Fish on the Tree

one: as long as you aren't hurting or, like, being a dick to anyone, just staying in your comfort zone isn't an immoral action. if you just want to read one type of book (or just fanfiction), or just eat one type of food, or just watch one type of movie, or not go to new types of social events, you aren't being a bad person for that, and if people say that, they are soundly wrong and just trying to get a self-righteousness kick.

two: trying new things because you want to expand yourself feels a hell of a lot different than trying new things because you're being forced to. you'll feel better about trying new foods if you know you have a back up familiar one in case you can't stomach the new one, it's easier to read new books if you can experiment with audio versions or reading it in little five-page chunks by yourself, you can breathe a lot easier going somewhere new if you aren't chained there for three hours because your parent is your ride home, etc.

A) unable to judge how much uncomfortable is ok to have to endure (and how much pressure to put on themselves). They are trying to do something which is giving them panic attacks. But yet they promised others and themselves that they would, so they keep forcing themselves to power through it. Seriously, if someone ELSE was pressuring them to do this thing and demanding that they just power through panic attacks, I would be cutting a bitch.

B) when to say no. When to quit. This is related to the above. Many times I have listened to them talk about volunteer projects where the goal posts have moved and they're so stressed and I've been like, "...so quit. Tell them you will do this but not that, especially if you only really volunteered for this not that. And that's it. Beyond that, it's Not Your Problem."

This "I've been forced to do things I don't want to do with no agency forever" situation does real, lasting harm. It can mess up not only your sense of when you can rest and do new things, but also your sense of obligation to the world around you. If fucks with your ability to put any sort of boundary between yourself and others' expectations.

In 2021, Swarovski (the company that makes the very sparkly crystals you see in certain jewelry, on figure-skaters' twinkliest outfits, on red carpet dresses), decided they didn't want the grubby fingers of small-time jewelers, clothing designers and costumers and crafters on their shiny beads and rhinestones anymore. They decided to limit their sales to "luxury" and couture creators, not girls who sell stuff on Etsy. The tenor of their press release on the subject was snide and insulting. Resellers (like your favorite bead shop) would no longer be allowed to carry their product; the average Jane on the street would not be able to purchase them. You could only get them if you had an authorized business agreement that bound you to very strict brand behavior. And those of us who still had good stock of the crystals would no longer be "permitted" to use the brand's name in our listings for sale.

Every bead shop and craft supply place and many, many small clothing makers--wedding shops, prom and dancing dress suppliers, the sort of salt of the Earth mom and pop time machines of shops that are the backbone of the field--scrambled to find something that could replace them. The last of the stock dwindled quickly, all of us grabbing what we could get while there was any chance of it, and then it was gone and we no longer had any access.

I was Big Pissed about it at the time. It was just so goddamn stuck-up, when wholesalers and indie jewelers had made them so much money, when some people I knew--when *I!*--had been brand-loyal for decades. But with no recourse, everyone pivoted fairly quickly, most of us to Preciosa Crystals. Those are Czech, quite sparkly, and considerably less expensive than Swarovski. The faceting method they use is different, but not worse; any differences are hardly noticeable when you're seeing them as a hundred pinpoints of light.

Well, out of nowhere, Swarovski just dropped this: https://www.harmanbeads.com/swarovski-brand-policy-update

"Effective June 1, 2026, Swarovski updated the distribution and brand usage policies introduced in 2021. Businesses may now purchase Swarovski Crystals without signing a Brand Control Agreement, and Authorized Distribution Partners may once again sell Swarovski Crystals to resellers, including bead stores and online retailers. Businesses may also use the Swarovski brand name when following Swarovski’s Proper Use Guidelines. Designers, manufacturers, artists, brands, retailers, and resellers are now eligible to purchase Swarovski Crystals through authorized distribution channels."

They want us back. A lot of the companies who could have kept a brand relationship with them also have swapped to Preciosa, over the last half-decade, in solidarity with indie creators and out of a sour awareness that it could be them, next. And it doesn't hurt that Preciosa was able to expand their line quite a bit now that everyone who wanted sparkle had no choice but to go to them.

And I'm not seeing nearly anyone who intends to return. The feeling is, "Y'all told us to fuck off! Off we fucked! And now, that's what you can do, too!" I'm seeing a lot of "How many of us did you stab in the back?" comments from the people whose money they're hoping to attract.

one: as long as you aren't hurting or, like, being a dick to anyone, just staying in your comfort zone isn't an immoral action. if you just want to read one type of book (or just fanfiction), or just eat one type of food, or just watch one type of movie, or not go to new types of social events, you aren't being a bad person for that, and if people say that, they are soundly wrong and just trying to get a self-righteousness kick.

two: trying new things because you want to expand yourself feels a hell of a lot different than trying new things because you're being forced to. you'll feel better about trying new foods if you know you have a back up familiar one in case you can't stomach the new one, it's easier to read new books if you can experiment with audio versions or reading it in little five-page chunks by yourself, you can breathe a lot easier going somewhere new if you aren't chained there for three hours because your parent is your ride home, etc.

You also have zombie apocalypse nightmares? I had so many of those I couldn't count them, I thought I was the only one with this stupid problem.

At my workplace, we have this resident who loves to complain. And, as is often the case, he is picky about his food. Recently the breakfast special included scrambled eggs with salsa and cheese. He sent the kitchen a note that read: “chickens don’t eat salsa! Why would you put that on eggs?” Now, this is a fascinating stance because:

1.) …they…don’t? These omnivorous yard dinosaurs? Since when?

2.) is he implying that he wants chicken feed on his eggs?

3.) no problem with the cheese for some reason???

4.) coming back to the omnivorous yard dinosaur point, I’m under the impression that many chickens would actively have to be STOPPED from eating salsa

Anyway, I hope you got a smile out of this.

That's hilarious! If I worked in that kitchen I would put chicken feed on his eggs next time. I would get fired, but my god. He deserves that.

Chickens would also absolutely eat salsa. They shouldn't really have onions but if it was made without them then yeah they'd go ham safely!

Everyone knows that chickens, famously not mammals and therefore have little ability to suggest lactose, love to eat cheese. That's not even a joke, they do. They would fight god for cheese which isn't really saying a lot they'd fight god for no reason.

"roosting" for the night.

My PLAN this year was to keep them outside as much as possible. But with the loss of one EV already, and with how lackluster the health of the one Bug has is, I'm barely letting her out of my sight. It has been a harrowing day today as I tried to find SOME food this little shit is excited about, but she hates everything. She turned her nose up at superworms, the treat that causes chaos, mayhem, and outright war when I give it to literally any other bird because they all want to eat their weight in them.

After trying a dozen different things, I finally gave up. I was pawing through my supply of tube feeding chow, wondering how I was going to tube a creature so small, when I thought well, she's drinking on her own at least. Maybe she'll drink water that is the equivalent of Toast Water. Which is basically water soaked toast that's stained and given to sick people back in history. I don't even remember where I read about it. But I thought I could try it.

So I made bird soup. Which Bug freaking LOVES, it's just normal feed soaked in enough water it's soapy instead of damp like most of the birds prefer. And this little girl FINALLY FINALLY FINALLY got excited and started gulping down quantities of food, fishing it out of the water to eat chunks.

It's up there with them. She's the one in the back you can barely see- she's drinking after eating.

So, after tickstravaganza earlier this week and medicating them for eimeria, I hope that this last hurdle means she can get some serious recovery in.

I really just have to summarize Thomas's entire life:

He was in a committed relationship with a male swan named Henry for 18-24 years before a female swan named Henrietta showed up and mated with Henry.

Thomas was initially jealous of the pair and attacked them, breaking 2 of the 5 eggs Henrietta had laid. However, once the remaining eggs hatched, Thomas warmed up to them and helped raise them.

Henry couldn't fly because of an injured wing, so Thomas taught the cygnets how to fly.

When they needed to reduce the goose population in the pond where Thomas and the swans lived, they dyed Thomas's feathers red so he wouldn't be separated from Henry.

Henry, Henrietta, and Thomas remained in their happy throuple for years and raised 68 cygnets before Henry died in 2009. After Henry's death, Henrietta found another swan and flew away, leaving Thomas alone.

Thomas finally met and mated with a female goose in 2011 and had his own babies. However, another goose named George stole them and raised them himself.

As Thomas grew elderly and blind, he was relocated to a wildlife center where he raised orphaned cygnets.

His caretaker at the center described him as "pretty high maintenance."

Thomas died in 2018 at the age of around 40. He had a funeral that included a small coffin and a procession that was led by a bagpiper. He was buried under the stone where Henry was buried, the two finally reunited in death.