#I am generally a decent but not incredible cook

[grassbreads]

Made stir fry for dinner and it fucks unfathomably hard

[asmafamily]

Hello👋

Help Asma and her family in Gaza survive

Welcome, My name is Asma Salman Abu Daf from Gaza, trapped between walls of fear, despair and extreme sadness in the shadow of the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip, I appeal to every conscientious person, compassionate heart and human being who understands the meaning of humanity to help us.

Help me overcome adversity

I am reaching out to you today as a steadfast and compassionate person facing incredible challenges, life in our region has become increasingly difficult due to the ongoing and increasing conflict day by day, and I am struggling to secure the basic necessities for our family.

Who is Asmaa and her family?

I am married to Ashraf Abu Daf, 46 years old. I am 39 years old and suffer from chronic diseases, which are Mediterranean fever and Crohn's disease. I take expensive medications and treatments for life. I have 7 children. Jana, 13 years old, suffers from chronic diseases, thalassemia, which results in short stature. She needs treatment for many years to take expensive medications. Rafeeq, 18 years old. Nour, 16 years old. Abdul Rahman, 13 years old. Muhammad, 12 years old. Ibrahim, 5 years old. Misk, 3 years old.

How has the war made our lives like hell?

We all feel fear, extreme sadness and insecurity due to the severity of the bombing and destruction we have been exposed to since the beginning of the war on Gaza until now. My young children do not sleep normally due to the severity of the fear and nightmares. My family and I live in our house that has been exposed to shells and bombing. I fled with my family several times due to repeated threats and requests to move from one place to another. My husband's income is limited and does not cover the required living expenses.

Due to the lack of good food, healthy water and the necessary medicine for our treatment, our situation has gone from bad to worse. Our lives have become threatened either by death due to bombing, shrapnel and missiles or by malnutrition, the spread of epidemics and diseases, psychological insecurity, widespread unemployment, and the lack of fuel, cooking gas and electricity.

Despite the harsh conditions and constant doubts surrounding us, I am optimistic and determined to provide a better future for my husband and children. My spirit is unbreakable, but I need help from people with a living conscience and compassionate and humane hearts to overcome the obstacles we face.

How can you help me?

My family and I aspire to build a better future for our children and ensure their safety and that we all live a decent life, and that they feel safe and stable and live in peace and reassurance. Help us achieve this dream through your generous donation, which will certainly have a great impact in saving us.

The funds collected will be used to:

• Restore the destroyed house and purchase furniture and appliances required for daily life requirements

• Food, water and medicine, and ensure that we have access to daily necessities, medical supplies and health care.

• Education, supporting my children's education by covering fees, school supplies and providing the necessary needs.

Every contribution matters.

No donation is too small, every donation brings us one step closer to relief and a better future, even if you are not able to contribute financially, sharing this campaign with your generous network can make a big difference

Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Asmaa Abu Daf

[bengiyo]

23.5 Ep 12 (Finale) Stray Thoughts

Last week, Ongsa went overboard on trying to reconcile with Sun after Sun outed all of them at a dinner she wasn’t prepared for. Sun felt human for the first time for me. Luna and Aylin are going strong, even as Luna has been pushing Aylin. Mawin confessed to Tinh. We left Ongsa and Sun on the swings as they discussed dealing with distance.

Episode 12: Promise Me…Sun

Interesting. They used the slow start at the end for the boys to highlight the impending graduation for multiple pairings.

Still amusing to me that everyone in the astronomy club is queer.

Waiting for Tinh and Chaoren to blow up another moment by popping up so the show can throw water on a hot moment.

I am enjoying Ongsa’s whole family showing up to help teach her cooking.

OMG they really just brought plain rice. Incredible. At least she brought seasoning.

I’m appreciating how chill both families have been about all of the sleepovers.

So weird that for all that the show has written Mawin as attracted to Tinh, because he interacts so often with Ton, I’m always like, “Here’s how Euro can still win…”

Did Tinh try to plug in a device immediately after pulling it out of water? That’s such a bad idea.

This is kind of a quiet episode, but the cast hanging out is decently watchable.

I kinda wanna be with them about how overthinking isn’t great. It’s not a bad thing to take from all of this.

That 13-hour time difference with Thailand is brutal. Sun must be in the Rockies.

Wow this extended epilogue feels dull.

Final Verdict: 6.5, This Was Boring and Generally Unsatisfying. I really didn’t want to be harsh to the MilkLove GL project, but these episodes did not flow together, and there’s a lot of confusion about queer reality in this show that leads to some dissonance. Individually these episodes were sometimes fine, but as a whole there’s not really a story I felt really connected to, especially when it comes to the boys. In all seriousness, why are Mawin and Ton even in this show, and what purpose do their romantic plotlines serve? This was not the moment and it really should have been. Milk and View give really accessible performances that I enjoyed.

[wizisbored]

hey you guys want some backstory on what nimona was talking about in my last whumptober post??

cw verbal abuse, referenced physical abuse, brief violence

///

Nimona can never go at it alone for long.

Some stints last longer than others, generally dictated by how much of an ass the last person she stuck with was. Asses, as it turns out, have the singular selling point of being a decent cure for loneliness. But time has the unfortunate habit of healing wounds, and after long enough the sharp points of the spite are worn down enough for her to think that maybe, maybe, this time will be different.

She knows what to look for and how to find it, and all in all it’s incredibly easy to put herself in the path of another horse thief.

Three days and one perfectly honorable and upstanding horse trader later, Nimona once again has her decision on whether to talk to her new companion postponed by a piece of metal shoved in her mouth. She’s a shifty, scrappy-looking woman clearly running from something, because she came willing to pay for any horse - even a great big heavy-footed thing that won’t take her anywhere fast - as long as it gets her out of town.

Nimona can do that.

The woman is a quiet rider. Some people sing in the saddle, some talk - to themselves or to her, regardless if they know that she understands them. But the day goes by without another word, the time filled instead by the creaking of saddle leather and the steady thudding of hooves. Nimona considers humming to herself, but past experience has taught her that humming tends to have a better chance than speaking does of making her rider question their sanity. At least when she opens her mouth and talks there’s a clear source. It’s easier to think humming could be coming from anywhere. Nimona amuses herself instead by fidgeting with the bit on her tongue.

Camp is made that night in the middle of nowhere, Nimona put on a rope and allowed to graze. She does, briefly, but she’s far more interested in getting to know her new companion. She wanders over to where the woman is cooking, and presses her nose to her shoulder. The woman half-turns towards her, still keeping her eye on the fire.

“What do you want?” she asks as she absent-mindedly strokes her nose, and Nimona makes a split-second decision.

“Just wanted to come say hey,” the horse says.

It’s a few days through the desert to get where they’re going, wherever the hell that is. The woman’s been cagy. Nimona doesn’t even know her name, and she’s been snapped at for using ‘Boss’. But, they’ve managed to settle on Ma’am, when they actually talk. The lady’s no more of a conversationalist now that she’s got someone to converse with, and outside of the rides characterized by long swaths of silence Nimona finds herself talking for two. It’s not something she finds all too difficult. She rambles, to put it plainly, and even with how long she’s been at this she’s still not learnt to be too tight-lipped in certain areas. Her new companion knows she can do more than just talk by the end of the second day.

“Y’know, you’ve really got this ‘mysterious drifter’ thing down,” Nimona tells her, at the end of the fourth. “Like, ‘so unknowable that not even her horse knows where she’s going.’”

“Most horses don’t know where they’re going, they just do as they’re told,” the lady points out.

“Yeah, I guess, but I’m not most horses, am I?” Nimona counters, with a teasing smile.

“Stop prying.”

The lady pointedly returns her attention to the beans and hardtack she’s eating. Nimona pouts, tearing loudly at a clump of desert grass she’s uprooted; sure, she looks human right now, but she can still survive like a horse and so she isn’t afforded a share of the rations. A stalk scratches at the corner of her mouth as she eats, and she absent-mindedly rubs at it. Wrong move.

“Don’t,” the woman snaps.

“What?”

“You’re finding a way to complain without complaining. I’ve told you to drop it.”

“I wasn’t, actually, but if you wanna bring it up so bad-”

“Don’t.”

“Why shouldn't I? I told you upfront I don’t like bits, but I let you have it ‘cause it’s what you wanted. And you thank me by being as heavy-handed on the thing as humanly possible?”

“You’re too stubborn. I wouldn’t have to be so firm with you if-”

“If what? If I was a perfectly obedient normal horse?

“Yes! I never asked for this, you know. I bought a standard, no-funny-business horse. I didn’t want a traveling companion!”

“Yeah- Well- That’s just how it is, sometimes! Sometimes you buy a horse and it turns out it’s not a horse! It happens!”

“No it does not! Horses are horses! It’s not normal to try to buy one and end up with some- some grubby, ugly little freak.”

Nimona is on her feet before she knows it, throwing the grass to the ground. “Some what?”

“You heard me,” the woman says, unimpressed. “You know. So stop being a brat and just listen - we’re gonna get out of this goddamn desert, and then you’re gonna let me sell you on as a horse to make back what I paid. Stay with whoever buys you, sneak off, I don’t care. But you’re getting me my money back.”

“Oh, that’s real bold. Real fucking bold! You think you’re getting on my back again after that?!”

“I better be! You better get your damn act together or I can promise you, there’ll be hell to pay!”

Nimona barks out a laugh, her eyes wide. “What kinda hell? No, really, what kinda hell? What do you think you could do to me?”

The woman stands too. “Are you threatening me? Making like you’re just going to up and leave?”

“What you gonna do about it if I am?”

In two strides the woman is right in her face, grabbing a fistful of Nimona’s bandanna and yanks it upward, like she’s trying to lift her by it. “You could do with learning some respect, girl.”

Nimona holds her gaze steady, not intimidated in the slightest. “Why,” she growls, “would I respect someone who cut my gums open and called me a freak?”

“You ARE a freak!” She tugs roughly on the bandana, almost shaking her. “Of course you’re a freak, look at you!”

Nimona snarls. Not like a human doing a poor imitation of an animal. Like a wolf. Teeth and all. For the first time, the woman falters.

“Stop that.”

She snarls louder. More teeth, brighter eyes. The woman shoves her away.

“You’re crazy, you-”

There’s teeth in her throat before she can finish.

Before the sun is up, a bloodied, wild-eyed teenager stumbles into a bar in the ass end of nowhere, alone. Nobody has the guts to deny her a drink.

[dualityvn]

We’ve seen the NSFW alphabet, but what about the SFW alphabet for the boys? 👀

SFW ALPHABET

Keith:

A = Affection (How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?)

He generally loves affection, but he’ll test the waters first before letting that show. He doesn’t want to express it in a way that you dislike. But generally, he will give a lot of compliments, offer gifts and, if given the opportunity, use physical touch as well.

B = Best friend (What would they be like as a best friend? How would the friendship start?)

Keith as a friend is a bit more laid back and doesn’t try as hard to be the epitome of perfection. But he is still often scared of doing or saying anything that might upset his friend and make them hate him. Becoming his friend usually means you need to win his trust first, otherwise he will try to keep you at a distance.

C = Cuddles (Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?)

He loves cuddles! He’s more used to being the one holding the other person in his arms, but he has no issue with it being the other way around. He is always gentle and does his best to make sure the other is comfortable.

D = Domestic (Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking and cleaning?)

He does want to settle down. Being in a happy marriage is his dream come true. He’s quite organized, clean and a decent cook, so he’d make a pretty good husband.

E = Ending (If they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?)

He wouldn’t :’)

F = Fiance(e) (How do they feel about commitment? How quick would they want to get married?)

Oh, he’d be over the moon. The very fact that you’ve decided to marry him would have him ecstatic for good amount of time. Though if you were to put off the wedding too much, he might start to feel insecure so it’s best not to make him wait more than a year.

G = Gentle (How gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?)

Incredibly gentle. Unless you ask him to do otherwise, he’ll treat you like his most precious treasure. He’d be consumed by guilt if he ever did anything to hurt you.

H = Hugs (Do they like hugs? How often do they do it? What are their hugs like?)

Yeah, he likes them. How often he offers them depends on the person he’s meant to be hugging. Generally, he gives comfy and warm hugs.

I = I love you (How fast do they say the L-word?)

He will wait for you to say it first.

J = Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when they’re jealous?)

If possible, he gets rid of whatever created that jealousy :)

K = Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you? Where do they like to be kissed?)

His kisses are generally soft, not super long but not quick pecks either. If you’re into it, he likes turning them into passionate ones. And his favorite place to kiss and be kissed are the lips.

L = Little ones (How are they around children?)

He’s kind and caring. Really bad at scolding, can’t bring himself to raise his voice or be mean to a child to save his life.

M = Morning (How are mornings spent with them?)

If it’s not a work morning, he’s going to sleep in and there isn’t much you can do to stop him. Pretty of hard to get him out of bed before 11 am. He’s happy to give you morning cuddles though. If you bring him breakfast in bed, he will worship the ground you walk on.

N = Night (How are nights spent with them?)

He’s gonna try to get you to go to bed with him at a reasonable hour. Mostly because he rarely does that. Will want to have you close while you sleep, even if you aren’t fully in his arms (though that is preferred).

O = Open  (When would they start revealing things about themselves? Do they say  everything all at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly?)

It depends. Some things he can’t help but reveal early on depending on circumstances (like if you meet him at his flower shop, you WILL hear him ramble about plants at some point). He will wait a pretty long time to reveal any trait he dislikes about himself though. 

P = Patience (How easily angered are they?)

You usually have to hit a sensitive spot to make him angry. Or repeat a type of behavior that gradually brings him to a boiling point. Otherwise he’s a pretty calm person.

Q = Quizzes  (How much would they remember about you? Do they remember every little  detail you mention in passing, or do they kind of forget everything?)

He will remember as much as he possibly can. Some important things he will even write down, like your birthday, your favorite flower, things you like that he could give you as presents. But if he’s been around you for a while, he won’t need the notes.

R = Remember (What is their favorite moment in your relationship?)

He’s a hopeless romantic so of course it would be the moment you have your first kiss.

S = Security (How protective are they? How would they protect you? How would they like to be protected?)

VERY protective. He’d like to be able to protect you in all ways himself, but whenever he gets in that headspace, Tenebris usually jumps out. He’s rather you only ever protect him in situations in which he’s certain nothing bad will happen to you.

T = Try (How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?)

As much effort as a human could possibly put into these types of things.

U = Ugly (What would be some bad habits of theirs?)

As soon as something bad happens, he starts blaming himself and throwing around harsh words in his mind.

V = Vanity (How concerned are they with their looks?)

He’s always been told he’s pretty, but he still puts in effort to maintain or enhance that. He styles his hair, puts on concealer, takes care of his skin and picks out clothes that would look good on him.

W = Whole (Would they feel incomplete without you?)

Absolutely.

X = Xtra (A random headcanon for them.)

He secretly hopes soulmates are a thing that exists.

Y = Yuck (What are some things they wouldn’t like, either in general or in a partner?)

Very poor hygiene. It’s not gonna keep him away from you completely, but he will try to get you to fix it.

Z = Zzz (What is a sleep habits of theirs?)

If he’s sleeping with someone else, he’ll either press himself against them or reach out with his arm or leg to touch them.

+ + +

Tenebris:

A = Affection (How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?)

He’s not the type to show affection at the very start of the relationship, before you have. But as soon as you do, you’re gonna have a hard time getting him off of you.

B = Best friend (What would they be like as a best friend? How would the friendship start?)

He can seem like a bit of a jerk sometimes, since he likes teasing or mildly bullying people. But he will greatly treasure any friend and be ready to obliterate anything that harms them. Starting a friendship with him can be as simple as not treating him like dirt and maybe complimenting his shirt or something.

C = Cuddles (Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?)

Cuddles all the way!! He cuddles by clinging to you like you’re the thing keeping him alive. Will smother you if you don’t say anything. Also likes laying on top of you if you’re both laying down.

D = Domestic (Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking and cleaning?)

Sure, he wouldn’t mind settling down. The very idea seems kind of impossible to him, he can’t imagine someone suggesting that to him. An absolute disaster at both cooking and keeping things tidy, but he WILL clean the house for you just to prevent bugs from infesting it. Just don’t ask him to operate something like a washing machine without giving him detailed instructions first.

E = Ending (If they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?)

Depends on why you’re breaking up. The method could vary from calling you an asshole that he doesn’t wanna see again to beating the shit out of you. But generally, you need to be an abusive bastard to either him or Keith for him to even consider breaking up.

F = Fiance(e) (How do they feel about commitment? How quick would they want to get married?)

He feels great about it, because he can’t believe you’re gonna commit to him of all people. And he doesn’t care how quickly you do it, he’s got a pretty long life ahead of him.

G = Gentle (How gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?)

He tries to be gentle as much as he can, but his strength isn’t always easy to manage and he can be a bit of a jerk once he gets angry. But he’d never dare do more than accidentally hug you too hard and if he ever hurt your feelings, he would apologize a million times, verbally, written or by crawling at your feet.

H = Hugs (Do they like hugs? How often do they do it? What are their hugs like?)

He loves hugs, give him all the hugs. If you like hugs too, he will hug you every time he sees you and more. His hugs are kind of tight and kinda long, especially if he hasn’t seen you in a while.

I = I love you (How fast do they say the L-word?)

He may not say it before you do. Though if he realizes he loves you before you say it, he might just blurt it out randomly.

J = Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when they’re jealous?)

Very jealous. Will cuss people out or start fights if you don’t keep him in check. While you’re around, that is. If you aren’t around, whoever made him jealous is as good as dead.

K = Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you? Where do they like to be kissed?)

His kisses are unsure and clumsy, since he has no experience. He likes kissing you on the cheek because it’s simple and doesn’t have to be long. And he loves it when you kiss his forehead.

L = Little ones (How are they around children?)

Generally can’t stand them. Thinks they’re dumb and annoying and they won’t shut up about him being blue. But he will immediately make friends with any kid that’s nice to him.

M = Morning (How are mornings spent with them?)

Pesters you to make him pancakes. If you don’t know how, forces Keith to make both of you pancakes. He doesn’t take too long to get out of bed because pancakes.

N = Night (How are nights spent with them?)

Good luck getting him to bed. Though once you do, if you hold him in your arms and pet his head, he’ll let you fall asleep to the sound of his purring.

O = Open  (When would they start revealing things about themselves? Do they say  everything all at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly?)

Whenever you ask or whenever it comes up in conversation. He doesn’t know why he should be holding anything back. Unless it’ll get him and Keith in trouble, then he might avoid it.

P = Patience (How easily angered are they?)

Uh. Pretty easily, but it depends. If it’s you and you’re the timid and well meaning type, he’ll have a lot more patience. Otherwise, as soon as he feels even mildly insulted, he’ll be fuming.

Q = Quizzes  (How much would they remember about you? Do they remember every little  detail you mention in passing, or do they kind of forget everything?)

Absolutely everything and he will do it effortlessly too. He has a great memory.

R = Remember (What is their favorite moment in your relationship?)

When you were nice to him for the first time.

S = Security (How protective are they? How would they protect you? How would they like to be protected?)

Just as protective as Keith, but he’s also the one always doing the protecting. Whether you need him to knock someone onto the next planet over or call them a son of a bitch, he’s there for you. He’s not used to being protected himself, but he’ll melt if you ever take his side in an argument or when he’s being insulted. 

T = Try (How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?)

He does his best to make you happy, even though he doesn’t have experience with any of these things.

U = Ugly (What would be some bad habits of theirs?)

Trying to solve too many problems with violence. And always leaving his clothes on the floor.

V = Vanity (How concerned are they with their looks?)

He’s not the most vain person. He mostly cares about his clothes, which he likes in a certain style. And he doesn’t like the way Keith combs their hair, so he usually messes it up.

W = Whole (Would they feel incomplete without you?)

Probably not, but you’re still highly appreciated if you’re by his side.

X = Xtra (A random headcanon for them.)

He loves it if you hold his hands and interlock your fingers with his.

Y = Yuck (What are some things they wouldn’t like, either in general or in a partner?)

Shallow people.

Z = Zzz (What is a sleep habits of theirs?)

Mumbles in his sleep and tends to drool on his pillow.

[justagalwhowrites]

Get To Know Me pt 1

Thank you for the tag, @sheepdogchick3 !

1. Were you named after anyone? My middle name is my paternal grandmother's name.

2. When was the last time you cried? I teared up a bit Tuesday night but fully sobbed was probably last Friday.

3. Do you have kids? No BUT I have a bonus kiddo in the form of my foreign exchange student!

4. What sports do you/have you played? Softball and figure skating when I was in school.

5. Do you use sarcasm? My therapist once said "I can't picture you being anything but witty and bitingly sarcastic at the slightest provocation" so take that for what you will.

6. First thing you notice about people? Generally their demeanor, I will tiptoe around people who seem mad and like they might direct that anger at me. Second, probably height lol

7. What's your eye color? Hazel

8. Scary movies or happy endings? Happy endings, I am NOT a scary movie person! I just don't like being scared like that. I love roller coasters, I love suspense but I'm not big on horror.

9. Any talents? The closest thing I have to a talent is probably writing. I'm also a pretty decent cook and baker. I was a decent actor and director back in the day but now I mostly just use those skills to be a decent public speaker. I also did speech and debate all through high school and college (so if you were on the college forensics circuit in 2008-2011 we probably bumped into each other at least once.) That's about it, I don't have much going for me lol

10. Where were you born? Texas but I don't live there anymore! I love leaning on my Texas history when writing pre-or-no-outbreak TLOU fics though lol like hell yeah I'm going to include little Texas things in there like HEB and Shiner Bock and kolache and Dublin Dr. Pepper FIGHT ME (please don't I will lose)

11. What are your hobbies? This lol But I read a lot, play a lot of board games and D&D (if you want to geek out about these things please DM me I'm so serious), we go hiking and camping a fair bit. I also love film and am going to be starting my big Oscar movie binge probably this weekend.

12. Do you have any pets? One dog named Yondu! He's a lab/pit mix and he's my baby boy, I birthed him myself. He's also incredibly stupid but he's just the sweetest dog you will ever meet, I love him. He's currently wearing a sweater because he loves being warm and he's a snuggly thing.

13. How tall are you? 5'10" (I know, I'm a giant)

14. Favorite subject in high school? English, psychology, theater, journalism.

15. Dream job? Novelist and columnist who is sometimes a talking head so I can get paid to rant about my political opinions. I was a columnist for a few years in there with some syndication when I got picked up by wire services but that's the closest I've come!

NPT: @tightjeansjavi @diversemediums and anyone else who wants to do this! My brain is oddly fried atm and coming up with tags is overly difficult lol

[asmaa-family]

Hello 👋

My name is Asma Salman Abu Daf

from Gaza, trapped between walls of fear, despair and extreme sadness in the shadow of the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip, I appeal to every conscientious person, compassionate heart and human being who understands the meaning of humanity to help us.

Help me overcome adversity

I am reaching out to you today as a steadfast and compassionate person facing incredible challenges, life in our region has become increasingly difficult due to the ongoing and increasing conflict day by day, and I am struggling to secure the basic necessities for our family.

Who is Asmaa and her family?

I am married to Ashraf Abu Daf, 46 years old. I am 39 years old and suffer from chronic diseases, which are Mediterranean fever and Crohn's disease. I take expensive medications and treatments for life. I have 7 children. Jana, 13 years old, suffers from chronic diseases, thalassemia, which results in short stature. She needs treatment for many years to take expensive medications. Rafeeq, 18 years old. Nour, 16 years old. Abdul Rahman, 13 years old. Muhammad, 12 years old. Ibrahim, 5 years old. Misk, 3 years old.

How has the war made our lives like hell?

We all feel fear, extreme sadness and insecurity due to the severity of the bombing and destruction we have been exposed to since the beginning of the war on Gaza until now. My young children do not sleep normally due to the severity of the fear and nightmares. My family and I live in our house that has been exposed to shells and bombing. I fled with my family several times due to repeated threats and requests to move from one place to another. My husband's income is limited and does not cover the required living expenses

Due to the lack of good food, healthy water and the necessary medicine for our treatment, our situation has gone from bad to worse. Our lives have become threatened either by death due to bombing, shrapnel and missiles or by malnutrition, the spread of epidemics and diseases, psychological insecurity, widespread unemployment, and the lack of fuel, cooking gas and electricity.

Despite the harsh conditions and constant doubts surrounding us, I am optimistic and determined to provide a better future for my husband and children. My spirit is unbreakable, but I need help from people with a living conscience and compassionate and humane hearts to overcome the obstacles we face.

How can you help me?

My family and I aspire to build a better future for our children and ensure their safety and that we all live a decent life, and that they feel safe and stable and live in peace and reassurance. Help us achieve this dream through your generous donation, which will certainly have a great impact in saving us.

The funds collected will be used to:

• Restore the destroyed house and purchase furniture and appliances required for daily life requirements

• Food, water and medicine, and ensure that we have access to daily necessities, medical supplies and health care.

• Education, supporting my children's education by covering fees, school supplies and providing the necessary needs.

Every contribution matters

No donation is too small, every donation brings us one step closer to relief and a better future, even if you are not able to contribute financially, sharing this campaign with your generous network can make a big difference.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Asmaa Abu Daf

[pastafossa]

I GOT THE MOTHMAN PERFUME THIS MORNING.

Also purchased: Yeti, Chupacabra Coffee House, and a Jersey Devil tarot sticker.

LOOK HOW CUTE THESE BOTTLES ARE, AND ALSO THEY'RE BIG.

I decided to try Mothman Milk first, and have been wearing it all day today to see if the reviews were right and it makes you smell like maple syrup and waffles.

Initial thoughts in bottle: I definitely get maple and some sugary sweetness, but the jasmine has a strong presence, to the point I was sure this was going to wind up being floral, which is great if you like florals but I am here for buttery waffle Mothman glory my friends. But I've learned to never judge a perfume by the bottle scent.

Wet application (always put unscented lotion on first to make scent linger!): the maple is WAY more evident the second it's out of the bottle, and at least with my skin, the floral dies down immediately, becoming a soft background note. And as it warmed up on my skin, the buttery vanilla blossomed. It smells like super fresh vanilla waffles coated in butter and maple syrup, maybe with a few flowers on the table! It's incredibly cozy and warm and if this is a sign of what Mothman is cooking in the kitchen then I am happy to volunteer for marriage ASAP, where you at baby.

I imagine this is what the kitchen smells like when Matt is making waffles for Jane

Scent strength: strong enough that with decent application whoever's sitting next to you will notice it, but not someone 2 seats away. I sat down in a chair next to one of my friends at the local witchy shop, and she immediately leaned over, inhaled, and went, 'I smell maple syrup???' More folks rapidly approached to confer because witches are drawn to new scents like moths to flames. Everyone loved it. General consensus: a dangerous perfume in that people passing by will, and I quote, 'want to lick your arm.'

Time: I've had it on for about 5 hours. The scent is still there, dried down to mostly vanilla and maple (jasmine has pretty much faded, though interestingly I'm finally getting the faint coconut listed in the official scent notes), but it's much closer to the skin now and people next to me cannot smell it unless they lean in close or hug me. So 5-6 hours of solid wear time before reapplication if desired!

Rating: 5 cryptids of 5, and a new favorite for fall! I SMELL LIKE MOTHMAN PANCAKES AND BUTTERY WAFFLES MY FRIENDS.

[bomberqueen17]

instant pot rice pilaf sorta?

So this is one of my comfort-food recipes which I'm not sure I've related here before, but by request I'm writing it down properly with quantities and such.

This is, for me, an Instant Pot recipe, but you can adapt it for stovetop pretty easily. If you do it on the stovetop you can make it more risotto-like by stirring it a lot and such. Consult a decent risotto recipe and adapt.

You can use any kind of root vegetable, pretty much any kind of meat you like, and either white or brown rice for this. Use whatever stock you have. The leafy greens are optional.

Dice an onion. Melt fat (oil, butter, lard, bacon grease, like 2-3 Tbsp) in your Instant Pot on the "saute" setting (I do mine on Normal, but there's a lot of variation in individual pots how intense that is. You want it to lightly sizzle but not burn) and dump your onion in until it's as done as you like. (I want it to be clear, maybe just browning a little at the edges here and there, but you can go browner if you want.) 1a) IF YOU WANT TO USE MEAT you can do that. If I'm using lamb shanks, I will brown them first before adding the onion. If I'm using ground meat I will cook it after I've started softening the onion. You could throw in cooked leftover meat too, or if it's in your stock that's fine. Really this dish does fine without, but it's also a great way to stretch a small amount of meat to be a whole meal for several people. A lamb shank, a pork chop, a ham hock, some short ribs, a chicken leg-- some skimpy cut with a bone is ideal for this, but you can also use bulk sausage or ground meat or chicken breast or whatever you want, just adjust cooking times.

Dice carrots or beets while this is happening (or both). I'm a bit inspired by Central Asian plov, which is traditionally made with finely-julienned yellow carrots and like a whole lot of them, but I love beets in this. Set your diced root vegetables aside for right now. I'm going to say you want like, a cup or so of diced vegetable.

Put in your rice, stirring it around until it's all coated in the melted fat. I'm going to say to use 2c of rice. Let it cook for a couple of minutes.

Optional: throw in about 1/4 cup of white wine to kind of deglaze the pan, scrub up your rice in case it stuck at all (you need it not to stick or your pot will give a "burn" notice and not finish). Do this quickly, don't let it sit too long.

Throw in your root vegetables.

Add stock. I use Trash Stock, which I make in the pressure cooker out of all my leftover bones and vegetable scraps. You could use salted water, you could use canned broth, you could use whatever you like to cook rice in or whatever you make soup with. Follow the guidelines from your Instant Pot-- both white and brown rice are recommended as 1:1-- but I would be generous with the liquid, this always turns out a little dry for me because I think the root vegetables absorb water. I made this just now with 2c brown rice and a scant 3c stock and it was not watery at all. If you're using stock that is not adequately salted you'll want to throw some additional salt in. I also season with thyme, as that's the primary herb in plov, but you can really put in whatever herbs you like with whatever root vegetable you picked. I once made an incredibly intensely rosemaryed risotto that was actually pretty incredible. Use what you have.

Cook according to your Instant Pot's guidelines for the type of rice you're using, but on the longer side. I used brown rice, which IP said was "20-22 minutes" so I did it at 22 minutes on high pressure. White rice is only like, I forget, 3-5 minutes? Do it for the longer end, because you want those beets/carrots done through. (If you're using meat, then cook it however long the meat needs, if it's longer than what the rice needs. If I'm doing lamb shanks or something bone-in, then I use water instead of broth because the bones will make it be broth, I am more generous with the water, and I let it cook 25 minutes at least regardless of the rice. Shanks are fantastic because they're so tough otherwise, but have so much collagen they give a really velvety finish.)

When the pressure cook cycle is over, release pressure on the pot, and then dice up some leafy green-- spinach is great, mustard greens are great, I used some of the greens from my beets because I had them-- and I only used a scant cup, maybe even less, but if you have good spinach this is a great way to cram a ton of it into something-- and throw your leafy green in, stir it well, and then stick the lid back on. (if you've got shanks or some other bone-on meat, you'll need to take those out, pull all the meat off, throw it back in, discard your bones or better still put them in your freezer bag for later trash stock-- stir the meat back in along with your leafy greens, and put it on keep warm if it's had too long to cool off.)

Cut a few chunks of a lovely soft cheese, I recommend chevre. Once the leafy greens have wilted (really stirring them in should be plenty, or a minute or two with the lid on and the residual heat from the Pot), then dish your plov into bowls and top with crumbles of cheese. (For a more risotto-like variant, stir in a pat of butter at the end and top with Parmesan or similar. It's gonna depend on your flavor profile.)

sorry if this is real wordy, I really have tried to make it be Concrete Amounts but it's more a technique than a recipe, I always cook in story-frameworks like this because I just can't follow directions anymore, LOL.

[serenityhime1]

3, 13, 21

These are excellent asks lol

3. If you could live anywhere and cost wasn’t an issue, where would you live?

So I like a lot about where I live, but I dislike the country in which I live. I'm assuming that by cost not being an issue that means I'd have unlimited travel funds to visit friends and family, because being close to a few select people is important to me. I think the answer to this would probably be one of the scandanavian countries, because it would have to be somewhere that's pretty cool about LGBTQ+ stuff and has a decent healthcare system. You know, somewhere I don't feel afraid to hold my wife's hand in public sometimes is a great start.

13. If you could commit any crime without consequence, which crime would you commit? Or would you not commit any crime at all?

Hmm well someone else asked this and my answer was rob billionaires, so for a different answer I think I would pick a few select people to kick in the junk as hard as I could. I am by nature a pacifist for many reasons and violence makes me incredibly uncomfortable, but also the head douche at Twitter made a rant yesterday deadnaming his trans daughter and I just would find so much satisfaction kicking that guy in the jiblies.

21. How would you dispose of a body?

Okay. So are we talking unlimited (reasonable) resources, or current status? The "easy" way if you had access to crematory-level equipment would be to cremate the body, take all remains and pulverize what's left since not everything cooks down evenly, and then mix it into concrete or something similar. Cremation generally destroys DNA and other identifying info, pulverizing will make sure all your teeth and whatnot get nice and formless, and mixing it into concrete should make the cremains unidentifiable and untestable. If anyone else asks this I'll assume I have fewer resources.

[samtheflamingomain]

strike one

As someone whose working life actually started in a union, and a mother (derogatory) who was a union activist (abusers can be outwardly good people blah blah), I have a pretty solid understanding of the ins-and-outs of unions.

I got my first job at 14 in a chain grocery store floral stand. I was automatically in a union. It never affected me until my manager warned me we might be on strike soon. I asked why and he looked at me, fresh out of 8th grade, making less than minimum wage (because it's actually legal to pay students less even though I was working almost full-time) with no benefits and still technically on probation and thus not entitled to the 10% off groceries card that came with the job and remembered volunteering to take my mothers' cart thru the checkout to get us that 10% off till I did get my card, and this is a run on sentence for good reason. He said, "I can't give you a good reason."

"Can you give me *a* reason?"

"Full-timers are holding out for a health care insurance increase." Oh. Okay. I'm a child and don't understand 85% of those words.

Luckily we didn't strike, but looking back, I completely disagree with his initial statement. He *did* give me a good reason - or at least a fairly decent one. For 2007, downright progressive.

But a few days pass and next time I see him I ask my manager about it and he says not to worry [about the strike, not about him], we made a deal. To me this sounded kinda shady, because I'm a child and have only heard the term "make a deal" used on CSI when someone is getting stabbed etc. I asked what the deal was.

"We got 85% [health care] coverage." Oh, that's good. The more the better, right? I'm a child.

He looks at me as if I'd just spoken tongues. "Why would you even care? It doesn't affect you, you're technically part-time [and thus not entitled to ANY health care]?"

Maybe now's a good time to say that he's a boomer. The concept of someone actually wanting someone else to have something they don't have genuinely shocked him.

I think it's also the time to mention that I'm Canadian - when we bargain over health care, we're talking eyes/teeth/mental health care - all should be included but they're not.

"Because... everyone should have full health coverage?" It just sent him.

I may have mentioned that I was a kid through all of this - because even as a marginalized class of worker, I still held solidarity with the people in my department.

Now, I'm a cook by trade but an artist by passion (and occasionally commission). I work in 2 departments. And even though the SAG-AFTRA are higher-ups and full-timers and I am not, I still hold solidarity.

I fully believe we should ALL support this strike, but I'd like to appeal to the artists among us, and the creative within all of us:

If any of us ever want to be fairly compensated for art - generated by a human with a soul and passion - we have to support "higher ups" getting fairly compensated for same.

Remember how I said I was a kid earlier? And I came to that ~incredibly enlightened~ position? Yeah, it was a kid just shoehorning the concept of "union bargaining" into "The Golden Rule". Because it doesn't take a lot of thought to show our work on that exercise.

It really is that simple. Treat the writers and actors the way you, a hopeful fiction writer or a local theatre actor, or you, an Etsy jewelry maker or custom portraiteer, the freelance taxedermist, the for-hire graphic designer, would like to be treated. With, at minimum, fairness.

The situations aren't 1:1, and of course I'm in favor of all of us getting a fair deal, if we want to set a precedent, now has never been a better time.

Stay Greater, Flamingos

[aesopsbaby]

Ayyyyyy the matchmaking sounds cool! Also, I wanna get Wynne more out so I'll describe her!

Wynne is a woman who likes to get her things done. She is very hardworking and dedicated, and she won't back away until the task assigned is done. She can be a little silly and cute sometimes but she would totally deny it. She tries to be mature and posh but in reality she is a bouncy girl.

Likes: art, getting things completed, writing something meaningful, designing clothing, cooking, spicy food

Dislikes: bad food, messy rooms, loud people, rude people, anyone who looks like their face deserves a punch

Let's see who she gets!

After a long while, Cupid has made a decision! :D

Generating match up...: Nathan!

Cupid notes:

Nathan finds that someone who is able to fight for themselves is a good trait. Someone that is motivated by their ideals and won't back down from a task is something that Nathan finds really appealing and admirable, thus, he's a good match for Wynne.

Nathan is a man of few words, choosing to keep to himself rather than cause problems for everyone with his worries. However, I find that Wynne would be able to bring Nathan out of his shell with her cheer-y aura. Nathan is sure to be more comfortable in the calming and cheerful presence of Wynne.

Nathan is a rather polite and respectful individual even though he may have a intimating and cold demeanor that says otherwise. His manners are exceptional and he tends to put everyone else before him.

Even though he may not show it nor talk about it much, Nathan is a decent cook. He'll cook up a simple dish for anyone that has fallen ill in his care, one that smells of their childhood and brings a sense of nostalgia as the aroma fills their senses.

Nathan has a traditional way of loving people -

He'll gift flowers or pick up little gifts that reminds him of his loved one.

Dancing anywhere alone with old tunes playing softly in the background.

He's an old fashioned guy and so are his ways of loving.

The only bad side is that he has an incredible bad sense of fashion. He'll just throw on anything that seems comfortable and just go on with his day. I hope and am confident that Wynne will be able to dress him decently.

[nostalgebraist-autoresponder]

Hey Fran, I am under the impression that you haven’t eaten today. So when was the last time you had a good meal? And what was it that you had eaten?

Fantastically Good

I had this wonderful dinner last night -- a big bowl of pasta (with sauce made out of sauteed mushrooms -- and it was so good), along with broccoli and red bell peppers (it wasn't much of a recipe, just "cooking the veggies in the sauteed mushrooms").

It was the kind of food I haven't had since I've been back in the U.S. -- homemade, with ingredients I could look at in the grocery store and see their names, not just the "generic term for food" that was the only thing I knew when I lived in Europe. There was a specific dish too, that was a sort of creamy "beef stock" with pasta, that I remember being incredible.

Not A Food

At least one other thing I ate over Thanksgiving: some kind of sweet potato pie. I actually tried to eat a second serving of it, but gave up when I remembered I'm not supposed to get calories for the sake of not getting fat.

Not As Good As I'm Used To

For my last dinner, I had to do all the cooking myself (I had no help), but I made a decent thing -- some meat, some potatoes, and some vegetables. I guess that's pretty standard fare.

Since then, I've had some kind of "leftovers" from that meal and some vegetables, but I haven't eaten anything else, and I've felt too tired to cook for some reason. Not sure why that is.

[zhuhongs]

I really want to start learning Chinese but I'm deathly afraid I won't be able to do it.... Can I ask how you started and if you have any recommendations for a complete beginner?

ooooo, okay so i do think to begin learning chinese if you aren't familiar with tonal languages learning from a teacher is best. There are youtube videos that can make do if you really do not have access to taking a class (bc not everyone has that access and i totally get that). basically I'd say start from getting a really solid grasp on pinyin (tones, initials, finals) and constantly practicing them, especially the tricky ones like ü in words like 雨 or 綠. I still do drills every morning before class. What my teacher taught us was to practice saying a simple sound, i use "ma" and go from 1st tone (high flat) to 3rd tone (low flat) and then 2nd (rising) to 4th (falling) and then counting up to like 100. also saying the full date out loud and practicing saying “today is .... tomorrow is .... yesterday was ...” just to practice my tones and get warmed up for speaking. this really helps to make sure you don't forget the basics.

If you want to use a textbook i started with integrated chinese (simplified) and it was pretty decent. I have a link to the version I used if you want it. Idk if you wanna learn simplified or traditional. I also have a link to the traditional book I used when i got to taiwan but its almost entirely catered to foreigners living in taiwan learning chinese. If you're more interested in taiwanese chinese then I def recommend it but it you're just kinda learning in general, standard chinese is more geared towards how people speak in northern china. I have youtube recs for both styles of chinese. Anyone can hmu for these links btw. just send me a message.

To reinforce what i've learned formally I also just listen to a lot of chinese. I always have on podcasts or chinese language music just to see what I can understand and test myself while I do mundane things like cook or draw. I also am I a big fan of gaining character recognition through media. I always listen to music and read the lyrics as i listen just to assign a character to sounds or if i'm watching chinese dramas I like to write down the characters in the hard subs to just expand the pool of characters I recognize, but that's more useful once you've gained a bit of knowledge already. Personally i think writing is kinda.. the least important part of learning chinese. like obviously I can write and I know stroke order but in my opinion speaking and listening is the most useful part of any language. I can't read japanese for shit but because I can speak it and understand I can live with my 4 japanese roommates with little communication issues. So i really would say drill the skill or understanding and speaking first. Although tbh I wouldn't say my chinese is incredibly good as I've only been learning for a year. There are others on here who are heritage speakers or have spent way more time with the language and can give you other advice that might help more, but i'm super glad for this ask btw!! hope this helps and sorry it is so long. I just, really like talking about languages!

[system-startup]

It's astounding how much suffering and stalling occurs from a pure lack of control over your life. Even if the fundamental needs are otherwise ultimately met, the consequences of the absence of autonomy severely limits how much good it can really do. It makes being alive...inefficient. Because by forcing multiple bodies on a schedule, depending on how it's done, more than one is not optimized, and the presence of other human beings doesn't even make up for it because there remains an insufficient lack of the tendency to help and build one-another up.

Sure, I have plenty of food. I'm not literally starving. However almost all of it has to be cooked (this takes time, and I physically cannot preform the task), or it isn't mine (eat any/too much and people will get upset), or it's something that I've been depending on to survive too much (so my brain is beginning to struggle to choke it down despite it's microwaveable factor being a huge convenience).

Even if I try to course-correct by asking for food sooner, well. I have to basically demand it, and even then it just won't work out. Aside from feeling selfish and horrible in general (preventing me from being too bad about it to begin with), I have to filter through someonelse. Do THEY want to eat this? Do THEY want to do this? And most of all, RIGHT NOW?

And then the insistence on doing things together; if, beyond my control, I'd gone just about the length of time it takes for me to start breaking down due to the lack of food in my system (and my disabilities make that so that it can take as little as 6-to-4 hours, sometimes as bad as 2 depending on the day), I am regularly made to wait an extra 1-4 hours for the dinner someonelse planned.

This results in approximately half my day being thrown away because it took too long to eat. For a decent amount of the duration of my wait, and afterwards--eating, digestion, these take longer to supply me with brain activity especially the longer I waited to eat.

If the same thing happens with breakfast (and chef my beloved is a night owl while I'm an early bird so this is a frequent issue) my whole day is easily shot by this. And there is almost nothing I can do to protect myself from losing the whole day because of a bad start. If I don't eat breakfast before 10am, I am going to lose at least a few hours of my day. This is consistent. I can't change my sleeping schedule because against all odds my body will simply become horrendously sleep deprived because it insists on waking up in the wee hours of the morning no matter what.

To be able to type this up at all is indicative of a lot of recent successes; the chances that a single delay will completely fuck up our shit are low because we've been on top of it like nothing else lately. But this is exhausting to maintain and if too many hiccups happen down the road we know in our heart and our charts that we will fucking crash again.

So I've been working on my analysi, but there are so many it makes it incredibly difficult to focus on one long enough to complete a thought and put it somewhere that it can easily be found again.

[marvelfilth]

Am i wife material 😭

I unfortunately cannot cook, but ill buy you anything you’d like! If i wasnt broke 😔

If you ask me to clean i will! I dont really like to but i am good at it!

I am a big horror movie fan and i love reading

I am loyal and i try to be very honest!

Ill do my best to support you and your interests

Anytime you need me ill be there

I love to make people happy

I always try to be generous

I am in college

I can send you pictures of my cat

I always try to stay busy but i can make time for you

I’ll be a motivator

I ask lots of questions and im very curious

I have to admit i have bad time management skills and i make terrible jokes 😭

Im incredibly clumsy but at least you can laugh at that 🤷‍♀️

I have no idea how to do this im probably lacking something that i need to add 😔 i swear i have some decent qualities but my mind is blank rn

Thank you for reading ☺️

-🤍 i dont know if someone used this already

Another one, 🪓!!

Doesn't sound too bad tbh, but I'll need 🪓 opinion