#they are in transit but alas it's labor day

[dabingusbongus]

FURBY SOUP FURBY SOUP

yes yes don't worry @wormonastringsfurbies I'll send furby soup pics soon!!! The skins still be floating in it rn tho i did take some furby clothes out just a min ago. I want to add more skins to the soup today hopefully the other nasty furbs will be coming soon!!!!!!!

[theelispace]

The 12 Worst Things of New Jersey (The State I live in)

1. Would it kill you to say "please"?

Chivalry and etiquette are foreign concepts to many New Jerseyans. And it’s fair to assume that on any given day, you’ll encounter an impatient, impolite, disrespectful or downright nasty human-being who shares your lovely Garden State. Not every resident is a hollering, boorish brute, but take a roadtrip to the American south and you’ll realize that the stereotypes about northeasterners being rude are pretty much true.

2. Our traffic mimics "Mad Max"

Infuriating traffic makes sense for our most-densely-populated state. But does everyone have to be such an impatient, over-aggressive maniac? And don’t even start with the maddening array of jughandles and traffic circles.

3. NJ Transit's cruel tricks

To plan your day with the notion that NJ Transit's train or bus will arrive on schedule is to also account for bouts of rage as your pickup becomes delayed — and then canceled altogether. How could it get worse? Oh yeah, how about a crumbling infrastructure?

4. Our eternal civil war

Want to start a meaningless argument at your next dinner party? Ask the table “Where’s the line between North and South Jersey?” and then sit back as everyone spouts a meaningless opinion. Here’s the thing: There are no definitive, state-slicing barriers now, and there never will be. Let it go. (Plus, if we don’t unite, how will we ever conquer Delaware?)

5. And another thing ... our food battles

The pork roll vs. taylor ham discussion is worthy of its own slaughter. The stupid box says Taylor pork roll, people! Both sides are correct. Just let us enjoy our nitrate-soaked meat circles in peace. The same goes for subs/hoagies, Italian ice/water ice and sprinkles/jimmies. A state divided by its snacks is a state on the brink of collapse.

6. The soul-crushing property taxes

This gripe is based purely on fact: New Jersey boasts the highest property taxes in America, by far. The in-state average is now above $8,000 per household. Alabama, and its median property tax rate of $398, sounds awesome right about now.

7. The Pulaski Skyway

Between the merciless potholes, narrow lanes and hairpin exits, the dreary Pulaski feels more like the key in a Batman villain’s plot for Gotham-wide destruction that a structure that still exists in the 21st Century.

8. That wretched Turnpike smell

Anyone who regularly passes by Exit 13 on the Turnpike, and the nearby Linden Cogeneration Plant, already shares this grievance. The intense sulfur stench is especially putrid in warmer weather — coming soon! Though New Jersey is often unfairly mocked for its smells, it’s hard to defend this one.

9. Jersey Shore headaches

A day trip to our beloved surf and sand should surely be a serene occasion. But between Memorial Day and Labor Day, the traffic bottlenecking into the area is inescapable. To park, one must choose to shell out for an overpriced lot, or circle endlessly. Once on the beach, you endure every other frustrated family in its loudest, most obnoxious state. There’s just too many of us — we should try an odd-even system, ala the ‘73 oil crisis.

10. The Jersey meatheads

Are New Jersey’s drink-slugging, muscular buffoons different from the rest of the world’s? Yes. It goes back to the rudeness aspect — much of our population already has the tendency to morph into an inconsiderate jerk at any moment. Add in the misguided sense of entitlement that comes with not being able to touch your own shoulders, and you have the bombastic Jersey meathead, whose sole purpose is to ruin your night at the bar, club, or concert.

11. Our lousy customer service

Why are New Jersey’s service and retail employees all stationed behind a wall of indifference. In supermarkets and convenience stores — anywhere where you encounter a cashier — there’s a good chance you’ll be told to have a nice day, though it’s blatantly obvious they couldn’t care less. And why do New Jersey restaurants get so bent out of shape about separate checks? It almost always leads to a better overall tip!

12. It's us against the world

What other state’s residents need to constantly protect themselves from punchlines and mockery as soon as the cross into foreign lands? If you’re in California and you say “I’m from New Jersey,” don’t you immediately feel like as though a cloud of judgement has rolled in? Sure, we defend our spot and debunk the stereotypes, but a lifetime on watch becomes exhausting.

13. Why do we stay?

Well, have you tried the pizza here? But seriously, beneath all this quibbling, New Jersey is a special place, where many folks are willing to live. Our traffic and crowds are proof of that. And despite its flaws, we love this crazy land.

Oh, and did I mention the pizza?

Okay which is worse

New Jersey or Florida?

[pitty-aegis-parlor]

The 12 Worst Things of New Jersey (The State I live in)

1. Would it kill you to say "please"?

Chivalry and etiquette are foreign concepts to many New Jerseyans. And it’s fair to assume that on any given day, you’ll encounter an impatient, impolite, disrespectful or downright nasty human-being who shares your lovely Garden State. Not every resident is a hollering, boorish brute, but take a roadtrip to the American south and you’ll realize that the stereotypes about northeasterners being rude are pretty much true.

2. Our traffic mimics "Mad Max"

Infuriating traffic makes sense for our most-densely-populated state. But does everyone have to be such an impatient, over-aggressive maniac? And don’t even start with the maddening array of jughandles and traffic circles.

3. NJ Transit's cruel tricks

To plan your day with the notion that NJ Transit's train or bus will arrive on schedule is to also account for bouts of rage as your pickup becomes delayed — and then canceled altogether. How could it get worse? Oh yeah, how about a crumbling infrastructure?

4. Our eternal civil war

Want to start a meaningless argument at your next dinner party? Ask the table “Where’s the line between North and South Jersey?” and then sit back as everyone spouts a meaningless opinion. Here’s the thing: There are no definitive, state-slicing barriers now, and there never will be. Let it go. (Plus, if we don’t unite, how will we ever conquer Delaware?)

5. And another thing ... our food battles

The pork roll vs. taylor ham discussion is worthy of its own slaughter. The stupid box says Taylor pork roll, people! Both sides are correct. Just let us enjoy our nitrate-soaked meat circles in peace. The same goes for subs/hoagies, Italian ice/water ice and sprinkles/jimmies. A state divided by its snacks is a state on the brink of collapse.

6. The soul-crushing property taxes

This gripe is based purely on fact: New Jersey boasts the highest property taxes in America, by far. The in-state average is now above $8,000 per household. Alabama, and its median property tax rate of $398, sounds awesome right about now.

7. The Pulaski Skyway

Between the merciless potholes, narrow lanes and hairpin exits, the dreary Pulaski feels more like the key in a Batman villain’s plot for Gotham-wide destruction that a structure that still exists in the 21st Century.

8. That wretched Turnpike smell

Anyone who regularly passes by Exit 13 on the Turnpike, and the nearby Linden Cogeneration Plant, already shares this grievance. The intense sulfur stench is especially putrid in warmer weather — coming soon! Though New Jersey is often unfairly mocked for its smells, it’s hard to defend this one.

9. Jersey Shore headaches

A day trip to our beloved surf and sand should surely be a serene occasion. But between Memorial Day and Labor Day, the traffic bottlenecking into the area is inescapable. To park, one must choose to shell out for an overpriced lot, or circle endlessly. Once on the beach, you endure every other frustrated family in its loudest, most obnoxious state. There’s just too many of us — we should try an odd-even system, ala the ‘73 oil crisis.

10. The Jersey meatheads

Are New Jersey’s drink-slugging, muscular buffoons different from the rest of the world’s? Yes. It goes back to the rudeness aspect — much of our population already has the tendency to morph into an inconsiderate jerk at any moment. Add in the misguided sense of entitlement that comes with not being able to touch your own shoulders, and you have the bombastic Jersey meathead, whose sole purpose is to ruin your night at the bar, club, or concert.

11. Our lousy customer service

Why are New Jersey’s service and retail employees all stationed behind a wall of indifference. In supermarkets and convenience stores — anywhere where you encounter a cashier — there’s a good chance you’ll be told to have a nice day, though it’s blatantly obvious they couldn’t care less. And why do New Jersey restaurants get so bent out of shape about separate checks? It almost always leads to a better overall tip!

12. It's us against the world

What other state’s residents need to constantly protect themselves from punchlines and mockery as soon as the cross into foreign lands? If you’re in California and you say “I’m from New Jersey,” don’t you immediately feel like as though a cloud of judgement has rolled in? Sure, we defend our spot and debunk the stereotypes, but a lifetime on watch becomes exhausting.

13. Why do we stay?

Well, have you tried the pizza here? But seriously, beneath all this quibbling, New Jersey is a special place, where many folks are willing to live. Our traffic and crowds are proof of that. And despite its flaws, we love this crazy land.

Oh, and did I mention the pizza?

I have never visited or know about New Jersey, though I’ll keep that in mind!

[johnlocsin-johnyakuza]

The 12 Worst Things of New Jersey (The State I live in)

1. Would it kill you to say "please"?

Chivalry and etiquette are foreign concepts to many New Jerseyans. And it’s fair to assume that on any given day, you’ll encounter an impatient, impolite, disrespectful or downright nasty human-being who shares your lovely Garden State. Not every resident is a hollering, boorish brute, but take a roadtrip to the American south and you’ll realize that the stereotypes about northeasterners being rude are pretty much true.

2. Our traffic mimics "Mad Max"

Infuriating traffic makes sense for our most-densely-populated state. But does everyone have to be such an impatient, over-aggressive maniac? And don’t even start with the maddening array of jughandles and traffic circles.

3. NJ Transit's cruel tricks

To plan your day with the notion that NJ Transit's train or bus will arrive on schedule is to also account for bouts of rage as your pickup becomes delayed — and then canceled altogether. How could it get worse? Oh yeah, how about a crumbling infrastructure?

4. Our eternal civil war

Want to start a meaningless argument at your next dinner party? Ask the table “Where’s the line between North and South Jersey?” and then sit back as everyone spouts a meaningless opinion. Here’s the thing: There are no definitive, state-slicing barriers now, and there never will be. Let it go. (Plus, if we don’t unite, how will we ever conquer Delaware?)

5. And another thing ... our food battles

The pork roll vs. taylor ham discussion is worthy of its own slaughter. The stupid box says Taylor pork roll, people! Both sides are correct. Just let us enjoy our nitrate-soaked meat circles in peace. The same goes for subs/hoagies, Italian ice/water ice and sprinkles/jimmies. A state divided by its snacks is a state on the brink of collapse.

6. The soul-crushing property taxes

This gripe is based purely on fact: New Jersey boasts the highest property taxes in America, by far. The in-state average is now above $8,000 per household. Alabama, and its median property tax rate of $398, sounds awesome right about now.

7. The Pulaski Skyway

Between the merciless potholes, narrow lanes and hairpin exits, the dreary Pulaski feels more like the key in a Batman villain’s plot for Gotham-wide destruction that a structure that still exists in the 21st Century.

8. That wretched Turnpike smell

Anyone who regularly passes by Exit 13 on the Turnpike, and the nearby Linden Cogeneration Plant, already shares this grievance. The intense sulfur stench is especially putrid in warmer weather — coming soon! Though New Jersey is often unfairly mocked for its smells, it’s hard to defend this one.

9. Jersey Shore headaches

A day trip to our beloved surf and sand should surely be a serene occasion. But between Memorial Day and Labor Day, the traffic bottlenecking into the area is inescapable. To park, one must choose to shell out for an overpriced lot, or circle endlessly. Once on the beach, you endure every other frustrated family in its loudest, most obnoxious state. There’s just too many of us — we should try an odd-even system, ala the ‘73 oil crisis.

10. The Jersey meatheads

Are New Jersey’s drink-slugging, muscular buffoons different from the rest of the world’s? Yes. It goes back to the rudeness aspect — much of our population already has the tendency to morph into an inconsiderate jerk at any moment. Add in the misguided sense of entitlement that comes with not being able to touch your own shoulders, and you have the bombastic Jersey meathead, whose sole purpose is to ruin your night at the bar, club, or concert.

11. Our lousy customer service

Why are New Jersey’s service and retail employees all stationed behind a wall of indifference. In supermarkets and convenience stores — anywhere where you encounter a cashier — there’s a good chance you’ll be told to have a nice day, though it’s blatantly obvious they couldn’t care less. And why do New Jersey restaurants get so bent out of shape about separate checks? It almost always leads to a better overall tip!

12. It's us against the world

What other state’s residents need to constantly protect themselves from punchlines and mockery as soon as the cross into foreign lands? If you’re in California and you say “I’m from New Jersey,” don’t you immediately feel like as though a cloud of judgement has rolled in? Sure, we defend our spot and debunk the stereotypes, but a lifetime on watch becomes exhausting.

13. Why do we stay?

Well, have you tried the pizza here? But seriously, beneath all this quibbling, New Jersey is a special place, where many folks are willing to live. Our traffic and crowds are proof of that. And despite its flaws, we love this crazy land.

Oh, and did I mention the pizza?

[problematiccheeto]

The Children Yearn for the Mines; a thesis.

By Charles Elliot Oswalter

While the common man lives and dies by the saying; "Child labor bad, eat the rich, do taxes.", I, an intellectual, live by a different code; "The children yearn for the mines, overthrow government, do crime, be gay (optional, but encouraged)". Now while I don't have time to cover my entire belief system today- *Taps paper on podium*- I hope to enlighten you on how we are mistreating our youth by depriving them of their greatest wish, L A B O R.

Kids today, amirite? Born with a silver spoon in their mouths and an iPad pro in their grubby talons. These sad, meek creatures are getting weaker by the minute. And still, there are clear signs showing us what they truly crave. Exhibit A:

*Clicks button on remote and a giant projection appears behind me*

The hit game, minecraft. Quite hip with them kids, I do say. But wait, what's that first word in that title?

*Clicks button for next slide, funky PowerPoint transition*

MINES! AND THE CHILDREN SPEND MOST OF THEIR TIME IN THAT GAME MINING! Our poor, poor children have to rely on the tragic simulation of a block game to get that sweet hit of nostalgic work effort and forced labor they so crave. But alas, the visuals are not enough to truly simulate the experience. Witch leads to exhibit B:

*Clicks remote, another impeccable PowerPoint transition*

Smoking and Vaping. Kids these days are starting younger. Is it that their pickaxeless life is sad and demeaning? Or mayhaps is it that their developing lungs lack a key component? That's right-

*PowerPoint transition*

COAL DUST!!!

An essential nutrient for developing lung cancer has been cut out of their natural diet. THEY MUST RESORT TO MERE FABRICATIONS YOU MONSTERS!!! Not to mention that this loss of childhood labor has caused them to become soft, sad little creatures, filling their heads with nonsense. I believe, if the human race is to survive, we must send them back to the place they so yearn for. But not so my company can make billions of dollars in power production- so that these youngins have a chance to experience the true joy of childhood; unsafe working conditions. Thank you.

[eway]

The 12 Worst Things of New Jersey (The State I live in)

1. Would it kill you to say "please"?

Chivalry and etiquette are foreign concepts to many New Jerseyans. And it’s fair to assume that on any given day, you’ll encounter an impatient, impolite, disrespectful or downright nasty human-being who shares your lovely Garden State. Not every resident is a hollering, boorish brute, but take a roadtrip to the American south and you’ll realize that the stereotypes about northeasterners being rude are pretty much true.

2. Our traffic mimics "Mad Max"

Infuriating traffic makes sense for our most-densely-populated state. But does everyone have to be such an impatient, over-aggressive maniac? And don’t even start with the maddening array of jughandles and traffic circles.

3. NJ Transit's cruel tricks

To plan your day with the notion that NJ Transit's train or bus will arrive on schedule is to also account for bouts of rage as your pickup becomes delayed — and then canceled altogether. How could it get worse? Oh yeah, how about a crumbling infrastructure?

4. Our eternal civil war

Want to start a meaningless argument at your next dinner party? Ask the table “Where’s the line between North and South Jersey?” and then sit back as everyone spouts a meaningless opinion. Here’s the thing: There are no definitive, state-slicing barriers now, and there never will be. Let it go. (Plus, if we don’t unite, how will we ever conquer Delaware?)

5. And another thing ... our food battles

The pork roll vs. taylor ham discussion is worthy of its own slaughter. The stupid box says Taylor pork roll, people! Both sides are correct. Just let us enjoy our nitrate-soaked meat circles in peace. The same goes for subs/hoagies, Italian ice/water ice and sprinkles/jimmies. A state divided by its snacks is a state on the brink of collapse.

6. The soul-crushing property taxes

This gripe is based purely on fact: New Jersey boasts the highest property taxes in America, by far. The in-state average is now above $8,000 per household. Alabama, and its median property tax rate of $398, sounds awesome right about now.

7. The Pulaski Skyway

Between the merciless potholes, narrow lanes and hairpin exits, the dreary Pulaski feels more like the key in a Batman villain’s plot for Gotham-wide destruction that a structure that still exists in the 21st Century.

8. That wretched Turnpike smell

Anyone who regularly passes by Exit 13 on the Turnpike, and the nearby Linden Cogeneration Plant, already shares this grievance. The intense sulfur stench is especially putrid in warmer weather — coming soon! Though New Jersey is often unfairly mocked for its smells, it’s hard to defend this one.

9. Jersey Shore headaches

A day trip to our beloved surf and sand should surely be a serene occasion. But between Memorial Day and Labor Day, the traffic bottlenecking into the area is inescapable. To park, one must choose to shell out for an overpriced lot, or circle endlessly. Once on the beach, you endure every other frustrated family in its loudest, most obnoxious state. There’s just too many of us — we should try an odd-even system, ala the ‘73 oil crisis.

10. The Jersey meatheads

Are New Jersey’s drink-slugging, muscular buffoons different from the rest of the world’s? Yes. It goes back to the rudeness aspect — much of our population already has the tendency to morph into an inconsiderate jerk at any moment. Add in the misguided sense of entitlement that comes with not being able to touch your own shoulders, and you have the bombastic Jersey meathead, whose sole purpose is to ruin your night at the bar, club, or concert.

11. Our lousy customer service

Why are New Jersey’s service and retail employees all stationed behind a wall of indifference. In supermarkets and convenience stores — anywhere where you encounter a cashier — there’s a good chance you’ll be told to have a nice day, though it’s blatantly obvious they couldn’t care less. And why do New Jersey restaurants get so bent out of shape about separate checks? It almost always leads to a better overall tip!

12. It's us against the world

What other state’s residents need to constantly protect themselves from punchlines and mockery as soon as the cross into foreign lands? If you’re in California and you say “I’m from New Jersey,” don’t you immediately feel like as though a cloud of judgement has rolled in? Sure, we defend our spot and debunk the stereotypes, but a lifetime on watch becomes exhausting.

13. Why do we stay?

Well, have you tried the pizza here? But seriously, beneath all this quibbling, New Jersey is a special place, where many folks are willing to live. Our traffic and crowds are proof of that. And despite its flaws, we love this crazy land.

Oh, and did I mention the pizza?

I feel so sorry for you.

That all sounds so annoying

[capitalism-is-a-psychopathy]

Ford's Shocking Decision: Scaling Back on EV Battery Plant Amid Disappointing Demand and Rising Labor Costs

In a surprising turn of events, Ford Motor Company has announced that they will be scaling back their plans for a massive $3.5 billion battery plant in Michigan. Yes, you read that right, scaling back! Who would have thought that the demand for electric vehicles (EVs) would disappoint, right? I mean, everyone was so excited about the prospect of a greener future, but turns out not everyone is rushing to buy an EV. But that's not all, folks! As if the disappointing demand wasn't enough, labor costs are also on the rise. Who could have anticipated that?! I guess Ford didn't get the memo that building a state-of-the-art battery plant comes with a hefty price tag. It's truly a shame to see Ford's ambitious plans being dimmed by reality. They had envisioned a world where EVs reign supreme, where everyone would be driving around in quiet, emission-free vehicles. But alas, it seems like the masses aren't quite ready to abandon their trusty gas-guzzlers. Now, you may be wondering, what about all those promises of saving the planet? Well, dear readers, it seems like those promises have taken a backseat to the harsh realities of the market. Ford, like any other company, needs to make smart business decisions to stay afloat. So, who can blame them for cutting their losses and reevaluating their plans? Perhaps this setback will serve as a wake-up call to the EV enthusiasts out there. Maybe it's time to face the fact that a full-scale adoption of electric vehicles is still a ways off. And maybe, just maybe, it's not as easy as it seems to transition from gas-powered vehicles to EVs. So, let's raise a glass to Ford for reminding us all that even the biggest and boldest dreams can face setbacks. And who knows, maybe one day our roads will be filled with silent EVs, but for now, let's not get ahead of ourselves. Cheers!

[jokurr-d-phantom]

The 12 Worst Things of New Jersey (The State I live in)

1. Would it kill you to say "please"?

Chivalry and etiquette are foreign concepts to many New Jerseyans. And it’s fair to assume that on any given day, you’ll encounter an impatient, impolite, disrespectful or downright nasty human-being who shares your lovely Garden State. Not every resident is a hollering, boorish brute, but take a roadtrip to the American south and you’ll realize that the stereotypes about northeasterners being rude are pretty much true.

2. Our traffic mimics "Mad Max"

Infuriating traffic makes sense for our most-densely-populated state. But does everyone have to be such an impatient, over-aggressive maniac? And don’t even start with the maddening array of jughandles and traffic circles.

3. NJ Transit's cruel tricks

To plan your day with the notion that NJ Transit's train or bus will arrive on schedule is to also account for bouts of rage as your pickup becomes delayed — and then canceled altogether. How could it get worse? Oh yeah, how about a crumbling infrastructure?

4. Our eternal civil war

Want to start a meaningless argument at your next dinner party? Ask the table “Where’s the line between North and South Jersey?” and then sit back as everyone spouts a meaningless opinion. Here’s the thing: There are no definitive, state-slicing barriers now, and there never will be. Let it go. (Plus, if we don’t unite, how will we ever conquer Delaware?)

5. And another thing ... our food battles

The pork roll vs. taylor ham discussion is worthy of its own slaughter. The stupid box says Taylor pork roll, people! Both sides are correct. Just let us enjoy our nitrate-soaked meat circles in peace. The same goes for subs/hoagies, Italian ice/water ice and sprinkles/jimmies. A state divided by its snacks is a state on the brink of collapse.

6. The soul-crushing property taxes

This gripe is based purely on fact: New Jersey boasts the highest property taxes in America, by far. The in-state average is now above $8,000 per household. Alabama, and its median property tax rate of $398, sounds awesome right about now.

7. The Pulaski Skyway

Between the merciless potholes, narrow lanes and hairpin exits, the dreary Pulaski feels more like the key in a Batman villain’s plot for Gotham-wide destruction that a structure that still exists in the 21st Century.

8. That wretched Turnpike smell

Anyone who regularly passes by Exit 13 on the Turnpike, and the nearby Linden Cogeneration Plant, already shares this grievance. The intense sulfur stench is especially putrid in warmer weather — coming soon! Though New Jersey is often unfairly mocked for its smells, it’s hard to defend this one.

9. Jersey Shore headaches

A day trip to our beloved surf and sand should surely be a serene occasion. But between Memorial Day and Labor Day, the traffic bottlenecking into the area is inescapable. To park, one must choose to shell out for an overpriced lot, or circle endlessly. Once on the beach, you endure every other frustrated family in its loudest, most obnoxious state. There’s just too many of us — we should try an odd-even system, ala the ‘73 oil crisis.

10. The Jersey meatheads

Are New Jersey’s drink-slugging, muscular buffoons different from the rest of the world’s? Yes. It goes back to the rudeness aspect — much of our population already has the tendency to morph into an inconsiderate jerk at any moment. Add in the misguided sense of entitlement that comes with not being able to touch your own shoulders, and you have the bombastic Jersey meathead, whose sole purpose is to ruin your night at the bar, club, or concert.

11. Our lousy customer service

Why are New Jersey’s service and retail employees all stationed behind a wall of indifference. In supermarkets and convenience stores — anywhere where you encounter a cashier — there’s a good chance you’ll be told to have a nice day, though it’s blatantly obvious they couldn’t care less. And why do New Jersey restaurants get so bent out of shape about separate checks? It almost always leads to a better overall tip!

12. It's us against the world

What other state’s residents need to constantly protect themselves from punchlines and mockery as soon as the cross into foreign lands? If you’re in California and you say “I’m from New Jersey,” don’t you immediately feel like as though a cloud of judgement has rolled in? Sure, we defend our spot and debunk the stereotypes, but a lifetime on watch becomes exhausting.

13. Why do we stay?

Well, have you tried the pizza here? But seriously, beneath all this quibbling, New Jersey is a special place, where many folks are willing to live. Our traffic and crowds are proof of that. And despite its flaws, we love this crazy land.

Oh, and did I mention the pizza?

Don't visit New Jersey, gotcha.

[buzzdixonwriter]

Qui Reponendi Sunt Te Salutant - Part Five

[Part One] [Part Two] [Part Three] [Part Four]

The double edge sword of AI and automation means fewer humans needed in the work force.

For dangerous and / or dull jobs this is great:  Let machines do the dirty deadly stuff faster / more efficiently / cheaper than humans.

But AI and automation will chomp into other jobs as well.  How many janitors will it take to clean a building when one person can do it sitting behind a desk, supervising hundreds of remote control mops ala “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice”?

The claim AI will create new jobs and occupations, while doubtlessly true, ignores what it will do immediately to the transitional generations, much the same way the Industrial Revolution steamroller hundreds of thousands of artisans and skilled laborers into a newer, more compact workforce.

Automations are the ultimate labor force:  Once past the initial investment, there’s only a small cost in upkeep and energy supply, yet they can work 24 / 365 without tiring or taking breaks.

Best of all, when they become outmoded, they can be disassembled and recycled. 

Try doing that with a bagger at a supermarket.

Herein lays the paradox and challenge:

Humans want the luxury to pursue their own interests; even if they choose to pursue dangerous / difficult things. They want to do so of their own free choice.

AI and automation can provide the labor needed to keep a society functioning, thus giving millions, perhaps billions more than enough time and necessary basic needs to follow personal pursuits.

If everyone enjoys the luxury of freedom from labor, there is no status in being able to afford such luxury.

If there are millions, perhaps billions of people with no ostensible purpose other than their own satisfaction, why encourage continued population growth since it will only continue to put strains on both the economic and ecological systems?

Why then encourage mass consumerism the way capitalism has for the last three hundred years?

If there is not only no need for mass consumerism but rather a host of rational reasons to discourage it, why should capitalism continue to be the economic model for humanity?

Hundreds of thousands, perhaps even millions of years ago our ancient ancestors looked at the moon and tried to reach it by climbing the highest trees they could find.

Later, when they built simple tools and the rudiments of civilization, they tried with towers, or by epic journeys atop the highest mountains or over the horizon to see where the moon went.

Eventually humanity came to understand that the moon lay beyond our conventional reach, that none of the old ideas for reaching it could ever possibly work.

Soon other ideas for reaching it sprang forth; bottles of dew strapped to one’s body, balloons, giant cannons, aeroplanes, event rockets, as small and as impractical as they were.

But we developed the rockets, and they became larger, more reliable, and eventually they took us to the moon.

From the 1840s, the idea of a communist society, one where social classes and money no longer existed, where the state withered away, has circulated.

In those days, and in Marx’ time, and in Soviet Russia and the Iron Curtain nations, it was the tree we sought to climb to reach a seemingly unobtainable goal.

With the failures of those efforts, capitalists laughed, claiming it was impossible to reach those heights and that we were fools to even try instead of rooting around in the mud and filth like them.

AI and automation may be our rockets.  Already AI programs manage money accounts better than humans.  Without the false need to make profit for the few at the expense of the many, they may usher in that long sought age.

The danger between now and then is that those on the top, seeing one last expense to cut loose, might deem it personally reasonable to hasten the reduction of the human species by direct means.

The future stares us in the face.

Don’t blink.

© Buzz Dixon

[ms-m-astrologer]

Transiting Ceres enters retrograde zone

Timeline (current events in bold):

Sunday, April 19, 2020, 05:21 UT - transiting Ceres enters retrograde zone, 28:36 Aquarius

Thursday, April 23, 2020, 20:16 UT - transiting Ceres enters Pisces

Tuesday, July 7, 2020, 04:04 UT - transiting Ceres stations retrograde, 12:50 Pisces

Sunday, September 27, 2020, 07:20 UT - transiting Ceres retrogrades back into Aquarius

Sunday, October 18, 2020, 17:02 UT - transiting Ceres stations direct, 28:36 Aquarius

Monday, November 9, 2020, 14:38 UT - transiting Ceres re-enters Pisces

Sunday, January 3, 2021, 15:53 UT - transiting Ceres exits retrograde zone, 12:50 Pisces

I wanted to go a little more in-depth with this particular cosmic event, than I normally would do in the daily/weekly forecasts. It shouldn’t be too difficult to figure out why: here we all are in quarantine for the foreseeable future, and freaking Ceres is about to enter her Rx Zone!

I also watched a very interesting video yesterday, by astrologer Steve Judd, in which he details his predictions about the world’s immediate future here in the COVID-19 world. (LINK HERE.) He went around the chart backwards, starting with the 12th House, detailing what he believes will happen. I was especially interested in lieu of this imminent Ceres stuff, to see what he’d say about her areas, namely food and home and tribe.

(He said the main business of the 6th House is “lifestyle management,” which is utterly brilliant!)

Using the excellent book Asteroid Goddesses by Demetra George (seriously, save up and buy it), we can come up with some generalities about how Ceres works:

procreative sexuality; parent-child relationships; the family

nurturing and helping professions

relationship with nature; agriculture, growing cycles; food and food-related services

loss; attachment and aversion; holding on or letting go

labor and productivity

The thing is - as Steve points out, all of those issues are going to be radically rearranged and readjusted due to quarantine, because we’re of necessity spending more time in our homes, with our tribes. Take food for example: people are rediscovering the joys of home cooking; restaurants are working with drivers (e.g. UberEats) to deliver their food to people, instead of serving it up at a table. What is that going to do to the restaurant business over the long term?

And labor and productivity? Many businesses are realizing that telecommuting (is it still called that?!?) works just fine. People don’t need to travel all over the world; they can go online to meet with people all over the world. What is this going to do for the office real estate market? The travel agencies?

So, yes, this is a Way Bigger Deal than a typical Ceres retrograde. It would be nice if she were occupying congenial signs, but alas, she ain’t. This retrograde cycle begins in the last couple of degrees of Aquarius, where (according to me) Ceres is peregrine - neither here nor there. It tells us that we are going to get something wrong about the Ceres/Aquarius process, illustrated by this (parenting-oriented) passage from Asteroid Goddesses: 

Imbalances may occur if the child was not given limits and guidelines, and therefore received more freedom than he or she was prepared to cope with. This would manifest as “the rebel without a cause” - the individual who needs to gain inner control and self-discipline so that he/she can handle the responsibilities of freedom.

I mean, look at all the Fugly Americans protesting the coronavirus social distancing measures, in Michigan and elsewhere - they insist they have the right to do whatever they want, the minute they want to do it, dad gum it! 

But I think another way this will play out for us, is the fact that as a whole, people in the first world (raises hand) are completely alienated (Aquarius) from Mother Nature (Ceres). We eat our fake food, and we dust off our fake plants. That the fake food is all many of us can afford, is shameful. And, look at all the astonished reports about the lack of pollution leading to clear water in Venetian canals, and spectacular views of the night skies in our citites.

Where is Ceres transiting in your birth chart? She’s in my natal 4th, literally her stomping grounds - in my daughter’s 11th, and my gosh does she miss her friends. Anyway, over the next four days, until Ceres goes into Pisces, pay particular attention to what she’s trying to tell you. At his website about retrograde planets, Martin Bulgerin (LINK HERE) says that during Ceres retrograde, “it’s time to reconnect with the web of life and loving.” Not an easy task for Aquarius.

(Regardless of response to this, I’ll probably whip something up for Ceres going into Pisces, too. Lots of time on my hands, and I can’t knit or crochet all day.)

[sparda3g]

Attack on Titan Chapter 122 Review

Ever since the anime season this year ended, the momentum has been phenomenal. Some would believe this would not only lose it but fall off of a cliff alas jumping the shark. Fans have followed since the beginning and remain loyal to this day. After 122 chapters, I can safely say this series still got it. That itself is amazing, but what this chapter delivered is unfathomable. It didn’t just deliver the explanation we have long desired for, it rewarded us for being loyal to this very day.

It opens up with Frieda and Historia’s flashback, centering on the story of a young girl who was loved by everyone. She was called Ymir. She was deemed as “ladylike;” an inspirational figure if you may call her. As fans know, she is the founder of the Titans. They also know her loyalty is to the Royal Family alas a slave. Basically, her figure can be seen as a role model, but her background and history say otherwise. It transition to Ymir’s backstory and from there, the truth is far colder than I can imagine.

It’s heartbreaking, disturbing, and probably the darkest of the series, and that says a lot. As the chapter’s title implies, it takes place 2,000 years ago. Ymir was only a child; a slave who worked hard in the midst of agonizing environment. Throughout the backstory, she never speak a word, but her expression tells tons. This is Isayama’s finest artwork delivery. The amount of effort put in is astonishing, and it only gets better.

The king wanted the culprit who set the pigs free and all the slaves pointed at her. We don’t know if she was even the culprit, but the painted image of everyone backstabbing her for the “greater good” is hard-hitting. She must take the fall and so, she accepted it. That’s purely corrupted and disheartening. Blame a child for your foolish act. But it didn’t matter; the king took it and free her to the forest, where she will be running from death by her own people.

I like to point out how disturbing it is to use the phrase, “You are free,” in a very cruel manner. It makes me believe the ending page of the series is about her. It’s still a speculation, but the chance has increased. Her suffering aches me and the flashback just started, let alone her character. She found the giant tree and entered inside for shelter. But instead, she fell down to the river with a supernatural object that resembles a spinal cord swimming towards her. They fused without a dance and thus, a titan is born. What a great sequence.

I love how it plays off as a phenomenal event and rightfully so. It’s the beginning of everything. It has to be treated as the second coming or the Holy Grail. It’s interesting to see a supernatural element in this series. Granted, a lightning strike, changing into a giant form, and Shifters wielding a special power are supernatural, but this is the origin, before titan became a thing. It has to start somewhere, so this is acceptable. I strongly doubt we will see more of supernatural entity like aliens. This is more of mythology use, the Tree of Life if you may, and Isayama is no stranger.

One would think Ymir’s life would turnaround for the better with her newfound ability. It did not; amazingly, it’s much worse. The King paid much “respect” towards her, thanks to her titan power. By that logic, this means she is “rewarded” to be his wife. The sad part is, earlier in the chapter, she witnessed a wedding that was presented as a blissful moment for the two. She’s no longer a slave to do labor work; she’s a slave to do everything. She’s rewarded a marriage and yet, she’s left cold and depressed. It’s disheartening to say the least.

She does all the works the King command. From being sent to destroy Marleyans to bearing the children for weaponized reason, she’s a mess. Every moment should be filled with happiness, yet not once you see her happy. Not even a baby birth made her pleasant; instead, saddened and broken. Year after year of the same procedure, her life was long gone. We the fans are only seeing her in pilot mode or in other words, emotionless.

What’s interesting is the moment when she was killed. You would expect her death to be glorious or end with a bang, but it wasn’t the case. One of the soldiers took out a spear from underneath the sand and threw at the King, only for Ymir to jump and take it instead. She could have recovered, knowing she was a Shifter. However, she lost the will to live, so she never did; essentially, passed away. It almost happened with Reiner back at Marley, so it makes sense for her to go out like a normal human. I love the imagery of her soul fading away with the sight of a flower. What struck me is her family watched her dead with sadness, only for the next moment to destroy the sensation and embark a really dark scene.

If you once believe the King has any soul towards her, you’ll be dead wrong. After a shock, he recovered and angrily yelled at her to get back up and work. That’s seriously messed up. He had no remorse for her death; not even seeing her once as a person. He flat out called her their slave. It only took a chapter to hate the guy so much. It gets worse as he decided to feed his children with her corpse. That’s unbelievably disturbing. I’m surprised at the raw image as well as disgusted. At least we know the walls are named after the three children; better not reveal that history. How this series not Seinen? I guess it was missing one cuss word to be qualified.

The most heartbreaking part is, even in the afterlife, Ymir is still a slave. In the King’s deathbed, his last wish was an order for his children to spread Ymir’s blood through generation after generation. Not even a touching moment for them; selfishly placed dictatorship over family. Sadly, they obeyed his last wish and through countless generations, the titans have grown.

It explained how the titans essentially break into different traits alas Shifters, including Jaw and Colossal Titan. After spreading for so long, it eventually formed a new type. It’s bizarrely insane. The King can enjoy in hell, while Ymir is forever a slave, creating countless titans. She outclassed all the suffering characters; bar none. It’s pure tragedy. She cannot be freed for 2,000 years and counting. Her life is only used as a weapon; nothing more, nothing less. The backstory ends here. The next scene, oh boy, here we go.

Eren finally reveals his true color and the sole reason to obtain her power: to end this world. Out of context, he would definitely been seen as a villain. Joker, watch out! But seriously, it’s the Rumbling and like he said at the beach, he’s going to put an end to this madness. While the request can definitely be interpreted as a villainy act, the intention is dare I say reasonable.

The idea I get is he wants to factory reset the world. The damage was done 2,000 years ago and its effect goes on to this day. Evil brought upon the titans to its existence. The irony approach to put an end is to use those colossal titans inside the wall. What stared the madness will end with madness. I don’t remember who said this quote about World War, but the third war will be the worst war of our time; the fourth one will have people use sticks and stones. It’s something like that. Basically, it means the world will restart after mass destruction, and that’s what Eren is going to unleash. Not necessarily kill his friends, but end the tyranny war.

I love the last psychological battle between the brothers. Eren wants Ymir to know she is only human; not a God nor a slave. As for Zeke, he wants to stop Eren from unleashing hell on Earth. Out of context, this sounds like Zeke is the good guy, but it’s complicated. Their choice of words to persuade Ymir are night and day. Not because of what they wished for, but what they cared for. When it’s all said and done, it’s perfectly clear which argument matters more.

The major key difference is how they approach to her. Eren may want the world to end, but he believes it’s up to her to decide. More importantly, what she truly feels. With Zeke, all value was lost when he yells at her to grant his wish because he ordered her. He believed he’s right because he carried the blood of the Royal Family; symbolically, history repeats itself or more like, the chain never ends. Eren wants to end it and apparently, so does her.

It is clear Isayama has planned this far ahead as well as improved his artwork tremendously.Thankfully so, because the delivery is powerful. Ymir’s emotion with tears is raw; I felt her agony and now, she can finally let it go. I love the fact Isayama didn’t show her eyes until now; making this moment impactful. You feel free along with her. The pain must end now. To top it all off, alongside with great artwork, it also contain the perfect circle; one that rewards the fans for supporting the work for a long time.

Eren may have a villainy idea, but his heart still contains purity. He wanted her to let go; end her misery. He knows deeply for 20,000 years, she waited for anyone to free her, and he is the guy. It finally hits me that this chapter’s title resembles to the first chapter. It was a message to Eren to save her; this time, it’s the reply she has been waiting for. Absolutely magnificent. Now I get those panels that resemble to Eren’s dream. Not to mention, the tears. It must mean he felt the pain of a poor girl. I’m convinced the ending will have Eren carrying Ymir to let her know she’s freed. I can be wrong, but I wouldn’t mind being right. Ymir makes her decision, and by God almighty, what a crazy ending.

The last couple of pages are incredible. Isayama seriously went all out on his art. Back to reality, Eren’s spine reattach his head; basically, escape death. The image is jarring in a good way. The battle is stopped with the wall crumbling down. By this point, my jaw was dropped. The scenery is intense as hell. Gabi, the one who thought stopped the mayhem, is now witnessing it in front row. The wall is gone; out comes the mass of Colossal Titans. Translation: we’re in the endgame now.

What else can I say? Probably a lot more. The bottom line is, this chapter was outstanding. It delivered a really dark, cruel, and depressing backstory of Ymir that answered many questions and gave us reasons to feel awful for her, which ultimately led to the defining moment. When it comes down to it, the stories we heard from Eldians and Marleyans were true and false. Eren and Zeke’s final debate was mesmerizing. The full circle twist was so rewarding. The visual is among the best Isayama has delivered; perhaps the best. The atmosphere, the angle, the expression; everything is top quality. The ending got me hyped beyond the maximum level. This is it. It’s not the end of the world, but you can see it from here…

[inner-sunshine]

The Freebirth of Baby A:

After an eventful day of sightseeing in San Francisco with my husband's family, the night of April 25th was a bit restless for me. I was pretty worn out from walking all day, uncomfortable from being, at this point, 41 weeks 2 days pregnant.

I woke up multiple times in the night, experiencing a lull of back pain and overall tightness in my stomach muscles.

Weeks before this night, I had been excited, ready, then put off when my previous (what I didn't realize was prodromal and perfectly normal) labors fizzled to nothing.

However, something was different about this night. Falling asleep felt instantaneous, like my body needed me resting, yet I woke up a few times to use the bathroom- my body cleaning itself out to fully prepare.

I woke the morning of April 26th with what I recognized were actual waves- contractions. They weren't regularly spaced nor very painful, moreso uncomfortable, like gas pain.

Hosting company, I cooked breakfast for everyone occasionally pausing to acknowledge the waves of my womb.

My mother-in-law noticed something off about me, I think how I was more into myself than my usual social self, and I told her I didn't want to jinx anything, but I thought I was in early labor.

My husband's family wanted to continue sight-seeing parts of the Bay Area (they were visiting from Chicago where we are originally from) and left the house about midday. Only my husband, L & B (my sons), and myself remained.

Looking back now, I'm thankful that they wanted to give us some space because I needed a few hours to get into a more internal mindset to keep my goal on track -- delivering my baby at home.

The boys played while I bounced on an exercise ball, opening my hips and swaying with the waves of contractions. At this point they were still pretty far apart, about 12-15 minutes, and pretty short in length.

After nearly 2 hours of that (about 2pm), I was becoming impatient and a little frustrated because not only were my contractions not picking up, it almost felt like they were slowing down. (Though now, I feel this was all in my head)

I told my husband I wanted to go out and walk around, coincidentally it was when Toys R Us was closing all their locations and the one local to us was having a huge sale, so we went. I figured we could get something for the boys to get involved with in case I either A; do have the baby at home, or B; need to transfer and my MIL has to take the boys. I paced around the store while the kids picked out play doh, toy trucks, and sidewalk chalk.

Leaving the store I tell my husband I want to go home, right now. We had planned maybe stopping somewhere to eat, but even though my contractions hadn't changed much, something changed within me and I just wanted to be home. I followed my instincts.

We got home, a bit after 3, B was really weepy so I decided to lay down and try to nap with him. We were both tired. My body told me to rest and I obliged. I was (well, tbh, still AM) breastfeeding B and thought getting a quick feed in would probably help me progress and relax us both. B fell asleep, and so did I.... for about 20 minutes.

I woke up to contractions that felt a lot more intense than they were previously. I decided to get in the tub to get some relief, especially for my back, for me, is where I feel most of my labors. I timed a couple contractions and they were only about 10 minutes apart. I thought I had a ways to go, hours at least- and by this time it was about 4:30 PM.

I'm not one to condone cervical checks during labor, to be frank, they don't mean anything progress-wise and can potentially irritate an already busy cervix. Alas I was curious, so while in the tub I checked my cervix and to my surprise-- it felt incredibly high up, so high I couldn't even reach it to see how dilated I was. I was so frustrated, at this point I really thought baby wasn't going to be born until after midnight.

I started feeling a little discouraged; I was tired and thought I hadn't even made it halfway, I cried a little. Then, I laid in the tub and just closed my eyes, trying to ground myself while breathing as deeply as possible. My favorite birth affirmations filled my mind and I calmed myself down, confident again.

About 5pm now, my husband's family returns from their outing and I was still in the tub... just as things totally pick up.

Within 20 minutes my contractions went from 10 minutes to 4 minutes apart and they lasted about 50-70 seconds long. It started becoming difficult to communicate through them, all my focus was on breathing and resting in between. I opened the drain of the tub and turned the faucet on as hot as it would go directly on my back as the pressure became more intense.

The boys came into the bathroom to see what was going on and my husband explained that the baby in mommy's belly is going to come out. L asks if it hurts. I say yes, but I am going to be okay once the baby comes out. They sat and watched for a little while, then went back to play with their cousins.

A powerful surge washed over me and I instantly felt nauseous, I knew what this was and what it meant -- I was in transition; the baby was definitely coming and SOON. (As I said before, this is why one should always decline cervical checks during labor, upon checking my cervix and feeling I had "not progressed" it threw off my whole mood when really I was only about 30 minutes from hitting transition)

I popped out of the tub and vomited into a bowl that my husband brought into the bathroom earlier. He was incredible. I cannot even explain to you how in sync he was to what I needed, without me even saying a word. Indescribably linked.

I stayed on the bathroom floor for maybe 2 contractions after hitting that transition and my instincts spoke to me again. I needed to be somewhere soft. Baby was coming and needed to be caught somewhere more suitable. I obliged and after my next moan through a surge I told my husband I needed help getting into bed.

Mind you, I had planned to have the baby in my bathroom. I had deep cleaned it, set up the space and supplies so everything was accessible in that room. Still in only a few minutes, my husband had all my towels layered on my bed & a bin of supplies on my dresser. Between surges I quickly crouched on my bed on all fours; what was comfortable at the time.

Literally the next surge was so intense and had more pressure behind it that my water broke into my hand. It was warm, I looked down to check it's color -- clear, almost tinged pink. No meconium, not that it is necessarily bad to have stained waters (it's really a non issue), but it was something I wanted to pay attention to, personally, being over 40 weeks.

My next 2 surges brought my body into FER (Fetal Ejection Reflex) and I was pulled into a more tripod stance, on my knees with my left hand supporting me and my right hand covering my vaginal opening, ready to catch.

I stopped being aware of what was going on around me, my eyes were probably open, but I wasn't seeing anything or processing anything other than the visualization of my baby's descent out of me and into this world.

Surge came and I felt the top of a head pop into my palm. I lightly smoothed my fingers over it, it was soft, warm, and I felt hair! So much hair. I say out loud; "I feel a head and it has hair!" My husband was behind me with his hands on my back, he says; 'I can see it! Almost here! Come on, boo!'

I'm in a lot of pain here, the "ring of fire" is in full force and my surges are at their most intense with maybe 10 seconds of break in between.

1st surge after crowning: I deep belly moan and FER pulls my body together. My hand now completely cups baby's head. My vaginal opening is b u r n i n g .

2nd surge after crowning: Deep in my belly once again I moan like a cow as my body pushes for me. My hand leaves baby's head as I feel it pass, then shoulders and in one fluid motion baby is out -- 5:40pm -- I lean behind it to get a look & assess.

I notice it is grey-purple in color, grimacing, and hands & legs were moving. Very good signs. Babe only had vernix in their hair and under their neck, but I think that's because babe was so far along gestationally, their fingernails were pretty long already too.

I pick baby up and open their legs to find I gave birth to yet another boy. "IT'S ANOTHER BOY!!!" I yelled. I hold him to my chest upright and rub his back to see if I could get him to cry, he had not yet, though I could see him grimacing and hear him clearing his airways to breathe. It kinda sounds like when we have congestion in our throats right after coughing.

After a small snort and cough, he lets out a nice, loud cry and I laid on my back completely soaking in the rush of endorphins exploding in my brain.

I did it! I grew my baby and delivered him... me and my husband... Just as he was made; he was born. In the bed that we still sleep in together.

L ran in shortly after hearing his brand new brother cry to come take a look at him. He tells his grandma that mommy's baby came out!

Baby A latched right away and I began to feel my stomach tightening again; it was time to deliver the placenta. I laid Baby A on the bed, squatted and pushed with the smallest amount of force and it came right out. I placed it in a bowl we had put aside and sat on a fresh towel to monitor my bleeding. I relatched Baby A and inspected my placenta (for science lmao) while I waited for Baby's cord to turn completely white and limp -- the ideal time to cut. It took probably a solid 20 minutes.

I sterilized a brand new pair of kitchen scissors (I literally bought them just to cut the cord) with rubbing alcohol and cut Baby A's cord, leaving about 2 inches still attached. I took a piece of thick sewing thread, dipped it in the rubbing alcohol and tied the cord as tight as I possibly could manage about 1.5-ish inches away from what would one day be his belly button.

There he was. Guided by the voice of his father, born into the hands of his mother, and immediately greeted by his older brothers; in the sanctity and safety of his own home. Just as he should have been.

Born 4/26/18

5:40pm

9lb 15oz, 21.5in

"the birth of you was nothing like the birth of me" ❤

[kentonramsey]

The White Cotton Tee’s Complicated Relationship With Race In America

As I write this, I’m wearing my favourite white cotton T-shirt paired with jeans and an AC-induced pair of extra thick socks. My shirt is the product of Hanes’ long-standing collaboration with Re/Done. It cost $75 (£60). I wore an almost identical white T-shirt from James Perse yesterday. It, too, was $75 (£60). 

The notable brand name stitched on their labels allowed them to cost a ridiculous amount of money, considering I could get a three-pack of Hanes originals for $9.99 (£7). Alas, I bought them both, purchases that I filed under “investment pieces.” After all, if history has anything to say about it, white T-shirts will never go out of style. 

But that history is complicated. In the late 1700s, when the cotton (the material that would go on to be used most often in T-shirt production) crop took hold of America, a dark chapter was written into the legacy of the item — one with ramifications that are still felt today as fashion continues to profit off of Black people without paying them fairly for their labor.

According to Gene Dattel’s “Cotton and Race in the Making of America,” cotton, and the international economy’s voracious appetite for it, is one of the reasons why America is what it is today: a country steeped in racism. It’s been 157 years since the Emancipation Proclamation went into effect, but our culture continues to favour whiteness over Blackness in all aspects of life, despite the Black community’s crucial role in its economic success. “As cotton shaped the nation’s economic landscape, racial oppression shaped its social landscape,” Dattel writes. “A people and a crop became bonded.”

Even after slavery ended in the South, Black people continued working in the cotton fields. It wasn’t until World War I that mechanical cotton pickers had been invented and were widely used, ending the American cotton economy’s dependence on Black men and women. It was also during the first World War when cotton T-shirts were introduced in the U.S. Navy, now with short sleeves and a crew neck, and became the integral wardrobe pieces we know today. (Years later, in 1938, the first civilian T-shirts were featured in a Sears catalog, according to Shaun Cole.)

For the next 60 or so years, white T-shirts played countless roles in popular culture. In the ‘50s, Marlon Brando famously wore one in the film A Streetcar Named Desire, as did James Dean in Rebel Without A Cause. In the ‘60s, fitted versions were often seen in French cinema on the likes of actresses like Jane Birkin. Since then, variations of the white T-shirts appeared on actors like John Travolta in Grease, Brad Pitt in Fight Club, and Angelina Jolie in Girl, Interrupted, as well as on music performers like Bruce Springsteen and in other areas of entertainment.

In a fashion glow up, during Chanel’s fall ‘91 show, Karl Lagerfeld sent model Karen Mulder down the runway wearing none other than a white T-shirt, paired with a hot pink tweed jacket, a royal blue mini skirt, and so much jewellery that the late designer was quoted in Vogue saying that he adorned her to look “just like a Christmas tree.” The addition of the T-shirt could’ve easily gone unnoticed under the weight of so many accessories. Yet, it remains, to this day, one of the first examples of a white T-shirt in high fashion. 

As they often did during his tenure, brands followed Lagerfeld’s lead. Still to this day, if you log onto any high-end retailer’s site, you’ll find boxy white T-shirts from the likes of Prada for $700+. Farfetch currently carries a plain long-sleeved white T-shirt from The Row for $1,228 (£989), a number that somehow makes $75 (£60) T-shirts like mine feel like a steal despite being overpriced for what it is.

In the last decade, white T-shirts made the transition from simple, if sometimes expensive, wardrobe staple to sought-after It Item, one that’s more about status than comfort and versatility. Black designers are responsible for some of the most famous T-shirts in recent history. In 2013, Kanye West teamed up with A.P.C., to release a plain white cotton T-shirt titled the “Hip Hop Shirt” that cost $120. It sold out instantly. Virgil Abloh’s, the founder of luxury streetwear brand Off-White and the men’s artistic director of Louis Vuitton, fashion career started with a T-shirt: His first-ever line, Pyrex Vision, was made up almost entirely of deadstock Hanes and Champion T-shirts. The designer would screenprint them with the words “Pyrex” and “23” (for Chicago Bulls star Michael Jordan), and mark them up $200 to sell to the upper class. According to Riot Material, this was a deliberate act by Abloh to test how the idea of “cool” can increase the value of otherwise valueless items like a cotton T-shirt. In lower-class neighbourhoods, he’d give them away for free. 

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Abloh’s success is so tied to the T-shirt that his first-ever museum exhibition — “Figures of Speech” at Chicago’s Museum of Contemporary Art — explored the item, as well as topics like what it’s like to be a Black designer in a predominantly white industry. “I had blind faith that even though designers didn’t look like me or come from people like me, that there was a place for it in the modern world,” Abloh says on an audio track from the exhibition. In addition to walking viewers through Abloh’s history, design process, and inspiration, the exhibit featured one room whose centrepiece was the “Cotton” logo painted by Abloh seemingly in reference to the material’s exploitative past.

The product of decades of Black labor, it’s interesting that it’s now the primary fabric in many of the anti-oppression activist T-shirts, circulating following protests sparked by the murder of George Floyd at the hands of the police and calling to fight systemic racism and police brutality in America. ALLCAPSTUDIO, a Philadelphia-based and Black-owned streetwear brand founded by Saeed Ferguson, just collaborated with NYC-based retailer and brand 18 East on a limited-edition Silence Is Violence white T-shirt, 100% of the proceeds from which were donated in equal part to the Philadelphia Community Bail Fund and Covid Bail Out NYC. Fear of God, another NYC-based fashion brand owned by Black designer Jerry Lorenzo, tapped streetwear brands Pyer Moss, AWAKE NY, Noah, Off-White, and more to create a T-shirt to raise money for Gianna Floyd, the daughter of George Floyd. 

It can’t be argued that the white T-shirt remains a timeless staple, which is why we’ll probably continue to pay $75 (£60) (or more) for new additions to our own collection. This time, though, let’s remember to buy them from Black designers. 

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

We Tested The Best White T-Shirts

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49 Black-Owned Fashion Businesses To Support

The White Cotton Tee’s Complicated Relationship With Race In America published first on https://mariakistler.tumblr.com/

[katmfrank]

Claire’s Arrival

Ever since Benjamin was born, I felt like the luckiest mom in the world- I had two beautiful boys who became best friends the first time they laid eyes on each other. What could be better than that? If I was blessed with a little baby girl, that would be the most amazing miracle I could hope for. 

The first twelve weeks of pregnancy I just assumed I would have another boy. So when we found out that she was in fact a baby sister we were overjoyed. I was going to have a daughter!! The whole family couldn’t have been more happy. 

So we did what any expecting family would do- and we moved to an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean! Our plan was to stay for a few months and return to San Francisco for Claire to be born. But we fell in love with Hawaii and thought it would be a wonderful place to welcome baby girl. 

As my due date approached, the size of my belly started to worry the doctors and midwives. Everyone suspected baby would be large. So they ordered a growth ultrasound at 37 weeks, 2 days. I went into the basement of the hospital, saw the cute little baby with big puffy cheeks on the screen and awaited the results. A few minutes later the ultrasound technician came in with a worried expression on her face. He sat down and gave me the news that Claire was estimated to be 9lbs, 15 oz. already! With 3 weeks to go until my due date! My heart started racing and I felt overwhelmed. He explained that in his opinion I should just schedule a c-section instead of trying for a natural delivery. He said I would be putting baby’s life at risk otherwise. I was livid! How dare he tell me how to birth my baby! But I was also terrified that I would put baby in danger. I drove home with tears streaming down my face and stopped at Taco Bell and ordered four items. The people there probably thought this huuuge pregnant lady crying over her Mexican pizza was crazy. I sat there, drowned my sorrows in fast food and came up with a plan. I would get an amniocintethis a few days later to check baby’s lungs, and if all checked out ok we would induce at 38 weeks, 2 days. 

Saturday I was exactly 38 weeks along and it was Benji’s 3rd birthday party. I was having (irregular) contractions all afternoon and thought we might have to cancel the party, but alas baby cooperated and we continued on with a few dozen friends to celebrate my soon to be middle child. 

Monday morning, June 17 was the big day- induction day. I was 38 weeks, 2 days and ready to go! We arrived to Labor and Delivery once they gave us the green light, around noon. But we had to sit around and wait for them to be ready. Just like my previous two babies, it was a full moon and the hospital was busy!

Around 6pm we got the ball rolling with a Foley Ballon to start dilation. Upon arrival I was already 3cm and 80% effaced. And luckily the balloon got things going even more. A couple of hours later I was starting to feel things and the balloon released. Baby was still high in the pelvis, so we started pitocin at midnight to make the contractions ramp up and get her to start descending. I was up to 5cm dilated at this point. I got up and started doing lunges near my bed. I texted my doula to come join me about 12:30pm, and she came with me around the labor and delivery floor, stopping to breathe through contractions every few minutes. 

At this point, around 2:30 or 3am I was probably about 6cm b/c the pain was setting in. I opted to labor in the birth tub, so my doula lit candles all around the bathroom and I settled into a nice warm soak. The water helped the pain so much! Contractions were every minute consistently. 

By around 5am I felt like I was in transition and got out of the tub to get checked. It turns out I was only 6.5cm (this is questionable to me still!). And the doctor offered to break my water. Laying flat on your back while contractions come every minute is the hardest part for sure, but I went for it and felt the warm rush of relief. 

But then of course the pain level shot up a few notches! I dilated to 9.5cm instantly and I really felt it at that point. Just like my other two babies I stalled here, so the doctor reached in and had me push into a contraction to get the cervical lip out of baby’s head’s way. It was now time to push!

6am- The next hour was agony! Contractions came every 30 seconds, not 60 like they were supposed to. Some would literally start right as the previous one ended. Offering me no reprieve. Trying every position possible to push (without any pain relief). Squatting, reclining, hands and knees. Nothing was helping baby descend. She was still very high in my abdomen and not coming down. AT ALL. 

Note that in advance, I explained to my doula how this might happen. William also had failed to descend during the pushing stage, and I needed the epidural to get him out. I told her if I pushed more than one hour with no progress, I would be happy to get the epidural. 

Another factor at play was the doctors and midwives were VERY concerned about baby’s size. Remember we thought she was over 10lbs at this point. And they all feared her shoulders would get stuck, which is caused shoulder dystocia and can be fatal to baby. So everyone was keeping a very close eye on me. 

Once I had been pushing in agony for 60 minutes I asked the doctor if baby had descended and she said no, not at all. So I called it and said, let’s do the epidural!! I could sense the doctor and doula were disappointed. But I was so happy to get some relief. When I got the epidural with William I had been so disappointed in myself. But this time around I was making an informed, empowered decision to protect the safety of my baby. 

The anesthesiologist came in and had a tough time getting the epi inserted. I was hunched over, trying to curve my spine for her, but contractions were still coming more than one per minute. And i had to grit my teeth through several as she tried to get it in.

Whewwwwwwwww! What a relief once that sweet epidural kicked in. Thank God!

It was time for a shift change, and they told me to take an hour and nap, since I had been up laboring all night. That was wonderful and much needed. 

Jen Wright, an angel of a midwife came in fresh and ready to help me get baby out! She told me she had done a little research on laboring mothers with ab separations like me (diastasis recti) and she had an idea to place a velcro binder over my abdomen, like a corse. This was ingenious! The way my belly extends, allows baby to kind of hang out far from my center. So the baby’s head does not engage and descent ideally. So once the binder fits over my belly it pulls baby in close, and guides her head down so she can descend. 

Pushing time, take two! This pushing experience was a lot more serene. I still had to push with all my might, but not having that pain to push into was a real treat. 

Doctors were still nervous baby would get stuck. So we talked about c-section. If baby took more than an hour of pushing, we would do surgery. 

30 mins passed, pushing. 40 mins passed, pushing, 50 minutes. We talk about throwing in the towel, admitting baby might be stuck after all. They go to fetch some scrubs for Chris and begin prepping the OR. One of the nurses said, “It’s too bad we need to do surgery, I was hoping we could prove that ultrasound technician wrong!” remembered how mad I was when the ultrasound tech told me not to try for a vaginal birth and got a second wind. And baby must have tucked her chin and gotten into an ideal position. I let out a huge push and boom! Her head descends into the canal. I reached down and felt her head!

“Cancel the OR” the midwife yells! “She’s coming out now!” A few more people rush in, ready to save the baby if she gets stuck on the way out. The midwife tells me to slow down listen for her cues. If baby’s shoulder gets stuck in the pelvis she will have to use the help of a few other nurses/doctors to safely get baby out. And if she yells “we’re ok!” that means baby is fine. 

I exhale and baby descends all on her own. The midwife says, ‘can you see her’, and I look at the mirror by my feet and see the baby’s head, and her big chubby cheeks making their way into the world. 

Midwife Jen has her hands around baby’s head, easing her out and all of a sudden yells, “WE’RE OK!” we all cheer! Jen yanks baby out with one big act of force and she plops the rest of the way out, and she’s being whisked through the air and onto my chest.

The tears pour out now, as it hits me baby is here, in my arms. I came so close to needing surgery, but didn’t in the end. 

My sweet little darling Claire Bear, with cheeks for days, is here! I’m the luckiest mama in the world and am so grateful for these gifts. 

xo 

Mama

P.S. She was only 8lbs, 9 oz! So that growth ultrasound was WAY off!

[junker-town]

Somehow, the NFL is running out of quarterbacks

Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images

Quarterbacks are dropping like flies (not Tom Brady and Russell Wilson, though!) while Adam Vinatieri and the Broncos’ pass rush look decidedly not like themselves.

If you’re an NFL fan in 2019, there’s approximately a 1 in 5 chance your quarterback situation is in complete and utter turmoil.

Sam Darnold is out indefinitely for the Jets while he battles mononucleosis. His backup, Trevor Siemian, is out for the year with an ankle injury. Drew Brees will miss six to eight weeks with a torn thumb ligament. Ben Roethlisberger saw those situations and raised them by opting for surgery to repair a torn UCL that will force him to miss the final 14 games of the season.

That’s not all!

Cam Newton hasn’t looked himself all season and missed practice this week with a foot issue. Eli Manning played so poorly through two weeks he gave the Giants no choice but to push rookie Daniel Jones into the starting lineup, ready or not. The Dolphins are sticking with Ryan Fitzpatrick in Week 3, but might still go with Josh Rosen should things implode (they will). It won’t make much difference either way.

That’s just THIS week too. Nick Foles had surgery after Week 1, and in August, Andrew Luck decided he’d rather retire than slog through another round of rehab after dealing with injuries throughout the offseason.

The league’s ripe for a changing of the guard, but if your team is suddenly stuck starting a guy who’d been slated for clipboard duty in 2019 you may not feel so confident. Alas, if only there were a free agent available who could step right into the starting lineup ...

So yeah, this season is already exhausting. Is it all worth stressing out about, though?

Crap, what if Tom Brady and Russell Wilson have a point with their pseudoscience?

The early part of this season is taking out starting quarterbacks one by one, as if the football gods had a John Wick marathon over Labor Day weekend and got inspired. Heading into Week 3, only four starting quarterbacks who’ve won a Super Bowl are set to take snaps: Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson, and Joe Flacco.

It’s a strange coincidence several others were either injured or benched within days of each other, especially when you consider how consistent those quarterbacks have been in their long careers. Brees had only missed one start with the Saints due to injury. Manning has started 232 of 234 games he’s played in with the Giants. Roethlisberger’s entire injury history can be best summed up by this Terrell Suggs quote from 2016:

“He’s gonna act like ‘aw, I’m not playing. ... But then he’ll walk his big ass on out there and [I’ll be like] ‘how you doin’ Benjamin.’”

Rodgers (collarbone) and Flacco (hip, ACL) and have both dealt with serious injuries in recent years, too. Not Brady or Wilson, though.

It’s been more than a decade since the 42-year-old Brady has missed a game because of an injury. That’s never happened to the 30-year-old Wilson, who has started every game for the Seahawks since they drafted him in 2012 despite having a dismal OL for most of his career. Both players have also publicly lent their support to snake oil-type miracle cures like the TB12 Method and nanobubbles.

And while their peers are dropping like flies, Brady and Wilson are putting up MVP-like numbers:

Brady, for the 2-0 Patriots: 68.8% completion, 605 passing yards, 5 TDs, 0 INTs, 124.8 passer rating Wilson, for the 2-0 Seahawks: 78.2% completion, 495 passing yards, 5 TDs, 0 INTs, 134.5 passer rating

They’re clearly doing something right. Was it the, gulp, TB12 supplements and Recovery Water all along?

Panic index: Brady and Wilson take amazing care of themselves and have also been extremely lucky when it comes to injuries. Hopefully that continues because we don’t want to lose any more starting quarterbacks this year — someone please, bubblewrap Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson immediately. But as Gronk reminded us recently, NFL players are not doctors (Laurent Duvernay-Tardif excluded), so please don’t take medical advice from them.

Cam Newton was used like a running back; now he’s falling apart like one

Newton broke the career rushing touchdowns record for a quarterback three years ago and has added another 14 since. His rushing numbers aren’t just impressive among quarterbacks; two more touchdowns and he’ll be top 50 among running backs.

He’s at 934 career rushing attempts — another NFL record for a quarterback — but now all that wear and tear appears to be catching up with him.

Newton may miss the Panthers’ Week 3 game against the Cardinals due to a foot injury. It’s yet another setback for a player who was once pretty damn invincible. He missed just three games in his first seven years — including the time he only sat out one game after BREAKING HIS BACK in a car crash in 2014.

He’s not as bulletproof anymore. Newton missed the last two games of 2018 with a shoulder injury that required surgery, and now he’s dealing with his foot issue.

When he’s on the field, Newton doesn’t look the same. He’s still capable of making most of the throws, but when his feet aren’t underneath him, he struggles to get any velocity on the ball.

That’s not an easy throw to make, but it’s one that Newton of yesteryear completes, no problem. It was especially telling when Christian McCaffrey was stuffed trying to get 2 yards for a game-winning touchdown against the Buccaneers. That’s a situation that has been an automatic rushing touchdown for Newton for almost his entire career.

Running backs break down faster than any position in the NFL and often retire around 30. Did the Panthers put Newton — who is now 30 — on that career track by using him like a running back?

Panic index: A few minor injuries for Newton doesn’t mean his career is about to end. It’s possible, though, that his days running through defenses are behind him. If that means he has to transition into being a pocket passer and nothing more, that’s a problem. He’s never been much more than average at that.

The Broncos’ once-fearsome pass rush doesn’t have a sack in 2019

Von Miller and Bradley Chubb combined for 26.5 sacks last season. Through two games this fall, they’ve combined for zero. The rest of the Broncos’ defense has ... zero.

This is a problem. John Elway’s plan in 2019, as it was in 2018, is to hope a caretaker veteran quarterback could provide just enough support to push Denver to the postseason. That didn’t work with Case Keenum at the helm, and it’s not working with Joe Flacco. The former Raven is the engine behind an offense that’s scored only 30 points so far this year.

Flacco is 34 years old and has been only of the league’s least efficient passers since his Super Bowl 47 triumph. He’s not going to be much better than he has been. That leaves the heavy lifting of Denver’s playoff hopes on a once-triumphant defense that has seen its sack rate go from seventh-best in the league to dead last. The Broncos only have three QB hits on the season. All have come from Chubb, and one was wiped away by the especially ticky-tack roughing the passer call that helped the Bears win in Week 2:

Opponents have been able to make Vic Fangio’s pass rush obsolete by focusing on the Denver dynamic duo and daring the rest of the defense to make plays. They’ve been wholly unable to so far — per SIS, that pair only has two QB pressures between them — even against the underwhelming early-season combo of Derek Carr and Mitchell Trubisky. Unless someone else can step up and make opposing QBs uncomfortable, the Broncos may be relying on Flacco to gunsling his way to wins.

Panic index: Relying on late-stage Flacco is not a good sign. If Denver wants to pivot away from that, it’ll need big contributions from defensive linemen like Adam Gotsis and Derek Wolfe. At least Josey Jewell’s looked good so far!

Adam Vinatieri isn’t retiring, but he’s dealing with “demons”

Adam Vinatieri is the oldest player in the NFL and one of the last people anybody expected to be worried about going into this season. The 46-year-old is arguably the greatest kicker in NFL history, but he’s now missed kicks in each of his past three games, dating back to the Divisional Round of the playoffs last season.

In that game, Vinatieri missed a 23-yard field goal and an extra point. In Week 1 this season, he went 1-for-3 on extra point attempts. In Week 2, he was 1-of-3 on field goal attempts and 1-of-2 on extra points. That’s seven missed kicks in three games for the NFL’s all-time field goal leader.

After Sunday’s game against Tennessee, Vinatieri gave a cryptic message that led many to believe he was going to announce his retirement. That didn’t happen and he later said he’s just battling some “demons” right now and needs to get past them.

Of course, there were also reports that the Colts were attempting to persuade Vinatieri to stick around, and worked out six kickers, which they wouldn’t need to do if he wasn’t considering retirement — or if they weren’t considering moving on.

Panic index: It would be a shame for the Colts to lose both Andrew Luck AND Vinatieri in one season. That said, kickers are making more and more headlines in recent seasons and if the pressure is getting to him right now, that pressure is probably only going to increase. The Colts, at least, are sticking by Vinatieri for the time being. Hopefully a legend like Vinatieri gets to go out on his own terms, whenever that is.

The Chargers are slipping back into bad habits

Every year, we expect big things out of the Chargers. Philip Rivers is a great quarterback and they have a roster loaded with talent elsewhere. But they constantly underperform, and get by ravaged by injuries and kicking issues.

This season, it looks like not much has changed. Last weekend, Rivers couldn’t throw a touchdown against the Lions, punter Ty Long (filling in for injured kicker Michael Badgley) missed field goal attempts, the Chargers shot themselves in the foot with penalties, and then lost a low-scoring affair, 13-10. That came after a narrow 30-24 overtime win over the Colts in Week 1.

Not helping matters is tight end Hunter Henry is injured again, and the team just placed safety Adrian Phillips, who was filling in for Derwin James, on IR.

Meanwhile, running back Melvin Gordon is still holding out. Even though Austin Ekeler has looked decent, he hasn’t eclipsed 70 yards in either of the two games thus far this season and also had a costly fumble at the goal line against the Lions.

All in all, the Chargers look disorganized and uncertain ... again.

Panic index: The Chargers are pretty used to being here. Since 2015, they’ve started every season at 0-3 or 1-2, and in some of those cases (including last year) they turned things around. After starting 1-2 last season, the Chargers finished with a 12-4 record and made the playoffs. It’s not time to panic yet, but one has to wonder why they’re so sluggish to start so often.

[wellesleyunderground]

WU Self-Care Series: Postpartum Care

Painting by Emily (Steiner) McGhee ‘08

You’re having a baby, congrats!  During pregnancy,  you and your pregnant body are often the focus of attention for your physician, caregivers, and family. Alas, that focus, however, seems to dissipate as soon as the baby arrives. To help refocus the attention on you, Wellesley Underground crowd-sourced the self-care advice in this toolkit from alumnae parents ranging in class years from 1995 to 2008. This postpartum care toolkit serves as a reminder to make sure that you take care of yourself.

Further, pregnant individuals are often inundated with literature and articles on what to do and what not to do on every topic ranging from breastfeeding to postpartum depression, not to mention opinions from everyone including random people on the street who think it’s appropriate to talk about your pregnant body (and even ask if they can touch your belly!!!).

Thus, this toolkit also serves as a reminder to give yourself permission to make choices that are right for you without guilt. Thinking about self-care can be a challenge as a new parent but you know how they tell you to first put your own oxygen mask on before assisting your child? That concept certainly applies here as well. Failing to appropriately prioritize yourself may very well mean an impaired ability to adequately take care of your baby.

Setting Expectations:

1. YOU CHOOSE who gets to be in the room with you when you go into labor. You do not need to “be nice” to anyone. You do not have to tell anyone when you go into labor. Decide what you want and make your wishes known up front. You can tell your mom that you will call her after you have had the baby. Or you can tell her the second you feel the pangs. Completely up to you!

2. You can also make a schedule of when you want family/friends to come visit. For example, you may want a week of just you (and your partner if you have one) and the baby. You may want help immediately. Figure out what you want and let your family/friends know when and how long they may visit.

Things to Include in Your Hospital Bag:

No one really tells you all the wonderful transformations your body goes through in delivering a baby. From hemorrhoids to episiotomy stitches to leaking nipples, our list of things to include in your hospital bag has you covered*.

1. Adult Diapers - those mesh ones they provide in the hospital are useless and get messy

2. Overnight maxi pads (to put in your adult diaper)

3. Dermoplast for episiotomy stitches

4. Stool softener (Note: some hospitals do not allow you to bring your own medication, even OTC)

5. Preparation H

6. Nipple Cream

7. Nipple Pads

8. Tucks

9. Pacifier for baby

10. Chapstick

11. Lotion

12.  Snacks, especially for your partner who isn’t going to want to leave you but will get hungry

13. Drinks with calories (coconut water, broth, juice, sweet tea, etc). You may feel too nauseous to eat, but these drinks can keep your energy up.

14. Hair band so you can get your hair out of your face!

15. Your own soap and shampoo

16. A robe so you aren’t stuck in the hospital gown after you give birth

17. Phone charger

18. Phone/camera. Get pictures!

*Some hospitals will provide some of the items listed above; check to see what may be made available to you after admission.

Things to Stock in Your House for When You Get Home from the Hospital:

1. Padsicles

2. One-handed snacks

3. Huge water bottle with a straw (or bendy straws to put in water bottle)

4. Mindless TV

5. Nursing pads and nipple cream

6. Epsom salts for sitz baths

7. Disposable pads for your bed in case you get night sweats.  

8. Something for your shower drain at about 4-6 months out because that glorious pregnancy hair will fall out.  

9. Very excellent rocking chair with an amazing butt cushion.

10. My Brest Friend nursing pillow

11. Takeout! Frozen meals. Meal train. Easy food.

Feeding Your Baby: Breastfeeding vs. Formula:

1. If breastfeeding isn't working, you are not a failure. This happens to many women. Get the help of a lactation consultant if you want to keep trying; if not, it is totally okay to formula feed. Do not feel guilty about how you feed your baby.

2. Hospitals often have lactation consultants on staff or you can find a local International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC). Ask for help with nursing positions while you’re there. You can also go to a hospital or WIC-sponsored breastfeeding group, or a Breastfeeding USA or  La Leche League meeting near you-- they are free and very helpful!

3. Your body transitions from making colostrum to making mature milk typically between days 2 and 5, although this can take longer. Nursing 10-12 times in a 24 hour span helps to fill baby's tiny tummy and establish a milk supply.

4. It may feel like your milk doesn’t come in for a week, and that’s ok.

5. Breastfeeding may hurt in the first few months. This may (or may not!) be a sign of a bad latch or a tongue-tie. The best way to know is to see a lactation consultant or go to a La Leche League meeting.

6. Cold compresses or cold cabbage leaves can help with engorgement, as can reverse pressure softening (http://kellymom.com/bf/concerns/mother/rev_pressure_soft_cotterman).

7. You can under produce or you can overproduce.  The left and right side will produce different amounts.  This is all normal.

8. Lanolin. Beware that lanolin is derived from wool.  If you are allergic to wool, then you are probably allergic to lanolin and need to find a vegan alternative.

Baby Blues /Postpartum Depression:

1. Don’t feel guilty about your symptoms or about the fact that you are experiencing baby blues/ postpartum depression.

2. Take people up on their offers to help. People LOVE to help with new babies and are usually thrilled and honored to help, even if that help is doing laundry or holding the baby so you can shower or nap. Naps are the best!

3. It’s OK to cry, it’s OK to be sad, it’s OK to be scared - you are caring for a tiny human being and that is overwhelming!

4. Don’t suffer in silence: talk to someone you trust about what you are experiencing whether that’s your partner, your therapist, or your friends.

5. Get out of the house! Go for walks. See if someone can watch the baby while you go do something nice for yourself (haircut, mani/pedi). While it is helpful to get out of the house, please also remember to not overdo it and try to do too much. Some days a ten-minute walk is a major accomplishment and that is OK.

6. There are TONS of local resources that want to help.  Google YOUR AREA and PPD, and you will find phone numbers you can call. Women trained to help with PPD are right there on the line. They can recommend further resources if needed

7. Feeling isolated? There are many ways to connect with new moms! Breastfeeding support groups (may be offered at your hospital, see also La Leche League); Baby wearing groups (https://babywearinginternational.org/); FaceBook groups; etc. Find others who are going through the same things that you are experiencing.

Resources:

The Thinking Woman’s Guide to a Better Birth by Henci Goer. (Note: the book heavily supports birth without medical intervention. If you can ignore that part (if applicable), then it is a solid description of what birth is like and what is happening or could happen.  Luck favors the (at least partially) mentally prepared.

The Nursing Mother’s Companion by Kathleen Huggins

Expecting Better by Emily Oster

All Joy and No Fun by Jennifer Senior

For finding breastfeeding support nearby: https://breastfeedingusa.org/content/breastfeeding-counselor-locations http://www.llli.org/webindex.html http://www.ilca.org/why-ibclc/falc