#climate awareness t-shirts

[harry86bsworld]

Arm the Trees

[joeys-babe]

Joey B Imagines: Let It Snow*

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Summary: You and Joe have a chill day, playing games and enjoying each other’s company while it snows outside. Of course, though, Joe can't contain himself for too long…

Warnings: Smut, fluff

Pairing: Joe Burrow x reader

Imagine universe: Everlasting Love

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December 23, 2023

“Joe! It’s snowing!” - you

“Hm.” - Joe mumbled

I had just rolled out of bed to peek out of one of the bedroom windows, suspecting that the extra light seeping through the blinds was because of an all-white climate.

Joe was lying on his stomach still in bed, not exactly caring about the snow as much as you. 

“Get back in bed.” - Joe

Something about his husky morning voice had me immediately obeying, and I crawled back into bed next to my boyfriend.

“Tired from last night?” - you grinned

“You mean my full-body workout? Yes.” - Joe

“It was so good, though.” - you

“Trynna get me goin’?” - Joe

“No…” - you giggled

Joe rolled over onto his back, the sheet falling in the process showcasing his semi-erect cock.

I heard him mumble a curse before pulling the sheet back up to cover his manhood.

“Want me to take care of that?” - you grinned

“I don't want you to feel pressured to…” - Joe

Leaning forward to place a hand on his chest, I leaned my face close to his but didn't exactly meet his lips.

“You know I can't get enough of you, baby. Fuck me? Please?” - you

Joe sat and stared at me for a second, feeling his cock get even harder at my request.

“Joey, I want you inside me.” - you

Those gorgeous blue eyes darkened to a color only of the depths of the ocean. Slowly and sensually Joe smashed his lips onto mine.

I let one hand wander under the sheet where I firmly wrapped my hand around Joe’s length. He immediately moaned into the kiss and dropped a hand down himself to slip under my t-shirt.

With my hand pumping him with no restraint, Joe now moving two thick fingers inside me, our hands moved in tandem, and we were both getting closer to release.

“Ho-ly shit…” - Jow grunted into the kiss

“Joey, fuck!” - you

A minute later, there was pearly precum on Joe’s tip and I desperately wanted a taste. Breaking away from the kiss and letting go of his shaft, Joe looked at me confused, but soon he'd be watching me suck his essence into my mouth.

“I’m close, baby.” - Joe

“Me… too.” - you moaned

Joe moaned when my pace got quicker, and his noises only made me closer.

Not even a minute later, Joe and I were moaning in each other's mouths as we climaxed simultaneously.

I hissed when Joe pulled his fingers out, but his peppering of small kisses on my cheeks while whispering words of praise comforted me.

“You did so good for me, baby. I know you said you wanted me inside you but I promise you'll get it later. Right now let's go get in a shower.” - Joe

I nodded and tried to get out of bed, but my legs, which were still slightly shaking from that intense orgasm, almost gave out on me.

Joe shuffled out of the bed and made his way over to me, picking me up bridal style and carrying me into the bathroom to have a relaxing shower.

——

An hour later, Joe and I were cuddled up on the couch, eating breakfast omelets and watching a Christmas movie that I forced him to watch.

“You really had to pick Home Alone?” - Joe

“It’s a classic!” - you giggled at his glare

“Are you unaware of the comparison between me and Kevin?” - Joe

“Nope. I'm fully aware, but I don't think you look like him.” - you

“Really?” - Joe

“Mhm.” - you bit your lip trying not to laugh

“y/n.” - Joe groaned, clearly annoyed

“I’m just kidding. Also, I'm kinda getting bored… what do you wanna do?” - you

I watched Joe pull his phone out and quickly type something with furrowed eyebrows. When he stopped moving his thumbs, he let out a deep sigh.

“Roads are closed, so we're stuck here. Wanna play a board game or something?” - Joe

“You gonna behave when you get beat?” - you

“Who said I'm getting beat?” - Joe

“I did.” - you laughed

Joe rolled his eyes before standing up from the couch and taking our empty plates into the kitchen. He placed them into the sink before heading towards the hallway closet where he kept his games.

After pulling a few things out of the game box, he walked back over to the couch and put them on the coffee table.

“Uno… Clue… Operation… and I have Chutes and Ladders.” - Joe

I picked up the Chutes and Ladders box, laughing as I read over the various text boxes.

“Age 2 to 4?” - you laughed

“For when my nephews are over! It's pretty fun though, sometimes they make me play with them.” - Joe

Looking at his face to see he was serious, I picked up the Clue box and sat it between us.

“We’ve got all day, we can pass some time with this since it takes a while.” - you

“Okay.” - Joe smiles

——

It was a little under an hour later, and Joe and I had finished Clue a little bit ago. Now we were playing Operation.

“Why am I so fucking nervous?” - Joe held the tweezers

I laughed at his comment. His usual calm, cool, and collected attitude faltered over a board game.

“Help him, Joe! He's got a damn pencil in his hand!” - you laughed

“Stop it! You're gonna mess me up!” - Joe

His shaky hands lowered the tweezers, and before he could even come in contact with the object inside, his hand jerked and hit the wall.

Joe jumped back when he got shocked, I know it didn't hurt that bad, so it was probably more of a subconscious reaction.

“Shit!” - Joe

“Aww, c’mere, baby.” - you

I laid down and pulled Joe on top of me, his head finding a comfortable spot between my breasts as I played with his hair.

“That was scary, huh?” - you babied him

“Mhm.” - Joe mumbled and let his eyes flutter shut

“Poor baby.” - you rubbed his back, feeling him immediately relax against you

Pressing little kisses on his forehead as I continued running my fingers through his hair, I watched a little smile form on his lips.

“I don't want you to go.” - Joe mumbled

“Oh, Joey. I don't want to go either. Tomorrow’s my last full day so we have to make it last.” - you

Abruptly, Joe shot up and hopped off the couch.

“Joe, where are you going?” - you

“Hold on!” - Joe

I watched him run up the stairs, a minute later coming back with a box in his hand.

“If you think this is cringe, we don't have to do it, but I bought this…” - Joe

He sat back down on the couch and sat an unopened box on my lap. After reading the box and looking at the picture, I realized that they were Lego flowers.

“Aww, Joe, it’s not cringe at all. I think it's sweet actually. Do you want to build it right now?” - you

My heart warmed when I watched his face light up.

“You want to? Actually?” - Joe

“Yeah.” - you smiled

“Okay.” - Joe smiled back

A few minutes later we had the bags distributed between the two of us and started building.

My back was against the armrest and my legs were draped over Joe’s lap.

This was probably the most content I’d ever felt, just sitting here with my boyfriend as we built Legos.

“Hey, Joe?” - you

“Mhm?” - Joe

“I love you.” - you

“I love you too.” - Joe looked up and gave you a smile

——

I hadn’t had my last bite of dinner fully chewed up when Joe whisked me off of the barstool and ran with me up the stairs.

“Joey! What are you taking me!” - you giggled

“Pound-town.” - Joe singsonged

When we got into the bedroom, Joe tossed me onto the bed and slipped his shirt off over his head.

Joe then took my shirt off of me, which was his, and slipped his hand around my back to take my bra off.

“Fuck… you're so pretty.” - Joe

My chest was bare for him, the only thing left on me being my pants and the ‘J’ necklace adorning my neck.

Taking a peek down at the clothes Joe still had on, I saw that his shorts were already tented.

“Joe, can we just get right to it? I want you so bad…” - you

“Whatever you need.” - Joe smiled

“I need you inside me.” - you whined

“Be more specific, baby. You want my tongue inside you? My fingers?” - Joe

“Your cock, please.” - you

Joe stepped back from the bed, pulling his shorts and boxers down in one go. Then crawled back on top of me.

He gripped the waistband of my leggings and pulled them down my legs before tossing them to the side unceremoniously.

“God, you're soaked.” - Joe groaned

“Boy, stop staring at it and get inside it.” - you

Seemingly within seconds, Joe lined himself up and trusted his entire length inside.

I immediately moaned and reached for his waist, trying to slow down his torturous pace.

“No, you wanted to be a smartass so fucking take it. Don't try to slow me the fuck down.” - Joe

His tip was meeting my cervix with each thrust, and I watched Joe’s face contort from pure pleasure.

“I wish I could be inside you forever.” - Joe moaned

“Shit, Joey!” - you

There was no better feeling than this. Having Joe balls deep inside of me, feeling every vein and dip of his member.

“You feel so good, damn it.” - Joe groaned

“So… do you!” - you

Joe dropped his head onto my shoulder, his mouth closer to my ear, giving me the ability to hear his small moans better.

“Yes! Right there!” - you moaned

“Here?” - Joe groaned

He planned that last thrust to be harder, and now Joe’s pace was getting uneven.

“Joe.” - you

“Mhm.” - Joe grunted

“Turn us.” - you

“What?” - Joe lifted his head from your shoulder

“Shit, let me ride you.” - you

Joe leaned up and grabbed my waist, flipping us over to where I was on his lap.

“Fuck!” - Joe

This new angle had him reaching new depths as I continuously bounced on his lap.

“Oh god.” - Joe’s

I watched Joe’s head fall back with his mouth open and eyes shut.

He was totally blissed out.

“Just like that… you’re perfect!” - Joe moaned

Falling forward to where my chin was on his shoulder, I tilted my head to the side and quietly moaned Joe’s name into his ear.

The feeling of his cock twitching inside me had my walls fluttering around him, and Joe grabbed my waist.

With his hands on my waist, Joe pulled me off of him and slammed his entire length back inside, causing both of us to moan loudly.

“I’m gonna come!” - you

Joe reached a hand down and pinched my clit with enough force to unleash my orgasm.

The feeling of my walls squeezing Joe’s member became too much for him. Just a few seconds later, Joe buried himself deep inside me and came.

“Oh, y/n!” - Joe moaned and hid his face in your neck

After a couple of seconds of heavy breathing, Joe rolled us over onto our sides and slowly pulled out.

Joe draped a blanket over me and hopped out of bed, going to the bathroom and returning with a damp warm washcloth.

He laid back down next to me and gently parted my legs to clean me up.

“Thanks.” - you sleepily mumbled

“Of course, you did so well, baby.” - Joe

I cuddled up into his bare chest, relishing the warmth his body emitted and the softness of his skin. I wish we could always be this close.

The thought of leaving Cincinnati in two days made me sad. I wish I could stay here with Joe forever, but long distance will have to do for now.

“I wish you could stay too.” - Joe

“How did you know I was thinking that?” - you

“You had a little frown on your face, so I just guessed that you are thinking about having to go back to Athens.” - Joe

“I can’t wait till I graduate and move in here. Being with you every day sounds like an absolute dream.” - you

“I can't wait either.” - Joe

Knowing that one day I'll be living with Joe full-time, being able to do my girlfriend duties and go to every one of his games, seriously made me so happy for the future.

If only you two knew it wouldn't be that simple.

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Authors note: what does that ending mean? 👀

Request for this fic;

Hope you enjoyed! 💕

[cap-winter-barnes]

Spencer Reid x Fem!Reader - Don’t Leave Me Alone

Warnings: Brief/Vague mentions of childhood & teenage abuse. Y/N has a panic attack due to physical touch.

Someone requested this piece but I lost their @ so apologies for not tagging you when I said I would - hope this is okay for my first Spencer fic.

You’ve been a member of the BAU team for over a year and yet you’re still not ready to open up to your colleagues about your past. Hotch had made it clear to the team that you were not one for physical contact, handshakes and hugs were off the cards. Even a hand on your shoulder is enough to set you off in a panic. Your childhood into your teen years were a painful experience that has left you fearing human contact, even the slightest touch can trigger a panic attack, something you desperately try to avoid. Spencer respects your personal space, especially as he struggles to deal with people touching him too. But he can’t help but want to provide you with support to hold you when he can see that you’re struggling with your own mind or freaking out after a case.

The teams most recent case has you travelling to the humid climate of Florida. With the weather causing an unreal amount of heat and discomfort you reluctantly opted to wear a short-sleeved t-shirt rather than your usual long-sleeved blouse. It made the bullet-proof vest just that little bit more bearable. Yet you didn’t account for the local Sheriff to take it upon himself to grab your upper arm during an argument with one of his detectives. The detective in question had been making derogatory comments towards you, JJ & Emily the entire time you had been at the precinct and you had finally had enough. After calling you ‘sweetheart’ for what must have been the hundredth time, you needed to speak your mind.

“I’m not sure if you’re aware, Detective,” your words laced with venom. “But my name isn’t sweetheart, or honey, or darlin’. It’s Y/N.” Silence follows your outburst.

“Well, darlin’. Maybe if you dressed more respectably you’d be treated as such.” The smirk on his face irks you beyond reason, so much so, that you leap from your position on the desk across from him.

“What did you just say to me?” Reid, JJ & Hotch all close in to defend you but you raise your hand to stop them. “I’ve got this don’t worry.”

“Yeah, the little princess over here can handle herself.” This earns chuckles from the other detectives and officers around the room.

“Right, that’s enough!” The Sheriff storms through but with your back turned to him, you don’t realise that he’s reaching for you as you take a step back, getting into his bad books isn’t going to help the progression of the case. It’s too late for your team to step in as they realise what is about to happen just as his hand closes around your upper arm. On instinct you’re body reacts in the only way it knows - a panic attack. You try to pull away as his grip tightens trying to move you aside for a quiet conversation but that isn’t happening now.

“LET ME GO!” You repeat the phrase as loud as your voice will allow you. His touch instantly causes your mind to picture the violence you suffered in your younger years. Tears stream from your eyes as your panic intensifies. You can just about make out the voices of Reid & JJ as they try to comfort you and reassure you whilst Hotch is demanding you be let go. When the Sheriff finally releases you under the threats of Hotch, your can no longer hold yourself upright, on instinct, Spencer catches you as you fall.

“I’m so, so sorry Y/N, but we need to get you someone quiet. I’m so sorry.” Spencer cradles you in his arms as he half walks, half carries you to an empty filing room for some privacy.

“Spencer, I’m so sorry. I’m so-“

“Hey, you have nothing to be sorry for. This isn’t your fault.” As he settles you down he pulls his hands away to let you go, fingers outstretched like approaching a wounded animal. But you reach out, taking his hands in yours.

“Please, Spence.” Your words are breathless as you speak, begging him to stay, to touch you. To comfort you. “Stay with me?”

“Of course.” His grip on your hands tighten as he sits himself beside you. “I’ll always stay for you.” You respond with a tight smile, grateful for him not pressuring you to reveal anything from your past, grateful for the respect he shows for your personal space. Yet now, nothing comforts you more than the feeling of his thumb dancing across the back of your hands, calming you unintentionally. For once in your life, you feel comforted and relaxed by someone’s touch. Maybe it isn’t so bad after all, yet only time will tell. And maybe you can finally let Spencer into your heart that little bit more like you so desperately want to.

[dragonflavoredcake]

Making Uniforms More Sensory-Friendly

For my fellow sewing people who are constantly at war with the Bad Textures but have to wear uniforms (for work, school, etc.)

Undershirts! Just by putting on a tank top you can successfully protect 85% of your torso from a terrible overshirt. If you wear anything supportive around your chest this'll also smooth out your front, which looks good in a uniform (if the shirt isn't completely opaque, try to pick one close to your skin tone). If you have something like a polo shirt with a collar, you can wear a cotton T-shirt underneath, which will eliminate any armpit seam issues, especially if you can wear it inside-out. Speaking of armpit seams . . .

Underarm liners. These are circles or half-circles, about 5 in [13 cm] in diameter and made from a thin, soft cotton outer layer (you can use T-shirt fabric) and 1–2 optional thicker inner layers (if you want more sweat absorption). Here's a 22-second overview of their historical use. If you attach them with a prick stitch they're basically invisible when you're wearing it; it's more obvious when it's lying flat or on a hanger. While they're meant to protect your shirts from sweat stains, they are WONDERFUL at covering seams that might irritate your skin, especially in a high-friction area like an armpit

Slips. If you have to wear a skirt, wear a slip and/or a pair of non-bulky shorts/capris/pants/etc about 2 in [5 cm] shorter than your skirt, which will give you enough coverage that the skirt won't touch your skin but not so much that it's visible. Skirt slips work better for this because they move with the skirt; if they bunch up and get staticky just clip a safety pin to the fabric. Slip pants are also a thing if you wear pants, but I've never personally tried them so I can't say much. Leggings tucked into socks work just as well in the winter. Speaking of which—

Layers! Works best if you live in a colder climate. My wintertime "thermal suit" is an undershirt tucked into a pair of leggings tucked into some comfy knit socks. Throw whatever else you need on top, it won't touch your skin! (But do be aware that you may need to wear roomier shoes or loosen the laces on your normal shoes if you wear more than one pair of socks.)

[selkies-world]

Sign the petition to demand the creation of a new international law requiring fast-fashion garments to come with a statement of the human cost and environmental harm caused by their creation.

We all know fast fashion is bad for the planet - slave labor, environmental waste, air and water pollution, and unsustainable practices are just a few of the ways they impact our planet, our health and our lives. To date, the fast fashion industry is the 2nd largest consumer of water and is single-handedly responsible for 10% of global carbon emissions (that's more than all international flights and maritime shipping across a year combined). Even the simple act of washing these clothes releases 500,000 tons of microfibers into the ocean each year - that's equal to 50,000 plastic bottles. Fast-fashion is the 3rd leading cause of the climate crises we face, yet is rarely addressed.

Knowing these stats is one thing, and understanding them is important. Being aware of them is somewhat informative. But as long as we keep turning a blind eye to the issue, the stats are only going to get worse, and nothing will change for the better. Ignoring the issue or brushing it under the rug won't help anything. So what if we could see the real-world damage done by each of the garments we buy?

In the same way that cigarette packets have shown the harm their products do to our bodies ("SMOKING KILLS", lung cancer visualizations, etc.), what if fast fashion manufacturers & retailers had to show the harm their products do to our planet?

[Image ID: A type-writer font has been used on a brown craft paper background. The text reads: "32 animals lost their habitat to the field where my crops were planted - 2 of those animals are already endangered species. 2,700 litres of water were used in my production. I was made in a sweatshop enslaving men and women aged 16 - 45, and children aged 6 - 14. I contain 0.22kg of carbon dioxide dye." End ID.]

This is a mock-up of a label / statement for a single T-shirt, with researched statistics and educated estimates for the information I couldn't find a calculated answer for.

Now imagine labels / statements like this for every single piece of clothing: how many toxic chemicals are in those new jeans? How many litres of water did that shirt take to make? How many animals were skinned to make those cute fur-trimmed boots? How many children made that jumper? How many people were forcibly removed from their homes, so production companies could plant crops to grow the materials used in clothes manufacturing? How many families were evicted for no reason other than corporate greed? How many trees were cut down? How many animals were displaced or killed?

Would you really want to buy those items of clothing if the answers to those questions were staring you in the face?

If this information was stated in clear, accessible ways on both the website and the ticket on the actual garment, this would dramatically reduce the number of people buying fast fashion items. It would also reduce the profits being made by fast fashion companies, and could lead to many of them being forced to choose between changing and becoming sustainable, eco-froendly and ethical brands, or shutting down due to being boycotted.

Who would really want to knowingly buy things that are made by slaves, or which cost a family their home, or which contributed to deforestation? Who would continue to buy fast fashion items knowing this is the damage caused by them, when sustainable alternatives are an option?

Whether it's second-hand fashion at affordable prices, or investing more money in sustainable products which were made with high ethical standards and which cost more money due to the fact their price accounts for the time it took a person to make that item... we can say for certain that sustainable shopping is going to become much more popular if people know how important that change is. Sustainable items last much longer than fast-fashion items, which by design are created to self-destruct, as they are made to be worn a few times and then discarded in order to be replaced by the next trend's items - and as trends speed up, these items become weaker and weaker. This then leads to people spending more money in order to keep up with the newest trends, and to keep replacing clothes they throw out after a few washes.

In contrast, buying sustainable items which are designed to last years means people won't have to spend money on new clothes every few weeks, which means they'll ultimately save money in the long term and actually be able to afford those pricier items which will last much, much longer.

Now, despite the amount of harm the fast-fashion industry causes to people and the environment, the last thing we should be doing is getting angry at those who continue to buy them. Being the target of anger doesn't make large populations change their behaviour - even a cursory look through history books will tell us that much. Neither does being the target of resentment or blame.

But guilt? Shame? Those are two of the most powerful emotions to magnify when you want change to happen in waves.

And frankly, if people feel ashamed of buying something, or if buying something makes them feel guilty... they're going to stop buying it.

Those aren't the only emotions that should be felt, though. Because only feeling guilt and shame leads to feeling hopeless, scared, anxious and depressed. And we don't want that. No matter how bad things get... we don't want that.

The only other emotions to provoke are hope and pride.

If there's no hope for the future, how can anyone be expected to imagine a better one?

You wouldn't think it, what with all the climate crises and disasters we experience around the world and the total lack of commitment made by billionaires, multimillion-dollar companies and corporations and politicians.

But it's true. Scientists in Scotland have discovered bacteria which eat plastic and speed up the decomposition of it. ‘Ecocide’ is now punishable by law. Some countries within the EU are already close to meeting their 2030 goals years ahead of schedule! Thanks to scientists and small, individual changes made on a massive scale by ordinary people who are making small adjustments to our everyday choices, we can and are healing most of the ozone layer before 2050. That is something we should all feel incredibly proud of.

So imagine how much we could speed that process up if more people made those changes. Imagine how much sooner we could heal our planet if billions of people made those changes, rather than millions. Imagine how much sooner we could be seeing the effects of a healthier planet if fast fashion companies were forced to choose between going green and transparent, or closing altogether due to a lack of interest from consumers. Imagine the changes we could create if corporations made massive changes in a short amount of time, in order to save their own profits.

Imagine more labels like this, sitting alongside each other on every single piece of fast fashion clothing. A statement like this beneath every item of clothing on fast fashion websites, which transparently states the harm done.

If every single fast-fashion company and store had to display this on their clothing, on their racks, on their websites, and if there were legal punishments for those who tried to evade or lie... fashion would turn a lot greener very quickly. We'd start seeing more and more labels with "I'm made from 6 plastic bottles! I used to be a newspaper! I had 0 pesticides used on me in my production! I only contain natural dye made from berries, beans and sustainably grown flowers. I was made from apple skins and corn! The people who made me get to go home to their families every night, have days off and the adults made £150.35 each in 1 week! The animal who made the wool for me is free-range and well-cared for! I came from a small family farm, and was created with a closed-loop water system!”

That'd be a much better civilisation to shop in, don't you agree?

That is hope for the future.

That is motivation, which can fuel ordinary people to do extraordinary things and create changes they thought were impossible.

If you want to be a part of creating this change, sign the Change.org petition which demands the the creation and implementation of an international law which will require all fast-fashion products to be displayed with a statement which states the harm done to people and the planet by that garment being made & shipped.

[mariacallous]

I’ve been practising medicine and providing abortions in Arizona for the last 29 years. When I first opened my own clinic in Phoenix back in 1999, getting an abortion was relatively straightforward. But over the past two decades, Arizona’s Republicans have tried to make it as difficult as possible for women to terminate a pregnancy. When the state goes to the polls on 5 November, we’ll be voting not only on who becomes president, but on whether abortion is a constitutional right. In a historically Republican swing state where Donald Trump is only just ahead of Kamala Harris in the polls, as many as 22% of respondents named abortion as their most important election issue.

That’s not surprising, given what is required to end a pregnancy in Arizona today. There are just nine abortion clinics in a state of more than 7 million people. Since pharmacies and physicians in Arizona aren’t allowed to send out abortion pills by post, women must travel to visit one of these clinics in person. A state-mandated “information session” describing the risks of the procedure is required at least 24 hours before every abortion (even though the procedure is usually far safer than childbirth). Federal law means most abortions aren’t covered by Medicaid, so they cost between $600 and $1,000 (£500-£770), plus two days off work, plus the cost of travelling across the state, plus two nights’ accommodation.

Perhaps that’s affordable if you have a decent job. But it’s not if you’re poor. “Pro-choice” is no longer an apt description for abortion access in Arizona, because while the procedure is technically legal up to 15 weeks (unlike in Texas, for example), many women aren’t in a financial position to make that choice. The New York Times recently ran a story showing that 171,000 women in the US travelled out of state for an abortion last year. Some travelled hundreds or even thousands of miles for a procedure that usually takes less than 10 minutes. Women are furious that it’s come to this, and they will channel their fury at the ballot box.

Arizona has long been considered a Republican stronghold, but the vast majority of people support women’s reproductive freedom, and Republican lawmakers have not been voting with with their constituents. Organisations funded by the Christian right, such as the Center for Arizona Policy, have lobbied state Republicans to adopt increasingly extreme positions. This is the political climate that led to the Dobbs decision, a 2022 supreme court ruling that there is no constitutional right to abortion, and it’s why so many of us worried that Arizona was going to revert to a full ban on abortion. Without the protections of Roe v Wade, the state could have returned to an 1864 law that banned abortions even in cases of rape or incest.

Thankfully, our state legislature voted to repeal the 1864 ban earlier this year. And the anti-abortion lobbying that culminated in the Dobbs decision has only made people more aware of what they stand to lose. When I wear my T-shirt printed with “Abortion is healthcare” to my local pilates class, women give me a thumbs up. It’s ironic, really: having fought to make abortion nearly impossible, Arizona’s Republicans may now have cost themselves the election.

Last month, I watched the presidential debate at home with my family. Joe Biden had dropped out, thank God, and there was an incredible optimism about Harris. She is unafraid to use the word “abortion”, for one thing. Biden rarely talked about it. Obviously, he was supportive of women’s rights, but he never seemed comfortable using that word. Nor did Hillary Clinton. So hearing Harris talk about our rights to reproductive freedom and bodily autonomy is deeply refreshing. With Dobbs, Harris has found her voice.

On the night itself, Trump resorted to making wild claims, arguing that the Democrats were “executing” babies. “Nowhere in America is a woman carrying a pregnancy to term and asking for an abortion,” Harris shot back. “That is not happening. It’s insulting to the women of America.” She was calm and articulate, while he seemed increasingly unhinged. She spoke of women suffering from miscarriages, of the physical pain that they’re experiencing. Her frankness about patients’ suffering – at one point she told the story of a woman who was denied emergency care and ended up bleeding out in her car – was a reminder that the country we live in now is different to how it was in 2016 or 2020. Women’s reproductive rights have been trampled on, and we have to be open about what this means.

The debate was an early indication of the gender split in this election. A recent NBC poll found men favour Trump over Harris 52% to 40%. With female voters, Harris leads Trump by 58% to 37%. I often say that there’s a man involved in every pregnancy, and I’m glad to see that some men are being more vocal about abortion rights. Still, it’s striking that while women are pulling away from Trump, men are gravitating towards him. A vote for him seems like a vote for a type of masculinity that sees feminism as toxic and regards men as the truly oppressed. How else to explain the appeal of a man who boasted of grabbing women “by the pussy”?

The strange thing is how out of step the Republicans now are with public opinion. Perhaps that’s why Melania Trump recently claimed to be passionately pro-choice. The Trump campaign is flailing over abortion, and now seems to be frantically trying to project a more reasonable image. Yet the Republican commitment to minimal government has always sat uneasily with their anti-abortion stance. If you’re a Republican, it’s possible to think that you should be able to carry an AK-47 without the government interfering, and think that the government should interfere in a woman’s decision over whether to carry a child, and not to see any contradiction between these two stances.

Even on their own terms, anti-abortion laws don’t work. Countries that ban abortions don’t have fewer abortions; they just have a larger number of unsafe abortions. If Republicans really wanted fewer abortions, they would fund more sex education and free contraception. As it stands, many want to ban birth control, an issue on which Trump has flip-flopped. This dissonance only makes sense when you realise that anti-abortion laws aren’t really about abortions. They’re about controlling women.

It’s now just a few weeks before the election. If you ask me which way I think Arizona will vote, I’d say blue. I live in Flagstaff, a city north of Phoenix, and traditionally a more conservative place than the capital. But there are Harris signs everywhere in people’s windows and front yards. We need a secular government that doesn’t interfere with people’s medical decisions, or impose its radical religious beliefs on the population. I’m feeling optimistic: I think people are seeing Trump for who he really is, and for how dangerous a second Trump presidency would be.

[sebnameyourcar]

actually from a purely business perspective (which, unfortunately, is the only language the FIA understand) the banning of “political, religious and personal statements or comments” is just shooting themselves in the foot.

weeks ago, just before the world cup started when it was revealed that the teams couldn’t wear armbands promoting the LGBTQ community or they’d get a yellow card, LBC, a british radio show, did a segment on it. someone called in, and explained that the two most successful drivers of the last 15 years in F1, lewis hamilton and sebastian vettel, have used their platform to promote gay rights, climate change awareness, black lives matter, and a whole host of social causes. the radio host was surprised that they were allowed, and gave credit to the FIA for allowing this whilst FIFA acted so cowardly.

now of course, anyone who watches f1 knows that the FIA are far from paragons of virtue, but in direct contrast to FIFA they came across as sensible and even admirable.

now they’re ruined this. bad PR, losing any good sentiments they’ve built up. it’s no surprise they’ve announced this after the World Cup instead of during it

unfortunately this is all i can grab from the clip (and the caller didn’t mention several things the FIA handled badly - such as seb getting fined in hungary for his Same Love t-shirt or the jewellery ban targeted at lewis) but you get the gist. the FIA had an opportunity to market themselves as progressive, aware, and (more importantly for them) better than FIFA

and yet here we are

[lostryu]

so your local butch transmasc dyke(me) is officially on day 2 of testosterone, and here is a bullet list i put together of things ive learned under the cut. i am currently on gel, and my dose is 1 pump a day:

it is going to REEK of rubbing alcohol. if you are sensitive to smells this application method probably isn't the best for you if you're sensitive to smell

that being said it is more a more bearable smell if you apply it to your thighs. be aware that it will spread around FAST if you are laying/sitting down. aka it dribbles a lot

right now i think i prefer the application via upper arm as its just less messy imo

which brings me into another point, if youre using gel you NEED to cover up after applying it. topical methods like the gel can leech onto other people/pets after applying!

i find that letting it air-dry alone for 30 seconds before tossing on pants or a shirt makes it less of a texture nightmare

if youre applying to your upper arms, get a t (HA!) shirt. one used for exercising is best, it doesnt stick to the gel as much as cotton or flannel. same with basketball shorts.

personally i have a burst of energy after applying that lasts a few hours (that just might be the euphoria) so i dont like putting it on before bed

it feels better to apply after a shower, specifically after exfoliating. i feel like it absorbs faster, and youre putting it right on skin and not dirt/clothing fibers.

it will dry out your skin if you keep applying it in the same spot every day (i also live in a very dry climate rn) so switch it up! Also i like applying lotion 3 hours after, to give it time to absorb.

its fun to take a selfie every day to keep track of progress. also you need to clean your mirror if youre doing that. it doesnt magically get cleaner in the photo.

I might add more to this list as I go, but this is just a fun little blurb about my personal and limited experience lol

[memegetter]

[ID: A youngish person with light skin is addressing the camera from inside their home, gesticulating with one hand. They're wearing a black t-shirt and glasses, and have a white streak in the front of their black hair. They look a bit tired and upset. During the video, screenshots of news headlines are overlaid to underline the point they're making at the time.]

Transcript under cut:

During this time when we are all becoming increasingly aware of just how much propaganda we're being fed on a daily basis, can you please, (please, please, please), try to also internalise the idea that maybe, just maybe, your understanding of COVID has been similarly influenced.

Maybe there is a reason why we have a disease that is currently the third leading cause of death that has been shown to damage every single organ system in the body, that's been shown to have long term effects in 1 in 10 infections.

That's not 1 in 10 people, that's 1 in 10 infections, so if you're on your third, the math is mathing. Maybe there is a reason why we can have all of that going on at once. Meanwhile, word on the street, and word according to a lot of common media, is that it's either over or it's mild.

It's ripping through communities enough to still be the third leading cause of death and people are surprised to get it. Level of misinformation out there is immense and none of us are immune to it.

It's really tempting to believe this stuff because it's fucking everywhere and it's nicer to believe. None of us want to still be in this mess. That's the thing about propaganda. Often all it has to do is cast doubt.

Our governments were incredibly clear about the fact that they opened up for the health of the economy, not for the health of the people. If we all had access to the data that demonstrated the long term impacts of this virus, that should have caused fucking riots.

But everyone was exhausted and traumatised and lonely and the idea that we could all go back to our normal lives was a really nice one. So being told that it was mild despite the mountains of evidence to the contrary was enough.

It's enough to just doubt whether it really is that bad and that's extremely easy to do because for a lot of people it does feel mild, but this is the thing. You can't feel organ damage. You can't feel vascular damage. You can't feel immune system damage. So if you can't feel them, what would we see if they were happening?

What would see is more people getting more sick, more frequently and staying sick longer would see more heart events, more strokes would see more diabetes, more cancers, and if you look at the data on a health scale, that is exactly what we are now seeing.

The level of misinformation is so fucking wild. I distinctly remember them saying that this disease couldn't hurt kids. And now children are one of the fastest growing groups experiencing post COVID damage.

And here's the kicker, right? None of what I'm saying, according to the actual empirically reviewed data, is in any way controversial, but this feels terrifying to say, because I know that none of you want to hear this.

And so if I have a request for you today, just take a little bit of time to sit with the fact that the data that we have is so different from the lives that we are being encouraged to lead. Sit with your gut and look around you. It is not normal for this many people to be coughing in fucking late November.

Everyone is sick. Can you remember a time pre-pandemic when it was like this? Is it possible that maybe the people who are ignoring climate collapse and who are telling you that genocide that you can witness with your own eyes isn't happening - maybe they wouldn't be super honest with you about a disease that would stop the economy if they actually paid attention to it?

And I know the buck stops with this being a public health failure. I know this is ultimately not your fault. But we have been made into the vessels via which we enact harm upon one another and I'm sick of watching it.

It feels genuinely sanity destroying to have had my shit rocked so severely and to have had my life be made so small by this disease and to have people who care about me not do anything to stop it from happening to them, to stop them from doing this to other people.

So I guess if I'm asking you one thing today, it is just to take a moment to sit in the discomfort of the fact that we have all internalised propaganda.

We have been asked to take on appealing, but ultimately untrue ideas about the biggest fucking global ongoing event of our lifetimes in order to make us prioritise keeping the economy alive instead of each other.

[sahanapod]

https://www.teepublic.com/t-shirt/58709849-bike-for-change-one-planet-two-wheels?store_id=2712644

My Redbubble store

https://redbubble.com/people/Rajasekar/shop?asc=u&ref=account-nav-dropdown…

My Teepublic store

https://teepublic.com/user/freshstyle

[drberkes]

f*ck

Ok hi so I (12/2/22) am going to force myself to write now because the amount of anxiety is unacceptable and I have tentatively identified not enough writing as a possible source. So here we go: if you’re expecting a nice eggplant dish, please manage your expectations. I am going to do my best. I may just hand you a f*cken eggplant and tell you, “Best of luck, I’ve done all I can.”

Ok so how did I get here? I tried writing about it a bit for my Technology Awareness paper I wrote for Natalie, but that paper was just for fun and I’m not proud of it (there were swear words in it). Hmm…let me tell you about Anacortes, like I told one of my nurses when I was in the hospital for ten days back in May. My Aunt Barb and a friend she had liked for a long time decided to go on a road trip together. My Aunt was agreeable with everything her friend wanted - no audiobook, weird climate control requests, fancy bathroom requests, everything - even agreeing to go to Anacortes against her own judgment. She wanted to go to Port Townsend where they would have had no shortage of restaurants by the water to enjoy. They got to Anacortes and discovered that unless there is a festival, Anacortes is a sleepy little port town with not much going on. My Aunt spent her time there in the quilt shop, making the best of it, while her friend went off to get a tshirt. So they wound up in Anacortes with nothing to do and only a t-shirt to show for it. This journal entry, written in December (December!) is the same t-shirt from Anacortes. And the agreeableness I’ve described here is just the tip of the iceberg for her trip. Boy, let me f*cken tell you… …like I told everyone at the ketamine clinic. I was supposed to be tripping balls during my extremely expensive infusion and getting an abundance of insights from my subconscious but I spent the last half of it babbling to my doctor about everything that I haven’t written about yet - all the people I tried to help and how it almost killed me. I’m seeing four paragraphs now so I’ll take that as a sign that I am probably going to survive. BUT *********@#$%^, WTF. People people people are just people, people, people (Brown). And chronic stress prevents our writing/reading/learning brains from getting online. Less writing, more stress. It’s enough to make you crazy if you let it. Anyway, I have no idea where to begin inspiring you with the extremely horrific dumpster fire that is my mental health and how I got here. So I’ll start with you. If you’re reading this, you are probably a person. What does it mean to be a person? I wish I could bust out one of my papers and tell you what I think, but hellfire in the form of a dozen pieces of garbage masquerading as people rained down on my f*cken house. I’ve had windows broken, death threats, graffiti across the street (“f*ck you” written on the curb). All because when people get pushed in the wrong direction, they make bad decisions. They decide they want to go to Anacortes. For the record, I want to go to Port Townsend. But I’ve already been there. Thanks Aunt Barb! 🙂 What was Port Townsend supposed to look like for me? Let’s circle back to the beginning of the pandemic. Kameron was out. So I’ve just spent a couple years at a community college and got sent home like Isaac Newton. What am I gonna do? Study Calculus? Write 100 papers? No, I’m gonna try to help Kameron. And Clay and Cameron and his girlfriend Missy and Brynn and Robert all at the same time. This where we’ll lose some definition...there were so many encounters there where I tried using my AS to push as hard as I could in the right direction. The outcomes were mixed: Kameron went back to prison, Clay moved to NY with Jeff, Cameron and Missy had to move also, and I worry about Brynn. Robert is doing better and has a job now. Why did this f*cken happen? Because they needed more help than I could give them. Lesson learned: you have to identify if someone is doing well enough for you to help them otherwise they will just pull you down too. It is not their fault. I suppose you get to be a certain age and you’ll get weird looks if you still act like a child, but I digress. These folks are good people who wound up in bad situations because of forces beyond their control. That reminds me of what my Uber driver told me when I came back from Portland right before (AM)^2 started: “...they’ll eat you alive.” But if someone is heading down a path where they’re gonna end up in a bad position when they’re older and I can do something about it, how can I choose not to act? How can I sit there and protect myself when there is work to be done? Now we’re getting into Tara Brabazon.  Anyway, this all sort of came to a head when I lost my job, checked myself into the hospital, got out and promptly had a tiny, tiny relapse which actually improved my PHQ-9 score considerably. But ah, now Tara Brabazon is reading this I’ll just head off to watch some of her videos. I feel better already having written something. Yay. Why did I lose my job? Because if I try to show up I’ll get probably get arrested. Why did this happen? ...and reason 546 is because I wasn’t prepared. I didn’t take care of myself well enough. And I wasn’t careful enough. I built a gun that shoots live piranhas and aimed at my fucken self.

[telleroftime]

Because I want to keep my fics as inclusive as possible in terms of the Reader - and I was thinking about the clothes and wardrobe they would have - what are some adequate types of clothing for hot weather that people who cover their skin, be that for religious reasons or personal preference, would wear?

For more context, the current climate I'm writing is a very hot one and I already have plans to put them in dungarees or something similar since they work in the royal gardens and that could be their sort of uniform. Nothing too tight, and overall I'm keeping it gender neutral. I was going to originally have the Reader wear a t-shirt because of the heat, however I am also aware that some people would not be able to wear that.

I'll be doing more research on this later, but is there a specific way people would prefer it written? Or are there some common fabrics used for clothes that allow for full body coverage without causing someone to overheat?

[brookstonalmanac]

Holidays 6.21

Holidays

Alzheimer’s Awareness Day

Atheist Solidarity Day

Baby Boomer Recognition Day

Banjo Lesson Day

Bill Murray Day

Create a New National Day Day

Day of the Martyrs (Togo)

Father’s Day (Egypt, Jordan, Kosovo, Lebanon, Syria, UAE)

Ferris Wheel Day

Flag Day (Greenland)

Flag Burning Day

Global MND / ALS Awareness Day

Go Skateboarding Day

Het Meetjesland Day (Belgium)

International Climate Change Day

International Flower Day

International Anirida Day

International Music Day (f.k.a. World Music Day)

International T-Shirt Day

International Yoga Day (UN)

LP Day

Martyrs' Day (Togo)

Migraine Solidarity Day

Naked Hiking Day

National Aboriginal Day (a.k.a. First Nations Day or Indigenous Peoples Day; Canada)

National Arizona Day

National ASK Day

National Create a New National Holiday Day

National Day of the Gong

National Dog Party Day

National eGiving Day

National Heroes’ Day (Bermuda)

National Jimmy Day

National Professional Medical Coder Day

National River Tubing Day

National Seashell Day

National Selfie Day

National Wedding Day

National Yard Games Day

Obscenity Day

Onion Day (French Republic)

Reaping Machine Day

Reserves Day (UK)

Shades for Migraine Day

Short Story Day (Africa)

Show Your Stripes Day

Stock Up On Antiperspirant Day

Suffolk Day (UK)

SYNGAP1 International Awareness Day

T-Shirt Day

Turner Syndrome Awareness Day (UK)

Ulloortuneq (Greenland)

World Day Against ELA (Spain)

World Giraffe Day

World Handshake Day

World Hydrography Day

World Kamasutra Day (India)

World Motorcycle Day

World Music Day (Paris, France)

Food & Drink Celebrations

Gin and Tonic Season begins

Johnnie Walker Day

Lambrusco Day

National Cookie Dough Day

National Smoothie Day

Peaches and Cream Day

Red Apple Day (Australia)

3rd Wednesday in June

National Healthcare Estates & Facilities Day (UK) [3rd Wednesday]

Independence Days

Greenland (Assumed Self-Rule; 2009)

New Hampshire Statehood Day (#9; 1788)

Principality of Aigues-Mortes (Declared; 2011) [unrecognized]

Feast Days

Aaron of Brittany (Christian; Saint)

Alban of Mainz (Christian; Saint)

Aloysius Gonzaga (Christian; Saint)

Day of the Crab (Pagan)

Engelmund of Velsen (Christian; Saint)

Eusebius of Samosata (Christian; Saint)

St. Henry (Positivist; Saint)

Henry Ossawa Tanner (Artology)

Leufredus (a.k.a. Keufroi; Christian; Saint)

Martin of Tongres (Christian; Saint)

Meen (a.k.a. Mevenus or Melanus; Christian; Saint)

Onesimos Nesib (Lutheran)

Ralph (Christian; Saint)

Sam Kinison Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Skateboarding Day (Pastafarian)

Solstice [1st Day of Summer in Northern Hemisphere] (a.k.a. ... 

Acophony (G’BroagFran of Anti-Music; Church of the SubGenius)

Alban Hefin (a.k.a. Litha or Midsummer; Celtic, Pagan) [4 of 8 Festivals of the Natural Year]

Aimless Wandering Day

Anne and Samantha Day

Aymara New Year (Año Nuevo Aymara; Bolivia)

Cuckoo Warning Day (it will be a wet summer if the cuckoo is heard today)

Daylight Appreciation Day

Day of Private Reflection

Day of the Martyrs (Togo)

Feast of the Great Spirit (Native American)

Fête de la Musique

Finally Summer Day/Finally Winter Day

Hump Day (Tasmania)

Indigenous New Year (We Tripantu; Año Nuevo Indígena; Chile)

International Day of the Celebration of the Solstice

Into Raymi (Incan Sun God Festival; Sacsayhuamán Andes Mountain Natives)

Jaanipäev (Estonia)

Jāņi (Latvia)

Juhannus Day (Finland)

Kupala (fertility rite)

Kupala Night (Ukraine, Belarus, Poland, Russia)

Litha (Wiccan/Pagan; northern hemisphere)

Midnight Sun Festival (Nome, Alaska)

Midsomarsblog (Norse celebration of fishing, trading & raiding)

Midsummer

Midsummer Baal (Celtic)

National Celluma Light Therapy Day

National Daylight Appreciation Day

National Day of Greenland

National Energy Shopping Day

Polar Bear Swim (Nome, Alaska)

Saint Jonas' Festival (Lithuania)

Solsticio de Invierno (Bolivia)

Sommar Börjar (Sweden)

Tall Girl Appreciation Day

33-1/3 Day

Tiregān (Iran)

Wadjet (Ancient Egypt)

We Tripantu (winter solstice festival in the southern hemisphere; Chile)

Wianki (Poland)

Willkakuti (Andean-Amazonic New Year; Aymara)

World Humanist Day

World Peace and Prayer Day

Yule (Wiccan/Pagan; southern hemisphere)

Sub-Human Cannonball (Muppetism)

World Humanist Day (Pastafarian)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Tomobiki (友引 Japan) [Good luck all day, except at noon.]

Umu Limnu (Evil Day; Babylonian Calendar; 29 of 60)

Premieres

Ain’t She Sweet (WB LT Cartoon; 1952)

Alpocalypse, by Weird Al Yankovic (Album; 2011)

Anna (Film; 2019)

The Bling Ring (Film; 2013)

The Blue Umbrella (Pixar Cartoon; 2013)

Bon Ives, by Bon Iver (Album; 2011)

Chinatown (Film; 1974)

Cocoon (Film; 1985)

Creepin on ah Come Up, by Bone Thugs-N-Harmony (EP; 1994)

Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, by Richard Wagner (Opera; 1868)

Donald and the Wheel (Disney Cartoon; 1961)

Don’t Go Breaking My Heart, by Elton John and Kiki Dee (Song; 1976)

The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Animated Disney Film; 1996)

Impact is Imminent, by Exodus (Album; 1990)

Lifeforce (Film; 1985)

Lilo & Stitch (Animated Disney Film; 2002)

The Litterbug (Disney Cartoon; 1961)

Minority Report (Film; 2002)

Mr. Tambourine Man, by The Byrds (Album; 1965)

Monsters University (Animated Pixar Film; 2013)

Moves Like Jagger, by Maroon 5 (Song; 2011)

The Parent Trap (Film; 1961)

The Promise of Joy, by Allen Drury (Novel; 1975)

Return to Oz (Film; 1985)

The Rocketeer (Film; 1991)

Smoking: The Choice is Yours (Disney Educational Cartoon; 1981)

Sweet Child o’ Mine, by Guns n’ Roses (Song; 1988)

The Te of Piglet, by Benjamin Hoff (Spiritual Book; 1993)

Toy Story 4 (Animated Pixar Film; 2019)

A Walk on the Wild Side, by Nelson Algren (Novel; 1956)

Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (Film; 1966)

World War Z (Film; 2013)

Today’s Name Days

Adalbert, Florentina (Austria)

Margareta, Naum (Croatia)

Květa (Czech Republic)

Sylverius (Denmark)

Kaari, Karlotte, Karola, Karoliine, Karolin, Lota (Estonia)

Into (Finland)

Silvère (France)

Adalbert, Florentina, Margot (Germany)

Methodios (Greece)

Rafael (Hungary)

Ettore, Silverio (Italy)

Imula, Maira, Rasa, Rasma (Latvia)

Silverijus, Žadvainas, Žintautė (Lithuania)

Salve, Sølve, Sølvi (Norway)

Bogna, Bogumiła, Bożena, Florentyna, Franciszek, Michał, Rafaela, Rafał, Sylwery (Poland)

Metodie (România)

Maria, Valeria (Russia)

Valéria (Slovakia)

Florentina, Silverio (Spain)

Flora, Linda (Sweden)

Earl, Earline, Errol, Fatima, Ofelia, Omar, Omarion, Ophelia (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 173 of 2024; 193 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 3 of week 25 of 2023

Celtic Tree Calendar: Duir (Oak) [Day 10 of 28]

Chinese: Month 5 (Wu-Wu), Day 4 (Geng-Xu)

Chinese Year of the: Rabbit 4721 (until February 10, 2024)

Hebrew: 2 Tammuz 5783

Islamic: 2 Dhu al-Hijjah 1444

J Cal: 22 Sol; Oneday [22 of 30]

Julian: 8 June 2023

Moon: 11%: Waxing Crescent

Positivist: 4 Charlemagne (7th Month) [St. Henry]

Runic Half Month: Dag (Day) [Day 12 of 15]

Season: Summer (Day 1 of 94)

Zodiac: Cancer (Day 1 of 31)

Calendar Changes

Cancer (The Crab) begins [Zodiac Sign 4; thru 7.22]

Summer [Season 3 of 4; thru 9.23]

[watsername]

Idk the thing with groups like just stop oil is that there is a need to try to wake the larger public to the climate emergency we are in since the governments won't act even when pressured by specific activist groups unless there is considerable public discussion and demand; and often the only way to make people to even think about the climate emergency is by disrupting their normal lives and showing that we cannot go on living as normal. There is fair critiques to be had in terms of the specific methods and I often don't agree with their specific strategies, but I do appreciate civil disobedience and disruption in general since the climate situation is so dire.

im just saying they way the public talks about things liek train strikes which are disruptions to public life and the way they talk about just stop oil which is a public disruption is completely different . bc one actually goes towards a cause . just stop oul to do jack shit to bring climate awareness they just sit in the road and call ppl monsters . even when a woman was trying to rush her child to the hospital they wouldn’t let her get through and there’s videos of it . there’s a difference between organised public disruption as means to a good cause and then public disruption where you don’t acrually do anything other than disrupt the public . none of these roadblocks or throwing soup cans have actuallt involved them spreading awareness of climate change or ways in which the individual can contribute to environmentalism . there’s just stop oil stuff all over my city but it contains no information other than the phrase ‘just stop oil’ sprayed onto things or posters with nothing more than the phrase plastered around . if you’re going to disrupt the public you have to actually utilise it and push for your cause instead of just being selfish pricks guilting people going about their daily lives . their public disruption isn’t warranted because they don’t actually do anything to help fight climate change it’s not a protest unless they are trying to actively push for an outcome. they’re just getting in peoples way with matching t-shirts .

[justatumblinweed]

[Image ID: A two-page, eight-panel comic titled Welcome to the Disabled Future, by Rachel Litchman. Narration is given in all caps encased in white rectangles, at the top of the panel unless otherwise specified.

Page one...

- First panel: The title of the comic and the name of the author is shown as a poster taped to a window, just above a pink ad for "ENERGIZE ALL DAY ENERGY PILL," which depicts a jogger in in a red shirt and blue pants. To the right of the window, a person approaches from down the sidewalk, wearing a grey jacket with a blue and green scarf. Swirls and squiggles surround their head. Bare trees indicate that it is likely winter.

(Narration, lower right corner: "As a person with a disability, I am aware of the way my body serves as a warning.)

- Second panel: The person, our narrator, comes closer into frame, revealing more detail. They wear their brown hair in pigtails, a pair of rectangular glasses, a standard blue face mask, and walk with their hands in their pockets. Arrows point to various places on her body, indicating symptoms: "foggy brain," "dizzy," "pain," "crushing fatigue," and "weak." The ad for "ENERGIZE" is still plainly visible.

(Narration: "My daily symptoms are the stuff that abled people imagine in nightmare versions of their futures.")

- Third panel: A close-up of a text conversation between the narrator and a friend. The narrator's first text is a heart emoji, tow which her friend responds "My heart is racing all the time. I've never been so fatigued before. I can't even stand to cook a meal." The narrator responds with "I have POTS too. I understand."

(Narration: "Since COVID, my previously abled friends have come down with some of the same disabling conditions I have, like Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS).")

- Fourth panel: The narrator, hair down, sits in her kitchen (oven is to the left), talking to someone who leans against the wall to the right, their arms crossed, facing away from the reader. This person wears a red and white striped t-shirt and a red flower in their short blonde hair. "Cardiology called," says the narrator. "They said it would be a six month wait for my routine ultrasound..."

(Narration: "The influx of newly disabled people from COVID has left me with delayed access to care."

Page two...

- Fifth panel: A news report covering a disastrous storm, with a "LIVE" notation in the upper left, a "BREAKING NEWS" notation below the shot, and a news ticker below that reading "Record-breaking storm winds destroy Madison Apartment Complex," all in red. "The roof got ripped off this apartment complex and landed on these cars," says the reporter (maybe the narrator?) from in front of the destruction. She holds a news mic, and wears a blue baseball hat, grey sweater, and her hair in pigtails.

(Narration: "In the future, climate change will only accelerate the rate of disability. Where does that leave already disabled people like me?")

- Sixth panel: A view from outside a hospital room looking in from the hallway. There is a single bed visible, containing a person hooked to an IV. The light falls on their meal table, and there is an empty chair in the right hand corner of the room. The window, which spans the whole room, looks out onto the city at night.

(Narration, centered in the small window above the door: "What does the neglect of disabled people mean for our collective futures?")

- Seventh panel: The front line of a protest, whose red banner reads "ME/CFS and Long COVID are disabling millions, this is an emergency." The protesters are all wearing masks and red shirts, some holding signs, others stating demands out loud. "The pandemic isn't over!" says one, while another says "FDA treatment now!"

(Narration: "The one thing I know for sure is that if disabled people continue to be seen as 'collateral damage' and 'acceptable losses,' the future will be sorely missing critical sources of wisdom.")

- Eighth panel: The narrator kneels to place flowers on a grave (Carrie Ann Lucas, 1971-2019). Other gravestones list Stacey Park Milbern (1987-2020), Erin Gilmer (1982-2021), Lois Curtis (1967-20XX, date is cut off by another gravestone), and and Engraoa Figueroa (No birthdate-2022 or 2023). The lawn of the graveyard is green, but the trees in the background appear to be on fire.

(Narration: "I remember and honor my disabled ancestors, but also, we don't need more ancestors. We need them here. Alive.")

/End ID.]

Rachel Litchman in our FUTURE issue.