Riez

Me: “I work on a computer all day.”

Doctor: “Ah. That will do it. Right, so here’s a script for anti-inflammatories and a muscle relaxer. Also try hot and cold on it, 15 minutes each, and then gentle movements between each round. You’ll feel better in about a week.”

Me: “In a week I’m still going to need to work on the computer.”

Doctor: “And here’s also a script for 6 months of Physical Therapy.”

Me: “In 6 months I’m still going to need to work at a computer.”

Doctor: “And take breaks and do stretches between meetings?”

Me: “They book me in back to back meetings where I work. I eat lunch at my computer. I have to excuse myself to go pee.”

Doctor: “…”

Me: “…”

Doctor: “Um… it sounds like this job is actually, literally, killing you? Can you possibly work someplace else?” *

———

Me: “I work on a computer all day.”

Doctor: “Ah. That will do it. Right, so here’s a script for anti-inflammatories and a muscle relaxer. Also try hot and cold on it, 15 minutes each, and then gentle movements between each round. You’ll feel better in about a week.”

Me: “In a week I’m still going to need to work on the computer.”

Doctor: “And here’s also a script for 6 months of Physical Therapy.”

Me: “In 6 months I’m still going to need to work at a computer.”

Doctor: “And take breaks and do stretches between meetings?”

Me: “They book me in back to back meetings where I work. I eat lunch at my computer. I have to excuse myself to go pee.”

Doctor: “…”

Me: “…”

Doctor: “Um… it sounds like this job is actually, literally, killing you? Can you possibly work someplace else?” *

———

This shit made national news. It got addressed on Law & Order. It drove people out of their homes. It is not hyperbolic to say that it was a factor in turning fascism from something we ALL knew was evil into a "legitimate" political stance according to the American Overton window.

The link in the reblog above leads to a great video breaking down all of what was involved, but the tl;dr is: this was a far-right hate movement composed entirely of people who were radicalized in fan space. These were men who, going in, mostly had the popular level of a lot of biases, but were radicalized into a full-on fascist fervor by the fear that their leisure space, their hobbies, would be stolen or changed.

In my honest opinion, Gamergate should be remembered as a case study in how hobby drama can easily become a lot bigger than hobby drama if enough of the motivation behind it is based in real-world bigotry.

Part of the downfall of Gamergate was outsiders calling out the venue that started it for the petty bullshit it was, but that's something of a double-edged sword - now we barely remember that the impact was not petty bullshit at all. Those random-ass Just Some Dudes who got radicalized into fascism? Most of them are still fash; their regrets about their GG involvement mostly boil down to "I can't believe I wasted so much energy on how this hurts GAMING". The rise of Breitbart? Gave us the political hellscape we're currently still trapped in. Some of the people who they attacked only became stronger due to the backlash, but others - the less visible, smaller targets, largely POC - actually had their livelihoods ruined, and even the better protected targets who ended up better off on paper went through a LOT of shit that no person should ever have to go through.

So when I see people in fan space using queerphobic, racist, ableist rhetoric to defend their stake in fan wars, when I notice people hearing "hey maybe don't harass random queer strangers online over fandom bullshit, especially not at the behest of OTHER strangers whose motivations you do not know" as "YIPPEE I LOVE SEXUAL ABUSE" and slinging accusations straight up using the EXACT language of right-wingers proposing queerphobic legislation, or defending """""ironic""""" racist hate symbols in fanart in the name of "freedom of expression" EXACTLY like any alt-righter, no, that's not just "petty fan drama" anymore.

*pinches nose*

Fellas, is it cultural appropriation to inherit your family's culture but you don't pass the blood quantum test?

Spin the wheel again. That’s who’s trying to protect you.

(If you have zero idea about a name you got, spin until you see someone you recognize.)

Thriving: "I got this"

Calm and steady with minor mood fluctuations

Able to take things in stride

Consistent performance

Able to take feedback and to adjust to changes or plans

Able to focus

Able to communicate effectively

Normal sleep patterns and appetite

Surviving: "Something isn't right"

Nervousness, sadness, increased mood fluctuations

Inconsistent performance

More easily overwhelmed or irritated

Increased need for control and difficulty adjusting to changes

Trouble sleeping or eating

Activities and relationships you used to enjoy seem less interesting or even stressful

Muscle tension, low energy, headaches

Struggling: "I can't keep this up"

Persistent fear, panic, anxiety, anger, pervasive sadness, hopelessness

Exhaustion

Poor performance and difficulty making decisions or concentrating

Avoiding interaction with coworkers, family and friends

Fatigue, aches and pains

Restless, disturbed sleep

Self-medicating with substances, food, or other numbing activities

In Crisis: "I can't survive this"

Disabling distress and loss of function

Panic attacks

Nightmares or flashbacks

Unable to fall or stay asleep

Intrusive thoughts

Thoughts of self-harm or suicide

Easily enraged or aggressive

Careless mistakes and inability to focus

Feeling numb, lost, or out of control

Withdrawal from relationships

Dependence on substances, food, or other numbing activities to cope

And was like, uh, are you missing something there, buddy? Like all that red in northern Africa? Because that's a lot of red.

And I was going to give them the benefit of doubt, since I don't know much about the climate in Northern Africa, aside from Morroco and Egypt, which seem like really hot places, so you know, maybe it's normal there?

But nope, that's not the case:

Some selections from the article:

"The region has been experiencing some of the most intense heat waves in recent years, but in many cases they’ve been under-reported due to misconceptions about Africans’ ability to withstand them.

“Africa is seen as a sunny and hot continent,” said Amadou Thierno Gaye, a research scientist and professor at Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar, the capital of Senegal. “People think we are used to heat, but we are having high temperatures for a longer duration. Nobody is used to this.”

There's worse to come, folks. Strap in and stay strapped.

if I make these links clickable they'll get deleted so please copy and paste them:

Livestream: https://www.twitch.tv/enderempress

BISEXUALS GROW FROM THE GROUND