I make brightly-colored chest binders, outerwear tailored for real bodies, and cosplay for nerds of unusual gender. Appropriate pronouns are they/them/their.
i know we’re all probably past realizing this but can you believe that science has come to a point where we’re coming up with all of these way better and way less harmful alternatives to things like plastic just for them to never be implemented on a large scale and instead be used in small and impractical situations that provide net zero benefit just because the companies that do produce plastic don’t want to let go of their stranglehold on the markets.
this is what we mean when we say “capitalism prevents innovation” in all of its ability to apply to the real world and not in some weird theoretical context. at the end of the day, capitalists want to turn a profit. and they can’t do that unless they buy out all the competition. going back to our plastic example, pretty much every executive in the plastic industry can agree that any widespread alternate to their product is gonna hurt their profits, so they can either choose to completely reform their companies and produce the alternative, or they can take the easy route and just spawn kill any plastic alternative kickstarter. this is what lenin meant by monopolies; it’s not just one company, but a number of companies that can all agree that anything outside of their jurisdiction is Bad and needs to be neutralized. it’s how entire industries can thrive despite the general population knowing that what they’re doing is bad.
I mean I’m not saying “the auto industry” but yeah, the auto industry.
A lot of Northerners were very kind during the freeze in Texas this winter with tips on how to stay warm for people who had lost heat. This is an attempt to repay that favor for people in the Pacific Northwest and other northerly locations who are facing dangerous heatwaves without built-in A/C. My qualifications to give this advice are that I was a summer camp attendee and counselor with no A/C for many summers in humid-ass central Texas with highs over 100F basically every day. Hopefully some of it will be of use to somebody who isn’t used to the heat.
1) PUT ICE WATER IN YOUR BODY. Ice water is your best friend and the #1 way to drop your body temp. Drink more than you think you need (like, at least a half-gallon a day and closer to a gallon or more if you have to be outside doing manual work all day) to cool your insides down and stay hydrated. Have some bananas, trail mix, or a sports drink to help replace the electrolytes you’re sweating out and keep you from getting cramps, but try to have most of your fluid intake be water. I used to take a giant water bottle, fill it part way with water, and freeze it on its side so the ice would slowly melt over the course of the day and my water would stay cold longer.
2) PUT ICE WATER ON YOUR BODY. Cold water, ice, or a damp rag on your head and neck, the backs of your knees, the insides of your elbows, and under your armpits will help you cool down the best, because your blood runs close to the surface in those places. Cold packs designed for injuries or lunchboxes, bags of frozen vegetables, etc. can substitute for ice water as well. Even room-temp water will pull heat away from your body better than body-temp sweat will, especially if it’s humid, so if you don’t have enough ice, the sink, bathtub, or hose will do fine. Dipping your feet into cool water helps a ton as well if you have to sit and work and don’t want your clothes to be wet.
3) WHERE AM I SUPPOSED TO GET SO MUCH ICE?
To make sure you have enough ice to last you the weekend, especially through a potential power failure, I recommend getting a cooler (even one of the cheap styrofoam ones is fine in a pinch) and ~10lbs of ice from the big coolers at most gas stations, drug stores, or grocery stores. Try to do this now, before anybody loses power, and store as much in your freezer as you have space for to keep it from melting. You can use it for drinking or to keep your food cold in a power failure. You can use it for a party later if you don’t end up needing it during the heat wave, but you will probably be very happy you had it.
4) AIR FLOW. Being inside a room with the windows closed is the worst possible place to be if you don’t have A/C, because glass windows create a greenhouse effect and the hot air can’t escape. If at all possible, find a shaded place outside where you can catch any possible breeze. If not, open all your windows and, if it’s safe, doors so you can get a cross-breeze. Hopefully you have window screens to keep pets and kids in and bugs out. If not, you’re gonna have to do your own risk assessment. Fans of all sizes and descriptions are your friend; ceiling fans should be set to spin counterclockwise in summer. Even if you have A/C, finding or making a handheld fan will be worthwhile for when you have to venture outside. If you aren’t in a situation where you need to conserve ice, blowing air over a cooler full of ice will give you a makeshift A/C.
5) SHADE. You will probably immediately notice that direct sunlight is a miserable place to be when it’s super hot. Find or make a shaded location, and don’t be afraid to move around to avoid the sun as the day goes on. Stay on the shady side of the sidewalk whenever you walk someplace. Try to shade your windows as best you can without obstructing airflow using blinds, curtains, shutters, etc. especially if they’re directly in the path of the sun.
Do not be a jerk to your neighbors if their shade solutions are ugly.
If you can get a shade for your car windshield, I highly recommend it, as the steering wheel, dashboard, seatbelts, and even seats can quickly become too hot to touch in a sealed car and will hold that heat for a long time.
6) CLOTHING. Light-colored, loose clothing that is as close to 100% cotton or linen as you can find is your friend. It doesn’t necessarily have to be short as long as it’s breathable. You will sweat through anything you wear, so I personally prefer only wearing machine-washable stuff. Sun hats, sunscreen, sunglasses, aloe gel for sunburns, mosquito repellent, anti-chafing supplies, etc are all worth looking into if you aren’t used to spending time in the heat.
7) TIMING. Try to stay out of the sun and avoid doing anything strenuous in the middle of the day when the heat is the worst. If you have a choice, plan to be more active early in the morning and late at night when the temperature is more bearable, and take a break in the middle of the afternoon.
Here’s a graphic from the CDC about how to recognize heat-related illnesses and what to do about them. I will add to this that if it’s hot and you stop sweating, you are getting to a dangerous level of dehydration and need to drink something BEFORE you start having more serious problems.
Adding, as someone who’s lived in a desert for most of their life:
Iodized salt is your friend. Get a big $1.50 container of Morton’s. You can add a teaspoon and a half to a 20oz bottle of water and boom, electrolytes, in your water and thus your body.
Plan to eat cool things, like fruits, salads, and cold cut sandwiches. Not only do most them have extra water (have we mentioned water? Seriously. So much water) in them, but they’ll keep you from feeling overheated.
Do not bake things. The oven WILL make you miserable if you’re inside. In fact, try to keep the hot stuff to pressure cookers, instant pots, rice cookers, etc. They keep the heat contained, and you can usually conveniently vent that heat in a specific direction - like a fan blowing outside. In fact, if you have a BBQ or hot plate, consider doing as much cooking as possible outside.
Tip I learned from a friend going through menopause: get a brand-new bundle of bar rag style towels (usually come in 20 packs) from Walmart or something. Fold them, stack them, and stick them in your freezer, dry. If the heat gets completely unbearable, you can grab one, put it on the back of your neck to lower your temperature, and fold it back up to be put back into the freezer (if it’s not too grungy). Obviously, this only works if you have power.
Speaking of power, if you have a car, they have all sorts of inverters. You can charge your phone off of your car, or even have power to chill some water if you have a desktop mini-fridge.
If you’re like me and you work from home, and you’re not leaving any time soon, wear like… The bare minimum. I am currently wearing thin leggings and a tank top with flip-flops. I haven’t left the house in two days. On days where it’s super hot? I’ll literally just wear my underwear unless I have to be around our roommate.
If you have pets, change their water out as frequently as possible, and top it off regularly. They’re (possibly) covered in fur and definitely not feeling awesome. If you have outdoor pets, keep them indoors with fans on, or pen them in a shady spot. Many fruits and veggies are pet-safe - ask a veterinarian or rescue group what would be best to feed to your particular pet cold. Dogs like frozen treats. Cats do too. There are tons of recipes out there.
If you feel overheated you probably are. Drink water and follow all of the advice in OPs post. If you’re able to, a quick sluice in a cool shower will help. Air dry, don’t towel off.
If you’re feeling dehydrated, you probably are. Don’t guzzle the water if you feel like you may be dehydrated. Slow, small sips until you start to feel better, or small slices of melon, apple, or orange.
Avoid caffeine where possible. If you must have it, have it cold and follow it with an equal amount of water. If, like me, you have ADHD and have to take amphetamines every day, drink like… A lot more water than you think you should. You should probably always have a bottle of water in your hand and just be sipping it constantly.
This is the time to stop giving a fuck. An undercut haircut will make you feel SO much less overheated. If you’re OK being bald, buzz that shit (and use good sunscreen or get a hat, bc your scalp will burn). Hair is heavy and, by nature, designed to hold heat in. An undercut is a good balance for people who aren’t comfortable going bald. Another option is just to get thinning shears and go to town.
Charge all of your shit every day, even if it’s not your habit. You never know when your power is gonna go out - rolling blackouts are the norm in drought/heat wave conditions. And you will be bored as FUCK, so make sure you have books, cards, etc. on-hand.
Because of the power issue, try and stock up on stuff you can eat without needing to heat it up (that lasts for a while). Snack foods like chips, crackers, granola bars, etc. Are a good option, but don’t forget canned stuff - it’s all pre-cooked. It’s not the most pleasant or healthy dinner, but I’ve definitely made myself a meal of cold chef boyardee ravioli and canned green beans. It’s calories.
It’s wasteful, but if you get to a legitimate drought situation you’re gonna need to conserve water so consider getting some disposable plates, cups, cutlery, etc. So you don’t have to wash dishes as often. It also conserves your energy, which the heat leeches off of you.
Breathe. It’s awful but if you’re careful you’ll be fine.
Also wet a bandana or wrap one around a baggy with ice in it and throw it around your neck or wrists (pretty much where any big veins are feels good bc it’s like; your blood circulation system will act similar to the insides of an ac unit and will help bring ur overall temp down a bit to feel fresh. If I’m really feeling the heat sometimes I’ll throw a wet t shirt on my head or get a bigger bag of ice, wrap that in a tshirt, and put it under my shirt on my belly. Even freezing a bottle of water and wrapping that up with cloth and putting that on ur belly/torso goes far, and u can drink it when it gets melted enough. Don’t underestimate heat, it’s effects sneak up on u like no ones business. Stay safe please 🤎
getting diagnosed with adhd as an adult is basically having a doctor tell you that a bunch of the things you thought of as universal human experiences were actually Symptoms of Problems Disorder so it shouldn’t be surprising that someone can say “enjoying content consumption is actually a symptom” and a bunch of people will go “oh goddammit, another one?”
like, the last time you tried to say “no, everyone does that” you turned out to be clinically wrong so the best you can do is just
[Image ID: “That doesn’t sound right but I don’t really know enough about not having ADHD to dispute it.”]
and yeah there’s also the fact that a lot of the ways that adhd manifests are just “Normal Thing, But Too Much”
like if i said “i can’t stop eating chips which is a symptom of adhd” as if neurotypical people do not also eat too many chips that would sound fucking bonkers but i am on my second bag of salt and vinegar chips, i cannot stop, i want to stop, i feel sick, i have chemical burns in my mouth and my teeth hurt, my tongue is numb, i keep trying to put the chips away but they’re good so i just keep picking them back up again and as soon as they run out i will want to go to the store for more chips, skin is sloughing off the inside of my mouth and i know i need to stop but like it’s good tho
and if i said “watching bad tv is a symptom of adhd” as if neurotypicals haven’t been watching garbage shows since the tv was invented, that’s fucking stupid, but i am so fucking tired and i haven’t eaten and i need to shower, i don’t even like this show why am i still watching it, i need to stop watching it, i have to be awake in three hours but every time i try to turn off the tv and go to bed i just keep thinking about this show and i can’t fall asleep so i just turn it back on hoping that maybe i’ll pass out and maybe my brain will reset once i’m asleep and i can be free of this, i want to be free of this, it’s not even a good show why am i being disgusting for this terrible show, i don’t know where the last twenty hours went because it doesn’t feel like it’s been that long
so like. eating chips and watching tv is not a symptom of adhd. but if i see someone talking about how they can’t stop eating junk food or watching a show they don’t even like, maybe i will think back to Bad Times and wonder if this person is like me, if they are trapped getting hooked on random stimuli, and maybe i will mention it. because maybe things would have been different if someone had mentioned it to me.
shoutout to the adhd people who did well in school for years but suddenly crashed and burned when the responsibilities outweighed their coping skills
shoutout to the adhd people who couldn’t finish college
shoutout to the adhd people who do great work but lose their jobs because of poor time managment
shoutout to the adhd people who don’t lose their jobs but can never advance because of their inconsistent performance
shoutout to the adhd people who want more work responsibilities but are afraid of what will happen when they inevitably make a careless mistake or their inattention leads something important to be forgotten
shoutout to the adhd people who have damaged their credit rating by forgetting to pay bills or return library books
shoutout to the adhd people who work their ass off every day but never know if the results will be stellar, average, or terrible
shoutout to the adhd people who have done just well enough to go most of their lives knowing something was wrong, but figuring they just needed to work harder to fix it.
I have never seen anyone explain everything that is wrong with “no homo” in such a eloquent AND funny way
Just…. just watch the whole thing…
[video of simon pegg walking outdoors.
transcript:
[he laughs] Hello! It’s pride month, and as part of my due diligence in service of my brothers and sister and non-binary siblings in the LGBTQ+ community, I would like to move that the phrase ‘no homo’ be struck from the straight lexicon.
‘No homo’ is an expression used by straight people when they suddenly and inexplicably become terrified that an innocuous compliment might be construed as a sexual advance: ‘Hey, no homo but your hair looks great. Hey, no homo but that’s a sick t-shirt bro!’ As if the term ‘bro’ wasnt enough to establish the hysterical, panicky badges of your sexual orientation.
It’s not as if the phrase ‘no homo’ is ever uttered before comments which are genuinely suggestive, flirtatious, or provocative anyway: ‘Hey, no homo but the subtle curve of your penis in your speedos makes it really hard for me to concentrate on timing this [word unclear].’
And why would you use 'no homo’ in that context? You’d probably say something like: 'I hope this doesn’t make you feel uncomfortable’ or 'would you like to go swimming on Saturday?’
'No homo’ also represents a degree of hubris and arrogance which, quite frankly, beggars belief. The assumption by the complimenter that the complimentee might take an innocent comment about the neatness of a beard or the sharpness of a suit as a veiled invitation to some light rimming. This also plays into the heteronormative myth that the only criteria a gay man needs to find another man attractive is the presence of a penis.
The 'no homo’ disclaimer is also a casually derisive dismissal of hundreds of millions of people on this planet for whom heterosexuality is not the norm, reducing a common reality to a shameful affliction, such as herpes or being a member of the conservative party.
It also presupposes that the complimentee might disapprove if you were 'yes homo’, in which case that motherfucker didn’t deserve the compliment in the first place!
We don’t provide verbal disclaimers about our sexual proclivities anywhere else in our social interactions: 'Hey no bicurious, but you two make a lovely couple. Hey, no oedipal complex, but that was a really lovely pie mum. No bestial impulses, but who’s a good boy who’s a [devolves into gibberish cooing].’
Now I know I drifted away from loving consensual relationships into the realms of moral abhorrence there, but it was for comic effect so fuck you.
Women don’t use 'no homo’ as much because they’re not crippled by spastic masculinity like a lot of men. And men have absolutely no problem complimenting women without a statement of intent: 'Hey, I’m not trying to have sex with you, but you smell really nice today.’ Although, let’s face it, 90% of the time some sort of bodily fluid exchange is probably on the table.
As far as 'no homo’ is concerned, it just doesn’t fucking matter! I mean, who cares? So what if your friend does think you’re gay? If it bothers him that much, then maybe he’s not someone you want in your social quiver. And if he is someone whose friendship you value, educate him as to why your sexual orientation is of no consequence whatsoever. Tell the prick to get over himself.
Or flirt with him! Flirting with your straight friends can be enormous fun! It’s arguably less complex and fraught with the potential for misunderstanding than flirting with someone you’re attracted to. And it’s a way to evolve your behavior towards the gender you are attracted to.
As we as straight men evolve, we grow to learn that behaviors we thought were playful and acceptable might actually make women feel uncomfortable or threatened. Flirting with your friends is exactly the education you might need to understand when you’re crossing certain lines. When you’re schmoozing your bestie and you have the urge to say 'no homo’, just make a mental note of that, and apply that to your interactions with women. And also don’t fucking say no homo. Relish the exchange of affection and don’t give a shit about how it’s construed.
I love flirting with my straight friends. I might see Nick Frost and say, 'Ooh look at you, aren’t you a big sexy bear of a man today.’ And he might say, 'You flirting with me, Simon?’ And I might say, 'Well… maybe I am.’ And he might say, 'W-well then I’ll tell Mrs. Pegg.’ And I’ll say, 'Well what she doesn’t know cant hurt her…’ And then he’ll say, 'You better watch it buddy because one day I might get you to put your money where your mouth is.’ And I might say, 'Well where do you want my mouth?’ And then he’ll probably go, 'Here. [points to his lips]’ and I’d just sort of look at him and- and, y'know…
Happy Pride Month!“
/video ends]
This is not only a brilliant explanation but also made me laugh aloud several times. Watch it.
All of this is great except for the ableism. (Sp*stic is a slur in the UK, for those unaware. It’s on par with r*tard. It’d be nice if people stopped using it, thanks.)
Also side-eyeing the comparison of herpes to being akin to being a member of the Conservative party. Herpes is a common STD that many people are affected by despite safe sex practices. Being a Tory is a choice that requires active commitment to being an evil fuckmuppet on a daily basis.
not to talk about doctor who but remember being a lonely depressed teenager and hearing him say ‘900 years of time and space and i’ve never met anyone who wasn’t important’
he was like ‘just this once-everybody lives’ and i chased that shit with homosexual determination for every day since, like maybe through pure force of will i could save everyone i loved from a system that wanted us dead
Doctor Who isn’t necessarily the best-written show, it’s nothing world-stopping, but god, if it didn’t help me through being a depressed teenager. It wasn’t just ‘never give up’ or ‘love conquers all’, it was them looking the audience dead in the eyes and saying, ‘I see you. You are important and special, and you deserve to give yourself a good life’. And I will always thank it for that.
leatherdykes on their way to pride | 1988 | photo by DLV
[ID:
a black and white photo of five dykes in leather jackets and black boots walking on the sidewalk towards the camera. four of them are also wearing leather pants and most of them have short hair.
ok so people are making fun of this but adding this with other anti-global warming tactics will work
This isn’t adding ice just for the sake of denial, it’s adding to the Earth’s albedo. This in turn actually makes the Earth’s climate cooler, and then more ice will be produced naturally because of this.
It isn’t a process we need to continue forever, in fact it’s one that needs to be calculated so that we don’t do it TOO MUCH. The only worry would be cooling down too much.
So yes, this is a good idea. It simply isn’t the only thing we should do because we still have gross pollution.
For the love of god do it . anything just do it. Give us hope.
Here’s the thing: Most environmental catastrophes humans have ever or are currently creating can be fixed. It’s not just a matter of “oh no, things are ruined, and maybe we can stop the degradation so that things don’t get any worse, but we’re stuck with how things are.” There are some things we can’t do, like bringing back extinct species. But there are a lot of other things we can definitely do, many of which are being done right now. The problem is that most of our willpower and effort is spent on bullshit tiny things that won’t solve the problem (individual recycling, etc.) and not on the large-scale things that can and will make a large-scale difference.
Ice caps are melting? Guess what! We know how to make ice. It’s not that hard. Designing mostly-automated robot ships to go to the poles and rebuild the ice caps is well within our current technical capabilities. We just need to fund it.
Deforestation on a massive scale? Destruction of other biomes? Guess what! We know how to plant trees. We know how to plant grasslands. We know how to take barren, lifeless land and turn it back into a viable biome. It’s not that hard. In a lot of cases, if there’s neighboring areas where that biome still exists, all you have to do is dump a few tons of biomass (plant clippings, food waste, etc.) on the barren land and stand back and wait. The biomass will provide nutrients and keep the topsoil from blowing away, and the plants and animals from the neighboring biome will move in. In two decades, even if you don’t do anything besides dumping the biomass on it, you won’t be able to tell what was the barren area and what was the still-existing biome.
Coral reefs dying? Now, coral reefs are a bit more fragile than most biomes, but guess what! We still know how to replant/rebuild them, and in fact are working on that in places affected by coral reef die-off! And we’re learning how to do it better every day.
Desertification? Guess what! We know how to turn desert back into green space. They’re doing it on a large scale in China and sub-Saharan Africa. There are several different techniques, none of which are even very technology-intensive. It takes money and time and labor, but it’s perfectly doable. We know this because we’ve done it.
Plastic in the ecosystem, particularly in the ocean? Guess what! There’s a lot of people working on this, both on “how to remove plastic from the ocean” and “how to reuse/recycle it more efficiently.” And the techniques are improving by leaps and bounds every year. This is a solvable problem. These are all solvable problems.
So if you’re crushed by the weight of the coming environmental catastrophe … don’t be. These are all solvable problems! We can stop things from getting worse, and we can fix the things we’ve broken. The issue is political, not practical.
On the political side, of course, is the need to tighten up environmental regulations across the globe. (What’s the statistic, that 90% of pollution is caused by 100 corporations?) And then of course, we need to fund these programs on a large enough scale.
In some ways the political aspect is the hardest, but consider this: we are at a tipping point. Things are changing about the way politicians talk about climate change and ecological degradation. More ordinary people are concerned about this, which means more pressure on politicians. One of the ways that things are changing is that people–even conservatives–are starting to talk about “job opportunities in new green fields” and switching the conversation so that it’s not “rainforest vs. jobs” makes political action a lot more possible. And no, it’s not going to happen on its own, but it can happen.
