Mystery Inc. But It’s The 1890s

“We love life whenever we can”

June 1982, Beirut, Lebanon — Palestinian Soldier Stroking a Kitten

The day people realize you don’t have to be innocent to be a victim of police brutality is the day I find peace in life

Can't get over how The Boy and the Heron is haunted by napalm. Of course in the way that it haunts Mahito's trauma and dreams, but also in the fantastical imagery. The vision of his mother melting into a pool of liquid, the story of the fiery rock that dried up an entire lake upon contact, Himi entirely. The fact that the fantastical world, far from the touch of war, has an abundance of water.

References to graphic violence ahead. Firebombing wrecked Tokyo. The firebombing attacks,iirc, actually killed more civilians than the atomic bombs did. There are anecdotes from survivors about crowds of people running and trampling each other to try to escape the napalm. About people running to local swimming pools just to try to douse out the fires or escape only to find that the water of the pools completely dried up because of the heat. Of people bursting into flames in the middle of running. Of people's organs/bodies, quite frankly, melting into liquid. An account of a survivor's mother, for years after the war, pouring cups of water over her deceased daughter's grave and saying "little one, you must have been so hot."

It's subtle and I am not even sure that it was intentional, or if this was on Miyazaki's mind as he directed the art, but I can't shake off the echoes of history when I watched it.

Recently I’ve been reading Kui Ryoko’s fantasy short stories, and they’re all fantastic! Highly recommend that all Dungeon Meshi fans (and fantasy fans in general) check out her other works:

Terrarium in a Drawer

The Dragon’s School is on Top of the Mountain

The Works of Ryoko Kui: Seven Little Sons of the Dragon

My Little Pony - Applejack - Bishoujo Statue - My Little Pony Bishoujo Series - 1/7 (Kotobukiya)

Some Gofundme Campaigns that need help

1. Help my family to get out of Gaza, @/burningnightgiver. Campaign shared by @/90-ghost ; $10,673/$50,000 CAD (21% FUNDED)

2. Relief Appeal: Secure Evacuation from Gaza War, @/amhdes90, #92 on the Vetted Gaza Evacuation spreadsheet; $9,827/$47,000 USD (21% FUNDED)

3. Help Ahmed, Abedelrahman, and family Escape war, @/ahmedalnabeeh11. #218 on Vetted Gaza Evacuation spreadsheet; €22,659/€30,000 (76% FUNDED)

4. Help Muhammad's Family Escape War-Torn Gaza, @/m7meds. Not yet vetted, but images cannot be found via reverse image search and appears legitimate overall; $535/$50,000 USD (1% FUNDED)

5. A Father's Plea: Help Save My Family, @/4-zien-yousef. #206 on Vetted Gaza Evacuation spreadsheet; €14,028/€23,000 (61% FUNDED)

6. Help Rebuild Our Lives in Gaza After Devastating War, @/ranin3344; Shared by @/90-ghost; €7,256/€80,000 (9% FUNDED)

7. Help us build new hope for me and my family, @/safaabed8. #241 in Vetted Gaza Evacuation spreadsheet; €27,622/€90,000 (31% FUNDED)

8. Urgent aid ! Help to fight starvation for an extended family, @/mahmoudayyad. Vetted by @/90-ghost; €2,518/€100,000 (3% FUNDED)

9. Save Mohammad's family and children escape Gaza Genocide, @/save-mohamed-family. #192 on Vetted Gaza Evacuation spreadsheet; $9,442/$50,000 CAD (19% FUNDED)

10. Help Gazans family get to safety, @/ahedalshaer. #407 on the Butterfly Effect Project; €4,485/€80,000 (6% FUNDED)

11. Save My Family from the War Nightmare in Gaza, @/yazanfamilly. Vetted by @/mohammedalanqer; €10,191/€50,000 (20% FUNDED)

12. Help Asmaa to continue school outside of gaza, @/asmaamajed2. Shared by @/90-ghost; $3,177/$50,000 USD (6% FUNDED)

13. Assist in evacuating my family from the war in Gaza., @/aya2mohammed. #166 in Vetted Gaza Evacuation spreadsheet; €24,870/€50,000 (50% FUNDED)

14. Ola's Family Call for your Support Amid Crisis, @/olagaza. #205 on Vetted Gaza Evacuation spreadsheet; $28,387/$50,000 USD (57% FUNDED)

15. Rebuilding Live: A Mother's Plea for Hope and Safety in Gaza, @/noor-alanqar. Vetted by @/90-ghost; €19,763/€40,000 (49% FUNDED)

16. Help me save the future of children and treat cancer, @/abuzuhrisahar1. #253 on Vetted Gaza Evacuation spreadsheet; €646/€20,000 (3% FUNDED)

17. Donate to Ahmed's Journey to Safety and Education, @/ahmadresh. Shared by @/90-ghost; $6,395/$10,000 USD (64% FUNDED)

18. Help Us Escape the Ravages of War: Emergency Evacuation Fund, @/mohammedaldeeb. #212 on Vetted Gaza Evacuation spreadsheet; €37,622/€55,000 (68% FUNDED)

19. Emergency: Help Evacuate My Family From GAZA WAR, @/hayanahed. #26 on Operation Olive Branch; €74,462/€100,000 (74% FUNDED)

20. Help nurse Reham &family soufi of Palestine from Gaza City, @/rehamyasirr. Shared by @/90-ghost. $2,141/$40,000 AUD (13% FUNDED)

21. Evacuate Yousef and his family from Gaza, @/hanaa-yousef. #246 on Vetted Gaza Evacuation spreadsheet; £10,196/£20,000 (51% FUNDED)

22. Support Aseeel Fight for Life and Family in Gaza, @/aseelo680. Vetted by @/90-ghost; $11,555/$20,000 USD (58% FUNDED)

23. Help my family escape Gaza, @/bshaeromars-blog. #231 on Vetted Gaza Evacuation spreadsheet; $14,311/$40,000 USD (36% FUNDED)

24. Help the Qanou Family, @/rhq2744. #221 on Vetted Gaza Evacuation spreadsheet; £7,904/£55,000 (14% FUNDED)

25. Help my son to live a normal live, @/dodoomar12345. Shared by @/90-ghost; kr119,305/kr300,000 SEK (40% FUNDED)

26. Help Palestine and Family Survive the Gaza Crisis, @/falestine-yousef. Shared by @/90-ghost. $12,308/$40,000 USD (31% FUNDED)

27. we need help, @/wafaaresh6. Shared by @/90-ghost. €27,788/€100,000 (28% FUNDED)

28. Help Fidaa and her children, @/fidaa-family2. Vetted by @/90-ghost. $12,581/$30,000 USD (42% FUNDED)

29. Support Mohi's Fight for Survival in Gaza, @/mohiy-gaza. Vetted by @/ana-bananya. $16,516/$31,000 USD (53% FUNDED)

playing this game felt like watching MPGIS but on mega steroids (positive)

“one day, i was reading a book about lesbians and my son came into the room and asked me to read from the book to him. so, i began to read to him, and the word lesbian came up somewhere in the few paragraphs that i read, and he said, “what’s a lesbian?” and i told him, “a woman that loves women and makes a life with a woman as a companion.” so he said, “oh, so that’s what you do.” i said, “yeah.” he said, “so that means you’re a lesbian.” and i said, “yeah.” and he said, “but mommy, i thought you were a virgo” from the documentary film choosing children: launching the lesbian baby boom, 1985

Help! Difficult days, I literally have bank account in negative numbers, didn’t know it was possible.

Rent is due so If you ever feel generous towards me and the blog this would really be a good time.

                                paypal.me/heroesincolor

Every bit helps.

stop feeling hopeless, start getting ready

If you are in a red state, your state either has an abortion ban in place or is rated by the Guttmacher Institute as likely to enact a ban. Your focus should be on protecting yourself and others who need abortions.

stop using electronic period tracking apps or software

educate yourself and others about pregnancy prevention and join groups that are making preventative birth control more accessible

learn the nearest and most accessible routes to states where you and your loved ones can access abortion

contribute to mutual aid funds to help transport people over state lines if they are in need of abortion

consider joining The Satanic Temple so you can claim protections under the Religious Abortion Ritual if you are prosecuted for obtaining an abortion

keep a stock of by-mail abortion pills for yourself and/or others who may need them (you may need to travel out of state to obtain them)

form community provider networks and see if you or someone you know can be trained to use manual vacuum aspiration kits or a Del-Em

all of the above should be done in complete secrecy using verbal communication, end-to-end encrypted apps such as Signal, or a VPN

If you are in a yellow state, you currently have constitutional abortion protections but they are in jeopardy. Get active in local political groups NOW to fight back against constitutional amendments to ban abortion. Your focus should be purely on political action.

If you are in Michigan, you currently have a ban in place which is being challenged, and your governor is working to add abortion protections into the Michigan state constitution. Your focus should be on supporting the work that is currently under way.

If you are in a green state, your state has constitutional protections for abortion that are unlikely to be challenged. Your focus should be on helping others to enter your state for abortion care.

connect with abortion access groups such as Aid Access, Abortion on Demand, the National Network of Abortion Funds, or Just The Pill

volunteer to help people enter your state for abortion care, either with transportation help or letting someone crash on your couch

if you live in a green state with no current or predicted primary routes from other states for abortion access, you can focus your efforts on supporting political action in other areas

If you are in a purple state, your state currently has no constitutional protections for abortion but is unlikely to implement a ban. You have two focuses: pushing for constitutional protections AND helping others to enter your state for abortion care (see green state list).