#Downsides

[niobefurens]

Awesome!

Thanks OP for posting.

“Are you the witch who turned eleven princes into swans?”

The old woman stared at the figure on the front step of her cottage and considered her options. It was the kind of question usually backed up by a mob with meaningful torches, and it was the kind of question she tried to avoid.

Coming from a single dusty, tired housewife, it should’ve held no terrors.

“You a cop?”

The housewife twisted the hem of her apron. “No,” she muttered. “I’m a swan.”

A raven croaked somewhere in the woods. Wind whispered in the autumn leaves.

Then: “I think I can guess,” the old woman said slowly. “Husband stole your swan skin and forced you to marry him?”

A nod.

“And you can’t turn back into a swan until you find your skin again.”

A nod.

“But I reckon he’s hidden it, or burned it, or keeps it locked up so you can’t touch it.”

A tiny, miserable nod.

“And then you hear that old Granny Rothbart who lives out in the woods is really a batty old witch whose father taught her how to turn princes into swans,” the old woman sighed. “And you think, ‘Hey, stuff the old skin, I can just turn into a swan again this way.’

“But even if that was true – which I haven’t said if it is or if it isn’t – I’d say that I can only do it to make people miserable. I’m an awful person. I can’t do it out of the goodness of my heart. I have no goodness. I can’t use magic to make you feel better. I only wish I could.”

Another pause. “If I was a witch,” she added.

The housewife chewed the inside of her cheek. Then she drew herself up and, for the first time, looked the old woman in the eyes.

“Can you do it to make my husband miserable?”

The old woman considered her options. Then she pulled the wand out from the umbrella stand by the door. It was long, and silver, and a tiny glass swan with open wings stood perched on the tip.

“I can work with that,” said the witch.

[magicalgirlmindcrank]

Literally the funniest post on this website

[mattsmemes]

[eerna]

Personally I'd rather see the entire Hollywood movie industry fall apart than the strike fail. Movies won't stop being made, they will just stop being sponsored by worker abuse, and if that means no more millions of dollars worth epics then so be it idc

EDIT: OK this is gaining way too much attention while being vague and hyperbolic and ranty so let's make one thing clear - I am NOT lauding projects which don't adhere to union requirements, this is about the fact that big studios pretend like they are the only ones who can give you entertainment and if they can't make projects, you'll be sad and bored forever, and also that the only worthwhile pieces of media are projects worth an ungodly amount of money. This is obviously a lie, since there have been studios that agreed to work under new union requirements, and that's what I mean by "movies won't stop being made" - there will always always always be projects, big and small, that won't ignore what unions have to say. And in a dreamlike hypothetical future where big Hollywood industry falls apart, other smaller and more manageable studios will rise to take their place, and they'll have a cautionary tale on what will happen to them if they try to push it again.

[kieraoonadiy]

Ok folks here's the cons of various types of fiber to follow up on this.

This is not a definitive list, and most of the info is based on info I found on the web across various sources and may be incomplete, or possibly partially outdated. All of what I have listed are the cons of various types of fiber

Natural fibers:

Linen: uses more water to create than cotton, spun using cotton machinery, which causes manufacturers to break the fibers up, causing them to be less hardy than earlier textiles. Also wrinkles if you look at it

Cotton: uses a lot of water in production, a lot of pesticides and space needed to grow a small amount, wrinkles easily

Wool: requires special care to avoid it from shrinking, takes time to process after being harvested from sheep, some people are allergic to the lanolin in the wool, low quality wool is often coarse and causes it to be an itch factor, is expensive, and may need additional layers as a protective layer against the skin, not ideal for summer wear, due to insulating properties, can be prone to bugs if not stored properly. In rare circumstances, the farmers may be neglectful of the animals, livestock can over-graze an area causing soil erosion

Hemp: strict regulations due to the cannabis industries, in growing, cultivation, and processing. Repeat creases in the fiber can cause the fiber to break causing holes, expensive due to limited availability (starting to become more popular but that will take time)

Leather: Although its a natural material, it is a skin of an animal, often from the meat industry (some people have issue with this), does not breathe much,often made with chromium and formaldehyde in the tanning process which are toxic, requires special care, more often and better used for hard wearing items like bags, coats, and shoes, most common animals used for leather is pig, cow, deer, moose, and sheep

Silk: most common practice is killing the moths before they hatch (although in some cultures the moth larvae are eaten, from what I read), difficult to care for, hard to wash, and very expensive, and has no elasticity.

Lotus: Rare, hard to harvest and produce, and hellishly expensive due to scarcity

Pumpkin/squash/potato fiber: up and coming but not a lot of information on this yet. The premise is that they harvest the stems, and get the fibrous material out of it like with linen.

Nettle: hard to harvest, can cause an allergic reaction to those harvesting it, rarely used except in historical context

Synthetics:

Rayon (any type): also known as viscose, modal, Tencel, or Lycocel: chemical processes, can shrink or stretch out in the wash, not as long lasting as cotton or linen, originally developed from Nitrocellulose (aka gun cotton, and highly flammable). Bleeds color easily, wrinkles easily, pills easily, carbon disulfide used in processing the fiber which is toxic

Lenzing: also known as ECOVERO: Also a type of alledgedly eco friendly viscose. Still requires wood pulp in the process, with a "closed loop" processing, which reduces water consumption, energy, and chemicals, but all of the above are still used in the process of, and has all the same properties as viscose, rayon, or lycocel

Polyester: its plastic, doesn't biodegrade, can hold onto body odor over time, can melt in high heat

Pineapple/cork/mushroom/bamboo/banana/milk protein fiber/leathers: although from natural resources, still requires chemical processes and/or plastic binding agents

Pleather/vinyl: plastic, degrades quickly compared to leather, very hard to repair once it starts peeling/shedding

Nylon: it's plastic, but has the potential to be recycled, doesn't biodegrade, can old onto body odor, can easily melt under high heat

Elastane: also known as Spandex and Lycra: it's plastic, but stretchy, can loose elastic stretch if washed in hot water, or too many times in a dryer. The process is a polyurethane polymer so it's toxic and carcinogenic, does not biodegrade

Acetate: cellulose fiber. Certain versions of Acetate can have very toxic processes and chemicals in production. See viscose/rayon

Acrylic: a type of plastic, used for yarns for knitting, or also for windows, not as breathable or durable as many other synthetic fibers, pills easily, made from petroleum based chemicals, not biodegradable.

"hey why are all the barrier garments like linen shirts or chemises or combinations going away?"

"oh we have more washable fabrics now! you don't need to worry about sweat reaching your outer clothing when you can just chuck it in the washing machine!"

"cool!"

[100 years later]

"so uh all of those new washable fabrics are leaching microplastics into our water, and the constant machine-washing wears garments out faster. they're also not really sturdy enough to be mended, so we keep having to throw them out and now the planet is covered in plastic fabric waste that will never break down. also it turns out that the new washable fabrics hold odor-causing bacteria VERY well. so could we get those barrier garments back please?"

"sorry babe linen now costs $100000/yard and since it's been so long without them, nobody knows how to adapt barrier garments to the current styles anyway"

"..."

"maybe try this new $50 undershirt made of Special Sweat-Wicking Plastic Fabric! :) :) :)"

[lordenchilada]

I have vacuumed my floor:

Upsides: my floor is clean now

Downsides: I got dust fucking everywhere in the air now somehow and I am sneezing constantly.

[exploresmallworlds]

the quiet affirmations of public transport

If you read last weeks post, you’ll see that I freely wrote my thoughts about disability and this piece won’t be as serious, gotta balance it all out in the end. This week is more in line with the concept of exploring small worlds around you and hopefully giving you the space to see your experiences with new eyes.

This week I want to concentrate on the changes I made to my commute. While I was taking a private vehicle due to the fact that the public transport journey was going to be fifty minutes longer. Due to an incident I was motivated to change this and I have been taking my public transport to work again (having done this for other jobs in the past).

It has hit me how different this all is. The upsides of not having to deal with the anxieties of other people on the road and having to make decisions all the time, the money is less than the fuel which always seems to be going up and the fact that I could have a quiet time before I went to work that you can’t really have when making decisions on Sydney roads.

But there is something interesting from a small worlds perspective, and this is what compelled me to write this piece and to find new things to think about. A strange experience to watch similar people get on and off buses. Although I don’t know them I am connected, seeing the same people do the same things with you can have that affect. A sense of consistency of sorts.

It has me more connected with the things on my walks around and to my workplace. I see the subtle changes, the blooms and changes of colours. It has made me appreciate the things that seem to be moving and just waiting to be seen. The heat and rain of late summer has beautiful displays to enjoy.

It has also connected me in an unexpected way to some of the people I work with, a fifteen minute bus ride has been the space to deepen any kind of relationship even if it remains one of acquaintance. It has meant that I feel more confident asking how they are when we are both at work and that has made me feel less anxious in small and significant ways.

I’ve been effusive in the benefits but the more sobering thoughts are the fact that evidence of homelessness and impacts of economic realities are more visible with my sudden change to using public transport. These are also the small worlds that others embody and they are part of the whole experiencce, and not to be shied away from despite the perception that they are not attractive. They deserve to be a part just as much as the more attractive parts.

If you read last weeks post, you’ll see that I freely wrote my thoughts about disability and this piece won’t be as serious, gotta balance it all out in the end. This week is more in line with the concept of exploring small worlds around you and hopefully giving you the space to see your experiences with new eyes.

This week I want to concentrate on the changes I made to my commute. While I was taking a private vehicle due to the fact that the public transport journey was going to be fifty minutes longer. Due to an incident I was motivated to change this and I have been taking my public transport to work again (having done this for other jobs in the past).

It has hit me how different this all is. The upsides of not having to deal with the anxieties of other people on the road and having to make decisions all the time, the money is less than the fuel which always seems to be going up and the fact that I could have a quiet time before I went to work that you can’t really have when making decisions on Sydney roads.

But there is something interesting from a small worlds perspective, and this is what compelled me to write this piece and to find new things to think about. A strange experience to watch similar people get on and off buses. Although I don’t know them I am connected, seeing the same people do the same things with you can have that affect. A sense of consistency of sorts.

It has me more connected with the things on my walks around and to my workplace. I see the subtle changes, the blooms and changes of colours. It has made me appreciate the things that seem to be moving and just waiting to be seen. The heat and rain of late summer has beautiful displays to enjoy.

It has also connected me in an unexpected way to some of the people I work with, a fifteen minute bus ride has been the space to deepen any kind of relationship even if it remains one of acquaintance. It has meant that I feel more confident asking how they are when we are both at work and that has made me feel less anxious in small and significant ways.

I’ve been effusive in the benefits but the more sobering thoughts are the fact that evidence of homelessness and impacts of economic realities are more visible with my sudden change to using public transport. These are also the small worlds that others embody and they are part of the whole experience, and not to be shied away from despite the perception that they are not attractive. They deserve to be a part just as much as the more attractive parts.

[livingmeatloaf]

There is only one way to make a truly wonderful Avatar adaptation, not matter how bad it turns out to be:

A professionally shot, full length stage production of the Ember Island Players' Fire Nation propaganda version of the events

[shining-dawn]

[koshercosplay]

it's time for my yearly chanukah merchandise ratings! how are there always so many to choose from. as always, this year is a doozy and I am as bitter as ever lmao

this was quite literally labeled "hanukkah cone tree." gee I wonder which winter holiday is The One With The Trees. surely it's the jewish one with all the fire. let's make it blue and white just in case. 4/10 there is no excuse for this

why are the chairs so far apart. why is there nobody there. why are there so many grapes. what even are those green things. why is there soup. will the mysteries never cease. 7/10 purely because it's pretty

I for one welcome our jewish alien cousins. not sure what this has to do with chanukah but I want to hear about jewish life on mars so 8/10 friends come in out of the cold and have a latke with me

the more I looked at this, the worse it got. there's a literal christmas tree and tinsel but oh it's got blue lights so it's fine. and as we all know, children regularly hold fully lit candle menorahs with mittens while going door to door during a snowstorm. I guess who are we to stifle a child's latent desire for arson. 5/10 somebody save that poor dying kitten

this poor magen dovid is being forcefully converted to christianity and we need to help it. quick somebody put this on a sufganiyot stack. 4/10 we all know the intended target audience isn't interfaith families okay

do I even have to say it. please just. just stop. get One (1) Jew to weigh on your hanukkah products, I beg you. -392928373/10 walmart owes me a personal apology for making me see this with my own two eyeballs

I spent a full five minutes staring at this shirt desperately trying to make it make sense. I shouldn't have bothered. it's worse than the hebrew could ever be. 2/10 amposzu zusach mezchamal to you too

congratulations, once again you wrote gibberish. this says nothing. it's not chanukah, it's not happy holidays, it's nothing. the letters on the dreidel are an ACRONYM people! there's an order! 3/10 it's antisemitic that this has over 4,000 sales (thank you @quartzfox for sending this to me. now you all have to see it too.)

now these are CUTE. and the dreidel letters are in the correct order too, which is unfortunately impressive. 10/10 no notes, it has cats, would wear

(previous years 1, 2, 3)

[femmilingus]

We need to talk about pregnancy

“You’re glowing.” “Pregnancy is so beautiful.” “What a miracle.” Lies. Lies. And more fucking lies. We need to talk about pregnancy. We need to talk about this special level of hell, the one Dante didn’t know about because he didn’t have a womb. I don’t mean to shit on it because it’s fucking WORK – but there is a level of honesty that isn’t maintained in the narrative. And knowing what I…

[yubriamakesart]

so i was discussing Aerith last night

[xtruss]

Since gaining popularity online, the diabetes medication Ozempic (semaglutide) has been increasingly requested to manage weight. Now, there’s a shortage that’s affecting people who use the medication. Photograph By Imyskin, Getty Images

Ozempic is a Serious Drug with Serious Risks. Here’s What to Know.

The diabetes medication semaglutide has recently become a trendy weight loss treatment. But like every drug, there are downsides—and potentially serious side effects.

— By Allie Yang | August 1, 2023

Billionaire Elon Musk credited it for his dramatic weight loss. Celebrity sites allege that many more A-listers are using it to stay trim. And TikTok is full of influencers showing off their startling before-and-after shots showing off their weight loss after using it.

What is it? A medication called semaglutide, which is sold under different brand names, including Ozempic, approved in 2017 for treating type 2 diabetes, and Wegovy, approved just last year for weight loss.

The buzz about these drugs has created a shortage of both, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which is expected to last for several months—causing alarm among patients with diabetes who rely on Ozempic to help control their blood sugar. Experts caution that it’s important to understand these are not miracle drugs—and that there are risks to taking them outside of their intended use.

Here’s what you need to know about semaglutide, including how it works and the risks.

What’s The Science Behind The Drug?

Semaglutide helps lower blood sugar by mimicking a hormone that’s naturally secreted when food is consumed, says Ariana Chao, assistant professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing and medical director at the school’s Center for Weight and Eating Disorders. This medication, administered through injection, helps people feel full for longer, helps regulate appetite, and reduces hunger and cravings.

There is significant demand for the drug. In 2019, more than 11 percent of the population was diagnosed with diabetes, while more than four in ten adults classified as obese in 2020.

Patients with type 2 diabetes often have impairments in insulin, a hormone that helps break down food and convert it into fuel the body can use, Chao says. Semaglutide signals the pancreas to create more insulin and also lowers glucagon, which helps control blood sugar levels. This can result in weight loss but experts point out that Ozempic has not been approved for that purpose, though semaglutide at a higher dose (Wegovy) has been.

Wegovy is the first drug since 2014 to be approved for chronic weight management. The difference between the two drugs is that Wegovy is administered at a higher dose of semaglutide than Ozempic. Wegovy’s clinical trials showed more weight loss but only slightly greater improvements in glycemic control compared to Ozempic, Chao says.

The FDA sees Ozempic and Wegovy as two different medications for different uses. Chao says many insurance companies cover Ozempic for diabetes but don't cover Wegovy for obesity—a prime example of weight bias in health care. That's why some medical providers use the two doses somewhat interchangeably, as obesity and type 2 diabetes are inextricably linked–obesity is the leading risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes.

What Are The Risks?

Like every medication, there can be downsides.

The most common side effects are gastrointestinal issues, such as nausea, constipation, and diarrhea, Chao says—and more rarely, pancreatitis, gallbladder disease, and diabetic retinopathy.

Angela Godwin, nurse practitioner and clinical assistant professor at the NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing, explains that recent reports of extreme vomiting and gastroparesis (delayed emptying of the stomach) are to be expected.

Gastroparesis “just means the food’s in your stomach longer, which then makes you feel fuller longer,” she explains.

Nausea is one of the biggest side effects of medications like Ozempic and Wegovy, and that can always lead to vomiting, Godwin says. In June, the American Society of Anesthesiologists recommended patients stop taking these medications before surgery to avoid aspiration and vomiting.

“Normally, in my experience, it's tolerable,” she says. “But then there are times when I ask [patients], ‘Well, what happened?’ And they [say] they ate too much and ate too quickly. And then yes, the body will vomit it up, because it just can't tolerate that much food anymore.”

These drugs have been extensively studied, but their relatively recent approval means researchers still don’t know what the effects of taking them long term might be.

Continuing research is helping us understand more about what happens when people stop taking these medications—which many may be forced to do amid current shortages. Research does suggest that stopping use of this medication could cause patients to regain weight, especially if they didn’t make any lifestyle changes.

“In almost all weight-loss studies, it really depends on your foundation,” says Stanford endocrinologist Sun Kim. “Your efforts at lifestyle will determine how much weight you lose. If you have your foundations like food, exercise, and sleep, you’re gonna do well.” If not, you might regain as much as 20 percent of the weight lost per year.

These medications can also be incredibly expensive, especially without insurance. Kim says an injection pen can run more than $1,000.

What Does It Mean To Use This Drug Off-label?

Using a drug off-label means using it in a way other than its intended and its FDA-approved purpose, which may not be safe or effective. Ozempic has been approved only for type 2 diabetics, and Wegovy has been approved only for patients with a BMI above 30, or 27 if they have a weight-related comorbidity like high blood pressure.

“There is no scientific evidence to show whether this medication will be effective or of benefit to those who do not fit the criteria from the FDA-approved label indications, such as people with a BMI lower than 27,” Chao says. “We also do not know the side effects or risks in these populations—there could be unknown drug reactions. These medications are not meant to be a quick fix.”

Even if you meet the criteria, experts warn against trying to obtain the medication without a prescription by traveling to countries that don't require them.

“When the medication’s not used under supervision of a health-care provider, then they can come into misuse,” Chao says. “There could be more serious adverse events that can happen.”

Godwin says recent reports of extreme vomiting and gastroparesis are a reminder that patients should schedule regular checkups with their doctor when taking these medications.

“I think it's so popular now that practitioners might be tempted to just prescribe more freely, and then maybe not monitor patients as frequently,” she says.

Patients should not increase their Ozempic dose without doctor approval—which is possible because there are multiple doses in one pen. “They could definitely have a lot of poor side effects, because they didn't titrate up to that level yet,” Godwin says. The same could be said for Wegovy, which comes in a pack of four one-dose pens.

Robert Gabbay, the American Diabetes Association’s chief scientific and medical officer, said the organization is “very much concerned” about the Ozempic shortage.

“The medication has been an important tool for people with diabetes,” he says. “Not only does it lower blood glucose and weight but it has been shown to decrease cardiovascular events—heart attacks—one of the leading causes of death for those living with diabetes.”

A Last Resort?

Still, Kim says that prescribing drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy to patients who are desperate for a new approach to weight loss can make her feel “like a superhero.” By the time patients come to her, they’ve often tried methods like Weight Watchers and following the advice of dieticians. In that case, she says, medications like Ozempic and Wegovy can be a great option.

“What I find is sometimes as they're becoming successful at losing weight, it really does feed into their lifestyle too, and then they're able to be more active,” Kim says. “It’s hard to lose weight. Seventy-five percent of the U.S. population is overweight or obese. I feel that we shouldn't be holding this back if this can help.”

Chao agrees that these medications are a good alternative for those who are unable to lose 5 percent of their body weight within about three months of making lifestyle changes. Still, she recommends trying those approaches before turning to medication.

Patients should “make sure that they're focusing on a healthy dietary pattern, reducing calories, as well as increasing physical activity,” she says. “It’s important they know that even if they are taking the medication, it's not an easy way out: They're still going to have to make lifestyle changes.”

[teaboot]

Sooo many intrinsic differences between People Who'd Prefer To Be Vampires and People Who'd Prefer To Be Werewolves but let's take a second to appreciate the similarities.

Noctornal

Appreciation for sturdy, well-made clothes

Would prefer not to be stabbed

Like to show off a lil chest when possible

Cant have garlic (poisonous to dogs)

Uhhhhhhhhh teeth? Big on biting things

Both probably have some pretty strong opinions on modern ecology and conservationism

Both probably ate something/one important by mistake at some point and had the same "ah shit fuck" feeling, very relatable

Hnnnnnnngfhghhh.gh. Queer

[macmusicguy]

Downsides

Downsides - Tech Utopia doesn't exist - from TomsTypewriter.com

Tech utopia doesn’t exist. There, I said it. Downsides – Tech Utopia doesn’t exist – from TomsTypewriter.com