Never say die till you're dead

I've started treating myself like I would a dog that's going to chew through the house when it's bored. I walk myself. I seek activities that make my brain feel less like depressed sludge. I ask my body what it needs; I rest, I enjoy rest. I don't see it as a waste or unproductive. I see it as allowing my body to do its job of working better. I lean into appreciating my natural features. I'm a hunk of flesh. I can be ugly. I can decide that ugly is appealing. I can not care. Whatever. I started emphasizing little things that nourish my relationship(s), shelving distractions more, so I can relish the time I have with loved ones. I specifically pursue pleasure--dopamine--not just quick hits from scrolling social media but getting off my ass. Engaging. Cooking myself nice meals and making fucking art, man. Things that make my spirit feel more alive than I have for years. I ask myself what it is I want rather than only doing what I'm supposed to be doing. And it doesn't mean shirk every responsibility, it means recognizing you're one of your fucking responsibilities. It's reordering. I realized I'm going to die happy or unhappy and either way I'm just as dead in a given amount of years, and I choose to die happy and fulfilled.

Everything else can get fucked ad infinitum.

However, the idea of what a man can be has not expanded in the same way. Every man has to be stoic, loud, take up space, and never show weakness. Allowing men to be sensitive, emotional, soft, pretty, and feminine used to be one of the goals of feminism. After all, how are we supposed to see ourselves as truly equal if we still have such strict rules guiding gendered behavior?

Recently, I have seen feminism (trans exclusionary and trans inclusive) solidifying those strict rules of manhood instead of breaking them down. The idea that all men are agressive, stubborn, and will physically overpower you has been parroted so many times, it almost feels like fact. It is forcing —not the men themselves— but the idea of men into the role of the evil wrongdoer. The ways in which terfs have used this image to harm trans women are myriad and obvious.

It used to be common knowledge that feminism also ought to benefit men in this way. If the sexes were truly equal, then men could act feminine, and women could act masculine without social repercussions. This breakdown of gender roles is a good thing! It is freeing for all of us to remove the arbitrary rules guiding gendered behavior.

For example, if there are 2 democrats running for senator for a state, there is probably going to be one that you prefer over the other. The current political parties have different 'groups' within them, and just because someone is a democrat, does not automatically mean they will do a good job in office. The primaries allows citizens of every state to have a say in who represents the party in the final election on November 3rd, 2026.

The primary election dates vary by state, with some starting in March, and some running as late as September. Primaries typically have low voter turnouts, which is why it is so important that everyone who is able to votes in them.

There are a few types of primaries, which I will list below:

Closed primary - You can only vote in the primary if you are registered Democrat or Republican, and must vote with the party you are registered with (Ex. Registered Democrat votes in the Democratic primary to select the Democrat candidate)

Partially Closed - same rules as above, BUT unaffiliated/independent voters can choose one parties primary to participate in as long as the political party allows it (Ex. Registered Independent votes in the Republican primary to select the Republican candidate)

Partially Open - Voters choose a party when registering, but they can switch their party at the time of voting (Ex. Registered Republican decides to vote in the Democratic primary, and they will now be registered as Democrat after voting)

Open Primary - Any voter can choose which party's primary they want to participate in

Open to unaffiliated voter primaries - unaffiliated/independent voters can choose one parties primary to participate in, but those registered to a political party must vote only in the primary for the party they are registered for

Multi-Party Primary - Everyone votes in the same primary, and the top 2 or 4 candidates are chosen to run on the ballot

Knowing this info can help you choose which party to register for when you register to vote.

Please note, registering as a certain party and voting and that parties primary does not mean you have to vote with them on November 3rd, 2026. Someone can register republican, vote in the republican primary, but still vote for a democrat in the actual Midterm.

The type of primary varies by state, so please check here for your states info.

Free Harvard courses. Free Courses from Stanford. Free Courses from MIT. Free courses from Yale. Free courses from Princeton.

Free courses on Coursera.

Free Courses on EDx Free Courses on Alison

For paid, there's The Great Courses+/Wonderium. 20$ a month for unlimited courses.

And I also wanted to mention that humanitarian organisations have free courses too, like the Red Cross on international humanitarian law.

The best way to vet illustrations is to find the source and see if the original artist/poster has things in that same art style; whether or not they post wips, sketches, etc.; or whether they straight up claim or display more obviously AI art. Going over visual art with a fine-toothed comb is almost never going to help you and will result in false positives and therefore false accusations against actual artists.

*takes some piece of non-ai art from a new artist still learning their craft and exhaustively points out every single tiny mistake they made, going on about how only a computer would do that and the art is evil soulless garbage, drives the artist away from the communities where they should be receiving support and help and turns them away from digital art before they have a chance to get comfortable and grow*

*screenshots a piece of art from a very competent artist and incorrectly points out a bunch of "mistakes" because they don't understand the piece, drags down the artist's career by starting false rumours about how they use ai*

*accidentally starts harassment campaign against photographers who are pushing the bounds of lighting in photography because good lighting "looks ai" then start harrassing some kid experimenting with making 3d models of anime characters because screenshots of 3d models are "too smooth' and "must be AI"*

I've been banned and harassed off two platforms due to fake AI allegations, despite linking proof. And you can tell that they aren't doing that with good intentions, because they never, NEVER apologize for slander multiple people often participate in, picking artwork apart.

reblog it twice and force it

down everyone’s throats

mom, how do i...?

and dad, how do i...?

^ there are tons of other resources but these two will teach you some personal hygiene, home or apartment repairs, easy recipes and basic cleaning techniques, even how to schedule doctor's appointments

if youre a renter i cannot recommend the trans handyma'am enough, mercury is a lifesaver, and her channel and accounts are always accepting new questions

Rest stop on the Appalachian Trail Maine

“The notion that people panic and run screaming for the exits is a Hollywood fiction,” said Prof Stephen Reicher, an expert in group behaviour at the University of St Andrews.

“Characteristically, people stay and help each other,” he said. “We found this during the 7/7 attacks on the underground and the 1999 attack on the Admiral Duncan pub in London, where people looked after each other even though they feared other bombs.

“In our own research on the Leytonstone tube attack in 2015, there was an amazing level of spontaneous coordination by bystanders: some directed others away from danger. Some distracted the attacker. Some confronted the attacker. Each was able to act because of the others. Heroism was a feature of the group, not just the individual,” he added.

When the train disembarked, in a long stream of people marching purposefully across the station in the usual commuter way, I decided to pull out of the main traffic and lean against a railing to recover a bit, being interestingly pale. I'm a very competent and cool person, a long way out from my first rodeo. I certainly am FASCINATINGLY pale when ill, and am attractive in my way for strangers to look at twice, but I hadn't thought it was to the extent of the attention I received.

Over the course of pulling myself together, five people departing from the train, of a huge diversity of backgrounds, came over and spoke to me. A woman offered me water. Another offered to stay with me. A brisk woman with a wheelie-case, a healthcare-professional's confidence and an unreadable but trustworthy-looking lanyard, politely but firmly took my pulse. I guess I looked that green.

A magnificent elderly tweedy gentleman, about 200 years old, had a whole instinctive flowchart of time-honed chivalric suggestions: escort to bench? provide arm for support? provide mint from 200-year-old tin? summon train staff to the lady's side? PROVIDE HANDKERCHIEF? He bowed majestically when I declined his assistance, but I rather wished I had needed his help for something. He had such a splendid bearing, and locked-in programme! He didn't even need to second-guess himself or make any new decisions! There was no overlay of social anxiety; it was utterly part of his molecular framework! IF Ladylike Object IS Deathly Pale, THEN: give > mint!

(There's the caveat that immediately-obvious public transport crises and other mid-range disasters, as outlined in the OP, are a prime example of when people living in the UK tend become more organised in a crisis, not less. It isn't a great place to get case studies since a lot of people living in the UK are quietly holding themselves in readiness for the day when they can participate in being a Collective Hero of Public Transport.)