#powerful state

[chronicbitchsyndrome]

so: masking: good, unequivocally. please mask and please educate others on why they should mask to make the world safer for immune compromised people to participate in.

however: masking is not my policy focus and it shouldn't be yours, either. masking is a very good mitigation against droplet-born illnesses and a slightly less effective (but still very good) mitigation against airborne illnesses, but its place in the pyramid of mitigation demands is pretty low, for several reasons:

it's an individual mitigation, not a systemic one. the best mitigations to make public life more accessible affect everyone without distributing the majority of the effort among individuals (who may not be able to comply, may not have access to education on how to comply, or may be actively malicious).

it's a post-hoc mitigation, or to put it another way, it's a band-aid over the underlying problem. even if it was possible to enforce, universal masking still wouldn't address the underlying problem that it is dangerous for sick people and immune compromised people to be in the same public locations to begin with. this is a solvable problem! we have created the societal conditions for this problem!

here are my policy focuses:

upgraded air filtration and ventilation systems for all public buildings. appropriate ventilation should be just as bog-standard as appropriately clean running water. an indoor venue without a ventilation system capable of performing 5 complete air changes per hour should be like encountering a public restroom without any sinks or hand sanitizer stations whatsoever.

enforced paid sick leave for all employees until 3-5 days without symptoms. the vast majority of respiratory and food-borne illnesses circulate through industry sectors where employees come into work while experiencing symptoms. a taco bell worker should never be making food while experiencing strep throat symptoms, even without a strep diagnosis.

enforced virtual schooling options for sick students. the other vast majority of respiratory and food-borne illnesses circulate through schools. the proximity of so many kids and teenagers together indoors (with little to no proper ventilation and high levels of physical activity) means that if even one person comes to school sick, hundreds will be infected in the following few days. those students will most likely infect their parents as well. allowing students to complete all readings and coursework through sites like blackboard or compass while sick will cut down massively on disease transmission.

accessible testing for everyone. not just for COVID; if there's a test for any contagious illness capable of being performed outside of lab conditions, there should be a regulated option for performing that test at home (similar to COVID rapid tests). if a test can only be performed under lab conditions, there should be a government-subsidized program to provide free of charge testing to anyone who needs it, through urgent cares and pharmacies.

the last thing to note is that these things stack; upgraded ventilation systems in all public buildings mean that students and employees get sick less often to begin with, making it less burdensome for students and employees to be absent due to sickness, and making it more likely that sick individuals will choose to stay home themselves (since it's not so costly for them).

masking is great! keep masking! please use masking as a rhetorical "this is what we can do as individuals to make public life safer while we're pushing for drastic policy changes," and don't get complacent in either direction--don't assume that masking is all you need to do or an acceptable forever-solution, and equally, don't fall prey to thinking that pushing for policy change "makes up" for not masking in public. it's not a game with scores and sides; masking is a material thing you can do to help the individual people you interact with one by one, and policy changes are what's going to make the entirety of public life safer for all immune compromised people.

[tam--lin]

In light of increasing anti-trans and anti-abortion laws in the United States, I am once again humbly requesting you inform yourself about jury nullification, your ability as a juror to vote against convicting people being prosecuted under unjust laws. Nullification was instrumental in legalizing abortion in Canada - it informed jurors can use it to help protect healthcare workers and protesters in the US, too.

[alilarew23]

daily reminder that

once you decide something is happening/has already happened/is yours/will 777% be yours, you can feel whatever the fuck you want to feel, you can think whatever the fuck you want to think, you can carry yourself however the fuck you want to carry yourself—it DOES NOT MATTER. there is nothing, and i mean NOTHING, more powerful than the energy of decision, than the absolute unwavering belief in a specific outcome. decide, know, and stop giving your power up. if you’re on my team, you’re fearless, you’re winning, you’ve already won, and that’s on god.

love you, strong one. 💋

[audreyassumptions]

HOW I MANIFESTED MY DREAM REALITY IN A DAY

WHAT I MANIFESTED:

- name change

- trilingualism

- 5”10 height

- thin and slender body

- a RAGING golden tan

- face like adriana lima’s

- top grades + intelligence

- dp has a FAT crush on me

HOW I DID IT:

- robotic affirmations in my head (for example repeating ‘I have everything I desire’ over and over in my head whenever I’m free throughout the day)

- visualizing

- law of assumption

- the belief that I am God and I am the creator of my own reality

- PERSIST, PERSIST, AND PERSIST SOME MORE I SWEAR TO GOD THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING

- being crazy delulu

I never actually used the void state for this, because I found that putting the void state on a pedestal was limiting my beliefs. Please refrain from thinking too much about the void or from putting it on a pedestal because this can really hinder your progress. Remember, you are the void. The void is inside you. You don’t need to ‘enter’ it because it is already there!

That’s it, just remember to have a positive mindset and be literally as delusional as you possibly can be. Worked for me!! This took about a whole day to work, and the next day I woke up and it was all manifested (sounds crazy but it’s true and I literally started jumping and squealing like a five year old when I realised it worked). Most importantly, remember that manifesting is supposed to be fun, so go have fun and enjoy yourself!! :)

[1982brucespringsteen]

some good news!! the spanish state's ministry of equality has finally passed one of the most progressive trans laws on the planet, shielded free and universal access to abortion and banned conversion therapy and genital surgery for intersex babies, among a lot of other feminist policies. the minister of equality irene montero gave a speech thanking spain's lgtb and trans associations for helping her draft these legislations. couldn't be more proud!!

[vyeoh]

(The Washington Post)

For those who don't know, the US Supreme Court just ruled that states are allowed to enforce trans healthcare for minors. Undoubtedly, this will trigger a wave of other states that either hope to pass or have already passed policies to do the same. This is going to kill children, and harm more in long-lasting ways.

So, how can you help?

FUCKING VOTE. I don't care if you don't like Biden, he's not the only one on the ballot. Vote representatives into your city council who will turn our city into a sanctuary city. Vote for governors and state reps who will, even if they don't pass new protections, oppose bans being pushed through. Chsllenge and kick out conservative incumbents who are banking on their races being obscure enough for people to not vote in.

Anyone telling you voting is useless is either lying to you or grossly uninformed and think saying this is the edgy new take that will make them look hip and informed. Yes, the system is broken. But short of burning the whole thing to the ground (which personally I'm not a fan of as I quite enjoy having like. Roads and the FDA) what we can do is to change it for the better, by starting with the local races and working our way up.

[knowlesian]

“why do i believe this” and “who benefits from me believing it” are the first steps to decolonization and we should all be doing this more

[vague-humanoid]

MEIGS COUNTY, Tenn. -- The body of a Tennessee deputy was found Thursday after he went missing following his first-ever arrest. His patrol vehicle and the body of the woman he arrested were also recovered from a river, authorities said.

Multiple agencies will investigate how the vehicle ended up in the water. However, Johnson noted that the deputy, a native of New York, appeared to be texting and radioing while driving in a poorly lit area he was unfamiliar with.

"We're operating under the theory that it was an accident -- he missed his turn, he wasn't familiar and he was doing other things that may have caused him to go into the water," Johnson said at the Thursday afternoon press briefing.

@chrisdornerfanclub @el-shab-hussein

[another-one-bites-the-chipaguasu]

When time reveals the truth about Palestine and we're told they didn't know Israel was going to commit genocide, when they tell us the USA President didn't know better, when they tell u the UN had its hands tied, when the ppl you've tried to educate see this being called what it is: GENOCIDE.

NEVER FORGET WHAT YOU'VE SEEN.

Never forget that all these organizations that are supposed to help prevent exactly this DIDN'T WORK. The UN is symbolic, a way for politicians to wash their hands. IT DOES NOTHING.

The geneva convention is symbolic. Does ABSOLUTELY NOTHING if you're not on the right side of the coin.

Never forget the humanity of Palestinians. YOUR humanity.

When the damage is done is already too late. Do not accept the fake tears of the politicians who stood around DOING NOTHING.

The system does not work. It has been proven yet again.

We need a change.

[reasonsforhope]

"Cody Two Bears, a member of the Sioux tribe in North Dakota, founded Indigenized Energy, a native-led energy company with a unique mission — installing solar farms for tribal nations in the United States.

This initiative arises from the historical reliance of Native Americans on the U.S. government for power, a paradigm that is gradually shifting.

The spark for Two Bears' vision ignited during the Standing Rock protests in 2016, where he witnessed the arrest of a fellow protester during efforts to prevent the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline on sacred tribal land.

Disturbed by the status quo, Two Bears decided to channel his activism into action and create tangible change.

His company, Indigenized Energy, addresses a critical issue faced by many reservations: poverty and lack of access to basic power.

Reservations are among the poorest communities in the country, and in some, like the Navajo Nation, many homes lack electricity.

Even in regions where the land has been exploited for coal and uranium, residents face obstacles to accessing power.

Renewable energy, specifically solar power, is a beacon of hope for tribes seeking to overcome these challenges.

Not only does it present an environmentally sustainable option, but it has become the most cost-effective form of energy globally, thanks in part to incentives like the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022.

Tribal nations can receive tax subsidies of up to 30% for solar and wind farms, along with grants for electrification, climate resiliency, and energy generation.

And Indigenized Energy is not focused solely on installing solar farms — it also emphasizes community empowerment through education and skill development.

In collaboration with organizations like Red Cloud Renewable, efforts are underway to train Indigenous tribal members for jobs in the renewable energy sector.

The program provides free training to individuals, with a focus on solar installation skills.

Graduates, ranging from late teens to late 50s, receive pre-apprenticeship certification, and the organization is planning to launch additional programs to support graduates with career services such as resume building and interview coaching...

The adoption of solar power by Native communities signifies progress toward sustainable development, cultural preservation, and economic self-determination, contributing to a more equitable and environmentally conscious future.

These initiatives are part of a broader movement toward "energy sovereignty," wherein tribes strive to have control over their own power sources.

This movement represents not only an economic opportunity and a source of jobs for these communities but also a means of reclaiming control over their land and resources, signifying a departure from historical exploitation and an embrace of sustainable practices deeply rooted in Indigenous cultures."

-via Good Good Good, December 10, 2023

[reality-detective]

EPIC. I don't know who this man is nor have I ever even heard of this man until today. Whoever he is - he’s now on the map. 🤔

[pocchi-poket]

You know, I feel like we're not talking enough about the fact that Alastor has in his room a full reproduction (?) of a swamp-forest that's highly likely very similar to the one where he was killed. Talk about being morbid.

Edit: someone pointed out in the comments that the swamp-forest is called bayou. It's a kind of ecosystem in Louisiana.

[butchysterics]

americans imagining Land Back as a reverse colonization where your family is violently displaced from their home—just no, and there’s so much projection and anti-indigenous sentiment in that reaction that we need to unpack. in the same way abolishing private property does not equate to taking the personal property/housing from regular human beings, land back deserves your full attention in the actual demands and futurities that native people are calling for. this knee jerk resistance against land back needs to stop inventing hypotheticals instead of engaging with the reality of this which is A. a broader political call to rematriate land to indigenous communities, who currently have limited resources because this is a settler colonial state B. specific calls to return specific lands—often ‘public lands’ i.e. national parks, blm land etc—which often carry cultural significance and also very direct legacies of violence tied to the original displacement. C. a return to indigenous land management strategies, which are place-based and culture-based and offer paths to restoring/reclaiming/reconfiguring the ecologies and human communities most damaged by colonialism/capitalism/the world we currently live in D. land back is deeply tied to the movements protesting oil and gas pipelines, catastrophic mining, etc ongoing destruction of the environment that place indigenous communities on the frontlines yet threatens /everyone/ downstream who drinks water and has a body

[alilarew23]

the second you decide something is yours, that thing, that person, that whatever INSTANTLY begins moving towards you, “manifesting” you. it wants you, badly, and is doing everything in its power to get to you via the quickest and easiest route. and it has access to ALL routes—so so so many more than you could even begin to conceive of. ditch the mental acrobatics. ditch the (bullshit) ideas of resistance, of blockages. ditch the effort. ditch anything that feels even the least bit unnatural. set your intention, then ALLOW the unfolding with the joyful certainty that what you hold in your imagination and in your heart will soon be made visible to you. this isn’t a maybe. this is absolute. you are safe—i promise—to simply be who you are, to enjoy what’s here now, to say thank you.

i love you!

[audreyassumptions]

AUDREY’S VOID METHOD

This worked for me after a couple nights and I successfully entered the void. Here’s how I did it <3

1. Lie down in a comfortable position (it’s rlly hot where I live so I didn’t have any covers on me or anything, I was literally just lay there with nothing covering me)

2. Listen to Edward Art’s ‘I am’ meditation on YouTube :)

3. Put on brown noise (I put the meditation and the brown noise in a playlist so it would play automatically after)

4. Focus on the black behind your eyes and continue to imagine that everything surrounding you is just empty blackness

5. Repeatedly affirm for the void, don’t keep checking if you’re there, try to distract yourself

6. You’re in the void!

This worked for me after a couple tries, but that’s not to say you shouldn’t get results earlier. It’s all about mindset. Persist and I promise you’ll get there.

Love from, Audrey <3333 ;)

[nonasuch]

I’m not going anywhere with this but it’s a thought I had.