enjoy urself

do you not want to not pay no taxes nor pay taxes not

⚪️yes

“Ted Cruz Devouring My Son” - 2018

Oil on canvas, 11"x 17"

Having Ehlers Danlos Syndrome sometimes feels about the equivalent of being composed of jello and wet spaghetti. Nothing stays where its supposed to. Literally every single cell in the body is floppy, so fingers are definitely an issue for many of us. I can almost guarantee that for the majority of us, writing is not only slow and painful but nearly impossible at times. FIne motor skills? What even are those? An EDSer surely doesn’t have any of those. Even typing which is far easier than writing, is painful and daunting at times. But last year I joined the population of shiny zebras by getting fitted for a set of Silver Rings Splints and they are beyond magical.

For those of you who have not heard of The Silver Ring Splint Company, they are a company that custom makes finger splints that look like elegant pieces of jewelry. Don’t believe me? Well I can’t even tell you how many compliments I’ve received for them. Nobody even suspects that they might possibly be medical. But more importantly, they work amazing! I still have hand pain and finger dislocations when performing fine motor skills and writing is definitely not something I look forward to but I have saved myself thousands of painful dislocations, I can open doors easier, type faster, write longer and hold objects in my hands without looking like an alien from a sic-fi movie. With the rings on my fingers actually look like fingers rather than tentacles!

The company is also family owned and the people are so sweet and helpful!

If you are having trouble with hand pain, clumsiness and dislocations please check out this amazing company!

Ah Mer Ah Su - the stage name of Star Amerasu. Her music style has been described as electropop and poptronic. Her music covers subject matter from failed relationships to drug abuse. She released her first full length album “Star” this year and has definitely earned her pop princess title.

Itsbambii - Youtuber and Hiphop/Rap artist. Her first album “Clean & Clear” was released last year and “My LGBT Story” is a must listen.

Kim Petras - This German pop artist has yet to release an album or EP, but has released 3 amazing singles this year. She says she draws inspiration for her music from early 00s pop and 1980s italo disco. She was covered extensively by the media after transitioning at a young age and has said she wants people to focus on her music, not her.

Quay Dash - This hiphop/rap artist has a whole amazing EP titled “Transphobic.” She’s said “I think talking about transgender issues (in her music) is important, but at the same time i’m here to make my music and do what I have to do. Her music is brazen and unapologetic and we all know lady rappers are the best rappers.

Shea Diamond - Pop/Soul singer who began performing at trans music festivals after her incarceration in a mens correctional facility. She released her first EP “Seen it all” this year, and “I am her” is a lovely and empowering track.

Miss Blanks - Australian hiphop/rap artist who’s spoken out about the sexism and double standards in Australia’s rap scene. In her words Miss Blank is “Unapologetic, fierce, and petty.” Her latest single “Good Good D” was released this year.

Sateen - The band name of Exquisite (a trans lesbian woman) and her wife Queen Sateen. The lesbian queer disco duo first got famous as a “het drag couple” in the New York queer scene. They released their self titled EP just last year.

Peppermint - the stage and drag name of Agnes Moore. She creates dance/electronica/house/and homo hop music. She was the first trans woman to ever be out prior to her appearance on Rupaul’s Drag Race. She’s collaborated on a bunch of new singles this year, and released her debut album last year!

She/Her/Hers - The stage name of folk punk artist Emma Grrrl. She just released her first album “Grrrl Angst” this year! “Gender is boring” is very catchy.

SOPHIE - Scottish Synth/“Hyperkinetic” pop artist and producer. Her debut album “Oil of every pearl’s un-insides” was released this year! She uses the Elektron Mononachine to create sounds similar to latex, bubbles, and plastic in her music.

A national patchwork of laws, rules and practices can make the voting process feel complicated at times. But those who run into issues shouldn’t give up.

“Don’t despair, just persist,” Ms. Pérez said. “People wait in line for iPhones and amusement park rides and things like that. This is a lot more important.”

Here’s a brief guide to help you prepare to cast your ballot.

Before you vote

Find out when and where to vote. In most states, polling places open at 6 or 7 a.m. and close at 7 or 8 p.m., but it’s important to check, as times can vary by location.

Most state election offices make it easy for voters to find their polling place online and learn when it opens and closes. Several nonprofits have tools that do the same, such as GettothePolls.com, a joint effort from state and local officials, The Pew Charitable Trusts, and Google; and Vote411.org, a project of the League of Women Voters Education Fund.

If you can’t make it to your assigned location, you might be allowed to vote elsewhere, generally with a provisional ballot, depending on the state.

Don’t assume you can’t vote. Even if you haven’t registered or you think that you’re ineligible, research your options: you may still be able to vote.

For example, it’s true that the registration closed weeks ago in much of the country, but residents of 17 states and Washington, D.C., may register on Election Day, according to a March review by the National Conference of State Legislatures.

And while at least three states permanently ban people with felony convictions from voting, others restore the right over time.

Avoid the lines. Because polling locations are generally busiest during the morning rush hour, at lunchtime and in the evening, those with flexible schedules might have better luck by voting very early, at midmorning or at midafternoon.

Research what to bring. About two-thirds of states expect residents to provide identification to vote, but requirements vary, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Some states accept only photo IDs, while others accept alternatives. Some are strict, others more lenient. Voters who forget their IDs may still be allowed to vote using a provisional ballot.

First time voters who didn’t register in person or show ID before must show identification. This is according to federal law.

Check with your state or local election office to figure out if you need identification and, if so, what kind.

Read up on the ballot. It can be overwhelming to sift through all of the information and misinformation out there, but there are resources to help.

A good place to start is with state and local election offices, which often provide voter guides — with varying degrees of detail — online or by mail. Election officials often also publish sample ballots so voters know what to expect and can avoid confusion in the booth.

Several nonpartisan groups provide unvarnished voter information, too. Ballotpedia, a nonprofit encyclopedia written by a staff of researchers and writers, contains a wealth of information and maintains a sample ballot lookup. Similar tools are available through other organizations, including Vote411.org, Vote USA and BallotReady, to name a few. ProPublica, the nonprofit newsroom, maintains tools such as ElectionBot and Represent to help readers find information and articles on local issues and candidates.

Voters can also seek out endorsements from sources they trust, such as local newspapers, special interest groups and professional organizations.

At the polling place

Don’t be intimidated. The federal government and many states ban voter intimidation, which can take many forms. Examples include aggressively questioning an individual’s citizenship or qualifications to vote, falsely claiming to be an election official and spreading false information about voting requirements, according to the American Civil Liberties Union.

To report intimidation, voters can notify local and state officials and call or text the Election Protection Hotline at 866-OUR-VOTE or 888-VE-Y-VOTA in Spanish, or the Justice Department at 800-253-3931 and TTY line 877-267-8971.

Many states do allow certified poll monitors to observe the voting process, though. The monitors, who are trained, may have the authority to challenge a person’s voting qualifications, though they are not typically allowed to interact with individuals directly. A voter whose qualifications are challenged may still be allowed to vote after giving a sworn affidavit that they satisfy said qualifications.

Ask for help. Generally, election officials are prepared to accommodate the needs of all voters, including those with disabilities and those who need language assistance.

Voters with disabilities, for example, have the right to accessible polling places and voting booths; to bring a service animal into the polling place; to seek assistance from polling place workers; and to bring someone with them to vote, as long as that person is not an employer or union representative. See the EAC’s resources for voters with a disability.

Under federal law, more than 260 jurisdictions are required to provide some form of language assistance, according to the federal Election Assistance Commission. And many state and local jurisdictions do so on their own.

What do I actually do? If you’re curious to know what it is like to be at a polling station, just search for “voting machines” along with your state’s name on Google. This should give you ample material on the equipment at the station and how you’re expected to use it. If you don’t have the time, you can simply ask a poll worker who should help you navigate the station.

Stay in line. Advocates say that anyone in line to vote by the time the polls close should stick around. “As long as you are in line, you need to make sure that you stay and cast your ballot,” said Virginia Kase, the chief executive of the nonpartisan League of Women Voters.

Be thorough. Ballots can be confusing, so it’s important to read the directions, review the ballot and take your time. State and local election officials may provide sample ballots ahead of time so voters know what to expect and poll workers may be able to help, too.

Get a provisional ballot if necessary. Under federal law, nearly every state must provide provisional ballots to eligible voters denied access to the booth. While a handful of states are exempted, several offer the ballots anyway. And only three, Idaho, Minnesota and New Hampshire, offer none at all, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

If a voter fills out a provisional ballot, federal law also mandates that poll workers provide them with a piece of paper explaining what they need to do to have their ballot counted and how they can check if it has been counted.

“They need to demand that piece of paper and they need to check,” Ms. Pérez said. 

Help, I still need more info!

Here are some helpful articles from reliable sources:

Voting in Person on Election Day

6 Types of Misinformation to Beware of on Election Day

You’re Disillusioned. That’s Fine. Vote Anyway. Young Voters Could Make a Difference. Will They?

Here’s why 6 in 10 eligible voters might not vote on November 6th 

Why Millennials Should Vote In The Midterm Elections

More on provisional ballots

#VoteYesOn3 if you live in Massachusetts

Brink Election guide

How to Vote for the First Time

First Time Voter (YouTube video, has captions)

Even if you didn’t register to vote in time to vote in this year’s elections, register now anyway! It won’t help you this year, but it gets you ahead of the game for the next election so you’re ready to vote then. Do it now instead of procrastinating on it.

https://www.usa.gov/voting

https://www.vote.org/

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The following is from Tumblr user @fangirlunderground:

Can’t vote because you have to work? Check the laws in your state. Many states DO have laws that require employers to let you vote.

Can’t vote because you don’t have transportation? Lyft is currently offering rides free or at 50% off to anyone who needs to get to the polls. Uber is offering $10 off. Even many bike- and scooter-share companies are offering deals right now, and some cities (including Los Angeles, Houston, Dallas, and Tampa) are making public transit free on voting day. And, chances are, you have friends who also need to vote, so see if you can carpool.

Don’t think there’s any point of voting in your Red State? Check out this horrifying map of how many people didn’t vote in the 2016 election. There are more registered Democrats than Republicans, but Republicans vote more. Yes, there’s a lot stacked against Democrats, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. Here are some examples of lifelong Republicans saying they voted Democrat. Even if your state isn’t likely to flip, the margin that the other party wins by matters- look at Does my vote count? for an explanation.

Voting day is Tuesday, November 6, 2018. Hours vary by location, but the day does not.

Do not take pictures of your ballot.

Do not campaign at the polling place.

Make sure you have proper ID, if needed.

If you’re voting electronically, double, even triple-check every vote before submitting, even if you have an option to vote straight ticket. There have been cases where this doesn’t work as expected. If you can’t find your party candidate, make sure to check the next page as there have also been glitches (at least in my state) that push the Democratic candidate after the massive list of independent candidates.

If you’re voting on paper, check every side of every page to avoid missing any votes.

And most importantly, offer to take your friends, family, or co-workers with you to vote if they weren’t already planning to go.  

/End post from user @fangirlunderground]

From the mouth of a One Percenter -

Since wifi is just a standard for sending data through radio waves, and radio waves can go a pretty long way if you use ‘em right, it’s not that difficult to connect two computers by wifi from across town. Then you just keep adding more computers to the network and you’ve got internet!

Small antennae, like for connecting across the neighborhood, can literally be built out of trash

And a larger, more accurate one can be built pretty cheap too

(You can also reuse an old satellite TV dish, or really anything else that’s roughly parabolic)

There are LoRa meshnets in places like New York, India, and all over Europe: Spain (pictured below), Greece, Austria, Germany, etc

As for sharing fresh mëmês, the network to go to is Scuttlebutt. Unlike most social media, Scuttlebutt posts are stored on your computer and sent directly to your friends’ computers (rather than being stored on the cloud and sent to a central server). It works just fine over traditional internet, but you can also view and interact with it offline, and it has protocols for connecting over any means that two computers can share information - that includes LoRa, as well as hardwired connections, sneakernet (basically mailing a USB stick back and forth), etc

What that means is you always know that your info is just as safe as the network it’s sent on and the computer that receives it - no one even theoretically has the ability to collect and sell it all. And, since it’s all run on your computer, there’s no servers to go down or companies to go out of business that could destroy the whole thing

We are currently renting and we would like to buy. We have already sunk more than 1/3 of the cost of a house in rent and will spend well over half the full price of a house in the next few years we’ll be living here. We have the monthly money. We have the savings to put down 20% as a down payment. BUT ITS STILL NOT ENOUGH. They still think our debt-to-income ratio is off or something. 

I understand why so many people get trapped in a cycle of renting, why no millennials can buy a house. We have to jump through crazy-ass hoops to BUY A PLACE THAT IS SMALLER AND CHEAPER THAN THE ONE WE ARE RENTING. 

It’s just not fair. We didn’t cause the housing crisis. Why should we be punished for it?!?

it’s facial reconstructions of prehistoric humans!!

like, look at this part-homo sapiens, part-neandertal man from well over 30,000 years ago:

doesn’t he just look like a dude you’d wanna hang out with? like he probably washes dishes in the kitchen with you, and has excellent weed

what a charming fellow. what stories he probably has to tell. i’d definitely go shoot the shit with him on Contemplation Rock after i’d finished my day’s work carving a bone flute for the autumn hunting ceremony, or whatever

people have been people ever since people first became people, i tell you what

they all had lives and histories and families and friends and dumb gossip and games they played and total bullshit in which they believed wholeheartedly

they all argued about the nature of the world, and of themselves

they all sang songs

they all drew pictures

they all buried their dead in graves, and they buried their dead in graves well before they did a lot of that other stuff. they buried their dead with flowers, with panther claws, with the bones of animals they’d killed, with the bones of family members who had died at the same time or earlier. they buried their dead with their arms folded across their chests

they fell in love

they took care of their old and their sick and their disabled, even when it cost them

I love the kid in the last picture a lot- they look like a kid, just a little kid who’s done some mischief and is trying not to laugh about it.

I also adore their Lucy- they’ve struck a wonderful balance between the falling angel and the rising ape.

And their Turkana boy- there’s something precious and wistful in those eyes. 

But my favorite has got to be their reconstruction of H. floresiensis.