or-something-like-that

[or-something-like-that]

Every generation gets older and even if they were formerly the "kids these days" that received scorn from their elders, a good portion of them end up going "ugh, kids these days" and repeating the cycle.

And every time the cycle renews that group still thinks their "kids these days" commentary is more valid than the generation before.

Personally, the young people I've interacted with and seen within my following have always been smart, compassionate, and wise beyond their age. They've caught on to concepts much sooner than I did in my youth. I've seen them fight for their rights. I've seen them stand up to institutional power structures. I've seen them give a shit.

In a way, it makes me sad that young people have to grow up more quickly these days. But they know the generations before them have made their futures quite uncertain and a lot of them aren't taking it lying down.

So if there was ever a "kids these days" that was inaccurate, it's the current one.

Kids these days... are impressive as shit.

And a few immature TikTok influencers do not a generation make.

[or-something-like-that]

When it rains, it pours.

This post contains very bad news. It will probably be upsetting to read. I just wanted to warn you all before you read any further. 

.

.

.

I am very sick. I do not know what is wrong with me. I am going to start working with my doctor to try and find answers this week. It is some kind of stomach issue. But I am struggling to find a condition that fits my symptoms. Hopefully I can find some answers soon. But this is why I have been unable to write much.

And because the universe has the worst timing…

In the past few days, Otis’s condition has deteriorated rapidly. What makes it harder is that he is 100% there mentally. His personality is still intact. He still wants to bark at the mailman. There are times where it seems like he still has so much life left in him, even though he cannot follow through with physical action.

But his body is failing him. And the progression of his DM has accelerated. He now struggles to get to his food dish and go to the bathroom. 

We’ve discussed it as a family and we’ve decided that he is on the cusp of having no quality of life whatsoever. He is growing frustrated that he can only lie in place most of the day. 

It’s hard to explain, but we feel like he is indicating to us that it is his time. He told us in his own way that is what he wants. Katrina told me she had the same experience with her beloved dog, Sadie. 

So we are going to trust that instinct and make an appointment this week to have an in-home service end his struggle. 

I was really hoping I could figure out my current illness before this happened so I could spend more time with him. But that just doesn’t seem likely now. Thankfully my parents are great companions and have given him all the love and treats he can stand. He is never alone and I am grateful for that. I’m going to try and carry him down to my bed tomorrow and hopefully spend the day with him. 

There just aren’t enough tears. 

We’ve all been a sobbing mess on and off.

I’m looking into options to pay for the in-home service, as it costs a bit more than taking him to the vet. I don’t have a quote yet, as this happened suddenly. But estimates show it is about $500. 

I am going to ask a few favors from friends and family, so I shouldn’t need that full amount. I was really hoping I’d have my stimulus money before this eventuality. But, again, that universal timing is just heartless.

We’d really like to be with him and this is the only way during the pandemic. 

If you are able to help, this is my Paypal donate page.

I also have a Venmo which is @SirFrogsworth  

I don’t know what else to say. I feel like I’ve been mourning him for months knowing this was coming. I wondered if that might help make this a little more bearable. Like maybe I could spread it out over a period of time to make it less painful. 

But I am going to really miss my friend. 

[or-something-like-that]

What in the ass are these numbers?

For $999 maybe you could start doing MLM, annoy all your Facebook friends, and end up with a bunch of ugly yoga pants taking up so much space in your garage that you have to park outside... but I don't know too many businesses that produce an actual living wage with a thousand dollar investment.

The iPhone is not the only damn phone in existence and there are many smartphone options that do not cost a thousand dollars. The Pixel 4a is great. Even then, the iPhone is a decent investment that you can pay off in installments. It's got top grade hardware and they update their software for years. So for $1000, you won't have to buy the modern *necessity* that is a smartphone for several years.

I am on about as strict of a budget as one can be on and there is no way I could only spend $100 on groceries. And if I wanted everything I bought to be *healthy* it would cost double my budget.

I haven't gone out to dinner in over a decade, but I never spent anything near $100 when I did. Unless the price of bloomin' onions went way up or something.

Watch Netflix for 2 hours? FOR SHAME! How dare you take a few hours to unwind and not think about being poor for a bit. You should work every single minute you are awake. Forget having anything resembling quality of life. GIVE YOURSELF TO THE HUSTLE.

There is not one skill you can learn in 2 hours that will result in a job with a living wage. Every single skill I have that someone would pay me for took months or even years to develop.

Let's see this person watch 2 hours of Photoshop tutorials and get a graphic design job.

The person who wrote this is probably a conservative who got a job at their father's company. It's always those fuckers saying this bullshit.

[or-something-like-that]

Not in the mood today. 

[or-something-like-that]

Resources for Writing Injuries

Patreon || Ko-Fi || Masterlist || Work In Progress

–

Head Injuries

General Information | More

Hematoma

Hemorrhage

Concussion

Edema

Skull Fracture

Diffuse Axonal Injury

Neck

General Information

Neck sprain

Herniated Disk

Pinched Nerve

Cervical Fracture

Broken Neck

Chest (Thoracic)

General Information

Aortic disruption

Blunt cardiac injury

Cardiac tamponade

Flail chest

Hemothorax

Pneumothorax (traumatic pneumothorax, open pneumothorax, and tension pneumothorax)

Pulmonary contusion

Broken Ribs

Broken Collarbone

Abdominal

General Information

Blunt trauma

Penetrating injuries (see also, gunshot wound & stab wound sections)

Broken Spine

Lung Trauma

Heart (Blunt Cardiac Injury)

Bladder Trauma

Spleen Trauma

Intestinal Trauma

Liver Trauma

Pancreas Trauma

Kidney Trauma

Arms/Hands/Legs/Feet

General Information | More

Fractures

Dislocations

Sprains

Strains

Muscle Overuse

Muscle Bruise

Bone Bruise

Carpal tunnel syndrome

Tendon pain

Bruises

Injuries to ligaments

Injuries to tendons

Crushed Hand

Crushed Foot

Broken Hand

Broken Foot

Broken Ankle

Broken Wrist

Broken Arm

Shoulder Trauma

Broken elbow

Broken Knee

Broken Finger

Broken Toe

Face

General Information

Broken Nose

Corneal Abrasion

Chemical Eye Burns

Subconjunctival Hemorrhages (Eye Bleeding)

Facial Trauma

Broken/Dislocated jaw

Fractured Cheekbone

Skin & Bleeding

General Information (Skin Injuries) | More (Arteries)

femoral artery (inner thigh)

thoracic aorta (chest & heart)

abdominal aorta (abdomen)

brachial artery (upper arm)

radial artery (hand & forearm)

common carotid artery (neck)

aorta (heart & abdomen)

axillary artery (underarm)

popliteal artery (knee & outer thigh)

anterior tibial artery (shin & ankle)

posterior tibial artery (calf & heel)

arteria dorsalis pedis (foot)

Cuts/Lacerations

Scrapes

Abrasions (Floor burns)

Bruises

Gunshot Wounds

General Information

In the Head

In the Neck

In the Shoulders

In the Chest

In the Abdomen

In the Legs/Arms

In the Hands

In The Feet

Stab Wounds

General Information

In the Head

In the Neck

In the Chest

In the Abdomen

In the Legs/Arms

General Resources

Guide to Story Researching

A Writer’s Thesaurus

Words To Describe Body Types and How They Move

Words To Describe…

Writing Intense Scenes

–

Masterlist | WIP Blog

If you enjoy my blog and wish for it to continue being updated frequently and for me to continue putting my energy toward answering your questions, please consider Buying Me A Coffee, or pledging your support on Patreon, where I offer early access and exclusive benefits for only $5/month.

Shoutout to my $15+ patrons, Jade Ashley and Douglas S.!

[or-something-like-that]

SHOUT OUT TO MY WRITER HOMIES WITH MUSLIM OCS/CHARACTERS;

1. WEARING A SHAWL TO BATTLE IS THE EQUIVALENT OF HAVING GIRLS FIGHT IN STILLETTOS. 

Just so you know, this is what I’m talking about;

-Is it bad-ass? Abso-fucking-lutely. Is it Practical? Not a chance in hell. Especially not if it’s silk. If it’s cotton, you are skating on thin fucking ice. That bitch will NOT stay on. It barely stays on with me just walking down the street to Walmart. Wielding axes and rifles and swords and daggers? I PROMISE you it will not do the job it’s expected to-WHICH IS TO COVER THE HAIR. (Some muslim girls dont wear them-and that’s fine. But those who DO do it to completely cover the hair in public. Is it ~Aesthetic~ to see the flyaway hairs in battle? Sure, but those aren’t usually practical either. )Consider instead; 

sport shawls 

-For one thing, it’s actually DESIGNED to be worn to atheletic activities. Archers tuck hems into the collar of their shirts so they don’t get in the way, and track runners pins (ill get to this bit later) them down into the shirts to prevent flyaway bits and to stop them from getting slapped in the face. It’s breathable, stretchy, presentable without being attention seeking. 

Bawals 

In a pinch, bawals work just as well-as long as you specify that they are COTTON. Unlike the shawl, which are rectangular, bawals are SQUARE, and thus easier to manipulate, fold and pin down. If you wear it right, they carry an equal aesthetic value to shawls, and come in plenty of pretty patterns as well. 

2. I’m not sure about the USA, but the girls I know wear this underneath the headscarf;

Does it kinda look like a beanie? It sort of works like a beanie too. Hair is slippery. It tucks in any extra hair you might miss just by wearing the headscarf, its harder to pull down and on the event the shawl DOES fall down, your hair is still not exposed. It protects the ears-which is important even on a daily basis, because pins, headphones and any other headgear that might pinch them. It comes in plenty of designs, including ones that has open backs to allow long hair and ponytails. 

3.SPEAKING OF PINS; I’M TALKING ABOUT THESE BAD BOYS;

BROOCHES 

though , i suppose most of y’all are most familiar with safety pins, right?

what’s the difference? Well, if your oc/character is an athlete, it’s actually LEAST likely they’ll be wearing SAFETY PINS. They’re cheap and super easy to buy in bulk, true, but they also SUPER easy to wear out even with the smallest amount of strenuous activity. Between the three of ‘em, I’d put the brooches as the best option to wear in battle because 1) it has a large surface area, thus hurts less when pressed on with heavy items, which includes bag straps and weapons, (pins are sharp and can poke you painfully);  and 2) more secure-the latch is covered by the gaudy jewellery above, and theyre usually smaller and tighter. Stays on the stubbornnest, even when headscarf is pulled. very roughly. I’m saying that even the cheapest brooches will allow the shawl to be ripped apart before even letting it go. 

3. They probably ponytail their hair. Because Come On, guys.

Anyway it’s been bothering me and I just thought if yall could bother knowing the difference between skin tones for POC you could bother with muslim practicalities too. Or something 

[or-something-like-that]

how does being punched in the face feel like

[or-something-like-that]

The water is blessed, said the priests; it is holy. Any evil it touches, it will burn away.

But what if it is diluted? asked the acolytes.

The priests smiled.

It can’t be, they said.

***

The first of the holy water splashed across the brow of the baby, wailing and shivering in her mother’s arms, and the droplets ran over newborn skin to fall upon the soil.

They drained into the earth, mingling with the dew; and the dew became holy too.

***

The grass that grew on the soil drank some of the water in, drawing it into cells that were instantly blessed, filled with purity. Later, the sheep grazed upon the grass. The blades were sweet and lush, fat with rain, and as the sheep ate, the blessing in the grass flourished within it, coursing through now-sacred blood.

***

The rest of the water sank lower through the soil, washed down with the rains. Groundwater flowed, consecrated, sweeping below the earth beneath the reach of roots or the eyes of humanity.

There was more water there, and the holiness grew.

***

It can’t be? the acolytes asked. How can it not be diluted?

It converts, said the priests. A drop of holy water in a flask from the lake turns the whole flask holy.

What if a drop reaches the lake? asked the acolytes.

Why would that happen? asked the priests.

***

The butcher slew the sheep, taking the meat for cawl. It bubbled in its pot over the fire, the water from the cells of the mutton leaching out into the rest of the stew until all the family groaned at the sweet scent.

It tastes better today, they said, as they ate heartily. We wonder why?

***

The groundwater reached the river, and the whole vein became holy.

***

The butcher’s son was caught by the vampire the following night, wandering home just a little too late, a little too drunk, a little too alone. I wonder if you could help me? the vampire asked, and the butcher’s son followed where he should not have gone.

The vampire sank hungry fangs into unwilling flesh, and the butcher’s son accepted the end.

But it did not come for him.

***

What can have happened? the vampires asked afterwards. What strange power is held by the butcher’s boy? What did he do?

It was a mystery, baffling and wrong. The vampire had been strong and savvy, a hunter of renown. Now, her veins burned, her body aflame from the inside out.

Sickness, maybe? they said uneasily; but there was no sickness that could take a vampire.

***

The river gave drinking water to all the people of the region, in towns and villages and farmsteads alike. The holiness grew, spreading from land to bodies, young and old, rich and poor, believer and unbeliever, coursing through veins and hearts.

And the river flowed on.

***

Something is wrong, the vampires said. 

It was clear now; every vampire in the land was sickening, burning from the inside out as they fed.

No sickness, said the elders, shivering and broken. A corruption. A taint, spreading unchecked like rot. We must leave this land, move elsewhere.

There is something in the water.

***

The river reached the ocean, and the holiness spread from shore to distant shore.

***

We are safe here, the vampires said, collapsing on foreign soil. We cannot touch the ocean; but why should we need to? The humans cannot drink it either. We are safe here.

We are safe.

***

The sun shone over the waves.

Water rose on the warmth, evaporating to the sky. It greeted the clouds, and the holiness blossomed through them.

***

When the rains fell, the vampires screamed; for they knew the end was coming. Every raindrop burned, every splash agony, and they wept and watched in horror as the rains filled the wells, filled the soils, filled the lakes and rivers and valleys and moors, the corruption seizing the new land in its iron grip.

This is the end, they whispered, crumbling to dust. This is the end.

This is the end.

***

The water is blessed, said the priests; it is holy. Any evil it touches, it will burn away.

But what if it is diluted? asked the acolytes.

The priests smiled.

It can’t be, they said.

[or-something-like-that]

Today I went with my Mam into the Black Mountains, which are a real life mountain chain in Wales and not a fantasy novel setting. She needed to double check which mountain is which colour, because that’s what happens with Welsh mountains and she’s doing a painting at the minute. (Turns out, she had the purple mountain and the lobster pink/orange mountain the wrong way around. Good job we caught it. That would have been embarrassing. She had the greens in the right places, though.)

Anyway, this involved climbing halfway up the mountain above Llanthony and then stopping for a while so she could do a preliminary watercolour, so she said I could do what I wanted in the meantime. So naturally I climbed all the way up the damn mountain I mean honestly Tumblrs what would you have done. It’s lush up there. You can see England one way and Wales the other. England is hella flat. I always forget. Wales is just mountains from there. That’s all it is. Mostly purple.

Also there were interesting plants since it was an upland peat bog and anyway I took longer than I meant to before reflecting that I should probably go back down and return to my mother. But I miss-judged? A bit? So she immediately thought I’d probably fallen off the mountain and broken my other leg.

And thus it was, Tumblrs, that as I started vaguely ambling back towards the path down, I suddenly heard my name.

Now, I don’t know how many of you have spent time in mountains? But the acoustics are weird, so you can’t tell where sounds are coming from, and that’s why it took about half a minute of looking around as someone shouted “"Elanor!” repeatedly, until they shouted “Look up!”

In my defence, when on top of a mountain, looking up is not that intuitive. But, in this case, it was the right answer. There was a hang glider above me.

“"Your Mam wants to know if you’re okay?” the hang glider asked.

“"Um,” I called back. “Yes?”

“"Okay,” the hang glider called, and it wheeled away over the mountain side.

“"She’s fine!” I heard distantly.

I have no clue how my mother managed to flag down a passing hang glider, but there we are.

[or-something-like-that]

Have you heard the good word about the Pembrokeshire walrus yet?

This walrus is fucken lost.

But Wales has lost its collective shit about it. They’re generally keeping its location secret to keep people away, but we get updates every day if it’s still here, if it’s happy, if it’s healthy. We think it was in Ireland about two weeks ago, which is interesting, because it is not actually native to Ireland either. Why is it here? No one knows.

It seems to like Pembrokeshire beaches.

[or-something-like-that]

beating breath of the wild in under 40 minutes is an incredible feat and also fucking excellent in the context of the game. ganon spends 100 fucking years preparing this onslaught, building energy, getting ready to tear the world apart, and one elf twink wakes up butt-ass naked in a cave and legs it to the castle and kicks ganon’s ass apart in under an hour with a sword he found along the way

[or-something-like-that]

Just to be clear, this is not a shitpost or a joke. This 22 year old has in fact been appointed mayor of the Welsh town of Bangor.

Source tweet: LINK. A news article: LINK.

[or-something-like-that]

Mona Alkurd , one of the Palestinians Israel is trying to kick along with 28 families out of their decades long homes in Sheikh Al Jarrah , the last Palestinian block in Al Quds ( Jerusalem ), to complete the restriction of the area to Israeli Jews .. simply an Apartheid by settlers.

“ Your posts and tweets are treasures to us “

Here a rough translation of what she said:

“ It falls on us and Palestinians and the honorable people supporting us with posts and tweets. You have no idea how much that means to us. Everyone who shares even one short post or tweet. Don’t feel like you’re doing nothing. Those posts and tweets are treasures to us. Help us get our cause heard. We are 28 families. 500 individuals. If we are removed, then there will be no Palestinians in Al Quds. And in the end, Allah is our hope. And it falls on us. And we will remain here to our last breath defending our lands and homes”

[or-something-like-that]

“free Palestine” and “don’t use what’s happening to Palestinians as an excuse to spread anti-Semitism” can and should co-exist

[or-something-like-that]

Aaaand sign off. Mainstream Western media, Ladies and Gentlemen. Believe it or not, this reporter was actually somewhat professional by the typical standards we see from channels like CNN. I’ve seen much worse.

Watch the full interview here: https://www.instagram.com/p/COuuzG1l_yj/ 

Kurd’s comment on the interview: “I knew this interview was going to have a biased, inaccurate framing, and it did from the start. But I made sure I course corrected. I’m happy that you cannot edit a live interview, because there’s no way I could have spoken so bluntly about the myth of “both sides” and Israeli “self-defense” had this been prerecorded. Thanks CNN for taking my testimony about settler-colonialism.“

—

Here are some backups (sadly in bits only), since some social media - like Instagram, conveniently deletes some posts about what’s happening in Palestine.

https://www.facebook.com/harryfear/videos/173620601322608/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2T6K4FXg5A

https://www.instagram.com/mohammedelkurd/?hl=en

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ae4Bb-5sMhc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZJJONhvj0U

—

[or-something-like-that]

How did I not hear about France banning hijabs? What’s going on?

long story short, there’s legislation in the process of being passed that would

ban girls under 18 from wearing any form of religious head covering in public, and although it’s obviously aimed at muslim women, it would also affect other faith groups that practice similar forms of modest dress

ban islamic swimwear in schools and public (there is already a modest swimwear ban in place at public beaches, this just extends it)

ban mothers wearing hijab from entering schools or participating in school field trips or extra curriculars

ban the slaughter of halal poultry - the cheapest and most easily accessible form of meat protein for the muslim community

extend school hijab bans to universities

prevent muslim women from choosing healthcare providers based on gender (which many muslim women prefer to do, since many exams require removal of clothing, etc)

ban muslim parents from homeschooling

force halal markets to sell pork and alcohol or face closure

ban foreign flags at weddings

[or-something-like-that]

Okay is a 16-page short comic about mindfulness and acceptance that I drew last year.  You can support me by buying a high-res version of it with bonus art and sketches included!  But since it’s part of my public portfolio now, I thought I might as well post it everywhere else as well.  (All characters they/them)  Read the rest below the cut:

Keep reading