May our stories catch fire (and burn bright)

I applaud the effort that went into this seconds-long bit.

For anyone who wants a side-by-side comparison to appreciate everything that moved, here you go:

I saw this video about a doctor who performed an MRI on a 5 year old and discovered she essentially had “brain damage” from excessive iPad use, as the white matter in her brain couldn’t form properly due to an understimulated environment.

“This 5 year old is brain damaged by excessive iPad use”

“Children don’t have the strength to hold pencils anymore because they only use screens.”

People will see a study suggesting children with higher screen times have poorer or negative developmental outcomes and immediately say it’s the screens causing this, and not the more likely fact that higher screen time = less engagement time with their environment, physical exercise, parents, family, and their peers, all of which are NECESSARY for a healthy upbringing as a social species.

I listened to the defence lawyers make a request that the word ‘rape’ not be used, in order to preserve the presumption of innocence. One proposed ‘sexual relations’. One of the judges suggested ‘sex scene’. I was fuming inside, but from the bench where I sat, I wasn’t allowed to react. I had to restrain myself. All the time. Restrain myself while my lawyers responded. Restrain myself when the presiding judge asked a doctor if my vaginal secretions might be a sign of pleasure. Restrain myself when a female lawyer sneered at a medical examiner testifying to the gravity of my physical condition, ‘Oh, let’s weep for Madame Pelicot, shall we?’ I will not record her name here, nor those of her colleagues, nor those of the defendants. Not out of any consideration for them — their identities are easy enough to find online or in the court records — but so that they will be remembered only for what they are: parrots, deplorable mouthpieces, violent, cowardly little people. I want all that remains of them to be the words they used to trample over me, to reduce one woman — and therefore all women — to absolute submission in the name of male domination.

it’s sooo funny when rude customers encounter employees who can deny them service for the first time.

One summer I was running ferry rides across a lake so people could see the waterfalls without walking 6 miles when a guy snapped my bra strap as he was boarding the boat. So i immediately threw him off, he started yelling for my manager, my boss cheerfully informed him that, yeah, she’s the captain of the boat and she can kick off anyone she wants. He goes to storm off, looks expectantly at his girlfriend, and she just goes, “Well, I’M not walking six miles, Michael! I’ll meet you back at the car!” and sits right back down!!!!

i once had this fucker come up to order a beer. while i pour it he shows me the wanky fucking chemical structure tattoo on his arm and he’s like “hey. you know what this is” i was like “nah sorry” (never cared abt chemistry in school, plus having to look at a some rando’s pretentious tattoo gives me the douche chills). he decides to respond with “heh. you must not read many books”

it just feels so sunshiney like laying on the grass with the sun on your face

i’m getting ready to yeehaw