay a ton of money to a bunch of old ivy dudes.

What’s the right direction to go in for this? Is college a good option if I want to learn? What schools are good places? Where do I learn more about this stuff?

Sorry if this is a lot. Thank you though!

Hey! Thank you for your kindness!!

First off, Im going to stress that you are a junior and you have PLENTY of time to think about this. So dont stress too much right now.

Secondly, I want to preface this with the simple fact of college isnt for everyone. There are SO many ways to survive and thrive in life without it. And thats okay, good even! That being said, this post is just gonna be me talking about college. Under the cut of course

OKAY! So, is college a good option if you want to learn? My answer is yes! I learned a lot at college, both inside and outside my classes. I learned a lot of life lessons, I met people from all over the country (and a few international students). And I learned how to challenge my own beliefs and try to see things from perspectives that I didnt even know could exist prior to college.

But Im sure you were referring to the educational aspect. And truth be told, this heavily depends on both your school and you. Some examples: My school had a phenomenal chemistry program. You couldnt walk out of that program without having learned things if you made it through. But my school also had a very poor fine arts program. And to be quite blunt, I often wondered why any art student chose to stay. But going even further, it depends a lot on the individual as well. I was admittedly not the best student. I wasnt that interested in lab or research compared to some of my classmates, nor did I apply myself as much. And the difference is clear to see when others could rattle off different solvents and what reactions would occur from memory and I would be sitting there dumbfounded.

Next question, what schools are good places? Again, that fully depends on what you want to go to school for. But I’ll tell you what I did and how I chose my school. When I was a junior in high school, I found a list of every 4 year university in my state (I knew I wanted to stay in state, but you can do this for wherever you want to go). I then went through and gave each school a ranking out of 5 (based on vibes, chemistry program, education program, cost, and surrounding area). Once I had it narrowed down to only a few schools, those were the ones I toured. And I chose where to send applications from there.

Though, I cant stress enough how beneficial community college can be. A lot of people get all their gen eds out of the way either before they enroll in a university or over summers. Doing this will save you money and time. Literally not a single person on a university campus would look down on you for this. If anything, they will praise you for being smart. I took a few classes over the summers between semesters just to get them out of the way (and also avoid certain professors).

Where to learn more? Google. Google schools near you. Google schools where you want to go. Google schools ranked nationally in xyz. Google affordable universities. Google universities that have good financial aid programs. Just google so many things. From there, spend time exploring university websites. Read about their community and their academic programs. See if they have virtual tours uploaded. Check out their student activity board social medias to see what it would be like to be there as a student. Sign up for tours. Do an overnight visit if you can!! Or even, just walk around the campus without a tour guide

Best of luck to you on your academic journey! Hope I was a little helpful here

[thatoneluckybee]

Do you have any webcomic recs?

I am really showing the Webtoon dealer huh

A lot of recommendations depend on what one likes personally. I notice I gravitate towards those with darker themes (like current short Nevermore hyperfixation) like horror and thriller genres, or even more lighthearted stuff with serious themes like Castle Swimmer. (Like... I have read too many zombie apocalypse things it has a good balance usually!) So good recommendations for me take into account what someone likes personally. But I can recommend some general ones!

I mostly use Webtoon but one story I enjoy a lot that isn't on Webtoon is the Backmaker by @catnippackets. You can find it on their pinned post! It's still early on in the story but the description is this on the website:

I'm mostly on Webtoon (easy to use on mobile which I'm almost always on) and have read a lot there. I don't want to spend 80 years with descriptions so some I read that I think are good or just like are

Nevermore (as of like. Yesterday or so.)

Castle Swimmer

Morgana and Oz

School Bus Graveyard

Deathsitter

Suitor Armor

Homesick

The End of Ma'at

The Four of Them

Space Boy

Silent Screams

Not So Shoujo Love Story

Realta

1HP Club

Nomads

Surviving Romance

Funtime Phobia (and any of Strawberry Circus' stories! They're a wonderful group)

ShootAround 

High Spirits Neoma

Dead But Not Gone

Cursed Princess Club

UnOrdinary (the entire Joker arc INFURIATES me but the last 100 or so chapters have been really good! Just went through a rough patch but it's good now imo)

Marionetta

Sable Curse

I'm on this website too often. Probably a lot more I'm forgetting but these are generally the ones I look over when thinking of propaganda to make for mutuals. Hi.

[mariacallous]

This month marks 10 years since Meduza’s launch. We know a decade may not seem like a long time for a media outlet — after all, some of you still read the same newspapers your grandparents did. These publications are a part of your identity and something you can always count on. Unfortunately, we don’t have that luxury in Russia (though we hope we will one day). For us, 10 years — all while in exile and under relentless pressure from the Kremlin — is an enormous milestone.

And if it weren’t for you, we wouldn’t be here: without your attention, trust, and support, we would never have made it to 10 years. And we don’t mean that in an abstract sense. In 2022, after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Russian authorities blocked our website for reporting the truth about the war, and international sanctions caused us to lose most of our donations from Russian readers. We weren’t sure we’d survive, but we turned to our international audience — and you saved us.

A year later, the Kremlin banned our work entirely, making it a crime to work for us or even share links to our stories. Despite this, we currently have millions of readers inside the country. Time and time again, the Russian authorities have tried to shut Meduza down — and each time, we’ve remained standing thanks to your unwavering support. This milestone belongs as much to you as it does to us.

Since the Russian authorities labeled Meduza an “undesirable organization” in 2023, anyone in the country who donates to us risks facing felony charges. That’s why we rely on our readers abroad for support. Please help us keep delivering the truth to the millions who depend on us.

If you’d like to celebrate our anniversary with us, here are a few items from our wishlist.

Wish No. 1

First and foremost, we want to keep working. We don’t use paywalls, and our correspondents risk their freedom to provide crucial on-the-ground reporting. Our site faces relentless digital attacks, which cost our assailants hundreds of thousands of dollars. But we refuse to give up. You can help us remain standing by signing up for a monthly donation. A recurring contribution will provide the most effective support, making it possible for us to plan our budget and stay resilient.

And please remember: freedom of speech is as vital as it is fragile. The ability to publish the truth without fear is easy to take for granted, but it’s also easy to lose. We’ll keep fighting for it as long as we can.

Wish No. 2

Tell at least one person about Meduza and explain why our work matters — first of all, to you personally!

You can also show your friends some messages we’ve received from our readers. For people in Russia, our work is essential — just take it from them:

Anonymous

Russia 

I wish for you all to keep working no matter what. Thanks for doing what you do! In a world of total propaganda, access to independent journalism is vital. And without you, breaking through this information bubble would be a lot harder. Hang in there, and we’ll do the same.

Milena

Moscow

I wish you the resilience to overcome all the hardships of the times we’re in, endure it all, and witness Russia become a free, democratic country. I’m not confident that it’ll happen quickly, but hey, you guys are only 10 years old :) I have hope that you’ll be around to see better days and to write about them.

Tatyana

St. Peterburg

Please don’t stop. Every day when I open Meduza, I not only read the news (and truthful, reliable news at that), but I also see that there are people using their talents to make the world better and more truthful, rather than selling their talents to anyone willing to pay. This helps me stay hopeful that the world isn’t as bad as it seems today.

Polina

Russia

I’ve only been with you since 2022, but you help me to keep going and stay sane in this world. Keep living, keep writing, and keep finding joy no matter what! And we’ll continue sharing that joy with you.

Sergey

Volgograd

Meduza provides reliable information, helps me understand the meaning of current events, reassures me that I’m not alone, and helps me not lose my faith in humanity and my belief that we’re in this together, moving in the right direction.

Alexey

Moscow

Please just hold on and persevere through these terrible times. Thank you for all you do — it’s an invaluable contribution to the future we’re all striving for.

Alexey

From Russia, currently living in Los Angeles

Another year has flown by, and you continue to remind us that the truth can be sharp and uncomfortable. May your tentacles reach even deeper into the dark thickets of political intrigue and social upheaval, delivering news that may not always be pleasant but that’s so necessary. I wish for you to remain a beacon shining into the darkest abyss, even when everyone else would rather turn a blind eye. And may every new day be a reminder: Meduza sees everything.

Ivan

Karelia

Please hang in there, guys. With all your remaining strength — even when you feel like there’s none left. I know you can do it. I’ve been with you and I’ll stay with you. You guys are doing an amazing job — you’re an example and an inspiration to me.

Svetlana

From Moscow, currently living in the U.S.

Congratulations! I read you and listen to you every day. You provide me with daily confirmation that there are many of us, and yes, you give me hope. But most importantly, you’re documenting history, making a record of every day of this rogue regime.

Natalya

Moscow

Thank you guys! I read your work every morning and every evening. In addition to the news, it’s crucial to know that there are like-minded people in the world, that many see things the way I do, and that not everyone is claiming that black is white. And that there’s a place where I can find a clear reflection of what’s happening, insightful articles, updates on the world of culture, and even practical advice (like how to put together a first aid kit, etc.). Thank you so much! I wish you prosperity, each and every one of you. And please, keep doing what you’re doing!

Galina

St. Petersburg 

In the Tarkovsky film “The Sacrifice,” a young boy persistently waters a barren tree. And it flourishes. Maybe, one day, Russia will be free. It may take a tremendous amount of time. Thank you for giving us hope. Thank you for being there. Let’s fight against evil together.

You can also challenge your friends to test their knowledge of Russia with this quiz we created to mark our anniversary. After they take it, let them know how Meduza’s work gives you a better understanding of what’s really happening in Russia — and how events there affect the rest of the world.

Wish No. 3

Subscribe to our YouTube channel! We launched it quite recently, and it currently contains episodes of our podcast, The Naked Pravda. But stay tuned — we’ll soon be sharing videos on the most significant developments in Russia. Your subscription and feedback will help support this project.

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Bringing you the truth about what’s happening every day in Russia is our honor — and a job we don’t take lightly. Thank you for sharing our stories and donating to our work so we can continue our vital reporting.

Yours,

Meduza