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is that ... the beast of bones???

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rb to tell prev they're being so brave right now and pat their head a little please

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common origins of suffering, euphoria, and ferret

substack

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The latest on Labour's welfare 'reforms' (i.e. cuts) and WHAT YOU CAN DO

Tumblr friends will know that yesterday evening, I posted a Guardian story on here about a 'Reasoned Amendment' being tabled by Labour MPs which would basically halt and kill the Government's Universal Credit & Personal Independence Bill. This is the Bill which Keir Starmer's Labour Government is bringing forward that would see over one million disabled and sick people lose some or all of their welfare entitlement, with all the massive knock-on implications you'd expect for their families, carers, charities, and NHS and social care services.

As of lunchtime today, 108 Labour MPs - including 12 Select Committee Chairs - had signed the amendment. This has clearly spooked Starmer and his Cabinet, because lo and behold, they now want to pass this legislation as a 'Money Bill'. If the Speaker of the House of Commons approves this, it means that the whole process for passing the Bill becomes a lot quicker - it would skip reading and voting in the House of Lords, and would become law within 30 days. As such, if the Bill scraped through the Commons, there would be no opportunity for further challenge to it.

The thing is, though, that a 'Money Bill' is generally interpreted very strictly to be a Bill dealing with only taxation or Government spending. But the Universal Credit & Personal Independence Payment Bill has a wider scope. It alters the eligibility criteria for receipt of disability benefits, and also alters the definition of severe disability for assessment purposes. Moreover, the Government itself has linked the Bill to wider matters, like supporting disabled people to obtain and remain in employment. Really, it's a tell that they're trying to pass it as a Money Bill - shows it was all about money all along, as we damn well knew - but let's hoist them on the petard of their own bullshit.

So, what can you do about this? And how can you support the Reasoned Amendment that would kill the Bill altogether?

Do you have Instagram? If so, visit this post and comment underneath, tagging in @commons_speaker, that such an important piece of legislation shouldn't be rushed through Parliament as a 'Money Bill', given it has such wide implications and links, as the Government itself has said, to non-monetary issues such as disabled people's employment. Anyone can do this, regardless of whether you're in the UK or not. The main thing is to blast his account with tag notifications.

If you don't have Instagram, or if you do but you want to take the next step (yay!), use this online form to contact the Speaker of the House of Commons directly. In the 'What is your query?' box, ask the Speaker not to grant the Universal Credit & Personal Independence Payment Bill the status of a 'Money Bill'. Say that you think such an important piece of legislation shouldn't be rushed through Parliament, and shouldn't qualify as a 'Money Bill' anyway given that it has such wide implications and links, as the Government itself has said, to non-monetary issues such as disabled people's employment. Again, anyone can message the Speaker, regardless of whether they're in the UK or not. It may be effective if you're not in the UK to say so and say that you're concerned because you have disabled friends in the UK who are really worried about the wide-ranging effects this Bill could have if passed.

Lastly, visit the online form to contact the Speaker again. This time, in the 'What is your query?' box, ask the Speaker to grant that the following 'Reasoned Amendment' be tabled, considered and voted upon when the Universal Credit & Personal Independence Payment Bill comes back to the Commons for its second reading on 1st July 2025: That this House, whilst noting the need for the reform of the social security system, and agreeing with the Government’s principles for providing support to people into work and protecting people who cannot work, declines to give a Second Reading to the Universal Credit and Personal Independent Payment Bill because its provisions have not been subject to a formal consultation with disabled people, or co-produced with them, or their carers; because the Office for Budget Responsibility is not due to publish its analysis of the employment impact of these reforms until the autumn of 2025; because the majority of the additional employment support funding will not be in place until the end of the decade; because the Government’s own impact assessment estimates that 250,000 people will be pushed into poverty as a result of these provisions, including 50,000 children; because the Government has not published an assessment of the impact of these reforms on health or care needs; because the Government is still awaiting the findings of the Minister for Social Security and Disability’s review into the assessment for Personal Independence Payment and Sir Charlie Mayfield’s independent review into the role of employers and government in boosting the employment of disabled people and people with long-term health conditions. (Cut and paste the amendment text into the box - it will fit, I promise!). You can mention to the Speaker that the fact over 100 Labour MPs and 12 Select Committee Chairs have signed the amendment shows the grave concerns this Bill has raised inside Parliament, reflecting the concerns of disabled people's organisations and other interest groups. Again, if you're not in the UK, say so and say that you're concerned because you have disabled friends in the UK who are really worried about the wide-ranging effects this Bill could have if passed.

All of this will take you about 20 mins. And it will help. It really will. Keir Starmer and his Cabinet will be pressuring the Speaker right now to allow them to pass this Bill as a 'Money Bill' and, if he won't do that, to stop the rebel Labour MPs tabling their amendment. The only counterbalance we have to that pressure is sheer numbers - so let's organise, get tagging, get messaging, and let's show the Speaker he's being watched far beyond Westminster!

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Drew a little of this on a discord stream! I was super nervous drawing in front of people. Based on this post:

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Happy #makeaterriblecomicday2025! Please make a comic! It’s mandatory that you create some piece of sequential art — what it is and how you make it is up to you! Have fun! You might as well!

If you make a comic (again, it’s mandatory) and you want to share it, post it on the tag #makeaterriblecomicday2025! Or don’t, I’m not a cop.

Remember, the goal is to make something terrible! So if you can’t draw or have never made a comic, or if it’s been ages since you made something just for fun — that’s perfect! You’re all set! If you fuck up and make something that’s NOT terrible… well, some might say there’s joy in that too.

Ok stop reading this and go make something!!!

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Everyone's getting mad at the Switch 2 but the Stop Killing Games initiative is still missing 550k (over half) required signatures and there's only 2 months left.

So if you're an EU citizen take the 2 minutes it takes to sign it. A law change in the EU would also benefit non-EU citizens.

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I can't do much but maybe this will interest someone. This cookbook is by a classically trained autistic chef, made for people with sensory issues. It's sold 1/6th of its initial run because apparently no one wants to have an autistic person interviewed on TV.

Apparently it's also very funny.

Spread this around! I bet someone here can use this.

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🇳🇱haribo gummy bear recall in the netherlands due to marijuana contamination🇳🇱

The Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) confirmed cannabis contamination in kilogram bags of Haribo’s Happy Cola F!ZZ candy, prompting a nationwide recall. The discovery followed reports that multiple members of one family became ill after eating the product. The contamination first came to light after the family reported their symptoms to police. The NVWA took samples of the candy, which tested positive for cannabis. The exact cause of the cannabis contamination remains unknown.

the gummy bears have weed in them. they are not supposed to do that.

several members of one family got high which prompted an investigation, and that investigation found weed. and nobody seems to know how that happened!

So far, only three affected bags have been identified, but Haribo is recalling the entire batch as a precaution. An investigation into the matter is ongoing, with close cooperation between the regulator and the candy company. Haribo warned consumers not to eat the 1,000-gram bags of Happy Cola F!ZZ with the production code L341-4002307906 and an expiration date of January 2026. The company urged customers to send the products directly to Haribo for a refund, instead of returning the product to stores.

some emphasis mine.

the bags to avoid are 1kg happy cola f!zz production code L341-4002307906 with expiration date of january 2026. only three contaminated bags have been found so far, but the entire production code is getting recalled just to be safe. if you eat haribo gummy bears and get high, please reach out to the company.

do not return the bags to the store. send them directly to haribo.

Haribo stressed that other production codes of Happy Cola F!ZZ are not affected, seeing products not subject to the recall are safe. Consumers with questions can contact Haribo’s Consumer Service at 076-5878950 on weekdays between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., or by email at info-NL@haribo.com.

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and what are we going to do when the HP series comes out and we start seeing a resurgence of the fandom here including gifsets and fics. like are u guys gonna bring up your neurodivergence and cry "can we separate the art from the artist!!!!! you dont need to pay to watch it!!!!!its my comfort show and I'm DEPRESSED and AUTISTIC"

what then

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@cameoappearance delivered without comment

what i imagine when somebody says they're eating my art

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I want a character who is touch averse and everyone's cool about it. Everyone respects this boundary. Nobody thinks they're weird or rude, nobody tries to "fix" them with a hug, nobody even tries to talk them into getting hugged. They show love and care for other characters in nonphysical ways and the others do the same for them. Because love does not require physical contact.

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lets be exhausted on mama

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Lets go All Over The Fucking Place with mama

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was thinking about bear/bare