One Platypus To Rule Them All

The reason the vouchers - which has restriction placed on them that prevented their use on age restricted items - were allegedly used to buy tobacco and alcohol. Which was not possible. 

[Image Description: Two slides of black text on a dark yellow background.

Slide 1: From 1st December 2020, rough sleeping will become grounds for deportation.

Slide 2: New immigration rules will make rough sleeping grounds for deportation for many non-UK nationals. From December people could find their right to remain in the UK cancelled or refused if they spend as little as one night sleeping rough. The pandemic is pushing more into poverty and the rule changes make people vulnerable to exploitation and modern slavery.]

The UK can now deport legal immigrants for sleeping rough. The same immigrants who they bar from receiving most welfare benefits, including free healthcare. This will mean many people not accessing the support of charities and shelters when they need it most, for fear of being thrown out.

https://campaigns.crisis.org.uk/page/70462/petition/1

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/561884

You can find your MP at members.parliament.uk/FindYourMP

Just put your post code in and it will give you your MP’s name, the party they are a member of, and how to contact them.

Your email doesn’t have to be fancy, you don’t even have to be old enough to vote to bring up issues with your MP. Just say that you are a constituent (this means you live in the area that the MP represents) and you object to this policy especially during the current Covid crisis when times are so hard for the entire country, you believe homeless people should be helped not persecuted and you want to know what your MP is going to do about it.

if your post about racism has the words “my fellow white people” or other similar phrasings, then that’s a sign that maaaybe you should just sit back and listen to people of color instead.

posts with the phrase “my fellow white people” often have one key element. the word “we”. “we need to do better”, “we need to speak up”, “we need to understand this”. audiences are a lot more likely to listen if the argument comes with the word “we”, since it identifies a common group between the audience and the speaker. the problem here is that this commonality is whiteness. by stating the word “we”, you establish an “us”, which comes with a “them”. and that “them” is people of color.

there’s a sense of alienation i feel every time i see a post speaking about how “fellow white people, we need to not be racist”. in a post like this, i, a person of color, have been effectively been excluded from a discussion about racism. and just like that, people of color become the subject of a dialogue between white people, and nothing more. quite frankly, it should be enough to just listen to people of color when they say it the first time around. every time you make a post about your “fellow whites”, you encourage a white person’s habit of not listening to people of color, of only caring when a white person says it. why should a white person have to listen to a person of color’s nuanced discussion on racial issues, when there’s another white person saying a more simplified version of that topic in a way that’s easier for them to digest? it all comes down to a white person’s unwillingness to empathize with people of color.

as nice as simple might sound, it is your responsibility as a white person to at least try to understand when people of color speak about racism. a surface-level understanding of racism is not going to help you properly confront the racist biases that have been instilled in all of us since childhood. it’ll only give you a cookie cutter view of the world, where everything is as easy as “racism is bad”, and your duty as a white person is as simple as realizing that you have white privilege. it shields you from the reality that racism is a gruesome institution that starts to erode the psyche of people of color the moment we enter this world. it’s a reality that people of color have no option but to experience personally, so the least you could do is try to understand what we have to say about it.

Black girls deserve to learn free from bias and stereotypes.

Most black girls experience this hatred at schools. And classmates are not the only problem, there is no support from teachers, too. That’s why they get so affected by their school experiences. Black kids deserve to be treated just like everybody else, they want to study, they want to learn something ,too. However due to prejudice they are 5 times more likely to be suspended than their white peers and it can ruin their lives forever.  National Women’s Law Center created this video to change the situation. Join the movement to help black girls feel normal and get the same opportunities everybody else has.

I need every single person to understand how horrible tumblr’s tagging system is

I go into the tag for epilepsy and its all flashing lights. We can’t use our own tag because people without epilepsy fill it up with improper warnings.

Use ‘flashing’ in place of ‘epilepsy’ in your tags. You aren’t warning people of epileptics, you’re warning us of flashing lights. Please please tag properly. Epileptics say this endlessly and constantly and it’s ignored. You are risking lives by doing this.

Here’s proof of what I mean:

first of all, let me kick this off by saying, if you’re reading this, this is for you specifically. yes, you with less than a hundred followers, you with less than ten followers, you with zero followers. there seems to be this misconception that it doesn’t matter if you don’t reblog something because no one will see it and i’m telling you right here, right now, that you’re wrong. it definitely 100% matters and i’m going to tell you why

last month, i reached a follower milestone and was very excited - for about a day and a half and then my excitement plummeted because what i realized was that i had just hit this milestone and yet the number of notes on my fics had never been lower. at first i was baffled. how could i have more followers than ever but be getting less notes than i used to? at the time, i was posting one to two ficlets every day so i thought maybe the quality was decreasing because of how much i was putting out and i just hadn’t noticed so i decided to take a break from posting ficlets and focused on my longer works and the events i was participating in

i went back to posting today after asking for prompts from followers yesterday and go figure, the number of notes is still lower than it was compared to posts from the beginning of the year, even factoring in the time that’s passed since then. so then i thought to check the notes themselves and what i ended up finding was that while the number of likes hadn’t changed, the reblogs had (interestingly, this drop in notes coincided with a post making the rounds telling writers to be happy with the silent readers who leave neither likes nor reblogs on works but that’s a story for another post)

this is when i went to a couple friends to complain that i didn’t know what i was doing wrong and made an off-hand comment about wondering if people were seeing all these posts begging for people to reblog and just not thinking it applied to them, which is when may - thank you, may - told me that yeah, that’s exactly what a lot of blogs think so let me tell you why it does actually matter that you reblog, even if you don’t think it does

firstly, as it relates just to the author, when you reblog, you’re telling the author that not only did you like their story, but you want to share it with everyone else too. i don’t know an author out there who doesn’t go through the reblogs and read the tags and i can pretty much guarantee that we all get that warm, fuzzy feeling when someone leaves a particularly nice tag

there are two common arguments that i hear for this point: what if i like something cringey and why does it matter if i reblog something when i don’t have any followers to share it with?

as for the first argument, no media is unproblematic and no media is something that everyone will consider non-cringey. there’s always going to be someone out there who thinks your chosen fandom is cringey and it’s best to realize that now and get over it. you can’t please everyone. besides, it’s your blog. why wouldn’t you want to post things you like on your blog?

as for the second argument, if it’s not enough for you that even just the act of wanting to share fics means something to the authors, then let me bring you to my second point: fandom is built on active, not passive, participation

we’ve all heard stories about the star trek fans who actively passed paper copies of fic around to share it with people. fandom was built on sharing those fics. friendships were built on sharing those fics. and if those fans had taken the fics they wrote and hidden them away, shared them with only a couple friends and told them not to distribute their works, modern fandom as it is today wouldn’t exist. we’d still be hiding our fics, hoping that we don’t get the all-terrifying dmca notice

along the same lines, tumblr is built on active participation. every couple of months, it seems like tumblr comes out with a new way to make it harder for content creators to share their stuff: the 2018 nsfk ban, shadow-banning, problems with the read more, and recently not being able to put links in your work if you want it to show up in the tags. all of this means that it’s up to us to keep fandom on tumblr going because tumblr isn’t going to do it for us

tumblr’s algorithm, unlike just about every other social media site, is designed around reblogs. this, in many ways, makes sense. tumblr is a blogging platform so of course its algorithm is designed around what gets shared. this means that posts that show up in the tags are the ones that get reblogged. the posts that show up in the On Your Dashboard, What You Missed, and Recommended features are all the ones that get reblogged. the posts that show up on the login screen, for those of you who regularly see it, are the ones that get, you guessed it, reblogged

so what that means is that, even though you might have only a couple or even no followers, your reblog counts toward that algorithm and that post gets bumped a little bit higher in the tag

which is why it’s such a big problem when people stop reblogging. i can’t tell you how many times i’ve seen a tag saying something along the lines of “wow this is so good, why doesn’t it have more notes?” well, typically it’s because anywhere between 2/3 and ¾ of the notes on that post are likes, which means that tumblr’s algorithm counted my fic as worthless and didn’t bother promoting it

which leaves me where i currently am: reblogging my own ficlets over and over in the hopes that someone will like it enough to reblog it, tagging it with something as pleading as “if you like please consider reblogging” because if i use anything stronger, i get a whole bunch of people telling me that i can’t tell people what to post

it's indigenous peoples' day in the usa! to celebrate i am here to help non-indigenous folks in north america to think about the terminology they use because i know not all of y'all know how the nuances of the many things we're called. in general, when talking about an indigenous person or character and referring to their indigeneity, referring to their specific culture is the best option. i am indigenous, but more specifically i am cree. that said, let's talk about terminology while recognizing that the following list is super simplified to give you a brief overview.

indigenous is an umbrella term that refers to the original inhabitants of a land. it is used to talk about indigenous people worldwide. we use it as a collective term because we share many interests, but we are all different peoples and nations. people who are māori or sámi or ainu are all indigenous, but they're all from very different places and cultures. indigenous as a term unites us, but shouldn't be used to erase our differences.

aboriginal is, like indigenous, an umbrella term that refers to the original inhabitants of a land. aboriginal was a favoured term in canada for many years and is still used by some multi-nation organizations. canada's indigenous peoples' day (‪june 21‬) is also sometimes called aboriginal peoples' day.

native american is a term that refers specifically to indigenous people living in what is currently the contiguous united states of america. people living in alaska or hawaii may prefer the term native hawaiian or native alaskan. if you call someone in canada native american they'll know what you mean, but it's not the preferred term. like indigenous, it is an umbrella term and covers many different tribes/nations. it is a term assigned to indigenous people and adopted by us, but not one we came up with ourselves.

native alaskan is an umbrella term that refers to indigenous people living in what is currently alaska. they are culturally distinct peoples from native american cultures. you may be used to calling native alaskans "esk*mos" and if you are you should stop that right fucking now because esk*mo is a derrogatory term that comes from cree slang. some native alaskan people are inuit (see below), but not all are.

native hawaiian is a term for indigenous hawaiians. this is another umbrella term. native hawaiians were not included in federal programs for native americans until the 70s and some programs still exclude them, as do many discussions about native american issues even though they are also an indigenous group colonized by the usa.

native is an umbrella term used by indigenous people to refer to themselves. in north america, it may be socially acceptable to refer to indigenous people as being native, but ymmv and elsewhere in the world, it carries more racist, colonial baggage than it does here, where it is generally understood as a shortened form of native american.

american indian is a dated term that is still used in some official spaces in the united states. older indigenous people may use this (or the term indian) because they're used to saying it. if you're not indigenous, you should probably say native american or indigenous. amerindian is a portmanteau of this term and similarly isn't really favoured anymore.

indian is a dated term for indigenous people in canada and the united states. it stems from the time of christopher columbus when columbus decided to call us "indian". if you are non-indigenous, do not refer to indigenous people as indian. in canada, it is also a legal designation tied to the indian act that means some indigenous people hold "indian status," which grants them certain rights. some indigenous people in north america have reclaimed the term indian to refer to themselves.

ndn is a slang term we use to refer to ourselves online. if you're non-indigenous then bro. do not. it just stands for indian, you can't!

first nations is a term analogous to native american. it is used in canada to refer to the many indigenous nations south of the arctic circle. as someone who is cree, i'm first nations. it is an umbrella term, but not every indigenous person in canada is first nations. unlike "indian", it is not a legal term.

inuit is the term for indigenous peoples that live in what is currently canada's north. some indigenous people in alaska (and elsewhere) may also identify as inuit because the american/canadian border is a new addition in the grand scope of their histories. inuit are culturally distinct from first nations/native americans. also inuit means "the people" and y'all my inuk friend is so fucking amused every time someone says "the inuit people" because y'all are out here saying "the the people people." not all indigenous people in the north are inuit.

métis is a term for people who are descended from specific communities where indigenous people and non-indigenous settlers intermarried and created their own culture. they are specific, cultural communities within canada with their own culture and language. not everyone with mixed indigenous and settler ancestry is métis. for example, my dad is white and my mom is cree. i am not métis because i don't have any connection to a historic métis community. again, this is not a legal term the way indian is.

redsk*n is a derogatory term for native american/first nations people. the term originates from the genocide of our peoples, tied with the practice of collecting bounties for the scalps (the "red skins" in question) or other body parts of indigenous people in the west. do not use the term. even if you're talking about the football team that recently changed its name, say "the washington team" or something similar. it's a slur. (source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/a-brief-history-of-the-word-redskin-and-how-it-became-a-source-of-controversy/2016/05/19/062cd618-187f-11e6-9e16-2e5a123aac62_story.html)

Someone from the culture the show based the water tribe on says “hey this is cultural appropriation”, and suddenly fans of this “anti-racist” show jump down her throat because she spoke up.

Seriously ATLA’s fanbase can be...such a cesspool bc people are so complacent in the show’s “woke” source material (which is a subject for another day) and so protective of this thing they’ve built their personality around that someone saying “hey what you’re doing is hurtful” is seen as a personal attack.

Trump has already taken a shot at senator Elizabeth warren (MA, D) and called her Pocahontas

The moderator has had to tell trump MULTIPLE TIMES to stop interrupting him and Biden

Biden keeps laughing at trump every time he says something obviously wrong

Trump keeps shouting about socialism

Trump is trying to piss Biden off but he won’t even look at him

Biden deadass just told trump to “just shut up, man”

• Trump is comparing COVID to swine flu (200k deaths vs ~14k respectively)

• Biden brought up the bleach injection thing and Trump tried to claim it was sarcastic while obviously pouting

• Trump is claiming he spoke to the “scientists in charge” (of what? from where? who are they? we do. It know!) and we’ll have a vaccine “very soon”

• Trump just told Biden not to call himself smart as he is “anything but”

• “Tell that you Nancy Pelosi.” “Will he just shush?”

• Trump is showing how little he actually understands COVID

• shut down is “very bad” and shut down states are “doing very bad” meanwhile Glorida governor just lifted all COVID regulations

• He’s calling COVID the “China Flu” and blaming China for all the COVID deaths here (so I guess he has no sense of accountably)

• He keeps saying we have the best economy in the world (OBVIOUS lies)

• Biden just asked for more time back to make up for Trump’s interruptions during his allotted time

• “I have to respond to that” “You’ve both already had your time, Sir” Trump continues to talk and ignore the monitor

• “I’m the one who brought back football!” Sports players and team staff from all different sports leagues are still testing COVID positive despite isolation

• “No, Mr. President, I am asking you a question” this monitor is dealing with an errant child

• “How much in taxes did you pay in 2016 and 2017?” “Millions and millions of dollars.” YEAH, OKAY.

• Trump actually has the balls to tell off Biden about race when he’s a racist and treating people and their children who crossed the southern border like animals in cages

• Trump is so white-sensitive and xenophobic it’s painful

• “He’s racist” Biden isn’t even pretending to give a fuck

• Trump is (still) staring Biden down like he’s his prey and he’s trying to intimidate him but Biden is refusing to even glance his way

• Every time Biden says anything, Trump has to disagree even if it’s statistics/facts

• Trump has said “law and order” at least a dozen time in the past 10 minutes

• “Mr. President, you be really happy with the next subject of debate: law and order” gee I wonder what they’re talking about

• Law and order (x100)

• “he made a statement! I need to respond!” *moderator frantically starts telling him that no, no he does not*

• “Antifa is an idea, not an organization” — Biden

• “Antifa is a dangerous, ridiculous group.” — Trump

• Now we’re talking about Clinton and her “con job”

• “He’s Putin’s puppy.” — Biden

• TRUMP IS P I S S E D

• “You’re party has agreed not to interrupt —” *Trump interrupts* “That was not a rhetorical question!”

• Trump is taking more shots at Biden’s son, Hunter

• Now the moderator is getting pissed

• *frustrated moderator voice* “I want to talk about climate change”

• Insulting the Paris Accord, talking about business over the environment

• Won’t talk about the actual science of climate change, just keeps talking about forest management and forest cities??? And he cares about clean air so apparently that’s an answer about science

• Biden says he’ll join the Paris Accord if elected

• Moderator is fact-checking the shit out of this debate, on both sides

• “Trump actually said we should drop a nuclear weapon on the hurricane” “that’s not true” “it is true” “no it’s not, made up”

• We’re back to bringing up China, Russia, and India again which he keeps bringing up in that same order as if he can’t remember any other countries and had to memorize those just for tonight

• “The final question is — I can’t remember which of his rantingsis up” “me too” (paraphrased but still)

• The Biden Plan™️

• Trump’s own officials assure mail-in voting is safe and not rigged but apparently trump disagrees with his own officials

• Biden reminding you to VOTE. TRUMP. OUT.

• “Crooked Hillary Clinton”

• Trump’s sad because a ballot with his name on it was in the trash (odd, because that’s where it should be)

• Trump is all but threatening to go to the Supreme Court about mail-in ballots and voting legitimacy, once again hinting that he will not leave office peacefully in January 2021 if voted out

• Biden told Trump he was afraid of losing the election because of losing the vote and from fraud and Trump got SO MAD again

• Out of nowhere, Trump: “Bad things happen in Philadelphia! Bad things.”

• Trump said mail-in voting has already been proven fraudulent and Biden deadass tells him he has no idea what he’s talking about

• Debate ends and Melanie slinks on stage. No mask.

• Jill Biden greets moderator politely and wears a mask (guess which has actual manners)

• Post-interview time!

• “It was a pure train wreck. I don’t know how that helped anybody if you’re an independent voter.”

• other station: “it was a disaster”

• Everyone’s immediately calling out Trump for being rude and interrupting and agitated from the very beginning of the debate til the end.

• “This took it too far, even for Donald Trump”

• “The way he ran that debate is the way he runs the country” YUP

• Turned on Fox just to get an idea of what both sides are saying and they’re talking about Biden losing his cool but he only was because trump wouldn’t shut up??

I could only notate/paraphrase so much. Please look up more info and recaps about the debate if you missed it or can’t catch a recording. Second-hand information is only so much; always try to inform yourself first-hand, too, and double-check things you watch/read/hear. And of course:

To donate £5 to the charity supporting the male victims of domestic abuse, text the message: MKDV46 to 70070