#maybe it's antimicrobial?

[crtastrophe]

making revolutionary breakthroughs in paper mache technology: spicy wallpaper paste

it's homemade wallpaper paste stored in a reused pickled jalapeño jar except you didn't clean it out properly so the stuff burns if you get it in a cut or scrape or eye or whatever. there are zero benefits to this

[niobiumao3]

Havoc Marauder Interior

Someone made a post about this a while ago but apparently they de-activated so it is possibly lost to the mists of time. Here is what I put together for myself as a writing reference. Image heavy, meta heavy.

Last edit: 2023/11/03

Edits: Replaced garbage text layout with actual ship overhead. Realized the two concept art images face different directions. This likely explains the magical moving jump seats. Also added discussion of a cargo hold. Added discussion of ship dimensions (specifically length). Replaced old guesstimates with numbers from Dawn of Rebellion. Added commentary about the magical seat.

I think people under- and over-estimate the Marauder's interior potential. Given its overall size and intended use (transporting about 10-15 troops plus assorted equipment and providing air support in a forward area), there's not much room left for creature comforts.

Except the Batch aren't 10-15 people, they're 5, and the shuttle is referred to as modified numerous times. This leaves plenty of room to make assumptions and freeform. So, as to what we have actual, visual evidence for from episodes and concept art, here is a rudimentary floor plan:

An important point about the two concept art images: they do NOT face the same direction. The top image faces to the aft/back of the ship, i.e. the tailgun. The second image faces to the fore/front of the ship.

Number key:

1: We know this is where the ramp and door are located from War Mantle and Metamorphsis.

2: We know about this upper storage area from Cut and Run

3: The access to the tail gun has changed visual from TCW s07e02 and various TBB episodes.

The Magically Appearing/Disappearing Seat

In Cut and Run we have this moment with Hunter and Omega, but in most other shots each of these consoles has only one seat (eg. Tech and Echo in prior frames). I think this is actually NOT a magically appearing seat. I think it's the other console seat, because I suspect they can be moved. I base this one this shot from Replacements:

That looks like a seat with a moveable base.

Obviously this is bad design for a ship which is doing barrel rolls and what-not, so I have to assume they're magnetically locked. Even if it is the same seat, in the shots right before that one above, Omega walks up and it's not in that space. So it's almost like the scene was longer and was shortened, and we missed a few frames of her or Hunter unlocking it and moving it over.

Meta Discussions

tl;dr: I think of the Marauder as a small fishing vessel or a van-conversion RV. You can put a lot into a small space if you get creative.

Bathroom I know the writers have made weird assertions there isn't one and omg they all smell gross from no hygiene but that makes zero sense. Soldiers are constantly under stress, they're getting injured, they need to stay clean when possible or they're going to get sick and die from a systemic infection in short order. Anyone who's glanced in the general direction of military history knows this. You can argue about clone expendibility all you want but the Batch minimally qualify in that regard, being Nala Se's pet project. Can you imagine losing one of them to a staph infection because there's nowhere for them to bust out some no-rinse antimicrobial soap or get their scalp clean? I'm not saying they'll be doing photoshoots in between missions (well maybe Hunter would ) but, come on. (And are you going to tell me Mr. Sensor Sensoria is cool with doing long hauls with 4 people who don't bathe? Just, no.)

But that much aside, anyone who's ever been in an RV, a commercial airliner, or a modest-sized sea vessel knows you can cram a bathroom into a tiny space. Yes, you're going to be spinning in circles doing things, but the benefits of a spot to clean up, manage waste, and tend to injuries far outweigh any other use of that area. So regardless of what the writers say, a transport without a minimal refresher (to use the SW term) is counter to the ship's designed use. It has to be able to accommodate Wrecker, of course, but in the end it can double as storage when not in use. There is zero reason to not have one. Added to this, we now officially have a length for the Marauder, which is 30.3 meters (see below). RVs which are 1/5 of that size have bathrooms. You're going to tell me the Marauder doesn't?

If nothing else, since the TCW episodes and the beginning of S1 have pointed to them going on extended deployments with long hops between stops, they're going to need one or constantly be handling waste in much less efficient and sustainable ways.

Added to all of this, it's specifically called a modified variant of an Omicron. We're probably meant to think this means 'Tech would like to fly faster than the GAR and ship engineers think is reasonable for a shuttle' but IMO it extends to changes like this as well. So, there's a refresher in there, feel free to choose a spot. Right across from the fold out racks is a good candidate because in most imagery it's just weapons storage, and there's an entire upper-deck space which you could use for that.

Galley Definitely not one of these. The Batch are eating rations any time they're not on Kamino. You can make an argument they (and all clone units) have cook kits for improvised eating in the field; in the Batch's case I suspect that's a given, as they'd just start doing it because who's going to stop them? Additionally, the sheer amount of rations you would need to carry around to feed Wrecker would be ridiculous. (Remember when Wrecker talks about never being full in S2E13? I feel like this is an indication they did and still do, in fact, have to improvise a lot of additional caloric intake. Hunter probably thought Cut and Suu's farm was a genius idea. 'Grow your own food! Wrecker will never be hungry again! Fucking incredible.' Then Tech got the ship impounded.) I think you can argue for one being added, like with the refresher. Do they actually need those weapons racks anymore? Definitely no. But, it's not on there by default.

Beds As you can see in the concept art above, there are at least 3 racks that fold out from the wall on the port side. They're at a minimum wide enough to accommodate Wrecker, they may also be long enough for him to not need to curl up (unclear because in this shot from Bounty Lost his knees are bent and he's hugging Lula):

Three is a weird number since originally there were four of them. I figure the options here are:

The pilot/copilot/second row seats all look 100% more comfortable than the racks. We actually see Tech sleeping in one, at one point, so this has actual evidence to support it.

It's war time, they're never all asleep simultaneously. Someone is always flying the ship or on watch.

The floor is in effect the same as a rack, arguably preferable as you can't fall off it in the event Something Happens while you're out. So, one of them might actually be ON the floor sometimes.

They're not really intended to sleep on the ship for extended periods, but narratively we're lead to believe they have, many times, and needed to make adjustments to it as a result. Notice how quickly Wrecker whipped up a bed for Omega? IMO, not the first time they've done something like that--they did it for themselves first.

Cargo Hold Based on that screenshot of Omega above and the below shot from Cut and Run, the 'hold' of the ship is actually a storage area overhead, running the length of the ship. In that shot above of the rack, there are a series of yellow rungs which imply you can climb up somewhere on the port side. This is probably alternate access to that same overhead storage space.

In Cut and Run we see Echo, Omega, and Tech hide in it, coming back out from a slide-open hatch:

Given Tech's height this is probably somewhere around 1.5m high.

We can be reasonably certain the hold isn't under the ship, or at least storage there is minimal, due to a couple of things:

In all instances where the hyperdrive has been pulled, it's under the ship on the belly, and takes up a reasonable amount of space. Eg., in Retrieval, here's a bunch of stuff which has been pulled from the ship:

In instances where they're working on the ship from the outside, like in Cornered, the sides and belly never have panels open which contain empty space unless the ship's hardware have been removed to reach something:

So, the cargo hold is probably that space on the top from Cut and Run. It doesn't have much room; reasonably speaking, the area with the weapons and sleeping racks was probably a cargo hold as well, they just converted it to a more general purpose area. (So IMO this is a stronger argument for putting a commercial airliner-style bathroom in place of the weapons racks, particularly once they bail on the Empire.)

Dimensions - updated 11/3/23 Dawn of Rebellion has a Bad Batch section, and indicates the Marauder is 30.3m in length, 36.65m wide (presumably with the wings extended, and 12.41m tall (this probably includes the central stabilizer).

I will edit this to update it as we get more pictures. Since the toys that I know of have no basis the show from an internal perspective I didn't include anything from them.

Image sources:

All screencaps by me. Use at will.

Marauder underlay

Bad Batch Concept Art, Marauder Interior

[more-better-words]

Want/need a prompt? Mayhaps T'Pol taking care of Trip after he got injured doing something stupid? Het or gen, either/or.

"You are extremely cavalier with your life," T'Pol said. Trip winced as she tightened the dressing on his arm.

"I wasn't thinkin' about it," he said defensively. She gave him a look that said Obviously. He shrugged with his good shoulder. "Sometimes, I just…do."

"You are too intelligent to be so reckless," she said. His eyebrows lifted, amused interest lighting his eyes.

"Oh, so she thinks I'm smart after all," he said, smiling crookedly. She gave him a disapproving look, her left eyebrow raised sharply. "You keep pointin' that thing at me, it might go off."

She chose not to acknowledge that. "Turn your head," she ordered. He did. "The other way." She began to daub antimicrobial ointment on the long thin wound that stretched from his cheekbone up his temple, disappearing into his hair. "And when you are just…doing," she asked, "does it ever occur to you that your death might be…difficult for others to bear?" He fixed her with a curious sidelong look, as best he could with his head turned. "Your family on Earth, for example. Or your shipmates, who…rely on you."

Her hand lingered at his hairline, just for an instant.

"Not in the moment," he admitted, free to look at her directly. "Why? Would ya be mad at me if I went and got myself killed?"

"I said nothing about myself."

"You didn't have to. You'd be mad at me." He grinned. "Now there's a thought to keep me warm at night."

She rolled her eyes a precisely calculated fraction of degree. "I'm sure that it will."

"I'd be mad at you if you got yourself killed," he said. "If that helps."

Hey eyes met his, studying him with that vaguely perplexed gaze that said maybe he'd make sense if she just looked at him long enough. Then there was a shift, faint but very real, and she said, "Very well. In the unlikely event I should die recklessly, you may be angry with me."

He smiled slowly. "Deal."

[shiut]

Hi, I saw your homunculus research post and it's super interesting! I know only very basic biology but it was still understandable! I wanted to ask about how homunculi would get ill since they are made out of bacteria? Do they get sick, can they get bacterical infection and if they can, can that be treated with antibiotics?

Ohh thanks for the fun question! I'm glad that other people also think that granular bio details are interesting too

I'd like to preface with the fun fact that the average human body already contains more bacterial cells than actual human cells, and most of them are either just harmless or are straight up essential to human life. This is why misuse of antibiotics is dangerous, and there is a very specific amount and way you need to take them if they are prescribed. Misusing antibiotics can kill your beneficial bacteria, and it's the sheer amount of bacteria in your body that helps control the potentially bad bacteria. If you kill the good ones, this gives the bad ones room to grow out of control. Not to mention, it's usually the bad bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics, and can very quickly build more resistance the more antibiotics you take.

So in short, antibiotics can be dangerous for humans too, if not used carefully.

With all this in mind, it'll be easy to talk about homunculi. When I was referring to the bad bacteria that have super high antibacterial resistance, this mostly applies to gram-negative bacteria, the type that turns a bright pink that I've described as being a base for homunculi. So, I think that homunculi would generally be fine with antibiotics considering the lab environment in which they were created, where they would probably very quickly build resistances to the cocktails of antimicrobials that would be all over the place in that type of place. I'd expect maybe some homunculi to have a mild allergic reaction to some antibiotics, but I'd imagine that it'd be about as much of a risk as it is to humans.

Also, this leans more into some more science fiction element of all this; but I imagine that the bacteria used to create homunculi are probably some sort of lab-made strain that doesn't exist in real life (it's probably similar to e. coli though), but has stem cell-like properties so that it can use the human genetic code to be able to differentiate and grow into an organism where the bacterial cells become visually and functionally the same as a human's, just with some bacterial properties. It'd be a hybrid cell that's not entirely one or the other.

Going back to when I mentioned that humans contain more bacteria than actual human cells, this means that there could be upwards of a thousand different species in a person. Even when it comes to a bacteria that sounds as scary as e. coli, the reality is that it's normal and beneficial to have e. coli in you. The thing is that there is a specific strain of e. coli that gets you incredibly sick, not the species as a whole. Meaning, that despite homunculi having bacterial based cells, there are so many different species and strains of bacteria that do so many different things that really, homunculi probably can get sick like anyone else if they catch a bad bacterial or viral infection. Granted, they won't be at risk of dying from an illness because their cells are so good at regenerating, but they still have a human body, with a human organ system, and a human immune system. A lot of symptoms from illness are the result of the immune response, so if you consider that a homunculus has an immune system, that still means sneezing, runny nose, inflammation, fever, etc.

[minecraftbookshelf]

I actually really like the idea of gnomes being allergic to copper.

It gives the vibes of fairies in folklore hating worked iron, but just like, a step to the left. Very fitting for race from an alternate dimension that was concluded to be “basically close enough to count as fae.”

Kinda cements them in my brain as an almost funhouse mirror version of faeries, maybe for actual multiverse reason? :0

Or maybe it’s just me, I’m actually don’t know if the fairies and iron thing is in this AU at all?

The copper reaction is a side effect of gnomes being actual fungi. Because copper is antimicrobial it kills microbes. And fungi and fungal spores absolutely count.

This also contributes to gnome's fear of water.

And yeah! It's like the iron thing (which yes, is a thing in MoS!)

:) :) :)

[beesmygod]

this is extremely tenuous as a fan theory, but at one point we know at least one meteor fell in yharnam because that siderite iron was used to forge the burial blade and the blade of mercy. given that yharnamites don't know what germs are (the metals used are, in fact, antimicrobial. they just don't understand why it's working), its possible that it brought extraterrestrial microscopic life (or invisible to those with low insight, like vermin) with it. thinking about where the impact site might be made me think of that stupid worm canyon at forsaken cainhurst castle that dead ends.

i had assumed that it had once been the entrance to the chalice dungeons but maybe it can be both...? at one point a meteor hit and the pthumerians below were cut off from pthumerians above. the newest translation vid from shetani about sekiro builds a convincing argument that the same thing occurred in alt timeline japan. and, well. you know how fromsoft loves to iterate on the same idea over and over lol. i dont think this part is so out of pocket.

the rest of this is pure unbridled speculation tho: the pureblooded pthumerian royalty above ground became annalise, who retains many pthumerian features in what we can see of her. the rest of the pthumerians intermingled with humans and "outsiders" resulting in the whacked out height and gaping mouths of the hemwick grave women (who are located right outside of what used to be the bridge to cainhurst).

[mings]

An update - some chicken nuggets for you

The two surviving girls are eating and drinking. That's a huge relief. Tomorrow, they'll have sweetcorn and peas to make sure the eating reflex beds in.

I treated their injuries again. Purple Spray (no, seriously, that's what it's called) is an antibacterial and antimicrobial preparation. I've ordered some F-10, which works miracles, but Purple Spray will have to do until it arrives. Nothing wrong with psychedelic hens anyway. The great thing about Purple Spray is you can see when you hit the spot. Or miss....

Talk about opportunist - Mr Pheasident rocked up in all his glory after we got home from the vet. He's young, probably only in his first full season, and he's very interested in the girls. Or maybe it's the free food. He's been having deep, meaningful exchanges with our younger girls in the next pen, but today, he just hung out with the casualties. He didn't try anything, but it was almost as though he saw that Donald is no longer there to look after the girls. Or maybe I'm just reading human emotion into their behaviour.

Anyway, he's a beautiful boy and cheeky with it. Although he's not ours, he's sufficiently comfortable around us now to eat from my hand. I just wish I could keep him safe from the inevitable guns.

So, news that's a little more upbeat for a change. I still have no idea whether both girls will make a full recovery; I'll just take each day as a blessing. And a huge thank you to all again for your kind messages of support. I'm not sure how I'd have coped without you.

[imjustavenuxwithaboomerang]

"don't forget about the antimicrobial towelettes" (1x04)

"wait there was that time on shift on christmas eve when she-no! no, first time" (1x04)

"yeah! *hits car seats in excitement*" (1x06)

"oh that is so not sanitary" (1x06)

"okay she dead" (1x08)

"stay where you are *attempts to threaten someone with a sword*" (1x08) (key word: attempts)

"and that eyebrow will grow back in no time" (1x09)

"see that? rallying the troops with quippy quips? that's what a real leader does" (2x02)

"in the meantime, where's our rallying?" (2x02)

"no. maybe a little. fine" (2x02)

"still, i could use a little rallying" (2x02)

"she was a walking episode of unsolved mysteries but she still managed to find time for the occasional 'attaboy'" (2x02)

"he injured himself on the waterslide. at least that's what i'll be reporting to his-" (2x02) (he was gonna say mother but he got interrupted by death...)

my favorite lines from tim rosewater (he's so bitchy in the best way, like carlos. he's also definitely gay, hehe, like carlos)

[transsexual-dandelions]

hey!! im gonna humor you (but also im just really interested), how’s your capstone? it sounds compelling:>

i think its SO cool and interesting but I may be biased i've spent the last like,, six months on this researching and planning and im starting statistical analysis next week (planning to do a t test several times over, if I have to do ANOVA i'll cry. I could settle for pearson correlation coefficient theyre not terrible)

(can you tell im a STEM guy through and through)

short version: i'm studying how often a pair of jeans should be washed based on accumulation of bacteria over a period of time, the project itself was conducted through seven consecutive days, being worn for a minimum of three hours a day, however I do believe this information could transfer over to "wears" instead, so instead of three consecutive days you could wear them three times over maybe two weeks and get similar results (in theory, this is inference made based on my decent amount of research)

longer version:

the whole reason clothes need to be washed beyond removing stains is because of odor. how does that odor get there? bacteria, baby! there is a large amount of bacteria residing on your skin (which is wonderful for your immune system, first line of defense!). The amount, types, and variety/biodiversity of bacteria is determined by many factors, including but not limited to pH, temperature, and moisture. how do these bacteria survive on your skin? sweat! sweat is inherently neutral and has no odor, it gains an odor as a byproduct of bacteria metabolizing it.

this odor is transferred over to clothes through the sweat, it wics into the textile and attaches to the fibers, bringing the bacteria along with it, they will just exist together for the most part, creating a malodor but nothing intense for now, the real fun part happens when the sweat dries. as the sweat dries, the solutes and compounds that the bacteria metabolize are severely concentrated, so the bacteria can access more of it quicker, giving it much more energy than it previously had access to, allowing irreversible adhesion to take place, which when built up can cause a lingering malodor, discoloration, loss of textile strength (thinning) not related to natural wear and tear,

the material a textile is made of will impact how sweat, sebum, and bacteria interact. most clothes are made with any combination of these three things: cotton, polyester, and spandex/elastane, each with different properties and attributes causing. ive read some journals/studies suggesting spandex to have a degree of antimicrobial properties, and for denim/100% cotton to have a degree of antifungal properties

cotton and polyester differ in many ways due to being natural vs synthetic, with one being hydrophilic and the other hydrophobic, different hygroscopicity, and general structure, as well as preparation for textile making. this results in different sebum distributions as it dries, polyester causing a uniform distribution with no respect for being face up/face down, while with cotton it dries into spherical droplets, face down, which could lead to implications and suggestions with and about bacterial behavior and odor formation (different bacteria cause different odors!)

the dyes used for clothes can also impact bacteria, it can accelerate or decrease bacterial growth/quantity/malodor, for example black jeans will gain a unique malodor that blue jeans may have. different dyes and dying processes can impact the integrity of the textile to begin with, such as stonewashing or acid wash which compromise the health of it, and traditional/classic indigo dye will strengthen/better it, with its natural antimicrobial properties. ultimately, different dyes will also have chemical properties that will affect how bacteria, sweat, and sebum interact and absorb (adsorb?)

jeans can have a different washing rate than say, t shirts, for a few reasons

one, denim is in reference to how the fibers are weaved to form the textile itself, a different structure means sweat and sebum (oil from your skin) will interact differently two, where and how you sweat! sure you sweat everywhere for the most part, but it accumulates and acts differently in some places compared to others, the most prominent sweating is at the armpits so it has all these processes happening quickly creating a greater need, compared to your legs where it may not be happening as quickly, if at all

so with all that background knowledge, what did I actually test?

I had a person wear the same pair of jeans for seven days, minimum of three hours a day, medium wash, indigo dye, 100% cotton. i took samples on day 0, 1, 2, 6, and 7. I could not get data for days 3-5 due to reasons out of my control, but it ultimately may not matter because there was no seemingly visible difference in amount of bacteria compared to day zero and one until day seven! at day seven it was intense, easily reaching fifty colonies per plate (two sections per day, each section gets played five times), compared to the one to ten colonies, <= 2mm on the first few days,

i predict that my statistical analysis will not show a significant difference (probably p value <0.05) until day seven, but i may be entirely wrong either way, i think its going to be very interesting!

in theory it would have applications in determining optimal washing frequency, based on a variety of factors (significant physical activity or sweating would decrease amount of time between washes) to create the longest possible lifespan of the jeans, especially with the effects of fast fashion and planned obsolescence

washing too frequently can also negatively impact the lifespan of a textile and make it degrade much quicker, and not washing it frequently enough will cause bio deterioration

I would love to do this project again another time, perhaps with more people, or exploring other %make ups, brands, and dyes/colors

[miutonium]

Boogie Man, Utionium and Bubbles!! ~@soft-spooks (good luck in class btw u got this!)

Thank you! I did okay for class when you send this Ask but I am now back in class and Im hoping it go well today ;w; thank u for the well wishes 💕💕💕

The Boogie Man 🎵 — Quick! Put your favorite playlist on shuffle and list the first five songs that come up!

My playlist basically went Mr.Worldwide 🧍‍♀️🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️

Professor Utonium 🥼 — Are there any scientific inventions or discoveries that fascinate you?

You heard of girlies telling true crime like tea so let me talk about antibiotics like them too 💅

Radioactive is cool but the history of Penicillin (the first pure Antibiotic) is one of my fav. Im just gonna write a very simplified version of it after rereading it just now lol

There's reports of usage of mold to treat infection way way back before the 20th century especially in ancient greek and egypt but the creation of the first fully synthetic and commercialise antibiotic only started during the early 40s so like if you get any bacterial infection from uhhh lets say a cut on your pinky, you rubbed your eyes with a dirty hand, you look as someone at the wrong time, you had a hanky panky with Patty at the back alley or maybe you just exist, you can die. Existing antimicrobial meds like sulfanilamide even the strongest one sometimes doesnt work with diseases that in modern days we can simply heal with just 1 course of antibiotics.

Anyway how we discovered Penicillin was purely by accident when back in 1929, Alexander Fleming discovered one of the strep strain he was cultivating in his petri dish that he left for a few days for a holiday seemed off. Upon closer inspection he realized there's a strain of mold that grew on the dish and noticed that the bacteria didnt grow around the mold ring so he conducted a few experiments to comfirm his discovery and ended up publishing a paper about his findings. Despite this though no one wanted to do anything about it. They read the paper and just left him on seen and Fleming wasnt a chemist, he's a biologist, the lowest of the low for the nerds back in the 19th century because all the cool kids major in physics and studying radioactive and actively promoting radioactive quackery while their jaw is rotting off from the radium exposure so he couldn't do anything about it and he just let his research in the back burner until like 10 years later a group of nerds at Oxford found his paper and like "wait this man was actually cooking" and decided to take the challenge to purify this mold juice and see if they can turn it into an antibiotic.

In early stages of their research, there didnt use like a big steep container to 'procure' the mold but instead uses a narrow container with large surface area, think of casserole dish to get the juice because the mold only grows on the surface of the liquid instead of inside the liquid. Purifying isn't easy, at least 2000 litres of purified Penicillin juice were needed just to make antibiotics enough to treat 1 person so 2 of the big nerds, Howard Florey and Norman Heatley flew to the US and asked if anyone could mass produce it and then like jump to idk pages of wikipedia page later it was being mass produced in the early 40s during the peak of WW2 (there's too many conflict happens during this and the girls are fighting over who should be credited for it and I am not into some nerd drama rn)

Here's some interesting facts that I found out while reading:

- During the early stages of mass production, they still haven't produce enough Penicillin for the people they're treating and running clinical trials and they discovered that patients who received Penicillin shot also excreted those antibiotics back into their urine. At least 70% of the Penicillin they got is stored in the balls floating in the urine so they took the pee, crystallised them and extracted the Penicillin from the pee crystals so at least half of the people who gets the antibiotics shot got them from some guy's pee.

- When Florey and Heatley planned to fly to the US, they feared they couldn't bring the mold in a small glass tube without it being missing so they laced the pocket of their coat with the mold.

- Winston Churchill almost died from Pneumonia back in 1943 but fully cured by Sulfanilamide but the tabloid at time said Penicillin cured him simoly because they wanted to instill confidence to the public about antibiotic

- During Clinal Trials, they tested on animals for toxicity but they didn't tested it on guinea pigs. If they tested it on guinea pigs there's a possibility that antibiotics is not what we have now or didn't exist at all since Penicillin is toxic to guinea pigs

Anyway cut to decades later we abused the fuck out of antibiotics and there's rising cases of antibiotics resistant bacteria. It is estimated that we are 5 years away from creating antibiotics that works on the bacteria that resist antibiotics in the present. So the next time if you are prescribed with antibiotics, FINISH THEM ACCORDING TO DR'S ORDERS!!!

Bubbles 🫧 — List three things that bring you joy!

Answered here!

[baravaggio]

i thought antimicrobial resistance was an issue with doxy-pep? maybe one reason medicine is limiting its use to the most affected groups for now.

it is an issue that needs to be taken seriously, but the possibility of antimicrobial resistance doesn't necessarily mean that a) we shouldn't be trying to understand its efficacy for AFAB people or b) that a greater variety of people should not have access to it....whether doxy-pep usage leads to antimicrobial resistance is not a given and it will vary depending on how much it's used.

worth remembering that:

doxycycline is used as a prophylaxis for exposure to diseases like lyme and malaria and no one bats an eye. it's even used on a long-term basis for acne (with much less effectiveness) and I don't see people getting concerned about that.

antibiotics use vs no antibiotics is also a false dichotomy, something like doxy-pep can prevent infections that require more doxy to treat further down the road.

anyway, I agree that highest impact groups should be prioritized when it comes to prescribing this stuff purely from a medical ethics standpoint, but there are other groups that public health data suggests doxy-pep could benefit - sex workers, 18-24 year olds, anyone who has sex with gay/bi/msm. certain STIs affect the sexes asymmetrically and in serious ways (e.g. PID, inflammation of the fallopian tubes, cervix, & uterus that can lead to infertility and chronic pelvic pain) so it would be nice to have more science around the efficacy of doxy-pep in people w/ these parts.

[revcleo]

on washing clothes from Mend! A refashioning manual and manifesto by Kate Sekules

(please buy the book, or rent it from a library, or order it through a library to rent from them, or rent it through a library ebook collection etc. etc.)

Wash Less

Washing is killing your clothes. Every laundering shortens a garment’s life by, oh, a month (see endnote 8*). I bet the source of the one-wear wash idea was Procter & Gamble’s Mad Men–era marketing team: overwashing sells more Tide (it can also redeposit soil on clothes and set stains permanently). Not washing is getting awfully trendy now, for green reasons, but the main mend-related reasons are that less washing—and definitely less tumble drying—paradoxically saves your favorite clothes, and probably time, too.

There are three reasons to wash a clothe: removal of stain, or of germ, or of smell. I daresay smell (or fear of) is what propels us fastest to the washing machine. But listen up.

Less Laundering ≠ More Stinking To overgeneralize, but not really, because athleisure, clothes get stinky when they’re made of synthetic fiber. Ridiculously, the clothes manufactured expressly for sweating into are the most petrochemical of the lot.

Yes your performance fiber top wicks your sweat, but then it hugs it to its bosom, maybe refusing to let it go, ever, in a phenomenon scientifically named perma-stink. Synthetics are hydrophobic but oleophilic—they hate water, but love oil—so they cling jealously to body odor compounds, but refuse the advances of your washing machine.

The more you fight your running tights, the more they resist—dryer sheets and extra detergent and heat drive the smell-causing bacteria deeper into the fibers, where they take up residence. Antimicrobial finishes such as silver chloride don’t deter them at all. It is gross.

I’m not here to lecture on eco-water-saving detergent-minimizing, though this is a happy side effect of many old-new methods. I’m here to keep good clothes alive and mendable. I confess I’m a bit conflicted about stains. Set-in stains invite mending, and mends invite conversation, and then you can tell everyone about the bacteria partying in their pants.

So I’ll ignore stains, aside from the kind that attack and degrade fabric or can’t be mended or spoil the overall beauty of a thing.

Speaking of ignoring, follow only the bits that sound appealing: the last thing we want is the return of washday labor and guilt. I’ve been around the laundry block—never owned a washer-dryer till I was a mom; been a student, a traveler, dirt poor, addicted to wash-dry-fold service—and after all this, I’ve discovered that tending clothes is actually fun.

Anyway, decide for yourself. Here are assorted old-school and costume specialist hacks to mend your cleaning routine and keep your favorite garments alive:

Gym stink. Sweat is odorless. The smell is bacteria breaking down proteins into acids. Left in a swampy pile, these reproduce like a horror film. Arrest the breeding! Rinse gym things out in plain water and hang to dry right after committing the sweat.

Or switch to all-cotton workout wear. It’s hydrophilic and oleophobic, the opposite of synthetics, so absorbs and holds or wicks sweat, but resists oils and smells.

Aromatic pits and the crotchal region. Sorry to be graphic, but you know what I’m talking about. Try these professional theater costume department and vintage dealer nowash fixes:

Give it a drink. Spritz generously with pure (cheap) vodka; let dry. No alcohol smell!

Connect to earth. Sprinkle fuller’s earth on the bits overnight. Vacuum up, with stink.

Acidulate. For allover smell, steam garment over a hot bath of white vinegar solution.

A paste of baking soda and water is much cheaper than Febreze and often works better.

SOS: Save Our Sweaters. Handwashing in cool water is the only way. You don’t need to do it often. Invest in perfume-priced cleansers or use baby shampoo. Rinse thoroughly, squeeze gently, then . . .

Reshape (it’s called blocking) the wet sweater on a fluffy towel, Swiss roll it, and kneel on the roll to squish out water. Never wring knitwear. Dry on a fresh towel, turning it periodically.

Air dry whatever you can, especially vintage, most of which should never go in the dryer. Your hand mends last longer when air dried, too. Use ordinary hangers if you lack line or frame.

Add a few drops of lavender essential oil to water in a spray bottle to spritz on while ironing.

Yellowed cotton might have gotten that way from dry-cleaning. Add borax to the wash. And hang out in the sun—which is mostly terrible and verboten for fabrics, because of this bleaching effect.

Care labels are often as generic as the website cookie disclaimer that you never read and fulfill a similar legal function. Nearly everything can be gently handwashed.

Exceptions are: velvet, satin, taffeta, brocade, some silks, anything tailored or structured, and everything under Special Concerns in the chart on pages 144–45 (Historic fabrics, weighted silk, embellished fabrics, real lace, metallics, 3d effect fabrics, fur real/fake, net/mesh, hand painted, leather, suede*). Beware rayon: very tricky and variable.

Spot clean and steam fancy clothes—or, in fact, most clothes. Vintage dealers do.

For embellished items, borrow the museum conservator method: vacuum on low with open vent and flat nozzle through a gauze screen edged with tape.

Forget wasteful sticky-sausage lint cleaners. Use an old-school clothes brush or the kind that picks up lint one direction and deposits it on the reverse journey.

Mildew. Omnipresent fungal spores that feast on your damp natural fibers. It’s serious and contagious. Dry, vacuum, dry-clean, revacuum. It may be too late for this poor garment.

A final little trick. Scribble all over metal zippers with graphite pencil: nonstick magic. endnote 8*

Unreliable statistic that I made up. This is an experiment in misinformation. Because nobody’s done this math, I wonder if the figure I just invented will get quoted and thereby eventually become true? Other notes:

No, really, perma-stink was coined by human ecology professor Rachel McQueen et al., “Odor Intensity in Apparel Fabrics and the Link with Bacterial Populations,” Textile Research Journal 77, no. 7 (2007): 449–56.

The no wash and the dry (or raw) denim movements are ecologically motivated but are also having the effect of bringing more natural fibers and finishes to market. They sell at a high price point for the most part, but this is beginning to trickle down—though such clothes can’t and shouldn’t be sold too cheap; they’re investments. Also, PS, infusing with peppermint oil or whatever does nothing long term to decrease the need for washing: all natural, untreated fibers are resistant to microbes.

Ulterior motive: as a lifelong devotee of pure cotton sweats, I prefer its wicking, slightly baggy, nonstinking qualities, and wish it would catch on.

I could go on and on about detergents, which are often foul in so many ways. For an up-todate and reliable breakdown of their relative merits, see the rated reviews by the 501(c)(3) nonprofit Environmental Working Group, https://www.ewg.org/guides/categories/9-Laundry/. You may find your go-to wash solution has earned a solid “F” grade.

Extra credit: invest in a horizontal drying rack or make one out of window screen gauze.

A steamer is a wise investment—they’re effective, gentle, and far more fun than ironing.

[burninglights]

I have just spent £15 on this textbook about biotechnology for a fun read because doing the antimicrobial action of aromatic VOCs for my dissertation made gave me ethnobotany brainworms. Maybe the ed psych was on to summat with that autism spectrum disorder thing 😭

[moonfurthetemmie]

Zombie Hunter Guy

This is Guy. He is a hunter. He is also a zombie. He is not, however, a hunter of zombies.

The crow is his bestie. I can find no notes regarding the crow so I don't know if it has a name. I do however know that he attracted it by being a walking corpse.

The choker he wears is a gift from the necromancers, enchanted to slow down the rate of decomposition. The pendant is copper which naturally has. shit i forgot if it's antibacterial or just antimicrobial. eh either way

He's technically romancable, but he has literal maggots in his brain and you have to be VERY direct and explicit if you want to get him to understand that you want to kiss him.

He's also theoretically dtf but he's very concerned about possible health issues of fucking a zombie, so unless you're also undead or have very good protection, he will decline.

he was actually the first draft of a Fantasy AU version of H!DS Hunter. While I ended up going another direction with Hunter, I got attached to the concept and kept going with it until it became Guy.

Backstory under the cut

He was murdered and accidentally revived by a necromancer's apprentice, and spent several months trying to convince his village that the zombie apocalypse was coming, and working in the cemetery to try and make the dead there stay dead. The only person who believed him was his murderer, and Guy genuinely didn't remember they killed him.

Eventually, the Necromancer who's apprentice accidentally and unknowingly raised Guy realizes that the reason they didn't resurrect the dead animal they were aiming for was probably because they raised something else in the area. They and their apprentice return to the village and investigate, eventually running into Guy on his way home from the cemetery. Guy is very friendly and is like "oh, hi. I haven't seen you guys around here before! Visiting or passing through?"

The apprentice asks what he was doing in the cemetery and Guy launches into the epic tale of how he's absolutely certain the zombie apocalypse is coming and he's trying to prevent it, but no one's listening to them.

The master necromancer goes "sir. are you aware that you're also dead"

and Guy is just like "...You're the first one who's noticed so far. Is it starting to be obvious??? oh man i'm starting to stink aren't I"

The necromancers explain that, well, they're necromancers, and they're pretty sure Apprentice raised him by accident. Their job is to seek out and destroy the 'natural' and hostile undead; fighting fire with fire and such. They're certainly not planning on starting a zombie apocalypse.

Then the Master necromancer is like "You, though. I mean, firstly you're not 'natural' undead, you were raised by a necromancer. But you also seem to have your wits about you, and you're not hurting anyone. If you'd like to stick around for a while, that's fine by me."

Guy, who by the way has a bit of brain damage from being dead for a while, takes a hot minute to process all of this. But he decides that if there's no actual threat of (the rest of) the dead rising, then...maybe he can explore the world?

The townsfolk start snickering when they see him packing up to leave and ask him 'hey, what happened to stopping the zombie apocalypse?' and he gives them a very unimpressed look and is like "i don't know why you sound so concerned when none of you ever believed me." and explains his run-in with the necromancers. And suddenly they all realize that. y'know he. he has been losing color lately. he's kinda grey now. and he smells like death and moves so stiffy sometimes, and his mental faculties had seemed to have suddenly declined after that one weird day where no one saw him at all....

Cue the horrifying realization that they'd been laughing at a zombie for thinking the zombie apocalypse was coming. But Guy's already off on his adventure!!!

[theeclecticwitchblog240]

Cleansing and Protecting Your Home from Negative Energy

Written by: Sapphire Moon

Uncategorized

January 30, 2021

10 Minute read

Sometimes we have a build up of negative energy within our homes, sometimes from ourselves and sometimes from others. It may follow an illness or a disagreement, but equally could have been brought in by visitors to your home or maybe it’s left over from previous owners of the house or even possessions. There are many traditions that we can adopt to help prevent or remove this unwanted energy. We can raise our vibrations, encourage negative ions and also employ the use of various ancient practices, tools or charms. It’s important to cleanse your own energy too so that you are not constantly bringing the negativity back into your home.

Raising your vibrations

I’m not a scientist but I can tell you that we are made of vibrating particles and energy. The same is true for the world around us. We can’t see the vibrations because they’re too small, however they are there. A lowering of your vibrations can be caused when you have negative emotions, you are tired or ill. Raising your vibrations usually means that you have become self aware of your emotions and thoughts and are actively doing something to become more positive. This can be done in any way that suits you, like listening to uplifting music, reading positive quotes aloud, getting creative, going for a walk in nature, dancing, being with upbeat friends, watching a funny film or through meditation. On a basic level, raising your vibrations, means to encourage positivity into your life and thoughts.

Fill your home with Negative Ions – Salt Lamps

Positive ions are small molecules that have gained a positive charge. Most forms of pollution, pollen, mold, and other harmful chemicals in the air carry a positive electrical charge, making them positive ions. Positive ions are also created from electromagnetic fields generated by computers, mobile phones, and other electronic devices which have been linked to all sorts of health problems, including breathing problems, tiredness, headaches, anxiety, nausea, lack of energy etc..

Himalayan Salt Lamp

Negative Ions have the opposite effect on our well being. They occur naturally near water falls or moving water such as the sea, and people often notice that they always feel better when they are near the ocean. Negative Ions also exist in the ultra violet rays of the sun, in thunder storms and are even produced as a natural part of the growth process of some plants. If you can not get any rays or get to the beach, you could try a Himalayan salt lamp. These are believed to change the ions from positive to negative. Once the negative ions reach the bloodstream, they are believed to produce a biochemical reaction that increases the level of serotonin, helping to alleviate depression and stress, with the added bonus of boosting our daytime energy. Research supports the positive effects it has on cognitive performance, antimicrobial activity (killing or inhibiting the disease causing microbes), and the reduction of depression symptoms for some. There is not enough evidence to prove the other claimed benefits but many believe it really helps and belief is a powerful tool. I have three Himalayan salt lamps, one by my computer, one in the main living area and one in the bedroom. I also have several Himalayan salt, tealight holders that I can move around when and where I want. Running water features are also an excellent idea.

Smudging

People all over the world have long since used Smudging to remove negative energy from a room or space. This is an ancient practice of burning herbs, flowers or wood as a way to cleanse a space and to invite in positive energy. Once lit, the flames are allowed to die so that the embers produce smoke, this is allowed to drift through the room so that the smoke can cleanse the room and purify the area. Many believe that this is helped by chanting your intent as you waft the smoke to encourage it to reach all areas. The most common herb to be burned is sage. Scientists have observed that sage can clear up to 94 percent of airborne bacteria in a space and disinfect the air. When sage is burned, it releases negative ions, which is linked to putting people into a positive mood. So it’s good for you and your home. Don’t forget to open a window to release any negative energy. (See Smudging Page for more details). I grow and harvest sage from my own garden and will usually smudge my house once a month. If you are unable to purchase or make your own smudge stick (bound herbs for burning) you can also use an incense stick, I often use White sage or Nag Champa in the winter time.

Salt

Salt is pure and anything that is impure is repelled by it no matter what colour you use. Salt has been used for a very long time, by many different cultures and religions, it is believed to purify, absorb negativity and ward off evil spirits. In addition salt has always been used for sterilizing and preserving, it is even used today to clean wounds rather than plain water and salt baths are still recommended following some surgeries.

Salt can be sprinkled in a thin line around your property or across the threshold of all doors, in font of all windows and chimneys to deter any spirits or demons from entering your home. A ring of salt keeps your own energies in, and other energies out. A dish of salt by your bed, or a circle of salt around your bed is said to stop a spirit or ghost from appearing. It can be placed in all 4 corners of your home to dispel negativity. It can be dissolved in a spray bottle full of warm water and used as a cleaner on surfaces around your home (avoid surfaces that react to salt). Personally, I have an additional bath once a month with added salt, lavender and bicarbonate of soda as it is not only good for the skin but it decreases stress, helps with insomnia and soothes pain.

Crystals

Crystals are semi-precious stones that are believed to all have their own vibrational energy and as such they have many different uses. The most commonly used for house protection are Black Tourmaline and Selenite. Black Tourmaline is said to protect from all forms of negative energy. Selenite is thought of as a guarding stone, it is both protective and thought to bring about a peaceful and calming quality to your home. They are best placed either centrally or, if you have enough, in all four corners of your home. Rose quartz is also a favourite of many to attract a peaceful and loving energy into a home, most often used in the living area or bedrooms.

Protection Bells

Protection Bells or Witch’s Bells

Handmade Protection Bells or Witch’s Bells are said to bring positivity, break up bad energy and dispel negativity! Cleansing by sound is an ancient practice to break up negative vibrations. Hanging bells on your door helps raise vibrations through their sound, when the door is opened and closed. This simple magic is said to help keep negativity and spirits that mean you harm away from you and your family. They are also believed to invoke good energy when placed in cupboards or hung on doors.

Protection Bells are a good way for sound to be automatically created at the entrance to your home, or individual rooms, each and every time someone enters or opens a door or window. You can also use other sounds on an individual basis like ringing a hand bell, clapping your hands or playing music, this is especially good to clear the negativity from a room after a disagreement or for spaces where you can’t place anything permanently.

Hag stones

Hag Stone Key Charm

Hag stones are stones that have a naturally occurring hole in them, that has been caused by water erosion. They are said to retain the power of the sea and are known to have been used for hundreds of years. They are considered to be a strong protection tool and are still used today by many farmers and fishermen to ward off evil spirits and bad luck. In the home they are placed near to doors and if you have several, on window sills too. Hang a hag stone by your door to ward off any bad energy form entering. Tied to a key they are also thought to keep your house safe while it is locked.

Spirit House

If you think there may be a bad or mischievous spirit in your home, some cultures believe that rather than trying to banish them, give them somewhere to live. Place a Spirit House outside the front of your house on a raised platform or pillar. Spirit Houses are usually about the size of a bird house, made of wood or clay and are created as a representation of your home as an alternative place for the spirits to reside. It is believed that the nicer the house, the more likely the spirits are to move in, some people even put tiny pieces of furniture inside. Tell the spirit you live in the house now but they are welcome to move into the Spirit House.

Another similar belief is the Spirit House made from a bottle or any glass container where the contents can be seen from the outside. The bottle is filled with various items such as coloured string, wire, herbs, shiny buttons, bright pieces of fabric scraps, anything that may look interesting, closed with a cork, stopper or cap and then sealed with candle wax. When ready it can be placed up in the rafters, in the attic or on a high shelf where it will not be disturbed and then the spirit is “invited in”. It is said that you should never open the bottle again for fear of letting any spirits go free.

The Witch’s Ball

This is similar to the Spirit House bottle, in that you fill a glass ball (such as a christmas tree ornament) with strands of wool or cotton, protective herbs, crystals and charms and then seal it. It could also be made with coloured glass made in a swirled pattern or filled with coloured wax, which is heated and allowed to flow round the inside to form random markings. Many variations are readily available to buy. The Witch’s Ball is hung in entrances such as windows or inside doors. This old practice works on the belief that any malevolent spirits will be attracted by the colours and once they enter, will be forever mesmerised by the contents of the Witch’s ball. The strands inside the ball will also prevent the spirits from escaping. Personally, I think they are also beautiful and have several in my house.

Witch Bottle

The Witch Bottle has been around for centuries, it is believed they were originally made by witches to ward off any evil spirits, to deflect negative energy, curses, hexes or wrong doing away from their home and themselves. Others believe they were made my ordinary folk to keep the witches away. I think the former is more likely or many more of them would have been discovered by now. The earliest examples have been found in England but some have been unearthed in other countries too.

How the Witch Bottle is created.

A lidded or corked bottle, made of glass or pottery, is filled half way with sharp objects like old nails, bent pins or broken glass, salt and a piece of string or ribbon that has been dyed red. The sharp objects to deflect ill luck and bad spirits, salt for purification and the ribbon or string for added protection. Then urine from the householder is used to top up the bottle, so that it is linked to that person and their home. In our modern era the idea of urinating in the bottle is a bit much for some and so the practice of adding wine and spitting into it has been adopted by those who prefer not to use urine. Next the bottle is sealed, whether it is by a modern screw top lid or a cork depends on what type of bottle or jar has been used. If a cork has been used it can be further protected and sealed by the use of hot wax, dripped over, to coat and seal the top fully. The bottle is then put in a place where it will remain undisturbed. Traditionally it would be buried under a doorstep, bricked up within a wall or placed high up in an attic.

Brigids Cross

A Brigid’s cross is usually made from reeds, rushes or straw. It has a woven square in the middle and four arms that are tied at each end. It is made on the pagan festival of Imbolc which is the first of February, marking the beginning of spring, also more latterly celebrated as St Brigit’s day. It is traditionally placed over doorways and windows to ward off evil, harm, fire and hunger.

Burden Basket

Place a small wire or loose mesh basket outside your front door. Then metaphorically leave any burdens you are returning home with, in the basket, for the wind to carry away.

Red Brick Dust

Red brick dust is a cleansing and protecting powder used to clean front steps, window sills or other entrances. It derives from the ancient use of red ochre clay for sacred purposes. Used regularly in protection spellwork. A line of this red dust across your doorway protects your house from any unwanted presence and it’s use in an amulet or mojo bag is often practiced for personal protection.

Grotesque statue

You can use any statue you like but it is thought the more scary the face the more likely it is to scare away any evil spirits, negativity or ill wishers. Once you have placed your statue in a place where you feel it can watch over you and your home (it can be inside or out and best facing your main entrance), tell it what it’s duty is. Ask it to protect you, your loved ones and your house. When you get up or leave the house ask the statue to “do it’s duty” and remember to say “thank you” on your return or when you go to bed at night. I have a few watching over my home and loved ones.

There are many more practices from around the world, to bring peace and positive energy into your space, you should choose whichever practices resonate with you. You can make your own tools and charms or you can readily buy any of them online.

Stay safe and keep positive!

Sapphire Moon

Hope y’all find this article helpful. Just sharing the knowledge. I am not the author.

Blessed be!

[sparklecryptid]

Headcannon question for you! Not sure what verse. Just about your thoughts on the clans of galahd. I teach the public about natural resources- my fave is medicinal plants and poisonous plants. There is a lot out there, to hinder or harm, and those switch with dosage/season/plant parts. Which clan would have the most fun with it? Just peacefully walking along, pointing out plants. mint is for colds, plantain is antimicrobial for wounds, and jack in the pulpits roots is how you get someone to shit out their intestinal lining. All said with a bright smile. You cough. They hand you a packet of herbs. You ask if this is medicine or poison. Their smile brightens.

There are TWO Clans that have an interest in plants! Clans Khara and Ostium both have a long history of working with plants and divide responsibility for caring for plants and studying them.

(Clan Arra works in tandem with them because the Arra specialize in animal care and husbandry and they need land and plants for that the three Clans work very close together)

Now that that is out of the way, the Clan that would have the most fun fucking with people is Clan Khara. Sure, maybe their ancestors killing a King has fucked up their sense of humour but since the rest of the Clans know (or hope) that Clan Khara won’t poison them that leaves Clan Khara to prank tourists.

Much to the chagrin of the Ostiums.