#off topic but I heard my country is considering a rule of banning phones

[pleasedontcareaboutme]

Sometimes I just wish I could live in a cold and dark cave and just listen to music all day long

And just write an in depth analysis of everything I listen to and become incapable of doing anything else

[rigelmejo]

theres a million reasons 2 hate the great firewall, most importantly probably just because its restrictive to everyone inside it’s ability to access info widely, and its an example being set that other countries no doubt consider the more they see it. and im a big fan of libraries, of local communities having lots of options on how to share info, on people getting broad experiences by getting to connect to many different people and their perspectives, which are all kinda... much harder and impossible and certainly hurt rather than supported in such an enviornment. people are people, so they adapt and still do all these very human things. but it sure does suck when the systems in place actively get in the way of it. 

but like on a much smaller more personal thing i just arghh about it - i really hate how it really just top to bottom puts a barrier between mainland chinese people and everyone else. i remember it took ages to make a weibo, and my weibo just barely-got-made and the moment i forget my password it will cease to exist again - just cause weibo like most chinese sites is set up to desperately want to refuse to work if you don’t have a chinese phone number etc. i couldn’t get whatsapp to chat with my chinese friends because of the same issue - it didn’t like my ordinary us number, so it just refused to let me verify. i can only talk to them if they use sites that likely they need vpns for, and that sucks that they should have to use vpns to connect to some ppl they know or people they’d like to meet agh. 

and there’s just a handful of apps/sites we can all use easily to interact, and every so often china just goes ‘nope’ and then blocks their side off so neither side can interact anymore without a vpn on china side and a huge amount of hoops/possibly a vpn/possibly no way at all from an outside location. ao3 used to be a site we could all access and interact on, now its not. i remember when deviantart used to be a site we could all access, then the great firewall decided to block that art site and i lost contact and updates on a ton of people. i love that i CAN get on weibo and at least see updates from some people and message some people, but weibo was so utterly hard to login to that i know i’ll eventually lose access to my account forever just... whenever. i’ve got one language learning app where its chinese made, so thankfully it doesn’t block communication and it doesn’t make hoops for outside people to access - but i’ve heard mixed things about hoops it makes chinese mainlanders go through which sucks. and i know it’ll just secretly block/silence you on there at random if you bring up topics it does not want discussed, and theres not really any way to know except by messaging IN SOME OTHER APP your friends and finding out they haven’t gotten your replies/posts since X day you got blocked by the app unknowingly. although theres no ‘don’t talk about X’ rules on the app, there’s definitely an atmosphere of ‘better to just keep convos light and shallow or else be aware u may disappear and lose contact with all these people you know.’ which is just an annoying atmophere to have... especially since regular user-to-user or app-to-people-abusing the app blocking with notifications of the user being blocked and Why, could be more transparent, and work just as well. Like for a while anything covid related got censored/blocked users at random - despite no rules about it and like 90% of users talking about it since we’re IN a pandemic. And a lot of posts about the random blocking... also got removed/users were blocked. So people just randomly dropped off the app, and surprise surprise people still kept talking about covid. It would have been more effective to just say ‘please avoid topics such as ‘covid’ or specifically ‘covid misinformation like potential medical advice’ (like if there’d been issues with people dangerously recommending to drink poison to ‘cure’) or your post will be removed and you will receive a warning/keyword reason, the second offense you will be blocked from the app.’ Like youtube is NOT great about blocking based on dangerous/inflammatory things either, but with covid it did just demonitize covid-related videos for a similar reason, then publicly stated it would potentially be deleting videos spreading dangerous false-cure information. In the best case scenario, of course china companies also are trying to keep their population safe from dangerous-fake-cures being propagated, so of course they’re trying to handle the same issue every country is dealing with regarding that right now. I just think... it could possibly be easier in some cases for them to do it more transparently, clearly. So that users talking about sensitive topics in not-banned manners understand they’re fine, and so that users know if they bring up such topics they should make clear that its their opinion and they’re NOT trying to spread cure-info if they bring it up (which would help cut down on false-cure opinions getting spread like ‘facts’.) Instead its just random people posting all kinds of things, and some dangerous posts getting blocked while others just... remain cause they aren’t noticed. And then other users not breaking the rules get flagged by algorithms and blocked randomly. Again to be fair... i think chinese companies are doing about the same level of good/bad on this as american ones right now. Youtube and twitter and facebook are all succeeding/sucking to various degrees about this too, mostly in the same ways too. It just... gets annoying to me because its just... another big chunk of the chinese firewall being frustrating. Because it doesn’t just happen with covid. 

You mention religion or government or the us election or liking girls or whatever, and sometimes you/your friends account is just blocked and suddenly you lose contact with everyone and don’t even know right away. I actually like weibo better, because i feel their ‘banning’ actions are more similar to twitters - break rules and ur just blocked, users can block you/you can block users, etc. But there’s also generally clear rules, unless ur someone say the government views as larger and disliked. But for the average person weibo’s just a lot like twitter. The main issue is just it SUPER discourages/makes impossible anyone outside of mainland to use it, and of course most mainlander chinese using it will be finding it equally difficult to ever get access to sites outside of weibo - lots of people use instagram and twitter but they’re using vpns and do it on a rare/infrequent basis. 

So weibo is their main thing to use... like if we were all JUST stuck on twitter as our only social media. Yes we’ve got a LOT of sucky social media outside of china, but we also can easily get to many different ones and go on ones in many countries if we wanted. In contrast, its hard for most anyone not chinese to even register for weibo, you can’t browse if you aren’t a user (so you cant even see what’s going on in the chinese internet sphere), and if you’re from the mainland then you’re equally limited to other sites within that area of access and going to find it very difficult to browse the other sites worldwide. Even though... you know... people are people everywhere. Just because people are limited in access, doesn’t mean they wouldn’t like to talk to people from different cultures and share their own perspectives and open their world up more if they could. 

[firedupreadytogousa-blog]

Day 14 (2/1): Trump Said There Would Be A Shake-up in Washington… He Wasn’t Expecting It to Come From #TheResistance

Featuring: - The Resistance Report- Avoid Resistance Burnout Be Strategic- Upcoming Meetings/Actions-

It’s been almost 2 weeks since the inauguration and most of us have been protesting, calling, writing, emailing, and shaming our elected (and, in the case of #PresidentBannon, unelected) officials in the government like our lives depend on it… and they certainly do. Yet it seems like every time we turn on the TV, more and more demoralizing shit goes down which leaves us wondering… is this even working? In the long term will this have any affect? And the answer so far is YES and YES!

This Report Is Dedicated to my Brothers and Sisters of the Resistance Movement. Their Amazing Resolve and Selflessness Inspires Me To Keep Fighting Every Day. 

- RESISTANCE REPORT- WE’RE STARTING TO SHAKE UP WASHINGTON

 The large scale protests are working and we are something #PresidentBannon and co didn’t plan for! And there are some pretty tangible FACTS of how #TheResistance movement is having an impact:

- Trump’s visit to Harley Davidson was canceled because they were afraid we would show up. They were probably wise to do so because we would have been there!

- We’ve woken up the Democratic party, to an extent, and given them the confidence on the Federal and State level to show some gumption and take on Tyranny!

State Democrats are pledging to fight Trump’s Immigration #MuslimBan EO. And Republicans Joined in as well! That’s right, Republicans! If you have a minute this week give them a call, tell them you are a democrat and you support them opposing the ban! We will need them to win.

The Senate Dems boycotted 2 votes of Trump’s Cabinet yesterday and Today they boycotted Scott Pruitt’s EPA confirmation hearing. The Republicans may have so shadily changed the rules to vote them on anyway, but the Dems digging their heels in is a good sign for the #resistance.

However, it’s not all peachy on the Dem side. These senators are still voting through Trump’s Cabinet picks. If these are your senators it’s time to pay them a visit at their offices, jam the phone lines and fax machines, and tell them to get with the program. NYC seems to have gotten Schumer on the right track by holding “What The F$#k Chuck” rallies and protests outside his house and office weekly. Let’s get these others into the fold!

- New York City Yemeni-run grocery stores will shut down from 12pm-8pm tomorrow in protest of the immigration #MuslimBan.

- Federal hiring freeze is reversed for VA (Veteran Affairs).

- Courts order Partial stay of the immigration ban for those with valid visas.

- Green card holders can get back in country… for now. Bannon still wants this in the ban.

- Uber pledges $3M and immigration lawyers for its drivers after #DeleteUber trends on Twitter.

- Obamacare (Affordable Care Act) enrollment ads are still aired despite order to cancel.

- The ACLU raised $24M over the weekend (normally 3-4Mil/year). So we can consider spreading the love now.

- HHS, EPA, USDA gag order is still in place, but EPA contracts and grants were released

- EPA climate data is no longer scrubbed from the whitehouse.gov website.

- More people of different career/religious/economic/race backgrounds are considering running for political office than ever before.

- MOST importantly, since we live in a participatory democracy, the people are engaged.

 THIS IS WORKING! These Mass Protests are amazing, and the show of force that we’ve been able to display nationwide is insanely important when combatting #alternativefacts about: public approval, amplifying our voices, and passing this presidency off as polotics as usual! Continue to fight for what is right out of LOVE for our fellow citizens, LOVE for our neighbors, LOVE for humanity, and LOVE for our country.

 -AVOID RESISTANCE BURNOUT: BE STRATEGIC & GO DEEPER ON KEY ISSUES!

For many of us, this is the first time we have EVER participated in activism at this level. Which is great, but, how do we make sure our efforts are actually going to bring about change? This is the million-dollar question groups all over the country are working on. Luckily we don’t have to re-invent the wheel because there are minority activists, LGBTQ activists, environmental activists, etc. who have been doing this for DECADES, and luckily they are on our side.

One thing I’m quickly discovering is that participating solely in events at the Macro level can A) start to fatigue you very quickly and B) bring about some small wins that give us instant gratification, but still fail to address the root cause of the problem (i.e. ACLU was granted a stay for the immigration ban, but it only prevented people with Green Cards from being deported. There will be a larger and longer fight that is needed to get the full ban amended). Local Level/ Grassroots Activist Groups affect policy change long term and allow for you to keep up the energy to fight over the next 4 years.

So how can you prevent Burnout?

1) Prioritize

I know FOMO is real, but you cannot go to every protest, every rally, every meeting, etc. (OMG I sound like my mother). So it’s important to pick and choose what you can make it to, while still maintaining your personal responsibilities and obligations. There are literally Resistance related activities planned every day for the month of February in NYC (full list at end of post). If you couldn’t drop everything and go to JFK or Battery Park, that’s ok! You can make another one that will be equally important.

 2) Join A Local Activist Group

These activist groups are full of experts who know exactly how to mobilize, organize, and connect with surrounding working groups to make a lasting impact. Some groups are set up where they are tackling multiple issues, and some are more strategic focusing on a singular issue (like healthcare, immigration, etc.). Up to you to choose which one suits you best.

Groups can also help keep you apprised of other actions that are going on that you can participate in as well as connect you to other resisters who are taking part so that you don’t have to go at it alone. They also have resources to tap into if you want to take a particular action and need some help. Most importantly, this is a great way to help stay grounded and focused on the mission, and find support from people who are as outraged as you are that want to do something about it.

So how do you find a group? Go to Move-on.org and sign up for notifications or TheIndivisibleGuide.org. I used the indivisible guide to find the group I’m in called Rise & Resist NYC.

 3) Choose 1 Issue to Go Deeper On

Just like with your protest itch, you fight the urge to try and fight every single issue the Trump administration is rapid firing our way! It is impossible. That being said, it is important to focus your energy on the topics you feel most compassionate about while being confident in knowing others are doing the same for the other important issues. Remember we’re all a team and we can divide and conquer.

My Rise & Resist NYC group contains several different working groups designed to tackle specific issues. I joined the “2018 Midterm Elections” action group focusing on New York State Congress! Our goal is to make sure we flip every red district possible in New York, and turn all the “light” blue districts dark blue. If this is something you are passionate about, consider joining Rise & Resist NYC. OR, if you’d rather work on the Federal Level with the national midterm elections, consider joining United Thru Action, as they are working on this right now

 4) Work at Wearing Down Your Representatives

One of the big reasons we’re seeing a shift in the democratic party is because we make it a point to hound our Senators every week. We go to their offices, their homes, and public events they attend to remind them of what we (their constituents) think is best for us, that they work for us, and that we will not go away. From a strategy standpoint this is key! This is how the tea party singlehandedly help win the republicans the House and then the Senate this last year.

So consider joining a rally at your Republican or Democratic Senator’s office. Moveon.org organizes one every Tuesday for #ResistTrumpTuesdays, find out when the next one is by signing up for alerts here. In person visits are the most powerful, but calls are also effective. And if they turn off the phones, you can try writing a letter or faxing them, yes you heard that right, fax them. Find your Senator’s Contact INFO HERE and FAX numbers HERE. When you write or call, state your name and zip code and then question them on their voting records, which you can find here, and let them know if you are disappointed and how it affects you personally.

Also consider rallying at one of your Federal or State Congressman/woman’s next town hall meeting to speak up and discuss issues. This is an angel’s living database of all upcoming Town hall meetings for all Congressmen/women. People with Republican Reps or Senators, it is crucial that you join groups doing this so you can remind the Republicans this is NOT Politics as usual, so stop acting like it. Attend when you can. I guarantee you will not be alone.

 5) Every Little Bit Counts: Donations Will Continue to be BIGLY. This is a 4 Year Fight:

The same logic applies to donations! Again, you cannot donate all your money to every cause, that would be extremely unwise, especially with this administration because you would be poor and they would just kick you to the curb. So consider funding local grassroots movements who are fighting tactically at the local level on your behalf. Some NYC Groups to Consider:

- DRUM (Desis Rising Up & Moving)

- CAIR (Counsel on American-Islamic Relations)

- IRC (International Rescue Committee)

 -ACTIONS- AS A CONSTIUENT YOU HOLD ALL THE POWER!

ACTIONS FOR TODAY & TOMORROW AM (INSANELY IMPORTANT THINGS GOING ON THIS WEEK)! CALL, FAX, GO TO SENATOR’S OFFICES! Find you Senator’s Contact INFO HERE. Find a local protest event HERE. Find FAX numbers HERE.

 CRUCIAL UPCOMING CABINET VOTES

1) Jeff ‘too racist to be an Alabama Fed Judge’ Sessions committee vote is TUESDAY 1/31 at 10AM! ANYONE Dem or Republican who votes yes for this guy deserves to be on your SHIT LIST FOR LIFE. Never forget who thought this was ok. ASK FOR A DELAY! HE wrote some of the language in the Muslim Ban!

2) Betsy ‘Guns should be in Schools to fight Grizzlies’ Devos- Department of Education. WE ONLY NEED 1 MORE REPUBLICAN TO FLIP TO GUARANTEE SHE DOESN’T GO THROUGH. She is unfit to serve.

3) Andrew Puzder- Department of Labor: Hates the Department of Labor, yet wants to run it… to DESTROY IT.

4) Rick Perry- Department of Energy: Vowed he wanted to get rid of it, was nominated for it, had no idea what it did, acknowledges he’ll have a learning curve, but still wants it… hmmmm this position involved looking after our Nukes… hmmm. *Palm to face*

 UPCOMING DEMONSTRATIONS & TRAININGS- Join Events in Links

NYC- Cick Here for a Full LIST of NYC events and Trainings. There is literally something every day because NYC is awesome!

Washington DC

1/29 (SUN) 10am: Oppose Betsy DeVos! Columbus Circle, Washington DC

4/15 (SAT): Tax Day Rally to demand Trump turn over his Taxes. Everywhere. Link will show you where your local march is

4/29 (SUN): People’s Climate March

5/6 (SAT) 10am-5pm: The Immigrant’s March on Washington

6/11 (SUN) 10am-6pm: National Pride March

 Podcasts To Follow: (Actively Stay Informed)

POD Save America (Formerly Keeping it 1600)

POD Save the World

Robert Reich Resistance Report Facebook Videos (He posts everyday on his Facebook page so follow it!)

Dan Rather’s new Media Page “News And Guts”

"Never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never—in nothing, great or small, large or petty—never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense"--Winston Churchill.