like my mask?

sovietnam:

(via thesilvertophat)

soon-palestine:

ALT

Google Contract Shows Deal With Israel Defense Ministry

Exclusive: Google has negotiated deepening the relationship during the war in Gaza.

TIME

(via daxdraggon)

the-nefarious-vampire:

as an aroace, im particularly dangerous, because i wont fuck or marry. i only know how to kill.

(via gil-estel)

girlmartok:

The Left Hand of Destiny / The Hand of Kahless / Torn edge (tajpe’ yabmey) / TNG: 3.17, 4.07, 5.10, 7.13, 7.21 / DS9: 4.08, 4.14, 5.15, 6.26 - insp

(via fatnutswizard)

burst-of-iridescent:

i’ve written before about how fire lady katara isn’t an inherently disempowering or racist trope, as have many others, but lately i’ve been thinking about how arguments against fire lady katara often tend to utilise a surface-level interpretation of colonial trauma.

antis who present this argument usually posit that marrying zuko would be a form of re-traumatization for katara, while marrying aang would “protect” her. katara is supposedly more shielded from confronting the impact of colonization in the southern water tribe or on air temple island than she would be with zuko in the fire nation, which contextualizes colonial trauma purely through the lens of physical interaction with the colonial power (ie. living in the fire nation or looking after the people of the fire nation). whether intended or not, this argument inadvertently limits colonial trauma to the geographical boundaries of the colonizing country and implies that it can be reduced or averted solely by minimizing contact with said country.

even leaving aside that we have seen katara in the fire nation (and enjoying herself there), the implication here is that active engagement with a colonial power as a member of colonized peoples is an inherent form of re-traumatization… which i take issue with for multiple reasons.

firstly, katara lives in a world that has been permanently shaped and changed by imperialism, and that’s going to affect her no matter where she goes. sequestering herself in the south pole her whole life and never seeing a glimpse of fire nation red again won’t allow katara to escape the legacy of colonization or the trauma it has caused her, because its influence is rooted in everything from her family to her tribe to her own bending. believe me, i understand the appeal of a world where women of colour can avoid reckoning with the impact of colonization by simply never setting foot in the colonizing country again, and why people might be uncomfortable with zutara individually as a result - but i can’t accept it as a valid argument against the ship, because that’s just not how colonial trauma works.

secondly, the idea that this “protects” katara reeks of paternalism because katara is not a character who chooses her path simply based on how safe or comfortable it is. if that was the case, she would never have left the southern water tribe at all! she could’ve remained there her whole life and likely been safe, since the fire nation had no real interest in the south pole any longer. katara is fundamentally defined by how relentlessly revolutionary she is - over and over, she chooses to do what is right, what is hard, what is unexpected, even at cost to herself. she challenges injustice and discrimination and bigotry; she fights for the downtrodden and speaks for those who can’t speak for themselves; she will never ever turn her back on the people who need her. does that truly sound like someone who needs to be hid away and protected from her own supposed re-traumatization?

thirdly - and i fully accept that there are those who might disagree with this - katara actively choosing to engage with her colonial trauma can be empowering just as it can be traumatizing. don’t get me wrong: as a woc and a minority in my own country, i understand how tiring it is to do this. i understand the exhaustion of confronting what was done to you and your people, of facing down bigotry over and over. i understand the desire to run away from it all, and why it can be wish fulfilment for others to let katara do so. i really, really do.

but there is also wish fulfilment in letting katara fight, as a brown girl with power and resources that few brown girls in the real world hold. there is a power fantasy in seeing katara head into the belly of the beast and emerging triumphant. there is empowerment to be found in seeing katara struggle with racism and ignorance and mindless hate to enact change - and succeed. i love reading and writing about katara unpacking her trauma regarding the fire nation, about growing to love the place she once hated, about reconciling both her homes and healing from the wounds of her childhood.

and ultimately, i think that’s what katara would want for herself. after throwing herself head first into the fight against the fire nation, after facing down her greatest trauma instead of letting it consume her, after helping and protecting the people of the fire nation, after refusing to let the fire nation take anything else from her - i firmly believe that the last thing katara would do is allow herself to be ruled by the fire nation instead of being the one ruling it.

personally, i find that a more hopeful and victorious narrative than one where she remains safe and sheltered away from the fire nation, but forever haunted and dictated by her trauma. would that be realistic? perhaps. but the entire point of foiling katara with characters like jet and hama is to show that she’s not doomed to be mired in the pain of her past. that where their stories could only end in tragedy, hers can - and does - end in hope for something better, as she always believed it could.

(via sokkastyles)

mysterycitrus:

there’s a pattern of behaviour in emergency services wrt police — meaning if emts or firefighters report police misdemeanours or unlawful actions against civilians then police might retaliate by not answering emergency calls from said teams that reported them. this is an established thing, at least among people i know.

reworking nightwing 96’s cop plotline (beloathed) to be dick grayson taking on the role as an emt to investigate a number of suspiciously timed murders and the police who are trying to cover up is a lot more interesting to me than just…. him being a cop. he’s still doing tangible good in bludhaven. he’s able to directly witness how the system has failed the people it’s supposed to protect. it adds an actual, proper investigative element as dick is forced to tactically gather evidence and build alliances. his ability to lead and think rationally during a crisis is a lot more valuable when performing life saving medical care vs kicking down a door with an assault rifle. let him drive an ambulance!!!!

criticalbread:

blue-and-confused:

alivelmall:

alivelmall:

mapsontheweb:

The most popular browsers in different countries in 2012 and 2022.

by @theworldmaps_

do your part - download Mozilla Firefox today!

Nope! When Chrome first came to popularity, people switched over to it cause it was “faster” (turns out, it just eats through your device’s CPU) but since then Firefox has upped its game in a major way. Chrome just doesn’t measure up anymore. Plus, nowadays Chrome is just a data harvester designed to show hyper targeted ads - so even if Firefox ain’t for you, it’s still worth ditching Google for a different browser.

Legit though I switched to Firefox and it’s so so so much better

i’m gonna keep reblogging this ad infinitum so yall might as well convert now

(via mandaloriandy)

thetimetostrikeislater:

(via marvelingjules)

whirlwindofstuff:

(via theroseandthebeast)

the-composite-doll:

whomst-am-i:

suave-bowlers:

maybeitsfinallytime:

beawriting:

suspend:

only1600kids:

suspend:

i-was-today-years-old-when:

i learned that there is no federal law requiring ingredients in menstrual products to meet a standard of safety. (x)

According to Women’sVoices.Org, “This is especially concerning considering the route of exposure—these products are used in the body and on sensitive vulva tissue, possibly increasing the uptake of chemicals into the body.”

this is incredibly alarming and it’s why popular brands like “always” get away while we suffer the consequences of experiencing extreme cramps and/or skin rashes. this is primarily the reason why i switched to reusable menstrual products three years ago. since switching, i have not suffered any irritations or infections at all.

ps also do your research with whatever reusable product you’re buying. i personally have only tried pads because one piece of period underwear is too expensive for me (plus the pfa’s issue scared me) and cups are too intrusive for me (i just couldnt get it to “get in” sorry if tmi. i just thought id share)

@suspend what type of reusable pad do you use? how do you wash it? what do you do with the used pad while you’re out? isnt using “reusable products” unhygienic and more prone to infections cause you have to “wash it?” how sure are you that its thoroughly washed?

@only1600kids i use reusable pads from cariona. i got the trial pack initially then after going through their flow test, i got the medium flow pack for full period coverage. they also have more affordable options like the starter pack, heavy flow pack etc.

the pads are handwash, machine wash and dryer compatible. i usually handwash it during my shower then machine wash it with my other clothes.

while im out, i just fold it then put it in the waterproof pouch. it doesnt smell nor leak at all. then i just wash it when im ready to shower.

for me, its not really unhygienic. i used to always have skin rashes and infections before reusable products but after switching, i have never had any infections in three years of usage. 

but its all up to what you want. maybe a cup would work more for you or underwear. its just for me, the pads are the most affordable and flexible option because as mentioned, i find cups so uncomfortable and underwear to be super expensive. not to mention, with underwear, if your size changes, you’ll have to buy a whole pack again but thankfully not with pads. hope this helps!

edited: linked the products to easily find them

I love the reusable ones! I didn’t realize how irritated my skin was until I made the switch.

I’ve had the same set of about 15 Cariona pads and pantiliners for the last two years and I’ll never go back. Just like the person above, I put the used ones in the bottom of my shower to soak and squeeze them out toward the end of the shower. Then I wash them with the rest of my clothes in the washer and dryer. They have no odor, are just as soft and absorbant as the day I bought them, and they never ever leak. Sometimes they shift, but that’s my fault for sometimes not wearing cotton undies with them. Regardless, I love them and they have made my menstruation a much more survivable bodily function.

@only1600kids I use the Cariona pads. I usually rinse them out in the sink until the water runs clear then throw them in the washing machine

Yes yes yes yes!!! Cariona runs ads like crazy on this site but I will rb them every time bec they are actually quality!! They work so well, they don’t smell, they’re easy to clean, and they have good options for colors/patterns!! The only downside is that they’re a small investment but I’ve had mine for years now and they hold up to use and vigorous washing well.

I also hand wash my Cariona pads with Dr Bronner’s Castile soap.

I found detergent wash causes slight irritation

(via nathaliehaha)