Sheminecrafts:

SHARON! SHARON! SHARON! SHARON! I DON'T CARE WHO'S LISTENING, PUT SOME CLOTHES ON!

My Neighbours (yelled at about 11pm last night)

We really need to get some better sound-proofing

ICE raids happening in Chicago on Tuesday January 21st. Get organized and get prepared.

Seeing reasonable people argue about whether or not a fetus is a person is driving me insane. It doesn't matter. it doesn't matter. it doesn't matter.

It doesn't matter.

If you don't want to live in a world where the government can strap you down and force you to provide a life-saving organ transplant, you don't want to live in a world where the government can force you to carry a pregnancy to term. A person's right to life does not extend to using another person's body to survive.

I have accepted the lack of internal consistency from conservatives (you have to, to stay sane here), but ffs liberals, shut up about fetal personhood. Stop getting dragged into this debate! It is the wrong framing of the issue and I'm honestly terrified of what any "victory" under it would look like (like, increasing the mainstream acceptability of sentences like "they can't even x, therefore they're obviously not a person!" is chilling, no matter the original context.)

I don't have to donate my liver, I don't have to donate my blood, I don't have to donate my fucking uterus. It's that simple.

(could you imagine the "pro-life" conservatives meltdown if a state tried to institute mandatory blood donation?? I imagine they'd be saying "my body, my choice" pretty fucking quickly... Maybe we should actually do that 🤔)

As a leftist Jew who believes strongly in the cause of dignity and freedom for the Palestinian people, and that Israel has abused them, I am begging fellow leftists to understand that real life is not a comic book. A government being “the bad guy” in a situation does not automatically make anyone who opposes it “the good guy”.

Hamas denies the Holocaust. Hamas disseminates the Protocols of the Elders of Zion—the conspiracy theory it paints is what they mean by “Zionist”. Hamas forbids foreign aid educators from teaching human rights to Palestinians, and claims that even teaching that the Holocaust happened is a war crime. Hamas has written the aim of annihilating Israel (the country and its people) into its charter—the mass slaughter and violent expulsion of 7 million Jews from the land is written into its laws.

There is no crime any state could ever do that would justify any of that; there is no act of state repression that could ever make it acceptable to side with the organization spreading Nazi pamphlets and Holocaust denial.

Oppose Bibi Netanyahu. Oppose Israel’s far-right, authoritarian government. Oppose its apartheid policies. Oppose its violent abuse of the Palestinian people. That isn’t antisemitic. But Hamas is—verifiably, beyond a shadow of a doubt, to its core—antisemitic. Its portrayal of Israeli Jews as blood-thirsty, child-killing master manipulators that control international media and finance is antisemitic. Its insistence that Palestinian freedom necessitates the death & expulsion of Jews from the land is antisemitic. Its redefinition of “Zionism” as a pejorative to mean genocidal Jewish/Israeli Supremacy is antisemitic.

Supporting the Palestinian people in their plight is a noble and loving goal; please never stop that. But do not let Hamas co-opt that into excusing or denying their rampant antisemitism and war crimes.

What I've Learned This Week

Since I haven't been able to continue my daily challenge thanks to my shiny new training course, I figured I'd come up with a new idea, this is a weekly rundown of things that have occurred to me during the week and probably won't make a whole lot of sense to anyone but me... but oh well

22nd Feb 2011 • iPhones do not charge when they're not plugged in • Bicycles (whilst annoying) are going to be a necessity • Virgin Cross-Country trains are actually quite awesome and comfy • the 1812 overture is a fantastic accompaniment to a train journey through the countryside • I need to put more classical music on my iPod • you dont get what you want unless you try for it • little children should not be permitted in the quiet carriage of trains 25th Feb 2011 • thought can shrink • loud restaurant was loud 28th Feb 2011 • 2 hours sleep is not enough • it's very cold just after 7 in the morning • Zenos has a dress code • the virgin cross country train home is surprisingly crowded • relaxing and reading a book is a fantastic way to spend an impromptu day off though sleeping would have been a good plan • Stealing people's kidneys is surprisingly profitable • blathering crystal salesmen to sell a worthless lump of sulphur is also highly profitable • boltguns are great but if you don't know how to use them, you can't hit a daemonette in close combat • being a tech priest is a mix of McGyver and Steve Austin and is easily the best class to roleplay as. 01st Mar 2011 • 6 hours sleep is not enough either • "if you think you can or think you can't - you're right" • my stomach really doesn't like being woken up early • Amanda is really cute when she's sleepy • I can get up, dressed and ready for work in 5 minutes with some preparation • I need to get to the station far earlier in the morning if I want a decent seat on my morning train • coming up for fun ideas for an activity on a presentation is not easy • I hate presentations • on the way home the 24 mins past train is great until Winchester, then very busy • slow train home is slow • comfy seat is however comfy • I can't do homework on trains • I still hate essays • English tests as homework are a really mean idea 02nd Mar 2011 • sleep is good • Amanda is even more amazing than previously believed • my stomach *still* dislikes early mornings • despite arriving earlier than the train, I still couldn't get a window seat • I need a warmer scarf otherwise my face is truly going to freeze off in the mornings • even I don't know everything about office • the manga for fullmetal alchemist somehow manages to be even more awesome than either of the tv shows • making PowerPoint presentations is a mighty fun way to spend an afternoon

03rd Mar 2011 • Chinese yi jiao coins look rather like a 5 pence piece but are worth approx 1/50 of the value • socialising more makes a day run nicer • trains are ridiculous • Winchester is the new Fareham • Gilgamesh is a confusing yet very interesting anime • I need to start my own webcomic at some point entitled "why I should never be allowed to time travel"

04th Mar 2011 • breaking news: my body still hates early mornings • you really can build a house from spaghetti and marshmallows but I wouldn't want to live in it • English assessments are quite a challenge but I can get a decent grade • I am at level 3 standard for maths ^^ • I already know a lot of the basics I'm gonna need for my A+ • CV note: qualification logos look good to prospective employers • early starting, late finishing weeks make a weekend worth so much more • people who can't be bothered with headphones on public transport need to be shot... repeatedly • I still need more classical music on my iPod

The sleigh slewed around at the end of Money Trap Lane. COME ON, ALBERT. "You know you’re not supposed to do this sort of thing, master. You know what happened last time." THE HOGFATHER CAN DO IT, THOUGH. "But… little match girls dying in the snow is part of what the Hogswatch spirit is all about, master," said Albert desperately. "I mean, people hear about it and say, ‘We may be poorer than a disabled banana and only have mud and old boots to eat, but at least we’re better off than the poor little match girl,’ master. It makes them feel happy and grateful for what they’ve got, see." I KNOW WHAT THE SPIRIT OF HOGSWATCH IS, ALBERT. "Sorry, master. But, look, it’s all right, anyway, because she wakes up and it’s all bright and shining and tinkling music and there’s angels, master." Death stopped. AH. THEY TURN UP AT THE LAST MINUTE WITH WARM CLOTHES AND A HOT DRINK? "Er. No. Not exactly at the last minute, master. Not as such." WELL? "More sort of just after the last minute." Albert coughed nervously. YOU MEAN AFTER SHE’S— "Yes. That’s how the story goes, master, ‘s not my fault." WHY NOT TURN UP BEFORE? AN ANGEL HAS QUITE A LARGE CARRYING CAPACITY. "Couldn’t say, master. I suppose people think it’s more… satisfying the other way…" Albert hesitated and then growned. "You know, now that I come to tell someone…" Death looked down at the shape under the falling snow. Then he set the lifetimer on the air and touched it with a finger. A spark flashed across. "You ain’t really allowed to do that," said Albert, feeling wretched. THE HOGFATHER CAN. THE HOGFATHER GIVES PRESENTS. THERE’S NO BETTER PRESENT THAN A FUTURE. "Yeah, but—" ALBERT. "All right, master." Death scooped up the girl and strode to the end of the alley. The snowflakes fell like angel’s feathers. Death stepped out into the street and accosted two figures who were tramping through the drifts. TAKE HER SOMEWHERE WARM AND GIVE HER A GOOD DINNER, he commanded, pushing the bundle into the arms of one of them. AND I MAY WELL BE CHECKING UP LATER. Then he turned and disappeared in the swirling snow. Constable Visit looked down at the little girl in his arms, and then at Corporal Nobbs. "What’s all this about, corporal?" Nobby pulled aside the blanket. "Search me," he said. "Looks like we’ve been chosen to do a bit of charity." "I don’t call it very charitable, just dumping someone on people like this." "Come on, there’ll still be some grub left in the Watch House," said Nobby. He’d got a very deep and certain feeling that this was expected of him. He remembered a big man in a grotto, although he couldn’t quite remember the face. And he couldn’t quite remember the face of the person who had handed over the girl, so that meant it must be the same one. Shortly afterward there was some tinkling music and a very bright light and two rather affronted angels appeared at the other end of the alley, but Albert threw snowballs at them until they went away.

Hogfather, Sir! Terry Pratchett (via zombeesknees)

I’ve seen multiple people genuinely asking whats wrong with playing their music on a speaker/their phone in public rather than through headphones. While it baffles me that you can’t reason it out I’m taking it in good faith that you genuinely don’t know - so here’s a list of reasons you shouldn’t:

- It sounds bad. It doesnt matter if people like the song, you might be close enough to your phone speaker for it to sound largely as intended, but everyone else is getting a distorted mess. 

- Unwanted noise is extra stimulation in the already overpowering public space. Yes this is particularly bad for neurodivergent people but I actually want to acknowledge that this effects Everyone. Everyone has a stimulation threshold and unwanted music easily pushes people closer to it.

- Its distracting/disruptive. People want to focus on their own conversations, listen to their own music through their earbuds, or just be alone with their thoughts. Your music is intruding. 

- Differing taste. This one is less significant but people around you just dont always like the same music you do. In extreme cases they might actively hate a song you’re playing. 

- People have the right to as close to silence as they can get. If they’re in a shop playing obnoxious music they can leave, they can change the radio in their car, they can skip the song on their playlist. They have no control over what you are putting on and in bus situations they can’t get away from you. 

- Any other number of reasons; Maybe your music is offensive, maybe its uncensored and there are children about, maybe someone just got horrible news and your perky feelgood song feels like salt in the wound, maybe someone’s sick or hungover or in pain and your music feels like a drill to the skull.  You might think your music is good, it might make you smile after a hard day. Nobody is saying dont listen at all, just put in earphones. To everyone around you its the equivilent of a drunk guy singing loudly and off key at the back of the bus. Maybe it makes some people smile to think he’s having a good time, maybe some people are scared his lack of boundaries will mean he could act out, maybe some people wish he would just shut up. 

Saw this and had to repost it

Neville confirmed for BAMF

Day Six - Recommended Books

I used to spend quite a lot of time reading books, so here's my highlights;

Good Omens (Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman)

The Truth (Terry Pratchett)

Carpe Juguluum (Terry Pratchett)

The Fifth Elephant (Terry Pratchett)

The Janus Man (Colin Forbes)

Snow White and the Seven Samurai (Tom Holt)

Magic Kingdom For Sale - SOLD! (Terry Brooks)

The Bible According to Spike Milligan

Puckoon (Spike Milligan)

The Northern Lights (Phillip Pullman)

The Founding - A Gaunt's Ghosts Omnibus (Dan Abnett)

Of Mice & Men (John Steinbeck)

Fullmetal Alchemist (Manga) (Hiromu Arakawa)

I've had the pleasure of reading pretty much all of the Discworld books by Terry Pratchett and I would happily recommend them to anyone that likes fantasy comedy. If you haven't read one of his books, do it! (And then read the rest... and tell them Nik sent ya)

Nik

Two of my main mtg decks need tokens, so I figured rather than shelling out on some, I'd make my own

If you want to use them for your own decks, feel free

Alternately if you want me to make any more in this style, inbox me and I'll see what I can do