The Goofball Gathering

Wolf reintroduction in Yellowstone has changed the ecosystem *significantly*.

One remarkable thing that was not predicted that demonstrates how interlinked these things are:

Wolf eat elk.

Elk eat fewer willows.

Willows become healthier.

Number of beavers increase.

Number of songbirds increase.

Overall health of streams increases.

Number of fish increases.

Water table stabilizes.

This is called a “trophic cascade” and we normally see them as bad things. But a positive trophic cascade is an amazing thing, and apparently nobody predicted this one.

What they didn’t predict was that wolf predation would keep elk on the move so they wouldn’t overgraze a specific area.

When the elk overgrazed the willows, they removed the best source of food for beavers during the winter.

Last year was a vivid example, and also one of the worst fasts I’ve ever done. My history teacher assigned us a full paper, insisting that it was reasonable since we had the entire day to do it. As one of the few practicing Jews in my class, I immediately objected because not only was that unfair, it was actually impossible to do without serious harm to my own health.

Because Yom Kippur started that very night with a solid two hours of services. I would go home, eat dinner (at like 4:30 because you have to do it before services), change, and then be at synagogue. Services would go until at least 8 o’clock, which meant I would get home around 9.

See any time for homework in there?

Now, pretend you’re me for a moment here. Services tomorrow morning start at 9, and you usually want to get there earlier unless you’re willing to end up in an overflow room. So staying up late to do it isn’t an option if you want more than four hours of sleep.

Now, it depends on how religious you are, and you can pick and choose, but there’s services more or less throughout the entire day on Yom Kippur. If you want to attend, which should absolutely be an option without compromising yourself academically, then you’ll be there until break the fast comes.

That’s right! You’ve been fasting all day, because that is an absolutely key part of Yom Kippur. (If you are under age thirteen, are pregnant, or are sick you are exempt but otherwise fasting is expected.) There are many reasons—reminding yourself of your mortality, to remember the sufferings of others—but ultimately it’s not an opt-out kind of thing.

But when can you break the fast exactly? It actually varies! Because it’s meant to be done one hour after sundown (25 hours total), but that’s a little different each year. It’s usually around 8 pm, which would be when services end for the day.

Now you can eat! Let’s aim low and give it half an hour to get home from services, and then another hour and a half to actually break the fast.

It’s 10 o’clock. You’ve only just eaten and your stomach probably hurts, because stuffing yourself after a fast can be really bad for your health. You’re back home for the first time all day.

You still have a paper to write.

How is that fair? If I’ve just gotten off of a fast, having spent all day immersed in religion and contemplating my own mortality, I’m not gonna be in a place to do any kind of work, academic or not.

And even if I’d had breaks in services (I can’t stay still all day, so I usually head home for a few hours in the middle), I was still fasting. When I’m hungry I have trouble working, for obvious reasons. And in this case the issue isn’t access, but the fact that I am prohibited from eating anything. Depending on how seriously you take it, you might not even have had water today. I fast with water after nearly passing out from dehydration during a fast for Tisha B’Av, but not everyone does! If you haven’t had anything to eat or drink, it’ll be incredibly difficult to focus on writing anything.

I explained all of this to my teacher, and she instead said I could just turn it in late. She also said I’d still be marked down for late work, so how is that any help?

I did that paper the day after. It was a day late, a few points off, but I held it against my teacher for months. Not because of the grade itself, but because she put me in that situation to begin with.

I should have been allowed to observe Yom Kippur. I should have been able to spend the day thinking and reflecting on my mistakes and contemplating my own life. That’s literally what the holiday is for. But instead I spent the whole time with that stupid grade in the back of my head.

Even on what is arguably the holiest day of the Jewish calendar, I still wasn’t given a break.

… but… Bees consent. NO. I’M NOT KIDDING.

How? Bee hives aren’t kept on leashes. They’re outside, the bees can travel miles every day. They follow their queen. Who is also outside, not on a leash, and can travel miles every day. If she doesn’t like the hive for any reason - for example: it got too hot, too cold, too messy, too filled with sugary stuff and they need more space… then the queen leaves. And with her the hive.

The queen stays in the hive because the hive is the best place to live. Period. Done. End of. If the hive is staying with the beekeeper it’s because the keeper is doing their job correctly and keeping them happy because the bees can, and do, leave bad beekeepers.

BROOOO

i included a photo below beside my switch for comparison of how big the xl and overnight pads are (i love using both for for nighttime use). daily, i use my regular pads and when working out/post-period, i use the liners.

the amazing part is that it now comes with two buttons to snap it tighter!!!

No thanks.

I personally get mine from here, which is a UK based company, and I can’t find any info on them that says they donate to causes I don’t support, but it’s always worth checking where your money’s going.

I’ve been using their pads exclusively for several years now and have no complaints. Also the flannel ones are v comfy. Highly recommend. They also sell accessories to help make pads fit better depending on your needs, such as the wing extender which work with wider underpants like boy shorts.

Edit: I just borrowed a pair of ETD’s underwear and the wing extenders make the Queen and Super Overnight pads fit both his briefs and boxers with full coverage, if that info helps anyone. You could probably even get away with a medium pad on an extender with briefs if you veer toward a size small/medium. The boxers did feel a little bunched to me, but that might also be because his underwear is much too big for me 😅

Also if anyone would like 30% off their first order here’s my “refer a friend” link. I’m not sponsored, I just like discounts and shark themed menstrual pads.

I would legit cackle in happiness for spiderman or batman themed pads but be bummed out if the pattern gets permanently obscured by bloodstains after the first use.

What kind of laundering needs doing to get blood stains out. And how do you change a used pad for a new one when its all gross and full of that gnarly thick uterine lining goop. Do you have to wipe it off in the toilet bowl and the wrap it in a special bag or you’re carrying bloody goop in your purse?

What stops them from twisting around with your walking until its wrongly button side up?

2) Here’s a trick for getting blood out of fabrics that my mam taught me, for the love of gods don’t soak them in hot or boiling water, hot water sets the stain. If you really want to keep them as stain free as possible, throw them into a bucket with cold water and pour some regular old salt on top. Salt draws blood stains out. Let steep for at least 20 mins. Take it out, rinse in cold water, throw it into the washer on normal. Never ruin a pair of jeans again, you’re welcome.

2.5) The underside of these pads is a waterproof nylony material, so while you can wipe them off with some toilet paper to make them easier to handle if you need to, they fold up like this:

(This is one of my unicorn flannel ones that’s like 3 years old and while not as pristine as it first was this can give you an idea of how they clean up with proper care. PS sorry for lack of captions for anyone who needs them I’ll try to come back and add them)

Party pads also sells waterproof bags you can keep them in if you’re out and about and know you might need to change.

3) Getting the correct fit stops them from twisting round. For some of us that means needing to use an extender so that it doesn’t bunch up and swivel. Or you might find they work better with a wider crotched piece of underwear. I prefer to wear boy shorts with them for that reason. But they work with briefs fine too, that’s more just a my body type thing.

On June 11th, Michael Hickson, a quadriplegic black man with COVID-19 was killed by a hospital in Austin Texas.

Doctors decided he had "no quality of life" an was not worth spending the resources to save.

The conversation between his doctor and his wife was caught on audio 1/?

[description of image: a photo of Hickson, lying in a hospital bed and smiling for the camera /description]

Doctor: So as of right now, his quality of life -- he doesn't have much of one.

Melissa: What do you mean? Because he's paralyzed with a brain injury he doesn’t have quality of life?

Doctor: Correct.

--

Hickson was refused food or treatment for 6 days

In the YouTube video, the doctor can be heard saying "he will have lines and tubes coming out of his body... That's not quality-of-life"

I have tubes coming out of my body. I happen to like my life. Without those tubes I'd be dead

Our definition of quality is vastly different

So, when you see me repeatedly yelling about masks, paying attention to disabled people, and you don't understand why I tweet with passion, remember this.

I'm fighting to change culture that doesn't see disabled life as quality. many of us are afraid and rightly so.

LaBlaq @LoveAndShalom

Please, please, please don't sweep this under the rug. Your disabled friends are in danger.

“No one has offered condolences. There has never been an apology or acknowledgment of his death. It’s like they just don’t care,”

#disabled not disposable