#Collections: Political

[odinsblog]

This is unconscionable. (more)

[catboybiologist]

By now, there's lots of people have heard about the internal CDC memos for all newly prepared manuscripts (like future scientific papers waiting to be published):

There's so much to comment on, and I'm seeing it all right now. What the state of science is. What this means for the queer community. All of that.

But fuck, I think I might genuinely start crying over this. As a transgender biologist, this feels like a brutally personal blow. I slowly accepted my gender alongside my biology education. The more misinformation that was spewed about "biological sex" by mainstream media, the more my professors, colleagues, and primary sources would casually drop information that proved they have no idea what they're talking about. I'm not an expert on sex determination, gender, or transgender biology specifically by any means. But my worldview has been crafted by my studies in genetics and molecular biology.

Engaging with this research helped me demystify transition. It helped me optimize my transition. It helped me explain how HRT and other steps of trans healthcare work to other people. And it helped me overcome my own internalized transphobia, and finally start transitioning, despite knowing I wanted to since my preteen years.

Who knows how enforceable internal guidelines like this will be. But its certainly going to scare a lot of researchers away from transgender healthcare and science in the coming years, and that breaks my heart.

There's a lot I can say here, but fuck. I just needed to vent for a moment. Fuck.

[biggest-gaudiest-patronuses]

Young Hero Sent On A Quest meets other young heroes also sent on various quests—only to discover they're all being used as free child labor by the same flaky wizard as a scam to collect magical artifacts.

the Young Heroes' collective new "Quest" is now to Unionize.....

[jewish-kulindadromeus]

The annoying thing about all that seemingly bullshit hippie nature connection shit is that it's absolutely true

there is no fundamental difference between you, me, a random person in a random country across the world, the fly that just landed on your house, the grass growing down the street, the fish you ate for dinner, and the bird that's sitting on my computer

everything on this planet is connected and everything influences everything else and we are all inheritors of this spherical-ish rock's collective 4.6 billion years of history

we are all the same, fundamentally, just with a few changes here and there over the course of countless millennia, and we all rely on each other. eating is just the flow of nutrients and energy through the biosphere. everything dies because the planet changes and before we figured out how to modify our behavior during our lifetimes genetic mutation was the only way to adapt to that change. everything evolves. everything feels. everything yearns.

there is no "us verus them" for anything - not man versus nature, not man versus man, not man versus deity

its just Us. Us and Us. There are some of us who insist there's a "them", and that's a problem. But ultimately, they are still part of the "Us"

so it sucks, but the minute you start seeing literally anything as "the enemy" instead of "someone who has been horrifyingly mislead, because the vast majority of beings on this planet just want to do what they think is the right thing" you've already lost the plot

there is no enemy

there is no evil

we made up evil to try and make sense of actions we couldn't understand

there is only our planet, and everything on it, and we are all connected, and we all have to work together

I know that goes against your deep primate instincts, because you have to have a little selfishness to survive and that's where that lives, and sometimes that selfishness requires hurting others or protecting yourself from hurt

but the burden of being the first species (probably) aware of all this means we have to try to ignore that monkey inside of our chests and remember that there is no enemy. there is no them.

there is only us.

[lifeinpoetry]

you move / from place to place like a disease

— Margaret Atwood, from "He is a strange biological phenomenon," Power Politics

[prncssguya]

nypd chief: his writings show “suspect does seem to have some ill-will toward corporate america.”

[random-knowone]

Kamala Harris is NOT pro-Israel (part 1)

Edit: since so many people on this site love to piss on the poor, I should state very clearly that I'm not claiming "Harris has never said anything positive about Israel" I mean that she's not against Palestine as trolls are claiming, she is fighting for a two-state solution, as you would know if you watched her acceptance speech or you actually bothered to read this post before hurling insults at me.

I'm sure a lot of this is just alt-right trolls trying to stop leftists from voting for her, but to all the genuinely well-intentioned people out there, please read this post (and the others too, preferably)

1: In her acceptance speech on Thursday, Kamala made it clear that she wants an immediate ceasefire with a peaceful, two-state solution, and for all hostages to be freed.

2: "But Biden is pro-Israel!" She is not Joe Biden. She is Kamala Harris. She still works for him, and can't speak out against his handling of the war publicly. Similarly, she was NOT in charge of his policies.

3: "But why isn't she doing more?" She, along with others in the administration, have been working on negotiating for a while now. There are rumors that Trump told Israel not to accept so she would look worse, but these are not proven

4: "But the DNC didn't have a Palestinian speaker!" Kamala Harris is not in control of the DNC. She does not control who speaks there. The DNC likely did this because the war is an incredibly divisive issue and they didn't want to alienate the many politicians who are staunchly pro-Israel. it sucks, but it is not because of Kamala.

Even if you don't believe me for whatever reason, what harm would come from voting for Harris? What good would come of not voting for her? It's either her or Trump, it's not like if you don't vote no one will be elected. This is what all this anti-Harris propaganda never mentions, as they lie to you about her stance.

Voting is not about endorsing someone who is perfect. No one is perfect and no politician will 100% line up with your beliefs. Politics is about deciding which candidate you would rather have in office, and right now your options are Kamala Harris, or Donald Trump. Who would you rather have running the country?

[sleepyheadven]

Thorin moving into Bag End and immediately side eyeing Bilbo for his several dedicated rooms full of clothing and nothing else is something I love picturing.

[vault-of-crows]

I have way too much finished art just sitting in my procreate files

I'll be nice and post this one for now ✨️

Extra doodles as usual (Nowennowennowen) (I should probably draw a full-on Nowen piece at some point)

[hadesoftheladies]

it really pisses me off that so many people are not treating seperatism/refusal to marry as a legitimate preventative measure because that's what it is. more than a political statement, it is a practical action that safeguards (a lot of) women from femicide and domestic violence. marriage is a safety and health risk to women the same way walking alone in the red light district in germany at night is a safety risk.

but so often it's reduced to a debate about personal orientation, sexuality or how communities and the government feel entitled to women's reproductive labour. like can we please be serious, bc the casualty count in marriage globally and historically definitely is . . .

[odinsblog]

The Israeli army is just shooting anyone they think is Palestinian, much the same way that Israel is indiscriminately bombing all of Gaza, including the “safe zones” where they have directed noncombatant civilians to go right before they bomb them anyway. It’s war crimes, plain and simple.

[saintsaensreads]

A person who has been seduced by the consumer value system, whose identity is dissolved in an amalgam of the accoutrements of mass civilization, and who has no roots in the order of being, no sense of responsibility for anything higher than his or her own personal survival, is a demoralized person. The system depends on this demoralization, deepens it, is in fact a projection of it into society.

The Power of the Powerless, Vàclav Havel (1978)

[political-us]

[fantasticgothicpeachsludge]

Sometimes I think about Cal being an explorer/archaeologist for the Order if it had never fallen and I cry

[ross-sluggo]

Copying this from a friend on discord

Bird safety alert for NORTH AMERICA:

Coming from a feather collector; please avoid picking up any bird feathers you find on the ground until the bird flu thing is over. Its typically a very safe hobby, but flare ups of bird flu mean no picking up feathers.

If you absolutely MUST have that sweet-ass belted kingfisher retrice, wear gloves when retrieving it, and clean in warm soapy water ASAP. Bird feathers are naturally hydrophobic, so be sure to take your time and clean in between the barbs on the underside.

But seriously, the bird flu isn't just limited to chickens. Wild birds are the primary vector.

Please add if there's something missed

[yarmiko-art]

First base is mutual threats

A redraw of this thing I made two year ago. Still love the dynamic

Engaging in verbal passive-aggressive conversations with each other is actually very entertaining passtime. This is why their post-Robobot\pre-Star Allies interactions are so fun to me: this is a very shaky ground, riddled with mutual loathing. Susie, who really isn't doing very well after Max dying (technically her fault) and getting the CEO's status to pressure her. Also not actually processing her trauma in AD, but repressing it along with most of her emotions. And MK with his wounded pride, who is frustrated with himself first and foremost. And genuinely not trusting the new CEO of intergalactic corporation, which is kinda valid

I guess I just love the trope of "this evil\annoying person you preserve them as, turns out to be not so evil/annoying"