“pugs are disgusting and shouldn’t exist and if you own one you’re abusive”
“Pugs as a breed need to be more controlled but it’s still important that the ones that exist find good homes that are able to help them through the myriad of potential medical problems that come with the breed”
“Two other people took my picture before you, so I was already popular.”
I know that some people said in the comments that this outfit was culturally appropriative, but just remember that you don’t know that someone isn’t a POC or biracial just by looking at them. Don’t assume other people’s races.
^ My immediate reaction was to be upset by this photo because, I’m sorry, I’m just so fucking sick of people stealing Asian outfits and making them cool or trendy. But then I thought that maybe she’s a mixed kid. If not, there’s a problem here, though.
Hi. I’m actually Japanese. Most of us LIKE when people find beauty in our culture. As long as nobody is disrespecting us or making a mockery of us, then there isn’t a problem, and if you think there is, then it seems that you are in favor of cultural segregation and that is causing more harm than good.
When I was in Japan, there were a lot of places where you could get done up in a kimono or the male equivalent and have your picture taken. No one cares.
Most Korean people I know are pretty delighted when foreigners wear hanbok, in a “oh, you are appreciating our culture! you look good in that” way. I have never actually heard or heard of people reacting negatively to non-Korean people wearing traditional Korean clothes, unless they were racist to begin with and would have objected to foreigners regardless of what they were wearing.
‘Appropriation’ is, I think, only appropriation when either it is done in a blatantly disrespectful way, or if the group whose clothes (etc) are being adopted is culturally marginalized to the degree where they themselves face discrimination when they wear those things.
Korean people, afaik, don’t give a fuck. When foreigners visit and wear our clothes, it’s in good fun by people who are usually appreciative of the aesthetic qualities of what they’re donning, and also because we ourselves have never faced discrimination for our nationality or traditional dress.
uhhh, basically, intent matters, context matters, people within the same community often have radically different ideas of what’s okay. But you know, I think the only Koreans I know who’d potentially care are the American-raised ones on liberal, activisty college campuses who are extremely well versed in the liberal, activisty language and rulebook.
Thank you!!
I also think it makes a difference in that the clothing is, you know, the actual thing and not some vaguely exotic knock-off like most people do with native american clothing. Like this is a legit, actual Kimono. There’s nothing really in the culture OF kimono that has rules about who wears this sort of thing when. Like…kimono literally means “thing you wear”. -shrug-
Bolded some of the things that stood out the most to me.
Breaking off relationships with people who treat you poorly and are mentally ill is not ableist.
Refusing to sacrifice your health and happiness for someone is not ableist.
Holding someone accountable for their abusive behavior is not ableist.
Protecting yourself is not ableist.
Also: a relationship does not have to be abusive before you are justified in ending it.
If a relationship is no longer mutually rewarding, that is reason enough to end it. This is not ableist.
You are not obligated to stay with someone who does not enrich your life, whatever the reason. You are not a bad person if you fall out of love with someone because mental illness has destroyed your ability to communicate effectively and enjoy each other. You are not beholden to anyone; if being around someone ultimately brings you more misery than joy, you can leave.
This is not ableist.
Working at maintaining love and relationships is important. They are hard and will always be hard, and it’s important to grow and accommodate one another. But they can’t always be saved. Sometimes you have to walk away.
National Geographic Magazine Puts Young Transgender Girl On Cover
Logo reports that the January 2017 issue of National Geographic, focusing on “the gender revolution,” features a 9-year-old transgender girl, believed to be the first trans person on the 128-year-old publication’s cover (or at least one version of the cover).
Hey guys! It’s the holiday season and I am seeing it pop up
in my various social media feeds that folks are asking for / receiving these
neat sealed ecosystems for shrimp.
I remember seeing these at the mall in a big city, in the 80’s,
before household internet was a thing, and being smitten! How AMAZING, these
glass containers, with a perfectly balanced ecosystem of shrimp and algae
inside! The only reason I never got one was the cost. We were not very well
off. So I would stare at them when we’d go to the city, once a year or so. So
cool!
They do seem very neat. There is some science there: the species of shrimp used
are Opae Ula (Halocaridina
rubra), a very unique and amazing species endemic to the Hawaiian
islands (I find it curious that the company that makes these does not specify
what species they use; are they worried people will find out more about them
and stop buying the product? I digress…). This brackish water species is
incredible, as it can tolerate truly abysmal conditions, especially if it is
slowly acclimated to them. Notice I said “tolerate” and not “thrive”. The
sealed tanks are “perfectly balanced” to grow algae and microscopic life, which
feeds the shrimp. The shrimp’s waste then feeds the algae and bacterial growth.
It really does sound legitimate, and the sealed tanks may well start out that
way (I’d have to bust one open and do some water testing to really know).
However, if we delve into the science a bit, and learn some chemistry, we
realize that this slowly becomes their death trap. Anyone that has cycled an
aquarium might know of the nitrogen cycle, and that in a sealed environment
with living organisms, things do not stay “in balance” indefinitely. Even with
bacteria and algae converting ammonia and nitrites, over time these accumulate
regardless in these sealed environments with no gas exchange. The Opae Ula are
extremely resilient; moreso than any other shrimp species commonly kept in
captivity, and so they do survive this for a while. But over a year or three,
they gradually starve and the toxins build up, and they perish. They don’t breed. The idea of a “zero
care” pet is attractive, but ultimately a bit misleading.
This is a shame. Though 2-3 years sounds
like a long time for a shrimp to live, this species has been known to live for anywhere
from 12-20 years (one anecdotal experience from a keeper was that a shrimp
purchased in a sealed sphere was “broken free” and lived an additional 16 years
after).
It’s especially a
shame since the sealed spheres are an expensive gimmick; one can easily set up
a small tank at home where the shrimps will not only live, but thrive and
breed, in a setup that costs less than
one of the small sealed units (and honestly they can look way cooler when you do it yourself). I have long loved shrimp and keep a few
freshwater species. I researched Opae Ula after a friend visited them in their
native habitats in Hawaii, and put together a setup for far less than one of
those sealed units. My shrimp are very active, healthy, and breeding like whoa. After
initial setup, their care requires less attention than a houseplant. I feed
them a tiny amount once to twice a
month, and top off their water when necessary with distilled water. They do not
require filtered water (actually the water movement can be harmful especially
in smaller tanks), and your room temperatures should be between 55-85°F. You
can easily keep them with no electricity, unlike other tanks. My houseplants take
more time and are more fussy than that!
I know some of you are thinking, “lawd, this person is so
worried about some dang water bugs! I eat shrimp for lunch with cocktail sauce!
How stupid! Who cares!” That’s fair. What you care about is up to you! But I
know many friends and acquaintances prefer not to buy into gimmicky and
potentially cruel products when much happier alternatives exist. I just wanted
to put this info out there because the sealed spheres DO seem REALLY COOL, and
exciting, especially to my fellow nerdy people. I just wanted to let folks know that it’s possible to be smitten
with these tiny amazing shrimp AND keep them in conditions that they will
thrive in!
If you are interested in learning more, please do some research into their
needs, and source responsibly! Mine are breeding so well that I will probably
need to find new homes for some in the spring when the temperatures increase.
It’s very possible to find captive bred shrimps, at least here in the USA.
According to researcher, Scott R. Santos, of the Department of Biological
Sciences and Cell & Molecular Biosciences Peak Program, at Auburn
University in Alabama, “Commercial harvesting, coupled with habitat destruction
as well as strong regional endemism, could lead to the depletion and/or
extinction of unique Halocaridina populations or genetic groups.” (source)
MORE INFO (I’m not affiliated
with any of these people just FYI):
So there you have it! Sealed shrimp tanks: you can do better, with only a tiny
bit more effort! Buy an Ecosphere… or not… the choice is yours. At least now
you know more about it!
I work in a grocery store in a teeny town in Florida right near Daytona Beach, and we have a basically nonexistent LGBTQ+ community. Two of my regulars are a lesbian couple who have been together for thirty years. THIRTY YEARS!! They are super cute and always very kind to me when I ring up their groceries. One time, they came into the store after Volusia Pride (my county’s tiny pride festival) all decked out in rainbow stuff, and I said I liked it, and they just gave me smiles and said, “You’re family.” They are truly lovely.
They own a chocolate company called Sappho Chocolates that make gourmet chocolate that looks amazing. With the holidays coming up, it’s a great time to support a lesbian-owned business and treat your loved ones (or yourself) to some awesome chocolate. This is their website. If you can’t afford to buy anything from them, please reblog this post! I love these two wonderful ladies, and their business needs support!
i hope that every girl who realizes she is bi this year, knows she has my full support and love in coming out, that she is an angel and wonderful and worthy of healthy, fulfilling, safe relationhips!!
