first off: it's totally valid to be upset over the awful, in whatever form that takes. anger, sadness, disgust, fear, you get the idea. feelings like those are how we know something's not right.

but dwelling on anything can and does reinforce it.

and spiraling on things that depress you and lead to despair aren't productive. and I'm sure no one wants to end up in an anxious doom-spiral, right?

what I do is, I choose to be hopeful: to acknowledge that even as bad as things may be, there is still the potential for them to turn around. people are protesting, and good things are also still happening.

it's not bad to have to walk away and take a breath, to do what you need to do to calm yourself, re-center yourself, and come back to whatever it is when you're able, be it an argument with someone, the doom and gloom in the news, politics, religion, whatever the topic might be.

feel what you feel... but know that in the end, you control what you do and what you say. and if you want to take those feelings you're feeling and be negative and hurt others' peace, they may not like that.

I suggest instead, turning anger into spite. spite's a pretty good motivator, isn't it?

what I find encouraging is we've been here before, and things got better

I'm absolutely not going to shame anyone for feeling down right now. I feel pretty down right now myself.

purpleminiskirts: absolutely!

but, that said, I CHOOSE HOPE.

maybe not exactly the same, but very similar

there are good things going on, and good people working hard.

we can support them.

we can do good things ourselves.

I know it might even feel like we're ignoring the main problem, but we're really not: sometimes the best angle of attack, or even the only angle of attack, is not a full frontal assault, but a sideways maneuver.

(for all you Persona and tarot fans: the Chariot card. )

maybe the path to victory isn't to go slap someone around. maybe the path is to cheer on the politicians that are doing their best to steer things in the right direction.

maybe the path as far as we're able, is to just keep each other afloat until we see the right opening.

maybe the path is to refuse to shut up when someone tells us to.

a certain thin-skinned fascist haaaaaates criticism, after all. just saying.

I am choosing not to wallow in despair, but to step back and look at how the course of history errs toward justice, in the end.

I am choosing to look at all the insanely wonderful things accomplished recently (and relatively recently) and know that even as hard as things are and may get, there are lights at the end of the tunnel. the villains will, overall, get theirs.

and in case anyone needs that nod to some of the good things going on... gimme a moment, I'll dump some links here too.

In landmark ruling, same-sex couple recognized as fa..."...recognized as family by Ukranian court"

https://www.nrdc.org/...
"Flint Finishes Lead Pipe Replacement in Historic Milestone"

Poland’s clean energy usage overtakes coal for first..."...for first time"

EU coal production and consumption reach historical ...
"...historical low"

Renewable energy supply grew by 3.4% in 2024 - News ...

Deaf Teenager and 24-Year-Old Gain Ability to Hear A..."Deaf teenager and 24-year-old gain ability to hear after experimental gene therapy"

https://apnews.com/...

Smuckers planning to remove artificial colors from its jams and other products by the end of 2027

Nestlé says it will remove artificial dyes from U.S....^ Nestle, meanwhile, is gunning for 2026

New brain-computer interface helps man with ALS ‘spe...
"...with ALS to 'speak' again"

Blue's Clues Star Steve Burns Launching 'Alive' Podc...
"Steve Burns, Original ‘Blue’s Clues’ Host, Is Launching a Podcast for Grown-Ups That’s a ‘Continuation’ of the Beloved Kids’ Show"

Fungus that may have caused 'King Tut's curse' shows..."...shows promise in treating cancer"

Gov. Abbott Signs Bill Defining Consent, Closing Tex..."Texas Marathon Runner Inspires Stronger Legal Protections for [S.A.] Survivors"

I skimmed; they're closing loopholes on what qualifies as consent vs no consent

Researchers discover how caffeine could slow cellula..."...slow cellular aging"

OUR DAY HAS COME, YOU GUYS ...lol....

New Computer Method Finds Ways to Make Drug-Resistan..."...make drug-resistant breast cancer cells sensitive again"

Wisconsin top court delivers win for environmentalis..."...for environmentalists in 'forever chemicals' fight"

'You can count on us' — EU reiterates support for Uk..."...support for Ukraine at NATO summit"

UK to fund joint drone production with Ukraine
UK uses Russian assets to boost Ukraine’s air defens...
"...air defense" ...lol... I love it.

Breakthrough in search for HIV cure leaves researche...
"Melbourne team demonstrates way to make HIV visible within white blood cells, paving the way to fully clear it from the body"

FDA approves powerful HIV drug that nearly eliminate..."...nearly eliminated spread in clinical trials"

https://cleantechnica.co...
"Vatican City Is Now Powered By Solar"

China hits 1 TW solar milestone"China hits 1TW solar milestone: China's solar power capacity has surpassed 1 TW, marking a historic milestone as the country accelerates its energy transition"

https://scienceblog.com/...
"Zoning out may actually help your brain learn faster"

Scientists use bacteria to turn plastic waste into p..."...into paracetamol" aka Tylenol/acetaminophen

Outside groups organize to form unbiased, independen..."Infectious disease experts at University of Minnesota organizing to form unbiased, independent vaccine panel"

^ OH LOOK, active resistance/counter-measures to some of the crud currently going down, who'd have thought?

How a Canadian startup is helping kids defy the odds..."How a Canadian startup is helping kids defy the odds one robotic step at a time"
^ robotic exoskeleton/exosuit type stuff FTW!

I love that of all things there's a Texas win

right? I love that for Texas!

Diabetes drug may cut migraine days in half with lit..."...with little weight loss"

‘HIV-ending’ drug could be made for just $25 per pat..."...per patient a year, say researchers"

Kansas Bureau of Investigation initiative to allow s..."...to allow [s.] assault survivors to track [their] kit status"

Common vegetable extract found to remove most microp..."... most microplastics from water"
"An extract derived from okra and fenugreek can remove over 90 per cent of microplastics from water, according to a new study that may help develop safe ways to get rid of the toxic material."

"Scientists have been attempting to develop methods to effectively remove these tiny fragments from the environment as well as from the human body. They have now found that the natural polymers that make okra slimy and give fenugreek its gel-like texture can trap most of these microplastic particles in water."

holy crud, right?

A building material that lives and stores carbon"Researchers are developing a living material that actively extracts carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Photosynthetic cyanobacteria grow inside it, forming biomass and solid minerals and thus binding CO2 in two different manners."

...reading the cognitive neurobiology study, I suspect it's less "literally any random wandering will make you learn literally anything fast" and more like acclimatization, like... hanging out in a workshop without being taught will make it easier to learn tasks in the workshop because you've been encoding a similar environment

you know what to expect it to contain, so you have that information ready to build associations with

right. still a nice little dose of "stfu" to the notions that people have to be totally "on task" and focused 100% of the time.

but wandering in a forest doesn't encode workshop-like environmental information

...but you also do a lot of task-related processing outside the task because metacognition is complicated, so

New Florida laws make it illegal to restrain dogs ou..."New Florida laws make it illegal to restrain dogs outside during natural disasters & increase aggravated animal cruelty penalties"

oh yeah 100%

yeah, brains are wild, lol

https://apnews.com/...
"Netherlands returns 119 looted artifacts known as Benin Bronzes to Nigeria"

The European Commission Unveils a Phase-Out Plan—Rus..."...a Phase-Out Plan—Russian Oil and Gas to Be Banned Regardless of War’s Outcome"

https://apnews.com/...
North Carolina governor vetoes anti-DEI and transgender rights bills, calling them ‘mean-spirited’

(with a thankful nod to someone I can't ping in my own plurk here for finding it)

and I'm not neglecting this one just sitting on it a little....

Nichelle Nichols Space Camp for Teen Girls to Open i..."...to Open in 2026, Honoring Late Star Trek Icon's Legacy (Exclusive)"

Uhura

MPs vote to decriminalise abortion for women in Engl..."MPs vote to decriminalize abortion for women in England and Wales"

Scientists trick cancer cells into self-destructing ..."Stanford researchers develop molecule that forces cancer cells to kill themselves"

guys. GUYS.

People With Severe Diabetes Are Cured in Small Trial..."A single infusion of a new treatment, called zimislecel, may have cured 10 out of 12 people with the most severe form of the disease."

looks like that one's about type 1 diabetes....

Treating a type 2 diabetic patient with impaired pan...
^ and one on someone with Type 2.

more a scientific paper than something more easily-digestible, admittedly

BUT

hopefully everyone's found something to make them smile at least a little here.

taken a deep breath? unclenched? relaxed your neck and jaw and shoulders?

get some water, eat a food, take a nap if need be. find your peace. center yourself a bit better.

giving up accomplishes nothing; rolling over and letting the villains win only lets them win. it won't gain us what we want. it won't secure our safety.

there are good things happening. there is resistance. there are people campaigning for better.

I'm not an organizer myself. I don't have easy answers on where to look on hand.

but I've seen those things out there. I'm sure I've replurked a couple.

but remember, it's absolutely legit to take a step back and take a deep breath, look away for however long you need to be able to handle coming back to the situation again.

I'm choosing hope: I'm going to keep going, despite, or in spite of the monsters.

I may not be the loudest. I may not be the figurehead for anything. but I can support those who are, or support those who support those who are, etc.

it's okay to be upset. I'd be kinda surprised if someone wasn't upset by at least some of the Awful going on.

but... oxygen mask protocol.

you can't really be of effective help, if you let yourself fall into a hole.

don't feel guilty for having to look away. it's not full retreat, it's just regrouping. you're allowed to cover your eyes for a moment and calm down so that you can think and focus again.

and it's freaking exhausting to always be "on" all the time, to be a never-ending beacon of positivity and light and blah blah blah.

it's okay to need a break. take that break. come back refreshed, or at least calmer, more centered, all right?

I hope all of you will choose hope with me... will choose not to focus on the doors that're shut, but choose to focus on the ways forward, the doors still either open, or openable, or that crack you're about to make in the drywall when you take this SLEDGEHAMMER TO IT YOURSELF--

you know what I mean.

the waiting game can suck, too, no lie

but there's stuff to do while waiting.

some isn't obviously helpful Right Here Right Now When You Want It To Be

personally, I want to express my displeasure to some politicians, but there's only so much of that I have the battery for at the moment - and it's well after hours right now anyway.

you know what I think I will do, though? I have some area in the back yard. maybe I'll start gardening. plant some herbs. maybe catnip for the kitties. XD something I can use immediately, to make my food taste better (and save some money in the long run, at the grocery store)

self-sufficiency sounds pretty good, but I've never been a great gardener. but you know what? digging around in the dirt sounds... calming. I can take out my frustrations on the weeds, and in smacking a rock around or something.

I'll probably fail at it, but I'll have fun failing at it.

and I suggest everyone at least consider, briefly, doing the same?

maybe gardening's not for you

I dunno.

but the idea of doing nothing doesn't really appeal to me right now.

on the other hand, saving the money I'd have previously spent on green onions for cooking stuff, by having grown my own, really appeals. and then I can take whatever savings I get, and put it toward something else.

what are some of your guys' ways of coping and regrouping?

I've been out biking a lot, back to burning off resentment physically. roughly 12-18 miles every other day or so has done quite a lot for my endurance, I'll say that. XD

and I'll reiterate: protecting your own sanity is legit. we all have the right to feel however we feel about a thing. most of us can't help our reactions. but we can control what we do with them, what we say, what we decide to focus on.

and let's be considerate of others, while we vent, if venting is what helps, right? if someone doesn't want/can't handle hearing it, it's not a slight against you when they say don't, it's them protecting themselves. no one's entitled to subject others to negativity just because there are negative feelings in the mix.

but I'm sure I don't have to remind anyone still reading this about that, lol...

mmm, hope and spite. I like that mix.

authoritarians don't need to win over most people. they just need most people to be too disoriented, exhausted, discouraged, and too giving up to keep fighting back. they need people to roll over and take it.

spite and hope.

if you're on my timeline, it's because I give a crud about you

if you're not on my timeline, it's likely because we just haven't crossed orbits enough yet. we haven't found that thing we click over and happily squeal and nerd out about until Stupid O' Clock In The Morning. and if you want to change that, I invite you to!

I'd love to hear from people. what keeps you going? what good things would you like to share?

what is it that fuels your hope, and/or your spite?

people have lived and defied under regimes more oppressive than ours, and even if they don't live to see the better future they want, they lay the groundwork.

just last week, this was Budapest's response to Pride parades being banned in Hungary:Budapest Pride draws huge crowds in defiance of Orba...

hell yeah someone who gets the value of constructive/positive news

right on! congrats to Budapest!

I'll reiterate: feel what you feel. just know that you have agency in how you choose to respond to it, and what you choose to do with it, and what you choose to focus on. don't feel guilty or ashamed for having to look away and take a breath and smell some roses. the world is full of crud right now, but it is also full of awesome.

you don't have to be on the front lines. the head of every spear needs a shaft behind it, after all.

not every singer needs to be a soloist; the world would be a lot emptier without a resounding chorus!

Nightsail: What keeps me going and good things I have to share? Not news, but these guys.The Heart of Life | A CappellaStand By Me (acapella) VoicePlay ft. Mykal Kilgore

oooh.... good music!

Thank you for this.

Much like the first time, vtubers are currently responsible for at least 65% of my sanity

it's worth noting that the wisconsin supreme court win is a direct result of citizen action and organization. wisconsin supreme court judges are elected, and it took years to elect enough left-leaning judges to have an appreciable impact on state politics.

also notably (hi, WI resident here) Elon tried really hard to buy our supreme court just recently

things can change, with enough people working together. the right doesn't crumble when they experience setbacks; we're at the culmination of decades of hard work and organizing by lunatics who think water fluoridation is devilry.

he failed

if the left falls apart every time things don't go our way, then we will never get anywhere.

exactly.

I'd also like to toss out there that a lot of the right-wing base is getting pretty disillusioned with their now-former Dear Leaders, what with these latest stunts.....

You’re a very sweet person, OP.

I'd like to think that someday, I can grow to be the person my dog thought I was.

but here... I get it. people are down. things feel discouraging.

but that doesn't negate the rest of everything.

no one's beaten us to The Finish Line, they've just grabbed a checkpoint on one of the paths.

the race isn't over; it isn't going to end. and who says the way to succeed is to crush everything right away? the Tortoise and the Hare is a common story for a reason.

as long as we're still standing, we can keep going. and when we can't stand, we can pull each other back up. and when we can't... we can still crawl.

this is still the same world that held people like Bob Ross and Mister Rogers.

Steve from Blues Clues is still doing his thing; look above!

The Philippines has a stellar history of welcoming and sheltering refugees going back as far as the Spanish era. We had been preparing to help displaced Ukrainians since 2022.Why Philippines is the only Country Welcoming Ukrain...

oh excellent!

Cool, right? As one of our past Presidents once said when he spearheaded the welcoming of the Jewish wave in the Commonwealth era, it was simply the right thing to do.

solid logic

Iron & Wine - Biting your tail (acoustic)
tossing in one of my own fave songs.

...I kinda do take issue with the lyric about the world being something we can't change. I get it; it might feel impossible. but enough people working together can do wonders.

history isn't made by those that shrug and give up when they don't get their way at first. history is made by those that won't.

thank you for this

I have to keep reminding myself that america is a huge country, and it is not the only piece of the world even if it feels like MY SOLE WORLD

life goes on even outside of this. and good things are happening even if they're deliberately obstructed

and the US has been in worse states before. we've made it out of that. we'll make it out of this.

even if things feel hopeless there are still a lot of people fighting, and a lot of people looking at this current batshit nonsense and responding with "we are not jumping over the edge with you."

heck, maybe to some extent, this'll be necessary to make things better in the end. broken bones are stronger once they've mended; it's not what doesn't kill you that makes you stronger, but the healing that does it, afterwards.

but tick everyone off enough like this, and the pushback will be glorious.

what if this nonsense is what finally breaks the right-wing?

what if in correcting for their mistake, we manage to shift noticeably further left?

I'd love to see that

Oh absolutely. Just ask my country: we Filipinos managed to topple down a ruthless 21 year term of a former president back in 1986.

/high five!

Hey. Thanks for this. I needed to hear it.

TriadOrion:

Let's talk about what spears can teach us about crea...

Apparently the protests on the 14th were over the 'percentage of total population' threshold past which the government Does Not have popular support.

oh, that's lovely.

I'm sure we all know the quote, about how for evil to win, good people need to do nothing? ...well, it's easy to fall into despair and start reframing it as prophecy and inevitability. but I'm seeing a lot of signs that that's really not warranted.

again, they haven't crossed The Finish Line. they've only managed to hit a checkpoint. this is not a sprint, it's a longer race.

I hope I'm not dragging the post down too much because I do hear what you're saying. My fear right now is...what will it cost? Like it's wonderful to hear how people are fighting and how Everybody Disliked That. But I fear losing people I love in the fight

their base is already fracturing; people are catching on, to what that piece of vile legislation really was. they're feeling betrayed. his support is eroding, and quickly.

new people are entering the equation, winning elections in upsets all over, with massive public support, and aiming to actually fix things.

sagesaria: I get that. I really do.

it's why we need to not give up. because if we give up, we do let that worse reality come to pass.

we help where we can.

we keep morale up. we don't underestimate PR and marketing and the value of talking people over into our side, pointing out where they've been betrayed, waking them up.

the more momentum, the less damage has a chance of happening.

sagesaria: we're all scared, you're not dragging anyone down by saying so.

when a hole's been knocked into the ship during a storm, the answer isn't to despair because water could ruin the supplies in the hold. if you fall apart, you're not bailing or patching the hole.

it's the same philosophy here. we don't give up. we don't slow down in our efforts to bail and patch. or at least, we try. we keep doing what we're able.

and if what we're able to do is to bail and patch while someone else takes the helm and steers us to better waters, that's valuable

It is also okay to hide in your berth and hyperventilate for a bit between your bailing and patching stints.

yeah. when you get exhausted, pause to recover.

feeling your feelings is an important part of not letting them control you.

take shifts in bailing; if you're too worn out, you won't be able to fling that bucket.

the more efficiently we can get things done, the less the cost will be in the meanwhile. oxygen-mask protocols apply. we will get through this, one way or another. all is not lost.

we're already seeing cracks in their momentum. we just need to widen those cracks.

we can be the shaft behind the spear.

I'm sorry I don't have more concrete answers. I don't have a crystal ball, to know exactly what the cost of everything will be, how bad the fallout.

doing my best to give myself a distraction day and disengage and recharge but it ain't easy these days

and to be clear, I'm also not celebrating that the red base is going to suffer as well. all I'm celebrating is that they're realizing that they've been supporting people that don't have their best interests in mind, and that they might actually come to their senses.

but I stand by my assertion that things getting bad isn't a reason to give up. if anything, it's a reason to do more, as one may be able.

imho.

we need to take mental health days, like Exacerangutan just mentioned. disengage as needed, to take care of yourself. oxygen mask protocol, always. you can't effectively help others, if you're flagging yourself, right?

I'm going to go ready some pots right now, and go plant catnip first. the kitties will lose their cute little minds, I'm sure.

and then... I'll probably try to get back to some RP stuff. and then I'll dig into local politics stuff online, find out what candidates there've been and are likely to be, and start figuring out how I can support them. I don't have a ton of money, but I can absolutely talk to my friends.

it's honestly a struggle, even having that as a mantra for myself, because it's not as simple as "have a cookie" or "get a nice dinner once," it involves permitting a lot more slack and for us perfectionists that feels like choosing failure ._.

yeah. but I like the saying, too, that if something's worth doing right/well, then it's worth even doing it poorly. like, if you don't have the energy/time to brush your teeth properly, it's still worth just taking a five-second swipe at them with a dry toothbrush. because that's still better than not doing it at all.

like... I've had to struggle and am still struggling to throw milk cartons in the trash because they feel like they should be recyclable and throwing away recyclable things ever is a choice to not do the right thing etc etc etc. ...but hoarding milk cartons hoping that you'll figure out how to recycle them or whatever is just unfeasible

actually, sec. there's a video that maybe I can find it, about perfectionism... Hank Green, iirc....

the whole thing of accepting not being in a position to be able to afford doing things right is really not easy

oh, boy do I get that

The Secret to my Productivity

and frankly it feels like flying real close to despair

found it!

yeah... I get that too. but I keep in mind, like say it's about dinner - maybe I would like to aim for a five-course feast with beef wellington or... whatever. Something Fancy. but the thing is, I know I won't do that. but the alternative isn't to go hungry. the alternative might just be to throw together some boxed mac&cheese, or reheat leftover pizza.

the thought process goes something like "if it's ok to not bother to do things right, then doing everything wrong is acceptable and there are no standards so everything will be bad forever" which isn't helpful either XD

LOL, yeah, I know. XD it takes effort, real effort, at times, to internalize that there is a second line, short of 110%+ done, called Good Enough.

like, I don't have to make the kitchen spotless. sometimes it's enough to just wipe up the stove and countertop and start the dishwasher. no, I didn't scour the house to get every last dirty dish out of the kids' rooms or anything. but that can be done in a future load of dishes, too!

that and if your stamina budget says you can only do things 40% before you risk getting into a burnout spiral then you can't do more than 40%, but that doesn't mean that's forever or that it's the case with everything

right.

maybe 40% is the actual Good Enough line. you didn't do all the laundry, but you now have clean clothes enough for the week. that's a win

I'm... trying... to get out of an Everything Is Too Much Instant Overwhelm And Shutdown cycle lately, so ._. it is very pertinent for me even separately from current events

and also if three people are doing 40% at any given time, then 100% is being done

ooooh, I love that you put it like that. XD

sharing work can definitely help a lot also yes

yeah

doesn't super apply in my case but in general it's important

practice good CRM *nod

also I'm not jewish but that thing about not being required to save the world you're just not allowed to quit

sorry half of my cognitive strategies are just repurposed air disaster documentary memes

and we don't need to have a 100% victory politically. we only need to make it past the threshold, which is usually something like "more than 50%" lol.

yeah. if everyone just saves the part in their immediate vicinity, the world is saved.

and some people can do a lot more.

but yeah Exacerangutan I also feel the struggling all by yourself exhaustion. <3

transilience: ^^^ but also tmw you know and accept this philosophically but your brain is still like "uh no you totally do have to save the world and btw you can't"

Exacerangutan yeah that part's a bitch

especially when you really can't do a lot as it is. I can't even make rep calls because of my phone anxiety

there's a reason I posted that video of Beau's, about the spear.

the people at the pointy tip? those are the policy-makers. the organizers. the ones out picketing and making phone calls.

the shaft? those are the support. the people changing minds, and making what was once seen as progress into the norm. they're the performative influencers who show up

at a rally to take a selfie of themselves in front of the cause du jour and otherwise don't seem to help.

but that's just the thing - even some teenager posting a selfie like that normalizes the changes we want to make.

we don't all have to be the tip of the spear. spears need that shaft behind them. they need the support. marathon runners need people out on the sidelines handing them water.

we don't all need to be even making phone calls. it's also important to simply be another voice in the crowd cheering.

those people up at the front lines need to know that they have support - that they're doing what's right, and what the majority of people - the ones with functioning brains - actually do want.

KITTY. Kitty, I swear, you better not be pooing out in that planter, omg.

....kitty really likes hanging out in that planter for some reason. I'm not sure the vegetables trying to go there are in agreement with her on this point.

This got replurked so I'm gonna pop in here - don't discount being able to do admin work! Sending emails/texts, coding simple webpages, modding a chat room, making phones call to find venues for meetings, things like that. Lots of young activists in particular love protests and such but don't put in the work to support the back end.

yeah. that spear needs a solid shaft behind it, or it's not a spear, it's just a pocketknife.

sometimes I'll be the pointy tip, out standing on the sidewalk holding a sign. sometimes I'll be the shaft, doing stuff like this - posting better news articles and trying to remind people that there are still things to fight for, and that the fight isn't over. and sometimes I'll be off fixing my own gloves: gardening, cuddling kitties, writing rp tags.

all of this is important to keep doing: if we let ourselves get ground down and exhausted, we can't stand back up to help hold the spear's shaft, let alone be part of it.

I'm currently working on updating a self hosted wiki so my local DSA chapter has a better organized place to just...put internal info! Like, me and 2 other people out of hundreds of active members in the chapter (thousands on paper) are the only ones doing this!

I'd also like to remind everyone that defeatism is not clarity. just because they've managed to launch the trebuchet doesn't mean no one is able to knock their ball of bs out of the sky. I get it, probably none of us have a trebuchet of our own. but we're raising the alarms, and maybe we'll swamp their machine and tear it down piece by piece.

defeatism is putting down what resources we have, and rolling over and submitting. and I for one will not submit.

maybe everyone could take a moment to double-check their voter registrations! that could do some solid good. if even one person here catches a problem with theirs and works to fix it, that's a great step forward - that's another voice to add to the chorus, come election time, another decibel to raise the message.

we're human. we're not machines. we need rest to recharge. that's not a failing, that's nature.

we also don't need to do everything right all the time. if that's the bar we set, then everyone fails, because no one can reach that standard. movements don't succeed because everyone is perfect. they succeed because people don't quit.

and that means self-care, so that we can keep going.

authoritarianism requires as little resistance as possible, to succeed. and it's already encountering a ton of resistance.

their goals, their aims - it's not a done deal. they may be trying to frame it as such, but that's called PR.

they want people to give up.

but the more bs they fling... you know what manure is great for? growing roses. the chaos they're causing can be their own undoing.

a favorite tactic of such iconic shitheads as checks notes Sauron and Palpatine

HAH, yeah

it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

if we believe the fight is already over, and cease our efforts and proclaim defeat, that's just handing them the win. but they're lying about having already won overall.

we keep up the pressure. we take care of ourselves. we watch cute animal videos, make tea, go take a walk, catch some sun, listen to music, play video games... we make sure to drink some water, eat a food, tend to whatever meds we may need... and then when we're feeling better, maybe we hit the arrow to repost stuff on social media.

food bank posts. posts from candidates who we want to see succeed. posts calling out the awful. posts calling out the wins.

send emails, make phone calls, stand outside with a sign. whatever you're feeling up to. all of it counts. all of it is important, in different ways.

even self-care is important.

even if all you can do is hold on until it's time to vote again, that's still important. it's still something, and something is always better than nothing.

you're not failing, if you get overwhelmed and have to pull back.

hehe....
https://www.americanbar....
"American Bar Association files suit to halt government intimidation of lawyers and law firms"

pick your battles, too.

one of the tactics they're already employing is to try overwhelming everyone by attacking in every way they can.

but here's the thing about that: while it seems impossible to fix everything at once... that's not how we should handle that. if we bite off more than we can chew, we get overwhelmed. what we should do is just find a

thing we can focus on and handle, and tackle that.

I mean, you don't go to a potluck panicking about handling all the dishes, right? you might be in charge of bringing napkins, or a bag of chips, or even just coming early to help set out the chairs and tables. all of those are important things that need to get done.

so... we can't all be the tip of the spear. and we don't all have to be. we don't all need to run for an office. we don't all need to donate huge sums of money. we don't all need to even collect signatures, or stand outside with signs. there are other things that're important to do - putting out chairs, rather than bringing the potato salad - and need doing.

how about gathering contact info (phone, emails, snailmail-box addresses, etc) for your representatives? maybe someone could help make or maintain a page - a Google Doc? - to be passed around, with this info, so that the people that do feel up to contacting representatives have an easier time doing so?

The notion of the right waking up now, nine months after they could have prevented this had they done so then, is often just a bitter pill in my mouth because we still have three and a half years of this shit as a result. I try not to let it consume me, but it’s so fucking hard lately.

I know. I very much know. but while "better late than never" feels like a platitude, if they start joining our fight, they can still help turn the tide. heading it off didn't work, but that doesn't make damage control useless.

well, the tide's already turning, but... turn it faster. turn it more. the more we fight back, the sooner it gets done, and the sooner we can mitigate the fallout.

waking up nine months late is still better than never waking up.

and I'll take that. that's still heading off problems that'll happen in the future.

I get the bitterness. I get the resentment. but if they'll help now, or soon, I say we welcome them. hand them a chair, tell them they can put it out for someone. hand them a bucket and ask that they refill it, to pass it along to the people working to put out their house, since it's on fire too.

okay... I poked a bit, and some gems fell into my hand, so I'm spreading those here, for anyone who wants to use them - or to pass them along as well! remember, spreading info is also important! reminding friends that these things exist is also a valuable move!

ResistbotResistbot is a way to contact your representatives easily via text-methods, not necessarily phone calls, so if you can't do phone calls, that's fine!

5 Calls5 Calls does help with phone calls, for those who're up to it!

https://ballotpedia.org/
Ballotpedia is a site that covers current going-ons and the candidates. voting records, candidate profiles and links to their contact info.

like I said - maybe this'll help someone here to be able to keep a better eye on things, or reach out themselves. if not, that's okay! maybe someone can repost those links on another platform? because that's important too.

GovTrack.usGovTrack .us helps, it looks like, with keeping tabs on what people in the US House and Senate are doing - how they're voting, and what's up in their docket - and how to contact them.

https://www.commoncause....
Take Action looks to be for tracking various issues and ways to help.

thanks for the actionable links, especially the resist bot one since I'm one of those people with limited ability to fight things. that's very helpful

you're very, very welcome! I hope someone finds them useful.

this isn't over. it's just getting heated up. and I'm choosing to keep hope: again, there are good things still happening. there are things worth fighting for. not all is already lost. it's a setback, it's another difficulty setting higher, sure, but this isn't a solo game, and there are still other checkpoints ahead, other allies to recruit to aid us.

and I'm also choosing spite.

it's kinda funny, that just by existing, we piss them off, isn't it? XD

just another reminder, in case anyone needs it: there's no shame in however you feel. I'm angry, I'm frustrated, I'm sad, I'm disgusted. and I'm already tired. but those things tell you that what's happening is wrong.

we can't change the past, but we can still steer the future. we have agency over how we conduct ourselves. over what we do and say, over how

we choose to look at things. we can still reach out to check on one another. we can still look to see what can be done next. we can grab signs and protest, or call/text/email/snailmail people in the hierarchy to cheer on those who're working for us, and give the ones working for fascism and themselves a piece of our mind.

it is not giving up, and it is not shameful, to need to pull back for a bit and take a breath and take care of oneself. if you need to take a break, do so, so that you can come back later at a more opportune time for you. oxygen mask protocol applies: if you don't take care of yourself, you won't be able to take care of others.

try not to spiral. it's not all bad. there are still plenty of good things happening, and worth fighting for. there are fights being won. there are reforms being passed. there's no "finish line" despite what they'd have you believe, just checkpoints; it is not a sprint, it's an ongoing trail, and what they need, to be able to win, is for us to give up.

so I hope you'll all choose hope with me: that rather than focusing on what's gone wrong and despairing, we'll look to the doors we can still open, and maybe even carve a new one out of the drywall ourselves if need be, and keep moving forward.

and embrace spite, if it suits you: keep ticking them off by saying no, you won't just lie down and take it.

it's okay to not have the energy to be the head of the spear, running for offices or donating huge sums of money to causes. spears need shafts behind them, or else they're just pocketknives. movements need supporters, not just activists. resistance needs people who refuse to agree that this crud is normal and okay, people who pass links online, who reblog

posts on Facebook and wherever else, to spread the word about resources and protests.

sure, you're just one person. but that's one more person on the side of right. that's one more person to help the scales tip more in our favor and less in theirs. people are going to continue to wake up, better late than never. we can talk to them. show them how to help.

wear sunscreen. drink water. eat a food. tend to meds, if needed.

take a deep breath. do something that helps ground and relax you. find your center, and stand back up again when you're steady. we'll get through this too. it might hurt in the meanwhile, but we'll get through it. and maybe we can end up with something better than we started with.

the more momentum that builds - the louder our collective voices are, the faster the tides turn, the more pressure we put on those in positions to do the things, the faster and better we can make it out of this again.

I want you to know. #yourkoreandad

sadghsad FUCK why am I crying

(I know why, shh)

sagesaria:

https://www.npr.org/...

"RFK Jr.'s vaccine policy sparks a lawsuit from the American Academy of Pediatrics"

and the trend of bad actors getting pushback continues.... B)

Dang, that guy is giving the Kennedy name a lot of bad publicity.

so much bad publicity, yeah.....

Majors oof all around for him from invoking the wrath of pediatricians everywhere.

https://preview.redd.it/82cu9kafa4h21.jpg?width=1080...

sagesaria: lol....

times when you love to see the dogpiling begin, right?

holy shit....

The first 100% effective HIV prevention drug is appr...
The first 100% effective HIV prevention drug is approved and going global

oh snap!

Parkinson's Link to Gut Bacteria Hints at an Unexpec...
tldr: it looks like B-vitamin supplements (specifically B2/riboflavin and B7/biotin) might be a potentially amazing help to people with Parkinson's!

...I should look this up later.

more good things in the news:Scientists found the missing nutrients bees need — C...Scientists found the missing nutrients bees need — Colonies grew 15-fold

A new study led by the University of Oxford in collaboration with [several European universities] could provide a cost-effective and sustainable solution to help tackle the devastating decline in honeybees. An engineered food supplement, designed to provide essential compounds found in plant pollen, was found to significantly enhance colony reproduction.

<- me distributing this supplement

Scientists reversed memory loss by powering the brai...

Scientists have discovered a direct cause-and-effect link between faulty mitochondria and the memory loss seen in neurodegenerative diseases. By creating a novel tool to boost mitochondrial activity in mouse models, researchers restored memory performance, suggesting mitochondria could be a powerful new target for treatments.

memo to self: look this up when not dead tired!

The Newly Found Bone Switch That Could Stop Osteopor...

The Newly Found Bone Switch That Could Stop Osteoporosis

Researchers in Germany have uncovered a hidden receptor, GPR133, that plays a vital role in bone strength. By activating it with a new compound called AP503, they boosted bone density in mice and even reversed osteoporosis-like symptoms.

Might I contribute:UBC engineer wins international award for creating f...Fully compostable menstrual pads designed by a UBC student, with potential applications for other products such as disposable diapers

god that would be SO useful

oooohhh, tysm!

Huntington's disease successfully treated for first ..."One of the cruellest and most devastating diseases – Huntington's – has been successfully treated for the first time, say doctors. ...
An emotional research team became tearful as they described how data shows the disease was slowed by 75% in patients."

I saw that earlier!!

Even if all it does is drastically slow progression, it's a start. I'm so happy for those who will benefit from this in the future.

yes!!

Here's to hoping that the method can turn into a defacto cure. Or a step towards it, every day.

WHAT.

I hope this spreads.

oh! that's great!

holy wow

Fractures fixed in minutes: Chinese scientists creat...
Chinese adhesive bonds fractures in three minutes
Chinese adhesive bonds fractures in three minutes
Bone-02 adhesive tested on 150 patients eliminates metal implants, secondary surgeries

FDA quietly approved a generic abortion pill ahead o...
FDA quietly approved a generic abortion pill ahead of shutdown
The approval of a generic for the medication mifepristone comes less than two weeks after Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. pledged that the agency would review the drug’s safety.

GOOD FOR THEM

Lymph node-targeted, mKRAS-specific amphiphile vacci...
Lymph node-targeted, mKRAS-specific amphiphile vaccine in pancreatic and colorectal cancer: phase 1 AMPLIFY-201 trial final results
Platinum: "tl;dr this is a peer reviewed study that shows that they have created a vaccine for [types of] pancreatic and colorectal [cancer]"

reposting that with your nice summary. hope that's okay by you.

o7 np np

I'll just drop the bluesky thread that breaks it down into layman's terms.

ty!

(later on down the thread is a list of further reading.)

Can sawdust help clean dirty water? P.E.I. researche...!

oooh

sawdust being turned into "activated carbon"... I know activated charcoal tends to be used to clean things, so this is really nice, getting another source for this kind of thing.

Harvard team’s research rescued by 6-year-old girl’s...

"...generous fundraising donation: ‘Everybody was just flabbergasted’

Marianne Cullen of Springfield, Massachusetts, raised about $1,000 for research into axolotls, which are salamanders that can regrow limbs"

Massachusetts's Millionaire Tax Still Going Very Wel...

yeeeessssss

hahahaha