#have been able to explain myself

[listen-to-the-inner-walrus]

It's been like a week or so since I finished the book I read for the Non Fiction square for @batmanisagatewaydrug's book bingo because I have struggled to talk about The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot without crying. Whether those tears were because I was sad or angry was kinda irrelevant because it was kind of all the same.

The book is about Henrietta Lacks and the immortal cell line, HeLa, that came from her cervical cancer, but it's also about a lot more than that. A big part of it is about exploitation and patients' rights and the ethical boundaries that science and medicine should be practiced within, and how common it is for that latter one to be ignored. But more than anything, it's about Henrietta's daughter Deborah and her search to learn about her mother and about her older sister Elsie.

Henrietta Lacks was a black woman who went to John Hopkins Hospital in 1951 because she found a tumour on her cervix though she - and most other people - wouldn't have used those words exactly. While she was being treated, her doctor took a sample from her cervix to give to George Gey so he could try to keep a human cell line alive outside of the body. At no point did they even attempt to get consent for it because well, most scientists were in agreement then that they didn't need to get consent. She also wasn't warned that the radium treatments she was getting would make it so she couldn't have another child. She died later that year but her cells lived on and a lot of people made a lot of money from her cells. It wasn't long before her cells were being shipped around the globe to researchers everywhere. An entire manufacturing plant for them was built at Tuskegee and manned by mostly African Americans while the infamous Tuskegee Study was also going on.

And her family had no idea. People became millionaires from her cells and for the longest time, her family had no idea. Her family lived and continues to live (the book was published in 2010) in poverty and they've not had reliable health insurance. And once they were made aware, they never saw any money for it and it took a very long time for any scientist or doctor to treat them properly. They were targeted by scam artists, and there was one incident where a doctor essentially misled the family so that they could get blood samples from her kids.

There are other cases where people have been treated like this peppered in the book and it just makes you shake with rage. There's a story about at least one doctor saying that the Nuremberg Code isn't relevant in the US because it's the US and not Nazi Germany. Also a direct quote from the book goes as such: "But the Nuremberg Code – like other codes that would come after it – wasn’t law." It's enough to drive you crazy.

And then there's Elsie, Henrietta's eldest daughter. And fuck I'm crying again. I can't talk about Elsie without crying even when I'm typing. I'm just gonna keep it short to get through it, but Elsie was developmentally disabled and died in an institution at the age of 15 after likely being an unwilling participant in very cruel experiments that no one at the time would have even thought of asking consent for. She was never told her mother died, all she knew is that one day her mother stopped visiting.

In some ways, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is a harrowing read, but it's also very beautiful at times. There's also an aside about an absolutely bonkers eugenicist and his immortal (except not really) chicken heart as well as his dreams of being a South American dictator (he was French btw) and his eventual death awaiting trial for collaborating with the Nazis. Insert Bill Hader SNL "this club has everything" gif.

"If the whole profession is doing it, how can you call it ‘unprofessional conduct’?"

[un-till-the-end]

More so than idolization, it'd be more accurate to say Till's perception of Mizi is "idealization"

[yournormalidiot]

Did anyone else notice that in justice for tulsa pual littarly sings, "we could sit here asking why" then immediately changes the topic.

Like he sings it kinds quickly and as the moment starts to build tensionand momentum. Also directly after cherry pointe out how, Bob kinda got himself killed. Like pual def knew what cherry was saying was true and he knew that if the other socs took half a min to think abt it they'd realise to and they'd be no rumble, no revenge. But he doesn't let that happen.

He cuts off cherry, he says they could question it then immediately changes the topic, shifting their focus, so they can't think.

Cause Paul is to wrapped up in his own grief and anger (and probably guilt cause, he knew if he just spoke up abt what bob was doing, just this once, mabye he wouldn't be dead. He wouldnt hsve been ablento save him) and he's trying to find a way to let that out. Which he dies by attacking those who can't fight back and who are to blame, technically.

It shows a) they absolute lack of individuality of socs and how much they actually really on fitting in and having a leader.

And b) that pual is really a soc, him doing that despite Consciously knowing cherry is right is kinda manipulative. Especially sense he's useing it to start violence for his own sake.

[iguessitsjustme]

I can't stop thinking about this so I'm making it everyone's problem. What's gonna happen if Joe sneezes when he orgasms? Cause he did previously. Is that gonna be how Ming finds out? I mean, honestly, probably not. BUT I'm just having a good time imagining new Joe sneezing as he cums and Ming just thinking "Surely not? one Joe sneezing is one thing but TWO Joes? It can't be...." and then giving Joe A Look.

[itspileofgoodthings]

had a very nice realization about peace, especially spiritual peace, the other day. (Been brewing for a while.) and it’s just: peace is for the non-peaceful.

[byanyan]

no one:

literally not a single person:

me: is byan really just adhd... or are they perhaps actually audhd......

[redeemed-wren]

I am thinking about. Jamie and the Second Doctor.

Because out of all the incarnations of the Doctor, Two is arguably the one who uses manipulation and disguises the most. He thrives on using people's intelligence against them, on tricking people, on bluffing and his bluffs working. He has a different disguise every story pretty much and is constantly playing some kind of role.

And then you look at Jamie, and some of Jamie's most front and center traits are his loyalty and his honesty (and protectiveness, but less applicable). Jamie is loyal to a fault and extremely trusting of the Doctor. He's honest and straightforward and deeply caring.

And Jamie is the one who sticks by the Second Doctor for as long as he physically can--and you'd look at those two characters, one who is manipulative and cunning, and one who is loyal to a fault, and you'd think the Doctor would easily be able to take advantage of Jamie, that Jamie would just be a tool for him but he's not, they're on equal footing. Jamie pulls the Doctor down and reminds him what being human is all about.

[venusiinfurss]

guys big news my brain told me that if i think about It one more time than It will stop hurting

[en-djinn]

ive never had an actual fandom blog before and u can probably tell from me never using captions tht i tend to just post art and leave (and my main is just for funnies) bt i am reluctant to share my thoughts w ppl who do not share my vision cz i get angry/annoyed very fast and i get so tired of being pissed off all the time (why i deleted my old artblog and had reblogs turned off here) butttttt. everyone into adam seems nice. u guys have been nice to me. maybe i will post more things here. unsure.

[energeticpoltergeist]

Part 1: Mad King's War

Prologue: Diverged History(pages 22-25)

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[strongintherealgay]

Me: The way people villainize weed is indicative of how they view all drug users and addicts, which is anti-leftist and harmful to actual community building but also you don't have to personally like weed

People on tumblr.com: Umm, actually here is why weed is the worst substance on the planet and also every stoner in a 100 mile radius personally tokes up right in my face and also I am the only one whose wellbeing should be considered

[nabaath-areng]

im having the worst body day in a good while in terms of pain but i refuse to lay down. for there lies the road to the devil (mental health spiraling with nothing to distract from it). i SHOULD cook. but im not sure ill be able to with the pain. especially since the pain is because it feels like literally nothing is sticking together, like im much more bendy and hypermobile and useless than normal, which severely affects both motor skills and body strength. not to mention that this is causing a bad jaw day where so chewing is pain cause i already cant keep it in place and keep my mouth properly closed. i keep complaining but like, holy fuck i want off this illness ride

[waywardstation]

Almost back home!!! I’ve been away for two weeks and I haven’t had good internet connection. Looking forward to getting back home.

I’ve been quiet cause of it, so how about a shop/merch update!! The products from my shop have already gone through a round of proofs this last week after I placed the order (as some files had gotten mixed up). I’m hoping the products finish their manufacturing and are shipped to me within this next week or so!

I’ve ordered extras of everything to put up in the shop as “in stock” after I send out my preorders, also ordered a few items as samples. They had a higher MOQ (minimum order quantity) so if they turn out well, I’d like to do a giveaway with some of them!

[kowwpow]

I’m gonna be out most of the day bc I’ll be helping my dad with a big shopping trip plus being out after, so I’m going to be super duper exhausted

I don’t do well in crowded or loud places in the slightest, I get woozy and tired and I feel miserable or like I’m gonna pass out, and if the shopping isn’t gonna make me wanna cry, the outing after will bc it’s gonna be packed with lots of noise and people

I don’t say this because I want to complain, I just wanna give a super quick warning that I might not be active tomorrow as well as today bc when I get exhausted, my mental health tends to decline as well ;-;

so- a bit of a warning that I may poof a bit (sorry! 😣)

[collgeruledzebra]

been a while since ive had a spell of anxiety bad enough i genuinely can't tell how much im overreacting

[doctahchang]

would like to know the lore of my own oc that i have had for like ten years

edit: found an old sketch of her... i basically drew her for the first time eons ago and haven't changed her design ever since (sad that i won't be able to find those drawing again)