favorite video essays:

iplaytolosebitch

x

thehappysnail

Holy fuck

musingsofaraven

This works best if you keep windows closed.

Another design is using 2 20x25x1 filters, taping them to the sides of the box fan and then to each other so they sort of make a triangle, then cutting cardboard to make a top and bottom to the triangle.

This was discovered as a more effective design during the 2020 US west coast fires.

https://tombuildsstuff.blogspot.com/2013/06/better-box-fan-air-purifier.html

Better Box Fan Air Purifier

A better more efficient and odor eliminating homemade air purifier than just taping a 20x20x1 filter to a box fan. Sometimes you need to

https://tombuildsstuff.blogspot.com/2013/06/better-box-fan-air-purifier.html

some video essays that make me go absolutely bonkers fucking yonkers:

livingmeatloaf

[image ID: black words on a white rectangle in numbered bullet point format. Behind the white rectangle is a background of beige and gold, showing text on a page and gold and black jewelry. The main text reads as follows:

How to say: 'Sorry, I'm not doing that for free.'

• 'Thank you for thinking of me, this sounds like a great fit, can I just check whether this is a paid opportunity?' ['paid opportunity' is bolded].
• 'This sounds like such an interesting project! Here's a link to the current services I offer, I think xxx would be the best fit' or '...here's a copy of my media kit, which includes my rate card' ['current services I offer' is bolded].
• 'Thank you so much for considering me for this. Unfortunately I'm unable to take on any unpaid projects at the moment, but if that changes in the future I'd love to get back in touch' ['unpaid projects' is bolded].
• 'Thanks so much for your inquiry! Out of respect for my paying clients I am unable to give detailed advice via DMs, but here's where you can book a consultation, and I have a wealth of free resources at xxx' ['respect for my paying clients' is bolded].

End ID]

anarchistcommunism

Guns and Community Self-Defense

After the actions of Kyle Rittenhouse in Kenosha, Wisconsin its important for lefties in the USA to understand the need for arming themselves when appropriate. Right-wing militias are only getting bolder, and they will be encouraged to commit acts of stochastic terrorism by the police and right-wing pundits. Forewarned is forearmed. 

Resources:

Socialist Rifle Association

“The Socialist Rifle Association’s mission is to uphold the right of the working class to keep and bear arms and maintain the skills necessary for self and community defense.” Find a local chapter in the USA here.

Huey P. Newton Gun Club

“Our mission is to educate the masses of people on the necessity of self. That includes self-preservation, self-defense, and self-sufficiency through militant culture. Safety, caution, and attention to detail are at the core of our way of life. We desire a world of peace, justice, and equality for all humanity, and specifically people of color.“

Redneck Revolt

“Redneck Revolt is a national network of community defense projects from a broad spread of political, religious, and cultural backgrounds. It is a pro-worker, anti-racist organization that focuses on working class liberation from the oppressive systems which dominate our lives. In states where it is legal to practice armed community defense, many branches choose to become John Brown Gun Clubs, training ourselves and our communities in defense and mutual aid.”

Unicorn Riot

“Unicorn Riot is a decentralized, educational 501©(3) non-profit media organization of artists and journalists. Our work is dedicated to exposing root causes of dynamic social and environmental issues through amplifying stories and exploring sustainable alternatives in today’s globalized world.”

Reading: 

Setting Sights Histories And Reflections On Community Armed Self Defense

“This wide-ranging anthology uncovers the hidden histories and ideas of community armed self-defense, exploring how it has been used by marginalized and oppressed communities as well as anarchists and radicals within significant social movements of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.”

Good Guys with Guns: Why the left should arm itself

“If you don’t have the means to defend yourself, the state will do whatever it wants to you,” she said. “Even when a firearm is not used, a firearm is a symbol of power.”

Doxcare: Prevention and Aftercare for Those Targeted by Doxxing and Political Harassment

“This step-by-step guide explains how to protect yourself from online stalkers, why it is important, and what to do if you are targeted for “doxxing”—the publishing of your private information. In a era of universal surveillance, when livestreamers broadcast every major demonstration while fascists, FBI agents, and police officers comb through social media posts to gather intelligence with which to harass activists, there has never been a better time to take steps to secure your privacy. Here’s how.“

I’m a left-wing anarchist. Guns aren’t just for right-wingers.

“The police will not protect us; neither will the military, or well-meaning liberals, or your favorite oh-so-progressive politicians. It is not in their interest to do so, and recognizing that is imperative to the survival of those who reject this vile status quo.”

The Rifle on the Wall: A Left Argument for Gun Rights

“That rifle on the wall of the labourer’s cottage or working class flat is the symbol of democracy. It is our job to see that it stays there.” – George Orwell

Guns and the Left

““Guns are a necessary form of self-defense so long as there is an oppressive, racist state that exists to uphold white supremacy,” Caldwell said. This doesn’t just mean self-defense in the traditional sense — defending one’s body from harm — but also the collective defense of marginalized communities.”

anarchistcommunism

Resharing this in light of recent events at Capitol Hill. Stay strong, stay safe, and stay together!

joesugggs

FAMOUS AUTHORS

TEXTBOOKS

MATH AND SCIENCE

CHILDREN’S BOOKS

PHILOSOPHY AND RELIGION

PLAYS

MODERN FICTION, FANTASY AND ROMANCE

FOREIGN LANGUAGE

HISTORY AND CULTURE

RARE BOOKS

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

MYSTERY

POETRY

MISC

science-junkie

… and here is a gift for all of us.

da-da-sk

12 museums that you can visit online

www.hermitagemuseum.org

britishmuseum.org

www.louvre.fr

www.museodelprado.es

collections.vam.ac.uk

www.moma.org

www.khm.at

www.digitalsculpture.org

www.tnm.jp

artsandculture.google.com

collections.lacma.org

collections.rom.on.ca

neshamama

metropolitan musem guide to virtual museum / collections / timeline of art / youtube / over 500 books free online / 360º project

the broad collections

tate collections

reina sofia collections / multimedia

rijkysmuseum collections

tokyo national museum e-museum / collections

detroit institute of arts collections

yale university gallery of art collections

harvard art museums collections

whitney museum collections / videos

israel museum jerusalem collections

jewish museum new york��collections

walker art center collections

indianapolis museum of art collections

mfa boston collections / youtube

figge art museum collections

american folk art museum collections

museum of international folk art collections

art institute chicago virtual visit / collections / articles

van gogh museum virtual visit / collections

mfa houston collections

google arts and culture virtual tours, images, online exhibitions:��national gallery d.c. / smithsonian portrait gallery��/ metropolitan museum / detroit institute of arts / j. paul getty museum / high museum of art atlanta / georgia o’keeffe museum to name a few of hundreds

in the ten years since we lost my dad, dozens and dozens of people have messaged me here or asked me in person, “my friend just lost [parents, child, partner, etc.]. What can I do for them?”

I could make an extremely long post about the year-long initial grief process I personally subscribe to, but my immediate advice is: Provide Basic Care, namely food. In the first two weeks following a death, it’s hard to focus on self-maintenance. If there’s not ready-made food available, many people may skip eating for days before they realize how hungry they are. Chores pile up.

In this case, we’re assuming you know your friend well enough to make some decisions for them. If you ask what they want, they might feel like a burden and deny help, or they may be too distracted by the shock of the loss to know how to answer. So don’t ask, show up. I’m not saying force yourself into their space. Dropping things off and being on your way if they want privacy is okay. If you know what they can/like to eat, bring it. If you can’t afford it on your own, reach out to their other friends, their place of worship, any support system they may possibly have, and try to pool money for groceries. Ask each person to provide, whether home-cooked or purchased, one meal. If it can be frozen for longer storage, that’s even better.

Staples are good, but so are comfort foods. Bring any favorites you know about.

Next, if you’re extremely close to this person, either you live with them or go to their home regularly, offer to do their basic chores. If they feel a little uncomfortable accepting, ask if you can work together to complete the chores. Dishes, sweeping, picking up the kids from school or taking the pets to their grooming appointment. Babysitting young children while adults make arrangements. Laundry, even offering to lay out a week of outfits for them so they don’t have to worry about what to wear.

When’s the last time they shopped for basic necessities? Are they out of anything? Toilet paper? Toothpaste? Tell them you needed to get some for yourself this week anyway, so you’ll pick it up for them too if they can name a few things, really it’s no trouble. If they want to shop, ask if you can go together, especially if they seem to have trouble actually getting there.

If you’re not extremely close with this person, say you’re a coworker, a newer friend, etc., if you know one of their close friends, get in touch with them and ask what the person may need. Offering to gather meals for a drop-off is still appropriate.

Acts of service go a long way, but If you don’t know them well or any of their close friends, financial support is a good option. A condolence card in an envelope with a personally or group-funded gift card to a grocery store, or just plain cash and note like “for anything you might need right now” is also appropriate.

It is impossible to exaggerate how far these things go in the wake of losing someone you love.

The night my dad died, my mom’s friends showed up at our house, and they simply began cleaning. They did the dishes. They vacuumed the carpets. They even cleaned the bathrooms. I don’t think it was all part of a plan. I think they were simply doing something for the sake of doing ANYTHING they could in a situation which made us feel so powerless. Then our friends and family fed us lunch and dinner for about two weeks.

My high school best friends helped me get dressed every day leading up to the funeral. One of them washed my hair.

I will remember the love of all of those actions for as long as I live. Even from the people who I know felt awkward and lost, who stopped by our house with a casserole and absolutely no idea what to say, who left groceries in a bag on the porch with a note because they couldn’t bear the uncomfortable “we’re sorry for your loss” conversation.

Every single thing mattered more than the people helping may have even realized. Community saved us when everything fell apart.

bedbugbiting

My face is having uncontrollable spasms. Great. It hurts really, really, really bad.

I think part of why I have trouble explaining pain to the doctor is when they ask about the pain scale I always think “Well, if someone threw me down a flight of stairs right now or punched me a few times, it would definitely hurt a lot more” so I end up saying a low number. I was reading an article that said that “10” is the most commonly reported number and that is baffling to me. When I woke up from surgery with an 8" incision in my body and I could hardly even speak, I was in the most horrific pain of my life but I said “6” because I thought “Well, if you hit me in the stomach, it would be worse.”

bomberqueen17

I searched and searched for the post this graphic was from, and the OP deactivated, but I kept the graphic, because my BFF does the same thing, uses her imagination to come up with the worst pain she can imagine and pegs her “10″ there, and so is like, well, I’m conscious, so this must be a 5, and then the doctors don’t take her seriously. (And she then does things like driving herself to the hospital while in the process of giving birth. Probably should have called an ambulance for that one!)

So I found this and sent it to her. Because this is what they want to know: how badly is this pain affecting you? Not on a scale of “nothing” to “how I’d imagine it’d feel if bears were eating my still-living guts while I was on fire”. 

I hate reposting stuff, but I’ll never find that post again and OP is deactivated, so, here’s a repost. I can delete this later, i just wanted to get it to you and I can’t embed images in a chat or an ask. 

derryderrydown

This is possibly why it took several weeks to diagnose my fractured spine.

petralemaitre

Pain Scale transcription:

10 - I am in bed and I can’t move due to my pain. I need someone to take me to the emergency room because of my pain.

9 - My pain is all that I can think about. I can barely move or talk because of my pain.

8 - My pain is so severe that it is difficult to think of anything else. Talking and listening are difficult.

7 - I am in pain all the time. It keeps me from doing most activities.

6 - I think about my pain all of the time. I give up many activities because of my pain.

5 - I think about my pain most of the time. I cannot do some of the activities I need to do each day because of the pain.

4 - I am constantly aware of my pain but can continue most activities.

3 - My pain bothers me but I can ignore it most of the time.

2 - I have a low level of pain. I am aware of my pain only when I pay attention to it.

1 - My pain is hardly noticeable.

0 - I have no pain.

airagorncharda

It’s also really important to get this kind of scale to people who have chronic pain, because chronic pain drastically lowers your perception of how “bad” any kind of pain actually is, and yet something like this pain scale is extremely user friendly. 

For example, if someone asked me how much pain I’m in at any given time, I’d say hardly any, and yet I’m apparently at a chronic 2.5, and it only goes up from there depending on the day. 

There’s also a similarly useful “Fatigue Scale”

jedijenkins

I haven’t been below a 5 on this scale for 4 years 

nerdgasrnz

Here’s the fatigue scale

sunny-day-sky

Fatigue scale image desc:

10: can barely move; can’t talk

9: can barely move; can talk

8: can move, but can’t do much more than watch TV

7: can watch TV and play a game on my phone simultaneously

6: can do work on my computer lying in bed

5: can get around the house, but definitely couldn’t go out

4: can run a light errand

3: can get in my 10,000 steps, making my fitbit happy

2: can do three or more activities in a single day

1: going clubbing!

eruvadhril

See also the Mental Health Pain Scale by Graceful Patient:

Mental Health Pain Scale transcription:

MILD

1 - Everything is a-okay! There is absolutely nothing wrong. You’re probably cuddling a fluffy kitten right now. Enjoy!

2 - You’re a bit frustrated or disappointed, but you’re easily distracted and cheered up with a little effort.

3 - Things are bothering you, but you’re coping. You might be overtired or hungry. The emotional equivalent of a headache.

MODERATE

4 - Today is a bad day (or a few bad days). You still have the skills to get through it, but be gentle with yourself. Use self-care strategies.

5 - Your mental health is starting to impact on your everyday life. Easy things are becoming difficult. You should talk to your doctor.

6 - You can’t do things the way you usually do them due to your mental health. Impulsive and compulsive thoughts may be hard to cope with.

SEVERE

7 - You’re avoiding things that make you more distressed, but that will make it worse. You should definitely seek help. This is serious.

8 - You can’t hide your struggles any more. You may have issues sleeping, eating, having fun, socialising, and work/study. Your mental health is affecting almost all parts of your life.

9 - You’re at a critical point. You aren’t functioning any more. You need urgent help. You may be a risk to yourself or others if left untreated.

10 - The worst mental and emotional distress possible. You can no longer care for yourself. You can’t imagine things getting any worse. Contact a crisis line immediately.

kingspadedying

These are so important! SO SO IMPORTANT SHARE THIS AND SAVE IT TO SHOW YOUR DOCTORS!

agardenofideas

@good-ho-mens please share this

lokeanrampant

These are important and super helpful. These are the best I have ever seen. They make SENSE.

queendread

Right now, I’m sifting through 50+ applications for a new entry-level position. Here’s some advice from the person who will actually be looking at your CV/resume and cover letter:

This is my advice for small, independent orgs like charities, etc. We usually don’t go through agencies, and the person reading through the applications is usually the person who will manage you, so it helps if you can give them a real sense of who you are and how you’ll grab hold of that entry level position and give it all you’ve got. This stuff might not apply to big companies with actual HR departments - it’s up to you to figure out the culture and what they’re looking for and mirror it. Do they use buzzwords? Use the same buzzwords! Do they write in a friendly, informal way? Do the same! And remember, 95% of job hunting (beyond who you know and flat-out nepotism, ugh) is luck. If you keep getting rejected, it’s not because you suck. You might just need a different approach, or it might just take the right pair of eyes landing on your CV.

And if you get rejected, it’s worthwhile asking why. You’ve already been rejected, the worst has already happened, there’s really nothing bad that can come out of you asking them for some constructive feedback (politely, informally, “if it isn’t too much trouble”). Pretty much all of us have been hopeless jobseekers at one point or another. We know it’s shitty and hard and soul-crushing. Friendliness goes a long way. Even if it’s just one line like “your cover letter wasn’t inspiring" at least you know where to start.

And seriously, if you have any friends that do any kind of hiring or have any involvement with that side of things, ask them to look at your CV with a big red pen and brutal honesty. I do this all the time, and the most important thing I do is making it so their CV doesn’t read exactly like that of every other person who took the same ‘how-to-get-a-job’ class in school. If your CV has a paragraph that starts with something like ‘I am a highly motivated and punctual individual who–’ then oh my god I AM ALREADY ASLEEP.

revyspite

Very good post thanks for this.

copperbadge

Excellent advice for building and submitting job application documents.

dispatchrabbi

This is the first good resume advice post I’ve seen on this site. Much better advice than the “lists of active verbs to use” and “here are resume templates”. Follow this advice.

businessinsider

How to always get the best deals on everything.

wh0isnerd

Future reference 👍

sonypraystation

KEEP THEM POCKETS THICK FAM

beygiselle

video essays i love and think about a lot (mainly in relation to pop culture):

bhmay

may i add:

rroomforrerrorr

may i also add a few:

hxhomo

hm so psa bc i didn’t know this, it’s not common knowledge, and flu season is around:

apparently you aren’t supposed to take dextromethorphan (a common cough suppressant. it’s in stuff like cough syrup, mucinex dm, tylenol severe cold) with sertraline (aka zoloft, the antidepressant) bc it has the risk of causing Serotonin Syndrome, which is not as fun as the name suggests. i’m not a doctor but like, avoid drug interactions bc they can be serious.

remember to read labels guys aaa

kurapikawithagun

Not just sertraline, any SSRI or SNRI. Serotonin syndrome can kill you. When I was younger and on a lot of medication, a dose of cough medicine landed me in the ER. Always check potential interactions here before taking anything with antidepressants, even if it’s over-the-counter.

souldagger

cant stop thinking abt ursula k. le guin’s essay abt the carrier bag theory….. she’s like, maybe the first human tool was not a weapon, but rather something that holds, a bag, a pouch, a vessel, something for gathering and storing and sharing. let’s shift the narrative of humanity from that of violence to that of safekeeping. and i’m like

souldagger

and THEN she’s like, a novel is also a carrier bag. there’s the Hero’s story, sure, but there’s room enough in fiction for every experience, for every little thing, and it’s that other story, the life story, that she seeks……. o|-<

souldagger

turns out the entire essay is online (thanks, Anarchist Library) and i really can’t recommend it enough

Do you like to read books/novels and can’t afford to buy them all the time and don’t have access to a good library. Here are some e-book sites links I use. 

b-ok  (best)

PDFdrive (good)

8ebook  (mediocre) 

ibookpile (mediocre)

vk.com (only for latest romance/YA/new adult novels)

Since I’ve heard several people complain about youtube having like 3x as many ads recently, now’s a good time to remind everyone that:

And don’t get choked up about “supporting creators”, youtube itself has done far more to fuck over their livelihoods than you could ever manage with adblockers, and this way you don’t have to support google’s shitty business practices. If you’re really worried about their bills, subscribe to their patreons and support the Youtubers Union

theme eleven: rosemary — responsive and minimal sidebar or header theme with a slide-out navigation menu and a bunch of customization options.

previews: sidebar and header��/ code (on pastebin or github)

features and options:

notes:

captain-acab

While this is hilarious, if you have Android, you can go to this website and download the cracked Spotify Premium app. It doesn’t let you download songs for offline listening, but it let’s you choose what songs you listen to, has no ads, and has unlimited skips! The developer has been working on this for years and puts out a new version whenever Spotify updates something (or tries to change something to make the hack stop working). In the past it has been a little spotty with the occasional crashes, but the current version is very reliable!

Remember kids, internet piracy is a victimless crime!

(Bonus tip: for ad-free YouTube on Android, install Newpipe, a free and open-source YouTube front-end. You can even listen to videos with your phone locked! For ad-free everything else, switch to Firefox Mobile and add the Ublock Origin adblocker)