sickkarter

the last time I reblogged this post right before I got a great job, in a permanent work-from-home position, with benefits, retirement, and a salary literally 3x what I was making before, doing something I really like. 

So you know. 

i have a file or folder on my pc that i want to share with other people. let's call it gayshit.mp3

unfortunately gayshit.mp3 is 750mb and im not paying for discord nitro so i need another way to send it

i put it into qbittorrent and it makes a torrent file. this is essentially a very small file that points to gayshit.mp3 so other computers can find it. kinda like a treasure map

i send this tiny file to my friend, who loads it into qbittorrent. their computer takes a moment to find mine over the vast expanse of cyberspace and then (as long as my pc is running and the file is still where it should be), it gets copied from my hard drive to theirs

this is the cool part: if somebody else loads that tiny file, they can download it from both of us. if i'm offline but my friend is on, the third person can still get it. this also means that if two people have separate halves of the file, they can download the other half from each other. as long as some combination of people have the pieces between them, they can all have the whole thing.

crucially this does not require a server!!! you can just upload the file to a few people and as long as they keep it, it's still accessible. as long as somebody, somewhere is still connected, it's available forever. the only way it goes away is if everybody disconnects from it.

Via Authors Against Book Bans - May 29, 2026

Three federal book ban bills are currently alive in the United States Congress:

HR 7661

Status: Passed out of committee; to be introduced in the House Would amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) to prohibit federal funds from being used for any material deemed “sexually oriented.” Buried within that definition is language that includes material that “involves gender dysphoria or transgenderism.” While framed as protecting children, the bill opens the door to banning books that include LGBTQ+ characters, defining trans existence as inherently inappropriate, and narrowing literature toward a prescribed, limited canon. In short: Would treat any LGBTQ+ identity as sexual content.

HR 2616

Status: Passed the House; referred to a Senate committee Would withhold ESEA funding from schools that “teach or advance concepts related to gender ideology,” using definitions from Executive Order 14168. It frames itself as protecting children. In practice, it represents another attempt to eliminate not only trans and nonbinary books, but also any acknowledgment of gender non‑conforming people in public education. In short: Would deny the existence of trans and nonbinary people.

HR 8705

Status: Passed out of committee; to be introduced in the House Rather than naming specific books or categories of literature, it blocks federal funding for American History and Civics Education from being used to promote what it calls “discriminatory equity ideology” or “gender ideology,” definitions drawn from a January 29, 2025 executive order. Likely impacts would include fewer books on racism and civil rights, less discussion of sexism and inequality, narrower civics curricula, and publishers pulling back on diverse perspectives. In short: A funding lever that shapes whose version of history gets taught.

HR 7661 and HR 8705 are still in the House, so please call your representative and tell them to oppose both bills. Click here to find the phone number of your representative’s office.

In addition to Ayla’s ongoing health struggles, she now has to worry about rats and insects. Recently Gaza has become overwhelmed by vermin, which carry diseases and will even bite or eat human flesh. Unfortunately, the only solution available to families is to deploy pesticides around the living space. However, pesticides are difficult to obtain and therefore very expensive in Gaza, about $850 usd for the amount Ayla’s mother Bshaer needs for their living space. Bshaer needs your help to procure this unfortunate but very necessary item, as the only alternative is the increased likelihood of bites and diseases.

There has been no progress on their campaign in several days, and on top of this expense, they still need to treat Ayla gastroenteritis. They are in a really, really tough place right now and they need your help!

Current: $76,745 out of $77,545 (5 May)

Need to raise: $800 usd

In addition to Ayla’s ongoing health struggles, she now has to worry about rats and insects. Recently Gaza has become overwhelmed by vermin, which carry diseases and will even bite or eat human flesh. Unfortunately, the only solution available to families is to deploy pesticides around the living space. However, pesticides are difficult to obtain and therefore very expensive in Gaza, about $850 usd for the amount Ayla’s mother Bshaer needs for their living space. Bshaer needs your help to procure this unfortunate but very necessary item, as the only alternative is the increased likelihood of bites and diseases.

There has been no progress on their campaign in several days, and on top of this expense, they still need to treat Ayla gastroenteritis. They are in a really, really tough place right now and they need your help!

Current: $76,745 out of $77,545 (5 May)

Need to raise: $800 usd

the last time I reblogged this post right before I got a great job, in a permanent work-from-home position, with benefits, retirement, and a salary literally 3x what I was making before, doing something I really like. 

So you know. 

As a consequence of 1) harsh and cramped living conditions imposed by the occupation, 2) being unable to afford treating the virus in a timely manner, and 3) her already weakened immune system, Ayla has once again contracted the same virus she had previously suffered. Her immune system is still compromised due to malnutrition, so she needs antiviral, antipyretic, and immune support treatments and supplies, and nutrition therapy in order to completely treat the virus and prevent its return. She has a very high fever, is unable to eat, and is suffering from muscle pain. Her symptoms are very painful and her mother is desperate to get her the treatment she needs!

Current: $76,058 out of $77,186 usd (11 April)

Need: $1,128 usd

The age of eligibility for an ABLE account, allowing USAmerican disabled people to save up money without losing their government assistance for having “too much,” is going to go up to cover disabilities diagnosed by age 46 (currently it’s age 26), meaning a much larger number of people will be able to access them. As the article notes, many Americans don’t know these accounts exist, let alone whether they or someone they care for could qualify for one, so please share this information around.

fiveforfive - collective fund for trans women and girls and transfem causes

gendered intelligence - trans led advocacy org

mermaids - supports trans youth

akt - lgbtq youth homelessness charity

loving me - domestic abuse service for trans people in england

Trans Aid Cymru - supporting trans people in wales

Queer Emporium - hub of queer businesses and events

And ones who operate in Wales but also across the UK

TIN Wadrobe - supplying clothes for trans and gnc people

Scottish Trans - Trans advocacy, information and social events. Run by the Equality Network, a broader Scottish LGBTQI advocacy group.

LEAP Sports Scotland - Sports charity that advocates for queer inclusion in sports, runs trans sports groups (Trans Active) in at least Glasgow and Edinburgh that I can absolutely recommend.

LGBT Health & Wellbeing - Not trans specific but includes trans specific, trans led and trans inclusive support and social events, and supports a variety of smaller community-run subgroups.

And another couple UK-wide:

Gender Identity Research & Education Society - Trans led charity supporting research on trans matters and education/training on trans inclusion. Does consultancy for public and private sector organisations.