justsayin59

Excerpt:

The Trump administration has pulled federal funding for an annual report chronicling the changing environment of the Arctic, where rapid warming is upending ecosystems, reconfiguring trade routes and scrambling Great Power strategy.

Every year for the past two decades, the Arctic Report Card has provided a checkup on the health of the region, which is heating up at several times the pace of the rest of the globe. Sea ice has dwindled. Snow cover has shrunk. Glaciers are thinning out. Tundra vegetation has grown more abundant, leading to wildfires that burn through huge areas.

Now, the report’s coordinator and publisher, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, is withdrawing its support for the report card. In a statement on Tuesday, Kim Doster, the agency’s director of communications, didn’t provide a reason.

“Coordination of the 2026 Arctic Report Card will not be facilitated through NOAA,” Ms. Doster said. “All data historically contributed by NOAA to the product will continue to be collected and will remain publicly available.”

In her statement, Ms. Doster said other NOAA programs would continue to support research in the Arctic that contributes to “national security, weather prediction, safety of navigation and the economic vitality of coastal communities.”

Each year’s Arctic Report Card compiled data collected by many researchers and multiple agencies in addition to NOAA. It drew on the expertise of hundreds of scientists and other specialists around the world. Its aim was to document the extraordinary transformation of a region where human activities — fishing, shipping and mineral exploration, to name just a few — are uniquely dependent on environmental factors.

The broad importance of climate and ecological changes in the Arctic is why NOAA worked to ensure that each year’s report would be relevant to many kinds of people and organizations, including Indigenous communities, businesses and the military, said Rick Spinrad, the oceanographer who led NOAA during the Biden administration.

The relationship between government spending, economic policies, and the financial well-being of the working class is a subject of intense debate among Democrats, Liberals and Progressives, It is completely ignored by Trump and his Stooges. While they make Billions just Wheeling, Dealing and Stealing. Everyone has seen that large-scale spending, tax cuts, and tariffs have driven up national debt and consumer prices, disproportionately affecting low-income households. The Working Classes suffer.

Well, I don’t think I have actually written a post like that yet and I also think you may overestimate how many literal kids there are on tumblr - but since you’re handing out awards, here’s some gentle, non-judgemental info on masturbation like a good dad would offer if asked (since teens and young people deserve honest answers to make empowered choices):

Masturbation is a very common activity. It’s generally safe and healthy and it even comes with some benefits: 

it’s only you, meaning there’s no risk of pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases! 

it’s a safe way to explore your own likes and dislikes and to try out fantasies you may have, without the emotional entanglement of involving another person (yet or at all). 

it can’t break your heart. Sex with another person requires a lot of trust and communication and you shouldn’t rush into that just to try it out.

it can be a fun way to get to know your own body, and knowing your own body is important to take care of your health! Knowing what’s going on down there is a good thing. 

It’ll not ruin sex with a (future) partner. Many actually experience the opposite: getting to know your body and learning about your preferences solo actually makes sex with a partner more enjoyable and relaxed. 

It may bring physical health benefits: it’s like a mini workout after all, plus orgasms are known to be healthy for you! 

It can be a stress-relief and even helps some people sleep better. 

It can actually help you live according to your values. For example, if you’re single and do not wish to have sex outside of longterm relationships, masturbation can help satisfy your needs without sacrificing your beliefs for a one night stand. 

It allows you full flexibility without having to explain anything. You don’t like orgasms? You can just stop before you reach that point. You like to be perfectly quiet? Nobody expects you to moan if it’s only you. 

It also doesn’t really have any side effects or negative consequences in general. Ideas such as „masturbation causes mental illness“ or even „masturbation leads to blindness“ are outdated medical myths. There’s no scientific evidence for that at all and it comes from times with limited knowledge on sexual health plus very strict beliefs around „sexual purity“. Modern medicine considers masturbation a healthy activity most people do. 

Things you should keep in mind are just: 

You should wash your hands before. While you can’t give yourself STDs (unless you touched someone else’s genitalia or fluids right before), you may have other germs or irritants on your hands that you don’t want down there. Also wash your hands after, that’s just basic hygiene and respect for the next person you shake hands with. 

Masturbation doesn’t always require putting something inside of you. But if you do want to, please only use products specifically designed for that (or your fingers). Things that weren’t made for that purpose might hurt or injure you, or they could even get stuck or break off inside of you. 

If you don’t enjoy masturbation, you don’t need to do it. While it’s a great activity for many, it’s still just an activity. Just like hiking or playing cards or singing: if you don’t enjoy it, you’re not missing out on anything by not doing it. 

Lastly, I also want to address this common question: 

Masturbation doesn’t always involve pornography. Many use their own imagination or even just enjoy the touch without any (inner) movie playing. You do not need to use porn to masturbate. 

But if (and only if) porn is something you’re curious about and maybe something you’re worried about (is it unethical or weird etc), please know: 

it’s a very common thing to be curious about and it’s also something many people regularly consume. 

Know that, just as with online content of other genres, shocking or extreme content sometimes gets the most clicks. This doesn’t mean it’s representative of what most people enjoy or want in real life. 

Sex in porn is staged. It’s meant to look good, not be realistic. Be aware that it’s not a good source for sexual education. 

The problems with the porn industry are mainly problems with the industry (such as unsafe working conditions, unfair wages etc.). The ethical problem isn’t the sex itself. 

Trump is AGAIN trying to get his name put on the Kennedy Center – despite a court ruling against him regarding that.

He has packed the Kennedy Center Board with MAGA nutcakes who are willing to pander to his narcissistic whims.

Democrats need to issue a blunt statement saying that any renaming of federal buildings, placement of his image or signature on documents, or altering the names of geographic locations will be reversed. Furthermore, any garish buildings or additions to buildings he puts up will be demolished and the cost of demolition and restoration of these parcels to their original state will be paid for by seizure of Trump family properties.

In the vid, Harry Sisson described Trump perfectly at this stage...

I think Trump, and I'll say this bluntly, is a sad, pathetic, and weak man and his greatest fear is being realized. If the Democrats sweep the midterms, we take the House and take the Senate, God willing, he fears irrelevancy. He wants to be the star of the show, and after that, he won't be anymore.