#arm yourselves

[lvdy-mizry]

To trans youth in the USA (or anyone else who feels helpless)

First of all, I see you, and I love you, and I'm glad you're here.

Secondly, you are not as helpless as you think! (Source: I'm a 24 year old trans person who was 16 when Trump was elected the first time)

I know a lot of you feel there's nothing you can do because you can't vote, or you may live with people or in areas that are red. But this IS NOT TRUE! I am about to give you the most important piece of advice I can possibly think to give you

Read.

I am so incredibly serious. I want you to hoard information and books and knowledge like a dragon. I want you to read every book you can get your hands on. I want you to collect books, real physical books, if you can. I want you to save articles and information as PDFs on physical flash drives or hard drives. Not the cloud, not google drive, hard files.

Pay attention in your classes! Pay attention in history, in math, in English, in science, even if it's hard or boring (I never passed a math class in my LIFE until I went to college). And I want you to fact check everything you learn, not just with a google search, but with physical books and documents if you can. Get a library card, get to know your librarians, learn your history.

THINK CRITICALLY!!!!! The curtains are never just blue, I'm going to need you to really really think and pay attention. Learn how to observe, learn how to listen, learn how to stop and really examine an idea before you subscribe to it. The enemy of fascist ideology is knowledge, is thought. Do not let them take that from you.

Read books by black women, by trans people, by people of color, by disabled people, by indigenous people. I want you to be hungry for knowledge, I want you to thirst for ideas and information. And I want you to preserve those stories and those voices. I need you to learn and remember. I want you to learn about foraging, about history, about art, about revolution, about medicine and law. Save recipes and medical records. Learn about governments, learn about human history, learn about artists and poets and public speakers. Learn about people who are and are not like you, learn about your history and the history of others around you.

Get connected with one another, make zines and exchange information. The days of inter-community conflict are OVER, it's go time. Your most important job right now is to learn and to read and to keep your eyes open. Look out for one another, keep asking questions, keep creating and being open to new ideas.

The most punk thing you can be right now is a fucking librarian. Start reading!!!! Keep hard copies, hand write things, keep flash drives, keep books, hoard the history they would strip from you. They can't take away your brains, use them to their fullest potential no matter how hard they try to stop you.

Invest in your ability to think, it's going to save your life

[beardedmrbean]

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Hundreds of pro-Palestinian protestors made their way through the streets of Philadelphia Sunday night as they demanded a permanent cease-fire in Gaza. What they did outside of a Jewish restaurant drew harsh criticism from local and federal leaders.

The White House on Monday joined Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro in calling what happened in Center City "antisemitic" and "completely unjustifiable." Shapiro on Sunday night called it a "blatant act of antisemitism."

The pro-Palestinian protestors gathered in Rittenhouse Square and marched through the area and University City, including the University of Pennsylvania campus.

In a Facebook post, the Philadelphia Free Palestine Coalition had urged supporters to "flood the streets" Sunday night.

Video posted on social media showed demonstrators also made their way to Samson Street, where they gathered outside the Jewish restaurant Goldie, one of several restaurants in the city owned by Philadelphia-based Israeli chef Michael Solomonov.

The group of protestors is accused of shouting antisemitic remarks, and stickers with pro-Palestinian slogans were reportedly left on the doors, though when CBS Philadelphia checked back early Monday morning they had been removed.

Video of the crowd outside Goldie was posted on social media around 5:30 p.m. Sunday. Later that night, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro released a statement on X (formerly Twitter) in response to the clip, writing, "Tonight in Philly, we saw a blatant act of antisemitism — not a peaceful protest. A restaurant was targeted and mobbed because its owner is Jewish and Israeli. This hate and bigotry is reminiscent of a dark time in history."

Shapiro said in another post that he reached out to Solomonov and the team at Goldie to share his support.

White House spokesperson Andrew Bates said in a statement it's "completely unjustifiable to target restaurants that serve Israeli food over disagreements with Israeli policy."

Bates continued, "This behavior reveals the kind of cruel and senseless double standard that is a calling card of antisemitism. President Biden has fought against the evil of antisemitism his entire life, including by launching the first national strategy to counter this hate in American history. He will always stand up firmly against these kinds of undignified actions."

Congressmember Brendan Boyle also weighed in Sunday night, writing, "I can't believe I even have to say this, but targeting businesses simply because they're Jewish owned is despicable. Philadelphia stands against this story of harassment and hate."

Solomonov owns multiple restaurants in the city under the banner CookNSolo, including Zahav, Laser Wolf and K'Far Cafe. Following the start of the Israel-Hamas war in October, Solomonov announced he would donate 100% of all sales to Friends of United Hatzalah, a nonprofit emergency medical service.

CBS Philadelphia has reached out to the group that organized Sunday night's rally but has yet to hear back.

[chaos-n-kindness]

The ✨beautiful women✨ are back, boys

[scripture-pictures]

[psykoticrefuge]

If it's safe in your hands, get a gun.

I hate it, like with every fiber of my being, I hate the above advice. I'd rather say "buy the dress" "get those jeans" "of course you need a new packer" "let's rework the wardrobe for YOU"

But this is what it is. Cis people refused to do anything. So if it's safe in your hands, get defense ready.

[kingprinceleo]

just kinda a thing i wanted to say since ik i have younger artists following me (its applicable to everyone really, but very important to form care habits as early as possible) i read about others artists experiencing pain from overworking and i always thought to myself, i wouldnt let that happen to me, im real young, i still have time before i have to worry about really damaging my body

but your body really doesnt care, if you push yourself, if you ignore the pain, its going to fuck you up. maybe for the rest of your life please god take care of yourself when you draw, write, game, literally anything. stretch your wrists, fingers, dont keep your elbow in a locked a position for too long, especially dont lean on your elbows. get up around every 45 minutes, drink water, eat food, use the bathroom, stretch your whole body and your hands again. walk outside and let your eyes readjust your body is trying to communicate with you for a reason when you start hurting, please listen to it, be kind to yourself, you deserve it

[mainalias]

thinking about compiling screenshots of golden/silver age batman exclusively calling dick his ward to combat the allegations that it was “initially a father-child relationship”

[saturdaysky]

so, sometimes when you draw the indulgently evil shadowgast art lurking in your daydreams, said art turns into a full-on homicide scene. what can i say? it's fun to watch the blorbos put other people in blenders for a change.

A close-up:

More sketches and other things under the cut.

The sketch from way back when! I free-handed some of the anatomy here, and it got me into trouble later. Don't be like me; use references.

And of course, our WIP bean buddies, plus another silly sketch that happened along the way. "Sky, what are they thinking about?" What, indeed.

Cheers, all 🧡

[reality-detective]

I'll just leave this 👆 here.

[nesperus]

what do you do when your arm itches?

[fraterfalls]

AHAHAHA! FINALLY, I HAVE FULL CONTROL OF THE ASKBLOG! TOOK LONG ENOUGH FOR THEM TO LEAVE THIS OLD PIECE OF JUNK ALONE.

I SEE YOU’VE ALL BEEN WATCHING OVER THE PINES LATELY! THEY’RE AN INTERESTING BUNCH, ‘SPECIALLY THE STANS, WITH ALL THAT BAGGAGE! SURE MAKES ‘EM FUN TO MESS WITH- IT ALMOST MAKES UP FOR HOW DIFFICULT THEY CAN BE, HAHA!

BUT ENOUGH ABOUT THEM; ABOUT YOU! I’VE BEEN WATCHING YOU ALL MYSELF, AND I SURE HOPE I’M RIGHT TO ASSUME YOU’RE LESS UPTIGHT THAN THAT KILLJOY SIXER! THIS PLACE ISN'T EVEN HALF AS EXCITING AS I EXPECTED! IT'S JUST A CHARMLESS BROWN VOID!

POINT IS, ASK ME QUESTIONS! SEND ME PICTURES! DO YOUR WORST! I’M GETTIN' REAL BORED DOWN HERE! YOU DON’T WANNA SEE WHAT HAPPENS WHEN I GET BORED!

[seresuns]

[via ig/laurajquinn x]

[foxpunk]

i think everyone who is reblogging that post about how horrible and creepy and fucked up it is to speculate about someone being possibly trans needs to

1) think about why/when these speculations are being made. context matters. are they harassing or crossing boundaries of anyone specific/an actual concrete person, or simply making comments to themselves, to friends, or in a general open online area.

2) ask yourself if it is actually so bad and harmful to say someone could be trans.

3) ask yourself if these speculations about transness actually uphold gender norms. does being trans upholds gender norms. is a trans woman reinforcing stereotype if she wears makeup, or is a transmasc reinforcing stereotype if they get top surgery. why do trans people, especially trans women, do these things. if these actual actions are okay for trans people to do as their form of gender expression, then is this actually bad to simply speculate about.

4) ask yourself if you've heard this shit before like. does this at all bring to mind how straight people found it offensive to be speculated as gay, and the subsequent gross backlash against gay people helping anyone out of the closet, and the movement of "let bros be bros" gaining more attention/priority than. yknow. simply normalizing people being gay and that not being a bad thing or an insult to think someone may be gay.

5) most importantly: who is making these speculations. is it "people" in general like the post says or is it fellow trans people, who know what it is like to be closeted with no info, no other trans people to talk to, no way to explore themselves safely until someone says something first. and is it trans people or specifically trans women, who are especially vulnerable to these things. are these trans women actually being harmful or do you view trans womens' personal speculations as inherently forceful, creepy, and invasive.

6) ask yourself why that may be.

7) be honest.

[anthyies]

this is how it feels to tell your parents that you don’t want to shave

[sleepyorc]

i go into the orc tag and it’s almost entirely spam bots posting the same link to some phishing website or something, so i’m gonna go get my axe and do some “reporting”

[squigglywindy]

Never in my life have I experienced a more chaotic 12 hours. *Checks lunar calendar*. Yup, checks out.

Anyway, I’m tired and hungry and all of the things and with that being said.

Who here is hydrated and fed?